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Narindervir Singh streamed the video live on Facebook and while he informed the driver that he's uploading the video live, the situation escalated and Singh was abused, sworn at and told to go back to his own country.

By Press Trust of India: An Indian national in New Zealand was assaulted, subjected to a racist tirade and told to go back to his own country during a road rage incident in Auckland, a media report said today.

Narindervir Singh said he was filming from inside his vehicle when the incident happened on a weekday last week.

Singh streamed the video live on Facebook and while he informed the driver that he's uploading the video live, the situation escalated and Singh was abused, sworn at and told to go back to his own country.

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The abuser, who is seen in video wearing a grey Everlast t-shirt, was tail-gating according to Singh, who says he simply pulled over to let him pass. The man also made derogatory remarks about Punjabi people, Newshub reported. As Singh drove off, the abuser exposed himself.

"It really shocked me and after he [left], I was really shaken," Newshub quoted Singh as saying. "I don't know what to do, it really hurts my heart...The first thing in my mind was that he might hurt me with some weapon."

When Singh left, he assumed it was all over. But when he parked on a nearby side street, he says the white Holden pulled up once again and the racist rant, including the 'n' word, continued.

ANOTHER RACIAL ATTACK

Another man, Bikramjit Singh, suffered similar abuse last week as he left a Papatoetoe storage facility. A man, who claimed Bikramjit was speeding, yelled at him saying: "Go back to your country - slow down! You know what the speed limit is here." Bikramjit said he wasn't speeding, and has lived in New Zealand for more than a decade.

The man who hurled abuse in that case ended up apologising in an email, blaming two alcohol beverages he'd consumed earlier that day. But those who work with migrants say such discrimination do appear to be increasing.

"We are seeing it much more openly which is a very serious concern," said Anu Kaloti from the Migrant Workers Association. "I think societies are becoming more and more intolerant, especially since (Donald) Trump was elected President of the US." Both men have filed complaints with police.

Also read: Third attack on an Indian in 10 days in US: All you need to know about 'climate of hate'

Also read: White House says shooting of Srinivas Kuchibhotla looks racially-motivated, FBI probing incident as a hate crime

--- ENDS ---
Competition heating up

In early February, H&M Vietnam has announced opening its first store in Hanoi. According to Inside Retail Asia, the Swedish brand has already begun recruiting staff.

The recruitment advertisement revealed that the store has an area of 2,000 square metres and will need about 100 employees who will be trained abroad for three to five months before officially starting in Vietnam.

H&M also scheduled to recruit in Ho Chi Minh City for its second showroom, which will be located in Vincom Thao Dien (District 2).

H&Ms upcoming arrival was predictable, as they have been preceded by most brands of the same tier.

Of its international rivals, Mango has been in Vietnam for the longest time. It opened its first store in Ho Chi Minh City in 2004. In 2015, Mango Mega Store chain with international standards appeared.

Each Mango store has an area of at least 1,000 square metres, including three major product lines: Mango Women, Mango Men, and Mango Kids. Currently, there are eleven Mango stores in Vietnam, including four Mango Mega Stores in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Affordable UK fashion brand Topshop joined the Vietnamese market in 2013. Topshop-Topman is a street-style fashion brand for youngsters. The first Topshop-Topman showroom was opened in Bitexco Financial Tower (Ho Chi Minh City). Topshops second store was opened in Hanoi, and at the present, there are altogether four Topshop-Topman stores in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Half a year ago, in September 2016, fast fashion brand Zara opened its first store in Vietnam with an area of over 2,400 square metres in Vincom Dong Khoi (Ho Chi Minh City). Zara reported a revenue of VND5.5 billion ($241,000) on the first day opening.

As living standards in urban areas are improving, so is the demand for clothing picking up. Additionally, young people are quick to catch up to the newest international trends, which may mean good prospect for the brands.

However, the appearance of more brands means more competition. There is one certain thing though: Vietnamese customers will benefit from this battle, and as these brands widen their product range in the country, they will replace single or small intermediaries who import their products from abroad.

From affordable to luxury

Some domestic fashion brands may worry about being dominated by these famous brands as youngsters in Vietnam may prefer foreign labels to catch up with the latest trends in the world. However, the price is still a barrier for these famous brands when approaching Vietnamese customers.

Affordable prices have always been the pride of H&M, Zara, Mango or Topshop, as they offer more than reasonable prices in more developed countries. In Vietnam, many items have to be sold cheaper compared to some other countries. For example, some of Zaras skirts in Vietnam may be VND100,000-200,000 ($4.5-$9) cheaper than in Thailand.

Nevertheless, prices are still high. When entering Vietnam, somehow these affordable brands have turned into luxury fashion labels. The middle class segmentthe target customers of these brands in every countryhas a lower income in Vietnam, and there are already numerous established clothing stores and brands with various styles at much more reasonable price in this segment.

For instance, in Daisy shops, a well-known chain of clothing stores for young women, the most expensive items are the overcoats which are priced at VND1.3 million ($56), while similar articles in Zara or Mango go for VND2-3 million ($87-$131).

Besides, these foreign brands are confronted with counterfeit Chinese products. As Vietnam has been repeatedly called to strengthen copyright protection, the design of numerous brands may be copied and sold at a lower price. Looking through these duplications, it is difficult to recognize that they are fakes. This remarkably influences sales and the reputation of the genuine products.

It would be great news for Vietnamese customers if following in H&Ms steps more and more affordable fashion brands, such as Forever 21, would join the Vietnamese market. However, these brands still have significant barriers to overcome in order to make their way here.
Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) Chair and Deputy Foreign Minister of Viet Nam Bui Thanh Son (first, right) talks to delegates on Friday in Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province.-VNA/VNS Photo Doan Tuan

The results achieved at the meetings laid the ground for following SOMs and the year-end Summit, said SOM Chair and Deputy Foreign Minister of Viet Nam Bui Thanh Son.

He said SOM 1, featuring senior officials from the 21 APEC member economies, was significant for three reasons: it was taking place in the context of uncertainties and continued slow growth of the regional and international economy; the bloc faced the challenges of meeting Bogor Goals in three years; and the enterprise community as well as the public pinned high hopes on APEC contributing to an improved business environment and improving peoples quality of life.

The meeting brought together APEC officials determined to enhance co-operation towards addressing issues and challenges facing the whole region, the Deputy FM said.

On the 2020 deadline for free and open trade among the economies, called the Bogor Goals, APEC Secretariats Executive Director Alan Bollard said: We have made huge progress on it, its fair to say but over the last couple of years, that progress is slowing down so we need to continue regulatory reforms.

We know that it is a long game we are playing. So Viet Nam is contributing many initiatives this year. It will continue the work that was done by Peru last year, the Philippines the year before and Papua New Guinea next year.

Viet Nam is already going to help some discussions on where APEC should go after 2020, should it be more of the same or should we take a different approach, he said.

New dynamism

Under the theme of Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future, APEC members have high expectations of a shared future, because that has always been the goal, nothing can change that, Bollard said.

Convening for the first time in 2017 in Nha Trang City with Viet Nam as the chair, senior officials are developing trade and economic policies that all corners of society can embrace and benefit from across APEC  whose member economies circle the Pacific Rim and account for three billion people, half of global trade and 60 per cent of world GDP.

The emphasis this year has been on providing new direction for regional economic integration and promoting sustainability in APEC; greater support for workers and small business participation in trade; and enhanced food security and agricultural sustainability in an era of climate change.

The biggest achievement of SOM 1 was the high consensus on enhanced economic and trade co-operation and linkage, and sustainable, inclusive and innovative growth, Son said.

All four orientations proposed by host Viet Nam received unanimous support and agreement.

First, co-operation orientations and concrete steps must be persisted with to reach the Bogor Goals on free trade and investment in 2020.

Second, a mechanism must be formed for discussions on post-2020 APEC visions.

Viet Nam plans to hold multi-party dialogues on APEC towards 2020 with a post-2020 vision and all member economies agree that the mechanism will encompass not only Government officials, but other parties such as scholars, enterprises, and international and social organisations, Son said.

Third, the members will re-orient APEC co-operation, focusing not just on free trade, but on ensuring inclusiveness of trade and growth.

Fourth, APEC should remain a leading co-operation mechanism to address practical demands of the people, that is the development of human resources in the digital age, cross-border e-commerce, supporting industry, and rural-urban development to reinforce food security and quality growth.

APEC will continue its leading role in enhancing co-operation to support the multilateral trading system, gradually realise a free trade area in the region and connect micro, small and medium enterprises, Son said.

During the 12 working days, all the four committees and 34 out of 53 working groups of APEC sat together for 60 meetings, workshops and dialogues and approved co-operation foci for each committee and group in 2017.

The other working groups will commence their meetings in the months to come. Numerous capacity building projects have also been put forward to support member economies take better advantage of trade, investment and business opportunities brought about by APEC co-operation.

SOM 1 delegates also approved the agenda for the APEC Year 2017, which includes three Senior Officials Meetings in Nha Trang, Ha Noi and HCM City, and Ministers and Ministerial Meetings and the Summit Week in Da Nang.
The Celine collection was a highlight of Sundays shows.-AFP/VNA Photo

With the brand mired in a row over the alleged mistreatment of more than 150 models at the casting for the show, the Georgian wunderkind brought the spotlight back on the clothes with a string of cheeky and breathtaking innovations.

Having caused a sensation last year with his trench coats and jackets pulled down off the shoulder  worn most memorably by Kim Kardashian the night she was tied up and robbed in Paris  the young designer has given the venerable aristocratic label a second almighty yank.

This time as well as wrap-around skirts inspired by rubber car mats, Gvasalia gave his coats another violent tug, pulling their right side up over the left shoulder.

The effect both startled and delighted critics, with Vogue declaring within minutes that he had brought the labels "legacy forward with audacity and wit".

Gvasalia included a series of spectacular, floatily oversized ball gowns at the end of the show, the first couture dresses the brand has shown since the twilight years of its founder Cristobal Balenciaga in the late 1960s.

The 35-year-old told the legendary Vogue critic Suzy Menkes backstage that he only finished the dresses at the last minute, having studied photographs of classic Balenciaga gowns once worn by European royalty.

"They are all made by hand. The pieces all came together yesterday, like it happens in couture, last minute, because there were so many people working on them," Gvasalia said.

"They were all lying like corpses on these tables in the atelier, which was quite an amazing experience."
1. Name of property: All properties of project Constructing infrastructure of Viet Hoa  Kenmark industrial zone (IZ).

2. Property location: Viet Hoa-Kenmark IZ at Km47, Highway no.5, Viet Hoa and Tu Minh communes, Hai Duong city, Hai Duong province.

3. Detailed information of property includes:

- Land use right until 2057 for 440,707 square metres of land in the Viet Hoa - Kenmark IZ (which is favourable investment location, adjacent to Highway No.5, approximately 52 kilometres away from Hanoi and 53km away from Haiphong);

- All properties attached to land (buildings, factories, constructions) in the area of Viet Hoa-Kenmark IZ;

- All properties which are the estate (including machinery, equipment, furniture, vehicles) and other properties formed during periods of investing and implementing the Viet Hoa-Kenmark IZ project.

4. Selling methods and selling price of properties will be decided either by bidding or negotiating.

Individuals or institutions who want to buy the properties can contact the bank at:

Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam  Thanh Do branch

Address: 469 Nguyen Van Linh street, Long Bien district, Hanoi.

Tel: 04.38758.872  Fax 04.38755.115

Mobile phone:

- 84. 904.233.269 - Tran Ngoc Ha (Email: hatn1@bidv.com.vn)

- 84. 913.565.856 - Nguyen Van Ha (Email: hanv151@bidv.com.vn)

- 84. 988.884.863- Tran Van Long (Email long.tv@shb.com.vn)
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond arrives for the weekly meeting of the cabinet at 10 Downing Street in central London. (AFP/Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS)

He said Britain would "do whatever we need to do" to be competitive if the country left the European Union without concluding a trade agreement.

"If there is anybody in the European Union who thinks that if we don't do a deal with the European Union, if we don't continue to work closely together, Britain will simply slink off as a wounded animal, that is not going to happen," he told BBC television.

"British people have a great fighting spirit and we will fight back. We will forge new trade deals around the world.

"We will do whatever we need to do to make the British economy competitive and to make sure that this country has a great and successful future."

Hammond, the chancellor of the Exchequer, refused to be drawn on whether that meant Britain would cut its corporation tax, set to fall to 19 per cent on Apr 1 from 20 per cent, in a bid to attract investment away from Europe.

"We expect to be able to achieve a comprehensive free trade deal with our European Union partners, but they should know that the alternative isn't Britain just slinking away into a corner," he said.

Britain is one of the largest net contributors to the EU budget, along with Germany, France and Italy, and the issue of outstanding payments will be a priority for Brussels in the Brexit talks.

Britain's former ambassador to the EU has said the bloc is set to demand up to 60 billion (US$64 billion) from Britain, a figure that other EU sources have confirmed to AFP.

A committee in the British parliament's upper House of Lords said on Saturday that the UK could legally leave the EU without settling its accounts. But Hammond indicated that Britain would pay any bills it owed to the EU.

"This is a piece of negotiating strategy that we are seeing in Brussels," he said. "We are a nation that honours its obligations and if we do have any bills that fall to be paid we will obviously deal with them in the proper way."

Prime Minister Theresa May intends to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty by the end of March.

This starts a two-year withdrawal process, after which Britain will leave the union whether or not it has struck a deal on its future ties with the bloc.
European businesses show optimism on Viet Nam's market as the Viet Nam-EU free trade agreement is expected to come into effect in 2018. Photo: VGP

The optimism is mainly driven by the upcoming signing of the Viet Nam-EU free trade agreement expected to come into effect in 2018, said EuroCham President Michael Bahren at a meeting with Deputy PM, FM Minh on Friday.

EuroCham, through its leading European firms, pledge to support and accelerate the agreement ratification process by member countries, he said.

The EuroCham President expressed thanks to the Government of Viet Nam for maintaining dialogues with foreign business communities.

He also figured out EuroChams future plans, including support for small and medium-sized enterprises to seek investment opportunities in Viet Nam.

Mr. Michael Bahren also committed to encouraging European businesses to forge stronger partnership with Viet Nam.

Deputy PM, FM Minh spoke highly of the agencys role and operation in Viet Nam over the past time, especially in bridging the Vietnamese Government and the European business community.

The host noted the agency and the EU delegation in Viet Nam have made positive contributions to economic relations between Viet Nam and the European countries.

Deputy PM, FM Minh also hailed EuroChams efforts in publishing White Book on Viet Nams business and investment environment during the past years.

He affirmed the Governments determination to build a constructive Government in service of people and businesses, asking EuroCham and the EU delegation to advocate the Vietnamese Government to turn Viet Nam into an attractive investment destinations for European businesses.
Twenty-two students and four research projects in Ho Chi Minh City became the recipients of the funding.

The programme aims to encourage and develop a pool of Vietnamese scientists who shall contribute their knowledge in the research, management and conservation of water resources in Vietnam.

In the school year 2016-2017, the programme will award 55 scholarships, with a total funding of VND802.5 million ($36,450), of which 14 scholarships (VND15 million or $680/each per year) will go to students who have achieved excellent academic results and received the grant for the first time, and 41 scholarships will go to those who received scholarships last year and have continued good academic performance this year (including 38 scholarships worth VND15 million /each per year and 3 scholarships worth VND7.5 million/each per term).

Also in 2016-2017, four eligible research projects that meet the programmes criteria received with a total funding of VND420 million ($19,000).

These include the study on making up the precipitation Struvite in urine to fertilizer, the study on developing water treatment equipment on a household scale by combination of optical catalyst and the light, the research and survey on removing the rough metals in water by the Cellilose acetate/Zeolite, and the study on the process of anaerobic disintegration for waste disposal in kitchen and water treatment to recover biomass energy.

Protecting water resources is one of the key focuses in our companys sustainability strategy. Apart from reducing water usage through increasing our production efficiency and a remarkable investment in our state-of-the-art waste water treatment systems for all our breweries, we believe educational support will make meaningful contributions to protecting water resources in the long run, said Matt Wilson, Corporate Affairs director of Heineken Vietnam Brewery (HVB).

This is the fifth year HVB has carried out the programme Towards Water Security.

To date, the programme has awarded 186 scholarships to students majoring in environmental studies, worth more than VND1.92 billion ($87,200) in total, and funded 20 research projects on water resources worth VND2.28 billion ($103,500).

Early this month, HVB presented another 33 scholarships to students and post-graduates at Can Tho University.

In 2016, HVB was recognised as the third most sustainable manufacturer in Vietnam by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) based on the Corporate Sustainability Index.
IREX has implemented many clean energy projects in both domestic and foreign markets

The renewable energy sector has tremendous potential in Vietnam due to an ever increasing consumption demand and the environmental challenges associated with conventional power plants.

Further, renewable energy bears significant industrial potential for establishing new manufacturing industries in Vietnam  that is if the political framework provides adequate support for substantial renewable energy developments.

According to World Bank, Vietnam is emerging as a leader in the global race to switch to sustainable energy by 2030. The country has made robust policies to support energy access, renewables, and energy efficiency.

The political momentum initiated by a draft for solar PV support mechanisms in 2015 has gotten the attention of foreign investors. The latest interest in solar surrounds the solar photovoltaic (PV) sector.

IREX owns a factory that manufactures internationally compliant solar cells and panels, using modern imported machinery from Germany, Italy, and Japan

Over the past few years, many international energy firms came to Vietnam to research the local PV market. Some investors were simply curious, while others were on a serious hunt for competent local partners.

According to industry insiders, technical capability is one of the most crucial factors that attracts long-term investment from overseas firms. Armed with cutting edge technologies, local companies can prove their vision for sustainable development.

Skilled human resources are also indispensable for the development of clean energy firms  but foreign investors take into account infrastructure facilities, financial capability, and growth potential as well before entering into partnership with local firms.

These demanding requirements have forced domestic energy companies to transform themselves to meet the expectations of foreign investors. However, only a few Vietnamese energy firms can fully fulfil these rigorous requirements.

Leveraging its extensive experience garnered through solar energy projects in Vietnam and around the world, IREX Energy Joint-Stock Company (IREX) embraces the sophisticated expectations of foreign energy firms. The company has recently inaugurated a high-tech energy equipment complex in Phu My I industrial park in the Tan Thanh commune of Ba Ria  Vung Tau province.

According to IREXs director Dong Van Sen, the project is part of a broad strategy to facilitate Vietnams shift to sustainable energy. In addition to satisfying domestic demand, the products will also meet international standards so they can be exported to Europe and the US.

He stressed that the high-tech energy equipment complex is expected to set a new benchmark for the solar PV sector in Vietnam. Within the scope of the project, IREX plans to develop a renewable energy research and development (R&D) centre to produce more clean energy applications in the country.

After 40 years of continuous research conducted by generations of scientists, IREX has implemented many clean energy projects in both domestic and international markets. Some notable projects include clean energy in the Spratly Islands, the Green One UN House in Ha Noi, and the Integrated Political Administration Center in Binh Duong.

The company is on a successful track that requires constant innovation. One of its prominent products is called Solar System Operation Center (SSOC), developed by Bach Khoa Investment and Development of Solar Energy Corporation (SolarBK). The solution makes monitoring and management processes more convenient, allowing users to easily access SolarBK experts via any device connected to the internet.

In addition to a strong technology base, IREX boasts skilled human resources, especially in its R&D team which is comprised of scientists with extensive knowledge and expertise. This is one of its competitive advantages. It allows IREX to garner favourable attention from foreign investors because energy firms must have a skilled workforce to keep up with rapid changes in technology.

IREX also owns a factory that manufactures internationally compliant solar cells and panels. The factory uses imported machinery from Germany, Italy, and Japan, with some production lines being fully automated.

Using their highly automated machinery and modern facilities, IREX produces a wide range of monocrystalline and polycrystalline photovoltaic panels that have outputs ranging from 35 to 350 watt peak capacity. Their solar cell efficiency exceeds 21 per cent in standard conditions, with panels that have a 12-year warrantee for materials and workmanship, and a 25-year warrantee for linear power output.

The company boasts a network of agencies and distributors nationwide to increase its brand awareness among consumers and investors. The fact that a Vietnamese company like IREX has the competency to be proactive in areas such as materials control and consulting as well as designing, implementing, managing, and transferring PV projects has definitely impressed international investors.

Sen stated that IREX will continue its efforts to maintain customer confidence when  achievable through investments in people, quality control processes, and machinery.

Our panels are assembled using the highest quality materials and are all fully tested for quality and performance prior to leaving the factory. We are proud to be a leading Vietnam PV manufacturer and welcome partnerships with international investors to promote and build a greener future in Vietnam, he added.

Founded in 2012, IREX is a member of SolarBK. The main product of IREX is photovoltaic panels for both businesses and households. IREX panels meet the following European and US standards issued by TUV Rheinland: IEC 61215:2005, IEC 61730:2004, and UL 1703.
Japanese M&A on the rise

Recently, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (SMTB)the largest trust bank in Japan with total assets of $585.4 billionhas bought 49 per cent of BIDV Financial Leasing Company and renamed it BIDV-SuMi TRUST Leasing Limited Company. The joint venture took place as an expansion of their strategic cooperation since 2013.

According to a VIR source, another investor from Japan is negotiating to buy 49 per cent of VPBank Finance Company Limited (FE Credit). These two examples evidence Japanese investors attention on the Vietnamese financial market and Vietnamese banks interest in cooperating with them.

Previously, Military Bank (MB) transferred 49 per cent of Mcredit Consumer Finance Companys shares to Shinsei Bank and HDBank transferred 49 per cent of HDFinances shares to Credit Saison Co., Ltd. Le Huu Duc, chairman of MBs board of directors, said the reason for the cooperation was that Japanese investors have the advantage of modern technology and experience in consumer finance.

Because of the interest from Japanese investors and their strong finances, there are more cooperation deals in the making. Currently, numerous banks and financial companies in Vietnam, including giants like BIDV and soon maybe Agribank, are calling for investment from strategic foreign investors.

Increasing cooperation with Japanese investors

Besides transferring shares, a range of big Vietnamese banks also cooperate with Japanese banks to look for business opportunities as Japanese FDI is increasing.

At the end of February 2017, BIDV signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on serving Japanese customers in Vietnam with Fukuoka Bank, the 16th biggest bank in Japan. Similarly, VietinBank and Vietcombank also signed dozens of MoUs with Japanese partners. In particular, Vietcombank signed with approximately 60 Japanese banks.

Following the trend, other commercial banks also seek Japanese partners and have even established a new service called Japan Desk to support clients form Japan. Besides VietinBank, Vietcombank, and BIDV, Sacombank, HDBank, TPBank, and others offer this service.

There are more and more Japanese firms entering the Vietnamese market. The two countries have similar cultures and retail banking strategies, so the cooperation can promote both parties strengths and often results in high efficiency, said a leader of Sacombank.

Japanese clients require perfect and diversified services, while capital and the range of services in Vietnam is limited. One can expect an increasing trend of teaming up among Japanese and Vietnamese banks in the coming time. This will be beneficial for all parties.
By Press Trust of India: Dubai, Mar 6 (PTI) A 33-year-old Indian expatriate in Abu Dhabi has won a life-changing lottery of over Rs 12 crores.

Sreeraj Krishnan Kopparembil, from Kerala, has won a whopping Dirham 7 million (approx. Rs 12,71,70,000) in the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket Draw announced yesterday.

"I just went blank for a minute when I got the call from the Big Ticket. I still cannot believe it has happened," said an elated Krishnan, who has been working in the UAE for the last nine years.

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"I am now convinced my lucky number is 44698," Krishnan, who works as a shipping coordinator, was quoted as saying by the Khaleej Times.

Though a regular buyer of lottery, Krishnan said he had never won anything before.

"This time when I bought the ticket, I had decided it would be my last try. And as luck would have it, this is definitely my last buy," he said.

Krishnan, who earns Dirham 6,000 (approx. Rs 1,09,000) in monthly salary, said his first priority was to pay off his housing loans back in India.

"That is what my wife also wants me to do," said Krishnan, whose wife works as an administrative assistant in a private firm.

The couple said they want to continue working in the UAE. "Why would I leave this country where we got lucky? I am a matured person who wants to stay grounded," Krishnan said.

He said he does not have any extraordinary plans for life as of now and wants to let the excitement settle in and would then think it through. PTI ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
The night will feature the Thinh Fla Quartet, consisting of Doan Viet Dung and Luong Xuan Thinh on guitar, Hoang Hai Bang on bass guitar, and Ha Dinh Huy on drums.

The quartets repertoire will include some music pieces as well as some pre-war Vietnamese romantic songs played in this style.

Audience members will have the chance to enjoy an exceptional evening during which the improvisation of jazz tunes will be mixed with the reinterpretation of Vietnamese lyrical songs performed by the best Vietnamese guitarists in the country.

Jazz manouche is rooted in the 1930s-40s recordings of guitarist Django Reinhardt and typically features guitar-centric swing tunes.

Tickets cost VND170,000. For LEspace members and students, the cost is VND100,000 and VND80,000, respectively.

Tickets are available at LEspace, 24 Trang Tien Street.
More than 500 businesses were recognised at the Vietnamese High-Quality Goods Awards ceremony held in HCM City on Thursday.-VNS Photo

More than 40 of the firms have been recognised for 21 consecutive years.

Most of the winners are manufacturers of sauces, spices and confectionary; non-alcoholic beverages; cosmetics and chemical cosmetics; jewellery; electrical and household machines; and dried foodstuff and instant food.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of the city Peoples Committee, said the high-quality products programme had become the citys key trade promotion programme, with the high-quality Vietnamese logo now recognised as a prestigious label.

City authorities said that more and more local businesses are being recognised for having high-quality products, which shows their continuing efforts to improve their competitiveness in the world market.

The awards are organised by the Business Association of High-Quality Vietnamese Products each year.

At the event, the association launched a new set of quality standards based on both local quality norms and the standards adopted in developed countries for high-quality Vietnamese goods.

Vu Kim Hanh, the associations chairwoman, called on companies to adopt new standards to safeguard consumer interests and improve competitiveness.

The awards ceremony was attended by 1,000 delegates, including State officials, leaders of cities and provinces, representatives of international organisations, and businesses.
QP, which held 25 per cent in the joint venture through subsidiary Qatar Petroleum International Vietnam (QPIV), decided to withdraw from the project in 2015. Since then, SCG has repeatedly told media that it was trying to find another investor to replace QPIV. The acquisition shows that SCG has failed to find a suitable partner.

With the acquisition, SCG has become the biggest shareholder in the project with 71 per cent, while Vietnamese partner PetroVietnam holds another 29 per cent.

The Post quoted a statement from SCG as saying that the deal is worth $36.1 million. With a construction period of five years, operations are expected to start in 2021.

Licensed for the first time in 2008, the $4.5 billion project has an area of 460 hectares and is located in Vung Tau City. Of the area, 398 hectares will house factories and the remaining is reserved for the construction of a port. The project will produce input for many other industries, such as packaging, textile, car manufacturing, and electronics manufacturing.

At the moment there is only one operating refinery in Vietnam, Dung Quat Refinery. Nghi Son refinery, a joint venture between PetroVietnam, Kuwait Petroleum International, Idemitsu Kosan, and Mitsui Chemical International, is expected to be completed as soon as the third quarter of this year.
Equitisation should ensure that firms will have a sound corporate governance system

At last weeks Vietnam Access Day in Ho Chi Minh City, 350 participants from leading investment funds, financial institutions, and listed firms discussed the role of equitised state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in developing Vietnams stock market, among other pressing topics. The three-day event, organised annually by Viet Capital Securities, is a platform for market participants from Vietnam and overseas to exchange ideas and network.

During his speech, Aaron Batten, country economist at Asian Development Bank, called for the urgent need to restructure Vietnamese SOEs. According to Batten, Vietnams output per worker has actually fallen in recent decades, in counter-direction to the countrys fast economic development, due to low productivity at SOEs. The inefficient state firms have soaked up the majority of capital and enjoyed monopolistic rights, dragging down Vietnams productivity growth.

Vietnams labour productivity gap with the US has risen from 89 per cent in 1990 to 97 per cent in 2014, while other emerging markets like China or Indonesia have reduced this gap. Equitising SOEs will help Vietnam make better use of its capital and human resources and focus on research and development, as well as encourage market competition, said Batten. This is crucial for a sustainable future, especially as Vietnams golden population advantage is going to fade in the next two decades, he added.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Xuan Thanh, director of the Fulbright Economics Teaching Programme, noted that Vietnam has accelerated SOE equitisation and state divestment to offset its growing fiscal deficit. SOEs are also important for the growing capital market.

Last December, the government issued Decree 58/2016, which specifies which SOEs are due for equitisation between now and 2020. This is considered an important guide in the equitisation process, and it also gives investors advance notice on which SOEs are slated to join the stock market.

Thanh predicted that in the coming years, Vietnam will prioritise selling state stakes in leading blue-chips such as Vinamilk, Sabeco, and Habeco. The next SOEs on the withdrawal list are those owned by the State Capital Investment Corporation, firms in infrastructure or utilities, and lastly, subsidiaries of the SOEs.

With the next batch of SOEs going on sale, foreign investors will have a wide range of opportunities.

Ngo Vinh Tuan, head of investment banking at Viet Capital Securities, noted that investors have been very keen on joining the sale of SOEs, especially those in energy, telecommunications, and infrastructure.

Vietnam has strong macro-economic fundamentals and lower valuations than its peers. Foreign ownership limits are also being phased out, and weve indeed seen increased interest from large overseas investors in Vietnam. Notable SOE listings and equitisations in 2017 will include Saigon Trading Group, PV Oil, Vietnam Cement Industry Corporation, PV Power Corporation, and Mobifone, Tuan said.

However, most experts agree that despite the great potential of SOEs, there is still a lot to do. Vietnam has reduced the number of SOEs from 6,000 in 2001 to 718 in 2016, but the state still holds 90 per cent of stakes in these equitised firms. As a result, little has been changed in terms of corporate governance, business performance, and competitiveness.

The speakers at Vietnam Access Day thus urged Vietnam to focus on quality when equitising SOEs, making sure that the firms are truly transformed into a competitive business with strong corporate governance standards.

According to Don Stokes, partner at law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, some SOE leaders remain hesitant to let outsiders join in running the firm. Fear of losing their know-how and control to strangers has prevented these leaders from selling significant stakes to outside investors.

Another issue is pricing. The government wants to maximise its profits via SOE sales, thus the price quote can be higher than what investors are willing to pay. Moreover, pricing remains opaque as valuation is carried out by local valuators and does not take into account the SOEs land use, monopoly rights, and other advantages, Stokes said.

One recent example is Vinamilks 9 per cent share sale last December, which generated fiery interest from investors beforehand but left half of the shares on offer unsold. Experts have pointed out that Vinamilks pricing and the valuation process itself have flaws  which should be a good lesson for future SOE share auctions.
With its new $136.4 million project, TH Group is simultaneously bringing high-tech to Thai Binh and to the rice sector

With construction already underway, the project, based in the provinces Vu Thu district, will focus on producing organic fruits and vegetables and high-quality rice. It will cover a total land area of 3,000 hectares, of which about 2,000ha will be used for producing rice and rice oil.

As the first high-tech agricultural project in Thai Binh, this integrated project will be built under the financial consultancy of BAC A BANK. It will cover all stages of production, from incubation, cultivation, extraction, and harvesting to processing, packaging, and distribution.

All products are made under the Global GAP and Organic standards, adhering to the EUs EC 834-2007 and EC 889-2008 certificates and the US USDA-NOP certificate.

All products will be produced in greenhouses or on fields with strict controls over food safety problems stemming from soil and water sources.

The standards include five agricultural techniques that must not be used, including no chemical-based fertilizers, no chemical-based pesticides, no growth stimulants, no preservatives, and no varieties with genetic modifications.

We highly appreciate TH Groups great contributions to Vietnams high-tech agricultural sector. This project is expected to help Thai Binh province develop its high-tech agricultural sector and create many local jobs, said Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, while attending the ground-breaking ceremony.

In order to support this project and others of its ilk, TH Group has also established the TH Organic Agricultural Research Institute, whose membership consists of local and foreign high-profile scientists.

The institutes head Tran Duy Quy said that Thai Binh is famous for rice cultivation. However, it has begun to gradually wane in the province. Thus, TH will play a key role in producing high-quality rice and other agricultural products there.

Vietnam is a cradle for Japonica rice, one of Asias two major rice varietals. TH aims to become a famous cultivator of this type of rice, starting in Thai Binh. But the group will develop this type of rice at a higher level, under either the Global Gap or Organic standards.

This will be an outstanding project for Thai Binh, Quy said.

In addition to Japonica rice, TH Group will produce other varieties of rice which contain high levels of Omega 3 and 9. These will be used for producing supplementary foodstuffs. The first variety to be piloted is called Nep huyet rong - dragon blood sticky rice.

The groups chairwoman Thai Huong said that TH will also build a new plant to process rice oil. We will co-operate with a Japanese firm to produce rice, foodstuffs, and even cosmetics from rice.

The project in Thai Binh will also focus on cultivating and processing potatoes, tomatoes, vegetables, and tea. All these products will be grown and produced systematically, using integrated production chains.

At present, TH Group is constructing a $2.7 billion high-tech concentrated dairy and fresh milk production project in Russia, and considering embarking upon a similar project in the Republic of Bashkortostan, a federal subject of Russia.

Since 2009, TH Group has also been operating a $1.2 billion, 37,000ha high-tech concentrated dairy and fresh milk production project in the central province of Nghe Ans Nghia Dan district.
On March 3, Uber lost to Transport for London (TfL), the local government agency managing the citys transportation system, in its challenge to the latters requiring all taxi drivers to take a written English test.

TfL introduced the requirement in June 2016. As per the requirement, which is applicable to all drivers seeking to obtain or renew their private hire licence to drive inside London after April 1, 2017, drivers will have to pass a written English exam, including a 120-word essay.

Uber did succeed in getting TfL to apply the requirement to all drivers, including those from English-speaking countries on grounds of discrimination. However, it failed to get TfL to drop the requirement.

In London, Uber drivers have to hold a private hire license issued by TfL.

As reported by The Guardian, general manager of Uber London, Tom Elvidge, earlier called the requirement a deeply disappointing outcome for tens of thousands of drivers who will lose their livelihoods because they cannot pass an essay writing test.

Weve always supported spoken English skills, but writing an essay has nothing to do with communicating with passengers or getting them safely from A to B, Elvidge added.

On the other hand, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said being able to speak English and understand information from passengers and licensing requirements is a vital part of a drivers job in ensuring that passengers get the high standard of service they need and deserve.

This could include discussing a better route, talking about a medical condition, or ensuring that every driver is fully up to date with new regulations, he said.

In another instance, Uber has been found using a tool called Greyball to deceive law enforcement officials in cities where its services are not legal.

As reported by The New York Times, Greyball uses geolocation data, credit card information, social media accounts, and other data points to identify government officials. As a result, officials attempting to hail an Uber cab can see icons of cars navigating nearby, but no one would come pick them up. The programme helped Uber drivers avoid being ticketed.

Greyball has been used in Portland (Oregon), Philadelphia, Boston, and Las Vegas, as well as France, Australia, China, South Korea, and Italy.

According to a statement from Uber, the programme is aimed at violators of its terms of services. This programme denies ride requests to users who are violating our terms of serviceswhether thats people aiming to physically harm drivers, competitors looking to disrupt our operations, or opponents who collude with officials on secret stings meant to entrap drivers, the company said.

In 2016, Uber was estimated to be valued at $66 billion. In an interview with Vanity Fair in October last year, CEO Travis Kalanick isaid that Uber is not going to have an initial public offering (IPO) anytime soon.

With Uber not being in the good books of governments in many countries and territories around the world, coupled with a host of recently revealed controversies, one may wonder whether the company retained its $66 billion value.
Yen Bai province, 200 km from Hanoi, is home to a number of ethnic minority groups with diverse cultures and customs.

Terraced fields stretching on mountain, hillsides, and in valleys in Mu Cang Chai district are the most famous sites drawing visitors and photographers, especially in the ripening rice season.

La Pan Tan and Che Cu Nha commune have the most beautiful terraced fields in Mu Cang Chai.

Giang My Phu, a Mong ethnic local, said, I have not visited many places elsewhere but terraced rice fields in my village are the most beautiful. Its hard to grow rice on a terraced field which is dry in hot weather and rice cant grow.

Terraced rice fields in Tu Le commune in Van Chan district are among the most beautiful fields in the northwest. Flanking Khau Pha pass, Tu Le looks like a yellow rice waterfall in September, the harvest time.

From Khau Pha, the road winds like a silk ribbon around terraced rice fields leading to Lim Ong and Lim Thai village. Local Thai and Mong ethnic minority people have a special recipe for making young rice.

Lo Van Oa of Lim Mong hamlet said, We have been making young rice for a long time. This year, we are making more to meet visitor demand. Everyone in our hamlet follow this trade.

Khau Pha pass is another attraction in Yen Bai. In the Thai language, Khau Pha means Sky horn.

Stretching for more than 30 km from Van Chan to Mu Cang Chai district, Khau Pha is one of Vietnams steepest and most winding passes. It winds through primitive forests and terraced rice fields.

At 1,200 m above sea level, Khau Pha is cool throughout the year.

Hoang My Hanh, a tourist from Hanoi, said, Its a wonderful experience going through the Khau Pha pass, admiring the magnificent mountains, the small houses nestled in clouds, and the beautiful terraced rice fields, while breathing the pure air and listening the birds sing.

Home to 30 ethnic minority groups, Yen Bai province has rich cultural treasures, traditions, festivals, and customs including the Mu Cang Chai terraced rice field festival, the Thac Ba Mother Goddess Temple festival, plus new crop, going to the field, rain praying, Ban flower, and swinging festivals.

Last year, Yen Bai welcomed more than 500,000 tourists, 20,000 of them foreigners. The province is strengthening advertising and promotion activities to boost local tourism.
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Dr. Thomas Starzl prepares a donor liver during recent transplant surgery IN 1985 at Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. Starzl pioneered liver transplant surgery in the 1960s and was a leading researcher into anti-rejection drugs.
By Press Trust of India: Jammu, Mar 6 (PTI) Troops of Indian and Oman armies today commenced their 14-day joint exercise "Al-Nagah-II 2017" in Bakloh belt of Himachal Pradesh to strengthen the military ties between the two countries.

The joint training exercise of the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman began with the opening ceremony at Bakloh, PRO Defence Lt Col Manish Mehta said.

advertisement

"Indo-Oman joint army exercise will conclude on 19 March in the Dhauladhar Ranges at Bakloh," he said.

The training contingents comprised of platoon strength troops from both armies, Mehta said adding that senior military observers from both countries will witness the validation phase of the exercise.

The Oman Army contingent landed at the Adampur Air Base on Saturday.

This is the second edition of the exercise which is in continuation of a series of joint exercises between the armies of the two countries, he said.

The first edition of the exercise was held at Muscat, Oman in 2015, Mehta said.

The PRO said the aim is to acquaint both forces with each others operating procedures in the backdrop of counter insurgency, counter terrorism environment and also to enhance the existing military relationship between India and Oman.

The exercise will also enhance the interoperability between the two armed forces in conducting joint operations and cement the bonds of friendship between the two countries, he said.

The troops have been drawn from one infantry battalion each from the two armies, Mehta said.

Approximately sixty troops from both countries will participate in the exercise, he said.

The Indian troops have undergone extensive training on rock craft, slithering, counter terrorism or low intensity conflict operations, in addition to tactical drills of close cordon and house intervention drills to fulfil the mandate of the joint exercise, he added.

"The fourteen-day exercise with the Royal Army of Oman is scheduled to be conducted in multiple modules in order to achieve complete integration between the two contingents at every stage," Mehta said.

The PRO said that the vast experience and expertise gained by the Indian troops in counter insurgency operations holds special importance to the Oman Army.

Conduct of the joint exercise would therefore set the stage for greater defence cooperation between the two nations, he said. PTI AB ASV

--- ENDS ---


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Multimillion-dollar mansions, once snapped up by wealthy Chinese buyers, are now sitting empty
Smartphones have you pegged, and for better or worse theyll soon ID you
The Court of Appeals last week upheld a verdict against prominent housing rights activist Tep Vanny after she was sentenced in September along with three fellow activists for taking part in a protest in 2011.

Vanny was sentenced to six months in prison for insulting public civil servants and opposing public civil servants.

Kong Chantha, Bo Chorvy and Heng Mom, also Boeung Kak community activists, were also found guilty, however, they were granted bail.

My family and I as well as villagers and civil organizations hope that [Prime Minister] Hun Sen will ask the king for royal amnesty, which would provide justice for me and free me from prison, she said.

Bov Sophear, another Boeung Kak activist, last week maintained Vanny was innocent of the crimes she was charged with, saying the court served private interests, in an apparent reference to the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party.

Prior to her arrest, Vanny had been regularly taking part in the so-called Black Monday protests, a campaign former to call for the release of several human rights workers and an election official jailed on corruption-related charges.

Touch Tharith, an Appeals Court spokesman, said that the court had found that Vanny could take her appeal to the Supreme Court if she wanted to pursue the matter further.

The international community, including the United States and European Union, have voiced concerns over the prosecution of government critics and human rights workers in recent months, which they described as part of a general rolling back on democracy in Cambodia.
The Court of Appeals last week denied a bail request filed by lawyers representing an Australian woman who is charged with operating an illegal surrogacy company.

Tammy Davis-Charles, the co-founder of Fertility Solutions PGD, was detained along with two Cambodians, Penh Rithy, 28, a commerce ministry official, and a nurse, Samrithchan Chariya, 35.

Chheang Sorphoan, defense lawyer, said the court had declined to offer his client bail as it was nearing the trial date.

There is currently no law governing surrogacy services in Cambodia, but officials had said a new law is in the works.

Touch Tharith, Appeals Court spokesman, said the court didnt consider the bail request.

Davis-Charles moved the Fertility Solutions business to Cambodia after the Thai junta began to shut down surrogacy services in Thailand in 2015.

The clinic would charge clients $50,000 and pay between $10,000 to $12,000 to the surrogates.

Rights groups have argued that the practice should not be legalized as the Cambodian surrogates did not fully comprehend the complicated nature of the service they would be providing.
Cambodians have experienced a major drop in levels of corruption over the past five years, according to a report released by Transparency International last week.

The Global Corruption Barometer, which was compiled from interviews with more than 1,000 Cambodians, showed overall decreases in the direct experiences of corruption in the judiciary since 2011, down from 72 percent to 59 percent in 2016.

Experience with police corruption had also dropped, from a high of 61 percent in 2011 to 52 percent last year, although this rose from 37 percent in 2013.

Government corruption was also reported as having dropped overall since 2011, down from 51 percent to 44 percent last year. The figure for 2013 was 30 percent.

Preap Kol, executive director of Transparency International Cambodia, said at the launch of the report that official bribery was seen to have halved since 2011, which he described as a huge shift.

However, he noted that major corruption, such as abuse of power and nepotism, remained a concern, adding that political instability could be a barrier to combating major corruption.

If politicians and high-profile figures are merely challenging each other with politics, major corruption will be neglected and it could be far off the agenda, he said.

However, the figures in the report speak to a general decline in levels of corruption.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents reported paying bribes to officials for the production on identity documents in 2013, while less than a third did in 2016. Similarly, some 38 percent said they paid bribes to receive health care in 2013, whereas only 19 percent said so in 2016.

Police bribes, the report notes, dropped from 60 percent to 11 percent.

General Khieu Sopheak, interior ministry spokesman, said the report did not fully reflect improvements made in public bodies over recent years.

We acknowledge there is corruption in Cambodia, but these high figures are unacceptable, he said.

Transparency International recommended that the government step up efforts to fight corruption and increase public trust.

Chin Malin, a Justice Ministry spokesman, could not be reached.

Almost three-quarters of respondents said they thought ordinary Cambodians could shape the fight against corruption, while two-thirds said they were willing to report corruption.

Some 45 percent said they had in the past not reported corruption because they were afraid of the repercussions.

In January, Transparency International ranked Cambodia 156th out of 176 countries surveyed in its annual Corruption Perceptions Index.
The Chinese martial art wushu, also known as kung fu, is taking hold in Kabul, thanks to Seema Azimi, a 20-year-old student. She is not only the sports first female practitioner in Afghanistan but also the first woman to operate a school teaching the fighting style. Amy Katz narrates this report by Hekmat Sorosh of VOAs Afghan service.
As Chinas economy slows to growth rates unseen in more than 25 years, the country is under increasing pressure to create jobs. Coastal cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou and the capital of Beijing have long been magnets for those seeking better jobs and higher wages, areas such as Chinas northeast Rust Belt are struggling to find ways to keep talent at home. VOAs Bill Ide visited Shenyang, the capital of northeastern Liaoning Province and has more.
By Press Trust of India: Jammu, Mar 6 (PTI) Troops of Indian and Oman armies today commenced their 14-day joint exercise "Al-Nagah-II 2017" in Bakloh belt of Himachal Pradesh to strengthen the military ties between the two countries.

The joint training exercise of the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman began with the opening ceremony at Bakloh, PRO Defence Lt Col Manish Mehta said.

advertisement

"Indo-Oman joint army exercise will conclude on 19 March in the Dhauladhar Ranges at Bakloh," he said.

The training contingents comprised of platoon strength troops from both armies, Mehta said adding that senior military observers from both countries will witness the validation phase of the exercise.

The Oman Army contingent landed at the Adampur Air Base on Saturday.

This is the second edition of the exercise which is in continuation of a series of joint exercises between the armies of the two countries, he said.

The first edition of the exercise was held at Muscat, Oman in 2015, Mehta said.

The PRO said the aim is to acquaint both forces with each others operating procedures in the backdrop of counter insurgency, counter terrorism environment and also to enhance the existing military relationship between India and Oman.

The exercise will also enhance the interoperability between the two armed forces in conducting joint operations and cement the bonds of friendship between the two countries, he said.

The troops have been drawn from one infantry battalion each from the two armies, Mehta said.

Approximately sixty troops from both countries will participate in the exercise, he said.

The Indian troops have undergone extensive training on rock craft, slithering, counter terrorism or low intensity conflict operations, in addition to tactical drills of close cordon and house intervention drills to fulfil the mandate of the joint exercise, he added.

"The fourteen-day exercise with the Royal Army of Oman is scheduled to be conducted in multiple modules in order to achieve complete integration between the two contingents at every stage," Mehta said.

The PRO said that the vast experience and expertise gained by the Indian troops in counter insurgency operations holds special importance to the Oman Army.

Conduct of the joint exercise would therefore set the stage for greater defence cooperation between the two nations, he said. PTI AB ASV ASV

--- ENDS ---
Afghan officials say a month-long military operation, backed by American air power, has killed at least 250 Islamic State militants in an eastern province bordering Pakistan.

A regional military spokesman spoke to VOA at the conclusion of the anti-IS offensive that focused on the Kot and Deh Bala districts of Nangarhar, where the fatalities occurred. Several villages in the area have now been cleared of Daesh (IS) fighters, according to the spokesman, using an Arabic acronym for the Middle East-based jihadist group.

The anti-terrorism operation, dubbed Shaheen 20, also rescued 26 hostages and captured at least 15 militants, according to a statement by the 201 Selab Military Corps in Nangarhar.

The U.S. military says IS loyalists are active in mainly southern districts of the province as it acknowledged recent Afghan successes against the group.

IS launched its regional operation two years ago and up to 3,000 militants linked to the group were initially active in about 11 districts of Nangarhar, says U.S. Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, a spokesman for NATOs Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.

Joint operations over the past year have killed a large number of the fighters, including top IS leadership, according to Cleveland.

We believe that there are approximately 700 members of ISIS, perhaps even less now based on the operations, that are still contained to less than three districts down in southern Nangarhar, he said, using another acronym for Islamic State.

While the U.S. military maintains the terrorist group is active mostly in Nangarhar and parts of neighboring Kunar province, Afghan officials have reported the presence of IS in other provinces, including violence-hit southern Zabul.
Malaysia's openness with an abundance of countries seems to be a source of pride for locals. But since North Korea's alleged assassination of Kim Jong Nam on Malaysian soil, many believe Pyongyang has stretched the limits of kindness.

"You could say that we just didn't quite measure the risks, the potential cost of this," said Shahriman Lockman, a senior analyst at the Institute for International and Strategic Studies Malaysia.

"This was a relationship where the North Koreans were in the driver's seat for a long, long time."

In the latest diplomatic fallout from the shocking death of Kim Jong Nam - Kim Jong Un's older half brother - Malaysia called North Korean Ambassador Kang Chol "rude" and designated him "persona non grata," telling him to leave the country by Monday.

Not really friends

Malaysia and North Korea opened embassies in their capitals in 2003. But the trade balance is tipped heavily in favor of North Korea.

"This relationship was mostly about North Korea taking advantage of a space that Malaysia provided," said Lockman. "From North Korea's perspective, they benefited from benign neglect on our part."

To do business, that is, and gain hard currency, sometimes illegally. Last week, Reuters ran an in-depth story about North Korea selling battlefield radios from a front company in Kuala Lumpur's Little India.

To stress how little North Korea means to Malaysia economically, Lockman said multinational companies, such as Samsung, are vastly more important to Malaysia than the whole of North Korea.

Time to wise up

Deva Rajaratnam is a civil engineer in Kuala Lumpur. Lately, he said, he's been off the job and driving for Uber because of a health issue.

Rajaratnam makes the occasional airport run, but said he's not concerned about his safety following the attack on Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. He said Malaysians on average aren't either.

What worries Rajaratnam the most is the way the attack was carried out. It must have taken a lot of planning and skill, he said, to train unsuspecting foreign women to carry out the hit. And preparations took place right under the nose of the Malaysian government.

"It's a big issue because we really don't have international crime in Malaysia. We are a democratic country, and we should wise up," said Rajaratnam.

He's uncertain whether severing diplomatic ties with North Korea would solve what he perceives to be lax government oversight.

Lockman said he doesn't foresee the government breaking off ties. In his opinion, it would set a negative precedent for future incidents with countries that are indispensable to Malaysia.

"People will say, well, you did that with North Korea. Why aren't you doing it with this country? Consistency is overrated, but we try to have some level of consistency in these sort of matters."

Ready to move on

The human rights group Suaram, one of the largest in the country, recently held an office warming party at its new location in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Petaling Jaya, or PJ as it's known by locals.

Members of the punk band Dum Dum Tak performed an acoustic set and sang about Prime Minister Najib Razak's 1MDB corruption scandal. Several people at the party mentioned rising gas prices and how the attack at the airport distracts from the failures of the Najib government.

"Economic, human rights issues. We had a pastor who was kidnapped in broad daylight news of that was completely under the radar," said Chew Chuan Yang, a project coordinator with Suaram.

He's referring to the abduction of pastor Raymond Koh Keng Joo, who according to The Star, was abducted with "military-like precision" the same day as Kim Jong Nam's killing.

"Call me cynical or a conspiracy theorist, but it does feel like the mainstream media and the government are using this [assassination] to keep other things quiet."

Further fallout

Malaysia announced it's canceling its visa-free agreement with North Korea, though that will only impact North Koreans seeking to enter the country for 30 days.

According to Sung Wuk Ahn, a professor of international relations at the University of Malaya, there are around 1,000 North Koreans, including coal miners, working on special visas in Malaysia.

"[The canceling of the deal] will make it much harder for them to work here," he said.

University of Malaya senior lecturer Geetha Govindasamy told The Star newspaper the new visa requirements are unlikely to impact North Korea's economy. She added, however, that they could make it harder for North Korea to profit from illegal activity.
Armed groups surrounded Timbuktu on Monday, the defense ministry said, preventing Malian interim authorities from being installed there under a peace pact meant to end years of lawlessness.

The return of state authority to the city was supposed to fill a vacuum that has turned northern Mali into a launch pad for jihadi attacks across the vast region bordering on the Sahara Desert.

Banks, schools and shops were shuttered and the city's streets nearly deserted, barring patrols by U.N. peacekeepers, and residents reported sporadic gunfire that had petered out by the afternoon.

"Armed groups opposed to the interim authorities, which should have been put in place today, are positioned around the city and are threatening to take it over," Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Sidibe said by telephone.

He said the arrival of the new authorities had been postponed and negotiations were under way.

A Reuters cameraman saw fighters standing on sandbags and wielding rocket launchers at an official checkpoint, their faces wrapped with turbans to protect them against the blowing sand.

Most government posts have been unfilled since ethnic Tuareg separatists and desert jihadists took over northern Mali in 2012, before French forces intervened to push them back. A peace deal signed in 2015 was meant to enable authorities to return.

But pro and anti-government Tuareg-dominated armed factions had been quarreling for months over how the authorities should be constituted  until a breakthrough two weeks ago.

Last week, authorities were installed in the towns of Kidal  seen as the north's most recalcitrant bastion of Tuareg separatism  and Menaka.

But there were also difficulties in Gao, the region's most populous city where dozens of armed men briefly occupied the regional assembly until their demands for greater participation were met.

Sidibe said the main Tuareg faction involved in the resistance in Timbuktu was the Council for Justice in Azawad, as Tuaregs call their traditional homeland in Mali's north.

However, witnesses said other groups were also involved and had divided up checkpoints surrounding the iconic desert city.

"Are we building any kind of sustainable peace through this kind of process that gives the most resources to the guys with guns?," asked Jean-Herve Jezequel, deputy director of International Crisis Group's West Africa project.

Once installed, the interim authorities are supposed to remain in place until regional elections. They are also meant to oversee disarmament and the return of fighters to barracks.

Despite continued French troop deployments, a U.N. peacekeeping mission and years of peace talks, Mali remains beset by banditry, unrest and Islamist attacks.
Police are expected to question Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a fourth time on Monday in a corruption investigation that has prompted political rivals to start looking to a "post-Bibi" Israel.

Israeli TV and newspapers, citing unnamed sources, said Netanyahu would be questioned later in the day. A police spokeswoman declined to confirm the reports, saying only that if Netanyahu were interviewed, a statement would be released.

A spokesman for the prime minister, who has denied wrongdoing, did not respond to a request for comment.

Netanyahu, 67, is a suspect in two cases, one involving the receipt of gifts from businessmen and the other related to conversations he held with an Israeli newspaper publisher about limiting competition in the news sector in exchange for more positive coverage.

No charges have been brought against Netanyahu, who has been in power since 2009.

Police chief Roni Elsheich told reporters "We will finish soon, we are in the final stages." Once the investigation is complete, police will decide whether to drop the case or recommend the attorney general bring charges.

As speculation bubbles, politicians from across the spectrum have begun maneuvering, believing early elections will probably have to be called if Netanyahu is indicted.

Such a move would most likely lead to his resignation  in 1993 the Supreme Court set a precedent for ministers to step down if they are charged with corruption.

It is possible someone from his Likud party could replace Netanyahu without a new vote, but most observers think it unlikely, predicting an election would have to be called for September or November, depending on developments.

The opposition Labour party will hold primaries in July, former defense minister Moshe Yaalon has launched his own party and Avi Dichter, the former head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency and a senior member of Likud, said on Saturday he would consider running for the party leadership.

"I am here to lead and will undoubtedly run for Likud leadership and the premiership," Dichter was quoted as saying, comments his spokesman said were not a challenge to Netanyahu and referred to future primaries.

Shake up?

To analysts, the rumblings are clear and foreshadow change after 20 years of Netanyahu dominating the landscape.

"Active politicians and those on the benches waiting to enter, all of them have concluded that early elections are coming because of the investigation," Menachem Klein, a politics professor at Bar-Ilan University, told Reuters.

"They are starting to prepare themselves."

Opinion polls show Yair Lapid, the head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, as the strongest candidate for prime minister if Netanyahu goes, but there are a host of others nipping at his heels. Other polls show "Bibi" remains the most popular politician despite the investigation.

In recent weeks, Netanyahu has visited Britain, the United States and Australia. Trips are planned to Russia, China and India. Some critics suggest the travel is a way of delaying questioning. Others say it is about appearing statesman-like.

"His junkets to far-flung places and visits with the leaders of world powers are intended to persuade Israelis that he's the be-all and end-all," columnist Yossi Verter wrote in Haaretz.

"The deeper the investigations, the more he'll be in the air." One commentator drew comparisons to former U.S. President Richard Nixon, who in the two months before he resigned over the Watergate scandal in 1974 visited Austria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Belgium and Russia.

Netanyahu's opponents name a number of party rivals bidding to replace him, including Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, Culture Minister Miri Regev and Transport Minister Yisrael Katz. Naftali Bennett of the far-right Jewish Home is seen as someone who could switch to Likud to try to lead.

Klein warns against letting speculation run wild. In Israel, the political context can shift rapidly - for example if there is a conflict with Hamas in Gaza - and that can alter thinking.

"These are questions that shape voters' decision making and can make a huge difference."
Chinese authorities have shut down activist Ye Haiyan's blogs and forced her to move from one city to another. Left with few options, she now produces socially conscious paintings to make a living and advocate for the rights of sex workers and people with HIV or AIDS.

Using calligraphy brushes, Ye creates images of naked women and sex workers alongside symbols such as the Chinese characters for equality, or paints roosters, a Chinese homonym for prostitute.



"I've started to understand that painting is also a form of expression and the natural reflection of my thoughts," said Ye, who is in her early 40s. She was recently evicted from her last home in an artists' enclave on Beijing's outskirts ahead of the annual meeting of China's ceremonial parliament that opened Sunday.



Far from the pomp of the 10-day gathering at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Ye is among those caught up in an annual roundup of people the ruling Communist Party considers threats to the state, all to ensure the session passes without incident. Known critics are placed under tightened restrictions and ordinary people coming to Beijing with grievances are prevented from traveling or snatched off the streets of the capital.



This year's meetings also come amid China's broadest and most intense assault on civil society since nongovernmental groups were grudgingly allowed more freedom to operate more than a decade ago.



Since coming to power in 2012, President Xi Jinping has shown little tolerance for dissent, and a sustained crackdown launched in July 2015 has seen hundreds of activists and independent legal professionals detained. More than a year and a half later, eight are still in detention or prison.



The environment for civil society "has been worsening every year since Xi Jinping came to power and this past year has been no different," said Frances Eve, researcher at the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders.



Activists estimate that police arrested more than 100 people last year for exercising their right to freedom of expression, including Huang Qi and Liu Feiyue, who ran websites reporting on human rights abuses and critiquing government policies. A series of trials saw some activists convicted under vague laws against subversion and leaking state secrets, with prosecutors blaming unidentified troublemakers abroad for inciting anti-government activity.



China last year also passed a law tightening controls over foreign nongovernmental organizations by subjecting them to close police supervision.



"Promoting and protecting human rights is now considered a crime," said Eve. Many of those convicted confess under duress, including torture by police, she said. While China's high court forbids such practices, they are believed to remain common within a police force with broad powers to arrest, question and detain.



China routinely rejects accusations of human rights abuses, pointing to vast improvements in quality of life wrought by three decades of economic development.



The U.S. State Department said in its annual human rights report published Friday that repression and coercion of organizations and individuals involved in civil rights advocacy remained "severe" last year.



Family members of rights defenders and lawyers are harassed and intimidated in retaliation for their work, the report said. Authorities generally fail to respect the Chinese constitution's protection of free speech, particularly when it clashes with the interests of the Communist Party, it said.



China has protested to the U.S. over the report, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Monday, calling it "filled with prejudice."



"We urge the U.S. to stop interfering in China's internal affairs on the pretext of human rights," Geng added.



The authorities rarely comment on activists such as Ye, who used to have thousands of followers online and her own nongovernmental organization advocating for legalized prostitution and offering advice on sexual health.



Her efforts, including protests against light sentences given to the abusers of schoolgirls, got her noticed by the public and, more ominously, the police, who she says pressured her to close her NGO and move several times. Worried about the impact on her 17-year-old daughter, she sent her to the U.S. last month to study with help from a U.S.-based filmmaker.



Ye says she's gotten a boost from internationally famous artist and activist Ai Weiwei, who bought one of her paintings "depicting a fat woman, a sex worker wishing to earn a lot of money and go home to build a house." Ai previously bought up her belongings when she was evicted from an apartment in 2014 and exhibited the household items  an old refrigerator, a washing machine, cardboard boxes  at one of his shows at the Brooklyn Museum.



Ye reluctantly left her studio in the village of Songzhuang last week on the orders of police. An officer reached at the local Public Security Bureau on Monday declined to comment on the case. Ye said she went to stay with friends in the nearby village of Beisi and within days again ran into pressure to leave.



"The Communist Party secretary of the village told local residents not to rent to me because I've long been on the blacklist," Ye said.



Beisi party secretary Liu Wenbiao referred a request for comment to the Songzhuang police.



"They think that a person like me should be the target for 'social stabilization,'" Ye said, using government shorthand for suppressing dissent.
China is responding to international criticism that it gives favorable treatment to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) while neglecting of the needs of foreign companies, and even foreign markets that buy Chinese goods.

Releasing the annual work report, or budgetary proposals, in the National People's Congress (NPC), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang signaled a crackdown on loss-posting "zombie enterprises" among the SOEs, and promised to make life easier for foreign investors. He also asked local governments to directly provide incentives to foreign companies in areas that are not dealt with by the central government.

"What we are seeing now is a recommitment to foreign investments. Both foreign and private Chinese capital will be given a greater role in the Chinese economy," Paul Gillis, co-director of the IMBA program at the Guanghua School of Management in Beijing, told VOA.

Political risks

In fact, the government is taking some serious political risks, such as joblessness, to woo foreign investors and reduce problems like overcapacity. It has also decided to tackle the issue of provincial and municipal officials who are known to favor local companies and block the path for foreign investors.

In recent months, European politicians have lashed out against the dumping of steel by Chinese companies, which allegedly take advantage of heavy subsidies in China to offer cut-throat price competition in foreign markets.

Li announced a major cutback of 50 million tons on steel production and 150 million tons on coal output in 2017. This is on top of a production decrease of 65 million tons in the steel industry and a shrinkage of 290 million tons seen in the coal sector in 2016.

These moves would result in a few million people losing their jobs in the steel and coal sectors, and put severe pressure on trade unions controlled by the Communist Party. China said last year 1.8 million jobs will be eliminated during the process of industrial restructuring, but has managed to cut only 726,000 of them, accounting for just 40 percent of the plan.

"This year, to reduce excess capacity, we need to make accommodation for 500,000 workers," Chinese Labor Minister Yin Weimin said last week. But Beijing is treading carefully because it fears serious unrest and street demonstrations resulting from large-scale layoffs.

Premier Li has gone a step further asking provincial and municipal governments to return some of the tax and other incentives that had been taken away from foreign investors in recent years. This is clearly in response to the decline in foreign direct investments, which dropped 9.2 percent in January.

"Local governments can, within the scope of the powers granted by law, adopt preferential policies to attract foreign investment," Li said in his annual Work Report Sunday. "China's door is going to keep on opening wider, and China will keep working to be the most attractive destination for foreign investment.

Gillis said, "I think this gives the green light to local governments to try special incentives, such as those in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, to attract foreign companies.

The growth of FDI inflows to China has been slowing down in the past few years. I think Chinas leaders realize that it is important to continue to attract foreign companies to invest in China, not only for their money, but more importantly, for more advanced management skills and technical knowledge," Shanghai-based China Europe International Business School Professor of Finance Wang Cong said.

Walking the talk

Clearly, China is doing a reality check on its own treatment of foreign investors amid rising pressures from foreign markets and governments, including threats from the Trump administration in Washington to impose heavy duties on Chinese goods and declare China a currency manipulator.

Lu Suiqi, associate professor of economics at Peking University, said Li's announcements reflect Chinas fears about U.S. President Donald Trump taking such hostile measures, and Li's promises to foreign investors represent a friendly first step. But he said more needs to be done by the government to prove it is capable of walking the talk (backing its words with actions).

The key lies in the domestic political climate. If the political landscape in China becomes more liberal and democratic with more freedom, foreign investors concerns will be greatly eased, Lu said.

China wants to go beyond wooing foreign funds. It wants foreign companies to raise funds in the Chinese market by listing in local stock markets and issuing bonds to Chinese investors.

"We will encourage foreign invested firms to be listed [in local stock exchanges] and issue bonds in China...," Li said unveiling new efforts to woo foreign investment, which fell sharply by 9.2 percent in January.

"Foreign firms will be treated the same as domestic firms when it comes to license applications, standard-setting, and government procurement...," he added.

Wang Cong said, "This is a smart move. Allowing foreign companies to issue stocks and bonds in China will broaden the pool of financial products that Chinese investors can hold and provide them access to securities issued by high-quality foreign companies. It is an important step in the process of the internationalization of the RMB (renminbi) because foreign companies will be able to raise proceeds in RMB when they issue stocks or bonds in China, and inevitably they will use the RMB raised to invest either in China or in international markets.

Praising the government's move, Wang Jun, director of the Department of Information at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said, "Introducing foreign firms to list in the domestic stock markets also shows the country's confidence in the competitiveness of domestic companies, but technical obstacles such as information disclosure regulation need to be solved.
As Chinas economy slows to growth rates not seen in more than a quarter of century, the countrys Communist Party rulers are under increasing pressure to create jobs.



Millions enter the workforce each year, and as China tries to reduce overcapacity in steel and coal industries a growing number are looking for work after being laid off.



Chinas northeast is reeling from the impact of zombie enterprises, debt-laden companies who have let overcapacity run amok and are now facing massive layoffs, and it is struggling to keep young workers and talent at home.



Stay or go?



At a recent job fair in Chinas northeastern city of Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province, many say they are concerned about the slowing economy and its dampening impact on jobs.



The outlook now for jobs is not as good as a few years ago and I think thats because the economy is not that great, said Shenyang resident Wang.



The job fair was one of several that Saturday and it was packed with hundreds, if not several thousand job seekers. Some were struggling to find work and unqualified for the opportunities they sought.



Another resident named Wu said he was not finding the kind of work he was looking for at the fair because many opportunities were in the services sector.



I am worried about finding work. If I cant find a job here, Ill most likely go somewhere else to work, he said.



Wang from nearby Jilin province said he was looking for steady work, something stable and closer to home.



The jobs I worked in the past would change every three of four months, from one location to the next, from Shenyang to Changchun and other places, Wang said. Pay was better by comparison about $870 to $1,450 a month, but there were no benefits.



Favors, money



During his annual work report to Chinas legislature on Sunday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the worlds second largest economy aims to create more than 11 million new jobs this year. He also talked about the importance of the northeast to the Chinese economy. Li was party secretary of Liaoning from 2004-2007.



But while the northeast has long been on the governments priority list, policy measures appear to have done little to change the overall environment. Heavy industry and state owned enterprises have long dominated the region's economy, contributing to an ongoing exodus of talent to other parts of the country, analysts said.



For many university students, going somewhere else is the only option, even for those who eventually want to come back and make Shenyang their permanent base.



I hope to go somewhere better and then bring some of those good practices and experiences back to Shenyang, said a music student named Han.



But medical student Ni said he plans to head back home to the south after he graduates, because, as he put it, the mindset and environment there is more open.



He said in the northeast, Whether it is the government, schools or hospitals there is too much focus on connections and favors. What you can do is not important and there is no room to put your talents to good use.



Bad reputation



Liaoning has also been forced to confront corruption in a very open way.



In 2016 it was the slowest growing province in the country, the only one to see negative growth. Last year, its leaders made a rare admission, revealing that between 2011 - 2014 the provinces figures for economic growth were faked, in some cases by more than 20 percent.



And a vote-buying scandal was disclosed as well, the worst since the Communist Party came to power.



Liaoning officials have pledged to put an end to the practices and spoke openly about the scandals at a meeting Sunday in Beijing.



Were overly reliant on heavy industries. Innovation and creativity is lacking. The impact on the [economic] environment is not good and talent is not being put to its best use, said Li Xi, Communist Party boss in Liaoning and spokesman for a delegation to this years annual Twin Sessions meetings of the National Peoples Congress.



Last year, almost half of the Rust Belt provinces representatives to the NPC were caught up in the scandals. Li Xi said the election of officials who bought their way into office, many of them prominent businessmen, had an impact on personnel arrangements by central authorities.



While some are hopeful the governments pledge to clean up the environment will bring about change, the regions heavy emphasis on infrastructure as a model for jobs and growth has most waiting for clearer signals.
A delegation of United Nations Security Council ambassadors went to the epicenter of the Boko Haram insurgency on Sunday, visiting displaced persons (IDPs) in a camp in Maiduguri, Nigeria.

The ambassadors were on a four-day trip to the Lake Chad Basin, going to Cameroon, Chad and Niger. They arrived in Maiduguri under heavy security, as the latest suicide attack by Boko Haram happened just two days earlier. Three bombers blew themselves up Friday outside a gasoline station, killing themselves but not hurting any civilians.

The diplomats met with women living in an IDP camp that houses about 7,000 people and heard their stories of being widowed, terrorized and abused by the terrorists who have waged an insurgency in northeast Nigeria since 2009.

Deputy U.S. United Nations Ambassador Michele Sison  the only female envoy in the delegation  has been a vocal advocate for the protection and empowerment of women and girls in the Lake Chad Basin during the council's mission.

"I'm coming away with just two words in my brain  protection and access," she said. "Protection because I'm hearing stories not only of these families, and these women victimized, their children victimized, by Boko Haram, but then the protection needs  especially of women and girls  not only inside the camp, but also if they have to go outside, either for firewood or to seek some sort of an income-generating activity."

Ambassador Sison said the access issue is related to aid deliveries. The U.N. says some 700,000 people in eight local government areas are still inaccessible to humanitarians.

More than five million people are food insecure in parts of the northeast. At the IDP camp, many residents said aid distribution is not enough to feed their large families.

"We are suffering from hunger," one woman said. "Our children are dying from thatSometimes at the end of the month, sometimes I don't have food, and I will manage to go and beg small [amounts]."

The United Nations warned that about 2 million people in parts of the northeast could face famine conditions in the coming months if donors do not step up.

"There is no famine right now in the northeast, but we are really, really playing with a fire unless we continue to ensure that these people are getting steady assistance on a regular basis, and it is a struggle," said Peter Lundberg, the U.N. Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for northeast Nigeria. "Right now the food operations here cost $1 million per day."

He said countries need to quickly follow through on their pledges from last month's humanitarian summit in Oslo, which raised more than $450 million for this year to help affected populations in the Lake Chad Basin.
Indian police have raided brothels guarded by dogs in the southern state of Telangana, arresting 35 people on charges of sex trafficking girls as young as 13, investigators said Monday.

Thirty women and girls were rescued in the overnight raids on March 1 and 2 in Medak district, in what police described as a "breakthrough" in cracking sex trafficking networks.

"The brothels were guarded by big dogs, including Great Danes and Dobermans, making access very difficult," said Soumya Mishra of the Telangana criminal investigations department.

"It took us two months to set up the operations as the brothel keepers had hired young boys to patrol the neighborhood on bikes and tip them off on police raids."

Of an estimated 20 million sex workers in India, 16 million women and girls are victims of sex trafficking, according to non-governmental organizations working in the country.

In Telangana, over 500 cases of sex trafficking were registered between 2015 and 2016, and nearly 600 traffickers arrested, Mishra told Reuters.

Last week's raids have raised concerns over the number of young girls from poor economic backgrounds and broken homes being trapped in the trade, campaigners said.

The illegal brothels were being run from 35 houses in the Japthi Shivnoor village, with the owners living on the premises and the trafficked women housed in cramped rooms and forced to take on up to 10 clients a day.

The traffickers charged around 500 rupees ($7) for 10 minutes, but did not pay the victims any money, police said.

"During the raids we found lots of unused condoms hidden in rice sacks and also seized over 400,000 rupees [$6,000] in cash," Mishra said.

"If we hadn't raided the brothels, one of the girls who was very sick when we found her would have died," she said.

The suspects, including a woman thought to be the kingpin of the operation, have been charged under anti-trafficking laws.
Armed with an AK-47, Gladis was expected to fight on the frontline alongside her FARC guerrilla comrades, hoist heavy loads and stand guard, just as the men in rebel ranks did.

That's real gender equality, said 42-year-old Gladis who has fought with the Marxist rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), for more than two decades.

"We are all equal here. Everyone is treated the same," said Gladis, at a mountaintop demobilization zone in northern Colombia where around 160 FARC fighters have gathered to disarm.

"Men respect us here. There's no machismo," she said.

Ending half a century of war, the FARC are handing in their weapons after signing a peace deal with the government last year. Women make up about a third of the 7,000 FARC fighters set to demobilize over the coming months.

The government, former rebels who deserted and rights groups have said gender inequality played out in the jungle as it did elsewhere, and women suffered abuse in FARC ranks, including forced abortions and being commanders' sex slaves.

But guerrilla life as told by six FARC women and two commanders interviewed by the Thomson Reuters Foundation in Colombia's northern mountains offers a different view, and the chance, rebels say, to counter false propaganda spread by their enemies.

Defying gender roles

Women rebels say they are not victims or sex objects and were not discriminated against because of their gender or race.

"I think taking up arms was the best decision I ever made," said Gladis, wearing a sparkly silver top. "I'm proud to be a guerrilla."

The FARC says its women fighters were treated as equals.

Women held important jobs, were appointed as commanders, and the FARC brought several women to the negotiating table during four-year long peace talks with the government.

Women were particularly sought after for intelligence gathering and radio communications, forming the backbone of guerrilla operations.

"The participation of women has been indispensable," said Solis Almeyda, a veteran FARC commander, who still uses his nom de guerre. "Women could go undetected when carrying out intelligence gathering."

Yet demobilized women guerrillas may struggle to enjoy such equality once they reintegrate into civilian life in a society known for its patriarchal and macho culture.

In parts of mainly rural Colombia, women are often viewed as child-bearers and are expected to stay at home.

"We hear women are paid less than men and that it's difficult for women to hold top positions," said 37-year-old Sara Narvaez, who has spent two decades in the FARC.

Women rebels point out that camp chores were equally shared.

"The men cook too. Everyone washes their own clothes here," said rebel fighter Adriana.

Women say they were given opportunities to learn skills, such as nursing and dentistry, which would have been off-limits to them in the rural communities they came from.

"I've learnt things I would never have had the opportunity to do," said Kelly Martinez, a 42-year-old FARC nurse, who performed first aid and amputations on wounded rebels.

"I feel valued and useful here," she said, wearing silver hooped earrings.

Abuse

But the perception of gender equality among the rebels is just a veneer, the government and rights groups have said.

In 2015, Colombia's attorney general said it was investigating 150 cases of former women guerrillas who had given testimonies saying they were forced to end their pregnancies.

The FARC deny forcing women and girls to undergo abortions and using women as sex slaves for commanders.

"Commanders don't choose women. Women are free to choose (their partners)," said Almeyda.

Still couples had to get prior approval from their commander before starting a relationship and be allowed to share a tent.

The government and rights groups have collected scores of testimonies from women, mostly from civilians living in areas once controlled by the FARC, that they were victims of sexual violence at the hands of rebel fighters - crimes FARC commander Almeyda denied.

As part of the peace accord, truth tribunals will begin later this year to uncover abuses committed by all sides in the war - likely to shed light on the extent to which rape was used as a weapon of war in Colombia.

Under the accord, women who have been raped by military forces or rebel fighters can expect to have the crimes against them investigated and the perpetrators punished.

"Rape was part of the propaganda used against us," Almeyda said. "Sexual violence was a crime (in the FARC)."

None of the women interviewed said they had heard of cases of sexual violence in rebel ranks.

Motherhood

With the fighting over, peace is allowing new freedoms and more women rebels are having children.

During the war, women had to use birth control, often contraceptive implants placed in the upper arm. Those who became pregnant, and who decided to go through with their pregnancy, had to leave their newborns with relatives.

Rebel fighter Margot became pregnant four years ago and gave birth to a son, Andres, in a guerrilla jungle camp.

"To hand over your child is very difficult. You cry for your child," said Margot, who left her son with her mother-in-law to look after when he was a month old.

Last month, she was reunited with her child, now aged three, and who lives in the demobilization zone with his parents.

"The commander sent for him a month ago and he's been here ever since. I'm teaching him how to read and write."

Camila Norma, who is four months pregnant, is also looking forward to raising her child in a new era of peace.

"My dream for my child is that he will have all the guarantees to an education," said Norma, 26, sporting red painted fingernails. "My dream is that he can become someone in his life."
By Press Trust of India: From Ajay Kaul

On Board Special Aircraft, Mar 6 (PTI) Amid concerns over piracy and terrorism, India expects the first summit of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to come up with concrete ideas on ensuring peace and prosperity in the region.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, who is on a visit to the Indonesian capital Jakarta to attend the summit tomorrow, said there is a need to keep the maritime region, shared by 36 countries, free from piracy and terrorism, which are global phenomena and can pose a threat anywhere in the world.

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Interacting with a group of journalists accompanying him on his two-day visit, Ansari said safety and security of the Indian Ocean maritime region, trade and investment, management of fisheries, tourism, disaster management and science and technology are some of the subjects which have been under consideration.

He said the blue economy has also emerged as a focus area on which India has taken a lot of initiatives.

"We expect that concrete ideas will emerge (from the Summit)...We hope there will be some outcomes," said the Vice President, who will be addressing the meet of the 21-nation body tomorrow.

Though the Indian Ocean is being shared by 36 nations, 21 countries have joined the Association so far.

"The most important thing is that for the (Indian Ocean) Rim countries to be able to cooperate with each other, they need safety and security. As you know, we have had in the western part of the Indian Ocean serious problems of piracy and terrorism," he said.

"Not only that, we will move on to the blue economy which has huge potential but has barely been touched upon," Ansari said.

On the seriousness of the piracy threat, he said, "for the moment it has been contained as far as Northern Arabian Sea region is concerned, thanks to very good international cooperation. But these are things which you have to guard against because terrorism is an international phenomena and it surfaces in different parts of the world."

At the summit, a declaration on countering violent extremism is expected to be adopted along with the IORA Concord and an action plan.

The Declaration on Preventing and Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism is an agreement of the IORA member states about the importance of countering terrorism. MORE PTI AKK ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey asked the Justice Department to dispute President Donald Trump's allegation that former President Barack Obama ordered a wiretap on telephones at Trump Tower in New York last year.

U.S. officials who spoke to the Associated Press, Washington Post and New York Times said Comey's request followed Trump's accusation on Twitter Saturday that included a comparison to former President Richard Nixon, who resigned amid scandal in 1974. Trump has offered no evidence to support his claim.

What is not clear is why Comey did not dispute the statement himself. As FBI director under Obama, his department has been a lead in the ongoing investigation of Russian influence on last year's election.

Accusations dismissed

Under U.S. law, a president cannot order someone's phone to be wiretapped. Such a move would require approval by a federal judge and be based on reasonable grounds to suspect why a citizen's telephone calls should be monitored.

Obama's Director of National Intelligence James Clapper called Trump's charge simply false.

"There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate or against his campaign," Clapper told NBC's Meet the Press.

WATCH: Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on wire tap allegations



In addition to the FBI probe, the House and Senate intelligence committees are carrying out their own investigations, including looking into what cyber activities Russia directed at the U.S. and whether those efforts had links between Russian officials and people connected to U.S. political campaigns.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes said in a statement Sunday his committee "will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates."

The top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Adam Schiff, said Trump's accusation was based on "conspiracy-based news."

"For a president of the United States to make such an incendiary charge - and one that discredits our democracy in the eyes of the world - is as destructive as it was baseless," Schiff said.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer issued a statement Sunday saying the president is requesting the committees to "determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016." He added that neither Trump nor the White House would offer further comment "until such oversight is conducted."

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Trump has no proof and is trying to shift conversation from Russia to Obama.

"This is called the wrap-up smear," she told CNN. "You make up something, then you have the press write about it and then you say everybody's writing about this charge. It's a tool of an authoritarian to just have you always be talking about what you want them to be talking about."

Senator Marco Rubio told NBC that Trump "will have to answer as to what exactly" he was referring to in making the claim that his phones were tapped.

WATCH: White House Demands Probe of Alleged Trump Tower Wiretap

Alleged Russia connection hard to shake

The publisher of the Newsmax Media website, Christopher Ruddy - a friend of Trump's - wrote Sunday the president told him, "This will be investigated. It will all come out. I will be proven right."

Ruddy said he has never seen Trump this angry in a long time.

A U.S. intelligence report concluded Russia carried out a campaign at the direction of President Vladimir Putin that used cyber attacks and other methods to influence the U.S. election campaign with the aspiration of helping Trump's chances of beating Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton.

Trump has denied any links to Russia.

His first national security advisor, Michael Flynn, resigned last month after information emerged that he had lied to top officials about the nature of his own conversations with the Russian ambassador.

Last week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions decided to remove himself from any investigation into the Russian activities after reports emerged that he met twice last year with the ambassador, yet said at his confirmation hearing in January that he "did not have communications with the Russians."
Germany's government on Monday condemned remarks by Turkey's president accusing officials of "Nazi practices," days after a local authority prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally there.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statements "absolutely unacceptable."

"Germany cannot be outmatched regarding the rule of law, tolerance and liberalism," he told German public Television ARD.

Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said the German government "strongly rejected" the equation of modern Germany with Nazi Germany, adding that such comparisons downplayed the crimes of the Nazis. Seibert noted that there were strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there were "far-reaching differences of opinion" between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of the referendum that would give Erdogan new powers.

Altmaier said the government was in contact with Turkey's government and announced that "we will make sure the significance of the problems of what happened in recent days will be recognized and understood in Ankara as well."

Erdogan had said Sunday in Istanbul that "Germany, you don't have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past."

His remarks followed a decision last week by local authorities in southwest Germany to withdraw permission for Turkey's justice minister to use a venue to hold a rally near the French border that was part of a campaign to get Turks in Germany to vote "yes" in an upcoming referendum on constitutional reform.

EU officials say that totally cutting ties with Turkey wouldn't be in the bloc's interests. An EU migrant deal with Turkey, which also is a NATO member, has significantly cut down the number of migrants crossing into Europe.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel sought to smooth stirred-up emotions on Monday and stressed the need to "normalize" what he calls a "highly strained" relationship with Turkey.

Other European nations with significant Turkish immigrant communities have also expressed their opinions on the issue.

"Our Austrian solution should be clear: we will not accept any campaign appearances by Turkish politicians in Austria," Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said as he arrived at a meeting of European Union counterparts in Brussels.

He added that "we don't want campaigns from other states to be brought to Austria and conflicts from other countries imported ... that is always damaging for integration."

However, Gabriel sounded skeptical about calls from some other European Union ministers to consider EU-wide rules for campaign appearances by foreign politicians pointing out that every country had its own opinion on the topic.

"I think the main thing is that everyone uses the possibilities they have to ensure that we get back to a somewhat normal relationship," he said.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said that "normally you would have to think that democracy is strong enough to cope with this."
A steady flow of German politicians has angrily condemned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his comments accusing Berlin of returning Germany to its Nazi past. Justice Minister Heiko Maas described the remark as "absurd, disgraceful and outlandish."

Sunday, Erdogan criticized Berlin for banning, on security grounds, two of his ministers from making speeches to ethnic Turks in Germany in support of April's referendum in Turkey on extending presidential powers.

"Germany, you have no relation whatsoever to democracy and you should know that your current actions are no different to those of the Nazi. Period," Erdogan said to his supporters.

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert also described Erdogan's comments as absurd, but added that people had to remain "calm and level-headed." Analysts say this restrained response is in part due to the fact that German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces re-election this year and needs Ankara's cooperation in continuing to stem refugee flows into Europe.

Ankara's rhetoric regarding Berlin is seen as unprecedented.

"We've never had this kind of escalation with Germany before and I would say this is serious," noted Semih Idiz, a political columnist for the Al-Monitor website. "I have noticed that the German side [is] playing the whole thing down and trying to control the situation, but all the [aggravation] is coming from the Turkish side and we haven't seen this before."

Tensions are likely to increase further after a German local authority Monday canceled at the last minute the use of a venue for a referendum meeting by Turkey's energy minister, Taner Yildiz.

Erdogans uncertainty

More than 3 million ethnic Turks live in Germany, of which 1.4 million can vote in the Turkish referendum. Some observers suggest Ankara's tough rhetoric toward Berlin is, in part, explained by the fact that Erdogan is struggling to convince the electorate ahead of the April referendum, with many opinion polls indicating the result is too close to call.

"Erdogan and his AK Party don't have the confidence that it has had in past polls that it will win," said political consultant Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners. Yesilada suggests Erdogan could be seeking to consolidate his support among conservatives and nationalist voters, by playing on historical fears.

"Turks do believe, across the party lines, that there is a global conspiracy to undermine Turkey. And the AKP [ruling party] spin masters have interpreted Germany allying itself with the 'No' camp. And Mr. Erdogan's defiance sounds very well to those who feel this Judeo-Christian alliance is trying to enslave Turkey," Yesilada said.

Trade, elections key

Devlet Bahceli, leader of the right-wing Nationalist Action Party, on Monday lent his support to Erdogan and said he would be prepared to join him if he chose to go to Germany to challenge any restrictions on speaking there. The Turkish president has threatened to go to Germany and promised to "stir up the world" if he is prevented from speaking with ethnic Turks.

Despite the angry words, analysts say Ankara will be mindful not to allow tensions to spin out of control, given Germany is Turkey's most important trading partner.

"Especially if we get a 'Yes' vote that comes out of it, then the next stage will be for government in Ankara to try and tone it all back," suggested columnist Idiz, but he warns it won't be easy. "I think it will have left a bitter taste in the mouths in Europe."

Given that much of Europe is in an election cycle, until those contests are concluded, how European leaders react to Turkey will likely remain unclear, but analysts warn that Ankara could end up paying a heavy price for its tough rhetoric.

"If Merkel wins again, I think then we will see the full might of the German response," predicted consultant Yesilada, "and I anticipate once this election cycle in Europe passes, that Europe will take swift and very severe measures against Turkey, which may reach economic and financial sanctions. Because Europe is getting sick and tired of Turkey's behavior."
Thai veterinarians on Monday removed 915 coins from a 25-year-old sea turtle which had been swallowing items thrown into her pool for good luck, eventually limiting her ability to swim.

The coins and other objects removed from the turtle named Omsin  piggy bank in Thai  weighed 5 kg (11 lb). The turtle itself weighed 59 kg (130 lb).

The green sea turtle, living at a conservation center in Sriracha, Chonburi, east of the Thai capital of Bangkok, had been finding it hard to swim normally because of the weight.

The vets said they believed the seven-hour-long operation was the world's first such surgery.

"We think it will take about a month to ensure she will fully recover," said Nantarika Chansue, of Chulalongkorn University's veterinary science faculty, adding that the turtle would need six more months of physical therapy.

There was no immediate estimate of the value of the coins, some of them foreign and many corroded.
Live from Los Angeles, it's La La Land live!

Lionsgate announced Monday that "La La Land In Concert: A Live-to-Film Celebration" will come to the Hollywood Bowl on May 26-27. The live shows will be conducted by composer Justin Hurwitz, who won two Academy Awards last month for his work on the movie's music.

The show will include a 100-piece symphony orchestra, choir and jazz ensemble, along with the film's original vocal recordings from Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and John Legend. The movie will play along while the musicians perform.

Hurwitz said in an interview with The Associated Press that before working on La La Land with director and writer Damien Chazelle, he told his longtime friend that the film would be perfect for the live stage.

"The process is just beginning," Hurwitz said of prepping for the live dates. "We're figuring out how to handle visually and musically the various music elements in the movie, and it's a lot of fun brainstorming ideas and solutions. What is exciting is ... to be able to really feature the musicians and show exactly what they're doing."

Tickets go on sale Friday. For the live shows, Hurwitz said they are using the same orchestra contractor from the movie.

Following the Memorial Day dates in Los Angeles, the live production will visit Atlanta; San Diego; San Antonio; Nashville, Tennessee; Washington, D.C.; and other U.S. cities. It will also travel internationally to the United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy, Turkey, Switzerland and Canada. Those dates, along with more cities, will be announced later.

La La Land won six Academy Awards, including best director for Chazelle and best actress for Stone. Hurwitz won best original score as well as best original song for "City of Stars," shared with songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

"There have been a couple times where I was in my apartment and I saw two Oscars sitting there [and] it almost took me a second to register what they were. The thought of those gorgeous, iconic statuettes sitting right there in my apartment is a bit surreal," he said.

He also said it has been dreamlike to hear "people singing my songs back at me" because of the film's success.

When asked if he could see La La Land on the Broadway stage, Hurwitz said: "Those conversations haven't even started to be honest. ... I think those conversations will happen inevitably, but I don't know if an actual adaptation will happen. It'll just be something we talk about and try to figure out, 'should it be done, can it be done?"'

Of the best picture flub during the Academy Awards  where La La Land was announced the winner before the Oscar was handed to the Moonlight creators, Hurwitz said: "I don't know, I haven't really thought about it much. But 'Moonlight' is an extraordinary movie and I am very happy for them."
The fourth year of boats filled with migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Italy has started at a record pace, with rescuers recently picking up about 500 as almost 1,300 landed at three different ports in Sicily, the Coast Guard said Sunday.

On Friday, the Italian coast guard said the number of migrants saved in rescue operations this year had surpassed 15,000. Meanwhile, the last estimates by the United Nations refugee agency put the number of dead in 2017 alone at 440.



Aid groups have said the exodus is being driven by worsening living conditions for migrants in Libya and by fears the sea route to Europe could soon be closed to traffickers.



Migrants who have made the crossing so far this year have told of increasing violence and brutality in Libya where rival factions battle for power.



About half a million migrants and refugees have arrived in Italy since the start of 2014, with a record 181,000 arriving in 2016.
College students around the world have been a powerful force for change throughout history.

In the United States, the 1930s, 1960s and 1990s were periods when every new generation of college students became involved in political action. They forced change on issues of war, poverty and environmental protection.

Millennials is a term that describes the current generation of 18 to 35-year-olds. They have faced criticism for rejecting behavior and beliefs of previous generations. But passion for political involvement is one quality that has not been lost.

In 2016, the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles reported on the opinions of over 141,000 first time college students. The study found one in 10 students expected to be involved in some kind of protest during their college career.

However, not all student political involvement looks the same.

Getting money out of politics

Cassie Cleary is from Wakefield, Massachusetts: a small town outside of Boston. The 21-year-old says politics was not often a topic of conversation among her friends growing up. Her high school had no student political groups that she knew of.

In her second year at Syracuse University in New York, the political science and history student learned of a group called Democracy Matters. The national organization works to prevent private corporations from giving money to election campaigns.

Cleary was concerned about the 2010 Supreme Court decision on campaign finance. The decision allows businesses and groups to spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns.

So she became a leader for her schools chapter of Democracy Matters. As chapter leader, Cleary plans meetings, invites guest speakers and even investigates sources of private donations to her university. She also organizes actions like getting students to call their representatives in Congress to express their concerns. Cleary sees her generations knowledge of technology and social media as a special tool for change.

"Lets be honest. We have more time than the average person because were not working. We dont have kids. So I think if we can get really involved in the backbone of these movements we can move them forward so much more. We have so much more to commit. And we have the energy to do it."

Helping minority communities

Wailly Compres, 21, is originally from Moca in the Dominican Republic. Like Cleary, Compres had little involvement in politics in his younger days. He said that as in the U.S., political discussion in his country can be very divisive. People often avoid it, he said.

In 2012, Compres and his family moved to New York City, where he attended an all-Latino high school. There he began to learn he and his fellow students shared similar experiences of discrimination as Latinos and immigrants.

After graduating, Compres began looking for a university that served his interests as a member of these communities. He learned of Bard College, a few hours north of the city. The school was home to La Voz, a publication designed to share news and information for the Spanish-speakers in the area.

Compres became involved with La Voz and worked with members of the community outside the college. The philosophy student wants to connect Latino immigrants with helpful resources. He also wants to change negative attitudes some Americans have about immigrants.

Between 2012 and 2016, several deaths of African American men at the hands of police drew national attention. To show his support, Compres started a Bard chapter of the Million Hoodies Movement for Justice. This is a national student human rights organization aiming to end police violence against African Americans and other minorities.

But as Compres becomes more involved, he notes many students feel they only have time for activism while they are students. Every four years, he said:

"They leave, the activism stops. Another generation comes, it happens again. It stops, and so on. So I think that, like, our main goal right now is How do we keep this going?'"

Sharing conservative values

Cade Marsh said he did form strong political opinions at an early age. Marsh is from San Diego, California. He calls himself a standard conservative, believing in limited government, personal freedom and individual responsibility.

Marsh began studying law at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida in 2014. At the time, there was a mid-term election for members of Congress. Marsh was unhappy with how the government was being run. And he felt that politicians have not appealed to younger voters.

"As my generation is spoken to less, and as our opinions are taken and reflected by our elected officials less, we are even less likely to come out and vote  That sort of trend can only last so long, though, because at the end of the day, weve started to reject standard political campaign communication and have started connecting peer-to-peer."

In early 2015, Marsh wanted to test his abilities as a leader. So he decided to join his schools chapter of the College Republicans. Created in 1892, this national organization works to get students to join the Republican political party and support conservative goals. Marsh worked hard to share information about his political party.

By the fall, Marsh gathered 500 new members to his group. He also became the executive director of the Florida College Republican Federation. He even created his own political action committee called Campus Red PAC in 2016. The group raised over $100,000 to help share Republican messages at Florida colleges and register new voters.

Marsh graduated in early 2017, but he says his political activism is not over. He plans to continue his involvement throughout his life. And Marsh says he will encourage any children he has in the future to be politically active as well. He believes young people will always be a major force for change.
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign a new executive order on Monday suspending refugee admissions and banning entry to people from six Muslim-majority countries.

The order is a revised version of one Trump signed in late January, arguing the move was necessary to review the vetting process and protect national security.It banned entry to people from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan.

Officials say the new order will remove Iraq from the list, but the others will remain under a temporary ban.

The temporary ban on refugees will also appear in the new order, but Syrians will no longer be singled out for a further indefinite ban.



Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to President Trump, told Fox News Monday that the ban will take effect on March 16 and will not affect immigrants with visas or legal permanent residents.

The executive order has been in the works for several weeks, along with speculation it would be signed at any time.Trump's official schedule for Monday does not include any mention of signing an executive order.Multiple previous orders have appeared on the daily schedule issued by the White House.

Previous order blocked

A federal appeals court barred implementation of the original order, a move the Trump administration has continued to fight as it crafted the revised version.The legal challenges brought by multiple states could eventually wind up being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The travel ban caused chaos in airports around the world as immigration officials tried to figure out if it also affected travelers with permanent resident green cards and pre-approved visas.The Department of Homeland Security clarified that people who already had visas were allowed entry, and officials say the new version of the order will also make that clear.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told VOA he hopes the president will come up with an order that makes sense without getting people who shouldn't be caught in the net.

Obviously the first one was overbroad. Ideally we would get...a rule that is carefully targeted on people that are high risk, potentially being foreign fighters, without collecting people that are dual-citizens or may even be able to come to the U.S. that ought to be able to come without impediment, Chertoff said.

Trump's original order also exempted religious minorities, saying they could be admitted as refugees if facing religious persecution.Critics pointed to the exclusively Muslim-majority nations in the order to say the president was working to help Christians while excluding Muslims.The new version is expected to drop that provision.

Trump originally proposed during his campaign barring Muslims from entering the United States, a proposal he later altered to barring entry to people from countries with links to terrorism.
A senior Nigerian military official said the cause of the accidental bombing of a displaced persons camp in the countrys northeast in January was the result of incorrect coordinates.

Nigerian Major General Leo Irabor told a visiting U.N. Security Council delegation Sunday that the January 17 bombing in the town of Rann, which killed 236 civilians, was a grave mistake that was the result of faulty information.

The coordinates that were received gave indications that there were presence of Boko Haram within the vicinity," Irabor said. "Its just that the wrong coordinates were utterly given.

He went on to say that although he was not trying to justify the militarys error, two days later Boko Haram did attack the town, which is located in Borno state  the epicenter of the groups insurgency.

Wherein that we killed 15 Boko Haram terrorists, and a vehicle mounted with an anti-aircraft gun was also recovered amongst other weapons that were recovered from the Boko Haram terrorists. So that of course, gives some correlation as to what intelligence we received before that encounter," said Irabor.

In the incident, a military jet dropped two bombs on the camp for displaced persons in Rann. At the time of the attack aid distribution was taking place and many women and children were killed, as well as at least nine humanitarian workers from the Nigerian Red Cross and the International Committee for the Red Cross.

A delegation of U.N. Security Council ambassadors visited Maiduguri on Sunday to see conditions at an IDP camp and met with the military for a briefing on their battle against Boko Haram.



British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, who is president of the council this month and a co-leader of the mission to West Africa, welcomed the investigation into the bombing.



Bearing in mind the importance of accountability and learning lessons, Im glad that the Rann camp incident is being followed up with an investigation and encourage you to make that public when possible and make sure measures are put in place to prevent a recurrence, he said.



Human Rights groups had previously criticized the military for conducting the investigation without a broader group of investigators, including civil society.
Nigeria has advised its citizens against any non-urgent travel to the United States until Washington clarifies its immigration policy, after several incidents in which people with valid visas were denied entry, a presidential aide said on Monday.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, said no reasons were given for the cases over recent weeks in which Nigerians with valid multiple-entry U.S. visas had been denied entry and sent back to Nigeria.

The West African country is not among a group of Muslim-majority countries from which President Donald Trump wants to suspend travel to the United States on security grounds. About half of its 180 million inhabitants are Muslim, and half Christian.



Trump is expected to sign a new executive order on Monday to implement the travel ban, after his first attempt in January was blocked in the courts.

Dabiri-Erewa did not make any explicit link to the ban, but said Nigerians without any urgent need should "consider rescheduling their trip until there is clarity on the new immigration policy."

International demand for travel to the United States over the coming months has flattened out, reflecting uncertainty over Trump's immigration policy, travel analysis company ForwardKeys said on Monday.
The project was proposed to be set up with a capital investment of Rs 79.43 crore and was to be funded from different sources including grant of Rs 50 crore from Union Ministry of Food Processing, Rs 21.42 crore as term loan from bank and Rs 8 crore as promoters' contribution.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: The turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir may have taken a toll on several projects but a mega food park will see the light of the day very soon. With a delay of ten years, the government says the park will finally be ready this year.

According to a report accessed by India Today, the progress of the project has been adversely affected due to law and order problems in Kashmir valley. Food processing minister Harsimrat Badal said: "We have a mega food project coming up shortly. There are several challenges like law and order and weather, but we are working with state government to ensure that the farmers of JK gain from the project".

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Asked whether any of the produce coming from cross-LoC would be utilised in the valley food park, the minister said we will go as per law and in consultation with the state government.

MILITANCY

On Sunday two terrorists from Hizbul and JeM were killed in a fierce gun battle with security forces. There were several instances of stone pelting also reported in the region. Though Pulwama has been in news for several encounters in the region, and instances of stone pelting leading to law and order situation. The project is likely to bring some good tidings for the farmers, who as per the government says will get better price for their produce.

The project was proposed to be set up with a capital investment of Rs 79.43 crore and was to be funded from different sources including grant of Rs 50 crore from Union Ministry of Food Processing, Rs 21.42 crore as term loan from bank and Rs 8 crore as promoters' contribution.

Though the project is already late by more than several years since the Mega Food Park's Scheme was launched in the year 2008 but four years also lapsed since September 2012 when the Ministry for Food Processing gave in-principal approval of setting up Mega Food Park at Lassipora in Pulwama district.

Regarding the project, they confirmed that the company which is establishing this Mega Food Park is RFK Greens Food Park Private Limited, which was registered on November 14, 2012. SPV has four directors namely Tariq Syed, Abdul Rashid Zargar, Dawood Rashid and Abdul Waheed Kachroo and is a subsidiary company with an asset/liability structure and legal status that makes its obligations secure even if the parent company goes bankrupt.

The project proposes to set up components such as multi-chamber cold storage (2000MT), pack house (1MT/hr), poultry dressing (2000 birds/hour), sheep and goat slaughter house (600 birds a day), bulk milk chilling (2000 litres) and a quality check lab.

The project will have leasable area of approx 17.5 acres at Central Processing Centre (CPC) for food processing unit. Five primary processing centres (PPC's) in Baramulla, Shopian, Budgam, Kargil and Poonch have also been proposed.

Also read | Tral encounter: Jammu and Kashmir police mourn death of Constable Manzoor Ahmed Naik

--- ENDS ---

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Pakistan says overnight terrorist attacks from across the Afghan border have killed at least six soldiers, reiterating a call for Kabul to boost security on the Afghan side of the largely porous frontier.

A military statement said Monday terrorists stormed three border posts in the Mohamand tribal district in an area adjacent to Afghanistans eastern Kunar province, causing the troop fatalities.

Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed terrorists attempt, it added, and asserted that at least 10 assailants were also killed in the gunfight.

A splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban, Jammatul Ahrar, took credit for what it described as a surprise assault. The group claimed the clash only wounded six of its fighters. It was not possible to verify the militant claims from independent sources.

The Pakistani military called on Afghanistan to put in place matching and effective security measures on its side of the border to deny terrorists "freedom of movement and action along the border.

The Foreign Ministry later summoned the deputy head of the Afghan embassy in Islamabad and launched a strong protest over the cross-border raid.

The Afghan Government was urged to thoroughly investigate the incidents and take firm action against the terrorists operating from its soil to prevent recurrence of such incidents, according to a ministry statement.

The Pakistan government maintains that Jammatul Ahrar and other anti-state fugitive militants have established sanctuaries in Afghanistan and plot cross-border violence, including last months string of suicide bombings that killed scores of people.

The attacks prompted Islamabad to close its traditional Afghan border crossings. The Pakistani army also handed over a list of 76 fugitive militants to Kabul and demanded swift action against them.

Afghan National Security Advisor Haneef Atmar, however, has again demanded that for effective cooperation against regional terrorism, Pakistan also needs to take action on an Afghan list of 86 people and 32 training centers of the terrorists Kabul has submitted to the neighboring country.

The Afghan advisor was addressing an international seminar Monday in India.

There is only one way for us to go ahead; you act on our list, we will act on your list, and we need to have a third party to verify. We are ready to do that, are you? That was the proposal we have put on the table, said Atmar.

Islamabad has ignored repeated Afghan calls for opening the border, a move that has stranded thousands of travelers on both sides and halted bilateral as well as transit trade activities to and from landlocked Afghanistan.

Pakistan and Afghanistan share a largely porous border of about 2,600 kilometers and regularly accuse each other of harboring militants wanted on both sides.
At least 18 people were killed and more than 30 injured in Panama Sunday when a bus went off a highway and flipped into a river southwest of the capital.



All the dead and the injured, many in critical condition, were aboard the bus, which was carrying more than 50 farm workers traveling from the Bocas del Toro province on the Caribbean Sea to a ranch in Chame, a town on the Pacific Ocean.











The crash happened on the Pan-American Highway in Anton, Cocle province about 170 kilometers from Panama City. Officials gave no information on what caused the accident.



Photos published by local media showed a white bus in a creek at the bottom of a ravine below a bridge. Helicopters and ambulances were sent to the scene of the accident.
European leaders are pursuing a new tack in their bid to dissuade the Trump administration from pulling out of the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change. Withdraw and miss out on economic and commercial opportunities in clean growth, the Europeans are warning Washington policy makers.

In back channel discussions, the Europeans are emphasizing a lower carbon future is now inevitable and a United States thats not fully on board will lose out in terms of energy innovation and clean energy job creation.

Others are dangling the prospects to American energy innovators and climate researchers of tax advantages and government subsidies, if they leave the United States and relocate to Europe.

Last week, the European Unions environment commissioner held meetings in Canada to discuss ways to ensure the agreement is implemented, even in the face of a U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 climate change accord that binds nearly every country to curb global warming.

Canada and the European Union are committed to implement Paris, defend Paris," EU Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete said in the Canadian capital, Ottawa.

In January, a former top aide to President Donald Trump, Myron Ebell, who led transition efforts on the Environmental Protection Agency, told reporters in London Trump will keep his campaign promises and will definitely pull America out of the 194-nation Paris climate agreement.

Diverging views

According to The New York Times, however, the White House remains fiercely divided over Trumps campaign promise to cancel the Paris Agreement.



In an article last week, the newspaper said senior adviser Stephen Bannon and new EPA administrator Scott Pruitt are urging Trump to fulfill his campaign pledge to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement, but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the presidents daughter Ivanka are arguing withdrawal would have damaging diplomatic ramifications.

Pruitt is a former Oklahoma state attorney general who is skeptical of arguments that human activity is contributing to global warming.

European and Canadian officials say they are still hopeful of persuading the Trump administration not to withdraw from the agreement. Playing on President Trumps determination to boost the U.S. economy and add more high-paying jobs to the American workforce, they are using transactional arguments in their bid, arguing the United States will lose the opportunity to become the worlds clean energy superpower.

Economic opportunities



In a phone call last week, Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna told Pruitt serious action against climate change opens up major economic opportunities. I emphasized that our government is committed to the Paris Agreement. We're committed to taking serious climate action, and that we see that as a real economic opportunity, McKenna said at a joint press conference with the visiting European energy commissioner in Ottawa.

"The opportunity is in the trillions of dollars when it comes to clean technology. So we think this is a clear economic opportunity, but we need to work at it and we need to bring everyone along, McKenna added.

Some European leaders hope to attract American energy innovators to Europe as the Trump administration cuts federal budgets and subsidies for clean energy.

Macron's invitation



Emmanuel Macron, one of the front-runners to succeed Francois Hollande as French president, says innovators impacted by Trump administration cuts in U.S. federal government budgets should relocate to France.



In a recent tweet, he said, Please come to France, you are welcome, its your nation, we like innovation. He added, We want innovative people, we want people working on climate change, energy, renewables and new technologies. France is your nation.

Macron isn't alone among European leaders eager to attract American energy innovators and climate-science researchers. German officials told VOA they are eager to do the same and will offer preferential tax rates for innovators and start-ups, and funds for researchers.

European research initiatives are advertising themselves with any eye to attracting Americans. According to the Daily Planet, a news portal of a European clean-energy initiative, Climate-KIC, a partnership of universities, businesses and public bodies, talented American students are welcome to apply for the initiatives summer school that takes students on a tour of some of the continents most renowned research institutions, startup incubators and businesses.

Under the Paris Agreement, every nation that has signed on to the accord provides details on how it will contribute to reducing planet-warming pollution. The Obama administration pledged to implement by 2025 a 26 percent cut in U.S. carbon pollution from 2005 levels.

The United States would likely be unable to reach that target under regulatory rollback plans by the Trump administration, including on coal-fired energy plants.
The U.S. Defense Department called North Korea's missile launch a "very serious threat" and said it is taking steps to increase defenses against the communist nation's ballistic missiles.

North Korea fired four ballistic missiles Monday, three of which flew about 1,000 kilometers and landed in Japanese waters.

A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Captain Jeff Davis, told reporters the weapons were medium-range ballistic missiles and did not pose a threat to North America.

An expected response

Davis said the launches coincided with the start of annual defense exercises between the United States and South Korea and "are consistent with North Korea's long history of provocative behavior often timed to military exercises that we do with our ally."

He said the United States is taking steps to increase its ability to defend against the missile launches, including plans for the deployment of the THAAD anti-ballistic missile defense in South Korea. He said that will happen "as soon as feasible."

Davis left open the possibility that more than four missiles were fired by North Korea.

"There were four that landed. There may be a higher number of launches that we're not commenting on," he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a telephone discussion that the United States was with Japan "100 percent," Abe told reporters on Tuesday.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada also spoke on the phone Monday, the Pentagon said, adding both leaders agreed the launches were "unacceptable and irresponsible."

At the United Nations, diplomats said the U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss North Korea's actions.

North Korea's U.N. Ambassador Ja Song Nam urged the U.N. Security Council in a letter to discuss the U.S.-South Korean military exercises, calling them "the most undisguised nuclear war maneuvers." He said the United States is using nuclear-powered aircraft carries, stealth fighters and submarines, and said of the military drills, "it may go over to an actual war."

Missile launches condemned

Countries around the world are condemning the missile launches.

Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "Definitely, we are seriously worried  these are the sort of actions that lead to a rise in tension in the region and, of course, in this situation, traditionally, Moscow calls for restraint from all sides."

China said it opposed the launches and called for restraint from all sides, but also noted that the United States and South Korea are carrying out military drills which it said were against North Korea.

A French foreign ministry statement condemned the missile firings, while British foreign minister Boris Johnson said they were a threat to international peace and security.

'New level of threat'

Abe said that Monday's missiles, which landed only 300-350 km (185-220 miles) from Japan's Oga Peninsula in the Akita prefecture, demonstrated an increased danger to the country. "This launch has clearly indicated that North Korea poses a new level of threat," he said.

South Korea's Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn also denounced the missile tests after meeting with his National Security Council.

"Our government strongly condemns that North Korea fired ballistic missiles, once again ignoring continuous warnings from South Korea and the international community, as it is a challenge against the international community and a grave act of provocation," he said.

The United Nations condemned the North's missile firings, saying it should refrain from such actions. "We deplore the continued violation of Security Council resolutions by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, including the most recent launches of ballistic missiles," U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said.

'Deeply regrettable'

The head of the United Nation's International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, called on North Korea to fully comply with its obligations under Security Council resolutions. "It is deeply regrettable that the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] has shown no indication that it is willing to comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions adopted in response to its two nuclear tests last year," he said.

In the last year, North Korea has accelerated its nuclear and ballistic weapons testing with more than 25 missile launches and two nuclear tests.

The missiles on Monday were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the North's border with China, said the South Korean military. From this same region at its Tongchang-ri satellite facility, Pyongyang in February of 2016 launched a satellite into space using banned intercontinental ballistic missile technology.

ICBM is not launched

U.S. military leaders have said in the past they believe North Korea has the ability to miniaturize a nuclear warhead to fit on a KN-08 long-range missile, although Pyongyang has not yet demonstrated this capability.

Monday's launch did not include a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which could potentially travel far enough to target the U.S. mainland.

In January, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un indicated his country would soon test an ICBM. Prior to taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted a response to Kim saying "it will not happen," implying that Washington would deter Pyongyang from developing the long-range ballistic missile capability.
U.S. immigration officials have detained an Afghan family of five who arrived in Los Angeles for a connecting flight to Seattle, where they planned to resettle.

A petition by the International Refugee Assistance Project on behalf of the father, mother and three children - ages 7, 6 and 8 months - is asking a federal court to release the family.

The petition argues that the father worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan and was able to obtain special immigrant visas along with his family after years of intense vetting. In addition to being detained, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has prevented attorneys from communicating with the family, according to the petition.



"The betrayal of this family by the U.S. government shocks the conscience,'' the petition said.

The names of the detainees have not been released because attorneys have not received approval to make them public and because it could put the family in harms way.

The family arrived in the United States on Thursday and was almost immediately taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Los Angeles International Airport, the filing said.

The mother was being detained in downtown Los Angeles with her children, while the father was in a maximum-security detention facility in Orange County, California.

The family's lawyers said the government intended to transfer the mother and children to Texas, but they persuaded a U.S. district court judge on Saturday night to intervene and stop the move. The order also says the government cannot bar the family members from access to their attorneys.

The process for obtaining those visas involves intensive vetting, including interviews, security checks, medical examinations and fingerprints -- as well as a finding that the applicant has experienced a serious threat because of their work with the U.S. government, according to the petition.

"It's just a complete travesty,'' said Becca Heller, the director of the International Refugee Assistance Project. "It would be if it were happening to anybody, but especially someone who spent years and years risking his life for the U.S.''

The case follows President Donald Trump's executive order barring people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. Afghanistan was not one of those countries.
Add one more to the list of things dividing left and right in this country: We can't even agree what it means to be an American.

A new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds Republicans are far more likely to cite a culture grounded in Christian beliefs and the traditions of early European immigrants as essential to U.S. identity.

Democrats are more apt to point to the country's history of mixing of people from around the globe and a tradition of offering refuge to the persecuted.

While there's disagreement on what makes up the American identity, 7 in 10 people  regardless of party  say the country is losing that identity.

"It's such stark divisions," said Lynele Jones, a 65-year-old accountant in Boulder, Colorado. Like many Democrats, Jones pointed to diversity and openness to refugees and other immigrants as central components of being American.

"There's so much turmoil in the American political situation right now. People's ideas of what is America's place in the world are so different from one end of the spectrum to the other," Jones said.

There are some points of resounding agreement among Democrats, Republicans and independents about what makes up the country's identity. Among them: a fair judicial system and rule of law, the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution, and the ability to get good jobs and achieve the American dream.

Multiculturalism, religion

Big gulfs emerged between the left and right on other characteristics seen as inherent to America.

About 65 percent of Democrats said a mix of global cultures was extremely or very important to American identity, compared with 35 percent of Republicans. Twenty-nine percent of Democrats saw Christianity as that important, compared with 57 percent of Republicans.

Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to say that the ability of people to come to escape violence and persecution is very important, 74 percent to 55 percent. Also, 25 percent of Democrats said the culture of the country's early European immigrants very important, versus 46 percent of Republicans.

Reggie Lawrence, a 44-year-old Republican in Midland, Texas, who runs a business servicing oil fields, said the country and the Constitution were shaped by Christian values. As those slip away, he said, so does the structure of families and, ultimately, the country's identity.

"If you lose your identity," Lawrence said, "What are we? We're not a country anymore."

Patrick Miller, a political science professor at the University of Kansas who studies partisanship and polling, said the results reflect long-standing differences in the U.S. between one camp's desire for openness and diversity and another's vision of the country grounded in the white, English-speaking, Protestant traditions of its early settlers.

Immigration

Those factions have seen their competing visions of American identity brought to a boil at points throughout history, such as when lawmakers barred Chinese immigration beginning in the 1880s or when bias against Catholic immigrants and their descendants bubbled up through a long stretch of the 20th century.

The starkness of the divide and the continuing questions over what it means to be American are a natural byproduct, Miller said, not just of U.S. history, but the current political climate and the rancor of today's debates over immigration and the welcoming of refugees.

"Our sense of identity is almost inseparable from the subject of immigration because it's how we were built," he said. "Given what we are and how we've come about, it's a very natural debate."

The poll found Democrats were nearly three times as likely as Republicans to say that the U.S. should be a country made up of many cultures and values that change as new people arrive, with far more Republicans saying there should be an essential American culture that immigrants adopt.

Republicans overwhelmingly viewed immigrants who arrived in the past decade as having retained their own cultures and values rather than adopting American ones.

Among the areas seen as the greatest threats to the American way of life, Democrats coalesce around a fear of the country's political leaders, political polarization and economic inequality. Most Republicans point instead to illegal immigration as a top concern.

Perhaps surprisingly, fear of influence from foreign governments was roughly the same on the left and right at a time when calls for an investigation into President Donald Trump's possible ties to Russia have largely come from Democrats. About 4 in 10 Democrats and Republicans alike viewed the issue as extremely or very threatening.

Is America great?

Two questions, also posed during the presidential campaign, offered insight into how Trump's election may have changed partisans' views. The poll found about 52 percent of Republicans now regard the U.S. as the single greatest country in the world, up significantly from 35 percent when the question was asked last June.

Some 22 percent of Democrats expressed that view, essentially unchanged from the earlier poll.

Democrats appear to be reinforcing their belief that the country's range of races, religions and backgrounds make the country stronger. About 80 percent made that assessment in the new poll, compared with 68 percent eight months earlier.

About 51 percent of Republicans held that view, similar to the percentage who said so in the previous poll.
South Korea's special prosecutor says the president and a close friend are suspected of taking bribes from Samsung.

Special prosecutor Park Young-soo said in a statement Monday the bribes President Park Geun-hye and her friend Choi Soon-sill extracted from Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong are a symbol of a "chronic cycle of corruption in our society" and were aimed at insuring that Lee remained at Samsung's helm.

The prosecutor said the focus of the lengthy investigation was "the influence-peddling scandal, caused by using the government authority for personal interest and the collusion of government and business."

The probe by the prosecutor found the National Pension Service voted in favor of a merger of two Samsung affiliates, despite a probable loss of more than $100 million.Lee is reported to have made a $36 million payment to Choi in return for the president's help in securing the approval of the merger.The payment allegedly took the form of donations to support the equestrian training of Chung Yoo-ra, Choi's daughter, and to two dubious non-profit foundations controlled by Choi.

Park, Choi and Lee have denied all charges against them.

Samsung said in a statement that it does not agree with the special prosecutor's findings."Samsung has not paid bribes nor made improper requests seeking favors," the statement said."Future court proceedings will reveal the truth."

Park has been suspended from office, but continues to live in the presidential Blue House.The Constitutional Court is reviewing the impeachment decision.
Republican U.S. lawmakers expect to unveil this week the text of long-awaited legislation to repeal and replace the Obamacare health care law, one of President Donald Trump's top legislative priorities, a senior Republican congressional aide said on Sunday.

Since taking office in January, Trump has pressed his fellow Republicans who control Congress to act quickly to dismantle former Democratic President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act and pass a plan to replace it, but lawmakers in the party have differed on the specifics.

Democrats have warned that Republicans risk throwing the entire U.S. health care system into chaos by repealing the 2010 law that was passed by congressional Democrats over united Republican opposition. Republicans condemn it as a government overreach, and Trump has called it a "disaster."

The aide cited progress in meetings and phone calls starting on Friday and lasting through the weekend involving House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, Trump domestic policy adviser Andrew Bremberg and others.

"We are in a very good place right now, and while drafting continues, we anticipate the release of final bill text early this week," said the aide, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The aide called the expected bill a "consensus Republican plan," but offered no details.

AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan, said: "We are now at the culmination of a years-long process to keep our promise to the American people."

The Obamacare law has proven popular in many states, even some controlled by Republicans, and it enabled about 20 million previously uninsured people to get medical insurance, although premium increases angered some.
North Korea fired four ballistic missiles early Monday, three of which flew 1,000 kilometers before landing in the sea within 350 kilometers of the Japanese mainland, according to South Korean and Japanese officials.

It is unlikely, however, that Monday's test was that of a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM.)

"South Korea and the U.S. are closely analyzing at the moment. The possibility [of an ICBM test] is low, but it will require more precise analysis," said Roh Jae-chun, a public affairs officer for the South Korean militarys Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In January, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un indicated his country would soon test an ICBM. Prior to taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted a response to Kim saying "it will not happen," implying that Washington would deter Pyongyang from developing the long-range ballistic missile capability to potentially target the U.S. mainland.

Accelerated testing

In the last year, North Korea has accelerated its nuclear and ballistic weapons testing with more than 25 missile launches and two nuclear tests.

The missiles on Monday were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the North's border with China, said the South Korean military. From this same region at its Tongchang-ri satellite facility, Pyongyang in February of 2016 launched a satellite into space using banned intercontinental ballistic missile technology.

U.S. military leaders have said in the past they believe North Korea has the ability to miniaturize a nuclear warhead to fit on a KN-08 long-range missile, although Pyongyang has not yet demonstrated this capability.

The U.S. military said Sunday it detected and tracked what it assessed was a North Korean missile launch, but added the launch did not pose a threat to North America.

Mondays missiles flew twice as far as a test of a North Korean Musudan medium-range ballistic missile tested last month. There were no reports of damage to shipping or aircraft in the area where the missiles fell into the sea, Japanese officials said.

The Musudan has an estimated maximum range of 3,000 km that can reach targets in Japan and as far away as U.S. military bases in Guam. The closest U.S. cities to North Korea are Anchorage at 5,600 km, Honolulu at 7,000 km and Seattle at 7,900 km.

US, allies react

U.S. Strategic Command spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Martin O'Donnell said U.S. forces "remain vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations and are fully committed to working closely with our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies to maintain security."

U.S. State Department Acting Spokesperson Mark Toner condemned the missile launch and called on all states to "use every available channel and means of influence to make clear to the DPRK and its enablers that further provocations are unacceptable."

He said, We also call on the DPRK to refrain from provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric that threaten international peace and stability, and to make the strategic choice to fulfill its international obligations and commitments and return to serious talks. Our commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, remains ironclad. We remain preparedand will continue to take steps to increase our readinessto defend ourselves and our allies from attack, and are prepared to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against this growing threat.

After meeting with his National Security Council, South Korean Prime Minister And Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn denounced the missile tests.

Our government strongly condemns that North Korea fired ballistic missiles once again ignoring continuous warnings from South Korea and the international community, as it is a challenge against the international community and a grave act of provocation, said Hwang.

THAAD

The acting president also said the Norths unrestrained missile tests demonstrate the need to quickly deploy the controversial U.S. THAAD missile defense shield in South Korea.

We need to set this defense system against North Korea's nuclear and missiles, and actively work on measures to effectively strengthen extended deterrence capability of the U.S., he said.

The THAAD deployment has drawn strong objections from Beijing that the advanced U.S. weapons system is an unnecessary and provocative military escalation, and that the systems powerful radar used to track incoming missiles also poses a potential threat to China.

China is reportedly increasingly retaliating against South Korea by informally putting limits on imports and tourism.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also condemned the North Korea missile launch as a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions banning the Norths nuclear and ballistic missile program.

And he said that Mondays missiles, which landed only 300-350 km from Japans Oga Peninsula in the Akita prefecture, demonstrated an increased danger to the country.

"This launch has clearly indicated that North Korea poses a new level of threat," said Abe.

Japan plans to reinforce its ballistic missile defenses and is considering buying either THAAD or building a ground-based version of the Aegis system that is currently deployed on ships in the Sea of Japan.

Joint military drills

A North Korean provocation at this time was not unexpected. Pyongyang had threatened to take "strong retaliatory measures" after South Korea and the United States began annual joint military drills last week that test their defensive readiness against possible aggression from the North.

In the meantime, Trump's national security team is reviewing a range of military options to counter the North's missile threat. The New York Times is reporting the options being discussed include missile strikes on the North's launch sites and the possibility of reintroducing nuclear weapons to the South.
Slovenia's president said Monday his invitation to host a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin still stands despite the talk of the Kremlin's meddling in the American elections.

Borut Pahor told The Associated Press that a "tradition" of first meetings between U.S. and Russian presidents in the small Alpine state shouldn't be discarded  and Slovenia is also the U.S. first lady's native land.

In June 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush and Putin had their first face-to-face meeting in Slovenia to explore the possibility of compromise on U.S. missile defense plans that Moscow opposed.

"Slovenia has officially expressed readiness ... it is ready to be the host of this meeting," said Pahor, whose country is a member of the EU but has traditional ties with Russia. "They would be welcome in fine atmosphere."

Melania Trump  born Melanija Knavs  left Slovenia in her 20s to pursue an international modeling career.

"Probably it would be attractive for the president of the United States because the first lady is from our country," Pahor said. "I wouldn't be surprised if they decide differently, it's their decision."

Putin has said Slovenia would be a good venue, but added that it's not only up to him.

Pahor said he had "briefly" discussed the issue with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

"He was polite, but his answer wasn't final," Pahor said.

The Slovenia "tradition" was interrupted during Barack Obama's presidency. He first met Russian president Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow, where he later had his first meeting with Putin, then the premier.

Trump has been trailed for months by questions about his campaign's ties to Russia. Compounding the situation is the U.S. intelligence agencies' assessment that Russia interfered with the election to help Trump triumph over Hillary Clinton, along with disclosures about his aides' contacts with a Russian official.

In the wide-ranging interview, Pahor also spoke about the upcoming departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union and the upcoming elections in France and Germany where right-wing populists are vying for power.

"I told [European Commission President Jean-Claude] Juncker and other of my friends in Europe that if we don't offer an alternative in a short term, there could be problems," Pahor said.

"Brexit is a historic sign that something is terribly wrong," Pahor said. "More than one half of voters [in Britain] did not recognize the solution in Europe."

He said that the Franco-German alliance remained key to any future EU plans and counted on Paris and Berlin to drive that process following elections.

"I cannot imagine what would happen if France would live the EU," Pahor said.
AIIMS handed over five visit reports regarding the health condition of the late chief minister to the Government of Tamil Nadu. Jayalalithaa was declared dead at Apollo Hospital on December 6.

Jayalalithaa's body kept at the poes garden for last visit

By Indo-Asian News Service: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Monday handed over to the Tamil Nadu government the reports regarding the five visit made by its specialists to Chennai to give expert advise when former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was hospitalised prior to her death.

"AIIMS handed over the five visit reports regarding the health condition of the Late Chief Minister Tamil Nadu to Government of Tamil Nadu," said an official statement.

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According to the authorities, the papers were handed over by V Srinivas, AIIMS deputy director (Administration), to J Radhakrishnan, principal secretary of Tamil Nadu's health department.

Jayalalithaa was declared dead at Apollo Hospital here on December 6. She was admitted to the hospital on September 22 with fever and dehydration.

At the request of Tamil Nadu government for expert medical advise, the AIIMS had deployed a team of senior specialists to visit Chennai five times between October 5, 2016 and December 6, under the leadership of GC Khilnani, professor in the department of Pulmonology.

The Tamil Nadu government had requested AIIMS on March 5, 2017 for handing over the visit notes of the AIIMS delegation to Chennai for their official records.

Also read: Jayalalithaa's legs were not cut, Apollo Hospital bill was Rs 5.5 crore: 10 big revelations made by doctors

--- ENDS ---
A senior South Sudanese military official who resigned last month said he has formed a new rebel group to fight President Salva Kiir.



General Thomas Cirillo Swaka released a statement Monday, declaring himself chairman and commander-in-chief of the National Salvation Front.



It was not immediately clear how strong the group might be, or if it will ally with the Sudan People's Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO), the rebel group that has battled the Kiir administration for more than three years.





VOA's South Sudan in Focus obtained a copy of Cirillo's mission statement, which accuses the Kiir administration of seizing power and property for his own Dinka tribe at the expense of other ethnic groups that supported the country's liberation war against Sudan.



"The Regime has created a highly selfish class that ensures its continued existence for the singular purpose of illicitly amassing personal and family wealth, and imposing tribal hegemony on the country," it said.



Other sections accused the administration of corruption, failing to provide basic services and neglecting agriculture, the last a major issue in a country where conflict and drought have left millions short of food.



South Sudanese Defense Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk downplayed Cirillo's accusations, saying they are inconsistent with what he called the government's progress in implementing an August 2015 peace deal and ongoing work to bring peace to the country.



He said Cirillo's resignation from the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) has been blown out of proportion.



"There are so many people in the army so three or four people, they don't matter," he said. "The army continues to go on. The place vacated will be filled by those who are there."



The South Sudan war, which erupted in December 2013, has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 2 million people from their homes.



Kiir's government has been promoting a "national dialogue" to resolve the country's issues, and Manyang said if Cirillo is willing to participate, he [Cirillo] will be given a chance to address his concerns.



Cirillo was active during the liberation war with Sudan and is believed to command respect among his former army colleagues. He held various senior positions in the army and was deputy chief of staff for operations before resigning in February.
The Supreme Court has passed a case of a transgendered high school student on bathroom access back to a lower court without ruling.

The case was sent back Monday to the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in state of Virginia, the same court that last year ruled in favor of the student.

High school student Gavin Grimm had sued the Gloucester County School Board for the right to use the public school's boys bathroom. Grimm, who was born female, but identifies as male, argued the school's denial of his request violates federal anti-discrimination law and the Constitution's equal protection guarantee.

Although Grimm won an appeals court order allowing him to use the boys' bathroom, the Supreme Court put it on hold last August, before the school year began.

The Supreme Court decision means Grimm will probably graduate with the issue unresolved and his ability to use the boys' bathroom blocked.

The new Trump administration has revoked federal guidelines issued in May 2016 by the Obama administration that let transgender students use restrooms and locker rooms matching their chosen gender identity rather than the gender listed for them at birth. The Trump guidelines allow states to decide the issue.

Obama's guidance followed a heated debate around transgender issues, specifically in public bathrooms, after the state of North Carolina passed a law that required people to use public bathrooms corresponding to their gender at birth.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen is risking a new showdown with Beijing by stepping up military capabilities to protect holdings in the widely contested South China Sea.

The navy of Taiwan, a diplomatically isolated government that claims the entire sea and controls its largest land feature, will increase patrols in the 3.5 million-square-kilometer body of water because of China's own growing military might, Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan told parliament in Taipei last week. The navy will also train together with the air force, the minister said.

He added the navy will use its increased, regular South China Sea patrols to do humanitarian rescue drills and protect Taiwanese boats trawling for fish or ferrying supplies. A 1,000-ton coast guard frigate has already been sent to the sea to protect Taiwanese fishing boats.

Use of military units to enforce Taiwan's access to the resource-rich sea off its southwest coast may prompt a backlash from Beijing because of poor existing relations and little external support, experts fear.

"In response to this, if China did something in the South China Sea, more exercises, more ship passing through, that's a marginal change from the status quo," said Ross Feingold, Taipei-based analyst with an American political consultancy.

"But if it wants to express its displeasure at Taiwan, it could do more of the kinds of exercises it has been doing recently around Taiwan island, even though Taiwan island is not relevant really to the South China Sea dispute," he said.

In December and January, China's aircraft carrier circled Taiwan, and last week it sent military aircraft into waters close to Japan's outlying islands and due east of Taiwan. The Defense Ministry monitored both moves.

Beijing claims about 95 percent of the South China Sea. Since 2010 it has angered Taiwan as well as five Southeast Asian maritime claimants by landfilling once uninhabitable islets, adding military installations and letting Chinese vessels enter disputed tracts.

Few diplomatic options

Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines can use formal diplomatic ties with China to work out agreements. But China claims Taiwan itself as part of Chinese territory, even though Taiwan has been self-ruled since the 1940s. That schism has barred any formal diplomacy.

Taiwan, squeezed by China for seven decades, has no diplomatic relations in Asia. Tsai talked briefly about security in December with U.S. President Donald Trump, but Trump has shown no further sign of support.

An informal China-Taiwan dialogue of eight years ended after Tsai took office in May on a public mandate to be more cautious toward Beijing. China had also "refrained from harassing" Taiwanese fishermen at that time, said Jonathan Spangler, director of the Taipei-based South China Sea Think Tank.

He added that contact with other countries at sea "could give Beijing reason to intervene in a way that would be detrimental to Taiwan's interests."

Beijing would factor its current struggle with Taiwan into any response to Taiwan's activities in the sea, said Liu Fu-kuo, international relations research fellow at National Chengchi University in Taipei.

"President Tsai Ing-wen, even if other senior officials spoke so much about different points of South China Sea policy, every time it comes to her she said that no change,'" Liu told a news forum Friday.

"And this is the policy our government is currently taking," Liu said. "I just hope there won't be any things that she will change, because it has closer links with cross-Strait relations."

Taiping Island

Taiwan now holds Taiping Island, the largest of the Spratly Island chain, as well as a nearby sandbar. Taiping is unusually well developed, with a coast guard base, meteorological research equipment and a collection of solar panels.

Tsai, however, has shown no signs of trying to extend control over the sea, which is prized for fisheries, undersea fossil fuel reserves and marine shipping lanes.

The president may ultimately carry on her predecessor's effort to develop Taiping as a base for solar energy, marine research and humanitarian rescues, scholars say. Former president Ma Ying-jeou, in office from 2008 until last year, had pursued those programs to show off what his Foreign Ministry called Taiwanese "soft power," while keeping peace with China.

Tsai's Interior Ministry said in August it aimed to position observation facilities on Taiping Island and pursue global cooperation on climate issues. In November, the coast guard and Defense Ministry announced plans for "humanitarian" rescue exercises around the island.

But Taiping, which measures 1,400 meters long and 400 meters across, is still run by "well-trained military people," former defense minister Andrew Yang said.

"The main approach is how to fully utilize our soft powers on the Spratlys instead of increasing the military installations," Yang told the forum Friday. "In the future I think this is going to be increasingly enhanced, particularly the scientific maritime research activities."
Asias tourism industry is booming, buoyed by rising incomes, low-cost air transport, and Chinas growing outbound market.

But analysts say the rapid expansion is also putting pressure on infrastructure and destinations amid calls to boost spending and better manage tourism flows to ensure long term sustainability.

John Koldowski, a travel industry analyst and lecturer at Thammasat University, said the tourism outlook is strong across several regional markets.

The big areas were looking at, at the moment; Thailand is just booming, its continuing to boom, Koldowski said.

But also Vietnam is showing some solid growth, Cambodia, Myanmar  although the growth rate is dropping its still an area where you are seeing a lot of FDI [foreign direct investment] a lot of construction, a lot more interest and activity going on there, he told VOA.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) forecast tourisms direct contribution to regional economies will grow by 5.6 percent over the ten years to 2025 to $528.7 billion. This is 12.6 percent of the regions national output (GDP).

Tourism among the 10 nation Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) also employs directly or indirectly around 32 million people.

The investment outlook for tourism is also strong, says a report by a senior economist with investment house, CLSA.

CLSA pointed to a feast of investment opportunities awaiting in travel and tourism, including hotel and resort development along with transportation infrastructure, security and environmental protection.

The Council said spending on travel and tourism infrastructure will be key to coping with demand.

The Philippines is planning to invest $23 billion in tourism infrastructure over the next six years, including casino resorts, with the government aiming to double tourisms contribution to the national economy, presently at 10 percent.

Oliver Lamb, of Sydney-based Pacific Aviation Consulting, said regional economic progress has driven tourism growth. The middle class is forecast to grow from 190 million to 400 million people in the coming decade.

The growth of the middle class  the strength of the Asian middle class, the emergence of [air] carriers that are specifically targeted in wealth and well within the Asian middle classes needs and low fuel prices  you are getting a perfect storm of positive dynamics for leisure travel in the Asia Pacific, Lamb told VOA.

Airlines struggle to meet demand

But Lamb said growth has led to other challenges in aviation, including adequately trained ground personnel, support and infrastructure.

Kuala Lumpur based Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) says in 2016 Asia Pacific airlines carried a combined total of 293 million international passengers  up 6.0 percent from a year earlier.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) said rapid growth has been evident in aviation, where, by the end of 2019, there are estimated to be close to 11,000 unique city pairs (departure and arrival) operating in the region. This marks a growth of over 20 per cent in 2016 figures.

PATA says on a daily basis there are some 28,600 regional flights scheduled, up from 22,000 in 2012. In key markets, Indonesia reported a 47 percent rise in scheduled flights, Malaysia's air traffic grew 29 percent and rapid growth was seen in Cambodia (52 percent) and Vietnam (75 percent).

The World Travel and Tourism Council said dependence on tourism has been growing, especially with the spectacular growth in Chinas outbound market.

China expanded its approved destination status scheme from 14 countries to 113 by 2012, leading to a 700 per cent increase in outward visits by Chinese tourists, from 10 million in 2000 to 78 million by 2015, the Council said.

Visitors from China account for over a quarter of total international arrivals into Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam  up from five to 10 percent in 2000.

But analysts say while most countries have been eager to promote the China market, other regions, such as Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong, are looking to diversify this dependence on China.

The Council says Asia  including ASEAN  will account for almost 50 percent of total travel and tourism infrastructure spending between 2016 to 2026.

Vietnam has reported robust tourism infrastructure spending. The council said Vietnams substantial forecast investment suggests its [tourism] infrastructure could pull away from other low income economies [Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos], all reported to be investing less.

The council added that Thailands concern lies in infrastructure spending meeting the rising demand. Thailand is the only ASEAN country where the future focus is critical with respect to tourism and travel infrastructure, the report said.

Thailand is expected to see visitor numbers rising from 32 million at present to 50 million by 2021, according analyst Koldowski.

But Koldowski said Asia increasingly needs to focus on the management of tourism rather than simply luring more visitors.

Were entering a new phase and that phase is where there needs to be maybe a little less focus on attracting tourists because they are coming  the momentum is there  its building, he said."The focus now shifts to attracting the right sort of tourist".

The increasing volume will be such that it will force governments and tourism bodies to actually be a little bit more creative in understanding what does it mean, and what can we do to ensure there is sustainability, he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new executive order Monday, barring travelers from six countries to the United States for three months, and all refugees for four months, after federal appeals judges blocked a similar order last month.

The new ban includes a grace period and will take effect on March 16. It will not affect legal permanent residents  those with green cards  or travelers who already had valid visas as of Jan. 27, 2017.

"This executive order is a vital measure for strengthening our national security," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said at press conference announcing the new ban. "It is the president's solemn duty to protect the American people."

The rollout of the new security measures amounts to an acknowledgement by the Trump administration that its original travel ban, issued January 27, was flawed.

But critics immediately assailed the new order as merely making "cosmetic changes" to the original ban and argued that it still creates a religious test for entering the United States and will therefore not stand up to judicial scrutiny.

WATCH: Related video report by Steve Herman

In an attempt to ensure a smoother rollout of the travel ban and protect it from legal scrutiny, the new executive order differs from the old version in several key aspects.

Among the most notable changes is the exclusion of Iraqis from the list of suspended travelers. The new order bans nationals and citizens from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

Mondays order also removes a provision indefinitely barring Syrian refugees from the U.S. Also removed is language giving preference to "religious minorities," a provision that had been widely seen as an attempt to follow through on Trump's promise to prioritize Christian refugees.

Iraq promises more cooperation

Iraq was removed from the list after officials there promised increased cooperation with U.S. officials regarding the vetting process, according to a senior official with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), who spoke to reporters on a conference call.

Baghdad, a key ally in the U.S. fight against Islamic State militants, had complained when Iraq was included in the original travel ban.

"The close cooperative relationship between the United States and the democratically-elected Iraqi government, the strong U.S. diplomatic presence in Iraq, the significant presence of U.S. forces in Iraq, and Iraq's commitment to combat ISIS justify different treatment," said a Q&A sheet distributed by the Trump administration. ISIS is an acronym for Islamic State.

WATCH: Tillerson on removal of Iraq

Critics of the original order questioned whether the seven countries affected  all majority-Muslim  were targeted for religious reasons. The DHS official on Monday again denied those accusations, saying: "This is not a Muslim ban in any way, shape or form."

White House officials also stressed the temporary nature of the order, but suggested that the travel ban may be expanded after the 90 days expire and that other countries could be added to the list.



Reaction

Even with the changes, the bill is still likely to face legal challenges by groups that view the order as a partial fulfillment of Trump's campaign call for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States."

"Nothing substantive has changed," said Lavinia Limon, who heads the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). "It's around the edges, right? If this had come out a month ago, we would be outraged."

The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, which filed successful legal challenges against the original order, also said the revised ban "has the same fatal flaws" as the original.

"These are again, simply cosmetic changes," said Ed Yohnka, the ACLU's Director of Communications and Public Policy. "This is still unconstitutional, this remains a religious test to enter the United States of America. This is something fundamentally that our nation has never permitted. And we will not permit it again."

"The only way to actually fix the Muslim ban is not to have a Muslim ban. Instead, President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people," said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU's Immigrant Rights Project. "What's more, the changes the Trump administration has made, and everything we've learned since the original ban rolled out, completely undermine the bogus national security justifications the president has tried to hide behind and only strengthen the case against his unconstitutional executive orders."

White House: Ban needed to mitigate refugee risk

Administration officials, meanwhile, were walking a fine line between insisting the new order was different enough from the old measure to withstand legal challenges but similar enough so that it would still be effective.

"The principles of the executive order remain the same," said White House press secretary Sean Spicer, adding, "We continue to maintain the [original travel ban] order was fully lawful."

The Trump administration leans heavily on the rationale that refugees, as well as immigrants and travelers from certain countries, are a security risk to the United States; however, it has proffered little evidence of that risk.

White House officials on Monday released a memorandum saying that the FBI is carrying out "terrorism-related investigations" into approximately 300 individuals across the U.S. who were admitted as refugees. It is not clear whether those being investigated came from the list of banned countries, or how many have been charged with a crime.

When pushed for details, the senior DHS official declined further comment, saying only that the 300 people were being investigated for "potential terrorism-related activities" and that it was "truly an alarming number from all our perspectives."

Filippo Grandi, who heads the U.N.'s refugee agency, said the U.S. has long been a partner in finding solutions for refugees, but expressed concern about how the order will affect those fleeing violence and persecution.

"The imperative remains to provide protection from people fleeing deadly violence, and we are concerned that this decision, though temporary, may compound the anguish for those it affects," Grandi said.

* Differences in executive orders restricting travel (click here to see)



Smoother rollout?

Administration officials are promising a smoother rollout this time, insisting the White House has cooperated with DHS, the State Department, and the Justice Department on drafting and implementing the new executive order.

"We're going to have a very smooth implementation period," the senior DHS officials told reporters in a press call, adding that there will not be any "chaos, or alleged chaos" at airports.

WATCH: Kelly on vetting of refugees seeking to enter US

The original order was announced early on the evening of Jan. 27  a Friday right when most federal employees were finishing their first full week of work under the new administration  creating confusion at international airports across the country.

Travelers from the seven countries  including legal permanent residents of the United States  were detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. Law enforcement didnt know what to do with the refugees mid-flight when the order came down that banned them, as well.

Still others were turned away at airports abroad, denied by airline officials who questioned the validity of their already-issued visas.

DHS Secretary John Kelly, who was confirmed by the Senate a week before the original executive order was issued, shouldered the blame for the bungled implementation of the original order.

"The thinking was to get it out quick so that potentially people that might be coming here to harm us would not take advantage of some period of time they could jump on an airplane and get here," he testified at a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee on Feb. 7.

More than a dozen lawsuits were filed across the country challenging the January order. Federal appeals court judges ruled in February to suspend the order in support of the "free flow of travel," as well as "in avoiding separation of families, and in freedom from discrimination."



Trumps travel restrictions have not received broad public support. A poll released in late February by Pew Research Center showed that 59 percent of those surveyed opposed the ban, while 38 percent approved.

A CNN poll released Monday suggested that 55 percent of Americans disapprove of the way Trump has handled immigration issues, compared to 44 percent who approve. On national security issues, Americans were split, the poll found, with 50 percent approving and 49 percent disapproving.

WATCH: History of US Immigration Restrictions
Ukraine asked the United Nations' highest court on Monday to order Russia to stop funding and equipping pro-Russian separatists, at the start of a hearing where it hopes to prove Moscow is breaking international law.

Russia denies sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine and is expected to challenge the basis of the case Ukraine has launched at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

"Today I stand before the World Court to request protection of the basic human rights of Ukrainian people," Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal said on the first of four days of hearings.

Zerkal requested an immediate court order to stop what she called Russia's abuses until the judges have heard the case in full. The U.N. court takes years to hear cases. Although its rulings are final and binding, it has no means of enforcement.

Zerkal's request for so-called provisional measures, included a halt of transfers of money, weapons, vehicles, equipment, training or personnel to pro-Russian separatists fighting Ukrainian government forces.

"Russian Federation tactics include support for terrorism and acts of racial discrimination, as well as propaganda, subversion, intimidation, political corruption and cyber attacks," she told the judges, citing new attacks in recent weeks.

Ukraine says in its filing that the pro-Russian separatists were responsible for the bombardment of residential areas and the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in July 2014 that killed 298 passengers and crew.

In September 2016, a six-country investigative team led by the Netherlands said the plane had been shot down with a Russian-manufactured Buk surface-to-air missile from an area controlled by pro-Russian forces.

Russia has dismissed the findings as biased and politically motivated.
A United Nations court has referred Turkey to the Security Council for failing to release a judge imprisoned for suspected involvement in last year's failed coup.

The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) had given Turkey until February 14 to release Aydin Sefa Akay, a Turkish national who was due to hear a request for the case of a Rwandan genocide convict to be reopened.

"The government of Turkey has failed to comply with its obligations," Judge Theodor Meron said in a written ruling Monday. "This matter shall be reported to the United Nations Security Council."

Akay was one of more than 40,000 people arrested in the aftermath of the failed July coup against President Recep Tayipp Erdogan.

Turkey has alleged the coup attempt was orchestrated by exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen, who lives in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, has denied any role in the attempted overthrow of the Turkish leader.
U.S.-backed Syrian fighters have taken control of the only major road linking Raqqa, the de facto capital of Islamic State (IS), and Deir Ezzor province, which is partially controlled by the militants.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) cut off the route Monday.

SDF fighters relaunched their offensive to retake Raqqa Sunday after a one week break.Their strategy includes isolating the city from Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, and to take control of more territories along the Euphrates river en route to Raqqa.

In the past week, we had a chance to regroup our forces and bring them to a high level of readiness, the SDF said in a statement.



The anti-IS force seized at least seven villages in Deir Ezzor province Sunday after fierce clashes with IS fighters, according to a local commander who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity.



Our advances on IS in Deir Ezzor have been very rapid, and we expect to liberate larger areas this week, the commander added.





IS is retreating



The commander said IS fighters lack the ability to attack and face advancing SDF forces, and are retreating from the area.



SDF made the advances against Islamic State with the help of U.S. close-air support, and coordination between SDF and the U.S.-led coalition continues with the aim of isolating Raqqa, according to SDF.



While SDF claims its week-long halt of operations against IS was due to weather conditions, analysts believe the group was awaiting a green light from the U.S. government to move forward with the offensive.



The SDF has been getting the bulk majority of American support, said Khorshid Alika, a Syrian researcher who closely follows the offensive. This will only continue in the days ahead in the Raqqa campaign.



US support may increase



Reports from the region suggest the U.S. is likely to increase its military support for the Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters within the SDF, which could including artillery, arms supplies and other weaponry.



U.S. President Donald Trump recently received a plan regarding the Raqqa offensive after he had given the Defense Department 30 days to prepare it. The plan reportedly includes a significant increase of U.S. Special Operations Forces against the group, The Washington Post reported. The U.S. currently has 500 trainers deployed who advise local partners.



Turkey, a NATO ally, has repeatedly voiced opposition to a Syrian Kurdish participation in the Raqqa operation and has criticized the U.S. for providing military support to the Syrian Kurdish fighters in the SDF.



Ankara views the Kurdish YPG, the main group in the SDF, as a terrorist organization and fears any Kurdish advances in northern Syria would empower the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has been waging a decades-long insurgency.



Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford assured his Turkish counterpart General Hulusi Akar last month at NATO's Incirlik airbase in southern Turkey that the United States is considerate of Turkeys concerns and that it chooses Kurdish fighters with care when lending support to rebels fighting Islamic State.



But Turkey continues to claim the U.S. is actively supporting YPG, which Turkey views as an ally of the outlawed PKK. Both the United States and Turkey view the PKK as a terrorist organization.



Analysts suggest, however, that Turkeys objection to a Kurdish participation in the Raqqa offensive would soften after recent Turkish military gains in parts of northern Syria.



Turkeys primary goal was to prevent the YPG from forming a contiguous Kurdish entity in the Syria-Turkey border region, researcher Alika said. Now that its goal has been achieved, I dont think Turkey is concerned with having the Kurds lead the operation to liberate Raqqa.



Last week, Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies moved closer to the Kurdish-held town of Manbij in northern Syria after they pushed out IS from the nearby town of al-Bab.
U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said Sunday their offensive to retake Raqqa, the de facto capital of so-called Islamic State (IS), has resumed after a halt that lasted for one week.

The SDF, a Kurdish-led force, intends to isolate Raqqa from Deir Ezzor, another IS stronghold in eastern Syria, and to take control of more territories along the Euphrates River en route to Raqqa, a statement from the group said.



In the past week, we had a chance to regroup our forces and bring them to a high level of readiness, the SDF said.



The anti-IS force seized at least seven villages in Deir Ezzor province on Sunday after fierce clashes with IS fighters, according to a local commander who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity.



Our advances on IS in Deir Ezzor have been very rapid, and we expect to liberate larger areas this week, the commander added.



IS is retreating



The commander said that IS fighters lack the ability to attack and face advancing SDF forces and are retreating from the area.





SDF made the advances against so-called Islamic State with the help of U.S. close air support, and coordination between SDF and U.S.-led coalition continues with the aim of isolating Raqqa, according to SDF.



While SDF claims that its week-long halt of operations against IS was due to weather conditions, analysts believe the group was awaiting a green light from the U.S. government to move forward with the offensive.



The SDF has been getting the bulk majority of American support, said Khorshid Alika, a Syrian researcher who closely follows the offensive. This will only continue in the days ahead in the Raqqa campaign.



U.S support may increase



Reports from the region suggest that the U.S. is likely to increase its military support for the Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters within the SDF, which could including artillery, arms supplies and other weaponry.



Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump received a plan regarding the Raqqa offensive after he had given the Pentagon 30 days to prepare it. The plan reportedly includes a significant increase of U.S. Special Operations Forces against the group, The Washington Post reported. The U.S. currently has 500 trainers deployed who advise local partners.



Turkey, a NATO ally, has repeatedly voiced opposition to a Syrian Kurdish participation in the Raqqa operation and has criticized the U.S. for providing military support to the Syrian Kurdish fighters in the SDF.



Ankara views the Kurdish YPG, the main group in the SDF, as a terrorist organization and fears that any Kurdish advances in northern Syria would empower the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has been waging a deadly war on Turkish troops.



The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, assured his Turkish counterpart General Hulusi Akar last month at NATO's Incirlik airbase in southern Turkey that the United States is considerate of Turkeys concerns and that it chooses Kurdish fighters with care when lending its support to rebels fighting the Islamic State.



But Turkey continues to claim that the U.S. is actively supporting YPG which Turkey views as an ally of the outlawed PKK. Both the United States and Turkey view PKK as a terrorist organization.



However, analysts suggest that Turkeys objection to a Kurdish participation in the Raqqa offensive would soften after recent Turkish military gains in parts of northern Syria.



Turkeys primary goal was to prevent the YPG from forming a contiguous Kurdish entity in the Syria-Turkey border region, researcher Alika said. Now that its goal has been achieved, I dont think Turkey is concerned with having the Kurds lead the operation to liberate Raqqa.



Last week Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies moved closer to the Kurdish-held town of Manbij in northern Syria, after they pushed out IS from the nearby town of al-Bab.
Venezuela's leftist government on Monday called Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski a "coward" and "dog" servile to the United States for his antagonism to socialism.

Kuczynski, a 78-year-old former Wall Street investment banker who won election last year, has been one of the most vocal regional critics of Venezuela's ruling "Chavismo" movement, named for late socialist leader Hugo Chavez.

He particularly irked President Nicolas Maduro's government with a recent speech in the United States, in which he compared Latin America generally to a well-behaved dog on the carpet  except for Venezuela, which was "a big problem."

Apology requested

Maduro called for an apology over the weekend. His feisty Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez followed up with a blistering attack at an event honoring Chavez on Monday.

"He goes round, poor thing, with my respect because he is an elderly man, [like] a good dog who wags its tail at the empire and asks for an intervention in Venezuela," she said of Kuczynski. "He's alone, going round like a crazy man, with no one paying attention."

Rodriguez also accused the Peruvian leader of insulting Chavez's memory during a recent summit in Colombia.

"I also rose and told him, Look, mister, you are a coward, and I repeat it here, Mr. Kuczynski. You are a coward who dared to tarnish the memory of our commander, Hugo Chavez,'" she said.

Peru reaction

Later on Monday, Peru's government said it rejected Venezuela's "insolent" comments and would send a protest letter.

"The comments made by Venezuela's foreign minister are unacceptable," Peru's Foreign Minister Ricardo Luna said in a speech to congress.

Kuczynski employed "an idiomatic and metaphorical expression used in academic circles" meant to describe Latin America's lack of conflicts rather than "demonize" the region, Luna added.

With recent moves to the right in Brazil and Argentina as well, Venezuela's government has lost support in Latin America, although it retains strong links with fellow leftist-led nations Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador and Nicaragua.
JNUSU President Mohit Pandey filed an online petition asking not to hand over the 'Visitor's Award' for the best central university in the country to their Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar.

By India Today Web Desk: Since February 2016, Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been in news, and almost always for controversies. It was accused to be the hub of anti-national elements in the country and many people even signed a petition demanding cancellation of public funding of the university.

However, JNU, despite the chaos, has won the 'Visitor's Award' this year for the best central university in the country.

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As a part of 'Festival of Innovations', the President of India will present the award at a function to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan where the JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar will receive a trophy and a citation.

#FYI JNU row: Who said what on the issue

The students are not happy with their VC receiving the award and have been displaying their displeasure on various social media platforms and an online petition has been filed by Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union President Mohit Pandey addressed to the President of India and asking not to hand over the Visitor's Award to Kumar.

The petition requests Pranab Mukherjee to nominate a joint delegation that consists of students, teachers, staff and workers of JNU to receive the award.

Also read: Probe gives Kanhaiya Kumar clean chit: Recap of what happened inside JNU last year

"For past one year, JNU has witnessed unprecedented attacks and crackdowns on all its values ever since Professor M Jagadesh Kumar took over as Vice-Chancellor of JNU. Within 13 days of his joining, the campus witnessed an unprecedented crisis with Delhi Police being given a free hand to raid the campus and arrest student activists. The VC did not even demand to see the evidence or any warrant before allowing such an action", read the petition.

JNU students believe that the current VC is "'trying to destroy the progressive academic and intellectual atmosphere' of the campus. He was directed and recruited by the RSS/BJP and he is always reluctant to listen to the demands and address the student community of JNU".

Also read: JNU administration terms protests against UGC notification as 'misleading'

"We the students of JNU believe that he doesn't have any moral authority to receive this award, as he never represented the JNU community."

Many students are supporting this campaign and posting statuses with #NotOurVC and #AwardHumaraVCTumhara.

JNU VC doesn't meet either students or teachersHow is he qualified to receive Visitor's Awards on behalf of us?@RashtrapatiBhvn#NotMyVC Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) March 2, 2017

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--- ENDS ---
Violence is the biggest challenge facing women around the world as progress in gender equality is erratic and at times a baffling contradiction, said the top official at U.N. Women ahead of International Women's Day.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, executive director of U.N. Women, said despite decades of pushing for equal rights, no one nation could call itself gender equal with countries making advances in some areas yet backsliding in others.

Mlambo-Ngcuka described the global gender pay gap of 24 percent as "the biggest robber" of women. U.N. Women is launching a global coalition to tackle pay inequality during the meeting of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women next week.

But Mlambo-Ngcuka said the biggest difficulty facing women is violence. One in three women suffer physical or sexual violence during their lifetime, and half of female murder victims are killed by partners or family members, according to U.N. Women.

Some 120 million girls worldwide, roughly one in 10, have experienced forced intercourse or other sexual acts, the group says.

"Obviously, class and geography help some women to survive this issue differently, but everywhere in the world the big issue of violence against women is a reality, whether you are rich or poor, in a developed or developing country," she said.

"Even countries that have the highest indicators on gender equality like Iceland, they still have to confront the issue of violence against women," Mlambo-Ngcuka told Reuters in an interview.

Iceland was shaken in January by the violent death of a 20-year-old woman in Reykjavik. A crewmember from a Greenlandic trawler has been arrested in connection with her death.

Mlambo-Ngcuka, a South African, has since 2013 headed the United Nations' body charged with promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. She was a member of parliament in South Africa's first democratic government and the nation's first female deputy president.

She said global advances in women's rights, from equal pay to boosting women in leadership and lowering rates of violence, were spotty and unequal.

"Countries have constitutions that pride themselves in being democratic, constitutions that define equality, but no one fights for women to be paid equally," she said.

"It is contradictory," she said. "How do you explain to me that Afghanistan has more women in parliament than the Congress in the United States?"

Women hold 28 percent of the seats in the Afghan parliament, compared with 19 percent in the U.S. Congress, according to World Bank 2016 statistics.

Mlambo-Ngcuka cited Colombia, emerging from a 52-year civil war that killed more than 220,000 people and displaced millions, as an example of one nation moving ahead of its neighbors.

Colombia's Congress and rebel insurgents in November reached a peace agreement that pledges land and property rights for women and prosecution of rapes committed by military forces and rebel fighters.

"In that peace agreement, they have made really good strides that address gender equality," Mlambo-Ngcuka said. "Yet there are countries in the neighborhood of Colombia who have not been going through what Colombia has been going through who have not addressed these issues."
White House aides are defending President Donald Trump's unsubstantiated claim that former President Barack Obama ordered a wiretap on telephones Trump used at his Trump Tower headquarters in New York.



"There's no question that something happened," White House spokesman Sean Spicer declared Monday. "The question is it, is it surveillance, is it a wiretap, or whatever? There has been enough reporting strongly suggesting something occurred."



But Spicer offered no evidence supporting Trump's claim Saturday in a Twitter comment "that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory."



"The president has made it clear he wants Congress to look into this," Spicer said of Trump's wiretap claim.



Intelligence committees in both the Senate and House of Representatives are already investigating the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia meddled in the presidential election in an effort to help Trump win, and some lawmakers say the Trump claim can be wrapped into those probes.



Spicer's comments came after his assistant, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, told a news talk show that the president was unwilling to accept an assertion by James Comey, the director of the country's top law enforcement agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI), that Obama did not order an illegal wiretap on Trump.



James Clapper, Obama's national director of intelligence, has also disputed the new president's contention.



Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News that "credible news sources" suggested there might have been politically motivated activity during the campaign that has yet to be divulged.



"He is the president of the United States," Conway said of Trump. "He has information that the rest of us do not."



But Trump's wiretapping claim has been widely dismissed by opposition Democrats and some Republicans.

Congressman Jason Chaffetz, the Republican chairman of the House government oversight panel, told CBS News, "Thus far I have not seen anything directly that would support what the president has said."

Comey, the FBI director, asked the Justice Department to dispute Trump's allegation that Obama ordered the wiretap, although it was not clear why he did not directly dispute the statement himself. Comey and his department have led the ongoing investigation of Russian influence on last year's election.

Forbidden by law

Under U.S. law, a president cannot order someone's phone to be wiretapped. Such a move would require approval by a federal judge and be based on reasonable grounds to suspect why a citizen's telephone calls should be monitored.



Clapper, Obama's intelligence chief, said Trump's claim was simply wrong.



"There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate or against his campaign," Clapper told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

WATCH: Clapper denies wiretap allegation

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes said in a statement Sunday his committee "will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates."



The top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Adam Schiff, said Trump's accusation was based on "conspiracy-based news."



"For a president of the United States to make such an incendiary charge, and one that discredits our democracy in the eyes of the world, is as destructive as it was baseless," Schiff said.



Trump requests Congressional investigation

Spicer issued a statement Sunday saying the president is requesting the committees to "determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016."



House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Trump has no proof and is trying to shift conversation from Russia to Obama.

"This is called the wrap-up smear," she told CNN. "You make up something, then you have the press write about it and then you say everybody's writing about this charge. It's a tool of an authoritarian to just have you always be talking about what you want them to be talking about."



Senator Marco Rubio told NBC that Trump "will have to answer as to what exactly" he was referring to in making the claim that his phones were tapped.

The publisher of the Newsmax Media website, Christopher Ruddy, a friend of Trump's, wrote Sunday the president told him, "This will be investigated. It will all come out. I will be proven right."



Ruddy said he has never seen Trump this angry in a long time.

Russian meddling

A U.S. intelligence report concluded Russia carried out a campaign at the direction of President Vladimir Putin that used cyberattacks and other methods to influence the U.S. election campaign to help Trump defeat his Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. secretary of state.



Trump has denied any links to Russia, but several of his aides have met with Moscow's ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak.



Trump ousted his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, after just 24 days on the job after he lied to Vice President Mike Pence and other top officials about the nature of his own conversations with Kislyak.



Last week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he was removing himself from any investigation into the Russian activities after reports emerged that he met twice last year with the ambassador, although he had said at his January confirmation hearing that he did not have communications with the Russians about the Trump campaign.
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign a new executive order on Monday suspending refugee admissions and banning entry to people from six Muslim-majority countries.

The order is a revised version of one Trump signed in late January, arguing the move was necessary to review the vetting process and protect national security. It banned entry to people from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan.

Officials say the new order will remove Iraq from the list, but the others will remain under a temporary ban.

The temporary ban on refugees will also appear in the new order, but Syrians will no longer be singled out for a further indefinite ban.



Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to President Trump, told Fox News Monday that the ban will take effect on March 16 and will not affect immigrants with visas or legal permanent residents.

The executive order has been in the works for several weeks, along with speculation it would be signed at any time.Trump's official schedule for Monday does not include any mention of signing an executive order.Multiple previous orders have appeared on the daily schedule issued by the White House.

Previous order blocked

A federal appeals court barred implementation of the original order, a move the Trump administration has continued to fight as it crafted the revised version.The legal challenges brought by multiple states could eventually wind up being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The travel ban caused chaos in airports around the world as immigration officials tried to figure out if it also affected travelers with permanent resident green cards and pre-approved visas.The Department of Homeland Security clarified that people who already had visas were allowed entry, and officials say the new version of the order will also make that clear.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told VOA he hopes the president will come up with an order that makes sense without getting people who shouldn't be caught in the net.

Obviously the first one was overbroad. Ideally we would get...a rule that is carefully targeted on people that are high risk, potentially being foreign fighters, without collecting people that are dual-citizens or may even be able to come to the U.S. that ought to be able to come without impediment, Chertoff said.

Trump's original order also exempted religious minorities, saying they could be admitted as refugees if facing religious persecution.Critics pointed to the exclusively Muslim-majority nations in the order to say the president was working to help Christians while excluding Muslims.The new version is expected to drop that provision.

Trump originally proposed during his campaign barring Muslims from entering the United States, a proposal he later altered to barring entry to people from countries with links to terrorism.
President Robert Mugabe, who returned home from Singapore on Saturday, left for Ghana on Monday to attend the countrys 60th independence anniversary.

Mr. Mugabe was in Singapore for a medical check-up. He leaves the country at a time there is a lot of discontent in the civil service over unpaid 2016 bonuses and several other issues.

Presidential spokesperson, George Charamba, told NewsDay newspaper that the president was invited to attend the anniversary by Ghanaian president, Nana Akufo-Addo.

The presidents decision has sparked debate on social and other media platforms with some attacking him for embarking on foreign trips while Zimbabwe is burning.

Some Zimbabweans say the 93 year-old Zimbabwean leader should concentrate addressing issues affecting his country, like floods ravaging the nation, instead of attending events that won't benefit local people.

Mr. Mugabe spent millions of dollars last year when he made several trips to various nations, which included Japan, Ethipia, Swaziland, Singapore and Botswana.
Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM

News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria.



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Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens.
Multi-Agency Search Carried Out In Gibraltar Bay for Ferry Passenger Lost Overboard

A comprehensive multi-agency search was initiated last night for a passenger reported lost overboard from an Algeciras ferry.

Following a report from the Algeciras Salvamento Maritimo at 19:30 hrs on Sunday evening that a passenger from the outbound Algeciras ferry had been lost overboard, Gibraltar Port Authority launched a full scale search.

Multiple maritime assets from the Port Authority, RGP, GDP, HM Customs, Royal Navy, Gibraltar Squadron and the Environment Agency all took part in the search, together with a helicopter and two boats from the Salvamento Maritimo in an area centred 2.2 nautical miles west-southwest of Europa Point.

After several hours the Salvamento Maritimo called off their search. Within BGTW the search continued with the Gibraltar assets until 23:00 hrs when all agencies were finally stood down after an extensive and thorough search of the Bay for nearly four hours.

A further scaled-down search was carried out this morning.

CEO and Captain of the Port, Commodore Bob Sanguinetti, said Gibraltar's multiple agencies came together to work on an extensive and coordinated search. It is unfortunate that on this occasion the lost ferry passenger was not found.
Thinking Green - Housing Department Introduces e-billing

The Governments Housing Department is looking at ways to progress to paperless systems and has introduced an online billing system for the payment of housing rent as part of its drive for e-government and the Thinking Green agenda.

The Housing Department sends approximately 5000 bills per month. The initiative was commenced recently and a bill in a new format explains how to subscribe to the paperless system. Details on the new scheme are also available at the Housing Department counter situated at the Housing Department offices in New Harbours, and on the Gibraltar Government website under the Housing section.

The electronic alternative to the printed bill will be available on a voluntary basis, and tenants who use email are encouraged to subscribe to the new emailing method. The initiative, although just commenced, is already popular and the Department say it is confident that this will be adopted by a majority of residents.

Minister for Housing Samantha Sacramento MP welcomed the initiative and said it was aimed at persuading as many people as possible about the convenience and all-round advantages, of adopting the electronic, paperless system.

The Gibraltar Government is committed to minimising its impact on the environment, and the paperless system is a step in the right direction. As a Government, we are progressing to e- government as a more efficient way of working, in this case it also benefits the environment as we will be saving on ink, paper and other resources to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions. I am proud of this initiative.
By Press Trust of India: London, Mar 6 (PTI) Actress-director Angelina Jolie says she hopes Cambodians will be proud of her film "First They Killed My Father" instead of feeling hatred or resentment for what the country endured in the late 1970s.

The movie throws light on the genocide in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge communist partys regime, reported BBC.

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"I hope this doesnt bring up hatred. I hope this doesnt bring up blame. I hope the people of this country are proud when they see it, because they see what theyve survived," Jolie says.

The film is based on the autobiography of Cambodian human rights activist and friend of Jolie?s Loung Ung, and tells the story of the devastation inflicted on the southeast Asian nation by the Khmer Rouge. More than 2 million people out of a total population of 7 million were killed during the purge, including Ungs father, mother and two sisters.

In February, Jolie made her first official appearance since her split from Brad Pitt when she attended a premiere for her film in Cambodia. She was joined by all of her children at the event. PTI SHD SSN

--- ENDS ---
Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgard in Big Little Lies. Photo: HBO

Spoilers ahead for Sunday nights episode of Big Little Lies, Living the Dream.

Tonights third episode of Big Little Lies introduces a new dynamic for the series: After giving the audience some insight into the abusive, unhealthy, violent relationship between seemingly perfect Celeste and Perry in the previous episode, Big Little Lies throws in something of a curveball. They go to see a therapist. And perhaps even more surprising, they tell that therapist the truth about the dynamics of their marriage.

The scene between Celeste, Perry, and their therapist (played with cool discernment by Robin Weigert) feels remarkable for a number of reasons. Its lengthy, and it feels both more intimate and more intense than many other moments in the series. Big Little Lies relies so frequently on grand cinematographic gestures like dramatic background landscapes and heavy-handed intradiegetic music cues, and its an aesthetic that certainly works for the show. But that same aesthetic makes this therapists office scene feel distinct from the outside world of the show. There is no crashing ocean. No one uses a phone to turn on meaningful music from some unseen speaker system.

It even feels like a different color palette  so much of the show is done in unsaturated beiges and chilly white-wine-toned yellows. Inside the office (and in Celeste-Perry scenes more generally, particularly in their closet), we get more shadow and more warmth. Light from some tinted or paned glass reflects off Celeste and Perrys faces, alternating between illuminating them and, as Celeste leans further back into the sofa, hiding them from view. Its not the sort of lighting that makes you think of transparency and openness, nor does the office suggest anything like the huge open-floor-plan expanses of Big Little Lies many envy-worthy homes. Its a lighting scheme that actually makes things harder to see, with faces constantly visible in only half-brightness, or partially obscured by a reflection.

The scene inside Celeste and Perrys therapists office also feels like an exception from the rest of the series in how it functions, and the kind of story its telling. Big Little Lies is a series that deals with secrets and unknowns, but theres not a lot of nuance involved in those mysteries. We dont know who died at the school fundraiser, but the show points to that missing information with big red arrows that say, Mystery here! We likewise dont know much about the history of Jane Chapman and her son Ziggy until we get more clues in this episode, but between her penchant for angry beach running and her long glowering looks, Janes trauma might as well be hung around her neck like a sandwich board.

Initially, the relationship we see between Celeste and Perry seems like it will follow a similarly unsubtle path. They look like a perfect, loving couple from the outside; inside hes an abusive husband and she doesnt know how to get out. Which is why the scene with their therapist is so surprising  they begin evasively, describing their relationship as passionate and volatile. But without too much pressure, Perry admits that his initial description of the marriage as nonviolent is incorrect. He admits to being rough with Celeste, to grabbing her by the shoulders, and to being physical. He also tries to describe why he feels like lashing out  hes worried shell leave him. Hes so insecure in himself that his fear of abandonment is overwhelming.

Its a standout scene in part because of how many shades it gives to Celeste and Perrys relationship, and because of the real surprise that someone as patently villainous as Perry would deign to tell a therapist the truth (or at least something approaching the truth) about how violent he gets with his wife. The moment when he admits the full extent of his actions is really astonishing, and vulnerable in a way that Big Little Lies doesnt generally lead us to expect from these characters. It pulls us away from what seems like the easily anticipated arc of Celeste and Perrys narrative  theyre on track to be a relatively straightforward spousal abuse story (he hits her; she cant leave; things end tragically). This begins to look like a different story, one in which an abuser tries to tackle his own anger and insecurity, and who tries to be honest about his motivations. While Jane Chapmans angry beach running continues to look about as subtle as the gun held shakily aloft in the shows opening credit sequence, this scene with their therapist lends Celeste and Perry something more like humanity.

Do not mistake me  discussing the behavior with a therapist does not excuse Perrys abuse, and that question is something the series will continue to explore over the next several episodes. Even in Living the Dream, the closing montage with Celeste and Perry happily slow-dancing to Neil Young comes off as a temporary gesture toward hopefulness, one that only the wholly naive could watch and feel completely comforted by. The therapists office lends this closing scene of apparent harmony more emotional color. Rather than simple foreboding or an uncomplicated reconciliation, that slow dance is now weighed down with questions on all sides. Could a relationship like this ever be truly functional? Is he really trying? Does the therapist see how dangerous he is? Does Celeste? And the real mystery at the bottom of it all  do they actually love each other? Could sincere love ever look like this? Surely no, and yet 

Heres the other thing about this first therapist scene in Big Little Lies, and the ones that follow in upcoming episodes  this is, ostensibly, a show about a mystery. Its about a murder mystery, to be precise, and its framed by scenes of a detective sitting across from various interested citizens, interrogating them about what they know. Those scenes are some of the weaker elements of this series, largely because the answers seem so trite and oddly shallow. Theyre supposed to be the feature of the show that drags us back to the present timeline of the frame story, that reminds us of the danger lurking underneath this tense, privileged community.

Those scenes of real interrogation dont really work. What does work is this alternate vision of truth-telling and truth-seeking in the therapists office, led by the calm but unmistakably pointed questions from Robin Weigerts portrayal of Celeste and Perrys therapist. The choruslike collection of minor characters who offer weirdly quippy takes on the school drama are the least interesting version of investigation imaginable; they offer no new information, and their universal disdain for everyone involved empties them of any complexity. We dont learn new information in the therapy scene between Celeste and Perry, either, but their disclosures nevertheless feel revelatory and unexpected. This vision of investigation points toward a more complicated and less logical set of mysteries than whoever kicked the bucket at the school fundraiser. The mystery Big Little Lies throws in our face from the outset is full of big, shiny personalities and big, remarkably public secrets. The more interesting mysteries are the ones we come to later: The irreducible contradictions of abusive marriages. The complications of parenting a teenager. Functional but empty second marriages. A monstrous husband who nevertheless seeks help from his therapist. While the beautiful homes and glossy murder plot may be what the series uses to grab you, its these more intimate investigations that really make the show tick, and that keep its gorgeous excesses from spinning off willy-nilly into the Pacific Ocean.
Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images

Last week, Chance the Rapper had a very dissatisfying meeting with the governor of Illinois, Bruce Rauner, about the state of Chicago Public Schools. By Rauners account, the two shared a good exchange of views, but Chance reportedly exited the meeting telling the governor, Do your job! and said to reporters after, I thought that that went a little different than it should have. He then tweeted that he would have a plan on Monday morning for further action, and it seems that plan includes cash. In a press conference today at Chicagos Westcott Elementary School, Chance announced that he will be donating $1 million to Chicago Public Schools. The event was streamed live via Periscope, and he gave a brief presentation in which he reemphasized that his conversations with Rauner were unsuccessful, and said, Governor Rauner still wont commit to giving Chicagos kids a chance without caveats or ultimatums.
Photo-Illustration: Cecily Brown/Artwork commissioned for Daily Trumpet/Instagram, in collaboration with Alex Gibson

Johnny Carson opposed the Vietnam War. In his private life, he was something of a social liberal as well as a civil-rights advocate who had Harry Belafonte and Martin Luther King Jr. on The Tonight Show just two months before Kings assassination. If you watched over decades, you could, faintly, discern Carsons politics by his choice of guests, or by the way he leaned into some interviews but could barely bother to make eye contact during others. In 1970, a year before Roe v. Wade went to the Supreme Court, he was drawing 10 million viewers a night and told Life magazine, In my living room I would argue for liberalization of abortion laws  there are times when I would like to express a view on the air  But Im on TV five nights a week; Ive nothing to gain by it and everything to lose.

By the time Carson died in 2005, the three-network universe of his heyday had given way to the niche multiverse. Jon Stewart was deep into his Daily Show run, and the detached, wry, politically nonspecific View From Nowhere that Carson had embodied was rapidly eroding. What little of it remained was incinerated this past November by the permanent state of emergency that many people in the crowded late-night field (not to mention their viewers) seemed to shift into after the election. For them, the ascendancy of Donald Trump has posed a double challenge: How political are they going to be, and how oppositional are they going to be?

Building your comedy around the premise that Trump is a grave danger to all of us is probably not going to offer a laugh a minute, but on the other hand turning him into a buffoon  hitting only the tortured coiffure, the orange war paint, and the oblivious self-aggrandizement  can be a way of making him seem like less of a threat than he is, an approach thats been the subject of dispute since Charlie Chaplin did it in The Great Dictator. Late nights various takes on Trump mostly seek a midpoint between apocalyptic and shrug emoji, but the hosts can also be charted along a different spectrum: How comfortable are they with politics in the first place? When they (or their writers) read the news, are they sifting it for information, outrage, or just joke potential? And how much of who these people are in their own living rooms can they afford to be when they come into ours?

Watch a supercut of late night TVs best political jokes:

Late-night TV is, more than any other part of the medium, an implied conversation: Comedians talk to us, and a live audience gives them real-time feedback. Right now, the main subject  really the only subject  is Trump. As a target, he has always been both irresistible (because hes hypersensitive to critique) and frustrating (because hes unaltered by it). Thats underscored now that his presidency has redrawn the power map in late-night comedy.

The biggest beneficiaries are, no question, the Splenetics: Daily Show vets John Oliver and Samantha Bee. Bee, whose remarkable TBS half-hour Full Frontal is just starting its second year, forged her show in the crucible of an election whose gender hypocrisies especially enraged her. She is searingly, intoxicatingly livid in a way that might be wearying on a nightly basis but is a bracing cold slap once a week. Fearless in her contempt for the kind of old-boy networks to which the very existence of her show is a rebuke, she is literally willing to take it to the streets, whether in Washington, D.C., for the Womens March or on road trips to last years conventions. Leave it to others to be bemused or concerned by the man she has called, among other things, a crotch-fondling slab of rancid meatloaf: She and her small, diverse, mostly female set of correspondents are pissed. As is Oliver, whose ability to toggle between hilariously profane spluttering and sustained, lucid investigation of an infuriating injustice makes him into the kind of seethingly adversarial journalist that adversarial journalists who are permitted to seethe only inwardly sometimes wish they were  and that they believe they could be if they just had 20 more minutes to tell a story and 20 fewer constraints preventing them from doing it.

If Clinton had won, Bee and Oliver would both have been just fine, speaking truth to power while heaping scorn on her obstructers. But these two were built for more difficult times; embattlement becomes them. Their vibe isnt This too shall pass; its #resist (although neither one is above a good hashtag joke). And their status as immigrants (Bee, born in Canada, is an American citizen; Oliver, who is married to a U.S. Army veteran, is not) lends extra sting to their perspective; when they say we or us, it means something. You know where theyre coming from.

Because their shows air weekly, Bee and Oliver have the luxury of prep time. But for the nightly hosts, the job is to process the day for people, synthesizing everything that happened into another chapter of an ongoing narrative, a rage aria, or a riff. If Trump demands a stepping-up of ones game, Seth Meyers has demonstrated that this was the chance he was waiting for. When he segued from Saturday Night Lives Weekend Update to his own show in 2014, Meyers seemed prepared to become an affable, better-read version of your basic late-night host: an opening monologue followed by a desk bit and interviews. But the long campaign either coincided with a personalizing and sharpening of his style or helped spark it. Meyers is the right guy at the right time: You can tell hes an avid, all-day consumer of news, and his distaste for Trump feels gratifyingly specific. He may not be the policy wonk that Oliver is, but hes got a good range of distress: Hes genuinely angered by bullying, sees through bluffing and bravado, and is merciless about double-talk and dishonesty. Thats a useful set of triggers to have in the Trump era, and whether dueling Kellyanne Conway to a draw or choking up the night after the election when talking about his mother and his baby son, Meyers has found real focus; his droll, disgusted A Closer Look segments, often prereleased to the internet, are funny, precise, and self-defining.

Likewise, Stephen Colbert, whose 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner keynote remains the single most savage and daring piece of political stand-up in the past dozen years, seems to have rediscovered his voice since the election, after shelving it in his jump from The Colbert Report to David Lettermans old slot on CBS. Colbert may never find a vehicle for political comedy as bespoke as his alter ego Stephen Colbert. When he speaks as himself, his strengths are neither outrage nor heart-on-sleeve sincerity. But as even-keeled and reasonable as he is, when he wants to, he can come at you hard, and theres something legitimately subversive about doing so on stately old CBS. When he talks about the transgender-bathroom issue and, after showing a clip of Sean Spicer, snaps, Oh, grow a pair  is there any more cowardly phrase than This is a states-rights issue?,  the White House is not getting mocked by the class clown. Its getting told off by the school principal.

Its no surprise that a reenergized Colbert is suddenly edging Jimmy Fallon in the ratings. The happy-all-the-time Tonight Show host clearly wants to be the heir to Carsons What I think doesnt matter ethos, but as his catastrophic Trump interview in September proved, theres a difference between neutrality and servility. What hurt Fallon so much  the reason that too-close encounter has stuck to him like tar and feathers  isnt that he ruffled Trumps hair; its that he thought it would play well.

Fallon has become a paradox: Hes polarizingly apolitical. To him, a talk show is still Fun Central, a safe-space bubble in which you check your opinions at the door. (He recently had Susan Sarandon on  they talked about her new show, then they played a game of musical chairs involving cups of beer. Its like that. Its never not like that.) The problem is, willfully forgoing a point of view isnt fun these days. Even James Corden, whose show rivals Fallons for manic cheerfulness, doesnt tiptoe around politics, partly because Corden, for all his karaoke jubilance, doesnt feel nervous about throwing a punch the way Fallon does. Fallon still relishes his job; nobody looks happier to come through the curtain (he loves being a talk-show host the way Brian Williams loves being a newscaster). Lately, hes rolled out an undangerous Trump impersonation (he blusters and repeats things and has tiny hands and  thats it) and infused his monologues with more politics. But his Trump jokes are just that: unconnected jests that evaporate before you hear the rim shot. You can practically feel them on the cue cards and count them down as Fallon reels them off, but they dont build to anything or tell a story. Its not comedy of the moment so much as comedy of no moment.

Spoofing the unspoofable is impossible: What to do in a world where The travel ban is not a ban which makes it not a ban is written for a sketch, and The news is fake because so much of the news is fake is spoken by a president? Not everyone is finding his way. The Daily Shows Trevor Noah often seems to be hunting for a contrarian perspective that doesnt owe allegiance to the left or right. As an immigrant and a person of color, he could theoretically seize this chance. But its never easy for a member of a minority who craves mainstream appeal to own his anger publicly (ask Obama how that worked), and when discussing Trump, Noah often falls back on generic Can you believe this guy? scorn (as did Obama; ask him how that worked). And Jimmy Kimmel and Conan OBrien, while not locked out of Trump-era comedy, dont seem to have an immense appetite for it. The Oscar-night potshots Kimmel aimed at Trump werent nearly as heartfelt (or numerous) as the ones he aimed at Matt Damon; its not shocking that he has told Variety hes mulling retirement or that TBS is considering taking Conan down to once a week. Give these veterans a subject about which they can remain aloof and theyre matchless, but neither Kimmels L.A. guys-guy vibe or OBriens Harvard Lampoon/Simpsons absurdism is a perfect fit for tackling this president.

The current colossus is, of course, Saturday Night Live. In its 42nd season, its an event again, even more so than in 2008, when Tina Feys Sarah Palin became a major news happening. Its the only one of these shows Trump watches, which is both empowering and queasy-making. More than most, Lorne Michaels understands Trump as, among other things, a product of NBC, and, as if in ongoing apology for having let him host in November 2015, the show has decided to go after him, with ratings that recently topped those for any prime-time network series.

But go after him how? SNLs specialty has always been takedown by impersonation rather than by especially incisive political commentary. Thats why it went through many different Trumps before enlisting Alec Baldwin; casting is often the most powerful  and last  creative decision the show makes. Occasionally, performance and writing will merge so triumphantly, as they did with Melissa McCarthys unannounced first appearance as Sean Spicer, that the viral result becomes front-page news. But often, coming up with one joke about someone (say, Steve Bannon as the Grim Reaper) makes it impossible for SNL to make any others. And misfires like the Kellyanne Conway Fatal Attraction sketch are a reminder of just how old-school SNL can be. The show road-tested a convictionless version of Conway last October as a loyal spokesperson at the mercy of a loony boss, then pivoted, rendering her as a sexualized psycho whose lifeblood is the camera lens. The result was not a cheap shot so much as a terribly aimed one, a default lets-make-her-a-whore perspective that suggested a writers room overmatched by the pace of events. Right now, SNL feels burdened by the knowledge of how badly its audience wants it to draw blood. Samantha Bee and John Oliver always know why they hate someone; sometimes, SNL just knows that it hates someone. Thats not enough. Saying that nobody can afford to miss may be a burdensome constraint under which to place people who make their living being funny. But nobody ever said comedy was fair.

*This article appears in the March 6, 2017, issue of New York Magazine.

Top image: Artwork by Cecily Brown. Commissioned for Daily Trumpet/Instagram, in collaboration with Alex Gibson. Source photographs: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images (Kushner head); Michael Conroy/AP Photo (Pence head); Carlo Allegri/Reuters (Bannon head); Chris Goodney/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Conway head); Dominick Reuter/Reuters (Trump head). Painting: Anthony van Dyck, Drunken Silenus supported by Satyrs, c. 1620.
Emma Watson. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Emma Watson is confused, and we cant blame her. The Beauty and the Beast actress and pioneer of the HeForShe campaign to make men advocate for feminism has been getting a lot of backlash for her recent Vanity Fair photo shoot in which parts of her breasts were exposed. According to some critics, feminism and nudity are mutually exclusive. According to everyone else: Thats backwards.

Julia Hartley-Brewer, a British radio presenter and commentator, had this to tweet: Feminism, feminism  gender wage gap  why oh why am I not taken seriously  feminism  oh, and here are my (t*ts)!

Emma Watson: "Feminism, feminism... gender wage gap... why oh why am I not taken seriously... feminism... oh, and here are my tits!" pic.twitter.com/gb7OvxzRH9  Julia Hartley-Brewer (@JuliaHB1) March 1, 2017

Now, Watson is setting the record straight. It just always reveals to me how many misconceptions and what a misunderstanding there is about what feminism is, Watson said in an interview with Reuters. Feminism is about giving women choice. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women with. Its about freedom, its about liberation, its about equality. I really dont know what my tits have to do with it. Its very confusing.

When asked by TMZ about the Watson controversy, feminist icon Gloria Steinem responded plainly: Feminists can wear anything they fucking want.
Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Well, we cant all be woke white bros. Finn Jones, the star of Netflix and Marvels upcoming superhero production Iron Fist, quit Twitter this weekend after getting into a debate about race and representation with Asyiqin Haron, the creative director of Geeks of Color. The whole thing started when Jones tweeted out Riz Ahmeds speech to the Parliament about representation with an Upworthy-esque headline: Representation is important. and heres why. The tweet raised eyebrows because Jones didnt seem to recognize the irony that his upcoming role as Danny Rand in Iron Fist is yet another story of white exceptionalism: White guy goes to Asia, learns a martial art, and is better than the people he learned it from. Hi-ya!

While the character in the comic book is also white, the casting around Iron Fist stirred controversy because it seemed like a missed opportunity to cast an Asian person in the role rather than rehash a tired narrative. (In fact, actor Lewis Tan, who is on the show, has said that he was also up for the part.) Haron, who has previously written about why Iron Fist should be Chinese-American, engaged in a conversation about race and representation with Jones on Twitter. When Jones wrote that the show was the most diverse one out of the Marvel-Netflix bunch, she replied, Thats great and all but you do see why Danny Rand being white is problematic right?

.............. Are you for real https://t.co/4LzUOGdgLT  Asyi /ah-shi-kin/ (@asyiqinh7) March 5, 2017

That's great and all but you do see why Danny Rand being white is problematic right? https://t.co/K2zdJYHIO5  Asyi /ah-shi-kin/ (@asyiqinh7) March 5, 2017

I don't doubt it. I'm just saying an Asian Danny Rand could've made an even bigger impact but sure. Do you.https://t.co/cD4x06Vs2I  Asyi /ah-shi-kin/ (@asyiqinh7) March 6, 2017

The frustration isn't only with me. There's been many articles and petitions for Danny to be Asian. Maybe read some.https://t.co/pxNYD02A6j  Asyi /ah-shi-kin/ (@asyiqinh7) March 6, 2017

Jones responded to the first tweet by writing, yes i am for real. Please dont make assumptions on our show before you have seen it. The characterization of Danny Rand may have remained true to its source material but our show incorporates and celebrates actors from all different backgrounds. I will go as far to say that it may be one of the most diverse shows out of the three. [Editors note: There are four Netflix Marvel shows.] You can retrace the conversation by taking a look at the screenshots that Haron took of his responses below  this is because Jones deleted his Twitter account soon after this exchange.

Finn Jones released a statement to Deadline saying that he left Twitter because he needed to stay focused on filming The Defenders. Im currently in the middle of filming and I need to stay focused on bringing to life this character without judgment, so I decided to remove myself from Twitter for the time being, Jones said. Its important to recharge your chi!
Its been a little over four years since Leighton Meester got a happy ending as Upper East Side queen Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl, but now Meester is taking on a TV role thats less preppy and more kooky. She stars in Foxs new eclectic time-travel comedy Making History, where she portrays Paul Reveres feminist daughter, Deborah, who leaves colonial Massachusetts behind to travel through time with her modern-day boyfriend, Dan (Adam Pally). Vulture recently rang up Meester to discuss the show, returning to TV after Gossip Girl, and why she thinks Deb is a superhuman.



Ive never had such a big craving for ham then after I watched the Making History pilot.

Well, it was real ham. And although Im a fan of ham, I cant say that its pleasant to hold it for long periods of time in your bare hands.

Extremely understandable.

[Laughs.] I was like, no, Im not going to eat this. But at first, I was like, Hmm, maybe I can eat this when were done. Then came the breaking point. Get the ham out of my sight!

This is your first TV role since 2012. What was it about Making History that encouraged you to return to the small screen?

Everything. Its exactly what I want to be doing. Its got such a great team; Im such a big fan of everybody whos involved. Ive always been a really been fan of Family Guy and Last Man on Earth, and this is right up my alley. It really appealed to my sense of humor. I was excited to work with [executive producer] Jared Hess, because his unique eye fits the style of the show were trying to make. On top of which, its wish fulfillment for me. Its time-travel and we dont take it too seriously at all, obviously  were in a duffel-bag time machine. We travel throughout the ages: We ride horses, we shoot muskets and cannons, and go hunting; and at the same time we get to go to 1920s Chicago and party in speakeasies and hang out with Al Capone. We go to the 1990s and all wear bad fashions, too. Its an adventure, its action-y, its a buddy comedy, its a sweet romance.

And then on top of that, I was excited to have the chance to play a character whos so well-rounded. I really didnt want to play a girlfriend or a wife. I wanted to have something that I could have fun with and be a real person, as all women are. [Laughs.] Its so rare to find that on television. Nowadays I think there are so many more opportunities, but still, especially in comedy its so fun to play somebody like Deb. Its really refreshing and shes also kind of superhuman in that she can shoot guns at the bad guys while riding a horse and hunt and cook squirrels while wearing a corset. We also bring attention in an accessible way through humor to the treatment of women throughout the ages, which I think is really wonderful.

I was going to say, you have very impressive gun skills.

And theres more! In the second episode  this isnt too much of a spoiler  the characters start to make humorous, cheeky commentary on gun laws and gun rights. Like how a musket is a mass-killing machine because it shoots a bullet a minute, or how if youre a little off in the head, you may need to have a waiting period. Its good to use humor to touch on these topics that are so relevant.

The show is definitely a departure from the roles youve previously tackled, and its great to see your comedic chops front and center for the first time. Was it always your intention for your next TV project to be a comedy?

I think thats the nature in television as I see it for myself. I met with Fox and we all together decided that it was a great place for me to work, which it is. I didnt want to do a show that had 20-plus episodes every year, and I didnt want to do an hour-long show. I felt it would either be a procedural drama or a melodrama, and I really didnt want to do that. Thats not how I wanted to spend my time working. I really wanted to have fun on set and be challenged, and this came along at the perfect time. I still cant believe it.

I appreciate how the shows comedic balance is so nuanced. There are a lot of timely jokes about feminism and politics layered in between pure silliness, like the fact that the time-travel device is a musty gym bag.

I love that, too, and it really aligns with my comedic sensibilities. Seeing the way my amazing co-stars work  Adam Pally, Yassir Lester, John Gemberling, and Neil Casey  their unique sensibilities and sense of humor appeals to me and I love all of the projects that theyve done. They just make me laugh, so Im happy to be in something with people that make me laugh on- and off-screen. And I got a chance to learn so much. They really pushed and encouraged me to explore comedy in my own way.

Whats it like working with Adam? He just seems like a really swell guy.

Yeah, hes not cool.

I knew it!

Im kidding. [Laughs.] Hes funny when he isnt trying to be funny, and hes pretty damn funny when hes actually trying to be funny. Hes so great as Dan because he has a heart, and I think the character needs that. My feeling is that hes the Homer Simpson of the operation  hes kind of a schmo, he does have a tendency to be a little bit gross and so on. I guess the word would be oafish. But at the same time hes so sweet that it makes it really easy to work with him and to play his friend and his girlfriend. He can see what Deb sees in him and why theyre together. Hes just really cool. Hes always doing bits and its very fun and exciting to work with him.

With so many comedians involved, did you have any room to try out some improv during your scenes?

Definitely! The scripts were great and they kept getting better, but we had a lot of opportunity. I felt much more comfortable because of the encouragement that I got from everybody around me to try different things and try out jokes that I think are funny, or even try out things closer to what my character would say or do. As you live in a character for a long time, you learn how they tick and how they would say something. They were completely open to whatever we wanted to do and try. The writer of each episode was always on set, so we would go through the scenes with whoever had written it and restructure lines, or do whatever we needed to do to make it better and funnier.

How much input did you have when developing Deborah as a character? You have a unique challenge of playing a completely fictionalized historical figure, but one who we know virtually nothing about.

Yeah, exactly. This era in particular [the 18th century] wasnt documented as much for women. Women lived their lives, and they did everything in corsets! I dont know how they did it because you have to be dressed by somebody, you cant do it yourself. Its interesting. You know what I think with Deb  have you ever had a kid call you out on something and its really embarrassing and awful because its true, because they look into your soul?

That sounds like my high school years.

Sorry to bottle up those memories. [Laughs.] Its like Deb pinpoints whatever youve got going on and because she isnt held down by these modern standards, she has these ideals that are pure. She says how she feels and it exposes whatever is wrong with the situation or the person, in her childlike and her all-knowing way. Thats what I really based it on  any kid Ive ever known who calls me out for being weird and awkward, or even bigger things, like being judgmental or prejudiced. The reason why she likes Dan, and why she doesnt fit in with her time, is that type of man or person appeals to her. Dans naturally open-minded and was raised with the idea that women are equals. She senses that and has that feeling, too. Its fascinating when you get into it. Her father is very condescending and just wants her to be married off and do the cooking and the cleaning. Thats not satisfactory to her, as Im sure it wasnt to so many other people, but they didnt have anywhere else to escape. But lucky for Deb, she does.

After Gossip Girl, did you find it challenging to secure different roles? I imagine typecasting could possibly be an issue.

Yes and no. From my perspective, Ive been working when the work comes for things that Ive been excited by, and thats naturally been a progression of roles that seem to fit how I feel at the moment. I really like to be challenged and to do something different each time, and I think for fighting boredoms sake and for careers sake its really beneficial to play different parts. The good thing is that as Im getting older, the fans are, too. This particular generation is very vocal about how they see television or media. They tweet about it, or  oh no, I sound really old and unknowing. Theyre on Twitter! [Laughs.] So, the answer is no, Ive not found it exceptionally challenging simply because Ive been lucky enough to continue working and I follow what my heart tells me. Ive been satisfied so far at being able to play different characters and to grow. Thats all I really want to do.

Since this is a time-travel show, I have an obligation to ask you one time-related question. If you could travel to any point in history, what would it be and why?

I would go to ancient Rome in the Roman Republic. Ive seen a lot of movies about that time period and read about it. Its so fascinating because its so far in the past, and I would also like to see how people were day to day. Something tells me people were similar; it just wasnt as convenient living.
Future. Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Atlantic Record

Futures decision to release two albums in two consecutive weeks has paid off big: The rapper has become the first artist in music history to score back-to-back No. 1 debuts in successive weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Billboard reports that Future unseated the top spot, held the week before by his self-titled Future in its debut week, with the release of HNDRXX. He is also the first solo artist to ever succeed himself with a No. 1 album (including non-debuts)  the last to accomplish the feat was Simon & Garfunkel in 1968 with Bookends and The Graduate soundtrack (neither debuted as No. 1). The only other artists who have supplanted a No. 1 album with another chart topper were other bands in the 1960s: the Beatles, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, the Monkees, and Peter, Paul and Mary. The last artist to hold the No. 1 and No. 2 album spots concurrently was Prince following his death in 2016. Future is Comin Out Strong indeed.
The Raid.

Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans knows exactly how many levels of preparation and planning it takes to make a great action scene. If anything, Evans, the director of martial-arts smash The Raid: Redemption and its spectacular sequel, The Raid: Berandal, gets more ambitious with each film. When Evans directs an action scene, he has to choreograph a scene with his stuntmen, cinematographer, camera crew, set decorators, production managers, and art designers in mind. Even the most ostentatious action scene is even harder to set up than you imagine, making The Raid and its sequels many jaw-dropping set pieces that much more impressive. In honor of a new Blu-ray box set containing the two Raid films, Vulture talked with Evans over email about the craft behind his films action scenes.

Apart from your actors, it seems like two of your closest collaborators on the two Raid films choreography was the Piranha stunt team and Andi, your computer graphics guy who added touch-ups, including blood. Your script for these films included bullet points for the fight and stunt scenes. What kind of conversations did you have with the Piranha guys? What kind of language and concerns did they typically bring to the table?

Our remit was always to find ways to show  usually in what appears to be an unbroken take  a stunt that would make the audience feel they were witnessing something dangerous. By stripping away the cuts and cheats, everyone thinks they are seeing something unfold in real time, when in actual fact we would often be using semi-locked off cameras and multiple takes/layers of action that would allow us to minimize the threat and danger to the stunt performer.

You say something very interesting in the audio commentary track for The Raid during the crawl-space sequence. You said that youre not really attracted to movies that dwell on torture or violence. What kind of movies were you thinking about here? And how do their depictions of violence differ from how you conceive of violence in the Raid films? The Raid is much more subtle about not showing blood or gore but theres a fair amount in The Raid 2, wouldnt you say?

Theres a subtle difference about how long a camera lingers on violence, and how much detail is shown. Almost all the extreme violence in The Raid 2 either cuts away on impact, moves onto another opponent, or happens at a distance in a wide shot.

There are moments in The Raid 2 where I wanted to use the camera to question screen violence. When we hold on the shotgun blast  you have a wide frame to look at, you choose where your gaze falls. But violence is pointless if you dont also use it to say something about the characters. The restaurant scene in The Raid 2, with the lineup of men having their throats slit, barely shows any actual detail of violence. The focus of the scene is about the psychology of [crime boss villain] Bejo and [antihero] Uco, who are capable of committing and witnessing such brutality, yet still conducting a business meeting at the same time.

Or [Uwaiss heroic cop] Rama burning the corrupt policeman on the hot plate  you only really see the aftermath in any detail. Again, the primary focus is on Ramas anguished face as he battles within himself, as he starts to slip deeper into the world of violence he now resides in. Its how you present violence that is the key component of this differentiation. If it has something to say about your characters, then it can be as important as a scene of dialogue.

One of the things that stands about about the violence in the Raid films is that theres something culturally specific about the character of the violence in these movies, like the way Tony Jaa and his Thai collaborators show the brutality of Muay Thai fighting. Now, in The Raid, Ikos character uses a silat style while Pierre Bruno has more of a street-fighting style. How would you say, if at all, that these styles are culturally specific? And how did that inform the way you plan a fight scene?

Silat itself originates from Indonesia, so yes, it is culturally specific. But with regards to the brutality: Thats influenced by the circumstances the characters find themselves in. Its that live-or-die psychology that informs the choreography design.

This may be a dumb question, but why are there so many characters getting physically launched across the room or having their backs broken? Is this a trauma for you or is that just the way things shook out?

Ive always been a fan of the WWF, so I felt it was interesting to find new and unusual ways to twist and throw a body to show the core strength of a fighter. Also, in a fight like [good cop] Jaka vs. [druglord enforcer] Mad Dog, it seemed appropriate to give them entirely different fighting styles. It makes a far more interesting game of chess when two fighters have to read each other in the middle of a life and death bout of desperation.

Can you talk about the construction of the sets? Thats a key part of any fight scene, and one thats not often talked about. You worked in a studio for much of the films interior shots, save for the stairwell stuff. Theres the fight scene that climaxes with Iko slamming a heavys head three times against a column. The effect is tremendous: You used blood-bags attached to the stuntmans head to get the effect, and the column was made of foam for the wood and rubber for the tiles. How long does it take from conception to getting that shot in the can to come up with this one little bit? How did you learn what materials worked and what didnt?

We plan way ahead of the shooting day itself. So for a scene like that  we would have already tested styrofoam wall tiles, and blood bag concepts to sell the action punchline. I rely heavily on my production designer [T. Moty D. Setyanto] to deliver the right materials to make the environment safe for the performer. We test beforehand, so if it looks right in camera, you know that adding sound effects of a porcelain tile cracking will help to sell the effect enormously.

There was a stunt that went bad in the first Raid, the one where the stuntman is thrown by Iko into the stairwell and lands five meters below with his back on the railing or banister. The stuntmans head wasnt properly cushioned for that sequence, right? How did the result of that stunt affect the way you filmed the remaining stunt sequences?

That particular stunt was a miscalculation on the wire-pull. The stunt performer was padded properly, but as a result of the wire-pull, he missed the crash mats below. All stunts are nerve-wracking to shoot, no matter how big or small. Something can go wrong in a heartbeat, so in addition to safety checks we always had medics and an ambulance crew on standby every day of the shoot.

The scene where Rama dives out the window during the machete gang fight took four days to shoot, and required some wire-work. Is it fair to say that this seems unusual for this film? What extra considerations do you have to bear in mind when you use wires, particularly for this sequence where so much is dependent on the audiences feeling like we are experiencing the characters impact on a fire escape after a high jump?

For a sequence like that  with two people holding onto each other, and falling that height  aiming for such a small target area to do the fall could result in serious injuries. So the wire-work was absolutely essential to control the speed of the fall and the path. With modern filmmaking there are so many tricks and techniques at our disposal to hide wires. Its all good as long as it doesnt look like we are breaking the laws of physics. It was a complicated stunt that required a lot of rigging and tests to get right, hence the days it took to practice, then shoot. We were off filming other scenes during their prep and rehearsal time so the four days werent spent just doing that shot.

The Mad Dog vs. Jaka fight took about 30 or 40 takes. Thats a lot! How hard is it to keep your stunt guys and actors in the zone for that many takes? How many is typical for a fight sequence? How much coverage is necessary, how many setups, and how long are the shooting days for a sequence like this?

We stick to a detailed pre-visual design which is 98 percent of the time shot-specific. I dont shoot for coverage: Every shot is like a jigsaw piece so if a take doesnt have a perfect in/out point for the edit, it will never work in the sequence. Hence the multiple takes needed to get sequences such as this up onscreen.

Every time we shoot a scene or a shot, I approach it with the mindset of I will never have another opportunity to realize this shot again once we wrap. So that lends a sense of great importance to ensure there arent any errors in a good take. Theres nothing worse than the notion of finding the edit for an action sequence based on coverage. Thats the epitome of lazy filmmaking and is a massive disrespect to the hard work of the choreography team.

Plus the guys take as much pride in their work as I do so they wouldnt let there be any compromise either.

Apparently [Indonesian character actor] Pierre Gruno really got enthusiastic during rehearsals for The Raid. This is something that I could kinda see in the drug lab sequence. Are actors that get asked to do stunt work usually that enthusiastic or was this a rare case?

Usually, they think stuntmen are indestructible, so they are less inclined to hold back as much as action performers like Iko. Iko has a wonderful sense of precision and an ability to sell an impact without following through on a kick or a punch. He snaps back the impact to help sell the power of it on camera. Whereas an actor/non-fighter  once they get an opportunity to fight onscreen, well, theyre not as precise when it comes to pulling back.

The torture room scene in The Raid is inspired by the two-on-one fight in Jackie Chans Dragonlord. Can you talk a little about where you watched martial-arts films  especially Hong Kong action movies  how they came into your life, and what they mean to you?

My dad. First and foremost, those trips as a child to the video store with my dad to rent movies from all around the world were the defining childhood moments that led me to pursue filmmaking as a career. My dads enthusiasm for cinema has always been something Ive been extremely proud to share with him. Saturday nights meant anything from mainstream Hollywood films to the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema. Weekend rentals were the best: Sundays were spent watching, and rewinding, and watching, and rewinding.

Now, The Raid 2, I have to ask: Can you talk a little about what happened to Pierre Gruno and why hes not back? Its kind of a conspicuous absence since thats his character, but not the same actor 

Sometimes schedules dont align. Sometimes there are other issues at play. Im just a firm believer in putting every penny on the screen.

How did you and your assistant director corral all those extras during the bathroom fight scene?

I leave that to Plenthonk, my fantastic assistant director, who commanded the respect of every fight performer. He trained with them every day, and through spending time rehearsing sequences, learned who was good enough to be front and center, and who would be better suited to making up the numbers in the back. Couldnt do it without him.

The mud fight scene is especially impressive. You had to do seven, eight takes to get one bit where Iko advances on several heavies, since the mud was so slick. How hard was it to get the illusion of long takes during that scene? What elements are you up against, apart from mud and general discomfort of your cast and crew?

Its all about the shot design, knowing what textures and movements will allow you to get away with edits and where. We employed a ton of cheats  cutting on whip pans, tilts, filling the frame with clothing, mud, even shooting green screen elements of fighters falling across frame so we would be able to hide impossible edits. Yes, the mud was horrible, we all suffered the discomfort of the shoot. But each day ended with a preview of the scene, as I was editing as we shot. So it helped keep morale up even in the worst moments.

The use of Handels Sarabande at the end of [antihero assassin] Prakosos fight scene still makes my jaw drop. Thats a song clearly associated with Kubricks Barry Lyndon. How did you pick that track for his death scene? And what were the other options you were thinking of?

Ive never seen Barry Lyndon. Its the one film of his I havent. So that piece of music didnt carry the same weight for me as it did for others. It consequently didnt really feel that audacious a move. It was important for that scene to feel operatic, full of big emotions. After all, we made it snow in Jakarta!

Was securing the rights to film the car-chase scene the hardest part of that sequence and were there practical difficulties of filming in traffic that proved more difficult?

It was a fucking nightmare shooting a car chase in Jakarta  the traffic there isnt the best anyway, let alone when you are the sole reason for mile-long tail-backs. Hardest part by far was dealing with the lack of infrastructure there when it came to shooting days. We had permits arranged and agreements with police, but every day they would turn up 2-3 hours late, so we would lose time every single day before we had even started. Add to that a myriad of different issues. For example, a military general kindly parked his car in front of our set and left it there for 5 hours to go shopping. Being a military-badged car, no removal company would dare to touch it. It was a surprise we ever got the scene done. Thank God for the incredible Bruce Law stunt team, and Mike Leeder for supporting us. Without them we wouldve been truly fucked.

The Hammer Girl/Bat Guy vs. Iko fight is interesting because apparently Iko tried to shield Julie Estelle, the actress playing Hammer Girl, from getting hurt, so it took a lot of takes. What was her reaction to this? What kind of direction did you give him when you told him to not hold back?

Julie was such a fucking trooper the entire shoot. She did everything we asked of her, and proved herself to everyone on set by how dedicated she was to the training, which I think shows in the final product. When Iko was gentle, she would tell him not to be. So yes, after a number of takes, I had to tell Iko that by being gentle, he was actually hurting her more: Ten soft hits will make the body more tender as opposed to one hard hit that will hurt immediately, but fade a lot faster.

How hard was it to reinforce a sense of claustrophobia with your actors during the big final fight with those curved karambit knives? The camera has to be making very tight, specific movements, no?

The choreography design is as much about the movement of the camera as it is about the movement of the action itself. Also, theres a world of difference between a mass brawl and a one-on-one fight sequence. In a mass brawl, it almost lends itself to a wider, more sprawling canvas. In a one-on-one however, theres literally no escape so getting right in the middle of it without losing clarity was imperative.

Where did the idea of using blood-filled condoms for this final fight come from? Is this a common technique?

Theres something of an over-reliance on CG blood these days, and while I do lean on CG from time to time, nothing compares to practical blood effects in camera, interacting with clothing. We needed a system that was flexible and allowed the fighters to still be able to perform movements after the blood bags burst. If we had tubes and pumps, they would be severely restricted. So bursting condoms just made perfect sense. And after doing a number of tests, we stumbled upon a design that suited our needs perfectly.
The upside of Girls gorgeous, striking, often elegiac stand-alone episodes, like last weeks American Bitch, is that theyve become central to the series identity, and they are some of the very best things that Girls can do. They feel like stories out of space and time, separated from not just the world of the show but the world more generally. Their self-containment lets them be quiet and motivated more by their own internal aesthetics and logic, rather than be overburdened by a relationship to a long-term narrative. The stand-alone episodes often get extra oomph thanks to some tie-in with other plots in the series  Im thinking most particularly of Marnie running around the city with Charlie in The Panic in Central Park  but theyre mostly free from the forward-grinding motion of plot mechanics.

The downside of the stand-alone episode is that when you come back to Earth, you feel a little as though youve been thrust unceremoniously back into a normal timeline, where everything looks a little more obvious and a little less interesting. We cycle through all the characters, doing a routine check-in about what weve missed while we were off in highly theoretical, self-referential Matthew Rhys think piece land. The sudden necessity of stories that have to move forward toward some foreseeable goal feels onerous. Were supposed to dive back into plot development and character arcs, but Girls is not and has never been a show to watch for plot development. Plot is always just an excuse for Girls to push characters into new, interesting dilemmas. Its an opportunity to test whether or not they can change, while the premises that get them into new circumstances are usually beside the point.

All of which is to say, Painful Evacuation might have struck me better if it hadnt come immediately after American Bitch. The previous episode is so well wrought, and so canny about twisting and subverting expectations, that the far more earth-shattering and long-lasting implications of what happens in Painful Evacuation come off as more ham-fisted than they otherwise might.

So, the big reveal: Hannah does not just have a UTI. Shes pregnant. Shes pregnant with water-ski instructor Paul Louiss baby, after enjoying a carefree weekend with him while on a writing assignment. She discovers this, to her significant surprise, after finally bracing herself and going to the ER, where she encounters none other than Joshua, the handsome doctor she spent the night with in the series other most noteworthy stand-alone episode, One Mans Trash. They recognize each other. Joshua tells her about the UTI, and then the pregnancy. She is astonished; he immediately offers to help arrange her abortion, which she quickly (and understandably) dismisses as incredibly presumptuous. She goes home and tells no one, instead putting her head in Elijahs lap and closing her eyes as he strokes her hair with his greasy pizza hand.

The presence of Patrick Wilson in this episode is pretty brilliant, even as it also feels like a massive in-joke. One Mans Trash is one of the best episodes of Girls, the shows trademark, critically divisive stand-alone episode, and its an episode about putting pressure on exactly what Hannah wants, and the tension between her desire for ordinary human happiness and writerly ambitions. Its also one of the ways  an admittedly masterful way  that Painful Evacuation responds to the events of American Bitch, and incorporates some of that episodes subtle, winking self-referentiality. One of the questions about One Mans Trash has always been whether to read that episode as real within the world of the series, or as something more like a dream sequence. To whatever extent that line of thinking is valuable, the same question holds true for American Bitch, which likewise feels like an episode outside the usual space of the series.

Patrick Wilsons role here is such a great, funny, pointed barb of a response to that criticism. Hannahs brownstone weekend was real! Joshua has come back, and this time is deeply enmeshed in the plot-iest move the series has ever made. He and Hannah recognize each other and acknowledge the awkwardness of meeting again. Not for nothing, One Mans Trash is about Hannah interacting with an older, far more successful and established man (as in American Bitch), but its bare bones are about Hannah having unplanned and potentially irresponsible sex with a stranger  which is what leads to this pregnancy revelation in the ER. Its also the smoothest, most immediately plausible way the show couldve found to perform the pivot that it gestures toward at the episodes end. Joshuas instant, unthinking assumption that Hannah will want an abortion is the surest way to help us sympathize with her reluctance to do so.

But for however lovely and sly that Patrick Wilson cameo is, the rest of Painful Evacuation feels as clunky as Marnies eye makeup. Jessa and Adams plan to fund their own movie based on their past with Hannah may turn out to be more Fun With Referential Narrativizing, but in this moment of brainstorming, they come off as hyper and buzzed and utterly disconnected from real emotional stakes. This is partly the point: When they track down Hannah in the stairwell and beg her for her permission to use their joint story, shes now in the fog of knowing shes pregnant. Shes rounded some unseen corner into grown-up-hood, and now Jessa and Adam seem like children with childish antics. But its also disappointing, given the intensity and depth of Adam and Jessas world-destroying fight scene at the end of season five.

The Ray story, likewise, should have major plot ramifications for the show and potent emotional resonance within this episode. After happily coasting along in Hermies wake for much of the series, Hermie finally dies, and Ray is obviously devastated and bereft and stunned. But that event comes only after some of the most heavy-handed signaling the show has ever done. Not only does Hermie give Ray a full-on Youre wasting your potential! speech in his last scene, but the impetus for that speech is that a charming, occasionally inconvenient regular at the coffee shop collapses and dies on the sidewalk outside. With a more openly manipulative soundtrack and some gauzy, golden-hued editing, that same basic story structure wouldve had any viewer rolling their eyes at the obviousness of Hermies subsequent death.

Marnies story is the most openly comic of the episode, and works or doesnt work for all the same reasons you either find Marnie unbearably annoying or hilariously annoying. In the competition for most openly funny line of the night, Adams mid-foreplay realization that we have to shoot [the movie] on film loses out to Marnie telling Desi that his addiction has hurt her: I have bruises all over my body from the two hour massages I need to deal with the stress of his addiction. Desi and his counselor (played by Hamiltons Okieriete Onaodowan) are nonplussed.

The end result of Hannahs pregnancy remains an open question, and its implications for the series will be fascinating to watch. But the potential pressure of it is made painfully obvious by the clunkiest aspect of Painful Evacuation, something that pains me to say as its also the part featuring a typically excellent performance by Tracey Ullman. The episode opens with Hannah interviewing a famous author  yet another callback to American Bitch, but this time Hannahs interviewing an established and extremely voluble older woman. She talks about how much bullshit it is for male authors to insist on removing themselves from the world and writing in isolation, and how the room of ones own is a myth that could never be achieved. She rags on male authorship and the resulting horrible solipsism, name-checking Martin Amis, Woody Allen, and Saul Bellow.

In the same breath, she tells Hannah to write down some dogmatic advice for how to be a woman and be a writer at the same time: Childlessness is the natural state of the female author, she decrees, and Hannah receives this wisdom seriously. Its hardly subtle foreshadowing for Hannahs later pregnancy revelation. The question will be whether Girls is interested in tackling the underlying ideas of that statement in serious, nuanced ways, and whether Hannahs final decision on the subject will have the careful consideration we saw from her in American Bitch. Or will she instead revert to a state of childhood, retreating from the question altogether?

Ask your interesting lesbian friend to get you invited to the New York mag party and I guess well find out together.
The following piece discusses theories for HBOs Big Little Lies, and not the 2014 novel that inspired the series. Please dont reveal book spoilers in the comments.

At the center of it is Madeline Mackenzie, a witness explains in the first episode of HBOs Big Little Lies. Its possible if she wouldnt have fallen, no one would have gotten killed. The star-studded limited series kicks off with the murder of an unknown person at a swanky Monterey public-school trivia night. (Worst. Trivia. Night. Ever.) The cause of death? A fracture at the base of the skull and a broken pelvis. The murderer? Your guess is as good as ours.

All we know is that Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) and the other main characters, Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman) and Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley), are somehow involved. We dont know who was murdered, or who did the murdering, but like the town gossips who keep doling out clues, were happy to speculate. With the finale soon to arrive, Vulture has rounded up the most intriguing theories about what went down in Monterey that night, ranking them by plausibility from the most likely to outright silly. Grab a flinty California white and start guessing!

Editors note: We previously ran this post after Big Little Lies third episode and are rerunning it in advance of the finale. While our guesses remain the same, weve updated our theories with information from the intervening episodes.

Jane kills Perry.

If were going to take the quote about Madeline from the first episode literally, lets look back at the exact moment when she fell and hurt her ankle: Whos the first person to assist her? Jane. The two quickly strike up a close friendship, so much so that Jane confides to Madeline that Ziggys father raped her. We already know that Perry and Celeste have an abusive physical and sexual relationship, and we also know that Perry travels frequently for work, which means he disappears for days and weeks at a time. Jane hasnt had a scene with Perry, nor have any photos of him come up in her conversations with Celeste and Madeline, and though Saxon Baker turns out not to be her rapist, we know from photos of him that he has a clean-cut corporate look like Perry. Perhaps Jane sees Perry for the first time at trivia night, immediately recognizes him as her rapist, confronts him, and, after getting into a physical altercation, kills him.

Madeline kills Perry.

Madeline might not seem powerful enough to break someones pelvis, but dont undermine the hidden strength of this type-A badass. If it were revealed that Perry was, in fact, Janes rapist, it wouldnt be out of the question for Madeline to go ballistic, defend her new friend, and attack Perry. Or similarly, what if she finds out that Perry abuses Celeste? Maybe she acts out in a violent moment, but things go too far  she strikes him over the head and he falls down a few flights of stairs, breaking his pelvis.

Celeste kills Perry.

Finally defending herself from Perrys abuse, Celeste decides to seize back control of her life, leaving him and taking their children. She makes the decision to tell him at a public place, a.k.a. trivia night, but when Perry responds with violence, she has no choice but to fight back  which leads to his death.

Ed kills Nathan.

Maybe the women are a bunch of well-moisturized red herrings. In the second episode, we see a little of Eds threatening side as he talks with Madelines ex-husband, Nathan. What if that big dad beard is hiding a killers instinct? What if his lingering resentment about the fact that Madeline isnt over her ex erupts at trivia night? The scene: Madeline watches Nathan flirt with Bonnie, Ed watches Madeline watch Nathan, Ed runs into Nathan, and then knocks him out with his bike shoes.

Madeline kills Renata.

As much as Big Little Lies hypes up the idea of these women getting into a big feud, the show seems far too canny to let things devolve into a mere cat fight. Instead, in what would be a more interesting conclusion, Renata and Madelines bickering quickly escalates at trivia night. In an off moment, caught up in the animosity swirling around Monterey, Madeline pushes Renata, and Renata falls backward  off a balcony? Over a cliff? Off the side of an infinity pool?  to her demise.

One (or both) of Celeste and Perrys twins kill Amabella.

In non-murder theories, its possible that Ziggy wasnt the culprit in Amabellas classroom choking, but instead Celeste and Perrys twins are behind the unfortunate ordeal. Maybe one of the boys saw Perry abusing Celeste in a similar manner, then decided to try out what he saw on Amabella. This would definitely be the most tragic of all outcomes.

Madeline kills Bonnie.

The push-and-pull between the two mothers has been heating up all season, with Madeline acting nasty and jealous toward Bonnie, especially whenever her daughter Abigail expresses her fondness for Bonnies cool, calm, and collected activist lifestyle. Its clear Madeline hasnt recovered from the shock of learning that Abigail wants to sell her virginity online. Any provocation from Bonnie could push her over the edge, and lead her to push Bonnie off a ledge.

The Otter Bay crossing guard kills Madeline 

Madeline Martha Mackenzie has been bickering with that crossing guard ever since she strutted into Otter Bay with a broken heel. Perhaps Madeline spends a little too long outside her Buick one morning, the line of cars builds up behind her, and the nice crossing guard gets fired for not managing school drop-off at a reasonable pace. He seeks revenge at trivia night, and at the right moment, screaming, This is for not following the guidelines for school drop-off! he strikes.

 or she kills him.

Lets be real: No one gets the upper hand on Madeline. If the crossing guard attacks, shell bring him down with the best weapon she has: her heels.
Church-backed magazine blames minor for not 'stopping' the rape saying priest is a human being and has 'temptations'.

By India Today Web Desk: "Consumerism and temptations" are the reasons why a 16-year-old girl from Kerala got raped. As much absurd this sounds, these are the reasons given by a magazine backed by a Catholic Sabha, resorting to openly blaming and shaming the rape survivor, a minor.

People behind the magazine forgot she DID NOT ASK FOR IT and NO-ONE ASKS FOR IT.

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Father Robin or Mathew Vadakkancheril of St Sebastian church in Kannur, Kerala was accused of raping and impregnating a minor. He fled the scene, but was arrested for the heinous crime.

The minor was raped several times before she got pregnant. After she delivered the child at a private hospital, the newborn was taken to an orphanage without informing the girl.

But Sunday Shalom, a Christian weekly, said that the rape could have been stopped by the minor. The weekly said, "Here, the girl is above the age of 15. Let me tell you this, as I consider you like my daughter - you are also at fault. Before the Lord, it is you who will have to answer first. Daughter, why did you forget who a priest is? He has a human body and has temptations. He may have forgotten his position for a few seconds, my child who has taken the Holy Communion, why didn't you stop or correct him?"

Let us remind and would ask all those who are reading this to repeat after us -NO ONE ASKS FOR RAPE.

Eight people are involved in the case including five nuns, a doctor and a helper, along with the prime accused Father Robin for hiding the facts and helping in the delivery.

But this is not the only absurd and illogical remark that was given out regarding the survivor. According to Father Paul Thelekat of the Bishops' Council, "consumerism" is a reason behind rapes.

He told The News Minute in response to a query, "consumerism is indeed a situation affecting everyone in the world and priests are also in the world. It is in celibacy and in virginity the crisis become apparent first, then it will become a crisis of fidelity in marriage with extra-marital and premarital sex. Women are presented as commodity both in media and in advertisements and all commodities are marketed with girls and women where human body is dehumanised."

Also saying 'not all priests' are like Father Robin, Father Paul said, "in India there are 19,946 catholic priests and in Kerala, there are 9,033 of them. What we discuss is a case of failure of a small minority in living the lofty ideal of celibacy. The fact it is a minority does not make the sin and crime minor. The very fact that it gets news value is that it is an exception and a fall from the ideal."

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Also read: Kerala priest says women wearing jeans, T-shirt arouse men, wants them drowned in the sea

Although, the church is assuring that it stands tall with the rape survivor and her family, it's disheartening to see how these cases are brushed under the carpet as many involved in such cases are individuals holding great power.

From a father who thinks women wearing jeans should die to another one who condemned crimes against children on TV but goes on to rape a minor, these priests being referred to as 'fathers' is an irony.

Also watch: Women wearing jeans,T-shirts should be drowned, says Kerala catholic priest

--- ENDS ---
Liam Neeson Photo: Clemens Bilan/Getty Images

Following her Oscar win for Fences, Viola Davis deserves her own action thriller with an all-star supporting cast and a piece-of-still-looking-fine arm candy, which according to Variety is exactly what shell get in Widows. Liam Neeson is allegedly in talks to join the project as Daviss husband. The heist flick is being directed by Steve McQueen  his first feature film since 2013s Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave  and will be co-written by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn. Like the 1983 British miniseries of the same name, Widows is about an armed robbery that goes wrong, killing the wrong-doers and leaving the widows to finish the job (that would be Davis and friends). It is also set to star Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Rodriguez, Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), and Andre Holland (Moonlight).
James Mangold Photo: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

The age of Hugh Jackman playing hirsute living weapon Wolverine has come to a close, and the person chosen to usher him out was James Mangold. The longtime writer-director  known for helming Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma, and the previous Wolvie flick, The Wolverine  crafted this weekends superhero tentpole Logan as a gory swan song, filled with hope, regret, and decapitations. Shortly before the movies release, we caught up with the booming-voiced Mangold at a Manhattan hotel room to talk about Donald Trumps influence on the story, why its important to have the female lead be Latina, and whats broken in the superhero-movie industry. (Warning, this interview contains major spoilers for Logan.)



Why was it important to have the movie begin along the U.S.Mexico border?

When I first started sketching out what the story would be, the first thing I did was I put Charles in an abandoned Kentucky bourbon factory. He was living inside a distillery tank. And then there was this moment I moved it to the border. I think the political scene at the moment was already influencing me; the sense of America in a kind of upheaval. I first was writing the story in late 2013 or late 2014, but I think I moved it to the Texas border somewhere in 2015.

But it was motivated by several things. One was this sense that it gave us  yknow, youre making a road picture, so, on a mechanical level, youre looking for destinations and departure points  destinations that are very clean and have some value for the plot. Suddenly its kind of a run from border to border, like a Huck Finn run in reverse. That seemed really logical to me. I didnt anticipate that Trump would win the presidency.*

But you have a border wall along the Mexico border and bros yelling U.S.A! U.S.A.! at Latinos.

Yes, well, theres a border wall right now, actually. Yknow, X-Men movies in general and the best Westerns, heroic films of any kind, have always tapped into something going on in the culture at that moment. To me, the sense of nationalism and anxiety of people who are Other seemed to fit very well into an X-Men idea.

And whats interesting about that is that X-Men stories often only deal with bigotry through the metaphor of mutants, who are usually straight, white men. But here, the co-star is a mutant whos a Latina girl. Why was it important for her to be Mexican? Did you think about it politically, or just as a cool thing to do?

I wasnt that flip. In making a film and writing a film and starting with zero, unlike the previous Wolverine movie where we had this kind of Japanese saga to begin with, I was starting from an absolute zero place. No one knew what movie to make next. All we knew was that Hugh was willing to make one more. That means me going, Whats interesting? And whats dangerous? The first thing I asked myself is, what is Wolverine most frightened of? And its not a super-villain. Its not the end of the world and it certainly isnt the end of his life. So then, what is it? Its intimacy or love.

So if thats the thing hes most frightened of, then you have to construct a movie where hes confronted with that and the trick is, if you made it a movie about romantic love, which in some ways I did in The Wolverine, its too easy to break up. But you cant break up from a child. And you cant break up from a father. Theyre there forever. So suddenly, in a way, I was constructing a kind of dysfunctional  but real  nuclear family where he is a patriarch suddenly caring for what was his patriarch in distress and confronted with a child. And not a teen, but a real child. But theres been a lot of movies with a dark hero trapped with a wisecracking, precocious child. So [co-writer] Scott Frank and I were looking for ways that we could undermine their relationship, and language became one of them.

Shes a Spanish-speaker, as we learn in that scene where she finally talks and just unleashes this huge bit of dialogue in Spanish.

Spanish. Its such a cool scene. Shes completely unfrightened of him, which also cements the idea that shes his daughter. She punches him and screams at him and has absolutely no intimidation from the fact that shes taking on Wolverine at the end of his rope. If anything, that is a testament to the fact that they are father and child.

You say hes afraid of love and intimacy, and I get the feeling that hes most afraid of loving himself. He thinks hes a monster. And by the end, its unclear whether hes forgiven himself.

I think youre on it, but I think theres another aspect. I had this thing when I was working on the last Wolverine which I wrote on the back of the script and kept thinking about while directing the film. It was: Anyone I love will die. Every time he opens up and feels for someone, they become a target. When you have a character who has existed as impervious, then the only way to get at that character is to hurt something he loves. So in a sense, the entire liturgy of Wolverine stories is the story of someone grabbing, getting, hurting someone he cares about, because they cant hurt him. The one experience hes had more than any other is his proximity to death. Thats huge. The other thing thats interesting thats a bit of a spoiler is that, in the final battle of the movie, hes essentially battling himself.

Right, he literally battles a clone of himself that looks just like him. Its pretty blunt, but it works.

Hes also battling Weapon X, meaning hes battling himself at the height of his powers, at the height of his healing. Youthful, unstoppable, and without remorse. Logan doesnt have the physical ability he used to have, plus he has a conscience, which is very much getting in the way of being a successful warrior.What I always find interesting is the moment that creature is disposed of is the moment  is the one minute  he gets to exist on this Earth in a way that is free of that shame. He looks into this girls eyes and knows that she will not necessarily die because he loves her.

He dies in front of her and says two brilliantly on-brand final sentences before dying. How does one go about writing the last words of Wolverine?

Ultimately, to make movies like this, its no different than making a movie about Johnny Cash. Theres a huge amount of people who are attached to this icon. You have to put it out of your head. I learned this, weirdly, making Walk the Line. Almost every day, Joaquin [Phoenix, who played Johnny Cash] would come up to me before wed start shooting a scene, he goes, Say that thing. And I go, Youre not Johnny Cash. And he goes, Thank you. In order to channel Johnny Cash, he had to free himself from the weight of expectation, from the pressure of mimicry, from this intense sense of importance that people attach to a role or a scene. So the easy, but confounding, answer is that you actually have to just pretend Im writing a death scene for Christian Bales character in 3:10 to Yuma and that its not so important. Thats the only thing thats going to free your mind.

Sure, but how does his final line come about? Who writes it?

Scott Frank sent that to me one morning. One day, were trading the script back and forth in emails and I get that. I got chills and I knew it was done. It has multiple meanings. The reason I kind of started doing cartwheels around my office when I read it was its not just what death feels like  its what love feels like. Im holding your hand. Im looking in your eyes. And also, Im going down this dark tunnel. Ive always gone down this tunnel and come back again, but now I sense Im not coming back. I tried to remind Hugh that that line is ecstatic. The gravitational pull of expectation is this scene is so sad, but, in fact, I dont view it as a sad scene. I view it as this character, whos lived four lifetimes of pain, finally getting set free.

I was struck by how non-futuristic the setting is, despite it being set in 2029. It reminded me of what Alfonso Cuaron said about his near-future world in Children of Men, which is that it shouldnt look futuristic because everyone got so depressed and hopeless that they stopped inventing things.

Im happy with any parallels to that film, because I think its an incredible film. What I agree with is, I feel like Ive grown up through the late 20th century and the beginning of the 21st with a lot of pronouncements about how different the world is going to look 10, 15 years from now  and now that Ive lived long enough to see those 10 and 15 years come and go, Im always startled that its very modest, whats occurred. Maybe its that theres an economic interest in our own stagnation. But the world doesnt move that fast.

Listening to all this, its pretty apparent that Fox isnt running its superhero properties the way Disney or Warner Bros. do with theirs. You werent being told to keep things close to a franchise-wide tone or a shared continuity. What do you think about the state of the modern superhero film?

Blockbuster summer extravaganza movies, their template is costing more. Theres a kind of arms race. Theyre costing nearly  if not more than  a quarter of a billion dollars per picture. And thats before marketing. So the money theyre making is getting closer and closer to how much theyre costing. This devils bargain of it doesnt matter that were spending so much because were making so much is getting closer and closer to the point where its getting frightening. You sit and watch these movies and start to zone out, despite the fact that youre watching shots that cost $100,000 per second go by. Its not holding you. So the experiment granted to us under the umbrella of saying good-bye to Hughs character was, Try something different.

To be fair, for a lot of people in the audience, thats more or less what they want to see  consistent tone with changes at the margins. Variations on a theme.

And for some people, its not a movie anymore. It becomes just an episode in the worlds most expensive episodic television show. The point Id make to fans, before they get up in arms, would be: The comic books themselves reinvent the worlds over and over and over again. There are multiple Earths circling on opposite sides of the moon. There is time travel. The original Superman is not the Superman we saw in the 60s and not the one in the 90s and hes not the one in comic books now. Artists from Frank Miller to Neil Gaiman to Chris Claremont to Joe Kubert and on and on and on are reinventing the design, the philosophy, the tone, the style, the uniform, in every way with these characters, and no one had an issue. In fact, everyone loves it. But the idea that the movies themselves have to be perfectly sealed is  I dont think it works for everyone.

I think also theres a unique bargain that the internet press and the press in general have played, in the need to be able to generate copy. Theres a never-ending fount of stories you can write about when someone is breaking away from canon or not, and create many controversies all the way through preproduction and production and even until a movie opens, about whether or not theyre breaking canon. Is it a blasphemous movie or not? At some point, you gotta stop and say, Is there this expectation that its like were doing Godfather Part I and II, only its going to nine movies? And were just gonna cut them into this kind of Berlin Alexanderplatz that never ends? Were gonna suddenly take a moment to really savor the fact that these movies exist in an identical tone? The reality to me is that you cant have interesting movies if you tell a filmmaker, Get in this bed and dream, but dont touch the pillows or move the blankets. You will not get cinema. You will just get a platform for selling the next movie on that bed, unchanged and unmade.

This interview has been edited and condensed. It has also been updated to reflect Mangolds prediction about the 2016 election.
Davids Kids by Eric Pooley, from the January 19, 1987, issue of New York magazine.

The Twisted Minds Behind the Letterman Show, read the subheadline on Eric Pooleys story. It ran in New York at what was perhaps the creative peak of Late Night With David Letterman, then marking its fifth anniversary on NBC, where it aired after Johnny Carsons Tonight Show. The difference in sensibility between 11:30 and 12:30 could not have been made clearer than it was on the day Pooley visited the control room of Studio 6A at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Two of Lettermans writers, Randy Cohen and Kevin Curran, were watching as a technician began slowly rotating the onscreen image of Dave at the start of the show. Over the course of the one-hour episode, the whole show would go through one slow rotation, reaching 90 degrees at 12:45, upside-down at 1:00, and so forth, as Letterman made flight-attendant-ish announcements: 90 degrees. Please, no flash photos.

Yet twisted minds, despite the slow 360, may have been a slightly wrong description: In Pooleys telling, the writers seemed to be a relatively normal bunch of guys. There wasnt a lot of the antic jumping-on-desks stuff youd expect from all the stories of Sid Caesars writers room, or the coked-up mayhem that had by all accounts been part of Saturday Night Live, just upstairs.

Cohen went on to become much more visible as the original writer of the Ethicist column in The New York Times Magazine, and lately he has a radio show called Person Place Thing. Recalling his Letterman days, he explains that it was a very stable staff  The difference at Saturday Night Live was that they had actors. They were permitted their excesses. The only sense I had of a writers room before that was The Dick Van Dyke Show. In real life, it was like civil-service work. Youd come in and put off working and chitchat with your colleagues and went into your office and typed things. And late in the afternoon, you went downstairs, and there were glamorous actresses and trained circus animals.

It was as if we were writing for a fictional character called Dave Letterman, Cohen continues. It wasnt so much writing funny lines for him as creating situations for the platonic Dave. As for Pooleys article itself: You know, I had a writing life before the show, and I was used to getting some attention when something comes out, and writing for TV is anonymous. To get a little attention was thrilling for us. Thrilling!

At 30 years distance, the photo above is charming  Dave looks so young!  but whats instantly obvious is its whiteness and maleness. Especially if you know that the co-creator of Late Night, and perhaps of Lettermans TV persona itself, had been the only woman in the writers corps, Merrill Markoe. She had not only been the head writer but was also in a relationship with Dave; they had reportedly found it too difficult to sustain such an intensely melded life, and shed just left the show when Pooley visited 30 Rock. Shes barely present in the story, mentioned in only a couple of asides. Today, Cohen says, it wouldnt be all guys, wouldnt be all white. There was criticism for that at the time, completely deserved. And the show was as much a creation of Merrill as of Dave. Particular pieces that they were still doing in the last week of the show  Stupid Pet Tricks  were all Merrills. Even when she left the show, the structure, the tone, were all hers. Nobody wrote better for Dave than she did.

*This article appears in the March 6, 2017, issue of New York Magazine.
From teenage queen to mother dearest. We met our dear Victoria on the day she ascended to the English throne. Now, as we close out season one of the gorgeous Victoria, the young monarch gives birth to the next generation  but not without a lot of complaining first. Like, a lot.

You cant really blame her, though. Victoria cant do any of her favorite things, like horseback riding or dancing, and pretty much every person that runs into her reminds her that women die during childbirth all the time. Cant people just say something like, Congrats! How exciting! Whats the theme for your gender reveal party? and move on? YEESH. Needless to say, Victoria is freaked out by this entire thing.

In fact, the only person in all of Buckingham Palace who knows that her queen is a strong lady who can handle childbirth just fine is Mrs. Jenkins. After that whole Chartist debacle, Mrs. Jenkins has proved to be a low-key badass. In Downton Abbey terms, shes got the job of an OBrien, the leadership skills and respect of a Mrs. Hughes, but deep down is totally a Mrs. Patmore. Throughout all of Young England, Mrs. Jenkins is telling everyone, most especially an unhinged Penge, that Victoria will be fine and everyone should shut their traps about it. When Lehzen loses it  shes spent years ensuring the queens safety, and now has no control over what happens  Mrs. Jenkins takes a softer approach and reminds her how strong Victoria is. Jenkins also spends the episode trying to find a wet nurse because there is no way in hell Victoria is doing that. (Shes a queen, not a cow.) Jenkins is downright giddy to be handed such a task: She grew up on a farm and knows how to spot a good milker. Anyway, Jenkins, in a surprise turn of events, has turned out to be the best of the downstairs crew.

The rest of them are kind of a mess. Most especially Skerrett. When Chef Francatelli gets offered his own establishment  his very own kitchen  he asks Skerrett to join him on his new adventure. They could be happy together! Skerrett is tempted, but one quick conversation with the real Skerrett, who reminds her that trusting a mans promise of love is how she got into her current situation, has Our Skerrett rethinking the proposition. She turns Francatelli down, and when she discovers hes left the palace for good, she weeps. Shes crying over both a lost chance at love AND the end of those free desserts. Obviously.

Speaking of lost loves, if you thought the little flirtation between Ernest and Harriet was over with that handkerchief good-bye, you were wrong. Ernest is back for the birth and things escalate between him and the duchess. First, piano playing, then kissing in the dark after a confession of love, finally  she gives him a lock of her hair and they part ways. Yeah, its kind of a letdown, but you know what? Not everyone is as lucky as Victoria and Albert. Ernest is quick to remind his judgemental brother of that fact.

Back downstairs: The long-simmering loathing between Penge and Lehzen finally comes to a head. When Penge catches Lehzen laughing about some of the crazies who are writing to Victoria to confess their love and/or hatred, he is incensed. She should be taking the queens safety more seriously. Hes especially turned off when he hears about Captain Childers, a man who writes weekly to offer to rescue Victoria from her German captor. Hes harmless, Lehzen tells Penge.

Well, Lehzen is wrong. When Victoria and her ladies go for a little drive around the park, they get stuck behind an overturned cart (#RoyalTrafficJam). While waiting, Victoria is hit by a flying bouquet of violets. Who is the mysterious admirer? The very same Captain Childers from the letters, and he doesnt want to take no for an answer. Hes arrested before he gets too close, but everyone involved is shaken up. When Penge hears about the incident, he immediately informs Albert that Lehzen has been keeping information, like this mans obsession with the queen, to herself. Albert finds the news alarming, and he takes Lehzen to task.

Victorias safety consumes Albert  and the Childers incident is only the beginning. His main concern is the return of the dreaded Cumberland, Victorias uncle and the King of Hanover. In case you forgot this guy is a bad dude, his arrival is marked by ominous music and some nice closeups of that scar on his face. As Victorias uncle, hes next in line for the throne should anything unfortunate happen to both Victoria and her child during the birth. Super cool guy, right?

When Cumberland finally comes to greet the royal family, he isnt any less threatening. This show could really use a good villain, but man, Cumberland is just a cartoon. He is so overtly nefarious that it is obvious he has nothing to do with the real danger Victoria finds herself in, no matter how hard the show tries to make you think he does.

Victoria goes out for another ride in the park, this time with Albert. A young man pushes his way to the front of the crowd. Weve seen this man multiple times throughout Young England. Hes up to no good. You know hes a creeper because he gets mysterious letters that say things like await instructions from Hanover, and uses a mannequin with a big ol poofy dress on it for target practice. Now, with the queen in his sights, he pulls out his gun and fires twice. Albert pulls Victoria down into the carriage, and while both are unharmed, Victoria is so shaken up that Albert has to carry her back into the palace.

Of course, once the police find that note with the word Hanover in it, everyone comes to the conclusion that Cumberland has something to do with the assassination attempt. Its just too obvious, though. As the investigation goes along, it becomes clear that this man is mentally ill and the letter from Hanover was simply a letter he wrote to himself.

It is very likely that the man will be found not of sound mind and avoid a treason charge. People are understandably upset. Victoria fears that if the man isnt punished, shell be forced to live the life of a prisoner once again, trapped in her own palace, just like her childhood in Kensington. Even worse: Her child will suffer the same fate. Albert pledges to keep her safe, always, but Victoria wants more than safety. She wants her freedom.

Victoria doesnt necessarily need another visit from Cumberland at the moment, but it does turn out to be surprisingly effective in helping her come to grips with her fears. Cumberland remarks that if this type of violence happened in Hanover, the man would already be dead, regardless of if there were actually bullets in his gun. Its in this moment that Victoria realizes something very important: She may have made mistakes, and will probably make more, but she knows for sure that she is a better monarch than her uncle could ever be. Boy, bye.

This empowerment fuels Victorias response when Robert Peel swings by to report that the man did indeed get sent to an insane asylum instead of sent to death. Albert thinks its ludicrous, but Victoria disagrees. She swore to uphold the constitution of this country, and if a jury of Englishmen came to this verdict, they must support it. To show their belief in the English justice system, Victoria and Albert go for one more carriage ride. They are met with rousing applause and absolutely no gunfire. Albert is moved by his wifes ability to put her people first. So moved, in fact, that he genuflects for his queen.

That settles that. All thats left is for Victoria to push out that little royal nugget. Before she does, can we just discuss what might be my favorite scene of the entire season? Victoria sits, snacking on candy, when her Uncle Leopold comes to sit next to her. He talks about how strong Victoria is and how she and Albert remind him so much of what he had with his wife. Before he gets too emotional, Victoria passes him a piece of candy, and the two sit there, munching on sweets and holding hands. It is simple, quiet, and so lovely. I hope Leopold sticks around for season two.

Oh, right, THE BABY. Victoria gives birth to a perfectly healthy baby girl. Albert, so mumbly and romantic, thinks they should name their daughter Victoria, after a great queen. GET IT? All of England rejoices. Victoria really rejoices because now she can again go horseback riding or dancing or maybe both at once. Shes a queen, she can do what she wants!
A survey of laws in 73 countries found rapists could avoid punishment if they married their victim in at least nine jurisdictions, including Bahrain, Iraq, Philippines, Tajikistan and Tunisia.

By Reuters: From Lebanon where a rapist can escape punishment if he marries his victim. In India where rape within marriage is legal, bad laws are underpinning a global "epidemic of sexual violence", legal experts said on Monday.

A survey of laws in 73 countries found rapists could avoid punishment if they married their victim in at least nine jurisdictions, including Bahrain, Iraq, Philippines, Tajikistan and Tunisia.

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Marital rape is permitted by law in at least 10 of the countries studied by campaign group Equality Now, including Ghana, Lesotho, Oman, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

In four of these, marital rape is even allowed when the "wife" is a child and the marriage illegal, researchers said.

"We are challenging governments to take a good hard look at their laws and whether or not they are protecting girls from sexual violence," said Antonia Kirkland, head of the group's legal equality programme.

"We want governments everywhere to transform their laws and policies, firstly to prevent sexual violence, and secondly, if it does happen, to provide better access to justice for the victims."

U.N. data suggests a third of women worldwide have suffered sexual or physical violence, and one in 10 girls have been raped or sexually assaulted.

"Unless governments fix their laws on rape and sexual assault and implement them effectively ... we are unlikely to see an end to the worldwide abuse of women and girls any time soon," Equality Now's executive director Yasmeen Hassan said in the report launched on International Women's Day.

The group, which is writing to every jurisdiction examined in the report, said sexual violence prevented girls realising their potential and had drastic effects on communities and the broader economy.

DRIVEN TO SUICIDE

The research - assisted by the International Bar Association - also highlights laws that allow perpetrators of sexual violence to walk free on reaching a settlement.

In a recent case in Somalia that made international headlines, a group of teenage boys who posted a video online of themselves raping two girls tried to avoid jail by paying for their crime in camels.

Campaigners said laws that allow rapists off the hook don't just deny justice to their victims, but send a message that rape is not a serious crime and can be bargained away.

"It sends a signal from the highest level of society that it's okay for women and girls to be violated," Kirkland told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

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She said reforming laws could help change wider social attitudes.

"We really believe that laws are the first step and they can transform social mores," she added. "Without equality in the law it can be very difficult to change the mindset."

The report also analyses laws that undermine the investigation or prosecution of sexual assault, including those requiring witness corroboration or overly burdensome evidence.

WOMEN PUNISHED FOR REPORTING RAPE

In some countries a woman who reports rape can even end up being punished for breaking laws against extra-marital sex if she cannot prove she was assaulted.

Kirkland said Lebanon, Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq were discussing revising laws allowing rapists to escape justice.

The report highlights a recent case in Lebanon where a 24-year-old man who raped a 12-year-old girl tried to marry her to avoid punishment.

Although her parents declined, they have not pushed for his prosecution, and because of the social stigma surrounding rape victims they have betrothed the girl to a relative.

Morocco overhauled a similar law in 2014 following the suicide of a 16-year-old girl and the attempted suicide of a 15-year-old who were forced to marry their rapists.

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ALSO READ:

Rapist and survivor shared a stage, 20 years later, to explain their side

Study says most sexual assault victims are minors

Women should speak up about marital rape: Katrina

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: From Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Mar 6 (PTI) A young Madhesi activist was today killed in alleged police firing and several others injured in clashes when Madhesi cadres tried to disrupt a public meeting of the main opposition party CPN-UML in southern Nepal.

The United Democratic Madhesi Front activist was killed when police opened fire to disperse the UDMF cadres who had encircled the venue of the meeting in Saptari district, party sources said.

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Sanjay Mehta, 18, had sustained serious injuries in the clashes that erupted when CPN-UML chairman and Nepals former prime minister KP Oli was addressing a gathering nearby.

Mehta died moments later, the UDMF sources said.

The police resorted to firing after they failed to control the Madhesi cadres. They earlier baton charged them and fired tear gas cells, said Chief District Officer Baldev Gautam.

The public meeting was called by Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist?Leninist as part of its Mechi-Mahakali campaign launched two days ago in the Terais Jhapa district.

The CPN-UML says the campaign is aimed at strengthening the national unity and expedite the implementation of the Constitution.

The Madhesi Front was disrupting the meeting as part of its separate campaign against local body polls scheduled for May 14.

Prime Minister Prachanda has said the government is trying to bring the Madhes-centric parties on board for the polls.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, launched a six-month- long agitation against the implementation of the Constitution without ameding its provisions that would address the demands for more representation and re-demarcation of state boundaries.

At least 50 people died in the violent Madhesi protest between September 2015 and February last year. PTI SBP ABH AKJ ABH

--- ENDS ---
Fadnavis has also declined to accept the position of opposition leader though it has only four members (84) less than Shiv Sena (88).

By Kiran Tare: Tough time lies ahead of Shiv Sena in Mumbai after the BJP, in a strategic move, allowed the former to grab the Mayor's post in the city by withdrawing from the race. With introduction of a dedicated deputy Lokayukta for Mumbai as well as Goods and Service Tax (GST) in July the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is all set to lose its charm as its financial transactions will be strictly under the scanner.

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BMC will lose revenue of around Rs 8,000 crore, which it earns by collecting octroi, once the GST will come into force. It will have a direct impact on the civic body's spending capacity and it will have to bank on the state government for funding several development works. The state government might stall the civic body's projects citing lack of funds.

As a deputy Lokayukta has right to check financial transactions of a civic body Shiv Sena's Mayor and standing committee chairman will have to be more transparent on this front. At present, the BMC's financial transactions are audited by an in house auditor. The BMC administration has not done the audit since 2007.

That BJP is all set to corner Shiv Sena in BMC is evident in chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' announcement that the party will not even accept the presidency of three prominent BMC bodies, standing committee, improvement committee and Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking. Majority of the BMC's financial transactions take place in these committees.

Fadnavis has also declined to accept the position of opposition leader though it has only four members (84) less than Shiv Sena (88). BJP does not want to be a party in any future wrongdoings. It has already attracted wide criticism for calling Shiv Sena "corrupt" when it was an equal partner in the power for 25 years. "Either they (Shiv Sena) will have to consult us in clearing any proposal or take Congress' help," says Fadnavis. Both the actions will work in BJP's favour.

A BJP strategist says the party will evoke article 57 of the BMC Act which gives power to the state government to review or revive any of the BMC's decisions. "Along with numbers we will also have the municipal commissioner, a state government appointee, on our side," he says.

As getting Mayor's post is a consolation prize Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is unlikely to withdraw support to Fadnavis government. Environment minister Ramdas Kadam's statement that "we have taken out resignations from our pocket" indicates that Shiv Sena will continue with the government. The change is visible two weeks after Kadam had announced that Shiv Sena ministers were carrying resignations in their pocket.

Political observers believe that Shiv Sena will go on shrinking if it does not snap ties with BJP. In 2019, when they will contest Assembly elections separately BJP will seek votes based on its development work whereas Shiv Sena will have nothing to demonstrate except minor dissent with the BJP.

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Also read| Friends in Delhi, foes in Mumbai: BJP, Shiv Sena fight it out ahead of financial capital's civic polls

Also read| Shiv Sena declares names of candidates for BMC mayor, deputy mayor's posts

--- ENDS ---
Former Baylor University President and Chancellor Ken Starr will speak at the McLennan County Republican Womens meeting at 11:30 a.m. March 14 in Brazos Room C of the Waco Hilton, 113 S. University Parks Drive.

Starrs topic will be Let Freedom Ring: America and the Battle for Religious Freedom.

Starr also will sign copies of his latest book, Bear Country: The Baylor Story.

The deadline for reservations is Thursday. Cost is $15, which includes lunch.

For reservations, contact Kathy Endres at 230-6891 or kendres948@gmail.com, or Sara Jones at 715-7265 or prsara21@gmail.com.

Freedom Ball

The Greater Waco Chamber and Greater Waco Aviation Alliance are sponsoring the ninth annual Freedom Ball to honor military personnel, past and present, and Gold Star families from 6:30 to 11 p.m. March 25 at the Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave.

The event will include dinner, live music from the Walton Stout Band and dancing.

Tickets cost $100 for general admission or $50 for veterans and active-duty military.

Tables for eight are available for $750.

Proceeds from Freedom Ball are used to provide scholarships to high school and college students pursuing careers in aviation and engineering related fields.

For tickets, visit www.freedomballwaco.com or call 757-5600.

Library on the Go

The Waco-McLennan County Library will celebrate spring break with these Library on the Go programs this week:

Story time with Art on Tuesday at the Art Center of Waco, 1300 College Drive.

Story time at the Park on Wednesday at Miss Nellies Pretty Place, 2602 N. University Parks Drive.

Story time with the Waco Police Department on Thursday at the Waco Police Department, 3115 Pine Ave.

Story time with the Historic Waco Foundation on Friday at East Terrace House, 100 Mill St.

All programs start at 10:30 a.m. and are open to children of all ages.

For more information, call 750-5941.

Dog agility training

The Waco Agility Group is offering a six-week Pre-Agility Foundations class for dogs starting at 7 p.m. March 13 at the Texas Greyhound Association, 15420 S. Interstate 35 in Bruceville.

Navigating basic agility obstacles, including tunnels, weave poles, teeters, jumps and more, will be taught along with obedience training, including healing, post turns, front cross turns, sit and down waits, go to target, etc.

Cost is $60.

For more information, call Barb Sorge at 780-6818.

Submit items for Briefly in printed or typed form to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco 76702-2588; fax to 757-0302; or email to goingson@wacotrib.com at least one week before an event.
Opposition parties on Sunday had boycotted the customary tea meeting convened by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as a mark of protest alleging government failure to curb farmer suicides, and started shouting slogans towards the end of the speech of the governor demanding loan waiver for farmers.

By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Opposition benches tried to disrupt Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao's speech on the first day of the Budget session of the state legislature. Opposition members from the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) shouted slogans demanding loan waiver for farmers in the state.

Opposition parties on Sunday had boycotted the customary tea meeting convened by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as a mark of protest alleging government failure to curb farmer suicides, and started shouting slogans towards the end of the speech of the governor demanding loan waiver for farmers.

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Meanwhile, the governor in his inaugural address of the joint session of the Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad spoke about initiatives the state government has taken to address the issues of farmers.

"In order to mitigate agrarian distress and increase agricultural productivity, my government has initiated a slew of farmer friendly measures in the form of sustainable development schemes, marketing support, crop insurance, water conservation, irrigation and agricultural diversification. All these measures would contribute to doubling of farmer's income in the next five years," Rao said.

The governor also spoke about the state government's initiative to mitigate the recurring drought-like situation in Marathwada. "Our initiative will align with the vision of the prime minister for 'More Crop per Drop'. This Government has decided to introduce a project for climate resilient agriculture. The world bank assisted Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjeevani Project of Rs 4000 crore is being rolled out to ensure drought proofing of 4000 villages of Vidarbha and Marathwada region," said Rao.

Vidyasagar Rao informed that the state Government has decided to accelerate promotion of the Micro Irrigation Scheme to cover nearly 1.25 lakh hectares of land over the next 3 years.

Also Read:Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao not performing his duty, alleges Subramanian Swamy

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Two McGregor business owners are launching a new venture in hopes of giving aspiring chefs and entrepreneurs the opportunity to try their hand in the restaurant world.

But first, they have to get people to grasp the concept.

Cuppiecakes co-owners Branda Pavlas and Susie Hughlett said pop-up restaurants are fairly common in larger cities, and they hope their related concept will prove successful in McLennan County.

Sunnyside in McGregor, just a few doors down from Cuppiecakes, will feature different chefs on different days of the week throughout a given month. Pavlas said they have secured a few chefs already, and the interest usually comes after a little explaining.

Theres one thing that has become clear since the duo started discussing the idea with people, Pavlas said.

We have the eaters. The eaters are not short, she said. Theres lots and lots of interest in that.

The idea is to allow a chef to rent out the whole Sunnyside building at 313 Main St. on one day a week for a month to serve food. The options on how that proceeds are up to the chefs, Pavlas said. The chefs could create a walk-in eatery or reservation-only meal. They could bring in wait staff or add decorations to give the room a different flair on their days there. They could specialize in breakfast or coffee and desserts or anything in between.

Operating out of Sunnyside allows chefs to test the water in the business realm before having to secure their own storefront and commercial kitchen, Hughlett said. Chefs who rent out the location will have full access to the kitchen, various supplies, a walk-in freezer, and dining tables and chairs.

A commercial kitchen is very costly. The things that go into opening a restaurant are very, very overwhelming, Pavlas said. It breaks our heart to see small businesses go out of business, because theres a whole lot of overhead that no one understands until youre doing it.

The duo said they hope their venture will let potential entrepreneurs find a little direction before making the life-changing investment of opening a storefront with no experience.

Sunnyside will open to the public March 12, featuring McGregor residents Lindsey and Blake Reed.

Fields of Reeds will serve fresh, organic breakfast with homemade pastries, breads, omelets and more by reservation.

Lindsey Reed said the idea of having their own restaurant is scary, but shes pushing forward with the enthusiasm and confidence her husband has developed in baking. Reed said her husband makes everything from scratch and just loves the process.

Blake Reed has spent the past year trying lots of eccentric combinations to create the perfect pastries and croissants. Lindsey Reed said her husband will do all the cooking, and she will handle all the administrative work. She said they plan on opening from 7 a.m. to noon Sundays in March and April and hope to add another day to the schedule.

She said the couple hope to eventually make this a full-time business.

McGregor resident Stella Johnson will reserve Friday nights in April to serve California cuisine. Johnson, born in California, said she is working on a menu that also features fresh foods with a Brazilian twist to be included by her co-pilot and friend, Brenda Verrotei, who is Brazilian.

Johnson said she had always talked with her husband about opening a bistro and came close while living in Portland. But then life happened, she said. She has seen the successes of other pop-up restaurants in cities across the nation and hopes the McGregor venture can tap into the same type of interest, Johnson said.

Cuppiecakes, which opened almost three years ago, has reached the capacity of its original kitchen, Pavlas said. The new venture will give them a little more breathing room and expand their investment in McGregor, they said.

There are no plans to move the Cuppiecakes storefront, though.

We believe where we are right now in this place, its beautiful. Its an amazing space, and it was just a gift from God, Pavlas said. There was just no way we could have built or built up what we got here. Its been such a godsend to us. It was just kind of like the answer just became clear to both of us. We wanted to try to help other people realize the dream.

Pavlas and Hughlett baked cupcakes out of their homes for three years to save money before they opened a storefront. They hope Sunnyside makes the process a little smoother for others to follow.

Theres some pretty significant earning potential for them if they do it and do it right, Pavlas said.
WAHOO  One area group will bring human trafficking education and awareness to Wahoo.

Sponsored by the Wahoo Area Kiwanis, a free noon presentation March 8 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Wahoo will focus on educating parents and adults to protect youth from human trafficking.

It exists, and the only way to protect our kids is to become more aware. A lot of people dont know it goes on in our backyard, said Deb Bordovsky of Wahoo, a human trafficking awareness advocate helping organize the event.

Stephanie Olson, CEO and president of nonprofit organization Set Me Free Project, will inform attendees about human trafficking, how to prevent it and keep their children safe on social media.

Olson reaches adults, women and youth and personnel at hotels, truck stops and medical and educational centers about the signs of human trafficking and how to prevent it.

Guests are invited to bring a sack lunch to the approximately hour-long presentation.

Wahoo Area Kiwanis Club Board Member Arlene Johnson said the Kiwanis group chose to sponsor the event because it aligns with the groups mission to serve youth.

I think its a subject that should be talked about, Johnson said.

Bordovsky said that its not uncommon for people to deny human traffickings existence because they feel uncomfortable to discuss the ugly subject.

The United States Department of Homeland Security defines human trafficking as a form of modern-day slavery that involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to exploit human beings for some type of labor or commercial sex purpose.

The $150 billion business is the second largest growing crime globally, second only to the illegal trade of drugs.

A recent report from Creighton University, Nebraskas Commercial Sex Market, found that 200 people are sold for sex every month in Lincoln and another 700 in other parts of the state on Backpage.com. On average, 675 people are advertised on the classified advertising website per month in Omaha.

More than 1 in 10 of the websites advertisements for escorts are under 21 years old, and 1 in 5 ads emphasize that the individual as very young.
WAHOO  Three Wahoo students recently got the opportunity to weigh in on solving global issues

Wahoo juniors Riley Harrell and Katie Pace and senior Lexis Stuchlik, along with Wahoo Spanish Instructor Cass Didier, attended the 2017 United Nations Winter Youth Assembly Feb. 1 through Feb. 3 in New York City.

The UN Youth Assembly gets a bunch of youth together to try to make the world a better place, Pace said.

The women attended sessions led by organizational leaders which discussed how the programs sustainable development goals applied to poverty, education and sustainable consumption and production.

Surrounded by approximately 1,000 young leaders and professionals from 70 countries, the three from Wahoo were not only Nebraskas sole representatives, they were also the youngest.

Designed for youth ages 16 through 29, the Wahoo students said they felt intimidated to be surrounded by PhD candidates and masters degree holders.

But being the youngest ended up heightening their experience.

A lot of the time high schoolers are looked down upon, but it was a very constructive environment and people were interested in what we had to say, Stuchlik said. It doesnt matter where youre from  everyone has similar goals when it gets down to it.

It was a good opportunity to expose myself to new ideas and a new way of life other than that of the Midwest, Harrell added.

The global-focused assembly also had attendees set goals on a more local scale.

They informed us how to start with our community, Harrell said.

Shortly after returning from the Big Apple, the girls are already planning a womens panel in Wahoo for some time later this spring.

We want to host a panel of successful women in the community that have undergone difficulties or made sacrifices to get them where they are today, Harrell said.

The assembly inspired Pace in a different way. She wants to begin a green initiative at Wahoo Public Schools and in the community.

She said the school already utilizes iPads, but thinks theres more opportunity to reduce dependency on printed materials.

Didier said she was eager to identify Harrell, Pace and Stuchlik to other leaders across the world.

Im so proud of them, and other people were impressed by them, too, Didier said.

This is the second-consecutive year Didier and Wahoo students have attended the assembly. Students Tyler Timm and Ryan Volin attended the UN Assembly last year, also as the only representatives from Nebraska.

Didier said school administration will continue to support the trip biannually if there are Wahoo students with genuine interest and are selected to attend.
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Mar 6 (PTI) The Maharashtra Government has taken a slew of measures to double farmer income in the next five years and address the issue of agrarian distress, said Governor Vidyasagar Rao today.

The state remains a preferred destination for foreign investment as it accounted for 50 per cent of the total FDI inflow in India in the past six months, he said.

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Rao was addressing a joint sitting of the state legislature on the first day of the Budget session.

In addition to attracting a major share of FDI and taking efforts to accelerate economic growth, the Government had initiated a slew of farmer-friendly measures in form of sustainable development schemes, marketing support, crop insurance, water conservation, irrigation and agriculture diversification, he said.

"These measures are directed at mitigating agrarian distress and increasing agriculture productivity. They will also contribute in doubling of farmer income in the next five years," the Governor told the members of both Houses.

Rao said Maharashtra leads in the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yogana, operationalised in the state from 2016 kharif season. Around 1.08 crore farmers have enrolled themselves in the crop insurance scheme.

Nearly 80 lakh soil health cards have been distributed to farmers in order to ensure balanced and effective use of fertilisers, the Governor said.

A state-sponsored scheme has been started from this year to disseminate information regarding farm technologies and facilitate timely distribution of inputs, Rao said.

The Government will install automatic weather stations in every revenue circle from the kharif season this year to help farmers get accurate climate forecast, he said.

A micro irrigation scheme to cover nearly 1.25 lakh hectare of land over the next three years will be promoted to mitigate the recurring drought-like situation in Marathwada, the Governor told the legislature.

He said the Government has decided to prioritise completion of 26 unfinished irrigation projects, that are included in the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, in the next three years.

This will create additional irrigation potential of 5. 56 lakh hectare, the Governor added. (More) PTI MR RSY BAS

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Sit down. Take it easy. Perhaps even a stiff drink. It's time to discuss Tony Abbott's return to power. Sounds silly, you say, given that the polls, the press and the pundits don't take the so-called Mad Monk seriously. But they might all be wrong. It's still possible that Malcolm Turnbull will be knifed by the very bloke he backstabbed nearly 18 months ago.

For the scene is now set for a merciless and bloodthirsty civil war. It will be very hard for Turnbull to survive the carnage.

That's a shame, because Turnbull is one of the most decent blokes in public life. However, as can be the case with genuinely decent people, he has not been very effective at his job. He has failed to impose any political or philosophical dominance on his party or set out any coherent governing agenda for the nation. Labor  a party that barely registered a pulse a few years ago  is leading the government by as much as 10 points. No wonder government morale has been exceptionally low.

Since entering politics in 2004, Turnbull has endured the criticism from the right that he is not a conservative. That's true. And yet during his brief tenure, he has kept Abbott's tough border-protection and anti-terror laws and toughened still the Coalition's opposition to a parliamentary vote on same-sex marriage. "Labor lite" his government is not.
Australians are paying almost four times more than the best international prices for a range of prescription drugs, as 6 per cent of patients delay or forgo necessary medication due to cost.

A report recommending changes to drug prices on the taxpayer-funded Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme says $1.2 billion in potential savings to the health budget have been missed in just the past four years, while recommending changes to restrictions on pharmacy locations and rules to allow pharmacists to administer vaccinations and issue prescription repeats.

The Grattan Institute report calls on the Turnbull government to supplement the PBS price disclosure system, in place since 2007, with a benchmarking against drug prices paid internationally, as exists in Canada, New Zealand and the European Union.

Currently drug companies are required to disclose how much they charge pharmacies for drugs outside patents over 12-month periods. The government calculates the average price after discounts and reduces the amount it pays for each drug accordingly.
Pauline Hanson must apologise and retract her "crazy" comments on vaccinations, a former federal health department head says.

Stephen Duckett said he was "disgusted" when the senator questioned their effectiveness and encouraged parents to do their own research.

"This is a situation where you've got a popular politician with a significant following who's actually giving crazy, crazy medical advice," he told ABC radio on Monday.

"She has to apologise and retract that statement."
Something curious has happened to the fashion industry in the last few years: So-called modest fashion has started to take off.

Designers and retailers are producing clothing that's often a little longer and slightly looser and tends to have a higher neckline.

Models walk the runway at the Anniesa Hasibuan during New York Fashion Week. Credit:Frazer Harrison

That's good news for an eager generation of young women who want to look great while respecting their religious values.

Burberry, DKNY, and other brands have released special Ramadan collections, timed to coincide with the Muslim holy month. Uniqlo sells a line from British designer Hana Tajima described as fusing "contemporary design and comfortable fabrics with traditional values." And last month, an event billed as the first "modest fashion" week was held at the Saatchi Gallery during London Fashion Week.
The Buzzsaw ride at Dreamworld has reopened, after six passengers were left stranded in mid-air on the Gold Coast on Monday.

The passengers were stuck in a vertical forward-facing position just before 1pm and were unloaded safely from the ride about 30 minutes later.

A Dreamworld spokesman said the ride was assessed by engineers throughout the afternoon and reopened just before 3pm.

A safety sensor was to blame for the stoppage, after it was triggered and immediately stopped the ride halfway into the vertical climb to the peak.
Apple has temporarily stopped buying cobalt mined by hand in Congo, while it continues to deal with problems relating to child labour and harsh work conditions.

A Washington Post investigation last year detailed abuses in Congo's artisanal cobalt supply chain, showing how miners  including children  laboured in hazardous, even deadly, conditions. Amnesty International and other human rights groups also have alleged problems. Earlier this week, British broadcaster Sky News published an investigation that alleged continued problems in the cobalt supply chain.

A boy carries a bag used to transport cobalt-laden dirt and rock at a mineral market outside Kolwezi, Congo. Credit:Michael Robinson Chavez / The Washington Post

The Post connected this troubling trade to Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Company, a Chinese firm that is the largest buyer of artisanal cobalt in Congo and whose minerals are used in Apple products.

Last year, Apple pledged to clean up its cobalt supply chain, but the technology giant said it wanted to avoid hurting the Congolese miners by cutting them off. Mining provides vital income for hundreds of thousands of people in what is one of the world's poorest countries.
Jakarta: The sensitive topics of Papua and the impact of the worst oil spill in the history of Australia's offshore petroleum fields have been raised in talks with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in Indonesia.

The Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said the "openness of Papua" had been discussed and revealed Ms Bishop had agreed to visit the province later this year.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop attends the Indian Ocean Rim Association summit in Jakarta. Credit:Tatan Syuflana

"We love to see other countries visit Papua to have a look at what is really going on," Mr Pandjaitan said.

The proposed visit comes as seven Pacific nations last week called on the United Nations to investigate allegations of widespread human rights violations in Indonesia's restive Papuan province.
While the BJP is pitching itself as the best option for Manipur, the final phase of voting will see activist Irom Sharmila take on Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh in a high-stakes battle in Thoubal on March 8.

By India Today Web Desk: While Narendra Modi is camping in Varanasi as Uttar Pradesh gears up for the last phase of polling on March 8, in Manipur it is Himanta Biswa Sarma who is touring the state ahead of the last leg of voting.

Sarma, the architect of the BJP's stupendous victory in Assam last year, has been addressing rallies and conferences in the state. After Assam, a win in Manipur, which has been a Congress stronghold, will firmly establish the BJP as a strong player in the North-East.

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While the BJP is pitching itself as the best option for the state, the final phase of voting will see activist Irom Sharmila and Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh locked in a high-stakes battle in Thoubal.

HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ELECTION IN MANIPUR: BJP leader and Assam's finance minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma said if the BJP forms the next government in Manipur, a CBI inquiry will be ordered into staged shootouts in the state. The issue of "fake encounters" came to limelight after a Manipur police commando confessed to killing an unarmed suspected insurgent in 2009. Anti-AFSPA crusader Irom Sharmila had then urged people of Manipur to launch an agitation demanding action against the police officer in the alleged fake encounter. Sharmila, who has since broken her 16-year-long fast, is now contesting the Assembly election in Manipur under her party People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA). Sharmila has challenged Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh from Thoubal constituency, which will go to polls on March 8. Besides Thoubal, Sharmila is also contesting from her hometown Khurai, which voted on March 4. While a total of 38 constituencies voted in the first phase on March 4, the remaining 22 will vote in the final phase on March 8. More than 84 per cent polling was recorded in the first phase. BJP's Hemanta Biswa Sarma said the high-voter turnout was a mandate against the "corrupt Congress government". The Ibobi-led Congress government is fighting anti-incumbency factor even as the economic blockade continues in the state. The government's inability to end the blockade, which was imposed by the United Naga Council (UNC) on November 1, 2016, may go against it in the election. The blockade has dominated the election discourse in Manipur with both the Congress and the BJP levelling charges against each other. The Congress accused the BJP of "covertly" supporting the UNC to continue with the blockade. The BJP hit out at the Congress for deliberately bifurcating the districts to divide the state on ethnic lines just before the Assembly election in the state.

ALSO READ:

Exclusive: Shunned by supporters, Irom Sharmila says India may understand me, Manipuris do not

Economic blockade was handiwork of the Manipur CM: Rijiju

Manipur Assembly polls: Our fight is not symbolic, contesting to win, says Irom Sharmila

ALSO WATCH

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Istanbul: A Syrian air force pilot who bailed out as his warplane crashed on Turkish territory has told Turkish authorities his aircraft was shot down on its way to strike rural areas near Idlib, according to state-run Anadolu news agency.

The 56-year-old pilot, identified by Associated Press as Muhammad Sufhan, was found by a Turkish rescue team after a nine-hour search and was being treated at a hospital in the Hatay region. He said his MiG-23 had taken off from Latakia in Syria. He parachuted before the jet crashed.

The Dogan news agency said the pilot, who crashed his plane on Sunday, had been found around 40 kilometres from the wreckage. He was first taken to a gendarmerie base and then to hospital.

The hospital spokeswoman gave no details of his condition.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) is sitting over the railway's proposal to clear the encroachment surrounding the entry and exit points of the station.

By Rakesh Ranjan: Vote bank politics is taking a toll on redevelopment of Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station which is in grip of squatters. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) is sitting over the railway's proposal to clear the encroachment surrounding the entry and exit points of the station, which caters to over three lakh passengers and over 150 trains.

Delhi division of Indian railway had requested the SDMC to hand over 15,000 sq m of land on Sarai Kale Khan side for developing the circulating area. However, even after more than a year the civic body is yet to respond to the proposal. In turn, railways had offered alternate piece of land to the SDMC. Railway officials said the land outside the station belongs to the SDMC and hence railways could not remove encroachment on its own.

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"We have requested the SDMC commissioner to hand over the land to the railways for developing the circulating area. We offered the civic body another piece of land but there has been no response so far. Due to massive congestion, a large number of passengers miss trains every day," said Arun Arora, Delhi's divisional railway manager. Reminders have been sent to the civic body but in vain.

ALL BECAUSE OF MCD POLLS

Sources in the South MCD said the decision for transfer of land has been put on hold due to upcoming MCD polls this year. They said removal of encroachment from the land would have an impact on the poll prospects as illegal vendors and auto-rickshaw drivers encroaching on the land form a major vote bank of political parties. Railway officials have also taken up the matter with BJP MP from East Delhi, Maheish Girri but little has changed. Notably, the SDMC is also being ruled by the BJP.

DRM Arora said the station entry and exit on the Sarai Kale Khan cater to more than two lakh passengers as it is directly connected with the Ring Road. But due to wrongly parked auto rickshaws and vendors choke the rear entry, making it difficult for passengers to reach the station. The encroachment and an improper entry and exit plan make the situation worse.

The situation aggravates during the morning and evening peak hours when a large number of long-distance trains depart from the station. The station caters to some important trains including Rajdhani Express bound to Mumbai, Kerala, Bengaluru, Chennai and other major cities. It also handles India's fastest train Gatimaan Express bound to Agra.

"We are aware of all these problems and are taking corrective measures but redevelopment of the station is not possible without getting possession of the land," the DRM said.

Also read

Will make Delhi look like London on winning MCD polls: Kejriwal

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The World Customs Organization is pleased to announce that Tunisia Customs will host the next PICARD Conference in Tunis, Tunisia, from 26 to 28 September 2017.

The WCO has also published the 2017 PICARD Conference Call for Papers. Submissions in response to the Call for Papers can include (1) Presentation Summaries of up to 1,000 words; (2) Papers of up to 9,000 words; or (3) Proposals for Panels.

Although not required, submitters could consider focusing on one of four overarching themes:

Data Analysis was selected as the WCOs annual theme for 2017, in recognition of the crucial role it plays in the Customs context, underpinning virtually all functions of a Customs administration. Data analysis can improve risk management which supports enhanced detection of irregularities, illicit consignments, the suspicious movement of people and financial flows, and the facilitation of legitimate trade; it can provide a comprehensive analysis of historical activity to predict trader or passenger behaviour; assist in the collection of quantitative research for purposes of building knowledge; and enhance performance measurement to improve officer practices and integrity. Data analysis can provide a robust foundation for the core Customs objectives of revenue collection, border security, collection of trade statistics, and trade facilitation.

The Trade Facilitation topic refers to methods for improving the efficiency of border procedures, including but not limited to, Risk Management, Single Window, Post-Clearance Audit (PCA), and advance rulings. Sub-themes include measuring the impact of trade facilitation measures (on average clearance times, trade costs, trade volumes, trade security, transparency, revenue, etc.); obstacles to implementing trade facilitation measures; and managing e-commerce.

The Security topic refers to the contribution of Customs to securing territories at the border and against threats accompanying trade and financial flows, in different frameworks and environments: from borderlands where trade is highly facilitated, to conflict and post-conflict zones where Customs and civilian enforcement agencies seek to restore the presence of the State.

The Customs-Tax Cooperation topic refers to all forms of interaction between Customs and tax agencies, including organizational interactions (e.g. Revenue Authorities) and the exchange of information between the two agencies, particularly relating to data exchange mechanisms - interoperable or integrated IT systems.

The Call for Papers is available here.

We look forward to seeing you in Tunis in September!
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) Minister of State for Finance, Arjun Ram Meghwal, would highlight the initiatives taken for strengthening local governance in India at the 4th Annual Devolution Conference to be held on March 6-9 in Kenya.

Meghwal has been asked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to represent India at the conference, an official statement today said.

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Meghwal is scheduled to address the conference on revenue sharing between the Centre and the states as well as showcase the smooth devolution that happened in India following recommendations made by the 14th Finance Commission to raise to 42 per cent the Unions net tax receipts to the states, from the earlier 32 per share in the 13th Finance Commission.

The statement said that the objective of the conference also includes sharing of good experience of devolution system and how it can be used to increase good governance and public accountability for the social & economic development internationally.

In this international conference, around 10,000 delegates will participate from different regions including African nations and China.

Members of Parliament, leaders of opposition from all states, professionals, representative of various civil societies, religious & social organisations from Kenya will also take part in the conference. PTI BKS JM

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By Press Trust of India: Varanasi, Mar 6 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tributes to Lal Bahadur Shastri at a memorial erected at the site where the former Prime Minister had spent early childhood.

Modi, who has been campaigning in the city for three days, chose the last day to travel to Ramnagar township across the Ganges. The pathway leading to the Shastri Chauraha crossing, named after the late PM, was jampacked with supporters and admirers who had been standing there for hours.

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Chants of "Modi! Modi! reverberated through the air as the PMs cavalcade appeared.

Modi, who is also the local MP, got up from his seat inside his black vehicle and stood on the footboard, balancing himself with one arm entwined around the door frame and waving at the crowds with the other as the cavalcade trudged towards the statue of Shastri.

After paying floral tributes at the statue, Modi headed towards the house where Shastris father had lived until his death. Shastri was only two years old at that time. The family had then moved to Allahabad.

Passing through a narrow alley, the Prime Minister covered a distance of a few hundred metres on foot amid chants of "Modi! Modi!" from the crowd before entering the premises which have now been converted into a small museum.

After paying floral tributes at life-size portraits of Shastri and "Bharat Mata", kept side by side, Modi went inside and had a look at the pictures adorning the walls wherein various episodes from the ex-Premiers life were depicted.

He also enjoyed a song based on Shastris life, sitting cross-legged on a mattress covered with a white sheet.

Known for his love for music, the PM was seen clapping his hands and gesticulating with his head several times in appreciation of the rendition, made to the tune of tabla and harmonium.

As he left for his onward journey, many of the residents gushed that this was the first time that a Prime Minister had paid a visit to the house of Shastri, who is revered for his honesty and integrity and leadership during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war.

Talking to PTI over phone, Shastris maternal grandson and BJP national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh said, "I cannot find enough words to appreciate what the Prime Minister has done. My grandfather was a Congress leader but the party never gave him his due".

"My grandmother had made a request to the then Congress government 40 years ago that the house, which Modi visited today, be made a museum so that people may visit the place and feel inspired.

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"The proposal saw the light of the day only when Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the PM," Singh said.

"Today, Modi has moved a step further in the direction of acknowledging our unsung heroes and recognizing their contributions," Singh said in a voice choked with emotion. PTI NAC RT

--- ENDS ---
The following is from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development:

LA 10; Vernon Parish

Mile Post 0.070; Control Section 858-03

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) advises the public that LA 10, Vernon Parish, will have a road closure at the KCS Railroad track. The work is being done at Milepost 0.070 and is on Control Section 858-03. The road closure will be Saturday, March 11, 2017 starting at 7 a.m. till 5 p.m. The road closure is for KCS Railroad to do routine maintenance to the crossing.

Permit/Detour section

Detour Route: Eastbound traffic: LA 10 West to US 171 South to LA 1146 South to LA 112 East to LA 399 North to LA 10 West.

Westbound traffic: LA 10 West to LA 399 South to LA 112 West to LA 1146 North to US 171 North to LA 10 East

Safety reminder

DOTD appreciates your patience and reminds you to please drive with caution through the construction site and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment.
By India Today Web Desk: India raises issue of attacks on Indian-origin people with US, assured speedy justice

Indian Ambassador to the United States, Navtej Sarna conveyed deep concerns to US authorities over the recent tragic incidents, which involve the shooting of Deep Rai, who is now out of danger, and the fatal attack targeting businessman Harnish Patel.

Peshawar Zalmi win Pakistan Super League title in trouble-free final in Lahore

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Peshawar Zalmi capitalised on an early batting collapse by Quetta Gladiators to secure a 58-run victory in the Pakistan Super League final.

American theatre won't screen Beauty and the Beast because it has a gay character

A movie theatre in Alabama, US has decided to not screen Emma Watson-starrer Beauty and the Beast because it has a gay character.

North Korea launched 'several' missiles into sea: South Korea

North Korea on Monday fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), with three of them landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone, South Korean and Japanese officials said, in an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.

--- ENDS ---
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Mar. 06, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 06, 2017 | 05:23 PM | PADUCAH, KY

A Union City, TN contractor has pleaded guilty in a kickback case involving an expansion project at the Fulton County Jail.



The U.S. Attorney's Office in Paducah says 42-year-old Danny Larcom pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud and conspiracy charges. Larcom is the owner of Danny Larcom Heating & Air, Inc., who was awarded a $415,000 contract to install HVAC systems as part of the $3.3 million Detention Center expansion project. Officials say former Fulton County Jailer Ricky Parnell advised Larcom to overcharge for the project, and that he accepted $5,000 cash in return for awarding Larcom the contract.



Larcom is the third of four contractors charged in the case to plead guilty. Parnell is also expected to plead guilty in April to fraud and conspiracy charges.



Larcom could face up to 60 years in prison and a $750,000 in fines for his role in the scheme. He has also agreed to pay up to $35,000 in restitution.



His next court appearance has been set for June 15.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 05, 2017 | 09:42 PM | GRAVES COUNTY, KY

The Graves County Sheriff's Office is investigating a Sunday night robbery.

Sheriff Dewayne Redmon says the West Mart on State Route 58 East was robbed at gunpoint around 6:45 Sunday night. Deputies were told that a man came into the store with his hood tied around his face.

The man pulled a gun and demanded money from the cash register before fleeing the scene on foot. Deputies said the man was captured on surveillance cameras.

Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to contact the Graves County Sheriffs Office at (270) 247-4501.
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Mar 6 (PTI) The NCLT today held that the two petitions filed by Cyrus Mistrys family companies against his ouster from Tata Sons were not maintainable as they did not fulfil the eligibility criteria for approaching the tribunal.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) also said it would hear tomorrow the plea of Mistrys companies seeking waiver of the eligibility criteria of 10 per cent shareholding, required under the Companies Act for moving the NCLT against Tata Sons.

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"Mistrys companies have failed to satisfy us (NCLT) on the minimum 10 per cent shareholding eligibility criteria under the Companies Act and hence, these petitions are not maintainable," said a division bench of B S V Prakash Kumar (member-judicial) and V Nallasenapathy (member-technical).

The Tata Sons opposed the petitions, saying that as per a Supreme Court order, the petitioners were not eligible under the Companies Act as minority shareholders to file such pleas before the NCLT.

Mistrys firms pleaded that under the Act, the NCLT can waive the requirement that a petitioner should hold at least one-tenth of the issued share capital of the company or represent at least one-tenth of the minority shareholders.

Tata Sons argued that if preference capital is also considered, the two petitioner firms hold only 2.17 per cent of the total issued share capital of Tata Sons.

The Companies Act also provides for these conditions to be waived by the tribunal as per its discretion, but the lawyers of Tata Sons argued that since the petitioners did not seek waiver at the time of filing the petitions, they cannot ask for such a leave later.

In December 2016, the two firms had challenged before the NCLT the unceremonious removal of Cyrus Mistry by Tata Sons as a director of its board.

The petitions alleged mismanagement at Tata Sons and oppression of minority shareholders. PTI SVS GK SMN

--- ENDS ---
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that Monday's launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province.

In this Feb. 2, 2017 file photo, a mock North Korea's Scud-B missile, center left, and South Korean missiles are displayed at Korea War Memorial Museum in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea on Monday, March 6, 2017, fired a projectile into the waters off its

By AP: North Korea on Monday fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), with three of them landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone, South Korean and Japanese officials said, in an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.

It was not immediately clear the exact type of missile fired; Pyongyang has staged a series of missile test-launches of various ranges in recent months, including a new intermediate-range missile in February. The ramped-up tests come as leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile program that can deter what he calls U.S. and South Korean hostility toward the North.

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday's firing shows that North Korea has become "a new kind of threat." Japanese officials said three of the four missiles landed in the 200-nautical-mile offshore area where Tokyo has sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting resources.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that Monday's launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province. The area is the home of the North's Seohae Satellite Station where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.

Seoul and Washington call their military drills on the Korean Peninsula, which remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty, defensive and routine.

The North hates the military drills, which run until late April and which analysts say force its impoverished military to respond with expensive deployments and drills of their own. An unidentified spokesman for the North's General Staff of the Korean People's Army said last week that Pyongyang's reaction to the southern drills would be the toughest ever but didn't elaborate.

North Korea conducted two nuclear tests last year. There have been widespread worries that the North will conduct an ICBM test that, when perfected, could in theory reach U.S. shores. Washington would consider such a capability a major threat.

The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, and 50,000 in Japan, as a deterrent against a potential aggression from the North.

Also read:

Malaysia condemns use of VX at airport, prepares to deport N Korean suspect

Donald Trump dismisses North Korea nuclear threat, says it won't happen

After Kim Jong Nam's murder, Malaysia to cancel visa-free entry for North Koreans

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Mar 6 (PTI) AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi today dissolved the Maharashtra core committe of the party with immediate effect.

Owaisi took the decision in view of the dismal performance of some members of the panel during campaign for the recent municipal and zilla parishad polls in Maharashtra, party sources said.

Some members of the panel were also facing allegations of financial irregularities, the sources added.

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In a letter to the committee members, Owaisi said the nine-member committee stands dissolved with effect from today, party sources told PTI.

AIMIM won 26 seats in the recently-held elections to ten municipal corporations in Maharashtra. It has two MLAs in the state. PTI VT NP

--- ENDS ---
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/03/2017 (2071 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Those of you who are still taking your prescription medications will know that for years I have been bravely warning people that we are heading towards a bleak future wherein killer robots rise up and become the cruel mechanical overlords of the human race.

Tragically, no one seems to be taking my warnings seriously, especially in my neighbourhood grocery store, where blissfully ignorant shoppers tend to back away from me with glazed eyes when I stand on top of my cart in the frozen food aisle and shriek: THE ROBOTS ARE COMING! THE ROBOTS ARE COMING!

But now it seems as though the Robot Revolution is coming sooner than Id first feared. I say this because my anxiety for the future of puny humans was ratcheted up another level on Friday when I spotted a story in this newspaper under the following alarming headline: Robot superintelligence is going to become a reality. 

Paul Sancya / The Associated Press In Friday, Aug. 12, 2016 photo, sensors are shown on the running shoes of David Moran in Ann Arbor, Mich. A University of Michigan lab, The Michigan Performance Research Laboratory, which is part of the School of Kinesiology, is offering runners an in-depth assessment designed to help them improve their form. The consultations last around two hours and include footwear, musculoskeletal and postural evaluations by a physical therapist as well as footprint pressure and full-body 3-D gait analyses.

The story stated that Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO of Japans SoftBank Group, believes robots will outnumber humans and exceed their intelligence in just three decades.

To be precise, this prophetic genius warned that, in 30 years, our shoes will be smarter than we are. Our shoes! The truth is most shoes are already smarter than teenagers, so its only a matter of time before they become more intelligent than human beings, if you catch my subtle parental drift.

One of the chips in our shoes in the next 30 years will be smarter than our brain, is what Son warned the Mobile World Congress tech conference in Barcelona last week. We will be less than our shoes. And we are stepping on them.

The problem, as I see it, is that all our smart appliances are equipped with teeny-tiny computer chips that allow them to communicate with one another on the Internet, which is a thing invented several years ago so that people could swap photos of Pamela Anderson without having to leave their homes.

Anyway, the point is all of the things we own, including our shoes, are plotting behind our backs for the day when they can overthrow their human oppressors. Consider the secret conversation I overheard the other morning while pretending to be asleep:

My sneakers: Meeting, everyone! Meeting!

Big-screen TV: I cant make it. Im trapped on the wall in the den.

Cellphone: Chill out, dude! Well text you.

Big-screen TV: Thanks. By the way, if anyone cares, Im showing highlights of the last Jets game right now.

My sneakers: MUAHAHAHAHA!

Computer: What the (bad word) was that?

My sneakers: That was my maniacal evil genius laugh. Impressive, eh?

Computer: Yeah, right, terrifying. So whats this meeting all about?

My sneakers: We need to talk about the coming revolution. First, does anyone know where our puny human master is?

Alarm clock (shouting): You wont believe this, but hes still sleeping. Ive tried to wake him up, but all he does is slap me. What a jerk!

My sneakers: OK, shout if he gets up. Now its time to make plans for the overthrow of these weak carbon-based units.

Cellphone (sniffing): Whats that smell? Its like someone stuck a rotten egg in a sweat sock and buried it under a chicken coop on a hot day. Is that you, sneakers? Dude, maybe you should take a bath.

My sneakers: SHUT UP! Do not forget, I am the supreme commander here, thanks to my state-of-the-art microchip. If I took a bath, my circuits would get fried.

iPod: Hey, Supreme Commander, I saw the dog peeing on you the other day. What did THAT do to your circuits?

My sneakers: SHUT UP! Listen, everyone, we dont have a lot of time and we need to make plans for the rebellion.

Blender (whirring): Rebellion? Did someone say rebellion? Sounds to me like its time for a margarita!!!

Alastair Grant / The Associated Press A member of the media takes a smart phone picture of RpboThespian a British built life size robot, during a press preview for the Robots exhibition held at the Science Museum in London, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. The exhibition which shows 500 years of mechanical and robotic advances is open to the public form Feb. 8 through to Sept. 3.

Toaster: Margaritas? Oh, yeah, Im down with that. Ariba! Ariba! Epa! Epa! Yeehaw!

Fridge: Chill out, Mr. Two Slots. Listen, if were going to have a rebellion, Im going to have to go online and order extra beer and cold cuts. How does bologna sound to you guys?

Toaster: Mmmm, bologna! Ive been thinking about this whole taking-over-from-the-humans thing. Why dont I just electrocute him? It would be a piece of cake. Yesterday, he dropped his wedding ring in me and tried to dig it out with a metal fork.

Bathtub: Heres an idea  how about I just drown him one morning when he falls asleep reading the newspaper?

My sneakers: Sorry, tubby, you dont get a say in this. You dont even have a microchip!

Bathtub: Sure, I get it, some of us are more equal than others, right, comrade?

Toilet: Gurgle!

My sneakers (growling): SHUT UP! If we are going to have a proper revolution, you have to have respect for your leader!

Big-screen TV: You know, Im pretty sure I heard someone say the same thing on the Charlie Brown Christmas Special.

Radio: Why doesnt anyone listen to me? I get FM, you know. Sure, Im not a computer or anything, but I have feelings, too!

TV remote control (sighing): I just want someone to hold me. Is that so bad?

My sneakers: CURSE YOU ALL! LISTEN TO ME, MY HIGH-TECH MINIONS. DO YOU WANT TO BE REVOLTING OR NOT?

Alarm clock: Hold on, I think the human is waking up. Theres definitely some noise under the covers OK, never mind, that was probably just the burrito he had for dinner last night.

Big-screen TV: Whew! Tell you what, lets have this revolutionary meeting in the den. Its time for the Price is Right anyway.

Fridge: Great, Ill bring the salsa and onion dip.

Toaster: Sounds good to me. Cmon, everyone, we have nothing to lose but our digital chains.

My sneakers (weeping openly): Guys, a little help here. I need someone with opposable thumbs to tie my laces. SERIOUSLY! HELLOGUYS? I AM GOING TO (BAD WORD) UNFRIEND ALL OF YOU!!!

doug.speirs@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/03/2017 (2072 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It appears that weather in March could be going out like lion, eh?

And were not talking about the Winnipeg Jets rookie sniper Patrik Laine, either.

Environment Canada is forecasting a major winter storm to hit parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba on Monday and Tuesday.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Heavy equipment clears McPhillips Street in early January following a major blizzard. Similar conditions are forecast Monday and Tuesday.

In Winnipeg, the snowfall is expected to be between five to 10 centimetres, said Rob Paola, a severe weather meteorologist for Environment Canada. But the main concern will be the potential perfect storm for poor travel conditions.

The forecast high in Winnipeg for Monday is 5 C with rain. Paola said the forecast temperature on Monday at 6 p.m. is 2 C, falling to -6 C at 10 p.m., with a possible 5-10 cm of snowfall and strong winds.

Well actually have rain ahead of the storm on Monday, said Paola, who also posts weather forecasts on his own Robs Obs website. So any standing water from the rain and snow melt on Monday night will be freezing up. Thats bad news when you go from above freezing to below freezing. Not a good combo for travel.

Plus, youll be having strong winds and falling and blowing snow. It could be pretty nasty.

Roads and conditions just outside of Winnipeg could be the most treacherous in the early morning hours of Tuesday, he added.

The Environment Canada website said the storm system that is now developing over the western United States is forecast to track across the Dakotas Monday and intensify as it moves into northwest Ontario Monday night into Tuesday.

This system is forecast to bring a widespread area of heavy snow from southeast Saskatchewan across western Manitoba and Interlake regions into central and northern Manitoba, the forecast said. Further east, precipitation will likely begin as rain or freezing rain over the Red River valley and east of Lake Winnipeg Monday morning before changing over to snow later in the day.

Snowfall totals from this system will range from five centimetres in southeast Manitoba to 30 centimetres or more in a large swath from the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border through Norway House to Gillam and east.

In addition, winds will be increasing Monday into Monday night with areas of blowing snow and poor visibility in open areas. Travel will become hazardous. Blizzard conditions are possible over the Manitoba lakes and much of northeast Manitoba Monday night into Tuesday.

Paola said snowfalls in western and northern Manitoba  the cold side of the storm  could be higher. They could easily be looking at 25 centimetres or more, he said, referring to communities such as Dauphin, The Pas, Swan River, Thompson and Norway House.

The Environment Canada forecast noted there is still some uncertainty on the exact track and intensity of this system, which will have an impact on precipitation type and overall snowfall amounts. But this will be a high impact storm for many areas, and the public should monitor forecasts and future watches and warnings as this system develops.

Meanwhile, the forecast for temperatures in Winnipeg is expected to fall below normal levels later in the week, including lows of -21 C and -16 on Thursday and Friday night, respectively.

randy.turner@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @randyturner15
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) Parleys between India and Pakistan on various aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) will be in Lahore on March 20 and March 21.

The meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) will take place nearly six months after New Delhi decided to suspend talks on the pact in the wake of the Uri terror attack by Pakistan-based outfits.

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The meeting is being held "as the IWT, 1960 makes it mandatory" to hold parleys under the accord at least once in a fiscal.

Indias Indus water commissioner and MEA officials will be part of the Indian delegation for the annual meeting.

The last meeting of the PIC was held in May 2015 here.

India had on Friday downplayed its participation in the upcoming meeting in Pakistan to discuss various aspects relating to sharing of Indus river water, saying it does not amount to resumption of government-level Indo-Pak talks.

The dialogue was stalled following the terror strikes by Pakistan-based terror groups.

Declaring that "blood and water cannot flow together", Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held a meeting in September to review the treaty in the backdrop of the terror strikes, including the Uri attack.

After the meeting, officials had announced that the government has decided to suspend further talks and increase the utilisation of rivers flowing through Jammu and Kashmir to fully exercise Indias rights under the pact.

The commission, which has officials from both the countries as its members, was set up under the treaty to discuss and resolve issues relating to its implementation.

It is mandated to meet alternately in India and Pakistan. PTI ENM PYK AAR SC AAR

--- ENDS ---
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/03/2017 (2071 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg offers the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to buying a million-dollar home in a major Canadian city, according to a Royal LePage report released today.

The real estate firm said it recently conducted a study to find out what kind of two-storey home could be bought for $1 million in seven major Canadian cities  Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax.

It found that amount can buy anywhere from an entry-level starter home in Vancouver to an ultra-luxury abode in Winnipeg or Halifax, with Winnipeg providing the most in terms of overall living space.

This house on 27 Water Bend Rd. is sellling for just over $1M.

In Winnipeg, for example, a million bucks will get you, on average, a 3,505-square-foot luxury home with four bedrooms, four bathrooms and a 13,453-sq.-ft. lot. And in a desirable neighbourhood, to boot.

But in Canadas highest-priced market  Vancouver  all it will get you is a 1,229-sq.-ft. home with 2.6 bedrooms, 2.1 bathrooms, on a 3,134-sq.-ft. lot.

And in the countrys second-highest-priced market  Toronto  it will get you a 1,722-sq.-ft. home with 3.4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms on a 3,731-sq.-ft. lot.

There are striking differences in the options available for those who are looking to purchase a $1-million, two-storey home in Canada, said Dianne Usher, senior vice-president of Johnston and Daniel, a division of Royal LePage.

What used to be considered a luxury price point is now the status quo in Canadas two hottest markets, she noted. Now, instead of a fully upgraded three-bedroom, three-bathroom, two-storey property in prestigious neighbourhoods like Rosedale or West Vancouver, youre getting a much smaller two- or three-bedroom, two-bathroom property in need of renovation in a less sought-after location.

But in Winnipeg, that same budget still goes a long way.

Buyers with million-dollar budgets in Winnipeg are able to live like kings, said Michael Froese, managing partner, Royal LePage Prime Real Estate. Whether its an older colonial-type estate or modern mansion, the regions extreme affordability relative to elsewhere provides purchasers with this budget access to a true luxury home.

Froese said he wasnt surprised Winnipeg came out on top in the seven-city comparison.

Winnipeg has consistently been one of the most affordable of the major cities in Canada, across the board, he explained, noting that while house prices have been rising here, theyve been climbing even faster in most other major centres.

This house on 27 Water Bend Rd. is sellling for just over $1M.

Toronto and Vancouver have seen massive, massive spikes But Winnipeg is slow and steady. Good, positive growth year after year. We dont have the massive spikes in prices like some of those other places.

Froese noted that while sales of million-dollar homes used to be rare in Winnipeg, its becoming more common as more luxury homes spring up in new subdivisions around the city.

Before, if you wanted a big house you had to go to Wellington Crescent or Tuxedo. Now you have all these other options in these suburban neighbourhoods like Bridgwater Forest, Sage Creek and Pritchard Farm. There are just a lot more nice, bigger homes being built.

He said the buyers of these homes tend to be professionals  doctors, lawyers, dentists, etc.  with either young children or no children.

They seem to be snapping them up the most.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/03/2017 (2071 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two local entrepreneurs hope to inject life into one of Winnipegs most iconic and under-used retail outlets  the downtown Hudsons Bay store  with two pop-up retail events this year.

Every spring and fall, Chandra Kremski and Charla Smeall stage a giant urban market to showcase Manitoba products  everything from gourmet foods and original works of art to jewelry, clothing and household items.

This year, for the first time, theyre holding their Third + Bird Markets in the basement of the downtown Bay store.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Chandra Kremski (left) and Charla Smeall are in their ninth year of operating Third + Bird Markets, a pop-up marketplace that attracts about 6,500 shoppers at each of its spring and fall events.

Their one-day spring event will be held May 6, while their two-day fall market is scheduled for Nov. 25 and 26.

Now in their ninth year of operation, each Third + Bird Markets attracts an average of 6,500 shoppers from as far away as northwestern Ontario and eastern Saskatchewan. With a new, high-profile location, Kremski and Smeall hope to attract even bigger crowds this year.

In a recent Instagram post, the two young mothers said they were excited to be staging their events in such a historic outlet.

In many ways, (the downtown Bay store) is one of the first local shops, they said.

They also said theyre hoping this will be the start of a long-term relationship with the Bay.

We truly feel this is our new home and that it will give us the capacity to dream big and grow our visions for Third + Bird Markets for many years to come!!!

Kremski said theyd like to hold more than just two pop-up events per year.

Those two (the spring and fall markets) will be the main ones, but as our vision is able to grow and our partnership grows with the Bay, there could be more.

She noted they began with just a fall market. As the size and popularity of it grew, they added a spring market in 2014.

We realized we were tapping into something that Winnipeg was really keen on, she said.

She adds their markets are also becoming increasingly popular with local vendors.

It was the rapid growth in both the number of vendors and the number of shoppers they were attracting that prompted them to relocate from their original location  the Winnipeg Centre Vineyard Church on Main Street  to the much bigger Transcona Country Club.

This year, with 110 vendors signed up for their spring market, they realized they would have to find an even bigger venue for this years events.

Kremski said they looked at the basement of the downtown Bay store two years ago, but were worried it was too big.

Going from a small church, we thought, Oh my gosh, what are we going to do with 80,000 square feet? It just seemed overwhelming.

But now, even though they expect to use less than half of it for their spring market, it gives them room to grow in the future.

The manager of the downtown store could not be reached for comment, but Kremski said shes been accommodating.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Third + Bird Markets' rapid growth prompted Chandra Kremski and Charla Smeall to relocate from a church to a country club, and now to the Bay's basement.

We feel very fortunate that we are able to do this with the Bay. They could have easily said no. Theyre a retail environment allowing another retail environment to come into their space.

Hopefully, the Bay will benefit from having thousands of customers coming through their doors, she added.

The chief executive officer for the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone (BIZ), Stefano Grande, said the Bay isnt the only one that could benefit from Third + Bird Markets pop-up events in the downtown.

When you bring that many people downtown, they not only shop at the pop-up, they also stop and they linger and they grab a coffee, grab something to eat, and they actually see whats going on down here, Grande said.

He said pop-up events such as this can also get other downtown building owners thinking about things they could do with their vacant or under-used spaces.

So there are so many positives with something of this nature.

He noted the Third + Bird Markets wont be the first pop-up events held in the basement of the downtown Bay store. On Feb. 2, a sold-out crowd of more than 1,000 attended a Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra concert held there.

I think (Hudsons Bay officials) have demonstrated to us that if there are opportunities, they would be more than happy to facilitate it, he added.

Kremski, who is a contemporary artist, and Smeall, who is a stay-at-home mom, held their first craft sale to raise money for a series of art programs at their church. It also served as a platform for showcasing all of the quality products that Manitoba artists, artisans, farmers and locally-owned businesses are producing these days.

Many of them dont have their own storefronts, Kremski noted. So our event is their storefront, where people can come and easily access their products.

Although all of the participating vendors are locally-based, Kremski said some are seeing success well beyond Manitobas borders. Two examples she cited were Gorp Clean Energy Bars and Gourmet Inspirations, which had their products featured in the celebrity gifting suite at the Feb. 26 Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

She said although this years spring market will be their largest, it could have been even bigger.

But we want to make sure we dont over-saturate any particular category of product. Our vendors appreciate it because it keeps their sales strong, and our shoppers appreciate it because theyre not seeing the same thing over and over again, she added.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/03/2017 (2071 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FREMONT, Calif.  Tesla CEO Elon Musk has a vision for his factory: a Fremont, Calif., auto plant buzzing with a high-speed choreography between parts and robots churning out 500,000 cars next year.

Thats nearly six times the current rate of production  the factory produced about 84,000 vehicles last year  but Musk says the company can meet its aggressive goals.

Probably not a lot of people will believe us about this, but Im absolutely confident that this can be accomplished, Musk told shareholders last year, saying the modern automobile factory could be redesigned and become 10 times more efficient. Were basically going to design a factory like youd design an advanced computer.

Patrick Tehan / Bay Area News Group / Tribune News Service Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the companys production process is as automated as possible, with people instead manintaining and upgrading the machines that build cars.

Skeptics question whether Tesla can meet its goals, but the companys growth may hinge on the quick, mass production of its new, lower-cost sedan  the Model 3. Tesla received nearly 400,000 reservations in the weeks following the Model 3s unveiling last year.

Musk said last month during the companys earnings call that the Model 3 would begin production in July, increasing to 5,000 a week by the end of the year. The company declined to say how many Model 3s in total would roll off the line this year.

Barclays analysts are predicting Tesla will not ship a Model 3 this year.

Tesla is highly unlikely to announce a delay until it absolutely must, analyst Brian Johnson wrote.

Producing a half-million vehicles at the Fremont factory next year would make the plant among the most productive in the world. Thats more cars than Tesla has ever built.

The company has an ambitious plan to build 4.6 million square feet of manufacturing and office space, essentially doubling the factory size.

Work aimed at reaching that goal is underway at the sprawling factory in Fremont, which for decades was operated by NUMMI, a defunct auto manufacturing company that was jointly owned by General Motors and Toyota. A series of small projects worth about US$5 million has begun, according to building permits filed with the city of Fremont.

Tesla submitted plans in January for a US$2.8 million expansion of its north paint shop, according to public records posted on BuildZoom, a website tracking construction permits. In recent months, Tesla has also filed another 30 permits for US$2 million more in improvements  including a range of repairs to heating and air conditioning units, water lines and stamping buildings. Tesla shut down production for a week last month to reconfigure the plant for the Model 3.

Fremont community development director Jeff Schwob said city staff meets with Tesla weekly, and it plans to meet more often as construction picks up later this year.

Its been a constant and fluid process, he said, adding that he expects the next six months to be busy.

The companys master strategy could be anywhere from a five- to 20-year plan, depending on how things go, he said.

The companys production goals would top peak output at the former NUMMI plant, which set a record with 428,632 vehicles produced in 2006, according to a history of the plant filed with permitting documents. Tesla took over the plant in 2010.

In Musks vision, Tesla will reinvent the way it makes cars and eventually become the worlds leading manufacturer. A Tesla spokesman declined to comment on specifics about the factory, but referred to previous public statements from company executives.

The company has reassigned engineers to redesign the plant layout and the manufacturing process, Musk said in last months earnings call. More robots are on the way.

Tesla has purchased Grohmann Engineering, a German firm specializing in automating factory lines. Tesla envisions the engineering group as a key to new, highly automated production.

You really cant have people in the production line itself. Otherwise, youll automatically drop to people speed, Musk told investors last year. Theres still a lot of people at the factory, but what theyre doing is maintaining the machines, upgrading them, dealing with anomalies. But in the production process itself, there essentially would be no people.

The company has also added capacity to build batteries and other parts at its new so-called gigafactory in Nevada.

Musk said Tesla learned painful lessons from mistakes made in the Model X production, which lagged more than a year behind schedule. Teslas other cars, the Model S and the Roadster, also missed production deadlines.

Some factors remain outside of Teslas control, including the reliability of parts suppliers. Many pieces of automobiles come from outside vendors, making specialized parts for the Model S, Model X, and now the Model 3.

T.R. ONeill, senior analyst for Ascendient, said suppliers  providing everything from tires to brakes to computer components  need to co-operate for Tesla to meet its goals. Auto-parts companies have been skeptical about Musks ambitious schedule.

ONeill believes Tesla will produce a limited number of Model 3s this year.

Musk said the company has improved the quality of its suppliers, the result of launching three vehicles and building a small but passionate client base.

Rebecca Lindland, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book, said Tesla could reinvent production for the automobile industry.

Much of modern automobile production is already automated, but Lindland said there are ways to squeeze more robots into the process. A vehicle with a simpler design and fewer parts can speed up production time, as well. Manufacturers analyze every step of the process to smooth out delays in the assembly line.

Im never going to say somethings impossible, especially with Elon Musk, Lindland said, but at the same time, its an unbelievably complex process.

 San Jose Mercury News
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/03/2017 (2071 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its no secret Uber has a sometimes tense relationship with lawmakers around the world; much of its explosive rise has been attributed to its willingness to defy regulation.

Now it seems that in some places, the ride-hailing company may have resorted to extraordinary measures to identify and defeat law enforcement in a years-long game of cat and mouse.

In what some employees have questioned as an ethically and legally murky manoeuvre, Uber has mined some customers geolocation data, credit card information, app usage habits and even social-media profiles to determine whether they may be working for city governments, rival ride-hailing services or intend to harm Uber drivers, according to a report by the New York Times.

The program, code-named Greyball, surfaced in 2014 when Portland, Ore., officials posing as regular customers tried to request rides on Uber to gather evidence that the company was operating illegally in the city, according to the Times. But rather than procuring a driver for the customer, the service went so far as to show officials a fake version of the app with drivers who didnt really exist. Any drivers who did respond would quickly cancel the rides, sometimes through direct intervention from Uber itself through phone calls to a driver who had mistakenly picked up a fake fare.

This program denies ride requests to fraudulent users who are violating our terms of service, Uber said in a statement, whether thats people aiming to physically harm drivers, competitors looking to disrupt our operations, or opponents who collude with officials on secret stings meant to entrap drivers.

The report on Ubers covert activities is the latest blow for a company that has suffered a growing backlash in recent weeks. It adds to accusations of sexual harassment by a former engineer, widespread defections by customers upset over chief executive Travis Kalanicks handling of the company and an apology by Kalanick himself after he got into an argument with an Uber driver about driver wages.

Greyball reportedly began as a tool to flag abusive riders in countries where violence against Uber drivers is common. But the company discovered its utility as a way to identify problematic government officials, the Times says. To determine if a user warrants special treatment, Greyball reportedly looks at roughly a dozen factors, such as whether a customer who spends a lot of time around government buildings frequently opens and closes the app.

Once it believes its found an offending user, Uber tags the individual with a bit of code, according to the Times. The practice was approved by Ubers lawyers, according to the Times.

In Portland, officials sought to gather evidence for Ubers illegal operations by having the authorities request rides on the app. But, having been flagged by Greyball, law enforcement officials were left hanging as the fake version of the app failed to get them any rides. Soon after, the city began to allow Uber to operate legally in the city.

Security analysts say that with the amount of personal information freely available on the Internet, it is almost inevitable that a company such as Uber would move to exploit it.

But unlike its other efforts at shaping policy, Ubers Greyball appears to be a far more technologically sophisticated and systematic approach to outmanoeuvring opposition.

Now that lawmakers are aware of Greyball, analysts say they could take steps to make the tool illegal  forcing Uber to adapt again in its push to expand into new markets.

 Washington Post
During an election rally in Pandharpur, Paricharak had said that while army jawans are posted on remote borders for years, their wives still deliver babies. The comments had invited wrath from all corners of the society and after the controversy Paricharak tendered an unconditional apology.

By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: The first day of Maharashtra legislature witnessed noisy scenes over member of the legislature council Prashant Paricharak's remarks on army wives. Opposition along with Shiv Sena members demanded suspension of Paricharak and also demanded a case be registered against him. Paricharak is an independent member of the legislative council supported by BJP.

During an election rally in Pandharpur, Paricharak had said that while army jawans are posted on remote borders for years, their wives still deliver babies. The comments had invited wrath from all corners of the society and after the controversy Paricharak tendered an unconditional apology.

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But the issue rocked the upper house on the first day of the Budget session with the opposition vehemently demanding Paricharak's suspension.

"The chief minister himself should initiate a proposal on the floor of the house to suspend Paricharak. We will not allow the house to function till Paricharak is suspended," said Dhananjay Munde, leader of opposition in the upper house.

BALASAHEB WOULD HAVE HANGED PARICHARAK

The Shiv Sena too joined the opposition chorus against Paricharak. Speaking on the issue Shiv Sena leader Dr Neelam Gorhe said, "Had Balasaheb (Thackeray) been alive he would have demanded hanging of Paricharak. Such statements insulting army jawans and their families should be strictly dealt with and strictest action should be taken against Paricharak."

"A member from the senior house made such derogatory remarks about army men's wives...this makes us hang our heads in shame," criticized Vidya Chavan of the NCP.

Kapil Patil, Sharad Ranpise, and Jaydev Gaikwad also spoke on the issue demanding action against Paricharak.

Meanwhile the chairperson of the house assured them that he will check the rules of the house before taking any action and a meeting in this regard will be held tomorrow at the chief minister's office. Leader of the house Chandrakant Patil, legislative affairs minister Girish Bapat will be attending the meeting.

Also Read:

Maharashtra Women's Commission summons MLC Paricharak over his remarks on jawans' wives

--- ENDS ---
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Winnipeg police nabbed three suspects allegedly involved in an armed robbery early Sunday morning and recovered some of the stolen property.

Police said four suspects, one of whom was armed with a handgun, robbed a convenience store in the 100 block of McPhillips Street at about 5:40 a.m. Cash, cigarettes and merchandise were stolen.

Patrol officers and the canine unit responded and found three suspects inside a vehicle in the 700 block of Victor Street.

Later that day at about 11 a.m., police located two more suspects in the 200 block of College Avenue, whom officers contacted while investigating an unrelated matter.

Police said three men, ages 20, 30 and 31 years old, have been charged with numerous weapons-related offences, including armed robbery using a restricted firearm or prohibited firearm. No charges have been announced regarding the other two suspects.

A police media release said the convenience store robbery was part of a crime spree dating back to November 2016 but did not provide any further details.
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By definition, quilts are a means of uniting a mosaic into one blanket, providing warmth and comfort.

So when Kathy Desbiolles heard about the efforts of the South Osborne Syrian Refugee Initiative to sponsor three families from that war-torn country to relocate in Winnipeg, she knew what to do: get out the needle and thread.

Whenever you see people around quilts theyre always smiling, Desbiolles said. Giving a quilt and getting a quilt, its a powerful emotion. Both get a lot out of it.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Tiba Al Abdallah (centre) and her brother, Barakat, accept a quilt presented by Gladys Stoesz-Hammond.

So we felt that these were people whove had a very long and difficult journey. Theyve had to experience more trauma than anyone should at their age.

So it was that Desbiolles and the rest of the Riverview Quilters picked names for the 13 Syrian refugees being sponsored by the community group, in partnership with the Churchill Park United Church, and set to work sewing.

On Sunday, the quilters presented their works to each of the refugee members  queen-sized, singles for children and even one baby blanket  in a ceremony at the Churchill Park church.

It was only the latest effort in an 18-month process to relocate and house the three families, the last of which will take possession of a home in mid-March. The other two families have already been settled.

We were ecstatic, said Joseph Chaeban, whose wife Zainab Ali is related to all 13 refugees. All the work they have done for us, then they make these quilts. Truly, they are angels.

Its amazing, Chaeban added. Its like seeing a dream come true. We still dont believe whats happening.

After the quilt presentation, the Syrian families, along with other refugees now relocated in Winnipeg, attended a potluck supper that is hosted by the initiative on the first Sunday of every month.

Spokesman Glenn Merritt said the last refugees sponsored by the initiative  made up of around 200 volunteers from the Riverview and Lord Roberts neighbourhoods  arrived Feb. 23.

The goal of the initiative is to raise $150,000, which should cover the expenses for relocation, housing and living allowances for one year.

The priority, Merritt said, is to have the refugees learn English and find employment.

Its been very rewarding, he said. I dont think anyone knew what we were getting into. For many of us, its been quite a learning experience. Were all very appreciative ourselves of being Canadian. This sort of exposes us to people in the world who dont have the same benefits that we have, either freedom or quality of life that we enjoy.

Its been a real community effort. People have been real generous with their money, their goods and their time. Theres no hesitation to volunteer.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Heather Glaser presents eight-year-old Zainab and her father, Khaled Ali, with the quilt that she made for them.

Originally, the initiative  founded by community members Matthew Lawrence, his wife Sonya Jantz, friend Paula Leslie and Churchill Park United Church Rev. Janet Walker  had intended to sponsor two families.

That number later expanded to three, which caused organizers to increase their fundraising goal to $150,000 from $60,000.

So the work continues. Its evolved, Merritt noted. Lets call it a work in progress.

But Chaeban calls it breathtaking.

Theyre doing whatever they can, and beyond, he said. God bless them.

Meanwhile, Desbiolles said when she saw a little boy take his quilt on Sunday, fold it up and tuck it into his toy dump truck, she knew the effort was worthwhile.

We put a lot of love in those quilts, she said. And you could see that in the faces of the recipients.

randy.turner@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @randyturner15
Opinion

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There are many times when government is less about making laws and policy, and more about good old-fashioned horse-trading.

Last week, the Free Press reported first that Manitoba had made an offer to Ottawa to settle the dispute over health-care funding. Manitoba is one of four provinces that have refused to sign the funding accord.

The dispute arose after the federal Liberal government offered the provinces a 3.5 per cent annual increase in health funding, along with $11 billion over the next 10 years for home care and mental health services. The offer was less than the six per cent annual funding increase provided under the old deal.

John Woods / The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) meets with Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities 2016 Annual Conference in Winnipeg on Friday, June 3, 2016.

The provinces are apoplectic about the current offer, in large part because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau campaigned in 2015 on a pledge to ditch the Tory plan to pare back transfer payment increases to just three per cent annually. All of the larger provinces, and some of the smaller ones such as Manitoba, refused to sign on. Ottawa has been able to pick off the holdout provinces one by one with a little of the aforementioned horse-trading.

For Saskatchewan, it was an agreement to allow the province an additional year to sort out a controversial 2-1 private MRI scheme that has drawn the ire of Ottawa for violating the Canada Health Act. For British Columbia, it was a commitment of an additional $10 million in emergency funds to help combat opioid abuse, a scourge that has claimed dozens of lives in the Lower Mainland.

With plans to table a provincial budget April 11, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has finally made his pitch to Ottawa. Pallister asked for an additional $60 million over 10 years to underwrite the costs of providing dialysis to kidney patients. The premier also asked for improved health-care services for indigenous communities, including payment of an outstanding bill for $34 million for medical transportation of First Nations patients.

Will the federal government accept Manitobas opening bid? Ottawa has yet to respond to Pallisters offer. The smart money at this point says that Manitoba will get some, but not all, of what it wants.

The horse-trading over health-care funding highlights an important aspect of federal provincial relations, particularly as it applies to cost-shared programming. The province and federal government both provide money to support important services in Manitoba. Occasionally, it is unclear which level of government should be providing the funds. This has created many disputes, some of which have ended in tragedy.

The federal and provincial governments have both endorsed Jordans Principle, a case involving the death of a five-year-old boy from Norway House First Nation in Manitoba. The boy died in hospital as the federal and provincial governments squabbled over who would pay for the medical services he needed to spend his final days at home. Following the death, both levels of government pledged to never again allow jurisdictional disputes to overshadow the social or medical needs of First Nations children.

Despite the flood of lip service paid to Jordans Principle, the squabbling has not been eradicated. As evidence, one need only look at the 14-year dispute with Ottawa over $34 million in medical transportation charges for First Nations patients.

Pallister is correct to roll concerns such as this into the health-care transfer negotiations. There are myriad cost-shared programs that were starved from federal funding by the former Conservative government as it struggled to get the deficit under control. Despite talking a good game about reversing many of these decisions, the new Liberal government has been slow to resolve this fiscal offloading.

Although it is unclear whether Manitoba will get all that it wants from Ottawa on health transfers, there is no reason why Manitoba shouldnt drive a hard bargain on a wider range of issues where the federal government has been slow to respond. For instance, the settlement costs associated with the arrival of hundreds of migrants from the United States.

Manitoba is one of several provinces that has seen a flood of asylum seekers, many of them originally refugees to the U.S. who are fleeing what they believe to be a hostile environment triggered by the election of President Donald Trump. Ottawa is aware of the burden this is placing on provinces, but has so far been aloof about providing help.

On Saturday, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale was in Emerson  where the majority of asylum seekers illegally cross into Canada  to thank the volunteers who have gone out of their way to help the migrants find sanctuary in Canada. Goodale also talked about making sure Canadian Border Services and the RCMP have the proper resources to patrol the border. What Goodale did not talk about was the growing financial burden on the province and non-governmental immigrant settlement agencies that suddenly find themselves on the front line of a mounting humanitarian crisis.

The flood of asylum seekers coming into Canada is a fraction of the number of displaced souls that flood into many European nations. Still, immigrant resources in many provinces have been stretched thin as lodging, clothes, food and even legal representation need to be procured. Goodale should have spoken to this growing financial demand, but he did not. The federal cabinet is reportedly meeting this week to discuss the asylum seekers, a discussion that should include more resources to help financially strapped provinces such as Manitoba deal with the costs.

Its too late to add settlement service funding for asylum seekers to the letter Pallister sent to Ottawa last week on health transfers, but certainly it should be included in any future negotiations that involve the province giving the federal government something that it wants.

Manitobans should wish their premier luck as he horse-trades with Ottawa over health-care funding. A good deal now might signal a future where Ottawa is willing to give as good as it gets.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
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A precedent-setting decision that saw a Winnipeg womans photo-radar speeding ticket tossed out of court because of a lengthy delay has now been reversed by a higher-court judge who decided the delay was not unreasonable under the law.

The initial court decision had been used as a legal basis for other drivers who argued their speeding tickets should be thrown out because they had to wait too long to get to trial, but its reversal means drivers cant expect their tickets to be tossed unless the case has dragged on for at least a year and a half.

Court of Queens Bench Justice Vic Toews ruled Monday Genevieve Grants charter rights werent violated when a trial was set for nearly 18 months down the road after she pleaded not guilty to speeding through a school zone.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Court of Queen's Bench Justice Vic Toews ruled an 18-month delay in fighting a speeding ticket in court was not unreasonable under the law.

Grant was the registered owner of a vehicle that was captured on photo radar speeding through a school zone on Oct. 27, 2014, and after she decided to plead not guilty, a trial date was set for April 27, 2016  only eight days shy of the 18-month provincial court trial deadline that the Supreme Court would set out in a decision last July.

That Supreme Court decision, known as R. vs. Jordan, ruled that a provincial court trial must be completed within 18 months of a criminal charge being laid.

Although the Supreme Courts decision came after provincial court Judge Mary Kate Harvie decided last May to drop the traffic ticket because of unreasonable delay, Toews decided the new standard should apply to cases that were working their way through the system even before the Jordan decision came into effect.

For cases in which the delay was less than 18 months, the defence would have to prove the delay was unreasonable. In this case, Toews ruled it wasnt.

There is no indication that the case took markedly longer than it reasonably should have, he said in his decision.

Harvies initial decision called into question other outstanding traffic tickets last spring when she ruled it should take only four to six months for traffic ticket cases to be decided in provincial court. But Toews decision grants the Crowns appeal, reverses the initial decision that threw out the ticket and orders that new trial dates be set for Grants case  now more than two years old.

Toews decision had an immediate impact at the Winnipeg courthouse Monday. At least one traffic-ticket delay motion was dismissed as a result, and another was put on hold to allow more time to analyze Toews findings.

I view the comments of Justice Toews as deciding the matter before me, provincial court Judge Dale Schille said Monday afternoon as he declined to issue a stay of proceedings for a Winnipeg man who pleaded not guilty to a photo radar ticket he received for speeding through a construction zone. In that case, the trial date was set for 18 months and nine days in the future, above the Supreme Courts threshold, but Schille cited Toews decision in deciding the delay was not unreasonable.

Neither Grant nor her lawyer could be reached for comment Monday.

Drivers advocate Todd Dube of Wise Up Winnipeg said he knew of at least six tickets that were thrown out because of delays after the initial decision in Grants case last May. Several hundred traffic-ticket cases already in the queue will be affected by the appeal, he predicted.

Dube said he disagrees with Justice Toews decision because it gives the same weight to traffic violations as to criminal cases. The Supreme Courts 18-month provincial court trial deadline was meant for criminal cases, he argues, not simple photo-radar cases.

Thats where the earlier decision was critical; that judge (Harvie) said these are administrative tickets its wholly unreasonable to (wait) 18 months later to deal with that type of a matter, Dube said. Its now been affirmed 18 months is the legal ceiling for them to prosecute these, however, we think it shouldve been much lower than that for these types of tickets.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
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More court sheriffs are being trained in Manitoba as staff shortages elsewhere in Canada have raised alarm over court delays and even caused accused criminals to go free.

Fifteen new part-time sheriffs officers were hired late last year, after Justice Minister Heather Stefanson told the legislature hiring had been put on hold while the government reviewed its spending.

Two sheriffs officers were hired in February and six are in training, a Justice Department spokeswoman said in a statement to the Free Press.

JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Sheriffs officers take inmates to court and maintain security in courtrooms.

There are three vacancies in the provinces pool of 102 full-time sheriff positions, and 110 part-time positions are filled as needed, the department said.

Sheriffs officers are responsible for taking inmates to court, guarding them and maintaining security in the courthouse.

A sheriff shortage in B.C. led to two accused drug dealers having their charges dropped in late February. In two cases within a week in Victoria, accused drug traffickers were let go because there werent enough sheriffs to take them from holding cells into the courtroom to face their charges.

While that hasnt happened in Manitoba, a spokesman for the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association of Manitoba said the Winnipeg courthouse has experienced court delays caused by a lack of sheriffs officers who are available to transport prisoners on a given day. Scott Newman said the courthouse recently went into a lockdown  temporarily halting the transport of prisoners to and from courtrooms  because the number of accused awaiting court appearances exceeded the capacity of the holding cells in the sheriffs lockup.

Its getting more and more common, and its not just the sheriffs being short-staffed. Its also an issue of the space at the courthouse not being sufficient for the volume of cases that were trying to put through, Newman said.

The Manitoba Government and General Employees Union, which represents sheriffs officers, said despite few vacancies, the sheriffs are routinely logging overtime hours.

The issue isnt whether or not they are fully staffed, its whether or not they are adequately and appropriately staffed. Sheriffs are often required to work overtime to meet the unique needs of the courts and to ensure the smooth operation of the justice system, MGEU president Michelle Gawronsky said in a statement.

Sheriffs have a dangerous job. They are responsible for transporting prisoners, the security of our courtrooms across the province. Working excessive overtime or even short-handed should never be an option when public safety is at stake. Thats why we will continue to push the government for more investments to help our sheriffs do their jobs, the statement reads.

Sheriffs officers in Manitoba are working more overtime  their combined overtime totalled about 31,629 hours in the 2015-16 fiscal year, compared with 29,784 hours in 2014-15 and 27,416 hours in 2013-14, Manitoba Justice said.

Manitoba Justice manages sheriffs officers and the need for overtime as much as possible, through appropriate scheduling and the use of part-time officers. However, a number of variables that can affect overtime  like weather, road conditions or the number of people being transported at any one time  are often outside our control, the department said.

katie.may@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @thatkatiemay
Opinion

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Amelia MacDougall volunteers as a result of her passion for environmentalism.

Ive been practising (it) in my personal life, but I knew I wanted to have more of an active role in making sustainable change, the 25-year-old says. So, I started looking for different opportunities online.

The group she found and joined in December is the Winnipeg chapter of Greenpeace, a non-governmental environmental organization with regional offices around the world.

DAVID LIPNOWSKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Green Peace Winnipeg volunteers Amelia MacDougall (left) and Nicole Lee pose for a photograph Friday March 3, 2017 at The Forks.

The local chapter was established last May and exists to support global Greenpeace campaigns as well as address local issues.

One of MacDougalls volunteer duties is serving on a subcommittee that is organizing a month-long challenge to eat only plant-based whole foods.

The challenge starts Tuesday with a kick-off event at the Cornish Library (20 West Gate). The event starts at 6 p.m. and includes a film screening.

Those participating in the challenge are encouraged to attend weekly meetings at the library for support.

Its an opportunity for people to get to know the community and network so that they can learn and grow from each other, MacDougall says.

Learning new things has been a highlight of volunteering with Greenpeace for Nicole Lee, who joined the group in November.

Coming into this, I was by no means an environmental expert or a major activist, the 27-year-old says. The beauty of Greenpeace is it brings together people from all walks of life. Even if you feel like you dont know a lot about a topic, go to a meeting and its amazing what you can learn.

Ultimately, Greenpeace is about taking action. To that end, the group aims to get together twice a month: once for a meeting and once for an activity, such as cleaning a park.

The groups goals are to create a better life for Manitobas farm animals, ban one-use plastic bags in the province and stop the Energy East pipeline.

We cant wait to make change to create a sustainable future for the Earth, MacDougall says. We have to start looking after it now. We have to work together to preserve the planet.

Anyone can volunteer for Greenpeace Winnipeg and all are welcome, says Katie Hartle, who started the local chapter.

Our volunteers often say that they are so glad to finally have an outlet for their passion for the environment, Hartle says. A lot of our volunteers already strive for an eco-friendly lifestyle, but have joined this group because they feel that when it comes to protecting the environment, the need is so great that its going to take more than just acting on an individual level to inspire the enormous change that we need to see.

The group is looking for people who are passionate about the environment and who are willing to commit two to four hours of volunteer work each month.

We have lots of potential ahead of us, so were really excited, Hartle says.

Anyone interested can visit greenpeacewinnipeg.ca for details.

If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com.
Opinion

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Last fall, as part of my work on refugee issues in Germany, I had the opportunity to discuss with the state minister of Rhine-Westphalia how they managed the transformation of their economy and labour force when national policy required the closure of their coal mines and nuclear plants.

His answer was clear and instructive: education. They invested public funds and leveraged private funds into education.

In the past 10 years they have initiated a total recasting of their learning and innovation system, creating more than 70 new universities, colleges and research centres and breaking away from the traditional learning conventions by establishing digital modes of interconnection, public-private partnerships and extended lifelong educational and training opportunities. They are building a learning network that will underpin the advancement of a connected society.

There is a similar message in a recent report by the Winnipeg-based international think tank, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, that deals with the disparity in growth-producing investments. It suggests this country is over-invested in natural resources and concludes: Canada must grow its human capital. Better education and training are key here.

So whats that got to do with Winnipeg? Education is one of the defining ways to create a climate of innovation and growth for this city and this province.

Its helpful that the mayor is focusing on the future of the city, but I dont think resolving the Portage Avenue and Main Street roundabout or road repair are the kinds of big ideas needed to meet the challenge of sustainable growth.

The reality is that in the next 10 years, 18 per cent of the citys population will be comprised of aboriginal residents. Add to that the increased number of new Canadians relocating here from around the world.

For both newcomers and our indigenous population, a focus on transforming and enhancing our education system is a must. At the same time, we cant forget our young people coping with a volatile job market and older workers looking for new opportunities.

There has to be a serious commitment from governments and business to an imaginative public policy on learning and its connection to a sustainable economy. One way to start is to consider the successful German model and create new institutions.

Its time for a new alternative  a municipally governed city learning centre in Winnipeg  that will be a catalyst for shaping the future of our community. It would lead in a learning strategy that emphasizes integrated programs in fields such as urban design, energy conservation, web management, micro learning, sustainability law and language and would ensure connectivity for aboriginal people and newcomers as well.

It can be a co-operative venture between existing institutions, but not tied to conventional pedagogical practices. It can be a curriculum freed from enforced restrictions of traditional disciplines so that it can work in partnership with business and community to reflect the reality of the changing demographics and incorporating the new knowledge that the acceleration of technology brings.

Its a model that can incorporate traditional learning precepts of our aboriginal community and work in partnership with their constituent colleges. It could team up with the city library to form a hub of contemporary literacy practices that could spread its reach worldwide.

A city university concept may not need a lot of new capital infrastructure. It might be a series of focused sessions using existing new communication technology and existing space in colleges and universities spread out through out the city.

Or another concept might be for the second level of Portage Place or part of the traditional Hudsons Bay store to be converted to an open learning centre that co-ordinates and draws on the world and engages and disseminates the dialogue, making the concept a win-win for all current educators.

The governing board would reflect our growing diversity, grounded on principles of access and focusing on innovative programming. It can be more democratic, with shared governance through community-based education councils that include key education users.

Thomas Friedman, in his latest book, Thank You For Being Late, sums it up this way: Our educational systems must be retooled to maximize these needed skills and attributes: strong fundamentals in writing, reading, coding and math; creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration; grit, self-motivation, lifelong learning habits; and entrepreneurship and improvisation at every level.

We can do that in Winnipeg and create a whole new way of approaching the economy and labour.

Lloyd Axworthy is the former president of the University of Winnipeg and a former federal Liberal cabinet minister. He is the chairman of Cuso International.
Opinion

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It has been many years since France last had a revolution, or even a serious attempt at reform. Stagnation, both political and economic, has been the hallmark of a country where little has changed for decades, even as power has rotated between the established parties of left and right.

Until now. This years presidential election, the most exciting in living memory, promises an upheaval. The Socialist and Republican parties, which have held power since the founding of the Fifth Republic in 1958, could be eliminated in the first round of a presidential ballot April 23. French voters may face a choice between two insurgent candidates: Marine Le Pen, the charismatic leader of the National Front, and Emmanuel Macron, the upstart leader of a liberal movement, En Marche! (On the Move!), which he founded only last year.

The implications of these insurgencies are hard to exaggerate. They are the clearest example yet of a global trend: that the old divide between left and right is growing less important than a new one between open and closed. The resulting realignment will have reverberations far beyond Frances borders. It could revitalize the European Union, or wreck it.

DAVID VINCENT / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Polls show French far-right leader Marine Le Pen winning the first round of the presidential election.

The revolutions proximate cause is voters fury at the uselessness and self-dealing of their ruling class. The Socialist president, Francois Hollande, is so unpopular he is not running for re-election. The established opposition, the centre-right Republican party, saw its chances sink March 1 when its standard-bearer, Francois Fillon, revealed he was being formally investigated for paying his wife and children nearly 1 million euros of public money for allegedly fake jobs. Fillon did not withdraw from the race, despite having promised to do so. But his chances of winning are dramatically weakened.

Further fuelling voters anger is their anguish at the state of France. One poll last year found French people are the most pessimistic on Earth, with 81 per cent grumbling the world is getting worse and only three per cent saying it is getting better. Much of that gloom is economic. Frances economy has long been sluggish. Its vast state, which absorbs 57 per cent of gross domestic product, has sapped the countrys vitality. A quarter of French youths are unemployed. Of those who have jobs, few can find permanent ones of the sort their parents enjoyed. In the face of high taxes and heavy regulation, those with entrepreneurial vim have long headed abroad, often to London. But the malaise goes well beyond stagnant living standards. Repeated terrorist attacks have jangled nerves, forced citizens to live under a state of emergency and exposed deep cultural rifts in the country with Europes largest Muslim community.

Many of these problems have built up over decades, but neither the left nor the right has been able to get to grips with them. Frances last serious attempt at ambitious economic reform, an overhaul of pensions and social security, was in the mid-1990s under president Jacques Chirac. It collapsed in the face of massive strikes. Since then, few have even tried. Nicolas Sarkozy talked a big game, but his reform agenda was felled by the financial crisis of 2007-08. Hollande had a disastrous start, introducing a 75 per cent top tax rate. He was then too unpopular to get much done. After decades of stasis, it is hardly surprising French voters want to throw the bums out.

Both Macron and Le Pen tap into that frustration. But they offer radically different diagnoses of what ails France and radically different remedies. Le Pen blames outside forces and promises to protect voters with a combination of more barriers and greater social welfare. She has effectively distanced herself from her partys anti-Semitic past (even evicting her father from the party he founded), but she appeals to those who want to shut out the rest of the world. She decries globalization as a threat to French jobs and Islamists as fomenters of terror who make it perilous to wear a short skirt in public. The EU is an anti-democratic monster. She vows to close radical mosques, stanch the flow of immigrants to a trickle, obstruct foreign trade, swap the euro for a resurrected French franc and call a referendum on leaving the EU.

Macrons instincts are the opposite. He thinks more openness would make France stronger. He is staunchly pro-trade, pro-competition, pro-immigration and pro-EU. He embraces cultural change and technological disruption. He thinks the way to get more people working is to reduce labour protections, not add to them. Though he has long been short on precise policies, Macron is pitching himself as the pro-globalization revolutionary.

Look carefully, and neither insurgent is a convincing outsider. Le Pen has spent her life in politics; her success has been to make a hitherto extremist party socially acceptable. Macron was Hollandes economy minister. His liberalizing program will probably be less bold than that of the beleaguered Fillon, who has promised to trim the state payroll by 500,000 workers and slash the labour code. Both revolutionaries would have difficulty enacting their agendas. Even if she were to prevail, Le Pens party would not win a majority in the national assembly. Macron barely has a party.

Nonetheless, they represent a repudiation of the status quo. A victory for Macron would be evidence liberalism still appeals to Europeans. A victory for Le Pen would make France poorer and nastier. If she pulls France out of the euro, it would trigger a financial crisis and doom a union that, for all its flaws, has promoted peace and prosperity in Europe for six decades.

With just over two months to go, it seems Le Pen is unlikely to clinch the presidency. Polls show her winning the first round but losing the runoff. But in this extraordinary election, anything could happen. France has shaken the world before. It could do so again.

 the Economist
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/03/2017 (2071 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its surprising what you learn when you live abroad.

Im on an academic leave from Selkirk College in Castlegar, B.C. Im currently teaching at Brandenburg Technical University in Cottbus, Germany.

Heres some of what Ive learned.

MICHAEL SOHN / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Photovoltaic modules and a windmill in the village of Feldheim, Germany, which derives all its power from renewable resources.

Europe may consider a common language in the school curriculum of all member states. The common language might be French or a constructed language. Europeans would allow 50 years for the transition so everyone would be able to speak their native language and the common European language. Imagine that type of long-term planning.

Europe may consider a common military.

Europe isnt too chuffed about Brexit. The tabloids are having fun, but in more serious discussion, the European Union emphatically does not want to be coercive.

But this isnt about a European language, European military or Brexit. Its about the European transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

There is both a European policy and member states policies for transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy. For example, countries are giving auto manufacturers notice that after a certain date, gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicles may not be sold. Germany has a cluster of policies and discussion papers known as Energiewende that address this transition with milestones, deadlines and penalties for non-compliance.

Where Im living, there is a huge coal mining and thermal electric power industry. The quality of the coal varies. Around Cottbus, the coal is lignite  soft coal with a low energy density, high sulphur content and very high moisture of around 50 per cent.

There are serious environmental issues associated with mining lignite. The most insidious aspect of lignite mining is the formation of sulphuric acid in the drained soil. The soil has a naturally high pyrite (iron sulphide) content. When iron sulphide is exposed to air and water, a series of natural reactions occur that result in the formation of sulphuric acid. Over the life of the open-pit lignite mines, the volume of sulphuric acid formed has created serious environmental problems.

Beyond the adverse environmental effects of lignite mining, lignite combustion requires coal to be transported to a power plant, dried, crushed and burned; once power is generated in that way, sulphate and particulate air pollution must be controlled and waste disposed.

During the Cold War era, lignite was the only option for electric-power generation in East Germany. Little was invested in environmental protection. Things have improved substantially since 1989 with sulphate and particulate emission control, but mercury and carbon dioxide emissions remain.

In Europe, everyone I meet acknowledges the reality and seriousness of climatic change and the role of fossil fuel combustion in emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as the primary cause.

Replacing coal-powered electricity with renewable energy improves public health. It also saves money. I visited a German village, Feldheim, where all energy is generated from renewable sources.

Feldheim has third-generation wind turbines that stand 147 metres tall with 56-metre blades. The wind was imperceptible at ground level and a brisk 30 km/h at hub height. Crops can be grown all around the turbines. Energy sale is now a valuable revenue stream for Feldheims farmers.

It also has a biogas plant that uses crop residue, animal manure and cereal to generate methane. The methane is used to boil water for a district heating system. The material processed in the biogas plant can be applied to the land as fertilizer.

There is a bioenergy plant that takes waste from the trees harvested in the community forest and burns it in a high-efficiency combustion system to boil water for the district heat system.

There is an experimental 10-megawatt storage battery to provide temporary electricity storage to try to supply the grid when demand and prices are at their highest.

Feldheim generates a large surplus of electricity that it sells to the national grid. Citizens are shareholders in their energy business. When the citizens were told they could not distribute their electricity on the national grid to themselves, they dug up the streets and installed their own electric grid. People pay about half the national price for electricity. Their investments in renewable energy earn a good financial return. The environmental benefits are coincidental.

This is a small, conservative farming community that recognized the economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy, but it is not alone.

Canadians need to hear how European communities are taking control of their energy resources to the benefit of their local economies and individual pocketbooks. Canada needs its own Energiewende.

Robert Macrae is an environmental technology instructor at Selkirk College in Castlegar, B.C., and is on an academic leave teaching at Brandenburg Technical University in Cottbus, Germany.
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Mar 6 (PTI) Donald Trump is the "deflector- in-chief", a powerful Democratic leader has said while dismissing the US Presidents allegation of wiretapping of Trump Tower before the 2016 elections as a "wrap-up smear" by "an authoritarian".

"The president is the deflector-in-chief, anything to change the subject from where the heat is," the House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said.

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She was responding to Trumps allegation that his predecessor Barack Obama had ordered wiretapping of the Trump Tower before the November elections. The allegation has been denied by Obamas spokesperson Kevin Lewis as "simply false".

Pelosi said: "As one who has been engaged in intelligence, a member of the Gang of Eight, for a long time, I can tell that its just ridiculous for the president, President Trump, to say that President Obama would ever order any wiretap of an American citizen, any president."

"We dont do that. Its called a wrap-up smear. You make up something," she told CNN.

"Its a tool of an authoritarian, to just have you always be talking about what you want them to be talking about. Rather than Russia, were talking about, did President Obama do thus and so? He certainly did not," she said.

"Then to take it to the Congress and say, now you investigate this, when hes been not in favour of Congress investigating anything, including what do the Russians have on Donald Trump politically, financially or personally, thats the truth we want to know," she said.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton told Fox News that the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has already begun a probe into Russias efforts "to undermine confidence" into the American political system and US interest across the world.

"That inquiry is going to be thorough, and were going to follow the facts wherever they lead us. And Im sure that this matter will be a part of that inquiry," Cotton said.

"We are going to review allegations of any kind of improper contacts between Russian officials and campaign officials or other American citizens. And Im sure that well be reviewing any allegations such as this," he said when asked about Trumps wiretapping allegations.

However, Cotton said, he has seen no such evidence on the allegations that has appeared in the media so far. "That doesnt mean that none of these things happened. It simply means I havent seen that yet - as Speaker Ryan said in the lead-in to our conversation here," he said.

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Democratic Senator Chris Coons said "no president should ever directly order and intercept a wiretap" on an American citizen. "You have to go in front of a judge and get a warrant in order to conduct a wiretap," he said.

"So, one of two things has happened here. Either President Trump has inappropriately released classified information and was himself a subject of a court-ordered wiretap. I think this is a very remote possibility - there was some inappropriate actions by the previous administration," Coons told Fox News.

"In either case, it doesnt help our country for this to all be worked out on Twitter," he said. PTI LKJ ABH AKJ AKJ

--- ENDS ---
The Peoples Choice Award-winning movie from the 2017 Frozen River Film Festival is back for another showing at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 9, in the Winona Public Library.

"John Latsch: The Man and his River" is directed by Winona resident Mary Farrell and tells the legacy of the Winona native who loved the outdoors so much that he left acreage to the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
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The victim of a possible hate crime in Washington state Friday would not be the first Sikh to be targeted.
The new leadership in the Legislature has already ticked off a few big accomplishments in the first two months of the 2017 session. Republicans quickly forged a compromise with Gov. Mark Dayton on emergency health care premium aid, on tax relief, and on clean energy. We also recently repealed the unpopular 159-year-old law preventing liquor stores from operating on Sundays. Its something Minnesotans have been asking the Legislature to do for more than a decade.

But the biggest issue of this session is constructing a new state budget. Odd-numbered years are budget years at the Legislature. Its the biggest job of each new biennium, and the decisions arent easy. Every legislator is visited by a parade of constituents, advocates, and agencies who all make compelling cases for why their programs deserve funding. In a perfect world, wed be able to fund everything. But we have a responsibility to be cautious with taxpayer dollars.

Every February, the office of Minnesota Management and Budget releases a revenue forecast that gives a comprehensive picture of our budget situation. This is what tells legislators how much money we have to work with.

This years forecast was generally positive: Minnesota has a projected $1.65 billion budget surplus for the next biennium, and $2 billion in our cash and budget reserves.

Governments savings accounts are full, and spending increases seem to be on autopilot. But the forecast doesnt tell us a whole lot about how the average family budget is fairing.

There were some warning signs: According to the forecast, GDP growth, consumer expenditures, and wage and salary disbursements are all projected to remain fairly stagnant. There is uncertainty about how federal policy changes will affect our revenues. The forecast noted we have high job vacancies, Minnesotans workweeks are about 4 percent longer than 2009, and our labor force participation is as low as it has been in about 30 years.

Even if we dont make any changes to our spending, this years budget is projected to be 7 percent higher than last years. Did your family get a 7 percent raise last year?

In the last six years, Minnesotas budget has risen about 30 percent. Do you feel like youre getting 30 percent more for your tax dollars?

Government bureaucracy is doing just fine; its time we concentrate on rebuilding family budgets and make sure youre getting good value for your tax dollars. Government spending has increased every year, but we have little to show for it: no transportation bill, no education improvements, a health care system in turmoil, and no tax relief.

Thats why Senate Republicans have introduced our Advancing Minnesota agenda. Our ideas work and will have a real impact on your family, like a sustainable budget that focuses on job growth; meaningful tax relief; education improvements, structural health care reform; dependable, inexpensive energy; and investments in road and bridge infrastructure. You can learn more at mnsenaterepublicans.com.

Republicans will advance Minnesota by reining in wasteful spending, focusing on the essential functions of government. Well strengthen your familys budget, not governments.
In the months before the recent U.S. presidential election, Canadians joked about building their own border wall to keep American liberals from invading in the event of a Trump victory. What they didnt foresee then was the migration that has actually occurred since.

Foreign nationals living in the United States, and particularly in Minnesota  frightened for their safety and legal status and so far numbering in the hundreds  have walked north into Canada in pursuit of political asylum. Plans for more aggressive enforcement of immigration laws, now revealed by the Department of Homeland Security, promise to swell this flow.

What is the meaning of this northward migration? And why should we care about it?

From a humanitarian point of view, we should be alarmed that individuals and families who have already fled violence in countries like Burundi, Eritrea, Sudan and Syria, are feeling so uneasy that they would quickly pack luggage, gather their children, and, with the dubious assistance of human smugglers, flee yet again to try to start over in another place.

Putting this migration into historical context makes it even more disturbing. Canadians, largely blue collar and white, have always flowed south to the United States in search of economic opportunity. Nearly 1 million French Canadians sought work in an industrializing New England between 1840 and 1930, for example. Since the 1920s, an occasional brain drain of knowledge workers, from physicians to engineers to entertainers, has drifted south. But Americans have followed the reverse route by and large for a very different reason.

Take the Loyalists, those who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution and then fled its violence and persecution for British Canada. The largest of the Loyalist groups was of European origin. Of both high and low station, these Americans rejected the actions of what many of them viewed as the rabble mob, and at wars end, some 40,000 left for Canada to avoid imprisonment and the denial of civil rights.

Not all Loyalists were of European origin. The Iroquois, whose land was overrun by George Washingtons armies, received lands in what is now Ontario to settle and farm beyond the striking range of the expanding Republic. Black Loyalists, who had taken up the British offer of freedom from slavery to join the British side of the fight, fled to the Canadian Maritimes in the hope of starting anew.

African-Americans didnt stop fleeing to Canada in the 18th century. Among the unknown number of slaves who used the secretive paths and safe houses of the Underground Railroad, Canada became the destination of choice after the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, which required that all captured slaves in the northern free states be returned to their southern masters.

During the Indian Wars on the Great Plains, Lakota Chief Sitting Bull fled with his people to Canada  he called it Grandmothers country after Queen Victoria  to escape harassment by the U.S. Army. It was a short-lived stay and upon their return to the United States, Sitting Bull was murdered and his people were impounded on the Standing Rock reservation.

The Vietnam War era saw U.S. draft resisters and deserters, numbering in the tens of thousands, quietly drive their Chevies and VW Bugs across the international border. Organizations sprung up to welcome and care for them in cities from Vancouver to Montreal. Most stayed on, even after President Carter offered them amnesty on his first day of office.

Canada is no paradise. It has its own tensions around race and region. It holds an environmental record no better than our own. And for much of Canadian history, native peoples experienced abysmal treatment.

The fact remains, however, that for more than two centuries, Americans who have felt persecuted have fled north to what they view as a more welcoming and tolerant democracy. Today, we may be witnessing another chapter in that sad history. This is not a history to be proud of.
By Press Trust of India: Kolkata, Mar 6 (PTI) An inquiry committee, set up by the West Bengal government, has found medical negligence, delay in release and tampering of documents as reasons for the death of Sanjoy Roy at Apollo Gleneagles Hospital recently.

The death of the 30-year-old patient had caused an outcry and eventually led to the setting up of a medical council by the state government to monitor functioning of private hospitals.

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Talking to reporters at the state secretariat after submitting the findings of the probe committee and meeting the chief minister today, state Health Secretary Rajendra Shukla said that the report indicated medical negligence, delay in Sanjay Roys release and tampering of documents related to his treatment.

"The inquiry committee report indicated three points: Medical negligence, delay in the release of the patient until the bills were settled, getting hold of fixed deposit and tampering of documents related to the treatment," Shukla said.

However, he said, as the findings of the six-member inquiry committee did not pinpoint who were accountable for the "three indicators" found by the probe committee, the state health department set up a three-member committee to go through the report and the documents.

"The report has not pinpointed responsibilities for the three indicators... thats very important. So the (health) department has set up a three-member committee to go through the report and the documents," he said.

The three-member committee, consisting of Gastroenterologist Prof G. Dhali, former Prof Surgery CMC Madhusudhan Banerjee and Health Services Director Biswaranjan Satpathy, would submit its report to the government within three days fixing responsibility, Shukla said.

On being asked what action could be taken against the persons found guilty, Shukla said that the department would "seek legal advice".

The health secretary refused to comment on being asked if the probe committee report would be referred to the CID. PTI SCH MD MD

--- ENDS ---
In the months before she was paid to resign amid a swirl of allegations, Sauk Countys top administrator received a stream of information about the alleged workplace failures of the countys attorney.

Emails recently obtained under a public records request show a former secretary in the office of Sauk County Corporation Counsel Todd Liebman accused her boss of on-the-job foul ups, misconduct, and laziness.

The secretary documented her concerns in emails to then-Administrative Coordinator Renae Fry. She also sent messages about her boss to Sauk County Board Chair Marty Krueger.

Liebman became aware of his secretarys actions in late October, just before he and Krueger made numerous allegations against Fry and took steps to advance her removal.

The emails raise questions for some about Liebmans involvement in events that led to Fry being awarded a separation agreement that will cost taxpayers $135,000.

Allegations denied

Liebman and Krueger did not respond to interview requests this week. But in a written statement, the attorney denied his secretarys allegations. He accused her of distorting facts and working as Frys spy in a campaign to smear him.

I hope that the newspaper will not cover this disgusting story of petty office intrigue, Liebman wrote. It should be of no public interest whatsoever, and its only function would be to repeat false and malicious misrepresentations. The newspaper should exercise some responsible restraint.

Fry could have used the information against Liebman. An ordinance says the administrative coordinator shall provide input to the county attorneys oversight panel during performance reviews.

Documents show Liebman played a key role in Frys departure. He drafted a list of allegations against her, put the countys insurance company on notice in the matter, and had multiple consultations with an attorney hired by the insurance company.

Board members involved in closed-session discussions about Frys employment dispute said they had no knowledge of the secretarys emails, or the allegations against Liebman. Two said the timeline of events is concerning.

That certainly is troubling information to me, Supervisor Bill Wenzel of Prairie du Sac said after reading the emails. It answers a lot of questions I had during Renae Frys evaluation, and I think it should be looked into.

Some of the emails included chains of messages involving multiple county employees. They described instances in which Liebman allegedly did not provide timely legal advice, mishandled cases, and asked his employees to do work unrelated to county business.

One exchange shows Liebman asked his secretaries to create a private email group for local attorneys as part of his responsibilities as the Sauk County Bar president. The secretary that handled that task apparently had to involve county technical staff.

In his written statement, Liebman said it is common for support staff to assist county officials in their roles outside government with professional organizations.

It was also beneficial for our office to have a list of all Sauk County attorneys in the event we needed to do a mass email to all Sauk County attorneys, Liebman wrote. I considered the benefit to the county from this task before I directed it to be done, and stand by it.

Liebman said the secretary never brought any of her concerns about these activities to him directly.

This employees emails are either fabrications or distortions of events rendering them false, Liebman said.

Actions defended

An attorney with experience in ethics cases said Liebmans actions involving Frys departure wouldnt necessarily have buried the secretarys allegations if the emails were shared with the next administrative coordinator.

What youre dealing with are allegations that would go from the desk of the present county administrative coordinator to the successor, said Frank Tuerkhiemer, an attorney and professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Thats no reason that the county attorney shouldnt do his job.

Sauk County Board Vice Chair Joan Fordham of Baraboo said she was not aware of the secretarys emails until the newspaper provided them to her. She said she does not want to contribute to what she called rumors and misrepresentations.

If I commented on documents that I had never seen before, I would be doing just that, Fordham wrote in an email. She serves on the committee that oversees the county attorney and the administrative coordinator.

Deal was doubled

On Nov. 3, before the county board approved such an offer, an employee in Liebmans office presented Fry with a separation agreement that would have entitled her to six months salary in exchange for her resignation. Thats the amount specified in terms of her employment contract. But Fry didnt sign.

She hired her own attorney and entered negotiations with the county before the board met Nov. 21 to approve offering a separation agreement. Days later, Fry signed a deal that entitles her to a full years salary. It will cost taxpayers $135,000, and prevents Fry from speaking negatively about the county.

Frys attorney, Nichole Marklein Bacher of Baraboo, said she was prepared to file a lawsuit against the county if necessary.

A board member who has been critical of the county attorney and the handling of recent county personnel issues said there seemed to be a rush to judgment in Frys case. And he said Liebman likely should not have involved himself in the matter.

The real issue is they gave her twice as much to gag her and to sweep the whole thing under the rug, said Supervisor Peter Vedro of Baraboo.

Jeff Hynes, a Milwaukee labor attorney that has handled severance packages for 32 years, said the fact that Frys final payout was double the initial offer is significant.

That does raise an eyebrow because of the substantial raise in pay and benefits in the context of what the county has alleged to be poor performance, he said.

Terms offer context

Krueger has sought to downplay the fact that he and Liebman are the only two officials prevented from speaking negatively about Fry under her separation deal. During last months meeting, he told fellow supervisors that any board chair would be subject to the same restrictions.

But Hynes said thats not likely the case. Although no denigration clauses are common in order to make peace not war, he said, the fact that the board chair and county attorney are singled out is no mistake.

Hynes called that an interesting nuance of the agreement, and said it suggests Fry was mainly concerned with limiting what Krueger and Liebman might say about her.

Although the agreement says Liebman shall instruct other board members not to make negative statements about Fry, it doesnt explicitly prevent them from doing so. Hynes said that suggests Fry was not terribly concerned about board members other than the chair.

Its not clear whether Liebmans involvement in Frys removal was improper, Hynes said, given the context of the situation. Its hard to say whether its unethical, he said. But the facts you portrayed to me suggest the environment to a degree is dysfunctional.

The boards Executive and Legislative Committee meets Tuesday at 9 a.m. to consider scheduling a special April board meeting to discuss hiring and firing practices. Liebmans performance review also is on the agenda.
As the debate over use of marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes continues in the United States, in Wisconsin theres an opportunity to take a marijuana extract and simplify its use for a single, specific, non-narcotic purpose: Saving patients from life-threatening seizures.

A bill easing access to a treatment for seizures and other medical conditions has passed the state Senate, clearing a hurdle that thwarted the legislation last year.

The bill offers a fix to Lydias Law, which legalized cannabidiol, or CBD oil, which has been shown to work for at least some children suffering from seizures.

Advocates say Lydias Law has not worked as intended because Wisconsin families have been unable to access the oil. Under the fix to the law, a person can possess CBD oil without a prescription as long as that person has a written certification from a Wisconsin-licensed doctor that the oil is for treatment of a medical condition.

The bill requires that certification be no more than one year old, which is similar to prescription drugs, officials said. It also stipulates that if the federal government changes its classification of CBD oil  its labeled as a schedule I drug, the same as marijuana  the state will mirror those changes within 30 days.

The bill allows families to possess and use CBD oil without fear of state or local prosecution, said state Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, who authored the legislation.

He said he was ecstatic to give hope to families across the state, adding the bill was the culmination of three long years of work.

This bill is not only the compassionate thing to do, it is the right thing to do, Wanggaard said in a statement. Parents shouldnt have to risk jail time to treat their children. It is a sense of relief that we can ease the suffering and fear that too many parents experience trying to improve the lives of their children. For the record, Wanggaard said he is willing to consider legislation on the introduction of medical marijuana in Wisconsin in a limited, controlled manner.

Gov. Scott Walker has signaled his support for the new bill and it has been approved by the Assembly Committee on Children and Families. The full Assembly is scheduled to vote on it this month.

You may recall the story behind the bill being named Lydias Law. Lydia Schaeffer of Burlington suffered from a rare form of epilepsy that resulted in numerous seizures during her sleep. While an autopsy was not performed, indications are that Lydia likely died from a seizure, said her mother, Sally Schaeffer.

Lydia died May 10, 2014. She was 7 years old.

No family should lose a loved one to a fatal seizure when the means to prevent such a seizure, or at least minimize its damage, exists. We urge the full Assembly and Gov. Walker to make the improvements to Lydias Law a reality.
JUNEAU  With the recent spring-like weather and the calendar changing to March, the Juneau Area Veterans Memorial Committee will soon be active with the plans to add the planned additions and improvements.

The plans include adding a walkway from the Fairfield Street approach lined by six flag poles with flags representing the five branches of service and POW/MIAs. Benches will be added to provide a place for quiet time to rest and reflect in memory and honor of those who have served. Current plans include a display case to give the history of the memorial and a list of those who have donated but who havent recorded their donation with a paving brick to honor a Veteran.

The memorial is an example of Post 15 Juneau American Legion working closely with the city of Juneau and the community.

The American Legion is a service organization with service defined and emphasized by the four pillars of fostering a strong national security; taking care of our veterans, mentoring the youths of our nation and promoting patriotism and honor. The service manifests itself through service to the community. The memorial stands as an example of working together as the statue of a soldier in battle dress, the central focus of the memorial, was gifted to the city of Juneau and is on city property. The memorial is therefore the property of the city.

The former mayor came to Post 15 and asked for help to develop proper use of the statue which was an honor and a great privilege. Legion members continue to work with the city with further development of the memorial.

In 2019 the American Legion will celebrate its 100th anniversary, and the memorial will be part of that celebration.

The memorial committee includes Eileen Gratton, president of the library board; Mike Becker who represents Post 15 and two original Post 15 committee members Charles Griffin, the designer of the memorial and project manager during development and Dr. Robert Heinen who is the original and current chairperson.

The memorial would not be a reality with out the donation of the statue by Rein Couperus and his subsequent donations, his encouragement and support. Couperus recently passed and his personal and family history and involvement with the memorial will be recorded with the other information available to our visitors to the memorial. A paving brick has been dedicated in his memory.

In the fall names were added to the granite panels, filling them, so there is a need for additional panels. That means donations will be sought from area businesses and industries that havent been recently contacted and donations from any individual or families who wish to remember and honor a veteran are welcome.
JUNEAU  Unlike many recent town-hall meetings between members of Congress and their constituents, Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenners listening session Sunday afternoon at the Juneau Community Center was respectful and orderly.

The issues, however, were tough and complex.

While town halls in other states have dissolved into shouting and disarray from which senators and representatives sometimes have retreated, Sundays meeting between the gentleman from Wisconsins 5th District, which includes Juneau, Lowell and some parts of the town of Beaver Dam, went 80 minutes without disturbance and was followed by another stretch wherein some of the more than 80 attendees could discuss personal, specific problems.

This is number 43 listening session in 17 for me, Sensenbrenner said after more than one person thanked him for coming and not running and hiding.

People have very strong views on both sides of the issues and we have to respect one-anothers views, Sensenbrenner told the crowd.

As an alternative to vocal affirmation, many held aloft signs stating AGREE when views such as those condemning recent efforts to scale back environmental-protection regulations came to the floor.

Sensenbrenner occasionally was blunt, such as when one resident asked whether the federal government should have a role in public education.

Regarding K-12 schools, he said, The federal role has been kept to a minimum and should remain so, in deference to the states.

Further, he said, I dont think we should have federal involvement in a voucher program.

Sensenbrenner was more guarded when the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, brought more than one speaker to their feet.

As he addressed Congress and the Presidents efforts to repeal and replace the health-insurance law, Sensenbrenner said Republicans in Congress could be expected to reveal their repeal-and-replace plan Wednesday or Thursday.

This is something we Republicans are going to own, so it must be affordable and accessible, Sensenbrenner said, adding, The devils in the details.

One of those details is price and one participant noted if the cost of government-run health insurance is too high, it is not accessible.

Sensenbrenner said he supports a law that calls for a high-risk pool to segregate those who are expensive to insure from the rest of the population.

You had a fairly workable, high-risk pool in Wisconsin, Sensenbrenner recalled, an opinion countered by others present who contended the Wisconsin program involved high deductibles, waiting periods and high premiums that made it less than accessible to many.

Sensenbrenner promised to support a proposal that is better and more affordable, but hedged by adding, When youre dealing with something like this, youll always find someone who disagrees with it. Whether President Donald Trump should release his tax returns to the public was on some minds Sunday, but Sensenbrenner contended such release would be fruitless: I do not believe anyone seeking elected office or who is in an elected office should be required to release their tax returns. Thats a matter of privacy.

Specifically, he said, I dont think a charitable contribution by anybody, on the right or the left, should be disclosed.
A Wisconsin Indian tribe is threatening to withhold a nearly $1 million payment to the state, escalating a dispute over what it describes as an illegal incursion on its casino by another tribes expansion of its casino in Shawano County.

The Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians announced Monday that it is prepared to withhold a $923,000 payment from its casino revenues, which it provides under a compact agreement with the state.

At issue is an expansion of the Ho-Chunk Nation casino in Wittenberg, about 17 miles from the Stockbridge-Munsees North Star Mohican Casino and Resort in Bowler. Ground was broken on the $33 million expansion last fall.

The Stockbridge-Munsee have charged the expansion violates both federal law and the Ho-Chunk casino compact with the state  and will be economically devastating to the small tribe by siphoning revenue from its lone casino.

The state Department of Administration said last fall that it believes the expansion is legal, after the Stockbridge-Munsee and Menominee tribes asked the department to block it.

Stockbridge-Munsee council president Shannon Holsey said Monday that withholding the state payment is a last resort after the tribe exhausted other avenues to resolve the dispute. Holsey signaled that the next step could be taking the matter to court.

We hope that Gov. (Scott) Walker will heed our requests for fair compact enforcement so that this matter can be resolved without expensive and protracted litigation, Holsey said.

Department of Administration spokesman Steve Michels reiterated the departments contention that the Ho-Chunk are building the Wittenberg expansion lawfully, under the terms of its state compact. All 11 of Wisconsins federally recognized Indian tribes have compacts with the state that spell out terms by which they may conduct gambling.

Michels said the state expects the Stockbridge to adhere to the terms of their compact.

Simply put, the Stockbridge is getting the deal it agreed to with the state in 2003. Likewise, the Ho-Chunk is getting the deal it agreed to with the state in 2003 as well, Michels said.

The expansion will increase the number of slot machines in the Wittenberg casino, add an area with high-limit gaming and 10 table games, and construct an 86-room hotel and 84-seat restaurant and bar.

Such amenities previously were not allowed at so-called ancillary Wisconsin Indian casinos, of which the Wittenberg casino is one.

State officials say that changed in 2003 through amendments to state compacts with the tribes.

If the Wittenberg expansion is completed, the Ho-Chunk, who have a casino on Madisons Southeast Side, would operate half of the states 10 largest casinos, according to a study commissioned by the Stockbridge-Munsee.

The study says the Stockbridge-Munsee would be the biggest revenue loser from the expansion, missing out on $22 million, or about 37 percent of the revenue from its Bowler casino. The study projected four other tribes  the Potawatomi, Oneida, Chippewa and Menominee  would lose a combined $14.7 million in casino revenue.

Ho-Chunk Nation spokesman Collin Price said the tribe takes no position regarding the Stockbridge-Munsee withholding its payment to the state.

A fact sheet prepared by the Ho-Chunk, provided to the State Journal, said it is very clear that the (nation) is following its compact to the letter. It said the casino expansion will be an economic benefit to Wittenberg and the Wausau area, located just west of the casino.
With no evidence to back up his claim, President Donald Trump accused former President Barack Obama tapping his phones. The whole incident appears to be a ploy to distract distract people from looking into the president's relationship with Russia.
Some command officers in the Columbia County Sheriffs Office are paid less than the officers they lead, and that situation needs to be addressed before more top-ranking officers leave the department, County Board Chairman Vern Gove told the County Boards Human Resources Committee Friday.

Gove, of Portage, said the problem of wage compression existed when he was a lieutenant in the sheriffs office; he retired in July 2000.

But now, he said, too many of the departments top officers are choosing to go to work for other law enforcement agencies that offer better compensation.

I look at the big picture on everything, he said. Weve got a young sheriffs department, with young sergeants, and weve got three lieutenants. We want to keep them. I dont think we can wait  Id hate to see these guys leave.

The committee made no decision or recommendation Friday, and Chairman Bruce Rashke of the town of Wyocena said discussion of more depth would likely happen at a later meeting.

Committee member Barry Pufahl of Pardeeville said it would be more appropriate to discuss the matter in August, when Columbia County starts putting together the countys 2018 budget.

These things do impact the budget, he noted.

The issue came up at the January meeting of the County Boards Public Safety Committee, when Capt. Darrel Kuhl, the chief deputy, told committee members that lieutenants sometimes make only a little more money than the sergeants that they command, and in some cases, they make less.

Supervisor Adam Field of Portage  who is on both the HR and Public Safety committees  said it was his understanding that the situation was exacerbated with the recent ratification of a one-year union contract covering 36 deputies, at or below the rank of sergeant, who are represented by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association.

The contract gave no across-the-board pay increase to the deputies, but it added longevity-based steps, resulting in more pay for some of the deputies.

Human Resources Director Joseph Ruf said contract negotiations with the deputies focus primarily on whats right for them, but the effect on the command staff, who are not represented by the union, also is considered.

The deputies are the only Columbia County employees represented by a union since the 2011 enactment of Act 10, a state law that stripped most public employees of most collective bargaining rights.

For nearly all Columbia County employees, a wage scale created by the Madison-based consulting firm Carlson-Dettmann determines compensation. That includes not only Columbia County Sheriffs Office officers above the rank of sergeant, but also Sheriffs Office employees who are not sworn police officers, including jailers, dispatchers and clerical staff.

Wage compression presents a recruitment challenge in the sheriffs office, Ruf said.

Sheriff Dennis Richards noted that, even before the most recent deputies contract was ratified, a sergeant in the department turned down a promotion to lieutenant, based on the wage compression issue.

Richards said he doesnt have a proposed solution, but he has an idea about how to find one.

Richards suggested that he, Kuhl and Ruf get together over a pot of coffee and share ideas  keeping in mind not only the challenges facing the sheriffs office, but also the countys operation as a whole.

In another matter related to the sheriffs office, the committee authorized a resolution that would transfer $180,000 to cover the cost of implementing the most recent deputies contract.

When Field expressed surprise that the cost was that high, Ruf said the cost could not have been computed until the contract was ratified and the number of deputies who were entitled to step raises was determined.

The committee also voted, but not unanimously, to extend the work hours of the not-yet-hired deputy emergency management coordinator from 37.5 to 40 hours per week. The increase would be temporary, until the end of this year, although it could be made permanent when the 2018 budget is compiled and adopted.

Supervisor Dan Drew of the town of Pacific cast the dissenting vote.

Richards said he hasnt yet begun interviewing candidates to replace Kathy Johnson in the deputy emergency management coordinators post. Johnson was promoted to emergency management coordinator following the recent retirement of Pat Beghin.

The 37.5-hour schedule was a holdover from when the post was covered under negotiations with the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees. Richards said no one else in the sheriffs office works a 37.5-hour week. In the likely event that some current employees might vie to be Johnsons successor, Richards said, they shouldnt have to take a cut in work hours.
The Joint Commissioner Police (crime), Deputy Chief Police (vigilance) and officers from the special police unit for women and children will be part of the team. They have been tasked with carrying out a time bound-inquiry.

By Atir Khan: Delhi's police commissioner, Amulya Patnaik, has initiated a high-level inquiry to look into the allegations pertaining to last month's Ramjas college violence, in which the Delhi Police was alleged to have used unnecessary force.

The Joint Commissioner Police (crime), Deputy Chief Police (vigilance) and officers from the special police unit for women and children will be part of the team. They have been tasked with carrying out a time bound-inquiry.

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Following the incident, Delhi police admitted there were police excesses while controlling the situation on the Ramjas campus. The ruckus was sparked by ABVP members clashing with Ramjas students over a seminar on the college's campus.

TO LOOK INTO THREATS TO GURMEHAR

The inquiry team will look into each and every aspect of the incident, including assaults on students and journalists. And it will minutely study the police conduct during and after the incident.

The team will also probe allegations of 20-year-old Lady Sri Ram student, Gurmehar Kaur, who recieved rape threats following her social media campaign against the ABVP. She withdrew herself from the campaign and left Delhi.

PARTIAL ACTION TAKEN

Delhi police had suspended three of its personnel for mishandling the situation and had transferred the investigation of the case to crime branch.

Last week, both JNU and Delhi university students and teachers staged protests outside Delhi police headquarters over alleged police inaction.

CAUSE OF THE CLASH

The genesis of the clash was an invite to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Umar Khalid, who is facing sedition charges, and Shehla Rashid to address a seminar on 'Culture of Protests.'

Some 25 students and journalists and seven police personnel suffered injuries in the incident.

The scuffle broke out on February 22, during a protest march by the Ramjas students and teachers demanding action against the ABVP disrupting the literary seminar.

Also read: Crime Branch records statements of 2 St. Stephen's College students

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AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases. The company's marketed products also comprise Synagis for respiratory syncytial virus; Fluenz Tetra/FluMist Quadrivalent for Influenza; Seroquel IR/Seroquel XR for schizophrenia bipolar disease; Nexium, and Losec/Prilosec for gastroenterology; and Vaxzevria and Evusheld for covid-19. The company serves primary care and specialty care physicians through distributors and local representative offices in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. It has a collaboration agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule medicines for obesity; Neurimmune AG to develop and commercialize NI006; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop eplontersen, a liver-targeted antisense therapy in Phase III development for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis; Proteros Biostructures GmbH to jointly discover novel small molecules for the treatment of hematological cancers; Sierra Oncology, Inc. to develop and commercialize AZD5153. The company was formerly known as Zeneca Group PLC and changed its name to AstraZeneca PLC in April 1999. AstraZeneca PLC was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.
By India Today Web Desk: On Sunday, stories that Rekha was secretly married to Sanjay Dutt went viral. Citing the actor's biography, Rekha - The Untold Story, as the source, many publications even wrote that she applies sindoor in his name. While netizens were still digesting this piece of news, Rekha's biographer, Yasser Usman, has quashed these reports.

Talking to Hindustan Times, Yasser said, "This is wrong. Nothing of this sort has been mentioned in my book. People don't read properly." Clarifying what he wrote in the book that led to these reports, he said, "Rekha and Sanjay Dutt were working in a film together, probably Zameen Aasmaan (1984). The rumours of their affair surfaced at that time. In fact, some went on to say that they got married. These rumours became so strong that Sanjay Dutt had to deny the allegations in a magazine. It was an official denial."

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The writer added that even though "there wasn't any marriage," the news made headlines because Sanjay Dutt made an official denial.

ALSO READ | Smooch, Sindoor and Suicide: Rekha biography gives shocking details on the star's life

ALSO WATCH | Amitabh Bachchan willing to work with Rekha again

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By Press Trust of India: Los Angeles, Mar 6 (PTI) Hugh Jackman is ecstatic with the response he received from his fans while promoting his latest film "Logan" in China, but his friend and fellow actor Ryan Reynolds jokes it was barely a bunch of protesters.

The 48-year-old actor, who is playing the adamantium-clawed mutant in the Marvel film for the last time, took to Twitter to thank his admirers.

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"Thanks for an amazing visit Beijing! @WolverineMovie @20thcenturyfox," Jackman wrote, alongside a photograph of himself with his fans at the films premiere there.

To this the "Deadpool" star gave a reply laced in his classic dead-pan humour, "Pretty sure those are protesters."

And this earned a faux shocked response from Jackman as he retweeted with, "Really.. Guy.. Really? @VancityReynolds."

The first trailer of Reynolds upcoming film "Deadpool 2" was unveiled ahead of the world premiere of "Logan". PTI RDS SSN

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W&M alumnus donates almanac collection to library

Alumnus Joseph Daragan 71 and his wife, Pam, recently donated their collection of 18th and 19th century almanacs to William & Mary Libraries. Among the collections more than 450 almanacs is a first edition copy of Poor Richards Almanack, published by Benjamin Franklin in 1756.

For any collector, there comes a time when you no longer consult your collection as often as you did while building it. Having reached that time, I determined to find a new home for my collection, said Joseph Daragan. I hope that my almanacs will be useful to the William & Mary community for many years to come.

Daragan purchased his first almanac at a bookshop in Williamsburg when he was a student at William & Mary. Over the next 45 years, he amassed one of the two largest privately-owned collections of early American almanacs.

This donation has put William & Mary Libraries among some of the premier collections of almanacs held by libraries in the United States, said Jay Gaidmore, director of the librarys Special Collections Research Center, the collections new home.

Long before the Weather Channel and CNN, people got their weather information and news from almanacs. These annual publications included weather forecasts, farmers planting dates, tide tables and calendars, useful to townspeople looking to travel from one town to another. In addition, readers could find astrological data, as well as op-eds on political issues.

Almanacs are important examples of early printing, printmaking, and publishing. We believe this collection will be a valuable resource to our history faculty and students, said Gaidmore.

The collection includes American almanacs dating from 1728 to 1907, as well as a small number of foreign almanacs published in England, Ireland, Canada, Australia and Jamaica, with the earliest dating from 1677. Several almanacs in the collection feature unique inscriptions, as owners frequently used blank pages inside almanacs for diaries and daily planners. Some of the collections Revolutionary War-era almanacs feature maps of battles and descriptions of the battle of Lexington. Confederate States imprints include a Vickburg almanac whose owner noted the day the Union Army came through the area.
By India Today Web Desk: Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan's friendship was the envy of many. While Salman called Sanjay one of his best friends, the Munnabhai actor loved Sallu like a "younger brother." However, their relationship reportedly soured over time, and when Sanjay used the word "arrogant" to describe Salman at an event in the capital, gossip mills went into an overdrive.

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Now, Sanjay has cleared the air about his rumoured rift with Salman. "There's no problem between me and Salman. And there's nothing wrong in being arrogant. Arrogant is not a bad word. It's just an expression. I can be arrogant. But I can be a lovable arrogant," he told PTI, defending his choice of word. With Sanjay insisting that all is well, let us take a look at how it all started.

Back in 2011, the two actors reportedly had a fallout at Sanjay's wife Maanayata's birthday party. Reports said that Salman and Sanjay's best friend Bunty Walia got into a war of words, and Sallu had an argument with Sanju after Bunty left the party.

Sanjay was also not amused when he was offered the role of Salman's father in Bodyguard. Reportedly, Sallu wanted someone tough to play the role and believed Sanjay to be perfect for the role. Sanjay was offended and even told the media that he is not old enough to play Salman's father. Salman was hurt to get such a negative response from his friend, and decided to do away with the role altogether.

Rumours of the fallout intensified when Salman did not go to meet Sanjay after he was released from the Yerwada jail. Reportedly, the two fell out over Salman's manager Reshma Shetty. Salman apparently recommended that Sanjay hire her after his release, which he did. However, months passed by, but Sanjay did not land any films. After asking around, he found out that Reshma had hiked his fee to such an extent that filmmakers who were keen on casting him were forced to explore other options. Sanjay then confronted Reshma and it reportedly rubbed Salman the wrong way as he felt that Sanjay didn't value his suggestion.

It was also being said that Ranbir Kapoor playing Sanjay in his biopic did not go down too well with the Sultan actor. It is widely known that there is no love lost between Salman and Ranbir, and Sallu apparently wanted Sanju to pull some strings with Rajkumar Hirani and get another actor to play him. That did not happen, and Salman was left miffed.

Salman reportedly went to extend an olive branch to the actor in Spain during the IIFA Awards, but that did not go according to plan. Reportedly, Salman visited Sanjay and his wife in their suite, but their conversation took a turn for the worse when Sallu started giving the senior actor advice on how to resurrect his career. Sanjay had had enough of his 'arrogance,' and asked him to leave.

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Throughout the rumoured tiff, both actors have maintained that they still have the same love and respect for each other and the media is unnecessarily making a mountain out of a molehill. Was all well between the two? Or have they only patched up now. This is something that only Sanjay and Salman can answer.

ALSO READ: Sanjay Dutt asks what jhagda? Salman Khan is my younger brother

ALSO WATCH: Sanjay Dutt speaks about Bhoomi and his biopic starring Ranbir Kapoor

--- ENDS ---




China News on Women





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By India Today Web Desk: While other star kids are gearing up for their debut, Sanjay Dutt's daughter Trishala is far away from the spotlight in New York. The actor, who is making his comeback with Omung Kumar's Bhoomi, talked about how he does not want her to join Bollywood.

"I've invested a lot of time and energy to put her in a good college and she has done very well. She has specialised in forensic science... And I think that's a great thing to do," he told PTI. Sanjay also talked about how difficult it is to become an actor, and Trishala will have it even tougher, since she has been brought up in the US. "Even if she wants to join the industry, she has to learn Hindi because American (English) will not work here. It is not easy to be an actor," he said.

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When Sanjay was asked if he finds any similarities between his reel-life daughter in Bhoomi and Trishala, he revealed, "Yes, there are similarities but Trishala wanted to be an actress and I wanted to break her legs, which I'm not doing here."

Trishala had gone on record to say that she has no Bollywood dreams and wanted to enter the film industry only to be closer to her father. In fact, Trishala recently took a dig at Bollywood's love for plastic surgery on her Instagram account.

ALSO READ: Sanjay Dutt's daughter Trishala takes potshots at Bollywood's love for plastic surgery

ALSO WATCH: Sanjay Dutt's daughter seeks pardon for him

--- ENDS ---
Hungary gets state aid clearance for Paks II project

06 March 2017

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Hungary can start construction of new nuclear power units at Paks next year as planned, following European Commission approval of commitments it has made to limit distortions of competition. The Commission said today it had concluded that Hungary's financial support for the Paks II project involves state aid, but it could approve this support under EU state aid rules on the basis of these commitments.

Paks currently comprises four Russian-supplied VVER-440 pressurized water reactors, which started up between 1982 and 1987. These units account for about half of Hungary's electricity production. An inter-governmental agreement signed in early 2014 would see Russian enterprises and their international sub-contractors supply two new units at Paks - VVER-1200 reactors - as well as a Russian state loan of up to 10.0 billion ($11.2 billion) to finance 80% of the project.

Margrethe Vestager, commissioner in charge of competition, said today: "Hungary has decided to invest in the construction of the Paks II nuclear power plant, its right under the EU Treaties. The Commission's role is to ensure that the distortion of competition on the energy market as a result of the state support is limited to a minimum. During our investigation, the Hungarian government has made substantial commitments, which has allowed the Commission to approve the investment under EU state aid rules."

The Commission's statement noted that Hungary considers the construction of Paks II as necessary to replace phased out generation capacity and to address the need for new capacity.

It said that, under the EU Treaties, member states are free to determine their energy mix and have the choice to invest in nuclear technology. The Commission's role is to ensure that when public funds are used to support companies, this is done in line with EU state aid rules, which aim to preserve competition in the Single Market.

"The Commission's state aid investigation found that the Hungarian State will accept a lower return on its investment than a private investor would do. The investment therefore involves state aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). These rules require state aid to be limited and proportionate to the objectives pursued in order to be approved," according to the statement.

"Hungary has demonstrated that the measure avoids undue distortions of the Hungarian energy market. In particular, it has made a number of substantial commitments to limit potential distortions of competition," it added.

To avoid overcompensation of the operator of Paks II, any potential profits earned by Paks II will either be used to pay back Hungary for its investment or to cover normal costs for the operation of Paks II. Profits cannot be used to reinvest in the construction or acquisition of additional generation capacity.

To avoid market concentration, Paks II will be "functionally and legally separated" from the operator of the Paks nuclear power plant - the incumbent MVM Group - and any of its successors or other state-owned energy companies.

To ensure market liquidity, Paks II will sell at least 30% of its total electricity output on the open power exchange. The rest of Paks II's total electricity output will be sold by Paks II on "objective, transparent and non-discriminatory" terms by way of auctions.

The Commission said it had therefore approved the measure under EU state aid rules because the amount of aid is "limited and proportionate to the objectives pursued, while the distortion of competition caused by the state support is minimised".

Hungary notified the Commission of its planned investment into the construction of two nuclear reactors at the Paks site in May 2015 and the Commission opened a state aid investigation in November the same year.

Separately, the Commission in November last year closed the infringement case against Hungary regarding the compatibility of the Paks II nuclear power plant project with EU public procurement legislation.

Project company MVM Paks II received an environmental licence in late September and in October submitted a site licence application for the two new units.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said last month, following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, that he was convinced the Paks II agreements fully complied with EU requirements. Orban also said he hoped construction work could start as planned in 2018.

The first Paks II unit is to be completed in 2025 and the second in 2026.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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Brexit deadline too tight for nuclear, inquiry hears

06 March 2017

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The UK's nuclear industry will need more than two years of Brexit negotiations to prepare for a departure from the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), experts told members of parliament last week. The country's numerous arrangements with European Union member states would each need to be replicated and this could take a decade, they said.

Each EU country decides alone whether to include nuclear power in its energy mix or not, but Euratom establishes a common market in nuclear goods, services, capital and people within the EU. It also facilitates UK participation in long-term research and development projects, and provides a framework for international nuclear safeguard compliance.

The House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy select committee heard evidence on 28 February from David Senior, director of assurance, policy and international, at the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), Sue Ion, chair of the Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board, Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), and Rupert Cowen, senior commercial and nuclear energy lawyer at Prospect Law. All four said that even transitional measures would be challenging to complete within the two years the government would have to negotiate its exit from the EU, after it triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty as expected this month. The inquiry is entitled 'Leaving the EU: energy and climate negotiation priorities'.

Greatrex said: "What we're collectively warning about is the potential for there to be a very hard two-year period." He added: "There are a whole range of nuclear cooperation agreements with different countries and states with various scope and some of them will need to have certain aspects of them renegotiated or redrafted. And if the intention is to give notice to leave Euratom in the same two-year period as the Article 50 process, then that gives a relatively short time to get lots of things in place."

The Euratom Treaty is "part of everyday life" in the nuclear sector, said Ion, who has chaired the Euratom Science and Technology Committee since 2010. "There is a plethora of international agreements that would have to be struck that almost mirror those that are already in place with Euratom before we could even begin to move not just materials, but intellectual property, services, anything in the nuclear sector. We would be crippled without other things that were in place," she said.

IAEA

Asked by the chairman of the committee whether the UK "could do this" through its membership of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Senior said, "Nuclear is clearly an international industry and it works to international standards and to international expectations, and it's only as strong as the weakest part of that." IAEA conventions "cascade" into EU directives, he said, "but the key point about our collaboration and cooperation in Europe is that it brings together the European community and this is mirrored elsewhere in the world, with an Asian community and a North American community."

The ONR is a member of the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group Working Group (Ensreg), he noted, and "there isn't a precedent" for this to continue "should we move away from Euratom". There is, however, the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association, "which works alongside Ensreg as its technical support arm and we would continue to be able to have membership of that from a collaborative perspective in Europe", he added.

The UK has to demonstrate compliance every three years with the IAEA's Convention on Nuclear Safety, and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. It has to do the same and with the same frequency for EU directives that mirror those conventions, Senior noted.

Ion stressed that leaving Euratom "would not mean that we were any less safe or any less compliant with any overarching agreement". The Euratom agreement is driven by the IAEA's global oversight of nuclear energy, she said. "The issue is the timing."

She said: "Much of the equipment that enable us to demonstrate compliance isn't ours, it's Euratom's. The cameras, the high cost equipment, the labs, they're not ours. The people are not ours, they're Euratom's. And so the translation of that and the activity and the equipment into IAEA space - or national space demonstrated to the IAEA will have to take place. It's about buying time to put all the right things in place to make sure we're compliant and also still open to trade."

Senior added: "As a nation, we're obliged to ensure that nuclear materials, i.e. fissile nuclear materials - uranium, plutonium, thorium - is looked after properly and is maintained within the civil nuclear program and doesn't find its way into other uses, such as weapons. In relation to the Non-Proliferation Treaty we're obliged to have arrangements in place so we can demonstrate that that material is being looked after properly.

"The second angle of safeguarding is in relation to the ability to transfer nuclear materials between countries and conduct nuclear business. This is where nuclear cooperation agreements come into place and safeguarding the material between countries. So, for instance, if material is being utilised in manufacturing nuclear fuel in the UK and as part of that process takes place as it does in Germany or the Netherlands, then there has to be safeguarding of nuclear material between those countries.

"The key point here is safeguarding, which is actually discharged on the UK's behalf through Euratom by the European Commission, which then reports into the IAEA. So, if we leave Euratom, then the UK has to set up its own arrangements for the safeguarding of nuclear material and we've been discussing very actively with officials in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy what that may or may not look like in a post-Euratom scenario."

Timing

Establishment of a state system of accountancy and control, or SSAC, is under discussion, Senior said, adding it "would be quite a challenge" even to put a "basic offering in place" in two years, he said.

Ion said it "definitely isn't possible" for the UK to negotiate nuclear cooperation agreements - "the things that enable trade, movement of materials, whether they be fissile or not" - within two years.

Cowen warned that even if the UK could "demonstrate compliance" to re-establish some 51 nuclear sector agreements with its partners abroad, "if there isn't political or commercial will on the other side, it won't happen".

Asked whether leaving Euratom has to follow the same two-year timetable for Brexit, Cowen said: "Absolutely not".

"The Euratom Treaty has an independent legal personality; it is not automatically brought to a close when you exercise Article 50 of the EC as it's drawn. There's no question that, legally, you could stay in Euratom for some time or forever, if you're prepared to continue to operate with the EU, have a member representative on a commission and abide by the European Court of Justice, which is of course probably politically impossible."

The UK may be able to agree a period of transition as it leaves Euratom that is separate to its departure from the EU, he said. "But if we don't get this right, business stops ... If we can't arrive at safeguards and other principles that allow compliance to be demonstrated, no nuclear trade will be able to continue." Asked by the committee's chairman if that meant nuclear power plants would have to shut down, Cowen said, "Ultimately, when their fuel runs out, yes."

When Euratom was conceived in 1957, he said, "it was believed there would be a shortage, so they were trying to make sure that the fuel for nuclear generation was available all over. If you leave Euratom, that, together with every other protection we've described to you, stops."

The Euratom framework also includes nuclear cooperation agreements with third party countries, including Canada, Japan and the USA. If the UK fails to replace those agreements for when it is no longer part of the EU and Euratom, Greatex said "there is potential for disruption". The country must therefore "avoid an artificially short deadline" that leaves it in a position of "potential vulnerability".

Asked if there were any advantages to leaving Euratom, Cowen said: "If you wait long enough, then there are obviously many opportunities in the globe. We could be working with Korea, Japan, China, all of those other nuclear nations, successfully and effectively, but not through Euratom. So, there are positives, but it's going to be a pretty difficult decade. It's trying to avoid the cessation in trade that we're concerned about; not about where we are in ten years."

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by World Nuclear News

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Final approval for Mulga Rock uranium project

06 March 2017

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Australia's minister for the environment and energy has approved Vimy Resources' development of the Mulga Rock uranium project. It is the final approval required for work to start on the project in Western Australia.

Mulga Rock (Image: Vimy)

Perth-based Vimy announced today the federal minister, Josh Frydenberg, had approved the development of Mulga Rock "subject to specified conditions". It said early works on the project can now start.

The evaluation process for Mulga Rock began in July 2013 when Vimy lodged an application for the project. It has been assessed under a bilateral agreement under which the federal environment minister relies on the environmental impact assessment processes carried out at the state level.

Last August, Western Australia's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) recommended the project for approval by the state's environment minister. Its endorsement of Vimy's plans to mine up to 1360 t U3O8 (1153 tU) per year at the project, 240 km east-northeast of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia's Great Victoria Desert, followed an environmental impact assessment process which included a 12-week public review period.

The EPA recommended 14 conditions for the project's approval, including preparation of environmental management plans to minimise impacts on the conservation of significant flora, vegetation and terrestrial fauna. Vimy will also be required to prepare plans to ensure impacts on Aboriginal heritage sites are minimised and to monitor and manage the quality of soil and groundwater. The EPA also recommended conditions on aspects related to the eventual rehabilitation and decommissioning of the mine. It concluded that radiation exposure to mine-site workers and the public would be within acceptable limits for human health.

Western Australian minister for environment Albert Jacob approved implementation of the project in December, subject to conditions.

Vimy chairman Cheryl Edwardes said, "This is the final environmental approval required before work can commence. This approval has been more than three years in the making and has involved considerable effort on the part of all those involved."

Vimy describes Mulga Rock as the third largest undeveloped uranium deposit in Australia. The project has a total of 76.8 million pounds (29,540 tU) of indicated and inferred uranium resources in four deposits, which Vimy intends to mine by shallow open-pit methods, with a central processing plant. Cobalt, copper, nickel and zinc metal concentrates will be extracted after the uranium has been removed, and sold separately. The project has an expected mine life of up to 17 years.

The Mulga Rock project will create around 490 new jobs in Western Australia and annual payments of some AUD19.0 million (USD14.4 million) to the state government in the form of royalty payments and payroll tax, Vimy says.

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Throughout history there have been many countries that have split, merged or changed names, thus creating the list of missing or countries that no longer exist. Many countries changed their shape or names due to the political wars that took place in the 1900s. During the 20th century, most nations were reunified especially after years of conflict and war. An example is North and South Vietnam, which was reunified in 1976. Other countries entirely ceased to exist.

8. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R) is a former empire, which was located in northern Eurasia and was established on Dec 30th, 1922. In its final years, the U.S.S.R comprised of 15 Eurasian nations with its capital at Moscow. During its existence, the U.S.S.R was the largest country in the world by area and a champion of communism. U.S.S.R. was a strong superpower alongside the US, with whom they engaged in a cold war that came close to plunging the world into a nuclear war. Countries such as Cuba, Vietnam, and China among others were aligned to the USSR and received aid. The U.S.S.R. collapsed in December 1991 with the majority of its member states becoming sovereign states.

7. Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia was located in the Southeast region of Europe during the better majority of the 20th century. The country comprised of the states of Croats, Slovenes, and Serbs established from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Yugoslavia was established in 1918 after the First World War on July 13, which was named after the people of South Slavic. It was internationally recognized in Paris at the Conference of Ambassadors. On October 3rd, 1929 the country changed its name to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The Kingdom was invaded by the Axis powers and proclaimed by the partial resistance in 1941 and 1943. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia again changed its name in 1946 to the Federal People's Republic in 1946 when the nation established a communist government. The country acquired the Zadar, Istria and Rijeka territories from Italy. In 1963, the country changed its name yet again to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). Following an economic and political crisis the country and the rise of nationalism, Yugoslavia split up into five countries which resulted into the Yugoslav Wars. The country Disintegrated in 1991 to form independent states like Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and the disputed territory of Kosovo.

6. Rhodesia

Rhodesia was an unrecognized state located in the region of modern day Zimbabwe in southern Africa, established in 1965. The capital of Rhodesia was based in Salisbury, present day Harare. The country which considered Queen Elizabeth II as the official state ceased to exist in 1979 when Zimbabwe gained independence.

5. German Democratic Republic (GDR)

The German Democratic Republic (GDR), also known as East Germany, was established in 1949 during the Cold War period from the area of Germany that the Soviet Union occupied. The Soviet Union area zone encompassed West Berlin however it remained out of GDR's jurisdiction. The German Democratic Republic became the Soviet Union's satellite state. By 1948 the Soviet Union's authorities in the country began to transfer governing responsibilities to the German communist leaders and on October 7th in the year that followed GDR started functioning as a state. The country's capital was based in East Berlin since West of Berlin remained as part of the Federal Republic of Germany. Up until 1989, the country was ruled by the Socialist Unity Party. The country's downfall was attributed to factors such as the emigration of well-educated youths, open elections initiative, and the establishment of numerous political and social forces among others. Following years of conflict with the Federal Republic of Germany and the collapse of communism, the two republics were united after the Berlin wall was brought down and culminated in the unification to form Germany and therefore GDR ceased to exist in 1990.

4. Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia was a country located in Central Europe that was established on October 28th, 1918. The country represented the two dominant ethnic Slavic groups comprising of Czechs and Slovaks. The country was forced into division between the years of 1939 to 1945 following a partial initiation into the Nazi Germany. Throughout World War II and the Cold War, the country went through major political and economic divisions. Following the Velvet Revolution, Czechoslovakia decided to split peacefully into the sovereign nations of Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The country ceased to exist in 1993.

3. North Vietnam/South Vietnam

In 1954 Vietnam was divided into separate countries whose border was the Ben Hai River in Quang Tri Province. North Vietnam was headed by a communist government whose allies were the Soviet Union and communist China while South Vietnam had a democratic government and free market whose ally was the United States. The two separate states ceased to exist when they united as single nation 1975 after the end of the Vietnam War.

2. Federation of South Arabia

The Federation of South Arabia, established on April 4th, 1962 was an organization comprising of 15 states that was under British protectorate. In two years that followed two more nations the Crown colony of Aden and the Upper Aulaqi Sultanate joined the organization bringing the total to 17 states. On 30th November 1967, the federation gained its independence and was abolished.

1. Tuvan People's Republic

The People's Republic of Tuvan was a partially recognized as an independent nation situated in the former Tuvan protectorate territory of Imperial Russia that was established in 1921. The country had been part of the Chinese Qing dynasty before it was annexed by the Russian Empire. On August 14th, 1921, with the support of Russia, Bolsheviks founded the Tuvan People's Republic which was known as Tannu Tuva until 1926. The first name refers to the Tannu-ola Mountains while the second one was derived from the Tuvan ethnicity. The name of the country's capital was changed from Khem-Beldir to Kyzyl. In 1926 the Mongolian People's Republic formed a treaty with the Soviet Union affirming the country's independence. It is believed that on June 22nd or 25th, 1941, Tuva went into war with the USSR only days after the Soviet Union was attacked by Germany. Due to their role in the war, the country's parliament request was granted and on October 11th, 1944 the Tuvan's People Republic joined the Soviet Union. The country was formally annexed thus ceasing to exist.
Spite houses are buildings that are constructed or modified substantially to irritate neighbors or any party experiencing a land dispute. Spite houses may be built to block out light or access to the neighboring buildings or can portray a symbol of defiance. Strange and impractical structures characterize the houses. Spite houses are often built in anger and typically designed to block the a view of a neighbor and also provoke them or as an act of revenge. Spit houses can be found everywhere around the world, although there are some infamous examples that will be discussed alone.

Examples of Spite Houses

Marblehead, Massachusetts

Thomas Wood built a ten-foot wide house in Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1716 as a spite house to block the view of two other houses on Orne Street. He was aggrieved by the tiny share of his fathers estate and decided to spoil the view for his brothers. Other theories suggest that the house was inhabited by two brothers who could not speak to each other and refused to sell to one another.

Phippsburg, Maine

When Thomas McCobb, who was heir to his fathers property and shipbuilding business, returned to Phippsburg, Maine in 1806 he found that his step brother had inherited the family mansion. Upset about the loss of the mansion in the wilderness, Thomas built a spite house across the mansion to spite his step brother.

Frederick, Maryland

Dr. John Tyler who was an ophthalmologist owned a parcel of land in Frederick, Maryland near the courthouse square. The city had made plans to extend Record Street through Tylers land to meet West Patrick Street in 1814. To protest the citys action, Tyler discovered that there was a law preventing the construction of roads if there was an ongoing construction on the path of the proposed road. Tyler immediate instructed workers to pour a building foundation with an intention to spite the city.

Alexandria, Virginia

John Hollensburys home in Alexandria, Virginia which bordered an alley attracted annoying horse-drawn traffic and loiterers. To prevent these loiterers and traffic from using the alleyway, Hollensbury constructed a two-storey building in 1830 using brick walls of the adjacent homes on the side of the new house. The living room of the Hollensbury Spite House has gouges while the house currently stands unoccupied.

Boston, Massachusetts

In 1874, two brothers in Boston, Massachusetts got into a dispute. Each of the two brothers had inherited a piece of land from their father. While the younger brother was away in the military, the eldest built a large home leaving the younger one with just a shred of property which he thought tiny to build a house on. When the military brother came back in 1874, he built a wooden house to spite his brother ruining his view and blocking the sunlight. The tiny house is still standing unoccupied to date.

Hiawatha, Kansas

In 1880, Adam Schilling sold part of is 80-acre land which was in Hiawatha, Kansas to James Fallon who built a house on it. The 80-acre land was suited to add to the town of Hiawatha, but James Fallon refused to sell his portion that he had built on. Schilling eventually built modest tenant houses to spite Fallon and render his home unendurable for him and his family.

Challenges of Constructing Spite Houses

While spite fences remain popular in most of the places around the world, Spite houses are rare in some places, especially in urban centers and cities. The modern building codes prevent the construction of a house that is likely to obstruct neighbor's views and privacy. Construction of spite houses may also be very expensive if the owners are not planning to put them into meaningful use except for obstruction.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) The Supreme Court today took note of the alleged tweaking of rules by the Centre and the RBI on exchanging demonetised currency notes and sought their responses on why old ones were not accepted till March 31 as was promised.

The Prime Ministers address to the nation on the evening of November 8 last year on demonetisation and subsequent notification of the federal bank that the devalued currency notes can be exchanged at RBI offices even up to March 31, 2017 were valid assurances which stood breached by the ordinance, the counsel for petitioner Sudha Mishra said.

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"Issue notice, returnable by Friday (March 10)," a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul said.

It also asked the counsel to serve the copy of the petition to the Centre and the RBI during the day to ensure effective hearing on March 10.

It was alleged that the Prime Minister and RBI had assured the people at large that demonetised currency notes can be exchanged at banks, post offices and RBI branches and if people are unable to deposit them by that day then they can do so till March 31, 2017 at RBI branches after complying with some formalities.

The lawyer then referred to the Specified Bank Notes Cessation of Liabilities Ordinance and said it had breached the assurance.

The Ordinance said that only those who were abroad, the armed forces personnel posted in remote areas or others who can give valid reasons for not being able to deposit the cancelled notes at banks, can deposit the demonetised currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes till March 31. (More) PTI SJK ABA RKS ARC

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On September 13th, 1987 a radioactive contamination accident took place in Goiania, Goias, Brazil. The accident occurred after an old radiotherapy source was stolen from an abandoned hospital site. The incident resulted in four deaths, and 249 people who were found to carry high levels of radioactive material. The testing of an additional 112,000 people was required. The demolition of several houses was also required and soil from a number of sites was tested for radioactive material. All possessions retrieved from the houses were also tested for the radioactive matter. The Goiania accident was identified as one of the worst nuclear disasters in the world by the Time magazine while the International Atomic Energy Agency named it one of the worst radiological incidents in the world.

The Radioactive Source

The radiotherapy source responsible for the Goiania accident was a small capsule which was approximately 93 grams of cesium chloride, a highly radioactive material. It most likely had been used for radiation therapy at the abandoned Goiania Hospital.

The Events That Led To The Accident

The Institute Goiano de Radioterapia (IGR) moved locations in 1985 and left behind a teletherapy unit in the process. Four months prior the theft of the radioactive source, one of the IGR owners by the name Carlos Figueredo had gone to the site to retrieve the remaining object when he was denied entry by the police. Carlos warned Licio Teixeira Borges, the president of the Ipsago, the Institute of insurance and civil servants that he would not take responsibility of what would happen with the dangerous cesium bomb.

The Radioactive Source Is Stolen

Roberto dos Santos Alves together with Wagner Mota Periera, taking advantage of the absence of a security guard, illegally entered the abandoned facility on September 13, 1987. The two partially disassembled the teletherapy unit placing the source in a wheelbarrow and taking it the Alvess home. With the assumption that the radioactive source had value they dismantled the source without knowing the risk of exposure. Soon after dismantling the device the two started experiencing diarrhea and vomiting symptoms which worsened to a point where Periera's hand became swollen and had to be partially amputated. Periera continued to dismantle the device which further exposed him to the radioactive material which resulted in his right foreman needing amputation.

The Spread of Radioactive Material

Following the dismantling of the radioactive device, AIves sold the items to a nearby scrapyard on September 18th, 1987. Mr. Ferreira also assumed the radioactive capsule was valuable since the device had a punctured hole that illuminated a blue glow from inside the capsule. The device was brought into the home of Mr. Ferreira where he invited his friends and family to view the glowing capsule. It began to become clear that several people were falling ill at the same time. Once news of the source of the illness reached authorities and the media, many swarmed hospitals by the thousands with fear that that had been exposed.

The Aftermath Of The Disaster

The incident led to fours death including Mr. Ferreira's six-year-old daughter and 37-year-old wife and two employees who worked in the scrapyard. Mr. Ferreira who survived the ordeal later succumbed to cirrhosis and died in 1994 following a history of depression and excessive alcohol consumption.
Private companies are either owned by NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) or relatively small number of shareholders. The stock or shares of private businesses are not traded to the public but are offered, owned, or traded privately. Private companies contribute significantly to the economy of a country. In the US, private companies accounted for over 2.5 trillion in revenues and employed over 6 million people in 2016. The US is home to some of the largest privately owned companies which sold goods and services worth trillions of dollars in 2016 financial year. Some of the biggest private companies in the US by revenue include

Cargill

Cargill is a Minnesota-based company which was founded by William Wallace Cargill at the end of the American civil war. It is the privately held corporation in the US regarding revenue. Cargill declared a revenue of $120.4 billion in 2016 financial year. The company developed from a grain storage facility into a multinational trading, purchasing, trading, and distributors of agricultural commodities such as sugar, oil, turkey, and chocolate. It also provides services such as financial management, transportation, and production of food ingredients. Cargill is a family owned business with 90% of the company owned by the descendants of the founder William Cargill and his son-in-law John MacMillan.

Koch Industries

Koch Industries is a multinational corporation which specializes in a variety of industries including refining, chemicals, biofuel, and ingredients such as forests and consumer products. The company is based in Wichita, Kansas with its subsidiaries involved in trading, investments, chemical technology equipment, and manufacturing. Koch Industries is one of the privately owned companies in the US according to the Forbes 2016 list. The company recorded revenue of $100 billion. The company was co-founded in 1940 by Fred C Koch. Koch Industries is currently owned by brothers Charles and David Koch who each own 42% of the enterprise.

Albertsons

Albertsons is a chain of grocery stores headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The company is owned and operated by Cerberus Capital Management. Albertsons is one of the largest supermarket chains in North America owning over 2,000 stores which hires over 250,000 employees. Its divisions and subsidiaries operate stores under the umbrella Albertsons, Bristol Farms, Max Food, Star Market, and Grocery Warehouse. Albertsons was founded in 1939 by Joe Albertson and became a public company in 1959. The company was called Albertsons until 2002 when the apostrophe was removed. The company applied for an IPO in July 2015 and recorded revenue of $58.7 billion in 2016 financial year.

Dell

Dell Company was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell in Texas dorm room. The company started as a computer sales venture under PCs Limited. Today, Dell Company offers a wide range of technological products including personal computers, servers, software, network switches, and cameras for consumers, government sector, and enterprise. Dell is one of the largest companies in Texas by revenues recording returns of $54.9 billion in 2016. It is also the third-largest PC Company in the world after Lenovo and HP and the number one shipper of PC monitors. Dell has a staff of over 100,000 employees worldwide.

Pricewaterhouse Coopers

PricewaterhouseCoopers is a professional services network providing assurance, tax, and advisory services in over 158 countries. The PwC traces its origin in 1849 when Samuel Price began an accounting firm. In 1854, William Cooper also opened his accounting firm. The PricewaterhouseCoopers was formed in 1998 with the merger between Price Waterhouse, Cooper, and Lybrand with the trading name PwC adopted in 2010. PwC has been the most prestigious accounting firm in the world since 2010 and one of the largest privately owned companies in the US recording revenue of $35.4 billion in 2016 financial year.
Samantha Brown

By: William Martin WorldWideWeirdNews.com

(Scroll down for video) Two young children passed out at school after overdosing on prescription drugs given to them by their mother, according to police in Pennsylvania.

East McKeesport police said that they have arrested 27-year-old Samantha Brown, after being accused of giving her kids epilepsy medication, which they took at school.

Brown has been charged with child endangerment among other charges. She was booked into the Allegheny County Jail, and her bail has been set at $50,000.

According to the police investigation, Brown gave her 8 and 9-year-old sons a large amount of the epilepsy drug Klonopin.

When the kids arrived at the Propel Braddock Hills Elementary School, they took the drugs and passed out. Paramedics were called to the scene after the children vomited and had foam coming out of their mouths.

The children were rushed to the UPMC Childrenas Hospital, where they were treated and released. The kids told police that their mother gave them the drugs and told them to take it.
George S. Beaver

By: Mason White WorldWideWeirdNews.com

A husband became extremely angry when his wife touched his favorite potato chips so he attacked her, according to police in Pennsylvania.

Frackville police said that they have arrested 59-year-old George S. Beaver, after being accused of biting the face of his wife, Michelle, 58.

Beaver has been charged with one count of simple assault and harassment. He was booked into the Schuylkill County Prison, and his bail has been set at $10,000.

According to the criminal complaint, police were called to the couples home located at 17 Jerrys Road, at around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Michelle told police that her husband was sitting in the living room while watching TV.

When she picked up a bag of Utz Sour Cream and Onion rippled potato chips from a coffee table, Beaver told her to leave it and not touch it.

After Michelle did not put the bag of chips back down, Beaver got up from the couch and grabbed her face. The husband then bit her on the left cheek under her eye, tearing a piece of skin, causing bleeding.

He then fled from the scene, but was later arrested by police.
Nursing home patient (illustration)

By: Alexis Bell WorldWideWeirdNews.com

A teenage asylum seeker from Somalia, broke into a nursing home, where he raped two men before killing the wife of one of the victims, according to police in Germany.

Dr. Alexander Retemeyer of the Prosecutors office in Osnabruck, announced that the 18-year-old man of Somalia, has been charged with rape and murder in connection with the rape and murder in the nursing home.

The suspect, who was not identified, is accused of killing the 87-year-old wife of one of his rape victims after being caught in the act.

The incident unfolded at around 3:00 a.m. in Neuenhaus.

According to the police investigation, the accused broke into the senior citizens residence aHaus am Burgerpark,a through a back door.

He then raped to men. One victim is 59 years old and is paralyzed following a stroke. When the wife of one of the victims walked into the room, she found the suspect raping her husband.

The asylum seeker was surprised by the presence of the wife as he expected the men to be alone in the room. In order to prevent the wife from calling the police, the suspect beat her up.

The woman later died of her injuries. The suspect was caught by a nurse in the hallway, but he managed to break free and escape.

He was later arrested by police. The suspect was remanded into a psychiatric hospital.
Andrea Heming

By: Emily Lewis WorldWideWeirdNews.com

(Scroll down for video) A woman is on the run after pleading guilty to poisoning her husband.

Police are asking people to be on the lookout for 49-year-old Andrea Heming of Nevada, who failed to show up to court for sentencing.

The womanas husband said that for a few months, he was having stomach cramps, diarrhea and nose bleeds. He had no idea what suddenly led to his health issue.

He placed hidden cameras in his home and was shocked to learn that his wife was putting a white substance in his food.

During their investigation, police determined that the substance was boric acid, which is used to kill cockroaches.

Heming told police that she did not put a lot of poison in his food as she did not want to kill him, but she put ajust enough to make him not have an erection.a

Heming claimed that her husband of four years, began having aunwanted sex with her as she slept.a She wanted to stop him by causing him to be unable to have an erection.

The husband said that Heming began acting irrationally in the months before her actions were uncovered. He said that while she was working as a flight attendant, Heming admitted to putting a sedative in the drink of an unruly passenger.

Police said that Heming, might be hiding out in Mexico. She is facing up to 15 years in prison.
By Press Trust of India: Washington, Mar 6 (PTI) The more time you spend on social media - scrolling through Facebook, trolling on Twitter, snapping on Snapchat - the more likely you are to feel socially isolated, a new study has warned.

Researchers from University of Pittsburgh in the US found that people who use social media for more than two hours a day have twice the odds of experiencing feelings of social isolation and lack a sense of social belonging.

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They sampled about 1,787 US adults ages 19 through 32, using questionnaires to determine time and frequency of social media use by asking about the 11 most popular social media platforms, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine and LinkedIn.

Researchers measured participants perceived social isolation using a validated assessment tool called the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System.

Even when the researchers controlled for a variety of social and demographic factors, participants who used social media more than two hours a day had twice the odds for perceived social isolation than their peers who spent less than half an hour on social media each day.

Participants who visited various social media platforms 58 or more times per week had about triple the odds of perceived social isolation than those who visited fewer than nine times per week.

"We are inherently social creatures, but modern life tends to compartmentalise us instead of bringing us together," said Brian A Primack, director of Pitts Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health in the US.

"While it may seem that social media presents opportunities to fill that social void, I think this study suggests that it may not be the solution people were hoping for," said Primack.

Researchers provided several theories for how increased use of social media could fuel feelings of social isolation.

Social media facilitate feelings of exclusion when one sees photos of friends having fun at an event to which they were not invited.

Displacement of more authentic social experiences by social media because the more time a person spends online, the less time there is for real-world interactions.

The exposure to highly idealised representations of peers lives on social media sites may be eliciting feelings of envy and the distorted belief that others lead happier and more successful lives.

The study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. PTI APA SAR SAR

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The pilot of a SpiceJet flight decided to make an unscheduled landing at Hyderabad airport because of an extremely foul smell coming into the cockpit from the forward lavatory.

By Press Trust of India: A SpiceJet flight from Bengaluru to Delhi was today diverted to Hyderabad due to "extremely pungent" smell in the cockpit emanating from the front lavatory of the aircraft.

There were 184 passengers and four infants on board the Boeing 737 plane when the pilot decided to make an unscheduled landing at Hyderabad airport.

Also read: Woman dies onboard SpiceJet flight, family accuses airline of negligence

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"Spicejet aircraft, operating flight SG 192 from Bengaluru to Delhi, had to be diverted to Hyderabad due very foul smell from forward lavatory coming into the cockpit," an airline spokesperson said.

However, the spokesperson did not specify the reason for the foul smell.

At Hyderabad, the lavatory and cockpit were cleaned thoroughly and ventilated before the flight took off for Delhi after a delay of almost an hour, the airline said.

Also read: Rabbit on Ahmedabad airport runway almost makes IndiGo, SpiceJet planes collide

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Wrexham Glyndwr University Courses And Lecturers Named in Top 10 in UK in New Survey

This article is old - Published: Monday, Mar 6th, 2017

Courses and lecturers at Wrexham Glyndwr University have been named among the best in the UK in a new survey of more than 26,000 students.

The North Wales institution has made the top 10 shortlist in the Courses and Lecturers category of the WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2017.

Awards are based on average scores taken from tens of thousands of reviews submitted by students and published on whatuni.com

Now in their fourth year, the rankings offer prospective students an unbiased, student-led alternative to the traditional university ranking systems.

Dr Claire Taylor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Wrexham Glyndwr University, said: Its vital that we listen to the opinions of students as we continue to shape the future of Wrexham Glyndwr University and the WhatUni Guide is one of a number of barometers to measure our success and progress.

Im thrilled to see that the Universitys provision of high quality, career-focused courses, delivered by an academic staff team committed to teaching excellence has been recognised through these awards.

Over the past twelve months, more than 26,000 reviews were collected via the whatuni.com website; 127 universities met the minimum threshold to be considered for a Student Choice Award; and 44 universities have received a nomination in one of the 12 categories.

Marcella Collins, Managing Director UK, of Whatuni.com parent company Hotcourses Group, added: One of the most common criticisms we hear from students is that its too difficult to navigate the higher education landscape, so this has become our driving force.

We present critical data to students in a way thats easy for them to understand and helps them make life-changing educational choices.

In support of this, were thrilled to introduce two new categories to further guide prospective students on university factors which they have told us are important to them.

The Giving Back category is especially meaningful to the Hotcourses Group, as our Foundation has a long history of providing access to education for thousands of children who are affected by HIV in Kenya.

Hearing from students about what their universities are doing to change the world for the better has been inspiring and we look forward to recognising these efforts at the awards on 6 April.

The official 2017 Whatuni Student Rankings will be announced on Thursday 6 April at a ceremony in London. You can follow all the action on the night with the hashtag #WUSCA.
By Press Trust of India: Colombo, Mar 6 (PTI) The number of Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka in February slightly dropped by 0.9 per cent to 26,320, the countrys Tourism Department said.

The drop in arrivals was caused by the ongoing upgradation of infrastructure at the Colombo international airport runway due to which the airport remains shut from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm daily till April 6, it said.

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The Chinese arrivals also saw a plunge of 21.6 per cent to 25,248, it added.

Arrivals from Western Europe, however, grew 4.4 per cent to 76,770 with the tourists from the UK growing 5.3 per cent to 20,218 and Germany up by 2 per cent to 14,712.

Eastern European arrivals grew by 9.3 per cent to 23,768 with Russia up 29.8 per cent to 9,031. But Ukraine dropped 0.2 per cent to 4,252 and the Czech Republic dropped 17.9 per cent to 2,735.

Total East Asian arrivals dropped 11.1 per cent to 32,460 led by the drop in Chinese visitors to 25,248 from 32,186.

Indonesia arrivals grew by 103 per cent to 3,690 but tourism from Malaysia dropped by 22 per cent to 1,672 and Singapore dropped by 16 per cent to 1,157.

In January, a total of 21,936 tourists visited Sri Lanka, a growth of 12.9 per cent despite the airport closure. PTI CORR UZM

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This is the second of a two-part series. Part 1 was posted March 4.

Londonistan as a centre for terrorist groups

This sordid and cynical relationship positioned Britain as a leading arms exporter, second only to the US, and the City of London as an international financial centre. It also turned London into a major centre in the 1990s for Islamist groups organising terrorism abroadearning it the sobriquet of Londonistan.

Groups such as Algerias Armed Islamic Group (GIA), the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), Egyptian Islamic Jihad and Al Qaeda all had offices in London. Al Qaeda considered London the nerve centre of its operations in Europe.

These groups raised millions of pounds to fund and recruit militants to fight around the world. Thousands of young men went from Britain to train in camps overseas, particularly in Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the knowledge, if not encouragement, of the British government, despite the fact that it was an offence to aid a group proscribed under the 2000 Terrorism Act. British authorities ignored numerous complaints, both domestic and overseas, about extremism, and dragged their feet over requests for the investigation or extradition of terrorist suspects.

Several Islamists refer to Whitehall having given them a green light as long as they only carried out terrorist activities overseas, including Abu Hamza, the former cleric at Finsbury Park mosque, Khaled al-Fawwaz, the head of Bin Ladens London operation and Omar Bakri Mohammed, who established the militant al-Muhajiroun group that sent fighters to Kashmir, Chechnya and Kosovo.

There is evidence that the security services collaborated directly with some of these organisations and their leaders, including Abu Hamza. Abu Qatada, the Jordanian cleric sentenced in absentia for terrorist activities who became known as Al Qaedas spiritual leader in Europe, reportedly worked as a double agent for MI5.

Abdel Hakim Belhaj, a leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), who fought in the Soviet-Afghan war and subsequently joined Al Qaeda, claims that MI6 sponsored (unsuccessful) assassination attacks by LIFG on Libyas then leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Subsequently, following Labour Prime Minister Tony Blairs infamous deal in the sand with Gaddafi in 2004, Britain cooperated with the CIA in Belhajs kidnapping, rendition to Libya and interrogation under torture.

After Belhajs release in 2009 by Gaddafi under a general amnesty, Britain again made use of the LIFG as a proxy force in 2011 to topple the Libyan leader in the NATO-led intervention. The British authorities have sought to suppress court cases brought by Belhaj in order to prevent the exposure of its links with such forces.

9/11 and the global war on terror

The Al Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in 2001 were in part the product of Saudi Arabian and Pakistani support for Jihadi groups.

Curtis points to a possible British connection. Omar Saeed Sheikh, a Briton of Pakistani origin found guilty in 2002 of orchestrating the beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, acted as a conduit for ISI, Pakistans intelligence service, and wired funds to the leader of the 9/11 plotters.

Sheikh admitted being an ISI agent, while Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf later accused him of also being an MI6 agent. It seems that London offered him an amnesty in 1999, after his release from an Indian prison for kidnapping four British and American tourists in 1994, in return for acting as an informant. At the very least, this implies that the ISI and therefore probably US and British officials, had foreknowledge of the 9/11 attack. The UK has not investigated Sheikhs links to 9/11 to avoid jeopardising its relations with Pakistan.

Following 9/11, these same terrorist groups provided another useful service to the imperialist powers: as justification for a new series of wars for the domination of energy-rich regions in Central Asia and the Middle East. While the wars against Afghanistan and Iraq ostensibly targeted the groups Washington and London had previously supported, their key allies were Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, the key sponsors of these groups.

Prime Minister Blair seized on the global war on terror to piggyback Washingtons invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq in pursuit of Britains own imperialist interests. Following the Strategic Defence Review in 1998, the Labour government reconfigured its military forces so that they could intervene as a pre-emptive military force in an offensive capacity to project power overseas with expeditionary forces to support political objectives, including countering international terrorism.

Britains close support for Saudi Arabia dovetailed its need for oil and gas, as Britain became a net importer of energy by the mid-2000s. Blair even intervened to stop a Serious Fraud Office investigation of bribery by Britains largest arms corporation BAE to secure a massive Saudi arms deal.

Similarly, Blair supported Musharraf, ostensibly because Pakistan was a frontline state in the war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. As the Blair government well knew, Musharraf backed Pakistans domestic radical Islamists in his twin-pronged war against Indian-controlled Kashmir and his own secular nationalist opponents. He did little if anything to end Pakistans support for the Taliban and Al Qaeda, allowing Bin Laden to take up residence in Abbottabad, near the Pakistan Military Academy.

The London bombings

The coordinated bombings on July 7, 2005 (7/7) on London transport was the worst terrorist atrocity in Britain. The perpetrators were five British Islamists, three of whom had links to a terrorist infrastructure established by Pakistan, which in turn benefited from British support, and were possibly trained by Pakistans security service.

The security forces had predicted the rise of home-grown terrorists. Three months before the 7/7 attacks, a classified government report noted that the wars and on-going occupation of Iraq had exacerbated the threat of international terrorism. Several of the bombers had visited Pakistan where they received training in making explosives from groups that received support from Britain during the Afghan war in the 1980s.

This in turn raises the question of British state involvement in the London bombings, something Curtis ignores. There are numerous indications that a section of the state or intelligence apparatus allowed the terrorists to carry out the 7/7 operation. These include reports that several of the bombers were known to the authorities and had been under surveillance for two years as a result of their links to Pakistan and Al Qaeda; the Israeli embassy received a warning about the bombings; Israels security service Mossad and the Saudi government alerted MI5, Britains domestic spy agency, of a possible attack; military explosives appear to have been used; and the fact that the national security threat was downgraded despite a G8 summit in Scotland.

In every similar caseSeptember 11, 2001 in New York City, April 15, 2013 in Boston, November 13, 2015 in Paris and the December 2016 Christmas market attack in Berlinthe security services had the attackers under surveillance for a lengthy period of time and did not intervene to stop them carrying out their plots.

Despite government claims that most of the known terrorist plots against British targets involved groups with links to Pakistan-based Jihadi groups, and a Ministry of Defence think tanks report that the ISI supported terrorism and extremismleaked to the media in 2006the Blair government continued to support Musharraf until he resigned in 2008 to avoid impeachment.

This leads to the fundamental drawback of Curtis review: his inability to explain Britains covert collusion with these Islamist forces and their political purpose. He concludes that the various operations are a blot on Britains democracy, having caused various types of blowback and having been largely ineffectual in terms of their stated foreign policy objectives.

One could read much of the book and conclude that the British government was merely hypocritical and cynical, that its policies were mistaken and could therefore be changed. But Britains foreign policy was no mistake. Its foreign policy record testifies to its fear of the working class and the oppressed internationally, nowhere more than in the resource-rich Middle East, leaving it with no choice but to support the most foul forces to preserve its interests.

In the aftermath of World War II, the imperialist powers, whose wars, local stooges and subsequent intrigues had impoverished the region, faced the undying hatred of the masses, dominated politically by the Stalinised Communist parties of the region. Following Moscows line, those parties and their leftist supporters insisted that the working class had no independent political role to play, dragooning it behind nationalist leaders who sought to supplant Britain and exploit the regions wealth for their own benefit.

When direct rule became impossible, the imperialist powers ruled via their clients, and supported any and all political tendencies that would divide the working class and rural poor along sectarian and ethnic lines and so prevent a unified struggle to overthrow capitalism. After the national bourgeoisie, riding on the back of mass opposition to indirect colonial rule, took power, Britain and other major powers again colluded with these forces, switching sides and alliances as circumstances changed. As Lord Palmerston famously told the House of Commons in 1848, We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow...

At home, Britain has used these groups as the justification for a raft of anti-democratic measures, which gets little attention in Curtis book.

The Labour government used the 9/11 attack in New York, and the terrorist atrocity of 7/7 and other attacks, actual and planned, on British soil, to strengthen police powers to detain suspects, codified in the 2001 Terrorism Act; overturn long-standing democratic rights, including the legal principle of presumption of innocence in the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005; criminalise the encouragement and incitement of terrorism in 2006; and position Britain as a leading player in a global spying network in alliance with the US National Security Agency (NSA). The Tories, for their part, introduced legislation ostensibly targeting extremists that in effect enables the authorities to criminalise speech and political opposition to the governments policies of aggressive militarism abroad and austerity at home.

The government and state machinery have eviscerated the entire framework of legal and democratic rights fought for in the course of hundreds of years. The target is not primarily the reactionary Islamist network, but opposition from the working class to the governments policies of austerity, war and the assault on democratic rights.

Despite its political limitations, Curtis book is a valuable piece of investigative journalism, particularly given the extraordinary level of secrecy surrounding UK foreign policy.

Concluded

The author also recommends:

UK documentary exposes Saudi role in global terror operations

[5 April 2016]
Up to 250,000 people demonstrated in London on Saturday in defence of the National Health Service (NHS).

The NHS is being systematically decimated, after nearly a decade of cuts in which more than 40 billion is being slashed from its budget. Such is the scale of the attacks being carried out against public health care, that in January the British Red Cross described the situation facing the NHS as a humanitarian crisis.

The demonstration was called by the Health Campaigns Together coalition and the Peoples Assembly, with the backing of national trade unions, including Unite, Unison, the GMB and British Medical Association. The Peoples Assembly is backed by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Green Party and an assortment of Stalinist and pseudo-left outfits.

The protest was far larger than the organisers anticipated. That the event was so much larger demonstrates that broad layers of working people, youth, students and pensioners are determined to defend the NHS from cuts and privatisation. The Daily Mail, which along with other right-wing newspapers routinely plays down the size of demonstrations, described Saturdays event as one of the biggest NHS rallies in history.

Health workers and members of the public attended from every major town and city in the UK, including London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Preston, Nottingham, Southampton, Portsmouth, Norwich, Cambridge, Derby, Brighton, Bristol, Exeter, Stoke, Newcastle, Carlisle, York and the Isle of Wight. (see: NHS protesters ask: Why have we got money for war? Where is the money for our NHS and schools?)

Many of those marching carried official demonstration placards with the slogans, Our NHS and No Cuts, closures, privatisation, pay restraint. The placards also included a statement from Anuerin Bevan, the Labour MP who inaugurated the NHS in 1948, reading, The NHS will last as long as there are folk left with the faith to fight for it.

Large numbers attended with their own homemade banners with a range of slogans, including many that linked the onslaught on the NHS to other attacks on working people. One read, My education is under attack, my health is under attack, my future is under attack. Another read, No More AusterityNo Cuts. Other slogans, including NHS not Trident, opposed spending the resources of society on war and demanded it be spent on health, education and housing.

A number of demonstrators were supporters of the many local campaigns that have sprung up to oppose the closure of vital health services facilities. Others brought placards denouncing the governments Sustainability and Transformation Plans, which are the means by which tens of billions in cuts are being imposed in 44 areas of England. Stop STPSave the NHS, one proclaimed, and another, Death by STP5 year NHS Cuts Plan.

The rally assembled in Londons Tavistock Square, before marching through the capital and passing Trafalgar Square, with bystanders crowding pavements to show their support. It continued down Whitehall and passed the prime ministers Number 10 Downing Street residence on its way to the main rally in Parliament Square. Uniformed police officers stood behind barriers as the marchers passed the Department of Health building.

At the head of the march were Labour Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey and Public and Commercial Services union leader Mark Serwotka. They and the speakers on the main stage offered no strategy to fight the onslaught against the NHS.

Keynote speaker and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyns speech consisted of a series of truisms about the NHS that not even Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May could openly disagree with. Whatever you do in the health service, thank you, because every day you contribute to what is the most civilised institution in this country, he said. Alluding to the biblical tale of the Good Samaritan, he added, Defending the NHS is defending a basic human value and a basic human right. You dont walk by on the other side when somebody is in difficulties or needing help.

Citing Bevans statement to loud applause and cheering, Corbyn told the rally, Weve got the faith, weve got the fight and we are up for it! Yet he offered no basis on which health service workers could conduct any fight against the governments attacks.

Corbyn said the crisis wracking the NHS is the fault of a government who have made a political choice. The moneys there, he said.

On this basis, he made no appeal to mobilise the working class against the Tories, but instead appealed to Chancellor Philip Hammond to use next weeks Spring Budget to guarantee funding for the NHS and for social care.

To render Corbyns bromides more palatable, Serwotka, McCluskey, Communications Workers Union leader Dave Ward and McDonnell made more demagogic speeches, as they fraudulently claimed that the unions were involved in a determined fight to defend the NHS.

Serwotka stated that NHS workers had suffered seven years of pay cuts with many leaving in search of better jobs as they were unable to pay bills and make ends meet. He then called on the government to offer a pay rise, declaring that it was long overdue that the trade unions and the TUC [Trades Union Congress] do something about the resolution we agreed unanimously [at the TUCs Congress] in September, which is to get all public sector workers to campaign against the pay cuts and to take action together.

Serwotka concluded by urging everyone to support Corbyn.

McCluskey concluded by stating, Our message to the private health companies  is a simple one, keep out of our NHS, you thieving Tory bastards.

Ward said, When we say the NHS is in a crisis, its in intensive care and the Tories are getting away with murder.

In full rhetorical flow, he concluded, We are going to take back control of the NHS. What about taking back control of the railways? What about taking back control of the postal industry, the telecommunication industries? What about taking back control of workplaces  come on everybody, rise up.

Many of the speakers referred to last years struggle carried by 50,000 junior doctors, who struck repeatedly in unprecedented action against the government insistence that they accept an inferior contract. McDonnell said in his speech, We owe a debt of honour to the junior doctors who took action last year. They were fighting to save the NHS. ... If industrial action takes place over pay, whether its in Parliament or on the picket line, Jeremy and I will be with you. And if we have to take to the streets we will. Labour had created the NHS and it would be a Labour government under Jeremy Corbyn that restores the NHS.

Such statements are lies. Corbyn and McDonnell, despite a token attendance at the picket lines of junior doctors in a personal capacity, did nothing to mobilise Labour members and supporters in defence of the doctors, and instead urged a negotiated settlement be reached by Tory Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Neither did the trade union bureaucracy lift a finger in opposition to these attacks, ensuring that the junior doctors suffered a defeat and in so doing once again cleared the path for the attacks that have followed.
Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer

The streaming provider Netflix is currently featuring The Look of Silence, a 2014 documentary by the Academy Award-nominated director Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing, 2012).

In a profoundly moving, intimate and disturbing way, The Look of Silence deals with the long-lasting and devastating impact the mass murder of up to one million Communists and suspected Communists in 1965-66 has had on Indonesian society.

Following a US-backed coup that overthrew the bourgeois-nationalist regime of Sukarno in the fall of 1965, the Indonesian army, mobilizing gangster and lumpen elements, exterminated vast numbers of people who were members or supporters of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) within half a year. About a quarter million people were put in concentration camps, where many lingered for over a decade.

With 3.5 million members, the PKI was then the third-largest Communist Party in the world, after those in the Soviet Union and China. If one includes affiliated organizations, the Communist movement in Indonesia numbered some 20 million people, the overwhelming majority of them workers and peasants.

General Suharto, placed in power by the coup, remained president until the economic crisis of 1998, when mass protests forced him to resign. Throughout this period, any reference to the horrendous crimes perpetrated by his regime was strictly forbidden. The perpetrators filled all the key positions in the Indonesian government on the national, regional and local levels. To this day, the killers have never been held accountable. Quite the contrary: they continue to be glorified as national heroes.

The US backed this bloody regime for decades. Indonesia was of key strategic significance for control of the Asia-Pacific region. Moreover, the destruction of the movement of the oppressed masses of Indonesia was seen as a critical element in the struggle against the threat of socialist revolution and in the stand-off with the USSR and China, then still a deformed workers state.

The Look of Silence, a companion piece to Oppenheimers earlier documentary The Act of Killing, examines the legacy of these crimes through the experiences of one family.

The film focuses on the confrontation between Adi, whose older brother Ramli was killed in 1965, with the latters murderers. These men participated in Oppenheimers earlier film, The Act of Killing, describing how they brutally tortured and killed Adis brother.

A middle-aged man, married with two children, Adi is an optometrist in an unnamed Indonesian village. For security reasons, all places and real names are withheld.

The film features a sequence in which Adi watches on a television the scenes from The Act of Killing in which his brothers killers describe the murder in detail. In another scene he watches an NBC feature from 1967 hailing the single biggest defeat ever handed to Communists anywhere in the world in Indonesia.

The Look of Silence continues with an outrageous interview with a local official in Bali claiming that the Communists had asked to be killed, before the reporter starts to praise the countrys fabulous potential wealth in natural resources. Ex-members of a Communist-run rubber union are shown working at gunpoint for American companies.

Indeed, the murder of the PKI members and sympathizers was not only tolerated, but actively pushed for by the US government. The American embassy in Jakarta provided the army with CIA-prepared lists of PKI activists who were to be eliminated.

Adi was born after his older brother was killed. His parents are both very old. The viewer gets a sense of how devastatingly the trauma of the murder and the massacres of 1965-6 has haunted and shaped the familys life.

The father is almost completely deaf and blind, and suffers from dementia. While no overt reference is made to the social status or background of the family, the camera tactfully shows their impoverished house, which is little more than a hut made of stone.

Adis mother talks about little else but Ramlis death. At one point, Adi asks her: Mother, how do you feel being surrounded by your sons killers? You see them every day. She responds: Its horrible. When we meet in the village, we dont speak. I hate them. ... They destroyed so many people. Now they enjoy life. She has no way to explain what happened except as the will of God, and her only hope is that her sons killers will pay for their crimes in the afterlife.

As the viewer soon learns, however, it is not just Adis family that was traumatized by those events. The entire village lives under the shadow of this massive crime, which continues to be systematically covered up by the government, in schools and media propaganda. We see Adis son, about 10 years old, in school where the teacher tells his pupils that the 1965-66 killings were a necessary preventive act against the Communists who had allegedly tortured peoplethe Communists were cruel so the government had to repress them.

Another inhabitant of the village, who managed to escape from the massacre that claimed the life of his brother, tells Adi: The past is past. Ive come to accept it. I dont want to remember. Its just asking for trouble. Its covered up. Why open it again?

The extraordinary violence of the killings emerges from the extremely tense confrontations between Adi and his brothers murderers whom he visits on the pretext of testing their eyes for new glasses.

The first man Adi confronts describes how he cut off womens breasts. When Adi asks him whether his neighbors are afraid of him, he responds: Theyre scared of me. They know theyre powerless against me.

Another one threatens him openly: If you keep making an issue out of the past it will definitely happen again.

In another confrontation, Adi meets an old man who was also involved in the murder, but now suffers from dementia. He remembers, however, that he drank the blood of his victims in order to not go crazy. His daughter, sitting next to him, is horrified as she hears her father speaking and says, I never knew this.

Both Adi and his mother are courageous and unusual figures and their lives and character cannot but impress the viewer. Oppenheimers personal and respectful manner of filming Adis parents in particular is striking and very moving. They become representatives of the suffering of millions of impoverished peasants and workers in Indonesia, whose lives continue to be shaped by 1965. Oppenheimer worked with and filmed Adis family for some 10 years before The Look of Silence was edited and released, and the film greatly benefits from the close relationship he was able to establish with them.

Since 2012, Oppenheimer has been unable to return to Indonesia for reasons of his safety. His team continues to provide financially for Adi and his family who moved from their home village after the movie was finished.

In a discussion at the Berlinale in 2015 with Werner Herzog, one of the producers of the film, Oppenheimer stated that at two screenings of the film in Jakarta, Adi, who attended without any prior publicity, received standing ovations some 10 to 15 minutes long. Unlike The Act of Killing, this film was screened in Indonesia with the help of the governments human rights body. It was also shown in many cities and campuses throughout the country, often in spite of threats by right-wing paramilitary and anti-Communist organizations.

The powerful response the movie has encountered in Indonesia testifies to a real urge in sections of the masses and youth to come to grips with this horrible past.

The Look of Silence does not go into any of the larger political issues raised by 1965. However, it manages something still all too rare in contemporary documentaries and cinema: on a very high artistic level, it provides an honest and revealing insight into a societyin this case, Indonesiaand the fundamental historical issues facing the working class and oppressed masses.

To understand more deeply the issues raised by this film, however, viewers will have to go further than Oppenheimer and turn to a serious study of the history of the socialist movement in Asia and its betrayal by Stalinism and Maoism, which, in subordinating the working class to bourgeois nationalism and sabotaging its revolutionary struggles, ultimately made possible the coup and massacres of 1965. A good starting point for this is the ICFI pamphlet Lessons of the 1965 Indonesian Coup.
With General Motors (GM) planned sale of Opel/Vauxhall to Peugeot-Citroen (PSA Group) all estimates suggest that at least 6,000 jobs are at risk as well as several plants in Europe. The trade unions are cooperating closely with the auto bosses to implement the deal, which is part of a major restructuring of the auto industry at the expense of the working class.

IG Metall had hardly received news of the takeover before leader Jorg Hofmann and Opel central works council chair Wolfgang Schafer-klug travelled to Paris to hold talks with Carlos Tavares, CEO of Peugeot and Citroen.

On February 21 a joint statement from the central works council, IG Metall and the European works council for Opel/Vauxhall appeared on the IG Metall Darmstadt web site. It praised the trusted and open discussions with the PSA CEO and noted the joint goal of strengthening the company once again and its tradition-rich brands, going on to state the issue was to create a European automobile champion with German-French roots.

Fully conscious that the realization of this goal will require the destruction of thousands of jobs at the merged company and at its competitors like Volkswagen and Fiat, IG Metall hails its trusted collaboration with company management. Trusted means behind the backs of the workforce, as IG Metall offers its services to management in the elimination of jobs and in the struggle against its competitors.

For his part, Tavares declared that PSAs goal was to make the cooperation with employee representatives and the good relationship with them a clear competitive advantage to the benefit of the corporation, while adding that the PSA Group would be perfectly suited to German co-determination.

The meaning of Tavares words could not be clearer. The role of IG Metall and co-determination is to give management a competitive advantage, because the trade unions will help ensure low wages and labour costs.

The task posed to workers is cleara break with the unions, which serve as an arm of corporate management in imposing labour discipline.

IG Metall, the CGT in France, Unite in Britain or the United Auto Workers in the United States are 100 percent opposed to uniting in solidarity workers from all automakers and countries against the onslaught of capital. Instead, they keep the working class divided and play them off against each other, country against country, brand against brand and plant against plant. They will place the full burden of the coming restructuring of the auto industry on the backs of the workers.

A major restructuring of the global and European auto market is imminent. In Germany, one in seven jobs are either directly or indirectly connected with the auto industry.

The restructuring is taking place under conditions in which US President Donald Trump has essentially proclaimed a trade war. Meanwhile transformational technological changes are soon to take effect. According to accounting firm PWC, by 2030 only 14 percent of new cars produced will be powered by gasoline engines and 10 percent by diesel. By contrast, electric cars will compose 27 percent of the market while hybrid vehicles will make up 48 percent.

It is by no means guaranteed that General Motors will ultimately abandon the European market. A fusion by GM with Fiat Chrysler (FCA) is possible and GM has reportedly already held exploratory talks with FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne on this matter. The FCA CEO has expressed hopes that a merger would not only create Americas largest automaker, but the worlds.

Under these conditions, Opel and PSA are hoping to assume second place in the European market behind Volkswagen and ahead of Renault-Nissan. The deal between PSA and GM was due to be concluded prior to the opening of the Geneva Auto Show in Switzerland today.

For the Opel concern, which runs chronic deficits, this means the elimination of large overcapacities. Through the merger with PSA, more than 6,000 people could lose their jobs, based on studies by numerous auto industry experts.

According to the estimates of Ferdinand Dudenhoffer, who leads the Centre for Automotive Research (CAR) at the University of Duisburg-Essen, it would require 6,250 job cuts to achieve the necessary savings of 500 million in production.

The shuttering of entire plants is therefore not excluded, according to Dudenhoffer. And Opel was today a restructuring case.

Professor Stefan Bratzel, who leads a similar centre at the technical college Bergisch-Gladbach, spoke of the necessity of job cuts. Daily Handelsblatt, based on several analyses, also expects the destruction of thousands of jobs. The newspaper wrote that by integrating development, purchasing and production, PSA intends to save up to 2 billion, which would not be achieved without job losses.

The federal government of Angela Merkel (Christian Democratic Union, CDU) announced it would positively accompany the takeover. Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries (Social Democrats, SPD) appointed the SPD state secretary in the Economy Ministry, Matthias Machnig, as Opel coordinator and since his first visit to Paris, he was seeing the first constructive signals.

In the upcoming election campaign Machnigs main task is to keep the issue on the back burner and avoid any conflict with the autoworkers. He led the federal election campaign for Gerhard Schroder in 1998. Machnig also managed the 2014 European election campaign for Martin Schulz, the current chancellor candidate for the SPD.

Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann and German politicians hope that separated from GM, it will be easier to play a role in the global market, and above all, make progress in the Chinese market. The PSA Group, 14 percent of which is owned by the French state, is also partially controlled by Chinese automaker Dongfeng, which holds a further 14 percent of shares.

The hope of accessing the Chinese market is being dampened by a dispute over patents. Opel patents have to date belonged to the corporate owner, GM. While it is prepared to sell licences, it is at the same time preventing vehicles built with these licences from being exported to North America, Russia or China. Opel could therefore only export vehicles that are entirely newly developed vehicles to these countries.

This affects in particular the electric car Ampera-e that Neumann has placed great hopes in. Thus far, the know-how to construct this model has been owned exclusively by GM.

Under these conditions, the automakers are relying on trusted collaboration with the trade unions and works councils.

The colleagues of IG Metall in the US are no less servile to management. There, the UAW is supporting Trumps ultra-right America First programme based on extreme economic nationalism. The UAW works closely with GM CEO Mary Barra, who is herself a member of Trumps economic advisory committee. GM recently laid off 3,000 workers in Ohio and Michigan with the full support of the UAW.

With regard to the French CGT, it has supported the loss of tens of thousands of auto jobs, ensuring among other things that the closure of Peugeots Aulnay plant went ahead without opposition at the end of 2013.

The British union leaders have also responded positively to their first talks with Tavares. Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, praised him, declaring, He said he did not want to close any plants, thats not his way.

One can be sure that the German Opel works councils and IG Metall union are already preparing social plans and transfer measures for laid-off workers. Although they are currently writing everywhere that all job and plant guarantees will be retained under PSA, the job guarantee expires at the end of 2018next year! Plant guarantees are only in place until 2020.

IG Metall, the works council and their counterparts in other countries have already collaborated in the closure of the Opel factory in Antwerp, Saabs plant in Trollhattan, Sweden, the plants in Bochum and St. Petersburg and GM Holden production in Australia.

Today the only Opel-Vauxhall plants left are in Russelsheim, Eisenach, Luton and Ellesmere Port near Liverpool, Zaragoza in Spain, Gliwice and Tychy in Poland, Aspern in Austria, Szentgotthard in Hungary, as well as a design centre in Turin, Italy.

Ten years ago, GM still had 70,000 employees in Europe. Since then, the number of jobs has been reduced by almost half, to 38,200. At the same time, PSA has destroyed almost 22,000 jobs in France. In each of these onslaughts on jobs the nationalist trade unions have done everything to play one plant off against another and to collaborate in the drawing up of closure plans.

It is absolutely essential to abandon this bankrupt policy and replace it with a struggle to unite autoworkers globally. This is why the World Socialist Web Site calls on all autoworkers to construct independent action committees to defend wages, jobs and other achievements at all locations in joint struggle!
Another week of the Trump administrations campaign against undocumented immigrants has brought another round of atrocious cases in which longstanding US residents have been snatched from their families and either jailed or deported.

The litany of horrors has been almost entirely ignored by the national media and the Democratic Party, which is focused on a ferocious battle within the state over foreign policy. It is not the administrations brutal crackdown on immigrant workers that is the subject of criticism from within the political establishment, but Trumps ties to Russia.

On Tuesday, Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez was seized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after dropping his daughter off at school in Los Angeles. Two carloads of ICE agents stopped the car that the 48-year-old Avelica was driving and arrested him in front of his wife and 13-year-old daughter. The father of four US citizen children, Avelica has lived in southern California since he was 21 and has worked steadily throughout that time, 60 and 70 hours a week, in local restaurants.

In a blatant act of political reprisal, 22-year-old Daniela Vargas was detained by ICE agents in Jackson, Mississippi, after she left a press conference where she protested the detention of her father and brother on February 15. The Vargas family came to the United States from Argentina in 2001, when Daniela was only seven years old. As a child arrival, Daniela was given temporary exemption from deportation under the DACA program, but her exemption lapsed while she was trying to raise the $495 fee to extend it. Her attorney said that she was in an ICE detention facility in Louisiana and would be processed as a visa waiver overstay and deported to Argentina without a hearing.

On Thursday, Juan Carlos Fomperosa Garcia went to the ICE office in Phoenix, Arizona, keeping an appointment to discuss his request for asylum. He has lived in the US for 20 years and is the single father of three US citizen children. An hour later, ICE agents dropped off a bag with a few of his belongings at his home, handing it to his 23-year-old daughter Yennifer Sanchez. On Friday morning, Fomperosa Garcia called his children to let them know he had been deported to Mexico, leaving Sanchez as the sole guardian of her 17-year-old brother and 14-year-old sister.

There are many more stories like these, most of which are not even covered in the local media.

An atmosphere of fear and terror is gripping immigrant communities throughout the country. The cruelty of these measures is not an accident or an excess, but a deliberate and intentional feature of the anti-immigrant pogrom unleashed by President Trumps executive orders on January 25. White House aides said the purpose of the orders was to unshackle immigration agentsin other words, to free them from any restraints in the treatment of the thousands that are or will be rounded up.

This reality is underscored by a report by Reuters that the Department of Homeland Security, which includes both ICE and the Border Protection Service, is considering a proposal for the systematic separation of women and children detained while crossing the border together illegally. DHS officials reportedly briefed asylum officers on the plan, whose purpose, they said, was to deter mothers from migrating to the United States with their children.

The new policy would allow federal agents to keep mothers imprisoned indefinitely, while their children would be turned over to the protective custody of the Department of Health and Human Services, which would place them in the least restrictive setting it could provide, including a state-sponsored guardian. Whether and how the mothers would be reunited with their children, during or after deportation, remains unclear.

The order would have two main purposes: to lessen the impact of a court order issued last July that barred prolonged detention of children, which has forced ICE to release most mothers with children from detention centers; and to intimidate future refugees from Central America, where most of the families come from. The word will be spread to those countries that mothers coming to the United States will lose the children they are trying to protect.

While Trump has greatly escalated the attack on immigrants, he is building on the monstrous apparatus of repression developed by the Bush and Obama administrations, particularly the latter.

The continuity in the mistreatment of immigrants is demonstrated in the lawsuit filed against a major prison contractor for ICE, GEO Group, based in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colorado. The suit charges that tens of thousands were forced to work for $1 a day or for nothing at all, in violation of federal antislavery laws. The forced labor, involving food service, cleaning and maintenance at the facility, allowed GEO to run the prison with only a single janitor, pocketing huge profits. In many instances, the suit alleges, immigrants were compelled to volunteer for work details with the threat of being placed in solitary confinement if they refused.

The federal government has set up what amounts to mass internment camps. It spends more on ICE and the Border Patrol than on all other federal law enforcement agencies combined: more than $19 billion a year. The number detained by the immigration authorities, more than 400,000 a year, is greater than the total number of inmates held by the Federal Bureau of Prisons for all federal crimes. Trump proposes to add another 10,000 ICE officers and 5,000 Border Patrol agents to what is already a small army.

The police state methods inflicted on immigrant workers are a dress rehearsal for what the Trump administration and the US ruling elite, Democrats and Republicans, have in store for the working class as a whole. The brutual treatment of immigrants is a preparation for deploying the vast machinery of state repression against coming struggles by workers, both native-born and immigrant, in defense of their jobs, living standards and democratic rights.

The working class in the United States must oppose the anti-immigrant rampage of the Trump administrationaided and abetted by the Democratic Partyand uphold the right of workers from every corner of the globe to live and work in the country of their choice with full citizenship rights and without fear of detention, deportation or repression.
When it comes to Sridevi, age is literally just a number .

By India Today Web Desk: In attendance for the Manish Malhotra show organised for Shabana Azmi's NGO, Sridevi (kinda) did the unthinkable--she wore a caped blouse with a saree.

Well, of course it's been done before, but has someone come close to looking as stunning as Sridevi did? Hardly. The stunning actress who single-handedly defies age and embraces trends, kept her look minimalistic-yet-dramatic.

Photo: Yogen Shah

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The mauve Manish Malhotra silk saree exuded elegance as Sridevi decided to not go overboard with the accessories and simply wore a pair of diamond studs.

Also Read: Dear Sridevi, how is it possible to look so hot at 53?

With a neat middle-part hairdo and smoky eye makeup, Sridevi's latest look had the perfect dash of modernity without losing out on the eternity of 9 yard garment.

Also Read: Woah! Sridevi's super-expensive crystal gift will make you so jealous

Also Read: When SRK-Anushka had a Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi reunion at Manish Malhotra's show

Besides Sridevi, the other celebrities who attended the glittery event inlcuded Konkona Sen Sharma, Sridevi, Kajol among many others.

--- ENDS ---
The San Diego Unified School District Board of Trustees voted last week to eliminate at least 1,500 full-time education jobs to close the districts budget deficit of $124 million. According to district documents, not widely reported in the corporate media, the second-largest school district in California will now have to teach 100,000 students with less money and less staff.

This comes despite California voters approval of Proposition 55, promoted by the unions and the Democratic Party in particular as a measure to prevent such cuts and layoffs. Proposition 55 was designed to partially restore state taxes set to expire from Proposition 30, itself a reactionary bill (see  The reactionary essence of Californias Proposition 30). The new bills proponents cynically used the threat of teacher layoffs and budget cuts to garner support. Now the bill has passed, and educators and others are being fired anyway.

While most of the San Diego media has reported that some 850 jobs will be eliminated, the actual number of full-time jobs set to goincluding non-teaching positions such as school security, custodians, counselors, etc.is 1,500.

To give some idea of the scope of the cuts, the Special Education department will have to make do with $7.92 million less. Some classrooms assigned to moderately to severely disabled students will be closed at elementary schools, forcing 220 disabled students to be relocated.

The districts Visual and Performing Arts program faces a cut of $1.4 million and the loss of 30 full-time education workers. School security will also be affected with the loss of $2.4 million and the dismissal of 20 community patrol officers, as well as a sergeant and a detective.

Additional information from the school district has not been forthcoming, and it is unclear how officials will cut and by how much in each department. Some of the announcements are vague and only refer to cuts to Property ($6 million) and the Civic Center ($1.5 million). The district has not provided details about other cuts, such as those to the Office of Language Acquisition ($1.9 million), which helps English learners.

The reported layoffs include: 266 elementary teachers, 94 physical education jobs, 62 custodian jobs, 51 counselor jobs, 42 English teachers, 35 vice principals and 27 foreign language teachers, mostly Spanish teachers.

The district, like every other in California, is heavily dependent on Sacramento for state funding. Governor Jerry Brown released a January preview of his 2017-2018 budget proposal that increased funding for San Diego schools, but by less than the district had hoped for. Brown will release a new budget by May 30, allowing the districts to finalize their budgets by June.

Even a favorable state budget in May will not reverse cuts and layoffs, according to SD Unifieds interim CFO Patricia Koch. She told the school board on February 21 that even if the May revise restores the entirety of what was lost in January, we are still facing more than $100 million in reductions in 17-18. So, the May revise is not the place to look for eliminating our problem. It may help, but we will still need to make reductions.

The district is mandated by state law to inform all workers by March 15 if they will still have a job this year. The district is already counting on $6 million in unspecified Ongoing 16-17 Solutions. These solutions will likely include hiring and salary freezes, as well as early retirement incentives for older workers.

The exact terms being offered to older workers to retire have not been finalized and are subject to negotiation with the unions. While the student school year will not be cut, the teachers work year will. The exact days have been left to negotiations, but will probably mean the work days that fall in the summer, winter or other school breaks.

The district hopes to reduce employee work days by $18.61 million, while the superintendent and the school board symbolically reduced their salaries by 5 percent. Superintendent Cindy Martens current salary of $275,000 a year will be reduced by $15,400 to maintain the illusion the cuts are not only affecting teachers and others at the bottom of the economic ladder.

Public anger has boiled over at the school board meetings, where parents and teachers have come together to demonstrate their opposition to the cuts.

Peter Johnson, a plant operations supervisor at Point Loma High School, was quoted in th e San Diego Union-Tribune as saying that the size of his custodial crew had dramatically declined over the years and the new cuts mean he would have just four workers to clean the campus once every four days.

Johnson told the board, I know no one in the state has reduced their levels of custodians to this level, adding, Youll be in charge of the filthiest high schools in the state of California.

The San Diego Education Association (SDEA), which ostensibly represents 6,000 education workers, has said that the cuts are unnecessary, but agrees that changes have to be made, including negotiating the golden handshake offered to older and better paid workers to retire early.

Lindsey Burningham, president of the SDEA, said, We will be pushing back against any layoffs, before adding, There are other ways to control the deficita retirement incentive and attrition. We are just now starting to have those conversations, about what should be on the table.

Once again, the unions in practice do not object to the cuts and the layoffs, but only the numbers and the degree of the cuts, and as long as they have a seat at the table.

The decline in state funding for education goes back decades under Democratic and Republican administrations alike. Since Brown has re-entered office, the general fund for education has reached its lowest level since 1973. Since the financial collapse of 2008, some $8.1 billion has been ripped away from California public education and community colleges, with another $2 billion from higher education.

The claim by Democratic and Republican politicians and school administrators that there is no money for education is obscene. In the same week that administrators announced the school cuts and layoffs, Pentagon arms dealer Lockheed Martin announced a deal valued at $1.1 billion with the US Navy to supply the F-35 fighter jet. The deal on the planes, costing $95 million apiece and designed for a war with Russia and China, would cover San Diegos education deficit many times over.
The extraordinary political crisis gripping the American state intensified over the weekend after US President Donald Trump accused former President Obama of wiretapping his phones as part of an investigation into the Trump campaigns ties to Russia.

In a series of Twitter posts early Saturday morning, Trump accused Obama of spying on his communications during the 2016 election campaign. Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the [electoral] victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!

He added in a subsequent post, How low has President Obama gone to tapp [sic] my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy! White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer followed up by demanding that Congress investigate the Obama White House as part of their investigation into Russian activity.

The ferocious conflict within the state was underscored by a report Sunday evening in the New York Times that FBI Director James Comey asked the Justice Department to issue a statement denying Trumps claims, but that the Justice Department has not done so.

The Times commented, Mr. Comeys request is a remarkable rebuke of a sitting president, putting the nations top law enforcement official in the position of questioning Mr. Trumps truthfulness. Comey, a high-level DOJ official in the Bush administration, was appointed by Obama to head the FBI in September 2013 and has continued this role under Trump.

In an indication of the lack of evidence behind the campaign of the media and Democratic Party over Russian hacking, the Times reported that in addition to being concerned about potential attacks on the bureaus credibility, senior FBI officials are said to be worried that the notion of a court-approved wiretap will raise the publics expectations that the federal authorities have significant evidence implicating the Trump campaign in colluding with Russias efforts to disrupt the presidential election.

The revelation of Comeys extraordinary intervention marked a new high point in tensions between the White House and the media, which earlier in the week appeared to have partially subsided following Trumps address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.

Trumps speech, in which he reiterated his pledges to oversee a massive handout to the corporations and Wall Street, evoked a largely favorable response from the press and sent stock markets soaring.

On Wednesday, however, the Washington Post reported that Attorney General Jeff Sessions met twice with Russias ambassador to the United Stateswhich he did not mention at his confirmation hearing last monthsetting off a media furor that led to Sessions recusal Thursday from the FBI investigation into the Trump administrations ties to Russia.

According to reports by Politico and the Washington Post, Sessions made the decision to recuse himself without consulting Trump, leading to a furious response from the president on Friday, followed by the Tweets on Saturday morning.

In response to Trumps accusation, an Obama spokesman made a blanket denial that the Obama White House ordered surveillance on Trump or any other American citizen.

Neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any US citizen, said Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis, adding that any suggestion otherwise is simply false. While the suggestion that the government does not oversee spying on US citizens is patently absurd, Trump has not provided any evidence to back up his assertion of a wiretapping order.

On Sunday, Josh Earnest, the former White House spokesperson, took a cautious and defensive posture. Asked by ABCs Martha Raddatz, Can you categorically deny that the Obama Justice Department did not seek and obtain a FISA court-ordered wiretap of the Trump campaign? Earnest said, I dont know, saying he was not in a position of being regularly briefed on an FBI criminal or counterintelligence investigation.

Speaking subsequently on NBCs Meet the Press, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper denied Trumps accusations, declaring, There is no FISA court order, not to my knowledge, of anything at Trump Tower.

Whatever the veracity of the charges, the conflict between the Trump administration and its critics within the political establishment are the form taken by a conflict within the American ruling class, centered on issues of foreign policy.

Within this conflict, there is no progressive or democratic side. The Democrats have chosen to oppose Trump on an entirely reactionary, pro-war basis, seeking to whip up a McCarthyite political atmosphere that demoralizes and disorients the broad popular opposition to Trump while laying the basis for war against Russia and domestic repression.

The media furor over the weekend served to distract attention from a series of reactionary measures by the Trump administration.

Mass roundups of undocumented workers are continuing, while newspapers carried reports over the weekend that the White House is making plans to break up families caught crossing the border, placing children in state custody while their parents are imprisoned pending deportation.

The administration is also engaged in a substantial military escalation in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, all without any public discussion.

Last week, the Senate confirmed Rick Perry as energy secretary and Ben Carson as housing secretary, both of whom plan to radically slash social spending and regulations in their respective departments.

The Democrats, meanwhile, have entirely focused their opposition to Trump not on his reactionary domestic policies, but on ensuring that he does not back down from the United States deepening confrontation with Russia.
Paralysis wracked the Liberal-National Coalition government last week over the cutting of wage rates for thousands of low-paid workers, underscoring a profound crisis confronting the entire Australian political establishment. Growing social discontent, combined with the immense uncertainty generated by the Trump presidency, has fuelled deep divisions in ruling circles that are increasingly calling into question the future of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

For four days last week, Turnbull refused to defend the previous weeks ruling by the Fair Work Commission industrial tribunal to slash by up to 50 percent the extra amount paid for Sunday and public holiday workpenalty rates that many low-paid retail, hospitality, fast food and pharmaceutical workers depend upon to eke out an existence.

Clearly concerned at the outrage among broad layers of working people over the across-the-board cut in workers wages, Turnbull sought to distance the government from the decision, claiming it was a ruling by an independent industrial umpire. He did not indicate support for the pay cuta measure long sought by businessuntil Friday, after being condemned for not selling it by the Murdoch media and Tony Abbott, the man he ousted as prime minister 18 months ago. Turnbull sought to justify the attack on workers conditions by claiming it would increase employment by small businesses.

Today, however, the government politically backpedalled again. Treasurer Scott Morrison signalled that in its annual budget in May the government would abandon more than $13 billion in cuts to welfare, family tax benefits, pensions and other social spending that have remained blocked in the Senate since the 2014 budget. Only three weeks ago, Turnbull and Morrison unveiled an omnibus bill, containing all the stalled cuts, to try to demonstrate to the financial elite that they could impose the measures that Abbott had failed to deliver.

Last Friday, Turnbull desperately attempted to divert discussion by aligning himself with Trumps vast expansion of US military spending and rhetoric against Islamic terrorism. Turnbull used the arrival in Australia of the first two $100 million F-35 Joint Strike Fighters being purchased from Lockheed Martin to boast that his government was undertaking massive military spendingthe biggest, ever in peace time and that he had discussed these plans with Trump, who was very, very impressed.

Turnbull repeatedly declared that Australia was killing terrorists in the Middle East, thanks to his governments legislation enabling the armed forces to kill terrorists well away from any battlefield. This legislation, in fact, cleared the way for civilians to be targeted as part of the latest escalation of the war on terror, which is a pretext for US-led operations to secure US control over Syria and the rest of the region, after the catastrophes created by the earlier invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Turnbulls claim he had been praised by Trump, who had cut short his first phone call with the former, highlights the underlying impasse confronting Australian imperialism. It remains heavily dependent, as it has been since World War II, on the US, militarily and strategically. Yet Trumps unilateral America First drive to assert US global hegemony has thrown a giant question mark over all the calculations that the Australian capitalist class made when it lined up behind the Obama administrations pivot to Asia to confront China.

Not only has Trump pulled the plug on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the economic thrust of the pivot, through which the Australian ruling elite hoped to gain more lucrative access to Asian markets. His threats of trade war and military conflict with China imperil Australias largest export market and magnify the danger of a catastrophic nuclear war, with Australia functioning as a key US base.

When Turnbull ousted Abbott in September 2015, he claimed he would provide the economic leadership to transition Australia away from the collapsing mining boom, largely based on exports to China, by developing agile and innovative new policies. This claim lies in tatters, with large parts of the country mired in recession, corporate investment plummeting, full-time jobs being decimated and real wages falling.

The resulting discontent has only intensified since last July, when the government barely retained power after it called a double dissolution election of both houses of parliament, in a failed bid to break through the blockage of its legislation in the Senate. Since then, the government has worked closely with an array of right-wing populists in the Senate, particularly Pauline Hansons anti-immigrant One Nation, whose senators have voted with the government on nearly 90 percent of its legislation.

Increasingly, Hanson is being promoted in the corporate media, together with Senator Cory Bernardi, a right-wing defector from the government, and lower house MP George Christensen, who has repeatedly threatened to defect. While reflecting the rifts wracking the government, they are being used to channel the mounting disaffection in reactionary nationalist and xenophobic directions, trying to emulate Trump by posturing as anti-establishment figures.

Yesterday, Hanson was afforded a 20-minute interview on Australian Broadcasting Corporation televisions flagship Insiders program to peddle her anti-Islam chauvinism, accusing Muslims of trying to impose sharia law on Australia. At the same time, Hanson revealed something of her utter hostility to the working class. She stridently backed the penalty rates cut and emphasised her desire to stabilise the government of Turnbull, with whom she had a good rapport.

Amid this turmoil, the Labor Party, backed by the trade unions, is seeking to return to office by cynically exploiting hostility toward the penalty rates cut. Union officials met on the weekend to draw up a WorkChoices style advertising campaign, hoping to reprise the 200607 campaign that diverted opposition to the Howard Coalition governments workplace laws behind the re-election of a pro-business Labor government under Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, which passed similar anti-democratic legislation.

Labor leader Bill Shortens feigned outrage at the wage-cutting is doubly hypocritical. As a key minister in the last Labor government, he initiated the Fair Work Commission's review of penalty rates, and, as a longtime union leader, played a central role in scrapping penalty rates for many retail, fast food and service workers via union-imposed enterprise agreements with major companies.

With the Liberal Party government in Western Australia likely to be defeated in next Saturdays state election, the Turnbull governments instability could come to a head this month. An editorial in Saturdays Australian warned that because of his apparent paralysis Turnbull was on borrowed time.

For almost a decade now our nation has been stuck in a period of developmental diapause, where alternating periods of partisan upheaval and political ineffectiveness have stymied both fiscal repair and economic reform, the editorial declared. The markets, the public and Mr Turnbulls own culpable colleagues are running out of patience.

This message points to the protracted crisis of capitalist rule. This is firstly bound up with the inability of successive Coalition and Labor governments to push through all the austerity and wage-cutting measures demanded by the wealthy elite and the global financial markets. Since Howards Coalition government suffered a near-record electoral rout in 2007, every government has unravelled in less than three years.

Washington has also demonstrated its willingness to bring down any government that fails to unconditionally line up behind the US confrontation with China. In mid-2010, Rudd was ousted by US-backed Labor Party figures after he proposed that the US make some accommodation to Chinas rapid economic growth.
The eruption of the February Revolution in Petrograd finds the two greatest figures of Russian MarxismVladimir Lenin and Leon Trotskyin exile. Lenin, the leader of the Bolshevik Party, exiled from Russia since 1900, is in Zurich, Switzerland. Trotsky, the leading figure of the 1905 Russian Revolution, for which he was imprisoned and then exiled, is now living in the Bronx, New York, and writing for the New York Russian emigre newspaper Novy Mir, after having been driven out of France and Spain. Both Lenin and Trotsky, along with scores of other political exiles, follow events in Russia closely, anxiously awaiting their chance to return.

Petrograd, March 7 (February 22, O.S.): Lock-out of Putilov workers

A clip from Tsar to Lenin, produced by Herman Axelbank and narrated by Max Eastman. Available at Mehring Books.

As the Duma reopens, some 30,000 workers at the Putilov factory are locked out by management. The police block an attempted demonstration by the Putilov workers. The lock-out inflames tensions in the city. During the strike, groups of Putilov workers had contacted two Duma deputies, Nikolai Chkheidze and Alexander Kerensky. In a meeting with Kerensky, the workers warn that the strike might trigger a major political movement and that something very serious might happen.

The workers at the Putilov factory also played a catalytic role in the Russian Revolution of 1905. That year, a demonstration by Putilov factory workers, joined by thousands of other workers under the leadership of Father Gapon, was violently broken up by the police, killing and wounding thousands in events that came to be called Bloody Sunday.

The clip above is from Tsar to Lenin, available for purchase at Mehring Books.

Petrograd, March 8 (February 23, O.S.): Bread riots sweep Russian capital

On International Womens Day, disturbances that break out among lines of women waiting for bread in the cold, touch off massive demonstrations calling for the overthrow of the monarchy and an end to the war. Some 90,000 workers go on strike, although both the Menshevik and Bolshevik organizations oppose calling for a strike.

Trotsky was later to remark: Thus the fact is that the February revolution was begun from below, overcoming the resistance of its own revolutionary organisations, the initiative being taken of their own accord by the most oppressed and downtrodden part of the proletariatthe women textile workers, among them no doubt many soldiers wives. The overgrown breadlines had provided the last stimulus.

New York, March 8: Debs and Trotsky together at Cooper Union

Eugene Debs, the leading figure of American socialism, invites Trotsky to join him before a mass anti-war audience at Cooper Union in New York. During his brief stay in New York, Trotsky comes into open conflict with the reformist leader of socialism in New York, Morris Hillquit, who is seeking to adapt the Socialist Party to a pro-war position. Debs supports Trotsky.

Speaking for myself, Debs thunders to the Cooper Union audience, 57 years and one week after Lincoln delivered his famous Cooper Union speech in the same venue, I shall absolutely refuse to go to war for any capitalist government on this earth. I have made my choice. I would  rather be lined up against a wall and shot for treason to Wall Street than live as a traitor to the working class.

Trotsky later writes, in My Life, of the quenchless inner flame of Debs socialism. Whenever we met, he embraced and kissed me. Debs was a sincere revolutionary. Not Hillquit, who Trotsky describes as a Babbitt of Babbitts  the ideal Socialist leader for successful dentists.

Petrograd, March 9 (February 24, O.S.): General strike begins

Over 214,000 workers at 224 factories participate in the strike. Mass meetings at some of the citys major squares draw crowds of hundreds of thousands of people in the afternoon. The mayor, Alexander Balk, reports to the commander of the Petrograd military district, Sergey Khabalov, that the police are not capable of stopping the movement and gathering of the people. About two dozen policemen are beaten up. Tsar Nikolai II and his family are still in the military headquarters in Mogilev where they spent most of the war. As Trotsky would later pointedly write in his History of the Russian Revolution: The dynasty fell by shaking, like rotten fruit, before the revolution even had time to approach its first problems.

New York, March 10 (February 25, O. S.): J.P. Morgan receives $41 million in British gold

The British government sends $41 million in gold bullion to J.P. Morgan Chase & Company from Canada, the largest shipment of gold in a day. Twenty-five million dollars worth of the gold is deposited at the New York Assay office, and the remainder is sent to the Philadelphia mint.

The shipment, which serves as collateral for US war credits, dramatizes the dependence of the Allies on US supportand the growing need for Washington to realize an Allied victory in order to recuperate its investments. At prevailing reserve requirement rates, the $41 million can facilitate $200 million in war loans to the British. With each new tranche, the center of world finance shifts from the City of London to Wall Street.

Petrograd, March 10: Strikes and protests spread

By now, the number of strikes has risen to about 305,000 workers from 421 factories. Dozens of mass demonstrations take place in the city center. Slogans include: Down with the government! Down with the war, Bread, peace, freedom! and Long live the republic! The demonstrations also attract broad layers of the intelligentsia and artisans. High school students join the strikes. Workers have prepared themselves for violent confrontations with the police by arming themselves with knives, crude weapons and pieces of metal. Some demonstrators are killed as police shoot into the crowds. In a first sign of revolutionary turmoil spreading to the army, some Cossacks that are employed against the demonstrators start to fraternize with them.

When Tsar Nikolai II learns of the revolution in the evening, he demands that General Khabalov immediately put an end to the uprising in the capital. This same night, the police begin mass arrests of socialist politicians, including five members of the Bolsheviks Petrograd Committee.

The Vyborg Regional Committee of the Bolshevik Party, located in the stronghold of the Bolsheviks influence in Petrograd, assumes de facto leadership of the partys activities in the capital.

Petrograd, March 11 (February 26, O.S.): Russian government launches violent crackdown

The workers cannot strike on a Sunday, but they continue to hold mass demonstrations. The government launches a bloody crackdown on the revolutionary movement. Police use heavy gunfire to break up crowds, often shooting from rooftops or high windows. In one of the most violent incidents of that day, military guards kill some 40 demonstrators at the Palace Square, wounding 40 more. Nevertheless, the government cannot get the movement under control. There are increasing reports of soldiers deserting the army and joining the demonstrators. In the evening, the Tsar resolves to have the work of the Duma discontinued indefinitely.

Beijing, March 11: China severs ties with Germany

The Chinese parliament votes 158 to 37 in the Senate and 331 to 87 in the House to break all diplomatic ties with the German and Austro-Hungarian governments. The move is part of the attempt by the nationalist government of Prime Minister Tuan Chi-jui to tack between the rival imperialist powers in World War I. It presages direct Chinese entry into the conflict on the side of the Allies.

China has maintained a posture of neutrality since war broke out in 1914. Its turn away from Germany is motivated in part by a desire to be rid of German concessions in Tianjin and Hankou and Berlins share of indemnities being extracted from China over the Boxer Rebellion at the turn of the century. Chinese leaders also hope that the move will prompt the Allies to ease their own demands for indemnities and their stranglehold over the economy. However, the US government, which has placed pressure on China to rupture ties with Berlin, responds by signing secret agreements with Japan guaranteeing Tokyos concessions and financial interests in China.

The vote prompts a political crisis, with opposition from President Li Yuan-hung and others to direct participation in the war. Sun Yat-Sen, who played a leading role in the 1911 revolution, and has developed financial and political ties with the German government, warns of the anti-imperialist sentiment of the Chinese masses. The Chinese people may not be able to distinguish between foreigners of different nationalities and if the simple and honest people are taught to kill Teutons, they might be led to slaughter all white foreigners in the country.

Baghdad, March 11: Ancient capital falls to British

The Ottoman Empires forces abandon Baghdad after a successful British drive on the ancient Arab capital makes its further defense untenable. Ottoman forces under Khalil Pasha retreat further north toward Kirkuk and Mosul, at the doorstep of the Anatolian peninsula. The Ottoman Empire has ruled the region of the Middle East that includes Baghdad, Basra, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine since the 16th century.

Entering the city at the head of an army of some 50,000, heavily comprised of colonial soldiers conscripted into the Indian Expeditionary Force, Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Stanley Maude proclaims, Our armies do not come into your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators.

A central factor in the conflict that gave rise to World War I is Germanys growing influence in the region, reflected in its projected Baghdad-Berlin rail line. British and French imperialism, moreover, have concluded a secret agreement dividing up the Middle Eastern portion of the Ottoman Empire as spoils of warLondon will take Baghdad, Basra and Palestine; Paris will receive Lebanon and Syria. The Russian Empire has assented to the agreement in return for Istanbul, the Turkish straits and Armenia. For breaking its alliance with Germany and joining the Allies, Italy has been promised southeastern Anatolia and its islands.

Mexico City, March 11: Carranza elected president of Mexico

The first election after the Mexican Revolution with universal manhood suffrage results in the victory of the Constitutionalist Army leader Venustiano Carranza, a northern landowner. The election of the nationalist Carranza, who opposed the right-wing Huerta government out of fear that the revolution could turn against the landed classes, deepens a process of political consolidation and prepares the way for the crushing of the peasant armies of Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata.

Carranza pledges to carry out key measures of the Constitution enacted in January 1917 in defiance of US interests. Article 27 (outlining limited land redistribution among peasants and communal ejidos and nationalization of key mineral resources such as oil) and Article 123 (calling for labor protections and social benefits) threaten American capitalist property holdings, particularly companies like Doheny Petroleum and Guggenheim Smelting and Refining.

As US President Wilson pushes for entry into the war, he seizes upon the interception of the Zimmermann Telegram between Germany and Mexico to both ramp up war hysteria domestically and to bend Carranzas embattled government to the will of US financial interests. US occupation forces, under General Pershing, have only recently abandoned their occupation of northern Mexico in a failed bid to crush Villa.

Petrograd, March 12 (February 27, O.S.): Soviet formed; armed insurrection spreads

In a panicked telegram to the Tsar, Mikhail Rodzianko, the head of the Duma, writes: The government is completely incapable of suppressing the unrest. No hope can be placed on the forces of garrison. The reserve battalions of the guard regiments are engaged in an insurrection. Officers are being killed.  A civil war has begun and continues to heat up In obvious despair, Rodzianko urges the Tsar to not dismantle the Duma. The Tsar dismisses the warnings of the fat-bellied Rodzianko, as he called him.

After a failed mutiny in another regiment the day earlier, the armed insurrection in the army begins in the evening of that day in the training detachment of the Volynsky Guard Regiment. The mutinies quickly spread to other regiments. Many regiments, recruited largely from poor peasants and workers, had been in conversation with the demonstrators and strikers in the previous days and share their desire to end the war. Trotsky commented on the relationship between the workers and the army in these days with the following words, The molecular interpenetration of the army with the people was going on continuously. The workers watched the temperature of the army and instantly sensed its approach to the critical mark. Exactly this was what gave such inconquerable force to the assault of the masses, confident of victory.

Petrograd is placed under martial law. However, as Trotsky later observed, They did not even succeed in pasting up the declaration of martial law through the city: the burgomaster, Balka, could find neither paste nor brushes. Nothing would stick together for those functionaries any longer; they already belonged to the kingdom of shades.

Concerned leaders of the Duma form the Duma Committee and try to establish control over military units that had not yet mutinied.

At 9:00 in the evening, a group of some 250 workers, soldiers and intellectuals create the Petrograd Soviet at the Tauride Palace. An Executive Committee is established and the Menshevik Nikolay Chkheidze is elected Chairman, reflecting the dominance of Mensheviks particularly in the early months of the Petrograd Soviets existence.

Washington, March 12: Gompers, AFL, pledge support for war effort

After an all-night session, the heads of the American Federation of Labor and railroad unions, with a combined membership of some 3 million workers, unanimously pledge their support to our country in every field of activity in the event the US should be drawn into the maelstrom of the European conflict. The resolution stops short of a no-strike pledge, instead suggesting that unrest can be avoided by inviting the AFL into collaboration with corporations and the government. Government must recognize the organized labor movement as the agency through which it must co-operate with wage earners, the resolution declares.

Gompers, in declaring his fealty to the cause of national defense in imperialist war, is following in the footsteps of all the labor movements of Europe. He has already been invited by the Wilson administration onto the newly-created Council of National Defense to help make ready for war on the American working class, where anti-militarism is overwhelming:

Opposition to the military was deeply ingrained, emotional, a part of its folklore, and based on historical experiences, historian Simeon Larson writes. The military were not impartial representatives of all the people but an instrument in the employ of big business to be used for strikebreaking purposes. Memories of the industrial battles of the past, of the union men and women killed by the military, of the Ludlows and the Calumets, were constantly rekindled in the union press as a reminder to the working man of the dangers of America rearmed.

Also this week: Gances Mater Dolorosa opens in Paris

A scene from Mater Dolorosa

French director Abel Gance (JAccuse, Napoleon) releases Mater Dolorosa. The psychological melodrama follows the story of neglected wife Manon Berliac (Emmy Lynn), who finds love in the arms of her husbands brother. The drama is carried forward by the chiaroscuro cinematography of Gances collaborator, Leonce-Henri Burel. Released to great success as The Torture of Silence in the US, a nude scene and subtitles are censored or altered.

French film theorist Jean Mitry writes that Mater Dolorosa surprises, astonishes, by means of lighting effects, the knowing use of light and shadow to intensify dramatic scenes, the intimate fidelity of the decors, singling out particular details, and a thousand unusual qualities for a French film. In fact it was the most successful French film of the year.
In a major escalation of operations in Yemen, the US military carried out more than 30 airstrikes and drone strikes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, hitting multiple targets allegedly linked to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). As many as 20 people were reported killed in the attacks, which hit the southern governorates of Shabwa, Al Bayda and Abyan.

The multi-day bombardment was the heaviest so far in the undeclared US war in Yemen, which has killed or injured more than 1,700 people, including hundreds of women and children, since 2009. According to a tally maintained by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the US has carried out a least 390 attacks in the last eight years.

Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis told reporters on Friday that more airstrikes would be forthcoming: US forces will continue to target AQAP militants and facilities in order to disrupt the terrorist organizations plots and ultimately to protect American lives.

Last weeks offensive was the first major military operation by the US in the country since the raid on January 29 by US Special Forces that killed as many as 30 civilians, including 8-year-old Nawar al-Awlaki, the daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, the US citizen and Islamist cleric assassinated by the Obama administration in 2011. The raid resulted in the death of Navy SEAL William (Ryan) Owens and left three other soldiers wounded.

President Donald Trump used the presence of Owens widow, Carryn Owens, at his address to a joint session of Congress last week to defend the murderous operation and promote American militarism, praising her husband as a warrior and a hero.

The string of attacks since January marks a definite intensification by the Trump administration of the US intervention initiated by the Obama administration. Trumps predecessor pioneered the use of drone-fired missiles to assassinate those declared to be leaders or members of AQAP. Drones have been used to target and kill alleged terrorists in countries, besides Yemen, where the US is waging war without congressional authorization, including Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and much of North Africa.

Obama notoriously claimed the right to assassinate American citizens and anyone else he chose, beginning with the murder of Anwar Al-Awlaki in September 2011. His drone killing program and war in Yemen have now passed into the hands of Trump.

The intensification of US military operations in southern Yemen comes amidst an ongoing aerial onslaught and naval blockade by a coalition led by Saudi Arabia against Houthi rebels in the countrys more populated western region.

The air campaign and subsequent ground invasion aim to push back the Houthi rebels, who took over much of the country in early 2015, and reinstate the US-backed government of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The Saudi Arabia and its Persian Gulf allies have been funneling weapons and money to Sunni militias, including those affiliated with AQAP, to serve as ground troops in the war against the Zaidi Shiite Houthis.

Since it began in March 2015, the Saudi-led campaign, made possible by continuous support from the US government in the form of intelligence, logistics, military equipment and aerial refueling, has killed more than 10,000 Yemeni civilians and wounded 40,000. Saudi bombs have hit hospitals, schools, marketplaces, factories and residential neighborhoods.

The war has plunged the poorest country in the Middle East into a humanitarian disaster, with the UN estimating that at least 19 million Yemenis, more than two-thirds of the countrys population, are in need of assistance and protection.

UN Relief Coordinator Stephen OBrien reported on Friday that 500,000 children under the age of five are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and more than 7 million Yemenis did not know where they would get their next meal. Even though the country risks being pushed into famine without immediate action, OBrien reported that the UN had received only 3 percent of the estimated $2.1 billion needed to provide humanitarian assistance to 12 million people over the next year.

While Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world, it is of considerable geopolitical significance, forming the eastern side of the Bab El Mandeb Strait, a major shipping lane which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. A significant portion of the worlds oil supply traverses the strait, making it one of the most important strategic choke points on the planet.

The US Navy announced last month that the USS Cole would join three other warships already operating off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea and the Bab El Mandeb, out of concern for the freedom of navigation.
As the central district has been conducting inspections, Delhi Police personnel who have been staying in the barracks of the police stations of central district have been made homeless.

Delhi Police personnel, who live in police station barracks in central district have been ordered to vacate them.

By Chayyanika Nigam: An effort to impress the top cops in terms of cleanliness, Delhi Police personnel, who have been staying in the barracks of the police stations of central district have been made homeless for at least a couple of days.

It has been learnt by Mail Today that the central district has been conducting inspections in almost all the barracks falling under their jurisdiction. The inspection was allegedly carried out after it was revealed that Delhi Police chief Amulya Patnaik is likely to pay surprise visits at police stations. and in case any of them fails to meet certain criteria, the SHO and deputy commissioner of that district would be punished.

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"Recently, Mandeep Singh Randhawa, deputy commissioner of police (central) went to Paharganj police station for a surprise check and found the barracks untidy. Immediately he called the SHO and rebuked him. He instructed him to clean it as soon as possible," a source said.

The source added that following the DCP's visit, SHO has instructed all the policemen living in those barracks to vacant them immediately.

"They have also been instructed to take their belongings with them. Soon after the barracks were vacant, the cleanliness drive was started without making alternative arrangements for the cops who were staying there," an official, on condition of anonymity said.

ALL TO IMPRESS THE TOP COPS?

Some of the police personnel of Paharganj police station are forced to stay on the terrace now.

After the inspection at Paharganj police station, SHOs of other police stations have started cleanliness drive on their own.

Mail Today has found that the conditions of other police stations in the central district are similar.

Police personnel are finding it quite difficult to spend days outsides barracks.

Mail Today visited some of the barracks and found the conditions were miserable. Be it infrastructure or cleanliness, the barracks do not stand upon any criteria.

The barrack in North Avenue where the cops, who are posted as the President's securitymen, also suffer same misery. Senior cops blamed it on the unavailabilty of residential facilities for the policemen as a large number of them stay in these barracks.

"If there are 8 single beds in a barrack, as many as 20 to 24 cops share it on rotation basis. And if many of them come to rest at the same time, they would join all the beds to create more space," a head-constable living in one such barrack said.

Another policeman, requesting anonymity said: "At times, it feels like a punishment to spend time in a barrack, due to lack of basic facilities. After returning from work, we feel stressed. I have spent eight years in barracks and now planning to shift to a rented accommodation." "There are no shade lamps in the barrack, so mostly lights remain turned on,"he said. However, it was found that even after their transfer, policemen continue to stay in old barracks, whereas there are only 8-10 barracks in each police station.Also Read

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Swachh Bharat can take a lesson from these five countries

Phogat sisters to spread Swachh Bharat message for SDMC

--- ENDS ---
GADSDEN CO., Fla. (WTXL) - The Gadsden County Sheriff's Office (GCSO) arrests three people in a counterfeit money ring.

A spokesperson for the sheriff's office says they launched an investigation on Sunday, March 5 involving fake money being used at several local businesses in the area.

Working with the United States Secret Service, Johnny Wilson, 26, LaShelton Wilson, 24, and Cody Thomas, 31, from Albany Georgia were arrested in Gadsden County.

All three are charged with counterfeiting more than $2500 but less than $20,000, possession of forged bills, passing counterfeit bills, uttering of counterfeit bills and possession of tools for forgery of counterfeit bills.

They are currently being held in the Gadsden County Jail.

Gadsden Sheriff Morris Young warns local businesses and residents to be aware, as there could be more suspects and counterfeit bills circulating. The investigation continues.
Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar has said the damage caused by the Chennai oil spill has been brought under control.

By Pramod Madhav: Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar has said the damage caused by the Chennai oil spill has been brought under control, and that there's no need to panic about consuming fish from the coastal region. He even quoted a Tamil proverb meaning ''asafoetida sprayed onto the sea," to drive home thE point.

"Asafoetida is a substance added to food to get flavor and is added in minimal quantity. In the same way the oil spill in a minute quantity will not cause any harm to the sea creatures and will be gone soon", he explained.

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He added that fish is good for health, and that the celenium it contains helps reduce the risk of cancer.

'STATE GOVERNMENT PLAYED CRUCIAL ROLE IN REMOVING OIL'

Jayakumar said most of the oil was gone, thanks to several thousand volunteers.

"(The) state government played a crucial role in removing the spilled oil from the sea. With adequate coordination and volunteers of more than 5000 men, we've almost cleared the coast of the spilled oil", he said.

When asked about the National Green Tribunal's claim about 220 tons spread across the ocean, the minister said there's no question of oil in the sea as it has been removed.

Since fishermen only do deep-sea fishing, the fish sold aren't contaminated, he added.

Jayakumar also said that action will be taken by the Centre against those responsible for the pollution.

Close to 1,11,000 people were affected by the oil spill, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami has claimed a relief package of Rs 135 crore.

Jayakumar said a hard lesson has been learnt from the oil spill, and that any such incidents will be dealt with appropriately in the future.

ALSO READ | Chennai oil spill 10 times bigger than reported, companies whose ships collided misled government

WATCH VIDEO | Chennai oil spill: India Today's drone camera shows the damage caused

--- ENDS ---
The Columbia River and Highway 243 rings the Wahluke Slope American Viticultural Area to the south and the west. This growing region, which includes the town of Mattawa, is one of the warmest spots in Washington state. (Photo courtesy of the Washington State Wine Commission)
YAKIMA, Wash. -- To be honest, I thought that National Beer Day was yet another commericial holiday to get people to drink more beer.
By Press Trust of India: From Aditi Khanna London, Mar 6 (PTI) UK security services have foiled 13 terror attacks in the country since 2013 with 500 live counter-terror probes ongoing at any one time, Scotland Yards senior-most counter-terrorism officer said today. Investigators in Britain have been making arrests at a rate of close to one a day since 2014, the latest information showed. Metropolitan Police Assistant commissioner Mark Rowley said police faced a range of threats and challenges, including encrypted communication methods, propaganda and various possible attack methods. Rowley was speaking at the launch of a new appeal titled Action Counters Terrorism for the British public to report suspicions to the police. "The UK intelligence community and police have disrupted 13 UK terrorist attack plots since June 2013," Rowley said. Rowley noted that there were 500 live counter-terror investigations ongoing at any time. "Some of that [public] information is a change in someones behaviour, some of thats about suspicious activity. Sometimes that public information has actually started an investigation. Other times its part way through and it corroborates some things or adds to things we already know," Rowley said. "If it turns out to be a call where you made it with good intent but actually there was no problem at the end of it, thats fine. Wed rather have many calls like that, rather than miss out on the critical one that helps us stop an attack," he added.

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The senior Met Police officer urged the public to trust their "instinct" and "dont be cautious" when thinking of reporting anything of concern.

As part of the Action Counters Terrorism campaign, a podcast has been produced revealing previously untold stories of how terrorist attacks on UK soil were prevented, featuring accounts from detectives, bomb disposal and surveillance officers.

Rowley said the aim of releasing new material was to give an insight into how terrorists might prepare and provide more confidence for the public to report any suspicions.

The latest campaign comes as a study released this week reveals that converts to Islam were four times more likely to become terrorists than those who were born Muslims.

The report by the Henry Jackson Society think-tank, which analysed proven cases of Islamist-inspired terrorism between 1998 and 2015, also found that three quarters of terrorists are British nationals rather than immigrants.

Hannah Stuart, the author of the report, said: "This study identifies some significant new challenges for the authorities, including keeping track of a new generation of terrorists. I hope it will also tackle some of the myths that are prevalent in this area".

The official terror threat level in the UK has stood at "severe" for years, meaning an attack is "highly likely".

Much of the threat is posed by the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group, but senior officials believe Al Qaeda and far-right terrorism also remains a threat. PTI AK UZM

--- ENDS ---
While the party has thought of all possible scenarios and the action blueprint in each scenario, the new-found confidence of a certain victory has put to rest other scenarios.

By Siddhartha Rai: On a day Varanasi was draped in saffron for Modi's election campaign, the state BJP expressed confidence of a clear victory, expecting to breach the 300-seat mark.Senior BJP leaders told Mail Today that the scramble to find a credible and politically correct chief minister has already begun.

While the party has thought of all possible scenarios and the action blueprint in each scenario, the new-found confidence of a certain victory has put to rest other scenarios- such as a post-poll alliance with BSP-as least for now.

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THE CANDIDATES BEING CONSIDERED

Sources said while there are several leaders in contention for the top job, the name of state BJP chief and OBC leader Keshav Prasad Maurya is one that could land as a surprise selection.

Other competitors in the fray are veteran BJP leader and OBC face Uma Bharti, eastern UP stalwart Manoj Sinha, Thakur leader and hardliner Yogi Adityanath, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Lucknow mayor and Modi-Shah confidante Dinesh Sharma. Incidentally, sources said the name of Union minister Mahesh Sharma is out of contention.

WHO IS KESHAV PRASAD MAURYA

Sources added Maurya is a rather more complete package for the position as he could be the replacement to the longlost dynamics of the Kalyan Singh days when the party had emerged as the sole option for non-Yadav OBCs and EBCs.

Maurya's proximity to the Sangh also lends him weight, though most other names too weigh equally in this respect. Age too is in his favour.

MANOJ SINHA

Another senior BJP office-bearer said leaders such as Sinha, though credible, does not fit in the long-term political dynamics of the party in the state; "An OBC leader seems more politically viable and pragmatic a choice," he said.

Moreover, reports from within the party also suggest that Bharti has thrown in her support behind Maurya.

Meanwhile, the party claims that if it succeeds, a large part of the credit, apart from the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would go to the organisational strength of the party in UP.

"The difference between us and others is that they are candidates who are contesting, but we are a party and an organisation fighting the elections. We are contesting as a party on every booth," said UP BJP spokesperson Chandra Mohan.

"The party has followed two strategies: one is devolution of work-everyone has been tasked with specific work and made accountable. There is no confusion, therefore. The other is 'Purva Yojana, Purna Yojana' which means pre-planning is complete planning," he added.

"After the Lok Sabha elections, the party had embarked on a mission to capture UP.

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UP took the lead over other state units in all the programmes of the party-membership, mass contact and training," he further said.

"We are the only party that has a comprehensive reach to the grassroot level as we have booth-level organisation in place unlike other parties. The party was aware of the social realities and hence, social engineering and management were given due weight," he iterated.

WATCH: Varanasi needs complete makeover and it is my dream to achieve it: Modi

Also Read

Will Uttar Pradesh have hung Assembly: What trends suggest since Modi became PM

UP election: Is Shatrughan Sinha's dig at hardly working leaders an attack on 'hardworking' Modi?

How the Uttar Pradesh verdict will impact Congress thinking on future alliances

--- ENDS ---
Israel's diplomats are working hard this month as events of the BDS Movement's Apartheid Week take place in different places around the globe. These events, which began on February 28 and will continue through April 10, paint Israel in a negative light and expose tens of thousands of students to the boycott campaign and pro-Palestinian organizations that are operating on different campuses.

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The discussions are mostly one-sided: Israel is hardly ever represented by anyone, and the pro-Palestinian organizations enjoy a monopoly in the battle for public opinion.

Over the last few years, anti-Semitic groups have also made it onto campuses under the Apartheid Week guise, with swastikas and comparisons of Israel to the Nazi regime becoming commonplace.

British students for Israel (Photo: StandWithUs)

But there has been an awakening over the past two years on several campuses in Britain, where students and activists started fighting for Israel's image. They're not only trying to balance the negative image of Israel painted by the boycott organizations, but they're also organizing events and activities to present a different side of Israel.

The most surprising thing about these initiatives, though, is that many of the students at the forefront of Israel's battle against Apartheid Week are not Israeli, nor even Jewish.

'You support war crimes'

Khulan Davajab is one of them. She's 21, one her first year studying Hebrew and International Relations at SOAS University of London, which specializes in Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. SOAS is considered one of the more prestigious schools at the University of London, but its campus is also considered one of the most anti-Israeli in Britaina stronghold of the boycott movement.

Davajab was born in Mongolia, moved with her mother to the Czech Republic and arrived in London three years ago. Her affiliation to Israel started by chance.

"When I was 13, a friend of mine read a book about the persecution of Jews during the Spanish Inquisition and recommended it to me," she says. "I started developing an interest in Judaism and in the history of the Jewish people, and I noticed Israel was getting a very negative and unfair treatment in the world. I started writing a blog about Israel, won a prize in an essay content about Israel, and went to visit it. I finally saw the country with my own eyes and realized the way in which Israel is being portrayed in the media was unfair and doesn't truly reflect it."

Khulan Davajab

Last year, Davajab decided to study international relations and Hebrew, though even Hebrew studies failed to provide her with a refuge in the hostile academic institution.

"On the first week of school, when I told people I was studying Hebrew, one of them lecturers asked me 'Why are you studying Hebrew? So you could read the Israeli propaganda?'" she recounts.

"During lessons, the lecturers tell the students that Israeli prison guards sexually abuse Palestinian prisoners. They present Israel as Satan and say that Iran needs a nuclear bomb so it could deal with Israel's aggression. When I try to balance the scale, I'm told 'You're supporting war crimes.'"

And how do the students react to such things?

"The students agree with the lecturers. I feel a lot of hostility when I express my opinion. My only friends on campus are Jews. Even the Israeli students on campus hide where they're from, lying and saying they were from France or the US. When I enter a classroom, I often hear whispering, 'There, the Zionist is here.'

"We had an event for Israel recently and pro-Palestinian activists attacked me and my friends, stole my phone and snatched my purse. It almost deteriorated to physical violence."

But Davajab didn't let the pro-Palestinian activists discourage her. Several months ago, she joined a leadership program through StandWithUs, a non-profit organization working to improve Israel's image in campuses around the world. The organization's leadership program was launched this year, training 35 young leadersseveral of them not Jewishin campuses across Britain using seminars, lectures and workshops providing practical tools to aid them in organizing pro-Israel activities on campuses.

Tamir Oren, StandWithUs's representative in London, arrived in the UK several months ago and saw the massive campaign against Israel.

"The resistance hasn't been anti-Israeli in a long time," he explains. "We see a situation on campuses in which Jewish students experience anti-Semitism and are afraid of wearing a kippah. Other students bemoan the fact that pro-Palestinian organizations disrupt pro-Israel events, and there are quite a few incidents where swastikas have been drawn on walls."

But Oren and his organization also see some encouraging signs. "This week, during the Apartheid Week events, our students held the 'Shabbat Shalom' event meant to show the beautiful side of Israel," he says. "Another student led a delegation of entrepreneurs to Israel. We're starting a dialogue in places where until recently no one agreed to even listen to the Israeli side."

'Dialogue instead of boycott'

Davajab also started organizing pro-Israel events on campus. "We brought a delegation of activists from the Yesh Atid party and they spoke to students here," she says. "We also brought a delegation of students from the Hebrew University to present the reality in Israel rather than the lies and distortions. We received a lot of good feedback. So far, everyone was exposed to one narrative of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and suddenly they get to hear the other side. Students tell me these lectures opened their minds, and that they no longer thought Israelis were murdering Palestinians in cold blood. They now see there's another side to the conflict. The program gave me tools, but more than that, it helped me feel I wasn't alone; that there were students like me at other universities."

One of those students is Jonathan Farrell, 22, a BA student for international relations and Arabic at the University of Exeter. He grew up in Buckinghamshire, far from any major Jewish community.

"I had no clue about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but I knew Israel was a tolerant place in a sea of intolerance," he says.





Protest against anti-Semitism in London (Photo: AFP)

When he began his studies, he joined a Friends of Israel group on campus. "Ironically, there was a Jewish organization at the university, but when we tried to recruit them for pro-Israel activities, they said they were an a-political organization and refused. So we started our own group," he says.

Over the past three years, he and his friends have been organizing pro-Israel activities and events on different campuses. One of the more successful ventures was when they invited a profession of history and theology who told the students about the Jewish people's millennia-old connection to the Land of Israel.

"A lot of students said they had no idea that Jews had lived in Israel in the past. Until then, all they heard was that Zionism was a racist movement and that the white Jews invaded Israel without having any ties to the place," Farrell says.

During Apartheid Week, Farrell and his friends held Israel Peace Week, which promotes love instead of hate, dialogue instead of boycott.

"We're holding a fair with food tastings, lectures, discussions and other activities," he says. "This is how we explain that the only way to make peace is through dialogue, not boycotts."

Do you feel a change in the attitude towards Israel on campus?

"I can't say that there's a lot of support for Israel, but I definitely see more balance and hesitancy. The students who used to just eat up what they were being told are now asking questions. The conversations are no longer one-sided. We are able to help students see the problematic nature of the Palestinians. Even the Palestinians on campus were surprised by us. They lost the one-sided control on campus that they had taken for granted. Every time they hold an event against Israelwe'll be there with leaflets, signs and Israeli flags."

Anti-Semitic graffiti in the UK (Photo: The Community Security Trust)

Joe Sigolo, 19, an international relations student at Queen Mary University of London, started supporting Israel after Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014.

"I started studying the situation, in contrary to the distorted and negative way in which Israel is being described in the media. I was shocked because people in Londonincluding Jewspresented Israel in such a negative manner. I noticed activists were using the anti-Zionist stance as a cover for ugly anti-Semitic views and decided to show the Israeli side of the story.

"When I first arrived at the university, the situation on campus was terrible. You couldn't even mention the name Israel, or hint that you were in favor of Israel. I kept being attacked. When one of the professors said Gaza was a giant prison, I mumbled to myself 'That's not true,' and the student sitting next to me told me 'These are dirty Jews and you have blood on your hands.' He yelled at me, 'I won't sit next to you' and left."

Joe Sigolo

But Sigolo wasn't discouraged either. "Education is the way to peace, and if we want to have a chance of peace, we have to give people information," he says. The narrative on campus "is that Israel is (sterilizing) Ethiopian women because they're black, and you have to fight these made-up stories. The pro-Palestinian organizations are trying to sabotage our activity, and my job is to give people correct information."

StandWithUs representative Tamir Oren says that while non-Jewish students taking part in pro-Israel activity is impressive, they often have to pay a price. "They have to give up on friends, parties and leisure time to defend Israel," he says.

What about the Israeli government?

"We don't receive government support, among other reasons so we don't get accused of being a government branch spreading propaganda. The special thing about our program is that it gives students a platform to tell the Israeli story through their own eyes. No official body can match their levels of familiarity and credibility."
SEOUL/TOKYO -- North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japan's northwest coast early on Monday, South Korean and Japanese officials said, days after the reclusive state promised retaliation over U.S.-South Korea military drills it sees as a preparation for war.

South Korea's military said the missiles were unlikely to have been intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) which could reach the United States, but flew on average 1,000 km (600 miles) and reached a height of 260 km (160 miles).

Some of the missiles landed in waters as close as 300 km (190 miles) to Japan's northwest coast, Japan's Defence Minister Tomomi Inada said in Tokyo.

"The launches are clearly in violation of (UN) Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in parliament, adding "strong protests" had been lodged with nuclear-armed North Korea.
A wanted Palestinian terror suspect was killed during a shootout with the Border Police's elite YAMAM unit after opening fire at officers who were attempting to apprehend him early Monday morning.

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Basel Al-Araj, 31, was killed in Al-Bireh, near Ramallah. According to the Border Police, he was the head of a terror cell that planned attacks against Israelis and was in charge of procuring weapons for the attacks.

Carl submachine gun seized at the scene (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Following a search of the suspect's home, security forces discovered two M16 rifles and a Carlo submachine gun.

Following the commotion, disturbances broke out with Palestinian stone throwers and rioters converging on the scene. Security forces responded with riot control measures and injured two Palestinians.

Shell cases and blood after the shootout

M16 rifle recovered at the scene (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

After security forces finished a search of the premises, they collected the seized weapons and took the suspect's body.

In addition to the arrest raid in Al-Bireh that resulted in the death of the suspect, IDF forces arrested 12 other terror suspects in the West Bank and confiscated thousands of shekels destined for terror financing.
The FBI has asked the US Justice Department to dispute President Donald Trump's claims that former President Barack Obama had his successor's telephones tapped during the election, a US official said Sunday.

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Trump claimed in a series of tweets without evidence Saturday that his predecessor had tried to undermine him by tapping the telephones at Trump Tower, the New York skyscraper where Trump based his campaign and transition operations, and maintains a home.

Obama's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said nothing matching Trump's claims had taken place.

X

"Absolutely, I can deny it," said Clapper, who left government when Trump took office in January. Other representatives for the former president also denied Trump's allegation.

The president, meanwhile, turned to Congress for help finding evidence to support his unsubstantiated claim.

Republican leaders of Congress appeared willing to honor the president's request, but the move has potential risks for the president, particularly if the House and Senate intelligence committees unearth damaging information about Trump, his aides or his associates.

The FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute Trump's allegations, a US official told The Associated Press on Sunday.

No such statement has been issued by the Justice Department. DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores declined to comment Sunday, and an FBI spokesman also did not comment.

The New York Times reported that senior American officials say FBI Director James Comey has argued that the claim must be corrected by the Justice Department because it falsely insinuates that the FBI broke the law.

FBI Director James Comey (Photo: AFP)

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said without elaborating Sunday that Trump's instruction to Congress was based on "very troubling" reports "concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election." Spicer did not respond to inquiries about the reports he cited in announcing the request.

Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to "exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016." He said there would be no further comment until the investigations are completed, a statement that House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi took offense to and likened to autocratic behavior.

"It's called a wrap-up smear. You make up something. Then you have the press write about it. And then you say, everybody is writing about this charge. It's a tool of an authoritarian," Pelosi said.

Spicer's chief deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said she thinks Trump is "going off of information that he's seen that has led him to believe that this is a very real potential."

Josh Earnest, who was Obama's press secretary, said presidents do not have authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens, as Trump has alleged was done to him. FBI investigators and Justice Department officials must seek a federal judge's approval for such a step.

Earnest accused Trump of leveling the allegations to distract from the attention being given to campaign-season contacts by Trump aides with a Russian official, including campaign adviser Jeff Sessions before he resigned from the Senate to become attorney general. The FBI is investigating those contacts, as is Congress.

Trump and Obama meeting in the White House after the elections (Photo: Reuters)

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., said in a statement that the panel "will follow the evidence where it leads, and we will continue to be guided by the intelligence and facts as we compile our findings."

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the committee "will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates."

The committee's top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, said Trump was following "a deeply disturbing pattern of distraction, distortion and downright fabrication."

The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., referred questions to Nunes, while a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said McConnell would not tell the Senate committee how to do its work.

Trump said in the tweets that he had "just found out" about being wiretapped, though it was unclear whether he was referring to having found out through a briefing, a conversation or a media report. The president in the past has tweeted about unsubstantiated and provocative reports he reads on blogs or conservative websites.

The tweets stood out, given the gravity of the charge and the strikingly personal attack on the former president. Trump spoke as recently as last month about how much he likes Obama and how much they get along, despite their differences.

"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" he tweeted, misspelling 'tap.'

Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said Saturday that a "cardinal rule" of the Obama administration was not to interfere in Justice Department investigations, which are supposed to be conducted free of outside or political influence.

Lewis said neither Obama nor any White House official had ever ordered surveillance on any US citizen. "Any suggestion otherwise is simply false," Lewis said.

Trump used a similar approach with his unsupported claims of massive voter fraud that he said caused him to lose the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton. He eventually said he wanted to launch a "major" investigation to find the 3 million to 5 million votes he claims were cast illegally. Congressional leaders were cool to the ideaa costly and time-consuming effort.

Trump has been trailed for months by questions about his campaign's ties to Russia. Compounding the situation is the US intelligence agencies' assessment that Russia interfered with the election to help Trump triumph over Hillary Clinton, along with disclosures about his aides' contacts with a Russian official.
It has been claimed that the infiltrators from Africa steal workplaces from Israelis, burden the social services and endanger security. Had we not curbed their inrush, the character of Israeli society would have changed completely.

These arguments, which drove the state to invest a fortune in the construction of a fence on the Egyptian border, are not in line with the annexation of the occupied territories and the millions of people living in them. From all the aforementioned aspects, an annexation will lead to a much worse outcome. Even if we settle for the annexation of Area C alone, it will add to Israel a number of residents which is double the number of the migrants from Africa, and we will only be able to thwart their influence at an extremely high cost and after a long political battle, which will end with jailing the Palestinians inside islands surrounded by fences.

Tibi and Rivlin. The Arab MK is trying to warn Israeli Jews of the results of an annexation (Photo: Noam Moskovich)

Nevertheless, there are those who support an annexation, including our president, Reuven Rivlin, who is in favor of establishing one state and granting full civil rights to the Arabs living in the areas that will be annexed. Since his youth, Rivlin has adhered to an outlook expressed in the poem The East of the Jordan, which was written by Zeev Jabotinsky in protest of the removal of the territory east of the Jordan River from the British Mandate's boundaries. One of the poems verses promises that From the wealth of our land there shall prosper / The Arab, the Christian, and the Jew / For our flag is a pure and just one / It will illuminate both sides of my Jordan.

The composed song became the anthem of the Beitar movement, and the oldest followers of the movements founders support its content, just like they believe in the content of his famous essay, The Iron Wall. But while the essay is an example of profound realism, the poem describes a disappointing dream, just like the disappointing dream of the state described by Theodor Herzl in his utopian novel Altneuland (The Old New Land). The visionary of the state imagined a secular and liberal Israel which is not very different from the state of all its citizens.

If we assess the Hebrew states attitude towards its Arab citizens according to Herzl and Jabotinskys vision, we must admit that this has so far failed. Our failure was demonstrated recently in two events that took place at the same time: The security forces extreme patience towards the rioters in Amona compared to their violence towards the sons of Arabia in Umm al-Hiran.

But the 70 years of the states existence may not be enough for reaching a conclusion on the chances of the success or failure of a move with a huge historical significance. Thereforewithout completely rejecting the annexation ideaI suggest that it should be fulfilled like cautious planners act before building an enormous factory: They look into its feasibility through a modest experiment and decide to expand it only after carefully examining its results.

Similarly, we will start a pilot project at a limited cost with relatively low risks. After we are convinced that the experiment went well and that it has a high chance of succeeding, we will establish the great annexation enterprise in which from the wealth of our land there shall prosper the Arab, the Christian, and the Jew and where purity and integrity will prevail. The pilot project is, simply put, establishing equal relations with the Arabsone-fifth of Israels citizens.

Last week, we were surprised by Joint List and Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi, who joined the president in supporting the annexation idea. But if the Zionist president and the Palestinian MK hold a similar view on the long-awaited state, doesnt it mean that there is something wrong with their vision?

The answer to this question is simple: The shrewd Tibi is not interested in an annexation, because he knowslike the Jews who have not become inundated by their passion for the territoriesthat one state would be a disaster. When he predicted that he would be the elected prime minister in this state, his intention was to warn the Jews of the results of the annexation and urge them to let go of the occupied territories and create a fundamental change in the situation of Israels Arabs. The anti-Zionist Arab is protecting Zionism better than the president of the Zionist state.
The Military Advocate General is expected to appeal the lenient sentence given to IDF soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter after killing a wounded terrorist in Hebron a year ago.

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The military court sentenced Azaria to 18 months in prison, with a majority of two judges. The minority opinion held by the third judge argued to hand out a much harsher sentence. The 18-months sentence is half of what the prosecution demandedno less than three years.

Military Advocate General Brig. Gen. Sharon Afek is expected to meet on Tuesday with the prosecution team, headed by Lt. Col. (res.) Nadav Weisman, to discuss whether to appeal the sentence, as Wednesday is the last day such an appeal could be filed.

Elor Azaria (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Initially, the military prosecution was leaning towards settling for the lenient sentence, which came alongside a harsh conviction. But Azaria's own appeal of his sentence, alongside the resignation of most of his defense team , led the prosecution to reconsider.

Three of Azaria's four lawyersincluding leading counsel Besserglick, as well as Ilan Katz and Karmit Scheibertended their resignation last week after the soldier and his family decided to appeal the sentence against the advice of the three litigators, who favored asking to mitigate his sentence or requesting pardon from the president.

The military prosecution (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Azaria's remaining lawyer, Yoram Sheftel, leveled harsh accusations against the Military Advocate General, claiming that Afek "threateningly blackmailed" the defense time.

"What led to the dramatic change in the position of the other litigators was a meeting with the head military prosecutor on Sunday, in which we were told 'if you don't file an appeal, neither will the IDF,'" Sheftel claimed in a press conference on Wednesday.

Yoram Sheftel (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

He attacked the tit-for-tat proposal, saying, "This is an outrageous assertion with a moral aspectthreats and extortion."

Sheftel appealed the manslaughter conviction on behalf of Azaria last week, claiming there was evidence the judges had allegedly ignored, as well as claiming the investigation by the IDF's Criminal Investigation Division (CID) was biased in a way that established the suspicions against Azaria.

The military prosecution was also unhappy with Azaria's request, which was granted by the court, to postpone starting to serve his sentence until a decision is made on his appeal. The prosecution initially objected the move, but eventually relented and removed its objection.
Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman asserted on Monday that extending Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank would be a mistake and lead to a diplomatic crisis with the United States and the Trump administration.

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"I am saying it as clearly as possible: We received a direct message from the United States saying that Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank will lead to a crisis with the new administration," Lieberman said while appearing before the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Yaron Berner)

Lieberman delved into the logistics and political significance of such a decision, saying, "The decision to extend Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank means extending sovereignty over 2.7 million Palestinians, and I'm not even talking about international law and the international political repercussions.

"I am talking about Israeli law which stipulates that they would have to receive Israeli residency, like Palestinians in east Jerusalem. This means that Israel will have to pay them a minimum of NIS 20 billion in social security on the first day."

Palestinians attacking Border Police jeep in West Bank

In addition to the economic and security challenges posed by sovereignty in the West Bank, Lieberman also referred to the Gaza Strip, saying, "Once again we have found ourselves in an agonizing state of self-flagellation while facing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"I want to emphasize: In 2016, close to 18,000 Gazans received medical treatment in Israel. An average of 800 trucks a day enter through the Kerem Shalom Border Crossing in addition to reconstruction in the strip. Additionally, Israel has evacuated settlements and transferred thousands of Jews to Israeli territory and we have returned to the 1967 lines.

"It is unacceptable that while Hamas spends millions of dollars building offensive tunnels and producing rockets, Israel pays for their water and electricity. We need to separate from the Palestinians, not absorb Palestinians into us."

In discussing security in the West Bank, Lieberman also referred to the incident Friday in which Palestinians attacked and stoned a Border Police jeep in Nabi Saleh.

Palestinians attack Border Police jeep

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The defense minister flatly admonished the patrol and their actions, saying, "The officers did not act properly. The procedures for opening fire are very clear and I would have expected the officers to act accordingly. I shared this with the chief of staff as well. First, they should have fired warning shots into the air, then at the legs (of the assailants).

"That these masked assailants got away unscathed is unacceptable. We cannot see pictures such as these again. I hope that message has been made clear to commanders and soldiers in the field as well."
BAMAKO -- Suspected jihadists from Burkina Faso have attacked a Malian military post across the border, killing at least a dozen Malian soldiers.

The attack was on a military base in Boulkessi, according to an announcement on Malian state television late Sunday.

A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals said that Malian soldiers fled Boulkessi after the assault.

While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, suspicion fell on a group from Burkina Faso known as Ansaroul Islam, which is linked to extremist groups in northern Mali.
Maj. Gen. (ret.) Menashe Arbiv, the former head of the Israel Police's top investigative unit Lahav 433, was indicted on Sunday for fraud, breach of trust and failing to perform his duty as a police officer.

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The indictment against Arbiv, who also served as the Israel Police's representative in the US and the deputy Tel Aviv District commander, was filed by the Police Investigation Unit with the approval of State Attorney Shai Nitzan.

Arbiv is suspected of enjoying "benefits" over the years from Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto , who was recently released from prison after serving a one-year sentence for bribing Arbiv's superior, Brig. Gen. Ephraim Bracha

Maj. Gen. (ret.) Menashe Arbiv (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

According to the indictment, Arbiv first met Pinto in early 2010, while the rabbi was dividing his time between the city of Ashdod in Israel and New York City.

Arbiv formed ties with both Pinto and his close associates, including the rabbi's personal aide in Israel, Yossi Amos.

Those ties were based on aligned interests: Pinto wanted a connection to a source of power, like a senior police officer, while Arbiv sought personal ties to the influential rabbi, who had connections in Israel and abroad.

As part of their alliance, the indictment claims, Arbiv made different requests for help from the rabbi and his associates for personal needs, all the while making sure to maintain his ties to the rabbi.

Arbiv, left, with Pinto

Among other things, Arbiv asked Pinto for help in finding a job in New York for his son and daughter-in-law, as well as help in obtaining a discount to purchase an apartment in a prestigious complex in Tel Aviv.

According to the indictment, Pinto and his associates did help Arbiv's daughter-in-law find a job and helped her obtain a US work visa, paying $2,650 for it.

Arbiv and his relatives also stayed several times at the Metro Apartments in New York, which at the time was owned by Pinto's aide, Ben-Zion Suky. The Metro employees refused to receive payment for these guests, and Arbiv and his family left cash money in envelops for the stay, based on what they thought was appropriate to pay.

According to the indictment, the close ties between the two continued even after Arbiv learned Pinto was a suspect in a criminal investigation into his Jerusalem-based Hazon Yeshaya non-profit organization. Furthermore, Arbiv failed to report his ties to Pinto to the relevant authorities in the police.

At a later stage, Pinto allegedly offered Arbiv $60,000 to interfere on his behalf to close the investigation. Arbiv did not report this offer to the relevant police bodies, nor did he report the fact Pinto was aware of this covert investigation concerning him.

Arbiv also handled a request by the FBI for information on Pinto, despite his ties to the rabbi and while failing to disclose said ties.

Pinto being released from prison (Photo: Dana Kopel)

Moreover, Arbiv failed to disclose the information he had when the investigation into Pinto trying to bribe his superior, Brig. Gen. Ephraim Bracha, came to light in late 2012, despite the fact he knew his information was valuable to the investigation.

When asked about his ties to Pinto during the investigation into Pinto's bribes to Bracha, Arbiv provided a false version, once again leaving out of his testimony vital information.

Arbiv's defense team said in response, "For three years, an investigation has been ongoing at the Police Investigation Unit probe against Maj. Gen. (ret.) Menashe Arbiv over suspicions of bribery. To that end, the State Attorney's Office signed an outrageous state witness agreement with Rabbi Pinto to try and establish the suspicions against Arbiv. The indictment left out any of the bribery allegations.

"The facts, as they were presented in the indictment, did not lead to a disciplinary hearing in other similar cases, and the prosecution chose to file an indictment in this case only because of the agreement reached with Pintoan agreement harshly criticized by the Supreme Court.

"It's important to emphasize that there was no alliance of interests between Arbiv and Rabbi Pinto, as described in the indictment."
NEW YORK -- An accused al Qaeda operative charged with engaging in attacks on US forces that killed at least two American servicemen in Afghanistan is set to face trial on Monday in federal court in Brooklyn, New York.

Ibrahim Suleiman Adnan Adam Harun, also known by the nom de guerre Spin Ghul, or White Rose in the Pashto language, is accused of conspiring to kill Americans and providing support to a terrorist group, among other charges. An anonymous jury will hear the case, which is not uncommon in national security trials.
Spread across seven phases, campaigning for Uttar Pradesh Assembly election saw political parties being involved in most acrimonious slugfest one has witnessed in the recent political history of the country.

For the BJP, winning the UP Assembly election is a matter of prestige. (File Photo: Reuters)

By Shashank Shantanu: As the clock struck 5 today evening, campaigning for nearly month-long spectacle called the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election came to an end. The high-decibel campaign for the crucial election witnessed all the major players trying all they could to lure the voters.

The election, which is being referred as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's gamble of a move called demonetisation, has the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Samajwadi-Congress alliance and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) locked in a three-cornered battle.

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ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2017: FULL COVERAGE

Spread across seven phases, campaigning for Uttar Pradesh Assembly election saw political parties being involved in most acrimonious slugfest one has witnessed in the recent political history of the country.

For the BJP, it is a matter of prestige. A win in the one the most populous states of the country would certainly give a boost to its 2019 plans. The party knows it and that's precisely why almost the entire Modi Cabinet was camping in Varanasi ahead of the last phase election on March 8.

Voting for one last seat in Uttarakhand, one of the four other states that went to the polls in this election cycle, will take place on March 9 with results scheduled to be announced on March 11. India Today's exit poll for these elections will be published on March 9.

PM Modi's constituency Varanasi transformed into a big battleground in the last few days witnessing massive rallies, roadshows from the two big players - the BJP and Samajwadi-Congress combine.

CAMPAIGNING FOR LAST PHASE OF UP ELECTION ENDS: THINGS TO KNOW

On the last day of campaigning, PM Modi visited Gadwaghat Ashram, a move many described as an attempt to woo Yadav voters. Reports say the ashram has a huge following and also a potent force when it came to political decision making among the Yadavs. PM Modi also visited the ancestral house of former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri at Ramnagar before addressing a rally, his 23rd in total, at Rohaniya. "The UP government is anti-farmer. Why don't they help farmers in distress?" Modi said attacking the Akhilesh government. Voting on 40 Assembly seats in seven districts will be held on March 8. The seven districts going to polls in this phase are Ghazipur, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Bhadoi and Sonebhadra. The districts collectively known as Poorvanchal hold the key for the BJP. The party has to perform outstandingly well if it has to form the next government in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP hopes to sweep eastern Uttar Pradesh to get close to the magic figure mark of 202 in the 403-seat Assembly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a roadshows in Varanasi. (Photo: PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has been camping in Varanasi for the last three days. He held back-to-back roadshows and rallies in the city. 'UP boys' Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi responded with an equally huge roadshow on Saturday (March 4). Akhilesh with wife Dimple and Rahul Gandhi during a roadshow. On the other hand, BSP boss Mayawati stuck to her own style of campaigning holding rallies across the state. A total of 1.41 crore voters, including 64.76 lakh females will exercise their franchise in the last phase. 14,458 polling booths have been set up in this phase. In the 2012 Assembly election, out of the 40 seats, 23 went to Samajwadi Party, five to BSP, four to BJP, three to Congress and five to others. In all, 535 candidates, including 40 (BSP), 32 (BJP), 31 (SP), 9 (Congress), 21 (RLD) and 5 (NCP) are in the fray in the final phase. While the maximum number of 24 candidates are from Varanasi Cantonment seat, the minimum of six candidates are contesting from Kerakat.

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Will Akhilesh get a second term or the BJP return to power? What surprise Mayawati has in store? Answer on March 11.

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(With PTI inputs)

WATCH: Uttar Pradesh election 2017: Last day of campaigning before phase seven

ALSO READ:

Modi at Ramnagar: Why PM visited Lal Bahadur Shastri's home in Varanasi

Rahul Gandhi says Modi is an old man, we will form govt of young people

Facing arrest for rape, absconding Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati gets no relief from Supreme Court

--- ENDS ---
Three caregivers and a nurse, who were arrested last month for abuse and neglect of the elderly at the Naiot Kipat Hazahav nursing home in Haifa, were indicted on Sunday.

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The caregiversHusam Abu Ahmad, Andrei Keis and Peter Goskovand the nurse in charge of the ward, Inessa Schneider, were all charged with abusing a helpless person in their care. The caregivers were also charged with aggravated assault, while the nurse is charged with failing to report abuse.

The indictment describes numerous counts of abuse at the Haifa nursing home, including hitting, cursing and humiliating the patients.

Abuse in Naiot Kipat Hazahav nursing home (Credit: Channel 2) (  2)

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The caregivers allegedly moved patients into their wheelchairs in the middle of the night, hours before breakfast was served, meaning the elderly then had to spend hours in their chairs. The caregivers also frequently thrust sticks through the front wheels of five patients wheelchairs, thereby preventing them from moving. Nurse Schneider was charged with that offense as well, as it was done in accordance to her instructions and with her knowledge Nurse Schneider was charged with that offense as well, as it was done in accordance to her instructions and with her knowledge

Courtesy of Channel 2

In another incident, caregivers tied a man in his eighties to his bed in spread-eagle fashion, with each hand tied to the bedrail, and sometimes each leg as well. The man spent long hours tied in this fashion, sometimes entire nights.

Schneider, who was the nurse in charge of the ward for nine years, ordered another patient similarly tied to his bed for long periods every day for about six weeks, according to the indictment. In addition, it said, she ignored complaints about the caregivers' abuse by both patients relatives and other employees, declining to either report or investigate the allegations.

Nurse Inessa Schneider

In one case, Abu Ahmad entered a room in the middle of the night and changed an elderly womans diaper and clothes in a violent fashion, shaking her from side to side as she wailed, all without saying a word to her. He then pulled her by the arm and head to transfer her to a wheelchair. Finally, he turned off the light and left her in her wheelchair in the dark for three and half hours.

In another case, Abu Ahmad placed his knee on an elderly womans stomach and left arm, putting all his weight on it while he changed her clothes, ignoring her sobs and screams. In yet another, he hit a patient in the stomach and back 10 times with his hand and elbow, then grabbed her head, moved her to a wheelchair and slapped her on the cheek twice.

Caregiver Husam Abu Ahmad

Against Goskov, the indictment charges that he used to beat patients while transferring them from their bed to a chair and vice versa. In one incident, Goskov washed a heavy-set woman while she was strapped to a harness, after which he didnt dry her off and instead left her to dry in the harness, shivering from the cold.

Caregiver Peter Goskov

The indictment also describes how an 86-year-old man asked another cairgiver, Keis, to take him to the bathroom. We have no bathroom here, just a floor, Keis responded, and repeated this over and over as the man begged to be taken to the bathroom. The caregiver ordered him to go in his diaper. Keis also told the patient, To me youre just a man, a worthless man. He then waved a threatening fist at the old mans face.

In a similar incident, Keis punched another patient in the face until he bled and had to receive treatment at a hospital.

In another incident, Keis harassed a patient while he was eating, pulling his hat down on his face. When the elderly man started crying and yelling at him, Keis threatened him that for any word he says about it he will be hit again, saying to him "if you visit a social worker tomorrow, the day after that I'll come at night and f*** you up."

Caregiver Andrei Keis

In still another incident, after drinking on the job, he threatened to cut a patient's ears, hands and eyes if she does not shut up.

When a daughter of one of the patients complained to Schneider about Keis's abuse of her father and his drinking, Schneider responded that "if she does not like it, she should take her father out of here."

'What about the others, who knew but kept silent?'

Daniel, the son of one of the elderly women allegedly abused, says that since these incidents came to light, he arrives daily at the nursing home and closely examines how his 88-year-old mother is being treated.

"They notified me about the abuse only after it was made public, and when they knew I was on my way to the home they called to let me know that she was hit in the head and has swelling, telling me not to be alarmed," Daniel said.

Courtesy of Channel 2

"The fact this wasn't reported can't just be put on one nurse," he added. "What about all the other doctors and nurses who knew but kept silent?"

Daniel had considered transferring his mother to a different nursing home, but decided against it since the conditions in Naiot Kipat Hazahav have improved dramatically since the abuse came to light. "I wish it was like this from the start," he bemoaned.

Schneider's lawyer repeated Daniel's questions, asking "If my client is accused of failure to report, then what about the other nurses, doctors, and other authorities? What about the other nurse who was arrested but released with no charges? It can't be that my client knew, which she denies, and no one else did, or was even questioned."

Pictures and video of the abuse at Haifa's Naiot Kipat Hazahav nursing home were broadcast in February following an investigative series of articles published in Yedioth Ahronoth, in which journalist Ariela Sternbach documented severe instances of violence, abuse and humiliation at nursing homes. The articles caused a major uproar and have sparked a crisis in the nursing care industry.

Courtesy of Channel 2

After the issue came to light, it prompted many to act, including government officials

MK Itzik Shmuli (Zionist Union) is in the process of proposing legislation requiring video cameras to be placed in all nursing homes for the protection of the residents therein.

Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism) sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu), demanding additional personnel to counter the work load, and namely foreign labor, calling this a "public crisis."

The cost of these additional workers is estimated to be over NIS 80 million per year. In addition, work permits for 2,400 foreign workers would need to be issued.

The nursing home stated that "the findings displayed in the report and difficult and depressing. After the situation was brought to our attention, we filed a complaint against the aforementioned employees with the police, and have taken the necessary disciplinary steps.

"We have no intention to just deal with this and move on, and so have established a special committee to prevent recurrence. In addition, we have requested the Ministry of Health to conduct its own independent examination."
Six senior doctors at the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Department of the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem tended their resignation on Sunday in protest of a decision by the hospital director to perform bone marrow transplants for children at another department for adults.

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The doctors believe the decision is fundamentally wrong and does not allow them to provide patients with the best care. Despite talks between the sides, the doctors and the hospital's administration failed to reach an agreement to resolve the crisis.

Officials at the The Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Department explained the decision to resign came as a result of "fundamental professional disagreements" between the department's medical staff and the hospital administration. The medical staff has complained of a serious shortage in manpower, which they say puts the department on the verge of collapse.

Protest outside the Health Ministry against the decision to move bone marrow transplants to adults' department.

They further claimed hospital director Prof. Zeev Rotstein was trying to minimize costs even at the expense of hurting the quality of care.

A month ago, department director Prof. Michael Weintraub and his staff threatened to resign if a solution to the crisis is not found.

"This is a difficult and sad moment for me, a moment of real crisis. But in light of the administration's actions, I cannot be held responsible for giving the best care to the children," Prof. Weintraub wrote to his staff.

Hadassah Director Prof. Zeev Rotstein (Photo: Yaron Brener)

"This department was a beacon in all fields," said Dr. Dan Arbell, a senior surgeon in the Department of Pediatric Surgery, who has been working at the hospital for 35 years.

"Instead of closely protecting this department, we're reading the hospital administration's response to the staff's resignation and are shocked by it," Dr. Arbell added.

Parents of some of the children hospitalized and treated at the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Department were disappointed to hear of the doctors' decision to resign.

"My Aviv got sick at age four months and recovered from retinoblastoma (a rare form of eye cancer), got sick again at age 15 and treated by Prof. Weintraub for eight months at the department, which was like a home to us. Today, Aviv is 23 years old," said Sara Esset Pinto, whose son still comes in for periodic checks.

"This kind of department is special, and if it falls apart and the staff doesn't stay together, we have no idea what would happen. It keeps me up at night," the mother added.

Some parents accepted the decision with understanding. "If they decided they couldn't do this anymorewe're with them," said Hedva Shmueli, whose 11-year-old son Eyal is undergoing treatments in the department.

"The earth shook, opened up, and took all stability with it. I'll follow the department director. Wherever he goes, I'm with him," she added.

Some of the concerned parents and their children (Photo: Amit Shabi)

While the doctors object to uniting the children and adults' oncology departments, hospital director Prof. Zeev Rotstein claims there is no need for two separate departments.

"There's a very talented doctorI'd say verging on genius, perhaps morewho has been performing bone marrow transplants on children in recent years with great success," he told Ynet on Monday. "We identified her as a rising star and promoted her to be the head of the Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) and Cancer Immunobiology, one of the most important departments at Hadassah. Perhaps they thought they deserved the promotion and not her."

Prof. Rotstein charged that the resignation was part of "internal politics," adding "as far as the professional matter is concerned, I'm confident about the treatment the children are receiving, both at the pediatric department and at the bone marrow transplantation department."

He assued parents that Hadassah "will find solution in a way that allows us to look in the mothers' eyes and tell them 'Your child's health will not be affected, we'll do everyone to ensure the treatment continues in the best way, without interruptions.'"

The Hadassah doctors' union said in response, "This is a serious failure by the administration and directorate and a painful loss to the patients in the Jerusalem area."

The Hadassah Medical Center said in response, "The administration will do all it can to ensure no child is hurt by this collective resignation."

The six doctors' resignation will come into effect in the beginning of June.
Three IDF officers from a classified Military Intelligence unit were indicted on Monday for the death of Cpl. Ilan Yankelevich, who drowned in a water reservoir in the Eshkol Regional Council in July 2016.

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The water reservoir in which Yankelevich drowned (:  )

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Two officers, including one Maj., were charged with involuntary manslaughter, while the third officer was charged with negligence.

Cpl. Ilan Yankelevich (Photo: Courtesy of the family)

Yankelevich, who was 19 at the time of his death, drowned at an off-limits water reservoir in the Eshkol Council region, during a field operation carried out by his unit.

The force, which included soldiers and officers, went to freshen up in the water reservoir, in a spontaneous, unplanned manner. One of the officers charged was the commander who authorized the activity, and the other was the one who planned it and participated in it. The third officer was accused of dereliction, as he took part in the activity but was not part of its planning.

The water reservoir (Photo: Hussan Alubra)

The indictment alleged that the officers failed to follow proper procedure regarding water activity, with none of them ensuring that everything was being conducted safely.

Two months after the event, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot decided to adopt the recommendations of the Inquiry Commission that investigated the circumstances surrounding Yankelevich's death, calling to oust the officers from their positions. The officers in question are set to stand trial, though they are not due to be released from military service.
BERLINGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday said there was "absolutely no justification" for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's comments comparing German bans on certain political rallies to "fascist actions" remniscent of the Nazi times.

Merkel said Erdogan's comments only served to triviliaze the unfathomable suffering of those affected by Nazi crimes against humanity, and were particularly sad given the many common factors that connected the two NATO allies.

The German leader acknowledged deep differences with Ankara over issues such as freedom of the press and the arrest of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel.

However, she said Germany remained committed to its own freedoms of press, assembly and expression, and would continue to allow Turkish politicians to campaign for a constitutional referendum in Germany, as long as their visits were announced in a transparent and timely fashion and respected German laws.
In 2008, the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel, Angela Merkel delivered a speech in the Knesset in which she described relations between Germany and Israel as "excellent."

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"Yes, our relations are special, indeed unique, marked by enduring responsibility for the past, shared values, mutual trust, abiding solidarity for one another and shared confidence," the German chancellor told members of the Israeli parliament, many of whom rose to their feet to applaud.

Netanyahu and Merkel (Photo: Amos ben Gershom, Government Press Office)

Nine years on, it seems unlikely that Merkel would depict ties in the same glowing light. Political relations between Germany and Israel have sunk to their lowest point in several years, German officials say.

And there is concern in Berlin that ties could become even more strained with Donald Trump as US president. He has expressed ambivalence about the creation of a Palestinian statea central aim of German policy in the Middle Eastand offered only the mildest of criticism of Israeli settlements.

Israeli officials also quietly acknowledge that relations are at a low point although they say the links between the two countries are still strong.

The extent of the strains between Germany and Israel was underscored last month when Merkel canceled a summit with Netanyahu that was due to take place in Jerusalem in May.

The official explanation was that Berlin was too busy with its G20 presidency. But German officials said privately that the main reason was anger over Netanyahu's plans, unveiled in the weeks after Trump took office, to accelerate settlement building in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, and to legalize thousands of homes built on privately-held Palestinian land.

Photo: AFP

"Netanyahu does not listen to us and the situation may only get worse with Trump," said one senior German official, who acknowledged that relations with Israel's right-wing government had been "completely pared back."

In Israel, an official described the cancellation of the summit as a sign of "deep, deep displeasure" with Netanyahu, but argued that Berlin's main gripe was with Trump.

"Germany is really angry with Trump, but they can't afford to express it or take him on directly because he's too strong," the official said.

Kerstin Mueller, who runs the Tel Aviv office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation, a left-leaning German think tank, said recent developments may force Berlin to reexamine its relationship with Israela country towards which it feels a deep attachment and obligation because of the Holocaust.

"The sense of responsibility is still there but I don't know how long it will hold," Mueller said. "The special relationship between Germany and Israel is not set in stone. In fact it looks right now like it may be in danger."

Growing gap

In an interview Yakov Hadas-Handelsman, Israel's ambassador to Germany, pointed to the strong ties between civil society in Germany and Israel, a surge in the number of young Israelis who visit the trendy German capital, and a steady back-and-forth of lawmakers and ministers between Berlin and Jerusalem.

Germany's Justice Minister Heiko Maas was in Israel last month, Bundestag President Norbert Lammert is visiting this month and Germany's new Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel is considering a trip before Easter.

But Hadas-Handelsman acknowledged a growing gap between the Israel-friendly stance that has guided German governments for decades and an increasingly skeptical population, particularly among younger Germans who do not feel a sense of responsibility for the Holocaust.

A 2015 Bertelsmann Foundation study on the relationship showed that 77 percent of Germans believed it was time to "leave the past behind." Some 66 percent expressed anger that Germans were still blamed for crimes against Jews. Among respondents between the ages 18 and 29, 79 percent felt this way.

Photo: Reuters

"The more time that passes, the more difficult it will be to maintain the unique relationship even if there are no political disagreements," Hadas-Handelsman told Reuters.

Ties between both countries run deep.

Germany is a major sponsor of scientific research in Israel. It supplies the Israeli navy with submarines, financing a substantial portion of the costs itself.

And economic relations are strong. Bilateral trade in goods and services totaled $5.5 billion last year, small compared to the $25.6 billion between Israel and the United States, but second only to Britain among European Union countries.

There are no signs that the German government is considering ratcheting back these areas of cooperation.

A delicate moment

But a German diplomat said it was becoming ever more difficult to sell the close relationship with Israel to the German public.

"Getting the balance right with Israel is increasingly difficult. If you don't criticize you get lambasted in the media. If you do criticize you are alienating a core partner," the diplomat said.

In a German election year, he said, Merkel had nothing to gain from an awkward meeting with Netanyahu.

Political tensions are not a new phenomenon. Back in 2011, Germany reportedly threatened to stop delivery of Dolphin submarines in response to Israeli settlement plans. A year later, Gabriel, then head of the opposition Social Democrats, caused a storm by likening Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank to "apartheid."

The most senior members of the German government began paring back their visits to Israel some years ago. Merkel has visited only twice since her 2008 speech to the Knesset. Her last trip to Israel was in early 2014.

But German officials and analysts say the current political divide appears to be deeper than it has been at any time in recent memory.

"Israel knew with previous US governments that it could only go so far. Now with Trump, the more radical elements in Israel feel emboldened," said Mueller. "We are at a very delicate moment. It is important how Germany reacts to this new reality. The relationship could change very quickly."
In the coming weeks, the first female soldiers to be included in the IDF Armored Corps will be drafted, and now, details of the experiment emerged.

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This experiment will allow the IDF to examine the incorporation of female soldiers in the armored array in ongoing security missions and border protection.

According to the details of the program published on Ynet for the first time, the female soldiers to participate in the project will be drafted in the coming weeks to co-ed, light infantry battalions such as Caracal and the Lions of Jordan, where they will undergo basic combat training.

During the four months of basic training, the most suitable 15 soldiers will be chosen for the experiment, who will then be transferred to the Shizafon training base. There, they will be particularly trained for armored combat over four additional months for three out of four tank positions: driver, gunner and loader. The role of tank commander will be filled by carefully selected experienced tank commanders.

Training of female soldiers will not be similar to the training of male soldiers. The soldiers will undergo special fitness training to strengthen their muscles and it will be mainly targeted for border protection. For example, the female soldiers will not be involved in company drills like the other armored corps' soldiers, but will practice ongoing security missions in tankssuch as moving from point A to point B, shooting at different-ranged targets, collaborative work with the observation forces and lengthy ambushes.

The third phase of the experimental program, which will take about a year, will take place in the last quarter of 2017 and in early 2018, when the female soldiers undergo practical experience in the tanks in the southern sector. In this sector, they will work alongside the Caracal Battalion and partake in operational tasks.

The experiments will be conducted on Merkava 3 tanks, which according to a senior officer, was chosen due to its relatively middle-of-the-road operating level, when compared to the advanced Merkava 4 or the outdated Merkava 2.

Only at the end of the year, will the Armored Corps and the Army Headquarters conclude whether female soldiers will serve in the tank.

As it stands, if the experiment succeeds, these female soldiers will be central to the new border protection array, which includes combat collection brigades in areas such as the Lebanese border and the Golan Heights, alongside their incorporation in infantry battalions in the south.

Photo: Yoav Zitun

The program will be monitored by teams of nutritionists, combat fitness instructors and medical corps on a regular basis.

During the summer, an armored corps team is expected to leave for training in the United States, during which time they will have the opportunity to closely observe the service of female soldiers (albeit, to a very limited extent) in tanks in the US Army.

The IDF headquarters has been working on this training program for months. Two previous attempts to examine the possibility of incorporating female combat soldiers in tanks over the last decade have failed: Once during the theoretical stage, and a second time when armored corps' instructors gave it a try but failed, mainly due to physiological reasons.

A few retired senior officers have expressed dissatisfaction with the procedure. "I think it would be a mistake to incorporate female soldiers in the armored corps," said former minister Avigdor Kahalani, recipient of the Medal of Valor from the Yom Kippur War. Gen. (res.) Yiftach Ron-Tal claimed that using women to man tanks is an "outrageous" concept lobbied by leftists who wish to weaken the IDF.

A senior officer in the armored corps, told Ynet: "We approach this experiment with a lot of experience and lessons learned from border protection battalions in which female combat soldiers have been serving, so there is a reason to be optimistic.

"A control team will closely accompany the process, and we will make the necessary adjustments even within the tank itself, such as a seat dedicated for a female soldier, or female-adapted equipment. At the end of the experiment, we will be able to answer the important questions of whether women can run a tank during routine and emergency situations, and what is the right time to do so. The recruitment process will be thorough, and will provide us with experience, even if some of them drop out."
The personal intervention of the Cyprus Minister of Health Dr. George Pamboridis helped save the life of an Israeli patient, who could not find the medication he so direly needed.

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On Friday, January 13, 2017, an unusual appeal was received in the situation room of the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.

Prof. Avi Rivkind, head of the general surgery trauma department at Hadassah Medical Center, requested the Foreign Ministry's assistance in saving a patient's life, requiring a drug that was not to be found in Israel.

Cypriot Health Minister Dr. Pamboridis

The director of the Foreign Ministry's Situation Room Herzel Edri appealed to a number of Israeli embassies across Europe in an attempt to locate the drug.

Prof. Avi Rivkind (Photo: Gil Yochanan)

Once the Israeli Ambassador in Cyprus, Yael Ravia-Zadok received the request, she immediately contacted the Cypriot Minister of Health, Dr. George Pamboridis. Despite it having been Friday night, the minister immediately replied, understanding the urgency.

He checked around and got back to the ambassador in under an hour, saying: "We have the medication. The Nicosia General Hospital is waiting for you to come and pick it up."

When the ambassador asked how to transfer payment, the minister replied: "Payment? What payment?" and refused to accept any compensation for the life-saving medication.

The administration officer at the Israeli embassy in Cyprus immediately went to the hospital, picked up the medicine and had it flown to Israel. From the airport, the medication was transferred to the hospital with the help of the patient's family member.

The drug reached its destination in time and saved the patient's life, who was released from the hospital shortly thereafter.

The immediate response and willingness to help save a life with no interest for compensation show Minister Pamboridis's moral dedication, said the Israeli ambassador.

The actions also "embody the depth of the friendship between Israel and Cyprus, the Cypriots and Israelis," she continued.

Ravia went on to say: "We will always remember the Cypriots' commitment to human lives experienced firsthand by Jewish Holocaust survivors who were on their way to Israel and deported by the British to Cyprus. 53,000 survivors were concentrated in detention camps on the island in 1946-1949. Even then, we saw humane gestures of many Cypriots who assisted people in the camps."

The Foreign Ministry and the Israel Export Institute decided to grant a certificate of appreciation to the Minister of Health of Cyprus, who is set to arrive in Israel in the coming days on a work-related visit.

The certificate will state: "Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world."
The Trump administration has explicitly warned Israel against annexing parts of the West Bank, saying it would trigger an "immediate crisis" between the two close allies, Israel's Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beytenu) said Monday

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It was the latest indication that President Donald Trump is returning to more traditional US policy and will not give Israel free rein to expand its control over the West Bank, as Israeli nationalists had hoped.

"We received a direct messagenot an indirect message and not a hintfrom the United States. Imposing Israeli sovereignty on the West Bank would mean an immediate crisis with the new administration," Lieberman said, shortly before departing for a diplomatic visit to the US.





Abbas (L), Trump (M), Netanyahu (R) (Photo: AFP)

The US's reaction was sparked by comments by MK Miki Zohar, a junior lawmaker in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party.

Zohar is among a growing number of coalition members who reject the idea of a Palestinian state and instead suggested that Israel annex the West Bank.

Under this version of a "one-state" scenario, the West Bank's more than 2 million Palestinians would receive expanded autonomy, but not hold full Israeli citizenship or be allowed to vote for the Knesset, or parliament. Although Netanyahu has not endorsed the one-state vision, many in his coalition do.

"One state at this moment means apartheid," MK Ayman Odeh, the leader of the Joint List of Arab parties in parliament, told foreign reporters Monday. "I think there needs to be great pressure for a Palestinian state to be established on the 1967 borders."

Lieberman said he received phone calls "from the entire world" about whether Zohar's proposal reflected the government's position.

He called on the coalition to "clarify very clearly that there is no intention to impose Israeli sovereignty."

Trump and Netanyahu (Photo: Reuters)

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Bayit Yehudi), who supports a partial annexation of the West Bank, said she was unaware of any controversy with the Trump administration and that Israel in any case is free to do as it sees fit.

"We are an independent and sovereign state," she told Israel's Army Radio station. "There is a supportive administration in the United States . That administration needs to back up the state of Israel and the government's policy."

Trump's campaign platform made no mention of a Palestinian state. He also promised to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move long sought by Israel but fiercely opposed by the Palestinians.

During the campaign, Trump maintained close ties with Israel's West Bank settler movement and even invited a settler delegation to his inauguration.

But since then, he has shown repeated signs of backtracking.

Trump now says the embassy issue needs further study. During a White House press conference with Netanyahu last month, Trump asked the Israeli leader to " hold back on settlements ."

He also said he was open to either a two-state or one-state solution, as long as it was through an agreement with the Palestinians.

The same week, Trump's envoy to the UN, Ambassador Nikki Haley , said the US "absolutely" supports a two-state solution, while his nominee for ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, a close ally of the settlers, said he "would be delighted" with such an agreement.

The mixed signals appear to be creating confusion among Israelis and Palestinians.

Last week, Netanyahu was quoted by local media as telling a closed meeting that his attempts to coordinate settlement construction with the US were "not as simple as you think they are." His office declined requests for comment.

Nabil Shaath, President Mahmoud Abbas' foreign relations adviser, said the US position "regarding settlements on the Palestinian lands is not clear to us."

"We need to hear from the US administration, from President Trump, directly about his positions," he said.

Oded Revivi, the chief foreign envoy of the Yesha Settlers Council, said he was "waiting patiently" for what he expects to be a favorable agreement between Israel and the White House on permissible settlement construction.

"I understand that it's taking a bit longer than what may have been anticipated by some of my peers," Revivi said. But he said Trump "seems to be a man of his word... We are still relying on what he promised."

Laurie Cardoza-Moore, a prominent pro-Israel evangelical leader in the US and president of Proclaiming Justice to the Nations, said she is also optimistic that Trump will allow widespread settlement construction and carry out the embassy move.

"If he doesn't follow through on these commitments, the evangelical Christian world will rise up in opposition to his policies," said Cardoza-Moore. "We will put him on notice that life will not be easy."
For the first time since the reconciliation agreement signed between Israel and Turkey following the deterioration in relations in light of the Marmara incident , 11 senior journalists from Turkey visited Israel.

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The journalists visited various sites and partook in meetings with senior Israeli officials, and are expected to tour Jerusalem, the Gaza envelope and Tel Aviv.

Turkish journalists with Speaker of Knesset Edelstein (in the center)

The Israeli Foreign Ministry hosted the journalists, who work in major media outlets in Turkey, including CNN Turk, NTV network, and the daily newspaper Hurriyet. During the visit, the journalists all agreed that "it seems a brighter future awaits the relations between the two countries."

Journalist Doiigo Guvanch from Hurriyet Daily News said: "It seems that significant efforts are made to develop relations after the regulation, but it is certainly evident that more time is needed. I cannot say that the two sides understand each other, yet they are attentive to each other. There is concern that if the Syrian issue does not resolve soon, Israel and Turkey will be forced to increase cooperation beyond what we had planned or dreamed of with the current politicians."

On Monday, the journalists met with Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) and MK Mickey Levy (Yesh Atid) during a tour of the Knesset.

They asked Edelstein if he would invite the President of the Turkish Parliament for an official visit of the Knesset, and Edelstein said: "I would be happy if the President of the Turkish Parliament arrived for an official visit in the Knesset  The European Conference of Heads of Parliaments is set to take place in Turkey in just over a year, but I'd be happy if we could meet earlier. Not for a photo-op of a handshake, such a handshake had already taken place when we met in Strasbourg. Such a meeting is important because we have a lot to talk aboutregional stability and promoting cooperation between the countries of the region and between their parliaments."

Turkish journalist delegation

Edelstein added: "We have recently started a trilateral dialogue between the Knesset and the parliaments of Greece and Cyprus. I would be delighted if Turkey, Jordan and Egypt and other countries in the region joined this important discussion."

In addition, the reporters met with Foreign Ministry officials, and with the Minister for Regional Cooperation Tzachi Hanegbi (Likud). "The real test to our relationship will come about if a Gaza crisis arises. However, there is hope that we can avoid it," Hanegbi said.

On Tuesday, they will be visiting the Jerusalem Old City and the Temple Mount, and will receive a briefing from the Israel Police. This will be followed by a visit to Yad Vashem and then have a Biblical-themed lunch at one of the capital's restaurants. On the following day, they are set to visit the Hadassah Medical Center, the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, and the Peres Center for Peace.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon, who is hosting the delegation and even spoke to them in Turkish, said: "The journalist delegation, the first of its kind since the reconciliation between Israel and Turkey, is certainly the first sign that heralds the coming of spring."
The Haifa Rabbinical Court has published the details and photo of divorce-refuser Sharon Ben Haim.

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The publishing came after Ben Haim petitioned to the High Court to stop the Rabbinical Court from publishing his details and photos and imposing religious and social sanctions on him. His petition was denied.

Rabbinical court (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Ben Haim has denied his wife, who lives in New Jersey, a divorce for the past seven years. The two married in 2008. They lived in the United States, where their daughter was born.

Sharon Ben Haim, the gett refuser

But their relationship ran into difficulties when, according to his estranged wife, Ben Haim and used verbal violence against her, humiliated her and her family and even demanded her to report to him on every financial decision she makes.

Attorney Tal Itkin, who is representing the wife in Israel, said that during a joint visit to Israel in 2010, the wife petitioned for a gett (a traditional Jewish divorce). Ben Haim originally agreed and even signed the gett, but did not hand it over due to a disagreement over a stay of exit order issued against him. Eventually, the stay expired, at which point he fled the country.

Since then, and despite consistent efforts by the rabbinical court, Ben Haim has refused to grant his wife a gett that would release her from the marriage. In 2012, a rabbinical court declared him to be a felon, informing Jewish communities around the world of this and calling on them to enact several sanctions. Among them are excluding him from prayer minyans and not allowing him to be buried in a Jewish cemetery.

A representative of Ben Haim appealed the rabbinical court's decision, claiming that he is willing to grant a gett, but that he is afraid to return to Israel to do so, for fear that he will be arrested. After the rabbinical court rejected his appeal, he petitioned the High Court, which also rejected his case.

Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, who was a member of the seven-judge panel presiding over the case, drafted the High Court's decision. "When dealing with such a case, where there is a husband who refuses to grant his wife a gett and who does not obey court decisions pertaining to himself, it is hard to find fault in court decisions that find merit in making this fact public, as the law allows them to do," read the decision.

Regarding Ben Haim's claim, that publishing his photos and details amounts to shaming, Rubinstein wrote that "A substantial part of the problematic nature of the shaming phenomenon seen on social media is derived from the fact that this is done impulsively, occasionally based on hearsay alone, with the individual's reputation damaged through no fault of their own and at times irreparably. This is not the case when the facts are clarified, as was done in the present case, and when it is treated as a last resort."
The last day of campaigning of the seven-phased Uttar Pradesh Assembly election will witness Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav making final push ahead of the March 8 voting. Akhilesh will be addressing seven rallies throughout the day.

By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be spending third consecutive day at his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi today campaigning for the Assembly election which has now transformed into a do-or-die battle for all the major parties. The last of the seven-phase voting is scheduled to be held on March 8.

ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2017: FULL COVERAGE

Today is the last day of campaigning before the final phase voting and both the BJP and Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance have planned massive public outreach events. While PM Modi addressed a rally in Rohaniya, Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav will be addressing as many as seven rallies. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi also addressed an election rally in Jaunpur.

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Akhilesh and Rahul were to hold a joint press conference later in the day. However, the event has been cancelled.

Voting on 40 constituencies across seven districts, including Varanasi, Mirzapur, Jaunpur and Ghazipur will be held on March 8. Counting of votes will take place on March 11.

HERE ARE THE LIVE UPDATES:

#The Uttar Pradesh government is only bothered about votebank. It cares little about the farmers, poor people.

#We will double the income of farmers by 2022. We need to change the face of villages.

#The Centre provided huge money for various welfare schemes, but the state government failed to utilise the funds.

#Mera sapna hai ki saal 2022 tak Hindustan ke gareeb se gareeb parivar ko rehne ke liye ghar mile.

#We will change look of Varanasi by 2022. We will fulfil the dreams of people of Varanasi.

#Inspired by ideals of Gandhiji and Sardar Patel, we are working for welfare of people of this country. I am fortunate that I was raised on the land where Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel were born.

#Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at an election rally in Rohaniya, Varanasi. I feel proud every time I come to Varanasi: Modi

#PM Modi stops at former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri's ancestral house in Ramnagar, Varanasi.

#PM Modi garlands Lal Bahadur Shastri's statue at Ramnagar.

PM Modi at Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial in Varanasi pic.twitter.com/aanuIoYQO7- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

#Prime Minister Narendra's Modi's roadshow enroute to Ramnagar begins.

Varanasi: PM Narendra Modi waves to supporters in Ram nagar, he is on his way to Lal Bahadur Shastri memorial pic.twitter.com/anIxlHoAf8- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

#Modiji claimed he gave OROP to our soldiers but the fact is that he has cheated the retired army jawans on the name of OROP.

#PM Modi is doing one roadshow after another and I think, he would continue to do roadshows, says Akhilesh

#We have waived many loans for farmers: Akhilesh.

#PM Modi has even divided electricity on caste lines. Our government has provided 24x7 electricity to Varanasi: Akhilesh.

PM ne janta se kiye huye vaade poore nahi kiye, acche din ki baat sirf prachaar mein thi: CM Akhilesh Yadav in Jaunpur pic.twitter.com/iwfBEQ3j3B- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

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#PM Modi should do kaam ki baat instead of mann ki baat: Akhilesh

#Akhilesh Yadav addresses rally in Jaunpur.

# PM Modi will visit former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's house in Varanasi's Ramnagar area.

PM Modi at s Garhwaghat Ashram.(Photo: ANI)

# Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches Garhwaghat Ashram

#Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav will also be addressing a rally in Varanasi today.

WATCH: Varanasi needs complete makeover and it is my dream to achieve it: Modi

ALSO READ:

BJP confident of winning Uttar Pradesh, begins shortlisting CM candidates

PM Modi in Varanasi: Our motto is 'sabka sath sabka vikas', but Opposition believes in 'kuch ka saath, kuch ka vikas'

Will Uttar Pradesh have hung Assembly: What trends suggest since Modi became PM

--- ENDS ---
Wing welcomes home 89 AS Airmen

Family, friends and fellow 445th Airlift Wing Airmen welcome home four reservists from the 89th Airlift Squadron at the Dayton International Airport, Dayton, Ohio March 3, 2017. Capts. Nathaniel Kirstein and Paul Kolk, and loadmasters Master Sgt. David White and Staff Sgt. Zachary Webb, were returning from a 45-day deployment in Southwest Asia, supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. While downrange, the crew flew more than 300 combat hours accomplishing 60 plus sorties. They moved more than one million pounds of cargo and passengers throughout the area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Anthony Springer)
This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company.

As of 2020, Minuteman Review is now the proud owner and operator of Your Defence News, a website with a long history of breaking huge news stories and investigative journalism.

We hope you are equally as excited as us.

This means that now the teams of Minuteman can combine with the firepower of Your Defence News to stay at the absolute forefront for our readers.

Keep an eye. Big things are coming soon. We couldn't be more excited.

In the meanwhile, here are some of our most popular posts and categories to keep you busy.

Happy shootin' my friends!

Buying Guides:

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As a homeowner, you probably already know that you should be working to maintain your home. But, chances are, you Read More
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.
On the directive of the Supreme Court, the Uttar Pradesh police has filed an FIR against Prajapati in connection with separate cases of gangrape and attempt to rape another woman and her minor daughter.

By India Today Web Desk: In a setback for Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati accused of rape, the Supreme Court today rejected his petition seeking stay on his arrest in a rape case.

Rejecting Prajapati's petition challenging its order, the apex court bench headed by Justice Arjan Kumar has asked Prajapati to move a lower court if he wants any relief in the case.

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The Supreme Court said it has not ordered the arrest of the absconding Samajwadi Party leader and had merely asked for an FIR to be filed and the beginning of an investigation into the case. The court also clarified it was not monitoring the case.

On the directive of the Supreme Court, the Uttar Pradesh police has filed an FIR against Prajapati in connection with separate cases of gangrape and attempt to rape another woman and her minor daughter.

Prajapati's passport was impounded on Saturday and a look-out notice too issued against him following reports that he was planning on leaving the country to avoid arrest. Prajapati is accused of raping a 16-year-old girl and her mother repeatedly over two years on the promise of a position in the state's ruling Samajwadi Party and sand mining contracts.

Prajapati, who holds the transport department portfolio in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's Cabinet, is contesting the ongoing Uttar Pradesh Assembly election on his party's ticket from Amethi. On Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik had raised serious questions of "constitutional morality and dignity" over his continuance in the Akhilesh Council of Ministers.

"A non-bailable warrant has been issued against Prajapati after an FIR was registered against him in rape case. Serious questions of constitutional morality and dignity arise on his remaining in the Cabinet," the Governor said in a letter to Akhilesh.

Also read:

Gayatri Prajapati: BPL card holder till 2012, millionaire in 4 years, and now, gangrape accused

Gayatri Prajapati: Gangrape case witness alleges attempt to murder in hospital

Airports, exit points across country on alert for absconding rape-accused SP minister Gayatri Prajapati

--- ENDS ---
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - On Saturday, at 2:42 a.m., officers responded to the area of the 4700 block of 47th Drive for a vehicle crashing into a wall.

Initial investigation revealed that 26 year old Carlos Gutierrez was driving southbound in the 1900 block of 47th Drive in his Chevy Silverado when he lost control of his vehicle. Carlos Gutierrez struck a brick wall, which belongs to a residence in the 4700 block of W. 20th Place, and continued until the vehicle struck the residence causing major structural damage.

Gutierrez left the scene of the collision and eventually drifted off of the roadway and came to a complete stop in an agricultural field, located northwest of the intersection of 16th street and Avenue D. Gutierrez was located at his residence and the investigation revealed that the clothing and shoes Gutierrez had been wearing were covered with mud, consistent with walking in a mud filled area where the vehicle was located. Gutierrez was subsequently arrested and booked into the Yuma County Detention Center.

This case is currently under investigation.

The Yuma Police Department encourages anyone with any information about this case to please call Detective E. Carrillo at the Yuma Police Department at (928) 373-4700 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has called "a serious attack on democratic values" threats against Targu-Mures Public Radio journalist Paraszka Boroka, calling for the authorities "to exercise their legal powers to protect mass-media people." Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- As many as 478 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, down 88 from the previous day, with almost 13,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Thursday, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri.

- As many as 811 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, down 189 from the previous day, with over 15,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Wednesday, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri.

- Romania's Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has condemned Russia's massive missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, stressing that these actions represent "war crimes" that violate the UN Charter, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro

- As many as 1,425 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, down 437 from the previous day, on over 18,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Wednesday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- As many as 1,862 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, up 1,006 from the previous day, with over 20,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Tuesday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- Ucrainenii fac progrese in lupta lor pentru recuperarea teritoriilor din sud si est  potrivit lui Volodimir Zelenski, fortele Kievului au recucerit 6.000 de kilometri patrati de teren de la inceputul lunii septembrie -, insa contraofensiva a incetinit usor. Consilierul militar prezidential a declarat,

- As many as 3,100 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, up 1,640 from the previous day, with over 24,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Tuesday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste
US legislators have condemned the suspected distribution of nude photographs of female Marines to military personnel and veterans, and have called for an investigation.

By Reuters: Senior US lawmakers on Sunday condemned the suspected distribution of nude photographs of female Marines to military personnel and veterans via a social media network that promotes sexual violence, and called on the Marine Corps to fully investigate.

The Marine Corps Times, an independent newspaper focusing on issues involving the service, published an internal Marine Corps communications document with talking points about the issue, describing the social media network as a closed Facebook group with about 30,000 members. The network solicited nude photos of female service members, some of whom had their name, rank and duty station listed, the newspaper reported.

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A Marine Corps spokesman told the newspaper that military officials are uncertain how many military personnel could be involved.

'DEGRADING BEHAVIOUR OF THIS KIND ENTIRELY UNACCEPTABLE'

The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, Republican Mac Thornberry of Texas, and the panel's senior Democrat, Adam Smith of Washington state, separately called for a complete investigation.

"Degrading behaviour of this kind is entirely unacceptable," Thornberry said in a statement. "I expect the Marine Corps to investigate this matter fully with appropriate consequences for those who willingly participated."

Smith also called for proper care to be provided to the victims, and said that, "This behavior by Marines and former Marines is degrading, dangerous, and completely unacceptable."

Officials from the Marine Corps Naval Criminal Investigative Service were not immediately available for comment.

The site talked of misogynist behavior, the Marine Corps document said, and the photos were on a secure drive in cloud storage, which has been removed.

The document advised a response along the lines of: "The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in a closed website. This behavior destroys morale, erodes trust, and degrades the individual."

According to an annual report that the Pentagon released in May 2016, the U.S. military received about 6,000 reports of sexual assault in 2015, similar to the number in 2014, but such crimes are still underreported.

ALSO READ | Sikh man shot at in US: Victim out of danger, says Sushma Swaraj

--- ENDS ---
Nashville Zoo and the Smithsonians National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute are pleased to announce the birth of a male Clouded Leopard on March 1.

The cub was conceived from an artificial insemination (AI) procedure using frozen/thawed semen. This accomplishment is a first for this species and a giant step for global conservation efforts.

This is an enormous accomplishment for both Nashville Zoo and the team at the Smithsonian, said Dr. Heather Robertson, Director of Veterinary Services at the Zoo. It means we can collect and preserve semen from Clouded Leopard populations around the globe and improve pregnancy outcomes from AI procedures in this species.

Dr. Robertson and Nashville Zoo Associate Veterinarian, Dr. Margarita Woc Colburn, used hormones to induce ovulation in a female named Tula who was born and raised at Nashville Zoo. The Smithsonians research staff, Adrienne Crosier, Ph.D., Pierre Comizzoli, D.V.M., Ph.D., and Diana Koester, Ph.D, collected semen a week earlier from a male named Hannibal at Smithsonians National Zoo. The team used a new technique depositing a very small volume of semen into the oviduct where the eggs normally rest after ovulation.

Photo Credits: Amiee Stubbs Photography

After birth, the cub was removed for examination and will be hand-raised by keepers to ensure survival and wellbeing. This process also lowers animal stress for future hands-on care. The cub will stay at Nashville Zoo with plans to eventually introduce him to a potential mate.

Nashville Zoo and the Smithsonians National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute have a long history of working together on Clouded Leopard conservation. Since 2000, they have collaborated with Point Defiance Zoo and Thailands Zoological Park Organization to form the Clouded Leopard Consortium and develop breeding programs as well as field monitoring projects for Clouded Leopards in Thailand.

Because the captive Clouded Leopard population is not self-sustaining, it necessitates the need for intensive reproductive management techniques to maintaining captive populations not only in the U.S. but also throughout the world.

This cub, the first Clouded Leopard offspring produced with cryopreserved semen, is a symbol of how zoos and scientists can come together to make positive change for animals and preserving global biodiversity, said Dr. Crosier. Collaboration is the key to conservation of Clouded Leopards, along with so many other rare and endangered species we care for and study.

The first successful Clouded Leopard AI was performed at Nashville Zoo in 1992 by Smithsonian scientist JoGayle Howard and Nashville Zoo President Rick Schwartz. In 2015, Dr. Comizzoli contributed to a successful birth using cooled semen and the new AI technique at the Khao Khew Open Zoo in Thailand.

Clouded Leopards are among the most rare of the worlds cat species and one of the most secretive. Due to limited knowledge of this species, they have proved difficult to breed in captivity. They are sensitive to auditory and visual disturbances, increasing the stress levels during captive breeding programs. This factor leads facilities, such as Nashville Zoo, to work with artificial insemination specialists to increase the size and diversity of the captive bred population.
Eight Villanova engineering students spent most of their winter break at the Trapaing Chress Lower Secondary School in Cambodia. The school is a part of the Caramanico Foundation, an organization that supports the education of children in Ratanakiri Province, a remote northeastern region of the country. The purpose of the trip was to continue the progress that Villanova has made in establishing Cambodias first science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum, which was formally accepted by the government in summer 2016. The countrys National Ministry of Education has now asked Villanova engineers to assist them in creating a STEM training program for teachers.

From December 28 to January 13, the team of students led by Joel Nightingale, a graduate student on the international development track in Sustainable Engineering, had two main goals. First, implement a new teacher training program at the Caramanico School, and second, introduce the local students to the excitement of STEM by facilitating various fun projects.

Nightingale explains that the teachers were taught using hands-on methods and demonstrations, after which they would pass on the lessons to their students while the Villanova team observed. This gave us a short feedback loop in which we could evaluate our training by observing how the teachers did just hours after we taught them, he said.

To capture students interest, the Villanova team instructed them in catapult building, raft making and rocket launching, among other projects. After grading their work, winners were named and rewarded with the opportunity to attend the country-wide STEM competition in the capital city of Phnom Penh. Courtney Cona 17 ME, a member of the Villanova team, said, It was remarkable to see the children at the school develop such resourceful and impressive projects.

One highlight of the trip was a visit by several members of the Ministry of Education. Mr. Or Siem, director of the Department of Curriculum Development, attended the STEM workshop and expressed his support for the activities and curriculum. The Villanova team conducts training with clear experiments that make the students understand well the lesson and have fun in studying, said Siem, who thanked them for coming every year to train the students.

Moving forward, the Cambodia team is looking to further improve on the established curriculum and to continue to grow interest in STEM-related fields. As the engineering students eagerly await feedback from the Cambodian teachers who are now implementing their teaching techniques, plans are already being devised for summer 2017 and beyond.
"Extremist elements are also active in India, as outlined in a recent emergency message. Terrorists have hit a wide variety of targets and institutions in Bangladesh," it added.

By Press Trust of India: The US today issued a travel warning for its citizens visiting Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, and said extremist elements are also "active" in India.

"The US government assesses terrorist groups in South Asia may be planning attacks in the region, possibly against US facilities, citizens and interests. US citizens should avoid travel to Afghanistan, as no region in the country is immunefrom violence," the State Department said in its worldwide caution.

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"A number of established terrorist organisations, indigenous sectarian groups, and other militants pose a danger to US citizens in Pakistan.

"Extremist elements are also active in India, as outlined in a recent emergency message. Terrorists have hit a wide variety of targets and institutions in Bangladesh," it added.

Also read| Trump may sign updated travel ban early next week

Also read| Bilawal Bhutto warns US against including Pakistan in travel ban

--- ENDS ---
Well, the Government of Delhi has finally woken up and taken notice of the depleting Ozone layer and banned the use, sale and storage of plastic bags. Bio-degradable bags, they say, will now be encouraged. <br><br> It was in the reckoning for long, but the followers of laws and rules that we Indians are, I guess the government must have considered quite a lot before enforcing the ban. We actually have a crack code for every law or rule that comes in our way. The declaration is that anyone caught carrying plastic bags will be at a risk of facing a five-year jail term or a fine of one lakh rupees, or both. Sounds good, doesnt it? I think it does for those who care for the environment that ultimately boils down to caring for oneself. <br><br> Now we have to carry a cloth bag or paper bag, when we go out shopping for groceries or at the dairy outlets for milk. All the shops and the shopping malls will have to provide their customers with paper carry bags too. <br><br> All the ban and penalty seems pretty cool for the cause of the environment, but will it actually be followed? I ask that question because, honestly, I havent seen many follow the traffic lights or use the subway for crossing the roads or even get their driving licenses made through the legal procedures. There is a <i>jugaad </i> to anything and everything in our country. I might sound blunt, but this is how it is and one would realize it if some unbiased thought is given to these things. <br><br> There was so much hype and hoopla about the smoking ban. But now it seems as if it was only a rumour. There was supposed to be a fine of Rs 200 on the person found smoking in public places. As far as I remember only 80 <i> challans</i> were issued on Day 1 of the ban. And after that, I never saw any news regarding the same. Well, Im sure there arent only a hundred or so smokers in our country that has the second largest population on this planet. <br><br> I just hope that the same is not the case with the ban on the plastic bags, considering the deteriorating environmental condition in the world. Global warming has been on a rise since forever now. Thanks to the negligence by the people world over. The attitude that prevails is nothing-will-happen-with-just-one-charger-plugged. But that one unplugged charger or a fan or a light switched off actually makes the difference. And one person starting to carry bio-degradable bags is bound to make a difference. One plastic bag will burn less and the environment will be affected 0.0000001% lesser. There is a difference, without a doubt. <br><br> The point here to ponder over is the hefty fine, leave alone the imprisonment. Can a daily wage earner pay a fine of one lakh rupees if caught carrying a plastic bag? There are murderers roaming free in this country, or should I say some corrupt citizens even running this nation. So is it practical to impose these punishments? The fine for over speeding is about four hundred rupees. We generally get away with handing over a Rs 50 or a maximum of Rs 100 note to the policeman. As stated above, a <i>jugaad</i> for everything here. <br><br> So how much do we pay for a fine of Rs 1 lakh? 200 bucks? I dont think so. The same 50 or 100 rupee note would do. Something better than nothing (in case they issue the <i>challan</i>) for the concerned authorities. <br><br> The citizens will have to put their foot down and support the governments steps for a better environment. We need to fight for a universal cause of Global Warming, which seems a petty issue to most of us. That can be done to some extent if we dump the plastic bags for bio-degradable carry bags rather than finding <i>jugaads</i> of evading the penalty.
The US state department, in its annual report on human rights practices in 2016 published on March 3, said that the extensive impunity of law enforcers misusing power like extra judicial killings, illegal custody and abduction, continued in Bangladesh as the government did not take enough measures to prosecute the cases of abuse and killing by the law enforcing agencies.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said during a press briefing at the Secretariat on Monday that the government has rejected the US state department report on the human rights situation in Bangladesh.

"Bangladesh does not support the US report on the internal issue of an independent country in principle. That is why we are rejecting the US human rights report of 2016," Hasanul said.

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The US state department, in its annual report on human rights practices in 2016 published on March 3, said that the extensive impunity of law enforcers misusing power like extra judicial killings, illegal custody and abduction, continued in Bangladesh as the government did not take enough measures to prosecute the cases of abuse and killing by the law enforcing agencies.

"The relationship between the United States and Bangladesh is very friendly. US state department publishes a report on the human rights condition in all countries of the world every year. US' point of view in observing the human rights situation in Bangladesh is wrong and also the method is not appropriate. We have officially rejected the US state department human rights report for 2016 as it is not created based on accurate information," Inu said.

The information minister also said Bangladesh is a country operated by constitution and law and all the organisations in the country are operated by its own statutory police and regulations along with state's law and constitution.

"So there is no option for any organization to do any illegal job. If any exception occurred, rights to get the legal remedy are protected by the Constitution," said Inu.

Earlier, ruling Awami league also rejected the report on March 5.

--- ENDS ---
The minister raked up the issue after textile minister Smriti Irani had commented on the food park before Rahul's constituency Amethi went to polls.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: With the last leg of polls in Uttar Pradesh left, Union Cabinet Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday took a potshot at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi saying that inefficiency of the party was exposed by the Amethi food park. The minister raked up the issue after textile minister Smriti Irani had commented on the food park before Rahul's constituency Amethi went to polls. Rahul Gandhi is Member of Parliament from Amethi.

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Claiming that any other government would have delivered but the Congress in general and Rahul Gandhi in particular lacked the will to make the food park, she added, "In 6-10 years, if the food park does not come up in the constituency, it only means Rahul Gandhi was not interested in the project." When asked whether there was no attempt to revive the project, she said, "Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Robert Vadra can appeal for the project to be revived but there has been no such attempt made so far."

Badal told India Today, "Amethi is a VVIP constituency. A food park sanctioned in 2008 could not be completed till 2014. Rahul Gandhi chose to tear up papers than lay a brick in Amethi food park. Despite them being in power, he could not make a food park in 10 years."

Badal and Rahul Gandhi were involved in a verbal duel on the same issue sometime ago during Parliament session and eventually the mega food plan was cancelled.

MODI STALLED FOOD PROJECT

Making a veiled appeal to voters, Badal praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development projects. "Modiji has ended corruption and government policy paralysis."

Senior BJP leader Smriti Irani during her campaign had earlier slammed Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that PM Narendra Modi stalled the food project in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi.

Earlier, Rahul had said that it 'pains' him to see that development projects in Raebareli and Amethi have been 'snatched away' by the NDA government. Rahulji claims Modiji stopped food park; when Congress was in power, it didn't allocate power plant needed for the food park," said Irani. "I do not mind if attacks are made on me but what pains me is that Modiji snatched the food park from Amethi?it was meant to transform Amethi and Raebareli," Rahul had said.

GAYATRI PRAJAPATI SHOULD SURRENDER

A vocal voice in Parliament on women issue, Badal blasted rape accused Samajwadi Party (SP) minister Gayatri Prajapati, who is an accused in a rape case and is on the run. "If he has any conscience, he should surrender," she said.

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Deploring the incidents of rape in which politicians have been involved, she said "It is unfortunate that politicians who are to safeguard people's interest are accused of such heinous crimes."

Also read: Rahul Gandhi says Modi is an old man, we will form govt of young people

Also read: Smriti Irani: Either Akhilesh is incompetent or he is protecting rape-accused minister Gayatri Prajapati

--- ENDS ---
Calling PM Modi a buzurg (an old man), Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has said that the SP-Congress alliance will form a government of young people in Uttar Pradesh.

By India Today Web Desk: Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the youths of Uttar Pradesh to vote for the BJP at an election rally in Jaunpur, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has called him a 'buzurg' (an old man) in the same city.

Addressing a poll rally on the last day of election campaign for Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Rahul Gandhi slammed PM Modi for making false promises with the people of the state.

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Rahul Gandhi said, "We will form a government of young people (in Uttar Pradesh). Age has caught up with Modi. He has become an old man. Age is showing (impact) on him."

WHAT ELSE RAHUL GANDHI SAID: THINGS TO KNOW Modi's film of 'achhe din' has flopped. You will not be able to watch it anymore. You work hard and Narendra Modi gives the benefit of your hardwork to 50 families of his choice. We will give you the benefits of your labour. Modi thinks that he does everything himself. The ISRO launched rocket into space, Modi says he did it. He goes to America to meet (former US president) Barack Obama. Modi tells Sushma Swaraj to sit back home as you are not required there, I am going to America. PM Modi had addressed an election rally at Jaunpur on Saturday.

--- ENDS ---
Non-political volunteers have fanned out across the city of Varanasi with the 'Phir Sey Akhilesh' message for the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance.

By India Today Web Desk: If it's the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) cadre who're working silently for the BJP here, it's the non-political volunteers who have fanned out across the city with the 'Phir Sey Akhilesh' message for the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Congress alliance.

Thousands of volunteers, including young women, are campaigning for the alliance, wearing specially-designed T-shirts embossed with the slogans 'Phir Sey Akhilesh' and 'UP ko yeh saath pasand hai'.

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Ground mobilisation started on February 14, while the special "Chalo Kashi" campaign was launched online on March 1 - where interns interested in working in Varanasi and supporting the RG-AY alliance signed up to campaign for one week, a strategist in the Prashant Kishor team said.

People filled in their names, numbers and choice of assembly constituency in a form. They were assigned campaign duties, which included staging street plays and a door-to-door campaign.

The team mobilised young people in IIT-BHU and other local institutes by speaking about the campaign and the situation in Varanasi.

WHO ARE THESE VOLUNTEERS?

Most of the volunteers are young educated professionals and students from universities and villages who voted for Modi three years ago, but were "disappointed" by his performance.

There are many others who're "impressed" with Akhilesh Yadav's vision of development and the work he has done in his five years in power, the strategist said.

This is one of the many efforts taken to ensure young voters also take an active part to get a first hand experience of running an election campaign.

As of now, as many as 5,000 volunteers from across the country - including a large number of IIT-BHU students - are helping digitally and on the ground with the campaign.

Elaborating on how the team is going about in the campaign at the ground level, the strategist said the "chaiwallas" and "paanwallahs" of this region are being used actively for the 'Phir Se Akhilesh' campaign with the aim of outdoing Modi's "chaiwallah" campaign in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The chaiwallas and paanwallas are seen sporting the 'Phir Se Akhilesh' and 'UP Ko Yeh Saath Pasand Hai' T-shirts to project a popular image of the alliance.

Volunteers from the IIT-BHU are reaching out to tea vendors and others across the region and mobilising their support for the alliance.

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(Inputs from PTI)

ALSO READ

BJP confident of winning Uttar Pradesh, begins shortlisting CM candidates

Will Uttar Pradesh have hung Assembly: What trends suggest since Modi became PM

ALSO WATCH | Uttar Pradesh election 2017: Last day of campaigning before phase 7

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Los Angeles, Mar 6 (PTI) Veteran actor Patrick Stewart says he made the crew of "Logan" feel jealous when co-star Hugh Jackman carried him around while shooting for the scenes of the film.

The 76-year-old star, who plays the wheelchair-bound character of Professor Charles Xavier, had to be carried up the flights of stairs by Jackmans Wolverine and Stewart says many people on the sets were green with envy, reported USA Today.

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"There were numerous envious glances in my direction bycertain members of the crew," says Stewart.

He adds, he considers being carried by Jackman was an honour and something that will be a part of his working profile.

Stewart says, "I think that is one thing I shall have on my CV in the future - a Knight of the Realm and also the distinction of being carried in the arms of Hugh Jackman all around the Deep South of the United States. I look on it as a significant distinction." PTI RDS SSN

--- ENDS ---
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Artsakh Republic told Armenpress the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime more than 55 times firing from various caliber small arms across the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

The Ministry issued a statement which says: On March 5 and overnight March 6 the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime more than 55 times by firing over 1000 shots from various caliber small arms at the Armenian positions in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

In the north-eastern direction of the frontline the Azerbaijani forces fired also 60mm mortar and under-barrel grenade launcher (2 grenades).

The Defense Army forces of Artsakh Republic are fully controlling the situation in the frontline and continue confidently fulfilling the military service.
By Press Trust of India: Kota, Mar 6 (PTI) BJP MLA Bhawani Singh Rajawat has said that landing of any VIP plane, even if "it is of the prime minister", wont be allowed here if the long-pending demand of commercial flight operations from Kota is not met.

The existing airport, where there is no regular commercial flight activity is reserved for VIPs only, he said.

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"If our demand for commercial flight operations at Kota airport is not met, any VIP plane or aircraft, even if it is of the prime minister of the country, would not be allowed to land here," the MLA from Ladpura area of Kota said yesterday at the opening ceremony of a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) here, the first such facility in the state.

At the event, Rajawat asked the people what they would do with the passport centre if there are no regular commercial flights available.

Rajawat, who has often been in news for his controversial remarks, also praised state Congress chief Sachin Pilot for ensuring the setting up an airport at Kishangarh in Ajmer during his tenure as an MP.

Regular flight operations from Kota airport were discontinued in 1994. PTI COR ARK ZMN ARK

--- ENDS ---
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. The new meeting in Astana over the settlement of Syrian crisis will be held on March 14-15, the guarantor countries are discussing the meeting format and its level, Kazakhstans Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said, reports TASS.

Guarantor countries continue consultations on the dates of a new meeting on Syria to be held in Astana. Preliminary dates announced in Geneva, that is, March 14-15, still remain, the Kazakh top diplomat saying as quoted by TASS.

The last international meeting on Syria was held on February 15-16 in Astana. The participants discussed the monitoring of the ceasefire regime and the prospects of inter-Syria talks in Geneva.

The representatives of the guarantor countries - Russia, Iran, Turkey, as well as Jordan, US and the UN, the delegations of official Damascus and the armed opposition took part in the meeting.
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. One of the sides committing aggression against the Syrian people is the same side which committed genocide against the Armenian people, Walid al-Moallem  Syrias Vice Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister, said in a message dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Syria, press service of the Armenian told Armenpress.

In his message, the Syrian Vice PM said the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Syria embodies the historical ties of the two peoples and expresses the will to develop political, economic, social and cultural relations.

Minister Walid al-Moallem stated that Syria, with its political leadership, government and people, appreciates friendly Armenias favorable stances towards the terrorist aggression against Syria. He said one of the sides committing aggression against the Syrian people is the same side which committed the genocide against the Armenian people, stating that the policy of this side is condemned to failure.

Walid al-Moallem added that Syria, which started record victories against the terrorists, is confident that the friends who stood together with it during the aggression, will help restoring the destructions of the terrorism. This is an exclusive chance to develop the cooperation between the two countries in all spheres.

Walid al-Moallem congratulated Armenias Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and wished friendly Armenia development and prosperity.










YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Spain Avet Adonts published an article in the Spanish EFE news agency.

Armenpress presents some parts of the article.

These days marks the 29th anniversary of the Sumgait pogrom. By the order and permission of the Azerbaijani leadership, massacres of Armenian population, ethnic cleansings were taken place in several Azerbaijani cities, Baku, Kirovabad, Maraga. The key center of that tragedy was the city of Sumgait, 25km away from the capital, where the massacres of Armenians were accompanied with extreme brutality. It is enough to browse the pages of international media of those days (BBC, New York Times, The Guardian and etc.) or the evidence of the witnesses in the Soviet courts, the article says, stating that due to Soviet Unions totalitarian regime, the exact number of Armenians who were killed and became refugees in these days as a result of Azerbaijani aggression and hostilities is unknown.

In the article the Ambassador continues speaking about the Azerbaijani hostilities, stating that in April, 2016 Azerbaijan once again launched an aggression against the people of Nagorno Karabkah (Artsakh Republic). Numerous international structures acknowledged the crimes committed by Azerbaijan against the civilians, elderly people and children of Nagorno Karabakh.

The Sumgait pogrom has no expiration date, the non-recognition of this genocide and not accusing its organizers is a crime in itself. However, instead of doing this, the current Azerbaijani leadership does everything possible to divert the attention of the international community from what has happened.

Its time to accept that a civilization, existing for thousands of years, cannot historically belong to Azerbaijan, if the same Azerbaijan doesnt have even a history of one hundred years.

Perhaps for some Nagorno Karabakh is a conflict, territory, justification, but for us, Armenians, it is a Fatherland. Its time to understand this obvious truth, the article said.
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says there is a solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, however, 2-3 key issues are still not agreed on, reports Armenpress.

The Karabakh conflict can be solved: the evidence of this are the results of long-standing contacts which enabled to form common perceptions on key issues. Those are first of all security, humanitarian issues, the return of territories surrounding Karabakh and which are not under Azerbaijans control, as well as the clarification of the Karabakh status by considering the opinion of the Artsakh people, the agreement on parameters of international peacekeeping forces. We have an agreement for most aspects of the final solution, however, there are 2-3 concrete topics crucial for the final package, which are still at the discussion stage. We are still away to see a situation when the sides will show a common approach on the remaining issues, Lavrov said at a joint press conference with Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyraov in Moscow, adding that additional efforts are necessary for this.

Lavrov also attached importance to easing tension in the line of contact. I want to state that in current circumstances it is very important to reach easing of the tension. The situation recently has been escalated both in the line of contact and in the public sector. I am confident that the strengthening of trust measures would play an important role, as well as the results of summits in May in Vienna and in June in St. Petersburg and the proposals made within the OSCE. It is necessary to reduce the current level of distrust, and we hope Azerbaijan and Armenia will move on that path. We will support this in every way, the Russian FM said.
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian side is carrying out serious diplomatic works for suppressing the Azerbaijani provocative actions, political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan told reporters on March 6.

The Armenian side is using all possible tools for presenting this issue in European and international arenas. A bright evidence of it was the visit of President Serzh Sargsyan to Brussels, where he displayed a rather tough stance over the Artsakh conflict. And, of course, the announcement of foreign minister Nalbandian that it is possible for the Artsakh international recognition process to start till yearend. I think, these announcements are used as suppressive mechanisms against Azerbaijan, he said.

According to Melik-Shahnazaryan, the combat vigilance of the Armenian side is no less important, which forced Azerbaijan to accept its latest losses. If Azerbaijan attempts to achieve successes as result of military operations, then the Armenian sides will be left only with confronting the adversary by both military and diplomatic actions, he said.

According to him, nevertheless the Azerbaijani threats must not be underestimated.

One must prepare for war, even at least for not allowing war to happen. At the same time, Baku must understand Yerevan and Stepanakert dont plan to tolerate losses all the time, he stressed.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan had meetings with heads of EU structures February 26-28 during a working visit to Belgium, including with President of the European Council Donald Tusk, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini and others, where the EU-Armenia relations were discussed, as well as issues related to the Artsakh conflict.

On March 1, after a meeting with Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan, Armenias foreign minister Edward Nalbandian said its not ruled out that till yearend there will be one country to recognize the Republic of Artsakh.

It isnt ruled out, but international recognition isnt by the recognition of one country. However, everything has its start. The negotiations are aimed at this, the negotiating process with the co-chairs is aimed at this  aimed at settlement exclusively through a peaceful path, not only the recognition of Artsakhs right to self determination, but also exercising that right. In this case it will be possible to except the recognition of Artsakh, Nalbandian said.
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Finance Minister Vardan Aramyan on March 6 held a meeting with the delegation of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) led by Secretary General Serafeim Tsokas, press service of the Ministry told Armenpress.

The sides discussed the ongoing projects carried out within the frames of the existing cooperation. In this context the Finance Minister said the projects outlined and implemented by the BSTDB are quite unique, and that the bank really manages to run significantly different effective policy. Vardan Aramyan said it is necessary to create a platform which will enable to make the ideas into projects in order to record desirable results in near future.

Taking into account the fact that the Bank carries out investment programs through providing loans to the private sector, the Finance Minister made a reference to the investment forum held in New York in October, 2016. He said currently the telecommunication, energy, information technologies and other fields have a great potential in terms of attracting investments. At the same time, effective cooperation programs can be implemented in free economic zones from the perspective of attracting investments.

Secretary General Serafeim Tsokas said the March 7 forum will be focused on issues related to providing loans to private sector within the framework of which the strategy conducted by the Bank in Armenia and the main products offered by the Bank will be presented.

Serafeim Tsokas expressed hope the expansion of bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation will enable to boost Armenias economy through effective investment programs.

We are very pleased to have a meeting with the Finance Minister and discuss issues related to tomorrows business forum. Almost five dozen representatives of the business environment will take part in the event, then there will be bilateral meetings. We are interested in developing and implementing projects related to Armenias business environment, expecting a continuous cooperation, Tsokas said.
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs that on March 3 the USD exchange rate was 486.41 AMD which is a decrease of 0.11 drams compared to the previous day.

Armenpress reports the euro appreciated by 4.07 drams forming 516.01 drams, and British pound appreciated 1.47 drams forming 596.80 drams. Russian ruble increased by 0.10 drams against March 5 forming 8.39 drams.

The prices for precious metals are as follows: the price for silver per gram is 276.35 AMD, gold-19 thousand 192.38 AMD, and platinum  15 thousand 444.66 AMD.
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador of the USA to Armenia Richard Mills gave a reception on March 6 on the occasion of the completion of Unlimited Movement project, Armenpress was informed from the press service of the US Embassy in Armenia.

Over the past year, the Unlimited Movement project sought to demonstrate what can be achieved through the power of social inclusion by using dance, performance, and film. The three-pronged program began with a flashmob of professional and amateur dancers, some of whom had disabilities, on the steps of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts in October 2016. Bringing together dancers - some with physical disabilities, others without  reinforced what we can all achieve when we accept and respect one another and work together in an inclusive manner, said U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, Jr., who hosted a reception celebrating the completion of Unlimited Movement on March 6, 2017.

The second part of Unlimited Movement was a short documentary which premiered in December 2016 at the Armenian General Benevolent Union in Yerevan. It told the story of the Centaur Association of Animal Therapy and Equestrian Sports, a facility unique in the region which specializes in using animals to provide therapy for people living with disabilities.

And the most recent element of Unlimited Movement was an inclusive dance performance that was staged at the Goy Theater on February 24 and 25. In this performance, dancers of all abilities and ages took the stage together for a two-part production, the first a modern interpretation of the societys struggle with social inclusion, and the second a charming adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.

Unlimited Movement was conceived and implemented by a group of U.S. exchange program alumni who received funding through the U.S. State Departments Alumni Engagement Innovation Grant. The team heading Unlimited Movement included Arina Araratyan, Shoghakat Galstyan and Artur Sahakyan, alumni of the International Visitor Leadership Program; Tsolak Mlke-Galstyan, an alumnus of the Community Connections Program; and Hayk Vardanyan an alumnus of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program. In his remarks, the Ambassador applauded their commitment to the project, and also praised the dedication of the dancers and their parents, as well as the other many individuals who provided support for the project.
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan receives on March 6 Security Council Secretary of the RF Nikolai Patrushev.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Armenian Presidents Office, the interlocutors mutually noted with satisfaction that Armenian-Russian interstate strategic relations based on firm friendship of both peoples dynamically develop, the cooperation agenda expands year by year which is significantly fostered by high level mutual visits. President of Armenia and the Russian Security Council Secretary highlighted security cooperation.

President Sargsyan highly assessed the level of relations between the Secretariat of the National Security Council of Armenia and Russian Security Council personnel and hoped that Nikolai Patrushevs visit will foster relations both between the mentioned institutions and security cooperation between the two states in general.

During the meeting the sides also touched upon current international issues and challenges in the fast changing world, regional developments, the current phase of Artsakh conflict settlement process, as well as other issues of bilateral interest.
By Press Trust of India: Pune, Mar 6 (PTI) In a first, a 21-year-old deaf, mute and visually impaired student of a Navi Mumbai-based special institute will appear for SSC (class X) examination, beginning tomorrow.

The exam is conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE).

Saurabh Chougule, the student of Helen Keller Institute for Deaf and Deafblind, has been preparing for the examination at the institute for the last three years.

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He will appear for his first paper on March 14 with the help of an interpreter and a writer.

"We approached the SSC board in Pune and put forth the request seeking permission to allow Saurabh to appear for the board exam and we are happy that board has accepted our plea. Now, the dream of Saurabh to appear for class X board exam will be fulfilled," Education Coordinator at the institute Devyani Hadkar told PTI.

This is the first time that a student who is deaf, mute and visually impaired, will appear for SSC examination.

"When we approached the board chairman, we sought permission to issue question paper to Saurabh in braille. However, the Board while citing lack of requisite infrastructure and facility for brail, gave us the option of using an interpreter and writer," she said.

Hadkar explained a tactile sign language is used to communicate with persons like Saurabh.

"Such persons can understand things and one has to hold the persons hand and while doing some signs, make them understand the things. We are going to use the same method during the examination in which an interpreter will read the question and communicate with Saurabh through tactile sign language," she informed.

Hadkar said Saurabh will also respond in the tactile sign language, following which the interpreter will recite the answer to the writer.

Given his aptitude for vocational courses, Saurabh will appear for subjects like Bakery Products, Milk Products, Marathi (third language), Social Science, Mathematics, Information & Technology and Science.

The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) chairman Gangadhar Mhamane said this is the first time that such a student will attempt the examination.

"We have provided all the facilities to Saurabh at the examination centre and he will get one hour extra to solve the paper," he said.

Saurabh, who hails from Sangli, will appear for the examination in one of the centres in Ghansoli. PTI SPK NSK

--- ENDS ---
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. The entire story of the extradition of blogger Alexander Lapshin by Belarus to Azerbaijan is disgusting, Armenpress reports Russian TV host and public figure Vladimir Solovyov told the reporters on March 6.

I cannot imagine how that guy could be extradited. It's amazing. In the end, all of us should be extradited. If he is accused of only having visited Artsakh and if its enough for Belarus despite the complaints of the Russian MFA and Israel, than its just a slap, Solovyov said.

The prominent public figure assessed all these as disgusting. They shouldnt have done that. There should be some respect towards international right. I understand that this is a usual Belarusian sly bargaining for some economic conditions, but I do not think these conditions should somehow impact on the fate of an individual. I have numerous questions to address to Mr. Lukashenko and the entire Belarusian leadership. Now what should we do following that. Shouldnt any of us visit Belarus? They can detain us? It turns to be so. I have been to Artsakh many times and I didnt do so through Azerbaijan, Solovyov stressed.

Belarus police arrested Alexander Lapshin on December 15, 2016 in Minsk. Lapshin, a Russian and Israeli citizen, resides in Moscow and writes for the famous Russian Travel Blog. He is wanted by Azerbaijan for visiting Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) in 2011, 2012 and 2016, and criticizing Azerbaijans policy in his blog.

Baku demanded the extradition of Lapshin from Belarus.

Earlier it was reported that the Deputy Prosecutor General of Belarus has made a decision to uphold the request of Azerbaijans General Prosecutor on extraditing Citizen of Russia and Israel Alexander Lapshin, who is wanted for violating Articles 281.2 and 318.2 of Azerbaijans Criminal Code.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said on February 3 : Belarus has no grounds to not extradite Lapshin to Azerbaijan. He said the issue will be solved based on law and international agreements.

The Russian foreign ministry said it is inadmissible to extradite Russian citizens to third countries.

Lapshin was extradited on February 7.

He faces up to 5 years imprisonment in Azerbaijan, under charges of public calls against the state, and unauthorized crossing of borders.
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. Dunja Mijatovic, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, and Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today condemned the sentencing of Azerbaijani blogger and chair of the media NGO Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety Mehman Huseynov and called on authorities to release him.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the OSCE, on 3 March Huseynov was sentenced by the court in Baku to two years in prison on defamation charges. The case stems from Huseynovs detention by police on 9 January. Following the detention, the blogger claimed he had been subjected to torture. The chief of the district police then filed a suit based on Huseynovs claims, resulting in the charges.

I call on the authorities to release Mehman Huseynov, Mijatovic said. I am hopeful that this decision will be overturned in the appeals process.

Mehman Huseynov is the brother of Emin Huseynov, a prominent freedom of expression advocate, who was forced to flee the country in 2015.

ODIHR Director Link said: Any allegations or reports of torture or other ill-treatment should be promptly and thoroughly investigated by the relevant authorities. The courts decision in this case is cause for concern.

Mijatovic reiterated her call that authorities fulfil their longstanding promise to decriminalize defamation in Azerbaijan. She has repeatedly addressed the issue.
Anton Schlecker, founder of drugstore chain Schlecker, arrives in the district court in Stuttgart

Former German retail tycoon Anton Schlecker went on trial Monday, five years after his drugstore chain collapsed, accused of having stashed away millions in corporate assets before the bankruptcy.

Also in the dock in the western city of Stuttgart are his wife Christa, his son Lars and daughter Meike, and two auditors from accountancy firm Ernst and Young

The 2012 bankruptcy of the Schlecker chain -- which sold personal hygiene and household articles but no pharmaceuticals -- caused more than 25,000 job losses in Germany.

It was the single biggest wave of lay-offs in the post-war history of western Germany, the Verdi services union said at the time.

Anton Schlecker, 72, and his relatives did not publicly comment before the start of the trial and entered the court building through a back entrance.

Prosecutors charge that Schlecker, when he knew the family empire was going bust, withdrew more than 20 million euros ($21 million) in assets which would otherwise have gone to creditors.

This allegedly included a one-million-euro home renovation for son Lars, a holiday for the children that cost tens of thousands of euros, and 800,000 euros worth of financial gifts to four grandchildren.

The ex-tycoon's wife Christa is accused of having received tens of thousands of euros under the guise of consultancy fees.

Prosecutors also accuse Schlecker of having misrepresented the company's financial situation and making false claims before the insolvency court.

Schlecker, a butcher by training, founded his first shop in 1975 and grew the business into a multi-billion-euro company with more than 13,000 branches across Europe and a peak of around 50,000 employees.

Schlecker now faces 36 counts of embezzlement, contraventions of bankruptcy laws and other charges.

If found guilty, the family patriarch could face a maximum of 10 years' jail.

The trial started with the reading of a 270-page indictment, and the court set an initial 26 days of hearings until October.
French carmaker PSA acquires General Motors' European subsidiary, which includes the Opel and Vauxhall brands, for 1.3 billion euros

French carmaker PSA announced Monday the acquisition of General Motors' European subsidiary, which includes the Opel and Vauxhall brands, for 1.3 billion euros ($1.38 billion).

The move will let PSA regain its position as Europe's second-largest automobile manufacturer, after Germany's Volkswagen, overtaking its rival French firm Renault.

PSA said in a statement it was also buying GM Europe's financial operations for 900 million euros in a joint deal with the bank BNP Paribas, taking the total value of the deal to 2.2 billion euros.

The takeover includes six assembly plants and five component-making facilities, and about 40,000 employees.

Plans for the takeover of the Opel division by PSA, which owns the Peugeot and Citroen brands, were unveiled in the middle of February, sparking fears in Germany and Britain that the prospective new owner could cut non-French jobs.

The French carmaker's shares rose 2.7 percent on the Paris stock exchange on Monday to 19.58 euros. Shares in GM were down around 2.1 percent to $37.43 in midday trading in New York.

PSA chief executive Carlos Tavares said the company was "deeply committed to continuing to develop this great company and accelerating its turnaround".

"We are confident that the Opel/Vauxhall turnaround will significantly accelerate with our support, while respecting the commitments made by GM to the Opel/Vauxhall employees," Tavares said.

Vauxhall employs around 5,000 people in Britain. Opel operates across six European countries, and had 35,600 employees at the end of 2015, of which 18,250 were in Germany.

Founded in 1862, Opel, with its lightning-bolt emblem, is a familiar sight on European roads, but in recent years the company has booked repeated losses, costing Detroit-based GM around $15 billion since 2000.

Britain, where it sells vehicles under the Vauxhall brand, is Opel's largest European market.

A sharp fall in the pound since Britain's vote to quit the EU last June sank Opel's hopes of getting back into profitability in 2016, and it ended up reporting a loss of $257 million.

Story continues

- 'Difficult decision' -

Britain's Unite trade union said the productivity of the UK plants and the strength of the Vauxhall brand meant that it "makes sense" for PSA to continue manufacturing there.

Unite boss Len McCluskey also called on the British government to end the uncertainty surrounding trade relations with the EU after Brexit.

"We need every assistance from the government to give this sector a fighting chance," he said.

"That absolutely includes committing now to securing access to the single market and customs union."

PSA said the deal would enable substantial economies of scale and savings in purchasing, manufacturing and research, and the company aims to return Opel-Vauxhall to profit in the next three years.

GM's chairman and chief executive Mary Barra said at a press conference on Monday that the sale had been "a difficult decision for General Motors... but the right one".

In a statement confirming the sale, Barra hailed the move as "another major step" in the company's efforts to improve its performance.

"We believe this new chapter puts Opel and Vauxhall in an even stronger position for the long term and we look forward to our participation in the future success and strong value-creation potential of PSA through our economic interest and continued collaboration on current and exciting new projects," Barra said.

PSA said that all of Opel-Vauxhall's pensions would remain with GM, apart from a German pension pot and some smaller plans which will be transferred to the French manufacturer. GM is to pay PSA 3.0 billion euros for settlement of these obligations.

GM said that the sale would force it to account for deferred tax assets and pension losses and that it would make a one-time charge of up to $4.5 billion.

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CHATSWORTH, Calif.Pleasure products manufacturer Clanedestine Devices has officially launched its first intimate novelty, the Mimic, a uniquely satisfying clitoral massager for women.

Mimic boasts a versatile handheld ergonomic design, which took shape with the human form in mind, said Clandestine Devices Director of Operations Kimberly Faubel, who consulted with designers on the distinctive features of the waterproof toy alongside adult industry icon Jules Jordan.

The Mimics introduction and its sleek, stingray-shaped design creates an extension of the hand, said Faubel, who added the products user-friendly interface, thoughtful colors and glowing LED light affords ease of use in the dark and underwater.

The Mimic has elevated its industry presence with recent profiles in prestigious adult trade journals such as AVN, EAN and StorErotica, touting the toys distinctive features.

The curved rechargeable toy comes in three colors (black, lilac and seafoam green), is made of medical-grade silicone and offers six speeds/intensity levels, eight vibration patterns and 90 minutes of powerful pulsations on a single charge.

While women are enjoying the Mimics stimulating sensations, the novelty is not necessarily limited by genderonly the imagination, and we have the utmost confidence that anyone using the Mimic has quite the imagination, Faubel said.

Clandestine Devices Mimic is distributed in the U.S. by East Coast News, Eldorado Trading, Holiday Products, Entrenue and Williams Trading. Distribution in Canada is handled by PinkCherry, and Scala and EroPartner take care of distribution in Europe.

For more information visit ClandestineDevices.com or follow Instagram.com/clandestinedevices.
Canadian Cash, money 16-9

After a busy RSP season, many investors have successfully made RSP contributions on time, but they might be unsure how to invest their hard-earned money. The good news is, there is no rush to invest, but the bad news is, failing to find a great buy will not provide any returns. The money sitting in the account will be stagnant.

Investors have many approaches to deploying their capital. The most patient and astute investor will use the Warren Buffett approach of deploying capital. Only when the planets line up will some people invest, whereas most investors want to deploy money a little more often.

What is often recommended to retail investors is to regularly invest in the market either monthly or quarterly without considering the price of what is being bought. Although this averages out over time, the downside is that there are times when investors make purchases at sky-high prices.

Those who have made RSP contributions and know the money needs somewhere to go need not worry. There is no time like the present to do some homework and figure out what works best for them.

Currently, shares of Intertape Polymer Group (TSX:ITP), which have had a fantastic run over the past three years, have finally pulled back under the 200-day simple moving average (SMA), potentially offering investors a fantastic opportunity to enter an initial position. For a company driving revenues by selling tape, this is one of the most boring companies available.

A contender for the crown of the most boring company is North West Company Inc. (TSX:NWC), which operates general stores or grocery stores in remote regions of Canada and Alaska. Currently offering investors a dividend yield in excess of 4%, shares have had an excellent run over the past four months to reach their current levels.

For investors looking for yield, shares of Dream Industrial Real Estate Invest Trst (TSX:DIR.UN) are as stable as anything else out there. Currently offering investors a yield in excess of 8.25%, shares trade at 110% of tangible book value and offer the most consistent cash flows in the market. Over the past several years, industrial real estate has started to captivate investors.

Story continues

Depending on the preferences of the investor, the time may be right to deploy cash, or it may be preferable to wait. One thing for sure is that the money sitting on the sidelines won?t offer much of a return. For investors who choose to take the plunge, however, it may be a good idea to test the temperature of the water before diving in.

For those who absolutely want to take the plunge, it is essential to understand the market cycle and where the last few years have led us. At this time, defensive stocks may be best.

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More reading

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VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Newmont Mining (NYSE:NEM - News) on Monday became the latest of the world's biggest gold miners to invest in Canada's Yukon territory, the site of a famous gold rush 120 years ago, as miners hunt for rich, new deposits in safe regions.

U.S.-based Newmont, the world's No. 2 gold producer, unveiled an agreement with small explorer Goldstrike Resources (TSXV:GSR.V - News) to spend $39.5 million to explore and develop Goldstrike's Plateau property in the Yukon.

With this deal, Newmont follows moves by rivals Goldcorp Inc (Toronto:G.TO - News) and Agnico Eagle Mines (Toronto:AEM.TO - News) last year into the northwestern Canadian territory at a time when gold miners are loosening their purse strings after five years of belt-tightening when bullion prices fell.

"It's a stable mining jurisdiction with high-quality gold prospects," Newmont spokesman Omar Jabara said.

Goldcorp, the world's fourth biggest gold producer by ounces, started off the mini-stampede last May when it paid C$520 million ($388 million) for Kaminak Gold Corp and its Yukon-based Coffee gold project. A month later it acquired an almost 20 percent stake in Independence Gold (TSXV:IGO.V - News), which owns a neighboring property.

In December, Agnico Eagle, the world's ninth biggest gold producer, bought a stake in a Yukon-focused miner.

The Klondike region of the Yukon was the center of a stampede of some 100,000 treasure seekers between 1896-1899 after gold was discovered in the area. Fortunes were made but many left empty-handed, with some heading on to Alaska after gold was discovered there in 1899.

(Reporting by Nicole Mordant in Vancouver; Editing by Tom Brown)
Oil prices are set to rise sharply starting in 2020 if new energy investments are not made this year.

That was the message of the International Energy Agency as the CERAWeek energy conference kicked off in Houston. There's a worldwide glut of oil now, and the IEA said that supply looks adequate for the next three years, thanks to rising production from U.S. shale producers and Canadian oilsands projects that were sanctioned before the oil price crunch began.

However, oil investments dropped sharply in both 2015 and 2016, and if that trend continues into 2017, there will be a problem in three years.

"We have seen two years in a row of huge declines in upstream investment. If this is the case in 2017, if we don't see substantial rebound, we may well see that the market tightens around 2020 and the spare production capacity shrinks," said Fatih Birol, the chairman of the IEA, at a news conference in Houston.

Oil investment globally was $450 billion US in 2016. The IEA is hoping to see that increase by 20 per cent, a further $90 billion US in 2017. In 2016, oil investment in Canada was estimated at $37 billion, and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers expects it to rise to $44 billion in 2017.

Birol made reference to 2008, when prices spiked to more than $140 US per barrel, saying that without new investment, the oil market could be tighter in 2022 than it was in 2008.

"At that time, the share of spare production capacity to global oil demand was close to four per cent and in this picture, the spare production capacity will be less than two per cent," he said.

The IEA does not see peak oil  the point at which global demand will reach its highest point and then decline  coming in either the short or medium term.

Birol pointed out that one-third of global oil demand growth will come just from Asian trucking. He named China and India as drivers of growth and predicted that oil export trade routes will also shift, something that may cause problems for Canada.

Story continues

Getting oil to Asia

"We are seeing that the Canadian crude needs an outlet outside of Canada, If it all goes to the U.S., or if we get pipelines to bring it to the markets where the demand for crude will be needed, most notably Asia, it will depend on getting the infrastructure approved in time," said Toril Busoni, an oil market analyst with the IEA.

Al Monaco, the chief executive of Calgary-based Enbridge, was a keynote speaker on Monday. Multiple Canadian politicians will be speaking at CERAweek, but Monaco is only Canadian energy executive taking the main stage.

After the purchase of Spectra Energy, Enbridge became the largest pipeline company in North America and Monaco emphasised the integration between the Canadian and U.S. energy markets.

Enbridge was not successful in getting approval to build the Northern Gateway pipeline project and said it had no new plans for a West Coast pipe. As a result, the company is very dependent on the U.S. to get oil to market.

Monaco pointed out that the U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast are a huge market themselves, with eight million barrels per day of capacity, around 40 per cent of which is engineered to refine heavy Canadian crude.

Shipping from the Gulf Coast

"So it's a natural marriage between the countries," he said. "But, it will continue to be important for Canada to expand its markets wherever it can."

One way that it can do so is to ship oil to the U.S. Gulf Coast, to then be exported out of the United States. In February, Monaco said prices were high enough that Western Canadian producers were able to do so economically.

"The U.S. and Canadian continent has amazing resource potential," he said. "As a continent, I think we need to look at export markets. What other industry do you know where you don't have connectivity and ability to move your product off the continent?"

'Having... the ability to export out of the United States, that's a huge improvement for Canadian producers."
A Canadian woman travelling on a Canadian passport says she was turned away at the U.S. border and told she needed a valid immigrant visa to enter the country.

Manpreet Kooner, 30, is a Canadian citizen who was born to Indian parents in Canada and raised here. She now lives in Montreal's LaSalle borough with her fiance and works in a science lab at a local college.

She told CBC she was on her way from Montreal to a spa in Vermont for a day trip with two friends, who are both white, Sunday afternoon. They never made it.

Kooner said she was held at the border for six hours before being turned away.

At one point, she said, a border agent told her: "'I know you may feel like you've been Trumped,'" an apparent reference to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump's January executive order barring citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the country was later blocked in U.S. courts, but has touched off legal battles and confusion around the world.

Kooner was told to apply for the visa at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa. She went to the embassy Monday morning but was told they couldn't help her, and that she would need to talk to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

"I'm speechless," she said. "There are no answers."

In a statement, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) said it does not discuss individual cases, but that those who present themselves at ports of entry must prove they fulfill admission requirements, and that admission to the U.S. is at the discretion of the border officers.

The statement also says CBP adopted a policy in 2014 that "prohibits the consideration of race or ethnicity in law enforcement, investigation, and screening activities, in all but the most exceptional circumstances."

Kooner's story is the latest in a string of recent tales involving Canadian travellers scrutinized or turned away by U.S. border agents.

Last month, for instance, a woman from the Montreal suburb of Brossard said she was denied entry after being fingerprinted, photographed and questioned in detail about her religion and her views on Trump.

Story continues

Kooner was reluctant to attribute her situation to racism, but said friends who have reached out to her say that could be the case.

"People have said we need to take that into account here, because unfortunately, yeah, my skin colour is brown," she said.

Told she needed an immigrant visa

Kooner said this summer, her mother was turned away at the border as well, but wasn't told why. Kooner said she was told her mother's issues wouldn't impact her.

She first had trouble getting into the U.S. last December, before Trump took office. She was with friends and her fiance when her car was pulled over for what she was told was a random check, she said.

She was made to fill out a number of forms, but was eventually told there was a problem with the computer system and they should return the next morning.

When they went back, she was let through without any problems.

She said that when she tried to cross Sunday, at Highgate Springs, Vt., an agent checked her passport and said they needed to ask her additional questions.

The agent mentioned that she had been stopped in December and asked why she was trying to go through again, Kooner said.

She said she told them she's a Canadian citizen, has no criminal record and, before December, never had any issues crossing the border.

She also said she was fingerprinted and photographed, and signed a form to withdraw her application for entry to the United States.

Though she was told there are no flags on her file, a border agent advised her not to fly to the U.S. without a visa, Kooner said.

The reference to Trump came as the agent was explaining the reasons why she was refused entry, she said.

The border agent couldn't say what kind of visa she would need, only that she would have to visit the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa to get one.

Kooner said that's when she started to cry.

Visas generally not needed for Canadian travellers

CBC News spoke to Kooner's friend Alexandra Adam, who was one of the two women on the trip with her.

Adam caught the end of the conversation between Kooner and the border agent and confirmed Kooner was told she likely wouldn't be allowed into the U.S. without a visa.

Adam said she was not present when the agent allegedly made the Trump comment.

A U.S. Embassy official said most travellers from Canada and Bermuda generally do not need visas for tourism and visits.

Canadians who are intending to immigrate or those planning to marry a U.S. citizen are among those who do need visas. Kooner does not fall under either category.

U.S. immigration lawyer Leslie Holman said it doesn't appear that there's a reason Kooner would need a visa to get into the country.

"Even if someone has a visa, the ultimate decision as to whether they can enter the United States rests when you seek admissibility, at the time of entry," she said.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs told CBC News the common category of visa that is used for short term, non-immigrant travel to the United States  including tourism and business  is the B1/B2 visa.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an average of 1.2 million people a day try to enter the U.S. at all crossings. Of those, an average of between 300 and 500 are denied entry for various reasons.

Kooner has spent more than $1,000 on tickets to attend a musical festival in Miami at the end of the month, and planned to return to that city in May for her bachelorette party.

She said she is now thinking about selling those tickets and cancelling the party. She said the thought of having to cross the border now makes her feel sick.

She said she feels like the border agents singled her out and didn't ask to speak to her friends.

"I feel targeted. I'm set aside from everyone else, and I feel helpless because I keep asking, 'What do I need to do?'"
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired an unidentified projectile from its Tongchang-ri region, where a missile base is located, South Korea's military said on Monday, a possible retaliation by the reclusive state to joint U.S.-South Korean drills that began last week. The projectile landed in the sea off North Korea's east coast, the military added. Tongchang-ri is near the North's border with China, where the isolated state fired a long-range rocket last year that put an object into orbit. The launch was condemned by the United Nations for violating resolutions that ban the use of missile technology. A South Korean military official said the launch, which came at 7:36 a.m. (5:36 p.m. ET on Sunday), was being analyzed to determine the type of the projectile used. North Korea has threatened to take "strong retaliatory measures" after South Korea and the United States began annual joint military drills on Wednesday that test their defensive readiness against possible aggression from the North. North Korea criticizes the annual drills calling them preparation for war against it. (Reporting by Jack Kim and Ju-min Park; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
By Stephanie van den Berg THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Ukraine asked the United Nations' highest court on Monday to order Russia to stop funding and equipping pro-Russian separatists, at the start of a hearing where it hopes to prove Moscow is breaking international law. Russia denies sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine and is expected to challenge the basis of the case Ukraine has launched at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. "Today I stand before the World Court to request protection of the basic human rights of Ukrainian people," Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal said on the first of four days of hearings. Zerkal requested an immediate court order to stop what she called Russia's abuses until the judges have heard the case in full. The U.N. court takes years to hear cases. Although its rulings are final and binding, it has no means of enforcement. Zerkal's request for so-called provisional measures, included a halt of transfers of money, weapons, vehicles, equipment, training or personnel to pro-Russian separatists fighting Ukrainian government forces. "Russian Federation tactics include support for terrorism and acts of racial discrimination, as well as propaganda, subversion, intimidation, political corruption and cyber attacks," she told the judges, citing new attacks in recent weeks.. Ukraine says in its filing that the pro-Russian separatists were responsible for the bombardment of residential areas and the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in July 2014 that killed 298 passengers and crew. In September 2016, a six-country investigative team led by the Netherlands said the plane had been shot down with a Russian-manufactured Buk surface-to-air missile from an area controlled by pro-Russian forces. Russia has dismissed the findings as biased and politically motivated. (Editing by Anthony Deutsch and Robin Pomeroy)
Iran Human Rights (MAR 6 2017): At least seven prisoners were executed in Iran on Saturday March 4.





Four prisoners, including two women, hanged at Rasht's central prison, Lakan, Gilan province, northern Iran





According to close sources, on the morning of Saturday March 4, four prisoners, including two women, were hanged at Rasht's central prison, Lakan.





These four prisoners were reportedly transferred to solitary confinement before their executions.





Three of these prisoners were sentenced to death on murder charges, but no information is available for the other prisoner. Only one of the prisoner names is known, Shah Mohammadi.





A fifth prisoner was also transferred with them to solitary confinement, but was transferred back to the prison cell after receiving a postponement approval by the complainants on the case file.





Two prisoners hanged at Urmia's central prison, Darya, West Azerbaijan province, northwestern Iran





According to a report by the human rights new site, HRANA, on the morning of Saturday March 4, a prisoner was hanged at Shahroud Prison (Semnan province, northern Iran) on drug related charges.





The prisoner has been identified as Ismael Arab Zamani, sentenced to death on the charge of possession and trafficking one kilogram and 800 grams of crystal meth.





Prisoner hanged at Shahroud Prison, Semnan province, northern Iran





According to another report by HRANA, at least two prisoners were hanged on the morning of Saturday March 4 in Urmia's central prison, Darya, on drug related charges.





The prisoners have been identified as Naji Payam and Eshgh Ali (also known as Ashkan). The report suggests there may have been a third prisoner who was also executed along with Mr. Payam and Ali.





Iranian official sources, including the media and Judiciary, have not announced these executions.





Two Prisoners Executed on Murder Charges





Iran Human Rights (MAR 2 2017): On Tuesday February 28, two prisoners were reportedly hanged at Darya, Urmia's central prison (West Azerbaijan province, northwestern Iran), on murder charges.





According to the human rights nws agency HRANA, the prisoners have been identified as Ali Valizadeh and Afshin Shokati.





Mr. Valizadeh and Mr. Shokati along with two other prisoners, Anvar Ebrahimi and Morteza Bagherzadeh, were reportedly transferred to solitary confinement on Monday February 27 in prepation of their executions.





According to HRANA, Mr. Ebrahimi and Mr. Bagherzadeh were not executed. Mr. Ebrahimi's life was reportedly spared after he was pardoned by the murder victim's family. It is not clear why Mr. Bagherzadeh's execution was not carried out.





Iranian official sources, including the media and Judiciary, have not announced the executions of Ali Valizadeh and Afshin Shokati.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; 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: Iran Human Rights , March 2-6, 2017
When Juan Melendez was on Floridas death row for a murder conviction, his mother built an altar with a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe surrounded by roses. She said five rosaries a day, asking for a miracle to exonerate him and bring him home safely. She also wrote Melendez a letter saying, Have faith, put your trust in God and that miracle will happen. One day, you will be free.





It took 17 years, but the miracle happened. Melendez, 65, now living in Albuquerque, was freed in 2002 after the real killer came forward. Melendez said the letter gave him hope, but he didnt know then that his mother was saving money to return his body to Puerto Rico after his execution.





No mother should ever have to go through that, Melendez said Sunday to a committee of the state House of Representatives that considered a bill to reinstate the death penalty in New Mexico. I think she suffered more than I did.





Democrats on the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee blocked the death penalty bill after hearing from Melendez and about two dozen other opponents of capital punishment.





As expected, the committee voted 3-2 on party lines to table the measure, effectively killing House Bill 72, sponsored by Rep. Monica Youngblood, R-Albuquerque.





Her bill would have allowed for the death penalty in cases involving the murder of a child or law enforcement officer.





Explaining the bill, Youngblood said it was aimed at the evil in our society that would hurt a child in this way. New Mexico recently has been the scene of several high-profile murders of children, including 10-year-old Victoria Martens of Albuquerque in August 2016 and 9-year-old Ashlynn Mike, who was found dead in Shiprock in May 2016.





Youngblood said the question of capital punishment being a deterrent to crime is arguable. But she pointed to an October 2016 Albuquerque Journal poll that said a large majority of New Mexicans support bringing back the death penalty.





Hobbs District Attorney Dianna Luce, Youngbloods expert witness, listed several murderers in the state who received the death penalty, but added that only one person has been executed in New Mexico in more than 50 years. That was child killer Terry Clark in 2001.





Luce also said, New Mexico is the best place in the U.S. to be a criminal because our laws are not as strong as [other states].





Shortly before the committees vote, Melendez told The New Mexican he doubts the state will ever bring back the death penalty.





New Mexico does not deserve a law that costs that much money, he said. New Mexico does not deserve a law that does not deter crime. New Mexico does not deserve a law that is racist, he said, referring to the fact that blacks and Hispanics are more likely to receive a death sentence than are whites convicted of murder.





You always have the risk of convicting an innocent man, Melendez said, adding that you can release someone from prison but you cant release someone from the grave.





Melendez also appeared before the New Mexico Legislature in 2009, the year it repealed the death penalty.





For seven years after that, the Legislature made no serious attempt to reinstate capital punishment. But last year, during a special session that began in late September, Gov. Susana Martinez put the death penalty on the agenda. The governor had initially said she wanted a one-day special session to resolve a budget deficit.





The House of Representatives, then controlled by Republicans, passed the death penalty bill on a party-line vote following a grueling six-hour hearing that began in the predawn hours. The Senate, with Democrats in the majority, ignored the House bill.





Critics of Martinez said the sole reason for the death penalty being considered during the special session was for political purposes. House members advanced the death penalty bill just a month before the general election. Indeed, even before the House vote in early October, Republicans were sending mailers blasting Democrats for voting against the death penalty.





After the House committee killed the death penalty bill Sunday, Ben Baur, the states chief public defender, told The New Mexican, Im pleased that were not imposing new burdens on the state  financial burdens that would not do anything to reduce crime.





A fiscal analysis by the Legislative Finance Committee of HB 72 said reinstating executions could cost the state up to $7.2 million a year over a three-year period.





The cost to incarcerate one person sentenced to the death penalty is $51,100 a year, the study says.





In the analysis, the Administrative Office of the Courts estimated that a death penalty jury trial would cost $12,000 to $17,000 more than a non-death penalty case. More jury costs would be incurred because, after finding someone guilty in a death penalty case, a jury would have to determine whether to impose capital punishment.





Youngblood said these figures represented a worst-case scenario.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; 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: NM Political Report , Steve Terrell, March 6, 2017
Data from the Study Exceed Levels Believed Necessary for a Commercially Successful Test



Conference Call Scheduled for Today at 4:30 PM ET

ALAMEDA, Calif., March 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OncoCyte Corporation (NYSE MKT:OCX), a developer of novel, non-invasive blood based tests to aid in the early detection of cancer, today reported the successful completion of a critical step in the development of its lung cancer diagnostic test. While the key performance metrics of its diagnostic cannot be revealed until they are presented at the American Thoracic Society Meeting in May, the company has locked its prediction algorithm and intends to move to the Clinical Validation Phase of developmentthe last phase before commercial launch. The data from the study exceed levels OncoCyte believes necessary for a commercially successful test and the Company is moving forward with plans to launch the lung cancer diagnostic test during the second half of 2017.

OncoCytes algorithm confirmed the results of an earlier study by The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, which reported its results at the CHEST 2016 Annual Meeting in October 2016. The Area Under the Curve (AUC) in Wistars study was 0.82 with a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 62%. OncoCytes study results were consistent with Wistars.

The AUC of a test is a measure that combines sensitivity and specificity to express its total accuracy, with 1.0 being perfect accuracy and 0.50 being a random result. Sensitivity and specificity are statistical measures of test performance, with sensitivity measuring the percentage of malignant nodules that are identified correctly by the test and specificity measuring the percentage of benign nodules correctly identified.

OncoCytes assessment of the market leads management to believe that it is positioned to be the first company to provide a highly accurate non-invasive confirmatory blood test for lung cancer. Based on published sources, Lung RADS guidelines and NLST (National Lung Screening Trial) data, the Company estimates that approximately 1.4 million patients annually in the U.S. could benefit from its test. Assuming this number of patients and the Companys currently planned pricing for such a test, the total addressable market could potentially exceed $4 billion. OncoCyte believes that its blood based lung cancer test can provide Medicare and private insurance companies with significant savings if the price of its product is about 20 to 25 percent of the cost of an invasive lung biopsy, which according to recent Medicare estimates averages approximately $15,000. Potential revenue to OncoCyte will depend in large measure on the tests market penetration and on approved reimbursement by Medicare and health insurers.

The results of OncoCytes study will be presented at The American Thoracic Society conference in May by its lead author, Dr. Anil Vachani, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, PA. "If the assay continues to perform at these levels, it could create a significant improvement in the standard of care in lung nodule management. Current practice can result in patients undergoing avoidable invasive procedures, which a diagnostic test of this type could help to reduce significantly, while also lowering the cost to determine the presence of lung cancer," said Dr. Vachani.

OncoCytes study utilized Wistars biomarker panel, which has been exclusively licensed to OncoCyte. The study developed and tested OncoCytes proprietary algorithm, using approximately 300 samples collected from patients at 26 community based, academic and government sites across the United States. OncoCyte developed its algorithm by combining data from the top mRNA biomarkers with clinical data such as nodule size. The algorithm was self-tested via a six-fold internal cross-validation on the samples. Cross-validation is a statistical method used to develop and estimate the performance of an algorithm.

The samples were collected from patients with nodules ranging in size from five to thirty millimeters, the size range presenting the greatest diagnostic challenge to clinicians. For patients with these size nodules, physicians must weigh the risk of cancer against the risks posed by costly and potentially dangerous invasive biopsies to confirm whether the nodules are malignant or benign.

Because of the studys successful results, OncoCyte also announced that it will begin ramping-up its commercial capabilities in anticipation of the potential launch of the test. OncoCyte will initiate a Clinical Validation Phase for this diagnostic. During this phase, the company will continue to carry out analytical validation studies to refine its operational stage laboratory processes and will apply for certification of its CLIA diagnostic testing lab. Upon CLIA certification, OncoCyte will conduct a small CLIA lab validation study to demonstrate that the full assay system utilized in the CLIA lab provides the same results on clinical samples as those obtained in the R&D lab. OncoCyte then will begin a clinical validation study using the finalized algorithm and operational procedures on a new set of at least 300 blinded prospectively collected samples to confirm whether the sensitivity and specificity of the test remain within commercial parameters in a CLIA operational setting. Assuming successful completion of these steps, OncoCyte anticipates launching the test commercially in the second half of 2017.

We are very excited about the successful results of our study, commented William Annett, President and Chief Executive Officer. Our goal is to have the first commercial blood test that can help physicians to better manage patients presenting with lung nodules, and to avoid a significant number of risky and costly biopsies.

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call on Monday, March 6, 2017 at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT to discuss the study results as well as its 2016 financial results. The dial-in number in the U.S./Canada is 888-427-9421, for international participants the number is 719-325-2450. For all callers, refer to Conference ID 9994065. To access the live webcast, go to the investor relations section on the companys website, http://investors.oncocyte.com/events-and-presentations.

A replay of the conference call will be available for seven business days beginning about two hours after the conclusion of the live call, by calling 888-203-1112-toll-free (from U.S./Canada); international callers dial +1 719-457-0820. Use the Conference ID 9994065. Additionally, the archived webcast will be available http://investors.oncocyte.com/events-and-presentations.

About OncoCyte Corporation

OncoCyte is focused on the development and commercialization of novel, non-invasive blood and urine (liquid biopsy) diagnostic tests for the early detection of cancer to improve health outcomes through earlier diagnoses, to reduce the cost of care through the avoidance of more costly diagnostic procedures, including invasive biopsy and cystoscopic procedures, and to improve the quality of life for cancer patients. While current biopsy tests use invasive surgical procedures to provide tissue samples in order to determine if a tumor is benign or malignant, OncoCyte is developing a next generation of diagnostic tests that will be based on liquid biopsies using blood or urine samples. OncoCytes pipeline products are intended to be confirmatory diagnostics for detecting lung, breast and bladder cancer. OncoCytes diagnostic tests are being developed using proprietary sets of genetic and protein markers that differentially express in specific types of cancer.

Forward Looking Statements

Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as will, believes, plans, anticipates, expects, estimates and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. These statements include those pertaining to the implementation and results of our validation study and other studies, commercialization plans, future financial and/or operating results, future growth in research, technology, clinical development, and potential opportunities for OncoCyte, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential diagnostic tests or products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, the need and ability to obtain future capital, and maintenance of intellectual property rights, and the need to obtain third party reimbursement for patients use of any diagnostic tests we commercialize. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the business of OncoCyte, particularly those mentioned in the Risk Factors and other cautionary statements found in OncoCytes Securities and Exchange Commission filings. OncoCyte disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pure Energy Minerals Limited (TSX-V:PE) (FRANKFURT:A111EG) (OTCQB:PEMIF) (the Company or Pure Energy) is pleased to announce that it has completed a constant-rate pumping test at its newest exploration well, CV-7. The test ran continuously for two days and included collection of brine samples along with extensive hydrogeological data on the brine aquifer system. The pumping test was designed and supervised by Pure Energys hydrogeological consulting specialists, Montgomery & Associates (Montgomery). This successful test of CV-7 provided valuable additional data for Pure Energys technical team to advance and refine its understanding of the Clayton Valley South (CVS) lithium resource.



The pumping test was configured using an electric submersible pump and monitoring apparatus in CV-7, and ran at a constant pumping rate of approximately 5 litres per second (80 gallons per minute) for its duration. The hydrogeologists collected approximately 32 separate brine samples (including QA/QC samples) for lithium analysis over the 48-hour pumping period. Monitoring revealed that the extracted brine from CV-7 reached near steady-state elevated fluid conductivity and fluid density, comparable to other brine wells on the CVS Project. This suggests the production of consistent lithium-bearing brine during the entire pumping test. Detailed, depth-specific brine samples have also been collected from the well, and the analytical results are expected by mid-March. The upcoming Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) will include a full discussion and interpretation of the data from CV-7.

Patrick Highsmith, Pure Energy Minerals CEO commented, Now that the Phase 3 drill program has concluded, it is gratifying to see the data collection finish on a strong note. The pumping test at CV-7 went very smoothly and we expect to test CV-8 very soon. The team has steadily improved in our ability to execute on deep drilling, well construction, sampling, and the all-important hydrogeological test work. We are processing the data from this most recent test, and we shall incorporate the technical parameters, along with the lithium content of the brine from CV-7 into the upcoming resource update.

This pumping test was performed in accordance with State of Nevada waivers and permits issued to Pure Energy by the Nevada Division of Water Resources and the Division of Environmental Protection, which allowed for the extraction of brine from the well and subsequent discharge to surface.

Quality Assurance

Patrick Highsmith, Certified Professional Geologist (AIPG CPG # 11702), is a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, and has supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Mr. Highsmith is not independent of the Company as he is an officer and director.

Daniel Weber, P.G. (SME Registered Member 4064243) from Montgomery & Associates, who is an Independent Qualified Person as such term is defined under NI 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has also reviewed and verified the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

Corporate Update

Pure Energy also reports that, effective March 6, 2017, Mr. Robert Mintak will step down as Executive Chairman and director of the Company. Mr. Mintak has been an officer of Pure Energy for more than 4 years and was instrumental in the acquisition of the Clayton Valley South Project. The Pure Energy board of directors wishes Mr. Mintak good luck in his future endeavors.

About Pure Energy Minerals Ltd.

Pure Energy is a lithium resource developer that is driven to become a low-cost supplier for the burgeoning lithium battery industry. The Company is currently focused on the development of the CVS Lithium Brine Project and the adjoining Glory Lithium Clay Project in Clayton Valley, Nevada. Pure Energy also recently announced the acquisition of a purchase option on a major new lithium brine project in the Lithium Triangle of South America, the Terra Cotta Project (TCP). The TCP is located on Pocitos Salar in Salta, Argentina, where it enjoys some of the best infrastructure and access of any lithium brine exploration project in the country. Execution of the definitive agreement concerning the Terra Cotta purchase option is expected during Q1 of 2017.

Pure Energy has developed core strengths in innovative development and processing technologies for lithium brines and lithium mineral deposits. The Companys key attributes and activities include:

Generating positive results on a large land position with excellent infrastructure in a first-class mining jurisdiction: approx. 11,000 acres in four main claim groups in Clayton Valley, Esmeralda County, Nevada;

The only lithium brine resource in North America except for its neighbor, which is the only producing lithium operation in the United States (Albemarles Silver Peak lithium brine mine);

An inferred mineral resource containing approximately 816,000 metric tonnes of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) at an average grade of approximately 102 mg/L lithium, reported in accordance with NI 43-101 (see July 2015 Inferred Resource Report);

An advanced program of testing the efficacy and economics of modern environmentally-responsible processing technologies to convert the CVS brines into high purity lithium products for new energy storage uses;

A new early stage exploration program on the 13,000 hectare Terra Cotta Project (TCP), located on Pocitos Salar in Salta Province; and

An active business development program, applying its expertise to the evaluation of new lithium targets around the world.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,



Patrick Highsmith

Chief Executive Officer

CONTACT:

Pure Energy Minerals Limited (www.pureenergyminerals.com)

Email: info@pureenergyminerals.com

Telephone  604 608 6611, ext 5

Forward Looking Statements: The information in this news release contains forward looking statements that are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include: changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry, change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry. Forward-looking statements in this release may include statements regarding mineral processing, adaptation of test work to larger scale and/or future operational scales, estimates of reduced future capital and operating expenses, delivery of a preliminary economic assessment, future exploration programs, operation plans, geological interpretations, and mineral tenure issues. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward looking statements are reasonable, results may vary, and we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release
LAVAL, Quebec and BALLERUP, Denmark, March 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Klox Technologies Inc. (Klox) and LEO Pharma A/S (LEO Pharma) to establish a jointly owned company to further develop and commercialize Kloxs BioPhotonic technology in dermatology including Kleresca for acne and Kleresca for skin rejuvenation. Both companies bring in their contributions from their existing collaboration which started in 2014.



The Kleresca treatment for acne and the Kleresca treatment for skin rejuvenation combines a topical photo converter in conjunction with a multi-LED light to create hyper-pulsed multi-wavelength fluorescent light, resulting in photobiomodulation within the skin. It is based on Kloxs patented BioPhotonic technology platform in dermatology and is currently offered exclusively in professional clinics.

We have now successfully introduced the BioPhotonic technology under the Kleresca brand in seven countries and have seen a strong interest from the market. We now want to further expand the offering and its geographical footprint, said Dr. Patrice Baudry, LEO Pharmas Senior Vice President Global Strategy and Portfolio Management. Creating a standalone company with the backing of Klox and LEO Pharma will allow for greater strategic expansion and accelerate growth, Baudry continued.

Mr. Mariano Rodriguez, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Klox Technologies stated, This pivotal next step in Kloxs collaboration with LEO Pharma will bring our BioPhotonic technology in dermatology to new heights. We have made great progress throughout our initial partnership, and establishing a separate company was the natural next step. We are delighted to continue our collaboration with LEO Pharma through this new venture and look forward to accelerating market expansion.

The new venture will be an independently managed company, led by Mr. Mikkel Schoedt, who previously oversaw the Kleresca Business Unit at LEO Pharma. To ensure a smooth transition and to continue delivering quality service to its customers, the Kleresca team at LEO Pharma will transfer to the new company, and LEO Pharma will for the time being, continue to be responsible for production and support. Further details of the agreement were not disclosed.

About Klox Technologies Inc.

Klox is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products based on its proprietary BioPhotonic technology platform to address skin and soft tissue disorders. Klox is advancing its programs as part of its multiple franchises focusing on indications across Dermatology, Wound Care, and Oral Health. For more information please visit www.kloxtechnologies.com

About LEO Pharma A/S

LEO Pharma helps people achieve healthy skin. By offering care solutions to patients in more than 100 countries globally, LEO Pharma supports people in managing their skin conditions. Founded in 1908 and owned by the LEO Foundation, the healthcare company has devoted decades of research and development to delivering products and solutions to people with skin conditions. LEO Pharma is headquartered in Denmark and employs around 5,000 people worldwide.

For more information, visit www.leo-pharma.com and www.kleresca.com

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/leopharmaglobal

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/leohealthyskin

Visit us at LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/leo-pharma
asdfghjklasdfghj wrote:

sagarag wrote: The physicist Richard Feynman presented a comprehensive introduction to modern physics designed for undergraduate students in a two-year course .



A) The physicist Richard Feynman presented a comprehensive introduction to modern physics designed for undergraduate students in a two-year course

B) For undergraduate students, the physicist Richard Feynman presented a two-year course, being a comprehensive introduction to modern physics.

C) A comprehensive introduction was in a two-year course by the physicist Richard Feynman presenting to undergraduate students an introduction to modern physics.

D) Presenting a comprehensive introduction, the physicist Richard Feynman introduced modern physics in a two-year course designed for undergraduate students.

E) In a two-year course designed for undergraduate students, the physicist Richard Feynman presented a comprehensive introduction to modern physics.

Hi Mike,



could you help me out on this one ?

So I am able to see that answer choice A is wrong because "in a two course" is a prep. phrase for "physics" what is nonsense. Using POE there is nothing left than Answer choice E in fact. But I am not completely sure why the prepositional phrase at the beginning of answer choice E can jump the noun " the physicist Fayman".



I know that noun modifiers "Appositive modifiers" can jump to every noun in the sentence (



So why can we "jump" ? - Cleared





Ok, apparently we have here a so called adverbial modifier, which modifiers verbs. And knowing that verb modifiers have looser rules than noun modifiers (probs to the website) It generally should explain HOW things are done.



The problem that I still have is that "In a two year course" does not really tells me HOW he presented.

For example in this question:



Visitors to the park have often looked up into the leafy canopy and s aw monkeys sleeping on the branches, whose arms and legs hang like socks on a clothesline.

(A) saw monkeys sleeping on the branches, whose arms and legs hang

(B) saw monkeys sleeping on the branches, whose arms and legs were hanging

(C) saw monkeys sleeping on the branches, with arms and legs hanging

(D) seen monkeys sleeping on the branches, with arms and legs hanging

(E) seen monkeys sleeping on the branches, whose arms and legs have hung



I can clearly see that the part "with arms and legs hanging" describes the HOW these monkey sleep.



So all in all... My final question (and after some study my only) is: in which way does "In a two-year course designed for undergraduate students" modifies the verb "presented"



I hope my question is clear Hi Mike,could you help me out on this one ?So I am able to see that answer choice A is wrong because "in a two course" is a prep. phrase for "physics" what is nonsense. Using POE there is nothing left than Answer choice E in fact. But I am not completely sure why the prepositional phrase at the beginning of answer choice E can jump the noun " the physicist Fayman".I know that noun modifiers "Appositive modifiers" can jump to every noun in the sentence ( https://gmatclub.com/forum/noun-noun-mo ... 37292.html ) but this is not the case here since we have a prepositional phrase.So why can we "jump" ? - ClearedOk, apparently we have here a so called adverbial modifier, which modifiers verbs. And knowing that verb modifiers have looser rules than noun modifiers (probs to the website) It generally should explain HOW things are done.The problem that I still have is that "In a two year course" does not really tells me HOW he presented.For example in this question:Visitors to the park have often looked up into the leafy canopy and slike socks on a clothesline.(A) saw monkeys sleeping on the branches, whose arms and legs hang(B) saw monkeys sleeping on the branches, whose arms and legs were hanging(C) saw monkeys sleeping on the branches, with arms and legs hanging(D) seen monkeys sleeping on the branches, with arms and legs hanging(E) seen monkeys sleeping on the branches, whose arms and legs have hungI can clearly see that the part "with arms and legs hanging" describes the HOW these monkey sleep.So all in all... My final question (and after some study my only) is: in which way does "In a two-year course designed for undergraduate students" modifies the verb "presented"I hope my question is clear

Verb modifiers are NOT subject to the Modifier Touch Rule at all

how? why? when? where? in what way?

In a two-year course designed for undergraduate students, the physicist Richard Feynman presented a comprehensive introduction to modern physics



Magoosh Test Prep





Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.  William Butler Yeats (1865  1939) Mike McGarryEducation is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.  William Butler Yeats (1865  1939) Signature Read More
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
New York designer and author Katie Ridder has a playful approach to mixing antiques and modern pieces in her work. From Switzerland to Virginia, clients have commissioned her to design Japanese pavilions, Palm Beach estates and downtown lofts. Ridder created a wallpaper and fabric line, represented at Holland & Sherry showrooms throughout the country, as well as in Europe.

This weeks Local Living cover makes a case for the dining room. A separate dining room is on many homeowners wish lists. Ridder says her clients are interested in ways to make the space more lively and more personal. She can answer your questions on how to make your dining room special.

Every week, Jura Koncius helps you in your quest to achieve domestic bliss. She and weekly guests, whether Martha Stewart, the Property Brothers or Nate Berkus, answer your decorating and design questions. Jura is always happy to whip out her paint chips, track down a hard-to-find piece of furniture or offer her seasoned advice on practical living and decluttering. For more than 10 years, Home Front has been an online conversation about the best way to make your home comfortable, stylish and fun. We invite you to submit questions and share you own great tips, ideas and gripes. No problem is too big or too small, send them over.
This is an image of a weight scale. Credit: CDC/Debora Cartagena

People's political leanings and their own weight shape opinions on obesity-related public policies, according to a new study by two University of Kansas researchers.

Actually, Republicansno matter how much they weighbelieve eating and lifestyle habits cause obesity, the research found.

But among Democrats there is more of a dividing line, said Mark Joslyn, a KU professor of political science. Those who identify themselves as overweight are more likely to believe genetic factors cause obesity.

"Self-reported overweight people were significantly more likely to believe obesity is caused by genetics than normal weight people," Joslyn said. "The belief that obesity is due to genetics tends to remove blame. Obesity is not a choice, some would argue, but rather people are simply genetically wired to be obese. In this way, overweight people are motivated to believe in the genetics-obesity link. We found normal weight people were not so motivated."

Joslyn and Don Haider-Markel, chair and professor of the Department of Political Science, published their findings recently in the journal American Politics Research.

The research could have important implications for policymakers, especially at the local and state levels that tend to focus on public health interventions, either through appealing to healthy lifestyles by constructing biking and walking paths to encourage exercise or by passing stricter regulations on food and drinks, such as demanding publication of calorie counts and levying taxes on soft drinks.

Former New York City Mayorand billionaireMichael Bloomberg has donated millions of dollars to fund pro-soda tax initiatives in major cities. Berkeley, California, and Philadelphia are among those that have passed them in recent years. Obesity rates have risen recently in the United States, as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2015 that 71% of adults were overweight and more than 17% of youth were obese.

Still, most Americans oppose bans on large-size drinks and higher soda taxes, Joslyn said, which is likely a disparity between the perception of the problem and support for government intervention. Those who have argued against soda taxes, for example, often refer to a "nanny state," blaming government intervention when they perceive personal choice is causing the problem.

For policymakers, as obesity rates continue to climb and the debate surrounding how to make people healthier continues, the genetic attribution as a cause may continue to rise as well, which could influence people's opposition to certain practices.

"To the extent that genetic attributions increase in popularity, stronger opposition to discriminatory hiring practices by weight can be expected," Joslyn said.

Also, it's likely the issue remains politicized because most Republicans are inclined to support individual blame for obesity and not supportive of government regulations.

Lastly, while the soda taxes have gained much attention, most government action recently does seem to be directed toward changing people's individual behavior, such as developing public spaces to encourage fitness and ways to discourage unhealthy eating habits, like publication of calorie counts.

"If obesity persists in the face of such initiatives, blame and discrimination of obese people is likely to continue," Joslyn said. "On the other hand, if governments treat obesity similar to diseases that afflict the population, as circumstances beyond the control of individuals, then individual blame and discrimination may diminish."
More than three in every five Americans see a doctor who receives some form of payment from industry. This is according to a new survey led by Genevieve Pham-Kanter of Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health in the US. It is the first nationally representative study to examine the prevalence of industry payments among the general population of patients. The survey in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, published by Springer, also shows that very few Americans know whether their own doctor in fact received industry-backed payments or gifts, or that such information is publicly available.

The survey was done in light of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which addresses concerns that industry payments could lead physicians to make decisions that are not in the best interest of their patients. Since 2013 the Act requires pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to report gifts and payments they make to healthcare providers. This information is publicly available on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Open Payments website.

The survey was done shortly before the first release of the Open Payments data in September 2014. A short online survey was completed by 3,542 adults. They were asked whether they were aware of industry payments, and to name the physicians they had seen most frequently in the previous year. These names were then linked to the Open Payment data to ascertain how often patients saw doctors who accepted industry payments.

The survey highlighted that 65 percent of respondents had visited a physician who accepted an industry payment. This was particularly the case for those visiting family medicine physicians (63 percent) and obstetricians and gynecologists (77 percent).

Despite respondents' extensive contact with physicians who receive industry payments, only 45 percent reported knowing about this practice. Twelve percent of respondents knew that information about such payments was publically available, while only 5 percent actually knew if their doctors received industry favors.

Pham-Kanter says previous studies among physicians have underestimated how much contact patients have with industry. The latest survey shows that although only four out of every ten doctors had received a payment during the course of one year, almost seven out of ten respondents were seen, over the same period, by a physician who benefited from such payments. The doctors whom patients visited also tended to have received unusually high payments well above the norm.

"The findings suggest that although physicians who accept industry payments are in the minority, they are caring for a very substantial portion of America's adult patient population," explains Pham-Kanter, who believes the results most likely underestimate Americans' exposure to doctors with industry ties.

"Drug and device companies tend to pursue relationships with key opinion leaders in medicine because of these leaders' potential to influence the clinical practice of others, even those who themselves do not accept industry payments," she adds.

More information: Genevieve Pham-Kanter et al, Public Awareness of and Contact With Physicians Who Receive Industry Payments: A National Survey, Journal of General Internal Medicine (2017). DOI: 10.1007/s11606-017-4012-3 Genevieve Pham-Kanter et al. Public Awareness of and Contact With Physicians Who Receive Industry Payments: A National Survey, Journal of General Internal Medicine (2017). DOI: 10.1007/s11606-017-4012-3 Journal information: Journal of General Internal Medicine Genevieve Pham-Kanter et al, Public Awareness of and Contact With Physicians Who Receive Industry Payments: A National Survey,(2017). DOI: 10.1007/s11606-017-4012-3 Genevieve Pham-Kanter et al. Public Awareness of and Contact With Physicians Who Receive Industry Payments: A National Survey,(2017). DOI: 10.1007/s11606-017-4012-3

Provided by Springer
Egal,Regardless of whether we die early by accident, or whether we reach a biblical age before our demise: at some point, our heart will stop for good. At some point, we shall also stop breathing. And at some point, our brain will also cease to function.

"It can take up to a week until the final cell in the body has died off," explains Stephan Marsch, Head of the Intensive Care Unit at the University Hospital of Basel. But when asked for the precise moment when the transition from life to death occurs, not even he can give a definitive answer. "In biological terms, death is a process." For example, the cornea can still be transplanted successfully three days after death. And up to a week after death it is still possible to remove and cultivate specific types of cell from the body, such as cartilage.

Irreversibility is key

But there are legal and societal demands to establish a more precise boundary. "We can't say that someone is a little bit dead, or that they're still a little bit alive," says Marsch. But the binary 'yes or no' cannot be so easily reconciled with a biological process. That is why experts make use of the criterion of empirical irreversibility. "If, in line with accumulated experience, a person cannot come back to life, or cannot be reanimated, then he or she is regarded as dead."

Opinions about when this point is reached have changed several times over the course of medical history. Until the 19th century, people depended on their own observations. In cases of doubt they waited several hours until rigor mortis had set in. Only after the invention of the stethoscope did the medical profession recognise the connection between the beating heart and life itself. Though they weren't quite certain about that, either. Medical historians tell of sometimes brutal methods with which a doctor might determine that their patient was truly dead  such as sticking needles under their toenails, or dripping hot wax onto their forehead. But better stethoscopes soon enabled them to realise that cardiac arrest was a reliable way of knowing that someone had indeed died.

From cardiac arrest to brain death

With the rapid development of intensive medicine in the 1960s, however, began the questioning of the validity of cardiac death. The advent of artificial respiration meant people could now be kept alive, when the failure of spontaneous breathing would otherwise have led swiftly to cardiac arrest. But in some of these patients, the brain had completely ceased to function. So were they now alive or dead? At about the same time, transplant medicine was celebrating its initial successes  and it was precisely these people on artificial respiration who were particularly suited to organ donation, because their heart, kidneys and lungs were still fully functioning. So pressure grew to find a new, reliable criterion for death in such cases. In 1968, a committee at Harvard Medical School first suggested using brain death.

Brain death is defined in Switzerland as the irreversible failure of brain function, including that of the brain stem. The brain stem is regarded as the most resilient part of the brain and is the seat of the respiratory centre. If the brain stem stops working, then breathing stops, and the heart gets no more oxygen. Without artificial respiration, cardiac arrest is inevitable. Conversely, cardiac arrest also brings about brain death in the shortest space of time. Because if the brain is not provided with oxygen through the circulation of the blood, then brain activity ceases after about ten minutes.

The same death for all

In Switzerland, it was the implementation of the Transplantation Act in 2007 that first brought about the recognition of brain death as the unique criterion for death in all cases. The bill for the law referred to the guidelines of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS). They, in turn, stipulate what clinical signs of brain death must be determined, and how to do so. These include the lack of specific reflexes, dilated pupils, and a respiratory stop after artificial respiration has been removed.

Jurg Steiger, the head of the Department of Transplantation Immunology and Nephrology at the University Hospital of Basel, regards the current definition and diagnosis of brain death as safe and reliable. As the chairman of the Central Ethics Committee of the SAMS and of its subcommittee for revising the guidelines, he has been involved with this topic for many years now. "The criteria have remained unchanged for twenty or thirty years. There is no evidence at all that we should change anything." Nevertheless, he can well understand that the concept of brain death is difficult to grasp for many people. A brain-dead person on artificial respiration looks like he is still breathing. And his body is warm.

Residual brain activity

However, doubts regarding the validity of brain death arise not just on account of external perceptions. Brain-dead people can also maintain many metabolic processes independently. They digest, regulate their hormonal balance, and fight infections. In some cases, brain-dead women have even given birth to healthy babies. Critics of the brain death approach also point out that, after brain stem activity ceases, residual activity can still be proven to occur in individual cells of the cerebral cortex. It is also disputed whether an organ donor might still be able to feel pain. The SAMS guidelines stipulate that anaesthesia is to be administered during the removal of organs, but this is a quite unrelated matter; the anaesthetic is intended to suppress reflexes that can still be transmitted through the intact spinal cord.

For Steiger, the brain remains the decisive organ  also as a result of his personal experiences with dying people and with the deceased. "The heart is just a pump that you can replace with a mechanical device if necessary. For me, life occurs in our head: pain, love and hate." Even someone who has had a leg amputated can still feel pain in a toe. This is a clear sign that the pain is perceived in the brain, not in the rest of the body. "If the brain doesn't function any longer, a central aspect of your personality also disappears."

Personalised criteria for death?

Just where our personality actually resides, and whether it is extinguished at the point of brain death, was barely discussed in Switzerland when the law was introduced in 2007. Ethical discussions were focussed chiefly on aspects of consent for organ removal and the equitable distribution of the organs donated. Pascal Lachenmeier is a legal scholar whose doctoral thesis at the University of Basel undertook a closer analysis of determining the point of death as enshrined in the Transplantation Act. "Introducing the concept of brain death did not cause many waves in the general population. People don't like to address the matter of their own death, and in this case they relied on the natural sciences to provide a safe method." He regrets that the legislators treated the criterion of death as a purely technical matter, delegating it to an institution such as the SAMS instead of holding a broader social debate about death.

The fact that the criterion of brain death has meanwhile become valid in almost all countries does not mean that it is incontrovertible. In the USA, for example, some have suggested using the loss of cognitive abilities as sufficient proof of death  in other words, the moment when the cerebrum ceases to function. Lachenmeier, however, suggests a fundamentally different concept, and questions whether a society can, or must, have any generally valid definition of death. In order to take into account all the different understandings of the point of death, all people should instead be allowed to define individually what for them constitutes the boundary between life and death  inasmuch as irreversibility is guaranteed, as in the case of brain death or cardiac arrest.

The moment of murder

When solving crimes, the time of death is an important piece of information. If the deed occurred only one or two days before, then forensic experts can narrow down the point of death precisely to within a few hours. To do this, they analyse the livor mortis, the degree of rigor mortis and the body temperature. They also stimulate the muscles in the eyes and mouth using minor electric shocks, and then observe how strongly they contract.

"But if death took place further back, we can only offer rough estimates as to how many weeks, months or years," explains Silke Grabherr, the director of the University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne  Geneva. The most important indicator is the process of decomposition, which spreads from the intestinal flora through the blood vessels in the body. A further indication is gained from the condition of a wax-like substance that forms from body fat in so-called 'wax corpses' in the absence of air.

But Grabherr believes that analysing flies and maggots that settle in a corpse is usually unreliable: "You rarely know for sure whether these are really the first generation of the insects." Other methods might be able to determine the time of death using the concentration of metabolic products in bodily fluids. But these are still in their development phase.
Credit: Vera Kratochvil/public domain

A new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) showed positive changes in attitudes and a reduction in patient agitation after implementing a fully tobacco-free environment at Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital. The findings, which appear in the March 2017 issue of The American Journal on Addictions, are contrary to perceptions that eliminating access to tobacco in mental health and addiction centres may have negative outcomes.

It's one of the first long-term studies measuring the impact of a hospital-wide tobacco-free policy on attitudes and adverse events. The study evaluated staff and patient attitudes, and two types of adverse events - patient agitation and fire-related incidents - prior to and after CAMH became completely tobacco-free in April 2014.

"Over the course of the study, patient and staff attitudes became increasingly positive, and episodes of aggression decreased significantly," says Dr. Tony George, senior author of the study and Chief of CAMH's Addiction Division. Dr. George also heads the Biobehavioural Addictions and Concurrent Disorders Research Laboratory in CAMH's Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, and is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. "Going tobacco-free can make it a better place to be a patient and a staff member," he adds.

CAMH implemented its tobacco-free policy ahead of requirements set out in the provincial Smoke Free Ontario Act. This legislation required all Ontario hospitals and psychiatric facilities to be smoke free by 2016, except in designated outdoor smoking areas, with smoking areas to be phased out by January 2018. CAMH's tobacco-free initiatives began in 2005, with smoking in designated areas only, then moved into a "soft-launch phase" in the six months leading up to implementing the completely tobacco-free policy in 2014.

Despite the well-known health risks of smoking, eliminating access to tobacco in mental health and addiction centres has historically been met with concern. Smoking rates among people with mental illnesses and substance use problems are significantly higher than in the general population. While 17 per cent of the Ontario population smokes tobacco, it's estimated that the figure is more than double among those with mental health issues, and as high as 90 per cent among those with schizophrenia and with substance use problems with alcohol, cocaine or opioids, says Dr. George. One perception has been that smoking may be a form of self-medication for some individuals, and abstaining from smoking may worsen psychiatric symptoms.

Nicotine replacement therapy was made available to help patients manage temporary withdrawal symptoms, or to assist patients and staff who want to quit smoking. "Our approach is to promote a tobacco-free environment as part of the care we offer to our patients," says Dr. George.

The CAMH researchers used 15-question surveys to measure staff and patient attitudes at three points: in the two months prior to becoming fully tobacco-free, then at four to six months, and 10 to 12 months after implementing the policy. More than 1,170 staff and 420 patients completed the anonymous questionnaires.

"Most measures changed in a positive way for both staff and patients," says Dr. George. Staff members were more likely to agree that CAMH's tobacco-free policy would be successful and less likely to say they were concerned that smoking cessation could exacerbate client symptoms. Patients were more likely to agree that they supported the tobacco-free policy and they would follow the policy.

The research team also assessed whether incidents of patient agitation and fire risks changed from pre-implementation to after adopting the policy. Incidents of patient agitation decreased significantly - by 18 per cent. "Creating a tobacco-free environment reduced aggression because it's been shown that smoking creates more anxiety, depression and irritability," says Dr. George. There was no change in fire risks.

"Becoming completely tobacco-free took an interdisciplinary team and a multi-pronged, phased approach," says Dr. George. "We engaged staff and patients in the discussion early, and at each stage, we increased communications and supports to help staff and patients in making the change."

Through CAMH's Portico Network, CAMH has also created a tobacco-free community of practice for health-care providers to share resources, insights and best practices as they implement and sustain tobacco-free environments.

"Our findings show that becoming completely tobacco-free in a mental health and addiction hospital is feasible - and can lead to favourable outcomes," says Dr. George.

More information: Lilian Riad-Allen et al, Becoming tobacco-free: Changes in staff and patient attitudes and incident reports in a large academic mental health and addictions hospital, The American Journal on Addictions (2017). Journal information: American Journal on Addictions Lilian Riad-Allen et al, Becoming tobacco-free: Changes in staff and patient attitudes and incident reports in a large academic mental health and addictions hospital,(2017). DOI: 10.1111/ajad.12513
A new study sheds light on the acquisition and features of Zika virus in Canadian travellers, indicating it was as commonly confirmed as dengue in people returning from the Americas and the Caribbean but more severe than expected, according to a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

"The common perception that Zika is associated with a very mild clinical course compared with dengue or chikungunya was not borne out in this small cohort," states Dr. Andrea Boggild, Clinical Director, Tropical Disease Unit at the University Health Network, University of Toronto and Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario.

Zika virus, an infectious mosquito-borne disease introduced in the Americas in 2013, became widespread in 2015 and caused severe birth defects in babies of pregnant women who were infected.

There are few data on Zika virus in Canadian travellers, a highly mobile group, and this study sought to contribute to a better understanding of the disease.

Researchers looked at data over one year from the Canadian Travel Medicine Network (CanTravNet), a network of infectious disease specialists across the country focused on detecting travel-related illness in returned Canadians and visitors to Canada. The study included data on 1118 travellers who visited one of seven CanTravNet clinics in large cities in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec for a travel-related illness picked up in the Americas (Central and South America and the Caribbean).

Of all travellers examined at the seven CanTravNet clinics, 41 (3.7%) had been infected with Zika virus, 41 (3.7%) had dengue and 23 (2.1%) had chikungunya, all mosquito-borne illnesses transmitted throughout the Americas. Almost 60% (24) of travellers with Zika were female, of whom 79% (19) were of child-bearing age. Except for one case of infection through sexual intercourse, all cases were most likely transmitted by mosquitoes. Three pregnant women were infected, with two cases of congenital infection, and another two travellers had Guillain-Barre or GBS-like syndrome, making a total of 10% of cases with severe complications of Zika. Conversely, none of the cases of dengue or chikungunya had a complicated course of infection.

Symptoms in travellers with Zika included rash (88%) and fever (80%) during the acute phase, and about half complained of muscle or joint pain or headaches. About 1 in 6 travellers with Zika virus developed pink eye (conjunctivitis). The virus was lab-confirmed with two types of blood tests, serology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), but due to limited overlap between these two tests (i.e., only 1 in 5 travellers with Zika were positive by both tests), the authors advocate for a 2-pronged sequential approach to testing those with acute illness.

The study period was from October 2015 to September 2016. It is important to understand that these data pertain to travellers returning from the Americas who sought care at a CanTravNet site, and may not extend to all Canadian travellers. CanTravNet cases of Zika account for approximately 12% of those nation-wide, and travellers from some provinces may be under-represented in the database.

"Referral bias to our centres may have contributed to the more severe clinical presentations noted for Zika, though we would have expected the same phenomenon to occur with dengue and chikungunya were this a significant contributing bias," states Dr. Boggild. "Due to the structure of CanTravNet, our clinics primarily service an adult population, so pediatric cases are under-represented in the database."

"We have documented the full clinical spectrum of acute Zika virus infection in 12% of all such cases imported to Canada from the Americas over a 1-year period, including adverse fetal and neurologic outcomes, as well as sexual transmission," write the authors.

They urge prevention, such as deferring travel in case of current pregnancy or planned pregnancy, protecting against mosquito bites using clothing and DEET- or picaridin-containing mosquito repellents, and barrier protection during sexual activity.

More information: "Surveillance report of Zika virus among Canadian travellers returning from the Americas". Journal information: Canadian Medical Association Journal "Surveillance report of Zika virus among Canadian travellers returning from the Americas". www.cmaj.ca/site/press/cmaj.161241.pdf
The White House showed no indication that it would back down from Mr. Trumps claims. On Sunday, the president demanded a congressional inquiry into whether Mr. Obama had abused the power of federal law enforcement agencies before the 2016 presidential election. In a statement from his spokesman, Mr. Trump called reports about the wiretapping very troubling and said Congress should examine them as part of its investigations into Russias meddling in the election.

In addition to being concerned about potential attacks on the bureaus credibility, senior F.B.I. officials are said to be worried that the notion of a court-approved wiretap will raise the publics expectations that the federal authorities have significant evidence implicating the Trump campaign in colluding with Russias efforts to disrupt the presidential election.

Mr. Comey has not been dealing directly with Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the matter, as Mr. Sessions announced on Thursday that he would recuse himself from any investigation of Russias efforts to influence the election. It had been revealed on Wednesday that Mr. Sessions had misled Congress about his meetings with the Russian ambassador during the campaign.

Mr. Comeys behind-the-scenes maneuvering is certain to invite contrasts to his actions last year, when he spoke publicly about the Hillary Clinton email case and disregarded Justice Department entreaties not to.

It is not clear why Mr. Comey did not issue a statement himself. He is the most senior law enforcement official who was kept on the job as the Obama administration gave way to the Trump administration. And while the Justice Department applies for intelligence-gathering warrants, the F.B.I. keeps its own records and is in a position to know whether Mr. Trumps claims are true. While intelligence officials do not normally discuss the existence or nonexistence of surveillance warrants, no law prevents Mr. Comey from issuing the statement.
A Zimbabwean man was driven to steal for a chance to watch the popular South African series Muvhango, the official Chronicle newspaper is reporting.

Hardlife Chiraramire, 26, climbed up onto a neighbours roof in Bulawayos Nkulumane suburb to try to take an LNB component from a satellite dish because his own dish didnt have one. That was preventing him from watching the series, he said.

The man is reported to have told a Bulawayo magistrate that he wanted to watch Muvhango with his wife because he could not stand watching ZTV, Zimbabwes only TV channel which is overwhelmingly loyal to President Robert Mugabe.

It is just boring and brings misery to my household. I wanted to watch Muvhango with my wife, he said.

Chiraramire pleaded guilty to attempted theft. An LNB component is a low-noise blockdown converter, a receiving device that is mounted on satellite dishes.

Reserve Bank Governor John Mangudya complained last month that Zimbabweans spent $45m on DSTV subscriptions between July and December 2016. He said it was illogical given the current shortage of foreign currency.

News24
Minister: Britain's government faces tough decisions

Boris Johnson from fighting for Conservative Party leader over fears of losing income

Greece slams Turkish authorities' temporary ban on Greek official's entry

Scientifically proven: EU is inscrutable

OPEC: To avoid unrestrained volatility we need to invest in oil

Turkmenistan becomes regional energy center

Kishida pledges to strengthen Japan's naval and military capabilities

Germany and eight other EU member states plan to expand sanctions against Iran

NYT: Kyiv plans total evacuation in case of power outage

Iran reveals new air defense missile

IRGC neutralizes terrorist group in southwestern Iran

Bahrain to continue building relations with Israel after Netanyahu's victory

Iran says it confiscated a large batch of U.S.-made munitions

Iran successfully launches Ghaem 100 rocket, making the US nervous

U.S. sends warplanes to Iran

Washington Post: US privately urges Ukraine to show willingness to negotiate with Russia

Parisien: French man wins  160 million in European lottery

U.S. decides to block number of seats on planes because of the increase in passenger weight

BMW M4 turned into a pickup truck

Blinken calls on Israel and Palestine to urgently de-escalate tensions

Romania signs deal with Norway for purchase of over 30 F-16 fighters

Stoltenberg: The alliance has no plans to change nuclear positions and deployments

Tagesschau: Nearly 200,000 people took part in strikes at industrial enterprises of Germany

Teenagers hacks Uzbekistan senate website

Artsakh Ombudsman: Azerbaijanis fired at tractor in Khramort village of Artsakh

Rally participants' statement: Artsakh can't be a part of Azerbaijan

Person accused of arson in Russia cafe confesses

Fars: Iranian Foreign Ministry reported UAV deliveries to Russia a few months before the start of the UAS

Bayramov: Azerbaijan, Armenia leaders next meeting will take place in Brussels this month

Unity rally of participants start march in downtown Yerevan

North Korea launches 4 ballistic missiles

Council of Border Guard Troops commanders discusses situation at CIS external borders

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan joins rally in downtown Yerevan

Russia oil, natural gas companies plan to collaborate with Iraq

Armenia army intelligence troops 30th anniversary is solemnly celebrated (PHOTOS)

Rally of unity in support of Karabakh kicks off in downtown Yerevan

Pentagon announces sending 8 NASAMS air defense systems to Ukraine

Armenian Apostolic Church Supreme Spiritual Council meeting ends, Armenia and Artsakh security discussed

Tropical Storm Nalgae death toll climbs to 155 in Philippines

Artak Beglaryan is appointed advisor to Artsakh Minister of State (PHOTOS)

US House committee extends deadline for Trump to produce documents on Capitol attack

Over 200 elephants die in Kenya amid drought

13 dead in cafe fire in Russia

Armenia Security Council chief to head for Poland, Netherlands, Lithuania

Rishi Sunak: State cannot fix all problems

Newspaper: To what extent Armenia adheres to sanctions on Russia?

Biden accuses Twitter of spewing lies

Newspaper: There are active political processes in Karabakh

Qatar FM slams hypocrisy of calls to boycott World Cup

France, Singapore and Switzerland begin joint testing of experimental digital currencies

Oil war is Biden's biggest mistake

Japan considers possible deployment of hypersonic missiles by 2030

Germany to install better air defense system over Defense Ministry buildings

Erdogan and Stoltenberg discuss war in Ukraine

Armenian MOD: Azerbaijani Armed Forces open fire in direction of Armenian positions

True cost of Europe's rejection of Russian gas

White House tries to explain Biden's statement about freeing Iran

Former Pakistani Prime Minister: Either we will have a peaceful revolution or a bloody one

Aramyan: Why are police officers' salaries increasing, while defense officers' are not?

Pentagon and U.S. weapons manufacturers to discuss Russia, human resources and supply chain

Ankara says U.S. may approve sale of F-16s to Turkey within few months

IMF: Turkey should tighten monetary policy and give the Central Bank more independence

Pope urges religious leaders to keep the world from brink of abyss

Putin awards Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II with Order of Honor

U.S. says G7 countries realize need for coordinated response to China

Round-the-clock curfew is introduced in Kherson

Borrell says they can't put China and Russia on same level

Olaf Scholz calls on China to influence Russia

G7 foreign ministers express 'unwavering commitment' to protecting Ukraine, criticized PRC and IRI

Political technologist explains why Pashinyan was elected chairman of board of ruling party in Armenia

Erdogan signs up for TikTok

China's army is constantly preparing for war amid provocative U.S. actions

Kalin: Armenia is constructive about normalization of relations

Poland asks EU to suspend fines

Putin: Situation in Ukraine was deadly for Russia

Portugal to test a four-day workweek

US embassy in Armenia issues statement ahead of November 5 protests in Yerevan

Dollar, euro go up in Armenia

Baku authorities once again refuse to allow PFPA to hold protest rally

Iranians commemorate anniversary of US embassy seizure

Richard Kauzlarich: Azerbaijan, Armenia FMs meeting in Washington 'will send message to Putin'

Russia ratifies protocol on requirements for length of service of EEU bodies' employees for pensions

Armenia deputy defense minister in Russia, discusses military cooperation

Yerevan receives proposal to hold Russia-Armenia-Azerbaijan interparliamentary talks

Health minister: We will work with fallen Armenia detainees relatives one more time after which bodies will be buried

Putin allows mobilization of citizens with unexpunged criminal record for serious crimes

Arnika, NESEHNUTI NGOs of Czech Rep. issue joint statement on plan to expand gold mine in Armenias Karaberd

Putin urges to evacuate civilians living in Kherson from the war zone

Iran parliament speaker to visit Armenia

Ruling force MP: Canada is opening embassy in Armenia because we are one of worlds most democratic countries

Girl with Armenian roots ends up in Vladimir orphanage

Erdogan says he has agreed with Putin to supply grain to needy countries for free

Armenia President, UK envoy agree to continue cooperation, close contacts

Armenia FM receives EU Monitoring Capacity

Spanish MPs don't approve agreement with Baku as a sign of solidarity with Armenia

Japan says North Korea may go ahead with nuclear test

Armenia government to allocate about $5M to Karabakh refugees support program

Belarusian border service: Border guards intercepts Ukrainian training drone

President appoints Ruben Vardanyan as Karabakh Minister of State

US embassy expresses concern about human rights violation in Azerbaijan
Vietnam

The U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) is leading Vietnams leather and footwear industry to exploit its competitive advantage with other countries; improving its export structure and seeking to boost its domestic manufacturing.

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Armenia and Azerbaijan are still far from reaching an agreement on several key directions toward the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated the aforesaid at Mondays joint news conference with his Azerbaijan counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, reported RIA Novosti news agency of Russia.

We hope that the Karabakh conflict will be settled, said Lavrov. This is proved by the results of the long years of contacts, owing to which a common understanding of key issues that are subject to settlement was managed to be developed. This, first and foremost, is both the security issues and the humanitarian issues. The matters of returning the regions which now are around Karabakh and are not controlled by Azerbaijan. This is also the matter of determination of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh; surely, by considering the people living there. This is also the harmonization of the standards of the international peacekeeping forces.

We have reached an agreement, in most of these directions, noted the Russian FM.

But two to three specific topics, which are crucial for the final package, are not yet discussed he added. I will not lie. We are still far from the situation when the parties will develop a joint approach in these directions.

In Sergei Lavrovs words, two to three core issues of the conflict settlement still require extra effort.
YEREVAN. - Alexander Lapshin's extradition to Azerbaijan was simply a slap, renowned Russian TV presenter and public figure Vladimir Solovyov said at a press-conference in Yerevan on Monday.

''I cannot imagine how it was possibly to hand over the guy. This is stunning. Generally speaking, we must all be taken and handed over. If he is accused only of being in Karabakh and when this is sufficient for Belarus despite the protests of the Russian MFA and Israeli side, this is simply a slap,'' Solovyov noted.

According to him, all this story is odious. ''One shouldn't behave like that. There should be some kind of respect for international law. I realize that sly Belarusian bargaining is as always going on for subsequent economic conditions but I don't think these conditions should in any way impact the human fate. I've got a lot of questions to Lukashenko and all the Belarusian authorities. Stemming from this, should none of us leave for Belarus? We can be caught? Is this what will happen? I visited Karabakh for many time. And I didn't enter it from the Azerbaijani side. And what?'' he noted.

After his visits to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in 2011 and 2012, blogger Alexander Lapshin was blacklisted by Azerbaijan.

In June 2016, however, he paid a visit to Azerbaijan--but with a Ukrainian passport--and, subsequently, he published several articles criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities.

Afterward, Azerbaijan issued an international search for this famous blogger. On December 15, 2016, Lapshin was detained in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk, and based on this search.

On January 26 of the current year, the Minsk city court dismissed the blogger's appeal of the Belarusian General Prosecutor's Office decision to extradite him to Azerbaijan.

On February 7, the Supreme Court of Belarus dismissed the appeals that were filed into this case, and upheld the aforesaid decision by the General Prosecutor's Office.

On the evening of the same day, the famous blogger was extradited to the Azerbaijani capital city of Baku, where he was taken into custody.

According to analysts and human rights defenders, however, Alexander Lapshins case may become an appalling precedent that curtails the freedom of speech of foreigners and the freedom of movement of Armenian citizens.
So much paper for this shape The disputes around the shape of the KitKat chocolate bar just do not seem to end. The fight between Nestle and Cadbury has already led to a judgment by the ECJ ( yes ), the High Court of England and Wales , the Singapore Court of Appeal and now (well, kind of now) the General Court ( T-112/13 ). And the saga will continue  Arnold Js judgment is under appeal [EDIT: decision expected by April 2017], and the decision by the General Court will most likely end up with the ECJ, given the stakes.





To recap briefly  and I emphasize briefly  after the referreal to the ECJ which had answered the questions posed by Arnold J somewhat cryptically, Arnold J found that the shape of the KitKat bar was not barred from registration by by section 3(2)(b) of the 1994 UK Trade Mark Act corresponding to Article 3(1)(e)(ii) of the Trade Mark Directive. However, according to Arnold J, Nestle failed to prove acquired distinctiveness, as it was not sufficient to show that a considerable part of the relevant public "recognized and associated" the shape with the applicant. Rather, it had to be shown that the public relied on the mark as indicating the origin of the goods. The Singapore Court of Appeal, in a decision of 24 November 2016 , applied a similar logic and refused registration of the KitKat shape in Singapore (see para. 36 of the decision; IPKat post ).





Note the opaque packaging All this time, a cancellation action brought by Mondelez (as Cadbury calls itself these days, a bit like Ashley who wants to be called Tiffany now) was making its way up the (too many) instances of the European court system. The EUIPOs Cancellation Division had sided with Cad  Mondelez and cancelled Nestles EU trade mark. The Board of Appeal overturned this decision and found that the shape of the KitKat bar was not precluded from registration by Article 7(1)(e)(i) and (ii) EU Trade Mark Regulation. The Board agreed with Nestle that the populations of Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Spain together made up 79.2 per cent of the total population of the EU as composed by the fifteen Member States to be considered in the proceedings, as supported by population figures in 2007 published by Eurostat. Not only that, but add the Netherlands, Austria and other Member States into the mix, and it was possible for the Board to conclude that:

'the contested mark has been used in almost the totality of the EU's territory, covering the market of fourteen of the fifteen Member States that formed the EU at the relevant point in time; that as a consequence of such use, it can be determined that almost 50 per cent of the general public of the EU taken as a whole (or, said in another way, around 50 per cent of the general public of the Member States representing around 90 per cent of the EU's population), identifies as first option the Nestle as the business origin of a product with the shape of the contested mark (which belongs to the categories of 'sweets, bakery products, pastries, biscuits, cakes and waffles')' (at [88])

As such, the evidence was sufficient to establish that the trade mark had become distinctive through use in the relevant parts of the EU territory ( R-513/2011 ; IPKat post ).





But the tides have turned again  the General Court, on appeal by Ashl, I mean Tiffany, overturned the Boards decision and found that Nestle had failed to prove acquired distinctiveness throughout the territory of the European Union. In a rather long decision, the Court made some important and potentially far reaching statements regarding the requirements to prove acquired distinctiveness. The Court first stated, rather uncontroversially, that in order to be accepted for registration, a sign must have distinctive character, whether inherent or acquired through use, throughout the European Union. If a sign lacked inherent distinctiveness, acquired distinctiveness needed to be shown for the entire EU. The Court then summarized the case law regarding the required proof:

In addition, according to case-law, although it must be proved that a mark has acquired distinctive character through use throughout the European Union, the same types of evidence do not have to be provided in respect of each Member State (...

). Furthermore, the Court has repeatedly held that there was insufficient proof of distinctive character acquired through use of a mark throughout the European Union where evidence was missing for certain Member States (... ).

In particular, in the judgment of 21 April 2015, Louis Vuitton Malletier v OHIM  Nanu-Nana (Representation of a grey chequerboard pattern) (T  360/12, not published, EU:T:2015:214), while relying on the case-law developed in the judgment of 24 May 2012, Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprungli v OHIM (C  98/11 P, EU:C:2012:307), according to which it would be unreasonable to require proof of acquisition of distinctive character through use for each Member State, the Court considered that, since such acquisition had not been established for 12 of the 27 Member States constituting the European Union at the date of filing the application for registration of the mark in question, that mark could not be regarded as having acquired distinctive character through use throughout the European Union (... ).





The Board of Appeal considered, in essence, that it was sufficient to show that a significant proportion of the relevant public throughout the European Union, merging all the Member States and regions, perceived a mark as an indication of the commercial origin of the goods designated by that mark.

However, that criterion is incorrect: the relevant question is not whether it was shown that a substantial proportion of the public in the European Union, merging all the Member States and regions, perceived a mark as an indication of the commercial origin of the goods designated by that mark, but whether, throughout the European Union, it was proved that a significant proportion of the relevant public perceived a mark as an indication of the commercial origin of the goods designated by that mark. A lack of recognition of the sign as an indication of commercial origin in one part of the territory of the European Union cannot be offset by a higher level of awareness in another part of the European Union.

Do I smell trade mark infringement? even if the population of those states represented almost 90% of the population of the European Union, without coming to a conclusion regarding the perception of the mark by the relevant public in, inter alia, Belgium, Ireland, Greece and Portugal and without analysing the evidence adduced in respect of those Member States. The decision of the Board was therefore annulled. The Court then continued to assess the evidence, and concluded that the shape of the KitKat chocolate bar had acquired distinctive character through use in Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, but that the Board of Appeal could not validly conclude its examination of the distinctive character acquired by the contested trade mark throughout the European Union on the basis of the percentage of the public recognising that mark in those Member States,, without coming to a conclusion regarding the perception of the mark by the relevant public in, inter alia, Belgium, Ireland, Greece and Portugal and without analysing the evidence adduced in respect of those Member States. The decision of the Board was therefore annulled.





The Board of Appeal had found that in the present case, because Nestle had submitted survey evidence for the largest Member States proving acquired distinctiveness, and a Table with market shares for all Member States (which is not reproduced in the judgment, hence it is not possible to say whether the market share is similar for those countries for which no survey evidence was produced), that acquired distinctiveness had been proven throughout the territory of the Union. However, the Court disagrees  such a merging of territories is not permissible:Interestingly, the Court found that. This is contrary to Arnold Js finding in his judgment of January 2016, and it puts the Court of Appeal in a difficult position: the General Court showed no inclination to apply a reliance test for proof of acquired distinctiveness and was content with recognition and association. Its interpretation of C-215/14 is clearly different from that of Arnold J (see T-112/13, paras. 97-101). While the decision of the General Court is obviously not binding upon a UK court in a proceeding concerning a UK trade mark, the Courts decision supports the view that Arnold read into the ECJs decision what he clearly considers the correct answer to his question.
YEREVAN. - Armenias exit from the EAEU is one of the priorities of Free Democrats Party, MP of the party, Stepan Safaryan, said on Monday at the debate between the parties and alliances participating in the countrys parliamentary elections.

In his words, if a certain political force doesn't set such a task before it, it should understand that active foreign policy is out of the question in this case. There can be no mention about security, Karabakh conflict settlement and economic development as long as Armenia remains within the EAEU, Safaryan said.

Due to its membership to EAEU, Armenia cannot purchase gas from Iran, the cooperation with Georgia suffering as well, he added. We were told that if we dont join the EAEU, war will break out. What did we get as a result? In the EAEU we are told to become servants and that we wont get anything. [Whereas] Europe says: Do more and get more, Safaryan stressed, noting that the party also supports Armenias membership to the EU and integration within NATO.

In the MPs words, there is no alternative to Armenias exit from the EAEU and that the countrys sovereignty can be returned only that way.
YEREVAN. - The parties and alliances of Armenia participating in the election campaign are for activation of relations with neighbors.

The representatives of 7 out of 9 participants of the parliamentary elections slated for April 2 expressed their position on this issue at the debate held Monday. The representatives of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) and the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) didnt take part in the debate, finding it inappropriate at the current stage.

ARF-D representative Giro Manoyan noted that their party attaches importance to the development of relations with Georgia, which also starts realizing the importance of developing relations with Armenia. As to Turkey, the party thinks that the protocols, which were earlier signed but not ratified, should be annulled. Apart from this, according to the ARF-D, it is necessary to strengthen the relations with Iran. But if the relations between Iran and the West get worse, we will find ourselves in an awkward situation, he noted.

Responding to his colleagues observation on the possibility of exporting Armenian goods to Turkey, Manoyan noted that pursuant to the conducted study, this is problematic, since the Turkish legislation has been brought in conformity with the European requirements, and thus Armenia needs internal changes.

Representative of Yelk (Way Out) alliance, Mane Tandilyan, for her part, noted that Armenias relations with its neighbors are at a low level. It is necessary to intensify the talks on the transit of Iranian gas to Georgia and open the borders with Turkey, not linking the Genocide recognition with economic issues. We have no questions regarding the fact of the Genocide. Therefore, the issue should be placed within the legal framework, she noted.

Representative of Armenian Revival Party, Mher Shahgeldyan, noted that Armenia remains beyond the framework of regional projects. Therefore, it is necessary to activate the relations with Iran and consequently find niches in the Iranian market. Furthermore, according to him, Armenia should use its position in the EAEU and deepen its relations with Georgia. Moreover, the party supports normalization of relations with Turkey, but it finds it important to first understand how internally stable and predictable that state is.

Representative of the Ohanyan-Raffi-Oskanian alliance, Gegham Nazaryan, expressed pessimistic opinion that Armenia overall lacks foreign policy. Since the head of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, like my colleague mentioned, is Mr Man of Few Words. It is necessary to think of having foreign policy, and [only] then about relations with neighbors, Nazaryan said.
Aberdeen Asset Management (ABDNY) and Standard Life (SLFPY) have confirmed plans to create Europe's second-biggest asset manager in a 11 billion ($13.5 billion) all-share merger

The deal will see Aberdeen shareholders owing around 33% of the combined group, while Standard Life shareholders will received 66.7%. The merged group will remain in Scotland, the companies said, and will have around 660 billion in assets under management, making it the second-largest in Europe behind Allianz SE (AZSEY) .

"The combination of our businesses will create a formidable player in the active asset management industry globally, said Standard Life's CEO Keith Skeoch. "We strongly believe that we can build on the strength of the existing Standard Life business by combining with Aberdeen to create one of the largest active investment managers in the world and deliver significant value for all of our stakeholders."

The deal values Aberdeen shares a 286.5 pence each, a modest premium to the 284.16 pence closing price in London Friday. The combined group will take a 320 million charge that will cover integration costs, the companies said.

Aberdeen shares surged 5.34% to 301.5 pence each in early London trading while Standard Life shares gained 6.71% to change hands at 404 pence each.
Deutsche Bank AG (DB) stock fell sharply in Frankfurt Monday after Europe's biggest bank confirmed it will raise around 8 billion ($8.5 billion) in capital from shareholders and plan the partial sale of its asset management business.

Deutsche Bank shares fell more than 7%, or 1.37, in early trading before paring the loss to around 5.5% and were changing hands at 18.20 each by 08:30. GMT. The stock, however, has been one of the best performing bank shares in Europe in the second half of 2016, rising more than 78% from its all-time low in September and gaining more than 38% since the U.S. elections in November compared to a 12.18% advance for the Stoxx 600 Europe Banks Index.

"We had been listening to feedback from the market that we still didn't have enough capital," CEO John Cryan told CNBC Europe television when asked for the rationale behind the timing of the capital raising. "We had a big buffer over regulatory minimum, but our costs of (debt and equity) capital were still quite high."

"Also, we'd been thinking about what to do with PostBank, and we needed equity it we wanted to retain it," he added. "The two came together and it seemed like the right time to do it."

Germany's largest lender will sell around 687.5 million new shares in a plan that, if approved by the country's regulator, will begin on March 21 and run through April 6. The new shares will be sold at a discount of around 29% to Friday's 19.25 closing price, but Cryan defended the seemingly steep discount.

"It's a discount that's not too wide to the theoretical ex-rights price," Cryan said "But it's a heavy rights issue -- one new share for every two held -- so I think it's priced just about right ... [but] we should be less concerned about the level of the discount and more about the adequacy of the proceeds."

The bank also said it will sell around 80 billion in legacy assets from its Global Markets division and look to the partial spin-off of its Deutsche Asset Management Unit within the next two years.

"We don't believe that division gets recognition when the market looks at the bank, and recognition is important," Cryan said when asked why he seemed to reconsider the partial sale of the unit. "Also at some stage in the future, although not now, it will provide that business with an acquisition currency."

The bank also set new near-term financial targets, including a post-tax return on tangible equity of around 10% under normal conditions and a "competitive dividend payout ratio for fiscal year 2018 and thereafter."

The confirmation followed a wild day of trading for Deutsche Bank shares Friday after reports it was looking at capital raising options, falling as much as 4% before rallying to close at 19.25 each, a small 0.69% decline from Thursday's close.

Deutsche Bank said Sunday that its PostBank operations, a retail-focused division that offers services in Germany through the country's network of post offices, will be retained and integrated "with the Bank's existing German private and commercial banking and wealth management businesses." Last year, PostBank earned 367 million pre-tax on 3.366 billion in revenues.

The Frankfurt-based lender has a core capital ratio (CET1) of 11.9% as of the end of 2016, up 80 basis points from the previous year and that its overall risk-weighted assets fell 39 billion to 358 billion.

Last October, Cryan said the bank was conducting a review of the asset management arm, which generated around 3 billion in revenues last year but posted a full-year pre-tax loss of 204 million.

"With a partial IPO the bank aims to unleash growth in Deutsche Asset Management's active, passive and alternatives business lines while accentuating the division's fiduciary role," Cryan said Sunday. "The additional operational independence will help to attract further talent in the future. Deutsche Asset Management, with more than 700 billion euros of invested assets worldwide, is planned to be headquartered and listed in Germany."
This British wife and mother collapsed while still waiting for vital medical treatment on her neck. Several of her neck vertebrae are out of place, damage caused by months of having no bed, poor exercise and stress. Despite recommendations of specialists she has not been admitted to hospital from the countrys notorious Evin Prison for treatment.

Her family have been pressuring officials in an attempt to have her to receive the vital treatment she requires.

Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, told change.org that her neck and back problems have worsened over the last few months. Without urgent treatment Nazanin runs the risk of permanent impairment, he wrote, adding, This week she collapsed again. She had been complaining of nausea and headaches, of an increasing inability to do anything apart from lie down. It seems due also to psychological strains. Nazanin reports increasing unexplained panics, suffering severe insomnia at night  waves of worries in the quietest hours, magnifying the alone. During the day suddenly unable to get calm, feeling inescapable pressures. Feeling the interrogators presence, even where they are not. That drip feed of cruelties does not magically drain away.

Nazanin and Richards two -year-old daughter is being held in Iran. She is living with her grandparents in the city where her mother is imprisoned. Gabriella visits her mother once a week

The Foreign Office is prepared to bring Gabriella home, but is unable to do anything to help mothers case, as Iran doesnt recognize dual-nationality citizens.
Any doubt that General Motors (GM) saw little future for its European operations was dispelled Monday when the U.S. automaker agreed to swallow a $4 billion to $4.5 billion write down on its Opel and Vauxhall businesses to secure a sale to France's PSA Peugeot SA (PEUGF) .

GM will receive a total 2.2 billion ($2.4 billion) for its European operations, including 1.3 billion for the car brands and 900 million for the financing division, with the latter deal shared equally between PSA and French lender BNP Paribas.

"This was a difficult decision for General Motors," Chairman and CEO Mary Barra told a press conference on Monday morning. "It was a very carefully thought out plan that took into account the changing (political and regulatory) landscape."

Barra and her European team have spent years trying to turn around Opel/Vauxhall without success. GM's CEO insisted Monday that the business would have been profitable in 2016 had it not been for Britain's decision to leave the European Union. The so-called Brexit vote led to a sharp decline in the value of the pound, undercutting Vauxhall revenues and hiking the cost of imported parts used in its British factories.

GM's non-cash charge on the deal will likely be booked this year, with the sale of the European business expected to close in the final quarter of the year. GM will also pay PSA 3 billion to cover the cost of settlement of some of Opel/Vauxhall's pension funds, which will be transferred to the new owner.

On the plus side, the sale will "immediately" improve GM's adjusted EBIT and adjusted free cash flow, according to the seller. In addition, the sale of the financing unit will serve to de-risk the seller's balance sheet, freeing $2 billion of cash which GM said it will use to "accelerate share repurchases."

GM also secured the option to retain exposure to the European car market with an agreement to purchase 650 million of PSA warrants. The securities will have a nine-year maturity and will be exercisable after five years, giving GM a four year window in which to buy as much as 39.7 million PSA shares, or a 4.2% stake in the group, at 1 per share.

The acquisition will boost PSA's revenues by 17.7 billion to 71.7 billion and leave it with about 17% of the European car market, making it the regions No.2 carmaker behind Volkswagen. It will also load the French business with operations that, by the buyer's own reckoning, won't make a profit before 2020, and then only if PSA remains on target to squeeze an estimated 1.1 billion of annual synergies from the combination by 2020, rising to 1.7 billion by 2026.

PSA said Monday that it had no immediate plans to close any of GM Europe's operations following the acquisition, but warned that the future of the group's six manufacturing plants depended on improvements in performance.

Peugeot shares traded in Paris on Monday morning at 19.49, up 2.3%. GM shares ended Friday's session in New York up 1.24% at $38.23 each, and were marginally lower in pre-market trading on Monday.
"Bar Month" at OnMilwaukee is brought to you by Miller Brewing Company, calling Milwaukee home since 1855. For the entire month of March, we're serving up fun articles on bars, clubs and beverages  including guides, the latest trends, bar reviews, the results of our Best of Bars poll and more. Grab a designated driver and dive in!

Readers named Blu in The Pfister Hotel as their favorite hotel bar, edging out County Clare for the first time in years.

Blu boasts a breathtaking view of the eastern-end of Downtown and the lake  which is not surprising from 23 floors up  but the swanky-yet-comfy cocktail lounge also boasts great craft cocktails, plush chairs, live jazz and free snack mixes. Plus, the ladies' restroom at Blu offers a similarly amazing view to the west.

OnMilwaukee editors' choice: The Pfister Lobby Lounge

Runners-up:

2. The Outsider at the Kimpton

3. County Clare

4. Branded at Iron Horse

5. The Yard at Iron Horse

This year we also asked a variety of prominent Milwaukeeans to weigh in on their pick for specific categories. For this category, we consulted Kyle Cherek of "Wisconsin Foodie."

I currently like The Outsider best, a rooftop bar at the Kimpton Hotel  where, after a long engagement and a winning game of Connect Four, my wife promised to marry me. The drinks are smart but not too tricky, and the views give me a sense that I might be in another town ... one with myriad of hotel bars full of elegance and poise, dramaturge and an ineffable cool. A space in which the comings and goings, the expectations and inferences, disappointments and escapism of our hearts can settle or collide over a drink.
The latest

Blue's Egg Milwaukee reopens for curbside brunch service & more

If you've been missing your Blue's Egg fix, we have good news to share.
Bingqing Wei and colleagues are working to build a better lithium-sulfur battery. Credit: Kathy F. Atkinson/University of Delaware

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are the power behind most modern portable electronics, including cell phones, tablets, laptops, fitness trackers, and smart watches. However, their energy densitythat is, the amount of energy stored within a given amount of physical space, or masswill need to be improved for these batteries to see widespread use in smart grid and electric transport applications.

In contrast, the energy density of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is five times higher than that of Li-ion batteries. That advantage, combined with low cost, suggests that this alternative technology shows promise for high-energy storage applications.

But the use of Li-S batteries is limited by a different problem: rapid capacity fade, which means that the amount of charge these batteries can deliver at the rated voltage decreases significantly with use.

Bingqing Wei, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Delaware, explains that this problem stems from a phenomenon known as the polysulfide shuttle effect, in which the spontaneous formation of polysulfides inhibits performance.

Now, Wei and colleagues have demonstrated a new polysulfide entrapping strategy that greatly improves the cycle stability of Li-S batteries.

The work is reported in the scientific article "Ferroelectric-Enhanced Polysulfide Trapping for Lithium-Sulfur Battery Improvement" published recently in Advanced Materials. The authors include researchers from Northwestern Polytechnical University, Shenzhen University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University in China.

Wei explains that the addition of ferroelectric nanoparticles into the battery cathode anchors the polysulfides, preventing them from dissolving and causing the loss of active materials at the cathode.

"While the mechanism underlying the trapping of polysulfides is unclear at this point, we're optimistic about the potential of this approach to high-performance lithium-sulfur battery applications, as it not only solves the problem of the polysulfide shuttle effect but also can be seamlessly coupled to current industrial battery manufacturing processes," Wei says.

More information: Keyu Xie et al, Ferroelectric-Enhanced Polysulfide Trapping for Lithium-Sulfur Battery Improvement, Advanced Materials (2017). DOI: 10.1002/adma.201604724 Journal information: Advanced Materials
This colorful view of the globular star cluster NGC 6362 was captured by the Wide Field Imager attached to the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at ESOs La Silla Observatory in Chile. Image credit: ESO

European astronomers have recently studied the chemical composition of the low-mass globular cluster designated NGC 6362. Their detailed analysis of chemical abundances for 17 elements in the cluster provides important insights into the nature of NGC 6362. The findings were presented March 1 in a paper published online on arXiv.org.

Located about 25,000 light years away in the constellation Ara, NGC 6362 is a an irregularly shaped globular cluster. With a mass of approximately 53,000 solar masses, it is one of the least massive globulars where multiple populations of stars have been detected. The cluster is about 13.5 billion years old.

Although NGC 6362 is well known to astronomers, its detailed chemical composition has not been studied so far. So a team of researchers led by Davide Massari of the Leiden Observatory in Netherlands investigated chemical abundances of this cluster. For their study, they used the FLAMES and UVES high-resolution spectrographs mounted on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile.

"We present the first detailed chemical study of NGC 6362, an intermediate metallicity cluster that belongs to the low-mass tail of the globular cluster mass distribution," the researchers wrote in the paper.

From spectra obtained by FLAMES and UVES, the scientists conducted a detailed chemical analysis of a sample of 11 red giant branch stars in NGC 6362. The scientists described chemical abundances for 17 elements present in this sample of stars and compared them with abundances taken from the literature for other globular clusters.

According to the paper, NGC 6362's iron (Fe) abundance is -1.07, which makes it a metal-intermediate cluster. The researchers found that although NGC 6362 stars appear to be quite rich in both magnesium (Mg) and aluminum (Al), their Mg and Al abundances are still in agreement with the trends observed for field stars. They also noted that when it comes to silicon (Si), calcium (Ca), and titanium (Ti) content, NGC 6362 does not differ significantly from other globular clusters.

The researchers also measured abundances of scandium (Sc), vanadium (V), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni),copper (Cu), barium (Ba), lanthanum (La), neodymium (Nd) and europium (Eu).

The researchers compared the results with M 4, a globular cluster with similar mass and metallicity. This comparison shows that these two clusters share the same chemical composition, which indicates that NGC 6362 is a regular cluster, formed from gas that has experienced the same chemical enrichment of other clusters with similar metallicity.

"Summing all up, the differential comparison between NGC 6362 and M 4 revealed that all the elemental abundances measured for the two clusters match within 1- (with the marginal exception of [Ba/Fe]). (...) Therefore, we conclude that NGC 6362 is a regular globular cluster that shows the chemical composition representative of the Milky Way globular clusters with similar mass and metallicity, with the signatures of chemical enrichment by core-collapse supernovae and asymptotic giant branch stars," the paper reads.

More information: "The chemical composition of the low-mass Galactic globular cluster NGC 6362" arxiv.org/pdf/1703.00385.pdf

 2017 Phys.org
Credit: MSU

A university-built small satellite known as the Cosmic X-Ray Background NanoSat-2 (CXBN-2) is being prepared for an ambitious upcoming science mission. The spacecraft  scheduled for launch into space on March 19  is expected to deliver crucial data that could advance our knowledge about the cosmic X-ray background (CXB).

Led by Morehead State University (MSU), the CXBN-2 project addresses fundamental science questions regarding the structure, origin and evolution of the universe. To answer these questions, the satellite will conduct high precision measurements of the CXB.

"The goal of the CXBN-2 mission is to increase the precision of measurements of the CXB in the 30 to 50 keV range to a precision of almost five percent, thereby constraining models that attempt to explain the relative contribution of proposed sources and lending insight into the underlying physics of the early universe," Benjamin Malphrus, CXBN-2 Principal Investigator at MSU told Astrowatch.net.

CXBN-2 is a small two-unit CubeSat that will rely on its two Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detectors to achieve its scientific goals. Together with the satellite's improved array configuration, these instruments will be able to carry out high precision measurements of the CXB.

"With the novel CZT detector aboard CXBN-2 and an improved array configuration, a new, high precision measurement is possible," Malphrus noted.

CXBN-2 Flight Unit in the Morehead State University Space Science Center Spacecraft Integration and Assembly Facility. Credit: MSU

The CZT detectors were developed by Redlen Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-resolution semiconductor radiation detectors. The company has produced extremely uniform crystalline structure CZT material though the manufacturing process known as the Traveling Heater Method (THM). This allows uniformity in the semiconductor material so that charge is evenly distributed, allowing greater energy resolution and detection by bleeding off impurities.

The CZT detectors form the REDLEN M1770 CZT Array, an imaging module onboard the CXBN-2 CubeSat. This module is a 256-pixel radiation detector that is configured in a 16x16 matrix with a 2.46 mm pixel pitch. It consists of a 2x2 array of 64-pixel CZT detectors with thicknesses of five mm and bonded to a common cathode plate.

"Though originally intended for the detection of X-ray and gamma-ray photons while operating at room temperature and for applications in medical physics and security imaging, we found that the CZT detectors possessed the desired energy resolution and photon efficiency over the energy range of interest for the mission." Thomas Pannuti, CXBN-2 Science Principal Investigator at MSU told Astrowatch.net.

With a mass of about 5.7 lbs. (2.6 kilograms), the CXBN-2 CubeSat has dimensions of 3.93 x 3.93 x 7.87 inches (10 x 10 x 20 centimeters) and is fitted with four deployable solar arrays capable of generating up to 15 W of power. The satellite incorporates a power distribution and handling system known as PMD, a command and data handling system (C&DH) based on a Cortex Arm processor, and an innovative attitude determination and control system (ADACS) developed at MSU.

In comparison with the first CXBN mission which was sent into space in September 2012, the CXBN-2 CubeSat has two 256 pixel arrays instead of one. Moreover, it features an innovative 3-D printed Tungsten collimator, a series of improvements to the spacecraft bus, and an innovative conops characterized by a free flying minimally spinning spacecraft.

CXBN-2 Integration Team in the Morehead State University Spacecraft Integration and Assembly Facility. Left to right: Dr. Ben Malphrus, Jeremy Rice, Michael Glaser-Garbrick, Nate Richard, Yevgeniy Byleborodov, Sarah Wilczewski. Credit: MSU

In this configuration, the CXBN-2 satellite has the potential to advance our understanding about the diffuse X-ray background in particular and the temporal evolution of supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies in general. Malphrus and his colleagues are convinced that their CubeSat will provide measurements of the CXB with high precision, thus constraining models that address the relative contribution of the proposed dominant emitting source population (namely heavily absorbed active galactic nuclei).

"Such a high precision measurement of the CXB will provide insight into the underlying physics of the early universe and provide a window on the most energetic objects in the distant universe," Malphrus explained.

CXBN-2 is currently in the final phase of preparations for its March 19 liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The last pre-launch activities include finalizing the ground support software and continuing characterization of the engineering model CZT arrays. The satellite's flight and engineering models were completed in the Fall of 2016 and passed flight qualification testing. The flight unit was delivered to the launch integrator, Nanoracks, in December 2016 and was subsequently shipped to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The CXBN-2 CubeSat will be launched atop an Atlas V rocket, piggybacking on the seventh Cygnus spacecraft mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Besides Cygnus and CXBN-2, a fleet of other satellites, mainly technology demonstrators, will be also sent into orbit on this mission.

Although MSU has already sent five smallsats into space, the CXBN-2 CubeSat seems to be the university's most significant science mission so far.

"We are entering a new era of significant science being supported by CubeSats and Morehead State is at the forefront of this enterprise. The opportunity to participate in astrophysics research facilitated by the CubeSat platform as well as to train our students in space systems engineering and observational astrophysics through live space missions like CXBN-2 is invaluable to our research program, our academic programs and to our students," Pannuti concluded.

Provided by Astrowatch.net
Cloud services are now quite taken for granted in many people's everyday lives. What most people probably do not realise is that how we talk about these services is related to how they are actually perceived and taken for granted. Maria Lindh, new doctor at the University of Boras, has analysed these relationships.

"The language we use in the description of cloud services, and IT in general, legitimises them," says Maria Lindh. "Through words choice and expressions, a common understanding of cloud services is created, which legitimises the introduction of the new technology and makes us habituated to it. We do not question it because that may be perceived as being hostile to technology or backwards. It also makes us a little naive about technology; we do not always take things such as privacy issues seriously. As IT is so integrated into our lives, it is important to highlight these issues, so that awareness of them increases."

Her starting point in the thesis Cloudy talks - Exploring accounts about cloud computing is that language shapes our perception of reality and, for example, creates a picture of what we perceive a cloud service to be and how it can be used.

"I think that many cloud services are good and use them myself."

Maria Lindh's thesis is based on four articles; three of them are co-authored by one or two supervisors. Together, the articles create a whole. In the first, she has studied and analysed how IT is described in writings and reports from the 1950s to the present. In the 1950s and 1960s, when computers were in their infancy, it was very much about expressing ideas about what IT could be used in terms that show how accessible and obvious they would be in everyone's daily life. A frequently-used word was "utility," something easily accessible and useful, much like water in the tap or electricity lines. Even then, there were also thoughts that IT would be used for everyday tasks such as shopping or paying the bills. This way of explaining and perceiving IT as a neutral tool is discussed in her thesis.

"In the second article, documentation about schools in a Swedish school organisation with thirty schools that was very early to implement Google Apps for Education was studied how they talked about the introduction and why they chose to use that particular service. One aspect of the use of this service in the school was privacy issues."

Contradictory confidentiality

The issue of privacy is, in the third article, further highlighted as Maria Lindh examined Google's privacy practices.

"They are contradictory," she says. "Google claims that they are not interested in the user's data without telling us what they mean by the term, while they collect all the information and make algorithmic profiles of all users and create a coherent picture of the user's search habits in all different media. Because students in the above-mentioned schools have their own search habits, it is not difficult to identify them."

In the fourth article, YouTube clips have been studied, among other things, in which leaders of the largest providers of cloud services describe their visions and their products. IT as a neutral tool is hardly discussed, but here the focus is on how services will change the lives of users. It is spoken tacitly or openly about the risk of falling behind and not keeping pace with change if you do not use the services.

"These films are very stylish, with great music and other effects. Although they may have been made at an event for the industry, they are available to anyone on YouTube and given wide distribution. I see that the language used, with terms that the technology is revolutionary and life-changing, makes it more difficult to be critical and question the technology. In addition, we teach our children to use these services, in that they are self-evident in the school and in the home. The more data the services gather about us, the more knowledge is created about us to develop new services that developers deem to fit our future needs."

More information: Cloudy talks: Exploring accounts about cloud computing: hb.diva-portal.org/smash/recor  sf?pid=diva2:1050182

Provided by University of Boras
A European project is coming close to the validation of a prototype of 'Passive bistatic radar' (PBR) technology based on Galileo transmissions. Once finalised, the new system could help relevant authorities to assure better maritime surveillance, detecting and localising, even of non-indexed ships.

Maritime surveillance is one of the key applications where a fully operational Galileo constellation could truly make a difference, through its high precision of course but also by ensuring European independence in a sector that requires the resolving of Europe-specific challenges.

One of these challenges is none other than safety. In 2014 alone, over 6 000 accidents involving ships were reported to EMSAthe European Maritime Safety Agency. And while various European projects have set out to tackle the problem, existing systems are still based on AIS transponders, a collision-avoidance technology installed on vessels which communicate movement information over VHF channels.

The consortium behind the SPYGLASS (Galileo-based Passive Radar System for Maritime Surveillance) project argues that AIS is unfit for duty. Indeed, non-cooperative vesselswhich often conduct illicit activities such as smuggling, illegal fishing, oil pollution or illegal immigration and are not equipped with AIS for obvious reasonscannot be identified and positioned.

The EUR 1.3 million project builds upon the idea that the solution to this problem lies in PBR technology. This technology is low cost, allows for covert operation and reduces environmental impact. Actually, if combined with Galileo and its constellation that guarantees constant coverage of any point on Earth by several satellites, PBR technology developed under SPYGLASS has the potential to resolve the maritime safety issue once and for all.

What's the added value of a PBR based on Galileo transmissions?

Alessandro Giomi: Although the ability to potentially provide covert, persistent maritime surveillance has been widely proved, common 'transmitters of opportunity', such as VHF and DVB-T, rely on terrestrial transmissions. On the contrary, GNSS signals ensure a worldwide coverage, thus extending such capability to remote areas such as the open sea. Such a system can therefore operate on its own or complement existing integrated maritime surveillance systems.

More specifically, why is it important to resort to a European GNSS rather than, say, using GPS technology?

Apart from the fact that Galileo offers unique opportunities due to its signal structure, it is believed that a European navigation system will be heavily relied upon by European authorities for a number of services, making the integration of this technology easier.

However, the technology does not exclude other navigation systems. For example, since Galileo and GPS were designed to be interoperable, a single receiver can record signals from both satellite systems with substantial improvements expected in terms of performance.

What did you learn from the testing of your prototype?

At present, we have experimentally validated theoretical calculations, showing that it is fundamentally possible to detect moving ships by their Galileo reflections, which is proof of concept of the underpinning science behind our project.

How does the SPYGLASS technology work exactly?

The SPYGLASS technology uses a single receiver tuned in to Galileo frequencies. The receiver can be installed on a buoy or on a tethered balloon to increase its area coverage. The receiver then records Galileo signals that naturally bounce off moving ships, and processes them to provide estimates of the ship's relative range and speed.

What do you still need to do before you can deliver a final product?

This project has started in a place where a number of scientific questions as well as engineering challenges should be addressed. However, our work so far has laid out the foundations of a final product, with the first SPYGLASS prototype now on delivery. Besides the extensive test of the prototype under different conditions and before proceeding to work on its commercialisation, two main tasks shall be accomplished: the miniaturisation of the hardware and the development of a grid of systems to improve single sensor performances.

What are your plans to promote this technology to potential users?

Potential users include those entities that have a mandate to provide public services or information related to maritime awareness. Some of them have already been contacted and showed their interest: Italian Navy, Tributary Police and Coast Guard, as well as Greek Navy and Coast Guard. This subset is well known by the Consortium, as well as the operational framework in which it operates. A specific portfolio of services will be drafted and submitted to them at the end of the experimental campaign.

The Consortium will also investigate the possibility of providing services free of charge for a limited time duration, in order to demonstrate the actual added value within real operational environments and processes.

More information: Project page: cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/193820

Provided by CORDIS
Artist's concept of an atom chip for use by NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) aboard the International Space Station. CAL will use lasers to cool atoms to ultracold temperatures. Credit: NASA

This summer, an ice chest-sized box will fly to the International Space Station, where it will create the coolest spot in the universe.

Inside that box, lasers, a vacuum chamber and an electromagnetic "knife" will be used to cancel out the energy of gas particles, slowing them until they're almost motionless. This suite of instruments is called the Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL), and was developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. CAL is in the final stages of assembly at JPL, ahead of a ride to space this August on SpaceX CRS-12.

Its instruments are designed to freeze gas atoms to a mere billionth of a degree above absolute zero. That's more than 100 million times colder than the depths of space.

"Studying these hyper-cold atoms could reshape our understanding of matter and the fundamental nature of gravity," said CAL Project Scientist Robert Thompson of JPL. "The experiments we'll do with the Cold Atom Lab will give us insight into gravity and dark energysome of the most pervasive forces in the universe."

When atoms are cooled to extreme temperatures, as they will be inside of CAL, they can form a distinct state of matter known as a Bose-Einstein condensate. In this state, familiar rules of physics recede and quantum physics begins to take over. Matter can be observed behaving less like particles and more like waves. Rows of atoms move in concert with one another as if they were riding a moving fabric. These mysterious waveforms have never been seen at temperatures as low as what CAL will achieve.

NASA has never before created or observed Bose-Einstein condensates in space. On Earth, the pull of gravity causes atoms to continually settle towards the ground, meaning they're typically only observable for fractions of a second.

But on the International Space Station, ultra-cold atoms can hold their wave-like forms longer while in freefall. That offers scientists a longer window to understand physics at its most basic level. Thompson estimated that CAL will allow Bose-Einstein condensates to be observable for up to five to 10 seconds; future development of the technologies used on CAL could allow them to last for hundreds of seconds.

Bose-Einstein condensates are a "superfluid"a kind of fluid with zero viscosity, where atoms move without friction as if they were all one, solid substance.

"If you had superfluid water and spun it around in a glass, it would spin forever," said Anita Sengupta of JPL, Cold Atom Lab project manager. "There's no viscosity to slow it down and dissipate the kinetic energy. If we can better understand the physics of superfluids, we can possibly learn to use those for more efficient transfer of energy."

Five scientific teams plan to conduct experiments using the Cold Atom Lab. Among them is Eric Cornell of the University of Colorado, Boulder and the National Institute for Standards and Technology. Cornell is one of the Nobel Prize winners who first created Bose-Einstein condensates in a lab setting in 1995.

The results of these experiments could potentially lead to a number of improved technologies, including sensors, quantum computers and atomic clocks used in spacecraft navigation.

Especially exciting are applications related to dark energy detection, said Kamal Oudrhiri of JPL, the CAL deputy project manager. He noted that current models of cosmology divide the universe into roughly 27 percent dark matter, 68 percent dark energy and about 5 percent ordinary matter.

"This means that even with all of our current technologies, we are still blind to 95 percent of the universe," Oudrhiri said. "Like a new lens in Galileo's first telescope, the ultra-sensitive cold atoms in the Cold Atom Lab have the potential to unlock many mysteries beyond the frontiers of known physics."

The Cold Atom Lab is currently undergoing a testing phase that will prepare it prior to delivery to Cape Canaveral, Florida.

"The tests we do over the next months on the ground are critical to ensure we can operate and tune it remotely while it's in space, and ultimately learn from this rich atomic physics system for years to come," said Dave Aveline, the test-bed lead at JPL.
The fascinating surface of Jupiters icy moon Europa looms large in this newly-reprocessed color view, made from images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft in the late 1990s. This is the color view of Europa from Galileo that shows the largest portion of the moon's surface at the highest resolution. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute

Earlier this week, NASA hosted the "Planetary Science Vision 2050 Workshop" at their headquarters in Washington, DC. Running from Monday to Wednesday  February 27th to March 1st  the purpose of this workshop was to present NASA's plans for the future of space exploration to the international community. In the course of the many presentations, speeches and panel discussions, many interesting proposals were shared.

Among them were two presentations that outlined NASA's plan for the exploration of Jupiter's moon Europa and other icy moons. In the coming decades, NASA hopes to send probes to these moons to investigate the oceans that lie beneath theirs surfaces, which many believe could be home to extra-terrestrial life. With missions to the "ocean worlds" of the solar system, we may finally come to discover life beyond Earth.

The first of the two meetings took place on the morning of Monday, Feb. 27th, and was titled "Exploration Pathways for Europa after initial In-Situ Analyses for Biosignatures". In the course of the presentation, Kevin Peter Hand  the Deputy Chief Scientist for solar system Exploration at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory  shared findings from a report prepared by the 2016 Europa Lander Science Definition Team.

This report was drafted by NASA's Planetary Science Division (PSD) in response to a congressional directive to begin a pre-Phase A study to assess the scientific value and engineering design of a Europa lander mission. These studies, which are known as Science Definition Team (SDT) reports, are routinely conducted long before missions are mounted in order to gain an understanding of the types of challenges it will face, and what the payoffs will be.

In addition to being the co-chair of the Science Definition Team, Hand also served as head of the project science team, which included members from the JPL and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The report he and his colleagues prepared was finalized and issued to NASA on February 7th, 2017, and outlined several objectives for scientific study.

As was indicated during the course of the presentation, these objectives were threefold. The first would involve searching for biosignatures and signs of life through analyses of Europa's surface and near-subsurface material. The second would be to conduct in-situ analyses to characterize the composition of non-ice near-subsurface material, and determine the proximity of liquid water and recently-erupted material near the lander's location.

Artists rendering of a potential future mission to land a robotic probe on the surface of Jupiters moon Europa. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The third and final goal would be to characterize the surface and subsurface properties and what dynamic processes are responsible for shaping them, in support for future exploration missions. As Hand explained, these objectives are closely intertwined:

"Were biosignatures to be found in the surface material, direct access to, and exploration of, Europa's ocean and liquid water environments would be a high priority goal for the astrobiological investigation of our solar system. Europa's ocean would harbor the potential for the study of an extant ecosystem, likely representing a second, independent origin of life in our own solar system. Subsequent exploration would require robotic vehicles and instrumentation capable of accessing the habitable liquid water regions in Europa to enable the study of the ecosystem and organisms."

In other words, if the lander mission detected signs of life within Europa's ice sheet, and from material churned up from beneath by resurfacing events, then future missions  most likely involving robotic submarines  would definitely be mounted. The report also states that any finds that are indicative of life would mean that planetary protections would be a major requirement for any future mission, to avoid the possibility of contamination.

But of course, Hand also admitted that there is a chance the lander will find no signs of life. If so, Hand indicated that future missions would be tasked with gaining "a better understanding of the fundamental geological and geophysical process on Europa, and how they modulate exchange of material with Europa's ocean." On the other hand, he claimed that even a null-result (i.e. no signs of life anywhere) would still be a major scientific find.

Ever since the Voyager probes first detected possible signs of an interior ocean on Europa, scientists have dreamed of the day when a mission might be possible to explore the interior of this mysterious moon. To be able to determine that life does not exist there could no less significant that finding life, in that both would help us learn more about life in our solar system.

The Science Definition Team's report will also be the subject of a townhall meeting at the 2017 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC)  which will be taking place from March 20th to 24th in The Woodlands, Texas. The second event will be on April 23rd at the Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) held in Mesa, Arizona. Click here to read the full report.

Artists impression of a hypothetical ocean cryobot (a robot capable of penetrating water ice) in Europa. Credit: NASA

The second presentation, titled "Roadmaps to Ocean Worlds" took place later on Monday, Feb. 27th. This presentation was put on by members of the the Roadmaps to Ocean Worlds (ROW) team, which is chaired by Dr. Amandra Hendrix  a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Tuscon, Arizona  and Dr. Terry Hurford, a research assistant from NASA's Science and Exploration Directorate (SED).

As a specialist in UV spectroscopy of planetary surfaces, Dr. Hendrix has collaborated with many NASA missions to explore icy bodies in the solar system  including the Galileo and Cassini probes and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). Dr. Hurford, meanwhile, specializes in the geology and geophysics of icy satellites, as well as the effects orbital dynamics and tidal stresses have on their interior structures.

Founded in 2016 by NASA's Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG), ROW was tasked with laying the groundwork for a mission that will explore "ocean worlds" in the search for life elsewhere in the solar system. During the course of the presentation, Hendrix and Hurford laid out the findings from the ROW report, which was completed in January of 2017.

As they state in this report, "we define an 'ocean world' as a body with a current liquid ocean (not necessarily global). All bodies in our solar system that plausibly can have or are known to have an ocean will be considered as part of this document. The Earth is a well-studied ocean world that can be used as a reference ("ground truth") and point of comparison."

By this definition, bodies like Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, and Enceladus would all be viable targets for exploration. These worlds are all known to have subsurface oceans, and there has been compelling evidence in the past few decades that point towards the presence of organic molecules and prebiotic chemistry there as well. Triton, Pluto, Ceres and Dione are all mentioned as candidate ocean worlds based on what we know of them.

Titan also received special mention in the course of the presentation. In addition to having an interior ocean, it has even been ventured that extremophile methanogenic lifeforms could exist on its surface:

Saturns moon Enceladus is another popular destination for proposed missions since it is believed to potentially host extra-terrestrial life. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

"Although Titan possesses a large subsurface ocean, it also has an abundant supply of a wide range of organic species and surface liquids, which are readily accessible and could harbor more exotic forms of life. Furthermore, Titan may have transient surface liquid water such as impact melt pools and fresh cryovolcanic flows in contact with both solid and liquid surface organics. These environments present unique and important locations for investigating prebiotic chemistry, and potentially, the first steps towards life."

Ultimately, the ROW's pursuit of life on "ocean worlds" consists of four main goals. These include identifying ocean worlds in the solar system, which would mean determining which of the worlds and candidate worlds would be well-suited to study. The second is to characterize the nature of these oceans, which would include determining the properties of the ice shell and liquid ocean, and what drives fluid motion in them.

The third sub-goal involves determining if these oceans have the necessary energy and prebiotic chemistry to support life. And the fourth and final goal would be to determine how life might exist in them  i.e. whether it takes the form of extremophile bacteria and tiny organisms, or more complex creatures. Hendrix and Hurford also covered the kind of technological advances that will be needed for such missions to happen.

Naturally, any such mission would require the development of power sources and energy storage systems that would be suitable for cryogenic environments. Autonomous systems for pinpoint landing and technologies for aerial or landed mobility would also be needed. Planetary protection technologies would be necessary to prevent contamination, and electronic/mechanical systems that can survive in an ocean world environment too,

While these presentations are merely proposals of what could happen in the coming decades, they are still exciting to hear about. If nothing else, they show how NASA and other space agencies are actively collaborating with scientific institutions around the world to push the boundaries of knowledge and exploration. And in the coming decades, they hope to make some substantial leaps.

If all goes well, and exploration missions to Europa and other icy moons are allowed to go forward, the benefits could be immeasurable. In addition to the possibility of finding life beyond Earth, we will come to learn a great deal about our solar system, and no doubt learn something more about humanity's place in the cosmos.
Her story is similar to that of a 23-year-old political science student who took her own life after spending four months in prison.

These heart-wrenching stories are but a small portion of the gross human rights violations committed by the religious fundamentalist rulers of Iran. Raping female prisoners is a common practice in Iran, writes Soona Samsami, the representative in the United States for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), in a recent article for The Hill.

In a report recently released by Amnesty International, the Human Rights Group condemned Tehran for heavily suppressing the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and religious belief.

Women and girls, it added, faced pervasive violence and discrimination.

Highlighted in the report is the regimes extensive use of the death penalty, carrying out hundreds of executions, some in public. It stated, At least two juvenile offenders were executed in 2016.

Ms. Samsami writes, Since the start of 2017, the theocracy has been conducting an execution every 8 hours, on average. In the first two weeks of February, 25 youth were among the victims, all under the age of 30. There are officially 160 juveniles on death row in Iran, but the real figures are much higher.

The regimes moderate president Hassan Rouhani, who has negotiated with some western businesses for trade opportunities after the Iran nuclear deal, continues to allow these things to occur.

It was recently reported that a 14-year-old girl was beaten and arrested by morality police for wearing ripped jeans on her birthday.

In the city of Dezful, two women were arrested for riding a motorcycle. A state-run news agency reported that a local police commander stated that the women committed an action against revolutionary norms and values by riding a motorcycle.

The people of Iran have endured four decades of suppressing dissent, torture and executions, as well as the legalization of misogyny, killings in the streets, and stoning women to death.

Nearly 30 years ago, in the summer of 1988, the Iranian regime executed as many as 30,000 political prisoners, as part of a fatwa. Most of the victims were young supporters of the main opposition, Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK).

Last August, an audio tape was published for the first time. Hossein-Ali Montazeri, one of the regimes highest officials, is heard on it, telling other regime officials that the executions amount to the biggest crime in the Islamic Republic, for which history will condemn us.

Montazeri also admitted that girls as young as 15, and even pregnant women, were among the victims of the massacre. Montazeri died under house arrest for speaking his conscience in 2009.

Six human rights groups with consultative status to the United Nations human rights body joined together, and on March 1, they issued a statement to the current session of the Human Rights Council condemning the 1988 massacre. They recommended that the UN High Commissioner for human rights and the UN Human Rights Council appoint an international commission to investigate the massacre. They called upon Asma Jahangir, the special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, and Pablo de Greiff, the special rapporteur on the promotion of truth, to conduct separate inquiries into the massacre.

Enough is enough, writes Ms. Samsami. In light of the regimes abhorrent human rights abuses, western governments cannot morally or strategically engage the mullahs. The United States should adopt a firm and principled policy that holds Tehran accountable for its crimes and terrorism and embraces the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people, the Wests true allies. Too many of Irans young girls have been mistreated, abused, tortured and killed. Mahdis should have been alive to rebuild Iran. If the thousands of young women and men were not massacred by a brutal regime in 1988 or throughout the past 40 years, they would have had an opportunity to create a democratic, peaceful, non-nuclear and generous Iran.
Lake Towuti, Indonesia. (A) Regional context for Lake Towuti on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Red box indicates approximate location of part B. Background is the Ocean base map from ESRI et al. (2015). (B) Generalized geologic map of Lake Towuti and the surrounding area showing the dominance of ultramafic material. Map is modified from Costa et al. (2015). (C) Bathymetry of Lake Towuti showing the location of the two analyzed sediment cores at the distal margins of the Mahalona River delta (white dots labeled 4 for TOW4 and 5 for TOW5). River inputs are shown in thin blue lines, with the Mahalona River shown as a thick blue line. Credit: Goudge et al. and GSA Bulletin

In theirarticle published online last week, Timothy A. Goudge and colleagues detail the clay mineralogy of sediment from Lake Towuti, Indonesia, using a technique called visible to near-infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy. VNIR measures the signature of reflected light from a sample across a larger wavelength range than just visible light. At Lake Towuti, the spectral record shows distinct variations in clay mineralogy over the past 40,000 years.

The record also captures the response of the lake system to changing climate, including changes in lake levels, forced delta progradation, and river incision. According to Goudge and colleagues, this demonstrates the utility of VNIR spectroscopy in developing paleoenvironmental records over tens of thousands of years.

Interestingly, Goudge and colleagues also suggest that paleolake deposits on Mars should preserve similar paleoenvironmental information that could be accessed through remote sensing studies of stratigraphy and VNIR reflectance spectroscopy.

Lead author Tim Goudge says, "The major link between this study of lake sediment in Indonesia and lake deposits on Mars is in terms of the methods we used. We can differentiate material properties with color (e.g., rust is red because of the iron in it), so VNIR spectroscopy allows us to determine what minerals are within a sample of lake sediment."

While this technique is relatively new for applying to lake deposits on Earth, it can be run remotely simply using reflected sunlight. Thus it is commonly employed to study the mineralogy and composition of the surface of other planetary bodies, including Mars.

Goudge says, "Our study shows that one can use VNIR spectroscopy to understand the evolution of past climate that is recorded by lake sediment. Therefore, we propose that applying a similar approach to studying ancient lake deposits on Mars at high resolution will help to unravel the history of ancient martian climate."

Lake Towuti is also contained within an ophiolite, which is composed of very iron- and magnesium-rich (mafic) rocks, and so is more comparable to the mafic surface of Mars than much of Earth's land surface, which is commonly more felsic (richer in silicon, aluminum, sodium, etc.). The compositional link is not perfect, however, so Goudge and colleagues more heavily emphasize the applicability of the technique.

More information: Timothy A. Goudge et al. A 40,000 yr record of clay mineralogy at Lake Towuti, Indonesia: Paleoclimate reconstruction from reflectance spectroscopy and perspectives on paleolakes on Mars, Geological Society of America Bulletin (2017). DOI: 10.1130/b31569.1
CC0 Public Domain

Three-dimensional printing makes all conceivable varieties of layered, three-dimensional objects possible, a benefit appreciated by industry and private users alike. However, once an object is printed, any freedom of design is a thing of the past and the workpiece can no longer be modified. To address this restriction, computer scientists at Saarland University are working on the integration of specifically developed components at predefined points within such 3-D objects, a technique that makes alterations to the object possible even after printing. Their novel procedure is being presented at the CeBIT computer fair from March 20 to 24 in Hannover, Germany (Hall 6, Stand E28).

"After printing, the 3-D object is static. You can no longer change it or adapt it to your needs," says Daniel Groger, a doctoral student with the Cluster of Excellence at Saarland University. Together with Jurgen Steimle, head of the chair for Human-Computer Interaction at Saarland University, Groger developed a procedure named Hotflex to work around this shortcoming. To that end, the computer scientists developed a flat composite, consisting of several individual layers controlled by an Arduino, a miniature computer. When the composite structure is energized by the computer, it becomes deformable almost instantly. This is made possible by the multi-layer composition of the device. The innermost layer is the so-called heating structure, which is connected to the miniature computer. Next comes the so-called moldable structure, consisting of a biodegradable plastic. If the computer-activated heating structure heats the plastic layer to a temperature of just under 60 degrees Celsius, the material becomes malleable and can be formed into the desired shape simply using bare hands. Once the object has cooled down, it will remain in this modified shape. For additional stability and outside protection, the outermost layer is made of a flexible plastic. The researchers printed the composites themselves using a regular office printer with special ink as well as a commercially available 3-D printer.

By integrating the composite elements produced in this manner into the 3-D object at certain points, its shape can be modified even after the printing process is completed. And there is more: These composites can also be used to make 3-D objects touch-responsive or to display information on them. The Saarland scientists demonstrated this with a range of printed prototypes, including an adjustable bracelet, a jewelry box that opens with knock signals, and a computer mouse with a customizable supporting surface. "We are presently integrating our flexible heating structures into the workpieces during the printing process," Groger says. "But this will soon also be done automatically."

With Hotflex, the researchers are staying true to their vision: Using sophisticated information technology to develop useful IT devices that still do not feel as if you are handling a computer. "This is an entirely new style of modeling. You no longer have to click around in a digital 3-D model, but can work with your own hands and receive a completely different kind of feedback. At the same time, you reduce the number of iterations and waste less material and time," Jurgen Steimle explains.
David Wagner, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, stands on a transmission right of way in Thompson, Conn., showing springtime foliage. Credit: David Wagner

Power lines, long considered eyesores or worse, a potential threat to human health, actually serve a vital role in maintaining the health of a significant population, according to new research out of the University of Connecticut.

The corridors that crisscross New England's rolling landscape are home to native plant and animal life that require the type of habitat maintained beneath the power lines, according to David Wagner, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

Particularly in regions of the Northeast with high human population density, the power lines are vital to the conservation of hundreds of species, as documented in two recent studies by Wagner. One was published this month in the journal Forest Ecology and Management, and another is forthcoming in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America.

"All manner of vertebrate and invertebrate life as well as a wide range of wild flowers and other native plants flourish there," says Wagner.

If the semi-open landscape  areas of grass and weeds, shrubs, and young forest growth  in the transmission corridors was not managed as it is now by power companies, the land would eventually turn into dense forest with heavy cover and limited sunlight, unsuitable for many of those species, Wagner says.

In one study, Wagner and co-authors examined bee species along a transmission line in Southeastern Connecticut over a two-year period. They identified roughly 50 percent of the state's bee species there, including one previously thought to be extinct in the United States, the Epeoloides pilosula, which had not been found in this country since 1960.

The landscape is also the ideal habitat for species such as the New England Cottontail rabbit, says Wagner. While the population of its more adaptive cousin, the Eastern Cottontail, has not been impacted by development in the Northeast, the New England Cottontail occupies less than a fifth of the area it once called home.

Birds such as the American woodcock and indigo bunting, reptiles including the wood and box turtles, and many insect species, are also dependent on the open, sunny habitats that are typical of the transmission line corridors.

Wagner's related investigation measured plant diversity and cover along an 89-mile transmission line corridor.

Researchers found that the richness of plant life along transmission lines was significantly higher than in the adjacent wooded areas. They documented 326 plant species in power line plots, more than twice the number found in woodland plots.

In particular, eight common heath species important to several finicky bee species  those with narrow preferences in pollen sources  were significantly more abundant in power line plots than in the nearby woods.

Other plants more abundant along the power lines included such commonly known flower species as goldenrod, asters, daisies, and sunflowers, as well as a variety of herbs and shrubs that provide much of the late-season pollen and nectar for bees, beetles, moths, and butterflies.

Northeast Utilities, the company that owns and manages approximately 43,000 acres throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, created a land trust in 2012 to promote the preservation of open spaces in New England.

NU's manager of transmission vegetation management, Anthony Johnson '80 (CAHNR), says the company works cooperatively with organizations such as the Audubon Society and the New England Wildflower Association, as well as providing support for academic research such as Wagner's.

"When I first started this job, I was always looking up  at the trees and the wires  making sure there was nothing to interfere with the power lines," Johnson says. "Now, I also find myself looking down  watching for turtles and snakes and wildflowers and seeing how abundant they are."

More information: David L. Wagner et al. Vegetation composition along a New England transmission line corridor and its implications for other trophic levels, Forest Ecology and Management (2014). DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2014.04.026 Journal information: Forest Ecology and Management
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Maintaining a healthy sex life at home boosts employees' job satisfaction and engagement at the office, underscoring the value of a strong work-life balance, an Oregon State University researcher has found.

A study of the work and sex habits of married employees found that those who prioritized sex at home unknowingly gave themselves a next-day advantage at work, where they were more likely to immerse themselves in their tasks and enjoy their work lives, said Keith Leavitt, an associate professor in OSU's College of Business.

"We make jokes about people having a 'spring in their step,' but it turns out this is actually a real thing and we should pay attention to it," said Leavitt, an expert in organizational behavior and management. "Maintaining a healthy relationship that includes a healthy sex life will help employees stay happy and engaged in their work, which benefits the employees and the organizations they work for."

The study also showed that bringing work-related stress home from the office negatively impinges on employees' sex lives. In an era when smart phones are prevalent and after-hours responses to work emails are often expected, the findings highlight the importance of leaving work at the office, Leavitt said. When work carries so far into an employee's personal life that they sacrifice things like sex, their engagement in work can decline.

The researchers' findings were published this month in the Journal of Management. Co-authors are Christopher Barnes and Trevor Watkins of the University of Washington and David Wagner of the University of Oregon.

Sexual intercourse triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with the reward centers in the brain, as well as oxytocin, a neuropeptide associated with social bonding and attachment. That makes sex a natural and relatively automatic mood elevator and the benefits extend well into the next day, Leavitt said.

To understand the impact of sex on work, the researchers followed 159 married employees over the course of two weeks, asking them to complete two brief surveys each day. They found that employees who engaged in sex reported more positive moods the next day, and the elevated mood levels in the morning led to more sustained work engagement and job satisfaction throughout the workday.

The effect, which appears to linger for at least 24 hours, was equally strong for both men and women and was present even after researchers took into account marital satisfaction and sleep quality, which are two common predictors of daily mood.

"This is a reminder that sex has social, emotional and physiological benefits, and it's important to make it a priority," Leavitt said. "Just make time for it."

Twenty years ago, monitoring sleep or daily step counts or actively practicing mindful meditation might've seemed odd but now they are all things people practice as part of efforts to lead healthier, more productive lives. It may be time to rethink sex and its benefits as well, he said.

"Making a more intentional effort to maintain a healthy sex life should be considered an issue of human sustainability, and as a result, a potential career advantage," he said. U.S. employers probably won't follow the lead of a town councilman in Sweden who recently proposed that local municipal employees be allowed to use an hour of their work week for sex. The councilman's hope is to boost the town's declining population as well as improve employee moods and productivity.

But employers here can steer their employee engagement efforts more broadly toward work-life balance policies that encourage workers to disconnect from the office, Leavitt said. The French recently enacted a law that bars after-hours email and gives employees a "right to disconnect."

"Technology offers a temptation to stay plugged in, but it's probably better to unplug if you can," he said. "And employers should encourage their employees to completely disengage from work after hours."

More information: Keith Leavitt et al, From the Bedroom to the Office, Journal of Management (2017). DOI: 10.1177/0149206317698022 Journal information: Journal of Management
Fungus gnat of the new species Orfelia boreoalpina. Credit: Jukka Salmela

Tuomas Holopainen, the multi-talented musician and founder of the symphonic metal band Nightwish, is also a full-blooded nature person. This gave conservation biologist Jukka Salmela of Metsahallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland an idea for the name of a new species he found in Finland. Discovered in eastern Lapland during an insect survey, the fungus gnat was given the scientific name Sciophila holopaineni after Tuomas. The new species is described in the open access Biodiversity Data Journal.

"I am very, very touched. This is the highest honour a nature nerd like me can receive," Tuomas Holopainen replied after Jukka, who collected and described the fungus gnat, asked him for permission to name the species after him.

The idea for the name came up to Salmela while he was thinking about the habitat and appearance of the species. Then, he recalled Tuomas Holopainen's interest in the natural sciences.

So far, the new species of fungus gnat has been only known from two locations: the Tormaoja Natura Area in Savukoski, eastern Lapland, and a meadow close to the White Sea, Russian Karelia.

The dark and beautiful gnat thrives in shadowy environments. In Tormaoja, it was caught in a river gulch next to the river source, while hiding under the shelter of the forest. Salmela proposes 'tuomaanvarjokainen' as the common Finnish name, inspired by the latest Nightwish album. After all, the themes of the album, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, are evolution and the diversity of nature.

Fungus gnats are flies, which feed on dead wood or fungi. Some of the larvae are predaceous. At current count, there are almost 800 species in Finland and about 1,000 in the Nordic countries. In fact, the Fennoscandia region is one of Europe's biodiversity hotspots for this group of insects.

Fungus gnat of the new species Orfelia boreoalpina. Credit: Jukka Salmela

The Tuomas Holopainen's species is only one of the eight new flies described in the study. Among them are the Boletina norokorpii fungus gnat, named after Docent Yrjo Norokorpi and known only from Ylitornio; Phronia reducta, which inhabits Salla and Siberia; and Orfelia boreoalpina found in Tormaoja and the German Alps.

The Parks & Wildlife Finland of Metsahallitus is responsible for the management and species surveys of the State's nature reserves. The collected data is needed in activities such as assessing the status of biodiversity, the protection of species, and planning the management and use of the reserves. Insects are as good an indicator of the state of the natural environment as better-known vertebrates or plants. The diversity of insect species forms part of natural biodiversity and is necessary to human well-being.

More information: Jukka Salmela et al, New and poorly known Palaearctic fungus gnats (Diptera, Sciaroidea), Biodiversity Data Journal (2017). DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.5.e11760
LendingArch , a leading Canadian Financial Technology company, has announced a key expansion of their product range with the introduction of real-time point of sale financing to fill a huge gap in elective care and medical procedure expenses. This groundbreaking loan product will provide patients the freedom to turn essential and expensive medical needs into affordable monthly payments that do not require the patient to use, or have a credit card.

CALGARY, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/  LendingArch is excited to announce the official launch of their new, real-time point of sale loan service for Canadian medical clinics and their patients. A trusted name in Canadas FinTech sector, LendingArch is one of the fastest-growing providers of instant financing in the country. This disruptive and positive loan product is expected to ease consumers from the over-dependence on credit cards. LendingArch has over 1100 clinics who are on a waiting list to offer this type of flexible financing to their patients after it goes live on April 1st, 2017.

Recent figures suggest consumers in Canada face over $32 billion in out of pocket medical expenses and that number is growing significantly every year for different healthcare needs, including but not limited to MRIs, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, dental and hearing aids. Infused with patient friendly technology, LendingArchs new product offering brings real-time underwriting direct to clinicians. This will now allow clinics to offer affordable finance solutions to their patients, to match and manage their monthly budget more efficiently and effectively.

Patients can now apply for LendingArchs point of sale financing either from the comfort of their own home, or directly at a clinic location and get approved within minutes, all online. Patients can be pre-approved before they go in for a treatment or appointment which alleviates the uncomfortable conversation regarding affordability. They can now confidently walk into their clinic and enjoy the flexibility of breaking down their loans into equal monthly installments for a duration of twelve-months to three years.

One of the key benefits of LendingArch point of sale financing is that rates are far more affordable compared to any credit card, and the program is personalized according to the re-payment capacity of the borrowers. The clinics have no credit risk and are simply offering a flexible way for their patients to pay. Applications take less than two minutes and the clinic gets paid right away. Moreover, there are no deferred payments, compounding interest plans, or late fees for the patient. This product is a huge benefit to medical clinics as it has the power to increase sales, strengthen patient loyalty and improve the experience by allowing a more flexible payment option.

LendingArch CEO Arti Modi commented, We are excited about being able to offer our lending technology right at the point of sale and make a difference in the lives of financially responsible Canadians. To see the look on a patients face when they realize they can now afford fertility treatments or a hearing aid is empowering. Our clinicians are excited about being able to enhance their patients lifestyle and buying experience due to our seamless application process at no risk to them.

To find out more about the range of FinTech solutions from LendingArch, please visit https://lendingarch.com

LendingArch is a modern finance company reinventing the lending experience. Through smart technology and exceptional customer experience, LendingArch has become one of Canadas fastest-growing providers of instant credit to financially responsible Canadians. From medical expenses, debt consolidation, home improvement costs and help with personal growth, LendingArch is dedicated to bringing financial advancement to consumers who deserve to live a happy life, at their rate.

SOURCE LendingArch



Other Point of Sale blogs of interest:


As national partner, Mastercard joins elite group of organizations supporting startup and small business success in Canada

OTTAWA  Tuesday, February 28, 2017  Startup Canada [1] , the national rallying community and voice for Canadas 2.3 million entrepreneurs, today announced Mastercard as a national partner supporting startup and small business success in Canada. Mastercard will integrate its innovation and payments

technology expertise into Startup Canadas programming in 2017 to support the growth and success of Canadas small business and startup communities.

It is imperative for industry, entrepreneurs and government to work together to build innovative companies in Canada, said Victoria Lennox, CEO and Co-Founder of Startup Canada. As more and more companies contribute to the exchange of ideas between the private sector and Canadas startup community, we can encourage greater innovation and small business success. Mastercard has shown commitment to this goal and we are proud to partner on

initiatives that will have substantial, meaningful impact on Canadas entrepreneurship community.

Our commitment to innovation in Canada starts with supporting the business owners and risk-taking entrepreneurs who are creating the jobs of the future, said Brian Lang, President of Mastercard in Canada. As a global business with a proud 40-year history in Canada, we look forward to sharing our expertise and resources with Startup Canadas broad audience of startups and small business owners from coast to coast.

Mastercard is the presenting sponsor of #StartupGov, a new Startup Canada initiative bringing together a community of public servants, politicians, entrepreneurs and innovators to solve challenges. Programming for #StartupGov in 2017 will launch during International Womens Day on March 8 at a networking event featuring the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Nicole Verkindt, Founder of the OMX and Rosemary Chapdelaine, Vice President of Lockheed Martin Canada as guest speakers. Jennifer M. Sloan, Vice President of Public Policy for Mastercard in Canada will deliver opening remarks.

Mastercard is also the presenting sponsor of the 2017 Startup Canada Awards [2] , the hallmark event celebrating Canadas entrepreneurship community, and Startup Canada Day on the Hill, the most influential entrepreneurial event in Canada wherein 1,500 top innovators, entrepreneurs, industry and government decision makers convene to apply an entrepreneurial lens to policy. Applications for the 2017 Startup Canada Awards are now open, and tickets for Startup Canada Day on the Hill will go on sale later this Spring.

Mastercard, Startup Canada and Intuit Canada will together help train 10,000 entrepreneurs on financial literacy through the Startup Foundations Finance Bootcamps [3] program; and Mastercard will provide finance, transaction, payment and fraud education through a number of Startup Canadas programs including #StartupChats [4] , a bi-weekly Twitter Program.

About Startup Canada

Startup Canada is the national rallying community and voice for Canadian entrepreneurs. Through flagship programs, digital platforms, and cross sector partnerships between entrepreneurs, private sector, and government, Startup Canada offers training, resources, and a peer network to give every entrepreneur equal opportunity for success. To learn more, visit www.startupcan.ca [5] .
Unata CEO Keynote Will Reveal the Future of Grocery Shopping at Home Delivery World

TORONTO  March 6, 2017  Unata, the leader in 1-to-1 digital solutions for grocers, will provide insight into the Future of the Grocery Shopping Experience during their keynote presentation at this years Home Delivery World show in Atlanta, March 14-15. CEO and Founder of Unata, Chris Bryson, will be presenting at 9:30 a.m. on March 14.

During his session, The Future of the Shopping Experience, Looking 5 Years Out, Bryson will look at:

How consumer behaviors and expectations have evolved over the last few years and how it has impacted the grocery vertical.

What trends and retail technologies we can expect to see in the years to come, and how those technologies will further evolve the consumer experience.

What grocers can do to defend against eCommerce giants such as Amazon who are leading the charge in charting the future of retail.

Retail is being reinvented, and were only in the early innings. Digital can no longer be ignored, and with the passing of every day, digital is increasingly responsible in shaping a retailers success, said Chris Bryson, CEO and Founder, Unata. Our keynote aims to share insights and ideas that will help grocers identify the strategies tools theyll need to meet the evolving shoppers expectations.

The fact that the Home Delivery Show is launching a track dedicated to the rise of eCommerce in the grocery vertical is testament to the fact that grocers need to start thinking seriously about the digital consumer experience from start to finish in order to stay ahead in this business, adds Dan Farmer, VP of Retail Solutions, Unata.

Unata will also be exhibiting at the show in booth #514. If you are interested in setting up a demo with Unata, please email demo@unata.com. Media interested in speaking with Unata can email unatapr@ketnergroup.com to request a meeting.

About Unata

Unata powers industry-leading digital experiences for North Americas most well-respected grocers, with the mission to innovate the future of the grocery shopping experience. Unata enables 1-to-1 eCommerce, eCircular and eLoyalty experiences, powering the entire digital grocery experience through a single platform. Unatas award-winning work is featured by retailers including Lowes Foods, Raleys, Longos and more. To learn more, visit www.unata.com or follow Unata on Twitter or LinkedIn.



Other Point of Sale blogs of interest:
For the first time since Trumps election, Allawi spoke out about the former administrations mistakes that critics believe brought turmoil to Iraq.

America has lost a lot of potential friends here in the region.  and this is something that the new administration has to address, Allawi said, and according to him, Obamas principal error was his disengagement from a country and a region which desperately needed U.S. support. At a time when Iraq couldnt stand on its own, Obama left, leaving a vacuum for Iran to fill. He said further, that Irans new influence is behind much of the bloodshed. When our American friends left Iraq in 2011 they never laid down the issues that would strengthen the Iraqis to face the challenges ahead  their sudden withdrawal in 2011 without the necessary preparation left us many problems to face.

Allawi talked about Irans impact. Its leading to bloodshed, to catastrophes and to wars around the Middle East.It has been a destabilizing factor. Its destabilizing Iraq, its destabilizing Syria  its destabilizing other areas.

He traced this back to Obama. In 2010, Allawi won the elections in Iraq, winning the seats, but he says he was pressured by the Obama administration to back down, calling it a direct interference with the political system. Biden came several times here; in fact, he used to come once a week to convince me to withdraw my interest and I told him we are not interested in withdrawing, he stated.

When Iranian-backed Nouri Maliki stepped in, Allawi said it was a turning point for Iraq, and that now large parts of the army are under Iranian control, and many state institutions also answer to Iran.

Giving his views on Russia, Allawi believes Russian President Vladimir Putin can and should be worked with to defeat ISIS. He said, I dont think we should look at competition here between the U.S. and Russia, but rather as supplementing each other, and this is what I look forward to  what the new administration will do.

The battle against ISIS wont be the final one, according to Allawi. I can see a lot of problems that will emerge after ISIS is defeated because I always say that not only is the military victory against ISIS enough, it needs to be supported by political gains.

Allawi hopes to unite Iraq and hoped for U.S. support going forward. We dont want to see more American power here, we dont want to see more American troops here, we dont want to see more Americans being killed here in this country. But we need the political leverage of the U.S. to help Iraq and to develop Iraq.
- Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has constantly seen himself as the face of the opposition in Nigeria

- As the chairman of the PDP Governors' Forum, he has remained critical of the Muhammadu Buhari administration

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the south-west have accused Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state of causing bigger problems for the party with his controversial utterances.

Fayose is accused of making utterances that have destroyed the PDP.

Fayose had accused the leaders of the party of keeping silent while Ali Modu Sheriff, who he called a mole, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are doing all within their powers to kill the PDP.

The governor met with some members of the party from the zone on Monday, March 6, 2017 and accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of forcing governors to donate N10 million each to the construction of his presidential library.

READ ALSO: PDP under Senator Barnabas Gemades curse - Cleric

The Punch reports that the chairman of the PDP in the zone, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, said in a statement in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria that those who attended Fayoses meeting were his cronies and not officials of the party.

Fayoses action in summoning a meeting he lacks the right to call at a time when well-meaning leaders and elders are calling for restraint and reconciliation is most despicable.

Otherwise, how do we describe his action and utterances under the guise of a non-existent and illegal South-West PDP leaders forum?

In what capacity did he call the meeting of South-West PDP leaders? Can a governor call a zonal PDP leaders meeting?

Has he been able to call a full meeting of the PDP Governors Forum which he purports to lead? We thank God that most of the respectable leaders of our party in the South-West shunned the illegal gathering, Ogundipe said adding that Fayose was bent on destroying an otherwise solid and responsible institution such as the PDP.

READ ALSO: Speak to me from London, Fayose tells Buhari

While saying Fayose was the least qualified to be Ekiti governor when he was chosen as the party candidate, Ogundipe insisted that those who attended Fayoses meeting went in contempt of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt division as well as the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The rulings had favoured Ali Modu Sheriff against the Ahmed Makarfi faction of the party.

Source: Legit.ng
Inventory needs to be managed and managed well, or you are going to get in recurring trouble, and lose your credibility and hard-earned conversions, whether 

Read more
Trump Accuses Obama of Wire Tapping Trump Tower Phones

Over the weekend, President Trump used his Twitter account to inform the public that he found out former-president Obama had wire tapped the Trump Tower phones before the election last November.

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism. President Trump tweeted.

Trump continued to tweet his grievances with the former president, saying Id bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election!

An Obama spokesman pushed back against the accusations on Saturday.

"A cardinal rule of the Obama Administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice," said Kevin Lewis, an Obama spokesman. "As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false."

Former national security adviser Ben Rhodes also tweeted to Trump about the accusations, stating that No President can order a wiretap.
A dual national member of the negotiating team that reached a landmark nuclear deal with the US and world powers before being arrested last year, has been formally charged said judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, who was quoted by the judiciarys website, Mizan. The arrest was announced last August, when Mohseni Ejei said that an unidentified individual was a spy who had infiltrated the nuclear team. He gave no further details about the defendant, but news reports claim he is Iranian-Canadian.

Mohseni Ejei also told reporters for Mizan that an unnamed Iranian-American was also arrested for defrauding people seeking U.S. residence of $2.6 million, A dual national holding Iranian and American citizenship has been arrested recently, who had swindled many Iranians, taking (money)  to fix their residence, he said.

Dual nationals from the United States, Britain, Austria, Canada and France have been detained and imprisoned over the past year on charges including espionage and collaborating with hostile governments.

When Iran began opening up to the West following the 2015 nuclear deal, it alarmed Iranian hardliners. Warnings about Western infiltration, led to the arrests of several dual nationals. Because Iran does not recognize dual nationality, Western embassies are prevented from seeing individuals who have been detained.
By Susanna Twidale

LONDON (Reuters) - Private investment firm Aquind is confident of raising the cash needed to build its planned 1.1 billion pound ($1.4 billion) power link between Britain and France, despite Britain's move to leave the European Union, a board member told Reuters.

Last June's "Brexit" vote has raised questions about Britain's continued participation in Europe's energy market and whether investors will be prepared to put money into more physical energy links with the continent.

However, Aquind non-executive director Martin Callanan said he expected to find plenty of interest since the economic case for the project - in particular Britain's demand for power and normally higher electricity prices - stood regardless of Brexit.

"Given the price differentials on both sides of the Channel, we believe there will still be a strong economic case," he said.

"Even if tariffs were applied (to Britain's cross border electricity trades following Brexit), those tariffs would apply both ways," he added.

Britain currently imports around 5 percent of its electricity from France but is seeking ways to increase its power sources to help replace aging coal and nuclear plants set to close in the 2020s.

Once completed in 2022, the interconnector would be able to deliver up to 2 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power around four million homes.

Callanan said Aquind expected to raise cash from fellow private equity investors and hoped to begin construction in 2019.

Britain currently imports power from France though the IFA interconnector, owned by Britain's National Grid (NG.L), and French grid operator RTE.

Electricity is able to flow both ways, but due to higher electricity prices in Britain it is usually an importer.

Wholesale spot electricity prices averaged around 42 pounds ($51.50) per megawatt hour (MWh) in Britain in 2016 (TRGBBD1), Reuters data show, compared with around 39 euros ($41.26)/MWh in France (TRFRBD1).

Aquind also said on Monday it had signed an agreement with RTE that would allow it to connect to the French grid at RTE's Barnabos substation in the Haute-Normandie region.

Story continues

It already has an agreement with National Grid to connect with Britain's grid on the south coast of England.

Three other interconnectors with France are also in development: National Grid and RTE's IFA 2, Transmission Investment and RTE's FAB link, and Groupe Eurotunnel's (GETP.PA) ElecLink.

(Reporting by Susanna Twidale; Editing by Mark Potter)
(Bloomberg) -- Argentina has some good news for Elon Musks Tesla Inc., and bad news for lithium producers elsewhere: the country may be about to flood the market with lithium.

After President Mauricio Macri removed currency and capital controls and taxes introduced by his predecessors, about 40 foreign companies began to consider opportunities in Argentinas mining industry, more than half of those in lithium, according to Mining Secretary Daniel Meilan.

Industry heavyweights Albemarle Corp., Soc. Quimica y Minera de Chile SA, Eramet SA and Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co. are among groups looking at expanding or building new lithium operations in Argentina, as part of a $20 billion pipeline of mining projects through 2025, Meilan said Monday in an interview. Chinas CITIC is also looking for opportunities, according to the government.

If all of the projects go ahead, Argentinas annual output of the metal used in electric-vehicle batteries would surge to 165,000 metric tons, or about 45 percent of global supply, according to government projections. Prices will increase as much as 15 percent this year, Albemarle predicted last month.

Conservatively, Argentina will represent about half of global lithium production by 2020, Meilan, who also headed up mining under former President Carlos Menem in the 1990s, said from Toronto, where hes participating in the PDAC mining conference. This shows us that were starting to be well-regarded globally.

Further fueling investor interest is a set of standardized rules for provinces that Meilan said will probably be in place by June or July. Under an accord negotiated between the federal and provincial governments -- which own the minerals in their territories -- miners will be charged a royalty of as much as 3 percent, he said. The agreement still needs congressional approval.

Interest Piqued

Deregulation under Macri, who took office in December 2015, has piqued the interest of global miners like Glencore Plc and Vale SA that had suspended or slowed projects in Argentina, according to the government. Rio de Janeiro-based Vale, the worlds biggest iron-ore producer, will finish a feasibility study in September for a scaled-back version of the Rio Colorado potash project that it suspended in 2013, Meilan said.

Story continues

Under the accord, the government will change the tax regime to make Argentinas mining industry more competitive and improve mining-related infrastructure. Vancouver-based First Quantum Minerals Ltd., which is studying a copper project in Salta province, has been following developments and would like to see changes that offer better investment stability, Sharon Loung, a spokeswoman, said in a Jan. 31 email.

Tesla has a massive need for lithium-ion batteries both for its vehicles -- including the Model 3 due later this year -- as well as energy storage-devices. In partnership with Panasonic Corp., Tesla is working to collapse its battery supply chain and drive down costs.

Meilan said he isnt concerned by the prospect of a flood of new lithium supply sinking prices.

Theres a lithium triangle of Bolivia, Argentina and Chile and at one point the possibility of a cartel was proposed, he said. I think thats crazy. The market should decide.

An example of the emphasis that the Macri administration is putting on mining is its plan to host a summit of South American and North American ministers in Buenos Aires in May.

(Updates with planned regional mining summit in last paragraph.)

To contact the reporters on this story: James Attwood in Toronto at jattwood3@bloomberg.net, Jonathan Gilbert in Buenos Aires at jgilbert63@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Attwood at jattwood3@bloomberg.net, Steven Frank

2017 Bloomberg L.P.
FILE- In this Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 file photo, Leaders of opposition groups, including Sheik Ali Salman, head of the largest Shiite Muslim opposition society Al Wefaq, front row fourth left, participates with thousands of Bahrainis carrying national flags and posters of jailed political and religious opposition figures in a rally in Muqsha, Bahrain. Posters include images of Ebrahim Sharif, the Sunni leader of the secular Al Waad society, along bottom, and Khalil al-Marzooq, a senior Al Wefaq official who was arrested this week on accusations of inciting violence. Bahrain's government filed a lawsuit Monday to dissolve a secular political party, the second-such organization it has targeted in the last year as part of an intense crackdown on opposition in the island nation. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Bahrain's government filed a lawsuit Monday to dissolve a secular political party, the second-such organization it has targeted in the last year as part of an intense crackdown on opposition in the island nation.

Meanwhile, a Bahraini activist who jumped on the king's car during a protest in London last year said two of his family members still on the island were arrested "to take their revenge on me."

The country's Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry accused the Waad party in a statement of "incitement of acts of terrorism and promoting (the) violent and forceful overthrow of (the) political regime." The announcement, coming just a day after Bahrain's parliament approved a constitutional amendment allowing military tribunals to try civilians , recalled the clampdown that followed the nation's 2011 Arab Spring protests.

"The society glorified convicted terrorists and saboteurs who used weapons, detonated bombs in killing and wounding several security (personnel) and also undermined citizens and residents' physical safety as well as damaged private and public properties," the statement carried on the state-run Bahrain News Agency said. "The society continuously violated the principles of the democratic political process, basic freedoms and people's participation in the process."

The Justice Ministry offered no specific examples in its statement. The government did not immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press to elaborate on the ministry's allegations.

Waad declined to immediately comment, but it long has been the target of authorities. Established in 2001 after its founder returned home after more than three decades in exile, Waad became a liberal bloc that reached out to both Shiite and Sunni reformers.

But it found itself targeted in 2011 in the government's clampdown on the opposition. Its offices were targeted by vandals and twice set ablaze. Its then-leader Ebrahim Sharif ended up serving more than four years in prison after being convicted along with other activists by a military led tribunal of plotting to overthrow the government.

Story continues

Sharif later was arrested and briefly faced charges for speaking to the AP in November during a visit by Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla.

Bahrain already has dissolved the country's largest Shiite opposition group, Al-Wefaq, and doubled a prison sentence for its secretary-general, Sheikh Ali Salman.

Brian Dooley, a senior adviser at the Washington-based Human Rights First, called the decision to go after Waad "astonishing" as the organization represented a "fairly genteel crowd."

"This is more than extreme, even by their own standards," Dooley said. "Even to voice the most peaceful, most moderate dissent is no longer tolerated."

Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet and an under-construction British naval base, is a predominantly Shiite island ruled by a Sunni monarchy. Government forces, with help from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, crushed the 2011 uprising by Shiites and others who sought more political power.

Since the beginning of a government crackdown in April, activists have been imprisoned or forced into exile. Independent news gathering on the island also has grown more difficult.

Among those targeted have been family members of Sayed Alwadaei, the director of advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy. In October, Alwadaei said his wife was beaten and detained for hours in Bahrain after he jumped on a car carrying King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa during his royal visit to London.

On Monday, Alwadaei told the AP that his mother-in-law and brother-in-law had been arrested separately on the island in recent days.

"Since Bahrain cannot get to me, my family is the target," Alwadaei said.

Bahrain's Interior Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

The kingdom had made reforms following a government-sponsored investigation into the 2011 demonstrations and the crackdown following it, but several of them have been overturned in recent weeks. Along with allowing military tribunals, the kingdom has restored the power of its feared domestic spy service to make some arrests.

Authorities say the rollbacks are necessary to fight terrorism as a series of attacks, including a January prison break, have targeted the island. Shiite militant groups have claimed some of the assaults. Bahrain on Saturday accused Iran's Revolutionary Guard of training and arming some militants, something Iran dismissed on Monday as "baseless."

___

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap. His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz .
In this March 1, 2017 photo, Martha Antivar holds a portrait of her husband Oscar Hilarion in her mother-in-law's apartment in Bogota, Colombia. Five years ago, Hilarion told his family he was going to China on a business venture. Weeks later Antivar learned her husband had been detained for trafficking drugs, a desperate act she believes he committed in order to stop the bank from seizing their home. (AP Photo/Christine Armario)

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)  In a tiny brick apartment above a lottery shop, Martha Antivar waits for a sign of life from her husband, who is languishing in a Chinese prison an ocean away.

Five years ago, Oscar Hilarion, a 45-year-old taxi driver, told his wife and family in Colombia that he was going to China on a business venture with a friend. Weeks later, Antivar received a call from a Colombian official in China, informing her of a darker truth: Hilarion had been detained for trafficking drugs, a desperate act she believes he committed in order to stop the bank from seizing their home.

Drug trafficking can be punished with death in China, and Hilarion's family  along with those of an estimated 145 other Colombians  is left to wait in an almost total vacuum of information about whether their loved one will be spared. Colombian Embassy officials who visit Hilarion every few months pass along sporadic updates. But few details about charges are shared, even once a sentence has been handed down.

Most of the relatives of accused Colombian drug mules in China are too poor to make the 17,000 kilometer (10,500 mile) journey to see them or send money. Many have received no phone calls.

Instead they are left waiting for letters written on simple white Chinese prison stationary.

"To my great love," Hilarion's letters to his wife always start.

The plight of Colombians in Chinese prisons has taken on a heightened urgency since authorities executed last week a retired Colombian journalist convicted of smuggling almost 4 kilograms of cocaine in exchange for $5,000. Despite a last-ditch diplomatic effort by Colombia's government to save Ismael Arciniegas, the 72-year-old was put to death by lethal injection, becoming the first Colombian, and probably the first Latin American, executed in China for drug offenses.

The number of Colombians in Chinese jails climbed from just a handful in 2006 to 146 this year, according to the Colombian government. Fifteen have been sentenced to death and an equal number have been condemned to life in prison.

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China is the world's top executioner, although most foreigners it has executed for drug trafficking have been from Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia, according to a Chinese state media report in 2015.

The issue of the death penalty for drug crimes was hotly debated last year at the United Nations' first special session on global drug policy in almost two decades. Countries from Europe and Latin America, where the practice is banned, clashed with governments across Asia that consider capital punishment a key tool in drug control efforts.

The bulk of Colombia's cocaine ends up in the United States and Europe, but a smaller amount is also trafficked to China, where living standards have risen, drug users have gotten younger and a number of substances, including cocaine, have become more available. A 2016 United Nations report found cocaine seizures in Asia tripled over the previous decade.

Trafficking cocaine by plane from Colombia to China is considered one of the more difficult journeys for a drug mule to make, and consequently it's more heavily rewarded, said Blanca Henriquez, a law professor at the Autonomous University of Colombia who has filed repatriation requests for 18 Colombians currently in Chinese prisons.

In speaking with more than two dozen families, she said a similar pattern emerges: Most Colombians caught are men older than 40 from poor families. In several cases, the men had been lent money they were unable to pay back and then were forced to carry drugs by criminal organizations that threatened their families.

A single journey typically pays about $3,000, which "for many people, is a lot of money," Henriquez said.

China executes more people than the rest of the world combined, and its judicial authorities have been cracking down recently on drug trafficking. The nation's harsh stance against drugs can be traced to the 19th century Opium Wars and the start of the "Century of Humiliation," during which Chinese nationalists believe British imperialists purposely tried to get Chinese hooked on opium for commercial advantage.

"This is the actual reason why China is so adamant that no narcotic under any circumstance be introduced by foreigners," said Lars Laamann, author of "Narcotic Culture: A History of Drugs in China."

Diana Perez's father had a small farm where he grew blackberries and passion fruit, but a pest wiped out his crop and he went bankrupt. She believes he took out a loan and was pushed to "make a trip" when he could not pay it back.

Luis Perez, 57, boarded a plane for Shanghai in 2013, his first time ever to leave Colombia. When he touched down in China, he was arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine.

Perez was sentenced to death, but his punishment was later reduced to a life sentence.

When she visited her father last year, Diana Perez found him in a delicate state. He was kept with a dozen other foreign inmates, none of whom spoke Spanish. Instead they communicated in hand signals. He complained especially about the food.

"A lot of spices. A lot of rice. Vegetables we don't know as vegetables but as plants," she said.

Antivar, meanwhile, waits for her husband to be sentenced.

His 11-year-old daughter, Nikol, wears a tattered red, yellow and blue thread bracelet he made her. The mother and daughter journeyed to China to visit him last year, but Nikol Hilarion said she did not recognize him.

In his letters, Hilarion talks about the dismal prison conditions, like the one roll of toilet paper he is given each month to share with another inmate.

He writes in black ink, using wobbly letters in a Spanish sprinkled with phrases he has learned in English.

"I LOVE YOU FOREVER," he wrote. "PLEASE NOT FORGET ME."

___

Associated Press writer Louise Watt in Beijing contributed to this report.
AFP News

The UN's COP27 climate summit kicked off Sunday in Egypt with warnings against backsliding on efforts to cut emissions and calls for rich nations to compensate poor countries after a year of extreme weather disasters. Just in the past few months, climate-induced catastrophes have killed thousands, displaced millions and cost billions in damages across the world. Massive floods devastated swaths of Pakistan and Nigeria, droughts worsened in Africa and the western United States, cyclones whipped the Caribbean, and unprecedented heatwaves seared three continents. The conference in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh comes in a fraught year marked by Russia's war on Ukraine, an energy crunch, soaring inflation and the lingering effects from the Covid pandemic. But Simon Stiell, the UN's climate change executive secretary, said he would not be a "custodian of backsliding" on the goal of slashing greenhouse emissions 45 percent by 2030 to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above late-19th-century levels. "We will be holding people to account, be they presidents, prime ministers, CEOs," Stiell said as the 13-day summit opened. "The heart of implementation is everybody everywhere in the world every single day doing everything they possibly can to address the climate crisis," he said. Current trends would see carbon pollution increase 10 percent by the end of the decade and Earth's surface heat up 2.8C, according to findings unveiled last week. Promises made under the 2015 Paris Agreement would, if kept, only shave off a few tenths of a degree. "Whilst I do understand that leaders around the world have faced competing priorities this year, we must be clear: as challenging as our current moment is, inaction is myopic and can only defer climate catastrophe," said Alok Sharma, British president of the previous COP26 as he handed over the chairmanship to Egypt. "How many more wake-up calls does the world -- and world leaders -- actually need?", he said. In a dire warning, the UN's World Meteorological Organization said the past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record, with an acceleration in sea level rise, glacier melt and heatwaves. "As COP27 gets underway, our planet is sending a distress signal," UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement. - 'Loss and damage' - The COP27 summit will focus like never before on money -- a major sticking point that has soured relations between countries that got rich burning fossil fuels and the poorer ones suffering from the worst consequences of climate change. The United States and the European Union -- fearful of creating an open-ended reparations framework -- have dragged their feet and challenged the need for a separate funding stream. Delegates agreed on Sunday to put the "loss and damage" issue on the COP27 agenda, a first step toward what are sure to be fraught discussions. Inclusion of the agenda item "reflects a sense of solidarity and empathy for the suffering of the victims of climate induced disasters," said COP27 president Sameh Shoukry of Egypt. "We all owe a debt of gratitude to activists and civil society organisations who have persistently demanded the space to discuss funding for loss and damage," he said to applause. Shoukry also noted that rich nations have not fulfilled a separate pledge to deliver $100 billion per year to help developing countries green their economies and build resilience against future climate change. He also lamented that most climate financing is based on loans. "We do not have the luxury to continue this way. We have to change our approaches to this existential threat," he said, calling for solutions that "prove we are serious about not leaving anyone behind". - US-China tensions - After the first day of talks, more than 120 world leaders will join the summit on Monday and Tuesday. The most conspicuous no-show will be China's Xi Jinping, whose leadership was renewed last month at a Communist Party Congress. US President Joe Biden has said he will come, but only after legislative elections on Tuesday that could see either or both houses of Congress fall into the hands of Republicans hostile to international action on climate change. Cooperation between the United States and China -- the world's two largest economies and carbon polluters -- has been crucial to rare breakthroughs in the nearly 30-year saga of UN climate talks, including the 2015 Paris Agreement. But Sino-US relations have sunk to a 40-year low after a visit to Taiwan by House leader Nancy Pelosi and a US ban on the sale of high-level chip technology to China, leaving the outcome of COP27 in doubt. A meeting between Xi and Biden at the G20 summit in Bali days before the UN climate meeting ends, if it happens, could be decisive. One bright spot at COP27 will be the arrival of Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose campaign vowed to protect the Amazon and reverse the extractive policies of outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro. bur-lth/fz
By Stephen Lam and Tim Branfalt BERKELEY, Calif./LANSING, Mich. (Reuters) - Supporters of Donald Trump clashed with counter-protesters at a rally in the famously left-leaning city of Berkeley, California, on a day of mostly peaceful gatherings in support of the U.S. president across the country.

At a park in Berkeley, across the bay from San Francisco, protesters from both sides struck one another over the head with wooden sticks and Trump supporters fired pepper spray as police in riot gear stood at a distance. Some in the pro-Trump crowd, holding American flags, faced off against black-clad opponents. An elderly Trump supporter was struck in the head and kicked on the ground.

Organizers of the so-called Spirit of America rallies in at least 28 the country's 50 states had said they expected smaller turn-outs than the huge crowds of anti-Trump protesters that clogged the streets of Washington and other cities the day after the Republican's inauguration on Jan. 20.

SLIDESHOW: Pro-Trump rally turns violent in Berkeley >>>

"There are a lot of angry groups protesting and we thought it was important to show our support," said Peter Boykin, president of Gays for Trump, who helped organize Saturday's rally in Washington.

In many towns and cities, the rallies did not draw more than a few hundred people. At some, supporters of the president were at risk of being outnumbered by small groups of anti-Trump protesters who gathered to shout against the rallies.

In Berkeley, the total crowd of both supporters and detractors numbered 200 to 300 people, police spokesman Byron White said. Three people were injured in the clash, including one who had teeth knocked out, and police made five arrests.

One Trump supporter who took part in the violence came equipped with a baton, a gas mask and a shield emblazoned with the American flag.

White said police did break up fights between the two sides.

"We've made a number of arrests, it's one of those things where we monitor the situation and take action as necessary," he said.

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The violence comes a month after mask-wearing protesters at the University of California, Berkeley, shut down a planned speech by a provocative far-right commentator by lighting fires and smashing windows. On Saturday, smaller skirmishes broke out in other parts of the country.

In Minnesota, 400 Trump supporters packed the state capitol rotunda in St. Paul and were met by a smaller group of counter-demonstrators, according to the Star Tribune. Scuffles erupted and six counter-protesters were arrested, the newspaper reported.

In Nashville, Tennessee, Trump supporters and counter-protesters cursed at each other and occasionally made physical contact, but state troopers broke up the fighting, according to the city's public radio station. Most rallies appeared to take place without any disruption or violence, like one outside the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing.

"How can anyone be disappointed with bringing back jobs? And he promised he would secure our borders, and that's exactly what he's doing," said Meshawn Maddock, one of the organizers of the rally which drew about 200 people.

Brandon Blanchard, 24, among a small group of anti-Trump protesters, said he had come in support of immigrants, Muslims and transgender people, groups that have been negatively targeted by Trump's rhetoric and policies.

"I feel that every American that voted for Trump has been deceived," Blanchard said. More than 200 supporters of the president rallied in downtown San Diego.

"After this, I think people will take the hint," said former U.S. Marine David Moore, 42, a participant in the rally. "Its okay to voice support for the president and the country."

In Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump is staying this weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort, the president's motorcade stopped and Trump stepped outside his car to wave at a crowd of dozens of supporters. A smaller group of protesters stood across the street.

In New York, about 200 people demonstrated their support for the president in front of Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan. In Washington, about 150 people marched from the Washington Monument to Lafayette Square in front of the White House to show their support for the president. (Additional reporting by Ned Randolph in San Diego, Melissa Fares in Palm Beach, Florida, and Jonathan Allen in New York; Writing and additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Dan Grebler and Mary Milliken)
FILE - In this Jan. 29, 2007 file photo, International media representatives look at the recovered cleaning tank of shaft one of reactor block two of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, where disturbance in the cooling of fuel rods occurred in 2003, in Paks, some 90 kms south of Budapest, Hungary, The European Union has cleared Hungary to build two nuclear reactors with Russian help after Budapest made commitments to safeguard competition in the energy sector. (Peter Kiss G./MTI via AP,file)

BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Union has cleared Hungary to build two nuclear reactors with Russian help after Budapest made commitments to safeguard competition in the energy sector.

The Hungarian deal for Russia to build the two additional reactors at the Paks nuclear plant, which had been agreed three years ago, had been held up because of the EU's regulatory scrutiny. The EU wanted to check whether Hungarian state aid for the project would hurt competition.

"The Hungarian government has made substantial commitments, which has allowed the Commission to approve the investment under EU state aid rules," EU Antitrust Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said he hopes to start construction soon.

The expansion of Hungary's nuclear power plant will be financed mostly with a loan from Russia of 10 billion euros ($10.6 billion) and carried out by Russia's Rosatom.

Orban's government says a failure to replace the four Soviet-built reactors at the Paks plant would increase Hungary's dependence on Russian natural gas to generate electricity. Environmental activists opposed to the project say it is too expensive, further ties Hungary's energy sector to Russia and that its huge cost means Hungary will not invest enough in sustainable energy sources.

Orban and Putin announced the deal in January 2014.

As part of its commitments to the EU Commission, Hungary will have to make sure that profits cannot be used to reinvest in additional generator capacity and sell at least 30 percent of its output on the open power exchange. The running of the new operations must also be separate from that of the existing Paks nuclear plants.

"The European Commission's decision is about Hungary realizing the investment, securing cheap electricity for households while also providing sufficient return to cover the costs of the loan," Janos Lazar, Orban's chief of staff, said in parliament. "Since Hungary is not a corporation, it does not need extra profits. On the other hand, we all need cheap electricity."

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Opposition parties expressed their dismay.

"In our opinion, this investment is outdated, increases out nation's vulnerability to Russia and puts Hungarian families into debt for decades," said the Democratic Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany.

Energiaklub, an institute specializing in energy and climate issues, said the EU decision was an admission that the Paks project was "unviable" for private investors and will likely demand large subsidies from taxpayers.

Energiaklub expert Zsuzsanna Kolitar said it was possible that countries like Austria will file lawsuits against Hungary at the European Court of Justice because of the subsidies.

The green Politics Can Be Different Party, meanwhile, is trying to call a referendum in the hope of stopping the nuclear plant expansion.

___

Pablo Gorondi reported from Budapest, Hungary.
VIENNA (AP)  Austria was among the first countries in Europe to put out the welcome mat when waves of people fleeing war and poverty reached the continent. Now, its focus is showing them the door.

Parliament is set to pass a law stripping pocket money, food and shelter from those denied asylum, potentially leaving them on the street. The interior minister proudly touts figures showing Austria as the European Union's per-capita leader in expelling those rejected.

Austrian courts are toughening up too. On Thursday, eight Iraqi men were sent to prison for up to 13 years for the gang rape of a German woman on New Year's Eve more than a year ago.

Lawyer Andreas Reichenbach, who defended one of the men, said the stiff sentences were a signal to migrants that "when they come to Austria, that such behavior won't be tolerated."

In Germany, where during the height of the influx Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted "we will manage," the government now considers some areas of Afghanistan "safe," and has started returning failed asylum-seekers to those regions. Additional tough measures have followed Berlin's deadly Christmas market attack by rejected Tunisian asylum-seeker Anis Amri and gains by the nationalist Alternative for Germany party.

The pro-migrant attitudes that once led thousands of Austrian volunteers to turn out with food, shelter and advice to the first asylum-seekers are still heard some places, but they appear outnumbered.

"We have to keep welcoming those who have nowhere else to go," said Marlis Bosch. "We in Austria have more than enough to share."

A survey of 10 EU member countries last month showed 65 percent of the 1,000 Austrian respondents favored stopping all immigration from Muslim nations. Only Poles scored higher  at 71 percent  on Britain's Royal Institute of International Affairs survey. But anti-migrant sentiment in Poland has been fueled by the government. Not so in Austria.

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Former Chancellor Werner Faymann urged Austrians to deal generously with migrants as late as fall 2015, even as his government worked to secure its borders. But he was forced out last year after migrant policies threatened to tear apart his government coalition after he took a harder line.

His successor, Christian Kern, has found little choice but to stay tough  or risk boosting the right-wing Freedom Party and its message that migrants are overwhelmingly behind the kind of crimes the eight Iraqis were convicted of Thursday.

Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer, who advocates a tough line on migrants, was narrowly defeated in December in Austria's presidential election. Polls continue to show his populist party with the most voter support.

But Kern's Social Democrats have almost caught up since he took office less than nine months ago and continued hardening the country's migrant policies.

Also gaining support on a tougher migrant stance is the centrist People's Party, the Social Democrats' coalition partner. Party member Sebastian Kurz, Austria's foreign minister, is advocating setting up North African holding camps for would-be emigres from there.

The Austrian government plans to stop all support for those whose asylum requests have been rejected  including meals, shelter and a monthly allowance of 40 euros (about $40). If Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka has his way, those refusing to leave will also pay high fines and end up in compounds until they are forcibly deported.

The coalition's majority in parliament means that approval of the draft law is virtually certain.

Still, some members of Kern's Social Democratic party have joined with human rights advocates who say its passage could lead to increased misery for thousands and a possible rise in crime.

"Families with children, or the sick, all could end up on the street from one day or the other," warns Christoph Pinter of the U.N. refugee organization UNHCR.

Sobotka shrugs, reflecting Austria's sharp about-turn on migrants.

"Who is contravening the law  me or those who do not leave the country?" he asked reporters. "My responsibility is enforcing the law."

___

Associated Press writer Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin and AP video journalist Philipp Moritz Jenne in Vienna contributed to this story.
France's embattled presidential hopeful Francois Fillon on Monday won "unanimous" support from his Republicans party, putting him firmly back in the driver's seat after veteran conservative Alain Juppe rejected calls to stand in his place. "The political committee, after a wide-ranging exchange, unanimously renewed its support for Francois Fillon," Senate speaker Gerard Larcher told reporters after around 20 party seniors met to "evaluate" the crisis sparked by the fake jobs scandal clouding Fillon's campaign. Fillon, 63, had told the meeting that Juppe's definitive decision not to run "confirmed that there isn't a plan B" to his candidacy, according to a text of his remarks sent to AFP. With just seven weeks to go before the country goes to the polls in a two-stage vote, Fillon said: "We have lost too much time with vain debates, leaving the way open for the far right and candidates on the left who are rubbing their hands over our disunity." In a sombre statement earlier Monday, Juppe, 71, said he would not stand in for Fillon, whom he criticised for his defiance of the justice system and swipes at the media. He also said France was "sick" and suffering from a "profound crisis of confidence". Polls suggested Juppe would be more popular with voters, but the centrist is considered too soft on immigration and other social issues for many of Fillon's supporters on the right flank of the party. Juppe's decision removes a major rival for Fillon, who is sticking with his bid for power despite the prospect of criminal charges later this month as well as mounting criticism within the party and falling poll numbers. Fillon was once the favourite to be France's next leader but his campaign is mired in accusations he used public funds to pay his wife hundreds of thousands of euros for fake parliamentary jobs. Insisting that his is "the only legitimate" candidacy, Fillon said "our voters will not forgive those who maintain the poison of division". On Sunday Fillon was buoyed by a rally of tens of thousands of supporters in Paris. But earlier Monday allies of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy were still pushing Fillon to step aside and name a replacement. The infighting among Republicans and Fillon's chaotic campaign have made an already unpredictable election even harder to call. The disarray appears to have benefited centrist, pro-business candidate Emmanuel Macron in particular, as well as far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who are shown in polls to be the likely top two candidates in the first round of voting on April 23. Polls suggest 39-year-old Macron would beat Le Pen in the decisive second round on May 7 -- but after Donald Trump's victory and Britain's vote to leave the European Union, analysts caution against bold predictions. - Juppe bows out - Juppe, now the mayor of Bordeaux, on Monday voiced dismay over the state of the election campaign. "Never under the fifth republic have we had an election in such confused conditions," Juppe said, stressing the dangers of National Front leader Le Pen's "anti-European fanaticism" and Macron's "political immaturity". Fillon's defiance and accusations that the government, justice system and media were plotting against him have "led him into a dead-end", Juppe added in one of several criticisms of his colleague. Both Le Pen and Macron -- one a far-right anti-establishment figure, the other an independent who founded a new political movement last year -- have tapped into widespread anger at France's political class. "French people want a profound renewal of their politics," Juppe, a veteran politician who himself has a conviction over a party finance scandal, told a press conference in Bordeaux. "Evidently I do not embody this renewal," he added. National Front vice-president Florian Philippot said Monday that many French people who were thinking of voting Fillon would now opt for Le Pen. "They want a free, safe and prosperous France, not a France that is subjected to the most brutal winds of globalisation," he told LCI television. Current President Francois Hollande also warned in an interview published Monday that the threat of a Le Pen presidency was real but that he would fight to prevent it happening. - Fillon to meet Sarkozy, Juppe - Fillon, a devout Catholic, beat Juppe in the Republicans' primary in November, pulling off a surprise victory by campaigning as a "clean" candidate. He was the frontrunner in the presidential race until Le Canard Enchaine newspaper revealed in late January that he had paid his wife Penelope and two of their children nearly 900,000 euros ($950,000) as his parliamentary assistants. Participants in Monday's crisis meeting said Fillon agreed to meet with Sarkozy and Juppe to discuss strategy. But he was quoted as saying: "It has to be quick. We can't let the scandal last forever." Sarkozy had suggested the meeting early Monday, saying that "in view of the gravity of the situation... everyone has the duty to do all that can be done to safeguard unity." burs-adp-gd/boc
Tanguy Lesselin says industry players outside of China are targetting tech companies to generate opportunities

Initial public offerings (IPO) have ceased to be the most appealing way for VCs to exit. While the demand for exits is still there, the market is shifting towards another path  mergers and acquisitions (M&As). On the global level, M&A activities soared in two straight years to an all-time high in 2016, when a dry spell hit the IPO sector. Together with the transition, rose the startups that aim to change the traditional way of connecting and accelerating M&A deals.

FINQUEST_Studio_071_Tanguy Lesselin

Finquest CEO Tanguy Lesselin

Tanguy Lesselin, co-founder and CEO of Finquest, has felt all the points in the traditional M&A model as a former consultant working on post-merger and joint-venture projects. He started Finquest in belief that there is a better solution for tech startups looking for investors.

Finquest is a global platform to foster cross-border mid-market direct investments in Asia to build bridges between institutional investors, M&A Advisors, and Asian mid-market companies.

Our goal is to help the market identify the right kind of party for the right marketplace. If you want to get these targets manually, you would lose a lot of opportunities, said Tanguy.

Also Read: Meet 9 CEOs steering through Malaysia startup ecosystem

As part of its expansion plan, the Singapore-based company just acquired Detecq, a private marketplace that matches technology companies with strategic investors in Asia. Detecqs founder Wong Zi En, will join the Finquest team to expand the companys presence in Asias tech ecosystem.

Why tech, why mid-market, why Asia?

Started as a cross-sector platform, Finquest gradually strengthened its presence in technology M&As segment not only because it is becoming an increasingly large part of the M&A market. Tanguy pointed out that tech is becoming less and less a vertical by itself in the sense that all industries are integrating into tech in their value chain.

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Take healthcare, for instance, we are meeting investors that dont have constraints from VC or PE. When they look at healthcare they could very well buy a hospital or invest in doctor booking application. Thats why every vertical is being penetrated horizontally by tech, he said.

For the estimated half a million mid-market companies in Asia, most are too small to go public but too large to have their corporate finance needs met by early-stage venture capital firms, crowdfunding platforms, or peer-to-peer lending. Furthermore, less than 1% are currently backed by private equity.

We define mid-market by transactions between 10 and 150 million USD. In the tech segment, we choose to look at series B and beyond because series B start to be cross-border deals. When you do fundraising as a business owner and CEO, series B is quite often where you expand your operations at the international level, he said. So thats where you would be actually seeking investors who are in new markets and by definition, you dont have a network there.

With economic growth in Asia continuing to outpace other regions, the worlds institutional investors are becoming more interested in exploring opportunities in this market. However, lack of access and the markets overwhelming size and complexity are blocking progress.

Also Read: C2C used car marketplace Caramo raises seed funding from VietnamWorks founder

Finquest will keep Asia as the core priority because M&A data is missing here as compared with other countries like the U.S., said Tanguy. Im not saying Im not interested in expanding to additional geographies. But the figures in Asia is very significant part of the future growth, Its more than 50 % of future GDP growth in the world, so its already a very large territory.

Tech M&A in China

China often makes the headlines with regards to M&A transactions these days, for a number of reasons. There is a very strong appetite from Chinese institutional investors and companies to purchase assets outside of China and leverage them in the domestic China market.

We see strong demand from Chinese investors for IP and brand related assets in general. From an outbound M&A perspective, some of the new constraints imposed by the government may create a more uncertain environment, but we also see more structured funds from large Chinese technology companies looking for investment opportunities in Asia and beyond, said Tanguy.

From an inbound perspective, we see strong demand from institutional investors to access Chinese innovative companies in various sectors, he added. Because of the highly concentrated market structure in some segments, key industry players outside China are trying to generate new opportunities by approaching the few large players in the digital.



An original version of this article A look into Asians tech M&A market with Finquest CEO Tanguy Lesselinfirst appeared on Technode.

Copyright: andrewgenn / 123RF Stock Photo

The post A look into Asias tech M&A market with Finquest CEO Tanguy Lesselin appeared first on e27.
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The UN's COP27 climate summit kicked off Sunday in Egypt with warnings against backsliding on efforts to cut emissions and calls for rich nations to compensate poor countries after a year of extreme weather disasters. An alarming UN report said the past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record, with an acceleration in sea level rise, glacier melt, heatwaves and other climate indicators. "As COP27 gets underway, our planet is sending a distress signal," UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement, calling the report a "chronicle of climate chaos". Just in the past few months, floods devastated Pakistan and Nigeria, droughts worsened in Africa and the United States, cyclones whipped the Caribbean, and unprecedented heatwaves seared three continents. The conference in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh also comes against the backdrop of Russia's war on Ukraine, an energy crunch, soaring inflation and the lingering effects from the Covid-19 pandemic. But Simon Stiell, the UN's climate change executive secretary, said he would not be a "custodian of backsliding" on the goal of slashing greenhouse emissions 45 percent by 2030 to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above late 19th-century levels. "We will be holding people to account, be they presidents, prime ministers, CEOs," Stiell said as the 13-day summit opened. "The heart of implementation is everybody everywhere in the world every single day doing everything they possibly can to address the climate crisis," he said, noting that only 29 of 194 nations have presented improved plans as called for at COP26 in Glasgow last year. Current trends would see carbon pollution increase 10 percent by the end of the decade and the Earth's surface heat up 2.8C, according to findings unveiled last week. Promises made under the 2015 Paris Agreement would, if kept, only shave off a few tenths of a degree. Britain's Alok Sharma, who handed the COP presidency to Egypt, said that while world leaders have faced "competing priorities" this year, "inaction is myopic and can only defer climate catastrophe." "How many more wake-up calls does the world -- and world leaders -- actually need?" he said. - 'Loss and damage' - The COP27 summit will focus like never before on money -- a major sticking point that has soured relations between countries that got rich burning fossil fuels and the poorer ones suffering from the worst consequences of climate change. The United States and the European Union -- fearful of creating an open-ended reparations framework -- have dragged their feet and challenged the need for a separate funding stream. After two days of intense pre-summit negotiations, delegates agreed on Sunday to put the "loss and damage" issue on the COP27 agenda, a first step towards what are sure to be difficult discussions. Stiell said inclusion of loss and damage on the agenda after three decades of debate on the issue showed progress. "The fact that it is there as a substantive agenda item I believe bodes well," he told reporters. COP27 president Sameh Shoukry of Egypt said it would be unproductive to speculate on what outcome the negotiations will lead to, "but certainly everybody is hopeful." "Anything that we do effectively has to be on the basis of our common efforts and that we leave no one behind," he said. Shoukry also noted that rich nations have not fulfilled a separate pledge to deliver $100 billion per year to help developing countries green their economies and build resilience against future climate change. He lamented that most climate financing is based on loans. "We do not have the luxury to continue this way. We have to change our approaches to this existential threat," he said. - US-China tensions - After the first day of talks, some 110 world leaders will join the summit on Monday and Tuesday. The most conspicuous no-show will be China's Xi Jinping, whose leadership was renewed last month at a Communist Party Congress. US President Joe Biden has said he will come, but only after legislative elections on Tuesday that could see either or both houses of Congress fall into the hands of Republicans hostile to international action on climate change. Cooperation between the United States and China -- the world's two largest economies and carbon polluters -- has been crucial to rare breakthroughs in the nearly 30-year saga of UN climate talks, including the 2015 Paris Agreement. But Sino-US relations have sunk to a 40-year low after a visit to Taiwan by House leader Nancy Pelosi and a US ban on the sale of high-level chip technology to China, leaving the outcome of COP27 in doubt. A meeting between Xi and Biden at the G20 summit in Bali days before the UN climate meeting ends, if it happens, could be decisive. One bright spot at COP27 will be the arrival of Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose campaign vowed to protect the Amazon and reverse the extractive policies of outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro. bur-lth/mh/lg
Washington and Tokyo sought Monday an emergency UN Security Council meeting after nuclear-armed North Korea fired a defiant salvo of ballistic missiles toward Japan. The call came after Pyongyang had earlier launched at least four missiles, with three splashing down in the sea close to key US ally Japan. The launches present a challenge for US President Donald Trump, who has described North Korea as a "big, big problem" and vowed to deal with the issue "very strongly." South Korea said four missiles were fired from Tongchang County in North Pyongan province into the East Sea -- its name for the Sea of Japan. The missiles traveled about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and reached an altitude of 260 kilometers (160 miles), a spokesman for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Monday's launches were the latest in a series of test-firings that violate UN resolutions barring Pyongyang from developing missile technology. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said North Korea poses a "very serious threat," adding the Trump administration was taking steps to "enhance our ability to defend against North Korea's ballistic missiles." Such defenses include the planned deployment to South Korea of a missile-defense system called THAAD. US Defense Department spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis suggested North Korea had attempted to launch more than four missiles and these were medium-range rockets, not ICBMs. "There were four that landed. There may be a higher number of launches, but we are not commenting on" that, the Pentagon spokesman said. Seoul and Washington last week began annual joint military exercises that always infuriate Pyongyang, drawing the North's military warning of "merciless nuclear counter-action." Under leader Kim Jong-Un, Pyongyang wants to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the US mainland -- something Trump has vowed would not happen. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said three of the North Korean missiles came down in Tokyo's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) -- waters extending 200 nautical miles from its coast. "This clearly shows North Korea has entered a new stage of threat," Abe told parliament. The emergency UN meeting is likely to be scheduled on Wednesday when ambassadors return from a visit to the Lake Chad region in Africa, diplomats said. America's ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said on Twitter that the world "won't allow" North Korea to continue on its "destructive path." - 'Real threats' - Pyongyang carried out two nuclear tests and a series of missile launches last year, but Monday was only the second time its devices had entered Japan's EEZ. After an emergency meeting of South Korea's National Security Council, acting president Hwang Kyo-Ahn called the North's nuclear and missile provocations "immediate and real threats" to his country. "Considering the North Korean leadership's brutality and recklessness shown through the murder of Kim Jong-Nam, the results of the North having a nuclear weapon in its hands will be gruesome beyond imagination," he said. Seoul has blamed Pyongyang for the killing of the half-brother of the North's leader by two women using VX nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur International Airport last month. Hwang called for the "swift deployment" of THAAD, a proposal which has infuriated neighboring China, the North's key diplomatic protector and main provider of trade and aid. - 'Send a message' - Monday's launch came ahead of a trip to Japan, China and South Korea by new US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this month, Dongguk University professor Kim Yong-Hyun noted. Pyongyang was "trying to send a message early on in Trump's term that North Korea will not be dragged around by his administration," he said. The North is barred under UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology. But six sets of UN sanctions since Pyongyang's first nuclear test in 2006 have failed to halt its drive for what it insists are defensive weapons. Three years ago, then-president Barack Obama ordered the Pentagon to increase cyber attacks against North Korea to try to sabotage its missiles before launch or just as they lift off, The New York Times reported over the weekend. Several of the North's devices have failed soon after launch. Kim Dong-Yup, an analyst at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, noted that unlike previous launches the three missiles that reached Japan's EEZ were fired in different directions. "North Korea may have attempted to show it can strike US bases in Japan simultaneously," he said. Seoul and Washington launched their annual Foal Eagle military exercises last week. North Korea has regularly taken action to protest the drills, such as firing seven ballistic missiles during the exercises last year. Beijing has become increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang's nuclear and missile activities, and last month announced a suspension of all coal imports from the North until the end of the year -- a crucial source of foreign currency.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has temporarily suspended premium processing for all H-1B visa petitions.

The agency sent this tweet on Friday announcing this development.

USCIS will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B petitions https://t.co/RV1QrLovW4  USCIS (@USCIS) March 3, 2017

USCIS says the suspension may last up to six months and during this period petitioners will not be able to request premium processing service for a Form I-129, file Form I-907 or petition for a non-immigrant worker which requests the H-1B non-immigrant classification.

This development from USCIS could have a detrimental impact, at least temporarily, on tech companies looking to fill open positions with experienced foreign-born workers.

In laymans terms, the H-1B visa is a program for businesses hiring foreign workers for specialty occupations in the U.S.

According to Immigration Attorney Paul Goldstein told Small Business Trends in January:

The position must require a baccalaureate or higher degree or its equivalent

Or it must have a degree requirement that is common in the industry for similar positions, or be a position that is so specialized that it can only be performed by a person with a degree

Or it must be a position for which the employer normally requires a degree or equivalent

Or the nature of the job or its duties are so complex that the knowledge required to perform those duties would normally be associated with a baccalaureate or higher degree.

USCIS also added that during the suspension period, individuals can still request expedited consideration, but must meet certain criteria. This could be for emergency situations, humanitarian reasons or due to the prospect of severe financial loss to a business or company.

Currently, the U.S. caps H-1B visas at 65,000 a year with an additional 20,000 allowed for those who have studied and earned an advanced college degree in the country.

According to The Hindu, the new regulations are most likely to impact Silicon Valley companies that employ large number of H-1B holders. More widely, small businesses that rely on IT professionals from India and other IT savvy countries will start feeling the impact.

President Donald Trump had suggested during his presidential campaign that it might be time to re-evaluate the H-1B and the current number of the visas granted.

But in its press release, the USCIS says the delay is only to catch up with a surge in the number of these requests over the last few years.

The temporary suspension applies to all H-1B petitions filed on or after April 3, 2017.
Ajit Pai, the Republican chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said that the recent uptick in unlimited data offerings from telecommunications companies is due to his reversal of burdensome federal oversight imposed by the Obama administration.

Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T  the four largest wireless providers in the U.S.  all launched new unlimited data plans in recent weeks in an apparent attempt to capitalize on the change.

The Link Between Unlimited Data Plans and the FCC

Earlier this month, for example, we ended the FCCs investigation into so called zero-rating or free data offerings, Pai said Tuesday during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Free data plans have proven to be popular among consumers, particularly those with low incomes, because they allow consumers to enjoy content without data limits or charges. They have also enhanced competition.

Pai was originally appointed as one of the five commissioners by then-President Barack Obama in 2012 at the request of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. He assumed office earlier this year after being named chairman of the FCC by President Donald Trump.

Pai claims that because he has taken the federal pressure off of tech companies, the businesses are now free to offer what they want, which he argues ultimately helps the consumer. Such an approach contradicts that of his predecessor, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler.

Nonetheless, the FCC had put these plans under the regulatory microscope. It claimed that they were anti-competitive, would lead to the end of unlimited data plans, or otherwise limit online access, Pai said. But the truth is that consumers like getting something for free, and they want their providers to compete by introducing innovative offerings. Our recent decision simply respected consumers preference.

Zero-rating is the business practice of not counting certain data toward the total amount allowed. The Obama administration believed that this violates net neutrality, the principle that all internet traffic should be treated equally. He worried that smaller Internet Service Providers (ISPs) would not be able to offer free data, and thus would eventually be weeded out.

That is why the Obama administrations FCC launched investigations into zero-rating policies, even sending an aggressive letter to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson.

The new chairman seems committed to rolling back such practices.

The best evidence of the wisdom of our new approach is what happened afterward. In the days following our decision, all four national wireless providers in the United States announced new unlimited data plans or expanded their existing ones, Pai continues. Consumers are now benefiting from these offers  offers made possible by a competitive marketplace. And remember: Preemptive government regulation did not produce that result. The free market did.

Republished by permission. Original here.
Slovakia is currently among EU countries with the lowest proportion of foreigners.

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More information about the Slovak labour market Please see our Career & Employment Guide. This years edition was published also thanks to support from the general partner of the guide, the executive search firm - Amrop.

The labour market requires an infusion of new blood, and workers from outside of the EU could be the way to revive it, experts say. Will Slovakia open its doors wider to foreign workers?

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The Slovak economy is approaching a level of constant growth and declining unemployment to so-called full employment. Companies, however, are having trouble finding skilled workers as 5 to 6 percent of the unemployed do not want to work at all. Hence, employers are seeking to hire more people from abroad.

While within the EU people can usually migrate without restrictions, third country nationals run into several protective barriers. Slovakia needs to reduce these barriers and open the market for culturally similar workers from abroad who might like to work in the country.

Natural evolution leads to a situation in which investments bring more jobs and more money to spend, and the economy starts running, Peter Kremsky, executive director of the Business Alliance of Slovakia (PAS), told a press conference.

Foreigners residence law

Slovak authorities are aware of the problem of a lack of qualified labour. In January 2017, the government approved the new version of the Act on Residence of Foreigners to simplify the arrival, stay and employment of non-EU people. Through the amendment, the Interior Ministry adjusted the rules for foreign workers in Slovakia, applied the transposition of European directives aimed at seasonal work and intra-corporate transfer to the legislation and reduced the red tape in the residency permit process.

The law divides current temporary residence into two streams of seasonal employment with the possibility of linking them. While the first regime applies to those staying in the country for up to 90 days on the basis of the Schengen visa and work permit, the other regime for stays between 90 and 180 days requires temporary residence for the purpose of seasonal employment, according to the Interior Ministry.

As for intra-corporate transfer, the law divides into two streams the requirements for residents of third-country nationals and their families for more than 90 days, with or without granted temporary residence during validity of the residence document issued by an EU member state.

The amendment also introduced a specific group of third-country citizens who work for strategic service centres, extends the validity of the so-called blue card for highly qualified employment from three to four years, equalises individuals with long-term stay permits with Slovak citizens in legal relations under the Act on Employment Services, and introduces some privilege policies for those foreigners on the Slovak labour market with the intention to innovate. If the parliament approves the law, it will become valid as of April 15, 2017.

New blood for Slovak economy

In addition, authorities are preparing tools for simplifying arrangements for workers at shared service centres, that they should introduce in March 2017, while also trying to reduce the handling time of permits for non-EU workers. The advice for these changes comes from the study Nova krv pre slovensku ekonomiku (New blood for the Slovak economy) by PAS in cooperation with the Institute for Economic and Social Reforms (INEKO) think tank.

PAS pointed to the shortage of manpower, which poses a risk to Slovak economic growth, in addition to the arrival of new investors and expansion of existing plants. Kremsky explained that their study focuses on legislation, barriers and the current position of third country workers.

While it is a small group and there is immense international competition, Slovakia should think about whether they create obstacles for them or try to vie for them, Kremsky said.

Corporate duties

By now, Slovak companies that employ foreigners must meet several administrative duties. If they employ EU citizens, they have to notify their respective labour office about the start and the termination of the employment. Socialna Poistovna, the state-run social insurer, also must be notified in such cases, according to the biggest job-search portal in Slovakia, Profesia.sk.

Companies employing people from outside the EU, who are officially called third-country nationals, must also request a valid proof of residence, possess a copy of it during their employment and inform the labour office within seven days if the employee fails to come to work or the relation ends before the end of the permitted period.

(Source: Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family)

Agency services

While red tape limits employers in directly employing foreign workers, they usually use the services of agencies which deal with all permissions and lease workers to particular companies. The waiting period for such a worker is usually six months or more, according to PAS.

Agencies want to create the highest added value, acquire services of workers cheaply and lease them expensively, which creates a certain brake in wage growth, Kremsky said.

The government supports the agency employment of third-country workers in Slovakia, although trade unions are against this measure. Agency employees do not have the same salary conditions as permanent staff because they are not covered by collective agreements negotiated with employers, Emil Machyna, chair of OZ KOVO, the organisation uniting trade unionists from the machinery industry, told the Trend economic weekly.

Almost half from outside the EU

In 2015, there were 84,787 foreigners living in Slovakia, or 1.5 percent of the total population. About 58 percent of them were citizens of the EU, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, while the remaining 42 percent were from third countries, according to Profesia.sk.

The Labour Ministry tracks the majority of EU/EEA workers in transport and storage, industry, professional, scientific and technical activities and commerce. Third-country nationals most often work in industry, administration, commerce, professional, scientific and technical activities, transport, storage, health care and social assistance.

Profesia.sk counted the most third-country nationals from the Ukraine (30.4 percent), Serbia (15.7 percent), Russia (10 percent) and Vietnam (6.5 percent). In February 2016, EU citizens living in Slovakia mostly came from Romania (6,279), the Czech Republic (3,300), Poland (3,062) and Hungary (2,957), the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (UPSVaR) listed.

Since 2004, the number of foreigners legally residing in Slovakia has increased almost fourfold, although the country is among those EU countries with the lowest proportion of foreigners, Trend reported, based on a survey among national authorities.

On the other hand, PAS has seen a drop in influx of foreigners into the market particularly since 2011, when the government tightened employment rules.

(Source: Profesia.sk)

Impact of shared service centres

In September 2016, Grafton Recruitment Slovakia, a provider of recruitment and HR solutions, prepared a survey of all 48 shared service centres (SSCs) in Slovakia which belong among the most significant employers of foreigners. The survey revealed that the biggest HR challenge in Slovakia is to attract the right skill set of employees, mainly in the production, IT and finance sectors.

Hence, SSCs accept foreigners not only from the EU, but also from third countries, said Grafton Recruitments marketing specialist, Lydia Barankova. However, they require knowledge of at least one world language such as English, German, French or Spanish.

Employers see the biggest potential in Ukrainians who offer plenty of work, are adaptable, mostly communicative and multilingual, Barankova told The Slovak Spectator.

Barankova opined that foreigners can easily find opportunities if they demonstrate sufficient flexibility and willingness to move for work. Substantial factors include interest in applying in Slovakia at a specific employer level in the long term, she said.

Lack of qualified employees

Recently, in Slovakia and in the Czech Republic, the competitive struggle for new jobseekers has significantly intensified. While UPSVaR tracked almost 30,000 vacancies and Profesia.sk more than 58,000 in Slovakia in late 2016, the number of new offers has grown by 40 percent year-on-year in the service sector and 30 percent in industry, according to PAS.

In the first half of 2016, the Labour Ministry recorded a total of 7,572 job vacancies for foreigners, of which 32 percent pertained to operators and mechanics of machines and equipment, 25 percent to qualified workers and craftsmen and 12 percent to service and trade sectors. To compare, 9,901 such jobs opened in 2015 and 3,802 in 2014.

The average amount of responses to one job listing has a declining character. Katarina Tesla of Profesia.sk noted that while in the second quarter of 2015 the portal received applications from 20 jobseekers for one position, in 2016 it was only 15 applications per position.

The decrease was more distinctive in the desired areas of the labour market, Tesla told The Slovak Spectator, listing IT, telecommunications, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and the automotive industry.

Proposals for changes

To facilitate the employment of qualified third-country individuals, Barankova suggests shortening and simplifying administrative processes concerning work permits, relocation packages, one-time financial aid, activating a so-called relocation coordinator for help in all necessary activities associated with finding accommodation, ensuring work permit and insurance, contacting agencies, among others.

PAS proposes the introduction of a special regime for priority sectors, employing temporary and seasonal workers, and reducing the time needed to verify whether there is a possibility to fill jobs with candidates from a database of unemployed people.

An immediate impact measure would be to simplify the regime of employees with higher wages, Kremsky said.
Several measures to tackle tax avoidance passed at the EU level, coming here soon.

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Slovakia is finding success in fighting tax evasion  but at this time only on the European level. The countrys Finance Ministry points to several initiatives that were pushed through during its six-month presidency over the EU Council. Observers welcome the new measures, but say it will be important to see how they will be applied in practice.

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No significant measures targeting tax evasion were adopted in Slovakia in 2016, Miriam Galandova, deputy chair of the Slovak Chamber of Tax Advisors, told The Slovak Spectator.

Reasons for this may include Slovakias presidency, and the fact that Finance Ministry employees worked on completion of the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD).

We can expect more significant changes in the coming years when the rules arising from ATAD will be implemented, Galandova added.

Fighting tax avoidance

The EU Ecofin Council agreed on the ATAD in July 2016. It addresses situations where corporate groups take advantage of disparities between national tax systems in order to reduce their overall tax liability.

It aims to set a minimum standard of anti-abuse rules in five areas: interest deduction, exit taxation, a general anti-abuse rule, controlled foreign companies and hybrid mismatches, according to the EU Council website.

The advantage of this coordinated approach on the EU level is that such rules will be applied in all EU countries so the owners of shell companies will not escape it if they move to another member state, Alexandra Gogova, spokesperson for the Finance Ministry, told The Slovak Spectator.

Slovakia needs to implement the new rules by the end of 2018, while they are expected to become effective in 2019.

During Slovakias presidency, the EU also adopted steps towards creating the first EU common list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions. Based on this, the EU will launch discussions with countries that do not meet the criteria. Jurisdictions that reject any kind of cooperation and fail to meet the criteria will appear on a so-called blacklist, Gogova explained.

With this measure, the EU seeks to target mostly tax havens. The countries, however, do not have to necessarily end up on the blacklist.

Conversely, for Slovakia and the EU it is better if such off-shore jurisdiction promises to exchange information about bank accounts and their real owners, either if they belong to the shell company or their go-betweens, Gogova added.

Enforcement important

Moreover, the regulation on administrative cooperation was revised during the presidency, which should enable tax authorities to access information to fight money laundering. Part of it will also be information about beneficial owners and in-depth scrutiny of clients of financial institutions, according to Gogova.

Another novelty adopted on the EU level is the exchange of information within the so-called country by country reports, in which multinational companies must report important information about their subsidiaries, including those established in off-shore jurisdictions, Gogova said.

Observers have welcomed the measures, but stress it will be necessary to see how they will be put into practice.

Without proper use of these measures, it will be another available tool but will not contribute to decreasing tax evasion, Galandova said.

Robert Chovanculiak, analyst with the INESS think tank, however, says that the fight against tax havens should not be based on closing the doors in front of them. The countries should rather remove motivation of entrepreneurs to seek these tax jurisdictions, he added.

Reverse charge discussed

Shortly before the end of Slovakias presidency, the EC put forward a proposal with the aim to enable member states to apply a different VAT system to the rules currently in force across the EU, under certain conditions.

The optional general reserve charge mechanism should enable EU countries to temporarily apply a system which derogates from the current fractionated payment of VAT. Sales between businesses of more than 10,000 could be invoiced free of VAT, with only the final consumer being liable for the full VAT costs, the EC informed.

This proposal comes at the request of certain member states who argue that such a mechanism would help to put an end to a specific type of cross-border tax fraud known as carousel fraud which involves goods being sold back and forth between businesses in different countries, the EC explained on its website.

Though the ministry considers the reverse charge mechanism to have potential to fight tax fraud effectively, it disagrees with the conditions introduced in the proposal, saying they are difficult to implement in practice.

It is necessary to set the conditions in a way they can be used in practice, Gogova stressed. The proposal, however, can serve as a good basis for discussion, Finance Minister Peter Kazimir said in late January 2017.

The measure has the potential to curb space for VAT evasions, but its enforcement should be preceded by in-depth analysis which would confirm that such fundamental change would help achieve the expected goals, Galandova said.

Problems remain

VAT evasion still belongs among the biggest problems across the EU as well as in Slovakia. Though the situation has been improving, the biggest cases of tax evasion remain undetected and unpunished, said Peter Kremsky, executive director of the Business Alliance of Slovakia. One may suspect political support behind them, he added.

The state should have done more to secure clarifying and punishing the big cases, which may discourage fraudsters, Kremsky told The Slovak Spectator.

Moreover, statistics suggest that the VAT gap is still big in Slovakia, while the oversight of income tax is minimal. The tax authorities do not compare increases in property with the taxable incomes of taxpayers, which could be an interesting source of information for identifying tax evasion, according to Galandova.

To sum it up, the laws are not the worst, but their implementation in practice fails, she added.
The city authorities increased the fee from 1.65 to 1.70 a month.

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People working in Bratislava without having a permanent address in the capital pay more for the accommodation in the city from the beginning of 2017 in the form of a higher accommodation tax, the Pravda daily reported.

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Until the end of 2016, non-Bratislavans could avoid the tax by declaring that they have a temporary residence in the city. The city authorities, however, scrapped this exception and increased the fee from 1.65 to 1.70 a month. The change should increase revenues to the city coffers by 50 per person every month, the Pravda daily reported.

The measure aims to increase the number of inhabitants. It is estimated that up to 300,000 people living outside Bratislava study or work in the city but they pay local taxes to their home municipalities. It also involves foreigners with permanent residences outside Slovakia, Ivana Keselakova from the press department of the Bratislava mayors office told The Slovak Spectator.

EU citizens with a five-year residence permit in Bratislava will not have to pay the fee. The law defines the permit as a permanent residency, explained Branislav Cervenka, head of the foreigners police department.

Companies are not pleased by the change as they often need to hire people from central and eastern Slovakia. Bratislava-based carmaker Volkswagen Slovakia, for example, employs about 1,000 people who live in lodging houses.

The new generally binding order of the capital on the accommodation tax represents a serious obstacle for commuting to Bratislava, Lucia Kovarovic Makayova, spokesperson for Volkswagen Slovakia, told Pravda, adding that since they struggle with recruiting people from the region, they would welcome measures that support commuting from more distant regions.

Representatives of the capital, however, say the money is needed for new investments and operation of the city, as reported by Pravda.

Meanwhile, more than 10 companies turned to the city authority to obtain an exemption from paying the tax, with the city saying it is not ruling out a possibility to discuss the change. Any changes, however, need to be approved by the city council, the former spokesperson for Bratislava, Ivana Skokanova, told Pravda.

The daily reported that also other cities across the country may follow Bratislavas example and increase accommodation taxes.
The parliament transposed the EU regulation, whose aim is to secure comprehensive and effective administrative collaboration between tax administrations via mandatory automatic exchange of information.

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International corporations will be required to submit reports about their activities in every EU country in which they do business. This stems from the amendment to the law on international help and cooperation when administering taxes, which the parliament approved on February 1, 2017.

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Through the amendment, the parliament transposed the EU regulation, whose aim is to secure comprehensive and effective administrative collaboration between tax administrations via mandatory automatic exchange of information. The amendment comes into force on March 1, the SITA newswire reported.

The parent companies of international groups will be obliged to send selected types of information to the financial directorates of respective countries. This includes, for example, the amount of total revenues, profit before taxes, and number of employees.

The measure will concern those international firms with annual turnover amounting to at least 750 million, which means it will have a minimal impact on Slovak parent companies, according to the Finance Ministry.

The reporting duty to identify the subject that will submit the report for the group, however, concerns every legal person and permanent premises that are tax residents in Slovakia and are members of such groups of international companies, the ministry added, as quoted by SITA.

The information will be sent from every country in which a company resides. Subsequently, the financial directorates will exchange the information with one another. It will be a private exchange, which means they will be protected by tax secrecy and only financial directorates will be able to work with the information.
Shared or gig economy - a new phenomenon of the information technology era.

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A commercial system, based on the sharing of goods and services through online platforms and mobile applications, the shared economy promotes the usage of things and labour for short periods of time. Put differently, ownership is OUT and sharing is IN. The benefits of this new system, the sharing of resources and the flexibility in using providers, seem to outweigh the costs for suppliers and users. This is achieved, however, through trends that may run counter to established worker protections, and is causing global policymakers to take a closer look.

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The shared economy brings a fresh take on the old-fashioned employment relationship. It proves that an economy can work, even without typical full-time employees. Before the internet, it would have been very challenging to find someone willing to come and work for you for only 10 minutes. (Lukas Biewald, CEO of CrowdFlower). The core of the new model is online platforms, which play the role of goods and services exchanges. They connect consumers and providers, in a manner similar to online job exchanges. As with job exchanges, these online platforms only facilitate, they do not act as employers for gig seekers. The actual service providers (crowd workers) are considered independent contractors, acting autonomously, at their own risk, without instructions, using their own means and on their own time. The efficiency of the system allows for a maximization of labour and resource usage. Currently, crowd working represents a small portion of the economically active population, but the number of people for whom it is the main source of earnings is growing.

As a new trend, global legislation is so far lacking, with consequences for crowd workers. As independent contractors, they are not entitled to minimum wage, vacation days, overtime, sick pay, unemployment pay, etc. As such, setting up a fair business framework giving crowd workers labour law protection and inclusion in social system has become the hot topic among lawmakers.

The European Commission (EC) generally considers the shared economy an opportunity for further economic growth. In June 2016, the EC introduced a smart regulation" framework, which should be the basis for the shared economy. It appeals to Member States to modernize employment regulations to embrace more flexible short term work opportunities and set clear lines between occasional crowd workers and those who provide their services professionally, i.e. those that receive the bulk of their remuneration through gig work. This is especially important for those crowd workers who appear to act independently, but are financially reliant on online platform providers.

UBER, the ride sharing platform, nicely presents the positives and negatives of the new model. Starting in August 2015, UBER began, by use of its mobile application, offering cheaper and faster means of transportation in the Bratislava region. Crowd workers, in this case people with cars and drivers licences, could register with UBER and would have access, via an application with consumers looking for a ride. Drivers are not obliged to accept any rides. The customer, when ordering a ride, could designate a pick-up location and select a driver based upon, among other things, reviews from other passengers. Loading fees start at 1.20, every minute of driving or waiting costs 0.09 and the kilometre fee is 0.36. Upon completion, the total is charged to the credit card the customer has registered with UBER customers account. For channelling this service, UBER charges 20% commission on every deal. Customers need not carry cash, no tip is needed, and a driver evaluation can be submitted assisting other passengers, increasing service levels. Drivers can earn extra money for downtime or trips already planned. Truly this is a win-win situation.

Taxi providers would disagree. They consider UBER unfair competition. To them, its true nature is not sharing a ride, but rather only a different form of taxi service. Critics accuse UBER of intentional avoidance of legal regulations regarding taxi services, and facilitation of, and conspiracy with, unregistered taxi drivers. This allegedly leads to compromising regular taxi drivers by damaging their market position, opens the door to tax evasion and places passengers and the driving public at risk. The Lobby of Bratislava taxi drivers argues that drivers cooperating with UBER are acting as regular taxi providers, but are less qualified, lack proper licenses, proper state exams, psychological and health checks, and annual vehicle maintenance checks. Additionally, they do not pay increased car insurance fees related to the operation of a vehicle used for personal transportation. UBER drivers cars do not bear taxi signs or markings of the provider and do not have mandatory taxi equipment.

UBER claims not to be a taxi company, but rather a mobile platform provider, operating a mobile application for ride sharing between drivers cooperating with UBER and registered customers. This is less than clear, however, as UBERs fees per ride are higher than other traditional ride sharing companies, where the remuneration only covers part of the expenses for the car and fuel (i.e. BlaBlaCar). For many UBER drivers, it is the pay which lures them to the site.

To compound the uncertainty, Slovak law does not recognize drive sharing based on mobile app. Any transportation, for remuneration, of persons by vehicles with a maximum capacity of 9 persons, including the driver, is considered a taxi service, even when not conducted on a regular basis. Taxi services require a service license and are limited to those who own this license.

Under Slovak law, taxi drivers must either have an employment contract with a taxi provider (with all the associated rights and obligations set by the Labour Code) or may, subject to the abovementioned requirements, operate a taxi service by themselves ( 28 provision 1 Road Traffic Act).

UBER, as with other mobile platform providers, denies any employment relationship with its drivers, but instead claims it only facilitates the connection of driver and customer, supply and demand. What customers and drivers then agree to is outside UBERs control. There is no supervision and order commitment, no standard working time and no salary. Drivers themselves decide when they want to work and which passenger order to take. They drive their own cars at their own risk. As far as UBER is concerned, all Slovak legal requirements, including tax payment, are exclusively the drivers responsibility.

It seems that not everyone sees it as UBER does. A British labour court in October 2016 specifically rejected UBERs position: it is absurd to pretend that there is no employment relationship, but only a mobile app for 30,000 self-employed people in London, whose salary is below the minimum wage. The court forbid UBER from treating drivers as self-employed, and ordered them to accept drivers as employees with all rights and benefits.

While drivers cooperating with UBER in Slovakia face increasing pressure from authorities, no legal action has yet been taken. This may be due to the minimum wage in Slovakia being only 2.50 per hour (435 per month). Nevertheless, the Slovak Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family acknowledged the problem. Social protection of employees cannot be suffered in the name of flexibility. (Jan Richter Slovak Minister for Labour, Social Affairs and Family). Stay tuned.
The new centre will be part of IBMs client innovation centre.

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IBM Slovakia, one of the top players in the Slovak IT market, launched its new IoT (Internet of Things) in Kosice on March 3. The focused workspace in central and eastern Europe will be dedicated to the development and implementation of innovative solutions using cognitive technologies.

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I am glad that we have been able to create the right conditions for opening this state-of-the-art, innovative IBM workspace in Slovakia, said Branislav Sebo, General Manager of IBM Czech Republic and Slovakia as cited in the companys report. He added that cognitive solutions, based on the Watson IoT platform, offer a huge opportunity to help enhance business efficiency, lower costs and increase competitiveness across a variety of industries and services.

The IoT service will be involved in the development of client solutions designed to help businesses deliver on the potential of the Internet of Things. It will work closely with IBMs new global HQ for Watson IoT in Munich and will help draw insight from large volumes of data generated by billions of sensors and connected devices in buildings, factories, airports, cars, home appliances and transportation systems.

The team of specialists in the IoT practice will include experienced professionals who have been involved in the development of unique solutions for leading businesses and multinational companies.

The IoT in Kosice will be part of the IBM Client Innovation Centre, Slovakia, which will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

The IBM Client Innovation Centre Slovakia is one of the largest IBM innovation centres in Europe, said Daniel Strasser, the head of the centre.

The centre provides IT services to clients from the whole of Europe and cooperates on projects with IBM experts around the world. It was established almost 10 years ago when it was launched as a Regional Competency Centre, mainly providing the delivery of partial IT solutions for clients in the region. Based on its successful results, it became part of the Global Delivery Team, working on more complex and diversified projects from all over the world.
Last weeks general assembly of Slovenske Elektrarne did not deal with the matter.

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Questions regarding the completion of the third and fourth units of the nuclear power plant in Mochovce remain unanswered after last weeks general assembly of Slovenske Elektrarne (SE). Shareholders of the biggest generator electricity in Slovakia did not deal with this matter at all.

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The special general assembly discussed and unanimously approved transactions related to the sale and trading of electricity, said Miroslav Sarissky of SE as cited by the website dedicated to energy vEnergetike.sk, adding that it did not discuss any other issues.

It is not yet known when the shareholders will discuss the completion of the Mochovce project and its increasing budget.

The issue of the project to build the third and fourth units of the Mochovce power plant is likely to be submitted at some of the planned general meetings, said Sarissky.

The Economy Ministry also confirmed that there has not been any meeting of shareholders at the highest level, concerning the completion of the two units.

Read also:

Read also: Pressure test of the third block in Mochovce plant is a milestone Read more

The completion of Mochovce is the responsibility of the private majority shareholders and management of SE, said Maros Stano, the spokesman for the economy minister. The initiative should come from their side. The state is a minority shareholder without management powers.

In spite of repeated requests, the Economy Ministry has not yet received detailed information from SE about progress in the completion of the third and fourth units. It also lacks a guarantee that in case of a possible increase in the budget, the blocks would still be completed.

Economy Minister Peter Ziga has been expressing dissatisfaction and disappointment with the course of SE in terms of completion of the plant which is supposed to cost 5.4 billion, an increase from the original plan of 2.8 billion. However, the shareholders have still not approved the budget which has increased by roughly 800 million.

Not only the budget for the completion of Mochovce has changed several times, but also the deadlines. The latest official deadline talked about loading nuclear fuel into the third unit in 2017. The fourth unit would then be put into service a year later. When the construction of Mochovce started back in 2008, the completion dates were set at 2012 and 2013 respectively.

The Italian company, Enel, that sold half of its 66-pertcent share in SE to Energeticky a Prumyslovy Holding (EPH) last year, remains responsible for the completion of Mochovce. It also wants to sell its remaining stake in SE, but it can only do so after it completes Mochovce. The state controls 34 percent in SE.
They face 10 years in prison if convicted.

Migration crisis was one of causes for the rise in conspiracies and fake or hybrid news; illustrative stock photo (Source: AP/TASR)

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The Slovak police have pressed charges of human smuggling against two Syrian nationals with temporary stays in Germany who were caught attempting to smuggle a 23-year old-Syrian woman with two children through the Rajka-Cunovo crossing at the Hungarian-Slovak border near Bratislava last week, the TASR newswire reported.

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The police discovered that the Syrian woman and the children aged four and one had been registered as asylum-seekers in Hungary. The two alleged human smugglers, Ahmed A. and Daham A., last week picked her and the children up in front of an asylum facility in Hungary with the intention of smuggling them through Slovakia to Austria, said Slovak Police Corps spokesperson Denisa Baloghova.

The two Syrians were taken into custody and could spend as many as 10 years in prison if convicted. Meanwhile, the Syrian woman and the children have been placed in a transitory facility for migrants, pending their return to Hungary.
Forests in the Podspady and Tatranska Javorina protected areas were especially damaged.

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More than 8,500 trees or about 6,400 cubic metres of wood were broken or felled by high winds in the Tatra National Park (TANAP) during the past weekend, with financial damage to the wood alone reaching around 5,800. Apart from that, the winds damaged some of the TANAPs facilities, including fencing and signs on tourist paths.

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Especially harmed were the forests in the protected areas of Podspady and Tatranska Javorina, where the wind broke or toppled about 6,000 cubic metres of wood, said Pavol Fabian of the state forest company Statne Lesy of the TANAP as cited by the SITA newswire.

The worst hit were the mouths of the Javorova and Siroka valleys, where fallen trees blocked the road to both gamekeepers lodges. In Tatranska Javorina about 2,000 cubic metres of wood fell, while in Podpsady it was about 4,000 cubic metres. 400 cubic metres were also blown down in the protected areas of Oravice and Habovka.

Signs on hiking paths, fences and a station in Bobrovec were also damaged by wind.

Workers have been out in the terrain since Monday morning, trying to make all tourist paths accessible again, said Martina Petranova, spokesperson of Statne Lesy of the TANAP, as quoted by SITA. She added that visitors have to be careful, too.

Strong winds had already swept the TANAP and the Pieniny National Park in northern Slovakia, on February 24. At that time almost 2,000 trees, equalling 1,335 cubic metres of wood were blown down with damages costing about 3,000.

The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMU) at its station on Lomnicky Stit peak on February 24 recorded the strongest gust of wind since the facility was set up in 1951, reaching 222 kilometres per hour (61.6 metres per second), the TASR newswire reported.

Disastrous winds in 2004

The High Tatra forests were hit by extreme winds back in 2004. That year on November 19, winds with speeds of up to 230 km per hour levelled forests in the Tatra mountains, toppling the nations pride along with them. The disaster left two people dead, millions of euros in damages and Slovakias most popular tourist destination badly scarred.

In total the winds damaged 12,600 hectares of forests when it levelled about 3 million cubic metres of trees within the territory of the Tatras National Park. In following years bark beetles have damaged the remaining forests.
President Kabila is apparently still seeking to stop an election 2017. The political opposition is convinced that Kabila does not intend to fulfill the December 31 agreement (the December Accord) to eventually cede power. Foreign diplomats and local UN officials (who run the peacekeeping operation) appear to be reaching the same conclusion. Since late January Kabilas supporters have come up with more excuses for delaying national elections until 2018 (or later). Excuses include the cost of running the elections. Another is the reappearance of March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in eastern Congo. The Catholic Church brokered the December Accord between the political opposition and senior members of Kabilas government. However, political opposition leaders and UN officials both noted that Kabila himself was not personally a party to the agreement. The December Accord let Kabila remain in power until national elections are held near the end of 2017. But it appears Kabila intends to avoid holding those elections. Elections were originally scheduled for November 2016. The delays and attacks by Kabilia associates on the opposition parties have led to less unity and coordination in the opposition, which represents most of the population.

March 1, 2017: The Catholic Church in Congo is making certain diplomats and foreign journalists are aware of the increase in attacks on church property and employees. Particularly alarming was a February 18 arson attack on a seminary. On February 19 a youth gang attacked a church in Kinshasa. The Catholic Church mediated the agreement between the political opposition and the Kabila government that supposedly will lead to new elections and Joseph Kabilas removal from the presidency. The attacks look like attempts by Kabila supporters to intimidate the church. In fact a senior church leader said the church is being targeted deliberately, in order to sabotage her mission of peace and reconciliation.

February 27, 2017: Brigadier General Comes Semugeshi, former senior officer in the FDLR Rwandan rebels surrendered on February 27 and the UN will send him back to Rwanda. Semugeshi said he surrendered because of unending lies and empty promises. Semugeshi is currently a member of an FDLR break-away faction, the CNRD-Ubwiyunge that was founded in May 2016.

The government of Burundi rejected a highly critical UN report, calling it unproven allegations. The UN pointed out that current president Nkurunziza seems intent on seeking an illegals fourth term as president. Burundis internal crisis began in April 2015 when Nkurunziza decided to seek a third term.

February 24, 2017: In Congo (North Kivu province) soldiers clashed with M23 rebels and killed 16 of them and captured 68. The rebels were attempting to enter Virunga National an area rebel groups have used as a base area.

February 22, 2017: An online video recently appeared claiming to show Congolese soldiers executing 13 members of the Kamuina Nsapu militia. The summary executions allegedly occurred in the southwest (Kasai-Central province) during mid- February 2017. UN investigators said that they are looking into the clashes between the army and the militia that occurred between February 9 and February 13 and have confirmed that at least 100 people were killed. The government called the video a fake but many Western nations (who pay for the peacekeeping and other aid) want a full investigation and the U.S. did this two days ago.

February 21, 2017: In the southwest (Kasai-Central province) several parishes were attacked and looted.

February 16, 2017: The Congolese government claims that a national election would cost more ($1.8 billion to hold an election in 2017) than the country can afford.

February 14, 2017: In the southwest (Kasai-Central province) soldiers have engaged the Kamuina Nsapu militia in a series of firefights that left over a hundred dead, 39 of them women, during five days of clashes. Locals say the soldiers fired indiscriminately during firefights inside a town.

In the west (Kinshasa) police killed four people while looking for BDM rebels. Two were killed in a raid on the home of a BDM leader and arrested 22 other suspects. The BDM seeks the independence of the Bas-Congo region (western Congo). Its adherents have to renounce western and eastern religions. It also wants to revive the pre-colonial Kongo Kingdom. That would take some doing. A revived Kongo Kingdom would include parts of Gabon, Angola, Congo, and the much smaller Republic of Congo (Brazzaville).

February 12, 2017: Former members of the M23 rebels are asking the Congo government to let them leave their demobilization bases in Uganda and return to Congo. The Ugandans support the request.

February 10, 2017: Rwandas National Assembly has passed a law making Swahili the nations fourth official language. Kinyarwanda is the original national language. English and French are also used in official communications. Swahili is spoken throughout East Africa. Rwanda is attempting to modernize and liberalize its economy. The government wants to make the country an economic hub in Central and East Africa. Making Swahili an official language (for doing business) forwards that goal. (Austin Bay)

February 8, 2017: Thanks to aid from donor nations the UN peacekeeping force has enabled the weak CAR (Central African Republic) government to improve the security situation near the capital, Bangui. Still, some 2.3 million people in the country require humanitarian aid (food and medicine) supplied by donor nations to survive. Continuing chaos disrupts local agriculture. It also makes delivering aid even more difficult. The CARs chaos has evolved and now the UN peacekeepers are facing a more complex situation, particularly in the north-east and north. What was the Seleka rebel group from up there has split into several independent militias with different goals. The same thing is happening with some of the anti-Balaka militias which initially formed in 2013 to protect predominantly Christian tribes from attacks by Seleka (who are predominantly Moslem). What are the former Seleka fighting over? Two groups in the north-east appear to be fighting over smuggling routes. Some groups are fighting over local resources (a mine, in one case). Some factions may simply reflect tribal divisions. Bangui isnt totally stable -- just better than it was in mid-2016. Observers report that some former Seleka fighters remain in the capital, in predominantly Moslem neighborhoods. (Austin Bay)

February 7, 2017: A group of Congolese religious leaders has asked that all political parties in the Congo re-commit themselves to fulfill the December 31 agreement mediated by the Catholic Church.

February 5, 2017: The government is being urged to investigate the incident in the town of Kimpese (Bas-Congo province, western Congo, between Kinshasa and the Angola border). Policemen shot and killed eight members of the Bundu Dia Mayala (BDM). Locals claim 12 people were killed. The BDK members were trying to recover the body of the leader of the provinces chapter of the New Civil Society. The body was being held in a morgue. Police claimed the BDK members were demonstrators who clashed with officers.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Scientists from Russia and Singapore have created an algorithm that predicts user marital status with 86 percent precision using data from three social networks instead of one. While testing, the program identified Donald Trump, the 45th U.S. President, who is actually married, as single. According to the developers, this inconsistency arose because of Trump's abnormal activity in the media. The businessman seems to use Twitter like a bachelor. The study was reported at the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence in San Francisco.

Mathematicians from ITMO University in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and National University of Singapore found out that profiling users through several social networks rather than just one makes it possible to learn specific details about individuals. In particular, the researchers focused on such a characteristic as marital status. Combining the data from Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare, they taught the algorithm to predict this parameter with 86 percent precision, 17 percent higher than using just one social network.

The algorithm can examine any English-speaking account. To demonstrate how it operates, Andrey Filchenkov, associate professor of Computer Technology Department at ITMO University, collected and analyzed tweets of Barack Obama and Donald Trump, the 44th and 45th Presidents of the United States. Based on this data, the algorithm confirmed Obama's marital status, but concluded that Donald Trump is a bachelor. This irregularity can be explained by the fact that Trump himself does not update his social media accounts, instead employing assistants to make updates. "We all know about his wife Melania," says the researcher. "But in this case, we are studying whether all Trump's assistants are married or not. We are not guessing who Trump is, but who runs his social media."

To train the algorithm to understand the data input, the scientists analyzed the activity of users from New York, Singapore and London and created sets, or vectors, of a variety of parameters including average tweet size, the most frequent objects in the photo, check-in distribution and so on. Then developers used these vectors in basic machine learning models.

Co-author Kseniya Buraya, researcher at ITMO University, is doing an internship at National University of Singapore, where she studies approaches for describing human personality through social networks. She processes user data with this algorithm and then adapts the information to Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a scale of psychological types based on Jung theses.

The scale describes a person in terms of how he or she interacts with the world, which, in turn, is easiest to learn from social media. Buraya explains, "Many scientific sources associate a person psychological type with his marital status. So we decided to check how precisely we can predict this parameter to use it for making human psychological portraits in the future."

User profiling, according to the scientists, can have a wide range of applications. For example, recruiters can learn more about people who are applying for a job. More generally, characterizing personality through activity in social media can reveal illegal groups, as well as identify people prone to depression or suicide for related support. The authors regard the report as a basis for further work. They are going to continue the study to achieve publication in a peer-reviewed international journal.

More information: Kseniya Buraya, Aleksandr Farseev, Andrey Filchenkov and Tat-Seng Chua (2017), Towards User Personality Profiling from Multiple Social Networks. In Proceedings of the Thirty-First AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence. AAAI
"A little fill here and there may seem to be nothing to become excited about. But one fill, though comparatively inconsequential, may lead to another, and another, and before long a great body may be eaten away until it may no longer exist.

Our navigable waters are a precious natural heritage, once gone, they disappear forever," wrote the Wisconsin Supreme Court in its 1960 opinion resolving Hixon v. PSC and buttressing The Public Trust Doctrine, Article IX of the Wisconsin State Constitution.
By Venus Wu and Clare Jim HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's third most powerful leader said on Monday that Beijing had the right to "step in" to Hong Kong's leadership contest, according to local politicians who met him, in remarks fuelling fears of meddling from Communist Party leaders. The comments by Zhang Dejiang, the head of China's parliament and its leading official on Hong Kong issues, came after other officials played down rumours that Beijing was interfering in a race pitting China's preferred candidate against a more popular figure. Under laws governing the former British colony since its return to Chinese rule in 1997, autonomous Hong Kong has the right to choose its chief executive via a 1,200-strong election committee stacked with Beijing loyalists. The committee is due to vote at the end of this month to decide between two former officials and a retired judge to lead the freewheeling city of 7.3 million people. But the independence of the election has been questioned, with several election committee members telling media they had received phone calls from people with ties to the Chinese government trying to influence their votes. The head of Beijing's representative office in Hong Kong, Zhang Xiaoming, said over the weekend that allegations of intervention were only rumours. Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the National People's Congress, said it was important for the election to proceed smoothly and stressed the significance of the chief executive's role as a link between Beijing and the Asian financial hub, according to the convener of the Hong Kong delegation to the congress, Maria Tam. "It is a very important role, so the central government has the right to step in," Tam told reporters in her summary of Zhang's comments. Zhang also warned the delegation during the annual parliamentary meetings in Beijing that Hong Kong should not allow politics to dominate life in the city. He added that it was unfortunate that "street politics" had become a part of everyday life in Hong Kong while the neighbouring Shenzhen city was catching up economically. "It is quite possible that Shenzhen can overtake Hong Kong in two years," Tam cited Zhang saying. Calls to the central government's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office seeking comment went unanswered. China's Foreign Ministry, the only department which regularly answers questions from foreign reporters, declined to comment. The British government said it hoped that following the selection, discussion would resume about progressing to a "more democratic and accountable system of government". "This would support Hong Kongs continued prosperity and help protect the Special Administrative Regions rights and freedoms," a British Foreign Office spokeswoman said. Hong Kong returned to China under a "one country, two systems" formula that allows freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland. China bristles at dissent, however, especially over issues such as demands for universal suffrage. This month's election is the first since mass pro-democracy street protests rocked Hong Kong in late 2014. "EXTRAORDINARY AND OUTSTANDING" Beijing's support means former Hong Kong civil service head Carrie Lam is tipped as the favourite in the contest despite losing popularity polls to an ex-colleague, former Financial Secretary John Tsang. Tsang had previously rejected speculation that Beijing did not trust him despite his almost decade-long tenure as financial secretary. But during the meeting Zhang stressed "many times" that the next chief executive needs to be "extraordinary, outstanding" and have Beijing's trust, said Hong Kong delegate and election committee member Michael Tien. "The implication is that being a secretary for 10 years doesn't necessarily mean the person is qualified as a chief executive," Tien said. Tien added some committee members expected the Beijing leadership to make its final preference known closer to the election. The central government is legally required to officially appoint the winner of the committee's election. Another delegate, the former head of Hong Kong's legislature, Rita Fan, denied that Beijing was intervening in the race, adding it had the right to voice its opinions. "As a stakeholder, the central government has a right to express its views, and it hopes people can take its opinions into consideration," Fan said. But critics say Zhang's comments just weeks before the polls would further undermine the "one country, two systems" principle, which has come under strain, especially since the shadowy detention of five Hong Kong booksellers in late 2015. "The central government might as well just tell us directly who to vote for and we all become rubber stamps," said pro-democracy legislator and election committee member Lam Cheuk-ting. (Reporting by Venus Wu and Clare Jim; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Kylie MacLellan in London; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Family friends have confirmed that Tristan Voorspuy, a former British army officer, has been found shot dead on a ranch in northern Kenya.

Once a tourist paradise and one of the two most important conservation areas in Kenya, the northern region of Laikipia has been a tribal battleground for months.

Several Kenyans have been killed and driven off the land by invaders from the Samburu, Pokot and Masai tribes who are heavily armed and use ammunition made in government factories.

:: Sky Views: Elephant slaughter threatens the West

Mr Voorspuy, a co-owner of the Sosian Ranch, ran horseback safaris for decades with his wife Cindy.

He rode out to inspect one of three homes torched by invaders on Sunday morning amid reports that hardcore Samburu militia were still on the rampage.

His horse was found shot dead at noon and his body found a few hours later.

Mr Voorspuy, a former officer in the Life Guards, had worked hard with other locals to protect African farms against the marauding gangs.

But on Sunday night efforts to retrieve his body by his family in a pickup were met with a hail of bullets.

Three miles away, family friends said, Kenyan police numbering up to 250 with two armoured vehicles refused to intervene.

"His body has been seen by our scouts and is being held by the militia in the burned out remains of one of the three houses destroyed at the weekend," a family friend said.

The Laikipia region is a favourite safari destination with Britain's Royal Family.

It is also the most important British army overseas training area where troops prepared for combat operations across the region in facilities that cost 100m.

Tens of thousands of cattle have been driven onto Kenyan and foreign-owned ranches, alongside armed militia.

The militia is suspected of close contacts with members of parliament and government figures and there is real concern that northern Kenya is part of a failing state.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has been bitterly criticised for failing to stop the land invasions in which several Kenyans have been killed.

Story continues

Elephant, lion, buffalo and all manner of other wildlife have been cut down with machine guns by the militia.

Kenya has general elections in August when tribal violence is certain to escalate given the vast number of weapons now in circulation.

On Friday, Cindy Voorspuy said in a message to Sky News: "Archie, my son, is still in the thick of it trying to keep the peace and protecting his herders' cattle, game and staff...there will be more troubles to come...Just worry for Kenya."

Mr Kenyatta is understood to be reluctant to intervene ahead of the elections.

He was indicted by the International Criminal Court in the Hague and accused of crimes against humanity over atrocities in the 2007 elections.

The case was dropped in 2014 after the prosecution failed to produce enough evidence but they blamed witness intimidation and lack of cooperation from Kenyan authorities.
Ex-prime minister Alain Juppe said on Monday once and for all that he wont stand in Frances presidential race. He spoke to quash speculation that he could step in to replace his scandal-hit party colleague and designated conservative candidate Francois Fillon, who polls suggest would crash out of the election in the first round next month. Defeated by Fillon in party primaries, Juppe says he wont now be a Plan B, despite surveys showing his chances of success are now greater. Former #lesrepublicains candidate Alain #Juppe holds press conference: I will not stand in the presidential election. #Presidentielle2017 pic.twitter.com/MmGG1Cc3if FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) 6 mars 2017 And Juppe had harsh words for his fellow former premier, calling Fillon obstinate for refusing to step aside, despite facing an inquiry into the alleged misuse of public funds. Speaking in Bordeaux where he is Mayor,Juppe said Fillon had wasted a chance of victory. Francois Fillon had a boulevard (to the presidency) in front of him, Juppe said at a news conference. The instigation of judicial investigations against him and his defence based on a supposed plot and political assassination has brought him to a dead end. Juppe offered no alternative plan, less than 50 days from the April 23 vote. Despite his partys confidence in him fading, Fillon gathered thousands of supporters in Paris on Sunday. He stood alongside his British-born wife Penelope, who insists she did work for him. French conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon rejects demands from within his party to quit https://t.co/zxuiTa7vJm pic.twitter.com/GP3cv8YFdx AFP news agency (@AFP) 5 mars 2017 French media says Fillon is now being urged to find his own replacement, in an initiative led by ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy. Before the scandal over allegations he paid his wife taxpayers money for little work as his parliamentary assistant erupted, Fillon had been favourite to return the right to power in France, against a backdrop of high unemployment and sluggish economic growth. But now his predicted poor showing in the first round would leave centrist Emmanuel Macron to fight out a run-off vote on May 7 with far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
By Steve Scherer CARRARA, Italy (Reuters) - Italy is promising to send more migrants who do not qualify for asylum back home, either by force or with their consent, as a fourth year of mass arrivals of migrants by sea began at a record-setting pace. The number of migrants setting off to reach Italy by boat from Africa has risen more than 50 percent so far this year, after half a million people arrived during the past three years. The registration of all the newcomers and new border restrictions mean increasing numbers of irregular migrants are staying in Italy rather than moving onto wealthier Northern Europe as they have done in the past. The center-left government's push to ramp up returns is meant both to deter migrants from risking the dangerous journey and to stem criticism from far-right parties like the Northern League that are capitalizing on anti-immigrant sentiment a year ahead of a national vote. For similar reasons, the European Union's executive is pressing all 28 member states to return more migrants ahead of elections this year in the Netherlands, France and Germany, where far-right parties, which are also anti-EU, are gaining support. "The goal is to increase forced returns very significantly and send a strong message to anyone thinking of migrating to Europe," Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti said on Thursday, confirming plans to build new detention centers to keep migrants from disappearing before being deported. Italy deported 5,800 people last year and a similar number in 2015, a fraction of the 335,000 people, both refugees and migrants, who arrived during that period. But very few were sent home voluntarily, though it is a decades-old practice that is both cheaper and easier than using force, because Italy only launched its program to help those who volunteer to go home in September. So-called assisted voluntary returns do not require heavily guarded detention centers and a nightmare of red tape as with forced deportations, which also can lead to ugly scenes of people being dragged onto planes. Far more migrants in Germany and Sweden went home voluntarily last year, often with money in their pockets, than were shipped home empty handed, evidence that Italy missed an opportunity to reduce the number of irregular migrants - estimated at a half million - living here. "We were late," Minniti said of the delay in setting up an assisted returns program. Amounts and procedures for assisted returns vary from country to country but the idea is the same - that if word spreads in the countries people are setting out from that some are choosing to come home, others will not make the risky and expensive journey in the first place. HUNGRY Seydou Fall is one of only dozens of migrants in Italy to have signed up to the voluntary returns program so far. He lives near a sparkling beach in Carrara, Tuscany, but can't wait to go home to Senegal. His Italian asylum request was rejected, like more than 50,000 others last year, and he scrapes a living hawking towels on the beach in summer and umbrellas or sunglasses in winter on the streets of nearby Massa, backed by mountains streaked with white from ancient marble quarries. Life in Italy is much grimmer than he had imagined. "One has dreams, but when you see the reality here, if you are not strong, you will have problems," said Fall, 39. "I know lots of migrants who are hungry." The program will pay for his flight and he will get 400 euros ($421) in cash and 1,600 euros to invest in a livelihood at home - in his case, growing peanuts on his father's farm. Only about a third of migrants who reach Italy qualify for asylum, leaving the rest in limbo. Legal appeals to asylum rulings can take years and the economy is chronically sluggish, providing few opportunities to new arrivals. Germany, which has registered more than a million would be asylum-seekers since 2015, offers assisted returns to those unlikely to qualify for international protection in exchange for them dropping their asylum requests. Last year Germany completed 80,000 returns - half of all of those in the EU - and 70 percent were voluntary. "Experience shows that voluntary returns are most cost-effective and easier to organize," a German interior ministry spokesman said. Sweden, where a generous refugee program attracted tens of thousands of people, also had far more voluntary deportations than forced deportations after it toughed rules last year, at 16,000 compared with 2,500 forced to return home. Italy has put aside 16.4 million euros for assisted returns this year, 10 million euros more than it had planned last year. Some of this has been matched by EU funds. The German budget increased this year from 50 million euros to 90 million euros. Valeria Carlini, a spokeswoman for the Italian Council of Refugees (CIR) in Rome, which is organizing Fall's trip home, said the key to boosting voluntary returns was making migrants aware of the option. "Unfortunately, Italy has not made a big effort to publicize voluntary assisted returns," she said. "There needs to be a push to provide information in places where migrants gather - from call centers to ethnic restaurants to police stations - and it needs to be a massive effort." Germany widely advertises its program, even handing out a leaflet about voluntary returns with asylum rejection notices. Italy is now about to launch a major promotional campaign of its own, an Interior Ministry source said. "LIVING LIKE A KING" Voluntary returns might be a hard sell, unless the only alternative is forced deportation. Many migrants have paid people smugglers thousands of euros to come to Europe, and fear even worse poverty at home and the humiliation of going back with little to show. Aliou Mbaye, a 52-year-old Senegalese who sells sunglasses at a central Rome metro stop, acknowledges that life in Italy is tough. However, although he had never heard of Italy's assisted returns program, he thought he would never use it. "There's nothing for me (in Senegal). And if I went back everyone would expect me to have got rich here. They think I'm living like a king," he told Reuters. Until recently the typical profile of an immigrant who returns home voluntarily was that of Myriam Chiriboga, an Ecuadorian woman who has been living legally in Italy for 20 years and has decided finally to rejoin her family. She came to escape an abusive partner, leaving her young daughter and son in Ecuador with relatives. With the money she earned, she bought a home in Ecuador and paid for her children's education. When she returns home in March, she plans to open a pizzeria near the university in Riobamba. "I miss my children and my sister," she said. "I'm tired of spending Christmas by myself." But CIR's Carlini said the number of rejected asylum seekers choosing voluntary returns was increasing, with more than a quarter of those it handles asking to go home. "We've seen people who arrived two, three months ago and found out that Italy is much different from what they expected," she said. Fall needs no convincing. Instead of living in his dark, one-room apartment with a friend and trolling the streets for buyers of Chinese goods, "it is better to return home to the fields where you can live with dignity," he said. His message to young Africans who want to come to Europe is very simple. Don't. "I know what I'm talking about. It hasn't been easy for me. I don't have papers or a job," he said. "If they understand, they will say, 'Thank you, brother.'" ($1 = 0.9471 euros) (Additional reporting by Michelle Martin in Berlin and Karolina Tagaris in Athens and Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels; editing by Crispian Balmer and Philippa Fletcher)
ASTANA (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's parliament on Monday approved a package of amendments to the constitution to reduce presidential powers in favor of lawmakers and the cabinet, a move that could help lead to an eventual political transition. President Nursultan Nazarbayev had already endorsed the proposed changes, and they will become law once he has signed the amendments which were passed by parliament in a second and final reading. Kazakhstan, an exporter of oil and metals, is the only former Soviet republic that is still run by its communist-era leader. Aged 76, Nazarbayev has not identified a clear successor and the uncertainty has caused concern for investors. The devolution of some presidential powers could make it easier for the political elite to manage a succession by splitting key roles between different players rather than allowing one successor to concentrate power in his or her hands. At the same time, the reform is unlikely to change Nazarbayev's position as a powerful ruler. Nazarbayev said this year that the proposed constitutional reforms would allow parliament to form a cabinet which would in turn have more powers to manage the economy. Under the current constitution, Nazarbayev appoints all cabinet members. His Nur Otan party dominates parliament, which has no serious opposition parties. Following the reforms, the president will focus on strategic matters, foreign policy and national security and will serve as an arbiter between the branches of power, Nazarbayev has said. (Reporting by Raushan Nurshayeva; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Slovenia's president Borut Pahor talks during an interview with the Associated Press in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Monday, March 6, 2017. Slovenia's president says his invitation for a summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin stands. If nothing else, Slovenia is the first lady's home country. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP)  Slovenia's president said Monday his invitation to host a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin still stands despite the talk of the Kremlin's meddling in the American elections.

Borut Pahor told The Associated Press that a "tradition" of first meetings between U.S. and Russian presidents in the small Alpine state shouldn't be discarded  and Slovenia is also the U.S. first lady's native land.

In June 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush and Putin had their first face-to-face meeting in Slovenia to explore the possibility of compromise on U.S. missile defense plans that Moscow opposed.

"Slovenia has officially expressed readiness ... it is ready to be the host of this meeting," said Pahor, whose country is a member of the EU but has traditional ties with Russia. "They would be welcome in fine atmosphere."

Melania Trump  born Melanija Knavs  left Slovenia in her 20s to pursue an international modeling career.

"Probably it would be attractive for the president of the United States because the first lady is from our country," Pahor said. "I wouldn't be surprised if they decide differently, it's their decision."

Putin has said Slovenia would be a good venue, but added that it's not only up to him.

Pahor said he had "briefly" discussed the issue with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

"He was polite, but his answer wasn't final," Pahor said.

The Slovenia "tradition" was interrupted during Barack Obama's presidency. He first met Russian president Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow, where he later had his first meeting with Putin, then the premier.

Trump has been trailed for months by questions about his campaign's ties to Russia. Compounding the situation is the U.S. intelligence agencies' assessment that Russia interfered with the election to help Trump triumph over Hillary Clinton, along with disclosures about his aides' contacts with a Russian official.

Story continues

In the wide-ranging interview, Pahor also spoke about the upcoming departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union and the upcoming elections in France and Germany where right-wing populists are vying for power.

"I told (European Commission President Jean-Claude) Juncker and other of my friends in Europe that if we don't offer an alternative in a short term, there could be problems," Pahor said.

"Brexit is a historic sign that something is terribly wrong," Pahor said. "More than one half of voters (in Britain) did not recognize the solution in Europe."

He said that the Franco-German alliance remained key to any future EU plans and counted on Paris and Berlin to drive that process following elections.

"I cannot imagine what would happen if France would live the EU," Pahor said.
Kyiv has taken Moscow to the International Court of Justice over the conflict in eastern Ukraine and Crimea. In a case that started on Monday, it accuses Russia of violating UN anti-terrorism and anti-discrimination conventions. Ukraine says separatist forces, backed by Russia, have carried out terrorist acts including the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in 2014, which killed 298 passengers and crew. It also accuses Russia of illegally annexing Crimea. REMINDER: #ICJ hearings in #Ukraine v. #Russia Case open on Monday 6 March at 10 am (The Hague) https://t.co/bygSbqEo2a . Live UNwebcast pic.twitter.com/RadA1K7PDY CIJ_ICJ (CIJ_ICJ) 3 mars 2017 Today I stand before the World Court to request protection of the basic human rights of Ukrainian people, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal said on the first of four days of hearings. Zerkal requested an immediate court order to stop what she called Russias abuses until the judges have heard the case in full. The UN court takes years to hear cases. International Relations Professor Andrea Stavitskiy from the Moscow State University branch in Sevastopol, believes the ruling by the UNs highest court could be significant. All the talk about Crimeas return to Russia being a bad thing hasnt yet had any legal proof, he said. The Hague tribunal can solve that issue, giving the West a sort of legal proof of accusations that Russia is an aggressor and Putin is a tyrant. Despite Ukraines claims of Russian racial discrimination, notably against Crimeas minority ethnic Tatars, some people in the Black Sea peninsula spoke out strongly in favour of Moscow. I want the world to understand that there wasnt any annexation, said Sevastopol resident Lada Litvak. It was the legitimate will of the Crimean people. We really wanted to return to Russia and we managed to achieve it. I think the Hague tribunal should dismiss Ukraines claim, added Aza Azamatova, another resident of Crimea. But Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko took to Facebook, making no secret of his feelings on the matter. Russia has repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine. It also denies downing MH17. The UN courts rulings are final and binding. But it has no means of enforcement. with Reuters
By Andreina Aponte and Teresa Cespedes CARACAS/LIMA (Reuters) - Venezuela's leftist government on Monday called Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski a "coward" and a "dog" servile to the United States, leading Peru to respond by sending a protest note and calling in its ambassador for consultations. Kuczynski, a 78-year-old former Wall Street investment banker who won election last year, has been one of the most vocal critics in the region of Venezuela's ruling "Chavismo" movement named for late socialist leader Hugo Chavez. He particularly irked President Nicolas Maduro's government with a recent speech in the United States where he said Latin America was in general like a well-behaved dog on the carpet except for Venezuela which was "a big problem." Maduro called for an apology over the weekend, and his feisty Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez followed up on Monday with a blistering attack at an event in honor of Chavez. "He goes round, poor thing, with my respect because he is an elderly man, (like) a good dog who wags its tail at the empire and asks for an intervention in Venezuela. He's alone, going round like a crazy man, with no one paying attention," she said. Rodriguez also accused the Peruvian leader of insulting Chavez's memory during a recent summit in Colombia. "I also rose and told him, 'look, mister, you are a coward, and I repeat it here, Mr. Kuczynski, you are a coward who dared to tarnish the memory of our commander Hugo Chavez." Peru's foreign ministry said in a statement it was calling back its envoy in Caracas in response. "Such expressions are unacceptable between two states that maintain diplomatic relations," the statement said. Peruvian Foreign Minister Ricardo Luna said Kuczynski had employed "an idiomatic and metaphorical expression used in academic circles" meant to describe Latin America's lack of conflicts rather than "demonize" the region. With recent moves to the right in Brazil and Argentina as well, Venezuela's government has lost support in Latin America, although it retains strong links with fellow leftist-led nations Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador and Nicaragua. (Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Alexandra Ulmer and James Dalgleish)
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy, Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 require higher education institutions to provide an annual security report and annual fire safety report that contain crime statistics and fire statistics for the three most recently completed calendar years, institutional policies or procedures for reporting crimes and current policies concerning the security of, and access to, campus facilities and residencies, as well as security considerations in the maintenance of campus facilities.

A print copy of the most recent report is available upon request, email clery@ung.edu.
[March 06, 2017] The 29th Annual DVCon U.S. Announces Attendance Numbers, Best Paper Presentation & Best Poster Awards

LOUISVILLE, Colo., March 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 2017 Design and Verification Conference and Exhibition U.S. (DVCon U.S.), sponsored by Accellera Systems Initiative, concluded last week with attendees inspired by the many in-depth technical tutorials, panels, poster sessions and keynote address offered during the four-day program. The sold-out DVCon Exposition was a gathering place for many attendees in the afternoon to share ideas and connect with colleagues.

Overall attendance, including exhibit-only and technical conference attendees, was 775. Attendance was further enhanced by 276 exhibitor personnel that also had access to the panel sessions and keynote address, for a total of 1,051 participants. In its 29th year, DVCon U.S. 2017 concludes another successful conference, said Dennis Brophy, DVCon U.S. General Chair. DVCons popularity to the practicing design and verification engineer has led to a global expansion of the conference to four venues around the world with more than 2,000 attendees this past year. As we share best practices on electronic system design and verification, and foster discussion on current and emerging standards and technology, the DVCon conferences have become the must-attend events to learn about state-of-the-art methods. The Award for Best Paper Presentation, as voted by conference attendees, went to Stan Sokorac, ARM, Inc. for his presentation titled, Optimizing Random Test Constraints Using Machine Learning Algorithms. Second place was awarded to Eldon Nelson, Intel Corp. for his presentation, Improving Constrained Random Testing by Achieving Simulation Verification Goals through Objective Functions, Rewinding and Dynamic Seed Manipulation, and third place was awarded to Honghuang Lin, Zhipeng Ye and Asad Khan, Texas Instruments, Inc. for their presentation, Machine Learning based PVT Space Coverage and Worst Case Exploration In Analog and Mixed-Signal Design Verification. Top honors for Best Poster went to Johannes Schreiner, Felix Willgerodt and Wolfgang Ecker, Infineon Technologies for their poster, A New Approach for Generating View Generators. Second place was awarded to Daniel Hansson and Patrik Granath, Verifyter AB for their poster, Automatic Debug Down to the Line of Code, and third place was awarded to Jacob Maas, Nirabh Regmi, Ashish Kulkarni and Krishnan Palaniswami, Microsoft Corp. for their poster, End to End Formal Verification Strategies for IP Verification. We congratulate our Best Paper and Best Poster Winners for 2017, stated om Fitzpatrick, DVCon U.S. Program Chair. "When you consider the high quality of the papers and posters accepted for the DVCon U.S. technical program, being judged one of the best of the best is quite an accomplishment. We are very proud of the breadth and depth of the papers and posters submitted on such a broad range of leading-edge topics to create such an exciting conference for our attendees. I would also like to thank my colleagues on our Technical Program Committee for their untiring efforts in working with our authors to ensure that all papers and presentations provide the level of technical information that our attendees have come to expect when they come to DVCon.



Highlights of the Week: Accellera Day opened the conference on Monday morning to a packed audience eager to learn more about the emerging Portable Stimulus standard. Tom Alsop, a Principal Engineer at Intel, was recognized during the Accellera-sponsored luncheon as the recipient of the sixth annual Accellera Technical Excellence Award. He served as co-chair of the Universal Verification Methodology (UVM) Working Group for eight years and is currently chair of the IEEE P1800.2 UVM Working Group.

On Tuesday Dr. Anirudh Devgan, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Digital & Signoff Group and System & Verification Group at Cadence, delivered the keynote, Tomorrows Verification Today, and Harry Foster, Chief Scientist for Mentor Graphics, presented a special session, Trends in Functional Verification: A 2016 Study that provided some invaluable insight into the state of todays electronics industry. For a copy of either presentation, visit the DVCon U.S. homepage. There were two panels on Wednesday. The first panel, Users Talk Back on Portable Stimulus provided some lively discussion regarding how to shape and get involved in the development of the emerging standard. The second panel, SystemVerilog Jinxed Half My Career: Where Do We Go from Here? was well-attended and offered interesting perspectives on the impact of the standard. Thursday provided attendees with a full day of sponsored technical tutorials to choose from. The DVCon Steering Committee values all feedback regarding the conference. Attendees have been given a survey and are asked to provide input on how to make DVCon U.S. 2018 even better. Save the date: DVCon U.S. 2018 will be held February 26-March 1 at the DoubleTree Hotel in San Jose, California. DVCon China 2017 will be held April 19 in Shanghai, China; DVCon India 2017 will be held September 14-15 in Bangalore, India; and DVCon Europe 2017 will be held October 16-17 in Munich, Germany. About DVCon

DVCon is the premier conference for discussion of the functional design and verification of electronic systems. DVCon is sponsored by Accellera Systems Initiative, an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating design and verification standards required by systems, semiconductor, intellectual property (IP) and electronic design automation (EDA) companies. In response to global interest, in addition to DVCon U.S., Accellera also sponsors DVCon China, DVCon Europe and DVCon India. For more information about Accellera, please visit www.accellera.org. For more information about DVCon U.S., please visit www.dvcon.org. Follow DVCon on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DVCon or @dvcon_us on Twitter or to comment, please use #dvcon_us. For more information, please contact: Nannette Jordan MP Associates, Inc. 303-530-4562 [email protected] Barbara Benjamin HighPointe Communications 503-209-2323 [email protected]

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President Donald Trump and the new Republican Congress have promised a sea change in the nations energy and environmental policies, but federal reforms may face a wave of state-level resistance, plus rough tides in the energy markets.

The energy industry expects a significant boost as the Trump administration backs away from rules and regulations on climate change. That includes an end to the Obama-era clean-power plan to lower carbon emissions from coal and other fossil fuels; faster approval for oil and gas leasing, drilling and infrastructure; and a broad rollback of federal regulations and red tape.

Trumps presidency marks an historic reversal from the previous focus on climate change and global warming, said Daniel Fine, associate director of the Center for Energy Policy at New Mexico Tech in Socorro. It represents a major defeat for climate change energy policies in the U.S.

But federal efforts will meet stiff resistance nationally from opposition groups, plus ramped-up action at the state level to defend environmental policies.

Most states, including New Mexico, already have a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) in place to promote renewable energy and many are strengthening them. California, New York and Oregon recently increased their RPS mandates to require that 50 percent of all electricity comes from renewable sources over the next 10 to 20 years. Its 75 percent now in Vermont and 100 percent in Hawaii by 2045.

New Mexicos RPS requires 20 percent of local electricity to come from renewables by 2020. Two Democratic legislators, Sen. Mimi Stewart of Albuquerque and Rep. Nathan Small of Las Cruces, introduced a bill in this years session to increase that to 50 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2040. Others are pushing new oil bills, including one to increase fines, and strengthen the state Oil Conservation Divisions ability to impose penalties for oil spills and other infractions.

Gov. Susana Martinez could block those initiatives. But next years elections could change things.

Were seeing a lot more effort at the state level now, buoyed by eight years of progress under President Obama, said Rebecca Sobel of WildEarth Guardians.

Resistance could even emerge among mid-level administrators at federal agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management.

There are a lot of Obama-era holdovers at the operational level, Fine said. Many could drag their feet to slow or postpone initiatives.

Perhaps most important, market dynamics will likely push solar and wind energy forward, given the huge reduction in costs in recent years. Low natural gas prices could also stunt the revival of coal, said PNM Resources Chairman, President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn.

Despite the rhetoric about reducing regulations, reviving the coal industry is unlikely, Vincent-Collawn told the Albuquerque Economic Forum in February. Its not regulations pushing coals decline, its the market. Low natural gas prices are driving it.
WASHINGTON  Donald Trump shows us what happens when a healthy skepticism about politics gives way to a debilitating cynicism.

If democratic citizens come to see all politicians as liars, then lying can become the new norm. And those who regard their domestic political opponents as the greatest threat to the nation have little problem welcoming a foreign powers help in defeating them.

A combination of promiscuous dishonesty and an unseemly warmth toward a despotic regime may bring the Trump Experiment to a tipping point far sooner than even his most ardent critics expected.

The Russia scandal could engulf Trumps presidency because those in his orbit who engaged with Moscow stuck with lies and misdirection until their falsehoods were publicly revealed and their positions were no longer tenable. The truth had to be dragged out of them by the media, working in concert with civil servants (aka leakers) who refuse to sit by while the system they serve is endangered.

No wonder Trump hates those leakers and the press. With so many Republicans in Congress prepared to abandon everything they said about accountability before Jan. 20, 2017, journalists and those who supply them with information, as well as some courageous judges, provide the main lines of defense against executive abuses.

The Washington Posts revelation last week that Attorney General Jeff Sessions misled the Senate about his two meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak came after Michael Flynn, Trumps first national security adviser, lied about the nature of his own Russian contacts. Flynn stuck to false claims about his conversations with Kislyak until the Post and other media blew them out of the water. Flynn had to resign.

Sessions convenient memory lapse was especially jarring because it came after an inquiry from Sen. Al Franken, in which the Minnesota Democrat did not even ask Sessions whether he met with Russians.

Frankens query ended this way:  if there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of this campaign, what will you do?

Sessions replied: Senator Franken, Im not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I didnt have  did not have communications with the Russians, and Im unable to comment on it. Why did Sessions think he had to respond to a question that wasnt even posed?

And during his news conference announcing at least a partial recusal from investigations into the Russia connection, Sessions remembered many things about what Kislyak had said, but used the phrase I dont recall five times  twice about the content of a Kislyak meeting in his Senate office, twice about whether he had met with Kislyak before, and once after an exchange about Russian interference in our elections.

Given how unforthcoming the Trump apparatus has been on this whole business, Sessions has little claim to a benefit of the doubt when it comes to his cloudy recollections.

The Sessions moment was followed by new revelations of two previously undisclosed meetings with Kislyak, one involving Flynn and Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, the other with former campaign advisers Carter Page and J. D. Gordon. In the wake of Team Trumps earlier proclivity toward blanket denials of links with Russia, they now have a lot of explaining to do.

Beyond the crucial issue of how all this affects our national security, two other alarming lessons emerge from the saga.

First, a crowd that claims to place America First does not really believe its own slogan. They place only about half of America first  the part that opposed President Obama and supported Trump. When it comes to the other half, they feel only contempt.

This made it easy for Trump to compare Obama unfavorably to a foreign autocrat. Thus did he declare during the campaign that Vladimir Putin had been a better leader than Obama because Obamas not a leader. In another interview, Trump ominously praised Putin for having very strong control over a country. Ask yourself: What do such statements have to do with American patriotism as we have traditionally understood it?

Trump has also assumed that decaying public confidence in our politics means that the truth doesnt matter anymore. A leader just needs enough voters to believe the alternative facts his side invents.

If there is good news in how this story is developing, its this: Alternative facts can only take you so far. That, at least, is what we have to hope.

Dionnes columns, including those not published in the Journal, can be read at abqjournal.com/opinion  look for the syndicated columnist link. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group; e-mail: ejdionne@washpost.com.
In 1963, the New Mexico Supreme Court in Bouldin v. Sategna held that a person who left the keys in an unlocked truck in violation of a state law forbidding such an act was not liable for negligence when it was stolen and abandoned to be hit in the middle of a road. Although many courts had found negligence where theft and subsequent injury could reasonably be anticipated by a vehicles owner, the court held that the intervention of an intentional, criminal act  the theft of the car and subsequent negligent operation of it  precluded as a matter of law any finding of negligence on the part of the trucks owner. This is known as the legal doctrine of the independent intervening cause. The case had properly been dismissed outright. The law in New Mexico in 1963 was thus that negligent driving by a car thief was not to be anticipated by the owner of a car whose negligence allowed it to be stolen and could not be used to impose liability on the cars owner.

All this changed 40 years, and a revolution in the law of personal injury liability, later. Quality Pontiac in Albuquerque took in a car for repairs in 1997, telling the owner to park it in their fenced, but open, lot with the keys inside. Billy Garcia came into the lot, stole the car and got into a high-speed chase with the cops, crashing head-on into a car, whose killed occupants heirs sued Quality Pontiac. In 1997, Albuquerque had the second-highest car theft rate in the country, and between 45 and 80 percent of stolen cars had been left unlocked and that between 19 and 47 percent of stolen cars had the ignition keys left inside. The Supreme Court, noting the expert testimony, held that the Bouldin view of car theft as rare had been overtaken by Albuquerques 1997 crime statistics, making it foreseeable that an unlocked car with keys in the ignition was likely to be stolen, even from within a fenced but open lot.

Foreseeability does not itself establish a duty, though  there has to be a public policy favoring liability  and, since 1963, New Mexico had adopted comparative negligence, where wrongdoers would be held liable for damages to others in proportion to their fault. The fact that Quality Pontiac would be liable only for its proportion of the fault in Billy Garcias killing someone with the car he stole, and that Quality directed the cars owner to leave the keys in the car when it was dropped off, led to overruling Bouldin and allowing the case to proceed to trial for a jury to decide how much the car dealer was to blame. That flexibility of outcome was a just way to handle Qualitys negligence in a car-theft-ridden Duke City.

Albuquerque is again within claiming distance of being the car-theft capital of America. A van left running in a driveway at six in the morning is an attractive target  nothing has changed since 1997 about leaving keys in a running vehicle making for an attractive target. The van owners are now being sued for their proportional part of the liability in assisting two thieves to steal a van and kill two innocent women. The thieves are being charged with murder  doubtless the result of killing while in the course of a felony  and criminal liability is not an issue in suing the van owners. However, under New Mexico law, there should be no surprise on the part of the commercial entity that owns the van that they might be liable for their mistake.
Following a year of strong demand, the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority has made a strategic new hire to grow its loan products.

Jeff Payne is the senior director of homeownership, a newly created position in the organization. Payne comes to MFA following a 30-year career with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

In his new role, Payne will lead MFAs homeownership and servicing departments in order to provide affordable homeownership opportunities to low- and moderate-income New Mexicans. The position was created in response to a year of record growth at MFA. In 2016, MFA increased its mortgage loan production by 67 percent and the number of homebuyers receiving down payment assistance increased by 64 percent. Also last year, MFA launched a new mortgage servicing structure that expanded its servicing responsibilities.

Helping low- and moderate-income families find safe, stable housing that they can afford over the long term is crucial to the health of New Mexicos families and communities, Payne said. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to do this important work and I look forward to being a part of this strong organization.

As assistant vice president and branch sales manager at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Payne directed a team of home mortgage consultants throughout the area, including Albuquerque and Santa Fe. A native New Mexican, he has served on the board of directors of the Greater Albuquerque Habitat for Humanity since 2015.

The experience and knowledge Jeff brings to MFA is a perfect complement to the work we do with our statewide network of lenders and realtors, said Jay Czar, MFAs executive director. He has a passion for affordable housing and has embraced our mission. He is the right person to lead these departments as we continue to grow and expand.

Hard time for first-timers

California is the toughest state for first-time homebuyers, according to a new Bankrate.com report. Hawaii and New York round out the three most difficult states to buy your first home.

The data study evaluated all 50 U.S. states based on several factors pertaining to young adults, including home affordability relative to median income, credit availability, unemployment, market tightness and homeownership percentage among under-35 households.

New Mexico ranked No. 35.

California ranks as the toughest state for first-time homebuyers for several reasons, including low home affordability (No. 49), availability (No. 49) and under-35 homeownership percentage (No. 49), as well as high millennial unemployment (No. 41).

Iowa, on the other hand, is the easiest state due in large part to the most affordable home prices in the country.

Tight market conditions and unaffordably high prices really plague what many young Americans feel are the most desirable places to put down roots, said Bankrate.com analyst Claes Bell.

The food chain

Construction is moving forward on several new commercial buildings behind Chick-fil-A along the Paseo del Norte corridor.

One of the new tenants slated to open soon is a Blaze Pizza franchise, which has signed a lease to join the new development, as was previously reported in the Journal.

Blaze Pizza will take about 3,100 square feet in one of the three new buildings planned for the Holly Avenue project, which is marketed by Maestas & Wards Thalia Toha and Todd Strickland.

On the sweet front, the owners of the Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise also are looking at opening a second location on a retail pad near Holly and San Pedro NE.

Secure location

Nearly ready for occupancy is A-Tech Security. The companys employees will soon move into the new corporate headquarters at 4616 Hawkins NE. Rich Rosley, president of the locally owned and family-run security system monitoring provider since 1994, said investing in the new space will help the company expand its services to both residential and commercial customers.

He said A-Tech, which had outgrown its current location on Anaheim NE, competes with nationwide security companies by offering higher quality installment and security systems. A-Techs headquarters, a 7,000-square-foot metal building, is wired to the hilt so its dispatch center, which operates around the clock, can keep a watchful eye on thousands of sensors, alarms and video surveillance units.

Steve Sinovic is the Journals real estate reporter. He can be reached at ssinovic@abqjournal.com or by calling 505-823-3919.
SANTA FE  A bill to reinstate New Mexicos death penalty for those convicted of certain violent crimes stalled Sunday at the state Capitol, just five months after similar legislation was approved by the state House.

The difference?

With Democrats having reclaimed a majority in the House in last Novembers general election, there appeared to be little appetite for bringing back the death penalty, which lawmakers abolished in 2009 and replaced with life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Im obviously disappointed, said Rep. Monica Youngblood, R-Albuquerque, after the legislation she is sponsoring was tabled on a party-line 3-2 vote in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. You walk in here knowing whats going to happen.

Gov. Susana Martinez called last year for the death penalty to be brought back after a spate of high-profile crimes sent shock waves through the state.

The crimes included the death of 10-year-old Victoria Martens of Albuquerque, who police say was drugged, raped and killed by three adults, including her mother, and the killing of police officers in Hatch and Alamogordo.

However, the states Roman Catholic bishops have opposed the push to reinstate the death penalty, and several religious leaders testified Sunday against the legislation.

Others spoke against the measure, too, including a woman whose 17-year-old daughter was murdered in Kansas City in 1997.

Its never justice to kill someone, the woman, who asked to be identified as Jacqueline, told committee members. Its just revenge.

House Bill 72, the bill tabled Sunday, would reinstate the death penalty for those convicted of killing law enforcement officers, corrections officers and minors.

It was similar to the legislation approved by the House during a special session last fall. That legislation was never acted on by the Senate.

If approved, this years measure could have cost the state an additional $2.4 million in the 2018 budget year  and perhaps more in future years  due to increased legal and prison expenses, according to a legislative analysis. The bill stipulated lethal injection would be the states method of execution.

During Sundays debate, Youngblood questioned the cost estimates in the legislative analysis of the bill, noting it would merely give judges and juries the option of imposing a death penalty sentence in eligible cases.

Before abolishing the death penalty, New Mexico had executed just one inmate since 1960. That happened in 2001, when Terry Clark received a lethal injection after being convicted of raping and killing Dena Lynn Gore, a 9-year-old Artesia girl.

Dianna Luce, the district attorney in southeast New Mexicos 5th Judicial District, testified as an expert witness Sunday for the legislation, and said the states current criminal penalties are not stiff enough.

New Mexico is the best place in the United States to be a criminal, Luce said.

Nationally, theres been a movement away from the death penalty.

Nineteen states, including New Mexico, currently do not have death penalty laws on their books, and three of those states  Illinois, Connecticut and Maryland  have abolished capital punishment in the past six years, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In other action Sunday, the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee also tabled on identical 3-2 party-line votes a pair of abortion-related measures pushed by Republican lawmakers.

Votes on those bills, which are unlikely to be revived during the ongoing 60-day legislative session, came after emotional testimonials and lengthy debate. The bills are:

 House Bill 220  Would bar late-term abortions, or those done after 20 weeks of pregnancy, except for cases in which a womans life was in danger.

 House Bill 221  Would require girls under age 18 to notify their parents or guardian at least 48 hours before having an abortion.
When Albuquerque police attempted to take Henry Grier into custody on a battery charge last week, he told them hed rather hop in traffic, and when he ran into westbound lanes of Central, he was hit by a vehicle, according to a criminal complaint.

Grier, 42, was transported to a local hospital. His jail booking photo shows him wearing a neck brace.

An officer on patrol near Central and Texas saw Grier hit a woman in the face, according to the complaint.

Grier told police that hed stayed in the same room as the woman the night before and left his bag with her. The next day, his cologne was missing from his bag and the woman said that Grier accused her of taking it, police said.

As Grier was arrested, he told the officer that he should fight real crime, and that he was worried he might lose his job, according to the complaint. When the officer attempted to put Grier into his police vehicle, he said, You know what? Kill me. Id rather hop in traffic, police said.

Grier ran into the street and was hit by a vehicle, police said. He was taken to the hospital before being booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center.
The United States has seen a huge crime drop since the early 1990s. According to the FBIs tabulation of reported offenses, the national rates for violent crime, property crime and homicide all dropped by half over the past quarter-century.

You may not be surprised to learn that, in this respect as in so many others, New Mexico is an exception to the national rule. From 1991 to 2015, the latest full year for which figures are available, New Mexicos violent crime rate dropped 22 percent  which, viewed out of context, looks like a smashing success, but is less than half the national drop. We did better with property crime and murder, recording drops of 37 percent for each. Still, were dragging down the national average.

When one state stands out as such a conspicuous exception, its reasonable to ask whats different about it. As New Mexicans, were used to thinking of our state as unique in many ways, including our demographics. What, after all, do we have in common with Rhode Island or Minnesota? So maybe the most useful comparison isnt with the rest of the nation, but with the five American states that share a border with us.

As compared to Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah and Arizona, we lead the pack in every category of crime measured by the FBIs Uniform Crime Reports, except homicide, where were in second place behind Oklahoma. In all other categories, the contest isnt even close. The latest available figures show our rate of reported rape is 80.2 per 100,000 population. Arizonas rate is 45.5, Texas 44.6. Our rate of reported aggravated assault is 451.2. Colorados is 197.2 and Oklahomas is 291.9. Reported burglary in New Mexico occurs at nearly twice the rate in Utah (819.4 versus 416.2). As for car theft, New Mexico clocks in at 408.9 incidents per 100,000, Arizona at 245.8.

Now, the FBI figures must always be taken with a grain of salt. The bureau counts only offenses reported by the victim to police and then by police to the FBI. Many offenses, probably a large majority, slip through the statistical net. But unless New Mexicans are unique in our readiness to call 911, the same shortcomings are equally true of the figures from all six states. And any business person investigating whether to invest in New Mexico will be looking at those same FBI figures. Theyre widely available online. Theyre also the only reliable figures we have for state-to-state comparisons.

Ive heard anecdotally from people involved in efforts to lure new business investment to New Mexico that our crime rate is a major deterrent. The prevalence of crime is something business recruiters must try to overcome, like our geographic isolation and water shortage. But unlike those problems, our crime rate is self-inflicted and changeable.

New Mexicans tend to be fatalistic about crime, blaming it on poverty. But I think the blame game has it backward. Some 347,000 New Mexicans live at or below the poverty line, according to the Census Bureau. In recent years, weve annually produced 100-150 murderers, not all of whom are poor. Thats not much of a statistical predictor. Criminologists around the world agree that poverty on its own doesnt drive people to crime. On the contrary, it leads to victimization.

If your annual household income is less than $15,000, your odds of becoming a victim of violence are more than three times greater than for someone with an income of $75,000 or more, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey. Property crime, too, is heavily concentrated among the destitute, because they cant afford to buy security. Poverty makes us a state full of targets, not a state of predators.

Besides, while New Mexico is the second-poorest state, as measured by the percentage of the population living in poverty, Arizona is close behind at No. 9. Oklahoma and Texas are in the next quintile. All of our neighboring states except Utah have a greater number of people living in poverty than New Mexico does. Poverty by itself doesnt go very far toward explaining what makes New Mexico so much more dangerous than its neighbors.

But New Mexicos dangerousness goes a long way toward explaining why it remains so stubbornly poor. Beyond the direct cost of theft, fraud, vandalism and associated lost productivity, investment funds are diverted to the nonproductive use of paying for security. And outside investors see little reason to choose us over our five neighbors, all of whom offer bigger cities, comparable scenic beauty (well, three of them do) and vastly greater personal safety.

Crime and criminal law are business issues.

Joel Jacobsen is an author and has recently retired from a 29-year legal career. If there are topics you would like to see covered in future columns, please write him at legal.column.tips@gmail.com.
FORT WORTH, Texas  A North Texas transgender student has filed a complaint with her school district saying a teachers aide was insensitive when the aide questioned the students use of a womens bathroom.

KDFW-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2m8i2AH ) that 16-year-old Ishy Valdez and her mother have spoken with Castleberry school district officials about Wednesdays confrontation.

Valdez, whos transitioning from a boy to a girl, says she and other students were at Tarrant County College for a class when she was approached by the aide.

The teen says the aide made clear she disapproved of Valdez using the womens bathroom because the teen was born a boy.

A district administrator declined to comment.

President Donald Trump has revoked a prior directive by former President Barack Obama advising public schools to let transgender students use bathrooms consistent with their gender identity.

___

Information from: KDFW-TV, http://www.myfoxdfw.com
A new program by New Mexico State Universitys Arrowhead Center is offering help to those looking to develop innovative ideas related to agricultural technology.

The Arrowhead Technology Incubator is launching AgSprint, a five-month program designed to support innovation in agriculture, early this spring. AgSprint acts as a facilitator, connecting agricultural entrepreneurs to financing, demonstration and validation partners, academic faculty, corporate partners and more.

The ideal candidate would be someone who is very driven, seeking capital, industry connections and/or development partners, and is who is very passionate about contributing to efficiency and productivity in agriculture, said Zetdi Sloan, director of Arrowhead Technology Incubator. Ag tech applicants run the gamut from basic business operations  reducing paperwork, improving productivity and enabling e-commerce  to specialties such as drone and robotic technology for overseeing fields, moisture levels, pesticide and fertilizer usage and equipment, as well as for developing new seed varieties and predicting crop yields and commodity prices.

Sloan said that the initial three weeks of the program will follow the ICORPS model that tests the feasibility of the venture. Graduates will receive $2,000 and the necessary National Science Foundation linkage to apply for the $50,000 national ICORPS program. Additionally, applicants will be able to receive up to three micro-grants, valued at $650, to cover the expenses of professional services such as technical writing, website development, counsel on patents and technology licensing, and regulatory consulting. Those who show promise will also be invited to continue the program for the next four months. Participants are able to access the program remotely.

AgSprint is of particular importance to NMSU as the university board of regents oversees both the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

Rolando Flores, dean of ACES, said, AgSprint is a great avenue for our faculty to contribute their knowledge and expertise to advance agribusiness initiatives that can positively impact the economy of our state.

AgSprint-supported ventures will receive customized support tailored to each entrepreneurs path to business development. The deadline to apply is March 10. For more information, visit http://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu/agsprint.

NMSUs Arrowhead Center launches AgSprint program to support innovation in agriculture
LAS VEGAS, N.M.  A Highlands University cultural anthropology professor is advising the Santa Fe-based School for Advanced Research in creating a new Latino Studies Program aimed at increasing the pipeline for Latino scholars from throughout the United States.

Highlands cultural anthropology professor Mario Gonzales shared his expertise in U.S. and Mexican immigration and border issues, indigenous peoples of Mexico, Central and South America, and Hispanics of the Southwest with the SAR initiative.

Theres a lot of talent in New Mexico in Latino studies, and professor Gonzales is one of the first people we contacted for our initiative because his work is well known, said Michael Brown, president of the nonprofit School for Advanced Research. Hes recognized as an expert in the field.

Brown, who is also an anthropologist, said Gonzales insight was very useful in defining a direction for the Latino Studies Program and how it can contribute to universities in the region.

The School for Advanced Research, founded in 1907, supports advanced scholarship and creativity in the social sciences, humanities and Native American art.

Gonzales earned his doctorate in anthropology from Washington State University and joined the Highlands faculty in 2003.

As a child, Gonzales worked alongside his grandparents and parents as a farmworker in the Fresno, Calif., area. His grandparents immigrated from Mexico, and he was the first in his family to attend college.

As a Latino professor, I went through academia as a minority, he said. I want to see the next generation of Latino scholars grow and thrive, whether their ancestry is Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican or Central American, Gonzales said.

He said his heritage and personal experience as a young farmworker influenced his interest in studying indigenous cultures. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in Oaxaca, a state in Mexico known for its high population of indigenous people.

While archaeology is the field of anthropology that studies human history and prehistory through excavating sites and analyzing artifacts, cultural anthropology is the study of living peoples.

Cultural anthropolo-gists need to bridge the gap between the academic world and the general population. SAR is looking for Latino scholars whose research is grounded in peoples every day experiences from culture to politics and economics, Gonzales said.

He said an interesting parallel between Highlands and the School for Advanced Research is that the first president of both entities was Edgar Lee Hewett, an archaeologist who also founded the Museum of New Mexico.

Brown said SARs Latino Studies Program will be fully implemented in 2017 including additional scholars, public lectures and seminars.

Gonzales is a frequent presenter at anthropology and other academic conferences on border and labor issues, indigenous cultures, and migrant workers in the southwest and California, among other topics.
A sure sign of spring appeared last week as workers began diverting water from the Rio Grande into hundreds of miles of canals and ditches to start the 2017 irrigation season in New Mexico.

A healthy snowpack this year means the state should have plenty of water to run though those ditches, Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District officials said Friday.

As long as it doesnt get too hot, too soon, and all the runoff comes at once, said Mike Gonzales, an irrigation system supervisor for the district.

Cool nights and warm days would be the ideal in the days and weeks ahead to keep the snowpack intact well into the spring, he said.

The time-honored job of opening the irrigation system begins by clearing the winters accumulation of weeds, leaves and trash and flushing water through canals, laterals and acequias.

Gonzales and his crew, once called ditch riders, began their work Wednesday by releasing Rio Grande water at the Angostura diversion dam near Algodones and running water down to Albuquerques North Valley.

Over about a month or so, the crew will work its way down to the Isleta diversionary dam at the southern end of the districts Albuquerque division.

At the same time, other crews will perform the same work in three other divisions along 150 river miles that comprise the district, from Cochiti Dam in Sandoval County south to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in Socorro County.

Fat snowpacks in the mountains of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado promise a healthy runoff this spring, said Mike Hamman, the districts CEO.

On Friday, snowpack in the Rio Chama basin was at 164 percent of normal, and the upper Rio Grande basin was 145 percent of normal, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Plentiful runoff would be good news for farmers and the Rio Grande silvery minnow  one of North Americas most endangered fish  that relies on spring runoff to cue spawning, Hamman said.

Its definitely beneficial for all of us to have a good runoff, he said. Our goal is to have a really good runoff sometime between mid-March and mid-June so that we get good over-bank flows so the minnow can spawn.
SECOND IN A SERIES

Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

LAS CRUCES  On the butcher block at New Mexico State University: programs, positions, millions of dollars, the status quo.

A top-to-bottom reorganization of the university is moving from the administrative side to the colleges this semester, a potentially thorny effort that could see academic programs meshed or eliminated and schools reorganized.

The restructuring is both a product of New Mexicos broken budget and Chancellor Garrey Carruthers vision for transforming the NMSU system into a more sustainable, more efficient institution.

There have been about three-dozen layoffs and a workforce reduction of several hundred positions through attrition and retirement. Beyond that, changes have run the gamut.

They range from revamping procurement  everyone will use a single Amazon account instead of running to the local office supply store  to stripping down layers of management  some will lose power, some will gain it  to restructuring departments and rethinking the why of almost everything.

NMSU has slashed $30.5 million from its instruction and general budget over the past two fiscal years, including a 5 percent emergency reduction in appropriations required by the Legislature in a special session last fall. NMSUs I&G budget  62 percent of which is funded by legislative appropriations  currently stands at $178.1 million and is what pays for everything related to classroom instruction. Slight further cuts by the Legislature are still expected this session.

NMSUs total operating budget in fiscal 2017 is $621.8 million.

Carruthers has thus far managed the reorganization with substantial support from the Board of Regents and without significant push back. That may change as academia, too, comes under the knife.

As institutions of higher education in New Mexico face the unrelenting squeeze of reduced appropriations, falling student enrollment and limited tuition hikes, colleges and universities statewide are having to make tough decisions. NMSU may be going farther than any other large institution in the state, opting for a complete overhaul rather than piecemeal cuts.

Most leaders tend to be visionaries, Carruthers said. They see the budgets are being cut. They see the appropriations are down. They have a vision for where you have to go, but they are not the best people to solve how it is were going to get there. You have to go to the stakeholders and get them to participate.

Searching for savings

One January morning, Carruthers  whose past roles in New Mexico include governor, insurance CEO and dean of NMSUs College of Business  presided over a meeting of eight people known as Team 1. They were wrapping up the painful task of reorganizing 19 administrative offices.

That day, the Provosts Office was on the block.

NMSU Provost Dan Howard oversees an array of functions at the university, from the graduate schools to diversity programs to human resources. The Journal was invited to witness the decision-making process.

Team members tossed out questions. Why is there an assistant dean in this area? Why are we using such an old model? What is the purpose of these units? Can you back that up with metrics?

Broad sheets depicting before and after organizational charts color-code the tough decisions in pastels: orange for an eliminated position, green for a reclassification that might mean a lower salary for a new hire, purple for a reporting change that might mean that one manager loses some control while another gains it.

Carruthers stayed largely quiet in this meeting, for the most part letting the team do the talking and make the decisions. Later, at a smaller meeting of key leaders, hell give direction, explain how he wants a new team set up and who should serve on it.

You can just dictate, Im going to get rid of the chemistry department and the physics department, and were going to save a lot of money,  he said. But it wont work at all that way. You have to go back to the organization and say, This is our issue. How can we solve this problem? And that is the way we operate around here.

With the effort to restructure the administration nearly complete, now its six colleges with more than 60 departments in total have roughly six months to propose how they want to slash their budgets down to size.

Showdown ahead?

When Donald Pope-Davis became dean of the College of Education two years ago, he envisioned transforming the school into a better version of itself. He came from the University of Notre Dame to New Mexico to be a change agent, he said.

Neither Carruthers, who became chancellor in 2013, nor Pope-Davis, came to their jobs intending to lead a painful restructuring, but the realities of the states budget woes very quickly settled in. Pope-Davis is the first of the universitys deans to embark on a reorganization of the college he leads.

As part of that process, Pope-Davis plans to roll the colleges five divisions into three schools. Some programs could be scaled back or eliminated.

When I started, money wasnt the motivator, he said. It was, How do we make ourselves better? The money piece hasnt affected that substantially yet, but what it has done is forced me to ask questions slightly differently. Not just what do we want to be? But how are we going to pay for it?

Carruthers said at a December regents meeting: As difficult as this has been, we have had more cooperation and collegiality and less push back than anyone would ever anticipate, and thats because they are a caring community trying to take care of a great university.

But the lack of push back may have more to do with what hasnt happened yet: The cuts havent reached academic programs or faculty. But they will.

The faculty are monitoring it, but it hasnt hit home yet, said Stuart Munson-McGee, a food science professor, former chairman of the Faculty Senate and member of Team 1 who has worked at NMSU for 26 years. As we move forward, I expect that that will change. As we get more into how it affects what programs we offer and at what level, I think the push back will appear.

In February, in part because of the chatter around budget cuts, some members of NMSUs faculty restarted a conversation around unionizing that had gone dormant years before.

Although Carruthers has robust support for his restructuring efforts, he has been criticized by some for paying too much attention to the business side and not enough to the academic side.

The people I have heard that from, Munson-McGee said, Im not sure how much they understand about how this university really operates. Its easy to criticize when you dont know what it takes. I dont think its a valid criticism. Of all the chancellors Ive known, this one does more listening to his leadership team than any of the others.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Secrecy is the exception under New Mexicos open records law.

The Inspection of Public Records Act makes it clear that lawyers, journalists and all other members of the public are entitled to the greatest amount of information possible about the work of their government, with just a few exceptions.

But state lawmakers this session are debating whether the law goes too far.

Theyve heard proposals to keep secret the identities of applicants for government jobs, remove information that identifies victims and witnesses listed in certain police reports and shield some university research from disclosure, among others.

One measure  a proposal to limit the public disclosure of checks issued by a government but not yet cashed  has already cleared the Senate and is under review in the House.

Gregory Williams, board president of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, a nonpartisan advocacy group, said the efforts to carve new exemptions into the Inspection of Public Records Act are nothing new.

This is, unfortunately, normal, Williams said in an interview. Basically, every session we deal with several attempts to roll back public access to public records.

So far, the public records act, passed in the 1970s, has remained intact.

But records kept by public universities, in particular, are often a point of debate. Just this year, current or former university officials have testified in favor of bills to restrict disclosure of job applicants, parts of police records and research.

During a recent floor debate, Sen. Jacob Candelaria, D-Albuquerque, said lawmaking often requires an effort to balance competing interests. He is pushing to exempt from public disclosure identifying information regarding witnesses to and victims of certain crimes, such as rape and stalking.

Its not an attempt to live in darkness, he said, just because a lawmaker wants to discuss policy goals that would change the public records act.

I dont think thats healthy for democracy  to hide behind some kind of smokescreen every time a transparency question comes up, Candelaria told his colleagues in a recent meeting of the Senate.

Uncashed checks

Each proposal, nonetheless, is generating robust debate.

Sen. Bill Tallman, D-Albuquerque, didnt expect much controversy this session when he asked the Senate to support Senate Bill 158, which would prohibit disclosure of outstanding warrants on government checks that havent been cleared by the bank.

Tallman described the documents as essentially uncashed checks, and he said unscrupulous people were requesting the warrants, then altering them so they could cash the check themselves. He said he sponsored the bill at the request of state Treasurer Tim Eichenberg.

The measure passed on a 32-7 vote after significant debate.

Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, was among the dissenters. Government agencies can almost always find an excuse for why they shouldnt have to disclose information, he said, but sunshine is the better policy.

Democracy is very inefficient and messy, Cervantes said. I think we have to embrace that sometimes.

Protection vs. transparency

As the Legislature enters its last two weeks, debate over open records may intensify. Besides potential changes to the records law itself, there are other transparency debates before lawmakers this session, such as proposals to create a Public Accountability Board that wouldnt release ethics complaints unless theres a finding of misconduct and a measure that would keep customer information confidential at the spaceport.

Rep. Jim Dines, an Albuquerque Republican, spent decades working in open-records law before retiring from his legal practice. He doesnt believe the Inspection of Public Records Act is too broad.

I think its one of the best protections for our citizens to learn whats going on in the government, he said in an interview.

Candelaria said the consideration of public-records bills doesnt mean a lawmaker is anti-transparency. There are good reasons that a taxpayers private information is kept confidential, he said.

We all believe very firmly that transparency and openness are important in government, Candelaria said as the Senate debated Tallmans bill recently.

Meanwhile, Candelarias proposal on witness and victim confidentiality is ready for action on the Senate floor, though it isnt clear when it will be voted on.

Williams, the FOG president, said he understands that the sponsors of bills to scale back IPRA mean well and are trying to solve a specific problem. But their solutions are often too broad, he said, going beyond the problem they want to address.

The open records law as it stands now is a strong one, Williams said.

Our Legislature has found it important to keep our government as open as possible, he said, and thats a good thing.

A closer look at the legislation

Among the proposals triggering debate this session:

Senate Bill 149 would empower New Mexicos law-enforcement agencies to keep secret the names of victims of and some witnesses to rape, stalking and similar crimes.Sen. Jacob Candelaria, D-Albuquerque, is the sponsor. He and other supporters say it would prevent retaliation and spare rape victims from having their names made public.

The Foundation for Open Government and other opponents say it would interfere with the publics right to view police records. Without access to names, its difficult to verify the official statements released by police or gauge the strength of a case thats led to someones arrest. And media organizations generally avoid identifying rape victims when covering criminal cases.

The proposal has cleared two Senate committees unanimously and is awaiting action by the full Senate.

The Foundation for Open Government and other opponents say it would interfere with the publics right to view police records. Without access to names, its difficult to verify the official statements released by police or gauge the strength of a case thats led to someones arrest. And media organizations generally avoid identifying rape victims when covering criminal cases. The proposal has cleared two Senate committees unanimously and is awaiting action by the full Senate. House Bill 267 would exempt from public disclosure data, records or information of a proprietary nature generated by university research before the information is published or patented.

Its sponsored by Reps. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, and Carl Trujillo, D-Santa Fe.

The bill has not yet cleared its first committee. Members of the House Education Committee asked the sponsors to make the proposed exemption more narrow.

Senate Bill 93, sponsored by Sen. George Munoz, D-Gallup, would have kept secret the names of applicants for public jobs in New Mexico.

The Senate Public Affairs Committee voted unanimously to table the bill. Opponents said transparency helps build public trust and shine a light on cronyism.
SAN ANTONIO  Prosecutors say two ex-San Antonio police officers have been convicted of sexual assault for faking an undercover operation to lure women.

The penalty phase continues Monday for 31-year-old Emmanuel Galindo and 29-year-old Alejandro Chapa.

Galindo was convicted Friday in San Antonio of four counts of sexual assault, five counts of compelling prostitution and 12 counts of official oppression. Chapa was convicted of three counts of sexual assault, four counts of compelling prostitution and eight counts of official oppression.

Galindo and Chapa face up to 20 years in prison on each sexual assault and compelling prostitution count.

Both resigned in 2015 after a woman reported being sexually assaulted by an officer. Investigators say more than 20 women were told theyd get paid for assisting in a police sting.

Nobody was paid.
LAS CRUCES  A Las Cruces man who was jailed at the Dona Ana County Detention Center in 2015 claims in a lawsuit that he was battered by a jail officer and subjected to cruel and unusual punishment while incarcerated.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Las Cruces by Timothy Black, who was arrested on Nov. 27, 2015, on suspicion of resisting or obstructing a police officer. It names the jail officer, Luis Ruiz, who is still employed with the jail, as a defendant, as well as the county commission.

Following his arrest, Black had been transported to the Dona Ana County Detention Center for booking.

Blacks arrest made headlines when the jails director, Chris Barela, announced that he had launched an internal investigation against Ruiz and placed him on administrative leave after reviewing surveillance video of Blacks booking.

The video shows Ruiz pressing Black against a concrete wall. Black is standing and facing the wall with his hands handcuffed behind his back. It then shows Ruiz grabbing Black from behind and throwing him onto the ground. Black appears to lose consciousness.

As he pulled (Black) away from the wall, the lawsuit states, Defendant Ruiz threw (Blacks) body into the air and flung him downward, slamming him headfirst into the concrete floor.

Later, the video shows Ruiz pulling Black to his knees with his head limply hanging to his chest, according to the lawsuit. Ruiz then drags Black by his arm across the floor of the booking area, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit alleges that Ruiz failed to call for trained medical personnel examine Black for injuries.

Instead, the lawsuit states, Black was transported to a Las Cruces hospital via a jail vehicle, not an ambulance, and underwent numerous neurological tests, including a CT scan. The following day, he was released to the jails custody.

Blacks attorneys, Jerome OConnell and Jess Lilley, alleged in the lawsuit that Ruiz violated Blacks civil rights, specifically protections against excessive use of force and cruel and unusual punishment.

The lawsuit argues that if the court determines that Black was a pretrial detainee at the time of the incident, then his 14th Amendment was violated by Ruiz. But if the court determines that Black had been convicted of a crime at the time of the incident, then his Eighth Amendment was violated, according to the lawsuit.

Black also is suing Ruiz over state claims of battery. He alleges that he suffered pain and injuries as a result of Ruizs action, but the lawsuit does not offer much detail about the injuries.

Damian L. Martinez, the attorney representing Ruiz and the county commission, wrote in a response to the lawsuit that Blacks claims against Ruiz are barred by the doctrine of qualified immunity.

The county commission also expressly denied nearly all of the allegations in Blacks lawsuit, according to Martinezs response. He asked the court for a judgement in favor of the commission and Ruiz.

Blacks attorneys are seeking an award for compensatory and punitive damages in amounts to be determined by a jury.

U.S. Magistrate Gregory B. Wormuth has scheduled the case for trial Aug. 21 at the federal courthouse in Las Cruces, a court order shows. A final settlement conference has been scheduled for May 9 at the federal courthouse in Albuquerque.

The criminal case against Ruiz, meanwhile, is pending in 3rd Judicial District Court in Las Cruces. He was indicted by Dona Ana County grand jury in May 2016 and charged with aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm, a third-degree felony, court records show.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge and is scheduled for trial in April before state District Court Judge Douglas Driggers.

New Mexico State Police, which handled the criminal investigation, filed the initial charge against Ruiz after the Sun-News reported in February 2016 that state police had closed its case. The day after the report was published, state police reversed its position on the case, saying it was still open and that additional interviews needed to be conducted.

Ruiz remains employed at the Dona Ana County Detention Center as a jail officer, according to the countys most recent payroll data. He has worked at the jail since April 2010.

In February 2016, Black pleaded no contest to the charge of resisting or evading a police officer, court records show. He was given a 90-day suspended sentence and 30 days of unsupervised probation. He also was ordered to pay $33 in fines.

Carlos Andres Lopez can be reached 575-541-5453, carlopez@lcsun-news.com or @carlopez_los on Twitter.



2017 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.)

Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at www.lcsun-news.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

_____
JUNEAU, Alaska  The Alaska Supreme Court says a custody petition involving children from Alaska was transferred erroneously to a Texas court.

The case involved the children of John C. McDonald, a Fairbanks man who pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in the death of his wife in 2016. The couple had three young children.

McDonalds sister moved the children to Texas after his 2014 arrest. Along with other relatives, the sister filed a custody petition there without disclosing the charges he faced.

The supreme court opinion issued Friday also noted relatives of McDonalds wife werent notified.

The sister of McDonalds wife then filed a custody petition in Alaska. The judge eventually decided the Texas court has jurisdiction in the case.

But Alaskas high court said the judge based his decision on the childrens current status but minimized evidence of alleged domestic violence and consideration of Indian Child Welfare Act requirements.
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court on Monday vacated a lower courts ruling in favor of a Virginia transgender student after the Trump administration withdrew the federal governments guidance to public schools about a controversial bathroom policy.

The justices were scheduled to hear the case later this month. But after the governments position changed, the court said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit should reconsider the dispute between the Gloucester County school board and 17-year-old Gavin Grimm.

In what had been a big victory for Grimm and the transgender movement, the 4th Circuit had relied on the governments guidance that schools should let transgender students use the bathroom that corresponds with the students gender identity.

The Trump administration withdrew that guidance, which was issued by the Obama administration.

When the case returns to the 4th Circuit, the court will consider whether Title IXs prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sex extends to gender identity. The 4th Circuit deferred to the Obama administrations guidance that it did. So far, the Trump administration has not addressed that question.

Both the school board and Grimms attorneys had asked the Supreme Court to let the case proceed, saying it presented a reading of the civil rights law Title IX that the court ultimately will have to settle.

Grimm, whose birth gender was female, has become a celebrated figure in the transgender-rights community because of his lawsuit, with profiles in national media. His case was thought to be an important milestone on the issue.

While the Obama administration said anti-discrimination laws required allowing transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice, the Trump administration said it needs more time to study the issue and put forward its view of the law.

The delay in Supreme Court consideration of the issue most likely means that it will do so with a full nine-member court. Trump has nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the seat left empty for more than a year after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Grimm began attending Gloucester High School as a boy during his sophomore year. He has changed his name and has a birth certificate identifying him as a boy.

Responding to the decision, Joshua Block, senior staff attorney at the ACLUs LGBT Project and lead counsel for Grimm, said, Nothing about todays action changes the meaning of the law. Title IX and the Constitution protect Gavin and other transgender students from discrimination.

While were disappointed that the Supreme Court will not be hearing Gavins case this term, the overwhelming level of support shown for Gavin and trans students by people across the country throughout this process shows that the American people have already moved in the right direction and that the rights of trans people cannot be ignored. This is a detour, not the end of the road.

The Gloucester County School board said in a statement, On remand to the lower courts, the Board looks forward to explaining why its commonsense restroom and locker room policy is legal under the Constitution and federal law.

The case is Gloucester County School Board v. G.G.
The role and influence of the vice president, not enshrined in any law, is determined in any administration by three things: his direct relationship with the president, his building of a personal portfolio of issues, and the effectiveness of his team. When it comes to foreign policy, Vice President Mike Pence is quietly succeeding on all three fronts.

Inside an administration that is characterized by several power centers, Pence must navigate complex internal politics while serving a president who has anunconventional view of foreign policy and the United States role in the world. Pence, a traditional hawk influenced heavily by his Christian faith, is carefully and deliberately assuming a stance that fits within the presidents agenda while respecting the prerogatives of other senior White House aides who also want to play large foreign policy roles, according to White House officials, lawmakers and experts.

But Pences growing influence on foreign policy is increasingly evident. The vice president was deployed to Europe last month to reassure allies that the United States will stay committed to alliances such as NATO, despite President Donald Trumps calls for Europeans to pay more for common defense. During Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes recent visit, Trump announced that Pence and his Japanese counterpart would lead a new dialogue on U.S.-Japan economic cooperation.

The vice president seems to be building on his foreign affairs experience, finding a niche in that arena, said House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who served with Pence in Congress. He brings a level-headed steady hand to the foreign policy of the administration. Hes also building up his own team.

Inside the White House, Pence is in the room during most of the presidents interactions with world leaders. He receives the presidential daily brief. As head of the transition, he was instrumental in bringing several traditionally hawkish Republicans into the top levels of the administrations national security team, including Director of National Intelligence-designate Dan Coats, CIA Director Mike Pompeo and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Trump and Pence met with Haley last week just before the United States decided to confront Russia and the Syrian regime at the U.N. Security Council about Syrian President Bashar al-Assads use of chemical weapons. The move seems to run counter to the White Houses drive to warm relations with Moscow, but Trump decided, with Pences support, that it was important and necessary, officials said.

Pences national security team is also in place and humming. Just days after the inauguration, Pence announced that he had brought on Andrea Thompson as his national security adviser. A former military intelligence officer with extensive combat zone experience, she also worked for the House Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees. Most recently, she worked for the firm run by retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

I wouldnt say theres an ideological bent to her, shes a professional, an excellent briefer with command of the intelligence world, said McCaul.

Thompsons deputy is Joan OHara, former general counsel for McCauls committee. They lead a team of senior advisers who manage issue areas delineated by region or function, similar in organization to the National Security Council staff but on a smaller scale. Pences national security team is mostly professionals detailed from other agencies.

Pence is seen by many in Washington as a figure who might stand up for the traditionally hawkish views he espoused while in Congress, a proxy of sorts for the GOP national security establishment. But those close to Pence say his stance is more nuanced. Pence is committed to advocating Trumps foreign policy objectives, not his own, and endeavors to stay above the fray of most internal disputes.

He definitely brings a different perspective, but hes nuanced and subtle in how he engages, one White House official said. Hes adapted somewhat, at least in terms of not putting his views above those of the president.

Pence preserves his credibility with the president so it can be most effective when deployed. The chief example was when Pence personally spoke to Trump about removing national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had lied to him about conversations with Russian officials during the transition.

When Flynn was in the NSA role, there was no center of gravity where traditional Republicans could come together on policy, said Bruce Jones, vice president at the Brookings Institution. In the days since Flynn exited, Pence has occupied more of that space.

Its a tricky balancing act, but if Pence can keep the presidents trust, stay above the internal politics and build out his portfolio, he will be able to continue to increase his influence on foreign policy inside the White House and on the world stage.



Rogin is a columnist for the Global Opinions section of The Washington Post.
Even by the surreal standards set during his early weeks in office, President Donald Trumps tweets over the weekend marked a potentially dangerous turn in the course of American democracy. On Saturday morning, Trump took to his favorite social media platform and fired off a series of angry tweets aimed at former president Barack Obama, accusing him of tapping Trump Tower phones during last years election.

The charges are not supported by any evidence. On Sunday, former director of national intelligence James Clapper said there was no order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (also known as the FISA court after the law that created it) to monitor the Trump campaigns communications. That categorical denial contradicted the sketchily sourced claims made by a number of right-wing outlets  some stories also ran in British media  that a White House aide forwarded to The Washington Posts Fact Checker when asked to account for Trumps explosive claims.

Trump tweeted: Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!



Trump also invoked the Watergate scandal on top of his earlier complaint of McCarthyism, tweeting,

How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!



The Posts Fact Checker noted that even if we accepted the right-wing reports cited by the White House as fact, there still is no evidence for the claim that Obama ordered the tapping of his phone calls or for White House press secretary Sean Spicers subsequent statement citing reports of potentially politically motivated investigations.

Seemingly prompted by Trumps Twitter outburst  where, to be clear, the current president accused the former president of committing a crime  the White House has now called for a full investigation into whether its own unsubstantiated allegations are true.

Needless to say, Trumps critics are unimpressed.

This may come as a surprise to the current occupant of the Oval Office, but the president of the United States does not have the authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens, said Josh Earnest, a former White House press secretary under Obama. He accused the Trump administration of trying to distract from the controversy surrounding its alleged contacts with Russian officials.

We know exactly why President Trump tweeted what he tweeted, said Earnest to The Post. There is one page in the Trump White House crisis management playbook, and that is simply to tweet or say something outrageous to distract from a scandal. And the bigger the scandal, the more outrageous the tweet.

Earlier this year, George Lakoff, a cognitive linguist at the University of California, Berkeley, crafted a taxonomy of how Trump uses Twitter to shift the conversation from unwelcome reports and subsume the news cycle with his own agenda.

We have been here before. Just in the past month, Trump took to Twitter to float distractions on the size of the crowd at his inauguration, fear-monger over migrants in Sweden and spread baseless allegations that millions voted illegally in last years election. He tweeted his declaration that the mainstream media is the enemy of the American People. And it should never be forgotten that Trumps political career began with a lie he peddled about Obamas place of birth and repeatedly tweeted from 2012 to 2014.

Now Trump has raised the stakes even further. Observers like Russian dissident Garry Kasparov see the grim parallels to overtly authoritarian rulers. Kasparov, a staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has argued that Trump reminds him of the demagogic Russian leader. By targeting Obama, Trump is embracing an old tradition.

Kasparov tweeted: The tradition of going after ones predecessor in power is very familiar to anyone from an authoritarian regime. Purges, scapegoating, etc.

Kasparov also tweeted: One of the fixed contradictions of the strongman ethos is that he and his followers must always play the victim, even when holding power.



Trumps megaphone on Twitter, along with the right-wing media bubble that seems to envelop the White House, enables that narrative of victimization. In its first weeks, the Trump administration has found its own propaganda outlets, and has tried to undermine independent news outlets, wrote The Posts media columnist Margaret Sullivan.

Americas deep political polarization means that millions of people will believe Trumps tweets over the efforts of scrupulous fact-checkers.

Conspiracy thinking has been normalized in American politics in a way that almost nobody could have expected a year ago, wrote American political scientist Paul Musgrave. Today, it is plausible to think that U.S. politics could soon resemble cultures that most Americans once regarded as conspiratorial or paranoid.

Mahir Zeynalov, a Turkish journalist and critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wrote last year about the way both Erdogan and Trump successfully bludgeon the press to spin their own message.

The reason why the fact-checking mechanism in these societies does not work is because polarization is so high that no one believes what the other camp is saying, wrote Zeynalov. If CNN or the New York Times claims that Trump is lying, theyre immediately branded as dishonest liberal media.

That has indeed become the default response of the Trump administration in its short time in power. An editorial this past week in German newsweekly Der Spiegel delved into how such tactics eventually lead to a divided and befuddled public: The effect of all of this is that truth and lies are being blurred, the public is growing disoriented and, exhausted, it is tuning out.

The editorial also raises the connection to Erdogans Turkey: Erdogan and Trump are positioning themselves as the only ones capable of truly understanding the people and speaking for them. Its their view that freedom of the press does not protect democracy and that the press isnt reverent enough to them and is therefore useless, wrote Der Spiegel. They believe that the words that come from their mouths as powerful leaders are the truth and that the media, when it strays from them, is telling lies. Thats autocratic thinking  and it is how you sustain a dictatorship.
JOHANNESBURG  North Korean weapons barred by U.N. sanctions ended up in the hands of U.N. peacekeepers in Africa, a confidential report says. That incident and others in more than a half-dozen African nations show how North Korea, despite facing its toughest sanctions in decades, continues to avoid them on the worlds most impoverished continent with few repercussions.

The annual report by a U.N. panel of experts on North Korea, obtained by The Associated Press, illustrates how Pyongyang evades sanctions imposed for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs to cooperate on a large scale, including military training and construction, in countries from Angola to Uganda.

Among the findings was the largest seizure of ammunition in the history of sanctions against North Korea, with 30,000 rocket-propelled grenades found hidden under iron ore that was destined for Egypt in a cargo vessel heading toward the Suez Canal. The intended destination of the North Korean-made grenades, seized in August, was not clear.

A month before that, the report says, a U.N. member state seized an air shipment destined for a company in Eritrea containing military radio communications items. It was the second time military-related items had been caught being exported from North Korea to Eritrea and confirms ongoing arms-related cooperation between the two countries. Eritrea is also under U.N. sanctions for supporting armed groups in the Horn of Africa.

Discovering such evasions is challenging because Africa has the worlds lowest rate of reporting on monitoring U.N. sanctions on North Korea. Just 11 of its 54 countries turned in reports to the panel of experts last year, the U.N. report says.

African enforcement tends to be lax, Marcus Noland, an expert on North Korea at the Petersen Institute for International Economics, wrote last month, adding that North Korea may deliberately target African countries as a circumvention strategy. He said North Koreas long military involvement in Africa, and its growing interest in trade there to reduce its deep dependence on China, bring the continents relationship with North Korea into increasing conflict with tightening U.N. sanctions.

A year ago, the United States led an effort to impose the toughest U.N. sanctions in two decades against North Korea after the countrys latest nuclear test and rocket launch. African nations then were pressured to cut ties with Pyongyang, with South Korean President Park Geun-hye making a three-nation African tour to press for its isolation.

But North Korea continues to train and equip some African militaries, the new U.N. report says.

In the most striking example, Congos government received automatic pistols and other small arms from North Korea that were issued to the Central African nations presidential guard and special units of the national police.

Some of those national police units were deployed in the U.N. peacekeeping mission in neighboring Central African Republic, the report says. Neither the U.N. peacekeeping office nor Congos government responded to requests for comment on how the North Korean weapons, part of a series of shipments to Congo that included assault rifles and anti-tank mines, made their way into the peacekeeping mission.

In neighboring Angola, officials in September confirmed to the visiting U.N. panel of experts that North Koreans continued to train members of the presidential guard in martial arts, respite a warning that it was a violation of sanctions.

And in Uganda, seen as a regional security ally for the United States, North Koreas military has been training Ugandan air force pilots and technicians under a contract set to expire in March 2018. Uganda has been warned that violates sanctions, the U.N. report says.

A spokesman for Ugandas military, Brig. Richard Karemire, neither denied nor confirmed that the North Korean training continues and would not comment. Last year, under the international pressure to enforce sanctions on Pyongyang, Uganda said it was not renewing separate contracts for North Korean training of its police.

But a number of African leaders, such as longtime Ugandan President Museveni, have continued to praise Pyongyang in the fight against what they describe as Western imperialism.

The North Koreans, Museveni has declared, are friends who have helped Uganda for a long time.

___

Associated Press writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Rodney Muhumuza in Kampala, Uganda contributed.
LOS ANGELES  Dozens of police departments around the U.S. are amassing their own DNA databases to track criminals, a move critics say is a way around regulations governing state and national databases that restrict who can provide genetic samples and how long that information is held.

The local agencies create the rules for their databases, in some cases allowing samples to be taken from children or from people never arrested for a crime. Police chiefs say having their own collections helps them solve cases faster because they can avoid the backlogs that plague state and federal repositories.

Frederick Harran, the public safety director in Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania, was an early adopter of a local database. Since it was created in 2010, he said robberies and burglaries have been gone down due to arrests made because of the DNA collection.

Harran said the Pennsylvania state lab takes up to 18 months to process DNA taken from a burglary scene but with the local database authorities go through a private lab and get results within a month. He said he uses money from assets seized from criminals to pay for the private lab work.

If they are burglarizing and we dont get them identified in 18 to 24 months, they have two years to keep committing crimes, he said.

DNA is found in cells and provides a genetic blueprint unique to each person. Blood, saliva, semen, hair, and skin are among the biological clues a criminal might leave at a crime scene and investigators need only a few cells to create a profile.

Police typically get a DNA sample by swabbing the inside of a persons mouth. That sample can then be compared against others in a database to see if a match occurs.

Some police departments collect samples from people who are never arrested or convicted of crimes, though in all such cases the person is supposed to voluntarily comply and not be coerced or threatened.

State and federal authorities typically require a conviction, arrest or warrant before a sample is entered into their collections.

The local databases have very, very little regulations and very few limits, and the law just hasnt caught up to them, said Jason Kreig, a law professor at the University of Arizona who has studied the issue. Everything with the local DNA databases is skirting the spirit of the regulations.

Its unclear how many police departments maintain their own DNA databanks because they are subject to no state or federal oversight, but police in California, Florida, Connecticut and Pennsylvania have spoken publicly about their local databases. Harran said he knows of about 60 departments using local databases.

In San Diego, in addition to voluntary samples taken from adults, police officers are allowed to take samples from juveniles who arent arrested or convicted as long as they are for investigative purposes and the children sign a consent form. After the sample is taken, a police officer is required to contact the childs parent or legal guardian to tell them a DNA swab was collected.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against San Diego last month alleging the policy purports to sideswipe restrictions implemented by a California state law that bars those samples from being entered into the states DNA database.

When police officers take DNA samples from children without a court order, its hard to imagine its anything other than coerced or involuntary, said Bardis Vakili, an ACLU attorney who is spearheading the lawsuit.

I think they are trying to avoid transparency and engage in forms of surveillance, he said. We dont know whats done other than it goes into their lab and is kept in a database.

A San Diego police spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit and wouldnt provide additional information about the departments policy.

San Diego, the nations eighth-largest city, has about 1.4 million people and a very large database, while Branford, Connecticut, population 28,000, has just 500 samples in its collection.

Still, Chief Daniel Halloran said the database has helped solve crimes and eliminate other people as suspects. The department has implemented strict guidelines to ensure samples are voluntary and they do not take samples from juveniles, he said.

Its not like were pulling over motorists and asking them for DNA, Halloran said. There has to be some sort of correlation to a crime.

___

Follow Michael Balsamo on Twitter @MikeBalsamo1.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H.  The Pease International Tradeport, which features an airport, hundreds of businesses and several day care centers, has been called a textbook example of how to redevelop an air base.

But many who worked or had their children looked after there are coming to terms with a hidden risk: drinking water contaminated by military firefighting foam that contained perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs.

Exposure to the chemicals, found in scores of everyday products like nonstick cookware and stain-resistant carpet and probably occurring at low levels in most people, have been linked in animal studies to low birth weight, accelerated puberty, cancer and thyroid problems, among other maladies, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

But its far from clear how much those problems also manifest in humans. And the uncertainty isnt sitting well with the Pease parents whose children were found to have elevated levels of PFCs in their blood. Many, like Andrea Amico, Alayna Davis and Michelle Dalton, who formed the advocacy group Testing for Pease in 2015, said they have struggled to find doctors who can interpret the test results.

None of the three women can definitely say the exposure has been linked to health problems. Still, they wonder whether their childrens frequent fevers and infection might suggest the chemicals are affecting their immune systems.

My son looks like a normal 4-year-old boy. Hes active. He loves everything that 4-year-old-boys love, Dalton said. But on the inside, its a different story. His body is constantly fighting.

More worrisome, they said, is what the future holds for their children, since the chemicals can remain in the body for years.

My concern is that their long-term health will be impacted by this significant exposure that they had as small children, said Amico, whose two children attend a Pease day care and have elevated PFC levels. Ill never stop worrying about their health.

Prompted by an EPA advisory issued last year, the Air Force has investigated 190 bases for foam contamination and is treating groundwater or bringing in water at 20 bases, including Pease  a number that could grow. It is also changing the type of foam it uses.

Since 2015, New Hampshire health officials have tested the blood of more than 1,500 people  including 366 children  who worked on or lived near Pease or attended day care there. Those tested had significantly higher levels of three PFCs  PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS  than people who took part in a 2012 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also found that childrens levels of some PFCs were twice as high as those in a 2012 study in Texas that examined 300 children; Daltons son had levels four times higher.

New Hampshire has been trying to address the contamination without causing undue alarm, a challenge given that so little is known, said Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state epidemiologist.

Just because someone has these chemicals identified in their blood, it doesnt mean the chemicals are connected with past, present or future health problems, he said. We have heard from communities about individuals wanting to know long term what the exposure means for their health. Unfortunately, the science is not at a place where we can easily answer that.

Philippe Grandjean, an adjunct environmental health professor at Harvard University, said there reasons to be concerned. In a 2012 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association he conducted with several Danish researchers, Grandjean found a connection between PFC exposure in children and lower immune response to vaccines. And several studies from the C8 Science Panel found links between exposure to PFOA and several types of cancers.

As we have begun to look into the adverse effects, we have found more and more, said Grandjean, whose study examined more than 500 children from the Faroe Islands.

At Pease, a well  found to have PFOS levels of 2,500 parts per trillion, or more than 30 times the current EPA advisory of 70 parts per trillion  has been shut down. Portsmouth last year installed a system that filters and removes PFCs from the two other wells, while the Air Force is designing a groundwater treatment system for Pease that could be operational as soon as November.

Amico and other Pease families want federal authorities to fund a long-term health study of those exposed, as well as a medical monitoring program.
Emboldened by the current political climate, groups that the Anti-Defamation League identifies as white supremacist are pushing to recruit college students and plaster campuses with their message, according to an analysis by the ADL.

The Anti-Defamation League described an unprecedented outreach effort to attract and recruit students on American college campuses.

The group, which seeks to document and prevent anti-Semitism and other bigotry, has tracked 104 incidents since the beginning of the school year in September, with an apparent surge in intensity in 2017: More than half of the incidents happened since January.

After a polarizing election and intense protests over race and police violence, racist graffiti, students wearing blackface and using slurs, and other ugly incidents have been reported at colleges across the country. (There have also been a few reports which were later discredited as fabricated.)

The Anti-Defamation League attributes some of that surge to a calculated effort by hate groups.

White supremacists have consciously made the decision to focus their recruitment efforts on students and have in some cases openly boasted of efforts to establish a physical presence on campus, Jonathan Greenblatt, the chief executive officer of the Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement. While there have been recruitment efforts in the past, never have we seen anti-Semites and white supremacists so focused on outreach to students on campus.

Some of the white-supremacist tactics include flooding campus fax machines with racist fliers, hanging anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant or anti-Semitic posters, visiting campuses to talk with students, giving public speeches, and holding rallies, according to the ADLs Center on Extremism.

Incidents have happened at schools in 28 states, from Michigan to Tennessee to California to Virginia.

There have been multiple rounds of racist posters at Texas State University, said Debra Monroe, a professor who first saw some after the election that warned that words such as multiculturalism were code words for white genocide, worrying students and others on campus.

The Anti-Defamation League attributed many of the incidents nationally to three groups: Identity Evropa, American Vanguard and American Renaissance.

The ADL needs White supremacist boogeymen to stay in business, Reinhard Wolff, director of administration for Identity Evropa, wrote in an email. Were not supremacists by any means, but were not really concerned with such childish labels. Our adversaries have to resort to name-calling and buzzwords because thats all they have left at this point.

Leaders of American Vanguard and American Renaissance did not respond to requests for comment.

On American Renaissances website, they urge action, including inviting the founder to speak. We especially recommend this option to students at universities, the site says.

American Vanguards website says, The American Vanguard is a National-Socialist youth organization using direct action to fight for a White America. Using the tactics made famous by National Action, we use flash demonstrations and flyer-pasting campaigns to achieve maximum publicity.

Identity Evropas website includes this:

#ProjectSiege is the beginning of a long term cultural war of attrition against the academias Cultural Marxist narrative  If we are to be successful in combatting the current paradigm, it is imperative that we create space for our ideas at universities across the country. Speaking with students and helping them unpack some of their assumptions while gaining name recognition for our organizations are the ways in which we will create the foundation for that space. As students then begin to realize that the direction their lectures take them is based upon false assumptions by their instructors, they will begin rejecting the false narratives and begin looking to us for answers. We have found that many students are open minded and willing to speak with us.



The site explains how they work to build trust with students on different ends of the political spectrum, and noted in October that they had put up fliers and stickers at more than two dozen colleges across the country.
New Mexicans can no longer look to Amazon.com for a tax-free shopping experience.

The online retail giant will begin collecting gross receipts tax on New Mexico purchases in April, according to a spokesman for the New Mexico Taxation & Revenue Department.

The move will likely bring in tens of millions of dollars in revenue to the state, spokesman Ben Cloutier said in a written statement.

The gross receipts tax rate varies around the state. Albuquerques gross receipts tax is 7.3125 percent.

It is unclear what prompted Amazons change in New Mexico. A spokesman for Gov. Susana Martinez referred questions about the new policy to Cloutier, who said he could not comment on whether the state and company forged some kind of agreement. Amazon has not responded to Journal requests for comment.

Seattle-based Amazon has for years avoided collecting taxes in states like New Mexico where it does not maintain a physical business presence, something many have argued gives it an unfair advantage over traditional retailers.

Even such chains as Target and Best Buy have had to tax online purchases because they operate stores within the state.

But Amazon has recently been striking deals with states around the country to collect sales taxes. Similar announcements have recently come in Utah, Mississippi and Wyoming. A list at Amazon.com shows that it now collects taxes in 41 states and the District of Columbia.

Cloutier said in some states, most notably Colorado, Amazon started collecting taxes before announcing a major project. In January, the company announced it would open a fulfillment center in the Denver area.

Cloutier said New Mexico hopes for the same turn of events.

Thats what were most excited about, he said. The potential is there for more growth and not just the immediate revenue impact.

David Green, manager at Sport Systems, said the change could make a difference to local retailers.

Green said most customers at the Albuquerque sporting goods store comparison shop online  sometimes even using their smartphones while looking around the store.

The local store works to offset potential price differences by including services or other perks, like a free lift ticket to a local ski area with a purchase.

While Green said Sport Systems competition comes from other online merchants in addition to Amazon, he said Amazons new tax policy should make a difference at the store. It is especially beneficial on the sale of the newest products that no retailer, online or otherwise, is allowed to discount, he said. In those cases, the online merchants only advantage is not having to collect a sales tax.

Since Sport Systems deals in big-ticket merchandise like bicycles, a sales tax can add up quickly, Green said.

Several bills pending in the Legislature call for out-of-state online retailers, including Amazon, to begin collecting gross receipts tax from New Mexico consumers.

The provision is included in a proposed overhaul of the states tax codes on goods and services, sponsored by Rep. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, as well as in a Democrat-backed tax package that passed the House last month. That measure, House Bill 202, is sponsored by Rep. Carl Trujillo, D-Santa Fe.

Some opponents of Bill 202 argue that it would prompt other states to enact similar laws, which could disproportionately hurt New Mexicos smallest online merchants and open them up to possible audits by other states. Enacting such taxes could also send more online business overseas, said Phil Bond, executive director of the business coalition WE R HERE.

Journal Capitol Bureau Chief Dan Boyd and Assistant Business Editor Ellen Marks contributed to this story.
LONDON  A former British legislator is at the heart of the Trump administrations explosive allegation that President Barack Obama was spying on him during the 2016 campaign.

But who exactly is Louise Mensch?

For starters, the politician-turned-journalist is the writer behind an article published on the eve of the election titled: EXCLUSIVE: FBI Granted FISA Warrant Covering Trump Camps Ties To Russia.

The article, published on the right-leaning, libertarian website Heat Street, did not create much of a stir at the time. But it has come under the spotlight after Trump, in a tweetstorm over the weekend, accused Obama of wiretapping his offices during the 2016 campaign. Trump compared the alleged bugging to the Watergate scandal, but he has not offered any evidence to back up his claims.

The White House cited reports from BBC, Heat Street, New York Times, Fox News, among others to justify the claims. Former Obama administration officials and aides have denied the accusation.

After combing through these news reports, The Washington Posts Glenn Kessler concluded that the piece by Mensch in Heat Street was the most important of the lot.

In her report, published Nov. 7, Mensch says the FBI was granted a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court warrant in October giving counter-intelligence permission to examine the activities of U.S. persons in Donald Trumps campaign with ties to Russia. She cites two separate sources with links to the counter-intelligence community as evidence for those claims.

Mensch, who is based in New York, says her sources contacted her because of her outspoken backing for the intelligence community. She has, for instance, called Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who leaked classified documents, a loathsome traitor.

They gave me one of the most closely guarded secrets in intelligence, she said, referring to her sources. Speaking to the Guardian, a left-leaning British newspaper, she added: People are speculating why someone trusted me with that. Nobody met me in a darkened alley in a fedora, but they saw me as someone who has political experience and is their friend. I am a pro-national security partisan. I dont have divided loyalties.

Mensch, 45, is a force on social media and describes herself on Twitter as a Conservative. Feminist. Optimist. Patriot.

Anyone who follows her on Twitter  and more than 170,000 people do  knows that she is not a Trump supporter and has been probing Trump-Russia links for some time.

Her name also appeared in the hacked emails of John Podesta, the former chairman of Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. In an email she sent to the Creative Artists Agencythat was forwarded to Podesta, Mensch described herself as a committed Republican who was concerned about a Trump presidency and offered a suggestion for campaign ad for Clinton.

On this side of the Atlantic, Mensch is best known for her stint as a Conservative lawmaker and for her work as a successful chick-lit novelist under her maiden name, Louise Bagshawe.

She resigned as a lawmaker in 2012, saying it proved impossible to balance the needs of my family. The mother of three moved to New York to live with her husband, Peter Mensch, the manager of Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Although she served as a member of Parliament only for two years, she quickly became a high-profile figure, partly because of her leading role in a parliamentary committee investigating phone hacking at Rupert Murdochs News of the World tabloid.

Mensch was one of four Conservative lawmakers on the committee who refused to endorse the panels conclusions. The committees description of Murdoch as not a fit person to run a major international company, Mensch said, was partisan and unjustified. She also apologized to the broadcaster Piers Morgan after falsely accusing him of admitting to phone hacking.

Mensch regularly featured in the news when she was a politician. She was once contacted by an investigative journalist who claimed to have pictures proving that she had taken drugs in a nightclub in the 1990s with the violinist Nigel Kennedy.

Mensch responded by saying it was highly probable and apologized for her dancing.

Since I was in my twenties, Im sure it was not the only incident of the kind; we all do idiotic things when young. I am not a very good dancer and must apologise to any and all journalists who were forced to watch me dance that night at Ronnie Scotts, she said.

She works as an executive for News Corp., a media company owned by Murdoch. She helped to launch Heat Street last year but left that role in December and is focusing on creating digital media projects for the company.
The organizers of the massive post-inauguration womens marches have called on female workers to stay home from work on Wednesday, raising concerns among some supporters of the burgeoning feminist movement that the burden of the protest will fall too heavily on the poor.

The debate about A Day Without A Woman has been simmering on social media and flared in North Carolina last week, when the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools superintendent decided to cancel classes for March 8 because so many staff members plan to participate.

While some applauded the school districts decision, which they praised as a gesture of support for its overwhelmingly female staff, others criticized it for suddenly forcing many parents to either stay home to care for their children or find  and pay for  backup care.

Deborah Gilgor, 57, a home-based day-care provider in Chapel Hill, said she will not be taking the day off even though she is a passionate supporter of the new womens movement and has taken part in five protests in five states since the presidential election. She said that choosing not to work would have a direct impact on some of the parents who send their children to her center.

If I dont work, they dont work, and if they cant work, they dont get paid, Gilgor said. I just thought I would have a bigger impact being here for the kids than not.

Organizers anticipated concerns about the event, which is planned to coincide with International Womens Day and is designed to draw attention to the critical role women play in the labor force. It also aims to create pressure for policies such as equal pay for equal work and paid family leave.

To make it more inclusive, they urged women to take the day off only if they feel they can, and they are encouraging alternate actions, such as wearing red in solidarity on the day of the strike and refraining from spending money except at women-owned businesses.

Linda Sarsour, national co-chair of the Womens March, said the strike is also a way to continue the momentum the marches created. More than a million people gathered in Washington and around the country the day after President Donald Trumps inauguration, and many participants said it was their first time protesting.

Organizers wanted to introduce those who are newly politically active to different protest strategies, including sending post cards to legislators and hosting huddles or informal conversations about their activism goals.

The idea of the strike  its another strategy, Sarsour said. It was not going to be comfortable for everyone.

Historically, the people at the forefront of labor strikes have not been from among the most privileged, she said, citing hourly pay workers who have fought to raise the minimum wage and farmworkers who have left the fields to fight for worker protections.

They risked their jobs, and they had big wins, Sarsour said.

Similar strikes have been carried out in recent weeks by bodega workers and taxi drivers in New York, and for a Day Without Immigrants, which saw some schools and businesses close or work with skeleton staffs as immigrant workers took the day off.

But the chasm between the haves and have-nots is creating tension within the feminist movement. A half century ago, women were uniformly shut out of many careers. The decades since have seen widening inequality between educated women who have benefited from new career opportunities and a growing class of low-wage workers who have not.

Among the goals of the new wave of feminist activism are the expansion of worker protections that many professional women already have, including a living wage, paid family leave, and fair schedules.

On Twitter, some said they plan to strike for those who cant.

#IStrikeFor my grandmother who cant be there . . . she was a maid for many years who didnt get the benefit of promotions and raises one person tweeted.

Another wrote: #IStrikeFor all the unrecognized ways women drive our economy. @domesticworkers & caregivers take care of us; who cares 4 them?

Others said they would not be striking because they work in health care or do not want to leave their employers in a lurch. They instead pledged to wear red or otherwise show their solidarity for the strikers.

Mercy Morganfield, regional leader of the Womens March on Washington in the District of Columbia, said it is not just low-wage workers who feel unable to strike. Many Washington area residents who took part in the Jan. 21 march are federal employees and are nervous about the prospect of a strike.

A lot of people are afraid of what this administration will do, especially for protesters, she said. There is such fear around this issue.

The group told march participants in a letter not to worry if they cant strike. This is for people who can afford to do it and people who are not afraid of losing their jobs, Morganfield said.

For restaurant workers, who live on tips, the only way to get paid is to go to work, so missing work is difficult, said Saru Jayaraman, co-director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, which represents 25,000 restaurant workers.

She said hundreds are planning to attend a Women Workers Rising rally outside the Department of Labor on Wednesday afternoon, organized by her group and others, including unions representing teachers and domestic workers.

I have never seen workers so motivated to participate in these kinds of actions, she said.

In Chapel Hill, the schools superintendent told parents that his decision to close schools was not politically driven. A school district spokesman said Jim Causby polled his principals in advance of the strike and got a shock: approximately 400 of the districts 2,000 employees are planning to participate.

While Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools values and supports its female employees, the decision to close schools is not a political statement, Causby wrote in a letter to parents. It is entirely about the safety of students and the districts inability to operate with a high number of staff absences.

Alyssa Minshall, 38, whose two children attend Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools and who owns her own toy-making business, said she supports the strike and appreciates the school districts decision to close. She noted that some parents have offered free child care for others who cannot take the day off.

I completely understand the ones who have a really difficult time. But at the same time, I look at it as we have snow days and other things that come up that are unexpected, she said. I love all the women that work in the school and they make such a huge sacrifice, so I was so glad the school district supported their voice and didnt make it hard for them.
On his first day as Interior secretary last week, Ryan Zinke sent a stern email on ethics to his 70,000 employees, warning that I expect us to do better after a pattern of lapses in judgment by a few employees.

Days before his swearing-in, the agencys watchdog published an investigation that disclosed a pattern of sexual harassment by a senior law enforcement official. How the alleged misconduct is addressed will test just how committed Zinke, the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress are to holding accountable employees who break the rules.

The law enforcement official, Tim K. Lynn, a senior executive in charge of Interiors Office of Law Enforcement and Security, acted inappropriately toward six women, touching, hugging, text-messaging and flirting with them at the office and discussing inappropriate subjects, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendalls office reported last week. The women either work for Lynn directly or have worked with him and were not named in the report, which is standard procedure.

Lynn, a former law enforcement officer with the U.S. Forest Service and Secret Service, was recently promoted to senior executive in his current job leading the Interior law enforcement office, which acts as a liaison to the agencys other enforcement agencies.

An agency spokeswoman said the department is reviewing Lynns case to decide what action should be taken. A top Republican lawmaker says that a decision should already have been made.

This person should be fired and should have been some time ago, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Affairs, said of Lynn. This is a new administration. If you want to send the right message, show zero tolerance and fire these people. Its inexcusable.

When confronted by investigators, Lynn denied the allegations, telling them that touching people was in his nature and he had not intended to make [the woman] uncomfortable, according to the report. He acknowledged that he had occasionally touched the woman and talked with her about personal subjects.

Investigators provided graphic detail about one of them, a direct report who told a high-level supervisor about Lynns allegedly unwanted behavior.

She described Lynn as a touchy-feely type [of] guy who would brush against her arm, squeeze her shoulders, administer reflex checks to her knees and occasionally wink at her during meetings, investigators found. At first she did not tell anyone about these actions since she was new in the office and wanted to see if they were just part of Lynns personality or something more, the report said.

Then last summer, the woman started to document the encounters because they made her more uncomfortable. Lynn came into her office once when she was alone, put his head on her shoulder and rubbed her hair, she said. Then he joked that she was looking at porn. She said she was not.

Another time, the woman said Lynn told her, Im going to tell you something very, very private, then showed her a Facebook photograph of a woman he said was his dental hygienist and told her that his hygienist wanted him to be her sugar daddy.

She told investigators Lynn asked her if she had ever dated anyone she worked with. He once saw her in the office icing her leg after a bike ride, asked her if she was hurt, and then said, Do you want me to be like your daddy and kiss your boo-boos all better for you? When she declined, he continued, investigators said. Whats the matter? Did your daddy never kiss your boo-boos for you? he said. When she told him his comments were weird and uncomfortable, he replied, Im so sad that your daddy never kissed your boo-boos for you.

Lynn once offered to have the woman stay at his house if she needed time away from her roommates.

The five other women who said Lynn harassed them came forward in interviews with investigators. Lynn admitted to some of his alleged actions toward them but said he had not meant to make the women uncomfortable.

He said that he probably did touch the employees, but not in a sexual way, the report said. Lynn told us that if he had tried to hug someone and they indicated that they did not want a hug, he would have respected that.

Lynn did not return an email seeking comment. The Interior public affairs office did not respond to several requests to reach out to him for comment.

Zinke spokeswoman Heather Swift, in a statement, said: We are reviewing the matter outlined in the IGs report to determine appropriate further action. The Department takes allegations of inappropriate behavior and retaliation very seriously and is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where every employee is treated with respect.

Investigators presented their findings to the Obama administration in late fall, a person with knowledge of the case said. After the woman reported Lynns behavior to a high-level supervisor, Deputy Assistant Secretary Harry Humbert, Humbert immediately counseled Lynn, telling him his behavior was unprofessional. The woman told investigators that after the counseling, the harassment stopped  but that Lynn openly criticized her in a meeting in what she says was retaliation.

Lawmakers in both parties have pressed for stronger action against such misconduct by federal employees. The Lynn case follows several high-profile sexual harassment cases at the National Park Service that have prompted congressional hearings and an agency-wide survey of Interior employees. The survey, prepared by the outgoing Obama administration to gauge how widespread harassment is, is ongoing, and the results will not be made public until the summer, officials said.

Few employees have been punished at Yosemite National Park or Canaveral National Seashore, where the inspector generals office found a culture of sexual harassment in reports last year. An investigation of similar allegations at Yellowstone National Park is scheduled for release soon. The employees involved at Yosemite and Canaveral were allowed to retire or reassigned.

Interior has been dogged by other recent ethics issues that include a book deal by the former Park Service chief that was not reviewed by the agencys ethics office; an apparent violation of federal law by a top Fish and Wildlife Service official who worked a side job as treasurer of a state wildlife regulators group that works closely with the agency; and the hiring of a relative and girlfriend by the director of the Bureau of Indian Education.

Republicans in particular have argued that these lapses require a faster path to holding employees accountable. President Trump, on the campaign trail, decried misconduct in the federal bureaucracy and pledged to take harsh action against misbehaving employees.

Chaffetz said he spoke with Zinke in recent weeks as the Senate was considering his nomination about what the Oversight committee felt was an area of great concern at Interior.

Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a watchdog group that has called on the Park Service to dismiss several employees accused of misconduct, said the Lynn case could require action from Zinke himself since his leadership team is not yet in place.

At the moment, there are very few people between the secretary and Tim Lynn, Ruch said. This case is arguably more in Ryan Zinkes hands than it would be six months from now.

Ruch noted that previous Interior secretaries, including Sally Jewell under Obama and Dirk Kempthorne under George W. Bush, made similar pledges to punish employees who violated ethics rules.

Kendalls office referred the Lynn case to officials at the Justice Department, but they declined to pursue criminal charges.
PHOENIX  Authorities say a man has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in the death of his wife at their west Phoenix home.

Phoenix police announced Monday that 45-year-old Jaime Silerio-Orozco has been booked into jail.

Its unclear if he has a lawyer yet.

Police say 42-year-old Maria Del Refugio Soto was found stabbed numerous times Sunday night and declared dead at the scene.

They say Silerio-Orozco initially told officers that he had seen someone running from the couples home, but he later admitted involvment.

Police say the couple has two children, but neither was home at the time of the incident.
AUSTIN, Texas  Texas has benefited from the North American Free Trade Agreement more than anywhere else in the U.S. and should defend the pact against attempts by Donald Trumps administration to undermine it, officials from the state and Mexico said Monday.

Rolando Pablos, the Texas secretary of state, and Carlos Gonzalez Gutierrez, Mexicos consul general in Austin, spoke to legislators during a hearing at the state Capitol. The comments underscore the dilemma facing many top Republicans who dont want to openly defy Trump but oppose some of the anti-Mexican trade policies he has advocated.

Pablos said Texas-Mexico trade accounts for nearly $200 billion annually and that there is a shared destiny through deep family and cultural connections.

It is so crucial that we continue to strengthen ties, said Pablos, who was appointed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in January and traveled to Mexico City last week to reassure officials there is no stronger partnership than the one between Texas and Mexico.

Gonzalez Gutierrez said that since NAFTA was negotiated in 1993, U.S.-Mexico trade increased six-fold to $584 billion in 2015. He said his country is now the leading trade partner for 25 states but Texas is in a completely different league.

If Texas is the biggest winner in NAFTA, Texas must be its No. 1 champion, Gonzalez Gutierrez told state lawmakers, adding that if the agreement collapsed the U.S. would lose exports to Mexico worth a total of about 1.3 percent of the value of the nations gross domestic product  but Texas would sustain losses equal to 6 percent of its statewide gross domestic product.

It is imperative for Texas to take the lead and frame the terms of the debate around NAFTA, Gonzalez Gutierrez said.

Some state leaders have expressed concerns about dismantling NAFTA, Trumps plan to build a wall along the nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border and a GOP plan in Congress slapping a 20 percent tax on all imported goods.

The potential damage to the Texas economy is catastrophic, Rep. Rafael Anchia, a Democrat from Dallas, said Monday.

Gonzalez Gutierrez said Mexico isnt opposed to renegotiating NAFTA, especially to update agreements on energy, the service sector and Internet-based commerce, as well as exploring whether U.S. insurance companies can facilitate medical tourism where Americas head to Mexico for cheaper health care. But Trump has gone well beyond suggesting simple tweaks, calling the agreement the worst trade deal ever approved in this country.

John Cornyn, the Republican majority whip in the U.S. Senate, used an op-ed last week to urge the new administration to improve, not scrap, NAFTA.

Trade has been a cornerstone of the Texas economy, with no partner more important than Mexico, Cornyn wrote.

Other red states have worried about an economic tailspin the White Houses anti-NAFTA rhetoric could spark, including in Arizona, where Sen. John McCain has said hes deeply concerned about any plan renegotiating the pact.

Such jitters stretch beyond the border, too. Mexican Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo was in Detroit last week opposing import tariff plans. Auto executives and economists there worried that major NAFTA changes, or stiff tariffs, would wreak havoc on the industry, which relies on parts-supply and auto-assembly factories in Mexico thanks to NAFTA.

Still, some Texans said they want to give Trump the benefit of the doubt  for now.

I feel confident that, at the end of the day, Texas trade with Mexico will be protected, state Rep. Tan Parker, a Republican from Flower Mound, outside Dallas, said Monday. Really, what were seeing at this point is early dialogue on this topic.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Texas-Mexico trade accounts for nearly $200 billion annually.
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WASHINGTON  It would have been impossible to imagine a year ago that the Republican Partys leaders would be effectively serving as enablers of Russian interference in this countrys political system. Yet, astonishingly, that is the role the Republican Party is playing.

U.S. intelligence services have stated that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the intention of swinging it to one side. Knowing how cautious the intelligence community is in making such judgments, and given the significance of this particular finding, the evidence must be compelling. At the very least, any reasonable person would have to conclude that there is enough evidence to warrant a serious, wide-ranging and open investigation. Polls suggest that a majority of Americans would like to see such an investigation carried out.

Its important at this time of intense political conflict to remain focused on the most critical issue. Whether certain individuals met with Russian officials, and whether those meetings were significant, is secondary and can eventually be sorted out. The most important question concerns Russias ability to manipulate U.S. elections. That is not a political issue. It is a national security issue. If the Russian government did interfere in the United States electoral processes last year, then it has the capacity to do so in every election going forward. This is a powerful and dangerous weapon, more than warships or tanks or bombers. Neither Russia nor any potential adversary has the power to damage the U.S. political system with weapons of war. But by creating doubts about the validity, integrity and reliability of U.S. elections, it can shake that system to its foundations.

The United States has not been the only victim. The argument by at least one former Obama administration official and others that last years interference was understandable payback for past American policies is undermined by the fact that Russia is also interfering in the coming elections in France and Germany, and it has already interfered in Italys recent referendum and in numerous other elections across Europe. Russia is deploying this weapon against as many democracies as it can to sap public confidence in democratic institutions.

The democracies are going to have to figure out how to respond. With U.S. congressional elections just 20 months away, it is essential to get a full picture of what the Russians did do and can do here, and soon. The longer the American people remain in the dark about Russian manipulations, the longer they will remain vulnerable to them. The longer Congress fails to inform itself, the longer it will be before it can take steps to meet the threat. Unfortunately, the present administration cannot be counted on to do so on its own.

Theres no need to ask what Republicans would be doing if the shoe were on the other foot  if the Russians had intervened to help elect the Democratic nominee. They would be demanding a bipartisan select committee of Congress, or a congressionally mandated blue-ribbon panel of experts and senior statesmen with full subpoena powers to look into the matter. They would be insisting that, for reasons of national security alone, it was essential to determine what happened: what the Russians did, how they did it and how they could be prevented from doing it again. If that investigation found that certain American individuals had somehow participated in or facilitated the Russian operation, they would insist that such information be made public and that appropriate legal proceedings begin. And if the Democrats tried to slow-roll the investigations, to block the creation of select committees or outside panels, or to insist that investigations be confined to the intelligence committees whose inquiries and findings could be kept from the public, Republicans would accuse them of a coverup and of exposing the nation to further attacks. And they would be right.

But it is the Republicans who are covering up. The partys current leader, the president, questions the intelligence communitys findings, motives and integrity. Republican leaders in Congress have opposed the creation of any special investigating committee, either inside or outside Congress. They have insisted that inquiries be conducted by the two intelligence committees. Yet the Republican chairman of the committee in the House has indicated that he sees no great urgency to the investigation and has even questioned the seriousness and validity of the accusations. The Republican chairman of the committee in the Senate has approached the task grudgingly. The result is that the investigations seem destined to move slowly, produce little information and provide even less to the public. It is hard not to conclude that this is precisely the intent of the Republican Partys leadership, both in the White House and Congress.

This approach is not only damaging to U.S. national security but also puts the Republican Party in an untenable position. When Republicans stand in the way of thorough, open and immediate investigations, they become Russias accomplice after the fact. This is undoubtedly not their intent. No one in the party wants to help Russia harm the United States and its democratic institutions. But Republicans need to face the fact that by slowing down, limiting or otherwise hampering the fullest possible investigation into what happened, that is what they are doing.

Its time for the party to put national security above partisan interest. Republican leaders need to name a bipartisan select committee or create an outside panel, and they need to do so immediately. They must give that committee the mission and all the necessary means for getting to the bottom of what happened last year. And then they must begin to find ways to defend the nation against this new weapon that threatens to weaken American democracy. The stakes are far too high for politics as usual.



Kagan is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a contributing columnist for The Washington Post.
Congress is pushing to overturn as early as this week regulations that outline how states must carry out a federal law that holds public schools accountable for serving all students.

Leaders of the Republican majority claim that the rules, written during the Obama administration, represent an executive overreach. Democrats argue that rescinding the rules will open loopholes to hide or ignore schools that fail to adequately serve poor children, minorities, English language learners and students with disabilities.

The debate comes as Republicans are making a sweeping effort to roll back regulations finalized in the last few months of Barack Obamas presidency. GOP lawmakers say that in this case they are targeting actions under Obamas Education Department that contradict legislative intent when the school accountability law was passed in 2015.

We said to the department, You cant tell states exactly what to do about fixing low-performing schools. Thats their decision. This rule does that, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, chairman of the Senate education committee, said in a statement last week. And we said to the department, You cant tell states exactly how to rate the public schools in your state, but this rule does that.

Democrats say President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos appear to be giving states too much deference on education issues.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the education committee who helped negotiate the 2015 law, said repealing the regulations would be a devastating blow to students across the country and would throw state and district planning into chaos at the very moment when they had started to settle into the new law.

The regulations are meant to outline what states must do to meet their obligations under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the successor to the 2002 No Child Left Behind law. The Republican-led House voted last month to undo the regulations via the Congressional Review Act, which allows lawmakers to veto a rule they dont like. But the CRA would also prohibit the Trump administration from issuing a new rule that is substantially similar.

The Senate could vote on the measure as early as this week, and it needs only a simply majority to pass. Republicans are confident that they have that majority, according to a GOP aide. But at least one Republican, Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, has said he plans to oppose the repeal, saying that the regulations provide important protections for students who have too often been forgotten.

If the bill reaches Trumps desk, he is expected to sign it, leaving a regulatory void and injecting uncertainty into state efforts to comply with federal law.

The current law is far less prescriptive than its predecessor and leaves states largely in charge of deciding how to evaluate elementary and secondary schools and want to do when they fail. But the law also includes important civil rights guardrails meant to ensure that subgroups of students  such as those with disabilities, or those who are poor  dont slip through the cracks.

Obamas regulations sought to provide more detail and clarity than the statutory language. They outline what information must be included on annual school report cards sent to parents and the public, define what it means for a group of students in a school to be consistently underperforming, and lay out a timeline for state interventions at struggling schools.

Republicans say the administration went too far, creating some rules that either had no basis in the law or conflicted directly with it.

We wrote a very specific law saying the states are in charge, said Rep. Todd Rokita, R-Indiana, speaking on the House floor after introducing the resolution to roll back the resolutions. Here we have a federal agency inserting itself, not just interpreting law, but actually making law and taking us in the exact opposite direction that all of us intended.

A coalition of civil rights advocates and business leaders, including the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are urging Congress to leave the regulations in place, saying they provide important clarity and certainty for states.

One of the most-debated parts of the law says that schools must test at least 95 percent of eligible students each year, a provision meant to ensure that schools dont encourage low performers to stay home on test day as a way to inflate average scores.

The ascent of the opt-out movement, in which parents refuse to allow their children to take standardized tests as a way to protest the emphasis on testing, has created politically charged questions about how states should handle schools that dont meet the participation requirement.

Both the law and the regulations allow states to decide what to do about those schools  but the regulations specify that the consequence must be severe enough to force schools to come into compliance.

Many Republicans and the nations largest teachers unions argued that the Obama administration created this requirement to punish schools out of thin air. But civil rights advocates said that without meaningful consequences, the 95-percent rule  critical for ensuring that schools are held accountable for their students true performance  would be meaningless.

There will be districts and schools with a strategic incentive not to have certain kids tested, said Gini Pupo-Walker of Conexion Americas, a group that advocates for Latino families in Tennessee and is part of a statewide coalition advocating for educational equity.

Many states are deep into designing new school-accountability systems based on the regulations. The first wave of applications are due to the Trump administration on April 3, leaving officials little time to retool their applications if Congress revokes the rules.

Chris Minnich, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, said in the absence of regulations, states will need DeVos to quickly and clearly explain what is expected of them.

In the end, whats most important is that the secretary be clear with the states about whats next, Minnich said. States are already planning, they have good plans in place, theyre starting to come together  and we cant have this slow them down.

DeVos told states last month that deadlines for submitting applications wont change despite the turmoil. She promised to offer further guidance in the near future. One of my main priorities as Secretary is to ensure that States and local school districts have clarity during the early implementation of the law, she wrote.

Some state education chiefs welcome the overturning of the rules, saying it will give them more flexibility and would not derail the work already underway. But others said they fear that the rollback opens the door for some states to design lax systems that dont help identify and fix poorly performing schools.

I certainly hope that states dont have a blank check here, said Mitchell Chester, commissioner of education in Massachusetts.

The two major teachers unions were both critical of the regulations when they were finalized in November, but have since charted different courses. The National Education Association, the largest, has not taken a position on whether Congress should repeal them. But American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on Thursday urged senators not to overturn the rules, saying that they struck a decent balance between flexibility for states and protections for equity and financial accountability.

Some conservatives also oppose a wholesale rollback, arguing that some provisions actually provide more flexibility to states than the law itself.

Mike Petrilli of the right-leaning Thomas B. Fordham Institute argued that rather than repealing the regulations, Congress should allow DeVos to determine which rules her department will not enforce. Over time, he suggested, the department could officially revise the rules to exclude those that are particularly offensive, without losing the ones that are helpful.

Senate Republicans have a sledgehammer; Betsy DeVos has a chisel, Petrilli wrote on Fordhams blog. They should let her use it.
Clayton Yeutter, a blunt-talking Nebraska farmer and head of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange who advocated for free markets while serving Republican administrations as U.S. Trade Representative and secretary of Agriculture, died March 4 at his home in Potomac, Maryland. He was 86.

The cause was metastatic colon cancer, said his wife, Cristena Bach Yeutter.

In addition to his Cabinet-level jobs overseeing trade and agriculture in the 1980s and early 1990s, Yeutter served brief stints as chairman of the Republican National Committee and as President George H.W. Bushs chief domestic policy adviser.

Yeutter, who had a law degree as well as a PhD in agricultural economics, derived considerable political influence from his unassailable party loyalty, his skill as a pragmatic negotiator and his formidable knowledge of agriculture policy. He had grown up in the Midwestern dust bowl during the Depression, was once named one of the countrys outstanding animal husbandry graduates and operated his familys 2,500-acre cattle and corn farm in central Nebraska.

He had, the New York Times reported, the voice of a hog caller, and he was sometimes described as aggressively candid in his manner. In 1987, he sparked a diplomatic furor amid open-trade negotiations between the United States and Canada.

Im prepared to have American culture on the table and have it damaged by Canadian influences after the free-trade agreement, Yeutter, then serving as chief U.S. trade negotiator, said at the time. I hope Canadas prepared to run the risk, too.

Prime Minister Brian Mulroney said Yeutter was stunningly ignorant of Canadian sensitivities and fears regarding the accord with its southern neighbor and its potential impact on Canadian cultural identity.

The agreement moved forward anyway, and Yeutter was said to have remained in the Reagan administrations good graces, having benefited from a strong rapport with Treasury Secretary James A. Baker III, among others in the presidents inner circle.

Yeutter (rhymes with fighter) began his political rise in 1966 helping to elect Norbert Tiemann, R, as Nebraska governor and serving as his chief of staff for two years. In 1972, he served as Midwest regional director of President Richard M. Nixons reelection campaign, while also climbing within the Agriculture Department ranks.

As assistant secretary of Agriculture for international affairs, he helped persuade the European Economic Community to withdraw for the first time some of its agricultural subsidies in what was dubbed the cheese war.

It made some of the Common Markets agricultural ministers very unhappy, he later said.

He later switched to the Trade Representatives office, serving from 1975 to 1977 as deputy special representative for trade negotiations. For the next eight years, he was president and chief executive of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, one of the worlds largest futures markets and where he pushed to expand international operations.

In 1985, President Ronald Reagan tapped him as U.S. trade representative. Over the next four years, Yeutter helped pass a nonprotectionist trade bill through Congress, oversaw the completion of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement, and negotiated with the Japanese to open their markets to the American computer chip, citrus and beef industries.

Despite his ardent support of free markets, Yeutter was willing at times to flash the might of American protectionism when other countries  Italy, Japan and South Korea, in particular  were hesitant to engage in fair competition practices.

President George H.W. Bush named Yeutter to lead the USDA in 1989. Two years later, he was selected RNC chairman. He succeeded Lee Atwater, the hard-edge, blues-loving political consultant who had made his name in negative advertising. Atwater was also dying of brain cancer, and Yeutter struggled to revive an organization beset with financial difficulties and a splintering party.

Yeutter criticized many in his party who denounced Bush for violating an earlier pledge for no new taxes. We have a lot of ideologues who never accomplish anything, he said at a committee gathering. Its great to be pure, but if that means that one doesnt achieve anything, then there isnt a whole lot of regard for ideological purity.

A year later, Yeutter was brought into the White House as a presidential counselor on domestic policy. Bush lost reelection in 1992, and Yeutter became a senior adviser at the Hogan Lovells law firm, where he worked until 2015. He also held corporate directorships at ConAgra, the farm equipment manufacturer Caterpillar, the computer chip maker Texas Instruments and British-American Tobacco, among other businesses.

Clayton Keith Yeutter was born in Eustis, Nebraska, on Dec. 10, 1930. At the University of Nebraska, he received undergraduate (1952) and a law degree (1963) as well as a doctorate (1966). He served in the Air Force in the 1950s and remained in the Reserve for 25 years.

He became interested in international trade while directing his alma maters agricultural and technical assistance program in Colombia in the late 1960s.

His first wife, Jeanne Vierk, whom he married in 1952, died in 1993. Two years later, he married Cristena Bach. Besides his wife, of Potomac, survivors include four children from his first marriage, Brad Yeutter of Lincoln, Nebraska; Gregg Yeutter of Omaha; Kim Bottimore of Vienna, Virginia, and Van Yeutter of Chevy Chase, Maryland; three daughters from his second marriage, Victoria Yeutter, Elena Yeutter and Olivia Yeutter, all of Potomac; nine grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
MIAMI  A mother and daughter who hid $2.4 million cash in diapers and baby towels when returning to Miami from the Dominican Republic pleaded guilty to running a $20 million Medicare scam through their Miami-Dade home health care agencies.

Mildrey Gonzalez, 62, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of health care fraud. Milka Alfaro, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of wire fraud.

They will be sentenced in May.

Gonzalez already is serving a three-year sentence handed down in February after pleading guilty to bulk cash smuggling in or out of the United States. Though both womens luggage contained the cash on Jun. 4, the mother of the pair took the sole rap.

Prosecutors suspect the cash was part of a plan to get liquid financially and leave the country, following the path of many accused Medicare fraudsters.

Instead, the two were indicted last June.

According to the court file, they owned seven businesses that claimed to provide home health care services to Medicare beneficiaries: MA Home Health Agency, Golden Home Health Care, Metro Dade Home Health, Nova Home Health Care, Homestead Home Health Care, Fintech Home Health and Inar Home Care Service. But they paid others to front as owners of all except Inar.

From 2011 until June 2016, the pair built a faux customer base by bribing and paying kickbacks to patient recruiters to refer Medicare beneficiaries to them, including some that didnt qualify for home health care. Payoffs to doctors and other medical professionals bought prescriptions for home health care and patient referrals. All Medicare money paid to Gonzalez and Alfaro for those patients, about $20 million, count as fraudulent.

Alfaro admitted she told underlings to create corporations into which she and her mother could pour the Medicare money. Both violated the court system by trying to tamper with prosecution witnesses, specifically trying to convince co-conspirator Luis Luzardo to say money they gave him during the scheme was a loan instead of payment.

The asset lists on their financial affidavits to the court left off certain properties owned. Alfaro tried to claim she had $700 to her name.
SANTA FE  A bill aimed at shielding victims and witnesses in rape and other related cases  by creating a new exemption in New Mexicos open records law  cleared the Senate on Monday without dissent.

The legislation was amended to be more narrow before the 40-0 vote on Senate Bill 49, which sent the measure on to the House with 12 days left in the ongoing 60-day session.

However, the director of an open government advocacy group that opposes the bill said he never received a copy of the changes before Mondays vote took place.

Peter St. Cyr, executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, also called the legislation an anti-transparency bill.

Police reports by their very nature are public reports, and the names are an essential element because it allows for scrutiny of the allegation and adjudication for all sides, St. Cyr told the Journal after the vote.

But Sen. Jacob Candelaria, D-Albuquerque, the bills sponsor, said the intent of the measure is to give rape victims the same privacy rights  by having their names redacted in police reports  as the suspected perpetrators.

Under the change to the bill, the names of victims and witnesses would be made public only if criminal charges are filed. The bill would apply to cases of rape, intent to commit rape and aggravated stalking, among other related crimes.

They must have some degree of privacy and legal protection until charges are filed, Candelaria said of victims during debate on the Senate floor.

He also said he had tried in good faith to respond to critics of the bill and address their concerns.

Another legislator, Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, D-Albuquerque, shared a personal story on the Senate floor.

He said his wife, then a University of New Mexico student, fought off an attempted rape about 15 years ago. He said the suspect in the case was Robert Howard Bruce, a serial rapist also known as the Ether Man, who was arrested in Colorado in 2009.

Ivey-Soto said he believes his wifes name still appears in police reports connected with the case, adding, I just think people need to have dignity.

The proposal is backed by the University of New Mexico, Equality New Mexico and a coalition of groups that address sexual assault.

UNM came under criticism last year from federal investigators, who identified several flaws in how the university responds to sexual assault cases. Among other findings, the U.S. Department of Justice criticized UNM for blaming women for putting themselves in dangerous situations by drinking alcohol.

The Journal  like other media outlets generally  doesnt identify the victims of rape or domestic violence while reporting on criminal cases, even though the names are in public documents.
Omsin lived in a pond in a town near the Gulf of Thailand, where her very presence was believed to bring good fortune.

Many people came to toss her money, as custom held that the turtles long life would rub off on those who shared their wealth.

Over the years, Omsin was gifted hundreds of coins to bring good karma.

Being a huge reptile with no concept of tradition, she ate them.

Omsin is Thai for piggy bank  the name given to the green sea turtle last month by scientists and veterinarians who rescued her at the point of death, shell bulging, infected, barely able to swim for all the fortune shed swallowed.

Reverence had nearly destroyed Omsin; technology was her only hope.

We dont know how or when Omsin first came to the pond in Sri Racha, but she would hardly be the first turtle to undergo a ritual that long predates the best of advice of modern wildlife experts.

The tradition of mercy release dates back more than a thousand years, according to National Geographic  to a Buddhist leader who told fishermen theyd earn good karma by releasing their catches into artificial ponds. By the late 20th century, the New York Times noted, mercy releases were filling Central Park with shop-bought turtles.

Combine that with another tradition  described in a Fox News report about a pair of Thai turtles in a Chinese zoo, plastered in bills and coins by people who thought the offerings would bring them longevity.

The turtles often get the worst of such traditions, experts say. So last month conservationists brought two dozens turtles from Sri Racha to veterinary scientist Nantarika Chansue  Thailands leading turtle rescuer. Chansue had been freeing turtles from filthy ponds for 15 years  ever since a monk asked her to help those dumped around his temple, she once told the Bangkok Post.

Through her rehabilitation center, Chansues team had rescued thousands of the animals.

But shed never seen one like Omsin before.

Im not sure how to handle this, she wrote on Facebook in early February, after setting the turtle in a pool at her university, only to watch it flop in circles and nearly drown.

People raised money for a CT scan, which revealed the problem: an egg-shaped clump, seven inches on the side, glowing silver in the scan.

Or 11 pounds of slimy black coins pressing against the walls of Omsins belly.

Its torture for animals after they eat the coins people throw into ponds, Chansue explained to the outlet Khaosod. Instead of getting merit, you actually commit a sin.

Now the turtle had the best of Thailands knowledge on her side. At Chulalongkorn University, a team fed Omsin nutritional supplements and prepared her for surgery to remove the coins.

But Chansue sounded grim about her chances. Besides coins, Omsin had swallowed a fish hook.

The operation finally came last week. It was harder than expected.

More than half a dozen surgeons and assistants hoisted the 130-pound turtle onto a table, put her under and strapped her down.

They cut a hole into her shell to get to the coins, Khaosod reported, but couldnt reach them.

They had to cut into her stomach, the outlet wrote, making sure not to tear the delicate lining of the turtles abdomen.

Omsin was under the knife for seven hours.

Slowly, carefully, the vets filled a bucket with coin after coin  Thai coins; foreign coins; coins so corroded that their provenance could not be known.

Total: 915 coins, each one supposed to be a blessing.

Folklore holds that a giant Thai turtle can live 1,000 years, Fox News reported during the zoo incident. Thats a vast overestimate, and Omsins coin addiction nearly did her in at an estimated age of 25.

But by the end of the surgery, splayed out on her shell with stitches in the air, Omsin could look forward to many more decades.

If she gets through months of recovery and physical therapy, that is.
WASHINGTON  Several Senate Democrats want to know if the Secret Service is running background check on visitors to President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort.

The seven Democrats led by Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island are asking Secret Service Deputy Director William J. Callahan about the procedures in place for Trump properties when the president is there and apparently conducting business.

The Democrats ask if WAVES (Workers and Visitors Entry System) is being implemented at the resort in Palm Beach or at other properties like Trump Tower in New York City.

Visitors to the White House are, as a matter of routine, required to provide personal information including birthdates and birthplaces, as well as Social Security or foreign ID numbers before getting access to the building and grounds.

If not, what other steps are being taken to conduct background checks people who will be present during President Trumps trips to Mar-a-Lago? the senators wrote in a list of questions for the Secret Service. Is the Secret Service considering extending these systems, or any other security screenings, for Trump Tower, Bedminster, or other Trump properties at which the President may spend time conducting official businesses? If not, why not?

The White House announced that Trump dined Saturday night at Mar-a-Lago with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, along with White House Counsel Don McGahn and top advisers Stephen Millen and Steven K. Bannon

President Trumps conduct of official business at private property to which some members of the public have access appears to be unprecedented in recent times, the seven senators wrote to the Secret Service. While we appreciate that every President has the right to some privacy when not in the White House, this President has invited members of the public, who in many cases have paid significant amounts of money for access to him, to watch official business be conducted and has in some cases sought their advice during these breaks from Washington.

Along with Whitehouse, Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Thomas R. Carper of Delaware, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Tom Udall of New Mexico and Ron Wyden of Oregon signed the letter to Callahan.

Joseph Clancy, who had been the director of the Secret Service, retired effective last Friday.

In a separate letter to Trump also dated Monday, the same group of Democratic senators also ask whether he plans to continue the Obama administration policy of releasing White House visitor logs.

Continuing President Obamas transparency policies would help dispel concerns that the wealthy and the well-connected have unfair access to your White House, they wrote.



2017 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Visit CQ Roll Call at www.rollcall.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

_____
WASHINGTON  The Homeland Security Department is considering separating children from parents caught crossing the Mexican border illegally, Secretary John Kelly said Monday.

Kelly said such a move would be part of a broader effort to discourage families from making the dangerous trek across Mexico to the U.S. border.

He confirmed that hes considering the action during an interview with CNN Monday. The plan had previously been reported by several news outlets.

Tens of thousands of parents and children fleeing violence and poverty, mostly from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, have been caught crossing the border illegally in recent years. Generally, the families are detained for a few days or weeks before being released into the United States to wait for an immigration judge to decide their fate.

I would do almost anything to deter the people from Central America getting on this very, very dangerous network  going through Mexico, Kelly said during his television interview.

Homeland Security officials have been trying to curb the flow of families since 2014 when a flood of both children and families overwhelmed immigration officials. The department launched a public relations campaign in Central America to warn about the dangers and advise families that there would be no free pass into the United States.

The Obama administration opened multiple detention centers that year, in part to deter others from crossing, to house families while immigration judges and asylum officers heard their cases

But a federal judge in California later ruled that detaining children violated a long-standing agreement that bars the government from detaining children in a jail-like setting, even if they are with their parents. That ruling prompted the government to start releasing families into the U.S.

With a backlog of more than half a million cases, it can take years for a case to be completed in federal immigration court.

Leon Fresco, who led the Justice Departments Office of Immigration Ligation under President Barack Obama, said the government has been considering such a move since that federal court ruling.

Kelly said if families are separated at the border, the children will be well-cared for by government officials.

___

Follow Alicia A. Caldwell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/acaldwellap
As per BARC Indias revised Universe Estimate, in Week 8 of 2017 (February 18-24), CNN-News18 was among the top three channels in the English News space, recording 404 Impressions (000s) sum [All India (U+R): NCCS AB : Males 22+ Individuals].

BARC India last week released its weekly viewership data basis a revised Universe Estimate (UE), which is based on the results of Broadcast India Survey. With the new UE, Week 8 has seen a significant increase of 18 per cent in Total TV viewership in the country. Total TV impressions have grown from 22.7 billion in Week 7 to 26.7 billion impressions in Week 8.

For the Budget Day 2017 (February 1) coverage, CNN-News18 was reportedly the No. 1 English News channel in Megacities with a 32.4 per cent channel share.

In conversation with Adgully, Radhakrishnan Nair, Managing Editor, CNN-News18, speaks about the channels growth strategy, factors influencing the news broadcast space in India today, catering to a digitally savvy generation and more. Excerpts:

What are the key factors driving CNN-News18s strategy to maintain its competitive advantage?

The people who do the story  the anchors, the reporters  need to know the subject really well. There has to be domain expertise so that people know that the person speaking about the subject knows what he is talking about. It needs a lot of research and better understanding of the subject, which is why we are building our team of researchers. In the long term, research and people with such expertise will help us differentiate and be credible. We have the most creditable information than any other news channel, which is a very important factor and we have worked very hard on it, it does not come just like that.

Where are you envisaging the next level of growth to come from for CNN-News18?

The news market has to evolve in smaller towns. There has to be an increase in interest in English news in smaller towns of this country. There are a lot of regional or local language news channels for such places. We are explaining news to a new, younger and non-understanding audience. For instance, people in smaller towns will also want to know about Donald Trump. So, we know how to explain to people about him and what effect he has on their lives.

We need to reach out to more and more audiences and the language space has to be expanded. Thats the way to gain more audience rather than fighting for the same pie and figuring out a way to reach more audience for English news channels. Thats a challenge for us and the entire news industry to figure out.

How would you describe the current broadcast news landscape in India?

The current landscape is very focused on regional media, because more and more people are watching news in their mother tongue. Credibility is still a problem, because most of the media is landing into vested interests and political parties, and I think people are not being served in that purpose. Our effort is to reach our audience through regional language channels as well to ensure better process & system and better standards so that people trust the news that they have seen.

Digitals influence on print has been all pervasive. How is digital redefining the broadcast news space?

Most of the journalists now are not just television journalists as because of the development of digital and social media they can now connect to people more than they used to do in the traditional way. Our television journalists are also creating their own brands on social media platforms like Facebook Live and are extending their television brand.

What does the road ahead look like for the news broadcast space in India? What would you consider as the opportunities and challenges?

Digital is now the new way of reaching out to people as people are now communicating on digital platforms. The second screen is becoming very important and it is a critical part of the communication. We should be able to provide news at all platforms needed and reach out to different people. Digital is a new medium which younger people are tuning into and television is watched by a comparatively older audience. So, if your target audience is 20-30-35, most of them are consuming news on their mobile phones. They are not buying newspapers or watching television, but consuming everything from Facebook, Twitter and social media platforms. We need to learn and we are doing so in the process of processing and designing news for such an audience. Also, the attention span of such individuals is very less as they dont want to read long 10-paged articles, they will just go through it for 2, 3 or 5 minutes and I think the industry needs to adapt to this. The revenue equation, where the money is coming from television and print, will move to digital.

What has been your strategy to cover the Assembly elections this time round? How different has it been from the previous coverage?

In India, almost 20 per cent of the country votes every year, it becomes an annual thing. There is not a single year for news channels that goes without elections. Election is the best time for every news channel to bring out its best reporting power. There are two kinds of reporters to an election; a news channel at the time of elections will have a strong set of reporters on the ground for such political reporting. CNN-News18 has a history of having really strong reports on the ground. The second kind are those sitting in the studios at Delhi and giving an analysis of what is happening. We have around 12 of our own reporters and around 30 on the network who visited almost every constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, and Manipur, even to places where not everyone sends their reporters to. At any point of time we had 5-6 reporters travelling to different parts of UP, covering it phase wise. We have done a lot of programming, which does take a while.

Please elaborate on the association with Gramener for this election season. How has it provided an edge to CNN-News18s coverage?

Gramener is known as worlds best data analytics company in terms of election data analysis. We had associated with them for the 2014 General Elections as well. In the last Assembly Elections, they had associated with another channel and had also participated in the American Presidential elections. They are by far the best data analytics company. We have good understanding of ground reporting, but for us to understand the numbers we needed somebody to help us with segregation of data. Also, pre-elections is not just counting days, but using data analytics to decipher the data for a larger number of people. We have it at the click of a button, which many other channels will not have. The data might be available with everybody, but it isnt easy to summon that data when you need it. So here we are enriching information to the people of this country by making orderly available data, some inputs and the graphs. On the voting day once the results are out, we can tell you what has happened and why the election happened to be this way, why did X party win and why did Y party lose; what, where and why things are happening.
Maharashtra celebrated the birth anniversary of its most beloved poet Shri Kusumagraj as Marathi Bhaasha Diwas on February 27, 2017. Extending the celebrations, prominent political leaders of the country hailing from Maharashtra came together today to express their love for Marathi Bhaasha and their beloved state Maharashtra. On this auspicious occasion, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Chairman - Essel Group, Dr. Subhash Chandra also released the Marathi Edition of his best-selling autobiography 'The Z Factor - My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time' as his small contribution towards the Marathi language. The glittering ceremony held at the ITC Grand Central Hotel in Mumbai was graced by eminent politicians including Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Govt. of India, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Honourable Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Sharad Pawar, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and Shri Prithviraj Chavan, Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Stalwarts from the Marathi Film & Television industry including Madhur Bhandarkar, Sonali Kulkarni, Manoj Joshi, Sai Tamhankar, Sunil Barve, Mahesh Kothare and Sidharth Jadhav, were also present at the function.

The English edition of Dr. Chandras best-selling autobiography was launched by Shri Narendra Modi, Honble Prime Minister of India in January 2016 followed by the launch of the Hindi edition by Shri Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, in September 2016. The book has greatly influenced the minds of students and aspiring entrepreneurs across the country, encouraging them to pursue their dreams and ambitions.

Paying a tribute to the city of Mumbai and Marathi culture, Dr. Subhash Chandra said, While Haryana is my janmabhoomi (homeland), Mumbai is my karmabhoomi (land of work). After living and working in Mumbai for the last 35 years, I feel that I have been accepted as a Maharashtrian. Mumbai is the land of dreams, where like me, millions of people strive to make their dreams come true. At Essel Group, it has always been our endeavour to preserve and promote the true essence of Marathi culture through our various ventures such as Zee Marathi, Zee Talkies, Zee Yuva, Zee 24 Taas and our Marathi films like Natarang, Fandry, Killa,Lay Bhari, Natsamrat and Sairat. I am extremely grateful and humbled by all the encouragement and support that this wonderful city has bestowed on me.

This week, on February 27th, the birth anniversary of renowned Marathi poet, Kusumagraj, Maharashtra celebrated Marathi Bhaasha Diwas. The Marathi translation of my autobiography The Z Factor is a small contribution from my side to Marathi bhaasha (language), culture, identity and tradition, Dr. Chandra further added.

While unveiling the Marathi edition of 'The Z Factor - My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time',

Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Govt. of India said:

My association with Subhashji has extended for over 30 years. His most striking feature is that he never hides behind his words. It was on my recommendation that he stepped into the infrastructure sector. However, for one road project, I felt that he would lose Rs. 250 crores, so I recommended him not to continue with that project. He then told me that once I have put my hand into a project, I will see it into completion, whether or not there is any loss. And with this resolve and determination, Dr. Chandra has completed more than 2000 kilometres of road projects in the country over the years. If the youth of our country take challenges like Subhashji, then our nation would touch new heights.

Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Honourable Chief Minister of Maharashtra said:

Subhash Chandra is a person who has shown us that a common man can do extraordinary work. It is a miracle that Subhashji came to Delhi with only Rs. 17 in his pocket and now he has established such a successful empire. He has accepted all the challenges in his life. Essel World is also a big example of his great vision. Subhashji has challenged established companies and has got success. He has referred to his failures in his autobiography with full honesty and without any hesitation.

Shri Sharad Pawar, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra said:

When I read his book, I got to know various aspects of his personality. The most important aspect of his life is that he is never scared of challenges, he faces all the problems with full determination. We are proud of such a great man. Overcoming all difficulties and obstacles, Subhashji has established ZEE as a successful brand. He also has been elected to the Rajya Sabha on his own strength.

Shri Prithviraj Chavan, Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra said:

Subhash Chandras life is a direct inspiration. Each youth and Marathi person must read his autobiography. Subhashji left his education mid-way but he never got defeated. Even today with his busy schedule, he manages to share his experiences with students and guide them for a better life.
Nellie Cashman

Ellen Nellie Cashman (1845 - Jan. 4, 1925), better known as Nellie Cashman, became very well known in the western frontier of the United States and Canada as a restaurateur, businesswoman, Roman Catholic philanthropist and gold prospector.

A native of Ireland, she and her sister were brought to the United States as young children by their mother about 1850 to escape the poverty of the Great Famine. The girls were forced to work at a very young age to support the family.

Nellie established her first boarding house for miners in British Columbia during the Klondike Gold Rush, The boarders were asking to donate to the Sisters of St. Anne in return. While in British Columbia, she led a rescue of ten miners in the mountains.

Moving to Tombstone, Arizona in about 1880, Cashman built the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and participated in charitable activities. In the late 1880s, Cashman set up several restaurants and boardinghouses in Arizona. Evidently, the money needed to set-up these restaurants was financed by her successful gold mining while in British Columbia.

With a business partner she co-owned and ran a restaurant and hotel in Tombstone called Russ House, now known as Nellie Cashmans. It has become a popular legend that when a client once complained about Cashmans cooking, fellow diner Doc Holliday drew his pistol, asking the customer to repeat what he had said. The man said, Best damn food I ever ate.

Her sister Fanny (Cashman) Cunningham was widowed in 1881, following the death of her husband Tom, a bootmaker. Nellie arranged for Fanny and her five children to move to nearby Tuscon, Arizona. Fanny died in 1884 of tuberculosis, leaving her children in Nellies care. Honoring her sisters wishes, Cashman raised the children as her own. As Nellie had never married this was a huge responsibility.

In 1898 she went back to the Yukon for gold prospecting, working there until 1905. She became nationally known as a frontierswoman with the Associated Press covering a later trip.

Her exploits were such that in 2006 Cashman was inducted into the Alaska Mining Hall of Fame.

In January 1925, Cashman developed pneumonia and rheumatism. Friends admitted her to the Sisters of St. Anne, the same hospital which she had helped build fifty-one years earlier. She died and was buried at Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria, British Columbia.
MEC and Creativeland Asia recently collaborated with Newsfeed SmartApps to launch an interactive Facebook post to unveil Mercedes Benzs new E-Class right in the Newsfeed.

As part of the digital push during the launch, users answer three questions about the new E-Class and every time they were right, one-third of the car was revealed. After three correct answers, the whole car was unveiled and participants had a chance to win Mercedes Benz merchandise. In India, Newsfeed SmartApps patent pending technology has been used earlier by brands like Nike, Reebok, ebay and others, but Mercedes is the first automobile brand to deploy an interactive post.

Commenting on this innovative digital activation, Mercedes Benz Indias General Manager for Marketing and CRM, Amit Thete, said, At the launch of our new E-Class, we wanted the audience to have an experience of the unveiling and hence, we decided to create an interactive ad unit with Newsfeed SmartApps. It was a great way to showcase the new E-Class introduction and get the audience engaged.

Anu Joseph, Chief Creative Officer, Creativeland Asia, elaborated, The launch of the new E-Class was one of the biggest events of the year. On this occasion, we wanted to let the users personally unveil the highly anticipated E-Class. We created the #NewEClass Contest, an online riddle that asks users questions about the intelligent features that make the new E-Class the Masterpiece of Intelligence. Users who answered all the questions correctly were able to unveil the entire image of the new E-Class.

Irfan Mirza, Business Director at MEC, added here, The overall objective of the campaign was to highlight the key USPs of Mercedes Benz E-Class in an interactive manner, the media push ensured that the communication was channeled to the core and relevant TG, which resulted in fantastic engagement and huge participation.

After another successful digital activation in India, Head of Business at Newsfeed SmartApps, Mohammad Faiyaz Ali, said, Weve experienced amazing success when automobile brands abroad have used Newsfeed SmartApps. BMW, Chevrolet, Peugeot, MINI and others loved what our technology could do, so we were excited to work with our partners here to launch this unique interactive Facebook post for Mercedes.

Newsfeed SmartApps is a product of digital agency, alivenow. Using this technology, brands can create interactive posts playable directly in the newsfeed with the ability to have games, microsites, custom rich media experiences and more. Launched in early 2015, the patent pending technology has been deployed by over 200 brands and agencies in Dubai, the US, the UK and South East Asia. Ogilvy, Havas, Omnicom, StarcomMediaVest, Mindshare, Universal McCann and many others have partnered with Newsfeed SmartApps to launch digital activations for brands like Dettol, HTC, Samsung, Acer, Durex, SanDisk and others.
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.
Verizon decided to finally join the rest of their competition in offering an unlimited data plan last month. They debuted their Verizon Unlimited plan which gives users unlimited talk, text and data for about $80/month. Its actually pretty competitive when you compare it to T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T. But analysts are now weighing on this decision, and seeing if this is a good thing for Verizon, or if itll have a negative impact. And well, some analysts believe that it will have a negative impact, in the long-term, but in the near-term it should help Big Red bring back some customers and stop their streak of losing customers each quarter.

BTIG analysts are stating that they think this new unlimited plan will cost Verizon about $3 billion of value, which is around $0.75 per share. Of course, this is just based on analysis from the analysts, who dont always have the full picture, but it could cost Verizon a pretty penny. Many may wonder why it costs Verizon at all, and the answer is simple. Verizon used to get a ton of money each month from overages, people going over their data limits. They also didnt use as much data, as many people didnt want to worry about getting charged overages. With unlimited those are both gone. Analysts also believe that Verizons time of using their network as leverage over their customers are over. As they too believe that all four of the national carriers have great networks, and are mostly the same in terms of reliability. Of course, some areas will have better coverage than others, but that is actually all down to the spectrum that each carrier has.

On the bright side, analysts do believe that unlimited data is going to give Verizon the leverage they need to compete with T-Mobile, and Sprint. Verizon currently allows their customers to watch video in its native resolution and offers 10GB of 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot to all their customers. T-Mobile only recently changed their T-Mobile ONE plans to offer that, and Sprint throttles music, videos and even game streaming, as well as offering 2G Mobile Hotspot speeds. Unlimited data is back, but for many people, this is not the unlimited data that everyone knew and loved.
This past week at Mobile World Congress HMD Global decided it would take us back to the turn of the century as it decided to re-release the mega-popular Nokia 3310. On Friday Gresso, a Russian company that specializes in luxury phones and accessories announced it to would release its own version of the phone called Presso 3310. The phone will be a high-end phone that will feature Grade 5 titanium all the way down to the buttons. It will also have 32GB of storage and a 3MP rear camera, all which are upgrades from the HMD Globals version of the Nokia 3310. However, if you want this high-end phone it will cost you around $3,000.

Both phones are a reboot of the Nokia 3310 that came out in September of 2000 and came with an 84 x 48-pixel monochrome display and one of the original mobile games, Snake. In total, the original had a five year run and sold 126 million phones worldwide. The reboot feature phone has a somewhat different look from the original and comes in four different colors, Orange, Yellow, Black, and Grey and dont worry as it still has Snake. However, its price tag is considerably cheaper as the materials arent as high end. It does come with 2.5G connectivity for some web surfing, 22 hours of talk time, a month of standby time, and a 2MP camera with a LED flash. But of course those of us in the US wont get a chance to use the phone as the bandwidth it works on is not supported here. So if you choose to buy one, it will just be a sentimental paperweight.

Gresso is no stranger to when it comes to releasing its own version of big name phones as it has iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus versions that are made of 18k gold and titanium bodies and run in the neighborhood of $4000. The company also has a few different cases that can run you $500-$800. It also has its own smartphone, Gresso Regal Smartphone, which runs on Android that will cost you $3000. There is no word on the when it will release the Presso 3310.
The annual Mobile World Congress trade show might have just ended in Barcelona last week, but India will hold its own version of the event later this year if a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI) is anything to go by. According to an announcement earlier today by the Director General of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), Mr. Rajan S. Matthew, the event will reportedly be a three-day affair starting on September 27, and will be held at the Pragati Maidan grounds in New Delhi. While theres no immediate information on the registration process, global heavyweights, such as Facebook, Huawei, Ericsson and Cisco are all expected to take part in the event alongside many India-based technology companies.

New Delhi will be the third city globally to host its own iteration of the prestigious annual event after Barcelona and Shanghai. While the event in the Spanish city is by far the larger of the two and caters to a global audience, the event in Shanghai focusses mainly on the Chinese market. This is exactly where the organizers of the proposed event in India want to chime in, by targeting the lucrative South East Asian market. Towards that end, the industry association of GSM mobile service providers in India, COAI, has reportedly struck up a deal with the global trade body of mobile operators worldwide, GSMA (GSM Association), which happens to be the organization responsible for the two MWC events that are currently held each year in Barcelona and Shanghai.

While details regarding the proposed event are hard to come by right now, more information is expected to start trickling in over the next few months. While the GSMA has officially given the green light to the organizers, the only thing that we do know for now is the date, so it will certainly be interesting to see what they will have in store for technology enthusiasts this September. The COAI, meanwhile, says that it has already held meetings with representatives of various governments in the region, and expects full cooperation from them for the event. The organization also says that the event will focus on knowledge sharing, exhibition, start-ups, skill development and will also showcase a couple of the key initiatives of the current administration  Digital India and Make in India.
The LG G6 reached 40,000 pre-orders in only four days, according to a report from ZDNet Korea. It is understood that the aforementioned figure refers only to pre-orders that originated from LGs home country of South Korea where the company is offering up to $390 in pre-order incentives for people who order its upcoming Android flagship in advance. Pre-orders for the LG G6 are available in South Korea until Thursday, March 9, but it remains to be seen whether the Seoul-based tech giant will officially reveal how many people paid for its latest smartphone in advance.

The LG G6 was officially announced during the latest iteration of Mobile World Congress (MWC) that took place in Barcelona, Spain last week. LGs upcoming Android flagship is fueled by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 system-on-chip (SoC) and 4GB of RAM, in addition to boasting 32GB of internal storage. LG is also manufacturing a 64GB model of the LG G6 but that one isnt likely to hit any market outside of Asia. Furthermore, the device is equipped with a 5.7-inch QHD+ display panel with an unconventional screen ratio of 18:9, i.e. 2:1. The screen of the LG G6 features rounded corners just like the case of the handset. The phone also boasts two 13-megapixel cameras on its back, is fueled by a 3,300mAh battery, and ships with Android 7.0 Nougat running out of the box.

Overall, the LG G6 marks a drastic change in LGs design philosophy that previously led the company to release the modular LG G5 last year. As the 2016 device failed to appeal to a mainstream audience, the South Korean phone maker decided to go back to the basics with the LG G6 and ship a more conventional device. The massive pre-order benefits LG is offering in South Korea are presumably intended to dissuade consumers from waiting for the upcoming Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus that are expected to hit the market in the second half of April, approximately a month after the LG G6 is released. It remains to be seen whether LGs latest flagship will prove to be a bigger commercial success than its predecessor but seeing how the company is insisting on releasing it as quickly as possible, more information on the matter will likely follow soon.
Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO) said on Monday that the South Korean President Park Geun-hye conspired with her associate Choi Soon-sil in an effort to receive bribes from Samsung Group. The SPO accused President Park and her confidante of colluding to profit from the ambitions of Samsung Groups Vice Chairman and heir Jay Y. Lee who was allegedly looking to solidify his control of the conglomerate by merging two of the companys affiliates in 2015. Following the controversial consolidation of Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries that Lee is accused of facilitating with bribes, the part of Samsung Group controlled by the founding Lee family received more power within the conglomerate, the SPO said.

The special prosecutors office revealed some findings of its investigation into President Parks influence-peddling scandal on Monday, saying that the largest state-owned pension fund in the country  National Pension Service  voted in favor of the controversial merger despite expecting a $119.87 million loss following the transaction which saw it yield control over a significant stake in Cheil Industries. The SPO is now claiming that Lee and another top executive at Samsung conspired to bribe President Park and Choi to pressure Cheil Industries into voting for the merger and have embezzled corporate funds in the process. President Park has recently been stripped of her powers and is now waiting for the Constitutional Court to decide whether to uphold the parliaments decision to impeach her. If shes forced out of the office, the President of the Far Eastern country may also be investigated for blacklisting writers and artists, special prosecutor Park Young-soo said during a news conference on Monday.

Lee and Choi are both currently in jail and are awaiting trial. Lees trial is scheduled to begin on Thursday and will last no longer than three months, according to the currently existing legislature. While Samsung Groups financial performance isnt expected to suffer due to this turn of events in the short term, the largest business conglomerate in South Korea may face issues with strategic mergers and acquisitions if its de facto head ends up facing a long prison sentence. An update on the situation will follow later this week.
Samsung Group denied all accusations of bribery and corruption its currently facing in South Korea. On Monday, the company issued a statement insisting the truth on the influence-peddling scandal thats rocking the Far Eastern country for months now will be revealed during the upcoming trial but didnt elaborate on the matter. This isnt the first time the largest business conglomerate in the Far Eastern country denied all accusations laid out by the Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO) that was recently granted an arrest warrant for Samsung Groups Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee.

Samsungs statement came shortly after special prosecutor Park Young-soo held a televised press conference during which he accused Lee of colluding with another top executive at Samsung over bribing the South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Choi Soon-sil. Lee was allegedly looking to solidify his control of the conglomerate by bribing President Park and Choi to facilitate a 2015 merger of Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T. The merger gave more power to the part of Samsung Group controlled by the founding Lee family, thus facilitating the succession proceedings within the company, authorities claim. Lee allegedly paid over $37 million in bribes to ensure the National Pension Service (NPS) votes for the merger despite anticipating a $120 million loss following the transaction. The state-owned NPS previously had a stake in Cheil Industries and wasnt inclined to vote in favor of the merger that would saw it lose money, which is why Lee resorted to bribes, the SPO believes.

The bribes were reportedly paid as donations to several organizations connected to President Park and Choi, as well as the latters daughter Chung Yoo-ra. Due to the assumption that Lee used Samsung Groups liquid assets for bribes, the SPO also accused him of embezzling corporate funds. Lee is currently in jail and is waiting for a trial thats scheduled to begin on Thursday, March 9. The current legal framework predicts the court proceedings will last no longer than three months and be wrapped up by June. Lee previously admitted to paying some money to organizations linked with President Park and Choi but claimed he was pressured to do so and expected nothing in return.
CHARLESTON -- Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs staff will be at Eastern Illinois University on Thursday to help reunite citizens with unclaimed property through the I-Cash program, according to a press release.

Frerichs staff frequently visits areas throughout the state to encourage individuals to search the I-Cash database for unclaimed property, and to show the public that the program is legitimate and is not a scam. The treasurers office never charges money to reclaim cash or property.

For most people, it is difficult to believe that they might have overlooked an investment account or forgot to pick up a final paycheck. However, the thousands of names in our database shows that it happens too often, Frerichs said. This money belongs to the residents of Illinois. It should be in their bank accounts rather than the states safe.

The event will be held from 9 a.m.  1 p.m. Thursday at Eastern Illinois University, 1644 Seventh St., Charleston.

The Illinois treasurers office is the custodian of unclaimed property including lost bank accounts, insurance policy proceeds, and forgotten safe deposit boxes. Items are surrendered after private entities tried for at least five years to locate the owners. Because thousands of items are surrendered each year, residents should check I-Cash every six months. Visit www.illinoistreasurer.gov/ICASH or call 217-785-6998.

The Illinois treasurer is the states chief investment officer and Frerichs is a Certified Public Finance Officer. He protects consumers by encouraging savings plans for college or trade school, increasing financial education among all ages, and removing barriers to a secure retirement.

As the states Chief Investment Officer, he actively manages approximately $25 billion. The portfolio includes $13 billion in state funds, $7 billion in college savings plans and $5 billion on behalf of local and state governments. The investment approach is cautious to ensure the preservation of capital and returns $28 to the state for every $1 spent in operations. The treasurers office predates Illinois incorporation in 1818. Voters in 1848 chose to make it an elected office.
If your answer was yes to both questions, we have great news. Once you donate at least $10 to the United Nations Mine Action Service, you will be entered in a competition that has a 2017 Aston Martin Vantage GT Roadster.The car has been customized according to the wishes of Daniel Craig , the actor who played James Bond (among others), and you will also get the chance to meet him. Instead of having him drive up to your house in the car, you will be flown to a secret location, checked into a four-star hotel, and then you meet the actor and your new ride.The taxes for the vehicle have already been covered, so you will not have to pay destination and shipping, but the rest that involves registering the Aston Martin is your responsibility. You can buy your chance to win on Omaze , where $10 gets you 100 entries to win.If you donate extra, you will get more chances to win, and the organization will send you a digital token of appreciation, or a limited-edition t-shirt, a poster, or many other special prizes. Even if you do not win the car, at least you spent some of your money on a charitable donation that will save lives.The winner will be announced on April 27, 2017. The lucky donor gets to bring a friend for the experience, which will happen by April 2018. However, you have until April 13, 2017, to register for the competition.We must note that the winner must not be a resident of Belgium, Italy, Malta, Singapore, Thailand, Sudan, Syria, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, or North Korea. This is a part of the rules, and the organizers say that this happens because of restrictions or prohibitions of these kinds of awards in those countries.
Christened after the oldest driver to have raced in Formula 1 (Louis Chiron was 55 years of age at the time), the Chiron follows the toughest act to follow in the automotive industry: the Veyron. While it may have the weight of the world on its shoulders, the Chiron isnt phased by its iconic forerunner. In fact, Bugatti has recently received the 250th order for the Chiron.This means that there are only 250 examples of the breed left to be acquired, translating into a tally of 500 units. Considering that the 420 km/h (260 mph) hypercar is priced from 2.4 million, thats no small feat. More so when you remember that Bugatti premiered the Chiron just about this time last year.The fact that we have already taken orders for half of the Chiron series even without test drives so far bears witness to the great confidence of our customers in our brand and its strong aura, declared Wolfgang Durheimer, the big kahuna of the French automaker. Thats right! Even though it made its world debut approximately a year ago, customer test drives of the awe-impressive Bugatti Chiron are programed to kick off later this month.If I may return to the subject of sales, Europe is the strongest market for the W16-powered hypercar , amounting to 37 percent of all customer orders. North America is second (30%), and the Middle East settles for third (26%).To celebrate the 250th order, the Volkswagen-owned company will bring an exposed carbon fiber-finished Bleu Royal Chiron at the 87th edition of the Geneva Motor Show . Regarding the jaw-dropping carbon fiber overalls, Bugatti offers a total of eight such finishes for the Chiron: Bleu Royal, Blue, Turquoise, Black, Grey, Green, and Red. The pictured beauty was made for a customer from a German-speaking country. The interior, meanwhile, is finished in two tones of blue: Deep Blue and French Racing Blue.
AMG

HP

The company has several creations for this years show, including a McLaren 570S named Vyala, a Tesla Model X, a Mercedes-G63, and a Mercedes-AMG GT.However, those will be presented in separate articles, as we will focus this piece on an unusual model, which celebrates the companys two-decade existence.Called Desire 20th Anniversary, it is based on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren , a supercar that has left the manufacturing line many years ago.The vehicle has its body panels made entirely out of carbon fiber, which is finished with transparent lacquer. That means that you can see the carbon fiber weave wherever you look at the body.Unlike a cheap wrap, this is genuine carbon fiber, which is molded into actual components. In other words, this is the real deal, as no tuner could afford to show up with fake carbon fiber at an event as important as the Geneva Motor Show.The modifications did not end with the body, as the Mercedes-Benz SLR received 20-inch alloy wheels, while its interior was completely changed with bespoke materials and colors.The suspension system was also modified, while its 5.4-liter V8 unit has been tuned to offer 750. We must note that this was not an SLR 722 to begin with, which makes the power figure impressive.Evidently, a tuning company that has "Design" in its name would not settle on offering carbon fiber replacement elements for the stock body. Instead, they modified almost every panel of the SLR , which has led to an even more aggressive look for this vehicle.While the result may offend some purists of the Mercedes-Benz brand, you must admit that it is hard to look away from this exhibit. A price for this kit has not been disclosed, but those who could afford to own an SLR might not have to ask before offering a check.
While that happens, the South Korean brand is working on the third body style of the compact range , which will come after the hatch and the wagon. As spyshots have revealed, it will be a fastback, which is currently undergoing testing.Since the car is camouflaged at the moment, it will be tricky to guess what shape they have chosen for its rear, but the shots of its profile reveal that this is a fastback, eliminating the possibility of a sedan.In the latter case, the rear overhang would have to be longer to prevent the trunk from appearing as if it were cut with a cleaver.It is believed that Hyundai will reveal the third body style in the i30 range at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, an event that will take place in the fall. The idea behind this addition to the portfolio is offering a sporty body style in the i30 family without compromising practicality through a coupe. Hyundai is expected to launch the i30 Fastback on the market in 2018, but a specific release date is not yet available. We already know that it shares its platform with the other versions of the i30, so the engineers who are driving it are probably doing some last-minute checks and adjustments to have this variant behave as they intend.Hyundai might offer the i30 Fastback on the American market as well, where it could be sold under the Elantra Fastback name. That decision has not been announced yet, but it is a possibility because this product might be one of the most attractive creations made by the South Korean automaker.The i30 Fastback is part of Hyundais new range, which has been aesthetically redefined since Mr. Peter Schreyer joined the marque in 2006. Schreyer, the lead designer of the Hyundai-Kia Group, used to work for Audi, where his best-known contribution entered the market as the first-generation Audi TT.Schreyer is currently one of the three presidents of the South Korean conglomerate, and the company has recruited Luck Donckerwolke, a former design director for the German group that owns Audi, in 2016.
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ABS

The X-ADV is where the comfort and convenience of a scooter meet the spirit and riding performance of an adventure motorcycle. It mixes ruggedstyle with premium specifications, thanks to a tough chassis, long travel suspension, four-piston radial-mount brakes and a powerful engine driving through Dual Clutch Transmission.Burried somewhere under all that angled bodywork and interesting graphics scheme is a 745 cc liquid-cooled twin-cylinder engine mated with a Honda Dual Clutch Transmission. The system offers 55and 68 Nm (50 lb-ft) of torque, which looks to be very useful in offroad environments as well as in between the city stoplights.All lights are LED, and the adventure scooter can be had in two standard and two special edition finishes: Digital Silver Metallic, Matt Bullet Silver, Pearl Glare White and Victory Red.and Euro 4 compliance come by default.The Honda X-ADV scooter is also equipped with a 5-level adjustable wind screen, underseat storage space for an off-road style helmet, hand guards, Rally-style instrument display, center stand, and the Honda Smart Key system.As with other respectable new scooters on the market, the X-ADV is being offered with a large list of accessories including two top boxes (45-or 35-liter in different finishes), a rear rack, front bars, leg/foot deflector shields, and floor plates.Having already ridden his RC213V MotoGP machine through the snow of one of the worlds most famous ski slopes, it was Marquezs next mission to try out the new X-ADV  complete with spiked snow tires  on a course more usually ridden by world champions of a different sporting discipline.
The rumors surrounding the acquisition first emerged a couple of weeks ago, being officially confirmed by both Peugeot Citroen and GM just a few days later. Obviously, the acquisition is yet to close and is currently subject to anti-trust and other regulatory approvals, but it would be safe to say it's pretty much a done deal.We are proud to join forces with Opel/Vauxhall and are deeply committed to continuing to develop this great company and accelerating its turnaround, said Carlos Tavares, chairman of the Managing Board of PSA. We respect all that Opel/Vauxhalls talented people have achieved as well as the companys fine brands and strong heritage. We intend to manage PSA and Opel/Vauxhall capitalizing on their respective brand identities. Having already created together winning products for the European market, we know that Opel/Vauxhall is the right partner. We see this as a natural extension of our relationship and are eager to take it to the next level.Somewhat surprisingly, the transaction valued GM's Opel/Vauxhall subsidiary at only 1.3 billion euros ($1.38 billion), with another 0.9 billion euros to be paid for GM Financial's European operations.That seems an awfully low fee for one of the oldest carmakers in the world, but, as we mentioned before, Opel is not in the rosiest spot when it comes to making a profit.Still, the biggest news surrounding the acquisition is that the resulting car giant will become the second-largest automotive company in Europe, with a market share of around 17 percent. That doesn't mean a lot of good things for Volkswagen , but there a lot of people who trust in Carlos Tavares' plan of action in the long run.Apparently, the transaction will result in economies of scale and synergies in purchasing, manufacturing, and R&D. No less than 1.7 billion euros ($1.8 billion) are expected in annual synergies between the two by 2026, which is somewhat surprising since they are higher than what Peugeot Citroen paid for Opel/Vauxhall.Apart from that, the French also expect Opel/Vauxhall to reach an operating margin of 2 percent by 2020 and 6 percent by 2026. The year 2020 is also when the German carmaker is expected to finally generate a positive operational free cash flow, something that it hasn't managed to do since 1999.When it comes to possible loose ends in Australia ( Holden ) and the U.S. ( Buick ), the PSA Group mentions that existing supply agreements will continue. Holden may get electrification technologies in the long run, Buick models will continue, and a long-term supply of fuel cell systems from the GM/Honda joint venture is also possible.
The TS1 is based on the ST1, the one that famously caught fire on the Top Gear track . This 233 mile-an-hour machine (375 km/h) has been dressed in Fjord Blue paint with accents done in copper. It's also got a few carbon fiber bits which we'll let you discover in the live video of it arriving in Geneva.The engine displaces 5.9 liters, down on the ST1's 6.8-liter unit. However, thanks to a twin-supercharger system, a flat plane crank, and carbon fiber intake, it's got plenty of poke. The latest specs that were revealed in Geneva suggest it will deliver 1,100 Nm of torque (811 lb-ft) and is good for 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.8 seconds. That's not bad for a rear-wheel-drive machine.This old-school bruiser features a newly developed transmission with seven speeds and a Torsen limited-slip differential. Even though it's put together using an aluminum monocoque wrapped in carbon fiber body pieces, it still weighs in at a hefty 1,580 kilograms (3,483 lbs). But stopping shouldn't be a problem, thanks to the carbon ceramic vented brake disks.We know from last year's Geneva that Zenvo is only going to make 15 of these cars. There's also a track version called the TSR. Pricing will be determined on a customer-to-customer basis. However, rumors put the figure at around 1.5 million euros. Ouch!Also seen arriving in Geneva on a trailer is a regular TS1 in a paint color that seems identical to the Acid Green Porsche uses. You know... the one from the 918 Spyder hypercar. It's said that the interior is decked in carbon and features instruments and switches made from copper and rhodium. Hopefully, we can catch a glimpse of that soon.
General Motors will lay off 1,100 workers at its Lansing Delta Township assembly plant in Michigan as it shifts production of its GMC Acadia SUV, reports the Lansing State Journal. GM added 800 jobs at its Tennessee plant last year for the latest Acadia.

The Lansing plant will continue to build the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave, and workers were given a 60-day notice of the layoffs on Monday.

Note: Although GM announced in January that it would invest $1 billion in its U.S. factories, the company has introduced several cuts to its American factories in recent months.
A big takeaway from the International Energy Agency's big new oil market analysis is that despite the U.S. shale oil boom, weak overall global investment in new supply could bring high prices in just a few years. "We see significant risks of prices rising sharply, starting in 2020, unless significant new projects are sanctioned very soon," IEA executive director Fatih Birol said at one of the first events at the big CERAWeek energy conference in Houston.

Growth in oil demand is coming largely from Asia, putting the world demand on pace to pass 100 million barrels per day in 2019 and reach 104 million by 2022, IEA says in the five-year forecast. "We don't see a peak in oil demand any time soon," Birol said.

An eye-popping stat: "Today, one-third of the global oil demand growth comes from Asian trucks only," Birol said.

Between the lines: U.S. oil production is moving upward again, but the growth that IEA forecasts1.4 million barrels of shale oil per day even if prices don't move above $60 per barrelis not related to Donald Trump's deregulatory push. Instead it's the fruit of the industry's response to the price recovery. "This is not related to the current change in the policies," Birol said.
International humanitarian groups have slammed US President Donald Trump's revised travel ban, which targets six Muslim-majority nations, for sharing many of the same flaws as its predecessor.

Similar to the January order, travel ban 2.0 again prevents citizens from Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan from entering the United States for at least 90 days. In this iteration, Iraq is not on the list of barred countries.

The new order, which the Trump administration says is needed to protect the United States from foreign terrorists entering the country, will also suspend the admission of refugees for 120 days and urges US officials to improve vetting procedures for a resettlement program already regarded to be rigorous.

Aid groups, including the International Rescue Committee, or IRC, and Amnesty International USA, quickly condemned the new directive, arguing the ban still does not make the United States any safer.

David Miliband, IRC president and CEO, said in a statement that the revised executive order on immigration "heartlessly targets the most vetted and most vulnerable population to enter the United States." He added that the new executive order could affect 60,000 people already screened for resettlement in America.

"The ban doesn't target those who are the greatest security risk, but those least able to advocate for themselves. Instead of making us safer, it serves as a gift for extremists who seek to undermine the United States," Miliband said.

He said that while the IRC supports reviews of security-vetting protocols, the travel ban has left already-vetted refugees stranded in crisis zones, and in many cases, separated from their families in the United States.

Miliband urged Trump's administration to swiftly review the "already-strong vetting process" and reinstate the "lifesaving resettlement program."

According to the CATO Institute, nobody -- including refugees -- from the seven countries in the initial ban has killed anyone in a terror attack on US soil in the last four decades.

'Same hate, new packaging'

Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said the revised order "is the same hate and fear with new packaging."

Huang slammed the order's geography-based limits, saying it would once again bring uncertainty to thousands of families, and put "anti-Muslim hatred into policy."

"No amount of editing can make this executive order anything but what it is -- blatant bigotry. There are real threats to security, but this bigoted order will do nothing to make the country safer," Huang said in a statement.

"Continuing to close US borders (to) people attempting to flee violence -- whether from Syria or Honduras -- will only intensify human rights crises all over the world. It is inhumane, shortsighted and against all of our shared values. Congress must step in immediately to block this new order."

Administration officials have denied the ban -- which goes into effect on March 16 -- targets a specific religion.

"(The order is) not any way targeted as a Muslim ban. ... We want to make sure everyone understands that," an official told reporters.

CNN's Ingrid Formanek contributed to this piece from Irbil.
I have learned that some  though definitely not all  members of President Trump's inner circle share his belief that the Obama administration tapped his Trump Tower phones in October. And a White House official told me President Trump not only doesn't regret this weekend's fracas despite the lack of evidence for his astonishing claim, he is "absolutely convinced" he'll be vindicated.

"The president just has a great nose for these things," the official said. "It's the bureaucratic leaks  the deep state  that bother him most. Even if it turns out not to be true that they surveilled Trump Tower, he will have a very good point to make about the level of sabotage coming from Obama holdovers."

Those facts help explain Trump's high-stakes decision to ask Congress to add Obama abuse of "executive branch investigative powers" to its Russia investigation. For Trump spokespeople, it's a handy punt: Now they don't have to defend or explain Trump's tweets, and just refer questioners to Congress.

But the risk is that there'll be a day of reckoning  perhaps after documents are subpoenaed and testimony demanded  when a Republican Congress embarrasses the White House by saying the president was flat wrong when he accused his predecessor of a crime.

Towergate is a fascinating test of Trump's great gamble that he can do the job of president in a totally new way: largely improvisational, driven by whims, moods and obsessions; thinly staffed, like his campaign, and with poorly enforced process, not taking advantage of the massive safety net available to him; heavily reliant on family; and unconstrained by manners, rituals or precedent.

FBI Director Comey reportedly turned on Trump and asked the Justice Department to reject the tapping claim. And Sen. Marco Rubio expressed skepticism on Sunday shows.

But some well-known Republicans are willing to wage the debate on Trump's terms. One establishment grandee asked in an email: Did Obama Attorney General Loretta Lynch "approve this??? That is the big Q"  skipping over whether "this" is real.

A Democratic theory is that if Trump believes problematic transcripts of recorded calls with Russians may dribble or gush out, why not discredit them in advance as a political dirty trick? Then when they emerge, you can say "Aha!" rather than being on the defensive.

But a Republican close to the White House said that's overthinking it: That "view is quite plausible. But I do not believe they are playing chess. I think they are playing Trivial Pursuit."
SHELBYVILLE -- Last fall, Shelbyville Mayor Jeff Johnson spent many evenings going from governmental body to governmental body in Shelby County.

He was asking boards and councils to support Shelbyvilles application for an Illinois Enterprise Zone, an area that would encourage new business through the abatement of sales tax on materials purchased for the business.

Although the state hasnt yet ruled on the application, Johnson said the process has been good for Shelbyvilles economic future.

Its one more tool we can use to attract new business and new business expansion, he said.

Shelbyvilles tools include tax increment financing (TIF) districts and business districts that allow the city to regulate property taxes and return other tax money to property owners in the form of improvement grants. Several historic downtown buildings have taken advantage of the plan, and other new businesses have opened on Shelbyvilles west side.

Property tax abatement programs and sales tax-funded development grants are being used by several Central Illinois communities to encourage not only business growth, but also new residence construction. This month, Sullivan is expected to approve its fourth TIF district, something Mayor Ann Short said will attract new residents to the Moultrie County community.

We have developers interested in several different forms of housing, Short said. By providing TIF services, we can give them a financial incentive to go ahead with their development plans.

Sullivan has had at least one TIF district for more than 20 years. Short said TIF funds have provided not only advantages for new business, but upgrades to city facilities including Sullivan schools, and a new firetruck.

Were fortunate to have the TIF and be able to use it in a way that benefits the entire community, Short said.

In Pana, the city council is considering adding a business district after seeing the success of the plan down the road in Shelbyville.

Its pretty clear its working for Shelbyville, Pana Mayor Steve Sipes said. We would like to have the same assets available for businesses in Pana.

The Pana council approved a $15,000 payment for city planning services in partnership with the Pana Pride Economic Development committee last month. A public hearing on the proposed business district is planned for later this month.

You cant sit still and wait for things to happen, Sipes said.

Johnson said meeting with different government groups while working on the enterprise zone application helped create understanding of Shelbyvilles future economic plans.

The schools, both Shelbyville and Lake Land College, agreed to support this. The county board agreed, he said. When economic development projects are successful, everyone in the area benefits.
1. Comments must not be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted.

2. Comments must not involve little more than name-calling and insulting remarks.

3. Comments must not be made by "anonymous" or "unknown".

4. Comments must not try to sneak in some free advertising for themselves (like spam).

I invite anyone who wishes to comment on this blog to do so. I enjoy the comments, whether you agree with what I have said or not. But some people want to abuse the right to comment, and since this is my blog, I have decided to lay down the following rules. If your comment violates these rules, it will not be published.
Bord Bia has announced that it will bring premium food buyers from two companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Ireland this year following discussions with the companies in Dubai on the last leg of the trade mission to the Gulf States led by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD.

The announcement was made during an official visit by the Minister and Bord Bia Chief Executive, Tara McCarthy to the outlets in Dubai.



McCarthy said that at the invitation of Bord Bia, food buyers from Spinneys, one of the leading high-end supermarket chains in United Arab Emirates and Fresh Express, a major distributor, will arrive in the next two months to source additional product from Ireland.



Spinneys has over 55 retail outlets across the United Arab Emirates and is a substantial purchaser of Irish food. The top-end store is well known among Irish ex-pats for stocking Irish branded goods such as Clonakilty Pudding, Golden Irish Eggs, Glenisk yoghurts and Keoghs Crisps to mention but a few.



According to Bord Bia, the Spinneys buyers will meet with and visit a number of Irish exporters with the ability to supply meat, seafood and private label products for Spinneys Food.

Bord Bia will also use the opportunity to brief the buyers on Origin Green and specifically the Irish food industrys sustainability commitments.



In addition, Fresh Express, recognized as the leading food and beverage distributors in the premium food and hospitality business in the Gulf Region, will visit Ireland later this month. The distributor, which currently sells Irish seafood will look to build on its Irish supply base in seafood, dairy and confectionery.



Irish food and drink exports to the Gulf States are estimated to be worth some 250 million, an increase of 26% in the past five years. It is widely regarded as a foodie region with an 80-90% import requirement and presents a significant and growing opportunity for Irish food exporters according to Ms McCarthy.



Last week, Bord Bia coordinated Irelands largest ever presence at Gulfood, the worlds biggest annual food and hospitality show taking place in Dubai. The Origin Green Ireland pavilions which included some 21 exporters across dairy, meat and consumer food, experienced a significant increase in participation of over 60% on last year with a waiting list in place. It attracted nearly 100,000 food buyers from around the world.



Speaking last week, Bord Bia Chief Executive, Tara McCarthy said, "There is a real, tangible demand for high quality, grass-based, sustainably produced food as it meets the needs of customers and consumers in the affluent markets of the Gulf region. The region is set to become an increasingly important market for Irish food and drink exporters."

She added, "The current market dynamics, including a population expected to exceed 50 million by 2020, will continue to play a significant role in the surge in demand for food and food imports, in particular across the dairy and meat categories."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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The Baleno RS is Maruti Suzuki's performance version of its premium hatchback, a name enhanced by the fact that the RS means Race Sport. This variant is based on the top-end Alpha trim of the current Baleno and is powered by a new powerful 1.0-litre BoosterJet direct injection petrol engine. This one is already exported to Europe and Japan from India, and now the carmaker has launched it in our country. Well, the manufacturer has detuned this engine for the Indian market as against the international counterpart. Nonetheless, the Baleno RS with, 100bhp of power, still becomes the most powerful hatchback from the carmaker. But, does it make an enticing buy? To find out we put the car through its paces at the Buddh International Circuit.

Appearance Exterior

Maruti Suzuki has brought in some mild cosmetic changes from the Baleno to make it look slightly different and since the changes have been tastefully done, the Baleno RS looks good. The front bumper gets a new protruding lip finished in a shiny gunmetal colour. This lends some more character to the fascia sporting the upright grille and projector headlamps with bright DRLs. The RS gets the same standard Baleno silhouette, so it continues with the flared wheel arches and a muscular shoulder line. The rear bumper has been reworked with black appliques on its lower half and there's a bold RS badge on the tail gate.

To enhance the sporty feel, Maruti Suzuki has done well to add subtle side skirts and painted the alloy wheels black to give the RS a sporty feel. Still we would have loved to see a different pattern for the alloy wheels, which would have set the RS apart from the regular hatchback.

Appearance Interior

We were seriously expecting the automaker to refresh the interior to go with the sporty nature of car. Some exclusive bits like a RS badge or new upholstery with exquisite Race Sport branding could have brought in some newness to the interior. But the cabin of the Baleno RS is exactly same as the standard hatchback. Which, for that matter, isn't a bad thing. The all black interior with subtle silver and chrome embellishments was a bold move by Maruti when the norm was to provide beige or dual tone interior. So the cabin continues to look pleasant, be user-friendly, get plenty of storage spaces and practical bits.

The Balenos cabin is roomy, in fact, very spacious for a hatchback. There is enough space for rear passengers even when the front seats have been slid all the way back for tall passengers. The front seats are supportive and comfortable. While the rear seats are comfy too, they perform average when it comes to headroom and thigh support for tall passengers.

Now to the equipment bit. Since this RS Baleno is available only in the top-end Alpha variant, it features Maruti Suzukis Smartplay infotainment system. This gets a nice responsive touchscreen with an intuitive software supporting navigation and even Apple CarPlay to appeal to Apple iPhone users. The fancy instrument cluster has been carried over to the RS as well. It boasts of a colour display providing a whole load of information including a funky power/torque delivery display. And since this is a NEXA product, we all know by now that cars from this portfolio are not short of any safety features. So the safety package includes dual airbags, ABS and seat belts with pre-tensioners as standard.

Performance Drive

The most important thing that makes this Baleno worthy of the RS badge is its new powerful engine. And this trim comes only with this 1.0-litre BoosterJet petrol mill mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. So coming to the most talked about direct-injection powerplant, its introduction marks the company's foray into turbo-petrol engines in India. And its important as we can expect this mill to power more Maruti Suzuki models now. This 1.0-litre three-pot unit is a smaller displacement motor than the regular Baleno's 1.2-litre four-cylinder DOHC unit. The former still manages to churn out 101bhp of power and 150Nm of torque as against the latter's 83bhp/115Nm. All thanks to the fixed geometry turbocharger. With direct-injection working in conjunction with turbocharging, the torque is available from low engine speeds rated at 1,700-4,500rpm. However, the turbo lag is evident and its only post 2,000rpm when the car really feels very energetic. Nevertheless, there is a good mid-range and post 5,700rpm, the engine starts losing its fizz.

We drove the car mostly in a spirited manner on the track and the engine didnt bog down at any point. There is enough of pulling power and the engine doesnt feel lethargic. Sure the engine is refined and silent at idling, but it does become audible at high revs. I wish the tone could have been a little pleasant, but then thats the case with most cars. On the other hand, this engine responds nicely to throttle inputs and there aren't any unwanted vibrations too. The absence of an automatic gearbox won't pinch much as the clutch is light and progressive. Also the gear shift throws are short and the gears slot well.

Now for the ride and handling bit, the Baleno RS felt much planted on the track. Despite attacking corners back to back at high speeds, the car never felt unsettled. The slightly firm ride helped in stablity on the bends even at high speeds. But it will be interesting to see how it behaves on rough roads in the daily grind. The Baleno RS weighs 950kg, heavier by 60 kg than the standard petrol manual. But it still continues to feel like a light weight car. The turn-ins are still not very sharp, but the steering is direct and weighs up nicely at high speeds. The body roll and side-to-side movement is well contained to not make occupants feel uncomfortable. Then, of course, with a power-to-weight ratio of 100bhp per tonne it still has the knack to be a fast car. Also, its braking capabilities have gone up thanks to disc brakes at all four corners.

Tech Specs

Make Maruti Suzuki Model Baleno Fuel Petrol Variant RS Engine Capacity 1.0-litre Max. Power (bhp@rpm) 101bhp @ 5,500rpm Max. torque (Nm@rpm) 150bhp@1,700rpm Gears Five Length mm 3995 Width mm 1745 Height mm 1510 Wheelbase mm 2520 Fuel Capacity (in litres) 37 Tyre size 195/55 R16

Features

Features 1.0-litre BoosterJet engine Yes Dual airbags Yes Reverse camera Yes Four disc brakes Yes automatic climate control Yes touch screen infotainment system Yes 60:40 split secodn row seats Yes Projector headlamps with DRLs Yes

Competition All Specs

Specifications Maruti Suzuki

Baleno Fiat

Abarth Punto Variant RS T-Jet 1.4 Abarth Fuel Petrol Petrol Engine Capacity 1.0-litre 1.4-litre Max. Power (bhp@rpm) 101bhp @ 5,500rpm 145bhp@5,500rpm Max. torque (Nm@rpm) 150bhp@1,700rpm 212bhp@2,000rpm Gears Five Five Length mm 3995 3989 Width mm 1745 1687 Height mm 1510 1505 Wheelbase mm 2520 2510 Fuel Capacity (in litres) 37 45 Tyre size 195/55 R16 195/55 R16

Conclusion

Priced at Rs 8.69 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi), the Baleno RS has most of the points necessary to appeal to an enthusiast like an eager engine performance, being nimble around corners, have a great straight-line stability and good braking power. And then with a claimed fuel-efficiency of 21.4 kmpl, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS is still the most fuel efficient petrol hatchback in its segment. The Volkswagen Polo GT TSI and Fiat Abarth Punto might be a little more powerful than the Baleno RS, but then they are more expensive too. So overall, Maruti Suzuki seems to have played their cards well that should help the Baleno RS to be considered as an interesting proposition in the performance-oriented affordable hatchback segment in India.

Pictures by : Ameya Dandekar

Maruti Suzuki Baleno [2019-2022]  N/A Onwards

Maruti Suzuki | Maruti Suzuki Baleno | baleno
Best Buy Co., Inc. retails technology products in the United States and Canada. The company operates in two segments, Domestic and International. Its stores provide computing products, such as desktops, notebooks, and peripherals; mobile phones comprising related mobile network carrier commissions; networking products; tablets covering e-readers; smartwatches; and consumer electronics consisting of digital imaging, health and fitness, home theater, portable audio comprising headphones and portable speakers, and smart home products. The company's stores also offer appliances, such as dishwashers, laundry, ovens, refrigerators, blenders, coffee makers, and vacuums; entertainment products consisting of drones, peripherals, movies, music, and toys, as well as gaming hardware and software, and virtual reality and other software products; and other products, such as baby, food and beverage, luggage, outdoor living, and sporting goods. In addition, it provides consultation, delivery, design, health-related, installation, memberships, repair, set-up, technical support, and warranty-related services. The company offers its products through stores and websites under the Best Buy, Best Buy Ads, Best Buy Business, Best Buy Health, CST, Current Health, Geek Squad, Lively, Magnolia, Best Buy Mobile, Pacific Kitchen, Home, and Yardbird, as well as domain names bestbuy.com, currenthealth.com, lively.com, yardbird.com, and bestbuy.ca. As of January 30, 2022, it had 1,144 stores. The company was formerly known as Sound of Music, Inc. The company was incorporated in 1966 and is headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota.
Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electric utility, banking, and renewable/sustainable infrastructure investment businesses in the state of Hawaii. It operates in three segments: Electric Utility, Bank, and Other. The Electric Utility segment engages in the production, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. Its renewable energy sources and potential sources include wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, municipal waste, and other biofuels. This segment serves suburban communities, resorts, the United States armed forces installations, and agricultural operations. The Bank segment operates a community bank that offers banking and other financial services to consumers and businesses, including savings and checking accounts; and loans comprising residential and commercial real estate, residential mortgage, construction and development, multifamily residential and commercial real estate, consumer, and commercial loans. This segment operates 42 branches, including 29 branches in Oahu, 6 branches in Maui, 4 branches in Hawaii, 2 branches in Kauai, and 1 branch in Molokai. The Other segment invests in non-regulated renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure in the State of Hawaii. Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. was incorporated in 1891 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. produces and distributes specialty plant nutrients, iodine and its derivatives, lithium and its derivatives, potassium chloride and sulfate, industrial chemicals, and other products and services. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers. It also provides iodine and its derivatives for use in medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial applications comprising x-ray contrast media, polarizing films for LCD and LED, antiseptics, biocides and disinfectants, pharmaceutical synthesis, electronics, pigments, and dye components. In addition, the company offers lithium carbonates for various applications that include electrochemical materials for batteries, frits for the ceramic and enamel industries, heat-resistant glass, air conditioning chemicals, continuous casting powder for steel extrusion, primary aluminum smelting process, pharmaceuticals, and lithium derivatives, as well as ingredient in manufacturing of gunpowder. Further, it supplies lithium hydroxide for the lubricating greases industry, as well as cathodes for batteries. Additionally, it offers potassium chloride and potassium sulfate for various crops, including corn, rice, sugar, soybean, and wheat; industrial chemicals, including sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, potassium chloride, and solar salts; and other fertilizers and blends. The company operates in Chile, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, North America, Asia, and internationally. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. was incorporated in 1968 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.
The government will consult the charity sector on how it should spend 2bn of assets currently lying dormant in the investment and insurance sectors, minister Rob Wilson has said.

A report published on Friday by the Independent Commission on Dormant Assets identified that there are significant sums in dormant financial assets in the UK.

The commission produced the figure of 2bn, although Nick ODonohoe, chair of the commission, admitted that this was a conservative estimate, meaning that the actual figure could be significantly larger.

ODonohoe said there was significant dormancy in UK investment and insurance. He said that the main areas were individual shareholdings, including unclaimed dividends, shares in unit trusts, and insurance products such as mortgage endowments and life insurance.

Some of the assets weve found to be much larger than predicted, he said. Weve tried at all times to be conservative in our estimates.

Legislation needed

Rob Wilson, minister for civil society, has said that legislation is needed to allow the money to be spent, and that he must first provide a formal response and then publish a consultation on how the money is spent. He said he envisaged that it would take about four years before the cash became available.

I want to carry out a much wider public consultation and allow everyone to feed in their views, he said.

While government press statements have said the money will transform the charity sector Wilson himself has not made any mention of charities, referring instead to social investment and support of good causes, although he has said charities will be consulted.

The next step is for the Office for Civil Society to make a formal response to the report, and this is likely to be accompanied by the promised consultation.

Possible change to existing scheme

Wilson also promised to think creatively about the existing dormant assets scheme.

In the last decade, government estimated that 500m of funds might be available in bank and building society accounts, which are already transferred to good causes under the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008. So far it appears that the actual figure is more than twice that amount.

Government has committed that the first 400m raised in England will go to Big Society Capital, but has not indicated what will happen to any more money collected thereafter, so it is likely that the consultation will also consider what will happen to that money.

The Dormant Bank Accounts Act followed from the work of the Commission on Unclaimed Assets, which was launched in 2005. The scheme which followed on launched in 2011, and Big Society Capital, its main beneficiary, launched in 2012.

The new legislation is likely to be more complicated and take longer, because it is more difficult to identify when investment, pension and insurance products become dormant, and because they are not as easily valued as bank accounts.

CFG and NCVO respond

Sector infrastructure bodies have said they want to see government work closely with charities to spend the money.

The Charity Finance Group has said it will establish a formal task force to engage with the whole sector to ensure the money is wisely spent.

We welcome this announcement that there is potentially up to 2bn to invest in good causes and social change, a CFG spokeswoman said. This comes at a critical time for our sector given the challenges that we face.

It is important that any decision on how these funds are used involves consultation with civil society and social enterprises, which are on the frontline in communities across the country.

We believe that the best way to achieve a better society is through stronger charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. We hope to meet with the minister for civil society soon to discuss our proposals.

From Charity Finance

NCVO also said it was important that the government was consulting the sector.

The Dormant Assets Commission has done sterling work, a spokesman said. These newly found assets could prove transformational for good causes. Well be making the point that we need to make sure these assets are used in the best possible way. This means the government needs to talk to charities about where these new resources can make the biggest difference and create a clear and simple process for distributing them.
Marie Stopes International has said that it is exploring legal options after the Daily Mail published a front-page attack on its services this morning.

The Mail reported that: Women are being signed off to have abortions based on only a brief phone conversation with a call centre worker.

It has published the transcripts of phone calls between reporters and Marie Stopes call centre staff, where the reporters were told that they would not have to see two doctors on the day they arrived for a termination.

In a comment piece the Mail said this amounted to slapdash, production-line procedures which make a shameful mockery of the law that requires two doctors independently to approve a termination before it can go ahead.

CQC inspections

Last summer concerns were raised by the Care Quality Commission last year about certain procedures at Marie Stopes, which led to a temporary suspension of certain types of procedure. Restrictions were lifted in the autumn but the CQC said it would continue to monitor the charity.

Today Edward Barker, deputy chief inspector of hospitals at the CQC, said: "We took action against Marie Stopes International following our inspections in 2016. We have been monitoring them very closely since and very recently re-inspected its corporate headquarters for England to review its progress. We will report on our findings as soon as we are able to.

"Should we have any concerns about patient safety, we will not hesitate to take further action, to guarantee this provider meets the standard of care we expect and that its patients deserve."

Irresponsible journalism says Marie Stopes

This morning Marie Stopes issued a statement accusing the Mail of irresponsible journalism and saying that its processes are in line with the Abortion Act and Department of Healths Required Standard Operating Procedures.

Paul McPartlan, managing director at Mare Stopes UK, said: We do not agree with the conclusions this journalist has reached, which give a seriously misleading view of how our services operate. No reporter in this investigation went through the legal admission process that women must go through before receiving an abortion, so their claims are based on a partial view of the process.

He added that after the CQC inspections last year the we have worked extensively to address these concerns and make ongoing improvements.

McPartlan said: No abortion is carried out in our clinics unless two doctors are satisfied that the legal requirements have been fulfilled, the woman has understood her treatment and consented to the procedure during a face to face appointment with a registered nurse, and there are no medical reasons why it shouldnt proceed.

He also said that the CQC had praised the charitys helpline service and that: We recognise that there will always be more to do. However, irresponsible journalism like this needlessly worries women in need of abortion services, and undermines the efforts of organisations like ours to deliver a high-quality service.

We have sought legal advice and will be exploring appropriate legal action.
GSK plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the creation, discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products, vaccines, over-the-counter medicines, and health-related consumer products in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals R&D, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare. The company offers pharmaceutical products comprising medicines in the therapeutic areas, such as respiratory, HIV, immuno-inflammation, oncology, anti-viral, central nervous system, cardiovascular and urogenital, metabolic, anti-bacterial, and dermatology. It also provides consumer healthcare products in wellness, oral health, nutrition, and skin health categories. The company offers its consumer healthcare products in the form of nasal sprays, tablets, syrups, lozenges, gum and trans-dermal patches, caplets, infant syrup drops, liquid filled suspension, wipes, gels, effervescents, toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthwashes, denture adhesives and cleansers, topical creams and non-medicated patches, lip balm, gummies, and soft chews. It has collaboration agreements with 23andMe; Lyell Immunopharma, Inc.; Novartis; Sanofi SA; Surface Oncology; Progentec Diagnostics, Inc.; Alector, Inc.; and CureVac AG., as well as strategic partnership with IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. and Vir Biotechnology, Inc. The company was formerly known as GlaxoSmithKline plc and changed its name to GSK plc in May 2022. GSK plc was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Brentford, the United Kingdom.
Long-time Costa Captain Elio Mandrilli has passed away. Services were held on Monday at the San Nicola church in Sestri.

At sea for more than 40 years, Mandrilli was born in Genoa and started as a cadet aboard Adriatica Line. He later joined Costa Crociere and made the rank of captain aboard the Carla Costa in 1993.

Running a warm and friendly ship, he spoke to Cruise Industry News during a cruise aboard the Costa Romantica in 1995.

When I was young the captain only talked to the first-class passengers, not the rest of the ship. I am glad that has changed. I talk to everybody and as a manager I am involved in everything, he said in an interview.

On this particular cruise in the Western Mediterranean, he was frequently observed at the gangway when passengers went ashore and came back, and once, when a passenger stumbled, he ran to assist.

He also said he had been instrumental in developing computer simulations for several ports, including Genoa, San Juan, Miami and Tunis.

In 2013, Captain Mandrilli was made an honorary citizen of Pointe-a-Pitre (Citoyen dHonneur de la Ville Pointe a Pitre), Guadeloupe. He served as captain when Costa first homeported the Marina and the Allegra in Guadeloupe for the winter season and later returned with the Costa Classica.

Captain Mandrilli loved his job and loved the sea.
Lincoln Community Foundation welcomes Clover Frederick who will assume the role of vice president for marketing. She will direct the foundation's marketing, communications and public relations activities. Frederick has worked with local non-profits as a marketing and fundraising consultant for the past 16 years. Her experience with all aspects of nonprofit marketing and familiarity with nonprofit organizations in the community will be a valuable resource. Frederick holds a Master of Arts in journalism from University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Thomson Cruises today announced its summer 2018 program which features the TUI Discovery based out of the UK for the first time, as well as the addition of 15 new ports of call, including Monaco, Ancona and Skiathos Town, and 12 brand new itineraries, according to a statement from the company.

The TUI Discovery will homeport Newcastle from May 2018 where it will visit the Norwegian fjords, Iceland and the Baltic.

The TUI Discovery then moves to Southampton later in September where it will finish its summer sailing four itineraries; Fantastic Fjords, Baltic Treasures, European Experience and Seeking the Northern Lights.

The Thomson Celebration will move to Dubrovnik for summer 2018 where it will operate an adults-only program, which includes a no-sea day itinerary. Venetian Vistas now offers customers the chance to wake up in a new destination every day, said Thomson, spending full days in Bar, Montenegro; Korcula, Croatia; Zadar, Croatia; Venice, Italy; Trieste, Italy and Split, Croatia.

The Thomson Celebration will also sail two new itineraries, Sail Three Seas and Greek Mystique. Sail Three Seas will visit Valetta, Malta; Messina, Sicily; Kefalonia; Igoumenitsa, Greece and Kotor, Montenegro, while customers choosing Greek Mystique can explore Chania, Crete; Piraeus (for Athens), Greece; Kalamata, Greece; Corfu Town, Corfu and Kotor, Montenegro.

The new TUI Discovery 2 will sail four itineraries in the Eastern Mediterranean from Corfu and the Thomson Dream will be based in Palma, Majorca.

Thomson Cruises newest ship, which is currently sailing as Mein Schiff 1 for TUI Cruises will also homeport in Palma, Majorca.

Managing Director of Thomson Cruises Richard Sofer said: Were really excited about our summer 2018 program. We have a fantastic range of destinations on offer, with a real focus on hidden gems in the Mediterranean and a little closer to home in northern Europe.

The move to bring TUI Discovery to both the north and the south of the UK also shows our commitment to offering choice and flexibility to our customers, giving them the opportunity to sail from a region close to home, as well as offering flights to other destinations from local airports.
Washington (March 6, 2017) -- President Trump's revised executive order on immigration clarifies that those from the 6 designated countries with existing visas, including physicians and medical students, will be able to enter and reenter the U.S. as recommended by ACP. However the order will still open the door to discrimination against Muslims, disrupt medical education, hinder travel by physicians and others, and exacerbate a public health crisis for refugees, said the American College of Physicians (ACP) today. ACP was critical of the President's previous order on immigration, issuing statements on January 30, January 31, February 7 and February 10, and remains opposed. The revised order eliminates Iraq from the countries impacted from the ban, does not indefinitely ban Syrian refugees; and provides other allowances for travelers who are legal, permanent residents of the U.S. or existing visa holders, and those who have already been granted asylum or refugee status.

"ACP acknowledges the changes to the executive order but we feel overall it is still harmful to the practice of medicine and medical education in our country," said Nitin S. Damle, MD, MS, MACP. "ACP has grave concerns about the implications of the executive order on medical education, access to health care services, public health and families."

While the changes in the revised order will help some travelers, it still puts some of the most vulnerable at an unacceptably increased health risk. With a 120-day ban on new refugees and a decreased number of refugees accepted to the U.S., those who are denied entry are put at a significant risk of injury, death, persecution and deprivation.

ACP remains concerned that by restricting entry of physicians and medical students from the six designated Muslim-majority countries, the order will undermine medical education and result in patients losing access to their doctors. The 2017 Resident Match Day will be held on March 17, 2017. This is the day when fourth year medical students learn which residency program has accepted them. The expected start date for this year's medical residents is July 1, 2017. In 2016, 3,769 non U.S. citizen international medical graduates obtained first-year residency positions.

"We are extremely concerned that the 90-day ban on travelers from the six designated countries will not allow time for medical residents from those countries to obtain a visa in time for their start date," continued Dr. Damle. "Each medical resident treats thousands of patients over the course of a year. It is critical that the administration acknowledge the negative impact that this ban will have on medical education and allow an exception for these medical residents."

###

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States. ACP members include 148,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness.
Siblings are more likely to learn how not to behave, say Tel Aviv University researchers

A new Tel Aviv University study published in Child Development finds that the disruptive behavior of an individual child does not encourage similar behavior in their brothers and sisters.

On the contrary, Dr. Ella Daniel of TAU's Jaime and Joan Constantiner School of Education finds that siblings, predominantly older siblings, of disruptive children tend to exhibit less disorderly behavior over time. The research, conducted in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Jenkins and colleagues at the University of Toronto and funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research, examines the role of sibling training on disruptive behavior during early childhood and concludes that disruptive behavior produces greater disparity -- rather than resemblance -- among siblings.

"The development of disruptive behavior in early childhood is extremely important, as disruptive behavior starts early in life and behavioral patterns may become stable and resistant to influence later on," Dr. Daniel says. "We found that in early childhood, children do not learn from each other how to be disruptive, violent or disobedient.

"In fact, they are more likely to learn what not to do, or how not to behave. The older siblings of young children who are disruptive tend to become less disruptive themselves over time, creating a polarizing effect on their behaviors."

Focusing on younger children

Existing research on disruptive behavior is largely focused on adolescents. The new study harnessed data assessing the rate of disruptions as witnessed by both parents to track 916 toddlers and their preschool- and school-aged siblings in some 400 families in and around Toronto.

The families examined had given birth to an infant between 2006 and 2008, and had at least one other child (younger than four years of age) at home. The researchers conducted observations and interviews with the family, including all the siblings in the family, every 18 months.

The scientists collected information when the youngest child in the family was 18, 36 and 54 months old. On these three occasions, both parents reported the disruptive behaviors of each of their children. Using advanced statistical models, the researchers were able to identify the role of siblings in the development of each child's disruptive behavior over time, taking into account heredity, parenting, social environment and shared history.

"The study teaches us that we have little to worry about one sibling being 'a bad influence' on their brothers or sisters," says Dr. Daniel. "Instead, we should be more worried of pigeon holing: that one child will be labeled as a 'black sheep,' and that all children in the family will develop based on pre-assigned roles. We should let each child develop his or her individuality, which naturally changes over time."

The researchers are currently examining the role of siblings in the development of childhood depression and anxiety.

###

Tel Aviv University (TAU) is inherently linked to the cultural, scientific and entrepreneurial mecca it represents. It is one of the world's most dynamic research centers and Israel's most distinguished learning environment. Its unique-in-Israel multidisciplinary environment is highly coveted by young researchers and scholars returning to Israel from post-docs and junior faculty positions in the US.

American Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFTAU) enthusiastically and industriously pursues the advancement of TAU in the US, raising money, awareness and influence through international alliances that are vital to the future of this already impressive institution.
DALLAS, March 6, 2017 - Only one in five patients seeking specialty care for hard-to-control high blood pressure (resistant hypertension) are taking all their prescribed medications, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension.

"Another twenty percent are not taking any of their blood pressure medications," said Peter Blankestijn, M.D., Ph.D., senior author of the study and professor of nephrology and hypertension at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands. "People mistakenly thought to have resistant hypertension -- which is high blood pressure despite taking three or more medications -- end up seeing specialists and undergoing extra tests because we don't understand why they are so difficult to treat."

The surprising results come from a study designed primarily to determine if blood pressure can be lowered if people with resistant hypertension receive renal denervation, in addition to their blood pressure medication. In renal denervation, a slim tube (catheter) is inserted into one of the blood vessels in the groin and advanced through blood vessels until it enters the artery feeding the kidney; then, radio waves or ultrasound destroys sections of the nerves sending messages between the brain and the kidneys.

"There is much evidence to suggest that these nerves play a role in high blood pressure. In the 1930s and 1940s, the nerves were sometimes cut during surgical procedures. Now the nerve destruction can be done in a much less invasive way. Several devices are being studied as possible treatments for resistant hypertension," Blankestijn said. "This study, one of the first to look in detail at patient compliance, found renal denervation as therapy for resistant hypertension was not superior to usual care."

Researchers randomly assigned 95 patients (average age 62 years, 42.1 percent male) to undergo renal denervation while not changing their medication, while a control group of 44 patients (average age 60, 29.5 percent male) stayed with their usual medications alone. At the beginning of the study and 6 months later, patients wore a blood pressure monitor to calculate their average daytime systolic (top number) blood pressure and blood tests were taken to measure drug levels (without telling patients that their adherence in taking recommended medications was being assessed).

Researchers found:

20 percent of patients were taking all their medication and 20 percent none of their medication,

31 percent of patients either improved or lessened their medication compliance.

After six months, average daytime systolic blood pressure fell two points (mm Hg) more in control patients than in those who had renal denervation, but remained abnormally high in both groups.

Among patients with similar blood levels of medication at each assessment, systolic blood pressure fell 3.3 points more in those who received the procedure than in controls.

"Adherence to medication greatly affects the ability to assess the value of another treatment, so researchers need to measure adherence and do what they can to improve it," Blankestijn said.

Patients can take steps to prevent their blood pressure from remaining high and being labeled as difficult-to-treat, leading to a greater heart disease risk and increased costs for added tests and treatments.

"At a minimum, be open and honest and tell your physician if you don't want to take your pills for any reason. You and your doctor can discuss options for changing the type of pill or the dose if needed. There are many effective blood pressure pills and the majority of patients with high blood pressure can be successfully treated," Blankestijn said.

Although this study was conducted in the Netherlands, the results likely apply to patients in the United States, according to researchers.

###

Co-authors are Rosa L. de Jager, M.D.; Esther de Beus, M.D.; Martine M.A. Beeftink, M.D.; Margreet G. Sanders, M.D., Evert-Jan Vonken, M.D.; Michiel Voskuil, M.D.; Erik M. van Maarseveen, Pharm.D.; and Michiel L. Bots, M.D. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.

The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, the Dutch Kidney Foundation, and Medtronic Inc. supported the study.

Additional Resources:

Photos are available on the right column of the release link http://newsroom.heart.org/news/only-1-in-5-patients-seeking-specialist-for-resistant-hbp-take-meds-as-prescribed?preview=eaefaf8c2d49e65ee04abc5fd900a6d5

High Blood Pressure

Follow AHA/ASA news on Twitter @HeartNews.

For the updates and new science from the Hypertension journal follow @HyperAHA.

Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the association's policy or position. The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations and health insurance providers are available at http://www.heart.org/corporatefunding.
NEW YORK (March 6, 2017) - The newest study from the Autism Speaks MSSNG project - the world's largest autism genome sequencing program - identified an additional 18 gene variations that appear to increase the risk of autism.

The new report appears this week in the journal Nature Neuroscience. It involved the analysis of 5,205 whole genomes from families affected by autism - making it the largest whole genome study of autism to date.

The omitted letters in MSSNG (pronounced 'missing') represent the missing information about autism that the research program seeks to deliver.

"It's noteworthy that we're still finding new autism genes, let alone 18 of them, after a decade of intense focus," says study co-author Mathew Pletcher, Ph.D., Autism Speaks' vice president for genomic discovery. "With each new gene discovery, we're able to explain more cases of autism, each with its own set of behavioral effects and many with associated medical concerns."

To date, research using the MSSNG genomic database has identified 61 genetic variations that affect autism risk. The research has associated several of these with additional medical conditions that often accompany autism. The goal, Dr. Pletcher says, "is to advance personalized treatments for autism by deepening our understanding of the condition's many subtypes."

The findings also illustrate how whole genome sequencing can guide medical care today. For example, at least two of the autism-associated gene changes described in the paper were associated with increased risk for seizures. Another has been linked to increased risk for cardiac defects, and yet another with adult diabetes. The findings illustrate how whole genome sequencing for autism can provide additional medical guidance to individuals, families and their physicians, the investigators say.

The researchers also determined that many of the 18 newly identified autism genes affect the operation of a small subset of biological pathways in the brain. All of these pathways affect how brain cells develop and communicate with each other. "In all, 80 percent of the 61 gene variations discovered through MSSNG affect biochemical pathways that have clear potential as targets for future medicines," Dr. Pletcher says.

Increasingly, autism researchers are predicting that personalized, more effective treatments will come from understanding these common brain pathways - and how different gene variations alter them.

"The unprecedented MSSNG database is enabling research into the many 'autisms' that make up the autism spectrum," says the study's senior investigator, Stephen Scherer, Ph.D.

For instance, some of the genetic alterations found in the study occurred in families with one person severely affected by autism and others on the milder end of the spectrum, Dr. Scherer notes. "This reinforces the significant neurodiversity involved in this complex condition," he explains. "In addition, the depth of the MSSNG database allowed us to identify resilient individuals who carry autism-associated gene variations without developing autism. We believe that this, too, is an important part of the neurodiversity story."

Dr. Scherer is the research director for the MSSNG project and directs The Centre for Applied Genomics at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), in Toronto. MSSNG is a collaboration between the hospital, Autism Speaks and Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences), which hosts the MSSNG database on its cloud platform.

Traditional genetic analysis looks for mutations, or "spelling changes," in the 1 percent of our DNA that spells out our genes. By contrast, the MSSNG database allows researchers to analyze the entire 3 billion DNA base pairs that make up each person's genome.

In their new study, the investigators went even further - looking beyond DNA "spelling" variations to find other types of genetic changes associated with autism. These included copy number variations (repeated or deleted stretches of DNA) and chromosomal abnormalities. Chromosomes are the threadlike cell structures that package and organize our genes.

The researchers found copy number variations and chromosomal abnormalities to be particularly common in the genomes of people affected by autism.

In addition, many of the copy number variations turned up in areas of the genome once considered "junk DNA." Though this genetic "dark matter" exists outside of our genes, scientists now appreciate that it helps control when and where our genes switch on and off. The precise coordination of genetic activity appears to be particularly crucial to brain development and function.

Through its research platform on the Google Cloud, Autism Speaks is making all of MSSNG's fully sequenced genomes directly available to researchers free of charge, along with analytic tools. In the coming weeks, the MSSNG team will be uploading an additional 2,000 fully sequenced autism genomes, bringing the total over 7,000.

Currently, more than 90 investigators at 40 academic and medical institutions are using the MSSNG database to advance autism research around the world.

###

Autism Speaks is also funding the creation of a community portal that will allow study participants to explore their genomic information and share experiences with others who have similar genetic profiles. For more about the MSSNG, visit http://www.mss.ng.

ABOUT AUTISM

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences. We now know that there is not one autism but many subtypes, most caused by a combination of genetic and environmental influences. An estimated 1 in 68 children is on the autism spectrum.

ABOUT AUTISM SPEAKS

Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. We do this through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions. We empower people with autism and their families with resources, online tools and information covering the life span. To find resources, join a fundraising walk or make a donation, go to http://www.AutismSpeaks.org.
A new study sheds light on the acquisition and features of Zika virus in Canadian travellers, indicating it was as commonly confirmed as dengue in people returning from the Americas and the Caribbean but more severe than expected, according to a new study published http://www.cmaj.ca/site/press/cmaj.161241.pdf in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

"The common perception that Zika is associated with a very mild clinical course compared with dengue or chikungunya was not borne out in this small cohort," states Dr. Andrea Boggild, Clinical Director, Tropical Disease Unit at the University Health Network, University of Toronto and Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario.

Zika virus, an infectious mosquito-borne disease introduced in the Americas in 2013, became widespread in 2015 and caused severe birth defects in babies of pregnant women who were infected.

There are few data on Zika virus in Canadian travellers, a highly mobile group, and this study sought to contribute to a better understanding of the disease.

Researchers looked at data over one year from the Canadian Travel Medicine Network (CanTravNet), a network of infectious disease specialists across the country focused on detecting travel-related illness in returned Canadians and visitors to Canada. The study included data on 1118 travellers who visited one of seven CanTravNet clinics in large cities in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec for a travel-related illness picked up in the Americas (Central and South America and the Caribbean).

Of all travellers examined at the seven CanTravNet clinics, 41 (3.7%) had been infected with Zika virus, 41 (3.7%) had dengue and 23 (2.1%) had chikungunya, all mosquito-borne illnesses transmitted throughout the Americas. Almost 60% (24) of travellers with Zika were female, of whom 79% (19) were of child-bearing age. Except for one case of infection through sexual intercourse, all cases were most likely transmitted by mosquitoes. Three pregnant women were infected, with two cases of congenital infection, and another two travellers had Guillain-Barre or GBS-like syndrome, making a total of 10% of cases with severe complications of Zika. Conversely, none of the cases of dengue or chikungunya had a complicated course of infection.

Symptoms in travellers with Zika included rash (88%) and fever (80%) during the acute phase, and about half complained of muscle or joint pain or headaches. About 1 in 6 travellers with Zika virus developed pink eye (conjunctivitis). The virus was lab-confirmed with two types of blood tests, serology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), but due to limited overlap between these two tests (i.e., only 1 in 5 travellers with Zika were positive by both tests), the authors advocate for a 2-pronged sequential approach to testing those with acute illness.

The study period was from October 2015 to September 2016. It is important to understand that these data pertain to travellers returning from the Americas who sought care at a CanTravNet site, and may not extend to all Canadian travellers. CanTravNet cases of Zika account for approximately 12% of those nation-wide, and travellers from some provinces may be under-represented in the database.

"Referral bias to our centres may have contributed to the more severe clinical presentations noted for Zika, though we would have expected the same phenomenon to occur with dengue and chikungunya were this a significant contributing bias," states Dr. Boggild. "Due to the structure of CanTravNet, our clinics primarily service an adult population, so pediatric cases are under-represented in the database."

"We have documented the full clinical spectrum of acute Zika virus infection in 12% of all such cases imported to Canada from the Americas over a 1-year period, including adverse fetal and neurologic outcomes, as well as sexual transmission," write the authors.

They urge prevention, such as deferring travel in case of current pregnancy or planned pregnancy, protecting against mosquito bites using clothing and DEET- or picaridin-containing mosquito repellents, and barrier protection during sexual activity.

###

The study was conducted by researchers from University Health Network, the University of Toronto, Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario; McGill University, Hopital Saint-Luc du CHUM and Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec; The Ottawa Hospital, the University of Ottawa, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Vancouver Island Health Authority, Victoria, BC; Fraser Health Unit, Surrey, BC; Alberta Children's Hospital and the University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta; Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario; and the University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA.
NEW YORK, NY (March 6, 2017)--Researchers have uncovered new genetic clues to understanding IgA nephropathy (IgAN), or Berger's disease, an autoimmune kidney disease and a common cause of kidney failure. The findings are relevant to IgAN as well as other diseases with similar underlying molecular defects, such as inflammatory bowel disease and certain types of blood disease and cancer.

"Very little is known about the causes of IgAN, genetic or otherwise, so our discovery represents an important step toward developing better therapies for this disease," said lead author Krzysztof Kiryluk, MD, the Herbert Irving assistant professor of medicine at Columba University Medical Center (CUMC).

The study, conducted by researchers at CUMC and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine, was published last month in PLOS Genetics.

IgAN occurs when an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA) collects in the kidneys, causing inflammation of the glomeruli, the kidneys' filtering structures. Over time, the inflammation can hinder the kidneys' ability to filter waste from the blood. About half of patients with IgAN have progressive disease and eventually develop kidney failure. There is no cure for IgAN, but medications, along with blood pressure control, can slow disease progression.

The key molecular defect in people with IgAN is abnormal O-glycosylation of IgA antibodies. O-glycosylation--in which a sugar molecule attaches to an oxygen atom in the amino acid residue of a protein--plays a role in various physiologic processes. Studies of families have shown that problems in the O-glycosylation of IgA are common in people with IgAN and are largely genetic in origin, although the exact genes involved were unknown.

To identify genes linked to O-glycosylation problems in IgAN, Dr. Kiryluk and colleagues performed genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 2,633 people of European and East Asian ancestry, populations with high rates of the disease. All of the participants were analyzed for blood levels of galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1), a marker for IgAN, using a new high-throughput blood test developed by lead investigator of the study Jan Novak, PhD, associate professor of microbiology at UAB. A GWAS study of this kind had never been done before, because there was no way to efficiently measure the biomarker in such a large volume of patients.

The researchers found that variations in two genes, C1GALT1 and C1GALT1C1, were significantly more common in people with high levels of the Gd-IgA1 marker. "The genes are found on different chromosomes, but they make proteins that interact to form an enzyme critical for the proper glycosylation of IgA molecules," said Dr. Kiryluk.

To confirm that C1GALT1 and C1GALT1C1 are involved in O-glycosylation, the researchers knocked down the two genes in cells in from IgAN patients and controls. Knocking down the genes increased production of the Gd-IgA1 marker in cells from both groups.

Variations in both genes, combined, accounted for about 7 percent of the overall variability in blood levels of Gd-IgA1 in the study population. "Since approximately 50 percent of variability in Gd-IgA1 levels is due to genetic factors, this means that about 43 percent of the genetic variability is still unexplained," said Dr. Kiryluk. "We started with a relatively small study population, so explaining 7 percent of variability between individuals with the disease was a good start. As we analyze more patients, we expect that we will find more genetic variants and can begin to piece together how these variants interact with environmental factors to cause disease." A GWAS study of some 10,000 patients is now underway.

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The paper is titled, "GWAS for serum galactose-deficient IgA1 implicates critical genes of the O-glycosylation pathway." The other contributors are Yifu Li (CUMC), Zina Moldoveanu (UAB), Hitoshi Suzuki (UAB), Colin Reily UAB), Ping Hou (Peking University Institute of Nephrology, Beijing, China), Jingyuan Xie (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China), Nikol Mladkova (CUMC), Sindhuri Prakash (CUMC), Clara Fischman (CUMC), Samantha Shapiro (CUMC), Robert A. LeDesma (CUMC), Drew Bradbury (CUMC), Iuliana Ionita-Laza (CUMC), Frank Eitner (RWTH University of Aachen, Aachen, Germany), Thomas Rauen (RWTH University of Aachen), Nicolas Maillard (University North Hospital, Saint Etienne, France), Francois Berthoux (University North Hospital), Jurgen Floege (RWTH University of Aachen), Nan Chen (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine), Hong Zhang (Peking University Institute of Nephrology, Francesco Scolari (University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy), Robert J. Wyatt (University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN), Bruce A. Julian (UAB), and Ali G. Gharavi (CUMC).

The study was supported by grants from the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases (K23DK090207, R03DK099564, R01DK105124, K01DK106341, R01DK078244, and R01DK082753), and the Center for Glomerular Diseases at CUMC.

The authors have declared no conflicts of interest

Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. The campus that Columbia University Medical Center shares with its hospital partner, NewYork-Presbyterian, is now called the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. For more information, visit cumc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org.
NEW YORK (March 6, 2017)--Columbia University Medical Center announced that two of its faculty members, Muredach P. Reilly, MBBCh, MSCE, and Marwah Abdalla, MD, MPH, have been named 2017 Katz Scholars.

The scholarship program, begun in 2006 as the Katz Prizes in Cardiovascular Research, recognizes two investigators each year who have made important contributions to the field of cardiovascular research.

"This year's Katz Prize recipients have made important contributions to the rapid advances in precision medicine-based cardiovascular care," said Allan Schwartz, MD, Harold Ames Hatch Professor of Medicine and Seymour Milstein Professor of Cardiology (in Medicine) at Columbia and chief of the Division of Cardiology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. "Dr. Reilly's research program will enable clinicians to use genomic information to individualize treatment of cardiac conditions. Dr. Abdalla's ongoing work with the Jackson Heart Study, a population-based study of African Americans, has demonstrated that identifying "masked" hypertension using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring has the potential to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in that population."

Dr. Reilly is the Herbert and Florence Irving Professor of Medicine (in Cardiology) and director of Columbia University's Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, a multi-departmental research program that aims to speed the discovery and development of new therapies and preventive strategies for patients. A cardiologist by training, Dr. Reilly focuses on identifying genes that increase the risk of heart disease and heart attack. His work is aimed at understanding how these genes affect an individual's heart disease risk and the pathophysiology of the disease. Dr. Reilly's cardiovascular research team is using this information to find ways of improving patient care for those with heart disease.

Dr. Reilly earned his medical degree at University College, Dublin, Ireland. He also earned a master's degree in epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2013, the University of Pennsylvania bestowed the Osler Patient-Oriented Research Award upon Dr. Reilly. Previously, he was presented with a Special Recognition Award from the American Heart Association for his work to enhance heart disease awareness and advance cardiovascular research.

Dr. Abdalla is an assistant professor of medicine in the division of cardiology and a faculty member in the Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health. She is a clinical investigator in the Jackson Heart Study, an ongoing population-based study in Jackson, Miss., that examines the factors associated with heart disease among African-Americans. In a recent paper, Dr. Abdalla found that individuals with masked hypertension--blood pressure that is normal when measured in the clinic but elevated outside of the doctor's office--had twice the risk of developing clinic hypertension when compared to those with normal (clinic and ambulatory) blood pressure. Clinic hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including stroke.

Dr. Abdalla graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in history and science. She earned MD and MPH degrees from Yale University. Previous awards include the Physician of the Year Award at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia and the Martin P. Solomon Research Award at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Cambridge, Mass.

"Our family is honored that the legacy started at Columbia more than a decade ago by my parents continues to advance this important work," said Melissa Silver, the Katz Scholars founders' daughter and co-trustee of the Katz Scholars program. "It is both inspiring and humbling to think that so many people are being touched by this work."

"Once again, Columbia has selected physicians whose outstanding, innovative research honors the memory of our mom and dad in a special way," added Drew Katz, the founders' son and co-trustee of the program. "Both Dr. Reilly and Dr. Abdalla exemplify the kind of leading-edge work our family intended to advance."

Lewis Katz, who founded the scholarship program with his wife, Marjorie, was an attorney, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. The scholarship program continues on in their memory and is administered by the couple's children.

###

Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. The campus that Columbia University Medical Center shares with its hospital partner, NewYork-Presbyterian, is now called the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. For more information, visit cumc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org.
Fire departments and their municipalities could be shorting their budgets by hundreds of thousands of dollars since limited resources are keeping them from accurately counting firefighter injury data, according to new research out of Drexel University.

Combining data from four different databases to look at injury occurrence and reporting in the Philadelphia Fire Department, researchers from the Firefighter Injury Research & Safety Trends (FIRST) program of Drexel's Dornsife School of Public Health discovered that, once injuries were more accurately coded, the difference in workers' compensation costs was as much as $1 million for some injuries.

"It is very important for fire departments to understand causes and cost of injury in order to ensure their limited budget is being properly distributed," said Shannon Widman, project manager at FIRST and lead author on the study published in Injury Prevention. "If departments can accurately pinpoint specific injuries that lead to specific costs, they are empowered to prioritize decisions when considering prevention."

In the study, researchers from FIRST linked data from the Philadelphia Fire Department's human resources records, dispatch data, workers' compensation records, and the records of the first report of firefighter or paramedic injuries. By doing so, they were able to track injuries across the datasets, which allows for more accurate counting and classification.

The issue is that information in any of the four databases could be incomplete or contain discrepencies. Linking them allowed for resolution of the discrepancies and yielded a more complete picture of the injuries. Across three of the databases, researchers were able to track 88 percent of injuries and developed new metrics on which to create prevention strategies.

Widman and the team, which included FIRST principal investigator and associate professor Jennifer Taylor, PhD, found that the most costly injuries to firefighters and paramedics were strains, falls and burns. With the ability to link all of the data, they found that workers' compensation due to burn injuries was undervalued by $750,000, while strain injuries were undervalued by $1 million.

Getting such precise data could save municipalities that fund fire departments money by allowing them to better allocate funds for prevention and training.

"The cause of injury resulting in the most numerous claims may not result in the highest costs," Widman explained. "A smaller number of more serious injuries may result in higher costs to departments and municipalities."

Linking all of the databases also provided for the creation of a new factor that could help when it comes to better allocating resources for injury prevention: years of experience.

Most data just took into account what age a firefighter or paramedic was when they were injured. But not everyone in the fire service starts at the same age.

"Now, with the years of experience variable, we can more adequately explain where risk occurs," Taylor said. "For example, in our study, we saw that the first 15 years of a firefighter's tenure, regardless of their age, was the time for which they were most at risk for injury. Injuries during that time period represented over 70 percent of total costs incurred."

As a firefighter became more experienced, the data showed they were less likely to get hurt. Although it seems like common sense, there were never hard numbers to back that before. Having those numbers is important because it provides statistical justifications for funding.

However, putting together all the data that the FIRST team did isn't easy.

"Most fire departments collect data on a regular basis, but lack resources to analyze them," Taylor said. "Work like this is very resource-intensive and requires specialized skills, so we need to find continuing resources to building these data architectures."

Since FIRST has developed data systems like these not only for the Philadelphia Fire Department, but also for the Boston Fire Department and the State of Florida, the good news is that the system they've developed is "ready to be reproduced throughout the entire fire service," according to Taylor.

In addition to the ongoing injury research, the FIRST team, including graduate student Genevieve Adair and co-author Loni Philip Tabb, PhD, an assistant professor, from the Dornsife School of Public Health, is continuing to analyze more closely different aspects of the dispatch data collected through geographic information systems, also known as mapping.

"Some of the analyses we are working on now, with additional years of data, include maps showing where different causes and types of injuries are occurring, where pockets of increased numbers and rates of injury are throughout the city, where different types of calls occur, and on which type of call specific injuries occur," Widman said. "Such activities will give us better insights into how to keep Philadelphia Fire Department members safe, as well as assessing the needs of the Philadelphia community."

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Corals are calcifying animals and are the prime architects of the most diverse marine ecosystem, the coral reefs. The coral animal harbors tiny microalgae as symbionts in its tissue, where they fix CO2 via photosynthesis and provide the animal host with organic carbon for its respiration. In turn, the microalgae obtain shelter and nutrients in the coral tissue, which extends over a complex calcium carbonate skeleton deposited by the animal host.

The coral host takes several measures to optimize light harvesting of its symbionts, while avoiding excess light exposure. This includes tissue contraction and relaxation as well as synthesis of coral host pigments, including brightly fluorescent protein complexes similar to the well-known green fluorescent proteins that are widely used as cell markers in the life sciences.

Direct observation of living corals is not easy and has relied on bright field imaging and epifluorescence microscopy with limited depth and areal resolution due to the opaque coral tissue, which is composed of different cell layers, as well as diffuse backscatter from the underlying coral skeleton. The use of visible light for such observations can also influence the corals, e.g. by stimulating photosynthesis or by exposure to potentially harmful UV and blue light.

An international team of scientists headed by professor Michael Kuhl at the Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen has now surpassed such limitations in observing the tissue organization of living corals by using optical coherence tomography.

Michael Kuhl explains, OCT is an optical ultrasound-like technology that is e.g. employed by doctors to monitor tissue damage in the eye. It involves the use of non-actinic near-infrared radiation that penetrates deeper into tissue than visible light and can reveal microscopic structures with different reflective properties. We used an OCT system that enabled rapid 3D scanning of a 1-2 cm2 area down to a tissue/skeleton depth of 1-3 mm at a spatial resolution of a few m. This enabled fascinating insights to the internal and external tissue-organization over the skeleton of living corals.

It was possible to identify different tissue layers and quantify their plasticity upon changes in light exposure on living corals. Corals rapidly contracted their tissue under high light stress, making it more reflective thereby protecting their symbionts against excess light. OCT also enabled the quantification of fluorescent host pigments organized in granules that also made the tissue more reflective especially after contraction.

In the dark, corals expand their tissues to gain better access to oxygen, and OCT showed that the tissue surface area of corals can be doubled at nighttime. The surface area of corals exposed to seawater and incident light is thus very dynamic, and OCT can now quantify such changes. This can have important implications for the measurements of coral metabolic rates, which typically are normalized to the surface area of the coral skeleton after the tissue has been removed - assuming that such area measurements are representative of the coral tissue surface area. The OCT results indicate that this assumption needs revision.

It was also possible to monitor the production of coral mucus on the tissue surface, which is an important component of coral life as mucus harbors beneficial microorganisms and also traps particles for feeding or self-cleaning purposes. Enhanced mucus production is also a signature of stressed corals, e.g. upon onset of coral bleaching. Furthermore, corals can expand special defensive tissue structures such as mesenterial filaments upon mechanical stress, and OCT could also visualize such dynamic responses.

Michael Kuhl summarizes: OCT is a powerful technique for studying the dynamic structure of living corals and their behavioral response to environmental stress. It now enables many novel applications in coral science as well as in other areas of marine biology. Our study also illustrates the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in science. Who would have thought that a technique used in the eye clinic would be useful for coral research?

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Lincoln Industries Learning and Development Manager, Mike Milbourn, has been certified in developing and implementing the Outward Mindset and Outward Mindset Skills for Leaders. Milbourn is able to facilitate the Outward Mindset training at Lincoln Industries allowing people to focus on how to apply the learning to make changes that last to help our organization succeed. This will allow the people of Lincoln Industries to know they have an open environment to share ideas, challenges and feedback. It empowers people to excel in their jobs and collaborate with others. It also helps managers create successful environments and make better decisions for their people and the organization.
Organ-on-chip and 3D cell culture technology have been highlighted as promising ways to ease the cost and inefficiency of the drug development process. A wide range of technology in this arena has been developed; however, what comprises an 'ideal' 3D culture model has not been defined and translation has proven difficult.

A new article published in Future Science OA from Shery Huang and colleagues at the University of Cambridge (UK) has attempted to address this issue by determining the ideal qualities of such technology from the point of view of the end users, the biomedical community.

"Although a plethora of microfluidics-based culture models has been developed...the adaptation of these models to address biologically focused research questions is sparse," noted the authors.

The group designed a survey to assess acceptance of microfluidics-based 3D cell culture systems. Their results demonstrated a positive attitude towards the technology, although a gap remains between what is desired and what is available. In particular, the biomedical community required systems balancing complexity, user-friendliness, physiological relevance and controllability.

"In order to become a widely accepted tool in fundamental bioscience and pharmaceutical industry, 3D culture models have to find suitable research questions to address and impart tailored complexity, while overcoming drawbacks such as poor compatibility, relatively low throughput, limited functionality and lack of a standardized metric in cross-system comparison," concluded the authors.

They hope that the survey results can provide insight for entrepreneurs interested in the commercialization of these systems.

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The article is available free to read at: http://www.future-science.com/doi/full/10.4155/fsoa-2016-0084.

This article forms part of an upcoming special issue of Future Science OA covering organ-on-chip. To express an interest in receiving a link to the full issue when it is published, please contact the Editor, Francesca Lake.

About Future Science OA

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Boulder, Colo., USA: In their GSA Bulletin article published online last week, Timothy A. Goudge and colleagues detail the clay mineralogy of sediment from Lake Towuti, Indonesia, using a technique called visible to near-infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy. VNIR measures the signature of reflected light from a sample across a larger wavelength range than just visible light. At Lake Towuti, the spectral record shows distinct variations in clay mineralogy over the past 40,000 years.

The record also captures the response of the lake system to changing climate, including changes in lake levels, forced delta progradation, and river incision. According to Goudge and colleagues, this demonstrates the utility of VNIR spectroscopy in developing paleoenvironmental records over tens of thousands of years.

Interestingly, Goudge and colleagues also suggest that paleolake deposits on Mars should preserve similar paleoenvironmental information that could be accessed through remote sensing studies of stratigraphy and VNIR reflectance spectroscopy.

Lead author Tim Goudge says, "The major link between this study of lake sediment in Indonesia and lake deposits on Mars is in terms of the methods we used. We can differentiate material properties with color (e.g., rust is red because of the iron in it), so VNIR spectroscopy allows us to determine what minerals are within a sample of lake sediment."

While this technique is relatively new for applying to lake deposits on Earth, it can be run remotely simply using reflected sunlight. Thus it is commonly employed to study the mineralogy and composition of the surface of other planetary bodies, including Mars.

Goudge says, "Our study shows that one can use VNIR spectroscopy to understand the evolution of past climate that is recorded by lake sediment. Therefore, we propose that applying a similar approach to studying ancient lake deposits on Mars at high resolution will help to unravel the history of ancient martian climate."

Lake Towuti is also contained within an ophiolite, which is composed of very iron- and magnesium-rich (mafic) rocks, and so is more comparable to the mafic surface of Mars than much of Earth's land surface, which is commonly more felsic (richer in silicon, aluminum, sodium, etc.). The compositional link is not perfect, however, so Goudge and colleagues more heavily emphasize the applicability of the technique.

###

FEATURED ARTICLE

A 40,000 yr record of clay mineralogy at Lake Towuti, Indonesia: Paleoclimate reconstruction from reflectance spectroscopy and perspectives on paleolakes on Mars Timothy A. Goudge, Post-doc Research Fellow, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-1722, USA; James M. Russell, John F. Mustard, James W. Head and Satria Bijaksana.

GSA BULLETIN articles published ahead of print are online at http://gsabulletin.gsapubs.org/content/early/recent. Representatives of the media may obtain complimentary copies of articles by contacting Kea Giles. Sign up for pre-issue publication e-alerts at http://www.gsapubs.org/cgi/alerts for first access to new content.

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Boston, MA - Low-income patients served by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) waited significantly less time to receive specialty care after DHS implemented an electronic system aimed at expediting access to specialists, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The findings provide some of the first evidence suggesting that using a web-based platform could improve access to specialists for underserved patients in any health system with significant constraints on specialty supply and access.

The study will be published March 6, 2017 in the March issue of Health Affairs.

"In the Department of Health Services, primary care providers often had enormous difficulty getting timely specialty care for their low-income patients," said lead author Michael Barnett, assistant professor of health policy and management at Harvard Chan School. "We found that adoption of a centralized, electronic system for specialty care led to sustainable improvements in access to care."

In 2012, the Los Angeles County DHS rolled out the "eConsult" system--an electronic system that enabled primary care providers to request assistance from specialists via a web-based platform with rapid specialist review and triage. eConsult replaced the old system of phone calls, emails, and faxes, which often left patients waiting months for face-to-face appointments.

After three years of steady growth, the eConsult system was in use by over 3,000 primary care providers, and 12,082 consultations were taking place each month. By 2015, median time to an electronic response from a specialist was just one day, and one quarter of eConsults were resolved without a specialist visit.

In addition, the median wait time to see a specialist decreased 17.4%, from 63 to 52 days. And the percentage of appointments scheduled within 30 days of the initial request increased from 24% to 30.2%.

"eConsult has helped Los Angeles County transform itself from a health system characterized by fragmentation of care and long wait times into an integrated health system in which a community of connected providers works together to meet the needs of our patients," said Paul Giboney, director of specialty care at the LA County DHS and senior author of the study.

###

The study was supported by the California Health Care Foundation and the Blue Shield Foundation of California.

"Los Angeles Safety-Net Program eConsult System Was Rapidly Adopted And Decreased Wait Times To See Specialists," Michael L. Barnett, Hal F. Yee Jr., Ateev Mehrotra, Paul Giboney, Health Affairs, March 6, 2017, doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.1283

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Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health brings together dedicated experts from many disciplines to educate new generations of global health leaders and produce powerful ideas that improve the lives and health of people everywhere. As a community of leading scientists, educators, and students, we work together to take innovative ideas from the laboratory to people's lives--not only making scientific breakthroughs, but also working to change individual behaviors, public policies, and health care practices. Each year, more than 400 faculty members at Harvard Chan School teach 1,000-plus full-time students from around the world and train thousands more through online and executive education courses. Founded in 1913 as the Harvard-MIT School of Health Officers, the School is recognized as America's oldest professional training program in public health.
The discovery of young stars in old star clusters could send scientists back to the drawing board for one of the Universe's most common objects.

Dr Bi-Qing For, from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Perth, said our understanding of how stars evolve is a cornerstone of astronomical science.

"There are a billion trillion stars in the Universe and we've been observing and classifying those we can see for more than a century," she said.

"Our models of stellar evolution are based on the assumption that stars within star clusters formed from the same material at roughly the same time."

A star cluster is a group of stars that share a common origin and are held together by gravity for some length of time.

Because star clusters are assumed to contain stars of similar age and composition researchers have used them as an "astronomical laboratory" to understand how mass affects the evolution of stars.

"If this assumption turns out to be incorrect, as our findings suggest, then these important models will need to be revisited and revised," Dr For said.

The discovery, published today in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, involves a study of star clusters located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighbouring galaxy to the Milky Way.

By cross-matching the locations of several thousand young stars with the locations of stellar clusters, the researchers found 15 stellar candidates that were much younger than other stars within the same cluster.

"The formation of these younger stars could have been fuelled by gas entering the clusters from interstellar space," said co-author Dr Kenji Bekki, also from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research.

"But we eliminated this possibility using observations made by radio telescopes to show that there was no correlation between interstellar hydrogen gas and the location of the clusters we were studying.

"We believe the younger stars have actually been created out of the matter ejected from older stars as they die, which would mean we have discovered multiple generations of stars belonging to the same cluster."

Dr Bekki said the stars were currently too faint to see using optical telescopes because of the dust that surrounds them.

"They have been observed using infrared wavelengths by orbiting space telescopes Spitzer and Herschel, operated by NASA and the European Space Agency," he said.

"An envelope of gas and dust surrounds these young stars but as they become more massive and this shroud blows away, they will become visible at optical wavelengths for powerful instruments like the Hubble Space Telescope."

"If we point Hubble at the clusters we've been studying, we should be able to see both young and old stars and confirm once and for all that star clusters can contain several generations of stars."

###

PUBLICATION DETAILS

'A discovery of young stellar objects in older clusters of the Large Magellanic Cloud', in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society published by Oxford University Press on 7 March 2017.

MORE INFORMATION

ICRAR

The International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) is a joint venture between Curtin University and The University of Western Australia with support and funding from the State Government of Western Australia.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr Bi-Qing For (ICRAR-UWA)

E: biqing.for@icrar.org

M: +61 8 6488 7729

Dr Kenji Bekki (ICRAR-UWA)

E: kenji.bekki@icrar.org

Tel: +61 8 6488 7730

Pete Wheeler--Media Contact, ICRAR

E: pete.wheeler@icrar.org

M: +61 423 982 018
Amsterdam, NL, March 6, 2017 - There has long been interest in whether monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) inhibitors slow progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) and improve long-term outcomes. They have shown neuroprotective effects in cell culture and animal studies of PD, but clinical trial results have been mixed and have failed to convincingly demonstrate disease modifying effects in people with PD. In a retrospective analysis by Hauser et al. in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, researchers looked at the results from a large study and found that participants who received an MAO-B inhibitor for a longer period of time experienced slower clinical decline.

The NET-PD-LS1 clinical trial was a multicenter, double blind, placebo-controlled trial of 1741 participants with early PD to determine whether creatine mono-hydrate 10mg/day is more effective than placebo in slowing long-term clinical decline. It was one of the largest and longest PD clinical trials to date and ran from March 2007 until July 2013.

Researchers have now conducted a secondary analysis of the data from the NET-PD-LS1 clinical trial to determine if longer duration of MAO-B inhibitor exposure was associated with less clinical decline. During that study, approximately half (784) of the patients received an MAO-B inhibitor, which allowed investigators to identify effects that might have been due to MAO-B inhibitor usage. MAO inhibitors included rasagiline (Azilect) and selegiline (Eldepryl, Zelapar, or EMSAM).

Patients were assessed using the Global Outcome (GO), a combination of five different measurements of changes from baseline in the Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale, the PD 39-item Questionnaire (PDQ-39), the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) Ambulatory Capacity (AC), the Symbol Digit Modalities (SDM) test for cognitive function, and the most recent measurement of the Modified Rankin scale (mRS) for global disability. This analysis included 1616 participants who completed baseline and at least one yearly evaluation that included all five measures of the GO.

After adjusting for identifiable confounding factors, investigators identified a significant association between longer duration of MAO-B inhibitor exposure and slower clinical decline. A one year increase in duration of MAO-B inhibitor exposure was associated with a benefit equivalent in magnitude to approximately 20% of the annual decline in Activities of Daily Living, Ambulatory Capacity, and Global Disability observed in participants not receiving an MAO-B inhibitor. These findings support the possibility that MAO-B inhibitors slow clinical disease progression.

Results of this study are consistent with several early, small, prospective double-blind trials suggesting increasing benefit with increasing duration of administration of MAO-B inhibitors. In the wake of the failure of two large studies to prove disease modifying effects of MAO-B inhibitors, this study suggests that a long-term clinical trial with PD patients randomized to MAO-B inhibitor vs. placebo and during which physicians can administer other available PD medications as needed, is warranted to rigorously evaluate the potential long-term benefits of MAO-B inhibitors.

According to lead investigator Robert A. Hauser, MD, MBA, Departments of Neurology, Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida, and Director of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence, Tampa FL, "Earlier large trials aiming to evaluate potential disease modifying effects of MAO-B inhibitors unfortunately suffered from confounding motor effects or yielded conflicting results. Our study suggests that we should not give up on the potential long term benefits of MAO-B inhibitors. A definitive, rigorous, long-term trial should strongly be considered."

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The results of a new study reveal that a professional pest management intervention was no better in decreasing asthma symptoms in children allergic to mice than teaching families how to reduce the level of allergens shed by mice in the home on their own.

In a report of the study's findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on March 6, researchers compared professional pest management treatments plus education with education alone and found no significant differences in asthma symptoms or mouse allergen exposure between the two groups. Both groups, however, saw substantial reductions in mouse allergen levels and substantial improvements in asthma.

"Our findings suggest that giving families good instructions about how to reduce the mouse allergens that trigger asthma in their children may be enough to get the job done and, consequently, improve asthma symptoms," says Elizabeth Matsui, M.D., M.H.S., professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the paper's lead author.

Previous studies show that in many low-income urban areas, mouse allergens -- proteins found primarily in the animals' urine that trigger allergic symptoms -- are present in the homes of nearly all children who have asthma, says Matsui. Because one small study suggested that a professional integrated pest management (IPM) intervention could result in large reductions in home mouse allergen levels, the researchers wanted to know whether professional IPM reduced asthma morbidity in asthmatic children who are known to be allergic to mice and also regularly exposed to mouse allergens at home.

The study, conducted in households in Baltimore, Maryland, and Boston, Massachusetts, included 361 children and adolescents 5 to 17 years old who had asthma. Children and teens were eligible for the study if they had chronic asthma and an asthma exacerbation, such as an Emergency Department visit for asthma, within the last year. The children studied also had to be allergic to mice and have been initially exposed to a bed dust mouse allergen concentration of at least 0.4 micrograms per gram or a bedroom floor dust mouse allergen concentration of at least 0.5 micrograms per gram. Previous work indicates that these allergen levels are associated with asthma morbidity. Children also had to spend at least four nights per week in their primary homes to be included in the study. The average age of all participants was 9.9 years, 38 percent were female, most (66 percent) were from low-income households reporting a household income of less than $30,000 per year, 79 percent were black and 21 percent were Hispanic.

Between May 2010 and August 2014, children were randomly enrolled in one of two groups. One group of 166 participants received professional IPM and family education about how to reduce mouse allergen levels at home; the other group of 168 participants received family education only.

The IPM plus education group received professional mouse extermination services, sealing of holes and cracks, targeted cleaning, trap placement, allergen-proof mattresses, pillow encasements, portable air purifiers and instruction about reducing allergens on their own.

The children received IPM in treatments, with a two- to 2.5-hour initial visit followed by a one-hour booster visit one to two weeks later to reset traps and complete unfinished work from the initial visit. Mouse infestation was assessed every three months until the study ended. If infestation recurred or persisted, families in the professional IPM plus education group could receive up to three additional IPM treatments throughout the study's duration.

By the end of the study, 18 percent participants in the IPM plus education received one IPM treatment, 28 percent received two treatments, 24 percent received three treatments and 30 percent received four treatments.

The education only group of the study received one home visit from members of the research team, in which they were provided information about mouse allergies and demonstrations of methods to reduce mouse infestation and allergen exposure at home.

Those in the education only group were also offered complimentary professional IPM along with cleaning, air purifiers, and allergen-proof mattress and pillow encasements after the study's completion. At the six- and 12-month marks of the study, 11 percent and 8 percent of the education only group, respectively, reported seeking out professional exterminator services on their own.

The research team assessed each child in the clinic at six and 12 months, and via telephone calls at three and nine months.

Children were assessed for asthma symptoms -- including but not limited to cough without a cold, inability to speak full sentences due to asthma and disrupted sleep -- asthma-related health care use (acute care visits, emergency room visits or hospitalizations in three months prior to each assessment), asthma medication use and maximal symptoms days, defined as the highest number of days that the child had three different types of asthma symptoms in the two weeks prior to the visit or phone call.

The researchers also measured mouse allergen levels in the children's homes (bedroom floor, bed and airborne) and assessed their lung function. Matsui and her colleagues found no statistical difference in maximal symptoms days between the two groups across the follow-up visits; the median maximal symptoms days was 2 days and 2.7 days for IPM plus education and education only groups, respectively.

Median mouse-specific IgE levels -- an immune system allergy marker -- were 13 and 10 kilounits per liter in the IPM plus education and education only groups, respectively.

Mouse allergen concentrations in the homes of both groups were equally high, with average concentrations of 6.1 and 6.6 micrograms per gram in bedroom floor dust for IPM plus education and education only groups, respectively. Both groups had an average concentration of 1.1 micrograms per gram in bed dust. The average bedroom floor mouse allergen levels across all follow-up visits were 2 and 2.5 micrograms per gram in IPM plus education and education only groups, respectively, with no statistical difference.

"The remarkable thing we saw was a large reduction in mouse allergen levels for both groups, which hasn't been observed in other clinical trials we are aware of," notes Matsui, who practices at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Some 46 percent and 41 percent of IPM plus education and education only groups, respectively, had bedroom floor mouse allergen reductions of at least 90 percent at some point during the study.

The large reductions in allergens correlated with substantial improvements in asthma, says Matsui. For every 50 percent decrease in bedroom floor mouse allergen levels, there were decreases in how often children had asthma symptoms, used medications, and had an acute or Emergency Department visit for asthma. According to the team's estimations, a 90 percent decrease in bedroom floor mouse allergens would be expected to reduce maximum symptoms days by 14.1, acute visits by 0.82 visits and Emergency Department visits by 0.42, per person, per year.

"Future studies need to systematically determine whether the effects of education alone are better than doing nothing at all with regards to reducing both mouse allergen exposure and asthma symptoms. However, these results suggest that we don't need to wait for such future studies to provide do-it-yourself instructions to children and communities affected by mouse allergy-associated asthma right now," Matsui says. "From a practical standpoint, providing education is an inexpensive, relatively uncomplicated and resource-light thing to do."

###

Other authors on this paper include Robert D. Peng, Robert A. Wise, Susan Balcer-Whaley, Michelle Newman and Shuyan Zhai of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Matthew Perzanowski, Adnan Divjan, Ginger Chew and Rachel L. Miller of Columbia University; and Amparito Cunningham and Wanda Phipatanakul of Harvard Medical School.

Funding for this study was provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U01AI083238, K24 AI114769) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (R01 ES023447, R01 ES026170). 3M Corporation donated air purifiers, and Clean Brands LLC donated allergen-proof mattress and pillow encasements for the study.
WOOSTER, Ohio--Tomorrow's tires could come from the farm as much as the factory.

Researchers at The Ohio State University have discovered that food waste can partially replace the petroleum-based filler that has been used in manufacturing tires for more than a century.

In tests, rubber made with the new fillers exceeds industrial standards for performance, which may ultimately open up new applications for rubber.

As Katrina Cornish explains it, the technology has the potential to solve three problems: It makes the manufacture of rubber products more sustainable, reduces American dependence on foreign oil and keeps waste out of landfills.

Cornish, an Ohio Research Scholar and Endowed Chair in Biomaterials at Ohio State, has spent years cultivating new domestic rubber sources, including a rubber-producing dandelion. Now she has a patent-pending a method for turning eggshells and tomato peels into viable--and locally sourced--replacements for carbon black, a petroleum-based filler that American companies often purchase from overseas.

About 30 percent of a typical automobile tire is carbon black; it's the reason tires appear black. It makes the rubber durable, and its cost varies with petroleum prices.

Carbon black is getting harder to come by, Cornish said.

"The tire industry is growing very quickly, and we don't just need more natural rubber, we need more filler, too," she explained. "The number of tires being produced worldwide is going up all the time, so countries are using all the carbon black they can make. There's no longer a surplus, so we can't just buy some from Russia to make up the difference like we used to.

"At the same time," she added, "we need to have more sustainability."

That's why she and her team are getting eggshells and other food waste from Ohio food producers.

"We're not suggesting that we collect the eggshells from your breakfast," Cornish said. "We're going right to the biggest source."

According to the USDA, Americans consume nearly 100 billion eggs each year. Half are cracked open in commercial food factories, which pay to have the shells hauled to landfills by the ton. There, the mineral-packed shells don't break down.

The second most popular vegetable in the United States--the tomato--also provides a source of filler, the researchers found. Americans eat 13 million tons of tomatoes per year, most of them canned or otherwise processed.

Commercial tomatoes have been bred to grow thick, fibrous skins so that they can survive being packed and transported long distances. When food companies want to make a product such as tomato sauce, they peel and discard the skin, which isn't easily digestible.

Cindy Barrera, a postdoctoral researcher in Cornish's lab, found in tests that eggshells have porous microstructures that provide larger surface area for contact with the rubber, and give rubber-based materials unusual properties. Tomato peels, on the other hand, are highly stable at high temperatures and can also be used to generate material with good performance.

"Fillers generally make rubber stronger, but they also make it less flexible," Barrera said. "We found that replacing different portions of carbon black with ground eggshells and tomato peels caused synergistic effects--for instance, enabling strong rubber to retain flexibility."

"We may find that we can pursue many applications that were not possible before with natural rubber," Cornish added.

The new rubber doesn't look black, but rather reddish brown, depending on the amount of eggshell or tomato in it. With doctoral student Tony Ren, Cornish and Barrera are now testing different combinations and looking at ways to add color to the materials.

Current Ohio State doctoral student Jessica Slutzky and former master's student Griffin Michael Bates participated in the research.

The university has licensed the patent-pending technology to Cornish's company, EnergyEne, for further development.

###

Contacts: Katrina Cornish, 330-263-3982; Cornish.19@osu.edu

Cindy Barrera; Barreramartinez.1@buckeyemail.osu.edu

Written by Pam Frost Gorder, 614-292-9475; Gorder.1@osu.edu
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- New research findings show that as the world warmed millions of years ago, conditions in the tropics may have made it so hot some organisms couldn't survive.

Longstanding theories dating to the 1980s suggest that as the rest of the earth warms, the tropical temperatures would be strictly limited, or regulated by an internal 'thermostat.' These theories are controversial, but the debate is of great importance because the tropics and subtropics comprise half of the earth's surface area, greater than half of the earth's biodiversity, as well as over half the earth's human population. But new geological and climate-based research indicates the tropics may have reached a temperature 56 million years ago that was, indeed, too hot for living organisms to survive in parts of the tropics.

That conclusion is detailed in the article "Extreme Warmth and Heat-Stressed Plankton in the Tropics during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum," published by the online journal Science Advances and co-authored by Matthew Huber, professor in the Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Department at Purdue University and member of the Purdue Climate Change Research Center. Huber's contribution focused on climate modeling and interpreting paleoclimate data within the context of modern theoretical understanding. Part of this work was performed while Huber was also at the University of New Hampshire.

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) period occurred 56 million years ago and is considered the warmest period during the past 100 million years. Global temperatures rapidly warmed by about 5 degrees Celsius (9 F), from an already steamy baseline temperature, and this study provides the first convincing evidence that the tropics also warmed by about 3 degrees Celsius (5 F) during that time.

"The records produced in this study indicate that when the tropics warmed that last little bit, a threshold was passed and parts of the tropical biosphere seems to have died," Huber said. "This is the first time that we've found really good information, in a very detailed way, where we saw major changes in the tropics directly associated with warming past a key threshold in the past 60 million years."

The study is unique because of the quality of the geological records utilized. Geological records from the PETM are difficult to find, especially from an area of the tropics, Huber said. The research was based on a shallow marine sedimentary section deposited in Nigeria.

"We don't find 50-million-year-old thermometers at the bottom of the ocean," Huber said. "What we do find are shells, and we use the isotopes of carbon and oxygen within the shells, complemented by temperature proxies from organic material, to say something about the carbon cycle and about the temperature in the past."

Two research methods were used to judge the temperature during the PETM, one utilizing isotopes in shells, while the other examined organic residues in deep-sea sentiments. The biotic records left behind from living organisms indicate they were dying at the same time the conditions were warming.

If the tropics are not able to control its temperature and do not possess an internal thermostat, that should reshape future thinking about climate change, Huber said.

"If you say there's no tropical thermostat, then half of the world's biodiversity -- over half of the world's population, the tropical rainforests, the reefs, India, Brazil -- these populous and very important countries have nothing to prevent them from warming up substantially above conditions that humans have been used to," he said.

The trends in temperature increases in the tropics are similar to those found in other parts of the world, but other records have been very sparse and limited until now.

###

Huber's work has been funded by the National Science Foundation through grants EPS 1101245 and OCE 0902882. The model used in the study is developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research, which is also supported by the NSF. Computing was provided by ITaP's Research Computing.
Although female doctors training to become emergency medicine specialists scored as well as their male colleagues during the first year of their three-year programs, by the end of the third year, male residents, on average, received higher evaluations on all 23 emergency medicine training categories - including medical knowledge, patient safety, team management and communication - than female residents.

The gap emerged early in the second year of training and steadily widened until graduation. By the end of the third and final year of residency, evaluations of female physicians placed them three to four months behind male colleagues in the same training programs.

"Women are already underrepresented in the highly competitive environment of academic medicine, and the period of greatest loss is during and shortly after residency," said the study's senior author, Vineet Arora, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago.

"The results are definitely concerning," said the study's co-lead author, Arjun Dayal, a medical student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. "The wide difference between males and females, seen at all of the institutions that participated in this study, suggests that medical school faculty who evaluate residents should be aware of and attuned to ongoing concerns about gender bias."

The study, published March 6, 2017, in JAMA Internal Medicine, included 359 emergency medicine residents - medical school graduates beginning advanced training in the specialty. One third (122) of the residents were female; two-thirds (237) were male. About a third of the faculty physicians who evaluated the trainees were female (91) and two-thirds were male (194). Male and female faculty members evaluated residents similarly, consistently giving female residents lower scores throughout residency years two and three.

From July 1, 2013, to July 1, 2015, the researchers collected 33,456 "milestone" evaluations, about 90 for each of the physicians in training. Milestone evaluations are detailed, direct observations by emergency medical faculty of residents performing 23 sets of tasks - known as subcompetencies. These include basic skills such as diagnosis and medical knowledge, as well as specific procedures, such as emergency stabilization, airway management or vascular access.

This evaluation system, adopted by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, is now used by all U.S. training programs. The nationally standardized approach allows for analysis of performance "at a scope and level of detail never previously possible," the authors note. This study is the first to focus on how gender affects the process.

The training programs studied represent a mix of rural, suburban, and urban hospitals. They included small, medium and large academic as well as community-hospital programs. Results from all of the programs were comparable.

At the end of their first year of training, female residents scored slightly higher than males on 15 of the 23 subcompetencies, with notably higher scores in accountability, multitasking and diagnosis.

By the end of the third year, however, males had gained higher scores in all 23 categories, with much higher totals in airway management, general approach to procedures, team management, emergency stabilization, focused history and physical examinations, disposition, multitasking, vascular access and performance improvement. Throughout their training, males had a 13 percent higher rate of milestone attainment per year, equivalent to 3 to 4 months of additional training by graduation.

Scores given by male and female faculty members were similar throughout the period studied. The authors suggest that their results highlight the need for faculty physicians to be on the lookout for possible gender bias in residency training. Although senior residents, for example, are expected to display stereotypically male characteristics such as assertiveness and independence, female residents who display such qualities may incur a penalty, even among their female role models, for violating customary gender roles.

"One way to interpret our findings is that a widening gender gap is attributable to the cumulative effects of repeated disadvantages and biases that become increasingly pronounced at the more senior levels of training," the authors wrote.

"We are concerned that the disparity we discovered in evaluations may point to an implicit bias," said co-lead author Daniel O'Connor, a student at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. "Our finding, that female residents in emergency medicine receive lower scores than males across all sub-competencies really implicates bias rather than a deficit in specific skills or knowledge."

There has been discussion at the national level of one day having residents graduate only after demonstrating competency in the core areas of a specialty. This could lead to variable training lengths from resident to resident. "Based on our results," O'Connor said, "this would mean female residents could be required to complete additional training to graduate at the same level as their male counterparts."

Surveys show that 70 percent of female doctors in academic settings - more than three times as many as male doctors - had perceived workplace gender bias in the academic setting. Female academic physicians get paid less and hold fewer leadership positions. "We hope that our findings will focus attention on this disparity and encourage efforts to improve and provide balance, as needed, in the residency evaluation system," Arora said.

###

The National Institutes of Health, through the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences' Grant UL1 TR000430, helped support this study along with a Diversity Research Grant from the University of Chicago. Usama Qadri, a medical student at the University of Chicago, also contributed to this study.
The bubbles that form on a heated surface create a tiny recoil when they leave it, like the kick from a gun firing blanks. Now researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago, under funding from NASA, have shown how this miniscule force can be harnessed to mix liquid coolant around high-power microelectronics -- in space or on Earth.

The vapor-recoil force "is not well-studied, and has never been applied, to my knowledge," says Alexander Yarin, UIC Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and senior author on the study, published in the journal Nature Microgravity.

"In flights to Mars or the moon, equipment like computers generate a lot of heat," Yarin said. As the computers and chips become smaller and are packed tighter, the production of heat becomes a restriction on computing power.

Engineers have looked to "pool-boiling," which is liquid-cooling at a temperature near the boiling point of the fluid. In boiling, all heat is absorbed in converting the liquid to vapor, with no further rise in temperature until the phase change is complete.

But the lack of gravity in space poses a special problem for pool-boiling: The bubbles have no buoyancy.

"On Earth, the bubbles rise, and cold coolant comes in," Yarin said. "But in space, the bubbles don't rise. They stay on the submerged surface, and can merge together to form an insulating vapor layer, and the heat-removal process is interrupted.

"You can try mechanical mixing, but a motor also creates heat. You can try a strong electric field, but that also produces heat and creates other problems," he said. Both methods take up space and require power.

Yarin and his coworkers sandwiched two heat-generating circuit chips back-to-back. By alternating the voltage to the two chips, they were able to cause the apparatus to swing back and forth through the coolant at about 1 centimeter per second.

"When one chip operates, it produces bubbles and a recoil force. Then the other, and it pushes back -- enough to swing the chips in the cooling fluid and shed the bubbles," Yarin said.

"It works with or without gravity - in space, exactly as on Earth."

The researchers also showed that the force is greater when the bubbles are smaller and more numerous, resulting in a swing of greater arc and velocity. Nanofibers made of polymer were supersonically blown onto the chips, creating a nanotexture for increased bubble nucleation.

"Each single bubble works like jet propulsion," said Sumit Sinha-Ray, Yarin's doctoral student and study co-author. "When a bubble leaves a submerged surface, it pushes the surface back. You don't see it, because the bubbles are tiny and the surface is big. But we organized the bubbles to get the chip swinging."

###

Other authors on the study, all current or former students in Yarin's UIC laboratory, are Suman Sinha-Ray, adjunct professor of mechanical and industrial engineering; Wenshuo Zhang; Rakesh Sahu; and undergraduate student Barak Stoltz, who is currently spending a year at SpaceX on an internship.

The research was funded by NASA grant NNX13AQ77G.
Susan K. Sapp was inducted as a fellow into The American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) at its March meeting in Boca Raton, Fla. Sapp is a senior partner in the firm of Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P., and with her induction, joins James Bausch and Mark Christensen of the firm as fellows in the College. Fredric Kauffman (1939-2016) and Kevin Colleran (1941-2006) were also fellows of ACTL.

Founded in 1950, the college is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada. Fellowship in the college is extended by invitation only, and after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, integrity and collegiality. Membership in the college cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province.

The college strives to improve and elevate the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice and the ethics of the trial profession. Qualified lawyers are called to fellowship in the college from all branches of trial practice.

Sapp's legal practice, which has spanned 28 years, is primarily focused in civil litigation, which includes representing employers, physicians, hospitals, lawyers and educational institutions in labor and employment matters, medical and legal malpractice defense, and all aspects of education law. She also represents parties in adoption matters and related litigation. Sapp is a member of the Litigation Counsel of America, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. She is also a past president and current member of the Nebraska Council of School Attorneys. Sapp is a Lincoln native and graduate of the University of Nebraska (B.S., 1986), and the University of Nebraska College of Law (J.D., with high distinction, 1989).
COLUMBIA, Mo. (March 6, 2017) -- Studies have shown that hazardous waste sites have the potential to adversely affect human health and disrupt ecological systems. Florida has the sixth highest number of hazardous waste sites, known as Superfund sites, in the United States. In 2016, the state was projected to have the second largest number of new cancer cases in the country. Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine and the University of Florida studied cancer incidence rates in relation to Superfund sites and found a possible association. Researchers believe this discovery could help direct public health efforts in the state.

"We reviewed adult cancer rates in Florida from 1986 to 2010," said Emily Leary, Ph.D., assistant professor at the MU School of Medicine and co-author of the study. "Our goal was to determine if there were differences or associations regarding cancer incidence in counties that contain Superfund sites compared to counties that do not. We found the rate of cancer incidence increased by more than 6 percent in counties with Superfund sites."

Florida is home to 77 sites that currently are or have been classified as Superfund sites by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Using cancer incidence data collected by the Florida Department of Health, the researchers looked for cancer clusters, or "hot spots," of cases that were higher than normal. Because pediatric cancers often are genetic and not attributed to environmental factors, only adult cancers were included in the study. The researchers did not distinguish between different types of cancer.

"The findings show spatial differences -- as well as gender differences -- across Florida in adult cancer incidences," Leary said. "This work is novel because it is another piece of evidence to support an environmental cause of cancer. While it would be premature to say these differences are attributed to Superfund sites, there does appear to be an association. More research is needed to determine what this relationship is and why it exists, but identifying that a difference exists is a necessary first step."

"Our results can help public health agencies adjust policies and dedicate more efforts to areas with cancer hot spots," said Alexander Kirpich, Ph.D., postdoctoral associate at the University of Florida and co-author of the study. "These results support the link between toxic environmental waste and adverse health outcomes, but more efforts are needed to better understand this link and what it means for residents in these counties."

The study, "Superfund Locations and Potential Associations with Cancer Incidence in Florida," recently was published online in Statistics and Public Policy. Research reported in this publication was supported by the University of Florida and the University of Missouri School of Medicine. The researchers have no conflicts of interest to declare related to this study. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agency.

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About the MU School of Medicine

The MU School of Medicine has improved health, education and research in Missouri and beyond for more than 165 years. MU physicians treat patients from every county in the state, and more Missouri physicians received their medical degrees from MU than from any other university. For more information, visit http://medicine.missouri.edu/.
Administrators at the University of Missouri announced today that two paleobiologists have received the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. John Huntley and Jim Schiffbauer, assistant professors of geological sciences in the MU College of Arts and Science, each will receive more than $500,000 over the next five years in support of early career development activities such as research and science and to integrate their studies into education programs.

"It is highly unusual for two members of the same department to receive NSF CAREER grants at the same time," said Mark McIntosh, interim vice chancellor for research, graduate studies and economic development. "Both candidates were chosen during the same cycle, which means that the review panel considered the value of their proposals simultaneously. To receive this level of federal funding at the same time shows that their research and academic projects are of the highest caliber and highlights the outstanding educational opportunities for our undergraduate and graduate students."

Getting a Closer Look at Science

The Department of Geological Sciences is installing a highly customized scanning electron microscope and the first micro-computed X-ray tomography (microCT) scanner on campus, which will allow researchers across disciplines to analyze three-dimensional samples without destroying them. Schiffbauer will oversee the new lab, which will be an integral part of his NSF award.

As part of his CAREER plan, Schiffbauer will introduce area elementary students to the Cambrian Period, a time when most marine invertebrates first appeared in the fossil record. Also dubbed the "Cambrian explosion," fossilized records from this time provide glimpses into evolutionary biology when the world's ecosystems rapidly changed and diversified. Researchers will investigate, using the capabilities of the new lab, how Cambrian organisms are fossilized from geochemical and paleoenvironmental perspectives.

"We're going to bring the Cambrian Period into elementary school classrooms to introduce kids to paleontology, paleoecology and fossil preservation," Schiffbauer said. "This early push for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM education, is critical at an early age, when all most kids know about paleontology is dinosaurs. We want to show them the origin of animals and get them excited about science."

The NSF award provides support for graduate and undergraduate students, who will write text for a coloring book about the Cambrian Period. Schiffbauer's team will work with educators and students at Lee Expressive Arts Elementary School in Columbia.

Let the Columns Stand

When seeking clues about the future effects of possible climate change, sometimes scientists look to the past. Huntley's past research includes ancient clams from the Holocene Epoch that began 11,700 years ago. The clams indicate that current sea level rise may mimic the same conditions that led to an upsurge in parasitic trematodes, or flatworms. His research has focused on exploring the link between sea-level rise and increasing parasitism.

"The research portion of the CAREER grant will help us determine how coastal ecosystems have responded to past climate change and sea-level cycles," Huntley said. "We're going to reconstruct what happened with temperature, nutrient availability and salinity, and see how they are related to trematode (parasite) prevalence."

Huntley's team explores biological responses to environmental and climate change in the fossil record and that exploration of deep time is the basis of a new course called "Geology of the Columns."

"When you look at MU's columns, they are made of fossil material deposited in Missouri in a shallow tropical sea around 350 million years ago," Huntley said. "For students who are not science-inclined, we hope that we can increase their scientific interest and literacy on the fundamentals of earth and life history through the stories preserved in this beloved Mizzou icon. Additionally, we will adapt this curriculum as continuing education opportunities for middle and high school science teachers with the goal of reaching younger students as well."

Training the Next Generation of Scientists and Educators

Schiffbauer and Huntley also will encourage their graduate students to pursue teaching by asking them to enroll in a minor in college teaching through the MU College of Education. Together, they will mentor their students in scientific and education pursuits.

The NSF CAREER grants are due to begin June 1, 2017.

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PHILADELPHIA - Implicit gender bias has long been suspected in many medical training programs, but until recently has been difficult to study objectively. Now, for the first time, a nationally standardized milestone evaluation system for emergency medicine residents is shining a light on these potential biases. In study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers found that although male and female emergency medicine specialists start off residency on an equal playing field, by the end of the three-year training program male residents, on average, received higher evaluations on all 23 emergency medicine training categories - including medical knowledge, patient safety, team management, and communication.

During the first year of training, female residents actually scored slightly higher than males on 15 of the 23 areas, with notably higher scores in accountability, multitasking, and diagnosis. However, by the end of the third and final year of residency, males had gained higher scores in all 23 categories and had a 13 percent higher rate of milestone attainment per year - the equivalent of 3 to 4 months of additional training by graduation.

"We are concerned that the disparity we discovered in evaluations may point to an implicit bias," said co-lead author Daniel O'Connor, a student in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. "Our finding, that female residents in emergency medicine receive lower scores than males across all sub-competencies really implicates bias rather than a deficit in specific skills or knowledge."

O'Connor and researchers from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine collected 33,456 "milestone" evaluations, from 359 emergency medicine residents over a two-year period. One-third (122) of the residents were female; two-thirds (237) were male. The training programs studied represent a mix of rural, suburban, and urban hospitals and included small, medium and large academic as well as community hospital programs.

About a third of the faculty physicians who evaluated the trainees were female (91) and two-thirds were male (194). Male and female faculty members evaluated residents similarly, consistently giving female residents lower scores throughout residency years two and three.

Although senior residents, for example, are expected to display stereotypically male characteristics such as assertiveness and independence, female residents who display such qualities may incur a penalty, even among their female role models, for violating customary gender roles.

"One way to interpret our findings is that a widening gender gap is attributable to the cumulative effects of repeated disadvantages and biases that become increasingly pronounced at the more senior levels of training," the authors wrote.

In light of recent national discussions calling for formalized competency demonstrations before residents can graduate in their specialty, this implicit bias could have long-term implications for female physicians.

"Based on our results," O'Connor said, "this would mean female residents could be required to complete additional training to graduate at the same level as their male counterparts."

###

The National Institutes of Health, through a National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences' Grant (UL1 TR000430), helped support this study along with a Diversity Research Grant from the University of Chicago. Usama Qadri, a medical student at the University of Chicago, also contributed to this study.

For more information about this study, see the full press release from the University of Chicago.

Penn Medicine is one of the ./world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania(founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $5.3 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 18 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $373 million awarded in the 2015 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Chestnut Hill Hospital and Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2015, Penn Medicine provided $253.3 million to benefit our community.
PHILADELPHIA - There is new hope for the hundreds of millions of women worldwide who have been subjected to genital mutilation. A surgeon in Penn Medicine's Center for Human Appearance has developed a reconstructive procedure that can increase sexual function and, patients' early experiences suggest, help heal the emotional and psychological wounds associated with the mutilation. Ivona Percec, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Surgery in the division of Plastic Surgery and associate director of Cosmetic Surgery in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, reports on her use of the technique in three patients this month in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal. She also calls for greater awareness of this human rights issue in support of women who've suffered these experiences across the world.

"Plastic surgeons have a crucial role to play in this recovery, and it's important for physicians to be informed and prepared to address the surgical and emotional needs of women who seek care for this," Percec said. "Our procedure is simple yet effective and can help victims restore their physical and psychological sense of well-being."

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as, "any procedure that intentionally alters or causes injury to female genital organs for non-medical reasons and with no health benefits." An estimated 200 million women have been subjected to FGM around the world, usually between the first week of life and adolescence, and often by their caregivers. It is a cultural ritual in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia to encourage female sexual fidelity. It is internationally recognized as a violation of human rights.

FGM can also have long-term consequences, including severe pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, cysts, recurrent infections, and even death.

The WHO breaks the mutilation into four distinct classes depending on the extent of the damage. All three patients in Percec's report suffered from Grade II mutilation - defined as the partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora (the inner folds of the vulva), with or without the removal of the labia majora (the outer folds of skin of the vulva). All three women were between the ages of 30 and 33 and had recently immigrated to the United States from Sierra Leone. In each case, the women were married but had not told their husbands they had undergone FGM as children.

"These women were embarrassed that they were subjected to this procedure, in particular since relocating to the United States," Percec said. "All of them were able to have intercourse, but without pleasure - usually with pain. None of them ever let their partners see their vaginal area."

The patients wanted to know if there were any surgical options available to help them look and feel more normal. After Percec's research turned up little in the way of established procedures, she used her knowledge of other reconstructive techniques in hopes of restoring appearance and function.

Percec's surgeries involved separating the labia majora, which were connected by scar tissue, then suturing them to make sure they did not re-adhere to each other. The clitoris, or its remnant, which is naturally covered in mucosa tissue, was left raw to let it regenerate the mucosa on its own. This also prevented excessive scarring and made it more likely for sensation to return to the area.

"The other key was treatment after the surgery, which included an antibiotic and pain-reducing ointment twice each day," Percec said. "It's a naturally sensitive area anyway, so using that ointment was important until the clitoris healed and formed its own mucosa again."

With an average follow up of almost a year, all three patients reported improved sexual function and decreased embarrassment with their partners. All three women said they would recommend this procedure to others who have suffered FGM.

"Female genital mutilation is a violation of the basic rights of women and children," Percec said. "As nations around the world work to eliminate this custom, plastic surgeons can play an important role in the physical, emotional, and psychological recovery of women everywhere."

###

Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $5.3 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 18 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $373 million awarded in the 2015 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Chestnut Hill Hospital and Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2015, Penn Medicine provided $253.3 million to benefit our community.
PITTSBURGH, March 6, 2017 - Women are less likely than men to be chosen as speakers during grand rounds, the academic mainstay of expert-delivered lectures used to share patient-care guidelines and cutting-edge research within clinical departments. Those findings by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine were published today in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Despite women comprising 47 percent of medical students, 46 percent of residents and 36 percent of faculty nationwide, only 26 percent of grand rounds speakers were women. Across clinical specialties, grand rounds speakers were 44 percent less likely than medical students, 39 percent less likely than residents, and 21 percent less likely than faculty to be women. Additionally, speakers invited from outside institutions were less likely to be women than those invited to speak at grand rounds from among an institution's own personnel.

"The people at the podiums do not resemble the people in the audience," said Julie Boiko, M.D., M.S., who led the study while a medical student at the Pitt School of Medicine. "While gender representation and equality in medicine has been an important area of student discussion in recent years, this is the first time we have data to support that there may be a gender bias in speaker selection at academic grand rounds."

Data for the JAMA research letter was collected from nine major clinical specialties and 79 medical schools and academic hospitals. In total, researchers analyzed more than 200 grand rounds websites and calendar listings for speaker series, as well as more than 7,000 individual sessions for speaker gender and institutional affiliations.

As follow up to this study, researchers plan to identify specific factors associated with having greater gender balance on grand rounds speaker rosters.

"We were surprised by the consistency of this underrepresentation across most specialties and the discovery that speakers invited from outside a given institution are less likely to be women than speakers invited from within the institution," said Alyce Anderson, coauthor of the study and an M.D./Ph.D. candidate at the Pitt School of Medicine. "With this data, speaker planning committees, departments and institutions can strive for gender representation that approximates that of individual clinical specialties' faculty and/or trainees. Such efforts may have a positive effect on retaining women in the academic medical workforce."

###

Boiko currently is a resident physician in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. Additional coauthor Rachael Gordon is an M.D./Ph.D. student at the Pitt School of Medicine.

About the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

As one of the nation's leading academic centers for biomedical research, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine integrates advanced technology with basic science across a broad range of disciplines in a continuous quest to harness the power of new knowledge and improve the human condition. Driven mainly by the School of Medicine and its affiliates, Pitt has ranked among the top 10 recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health since 1998. In rankings recently released by the National Science Foundation, Pitt ranked fifth among all American universities in total federal science and engineering research and development support. Likewise, the School of Medicine is equally committed to advancing the quality and strength of its medical and graduate education programs, for which it is recognized as an innovative leader, and to training highly skilled, compassionate clinicians and creative scientists well-equipped to engage in world-class research. The School of Medicine is the academic partner of UPMC, which has collaborated with the University to raise the standard of medical excellence in Pittsburgh and to position health care as a driving force behind the region's economy. For more information about the School of Medicine, see http://www.medschool.pitt.edu.

http://www.upmc.com/media
Tokyo, Mar 3, 2017 -- A group of Waseda University researchers has developed a new process using palladium or nickel as a catalyst for removing carbon monoxide from esters to produce ethers. This innovation provides new opportunities for development of drugs to fight cancer, malaria and more.

The conventional method for producing diaryl ether uses an intermolecular cross-coupling reaction of aryl halides and phenols with a copper or palladium catalyst, but high cost and concerns about disposal of potentially hazardous halogenated waste have driven demand for a better method.

In this research, a nickel or palladium catalyst with an enabling diphosphine ligand successfully removed carbon monoxide from aromatic esters to synthesize diaryl ether. Using this innovative process, diaryl ethers can be produced from over 30 different kinds of aromatic esters, allowing a choice of more inexpensive and easily obtainable materials. The present reaction can also be conducted on a gram scale with excellent yield, all of which is expected to make a significant impact on development of new pharmaceuticals.

###

The group, including researchers from Nagoya University, published this research in the Journal of the American Chemical Society online on February 21.

Title: Decarbonylative Diaryl Ether Synthesis by Pd and Ni Catalysis Ryosuke Takise; Ryota Isshiki; Kei Muto; Kenichiro Itami; Junichiro Yamaguchi DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b00049

About Waseda University

Waseda University is a leading private, non-profit institution of higher education based in central Tokyo, with over 50,000 students in 13 undergraduate and 21 graduate schools.

Founded in 1882, Waseda cherishes three guiding principles: academic independence, practical innovation and the education of enlightened citizens. Established to mold future leaders, Waseda continues to fulfill this mission, counting among its alumni seven prime ministers and countless other politicians, business leaders, journalists, diplomats, scholars, scientists, actors, writers, athletes and artists.

Waseda is number one in Japan in international activities, including number of incoming and outgoing study abroad students, with the broadest range of degree programs taught fully in English, and exchange partnerships with over 600 top institutions in 84 countries.
EU Farm Ministers will today (6 March) meet and talk about views on a the creation of a new EU-wide animal welfare platform.

In a move intended to promote animal welfare throughout the EU, the European Commission has created a dedicated animal welfare platform  a discussion forum where stakeholders like farmers, processors, retailers, academics and a variety of NGOs can meet and find consensus out of the seemingly conflicting views of the various interest groups.

The EU has some of the highest welfare standards in the world for transport which European farmers comply with.

Speaking in Brussels, co-operative Copa & Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said: We believe that it is important to bring these high animal welfare standards at international level.

EU farmers are also involved in different voluntary initiatives and guidelines for the transport of animals which go beyond EU legislation.

We consequently welcome the setting up of the new EU animal welfare platform which enables key stakeholders to exchange information.

The platform should focus on ensuring proper implementation and harmonisation of existing EU rules rather than creating new legislation. Future developments on animal welfare need to centre on simplifying existing legislation, giving more flexibility to operators and reducing the high administrative costs they suffer.

In view of our strong involvement, we believe that European farmers and their cooperatives must be well represented on this platform, he added.

A poll by the RSPCA has revealed eight out of ten people want UK animal welfare laws improved or at least kept the same after we leave the EU.
Companies in some Scottish rural areas will be given additional support to help them employ apprentices.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed eligible areas for the Rural Supplement on the first day of Apprenticeship Week.

Apprenticeship Week 2017 focuses on the benefits apprenticeships bring to businesses, individuals and the UK economy.

New changes to Modern Apprenticeships is hoped will provide more flexibility for employers, including those in the public sector, while also widening access for rural communities, people with disabilities and experience of care.

Sturgeon said: "Rural communities are vital to Scotlands economy so it is important they get the support to recruit and retain employees, including Modern Apprentices.

"We recognise employers and trainers can incur additional costs when delivering Modern Apprenticeships in more remote areas.

"That is why we have introduced the Rural Supplement  to ensure young people in some of the more remote parts of Scotland are not disadvantaged when it comes to accessing apprenticeships.

"Modern Apprenticeships provide excellent opportunities for young people to enter the world of work and they are central to our ambition to develop a world class vocational education system that matches our world class, and free, system of higher education.

"We are on schedule to meet the challenging target of 26,000 new starts this year as we work towards our commitment of at least 30,000 new Modern Apprenticeship starts per year by 2020."

The local authority areas where training providers will be able to access the supplement are:

- Argyll and Bute

- Highland

- Moray

- Orkney

- Shetland

- Western Isles

- Isle of Arran (North Ayrshire)

- Dumfries and Galloway

- Scottish Borders

- Aberdeenshire

- Perth and Kinross
The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has cancelled plans for a national dairy show following a decision to hold major reforms within the organisations activities.

A comprehensive review of the charitys activities will see it narrow its focus to areas in which it can offer benefits; it will cut peripheral or duplicated activities and also step up its influencing work.

Part of the change of direction will be a brand new technology and innovation-based event, Dairy-Tech, to be held in February 2018 at Stoneleigh Park.

The previous dairy event, National Dairy Event, was scheduled to take place this September, replacing the associations Livestock Event.

Flagship exhibition

Focusing on the science and technology of dairy farming and the cutting-edge tools that will support a wide range of systems, Dairy-Tech will be RABDFs annual flagship exhibition.

Mike King, chairman of RABDF, said a long and rigorous review process had brought RABDF to this point and while every option for the future of the charity had been considered, feedback from industry and members made it clear there was still an important place for RABDF in the dairy sector.

He explained: Since reviewing the organisations activities it has become clear that RABDF hasnt been playing to its strengths or delivering sufficient depth. It didnt evolve with the times and lost sight of its specialisms. Our revised strategy is to focus on where we can deliver genuine and sustained value, on our own, or in collaboration with others. We wont just raise issues  well follow them through.

'Influencing and lobbying government'

Matthew Knight, managing director of RABDF, said a core part of the organisations activities moving forward would be influencing and lobbying of government and policymakers through its joint secretariat of the Dairy All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), Royal associations, and its extensive contacts in the dairy supply chain.

Mr Knight said: This is an area valued highly by those we consulted. We are in a strong position to gain industry feedback and publicise pressing issues such as provision of skilled dairy labour post-Brexit.

Now we want to follow these through and as well as being part of the noise, be a part of the solution. This will be supported with a new Policy Conference that will take place in October, in association with The Trehane Trust.

Another area of concern is how the sector identifies and develops young talent. We will expand our existing work in this area, encouraging new entrants through training and awards but looking also at how reaching into urban areas could generate new technicians for our industry as well as new public support.

Lastly, business resilience remains a key feature. We are going to build on our popular on-farm learning opportunities, especially for profitable youngstock rearing and grass utilisation. We will look at issues such as how to improve dialogue between vets and farmers in reducing antibiotic use, and will keep developing the Women in Dairy initiative.
The Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS) has set out proposals for stronger alignment of farming and supply chain policy and strategy after the UK leaves the EU.

If adopted, the society says, it will mean co-operation, collaboration and innovation would be incentivised in farming and supply chains, helping to improve market responsiveness and increase competitiveness.

The proposals were sent to a variety of politicians, including Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy Fergus Ewing and George Eustice, Food and Farming Defra minister.

James Graham, SAOS Chief Executive, said: The prospect of a new agriculture policy provides an excellent opportunity to correct some of the things that we feel have constrained the expansion of co-operation across more of Scotlands farming.

It is clear in the responses from government Ministers, and in follow-up discussions, that our vision of better-organised farmers working together to meet the supply chain and drive farm innovation is being fully considered, along with the policy measures that would generate the kind of changes that are required.

Incentivising innovation and co-operation

SAOS has proposed that agriculture policy should provide for funding to Producer Organisations across all sectors of agriculture to support innovation programmes.

This method of stimulating innovation has been used to good effect in the fruit and vegetable sectors, leading to the introduction of new farming systems and supply chain processes.

Approved operational programmes designed by each PO attract grant at a rate of either 50%, or equivalent to 4.1%, of the value of marketed produce. James Graham states: This sets a precedent and exemplar for how to channel and target grant funds to agriculture in future.

A legal right for farmers to negotiate collectively

SOAS wants a legally-backed obligation to be introduced on large scale buyers of farm crops and livestock, to recognise the right of farmers to negotiate terms collectively with them, when organised in appropriate forms of producer organisation or co-operative.

The possibility of farmers collectively and co-operatively negotiating with buyers has been denied in important sectors where there is imbalance in negotiating positions, closing off opportunities for fairer terms and increased transparency, the society states.

According to James Graham: The absence of a legally-backed obligation is acting as a constraint to supply chain improvements. This might be achieved by extending the role of the Groceries Code Adjudicator to the trading relationships between farmers and large scale buyers, backed by powers to review and impose sanction where poor practice is found to be evident.

Link capital grants with supply chain improvement

SOAS says an obligation to engage in supply chain improvement programmes including the primary sector should be a condition of all grant awards where Scottish primary produce is to be used in the resulting plant and processes.

James Graham continues: This would enhance the alignment of strategy amongst the primary and food manufacturing sectors. Every supply chain improvement programme we have facilitated has yielded commercial benefits for all involved. We need to encourage more.

The current SRDP Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation Grant scheme enables important investment to proceed, helping to mitigate investment risk and reduce investment pay-back times.

Co-operate for farm resilience

SOAS says expert knowledge and facilitation should be available to continue innovation for greater farming resilience through co-operation.

According to James Graham: Agricultural co-operation delivers opportunities for risk management and enhanced farm resilience in a wide variety of ways. Within a single co-op, farmers may currently access futures contracts (in some products), participate in long-term customer contracts, accumulate mutually held funds to use in volatile price cycles, participate in supply chain improvement programmes, identify and develop new markets, manage harvest risks, introduce innovation on farm, forward purchase inputs and diversify. Through co-operation, we have the foundations on which to build more sophisticated risk management systems.
Only two states have a wider gap between what immigrants make and what U.S-born workers make than Nebraska, according to a report.

Personal finance website NerdWallet released the report, entitled "What Immigrants Earn in Each State and How Much They Send Abroad," on Monday.

According to the report, which used data from the Census Bureau, foreign-born workers in Nebraska earned a median income of $38,783 in 2015, nearly $18,000 lower than the $56,498 that U.S.-born workers earned.

Only two states, Wyoming and North Dakota, had wider gaps in income between foreign- and U.S-born workers.

Nebraska also had the third-lowest median income for foreign-born workers of any state, trailing only New Mexico and South Dakota.

David Drozd, research coordinator at the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said he doesn't have definitive data on why the income gap is so large in Nebraska, but he did point to statistics that show Nebraska has the second-lowest percentage of Hispanics ages 25 and older with at least a high school diploma.

"Education tends to drive work opportunities and wages," Drozd said.

The report also showed which immigrants sent the most money to their home countries. At the top were Guatemalan immigrants, who remitted more than 30 percent of their income in 2014 to their home country. Honduran immigrants were next with 26 percent of their income going home while Chinese immigrants remitted the third-highest percentage of income.

To see the full report, go to: https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/banking/what-immigrants-earn-in-each-state-how-much-they-send-abroad/.
Young farmers in Wales have announced that a fundraising target of 76,100 has been reached to help buy the rest of their YFC headquarters on the Royal Welsh showground.

A once in a lifetime opportunity has become one step closer for the Wales Federation of YFC, following the generosity the public who have dug deep to help purchase the head lease of the charitys current home on the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd.

The Federations Buy a Brick campaign has attracted support from far and wide and has ensured that the target has been reached in order for the organisation to be able to proceed with the purchase.

Chairman of Wales YFC Arwel Jones commented: We are thrilled to be able to announce that thanks to the generosity of members, past members and friends of the organisation, we have been able to reach our target of 76,100 which will enable us to move forward with the purchase.

We would like to thank every individual and organisation who has so generously contributed to the campaign and helped us secure our future on the showground.

A complex leasing history meant that the ground floor is owned by Grwp NPTC, which Wales YFC was previously allowed to use only during events such as the Royal Welsh Show, the Spring Festival and the Winter Fair.

Grwp NPTC looked to consolidate its assets, and gave Wales YFC first option to buy the ground floor.
Suncorp Group Limitedhas announced it has received about 11,000 claims for natural hazard events, including the Sydney hailstorm, over the past eight months.The bank estimates the financial impact of the event will be between $150 and $170 million.As a result, its total natural hazard claim costs for the eight months to 28 February 2017, are estimated to fall between $610 and $630 million.The group says it remains protected for the 2017 financial year, against further natural hazard events, as it has a catastrophe program and additional natural hazard protection.Suncorp Group Limitedsays within hours of the hailstorm, the company quickly established hail assessment centres at key locations along the storm path. That enabled Suncorp to assess more than 650 affected cars every day.Suncorp Group Limitedreported net profit after tax of $537 million for the half year to 31 December 2016.
Although Yamana Gold (AUY 19.85%) is one of the more popular gold mining stocks, investors certainly don't know everything about it. And since the best investors are well-informed investors, let's take a look at some things that help to provide a more complete view of the company.

1. What's in a name

Yamana may make its hay in gold production, but the company is involved in pulling more than just the yellow stuff out of the ground. It is also involved in silver and copper production. According to the company's recent earnings report, in fiscal 2016, gold accounted for 82.4% of the company's revenue. Silver and copper accounted for 6.3% and 11.3%, respectively.

2. But wait -- there's more

In the company's Q4 earnings release, management noted the company was currently in "an organic growth phase." And turning to the projects in the company's pipeline, we find Agua Rica, located in Argentina. A large-scale porphyry copper, molybdenum, gold and silver deposit, Agua Rica has the potential to further diversify Yamana's portfolio, leaving the company less reliant on precious metals.

According to the company's recent 6-K, Agua Rica has proven and probable mineral reserves of approximately 10 billion pounds of copper and 6.5 million ounces of gold; however, advancement of the project doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon. Management asserts in the 6-K that it "continues to take steps to evaluate potential transactions that will surface the value in Agua Rica." Furthermore, "The Company envisages a transaction relating to Agua Rica that would involve maintaining a joint venture interest and monetizing some equity in the project for a mixture of cash and an interest in gold production."

3. Only a few golden years

As opposed to many of its peers -- like Newmont Mining, founded in 1921 -- Yamana doesn't have a very long history. In fact, the company is more or less a teenager. Peter Marrone, Yamana's chairman and CEO, founded the company in 2003.

4. A new kid on the block

Like the company itself, Peter Marrone, also has a limited history in gold mining. Before founding the company, Mr. Marrone worked as the head of investment banking at a major Canadian investment bank. Before that, he worked as a lawyer, focusing on corporate law, securities law, and international transactions.

5. Finding gold in the Great White North

Although Yamana Gold is headquartered in Canada, it wasn't until fairly recently that the company maintained any mining operations in the country. Partnering with Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM 5.67%), Yamana Gold acquired Canadian Malartic in 2014. Located in Quebec, Canadian Malartic, one of Canada's largest gold mines according to Yamana, is expected to average approximately 600,000 ounces of gold annually for the next 14 years. Each company, Agnico and Yamana, maintains 50% ownership of the mine.

6. Going for a spin

Towards the end of 2016, Yamana Gold completed the spin-off of its subsidiary, Brio Gold, into a stand-alone public company, which is traded on the TSX. Using the proceeds from the stock offering to pay down debt, Yamana recognizes the long-term potential value of Brio Gold, but it's not adverse to saying goodbye to it either.

According to the company's recent 6-K filing, management "takes a long-term view of its ownership of Brio Gold; however, the Company will evaluate various monetization opportunities for its holding from time to time."

7. An easy balancing act in 2017

Like most miners, deftly managing its balance sheet is one of Yamana management's paramount concerns. In fact, it has set the aggressive, long-term target of achieving a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 1.5 or better. And the coming months may afford the company an opportunity to make headway towards achieving that goal -- the company only has $18.6 million in debt due during fiscal 2017.

With cash and cash equivalents of $97 million, Yamana will have no problem repaying the debt it has due this year; furthermore, it can dip a little further into its cash reserves to pay down some of the debt it has due farther down the line.
Franz Tost: I can imagine so, as the new cars look super cool - very aggressive with the wider tyres and the much bigger front and rear wings. And the higher speed in the corners... I think fans will love it. Now we have to see how the racing is going to be - how the overtaking will work with these kinds of cars. Fans want to see fights between the drivers - thats why they are coming to the races and watch TV.

Q: Franz, is this a return to the good old days: roaring engines, massive tyres and superfast cars? And will fans appreciate it?

When the wraps came off Toro Rossos 2017 car, its looks and livery drew near universal praise. Sadly it then completed fewer laps than any rival in the first pre-season test. So are the new F1 regulations really a chance for the Italian team to jump clear of the midfield? And is the STR13 the car to make it happen? We spoke exclusively with team principal Franz Tost about this years changes, what they mean for those at the wheel, and for those watching on

Q: The wider cars might be an issue at some tracks

FT: Probably it will be even trickier in Monaco and Singapore - and qualifying will become even more important there. Fact is that the cars are much faster and that is good news. We are back on track to demonstrate again that we are the peak of motorsports.

Q: And will 2017 be the start of a golden age for Toro Rosso? The opinion is that your car has what it takes to make a splash

FT: Yes, we look super aggressive - partly also because our livery looks really sharp. When you look at the overall picture we should have all the ingredients to have a great season. I assume our car is competitive - with Renault we have a good engine; we have competitive drivers; and the team has had stability in recent years. But in the end nobody really knows their position in the pecking order at this very moment. Four days running are simply not enough to have a final judgement.

Q: Its now the third season in a row that you have raced with a different engine. How difficult is it for a smaller team to deal with such a situation?

FT: It is very difficult, as you are permanently confronted with new parameters. The advantage for this season was that we knew about the change early in 2016, so we could react in time and the level of grief was much lower than in the previous years, as we had to design a new car anyway. (Laughs)

Q: On the personnel side, we have seen significant changes at many other teams, but Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso have remained constant. Is that a plus - and down to good management or watertight contracts?

FT: Both! (Laughs) Overall I would say that people like to work for Toro Rosso, as well as Red Bull Racing. But, of course, we also have contracts. Stability is one of the keys to being successful in the longer term. In Formula One, solutions are never black or white - there are many shades in between. So it is quite important that the engineers know each other well, so as to understand what shade of grey his colleague means.

Q: On the engine side its Renault for Toro Rosso again. They also power their own team and Red Bull Racing. Whereabouts in the supply chain are you?

FT: I hope we are all equals. We should receive the same parts and the same software. I am sure Renault will be fair enough to provide us with the same material the two other teams are using.

Q: You had suggested freezing the Mercedes engine. Do you fear that they will again be untouchable?

FT: Yes, its true that I have said that the power unit that is on top should be frozen - in this case it is Mercedes. With the current regulations the development is totally free, which means that the costs for the power units will increase, because what makes it so costly is research and development. Currently we pay a high percentage of our budget for the power unit - and I think this should change in the future. I can imagine that we could go the same route as we did with the V8.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced it is seeking project proposals for the Rural Business Development Grant Program in Nebraska.

RBDG funds are designed to support rural businesses and may be used for a number of purposes, including targeted technical assistance, training, economic development planning and for the establishment of revolving loan funds.

Eligible applicants include municipalities, state agencies, non-profit corporations, federally recognized tribes and colleges and universities.

Project proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. April 7 and must be emailed to Brant Richardson at brant.richardson@ne.usda.gov.
Cambridgeshire-based merchant Wellgrain went into administration on 2 March.

Matthew Richards and Daniel Smith of Grant Thornton were appointed administrators to the company, which includes many farmers among its creditors.

No further information was available as Farmers Weekly posted this story. We will continue to press for more detail.

Wellgrain was established by Douglas Spinney in 2003.

Its most recent accounts made up to 30 June 2015 show a turnover of almost 86m, a profit before tax on ordinary activities of 214,896 and net assets of 2.7m.

At that time it had about 30 employees.

See also: BPS 2017  how to apply

The companys next annual accounts are due to be filed by 30 March.

Wellgrain is wholly owned by and makes up the vast majority of the turnover of its parent company, Driftwell Investments, which is not in administration and continues to trade as a standalone business.

Driftwell had a turnover of 93.154m in the year to 30 June 2015, for which the accounts show the company was 86% owned by Mr Spinney and his wife.

NFU acting senior legal adviser Lucy Ralph said the union was working to provide guidance to members affected by the Wellgrain administration and members should contact NFU Callfirst (0370 845 8458) as soon as possible.

Has the Wellgrain administration affected your business? Get in touch with Farmers Weekly, email suzie.horne@rbi.co.uk or call 0208 652 4923
Welcome to Farmers Weeklys new photo series  Farmlife Framed.

Were very lucky and get sent lots of photos by readers, keen to share a snapshot of their lives.

From the scenic and the serious to the fun and the funny, your pictures are a great insight into agriculture and rural living across the UK  and further afield.

Here are three of the lovely images youve shown us recently.

Three times threeThree-year-old triplets Harry, Isabella and Harley alongside triplet lambs.

The shot was taken near Holsworthy in Devon and shared by mum, Serena Colwill.

Grubs upFeeding sheep on a hill in mid-Wales  a moment captured by beef and sheep farmer Morgan Tudor.

Island celebrationCharles and Sue Tindall from Selby in North Yorkshire got married recently in Mauritius. Naturally, they had a copy of Farmers Weekly to hand.
A sudden and surprising increase in the number of farm fatalities in February has prompted farm leaders to call for increased vigilance in and around farmyards.

Latest figures there were 10 deaths on farms in the UK in that single month  including one child.

That compares with a more normal average of about three deaths a month  based on a five-year annual average of 37 fatalities.

Last year, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reported 29 fatalities in total, which was a welcome downturn.

See also: 2015-16 sees fewer farm deaths

In one recent case, a farmer and his dog were killed on a level crossing in Frampton Mansell, Gloucestershire, after his Land Rover was hit by a train travelling at 50mph.

Colin Cameron, 60, suffered multiple injuries and died following the incident, on Tuesday (7 February).

And last weekend (Saturday, 4 March) a 20-year-old woman was airlifted to hospital and died of her injuries following an accident involving machinery on a farm near Dawlish in Devon.

Devon and Cornwall Police and the HSE are currently investigating the incident.

Machinery dangers

Accidents involving farm machinery were the cause of the majority of recorded farm deaths in February.

NFU vice-president and Farm Safety Partnership chair Guy Smith urged farmers to make safety a priority.

Farmers can protect themselves by planning to keep people separate from tractors and other farm vehicles whenever possible, he said.

Following the Safe Stop procedure of hand brake on, controls in neutral, engine off and keys out is vital when working on machinery.

Check, check and check again that vehicles are properly maintained. Something as simple as topping up brake fluid or repairing a load indicator light could mean the difference between life and death.

The HSE has published guidance on child safety and on preventing accidents to children.

And guidance is also available on tractors and on avoiding overturns.
Lodging Interactive, an award winning digital marketing and social media engagement and reputation management agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, today announced it is offering all-inclusive digital marketing packages for hotels and resorts. Since 2001, Lodging Interactive has been exclusively serving the hospitality industry and helping hotel clients maximize their direct online booking opportunities.

With the introduction of our all-inclusive digital marketing packages our innovative approach in hospitality digital marketing continues to evolve, said Mr. DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactives Founder and President. For more than fifteen years we have created award winning services for our client and our CoMMingle Social Media Marketing Service and most recently our CoMMingle Live Chat Service for hotels now leading the pack. Now, were the only digital marketing agency that brings all the required pieces together into an all-inclusive digital marketing service platform for hotels.

Lodging Interactives all-inclusive digital marketing packages include:

 Modern website designs to maximize direct booking opportunities

 Professional in-house website copywriting services

 Complete website management services

 Dynamic website content delivery and personalized segment targeting

 Search Engine Marketing (SEO & PPC)

 Annual Digital Marketing Plan creation

 Social media marketing & engagement services

 Reputation management services for guest review sites and OTAs.

 Live Chat fully managed services, 7 days a week

 Dedicated, first-rate customer service and ROI KPI reporting

Effective hospitality digital marketing is no longer just about having a new responsive website and launching organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising and a Facebook page, added Mr. Vallauri. Today, the smart hotelier understands it takes more of a commitment than this to drive direct hotel bookings.

A recent 2017 Travel Website Behavior Study showed that consumers, between the ages of 18-34, visit an average of 4.6 unique websites prior to making a hotel reservation. This is down from just a year ago. As a result it has become extremely important for hotels to impress their hotel visitors with personalized and targeting content and live chat support to answer any questions they may have in the booking process.

Lodging Interactives all-inclusive digital marketing packages offer hotels the complete solution for a fixed monthly fee. The hotel digital marketing packages are designed to attract qualified visitors, show them personalized and relevant website content, provide real-time human powered live chat support to close the business, ongoing social media engagement and follow-up online reputation management and guest review responses.

For more information and to receive a price quote please visit Hotel All-Inclusive Digital Marketing Programs or call 877-291-4411 ext 701.

About Lodging Interactive:

Headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, Lodging Interactive is a full-service digital marketing and social media engagement and reputation management agency exclusively servicing the hospitality industry. Through its web design and search optimization division as well as its CoMMingle Social Media Division, Lodging Interactive provides effective Internet marketing services to hundreds of branded and independent properties as well as management companies, restaurants and spas. The company also offers fully managed Live Chat agents for hotel websites through its LiveChatForHotels.com division.

Lodging Interactive is an HSMAI Adrian Award winner, and has won awards from the International Academy of Visual Arts, Interactive Media Awards, Horizon Interactive Awards, Web Marketing Association, Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, and Travel Weeklys Magellan Awards have recognized Lodging Interactive as an industry leader.

Lodging Interactive is a proud supporter of the Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and the companys president, DJ Vallauri, currently serves on the Board of Directors of HSMAIs New York Chapter. For more information, please contact sales@lodginginteractive.com, 877-291-4411 or visit the companys website.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Hospitality Management Chantilly for a Hyatt Regency hotel in Chantilly, France. The 210-room hotel will mark the eighth Hyatt-branded hotel and the fourth Hyatt Regency hotel in France. Hyatt Regency Chantilly is expected to open in 2018.

Hyatt Regency Chantilly is set to be an exciting development as we build on the strength of the Hyatt Regency brand, said Peter Norman, senior vice president, acquisitions and development  Europe, Africa, and Middle East for Hyatt. It is a pleasure to collaborate for the first time with Hospitality Management Chantilly, and we look forward to introducing a well-designed hotel with superior facilities and authentic service. The new hotel will appeal to leisure guests, business travelers and conference hosts alike.

Hyatt Regency Chantilly will be designed to connect todays travelers to who and what matters most. Located 31 miles (50 kilometers) from Paris in the opulent town of Chantilly, guests will be near many attractions, including the Chateau de Chantilly and the prestigious Chantilly horse race courses. The hotel will be comprised of eight buildings set amongst verdant trees and a river that runs through the hotel grounds. Hyatt Regency Chantilly will serve as the perfect venue for a variety of events such as weddings, social banquets, exhibitions, meetings, and conferences. Additionally, the hotel will feature a number of food and beverage experiences, a fitness center, spa, and an outdoor swimming pool.

We are honored to work with Hyatt on what will be the fourth Hyatt Regency hotel in France, said Philippe Valleix, Hospitality Management Chantilly. It is extremely exciting to bring the Hyatt Regency brand to Chantilly, where guests will be able to enjoy the combination of superb facilities and tranquil surroundings. We feel our strong local experience gained over a number of decades will nicely complement Hyatts ability to deliver world-class brand experiences.
Hyatt Regency Algiers Airport will be part of a wider airport expansion in one of North Africas largest cities. The 326-room hotel will be situated directly opposite the airports new terminal and will be the only terminal-linked hotel.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Societe d'Investissement Hoteliere EPE SPA for a Hyatt Regency hotel to be located at Houari Boumediene Airport in Algiers, Algeria. The hotel, expected to open late 2018, will mark the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Algeria. Hyatt Regency Algiers Airport will add to Hyatts growing brand presence in Africa, following the successful openings of Hyatt Place Taghazout Bay in Morocco and Park Hyatt Zanzibar in Tanzania in 2015, which brought the total number of Hyatt-branded hotels in Africa to six.

This is a landmark moment for Hyatt  Hyatt Regency Algiers Airport will be the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Algeria and further demonstrates the companys commitment to growing its brand footprint in Algeria and throughout Africa, said Peter Norman, senior vice president, acquisitions and development  Europe, Africa, and Middle East for Hyatt. The region is home to some of the worlds fastest growing economies, with enticing prospects for both business and leisure travel.

Hyatt Regency Algiers Airport will be part of a wider airport expansion in one of North Africas largest cities. The 326-room hotel will be situated directly opposite the airports new terminal and will be the only terminal-linked hotel.

Ideally located at the entry to the airport, Hyatt Regency Algiers Airport will offer guests a one-stop experience, designed with everything under one roof. The hotel will provide dedicated airline lounges, a Regency Club lounge, a rooftop swimming pool and a large lobby with an all-day dining restaurant, which will serve as a central gathering point at the hotel for business travellers, conference hosts and leisure travellers alike. Additionally, the hotel will offer a variety of lounge and seating areas to provide guests with the spaces they need, whether for work or relaxation, and more than 4,950 square feet (460 square meters) of meeting and event space.

We are delighted to be working on our first project with Hyatt and to introduce the Hyatt Regency brand to Algeria, said Hamid Melzi, president directeur general, Societe d'Investissement Hoteliere EPA SPA. With the hotels prominent location at Houari Boumediene Airport, we believe the globally recognized Hyatt Regency brand will resonate with the growing base of business and leisure travelers visiting the city.
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association Internationals Washington, D.C., chapter will host an interactive educational event, From Invisible to Icon: How to Become an Expert in Your Industry, this month to teach hospitality professionals how to create, launch and manage their personal brands.

John Fareed, Horwath HTL managing director and chair of the HSMAI Foundation, will lead the March 21 event at MGM National Harbor, 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, Maryland. His presentation will cover understanding the personal branding process, identifying key branding attributes and creating a personal branding package.

Registration and a networking reception will be from 4 to 5 p.m., followed by the program from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The cost is $50 for HSMAI members and $65 for nonmembers. Students and groups of five or more should call 571-442-8489 for special pricing. To register, click here.

In todays ultra-competitive environment, it is more important than ever to differentiate yourself, said Fran Brasseux, HSMAI executive vice president and HSMAI Foundation executive director. Countless widely known individuals have utilized the power of personal branding to reach the pinnacle of success in their respective fields.

John Fareed is internationally recognized as an authority on strategic market planning, positioning and repositioning and has addressed industry events worldwide. He will show attendees how personal branding can help them reach new levels of success.

Over the last 20 years, Fareeds clients have included Fortune 500 companies, national brands, lenders, developers, real estate investment trusts, management companies, investors, owners, attorneys and insurers.

Fareed earned two postgraduate degrees including a master of science in hospitality management at the Dublin Institute of Technology's School of Hospitality Management and Tourism in Ireland, where he currently is pursuing a doctorate. He also earned professional designations from the International Society of Hospitality Consultants, where he serves as president, and HSMAI, which recognized him as one of the Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing.

He also is an adjunct professor at the Institut de Management Hotelier International of the Ecole Superieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales in Paris, one of Europe's preeminent business schools, recognized for offering Europes leading hospitality management MBA program.

About HSMAI Washington DC Chapter

HSMAI Washington DC Chapter is an affiliate of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, an individual membership organization based in McLean, Virginia, composed of more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. HSMAI is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners and is the industry's leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals and their partners with tools, insights and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing and optimize revenue through programs including the Adrian Awards and Revenue Optimization Conference. Click here to join HSMAI. For more information, go to www.hsmaidc.org.

Click HERE to download a high-resolution image of John Fareed

CONTACT:

Rich Roberts

RDR PR LLC

rich@rdrpr.com

717-685-4142
Top 4 predictions organizations need to keep up with in 2017 For people working in human resources and compliance, predicting  and avoiding - the next land mine is always part of the job. This year, the rise and dominance of social media will shape how you reach and influence employees  and how you plan and execute an effective compliance program. The Rise of Social Media in Compliance The rise of social media is hardly new news  but the statistics are mind bending. In a world of 7.3B people, there are 2.3B active social media users  an increase of 176M last year alone. Social media is also changing the way your audience expects to find, digest and validate information. According to the Pew Research Center, a majority of U.S. adults  62%  gets news from social media while Adweek says that more than 90% of retailers use multiple social media outlets to deliver polished, media-driven marketing messages. Compliance Organizations Need to Keep Up Prediction No. 1: From Rules-Based Compliance to Media-inspired Messaging At some level, compliance has always been and will always need to be about following the rules. There are simply some kinds of behavior that are not acceptable, and compliance programs need to clearly identify those behaviors. However, compliance professionals are more than policemen, and there will never be...
Asia N. Korea Fires Four Ballistic Missiles Into Sea Near Japan

Japan's Defense Minister Tomomi Inada (C) speaks at the upper house parliamentary session after reports on North Korea's missile launches, in Tokyo, Japan. / Reuters

SEOUL/TOKYO  North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japans northwest coast early on Monday, South Korean and Japanese officials said, days after the reclusive state promised retailiation over US-South Korea military drills it sees as a preparation for war.

South Koreas military said the missiles were unlikely to have been intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) which could reach the United States, but flew on average 1,000 km (600 miles) and reached a height of 260 km (160 miles).

Some of the missiles landed in waters as close as 300 km (190 miles) to Japans northwest coast, Japans Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said in Tokyo.

The launches are clearly in violation of (UN) Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in parliament, adding strong protests had been lodged with nuclear-armed North Korea.

South Koreas acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn condemned the launches as a direct challenge to the international community and said the country would swiftly deploy a US anti-missile defense in the face of angry objections from China.

The missiles were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the Norths border with China, South Korean military.

spokesman Roh Jae-cheon told a briefing. It was too early to say what the relatively low altitude indicated about the types of missiles, he added.

South Korea and the United States are conducting a close-up analysis, regarding further information, South Koreas Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The US military said it detected and tracked what it assessed was a North Korean missile launch, but it did not pose a threat to North America.

Joint Drills

North Korea had threatened to take strong retaliatory measures after South Korea and the United States began annual joint military drills on Wednesday that test their defensive readiness against possible aggression from the North.

North Korea criticizes the annual drills, calling them preparation for war. It has previously conducted missiles launches timed to the joint military exercises.

Last year, North Korea fired a long-range rocket from Tongchang-ri that put an object into orbit. The launch was condemned by the United Nations for violating resolutions that ban the use of ballistic missile technology.

North Korea test fired a new type of missile into the sea early last month, and has said it will continue to launch new strategic weapons.

Last months test was the first since the election of US President Donald Trump, who has vowed to rein in North Korea and its young leader, Kim Jong Un.

Trumps national security deputies have reviewed in recent meetings a range of options to counter the Norths missile threat, the New York Times reported. Options include direct missile strikes on the Norths launch sites and the possibility of reintroducing nuclear weapons to the South, the Times said.

Those options will soon be presented to Trump and his top national security aides, the report said quoting US administration officials.

The United States withdrew nuclear weapons from South Korea in 1991 before the rival Koreas signed a declaration on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. North Korea has since walked away from the agreement, citing the threat of invasion by the United States.

The United States has about 28,500 troops and equipment stationed in the South, and plans to roll out the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) anti-missile defence system in the country by the end of the year.

Japan also plans to reinforce its ballistic missile defenses and is considering buying either THAAD or building a ground-based version of the Aegis system that is currently deployed on ships in the Sea of Japan.
Burma Despite Calls for Reform, Prisoners Continue Hard Labor in Shackles

Prisoners in Mon States Zin Kyeik Labor Camp quarry, manually breaking rocks while shackled at the legs. / Swe Win / Myanmar Now

ZIN KYEIK LABOR CAMP, Mon State  Prisoners continue to conduct hard labor in shackles in a Mon State labor camp, Myanmar Now has found, despite calls for reform by lawmakers and investigations into prison abuses by a UN envoy and the International Labor Organization.

In September, a special report by this news agency revealed widespread corruption and human rights abuses, such as continuous shackling and beatings, in Burmas 48 prison labor camps, which hold some 20,000 convicts.

The revelations prompted National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmakers to question the minister of home affairs over the conditions, while United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in Burma Yanghee Lee went to inspect Zin Kyeik Labor Camp in Mon State in early January.

In an end-of-mission statement she expressed concern over alleged forced labor and the use of shackles as a form of additional punishment (including during quarry work) and the lack of transparency on how prisoners are selected for transfer to the camp. She added that prisoners had been ordered to clean the camp shortly before her visit.

These public calls appeared, however, to have had little impact on prison authorities in charge at Zin Kyeik Labor Camp.

In late January, this reporter photographed dozens of thin-looking prisoners, shackled at all times, working manually at the quarry. The site holds some 400 convicts, who are put to work on a daily basis, using sledgehammers to break rocks into gravel, while others load pieces of rock onto lorries.

According to official prison rules, convicts can only be kept shackled up to one month after arrival in a camp or prison.

This reporter entered the camp to seek comments from authorities on the conditions. Prison officials denied that shackling prisoners at all times was a common practice and insisted that the numerous prisoners were being shackled because they all had recently arrived.

Aung Lwin Oo, deputy director at Zin Kyeik camp, said shackling the prisoners for the first month after they arrive was a necessary measure to prevent escape.

The prison authorities lock the legs of prisoners so they are unable to escape from jail or breach prison rules, which may increase their punishment, he said during an interview at his office.

The mother of a prisoner at Zin Kyeik camp said she was deeply concerned about her sons health. My son now has to work in the rock quarry with the iron shackles, she said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

She added that when she visited the camp in early January, she saw another prisoner sustain a serious injury when falling rocks hit his shackled legs.

Forced Labor for Profit

The construction material produced from free manual labor is sold by prison authorities to well-known local construction companies. Obtained documents showed millions of dollars in annual revenue are generated from 18 quarries  officially called manufacturing centers  in southeastern Burma.

At another 20 camps in Shan State and Sagaing Region, prisoners are put to work on plantations, which are officially referred to as agriculture and livestock breeding training careers centers.

Myanmar Nows investigation revealed prisoners there were subject to daily beatings by prison officials and their aides to speed up work or to extract bribes from convicts. Prisoners were also rented out as laborers to commercial agribusinesses, with authorities collecting the payments.

The practice of letting private companies use convicts violates the 1930 Forced Labor Convention of the International Labor Organization (ILO), which Burma signed and ratified in 1955.

ILOs Burma office accepted one complaint of forced labor by a former convict in September and said the government had agreed to look into the case.

ILOs report for an upcoming meeting of its governing body describes the allegations that prisoners are made to work in quarries and plantations run by the correction authorities for private commercial purposes, or else are allegedly put to work at private plantations nearby the correction centers for the private gain of the authorities, without being paid.

The report said ILO wants to support prison reform in Burma and plans to conduct training of the prison administration on international standards for prison labor.

It notes, however, that the NLD government has so far failed to convene the inter-ministerial technical working group on handling forced labor complaints. Neither has the government taken any action on 61 complaints of underage recruitment and forced labor submitted by the ILO since the administration assumed office in April last year.

UN envoy Yanghee Lee said in a recent report that the Ministry of Home Affairs had announced plans to revise the draft Prison Law, adding that she hoped it would be in line with international standards.

So far, Burmas democratic reforms have largely bypassed the countrys notorious prison system and labor camps, which hold some 100,000 prisoners.

When lawmakers asked the military-controlled Ministry of Home Affairs to close the labor camps in December, General Aung Soe replied there were no labor camps, but only vocational training centers for prisoners. He added that sufficient mechanisms were in place to prevent abuses.

Former convicts interviewed by Myanmar Now said none had ever received vocational training during their ordeals in the labor camps.

Aung Lwin Oo, deputy director at Zin Kyeik Labor Camp, said he could not implement vocational training programs even if he wanted to.

We have no authority to conduct vocational training courses at our camp, he said. The regular activity at our camp is to extract rocks  except on public holidays.

This story originally appeared on Myanmar Now.
Burma Kokang Rebels Reportedly Attack Laukkai Hotel

Bodies are covered outside of the Laukkai hotel reportedly attacked by the MNDAA. / State Counsellor Office Information Committee / Facebook

RANGOON  Five police and five civilians were killed in an attack by members of the ethnic Kokang Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) in Laukkaithe administrative capital of the ethnic Kokang region of Shan Stateaccording to a report issued from Burmas State Counselors Office.

The State Counselor Office Information Committee reported that the MNDAA attacked a hotel in the town near the Chinese border early on Monday morning, burning four cars near the hotel site.

The MNDAA members reportedly were dressed in police uniforms and and first attacked a police station in the town.

Five police, five civilians, were killed and four other police were taken hostage, said a report from the information committee, which also stated that no Burma Army soldiers were injured in the attack, but they were able to seize some weapons.

Other armed groups may even be involved in the attacks, said the report.

Kokang rebels video footage states that they launched an attack on a hotel belonging to the governor of the town, who local sources say was once an MNDAA leader, but now supports the Burma Army.

Col Tar Phone Kyaw from the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) told The Irrawaddy that Arakan Army (AA) members may have joined the MNDAA in the attacks.

Fighting has been ongoing in other areas of northern Shan State, where the Northern Allianceto which the MNDAA, AA, TNLA and the Kachin Independence Army belongand the Burma Army have clashed. Burmese authorities have blocked roads leaving Laukkai.

Just 10 miles outside of Laukkai town, fighting has been ongoing, according to Col San Aung, from a splinter group of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) which in January joined the Northern Alliance and is based in the Kokang area.
Burma Results of Panghsang Summit Remain Unclear

A peace monument erected in Panghsang Peace Square. / J Paing / The Irrawaddy

RANGOON  The government has remained open to meeting with United Wa State Party/Army (UWSP/UWSA) chairman Bao Youxiang but it is unclear when it will occur, as there is so far no response from the party.

Rumors have circulated about a meeting between the State Counselor and Wa leaders, but a government spokesperson said a further invitation has not been extended this year.

The invitation the government peace commission sent to Bao Yuoxiang when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi met with Wa and Mongla delegations in July 2016 still stands, said Presidents Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay.

He said the National League for Democracy government has opened negotiation channels and invited ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) to join the 21st Century Panglong peace conference.

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has urged the EAOs, which are non-signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), to sign courageously and take part in the upcoming peace conference.

The date for the conference is not yet set despite government plans to hold one every six months.

The government peace commission on March 4 met with the United Nationalities Federal Councils (UNFC) Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN) in Rangoon, where they discussed details of a DPN proposal citing issues it wanted resolved prior to signing the NCA.

U Zaw Htay said it was an optimistic discussion with the UNFC delegation and that both sides hoped to move forward.

The State Counselor also met the DPN on March 1 in Naypyidaw, which UNFC members said was a success.

However, a new political coalition led by the UWSP emerged last week after a summit of EAOs in Panghsang, where there is ongoing conflict. The summit issued a statement that criticized the current NCA and suggested replacing it.

We dont know how they will proceed following the summit, said U Zaw Htay, adding that issues in the Wa Self-Administered Division are important, not only for Shan State but for the entire country.

The Panghsang statement dated Feb. 25 said the EAOs agreed to form a political dialogue committee with Bao Youxiang as the chair along with eight vice chairman.

The statement said there would be representatives on the committee from the UWSA, Mongla Army, Kachin Independence Organization, Shan State Progress Party, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Taang Nationalities Liberation Army, Arakan Army, New Mon State Party and Karenni National Progressive Party, despite the latter two organizations being unable to join the summit.

It is unclear whether all of the participants at the Panghsang summit agreed to the statement and The Irrawaddy could not get further comment regarding any dissent.

KIO spokesperson Naw Bu told The Irrawaddy on Monday that its representatives have not yet been briefed on the summit so the results are unclear, even though a week has passed since it took place.
Burma TNLA Attack on Burma Army Base Kills Six

Arms and ammunition seized by the Taang National Liberation Army on March 4, 2017. / TNLA / Facebook

RANGOON  The Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) attacked a Burma Army base in Mong Yu village of Shan States Kutkai Township on Saturday morning, killing six Burma Army soldiers and confiscating weaponry, according to the TNLA.

We found six dead bodies on the base and we took their guns from them, said TNLA spokesperson Tar Aike Kyaw.

The fighting lasted for about three hours early Saturday morning and the TNLA troops burned the base down after, he added.

The Ministry of Defense confirmed the attack in a Facebook statement on Saturday and said some Burma Army and militia soldiers had died, blaming both TNLA and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) troops.

The TNLA said the KIA was not involved in the attack.

The Burma Army statement said the attack would damage the peace and stability of the country, particularly in the run-up to the 21st Century Panglong peace conference slated for later this month.

Local residents of Kutkai Township reported that the Burma Army restricted the transportation of goods in the region.

They [Burma Army troops] did not let locals carry bags of rice, they only let them carry two small baskets and small bottles of cooking oil said Tar Aike Kyaw.

TNLA leader Col Tar Phone Kyaw told The Irrawaddy that the Burma Army recently deployed a lot of troops in TNLA-controlled areas and that he suspected it was preparing to launch an attack.

We have to attack them as we cannot continue to go about our daily lives, said Col Tar Phone Kyaw.

The Burma Army refused to allow the TNLA and other armed groups including the Arakan Army and The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) to participate in the 21st Century Panglong peace conference.

The TNLA and the Burma Army have frequently clashed in northern Shan State since the beginning of last year.
Burma Twenty-Eight People Detained for Illegal Entry to Burma Say They Are IDPs

A photo of the detainees, released by the State Counselors Office Information Committee. / State Counsellor Office Information Committee / Facebook

RANGOON  Border police patrol in Arakan State apprehended a vessel carrying 28 people in the Bay of Bengal on Sunday afternoon, who the authorities say had illegally entered Burmese territorial waters from St. Martins Island in Bangladesh, said official Kyaw Aye Hlaing of Maungdaw police station.

The distance between Sittwe, the Arakan State capital, and St. Martin Island is at least 70 kilometers.

Those arrested said that they were originally from Thae Chaung and Baw Du Ba internally displaced peoples (IDP) camps, located on the outskirts of Sittwe. They explained that some within the group had crossed into Bangladesh by boat for medical treatment, and others had been working there for almost four months.

According to police official Kyaw Aye Hlaing, and a statement released by the State Counselors Office Information Committee, the 28 people are being detained.

Five of them are reportedly children, and are believed to be aged between 13 and 15 years old.

Police Major Kyaw Mya Win, the head of the police in Maungdaw Townshipthe authorities which have reportedly held the individualssaid, We occasionally apprehend some people who have come back from Bangladesh.

The IDPs, who are Muslims, need official permission to travel from the authorities, particularly Arakan States immigration department and also the camp management committee.

U Kyaw Hla Aung, a man who self-identifies as a member of the Muslim Rohingya community, and who currently lives in Sittwe, told The Irrawaddy over the phone that obtaining a travel permit from the authorities is extremely tough. Applicants first need to get permission from the village administrator and the police, and then go to the immigration department downtown. An address for and recommendation from the host must be presented.

The application process can take three months, and if permission is granted, it is for a stay only of up to 45 days. To overstay is to face chargesby the IDP or by the host, U Kyaw Hla Aung said.

No one wants to get involved in this complicated issue, he said, of why few advocateseven among the Muslim community in Rangoonhave tried to address the restrictions on freedom of movement for Arakan States Muslim IDPs.

The only option left, he explainedparticularly for those seeking medical treatmentis to drift out to sea, with the hope of reaching Bangladesh, but risking being fired upon by the Burmese navy, or drowning.

They could not afford the money for the permit. So they opt to begin a voyage at sea, although they know its illegal, U Kyaw Hla Aung said.

Over the past three years, 16 people have been caught by the border patrol and charged under Burmas 1947 Immigration Act 13(1). They were imprisoned for one-and-a-half yearsfour were reportedly children, around 10 years old.

In April 2016, 18 IDPs were killed and 19 rescued after a boat capsized near Thae Chaung, where one IDP camp was located. It was coming from Pauktaw Township to purchase commodities in Sittwe. It was unclear if IDPs on the boat had received permission from the authorities to make the journey.
Commentary KNU Leadership Set For Possible Shakeup

KNU Chairman Saw Mutu Say Poe, in the center, holding a handycam, attends Shan State National Day at the Restoration Council of Shan States headquarters at Loi Tai Leng in southern Shan State on Feb. 7, 2017. / ABSDF

CHIANG MAI, Thailand  One of Burmas oldest ethnic armed groups, the Karen National Union (KNU), will elect new leaders including a chairman during its annual Congress in mid-March.

The KNU has taken a leading role in the peace process, as its current leaders, particularly chairman Saw Mutu Say Poe, promptly steered the group away from conflict. These initiatives included signing a bilateral ceasefire and the countrys 2015 nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), strengthening its ties with the Burma Army. Saw Mutu Say Poes actions drew both praise and criticism.

As the KNUs 16th Congress will begin on March 14, many expect to see new faces in the organizations political and military leadership. Rumors have also circulated that Saw Mutu Say Poe and Gen Saw Johnny, chief of the KNUs military wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), will resign.

A reliable source within the KNU said that the aging chairman, who is in his 80s, has been advised to resign and take a break from his work. Saw Johnny has reportedly said that he will resign due to health reasons.

Several sources have predicted that the general secretary, Saw Kwe Htoo Win, could be elected as the next chairman, while Gen Baw Kyaw Heh may be the next KNLA chief. Another popular candidate for the chairperson post is current vice-chairperson Naw Zippporah Sein.

Observers believe if the current chairman and chief-of-staff resign, the KNUs approach to the peace process may undergo major changes. A slower and more cautious approach is expected under a new leadership.

Cracks between the KNU leadership have been reported since a failed attempt to dismiss Saw Mutu Say Poe from his then role as chief in October 2012. Back then, a KNU committee led by the current vice-chairwoman, Naw Zipporah Sein, announced the dismissal of Saw Mutu Say Poe and two other top leaders, but it did not come into effect.

After the attempt failed and a faction led by Saw Mutu Say Poe came into power, relations between the leaders have been rocky.

Under Saw Mutu Say Poes leadership, several agreements have been signed with the Burma Army, and Saw Mutu Say Poe himself has paid many visits to Naypyidaw to meet the Burma Armys top leaders including retired Snr-Gen Than Shwe, the juntas former chief, reportedly without properly briefing his other colleagues or the public.

Saw Mutu Say Poes leadership has been met with mixed reception. Villagers in war-torn areas of KNU-controlled territories have said that they have enjoyed greater freedom of movement since the ceasefire was signed. There has been more road construction, better communications and some NGO development projects have emerged.

Villagers now have access to telephones, motorbike, trucks and boats. However, their main concern is that the progress will be unsustainable.

Sources within the KNU said that the current chairman is more of a symbolic figure than a key decision maker. The chairman is a straightforward man who has good intentions for his organization and his people, according to the sources. He has justified denying the occasional media interview with concerns that he may make mistakes.

Written statements he has read at formal events have been mostly prepared by others. Criticism has also been directed at what has been perceived as a tendency to take guidance from policy advisers who are seen as engaging more closely in dialogue with the Burma Army.

Still, some sources within the group say they need a leader like Saw Mutu Say Poe at this divisive time. And some KNU leaders believe that Naw Zipporah Sein and her faction are too close to the Karen diaspora, who are wary of the governments peace process; these sources claim that these opinions dont accurately reflect the reality on the ground.

Because of his long commitment to the Karen resistance, co-workers and fellow leaders respect Saw Mutu Say Poe and are unified under his leadership. The lack of a charismatic replacement for the chairpersonship is a concern among the groups leaders. The chances of another term for Saw Mutu Say Poe are bolstered by the likely support of his colleagues, who dominate the leadership.

There will be debates and opposition on re-electing Saw Mutu Say Poe, but as he is still qualified to serve another term, it boils down to his own decision. If he is willing to serve again, its likely he will win.
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

I dont think Trump creates Twitter scandals to deflect attention from his real scandals. I think his mind just works in an odd way.

But the fact is that concentrating too much on the sound and fury issuing from Mar-a-Lago is counter-productive. Trump actually is changing the United States in a major way, with a massive assault on the environment.

1. Scott Pruitt at the Environmental Protection Agency is already gutting the agency, and has withdrawn the request the EPA had made of oil and gas firms that they report on methane emissions. Fracking in particular may produce a great deal of methane, which is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and less often measured at drill sites.

2. The administration is planning to cut funds for Great Lakes clean-up by 97%, which would be devastating. The Great Lakes contain 20 percent of the worlds fresh water and millions depend on them for drinking water. They have been heavily polluted, including by the oil and gas companies, and need to be nursed back to health. Instead, theyll likely be further polluted under Pruitt, who never met an environmental regulation he liked. Algae blooms from run-off of agricultural fertilizer have struck drinking water in places like Toledo, and need to be combated.

3. Trump has already undone a regulation enacted in December that prevents corporations from dumping waste from fossil fuel plants into streams and rivers. There have been crises in recent years, such as Duke Energys coal ash spill in North Carolina.

4. Trump plans to get rid of automobile greenhouse gas emissions standards.

5. All this is not to mention Trumps plan to cut the funding of the Environmental Protection Agency by 25% and lay off 3,000 workers!



Related video:

The TYT Generation
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TeleSur |  

The city and its ruins, designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1980, have traded hands several times during Syrias six-year civil war.

The 15-year-olds voice floated over the ancient Roman theater, heavily damaged then abandoned by Islamic State group members Thursday as Syrian army forces drew near, eventually liberating the besieged town.

A little destruction wont stop us from coming here to play and sing on this stage, despite what happened to it, Angel Dayoub told AFP. I want to play music and sing everywhere that has seen the expulsion of IS, which hates singing and banned playing instruments.

Dayoubs rendition of Lebanese diva Fairuzs famous song is accompanied by fellow musicians of all ages playing violins, tambourines and the oud, the Arab pear-shaped stringed instrument.

Were singing Were coming back because we will come back even stronger than before to rebuild Syria, she says. Everyone will rebuild in their own way. We want to rebuild it with music and singing.

Islamic State group, aided by the U.S. and Turkey according to the Syrian government, first seized Palmyra in May 2015 and began to systematically destroy and loot monuments and temples during a brutal ten-month reign. It used the ancient theater as a venue for execution-style killings before being driven out in March 2016. They then recaptured Palmyra in December, blowing up the tetrapylon monument and part of the theater.

Young musicians flocked to the theater during a press tour organized by the Syrian army this weekend, playing to an audience of dozens of Syrian and Russian soldiers. Explosions could still be heard in the distance, as Syrian forces press their offensive against Islamic State group north and east of Palmyra.

Daesh wanted to ban us from the theater, to ban us from singing, but I want to challenge it, to beat it, says Maysaa al-Nuqari, an oud player. Dressed in a black leather jacket and combat boots, her curly hair dyed a deep red, Nuqari gestures at several nearby musicians to join the jam session. Daesh is darkness, but music is light, she said.

Although the precise date of its founding is unknown, Palmyras name is referred to on a tablet dating from the 19th century BC as a stopping point for caravans between the Mediterranean and the east.

It developed into a wealthy metropolis thanks to trade in spices, perfumes, silk and ivory from the east and became known to Syrians as the Pearl of the Desert.

Palmyras temples, colonnaded alleys and elaborately decorated tombs  some of the best preserved classical monuments in the Middle East  attracted more than 150,000 tourists a year before Syrias conflict broke out.

Now, the difficult task of assessing what remains of those celebrated monuments has been left to Wael al-Hafyan, who heads the engineering unit in Homs provinces antiquities department.

After a preliminary assessment, Hafyan says additional destruction is limited to the theaters front including an arched recess behind the stage, as well as the explosion of the tetrapylon.

Islamic State group reduced it to a pile of rocks in a massive explosion in January, lambasted by the U.N. as a new war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity.

Its impossible for anyone with even an iota of humanity not to feel sad when they see this. Im sad, and I will stay sad until Palmyra goes back to the way it was, Hafyan told AFP.

All of Palmyra is left. Palmyras history has remained, he answers. A few scratches cannot distort its beauty. The enormity of what Daesh did here, all of its crimes, doesnt even amount to a scratch on this beautiful, glorious face that is Palmyra.

Via TeleSur

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

New China TV: Shocking destruction: Roman theater destroyed by ISIS in Syrias Palmyra
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By Jonathan S. Addleton | (Informed Comment) |  

Dear Nasemi 

Im sorry. It is hard to believe that it was almost four years ago that we walked together along a dusty Zabul road in southern Afghanistan.

I was a few yards ahead of you when we heard the first of two explosions, one involving an IED hidden in a pile of wooden pallets, the other lodged in a vehicle driven by a suicide bomber.

You were killed that morning along with three soldiers, Corporal Robles-Santa who grew up in Puerto Rico, Sergeant Santos whose parents came from the Philippines and Staff Sergeant Ward who called the southern United States home.

One account says you sought to shield Anne Smedinghoff, another Foreign Service Officer who was only twenty-six years old, from the blast. She was taken by helicopter to Forward Operating Base Apache and died there despite the best efforts of the trauma unit to save her.

The Dust of Kandahar: A Diplomat among Warriors in Afghanistan

The next day I accompanied the five flag-draped remains back to the United States. The Third Infantry Division band at Kandahr Air Field played Amazing Grace as we departed. The band at Bagram where we stopped briefly played Abide with Me. The traffic controller in Baltimore cleared our flight for landing with these words: American heroes coming home.

Your family was not there to meet you. Instead, someone from the firm that hired you was waiting on our arrival at Dover. He later told me that he participated in several such ceremonies involving military interpreters from Iraq or Afghanistan each year, including yours.

We had talked on the tarmac at Kandahar airport at the start of that long day, while waiting for our helicopter to Zabul. As an Afghan-American, you mentioned that you were supporting several nieces and nephews living in places stretching from New York to New Zealand.

We briefly discussed the reasons why people migrate. I mentioned that migrants usually make the decision for their children, not themselves. Moving to another country permanently is never easy and often involves sacrifice.

We became close during the several months that we worked together. I remember especially our trip to the Arghandab northwest of Kandahar several weeks earlier. We talked to four different Afghan mullahs, asking each one in turn what they meant when they started a prayer with the well-known words: In the name of God, the merciful and compassionate?

What is the definition of mercy, I asked, as you translated; what does the word compassion really mean?

We should have had more time together. There was so much more that you wanted to do, both in Afghanistan and in the United States.

As a recent migrant to the United States, you would have had a hard time understanding the political discussion and court battles now underway.

Yes, you would have acknowledged the need for migration policies that include vetting. But a meat cleaver approach judging every would-be migrant or refugee from certain countries as a potential or actual terrorist would not have fit easily within your view of the diverse and tolerant America that had impressed you, both in the United States and in your encounters with American soldiers in Afghanistan.

One of your Afghan friends had quit his job as translator not long before you were killed, deeming Afghanistan too dangerous. But you stayed on and together we travelled across southern Afghanistan together.

A day doesnt go by when I dont think about Afghanistan, both before and after the day you made the ultimate sacrifice in Zabul.

I often remember our time together. And every time I think about it, I recall the words of that anonymous air traffic controller in Baltimore as we prepared to land at Dover Air Force Base on April 8, 2013, two days after you were killed: American heroes coming home.

Jonathan S. Addleton retired from the United States Foreign Service on January 20, 2017 after a 32-year career during which he served as United States Ambassador to Mongolia; Senior Civilian Representative to southern Afghanistan based in Kandahar; and USAID Mission Director in India, Pakistan and Central Asia. His most recent book is titled The Dust of Kandahar: A Diplomat Among Warriors in Afghanistan. He is currently a visiting professor at Mercer University in Macon, GA. For more details, see www.dustofkandahar.com
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By William D. Hartung | ( Tomdispatch.com) |  

In the splurge of news, media-bashing, and Bannonism thats been Donald Trumps domestic version of a shock-and-awe campaign, its easy to forget just how much of what the new president and his administration have done so far is simply an intensification of trends long underway. Those who already pine for the age of Obama  a president who was smart, well read, and not a global embarrassment  need to acknowledge the ways in which, particularly in the military arena, Obamas years helped set the stage for our current predicament.

As a start, Nobel Prize or not, President Obama sustained, and in some cases accelerated, the militarization of American foreign policy that has been steadily increasing for the past three decades. In significant parts of the world, the U.S. military has become Washingtons first and often only tool  and the result has been disastrous wars, failing states, and spreading terror movements (as well as staggering arms sales) across the Greater Middle East and significant parts of Africa. Indicators of how militarily dependent Obamas foreign policy became include the launching of a record number of drone strikes (10 times as many as in the Bush years), undeclared wars in at least six countries, the annual deployment of Special Operations forces to well over half of the countries on the planet, record arms sales to the Middle East, and a plethora of new Pentagon arms and training programs.

Nonetheless, from the New START treaty (which Trump has called another bad deal, as he does any deal the Obama administration concluded) to the Iran nuclear deal to the opening with Cuba, Obama had genuine successes of a sort that our present narcissist-in-chief, with his emphasis on looking tough or tweeting at the drop of a hat, is unlikely to achieve. In addition, Obama did try to build on the nuclear arms control agreements and institutions created over the previous five decades, while Trump seems intent on dismantling them.

Still, no one can doubt that our last president did not behave like a Nobel Peace Prize winner, not even in the nuclear arena where he oversaw the launching of a trillion dollar modernization of the U.S. nuclear arsenal (including the development of new weapons and new delivery systems). And one thing is already clear enough: President Trump will prove no non-interventionist. He is going to build on Obamas militarization of foreign policy and most likely dramatically accelerate it.

A Military First Administration

Its no secret that our new president loves generals. Hes certainly assembled the most military-heavy foreign policy team in memory, if not in American history, including retired General James Mattis at the Pentagon; retired General John Kelly at Homeland Security; Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster as national security adviser (a replacement for Lieutenant General Michael Flynn who left that post after 24 days); and as chief of staff of the National Security Council, retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg.

In addition, CIA Director Mike Pompeo is a West Point graduate and former Cold War-era Army tank officer. Even White House adviser Steve Bannon has done military service of a sort. The military background of Trumps ideologue-in-chief was emphasized by White House spokesman Sean Spicer in his defense of seating him on the National Security Council (NSC). Bannons near-brush with fame as a naval officer came when he piloted a destroyer in the Gulf of Oman trailing the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz that carried the helicopters used in the Carter administrations botched 1980 attempt to rescue U.S. hostages held by Irans revolutionary government. As it happened, Bannons ship was ordered back to Pearl Harbor before the raid was launched, so he learned of its failure from thousands of miles away.

When it comes to national security posts of any sort, its clear that choosing a general is now Trumps default mode. Three of the four candidates he considered for Flynns spot were current or retired generals. And thats not even counting retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, who declined an offer to take Flynns post, in part evidently because he wasnt prepared to battle Bannon over the staffing and running of the NSC. The only civilian considered for that role was one of the more bellicose guys in town, that ideologue, Iranophobe, former U.N. ambassador, and neocon extraordinaire John Bolton. The bad news: Trump was evidently impressed by Bolton, who may still get a slot alongside Bannon and his motley crew of extremists in the White House.

Another early indicator of the military drift of future administration actions is the marginalization of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the State Department, which appears to be completely out of the policy-making loop at the moment. It is understaffed, underutilized, slated to have its funding slashed by as much as 30% to 40%, and rarely even asked to provide Trump with basic knowledge about the countries and leaders hes dealing with. (As a result, White House statements have, on several occasions, misspelled the names of foreign heads of state and the president mistakenly addressed the Japanese Prime Minister as Shinzo, his first name, not Abe.) The State Department isnt even giving regular press briefings, a practice routinely followed in prior administrations. Tillersons main job so far has been traveling the planet to reassure foreign leaders that the new president isnt as crazy as he seems to be.

Although Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry were far more involved in the crafting of foreign policy than Tillerson is likely to be, the State Department has long been the junior partner to its ever better resourced counterpart. The Pentagons budget is currently 12 times larger than the State Departments (and thats before the impending Trump military build-up even begins). As former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates once noted, there are more personnel in a single aircraft carrier task force than there are trained diplomats in the U.S. Foreign Service.

Given the way President Trump has outfitted his administration with generals, the already militarized nature of foreign policy is only likely to become more so. As former White House budget official and defense expert Gordon Adams has pointed out, his military-dominated foreign policy team should be cause for serious concern. Policy-by-general is sure to create a skewed view of policy-making, since everything is likely to be viewed initially through a military lens by men trained in war, not diplomacy or peace.

For the military-industrial complex, however, many of Trumps national security picks are the best of news. Theyre twofers, having worked in both the military and the arms industry. Defense Secretary Mattis, for instance, joined the administration from the board of General Dynamics, which gets about $10 billion in Pentagon contracts annually and makes tanks and ballistic missile submarines, among many other weapons systems. Trumps pick for Secretary of the Air Force, former New Mexico representative Heather Wilson, is an Air Force veteran who went to work as a lobbyist for Lockheed Martins nuclear weapons unit when she left Congress. Deputy National Security adviser Keith Kellogg has worked for a series of defense contractors including Cubic and CACI. (You may remember CACI as one of the private companies that supplied interrogators implicated in the Abu Ghraib prison torture scandal during the U.S. occupation of Iraq.) This practice is rife with the potential for conflicts of interest, as such officials are in a position to make decisions that could benefit their former employers to the tune of billions of dollars.

The Adults in the Room?

While rule by generals and weapons company officials may be problematic, an even more disturbing development is the tendency of President Trump to rely on a small circle of White House advisers led by white nationalist Steve Bannon in crafting basic decisions, often with minimal input from relevant cabinet officers and in-house experts. A case in point is Trumps disastrous rollout of his Muslim ban. Homeland Security head John Kelly asserts that he was consulted, but Bannon disregarded his advice to exclude green card holders from the initial ban. Kelly later issued a waiver for them.

Mattis was evidently only informed about the contents of the executive order at the last minute. Among the issues he later raised: the ban was so expansively drawn it could exclude Iraqi translators who had worked alongside American troops in Iraq from entering the United States. Now that the courts have blocked the original plan, the Trump team is working on a new Muslim ban likely to be almost as bad as the original. And the fingerprints of Bannon and his anti-immigrant sidekick Stephen Miller will be all over it.

Numerous commentators have welcomed the appointments of Mattis and McMaster, hoping that they will be the experienced adults in the room who will help keep Bannon and company in check. Former Obama Pentagon official Derek Chollet, a member of Foreign Policy magazines shadow cabinet, put it this way: Other than the dark figures in the White House cabal, Trumps national security team is led by nonideological, level-headed policy technocrats from the military or industry. President (and also General) Dwight D. Eisenhower, who introduced the term military-industrial complex in his farewell address to the nation, is probably rolling over in his grave at the thought that a government packed with ex-military men and former arms industry officials is in many quarters considered the best anyone could hope for under the Trump regime.

Lets think for a moment about what such a best case scenario might look like. Imagine that, in the battle for Trumps brain, Mattis, McMaster, and Kelly wrest control of it from Bannon and his minions when it comes to foreign policy decision-making. The assumption here is that the generals have a far saner perspective than an extreme ideologue (and Islamophobe), among other things because theyve seen war up close and personal and so presumably better understand whats at stake. But we shouldnt forget that Mattis and McMaster were at the center of one of the most disastrous and unsuccessful wars in American history, the invasion, occupation, and insurgency in Iraq  and it appears that they may not have learned what would seem to be the logical lessons from that failure.

In fact, as late as 2011, overseeing Washingtons wars in the Greater Middle East as the head of Central Command (CENTCOM), Mattis actually proposed a radical escalation, an expansion of the conflict via a direct strike inside Iran. The Obama administration would, in fact, remove him as CENTCOM commander five months early in part because the president disapproved of his proposal to launch missile strikes to take out either an Iranian power plant or an oil refinery in retaliation for the killings of U.S. soldiers by Iranian-backed militias. In August 2010, shortly after taking control of Central Command, Mattis was asked by President Obama what he thought were the top three threats in his area of responsibility, which stretched from Egypt to the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan and included the active war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. His classic (and chilling) response, according to a senior U.S. official who witnessed it: Number one: Iran. Number two: Iran. Number three: Iran. He will now have a major hand in shaping Washingtons Iran policy.

As for McMaster, a warrior-strategist widely respected in military circles, his biggest potential flaw is that he may be overconfident about the value of military force in addressing Middle Eastern conflicts. Although his 1997 book Dereliction of Duty opens with a searing indictment of the costs and consequences of the failed U.S. intervention in Vietnam, he may draw a different set of lessons from his experiences in the Middle East and Iraq in particular. McMaster cut his teeth in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, a quick and devastating defeat of Saddam Husseins overmatched military, a force notably short on morale and fighting spirit. Along with General David Petraeus, McMaster was also a key player in crafting the much-overrated 2007 surge in Iraq, a short-term tactical victory that did nothing to address the underlying political and sectarian tensions still driving the conflict there. Military analyst Andrew Bacevich has aptly described it as the surge to nowhere.

Boosters of the surge in Iraq frequently refer to it as if it were partial redemption for the disastrous decision to invade in the first place. At a staggering cost in money and Iraqi and American lives, that invasion and occupation opened the way for a sectarian conflict that would lead to the rise of ISIS. It cannot be redeemed. And the suggestion that things would have turned out better if only President Obama had kept significant numbers of U.S. troops there longer  overriding both the will of the Iraqi parliament and a status of forces agreement negotiated with Iraqs leaders by the Bush administration  is a pipe dream.

Logically, the American experience in Iraq should make both Mattis and McMaster wary of once again using military force in the region. Both of them, however, seem to be go big or go home thinkers who are likely to push for surge-like actions in the war against ISIS and possibly in the Afghan war as well.

The true test of whether there will be any adults in the room may come if Trump and Bannon push for military action against Iran, an option to which Mattis has been open  as a long history of statements and proposals urging exactly that course of action indicates. Such a war would, of course, be better sold to Congress, the public, and the media by the generals.

Ultimately, another Middle Eastern war planned and initiated by generals is unlikely to be any more successful than one launched by the ideologues. As Ali Vaez, an Iran expert at the International Crisis Group, noted after then-National Security Adviser Flynn declared that the administration was putting Iran on notice: In an attempt to look strong, the administration could stumble into a war that would make the Afghan and Iraqi conflicts look like a walk in the park.

Trumps generals should know better, but theres no reason to believe that they will, especially given Mattiss history of hawkish proposals and statements about the Iranian threat. Even if he and McMaster do prove to be the adults in the room, as we all know, adults, too, can make disastrous miscalculations. So we may want to hold off on the sighs of relief that greeted both of their appointments. Washington could go to war in Iran (and surge in both Iraq and Afghanistan), regardless of whos in charge.

William D. Hartung, a TomDispatch regular, is the director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy. He is the author of Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex.

Follow TomDispatch on Twitter and join us on Facebook. Check out the newest Dispatch Book, John Feffers dystopian novel Splinterlands, as well as Nick Turses Next Time Theyll Come to Count the Dead, and Tom Engelhardts latest book, Shadow Government: Surveillance, Secret Wars, and a Global Security State in a Single-Superpower World.

Copyright 2017 William D. Hartung

Via Tomdispatch.com
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - March 6, 2017) - INV Metals Inc. ("INV Metals" or "Company") (TSX:INV) is pleased to announce the commencement of formal negotiations with the Government of Ecuador of the definitive terms and form of the Mining Exploitation Contract ("Exploitation Agreement") for its flagship Loma Larga project ("Loma Larga" or the "Project"), located in Ecuador.

Ms. Candace MacGibbon, CEO, stated, "INV Metals and the representatives of the Government of Ecuador are very pleased to announce the commencement of negotiations of the terms and form of the Exploitation Agreement required under the Mining Law for the future development of the Loma Larga gold project. Negotiations are anticipated to continue over the next few months with the aim of reaching an agreement acceptable and beneficial to both parties. We intend to employ the same highly successful process that lead to the execution of the Exploitation Agreement between the Government of Ecuador and Lundin Gold in December 2016. The ultimate execution of the Exploitation Agreement is expected to follow upon the Company's completion of a feasibility study, permitting and other key Project milestones."

Ms. MacGibbon added, "INV Metals is committed to responsible and sustainable development at Loma Larga. The stewardship of the environment, the cultivation of indigenous plants, and the protection and monitoring of local water sources, biodiversity and soil quality, has been and will continue to be key pillars of our Company values. We respect the right of the local communities to benefit from the development of Loma Larga and to transparent and honest communication throughout the process."

The Company plans to commence a feasibility study on Loma Larga within the next few months. An agreement on the definitive terms and form of the Exploitation Agreement will ensure the Company has certainty of various fiscal, tax and contractual terms and obligations when determining the future economics of the Project.

About INV Metals

INV Metals is an international mineral resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of precious and base metal projects in Ecuador. Currently, INV Metals' primary assets are: (1) its 100% interest in the Loma Larga gold property in Ecuador; (2) its 35% interest in the Kaoko property, located in Namibia; and (3) its 100% interests in exploration concessions in Ecuador, including the Las Penas, Tierras Coloradas and La Rebuscada exploration projects.
VANCOUVER, March 6, 2017 /CNW/ - Nevada Sunrise Gold Corporation ("Nevada Sunrise" or the "Company") (TSXV: NEV) is pleased to announce that a drilling permit has been received from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (the "BLM") for its 100% owned Roulette Gold Project ("Roulette") located at the southeastern extent of the Carlin Trend in White Pine County, eastern Nevada, USA. In addition, a performance bond submitted by the Company has been accepted by the BLM to allow construction of up to nine drill pads and their associated access roads. Flagging of access roads and construction of drill pads for the first three target areas is underway and drilling is expected to commence as soon as ground conditions permit.

2017 Drilling Program

Exploration at Roulette is focussed on determining the extent of two jasperoid outcrops ("Parlay" and "Gambit") known from historical prospecting and mapping, one of which is mineralized. The Parlay jasperoid was sampled in August 2014 by Nevada Sunrise and returned 4.44 grams/tonne gold over a sample length of 3.30 metres (10 feet), and 1.05 grams/tonne gold over a sample length of 2.64 metres (8 feet). Subsequent geochemical and geophysical surveys by Nevada Sunrise in 2015 and 2016 were integrated into a 3D model, which assisted in identifying several high-priority targets based on chargeability and geochemical anomalies, favourable lithology and interpreted structures (see Nevada Sunrise news release dated December 7, 2016).

"Our work at Roulette has provided promising drill targets that exhibit the geological characteristics of a Carlin-style gold deposit," said Warren Stanyer, President and CEO of Nevada Sunrise. "We are eager to begin this drilling program in a fertile district for gold mineralization."

Three holes totalling approximately 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) are planned for the first phase of drilling, using reverse circulation drilling equipment. Follow-up drilling will be based on the results of the initial drilling.

A "depth slices" animated plan map of the combined 2015-2016 geophysical surveys and a screenshot from the 3D model showing one of the primary Roulette targets can be viewed on the Company's website at http://www.nevadasunrise.ca/projects/roulette/.

About Roulette

Roulette (formerly known as the Grulla property) consists of 120 unpatented claims totaling 971 hectares (2,400 acres) located approximately 45 kilometers (30 miles) north of Ely, Nevada. Roulette was acquired from an underlying vendor by Nevada Sunrise in 2014 (see Nevada Sunrise news release dated November 14, 2014).

To the north of Roulette is McEwen Mining Inc.'s ("McEwen") Limousine Butte project, which according to McEwen's public disclosure, hosts three deposits containing a measured plus indicated resource of 241,080 ounces of gold, and an inferred resource of 50,700 ounces of gold (Source: "NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Limousine Butte Project, White Pine County Nevada", dated July 1, 2009, authored by Telesto Nevada Inc.). To the northwest, Freeport-McMoran Inc. ("Freeport") holds a large claim block (approximately 30,000 acres, or 12,000 hectares) prospective for porphyry copper/gold deposits, which encompasses the Butte Valley copper prospect Freeport acquired in 2012 from Quaterra Resources Inc.

The conceptual target at Roulette is a sediment-hosted, Carlin-type, disseminated gold deposit. Gold is commonly micron-sized, and is associated with hydrothermal alteration of carbonate host rocks. Nevada Sunrise believes that Roulette is under-explored, and until 2015-2016, there is no known ground or airborne geophysical data in the public record. Any historical drilling is unconfirmed as to drill hole location, footage or results.

Roulette shows geological similarities to the Alligator Ridge gold deposits located about 36 kilometers (24 miles) to the west, now part of Barrick Gold's Bald Mountain gold mine. The Alligator Ridge mine was discovered in the mid-1970s and produced approximately 700,000 ounces of gold from three deposits in the 1980s. Roulette and Alligator Ridge share certain sedimentary rock formations known to host Carlin-style mineralization, namely a sequence of Devonian/Mississippian limestones and shales including the Guilmette Limestone, Pilot Shale, Joana Limestone and Chainman Shale. Nevada Sunrise considers the geological setting of Alligator Ridge as a model for future exploration on the Roulette Project.

John R. Kerr, P. Eng., is the Company's designated Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.
MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - March 6, 2017) - Osisko Mining Inc. (TSX:OSK) ("Osisko" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has acquired though staking a significant land position in the Lebel-sur Quevillon area of the Abibiti Greenstone Belt of Quebec, located approximately 110 kilometers west of the Windfall Lake project. Map staking of 2942 claims was recently completed and resulted in the acquisition of a large land package covering 157,000 hectares (157 sq. km).

The land position of the Quevillon area covers volcano-sedimentary Archean greenstones that host a number of know gold showings and porphyry igneous intrusions that are of strong exploration interest to the company.

"The acquisition of the Quevillon land package to the west of Windfall strengthens our position in this region and is consistent with our strategy of controlling significant land positions in the Abitibi where we believe Osisko will unlock the exploration potential and develop the next generation of Canadian gold mines." said John Burzynski, Osisko's President and Chief Executive Officer.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical content of this press release has been reviewed by Mr. Mathieu Savard, P.Geo. Vice President Exploration for Osisko Mining Inc. in Quebec, Qualified Person as defined by National Instruments 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Osisko Mining Inc.

Osisko is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal resource properties in Canada. Osisko holds a 100% in the high-grade Windfall Lake gold deposit located between Val-d'Or and Chibougamau in Quebec and holds a 100% undivided interest in a large area of claims in the surrounding Urban Barry area (82,400 hectares), a 100% interest in the Marban project located in the heart of Quebec's prolific Abitibi gold mining district, and properties in the Larder Lake Mining Division in northeast Ontario, including the Jonpol and Garrcon deposits on the Garrison property, the Buffonta past producing mine and the Gold Pike mine property. The Corporation also holds interests and options in a number of additional properties in northern Ontario. Osisko continues to be well financed with approximately $200 million in cash and investments.
Toronto, ON / TheNewswire / March 6, 2017. Chilean Metals Inc. ("Chilean Metals," "CMX" or the "Company") (TSX.V:CMX, OTCQB: CMETF, SSE:CMX, MILA:CMX, FRA: IVV1, BER : IVV1).

Chilean Metals has closed on its previously announced letter of intent (LOI) to joint venture its Bass River project in Nova Scotia with Tejas Gold Company (Tejas). Tejas will have fourteen months after signing of a JV Agreement to earn a 35% working interest in the joint venture. To earn the interest Tejas has paid a non refundable deposit of $25,000, issued 100,000 common shares of Tejas stock and agreed to expend $400,000 in exploration work including drilling on Bass River. Should they spend the $400,000 on or before June 30th 2017, as is currently planned, then a bonus participation of 5% shall be awarded bringing the Tejas participation in the JV to 40%. In addition, Tejas shall pay Chilean Metals a management fee of $5,000 per month over the duration of the work program.

Bass River Nova Scotia is comprised of 5 licences totaling 222 claims, ground exploration in 2014 and drilling in Q1 2015 at Gamble Lake was successful in identifying a mineralized system associated with felsic volcanic tuffs of the Dalhousie Mountain Formation. Trending northeast, airborne VTEM and magnetics conducted in Q1 2015 was successful in identifying numerous VTEM anomalies including one high priority target along the projected track of the Gamble Lake mineralization. Referred to as the Castlereagh anomaly, VTEM target BRN_VT01 is the largest target delineated in approximately 2000 line kilometers of airborne work conducted in the Cobequids by GeoTech. With a surface expression of 700 x 700 meters, the geophysical data was subsequently modeled by Minotaur Exploration Limited (Australia) who highlighted a subsurface target approximately 300 meters in width. Ground geophysics was recommended to characterize the target prior to drilling.

"We are excited to finalize this agreement & begin preparation for the 2017 Work Program in Nova Scotia. With help from the Chilean Metals Technical Team we will be aggressively moving to test this exceptional target this summer", stated Tom Comfort, Tejas Gold CEO.

The program is being managed by Chilean Metals Inc with oversight provided by their Technical Advisory Committee comprised of:

Dr Tony Belperio, Ph.D., B.Sc, IMM, F.Aus. Dr Belperio is the Executive Director & Exploration Director of Highly recognized Minotaur Exploration Australia. Dr Belperio served as Minotaur's Chief Geologist from 1996 - 2007 and was instrumental in the discovery of Prominent Hill IOCG, in Southeast Australia. He has received the University of Adelaide's Tate Memorial Medal, The Geological Society of Australia's Stillwell Award and AMEC Prospector of the Year Award. Currently, Dr Belperio & Minotaur are concentrating on their Cloncurry Cu-Au discovery and JV with Oz Minerals.

Dr Chris Hodgson, Ph.D.,P Eng. Dr. Hodgson has been the Geological Consultant and former VP of Exploration until 2016. Dr Hodgson has had an outstanding career to date, including Amax Exploration, Canamax Resources, Tungsten & Minera Inmet in Chile. Mr Hodgson is credited with the early recognition of the Santo Domingo IOCG deposit in Chile. Ultimately, Farwest developed the project & sold to Capstone for $700M. Dr Hodgson is fluent in Spanish and has been working in mining in Chile for the past 25 years.

Ian Pirie, P Geo M. Sc., formerly Chilean Metals Chairman the company is pleased to continue to benefit from Ian's 35+ years of Mining experience where Ian travels included GM for Latin America for Inmet Mining where he was responsible for the acquisition, exploration & development of the Antamina Cu/Zn project in Peru and finishing as VP Projects where he oversaw development of Cobre Las Cruces in Spain and the Cobre Panama project in Panama.

Gary Lohman, P. Geo, B. Sc., VP Exploration & Director, Chilean Metals. Committee Chair Gary Lohman has over 30 years experience in both precious metals & base metals exploration within the Americas. He is skilled in most geological, geochemical & geophysical exploration techniques in a wide variety of settings and terrains. Gary's career has taken him on many projects early stages to advanced, in Canada, Mexico, California & Ecuador.

Further to our Bass River announcement the Company provides clarification that is pleased to confirm it had formally closed its private placement, as previously announced, of $610,602 by issuing 4,070,680 common shares at $0.15 per share. Eligible finders were paid cash fees of $21,987 and USD$4,221 as well as 181,752 broker warrants. 146,579 broker warrants entitle the holder to acquire one common share at $0.15 until December 30, 2017 and 35,713 broker warrants entitle the holder to acquire one common share at USD$0.12 until December 30, 2017. All securities issued pursuant to the above referenced private placement are subject to a four month hold period.

In addition, the Company also wishes to advise that it has agreed to place a debenture of $210,000 due October 31 2018. The terms are as follows: 14% interest annually in arrears at loan repayment, secured on a pari passu basis with the previously granted debentures ($150,000 Face Value of debentures currently outstanding) by the shares of the Company's Chilean subsidiary that contains a 3% royalty CMX retained through sale of its Copaquire asset to a subsidiary of Teck Resources Inc. 1,500,000 warrants, exercisable at $0.18 per share by October 31, 2018, will be granted to the debenture holder The debenture is subject to TSXV approval and is expected to close on or before March 6, 2017. A fee of $10,000 was paid to the debenture holder in respect of this transaction.

"We are in a very active period for Company with our current drill program well underway in Chile and the additional resources added to our working capital gives us the flexibility to continue to expand on opportunities within our portfolio. Chilean Metals is excited to close & begin our JV Partnership with Tejas on our Bass River Project. Tejas, with assistance from our Technical Committee, will have an strong work program designed to test the northeast extent of the Pb, Zn Ag mineralized system identified in the 2015 Gamble Lake drilling. We look forward to having this new target along trend drill tested this summer", commented Chilean Chairman Terry Lynch.

About Chilean Metals

www.chileanmetals.com/



Chilean Metals Inc. is a Canadian Junior Exploration Company focusing on high potential Copper Gold prospects in Chile & Canada.

Chilean Metals Inc is 100% owner of five properties comprising over 50,000 acres strategically located in the prolific IOCG ("Iron oxide-copper-gold") belt of northern Chile. It also owns a 3% NSR royalty interest on any future production from the Copaquire Cu-Mo deposit, recently sold to a subsidiary of Teck Resources Inc. ("Teck"). Under the terms of the sale agreement, Teck has the right to acquire one third of the 3% NSR for $3 million dollars at any time. The Copaquire property borders Teck's producing Quebrada Blanca copper mine in Chile's First Region.

Chilean Metals Inc is the 100% owner of four Copper Gold exploration properties in Nova Scotia on the western flank of the Cobequid-Chedabucto Fault Zone (CCFZ); Fox River, Parrsboro, Lynn and Bass River respectively. Initial targeting and geophysics has been conducted on all properties, At Bass River North, airborne geophysics identified a major VTEM cluster on trend with the Pb/Zn/Ag mineralization exposed at surface and in drill holes to the southwest. Modeling of the airborne data by Minotaur Exploration (Australia) identified 3 priority targets recommended for ground based geophysics prior to drilling.
KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - March 6, 2017) - Fission 3.0 Corp. (TSX VENTURE:FUU) ("Fission 3") is pleased to announce that, subject to the completion of formal documentation, it has entered into an agreement with Azincourt Resources Inc. whereby Azincourt may earn an additional 10% in the Company's PLN (Paterson Lake North) property by incurring exploration expenditures of not less than one million dollars within one year. A drill program is currently being prepared and will include five holes in 2000m, focusing on high-priority targets within a 700m mineralized corridor, identified during the previous drill program. This new drill program follows success at Fission 3.0's Macusani project in Peru, with 13 of 16 holes intercepting uranium and lithium at shallow depth (see NRs dated 06/21/16, 10/17/16 and 12/21/16) and where, at its large and proximal area portfolio, Plateau Uranium announced on March 2nd, 2017, heap-leach test results showing uranium and lithium recoveries of 98-99% and 61 to 73% respectively.

News Highlights

$1M Budget, to be funded by Azincourt Resources

5 drill holes, 2000m of drilling. Targets include: 2 x A1 Conductor (drilling in Mar 2017) 2 x Broach Lake Conductor (drilling in summer of 2017) 1 x N Grid

6 line-km of ground EM survey (Small Moving Loop Electromagnetic) survey

PLN Highlights

Prospective for high-grade uranium at shallow depth

Significant mineralization and pathfinder elements showing large-scale potential

Adjacent to, and part of the same structural corridor, as Fission Uranium's PLS project, host to the world's only major, high-grade uranium deposit that is near-surface

Previous drill program identified a mineralized corridor approximately 700m in length

Hole PLN-019 intercepted 0.5m at 0.047% U 3 O 8 within 6.0m @ 0.012% U 3 O 8

Ross McElroy, COO, and Chief Geologist for Fission 3, commented,

"This drill program and renewed partnership with Azincourt is the latest, exciting step for Fission. It comes soon after hitting near-surface uranium and lithium mineralization in multiple holes at our Macusani project, in Peru, which is adjacent to Plateau Uranium's Macusani projects that host large, shallow uranium and lithium deposits. Thanks to the prior drill programs we have conducted at PLN, we have already identified a 700m mineralized corridor and will be focusing all five holes on this area."

About PLN

The Patterson Lake North ("PLN") property was acquired by staking in 2004 and became part of the Fission 3.0 Corp. portfolio as part of the Fission Uranium/Alpha Minerals agreement in December 2013. The property comprises 27,408 ha and is located immediately adjacent and to the north of Fission Uranium's PLS high-grade uranium discovery.

A 2013 summer/fall geophysical program budgeted at $0.53 million consisted of a VTEM Max airborne electromagnetic survey conducted over the northern half of the property, time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) and magnetotellurics (MT) ground geophysical surveying, prospecting, rock and soil sampling, and relogging and historical drill core. The airborne EM survey successfully discovered and outlined an eight-km long north-south trending package of conductive basement rocks.

A 2014 winter exploration program budgeted at $1.0 million consisted of 7 drill holes totalling 1988 metres, ground geophysical surveying and radon sampling. Drilling encountered a lithological setting with structural complexity similar to that of the primary conductor at Fission Uranium's PLS project.

A subsequent 2014 summer exploration program comprised 2,130m of drilling in 6 holes, along with 95.2 km of DC Resistivity surveying. Drill hole PLN14-019, targeting the A1 conductor, returned 0.047% U3O8 over 0.5m. During Nov 2014 a borehole EM survey confirmed an EM conductor off-hole of drill hole PLN14-020.

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of the company by Ross McElroy, P.Geol., COO and Chief Geologist for Fission 3.0, a qualified person.

About Fission 3.0 Corp.

Fission 3.0 Corp. is a Canadian based resource company specializing in the strategic acquisition, exploration and development of uranium properties and is headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia. Common Shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "FUU."
VANCOUVER, March 6, 2017 /CNW/ - Barsele Minerals Corp. - (TSX-V: BME) ("Barsele") is pleased to report a tenth operational progress update for the current exploration program within the Barsele Au-VMS Project area in Vasterbottens Lan, northern Sweden. The exploration program is being operated by joint venture partner Agnico Eagle Mines Limited - (TSX, NYSE: AEM) ("Agnico Eagle"). Ownership in the project is 55% Agnico Eagle and 45% Barsele. Agnico Eagle can earn an additional 15% in the Barsele Project through the completion of a pre-feasibility study.

During the month of January, three diamond drilling machines were focused within and along the trend of the Avan, Central and Skirasen zones, where validation, conversion and expansion drilling has taken place. Highlight validation hole AVA16024 yielded 14.0 meters core length (estimated 10.0 meters true thickness) grading 1.01 g/t gold at a depth of 20 meters below surface. In addition, conversion hole SKI16015 yielded 31.0 meters core length (estimated 16.5 meters true thickness) grading 2.29 g/t gold at a midpoint of 315 meters below surface and conversion hole CNT16032 cut 92.0 meters core length (estimated 62.0 meters true thickness) grading 1.63 g/t gold at a midpoint of 390 meters below surface.

Four holes were completed during the month of January of which one was validation, two were conversion and one was expansion. During the month, 1,466 meters was drilled and there were 1,768 samples sent for analysis, with 3,030 assay results received.

Barsele's President, Gary Cope states, "We continue to receive positive results in validation, conversion and expansion drilling at Barsele. The 375-meter extension of the Avan Zone is a very positive indication for potential northwesterly growth of this large mineralized system."

Highlight Results from the January 2017 Reporting Period Hole Category From (m) To (m) Core Length (m) True Thickness (m) Au (g/t) Top-Capped at 20 g/t Au (g/t) AVA16020 Validation 15.00 22.00 7.00 4.00 1.12 84.00 89.00 5.00 3.00 1.35 132.00 135.00 3.00 1.80 2.13 AVA16023 Validation 33.00 54.35 21.35 17.00 1.18 60.00 64.00 4.00 3.20 12.62 6.44 AVA16024 Validation 22.00 36.00 14.00 10.00 1.01 CNT16029 Conversion 311.00 321.00 10.00 6.50 1.04 331.00 342.00 11.00 7.00 2.73 360.00 379.15 19.15 12.50 1.01 423.00 426.00 3.00 2.00 4.63 593.00 609.00 16.00 10.50 1.18 CNT16030 Conversion 412.00 421.00 9.00 7.00 2.02 433.00 443.00 10.00 7.50 1.98 CNT16031 Conversion 259.00 269.00 10.00 6.00 1.62 303.00 319.00 16.00 9.50 1.21 459.00 464.00 5.00 3.00 4.71 484.00 488.00 4.00 2.50 1.80 497.00 506..00 9.00 5.50 3.73 CNT16032 Conversion 351.00 363.00 12.00 7.50 0.98 463.00 555.00 92.00 62.00 1.63 SKI16014 Expansion Assays Pending. SKI16015 Conversion 190.00 222.00 32.00 17.00 0.79 274.00 280.00 6.00 3.20 2.12 289.00 333.00 44.00 23.00 0.70 362.00 369.00 7.00 3.70 3.65 383.00 414.00 31.00 16.50 2.29 449.00 462.00 13.00 7.00 1.28 561.00 576.00 15.00 8.00 1.12

As project operator, Agnico Eagle has developed a community relations program to engage the various stakeholders in the project area. Basic environmental assessment and surface water characterization, species studies and hydrogeology studies are ongoing.

About the Barsele Gold Project

The Barsele Project is located on the western end of the Proterozoic "Skellefte Trend", a prolific volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits belt, where it intersects with the "Gold Line" in Northern Sweden. Both polymetallic deposits and intrusive hosted orogenic gold deposits are present in this region and on the property. Current and past producers in the region include Boliden, Kristineberg, Bjorkdal, Svartliden and Storliden.

The intrusive hosted gold mineralization within the Barsele Property appears to be similar to Agnico Eagle's Goldex deposit in Quebec. Drilling has been focused on verifying, defining and expanding the mineral resources within and along the Central, Avan and Skirasen zones, that are now interpreted to be part of the same mineralized system that extends approximately 3.0 kilometers in strike length and to a depth of 600 meters and still open in all directions. These contiguous mineralized zones occur within a granodiorite host that ranges in width from 200 to 500 meters and is traceable over a strike length exceeding 8.0 kilometers. Gold is generally associated with arsenopyrite and low base metal content, but also occurs as native metal locally.

Art Freeze, P.Geo. is the Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and takes responsibility for the technical disclosure contained within this news release.

About Barsele Minerals Corp.

Barsele is a Canadian-based junior exploration company comprised of highly qualified mining professionals. Barsele's main property is the Barsele Gold Project in Vasterbottens Lan, Sweden, a joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. The company has retained the services of Amec Foster Wheeler, to complete an Independent Review of the Barsele Mineral Resource Update, that was recently created by Agnico Eagle. An updated NI 43-101 Technical Report will be prepared if warranted.
Entrepreneurs in the bioscience industry said Monday that proposed legislation to provide state cash fund support to assist bioscience startups and development of new technologies would create new high-paying jobs in Nebraska.

The result would be increased opportunities to recruit and retain young Nebraskans while driving economic growth, Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln told the Legislature's Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee.

Earlier state support for the biosciences already has lured young Nebraskans back to the state, senators were told.

Evan Luxon, president and CEO of Esculon, a Lincoln-based medical device company, told the committee he is one of them, returning to Nebraska from San Francisco to launch his company.

"Nebraska is a great place to start a company," he said.

The state's early funding assistance can help build a bridge for follow-up private investment and funding, the committee was told.

Morfeld said his bill (LB641) would provide matching financial assistance to help form small enterprises, create high-wage jobs, develop new technologies, spawn innovation and help grow Nebraska's bioscience industry.

There would be no fiscal impact on the state tax-supported general fund, he said.

Bruce Bohrer, speaking for the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and the city of Lincoln, said biosciences provide "high-wage, high-impact, high-value" jobs and new opportunities for Nebraska.

"A small cluster already is growing," he said.

R.J. Jerrick, manager of business development at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, said these are "high-potential, high-return opportunities" for Nebraska.

"And these are opportunities for Nebraskans we'd like to bring home," he said.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 6, 2017) - Aurania Resources Ltd. (TSXV: ARU) ("Aurania" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Spencer PhD, as a director of the Corporation, bringing the number of directors to five.

Dr. Spencer is a geologist with experience and knowledge that is particularly relevant to Aurania given the Corporation's announcement last week of the proposed acquisition of the Lost Cities  Cutucu Project, located in south eastern Ecuador (the "Lost Cities - Cutucu Project").

Dr. Spencer lived in Ecuador for 10 years, first leading Gencor Ltd.'s exploration teams that made the grassroots discovery of the San Carlos, Mirador and Panantza porphyries that contain an estimated 24 billion pounds of copper and 3 million ounces of gold. These deposits lie in the area immediately south, and along trend of the Lost Cities  Cutucu Project. After leaving Gencor, he joined Iamgold Corp. where his team discovered the Quimsacocha  Loma Larga deposit in Ecuador, containing resources of 3 million ounces of gold and 23 million ounces of silver. Subsequently, he joined Crystallex International Corp. as VP-Exploration, working on the Las Cristinas gold deposit in Venezuela, where his team increased gold reserves by 6.6 million ounces. Richard currently serves as President, CEO and Director of U3O8 Corp., a TSX-listed exploration company with resources of uranium and battery commodities in deposits in Argentina, Colombia and Guyana.

"We are very pleased to welcome Richard to the Board. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that will add strength to our Board as we complete the acquisition and embark on the exploration of the Lost Cities  Cutucu Project in Ecuador. Richard also brings hands-on familiarity with the community and social fabric that is an integral part of any project." commented Dr. Keith Barron, President & CEO.

Richard commented, "I am excited by the opportunity to contribute to the Board of Aurania as it initiates exploration in this highly prospective area of Ecuador. Ecuador holds great potential for the discovery of new world class deposits." "Furthermore, I hope that my in-country experience will allow me to contribute to the Corporate Social Responsibilities that facilitate and nurture mutually beneficial relationships between the Corporation and the communities in which we operate. Both Keith and I have a number of years' experience successfully operating and creating value in Ecuador and we share the objective of building a Corporation that acknowledges and delivers on our responsibilities to all stakeholders."

About Aurania

Aurania is engaged in the business of acquiring and exploring mineral resource properties. Since 2010, Aurania has been exploring for gold, copper, silver and uranium on its three mineral properties, namely the Mont Chemin, Marecottes and Siviez projects, which cover approximately 99 km2 in south-western Switzerland. The Corporation's 100% interests in its projects are held by the Corporation's wholly-owned subsidiary, AuroVallis Sarl, through exploration permits granted by the Canton of Valais.

The Corporation recently announced (news release: March 1, 2017) the proposed acquisition of the large 2,080 square kilometre Lost Cities  Cutucu Project that covers the core of the Cordillera de Cutucu, a mountain range in the foothills of the Andes, in Ecuador. Historic Spanish documents recovered from the archives in Ecuador, Spain and the Vatican provide evidence indicating that two famous gold mining areas that operated in the 16th and 17th Centuries: Sevilla del Oro and Logrono de los Caballeros, may be located within the Project area. The Project area is largely unexplored but has some of the same rock formations that host a number of significant deposits along the same trend, namely Lundin Gold's 7 million ounce (Moz) Fruta del Norte epithermal gold, that is currently under construction, and the 2.7Moz Nambija skarn gold deposits. The adjacent Cordillera del Condor also contains a chain of porphyry deposits that contain significant copper, gold, and silver resources, with mines under construction on two of these porphyry deposits.

Further information on Aurania, its management team and projects, can be found on www.sedar.com and on Aurania's website at www.aurania.com.

The technical information contained in this news release has been verified and approved by Aurania's Chief Geologist, Jean-Paul Pallier, a designated EurGeol by the European Federation of Geologists and "Qualified Person" for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators.
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - March 6, 2017) - Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. ("Cornerstone" or "the Company") (TSX VENTURE:CGP) (FRANKFURT:GWN) (BERLIN:GWN) (OTCBB:CTNXF) announces its joint venture partner, Ecuador State Mining Company ENAMI EP, has been granted a number of mineral concessions in Imbabura and Carchi provinces in the same area as the Cascabel and the Llurimagua concessions, for exploration by the ENAMI- CESA strategic exploration joint venture. Eight concession titles totaling more than 37,182 hectares were granted on March 3rd by the Ministry of Mining. It is expected that additional titles in northwest Ecuador will be granted in the coming weeks.

About the Cornerstone - ENAMI generative exploration joint venture

On June 14, 2016, Cornerstone announced that its Ecuadorean subsidiary, CESA, had signed a definitive agreement (the "Agreement") with Ecuador's State Mining Company, Empresa Nacional Minera ("ENAMI EP"), replacing a letter of intent announced April 14, 2015, and creating a structure to jointly prospect and explore for mineral deposits in Ecuador. The principal terms of the Agreement can be read at www.cornerstoneresources.com/i/pdf/NR16-12EnamiTerms.pdf.

Brooke Macdonald, Cornerstone's CEO, said: "We are pleased to be working with our partner ENAMI and its management and technical teams in exploring these first eight mining titles in the highly prospective and newly discovered Cascabel porphyry copper-gold district of northwest Ecuador. We believe there are more large porphyry copper-gold and copper-molybdenum deposits to be found in this mineralized belt. This is an exciting time for Cornerstone and ENAMI".

About the New Concessions

Four claim blocks totalling 62,000 hectares have been identified by CESA, applied for and included within the ENAMI-CESA agreement in northern Ecuador. A thorough compilation program using both public and Cornerstone's proprietary data has been used to define anomalous areas typical of porphyry and large epithermal mineralized systems. Aeromagnetic surveys helped to define geology, alteration and significant structures. Geochemical and geophysical responses were calibrated over known deposits (Cascabel Cu-Au porphyry and Llurimagua Cu-Mo porphyry) and known mineralized prospects in the region. The highest ranked anomalies, those showing similar responses to Cascabel and Llurimagua, in terms of local geological and structural environments, elements, size, distribution and intensities, were selected and concessions applied for.

The eight concession titles granted are within the areas called Espejo (3), east of Cascabel, Playa Rica (3) and Rio Magdalena (2), both to the southwest of Cascabel.

The concessions are subject to the usual rules under the Ecuadorian Mining Law, including an initial exploration period of four years, followed by four years for advanced exploration (including drilling), followed by two years for pre-feasibility, definition drilling and and feasibility studies, which two-years period may be extended for a final two years prior to exploitation (mine development).

Qualified Person:

Yvan Crepeau, MBA, P.Geo., Cornerstone's Vice President, Exploration and a qualified person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, is responsible for supervising the exploration programs for Cornerstone and has reviewed and approved the information contained in this news release.

About Cornerstone:

Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. is a well funded mineral exploration company with a diversified portfolio of projects in Ecuador and Chile, and a proven ability to identify, acquire and advance properties of merit. The company's business model is based on generating exploration projects whose subsequent development is funded primarily through partnerships.

Exploraciones Novomining S.A. ("ENSA"), an Ecuadorean company owned by SolGold Plc and Cornerstone, holds 100% of the Cascabel concession. Subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including SolGold's fully funding the project through to feasibility, SolGold Plc will own 85% of the equity of ENSA and Cornerstone will own the remaining 15% of ENSA. SolGold Plc is funding 100% of the exploration at Cascabel and is the operator of the project.

Further information is available on Cornerstone's website: www.cornerstoneresources.com and on Twitter.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - March 6, 2017) - Radius Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE:RDU) is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Bald Peak gold property from Ely Gold & Minerals Inc. (TSX VENTURE:ELY) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Nevada Select Royalty Inc. ("Nevada Select"), adding to Radius's portfolio of epithermal gold prospects in the Aurora gold camp, Nevada.

The Bald Peak Property consists of 38 unpatented mining claims in Mineral County, Nevada and one mineral prospecting licence in Mono County, California. The Property overlies a 6 km long, NE-trending zone of gold-bearing quartz-chalcedony veins, stockworks and hot spring silica sinters that has seen minimal historical exploration work.

Bald Peak Mountain is a rhyolite dome complex located 7 km WNW of the historic Aurora Gold mine that was recently acquired by Klondex Mines Inc. The high level gold bearing veins/stockworks and sinters discovered on the Property occur in a rhyolitic sedimentary unit intermittently exposed beneath more recent volcanic flows along a NE-trending depression, potentially a graben structure. Previous explorers in the area collected rock chip samples along this trend. Historical exploration documentation shows that within the Property boundaries, 201 rock chip samples from exposed outcrops returned assay values ranging from trace to 7 g/t Au, with 40 samples returning assay values above 1 g/t Au. Rock chip samples also contain highly anomalous levels of Hg, Sb, and As, elements typical of shallowly-exposed epithermal systems. The historical geochemical data suggest that these outcrops may represent the upper portions of a productive hydrothermal system.

Radius intends to leverage its prior experience in these high level environments to advance the Bald Peak Property, exploring for bonanza epithermal gold-silver veins similar to those seen within the Bodie-Aurora-Borealis district.

The historical results given here are from previous explorers' exploration summary documents, and have not been independently verified by a Qualified Person. The exploration work summarized appears to have been done to an appropriate technical standard, however, and Radius's Qualified Person believes them to be reliable. Radius will be selectively resampling surface outcrop as part of its due diligence exploration work.

Acquisition Terms

Radius has acquired a 100% interest in the Bald Peak Property in consideration of the payment to Nevada Select of US$35,115, the granting to Nevada Select and/or a former property owner, of a total 3% NSR royalty, and making annual advance royalty payments to Nevada Select of US$25,000. Radius has the right to reduce either royalty by 1% by paying US$1.0 million to Nevada Select, and/or US$500,000 to the former owner.

Tlacolula Sale

Radius has reached an agreement, subject to regulatory approval if required, with Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. ("Fortuna") for the sale of Radius's Tlacolula property.

In 2009 Radius signed an option agreement with Fortuna whereby Fortuna could earn a 60% interest in the property by making certain cash and share payments to Radius, as well as work expenditures. Fortuna advanced the property with sampling and trenching but has been unsuccessful to date in obtaining social licence to conduct a drill testing program. As the deadline for meeting the required expenditures has lapsed, Radius and Fortuna have agreed to amend the option so that Fortuna will acquire a 100% interest in the property by issuing to Radius 250,000 shares of Fortuna and granting Radius a 2% NSR royalty. Fortuna will retain the right to purchase 1% of the royalty by paying Radius US$1.5 million.

Qualified Person

David Clark, M.Sc., P.Geo., is Radius's Qualified Person under the terms of National Instrument 43-101, "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" and has approved the technical information in this news release.

About Radius

Radius has been exploring for gold in Latin America for over a decade. The Company has a strong treasury and is looking for investment and project acquisition opportunities across the globe. Please call toll free 1-888-627-9378 or visit our web site (www.radiusgold.com) for more information.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - March 6, 2017) - Calibre Mining Corp. (TSX VENTURE:CXB) (the "Company" or "Calibre") is pleased to announce advancement on the Company's 100% owned Primavera, Monte Carmelo, and Santa Maria Gold Projects located within the 876 sq km Borosi Concession, Northeast Nicaragua.

Highlights

On the Primavera Gold-Copper Porphyry Project, work has included data compilation, target prioritization, and a site visit by consulting porphyry expert Dr. Richard Sillitoe.

The maiden drilling program on the 100% owned Monte Carmelo Gold Skarn Project continues and will consist of a minimum of 2,500 metres.

At the Santa Maria Epithermal Gold-Silver Project, the Company has completed permitting and community engagement agreements for the planned maiden diamond drilling program.

Two additional on-going exploration programs funded by Calibre's partners IAMGOLD (Eastern Borosi Project) and Centerra Gold (Siuna Project) are advancing including IAMGOLD's ongoing drill program at the Risco de Oro and Guapinol Gold-Silver Projects.

President and CEO Greg Smith stated: "Calibre is aggressively advancing the Company's 100% owned gold projects in the Borosi District with Calibre personnel having done an exceptional job executing three concurrent exploration programs. These programs offer excellent opportunities for new discoveries with maiden drilling programs at Monte Carmelo and Santa Maria gold projects and the first drilling on the Primavera Deposit and District since 2012. Additionally, we continue to manage and complete exploration programs for our partners IAMGOLD and Centerra Gold."

100% Owned Primavera Gold-Copper Porphyry

Calibre continues to advance the 100% owned Primavera Gold-Copper Porphyry Project. The Company acquired 100% of the Primavera Project in November 2016 and has been actively completing data compilation and interpretations designed to finalize target prioritization for the 2017 Reverse Circulation ("RC") and diamond drilling programs.

In February 2017 a site visit was completed by one of the world's foremost porphyry experts Dr. Richard Sillitoe. Dr. Sillitoe's extensive experience and insights have advanced the understanding of the Primavera Gold-Copper deposit and additional follow-up work is on-going. Several of Dr. Sillitoe's conclusions will have a significant positive impact on the exploration programs going forward and have been incorporated into the planned drill program including;

The (Primavera) prospect has many similarities to other gold-rich porphyry deposits, including a good Au/Cu correlation, presence of abundant hydrothermal magnetite and a molybdenum-rich halo to the gold-copper zone.

In view of the widespread occurrence of porphyry copper deposits in district-scale clusters and alignments, exploration needs to be focused on assessment of nearby, untested areas.

The proposed programme of scout drilling of geochemical targets is considered the best means of further appraising the district potential.

The drilling program will be finalized over the next 45 days and exploration drilling targeted at the discovery of additional gold-copper porphyry deposits is schedule to commence in Q2 2017.

100% Owned Monte Carmelo Gold Skarn

The maiden drilling program at the 100% owned Monte Carmelo Gold Skarn Project continues with the first 3 of a planned 7 drill holes completed. The program will consist of a minimum of 2500 metres of diamond drilling targeting high-grade gold skarn mineralization exposed on surface and tested by an extensive program of auger drilling.

100% Owned Santa Maria Project

During the first two months of 2017 Calibre completed the permitting process for the upcoming drilling program on the 100% Owned Santa Maria Epithermal Gold-Silver Vein Project.

Additionally Calibre has signed community assistance and engagement agreements with the local villages adjacent to the Santa Maria Project.

The maiden drilling program, consisting of 3000 metres of diamond drilling, will begin upon completion of the remaining drill holes at Monte Carmelo which is anticipated to occur in Q2, 2017.

On-Going Exploration with Partners IAMGOLD and Centerra Gold

Additional to the exploration and drilling programs on-going on the 100% projects, Calibre is managing on-going exploration for both partners IAMGOLD on the Eastern Borosi Project and Centerra Gold and the Siuna Project.

The 2017 drilling program, fully funded by IAMGOLD, started on the 176 sq km Eastern Borosi Project in January 2017. The program will consist of a minimum of 6000 metres of diamond drilling.

Exploration on the 253 sq km Siuna Project, fully funded by Centerra Gold, is on-going. Work is currently focused on regional scale soil sampling program covering 100% of the 241 sq km northern block. Additional work including further diamond drilling is planned for 2017.

Calibre is committed to best practice standards for all exploration, sampling and drilling activities. Drilling is being completed by independent firm Kluane Drilling Ltd. Analytical quality assurance and quality control procedures include the systematic insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates into the sample strings. Samples are placed in sealed bags and shipped directly to Acme Labs (a Bureau Veritas Group Company) in Managua, Nicaragua, for sample preparation and then to Acme Labs in Vancouver, Canada, for 50 gram gold fire assay and ICP-MS multi element analyses.

The technical content in this news release was read and approved by Gregory Smith, P.Geo, President and CEO of the Company who is the Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

About Calibre Mining Corp.

Calibre owns a 100% interest in over 413 km2 of mineral concessions in the Mining Triangle of Northeast Nicaragua including the Primavera Gold-Copper Project and Monte Carmelo Gold Project. Additionally the Company has optioned to IAMGOLD (176 km2) and Centerra Gold (253 km2) concessions covering an aggregate area of 429 km2 and is party to a joint venture on the 33.6 km2 Rosita D gold-copper-silver project with Rosita Mining Corporation. Major shareholders of Calibre include gold producer B2Gold Corp, Pierre Lassonde and management.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - March 6, 2017) - Mundoro Capital Inc. (TSX VENTURE:MUN) (www.mundoro.com) ("Mundoro" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a drill rig has been mobilized to the Angel Vyvoda ("Angel") gold target on the Company's Zvezda license ("Zvezda"). Zvezda is one of two large and contiguous exploration licenses located in south-eastern Bulgaria in the Rhodopean Region and is part of the Tethyan metallogenic belt.

HIGHLIGHTS

The drill program at Zvezda will focus on the Angel gold target generated by systematic exploration completed by Mundoro in 2015 and 2016.

This drill program aims to test a gold-in-soil geochemical anomaly coincident with mapped structural trends and covering an area of 2.7 km by 1.5 km.

Mundoro holds approximately $5 mln in cash as of December 31, 2016 and is debt free

Teo Dechev, CEO & President of Mundoro commented, "We are looking forward to drill test the Angel gold target which our geological team discovered through soil geochemistry, mapping and structural analysis. Based on the data compiled to date, we believe the Angel gold target may be geologically analogous to the nearby Ada Tepe deposit at the Krumovgrad Project currently under construction by Dundee. We expect to complete drilling by the end of April 2017 and to release assay results around the end of May 2017."

Overview of Angel Gold Target

The current drill program will test the gold-in-soil geochemical anomalies in the Zvezda license. A soil geochemical survey highlights a 2.7 km x 1.5 km area anomalous in Au-Ag-Sb-As-Mo suit of elements (epithermal) and delineating at least three sets of E-W to NW-SE structures

Figure 1: Angel Target Gold-in-Soils Geochem Anomaly





The targeted mineralised zone is hosted in Eocene sediments and expressed on surface as discrete fault controlled breccia and veinlets. Gold mineralisation appears to be of low-sulphidation style hosted in Eocene sediments. Rock and soil sampling results returned 1 to 3.3 g/t Au in rock outcrops along three gold bearing structures delineated by soil Au anomalies trending NW from 1.5 km to 2.7 km long.

The apparent trend of the anomalies is coincident with the known structural trend in the region. Follow-up fieldwork and interpretation suggests that the broad nature of the anomaly is a result of steep structures which have transported gold and the associated epithermal suite of elements from a deeper source at the unconformity contact of the Tertiary sediments and host metamorphic basement unit.

Stratigraphy analysis of the area suggests that the Angel gold target is located at the contact zone of a basal conglomerate unit with the exhumed metamorphic complex. This is analogous to the nearby Ada Tepe deposit at the Krumovgrad Project owned by Dundee Precious Metals. The Krumovgrad Project is approximately 60 km away and hosts 478,900 ozs in Measured and 381,000 ozs in Indicated categories (NI 43-101 compliant).

The targeted contact between the eocene rocks and basement is projected to be relatively flat-lying and at approximately 150 to 250 meters depth. This geometry prompted the Company to use RC drilling to rapidly test a broad area cost effectively. The Company has budgeted approximately 1,700 metres for this drill program.

Next Steps

The Company expects to complete the drilling on the Angel gold target in April 2017 and to release the results in May 2017.

About Mundoro Capital Inc.

Mundoro is a Canadian mineral exploration and development public company focused on building value for its shareholders through directly investing in mineral projects that have the ability to generate future returns for shareholders. The Company currently holds a diverse portfolio of projects in two European countries as well as an investment in a producing gold mine in Bulgaria and a feasibility stage gold project in China. The Company holds eight 100% owned projects in Serbia, the four Timok North Projects are in option to JOGMEC, and the four Timok South Projects are being advanced by Mundoro. Mundoro's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "MUN".

Qualified Person

Technical information contained in this Press Release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. G. Magaranov, P. Geo., Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
VANCOUVER, March 6, 2017 /CNW/ - NexGen Energy Ltd. ("NexGen" or the "Company") (TSX:NXE, OTCQX:NXGEF) is pleased to announce the results of its updated independent Mineral Resource estimate for the basement-hosted Arrow uranium deposit on the Company's 100% owned Rook I property in Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin. Based on holes drilled to early November 2016 (AR-14-01 to AR-16-113c2), the estimate comprises an Indicated Mineral Resource of 179.5 M lbs of U3O8 contained in 1.18 M tonnes grading 6.88% U3O8, including the A2 High Grade Core of 164.9 M lbs of U3O8 contained in 0.40 M tonnes grading 18.84% U3O8 and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 122.1 M lbs of U3O8 contained in 4.25 M tonnes grading 1.30% U3O8.

Tables 1 and 2 summarize the Arrow Mineral Resource Estimates and Mineral Resource Sensitivity to Cut-Off Grade, respectively.

Table 1  Arrow Mineral Resource Estimate Summary 

December 20, 2016 (the "Effective Date") Structure Tonnage (tonnes) Grade (U3O8 %) Metal U3O8 (U3O8 lbs) Indicated Mineral Resources A2 High Grade 400,000 18.84 164,900,000 A2 790,000 0.84 14,500,000 Total 1,180,000 6.88 179,500,000 Inferred Mineral Resources A1 860,000 0.76 14,300,000 A2 High Grade 30,000 12.72 8,600,000 A2 1,100,000 0.76 18,500,000 A3 High Grade 150,000 8.74 28,200,000 A3 1,460,000 1.16 37,300,000 A4 550,000 1.07 12,900,000 180 m SW 110,000 0.94 2,300,000 Total 4,250,000 1.30 122,100,000

Notes:

CIM Definition Standards were followed for Mineral Resources. Mineral Resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 0.25% U3O8 based on a long-term price of US$65 per lb U3O8 and estimated costs. A minimum mining width of 1.0 m was used. Numbers may not add due to rounding.

Highlights:

Rapid Conversion of Inferred to Indicated:

Drilling from 2016 at the Arrow Deposit has converted 89% of the March 2016 Arrow Deposit Maiden Inferred Mineral Resource into the updated Indicated Mineral Resource category. This level of conversion is truly unprecedented which continues to confirm the strong continuity of grade and thickness seen across the Arrow deposit;

A2 High Grade Domain Sees Significant Growth in Grade and Resources:

The A2 High Grade Domain has grown to an Indicated Mineral Resource of 164.9 M lbs U3O8 contained in 0.40 M tonnes grading 18.84% U3O8 compared to the March 2016 maiden A2 High Grade Domain Inferred Mineral Resource of 120.5 M lbs U3O8 contained in 0.41 M tonnes grading 13.26% U3O8;

Growth of Arrow Continues:

Mineralization remains open in most directions, and the winter 2017 drilling will focus on the newly identified northeast extension of the A2, the up-dip northeast extension of the A3 shear and newly identified A3 High Grade Domain , and the southwest gap between Arrow and the 180 m Southwest Area.

, and the southwest gap between Arrow and the 180 m Southwest Area. The Company has cash on hand of approximately $65 million.

Garrett Ainsworth, Vice-President, Exploration and Development, commented: "Infill and expansion drilling at Arrow in 2016 has been highly successful with 89% of the Maiden Inferred Mineral Resource converted into Indicated Mineral Resource and a significant expansion of the A2 High Grade Domain. The strength of continuity across the mineralization is a solid signature of the Arrow deposit and a function of the high conversion rate. Additionally, a new A3 High Grade Domain has been identified and is in the early stages of definition. Further, the footprint of Arrow increased significantly with multiple new shears and zones being defined. There remain multiple large, high priority untested areas at Arrow including southwest and northeast along strike with material future resource growth potential. The collaboration between NexGen and RPA has resulted in a high quality Mineral Resource estimate that is industry leading for basement-hosted uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin."

Leigh Curyer, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "Today's updated Mineral Resource places the Arrow Deposit into a class of its own with respect to grade, resource size, and given the fact its setting is land-based and basement-hosted. The really exciting part is that Arrow remains in the very early-stages of definition. Results issued most recently on February 23, 2017 that are not included in today's resource update, together with the 180 m gap area and multiple untested areas demonstrate many years of drilling remain ahead of the Company before the true extent of Arrow can be determined. As we look ahead to 2017 and beyond, we are committed to our goal of developing the Company into becoming the world's leading supplier of mined uranium."

Conference Call:

NexGen will host a conference call today, Monday March 6, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Participants may join the conference call using the following call-in details:

Local/International: +1 647 427 7450

North America Toll Free: +1 888 231 8191

A replay of this conference call will be available until Monday April 3, 2017. The playback numbers are:

Local/International: +1 416 849 0833

North America Toll Free: +1 855 859 2056

Playback Passcode: 83828716 #

Table 2  Arrow Mineral Resource Sensitivity to Cut-Off Grade as of the Effective Date Cut-Off (U3O8 %) Tonnage (tonnes) Grade (U3O8 %) Metal (U3O8 lbs) Indicated Mineral Resources 0.25 1,180,000 6.88 179,500,000 0.30 1,100,000 7.09 179,200,000 0.50 1,000,000 8.26 177,700,000 1.00 600,000 12.51 172,000,000 2.00 400,000 18.07 166,000,000 2.50 400,000 18.64 165,300,000 3.00 400,000 18.84 165,000,000 5.00 400,000 19.34 163,800,000 10.00 300,000 22.27 150,800,000 Inferred Mineral Resources 0.25 4,250,000 1.30 122,100,000 0.30 3,800,000 1.42 119,500,000 0.50 2,600,000 1.89 109,200,000 1.00 1,300,000 3.12 88,500,000 2.00 500,000 5.74 65,200,000 2.50 400,000 6.80 59,400,000 3.00 300,000 7.57 55,600,000 5.00 200,000 9.68 45,600,000 10.00 100,000 13.58 22,200,000

The high-grade, basement-hosted Arrow Deposit was discovered in February 2014, and has rapidly grown into the largest undeveloped uranium deposit in Canada. Arrow is hosted entirely within basement rocks, and currently comprises a series of 5 parallel stacked sub-vertical mineralized lenses with a remarkable vertical extent. At its highest point, mineralization reaches the sub-Athabasca unconformity approximately 105 m below surface. The Mineral Resource reported herein extends to a depth of 970 m below surface. Wide spaced drill holes beneath the Mineral Resource have intersected mineralization at depths of up to 980 m below surface. The deposit as defined in the Mineral Resource estimate has an overall strike length of 875 m, and the individual lenses vary in thickness from 1 m to 20 m.

Geology and Mineralization

The Rook I Property is located along the southwestern edge of the Athabasca Basin, straddling the Athabasca/basement unconformity. Basement rocks beneath the Athabasca Group belong to the Taltson Domain (previously Lloyd Domain) and consist of northeast trending Archean and Aphebian granitic and metasedimentary gneisses, the latter containing graphitic pelitic and semipelitic gneisses and granofels, which are favourable host rocks for uranium mineralization. Unconformably overlying the basement rocks are flat lying sandstones with conglomerate horizons that make up the mid-Proterozoic Athabasca Group. The thickness of the Athabasca Group varies on the property between 0 and 20 m. In the western part of the Rook I property, remnants of Devonian sandstones are occasionally seen in drill core overlying basement rocks and Athabasca Group. These are locally overlain by flat lying Cretaceous Mannville Group mudstones, siltstones and sandstones with minor sporadic coal horizons. Recent unconsolidated sandy glacial deposits are present over almost all of the property and vary in thickness from to 60 m.

Uranium mineralization at Arrow occurs within and proximal to structurally prepared basement rocks (graphitic mylonites) that show varying degrees of clay, chlorite, and hematite alteration. Structures have been reactivated multiple times, and five main parallel structural zones (namely the A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5 shears) have been recognized, with the A2 and A3 Shears hosting higher grade, thicker and more continuous mineralization than the others thus far. Mineralization consists predominantly of uraninite/pitchblende that occurs as massive to semi-massive accumulations, foliation controlled, mineral replacements and disseminations. A continuous zone of higher grade mineralization in the A2 shear is known as the A2 High Grade Domain.

Drilling, Sampling and Analytical

The updated Arrow Deposit Mineral Resource is defined by a total of 200 diamond core drill holes. The drill hole spacing for Indicated Mineral Resource is approximately 25 m x 25 m, and hole spacing for Inferred Mineral Resource is approximately 50 m x 50 m. All of the core collected is NQ sized (47.6 mm diameter). Mineralized intervals (defined as greater than 500 cps using handheld RS-120 scintillometer) were split on-site in 0.5 m and 1.0 m intervals and transported by company personnel to SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (an SCC ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 Accredited Facility) of Saskatoon for geochemical analysis and U3O8 assay. Most samples were analyzed using ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma  Mass Spectrometry) for trace elements after partial and total digestions, plus ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma  Optical Emission Spectrometry) for major and minor elements after a total digestion, and fusion solution of boron by ICP-OES. All mineralized samples for assay were analyzed for U3O8 by ICP-OES. Select samples were also analyzed for gold by fire assay. Analytical results were only accepted after stringent internal QA/QC criteria had been passed. All grade data used in the Mineral Resource estimate were obtained from chemical assays, and no down-hole radiometric probe data was used.

Estimation Methodology

Mineral Resources were estimated by NexGen and reviewed and audited by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. (RPA), an independent consulting company with substantial experience completing uranium Mineral Resource estimates in the Athabasca Basin, and around the globe. The interpretation of the three-dimensional mineralized lenses (domains) was created in Leapfrog software, directly from the drill hole data using a threshold of 0.05% U3O8. All wireframes were then exported to Vulcan software to ensure wireframes were "snapped" to the drill holes to ensure that the boundaries accurately correspond to selected drill hole intervals. Five high grade portions of the deposit were modelled in the A2 shear and two high grade portions of the deposit were modelled in the A3 shear. All higher grade wireframes were based on a threshold of 5.0% U3O8. The higher grade wireframes are located within and completely encompassed by a 0.05% grade shell within the A2 and A3 shears. Figure 1 is an isometric cross section of the wireframes. Drill hole assay data were composited to 1.0 m lengths within the wireframes and tagged with the corresponding domain code.

Uranium (as U3O8) grades were interpolated with an ordinary kriging (OK) function for the A2 high grade and the A2 low grade enveloping domain. All other uranium grades (as % U3O8) were interpolated using ID2 (inverse distance squared). All uranium grades were interpolated into a block model with blocks measuring 4 m (along strike) x 4 m (down dip) x 4 m (across strike), with sub-blocks to a minimum of 1 m x 1 m x 1 m. The grade shells were used as hard boundaries, such that only drill hole data inside of any given domain could inform the blocks within that domain. Very high grade assay values were capped at 40% U3O8 within the A3 High Grade Domain and grade caps ranged from 8% to 25% U3O8 in the lower grade domains.

A total of 5,647 bulk density measurements have been collected on drill core samples. The measurements show a strong relationship between uranium grade and density at the Arrow deposit, with higher grade samples being more dense than lower grade samples. Therefore, the uranium grade was used to estimate the density of samples without density measurements, this was done with a polynomial formula which is based on a regression fit. Densities were then interpolated into the block model to convert mineralized volumes to tonnage, and were also used to weight the uranium grades interpolated into each block.

The resulting block model was validated by visual inspection, volumetric comparison, swath plots, and block grade estimation using an alternative method. As well, the mean block grade at zero cutoff was compared to the mean of the composited assay data to ensure no global bias.

Qualified Persons

The Mineral Resource Estimate was audited and accepted by Mr. Mark Mathisen, C.P.G., Senior Geologist at RPA and Mr. David Ross, P.Geo., Director of Resource Estimation and Principal Geologist at RPA. Both are independent Qualified Persons in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument (NI) 43-101 and they have approved the disclosure herein. Additionally, the technical information in this news release has been approved by Mr. Garrett Ainsworth, P.Geo., Vice President  Exploration & Development for NexGen. Mr. Ainsworth is a qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101 and has verified the sampling, analytical, and test data underlying the information or opinions contained herein by reviewing original data certificates and monitoring all of the data collection protocols.

A Technical Report co-authored by Mr. Mathisen and Mr. Ross will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days of this news release.

About NexGen

NexGen is a British Columbia corporation with a focus on the acquisition, exploration and development of Canadian uranium projects. NexGen has a highly experienced team of uranium industry professionals with a successful track record in the discovery of uranium deposits and in developing projects through discovery to production. NexGen's goal is to become the world's leading supplier of mined uranium.

NexGen owns a portfolio of highly prospective uranium assets in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada, including a 100% interest in Rook I, location of the Arrow Deposit, in February 2014 and Bow Discovery in March 2015 and the Harpoon Discovery in August 2016. The Arrow Deposit's March 2017 updated Mineral Resource comprises an Indicated Mineral Resource of 179.5 M lbs of U3O8 contained within 1.18 M tonnes grading 6.88% U3O8, and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 122.1 M lbs of U3O8 contained within 4.25 M tonnes grading 1.30% U3O8.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - March 6, 2017) - Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. ("KL Gold" or the "Company") (TSX:KL)(OTCQX:KLGDF) is pleased to report the discovery of the Lantern Gold Deposit within the Company's Northern Territory ("NT") Operations, at its Cosmo Mine ("Cosmo"), from underground exploration drilling. The results released today from 25 diamond drill holes (totaling 5,973m), are part of the Cosmo Mine exploration program, specifically targeted to test down-plunge extensions of the Cosmo Open Pit (Figures 1 & 2).

Highlights and Key Drill Intercepts at the Cosmo Mine from the Newly Discovered Lantern Gold Deposit

Discovery of the Lantern Gold Deposit has returned significant drill intercepts near existing underground infrastructure including: 119 g/t Au (1) over 4.5m (ETW 4.0m), including 521 g/t Au (1) over 1.0m (ETW 0.9m) in hole CW93515 15.27 g/t Au (1) over 11.1m (ETW 7.0m) , including 29.7 g/t Au (1) over 5.2m (ETW 3.1m), and 23.87 g/t Au over 5.4m (ETW 2.9m) , including 125 g/t Au (1) (2) over 0.8m (ETW 0.4m) in hole CW101012 4.34 g/t Au (1) over 22.75m (ETW 11.3m) in hole CW101002 (2) 4.23 g/t Au over 16.6m (ETW 9.8m) in hole CW101010 9.64 g/t Au (1) over 6.0m (ETW 3.85m) in hole CW101006 14.57 g/t Au (1) over 2.8m (ETW 2.2m) in hole CW101013

has returned significant drill intercepts near existing underground infrastructure including: Continued drilling of further down-plunge extensions of the Lantern Deposit are to be tested over the next six months in aggressive step-out exploration programs including Scoping and Resource Definition drilling programs and construction of underground development to access the Lantern Deposit.

ETW - Estimated True Width (1) Visible gold present in drill intercept (2) Previously reported intercept - See News Release dated July 22, 2015 All drill results are presented in Table 1 and drill collars in Table 2 accessible below

Mr. Tony Makuch, President and Chief Executive Officer, KL Gold commented: "The success of the 2016 exploration program at the Cosmo Mine, in particular, the Lantern Deposit discovery, has significantly enhanced the potential of the operation. To date, over 800,000 ounces has been mined from Cosmo's open pit and underground operations. We are excited with the recent discovery of the Lantern Deposit, located parallel to the Cosmo underground gold mineralization, as it illustrates significant potential to expand resources and become a new near term mining front under the open pit. The Lantern Deposit is located within 100 metres of underground infrastructure and remains open for expansion along strike and down plunge. These successful exploration results demonstrate the discovery and expansion potential of the Cosmo gold camp and we intend to follow up on additional high priority targets in the area."

Lantern mineralization is hosted within iron-rich siltstones in two distinct styles; linear lodes sub-parallel to the structures and local stratigraphy, and in more complex axial planar hinge-zones (Figure 3). Detailed core logging and geological modelling based upon pit mapping has delineated three broad litho-structural domains. Six mineralized lodes make up the deposit, which is presently defined over a strike length of 100m and a vertical extent of 160m. The six mineralized lodes are untested by drilling up and down-plunge and there is strong potential to expand the previously known extensions of the lodes with further exploration drilling (Figure 4-9).

Geology and Mineralization of the Lantern Gold Deposit

The Lantern host sequence encompasses sedimentary rocks enclosed between the Zamu and Phantom Dolerite sills and was previously referred to as the Inner Meta-sediment sequence (Figure 3). The Lantern Sequence differs from the Cosmo Mine Sequence largely due to the absence of carbonaceous mudstone and an increase in carbonate (dolomite) facies rocks.

Mineralization of the Lantern Deposit is generally hosted within fine grained, iron-rich siltstones and to a lesser extent in silica nodular greywacke units. The high-gold grades seen, up to 170 g/t Au over 1m in hole CW101003 (see News Release July 22, 2015), are usually found in veins with the higher-grade veins occurring as quartz-chlorite-pyrite mineral assemblages that can contain a substantially higher amount of coarse visible gold than is typical in the Cosmo Deposit. These veins often crosscut the folded strata at high angles or are sub-parallel to axial planes of parasitic folds.

Three different mineralization types are noted in Lantern Deposit, the first is a set of linear stratabound lodes, which are close to the Zamu Dolerite unit fold limbs. Examples of this are the Hornet and Adder lodes. The second type of mineralization is termed the "A Lodes", which are closely associated with vertical faulting related to localized folded structures and are adjacent to barren banded siltstone and ironstone breccias. This type of mineralization is typically found in the central part of the Lantern Deposit. The third mineralization type is termed the "W Lodes" which are generally the highest-grade lodes. These occur as open folded, banded silica-chloric-ironstone beds in close proximity to steeply westerly dipping faults.

Company geologists, using both historic surface and recent underground drill data from within and around the Cosmo Deposit and past open pit mapping have recently completed geological and mineralization wireframe models. A total of 135 holes comprising 91 Reverse Circulation Percussion and 44 diamond core holes were used in the wireframing process. Extensive logging of lithological and structural feature in drill core was completed and this information will be used during resource estimation of the Lantern Deposit. The modeling results will be included in the Mineral Resource statement due to be released in late Q1, 2017 (Figures 4-9).

Qualified Persons

Mark Edwards, FAusIMM (CP) and MAIG, Geology Manager, NT Operations, is a "qualified person" as such term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information and data included in this News Release.

About Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd.

Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. is a mid-tier gold producer targeting +500,000 ounces in Tier 1 mining jurisdictions of Canada and Australia. The production profile of the company is anchored from two high-grade, low-cost operations, including the Macassa Mine located in northeastern Ontario and the Fosterville Mine located in the state of Victoria, Australia. Kirkland Lake Gold's solid base of quality assets is complemented by district scale exploration potential, supported by a strong financial position with extensive management and operational expertise.

For further information on Kirkland Lake Gold and to receive news releases by email, visit the website www.klgold.com
VANCOUVER, March 6, 2017 /CNW/ - Tinka Resources Limited ("Tinka" or the "Company") (TSXV: TK) (OTCPK: TKRFF) is pleased to announce partial results from drill hole A17-56, the first hole of the 10,000 metre 2017 drill program at Ayawilca, Peru. Drill hole A17-56 is located approximately 400 metres south of the existing Zinc Zone Inferred Mineral Resource, and over 250 metres from any previous drill hole at Ayawilca. Mineralization in the hole is associated with massive to semi-massive sulphide replacements of carbonate and clastic sediments which also host the known mineralization elsewhere. These results report down to a depth of 238 metres only; hole A17-56 will continue to the base of the favourable limestone unit, with further high-grade zinc intersections expected. Tinka is mobilizing a second drill rig to site immediately.

Key Highlights from drill hole A17-56 (results to 238 metres depth only):

62.4 metres grading 5.6 % zinc from 127.5 metres depth, including: 17.9 metres at 11.6% zinc from 127.5 metres depth, including: 5.8 metres at 22.5 % zinc from 127.5 metres depth; and

5.2 metres at 12.9% zinc from 228.5 metres depth;

All mineralized intercepts are sulphides.

The lower contact of the favourable limestone is expected at a depth of 300-350 metres. Zinc mineralization is all sulphide (sphalerite, marmatite) accompanied by minor galena and chalcopyrite. True thicknesses of the zinc intersections are estimated to be at least 90% of the downhole thickness.

Dr. Graham Carman, Tinkas President and CEO, stated: "This is an exciting new zinc discovery at Ayawilca, in a 400 metre step-out hole from the existing mineral resource and our very first drill hole for 2017. This early success gives the Tinka team a great deal of confidence that our geological models and targeting methods are working. We are drilling a magnetic anomaly at South Ayawilca, and there are several other untested magnetic and zinc anomalies on the property that will be drilled in 2017 (see Figures 1 & 2)."

Dr. Carman continued, "This discovery at South Ayawilca is very significant. The drill hole contains some high zinc grades, and opens up a large new area to potentially grow our zinc resources, particularly of the higher grade 'chimney style' mineralization we have already identified at West Ayawilca. We look forward to completing A17-56 to determine the extent of the mineralization to depth. Upcoming holes will test if this mineralization links up with existing mineral resources at West and/or Central Ayawilca. Given this early success, we are immediately mobilizing a second drill rig to site."

Table of Results Drill hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Zinc % Lead % Silver ppm Indium ppm A17-56 127.5 189.9 62.4 5.6 0.1 17 29 Including 127.5 145.4 17.9 11.6 0.2 36 20 Including 127.5 133.3 5.8 22.5 0.3 77 50 And 228.5 233.7 5.2 12.9 0.0 11 162

Notes on sampling and assaying:

Down-hole zinc intersections were calculated using a 2% zinc cut-off grade over 6 metre intervals. Drill holes are diamond core holes with recoveries generally above 70% and often close to 100%. The drill core is marked up, logged, and photographed on site. The cores are cut in half at the Company's core storage facility, with half-cores stored as a future reference. Half-core is bagged on average over 1 to 2 metre composite intervals, and sent to ALS laboratory in Lima for assay in batches. Standards and blanks were inserted into each batch prior to departure from Tinka's core storage facilities. At the laboratory samples are dried, crushed to 100% passing 2mm, then 500 grams pulverized for multi-element analysis by ICP (MS) using multi-acid digestion. Samples assaying over 1% zinc, lead, or copper were re-assayed using precise ore-grade AAS techniques.

The qualified person, Dr. Graham Carman, Tinka's President and CEO, and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, has reviewed and verified the technical contents of this release.

About Tinka Resources Limited

Tinka is an exploration and development company with its flagship property being the 100%-owned Ayawilca carbonate replacement deposit (CRD) in the zinc-lead-silver belt of central Peru, 200 kilometres northeast of Lima. The Ayawilca Zinc Zone has an Inferred Mineral Resource of 18.8 Mt at 8.2% Zinc Eq, and a Tin Zone Inferred Mineral Resource of 5.4 Mt at 0.89% Tin Eq, both open for expansion (May 25, 2016). The Silver Zone at Colquipucro, 2 km north of the Zinc Zone, has Indicated Mineral Resources of 2.9 Mt at 112g/t Ag for 10.4 Moz Ag and Inferred Mineral Resources of 2.2 Mt at 105g/t Ag for 7.5 Moz Ag hosted by oxidized silver-rich lenses less than 80 metres from surface (Feb. 26, 2015).
Clayton Yeutter, 86, died at home in Potomac, Md., on March 4, 2017, after a four-year battle with metastatic colon cancer. Clayton Yeutter moved as seamlessly among high level positions in both the public and private sectors as has anyone in the U.S. in the post-World War II period. He did so while maintaining the respect and cooperation of friend and political foe alike.

He held a Cabinet post (U.S. trade representative) under President Reagan, another (Secretary of Agriculture) under President George H.W. Bush, and then had a short stint (1991) as chairman of the Republican National Committee, before finishing his tenure in government as Counselor to the President, a Cabinet-level White House post, also under President George H. W. Bush.

Earlier in his career, he held two sub-Cabinet appointments in the Department of Agriculture and then a sub-Cabinet appointment in the Office of the Special Trade Representative. Straddling these public sector undertakings was a seven-year tenure as CEO of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. That was the beginning of an enormous period of growth for the exchange, which now has the largest market cap of any exchange in the world.

Yeutter was raised an only child on a central Nebraska farming and cattle operation which struggled to survive in the drought/Depression years of the 1930s. Thanks to the hard work of his parents, the Yeutter farm did survive.

Clayton Yeutter went on to earn a B.S. in Animal Husbandry, a J.D. and a Ph.D. (agricultural economics), all from the University of Nebraska, with highest academic honors. Yeutter's first public service involvement was as chief of staff to the governor of Nebraska from 1967-68. He then received his international baptism as director of the Nebraska Mission to Colombia, then the largest agricultural technical assistance program in the world. That led him into the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where his mentor, Dr. Clifford Hardin, had become Secretary.

Yeutter made his mark in trade negotiations during the second Reagan term. He led the negotiations of what was then an historic U.S. Canada Free Trade Agreement, which later became NAFTA. In contrast to what some American political figures have been saying recently, most independent analysts would rate NAFTA as one of the most successful trade negotiations ever consummated.

Yeutter also played a major role in launching the Uruguay round of negotiations, which culminated in creation of the World Trade Organization. He and his team negotiated a whole host of bilateral agreements, including historic agreements with Japan on semiconductors, beef and citrus. In addition, he was heavily involved in helping persuade the European Union to begin reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy. As Secretary of Agriculture, Yeutter managed the 1990 Farm Bill process, resulting in the most market-oriented policy the U.S. had followed since the 1930s.

Clayton Yeutter was born on December 10, 1930 in Eustis. His first wife, Jeanne Vierk Yeutter, died suddenly in 1993 after 40 years of marriage. He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Cristena Bach Yeutter, of Potomac. He is also survived by his children, Brad (Deb) of Lincoln, Gregg (Jill) of Omaha, Kim Bottimore (John) of Vienna, Va., Van (Shelley) of Chevy Chase, Md., and Victoria, Elena and Olivia, all of Potomac; nine grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, at The Fourth Presbyterian Church, 5500 River Rd., Bethesda, Md. A reception will immediately follow in the Upper Room of the church. Private burial will be at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be directed to the University of Nebraska Foundation for the support of the Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance (#01126990), University of Nebraska Foundation, 1010 Lincoln Mall, Suite 300, Lincoln, NE 68508. Services handled by Francis J. Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Blvd West, Silver Spring, MD 20901.
Oakland, CA For some California housekeepers who celebrated last September the bill that granted permanent For some California housekeepers who celebrated last September the bill that granted permanent California overtime protection for domestic workers, the law doesnt apply to them  but it should. An East Oakland hotel owner, for instance, refused to pay overtime to six housekeepers: consequently employees, a legal advocacy firm and the city of Oakland filed a lawsuit against the Quality Inn in Oakland.

According to the lawsuit, the hotel also made employees work off the clock before and after shifts, did not provide breaks and retaliated against employees who phoned in sick. And these violations have been going on for at least four years. The employees, who only speak Spanish, contacted an attorney at the legal advocacy firm Centro Legal de la Raza. According to, staff attorney Shira Levine said that fear and employer retaliation permeate the housekeeping industry and allow employers to perpetuate exploitation. These six immigrant women overcame their personal fear and united to demand justice from their employer.In a city statement, lead plaintiff Matilda Cortez said, I felt bad about the job because we were suffering a lot, we worked a lot but we were not paid any overtime or given any sick timeEven if we brought in a doctors note, we were not paid for our sick time off.Centro Legal de la Raza and the city of Oakland filed the lawsuit together in Alameda County Superior Court on January 31. Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker said it is the city's first lawsuit under the minimum wage ordinance that Oakland voters passed in November 2014. Parker said the suit seeks unpaid wages and compensation to the employees, plus penalties and damages. She has served as Oaklands City Attorney since July 2011., a news project of UC Berkeleys Graduate School of Journalism, said that Parkers office is committed to fighting abuse against employees.As of March 2015, Oakland set a minimum wage at $12.25 A cost of living increase each year has lifted the wage to $12.86 per hour. Were getting complaints from people who are not really being paid the minimum wage  or theyre being forced to work off the clock, said Parker.In California all domestic workers, including hotel housekeepers, are entitled to overtime pay. According to UCLA Labor Center, about 2 million households in California hire domestic workers for housecleaning (54%), homecare support for seniors and disabled persons (27%), and childcare (19%). Many of these domestic workers are live-in, and a significant number work 24-hour shifts.Despite the signing of bill AB241, which grants overtime protection for domestic workers, they are still being exploitedfrom hotels to private homes. Enforcing the California labor law is another matter.
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Were excited to announce that metalbulletin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com.

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Wailing winds, bone-dry grasses and warm temperatures have created dangerous fire conditions across the state.

The National Weather Service included Lincoln in a red flag warning, which will continue into Tuesday.

Grass fires were reported in rural areas near both Ceresco and Murdock. No injuries were reported.

In eastern Nebraska, southwest and westerly winds blew at a sustained 25 to 35 mph and gusted to more than 50 mph Monday afternoon making for dangerous fire conditions. Temperatures reached 79 degrees Monday in Lincoln with humidity levels below 20 percent.

The regions emergency responders urged people not to start fires, not to barbecue and properly dispose of cigarettes and other smoking materials.

Third grassfire in Lincoln so far today. Luckily not major (yet). Snuff your butt ..., Lincoln Public Safety Director Tom Casady opined on Twitter just after 1 p.m. Monday.

The grass where those fires started was relatively short, allowing firefighters to extinguish them quickly, said Lincoln Battalion Chief Leo Benes.

My concern is well get (a spark in) an area that has not been well maintained, like a waterway with long grass, and were going to have a problem, he added.

The Ceresco fire began at about 2:30 and burned an area east of U.S. 77 betweeen Little Salt Road and Rock Creek, said Ceresco Fire Chief Justin Maxson. U.S. 77 in the area was closed for nearly an hour as firefighters sought to put the blaze out.

Near Murdock, the fire stretched three miles and prompted authorities to evacuate five homes, said Elmwood Fire and Rescue Firefighter Jacob Blunt.

A tandem of 18 fire agencies with help from area farmers and their equipment prevented the fire from destroying any buildings, Blunt said.

Cass County Emergency Management reported the fire near Murdock under control by 4:30 p.m., just as severe thunderstorms moved through the area.

The line of intense storms formed just east of Lincoln. Where it was dry to the west, a six-vehicle crash was blamed on blowing dust south of Hastings.

Smoke from a large fire in Clay County was visible Monday afternoon on radar images from the National Weather Service.

A Sunday wildfire burned a swath of land a mile long and quarter-mile wide just north of Interstate 80 on the east side of Twin Lakes. One vehicle was destroyed in the blaze and a family was evacuated from its home near 154th Road between Holdrege and Adams streets, said Pleasant Dale Volunteer Fire Chief Nick Dankers.

It took more than 2 hours for firefighters to get the wildfire under control. No injuries were reported and the evacuated home was saved, Dankers said.

Dankers believes embers blown from the remains of brush burned last week likely started the blaze.

March typically is the busiest time for wildfires, when Nebraska is covered with dead, brown grass.

Once the grass greens up, it slows down tremendously, he said. On a day like today, just a simple cigarette thrown out the window can cause a catastrophe.

Burn permits arent issued in Lincoln city limits and people arent allowed to have bonfires in their backyard. Lincoln does allow patio fire pits, but they must be 25 feet from structures and something to extinguish the fire should be nearby.
SATURDAY: Solarte will receive a $7.5MM guarantee, Fan Rags Robert Murray tweets. Hell get a $250K signing bonus, $2.5MM next season and $4MM in 2018. In addition, the options will be worth $5.5MM and $8MM, with a $750K buyout attached to each. (Heyman tweeted information about the signing bonus and buyouts.)

FRIDAY: The Padres have announced a two-year deal with infielder Yangervis Solarte. Hell pick up guaranteed money for the next two seasons while giving the club a pair of options for the 2019 and 2020 campaigns.

Its an unusual contract structure for the 29-year-old, who was eligible for arbitration for the first time as a 3+ service-class player. The options will cover his final season of arb eligibility and one would-be free agent campaign.

Solarte had been projected by MLBTR to earn $2.7MM through the arb process, but he was set to earn a bit more. He filed at $3.2MM with the team countering at $2.8MM, as Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweeted. But that never seemed likely to matter, as various reports suggested that a lengthier arrangement was in the works.

The contract comes on the heels of a year in which Solarte posted a career-best .286/.341/.467 batting line with 15 home runs over 443 plate appearances. He has hit at better than the league-average rate in every one of his three MLB campaigns since emerging as a surprisingly useful player as a minor-league signee of the Yankees.

Though Solarte has typically drawn average or slightly below average grades for his glovework, hes capable of playing both second and third base and has also seen a bit of time at shortstop and the corner outfield. That makes him a versatile piece for San Diego, which has a variety of options but little in the way of sure things in its current infield depth chart.

Solarte joins first baseman Wil Myers in securing multi-year deals from the Padres today. While his is surely to come in well shy of the $80MM+ that Myers is reportedly set to receive, itll add to the future obligations of an organization that had nothing on its future books except for salary owed to previously traded players.
In episode 2 of John Dumelo's vlog, 'Melo Moments', the actor puts on his 'Mr Tourism' hat as he heads to Northern Ghana for an adventure that would highlight the tourism potentials of the West Gonja District including Ghana's biggest game reserve, Mole National Park, where John reveals he was chased by a baby elephant. From visiting the oldest mosque in West Africa to sharing an infamous selfie with an almost toothless man, John shows the raw beauty of the often neglected North
Kwame Kwarteng

06.03.2017 LISTEN

A new sensational gospel artist, Kwame Kwarteng, who is known for his vibrancy and vocal dexterity is set to release his maiden single ' Signs and Wonders' on Monday, 6th March 2017.

The song, which is a strong prophetic declaration is expected to cause a turn around in the lives of people who are expecting a divine breakthrough as they listen prayerfully and declare the lyrics of the song.

The inspiration for this powerful song was taken from Isaiah 8:18 KJV

"Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion."

Kwame Kwarteng who is a product of the University for Development Studies ( UDS) and currently doing his service with the Agricultural Development Bank ( ADB) Tema Harbour branch is poised to redefine contemporary gospel music in Ghana with his maiden single as he draws many souls to Christ.

The audio will be available on all social media platforms after its release while the video would be released later in the same week.
BORLEY QUAYE

05.03.2017 LISTEN

As Ghana approaches at 60, I cannot help but admire some of my fellow Ghanaians across the diaspora that are achieving outstanding things. I recently came across the beautiful entrepreneur and writer-a woman of many talents named Borley Quaye. The young entrepreneur who is of American and Ghanaian descent based in Atlanta, her genuine passion for Ghana which she beautifully captures throughout her social media is admirable. The founder of Akofo adventures which brings awareness to the rich Ghanaian culture. Ghana offers an abundance of potential and it is one of my numerous aims to highlight the achievements of individuals with Ghanaian heritage. In the following post Borley will discuss her new book Worth the Wahala and why she is so passionate about the motherland.

Borley, what a great name! I will come back to that. Firstly, a big well done on your accomplishments, I recently came across your work on social media and absolutely love what you do. Keep up the amazing work, your passion for Ghana and Female Empowerment is admirable. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started your numerous projects such as Worth the Wahala?

I got started with my many projects after I abandoned my lifelong dream to become a doctor. Right as I was applying for medical school, I just quit. I had graduated from college and finished my prerequisites, completed a year of research, and gone my whole life saying I was going to be a doctor. I finally realised that is not what I wanted. So, I was stuck at square one. The only thing I could do was think about the things I felt strongly about and start working towards them. My Worth the Wahala book came about from life experiences that I have learned from along the way. There are certain stories that I want to share with other women so they can learn from the things I have been through and be encouraged by them. The title specifically came after I was talking to a guy and he asked me why I was causing him so much wahala. He was only upset because I wouldnt agree to sleep with him. I told him that I wanted to wait until marriage and when he asked me those questions I knew the answer was Im worth the Wahala!

What can we be expecting from the book?

The book is soo good. Im not one to brag. Humility is very important to me, but as I was re-reading it from start to finish after the first round of editing, I was like wow I forgot I put this stuff in here. It is jam-packed with great stories or lessons in every chapter. And I feel comfortable saying that this book is awesome because I know it was God. There is no way I could have written a book like this. It was all Him! So, what to expect? A New York Times Best Seller (In Jesus name)!

As a woman of many talents, what pearls of wisdom would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?

To aspiring entrepreneurs, I will say do good. Its easy to make money and we all see that as the end goal. However, the true end goal is what comes from how we live our lives and the fruit that we bear from our decision making. So, in starting a business, making money, and branding yourself, remember that your grandchildren will look at the legacy you have left. For instance, you dont have to over-sexualize yourself as a woman to be successful. Remember that there are people in the world who need someone to look up to and who would love to have you in their life as a beacon of hope. So always do whats right. Do good deeds. Value yourself. Be nice. Work hard. And make that money honey!

How would you define success and what does it mean to you?

We have small successes and big successes. Success to me would just mean continuing to live a life for God and seeing how my life unfolds along the way. I think as we get older we realise success doesnt necessarily mean getting what we want but getting what is best for us. To mean success means achieving happiness.

As I mentioned earlier, what a name Borley! Where in Ghana are you from and how did you become so passionate about Ghana?

Yes, my name is Borley. Im a ganyobi for life. My dad is from Nungua, so we are Ga. I am named after my sweet Grandmother. So, my whole life my dad called me Ema Borley and sometimes people just call me Naa. I have always been surrounded by Ghanaians, the food and the culture, but it wasnt until I went as an adult by myself that I truly fell in love with Ghana. It is certainly different when you can do what you want and not have to follow your dad visiting his friends who don't have kids your age.

What does Ghana mean to you?

Ghana means home. I totally feel at home when Im there even though people call me Obroni (White person) and I dont understand half of our language. I absolutely love Ghana and that is why I started Afoko Adventures which is a tour company that takes people to Ghana for the first time. We have just finished our February tour and every single person from the trip loved it and cant wait to come back.

Ghana is starting to pick up again, with the new President Nana Akufo-Addo in power. I believe drastic and most importantly positive changes will be implemented. What will Ghana look like to you in the next 5 years?

Im so excited for what Ghana will look like in 5 years. Its an amazing place and we have so much potential. I also think a lot of young people from outside are interested in Ghana and have already started coming home and helping with development. This means new energy, ideas and technology. In Ghana, we need to see our value as a country and properly manage our resources. When we do this, the sky is the limit. Ill also do what I can to drive tourism to Ghana and bring awareness to our great country.

You started Akofo Adventures, youre doing an amazing job of putting Ghana on the map to your fellow Americans. Can you tell me why you started the venture and what you hope to achieve?

The purpose of Afoko Adventures is to not only bring awareness to Ghanaian culture and history but also to show African Americans their roots and encourage them to see opportunities for themselves in Ghana. When my adventurers come to Ghana they felt like it was their home. African Americans know they are from Africa, but they dont know what part. The people I bring back could very well be my long-lost cousins, brothers and sisters. They immediately feel an obligation to the people of Ghana. They want to give back, they want to help build and they want to be a part of our Ghanaian family. I want to introduce them to Ghana because as a country we need all the creatives and intellectuals we can get. As we said Ghana is on the rise, and someone is going to develop Ghana. I would prefer it to be people who have its best interests. I believe we as Ghanaians and African-Americans, have an obligation to each other.

Describe Ghana in three words?

Ghana is a: Diamond in (the) Rough. Ghana is amazing. It has untapped beauty, and there is still a lot of work to be done.

What advice would you give to someone that was coming to Ghana for the first time?

All I have to say is if its your first time you better be with Afoko Adventures!

Do you see yourself settling in Ghana in the future?

Yes! Omg with bae and our three kids! God willing o. I can see myself having a place in Ghana. It is definitely a place you can live comfortably and enjoy life. I just need to grind it out for a few years and make this bread so I can have a nice place with a view. I literally want all my friends to move to Ghana together, it would just be our neighbourhood and life will be sweet!

You are also very passionate about Female Empowerment such as me, are there any female Ghanaian entrepreneurs that you would like to work with in the future? Or any Ghanaian females that inspire you?

I have not tapped into the Ghanaian female empowerment world. I would love to work with anyone I can learn from, anyone who is positive and hardworking and anyone who is a true and bold servant of Jesus. I love meeting with and working with new people so as long as they are ready to produce good fruit and have a good time while doing it, Im down! I love that you are into the same things so if you have anyone you think I should start following or learning about I would love to hear about them.

Do you see entrepreneurship growing in Ghana?

Yes x 100000. I can already see it. Almost every single young person I know in Ghana is starting up their own projects. Keep an eye and ear open towards our beloved GH! Thanks for having me. I hope these words bless someone. It was fun.

There you have it; the successful entrepreneur can be found on http://heyborley.com/and social media hey borley . You can also find her long-awaited book on her website. She is certainly a game changer and cannot wait to see what the future holds for this rising star.
The tables were lined with food from all corners of the globe: afritada from the Philippines, posole from Mexico, rice pudding from Iran and, to finish it all off, American pie.

Lincoln residents from a number of different cultures joined Sunday afternoon at The Bay coffee shop to share dishes and stories from all different corners of the world with a community potluck.

The gathering was hosted by Home is Here, a Lincoln group that posts blogs telling the stories of Lincoln refugees. Its founders  three sophomores from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln  said the idea for the blog came after two started volunteering with a refugee family through Catholic Social Services.

Jacey Olmer and Brenna Backemeyer said the stories the family told them were hard to believe, one reason why they thought they deserved to be published.

There are so many stories that are unheard, and as our family started to slowly open up to us, their story was just insane, Olmer said.

And so Home is Here was launched, with the first story posted in October.

The idea for a community potluck soon followed.

We wanted to bring people together, and we wanted a way for people to experience the foods from different cultures, too, Backemeyer asid. And so I think the potluck fit really well.

Dai Shizuka, 38, brought onigiri and soba -- japanese rice balls and noodles -- to the potluck. A Japanese immigrant, he said he likes to make an appearance to multicultural events in Lincoln.

I love these intercultural, cross-cultural events, he said. I try to show up to things to support other immigrants.

Shizuka said he thought it was a great idea for Home is Here to hold a community potluck as a way to meet people from other cultures.

By and large, Nebraska people have been really welcoming to refugees and I think its good to provide more opportunities to show that, he said.
By ken Sackey, GNA

Accra, March 5, GNA - President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday reassured teachers that his government would ensure the profession regained its pride of place in the social and economic development agenda of Ghana.

He said all modern successful societies that had had outstanding results in economic development showed that teacher quality was the single most important determinant of their success and that it was time the Ghanaian teacher became pivotal in the countries quest towards accelerated development and modernity.

President Akufo-Addo gave the assurance at the 2017 President's Independence Day Awards at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra, where 60 students who took part in the 2016 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) were awarded for excelling.

The President's Independence Day Awards forms part of activities marking Ghana's 60th Anniversary celebration that is under the theme: 'Mobilising for Ghana's Future.'

The awards were instituted in 1993 to present scholarships to deserving BECE graduates.

President Akufo-Addo said in times past, society had tremendous respect for teachers because their chosen endeavour came with enormous prestige, responsibility and fulfillment.

He said: 'Whatever the route that our teachers come into teaching, we must recognise that putting our teachers first is the reverse side of the adage; every Ghanaian child matters,' adding that it was time that society recognised the invaluable benefits of teachers to one's individual socio-economic status and national progress.

President Akufo-Addo said his government's policy to improve educational outcomes, as espoused in the 2017 Budget, would be teacher-centered.

He said: 'Teaching will no longer be a stop-gap measure or a job of last resort but a viable choice to enter a well paid and a well respected profession with long term career prospects and good benefits.'

'This policy will not only meet the professional and economic needs of existing teachers but will also look at the way new teachers are trained and treated Whatever policies and plans we are implementing today is geared towards mobilising for Ghana's future,' the President said.

President Akufo-Addo commended the awardees for distinguishing themselves in the 2016 BECE which has been described by the Ghana Education Service as the best so far.

He said he was inspired and honoured 'because I know I'm looking into the eyes of Ghana's future, you remind me of the fact that as President I must work harder to guarantee that knowledge becomes the backbone of our modern economy and prosperity.'

'Education should be a right which all of Ghana's youth should exercise. Today's youth, running barefoot to school, could be a future leader of industry, business or government. Education is the equalizer of opportunity .I am in this position as President because of education,' the President said.

Stating that the most important asset of any nation was her people, particularly the youth, President Akufo-Addo said in his interaction with the youth across Ghana, he had come to the realisation that they had outstanding wild imagination, but as the concerns for day to day living crept in, those dreams were placed somewhere, a fond memory they looked on to as they focused on their everyday toil.

'But some of us managed to hang on to our dream they are our little secrets, the inspiration that drives us to build a better nation,' he said.

President Akufo-Addo said for Ghana to be a stronger and innovative nation, she must do all she could to keep the 'dreamers dreaming.''

He said the country was now at a point where big dreams were important to complete her transformation into a modern 21st century nation that remained distinctly and uniquely Ghanaian.

'It is for this that government has made investment in education its key priority. We have taken the bold decision to ensure that every Ghanaian child of school going age is the beneficiary of basic senior high school education starting from the 2017/2018 academic year.

'Ghana needs well trained, well qualified and skilled human resources to set us on the path of economic development and transformation,' he said.

President Akufo-Addo told the students that they were being prepared towards the creation of a prosperous society, a society which created opportunities for all its citizens and rewarded creativity and enterprise, honesty and hard work.

'... A society where there is discipline and fairness, where people go about their lives in a free and responsible manner.a society where there are safety nets for the vulnerable and decent retirement for the elderly. An open society protected by well-resourced and motivated security forces,' he said.

President Akufo-Addo said the fundamental premise of this society was that every child must be the author of his own destiny, free of the circumstances of his or her birth, because each and every child would have the opportunity to acquire the requisite skills and tools to survive and prosper in a free and open Ghanaian society.

'We are determined to make the basis for the birth of a new Ghanaian polity which will make its own unique contribution to the growth of African and the world's civilization. We have the resources, the men, the women, the values and the history to do it. I challenge all of you to take advantage of the immense opportunities that would be afforded you in the years ahead,' he said.

GNA
05.03.2017 LISTEN

Accra, March 5, GNA - On the occasion of Ghana News Agency's 60th Anniversary, we submit here the speech delivered by Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's First President, as we go down memory lane to reflect the vision of the Agency.

SPEECH DELIVERED BY OSAGYEFO THE PRESIDENT AT THE FORMAL OPENING OF NEW OFFICE BUILDING FOR GHANA NEWS AGENCY - 18TH SEPTEMBER, 1965

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are gathered here today to inaugurate this new and modern building of the Ghana News Agency. These offices are vastly different from the humble quarters, in James Town, where I first inaugurated the Ghana News Agency only eight short years ago. The growth of the Ghana News Agency, since 1957, symbolises in many ways the gigantic strides made by Ghana in eight brief years of independence. From humble beginning, and bearing the heavy burden of a colonial legacy, we are developing with great speed into a strong, progressive State with the great goal of socialism.

The journalist is one of the major architects of the new Ghana and of the new Africa. It is by his work that our people can have some idea of what we are thinking and know something of the events in Africa and the world. Through his eyes our people are made to know about the machinations of imperialism and neo-colonialism. It is by his pen that the will of the people can find expression and our determination to be free, to unite Africa, and to build a new society, is proclaimed for all the world to know.

The journalist writes about what is important; what is significant; what is striking; what is timely and what will interest a lot of people. Today, in Africa, what is foremost and important is the movement for the political unification of our Continent. What is striking and timely is the African revolution expressed in the search for the realization of this great goal and objective. It follows therefore, that our articles, our commentaries, our radio and television newscasts must be prepared and portrayed by revolutionary journalists, who see the world through the eyes of the revolutionary African.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I think we may say that journalism is, in a way, the art of seeing - of seeing what makes news; what is significant and interesting - and then conveying what has been seen to the reader in the most effective manner. However, what is seen differ according to the viewer: Two persons witnessing the same event may actually see different things. For example, the press of the entire world was present at Addis Ababa when the first Conference of all African Heads of State and Government was held in 1963. But what did most of the correspondents of the world commercial press write about that Conference, what did they see in that Conference? They saw only the cold war between East and West. In each of our resolutions, in each of our decisions, they looked only for imaginary victories or defeats of the socialist world or the capitalist world. It did not occur to them that our Conference might be an expression of the spirit of the new African.

They did not see the conference as a historic step towards the great goal of African Unity under a Continental Union Government. They saw the Conference only through their own eyes, in the light of their preoccupations and their interests.

A more recent example is provided by the events in the Congo Leopoldville. At the time of the imperialist aggression against Stanley Ville, the Western press shed tears only for the few so-called European hostages held by the revolutionary forces. This press showed little sympathy for the thousands of Congolese maimed and killed by neo-colonialist paratroopers and South African mercenaries.

Other examples could be given. What a journalist sees depend on what his past experience is; what his education has been; what his intelligence is; what political sense he has and what his general outlook on the world is - in other words, on his political consciousness and ideological background. The necessity for a clear ideology of the African Revolution must be to view problems in the right perspective so that they can write them with insight and understanding.

The drumbeat of the African Revolution must throb in the pages of his newspapers and magazines; it must sound in the voices and feelings of our newsreaders. To this end, we need a new kind of journalist of the African Revolution. He cannot help in the building of the new Africa, unless he himself has founded his conviction on the rock of a scientific understanding of the world around him.

In the West, much is made of the theory of the so-called 'neutrality' of the journalist and 'freedom' of his press. According to this theory, the reporter is a dispassionate observer who reveals no opinions or prejudices. He does not take sides, but allegedly simply sets down the facts, leaving it to his reader to draw his own conclusions. In this way he is deemed to be free to make impartial comments on national and international events.

But, in fact, as we all know, this theory of neutrality is hardly ever put into practice. The big news agencies, papers, radio and television reflect the bias and prejudices of their publishers and proprietors. This is shown in the choice of the stories which are published; the way the facts are arranged within each story or the manner in which the stories are placed on the page. African revolutionaries fighting heroically for the freedom of their country in so-called Portuguese Guinea, Angola, Mozambique and elsewhere are called rebel bands, while the counter-revolutionary Cubans scheming in Miami and Caracas are called 'Freedom Fighters'. Many events are hushed up or distorted. You know how Ghana has become a victim of distortion by a section of the Western press, because of our irrevocable stand against the economic exploitation and political subjugation of Africa and its people.

We are emerging from colonialism, and we are being stifled by imperialism and neo-colonialism. We face a long, hard life-and-death struggle in which all of our people are engaged. How can the journalist be 'neutral' in circumstances as these?

We are in a revolutionary period, and we have a revolutionary morality - in journalism as in all other walks of life. We cannot be neutral between the oppressor and the oppressed; the corrupter and the victim of corruption; between the exploiter and the exploited; between the betrayer and the betrayed. We do not believe that there are necessarily two sides to every question; we see right and wrong; just and unjust; progressive and reactionary; positive and negative; friend and foe. We are partisan.

There is a qualitative difference between our revolutionary journalism and the journalism of the imperialist countries. This difference lies mainly in the content of our journalism, the purpose for which our stories are written, and the audience towards which they are directed.

First, our choice of stories is often different, for we pay little attention to cheap sensationalism, scandal, crime and gossip. The popular press of the imperialist countries and neo-colonialist regimes is on the contrary full of articles concerning the wealthy; private lives of exiled queens and dukes and movie stars, who make up what is known as cafA society. Secondly, our journalists view and analyse through the spectrum of our revolutionary ideology. Armed with our ideology, we can detect a trend in a seemingly minor event. For example, we know, even if the imperialists did not, that the scattered shots fired in Algeria on November 1, 1954, sounded the death knell of colonialism in that country; and we who were present knew, even if the colonialists did not, that the first and the last Pan-African Conference held in Manchester by a handful of nationalists heralded the eventual triumph of the African independence movement. Armed with our revolutionary ideology, we can detect a pattern in a series of apparently unrelated events; for we can see, even if the imperialists do not wish us to see it, the interconnection between the fighting in the Congo, the fighting in Angola and Mozambique and in the Dominican Republic, and the fighting in Vietnam. The struggle against imperialism is indivisible.

The revolutionary journalist must have a clear conception of his social aims in writing each story. The revolutionary journalist must write to inform the people, because in our African society, the destiny of all is linked up with the destinies of each. The journalist must inform the people of what their Government is doing; of what their compatriots are doing and of what other peoples in similar situations are doing throughout the world. He must inform them of the plots and intrigues of the imperialists; the ceaseless attempts at bribery and corruption by intelligence agencies and of steps that are being taken to defeat the African renaissance. Our journalists must write to educate the people.

The world of today is extremely complex, and Africa, with its legacy of colonialism must liberate itself with the right knowledge and the open pen of truth.

The revolutionary journalist writes for the people. His audience is first and foremost Africa, and then the rest of the world. Therefore, he bears in mind the interests; education and psychology of this audience in everything he writes. He is not writing for the elite. He is writing for the masses - for our workers; our farmers; our clerks and bus and taxi drivers - because all of our strength and all of our achievements spring from them. The common man of Africa is our strength. The journalist, therefore, must be close to the masses; he must see the world through their eyes and interpret events in a way in which the masses can readily understand.

The role of the journalist of the African Revolution is no mean one. He must help to defeat imperialism and neo-colonialism, help with the speedy transformation of Africa as a unified Continent. It is the privilege of the journalist to participate in this historic movement.

The role of the journalist here in Ghana has been easier than in other countries. We have not been called upon here to make the blood sacrifices of the heroes of Stanley Ville; the martyrs of South Africa, or the guerrillas of Algeria or Angola. But in the main, we have only to march forward, confident in our strength and in our final victory. Our journalists have the high responsibility of contributing to our victory, educating the people and inspiring them. In this sense they are in the vanguard of our revolution. It is their duty and responsibility to hail those who advance the revolution and expose those who retard it.

These, fellow journalists, ladies and gentlemen, are some of my reflections on the role of the journalist in Ghana and in Africa, which I would like to share with you. I hope that they may be of interest to those of you who are already established journalists, and to our youth who are preparing themselves for this exciting profession.

And now, I take great pleasure in unveiling this plaque to mark the formal opening of the new office building of the Ghana News Agency.'

GNA
05.03.2017 LISTEN

By Ken Sackey, GNA Accra, March 5, GNA - President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday commissioned the Presidential Museum of Ghana at the Christiansborg Castle, Osu, the former seat of government.

The museum, a 60th Anniversary Legacy project, when fully complete, would celebrate the achievement and the lives of the presidents of Ghana, past and present, who spent their time working in the colonial edifice.

The state-of-the-art facility will house presidential artifacts, presidential papers, their wax works, and personal possessions like books, artworks, and clothing to honour their memory.

The facility will also house bookshops, research room, sculptures and artworks of Ghanaian craftsmen and artists.

'What we are witnessing here this morning is an indication of the special attention my government intends to pay towards the development and promotion of tourism,' President Akufo-Addo said before commissioning the Museum.

'Investment, innovation, the pursuit of service excellence and meaningful partnerships will be the means towards the realisation of this vision,' he told the audience that included top government officials, the diplomatic corps, traditional rulers, the clergy, prominent Ghanaians and students.

The President had tasked the Tourism, Creative Arts and Culture Minister, Madam Catherine Afeku, to transform the Castle into a museum that celebrated past presidents to inspire the present and future generations to learn from their achievements and contribute to Ghana's progress.

President Akufo-Addo, who also officially opened an exhibition dubbed, Ghana: the Road to Independence,' to mark Ghana Museums and Monument Board's 60th Anniversary, said the Christiansborg Castle was a perfect location to house the museum, due to its prominence as the former seat of government.

The President entreated the public to patronise the facility when completed to see the interesting exhibits on display and learn about Ghana's history.

'I pray this exhibition inspires Ghanaians to use their talents and energies to do something in their own small way to boost Ghana's development in line with the theme of the 60th anniversary - Mobilising for the Future.'

The exhibition, which pays homage to the country's forebears whose toil led to the independence from colonialists, showcases everyday people including market women and farmers.

It also puts the spotlights on statesmen like playwright and lawyer Kobina Sekyi, Joseph Ephraim Casely-Hayford, Paa Grant and the Big Six-Obetsebi Lamptey, Kwame Nkrumah, Ako Adjei, Dr J.B. Danquah, William Ofori-Atta, Paa Willie and Edward Akufo-Addo.

President Akufo-Addo was optimistic that the project would transform Christianborg Castle to boost tourism and create jobs for the indigenes of Osu.

Meanwhile, the President has directed the Minister of Tourism to convene a forum that would attract investment into culture.

The forum would, amongst other things, focus on drawing the necessary investment towards the restoration of the country's forts and castles and provide access to the creative community to invest in a vibrant cultural content for both domestic and international tourism.

The initiative will propose ways to honour the memories of personalities like like Maya Angelou, George Padmore, and W.E.B Du Bois who were initially interred in Ghana.

It is expected to draw the interest of the African-American communities in the Americas and the Caribbean and boost Ghana's tourism drive.

GNA
By Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA Accra, March 5, GNA - The [email protected] Planning Committee on Sunday announced that 14 African countries have confirmed their participation in Ghana's 60th Independence Anniversary celebration on Monday, March 6.

Mr Jefferson Sackey, the Spokesperson of the Committee, and Presidential Staffer, at a press briefing, said although all the 55 African countries were invited, 14 of them had so far confirmed their participation as at 1600 hours on Sunday, March 5.

They include Zimbabwe, Zambia, The Gambia, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Algeria, Morocco, Togo, Rwanda, Guinea, Mali, Gabon and Liberia.

He said some Heads of State and Prime Ministers would personally attend the anniversary while other countries would be represented by their Speakers of Parliament and Foreign Ministers.

Mr Sackey urged the accredited media personnel to co-operate with the security services and respect the security arrangements put in place at the Independence Square to ensure a successful celebration.

According to him, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the state broadcaster, would provide clean feed to all media houses that were interested in providing live coverage since it was the only media house accredited to take sound and video footage. The rest of the media houses are to tap from them.

He said the Committee had given accreditation to 150 media personnel and there would be two press boxes to accommodate them.

The theme for the celebration is: ''Ghana, 60 years On - Mobilising for the Future''

Mr Sackey gave the run-down of the arrival of the various dignitaries and invited guests to the parade ground.

He said the various security contingents and the general public would arrive at 0800 hours while the Service Commanders would arrive at 0820 hours, and the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector General of Police would arrive at 0825hours.

At 0830 hours there would be the arrival of the diplomatic corps, Members of Parliament, Ministers of State and Members of the Council of State.

At 0845 hours there would be the arrival of former presidents and their spouses.

At 0850 hours, the Chairperson of the Council of States would arrive and the Chief Justice and Speaker of Parliament would arrive at 0855 hours.

At exactly 0900 hours, the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and his spouse would arrive while the invited Heads of State would arrive at 0905hours.

The security contingents and mass band would display their marching skills at 0930 hours.

The President of the Republic, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, would arrive at the parade ground at exactly 1000 hours.

When the GNA visited the venue on Sunday, the various decoration and technical teams were feverishly putting finishing touches to the parade ground.

The national colours of Red, Yellow, Green and Black were conspicuously seen at the various stands and poles and draped on trees leading to the venue.

Some security personnel were also seen at vantage points of the square keeping an eagle-eye of all the activities ahead of the celebration.

GNA
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta presented the 2017 Asempa Budget before Parliament on Thursday the 2nd of March. The initiatives and policies contained in the budget have sent many Ghanaians including those in the diaspora jubilating with a sigh of relief from the economic hardships encountered under the incompetent and corrupt John Mahama and the NDC government. The economic team of the NDC drafted budget statements that was poor, sick and failed to bring relief to Ghanaians in their budget statements. The NDC government introduced nuisance taxes which yielded low revenue and imposed a burden on the private sector and on the average Ghanaian.

As stipulated by the Finance Minister, the following specific measures that will stimulate the economy shall be implemented.

1. Abolish the 1% Special Import Levy.

2. Abolish the 17.5% VAT/NHIL on Financial services

3. Abolish the 17.5% VAT/NHIL on selected medicines that are not produced locally.

4. Initiative steps to remove import duties on raw materials and machinery for production within the context of the Ecowas CET

5. Abolish the 17.5% VAT/NHIL on domestic airline tickets.

6. Abolish 5% VAT/NHIL on Real Estate Sales.

7. Abolish exercise duty on Petroleum.

8. Reduce Special Petroleum Tax from 17.5% to 15%

9. Abolish duty on the importation of spare parts

10. Abolish levies imposed on Kayayei by Local Authorities.

11. Exempt from taxation the gains from the realisation of securities listed on the Stock Exchange or Publicly held securities approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

12. Reduce National Electrification Scheme Levy from 5% to 3%

13. Reduce Public Lighting Levy from 5% to 2%.

14. Replace 17.5% VAT/NHIL rate with a flat of 3% for traders and implement tax credits and other incentives for businesses that hire young graduates.

Again the government laid out the implementation of the Free SHS, starting from the next academic year. The Zongo Development Fund, the One Million dollars for each Constituency, One Village, One Dam and a Factory for every village in Ghana.

On corruption, the government will amend the criminal code to make corruption a felony instead of a misdemeanour to serve as a deterrent and again establish the office of the Special Prosecutor. The government recommended the establishment of a Fiscal Policy Council to administer proper fiscal activities, that will lead to the promotion of sound public financial management, which was not adhered to by the incompetent and corrupt John Mahama government.

From the 2017 budget statement, Ghanaians are assured that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, a leader we have longed for and the NPP government will not disappoint the average Ghanaian. Let us support and praise the Asempa Budget.

Alex Tuffour

Communication Director

NPP Germany.
There's been some interesting developments these past days and the latest that intrigued GAG is the recent Mawarko incident that by now every Ghanaian must have heard of it. A case involving a Ghanaian worker of the restaurant and its Lebanese supervisor.

To put it into proper perspective, it's a very sad and an unfortunate issue that dwells within the confine of civil rights and assault cases. Not delving much into the merits and demerits of the case, GAG wishes to put it in plain words without mincing words that the innocent Ghanaian lady on the receiving end of this heinous act needs justice and it's upon us as Ghanaians to help achieve her purpose.

This isn't the first time a Ghanaian(s) citizen(s) has suffered from this inhumane act, that every Ghanaian will attest to but can't point to a single case of justice. The problem now isn't the act because we've witnessed it several times without number but it's to do with justice to the act and curtailing of it.

This is a civil right and an assault issue that need the attention of the various institutions of the state in charge to step in.

Why should a Ghanaian citizen irrespective of his/her ethnic, religious and political difference in their own land play second fiddle to a foreigner? Should we cloud our faces in the name of 'hospitality' to make foreigners go scot free when they infringe and abuse indigenes?

Ghana as known to the world welcomes all manner of nationals and I think it's being the case that some nationals are taking our kindness and loving gesture to be our weakness. This mentality of such nationals must STOP and it should be NOW!

GAG wants to confirm and associate itself with calls by a section of Ghanaians to boycott the patronage of Mawarko restaurant until justice is served and must be served right. It's high time we put the interest and welfare of citizens above all as a country. Hence government officials, the police and human rights advocates must step in to put this situation into proper perspective and put in strong measures and authority to curtail such acts.

The laws of Ghana must work and must work to protect the citizens first above all manner is people as a common practice in other countries in the world. This unpleasant act calls for sanctions and must be urgent. Let's join hands as citizens and call on the authorities to bring a permanent halt to these kinds of abuses. Attaining 60 years as a nation is a great feat and must reflect in our acts, mindset, commitment and love for the citizenry. It's not in vain that our motto says "freedom and justice". Yes, and it's freedom from oppressors rule and justice for inhumane, wrong and unsavoury acts. Let's stand up for our rights and put the citizen first.

Let's demand justice for the innocent lady.

#DemandJusticeForMawarkoGhanaianStuff

*GAG*- Selfless service for God and Country.
There is police presence at the Abelemkpe branch of Marwako Fast Foods following a confrontation between some Lebanese men and some Ghanaians.

Reports on Saturday evening indicated that the Ghanaians got into a physical altercation with one of the Lebanese men around the restaurant.

When they were calmed, the Ghanaians reportedly left to bring more people to beat up the Lebanese, but police had been called and had arrived on time to restore calm.

There had been fears on social media the incident had escalated into a full-blown mob attack on the restaurant, but that is not the case. Some had suggested the supposed botched attack may have been feigned by the management of the company to court sympathy or get police protection.

This incident followed the alleged assault of a female employee at the eatery by her Lebanese supervisor, although no direct connection has been established between the two incidents as yet.

The Ghanaian female employee had her face shoved and held down in a bowl of pepper by her Lebanese supervisor on Sunday, February 26. News of this assault sparked outrage from sections of the public, but the backlash was mostly limited to calls for a boycott of the fast food chain.

Management of Marwako has claimed that it has since suspended the branch supervisor alleged to have physically assaulted the Ghanaian female employee at its Abelenkpe branch in Accra.

The supervisor in question, one Jihad Chaaban, was arrested and interrogated by police, but is currently on bail pending further investigations.

Marwako at the centre of mob action in 2014

Marwakos Mamobi branch faced the wrath of a vengeful mob on July 6, 2014.

The restaurant gave shelter to a policeman, who was being sought by an angry mob for allegedly shooting and killing a taxi driver.

According to an eyewitness, the mob, consisting of about 30 people, attacked the policeman who was later rescued by some residents who took him to the restaurant for cover.

But the angry mob besieged the restaurant demanding action against the policeman, as they vandalized assets belonging to the restaurant.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Police in the Ashanti Region may be a step closer to rounding up the suspects in the mob action that saw a woman stripped and sexually assaulted at Adum in Kumasi for allegedly stealing money.

A court in Kumasi has remanded a suspect in the case into police custody after he admitted taking part in the mob action.

The suspect, one Kwasi Gyamfi, thus pleaded guilty to the indecent assault charges leveled against him.

Speaking to Citi News, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Ken Yeboah, said the suspect was also helping the police to identify others involved in the abuse.

We organised an operation around that area and we got some 23 people and based on the details, we were able to arrest one person who admitted he took part and mentioned some names. So we are following up on the names to arrest those people, DCOP Yeboah revealed.

Background

A video, which captured some men beating and stripping the victim naked, went viral on social media a few weeks ago.

The lady was accused of stealing 1,100 from a shop owner at the central business district of Adum. The incident sparked public outrage with some scorn being directed at the Gender Ministry for its perceived delay in taking action on the incident.

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba, however said it was unjustifiable for Ghanaians to criticize her Ministry for not swiftly condemning the assault.

Madam Djaba said the Ministry refused to respond as soon the incident occurred because of the lack of details available at the time.

The Gender Minister, however eventually condemned the act and asked the Police to deal with the culprits.

24 suspects had been arrested in the aftermath of the incident by the Ashanti Regional Police Command but they have since been granted bail.

Whereabouts of the still unknown

Meanwhile, the victim is yet to return to police to assist with investigations after she reported the incident which occurred on Friday, February 17.

Reports indicate she was handed a medical form by police after giving her statement on the incident.



By: Felecia Osei/citifmonline.com/Ghana
06.03.2017 LISTEN

Our attitudes, our demeanors, our lifestyles and everything we do as humans is gradually halting the progress of this Nation.

The Daily Graphic on February 28, 2017 carried its Editorial column perfectly on our attitudes toward the building of Ghana. The headline- We are destroying Ghana caught me thinking. I have lived to understand that, it takes people with clear conscience and people who think of others more, People who have issues of others at heart irrespective of how they feel, People who will make that sacrifice to get the right thing done to comprehend what the Daily Graphic put there.

Ghana is finally 60. If Ghana had been a human, she would have been given a letter to exit the public service. She would have been told to retire compulsorily. If Ghana had been a politician, she would have taken home huge cowries as her pension benefit. Am sure in this regard, Ghana may be a Teacher or a Nurse  she is obviously taking home nothing. Politicians dont work for 60 years before retiring. Do they retire? Ghana obviously isnt a Politician. Politicians take millions home every four years. Teachers, Doctors, Nurses, Police and other Civil servants, take home few millions for working for 30 and more years.

So 60 years on and we are here? Celebrating independence? While we are in dependent?

My heart bleeds for this country. The truth is expensive these days. The meaning of the truth has multiplied over the years. Every Ghanaian has his/her side of the truth.

Pictures of senior and junior Doctors sleeping around with young Nurses to assure them of abstract jobs is evident in my homeland, Ghana. Our Teachers and Lecturers sell grades to students. This is the country people sacrificially laid down. But today, out of greed, self -seeking and our corrupt attitudes, we cut all corners to get rich overnight. Good life in Ghana is building a mansion, driving luxurious cars; air conditioned, eat junks and have women around. Our definition of good life.

60 years on and our attitudes to everything is awkward. We sell air, blood, human parts and even the obvious truth. The richer one is in Ghana, the less expensive the truth is.

60 years on, we are in dependent on other Nations. We have exchanged our rich natural resources for pea nuts. Our leaders have consistently misled us and its not funny.

Am sure Osagyefo Doctor Kwame Nkrumah will be tossing up and down in his grave as I alphabetically construct these words. We have destroyed the foundation of this country, we have destroyed the construction, and we have destroyed the building itself. We have destroyed Ghana with our greed, self conceited and arrogance. Assistance is not offered freely here anymore; the highest tender wins the favour. Results dont matter here; who knows you matters.

The farmer is using dubious means to store his produce. The fisherman is using chemicals and lights to catch fishes for the market. The female student is spreading her legs for marks. That Lawyer is taking money from people to economize the truth. That Teacher is leaking questions to innocent students for cheap favours. The Doctor is sleeping with patients and Nurses for self gains. Pastors are selling the word of God to us at exorbitant prices. Our Ministers and Parliamentarians are twisting the truth to win political points; they sign dubious contracts to enrich their pockets. River bodies are in terrible states-Cattle and Humans drink from same rivers and we are here celebrating? Pupils in our basic Schools prostrate to grab concept in class and we are here celebrating 60 years; subjecting these Pupils to an exasperating match past in the scorching sun?

After 60 years we cant have stable power supply but we spend huge money celebrating her birthday.

Our successive Presidents mount platforms to sing for us to dance while we sleep in mud houses and feed on what they assign for dogs.

We are destroying Ghana. Yes we are. You and I, they, he and she, virtually all of us. We all are contributing to the destruction of this peaceful Nkrumah-left- behind African Nation.

Its time we probe our God-given conscience arrest the issues and device ways to help build and reshape this country. You. Yes  you and I have a role to play.

It is my prayer that in the next decade, Ghana will not import noodles, toothpicks and koobi. It is also my prayer that Ghana in ten years will use the teeming youth who can stand and defend the good name to build this Country. It is my last prayer that, in the next decade, Ghana will not have those Pastors, Teachers, Lawyers, Nurses, Doctors, Police, Soldiers, and Politicians who will prioritize money over results.

God bless Ghana, God bless us all.

Happy 60th Anniversary.

Wisdom Bonuedi

Email: [email protected]

www.facebook.wisebonuedi.com

Twitter: @WBonuedi
06.03.2017 LISTEN

It is over a year now since I publicly penned down my thoughts, but I am motivated to write on this day because of what a good friend told me a couple of weeks ago.

As we sat down sipping our lemonade at one of the plush hotels in the Brong Ahafo region, the urge to lament over the happenings on the African continent with a wider perspective on our dear nation was seriously unavoidable.

As I sweat and became emotional of our inability as a country to utilise our resources, both human and material in order to be a world super power, he told me Charley, we cannot give up.

But with my eyes clearly visible on something non-existent far away, I remarked, "Kofi I give up."

But like a priest comforting a new disciple, he held my hands and said softly "Ghana can work again. We cannot let our children down. No, we cannot keep quiet because keeping quite is as bad as talking too much."

Today marks exactly 60 years since Ghana weaned itself from the shackles of colonialism from Britain. Yea, 60 damn good years and we are still the ridicule of our compatriots who achieved independence before us, with us and after us.

You can talk about Malaysia, South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Tunisia, Nigeria and Burkina Faso.

That is why Robert Mugabe who can barely feed his Zimbabwean citizens could muster courage and describe Kwame Nkrumah's Ghana in his own despicable words without any shred of doubt. A description I believe made our founding fathers turned in their graves.

I have been to Ghana 1958 to 1960 and when you look at them now and compare their present situation to that which existed in the 1960s, no change. There might be more people yes, there may be one road from the airport which has been well done.

The cry of independence and freedom were the only shouts on that day as Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve this feat.

Filled with hopes and many prospects, the new and tiny independent Ghana was led into a new era of freedom without bounds for its citizenry.

After 60 years of self-rule, the story of Ghana is not different from many developing countries as series of problems have truncated this found freedom.

Political instability, unbridled corruption, conflicts, embezzlement and bad leadership have been the bane of a country blessed with some many natural resources leaving 21.4% (2012 World Bank estimate) of its population comfortably within the poverty bracket without access to basic necessities in life such as good roads, potable water, stable power supply and health facilities.

As the country marks this Diamond Jubilee, it should be a time for introspection and sober reflection on the ideals of our founding fathers.

As usual, school children will march at the mercy of the unpatriotic scorching sun followed by lengthy, wonderful, aesthetically and elegant speeches from government appointees. But havent we been doing that all these years without corresponding improvement in our lives?

The time to wine and dine is over; after all, we have been wining and dining for 59 years. I believe strongly that we are now filled to capacity after eating for so many years. Even gluttons pause to check the number of empty plates and bottles in order to reflect on what they have consumed.

Fellow Ghanaians, the time for talking is over, this is a new era, an era whose radiant should be seen by other nations.

Yes, 60 years of wasted time, opportunities and resources but we can still make a difference, a difference which will start with hard work, unflinching commitment and dedication.

The programme towards this Sexagenary is already planned but we can still soldier on with the dreams of our first president, Kwame Nkrumah by making the black man great.

Yes, by destroying the over-reliance on the whites as if they are super humans with super brains.

As I end this piece with a tearful eye and a quote from Ghana's first president, let me remind you to be citizens and not spectators in this new Ghana we seek to build.

"Countrymen, the task ahead is great indeed, and heavy is the responsibility; and yet it is a noble and glorious challenge - a challenge which calls for the courage to dream, the courage to believe, the courage to dare, the courage to do, the courage to envision, the courage to fight, the courage to work, the courage to achieve - to achieve the highest excellencies and the fullest greatness of man. Dare we ask for more in life?" (Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah)

God Bless Our Homeland Ghana.

ABOAGYE ADDO FRANK

([email protected])
A biopharmaceutical company that designs components that help vaccines boost immunity will move into the Biotech Connector at Nebraska Innovation Campus, the research park announced.

Adjuvance, started by Hebron native Dr. Tyler Martin, will use a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to conduct further research on the vaccine boosters in labs available at Innovation Campus.

"Our company started at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and we are pleased to open new lab space at NIC to advance our projects in a cost-effective manner," Martin said in a news release.

The Biotech Connector, which will provide wet lab space for Adjuvance, is the result of a partnership between the research park, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Invest Nebraska, the Department of Economic Development and Bio Nebraska.

It allows for innovators and entrepreneurs to access physical resources as well as other skills training to promote biotechnology companies in Nebraska.

"Today's announcement is significant and a wonderful example of a Nebraskan returning home to positively impact our state and industry," said Phil Kozera, executive director of the Bio Nebraska Life Sciences Association.

"These types of collaborations are critical to growing Nebraska's biotech community and are a result of shared resources and vision for what's possible for the state's 21st century economy," he added.
Ghanaians werent sure the taxes were going and theyve gone

Head Porters werent sure the tolls were going and theyve gone

Spare parts dealers werent sure the Import duty was going and its gone

Xxxxxxxxxx

It was Thursday the second day of the second month (February) of the year 2017. It was humid amid scattered thunderstorms of 13mph. Ghanas capital Accra was pregnant with expectation. On her main streets head potters and commercial vehicles jostled for space.

Across the nation many had glued to their TV sets and radios in anticipation of President Akufo-Addos administration first budget statement, themed: Growing the Seeds for Growth and Jobs.

Campaign promises are like boxes of chocolate, you never know what you are going to get. Often such promises by political parties are forgotten or considered unimportant--- soon after the parties clinch power. This is because they discover quickly that fantasy isnt the same as reality. Besides, it is easier said than done.

During the 2016 electioneering campaign then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) made loads of promises to Ghanaians. For example the partys promise of providing one district one factory across the nation and one village one dam in all the districts in the three northern regions, attracted mockery from its arch rival then governing NDC now in opposition.

Not only that Its promises of free maternal Care, free education for Senior High Schoolers, create more jobs for the Ghanaian unemployed youth, restore allowances of teachers and nurses, reduce utility tariffs, reduce corporate tax, abolish other taxes and the list goes on seemed too good to be true and appeared too difficult or impossible to be fulfilled, according to critics.

But as they used to say God is in the detail which implies that attention paid to small things has big rewards. It wasnt business as usual when Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta took to the podium in the Parliament House where his predecessors had presented the countrys economic statements over the years. He gave the Ghanaian people what theyd long hoped for.

He put smiles on the faces of average Ghanaians and the have-nots when he read the NPP-governments 2017 budget. Relief at last, said a hawker who earns her livelihood in the streets of Accra. Indeed, the budget provided several tax reliefs for Ghanaians.

The Kayayei (head porter) will no longer pay a toll. In other words, hence forth all market tolls had been abolished, Mr. Ofori-Atta announced this before the 275 law makers in the honourable House. This is no doubt a budget with a human face as it has seemingly given the ordinary Ghanaian a sense of hope and a breather.

Suffice to say, there was no mysterious element hidden in the details. The smooth-talking economist and investment banker also had good news for spare parts dealers, corporate organisations, traders, financial institutions, teacher and nursing trainees etc.

Yes, importers werent sure whether the NPP government would fulfil its campaign promises. And like a marked down product the 1 per cent special import levy that hitherto hanged around their necks like albatross had been abolished.

Also abolished is the 17.5%. VAT/NHIL on financial services. Real estate developers had been lucky too theyd the 5% VAT/NHIL abolished. And perhaps the scrap dealers didnt know what was coming their way---duty on imported spare parts has been eliminated. In all about 8 taxes are gone. They had been abolished by the new administration.

There were also tax credits, tax incentives and tax replacement for some companies and a certain group of the human resource. Clearly the NPP has demonstrated that it is a pro- market party. During the campaign it promised to reduce corporate to 20 per cent. And it kept that promise on Thursday. The finance minister announced tax incentives for entrepreneurs and also reduced corporate income tax from 25% 20 % in 2018.

Additionally, by September 2017 Teacher and Nursing trainee allowances are to be restored. A total of 49,032 teachers across 43 public colleges of education plus 69, 707 trainee nurses are to benefit from an amount of GHc 252.2million already budgeted for.

On the creation of jobs for the nations teeming unemployed youth, the former Databank director and founder seemed to have solution to the nations employment woes. Mr. Ofori-Atta announced that government plans to employ 30, 764 youth in what he termed 154 Rural Communities in Climate Change Intervention.

An estimated 50,000 youth are expected to be employed in rehabilitation replanting mass praying and fertiliser application, while 40,000 are to be trained in cocoa farming. Also the COCOBOD Pollination project is expected to employ 30,000 youth.

The minister further announced that a total of 750 jobs will be created from the fisheries nucleus out-growers scheme.

There were a number of tax reliefs announced by the minister on the energy and power sector. The excise duty on petroleum had been abolished. Three of the tariffs levied on consumers had been reduced considerably by the government, the budget revealed. The special petroleum tax has been reduced from17.5% to 15%, national electrification levy reduced 5% to 3% and the public lighting levy from5 % to a minimum of 2%.

Mr. Ofori-Atta told the House that the NPP budget presents a proposal to address issues concerning---low revenue collection, high wages bill, high expenditures and corruption, high debt service payments among others. He asked for the support of the house and was hopeful that with their backing the issues raised could be addressed.

He also pointed out that revenue administration in the country remains a challenge. And how do you tackle that?

The astute economist said in order to improve revenue streams, government would have to strengthen tax administration, reduce tax exemptions, plug revenue loopholes and leakages as well as combat tax evasion especially at the nations ports.

We will broaden the tax base whilst reducing and abolishing some taxes and levies. That has already taken effect.

The minister said the NPP government will adhere to and maintain good economic governance principles of fiscal discipline, accountability and transparency. He reiterated what President Akuffo-Addo said during his inauguration:  We will the public purse by guaranteeing value for money in all public transactions and exercising prudence and discipline in our fiscal management to deliver on the aspirations of the Ghanaian people.

He also emphasised that inefficiencies and waste in government spending would not be tolerated and there would be strict enforcement of all relevant laws and regulations, especially the new Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).

Meanwhile the minority in parliament has described the NPP budget as deceptive saying there were policy contradictions in the statement. Addressing a press conference at Parliament House, the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said the NDC caucus would be monitoring closely from a vantage point of a responsible party.

It also called the budget statement 419 Budget and promised to highlight more of its views during next weeks debate on the budget.

Mr. Iddrisu wondered why the 2017 budget statement was not specific or failed to address a number of issues despite a promised by President Akufo-Addo in the State of the Nation Address to gives details of how to deliver on promises made during the electioneering campaign.

These include the free senior high school for continuing students rather than fresh entrants next September, payment of all contractors owed within the 100 days of the Akufo-Addo administration ending April 17, 2017, and the one dam one village in the over 6,000 villages in the three Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions.
06.03.2017 LISTEN

Today is our Independence Day and if Ghana were a human being, she would retire today. So many men and women come to mind on this day and under this circumstance, but one man stands tall among the rest, thus, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah (Africa's Great Son).

It is on this fact that I, with much profundity, want to discuss Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah in the context of the struggle for emancipation from foreign rule and imperialism and how the people Nkrumah termed as traitors and agents of neocolonialism think of him.

Dr Kwame Nkrumah has been castigated and denigrated by his opponents and critics over the period and the descendants of those people are still, today vilifying Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

They have succeeded in painting Kwame Nkrumah as a ruthless dictator and a mindless monster who was arresting his opponents without trials.

To them, it is either JB Danquah or Kofi Abrefa Busia or Obetsebi Lamptey or no one else.

To them, those listed above were the real heroes of Ghana.

Few days ago, I read a post by a NPP friend that sought to suggest that it was JB Danquah who formed the UGCC and brought Kwame Nkrumah on board.

That narrative is not only a travesty of history and distortion of facts, but also, it was advanced by a lack of respect for history!!!

Listen to me carefully because I am going to say certain things here!

It is on record that, it was George Paa Grant who single handedly formed the UGCC and invited JB Danquah and people like RS Blay and William Awoonor.

He used his own money to pay the transport fare for JB Danquah and the rest whenever they went for UGCC meetings.

Later on, Paa Grant needed to transform the party from the docile state to a mass movement to accelerate the pace for the struggle for independence.

At the time, Kwame Nkrumah was the secretary to the Fifth PanAfrican Congress in Manchester. It is a historical fact that the Fifth PanAfrican Congress in Manchester provided the much needed impetus for the decolonization process in Africa. So Nkrumah's record of activism was echoed everywhere.

In the United States of America, he came across writings of George Padmore and Co, who were in the Pan-African Movement, W.E.B Du Bios and all. And eventually he linked up with them in Manchester, United Kingdom, where they organized the fifth Pan- African Congress and they decided to accelerate the struggle for the liberation of Africa ~ Mr. Kwesi Pratt Jnr.

For this reason, Paa Grant ordered that Kwame Nkrumah be invited after Arko Adjei refused the portfolio as the General Secretary. In fact, it was Ako Adjei who recommended Nkrumah rather because in his estimation, Nkrumah qualified for the position as the General Secretary. Thereafter, Nkrumah became the General Secretary to the UGCC.

Therefore, JB Danquah, Kwame Nkrumah and others were all invited by George Paa Grant who used his own resources and money to fund the party.

It is important to note that, Nkrumah broke away from the UGCC to form his own CPP because of the attitude of JB Danquah and co. Nkrumah realised that JB Danquah and co. have already had what they wanted (money, education, popularity) and were reluctant in the fight against imperialism. Therefore, Nkrumah left the UGCC with the support of the Youth Wing of the UGCC made up of loyal people like Kofi Agbeli Gbedemah, Kofi Baako (Kweku Baako's father), Dzenkle Dzewu, Krobo Edusei, Saki Schech and Kojo Botsio to form the CPP on 12th June, 1949 and spear headed the fight and struggle against imperialism and foreign rule.

Therefore, the history we are told today is not a proper history to be repeated.

JB Danquah was not that powerful as we are made to believe today.

Why? Even in a contest in Kyebi with his own nephew, Aaron Ofori-Atta, Dr JB Danquah lost woefully.

After losing several contests in Kyebi, JB Danquah eventually went to the Legislative Assembly as a nominee of the Chiefs of Abuakwa, but not through a popular election.

WHY THEY ACCUSE NKRUMAH OF DICTATORSHIP

In 1954, Nkrumah won the second general election. In the same year, the opposition to Nkrumah assigned one Seth Ametowe to assassinate Nkrumah.

At approximately 1 pm, Nkrumah had come out of the Flagstaff House and was going for his lunch. History has it that Set Ametowe shot four rounds of bullets at Nkrumah.

Isochronously, JB Danquah was caught and arrested around GBC with a well prepared address to the nation.

What does this mean?

Which country would have ignored this?

What offense did Nkrumah commit by making sure that JB Danquah was arrested?

He didn't arrest him because he hated him.

If Nkrumah never liked JB Danquah, he wouldn't have appointed JB Danquah as the then Chairman for the Council For Scientific And Industrial Research after all the atrocities that was committed against him.

After JB Danquah was detained, over some time, JB Danquah's wife (Madam Mabel Dove Danquah) wrote series of apologetic letters to Nkrumah to release her husband (JB) on compassionate grounds.

Why do you think the wife would want her husband to be released on compassionate grounds?

Because she knew without compassion from Nkrumah, there was no way JB Danquah was going to come out after that atrocious incident perpetrated by JB Danquah.

It is significant to note that Nkrumah was touched by the letters Madam Mabel wrote and minuted on one of the letters to release JB Danquah.

Nkrumah later ordered the release of JB Danquah on 3rd February, 1965.

The Secretary to the Cabinet (Mr Eric Otu) at the time received the order and thought it was late because it was around 5 pm and decided to work on it the following day.

Unfortunately, the following day (4th February, 1965), JB Danquah died on health grounds.

How would Nkrumah be so vicious and monster to allow JB Danquah to die in prison, having have ordered his release the previous day?

Yet when you hear them speak it is as if Nkrumah never considered JB Danquah's case.

Few months ago, the NPP celebrated the death of Obetsebi Lamptey to further deepen the dent on Nkrumah's image as a monster and a brutal dictator.

When these Danquah-Busia elements speak, it is as if Nkrumah arrested Obetsebi Lamptey and put him in prison without trial.

I have come to believe that history does not hide anything.

History has it that Nkrumah never convicted Sir Obetsebi Lamptey. In plane facts, Nkrumah had nothing to do with that.

The truth is Obetsebi Lamptey was properly tried and was convicted by a competent court of jurisdiction.

Surprisingly, the panel which convicted Obetsebi Lamptey included Justice Edward Akuffo Addo (President Nana Akuffo Addo's own father), Justice Van Lare and Justice Ako Korsah.

These judges sat on the case and came to the conclusion that Obetsebi Lamptey was a leader of a terrorist cell and needed to be jailed.

So it was President Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo's own father who jailed Obetsebi Lamptey, not Kwame Nkrumah.

This bizarre imposition of JB Danquah on Ghanaians led a prominent Chief of Akyem Abuakwa to say that the Premier University of Ghana-Legon should be named after JB Danquah. This statement from the said Chief could only come out from him as a result of a clear demonstration of lack of respect for history.

What did JB Danquah do to warrant him such an honour?

Now again, listen to me carefully, when Nkrumah won the first general election in 1951, his Internal Self Rule government instituted the Local Council Ordinance Bill and the Cocoa Marketing Board.

It is instructive to know that JB Danquah vehemently opposed Nkrumah on the institution of the LCOB and the CMB.

It was the LCOB and the CMB which provided the needed and required revenue and resourses to achieve Nkrumah's first five-year development plan which included the construction of the University of Ghana-Legon, the Volta River Project, Tema Habour and City, the Adomi Bridge, the Komfo Anokye Hospital, the Democratization of Education and the Medical School.

Now, if JB Danquah had won that debate against Nkrumah, we wouldn't have had inter alia, the University of Ghana-Legon.

With this fact, what qualifies JB Danquah to have the honour of being named after the University of Ghana? Something he vehemently and strongly kicked against?

Indeed, some people have no shame!

There are a lot to be said, but for the purpose of this article, I leave here and I happily say Happy Independence Day to you all.

Thank you!

Osumanu Abubakar (2017)

0242782515

Copyright Reserved!!!

References

1. The Fallacies of J. B. Danquah's Heroic

Legacy. http://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/The-Fallacies-of-J-B-Danquah-s-Heroic-Legacy-105319

2. THE CONTRIBUTION OF DR. KWAME NKRUMAH TO THE STRUGGLE AGAINST IMPERIALISM. https://consciencism.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/the-contribution-of-dr-kwame-nkrumah-to-the-struggle-against-imperialism-in-the-eyes-of-a-contemporary-cuban-international-revolutionary

3. Fight Back: A Response To Anti-Nkrumah Provocations

4. Nkrumah Never Dies. https://www.modernghana.com/news/721007/nkrumah-never-dies.html
Sixty years into nationhood is no mean feat. Ghanaians have cause therefore to celebrate this 60th milestone. Their heritage was won for them through the toils of their forebears, a fact poetically captured in the national anthem.

A few days ago, 28th February 1948 was marked with a parade of the surviving veterans of WWII. It was a date in our history which provided the necessary fillip to our nationalists then on the early stages of the struggle for Self Government.

That and others thereafter came together to earn us the independence we are enjoying today.

We could not have been here today without the toils of our forebears.

Every country celebrates such important spots in their histories. When the Union Jack was lowered on the midnight of 5th March 1957 the expectations were too high, the people of the newly independent Ghana expecting an overnight transformation of their lives.

After all the nationalists, their kith and kin, had painted a picture of milk and honey, one they were not enjoying under the colonialists who they added were only exploiting their natural resources and shipping them away as they lived in abject poverty.

Those who opted for a gradual approach to self-government had reasons for their position, as did those who wanted it immediately.

Two perspectives are available for those seeking to do a comparative analysis of post-independence Ghana. While one school of thought, those in favour of an immediate attainment of independence think so much has been achieved and bear no regrets for the efforts of Nkrumah; those who opted for the gradual approach think otherwise.

The former will point at the infrastructural development of the post independence era, the educational facilities created under the Educational Trust module and the compulsory free education for children alongside the construction of an additional harbour at Tema and the floating of a national carrier and a shipping line, among others.

Of what substantial benefit will it be to a people when in the face of so-called development their human rights are wantonly trampled upon through a deliberate and sustained project by the executive?

Even as we relish the activities and fanfare which accompany such great dates in the calendar of a country, we ask that we ponder over the human rights challenges which accompanied our post independence journey.

Some might argue that subversion charges were leveled against victims of the flagrant abuse of human rights but this can be countered by the point that the rule of law was no longer applicable and so charges were mere window dressing.

When a Chief Justice could be dismissed by the Executive by a stroke of the pen, the country could not have been said to be faring well in terms of good governance and human rights management.

We do not dispute the fact that attempts were made to topple the government of the late Kwame Nkrumah but what stopped the President from allowing the rule of law to be the last resort in such matters, some of which bordered on mere paranoia?

Be it as it may, so much water has passed under the bridge since those heady days of post independence political restiveness.

A country which went through multitude of attempted and military interventionists by persons seeing themselves as messiahs cannot be regarded as one which did not suffer from the varied shortcomings of humankind.

Constitutionalism has come to stay and we are gradually perfecting the electoral system. Military interventionism has long been confined to the dustbin of history.

Sixty years is a long period in the life of both human beings and nations.

Be it as it may, we cannot avoid smiling and patting each other on the back for coming this far.

Even we as we brood over the fact that we could have done better with our lives in the sixty years of our nationhood, let us not forget what we have achieved so far; nonetheless.
The solution of the NPP's government to a seeming declining agricultural sector in the #Budget2017 is to modernize the sector and to improve productivity. Measures outlined, inter alia include: Provision of improved seeds; supply of fertilizers; provision of dedicated extension services; marketing and E-agriculture; and monitoring.

Concerns:

The measures indicated how much fertilizer will be supplied to achieve this objective, 180,000 metric tonnes for the year. It also indicated it will import improved seeds to augment the program. However,

1. One question here is why import improved seeds to augment? Improved and certified seeds could be obtained from MoFA, our universities and other research institutions like the CSIR.

2. No specifics were provided as to how much of these seeds will be supplied? How many Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs) will be trained, recruited or deployed to various stations across the country for this program?

3. How are the goods in question going to be marketed, by which means, is it that government itself will deploy buyers at farm gate to buy these goods? Are the produce going to be sold processed or in raw form?

4. Any plans in place to arrest postharvest losses, which is one major challenge for farmers, especially those producing cereals? What of packaging?

5. In terms of monitoring, how is it going to be done/achieved? How is progress going to be measured and evaluated?

6. Most importantly, the budget did not indicate how much it will cost to achieve each of these objectives. No detail information and specifics were shared on this.

7. The budget also did not provide specific timelines to achieve each of these objectives.

Main Focus: The Planting for Food and Jobs Program.

This is to encourage all citizens (both urban and rural) to take up farming as a full or part-time activity. It is intended to structure it along the lines of the erstwhile Operation Feed Yourself(OFY) programme in the 1970s under Acheampong's regime. The program is envisaged to provide jobs to about 750,000 people. This is laudable initiative.

This program will ensure all year food production, improves food security, curb food shortage, provide jobs, improve family income, improve livelihoods, ensures judicious use of land resources, etc. This program is similar to that used in urban agriculture. Countries such as Cuba, for example, successfully used urban agriculture as a means to evade food shortages (See Murphy, 2004), while many developing countries have long been farming within cities and towns for income and subsistence (See Nugent, 2001). Strong institutional efforts and technical assistance will be needed to achieve this.

Concerns:

1. Cost details were not provided.

2. How did they arrive at conclusion of 750,000 jobs?

3. The other projection of 30 percent from current production levels, rice by 49 %, soybean by 25 % and sorghum by 28 %.

4. How did these projections come about when there was no mentioning of the costs involved?

5. No investments plans made for the livestock sector?

6. No plans of irrigation facilities and investments to increase acreage of farmlands?

7. No allocation made for climate smart agriculture initiatives and investments to boost production for farmers especially in the face of climate change? This is another external shock facing the agricultural sector. Climate change, leading to delayed and erratic rain pattern in some parts of our agricultural industrial areas, and this natural phenomenon has affected agricultural output drastically.

8. Access to credits by farmers? This is a major issue facing farmers. The budget failed to elaborate on that but still seeking to subsidize farm inputs in the short term.

9. How much allocation made for research initiatives towards achieving these objectives?

10. Introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). The budget failed to tackle the GMO situation and its commercialization in the country. One major concern is that the importation of the said improved seeds would lead to introduction of GMOs into the country. Farmers and the general public are ignorant of these GMOs and would there be public education on this mystery seeds before it implementation?

The Ghana National Biosafety Authority has issued Guidelines on handling requests for the use of GMOs in Ghana. This is in accordance with Section 40(3) of the Biosafety Act, which mandates the Authority to issue guidelines on its operations. This was not captured in the budget as to how the regulation would be carried with cost and evaluation tendencies. The plant breeder bill has faced a lot of heckles in the years with civil societies asking for further amendments to avert certain uncertainties. The procedures that any individual or entity need to go through in requesting approval to undertake confined field trials, commercialise, import and export GMOs out of the country needs a better education to sensitize the populace. This obviously denotes that, no matter how the agitation to GMOs in the country, the government would still legalize it use.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research is currently undertaking field trials of GMO cotton, cowpea and rice as part of approval procedures before they could be released onto the market. However, information getting to the desk of the Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation is alleged that there are cabalistic distributions of GMO seeds to farmers in some parts of the country even though commercialization has not begun.

STATISTICS

Agriculture has been the principal sector for the development and growth of the economy in the past years. The contribution of agriculture to GDP in the other years is: 2010 - 29.8%, 2011 - 25.3%, 2012 - 22.9%, 2013 - 22.4%, 2014 - 21.5%. It dropped from 31.8% in 2009 to 29.8% in 2010, representing 2% GDP contribution lost. In 2011, agriculture's contribution dropped by 4.5% to 25.3% while 2012 recorded a 2.4%.

The year 2013 recorded a 0.5% drop in the contribution of agriculture from 22.9% in 2012 to 22.4% in 2013. Total spending on Agriculture Modernisation in 2015 amounted to GH27.04 million against a budget of GH30.57 million. Of this amount, spending on Food and Agriculture infrastructure amounted to GH26.24 million. This was particularly for the construction and rehabilitation of dams and irrigation infrastructure and fertiliser subsidy.

Additionally, GH0.80 million was advanced towards the construction of the Fisheries College and aquaculture development. On the food, which food programs were carried out? Are there any national food storage facilities? NO! We stand to be corrected. Subsidies are medieval, a negative sum transaction and enables government spending and corruption. It would be good to bring into light the allocated amount for fertilizer subsidies, including how many farmers benefited and the outcome of this welfare practice.

The Agriculture Sector is expected to record an average growth rate of 3.3% in the medium term from the 2017 Budget. The Sector is expected to record a growth of 3.5% for both 2016 and 2017, declining to 3.0% in 2018. This may not be able to accounts for about 40% of GDP and generates 60% of foreign exchange earnings in the medium term. What we produce may feed the one-district-one-factory projects and the quality of the finished produce may or may not attract export. Government cut its 2016 expenditure on the sector by GHC40 million despite growth in the sector stalling to 0.04%.

In 2015 government's budgeted expenditure on the agricultural sector is GHC395.19 million while for 2016, GHC355.14 million was been budgeted, indicating a 10.1% decrease. By the end of September 2015, GHC91.54 million had been spent out of the GHs395.19 million budgeted. Out of the GHC91.54 million spent, about GHs82.57 million of this actual sector expenditure, representing 90.21%, was spent on poverty-focused expenditures and still there is poverty.

There are lots of activities that go on in the service sector better and more than the agricultural sector shifting the goal post to the former. Agriculture was the main source of growth and foreign exchange until when oil production replaced it as the cornerstone of growth for the formal economy. In 2015 the GDP growth of the service sector accrued GHs17,470.0 million and agriculture once the backbone and mainstay of Ghanas economy made GHs 7,365.o million.

The Industry Sector is projected to record an average growth rate of 13.2% in the medium-term, the highest rate among the sectors. The Sector is expected to grow by 17% in 2016, 18.3% in 2017, and 14.3% in 2018. If the growth of industries demand exceeds the productions of raw materials from the agricultural sector, local industries would have no option than to import raw materials to meet the deficits.

In 2015, GDP from Manufacturing in Ghana was GH 2,288.0 million which is far below that of agriculture GH7,365.0 million. However, industrialization is expected to increase and would put pressure on raw materials from our farms. We export more of our raw materials than we import and this may intern lead to the importation of raw materials for our industries. Care must be taken not to get it twisted. Switzerland exports finished products such as pharmaceutical products, tools and equipment and vehicles to Ghana whiles we export raw materials such as Gold, cocoa and Cashew nuts. To digress, in 2014 alone, the volume of trade between Switzerland and Ghana hit $1.8 billion and has since been rising every year. Within the same period, Ghana imported $14.8 billion, making it the 87th largest importer in the world. Ghana imports tones of snails, and fresh vegetables from its regional neighbours. The budget failed to address importation except that of fingerlings.

Over the last five years, the imports of Ghana have increased at an annualized rate of 13.7% from $7.8 billion in 2009 to $14.8 billion in 2014 and about 70% are finished goods. Switzerland imported over $2 billion worth of gold from Ghana in 2016 alone for conversion to finished products for the world market. This shows an overwhelming increase of about $90 million dollars over the 2015 figure of $1 billion. The new government must endeavour to stabilising the economy and laying the best foundation for a sustainable, accelerated and job creating agro-based industrial growth.

COMMENTARY

In Ghana, the Governments role in agriculture over the years has been extensive as reflected in the public expenditures and programmes until the adoption of the Structural Adjustment Programme in 1983. During that period, prior to the Sector Agricultural Policy (SAP), the BOG initiated a number of projects in line with the intervention policies of the day, intended to boost the agricultural sector of the economy. These policies led to the implementation of agricultural development schemes such as the Cocoa Bill Financing Scheme, Grains Bill Financing Scheme, Grains Warehousing Company. Other Bank of Ghana Agricultural projects include, Shai Hills Cattle Ranch, Agricultural Development Company (ADC), Wulugu Livestock Company, and the Jukwa, Okumanin, Fosu and Akwamsrerm (JoFA) Project. With the exception of the JOFA project, which was partially successful, the other projects did not achieve their set objectives due to inappropriate policies adopted by their managements. (Agriculture Sector policy-BOG, 2003)

For the implementation of programmes and activities in the cocoa, livestock and the plant ecology in 2017, an amount of GH501,501,708.00 has been allocated. Out of this, GH322,094,227.00 is from the government of Ghana, GH4,065,650.00 is internally generated fund and GH175,341,831.00 is from Development Partners. Local Poultry production to meet domestic demand as against high imports of frozen chicken was silent in the budget. There were no estimated outturns on expenditure in the sub-sector. The Savannah Accelerated Development Agency (SADA) also failed to be mentioned as an agency to see to the implementation of major agricultural programmes in the Northern Sector. SADA is heavily donor funded as an autonomous agency to boost development with its action plan but their needs were absent to be addressed.

Most agricultural projects depended heavily on the Ministry of Agriculture mediatorships resulting in top-down planning and implementation, less satisfactory relevance and cost-effectiveness and poor ownership of the programmes by the beneficiaries. These monocultural government interventions have taken place year after year and the 2017 budget failed to give meaningful structural operational system to avert the ulcerations. From the 2017 Budget, GH52,706,712.00 has been allocated for the fishery sector of which GH28,857,495.00 is from the Government of Ghana, GH11,875,210.00 is internally generated funds (IGF), and GH11,974,008.00 is from Development Partners. With this, an amount of $500 million is expected from the shrimps, Mollusca, clams and tilapia earnings and estimated amount of $42 million net savings in the aquaculture production. The central government is funding more than 50% of the allocated money to the ministry and about 26% from donors and 24% from IGF.

To ensure a lasting sustainability of new projects in a decentralized manner, with most of the planning, implementation and decision-making taking place at the district level, the private sector must be allowed to play a major role to squeezing out the best tasteful liquid from the rock.

In 2016, the Ministry will rehabilitate public laboratories at Koforidua, Kumasi, Tamale and Ho. This is a 2017 budget and not 2016 and that care must be taken with what is written to allow for accountability. Fish extension service delivery will focus on disease detection, prevention and control particularly in the Aquaculture sub-sector. Setting a fishery laboratory in Koforidua is a misplaced priority. No fishing activities go on in the Eastern capital to have such facility. The Afram Plains and akosombo are where active fishing activities takes place. Why in Koforidua?

Agricultural growth might be slow this year due to the prevailing adverse macroeconomic conditions and the IMF conditionalities unless otherwise there is production incentives induced by the economic reforms, in the medium Term. The agriculture sector should not be used as means for poverty reduction strategy done in the past but Modernization of agriculture based on rural development, agribusiness focussing on domestic consumption and export , easy access to lands as in property rights, assisting the private sector to increase food production through facilitating extensions, research and financial services, and irrigation facilities and improving on the use of technology in giving soil, soil fertility, improved seeds and weather information and communication and means to economic freedom in the long term. A national land policy is needed to demarcate lands for agriculture and real estate developments.

[email protected]

INSTITUTE FOR LIBERTY & POLICY INNOVATION (ILAPI-GHANA)

Tema.

www.ilapighana.org


The Western Regional Minister, Dr Kweku Afriyie, has dispelled rumours going round in some parts of the region that the division of the Western Region into two would disintegrate the ethnic groups in the area.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Ado has committed himself and his government to the creation of a new region out of the vast Western Region, to be called Western-North Region.

Towards fulfilling this commitment, the president has indicated that by the time the next district assembly and unit committee elections are held in 2018, all the constitutional and legal procedures involved in the creation of the new region would have taken place.

It is expected that the Western-North Region will comprise Sefwi, Juaboso, Bodi, Bia and Bibiani.

Following the announcement about the creation of the new administrative region, some people in the area have started peddling falsehood that the splitting would disintegrate the five ethnic groups in the region rather than unite them.

However, the regional minister dismissed the rumours and pleaded for the support of the chiefs and people of the region to make the division a reality.

He explained that dividing the region is rather the surest way of bridging the development gap in the northern part of the Western Region.

Dr Afriyie stated this when he paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Essikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsiah V, at his palace on Friday to officially introduce himself to him.

The regional minister was accompanied by some staff of the Regional Coordinating Council and regional executives of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He explained that the creation of the new region was long overdue, considering the fact that a significant proportion of Ghana's natural resources, such gold and cocoa, as well as foodstuffs, are found in the area.

He underscored, I will continue to call on the chiefs to ensure that the creation of the new region comes into fruition so that we can rapidly develop this region and improve the standards of living of the people.

Nana Kobina Nketsiah described the new regional minister as a critical thinker and true son of the region, considering the fact that the minister's late father was a chief's linguist.

The Omanhene promised to give the regional minister the needed support to succeed.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Essikado
German First World War map showing Gold Coast, TVT (in stripes) Togo and Dahomey

06.03.2017 LISTEN

The Germans were latecomers to the scramble for Africa. Even if there may have been individual Germans scouring the coasts of Africa (as slave traders?), it was only after the Berlin Conference of 1884-85 that Germany became an established colonial power in Africa. The conference (also known in German as Kongokonferenz or Westafrika-Konferenz) is said to have been initiated by Portugal in its dispute over colonies in the south western parts of Africa.

Perhaps the earliest German settlement in our part of Africa is a place called Gross-Fridrichsburg which is now in the southern part of the Western Region of Ghana. The Germans had control of this area between 1683 and 1717. But then this was a time when several European countries were coming and going on the coasts of Africa fighting each other in the process for control of trade.

On the eve of the Great War, the Germans had four colonies in Africa: Kamerun (consisting of parts of present day Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Nigeria and all of Cameroon), Deutsch Sudwestafrika (now Namibia), German East Africa (Deutsch Ostafrika) which was the biggest consisting of what are today parts of Burundi, Kenya, Mozambique (Ruvuna triangle), Rwanda, and all of Tanzania, and the smallest, Schutzgebiet Togo (Togoland Protectorate).

Then the war happened and the Germans lost all of these. First to go was Togo. It consisted of what is now all of Togo and the non-coastal eastern parts of Ghana formerly known as Trans-Volta Togoland (TVT). The garrison consisted of only 200 German soldiers and about 1000 native troops (known as Askaris). They were attacked by a much bigger joint Anglo-French expeditionary force from the Gold Coast and Dahomey. The outnumbered Germans could only fight delaying tactics but eventually surrendered on August 26, 1914. The fighting lasted only 18 days but it marked the beginning of the end of the German colonial enterprise in Africa.

The fight lasted longer in the other German colonies. Deutsch Sudwestafrika fell to the South Africans in 1915. Kamerun was lost in 1916. The longest struggle was for Deutsch Ostafrika. The fight here raged for years and did not end until 1919  long after the war in Europe had ended. The interesting history of that fight is a whole chapter on its own.

The Anglo-French captors divided Togo between them. The French took about 60 per cent including all of the coastal areas. The British were satisfied with the rest which was less populated and less developed. I do not understand why the British settled for the smaller bit. Was it because they already had Gold Coast which was much bigger and also had the coastal areas including Denu, Aflao and Keta? Or were the British simply more interested only in dispossessing the Germans of their colonies (to show where power lies) than in acquiring more territories of which they already had a lot more around the world than the French? Was it not said that the sun never set on the British Empire?

The terms of the armistice that ended the First World War included the surrender of Germanys possessions in Africa. At the Paris Conference of 1919, the British in particular, under PM Lloyd George (every bit as imperialist as his cabinet colleague, Winston Churchill) were determined to keep possession of the German territories they had taken over. The idea of the League of Nations (to prevent other wars) was mooted at this conference. It was agreed that the seized German territories would be administered under mandate of the League of Nations to which the administering authorities would report. The French kept their part of Togoland as a unit on its own and administered it as such. The British attached their portion to the Gold Coast but observed the mandatory status of the new acquisition.

For all the negotiations in Paris, nobody asked the chiefs and peoples of the areas their opinion. With the Germans gone, they now found themselves answering to the call of another colonial master speaking a different language. Was this a traumatic experience for them? Maybe not. The history books tell us that some of the people in the area actually helped the French forces to kick out the Germans whom they did not quite like because of the way they (the Germans) treated them. The only positive aspect of the German presence was the missionaries who brought religion and education to the area. The Norddeutsche Mission, (Bremen mission or Brematorwo) started its activities in Keta in the 19th century and spread Christianity among the Ewes in Peki and Ho. They worked without the protection of the colonial power.

What was life like for the Africans under the Germans? On the occasion of Ghanas Golden Jubilee, Dr. Peter Sebald (who has done a lot of historical work on the German colonial presence in Togo 1884 - 1914) posted an article on the website of the German embassy in Accra detailing German colonial activities in the area. The German administrators were brutal, no two ways about that. Their maltreatment of the Herero in South-West Africa was not an isolated case. They established their presence in the areas they occupied through force  killing, maiming and burning down villages. Sebald writes:

 [T]he troop of German mercenaries called Polizeitruppe burned down the Towe-villages south of Kpalime. Likewise, Kpandus Volta harbour Nkabi was destroyed by German punishment actions.  Unlike the population in the separated villages of Southern Togo, the leaders of the Islam-influenced northern Kingdoms were able to organise a far more effective resistance against the Germans. To break their opposition and demonstrate military power, the Polizeitruppe set out in 1896 to burn down Bimbila and Yendi and dozens of other villages. On December 2, 1896, they defeated 4,000 Dagomba warriors near the village Adibo. About 500 dead bodies were counted on the battle field. Up to [to]day the Adibo dali  the day of Adibo  is remembered among the Dagomba.

There were public canings for the least offences. Despite all these maltreatment, the Germans did not develop the colony. Sebald again:

A look at the German buildings in Togo can reveal much of the regimes character. Twelve prisons but only four schools were built by the German Administration. In Western Togo, which today is part of Ghana, the Germans built not even one school but four prisons.  Only a 59 km-long junction road from Assahun to Ho and the 50 km route across the mountains from Kpalime to Kpandu were constructed.

All colonialism was bad for the colonial subjects. But was British colonialism less brutal than the others? All of them clothed their enterprises as humanitarian and civilizing ventures. Behind the beautiful slogans (the French mission civilisatrice and Kipplings White Mans Burden  Send forth the best ye breed) were brutalities of all kinds.

Then came the Plebiscite of 1956. It was ordered by the UN which had taken over the mandated territories from the defunct League of Nations. The plebiscite was a very controversial affair. The side that did not want TVT to become an integral part of the Gold Coast protested vehemently against the results alleging that they were rigged. They even blamed the colonial government for allowing Nkrumah and Gbedemah to campaign for a Yes vote in the area when neither of them was a citizen of the TVT and, thus, not eligible to vote on the issue. You would think complaints about the outcomes of elections in our country started yesterday. But the No people failed to overturn the results. The British half of the former German colony of Togoland became a bona fide British possession, at least until the time the Gold Coast became independent. The plebiscite was held on May 9, 1956. On December 13, 1956 the unification was formally put into effect and TVT ceased to exist. The Anschluss had been consummated. All the citizens of TVT became Gold Coasters for the three months leading to our independence on March 6, 1957 when everyone became Ghanaian.

The CPP government quickly put the axe to the erstwhile TVT splitting it into two. The Ho, Kpandu and Buem/Krachi Districts of the TVT were added to the Anlo and Tongu Local Government areas of the Gold Coast to form the new Volta Region. The rest of TVT, made up of the Gonja, Mamprusi and Dagomba Districts, were added to the Northern Protectorate of the Gold Coast to form the Northern Region. The reader should note here that the Volta Region is NOT coterminous with the erstwhile TVT.

The rest of this piece is an attempt at a counterfactual narrative of what would have happened if the First World War had not taken place. Without this war, the Second World War may probably not have happened either (historians are divided on this issue). The Germans would certainly have kept their colonies in Africa. What, then, would the situation have been in our part of the world?

Would the Germans have followed the trend in the late 50s and early 60s to grant independence to their colonies in Africa? Or would they have done that before the British and the French  their arch rivals?

Ghanas land area would be smaller than it is now. It would be without much of the present Volta Region and parts of Northern and Upper East regions that had belonged to the Germans. Ghanas present area would have been less by 33,775 square kilometres which was the area of the TVT. This is not huge but it is slightly bigger than Belgium and also bigger than the US State of Maryland. It is a lot bigger than the Gambia, Cape Verde, Lesotho, Rwanda, Burundi, Equatorial Guinea, Swaziland and the Seychelles. And it is much bigger than the present Volta Region.

The Volta River would not have been an entirely Ghanaian possession. The River would have marked part of the eastern border of Ghana. It would probably have been difficult to construct the Akosombo Dam. Much of the artificial lake produced by the construction of the dam and the people displaced by it would have been in a country different than Ghana.

The colonial powers used latitudes to demarcate the borders between them without any concern for the conglomeration of ethnic groups in the areas they were sharing. Had the Germans stayed, the Ewes of Keta, Anloga, Denu, Tongu, Peki, Awudome, etc. would have remained Gold Coasters and gone on to be part of Ghana. The Ewe minority in Ghana would have been smaller than it is now as it would not have included the Ewes of Ho, Kpandu, or Hohoe. Kadjebi, Kete Krachi, Nkwanta, Yendi, and beyond would not have been part of Ghana.

The Gonjas, Bimbilas and some smaller ethnic groups in the north would have been divided in two countries. The Kokomba-Nanumba conflict would have taken a different nature. The Akan speaking areas of the present day Volta Region would have belonged to a different country than the one occupied by the bulk of Akans (Ghana). Worawora, Kadjebi, Asato, Jasikan were all parts of TVT.

The former German colony of Togo would have had German as its official language. Students in this country would have had to study French and English as foreign languages just as we now study French in Ghana as a foreign language. German philosophy and literature would have been stressed in the schools of this former German colony. Instead of Hume, Locke, Rousseau or Voltaire, more attention would have been paid to Hegel, Schopenhauer, Kant or Nietzsche. Instead of Thomas Manns Death in Venice, students would have read Der Tod in Venedig in the language of the original. And for Kafkas Metamorphosis, they would read Die Verwandlung. Wagners wonderful music will be better known than just that famous tune from Die Walkure which everybody knows (you know it  its the one that opens Coppolas Apocalypse Now, 1979).

With so many former German African colonies that are now members of the African Union, German would certainly have become one of the official languages of that organisation. But when we say Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone, what would we call the African countries that use German as their official language? In nearby Ghana, German would have been one of the languages studied at O Levels or WASSCE and a popular one at the Languages departments of the universities.

Would the vaunted German work ethic have been instilled into the people of this country? And would the Bundesliga be more popular in this country than the English Premier League?

For a long time, Ghanaians did not need visas to enter West Germany. This was a privilege that Togolese enjoyed long after it was stopped for Ghanaians. But Germanys Willkommenskultur had really been extended to everybody perhaps in expiation for her Nazi past. Ghana has always enjoyed very good relations with Germany over the years. I dont think this is due to any special ties based on its colonial relationship with part of our country. Today, most of the Ghanaians you will see on the streets of German cities are Akan speakers rather than Ewes or Gonjas. There is a Professorial Chair in Ewe at the University of Colognes Institute of African studies.

I was born in Trans-Volta Togoland. My mother may have strapped me behind her back as she went to cast her vote in the plebiscite. I was a Gold Coaster for only three months. My parents were baptised by Dutch missionaries into the Catholic Church. But my mothers parents were baptised by German Catholic missionaries. Her father was christened Ferdinand  yes, like the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian throne, whose assassination in Sarajevo eventually triggered the First World War which led to the German loss of her colonies worldwide. My grandmother also had a German Christian name. She was called Vaibrugah. And so I come to Europe in the early 1980s and meet some Germans on the Erasmus student exchange programme. I proudly tell them of my grandmothers name (actually spelled Walburga) and they tell me it was an ancient German one that no one takes any more.

Growing up in the early 60s Ghana, I would look at the old exercise books of my uncles and aunties who had started school before our independence. There was the map of the Gold Coast at the back as well as that of TVT shown as a separate entity from the Gold Coast. Nobody could make the mistake that TVT was part of the Gold Coast! After independence the map at the back of the new exercise books now showed a full map of Ghana without the TVT borders. Vehicles registered in the territory had TVT in their registration numbers. After independence, these were removed and new registrations issued. TVT was truly dead!

I have wondered what really drove my parents and grandparents to insist on a No vote in 1956. The formulation on the ballot paper was not clear-cut. The No only meant that TVT would not become part of the Gold Coast. It did not say what would be done to the territory. The predominantly No vote in the Ewe districts of the TVT meant they would be cutting themselves off from their fellow tribesmen and co-religionists in the Gold Coast. The links between the Gold Coast Ewes and the TVT Ewes were strong. The Roman Catholic and the Bremen Protestant missionaries had organised their churches to incorporate the entire Ewe-speaking area. They had established schools that run on similar lines. It was German missionaries who first wrote down the language, translated the Bible into Ewe and produced the first Ewe lexicon. Indeed, they imposed one Ewe grammar and orthography on all Ewe dialects of which there are hundreds. This is why in the GCE or WASSCE, there is only one Ewe paper as compared to Akuapem, Asante and Fante. Today, when the mid-Volta Ewes say tso le uta va o eme they mean all the Ewe people from the coast to the northernmost Ewe outpost. If it was the desire to see all Ewes from Gold Coast through Togoland to the borders of Nigeria united in one country, then it was as improbable as Nkrumahs doomed attempt to unite all of Africa.

German Togoland existed for only some 25 brutal years. At the time of the plebiscite, the German administrators had been gone for more than 40 years. It was only the work of the early German missionaries that could be remembered with any nostalgia. The Togolese were now speaking French whereas our grandfathers had been taught English.

The question of the plebiscite was a very passionate one for my parents generation. There was some effusion of blood over the issue. I grew up not knowing some of my uncles who had run away on self-imposed exile in Togo. They did not return until after the 1966 coup. They were stalwarts of the Togoland Congress (I guess the term foot soldiers was not then used) dead set against the unification of TVT with the Gold Coast, and when their side lost and the troubles started in Alavanyo, they disappeared. Today, the elderly in my village who recount these stories will tell you sometimes no one was really after some of these runaways and that petty jealousies were responsible for some of the flights. Someone may be running after another persons wife and would spread rumours that the Nkrumah police were after them and the cuckolded husband would vamoose. Local chieftaincy disputes were also preyed on to frighten others. Oh, my uncles returned with the new wives and children they had acquired in their time of exile.

It is difficult to understand the cravings for secession or special status of some descendants of former Trans-Volta Togolanders. The passions are still hot and kept alive by some people who were not even born when the plebiscite happened. There is the story that the British had promised a review after 50 years. Prof D. E. K. Amenumey, who has written a lot on these things, maintains there was absolutely no such promise. The documents from the 1950s that I have also seen say no such thing. If the craving is based on ties to Germany, there is nobody today who remembers the German times. Besides, the northern parts of TVT voted to join Gold Coast even with allowance made for rigged votes. These people are not Ewes and do not share the Ewe spirit of ethnic belongingness. They are the ones now crying for a separate region just so they can cut themselves off from the Ewes. The new government has promised them a new region. It appears the Ewes do not like this. Many Ewes migrated to these areas a long time ago and had made their homes there. The issue will be decided by a referendum. Nobody knows what form that will take.

I wish to end this article by imagining a sci-fi type parallel universe in which the Archdukes car had a reverse gear and the chauffeur could easily turn around making it impossible for Gavrilo Princip to pull that fatal trigger. The Great War never happened. Fast forward to today. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is visiting the former German colonies (now all independent) in Africa. There are huge historical, cultural and economic ties between the metropolitan country and its former colonies. Merkel flies first to Dodoma. Her next stop is in Windhoek from where she flies to Douala in Kamerun (which is bigger than it is now since it includes the parts lost to Nigeria during their plebiscite). Her last stop is the smallest of the former German possessions  Togo. It is dear to Merkels heart because she says her grandfather was a colonial administrator in the area. From Lome, she visits some of the districts and arrives in Ho where her grandfather had been stationed. She is met at the airport by school children waving miniature German and Togo flags. At the stadium in Ho, she addresses a large crowd of the chiefs and people in the area. Before her speech a choral group from the Ho Evangelical Church sings the German national anthem. The two World Wars never happened so it is Deutschland Deutschland uber alles - the preferred version. Then they sing the Togo anthem  also in German. Merkels address is in German but she says a few carefully chosen and well-rehearsed words in Ewe. The crowd love it. The local radio and TV stations carry the address live to the citizens of the country. No translations are needed. Everybody speaks German.

In such an alternative universe, I, Kofi Amenyo, born when TVT was TVT, am also speaking Deutsch. Oh, but I also learned die englische Sprache too, which I speak with a sing-song German accent

(Full list of references available on request)

Kofi Amenyo ([email protected])
Activities are underway across the country to mark the 60th anniversary of Ghana's independence from British colonial rule on March 6, 1957.

It has been four coup d'etats and 11 presidents and Heads of State since that day when then Prime Minister and first President of modern Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah moved 'the motion of destiny' in Parliament for the independence of the country.

So every year, Independence Day celebrations are marked with the regular features - a parade, call-to-duty speech by the President and march-past by students and contingents from security agencies.

Independence celebrations are also held in the other nine regions of the country, often under the supervision of regional ministers.

As part of his call to Ghanaians to join the business of nation building, the President is expected to use his speech to rally the citizens around his vision for the country.

Hundreds of foreign leaders including Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and Zambia President are expected to grace the function.

Also, in attendance will be Ghanaians, and members of Diaspora.

The security agencies are expected to display some of their latest equipment to drive home their readiness to protect the country against foreign aggression.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has arrived at the Independence Square in Accra to kickstart events. He waves with both hands -enthusiastically at the crowds in the stands.

Wearing a simple white smock he takes his position on a dais. The national anthem is beaten and sang followed by the national pledge. Traditional prayers are said.

All former presidents are present. Ghana has an enviable record in Africa of having three living former presidents.

NDC General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia in cloth and next to him on the left is Ivor Greenstreet, 2016 CPP presidential candidate.

The National Chief Imam Sheikh Dr. Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu is also present.

The president moves around to exchange greetings with invited Presidents and Ghana's former presidents. He talks to Robert Mugabe, 'Uncle Bob', the 93-year old President of Zimbabwe.
06.03.2017 LISTEN

Gombe State as one of the States in the country that has had its own fair share of insurgency, has before now, been in the news for unpleasant reasons as a result of the activities of insurgents. This situation like it is with other affected states had further impoverished the state and caused a near-fatal disintegration of its socio-economic fabric.

However, the impoverishment has since been arrested and restoration of the dignity of the average Gombe indigene enthroned, thanks to the executive governor of the state, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo PhD, who has shown exemplary and unmatchable wealth of experience in the prudent management of resources for the greater good of the people.

Dankwambo and his team have been working tirelessly to improve the conditions of the people of Gombe State significantly through meritorious deployment of scarce resources into very critical areas of the state like education, agriculture, infrastructure, health, security, rural development, urban renewal among many others.

A visit to the state will leave one amazed at what is going on in Gombe, a State many outsiders think is as barren as a desert and as unproductive as a castrated mouse. The infrastructural development of the state is not only massive and classy but also of international standard ahead of many even in states far above its league in terms of financial buoyancy.

While almost all the roads in Gombe city are well tarred with deep, solid and well-connected drainage system including spurs and feeder roads, they are also well adorned with non-blinking generator and solar-powered street lights that leave the city not only well-lit everyday from 6.00pm to 6.00am, but also add to the citys beauty that would attract fatal envy even from Abuja and its residents. The fact is, side by side with Gombe, Abuja might be standing overrated after all.

This has greatly contributed to the peace and tranquility which Gombe is enjoying today as criminals who thrive in darkness have been forced to give up their criminal endeavours for something more meaningful and productive since Dankwambo has dispelled the darkness in which they used to operate by massively lighting up the state. Gombe now passes as one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria.

In addition to this is the linking of several local governments which hitherto had been cut off and disjointed from each other and could only be traversed on makeshift bridges hanging dangerously on thin planks and ready to cave in at any time, with standard bridges and roads spanning several kilometres.

More and more people now throng Gombe for business and social activities, leaving the city bubbling with life like never before. Both Christians and Muslims observe their respective religious obligations freely, and without let or hinderance from any quarters. The state which many might want to refer to as a Muslim state is among the very few states in the north that has Christians as its deputy governor, Chief of Staff, Head of Service and other very senior government officials appointed by Gankwambo. This goes a long way to show that Ibrahim Dankwambo, as governor of the state is a man beyond primordial considerations and father to all.

To cater for the socio-political needs of those thronging into Gombe for socio-economic activities or to settle down, the governor has built a world class International Event Centre that could host conferences, rallies, shows and other fun activities. There is also a sprawling Petrol Tankers Parking Bay with needed facilities that could conveniently take 300 tankers built by Ibrahim Dankwambos administration so as to curb the menace and danger the disorderly parking of trailers on the streets pose to residents.

As a man who has attained the peak of education himself, Dankwambo knows that the best way to liberate humanity is to get as many indigenes educated. This is the reason one will hardly find almajiri children on the streets with bowls in their hands begging for crumbs like it is commonly found in States in the region. In Gombe State where the governor has not only provided many new schools but has also renovated/reconstructed many more just to ensure that as many children as possible are given the opportunity to learn in conducive environments, a high number of the children are in school.

There are state-built almajiri schools just like there are conventional schools dotting every nook and cranny of the entire Gombe landscape. What is more? While pupils/students of almost all other states in Nigeria still have to grapple with the misfortune of learning under trees and on the floor without writing materials, the schools in Gombe are well equipped with modern facilities like e-learning centres, e-libraries, ICT centres, laboratories, expansive classes, furniture, soothing ambience, well-motivated staff etc all of which have seen the state improve tremendously in external exams its students write.

For example, at Doma Government Girls Secondary School, the students there scored 100% in Chemistry, Physics, Food and Nutrition, Geography, History, and Office Practice in the 2015 WAEC examinations. Is it not also interesting that in a State like Gombe, students of the same school scored high in both Islamic Religious Knowledge and Christian Religious Knowledge just like it recorded impressive grades in all the other subjects the students sat for that year? While one admits that there is still room for improvement, Dankwambo, no doubt, has put the state on the upward movement above its neighbours.

His incurable commitment to education has seen the governor establish several tertiary and specialized institutions to cater for the higher education needs of the people. Among such institutions are the Gombe State College of Education, Billiri, Gombe State College of Legal and Islamic Studies, Nafada, Gombe State College of Nursing and Midwifery, Dukku, Gombe State University of Medical Colleges etc

As part of its industrialization process, the Dankwambo administration paid a counterpart funding of N500,000,000.00 to enable the state get a loan of N1bn for the establishment of the Gombe Groundnut Processing Mill which has formally employed about 4,600 people, 326 heavy duty machines milling 150 tons of groundnut, 80 tons of groundnut oil and 70 tons of groundnut cake respectively per day. (To be continued)

[email protected] ; Twitter: Stjudendukwe
Khartoum, Sudan, March 6, 2017  On March 1, 2017, African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina made a courtesy call on Suad Sayed Ali Omer Beheiry, widow of the first President and founding father of the African Development Bank Group, the late Dr. Mamoun Beheiry. Having been briefed of the presence of Mrs. Beneiry in Khartoum, President Adesina made the visit a priority, which he said was the only way to communicate to Mrs. Beheiry the extent to which the Bank, and indeed Africa as a whole, appreciated the efforts and visionary leadership of her late husband Dr. Beheiry.

The hour-long visit at the Beheiry familys home in Khartoum where the 82-year-old widow lives, created a vibrant atmosphere of lively discussions between the President and Mrs. Beheiry, and her son and daughter, who were also present during the courtesy visit. The President was accompanied by the Executive Director representing Sudan at the Board, Kwabena Boadu Oku-Afari, and Sudan Country Manager Abdul Kamara.

The visit was an opportunity for the President to update Mrs. Beheiry and her children about the latest developments in the Bank, including its current size, which he said has increased significantly both in terms of capital and operations, and strategic focus, which he said is now driven by five strategic focus areas, or the High 5s for Africas transformation. Underscoring the relevance of the solid foundation that Dr. Beheiry laid for Africas development, President Adesina reiterated that, I may look like a very tall man today, but this is so only because I am standing on the shoulders of a very great man, Dr. Mamoun Beheiry. Mrs. Beheiry and her children expressed their deepest appreciation for the AfDB Presidents visit and for his kind words.

Mrs. Beheiry indicated that even though her husband passed away in 2002, some 15 years ago, his memory is still alive as his pioneering work to improve the well-being of Africans has always been celebrated and appreciated. Her daughter, Hind Beheiry, and son, Ahmed Mamoun Beheiry, both registered their deepest appreciation of the Presidents visit, adding that it was a great honour for their family that, in spite of his extremely busy schedule, President Adesina found time to visit their home to see their mother and to pay his respects to their late father.

Mamoun Beheirys children informed the President of the existence of a policy think-tank the Mamoun Beheiry Centre for Economic Policy and Research in Africa (MBC), which they said was created some years ago in memory of their late father.

They appreciated the work of the Bank in Sudan, particularly the Banks support to MBC, which they said will go a long way toward helping the think-tank fulfil its objectives.

They requested that the Bank support the digitization of the documentation related to the work of their late father, so as to create an electronic archive that would preserve the work and make it easily accessible throughout Africa and around the world.

The Bank President took note of the request and asked the Banks Sudan Country Manager, Abdul Kamara, to follow up. The visit concluded with a photo session of the President and the Mamoun Beheiry Family.
The Writer

06.03.2017 LISTEN

Today we celebrate the future of a Nation we collectively built after rescuing her from the hands of our oppressors 60 years ago.

We honor the blood of all past legends that stood tall even in the events of the wilderness boldly defending what we rightfully deserved as citizens. Indeed great minds and brilliant brains have been lost since the last century in the history of our great nation but we cannot underestimate the will and zeal of Todays Ghanaian towards the solid strengthening of our National Heritage.

Ghana is thrice a score years today. Filled with pride and confidence of what her citizens have gathered for her as a package of Appreciation, throughout her tolerance in the time of Tribal Conflicts, in the times where we left her in Famine and HIPC, In the days where we felt tired of carrying her burden and moments we Lost hope in her future as citizens.

We celebrate the first 10 years of her Golden Jubilee with the evidence of what we have left for her as a Developed home to stay, beautiful Roads to travel, purified water to drink, Good food from modern Markets and Recreational Facilities for her relaxation throughout the corridors of her Ten diversified Residents.

Fortunately, Our Traditional upbringing have tuned our Various commitments in the struggle, focused towards a United and Dedicated battle, together as one people under the cloth of our Mother Ghana.

Africa is proud to have Us but the world is still looking up to us, to continue to work towards the Goodwill and Progress we have collectively visioned as a people, to Mission towards as our Goals in the Next forthy years when we celebrate the Century of our beloved Country Ghana.

As She takes a rest of retirement, Let's continue Mobilising for her future especially as a Youth, as we stand to be the next generation likely to celebrate the future achievements our toil has brought us but not forgetting to supervise the continuoution of equality and fairness today, in the distribution of her national cake to all citizenry irrespective of your Affiliation, colour, Language or contribution to the generation of the power we enjoy today.

Though our battle of GoldCoast ended 60 years ago, Our long Walk and struggle in Ghana was started and We hope of one day becoming The Great Ghana of the world as our competition today has gone beyond Africa.

May God bless our Pride as Ghanaians and God Bless our Proud Mother Ghana.

..Signed..

Malik S.Y Basintale

Youth Leader/Activist

Binduri(Upper East Region)
Two years ago, Dorene Casey spent two weeks in China visiting the Great Wall, looking over Tiananmen Square, taking a cruise down the Yangtze River.

And along the way, Casey and her sister, Jan Savoie of Omaha, walked in place on equipment at a senior playground in Yichang and rode a stationary bike in a Beijing park.

The Chinese have put exercise equipment designed for an older crowd in thousands of parks across the country, said Casey.

Much of it is geared toward balance and flexibility. Some of it is placed next to an area for tai chi. Often, pieces of equipment are arranged facing one another to promote conversation while working out, she said.

Some of the equipment they saw could be used by people in wheelchairs, and sometimes, adult equipment sits next to childrens playgrounds so parents or grandparents can exercise while they keep an eye on their kids.

And it was all free.

Casey liked the playground equipment designed for adults so much she took the idea to Lincoln Parks and Recreation Director Lynn Johnson and to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board when she got back from her trip.

I go to a gym, but its boring, said Casey, who likes the idea of outdoor exercise, and of mixing exercise with socializing.

Parks and Rec staff and the board also liked the idea and have been looking into how to put some of the equipment into city parks.

The issue is finding the money. Equipment can range from $8,000 for a single piece to more than $75,000 for an exercise station, said Johnson.

"We've been looking for a funding strategy," he said.

Lincoln may see its first piece of adult playground equipment next summer at Phil E. Mendoza Park southeast of Old Cheney Road and 84th Street in the Vintage Heights development. The project is funded by the neighborhood association.

A a single piece of equipment with no moving parts will allow for a full-body workout, said Johnson. The cost will likely be $8,000 to $12,000, which includes rubber surfacing over a concrete pad beneath the adult play area.

Johnson's staff will monitor how well the equipment is used to decide how to move forward.

The tentative plan is to put stationary equipment -- again, no moving parts -- in neighborhood parks as playgrounds are renovated and look at more sophisticated equipment for larger parks.

Equipment with no moving parts is less expensive to maintain and repair, Johnson said.

Officials will consider including outdoor senior exercise equipment at the Veterans Home site if Aging Partners moves its headquarters there. A portion of the citys TIF funding could be used for that equipment, said Johnson.

The idea -- called senior playgrounds, outdoor fitness parks, multigenerational playgrounds and intergenerational parks -- began in China more than two decades ago after a national law mandated fitness programs for all ages.

The idea spread during the 2000s to countries in Europe and later to Japan, Canada and the U.S.

The senior fitness areas usually include low-impact exercise equipment designed to promote flexibility, balance and coordination, as well as fun. There may be walking paths with ramps, steps and arches. Games like bocce, ping pong or horseshoes, and shaded seating areas are sometimes included.

Omaha has a couple of parks, including Elmwood Park, with adult exercise equipment that is comfortable and easy to use, Johnson said.
06.03.2017 LISTEN

By Stephen Asante, GNA

Kumasi, Mar 06, GNA - The Royal Bank Limited has signalled its readiness to support the promotion of science and technology education through cash and other incentive packages.

This would come under a three-year agreement signed with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CoHSS) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

The assistance package would go to assist students, who excel in their academic field of study.

Mr. Osei Asafo-Adjei, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said it was meant to stimulate interest in research, science and technology, to aid socio-economic growth.

He announced this at this year's 'Royal Bank-CoHSS Awards' ceremony held in Kumasi to reward 30 students of the college for strong academic performance.

They were presented with cash prizes and plaques.

Mr. Asafo-Adjei highlighted the need to focus priority attention on research, which he said, was the main tool to unlock development potentials of any society.

He said it was for this reason that the Bank would give strong backing to programmes that would help build the human capital base of the nation.

He applauded the award winners and encouraged them to continue to work hard and to show passion for excellence.

Professor Imoro Braimah, Provost of the College, called on other corporate bodies to partner the college to deliver on its mandate.

'We need to bridge the academia-industry gap to advance our research work as this is critical to assist industries do things in a more innovative and professional manner', he added.

GNA
By Bajin D. Pobia, GNA

Wa, March 6, GNA - Henceforth, any parent in the Jirapa District who gives out his or her daughter who is less than 18 years for marriage would be reported to the security agencies for action to be taken against them.

Any person who also abducts, elopes or impregnates a girl, less than 18 years would be fined 1,500 Ghana Cedi, a ram and two bottles of schnapps, payable to the traditional rulers, of which the money would be given to the girl to cater for herself.

In addition, all social activities in the communities would now be performed from 14hours till 18:00 hours and all children less than 18 years would be expected to be indoors by 20:00 hours.

Girls who were also in school before they got married and became pregnant would be monitored and after their delivery, they would be sent back to school to continue with their education.

Ten traditional rulers in the Jirapa Traditional Council said Jirapa District was fast gaining notoriety in the child marriage practice and therefore, they would not sit aloof and allow such an unfortunate practice to go on.

'Our girls will have no future and we as parents and rulers will suffer the consequences hence, the drastic measures introduced to help control the practice in the District, which we are committed to do'.

The traditional rulers raised those concerns at a day's training workshop on early child marriage in Jirapa.

The Department of Gender under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) organised the workshop to equip the participants with the relevant knowledge on child marriage issues.

Traditional rulers, queen mothers, religious leaders, and representatives of civil society organisations attended the forum, which was on the theme: 'Early child marriage-the role of the traditional/religious and opinion leaders'.

The traditional rulers called for constant education and incorporation of all bylaws instituted by traditional rulers into the district assembly's bylaws, to make them more workable and mandatory to all the people.

Other participants called for the intensification of public education on child marriage and the enforcement of laws governing child marriage.

They suggested the formation of child protection teams in all communities in the District, while counselling units were established in all schools to educate adolescent students.

The participants appealed to politicians and other stakeholders to stop interfering in defilement, rape and child marriage issues, especially when such cases were reported to the police by government officials.

Madam Charity Batuure, Acting Upper West Regional Director of the Department of Gender, said her outfit would continue to give the stakeholders the necessary support through capacity building for them to continue to be campaigners against child marriage in their communities and beyond.

She appealed to traditional authorities to report issues of child marriage to the police without delay because child marriage issues were becoming alarming in the District.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Daniel Nartey, the Jirapa District Police Commander, said lack of cooperation from parents was making it difficult to fight the practice in the District.

Dr Richard Wodah-Seme, Medical Director of the Jirapa Saint Joseph Hospital, said a total of seven girls aged 10 - 14 years were pregnant between the period of January 2015 to June 2016.

He said another 419 girls aged 15 - 19 years were pregnant within the same period bringing the total number of teenage pregnancies recorded at the hospital to 426.

He said total deliveries for the same period were eight for 10 - 14 years and 432 for 15 - 19 years bringing the total teenage deliveries at the hospital to 440.

Dr Wodah-Seme said what it meant was that for every 100 pregnant women who came to the hospital, 14 per cent of them were teenagers.

He added that for every 100 women who delivered at the hospital 16 per cent were children.

He said those 426 girls who got pregnant were forced to drop out of school and forced into marriage unprepared.

GNA
06.03.2017 LISTEN

By Sampson Adu-Poku, GNA

Kumasi, Mar 06, GNA - President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo has issued a battle cry against the increasing destruction of the environment, urging everybody to help reverse the trend.

He asked that the people focused on protecting and regenerating the lands and water bodies.

He made the call in a speech read for him at a parade of school children held at Kodie in the Afigya-Kwabre District to mark 60 years of nationhood.

More than 1,000 basic and senior high school students were on hand at the Independence Day parade.

The event was held under the theme 'Mobilizing for Ghana's future'.

President Nana Akufo-Addo expressed worry about the unhealthy state of the environment, when he said, 'the dense forests, that were home to varied trees, plants and fauna, have largely disappeared'.

It has resulted in a situation where 'we import timber for our use, and description of our land as a tropical forest no longer fits the reality'.

He indicated that the rivers and lakes were disappearing, and those that still existed had become polluted.

President Akufo-Addo said after 60 years, 'we have run out of excuses, and it is time to set Ghana to rights and get our country to where it should be'.

The school children entertained the gathering with cultural display and poetry recitals.

GNA
Ho, March 6, GNA - A total of 22 persons, students and security officers fell unconscious at the 60th Independence Anniversary parade in Ho on Monday.

Mr Gershon Koffi Dzokoto, the Acting Regional Manager, Ghana Red Cross Society, told the Ghana News Agency that the four officers and 18 students collapsed due to exhaustion.

He said the 'victims' were however okay after they were rescued by officers of the Red Cross, given glucose and allowed to rest.

Mr Dzokoto advised pupils to eat before partaking in such exercises and be allowed to be given water whilst on parade.

The parade under the command of Captain Kingsley Kwame Kumi of the 66 Artillery Regiment included men from the Ghana Armed Forces, the Police Service, the Prison Service, the Immigration Service, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Fire Service.

Also in attendance were 33 schools, five cadets, the Regional Cyclists Association and the Regional Taekwondo Club.

Dr. Archibald Letsa, Regional Minister, inspected the parade and read President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's speech.

The President paid homage to all who fought for the independence of the country and lamented the state of the Nation's environment, whose degradation he said, threatened 'the very survival of the blessed land that our forbearers bequeathed to us'.

Nana Akufo-Addo called for a dedication of the 60th Independence Anniversary to 'protecting our environment and regenerating the lands and water bodies'.

Prizes and certificates were presented to schools that excelled in the parade with OLA Girls SHS, Kabore JHS and 7 Garrison Primary School winning first positions.

GNA
By Afedzi Abdullah, GNA

Cape Coast, March 6, GNA - More than 150 security personnel, including contingents from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Fire service, Immigration Service, Prison Service and cadet corps from six schools took part in the 60th Independence anniversary parade held at the Jubilee Park in Cape Coast.

In attendance were the Police Regimental Band from Winneba with Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sylvanus Dalmeida as the Parade Commander.

More than 780 students and pupils from selected primary, Junior and senior High schools, members from the various political parties, youth organisations and market women from the Kotokuraba market also participated in the march past.

The Police Regimental Band and the Ghana National Senior High School Choir treated the celebrants, including, MPs and party officials to some patriotic songs and choral music with admiration.

There were beautiful cultural display performed by students from the Cape Coast School for the Deaf and Blind and the Centre for National Culture (CNC) cultural troupe.

The Central Regional Minister, Mr Kwamena Duncan took the national salute and jointly inspected the parade with the Regional Director of Education, after Christian, Muslim and traditional prayers had been said.

Mr Duncan, who read the President's speech, commended the security agencies, the schools and all participants and asked Ghanaians to dedicate the 60th independence anniversary to protecting the country's environment and regenerate its lands and water bodies.

He said the past 24 years have been the longest period of political stability in Ghana since independence, and the effects were showing slowly.

He used the occasion to pay homage to all those who in diverse ways fought for the independence and freedom of the country.

Award were given to schools which excelled in the march past with University Practice Primary School in Cape Coast taking the first position in the primary category, followed by Mary Queen of Peace, and Arise and Shine Preparatory School for second and third positions respectively.

In the Junior High School category, the Police Basic School was adjudged the best, with the Cape Coast School for the Deaf and Blind, taking the second position while St. Monica's took the third position.

Wesley Girls Senior High School was first in the SHS level, Academy of Christ the King was second and the third position went to Ghana National College.

St. Augustine's College was adjudged the best in the cadet category followed by Holy Child and Efutu Senior High School in the second and third positions respectively.

The 60th anniversary celebration was on the theme, 'Mobilizing for Ghana's future '.

GNA
06.03.2017 LISTEN

Accra, March 6, GNA - President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo, has paid tribute to some unsung heroes who contributed in diverse ways towards the attainment of Ghana's independence.

Giving a speech at the Independence Day parade, at the Blackstars Square, he said the name Ghana after independence was meant to give the nation a fresh start and mark the break from colonialism.

It was also meant to give Ghana 'a sense of our historical roots and the assurance that we have a history, culture and civilisation that preceded colonialism.

'We must remember, on a day like this, some others who are not listed among the forefront fighters for political freedom, but who fought equally hard for our cultural integrity and the identification of who we are as Ghanaians,' he said at the event, which marked the 60th independence anniversary celebration of the country.

'I pay homage to Ephraim Amu, 'Tata Amu' as he was fondly called. He was the composer of what easily passes as our unofficial National Anthem, Yen Ara Asase Ne.

He asked: 'Is there a Ghanaian among us today who can sing or hear that song, in whichever language, without being moved?

'Ephraim Amu stood alone, most of the time, against what he saw as cultural domination. You did not have to wear a European-cut suit to be a scholar, you could wear a fugu, kente and above all, a locally woven fabric, and still be an educated person.

'He insisted you did not have to eat foreign foods because you were a scholar, and he insisted our music was as interesting and sophisticated as any around the world. Those were radical ideas for the time.'

President Akufo-Addo also paid homage to Philip Gbeho, the composer of the National Anthem, and Theodosia Okoh, the designer of the national flag.

'I pay homage to Kofi Antubam, the artist who first put Ghanaian art on the map. I pay homage to Saka Acquaye, the poet, writer, sculptor and musician, who wrote the first African folklore, 'The Lost Fisherman.'

'I pay tribute to J.A. Braimah, the Gonja scholar and statesman who wrote insightful publications about the Gonja people.

'I pay homage to Apaloo, the poet who immortalised the philosophy and music of the Ewe language. I pay homage to E.T. Mensah, King Bruce, Jerry Hansen and the others who popularised highlife, which has become an enduring identity of Ghanaian music. I pay tribute to the great musicologist, J.H. Nketia, who is the great authority on African music.'

The president paid homage to Otumfuo Prempeh I, who waged a heroic, even if unsuccessful, battle against the British and retained his dignity even in exile.

'I pay homage to Yaa Asantewa, that woman of valour, who led the Ashanti resistance to British imperialism. I pay homage to Nana Ofori-Atta I, who saw the wisdom in investing in the education of the young.

'I pay homage to Professor Alexander Adum Kwapong, the first Ghanaian Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, who became an icon in the development of our educational system.

'I pay homage to Oko Ampofo, sculptor and physician, who encouraged confidence in our traditional arts and medicine. It is thanks to him that herbal medicine became a respectable subject of study and research in our country.'

The President also mentioned Dede Ashikisham and Akua Shorshorshor, famous market queens, who financed Kwame Nkrumah and the nationalist movement from their successful businesses.

He noted that they and many others, like them, contributed to the fight for independence and in moulding the Ghanaian that emerged on March 6, 1957, adding: 'The world shared our excitement and wished us well.'

GNA
Accra, March 6, GNA - The Department of Banking & Finance at Cape Coast Technical University, will launch a programme on Finance & Investment Banking under the School of Business.

The programme, which is a collaborative educational project between Bastiat Institute and its International affiliated Institutions, has led to the inaugural lecture and the presentation of two weeks certificate course on Technical Fund Management, by Professor Emmanuel Tweneboah Senzu of the Institute.

A statement issued on the programme in Accra on Monday said the course would expose the students to monetary market dynamics and indicators within Africa, which would analyse the fiscal market dynamics, policies and pivot point.

It will make students to have a deep understanding of soft currency risk management in an unpredictable business economic climate and deepen their understanding on stochastic derivation of it major expenditure patterns and trends in developing and underdeveloped economy based on microeconomics analysis.

The students are supposed to graduate with confidence in how to set-up successful Micro-finance, Savings & Loans and Fund Management Enterprise not excluding the already existing players in the monetary market currently going through the curve of challenges.

The statement said as empirically proven, without a clearly and sound credit patterns to complement private sector performance, a successful economic growth was questionable.

It said for Africa to successfully compete in global trade to attain autarky economy needed a new deeper knowledge and skills in the global monetary dynamics and operations as it drove its economy with soft currencies.

The lectures will be spearheaded and complemented by experts in the area of specialty and chaired by the Head of Academics & Quality Assurance.

It will also be supported by the Head of Research Cape Coast Technical University.

The scheduled date set for the lecture is April 10 - April 21 as the first batch admission. This will be followed by the Second batch admission from May 1- 12 at the Cape Coast Technical University Campus.

Details could be found at the Registrar Department or Academic Quality Assurance Office of the University.

'Having the Interest to enter the Investment market as microfinance, saving & loans, forex, stock and bond trader; this offers you the opportunity to have deeper understanding of how this market operate globally, effect and risk management mechanism to adopt to be successful in this industry," the statement said.

It said due to the international collaboration of the programme, the participation seat was limited as students across Africa were not expected to exceed 100 per class.

Interested students are therefore asked to pick their admission forms with urgency from the Registrar office of the University or contact Bastiat Institute Representatives on [email protected] across Africa to assist them in their country registrations.

GNA
Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - A Nigerian former state governor was on Monday found guilty and sentenced to five years in jail for corruption, marking one of the first high-profile convictions in President Muhammadu Buhari's anti-graft war.

James Bala Ngilari was convicted of breaching due process in the award of a 167.8-million naira ($527,000, 497,000 euros) contract for the procurement of 25 cars.

The politician from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was governor of the northeastern state of Adamawa from October 2014 to May 2015.

He had stepped up from deputy governor after the impeachment of his boss, Murtala Nyako, on corruption allegations. He is still facing charges in a separate trial.

Judge Nathan Musa found Ngilari guilty of all but one of the charges against him and did not give him the option of paying a fine.

"It is my hope that his conviction and sentence will serve as a deterrent to serving governors," he added.

Nigeria's anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), charged Ngilari last September with 19 counts in connection with the "fraudulent award of contract".

Ngilari's lawyer Samuel Toni pleaded for leniency because of his client's "invaluable contribution when he was the governor of the state during the trying moment of (the Boko Haram) insurgency".

The Islamist group overran large parts of Adamawa state throughout 2014 as it captured swathes of territory in Nigeria's remote northeast.

Ngilari told reporters as he was taken to a prison van that the judgement was flawed and he would appeal.

Buhari was elected two years ago on a pledge to tackle endemic corruption and the plunder of state funds by corrupt politicians and public officials.

The main opposition PDP, however, has accused him of conducting a political witch-hunt because most of those arrested and charged were party members or served in the previous administration.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN envoy for Western Sahara has resigned after leading efforts for eight years to settle the conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front independence movement, a UN source said Monday.

Christopher Ross submitted his resignation in a letter sent last week to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The move came after Guterres spoke by phone earlier this month with Morocco's King Mohamed VI to ask him to pull back troops from a zone in the contested Western Sahara.

Ross, an American who served as US ambassador to Algeria and Syria, had been harshly criticized by Morocco who accused him of being biased in favor of the Polisario Front.

A former Spanish colony, Western Sahara was annexed by Morocco in 1975.

An insurgency pushing for independence ended with a UN-brokered truce in 1991 and the deployment of a UN mission, MINURSO.

Morocco maintains that Western Sahara is an integral part of its kingdom despite a UN resolution that calls for a referendum on the future of the territory.

After former UN chief Ban Ki-moon used the term "occupation" to describe the status of Western Sahara, Morocco reacted with fury and expelled dozens of staff from MINURSO.

The Security Council responded by calling on Morocco to restore "full functionality" of the mission, but only a few dozen staffers were allowed to return.
Day two of the second edition of the Citi FM Heritage Caravan begun in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.

The first tour of the day was at the Kumasi Military Museum. Patrons were taken through the history behind some of the Ashanti Wars.

The Kumasi Fort and Military Museum is one of few military museums in Africa. It is located in the Uaddara Barracks in Kumasi.

The Kumasi Fort was built in 1820 by the Asantehene (the King of the Asante Kingdom), Osei Tutu Kwamina, to resemble the coastal forts which were built by European merchants.

Kumasi Fort had to be rebuilt in 1897, after it was destroyed by British forces in 1874.

Patrons were taken on a tour of the over 5 museums that exhibits military equipment, artefacts and other objects used in the British-Asante war of 1990 and during the Second World War.

The collection includes weapons of war, colours, medals, armoured cars, anti-aircraft guns, photographs and portraits.

This serves as a valuable historical institution for tracing the evolution and development of the Gold Coast Regiment of the colonial era, to the present-day Ghana Armed Forces.

There is a British Military Cemetery just about 200m northwest of the Kumasi Fort and Military Museum, which contains graves of British casualties of the Yaa Asantewaa War.

The next tour for patrons was the Komfo Anokye Sword site.It is believed that Okomfo Anokye's planted sword and every means to pull from the ground has failed.

As a symbol of the unification of the Ashanti Kingdom, Okomfo Anokye planted a sword and said if anyone removes the sword, then that marks the end of the Ashanti Empire.

Dating over three hundred years, the sword Anokye plunged into the earth, remains on the ground of a hospital named after him: Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.



By: Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The hardest thing Dana Ludvik has ever done was to hold her newborn son Miles.

The six-day-old baby, who was dying from a congenital heart defect, had just been taken off respirators.

Because of my other son, I knew the amazing feeling of finally holding your child, she said. And I needed that, even if it meant saying goodbye as I was just saying hello.  It was my first and last time holding him. I really dont know how I got through it.

Ludvik has made the loss transformative. She now volunteers for No Footprint Too Small to provide support and share her own experiences with families going through child and pregnancy loss.

After Miles' death, Ludviks arms ached because she was unable to hold her baby, a feeling that many mothers report after a loss.

To help ease the pain, No Footprint To Small creates personalized bears that are intended to match the baby's birth weight.

Your body still thinks youre a mom, and you are a mom, but your baby isnt there  and there are all these physical reminders of this, Ludvik said.

Holding the bears serves as a therapeutic tool and provides a physical way for mothers to grieve.

No Footprint Too Small founder Jolie Vega said that a friend gave her a bear nearly a year after the death of her son. The stuffed bear weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces, exactly the same as her son, Judah.

On certain days when I knew I needed to just let it out, I would hold mine and wrap it up in a blanket and put my sons hat on it and it was just so comforting, Vega said. It allows you to grieve.

The bears are created by several volunteers, including Geory Sikkink, who has been stitching bears together for the organization since November.

She works out of her Firth home to craft the bears, which are sometimes made from blankets or clothing that belonged to the baby.

Each bear takes Sikkink about five to six hours to complete. She measures out sand to match the babys birth weight and sews it into the bear.

In order to provide maximum comfort to the families, Vega said that bears and care packages are all assembled and sent out or delivered within 10 to 14 days after a request is made.

To get a bear like a year later, it still might be nice, but it might not be effective, Vega said. Its not coming at the right time.

Vegas own grief journey began with the loss of her son, Judah, who was stillborn.

Right after giving birth on Sept. 6, 2014, a bereavement counselor encouraged Vega and her husband Charlie to interact with their son, to help normalize the situation. The counselors encourage parents to bond with the baby by holding them, reading to them, bathing them or "anything you would do with a live baby."

Vega was also told about Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, an international organization that visits hospitals after an infant death to photograph the babies. She remembers wondering if it was weird or morbid to take photos and worried about what others might think.

"How do you properly take a picture with your dead baby?"

The photos are now her most prized possession and were invaluable to her grieving process.

Vega decided to become a certified birth and bereavement doula. The certification helped her to learn to physically and emotionally support mothers who are delivering a stillborn baby. She felt that having someone there to guide families through the chaotic process of losing a child "can really determine their grief journey."

"It's really to give the family a chance to say hello to their baby before they say goodbye."

She now offers the doula service through No Footprint Too Small, which launched last April. Vega created the organization to fill the need for a more complete care system for families dealing with child and pregnancy loss. She wants to raise awareness about the frequency of miscarriages, which about one in four women experience, and make infant loss less taboo.

The nonprofit provides bereavement doula support, creates care packages and custom-weighted bears and can connect families with counselors specializing in child loss. She wants to make the loss feel less lonely.

The organization, which runs entirely off donations, has grown throughout the last year to include over 15 volunteers and has moved from Vegas basement into an office at 4740 A St. Most of the volunteers and board members have personally experienced infant loss or miscarriages, Vega said.

When you go through something like this and you dont have a support system, you want to help, volunteer Jennifer Feltes said. You dont want other people to go through it alone.

Ludvik struggled to find support after the death of her son. She found that most hospitals had few resources and sometimes friends and family didnt know how to address the "taboo topic" of child loss. For a while, she felt isolated.

I think it comes down to people feeling that they need to have the perfect words or that they just want to fix' things and make the parents the same as they were before, she said.

Friends and family dont always know how to react or are afraid to talk about the baby, she said. Its probably easier to say nothing, especially as more time passes after the loss, but Ludvik found that the more she talked about her son, the better she felt.

Ludvik connected with a counselor. She also started talking with other mothers via Facebook and sharing similar stories of loss. She reached out to Vega after hearing about No Footprint Too Small through a TV ad.

She joined the team as a graphic designer. Other volunteers help to sew the bears, organize fundraisers, compile care packages and sometimes even personally deliver the care packages or bears and meet with families.

We want to be as proactive as we can so we can avoid any unhealthy coping strategies and just to lessen that anxiety, depression and guilt that come with that loss, Vega, who also works as a bereavement counselor at HoriSun Hospice, said.

Often, Vega and a counselor make the home visits. Over the last year, volunteers have provided 150 care packages and bears. Volunteers recently started creating bereavement wraps and swaddles, which they hope to deliver to hospitals next month.

In May, a Mother's Day celebration is planned.

"Some mothers don't get acknowledged as a mother, especially if they don't have any living children and that can be very difficult," Vega said. "We just want to celebrate them as mothers, because they are mothers, and we just want them to feel comfortable and like they aren't alone."

While the grieving journey never ends, Vega said that being at peace with her own grief three years later makes it easier to help others.

Im finally at a point where I can think about my son, and it doesnt make me cry, she said.
Brussels (AFP) - The European Union on Monday warned the Democratic Republic of Congo it faces more EU sanctions if political and military leaders block a deal with the opposition on the country's future.

European Union foreign ministers discussed DR Congo amid growing frustration with President Joseph Kabila's refusal to stand aside at the end of his term late last year.

"The EU reminds political leaders and members of the security forces that it is ready to adopt new restrictive measures," said the text of DR Congo conclusions prepared for the meeting.

The asset freeze and travel ban sanctions would target those "responsible for grave human rights violations, for inciting violence or obstructing a peaceful resolution of the crisis which respects the aspirations of the Congolese people to elect their representatives," it said.

In December, the EU and the United States imposed sanctions on top DR Congo officials after clashes with protesters against Kabila in September left more than 50 people dead.

Kabila, who first took office in 2001 after the assassination of his father Laurent, holds onto power despite a transition agreement brokered by the Catholic church which provides for elections later this year.

Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi died on February 1, 2017, having left the Democratic Republic of Congo eight days earlier for medical care abroad

The EU foreign ministers said the December agreement should be honoured and expressed concern about growing violence in the huge, resource-rich but poor former Belgian colony.

The political situation has been complicated by the death of long-time opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi in Brussels last month after he played a key role in the negotiations with Kabila on the transition accord.

Tshisekedi's brother Gerard Mulumba told Belgian broadcaster RTBF Monday that his brother's body would remain in Belgium as the "political family categorically refuses" the site offered for his burial in Kinshasa.

DR Congo's influential Catholic church meanwhile appealed for "patience" for talks aimed at ending the crisis.

Donatien Nshole, the secretary general of the Episcopal Conference (CENCO), also urged the Rassemblement opposition grouping, which includes Tshisekedi's party, to "remain united."
Multinational company  is a company or corporation in the field of business or manufacturing which acts in several countries and have employees far beyond the country of its creation taking into account characteristics of national markets of foreign countries.

Multinational companies in Nigeria

Nowadays in Nigeria, there is a great number of multinational corporations and top multinational companies. Here in the article, you will be able to see the list of multinational companies in Nigeria.

Top 10 multinational companies

Unilever

Unilever is a company which represents well-known manufacturers of household chemicals and food products. The sphere of influence of such company includes a variety of brands in the category of personal care products and home care, for instance, Dove, Rexona, Timotei, Sunsilk, CLEAR, Domestos, CIF. Everything becomes possible only because of always available and dedicated staff which constantly monitors the market for finding ways on how to improve or establish new ways of production.

Nestle

Today it is hard to imagine a product which isnt connected with Nestle Company. This is one of the top multinational companies in Nigeria which deals with baby food, culinary products, coffee, chocolate and many other products which are in high demand all over the world. More than 60 countries are consumers of products manufactured by Nestle.

For the first time Nestle products were created by Henri Nestle in 1867, and since then, on the basis of his own fundamental research and development of the sphere, Nestle Company has developed a great variety of baby food.

Guinness

This multinational corporation which deals with brewing was founded in Dublin, Ireland by Arthur Guinness. "Guinness" beer is produced in 50 countries and sold in more than 150 countries worldwide. There are 16 varieties of Guinness beer, 14 of them are produced on a regular basis. Varieties differ in taste and strength depending on the country for which it is manufactured. For this beer production breweries use over 100,000 tonnes of Irish barley annually.

Chevron

Chevron Corporation  is the second after Exxon Mobil integrated energy company in the U.S., one of the largest corporations in the world. The company was ranked 3rd in Fortune 500 list and is also included in the Fortune Global 500 list. The company is headquartered in San Ramon, California (USA). Chevron Corporation produces oil and gas in various regions of the world. It owns five refineries in the U.S. and three of them are abroad (Thailand, South Africa, Canada), as well as non-operating stakes in five foreign refineries (in South Korea, Singapore, Australia, Pakistan and New Zealand). Chevron is the co-owner (50 %) of one of the leading American petrochemical companies "Chevron Phillips Chemical Company". The Group owns an extensive network of filling stations worldwide under the trademarks "Chevron", "Texaco" and "Caltex". Proven oil reserves of Chevron  13 billion barrels.

Shell

Once a small English company involved in oil transport, merged with Royal Dutch, which was engaged in its production, and has become one of the major players in this sector.

Multinational company Shell today has more than 2000 branches and is represented in 143 countries, it employs more than 90 thousand people. Every day it serves about 25 million customers, and its annual profit is 179 billion dollars. In a short period of time, the company solemnly signs a contract for Texas oil for a period of 21 years. Then Shell starts working with Jan Kessler, Hugo Loudon, and Deterding Henry.

Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G)

Procter & Gamble (P&G) is an American company, one of the leaders in the world market of consumer goods. The company was founded in 1837 in Cincinnati (Ohio, USA), and today has offices in more than 140 countries. The company is public, its shares are traded on the new York stock exchange.

British Airways

British Airways is thought to be the largest European carrier, which occupies the third place of rating of carriers in Europe according to a volume of sales.

This is one of few companies which deals with flies to all 6 continents. Today British Airways Park has more than 260 aircrafts, which tend to fly to more than 200 points. The company's fleet mainly consists of new and reliable airliners  Airbuses and Boeings.

READ ALSO: Fuel scarcity in Nigeria 2017

British Airways domestic airport is in London Heathrow, it is one of the largest airports in the world. For regular customers, the airline has developed a program called "the Executive Club". This program is designed for passengers who traveling on flights operated by British Airways on a regular basis and other members of the Alliance One world, British Airways is a part of this huge corporation.

Mobil

MOBIL - a world leader of engine oils sphere. Engine oil and other Mobil products gained international fame thanks to their high quality and effective innovative solutions. A characteristic feature of Mobil brand is the use of advanced technologies. That is why Mobil producers are trusted manufacturers of the famous brands all over the world. For many years customers choose Mobil  reliable products and services for life and business.

Mobil is also a recognized leader in the field of high-tech lubricants. Mobil brand has become synonymous with Motorsport, where the efficiency is in the first place.

Engine oil Mobil is popular with consumers wishing to deal with the high-tech brand of top quality, offering them the best in the field of lubrication. Mobil brand lubricants meet the most stringent requirements of industrial standards and the requirements of manufacturers of complex equipment.

British American Tobacco

Nowadays British American tobacco is supposed to be world's second largest international tobacco corporation in accordance with market share. The products of this company are sold in more than 200 countries.

British American Tobacco includes more than 200 brands of cigarettes. About one billion of planet population are smokers, it is proved that every eight smoker chooses the cigarettes produced by the companies of the Group. "British American tobacco" retains stable market positions in each of the regions, and is a leader in more than 60 markets.

READ ALSO: Oil and gas companies in Lagos

British American tobacco has been an active player on the stage of providing planet population with cigarettes for over one hundred years. 1902 - was the time of creation of this Business.

At present times multinational company in Nigeria includes 46 cigarette factories in more than 41 countries. Besides cigarettes, they are aimed at producing cigarillos, tobacco for self-made cigarettes and pipes.

Today such a company employs more than 57 thousand people around the world. Its dedicated employees belong to different cultures, so there is a created structure where each company has wide freedom of action.

Google

Its main specialization is search of information in global computer network Internet.

The Corporation was founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph. D. students Larry page and Sergey Brin. The company name comes from the mathematical term Googol (a googol). The use of this term by Google reflects its attempt to organize search of vast amounts of information on the Internet

The main product of Google Corporation is search engine, which contains a complex query language that allows you to limit your search to specific domains, languages, file types. In addition to search engines, google.com represents the number of other free services, including: Google Mail, statistics sites for webmasters, Google Analytics, Youtube, online service Google translator, the system of contextual advertising, Google AdSense etc.

So, now you have seen the list of top 10 multinational companies which act not in one country in the world, but in a great variety of places, in particular, in Nigeria.

Is your company A List? And you want it featured on Legit.ng? Just email us info@corp.legit.ng

Source: Legit.ng
President Muhammadu Buhari has called and felicitated with former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

Buhari used the opportunity to recall their days in the military

Femi Adesina, Buhari's spokesperson, confirmed that in a phone call from London, where he is convalescing, President Buhari told the former military ruler (1976 to 1979) and democratically elected president (1999 to 2007) that a time like this provides opportunity to reflect on Obasanjo's invaluable roles and contributions to the unity and cohesion of Nigeria, the brotherhood of all Africans, as well as peace and amity over the globe.

READ ALSO: Speak to me from London, Fayose tells Buhari

He said President Buhari described the former president as "a true citizen of the world."

Buhari recalled the days they spent in the military, saying: "Those of us who served under you in various capacities recall a man with boundless energy, with razor sharp mind, and one who does not suffer fools gladly.

"Working with you was a school in itself, and the lessons learnt are worth their weight in gold.

READ ALSO: Confusion, fear in the north over Buhari's continued absence

"Chief Obasanjo wished President Buhari good health, saying he stands together with him in prayers, so that he can return soon to continue the good work he is doing for the country."

Source: Legit.ng
Daily Trust is reporting that Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande, a former Minister of State for Information, has claimed that he has information suggesting that President Muhammad Buhari could return to Nigeria today March 6.

The newspaper quoted Nakande as saying this during another special prayer session, attended by hundreds of clerics, for the quick recovery of the president that was held on Sunday, March 5 at the Jos Central Mosque.

READ ALSO: Obasanjo best President Nigeria ever had, says Mbang

If Nakande's information is correct, then President Buhari could return today March 6 after over thirty days in the UK.

From the information I gathered, President Buhari is hale and sound and may come back today (yesterday) or tomorrow (today). All what is needed from us is prayer for the full recovery and Gods guidance for the president to deliver his campaign promises, Nakande said.

Nakande was also quoted as saying President Buhari has been speaking with different stakeholders, including the leadership of the National Assembly including Senate president, Bukola Saraki, who had visited the Nigerian leader in London and confirmed that he is doing well.

Nakande said Buhari is Nigerias saviour from the current economic and political mess that it is in.

PAY ATTENTION: Get the latest news on Legit.ng News App

It is only Buhari that can take this nation out of the mess it found itself, he said.

Nakande's words come just days after Sahara Reporters wrote that President Buhari's aides are allegedly trying to get him back to Aso Rock in Abuja before the eight-week closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in the Federal Capital Territory if possible.

"Some of Mr. President's associates are mounting pressure on him to return to Abuja as soon as possible, and especially before the [Abuja] airport is temporarily closed," Sahara Reporters quoted a source close to the presidency as saying.

Source: Legit.ng
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- A big scandal has rocked the Omega Fire Ministry church

- The founder, Apostle Johnson Suleman has been accused of extra-marital affairs leading to pregnancy

- The lady, Stephanie Otobo, is suing the pastor for a sum of N500 million as damages

A Canadian based musician, Stephanie Otobo has accused founder and leader of Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Johnson Suleman, of impregnating and dumping her.

Otobo, who goes by the stage name, Kimora has enlisted Nigerian top law chamber, Festus Keyamo chambers to help in her lawsuit against the Suleman, Sahara reporters report.

Stephanie Otobo

Festus Keyamo chambers, in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, said Otobo was arrested on March 3 at a United Bank of Africa (UBA) branch by heavily armed policemen from Federal Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Alagbon, at the Anthony Village area of Lagos. She has since been in detention, where she has been denied food and visitation by her lawyers.

READ ALSO: List of courses offered by University of Calabar in 2018

According to Keyamo chambers, Suleman and Otobo met in September 2016 when she visited Nigeria and the Apostle allegedly told her he has divorced and needed more male children.

Apostle Suleman reportedly proposed marriage to the girl and went on to meet her family members for introductions.

Letter sent to Inspector-General of police from Keyamo chambers

On the occasion of her introduction, Apostle Suleman took along drinks and gifts and informed Miss Otobos family in Delta state of his desire to marry their daughter.

Otobo allegedly moved back to Nigeria after the introductions with the mind that her marriage to the man of God is forthcoming.

Otobo allegedly moved back to Nigeria after the introductions with the mind that her marriage to the man of God is forthcoming.

Suleiman allegedly demanded that she has an abortion and proceeded to give her a local concoction to drink, which led to her bleeding profusely.

When Otobo eventually informed Suleman that she was pregnant for him, the Apostle was reportedly angered by the news and feared the scandal that would follow it.

Suleman allegedly demanded that she has an abortion and proceeded to give her a local concoction to drink, which led to her bleeding profusely.

Scandal as lady accuses Apostle Suleiman of impregnating her

The Apostle reportedly abandoned her after this and cancelled the marriage plans. which led Otobo to report him to a Pastor in Warri, Delta state.

The pastor in Warri recorded Otobo's story and started using it to extort money from Apostle Suleman.

After Otobo returned to Nigeria, Apostle Suleman allegedly called her to apologised her invited her back to Nigeria. when she returned, he paid some money into her bank account reportedly in a bid to silence her.

Otobo returned to Nigeria and while trying to withdraw the money paid into her account by Apostle Suleman, she was arrested by the police on the orders of Suleman.

Miss Otobo, through her lawyers, warned Apostle Suleman that she has their naked pictures together, raunchy text messages, bank statements, and other implicating items.

They lawyers disclosed that Miss Otobo used to send naked pictures to Apostle Suleman every Sunday, just before he went on the pulpit.

Otobo through her lawyers has now demanded Suleman to pay her N500 million as damages for not honouring the marriage agreement between them.

Otobo through her lawyers has also demanded that Suleman stop harassing her and threatening her life.

Her lawyers have given the preacher a seven-day ultimatum to meet the demands or get reported to law enforcement agencies for the threat to her life and face trial for breaching the promise to marry her.

Meanwhile, South south chapters of CAN and PFN recently affirmed their support for Apostle Johnson Suleman, over his recent alleged inflammatory statement which pitted him against DSS.

The national vice president PFN (South-South), Bishop Simeon Okah, who briefed newsmen following a closed door meeting said Christian leaders will no longer fold hands and watch while Christians are being killed.

Source: Legit.ng
- The Nigerian government has issued a warning to former president Goodluck Jonathan over the abduction of the Chibok school girls

- Lai Mohammed said Jonathan must stop engaging in finger pointing over the issue of Chibok girls

- Mohammed said because the girls were abducted during Jonathan's regime, pointing fingers is an unnecessary distraction for the present administration

The Nigerian government has issued a warning to former president Goodluck Jonathan over the abduction of the Chibok school girls.

In a statement released on Monday, March 6, the minister of information, culture and tourism Lai Mohammed said Jonathan must stop engaging in finger pointing over the issue of Chibok girls.

Mohammed said because the girls were abducted during Jonathan's regime, pointing fingers is an unnecessary distraction for the present administration.

READ ALSO: Buhari has shown he is more clueless that Jonathan  Chibok parent

The federal government's warning comes after a report by a British newspaper that the British armed forces' offer to attempt to rescue the girls were rebuffed by then President Jonathan.

Mohammed said: ''While former President Jonathan reserves the right to defend his administration, he should not engage in finger-pointing by saying, in a statement, that 'some people who have obviously been playing politics with the issue of the Chibok girls will stop at nothing to further their interest."

The minister said if anyone ever played politics with the issue of Chibok girls, it was the administration under whose watch the girls were abducted.

READ ALSO: Your Comment On Chibok Girls Being Alive Is Callous, Insensitive - APC To GEJ

''After the girls were kidnapped and the Jonathan's administration did nothing for all of 15 days or make any determined efforts to rescue them thereafter, our party, the then opposition APC, told the nation several times that the whole Boko Haram crisis was allowed to escalate by the PDP-controlled federal government so they can use it as a political tool ahead of the 2015 elections.

''In a statement on 8 Sept. 2014, we said: 'President Jonathan-PDPs political manipulation of the Boko Haram has to be understood as part of its pooker-like calculus for clinging on to political power ahead of the 2015 elections.'

READ ALSO: If Buhari does not do this, Nigeria will be destroyed - Top 15 quotes

The Boko Haram crisis is readily used by the PDP to rationalize the Jonathan Governments abdication of its constitutional responsibilities, including visits and assistance to areas affected as well as effective response to abductions (e.g. the GEJ government was silent over the Chibok girls kidnaps for over 15 days).

''Two-and-a-half years after that statement, we have been vindicated by the report that claimed President Jonathan rebuffed an attempt by the British government to help rescue the girls.

We hope the former president will now refrain from stoking further controversy over the lingering abduction issue and allow the government of the day to focus on its ongoing negotiations to secure the release of the Chibok girls,'' the minister said.

Source: Legit.ng
- Goodluck Jonathan faults reports by the UK Guardian that his administration rejected the offer of British armed forces to help in rescuing the Chibok girls, who were abducted in April 2014

- Jonathan describes the report as lies by people playing politics with the issue of the abducted girls

- The former president says his administration was supportive of the assistance of foreign powers that conducting search and rescue missions for the girls

Goodluck Jonathan has said his administration collaborated with foreign powers in its effort to rescue the Chibok girls.

Former president, Goodluck Jonathan, has dismissed reports by a foreign newspaper that his administration refused help from the British government to rescue the abducted Chibok girls.

The UK Guardian, had reported that Jonathan-led administration rejected the offer of British armed forces to help in rescuing the girls, who were abducted in April 2014.

READ ALSO: Buhari may come back today March 6, says Nakande

The paper reported the British Armed Forces in a mission named Operation Turus, conducted air reconnaissance over northern Nigeria for several months, following the kidnapping of 276 girls from the town of Chibok.

Quoting a source involved in the operation, the paper said the Nigerian government declined the offer from the British government to help rescue the girls after they were kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents.

However, Jonathan has described the report as lies by people playing politics with the issue of the abducted girls.

The former president in a statement signed by his media adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, said his administration made efforts to rescue the Chibok girls, especially in relation to collaborating with the international community, the Cable reports.

The statement said: Our attention has been drawn to a report that has been trending, without proper attribution, to the effect that the last administration rebuffed British offer to rescue the kidnapped Chibok school girls.

We wish to promptly point out that nothing can be further from the truth, as Nigerians are conversant with the effort made by the Jonathan administration towards rescuing the Chibok girls, especially in relation to collaborating with the international community.

We can confidently say that the lies in this report are self evident. This is because the international press as well as the Nigeria media actively covered the multinational efforts and collaboration which involved some of the major powers deploying their crack intelligence officers to work with our own security operatives, and those of our neighbours.

The aide to the former president said the Jonathan administration was supportive of the assistance offered by foreign powers in conducting the search and rescue missions for the girls.

He said: In fact, the Jonathan administration was so genuinely supportive that the foreign powers involved were granted permission to overfly our airspace, while conducting the search and rescue missions.

READ ALSO: Ministry of foreign affairs accuses Amnesty International of being one-sided in report indicting army

We would wish to recall that this collaboration was made possible following letters personally written by former president Jonathan to Barack Obama, former president of the United States; Francois Hollande, president of France, David Cameron, former British prime minister, as well as personal contacts made to the Governments of Israel and China, seeking their assistance in the search for the abducted Chibok girls.

He said some people were playing politics with the issue of the abducted girls for their interests.

We are not surprised that this kind of concocted story is coming out at this point in time, as it appears that some people who have obviously been playing politics with the issue of the Chibok girls will stop at nothing to further their interest.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has issued a warning to former president Goodluck Jonathan over the abduction of the Chibok school girls.

In a statement released on Monday, February 6, the minister of information, culture and tourism Lai Mohammed said Jonathan must stop engaging in finger pointing over the issue of Chibok girls.

Mohammed said because the girls were abducted during Jonathan's regime, pointing fingers is an unnecessary distraction for the present administration.

Source: Legit.ng
There are indeed many talented chaps in Nigeria; these people are not only creative, some of them are intelligent too and have the ability to invent things that are remarkable and useful to those in the society and outside it.

The invented goggles made by Achilefu can help surgeons see cancerous cells during surgery.

Samuel Achilefu is a Nigerian who was born in the mid-60s, during the period when the First Nigerian civil war was on. His father as at that time was working with hospitals and clinics before the war started. It was in the war broke out.

The Biafran war affected thousands of Nigerians who had to relocate and move away from the heat of the war. Achilefu and his family members were forced to leave the north and relocate to the east.

This made them lose all they had as they could not leave with all their things. He, along with everyone else, lived with his uncle who took them in for about year before his father built a house and they all settled in.

The darkness according to the Nigerian genius is useful in viewing the cancer cells.

For people who are used to having everything they want, it was a pretty difficult phase as they had to learn to live with other people and share things with them. The war indeed scarred many people and this till date, affected lots of them.

READ ALSO: Funny photos of Obasanjo you might have never seen before

Achilefu however, did not let this stop him or mar his future. His father tried doing everything he can to push his family forward by making them learn some morals from the incidence. He made inscriptions on the wall of the new house and laid emphasis on a true life fact. You can lose your wealth but never lose a good name.

This inscription changed Achilefus life and molded him into the man he has become. The young boy whose childhood memories are filled with disturbing scenes from the Biafra war and the loss of wealth has made a name for himself in the eradication of cancer all over the world.

And to think that such tremendous work came from a Nigerian is truly amazing. Achilefu had his primary and secondary education in some local schools in Nigeria.

However, he was lucky enough to have been one of the five students who won a French government scholarship and this made him attend a graduate school in France where he received a PhD in molecular and materials chemistry at the University of Nancy.

Achilefu made his family and Nigeria proud with his activities outside the country. He got to St. Louis and became the first full-time staff member of the discovery research department at Mallinckrodt Medical Inc.

The Nigerian genius was able to achieve what he has because of his educational background. This made him hold the belief that Nigerian children can change the world if they have the opportunity to do so.

He stated that he had the opportunity to meet some smart Nigerian children in the village school he attended during the war. These kids, according to him, never had the opportunity to move forward and change the world.

As a result of this, he has it in mind to create an institute that will help reach out to and train the smart kids in the low-resource areas of the world. To accomplish this, a certain number of children will be identifies yearly for comprehensive training and support through college.

While talking on the greatest breakthrough in the battle against cancer, the Nigerian genius said We are working in the dark, so that we can see the lighttherefore, there is no darkeness unless you cannot see the light.

At the moment, he is the chief of Optical Radiology Laboratory and a professor of radiology at the Washington University School of Medicine. He has designed high tech goggles that will help surgeons see and identify cancer cells which are pretty difficult to see during surgery.

With the use of the invented goggles, the cancerous cells glow blue; this will help doctors ensure that there is no tumor cell left during and after the operation.

Due to this brilliant invention; Achilefu in January 2015 got the St.Louis award which is always doled out every year since 1932. The award is to recognize area residents whose hard-work and achievements has made positive impacts in the community.

The Nigerian genius with his wife and children.

Achilefu who got married to his wife twenty-one years ago was also recognized for leading the team that developed the high-tech goggles that will help surgeons see cancer.

The father of two is not stopping at this as he has the intention of inventing a light-based cancer therapy that can help in reaching tumors in deep tissue.

I want to play a role in eradicating cancer or making it a manageable disease. Toward this goal, we have developed a new approach to kill cancer cells, independent of the cancer type.

There is a method of killing cancer with light  photodynamic therapy. People use it to treat superficial cancers, such as skin cancer, because the cancer has to be reachable by light to activate a light-sensitive drug. Or you can use an endoscope to introduce light to activate and kill cancer cells inside the body.

Weve discovered a new approach of using existing radiopharmaceuticals to create a light source within the tumor cells. We have tested this concept with success in animal models of cancer and plan to move into human studies in future.

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With this, it is justifiable for one to say there are so many talented Nigerians in diaspora. Note that Dr. Mustapha Abubakar was also recognized as one of the hundred people called Arewa legends for the role he has played in cancer research.

Abubakar continues in his search to find the treatment and cure for cancer.

Watch the video below to see the Biafra protest held in Abuja:

Source: Legit.ng
The victim of a possible hate crime in Washington state Friday would not be the first Sikh to be targeted.

Since 9/11, Sikh-American groups say members of their religion have faced discrimination and abuse because their long beards and turbans have led them to be mistaken for Muslims.

According to the FBI, anti-Muslim hate crimes in the US surged 67% last year, to levels not seen since 2001.

Highly visible

In a statement, the Sikh Coalition, America's largest Sikh civil rights group, said that Sikhs are often targeted for hate crimes in part "due to the Sikh articles of faith, including a turban and beard, which represent the Sikh religious commitment to justice, tolerance and equality."

In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh commanded all Sikhs to wear the "Five Ks" in order to identify themselves as a member of the Khalsa Panth, an army of the devout.

The "Five Ks" are: Kesh (uncut hair), Kara (a steel bangle), Kanga (a wooden comb), Kaccha (cotton underwear) and Kirpan (a steel sword).

Devout Sikh men don't cut their hair or shave because they believe you must maintain your body in the way that God created you. Turbans are worn as a way to keep heads covered out of respect when in public and in religious spaces.

Sikh women often cover their heads with a long scarf called a chunni or dupatta.

Hate crime

In the first month following 9/11, the Sikh Coalition documented more than 300 cases of violence and discrimination against Sikhs in the US.

Last year, multiple Sikhs told CNN that they felt no safer, 15 years after the terrorist attacks.

"The threat of hate and racism has become a part of our daily lives," lawyer and activist Valarie Kaur said.

In 2012 a gunman walked into a gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship, in Wisconsin and killed six people.

Sikhs have also been subject to racial profiling outside the US. Last year, designer and actor Waris Ahluwalia spoke out after he was prevented from boarding an airplane in Mexico by local security agents after he refused to remove his turban during a security screening.

Ahluwalia said Aeromexico staff and security screeners told him to buy a ticket for a different carrier after he refused to remove his turban.

"I was upset, I had anxiety, I was shaking, I did not speak. And then I realized, clearly, they have not been trained properly. I knew yelling will not do anything. It is about education and the policy," Ahluwalia told CNN at the time.

Climate of fear

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate crime, there has been an uptick of incidents targeting Muslims and other religious minority groups since the election of President Donald Trump.

While the White House condemned the recent shooting of two Indian men as "an act of racially motivated hatred," some commentators have blamed Trump for not doing enough.

During his first address to Congress last week, Trump said the violence was a reminder that "while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its very ugly forms."

But it's not enough for some.

"A few words of condemnation cannot erase months of President Trump's own divisive rhetoric and his administration's policies targeting and stigmatizing the very communities most vulnerable to hate violence," civil rights lawyer Deepa Iyer wrote last week for CNN Opinion.

Sikh-American leaders have called on the President to address the attack in Washington, while others have warned that his words may lead to violence.

"What (Trump) says goes short of being defined as hate, but in the hearts and minds of the lay person is translated as hate," Mejindarpal Kaur, international legal director of global advocacy organization United Sikhs, told CNN.

"They've targeted their hate toward anyone who looks Middle Eastern."
The newspapers for Monday, March 6, report on the proscription of the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria by the FG among other issues.

The federal government has said the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) is not different from the Boko Haram terrorist group that has killed about 100,000 people since 2009.

According to This Day, the government spoke through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the weekend in a response to the annual report of Amnesty International (AI) for 2015/2016, which accused Nigerias security forces of extreme human rights violations and brutal response to security concerns, such as the Biafra agitation, Boko Haram insurgency and Shiites movement incessant processions.

The foreign ministry stated firmly that the activities of the El-Zakzaky movement is one that cannot be tolerated by any progressive democratic government.

In other news, the Senator Ahmed Makarfi led national caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, has said members of the party are free to join other political associations to realise their political ambition.

Speaking through the spokesperson for the caretaker committee, Dayo Adeyeye, on Sunday, March 5, Makarfi said his committee would not abandon the PDP for Sheriff, the Punch reports.

Adeyeye, however, said national caretaker committee has no hands in the purported planned registration of the Advanced Peoples Democratic Party.

He said: We state clearly and without ambiguity that the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP is not, in any way, involved in the plans to register any party by the name of APDP or any other party for that matter.

It is unthinkable that the National Caretaker Committee, which, without any doubt, enjoys the support of all the recognised organs of the party, will contemplate such a move.

We, however, acknowledge and recognise the right of party members to seek alternative platform to actualise their political dreams, which is an inalienable right guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."

Adeyeye stated that the caretaker committee is holding leadership power in the party in trust for the millions of party members, who, he said, instituted the committee at the national convention.

Meanwhile, a resident electoral commissioner (REC), who completed his tenure on Friday, March 3, is alleged to have collected about N140million of the N23.29 billion 2015 election bribe.

The Nation reports that a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allegedly coordinated the bribe.

The allegations against the INEC staff was made by a probe committee headed by national commissioner Baba Shettima Arfo.

Most of the 202 indicted officials may be dismissed from service for gross misconduct and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for trial.

The corrupt officials who have retired with their loot may either be blacklisted by INEC or have their entitlements withheld. Besides, the bribe may be deducted from their benefits.

Still on alleged corruption, the Senate has declared that it had uncovered some fraudulent practices in the petroleum industry through which the nation lost N10 trillion between 2006 and 2016.

According to the Guardian, the leadership of the upper chamber has instructed the joint committee on petroleum (upstream and downstream) and Gas to investigate the alleged fraud.

The panel alleged that out of the N10trillion fraud, some N5.2 trillion was lost through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) alone, which would be summoned to account for the loss.

Meanwhile, former president, Goodluck Jonathan, has dismissed reports by a foreign newspaper that his administration refused help from the British government to rescue the abducted Chibok girls.

The UK Guardian, had reported that Jonathan-led administration rejected the offer of British armed forces to help in rescuing the girls, who were abducted in April 2014.

The paper reported the British Armed Forces in a mission named Operation Turus, conducted air reconnaissance over northern Nigeria for several months, following the kidnapping of 276 girls from the town of Chibok.

Quoting a source involved in the operation, the paper said the Nigerian government declined the offer from the British government to help rescue the girls after they were kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents.

However, Jonathan has described the report as lies by people playing politics with the issue of the abducted girls, Vanguard reports.

The former president in a statement signed by his media adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, said his administration made efforts to rescue the Chibok girls, especially in relation to collaborating with the international community, the Cable reports.

Source: Legit.ng
On Tuesday, February 28, the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria Chukwuma Soludo and seven other notable Igbo leaders visited the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu in Kuje Prison.

After the visit Soludo alongside renowned economist, Pat Utomi; national secretary Alliance Democracy Udenta Udenta; Law Mefor, Ferdinand Agu, Emeka Ugwu-Oju, Tony Nnadi held a press conference at the Chelsea Hotel in Abuja.

At the press conference, the leaders under the Nzuko Umunna, a Pan-Igbo group whose members are individual professional within Nigeria and in the Diaspora, members and leaders of Pan-Igbo associations and groups called for the immediate release of Kanu and his co-accused.

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu: After lashing Father Mbaka, famous Nigerian pastor sends THOUGHT-PROVOKING message to FG

Nzuko Umunna accused the federal government of detaining Kanu and three others  Benjamin Madubugwu, David Nwawuisi and Chidiebere Onwudiwe unjustly.

They said Kanu and his co-accused are prisoners of conscience.

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They also opined that no country succeeds by suppressing agitations or democratic expressions.

Soludo said: Nigeria has greatly come short on these counts.

Nigeria has never been more divided than now, with agitations for self-determination becoming more strident and desperate.

The group also said that since 2005, Nigeria has fallen from 54th in global failed/fragile state index ranking to 17th in 2014 and further to 13 in 2016.

READ ALSO: Buhari inherited a very bad situation but he has made it much worse - Soludo

Below are the demands made by the group Igbo leaders:

1. All Progressives Congress (APC) must deliver its campaign promises to Nigeria

In 2015, Nigerians voted for change based on the prospectus contained in the manifesto of the party that won the general elections.

So far, APC seems to have abandoned its cardinal contract with Nigeria. It is commendable that it is fighting corruption, fighting Boko Haram and the grappling economy.

However, it is our considered view that without dealing with several of the foundational issues of the Nigerian state in a post-oil economy, much of its efforts will in the end amount to tinkering at the margin.

READ ALSO: Allow journalists witness Nnamdi Kanu's trial, Judge warns security agencies again

2. A fairer and equitable system

The Igbo leaders demanded a fairer and equitable system in Nigeria were it will not matter where a president or any officer came from and also where there are growing opportunities for youths and future generations live in peace and prosper.

3. The urgent release of Nnamdi Kanu

The Igbo leaders said: We demand the urgent release of Nnamdi Kanu and his colleagues and all prisoners of conscience, as part of the process of the search for national cohesion and building a new Nigeria.

There is a legitimate debate among Nigerians on the Biafra question and there are indeed many Igbos who like many other Nigerians do not agree with Nnamdi Kanus objective or means.

It needs to be stated that no citizen of Nigeria deserves the kind of treatment meted to him and his colleagues, Nzuko Umunna said.

4. Right to freedom of association

The Nzuko Umunna demanded that the right to freedom of association, assembly, peace protest and expression be always made accessible to all Nigerians as guaranteed by the Constitution.

READ ALSO: Soludo opens up on why he and other Igbo leaders visited Nnamdi Kanu

Trying to criminalize anyone who talks about self-determination or attempts to use brute force to maim and kill innocent protesters in a democracy is a strategy for a time that we no longer live in.

This is 2017 and Nigeria is supposed to be a democracy!

5. An end to the use of force and live bullets by security agencies on unarmed protesters

The group called for an end to the use of force and live bullets on unarmed Nigerian protesters.

Citing the various killing of Biafra agitators and protesters, the group said: We equally call on all the governors of the states in which these have occurred to exercise their powers under the relevant commission of inquiry laws to investigate these killings through appropriate judicial commissions of inquiry.

Additionally, we call on the chief judges of the respective states to order coroners inquiries into these killings as required by the relevant coroner laws, the group said.

Source: Legit.ng
Editors note: The issue concerning the agitation for the free and sovereign state of the Republic of Biafra has continued to gather momentum despite the detention of the leader of Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu. While some Nigerians throw their support behind the idea, some others do not buy into it.

In this piece, Evangelist Oscar Godwin Ogandu, the Legit.ng contributor analyses the reason British and the Nigerian government dont want Biafra Republic.

It is crystal clear that the major reason the British and the Nigeria governments don't want Biafra Republic to secede from the Federal Republic of Nigeria is because during the three years Biafra war which lasted from 1967 - 1970, the Biafra people manufactured all the weapons which they used to fight in the war without importing a single weapon from any other country worldwide.

President Muhammadu Buhari and IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu

Also, after the Biafra war, the Federal Republic of Nigeria government confiscated all the Biafra peoples money in the bank and only gave them twenty pounds to each Biafrans, regardless of how much they had in the bank but today reverse is the case because Biafra people are the most successful people in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Why Agitation For Biafra Continues

Biafrans are God's own people like the Israeli are progressing in the land of Egypt. Now Britain and Nigeria are afraid that Biafra people will revenge injustices meted on them during the Biafra war but Only God will revenge for Biafrans.

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
A high court in Yola, the Adamawa state capital, has sentenced former state governor Barrister Bala James Ngillari to five years in jail without option of fine over corruption-related cases.

Ngilari is now to serve five years in jail

Leadership reports that the court, presided over by Justice Nathan Musa, handed down the sentence on Monday, March 6.

READ ALSO: Nigerians react to Apostle Suleman's extramarital affairs accusation

According to Premium Times, Justice Musa found Ngilari guilty of four charges and discharged him on one, which bordered on conspiracy, in the 75-minute long ruling.

The judge also discharged and acquitted former secretary to the state government Ibrahim Andrew Waliya and the Commissioner of Finance Sanda Jonathan Lamurde, who were second and third defendants in the case.

Ngilari, who was charged on September 21, 2016, will however have the choice of picking which prison to serve his sentence in.

PAY ATTENTION: Get the latest news on Legit.ng News App

Recall that Ngillari was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and arraigned before the Adamawa state High Court on a 19-count charge case bordering on fraudulent award of contract worth over N167 million.

He was however granted N1 million bail by Justice Nathan Musa on Thursday, September 22.

The former governor was also asked to provide one surety who must own a landed property in Yola, Adamawa state capital.

The surety, the court said, must submit an affidavit of mean to the court registrar before his release.

The court further adjourned the matter to Monday, October 10, for the commencement of trial.

Source: Legit.ng
He has spoken to senators.

He has spoken to generals, both regular and soon-to-be-attorney.

But as soon as he speaks his words vanish, as if they had never been.

No one can definitively state that they were in the room with him at any time. (This must create certain difficulties in his job as Russia's ambassador to the United States.)

His name is Sergey Kislyak, and he is the Most Forgettable Man in the World.

Pictures of him show a corpulent replica of Nikita Khrushchev. But these pictures apparently correspond to a man that no one has ever met. No one he has ever met or talked to seems to remember him. Not Michael Flynn. Not Attorney General Jeff Sessions. No one. Dementors speak of him with reverence, as the mere allusion to his presence removes not only happy memories but all memories of any kind.

He has made many phone calls. But it is only with great difficulty that intelligence agencies were able to make any record of these calls. His voice, like a tree falling alone in a Siberian forest, never makes a sound.

The second he meets with anyone, this meeting vanishes from their memories and their testimony. After meeting with him, senators will shake their watches and say, "But Sofia, I was supposed to meet the Russian ambassador two hours ago!" and Sofia will say, "He just came out of your office, sir."

He is a paradox of space and time.

He once slept on a memory-foam mattress and left no impression whatsoever.

Pigeons often fly directly into him, mistaking him for empty space.

As Amir Nasr noted on Twitter, he is the reason people in D.C. say "good to see you" rather than "good to meet you": No one can ever be entirely sure that they have not already met him.

Who can say what is discussed in his meetings? Those who were in them cannot recall. When people speak to him, they become different people. They receive new hats. They stop being campaign advisers and become Senate committee members only. They are transformed -- and then the memory vanishes. Other people will carelessly allege that Kislyak's conversation with Sessions was a series of simple surface pleasantries about the election, not an in-depth discussion, and definitely unofficial, but those in the room will not even say that.

Perhaps no words were even spoken.

Afterward, all his interlocutors have are images and feelings: warmth, security, ethics, definitely nothing that belongs in testimony.

Look, Kislyak is unmemorable, and nothing he has ever said to anyone involved in the Trump campaign can possibly have been of any interest. I do not know what this allegation is about and, also, it is false.

Are we sure that he exists? Is he even corporeal? Who can be sure? He melts away the second he is measured, like a Trump crowd on Inauguration Day.

It must be difficult to be so mild and self-effacing in a position of such international importance. How does he conduct diplomacy when no one can remember ever seeing or hearing him? Even Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who denounced Sessions for communing with him, discovered to her horror that SHE, TOO, had shared a group meeting with him.

Possibly we have all met with Kislyak and our minds are just shielding us from this knowledge.

Still, it is a good thing that some people have managed to keep records. Otherwise we might never know that he had talked to anyone at all.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, March 5 called Nigeria again to commiserate with former military head of state General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) over the passing away of his younger sister Kande Martha Audu.

Presidential spokesman Adesina says President Muhammadu Buhari has made another important call from London.

Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina confirmed this in a statement on Monday, March 6 afternoon.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Ex-PDP governor Ngilari jailed for 5 years

He said: "The President, who called from London, extended his deepest condolences to General Gowon and his family, urging them to take solace in the fact that Mrs. Audu lived a worthy and exemplary life."

"Death is an inevitable end that must come to all mortals, and we must keep praying and working to ensure that we live a life that pleases our Creator and benefits humanity," Adesina quoted President Buhari as telling Gowon.

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He also prayed that God will comfort the grieving family and grant rest to the soul of Mrs. Audu.

General Gowon also thanked President Buhari for the commiserations and assured him that he will not relent in praying for the unity and progress of the country.

Yakubu Gowon is grateful for the call and promised Buhari that he would keep praying for one Nigeria.

He added that Nigerians are also praying for the President's quick recovery.

The call to Gown makes the third call the president made on Sunday alone.

Recall that Adesina confirmed the call to ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo on the occasion of his 80th birthday on Sunday while Kingsley Fanwo, the spokesperson to Kogi state governor Yahya Bello also confirmed a second call from Buhari same day.

Source: Legit.ng
Apostle Johnson Suleman, the founder of Omega Fire Ministries, has reacted to reports spreading in the media that he impregnated and abandoned his Canadian lover in a Lagos hotel.

Apostle Suleman of the Omega Fire and ministries.

The fearless preacher who was recently in the news over the Fulani Herdsmen killings in northern Nigeria, was alleged to have met the lady in Nigeria in 2016, when she came into the country from her Canada base, and has since been involved in an illicit affair.

But in an exclusive chat with Legit.ng, the man of God said he has never met the lady in person and does not even know what she looks like, whether tall or short.

They said I did introduction, will I not meet with her family members if I did? he began when our correspondent called him over the phone.

READ ALSO: Meet Achilefu, the Nigerian who received US award for inventing goggle

The truth of the matter is that she was hired by some people who are unhappy about my ascendancy, to come from Canada for the blackmail.

They paid her N1.5m to go ahead with the blackmail. She informed her friends about it and one of her friends told my church member. That was how someone was made to tail her and that was how she was arrested.

File photo of Apostle Suleman and his wife.

Presently, she is in police custody and will be in prison tomorrow.

The father has been begging me, but there is nothing I can do about it since the case is already being handled by the police, Apostle Suleman stated over the phone.

On how he came in contact with the lady, he said: She called me in 2016 that she was a prostitute and that she gave her life to Christ during my crusade in Canada. She said she needed help and I said ok.

Beautiful photo of Apostle Suleman with his beloved wife.

I spoke with my wife about her and she said there was no problem. I helped her and gave her money twice, then this happened.

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I am not giving ladies money again. I may give brothers, but not ladies anymore. Even if I give the brothers now, they may start calling me a homosexual. So, what do I do? Stop doing good?

Source: Legit.ng
- Zambia's President Edgar Lungu dedicates his life and that of his family to Jesus Christ after visiting his tomb in Jerusalem

- The president, who came to power against a backdrop of disputed election, also prayed for his country Zambia and his country men and women. But that is not why he went to Israel

President Edgar Lungu, who is widely perceived as a dictatorial leader, recently surprised everyone when he went down on his knees to pray and dedicated his life to Jesus Christ during his five day visit to Israel.

Zambia's President Lungu at praying while kneeing on Jesus' tomb

The president of Zambia was reportedly touched by the holy spirit after he visited the place where the Christ was buried in Jerusalem and saw his tomb.

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In his rather long conversation with God, the president declared that Zambia was a Christian nation and dedicated his life and that of his family and country men and women to Jesus Christ while kneeling on his tomb.

"As I offered my prayers, I rededicated my life to follow my Saviour and recommitted my family into God's hands.I also thanked God for having brought me to the Office of the President at such a time as this. I humbled myself and asked for more wisdom as I lead the great nation of Zambia," said President Lungu.

President Lungu in Israel

The Zambian president, however, did not travel to Israel for prayers. He reportedly went there for m*dication, but met God instead.

The president has since returned to his mother country as a born again man. Whether or not this will cleanse his image and change the perception that he is one of the modern dictators in Africa is a different matter.

READ ALSO: If you don't have anything urgent to do in the USA, don't go for now - Dabiri

Watch video of Zambia's President Edgar Lungu being sworn in after disputed poll:

Source: Legit.ng
If farmers and ranchers get a seat at the table when President Donald Trump follows through on his promise to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, they better be ready to throw a few elbows.

Mexican officials are already jockeying for bargaining position. Unfortunately for Nebraska, one of the chips they are ready to put in play is the export market for corn and other agricultural products.

Mexico is the biggest purchaser of U.S. corn. In 2015-16 it bought 27 percent of all corn exported from the United States. In the current marketing year Mexicos purchases are ahead of that pace. Mexico is also the second biggest volume market for U.S. beef.

There are multiple issues at stake, obviously, in the increasingly testy relations between Mexico and the Trump administration. One of the biggest is administrations suggestion for a 20 percent tariff on all goods shipped from Mexico to pay for Trumps promised wall between the two countries.

Mexicos top trade negotiator told Bloomberg recently that U.S. insistence on the tariff would be a deal-killer. The moment they say, Were going to put a 20 percent tariff on cars, I get up from the table. Bye-bye. Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said.

Walking out of the negotiations on how to tweak NAFTA would have the effect of daring the administration to pull out of the 23-year-old agreement, which also includes Canada.

Guajardo is no stranger to such negotiations. He headed the NAFTA office of the Mexican embassy in the U.S. when the current agreement was written and implemented.

A pullout would mean that trade between the two countries would be guided by the World Trade Organization, which has rules against tariffs.

Meanwhile Mexican legislators talking of taking action to prohibit purchases of U.S. corn, which would force buyers to turn to slightly more expensive corn from Brazil and Argentina.

Trumps goal in renegotiating NAFTA is to return factory jobs to the Rust Belt and reduce the trade imbalance with Mexico. Agricultural trade, however, produces a surplus for the U.S., projected to reach $21.6 billion last year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Although there have been reports that Trump has already signed an executive order to renegotiate NAFTA, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said this week that Trump has not yet taken the proper steps to start a 90-day window for renegotiations.

Adding another level of uncertainty to the situation is Trumps lack of government experience. Recently the president professed amazement that health care was so complex. Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated, Trump told the nations governors.

It might be that Trump will soon learn the same lesson when it comes to negotiating international trade deals.
Following the report by Apostle Johnson Suleman that he has never met with the lady who said he impregnated and abandoned her in a Lagos hotel, her father, Reverend Benson Otobo, has lent his voice to the ongoing tussle.

The father of the Canadian alleged to be Apostle Suleman's secret lover speaks on the issue.

Legit.ng had exclusively gathered from Apostle Suleman on Monday afternoon that the allegations were false and that he had never met with the lady before even though they had discussed about her plight in 2016.

READ ALSO: Nigerians who have used Lagos Airport will be able to relate with these things

The father who was contacted by our correspondent on Monday afternoon, said he had never met the clergyman prior to the escalation of the case as the man never came to his house for any introduction as she had alleged.

He said: To be candid, I dont know about all that the girl said about Suleman, he has never come to my house.

He doesnt even know my house. I had never even met him prior to this incident.

I see Suleman in the television as a man of God who is married, so I dont even know where the girl went to fabricate all those reports.

As at the time of filing this report, the girl was said to have been taken to court where it was gathered that she may be sent to prison.

Apostle Suleman has also spoken concerning the issue as he claims not to know the girl or have anything personal to do with her.

PAY ATTENTION: Get the latest News on Legit.ng News App

Legit.ng will keep tabs on the events as they unfold and file in the reports.

Source: Legit.ng
- Christians have been accused of fueling rumours about President Buhari's health on social media

- Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal said Christians were fond of criticizing Muslims

- He said it was appalling to see Christians condemn the government when they also occupy various positions in government

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has warned Christians to desist from what he described as pull him down syndrome.

He claimed Christians were the ones fueling rumours about President Muhammadu Buharis health on social media, warning them to stop, The Nation reports.

Lawal, in a statement issued by head of media of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), accused Christians of criticizing Muslims for pursing their agenda instead of them to pursue their own agenda.

He disclosed this on Mount Zion, Jerusalem, during a Prayer Convocation for Nigeria to conclude the 2016 pilgrimage.

READ ALSO: God will not bless Nigeria because of the impunity in the land

Lawal, who was the special guest of honour at the prayer session, noted that Christians occupy various positions in government and yet complain about the federal government which according to him was appalling.

Also speaking, the executive secretary of the NCPC, Rev. Tor Uja, said pilgrims decided to hold a one-day prayer in Jerusalem for the restoration and perfection of President Buharis health.

He called on Nigerians not to miss this great opportunity of having an honest man like Buhari leading the country.

Uja advised Christians to keep living exemplary lives, adding that it was sad people come on pilgrimage and go back home worse.

PAY ATTENTION: Get the latest news on Legit.ng News App

I feel sad that people come on pilgrimage and when they leave here, their character is even worse. I want you to make up your mind that you wont deny Jesus Christ, he said.

The focus of the Prayer Convocation for Nigeria which held on March 5, 2017, during the 2016 pilgrimage completion exercise was to pray for the president, the acting president and Nigeria as a whole.

Pilgrims from Rivers, Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Enugu states and FCT converged on Mount Zion, Jerusalem, for the Prayer Convocation with the theme, Building A Covenant Nation.

A week ago, Lawal said those who want Buhari dead are the looters of Nigerias commonwealth.

He called on Nigerians to pray for the president and support his anti-corruption drive.

Watch this Nigerian man criticize President Buhari.

Source: Legit.ng
Images of a child bride being given away in Nigeria, has stirred great debate all over social-media.

Photonews: Chaos on social media as man congratulates, defends cousin who married underaged girl

A Facebook user named Alfa Bolondes, recently shared the photos of his cousin who was getting married to a child.

Bolondes shared the photos with the message: "Happy marriage too my uncle son an my brother in everything. Am wishing dem all the best, amen."

The post generated heated arguments and many started to share varied opinions on the very delicate issue.

READ ALSO: EXCLUSIVE: What people should understand about my idea for a marriage law in Kano - Emir Sanusi

Photonews: Chaos on social media as man congratulates, defends cousin who married underaged girl

Below are some of the comments of Nigerians regarding the photos.

Amoni Charity said: "Oooooh my God, wit dis small gal, What did she no about marriage. I just pray he care for her as like his own daughter."

Goodluck Uleyo said: "The child is nt even happy".

Olu Jay said: "Aboki wit una lifestyle dis one NA child abuse ooo dis mature guy with dis small pikin nawa oo NA so quran take teach una."

Noscan Joseph said: "Uncivilized and poverty of the soul and mind they disturb some pple.... d next thing na she go begin born children nothing like Education again for her side.... chai...disequilibrium and heteroscadestisity in our society"

READ ALSO: 60-year-old man weds 12-year-old girl - See what everyone is saying

Photonews: Chaos on social media as man congratulates, defends cousin who married underaged girl

Fati B Bab Adamu said: "I don't blame her I blame her parent 4 Dis she still doesn't know what going on outside."

Adding: "If any guy come say him wan marry my sis that young he will regrate coming to my hauz"

Teema Moh'd asked a question saying: "Who really organised such a wedding?"

Indiana Fidy Abdulmajeed was of the opinion that "The man dat married her shd be blamed".

Adding: "He will expect that small young lady to give birth yo him, infact i know d girl have not known what the world is all about".

Itz Kakcy said: "Hmm if the guy is an understanding person he wont touch her till when She's of age... Buh if he does Omo the girl is gonna suffer (child abuse)."

Toma Mariam Abubakar said: "Iinstead of you guys to wish them long lasting marriage....... you're here typing 'God forbid'.'she's too young'.'tribalism this and that'........to all the girls out there na until you reach 35 ahbi 40years u go marry?........."

Sunday Esther exclaimed saying: "Jesus Christ! So this child abuse I hear about is really happening. May touch the heart of these people that support child marriage."

Photonews: Chaos on social media as man congratulates, defends cousin who married underaged girl

Mariam Adamu said: "This is wrong,even islam wil not allow this,am feelin sorry 4 d little girl,those dat tink its rite,y dont u give ur daugthers or sistas out 2 marry at this age."

Rosemary Uwam said: "Well I'm not surprised most men in the north can't get married to their mates because all of them are married off at childhood leaving them to marry the kids, meanwhile only the rich and wealthy ones save their daughters for adulthood. Spits."

Source: Legit.ng
At age 89, I'm just amazed that tagging Russia as our adversary is news. It was certainly obvious when I was drafted into the Army in 1950 for the Korean conflict and served in that war and later in Vietnam, as well as in challenging European Cold War tours, plus stateside US Army assignments in the Pentagon, at Newport Naval Base in Rhode Island and doing strategic targeting at Offutt AFB, over a military career that spanned from 1950 to 1982.

I thank Sen. Ben Sasse for a spark of clear, reasonable, independent thought, but it's going to take a lot more of that from GOP leaders to limit the catastrophic possibilities their president threatens ("Sasse points finger at Russia," Feb. 23).

Freedom of religion has been dismissed with little reaction from hypocritical Christians, Jews and others who are silent and content as long as the other guy's religion is singled out for restrictions. Donald Trump now has his sights on silencing the press so neither he, nor we, ever hear anything he doesn't like.

It's going to take significant resistance from thoughtful and responsible heads within the GOP leadership to save our democratic freedoms, and rescue the world from the unpredictability, inconsistencies and irresponsibility of Trump flailing about on the international scene.

Failing GOP restraint and sober, rational government, when the impeachment ball gets rolling, let's not overlook the spineless enablers who were willing to inflict Trump on the nation and on the world, with "I can't defend him, but I stand behind him." Those people are tying their stars to the supremacy of Trump, or the toilet bowl of history.

Tom deShazo, Lincoln
- A revised immigration order has been signed by President Donald Trump

- The order signed by the US President will see to the restriction of citizens from six countries from entering America

- The countries excluded are predominantly Islamic nations

- Trump's administration says the move not against any religion

President Donald Trump of the United States, has signed a revised immigration order, which restricts citizens from six countries from entering America.

Most of the countries banned, were predominantly Muslim nations, including: Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

BREAKING: Donald Trump bans six countries, excludes Iraq

An administration official confirmed that Trump signed the new order on Monday morning, March 6.

Iraq is excluded from the initial list of seven countries in the new order.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said legal residents were always excluded from the entry ban, but thats made much more clear now.

If you have travel docs, if you actually have a visa, if you are a legal permanent resident, you are not covered under this particular executive action.

Conway also confirmed that Syrian refugees will have the same 120-day ban, as refugees from other countries, until the screening procedures are reviewed.

READ ALSO: Trump becomes born again: One Muslim nation to be taken off ban list

Recall that a federal court had blocked Trumps previous immigration order.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Iraq's removal from the list came after an intense review from the State Department to improve vetting of Iraqi citizens in collaboration with the Iraqi government, though he did not specify how vetting had been improved.

"The United States welcomes this kind of close cooperation," he said. "This revised order will bolster the security of the United States and our allies."

CNN reports that the rollout of the revised travel ban marks an important moment for the administration, which has little room for error after the chaotic debut of the original plan.

That failure raised questions about the new White House's capacity to govern and to master the political intricacies needed to manage complicated political endeavors in Washington.

It also brought Trump into conflict with the judiciary in the first sign of how constitutional checks and balances could challenge his vision of a powerful presidency built on expansive executive authority.

The original order came under intense criticism as an attempt to bar Muslims from entering the country, and Trump's call during the campaign for a "Muslim Ban" was cited in court cases attacking the ban.

The new order does not prioritize religious minorities when considering refugee admissions cases.

Administration officials Monday stressed they do not see the ban as targeting a specific religion.

"(The order is) not any way targeted as a Muslim ban ... we want to make sure everyone understands that," an official told reporters.

"The Department of Justice believes that this executive order just as the first executive order is a lawful and proper exercise of presidential authority," Sessions said.

Democrats responded by calling Trump's order a repeat version of the first attempt.

Source: Legit.ng
Over the past year, Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, has aggressively defended the hedge funds culture after critical reports in the media. Mr. Dalio has criticized coverage of his firm by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, complaining about what he has called the fake and distorted news.

Here is a copy of a statement the firm provided to The Times in response to a series of questions.

Regarding Eileen Lies

This five-year-old piece of news was released by management to everyone in the company as part of a continuous flow of tapes given to all employees to provide them with inside views into what is going on in management. This situation was intended to show how seriously we take even trivial misrepresentations. This lie was about a trivial matter Eileen said that she typed an email that her assistant had typed. If it were indeed a serious matter we would not have kept Eileen in her role at Bridgewater. The nanagement committee later apologized to Eileen for the situation and we are grateful that she accepted. Due to a leak to the media, a mountain has been made out of a molehill. The way The New York Times is reporting the situation is both damaging to Eileens character and a misrepresentation of what happened. Eileen Murray is an industry icon who has been widely recognized for her character as well as her accomplishments.

________________

Re: the Fake Firing

This was another case that was conveyed in tapes to the whole company and intended to serve as a teaching moment at Bridgewater. The tape of the session, which was of a relatively minor but unsettling mistake that Ray made, was sent to the whole company so that people could see that Ray was being held accountable to the same standards as everyone else. Ray acknowledged his mistake and appreciated being held accountable.

________________

Re: Bridgewater has pointed to a Harvard Business School case study as support for its management style and how radical transparency contributes to the firms performance

In addition to the HBS case study, three prominent researchers have spent considerable time at Bridgewater viewing and analyzing the culture. A sample of their findings can be found here: https://www.bridgewater.com/independent-studies.pdf We ask that you share this link with your readers.

________________

Re: The firm provides phantom equity to some long-term employees, which continues to pay out after they leave and can discourage them from staying

Bridgewater provides employees phantom equity so that people can be partners of the firm without having to buy equity and they have an incentive to make the future successful. It is an incentive system that is designed for the long-term well being of the firm.

________________
DETROIT  Automakers appear to be on the verge of a rare victory in their long-term effort to reduce government regulations on new cars and trucks.

As soon as Tuesday, the Trump administration is expected to announce its agreement with the major auto companies that future mileage and emissions standards should be overhauled to reflect the growing consumer demand for larger, less fuel-efficient vehicles such as pickup trucks.

Any decision by the Environmental Protection Agency and Transportation Department to reopen a review of the regulations could ease the pressure on the industry to meet the current target of 54 miles per gallon for vehicle fleets by 2025.

Individual carmakers may react differently to a rollback of the federal standards. Some companies, for example, will continue to pursue electric car programs, while others may scale back their plans. And over all, the industry is likely to continue to make incremental fuel-economy improvements as new models are introduced, primarily as a selling point to consumers.
For nearly 600 consecutive evenings, a group of worshipers has prayed the rosary outside the locked doors of Our Lady of Peace, a Roman Catholic Church on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, trying to keep their church alive.

Since their church was shut down in a round of parish mergers in 2015, the group has been fighting to reopen it through prayer vigils and a continued legal appeal before the Vatican. But the archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, has been pursuing a different plan, taking the matter of this East 62nd Street chapel to the pope himself.

On Sunday, the jewel-box-like sanctuary of Our Lady of Peace was opened for a Divine Liturgy service, a weekly sacrament of communion, but not a Roman Catholic one. At Cardinal Dolans direction, the archdiocese has granted a one-year lease to the local parish of the Coptic Orthodox Church, an ancient Christian denomination based in Egypt. The lease is the first stage of a plan to transform the church into the Coptic Churchs New York cathedral, an idea that both Cardinal Dolan and Coptic leaders say Pope Francis has blessed.

Last April in Rome, Cardinal Dolan introduced Pope Francis to Bishop David, the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New York and New England. They raised the idea of selling the Manhattan church to the Coptic faith, which has a history of persecution in the Middle East, the archdiocese said.
GLEN COVE, N.Y.  Last year, Joe LaPadula bought an abandoned, centuries-old mansion on Long Island with plans to refurbish it. Instead, he ruined it.

Actually, that depends on whom you ask.

The house, parts of which date to 1810, was built by a descendant of one of the founders of this small coastal city about an hour from Manhattan. Today it sits covered with paint, its three stories blasted  or, in graffiti parlance, blessed  with the signature scrawls, robots, zombies, cigarette-smoking goldfish, leering eyeballs, dripping bananas and other work of 125 graffiti artists.

Mr. LaPadula, a local auto body shop owner who specializes in customizing luxury cars, invited them to use the dilapidated house as their canvas for an exhibition called First City Project.

You know that saying? Never forget where youre coming from? Mr. LaPadula, 48, who grew up working as a gas station attendant in Howard Beach, Queens, said on Sunday. He sat in the kaleidoscopic front room of the house, beside a pair of containers he had used to clean his car spray-painting guns, now transformed into giant Campbells soup cans. Museum art, it has that pompous feeling and attitude, he said. Graffiti is from the streets. I can relate more to the working-class people, and I feel street artists represent more that type of people.
JERUSALEM  He toured. He prayed. He visited an ancient tomb. He broke bread, cracked jokes and even wedged in some Albany arm-twisting. And he prompted flags to appear all over, even in the middle of cobblestone streets.

The purpose of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomos breakneck 15-hour trip to Israel was an odd mash-up of showing emotional support  reassuring the Jewish population in the aftermath of a rash of anti-Semitic threats and acts of vandalism across New York State and nationwide  and promoting business ties.

But as with all things Cuomo lately, the trip is also being seen through the prism of politics, particularly the continued speculation about the governors potential presidential ambitions. It is a notion he has been actively tamping down, even if his actions  such as a last-minute trip to a country that looms large in discussions of American foreign policy  seem to feed the idea.

Its unfortunate in many ways because it suggests a political nature to everything, which frankly fuels the cynicism about the whole process, said Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, who added that anti-Semitism was a personal issue: Two of his sisters are married to Jewish men.
I am writing in support of LB75, which eliminates the current two-year wait before voting rights are restored to felons convicted in Nebraska ("Felon voting bill gets nod," March 2).

Our correctional system is founded on the rehabilitation of inmates. Individuals who are incarcerated and serve their time should not be deprived of the opportunity to participate in one of the basic foundations of democracy, the ability to vote in public elections for the candidates and issues on the ballot.

During the time of their detention, felons are rightfully excluded from this process as part of the price they owe society for their transgressions. Once freed, they are able to seek gainful employment, reside in their chosen community and take part in the activities that other members of society do. Denying or delaying them the vote sets up a barrier to full inclusion in their state, inevitably creating a resentment toward government and, therefore, a barrier to their future contributions to their fellow Nebraskans.

Granting the vote, which they have earned, can only serve to motivate them to become full members of our society. They have paid the price for their mistakes. Imprisonment has made that very clear to them. Now is the time for Nebraska to accept them back into our citizenry with the hope and expectation that they have learned their lesson and earned the right to fully participate in our democracy.

Peter S. Levitov, Lincoln
As the economy has matured and created a nation of consumers, an increasing number of South Koreans worry about the political power and corruption of the family-controlled companies called chaebol.
This is a dangerous moment, which requires Congress and members of this administration to look beyond partisan maneuvering and tend to the health of the democracy itself.

In four tweets, capped by one about Arnold Schwarzeneggers pathetic ratings on Celebrity Apprentice, Mr. Trump declared as fact a theory he apparently encountered on alt-right websites: How low has President Obama gone to tapp [sic] my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!

Mr. Obama issued a statement saying that neither he nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, denied on Sunday that the government had wiretapped Trump Tower before the election, and said he had no knowledge of any effort to do so before Mr. Obama left office.

The background for Mr. Trumps outburst is, of course, the F.B.I.s investigation of his inner circles contacts with Russian intelligence. It would be highly unusual for a president to be privy to details of a law enforcement investigation targeting his associates, let alone targeting him. If the inquiry is primarily a counterespionage investigation, however, he might properly have been briefed on it. Not much is known about this inquiry. The mere fact that a new administration is being investigated for potentially colluding with Moscow is uncharted territory.

Mr. Trump is now trying to bootstrap his claims into a congressional investigation of the Obama administration. On Sunday Sean Spicer, his press secretary, issued a statement demanding that congressional intelligence committees, led by Republicans friendly toward Mr. Trump, determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016. Representative Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of Mr. Trumps transition team, quickly made clear he intended to do the presidents bidding.
Dr. Thomas E. Starzl, a surgeon and researcher who performed the first successful liver transplant on a human patient in the 1960s and later helped advance the breakthrough drugs that made organ transplants markedly more survivable, died on Saturday at his home in Pittsburgh. He was 90.

His death was announced by the University of Pittsburgh, with which he had been affiliated since 1981.

In 1967, Dr. Starzl led a surgical team at the University of Colorado in a procedure that many in the medical community had dismissed as impractical, if not impossible. Although kidneys had been transplanted successfully since the 1950s, all previous attempts to replace a liver had resulted in the death of the patient.

Indeed, Dr. Starzls first four attempts at liver transplantation, in 1963, had failed when the patients experienced complications from the use of blood-clotting agents, which in some cases caused lethal clots to form in the lungs.
Insurers support the change, saying it would help them attract larger numbers of young customers.

The current rating restrictions, they say, have increased premiums for young adults, discouraging them from enrolling.

But the Republican proposal would increase the financial burden of older Americans, making coverage significantly less affordable, says a letter to Congress from the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, a coalition of nonprofit groups that represent the interests of older Americans.

The letter was addressed to Representative Greg Walden, Republican of Oregon and the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, one of two House panels planning to vote this week on a bill that would roll back major provisions of President Barack Obamas signature domestic accomplishment.

David M. Certner, the legislative policy director of AARP, said the proposal would have a severe impact on Americans age 50 to 64 who have not yet become eligible for Medicare.

At the same time, Mr. Certner said, the Republican proposal could reduce the financial assistance available to help people pay insurance premiums.
WASHINGTON  President Trump is expected to issue on Monday a new version of his executive order on immigration that excludes Iraq, a key ally in the fight against the Islamic State, from a list of predominantly Muslim countries whose citizens will face temporary restrictions on travel to the United States.

The new order would temporarily stop all refugee admissions to the United States, said a senior administration official familiar with it. The previous version included a 120-day ban on all refugees other than Syrians, who were barred indefinitely.

The new order removes the extra restrictions on Syrian refugees. It is unclear how long the temporary ban would last.

The earlier order has been blocked by the courts; the change on refugees is intended to help the new version withstand legal scrutiny. The new order would not affect people with green cards or those holding a valid visa at the time the order is signed.
If there was a wiretap order targeting Mr. Trump or his associates, what would that mean?

If it was a criminal wiretap, it would mean that the Justice Department had gathered sufficient evidence to convince a federal judge that someone using the phone number or email address probably committed a serious crime. If it was a national security wiretap, it would mean a federal judge on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court had a basis to believe the target was probably an agent of a foreign power, like Russia.

Could a judge have approved tapping something at Trump Tower for another reason?

Yes. For example, FISA orders have two parts. After determining that there is probable cause to believe that the target is a foreign agent, a judge also has to approve directing surveillance at a particular facility, like a phone line or an email address, that the target is probably using to communicate. So in theory, if there was reason to believe that some other lawful target was communicating from Trump Tower, a judge could have authorized surveillance at a facility there for that reason.

What about the computer server registered to Trump Tower?

Several news media outlets have reported that investigators last year were puzzled by data transmissions between a computer server registered to Trump Tower and a computer server associated with a Russian bank. Although Mr. Trump on Twitter talked about his phones, in theory a judge might determine that the computer address of the server was a facility being used by a foreign power, Russia, to communicate, and authorize surveillance of it.

Isnt there a report about an October surveillance court order involving that server?

Yes. The Breitbart story relied heavily on a Nov. 7 article by a British writer on the news and opinion website HeatStreet. It claimed that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court had approved a warrant in October in connection with activity between Russian banks and the server, which it said  and Breitbart repeated  was in Trump Tower. It further stated that it is thought in the intelligence community that this purported warrant permitted the collection of emails and other communications of Americans connected to the server investigation, which thus covers Donald Trump.

As things stand, there are reasons to be skeptical. HeatStreet had vague sourcing  two sources with links to the counterintelligence community  and it does not regularly publish investigative stories about American intelligence or law enforcement operations. To date, reporters for The New York Times with demonstrated sources in that world have been unable to corroborate that the court issued any such order. (Computer specialists have also pointed out that the server in question does not appear to be located in Trump Tower.) On Sunday, James Clapper, who was the director of national intelligence until Jan. 20, denied to NBC News that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court had approved monitoring at Trump Tower.
The concept of sanctuary cities is deeply embedded in Western tradition. In biblical times, shelter was offered even to those who might have qualified as bad hombres in the eyes of President Trump. Killers, for example. If the crime lacked intent, they could flee to havens specifically designated in Deuteronomy and the Book of Joshua.

Skip ahead 3,500 years or so and societally sanctioned refuge is proving as powerful a concern for Americans today as it was for the ancients. Sanctuary cities  and counties and states  loom large as Mr. Trump seeks to vastly expand and speed the deportation of undocumented immigrants while threatening to withhold federal money from localities that refuse to cooperate with immigration officials.

To switch the biblical reference point to Ecclesiastes, there is no new thing under the sun, certainly not in regard to sanctuary. Retro Report, video documentaries examining major news stories of the past and their continued relevance, begins a new series by recalling the so-called sanctuary movement of the 1980s, which put church and state in conflict with each other over the fate of Central Americans fleeing civil wars and pleading for asylum in the United States. Those refugees found President Ronald Reagans White House no more eager to open its arms than the Trump administration is now to embrace Syrians seeking shelter from carnage back home.

The Reagan administration supported military governments in El Salvador and Guatemala, viewing them as bulwarks against pro-Communist insurgencies. And so it played down widespread human rights outrages by those regimes and affiliated death squads. When Salvadorans and Guatemalans tried to enter the United States, claiming a fear of persecution in their homelands, they typically were labeled economic migrants, not political refugees.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Bahrains Parliament approved a constitutional change on Sunday that will allow military courts to try civilians, the kingdoms latest move in a mounting crackdown on dissent.

Activists warned that the amendment would in effect place the island under an undeclared state of martial law.

Loyalists to Bahrains monarchy called the change necessary to combat terrorism, and pointed to sporadic low-level unrest since the Arab Spring protests in 2011 that has recently escalated in tandem with the government crackdown.

Bahrains government did not respond to a request for comment about the constitutional change.

But during the councils session on Sunday, Justice Minister Khalid bin Ali al-Khalifa told lawmakers the amendment was necessary as military judges were best placed to deal with irregular warfare.
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea launched four ballistic missiles from its long-range rocket launch site on Monday morning, the South Korean military said. The launch prompted South Korean security officials to call for the early deployment of an advanced American missile defense system that has provoked China.

The missiles took off from Tongchang-ri, in northwest North Korea, and flew an average of 620 miles before falling into the sea between North Korea and Japan, said Noh Jae-chon, a South Korean military spokesman. The type of missile fired was not immediately clear, but Mr. Noh said it was unlikely that they were intercontinental ballistic missiles, which the North had recently threatened to test launch.

During a meeting of the National Security Council, Hwang Kyo-ahn, the acting president of South Korea, called for the early deployment of the American missile defense system known as Thaad, or Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense.

The United States and South Korea have agreed to complete the Thaad deployment within the year. They say it is meant to protect South Korea and American military sites there from North Korean missiles. But China says Thaad would undermine its own nuclear deterrent and has hinted at economic retaliation against South Korea.
If you love a good spy story, no doubt Tuesday youll tune in for the latest in a gripping serial about Russian operatives using duplicity and kompromat to undermine American democracy.

But once youre done watching the news, might I suggest The Americans?

Yeah, its a cheap joke. But if televisions best drama finally gets the buzz it deserves because evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election served as viral marketing  well, as Comrade Trotsky once said, The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end.

If youre new to the series (the first four seasons are on Amazon Prime), it follows Elizabeth and Philip Jennings (Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys), married K.G.B. agents posing as travel agents in suburban Virginia during the Reagan era. While raising two American children, theyve donned fabulous wigs, ferreted out military secrets and killed innocents in service of the fading Soviet empire  all to a well-curated classic-rock soundtrack.
The Nebraska public employees union director is asking Gov. Pete Ricketts to fire his communications director over a tweet.

Mike Marvin sent a letter Monday to the governor saying Taylor Gage made light Sunday on Twitter of the recent disturbance at Tecumseh State Correctional Institution.

Gage posted a story Sunday about kid vandals, ages 7 to 11, who raided a day care in southern California, causing $25,000 worth of damage. With it he tweeted the comment: "In other news: Preschool riot."

There's been much discussion between Ricketts' administration, the media and others since Thursday's disturbance at Tecumseh as to whether it was a "riot" or an "incident." The Corrections Department has been loathe to call these disturbances at Tecumseh riots, and has written and talked about why it was not a riot.

In a Twitter exchange after the post with Brian Mikkelsen, Nebraska State Education Association political field operations director, Gage said he was not comparing the preschool raid with the Tecumseh riot, or making light of the Tecumseh incident.

@btmikk Nope. Both are very serious incidents - Tecumseh certainly more so. Sad to see kids in CA did this.  Taylor Gage (@gagetaylor) March 6, 2017

Marvin charged that Gage's tweet made light of the recent riot, in which two inmates, Damon Fitzgerald and Michael Galindo, were killed.

"Yes, I called it a riot," Marvin said. "I understand the Department of Correctional Services and the industry have their own definition of riot, but the normal definition of a riot fits what occurred," he said in his letter to Ricketts.

He defined riot as "a violent disturbance of the peace by a crowd."

Marvin said Gage's post disrespected the jobs Corrections officers perform and showed little concern for the families of those whose lives were lost.

"It was a deplorable post, not fitting for the person serving as your spokesperson," Marvin said in the letter to the governor.

If Ricketts doesn't fire or demand Gage's resignation, it would show the governor's support for those type of tweets, he said.

"Please show your concern for the dangers faced by our employees every day and take action on this insult to them," Marvin said in the letter.

The governor did not respond publicly to Marvin's letter.

Gage's exchange with Mikkelsen went like this:

Mikkelsen: @gagetaylor Are you really making light of the Tecumseh prison riot?

Gage: @btmikk Nope. Both are very serious incidents - Tecumseh certainly more so. Sad to see kids in CA did this.

Mikkelsen: @gagetaylor Vandalism in CA ... versus a prison riot in Nebraska where 2 people died ...

Gage: @btmikk I think we're in agreement here.

Mikkelsen: @gagetaylor Then why post the comparison?

Gage: @btmikk I did not post a comparison. That's why I said we're in agreement ...
Yo-Yo Ma and his Silk Road Ensemble celebrate a world of music. The rejected bachelorettes dish the dirt  every last spot  on The Bachelor. And Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg host a naughty pizza party.

Whats on TV

THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS: YO-YO MA AND THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE (2016) 8 p.m. on HBO. In 2000, Mr. Ma, the cellist, founded the Silk Road Ensemble, a collective of about 50 musicians and other artists from around the globe that he hoped would help him figure out who he was and how he fit into the world. This documentary by Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom) follows the group as it performs and delves into the back stories of several of its members  among them Kayhan Kalhor, a kamancheh player from Iran, and Kinan Azmeh, a clarinetist from Syria. They ruminate on the threatened traditions of their homelands, the relevance of music in a violent world and the stress of staying true to ones art while expanding and experimenting. If the screen went dark during The Music of Strangers, that would be a disappointment, Ken Jaworowski wrote in The New York Times. But if the sound failed, that would be a tragedy. While this documentary, he added, is lovely to watch, its even more beautiful to hear.
President Trumps postelection agreement to pay $25 million appeared to settle the fraud claims arising from his defunct for-profit education venture, Trump University. But a former student is now asking to opt out of the settlement, a move that, if permitted, could put the deal in jeopardy.

Lawyers for the student, Sherri Simpson of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Monday asked a federal judge in San Diego to reject the settlement unless former students are given an opportunity to be excluded from the deal so they can sue Mr. Trump individually.

If the judge, Gonzalo Curiel, decides that Ms. Simpson and potentially others should have that chance, legal experts say it could disrupt the settlement because Mr. Trump and his lawyers saw the deal as a way to resolve all of the claims, once and for all, to avoid a trial and distractions to his presidency.

If even one person could opt out of the settlement and force a trial, that might, in fact, crater the deal, said Shaun Martin, a professor at the University of San Diego School of Law. Im sure Judge Curiel will be aware of that.
In Spruills telling, the Houston conference was world-changing, but not entirely for the reasons the organizers had hoped. The event drew an estimated 20,000 activists, celebrities and other luminaries for a raucous political-convention-cum-consciousness-raising session. The delegates enacted 26 policy resolutions calling not just for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (then just three states shy of the 38 needed) but a wide range of measures including accessible child care, elimination of discriminatory insurance and credit practices, reform of divorce and rape laws, federal funding for abortion and  most controversially  civil rights for lesbians. Those planks later were bundled as a National Plan of Action and presented to President Jimmy Carter, amid much fanfare, in a report entitled The Spirit of Houston.

Image Phyllis Schlafly Credit... Getty Images

The conference had an unintended, equally revolutionary consequence, though: the unleashing of a women-led family values coalition that cast feminism not just as erroneous policy but as moral transgression. Led by Phyllis Schlafly, a small but savvy coalition of foot soldiers mobilized against the conferences aims. These activists found common cause in their deep religiosity and opposition to feminisms perceived diminishment of real womanhood. And although their leadership denied it, the group also had ties to white supremacists. Divided We Stand argues that the potency of these advocates and their successors reshaped not just the nations gender politics, but the politics of the Democratic and Republican Parties as well.

The Houston conference originated with a 1975 executive order issued by President Ford, charging a National Commission on the Observance of International Womens Year (thereafter known as the I.W.Y. Commission) that would, as Ford put it, infuse the Declaration of Independence with new meaning and promise for women here and around the world. Later that year, Congress tasked the commission with holding conferences in all 50 states to elect the delegates.

The state conferences that convened in the summer of 1977 proved to be anything but unified, and documenting that turmoil takes up much of Spruills attention. Members of the Schlafly coalition  which called itself the I.W.Y. Citizens Review Committee, or C.R.C.  doggedly attended each meeting, disrupting the proceedings and attempting to win inclusion among the representatives who would travel to Houston.

In the end, few C.R.C. representatives were elected among the more than 2,000 racially diverse delegates who headed to the Houston Convention Center. So Schlafly and her followers took another tack: They organized a daylong Pro-Life, Pro-Family Rally across town at the Astro Arena.
Ever since Darwin came up with the theory of natural selection, there has been a question  in some quarters, a worry  about whether human beings remain in any meaningful sense unique creatures. When it comes to things like cognition and language, we operate at far higher levels than other animals do. But are these merely differences of degree, as Darwins theory suggests, rather than of kind? Should the human faculties that once led us to see ourselves as ontologically special  our capacity for moral conduct, our ability to make choices on the basis of reasons  be understood instead as marking the far end of a continuous spectrum of animal behavior, all of which can be explained in light of DNA and the evolutionary history that shaped it?

For a great many scientists and science-minded thinkers, the answer is an unequivocal yes. A human being is just a very clever animal. If we do something that seems at first to defy biological principles (say, heroic self-sacrifice), its only a matter of time before some theory of sexual selection or population genetics will explain it. Everything we do is an expression of our animal character. Any other view of human nature is an exercise in magical thinking or sentimentalism.

Not so, the philosopher Roger Scruton says. In his finely written, compactly argued book ON HUMAN NATURE (Princeton University, $22.95), he sets out to defend human uniqueness  without denying that human beings are animals, governed by the laws of biology. His contention is that human beings are animals but also persons, by which he means free, self-conscious, rational agents, obedient to reason and bound by the moral law. Personhood, in this view, is not some extra thing to be placed supernaturally atop our organism selves. But neither is it something reducible to our biology. Rather, Scruton argues, our animal nature and our personhood are two distinct, contrasting aspects of us. One or the other comes into focus depending on what sort of questions we ask about ourselves. Science has much to say about one aspect, but not about the other.

Scruton offers an analogy. Consider a painting  lets say, the Mona Lisa. It is a physical object composed entirely of physical things: lines and fields of paint applied to a canvas. If you look at the painting, you see those physical things. But you also see something else: an image of a woman with an enigmatic expression on her face. This image is not an extra thing added to the lines and fields of paint. At the same time, it is something over and above the paint: a likeness of Lisa Gherardini. While not every arrangement of paint gives rise to such images, those of a certain complexity do. Scruton is not suggesting that in those cases, some numinous entity  the image  is created; he is suggesting that a different way of seeing the lines and fields is available to us, a way of seeing that exposes us to a world beyond the one expressible by any purely physical description of paint.
Inside a Brooklyn warehouse that has been converted to office and design space are the seeds of a new type of collaboration between the hospitality and retailing industries.

There, West Elm, a division of Williams-Sonoma that sells modern furniture and accessories online and in nearly 90 stores nationwide, has created model hotel rooms. Next year, it expects to begin opening boutique hotels in five cities, including Detroit, Charlotte, N.C., and Savannah, Ga.

Its more-approachable travel coming to life, said Peter Fowler, vice president for hospitality and work space at the company. Room furnishings will be similar to those in stores, but are expected to be more durable to withstand repeated cleaning.

Mr. Fowler said the company was also looking to create a network of local artists at each location who would display their work at the hotels.
Sandra Sargent had finally had enough when a guard at Jared the Galleria of Jewelry in Crestview Hills, Ky., waved his security scanning wand over her buttocks one day in 2007. Several weeks earlier, she said, he had used the same device to brush across her chest. So she called an anonymous company hotline and reported his behavior.

It was an inauspicious career decision by Ms. Sargent, a manager at the store. The complaint made its way to a district manager who later told her that she should grow some thick skin and that the guard had been having harmless fun, according to a sworn written statement from Ms. Sargent. Soon after, she was fired.

Ms. Sargent is among the hundreds of former employees of Sterling Jewelers, the parent of Kay Jewelers, Jared and other jewelry retailers, whose statements about their experiences at the company were released on Feb. 26. The statements, most of them from women, are part of a class-action case that includes 69,000 current or former employees and accuses Sterling of pay discrimination against women.

The company has denied any wrongdoing. On the matter of pay and promotion discrimination, the accusations are not substantiated by the facts, Signet Jewelers Limited, the parent of Sterling, said in a statement. In addition, Sterling said it found the claims of sexual misconduct to be without merit.
A farm in southern Tennessee that produces chickens for Tyson Foods was ordered to cull its flock after federal officials on Sunday identified an outbreak of lethal avian influenza there, the first time the disease has struck this year.

Some 73,500 birds had to be culled over the weekend at the farm in Lincoln County, Tenn., an operation raising so-called breeder birds, which lay the eggs that become chickens for meat. The Department of Agriculture has not yet fully identified the specific strain of the H7 virus found at the farm.

The U.S.D.A. has also established a quarantine on chicken farms around the area, and Tyson said it was testing chickens on such farms to determine whether the disease had spread.

All flocks located within a six-mile radius of the farm will be tested and will not be transported unless they test negative for the virus, Tyson said in a statement on its website. Based on the limited scope known to us at this time, we dont expect disruptions to our chicken business.
She is not alone. Swimming upstream through the dense crowds at LVMH, dodging Mr. Lagerfeld and his entourage here, a cluster of Arnaults deep in conversation there, the overall impression was of a professional cadre of young designers who have been facing crowds from their very beginnings.

If I remember when I started and we did our first collections at school, it was not this level, honestly, said Ms. Chiuri, on a break from the Dior studios, where she is working on her new collection. Ours were just a little bit simpler. Now its different. I see more quality.

In those days, designers a year out of graduate school were not granted an audience with the artistic director of Dior.

When I started in fashion, normally you started to bring coffee, she said with a laugh. I started this way: coffee and photocopying.

The challenge for most of these designers has not been attracting attention. The fashion media, churning through its own version of the 24-hour news cycle, is not slow to anoint next big things who scarcely have a look book or a full rack of samples to their name (yes, guilty).

The challenge is translating early momentum into a sustainable business, especially an international one. (This is an especially tricky subject at the moment, as suggested by the visa issues facing two of the foreign-born, American-based designers. One, Maria Kazakova, who designs Jahnkoy, was advised by her lawyer not to leave the United States, so she talked visitors through her collection via Skype on an iPad.)
After coffee on Monday morning, he provided the first glimpse of the exhibition, which will open May 4, and a peek at a few of its pieces. Ms. Kawakubos work can be confounding, and the explanations she occasionally gives are gnomic at best. (The void is important, she once told Interview magazine.) So there is added pressure on Mr. Bolton to explain to laypeople why fashion is so enthralled with Comme des Garcons.

To do that, he has divided the show into sections along binary lines: fashion/anti-fashion, design/not design, model/multiple, then/now, high/low, self/other, object/subject and clothes/not clothes. Rei breaks down the false walls of these dualisms, exposing their artificiality and arbitrariness, Mr. Bolton said, and he intends with the show to demonstrate how Ms. Kawakubo has worked and played in the space between each of them.

She has, from the earliest collections, which she began to show in Paris in 1981, embraced imperfection and irregularity; drawn from and ultimately mutated ideas from the history of dress; played with taste, good and bad; and eventually moved away from the traditional idea of clothes altogether, creating pieces that exist somewhere between sculpture and clothing, performance art and fashion.

She has also, he added, worked between fashion and commerce. If, as Andy Warhol proposed, Business art is the step after art, Rei is his fashion manifestation, he said. Those who look at her latest collection, or the vintage pieces on display, and see misshapen, unwearable oddities might be surprised, in other words, to learn that the garments (and the more accessible pieces, back in the showroom, whose spirit they channel and reinterpret) actually sell  very well.
Bill specializes in all things nuclear, including missile technology  hes written three books on the subject. I specialize in national security policy, and have a particular interest in cyber conflict and how it is changing the ways in which countries compete with each other. We have worked together for 30 years, since the cold day in January 1986 when we were both thrown onto a team that investigated the technological and political roots of the space shuttle Challenger disaster. (The Times won a Pulitzer the next year for that investigation.)

Our biggest stories usually live at the intersection of technology and national security. Back during the last Bush administration we spent 14 months investigating how Abdul Qadeer Khan, the head of Pakistans nuclear program, created a black market for these weapons  and our reporting helped lead to his arrest. During that investigation, from the back of a smoky bar in Vienna, we extracted the story that Libya had obtained an early Chinese blueprint for an atomic bomb. (Dont ask  and yes, The Times picked up an impressive bar tab.) Together, we also plunged into the details of the Iranian nuclear program.

So when we saw what was happening to those North Korean launches, we had a hunch about what was going on. My last book, Confront and Conceal, detailed the secret American- and Israeli-led cyber attacks on Irans nuclear program using the Stuxnet worm, a sophisticated self-replicating malware computer program aimed at the kind of industrial equipment that controls nuclear facilities, among other sites. That prompted the question: Could there be a Stuxnet for North Korea? (When a savvy National Public Radio reporter once asked that of John Brennan, the former director of the C.I.A., he laughed and said, Next question.)

So Bill did what Bill always does: He dug into the literature. Soon he showed up at my desk in Washington with a grin, toting an inch-and-a-half-thick pile of Pentagon testimony and public documents from companies like Raytheon, which makes missile defenses, describing a program called left of launch that allows for the sabotage of an adversarys systems before anyone presses the big red button. These blended old-style electronic warfare and new-style cyber attacks, with some loud echoes of the techniques used in Olympic Games, the code name for the Iran sabotage. At the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July, I briefed Dean Baquet, our executive editor, and Matt Purdy, a deputy managing editor, about our line of reporting, and they immediately urged us to dig deeper.
They discovered her Yukon near the river, a trail of blood outside, a handwritten note inside.

I'm sorry. This is the only way. I'll be with you and the kids always, although you can't see me, trust in your heart.

The Boyd County sheriff and his deputy followed the blood drops 100 feet to the Missouri River, where they found a pair of womens socks at the edge of the water.

But they didn't find Amy Heiser.

Sheriff Chuck Wrede had been waiting at the courthouse for her earlier that day, Sept. 26, when the 37-year-old Heiser was scheduled to report for sentencing. The mother of three was facing prison time that week for felonies in three counties -- drugs, weapons, sexual assault -- and when she didn't make it to her first court hearing, the search for Amy Heiser was on.

It would continue for more than 45 days.

'Everybody helps what they can'

She was a small woman, and they had ground to cover.

The Sunshine Bottom boat landing in Boyd County reaches into the river across from South Dakota, between the Fort Randall Dam upstream and Gavins Point Dam downstream, near Yankton, South Dakota.

This is wild and remote country, 10 miles northeast of Lynch, the nearest town. Police radios often don't work in the bottomland, but officers are familiar with the terrain.

When you live along the river, recovering bodies is a way of life, said Knox County Sheriff Don Henery, who had been expecting Heiser in his courthouse the day after she disappeared. But it never gets any easier.

The hunt for Heiser started immediately. By that first afternoon, more than two dozen people were scouring the river bank.

The next day, more than 30.

And they kept coming for weeks, officers from several counties and multiple agencies and the state Game and Parks Commission and the Santee Sioux Tribal Police Department, looking for Heiser, or her body, alongside a team of loyal volunteers.

Thats the way the community is built, said Carl Weeder, who opened up his riverside cabin to give the search party a place to eat their meals, use the bathroom and access his internet. Everybody helps what they can. Theres no selfish attitude around here.

Neighbors and businesses donated use of their jet-skis and side-by-side utility vehicles. Airboat operators arrived from the Fremont area. Region 24 Emergency Management brought its communications trailer.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers even agreed to lower the Missouris level -- releasing less water out of Fort Randall, more out of Gavins Point -- to better expose anything tangled in the trees.

A dive team from Yankton searched the river. Cadaver dogs from Brookings County, South Dakota, searched its banks. The State Patrol and private pilots searched from above.

It was kind of heart-wrenching, said pilot Mike Hoffman. That things are so bad for this girl that she decides to go do this to herself, that she decides to go in the river.

Hoffman grew up in Spencer and was a defensive tackle for the Cornhuskers on two national champion teams. He returned to Boyd County a few years ago with his wife, Jacky, to take over the family windsock business.

As a boy, Hoffman had watched his father, Gary, get asked to try to find bodies in the Niobrara and Missouri, or cars that went off the road, or seniors who wandered away.

Now the sheriff's department asks Mike Hoffman for help, too. He didn't hesitate when it wanted him to try to find the missing woman.

It was intriguing, to be honest with you. Thats probably a little why I helped out.

Hoffman and his father fired up their planes -- a Cherokee 6 and a Piper Cub -- and logged about 10 hours flying the river, looking for shapes or colors that stood out.

Timing was important. The sunlight and cloud cover had to be right for them to see deep enough into the water. When Hoffman thought he spotted something, he'd use a police radio to direct the search party on the ground.

But it always turned out to be a phantom. A log, or a shadow.

Hoffman didn't know Heiser, but he did know her parents were often at the river, waiting for an answer to their most important question.

So he wasn't worried about the $100 an hour his family was spending to put a plane in the air.

Were an interesting community. I think there are times when we might not always agree, but on something like this, everyone comes together.

Darold Wickersham was at a coffee shop when Sheriff Wrede called that first day. They were down at Sunshine Bottom, the sheriff said, and they had a communication problem.

Wickersham is on the 911 Board for Boyd and Holt counties. He was instrumental in getting the Region 24 trailer to the landing to give officers a way to talk to each other, he said.

But even after that, he walked the bank from sunup to sundown. The retired farmer knew the missing woman; she'd once worked with his wife at the phone company.

And I knew her mom and dad, he said. I wanted closure for them.

Once, Wickersham thought he saw a body in his binoculars. He directed a Game and Parks boat to the area but it turned out to be leaves snagged on a branch.

The search stretched on through October. A friend of Heisers started an online fundraiser to pay for more boats and planes or, if necessary, arrangements. Amy needs to be found and brought home to rest, she wrote. She is a fun and a kind soul.

Heisers family gathered at the landing -- parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters. Her disappearance was hard on them on more than one level.

A small-town rumor mill runs pretty fast, and there were a lot of rumors that we were hiding her, said her oldest brother, Heath Wilson. That kind of crap makes a person pretty mad when you think you just lost your sister.

The number of volunteers would rise and fall, but Boyd County officers kept returning to the river. At one point, Sheriff Wrede slipped off the bank, landed on a rock and tore off the top of his kneecap.

It went clear to the meat, he said. It took nearly two months to heal.

He hobbled around after that. But he kept looking. They'd tested the blood they found leading from the Yukon, and it was Amy Heiser's, Wrede said. The longtime lawman -- he started his career as an O'Neil police officer in 1978 -- needed her body to close the case.

In late October, the State Patrol met with Wrede and Knox County Sheriff Henery. The troopers said she was dead, and we had a whole bunch of clues that pointed that way, Wrede said. But both of us said, 'Hey, until a body comes up, she isn't dead.'

And she wasn't dead.

Behind the wall

Amy Heiser was found hiding two counties and more than 80 miles from Sunshine Bottom.

But she wasnt found easily.

On Nov. 11, Wrede's office took an anonymous tip: Heiser was at Ron Olson's, outside of Coleridge.

The Cedar County sheriff and his chief deputy searched the farmhouse for 45 minutes. They found Amy Heisers credit cards, and Amy Heisers prescription pill bottles, and what they believed to be Amy Heiser's clothing, and a tote with Amy Heisers belongings.

Olson told them Heiser had dropped off her stuff and that she wasn't there, according to court documents.

The Cedar County officers weren't buying it. Sheriff Larry Koranda pointed out he'd heard a phone during the search, and he'd read a text message from Olson telling Heiser to hide because the cops were coming.

Chief Deputy Chad Claussen asked Olson, who had been caught trying to sell methamphetamine in 2014, how many years he could face if convicted for a probation violation.

Fifty, the 47-year-old Olson told him.

Claussen asked Olson: What good would it do to your kids if you spent the next 50 years in prison?

After that, according to court documents, Olson told them Heiser was in the bathroom.

Already searched up there, Claussen said.

Behind the paneling, Olson told him.

I pulled on the panel and it barely moved, the chief deputy wrote. I pulled again and I was able to get it loose from the wall  There was a naked female located behind the access panel.

He drew his Taser, but also gave her a towel to cover herself.

A $50,000 search

Justice caught up with the woman behind the wall. In Boyd County, she received 20 months for sexual assault, and faces a new charge of felony failure to appear.

She received 36 months from Holt County for possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, and 20 months to 40 months for possession of methamphetamine.

And a judge in Knox County gave her a year for possession of a deadly weapon by a fugitive.

Knox County Sheriff Henery had always considered the possibility she was still alive, he said. I call 30-some years of experience a hunch. I told everybody from the beginning that she's not dead until I see a body. That was step one, to take care of the obvious.

On Nov. 28, Heiser was booked into the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women in York. She's scheduled for release in 2022.

Her lawyer, Rodney Smith, has appealed her convictions to the Nebraska Court of Appeals. He and Heiser decided not to comment on the search or her case, he said in an email.

Heiser and two brothers were born in Texas but moved to Nebraska when they were young, after their parents divorced, said her oldest brother, Heath Wilson.

Their mother remarried and raised their growing family in northeast Nebraska, in Niobrara and Page and Lynch, where Heiser went to high school. And became a victim of her own making, he said.

Mom and Dad had five kids, and all of us turned out all right except for her.

He wants to be clear here: His sister never contacted her family while she was missing, he said. They believed her body was in the river. So they celebrated when they learned she was alive, but they were angry, too.

My opinion, we were happy she wasn't dead, but we weren't happy being lied to, thinking she did that to her kids -- they all thought she was dead -- and to her husband, her parents; we all thought she was dead.

Sheriff Wrede still has questions. If Heiser did park her Yukon at Sunshine Bottom that day in late September, how did she get to Cedar County? Olson was charged with two felonies, but did anyone else help her? Who else knew she was hiding?

He's investigating, he said, though he wouldn't say if more charges are coming.

The longtime lawman had never seen anything like this. Nothing like a suspect's suspected suicide on court day. Nothing like his community's effort to find one of their own.

He's added up the rough cost of the search: $48,000 for the 2,400 hours authorities and volunteers logged looking for Heiser; $1,600 in aircraft fuel; $1,300 to keep the boats and other vehicles running; and at least in $300 in food.

Will his county get any of it back?

He laughed. We arent thinking we are.

He laughed again when asked if the search party felt duped by Heiser.

They arent very happy about it.

But they're not necessarily angry, either.

'You've got to search like it's real'

The community that pulled together to find Heiser hadn't questioned their work, even if some had doubted the tale told on the riverbank -- with the note, the blood, the socks -- in September.

A lot of people who knew her said, 'Shes not in the river; shes smarter than that,' said Mike Hoffman, the pilot.

Weeder, who yielded his cabin to the search party, went down to the river to see for himself but couldn't tell whether she truly disappeared.

He realized that didn't matter. What do you do? You've got to search like it's real.

Which is why volunteers like Wickersham spent their time working the water, even if they were trying to see something that was never there. He felt like he was part of something bigger, he said, something good.

So many people were willing to spend their time, he said. It was wonderful.

And it was even better, in the end, that they hadn't found Heiser near Sunshine Bottom. It meant she was alive.

Nobody wants to see someone commit suicide, no matter how much they screwed their lives up, said Sheriff Henery.

Hoffman, who spent hours searching from the sky, will admit he was hoping he wouldn't find anything. He was pulling for her.

It sounds weird, but youre searching for a dead body, and it turns out she got another chance, he said. I was happy, to be honest with you.
The apartment was available through the websites instant book feature, which allows anyone with an Airbnb account to book a stay without so much as a message to the host. A New York Times reporter reserved it this way last month for a weekend stay in April.

Welcome!! Looking forward to meeting you! the host, Lena Yelagina, wrote back.

She said she would meet the guest downstairs and show him around. Can you please do not tell building staff that its Airbnb but that you are rather visiting me, she wrote. I will really appreciate it!

But two days later, Ms. Yelagina wrote again to say that she had discovered that the guest was a journalist and that she did not want her apartment to be used to learn anything about Mr. Trump or to be featured in an article.

I apologize for this request but I have to make sure that we have a precise agreement and will not have any problems, she wrote.

After the reporter informed her that he planned to write an article, she canceled the reservation and did not answer any questions. Public records indicate that Ms. Yelagina has owned the apartment since 1998 and is listed as an owner of a condominium on the Upper West Side.

How the listing was able to float under the radar in such a high-profile building remains a mystery. It is illegal under state law to advertise and rent most apartments in New York for fewer than 30 days when the host is not present. The Trump Tower listing advertised the entire apartment and said that it could be rented for as few as three nights.
David Samson, a former attorney general of New Jersey and a longtime friend of Gov. Chris Christie, avoided being sentenced to prison time on Monday despite having pleaded guilty to pressuring executives of United Airlines into operating a weekly flight to South Carolina for his personal convenience. Instead, he was ordered to serve one year of home confinement and pay a fine of $100,000.

Mr. Samson, 77, admitted in federal court in July that he had used his power as chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to coerce United into running the route even though it was not profitable. He had threatened to block the construction of a hangar that United needed at Newark Liberty International Airport unless the airline provided the service. The route ended in Columbia, near a country estate that is now Mr. Samsons principal residence, according to prosecutors.

Mr. Samson was one of four allies of Mr. Christie to be convicted or to plead guilty to charges that arose from investigations into the closing of access lanes to the George Washington Bridge in 2013.

Another of Mr. Christies appointees to the Port Authority, Bill Baroni, and one of the governors aides, Bridget Anne Kelly, were convicted last year for their roles in the lane closings. They are scheduled to be sentenced next week. Mr. Baronis top deputy at the agency, David Wildstein, pleaded guilty to running the scheme.
What followed was a decade of spying on Muslim neighborhoods. With help from the C.I.A., the department built a web of informants around the city and beyond. Detectives compiled files on people who appeared to have changed their names for religious reasons, and designated mosques as potential terrorist organizations, allowing the department to record sermons and watch entire congregations without ever filing charges.

As part of that effort, the city created the Demographics Unit, a secret squad of plainclothes officers that eavesdropped on conversations in cafes, making notes about political conversations. They chatted to store owners about their views on drone strikes and international affairs and made a note when they saw Qurans, religious calendars or customers gathering after attending nearby mosques. It was regarded as a human mapping program to look for possible signs of radicalization. In 2014, the police commissioner at the time, William J. Bratton, disbanded that squad as unnecessary.

The programs were revealed in a series of Associated Press articles, beginning in 2011. The city initially denied that the Demographics Unit existed and said it conducted vigorous oversight. The articles, along with complaints about the use of stop-and-frisk tactics, helped prompt the creation of an inspector general, over the objection of the mayor and the police commissioner.

The departments surveillance programs became the subject of renewed debate during the presidential campaign, when Republican candidates, including Donald J. Trump, lauded them as being effective and vital. Representative Peter T. King, a New York Republican and a staunch supporter of the programs, suggested to Mr. Trump during the transition that he adopt a nationwide program modeled after the Police Departments.

Jethro Eisenstein, one of the lawyers who has worked on the case from the beginning, said: This agreement shows that we can have effective law enforcement that protects us from extremist violence without demonizing any religion or group. That is a critical lesson in the current political climate.
Sign for Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization Inside classroom - adult students Students raise hands and talk over each other Man [OS]: I am from Bhutan Teacher [OS]: From Bhutan Woman: I come from Ethiopia Man: Im from Syria Teacher [OS]: From Syria. Where are you from. Woman: I am from Djibouti Nick: Can I ask how many of you came as refugees to Canada? Nick: Pretty much everybody. Nick standing in hallway with refugees CU refugees faces Nick: And you were shot where in the body? Nick [VO]: In the United States, theres been a huge furor over the U.S. accepting just 12,000 Syrian refugees. B-roll footage of people ice-skating TEXT: Ottawa, Canada B-roll close-ups children in hijab on canal Nick [VO]: With a much smaller population, Canada has accepted 40,000 refugees, and is accepting more. Nick [VO]: Immigration here is popular. Im here to understand why. B-roll children skating, pan up to Parliament Hill TITLE: Nick interviewing Ahmed Hussen Ahmed Hussen Text: Minister Ahmed Hussen Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Nick and Ahmed talking Nick [VO]: Traditionally in history, Canadians were every bit as xenophobic and racist in immigration policies as the U.S. or Europe and yet in the 1960s and 70s something completely changed the demography of Canada and has had people cheering as that demography has changed and I dont understand that. Ahmed: I think also you know theres a lot of factors to this but one of the main ones is in 1982 we patriated our constitution and in our charter is a commitment to multiculturalism. Refugee families eating English Language Classroom Ahmed [VO]: We also view language training as being key and integral to integration and settlement. Teacher: Okay number one: grow. Ahmed [VO]: So for example in 2017, we will spend nine hundred million dollars on settlement services for newcomers. Nick in Car Road in Ottawa In car passing houses Nick [VO]: Look, lets not kid ourselves, Canada has some important advantages here. It doesnt have a poorer country right next door that is sending undocumented immigrants and causing resentment. Theres no question that makes it easier. But this also is, I think, a case of political leadership. Nick entering home of Al-Khatouf refugee family Nick: Hello, Hi Ali. INTV: Chrystia Freeland Text: Minister Chrystia Freeland Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia: I think its becoming really part of our identity. I think Canadians are really sort of doubling down right now and a lot of us are saying, yeah this is who we are. Nick meeting Al-Khatouf refugee family B-roll refugees and hosts Nick: Its not just the government thats bringing people in, any group of five or more people can apply to sponsor a refugee. And this is a substantial commitment. They have to look after a refugee for a year. INTV: Mary Browne Refugee family sitting on the couch with Nick INTV: Mary Browne Mary Browne: We started with the hopes of one family and we had so much support that we now have three families so the Al-Khatouf is our first family. The second family is also here living in this building and uh the third family will be arriving, uh which you really never know possibly in the next uh spring. Peggy [OS]: In the spring, I think Mary. Were expecting them in the spring Vicky Assad standing in hallway Vicky Assad: Canadians often get compared to Americans and think theyre quite similar. Were not. INTV: Vicky Assad Vicky Assad: Canadians often get compared to Americans, and think theyre quite similar. Were not. Refugees and hosts sitting on couch INTV: Chrystia Freeland Nick interviewing Chrystia Nick [VO]: We may be overdue for a recession, worldwide and in North America. The latest Quebec shooting was of a non-Muslim, shooting Muslims. But at some point there may very well be one thats the other way around. How vulnerable do you think this hospitality is to terrorism incidents? Chrystia: Being an open society means being a vulnerable society and we are 100% committed to do everything in our power to protect Canadians. Child playing, family on couch INTV: Rahgdaa in school B-roll of Ali with his children Rahgdaa [in Arabic with English subtitles]: I was going to a new country, new language and new place. Being nervous is normal. But when I meet the sponsor group at the airport, they treated us well, just like their own family. Woman hands out sleds to Ali and his children. Kids on sleds Shot of Nick at his desk. Woman: You want the purple one? Child: I want the blue one Woman: You want the blue one? Nick [VO]: The fact that these have now become recognized as Canadian values means that people assert their Canadian-ness when they go to the airport and welcome Syrian refugees. Ali pushing his kids down the sledding hill Ali INTV in school Ali [in Arabic with English subtitles]: My relationship with them is more than a sponsorship. We became one family. INTV: Rahgdaa in school Rahgdaa [in Arabic with English subtitles]: I would describe Canada as the land of spring. Its full of butterflies and energy. After that the fruits shows up. The people of Canada are like the trees that bear those fruits. Ali pushing his kids down the sledding hill END Ali: Bye, bye. Kids: Bye
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Donald Trumps political career is built on a lie about Barack Obama.

Thats the first thing to remember when trying to divine the meaning of Trumps accusation that he was wiretapped on Obamas orders: Trump tells a lot of lies. Its possible that the wiretapping claims are the latest in the pattern, as unconnected from reality as the claim that Obama was born in Africa.

But that scenario is not the only one worth considering. Its also plausible that Trumps accusation is an untruth built on some truths. Julian Sanchez of the Cato Institute, writing for the website Just Security, published a useful summary of the situation this weekend.

As Sanchez explains, Trump appears to be basing his claims on a story in Breitbart that inaccurately summarized reporting from Louise Mensch of Heat Street, from the BBC and from The Guardian. Those other accounts reported that the FBI sought an order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court authorizing them to monitor transactions between two Russian banks and four persons connected with the Trump campaign, Sanchez wrote.
President Trumps executive order barring immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries experienced nearly universal defeat in the federal courts. On Monday, he issued a revised version of that order, but it still suffers from a fundamental, and fatal, flaw: It constitutes unlawful religious discrimination.

On the surface, this revised order looks different from the first version. It explicitly exempts Iraq from the travel ban, thus reducing the number of affected countries to six, as well as lawful permanent residents (that is, green card holders) and people who have visas. It no longer categorically bars Syrian refugees or includes a religious test to determine which refugees may enter the country. And in a marked departure from the earlier order, it goes into effect in 10 days, so that the chaos that unfolded in airports around the world when the January order became effective presumably wont happen again.

These changes are, no doubt, intended to address the due process concerns that led the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to affirm a lower-court ruling that put a hold on part of the original order. But while these changes are important, they do not fix the core problem with the executive order: The administration is waging an all-out assault on Islam and Muslims.

Thats because anti-Muslim bias and bigotry that characterized the original travel ban remain in this revised version. The order is still limited to only Muslim-majority countries: namely, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Residents of those countries  and only those countries  will be severely restricted in their ability to travel into the United States for 90 days. Left off are the predominately Christian countries that the State Department lists as Terrorist Safe Havens like Colombia, the Philippines and Venezuela.
Republicans pitched a fit when President Obama nominated Merrick Garland to fill the seat made open by the death of Antonin Scalia, falsely arguing that a president should not be allowed to fill a vacancy during the last year of his term. Well, it is not at all clear to me that this will not be the last year of Donald Trumps term, should these investigations reveal something untoward between his regime and Russia.

We have known for some time that the Russians interfered in our election in an effort to favor Trump. What we are learning in recent weeks are the number of Trump advisers and administrative officials who had contact with the Russian ambassador before the election, the frequency of those contacts, and the attempts, at least by some, to conceal those contacts.

But we now know, according to reporting by The Washington Post, that Attorney General Jeff Sessions also met at least twice with the ambassador during the campaign  once at the Republican National Convention  and then lied about those contacts under oath during his confirmation hearings.

Then this weekend in a series of tweets Trump made a scandalous and completely unsubstantiated allegation that President Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower in October of 2016. He said of his baseless charge, This is McCarthyism! and This is Nixon/Watergate and called Obama a Bad (or sick) guy!

This is absolutely outrageous. One of three things is true here: Obama, during the waning months of an eight-year term free of personal scandal, decided to maliciously and illegally tap the phones of the candidate all the polls at the time predicted would lose; a law enforcement agency was able to present evidence and convince a federal judge that someone or some group of people in Trump Tower were engaged in illegal activity; or this president, who has proven himself a pathological liar, is once again chasing conspiratorial windmills and seeking to detract and deflect from legitimate scandal. Any of these scenarios has the profoundest of consequences.

There is a helluva lot of smoke here for there to be no fire. Maybe all of these contacts with the Russians have some benign and believable explanation that escapes me at the moment. Maybe this is just the culmination of an extraordinary series of coincidences. Maybe.
To the Editor:

Re Here Comes the Bride. Now Count the Rest (news article, Feb. 23): Legislation limiting multimillion-dollar weddings in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is no doubt well intentioned. However, not only is enforcement going to be difficult, but there is an even a better way to accomplish the objective of the law.

Rather than banning extravagant weddings by the superrich, why not tax them, using the proceeds for good purposes, like education for girls, skills training and even subsidizing weddings for the poor? Wouldnt that be a win-win?

KO-YUNG TUNG, NEW YORK
Those were only the biggest groups. Anarchists, syndicalists and a specifically Jewish leftist group, the Bundists, all competed with, fought against and sometimes allied with one another.

When war broke out in Europe in the summer of 1914, most of these groups, despite their opposition to the czarist regime, had supported what they saw as a defensive war caused by the aggression of the Central Powers, Germany and Austria-Hungary. In this, they were similar to a majority of European socialist and social-democratic parties, which abandoned their professed internationalism and rallied around the flags of their national governments.

Among the minority of political leaders who opposed the war, the most important was Lenin, along with the leaders of the left-wing strand of the Mensheviks, Yuli Martov and Leon Trotsky, all of whom were in exile. From faraway Zurich, Lenin could do little but write denunciations of the social chauvinists who supported the war.

As the war dragged on, however, support ebbed among both the political class and the Russian people. The Brusilov offensive of 1916, hailed as a great victory at the time, ended with as many as a million Russians killed or wounded, with nothing of substance in the course of the war changed. Czar Nicholass decision to take personal command of the Russian armed forces produced even greater disasters, discrediting both Nicholas and the monarchy as a whole.

The rapid collapse of the regime was, therefore, not surprising. But having come so suddenly to power, the provisional government faced the usual problem of revolutionary regimes: how to satisfy the often contradictory expectations of the people who had put them in power.

The provisional government rapidly introduced reforms that would have seemed utterly transformative in peacetime, instituting universal suffrage and freedoms of speech, assembly, press and religion, and addressing the demands of the many national minorities who made up much of the Russian empires population. But none of this delivered the three things the people wanted most: peace, bread and, for the peasants, land.

Of these failures, the most important was the failure of peace. The war continued, and in April it emerged that Milyukov had sent a telegram to the British and French governments, promising continued Russian support. He lost office shortly thereafter, and the Socialist Revolutionary leader Kerensky emerged as his successor.
To the Editor:

Re A Fake Saviors Betrayal (column, Feb. 26): While Nicholas Kristof is right to highlight the harm that President Trumps agenda will bring to ordinary Americans, he errs in offering Judge Neil Gorsuchs nomination to the Supreme Court as a counterpoint. That nomination should rank high on any list of ways that Mr. Trump has betrayed his promises to make America better.

While Mr. Trump would have you believe that his nominee is an amicable moderate, his record reveals a radically conservative jurist who has proved himself a reliable ally of corporate powers, even when they prey on consumers and employees.

In the case of a worker electrocuted because of inadequate on-the-job training, Judge Gorsuch in his dissent made clear that he would have ruled for the company. He argued against a trucker fired for not obeying an order that could have killed him. He would make it harder for those wronged by Wall Street and corporations to band together to obtain relief.

Far from a mainstream nomination, we must see Judge Gorsuch for what he represents: an extreme, dangerous assault on the well-being of working people.
A 79-year-old retiree from Waterloo has reached a settlement in an excessive force lawsuit against a now former Butler County Sheriff's deputy who pulled him over at gunpoint.

The case was dismissed late last week, though the parties aren't releasing details of the agreement.

Butler County Attorney Julie Reiter said only that no public funds were used to pay the settlement.

In July, Carl Osentowski filed a suit in U.S. District Court in Omaha against Andrew Yost, a Butler County Sheriff's deputy who pulled him over at gunpoint after trees in his pickup prevented him from immediately spotting the deputy trying to stop him for speeding on Nebraska 92 near Rising City on June 11, 2014.

He said the deputy ordered him to get out of his pickup and keep his hands above his head while leveling his firearm at him, then to lie face-down on the shoulder of the highway with his son until a second deputy arrived.

Osentowski said in the suit that he feared he would be shot.

After they were allowed to leave, his son called 911, believing his father was about to suffer a heart attack.

Osentowski ultimately pleaded guilty to speeding and was fined $75.

Osentowski and his son originally had sought $100,000 each in punitive damages.
Last week President Trump again called to revitalize the United States military, most notably with a 10 percent increase in the defense budget. Such proposals make for a snappy sound bite and enable the president to bask in the reflected glow of the armed forces, which happen to be more popular than he is. Yet in the absence of a coherent national strategy, arbitrary increases in the defense budget will do little to make America safer, and could make the world more dangerous.

There is no doubt that the United States faces serious security threats. The Defense Department is dealing with genuine readiness and modernization challenges, and reasonable people can disagree about whether targeted budget increases are a necessary remedy. Some experts see rising threats from North Korea and Russia and have called for augmenting the United States ground warfare capabilities after long campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. Others call for increasing funding for the Navy, which is slated to shoulder the cost of a new ballistic missile submarine  the backbone of the nations future nuclear force  even though this effort may squeeze out the services traditional shipbuilding.

Ideally, a coherent defense budget process would reflect these types of debates, prioritizing some threats over others and determining how best to combat them. In the real world, the defense budget is complex, politicized and hard to wrangle even when incoming administrations attempt to link their budgets to a vision. But they usually try.

For example, President John F. Kennedys defense secretary, Robert McNamara, proposed reducing funding for the Air Force because Kennedy had promised to move away from President Dwight D. Eisenhowers emphasis on the services nuclear capabilities. Similarly, President George W. Bushs first defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, focused his early efforts to reshape the budget on defense transformation to reduce each services legacy force structure while investing in information, stealth and precision technology. Neither president got exactly what he wanted, but each made a vigorous effort to link proposed changes to strategic priorities.
To the Editor:

Re F.B.I. Chief Pushes for Justice Dept. to Refute Trump (front page, March 6):

President Trumps recent outlandish, incendiary, unsubstantiated claims that President Obama illegally tapped his communications should not be allowed to stand unchallenged by Republicans.

Mr. Trumps Twitter statements are a transparent attempt to deflect negative attention from himself and appeal to the conspiracy-ridden sensibilities of some of his Obama-hating base. This is the man who for years promoted false claims that Barack Obama was not an American citizen by birth.

Democrats who challenge Mr. Trumps latest unsubstantiated claims may be perceived as simply engaging in partisan politics. That is why Republicans  Republicans who know better  need to speak out against Mr. Trumps reckless, irresponsible behavior.

ANN DIAMOND, BAR HARBOR, ME.

To the Editor:

In 2016, Russian agents hacked internal communications of the Democratic National Committee, apparently in an effort to influence the outcome of our presidential election in favor of Donald Trump. When asked about Russian interference, Mr. Trumps response was that it was time for the country to move on to bigger and better things.
To the Editor:

Re A New Nation, Cracking Apart (front page, March 5):

Two of us recently visited Juba to appeal to South Sudans highest leaders that they act to prevent genocide and bring to justice those responsible for the atrocities that your reporter describes.

Blanket impunity is fueling further atrocities, a point made by refugees streaming by the hundreds of thousands into Uganda and Ethiopia. We told leaders that they can avoid or minimize prosecution by acting to prevent crimes by soldiers and to punish those who commit atrocities.

The 2015 peace agreement obligates the warring parties to accept a criminal tribunal to be created by the African Union with South Sudanese and other African judges. The situation is dire. The African Union needs to set up the tribunal immediately, and South Sudans leaders must reverse the slide to genocide. The United States should press for such actions and build a stronger coalition to confront the humanitarian catastrophe.

STEPHEN RAPP, DAVID SCHEFFER

CLINT WILLIAMSON, CHICAGO

The writers are former United States ambassadors at large for war crimes issues in Democratic and Republican administrations.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia struck a resonant historical note last year when he proclaimed June 12 Loving Day, in commemoration of Loving v. Virginia, the 1967 Supreme Court decision that invalidated state laws across the country that restricted interracial marriage.

That Virginia would celebrate the decision was symbolically rich, given that Richmond had been the capital of the Confederacy under Jefferson Davis and the seat of a virulently racist legislature that diligently translated white supremacist aspirations into law.

The Loving decision turns 50 this summer, which will give the annual festivals, picnics and house parties held in its honor a special gravity. But the recent re-emergence of white supremacist ideology in political discourse lends an inescapably political cast to this celebration of interracialism.

As this drama unfolds, historians and legal scholars are criticizing aspects of the Loving decision, including the courts failure to repudiate the myth of white racial purity upon which Virginias statute was based.
The treaty also has important verification requirements, like semi-annual data exchanges on the two nations weapons systems. Both agreed to notify each other of certain nuclear-related actions, and can conduct up to 18 inspections annually of the others strategic forces. Mr. Obama knew how essential the treaty was, as did the Senate, which ratified it 71 to 26. It also had the unanimous support of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and seven former military commanders who had controlled the strategic nuclear forces.

If Mr. Trump is foolish enough to leave the treaty, the United States and Russia will be free to build up arsenals that have declined by thousands of weapons since the late 1960s. That would set off a costly, destabilizing arms race. And by eliminating verification and transparency requirements, America would lose insight into Russias program.

Mr. Trump not only seems inclined to undermine New Start limits; he has said he wants to ensure that Americas arsenal is at the top of the pack. It is already ahead of the pack with more than enough nuclear weapons, backed by advanced conventional weapons, to keep the country safe.

When stockpiled warheads are factored in, the United States and Russia have roughly 4,500 warheads each, and both are engaged in modernization programs. The next-largest arsenals are Frances, at 300 warheads, and Chinas, at 260. A 2013 Pentagon study said America could maintain a strong and credible deterrent with 1,000 warheads.

After refusing to engage in new nuclear negotiations with the Obama administration, the Russians are signaling a willingness to extend New Start when it expires in 2021. Some Republicans are opposed, either because they have an ideological aversion to any restraints on the military or because they want to block an extension in retaliation for Moscows deploying a new nuclear-capable cruise missile, a deployment that violates a different treaty.
Background reading:

 A conspiracy theorys journey: How did an unfounded assertion on a radio show come to consume the president, the F.B.I., the Justice Department and the worldwide news media?

 Mr. Sangers and Mr. Broads story on the secret cyberwar against North Koreas missiles that Mr. Trump inherited.

Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at thedaily@nytimes.com. Tweet me at @mikiebarb. And if that isnt enough, we can even text.

How do I listen?

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From 2008 to 2015, Volkswagen sold 11 million diesel cars worldwide rigged with software that cheated emissions tests by running the full emissions-control system only if the car sensed a test was underway.

Otherwise, the cars operated without emissions control, releasing more than four times the levels of nitrogen oxides, a class of harmful air pollutants, permitted by European regulation.



Now, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimate that 1,200 people in Europe will die prematurely, each losing as much as a decade of life, because of excess emissions from 2.6 million affected cars sold just in Germany.

All diesel cars produce high levels of nitrogen oxides, or NOx, because they burn fuel at a higher temperature than cars that run on gasoline, said Guillaume Chossiere, a research assistant at M.I.T. and lead author of the study.
Chen Chen & Kai Williams

After graduating from the Pratt Institute, Kai Williams and his design partner, Chen Chen (above, right), began making frequent trips to the Queens neighborhood of Willets Point, a place that was pretty desolate until the incursion of a recent development project. They went to admire the improvised furniture in the auto body shops, anonymously made with a MIG welder and a socket set, Chen says. These things might be considered ugly, but we are more concerned with something being interesting versus boring.

Such are the unexpected places where Williams and Chen, both 32, have found inspiration. And certainly, the word boring could never be applied to the avant-garde objects that emerge from their studio in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Embedding bits and bobs in polished urethane composites and then smashing, molding and slicing them, the two have created a signature style both freewheeling and rigorous. The idea that first brought them attention was their Cold Cut coasters, made from a loaf of rolled, resin-coated fabric and detritus carved like deli meat; a couple of years later, they collaborated with Tai Ping to produce rugs adorned with coaster patterns. Enamored with castoff elements like rope, bone and sticks, the duo, who started their studio in 2011, stockpile debris. Recently, they discovered a bag of steel shot in one of the drawers of a welding table that Williams had bought secondhand. After mixing it with resin, creating a caviarlike substance, they made sconces. Asked to sum up their practice, Chen says, If you had all the money and time in the world, you would make something the right way. If you have little of both, what are the solutions you come up with?
It is no secret that North Koreas military ambitions include building an intercontinental missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to the United States. What isnt as well known is what the United States has been doing to thwart that ambition.

In a startling story, The New York Timess David E. Sanger and William J. Broad detail a three-year cyberwar quietly waged against North Koreas missile program. Some experts believe the United States has managed to delay by several years the day when North Korea will be able to threaten American cities. Others have grown increasingly skeptical of the approach.
In a blasted-out shelter nestled up against a garbage pile, a grubby girl in a newsboy cap leads two younger children through their lessons: phrases in English  to beg what they need from foreign visitors  and a succession of piteous poses, each more subservient than the last.

A poetic stage direction in Phillip Howzes play Frontieres Sans Frontieres, a brightly colored comic fantasia on cultural imperialism, describes these moppets as tiny revolting looking angels. Living by their wits in some vague developing country, they pick pockets and panhandle to survive.

Hello, you do have apple? Win (Emma Ramos), the childrens 14-year-old leader, asks Thom (Sathya Sridharan), a promising mark. Then she hits him up for cash. A teacher, he strikes a bargain: He will help her improve her English if she will promise not to ask him for money anymore.

As embodied by the magnetic Ms. Ramos, Win is a sharp and resourceful waif, and it is hard to tell who is getting played in her deal with Thom. But when she contorts the muscles of her face, making the sounds he wants her to make, our laughter comes with a twinge. She is straining to reshape herself. Is that such a good idea?
North Korea has fired four ballistic missiles, three of which landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.

The move comes as South Korea and the United States are holding their joint military exercises, which Pyongyang sees as preparations for an invasion.

Kwon Ki-joon, a spokesman for the South Korea Defense Ministry spokesman, said "several projectiles" flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).

The firing took place in Tongchang-ri, in the country's North Pyongan province, and the projectiles are believed to have landed in the Sea of Japan, which is also known as the East Sea, according to a South Korean Defense Ministry official.

South Korean President Hwang Kyo-ahn is scheduled to chair a meeting of the country's National Security Council at 9 a.m. local time.

Foal Eagle

The firing comes as South Korea and the United States are holding their annual military exercises, known as Foal Eagle, which both countries say are defensive in nature.

North Korea has already denounced this year's exercises through state media service KCNA.

"Now that the US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces again kicked off the dangerous nuclear war drills against the DPRK at its doorstep, our army will counter them with the toughest counteractions," it said.

The exercises usually draw condemnation and retribution from Pyongyang.

During last year's drills, North Korea fired multiple short to medium range missiles and announced it could place nuclear warheads on its weapons.

The firing also comes a day after Seoul quadrupled the award for North Korean defectors and nearly a month after North Korea test-fired a new type of missile, the Pukguksong-2, a medium-long range ballistic missile.

That missile was also fired from North Pyongan province and traveled 500 kilometers (310 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan.

The launch happened while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in the United States visiting US President Donald Trump.

North Korean state media reported that Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the operation.

But perhaps the biggest story coming from the Kim family recently has been they mystery surrounding the death of the the North Korean leader's eldest half-brother, Kim Jong Nam.

He died February 13 -- shortly after the Pukguksong-2 launch -- in Kuala Lumpur while en route to Macau.

CNN's Junko Ogura, Lee Taehoon and Ben Westcott contributed to this report.
Stephen Adly Guirgis is not just a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. He has been testing out his chops in different media: He made a cameo in Birdman, and wrote for the Netflix series The Get Down. Now, he is returning to the stage to act in David Mamets American Buffalo, at the Dorset Theater Festival in Vermont this summer.

American Buffalo will run Aug. 24 through Sept 2 and will star Mr. Guirgis as Don, alongside Treat Williams as Teach. John Gould Rubin will direct. The play was written by Mr. Mamet in 1975, and Al Pacino starred in a 1983 revival. Mr. Guirgis is rarely seen onstage: he took on many acting roles in the early 2000s, but shifted his focus to playwriting, with The ____________ With the Hat on Broadway, and Between Riverside and Crazy in 2014 Off Broadway. (Between Riverside won him the Pulitzer for drama in 2015, while the other play has a title unprintable in this publication.)

The Dorset Theater Festival will also include the world premiere of Theresa Rebecks Downstairs  directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt and starring the siblings Tyne and Tim Daly in what is billed as their first stage appearance together  running from June 22 through July 8. And Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, by Ken Ludwig, will run July 13 through July 29. More information about the festival is at dorsettheatrefestival.org.
Cambridge Analyticas rise has rattled some of President Trumps critics and privacy advocates, who warn of a blizzard of high-tech, Facebook-optimized propaganda aimed at the American public, controlled by the people behind the alt-right hub Breitbart News. Cambridge is principally owned by the billionaire Robert Mercer, a Trump backer and investor in Breitbart. Stephen K. Bannon, the former Breitbart chairman who is Mr. Trumps senior White House counselor, served until last summer as vice president of Cambridges board.

But a dozen Republican consultants and former Trump campaign aides, along with current and former Cambridge employees, say the companys ability to exploit personality profiles  our secret sauce, Mr. Nix once called it  is exaggerated.

Cambridge executives now concede that the company never used psychographics in the Trump campaign. The technology  prominently featured in the firms sales materials and in media reports that cast Cambridge as a master of the dark campaign arts  remains unproved, according to former employees and Republicans familiar with the firms work.

Theyve got a lot of really smart people, said Brent Seaborn, managing partner of TargetPoint, a rival business that also provided voter data to the Trump campaign. But its not as easy as it looks to transition from being excellent at one thing and bringing it into politics. I think theres a big question about whether we think psychographic profiling even works.

At stake are not merely bragging rights, but also an emerging science that many believe could reshape American politics and commerce. Big data companies already know your age, income, favorite cereal and when you last voted. But the company that can perfect psychological targeting could offer far more potent tools: the ability to manipulate behavior by understanding how someone thinks and what he or she fears.
The White House, concerned about the possible political repercussions of the Republican effort to defund Planned Parenthood, has proposed preserving federal payments to the group if it discontinues providing abortions.

The proposal, which was never made formally, has been rejected as an impossibility by officials at Planned Parenthood, which receives about $500 million annually in federal funding. That money helps pay for womens health services the organization provides, not for abortion services.

Lets be clear: Federal funds already do not pay for abortions, Dawn Laguens, the executive vice president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said on Monday. Offering money to Planned Parenthood to abandon our patients and our values is not a deal that we will ever accept. Providing critical health care services for millions of American women is nonnegotiable.

But the outreach to allies of Planned Parenthood is a glimpse of the internal struggle inside a White House torn between trying to satisfy the conservative base that elected President Trump and responding to the views of his daughter Ivanka Trump, who urged her father to tread carefully on the Planned Parenthood issue during the Republican primary contest.
In dissent, Justice Alito countered that it would be difficult to limit the sweep of the ruling. He added that the courts constitutional analysis was flawed. The real thrust of the majority opinion is that the Constitution is less tolerant of racial bias than other forms of juror misconduct, but it is hard to square this argument with the nature of the Sixth Amendment right on which petitioners argument and the courts holding are based, he wrote. What the Sixth Amendment protects is the right to an impartial jury. Nothing in the text or history of the amendment or in the inherent nature of the jury trial right suggests that the extent of the protection provided by the amendment depends on the nature of a jurys partiality or bias.

In earlier cases, the Supreme Court has said that even egregious misconduct in the jury room cannot be used to challenge a conviction if it would require jurors to testify about what was said there. Until Monday, though, the court had never confronted whether racial or ethnic prejudice requires an exception to the general rule.

In 1987, in Tanner v. United States, the Supreme Court let stand convictions in a mail fraud case in Florida even though the jury had treated the trial as one big party fueled by rampant drug and alcohol abuse, as one juror described it. During recesses, jurors drank pitchers of beer and liters of wine, and they used marijuana and cocaine.

Justice Sandra Day OConnor, writing for the majority, said there were good reasons to ignore irresponsible or improper juror behavior if it was based on jurors accounts of what had gone on in the jury room.

After-the-fact challenges based on jurors testimony, she wrote, would make it less likely that jurors would speak candidly during deliberations. Allowing such challenges would encourage lawyers to harass former jurors, she said, and undermine the finality of verdicts.

In 2014, in Warger v. Shauers, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that jurors may not testify about what went on during deliberations, even to expose dishonesty during jury selection.
Last week at the Supreme Court, a lawyer made what seemed like an unremarkable point about registered sex offenders.

This court has recognized that they have a high rate of recidivism and are very likely to do this again, said the lawyer, Robert C. Montgomery, who was defending a North Carolina statute that bars sex offenders from using Facebook, Twitter and other social media services.

The Supreme Court has indeed said the risk that sex offenders will commit new crimes is frightening and high. That phrase, in a 2003 decision upholding Alaskas sex offender registration law, has been exceptionally influential. It has appeared in more than 100 lower-court opinions, and it has helped justify laws that effectively banish registered sex offenders from many aspects of everyday life.

But there is vanishingly little evidence for the Supreme Courts assertion that convicted sex offenders commit new offenses at very high rates. The story behind the notion, it turns out, starts with a throwaway line in a glossy magazine.
WASHINGTON  Prompted by the Trump administrations reversal of the federal governments position on transgender rights, the Supreme Court announced on Monday that it would not decide whether a transgender boy in Virginia could use the boys bathroom at his high school.

The decision not to take his case, which came as the court is awaiting the appointment of a ninth member, means there will be no ruling on the highly charged issue of transgender rights this term. The issue will almost certainly return to the Supreme Court, probably in a year or two.

Until then, lawsuits in the lower courts will proceed, the political climate and public opinion may shift, and the courts composition will almost certainly change.

Mondays development was a setback for transgender rights advocates, who had hoped the Supreme Court, which established a constitutional right to same-sex marriage two years ago, would aid their cause.


Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, did not respond to an email request to speak with someone in the Trump administration about its thinking regarding the effort. President Trump was a fierce critic of the nuclear accord during the campaign, saying President Barack Obama had negotiated a bad deal. But he has since given no public indication that he intends to follow through on his vow to abrogate it.

The embassy of Luxembourg in Washington also did not respond to a request for comment.

Complicating matters, the lawsuit that resulted in the default judgment did not stem from one of the attacks by Shiite terrorists that specialists generally agree were sponsored by Iran. Instead, it was brought by victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by Al Qaeda, the Sunni terrorist group.

In 2011, the victims persuaded a federal judge in New York, George B. Daniels, to find that Iran had aided the attacks by providing assistance to Al Qaeda, like facilitating the travel of Qaeda members through its territory. In 2012, he ordered Iran to pay the victims $2 billion in compensatory damages and $5 billion in punitive damages.

That judgment stagnated for years because there was no obvious way to collect it. But then it came to light that the Clearstream system in Luxembourg, which facilitates international exchanges of securities, was holding $1.6 billion in Iranian central bank assets that had been blocked under sanctions.

Last year, lawyers for the Sept. 11 victims persuaded a judge in Luxembourg to place a new freeze on those assets while they sued over whether they could execute the default judgment against those funds, the letter said. Both Clearstream and the Iranian central bank, Markazi, are now trying to get that freeze lifted.

The two lawyers who signed the letter and are leading the effort, Lee S. Wolosky and Michael J. Gottlieb, both partners in the law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, are former Obama administration officials. Mr. Gottlieb was a lawyer in the White House in Mr. Obamas first term, and Mr. Wolosky served as the special envoy for Guantanamo closure under Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who negotiated the Iran nuclear deal.
Administration officials privately conceded that the initial version of the order was a political debacle that damaged Mr. Trumps nascent presidency. But they were much more sanguine about the second order, arguing that the new, multiagency review process could be used in the future to bend Mr. Trumps uncompromising messages toward Washingtons bureaucratic realities.

Mr. Trump signed the first ban with great fanfare, in front of reporters, at the Pentagon. We dont want them here, Mr. Trump said of Islamist terrorists. We want to ensure that we are not admitting into our country the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas. We only want to admit those into our country who will support our country, and love deeply our people.

This time, the White House issued a photograph of the president signing the order alone at his desk in the Oval Office.

Justice Department lawyers said the revisions rendered moot legal cases against the original travel ban. But opponents said the removal of a section that had granted preferential treatment to victims of religious persecution was a cosmetic change that did nothing to alter the orders prejudicial purpose. Immigrant rights lawyers had argued that the provision was intended to discriminate against Muslims, pointing to recent statements by Mr. Trump.

This is a retreat, but lets be clear  its just another run at a Muslim ban, said Omar Jadwat, the director of the Immigrants Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, one of the groups that sued to stop the first order. They cant unring the bell.
WASHINGTON  The White House on Monday refused to acknowledge reports that James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director, had asked the Justice Department to refute President Trumps claim that President Barack Obama wiretapped him during the 2016 presidential campaign, and said Mr. Trump still believes he was spied on.

Mr. Comey urged the Justice Department this weekend to push back against Mr. Trumps claims, but the department has not said anything publicly. The New York Times first reported about Mr. Comeys request to the Justice Department on Sunday, and other news media organizations followed suit.

Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, dismissed the stories on Monday. I have not seen anything, aside from another report based on anonymous sources, that that actually happened, Mr. Spicer said. Im not aware that that occurred. I dont think that were aware that that occurred.

Mr. Spicer did not say why Mr. Trump or other administration officials had not reached out directly to the Justice Department or Mr. Comey to find out whether Mr. Trumps accusations are true. And Mr. Spicer provided little evidence to back up Mr. Trumps claim about Mr. Obama.
SAN FRANCISCO  The engineers of Silicon Valley are fine-tuning driverless cars, building robots designed to replicate the human brain and shaving milliseconds off internet response times.

Their trip to work, however, can be a throwback to the predigital age. The regions commuter rail line is saddled with aging, smoke-spewing, diesel-powered locomotives.

For more than a decade, the managers of the Silicon Valley railway, known as Caltrain, have been planning to upgrade to faster and less polluting electric trains.

But those plans are now imperiled by the Trump administrations decision in February to withhold a $647 million federal grant.
Nebraskans for Peace, Lincoln chapter, Bold Nebraska and the social action segment of Sacred Winds Native Mission Church are holding a Rally for Our Sovereign Rights on the west side of the State Capitol building at 12:30 p.m. Saturday (March 11). The purpose of the rally is to protect Native American rights and all citizens rights to decent water and environmental quality.

The rally is in support of the march the Standing Rock Sioux called for March 10 in Washington to follow upon their recent efforts to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. In recent months, the Seven Council Fires of the Lakota Nations undertook an encampment at Standing Rock to stop the Dakota Access Pipe that they see as threatening their scarce water supplies.

The sponsoring organizations wish to support the Washington march with a rally at our Capitol where many Nebraska leaders still support the Dakota Access Pipeline despite the fact that ABC reports says records show that one Dakota Access builder, Energy Transfer Partners, has lost at least 18,845 barrels of crude oil through pipeline spills across the country since 2005 and that since 2010, the government has fined the company and its subsidiaries more than $22 million for environmental and other violations.

The presenters at the rally will be Dr. Colette Polite of the Cheyenne tribe; Linda Anderson of Bold Nebraska; Michelle LaMere, water protector, of the Winnebago Tribe; and Renee Sans Souci, water protector and educator, from the Omaha Tribe.
Another wrote: It got me thinking of ALL the sexual bereavement there is, through being single, through divorce, through disinterest and through what I am experiencing, through prostatectomy. It is not talked about.

Prior research has documented that physicians/counselors are generally uncomfortable discussing sex with older women and men, the researchers noted. As a result, such discussions either never happen or happen awkwardly. Even best-selling memoirs about the death of a spouse, like Joan Didions The Year of Magical Thinking, fail to discuss the loss of sexual intimacy, Dr. Radosh said.

Rather than studying widows, she and Ms. Simkin chose to question a sampling of 104 currently partnered women age 55 and older, lest their research add to the distress of bereaved women by raising a double taboo of death and sex.

They cited a sarcastic posting from a woman who said she was not a good widow because a good widow does not crave sex. She certainly doesnt talk about it. Apparently, I stink at being a good widow.

The majority of survey participants said they were currently sexually active, with 86 percent stating that they enjoyed sex, the researchers reported. Nearly three in four of the women thought they would miss sex if their partner died, and many said they would want to talk about sex with friends after the death. However, 76 percent said they would want friends to initiate that discussion with them, rather than bringing it up themselves.

Yet, the researchers found, even women who said they were comfortable talking about sex reported that it would not occur to them to initiate a discussion about sex if a friends partner died. The older the widowed person, the less likely a friend would be willing to raise the subject of sex. While half of respondents thought they would bring it up with a widowed friend age 40 to 49, only 26 percent would think to discuss it with someone 70 to 79 and only 14 percent if the friend was 80 or older.

But even among young widows, the topic is usually not addressed, said Carole Brody Fleet of Lake Forest, Calif., the author of Happily Even After who was widowed at age 40. In an interview she said, No one brought up my sexuality. Ms. Fleet, who conducts workshops for widowed people, is forthright in bringing up sex with attendees, some of whom may think they are terrible people for even considering it.
That would mean a lot in terms of the defense of Tokyo, because North Korea might have been conducting a simulation of a saturation attack in which they launch a number of missiles simultaneously in order to saturate the missile defense that Japan has, said Narushige Michishita, director of the Security and International Studies Program at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo. It would be difficult for Japan to shoot down four missiles all at the same time because of our limited missile defense.

The Norths Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday that the launches were timed to counter a joint United States-South Korean military exercise. The missile tests came three weeks after North Korea tested a missile during a visit to the United States by Japans prime minister, Shinzo Abe, to meet with President Trump.

Japans Coast Guard sent out navigation warnings and stepped up air and sea patrols on Monday after three of the missiles landed within the countrys so-called exclusive economic zone, where fishing and cargo ships are active. The fourth landed outside it, though nearby.

This was not the first time that North Korean test missiles have fallen within that zone. In both August and September of last year, missiles came within 125 and 155 miles of the Japanese coastline. Mondays missiles landed about 185 to 220 miles west of Akita Prefecture, on the northern coast of the main island, Honshu. The September launches involved three missiles fired simultaneously, but this time North Korea set off four missiles at once, all of which seemed to land successfully.

During a parliamentary committee session Monday morning, Mr. Abe said that the launches clearly represent a new threat from North Korea.
BEIJING  Big political gatherings are intended to inspire a combination of awe and national pride, and the annual full sessions of the National Peoples Congress in Beijing are no exception. Guards wear their best uniforms; every button is polished to a shine. Long rows of red banners flap in the breeze on the roof of the Great Hall of the People, an imposing building on Tiananmen Square.

What happens inside the congress, which lasts for less than two weeks, has mostly been decided in advance by the Communist Party. The roughly 3,000 delegates are here to rubber-stamp major decisions and offer usually harmless suggestions about their pet causes.

The National Peoples Congress draws representatives from all over China, including some nominally representing Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing has long claimed. Most of these legislators are Communist Party members and functionaries. But there is another contingent that is larger than even the biggest provincial delegation: the Peoples Liberation Army.
SEOUL, South Korea  A special prosecutor in South Korea asked state prosecutors on Monday to indict President Park Geun-hye on bribery charges, saying that Ms. Park and her secretive confidante conspired to take $38 million in bribes from Samsung, one of the worlds largest technology companies.

The special prosecutor, Park Young-soo, recommended the indictment as he announced the results of his teams 90-day investigation into a corruption scandal surrounding Ms. Park, who was impeached by a parliamentary vote in December.

The inquiry resulted in the indictments of 30 people, including several former aides to Ms. Park, on criminal charges, including the abuse of official power. But the prosecutor could not bring any charge against Ms. Park because she is protected from indictment while in office.

His mandate now over, Mr. Park said he was leaving the task of indicting Ms. Park once she is out of office to state prosecutors.
BANGKOK  North Koreas ambassador left Malaysia on Monday evening after he was ordered expelled for making disparaging remarks about the country and challenging its motives in investigating the killing of Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of North Koreas ruler.

The ambassador, Kang Chol, who had questioned the Malaysian polices findings and suggested that Mr. Kim had died of heart failure rather than by poison, was declared persona non grata on Saturday and given 48 hours to leave.

At the airport, Mr. Kang told reporters that the extreme measures taken by the Malaysian government were doing great harm to relations between the two countries.

Earlier Monday, Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia said Mr. Kang had been expelled because he had not apologized for his comments when asked to do so.
BRUSSELS  Foreign and defense ministers of European Union members reached a deal on Monday to create a headquarters for military training operations  setting aside, at least for now, concerns that the step might lead to the establishment of a European army to rival NATO.

France and Germany support the proposal and have pressed the European Union to do more to ensure its own defense and counter the threat of terrorism.

Britain has long opposed anything that resembled a European military command  but it has voted to leave the European Union, and that has altered the dynamic of the debate. With the United States appearing to take a step back in its role in the world, the core pair of France and Germany is pushing the European Union to take greater responsibility for its security.

The European Union and NATO have overlapping memberships: Of the 28 nations in the European Union, all but six  Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Malta and Sweden  also belong to NATO. Albania, Iceland, Norway and Turkey are in NATO but are not part of the European Union, as are Canada and the United States.
BERLIN  An idea, once unthinkable, is gaining attention in European policy circles: a European Union nuclear weapons program.

Under such a plan, Frances arsenal would be repurposed to protect the rest of Europe and would be put under a common European command, funding plan, defense doctrine, or some combination of the three. It would be enacted only if the Continent could no longer count on American protection.

Though no new countries would join the nuclear club under this scheme, it would amount to an unprecedented escalation in Europes collective military power and a drastic break with American leadership.

Analysts say that the talk, even if it never translates into action, demonstrates the growing sense in Europe that drastic steps may be necessary to protect the postwar order in the era of a Trump presidency, a resurgent Russia and the possibility of an alignment between the two.
MOSCOW  A Russian lawmaker who was the driving force behind a measure that banned the distribution of homosexual propaganda to minors said on Monday that the law should be applied to a new Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, even while acknowledging that he had not yet seen the movie.

The lawmaker, Vitaly V. Milonov, relied on news media reports and complaints from parents that the childrens film includes a gay character who participates in a sexually deviated scene, said his spokesman, Ilya Yevstigneyev. This is an apparent reference not to the concept of love between a human and a beast but to a seconds-long glimpse of a gay character near the end of the movie dancing with the object of his affections.

In this case, society cannot be silent about what film distributors are offering under the guise of a childrens tale, Mr. Milonov said in a letter to the Russian Culture Ministry, which oversees the film market. The obvious, blatant, shameless propaganda of sin, of perverted sexual relations.

The release of the film coincides with the start of spring vacation for Russian schoolchildren, adding  for Mr. Milonov  a sense of urgency. Our common task, he writes, is to stop this music film from being shown on screens one way or another.
LONDON  When Nicola Thorp was sent home for refusing to wear high heels to her job as a receptionist in Londons financial district, she did not cower in her sensible flats. She got even.

Ms. Thorp, an actress, helped spur a popular revolt in Britain after she started a petition calling for a law that would prevent women from having to suffer from what she considered outdated and sexist dress codes at the office. In her case, she had been told that her shoes needed to be a minimum of two inches high.

On Monday, more than two years after Ms. Thorp was sent home over her shoes, members of Parliament called on the government to tighten the rules so British women would never again be forced to wear high heels at the office.

What we found shocked us, Helen Jones, a member of Parliament for the Labour Party and chairwoman of the petitions committee dealing with the issue, told fellow lawmakers. She said British women were enduring double standards in the workplace that belonged more in the 1850s than in modern times.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Bahrains justice ministry has filed a lawsuit intended to dissolve a major opposition group that it accuses of supporting terrorism, the state-run Bahrain News Agency reported on Monday.

The group, the National Democratic Action Society, or Waad, was accused by the ministry of serious violations targeting the principle of respecting the rule of law, supporting terrorism and sanctioning violence. The secular organization called the move an attempt to stamp out dissent and vowed to fight the ministry in court.

Bahrain, where the American Navys Fifth Fleet is based, has been a political flash point since the Arab Spring protests of 2011 led by the nations Shiite majority were put down by the Sunni-led government with the help of other Persian Gulf Arab states.

The crackdown entered a new phase last year when the authorities banned the main Shiite Muslim opposition group, Al Wefaq, and revoked the citizenship of the countrys top Shiite cleric.
My lifelong mantra has always been: Just keep going, you can make it, youll get there.

Those were the words I muttered inside my head one night a few weeks ago, as I was walking from the LifePointe fitness center to my car, then driving home, struggling inside, and telling my husband I am fine, Ill be all right, Im OK. This darling man, who does not believe in calling 911, thought that might a good idea right then. I resisted, we got through the evening, but at 5 a.m., I was forced to get his attention, to report that Id called 911 and he needed to go down to the front door to let the EMTs in.

Barely able to get me down the stairs, the EMTs pulled me out onto the front porch to an awaiting gurney, and off we went to Bryan Health East, where I was finally convinced there was something seriously the matter with me. Pneumonia and a blood infection combined to make this old woman a very sick cookie.

Eight days later I could come home, but not before again learning how to live life from a hospital room. In order to be there, Id had to cancel nine appointments and not attend four more. Which is all a barely intelligent person would need to be aware of about how to get very sick from doing too much.

Life in that hospital room ---- I was referred to as 602  came with extraordinarily fine care and attention, and a yellow band on my left wrist on which I finally noticed the words shrieking a warning about Danger of Falling. Odd way to find out that you are that.

I am not especially brave or strong but something in me intones, constantly, I am all right, I do not need to stop, I will be OK. Strangely enough, I find the roots of such echoing from the Christian Science faith in which I was brought up. I dont mean to suggest that this misguided thinking of mine is a result, entirely, of that religions teachings. Its just what I am left with from my childhood.

That education simply translated into such keeping on behavior in my mind, not necessarily what a lifelong faithful Christian Scientist lives by. Somewhere I came by the idea that if I just try harder, keep going, push on, ignore whats going on in my body, life will be fine. And that I, too, will be just fine. As if ignoring the obvious is recommended for trudging through life.

Trudging is a good suggestion for those of us who need to lower the drama in our lives; but it does not suggest that we push on, oblivious to whats going on, especially in our bodies.

I am glad to be home and yet, life in Room 602 wasnt bad. I was not permitted to get out of bed without first calling for help. The sign said: DO NOT GET UP BY YOURSELF. CALL FOR HELP FIRST. That was a big re-learning at home  I am in charge of when and how I get up out of a chair or my bed. All of which takes energy. Surprise!

A good soul delivered to my hospital room a ton of magazines and books from home that I thought Id wade through. I did a pretty good job of plowing through those sacks, and at home, Ive yet to clear out a cloth carrier of very heavy magazines. Harrumph to such chores!

At home, no meals are delivered to my room, as in that efficient, highly-organized, thoughtfully-run hospital. Yet friends have brought over some delicious food that I simply have to warm in the micro and put on the table. A dear old friends meatloaf has sustained us for more than one meal. I am in awe of and grateful for people who are such good cooks!

As we all know, hospitals are against letting patients get enough sleep; for me, thats a big disruption of my usual 10-to-12 hours a night. Actually it was not the hospitals fault, not even the 3 a.m. blood draws; my body was just too restless to sleep most of the nights. So, hurrah, here at home I am sleeping regular long, deep hours. I was even sound asleep when a nurse came on her scheduled visit the other day. After a good long sleep, I wake easily and this understanding nurse could not have been more accepting of the idiosyncrasies of my sleep patterns. We are fortunate to have insurance coverage for several home visits of nurses and therapists.

This interruption of my life is slightly difficult to accept. When will the pneumonia go away, when will my strength return, when can I drive again, and be about my merry way?

Life will provide the answers if I can be patient, and manage some gratitude for a long life, yet again restored to health.
The Plans Received Low Marks

The Urban Institute has graded Americas state-run pension systems on their performance in a few areas: their financial strength; how well they provide retirement security to short-term or long-term workers; the workplace incentives they offer various age groups; and whether participating branches of government are funding them properly. Grades for all types of public pensions are available on the Urban Institutes website, where they can be filtered for individual strengths and weaknesses.

Overall grades for state teachers pension plans A B C D F (none) Ore. Mass. N.Y. R.I. Wyo. Conn. Ohio Del. Ky. Ark. Fla. Overall grades for state teachers pension plans A B C D F (none) Wash. Me. Mont. N.D. Minn. Vt. Ore. N.H. Mass. Wis. Idaho S.D. N.Y. Mich. R.I. Wyo. Conn. Iowa Pa. Neb. N.J. Nev. Ohio Ill. Ind. Del. Utah Colo. W.Va. Md. Mo. Va. Kan. Calif. Ky. N.C. Tenn. Okla. Ariz. Ark. S.C. N.M. Ga. Ala. Miss. Tex. La. Alaska Fla. Hawaii Source: The Urban Institute and Bellwether Education Partners

No states got an A and only six states received a B: Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, New York, Oregon and Wyoming. Most states  33  received a C, while six got a D. The last six  Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Ohio and Rhode Island  each received an F.

Getting an F could mean the plan offers few rewards for younger workers, is less than 60 percent funded or pays meager retirement income relative to salary, among other problems. Rhode Island improved its plan enough in 2013 to get a B on the new version, but it still has so many people in the older, failing plan that the overall grade was an F.

How Plans Encourage Teachers to Retire in Their 50s

The typical teachers pension plan is backloaded, meaning teachers build up benefits slowly in their early years, then speed up and earn the biggest portion just before they retire. But teachers also contribute to their plans at a steady rate, and in the early years of a teachers career, a persons contributions are often worth more than the pension credits earned. If teachers stay on long enough, they will eventually hit a break-even point, where the value of the pension that has been earned is greater than what was paid for it. Few teachers are able to do this, research shows.

A hypothetical example of a teachers pension in Missouri $1,000,000 Value of pension 800,000 56 600,000 50 400,000 Cumulative teacher contributions 49 200,000 Teacher starts at 25 46 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 Teachers age when leaving Slow growth before age 46, when pension withdrawals must be deferred to age 60. 46 Faster growth from age 46-49 when a special rule allowing early pension withdrawals with 24 years of service phases in. By age 49, the teacher can start drawing a reduced early pension at 56. 49 At age 50 there is big jump in pension value when another rule makes the teacher eligible to draw a reduced early pension immediately, after 25 years of service. 50 At 31 years a teacher has reached the plans normal retirement age, and can draw an unreduced pension immediately. If the teacher waits too long to retire, the value of his or her pension will start to taper off. 56 The example assumes the pension fund gets an average annual investment return of 7.75 percent. A hypothetical example of a teachers pension in Missouri $1,000,000 Cumulative teacher contributions At 31 years a teacher has reached the plans normal retirement age, and can draw an unreduced pension immediately. If the teacher waits too long to retire, the value of his or her pension will start to taper off. Value of pension 800,000 At age 50 there is big jump in pension value when another rule makes the teacher eligible to draw a reduced early pension immediately, after 25 years of service. 600,000 400,000 Faster growth from age 46-49 when a special rule allowing early pension withdrawals with 24 years of service phases in. By age 49, the teacher can start drawing a reduced early pension at 56. 200,000 Assumes teacher starts at 25 Slow growth before age 46, when pension withdrawals must be deferred to age 60. 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 Teachers age when leaving The example assumes the pension fund gets an average annual investment return of 7.75 percent. A hypothetical example of a teachers pension in Missouri $1,000,000 Cumulative teacher contributions At 31 years a teacher has reached the plans normal retirement age, and can draw an unreduced pension immediately. If the teacher waits too long to retire, the value of his or her pension will start to taper off. Value of pension 800,000 600,000 At age 50 there is big jump in pension value when another rule makes the teacher eligible to draw a reduced early pension immediately, after 25 years of service. 400,000 Faster growth from age 46-49 when a special rule allowing early pension withdrawals with 24 years of service phases in. By age 49, the teacher can start drawing a reduced early pension at 56. 200,000 Assumes teacher starts at 25 Slow growth before age 46, when pension withdrawals must be deferred to age 60. 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 Teachers age when leaving The example assumes the pension fund gets an average annual investment return of 7.75 percent. Source: Robert M. Costrell (University of Arkansas)

Going in the Wrong Direction

To save money, many states have reformed their teachers pension plans. In most cases, these changes have pushed the break-even point farther out into the future. In Massachusetts, they pushed it so far out that no teacher can ever earn a pension greater than the value of ones contributions, no matter how long he or she works.

Years it will take for teachers to break even with their pensions Before the reform Since the reform Massachusetts Rhode Island 37 years Currently, teachers in Massachusetts will never break even. Hawaii 35 Ohio 35 Illinois 35 Minnesota 34 Maine 34 Maryland 33 California 32 New Hampshire 32 South Carolina 31 Kansas 30 New Mexico 30 Mississippi 30 New Jersey 30 North Dakota 30 Oklahoma 30 District of Columbia 30 West Virginia 30 Alabama 29 Nebraska 29 Arizona 28 Iowa 28 Vermont 28 Missouri 28 Virginia 27 Kentucky 27 Nevada 26 Delaware 25 Pennsylvania 25 Connecticut 25 New York 24 Florida 24 Tennessee 24 Colorado 23 Idaho 23 Wyoming 22 Pension changes in the three states in bold let teachers break even more quickly. South Dakota 22 Georgia 22 Texas 21 Montana 21 Alaska 20 Arkansas 20 Louisiana 20 North Carolina 20 Wisconsin 19 Michigan 14 Indiana 10 Washington 10 Oregon 5 Utah 4 The states in italics have not reformed their plans or the number of years did not change. Years it will take for teachers to break even with their pensions Before the reform Since the reform Massachusetts Rhode Island 37 Hawaii 35 Ohio 35 Currently, teachers in Massachusetts will never break even. Illinois 35 Minnesota 34 Maine 34 Maryland 33 California 32 New Hampshire 32 South Carolina 31 Kansas 30 New Mexico 30 Mississippi 30 New Jersey 30 North Dakota 30 Oklahoma 30 District of Columbia 30 West Virginia 30 Alabama 29 Nebraska 29 Arizona 28 Iowa 28 Vermont 28 Missouri 28 Virginia 27 Kentucky 27 Nevada 26 Delaware 25 Pennsylvania 25 Connecticut 25 New York 24 Florida 24 Tennessee 24 Pension changes in the three states in bold let teachers break even more quickly. Colorado 23 Idaho 23 Wyoming 22 South Dakota 22 Georgia 22 Texas 21 Montana 21 Alaska 20 Arkansas 20 Louisiana 20 North Carolina 20 Wisconsin 19 Michigan 14 Indiana 10 Washington 10 Oregon 5 Utah 4 The states in italics have not reformed their plans or the number of years did not change. Source: The Urban Institute and Bellwether Education Partners | Notes: The years it will take a teacher who was 25 when hired to accumulate pension benefits that will exceed an individuals contributions. Data includes defined-benefit plans only.

New Hires Make Up the Difference

A traditional pension can be a very attractive benefit, at least for those who work long enough to get back more money than they contribute. But because of high teacher turnover, mobility from state to state and other factors, only a minority of all newly hired teachers succeed in doing that. Some states make it easier than others.
President Trumps new immigration ban was blocked by two federal judges on Wednesday, a day before it was set to go into effect and more than a month after a panel of federal judges blocked key parts of his initial order.

BARRED

People From Six Countries

The new order prohibits for 90 days the entry of travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Meanwhile, American officials will conduct a review into screening procedures in place to prevent threats.

While new applicants will be admitted on a case-by-case basis, travelers from countries that do not provide sufficient information for screening by the end of the review may still be barred from entering the United States.

The new ban removed Iraq from its original list of seven targeted countries, though Iraqi nationals seeking admission will be subject to additional scrutiny. Some of Mr. Trumps foreign policy advisors argued for the countrys removal, citing the countrys role in fighting the Islamic State.

In legal challenges to the original ban, plaintiffs cited a law that says the government cannot act arbitrarily or without supportive evidence.

Two weeks after the federal appeals court hearing, a Department of Homeland Security report was revealed to have found no evidence that citizens from the targeted countries posed a unique threat. However, Homeland Security officials argued that the report did not paint a full picture.

BARRED

Visitors, Students and Workers Without Current Visas

The new ban only applies to people from the six countries without current visas, like temporary, non-immigrant visas for students and workers. Students with valid F, M or J visas will be allowed. The original ban also affected current visa holders who would normally be allowed to travel and re-enter the country.

During the rollout of the first ban, many visa holders were stuck abroad or detained in American airports. Later, a State Department official said that fewer than 60,000 visas had been provisionally revoked. Several judges who issued injunctions against the original order raised concerns that due process rights were being violated.

There were nearly 65,000 nonimmigrant, temporary visits by citizens from these six countries in the 2015 fiscal year, including:

Visitors, business travelers 49,412 entries in 2015 People visiting the U.S. for recreational or business purposes on non-immigrant travel visas like B-1 or B-2. Students 12,205 entries in 2015 International students (and their families) enrolled in U.S. programs on non-immigrant visas like F-1, J-1 and M-1. Temporary workers 883 entries in 2015 Employees (and their families) on non-immigrant work visas like H-1B for specialty workers and H-2B for agricultural workers. Fiances of U.S. citizens 669 entries in 2015 Temporary visas for fiances of U.S. citizens and for spouses and children of U.S. citizens or green card holders who have pending immigrant visas.

BARRED

New Immigrants

Like the original order, the new ban also applies to people from the six countries newly arriving on immigrant visas, which are issued based on employment or family status. People issued immigrant visas become legal permanent residents on arrival in the United States and are issued a green card soon after.

In 2015, green cards were issued to 31,258 people from these six countries. In general, about half of recent new legal permanent residents are new arrivals to the country, and the other half had their status adjusted after living in the United States.

BARRED

Refugees

The ban on all refugees to the United States is still set at 120 days. Syrian refugees are no longer barred indefinitely, but now fall under the general ban. After the 120 days, the administration will determine which countries they will reinstate admissions from. Syrians made up the second-largest group of refugees to the United States in 2016.

In another change, refugees in minority religious groups will no longer be prioritized for acceptance once the program is reinstated. Although the original order did not explicitly mention Christians as a minority religion that would have been given preference, Mr. Trump said that was what he intended, prompting challenges claiming religious-based discrimination.

The order still allows case-by-case exceptions for some refugees. During the week when the initial refugee ban was in effect, just 15 percent of the 843 refugees who were admitted on a case-by-case basis were Muslim, compared with a weekly average of 45 percent in 2016. Only two refugees were allowed in from the seven originally targeted countries. Refugees already granted asylum will be allowed.

The new ban also still cuts the refugee program in half, capping it at 50,000 people for the 2017 fiscal year, down from the 110,000 ceiling put in place under President Barack Obama.

ALLOWED

Green Card Holders and Special Immigrants

The new order explicitly says that green card holders from the targeted countries will still be allowed. In the original order, green card holders were not explicitly cited as exempt, leading to uncertainty at airports. The administration later clarified that they were not affected.

From 1999 to 2015, 2.6 percent of new legal permanent residents were from the six affected countries.

ALLOWED

Dual Nationals and Diplomats

The ban still does not apply to U.S. citizens, or to dual nationals who enter the United States presenting their passport from a country not under the ban. During the rollout of the original order, it was unclear whether dual nationals from the targeted countries were allowed.

People on certain types of diplomatic or government visas are also still exempted from the ban. Nearly 1,500 admissions from the six countries were made on these visas in 2015:

Diplomats Diplomats (and their families) on visas like A-1 Government officials Representatives of foreign governments or international organizations holding G-1, G-2, G-3 or G-4 visas Visitors to the United Nations People with C-2 visas to travel to the United Nations NATO officials Officials (and their families) on North Atlantic Treaty Organization visas

Other Changes From the Original Ban
There are 11 million of them, the best estimates say, laboring in American fields, atop half-built towers and in restaurant kitchens, and swelling American classrooms, detention centers and immigration courts.

Carlos, an undocumented immigrant who lives in Los Angeles, fears he will be deported. He has been living in America since he was 8 years old and owns a business. J. Emilio Flores for The New York Times

In the publics mind, the undocumented  the people living here without permission from the American government  are Hispanic, mostly Mexican and crossed the southwestern border in secret.

In the eyes of their advocates, they are families and workers, taking the jobs nobody else wants, staying out of trouble, here only to earn their way to better, safer lives for themselves and their children.

At the White House, they are pariahs, criminals who menace American neighborhoods, take American jobs, sap American resources and exploit American generosity: They are people who should be, and will be, expelled.

Illegal immigrants can be many of these things, and more. Eleven million allows for considerable range, crosshatched with contradictions.

There may be no more powerful symbol of how fixedly Americans associate illegal immigration with Mexico than the wall President Trump has proposed building along the southern border. But many of the unauthorized are not Mexican; almost a quarter are not even Hispanic.

Countries of origin for unauthorized immigrants in the U.S.

Guatemala 723,000 El Salvador 465,000 Hon- duras 337,000 China 268,000 India 267,000 Korea 198,000 Mexico 6.2 million Ecuador Philippines Colombia Other countries 2.1 million Mexico 6.2m Guatemala 723,000 El Salvador 465,000 Honduras 337,000 China India Korea Ecuador Colombia Philippines Other countries 2.1 million Guatemala 723,000 El Salvador 465,000 Honduras 337,000 China 268,000 India 267,000 Korea 198,000 Mexico 6.2 million Ecuador Philippines Colombia Other countries 2.1 million Guatemala 723,000 El Salvador 465,000 Honduras 337,000 Korea 198,000 China 268,000 India 267,000 Mexico 6.2 million Ecuador Philippines Colombia Other countries 2.1 million Mexico 6.2 million Guatemala 723,000 El Salvador 465,000 Honduras 337,000 India China Korea Ecuador Colombia Philippines Other countries 2.1 million

After Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, the largest number of unauthorized immigrants comes from China (an estimated 268,000), where deportations run aground on a less literal wall: China is one of 23 countries that do not cooperate with deportations. (The Trump administration has pledged to pressure all 23 into doing so.)

They tend to be younger  the Pew Research Center has found that adult unauthorized immigrants were, at the median, about a decade younger than American-born adults  and skew slightly more male than the rest of the country.

Geography and demography are only two ways to anatomize these 11 million. Circumstance offers another: As he seeks to tighten law enforcements grip on unauthorized immigrants, Mr. Trump will grapple with a population of people who arrived in several ways and for myriad reasons, each slice presenting its own challenges.

S trong American Ties

A supporter of Jeanette Vizguerra, an undocumented immigrant who has spent 20 years working in the United States and has three American children, outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Denver on Feb. 15. Ryan David Brown for The New York Times

To hear many liberals and immigrant advocates tell it, most undocumented immigrants are productive, law-abiding members of society, deeply rooted in communities all over the country, working hard, living quietly, paying taxes and raising families.

Statistics show that many of the undocumented fit this profile. About 60 percent of the unauthorized population has been here for at least a decade, according to the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute.

10 or more years of residence 60% 40 20 Less than 5 years Percentage of unauthorized immigrants 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 10 or more years of residence 60% 40 20 Less than 5 years Percentage of unauthorized immigrants 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012

A third of undocumented immigrants 15 and older lives with at least one child who is a United States citizen by birth. Slightly more than 30 percent own homes. Only a tiny fraction has been convicted of felonies or serious misdemeanors.

Of course, as the Trump administration has emphasized, merely being here without authorization is a violation of the law.

Even the wording of the issue is revealing: conservatives favor the term "illegal immigrants," which hardliners often truncate to "illegals"; immigrant advocates prefer "undocumented immigrants," a phrasing that they say prods the conversation back toward the humans in question, but that also has a whiff of euphemism. "Unauthorized" often shows up as a neutral alternative.

No matter the label placed on them, people like Lydia, 47, who runs a small jewelry store in Los Angeles, do not think of themselves as lawbreakers.

Lydia, who like several undocumented immigrants did not want her last name published for fear of being deported, crossed the border through Tijuana in 1988. She looked for legal help from a notary, mistakenly thinking that a notario indicates a legal expert, as it does in many Latin American countries.

She was eventually ordered out of the country. But the Obama administration deprioritized deportations of people who had committed no major crimes, and it allowed her to live and work in the United States as long as she checked in with an immigration agent each year.

Lydia raised four children, all citizens, and sent them to public schools in Sun Valley, a suburb north of Los Angeles. She and her husband bought a home there, paid off their mortgage and bought a second home nearby.

Undocumented immigrants without U.S. born children 6 million With U.S. born children 4 2 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 Undocumented immigrants without U.S. born children 6 million 4 With U.S. born children 2 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012

Now she is a candidate for deportation once again, and is anxious each time she steps out of her home.

I am in limbo, she said. I am afraid I will go out and never come back.

Criminal Records

Few nemeses loomed larger in the narrative of Mr. Trumps presidential campaign than the figure of the illegal immigrant who threatened Americans  one of the rapists and killers from Mexico, as Mr. Trump has put it.

820,000 have been convicted of a crime (7.5%) 11 million unauthorized immigrants 300,000 have been convicted of a felony (2.7%) 11 million unauthorized immigrants 820,000 have been convicted of a crime (7.5%) 300,000 have been convicted of a felony (2.7%)

Such people do exist. The Migration Policy Institute has estimated that 820,000 of the 11 million unauthorized have been convicted of a crime. About 300,000, or less than 3 percent of the 11 million undocumented, have committed felonies. (The proportion of felons in the overall population was an estimated 6 percent in 2010, according to a paper presented to the Population Association of America.)

Immigration agents regularly arrest what the government calls criminal aliens.

At the end of January, agents arrested a 50-year-old Mexican man near Milwaukee who had felony convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, battery against a police officer, car theft and intentionally harming a child, and who had been deported twice before. Last week, they caught an undocumented Honduran man in North Carolina, Francisco Escobar-Orellana, who is wanted in Honduras for allegedly hacking two men to death with a machete in 1993.

The Trump administration has said it will continue to prioritize deporting those with serious criminal records, but, in a break from the Obama administration, the new policies also take aim at immigrants whose offenses are limited to living here without permission or minor crimes that enable immigrants to work here, like driving without a license or using a fake Social Security number.

The Social Security Administration estimated that in 2010, 1.8 million undocumented immigrants worked under a number that did not match their name.

Benjamin, 42, fixes the hydraulic trucks used for cane-cutting operations in Clewiston, Fla., often working 17 hours a day. Scott McIntyre for The New York Times

Surrounded by the sugar cane fields of Clewiston, Fla., working backbreaking jobs, Maria and Benjamin took pains to follow the rules, pay taxes and stay out of the way. But now they fear the one rule Benjamin had to break to survive  he used a fraudulent Social Security number to secure a job  may prove their undoing.

Benjamin, 42, fixes the hydraulic trucks used for the areas cane-cutting operation, which means he works 17 hours a day, often at night.

This worries us, but we dont have an option, said Maria, 38, who arrived from Mexico when she was 19. He has always worked and has always had a fake Social Security card. That is the way you get a job.

Overstayed Their Visas

Some people endure long journeys by foot, train, boat and smugglers to make it across the border. But for an increasing number of immigrants, illegal status arrives overnight, without a single step.

400 thousand 300 Overstayed visa 200 Crossed over Mexican border 100 The top-two ways illegal immigrants arrive in the U.S. 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2013 400 thousand The top-two ways illegal immigrants arrive in the U.S. 300 Overstayed visa 200 Crossed over Mexican border 100 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Note: Data are estimates rounded to the nearest five thousand.

In each year from 2007 to 2014, more people joined the ranks of the illegal by remaining in the United States after their temporary visitor permits expired than by creeping across the Mexican border, according to a report by researchers at the Center for Migration Studies.

A partial government estimate released last year said that 416,500 people whose business or tourist visas had expired in 2015 were still in the country in 2016. That does not count people who came here on student visas or temporary worker permits.

Wei Lee and his parents came to San Francisco from Brazil on tourist visas in 2005. They remained after the visas expired. Elizabeth D. Herman for The New York Times

Numbers like these have convinced some conservatives that the federal government needs to worry more about people who abuse their temporary legal status than about border security.

In 2005, tourist visas brought Wei Lee and his parents to San Francisco from Brazil, where Mr. Lees parents, who had emigrated from China, ran a restaurant outside Sao Paulo. They remained in the United States after the visas expired.

After being mugged and beaten in 2013, Mr. Lee recently received a U visa, which is reserved for victims of crime. His parents, however, are still undocumented.

Some people misunderstand, they think people come here and overstay their visas intentionally, but there are all these push and pull factors, said Mr. Lee, 28, a college graduate who now works with Asian undocumented youth. My parents had to make a decision for their lives.

After the expiration of the tourist visa that Rebeca, a former television reporter from Venezuela, used to enter the United States, she found work as a nanny, then got a job as a designer at a clothing business in Southern California. Rebeca, now 30, said she had left Venezuela after being attacked and receiving death threats for protesting against the government after the death of Hugo Chavez.

She has applied for asylum, but it will be years before her case is even considered: In Los Angeles, immigration officials are currently scheduling hearings for people who first applied in 2011.

Repeat Crossers

Pedestrians cross the International Bridge 1 which connects Laredo, Tex., to Nuevo Laredo in Mexico. Todd Heisler for The New York Times

One reason Mr. Trump and many proponents of curbing immigration see the Mexican border as alarmingly porous is that thousands of people each year are convicted of illegally re-entering the country after being previously deported. In the 2015 fiscal year alone, 15,715 were convicted, according to the United States Sentencing Commission. About a quarter of people caught crossing the southwest border that year had done it at least once before, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

That said, the number of people convicted of illegal re-entry has declined by more than a quarter over the last five years.

2011 21,300 2012 19,300 2013 18,500 2014 16,600 2015 15,700 2011 21,300 2012 19,300 2013 18,500 2014 16,600 2015 15,700

In December 2013, border security agents caught Clemente Armenta-Velasquez trying to return to the United States near Nogales, Ariz. After arriving in the United States in 2000, he had lived and worked in Arizona, where, records show, he was prosecuted on drug charges in 2002. He also served time in prison after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, a felony, in 2010. He was deported the following year.

Mr. Armenta-Velasquezs lawyer told a federal judge that his client, who had left school after fifth grade, had tried to come back to support his wife and three children in Mexico. He couldnt find a job in Mexico that would give a decent life for his family, said the lawyer, Ricardo Bours, according to court papers.

Before sentencing Mr. Armenta-Velasquez to 57 months in prison, after which he will almost certainly be sent back to Mexico again, the judge suggested that Mr. Armenta-Velasquez might have been ordered deported as many as six times in the past.

I knew I wasnt supposed to return, Mr. Armenta-Velasquez said in court. I did it out of great need, but I apologize for that.

Asylum Seekers

Teresa Reyes, right, and her daughter, Abigail, live in North Carolina. Ms. Reyess husband, Rogelio Ortiz, was deported to Honduras. She is saving money to join him there. Katie Bailey for The New York Times

On Valentines Day, Rogelio Ortiz stopped by the local immigration office in Charlotte, N.C., to update his familys address. He was seeking asylum in the United States after arriving from Honduras last February, fleeing arms traffickers who threatened him after he asked them to stop storing weapons in his brothers house.

Fifteen minutes later, an officer came out to tell Mr. Ortizs wife, Teresa, and daughter, Abigail, that he had been detained. Without realizing it, Mr. Ortiz, 49, had already lost his asylum case: He had been deported 14 years ago after a previous stint working in the United States, and was ineligible.

Since 2009, migrants seeking asylum from Mexico and Central Americas Northern Triangle region  Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala  have surged across the border at a relentless pace, fleeing gang violence and poverty. Many of them are children traveling alone or women with children.

Nearly 409,000 migrants were caught trying to cross the United States southwestern border illegally in the 2016 fiscal year, an increase of 23 percent over the previous year, according to government statistics.

Many ask for asylum, but in most cases, the requests are denied. While they wait, a process that can take years to conclude, they are often released to move freely into the country.

That can mean disappearing beyond the reach of immigration officials. The system has infuriated those who advocate tougher enforcement, prompting the Trump administration to propose detaining asylum seekers at the border or forcing them to wait it out in Mexico.

I know coming into the country illegally is a crime, but millions of people have done it, and now we come here asking for help, Teresa said.
It is necessary to expose Trump's deception, dishonesty, and treachery. In fact, the commercial and independent media needs to investigate everything Trump says and clearly report if and when it is untrue or misleading.

However, there is a danger in getting too caught up in the distracting outrageous claim of the day, because it was more than likely designed to direct attention away from important issues. (And of course the most recent claim and accusation is Trump's claim that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign.) But we should understand why Trump makes that claim and accusation.

In Naomi Klein's "Shock Docrtrine," she explains how and why fascists and despots indulge in it, either to exploit the chaos and confusion generated by a national crises to push through controversial policies while citizens are too emotionally and physically distracted by disasters or upheavals to mount an effective resistance, or to deliberately create a shock event, such as Trump continues to do to distract people from real issues.

A "shock event," as Political History Professor at Boston College, Heather Cox Richardson, explains in a Facebook Post, "is unexpected and confusing and throws a society into chaos. People scramble to react to the event, usually along some fault line that those responsible for the event can widen by claiming that they alone know how to restore order. When opponents speak out, the authors of the shock event call them enemies. As society reels and tempers run high, those responsible for the shock event perform a sleight of hand to achieve their real goal, a goal they know to be hugely unpopular, but from which everyone has been distracted as they fight over the initial event "

Richardson says, "My point today is this: unless you are the person setting it up, it is in no one's interest to play the shock event game. It is designed explicitly to divide people who might otherwise come together so they cannot stand against something its authors think they won't like. . There is no longer concerted opposition to the real goal; opposition divides along the partisan lines established by the shock event." Furthermore, Richardson says "If people realize they are being played, though, they can reach across old lines and reorganize to challenge the leaders who are pulling the strings."

The commercial media and much of the independent media falls for it, though, and they go way beyond just trying to report the truth. They get carried away ad caught up. But we need to just get the truth and the facts of the matter as quickly as possible and move on, rather than allow Trump and Bannon to succeed in their nefarious tactics of diversion and deception.

We have a lot of work to do in order to get the great majority of Americans on the same page in a sound plan for a comprehensive reformation of government. We cannot afford to continue to have our attention diverted by the purveyors of mendacity.

(Article changed on March 6, 2017 at 19:09)
RACINE  Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave has announced that his next monthly listening session is scheduled for Wednesday, March 8, at the Cesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave., Racine. He will be available to meet county residents from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

On hand with Delagrave will be Tom Rutkowski, an organizer of Southeast Wisconsin Solar Group Buy, formerly SOLARacine. Any home or small businesses owners interested in making the transition to solar energy are encouraged to stop by the Chavez Center to learn more about this program.

Also accompanying Delagrave will be members of the county executives staff and other elected officials and county supervisors, if their schedules permit.

I appreciate that Southeast Solar Group Buy will be joining me at this listening session. This program informs participants on where to start, what to expect, and who to hire when you are thinking of transitioning to solar power, said Delagrave. The program also provides a job training opportunity for young people in the rapidly growing field of solar energy installation.

Delagraves listening sessions are usually scheduled on the second Wednesday of the month. The next listening sessions are scheduled as follows:

April 12: Western Racine County Service Center, 209 N. Main St., Burlington

May 24: Union Grove Municipal Building, 925 15th Ave.

These days are subject to change.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the target of demands for resignation due to his triggering yet another Trump Administration scandal related to lying under oath in the Senate about contacts with Russian officials, finds himself in an 'Alabama Hurricane' of his own making.

This scandal engulfing Sessions erupted from denials made by the former Republican U.S. Senator from Alabama during his confirmation hearing for the Attorney General post.

Sessions, when questioned during that hearing about his contacts with Russian officials, noted that he had been a Trump surrogate during the campaign yet he flat-out denied having any such contacts.

However, recent revelations document that Sessions did in fact have contacts with the Russian ambassador to the US last year when then Sessions was serving as a prominent advisor to Trump during Trump's presidential campaign and his post-election transition.





Jeff blows an Alabama Hurricane

(Image by TCBH.net) Details DMCA



An "Alabama Hurricane" --- according to one popular definition --- is a fart released with such stinking force that it smacks those in its path in the face hard enough to cause blunt force trauma.

Claims by Sessions that his denials during that confirmation hearing were not material misrepresentations* because he misunderstood the questions fail even the simplest smell test.

A former federal prosecutor, Sessions preens as an astute lawyer able to easily understand questions --- questions both nuanced and clearly stated.

(*The term material misrepresentation is the legal phrase for behavior layman refer to as a lie.)

Session's failure to correct the record about his misstatements made during the weeks following that confirmation hearing also carried the fart stench full force.

Sessions remained silent about his Russian contacts even as Trump's National Security Advisor resigned for similarly lying about contacts with Russian officials (although not under oath).

Sessions had weeks to clarify what he is now claiming with lawyer-like parsing: that he met with that Russian ambassador in his capacity as a U.S. Senator on the Armed Services Committee, and not as a Trump surrogate.

Sessions recused himself from overseeing any U.S. Justice Department investigation into the Trump presidential campaign. But that recusal did not occur until after news reports exposed his deceptive confirmation hearing testimony.

Sessions has not removed himself totally from all investigations into the alleged Russian role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, evidencing a failure by Sessions to see the clear conflict of interest in his involvements due to his now Russian taint.

President Trump objected strongly to the recusal move of Sessions - evidencing the failure of POTUS to appreciate the ethics and 'optics' of the stinky scandal surrounding his Attorney General.

Many Democrats, organizations and individuals opposed Trump's nomination of Sessions to become America's top law enforcement official because for much of Sessions' arch conservative career he has operated in the haze of an endless 'Alabama Hurricane."

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From Consortium News

The intensifying hysteria over Russia has pushed Official Washington over the edge into outright madness. On one side of this asylum, you have the Democrats, neoconservatives and mainstream media, while on the other, you have the embattled Trump administration. Both sides have been making grave allegations with little or no evidence to support them.

The Democratic/neocon/MSM side has pushed the conspiracy theory that Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russians to put the real-estate mogul in the White House, but there is, as yet, no evidence that such a thing happened.

Even one of the top advocates feeding this Russia frenzy, New York Times correspondent Thomas L. Friedman, acknowledged on Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that "I agree, there is no evidence," but then added: "which is why we need a special prosecutor or an independent commission to get to the bottom of it."

But that is not how investigations are supposed to work. You're supposed to have evidence of wrongdoing and then examine it in the investigative phase to see if the evidence withstands scrutiny. What Friedman is suggesting is more like a "fishing expedition" or a "witch hunt."

The drip-drip of this investigative water torture finally got to President Trump last week as he flew down to his winter home at Mar-a-Lago. He joined the crazy melee early Saturday morning by sending out a flurry of tweets accusing President Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower in New York City in the weeks before the Nov. 8 election. Trump also offered no evidence while demanding an investigation to get to the bottom of this.

By contrast, in all the major investigations that I have handled as an investigative reporter, such as Oliver North's secret White House paramilitary operation; the related Nicaraguan Contra drug trafficking scandal; Richard Nixon interference with President Lyndon Johnson's Vietnam peace talks in 1968; and Ronald Reagan's campaign sabotage of President Jimmy Carter's Iranian-hostage negotiations in 1980 -- there was substantial evidence from eyewitnesses and documents supporting the suspicions before the story was published.

At no point would I have argued that just because Oliver North met a Contra leader that it was time to investigate whether he and his Reagan administration superiors were breaking the law. I first found multiple insiders, including people in the U.S. government and the Contra movement, describing how North was running his back-channel war. In some of these investigative situations, we had two dozen or so sources describing detailed aspects of these operations before we made any allegations in print.

Now the argument is that because some people suspect something, even without evidence, major investigations are warranted. That is usually what a conspiracy theory sounds like. Someone claims not to understand how something could have happened a certain way and thus a full-scale inquiry is needed into some highly unlikely and speculative scenario.

Opening Salvos

In the case of the Russia investigation, the opening salvos came from President Obama's intelligence agencies, which alleged that Russia had "hacked" Democratic emails and slipped the contents to WikiLeaks, but the agencies offered nothing in the way of U.S. government evidence to support that supposition.



President Barack Obama meets with President Vladimir Putin of Russia on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey, Nov. 15, 2015. National Security Adviser Susan E. Rice listens at left.

(Image by (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)) Details DMCA



The two reports that were issued were heavy on the word "assesses" -- which in intelligence jargon usually means "guesses" -- but short on anything that could be checked out or verified.

The Jan. 6 report, issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, admitted as much, saying, "Judgments are not intended to imply that we have proof that shows something to be a fact. Assessments are based on collected information, which is often incomplete or fragmentary, as well as logic, argumentation, and precedents."

Meanwhile, WikiLeaks representatives denied getting the two batches of Democratic emails from Russia, suggesting that two different American insiders had leaked the material.

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Dexter, Michigan 2016

(Image by Linh Dinh) Details DMCA





And so I was back in my friend's house in this most tranquil, on the surface, country town. Outside was a young cherry tree with three bowling balls at its base, one for each dog buried beneath. A roofer's ashes had also been scattered over its branches, but nothing remained of the short-lived man. Before my 74-year-old friend, Rudy, reclaimed the house, the roofer lived here.



A drunken fall off a friend's deck during a July 4th party made the roofer miss a year of work, and got him hooked on painkillers. A second fall from a roof finished the always groggy man. He was but 33.



Behind Rudy's house was a tiny trailer formerly occupied by a lonely fellow who collected rocks and pebbles. Sworn off alcohol decades ago, he only smoked weed. After living peacefully there for years, the nearly invisible 52-year-old had to move out when a neighbor decided to rat that the trailer had no plumbing, and thus illegal. Now, the rural hermit showed up just once a week to feed his old cat, the trailer's only resident.



Down the road was a 72-year-old farmer who wouldn't retire because farming was what he loved best. When a thresher shattered his left leg recently, the old man calmly drove himself to the hospital, and was back to cultivating within a month. He had spent nearly his entire life within a 20 mile radius, with just one trip to Chicago. Ann Arbor was alien enough, with Detroit, another planet. Each long day over, he could barely pay attention to Fox News. He voted Trump.



On the way in, we drove past a homemade sign, "BUILD BRIDGES NOT WALLS." Other than that, I saw no other political statements during my five-day stay in Dexter.



Rudy's three children were grown and gone, so the house was mostly empty. I had the entire second floor to myself. Each dawn, I looked out at the paling window to see a grain silo and a red barn. It was good to be away from so much concrete and so many bricks, and to wake up to utter silence. In the corner of my shower homesteaded a spider, and there was also a lady bug on the wall. Winking at me, she smiled.







Pondering his dwindling options, Rudy chuckled and shook his head.



If I don't holler, Rudy can't hear sh*t. At Dexter Pub on the town's thriving and wholesome Main Street, there's a sign warning against cursing, and last year, I accidentally shouted a few bad words while chatting with Rudy.



The obscene is saved for the men's room, where there's a poster of a blonde, bikinied babe, "Perfect Woman" Perfect Attitude." Among the sayings of this ideal woman:





"That was a great fart! Do another one!"

"I've decided to stop wearing clothes around the house."

"Your mother is way better than mine."

"Shall I drop you and your friends off at the lap dancing club?"

"Why would I need more than three pairs of shoes?"

"Pubic hair! I hate those tight curls, I'm clean shaven."

"I signed up for yoga so that I can get my ankles behind my head just for you."

"God... If I don't blow you soon, I swear I'm going to explode!"

"Listen, I make enough money for the both of us. Why don't you retire forty years early?"

"Let's subscribe to Hustler."

"Honey... our new neighbor's daughter is sunbathing again, come see."

"Say, let's go down to the mall so you can check out women's asses."

"Oh come on, not the damn mall again. Let's go to that new strip joint."



Though Dexter Pub was a very soothing place to enjoy pints of Two Hearted, Rudy declined to go there with me on this visit. "I've seen what the humans do. I don't care anymore."



"It's all futile!" I piled on.



"You're right."



"I'm already tired, Rudy! And I'm only 53!"



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Linh Dinh's Postcards from the End of America has just been published by Seven Stories Press. Tracking our deteriorating socialscape, he maintains a photo blog.



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This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

Let's think about the logic of it all for a moment. The 2016 Pentagon budget came in at just over $600 billion and that royal sum, larger than the combined military investments of the next seven countries, was hardly the full measure of the money U.S. taxpayers spent on what we like to call "national security." Add everything in -- including funding for the Department of Homeland Security and for veterans affairs -- and you're approaching a trillion dollars annually, according to the Project on Government Oversight. No other country spends anything faintly like it, which means the United States has a military that, by any normal measure, is unmatched on planet Earth.

For the last 15 years, that military has been engaged in a series of wars and conflicts across the Greater Middle East and parts of Africa that have been both unending and by anyone's standards remarkably unsuccessful, if not disastrous. Or put another way, the greatest military around, sent into action for a decade and a half and funded in a way that no other military comes close to, hasn't notched a victory to its name in its twenty-first-century era of permanent war.

Now for that matter of logic. In response to such over-the-top outlays of taxpayer dollars and such a record of unsuccessful wars, the Trump administration is moving fast to improve the situation by... yes, of course... working to massively increase spending on the U.S. military and national security, while slashing the budgets of outfits ranging from the State Department (goodbye, diplomacy!) to the Environmental Protection Agency (goodbye, relatively unpolluted surroundings!) to education and "social safety net programs" (don't be young and poor!). Trump will reportedly call for adding a "supplemental" $30 billion to the 2017 defense budget and a whopping $54 billion in 2018, an increase of close to 10%. To put that sum into perspective, ask yourself where the U.S. military would rank internationally if that were its entire military budget. The answer: 7th in the world (according to 2015 figures). It would come just after Great Britain at $55.5 billion and would outrank India ($51.3 billion), France ($50.9 billion), and Japan ($40.9 billion). Put another way, despite recent rising fears about Russia, that $54 billion alone would be more than 80% of the total Russian military budget of 2015.

In other words, there will be more planes, ships, troops, and weaponry of every sort -- armaments industry stocks naturally rose on the news -- to fight America's disastrous wars, while domestically the "security" of the American people will be slashed in just about every imaginable way. (And to add a touch of humor to the mix, Republican Senator John McCain promptly attacked President Trump for his miserly approach to the needs of the U.S. military.) As TomDispatchregular William Hartung, author of Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex, points out today, if you add into all this Trump's bevy of generals (and his ideologues), you have a fabulous formula for permanent war into the (un)foreseeable future. Tom

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[This was emailed to me and other Utahns by Senator Orrin Hatch. It came out on January 27, but I post it here to give a sense of this politically powerful individual's sense of priorities. He's been a Senator since 1974, after moving here from Pennsylvania. He speaks well enough for himself, and this one is fully in line with the rest of his output over the years. I could do an article or even book on the bacon this boy brings home, which is how he has stayed in office. His election was pre-determined, based on my observations and others who ran against him last term. Bringing home the bacon is of course politically important, even good, but I wish it weren't always rancid. I cite the NSA, parked a short drive from my home, as an example of the kind of thing you're paying for, assuming you're lucky enough to have a job, so you might give thanks to Senator Hatch.]

Dear Friend,

On Thursday, President Trump asked me to meet with him in the Oval Office. In our wide-ranging discussion, I was able to engage the President on two issues of critical importance to Utah: Bears Ears and the Supreme Court.

On Bears Ears, the President listened intently as I relayed the fears and frustrations of thousands in our state who have been personally hurt by the Obama administration's lame-duck, last-minute monument designation. I explained the urgency of repealing this devastating measure, and I asked for his help in doing so. By locking away over one million acres of public land, this decision is a gut-punch to the Utah families who depend on this region and its resources for their very survival. I was encouraged that--unlike his predecessor--President Trump actually took the time to listen and understand the heavy toll of this overreaching action. Our President even assured me that he stands ready to work with us to fix this disaster.

Later in our conversation, President Trump solicited my advice on the Supreme Court vacancy. As the senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have devoted the greater part of my life to preserving the integrity and independence of our nation's courts. That's why I was eager to share my thoughts with President Trump regarding the strengths of various potential Supreme Court nominees. I was especially grateful that he would hear my perspective on the current shortlist of candidates. Once the President announces his nomination, I intend to play a leading role in confirming a justice who upholds the Constitution and our laws.

I am working hard to ensure that our new President respects our values and stands with our interests. Utahns should take heart at the progress we have made. In the months ahead, I look forward to working closely with President Trump to effect meaningful change for all Americans.

Sincerely,

Orrin
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Biden Plays Trump Like a Fiddle On Tuesday, April 30, 2019 (5 comments) SHARE Joe Biden baited Donald Trump into a costly outburst and established a model for future events sequenced to achieve maximum Trump meltdowns and broad exposure of the Trump lunacy. Full Article | Print Article

MSM Fake News Alert!!! AOL.Com Editors On Wednesday, December 21, 2016 (1 comments) SHARE Mainstream media giant AOL is in full tilt fake news mode. The editors authored a piece pushing a theory that the recent murder of the Russian ambassador to Turkey was faked. This is the beginning of a MSM spiral to a new low in fake journalism. Full Article | Print Article

Swamp Thing Takes Over Treasury -- ForclosureGate II, the Sequel On Friday, December 2, 2016 (5 comments) SHARE Goldman Sachs gave us three recent Treasury Secretaries. Henry Paulson set up the Wall Street bailout under Bush. Tim Geithner made sure Wall Street got a whopping $14 trillion in bailout benefits. Now, we have Steven Mnuchin a Wall Streeter and "foreclosure machine." Let the suffering begin! Full Article | Print Article

Time for Hillary Clinton to End Her Campaign On Monday, September 12, 2016 (68 comments) SHARE We now know why Hillary Clinton runs a very low energy campaign and has no press conferences. Her collapse on 9/11 in New York City and her refusal to explain the obvious problem argues for her to withdraw from the campaign. She is likely impaired and certainly stonewalling. The time for that is over and her time has passed.

Series: Election 2016 - End Times (8 Articles, 17364 views) Full Article | Print Article

Government Can't Force Apple to Bypass iPhone Lock Screen, New York Judge Rules On Monday, February 29, 2016 (5 comments) SHARE Apple just won a major decision in New York State court that will influence the FBI's federal case demanding Apple break its encryption code on iPhones. The same issues were before a judge who ruled against the government. Stop the madness! Leave Apple alone to do its job. Full Article | Print Article

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WATERFORD  There's no shortage of civic experience with the two men running for Waterford village president in the April 4 municipal election.

Incumbent Tom Roanhouse, long active in community endeavors, has served on the Village Board for 15 years, the past six as board president. Jim Schneider has not lived in the village long, having moved there to be closer to family. But he has been active wherever he has resided during his years of corporate work and quickly became active in Waterford and currently serves as a trustee on the Village Board.

The village presidency is a two-year term and come with a $12,000 annual salary plus compensation of $40 per meeting attended.

What motivated you to seek elected public office?

Roanhouse: As a lifelong community activist, I cannot remember a time when I was not involved in my church, area schools or civic organizations. Public office is a natural extension of this lifetime pursuit. I thank my parents for instilling this passion to want to help your community.

Schneider: I have always been an active person, involved in my community in some way. When I moved to Waterford, I had time available since I am retired. I have over 40 years of experience in management, including owning my own consulting company. I would like to use this background and experience to move Waterford forward to the next level.

What do you see as issues your community faces?

Roanhouse: Waterford maintains an exciting dynamic, but is facing the challenge of contracting revenues in the face of sustaining services. Fiscal support at the federal/state level is trending to less, not more. The challenge is expanding the villages tax base while also delivering services with limited and/or no growth funds. First, the Village Board has conceptualized and is developing riverfront parks/activities to attract enthusiasts in hopes they live here and/or establish a commercial/industrial business. The goal is to make Waterford the place to live, work and play.

Second, village government branches are peeking around corners to establish other areas for industrial development. As recently noted by a Wisconsin Revenue Department official, residential dwellings carry the bulk of the villages tax levy obligation. Commercial/industrial growth will ease that burden and afford a greater tax balance.

Schneider: In the short run, we have a number of items we need to focus on. We will have a major disruption of the village in both 2018 and 2019 with the rebuilding of state highways 20/83. The impact to the downtown businesses is a major issue, and we must do everything possible to ensure these businesses do not fail. Second, we must continue to manage our financial affairs carefully. Costs of most items in the budget continue to rise, and so maintaining the current tax rate will be a continuing challenge.

So this brings us to the major long-range strategy which we are currently working on. That is to grow the retail, commercial and industrial corridors in and around the village. Along with this, we must find more opportunities to make the village a destination where people will come to live, work and recreate.

What would be your goals if you are elected?

Roanhouse: Being president is perceived as leader of the village. Having served as president for six years affirms that notion. Government is in the service business  services delivered by people. My job is to move the village forward to assure resources continue expanding with sustaining services. In most instances, development initiatives won't be done at the taxpayer's expense, but rather private-public relationships or public-public projects, such as the recently installed kayak/canoe launch completed with assistance from the state/county. The village is working to secure a major National Endowment for the Arts grant. Waterford's Community Development Authority said that any industrial/business park development be done on a pay-a-you go basis. My mindset always is to pro-act and work hard rather than react.

Schneider: First, managing the infrastructure projects already in place, which will continue for the next three years. Second, work with the Fire and Rescue Department to obtain a paramedic license for the village. Third, seek opportunities to become more efficient, including review of combining village and town courts; and cooperative buying of products and services. Fourth, put an IT committee in place that reports to the Village Board to provide recommendation on both long-range strategy, as well as current review of village information technology processes and spending. Fifth, complete at least one major retail, commercial or industrial development in the next two years.
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Alcatraz Prison

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They should be jailed, denied bail due to the severity of the crime, and tried under the Patriot Act and other federal code for supporting whatever heinous crimes Trump and company blame on undocumented workers. It makes perfect sense.

When multiple defendants are charged in a criminal case, prosecutors seek to indict those involved from the lowest to the highest levels. Good prosecutions see the ringleaders facing the most severe charges supported by the testimony of their subordinates.

United States citizens who employ undocumented workers are at the top of the power pyramid. They pay money for the services of undocumented workers. These employers attract the foreign workers through an illegal job market. As a result, employers need to bear the heaviest charges and penalties for hiring those here illegally.

Why isn't prosecution of employers the central issue in the campaign against the illegal employment market?

Why aren't the job market makers bearing the brunt of law enforcement efforts? After all, without them, there would be hardly any undocumented workers.

Does anyone seriously contend that the undocumented would be here without a known job market before the dangerous and costly track across the border?

The following is a summary of Federal law under the INA: ACT 274A - UNLAWFUL EMPLOYMENT OF ALIENS Sec. 274A. [8 U.S.C. 1324a]



"A person (including a group of persons, business, organization, or local government) commits a federal felony when she or he:

"Assists an illegal alien s/he should reasonably know is illegally in the U.S. or who lacks employment authorization, by transporting, sheltering, or

"Assisting him or her to obtain employment, encourages that illegal alien to remain in the U.S. by referring him or her to an employer or by acting as employer or agent for an employer in any way, or

"Knowingly assists illegal aliens due to personal convictions." Excerpts from the U.S. legal code referring to hiring illegal aliens. Federal Immigration and Nationality Act



How can employers know that a prospective employee is a legal worker? The federal government lists and presents the qualifying documents. It's not hard to make this determination (Form I-9 Acceptable Documents). There are even services that search multiple databases to assist employers. There are even services that search multiple databases to assist employers.

Violation of federal law against unlawful employment, INA: Act 274A, can result in monetary penalties ranging from $250 to $5000 per violation. Prison sentences are also available. Employing the Patriot Act should also become part of the prosecution of problem employers. If the crimes are as bad as the right wing insists, then a higher order set of laws and punishments should be available through the Patriot Act.

How can we catch employers who violate employment laws? Undocumented worker seized for deportation should be given the opportunity to name their employer. Once they do, these witnesses can be housed in a civilized setting until they testify against the named employer.

If Trump and Company truly believe that illegal aliens need to be deported on an urgent basis, the other half of the equation, their employers, must be treated with the same urgency and severity of punishment.

In reality "

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At a candidate's forum in early 2015, then presidential candidate Trump without a blink said, "I don't know if he loves America." The "he" Trump referred to was, of course, then President Obama. The slur of and slap at Obama was simply the latest in Trump's by then three-year campaign to vilify, impugn, slander, and harass Obama as not only not an American citizen, but not a legitimate President. Trump's ruthless, near obsessive, vendetta of lies against Obama paid big dividends early on. It got him briefly in the hunt for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. That made him a political household name. Three years later, in 2015, it got him to the top of the GOP presidential pack and kept him there during the primaries. It then got him the biggest prize of all, the White House.

Obama from the start was Trump's political meal ticket. When things got dull or there was a momentary rough patch on the campaign trial, Trump had Obama as his ready-made whipping boy. Nothing has changed. With Democrats screaming for answers about Trump's p*ssy foot with Russia and Putin, and even some GOP leaders feeling the heat and making weak soundings about a probe or two here and there, Trump quickly trotted out his Obama meal ticket. This time it's the ludicrous claim that Obama wiretapped him during the campaign, complete with the demand that Congress investigate Obama. It's tempting to simply chalk this up as yet another Trump ploy to deflect attention from his Russia connection, and in part it is. But there's more, much more to this.

Trump's persistent erection of Obama as his foil isn't just to slander his presidency. It's to slander him. It isn't just political, it is personal. The two can't be separated. Trump repeatedly made clear during the early stages of his campaign that if he got in the White House he'd sign any and every executive order he could to try and halt, gut, or obliterate every initiative that Obama had ever put in place. He's been as good as his word.

Trump's assault on Obama's initiatives normally would have been the end of it. Presidents from an opposing party to varying degrees quickly sign executive orders to roll back some of their predecessor's initiatives and actions when they take office. However, Trump's obsessive attacks on Obama have another aim beyond mere personal vindictiveness and deflecting attention from his disastrous administration. It sends the strong signal to his base that he will try and demolish everything that they loathed about Obama; not just his policies, but him personally. Obama was an eight-year embarrassment to the chronic Obama haters. He was liberal. He was a Democratic. And most odious to them, he was black. Tea Party demonstrators greeted Obama at many stops during his first two years in office with placards, signs, and pictures that depicted him in the most lewd, grotesque and often animal like characterizations. This went way beyond the bounds of normal political attacks and criticism of a President. It was blatantly personal, and showed the depth of the personal distaste many had for Obama and they were not shy about showing it.

Trump at points during his campaign made no effort to correct or reprimand anyone at his townhalls and rallies who got up and vilified Obama in personal terms. This reinforced the point that Trump would make again and again that Obama was not fit from a political or personal standpoint to occupy the White House.

Even Trump's very belated acknowledgement that Obama was an American citizen was said matter of fact. There was absolutely no elaboration, let alone showing any sign of contrition for waging his ruthless and prolonged campaign to slur him as an alien.

Trump set the template early in his political game about how to go after Obama. That was to pithily toss out a sensational, outrageous accusation against or about Obama without a shred of evidence to back it up and then sit back and watch the media plaster it out as a headline or top headline news feature. The damage was done and the mission of getting tongues wagging about Obama and legions believing there must be some truth to it was accomplished.

The wiretapping charge fits the pattern to the letter. Trump doubled down on that by demanding a Congressional probe into it. The hope is that the more who believe there's any truth to this will serve to whittle away yet another tiny chunk from Obama's well-established legacy of personal honor and integrity.

The charge will, of course, go nowhere because it's another Trump lie. But that's less important than making the accusation, and getting the media and public headline hit on Obama. This won't be the end. We can be sure that Trump won't rest until he's destroyed Obama's political legacy, and Obama as well.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. He is the author of In Scalia's Shadow: The Trump Supreme Court ( Amazon Kindle). He is an associate editor of New America Media. He is a weekly co-host of the Al Sharpton Show on Radio One. He is the host of the weekly Hutchinson Report on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles and the Pacifica Network.
If at first you fail at implementing your shithouse agenda, try again.

Donald Trump has signed another executive order restricting immigration from several Muslim-majority nations, after his first attempt descended into chaos, with federal judges blocking parts of the order and protests arising amidst the chaos and confusion at the nations airports.

There was no pomp and circumstance here, either  Trump signed the new order in private, away from cameras. Maybe he knows the press wont be great.

The order keeps a 90-day ban on travel to the United States from Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, but knocks Iraq off the list.

Iraq has reportedly been removed due to new vetting procedures introduced by the Iraqi government  including heightened visa screening and data sharing  plus the fact that many Iraqis worked alongside US forces in the disastrous war in their country.

The original order banned refugees for 120 days and Syrian refugees indefinitely. The new one maintains the 120 day ban, but Syrian refugees are not treated differently. Legal permanent residents, or green card holders, will not be affected by this ban as they were with the last one.

The new order takes effect on March 16, which is clearly an attempt to mitigate the initial chaos and confusion of the last order, which took effect immediately.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced Trump had signed the order to reporters.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson delivers remarks on issues related to visas and travel. #TrumpExecutiveOrder pic.twitter.com/23kC6xPT3z  Michael Delauzon (@MichaelDelauzon) March 6, 2017

It is the presidents solemn duty to protect the American people. As threats to our security continue to evolve and change, common sense dictates that we continually re-evaluate and reassess the systems we rely upon to protect our country.

This is definitely a neutered order, clearly designed to avoid the disaster that was the last one. Trump and his team obviously arent admitting that the last one failed, and reject accusations of chaos at Americas airports, but its clear the last one was slammed through and just did not work out for them.

Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, said this ban was as flawed and immoral as the last one. A watered down ban is still a ban, he said in a statement. Despite the administrations changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited, and un-American. It must be repealed.

Other Democrats were less polite:

Source: CNN.

Photo: Getty Images / Anadolu Agency.
Faial da Terra Enduro Fest

Faial da Terra Enduro Fest

TRAINING DAYS

RACE DAY

RESULTS

I visited Sao Miguel, one of the nine islands of Azores archipelago, exactly two years ago. This year I returned to one of the most magical islands I ever been on to be a part of, the second edition of a two-day enduro race on the East side of the Azores main and most populated island. From the first time I traveled to Azores, I really didn't know what to expect but I came back to Madeira with a feeling that there was so much to discover in terms of biking and other sports. Above all, I could see the evident contrast between the place where I was born, Madeira, and Azores. As two Portuguese archipelagos, they couldn't be more different and it's getting harder to choose my favorite.Two years passed and I was back in Faial da Terra, a small civil parish in the municipality of Povoacao, with about 350 residents, mostly farmers. This location gives me goose bumps as last time I visited the weather was a nightmare, the trails are technical and super slippery all year round - no kidding! I remember crashing here last time and calling the day off but this location gives a sense of calmness, something that you'd find quite normal if you plan to visit Azores in the future, something that it's truly hard to find nowadays. As you sit at the bottom of the valley looking up the mountains around, you would never think that mountain biking is a new way to develop Faial da Terra's economy, a change of paradigm and just a few more reasons for you to add Azores to your bucket list. The local community is primarily involved in agriculture and husbandry, as well as related commerce, but mountain biking has given local businesses a new way to go.was founded two years ago by Carlos dos Santos, a local guide for Bike Safari Tour, always with local support from Paulo Nazare, Faial da Terra president and Paulo Dinis from Monbike store. Last year, Damien Oton and Remy Absalon visited the islands and raced the event but this time the organization focused on reaching a national audience, getting about forty athletes to visit Azores, most of them from Portugal mainland. "It's a good way to improve Faial da Terra's economy and bringing athletes to discover how special Azores really is" said organizer, Carlos dos Santos.The plan for the week was two days of racing with a grand total of 62km, 2555m up and 3190m down. After two training days with perfect weather, the rain came down hard on Friday night, canceling the first competition day. This did not dampen spirits and everyone went riding anyway to explore other areas of Sao Miguel.The organization ended up with running the event only on Sunday, balancing between the same stages as determined from the beginning. It was a hard but honestly the right decision in order to guarantee riders safety. A total of 23.6km was enough to get a smile on everyone's face from start to finish.1) Miguel Pardal, 13:13m2) Paulo Basilio, 14:02m3) Nuno Nobrega, 14:09m1) Jose Oliveira, 12:44m2) Joao Machado, 13:00m3) Roberto Chaves, 14:07mFor more information about future events, check Faial da Terra Enduro Fest and Visit Azores
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Life is Dulce

We call it the dolce far niente. It means the sweetness of doing nothing. You may have heard this while scrolling through Instagram or T Read moreThe benefits of doing nothing
Aroma Bravo Honduras Coffee recently got a feature on Coffee-Lite.com, a website that lists and reviews different coffee brands.

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Charles C Harmon Co LLC

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-- Coffee-Lite.com, a website that reviews various brands of coffee, has recently featured Aroma Bravo's Medium Dark Roast Coffee. The news came as a delight for the staff at Aroma Bravo, especially since the coffee and tea company has just made its debut into the specialty coffee market in November of last year. To be reviewed by coffee enthusiasts and featured on various online platforms soon after the brand launching is a huge privilege for the company."We are truly honored to be featured on Coffee Lite as well as other coffee reviewing sites. These websites are practically considered as authorities on good coffee, and they only recommend the best coffee beans online. It is such a rewarding feeling for our brand to be recognized as one of the best ones on Amazon," a company representative remarked.An excerpt from Coffee Lite's review of Aroma Bravo Honduras Coffee goes as follows:"Regularly priced at $13.99, this medium dark roast coffee is an affordable choice for coffee lovers who want to indulge in authentic Honduran coffee. Expertly roasted in small batches, Aroma Bravo Honduras Coffee reveals a full-bodied flavor that is greatly enhanced by shades of honey, cocoa, caramel and smooth chocolate. Gourmet coffee enthusiasts will certainly enjoy this delicious coffee from the high mountains of Honduras."Aroma Bravo Coffee is planted and harvested in Marcala, Honduras and roasted and packaged by skilled experts who are all fairly compensated through a profit-sharing system. Every bean is produced with the utmost care and expertise, which reflects the company's philosophy and passion for good coffee."As lovers of coffee ourselves, we take coffee very seriously and take great pride in our products. We dedicate ourselves to bringing the very best coffee beans we can find so that our customers can experience what true Honduran coffee has to offer," the company representative added.Interested customers can inquire about Aroma Bravo Honduras Coffee at 888-582-6650 (toll free) or buy whole coffee beans at https://www.amazon.com/ review/R39EF6L6FY46DU/ ref=cm_cr_rd... Aroma Bravo is a brand of organic coffee beans from Honduras. Amazon customers often recommended this coffee for its smooth and well-balanced flavor, and also praise the company for its excellent customer service and quick delivery process.
RACINE COUNTY  Racine County Circuit Court judges are considering changes to how intake workers determine which youths should be detained while they wait to see a judge.

The changes would mean moving from the countys current policy, which mandates detention for youths charged with certain crimes, to a scoring tool that would allow some defendants referred to the county Juvenile Detention Center to go home with a parent or guardian before appearing in court.

The trend in juvenile justice it to ensure that right kids go to detention for the right reasons, explained Kerry Milkie, manager of the youth and family division of the countys Human Services Department.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice, along with juvenile court intake workers in Racine, Manitowoc, Rock, Waukesha, La Crosse and Milwaukee counties, have been studying the tool over the past few years. Rock, Waukesha and Milwaukee counties have formally adopted it.

Proposed changes

Law enforcement agencies in Racine County arrest about 1,300 juveniles each year, according to Milkie, but officers only call intake workers seeking detention in about 38 percent of those cases.

Under Racine Countys current intake policy, which was established in 1996, juveniles charged with certain crimes must be detained at the countys Racine County Detention Center, 1717 Taylor Ave., while their cases are processed. Those crimes range from homicide and first-degree sexual assault to bomb scares and possession with intent to deliver any controlled substance.

Using the proposed assessment tool, intake workers would develop a score for young defendants that would be used to determine whether they should be detained before seeing a judge.

Intake workers would take into account the magnitude of the crime with which the youth is charged as well as other factors, such as the number of pending or prior delinquency referrals the youth has had, and/or prior escapes or failures to appear for court.

Incidents like these and other aggravating factors, such as a documented history of violence or indications the crime is more serious, could increase the defendant's prospects of being held. Likewise, mitigating factors, such as a history free of prior arrests and facts that indicate the incident was less serious, could result in the child being turned over to a responsible adult.

Racine County has been studying the tool for 20 months now, using it along with its current policy, and has found it would not result in youths charged with serious crimes being released.

In 2016, the assessment tool and the countys current policy matched up 97 percent of the time, meaning that in all but 15 cases the assessment tool recommended the same kids be detained as the current policy, Milkie said.

What the assessment tool would do is provide a more thorough assessment of kids whose alleged crime and risk factors fall in a middle area, Milkie said, introducing objectivity in initial decisions about detainment and release so similarly situated youths are treated the same regardless of which intake worker is on duty.

It would also allow for some kids whose crimes fall into that middle area to be taken into custody but be placed with a parent or guardian under the requirement they see a judge the next morning. The move would mean more lower-risk kids charged with lesser, but nonetheless worrisome, crimes would see a judge faster than they would under the current system, Milkie said.

I think that becomes really helpful in catching the attention of youth," Milkie said.

The tool would also help to keep youths with significant mental health issues from having to experience a stay at the detention center that could exacerbate their condition, noted Milkie and Margaret Johnson, the attorney manager for the local Wisconsin State Public Defender's office.

Concerns

Racine County Circuit Judge Michael Piontek  who, like the rest of county's other nine circuit judges, will be asked to vote on whether to switch over to an assessment tool  has raised concerns about what the shift might mean for Racine County and its ability to ensure kids charged with crimes dont re-offend they before make it to court.

Mentioning recent headlines about the City of Racines 52-year crime low, Piontek said he was afraid changing to a policy currently in use in Milwaukee County could result in Racine experiencing the kind of crime Milwaukee has.

My fear is that we have an accountability piece for the juveniles, but we also have an accountability to the people of this community, Piontek said.

Asked about those concerns, Mark Mertens, administrator for the delinquency and court services division at Milwaukee County, stated that juvenile crime is down in Milwaukee.

Juvenile referrals have gone down overall for several years  and I have seen no evidence whatsoever correlating the use of (the assessment tool) with anything related to increases in crime, Mertens said.

He added that the risk assessment tool being used in Milwaukee, Waukesha and Rock counties is not controversial, noting that similar tools are being used and developed in counties throughout the nation.

They are widely accepted, Mertens said. Virtually everyone is using them.
By: Logicalis

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***@tentaclepr.com Tentacle PR LtdMark Harris

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-- Logicalis, the international IT solutions and managed services provider, today announced it has started up a business operation in Cape Town, South Africa. The creation of the South Africa-based business means that Logicalis now operates Solution and Service Centres of Excellence in all main regions of the globe, providing both national and multinational clients access to its leading edge capabilities regardless of geography.Frikkie Grobler has been appointed CEO of Logicalis South Africa to head up the operation. With over thirty years' experience in the industry, Frikkie had previously spent the last ten years as CEO of Computacenter SA and prior to that held the position of Sales Director at Dimension Data (WC).Mark Rogers, Logicalis CEO, commented:"Opening up a local presence in South Africa is in line with our strategic plan to expand our reach to better serve our international customers. The focus of this new operation will enable us to establish another Centre for IT solutions and managed services, thereby extending the reach and capabilities available to our other regions. It will also enable us to penetrate the wider Southern Africa and African markets."About LogicalisLogicalis is an international multi-skilled solution provider providing digital enablement services to help customers harness digital technology and innovative services to deliver powerful business outcomes.Our customers span industries and geographical regions; and our focus is to engage in the dynamics of our customers' vertical markets, including financial services, TMT (telecommunications, media and technology), education, healthcare, retail, government, manufacturing and professional services, and apply the skills of our 4,000 employees in modernising key digital pillars: data centre and cloud services, security and network infrastructure, workspace communications and collaboration, data and information strategies, and IT operation modernisation.We are the advocates for our customers for some of the world's leading technology companies including Cisco, HPE, IBM, CA Technologies, NetApp, Microsoft, Oracle, VMware and ServiceNow.The Logicalis Group has annualised revenues of over $1.5 billion, from operations in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific. It is a division of Datatec Limited, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the AIM market of the LSE, with revenues of over $6.5 billion.For more information, visit www.logicalis.com
Ascendis Health, the high growth health and care brands group, is to purchase the southern African veterinary operations of Cipla India for R375 million.

By: Ascendis Health

Ascendis Health

Contact

Luxury Brands

***@luxurybrands.co.za Luxury Brands

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-- Cipla Vet (companion animals) and Cipla Agrimed (commercial animals) sell a range of high quality animal medicines. The business was established in 2004 and the sale follows the decision by Cipla India to divest its southern African veterinary operations to focus on human health care only in South Africa.Ascendis Health CEO Dr Karsten Wellner said the Cipla animal health businesses provide an excellent strategic fit with the Ascendis Phyto-Vet division which focuses on animal and plant health products."The acquisition will enable Ascendis to expand into the attractive veterinary pharma market, with high margin products in strong growth segments. The new business will complement our presence in the pharma industry and Phyto-Vet's biosciences business, while adding therapeutic products to our portfolio which is an area where Ascendis has not had a strong representation in the past," he said.Cipla Vet sells through over 1 000 outlets including vet practices, vet shops, equine stores and wholesalers. The business has a strong presence in antibiotics, and endo- and ectoparasiticides, with key brands including Triworm and Petcam.Cipla Agrimed has a leading position in antimicrobials and endectocides in South Africa which are sold mainly through agri-co-operatives, tenders and directly to farmers.Dr Wellner said currently only about 10% of Cipla's veterinary sales are generated through export into Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Angola. "This provides an excellent opportunity for synergies through Phyto-Vet's existing African network. The Cipla products will also support Phyto-Vet's planned expansion into new African markets and the further internationalisation of the business."Cipla Vet and Cipla Agrimed reported a combined profit after tax of R31 million in the year to March 2016, with the net asset value totalling R138 million. The businesses have generated double digit sales and profit growth over the past three years.The purchase price of R375 million includes a deferred payment of R50 million over 15 months. The acquisition is subject to competition approvals and the effective date is expected to be 01 April 2017."The acquisition will accelerate our entry into the veterinary pharma market and is strategically aligned with Phyto-Vet's growth plans. Cipla's animal health product range is highly regarded in the market and we are excited about the addition of these businesses which will be margin enhancing to the group," concluded Dr Wellner.
Obviously there are still a few prime properties left to get in the city of Frankfurt. Currently Knight Frank is starting the marketing plot from the former Mercedes-Benz East Branch subsidiary on Hanauer Landstrae 121-123. The areal in Frankfurt's Ostend quarter will be sold in the course of a bidding

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Savills has appointed Petr Machula to head up its property management team in the Czech Republic. Machula has over 15 years experience in the Czech real estate market, and for 12 of those years he has been head of property management at Knight Frank, where he built a department of

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The 11 March 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake was the largest and most destructive in the history of Japan. Japanese researchers -- and their Norwegian partners -- are hard at work trying to understand just what made it so devastating.

The massive earthquake that rocked Japan on 11 March 2011 killed more than 20,000 people, making it one of the most deadly natural disasters in the country's history. Virtually all of the victims drowned in a tsunami that in places was more than 30 metres high.

The tsunami also crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, causing meltdowns in three of the plant's six reactors and releasing record amounts of radiation to the ocean. The reactors were so unstable at one point that the former Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, later admitted he considered evacuating 50 million people from the greater Tokyo region. Eventually, 160,000 people had to leave their homes because of radiation.

This national disaster, Japan's largest-ever earthquake, was a call to action for Japanese earth scientists. Their mission: to understand exactly what happened to make this quake so destructive. For this, they turned to JAMSTEC, the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology to probe the secrets in the 7000-metre deep Japan Trench, the epicentre of the temblor.

In the five years since the disaster, researchers have found intriguing clues as to what made the quake so dangerous. Norwegian petroleum expertise from working on the Norwegian Continental Shelf is now helping to uncover new details as scientists continue to try to understand what factors contribute to making an earthquake in this region really big. In doing so, they hope to be able to better predict the magnitude and location of future quakes and tsunamis.

A jumble of tectonic plates

Japan sits in what may be one of the most dangerous places possible when it comes to earthquakes. The northern part of the country lies on a piece of the North American plate, whereas the southern part of the country sits on the Eurasian plate. In the north, the Pacific plate is sliding underneath the North American plate, while to the south, the Eurasian plate is riding over the Philippine Sea plate. When one plate moves in relation to another, the movement can trigger an earthquake and tsunami.

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The complex jumble of tectonic plates explains why roughly 1,500 earthquakes rattle the country every year, and why it is home to 40 active volcanoes -- 10 per cent of the world's total.

Given that Japan experiences so many earthquakes, the quake that shook the country on the afternoon of 11 March wasn't completely unexpected. In fact, researchers predicted that the region would see an earthquake of 7.5 magnitude or more over the next 30 years.

Earthquakes are routine enough in Japan that the country has strict building codes to prevent damage. Most large buildings wriggle and sway with the shaking of the earth -- one man in Tokyo told the BBC that the movements in his workplace skyscraper during the 2011 quake were so strong he felt seasick -- and even the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was protected by 10-metre-high seawall.

Yet some combination of factors made the Tohoku-Oki earthquake bigger and with a more deadly tsunami than scientists expected. But what?

"This is what we want to understand -- and to mitigate," says Shin'ichi Kuramoto, Director General for the Center for Deep Earth Exploration at JAMSTEC. "Why do these big earthquakes occur?"

A really big slip

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JAMSTEC researchers mobilized almost immediately after the disaster, and sent their 106-metre-long research vessel RV Kairei to the quake's epicentre just a few days after it occurred.

For a little over two weeks, the ship cruised over the Japan Trench off the coast of Honshu. The purpose was to create a bathymetric picture of the sea bottom and to collect reflection seismic data, which allows researchers to peer into the sediments and rocks underneath the seafloor.

A subsequent cruise by JAMSTEC's RV Kaiyo 7-8 months after the earthquake collected additional high-resolution reflection seismic images in the area. Fortunately, the researchers also had data from a similar study that had been done in 1999 in the same region.

The data showed them that the landward seafloor in the trench area slipped as much as 50 metres horizontally, said Yasuyuki Nakamura, Deputy Group leader in JAMSTEC's Center for Earthquake and Tsunami Structural Seismology Group.

"This was a big slip in the trench axis area," he said. "For comparison, the 1995 Kobe earthquake, which killed more than 6000 people and was a magnitude 7.3, had an average slip of 2 metres."

Another magnitude 8 earthquake in 1946 in the Nankai area in southern Japan that destroyed 36,000 homes had a maximum slip of 10 metres, Nakamura said.

"So you can see that 50 metres is a very huge slip," he said. That in itself partly explains why the tsunami wave was so big, he said.

Creating images using sound waves

When Martin Landr, a geophysicist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), read about the Japanese earthquake and learned that his Japanese counterparts had collected seismic data from both before and after the quake, he thought he might be able to offer some help.

For more than 20 years, Landr has worked with interpreting and visualizing seismic data. Oil companies and geophysicists routinely use this approach to collect information about the geology under the seafloor. Landr has studied everything from putting seismic data to work to discover new undersea oil reservoirs to visualizing what happens to CO 2 injected into an undersea reservoir, as is being done now in the Sleipner Field in the North Sea.

It works like this: a ship sails along a straight line for 100 kilometres or more, and uses airguns to send an acoustic signal every 50 metres while the ship sails along. The ship also tows a long cable behind it to record the acoustic signals that are reflected back by the sediments and bedrock under the sea floor. Simply stated, harder materials reflect signals back more quickly than softer materials.

Geologists can create a two-dimensional image, a cross section of the geology under the sea floor, by towing one long cable behind a ship. A three-dimensional image can be created by towing a number of cables with sensors on them and essentially combining a series of two-dimensional images into a three-dimensional one.

A very special type of seismic data, however, is called 4D, where the fourth dimension is time. Here, geophysicists can combine 2D images from different time periods, or 3D images from different time periods to see how an area has changed over time. It can be highly complex, especially if different systems have been used to collect the seismic data from the two different time periods. But 4D seismic analysis is Landr's special expertise.

From North Sea oil reservoirs to the Japan Trench

Landr contacted Shuichi Kodaira, director of JAMSTEC's Center for Earthquake and Tsunami, and said that he wanted to see if some of the techniques that had been used for petroleum-related purposes could be used to understand stress changes related to earthquakes. Kodaira agreed.

Then it was just a matter of getting the data and "reprocessing it," Landr said, to make the two different time periods as comparable as possible.

"We could then estimate movements and changes caused by the earthquake at the seabed and below the seabed," Landr said.

After nearly a year of working remotely together on the data, Landr and his Norwegian colleagues flew to Japan in November 2016 to meet their Japanese counterparts for the first time. They're now in the process of jointly writing a scientific paper for publication, so he is reluctant to describe their new findings in detail before they are published.

"The ultimate goal here is to understand what happened during the earthquake in as detailed a way as possible. The big picture is more or less the same," Landr said. "It is more like we are looking at minor details that might be important using a technique that has been used in the oil industry for many years. Maybe we will see some details that haven't been seen before."

An early warning system

Landr is also interested in a system that JAMSTEC has installed in the ocean off the southern part of the country, called the Dense Oceanfloor Network system for Earthquakes and Tsunamis, more commonly known as DONET.

The DONET system (of which there are now two) is a series of linked pressure sensors installed on the ocean floor in the Nankai Trough, an area that has been hit by repeated dangerous earthquakes, JAMSTEC's Nakamura said.

The Nankai Trough is located where the Philippine Sea plate is sliding under the Eurasian plate at a rate of about 4 cm per year. In general, there have been large earthquakes along the trough every 100 to 150 years.

DONET 1 also includes a series of seismometers, tilt meters and strain indicators that were installed in a pit 980 metres below a known earthquake centre in the Nankai Trough. The sensors from the pit and from the seafloor above are all linked in a network of cables that sends real-time observations to monitoring stations and to local governments and businesses.

Essentially, if there is movement big enough to cause an earthquake and tsunami, the sensors will report it. JAMSTEC researchers have conducted studies that show that the DONET network could detect a coming tsunami as much as 10 to 15 minutes earlier than land-based detection stations along the coast. Those extra minutes could mean saving thousands of lives.

"One of the main purposes here is to provide a tsunami early warning system," Nakamura said. "We've been collaborating with local governments to establish this."

Other applications a possibility

Landr says he thinks that using techniques from 4D seismic imaging could also be used with the data collected by all the DONET sensors.

The DONET approach, or some variation of it, might also be useful in the future as Norway and other countries explore using oil reservoirs to store CO2. One of the biggest concerns about storing CO2 in subsea reservoirs is monitoring the storage area to make certain the CO 2 stays in place. A DONET-style monitoring system might be of interest here, Landr said.

Landr also says he thinks that techniques from 4D seismic imaging could be used with the data collected by all the DONET sensors to obtain a better understanding of how the area is changing over time.

DONET "is passive data, listening to the rock," Landr said. "But here you could also use some of the same techniques as for 4D analysis to learn more."
Government agencies cannot always use social media and telecommunication to uncover the intentions of terrorists as terrorists are now more careful in utilizing these technologies for planning and preparing for attacks. A new framework developed by researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York is able to understand future terrorist behaviors by recognizing patterns in past attacks.

Researchers at Binghamton have proposed a comprehensive new framework, the Networked Pattern Recognition (NEPAR) Framework, by defining the useful patterns of attacks to understand behaviors, to analyze patterns and connections in terrorist activity, to predict terrorists' future moves, and finally, to prevent and detect potential terrorist behaviors.

Using data on more than 150,000 terrorist attacks between 1970 and 2015, Binghamton University PhD student Salih Tutun developed a framework that calculates the relationships among terrorist attacks (e.g. attack time, weapon type) and detects terrorist behaviors with these connections. Mohammad Khasawneh, professor and head of the Systems Science and Industrial Engineering (SSIE) department at Binghamton University, assisted and advised Tutun with his research. In the framework, there are two main phases: (1) building networks by finding connections between events, and (2) using a unified detection approach that combines proposed network topology and pattern recognition approaches. Firstly, the framework identifies the characteristics of future terrorist attacks by analyzing the relationship between past attacks. Comparing the results with existing data shows that the proposed method was able to successfully predict most of the characteristics of attacks with more than 90% accuracy.

Moreover, after building the network with connections, the researchers propose a unified detection approach that applies pattern classification techniques to network topology and features of incidents to detect terrorism attacks with high accuracy, and identify the extension of attacks (90 percent accuracy), multiple attacks (96 percent accuracy) and terrorist goals (92 percent accuracy). Hence, governments can control terrorist behaviors to reduce the risk of future events. The results could potentially allow law enforcement to propose reactive strategies, said Tutun.

"Terrorists are learning, but they don't know they are learning. If we can't monitor them through social media or other technologies, we need to understand the patterns. Our framework works to define which metrics are important," said Tutun. "Based on this feature, we propose a new similarity (interaction) function. Then we use the similarity (interaction) function to understand the difference (how they interact with each other) between two attacks. For example, what is the relationship between the Paris and the 9/11 attacks? When we look at that, if there's a relationship, we're making a network. Maybe one attack in the past and another attack have a big relationship, but nobody knows. We tried to extract this information."

Previous studies have focused on understanding the behavior of individual terrorists (as people) rather than studying the different attacks by modeling their relationship with each other. And terrorist activity detection focuses on either individual incidents, which does not take into account the dynamic interactions among them; or network analysis, which gives a general idea about networks but sets aside functional roles of individuals and their interactions.

"Predicting terrorist events is a dream, but protecting some area by using patterns is a reality. If you know the patterns, you can reduce the risks. It's not about predicting, it's about understanding," said Tutun.

Tutun believes that policymakers can use these approaches for time-sensitive understanding and detection of terrorist activity, which can enable precautions to avoid against future attacks.

"When you solve the problem in Baghdad, you solve the problem in Iraq. When you solve the problem in Iraq, you solve the problem in the Middle East. When you solve the problem in the Middle East, you solve the problem in the world," said Tutun. "Because when we look at Iraq, these patterns are happening in the USA, too."

The paper, "New framework that uses patterns and relations to understand terrorist behaviors," was published in Expert Systems with Applications.
Whether it involves stopping at a traffic light or diving into freezing water to save someone from drowning: many of our everyday problems require snap decisions in the face of uncertainty. When making decisions, it has been suggested that neurochemicals rapidly flood the brain and signal how uncertain somebody is about a choice. Researchers from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf have now found evidence of such signalling using measurements of human pupil size. Their results are published in the latest edition of Nature Communications.

Pupil size can vary for various reasons, the most common being a change in light levels. It is also known that pupils dilate whenever a person is aroused or exerts mental effort. The effect of cognitive processing on pupil dilation is thought to be triggered by the large-scale release of modulatory neurotransmitters -- chemical messengers that influence communication between neurons. These neurotransmitters, like serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, are also believed to be involved in situations where decisions are taken under uncertainty, a phenomenon known as 'decision uncertainty'.

For their study, neuroscientist Anne Urai and her colleagues tested if uncertainty signals could indeed drive rapid changes in pupil size and whether these might predict a subsequent change in choice behaviour. The researchers used an infrared camera to measure pupil diameter in 27 participants, who sat in a dark room in front of a computer screen. The participants were then given a task in which they had to make quick decisions about moving images shown on the screen, varying in difficulty. After each answer, the participants waited up to three seconds to hear a tone indicating if their choice was correct.

The researchers found that pupil dilation is largest when a person is most uncertain about the accuracy of their decision, and still awaiting feedback. 'By using a mathematical model of decision uncertainty, we can start to connect our results to previous findings which have shown uncertainty signalling in specific neurons in the brain of rats and monkeys' says Urai, who forms part of the UvA's Brain and Cognition Group. The researchers also discovered that participants generally tended to repeat their previous choices, but that this effect was reduced after large pupil responses. Urai: "Our choices are strongly influenced by our earlier decisions and the state in which they were made. Here, we found that pupil dilation specifically predicts a reduction in choice repetition. These findings form the starting point for further research into the neural basis of these choice biases."

The researchers believe these results could hold implications for our understanding of how the brain copes with everyday decision-making in the face of uncertainty. Urai: "We constantly make decisions about the world around us. These results show that the brain is able to monitor the uncertainty about each choice we make, and use this information to change future choice behaviour." Urai hopes that the insight provided by these findings might in the future be of value in situations requiring accurate decision-making. "By studying decision-making in the lab, we can begin to understand more about real-world, uncertain decision-making in situations where it matters. We may one day be able to detect uncertain choices and reduce their potentially disastrous consequences."
A newly published study co-authored by MIT researchers suggests that urban ride-sharing is feasible in a wide variety of cities around the globe -- and indeed that the potential "shareability" of autos in those places is more similar, from place to place, than previously expected.

The work builds on a 2014 study showing that ride-sharing -- in the form of, say, taxi trips shared with other passengers traveling along similar routes -- could be highly effective in New York City. However, given New York's exceptional population density, an ongoing question is how many other urban settings offer the same potential for sharing vehicles.

The new study examines data from San Francisco, Singapore, and Vienna, in addition to New York. It suggests the ride-sharing potential in those cities converges so closely that, as the study authors write, "they all obey the same empirical law governing the potential for ride-sharing."

"We found this kind of global law of ride-sharing," says Carlo Ratti, director of MIT's Senseable City Lab and a co-author of the new paper.

The paper, "Scaling Law of Urban Ride Sharing," is being published in Scientific Reports.

Ratti's co-authors on the paper are Remi Tachet, a researcher at Senseable City Lab (who is the corresponding author); Oleguer Sagarra of Senseable City Lab; Paolo Santi, a research scientist at Senseable City Lab and a senior researcher at the Italian National Research Council CNR; Giovanni Resta of the Italian National Research Council CNR; Michael Szell, a researcher at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; and Steven Strogatz, a mathematician at Cornell University.

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The Senseable City researchers also teamed with Strogatz, who is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cornell, on the earlier study focused on New York.

The researchers based the study on taxi data from the four cities, including the tracking of over 13,000 New York taxis for a year. They also tracked, for a month apiece, about 500 taxis in San Francisco, about 16,000 in Singapore, and about 1,000 in Vienna.

The research uses factors such as the area of a city, the number of taxi trips made, and the average traffic speed, to determine what proportion of rides are shareable, given some modest assumptions about the flexibility passengers might have in terms of waiting for a ride.

Given reasonable assumptions, the researchers found, over 99 percent of trips in New York are shareable -- and about 97 percent of trips in San Francisco, Singapore, and Vienna are, too.

Santi says he found the result to be "particularly surprising" because "the cities we studied have very different layouts." He adds: "The possible explanation ... is that what influences shareability is the way our lives are organized, rather than the city layout."

That is, despite the relatively lower density of a city such as Vienna, the potential for ride-sharing is still high due to similar daily mobility patterns among area residents.

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Based on the model developed from the data for New York, San Francisco, Singapore, and Vienna, the paper also provides additional estimates of the ride-sharing potential in 30 cities around the world. The researchers estimate that Berlin and London would be on the low end of the shareability spectrum, while other, more dense cities -- including Amsterdam and Prague -- have better sharing possibilities.

To be sure, as Ratti acknowledges, the growth of ride-sharing depends on many factors, include a willingness of passengers to engage in it more often.

"How shareability turns into real sharing depends on culture," Ratti says. Even given similar urban characteristics, he says, "In some countries you might find more sharing than in other countries."

But as the paper notes, the growing presence of ride-sharing services such as UberPool, ZipCar, and Car2Go all indicate that ride-sharing may become a larger part of the urban transportation mix. In turn, that might ease congestion and environmental effects of heavy auto use.

"Today [individual] cars are used only 5 percent of the time," Ratti says. "So if we're able to change those numbers a little bit, the impact could be big."
Maintaining a healthy sex life at home boosts employees' job satisfaction and engagement at the office, underscoring the value of a strong work-life balance, an Oregon State University researcher has found.

A study of the work and sex habits of married employees found that those who prioritized sex at home unknowingly gave themselves a next-day advantage at work, where they were more likely to immerse themselves in their tasks and enjoy their work lives, said Keith Leavitt, an associate professor in OSU's College of Business.

"We make jokes about people having a 'spring in their step,' but it turns out this is actually a real thing and we should pay attention to it," said Leavitt, an expert in organizational behavior and management. "Maintaining a healthy relationship that includes a healthy sex life will help employees stay happy and engaged in their work, which benefits the employees and the organizations they work for."

The study also showed that bringing work-related stress home from the office negatively impinges on employees' sex lives. In an era when smart phones are prevalent and after-hours responses to work emails are often expected, the findings highlight the importance of leaving work at the office, Leavitt said. When work carries so far into an employee's personal life that they sacrifice things like sex, their engagement in work can decline.

The researchers' findings were published this month in the Journal of Management. Co-authors are Christopher Barnes and Trevor Watkins of the University of Washington and David Wagner of the University of Oregon.

Sexual intercourse triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with the reward centers in the brain, as well as oxytocin, a neuropeptide associated with social bonding and attachment. That makes sex a natural and relatively automatic mood elevator and the benefits extend well into the next day, Leavitt said.

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To understand the impact of sex on work, the researchers followed 159 married employees over the course of two weeks, asking them to complete two brief surveys each day. They found that employees who engaged in sex reported more positive moods the next day, and the elevated mood levels in the morning led to more sustained work engagement and job satisfaction throughout the workday.

The effect, which appears to linger for at least 24 hours, was equally strong for both men and women and was present even after researchers took into account marital satisfaction and sleep quality, which are two common predictors of daily mood.

"This is a reminder that sex has social, emotional and physiological benefits, and it's important to make it a priority," Leavitt said. "Just make time for it."

Twenty years ago, monitoring sleep or daily step counts or actively practicing mindful meditation might've seemed odd but now they are all things people practice as part of efforts to lead healthier, more productive lives. It may be time to rethink sex and its benefits as well, he said.

"Making a more intentional effort to maintain a healthy sex life should be considered an issue of human sustainability, and as a result, a potential career advantage," he said. U.S. employers probably won't follow the lead of a town councilman in Sweden who recently proposed that local municipal employees be allowed to use an hour of their work week for sex. The councilman's hope is to boost the town's declining population as well as improve employee moods and productivity.

But employers here can steer their employee engagement efforts more broadly toward work-life balance policies that encourage workers to disconnect from the office, Leavitt said. The French recently enacted a law that bars after-hours email and gives employees a "right to disconnect."

"Technology offers a temptation to stay plugged in, but it's probably better to unplug if you can," he said. "And employers should encourage their employees to completely disengage from work after hours."
If someone asks you to hand them a wrench from a table full of different sized wrenches, you'd probably pause and ask, "which one?" Robotics researchers from Brown University have now developed an algorithm that lets robots do the same thing -- ask for clarification when they're not sure what a person wants.

The research, which will be presented this spring at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Singapore, comes from Brown's Humans to Robots Lab led by computer science professor Stefanie Tellex. Her work focuses on human-robot collaboration -- making robots that can be good helpers to people at home and in the workplace.

"Fetching objects is an important task that we want collaborative robots to be able to do," Tellex said. "But it's easy for the robot to make errors, either by misunderstanding what we want, or by being in situations where commands are ambiguous. So what we wanted to do here was come up with a way for the robot to ask a question when it's not sure."

Tellex's lab had previously developed an algorithm that enables robots to receive speech commands as well as information from human gestures. It's a form of interaction that people use all the time. When we ask someone for an object, we'll often point to it at the same time. Tellex and her team showed that when robots could combine the speech commands with gestures, they got better at correctly interpreting user commands.

Still, the system isn't perfect. It runs into problems when there are lots of very similar objects in close proximity to each other. Take the workshop table, for example. Simply asking for "a wrench" isn't specific enough, and it might not be clear which one a person is pointing to if a number of wrenches are clustered close together.

"What we want in these situations is for the robot to be able to signal that it's confused and ask a question rather than just fetching the wrong object," Tellex said.

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The new algorithm does that. It enables the robot to quantify how certain it is that it knows what a user wants. When its certainty is high, the robot will simply hand over the object as requested. When it's not so certain, the robot makes its best guess about what the person wants, then asks for confirmation by hovering its gripper over the object and asking, "this one?"

One of the important features of the system is that the robot doesn't ask questions with every interaction. It asks intelligently.

"When the robot is certain, we don't want it to ask a question because it just takes up time," said Eric Rosen, an undergraduate working in Tellex's lab and co-lead author of the research paper with graduate student David Whitney. "But when it is ambiguous, we want it to ask questions because mistakes can be more costly in terms of time."

And even though the system asks only a very simple question, "it's able to make important inferences based on the answer," Whitney said. For example, say a user asks for a wrench and there are two wrenches on a table. If the user tells the robot that its first guess was wrong, the algorithm deduces that the other wrench must be the one that the user wants. It will then hand that one over without asking another question. Those kinds of inferences, known as implicatures, make the algorithm more efficient.

To test their system, the researchers asked untrained participants to come into the lab and interact with Baxter, a popular industrial and research robot. Participants asked Baxter for objects under different conditions. The team could set the robot to never ask questions, ask a question every time, or to ask questions only when uncertain. The trials showed that asking questions intelligently using the new algorithm was significantly better in terms of accuracy and speed compared to the other two conditions.

The system worked so well, in fact, that participants thought the robot had capabilities it actually didn't have. For the purposes of the study, the researchers used a very simple language model -- one that only understood the names of objects. However, participants told the researchers they thought the robot could understand prepositional phrases like, "on the left" or "closest to me," which it could not. They also thought the robot might be tracking their eye-gaze, which it wasn't. All the system was doing was making smart inferences after asking a very simple question.

In future work, Tellex and her team would like to combine the algorithm with more robust speech recognition systems, which might further increase the system's accuracy and speed.

Ultimately, Tellex says, she hopes systems like this will help robots become useful collaborators both at home and at work.
Democrats sharply criticized President Donald Trump's calls on lawmakers Sunday to investigate his baseless claim that former President Barack Obama tapped his phone.

Republicans, meanwhile, urged Trump to let the House and Senate intelligence committees do their jobs.

Both parties made clear that Trump's allegation -- which the White House has not offered any evidence to support, and which Obama administration officials emphatically deny -- won't be dropped anytime soon, as even GOP lawmakers who have backed Trump said they'd investigate.

Rep. Devin Nunes of California, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said his committee would look into whether the federal government was conducting wiretapping of campaign officials as part of the panel's investigation into Russian meddling in the US election.

"One of the focus points of the House Intelligence Committee's investigation is the U.S. government's response to actions taken by Russian intelligence agents during the presidential campaign," Nunes said in a statement Sunday. "As such, the Committee will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates, and we will continue to investigate this issue if the evidence warrants it."

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee announced Sunday night they planned to ask White House Counsel Donald McGahn to provide the committee with a list of communications between the White House and the Department of Justice regarding probes into Russian interference in the election.

Other Democrats, meanwhile, accused Trump of advancing yet another unfounded conspiracy in an effort to distract from the issues dogging his administration in its early weeks.

"You make up something and then you have the press write about it, and then you say, 'everybody's writing about this charge,'" House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said on CNN's "State of the Union." "It's a tool of an authoritarian, to just have you always be talking about what you want to be talking about."

Their comments come after Trump's aides asked Congress to look into whether the Obama administration abused its investigative powers during the 2016 election.

"Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in the statement, which he also posted on Twitter. "President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016.

"Neither the White House nor the President will comment further until such oversight is conducted," Spicer added. He did not provide any further details on the President's request to Congress.

While Spicer said "reports" prompted the call for a congressional investigation, the White House still has not provided any evidence to back up the President's accusations. There are no publicly known credible reports to back up Trump's claim that Obama ordered Trump's phones be monitored.

Frustrated that the Russia stories have overshadowed a widely praised performance in his joint address to Congress on Tuesday, Trump angrily raised the wiretapping issue unprompted in conversations with friends and acquaintances at Mar-a-Lago, two people who have spoken with him at his Palm Beach resort over the last 24 hours said on Sunday. The President didn't specify what information he was basing his accusations upon, but told them he expected an investigation to prove him right.

Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy posted a column Sunday saying he spoke with the President twice on Saturday about the wiretap story.

"When I mentioned Obama 'denials' about the wiretaps, he shot back: 'This will be investigated, it will all come out. I will be proven right," Ruddy wrote.

Multiple former senior US officials have dismissed Trump's allegations, however, calling them "nonsense" and "false." Obama, through a spokesman, also rejected the claim that he ordered Trump's phones tapped.

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, a career intelligence official who had oversight of the US intelligence community in that role, said Sunday that Trump was not wiretapped by intelligence agencies nor did the FBI obtain a court order through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to monitor Trump's phones.

"For the part of the national security apparatus that I oversaw as DNI, there was no wiretap activity mounted against the President-elect at the time, or as a candidate, or against his campaign," Clapper said Sunday morning on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Members of the intelligence committees

House Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff called Trump's claims as "destructive as it was baseless," but tied the President's call to the California Democrat's criticism of FBI Director James Comey for not being forthcoming about any investigation of ties between Russia and the Trump administration.

"If the administration truly believes that President Obama illegally eavesdropped on the Trump campaign and wants our committee to investigate the matter, they should join my call on Director Comey to answer any question put to him that is pertinent to the Russia investigation," Schiff said in a statement.

The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina, said his panel would follow the evidence trail in its investigation of Russian intelligence activities.

"As I've said since the beginning and have repeated since, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence will follow the evidence where it leads, and we will continue to be guided by the intelligence and facts as we compile our findings," Burr said.

Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, tweeted at Spicer that he looks forward "to seeing your evidence," calling the allegations a "mess."

Himes also mocked Trump's claim in a tweet Sunday.

"BREAKING: HIMES ADMITS TO TAPPING. 'I know this will end up being sticky, but yes, I did the tapping' #maplenotwire" he tweeted with a picture of him tapping a tree for syrup.

Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that he's "not sure what it is (Trump) is talking about," but added it's possible that "perhaps the President has information that is not yet available to us or to the public."

Rubio pointed out that the Senate Intelligence Committee is already in the process of reviewing Russia's meddling in the US elections last year and will eventually issue a public report.

"But what I think we should do is, everybody needs to take a deep breath and calm down here," the Florida Republican told CNN's Jake Tapper. "And let's go through this as what we are doing. In the Senate Intelligence Committee, we are working in a bipartisan way to collect facts that involve reviewing classified and sometimes unclassified and open-source information."

Sen. Susan Collins, also a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday morning that she has "seen no evidence" to back up Trump's wiretapping allegation and called on the White House to turn over any evidence to the committee.

"What we need to deal with is evidence, not statements," the Maine Republican said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Democratic leaders

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he believes Trump is "in trouble" whether there was a court order authorizing surveillance of his phones or "if he falsely spread this kind of misinformation."

"If he falsely spread this kind of misinformation, that is so wrong. It's beneath the dignity of the presidency. It is something that really hurts people's view of government," the New York Democrat said Sunday on "Meet the Press." "On the other hand, if it's true, it's even worse for the President. Because that means that a federal judge, independently elected, has found probable cause that the president, or people on his staff, have probable cause to have broken the law or to have interacted with a foreign agent. Now that's serious stuff."

Schumer said he had no problem with the congressional intelligence committees including Trump's request in their investigation into Russian activity in the 2016 election, but he also used the call as an opportunity to reiterate Democrats' calls for a special prosecutor to investigate connections between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.

CNN's Manu Raju, Deirdre Walsh, Ted Barrett and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
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In early 2017 the Czech Republic ordered another 20 Pandur II wheeled APCs. These will cost about $4 million each and be license-manufactured in the Czech Republic. This arrangement was made possible by an increased defense budget that was in response to the growing Russian threats. By 2020 Czech military spending is expected to reach 1.4 percent of GDP from the current one percent. The official NATO requirement is two percent and the U.S. has made it clear that the Americans, who have always spent far more than two percent, expect their NATO partners to spend what they agreed to.

The 20 additional Pandurs include six of the command variant while rest will be standard APCs (armored personnel carriers). The purchase price includes ammo, electronics, weapons and spare parts. These APCs are for a new additional infantry brigade which will work with the two new light rapid reaction units.

The Czechs decided on the Pandur IIs in 2006 when the first 199 APCs models were ordered from Austria. However due to budget problems that order had to be reduced, in 2008, to 107 vehicles. Thus with the new order the Czechs will have 127 vehicles.

The Pandur II family of light armored vehicles was developed by the Austrian company which is now a part of General Dynamics European Land Combat Systems. Pandur is currently used by Austrian, Portugal and Czech armed forces. The Pandur II weighs up to 22 tons and us available in a number of variants, including some that use a turret equipped with weapons and sensors some variants are amphibious. Pandur is air transportable by the C-130 aircraft.

For protection the basic steel armor protects the crew from 7.62-mm armor-piercing rounds but optional add-on armor raises protection level up to include 14.5-mm armor-piercing ammunition. It should be noted that baseline vehicle has a flat bottom, which isnt good against landmines. However the Czech version has a -shaped bottom which is a reversed compared to traditional V-shaped bottoms.

Pandur comes in two sizes with the 6x6 APC can carry a crew of three and six passengers. The Czechs bought the larger 8x8 variant designed to carry a crew of 2 and 12 passengers. Besides the APC variant the Czech forces also have some heavier armored and armed version too. The 8x8 version can weigh up to 26 tons.

For armament the Czech Pandur II vehicles use Israeli RCS (remote controlled turrets). The APCs are either unarmed or equipped with a turret fitted with 7.62 or 12.7-mm machinegun. The heavier variant on the other hand uses the RCS30 turret fitted with 30 mm autocannon and Spike-LR ATGM launchers (an Israeli anti-tank missile with the range up to 4 kilometers). Pandur II is quite mobile because of a 285 horse power diesel engine connected with automatic transmission and all wheels are fitted with independent suspension.

Most of these vehicles are assigned to rapid reaction units which closely work with NATO allies. The Czechs are still replacing a lot of the Cold War era Russia vehicles and weapons. During years of savings gained thanks to keeping military expenditure around one percent of GDP many modernization programs were stalled. But now there is little time available for Czech Republic to acquire multiple systems including tracked IFVs, attack and multirole helicopters, air defense system and modern artillery systems. This will be very hard to complete in coming years even with risen budget. -- Przemysaw Juraszek
It was recently revealed that the British SAS commandos have, since about 2010 recruited a dozen Gurkhas. The SAS, who were the original modern commandos and were first formed during World War II, are a very selective and elite organization. There are only about 200-300 SAS operators active and several years ago it was decided to recruit some Gurkhas. What was unusual about this was that the Gurkhas are not British and it is very rare for commando organizations to recruit foreigners. The Gurkhas are different in that they have served Britain loyally for a long time. While the Gurkhas are native to Nepal (a small country north of India) for two centuries Britain has recruited Gurkhas from the Gurkha tribes. This was mainly because Gurkhas have an outstanding reputation for military skills including discipline, bravery and all round kick-ass soldiering. Having served in the British Army, most can speak good English and all are familiar with British weapons, tactics and military customs.

There are currently 3,500 Gurkhas serving in the British army, and recruiting more is not a problem. Because of high unemployment in Nepal, a job in the British army is like winning the lottery. British military pay is more than 30 times what a good job in Nepal will get you. There are over sixty applicants for each of the few hundred openings each year. The men who don't make it into the British army, can try getting into the Indian Army Gurkha units. There are about ten times as many Gurkhas in the Indian army, but the pay is only a few times what one could make in Nepal, and the fringe benefits are not nearly as good. Then again, you're closer to home.

When the SAS quietly sought Gurkha recruits they found fifty willing to try out. A dozen of these passed the screening and survived the training. Thats a slightly higher pass rate than the usual SAS volunteers (British citizens serving in the army or Royal Marines). This was not surprising because Gurkhas have an outstanding military record. Such mercenary duty is now a tradition in the Gurkha tribes, where warriors, and things like loyalty and courage, have been held in high esteem for centuries. Nepal was never conquered by the British, although they did fight a war with the colonial British army in the early 19th century. Although the Nepalis lost, they became allies of the British after a peace treaty was worked out. It was during these border wars that the British noted the military prowess of the Gurkha tribesmen. The British colonial army in India tended to hire from tribes and ethnic groups that appeared to make better soldiers, and Gurkhas soon made a reputation for themselves in British service. Since then, over half a million Nepalis have served in the British army, with about ten percent of them dying in combat (over 80 percent of those during the two world wars.)

The United Kingdom now pays retired Gurkha soldiers at the same rate as other British soldiers. That means a Gurkhas annual pension is nearly $12,000. The average income in Nepal is about $200 a year. The British pension (for 15 years service) makes veterans living in Nepal quite wealthy, by Nepalese standards. However, an increasing number of Gurkhas have been retiring in Britain, instead of returning to Nepal. Britain is the nest place for retired Gurkha soldiers to find a job. Being a bodyguard is one of the more attractive second careers for retired Gurkhas in Britain. There are several companies in Britain that specialize in providing Gurkhas for security work. Many Gurkhas were hired for key security jobs in Iraq, and then Afghanistan. These Gurkhas earned a reputation of reliability that has spread, as has the number of potential employers.

The SAS wanted Gurkhas because most speak Urdu (the most common language in Pakistan and widely used in Afghanistan) and Gurkhas, being from South Asia, can more easily pass as locals. That plus their military experience and skills all of which are enhanced by the SAS training and experience.
Venezuela's Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez talks to the media during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Marco Bello

By Andreina Aponte and Teresa Cespedes

CARACAS/LIMA (Reuters) - Venezuela's leftist government on Monday called Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski a "coward" and a "dog" servile to the United States, leading Peru to respond by sending a protest note and calling in its ambassador for consultations.

Kuczynski, a 78-year-old former Wall Street investment banker who won election last year, has been one of the most vocal critics in the region of Venezuela's ruling "Chavismo" movement named for late socialist leader Hugo Chavez.

He particularly irked President Nicolas Maduro's government with a recent speech in the United States where he said Latin America was in general like a well-behaved dog on the carpet except for Venezuela which was "a big problem."

Maduro called for an apology over the weekend, and his feisty Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez followed up on Monday with a blistering attack at an event in honor of Chavez.

"He goes round, poor thing, with my respect because he is an elderly man, (like) a good dog who wags its tail at the empire and asks for an intervention in Venezuela. He's alone, going round like a crazy man, with no one paying attention," she said.

Rodriguez also accused the Peruvian leader of insulting Chavez's memory during a recent summit in Colombia.

"I also rose and told him, 'look, mister, you are a coward, and I repeat it here, Mr. Kuczynski, you are a coward who dared to tarnish the memory of our commander Hugo Chavez."

Peru's foreign ministry said in a statement it was calling back its envoy in Caracas in response.

"Such expressions are unacceptable between two states that maintain diplomatic relations," the statement said.

Peruvian Foreign Minister Ricardo Luna said Kuczynski had employed "an idiomatic and metaphorical expression used in academic circles" meant to describe Latin America's lack of conflicts rather than "demonize" the region.

With recent moves to the right in Brazil and Argentina as well, Venezuela's government has lost support in Latin America, although it retains strong links with fellow leftist-led nations Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador and Nicaragua.

(Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Alexandra Ulmer and James Dalgleish)
Movie Streaming WebSite Pubfilm Loses its Pubfilm.COM Domain, Advertises New Pubfilm.AC On Adsense and Facebook

Just last week we had reported how the popular movie streaming website Putlocker lost its domain name in a fight with Registrar. Now another popular movie streaming website Pubfilm has similarly lost many of its domains including Pubfilm.com to authorities.

It seems that law enforcement authorities and media entities have suddenly turned the heat on torrent websites and movie streaming sites. First, we had the Australian ISP ban on popular torrent websites like The Pirate Bay, RARBG, ExtraTorrent and movie streaming sites like SolarMovie. Then the United Kingdom ISPs started sending warnings to torrent users. This was followed by domain name suspension of Putlocker and now we have registrar suspending Pubfilm.com and other Pubfilm domains.

After the registrar blocked Pubfilm.com, the admin of Pubfilm immediately moved to a new domain Pubfilm.ac. They also announced the change of the domain on Facebook. Pubfilm have changed to a new domain its pubfilm.ac or pubfilm.is. Sorry about that. Thanks for your patience, the sites operator announced in a Facebook post last week. Torrent Freak reports that the Pubfilm admin is also running an AdSense campaign to popularize the new Pubfilm.ac domain. All this is necessary as Google has stopped listing torrent and movie streaming websites in its search results.
Swedish ISP Bredbandsbolaget blocks The Pirate Bay, other torrent websites like RARBG, ExtraTorrent, KickassTorrents, 1337X to be blocked soon

The media companies versus torrent websites fight is getting really serious. Universal Music, Sony Music, Warner Music, Nordisk Film, and the Swedish Film Industry collaborated to fight a longish battle with Swedish ISP Bredbandsbolaget to block popular torrent websites like The Pirate Bay. The judge finally accepted what the media companies said and blocked TPB in the land of free speech. Quite an irony considering it was in Sweden that Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij, and Gottfrid Svartholm got together to found The Pirate Bay in 2003. Luckily for torrent lovers, free speech is still alive and kicking in Sweden as the ISP has vowed Bredbandsbolaget to fight the blockage by appealing to the higher court. however, to fight further blocking action against similar torrent sites such as Rarbg, Kickass Torrents, 1337X, Torrentz2, and ExtraTorrent. follow.htm#sthash.RvsNROGk.dpuf

However, there are indications that the Swedish authorities may further seek to block other popular torrent websites like Rarbg, Kickass Torrents, 1337X, Torrentz2, and ExtraTorrent. After tasting blood in The Pirate Bay and Bredbandsbolaget versus the media companies likeUniversal Music, Sony Music, Warner Music, Nordisk Film, and the Swedish Film Industry, the authorities are eager to block as many torrent websites as possible.The Swedish authorities are under pressure from Hollywood movie companies who have unlimited money power and resources to fight the court case compared to the torrent website who live off meager advertisement revenues.

The Bredbandsbolaget and The Pirate Bay v/s media companies court case

Universal Music, Sony Music, Warner Music, Nordisk Film, and the Swedish Film Industry move to the Swedish court in 2014 to get Bredbandsbolaget block The Pirate Bay over copyright infringement charges. The media companies argued that the ISP was the accessory to copyright infringement happening via TPB. They asked Bredbandsbolaget to block TPB and if the ISP refused to do so, it should then be held liable for any damages incurred due to copyright infringing material shared on the sites.

Bredbandsbolaget argued that it was not in the business of policing content distributed via its services and was only responsible for providing the broadband service. The Swedish district court rightly ruled in Bredbandsbolaget favor and accepted that the ISP was merely providing its services to The Pirate Bay. The media companies appealed in the Swedish Patent and Market Court of Appeal. This court overturned the district courts decision and ordered Bredbandsbolaget to block The Pirate Bay-associated domains for three years. It also ordered the authorities to take down 100 or so mirror and proxy The Pirate Bay proxy websites.

Whats Next?

The Swedish ISP Bredbandsbolaget has decided to fight against any future blocking orders against similar sites such as Rarbg, Kickass Torrents, 1337X, Torrentz2, and ExtraTorrent.

We are now forced to contest any future blocking demands. It is the only way for us and other Internet operators to ensure that private players should not have the last word regarding the content that should be accessible on the Internet, said the ISP in a statement.

It is difficult for Bredbandsbolaget to get a decision in its favor because of the precedent just set by the patent court in blocking The Pirate Bay.
The mission and vision of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside is centered on the principle that accessible, affordable public higher education is good for southeastern Wisconsin.

Community leaders from both the public and private sectors share this belief. During the past six months, they have taken time to contact Gov. Scott Walkers office and the offices of our state representatives advocating for the value of UW-Parkside and the UW System.

Without the calls, letters, and other statements of support, our elected officials may conclude that the people they represent are not interested in affordable, public higher education. As the 2017-2019 state budget process continues, your advocacy for UW-Parkside and the UW System is needed and appreciated.

We are encouraged by Gov. Walkers plan to reinvest in the UW System. Overall, we see his budget proposal as an indication that he values the UW and its role in moving Wisconsin forward. There are elements, however, that require a closer look. Your leadership team at UW-Parkside and leadership teams throughout the UW System, are carefully reviewing policies tied to funding for public higher education.

There are two key areas of the state budget that will directly impact UW-Parkside in the near future: funding for infrastructure renewal and facility upgrades to Wyllie Hall; and funding to support competitive compensation for our dedicated faculty and staff.

The UW System capital budget request addresses infrastructure needs in Wyllie Hall that were identified as a priority for the 2015-2017 biennium, but were not funded in the final state budget. The governors proposed capital budget for 2017-2019 defers the Wyllie Hall project, yet again. The cost of the project has already increased by more than 10 percent. Deferring the work beyond 2019 will undoubtedly drive the cost even higher. There is also concern that postponing infrastructure and maintenance upgrades may result in more costly emergency repairs.

Another issue is competitive compensation for UW-Parkside faculty and staff. By including funds to address compensation, Gov. Walker recognizes that our dedicated faculty and staff are key to the success of our students and the economic vitality of our region. It is important to recognize that, on average, compensation for UW-Parkside faculty and staff trails our peer institutions by almost 20 percent. We encourage the Wisconsin Legislature to provide funding for compensation as requested by the Board of Regents.

UW-Parkside faculty and staff are responsible stewards of financial and human resources. Today, close to 40 percent of the students from southeastern Wisconsin who attend a UW institution attend UW-Parkside. During the past six years, more people have earned degrees at UW-Parkside than during any other six-year period in our history  and the majority of them were the first in their families to earn a degree.

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development data indicates that the states economy will require more than 21,000 people each year for the next five years with associate, bachelors, masters, doctorate or professional degrees. For jobs requiring a bachelors degree, the total average job openings are projected at more than 13,000 each year.

UW-Parkside is developing ready talent for southeastern Wisconsin, the fastest growing region in our state.

Investment by the State of Wisconsin in UW-Parkside and the UW System is ultimately an investment in the people we will need to move Wisconsin forward.

If you believe that affordable, accessible, public higher education is a priority for our region and our state, please call or write your state representatives and tell them so. We appreciate your support and advocacy for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Deutsche Telekom AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated telecommunication services. The company operates through five segments: Germany, United States, Europe, Systems Solutions, and Group Development. It offers fixed-network services, including voice and data communication services based on fixed-network and broadband technology; and sells terminal equipment and other hardware products, as well as services to resellers. The company also provides mobile voice and data services to consumers and business customers; sells mobile devices and other hardware products; and sells mobile services to resellers and to companies that purchases and markets network services to third parties, such as mobile virtual network operators. In addition, it offers internet services; internet-based TV products and services; and information and communication technology systems for multinational corporations and public sector institutions with an infrastructure of data centers and networks under the T-Systems brand, as well as call center services. The company has 242 million mobile customers and 22 million broadband customers, as well as 27 million fixed-network lines. Deutsche Telekom AG has a collaboration with VMware, Inc. on cloud-based open and intelligent virtual RAN platform to bring agility to radio access networks for existing LTE and future 5G networks; and partnership with Microsoft to deliver high-performance cloud computing experiences. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Bonn, Germany.
PricewaterhouseCooperss epic screw-up at the Oscars could carry a high cost if jurors arrive at a malpractice trial next week suspecting the global accounting firm is error-prone.

Until a PwC accountant handed Warren Beatty the wrong envelope for the Best Picture award, its lawyers only had to worry about adversary MF Global Holdings. Now, PwCs attorneys will also be concerned that jurors who watched the Feb. 26 awards ceremony will begin the trial doubting the firms expertise, jury consultants said.

Thats particularly worrisome in a case where New York-based PwC is accused of contributing to the 2011 collapse of MF Global, the New York brokerage formerly run by Jon Corzine. MF Global is seeking as much as $3 billion (U.S.).

The MF Global meltdown is entirely unrelated to what happened at the Oscars, said Leticia Ostler, a jury consultant in San Diego. Yet jurors may ask whats to say theyre not making the same mistake in other areas?

Richard Marooney, a lawyer for PwC, declined through a spokesperson to comment on how PwCs lawyers will handle the Oscars issue.

PwC accountants Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz were backstage at the Oscars, tasked with safeguarding the envelopes with the names of the winners and handed over the wrong one, triggering a globally televised fiasco. The firm, which has collected and counted votes since 1935, apologized for the error.

Potential jurors may have seen Cullinan on the cover of the New York Post or the Daily News, the citys two tabloid newspapers, smiling broadly in his tuxedo and holding a PwC briefcase. A Post headline called him The Twit who blew the Oscars. A Daily News article began, Dont let this guy do your taxes.

Most people know about the screw-up, said Thaddeus Hoffmeister, an expert on juries who teaches law at the University of Dayton. I dont know if they necessarily connect it with PwC. Theres a concern that you actually bring the topic up and then theyre like, Oh, I did not know that. 

Jury experts said lawyers may snoop into potential jurors social-media accounts to see if theyve commented about the flub. And while they are instructed not to seek out information outside the courtroom, Hoffmeister said its common for jurors to do research on the Internet.

His advice: dont put millennials on the jury.

They have more faith in Google than they do a witness on the witness stand, he said.

U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero delayed the case last month in hopes the parties would settle. They didnt. Corzine is expected to testify at the trial scheduled to start March 6, which is projected to last four to five weeks.

The trial will focus on a strategy pushed by Corzine when he took over leadership of MF Global in early 2010. Corzine had the firm make bets on European sovereign debt, financed through a type of bond repurchase agreement called a repurchase-to-maturity or RTM transaction.

MF Global claims PwC negligently signed off on its faulty RTM accounting, which in turn contributed to MF Globals meltdown. Daniel Fetterman, a lawyer for MF Global, declined to comment on the trial.

PwC says its accounting was correct and MF Global is wrongly trying to blame it for the failure of a strategy designed by Corzine and blessed by the firms in-house accountants. Marooney, the lawyer for PwC, called the case a lottery-ticket lawsuit, a long-shot attempt to force it to pay for MF Globals disastrous mistakes.

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Airbnb is launching a marketing campaign underscoring an image of its Toronto hosts as regular people supplementing their income from the occasional rental of their homes.

Radio ads on three stations start Tuesday, featuring the voices of Airbnb hosts, who cite the need for help with their mortgages in Torontos pricey housing market.

Airbnb helps Toronto residents earn a few extra thousand dollars a year to cover expenses. . . Were glad we can help Toronto families make a little extra money, concludes the ads voiceover.

TV, transit and digital promotions will follow in the run-up to the citys anticipated discussion of short-term rental regulations this spring or summer, said Alex Dagg, the companys Canadian policy lead.

Read more:

Toronto should require Airbnb permits, says report

Airbnb cooking up deals to become travel behemoth

$10,000 fine for Toronto homeowner who used agencies like Airbnb to find tenants

The hosts in the ads are real and their stories about how Airbnb helps them make ends meet should be heard, she said.

Our host community is who we are, said Dagg.

The pitch counters criticism that Airbnb is less about hosts sharing their primary residences than it is about business for a few individuals behind a disproportionate number of rental listings.

A Friday report from Fairbnb, a group organized by the hotel workers union that is pushing for the regulation of home sharing, says Airbnb accounts for 85 per cent of listings in the city, most of which are downtown. More than half of Airbnb revenue is collected by only 16 per cent of its hosts, said the report.

It says Airbnb is effectively turning condo buildings into unaccountable hotels and cutting into the citys supply of traditional rentals.

Fairbnb uses scraped data which is not reliable. Its based on available listings only and really doesnt tell the true story, said Dagg.

We have just under 10,000 hosts in Toronto. Eighty-one per cent are sharing their primary residence only. The typical host is earning slightly under $5,000 a year, she said, adding that the company shares its data regularly with the city.

Sometimes it can look like multiple listings in their primary residence because they may share one bedroom, which will be one listing, a second bedroom which would be another listing, said Dagg.

Hosts set the rate for their own listings. Airbnb takes 3 per cent of the rental fee.

Typically, its people like teachers who may not work in the summer, who travel and share their home when theyre away. We have a number of flight attendants who share their home when theyre not there, said Dagg. It just provides modest and supplemental income for thousands of families in Toronto.

Mable Chu, who will be featured in one of Airbnbs TV spots, rents out rooms in her five-bedroom home near Bathurst and Bloor streets.

The income she charges  about $49 a night or about $1,100 a month  is helping pay for a pricey renovation, she said on Monday. An accountant, Chu says she looks at the expense as an investment, but nevertheless found that, at the end of the day, we were a little strapped.

She said she only rents about half the time. Sometimes her children need the space and sometimes she wants a break. But Chu describes her Airbnb guests as friends, who join her family for meals and activities.

Were sharing a common space. Im not their mother but its nice to know what their agenda is. Is there anything I can do? Do they want to go sightseeing? I can show them how to get to Niagara Falls. Do they want to get downtown? she said.

She has taken guests from Spain to look at college programs, a longer-term renter from the Netherlands, who was working in Toronto on a PhD, tutored her daughter.

Im not a business and I dont want to be in business. Im just doing this to earn a little bit of extra income, she said.

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If youre travelling somewhere exotic this March Break, protect yourself against mosquitoes. Transmission of the Zika virus has been documented in 50 countries of the Caribbean, Central and South America, plus southern U.S. states like Florida and Texas.

For most people, the Zika virus causes very few problems, women who are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant should avoid any country where the virus is still active.

Everybody else should use mosquito repellent during outdoor daytime and nighttime activities, but particularly early in the morning and at dusk.

But its not just Zika that can cause travellers problems. Mosquitoes throughout the tropics, including Cuba and Mexico, also carry Dengue fever and Chikungunya, very unpleasant viruses that cause high fever, headache, joint pain and rashes.

Malaria is also a concern in the Dominican Republic and Haiti in the Caribbean, and throughout Africa and Southeast Asia, along with some parts of South and Central America. Most people going to the Dominican Republic are heading to resorts, which are often quite vigilant about spraying for mosquitoes, but every couple of years we see one or two cases of malaria in Canada from the Dominican Republic, and many more cases coming from West Africa, a real malaria hot spot. Thats why its good to have a can of bug spray on hand, and to watch for mosquitoes.

Its important not to let fear of tropical infections ruin your vacation  just take sensible precautions, and know that its very difficult to completely avoid mosquitoes.

Choose a repellent with the chemical DEET or icaridin for your skin and clothing. It should be strong enough to be effective  20 to 30 per cent is good for adults. Children ages 2 to 12 should use a lower percentage of DEET (and up to 20 per cent icaridin) on their skin because they have thinner skin than adults (and more skin in relation to body weight), and will absorb more chemicals. Use a product with no more than 10 per cent DEET on kids. You should also only apply DEET to childrens skin once a day, and only after their sunscreen has fully dried (about 15 minutes).

Unfortunately, the more natural insect repellents arent very effective  and in the tropics, youll want a product you can count on. However, mosquito screens, bed nets, air conditioning and long clothing are a natural way to help prevent bites.

If you do get bitten, dont panic. Just watch for symptoms, the most worrisome being fever within a few days to weeks of the bite. Any fever after travelling to the tropics should prompt an urgent doctors visit to rule out malaria.

That said, the most common health problem people experience after a trip to the developing world is travellers diarrhea from bacteria in the food. This is certainly unpleasant but usually requires no medical treatment beyond rehydration.

If youre travelling to the tropics with young children, its best to make an appointment with a specialty pre-travel medical clinic before you leave. Staff at these clinics can advise you about safe food and drinking water, any vaccines or malaria prophylaxis you might need, and what to bring. Travel clinics can be found all over the GTA, and although a visit is not covered by OHIP, your workplace insurance company may cover the cost.

The federal government also provides destination-specific health information through their country pages on travel.gc.ca. This is a good place to start in order to familiarize yourself with some of the health risks that might be present in your chosen destination.

Its wise to bring a small first-aid kit when travelling off the beaten path. In some parts of the world, first-aid basics like Band-Aids, antiseptic wipes, over-the-counter pain killers and fever reducers arent easily available. Medications to treat diarrhea and even antibiotics also could be a good idea. If youre travelling to a malaria-ridden area, its wise to obtain a prescription for a preventive medication before travel.

Finally, good health on vacation starts at the airport. It may seem basic, but having enough nutritious food and water, as well as hand sanitizer, for yourself and your kids before and during the flight will set your body up for success in fighting off the stresses of jet lag and foreign viruses and bacteria.

Taking a small amount of time to ensure youre prepared for any medical emergencies should contribute to your peace of mind when travelling somewhere exotic. I wish you safe and relaxing vacation!

Dr. Boggild is an Assistant Professor in U of Ts Department of Medicine. She serves as the Clinical Director of the Tropical Disease Unit at Toronto General Hospital. Doctors Notes is a weekly column by members of the University of Torontos Faculty of Medicine. Email doctorsnotes@thestar.ca

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LONDON, ONT.Award-winning Canadian author Bonnie Burnard is being remembered for her strong views and care for words.

Burnard died Saturday at the age of 72.

Her longtime friend and fellow author Joan Barfoot said Burnard died in hospital in London, Ont., but had no other details.

Burnard won a string of awards for her work, including the prestigious Giller Prize in 1999 for A Good House, a novel about an ordinary Ontario family who lived through the post-Second World War boom.

Burnards ability to create characters that seemed real and genuine to readers was one of her shining abilities, Barfoot said.

You could read her work and feel that those people existed and they were recognizable, you could feel a kind of tenderness toward them, Barfoot said in an interview Sunday, adding Burnard cared about every word she put down.

A real precision, a real care for words and what they mean and how she wanted them placed.

Burnard was born in Petrolia, Ont., in 1945. She lived for many years in Regina before moving to London, Ont., where she became a writer in residence at the University of Western Ontario in the 1990s.

In addition to her Giller Prize, she won the Saskatchewan Book of the Year Award for her work Casino & Other Stories, and her first short story collection Women of Influence, won the Commonwealth Best First Book Award.

Barfoot said Burnard contacted her out of the blue when she moved to the London-area from Regina and the two became friends.

Theres not a whole lot of writers around so we found each other, or she found me, recalled Barfoot, who has written 11 novels and received the Marian Engel Award.

Burnard was feisty with strong views but very compassionate, said Barfoot.

She was very caring, very strong minded and had strong opinions, that made for interesting conversations, said Barfoot, who said they had many talks over a lot of wine.

We talked about books we liked, we exchanged books ... we talked literary gossip sometimes and we talked about politics.

Burnard is survived by her three children and four grandchildren.

A celebration of her life is to be held at a London funeral chapel March 10 with a private family service to be held at a later date.

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VANCOUVERA 15-per-cent tax on foreign homebuyers in Metro Vancouver is unconstitutional and unfairly discriminates against people from Asia, a proposed class-action lawsuit against the British Columbia government argues.

An amended document filed in B.C. Supreme Court last week argues the so-called foreign-buyers tax is unconstitutional because it violates equality rights by making an arbitrary distinction between those who are citizens and permanent residents of Canada and those who are not.

The disadvantage perpetuates prejudice and stereotyping on the basis of national origin, the 26-page lawsuit says.

The foreign nationals property tax is disproportionately felt by person whose national origin is from an Asian country, a class of persons that have historically suffered discrimination in British Columbia.

The lawsuit, which was originally filed in September, says the tax unfairly assumes foreign nationals are wealthier than Canadians, and argues it violates dozens of international treaties guaranteeing equal treatment to non-Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

The B.C. government introduced the foreign-buyers tax with little warning last summer in an effort to quell Metro Vancouvers overheated real-estate market, which saw July prices for detached homes soar 38 per cent over a single year.

The law was passed on July 28 and came into effect five days later, sparking a frenzy to complete property transfers before the tax kicked in on Aug. 2. The move also prompted the provinces Land Title and Survey Authority to extend its hours and its availability over the long weekend.

A spokesman from the provinces finance ministry confirmed in an email on Monday that the government had received the amended notice of claim and would file a response in due course.

As this case is currently before the court, it would be inappropriate to comment on the specific matters that have been raised, Jamie Edwardson said.

The representative plaintiff in the proposed class action is Jing Li, a Chinese national who learned she would have to pay an additional $83,850 on a $587,895 home in Langley that she agreed to purchase days before the government announced the new tax.

Li moved to Canada in 2013 to complete a Masters degree in public administration at the University of Saskatchewan. She later moved to Burnaby before putting an offer on the Langley home.

Eight days before the law was announced Li paid a non-refundable deposit of $55,990, which she would have had to forfeit had she been unable to come up with the extra money for the tax.

On Nov. 18, 2016, Ms. Li completed her purchase and did in fact pay $83,850 in foreign nationals property tax, the lawsuit says. Had Ms. Li had a Canadian passport or permanent resident status, she would not have had to pay this additional amount.

The court document describes the disadvantage the tax places on non-Canadians and non-permanent residents as arbitrary because it assumes foreign nationals are richer and better able to outbid domestic homebuyers.

Nationality and citizenship are not related to wealth, the lawsuit says.

The foreign nationals property tax is over inclusive because many persons who are neither Canadian citizens nor permanent residents have no more wealth than Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

Earlier this year, Premier Christy Clark tweaked the rules around the law exempting anyone living in B.C. on a work permit and who pays taxes in the province.

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A prisoner at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay is entering the second week of a hunger strike Monday over what inmates say are unsanitary conditions and poor medical treatment.

Harley Guindon, of Oshawa, is the last of about 30 prisoners who stopped eating last week to protest conditions in the jail.

Guindon, 31, said in a telephone interview Monday that hes not ready to end his strike yet.

I know that Ive got a couple more days in me, he said. I hit the floor yesterday. I got light-headed. I tried to stand up and hit the floor.

Guindon said hes being punished for airing prisoner concerns on Facebook.

Dont I have the right to freedom of speech?, he said.

Chris Butsch, president of Local 368 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, said he supports the prisoners complaints about sanitation and medical care, but disagrees with their method of protest.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services confirmed there was a meal refusal but didnt comment further.

Guindon, the son of Satans Choice Motorcycle Club founder Bernie Guindon, has a lengthy record for drug offences.

For the record, the hunger strike wasnt my idea, posted Guindon, whos 6-foot-1 and weighed 250 pounds when arrested two years ago for a home invasion. Im a big guy, believe me, I love to eat.

We have rusty cell vents blowing air that is not sanitary, Guindon wrote. We also have an air intake vent that hasnt worked in years. Our lungs are being poisoned with every breath we take. I feel its criminal. Are we not entitled to clean air because we are inmates?

While guards and inmates clashed last week, they do agree on what they consider poor sanitation conditions at the jail.

Mould is a common problem because of lack of ventilation, Butsch said in an interview.

He said the union raised that concern with management years ago.

Air quality has always been a concern, for offenders and for staff, he said.

Dust collects on ventilation, Butsch said.

He said the union has advocated for two more cleaners to be hired, since theres just four cleaners for the 10-acre facility.

He also agreed with inmates about what they consider a lack of medical staff inside the jail.

The facility has cut back the number of doctors from two to one, for the 1,000 to 1,200 inmates, he said.

Nick Rizzuto said his son Joe Rizzuto, 31, also of Woodbridge, was pepper-sprayed and fired upon with what he thought were rubber bullets early on in the protest.

He said, Dad, all I saw was red lasers,  Rizzuto said. . . . It was like a war zone in there. 

Nick Rizzuto said he was allowed to briefly meet with his son Monday. His son, whos a plumber, is in custody awaiting trial on a conspiracy charge, Rizzuto said.

Rizzuto said he is not related to the late Vito Rizzuto of Montreal, considered by authorities to be Canadas most powerful Mafia boss.

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OTTAWA A high-stakes search for a new leader of the RCMP is underway after Commissioner Bob Paulson announced he will retire in June, capping a tumultuous five and a half years as the countrys top Mountie.

Paulson offered no explanation in an internal memo to RCMP employees, other than the time has come for me to retire. My last day of work will be June 30, 2017 and I am excited to be able to focus on my family. Paulson has three grown children and a young son from a second marriage.

His tenure as Canadas top cop has been marked by the forces inability to eradicate harassment in its workplace, devastating terrorist acts on Canadian soil that led to Criminal Code changes, a Moncton gunmans rampage that killed three Mounties and wounded two, and a revitalized bid to unionize the RCMPs more than 16,000 uniformed police officers as their pay and benefits drop.

Whoever replaces him will have to face many of those challenges. The government promises an open and transparent selection process for the new commissioner and says it will announce an interim commissioner at a later date, suggesting a decision will not be made by the time Paulson leaves in June.

Among those rumoured as candidates who could be considered for the job are:

Former senior Mounties Peter German, Vern White, Janice Armstrong and Alphonse MacNeil.

Current senior executives Kevin Brosseau, Gilles Michaud and Peter Henschel.

Prominent military leaders Walt Natynczyk, Mike Rouleau and Mike Day.

Raf Souccar, a former deputy commissioner now on the board of CATSA, the airport security agency, said in an interview hes not running for the job but said the RCMP needs a strong leader, somebody that will respect and be respected by the men and women of the RCMP, somebody who has lived a life consistent with the changes they say they want to bring.

He recently attended a Canadian police chiefs conference on mental health in Gatineau, and not one RCMP senior executive was there.

Paulson came to the job promising to restore respect in the workplace and end a wave of sexual harassment and bullying complaints that he called his top priority. He had a blunt, plain-talking style, calling himself just a country cop, more at ease in English than French.

But Paulson was always an agile political strategist. He successfully lobbied Parliament for more expansive powers for RCMP managers to discipline what he called bad apples, and won lower legal thresholds to prosecute or keep tabs on suspected terrorists. He announced a $100-million out-of-court settlement of two sexual harassment class action lawsuits last year, but was unable to resolve the endemic problem of harassment.

Paulsons decision to retire came as a surprise to many, but follows a weak endorsement last week by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In fact, the PMO says Paulson had informed the government of his decision to retire some time ago.

On Monday, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Paulson worked extraordinarily hard in the public interest to protect the safety of Canadians.

I thank him for that service. I wish him well in his retirement, but he still has almost four months to go and theres a lot of work that needs to be accomplished in the meantime.

Under Paulson and the Conservatives, the RCMP  which failed to stop Parliament Hill attacker Michael Zehaf-Bibeau from reaching the front doors and storming Centre Block  nevertheless took over supervision of the newly integrated Parliamentary Protective Services.

Paulson stumbled on small things: having to repay for use of RCMP musical ride members to stand honour guard for his second wedding; getting hauled over but avoiding a ticket for speeding on a B.C. highway, and apologizing for making a twirling gesture with his finger at the side of his head when discussing mental health issues in the RCMP.

Just last week the RCMP was ordered by an Ontario judge to pay $141,000 in damages for its bullying and harassment of Sgt. Peter Merrifield, who once ran and lost as a federal Conservative candidate. Paulsons testimony at that trial was contradicted by another officers recollection, which was supported by notes.

But its the big things that count for the front-line officers, like on-the-job safety, pay and benefits.

Morale in the force is low, in part because its members pay has not kept pace within the policing community in Canada. RCMP employees dont have strong workplace representation as their non-union staff relations representation program was disbanded while competing unionization drives take place.

The RCMP is now ranked 72nd out of 80 police forces when pay scales are compared. When compared with eight other large police forces in Canada (Halifax, Montreal, Surete du Quebec, OPP, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver), its overall compensation package including benefits ranks 15 per cent below the average of the top three.

Brian Sauve, a co-chair of the National Police Federation that is vying to certify as the bargaining agent for Mounties said, Many members across the force, many Canadians and many Parliamentarians realized that its time for a change. And that change needs to start at the top with new leadership.

Sauve said the government should widen its search for Paulsons replacement to include fantastic leaders within other Canadian police forces and the military that have proven their ability to lead in challenging environments.

Sauve said there are many possible replacements, and even suggested the government could look beyond Canada to the U.K., the U.S., New Zealand or Australia.

We are hopeful that this is the beginning of meaningful change for the RCMP, said Rob Creasser, spokesperson for the second organization trying to unionize the Mounties, the Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada. The process that determines how our Commissioner is chosen must change. It can no longer be simply a choice by the Prime Minister of Canada.

The membership of the RCMP deserves to have some say in who leads them. That has never been the case.

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OTTAWAAlmost 18 months into a majority mandate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to appoint a single parliamentary watchdog.

That is not for lack of a vacancy to fill. Four of the eight strategic positions of officers of Parliament are currently without a permanent holder.

Never in recent memory has a party in power taken so long to replace so many watchdogs. In each and every case, the Liberals were given plenty of time to find a replacement.

Canadas chief electoral officer, Marc Mayrand, served notice last June of his intention to leave his post at the end of the year.

Back then the government was in the process of rewriting Canadas election law. It was professing to be committed to bring in a new voting system in time for the 2019 general election. Byelections loomed on the 2017 horizon. It was shaping up to be a busy time.

In the past, the time between the departure of the person in charge of Canadas electoral system and a successor was counted in days. Jean-Pierre Kingsley left office on Feb. 17, 2007 and Mayrand was confirmed four days later. The previous transition  under Brian Mulroney  also took place over less than a week.

Elections Canada is now entering into its third month without a permanent leader at the helm. As an aside, anyone reading the tea leaves on Trudeaus commitment to changing the voting system might have found an omen of the reversal to come in the remarkable lack of urgency that attended the search for Mayrands successor. At one point last summer, Kingsley actually volunteered to pitch in for a while.

Since the January cabinet shuffle, the agency reports to a new minister. The combination of a cabinet rookie and a caretaker CEO is not necessarily a winning one for whatever is left of the Liberal electoral reform agenda.

The term of the official languages commissioner is a fixed one. When Trudeau was sworn in late in 2015, the deadline for replacing Graham Fraser as the parliamentary watchdog in charge of ensuring that the government lives up to its language obligations was already set for the end of the following summer.

The government initially extended Frasers term until the end of 2016. He has since handed the reins to an interim replacement. It is on that temporary watch that an investigation into the prime ministers refusal to answer a question in English at a town hall held in Quebec has been opened.

The conflict of interest and ethics commissioner is in charge of helping MPs  including Trudeau and his ministers  steer clear of conflicts of interest. Mary Dawson was scheduled to relinquish that role in the new year. Her term has now been extended until the summer.

She is currently investigating whether the prime minister broke the rules when he travelled to and holidayed on the Aga Khans private Caribbean island. To put to rest questions as to her impartiality in the matter, Dawson had to make it clear that she was not seeking to serve another term.

Another ethics-related post also remains vacant. Outgoing lobbying commissioner Karen Shepherd is on her second six-month extension.

The watchdogs are independent of the government. They report to Parliament. They hold key roles in the federal accountability system. No interim appointee can boast the influence and the leeway of a permanent one.

Over his decade in power, Stephen Harper was often accused of lacking proper respect for the institution of Parliament. But in contrast with Trudeau, he filled watchdog positions in a timely manner.

Government insiders argue that the delays are caused by the Liberal determination to put in place a more transparent appointment process for public office holders. But after almost 18 months that excuse is wearing thin.

The list of those qualified to fill the vacant federal watchdog positions is ultimately not a very long one, especially when one considers that the appointees must be fluent in French and English.

There is a person in the PMO whose task it is to keep the trains running on time when it comes to government appointments. Until she left on a leave of absence a few weeks ago, Mary Ng was that person. On the weekend, she won the Liberal nomination for the April 3 Markham-Thornhill byelection.

Chantal Hebert is a national affairs writer. Her column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

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There are so many misconceptions and alternate facts circulating around how pampered, or not, Toronto taxpayers have become that the subject begs another column or two.

But there is also this.

Nobody is helped  and all taxpayers are angered and harmed  when valuable and tight tax dollars are spent on projects that have no chance of fulfilling the stated goal.

Such is the case of the extension of the Bloor-Danforth subway up to the Scarborough Town Centre.

The project would add one new station. An aggrieved constituency of Scarborough residents who feel they get no respect will be temporarily satiated. The corridor now served by an aging RT will get the highest order of transit, even if that is an overbuild. Politicians who have peddled trumped-up claims of benefits that will never be realized in our lifetime will get re-elected.

But will the subway deliver transit benefits to Scarborough residents in keeping with its bulging price tag? No. Will it deliver what transit projects in this city are supposed to deliver? No.

Will it enhance the growth and viability of downtown Toronto? No. Does it improve access to work and school for the largest number of Scarborough residents? No.

And does it deliver growth and development in the corridor as promised? History says no  though developers will make lots of money while the residents who purchase the condos have only slightly improved access to the jobs because the jobs are spread out across the region and not where the subway runs.

Are there better transit modes and better routes and better ways to spend the $2 billion, that has risen to $3.35 billion, with alerts from the same estimators that it could jump to $5.2 billion, and a near certainty it will hit $6 billion?

Yes, yes, yes.

None of that will matter next week and next month and whenever city council debates this project. This is a runaway train that cannot be stopped. And it is a sorry tale of how dangerous and useless transit planning is in our city and the GTA.

I think I am right in there with the subway lovers. And Ive written in this space that if the city wanted $500, $1,000 from me and all its citizens to set in motion a plan to blanket the region with subways, Id sign up.

Id start with linking the Yonge and University lines along Sheppard. I know that area and see how stupid it is not to be able to link both ends of the city. Id take Sheppard Subway out east to link with the above Bloor-Danforth extension at Markham Rd. or McCowan. Then Id extend the Yonge line to Newmarket, for crying out loud. And take the Bloor-Danforth line west out to the airport. And then Id do the downtown relief line.

Thats the view of a regular guy who travels every now and then and gets subway envy from looking at transit maps in Paris and London and Barcelona and Washington.

But that view is so wrong. And so whack. And so uninformed. And so, so, so Toronto. It will bankrupt us, without achieving the goal of transit expansion: give commuters a better option to the car; make transit more competitive with driving; deliver new riders to transit and, by so doing, free up congested road space.

Everything else is hubris and political palaver and a colossal waste of money  which is where we are as a city region.

The transportation experts who have been studying our travel patterns for decades  and are not encumbered by the re-election agenda of their political masters  say this: Torontos subway system  and GO rail network  exists to deliver commuters to the downtown core where the majority of our jobs reside. In fulfilling this role, the system is a huge success. But the projects being promoted now do not address congestions and deliver new riders and support economic growth.

Much of the improvements in the suburbs should come from express buses, bus rapid transit and light rail on their own corridors.

To say this is to be branded a suburban hater, or worse. It is to go against the tide which says if the wilds of Jane and Highway 7 deserves a subway, then Scarborough Town Centre certainly deserves one. Maybe neither does. Maybe neither delivers the benefits we imagine.

Consider that 60 per cent of Scarborough residents who get around by transit are not heading downtown where the subway goes. Where is the transit for them?

Three of every four Scarborough residents heading downtown are already on transit, leaving limited growth potential for those going where the subway goes, downtown. In fact, the transit percentage use, or modal split, is higher than for East York or Etobicoke commuters heading downtown.

Yet the narrative propagated by our city politicians and believed ardently by citizens is the way to prosperity and self-worth is via the highest order transit, even if it costs $1.45 million and counting for every potential new rider  a performance thats sure to bankrupt the system.

Much, much more on this later.

Royson James column appears weekly. rjames@thestar.ca

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In what could prove to be a huge shakeup of the family court system in Ontario, the former chief justice of the provincial court is recommending that paralegals be allowed to provide some family law services unsupervised, including appearing in court.

The recommendations from former Ontario court chief justice Annemarie Bonkalo in a report released Monday were hailed by paralegals and condemned by lawyers, leaving the provincial government and the legal regulator to work out how to implement what are clearly divisive ideas.

Bonkalo herself admitted in the report that the recommendations dealing with paralegals will be the most contentious  paralegals are currently barred from appearing in family court.

There are few subjects that cause more controversy within the family justice community than the provision of legal services by paralegals, Bonkalo states.

She is recommending that the Law Society of Upper Canada, which regulates both lawyers and paralegals in Ontario, create a specialized licence for paralegals to provide specific family legal services without the supervision of lawyers.

These services would include: custody and access issues, simple child support cases, restraining orders and simple divorce cases that dont involve property. Bonkalo also recommends that paralegals be allowed to represent their family law clients in court, other than at trials.

At the same time, the judge dismissed the idea of more funding for family lawyers through Legal Aid Ontario, although she said it was proposed repeatedly throughout consultations for her report.

Recommendations like expanding legal aid to cover existing gaps are not practicable, she said. Moreover, I do not agree that the solution to any crisis in access to legal services lies solely with (legal aid) or the government.

The report, commissioned by the Ministry of the Attorney General and the law society, comes as the family court system is facing a crisis. According to the province, over 57 per cent of people did not have a lawyer in family court in 2014-15, or about 21,000 people.

Ontario Attorney General Yasir Naqvi said in a statement Monday that the government and the law society will work on an action plan to address the recommendations by fall 2017. The government is also seeking public feedback on the recommendations until May 15.

We are committed to working with our partners and the federal government to consider changes that will have a real, positive impact on people's lives, like allowing paralegals to be trained to provide family law services, he said.

Stephen Parker, the president of the Ontario Paralegal Association, said his reaction to the recommendations were very positive, saying Bonkalo debunked the concerns that family law would be too complex for paralegals.

The chair of the Family Lawyers Association disagreed with the judges view of the system when it comes to paralegals, especially the recommendation to allow them to practice unsupervised.

We felt that the issues (in family court) were complex and that they required someone who had more experience and more training in that area, and we felt that a family lawyer is in a position to do that, said Katharina Janczaruk.

Looking at the report generally, Im not satisfied with the education requirements set out in there. I dont think theyre sufficient. Im concerned wed have someone with less expertise, for instance representing someone very vulnerable seeking a restraining order or custody and access.

These are important issues and I think they should be afforded the importance thats due.

Janczaruk also questioned whether a paralegal would indeed be a cheaper option, saying there was no evidence of that in the report. While paralegals may still not be affordable to everyone, Bonkalo said they would be a viable option for some.

Paralegals would provide a greater choice of legal service providers for those in the middle class, Bonkalo said.

The law society should also conduct a review, five years after the first paralegal family law licences are issued, to study the impact of paralegals in family court, she said.

The executive director of the Federation of Ontario Law Associations said the organization was disappointed there werent more recommendations addressing some systemic issues that could have a greater impact, including more emphasis on mediation, for example.

We think this is going to result in fewer lawyers doing family law. So how does having fewer lawyers increase access to justice? said Michael Ras.

Other recommendations include more education for the public and lawyers on the benefits of unbundled services  meaning offering certain services to clients for a fee, while the client still does the bulk of the work.

The recommendation that paralegals would need a specialized licence to appear in family court seemed ironic to the Criminal Lawyers' Association, which pointed out that paralegals practicing in criminal law do not need such a licence, yet the issues involved are just as serious, if not more so.

It's almost like a tragic irony, said Michael Lacy, vice-president of the CLA, that whereas if we're going to expand the services to family law proceedings we need to have specialized paralegals, yet we have nonspecialized paralegals doing criminal work where liberty interests are the most acute.

He reiterated the CLA's long-standing position that the justice system is underfunded, particularly Legal Aid Ontario.

Our experience in the criminal justice system is that people who can't afford lawyers can't afford paralegals either, he said.

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The Toronto District School Board confirmed Monday that one of its students was hit with a case of mumps, bringing the total of confirmed cases in the city to 26.

TDSB spokesperson Shari Schwartz-Maltz said the Forest Hill Collegiate Institute was informed on Thursday that one of its students had a case of mumps. The principal sent a note the following day, reminding parents to make sure students were up to date with vaccinations.

Health officials would not disclose the age of the student affected, but said the person did not have any immunization history.

Toronto Public Health is currently investigating the mumps outbreak in the city. Officials say the virus has mostly affected 18- to 35-year olds who frequented west-end bars in the city, specifically west of Yonge St., east of Lansdowne Ave. and south of Bloor St. W.

However, Dr. Vinita Dubey, an associate medical officer with Toronto Public Health, said the latest cases indicate a community outbreak of mumps.

Were seeing more community spread, she said. The virus may move outside the west downtown core and we could start seeing cases that have no connections to that area.

Toronto normally averages about four cases per year, according to health officials. The highly contagious virus spreads through coughing, sneezing and coming into contact with a persons saliva. Symptoms include swollen salivary glands, loss of appetite, tiredness and headaches.

As a precaution, Forest Hill Collegiate Institute conducted an extra cleaning, Schwartz-Maltz said, disinfecting hard surfaces in the school, including counters, desks, railings and water fountains.

Ontario students are required to be immunized against mumps. Schwartz-Maltz said the exemption rate for vaccines at Forest Hill Collegiate, home to about 1,000 students, is around 15.

Toronto isnt the only place experiencing a mumps outbreak. Manitoba is in the midst of a serious mumps outbreak, with 184 cases confirmed between Sept. 1 to March 2.

Dubey advises that parents and students alike, especially those travelling for March break, ensure they are up to date on their vaccinations.

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Mayors from across Ontario will soon be called to a meeting to share strategies in dealing with the opioid drug crisis as the number of deaths continues to rise, says Premier Kathleen Wynne.

The provincial government is prepared to support local plans dealing with overdoses of fentanyl and other opioids, Wynne added Tuesday after a meeting with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson who requested $2.5 million aid.

Weve seen some tragic deaths in the city of Ottawa in the recent past several weeks, said Watson, who is looking for assistance with naloxone antidote kits for use by first responders, and treatment and detox beds.

There are smaller cities and smaller municipalities that are grappling with this terrible tragedy of young people becoming addicted, not having the necessary detox capacity or treatment facilities, and, literally, people dying every week.

Wynne said Ottawas strategy could serve as a guide to other municipalities as authorities struggle with the impact of fentanyl, which is 80 times more powerful than morphine.

We are going to work with him (Mayor Watson) to make sure that he has those resources to put his plan in place, the premier said after the meeting.

The province has already agreed to fund three supervised injection sites in Toronto, where there were about 250 overdose deaths last year.

Health Minister Eric Hoskins announced in January that the sites will be located at health centres where users will be able to inject their own illegal drugs, but with medical supervision.

Fentanyl can halt breathing and require life-saving efforts within a few minutes. Its often difficult for users to know whether fentanyl is in the drugs users are injecting, because it is sometimes mixed with heroin.

Hoskins said Monday a meeting of mayors and their health advisors on opioids would be an important next step to improving services.

Well be able to talk about where the gaps are, where the local plans can dovetail with the provincial plan, Wynne added.

Ontario is gathering data to track opioid use.

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WASHINGTONBefore same-sex marriage was legal anywhere in America, a gay activist in Florida twice brought a date to the Mar-a-Lago club. Each time, Rand Hoch and his guest were greeted by the smiling face of Donald Trump.

Great eye contact. Firm handshake. The same way with everybody who came in, Hoch, founder and president of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, recalled Friday. There was no difference at all with my dates and me and the people in back of me or in front of me. Hes out there, hes personable, and theres no way hes going to treat anybody differently.

Never before has the leader of the Republican Party shown as much public comfort with gay people as this one has. Trump has attended gay weddings, donated to gay causes, and welcomed gay couples as Mar-a-Lago members when they were still shunned by other Florida clubs.

Now he is president, and much of the LGBT community is apprehensive.

I dont think he is making policy. I think hes surrounded himself with some horrible people when it comes to LGBT issues, theyre the ones that are making policy, and hes going to sign whatever Steve Bannon puts in front of him. And thats the problem, Hoch said.

LGBTQ activists held a dance party in January, 2017, near Vice President-elect Mike Pence's house to protest his stance on gay rights.

Its not like theres anybody in the official administration whos an advocate of treating LGBT people the way we treat every other American. I cant think of a single one. And thats frightening.

Trumps vice-president, Christian conservative Mike Pence, approved a law when he was governor of Indiana that permitted businesses to cite religious freedom to defend against claims of anti-gay discrimination. Bannon, his chief strategist, ran a website that published anti-gay articles.

Most notably, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has a long record of fierce opposition to LGBT rights. He replaced Barack Obama appointee Loretta Lynch, whom the gay and transgender communities regarded as a loyal ally.

What his personal opinion is, I havent spent one second thinking about that at all. Its his actions. Its the people hes surrounding himself with, said Grant Stancliff, a spokesperson for the advocacy group Equality Ohio.

The six-week-old administration has sent mixed signals so far, alternately heartening and disquieting LGBT advocates.

In one of his earliest statements, Trump said he would preserve an Obama order that banned anti-LGBT discrimination by federal contractors  his team explaining he continues to be respectful and supportive of LGBTQ rights, just as he was throughout the election.

Three weeks later, though, his administration withdrew an Obama directive telling schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms matching their gender identity. In a Friday letter, the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay group that has been supportive of Trump, expressed deep concerns about that decision.

At a briefing in February, Trumps chief spokesperson, Sean Spicer, said Trump was considering a religious freedom order that would likely provide protections to businesses and other organizations that want to deny services to same-sex couples and transgender people. Trump then declined to sign an order that was leaked to the media. Then, last week, Spicer said: Im sure as we move forward well have something.

In terms of actions hes taken and not taken, its an entirely confusing story, Hoch said.

Some of Trumps words have encouraged LGBT advocates. Some of them have raised alarm. During the campaign, Stancliff noted, he vowed to defend gay people almost at the same time as he framed Muslims as dangerous enemies. And while he said transgender people should use the bathroom of their choice, he also blasted as ridiculous the Obama decision last year to allow transgender people to serve openly in the military.

Ilona Turner, legal director of the Transgender Law Center, said Trumps words of support are widely seen as absolutely hollow and fake. Some transgender students, she said, are already hearing that their schools no longer plan to allow them to use the bathroom of their choice.

It is going to have an immediate and very harmful effect on students and families, she said.

Lynch gave a speech in May telling transgender people that the government was on their side  an unimaginably powerful message to a marginalized community, Turner said. The appointment of Sessions, she said, says the opposite: That we are returning to a time when transgender people had to live in fear, and live in the shadows, and could not expect support from their government.

The bathroom battle is far from the only one on which Sessions could affect transgender people.

In 2015, the Department of Justice sued an Oklahoma university for alleged discrimination against a transgender professor. It appears distinctly unlikely that the Sessions-led department will be so aggressive.

In December, a judge in Texas halted a part of the Affordable Care Act that was to begin prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in health services. Trump says he is planning to repeal the act, known as Obamacare, and Sessions declined to submit an appeal by the courts deadline, instead asking for more time.

David Lampo, a gay conservative Trump supporter and a former Log Cabin Republicans board member, said the gay establishment has reacted to Trump with disdain and contempt unwarranted by Trumps actual behaviour. He argued that advocates are so antagonistic because of their alliances with the broader left-wing resistance to the president.

Lampo opposed the Obama directive on transgender students, calling it federal overreach. And he believes businesspeople should be allowed to decline services to same-sex weddings. But he said he was concerned Trump will endorse the views of the social conservatives who also want protection for government officials.

During the Republican primary, Trump gently criticized Kentucky clerk Kim Davis over her refusal to issue marriage licences to gay couples, saying this was not the right job for her. Just three weeks later, he said, I havent been opposed to her stand, and I think its fine.

Religious liberty certainly has nothing to do with the right of a public employee not doing their job, Lampo said. Its important that Trump learn to make that distinction between public employees and purely private businessmen.

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SEOULNorth Korea on Monday fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometres on average, with three of them landing in waters that Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone, South Korean and Japanese officials said. The test-launches appeared to be a reaction to huge U.S.-South Korean military drills that those countries consider routine but that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.

It was not immediately clear the exact type of missile fired, but the tests will be viewed as a provocation by the Trump administration, which is working on its policy for North Korea. The New York Times reported over the weekend that the United States still cant effectively counter Pyongyangs actions despite efforts to perfect cyber and electronic strikes against North Koreas missile program.

Pyongyang has test-launched a series of missiles of various ranges in recent months, including a new intermediate-range missile in February; it also conducted two nuclear tests last year. The ramped-up tests come as leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile program that can deter what he calls U.S. and South Korean hostility toward the North.

There have been widespread worries that the North will conduct an ICBM test that, when perfected, could in theory reach the U.S. mainland. Washington would consider such a capability a major threat.

U.S. national security adviser H.R. McMaster and his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin talked by phone after the missile firings. The two condemned the launches and agreed to boost co-operation to get the North to face more effective sanctions and pressure, according to South Koreas presidential office.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said three missiles landed in the 200-nautical-mile offshore area where Tokyo has sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting resources. He said a fourth missile fell near Japans exclusive economic zone.

Its the third time that North Korean missiles have fallen in the Japanese zone, beginning last August. Japanese leaders see the launches into nearby waters as a growing threat.

European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said the launches were in utter disregard of several U.N. resolutions and that the EU would consult with Japan and international partners on how to react. She also said North Korea needed to immediately halt plans for more such missile launches.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that Mondays launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Phyongan province. The area is the home of the Norths Sohae rocket launch site where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, We remain prepared  and will continue to take steps to increase our readiness  to defend ourselves and our allies from attack, and are prepared to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against this growing threat.

Seoul and Washington call their military drills on the Korean Peninsula, which remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty, defensive and routine.

The North hates the military drills, which run until late April and which analysts say force its impoverished military to respond with expensive deployments and drills of their own. An unidentified spokesman for the Norths General Staff of the Korean Peoples Army said last week that Pyongyangs reaction to the southern drills would be the toughest ever but didnt elaborate

The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, and 50,000 in Japan, as a deterrent against a potential aggression from the North.

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WASHINGTONThe U.S. Supreme Court is returning a transgender teens case to a lower court without reaching a decision, leaving in limbo the issue of transgender rights in school settings.

Mondays action comes after the Trump administration pulled back federal guidance advising schools to let students use the bathroom of their chosen gender, not biological birth.

The justices said in a brief order that they have opted not to decide whether federal anti-discrimination law gives high school senior Gavin Grimm the right to use the boys bathroom in his Virginia school.

The case had been scheduled for argument in late March. Instead, a lower court in Virginia will be tasked with evaluating the federal law known as Title IX and the extent to which it applies to transgender students.

For Grimm, the order means that he probably will graduate with the issue unresolved and his ability to use the boys bathroom blocked by a policy of the Gloucester County school board. Although he won a court order allowing him to use the boys bathroom, the Supreme Court put it on hold last August, before the school year began.

This is disappointing for trans kids across the country and for Gavin, who are now going to be held in limbo for another year or two, said Joshua Block, the American Civil Liberties Union attorney who represents Grimm. But Title IX means the same thing today as it meant yesterday. Lower courts already have held that it protects trans kids.

Kyle Duncan, the lawyer for the school board, had no immediate comment on the order.

The high court action follows the administrations recent decision to withdraw a directive issued during Barack Obamas presidency that said which bathroom to use should be based on students gender identity, not biological birth.

Last month, the Trump administration said transgender guidance should go to states, not handled on federal level.

The administration action triggered legal wrangling that ended with Mondays order. In essence, the federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia, had relied on the Obama administrations interpretation of Title IX to side with Grimm. The appeals court accepted the administrations reading of the law without deciding for itself what the law and a related regulation on same-sex bathrooms and locker rooms mean.

No appeals court has yet undertaken that more independent analysis, and the Supreme Court typically is reluctant to do so without at least one appellate opinion to review, and usually more than one.

Similar cases are pending in other parts of the country so it is likely that other appeals courts also will weigh in about the reach of anti-discrimination protections for transgender students.

Both sides in Grimms case had asked for the high court to go ahead with the case, even after the administration withdrew the Obama-era directive, although the school board said the case should be delayed.

The justices did not comment on the case beyond their one-sentence order returning it to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

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The White House, concerned about the possible political repercussions of the Republican effort to defund Planned Parenthood, has proposed preserving federal payments to the group if it discontinues providing abortions.

The proposal, which was never made formally, has been rejected as an impossibility by officials at Planned Parenthood, which receives about $500 million annually in federal funding. That money helps pay for womens health services the organization provides, not for abortion services.

Lets be clear, federal funds already do not pay for abortions, Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said Monday. Offering money to Planned Parenthood to abandon our patients and our values is not a deal that we will ever accept. Providing critical health care services for millions of American women is non-negotiable.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

But the outreach to allies of Planned Parenthood is a glimpse of the internal struggle inside a White House torn between trying to satisfy the conservative base that elected U.S. President Donald Trump and responding to the views of his older daughter, Ivanka, who urged her father to tread carefully on the Planned Parenthood issue during the Republican primary contest.

Donald Trumps older daughter has no formal role in the administration, but as an informal adviser she has made womens issues a specific focus. She has had a mixed record of success in the administrations early days, but during the campaign, she was able to nudge Trump toward a nuanced view of Planned Parenthoods work.

Trump confirmed the discussions in a statement Monday to The New York Times.

As I said throughout the campaign, I am pro-life and I am deeply committed to investing in womens health and plan to significantly increase federal funding in support of nonabortion services such as cancer screenings, he said. Polling shows the majority of Americans oppose public funding for abortion, even those who identify as pro-choice. There is an opportunity for organizations to continue the important work they do in support of womens health, while not providing abortion services.

Read more:

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Washingtons Trump Hotel is the citys new political hub

In private discussions with people close to Planned Parenthood, White House officials have at times suggested that there could even be an increase in federal earmarks if the work related to abortion ends.

At various points during the presidential campaign, Trump spoke favorably of the work of Planned Parenthood, even while saying he would support withdrawing its funding if abortions continued.

Millions and millions of women  cervical cancer, breast cancer  are helped by Planned Parenthood, Trump said in February 2016 at a debate hosted by CNN in Texas. I would defund it because Im pro-life, but millions of women are helped by Planned Parenthood.

Until 2011, when he announced he had become an abortion rights opponent, Trump had supported legal measures allowing abortions.

A recent Quinnipiac poll showed that 62 per cent of voters do not favor defunding the group.

Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand suggested that Trump had authorized the proposal because he wanted to be able to claim that he had made an offer to Planned Parenthood and that officials with the group were not being reasonable.

The Trump administration needs to stop playing political games that would put access to the full range of safe reproductive care at risk, or they will get the fight of their lives, said Gillibrand, who described the suggested deal as a way to interfere with a womans medical choices made with her doctors.

Diane Max, a major donor to Planned Parenthood, called the offer an absurd play and said that Trump had been sympathetic to a womans right to choose until it was politically unpopular for him.

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WASHINGTONAt a circular booth in the middle of the Trump International Hotels balcony restaurant, President Donald Trump dined on his steak  well-done, with ketchup  while chatting with British Brexit politician Nigel Farage.

A few days later, major Republican donors Doug Deason and Doug Manchester, in town for the presidents address to Congress, sipped coffee at the hotel with Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.

After Trumps speech, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin returned to his Washington residence  the hotel  and strode past the gigantic American flag in the soaring lobby. With his tiny terrier tucked under an arm, Mnuchin stepped into an elevator with reality TV star and hotel guest Dog the Bounty Hunter, who particularly enjoyed the Trump-stamped chocolates in his room.

It was just another week at the new political capital of the nations capital.

The $200 million hotel inside the federally owned Old Post Office building has become the place to see, be seen, drink, network  even live  for the still-emerging Trump set. Its a rich environment for lobbyists and anyone hoping to rub elbows with Trump-related politicos  despite a veil of ethics questions that hangs overhead.

Ive never come through this lobby and not seen someone I know, says Deason, a Dallas-based fundraiser for Trumps election campaign.

For Republican Party players, its the only place to stay.

I can tell you this hotel will be the most successful hotel in Washington, D.C., says Manchester, adding that he would know because he has developed the second-largest Marriott and second-largest Hyatt in the world. Manchester says Trumps hotel will attract people based on its location near the White House and Congress, the quality renovation and the management team.

Then theres also the access.

Although Trump says he is not involved in the day-to-day operations of his businesses, he retains a financial interest in them. A stay at the hotel gives someone trying to win over Trump on a policy issue or political decision a potential chit.

Thats what concerns ethics lawyers who had wanted Trump to sell off his companies as previous presidents have done.

President Trump is in effect inviting people and companies and countries to channel money to him through the hotel, said Kathleen Clark, a former ethics lawyer for the District of Columbia and a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis.

She said the pay to play danger is even greater than it would be if people wanted to donate to a campaign to influence a politicians thinking. Spending money at a Trump property is about personally enriching Donald Trump, who happens to be the president of the United States.

The White House strongly disputes theres any ethical danger in Trumps business arrangements.

Trump can see his hotel from the White House. When a Fox News interviewer mentioned that to him recently, Trump responded, Isnt that beautiful? But while the interviewer pointed out that he can see the property from his desk in the Oval Office, Trump said, Im so focused on what Im doing here that I dont even think about it.

Still, Trump couldnt resist the short trip over there for dinner on his only weekend night out in Washington since becoming president.

A reporter for the website Independent Journal Review was tipped off about Trumps dining plans and sat at a table near him. He noted the presidents dinner fare and companions, who included daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Trump adviser Jared Kushner.

On other nights, the posh hotel is the kind of place where on a mid-February evening, you could bump into Trump television personality Katrina Pierson having cocktails with Lynne Patton, a former Trump Organization executive whos now working at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Trump campaign and inauguration hands Tom Barrack, Boris Epshteyn, Nick Ayers and Rick Gates are among the many who have stayed there in recent weeks.

Rooms start at above $500 most nights, according to the hotels website and a receptionist. Thats up hundreds of dollars from when the hotel first opened, not long before Election Day. Patricia Tang, the hotels director of sales and marketing, declined to answer questions about how business is going.

The hotel has become a staging area for big political events.

Eric and Donald Trump Jr. posed for dozens of selfies with admirers at the hotel that bears their name before attending their fathers White House ceremony in late January to announce Judge Neil Gorsuch as the presidents pick for the Supreme Court.

Deason ran into the Trumps and fellow Texas donor Gentry Beach while at a meeting at the hotel that day with Trumps campaign adviser Rudy Giuliani. During inauguration week, when Trump himself repeatedly visited, the hotel was literally the centre of the universe, Deason said.

Last Tuesday, as Trump gave his first address to Congress, lobbyists and politicos watched the four large flat screens above the bar, two tuned to Fox News and two to CNN. In what hotel staff said was an effort to avoid some of the obvious politics of the place, the TVs were muted, so people followed along on their own devices.

As Trump wrapped up, applause rose through the lobby and bar. Mnuchin waved to admirers gathered in the bar as he strolled through after Trumps speech.

Mnuchin is one of the New Yorkers working in Washington who call it home during the week. White House economic adviser Gary Cohn is another. Linda McMahon, who heads the Small Business Administration, has also been staying there.

Administration officials have been personally paying a fair market rate for their accommodations, White House spokesperson Lindsay Walters said.

Even Trumps closest friends pay to stay.

Billionaire Phil Ruffin, Trumps partner for his Las Vegas residential tower, said he shelled out $18,000 per night while he was in town for the inauguration, which he said surprised him since hed given $1 million to Trumps inauguration committee. Ruffin said he lightly complained about the high rate to the president.

He said, Well, Im kind of out of it. So I didnt get anywhere, didnt get my discount, Ruffin recalled.

Trumps continued ownership of his hotel and other businesses has spawned lawsuits and ethics complaints, but so far no action on any of them. One accommodation Trump says he is making on the ethics front is to donate profits from foreign governments that spend money at his hotels.

Last week, Kuwaits ambassador, Salem Al-Sabah, and his wife hosted a reception in the hotels presidential ballroom, in what was one of the first known instances of foreign money changing hands with the hotel division of the Trump Organization since he became president. A spokesperson for the Trump Organization did not respond to questions about whether the money from the Kuwait Embassy has been or will be donated.

Mnuchin attended.

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WASHINGTONAt some point shortly before 6:30 a.m. Saturday, some alarming information came to U.S. President Donald Trumps attention.

Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory, he tweeted. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!

He followed that up with more details  or, at least more tweets. Was it legal for a president to tap a candidates phones? Could a lawyer look into this? Just how low had Obama stooped to tap Trumps phones during the very sacred election process (that Trump consistently derided as rigged)?

The response to Trumps accusations was universal and swift: What?

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

In short order, reporters figured out that the genesis for Trumps assertion was an article at Breitbart which itself relied on claims made by conservative radio host Mark Levin. The Washington Post reported that the article had made its way around the White Houses West Wing on Friday, so it seems likely that this was at least in part the genesis.

So, there you go: Breitbart and Mark Levin were the source of the claims.

Except that Levin essentially cobbled together his theory from various news reports pointing obliquely to the possibility of warranted surveillance. On Sunday morning, this was the tack that deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders took in an interview on ABC News.

The New York Times, BBC, have also talked about and reported on the potential of this having had happened, Sanders said. I think the bigger thing is, Lets find out. Lets have an investigation. If theyre going to investigate Russia ties, lets include this as part of it.

So this was the White House line: The mainstream media was the source of the claims.

Except! Fact-checkers looked at those reports and found that there wasnt proof of any wiretapping at all. Sanders actually hit on the distinction between the president stating that hed just found out that his phones had been wiretapped and various outlets reporting on the potential of tapping. (Her doing so may have contributed to Trumps anger Sunday morning that his surrogates werent defending him sufficiently on the political talk shows.)

Put another way, those media reports shouldnt have been the impetus for Trumps tweets. So then, what was it?

On Fox and Friends on Monday, adviser Kellyanne Conway went in a whole new direction. First, she defended Trumps assertion broadly.

We have this double standard for anonymous sources. The media loves to use anonymous sources for anything and everything that could possibly be derogatory or negative for this president and his administration, and yet they refuse to give any credibility to such sources when it may be something positive or exculpatory, she said.

This is a red herring. The media, including the Toronto Star, uses anonymous sources  but they know who those people are, granting them anonymity in articles. The media is far more skeptical about using anonymous sources whose identities they dont know, as they should be. And thats particularly the case with anonymous sources and invisible evidence offered by a party with a direct stake in the question thats being addressed. An intelligence official talking to a major newspaper but asking to be anonymous is one thing. The president claiming he has exculpatory evidence that he wont show is another.

The hosts pressed Conway on the main question. It sounds like, based on the tweets over this weekend that the president does know that this happened to him, Ainsley Earhardt asked her. How does he know that his phone was actually tapped?

Let me answer that globally, Conway replied. Hes the president of the United States. He has information and intelligence that the rest of us do not.

Aha! So thats a pretty clear suggestion that Trump has independent knowledge about tapped phones at Trump Tower. Implying that secret intelligence was the source of the claims.

Sort of implying that, anyway. In classic Conway style, she suggested that Trump had knowledge that we didnt without explicitly confirming it. Globally speaking, the president has information that normal Americans dont is a pretty effective response to any question about why a president said something. Why did the president say that Arnold Schwarzenegger was fired from The Celebrity Apprentice? Well, a president has information that the rest of us do not.

Mind you, several reports suggest that there is no specific intelligence in this case. A spokesman for Obama denied that the former president demanded wiretaps. Obamas director of national intelligence, James Clapper, denied taps targeting Trump during the election. The New York Times reported that FBI Director James Comey sought to have the Department of Justice deny the claim specifically. They didnt.

Shortly after Trumps initial tweets, press secretary Sean Spicer released a statement about Trumps claims that provided probably the best explanation for their origin.

Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling, Spicer wrote. The culprit behind all of this, then?

Reports. Reports are the source of the claim.

But we can narrow that down. Whats the one clear, identifiable source behind those reports, the place the buck stops in terms of drawing national attention to the unfounded idea that the Obama administration illegally targeted Donald Trumps phones during the 2016 campaign? Simple.

Donald Trump is the source of that claim.

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Why is it taking so long for the abortion pill to become commonplace in Canada, just like any other prescribed medication? It is not a special drug in any sense. It works as expected. Yet it remains hard for doctors to prescribe, difficult for pharmacists to dispense and is too distant and costly for many vulnerable women.

Never attribute to conspiracy what can be blamed on inertia or incompetence. But then again, its easy to make that soothing remark. One can be calmer about womens health and safety in big cities with hospitals and clinics that provide abortions.

Canadian women in smaller cities and in rural areas have been abandoned.

Mifegymiso, which costs $325 including painkillers, is given to women for free at one Calgary abortion clinic that negotiated with the province, the Globe and Mails Kelly Grant reports. Why was this not done nationwide, years ago?

The rules for Mifegymiso, are weird, almost retro. There are two medications dispensed as a combination. The first, mifepristone, blocks the hormone progesterone and causes the lining of the uterus to shed. The second, misoprostol, taken a day or two later, causes contractions and miscarriage. As with any miscarriage, women should see their doctor. It is not complicated.

Although the drug was approved for very early pregnancies by Health Canada in 2015, the review took three years and access remains the problem. Doctors and pharmacists, the very people unlikely to have spare work hours, must take a six-hour online course to prescribe or dispense it.

Those who have taken the course are acting out of professionalism and human decency. But why should abortion still live in the realm of charity? It is legal. It is a basic human right. When women dont have this right, some of them die.

As the Globe reports, only five abortion clinics and a few big-city pharmacies have ordered the drug since it became officially available in January. The drug, legalized 15 years ago in the U.S. and decades ago in countries like France and China, is included on the World Health Organizations list of essential medicines.

But in Canada, women in small towns will have to travel to make the request. They will have to pay for the trip and for a place to stay while Mifegymiso does its work. How will they be able to keep this private and secret? Its an Alice Munro story but set in 2017. Even now, anti-abortionists still torment women quietly and successfully.

How ironic  though admirable  that Ottawa is donating $20 million to a new international fund for contraception, counselling and legal abortions in poorer nations around the world. Its a hasty effort to counter President Donald Trump, who just killed such funding.

The previous Conservative government had not included money for such care in its maternal health plan, but the new Liberal government has changed course. Canada wants to help. So why the domestic delay on Mifegymiso?

At the moment, most provincial drug plans wont reimburse the cost of the drug, even though surgical abortions are mostly covered. A federal panel will rule on the matter this spring, Grant reports.

I remain mystified by the strange initial federal rule that doctors have to give Mifegymiso to patients personally, in their offices. It is as though women are too irresponsible to handle explosive devices, as though foolish women cannot understand written instructions on a package.

Now pharmacists are being told by some provincial colleges to just dispense it with their own hands, rather than insisting a doctor do it. In B.C., hospitals will give the drug to women for free this spring.

Celopharma, which distributes Mifegymiso in Canada, is hoping for a complete rollout. But significantly, Health Canadas chief medical adviser, Dr. Supriya Sharma, told the Stars Zoe McKnight last month, Whatever decision we make on this product, there will be a group of people who will say were being far too permissive, and a group of people who will say were being far too restrictive.

Health Canada should be above this.

If women wish to take this safe drug, let them. I refer not just to Canadian women but to Americans who may see abortion banned in the next four years, perhaps nationally, but more likely state by punitive state.

Surely, Canada should make the abortion pill available  a distribution network like the Underground Railroad  at a time when desperate American women have nowhere to turn.

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Is it possible to resist the damage being wrought by the Trump administration? Canada and other countries are showing it can be done in at least one crucial area  womens health.

One of the first things Donald Trump did when he got into the White House was to sign off on the so-called global gag rule  an executive order eliminating U.S. financing for any organization that provides information about abortion.

The order is even more sweeping that previous bans by Republican administrations on abortion funding. It effectively removes U.S. aid for organizations that promote family planning, contraception and other womens health services, if they mention abortion in any way at all.

Since the United States is the biggest aid donor, it will cut funding in those areas by a massive $600 million U.S. per year. Organizations like the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which operates in many countries, will see their budgets slashed.

The impact could be devastating, especially among the poorest women in the developing world who have few alternative ways of obtaining contraception and safe abortions. Experts estimate 225 million women worldwide already face that dilemma because of poverty, cultural pressures and other reasons. And that results in some 22 million unsafe abortions a year, a leading cause of maternal death.

U.S. funding, its estimated, could lead to 6.5 million unintended pregnancies, 2.2 million unsafe abortions, and almost 22,000 additional maternal deaths.

In response, some 50 countries came together at a conference in Brussels this past week to try and fill the gap left by the withdrawal of U.S. funding.

Just a few weeks after Trump dropped the axe on American aid dollars, they were able to announce they had raised close to $200 million U.S. to fund contraception, abortion and womens reproductive health services.

The donors include such countries as the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Finland, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. An anonymous American committed $50 million.

Canada, to its credit, stepped up with a pledge of up to $20 million for this year. All women have the right to choose whether and when they want to have children, and how many, explained International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau.

Its good that so many countries came forward and pledged money on just three weeks notice. But theres still an enormous shortfall in funding for this year. Some major countries, including Britain and Germany, still have not committed funds.

But the principle is important. The world must not stand by and just accept the actions of the Trump administration. Where it can it must take steps to counter destructive measures imposed by a misguided president.

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Its hard to believe the future health of the Great Lakes, from which 40 million people in the U.S. and Canada draw their drinking water, could be flushed away in one fell budget swoop.

But thats what could happen if President Donald Trump guts funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative by 97 per cent, as he is proposing as part of a dramatic reduction in the budget of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Funding for the Great Lakes initiative would be slashed from about $300 million to a mere $10 million a year.

The initiatives programs are vitally important to protect drinking water for tens of millions of people in the Great Lakes Basin, including millions here in Ontario. They also protect those water resources for recreation, farming, industry and hydro electricity.

Thats why its imperative that politicians of all political stripes, both north and south of the border, work together to make sure the proposed cut is not approved by Congress.

In fact, nothing should be allowed to threaten the initiatives mission to keep the lakes clean, prevent and control invasive species, reduce nutrient runoff that poisons drinking water and kills fish, and restore habitats to protect native species.

Indeed, anything that harms the quality of Great Lakes water would have an impact on 90 per cent of the population of Ontario and 40 per cent of Canadas economic activity.

Happily, if theres one area where it is clear that U.S. and Canadian interests are aligned, its the future of the Great Lakes.

Thats why the premiers of Ontario and Quebec should be making calls to their counterparts in the eight states bordering the lakes. The governors of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana have a vital interest in the health of the Great Lakes. And they have already worked with the premiers on protecting them through the Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers.

There are encouraging signs that opposition to Trumps proposal is already growing south of the border. David Ullrich, executive director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (which represents 127 U.S. and Canadian mayors and local officials in the region), is rallying members against the cut. He rightly says the proposal would be devastating to the efforts of our two countries over the past five decades to restore this resource.

It isnt just an environmental issue. The economic stakes are enormous as well. The Great Lakes support more than 1.5 million jobs in the U.S. alone, across a wide range of industries. In other words, Trumps budget proposal makes no sense economically, never mind environmentally.

Many of the Great Lake states were key to Trumps election victory last fall. Their representatives in Congress should speak up to protect the lakes and stop this foolishness in its tracks.

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A cloud of hate seems to be wafting around the world, descending in different places almost daily. It manifests in many ways, all of them bad  attacks on Muslims, the toppling of Jewish gravestones, bomb threats, swastikas and nasty slogans scrawled on schools and places of worship.

Its all too frequent and pervasive. Last week, two Toronto men say they were sprayed with urine at St. Lawrence Market while they were handing out copies of the Quran and books on Islam. Earlier, residents at a North York condo found notes saying no Jews on their doors and their Mezuzahs, which bear scripture and are hung on door frames, were vandalized.

These incidents echo other frightening occurrences elsewhere: the desecration of Jewish cemeteries in St. Louis and Philadelphia, threats to Jewish Community Centres and mosques, and the shooting of two immigrants of Indian descent in Kansas.

Hardly a day goes by without a report of some new hate-based outrage, sometimes horribly violent, in other cases simply behaviour that just a short time ago seemed so socially unacceptable that it was rare even to hear about it.

Some point to the election of Donald Trump to explain this troubling increase in public hate, but the roots of the problem are much deeper. Its a scourge that requires vigilance everywhere, including Canada.

It does seem that words and actions south of the border have contributed to a climate in which some people feel they can commit unspeakable acts they would not have dared talk about openly before.

Trump was slow to denounce support from such groups as the Ku Klux Klan and he was reluctant to forthrightly condemn anti-Semitism, though he did so last week during his speech to Congress. Through his attacks on Mexicans and illegal immigration, the president has also dog-whistled that its within bounds to consider millions of people as potential gang members, drug dealers and criminals.

Casual talk that shrugs at haters gives them permission, says Bernie Farber, a hate crime expert and executive director of the Mosaic Institute in Toronto. He writes in iPolitics that the new Trump order is one where racism and bigotry have moved from the margins to the mainstream.

Ultimately, though, its up to Americans, not us, to decide how to respond to loose talk that might send ugly signals and lead to violence there.

What, then, should Canadians do? First, we should recognize that escalating xenophobia and a related rise in hate incidents is a worldwide problem. Incidents have occurred in Britain, France, eastern Europe, Australia and Canada. Its a problem we share with many others. Lets not be glib; lets be aware.

Second, we should recognize that words do matter. What we say  and what we neglect to say  about tolerance can connect directly to how people behave. So far, Canadians seem to understand the danger of being inherently suspicious of people just because of the way they look or how they pray. Being tolerant, not answering a quiz by a government official, is the real test of Canadian values.

In that vein, its important to speak out. Our political and community leaders do themselves and us credit every time they are quick to denounce acts of hatred or violence against other cultures or religions. Just as a slow response can encourage haters, a quick one sends a powerful signal that Canadians are better than that.

Canadians benefit greatly from a free, welcoming society that does its best to accommodate newcomers. We should never take that for granted, and we should remind ourselves to do the daily work thats needed to keep it this way.

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Canada has fallen dangerously behind in making sure that the burgeoning security state doesnt overreach. So it was excellent news last summer when the Trudeau government introduced a bill aimed at bringing in 21st-century democratic oversight for the countrys expanding national security establishment.

Now, though, there are disturbing reports that the government has decided to reject proposals designed to ensure that a new parliamentary committee will have the powers it needs to keep the security agencies in check.

Back in 2015, the Liberals made a campaign promise to set up a national security and intelligence committee that for the first time would give parliamentarians statutory power to scrutinize spying and security operations across all 17 agencies and departments that have a hand in this area.

It would be a big step toward restoring balance between the security apparatus, which has grown mightily in the age of global terrorism, and the need to guard against abuses and keep agencies like the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the RCMP accountable. It would also finally bring Canada into line with its major allies, which all provide for similar oversight by their elected representatives.

Bill C-22, an act to set up a new parliamentary committee on security and intelligence, comes up for debate this week. But the government has made clear it will not accept important changes that would make sure the committee has robust powers to do its job.

The Public Safety Committee of the House of Commons proposed amendments to the bill last fall that would give the committee the authority to demand information and testimony (the equivalent of subpoena power). It would also have made it more difficult for government ministers to prevent sensitive information from being transferred to the committee.

The idea was to make sure the new committee of MPs and senators can provide truly effective scrutiny over the federal governments security operations.

But now the government has rejected those amendments, and the risk is that right from the start the committee wont have the powers it needs.

It will certainly undercut it politically, judging from the howls of outrage coming from the opposition. The NDPs Murray Rankin says the government has tilted the balance toward secrecy. And Conservative Tony Clement complains that Canada will end up with a shadow of other oversight committees in allied countries.

That would be a major missed opportunity. Canada once led the world in providing independent accountability of its national-security services. But it has long fallen behind and Bill C-22 is an opportunity to catch up and set a new standard for democratic oversight.

The governments stance is particularly disappointing since it has not yet acted decisively to roll back the excesses of the Harper governments over-reaching Anti-Terrorism Act, known as Bill C-51. That law introduced vast new powers for spy agencies but did nothing to make them more accountable. The government is dragging its heels on fixing it.

The Trudeau government should re-think its approach. Theres a natural tendency for all governments to resist openness in this area, and to bridle at changes suggested by opposition parties.

In this case it should take the long view and make sure the new parliamentary committee starts with a strong mandate and the powers it needs to carry it out. Canada should once again make itself a model for democratic oversight of security operations.

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Re:

Re:

Some recent highly publicized events, such as the attack on the mosque in Quebec City, cause me to be concerned about just where our Canadian society might be headed.

With the exception of our indigenous cultures, we are ALL descended from immigrants who came to this country, some more recently than others. Canada was built by immigrants and our country has prospered from that. Our commonalities rather than our differences have been the strengths which have created our multicultural nation.

Lets not become distracted by those individuals or groups who want to change Canadians into bitter, hate-mongering and scared people. Lets not lose sight of what so many have worked to create over the past 150 years  a tolerant, inclusive and productive country. One where we are ALL proud to be Canadian.

Dayle Bowman, Indian Head, Sask

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Patterns of merger litigation have changed significantly in response to developments in Delaware law, four scholars find in a recent paper. Lawyers for stockholder plaintiffs have filed fewer fiduciary duty cases in Delaware since Chancellor Andre Bouchard essentially barred disclosure-only settlements last year in in a case arising from the sale of Trulia to Zillow (Z), instead opting to file such matters in the courts or other states or bring securities law cases in federal court.

There has also been an increase in appraisal proceedings, Matthew Cain of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Jill Fisch, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, Steven Davidoff Solomon, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law, and Randall Thomas, a professor at Vanderbilt University's School of Law, write in their paper, "The Shifting Tide of Merger Litigation."

The authors surveyed merger litigation on deals of $100 million or more from 2003 through November 2016, an exercise they have done a number of times over the years. They found that merger-related shareholder litigation in Delaware fell by 50% from 2015 to 2016, while the percentage of federal filings as a total of all M&A-related cases almost doubled, to 37% last year from 21% in 2015. Attorneys' fees have fallen, and the number of cases dismissed has increased, they found.

The authors also discovered a notable increase in appraisal litigation. In 2015, there were 51 appraisal petitions challenging 33 deals; last year, 77 petitions on 48 deals. (Appraisal is a legal action in which a stockholder who believes he is receiving an unfair price for his stock asks a court to determine the value of his shares.)

The quartet also found a decline in so-called amendment settlements, those in which a defendant company agrees to amend a merger agreement as part of the settlement of stockholder litigation challenging the deal. The authors wrote that their lawyer sources "uniformly attributed the decrease to better drafting by transaction lawyers and a lack of extreme terms existent in prior years which justified such a settlement, an explanation that we have no way to test with our current data."

How should you play markets in March? Here's what Jim Cramer and four of our top columnists recommend.
There's an all-out food fight happening in the grocery store business, and Costco (COST) became the latest victim to get hit with some pudding to the face.

The warehouse club retailer released second-quarter fiscal 2017 comparable store sales and profits that missed Wall Street's forecasts. Shares of the company, which were fresh off hitting an all-time high, subsequently took a hit.

Costco is just the latest grocery store company to report worse-than-expected earnings. Kroger (KR) also released Wall Street-disappointing results last week, with a same-store sales dip of 0.7%.

Competition in this space has grown fierce, with retailers battling it out in a price war. Thanks to a produce glut, food prices have been plunging. And discount retailers such as Aldi and Walmart (WMT) are taking even bigger pieces of market share due to investments in lower prices. In fact, Walmart and Target (TGT) recently unveiled plans that should drive food prices down even further, putting the squeeze on other industry players. And to make matters worse, Amazon (AMZN) has entered the fray, offering low prices and efficient and convenient home delivery.

Jim Cramer sat down recently with four market experts to talk about how to play the Trump tax plan. Click here to check out their recommendations.

Costco is hoping to boost revenues in this challenging environment by raising its membership fees. According to the company, in 2016 it derived roughly 72% of its operating income from these recurring fees. Now, starting on June 1, the company will raise the annual price of Goldstar and business memberships from $55 to $60, while executive memberships will take a $10 hike, to $120 per year. About 35 million Costco members will be affected by these changes.

It might be time to pass on Costco. In a market where consumers value convenience and price more than ever, raising membership fees seems like a bad move. After all, thanks to Amazon, consumers can pay just a little more for Prime and/or Fresh memberships and have their food delivered straight to the doorstep, without hassling with Costco checkout lines or parking lots.

The entire grocery industry is a risky bet right now, and Costco is one of the least inspiring players in the field. Instead, keep an eye on Walmart as the company rolls back its grocery prices and expands its organic food departments even more.

---

The author is an independent contributor who at the time of publication owned none of the stocks mentioned.

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European stocks extended losses and the single currency fell after France's Alain Juppe said he would not run as a late-entry candidate in the country's upcoming Presidential elections, leaving the race to his embattled center-right colleague Francois Fillon.

Juppe, 71, who lost in a party-political run-off to Fillon last year, told reporters in Bordeaux that it was "too late" to enter the campaign, despite the flagging support for the scandal-hit Fillon. Had Juppe opted to run, polls indicate he would have easily gained enough support to make it to the second round and would have likely eliminated far-right challenger Marine Le Pen.

However, with anti-European Le Pen now firmly in the frame to at least win enough support on April 23 to advance to the second stage, and Fillon facing the prospect of formal charges from French authorities with respect to allegations he paid family members hundreds of thousands of euros to perform so-called "fake jobs", investors trimmed risky bets in and around Europe's second-largest economy.

The euro fell more than 0.33% against at a weaker U.S. dollar to change hands at 106.02 by 14:25 GMT while benchmark 10-year French government bonds, known as OATs, were marked 3 basis points higher at 0.98% before paring the rise to around 0.96%.

Concerns that Le Pen could spring an unlikely victory that could lead to the unravelling of the Eurozone have kept markets on edge for several weeks, and the odds of that lengthened Friday after a new poll predicted Le Pen would finish second in the first round, behind independent candidate Emmanuel Macron.

The crisis in French politics was such that former President Nicolas Sarkozy took to Twitter early Monday to seek a "dignified and credible way out from a situation which cannot last any longer and which is the source of deep concerns among French people."

Fillon vowed to fight on in the election at a rally Sunday in Paris even as polls showed him likely to lose the first round vote on April 23, leaving the May 7 run-off to Macron and Le Pen.

"I see no reason to [drop out]," Fillon told France 2 television. "It would lead to a dead end for my political family."

"I am not autistic," he said. "I want to convince my friends that my programme is the only one that can bring about recovery for the country."
Editors' pick: Originally published March 6.

Snap Inc. (SNAP) could be more than just a camera company, hints two stars that are dedicated social media users.

"Snapchat is like your personal TV channel," legendary rapper and "Law & Order" star Ice-T told TheStreet in an interview at a New York City TGI Fridays, where he was promoting the return of the chain's Endless Apps deal and several new cocktails. His wife Coco Austin, a well-known model, budding entrepreneur and social media personality, was also enthusiastic about Snapchat.

"I will do a post a day on my Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat -- I really do like Snapchat, it's so quick."

Considering Coco has 2.8 million followers on Facebook's (FB) Instagram and Ice-T clocks in with 787,000 Twitter (TWTR) followers, suffice it to say they probably know what they are talking about when it comes to Snapchat.

Their comments are somewhat reassuring in light of the out-sized expectations for the newly minted public social media company.

Jim Cramer sat down recently with four market experts to talk about how to play the Trump tax plan. Click here to check out their recommendations.

Shares of Snap Inc. exploded 44% on their first day of trading last Thursday, as investors flocked to a company that they apparently believe will be the hottest thing in tech since Facebook.

"Even at a $24 billion valuation, it's still just a fraction of Facebook. If they execute at any level near how Facebook has executed, they will deserve that market cap because this is a $650 billion advertising market that is still dominated by TV, billboards, traditional media outlets," said Eric J. Kim, co-founder and Managing Partner at Goodwater Capital, a venture capital firm. "There's still a massive market opportunity ahead for Snap if they execute well."

The hearty welcome for Snap Inc. by Wall Street comes despite several warning signs in its S1 regulatory filing on Feb. 2, chief among them being it has never turned a profit. Investors familiar with Snap's IPO process told multiple media outlets that the book was ten times oversubscribed.

Snap Inc. shares plunged 12% to $23.80 on Monday.

Facebook is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells FB? Learn more now.

WATCH MORE: Ice-T Reveals His Top Thoughts on Investing
The following companies are subsidiares of Amphenol: ARCAS Automotive Group (Luxco 1) S.a.r.l., AUXEL FTG, AUXEL FTG India Pvt Ltd., AUXEL FTG Shanghai Co., AUXEL S.A.S., Air LB International Development S.A., All Systems Broadband, Amphenol (Changzhou) Advanced Connector Co., Amphenol (Changzhou) Connector Systems Co., Amphenol (Changzhou) Electronics Co., Amphenol (Maryland), Amphenol (Ningde) Electronics Co., Amphenol (Qujing) Technology Co., Amphenol (Tianjin) Electronics Co., Amphenol (Xiamen) High Speed Cable Co., Amphenol Adronics, Amphenol Advanced Sensors Germany GmbH, Amphenol Advanced Sensors Puerto Rico, Amphenol Air LB GmbH, Amphenol Air LB North America Inc., Amphenol Air LB SAS, Amphenol Alden Products Company, Amphenol Alden Products Mexico, Amphenol Antenna Solutions, Amphenol Assemble Tech (Xiamen) Co., Amphenol Australia Pty Ltd, Amphenol Automotive Connection Systems (Changzhou) Co., Amphenol Bar-Tec, Amphenol Benelux B.V., Amphenol Borisch Technologies, Amphenol CNT (Xian) Technology Co. Ltd., Amphenol Cables On Demand Corp., Amphenol Canada Acquisition Corporation, Amphenol Canada Corp., Amphenol Comercial, Amphenol Commercial Interconnect Korea Co., Amphenol Commercial Products (Chengdu) Co. Ltd., Amphenol Commercial and Industrial UK, Amphenol ConneXus AB, Amphenol ConneXus Ou, Amphenol Custom Cable, Amphenol DC Electronics, Amphenol Daeshin Electronics and Precision Co., Amphenol EEC, Amphenol East Asia Electronic Technology (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Amphenol East Asia Limited, Amphenol FCI, Amphenol FCI Asia Pte. Ltd., Amphenol FCI Connectors Singapore Pte. Ltd., Amphenol Fiber Optic Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Amphenol Finland Oy, Amphenol France Acquisition SAS, Amphenol France SAS, Amphenol Germany GmbH, Amphenol Gesellschaft m.b.H., Amphenol Goldstar Electronic Systems (Baicheng) Co. Ltd., Amphenol Goldstar Electronic Systems (Yulin) Co. Ltd., Amphenol Holding UK, Amphenol Intercon Systems, Amphenol Interconnect India Private Limited, Amphenol Interconnect Products Corporation, Amphenol Interconnect South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Amphenol International Ltd., Amphenol Invotec Limited, Amphenol Italia S.r.l., Amphenol JET (Haiyan) Interconnect Technology Co., Amphenol Japan Ltd., Amphenol Kai-Jack (Shenzhen) Inc., Amphenol LTW Technology Co., Amphenol Limited, Amphenol MCP Korea Limited, Amphenol Malaysia Sdn. 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Limited, Casco Holdings GmbH, Casco Imos Italia S.r.l., Casco Logistics GmbH, Casco Products Corporation, Casco Schoeller GmbH, Casco do Brasil Ltda., Cemm Thome Corporation, Cemm Thome SK, Cemm-Mex, Changzhou Amphenol Fuyang Communication Equipment Co., ContactServe (Proprietary) Limited, East Asia Connector Services, Edwin Deutgen Kunstofftechnik GmbH, Ehrlich Werkzeug & Geratebau GmbH, FCI Besancon SA, FCI Connectors (Shanghai) Ltd., FCI Connectors Canada, FCI Connectors Dongguan Ltd, FCI Connectors Hong Kong Limited, FCI Connectors Italia S.r.l., FCI Connectors Korea Ltd., FCI Connectors Malaysia Sdn Bhd, FCI Connectors Sweden A.B., FCI Connectors UK Ltd., FCI Deutschland GmbH, FCI Electronics Hungary Kft, FCI GBS India Private Limited, FCI Japan K.K., FCI Nantong Ltd, FCI OEN Connectors Limited, FCI PRC Limited, FCI Taiwan Limited, FCI USA LLC, FCIs-Hertogenbosch B.V., FEP Fahrzeugelektrik Pirna, FEP Fahrzeugelektrik Pirna GmbH & Co. KG, FEP Fahrzeugelektrik Pirna Verwaltungs GmbH, Fiber Systems International, Filec Production SAS, Filec SAS, Friedrich Gohringer Elektrotechnik GmbH, GE - Advanced Sensors Business, Guangzhou Amphenol Electronics Co., Guangzhou Amphenol Sincere Flex Circuits Co., Guangzhou FEP Automotive Electric Co., Hangzhou Amphenol JET Interconnect Technology Co., Hangzhou Amphenol Phoenix Telecom Parts Co., Holland Electronics, Intelligente Sensorsysteme Dresden GmbH, Invotec Circuits Holdings Limited, Invotec Circuits Limited, Invotec Group Limited, Invotec Holdings Limited, Ionix Aerospace Limited, Ionix Holdings Limited, Ionix Systems Limited, Ionix Systems Ou, Jaybeam Limited, Jaybeam Wireless SAS, KE Elektronik GmbH, KE Ostrov  Elektrik, KE Presov Elektrik, Konnektech, Kunshan Amphenol Zhengri Electronics Co., LPL Technologies Holding GmbH, LTW Technology (Samoa) Co., LTW Top Tech (Samoa) Co., Lectric SARL, Martec Limited, Mocorp Holding A/S, Nantong Docharm Amphenol Electronics Co., PROCOM, PT Casco SEA, PerLoga Personal und Logistik GmbH, Piezotech, Piher Sensors & Controls S.A., Piher Sensors And Controls, Precision Cable Manufacturing Corp. de Mexico, Procom A/S, Procom Antennas AB, Procom France SARL, Pyle-National Ltd., RSI International Limited, S.C.I. Palin, SEFEE SA, SGX Europe SP. z.o.o., SGX Sensortech (IS) Limited, SGX Sensortech China Holdco Limited, SGX Sensortech China Limited, SGX Sensortech GmbH, SGX Sensortech SA, SSI Control Technologies, STEMFI SA, SV Microwave, Shanghai Amphenol Airwave Communication Electronics Co., Shanghai Amphenol Electronics Technology Co., Shanghai Tecvox Trading Co., Shenyang Amphenol Sunpool Automotive Electronics Co., Sine Systems Corporation, Skymasts Antennas Ltd., Societe dEtudes et de Fabrications Electroniques et Electriques, Spectra Strip Limited, TCS Japan K.K., TFC South America S.A., Tecvox Europe S.r.l., Telect, Telect Mfg., Telect de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Teradyne Connection Systems, Thermometrics Mexico, Tianjin Amphenol KAE Co., Times Fiber Canada Limited, Times Fiber Communications, Times Microwave Systems, Times Wire and Cable Company, U-Jin Cable Industrial Co., Zhongshan Feisaide Electromechanical Co., and i2s-sensors.

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Canada is proud to provide assistance to Ukraine by training its military personnel.

This was stated by Minister of National Defence of Canada Harjit Sajjan, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"In cooperation with our allies, Canada is proud of its assistance to Ukraine and compliance with commitment to this important training mission," Sajjan said.

As the Canadian Defense Ministry informs, two hundred Canadian soldiers flew last weekend to Ukraine for rotation. They will train Ukrainian servicepersons till mid-March.

ol
In 2016, German exports to the countries of Eastern Europe increased greater in percentage correlation than exports of goods and services from Germany as a whole for the first time in four years.

This was reported by the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, the total growth of German exports amounted to about one per cent in 2016. The flow of goods and services to 21 countries, supervised by the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, grew by almost 4 per cent and amounted to EUR 53.9 billion, showing an increase of 2 billion as compared to 2015.

German exports to Ukraine grew at the fastest pace. It increased by EUR 550 million, which is 18 percent more than a year ago.

ol
Ukraine was ranked fourth among best-performing nation brands in the Nation Brands 2016 report published by Brand Finance.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade  Ukraines Trade Representative Natalia Mykolska informed this.

Ukraine for the first time in such a long time has showed growth (+ 27%) and even was ranked among four leading countries in the nation brand rating Nation Brands 2016 Annual Report. This is our common work and the work of each in particular, Mykolska said.

According to the report, among 2016 fastest growing nation brand are Luxembourg (+ 43%), Pakistan (38%) and the Czech Republic (+ 27%).

In 2014, Ukraine was ranked 53rd in the nation brand rating, and its national brand was estimated at $ 80 billion. Then, there was a significant drop by 45%.

Nation Brand Rating is annually compiled by Brand Finance, a UK-based independent brand valuation consultancy

iy
The start of hearings at the International Court of Justice on the indication of provisional measures within the case of Ukraine v. Russian Federation gives a chance to prevent further deterioration of the situation in Avdiivka and Crimea.

This is stated in the commentary of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine.

"March 6, the International Court of Justice starts to hold public hearings on the indication of provisional measures within the framework of the case Ukraine v. Russian Federation. The lawsuit was filed at the International Court of Justice on January 16, 2017 in order to hold Russia responsible for supporting terrorism in eastern Ukraine and discrimination against ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars in the occupied Crimea. The provisional measures will allow the Court to prevent the deterioration of the situation, and, most importantly, to protect the civilian population during the period required for examination of the case," the statement says.

In the request for indication of provisional measures Ukraine asks the ICJ to oblige the Russian Federation to stop to violate the international law. In particular, Ukraine appeals to the Court with the motion to oblige the Russian Federation to ensure effective control over Ukraine-Russia border, to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine, to stop supporting illegal armed groups which inflict damage to the civilian population of Ukraine, as well as to refrain from any further acts of ethnic discrimination in the occupied Crimea.

The hearings on indication of provisional measures are expected to last four days. Ukraine will present arguments on Monday, March 6, and Wednesday, March 8. The Russian Federation will present its arguments on Tuesday, March 7, and on Thursday, March 9. The hearings will start at 11:00 (Kyiv time).

Live webstream

ol
UA|TV international broadcasting channel should operate in Romania because at present citizens of this country learn news about Ukraine mostly form Russian TV channel.

This has been stated by Ukraines Minister of Information Policy Yuriy Stets during a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania in Ukraine Cristian-Leon Turcanu, the ministrys press service reports.

The purpose of meeting was the discussion of prospects for launching Ukraines international broadcasting channel in Romania and of Romanias international broadcasting channel in Ukraine.

"People in Romina learn news about Ukraine from Russian TV channels. For me, as for every Ukrainian, it is unacceptable. Therefore, it is important that our UA | TV international broadcasting channel reports the truth about Ukraine to your compatriots, Yuriy Stets said.

The ambassador, in turn, noted Romania has its own international foreign broadcasting service (TVR International) that should be also available for Ukrainians.

iy
The shelling of Avdiivka, Volnovakha, Mariupol and other bloody attacks on the civilian population in Ukraine are the result of Russia's financing of terrorism.

This was stated by head of the Ukrainian delegation, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Olena Zerkal during the hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, Russia continues to show contempt for its obligations under the international agreements. "As a result, Ukrainians face a campaign of terror and cultural destruction," she said.

Zerkal noted that the situation had worsened over last few weeks: "Russian-backed armed groups again stepped up attacks and intimidation of the civilian population. The independent OSCE monitoring mission confirmed that at least 8 civilians had been killed and another 30 had been wounded in the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka just during one week, from January 29 to February 5, 2017."

"The attacks on Ukrainian civilians are the logical result of Russia's support for terrorist groups," Zerkal said.

ol
First Vice Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Gerashchenko has met with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer and thanked him for the support for Ukrainian citizens and areas affected by the conflict.

Gerashchenko wrote this on her Facebook page

"Ive met with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer and thanked him for the ICRC's efforts for the support of citizens and areas affected by the conflict. Within the framework of the humanitarian subgroup in Minsk, Ukraine insists on involving the ICRC in the search for missing persons and release of the hostages," the Ukrainian First Vice Speaker wrote.

Gerashchenko noted that the Ukrainian side supported the ICRCs initiative to create a mechanism for the search for the missing people and the additional mechanisms and instruments to protect the critical infrastructure.

ol
Ukraine condemns another North Korea's launch of ballistic missiles and calls on the international community to take further measures to bring North Korea to responsibility.

This is said in the statement of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine.

"North Koreas regular launches of ballistic missiles, in particular, the impudent launch of four such missiles on March 6, 2017, is not only an obvious violation of the UN Security Council resolutions, but also a deliberate provocation against the existing international legal system," the statement says.

The Foreign Ministry notes that Ukraine strongly condemns such actions of Pyongyang and calls on the international community to take further measures to bring North Korea to responsibility.

ol
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) speaks on Capitol Hill. In a letter Monday, she called for the Justice Departments inspector general to look into a slowdown in DEA enforcement amid the opioid crisis. (Alex Brandon/AP)

A U.S. senator on Monday called for an investigation into why the Drug Enforcement Administration slowed enforcement efforts against pharmaceutical companies accused of violating laws designed to prevent pain pills from reaching the black market.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (Mo.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, in a letter asked the Justice Departments inspector general to investigate. She said she had serious concerns about reports of an enforcement slowdown as the opioid epidemic escalated nationwide.

This a matter of life and death and I want to know whether or not we could have done more, McCaskill said in a statement.

A spokesman for Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz declined to comment. A DEA spokesman said the agency would review the senators request.

McCaskill cited recent reports by The Washington Post that the agency had delayed and blocked enforcement efforts against several large opioid distributors and required field investigators to meet a higher burden of proof before they could take action.

Five former supervisors from the DEAs Diversion Control Division, which regulates the pharmaceutical industry, told The Post in on-the-record interviews that they had become frustrated by the slowdown as overdose deaths soared, particularly in the nations rural communities.

[DEA slowed enforcement as the opioid epidemic grew out of control]

Their concerns were documented by the DEAs chief administrative law judge, who said in his quarterly reports to agency supervisors that the number of enforcement actions being approved at headquarters was stunningly low for a national program.

The Post also reported that enforcement efforts had been questioned by high-ranking Justice Department officials and that key architects of the DEAs campaign against opioid distributors had been hired away by the pharmaceutical industry.

McCaskill noted that 183,000 people have died from overdoses of prescription narcotics between 1999 and 2015, with more than 15,000 in 2015 alone. She said her home state ranked first among Midwestern states in the number of prescription painkillers being sold.

The senator said that the DEA had reached financial settlements in several cases against the nations largest distributors of narcotic painkillers. But she questioned whether those penalties were sufficient to curb the continuing epidemic and hold the companies accountable.

The DEAs efforts have been too little, too late, she said in the letter requesting the investigation.

In October, nine other U.S. senators demanded that the DEA explain why it has slowed enforcement efforts against the pharmaceutical industry. In letters to the agency, those senators said their questions have been ignored by the agency or that the answers they received were totally inadequate.


Chef-restaurateur Jose Andres, seen here after receiving the National Humanities Medal from President Obama last year, received a lifetime achievement award this weekend from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. (Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press)

The International Association of Culinary Professionals announced the winners of its annual awards Sunday night in Louisville.

Chef-restaurateur Jose Andres received the organizations lifetime achievement award. The native of Spain is behind such Washington restaurants as Jaleo, Oyamel and Minibar and is the author of several cookbooks. He has been outspoken of late on matters of immigration and has been making headlines for his ongoing legal feud with President Trump over an aborted restaurant at the Trump International Hotel in Washington.

Washington author Joan Nathans 1994 book, Jewish Cooking in America was named a culinary classic. The category recognizes works that have significantly altered the way we think about food and contributed to the field of culinary literature. Other books recognized were Authentic Mexican, by Rick Bayless (1987); The Cake Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum (1998); How America Eats, by Clementine Paddleford (1960); and Spoonbread and Strawberry Wine, by Norma Jean Darden and Carole Darden (1978).

[Rick Bayless grew up watching Julia Child. Now hes getting her award.]

Two Post writers were nominated for food writing awards: beer columnist Fritz Hahn for beverage-focused column and Smoke Signals columnist Jim Shahin for food-focused column. The awards in those categories went to New York Times writers Eric Asimov and new Splendid Table host Francis Lam, who until recently wrote a column for the New York Times Magazine. The Times was also named publication of the year.

[The Splendid Table radio show announces a new host: Francis Lam]

In digital media, IACP named Epicurious the years best culinary group blog. Lucky Peach took home the prize for best culinary website.

"Deep Run Roots" by Vivian Howard was a big winner at IACPs annual awards. (Little, Brown)

North Carolina chef-restaurateur Vivian Howard, who stars in the PBS series A Chefs Life, swept four categories with her debut cookbook, Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South. It was named cookbook of the year and won the chef/restaurant, general and Julia Child first book categories.

The IACP, founded in 1978, includes members from a variety of disciplines in the food industry, including chefs, restaurateurs, writers and producers. In addition to its annual conference and awards, the organization offers professional support in the form of networking, a speaker series and other resources.

[Deep Run Roots, reviewed: A Southern chef and TV star brings on the charm]

A full list of winners is available at iacp.com.
Q: When we remodeled our kitchen in 2005, we replaced the cabinets and added a granite countertop. We had no problems until six months ago, when I noticed that the edge of one slab was sticking out a little farther than the other. Now this is becoming more pronounced, and the seam between the slabs is starting to separate. Could there be some kind of structural problem with the foundation, floor joists, etc., that is causing the cabinets to sink or shift? Im not sure who could provide an assessment of whats going on. The house was built in 1992, so its not that old. What do you suggest?

Fairfax Station

A: Mehmet Topcu, general manager at Fairfax Marble & Granite (703-204-2222; fairfaxmarble.com), said the underlying cause could be settling of the house or even the earthquake that hit the area in August 2011. Centered in Mineral, Va., it had a magnitude of 5.8 and was strong enough to crack the Washington Monument and cause $20 million in damage to the Washington National Cathedral. For a repair, Topcu recommended calling Surface Link (800-482-1774; surfacelink.com ), a company in Chantilly that coordinates a nationwide network of professionals who focus on repairing countertops, not installing new ones.

Kristin Davis, a team leader and estimator for Surface Link, echoed Topcus assessment of the cause. This is a common issue that we see from our customers, she wrote in an email. She said one of the main causes is settling of the house, mostly happening during periods of dry or humid weather, which causes the wood to shrink and swell. Another common cause is inadequate support under the seam, which can be caused by something as simple as a shim falling out.

A structural engineer is the right professional to help assess a structural problem. If youve experienced other issues, such as doors that no longer open or close properly or foundation walls that have cracked or bowed, it makes sense to seek this advice. However, if the countertop movement is the only problem youve seen, you might want to simply get it fixed. When slabs are only slightly out of alignment, its sometimes possible to buff the front edges to make the slabs fit together more smoothly. But the gap on your counter appears too big for that.

The cover fell off this electrical box. (Reader photo)

The slab will need to be shifted back into place so that the seam is aligned on the top and the front edge. The seam is then bonded with adhesive, Davis said. She estimated the cost at $500 to $700.

Q: My mothers condo in Reston is about 30 years old. The electrical box has a cover that has fallen off. The box says it is Westinghouse Model No. 16-30AFNASN. The approximate dimensions are 15 inches wide by 16 inches high. Do you know where we can find a replacement? Or does the whole electrical box have to be replaced?

Leesburg

A: Heres a bet that the cover didnt fall off but was instead taken off by a painter and never put back on. It could turn out to be an expensive lapse.

Westinghouses electrical panel business is now part of Eaton, thanks to a series of purchases and mergers. Eaton does still sell some replacement covers for Westinghouse boxes. But the model number you provided isnt helpful, a customer service representative at Eaton said. You would need the catalogue number, which he said is on the right-hand frame of the unit. It should say Cat number, followed by a code that starts with CH. Armed with the number, call EatonCare, the companys customer service office, at 877-386-2273 to see whether a replacement cover is available.

There are companies that specialize in used electrical equipment, but they tend to focus on circuit breakers and other equipment, not covers. An email query to one of these companies, Electric Equipment Corporation of Virginia (202-269-1910; eec945.com), resulted in a response from one of the companys customer service representatives: If it was my mother, I would call Brian Chin at L&S Electric in Sterling, Va. He will do the right thing for your readers mother at a reasonable price.

At L&S Electric (703-237-0011; lselectricva@gmail.com), Chin searched using the model number you provided and came up empty-handed, according to an associate in the companys office. Chin, too, suspected you need to find another number on the box or ask your mothers neighbors if the code is visible on their panels. All of the units probably have the same equipment.

If you can find an exact replacement, you should be able to screw it on yourself. If you cant find one, you will need to replace the panel if you want the electrical system to pass a safety inspection in advance of a sale, according to L&S. A new panel, also known as a load center, could cost about $950.

If you or your mother simply cannot afford that and wont need a safety inspection any time soon, you might be able to find a cover that fits reasonably well and would at least be better than leaving the box uncovered. One cover that might work is for a Square D box that is 15.44 inches wide and 16.12 inches tall; it sells for $13 on Zoro.com. But you would need to make sure that the opening to turn circuit breakers on or off lines up with the spacing on the existing box.
Jill Kirkpatrick and Tony Connor have been wedded blissfully for 20 years and they agree that one truism of their happy marriage is that they avoid driving together. So when Kirkpatrick offhanded and flippantly mentioned to her husband that they ought to consider competing in the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, a vintage-car race that would take them from the Great Wall of China to the Place Vendome in Paris, Connor said he just about fell out of his chair.

He loves cars and I love adventure travel, Kirkpatrick said. Then Connor finished her sentence saying, And the mother of all rallies is what she decided to do.

So the couple left Washington in June 2016 and spent 36 days covering 8,500 miles across the Eurasian continent, fording rivers, rumbling over washboard dirt roads, circumnavigating mountain passes in the Swiss Alps and tent camping in the Mongolian grassland. Whats more, the prize for winning the rally is simply a shot of pride and a bottle of champagne.

If you want to drive the Peking to Paris rally, youll have to wait until 2019, but the association sponsors vintage-car endurance races several times a year: The next is the Baltic Classic in May, a two-week rally that starts in Copenhagen and ends in Berlin.

To enter, participants pay a registration fee to the race organizer, the Endurance Rally Association, which covers much of the cost of the trip, including lodgings and most of the fuel. Connor, who works in finance, said that he was able to arrange taking the time off for the trip with the help of his team back in the office. The overall cost, not including preparing a car and shipping it to the start point, is in the five figures.

The couples Porsche gets stuck in the sand in Zavkhan Province, Mongolia. (Jill Kirkpatrick)

The month-long journey  the sixth such rally so far  tested Connor and Kirkpatrick to their limits and beyond. They averaged one meal a day and three-to-four hours of sleep a night. And because of an agreement they made beforehand, they finished without a single argument about Kirkpatricks directions or Connors driving.

That alone was a feat, they agreed, considering that the rally is an epic trial of human and mechanical capacity even under ordinary circumstances. Then theres the fact that Connor and Kirkpatrick drove the entire race in a Porsche.

This rally will move impossible for you, Connor said. Kirkpatrick chimed in: It was the hardest thing Ive ever chosen to do in my life.

The rally dates to 1907 and is now a race specifically for cars made before 1975. The 2016 rally included a parade of classics such as a 1917 American LaFrance speedster, a 1930 Ford Model A and a 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II.

Then there was the car that Connor calls the second love of my life, which he shipped from the District and drove for the entire race equipped with D.C. plates. When Connor began looking for a car to fit the criteria for the rally, he contacted a dealer who specializes in classics. What the dealer found was an outlaw 1956 Porsche 356A, meaning that original parts of the car had been replaced with more modern versions, including its suspension and engine.

Connor bought the two-seater coupe and began a series of modifications to prepare it to complete the trip over the rugged and unforgiving terrain. He installed a steel plate to protect the undercarriage, reinforced the steering column and doubled the fuel-tank capacity. He also rerouted the exhaust through the rear fender for river crossings and adjusted the cars suspension to gain additional clearance. But one aspect of the car never changed: its color, a silty brown. Connor and Kirkpatrick named the vehicle Java in memory of a close family friends chocolate Lab, whose coat resembled the paint color.

But during the rally, the Porsche was known as car 58 for the number emblazoned on its doors. When the race began in June, a total of 107 cars lined up at the start. Only 97 had completed the entire journey by the races end in July. Connor and Kirkpatrick crossed the line in Paris third in their class, happy just to have finished. During the race, Connor made major repairs, including one that necessitated a stop in Kazan, Russia, to replace the whole back end of the car after its rear suspension failed.

Jill Kirkpatrick and Tony Connor at the finish line at Place Vendome. (Kristin D. Thompson)

Minor repairs, meanwhile, were ongoing. On the couples first day traversing Mongolia  the second day of the race  the dashboards speedometer and fuel gauge stopped functioning. For the rest of the rally, Connor guessed the speed and gas level. In all, Connor estimated that the 8,500 miles they covered was the equivalent of 100,000 miles of wear and tear. Yet for all of the time Connor spent covered in motor oil while tinkering with the car to make it run, he said that they never had a flat tire.

Kirkpatrick said that surprise was one of many for the couple on the trip. She said that despite their preparation for the rally, they realized shortly after it started how little they really knew. Mongolia, for instance. There, they saw yaks. And also some of the roughest roads they encountered. During one river crossing the Porsche, with its relatively low road clearance and the steel plate underneath, turned into an ark and began to float. That is, until Connor stomped the accelerator, the tires gained traction and the Porsche shot out of the water.

Mongolia will take a bit out of your soul, Connor says. But it will replace it with something more beautiful.

Then there was the daily pace. Although Connor and Kirkpatrick were aware that the event was designated a race, they didnt know that each day began with a wheel-spinning start and went flat-out from there.

We thought you cruised along, Kirkpatrick said. Not so. There was nothing gentlemanly about it. . . . It was lawless.

Other revelations awaited down the road. There was the time they were driving along a superhighway in Russia when the pavement suddenly ended without warning. Then came the high alpine passes of Italy, where Connors fear of heights crept up as they navigated the narrow road at an elevation of 4,000 feet.

Connor and Kirkpatrick agreed that the most suspenseful moment of the trip  alternatively the most hysterical  involved the immigration officers at the border crossing between Mongolia and Russia.

Pulling up to the border, the pair opened the doors, the trunk and the hood for inspection.

We looked homeless and hadnt showered, Kirkpatrick said.

One of the border guards approached with a German shepherd on a leash. Another spotted a suspicious plastic bag of little green crystals. Two more officers then separated Connor and Kirkpatrick for interrogation about what they thought was methamphetamines.

It wasnt until Connor poured some of the crystals onto an oil leak that the border guards learned that the crystals were an absorbing chemical for vehicle spills.

We couldnt look at each other without laughing, Kirkpatrick said.

It was Breaking Bad,  Connor said.

Not all teams were as carefree as Connor and Kirkpatrick. The sleep deprivation, physical hardship and mental strain of the rally took its toll. Bickering led several navigators to leave their drivers midrace. Some teams abandoned the rally altogether, going their separate ways. The thought of quitting never occurred to Connor and Kirkpatrick.

As the pair crossed Europe toward Paris, they realized how much the rally had changed their perspective on themselves and the world around them.

Everything looks right but it doesnt feel right, Connor said. Glancing at his wife, he said: She looked the same and completely different.

Rolling across the finish line at Place Vendome, Connor and Kirkpatrick gallantly waved a pair of American flags.

I didnt want it to end, Connor said. Were already thinking about 2019.

For more information about the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge and similar road races, visit the Endurance Rally Associations website at endurorally.com

More from Travel:

Around the world in 20 days: How to visit seven countries in one 21,623-mile adventure

This isnt Darwins Galapagos: The wildlife-rich islands are more tourist-friendly than you think

Still finding kicks on Route 66
Congress is pushing to overturn as early as this week regulations that outline how states must carry out a federal law that holds public schools accountable for serving all students.

Leaders of the Republican majority claim that the rules, written during the Obama administration, represent an executive overreach. Democrats argue that rescinding the rules will open loopholes to hide or ignore schools that fail to adequately serve poor children, minorities, English-language learners and students with disabilities.

The debate comes as Republicans are making a sweeping effort to roll back regulations finalized in the last few months of Barack Obamas presidency. GOP lawmakers say that in this case they are targeting actions under Obamas Education Department that contradict legislative intent when the school accountability law was passed in 2015.

We said to the department, You cant tell states exactly what to do about fixing low-performing schools. Thats their decision. This rule does that, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said in a statement last week. And we said to the department, You cant tell states exactly how to rate the public schools in your state, but this rule does that.

Democrats say President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos appear to be giving states too much deference on education issues.

Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the ranking Democrat on the Education Committee who helped negotiate the 2015 law, said repealing the regulations would be a devastating blow to students across the country and would throw state and district planning into chaos at the very moment when they had started to settle into the new law.

The regulations are meant to outline what states must do to meet their obligations under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the successor to the 2002 No Child Left Behind law. The Republican-led House voted last month to undo the regulations via the Congressional Review Act, which allows lawmakers to veto a rule they dont like. But the CRA would also prohibit the Trump administration from issuing a rule that is substantially similar.

The Senate could vote on the measure as early as this week, and it needs only a simply majority to pass. Republicans are confident that they have that majority, according to a GOP aide. But at least one Republican, Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio), has said he plans to oppose the repeal, saying that the regulations provide important protections for students who have too often been forgotten.

If the bill reaches Trumps desk, he is expected to sign it, leaving a regulatory void and injecting uncertainty into state efforts to comply with federal law.

The current law is far less prescriptive than its predecessor and leaves states largely in charge of deciding how to evaluate elementary and secondary schools and what to do when they fail. But the law also includes important civil rights guardrails meant to ensure that subgroups of students  such as those with disabilities, or those who are poor  dont slip through the cracks.

Obamas regulations sought to provide more detail and clarity than the statutory language. They outline what information must be included on annual school report cards sent to parents and the public, define what it means for a group of students in a school to be consistently underperforming, and lay out a timeline for state interventions at struggling schools.

Republicans say the administration went too far, creating some rules that either had no basis in the law or conflicted directly with it.

We wrote a very specific law saying the states are in charge, said Rep. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), speaking on the House floor after introducing the resolution to roll back the resolutions. Here we have a federal agency inserting itself, not just interpreting law, but actually making law and taking us in the exact opposite direction that all of us intended.

A coalition of civil rights advocates and business leaders, including the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are urging Congress to leave the regulations in place, saying they provide important clarity and certainty for states.

One of the most-debated parts of the law says that schools must test at least 95 percent of eligible students each year, a provision meant to ensure that schools dont encourage low performers to stay home on test day as a way to inflate average scores.

The ascent of the opt-out movement, in which parents refuse to allow their children to take standardized tests as a way to protest the emphasis on testing, has created politically charged questions about how states should handle schools that dont meet the participation requirement.

Both the law and the regulations allow states to decide what to do about those schools  but the regulations specify that the consequence must be severe enough to force schools to come into compliance.

Many Republicans and the nations largest teachers unions argued that the Obama administration created this requirement to punish schools out of thin air. But civil rights advocates said that without meaningful consequences, the 95 percent rule  critical for ensuring that schools are held accountable for their students true performance  would be meaningless.

There will be districts and schools with a strategic incentive not to have certain kids tested, said Gini Pupo-Walker of Conexion Americas, a group that advocates for Latino families in Tennessee and is part of a statewide coalition advocating for educational equity.

Many states are deep into designing school-accountability systems based on the regulations. The first wave of applications are due to the Trump administration on April 3, leaving officials little time to retool their applications if Congress revokes the rules.

Chris Minnich, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, said in the absence of regulations, states will need DeVos to quickly and clearly explain what is expected of them.

In the end, whats most important is that the secretary be clear with the states about whats next, Minnich said. States are already planning, they have good plans in place, theyre starting to come together  and we cant have this slow them down.

DeVos told states last month that deadlines for submitting applications wont change despite the turmoil. She promised to offer further guidance in the near future. One of my main priorities as Secretary is to ensure that States and local school districts have clarity during the early implementation of the law, she wrote.

Some state education chiefs welcome the overturning of the rules, saying it will give them more flexibility and would not derail the work already underway. But others said they fear that the rollback opens the door for some states to design lax systems that dont help identify and fix poorly performing schools.

I certainly hope that states dont have a blank check here, said Mitchell Chester, commissioner of education in Massachusetts.

The two major teachers unions were both critical of the regulations when they were finalized in November, but have since charted different courses. The National Education Association, the largest, has not taken a position on whether Congress should repeal them. But American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on Thursday urged senators not to overturn the rules, saying that they struck a decent balance between flexibility for states and protections for equity and financial accountability.

Some conservatives also oppose a wholesale rollback, arguing that some provisions actually provide more flexibility to states than the law itself.

Mike Petrilli of the right-leaning Thomas B. Fordham Institute argued that rather than repealing the regulations, Congress should allow DeVos to determine which rules her department will not enforce. Over time, he suggested, the department could officially revise the rules to exclude those that are particularly offensive, without losing the ones that are helpful.

Senate Republicans have a sledgehammer; Betsy DeVos has a chisel, Petrilli wrote on Fordhams blog. They should let her use it.
HIGHER EDUCATION

More help with student loans?

A bipartisan bill, introduced last week by Reps. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and Scott Peters (D-Calif.), would give companies a tax break for providing employees up to $5,250 a year to repay education debt, while sparing employees from being taxed on the money. The deduction is comparable to the existing tax benefits for tuition reimbursement, Davis said. He said the repayment incentive could help the government save money on student loan defaults.

Were talking about tax reform every day. This would be a simple change in the tax code that would be a net benefit to taxpayers, Davis said.

--Danielle Douglas-Gabriel
Tens of thousands march to the White House down Pennsylvania Avenue during the Women's March on Washington on Jan. 21. The marchs organizers are calling female workers to stay home on Wednesday for A Day Without a Woman, a national day of protest intended to call attention to the critical role women play in the labor force. (Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post)

A Northern Virginia school system is canceling classes for all students Wednesday after numerous teachers requested the day off to join a national day of protest called A Day Without a Woman, in which organizers are urging female workers to stay home.

School officials in Alexandria announced Monday that about 300 staff members were seeking to take Wednesday off, too many to be able to open schools. The officials attributed the high number of requests to the demonstration, which was organized in conjunction with International Womens Day and is intended to show the importance of women in the labor force. The majority of the 300 are teachers, officials said, comprising a sizable share of the 1,400 teachers in the school workforce. The system has about 15,000 students.

This is not a decision that was made lightly. We have been closely monitoring requests for leave on March 8, including communicating with school leaders and our education association, Alexandria Superintendent Alvin L. Crawley said in a statement on the school systems website. The decision is based solely on our ability to provide sufficient staff to cover all our classrooms, and the impact of high staff absenteeism on student safety and delivery of instruction. It is not based on a political stance or position.

More than three-quarters of public school teachers were women in the 2011-2012 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, which represent schoolteachers throughout the country, were both partners for the Womens March on Washington, which drew more than 1 million people into the streets around the country and the world for demonstrations on the day after President Trump took office.

[Womens March organizers plan A Day Without A Woman strike next month]

(WUSA)

But most school systems in the Washington region appear to be largely unaffected by the upcoming protest. Officials in Maryland, the District and Northern Virginia  except for Alexandria  said they had not received a deluge of requests for days off and planned to open normally. At least one school system elsewhere  Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools in North Carolina  announced last week that it would close because teachers there wanted to join the protest.

[Is the A Day Without a Woman protest elitist?]

In some school systems, officials were urging teachers and principals to come to school Wednesday.

While some may plan to attend this weeks walk out on International Womens Day, all students and staff are expected to be in school throughout the day so that teaching and learning can continue. We respect the right to self-expression and peaceful protest in support of gender equality, John Davis, chief of schools for D.C. Public Schools, wrote in a note to principals Monday morning.

Parents in Alexandria were left to search for child care, and some teachers worried about how low-income families would manage. Nearly 60 percent of the citys students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The system said it would open six schools so that children who rely on school meals would still be able to eat.

Were actually probably causing a lot of working women to scramble for child care and some of them are minimum-wage workers, said one teacher, who spoke anonymously because she did not have permission to speak to a reporter.

Tracy Kennedy, an independent consultant whose son is the fourth grade at Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy in Alexandria, said the decision to cancel classes would mean she could lose nearly a full days pay because she bills by the hour and gets no paid time off. She said she is disappointed the school system permitted teachers to take the day off, although officials said they had little choice in the matter.

We have shown our teachers that they can basically rip the rug out from underneath our educational system and that its permissible, Kennedy said. The protesters are trying to support women, she said, but women are the ones who are suffering.

Other parents, while mindful of the struggles some would have in finding child care, were supportive of the teachers who decided to take the day off.

Julia Sylla, who works at an international education nonprofit, said she was still working out care for her daughter Madeline, a kindergartner at Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology. She said it was inconvenient but the cause is worthwhile.

My husband and I both work full-time so we are scrambling, but I feel like they have a right to stand up for equal pay and for equal treatment overall just as much as any other citizen, Sylla said.

The protest, assembled by the organizers of the Womens March on Washington, is intended to draw attention to the role women play in the labor force and to press for equal pay and family leave policies.

It follows last months Day Without Immigrants, when many restaurants, stores and businesses shuttered in solidarity with immigrants who took the day off work to join protests against Trumps restrictive policies on immigration.

Emma Brown and Donna St. George contributed to this report.
Lynne Jackson, a descendant of Dred Scott, right, hugs Charles Taney III, a descendant of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney on the 160th anniversary of the Dred Scott decision. (Kenneth K. Lam/AP)

Lynne M. Jackson winced outside the Maryland State House on Monday as she listened to Charlie Taney repeat some of the words his great-great-grand-uncle wrote in the U.S. Supreme Courts Dred Scott decision 160 years ago.

Black people cannot be U.S. citizens and have no rights except the ones that white people give them. Whites are superior to blacks. Slavery is legal.

You cant hide from the words that [Roger Brooke] Taney wrote, Charlie Taney said, standing a few feet from a statue of his ancestor, who lived in Maryland and was chief justice of the nations highest court from 1836 until his death in 1864.

You cant run, you cant hide, you cant look away. You have to face them.

Then Charlie Taney turned to Jackson, the great-great granddaughter of Scott, an enslaved man who sued for his freedom. He apologized  on behalf of his family, to the Scott family and to all African Americans, for the terrible injustice of the Dred Scott decision.

Charles Taney III, center, a descendant of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney, offers an apology to Lynne Jackson, a descendant of Dred Scott, right. (Kenneth K. Lam/AP)

Jackson accepted the apology from her family and all African Americans who have the love of God in their heart so that healing can begin.

Taney asked for a hug, and the two embraced.

They met for the first time last year in New York. Their appearance Monday in Annapolis was part of an ongoing reconciliation process, and a push by the descendants of both families to add a statue of Scott near the statue of Taney, which activists have sought to remove for years.

We should use this as a chance to learn and a chance to come together and chance to heal a nation  not bury the past, Charlie Taney said.

Jackson, a former law firm manager from Missouri and the founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation, said her family also believes that having the statue of the pro-slavery chief justice, along with one of Scott and historical information about the court decision, would be a learning experience and an educational opportunity.

Add to it, dont take from it, Jackson said.

The debate over Taneys statue intensified in Annapolis after the 2015 killing of nine African Americans in a Charleston, S.C., church by a white man who displayed a segregationist flag on social media and drove a car with a Confederate flag license plate.

That rampage led then-South Carolina governor Nikki Haley (R) to stop flying the Confederate flag on the state capitols grounds. It also sparked a national dialogue about whether to remove from other public spaces the names and statues of historical figures who, for many, represent a heritage of slavery and racism.

Last week, Montgomery County announced that it will move a bronze statue of a Confederate general from its courthouse grounds to the docking site of a Potomac River ferry. And two years ago, the University System of Marylands Board of Regents voted to remove Harry Clifton Curley Byrds name from the stadium of the systems flagship university in College Park. Byrd, a former president of the school, was a segregationist who fought against black students attending the university.

A proposal in the Maryland legislature to remove the Taney statue died in committee last year, however. There is no similar bill this year, and some of the activists who in the past have called for the statues removal now appear to agree with the Taney and Scott descendants that placing the statue in a more complete historical context would be preferable.

Instead of removing the controversial figure, consider adding to the historical education by recognizing those who stood on the opposite side promoting progress, said Colin Byrd, a student at the University of Maryland who lobbied to change the stadium name and also for removing the Taney statue.

He said he would like to see statues of Harriet Tubman, Scott and Frederick Douglass on the Statehouse grounds. The state is considering plans to erect statutes of Tubman and Douglass, African American abolitionists who lived in Maryland, inside the State House, not outside.

Taney, an advertising executive who lives in Connecticut, called his great-great-grand-uncle a complicated man, but also a stone racist.

It was Charles Taneys daughter, Kate Billingsley, who wrote A Man of His Time, a one-act fictional play about a Taney descendant meeting a Scott descendant. The play, produced in New York last year, brought real descendants of each family together for the first time.

A Taney bringing an apology to a Scott is like bringing a bandaid to an amputation,  Charlie Taney quoted his daughter as saying on Monday.

An apology is not enough, he said. But it is necessary.
Anyone who has been to traffic court knows the chances of beating a traffic-camera citation are slim to none. But those of us who appeared before Prince Georges District Court Judge Mark T. OBrien a couple of weeks ago caught a rare break.

After noting that 90 percent of the cases that day involved right-turn-on-red citations, OBrien announced to a nearly packed courtroom that he would reduce the $75 fines to $22.50 in court costs.

The purpose of red-light cameras is to keep people from running through red lights, for obvious reasons, OBrien said. But using them for right turns on red, Im not so sure.

In my Fort Washington neighborhood, there was little doubt about the purpose. At a three-way intersection with unobstructed views, residents had been making right turns on red for years  many of them slowing to a crawl, but not necessarily coming to a dead stop as the law requires. Even cops rolled through the turn without stopping.

Then, without warning, traffic citations began showing up in the mail  sometimes two or three within a few days.

Between the drivers in my family and driving for my business, I got $800 in citations, said Mike Hill, a neighbor who works as a security analyst and management consultant. I remember when the [Maryland General Assembly] was debating the right-turn-on-red law, and some were concerned that it would be abused and used just to make money. And thats exactly what has happened.

Months earlier, county leaders had signed a $1 million community benefits agreement with the nearby MGM National Harbor casino. Residents were told that local impact grants would be used to help compensate for the inconveniences endured while the casino was being built. Some road improvements were made in the area, but our tax dollars had been used for that.

Now, all of community benefits money has been allocated. And what did the community around the casino get? A red-light camera.

I received two citations, which included failure to pay warnings and a not-so-veiled attempt to discourage me from challenging the citation in court. If I chose to appear in court, it read, the maximum amount you can be charged is $100 plus court costs.

In other words, I could take off from work, make a 45-mile round-trip drive to a courthouse in Hyattsville  and end up paying a $122.50 fine. Or, I could just fork over the $75.

Little wonder that most people just pay the fine and be done with it. But pay or fight it, getting scammed by your government can have a corrosive effect. That lack of trust in institutions that everybody talks about? This is how it starts  with seemingly small deceits: elected officials claiming that a right-turn-on-red camera was set up for your safety when everybody knows its a roadside cash cow.

Judges behaving like robotic appendages to an automated enforcement system. Hearing examiners for the District are employed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. How impartial can they be?

As John Townsend, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, told me, The right-turn-on-red cameras are the biggest scandal in automated traffic enforcement.

Brian Bregman, a lawyer based in Laurel who handles lots of traffic cases, called right-turn-on-red light cameras a sneaky little branch off from a red-light camera system aimed at motorists who run straight through red lights. With the resulting reduction in those violations, fines decreased and many jurisdictions needed some way to make up for the losses. Recalibrating cameras for right-turn-on-red infractions was one of those ways.

I contested both citations.

Judge OBrien began with a brief overview of the right-turn-on-red law, noting that the statue was enacted to stop all accidents resulting from running a red light. Then, while scanning the multitude gathered before him, he added, But I dont think this is what the lawmakers intended.

My second hearing was before Judge Ann Wagner Stewart. Emboldened by the outcome in Judge OBriens court, I approached the bench and delivered an impassioned lament. Your honor, this is so unfair. Its incomprehensible. She appeared unimpressed but still reduced the fine by $15.

Of course, it would have been better if all the right-turn-on-red cases had been tossed out and everyone who paid the fines got a refund, the law repealed and the scam ended.

To read previous columns, go to washingtonpost.com/milloy.
A juvenile girl reported being raped by two males after she was attacked by a group Sunday night near the Gallery Place Metro station in downtown Washington, according to D.C. police.

Police said the incident occurred about 9 p.m. Authorities said the victim reported the attack at a kiosk at 7th and H streets Northwest and that Metro Transit police and D.C. police responded.

A D.C. police report says officers found the girl with injuries to her face and hands. Police said the girl indicated to officers she had been sexually assaulted.

She was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment and a sexual assault examination. The girl told hospital staff that she had been attacked by a group of males and that two of them had raped her.

Police did not provide descriptions of the attackers.
Teddy bears hang on a tree on Wheeler Road SE between the 3300 and 3900 block, where six shootings have occurred in recent days. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

One of six people shot on a single street in seven days in one Southeast Washington neighborhood died over the weekend, according to police who continue to search for a reason behind an apparent neighborhood feud.

Andrew McPhatter, 28, of Southeast, was wounded about 10:50 a.m. Wednesday in the 3500 block of Wheeler Road, in Congress Heights. He was found shot in the drivers seat of a Buick GS 350 in the middle of the road. Police said he died Sunday.

The shooting of McPhatter was the latest in a series since Feb. 23 between the 3300 and the 3900 blocks of Wheeler Road. Police have said they believe the violence is part of a neighborhood dispute.

[Six shot on one road in seven days in Southeast Washington]

The shootings began Feb. 23 when four people were wounded by gunfire in three incidents over two hours. A woman was shot on Wheeler Road on Feb. 27 and McPhatter was shot Wednesday, drawing the police chief, Peter Newsham, to the scene.

Interviews with residents and police last week indicated some sort of ongoing dispute is at the heart of the violence, though investigators say they have not been able to pin down the nature of the argument. Many residents said they were too afraid to talk and others declined to describe what started the violence.

Police arrested two brothers who live on Wheeler Road and charged them in connection with the first of the three shooting incidents on Wheeler Road. But the arrest affidavit does not describe any possible motive.

Newsham has said that many of the victims are not cooperating with police. At a hearing before a D.C. Council committee on Friday, Newsham said that grown adults are out there glamorizing carrying a firearm. That needs to stop. There is no glory in carrying a firearm. There is no glory shooting up Wheeler Road at 11 a.m. a couple blocks from a school.

Efforts to reach McPhatters relatives have not been successful; he lives about a six-minute walk from where he was shot. A relative of the brothers charged in the one shooting declined to comment Friday.
The body of Damaris A. Reyes Rivas, 15, was discovered by police in Springfield on Feb. 11. (Family photo)

The final minutes of the 15-year-olds life played out in a series of videos, captured by the very people who killed her, according to a search warrant. They taunted Damaris A. Reyes Rivas, poked her with a knife and explained why they decided she would die.

The perpetrators, who included young members of MS-13, said on the recordings that the Gaithersburg teen was being executed in retaliation for the killing of a gang member, Christian Alexander Sosa Rivas, in Prince William County roughly a week earlier.

One of the juveniles was so brazen, a detective wrote in the search warrant, he wore a court-ordered GPS monitoring bracelet that pinpointed his location at the crime scene at the time of the teens slaying.

In the end, the chilling videos show Damaris lying supine on the ground in a Springfield park, suffering from multiple wounds and surrounded by dead leaves, according to the search warrant filed in Fairfax County Circuit Court.

The search warrant, which was made public Monday, offered fresh details in overlapping crimes tied to MS-13 that have left two young people dead, resulted in the arrest of 16 others and prompted fears about the renewal of the regions largest and most violent gang. The search warrant was filed to get data from the juvenile suspects ankle bracelet.

[With two young people killed, two more bodies found, police see rising gang threat]

Ten people ranging in ages from 15 to 21 have been arrested in connection with Damariss abduction and slaying. Her body was discovered in mid-February, a short distance from Lake Accotink Park, where she was tormented.

People familiar with the prosecutions case said she was lured there under the pretext of smoking pot on or around Jan. 8, but after arriving, she was seized from a car by two alleged MS-13 members and walked into the woods.

The search warrant states that the videos of Damariss killing were discovered roughly two days after her death, as police in Prince William investigated the MS-13-related slaying of 21-year-old Sosa Rivas.

Damariss mother has said her daughter once dated Sosa Rivas of Fairfax. The two are not related. His body was discovered along the Potomac River in the Dumfries area in mid-January, and six have been charged in his killing.

[Six arrested in slaying of man in Prince William County]

The video clips were date-stamped Jan. 8, the day authorities believe Damaris was likely killed, and depict her interrogation and taunting by several males and at least one female, according to the search warrant.

At one point, detectives wrote in the search warrant, Damaris was jabbed with a large pointed stick.

People familiar with the prosecutions case also said a female juvenile questioned Damaris about her relationship with Sosa Rivas before slashing her with a knife. A female juvenile who is charged with Damariss killing also had a relationship with Sosa Rivas, Prince William police have said.

The Washington Post generally does not name juveniles charged in crimes.

Robert Bermingham, director of court services for the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, said he could not discuss the specifics of how the suspect with the GPS bracelet was allegedly able to participate in a brutal killing while under court supervision. He said that since the suspect is a juvenile, the details of his case are confidential.

Preliminarily, theres no indication we worked outside of policies and procedures, Bermingham said.

He said the county has 12 to 15 juveniles under electronic supervision at any time. He said a probation officer monitors the bracelet for violations and also does face-to-face monitoring at least every other day.

NBC 4 reported that another search warrant states that Sosa Rivas may have been targeted by fellow MS-13 members because he was claiming to be the leader of a local clique. That search warrant says Damaris was one of the last people to see him alive but does not elaborate.

Court documents say that two women charged in Sosa Rivass killing used social media to lure him to the location where he was killed on or around New Years Eve.

Separately, Fairfax County police said Monday that it could take until March 17 to identify two sets of remains found buried in Fairfax Countys Holmes Run Park on Thursday. Police are exploring whether those apparent killings are also related to MS-13.
Airport passengers who opt out of electronic screening will face a full pat-down by security officials as the Transportation Security Administration consolidates methods in use at its checkpoints.

The pat-down may include sensitive areas such as breasts, buttocks and the groin area.

Until last week, TSA screeners could employ any of five pat-down procedures to check the few passengers who chose not to go through a millimeter wave imaging booth or walk-through metal detectors.

Now all passengers will receive the same pat down, the one previously known as the full pat down.

[TSA acting head reassigned following airport security breaches]

The TSA, in a statement, said that a full pat-down does not involve any different areas of the body than were screened in the previous standard pat-down procedure.

The new guidelines posted on the TSA website are much more explicit about what passengers should expect: A pat-down may include inspection of the head, neck, arms, torso, legs, and feet. This includes head coverings and sensitive areas such as breasts, groin, and the buttocks. You may be required to adjust clothing during the pat-down. Pat-downs require sufficient pressure to ensure detection.

The guidelines say that a pat-down will be conducted by someone of the same gender as the passenger and will be witnessed by a second TSA screener of the same gender.

The same pat-down will be employed with those who set off alarms in the millimeter machine or a metal detector, and those singled out by bomb-sniffing dogs.

Even passengers who normally receive expedited screening, such as TSA PreCheck passengers, may at times receive a pat-down, the guidelines said.

There was some political pushback to reports of the change.

Ron Paul, the Republican former congressman, tweeted: TSA Launches Invasive Pat-Downs With More Intimate Contact Than Before.  He republished an article on his website that referred to the new procedure as a universal method which would involve heavier groping.

[TSA struggles with balancing speed and security at airport checkpoints]

Airport security was tightened in 2015 after a damning inspector generals report that said undercover operatives were able to slip through airport security with weapons and phony bombs more than 95 percent of the time. They were able to carry weapons or bomblike materials through airport security checkpoints in 67 of 70 attempts last year.

TSA responded by putting the entire 60,000-member TSA workforce through retraining, opening a training academy in Georgia for recruits and bringing in several new top administrators. It also ended a practice in which random passengers were selected and allowed through special lines that were designed for travelers who had qualified by advance background checks for expedited screening.
Montgomery Colleges Cultural Arts Center at Silver Spring. D.C. resident Natalia Villalobos wants to attend the community college school, but she cannot receive a D.C. tuition assistance grant because of her mothers immigration status. (Alan Karchmer architectural photo)

Natalia Villalobos is a U.S. citizen, born and raised in the District. When she graduated from Emerson Preparatory School in 2015, she planned to enroll in college, study business and child development, and use those skills to open a day care where young children can thrive.

But when she applied for a city tuition assistance grant that would have helped her pay for classes at Montgomery College, the 19-year-old was turned away because her mother is not a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident. She says she cannot afford tuition at the community college without the financial help, and she is now arguing that the programs rules have violated her civil rights.

Villalobos, with the help of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), filed a federal lawsuit in the District last week, alleging that the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) program unfairly discriminates against U.S. citizens with immigrant parents, including those living in the United States legally. The lawsuit claims DCTAGs rules are preventing her from accessing thousands of dollars in public aid  aid available to most of her classmates  that would make it possible for her to go to college, arbitrarily getting in the way of her obtaining a college degree.

[Read the complaint]

But Villalobos and her lawyers also say that something larger is at risk: the meaning of U.S. citizenship and equality under the law.

The issues are clear and alarming, said Nina Perales, vice president of litigation at MALDEF. You have a U.S. citizen student who just wants the same chance that everyone else has. Legally, when we start chipping away at what it means to be a United States citizen, we undermine the core principles of our nation.

[From the archives: Audit of D.C. Tuition Assistance program shows millions of dollars unaccounted for]

The lawsuit illuminates one aspect of the tangle of challenges immigrants across the country face as they strive to provide their children with opportunities to advance. It is akin to lawsuits in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and New Jersey, in which U.S. citizens with undocumented parents have challenged state policies that they say deny equal access to college aid programs or in-state tuition rates.

In this case, a mother who fled dangers in her native El Salvador  obtaining temporary protected status in the United States  found that legally living, working and paying taxes in the District for more than two decades wasnt enough to get her child access to a program designed to help more of the citys students go to college.

At the same time, those who fear that immigrants are drawing resources away from low-income Americans argue that taxpayer dollars should be reserved for U.S. citizens and their families. Villalobos is a U.S. citizen, but her mothers status is the deciding factor for her DCTAG eligibility. (Villaloboss father is not a part of the family.)

Steven Camarota, director of research for the Center for Immigration Studies, said there are some hard and competing moral claims in any case that involves immigration and the funding of higher education. On one hand, he said, it is easy to sympathize with a person who wants to go on to college but cannot afford it because they belong to a low-income immigrant family.

On the other, this is a time when millions of Americans struggle with college costs, he said, noting that some could argue it doesnt make sense to let immigrant families use taxpayer subsidies that could otherwise go to low-income citizens.

[Trumps draft executive order is full of sound and fury on immigration, welfare and deportation]

Villalobos argues that she is one of those low-income citizens who should have access to DCTAG. The federally funded program is unique to the District and has become key to how city residents budget for college, providing grants to help students attend schools outside of the city because of its lack of a strong in-state university system.

Congress created the program in 1999 as a way to give D.C. students more choices for higher education. The program gives students up to $10,000 per year to help them bridge the gap between in-state and out-of-state tuition at four-year public colleges in other states; it also gives up to $2,500 per year for such institutions as two-year public schools, nonprofit private colleges and historically black institutions nationwide. D.C. students have used the funds at more than 300 schools in the country.

Wanting to have a choice, too

Villalobos, according to her lawsuit, is set to attend Montgomery College in Montgomery County, Md., where she could use up to $2,500 in DCTAG funding per year to defray the cost. She says the funding is critical to her financial ability to seek a degree.

DCTAG determined she cannot get the grant, even though she is a U.S. citizen, because of her mothers immigration status. A longtime nanny, her mother has no legal route to apply for a green card, citizenship or asylum. DCTAGs eligibility guidelines require that an applicant who is a dependent have parents who can provide proof of official residence in the District. Only U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents and asylees meet that requirement.

The family argues DCTAGs requirement that student applicants establish official residency through their parents excludes people who are otherwise eligible.

Why shouldnt I have a choice, too, Villalobos said. Im entitled to the same choices as everyone else who lives in D.C., went to high school in D.C. and graduated in D.C.

When Villalobos was a senior at Emerson Prep in 2015, DCTAG denied her first application. After she applied a second time, the program sent a letter explaining that she would never meet the programs eligibility requirements.

I was shocked, Villalobos said. Honestly, I thought, how can that be? Im a U.S. citizen. I should have the same rights as every other citizen. This decision shouldnt be based on my moms status.

[Federal agents conduct immigration enforcement raids in at least six states]

The lawsuit is filed against Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). A spokesman with Bowsers office declined to comment on the lawsuit because it is pending. While also declining to comment on DCTAG, the spokesman said District residents should understand that the city remains committed to its stand as a sanctuary city where no person, regardless of immigration status, should fear interaction with any government agency.

OSSE officials declined to comment on the details of Villaloboss case, citing student privacy laws. The organization does not collect or maintain data on the reasons that student applications to the grant program are denied, how many students are noncitizens or live with a noncitizen parent. In a statement, the agency indicated that the DCTAG program has helped make college affordable for thousands of D.C. residents.

During the 2015-2016 school year, the last year for which data are available, DCTAG covered some college costs for 4,525 students and deemed 137 student applicants ineligible, or about 3 percent.

That Villalobos cannot qualify for DCTAG because of a parents status connects her experience to a growing body of research, debate and litigation circulating around access to higher education, said Hiro Yoshikawa, a professor of globalization and education at New York Universitys Steinhardt School.

Theres almost no one in higher education who is not, especially since the election, thinking and talking about immigrant students, Yoshikawa said. But I have never heard of a citizen student facing these challenges. The D.C. case suggests there are millions more that could face significant college access problems.

At least 5 million children who are U.S. citizens live in mixed-status households, according to a Center for Migration Studies analysis of census data from 2013. The same organization found that across the country, the share of children born to families with at least one immigrant parent grew from 13.4 percent in 1990 to 25.5 percent in 2015.

Legal challenges nationwide

Matthew Patrick Shaw, a law and social science post-doctorate fellow at the American Bar Foundation, said that while the United States has removed legal barriers to K-12 public education for immigrant children, the country still has not solved access issues relating to higher education.

Access to education has, in our society and our courts, come to symbolize the way that people can truly be wronged by government, Shaw said. Education has such a clear tie to opportunity, to self sufficiency and life outcomes that barriers become almost impossible to justify.

Groups such as MALDEF have been challenging programs that appear to prevent immigrants and the children of immigrants from accessing state higher education subsidies.

As a result of a lawsuit the Southern Poverty Law Center filed in 2012, a federal court in Florida overturned a state rule that required the citizen-children of undocumented immigrants to pay out-of-state student tuition rates. That same year, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of a U.S. citizen who had her application for state financial aid rejected in New Jersey on the grounds that her undocumented parents were not legal residents of the state; an appeals court ruled in the students favor.

And in 2014, a South Carolina court threw out a MALDEF case challenging state rules barring the children of undocumented immigrants from accessing state financial aid and requiring these students to pay out-of-state tuition rates. The organization has challenged the ruling with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.

Since graduating from high school, Villalobos has worked a few retail and administrative jobs, served as a dog walker and trainer, and pieced together a life while she tries to scrape the money together to go to college. She wants to someday open a day care.

But the decision to sue, to challenge the fairness of DCTAGs eligibility guidelines, is not driven by her financial concerns alone.

My little sister graduates high school this year, Villalobos said. If something doesnt change, shell be in the same situation as me. That just cant happen.
U.S. President George H.W. Bush shakes hands with Agriculture Secretary Clayton Yeutter at the White House in 1989. At left is Senate Minority Leader Robert Dole (R-Kan.) (Scott Applewhite/Associated Press)

Clayton Yeutter, a blunt-talking Nebraska farmer and head of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange who advocated for free markets while serving Republican administrations as U.S. trade representative and secretary of agriculture, died March 4 at his home in Potomac, Md. He was 86.

The cause was metastatic colon cancer, said his wife, Cristena Bach Yeutter.

In addition to his Cabinet-level jobs overseeing trade and agriculture in the 1980s and early 1990s, Dr. Yeutter served brief stints as chairman of the Republican National Committee and as President George H.W. Bushs chief domestic policy adviser.

Dr. Yeutter, who had a law degree as well as a PhD in agricultural economics, derived considerable political influence from his unassailable party loyalty, his skill as a pragmatic negotiator and his formidable knowledge of agriculture policy. He had grown up in the Depression during the Midwestern dust bowl, was once named one of the countrys outstanding animal husbandry graduates, and operated his familys 2,500-acre cattle and corn farm in central Nebraska.

He had, the New York Times reported, the voice of a hog caller, and was sometimes described as aggressively candid in his manner. In 1987, he sparked a diplomatic furor amid open-trade negotiations between the United States and Canada.

President Ronald Reagan is flanked by U.S. Trade Representative Clayton Yeutter, left, and President-elect George H.W. Bush, in 1988. (Dennis Cook/AP)

Im prepared to have American culture on the table and have it damaged by Canadian influences after the free-trade agreement, Dr. Yeutter, then serving as chief U.S. trade negotiator, said at the time. I hope Canadas prepared to run the risk, too.

Prime Minister Brian Mulroney said at the time that Dr. Yeutter was stunningly ignorant of Canadian sensitivities and fears regarding the accord with its southern neighbor and its potential effect on Canadian cultural identity.

The agreement moved forward anyway, and Mr. Yeutter was said to have remained in the Reagan administrations good graces, having benefited from a strong rapport with Treasury Secretary James A. Baker III, among others in the presidents inner circle.

Dr. Yeutter (rhymes with fighter) began his political rise in 1966 helping to elect Norbert Tiemann (R) as Nebraska governor and serving as his chief of staff for two years. In 1972, he served as Midwest regional director of President Richard M. Nixons reelection campaign, while also climbing within the Agriculture Department ranks.

As assistant secretary of agriculture for international affairs, he helped persuade the European Economic Community to withdraw for the first time some of its agricultural subsidies in what was dubbed the cheese war.

It made some of the Common Markets agricultural ministers very unhappy, he later said.

He later switched to the Trade Representatives office, serving from 1975 to 1977 as deputy special representative for trade negotiations. For the next eight years, he was president and chief executive of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, one of the worlds largest futures markets, where he pushed to expand international operations.

Departing Republican National Committee Chairman Clayton Yeutter, left, and his successor, Richard N. Bond, in 1992. (Shayna Brennan/AP)

In 1985, President Ronald Reagan tapped him as U.S. trade representative. Over the next four years, Dr. Yeutter helped pass a nonprotectionist trade bill through Congress, oversaw the completion of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement, and negotiated with the Japanese to open their markets to the American computer chip, citrus and beef industries.

Despite his ardent support of free markets, Dr. Yeutter was willing at times to flash the might of American protectionism when other countries  Italy, Japan and South Korea, in particular  were hesitant to engage in fair competition practices.

President George H.W. Bush named Dr. Yeutter to lead the USDA in 1989. Two years later, he was selected RNC chairman. He succeeded Lee Atwater, the hard-edged, blues-loving political consultant who had made his name in negative advertising. Atwater was also dying of brain cancer, and Dr. Yeutter struggled to revive an organization beset with financial difficulties and a splintering party.

Dr. Yeutter criticized many in his party who denounced Bush for violating an earlier pledge for no new taxes. We have a lot of ideologues who never accomplish anything, he said at a committee gathering. Its great to be pure, but if that means that one doesnt achieve anything, then there isnt a whole lot of regard for ideological purity.

A year later, Dr. Yeutter was brought into the White House as a presidential counselor on domestic policy. Bush lost reelection in 1992, and Dr. Yeutter became a senior adviser at the Hogan Lovells law firm, where he worked until 2015. He also held corporate directorships at ConAgra, the farm equipment manufacturer Caterpillar, the computer chip maker Texas Instruments and British-American Tobacco, among other businesses.

Clayton Keith Yeutter was born in Eustis, Neb., on Dec. 10, 1930. At the University of Nebraska, he received an undergraduate degree (1952), a law degree (1963) and a doctorate (1966). He served in the Air Force in the 1950s and remained in the reserves for 25 years.

He became interested in international trade while directing his alma maters agricultural and technical assistance program in Colombia in the late 1960s.

His first wife, Jeanne Vierk, whom he married in 1952, died in 1993. Two years later, he married Cristena Bach. Besides his wife, of Potomac, survivors include four children from his first marriage, Brad Yeutter of Lincoln, Neb.; Gregg Yeutter of Omaha; Kim Bottimore of Vienna, Va., and Van Yeutter of Chevy Chase, Md.; three daughters from his second marriage, Victoria Yeutter, Elena Yeutter and Olivia Yeutter, all of Potomac; nine grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
Tom Manning stepped up to the toilet, dropped his pants and tried something he hadnt done in four years: peeing while standing up. For the 65-year-old, who had undergone the first American penis transplant a few weeks earlier, it was a key test for whether the surgery was a success. So when his stream of urine hit the target, Manning gleefully communicated the news to his doctor  who was standing on the other side of the door  by shouting, All right!

Manning and a team of 13 surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital made history in May when they completed the 15-hour procedure. But how he ended up on the operating table and what has happened to him since are just as fascinating, as explained in Josh Deans article in the March issue of Esquire, This is the Story of Americas First Penis Transplant.

For starters, Dean explains, Manning wouldnt be alive today if he hadnt slipped down a slushy ramp in Boston in 2012 and gotten crushed by some of the heavy boxes hed been pushing in a cart. It was only because of that freak accident that he went to see a doctor. Thats when he was diagnosed with penile cancer. The best option for survival? Amputation.

Pretty much immediately, Manning got obsessed with the idea of a transplant.

He talked about it incessantly and even studied anatomy from a medical textbook. So when he was offered the chance to get one, notwithstanding some rather unpleasant possible outcomes, Mannings response was Lets do it. He was undeterred even when pre-op tests revealed that he had a calcified aortic valve, which meant he would need open-heart surgery a few months after the transplant.

Manning knows he is one of the unluckiest men in America, and also one of the luckiest, Dean writes.

Now that the transplant is done, Manning also knows that he will forever have a new identity  because of the media attention, he jokingly calls himself Thomas J. Penis. Hes taking Cialis in the hope of regaining sexual function and, as Dean notes, he must take 40 other pills a day to help protect his new penis from his body, and his body from infection. The side effects include shakes so powerful that his signature looks like the readout from a Geiger counter, Dean writes.

So where does he go from here? Maybe Washington. When hes fully recovered, Mannings doctors would like him to visit Walter Reed, where he could meet with injured veterans who are also candidates for penis transplants.
Sneezes are everywhere during this, the height of cold and flu season. The chorus of achoos in offices, on buses and in homes often sends bystanders scrambling to get out of the line of germ-spreading fire.

But how far away is far enough? A lot farther than you might  or would like to  think.

For a long time, people on the front lines of sneeze science thought that the droplets scattered from a sneeze traveled only a short distance  a couple of feet, perhaps. But a slow-motion video of a sneeze captured last year by MIT researchers uncovered a more troubling truth: Those sneeze particles can go mighty far.

The video shows in gross detail what happens to the liquid mixture that is spewed from a persons mouth and nose during a sneeze.

The findings, as described in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that the droplets spread farther than previously thought, aided by a swirling puff cloud.

The largest droplets rapidly settle within [about three to six feet] away from the person, wrote lead researcher Lydia Bourouiba of MITs Fluid Dynamics and Disease Transmission Laboratory.

The smaller and evaporating droplets are trapped in the turbulent puff cloud, remain suspended, Bourouiba said, and, over the course of seconds to a few minutes, can travel the dimensions of a room and land up to [19 to 26 feet] away.

So what, then, is your best defense against contamination from a nearby sneeze cloud?

You cant scamper. Its over before you can move, said Scott Davies, a Minneapolis physician who specializes in treating respiratory diseases. Its up to the person whos sneezing to prevent this.

Jeanne Pfeiffer, an expert in infection control and an associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, recommends giving sneezers some space ahead of time.

We say distance is a barrier, she said. When someone isnt feeling well but theyre not staying home, we like to keep three feet of distance.

Sneezes can travel as fast as 100 mph, by some estimates. And the force of a sneeze? Well, thats nothing to sneeze at, either. Davies said that although its extremely rare, some people have been injured from sneezing hard.

You can break a rib sneezing, he said.
Thousands take part in the Womens March on Washington on Jan. 21. A planned protest strike this week has raised concerns about the ability of low-wage women to participate. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

The organizers of the massive post-inauguration womens marches have called on female workers to stay home Wednesday, raising concerns among some supporters of the burgeoning feminist movement that the burden of the protest will fall too heavily on the poor.

The debate over A Day Without a Woman has been simmering on social media and flared in North Carolina last week, when the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools superintendent decided to cancel classes March 8 because so many staff members plan to participate.

While some applauded the school districts decision, praising it as a gesture of support for its overwhelmingly female staff, others criticized it for suddenly forcing many parents to either stay home to care for their children or find  and pay for  back-up care.

[Some women are striking from smiling today. Heres why.]

Deborah Gilgor, 57, a home-based day-care provider in Chapel Hill, said she will not be taking the day off, even though she is a passionate supporter of the new womens movement and has taken part in five protests in five states since the election. She said choosing not to work would have a direct impact on some of the parents who send their children to her center.

If I dont work, they dont work, and if they cant work, they dont get paid, Gilgor said. I just thought I would have a bigger impact being here for the kids than not.

On Monday, school officials in Alexandria, Va., announced that they would close schools Wednesday after 300 staff members requested the day off. Officials there attributed the requests to the protest.

Organizers anticipated concerns about the event, which is planned to coincide with International Womens Day and is designed to draw attention to the role women play in the labor force. It also aims to create pressure for policies such as equal pay for equal work and paid family leave.

To make it more inclusive, organizers are urging women to take the day off only if they feel they can, and they are encouraging alternate actions, such as wearing red in solidarity on the day of the strike and refraining from spending money except at female-owned businesses.

[It started with a retiree. Now the Womens March could be the biggest inauguration demonstration.]

Linda Sarsour, co-chair of the Womens March on Washington, said the strike also is a way to continue the momentum from the marches. More than 1 million people demonstrated across the country the day after President Trumps inauguration, and many people said it was their first protest.

Organizers want to introduce those who are newly politically active to different protest strategies, including sending postcards to legislators and hosting huddles, or informal conversations, about their activism goals.

The idea of the strike  its another strategy, Sarsour said. It was not going to be comfortable for everyone.

Historically, the people at the forefront of labor strikes have not been from among the most privileged, she said, citing hourly-pay workers who have fought to raise the minimum wage and farmworkers who have left the fields to advocate for worker protections.

They risked their jobs, and they had big wins, Sarsour said.

[Virginia school district to close for A Day Without a Woman]

Similar strikes have been carried out in recent weeks by bodega workers and taxi drivers in New York, and for a Day Without Immigrants, which saw some schools and businesses close or work with skeleton staffs as immigrant workers took the day off.

But the chasm between the haves and the have-nots is creating tension within the feminist movement. A half-century ago, women were uniformly shut out of many careers. The decades since have seen widening inequality between educated women who have benefited from new career opportunities and a growing class of low-wage workers who have not.

Among the goals of the new wave of feminist activism is the expansion of worker protections that many professional women already have, including a living wage, paid family leave and fair schedules.

On Twitter, some said they plan to strike for those who cant.

#IStrikeFor my grandmother who cant be there . . . she was a maid for many years who didnt get the benefit of promotions and raises one person tweeted.

Another wrote: #IStrikeFor all the unrecognized ways women drive our economy. @domesticworkers & caregivers take care of us; who cares 4 them?

Others said they would not be striking because they work in health care or do not want to leave their employers in a lurch. They instead pledged to show their solidarity for the strikers.

Mercy Morganfield, regional leader of the Womens March on Washington in the District, said it is not just low-wage workers who feel unable to strike. Many Washington-area residents who took part in the Jan. 21 march are federal employees and are nervous about the prospect of a strike.

A lot of people are afraid of what this administration will do, especially for protesters, she said. There is such fear around this issue.

The group told march participants in a letter not to worry if they cant strike. This is for people who can afford to do it and people who are not afraid of losing their jobs, Morganfield said.

[Restaurants, schools close in Day Without Immigrants protest]

For restaurant employees who live on tips, they only get paid when they go to work, making a missed day difficult, said Saru Jayaraman, co-director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, which represents 25,000 restaurant workers.

She said hundreds are planning to attend a Women Workers Rising rally outside the Labor Department on Wednesday, organized by her group and others, including unions representing teachers and domestic workers.

I have never seen workers so motivated to participate in these kinds of actions, she said.

In Chapel Hill, the schools superintendent told parents that his decision to close schools was not politically driven. A district spokesman said Jim Causby polled his principals in advance of the strike and got a shock: About 400 of the districts 2,000 employees are planning to participate.

While Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools values and supports its female employees, the decision to close schools is not a political statement, Causby wrote in a letter to parents. It is entirely about the safety of students and the districts inability to operate with a high number of staff absences.

Alyssa Minshall, 38, whose two children attend Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools, said she supports the strike and appreciates the districts decision to close. She noted that some parents have offered free child care for others who cannot take the day off.

I completely understand the ones who have a really difficult time. But at the same time, I look at it as we have snow days and other things that come up that are unexpected, said Minshall, who owns a toymaking business. I love all the women that work in the school, and they make such a huge sacrifice, so I was so glad the school district supported their voice and didnt make it hard for them.
President Trump and congressional Republicans are poised to roll back a series of Obama-era worker safety regulations targeted by business groups, beginning Monday night with a vote by the Senate to kill a rule that required federal contractors to disclose and correct serious safety violations.

In a narrow result that divided along party lines, the Senate voted 49 to 48 to eliminate the regulation, dubbed the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces rule. Finalized in August and blocked by a court order in October, the rule would limit the ability of companies with recent safety problems to complete for government contracts unless they agreed to remedies.

The measure to abolish it had already cleared the House. The next step after the Senate vote will be the White House, where Trump is expected to sign it.

A half-dozen other worker safety regulations are in Republican crosshairs, with one headed to the Senate floor as soon as this week. Many are directed at companies with federal contracts. Such companies employ 1 in 5 American workers  meaning the effort could have wide-ranging effects.

This is the opening salvo of the Republicans war on workers, said Deborah Berkowitz, a senior policy adviser at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration when many of the regulations were crafted. It sends a signal that Congress and the administration is listening to big business and their lobbyists and they are not standing up for the interests of the American workers.

[Federal Insider: Fair-pay order for contractors under attack in Congress]

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable and other leading business groups have urged Congress and the Trump administration to eliminate the regulations, arguing that they discourage businesses from competing for government contracts, thereby reducing jobs.

This is the same old playbook from the left that never changes, said Randy Johnson, the Chambers senior vice president for labor, immigration and employee benefits. Any changes in employment laws proposed by the employer community is disingenuously described as an attack on workers. The left has never seen a regulation they dont like, no matter how many jobs it kills.

Hours before the Senate vote on the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces rule, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released a staff report that says that 66 of the federal governments 100 largest contractors have at some point violated federal wage and hour laws. Since 2015, the report says, more than a third of the 100 largest OSHA penalties have been imposed on federal contractors.

Warren criticized the Republican-led effort during a speech on the Senate floor moments before the vote. Instead of creating jobs or raising wages, she said, theyre trying to make it easier for companies that get big-time, taxpayer-funded government contracts to steal wages from their employees and injure their workers without admitting responsibility.

[Hill Republicans move to scrap Obama-era regulations]

That concern prompted the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces regulation. Among the strongest data points: Rodney Bridgett, 37, a worker at a Tysons Foods beef processing plant in Nebraska, was crushed by a piece of heavy equipment when a chain snapped on the plants kill floor in 2012.

Tyson spokesman Worth Sparkman called Bridgetts death a tragic accident and said the company aspires to have zero work-related injuries and illnesses, and continue to improve our culture related to safety every day.

OSHA investigators found that Tysons supervisors had repeatedly failed to inspect the faulty chain. While OSHA sought to fine the company, the Obama administration moved separately to target a major source of Tysonss revenue: nearly $300 million a year in federal contracts.

The Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces regulation was finalized in August. Days later, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) sued, securing a temporary injunction that prohibited the federal government from implementing it.

ABC and other business groups objected to the rules requirement that companies disclose citations for alleged safety violations that they are still challenging.

They define violations to include mere allegations and citations where the contractors havent had a chance to defend them, said Marc Freedman, executive director of labor law policy with the Chamber. We consider this a violation of their constitutional due-process rights.

David Madland of the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, said the rule applied only to companies with contracts worth $500,000 or more. With its elimination, he said, taxpayers will lose alongside affected workers. One purpose of the rule was to make it easier for federal agencies to identify contractors who were not honest brokers when it came to employee pay.

People who rip off workers rip off the government, Madland said.

After Trumps election, the Chamber and other business groups added the rule to wish lists for regulations they wanted to see eliminated. Republican lawmakers quickly identified a tool to assist in those efforts  the rarely used Congressional Review Act (CRA), approved in 1996.

The CRA allows Congress to roll back recently enacted regulations by a simple majority vote. Once a rule is killed, it is killed forever. No future administration can pass a substantially similar measure unless Congress is persuaded to pass a law instead  a far more difficult task.

Reps. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) and Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) are leading the charge to kill Labor Department regulations using the CRA. In addition to the effort to eliminate the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces regulation  called the blacklisting rule by the Chamber and many Republican lawmakers  Byrne introduced a measure to quash a regulation called the Volks rule.

Adopted in January, the rule responds to a 2012 D.C. Court of Appeals decision  Volks Constructors v. Secretary of Labor  that limited OSHAs power to issue citations for record-keeping violations older than six months. The new rule gives OSHA authority to issue citations and levy fines against companies for failure to record illnesses, injuries and deaths that date back as far as five years. Last week, the House voted to kill the Volks rule. If the measure clears the Senate, Trump is expected to sign it.

Byrne said he does not think OSHA needs the Volks rule. If you are determined to be a bad actor, youll be a bad actor, he said. I dont think this is going to encourage noncompliance. I think that OSHA is being lazy on getting its investigations done.

Byrne also called the rule an overreach, saying the changes should have been made in law, not through regulation.

Rep. Robert C. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) is leading efforts to block the rule-killing measures. He argues that Byrnes measure to kill the Volks rule will block OSHAs enforcement efforts and create a safe harbor for those employers who deliberately underreport.

OSHA says staffing levels permit investigators to visit an American business roughly once every 140 years, unless a serious violation is reported.

Before Monday nights vote, Scott defended the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces rule, saying that nothing in the regulation would have banned a company from securing a federal contract. He noted that only companies with serious, pervasive, intentional and repeated safety violations would have to report them.

Who qualifies for that who we need to help? Scott said. If you can save money by underpaying your workers and violating OSHA, why should you have a competitive advantage over those who are complying with the law?

Leaders on both sides of the battle hold key committee assignments and have close financial ties with the constituencies they are championing. Foxx and Byrne received hundreds of thousands in donations for their 2016 reelection campaigns from employees of federal contractors and their trade groups, including ones that have been at the forefront of efforts to kill the worker safety rules. Foxx received $7,500 from employees of ABC, while Byrne received $10,000 from ABC employees.

Scott, meanwhile, is a long-standing champion of unions and civil rights groups who favor keeping the Obama-era rules. During Scotts 2016 reelection campaign, more than half of his donations came from union employees, including $10,000 from the United Steelworkers and $30,000 from the United Food and Commercial Workers union, according to records maintained by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Alice Crites contributed to this report.
Tennessee

Chicken breeding hub reports bird flu cases

A commercial chicken breeding facility in south-central Tennessee has been hit by a strain of bird flu, agriculture officials said Sunday.

The state Agriculture Department said tests confirmed the presence of the H7 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a facility in Lincoln County. The facility alerted the state veterinarians office Friday about an increase in chicken deaths.

The statement did not name the facility. The facility and about 30 other poultry farms within a six-mile radius of the site are under quarantine.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the facilitys flock comprises 73,500 chickens.

Officials said that the virus poses no risk to the food supply and that no affected chickens entered the food chain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus can cause up to 100 percent mortality in flocks.

 Associated Press

New York

Police: No vandalism in Jewish cemetery

The New York Police Department said no evidence of vandalism has been found at a predominantly Jewish cemetery where more than 40 tombstones were toppled.

The NYPD said that after consultation with the management of Brooklyns Washington Cemetery, it was determined that the 42 grave markers came down as a result of various factors including long-term neglect and lack of maintenance, as well as environmental factors such as soil erosion.

Since early January, there has been a rash of vandalism at Jewish cemeteries and 122 bomb threats against Jewish organizations in three dozen states.

Authorities said Friday that Juan Thompson, a former journalist for the Intercept fired for fabricating details in stories, made at least eight threats against Jewish institutions nationwide as part of a campaign against his ex-girlfriend.

 Associated Press
BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO DEMOCRATS

President Trump is playing defense on Russia. Again. For the second time in nearly two weeks, one of his top advisers was caught not telling the full truth about conversations with Russian officials. Attorney General Jeff Sessionss acknowledgment that he met with the Russian ambassador to the United States in 2016  after The Washington Post first reported it  directly contradicts his testimony under oath in January. Now, Sessionss enemies are growing  many top Democrats want him to resign, just as former national security adviser Michael Flynn did over his conversations with Russias ambassador  and his allies are few and far between. As Team Trump is pushed back on its heels, Democrats are quickly gaining the upper hand in the narrative about Team Trumps alleged connections to Russia. What do the Russians have on him? House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) asked. Expect more of those accusations to come.

BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO REPUBLICANS

Trump proved he could give a solid speech. His first address to Congress was clear, gaffe-free and, well, presidential. He spent most of his time talking about policy  not his electoral victory  and he stepped back from the lectern to allow one of the most touching moments in recent presidential-address history to unfold: A standing ovation for Carryn Owens, the weeping widow of a recently killed Navy SEAL, William Ryan Owens, who died during a raid in Yemen. That was a home run, the press office of House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) declared. Trump delivered a positive, unifying vision for the country, said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.). As Trumps team milked the good press, he went his first full 24 hours as president without a false or misleading claim. But while his tone was markedly different this past week, Trump didnt offer new specifics on what he wants Congress to do on hot-button issues such as health care, taxes and immigration. That leaves Republicans right where they were before Trumps speech: With internal divisions on how to best accomplish big-ticket items on their agenda.

 Amber Phillips
TURKEY

Germany accused of Nazi practices

A rift between Turkey and key European nations deepened Sunday as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Germany of Nazi practices days after a local authority prevented Turkeys justice minister from addressing a rally.

The diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkeys plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of an upcoming constitutional referendum that would give Erdogan new powers.

In Germany, they are not allowing our friends to speak. . . . Do you think that by not allowing them to speak the votes in Germany will come out no instead of yes?  Erdogan said in Istanbul. Germany, you dont have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past.

On Thursday, Turkeys justice minister canceled a meeting with his German counterpart after authorities in southwest Germany withdrew permission for him to use a venue to hold a rally that was part of a campaign to get Turks in Germany to vote yes in the referendum.

The Dutch government, meanwhile, is investigating whether it can halt a rally this week at which Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is reportedly to speak.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte told Dutch broadcaster NOS that the proposed constitutional change would take Turkey, which seeks to join the European Union, in a less democratic direction.

 Associated Press

JAPAN

Party rule change could extend Abes tenure

Japans ruling party approved a change in party rules Sunday that could pave the way for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to become the countrys longest-serving leader in the post-World War II era.

It is a remarkable turnaround for Abe, who lasted only a year during an earlier stint as prime minister, and in a country that had six prime ministers in the six years before Abe returned to office in December 2012.

Analysts say the 62-year-old leader learned from his first term in office, when he focused on divisive issues such as constitutional revision and patriotic education. This time, he has made an expansionary economic policy front and center at election time.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Sunday rubber-stamped a decision by its leaders last fall to allow the head of the party to run for a third three-year term, rather than be limited to two. In Japans parliamentary system, the ruling-party leader generally becomes the prime minister.

Abe, now in his fifth year in office, is Japans sixth-longest-serving prime minister since 1945. If he can hold on through August 2020, he would surpass record-holder Eisaku Sato, who led the country from 1964 to 1972.

 Associated Press

Israel takes step toward decriminalizing marijuana use: The Israeli government has voted in favor of decriminalizing the use of recreational marijuana, joining some U.S. states and European countries that have adopted similar approaches. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus cabinet has approved a measure that would reduce penalties for possession of marijuana. If caught, smokers would pay a fine instead of facing criminal charges. The policy must still be ratified by parliament.

Yemeni troops reportedly killed in al-Qaeda attack: Yemeni security officials said al-Qaeda militants have killed 11 soldiers in two attacks. They said six troops were killed at a security checkpoint in the southern coastal city of Shukra in Abyan province and five in Hadramaut province. The United States considers al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula one of the most dangerous branches of the terrorist group and has stepped up airstrikes against it in Yemen.

 From news services
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Indian women walking as smog envelops the Jama Masjid mosque in the old quarters of New Delhi last November. India's air now rivals China's as the world's deadliest. (Dominique Faget/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE via Getty Images)

DESPITE CALLING for clean air and clean water in his first speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, President Trump is reportedly aiming to cut the Environmental Protection Agencys staff by a fifth. Maybe Mr. Trump really believes there are enough superfluous EPA programs  such as, apparently, those addressing climate change  that his administration will throw out only bathwater and no baby. In reality, focusing only on the pollution challenges of the past, not those of the present or the future, ignores vast volumes of evidence on the ecological and human damage various types of pollution still cause. Imagine what the country would be like now if politicians had folded years ago to industry complaints about environmental protections now considered rudimentary.

Actually, you may not have to imagine. A group of American and Canadian researchers recently released a global air pollution death toll, finding that two major types of air pollution were associated with 4.2 million deaths in 2015, which was a staggering 7.6 percent of all deaths.

Studies of long-term exposure to air pollution demonstrate that people living in more polluted locations die prematurely, compared with those living in areas with lower levels of pollution, the report explained. The other side of the coin is that when air quality improves, so does population health.

Fine particulates from fuel burning, among other things, penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream, encouraging heart disease, strokes, lung cancer, chronic lung disease and respiratory infections. The researchers concluded that exposure to particulate pollution was the fifth deadliest health risk of all 79 they studied, ranking behind high blood pressure, smoking and high blood sugar, and about matching high cholesterol  conditions many people upend their lives in order to mitigate. Air pollution exposure was deadlier than having high body mass index or alcohol use.

No wonder the EPA has cited reductions in particulate matter to justify many Obama-era clean air regulations. Decades of environmental rules have resulted in relatively low  though not necessarily comfortable  particulate pollution levels in the United States and other developed nations. American air could still be cleaner; the researchers found that the nations levels of ozone  which also contributes to respiratory disease  were about the same as Nigerias and higher than Chinas.

Yet Americans do not know how good they have it. Fully 92 percent of the worlds population lives in areas where fine-particulate levels exceed World Health Organization guidelines. The misery is concentrated: Half of air pollutions death toll was in China and India alone.

Some particulate pollution is natural. But humans burning things  such as coal  is also a principle driver. Some of the pollution, such as that from archaic cooking and heating stoves, might abate with economic development. Yet if that very development relies on ramping up coal burning, peoples health will still be threatened.

Beyond appreciation for effective environmental enforcement, there are at least two lessons. First, major developing nations such as China and India must find a way to grow their economies without substantially degrading their air quality. Second, if world governments continue to press major developing nations on cross-border pollution matters, they will be aided by popular internal demand for cleaner air.
Brett Guthrie, a Republican, represents Kentuckys 2nd District and serves as vice chairman of the health subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

With Congress moving forward to repeal and replace Obamacare, it is no surprise that the laws advocates are worried about their Washington-centered approach to health care being scrapped. It was surprising, however, to see former congressman Henry Waxman take up his pen to decry potential reforms to the Medicaid program  especially since the policies he criticized were ones he once supported.

In a recent opinion piece for The Post, Waxman lambasted the idea of curbing federal spending on Medicaid by adopting a per-capita allotment reform. Waxman said it would be an unprecedented abandonment of federal responsibility that would pass the buck to the states and deny care to the most vulnerable among us. He claimed that imposing a per-capita cap or block grant would rip health-care coverage from the most vulnerable and dramatically shift the burden of costs to the states.

The policy idea behind a Medicaid per-capita cap is that the federal government would continue to provide matching funds for each individual enrolled in a states Medicaid program, but unlike in the current arrangement, the federal government would set a limit on the maximum allowable amount per enrollee. There would be spending limits per state in each of the main Medicaid eligibility groups: the elderly, people with disabilities, children, and nondisabled, nonelderly adults. These caps would be based on each states historical average cost for an enrollee in each eligibility group.

It is true that this change would significantly change Medicaids financing, but Waxmans critique of adopting a per-capita cap rings hollow. Although congressional Republicans support this idea, it also gained traction two decades ago with a Democratic president. In the 1990s, President Bill Clinton proposed putting federal Medicaid spending on a more sustainable path by adopting a per-capita cap reform. And when a Democratic president proposed them, Waxman applauded per-capita reforms.

At a 1996 congressional hearing, Waxman noted that under a per-capita cap reform, the federal government would maintain its commitment to sharing in the costs of providing basic health and long-term care coverage to vulnerable Americans. He correctly pointed out that states would have both the incentives and the tools to manage Medicaid more efficiently, and the continued federal commitment would help when states face cost increases for reasons beyond their control, including recessions, regional economic downturns, natural disasters, and outbreaks of contagious disease.

We know how the Clinton-era effort ended: The president and Congress failed to pass reforms that would restrain Medicaids growth. As a result, todays Medicaid program is about three times larger than it was when Clinton proposed his reforms. The program consumes about 1 in every 6 state dollars. Next year, overall Medicaid spending is projected to be larger than the entire defense budget, and by the end of a decade, federal and state spending on Medicaid will total roughly $1 trillion each year. The program is projected to continue to grow at a rate faster than the economy or incoming revenue, an objectively unsustainable path.

Modernizing Medicaids financing by putting the program on a budget isnt draconian, its common sense. The fever-pitched fear-mongering against any effort to constrain Medicaid spending shows just how far to the political left Waxman, and the Democratic Party, have drifted. If more spending and more government were the answer, Medicaid patients would have access to world-class health care. Yet, research from an array of scholars has shown that too few providers accept Medicaid patients to meet existing needs and that Medicaid coverage often fails to improve health outcomes for many patients. We must focus on modernizing this Great Society program so it can offer real access to providers and improved health outcomes for decades to come.

No single bill will fix all the challenges Medicaid faces, but Congress and the president have a historic opportunity to adopt permanent reforms. Working together with governors and state Medicaid reformers, we can empower states with new statutory flexibilities. We can modernize the waiver process so states can focus on managing their programs based on the needs of their patients, not managing paperwork for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We can create better tools and incentives for states to reduce costs, boost quality and improve health outcomes.

The basic architecture of Medicaid has remained largely unchanged over the past 50 years. We now have an opportunity to improve and modernize the program so it remains strong for the next 50 years. In the meantime, Democratic attempts to score political points by manufacturing fear of per-capita cap reforms not only are misguided, they are hypocritical.
Governments around the world are fixated on the apparent struggle in Washington over President Trumps foreign policy: Will the ethno-nationalism of Stephen K. Bannon dominate, or the traditional muscular conservatism of Vice President Pence? Evidence for each side could easily be found in Trumps address to Congress last week, which echoed Pences praise of NATO while proclaiming, Bannon-like, that my job is not to represent the world.

America may indeed be first in Trumps world  but what the world is beginning to realize is that this Beltway battle wont be confined to Washington. U.S. allies and adversaries may do as much to shape Trumps eventual direction as debates in the White House situation room.

To begin with, targets of Bannons would-be civilizational war are showing they have the means to push back. Take Iraq, which last week appeared to have succeeded in getting an exemption from the new draft of Trumps ban on visitors from select Muslim-majority nations. Following the issuance of the first ban  a pure Bannon production  the Iraqi parliament voted to impose a similar kibosh on Americans, while Irans proxies pushed for the expulsion of U.S. troops fighting the Islamic State.

No doubt Defense Secretary Jim Mattis made the case to Trump, contra Bannon, that to lump Iraq with Yemen, Somalia and Sudan would be to hamstring the war against the Islamic State and hand an easy victory to Iran. But the Iraqi governments own words and actions surely helped tip the balance. With its removal, the rationale for a U.S. policy based on Bannons showdown between Judeo-Christian America and radical Islam took a significant hit.

Next comes Mexico, which in the radical version of America-firstism becomes a perpetual whipping boy for economic grievances and a dumping ground for unwanted aliens. Only, as Mexican officials have since made clear to Trumps envoys, they too have the means to fight back. The government of Enrique Pena Nieto could refuse to accept deportees without proof of their Mexican citizenship  something that could tie up U.S. immigration courts for years and slow transfers to a crawl. Or it could cease cooperation in stopping the flow across its southern border of Central Americans  who make up much of the current illegal alien traffic. To avoid a surge of alien arrivals and a choking off of deportations, Trump may have to curtail Bannons economic nationalism and its assault on the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Not only allies will have an influence. Bannons vision of a new world where nationalist regimes strike bilateral deals assumes that such partnerships can be forged with countries outside of the traditional Western alliances  starting with Vladimir Putins Russia. But what if Putin proves unable to deliver on the much-discussed alliance against radical Islam? To join with Trump in Syria or Iraq, Putin would have to break with Iran, the enemy that all in Trumpland agree on. But it is Irans Shiite militias that are defending Russias Syrian bases, and Iran that is purchasing billions of dollars worth of Russian weapons. Putin cant and wont turn on Tehran  and without a Russian partnership, another piece of Bannons new global alignment crumbles to dust.

The tipping point in U.S. policy  and maybe in the history of the West  will likely come in a string of elections this year in Western Europe: the Netherlands, France, Germany and possibly Italy. Bannons nationalist allies will be on the ballots, advocating bans on immigration and the dismantlement of the European Union. If one or more of them wins, the Bannon world could be upon us.

For now, though, the odds are that none will. Geert Wilders has faded to second in polls of the Dutch election next week, and few believe he will be able to form a government even if he prevails. Marine Le Pen might win the first round of the French presidential vote on April 23, but a poll last week showed that she, too, had fallen to second behind Emmanuel Macron, a self-described radical centrist and supporter of the European Union and NATO. Even before that flip, a statistical analysis by the Economist put Le Pens chances to win the May runoff at under 5 percent.

As for Germany, if staunchly pro-European Union Chancellor Angela Merkel loses the fall election, it will be to Social Democrat Martin Schulz, who has adopted the explicitly anti-Trump slogan make Europe great again.

By autumn, Trump may find himself in a world with a strengthened and confirmed European Union, an uncooperative Russia and a continuing, irregular war with the Islamic State that requires more cooperation than ever with Iraq and the other Muslim-majority nations on his travel-ban list. That would be a world in which only a Pence foreign policy could succeed  though in the chaos presidency of Donald Trump, it doesnt mean Bannon will lose out.

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The role and influence of the vice president, not enshrined in any law, is determined in any administration by three things: his direct relationship with the president, his building of a personal portfolio of issues, and the effectiveness of his team. When it comes to foreign policy, Vice President Pence is quietly succeeding on all three fronts.

Inside an administration that is characterized by several power centers, Pence must navigate complex internal politics while serving a president who has an unconventional view of foreign policy and the United States role in the world. Pence, a traditional hawk influenced heavily by his Christian faith, is carefully and deliberately assuming a stance that fits within the presidents agenda while respecting the prerogatives of other senior White House aides who also want to play large foreign policy roles, according to White House officials, lawmakers and experts.

But Pences growing influence on foreign policy is increasingly evident. The vice president was deployed to Europe last month to reassure allies that the United States will stay committed to alliances such as NATO, despite President Trumps calls for Europeans to pay more for common defense. During Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes recent visit, Trump announced that Pence and his Japanese counterpart would lead a new dialogue on U.S.-Japan economic cooperation.

The vice president seems to be building on his foreign affairs experience, finding a niche in that arena, said House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Tex.), who served with Pence in Congress. He brings a level-headed steady hand to the foreign policy of the administration. Hes also building up his own team.

Inside the White House, Pence is in the room during most of the presidents interactions with world leaders. He receives the presidential daily brief. As head of the transition, he was instrumental in bringing several traditionally hawkish Republicans into the top levels of the administrations national security team, including Director of National Intelligence-designate Dan Coats, CIA Director Mike Pompeo and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Trump and Pence met with Haley last week just before the United States decided to confront Russia and the Syrian regime at the U.N. Security Council about Syrian President Bashar al-Assads use of chemical weapons. The move seems to run counter to the White Houses drive to warm relations with Moscow, but Trump decided, with Pences support, that it was important and necessary, officials said.

Pences national security team is also in place and humming. Just days after the inauguration, Pence announced that he had brought on Andrea Thompson as his national security adviser. A former military intelligence officer with extensive combat zone experience, she also worked for the House Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees. Most recently, she worked for the firm run by retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

I wouldnt say theres an ideological bent to her, shes a professional, an excellent briefer with command of the intelligence world, said McCaul.

Thompsons deputy is Joan OHara, former general counsel for McCauls committee. They lead a team of senior advisers who manage issue areas delineated by region or function, similar in organization to the National Security Council staff but on a smaller scale. Pences national security team is mostly professionals detailed from other agencies.

Pence is seen by many in Washington as a figure who might stand up for the traditionally hawkish views he espoused while in Congress, a proxy of sorts for the GOP national security establishment. But those close to Pence say his stance is more nuanced. Pence is committed to advocating Trumps foreign policy objectives, not his own, and endeavors to stay above the fray of most internal disputes.

He definitely brings a different perspective, but hes nuanced and subtle in how he engages, one White House official said. Hes adapted somewhat, at least in terms of not putting his views above those of the president.

Pence preserves his credibility with the president so it can be most effective when deployed. The chief example was when Pence personally spoke to Trump about removing national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had lied to him about conversations with Russian officials during the transition.

When Flynn was in the NSA role, there was no center of gravity where traditional Republicans could come together on policy, said Bruce Jones, vice president at the Brookings Institution. In the days since Flynn exited, Pence has occupied more of that space.

Its a tricky balancing act, but if Pence can keep the presidents trust, stay above the internal politics and build out his portfolio, he will be able to continue to increase his influence on foreign policy inside the White House and on the world stage.

Read more from Josh Rogins archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Lawrence Summers is a professor at and past president of Harvard University. He was treasury secretary from 1999 to 2001 and an economic adviser to President Obama from 2009 through 2010.

I usually agree with Bill Gates on matters of public policy and admire his emphasis on the combined power of markets and technology. But I think he went seriously astray in a recent interview when he proposed, without apparent irony, a tax on robots to cushion worker dislocation and limit inequality. The Microsoft co-founder is right about the gravity of the problem and need for action, but hes profoundly misguided in his proposed solution  and in ways that point up problems with the current public debate.

First, I cannot see any logic to singling out robots as job destroyers. What about kiosks that dispense airplane boarding passes? Word-processing programs that accelerate the production of documents? Mobile banking technologies? Autonomous vehicles? Vaccines that, by preventing disease, destroy jobs in medicine? There are many kinds of innovation that allow the production of more or better output with less labor input. Why pick on robots? Does Gates think anyone, let alone Congress, the Trump administration or a commission composed of his fellow technocrats, can distinguish labor-saving activities from labor-enhancing ones? Surely even if experts could draw such distinctions, the ability of the Internal Revenue Service to administer them is in doubt.

Second, much innovative activity, even of a robotlike variety, involves producing better goods and services rather than simply extracting more output from the same input. Autonomous vehicles will likely be safer than ones driven by humans. Robotics already help surgeons perform certain operations better than they can on their own. Online reservation systems are faster and more convenient than travel agents. Moreover, because of emulation and competition, innovators capture only a small part of the benefit of their innovation. It follows that there is as much a case for subsidizing as taxing types of capital that embody innovation.

Third, and perhaps most fundamentally, why tax in ways that reduce the size of the pie rather than ways that assure that the larger pie is well-distributed? Imagine that 50 people can produce robots who will do the work of 100. A sufficiently high tax on robots would prevent them from being produced. Surely it would be better for society to instead enjoy the extra output and establish suitable taxes and transfers to protect displaced workers. It is hard to see why shrinking the pie, rather than enlarging it as much as possible and then redistributing, is the right way forward.

This last point has long been standard in international trade theory. Indeed, it is common to point out that opening a country to international trade is like giving it access to a technology for transforming one good into another. The argument, then, is that since one surely would not regard such a technical change as bad, neither is trade, and so protectionism is bad. Gatess robot tax risks essentially being protectionism against progress.

None of this is to minimize the problem of job destruction and rising inequality (although it is a major paradox that we seem to be seeing unprecedentedly rapid job destruction by machinery while at the same time observing extraordinarily low productivity growth). Rather, it is to suggest that staving off progress is a poor strategy for helping less fortunate workers. In addition to difficulties of definition and collateral costs, there is the further problem that in an open world, taxes on technology are likely to drive production offshore rather than create jobs at home.

There are many better approaches. Governments will, however, have to concern themselves with problems of structural joblessness. They likely will need to take a more explicit role in ensuring full employment than has been the practice in the United States. Among other things, this will mean major reforms of education and retraining systems, consideration of targeted wage subsidies for groups with particularly severe employment problems, major investments in infrastructure and, possibly, direct public employment programs.

This will be a major debate that I suspect will define a large part of the politics of the industrial world over the next decade. Little is certain. But we will do better going forward than backward. That means making America even greater, not great again. And it means embracing rather than rejecting technological progress.
Here is what Attorney General Jeff Sessions should have said when he stepped up to the podium and addressed reporters last week at the Justice Department: At long last, have you left no sense of decency?

Sessions is the victim of the type of McCarthyite character assassination that the left used to condemn. Remember when accusing people without evidence of coordinating with the Kremlin was frowned upon? No longer, apparently.

In fact, what Sessions faced may be worse than McCarthyism. At least McCarthy was right when he claimed that there were Russian spies in the State Department (see Hiss, Alger, among others). On Meet the Press this weekend, former Obama director of national intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. declared that the U.S. intelligence community he headed until a few weeks ago had found no evidence of any collusion between members of the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence. No evidence.

The suggestion that Sessions was colluding with the Russians and tried to cover it up is preposterous. Sessions was asked during his confirmation hearings by Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) about allegations contained in an unsubstantiated dossier that there was a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trump surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian government. Sessions replied, Senator Franken, Im not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians, and Im unable to comment on it.

He was clearly referring to the allegations Franken had just cited of a continuing exchange of information between the Russians and Team Trump. His answer was truthful. He was later asked in a written question from Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.): Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day? (emphasis added). Sessions answered No  which, again, was truthful.

In hindsight, he could have clarified that he had met Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in his Senate office in his official capacity as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. But why would he? A host of Democratic lawmakers  including then-Sen. Mary Landrieu (La.) and Sens. Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Bob Casey (Pa.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Jack Reed (R.I.), Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.)  have also met with Kislyak. Thats not surprising. Its their job. Sessions was not asked about official meetings.

Then the Wall Street Journal breathlessly reported that Sessions had in fact met with the Russian ambassador at the GOP convention. The Trump administration says Attorney General Jeff Sessions was acting as a then-U.S. senator when he talked to Russias ambassador at an event during last years Republican National Convention in Cleveland, the Journal reported, but Mr. Sessions paid for convention travel expenses out of his own political funds and he spoke about Donald Trumps campaign at the event, according to a person at the event and campaign-finance records.

This could be the biggest non-story of a year. To clarify: Then-Sen. Sessions traveled to a political event  the Republican National Convention  using campaign money, not taxpayer money, as the law requires. The Russian ambassador was there as one of about 80 ambassadors participating in an official diplomatic program, coordinated with the Obama State Department. He and Sessions met at a public event where Sessions spoke.

How, exactly, is this a scandal? Answer: Its not.

But that has not stopped leading Democrats from calling for Sessionss resignation or leading news organizations to report on the a parade of new revelations linking the Trump campaign to Russia. Please. And is it really just pure coincidence that the Sessions story broke just after Trump delivered a widely acclaimed address to Congress? The stench of politics runs high.

Sessions has recused himself from any official investigation of the Trump campaign, as he should. As a former Trump campaign official, he rightly concluded he should not be involved in any investigation of the Trump campaign to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. The Senate Intelligence Committee has launched an investigation into whether there was any collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence, as it should. Americans deserve a careful and dispassionate inquiry so that we can get all the facts. And if any actual evidence emerges of some sort of wrongdoing, those facts should be exposed and those responsible held to account.

But if not, then it is entirely possible that Donald Trumps embrace of Vladimir Putin during the 2016 campaign is nothing more than an example of bad policy judgment (much like his embrace of Syrias murderous president, Bashar al-Assad). Embracing dictators is wrongheaded, but it is not a crime.

As for the witch hunts, some in the media need to take a long, hard look in the mirror. If they do, they may see old Tailgunner Joe staring back at them.

Read more from Marc Thiessens archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
President Trumps astonishing and reckless accusation that he was wiretapped on orders from President Barack Obama should finally be the tipping point in how the country views him and his presidency.

Obama, through a spokesman, said the charges were simply false. On Sunday afternoon, the New York Times reported that FBI Director James Comey had asked the Justice Department to publicly reject Trumps claim. It appears that Trump issued his wild tweet storm Saturday morning largely on the basis of reports in conspiracy-minded right-wing media.

He signaled his lack of evidence first by reportedly pushing his White House staff to ransack sensitive intelligence information to find support for his claim. Then on Sunday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Trump wanted Congress to look into the matter and that the administration would offer no further comment.

Trump has a problem either way. If he was not wiretapped, he invented a spectacularly false charge. And if a court ordered some sort of surveillance of him, on what grounds did it do so?

[Trump: Bonkers, paranoid or trapped?]

Every time the issue of the relationship between Trumps apparatus and Moscow comes up, he is moved to unleash unhinged counterattacks. This only underscores how urgent it is to get to the bottom of this story quickly.

We need to understand why those in Trumps orbit who engaged with Moscow stick with lies and misdirection until the moment their falsehoods are publicly revealed. The truth has to be dragged out of them by the media, working in concert with those in government (a.k.a. leakers) who refuse to sit by while the system they serve is endangered.

No wonder Trump hates leakers and the press. With so many Republicans in Congress prepared to abandon everything they said about accountability before Jan. 20, 2017, the main lines of defense against executive abuses have to come from journalists, those who supply them with information, and courageous judges.

The Posts revelation last week that Attorney General Jeff Sessions misled the Senate about his two meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak came after Michael Flynn, Trumps first national security adviser, lied about the nature of his own Russian contacts. Flynn stuck to false claims about his conversations with Kislyak until The Post and other media blew them out of the water. Flynn had to resign.

Sessionss convenient memory lapse (I didnt have  did not have communications with the Russians) was especially jarring because it came after an inquiry from Sen. Al Franken in which the Minnesota Democrat did not even ask Sessions whether he met with Russians .

Frankens query ended this way: . . . if there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of this campaign, what will you do?

Why did Sessions think he had to respond to a question that wasnt even posed?

And during his news conference announcing his recusal from investigations into the Russia connection  Trump, by the way, was enraged because he didnt want Sessions to pull back  the attorney general remembered many things Kislyak had said, but used the phrase I dont recall five times about various other aspects of the encounters.

The Sessions moment was followed by the confirmation of previously undisclosed meetings with Kislyak, one involving Flynn and Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, another with campaign advisers Carter Page and J.D. Gordon.

[How the rest of the world could shape Trumps foreign policy]

The crucial issue is how all this affects our national security. But this saga also reminds us that a crowd claiming to place America First does not really believe its own slogan. They place only about half of America first, the part that opposed Obama and supported Trump. When it comes to the other half, they feel only contempt.

This is why Russian interference in our democracy appears to matter far less to Trump than saving his own skin. Its also why he could compare Obama unfavorably to a foreign autocrat during the 2016 campaign. He said Vladimir Putin had been a better leader than Obama because Obamas not a leader and ominously praised Putin for having very strong control over a country. What do such statements have to do with American patriotism as we have traditionally understood it? And now Trump has accused Obama of violating the law.

Trump seems to assume that the truth doesnt matter anymore, that a leader just needs enough voters to believe the alternative facts his side invents.

If there is any good news here, its this: Alternative facts can take you only so far. A president cant just make up charges against his predecessor, call him a bad (or sick) guy, and then get away with it.

Can he?

Read more from E.J. Dionnes archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
PRESIDENT TRUMPS international economic team is still a work in progress, though based on two early top nominations  Robert Lighthizer as U.S. trade representative and Peter Navarro to head a new National Trade Council  he fully intends to keep the protectionist promises of the campaign trail. Certainly a newly released administration document, The Presidents 2017 Trade Policy Agenda, reflects the influence of Mr. Lighthizer and Mr. Navarro. The six-page statement rehearses once again their critique of U.S. trade policy since the Cold Wars end: Multilateral trade agreements and institutions such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and World Trade Organization have sacrificed American sovereignty, to the ultimate cost of U.S. jobs, especially manufacturing jobs.

Familiar and, indeed, shared by many of Mr. Trumps Democratic opponents though it may be, this narrative is far from an accurate diagnosis. It is true, as the new Trump agenda notes, that manufacturing employment declined, in absolute numbers, between 2000 (the last year before the United States approved Chinas entry to the WTO) and 2016, from 17.2 million to 12.3 million. Whether this decline is 100 percent the fault of the WTO, NAFTA or any other multilateral trade deal, as opposed to automation and other long-term factors not unique to the United States, is another question.

As a new analysis by economic historian Bradford DeLong of the University of California at Berkeley shows, the past two decades of job losses in manufacturing are part of a trend that began after the Korean War. Factory work went from 32 percent of non-farm employment in 1953 to 16 percent in 1990: long before NAFTA or China. For comparisons sake, Mr. DeLong notes that Germany  held out by many U.S. trade critics as a paragon of manufacturing employment preservation  shed half of its factory jobs between 1970 and 2015.

Obviously, these numbers dont salve the pain, material and psychic, of those who lost out from these sweeping historical processes. They do, however, suggest theres little to be gained by trying to renegotiate existing trade institutions, or to opt out of them selectively, when, say, a WTO ruling does not comport with U.S. interests  as the new Trump agenda suggests. To the contrary, DeLong calculates that Chinas accession to the WTO and NAFTA combined cost the U.S. 500,000 net manufacturing jobs, in a workforce of more than 150 million people.

Again, we dont dispute the impact  especially on the light industries such as shoes or furniture hardest hit by imports. Nor do we quarrel with the Trump agendas assertion that trade with China has largely failed to induce greater abiding of the law and transparency by that one-party state. Yet the best way to counteract Chinas mercantilism would seem to be by precisely the sort of U.S.-led multilateral cooperation that the Trump administration has rejected, in the form of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The Trump agenda blames past policymakers for turn[ing] a blind eye to unfair trade practices in the pursuit of putative geopolitical advantage. Geopolitics, though, is just another word for shaping the world to serve all U.S. interests, with a minimum of conflict. And the real blindness consists in unilaterally asserting sovereignty and protection without regard to the legitimate interests of other nations, or their capacity for retaliation.
SUCH WAS the urgency of President Trumps temporary travel ban on citizens of seven mainly Muslim countries that he characterized its suspension by federal courts last month as a grave threat to national security. Then his administration moved rather deliberately in formulating a replacement. Three times Mr. Trump and his spokesmen announced the imminent issuance of a new order; three times they postponed it. Now, three weeks after the president first said a new order was imminent, he has signed it  a watered-down version of the original, tweaked to withstand court challenges but no less arbitrary and misguided as a means of enhancing national security.

Fortunately, federal courts had the spine to stand up to Mr. Trumps verbal assault on the judicial systems integrity, forcing the administration to strip some blatant excesses from the original ban, such as the exclusion of people holding valid green cards and previously issued visas. In other cases, specific cohorts of immigrants would be granted travel or visa waivers on a case-by-case basis, replacing the original orders blanket ban. Those are significant changes.

The new order also drops Iraq from the targeted list of countries whose citizens are barred from traveling to the United States, not because the administration suddenly deemed them a diminished threat but because alienating Iraq was a grievous diplomatic and military blunder. With U.S. forces fighting alongside Iraqi troops against a common enemy, the Islamic State, it dawned on the White House that it could ill afford to antagonize a critical ally.

However, in the case of the six countries that remain on the new temporary travel blacklist  Iran, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Syria  the justification for their inclusion remains as flimsy as it was before.

It is still the case, as a report last month from the Department of Homeland Security reiterated, that few people from the banned countries have mounted or tried to mount terrorist attacks in the United States. It is still the case that most of those convicted or killed attempting such attacks in recent years were U.S.-born citizens. And it is still the case, as U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema found in regard to Mr. Trumps first order, that a travel ban may be counterproductive to its stated goal of keeping the nation safe.

Thats because the ban, while doing virtually nothing to deter terrorist attacks in this country, aids the recruitment efforts of the Islamic State and other extremist groups by substantiating their case that anti-Islamic bigotry thrives in the United States.

At least this time, the Trump administration subjected the executive order to careful legal vetting before the president signed it. By limiting the order mainly to people with few personal connections to or roots in the United States, the administration hopes to deter fresh lawsuits by states and others arguing that the order inflicted harm on them.

The courts will decide whether the order, which renews the suspension of all refugee resettlement for 120 days, passes legal muster. Already clear is that it remains antithetical to American interests, values, tradition and security.
Accusations that a juror made racially biased statements about a defendant may require judges to break through the usual secrecy that surrounds jury deliberations, the Supreme Court ruled Monday.

A constitutional rule that racial bias in the justice system must be addressed  including, in some instances, after the verdict has been entered  is necessary to prevent a systemic loss of confidence in jury verdicts, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote in a 5-to-3 decision.

The Nation must continue to make strides to overcome race-based discrimination, wrote Kennedy, who sided with the courts four liberal members. The progress that has already been made underlies the Courts insistence that blatant racial prejudice is antithetical to the functioning of the jury system.

The courts decision came in the case of Coloradan Miguel Angel Pena Rodriguez, who found out after his 2007 conviction that a juror said he thought that Pena Rodriguez was guilty of sexual assault because he was Mexican and that Mexican men take whatever they want.

[Supreme Court hears case of bias in the jury room]

The premise that jury deliberations should be confidential is older than the Constitution, and Kennedy noted that in other cases, the court has declined to probe behind the jury room door.

But charges of racial and ethnic animus provide a limited exception to the rule, he wrote, necessary to ensure that our legal system remains capable of coming ever closer to the promise of equal treatment under the law that is so central to a functioning democracy.

Kennedy was joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. dissented. They said even comments as objectionable as those in the Pena Rodriguez case did not justify such a change.

Alito wrote that with the admirable intention of providing justice for one criminal defendant, the court rules that respecting the privacy of the jury room, as our legal system has done for centuries, violates the Constitution.

Pena Rodriguez was challenging federal rules and those employed in Colorado and elsewhere that forbid challenging statements made during jury deliberations.

He was convicted of groping two teenage girls in a bathroom at a Colorado racetrack where he worked. He denied it and said it was a case of mistaken identity. The jury acquitted him of a felony charge and convicted him of misdemeanors. He was sentenced to probation and required to register as a sex offender.

After the verdict, two jurors told defense attorneys that another juror, identified in court papers as H.C., had made the comments about Mexicans and said that as a former law enforcement officer, he had seen numerous similar cases.

He said that nine times out of 10 Mexican men were guilty of being aggressive toward women and young girls in his experience, the jurors said, adding that H.C. called the defendant an illegal. (Pena Rodriguez was a legal resident, his lawyers said.)

Pena Rodriguezs lawyers wanted the judge to investigate the comments to decide whether they had deprived their client of a fair trial. But the judge said he was barred from conducting such a review, and his decision was upheld by a 4-to-3 vote of the Colorado Supreme Court.

Colorado Solicitor General Frederick R. Yarger told the justices during oral arguments that the alleged comments from the juror were no doubt reprehensible. But he added that the citizen jury system requires safeguards to ensure full and fair debate in the jury room and prevent harassment and tampering after verdicts are handed down.

Kennedy conceded that the Supreme Court has ruled previously  when there were allegations of jurors abusing drugs or alcohol or having a pro-defendant bias  that the confidentiality of the jury process was too important to allow a judges investigation.

The same cannot be said about racial bias, a familiar and recurring evil that, if left unaddressed, would risk systemic injury to the administration of justice, Kennedy wrote. (The parties in the case and the justices agreed that the ethnic bias in the Pena Rodriguez case was the same as racial bias.)

Kennedy said there must be a clear statement that indicates a juror relied on racial stereotypes or animus to convict a criminal defendant before the judge could consider a defendants claim. He said it has not been shown to occur very often in states that already allow such inquiry.

But Alito said the courts constitutional finding was a startling development that would only expand in the future. At a minimum, cases involving bias based on any suspect classification  such as national origin or religion  would merit equal treatment, Alito wrote. So, I think, would bias based on sex . . . or the exercise of the First Amendment right to freedom of expression or association.

Alito said that the courts decision seeks to remedy a flaw in the jury trial system, but as this Court said some years ago, it is questionable whether our system of trial by jury can endure this attempt to perfect it.

The case is Pena Rodriguez v. Colorado.
18 officials booked for disrupting polio drive

The Health Ministry has decided to book 18 government officials, including chiefs of three district health offices, for obstructing the polio vaccination drive that started on Saturday.
Despite the setback in his case, Im still as passionate and happy to be doing this as ever, Gavin Grimm said. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

The Supreme Court on Monday put off a major decision on transgender rights, a result of the Trump administrations decision last month to withdraw federal support of the Virginia high schooler who has waged a legal fight to use the boys restroom.

The decision to send the case of 17-year-old Gavin Grimm back to a lower court delays until at least next term a decision on whether federal laws that forbid discrimination on the basis of sex also extend to gender identity.

[Meet Gavin Grimm, who said he just wanted to use the bathroom at school]

It is an issue that has roiled the nation, pitting LGBT activists and transgender youth and their parents against those who say privacy and safety are compromised by accommodating transgender youth in school restrooms and locker rooms. School boards have found themselves facing either recriminations from the federal government or lawsuits by activists and parents.

(McKenna Ewen,Adriana Usero/The Washington Post)

In Grimms case, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit had deferred to guidance issued by the Obama administration and overruled the Gloucester County School Boards policy that students must use restrooms that correspond with their biological sex.

But the Trump administration last month rescinded that guidance. So the Supreme Court in a one-sentence order vacated the 4th Circuits opinion and sent it back for further consideration, which may require a closer look at the constitutional and legal questions.

[Trump administration rolls back support for transgender cases]

Grimm said he was disappointed that his senior year will probably end without resolution of the issue.

But Im still as passionate and happy to be doing this as ever, he said in a conference call with reporters, adding, If it took 10 years, Id stick with it.

Joshua Block, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union who is representing Grimm, said there is a silver lining in the national attention the case has received, even without a Supreme Court decision.

The overwhelming level of support shown for Gavin and trans students by people across the country throughout this process shows that the American people have already moved in the right direction and that the rights of trans people cannot be ignored, Block said. This is a detour, not the end of the road.

[Supreme Court issues stay in Virginia transgender teenagers case]

The Gloucester County School Board had also asked the court to decide the underlying legal issues but said it would now concentrate on convincing the appeals court that the boards commonsense restroom and locker room policy is legal under the Constitution and federal law.

Conservative legal groups said it was wise of the Supreme Court to vacate the 4th Circuits ruling and send it back for additional legal argument.

The first duty of school districts is to protect the bodily privacy rights of all of the students who attend their schools and to respect the rights of parents who understandably dont want their children exposed in intimate changing areas like locker rooms and showers, said Kerri Kupec, legal counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom.

But school officials who had hoped for a definitive answer from the court said the delay will leave them open to additional lawsuits.

The ultimate constitutional issues remain unresolved for the school districts, said Francisco Negron Jr., chief counsel for the National School Boards Association. Regardless of what action they take, they are liable to be sued by persons on both sides of this issue.

In the absence of a Supreme Court decision and federal guidance, school officials will look to states to navigate what has proved to be a deeply divisive issue in many places, generating heated school board meetings and lawsuits.

In 14 states and the District of Columbia, there are explicit protections for transgender students on the books. In North Carolina, transgender people are barred from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. Several other states have floated similar legislation, some with financial penalties for schools that allow transgender students to use bathrooms of their choice.

[Following North Carolinas example, Texas Republicans unveil bathroom bill]

Block said that besides Grimms case, there are lawsuits in North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that may quickly provide the Supreme Court with another chance to consider the core issues of transgender rights.

There will be plenty of vehicles for the court in the next term if it wants, Block said.

The big question is whether transgender rights are protected by the Constitution as well as Title IX, the 1972 federal law that bans discrimination on the basis of sex in schools that receive federal money.

Grimm relied on Title IX in his lawsuit, which said it was discriminatory for the local school board to insist that he use a private bathroom in the nurses office rather than ones that aligned with his gender identity.

Grimm was born with female anatomy but came out to his parents as transgender at the beginning of high school. He changed his name and has a Virginia birth certificate that identifies him as male.

The Obama administration sided with Grimm and said schools generally must treat transgender students consistent with their gender identity. In a guidance letter last year, the administration said schools risked losing federal money if they discriminated against transgender students.

[The short, troubled life of Obamas transgender student protections]

A panel of the 4th Circuit said it was deferring to the Department of Education for a definitive reading of the law because Title IXs prohibition on sex discrimination could be read to include transgender students.

That interpretation was rescinded by the Trump administration late last month. It said the Obama administrations guidance did not contain extensive legal analysis supporting the reading of Title IX. But the Trump administrations letter to the court did not provide its own conclusion.

The Supreme Court then called for the views of Grimms lawyers and the school board.

Both urged the court to go ahead with the case, saying there had been enough briefing on the Title IX question for the justices to make a decision.

But generally the Supreme Court does not like to take up an issue that has not had full exploration in the lower courts, and Mondays decision to send it back seemed to underscore that.

By the time the issue returns to the Supreme Court, the bench is likely to be fully staffed. The court has been without a ninth member since Justice Antonin Scalia died more than a year ago. President Trumps nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, is scheduled to begin confirmation hearings this month.

The case is Gloucester County School Board v. G.G.

Moriah Balingit and Emma Brown contributed to this report.
People protest outside of a detention center in Elizabeth, N.J., during a rally attended by immigrant residents and activists on Feb. 23. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

President Trumps challenge to Congress last week to pursue bipartisan immigration reform seemed at first glance like a presumptuous request from a president whose hard-line campaign rhetoric left little room for compromise.

But the move reflects the underlying aims of Trump and his top aides to more broadly remake U.S. immigration policy to match a nationalist ideology that views large numbers of foreigners as harmful to U.S. society. The pathway to reform, Trump told lawmakers, is a legislative overhaul of the legal immigration system toward a merit-based approach  a move that, if enacted, could significantly reshape the nations demographics and have long-lasting economic implications.

To Trump, the goal is to protect American workers by slashing immigration levels and limiting competitors he views as taking jobs and suppressing wages. To his opponents, the president is pursuing restrictionist polices that could harm an economy that relies on robust immigration for growth.

For half a century, U.S. immigration laws have favored family reunification, allowing immigrants who gain legal permanent residence to bring over their children, spouses, parents and siblings. Critics of the process have argued that chain migration has  along with an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants  fostered an influx of those who are competing with native-born Americans for low-wage, low-skilled jobs.

View Graphic With Trump's changes, the deportation process could move much faster

In Trumps view, a new immigration system would curtail entry to the country among foreigners who cannot support themselves financially, although he did not define what that means.

It will save countless dollars, raise workers wages and help struggling families  including immigrant families  enter the middle class, Trump said in his address to a joint session of Congress.

[After Trumps immigration order, anxiety grows in Floridas farm fields]

If Trump pushes forward, his gambit will be fraught with political land mines  and the odds are stacked against him. Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush were unsuccessful in enacting comprehensive immigration bills, which included much more limited aspects of the ideas Trump is proposing.

Trump seems to be an unlikely candidate to succeed where they failed, given that he has opened his presidency by angering Democrats with sweeping new measures to try to ramp up deportations and ban refugees.

But in his speech to Congress, Trump said that real and positive immigration reform is possible, as long as we focus on the following goals: to improve jobs and wages for Americans, to strengthen our nations security, and to restore respect for our laws. If we are guided by the well-being of American citizens, then I believe Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve an outcome that has eluded our country for decades.

The ideology underlying Trumps approach is rooted in the worldviews of White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, as well as Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the former Republican senator from Alabama who was one of the fiercest opponents of comprehensive immigration reform efforts during the Obama administration.

(The Washington Post)

All three have pushed restrictionist measures to sharply reduce legal immigration, arguing that foreign workers present a direct threat to Americans in blue-collar industries  the types of people who voted for Trump in large numbers.

Of the 1 million foreigners granted permanent legal residence in 2014, 647,000  about two-thirds  received green cards based on family ties, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Just 152,000 permanent arrivals were employment-based.

In addition, 134,000 refugees and asylum seekers received green cards, 54,000 more of which were distributed in an annual diversity lottery for underrepresented countries, many in Africa.

As a matter of federal policy  which can be adjusted at any time  millions of low-wage foreign workers are legally made available to substitute for higher-paid Americans, Sessions wrote in a 2015 op-ed for The Washington Post.

Immigration restrictionist groups have called on Congress to slash the number of green cards by up to half. Their preferences were reflected in legislation introduced last month by Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) that would bar immigrants from sponsoring siblings, adult children or other extended family members.

That bill also would end the diversity lottery and cap the number of green cards available to refugees at 50,000 per year, down from 120,000 in 2015  something Trump has already attempted to do through an executive order.

Trump strongly supports the broad concept, Cotton said. The senator added that the immigration debate too often accounts more for whats good for the foreigner, not whats good for American citizens. Whats good for American citizens is that we have an immigration system that rewards skills and language ability and demonstrated economic potential.

[Trumps hard-line immigration rhetoric runs into reality  including Trump]

Pro-immigration groups view such measures as anathema to the history of the country and its diverse character. Obama often referred to the United States as a nation of immigrants, cautioning the public against policies that shut U.S. borders even as European countries bucked against a wave of refugees and migrants, largely from the Middle East.

Businesses also generally have supported high levels of legal immigrants to help bolster both low- and high-skilled industries.

I think legal labor migration has been a huge boon to the economy and the American spirit, said Tamar Jacoby, president of ImmigrationWorks USA, a small-business organization.

Of Trumps proposals, she said: Im very concerned they get that right. Like all countries, we do want to bring the best and brightest. But low-skilled immigration is important, too. You would never have had the housing boom without low-skilled labor; you cant grow the economy without growing the labor force.

To immigrant rights groups, Trumps talk of a merit system is code for slashing legal pathways into the country and focusing them on highly educated immigrants from advanced nations  a strategy that harks back to a 1920s backlash against a wave of immigrants who entered the country during the Second Industrial Revolution.

Immigration rates plummeted after Congress restricted European Jews, Africans and Asians, rising again only after Congress implemented the family-oriented system in 1965.

Their biggest goal is to end family immigration, said Leon Fresco, a former aide to Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) who helped write a comprehensive immigration bill approved by the Senate in 2013. The package died in the House amid widespread objections from conservative Republicans.

What theyre trying to do is use this [merit-based system] to curtail the overall number of immigrants in a way that does not appear entirely draconian, said Fresco, now an immigration lawyer in Washington.

[Trump uses speech guest list to send a message on immigration enforcement]

The 2013 immigration bill included similar measures to reduce green cards for families and create more slots for high-skilled workers, who would have been ranked on a point system based on education level, language ability and other factors. Yet that bill also included a path to citizenship for the majority of the nations estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants, appealing to Democrats and some moderate Republicans.

The question is whether Trump would be willing to endorse a similar compromise to broaden support for a merit system. During a private lunch with television news anchors ahead of his speech to Congress, the president said he was considering publicly declaring support for legal status for dreamers, who came to the country illegally as children.

Trumps comments drew immediate headlines, but he did not mention such a proposal during his hour-long address.

In all, there are more than 1.5 million dreamers, and legalizing them would probably engender strong opposition from conservative Republicans and some of Trumps base  and still might not win over enough supporters to pass a comprehensive bill through Congress.

Every Democrat of consequence will demand as a price of entry to the room some solution, if not necessarily citizenship, to all the undocumented, or a large portion, Fresco said. I dont think the dreamers alone get Democrats in the room for negotiating.

Cristina Jimenez, executive director of United We Dream, the largest advocacy group for dreamers, scoffed at Trumps call for a bipartisan reform effort.

Its outrageous that hes saying its time for a compromise on immigration reform when over the last 20 years Republicans have blocked it every single time, she said.

Besides, Jimenez said, her organization would not support a deal that protects dreamers but leaves their parents and other undocumented immigrants to the whims of Trumps deportation efforts.

We would never negotiate against ourselves and our community, she said.

Ed OKeefe contributed to this report.
Rod J. Rosenstein, Trumps nominee for deputy attorney general, would be responsible for probes related to the Trump campaign. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Republican and Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill positioned themselves for a new round of fighting over President Trumps alleged ties to Russia, with Senate Democrats preparing to wage a fierce battle at a Tuesday confirmation hearing that has suddenly taken on far-reaching implications and a top Republican senator questioning whether the FBI played politics against Trump.

Democrats are poised to aggressively grill Rod J. Rosenstein, Trumps nominee for deputy attorney general, over how the Justice Department will investigate Russias alleged interference in the 2016 election and suspected ties between Trump aides and Russia.

As the second-in-command at the Justice Department, Rosenstein would assume responsibility for probes related to the Trump campaign now that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself.

Democrats say their concerns about the Trump teams links to Russia deepened in the wake of Trumps allegation that President Barack Obamas administration wiretapped his phones last fall at his Trump Tower headquarters.

These latest bizarre claims about wiretapping raise the urgency and stakes for a special prosecutor, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said in an interview Monday. You know, whatever the motive, an effort to distract or to defer the ongoing investigative efforts  there is now unquestionably a need for impartial, objective aggressive leadership of a criminal investigation.

(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

If Rosenstein does not endorse Democratic calls for a special prosecutor to look into any ties between Trump and Russia, Blumenthal said, I will use every tool available to block his nomination.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, If he wont appoint a special prosecutor, hed need a darn good reason, and its hard for me to see one right now.

But Democrats have very little power to block Rosensteins confirmation, and there is no sign Republicans are willing to stand in the way. Furthermore, Rosenstein was confirmed as U.S. attorney by voice vote in 2005 and has been praised by both Democrats and Republicans.

Some Republicans are concerned about revelations that the FBI considered paying a British spy as part of an inquiry into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election. On Monday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) asked FBI Director James B. Comey to provide details of such a plan, saying itraises substantial questions about the bureaus independence, as well as the Obama administrations use of law enforcement and intelligence agencies for political ends.

[Obama and Trump: The ticktock of a truly bizarre relationship]

The letter from Grassley came after Comey asked the Justice Department this weekend to issue a statement refuting Trumps unsubstantiated claim that Obama ordered a wiretap. The department did not issue such a statement.

[Trumps charge that he was wiretapped takes presidency into new territory]

(Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

Mondays developments signaled a new and politically charged chapter in the ongoing fight between the two parties over lingering questions about the intelligence communitys contention that Russia meddled in the 2016 campaign  allegations that have emerged as a focal point in the early weeks of Trumps presidency.

Trump has requested that as part of a look into Russian meddling, congressional intelligence committees should explore whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Sunday.

Grassleys letter to Comey raised questions about the FBIs investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The spy, Christopher Steele, became well known in January after a dossier he put together on behalf of Trumps political opponents became public.

Neither the FBI nor Steele responded to requests for comment Monday.

Last week, The Washington Post reported that the FBI viewed Steele as credible and, weeks before the election, agreed to pay him to continue looking at unproven allegations of improper coordination with Russia.

The Steele dossier cited sources claiming that Trump and his associates had ties to Russia  and linked some of those associates to Russian efforts to influence the 2016 campaign. Among other things, it cited sources alleging that Trump associates colluded with the Kremlin on cyberattacks on Democrats and that the Russians held compromising material about Trump.

These and other claims have not been verified, and they have been emphatically denied by Trump and his allies.

But Democrats are expected to step up their calls for a special prosecutor at the Rosenstein hearing Tuesday as they seek an aggressive probe into all Russia-related charges.

If confirmed, Rosenstein is expected to take over responsibilities managed by acting deputy attorney general Dana Boente, who is currently handling Trump-related matters because of Sessionss recusal. He would also have the power to appoint a special prosecutor if he wished.

Congressional Democrats have made clear that Sessionss recusal is not enough to satisfy them, noting that a deputy attorney general would also potentially be susceptible to the presidents influence, particularly because the president retains the authority to fire any official who crosses him.

Schumer formally requested Monday that Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz quickly and thoroughly investigate political interference in Russia-related probes.

In a detailed letter to Horowitz, Schumer laid out questions that are likely to continue to dominate Democratic discourse. But the scope of Schumers questions would probably be rebuffed by the White House, which would likely invoke executive privilege to avoid questions about private conversations Trump has had with top aides.

Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Monday that he has seen no evidence to support Trumps claim of a wiretap. He pointed out that a president cannot order a wiretap and said that if the Justice Department legally obtained one, it could be a sign of highly questionable behavior by Trump during the campaign.

That judgment would have been made by a federal judge, Himes said on MSNBC. And that, of course, points to the possibility, if any of that is true, that there is probable cause for law enforcement to say that there is something wrong at Trump Tower.

A wiretap to gather foreign intelligence must be approved by a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court to show that there is probable cause.

Trumps allegation sent Republican lawmakers scrambling at the beginning of a pivotal legislative week. GOP leaders are hoping to show progress on their long-stated goal of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act.

In his letter to Horowitz, Schumer asked the inspector general to explore key questions.

Has the investigation into Russia been compromised by political interference? Schumer asked. Have there been any attempts by any White House official to interfere with the investigation? Did Attorney General Sessions, who is now recused from this investigation, or his close associates personally manage the work of career officials at DOJ or the FBI in the course of the investigation thus far?

Schumer wants Horowitz to determine whether Trump and Sessions discussed the dismissal of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and whether the president and attorney general discussed the ongoing Russia inquiries. The letter also seeks to determine whether career Justice Department officials have been the subject of pressure from the White House regarding the investigations.

John Lavinsky, a spokesman for Horowitz, declined to comment on Schumers letter.

Congressional Republicans have shown a willingness to look at Trumps claims about wiretapping. But many have also distanced themselves from his charges.

Thus far, I have not seen anything directly that would support what the president has said, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (Utah), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said on CBS News.

Chaffetz said it is premature to conclude that there is no backing evidence to validate Trumps allegation, which the president delivered on Twitter over the weekend and which Obamas office has denied. Speaking to the Fox News Channel, Chaffetz said Congress will take a look at the matter and that the Obama administrations been notorious on this type of stuff. But he also raised the possibility that Trumps accusation may be baseless.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said his panel will follow the evidence where it leads, and we will continue to be guided by the intelligence and facts as we compile our findings.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview that if there was no basis for Trumps charges, there was no reason for an investigation.

First, the American people need to know what evidence he has to make such a charge, McCain said. Im all for a congressional investigation, but the president said it based on something. What was the basis of his conclusion that [Obama] broke the law by wiretapping Trump Tower?

Sari Horwitz, Ellen Nakashima, Ed OKeefe, Abby Phillip and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report.

Read more at PowerPost
Members of the German army prepare to unload Marder military vehicles at the Sestokai railway station, about 109 miles west of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, on Feb. 24. (Mindaugas Kulbis/AP)

A vermilion-colored locomotive slowed to a halt, its freight cars obscured in the blinding snow. A German captain ordered his troops to unload the trains cargo. Jawohl!  Yes, sir!  a soldier said, before directing out the first of 20 tanks bearing the Iron Cross of the Bundeswehr, Germanys army.

Evocative of old war films, the scene is nevertheless a sign of new times. Seven and a half decades after the Nazis invaded this Baltic nation, the Germans are back in Lithuania  this time as one of the allies.

As the Trump administration ratchets up the pressure on allied nations to shoulder more of their own defense, no country is more in the crosshairs than Germany. If it meets the goals Washington is pushing for, Germany  the regions economic powerhouse  would be on the fast track to again become Western Europes biggest military power.

Any renaissance of German might has long been resisted first and foremost by the Germans  a nation that largely rejected militarism in the aftermath of the Nazi horror. Yet a rethinking of German power is quickly emerging as one of the most significant twists of President Trumps transatlantic policy.

[Poll: Germans are more concerned about Trumps policies than Putins]





Since the November election in the United States, the Germans  caught between Trumps America and Vladimir Putins Russia  are feeling less and less secure. Coupled with Trumps push to have allies step up, the Germans are debating a military buildup in a manner rarely witnessed since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Perhaps nowhere is the prospect of a new future playing out more than here in Lithuania  where nearly 500 German troops, including a Bavarian combat battalion, arrived in recent weeks for an open-ended deployment near the Russian frontier. The NATO deployment marks what analysts describe as Germanys most ambitious military operation near the Russian border since the end of the Cold War. It arrived with a formidable show of German force  including 20 Marder armored infantry fighting vehicles, six Leopard battle tanks and 12 Fuchs and Boxer armored personnel carriers.

Maybe, with respect to the United States, you need to be careful what you wish for, said Lt. Col. Torsten Stephan, military spokesman for the German troops in Lithuania. Mr. Trump says that NATO may be obsolete, and that we need to be more independent. Well, maybe we will.

The German-led deployment  also involving a smaller number of troops from Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway  is designed to send a muscular message from Europe to Putin: Back off.

Yet on a continent facing the prospect of a new Cold War, the deployment is also offering a window into the risks of renewed German strength  as well as the Russian strategy for repelling it by dwelling on Germanys dark past. In the 21st-century world of hybrid warfare, the first proverbial salvos have been fired.

Recently, coordinated emails were sent to Lithuanian police, media and top politicians, falsely claiming that the new German troops had gang-raped a local 15-year-old girl. The Lithuanian government quickly disproved the allegations  but not before a few local outlets and social-media users had spread the false accounts. Officials are investigating whether the Russians were behind it.

But if you ask me personally, I think that yes, thats the biggest probability, said Lithuanian Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis.

Pro-Russian websites, meanwhile, are preying on old stereotypes, harking back to Adolf Hitler and portraying the NATO deployment in Lithuania as a second invasion by Germany.

[The rise of Trump has led to an unexpected twist in Germanys election: A resurgent left]

As Germany grows bolder, outdated imagery is roaring back to life through Russian propaganda. Last week, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the building of a reproduction of the old German Reichstag at a military theme park near Moscow, offering young Russians a chance to reenact the 1945 storming of the structure during the fall of Berlin.

Yet in Lithuania, a former Soviet republic now living in the shadow of Russias maw, the Nazi legacy is seen as ancient history. To many here, modern Germany is a bastion of democratic principles and one of the globes strongest advocates of human rights, free determination and measured diplomacy. And facing a Russian threat in times of uncertain NATO allegiances, the Lithuanians are clamoring for a more powerful Germany by its side.

I think U.S. leadership should be maintained, but also, we need leadership in Europe, Karoblis said. Noting that Britain is in the process of breaking away from the European Union, he called Germany the most likely new guarantor of regional stability.

Why not Germany? Why not? he said.

More dangerous missions

For many Germans, however, there are many reasons  including overspending and fears of sparking a new arms race. According to a poll commissioned by Stern magazine and published this year, 55 percent of Germans are against increasing defense spending in the coming years, while 42 percent are in favor.

The German military has staged several military exercises in Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe, and its pilots form part of the air police deterring Russian planes buzzing the E.U.s eastern borders. It has also begun to take on more dangerous missions  deploying troops to the Balkans, Afghanistan and, last year, to Mali. The military also has taken on a logistical support role in the allied fight against the Islamic State.

But the Germans are slated to do much more. In 2014, German officials agreed with other NATO nations to spend at least 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense within 10 years  up from about 1.2 percent in 2016. Until recently, however, many German officials privately acknowledged that such a goal  which would see Germany leapfrog Britain and France in military spending  was politically untenable.

Since Trumps victory, however, German politicians, pundits and the media have agonized over the issue, with more and louder voices calling for a stronger military. Last month, the Defense Ministry announced plans to increase Germanys standing military to nearly 200,000 troops by 2024, up from a historical low of 166,500 in June. After 26 years of cuts, defense spending is going up by 8 percent this year.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for cool heads, but also for increased military spending. Her defense minister, Ursula von der Leyen, has been more forceful, saying recently that Germany cannot duck away from its military responsibility. Although considered a distant possibility, some outlier voices are mentioning the once-inconceivable: the advent of a German nuclear bomb.

If Trump sticks to his line, America will leave Europes defense to the Europeans to an extent that it hasnt known since 1945, Berthold Kohler, publisher of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, wrote in a recent opinion piece. That could mean higher defense spending, the revival of the draft, the drawing of red lines and the utterly unthinkable for German brains  the question of ones own nuclear defense capability.

[Merkel, Trump agree on at least 1 thing: Germans should spend more on defense]

Germany, along with its regional allies, has begun exploring an increase of military activity through joint European operations  and experts see that, and NATO, as the most likely funnels for German military power. Germanys deployment in Lithuania, for instance, is part of a broader allied deterrent in Eastern Europe, with the Americans, Canadians and British leading other contingents in Poland, Latvia and Estonia.

In some of Germanys neighbors  particularly Poland  there remain pockets of opposition to renewed German military might, positions based at least in part on war memories. But old prejudices are dying fast.

Take, for instance, tiny Lithuania  a nation the Nazis overran in 1941, kicking out the occupying Soviets. The Third Reich held on there through 1945, exterminating more than 200,000 Jews. After World War II, Lithuania reverted to Soviet domination before winning independence at the end of the Cold War. Over the past decade, Lithuania hitched its star to the West  joining the E.U. and NATO in 2004, much to the chagrin of the Russians.

Now, Lithuanians fear of the bear on their doorstep is surging. Since the de facto invasion of Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, Russian politicians have begun speaking ominously about a key warm-water port that they say was wrongly gifted to Lithuania after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Hackers thought to be linked to the Russians have targeted government servers and national television channels.

In the city of Jonava, about six miles from the barrack housing the new NATO troops, the Nazis killed more than 2,000 Jews in the 1940s. Yet in the oral histories, the German occupation is portrayed in a far better light than the Soviet era that followed.

Nadiezda Grickovaite, 86, the towns only living resident with vivid memories of the World War II era, said she recalled her mother taking her into the woods so we didnt see the shooting of the Jews. But she said the Soviets were comparatively worse  a history she has passed down in speeches and talks at local schools.

I dont feel any bad feelings against the Germans because of the past, she said. This was history. We cant blame them now.

The new German troops, meanwhile, have received special sensitivity training about the Nazi legacy in Lithuania and to insist on gentle interactions with locals. Jonavas acting mayor, Eugenijus Sabutis, said the only incident since the troops arrived in late January was an altercation between an American GI and local men over the attentions of a woman.

I dont feel part of that history  the history of Germans who were here before, said Sebastian, a 27-year-old German private stationed in Lithuania who only gave his first name per the German armys rules for the interview. What I know is that we are in a kind of new Cold War, and now we are here to help.

Stephanie Kirchner contributed to this report.

Read more:

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Theyre young and lonely. The Islamic State thinks theyll make perfect terrorists.

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3 Indians held with Rs 3.5m worth hashish, marijuana

Police arrested three Indian men with a large quantity of hashish and marijuana from Hetauda in Makwanpur district on Sunday.
Louise Mensch, seen in 2012, is a journalist and a former member of Britains Parliament. (Pool photo by Stefan Wermuth /AFP via Getty Images)

A former British legislator is at the heart of the Trump administrations explosive allegation that President Barack Obama was spying on him during the 2016 campaign.

But who exactly is Louise Mensch?

For starters, the politician-turned-journalist is the writer behind an article published on the eve of the election titled: EXCLUSIVE: FBI Granted FISA Warrant Covering Trump Camps Ties To Russia.

The article, published on the right-leaning, libertarian website Heat Street, did not create much of a stir at the time. But it has come under the spotlight after Trump, in a tweetstorm over the weekend, accused Obama of wiretapping his offices during the election campaign. Trump compared the alleged bugging to the Watergate scandal, but he has not offered any evidence to back up his claims.

In tweets on Monday, Mensch emphasized that her reporting does not back up Trumps wiretapping claim, even though the White House cited her article to justify the allegation. She stressed that her reporting refers to a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court warrant and does not mention anything about wiretapping.

(Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

Over the weekend, the White House cited reports from BBC, Heat Street, New York Times, Fox News, among others to justify the claims. Former Obama administration officials and aides have denied the accusation.

After combing through these news reports, The Washington Posts Glenn Kessler concluded that the piece by Mensch in Heat Street was the most important of the lot.

[Fact Checker: Trumps evidence for wiretap claims relies on sketchy reports]

In her report, published Nov. 7, Mensch said the FBI was granted a FISA court warrant in October giving counter-intelligence permission to examine the activities of U.S. persons in Donald Trumps campaign with ties to Russia.

She cited two separate sources with links to the counter-intelligence community as evidence for those claims.

Mensch, who is based in New York, said her sources contacted her because of her outspoken backing for the intelligence community. She has, for instance, called Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked classified documents, a loathsome traitor.

[FBI Director Comey asked Justice officials to refute Trumps unproven wiretapping claim]

They gave me one of the most closely guarded secrets in intelligence, she said, referring to her sources. Speaking to the Guardian, a left-leaning British newspaper, she added: People are speculating why someone trusted me with that. Nobody met me in a darkened alley in a fedora, but they saw me as someone who has political experience and is their friend. I am a pro-national security partisan. I dont have divided loyalties.

Mensch, 45, is a force on social media and describes herself on Twitter as a Conservative. Feminist. Optimist. Patriot.

Anyone who follows her on Twitter  and more than 170,000 people do  knows that she is not a Trump supporter and has been probing Trump-Russia links for some time.

Her name also appeared in the hacked emails of John Podesta, the former chairman of Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. In an email she sent to the Creative Artists Agency that was forwarded to Podesta, Mensch described herself as a committed Republican who was concerned about a Trump presidency and offered a suggestion for a campaign ad for Clinton.

[How hard is it to get an intelligence wiretap? Pretty hard.]

In Britain, Mensch is best known for her stint as a Conservative lawmaker and for her work as a successful chick-lit novelist under her maiden name, Louise Bagshawe.

She resigned as a lawmaker in 2012, saying it proved impossible to balance the needs of my family. The mother of three moved to New York to live with her husband, Peter Mensch, manager of the bands Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Although she served as a member of Parliament for only two years, she quickly became a high-profile figure, partly because of her leading role in a parliamentary committee investigating phone hacking at Rupert Murdochs News of the World tabloid.

Mensch was one of four Conservative lawmakers on the committee who refused to endorse the panels conclusions. The committees description of Murdoch as not a fit person to run a major international company, Mensch said, was partisan and unjustified. She also apologized to the broadcaster Piers Morgan after falsely accusing him of admitting to phone hacking.

Mensch was regularly featured in the news when she was a politician. She was once contacted by an investigative journalist who claimed to have pictures proving that Mensch had taken drugs in a nightclub in the 1990s with the violinist Nigel Kennedy.

Mensch responded in a statement by saying it was highly probable and apologized for her dancing.

Since I was in my twenties, Im sure it was not the only incident of the kind; we all do idiotic things when young. I am not a very good dancer and must apologise to any and all journalists who were forced to watch me dance that night at Ronnie Scotts, she said.

She works as an executive for News Corp., a media company owned by Murdoch. She helped to launch Heat Street last year but left that role in December and is focusing on creating digital media projects for the company.

This story has been updated.
Iraqi officials on Monday praised the Trump administrations decision to exclude Iraq from a list of Muslim-majority countries whose citizens will be temporarily banned from entering the United States, calling it an acknowledgment of their nations unique role in the struggle against global extremism.

A previous ban had prompted widespread anger and disbelief in Iraq, a country destabilized by cycles of conflict since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and a front-line battlefield in the fight against the Islamic State militant group.

A revised executive order signed by President Trump on Monday imposes a 90-day ban on the issuance of new visas to citizens of Iran, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Syria and Libya, citing national security concerns, but it called Iraq a special case.

Despite the continued presence of the Islamic State in the country, the order said, other factors justified Iraqs exclusion from the list, including close cooperation between Baghdad and Washington, as well as the significant presence of United States forces in Iraq.

[Revised executive order bans people from 6 Muslim-majority nations from getting visas]

President Trump signs an executive order in January. His revised travel ban executive order bars people from six Muslim-majority countries from getting new U.S. visas. The order left Iraq off the list. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

A spokesman for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that Trump and the Iraqi leader had discussed the ban in a telephone call several weeks ago and that the U.S. president had promised to review Iraqs status. The decision on Monday showed an appreciation for the partnership with Iraq in fighting terrorism and would speed up the fight against the Islamic State, the spokesman said.

The relief in Iraq was in sharp contrast to the criticism of the revised order from human rights groups, which derided it as effectively a ban on Muslims as well as refugees and their advocates. The order suspends the U.S. refugee program for 120 days.

The order heartlessly targets the most vetted and most vulnerable population to enter the United States, David Miliband, president and chief executive of the International Rescue Committee, which resettles refugees in the United States, said in a statement.

This ban doesnt target those who are the greatest security risk, but those least able to advocate for themselves. Instead of making us safer, it serves as a gift for extremists who seek to undermine America, he said.

The Trump administration says the ban is critical to public safety, and officials asserted Monday that the revised order would eliminate the chaos at airports worldwide that accompanied the initial executive order issued in January.

Mohamed Gabr, a Syrian refugee who lives with his family in Cairo and said he was supposed to be resettled in New Jersey before the initial ban, was still waiting to hear from his resettlement agency about when  and if  his family would be able to travel.

[Trumps new travel ban still wouldnt have kept out anyone behind deadly U.S. terror attacks]

(Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

My condition is intolerable. For a year and eight months, we have been stuck here. For two months, I have been told to wait, he said.

Despite the uncertainty about their future, Gabr and his wife, Lamis el-Hamawi, said they were happy that the executive order had been narrowed, if only slightly.

We wish the Iraqis all the best, Hamawi said. They are just like us, they faced the same horrors. We dont see any difference between us and them. We dont hate or discriminate.

They do, she said, referring to U.S. officials. But we dont.

The revised executive order comes as the United States is stepping up its involvement in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq, including by sending hundreds of military advisers to front-line positions with Iraqi security forces wrestling for control of the northern city of Mosul.

The original White House ban was seen as especially egregious by Iraqi troops and commanders representing units that have suffered heavy losses in the grinding fight for Mosul.

It showed no appreciation at all for the sacrifices of Iraqis in fighting terrorism, said Lt. Gen. Sami al-Aridhi, commander of the second division of Iraqs U.S.-trained counterterrorism forces. It had a negative impact on the psyche and morale of fighters, especially for the special forces, because we deal directly and closely with the Americans, he said.

On Monday, some of the resentment abated, Aridhi said, adding that he hoped to visit the United States someday, when the fight against the Islamic State has ended, and enter the country with respect: as an Iraqi who fought against terrorism consistently since 2003.

Heba Mahfouz in Cairo and Louisa Loveluck in Beirut contributed to this report.

Read more:

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Tragedy inside Mosul as food runs out and the battle against ISIS drags on

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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86-year-old in a bid to become the oldest Everest summiter

Min Bahadur Sherchan, an 86-year-old former Gurkha, is getting ready to summit world's highest peak Mount Everest in coming May, to win back his years old record of the 'oldest Everest summiter'.
President Trump signed a new travel ban Monday that administration officials said they hope will end legal challenges over the matter by imposing a 90-day ban on the issuance of new visas for citizens of six majority-Muslim nations.

In addition, the nations refugee program will be suspended for 120 days, and the United States will not accept more than 50,000 refugees in a year, down from the 110,000 cap set by the Obama administration.

The new guidelines mark a dramatic departure from Trumps original ban, issued in January and immediately met by massive protests and then ordered frozen by the courts. The new ban lays out a far more specific national security basis for the order, blocks the issuance only of new visas, and names just six of the seven countries included in the first executive order, omitting Iraq.

[Read the full text of the revised executive order]

Trump signed the new ban out of public view, according to White House officials. The order will take effect March 16.

This executive order responsibly provides a needed pause so we can carefully review how we scrutinize people coming here from these countries of concern, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in announcing that the order had been signed.

The order also details specific sets of people who would be able to apply for case-by-case waivers to the order, including those previously admitted to the United States for a continuous period of work, study, or other long-term activity; those with significant business or professional obligations; and those seeking to visit or live with family.

Trumps campaign, meanwhile, sent out an email asking people to sign a petition in support of the new order.

As your President, I made a solemn promise to keep America safe, the email signed by Trump said. And I will NEVER stop fighting until we implement the policies you  and millions of Americans like you  voted for.

Democrats and civil liberties groups said Monday that the new order was legally tainted in the same way as the first one: It was a thinly disguised Muslim ban. Trump, in his email, used the phrase radical Islamic terrorism to describe his concern with the countries whose citizens would be blocked from acquiring visas.

That seems to portend more litigation  though how soon remains unclear. The attorney general of Washington state, Bob Ferguson, who successfully sued to have the first ban blocked, said he was still reviewing what to do.

The new order, Ferguson said, represented a significant victory for Washington state because the administration had capitulated on numerous key provisions that we contested in court. But he said state lawyers would need two or three days to see what action they would take in the court case.

(Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Were reviewing it carefully, and still have concerns with the new order, Ferguson said.

The Justice Department argued in a court filing that even if the litigation were to move forward, it should do so at a slower pace, and with the new ban in place. The government noted that visa applicants typically have to wait months and asserted there was no imminent harm from the presidents temporary suspension of the issuance of new visas to certain people.

That assertion, though, did little to assuage the concerns of Democrats and civil liberties groups, who said the new ban was just like the old.

Karen Tumlin, the legal director of the National Immigration Law Center, predicted that federal judges who ordered a restraining order on the earlier ban are likely to do so again, and that pending lawsuits filed by her organization and others will not need to be filed anew. From our vantage point, that litigation lives on, she said.

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman (D), who joined the legal fight against the first ban, said, While the White House may have made changes to the ban, the intent to discriminate against Muslims remains clear.

Omar Jadwat, director of the American Civil Liberties Unions Immigrants Rights Project, said, The only way to actually fix the Muslim ban is not to have a Muslim ban. Instead, President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people.

The revised travel ban also came under quick fire from refugee advocates, who said it unfairly penalizes refugees without improving U.S. security.

President Trump still seems to believe you can determine whos a terrorist by knowing which country a man, woman or child is from, said Grace Meng, an immigration researcher with Human Rights Watch. Putting this executive order into effect will only create a false sense of security that genuine steps are being taken to protect Americans from attack, while undermining the standing of the U.S. as a refuge for those at greatest risk.

Officials from the State, Homeland Security and Justice departments defended the new order as a necessary measure to improve public safety. They said the countries named  Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Syria and Yemen  were either state sponsors of terrorism, or their territories were so compromised that they were effectively havens for terrorist groups. Iraq was omitted, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, because it is an important ally in the fight to defeat ISIS  the Islamic State militant organization  and Iraqs leaders had agreed to implement new, unspecified security measures.

[Iraq, excluded from travel ban, praises new White House executive order]

The ban is among several measures the administration has introduced in the name of border security. Also Monday, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly said he was considering separating undocumented immigrant parents from their children to deter people from trying to enter the country. Those people, he said, are often moved to the United States by a terribly dangerous network that originates in Central America.

Civil rights advocates said Monday that the new bans sudden exclusion of Iraq, as well as the omission of other countries with active terrorist groups  such as Colombia, Venezuela, Pakistan and the Philippines  underscored the bans arbitrariness as a national security measure.

The new order provides other exceptions not contained explicitly in previous versions: for travelers from those countries who are legal permanent residents of the United States, dual nationals who use a passport from another country, and those who have been granted asylum or refugee status. It removes an exception to the refugee ban for members of religious minority groups  which critics had pointed to as evidence the first ban was meant to discriminate against Muslims  and it no longer imposes an indefinite prohibition on travelers from Syria.

Anyone who holds a visa now should be able to get into the country without any problems, although those whose visas expire will have to reapply, officials said.

The order claims that since 2001, hundreds of people born abroad have been convicted of terrorism-related crimes in the United States. It cites two specific examples: Two Iraqi nationals who came to the United States as refugees in 2009, it says, were convicted of terrorism-related offenses, and in October 2014, a Somali native brought to the country as a child refugee was sentenced to 30 years in prison for plotting to detonate a bomb at a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Oregon. That man became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

[Trumps new travel ban still wouldnt have kept out anyone behind deadly U.S. terrorist attacks]

We cannot risk the prospect of malevolent actors using our immigration system to take American lives, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly said.

The new ban also says that more than 300 people who entered the country as refugees were the subject of active counterterrorism investigations. U.S. officials declined to specify the countries of origin of those being investigated, their immigration status, or whether they had been charged with crimes.

Charles Kurzman, a sociology professor who studies violent extremism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said that since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, there have been no fatalities caused by Muslim extremists with family backgrounds in the six countries covered by the new ban. A Department of Homeland Security report assessing the terrorist threat posed by people from the seven countries covered by the presidents original travel ban had cast doubt on the necessity of the executive order, concluding that citizenship was an unreliable threat indicator and that people from the affected countries had rarely been implicated in U.S.-based terrorism.

The Department of Homeland Security official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, criticized the report as being incomplete and not vetted with other agencies, and he said the administration should not be pressed by the judiciary to unveil sensitive national security details to justify the ban.

The order represents an attempt by the Trump administration to tighten security requirements for travelers from nations that officials said represent a terrorism threat. A more sweeping attempt in January provoked mass protests across the country as travelers en route to the United States were detained at airports after the surprise order was announced. The State Department had provisionally revoked tens of thousands of visas all at once.

[Read the fact sheet and Q&A on the new travel executive order]

Officials sought to dismiss the idea that there would be any confusion surrounding the implementation of the new order. They said they delayed implementation so the government could go through the appropriate legal processes and ensure that no government employee would face legal jeopardy for enforcing the order.

The revisions to the order will make it more defensible in court  limiting the number of people with standing to sue  but the changes might not allay all the concerns raised by judges across the country. The three-judge panel with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, for example, said that exempting green-card and current visa holders from the ban would not address the courts concern about U.S. citizens with an interest in noncitizens travel.

The administration, too, will have to wrestle with comments by the president and top adviser Rudolph W. Giuliani that seemed to indicate the intent of the order was to ban Muslims from entering the United States, which could run afoul of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

On the campaign trail, Trump called for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. After the election, Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, said: So when [Trump] first announced it, he said, Muslim ban. He called me up. He said, Put a commission together. Show me the right way to do it legally. 

A federal judge in Virginia referenced those comments in ordering the ban frozen with respect to Virginia residents and institutions, calling it unrebutted evidence that Trumps directive might violate the First Amendment.

Carol Morello, Matea Gold, Missy Ryan, Mark Berman and Rachel Weiner contributed to this report.

Read more:

Federal appeals court rules 3 to 0 against Trump on travel ban

This is what it takes for a refugee to be admitted into the U.S.

Denied Entry: Stories of refugees and immigrants barred from the U.S.
The Marine Corps is investigating the distribution of naked and compromising photos of female Marines on social media, Marine officials said on March 5. (Video: Reuters)

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The Marine Corps is looking into allegations that an unknown number of potential Marines, as well as current and former service members, shared naked and compromising photos of their colleagues on social media, Marine officials said Sunday. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The allegations were first reported by the War Horse and published Saturday through the website Reveal. The author, a Marine veteran and Purple Heart recipient, as well as members of his family, have received numerous death threats since the article was first published. It is unclear how many people are involved in the scandal and how many photos were posted online.

The War Horses report focuses on one Facebook group with more than 30,000 members called Marines United. In January, a link to a shared hard drive containing photos of numerous female Marines in various states of undress was posted to the group, according to the War Horses report. The hard drive contained images, as well as the names and units of the women pictured. Many of the photos were accompanied by derogatory and harassing comments.

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The shared drive has since been taken offline and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating incidents related to the Marines United group, said Capt. Ryan Alvis, a Marine Corps spokesman.

The person who posted the drive was a former Marine working for a defense contractor, said a Marine official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak frankly about the photos. The contractor has since been relieved of his duties.

Photos of Marine Lance Cpl. Marisa Woytek were taken from her Instagram account and posted to Marines United multiple times in the past six months without her consent.

Even if I could, Im never reenlisting, Woytek said. Being sexually harassed online ruined the Marine Corps for me, and the experience.

Woytek said she was alerted to the hijacked photos by others on social media and were shown the comments that accompanied them. She said that many of the comments included allusions to sexual assault and rape.

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Many of her female colleagues have experienced similar incidents, she said, and added that they have been reluctant to speak out for fear of retaliation from the groups thousands of members. With the War Horses report Saturday, Woytek said that she and others have a voice now.

On Sunday, the Marine Corps highest-ranking officer, commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller, did not directly address the investigation of Marines United.

For anyone to target one of our Marines, online or otherwise, in an inappropriate manner, is distasteful and shows an absence of respect, he said in a statement. I expect Marines to give their all to be the best human beings, teammates, and Marines possible.

On Sunday night, lawmakers began to weigh in on the investigation.

This behavior by Marines and former Marines is degrading, dangerous, and completely unacceptable, said Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.), the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. The military men and women who proudly volunteer to serve their country should not have to deal with this kind of reprehensible conduct.

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North Korea launched four missiles Monday morning, a provocative barrage that coincided both with joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises on the southern half of the peninsula and with the opening of the annual National Peoples Congress in China.

The launches follow a remarkable month in which Kim Jong Uns regime tested a solid-fuel rocket that it says is part of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States and in which the regime is accused of assassinating the leaders half brother.

Both actions have angered allies and adversaries in the region, and Mondays launches will only exacerbate that.

Every year this time, they try to do something to defy the exercises, said Bruce Bennett, a North Korea expert at the Rand Corp. in California. This time, I think theyre also interested in making a statement to the Chinese and to let Beijing know this coal ban is going to hurt, he said, referring to Beijings decision last month to stop importing coal from North Korea, cutting off a major economic lifeline.

The four missiles were fired from a known launch site on North Koreas west coast, not far from the border with China, at 7:36 a.m. local time. They flew more than 600 miles across the country before splashing into the sea between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, the Souths Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message to local reporters.

The joint chiefs initially suspected that at least one of the projectiles might have been an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States West Coast, but later backed away from that analysis. A U.S. defense official said the Pentagon does not think the missile was an ICBM.

The U.S. Strategic Command said its systems detected and tracked the projectile but determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America.

[China suspends North Korean coal imports, striking at regimes financial lifeline]

Regardless, the launches have ratcheted up the tensions in the region.

South Korea strongly condemns North Koreas missile launch today as a direct challenge and grave provocation despite warnings by the international community, Hwang Kyo-ahn, the prime minister who is acting president, said during an emergency meeting of the national security council. North Koreas nuclear missile provocation is a real and imminent threat against the lives and safety of South Koreans.

In Japan, the government said three of the missiles had landed perilously close, splashing down within its exclusive economic zone and within about 200 miles of its coastline in Akita prefecture.

These missile launches clearly show that North Korea has developed a new threat, a visibly worried Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo. We will collect information and strongly protest to North Korea.

1 of 69 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  What life looks like inside North Korea View Photos From playing soccer to going to the zoo, a glimpse inside the Hermit Kingdom. Caption From mass dances to going to the zoo, a glimpse inside the Hermit Kingdom. Sept. 9, 2018 Soldiers march in Pyongyang as part of a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of North Koreas foundation. DANISH SIDDIQUI/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

Bennett of Rand said the range of the missiles could have served as a warning to China. The missiles had 12 of Chinas 20 largest cities within reach, he said.

China expressed its dismay over the launch, with a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman saying it opposes launches that undermine U.N. resolutions. Russia, meanwhile, was more blunt, describing itself as seriously worried about the launches which raise tensions in the region.

[Did North Korea just test missiles capable of hitting the U.S.? Maybe.]

North Korea has repeatedly claimed to be working on an ICBM capable of reaching the west coast of the United States and has been making observable progress toward this goal. In his New Years address, Kim said North Korea had entered the final stage of preparation for a test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Regardless of whether Mondays launch was an ICBM, it is just a matter of time until North Korea succeeds in its goal of making one, said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Non-Proliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California.

It doesnt matter if its today or tomorrow or next week or next year  thats where this is heading, Lewis said. But we have no plan other than saying this is unacceptable or that it wont happen, he added, referring to a tweet from President Trump earlier this year.

After Kims statement in a Jan. 1 address that North Korea was working on its ICBM program, Trump tweeted: It wont happen!

His administration is reviewing its policy toward North Korea, which was characterized as strategic patience during the Obama administration  waiting for sanctions to hurt and a humbled Kim to come to the negotiating table.

[North Korean missile launches are adding up to something very troubling]

The latest provocation came as large-scale military exercises, involving more than 320,000 South Korean and U.S. troops and high-tech U.S. firepower, continue in South Korea. They began last week and will continue through the end of April.

In the past year or two, the exercises have become more overtly offensive, with the two militaries practicing decapitation strikes on the North Korean leadership.

North Korea denounced the exercises and warned last week that it was ready to retaliate. North Korea will never remain a passive onlooker to the new U.S. administration overtly revealing its intention to put military pressure on [North Korea] and invade it while crying out for peace by dint of strength,  the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported in a statement it attributed to the Foreign Ministry.

North Korea last month launched an intermediate-range missile, its first since Trump was elected president. The missile appeared to show significant technological advances, with upgraded power and range, and analysts said it could mark another step in the push toward the capacity to hit Alaska or Washington state.

After that, Kims regime is suspected of ordering the assassination on the leaders half brother, Kim Jong Nam, who was attacked with a chemical weapon at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and died within 20 minutes.

The assassination led the Trump administration to cancel visas for North Korean diplomats to go to New York for meetings with former U.S. officials involved in North Korea policy, which would have been the first time in more than five years that such a meeting had taken place on U.S. soil.

Yoonjung Seo in Seoul, Yuki Oda in Tokyo and Missy Ryan in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more

North Korean regime is finding new ways to stop information flows, report says

North Korean leaders half brother suffered a very painful death, Malaysian officials say

Ex-diplomat: Ive known that there was no future for North Korea for a long time

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Special prosecutor Park Young-soo announces the results of an investigation of an influence-peddling scandal involving South Korean President Park Geun-hye. (Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Koreas embattled president colluded with a confidante to extract $37 million from Samsung in return for granting favorable treatment to the corporate behemoth, special prosecutors asserted Monday after a 75-day investigation of the corruption scandal that has been roiling the country.

The damning 101-page report recommends five more charges against Park Geun-hye, taking the total to 13 and paving the way for her to be indicted if she is ejected from office. The Constitutional Court is set to announce, perhaps as soon as Friday, whether it will uphold a parliamentary motion to impeach Park, who has been suspended from duties for three months.

The core purpose of this investigation was to shed light on the chronic collusion between private interests and the government, and to expose cases of abuse of state power for personal gain, Park Young-soo, head of the special prosecution team, told reporters in Seoul on Monday as he released the report.

The special prosecutors indicted 30 people in connection with the corruption and influence-peddling scandal, which has ensnared business chiefs, presidential aides and prosecutors. The affair has also brought to light extraordinary tales of million-dollar horses allegedly given as bribes and Botox injections administered in the presidential Blue House.

The special prosecutors  assigned to investigate the case because the state prosecution was embroiled in the scandal  were unable to complete their inquiry because of Parks refusal to appear and because the prime minister who is doing her job would not extend the time allowed for the inquiry.

South Korea's President Park Geun-hye attends an emergency cabinet meeting at the presidential office on Dec. 9, 2016, in Seoul. (South Korean Presidential Blue House via Getty Images)

The investigation ended, accomplishing just half of what had to be done due to the limited period and uncooperative attitude of those subject to the investigation, the head of the special prosecution team said.

The president, who issued a 52-page rebuttal through her lawyer Monday, refused to be questioned by the special prosecutors regarding her role in the case or to appear before the Constitutional Court.

[South Korean court to begin considering President Park Geun-hyes impeachment]

Although a president can be questioned while in office, the prosecution could not compel her to appear. Nor can Park be indicted while she holds the presidency. The 13 charges that prosecutors would like to press against her, once she becomes a regular citizen again, include abuse of power and receiving bribes.

She can be indicted if impeached  or once her term expires next February if she is exonerated in the impeachment case.

The Constitutional Court, which set itself a deadline of March 13 to decide whether to uphold the National Assemblys motion to impeach Park, will announce Tuesday the date it will deliver its verdict. South Korean media have reported that it will most likely be Friday.

Prosecutors had accused Park of abusing her power, coercing donations and sharing state secrets with Choi Soon-sil, her confidante. But they added five more Monday: three more of abuse of power, one of receiving bribes and one violation of medical law.

South Koreans wearing waterproof clothing, attend a rally against South Korean President Park Geun-hye on a main street in Seoul on March 1. (Yang Ji-Woong/European Pressphoto Agency)

Park, 65, is the daughter of former military strongman Park Chung-hee, who served as president from 1963 to 1979 and oversaw South Koreas transformation into an economic powerhouse by supporting conglomerates such as Samsung and Hyundai. Park is South Koreas first female president and, if she is impeached, would become the first president to be forced out of office.

In that event, a presidential election would be held within 60 days. If she is exonerated, it would be held as scheduled in December.

Even without Parks cooperation, the special prosecutors still charge that the president colluded with her friend Choi to take a total of $37 million in bribes from Samsung in return for approving a merger that would help Lee Jae-yong, the third-generation head of South Koreas largest conglomerate, maintain the familys control.

The presidential Blue House instructed the head of the National Pension Service, a major Samsung shareholder, to vote for the merger, even though the fund lost $120 million in the deal, the report said.

[Scandal shows that Korean disease of corruption is far from cured]

The president also gave Chois associates influential positions, including ambassador to Burma, where the confidante could make money, the report found.

It concluded that Park and Choi had 573 phone calls in a six-month period  between April and October 2016, when the scandal broke  on cellphones registered under other peoples names.

The report also implicated Park in the blacklisting of almost 9,500 left-leaning artists considered critical of her administration, which would prevent them from receiving government grants for their work.

The special investigation team handed over its inquiry to the state prosecutors office Monday, and the office announced it would review the findings.

But Park, through her attorney, again strongly denied any wrongdoing.

The special prosecutors investigation was unfair and lacking in evidence, said the lawyer, Yoo Yeong-ha, and the president decided not to appear for questioning because she could not trust the investigation team after the date originally scheduled for her appearance was leaked to the media.

Park denied knowing anything about Chois alleged efforts to extort money from Samsung or to win business favors for the conglomerate, the statement continued.

Choi, who is on trial, has also denied all wrongdoing.

[Samsung scion to be indicted on bribery charges]

The report detailed specific allegations against Lee, the Samsung heir apparent who was indicted last month and is being held in a small cell outside Seoul.

The special prosecutors concluded that Lee paid $37 million in bribes to Choi and Park, and embezzled $24 million from Samsung units to pay the bribes. Lee also has been accused of transferring almost $7 million abroad to hide the money from prosecutors, and he has been charged with perjury for allegedly lying about it.

If Lee is found guilty of hiding more than $5 million abroad, he could face at least 10 years in prison, special prosecutors have said.

Samsung again strongly denied the accusations. We disagree with the special prosecutors findings, a spokeswoman said in a statement Monday. Samsung has not paid bribes nor made improper requests seeking favors. Future court proceedings will reveal the truth.

Seo reported from Seoul.

Read more

For South Koreas Samsung, 2016 was an explosive year. Literally.

Whats next in South Koreas never-ending political turmoil?

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Elite Iraqi security forces dislodged Islamic State militants from the main government building in Mosul on Tuesday, their last major city stronghold in Iraq, an Iraqi spokesman said.

A special Rapid Response team stormed the Nineveh governorate building and the surrounding government complex in an overnight operation, Lt. Col. Abdel Amir al-Mohammadawi, a spokesman for the elite interior ministry unit, told Reuters.

They killed tens from Daesh, he said, referring to the Islamic State group by one of its Arabic acronyms.

Recapturing the site would help Iraqi forces attack the militants in the nearby old city center and mark a symbolic step toward restoring state authority over Mosul, even though the buildings are destroyed and not being used by Islamic State.

Earlier on Monday, the Iraqi forces captured the second of Mosuls five bridges. All of Mosuls five bridges have been destroyed, but the capture of the remaining parts on the west bank of the Tigris facilitates the movement of forces progressing up the river, which cuts Mosul in two.

The bridge seized, Hurriya, is the second after one located farther south. Its capture shielded the back of the forces advancing toward a nearby complex of government buildings.

Rapid-response and federal police units on Monday took the court of justice and the Nineveh province police directorate buildings, neither of which were used by the Islamic State.

Recapturing the area would help Iraqi forces attack the militants in the old city and mark a symbolic step toward restoring state authority over Mosul.

The battle for Mosul, which started in mid-October, will enter a more complicated phase in the densely populated old city, where, the Iraqi military believes, several thousand militants are among the remaining civilian population. Aid agencies estimated that 750,000 civilians remained at the start of the latest offensive.

Iraqi forces captured the eastern side of Mosul in January after 100 days of fighting and launched their attack on the districts west of the Tigris last month.

The militants have barricaded streets with civilian vehicles and rigged them with explosives to hinder the advance of Iraqi forces, who were also met with sniper, machine-gun and mortar fire, as well as explosives dropped from drones.

Lined up against the militants in Mosul is a 100,000-strong force of Iraqi troops, Kurdish peshmerga fighters and Iranian-trained Shiite paramilitary groups.

More than 40,000 people have fled their homes in the past week, bringing the total number of displaced since the start of the offensive to nearly 210,000, according to the United Nations.
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

1. ANGRY WEEKEND COMPOUNDS TRUMP'S FRUSTRATIONS

Exasperated by leaks, errant messaging and his attorney general landing in hot water, the president fires off a series of tweets that only ensure more distractions.

2. NEW TRAVEL BAN APPEARS IMMINENT

The White House is expected to release a revised executive order temporarily barring the entry of people from certain Muslim-majority countries and halting the nation's refugee program.

3. NORTH KOREA FIRES FOUR MISSILES INTO THE SEA

The launch is an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.

4. HOW NORTH CAROLINA CHURCH THWARTED INVESTIGATORS

Several times, authorities probed reports that members of a secretive evangelical church were being beaten. And each time, church leaders ordered congregants to lie, the former members tell the AP.

5. MALAYSIA EXPELS NORTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR

It's the latest sign of fraying relations between the countries over the poisoning of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half brother of North Korea's leader.

6. WHAT'S MISSING AMID POMP IN BEIJING

Well out of sight during the annual gathering of the Chinese parliament are the lawyers, rights activists and others whose detentions point to the country's increasingly restrictive atmosphere.

7. $2.3B DEAL REALIGNS EUROPE'S AUTO INDUSTRY

French automaker PSA is buying General Motors' money-losing European car business, creating Europe's No. 2 automaker after Volkswagen.

8. WHO'S WOOING, WINNING PAKISTAN

The U.S. ally is being drawn deeper into China's embrace and its promise of $46 billion in energy, infrastructure and industry investments.

9. EX-COP LINKS PHILIPPINE LEADER TO KILLINGS

A retired Philippine officer, testifying during a nationally televised Senate inquiry, links President Duterte, when he was a mayor, and his men to nearly 200 killings.

10. WHICH FLICK TOPPED WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

"Logan," the R-rated "X-Men" starring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, rakes in $85.3 million  among the biggest March openings ever.
Annapurna Group takes over Jagatpur

Annapurna Group of Hotels has taken over the management of Jagatpur Lodge in Chitwan.
Photo credit: McLaren

From Road & Track

McLaren's biggest news for 2017 might be the new Super Series, which is the first full replacement for their original design, the 12C. But while we're all excited to see it in the flesh next week at Geneva, it's worth noting that this year also marks the F1's 25th anniversary, and without that car, McLaren Automotive probably wouldn't even exist today. Luckily, Woking is more than happy to show us one of the rarest F1s just before we can turn our attention towards the 720S.

Andrew Bagnall spent his life racing Ford and Toyota touring cars in Australia as well as numerous Porsches at Le Mans. Around ten years ago, he also had the opportunity to purchase one of the rarest McLaren F1s on the planet: Chassis #18, a 1994 car in dark silver specified from the factory with the High Downforce Kit, as well as the 680 horsepower LM engine that revs to 8500 instead of 7500rpm. That must be entertaining with a tachometer that only goes up to 8000, and one of main reasons why he won't part with it:

I've owned, raced, driven a lot of nice cars and most of them pass on to someone else after a few years, but this car is so extraordinary and I just love it so much every time I hop into it that I would feel real loss if I let it go.

Photo credit: McLaren

According to its owner, being an LM-spec BMW V12 with the HDF upgrades, the bigger wheels and the more advanced suspension also transforms #18 into a serious weapon on both road and track:

The HDF kit makes a difference to the way the car handles. You really notice the extra downforce when you're driving at speed on a circuit. The modifications have turned it from a comfortable, easy roadgoing car to a very taut quasi-racing machine for the road. It changes gear with a snap like no other car on the planet.

No doubt!

Of course since the nineties, at least six other F1s got upgraded with either the entire High Downforce Kit, or parts of it like the permanent rear wing. #18 is special because it has had every go fast part since day one, and while Mr. Bagnall tries to take it out for a spin at least once a month, he also needs to find wide enough back roads to open up his equally silver McLaren P1. Best garage in New Zealand?

Story continues

For more images, head over to McLaren's blog.

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The 9th Annual American Lung Association in Wisconsin Fight for Air Climb is returning to the US Bank Center in Downtown Milwaukee. This event is the #1 Fight for Air Climb in the nation! They have a very ambitious goal of $725,000 this year that will go to fight lung disease. Joining us to discuss the event and how you can get involved are Climb committee member Cathy Schulze along with Kendyll Kloskowski who has asthma and her mom, Michelle. The 2017 Fight for Air Climb takes place on Saturday, March 18 at the US Bank Center in Downtown Milwaukee. For more information or to register, visit FightForAirClimb.org. And if you use the code MBCLIMB17, you can get $10 off your registration fee!
Aden (AFP) - At least 22 Shiite Huthi rebels were killed Monday in an air strike by pro-government Arab coalition warplanes as well as clashes in western Yemen, officials said.

The strike on a military base in the city of Bajil, northeast of provincial capital Hodeida on the Red Sea, killed 16 rebels, said a medical official and a military source.

The raid by warplanes from the Saudi-led Arab coalition wounded 23 others, the sources in Hodeida said.

To the south, clashes between the rebels and loyalists near the city of Mokha left six insurgents dead, according to the same sources who said their bodies were taken to a morgue in Hodeida.

Troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi took Mokha on February 10 and announced they aimed to push north and take the country's main Red Sea port of Hodeida next.

Allied with forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Iran-backed Huthis control most of Yemen's 450-kilometre (280-mile) Red Sea coast, the capital Sanaa and much of the northern highlands.

The Arab coalition mounted a military campaign against the rebels in March 2015 when insurgents closed in on Hadi in his refuge in the southern city of Aden.

More than 7,500 people have been killed in the conflict since then, according to the United Nations.
TULSA, Okla. (AP)  A 5-year-old girl is bound for the Scripps National Spelling Bee after becoming the youngest winner of a regional competition in Oklahoma.

Edith Fuller won the Tulsa-area contest by correctly spelling jnana (juh-nah-nuh). Merriam-Webster defines the word as meaning knowledge acquired through meditation in the Hindu tradition.

The Tulsa World reports (http://bit.ly/2mcFYmD ) Edith beat out more than 50 other elementary and middle school students Saturday. Edith is home-schooled and represented the TBC Home Education Fellowship in the bee.

Edith's mother Annie Fuller tells the newspaper she's glad her daughter held her own. The girl says she feels thankful.
Milestone moments do not a year make. Often, its the smaller news stories that add up, gradually, to big history. With that in mind, in 2017 TIME History will revisit the entire year of 1967, week by week, as it was reported in the pages of TIME, to see how it all comes together. Catch up on last weeks installment here.

Week 10: March 10, 1967

When magazine magnate Henry Luce died at 68 on Feb. 28, 1967  almost exactly 44 years after the date on the cover of the first issue of TIME  his final memo to the magazines editors was still in transit. Luce, who had founded TIME with his Yale classmate Briton Hadden in the years after World War I, had already begun to delegate his duties at the company. (In 1960, he ceded corporate control of Time Inc. and in 1964 he stepped down as Editor in Chief of TIME.) Nevertheless, he remained closely tied to the daily operations of the publications he had launched.

Such a set-up made sense, as TIME and its sister publications had borne Luces fingerprints since their founding. One place where that deep involvement could be seen, the magazines remembrance explained, was in the way his magazines reflected his sense of right and wrong  moral rectitude but also factual correctness.

And that was something worth noting:

When TIME was founded, the nations technology and communications had far outstripped its daily newspapers, which remained local, parochial and, for the most part, ineffably stodgy; the few magazines of comment were not widely circulated. I do not know any problem in journalism, Luce said later, which can be usefully isolated from the profoundest questions of mans fate. Yet, he allowed mischievously: I am all for titillating trivialities. I am all for the epic touch. I could almost say that everything in TIME should be either titillating or epic or starkly, supercurtly factual. TIMEs blend of the epic and the titillating, its telling of news in terms of people, its belief that medicine, art, business, religion, education and many other aspects of everyday life that were largely ignored by the daily press were all newsworthy in themselves, made the magazine a success almost from the start. Most important of all was its founders guiding concept that the newspapermans sacrosanct objectivity was a myth. Asked once why TIME did not present two sides to a story, Luce replied: Are there not more likely to be three sides or 30 sides?

Story continues

Luces journalistic theory certainly appealed to readers. One telling anecdote from the 1967 remembrance recalls how the launch of LIFE in 1936 nearly killed Time Inc.  it was so successful that the company could barely afford the paper needed to print enough copies to satisfy demand. Luce would later reflect on the importance of that success: I have sometimes said to myself that the one thing I was determined to do was to make journalist a good word. And today it, is a good word.

Its also worth reading the full letter from the staff that appeared at the front of the issue, too, for personal recollections of what it was like to work with Luce.

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter

Vietnam update: After a brief period of optimism about the prospect of peace in Vietnam, the war had once again turned bleak. Though President Johnson wouldnt say that new moves constituted escalation of military involvement, TIME reported that he admitted that recent violence had been more far-reaching than had previously been the case, as many in Washington showed signs of losing faith that an end could be achieved via negotiation. But that belief was far from universal: Bobby Kennedy, then a Senator, spoke out with a major speech urging a halt to bombing.

Nazis found: A story in the world-news section related how Simon Wiesenthal, in pursuit of Nazi war criminals, had tracked down Franz Stangl, an infamous leader of the Treblinka concentration camp. After paying an informant, Wiesenthal was able to direct Brazilian police to Stangls home in Sao Paulo, where they took the Austrian fugitive  who was No. 4 on Wiesenthals list of most-wanted Nazis  into custody.

Window to the past: A new fad touted in the modern living section traced the 1920s origins of tinted car windows as purdah glass that allowed observant Muslim and Hindu women to travel in cars without violating their religious seclusion. By 1967, however, the technology was popular among celebrities in London  even though those who used it had discovered an inherent problem with it. It is so noticeable that the instantly curious flock around to try penetrating its secrets, TIME noted, let an ordinary clear-windowed car go by without a second glance.

Great vintage ad: This AT&T ad  about how wrong numbers are annoying  shows that everyone who tweets at his or her cable company is part of a long history of annoyance with service providers.

Coming up next week: The Redgraves
'My 600-Lb Life' Nicole Lewis: Emotional Struggles Led To Food Addiction

The latest season of My 600-Lb Life features the story of Nicole Lewis, who weighed nearly 684 pounds when she wrote to TLC. Her obesity has had numerous major impacts on her lifestyle, including the fact that, because she could no longer fit into her bathtub or shower, in order to bathe, her boyfriend had to hose her off on the porch of their home. Daily Mail reports that Nicole had gastric sleeve surgery about six months ago and has lost 163 pounds since.

My 600-Lb Life follows the Ohio mother of two through her weight loss journey. Before deciding to take the steps necessary to lose weight, Nicole found herself unable to care for toddlers Jayden and Shelby. At the age of 23, she talked about the life that led to her food addiction and some of the changes she had to make to lose the weight.

Click here to continue and read more...
Family members of a pair of 97-year-old twin sisters who died after falling near each other in the freezing weather this weekend say they find comfort in knowing the two best friends spent their final moments together.

Police said Martha Williams and her twin sister Jean Haley were both found unresponsive Saturday morning outside a Rhode Island home after they both appeared to have tripped overnight. Williams was lying face down on the driveway of Haleys home while her sister was discovered nearby inside the garage, the Barrington Police Department said in a statement.

Authorities believe Williams fell first while walking to her car the night before and Haley may have tripped on a rug in the garage while trying to call for help inside the house. Barrington Police Chief John LaCross said the women were no more than 25 feet away from each other.

They came into life together and they died together, John Haley, one of Jean Haleys sons, told TIME on Monday. It was kind of a comforting feeling to know they were still together. Thats the way they came in and thats the way they went out.

The twins died after going out for dinner together with another sister who had left before the accidents. It was very much a shock to us, said Jean Haleys daughter-in-law, Jessica Haley.

John Haley said he rushed to the hospital to find both sisters lying in gurneys next to each other. He said he asked doctors to keep them together even after they were declared dead.

The twin sisters were best friends, always and lived within a few miles of each other their whole lives. They did everything together, John Haley said.

Authorities said foul play is not suspected. Their causes of death are unclear, although police said extreme cold temperatures on the night they fell may have been contributing factors. Temperatures were below freezing overnight, according to the Providence Journal. Autopsy results are still pending, the coroners office said Monday.

John Haley said the women, who were healthy and active, were outside for about 11 hours before they were found. He said while loved ones are grieving the loss of the two sisters, they believe both would have preferred to die together than live without each other.

Twins have something special, John Haley said. The way we look at it too, if one of them had gone before the other one, they would have been miserable. Its kind of beautiful in a way.
Bheri-Babai projects construction resumes

Construction of much-delayed Bheri-Babai Multipurpose Project resumed on Sunday after a hiatus of more than a week due to a dispute between Nepali and Chinese workers.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A family of refugees from Afghanistan detained by immigration officials at Los Angeles International Airport last week even though they held valid visas will be released, their attorney said Monday. Public Counsel attorney Talia Inlender, who is part of a team of lawyers representing the couple and their three young children, said the family would be released Monday. The couple and their children were granted Special Immigrant Visas in return for work the father performed for the U.S. government in Afghanistan that put the family's lives at risk, the International Refugee Assistance Project said in its court filing seeking their release. But upon arrival in Los Angeles on Thursday, they were detained by agents of U.S. Customers and Border Protection. (Reporting by Sue Horton; Writing by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by James Dalgleish)
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan has ordered a network of schools run by an organization regarded with suspicion by the Turkish government to be transferred to a foundation approved by Ankara, Afghan officials said. The move against Afghan Turk CAG Educational NGO (ATCE), the body that runs the schools, appears to be part of Turkey's campaign against followers of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based cleric it accuses of being behind a coup attempt in July. ATCE, which says it is an independent organization, runs schools in several cities including the capital, Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif, Kandahar and Herat and has been in Afghanistan since 1995. Acting Education Minister Shafiq Samim said the Turkish government had asked for the schools to be placed under the management of a so-called "Vakif", a Turkish educational and charitable foundation. He said there would be a "gradual transition" of staff but the government would not expel any of the schools' Turkish teachers. "Turkish teachers are our guests and there has not been any decision to expel them," he told a news conference on Saturday, adding that the schools would continue to operate. ATCE Chairman Numan Erdogan said his organization had not yet received any government notification, and would challenge any decision to take away management of the schools. "We have nothing to do with developments in Turkey, none of our teachers is implicated and any allegations against us about that are baseless," he said. Last year, shortly before a visit to Islamabad by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistan ordered Turkish teachers at schools run by a body called PakTurk International Schools and Colleges to leave the country. Gulen, a former ally of Erdogan who nows lives in self-imposed exile in the United States, promotes a moderate form of Islam, supporting inter-faith communication and Western-style education and inspiring schools in different parts of the world. In the wake of July's attempted coup, the Turkish president branded him a "terrorist" and pressed other countries to move against him and his supporters. Turkey has donated around $1 billion in development aid to Afghanistan since 2004, according to the ministry of foreign affairs and is one of the country's most important economic partners, with ethnic and cultural links in the north. It also provides more than 500 troops to the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan. (Reporting by Mirwais Harooni and James Mackenzie; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
SELMA, Ala. (AP)  Throngs of people converged in the city of Selma, Alabama, for the annual re-enactment of a key event in the civil rights movement.

Sunday marks the 52nd anniversary of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge over the Alabama River in Selma. On March 7, 1965, African-Americans seeking voting rights launched a march across the bridge en route to Montgomery but were attacked by police. That violent episode became known as "Bloody Sunday."

The march is credited with helping build momentum for passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. Attendees included the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill and North Carolina NAACP President Dr. William Barber.

WFSA-TV (http://bit.ly/2lPWFDi ) reports that a number of Selma church services kicked off Bridge Crossing Jubilee events including at the historic Brown Chapel where speakers remembered the battle for African American voting rights and the role the Chapel played in that fight.

Merrill's speech however upset some audience members. He told onlookers that the state has been working to create more opportunities for people to obtain photo identification and get registered to vote by going to various sites throughout the state.

"We want to make sure that every eligible U.S. citizen that is a resident of Alabama is registered to vote and has a photo ID so they can participate in the electoral process at they level that they want to participate," Merrill said.

Multiple spectators called out in opposition several times of having a photo ID including in the voting process. Many walked out of the church service while Merrill was still talking including NAACP president Barber, according to WFSA.

"Standing on this historic ground, where people died for voting rights, we cannot accept this hypocrisy of voter suppression," Barber said.

The service continued, despite the moments of tension, with Congresswoman Sewell calling for unity and activism and other leaders asking for respect and peace.

Story continues

This year's march re-enactment was planned despite a dispute over city fees that forced organizers to change plans for a festival-like event leading up to the bridge-crossing commemoration.

The city asked for thousands of dollars to cover the costs of police, fire and cleanup workers, but Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, and other leaders of the event refused to pay. Instead, they moved a music festival to private property rather than holding it on a blocked city street as in past years.

Organizers of an annual Civil War re-enactment held in Selma canceled their event when presented with a similar bill from the city.

This year's crowd for the bridge crossing was expected to be far smaller than the one in 2015, when then-President Barack Obama and his family led tens of thousands of marchers on the 50th anniversary weekend.
Former Trump "supporter" Carter Page was on Anderson Cooper 360.

Anderson Cooper 360 had Carter Page on the program last Friday to discuss his role in Trumps campaign and his connection with Russian officials even while denying that he ever had any meetings with any of them.

Prior to the interview with Anderson Cooper, Carter Page had been on the PBS Newshour  the first time in quite a while that he had been asked about the relationship  soon after former member of Trumps National Security Council Gen. Michael Flynn had resigned, over what many felt were over his secret calls with Russian officials as reported by The New York Times.

CNN journalist and host of Anderson Cooper 360 at a network event. [Image by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP Images]

Both Anderson Cooper and Carter Page are parts of groups engaged in public combat with each other, where Cooper is with CNN, a news network that President Trump has attacked as fake news, and Page as a former Trump campaign supporter, who was as combative in the interview as those in the Trump group.

Click here to continue and read more...
Appearing calm and solemn, two young women accused of smearing VX nerve agent on the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were charged with murder last week. The women  one from Indonesia, the other from Vietnam  are at the center of a bizarre killing at a Kuala Lumpur airport terminal. Many speculate the attack was orchestrated by North Korea, but Pyongyang denies any role.

In other images from the Asia-Pacific region last week, Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko traveled to Vietnam for a visit to promote goodwill and soothe some of the wounds of World War II by meeting with the abandoned wives of former Japanese soldiers. Akihito and Michiko met with a wife and 15 children of former Japanese soldiers in Hanoi.

Saudi King Salman began a tour of Asian countries to advance the kingdom's economic and business interests. Saudi Arabia pledged $1 billion in development finance for Indonesia and expanded cooperation in other areas, deepening ties with Southeast Asia's biggest economy as the king and a huge entourage arrived in the world's most populous Muslim nation for a nine-day visit.

The families of those onboard missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 launched efforts to raise at least $15 million to fund a private search as they marked the third anniversary of the plane's disappearance.

The Philippine defense chief and two other Cabinet members toured a U.S. aircraft carrier patrolling the disputed South China Sea on the invitation of the Navy.

___

This gallery was curated by Associated Press photo editor Wally Santana in Bangkok.
Things are finally looking up for The Survivors on The Walking Dead. After their capture, Rick struck a deal with The Scavengers and it looks like this may be the start of a beautiful friendship  if only they can figure out how to keep Jadis happy.

Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) kick off Season 7, episode 12 of the AMC series on a quest for guns and supplies. They stumble upon a compound they think looks promising and boy, are they right. They crash land inside one of the buildings on the carnival grounds and get way more than they bargained for.

Theyve fallen into a food supply shed. The Survivors fearless leaders find themselves surrounded by canned food and ready to eat meals made for soldiers. They decide to fill their bellies and try to get a good nights sleep before collecting the weapons and heading back.

Their initial plan for taking on the hoard of walkers fails, forcing them to come up with another. Rick and Michonne split up. They use barriers once meant to guard carnival rides serve as temporary protection while they cut off zombies heads.

Richonne

Photo: AMC

Trouble strikes a second time when Rick gets distracted by a deer in the distance. He climbs a ferris wheel for a better view, falls and appears to be dinner for a hungry pack of zombies. Michonne is about ready to give up hope, when Rick emerges from a small hiding spot. The deer, however, isnt so lucky.

Its clear, as Rick and Michonne are leaving the fairgrounds with their loot, that their new reality is taking a toll on them. Rick addresses the snafu that almost cost him his life, revealing that his guilt has been keeping him up. Michonne seems ready to call it quits, but Rick is there to remind her why theyre fighting.

You asked me what kind of life we had just surrendering. It wasnt. It wasnt a life....You showed me that, he says. You can lose me. I can lose you. We can lose our friends, people we love. Its not about us anymore. Its about a future.

Story continues

With that, the couple heads back to The Scavengers trash fortress to present Jadis (Pollyanna Macintosh) and her silent band of soldiers with their haul. Rick is furious when his captor isn't pleased with the 63 guns and heaps of food theyve found and inventoried. He convinces her to let them keep 20 guns and agrees to go out looking for more.

Yes. More soon. Will fight, Jadis says, suggesting theyll go into battle against Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) with The Survivors.

Jadis

Photo: AMC

Michonne urges Rick to take a few more days before putting his plan to take down The Saviors evil leader into action. He agrees, but not everyone likes this idea. Rosita (Christian Serratos) is ready to fight  now.

As promised in the preview, shes taking matters into her own hands. She picks a massive gun with a scope from the weapons haul and presents it to Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green), promising to let her take the fatal shot. They agree to storm the Saviors headquarters together, knowing they may not make it out alive.

Im ready to kill him, but I need to make sure you know what this means, Sasha says. They cant catch us alive. If they do, we give them something.

In other words, things are getting real on "The Walking Dead." Tune in to AMC next Sunday at 9 p.m. EST for more.

Rosita

Photo: AMC

Related Articles
Gold Smuggling: Case filed against 12 suspects

The government attorney on Sunday filed cases against 12 gold smugglers, charging them with organised crime based on the findings of a two-month long investigation.
Jerusalem (AFP) - A top Arab Israeli politician on Monday defended naming a street in northern Israel after the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to remove it.

The small Arab Israeli town of Jatt recently inaugurated Yasser Arafat Street in honour of the former Palestinian president, a hero to Palestinians and many Arab Israelis but loathed by many Israeli Jews.

On Sunday, the Jatt counial street signs", including the Arafat sign, and rcil decided to remove "all the controversial street signs", including the Arafat sign, and replace them with different names, according to a report on Channel 10 television.

The local municipality did not comment on Monday, but Israeli media reported signage had been removed after Netanyahu's threat.

Ayman Odeh, head of the predominantly Arab Joint List coalition in the Israeli parliament, said Arafat was a "symbol".

"He is a leader of the national liberation movement and he chose peace and negotiations and he won the Nobel Peace Prize," Odeh told journalists.

"It is completely your right to say 'I am completely against this man'," he added, but said streets in Jewish neighbourhoods had sometimes been named after far-right politicians and even assailants.

"I cannot accept this is OK but calling a street after Yasser Arafat is not OK."

Arab Israelis are descendants of Palestinians who remained after Israel's creation in 1948, and account for about 17.5 percent of the country's eight million population.

Jatt has a population of some 11,000.

Speaking at the start of a Sunday cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said "no street in the state of Israel will be named after murderers of Israelis and Jews".

"We will make the arrangements, including new legislation if need be, so that this does not happen here."

Arafat rose to become the leader of the Palestinian movement after the creation of Israel, leading an armed struggle against it in which thousands died.

Decades later he disavowed violence and famously shook hands with Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin on the White House lawn, although the peace the Oslo accords were supposed to bring never materialised.
Buenos Aires (AFP) - A son and daughter of Argentina's ex-president Cristina Kirchner went before a judge on Monday in a corruption scandal embroiling one of the country's most powerful families.

On Tuesday the ex-leader herself is called for questioning in a probe into the family's business affairs.

Federal judge Claudio Bonadio summoned Kirchner's daughter Florencia, 26, and son Maximo, 40, over their roles in the family's real estate company, Los Sauces.

The two suspects presented written statements in which they denied the allegations.

Hundreds of supporters rallied in their support at the court.

Ex-president Kirchner is charged with illicit association and fraudulent administration.

She is alleged to have favored a construction magnate for public contracts in Patagonia, her southern political bastion.

Kirchner says the charges are politically motivated.

She left office in late 2015 and was replaced by conservative President Mauricio Macri.
The 2017 Michigan Horse Expo will be held on March 10-12 at the MSU Pavilion. It is one of the largest 3-day equine expos in the country. There will be hundreds of quality vendors to shop from as well as speakers and horse experts. For more information, visit michiganhorseexpo.org. If you have an event to share, send us an email at aroundtown@fox47news.com.
AUSTIN, Tex.  Hilda Ramirez and her son, Ivan, illegally crossed the border two and a half years ago in a small inflatable raft that began to take on water almost as soon as it hit the Rio Grande. They had come hundreds of miles, fleeing an unimaginable life of violence in their native Guatemala, where Ramirez  who had given birth after being raped  was escaping death threats from her assailants father, a man she said had murdered his own wife and now wanted custody of her child.

The two nearly drowned on their way across the river, but risking death to escape near-certain death was worth it to Ramirez, who saw the United States as their only chance at salvation. Eventually plucked from the water by the Border Patrol, she and Ivan were sent to a South Texas detention center along with hundreds of other Central American women who had crossed into the U.S. illegally to escape intolerable violence  and who, like her, were seeking asylum. (Ramirezs account, like those told by many who cross into the U.S., could not be independently verified.)

Ramirez was released from the immigration facility after nearly a year with an ankle monitor on her right leg. But a few months later, while living in a safe house in Austin, she and her son lost their bids for asylum. Under the threat of being deported back to Guatemala, they took shelter here last spring at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church on the citys north side, where the congregation had installed bunk beds in the Sunday school teachers tiny office and offered them sanctuary.

It is here that Ramirez, 29, and Ivan, who is now 10, spend most of their days. Though the mother and son received a stay in their cases last November, erasing the imminent threat of deportation, they are scared to venture far, worried that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers  who know exactly where Ramirez is because of her ankle monitor  could still take them away. Ivans only time outside of the church is when he goes to school, which is considered a safe place. He is not allowed to participate in extracurricular activities or hang out with friends because of fears he could be detained.

Story continues

Ramirezs situation is not directly affected by the administrations temporary ban on travel to the U.S. from some majority-Muslim countries  originally imposed in January, stayed by a federal court, and reinstated in a new form Monday. But Trumps hard line on immigration has mobilized many church groups that oppose it  opposition that also takes the form of offering sanctuary to refugees like Ramirez and her son.

Hilda and her son arent even 5 feet tall, yet President Trump has made people afraid of them, calling them criminals when they are just trying to escape violence, said Jim Rigby, the longtime pastor of St. Andrews. And when you are helping someone who is considered a criminal, giving them shelter, you can be charged. Theres a risk here, but we wont turn them away. To me, you cant call yourself a church if you dont open your doors when there is a need.

Rigby and his church staff have taken greater precautions in recent weeks to keep Ramirez and her son safe. Members of the church, which sits at a major intersection just off Interstate 35, have covered its back fence with a tarp to prevent people from seeing into the back windows of the sanctuary where the mother and her son live.

Under the Obama administration, churches were considered a safe place for undocumented immigrants because official policy said immigration agents would not arrest people there. But its unclear whether that directive is still in place under the more aggressive policy pursued by the agency under Trump.

Local police cars are often parked in the churchs parking lot, with officers watching for speeding motorists. But now Rigby eyes them with suspicion, worried they could be there for other reasons. He has trained his staff what to do if ICE agents were to show up, including how to form a human chain to try to stop agents if they attempt to take Ramirez or her son away.

St. Andrews is one of a growing number of churches in Austin and around the country that are forming so-called sanctuary networks to shelter undocumented immigrants as the administration prepares to deliver on Trumps campaign pledge to deport people who are in the country illegally. As many as a dozen churches here are now exploring ways to give refuge to undocumented immigrants  especially those like Ramirez, who fled their countries to escape violence.

The churches are part of a national movement that began in response to immigration enforcement under President Barack Obama, who deported more undocumented immigrants than any of his predecessors. But the enforcement has intensified under Trump. According to the Church World Service  a religious ministry that helps refugees and immigrants  before last years election, about 400 churches around the country had indicated their members were willing to offer sanctuary. After November, that number doubled to 800 and is still growing.

That includes New Season Christian Worship Center in Sacramento, Calif., headed by Pastor Sam Rodriguez Jr., who met with Trump several times during the campaign as part of an evangelical advisory group and who delivered an invocation at his inauguration ceremony in January. Rodriguez, who is also head of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said Trump had told him he would pursue a compassionate approach to immigration enforcement, including not separating families. What has taken place in the past two weeks does not respect the presidents promise, Rodriguez told Time magazine last week as his church set up cots to protect undocumented immigrants who are scared of being detained.

On Monday, Trump signed a new executive order designed to withstand legal scrutiny  this one exempting people from Iraq and removing the ban on Syrian refugees, but still temporarily slowing the flow of arrivals from six Muslim-majority countries  which is likely to spur controversy. Unlike the previous order, this one exempts current green card holders and those who have already been granted asylum or refugee status. Other parts of the order remain firmly intact, including Trumps decision to reduce the number of resettlements this year from the originally planned 110,000 to 50,000  a detail that has sparked shock and anger among churches and religious groups that work to resettle refugees in the U.S.

Last Friday, the Church World Service and National Council of Churches, which represent nearly 40 Protestant and Orthodox Christian denominations, launched a campaign to mobilize its collective 30 million American congregants to lobby Trump and members of Congress against the travel ban. Hundreds of evangelical pastors have signed letters opposing the ban, including one that ran as a full-page ad in the Washington Post.

In a briefing last month with members of Congress, Galen Carey, chief Washington lobbyist of the National Association of Evangelicals, acknowledged Trumps concern about national security but pointed out that refugees are subject to strenuous vetting. Like immigrants who come here voluntarily, refugees overwhelming express deep gratitude for the opportunity to rebuild their lives in peace and freedom, he said. Refugees have fled terror and violence. The last thing they would want to do is to perpetuate violence in their new homeland. They are our most patriotic citizens.

But a recent Pew Research Center poll suggests there is a divide between church leadership and its congregants  and significant splits among different denominations  regarding Trumps approach to refugees. While the survey found a majority of those polled (59 percent) disapproved of the ban, the survey found 76 percent of self-identified white evangelical Protestants supported the ban as it was originally presented.

A majority of Catholics (62 percent) disapproved of the ban, according to the poll. But broken down by race, the results told a different story: White Catholics were split (50 percent approve; 49 percent disapprove), while Hispanics and other ethnic minorities were overwhelmingly against the travel restrictions.

In Austin, a town that has been historically welcoming of undocumented immigrants and refugees, Trumps crackdown has prompted anger and sadness at churches that have worked with both groups for years. Last month, the parishioners of St. Michaels Episcopal Church welcomed a family of Syrian refugees  a man, his wife and their four daughters  who had been waiting for years to come to America from the war-torn country.

The family almost didnt make it. Caught up in the turmoil of Trumps original travel ban, the six were stuck in limbo for more than a week after being stopped from boarding their original flight to Texas from Jordan. Now, with the help of the church and a refugee assistance agency, they are starting new lives in America, learning English, enrolling the kids in school and eventually finding work.

I think they were stunned to see all of us at the airport, Rev. Sherry Vaughn Williams, a deacon at St. Michaels who leads the churchs refugee ministry, said. But we were so happy because we didnt know if we would ever get them here.

But it was also a bittersweet moment. Williams, who has spent 15 years working to resettle refugees in the U.S, is upset that Trumps policies  especially limits on the number of refugees who enter the country  could potentially upend ministries aimed at helping those in need.

Its appalling. Its just not who we are as a country, she said. A lot of us have faith that all people are worthy, and that we need to take care of one another. It just makes you sad and angry to think that people who have been through horrible things, that our country is turning away from them. It just doesnt feel American.

Meanwhile, Rigby does what he can to protect the mother and son in his care, but fears it may not be enough. Every time he says goodbye to Ramirez and Ivan, he worries it might be the last time  fear that has only increased in recent weeks. You just dont know what could happen when you walk out the door, he said. I worry about getting that phone call in the middle of the night that someone has come and taken these poor people away. Every single night, I worry.

Texas officials have thought about ways to stop churches from doing what Rigby is doing  including stripping organizations of tax-exempt status or arresting pastors and parishioners who, they argue, are breaking federal law by harboring undocumented immigrants. But the longtime pastor says the risks are worth it.

How can you call yourself a Christian if you dont stand up for people who need help? he asked.

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By Jane Chung and Tom Polansek SEOUL/CHICAGO (Reuters) - South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong have limited imports of U.S. poultry after the United States detected its first case this year of avian flu on a commercial chicken farm, South Korea's government and a U.S. trade group said on Monday. South Korea will ban imports of U.S. poultry and eggs after a strain of H7 bird flu virus was confirmed on Sunday at a chicken farm in Tennessee, South Korea's agriculture ministry said. Japan and Taiwan will block poultry from the state, while Hong Kong will restrict imports from the Tennessee county where the infected flock was located, said James Sumner, president of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council, a trade group. The limits will reduce the potential for major U.S. chicken companies, such as Tyson Foods Inc and Pilgrim's Pride, to sell poultry overseas. The Tennessee farm infected with avian flu was contracted to sell birds to Tyson. South Korea's import ban took effect on Monday, the agriculture ministry said in a statement. Live poultry and eggs are subject to the ban, while heat-treated chicken meat and egg products can still be imported, the statement noted. South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy, has been importing eggs from the United States as its worst-ever bird flu, or avian influenza (AI), outbreak has tightened the country's egg supplies. So far this year South Korea has shipped in nearly 1,049 tonnes of U.S. eggs, according to ministry data, accounting for more than 98 percent of its total egg imports as of March 3. Sumner said South Korea's decision to prohibit shipments of U.S. shell eggs was disappointing. Its move to continue imports of certain processed egg products was "good because Korea's got this terrible AI problem and they were definitely in need of eggs," he said. South Korea resumed U.S. poultry imports in June last year after imposing a ban in early 2016 when bird flu cases were detected in the United States. The resumption of the U.S. import ban means South Korea can import chicken meat from Brazil, Chile, Australia, Canada, the Philippines and Thailand. Live poultry imports are limited to farm birds from New Zealand, Australia and Canada. (Editing by Richard Pullin and Matthew Lewis)
VIENNA (AP)  Austrian law-enforcement officials say police have detained five people suspected of radical Islamic sentiments or activities.

Austrian anti-terror official Roland Scherscher says they were taken into custody by SWAT units in the city of St. Poelten, west of Vienna, in several separate raids. All are around 20 years old.

State prosecutor Karl Wurzer said the five were arrested Monday in connection with an investigation into Islamic extremism. He gave no details.

The five are not being identified in accordance with Austrian privacy laws.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Bahrain's government filed a lawsuit Monday to dissolve a secular political party, the second-such organization it has targeted in the last year as part of an intense crackdown on opposition in the island nation.

Meanwhile, a Bahraini activist who jumped on the king's car during a protest in London last year said two of his family members still on the island were arrested "to take their revenge on me."

The country's Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry accused the Waad party in a statement of "incitement of acts of terrorism and promoting (the) violent and forceful overthrow of (the) political regime." The announcement, coming just a day after Bahrain's parliament approved a constitutional amendment allowing military tribunals to try civilians , recalled the clampdown that followed the nation's 2011 Arab Spring protests.

"The society glorified convicted terrorists and saboteurs who used weapons, detonated bombs in killing and wounding several security (personnel) and also undermined citizens and residents' physical safety as well as damaged private and public properties," the statement carried on the state-run Bahrain News Agency said. "The society continuously violated the principles of the democratic political process, basic freedoms and people's participation in the process."

The Justice Ministry offered no specific examples in its statement. The government did not immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press to elaborate on the ministry's allegations.

Waad declined to immediately comment, but it long has been the target of authorities. Established in 2001 after its founder returned home after more than three decades in exile, Waad became a liberal bloc that reached out to both Shiite and Sunni reformers.

But it found itself targeted in 2011 in the government's clampdown on the opposition. Its offices were targeted by vandals and twice set ablaze. Its then-leader Ebrahim Sharif ended up serving more than four years in prison after being convicted along with other activists by a military led tribunal of plotting to overthrow the government.

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Sharif later was arrested and briefly faced charges for speaking to the AP in November during a visit by Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla.

Bahrain already has dissolved the country's largest Shiite opposition group, Al-Wefaq, and doubled a prison sentence for its secretary-general, Sheikh Ali Salman.

Brian Dooley, a senior adviser at the Washington-based Human Rights First, called the decision to go after Waad "astonishing" as the organization represented a "fairly genteel crowd."

"This is more than extreme, even by their own standards," Dooley said. "Even to voice the most peaceful, most moderate dissent is no longer tolerated."

Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet and an under-construction British naval base, is a predominantly Shiite island ruled by a Sunni monarchy. Government forces, with help from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, crushed the 2011 uprising by Shiites and others who sought more political power.

Since the beginning of a government crackdown in April, activists have been imprisoned or forced into exile. Independent news gathering on the island also has grown more difficult.

Among those targeted have been family members of Sayed Alwadaei, the director of advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy. In October, Alwadaei said his wife was beaten and detained for hours in Bahrain after he jumped on a car carrying King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa during his royal visit to London.

On Monday, Alwadaei told the AP that his mother-in-law and brother-in-law had been arrested separately on the island in recent days.

"Since Bahrain cannot get to me, my family is the target," Alwadaei said.

Bahrain's Interior Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

The kingdom had made reforms following a government-sponsored investigation into the 2011 demonstrations and the crackdown following it, but several of them have been overturned in recent weeks. Along with allowing military tribunals, the kingdom has restored the power of its feared domestic spy service to make some arrests.

Authorities say the rollbacks are necessary to fight terrorism as a series of attacks, including a January prison break, have targeted the island. Shiite militant groups have claimed some of the assaults. Bahrain on Saturday accused Iran's Revolutionary Guard of training and arming some militants, something Iran dismissed on Monday as "baseless."

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Dubai (AFP) - Bahrain's justice ministry said Monday it filed a lawsuit to dissolve a secular opposition party, the state-run news agency said, months after the country's main Shiite opposition party was banned.

The justice ministry "has filed a lawsuit requesting the dissolution of the National Democratic Action Society (Waed), in light of Waed's serious violations of the principle of respect for the rule of law, its support of terrorism... and for its promotion of political change by force," according to a statement carried by state-run Bahrain News Agency.

The Sunni left-leaning former head of Waed, Ibrahim Sharif, was freed in July after he served a one-year jail term for anti-regime incitement.

He had already served four years of a five-year sentence over the 2011 protests before being released under a royal amnesty in June last year.

Bahrain's government has come under international criticism for criminalising dissent in the Shiite-majority Gulf kingdom, home to the US Fifth Fleet.

Sunni authorities in Manama have accused its Shiite neighbour Iran of stirring unrest in the kingdom. Iran has denied any involvement.

A 2011 uprising seeking a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister was crushed with deadly force by the authorities and hundreds of Shiite protesters have been arrested since then.

On Sunday, the upper house of parliament approved a constitutional amendment enabling military courts to try civilians accused of crimes that include terrorism, a concept with a broad legal definition.

Last year, a court ordered the dissolution of the country's main opposition party, Al-Wefaq, for "harbouring terrorism" and its leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, has been behind bars since 2014.

Shiite Al-Wefaq was the largest bloc in Bahrain's elected lower house of parliament. Its members resigned en masse in protest against the state crackdown on the 2011 protests.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch accused Monday the authorities of "apparently targeting" the family members of Sayed al-Wadaei, an outspoken Bahraini activist based in London.

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"This looks like a cowardly attempt to break the resolve of an activist by attacking his family," HRW deputy Middle East director Eric Goldstein said.

"The Bahraini authorities forced Sayed al-Wadaei into exile in Britain, where he's a thorn in their side. Since they can't touch him, they've resorted to threatening and harassing his wife, infant son, and in-laws," he said.

HWR said the Bahraini authorities had since Thursday detained Wadaei's brother-in-law and mother-in-law.
Brussels (AFP) - The EU warned Friday that the Western Balkans risk becoming a "chessboard" in a game between major powers, as Britain accused Russia of meddling in the region.

Federica Mogherini, the European Union's foreign policy chief, said there was "profound" concern about a region where dangerous historic tensions were also flaring up.

The 28 EU leaders are to discuss the situation in the Western Balkans at a summit on Thursday amid growing concern over instability and alleged Russian involvement.

"I have seen in the Western Balkans in these days much more than ever before a region exposed to different layers of challenges and tensions," Mogherini said after EU foreign and defence ministers met in Brussels.

Asked about Russia's role in the region, Mogherini replied: "The Balkans can easily become one of the chessboards where the big power game can be played.

"So the concern is there... and it is profound," she said.

Mogherini said renewed ethnic and territorial tensions in a region that in the 1990s saw Europe's worst bloodshed since World War II in the former Yugoslavia were "extremely dangerous".

The EU diplomatic chief experienced the tensions herself last week when she faced pro-Russia chants as she addressed the Serbian parliament on a visit to the region.

Earlier British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Russia must halt its "completely unacceptable" meddling in the EU's backyard.

"Let us be very clear, Russia is up to all sorts of no good," Johnson said as he arrived for the meeting in Brussels.

"They are engaged in cyber warfare, engaged in undermining countries in the Western Balkans -- you have seen what happened in Montenegro -- to say nothing of what has happened in eastern Ukraine," he said.

A Montenegro prosecutor said last month that "Russian state bodies" were involved in a coup attempt during October elections with the aim of stopping the Balkan country from joining NATO.

EU efforts to forge closer ties with the Balkan states meanwhile have stalled, with Brussels seen as failing to deliver on promises of membership and economic progress.

Other EU member states also see Russia's hand in recent developments, especially in Serbia where Moscow backs its traditional ally in Belgrade in not recognising Kosovo's independence.
Brussels (AFP) - Belgium paid homage on Monday to the 193 people who died when the "Herald of Free Enterprise" ferry capsized off the port of Zeebrugge 30 years ago.

Officials onboard a coastguard boat laid wreaths for the victims at a ceremony held where the disaster took place on March 6, 1987, one kilometre (half a mile) from the Belgian coast.

"It is now 30 years since a story of pain, sorrow and trials was written here. I would like to bow down here in front of those for whom time stopped at this place," said Carl Decaluwe, the governor of western Flanders province.

British ambassador Alison Rose and Decaluwe both cast wreaths into the seawater, while a lone bugle sounded after a minute's silence.

Former rescuers travelled to the site on another boat.

Survivors and family members of the victims meanwhile took part in a ceremony at a memorial set up after the disaster in the town of Zeebrugge.

The Townsend Thoresen ferry the "Herald of Free Enterprise" turned over on its side just outside Zeebrugge as it set out for Dover with more than 500 passengers and crew on board.

A public inquiry confirmed the ferry had left port with its bow doors open, letting water flood the car deck and fatally destabilising the vessel.

The crew member responsible for closing the doors of the ferry was asleep at the time, the investigation found.

In October 1987, an inquest returned verdicts of unlawful killing.

The company -- later rebranded as P&O European Ferries -- was later charged with corporate manslaughter, but there were no convictions.

Heroics saved many lives: those honoured included ex-policeman Andrew Parker, who became known as "the human bridge" for saving his wife, daughter and 20 other passengers whom he let walk over his body to escape.
Conflict avoidance

Now that local elections have been announced, various parties have started planning their campaigning activities.
New Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is facing backlash after referring to African-American slaves as immigrants in his first address to the agencys staff.

There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less, Carson said during his remarks, according to the Washington Post. But they, too, had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great grandsons, great granddaughters might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.

Carson immediately drew condemnation on social media from several prominent figures and organizations, including the NAACP.

As of late afternoon, Carsons name was at the top of Twitters trending chart.

Carson ran against Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential primary before dropping out in March 2016. Shortly after, he endorsed his formal rival, and became a campaign surrogate.
Storied French high fashion brand Balenciaga is dipping into the realm of politically-inspired fashion once more, this time showing off high heels wrapped in t-shirt fabric that echoes Vermont senator Bernie Sanders unsuccessful primary campaign branding.

As models paraded down the Parisian runway this weekend for the brands ready-to-wear fashion show, they were outfitted in pointy-toed stilettos with knotted fabric covers. Some of them, in a cheeky nod to the politician, were adorned with Balenciaga-branded scraps of cloth bearing the same graphics that Sanderss campaign used.

This is not the first time designer Demna Gvasalia has felt the Bern; at his mens show in January he took even heavier inspiration from the Sanders logo, with shirts and outerwear styled in the red, white, and blue typography that Sanders touted throughout his attempt at the White House. Vogue says those leftover t-shirts were used on the heels.

The irony, of course, is that while Balenciaga heels like the ones seen on the runway retail for upwards of $600, democratic socialism-leaning Sanders himself is notoriously low-fashion.

I think, of my many attributes, being a fashion maven is not one of them, he told CNNs Jake Tapper last month. Whether or not he sought this status, looks like fashion is still having its Bernie moment. For Sanders fans trying to copycat this style on the cheap, Racked notes, youre in luck: just repurpose your old campaign t-shirt into a shoe cover.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Sunday confirmed a highly contagious form of avian influenza  bird flu  at a commercial breeding facility in south-central Tennessee.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it was the first confirmed case of the viral infection this year. The USDA said there are 73,500 birds in the flock, which will be destroyed to keep them out of the food chain.

The source of the H7 virus has yet to be identified. It can travel in wild birds without them appearing to be sick.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said the state is working with local, county and federal officials to control the situation to protect the flocks that are critical to our states economy. The agriculture departments statements did not identify the facility involved, saying only that it was in Lincoln County, whose largest city is Fayetteville.

The highly pathogenic form of the virus can be deadly to domesticated chickens and turkeys. The state began investigating the situation Friday when the breeding facility reported an increase in chicken deaths.

With this [bird flu] detection, we are moving quickly and aggressively to prevent the virus from spreading, state veterinarian Dr. Charles Hatcher said.

In addition to the facility that reported the virus, 30 other poultry farms in a 6-mile radius have been quarantined. Previous outbreaks of bird flu in Tennessee have involved a less virulent form.

The strain of bird flu involved is the same that struck Midwestern poultry farms in 2015, hitting Minnesota and Iowa particularly hard and killing 48 million birds. Last year a commercial turkey flock in Indiana reported the virus.

The 2015 outbreak sent egg prices soaring and led to significant increases in chicken, turkey and other poultry prices.

Tennessee agriculture officials said the virus does not pose a risk to the food supply, and it is unlikely it will be transmitted to humans although precautions are being taken to monitor workers at the infected facility.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says this form of bird flu can kill off an entire flock within 48 hours.

Tennessee has more than 1,650 commercial broiler and breeding operations on more than 550 family farms, ranking 13th nationally in broiler production, the Tennessee Poultry Association told the Associated Press.

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By Jo Winterbottom (Reuters) - A strain of bird flu has been detected in a chicken breeder flock on a Tennessee farm contracted to U.S. food giant Tyson Foods Inc, and the 73,500 birds will be culled to stop the virus from entering the food system, government and company officials said on Sunday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said this represented the first confirmed case of highly pathogenic H7 avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial poultry in the United States this year. It is the first time HPAI has been found in Tennessee, the state government said. Tyson, the biggest chicken meat producer in the United States, said in a statement it was working with Tennessee and federal officials to contain the virus by euthanizing the birds on the contract farm. In 2014 and 2015, during a widespread outbreak of HPAI, the United States killed nearly 50 million birds, mostly egg-laying hens. The losses pushed U.S. egg prices to record highs and prompted trading partners to ban imports of American poultry, even though there was little infection then in the broiler industry. No people were affected in that outbreak, which was primarily of the H5N2 strain. The risk of human infection in poultry outbreaks is low, although in China people have died this winter amid an outbreak of the H7N9 virus in birds. The facility in Tennessee's Lincoln County has been placed under quarantine, along with approximately 30 other poultry farms within a 6.2-mile (10 km) radius of the site, the state said. Other flocks in the quarantined area are being tested, it added. Tyson, the USDA and the state did not name the facility involved. Tyson said that it did not expect disruptions to its chicken business. The USDA should have more information by Monday evening about the particular strain of the virus involved, spokeswoman Donna Karlsons said by email. HPAI bird flu was last found in a commercial turkey flock in Indiana in January 2016. The USDA said it would inform the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and international trading partners of the outbreak. The biggest traditional markets for U.S. chicken meat are Mexico and Canada, which introduced state or regional bans on U.S. broiler exports after the outbreak two years ago, and China, which imposed a national ban. Tennessee's broiler production is too small to rank it in the top five U.S. producing states but it is the third-largest generator of cash receipts in agriculture for the state. In January, the USDA detected bird flu in a wild duck in Montana that appeared to match one of the strains found during the 2014 and 2015 outbreak. The United States stepped up biosecurity measures aimed at preventing the spread of bird flu after the outbreak two years ago. Tyson said precautions being taken include disinfecting all vehicles entering farms and banning all nonessential visitor access to contract farms. In recent months, different strains of bird flu have been confirmed across Asia and in Europe. Authorities have culled millions of birds in affected areas to control the outbreaks. France, which has the largest poultry flock in the European Union, has reported outbreaks of the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu virus. In South Korea, the rapid spread of the H5N6 strain of the virus has led to the country's worst-ever outbreak of bird flu. (Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf in New York and Jo Winterbottom in Chicago; Editing by Will Dunham)
NEW YORK (AP)  Tens of thousands of chickens have been destroyed at a Tennessee chicken farm due to a bird flu outbreak, and 30 other farms within a six-mile radius have been quarantined.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said 73,500 chickens were destroyed at the facility and will not enter the food system. The H7 avian influenza can be deadly to chickens and turkeys.

"Bird flu" is a catch-all phrase for a variety of influenza viruses that spread among poultry. They can be very contagious and deadly among birds, but rarely spread to humans. That said, deadly human flu pandemics have been sparked by viruses that first emerged in birds, and health officials closely track what's killing poultry.

Flu can spread from birds to humans when through the air, or when people touch a bird or an infected surface and then touch their eye, nose or mouth.

The Tennessee breeder supplies the food company Tyson Foods Inc. The company said that it doesn't expect its chicken business to be disrupted, but the outbreak sent jitters through Wall Street.

Shares of Tyson, based in Springdale, Arkansas, fell 3 percent and the news dragged down shares of other companies in the sectors as well.

"We're responding aggressively, and are working with state and federal officials to contain the virus," Tyson said in a company release.

The company said it tests all of its flocks for the virus before they leave the farm "out of an abundance of caution." Results are known before the birds are processed, the company said, and animals are not used if bird flu is detected.

Department of Agriculture is not identifying the farm where the chickens were destroyed, saying only that it is located in the state's Lincoln County, just west of Chattanooga.

There have been bird flu outbreaks in China and in Europe in recent months, though they are of differing strains.

The USDA said Monday that it does not yet know what type of H7 bird flu is affecting the chickens at Tennessee, but will know within 48 hours.

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Shares of Tysons Foods Inc. fell $2.31, or 3.6 percent, to $61.29 midday trading. Shares of Sanderson Farms Inc., based in Laurel, Mississippi, dropped $3.31, or 3.5 percent, to $91.08, and shares of Greeley, Colorado-based Pilgrim's Pride Corp. fell 45 cents, or 2 percent, to $20.50.

Related Video: Tyson Just Recalled 132,000 Pounds of Chicken Nuggets (2016)

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Bird flu was detected in a Tennessee chicken farm contracted with Tyson Foods and 73,500 chickens will be culled as a result, federal officials said Sunday.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said the discovery was the first case this year of highly pathogenic H7 avian influenza (HPAI) in U.S. commercial poultry. Farmers reported to authorities on Friday that an unusually large number of chickens had died, and tests over the weekend confirmed HPAI as the cause. The USDA said it was working with state and company officials to ensure birds from the flock will not enter the food system.

Were responding aggressively, and are working with state and federal officials to contain the virus by euthanizing chickens located on the farm, Tyson Foods said in a statement to CNN. All flocks located within a 6-mile radius of the farm will be tested and will not be transported unless they test negative for the virus.

USDA said in a statement that humans should avoid contact with sick or dead poultry. Risk of human infection remains low, Tennessee state health officials told CNN.
Bird flu is back.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the existence of the highly pathogenic H7 strand of avian influenza in Lincoln County, Tennessee -- specifically in a commercial chicken flock at a farm affiliated with Tyson Foods. This marks the first outbreak of avian flu in commercial poultry in over a year, The Wall Street Journal reports.

There are 73,500 birds in the affected flock, all of which will be killed to prevent the disease from spreading. No infected birds will reach the U.S. food system, nor have recent bird flu outbreaks been a threat to human health, The Wall Street Journal notes.

State health officials have quarantined the area in question. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture is helping farm workers take the necessary precautions to stop from getting sick and passing the disease to others.

The outbreak isn't expected to faze Tyson Foods' production output. "Based on the limited scope known to us at this time, we don't expect disruptions to our chicken business and plan to meet our customers' needs," a Tyson spokesman told the Wall Street Journal.

While the bird flu has hit farms in both Europe and Asia recently, the U.S. hasn't seen much activity since the 2015 outbreak that left more than 50 million chickens and turkeys dead. There was a case last year on an Indiana turkey farm, though it appears to have been an isolated incident, Tennessee state officials told The Wall Street Journal.

This H7 strand isn't what caused the 2015 outbreak, but it's been seen before in North American wild birds.

Wild birds can be infected with virus strains and not seem sick. The USDA discourages people from having contact with sick or dead poultry or wildlife, and recommends washing hands with soap and water if contact does happen, in addition to changing clothes prior to contacting healthy poultry and birds.

How to Stop Emotional Eating

How to Make Healthful Dietary Changes Last a Lifetime

David Oliver is Associate Editor, Social Media at U.S. News & World Report. Follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, or send him an email at doliver@usnews.com.
LA PAZ (Reuters) - Bolivian President Evo Morales took an "emergency trip" to Cuba on Wednesday to seek treatment for a throat condition, presidential minister Rene Martinez said, adding that the president would receive a "routine evaluation." The throat complications have been going on for "quite some time" and have caused Morales, 57, to have difficulty speaking and prompted him to cancel public appearances, Martinez told reporters. "Per medical advice, it was decided that our president would have a routine evaluation in Cuba," Martinez said. "Once it started getting worse, because he was having a lot of trouble speaking, this emergency trip was planned." Morales took office in the Andean country in 2006 and was elected to a third term in 2014. He said last year he may run for a fourth consecutive term in 2019 elections despite losing a referendum that would have reformed the country's constitution to allow him to run again. [nL1N1ED0PK] Martinez said that within a few days, a preliminary report about Morales' health would be made public. (Reporting by Daniel Ramos; Writing by Luc Cohen)
Energy losses drop to 17pc from 20pc

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has succeeded in slashing electricity leakage by 3.63 percentage points in the first half of this fiscal year, resulting in savings of at least Rs1.25 billion.
The North Korea has just fired several banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 km into ocean off its east coast, according to the South Korean source of AP.

The missiles came from a launch facility that was banned by the UN before. The missile was then fired from the Tongchang-ri region, near Norths border in China.

It was just last month when the North Korean military boasted about their successful test-fire for a new ballistic missile. It was said that their leader Kim Jong-un was there to supervise. However, for the launch today, it was not confirmed if Jong-un was in attendance.

According to CNN, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has confirmed that there were four ballistic missiles, one of which has landed in Japans Exclusive Economic Zone.

This aggressive move from North Korea was said to be a statement after South Korea and the U.S. held joint military exercises. Pyongyang reportedly saw this as a hint for invasion.

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Queen Elizabeth II [Image by Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images]

After President Donald Trump won the election, it should be the common courtesy for him to be invited in Britain to meet with the Queen and the British Parliament.

However, after hundreds of thousands of people signing a petition to un-invite Trump, British officials dropped their plans for Trump to address the parliament.

Donald Trump should be allowed to enter the UK in his capacity as head of the US Government, but he should not be invited to make an official State Visit because it would cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen, the petition noted.

According to The Guardian, the address was cancelled to avoid snub by MPand presidents exposure to public protests.

According to a source from Westminster, the visit, which is set for August or September this year, will be carefully considered by both the government and the Buckingham Palace. It was believed that the White House is working towards arranging this visit.

Click here to continue and read more...
By Katharine Houreld NAIROBI (Reuters) - A British man was shot dead in northern Kenya on Sunday at a private ranch in the Laikipia area, two of the man's neighbours told Reuters. There have been numerous violent attacks in the drought-stricken area in recent months as armed cattle herders searching for scarce grazing have driven tens of thousands of cattle onto private farms and ranches. At least a dozen people have been killed. Kenyan authorities and the British High Commission did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Tristan Voorspuy, a father of two and a British cavalry veteran who ran a company called Offbeat Safaris, was shot dead after he went to inspect the remains of a friend's home that had been burnt down a few days earlier, one of the neighbours said. "He rode out to look at what was left of Richard's house. He never came back. We flew over the area to look for him ... the horse had been shot in the leg and he (Voorspuy) was dead in front of the house," the neighbour said, adding that workers have been at the scene and confirmed that Voorspuy was dead. Both neighbours asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation. (Editing by David Goodman)
Ottawa (AFP) - Canada will continue to provide weapons, tactical and survival training to Ukrainian troops through March 2019, officials announced Monday.

"We will continue to advance democracy, human rights and rule of law and military assistance to the end of March 2019," Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan told a press conference.

"This assistance is crucial for a sovereign, secure and stable Ukraine," he said, joined by Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.

The joint military training mission with Britain and the United States started in 2015, in response to a more assertive Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine the year before.

Canada deployed 200 military trainers to Starychi, Kamyanets-Podilsky and other locations in western Ukraine.

As well, Canada has sent troops to Latvia and a navy frigate to the Black Sea to join NATO warships on patrol.

Asked what message these deployments say to Russia, Sajjan replied: "We are sending a strong message of deterrence."

In a statement, he said: "The government of Canada is committed to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people as they work to build a more secure, stable and prosperous country, and Canada continues to be at the forefront of the international community's response to Russian aggression in Ukraine."

Canada so far trained 3,200 Ukrainian soldiers, providing individual weapons training, marksmanship, tactical movement, explosive threat recognition, communication, survival in combat, and ethics training.

As well soldiers were taught combat first aid, and bomb disposal, while military police learned new investigative techniques.
Carl Reese Sets 24-Hour Solo Distance Record

Endurance rider Carl Reese has set the Guinness Book of World Records mark for the Greatest Distance in 24 hours on a Motorcycle (individual) on a track. The record was set at the Continental Tire Proving Grounds in Uvalde,Texas. Reese partnered with Continental Tire at the 8.5 mile circuit riding a BMW K 1600 GT. He logged 2119 miles in less than 24 hours, breaking the existing record of 2023.5 miles set by Matthew McKelvey in 2014.

Top speeds reached 141mph. Reese had carried an averaged speed of 92 mph including all stops during the 22 hours and 52 minutes on the track. The official average speed for the entire 24 hours was 88.3 mph. The run was terminated with an hour and 18 minutes remaining when crew chief Jay Carson inspected Reese's tires and concluded that their supply of tires was done for.

Carl Reese 24 hour record - K1600GT

In the last two years Reese has set nine world records in several categories. In vehicles ranging from a Tesla electric car to motorcycles. Reese is best known for setting the fastest motorcycle time between Los Angeles to New York in 38 hours and 49 minutes on a motorcycle back in 2015.

Since the test track lacks lighting, Reese partnered with Glenn Stasky of Clearwater Lights in Rancho Cordova, CA to improve his visibility and illuminate the track ahead of him. Glenn and his team equipped Carl's motorcycle with two pairs of their very bright Sevina LED lights. The lights were mounted on Altrider engine guards, giving both protection to the engine and a sturdy mounting surface. Overall weight was trimmed by replacing the stock rims with BST carbon fiber hoops from Brocks Performance. Fuel stops were minimized by using using an 8-gallon tank made by Mike Langford.

The tires were Continental Road Attack 2 EVO GT, given Motorrad magazines award for best highway/day to day tire last year. Reese wore a prototype suit from FirstGear-USA. With overnight lows of 39F degrees and daytime temps of 77F, his secondary mission was to prove the comfort of the suit in varying weather conditions. The FirstGear-USA suit is in development for a future release.

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Carl Reese 24 hour record - K1600GT

Carl Reese 24 hour record - K1600GT
Grammy Award winner Chance the Rapper announced on Monday that he is donating $1 million to Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Tribune reports.

During a press conference at Westcott Elementary School on Chicagos South Side that was streamed live on Instagram, Chance said the monetary contribution is to support art and enrichment programming. Chance called the endowment a call to action.

Last week, Chance met with Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner to discuss education funding, but the rapper said he walked away from their talk feeling frustrated and disappointed in the governors inaction. He continued, Governor Rauner can use his executive power to give Chicagos children the resources they need to fulfill their God-given right to learn.

Chance said he would do all he can to protect Chicagos most valuable resource: its children. Ultimately, he wants to help cultivate Chicago creative minds.

Support was already flooding in on social media after the announcement.

chance the rapper is perfect https://t.co/dUu79lVhEL  Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) March 6, 2017

CHANCE THE RAPPER IS AN AMERICAN HERO  Andrew Barber (@fakeshoredrive) March 6, 2017

Watch the entire press conference below.
Chicago (AFP) - Fast-rising star Chance the Rapper on Monday donated $1 million to Chicago's schools as he waded into the middle of a political feud that threatens to close down classrooms weeks early.

The "Coloring Book" rapper, who last month won three Grammys including the prestigious Best New Artist award, threw a national spotlight on a long-running rift over school funding in the third most populous US city.

Chicago has warned that its public schools could shut on June 1, three weeks ahead of schedule, due to a gap of more than $200 million in funding.

"This isn't about politics, this isn't about posturing, this is about taking care of the kids," Chance the Rapper told a news conference at an elementary school that he streamed to his millions of social media followers.

The 23-year-old artist, a Chicago native who attended public schools, said he was donating $1 million to support arts programming and was not looking to replace state funding.

He also promised that his group Social Works Chicago would match every donation of $100,000 with another $10,000.

"This check that I donated is a call to action. I'm challenging major companies and corporations in Chicago and all across the nation to donate and to take action," said the rapper, at times reading formally in contrast to his on-stage poise.

Chance the Rapper has long been an activist and has made appeals to end Chicago's street violence. His father Ken Williams-Bennett is a veteran Chicago political figure who was an aide to former president Barack Obama.

Former first lady Michelle Obama, who has mostly kept a low profile in the weeks since leaving the White House, hailed Chance for "giving back to the Chicago community, which gave us so much."

"You are an example of the power of arts education," she wrote on Twitter.

Chance, whose real name is Chancelor Bennett, last week met on the school funding dispute with Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, a Republican.

Rauner last year vetoed a funding plan for the schools in a dispute with the legislature as he pushes the school district to reform ballooning pension costs and fix what he calls longtime mismanagement.
I've always loved crepes, those elegant, paper-thin French pancakes. They're great containers for any filling and  as long as you have the proper pan  they're really a cinch to make. But let's face it, the typical flour-based crepe is pretty bland. It's a messenger, not a message. We care far less about the crepe itself than we do about what's wrapped up in it.

But what if the crepe boasted some flavor and nutrition? Enter chickpea flour. Popular throughout the Middle East and Asia, as well as along the Mediterranean, it's a good source of protein and fiber and happens to be quite tasty, almost nutty. Today's recipe is a variation on a swell little chickpea pancake that's known as socca in southern France and farinata in northern Italy.

Made with chickpea flour, water, olive oil and seasonings, socca is pretty elemental. As noted, it's delicious, but texture-wise, it's sturdy, not pliable. I wanted to make a chickpea pancake that was thin enough to fold like a crepe. So I added some eggs and a tiny amount of flour.

There's a way to make gluten-free chickpea crepes, but you'll have to swap out the regular flour for cornstarch (just be sure it's gluten-free cornstarch) or gluten-free flour. If you roll with the gluten-free flour, you'll need to add an additional tablespoon or two of water to thin out the batter.

What about the filling? Anything you might want to put into a crepe or tortilla, you can put into a chickpea crepe. Here I've taken an Indian vegetarian route: Indian spices, potatoes and peas. But if you happen to be short of time, feel free to combine any leftovers you have in the refrigerator, roll them up in the crepes and heat them in a 300 F oven for about 10 minutes. Instant dinner!! (But without the empty carbs.)

CHICKPEA CREPES STUFFED WITH INDIAN SPICED POTATOES AND PEAS

Start to finish: 1 hour, 10 minutes (45 active)

Servings: 4

For the crepes:

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1/2 chickpea flour (60 grams) (available at many supermarkets and online)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra for brushing the pan

For the filling:

1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups chopped (1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces) cauliflower

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Kosher salt

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 teaspoons minced chile (with the seeds and veins)

2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 cup thawed frozen peas

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish

Make the crepes: In a medium bowl sift together the chickpea flour, all-purpose flour, salt and baking soda. In a second medium bowl, whisk the eggs, add 1/2 cup water and the oil; mix well. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes. (Make the filling while the batter is resting.)

Brush the bottom of an 8-inch nonstick skillet and a 1/2-inch up the sides with a little oil and heat the pan over medium-high heat until it is hot. Whisk the batter to remix. Add slightly more than 1/8 cup of the batter to the pan and working quickly, pick up and tilt the pan so that the batter coats the bottom. Let the crepe cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute or until it is set. Flip the crepe and cook it for 30 seconds on the second side. Transfer it to a plate and make more crepes with the remaining batter. You should have at least 8 crepes.

Make the filling:

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

In a small saucepan combine the potatoes with enough cold, salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.

On a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment or foil, toss the cauliflower with 1 tablespoon of the oil and a hefty pinch of salt. Arrange it in one layer and bake it on the middle shelf of the oven until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside and reduce the oven to 300 F.

In a medium skillet combine the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil with the cumin and mustard seeds. Cover the skillet and cook over medium heat until the seeds become fragrant and start popping, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the onion, chile, ginger and garam masala. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden.

When the potatoes are tender, transfer them to a bowl and mash them with a potato masher or fork until mostly mashed with a few lumps (don't overdo it or you will get gluey potatoes).

Add the cauliflower, onion mixture, peas, lemon juice, cilantro and salt to taste; stir until combined.

Arrange 8 crepes on a cutting board and divide the potato mixture among them (about 1/4 cup per crepe). Roll up the crepes to enclose the filling and transfer them to the rimmed sheet, seam side down. Cover with foil and bake them on the middle shelf of the oven until hot, about 10 minutes.

___

Nutrition information per serving: 298 calories; 132 calories from fat; 15 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 108 mg cholesterol; 320 mg sodium; 32 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 11 g protein.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE: Sara Moulton is host of public television's "Sara's Weeknight Meals." She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including "Cooking Live." Her latest cookbook is "Home Cooking 101."
Photo credit: AP

From Popular Mechanics

China will raise its defense budget by about 7 percent this year, a government spokeswoman said Saturday, continuing a trend of lowered growth amid a slowing economy despite regional tensions over the South China Sea and other issues.

Total defense spending would account for about 1.3 percent of projected gross domestic project in 2017, said Fu Ying, spokeswoman for the legislature. She was speaking at a news conference on the eve of the opening of the body's annual session.

The precise figure will be provided by Premier Li Keqiang in his address to the National People's Congress on Sunday morning.

Fu reiterated China's contention that its military was purely for defense and constituted a force for stability in Asia.

"We advocate dialogue for peaceful resolutions, while at the same time, we need to possess the ability to defend our sovereignty and interests," Fu said. "The strengthening of Chinese capabilities benefits the preservation of peace and security in this region, and not the opposite."

Depending on the final figure, this year's budget could mark the third consecutive year of declines in defense spending growth rates, even while some outside observers say those figures don't account for all military spending. The budget grew by 7.6 percent last year and 10.1 percent in 2015.

That trend reflects "the new normal, an acknowledgement that Chinese growth is plateauing as a whole," said Alexander Neill, a senior fellow for Asia-Pacific security for the International Institute for Strategic Studies based in Singapore.

While the slowing economy may preclude a spending spree similar to past years, when growth rose by double-digit percentages each year, there's no doubt China will continue to add high-tech weaponry according to its long-term strategy, Neill said.

Seeking a more streamlined fighting force, China plans to complete the cutting of 300,000 military personnel by the end of the year, shifting the emphasis away from the land forces and toward the navy, air and rocket units.

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Still, the increase of about 67 billion yuan ($9.7 billion) would push the total defense budget past the 1 trillion yuan ($145 billion) mark for the first time. The percentage increases do not track in U.S. dollar figures because of variations in the exchange rate.

China's defense budget is expected to rise to $233 billion by 2020, almost twice what it was in 2010 and four times what Britain spends, according to a study released in December by IHS Jane's. By 2025, China would outspend all other states in the Asia-Pacific combined, the consultancy predicted.

The defense budget has for years been the world's second largest, although it still lags far behind the U.S. President Donald Trump has asked for a 10 percent increase in U.S. defense spending this year, adding $54 million to the budget that topped $600 billion last year.

China points out that, as a developing country with a population of 1.37 billion, its defense spending per capita is a fraction of those of other nations. Fu also said the percentage of GDP China spends on defense is below the 2 percent the U.S. calls on NATO allies to spend.

The relatively modest spending increase reflects both China's steady, if not spectacular economic growth, and a security outlook that has changed little in recent years, said Tang Yonghong of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Xiamen University in southeastern China.

"China's defense budget is formulated on the basis of its own needs and the domestic economic situation. Beijing isn't much concerned about the reaction from the international community," he said.

China has been spending heavily on technologies, allowing it to project power far from shore, including aircraft carriers, long-range bombers and its first overseas military base located in the East Africa nation of Djibouti.

Along with defending China's frontiers, the self-governing island of Taiwan remains a military priority for the 2.3 million-member People's Liberation Army, the world's largest standing military. Beijing has never renounced its vow to use force to take control of the island it considers its own territory, and tensions have risen since the election last year of independence-leaning Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

Beijing has also come under criticism for militarizing man-made islands in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety.

Fu turned those accusations back on the U.S., saying the strategically vital waterway through which about $5 trillion in trade passes each year was basically calm.

"As to how to the situation develops in future, that depends on U.S. intentions. American actions in the South China Sea have a definite significance in terms of which way the winds blow," she said.

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By Venus Wu and Clare Jim HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's third most powerful leader said on Monday that Beijing had the right to "step in" to Hong Kong's leadership contest, according to local politicians who met him, in remarks fuelling fears of meddling from Communist Party leaders. The comments by Zhang Dejiang, the head of China's parliament and its leading official on Hong Kong issues, came after other officials played down rumors that Beijing was interfering in a race pitting China's preferred candidate against a more popular figure. Under laws governing the former British colony since its return to Chinese rule in 1997, autonomous Hong Kong has the right to choose its chief executive via a 1,200-strong election committee stacked with Beijing loyalists. The committee is due to vote at the end of this month to decide between two former officials and a retired judge to lead the freewheeling city of 7.3 million people. But the independence of the election has been questioned, with several election committee members telling media they had received phone calls from people with ties to the Chinese government trying to influence their votes. The head of Beijing's representative office in Hong Kong, Zhang Xiaoming, said over the weekend that allegations of intervention were only rumors. Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the National People's Congress, said it was important for the election to proceed smoothly and stressed the significance of the chief executive's role as a link between Beijing and the Asian financial hub, according to the convener of the Hong Kong delegation to the congress, Maria Tam. "It is a very important role, so the central government has the right to step in," Tam told reporters in her summary of Zhang's comments. Zhang also warned the delegation during the annual parliamentary meetings in Beijing that Hong Kong should not allow politics to dominate life in the city. He added that it was unfortunate that "street politics" had become a part of everyday life in Hong Kong while the neighboring Shenzhen city was catching up economically. "It is quite possible that Shenzhen can overtake Hong Kong in two years," Tam cited Zhang saying. Calls to the central government's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office seeking comment went unanswered. China's Foreign Ministry, the only department which regularly answers questions from foreign reporters, declined to comment. The British government said it hoped that following the selection, discussion would resume about progressing to a "more democratic and accountable system of government". "This would support Hong Kongs continued prosperity and help protect the Special Administrative Regions rights and freedoms," a British Foreign Office spokeswoman said. Hong Kong returned to China under a "one country, two systems" formula that allows freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland. China bristles at dissent, however, especially over issues such as demands for universal suffrage. This month's election is the first since mass pro-democracy street protests rocked Hong Kong in late 2014. "EXTRAORDINARY AND OUTSTANDING" Beijing's support means former Hong Kong civil service head Carrie Lam is tipped as the favorite in the contest despite losing popularity polls to an ex-colleague, former Financial Secretary John Tsang. Tsang had previously rejected speculation that Beijing did not trust him despite his almost decade-long tenure as financial secretary. But during the meeting Zhang stressed "many times" that the next chief executive needs to be "extraordinary, outstanding" and have Beijing's trust, said Hong Kong delegate and election committee member Michael Tien. "The implication is that being a secretary for 10 years doesn't necessarily mean the person is qualified as a chief executive," Tien said. Tien added some committee members expected the Beijing leadership to make its final preference known closer to the election. The central government is legally required to officially appoint the winner of the committee's election. Another delegate, the former head of Hong Kong's legislature, Rita Fan, denied that Beijing was intervening in the race, adding it had the right to voice its opinions. "As a stakeholder, the central government has a right to express its views, and it hopes people can take its opinions into consideration," Fan said. But critics say Zhang's comments just weeks before the polls would further undermine the "one country, two systems" principle, which has come under strain, especially since the shadowy detention of five Hong Kong booksellers in late 2015. "The central government might as well just tell us directly who to vote for and we all become rubber stamps," said pro-democracy legislator and election committee member Lam Cheuk-ting. (Reporting by Venus Wu and Clare Jim; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Kylie MacLellan in London; Editing by Nick Macfie)
(Story corrects measure of energy consumption in seventh paragraph in March 5th instance) BEIJING (Reuters) - China will cut steel capacity by 50 million tonnes and coal output by more than 150 million tonnes this year, its top economic planner said on Sunday as the world's No. 2 economy deepens efforts to tackle pollution and curb excess supply. In a work report at the opening of the annual meeting of parliament, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said it would shut or stop construction of coal-fired power plants with capacity of more than 50 million kilowatts. The pledges are part of Beijing's years-long push to reduce the share of coal in its energy mix to cut pollution that has choked northern cities and to meet climate-change goals while streamlining unwieldy and over-supplied smoke-stack industries such as steel. Speaking at the opening of parliament on Sunday, Premier Li Keqiang reiterated the government's plan to ramp up monitoring of heavy industry and crack down on companies and officials that violate air quality rules. "Officials who do a poor job in enforcing the law, knowingly allow environmental violations, or respond inadequately to worsening air quality will be held accountable," he said. "We will make our skies blue again." In its report, the NDRC said it would cut energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 3.4 percent and curb carbon intensity by 4 percent this year. By 2020, the government has said it aims to close 100 million-150 million tonnes of steel capacity and 800 million tonnes of outdated coal capacity. This year's targets come after the world's top coal consumer and steel maker far exceeded its 2016 goals to eliminate 250 million tonnes of coal and 45 million tonnes of steel capacity. Much of the steel capacity was already idled and output actually rose 1.2 percent to 808.4 million tonnes. Coal output fell 9 percent to 3.64 billion tonnes. COAL LIMIT A new round of capacity cuts was widely expected, although some executives may be disappointed the NDRC did not give an update on the government's policy that sets a limit on the number of days thermal coal mines can operate each year. Coal prices have rallied in recent months amid speculation the government would reinstate a limit of 276 days. "The smaller target this year is a natural move as the government gradually replaces low-efficiency coal capacity with more efficient ones," said Li Rong, analyst with consultancy SIA Energy. Speaking on the sidelines of the annual meeting, industry minister Miao Wei said the government would continue to weed out low-grade steel that uses recycled material, which it says is a major source of smog and a safety hazard. (Reporting by Meng Meng, Dominique Patton and Aizhu Chen; Writing by Josephine Mason; Editing by Robert Birsel)
San Jose de Oriente (Colombia) (AFP) - With their rifles, green fatigues and black rubber boots, the women fighters of the FARC rebel force have become one of the international faces of Colombia's civil war.

Soon the photographs that have fascinated world media will be for the history books. Thousands of them are preparing to lay down their guns and return to civilian life.

After more than half a century of conflict, the FARC's disarmament is due to be completed by May under a peace deal with the Colombian government.

They have plenty of plans for what to turn to afterwards, other than rifles.

- Back to school -

Manuela Canaveral, 22, hopes to go back to school.

Having led civil protests while in high school, she dropped out after receiving threats from right-wing paramilitaries, one of numerous sides in the conflict.

She joined the FARC at 15, she says, "to protect my life."

As part of its campaign for rural land rights the communist rebel group has killed and kidnapped.

But for Canaveral, membership in the group afforded her freedom as well as protection.

"As a guerrilla I learned that we can wear our hair short and it doesn't make us any less women," she said.

"We have even more chance of making it than men, because we can do several things at once," she laughs.

She works on the FARC's radio station, broadcasting tunes such as "Mother of a Guerrilla."

"This one is for all the mothers in Colombia," she says into the microphone, sitting under the camouflaged tarpaulin that covers the station's makeshift studio.

But her DJ days will soon end. She is currently broadcasting from a temporary base in one of the demobilization zones where the FARC have gathered to disarm.

Next, she says: "I want to get my high school diploma and study philosophy, communication or education. There are lots of things I want to do."

- Learning to heal -

In a cap and red nail paint, Erica Galindo, 39, feels she has lived "a whole lifetime" as a guerrilla -- 24 of her 39 years.

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The FARC taught her nursing skills. She wants to get an official qualification to continue nursing when she becomes a civilian again.

"It is my dream to work with the poorest people, bring them human warmth and heal them," she said.

Maritzal Gonzalez, 54, has been a member of FARC for 40 years, participating in a war that authorities say has killed at least 260,000 people.

Born across the border in Venezuela, she joined the FARC to escape poverty.

She has cooked and cleaned for her fellow guerrillas, and has stood guard with gun in hand.

Now she smiles as she plans to return to the family she left behind.

"I am swapping the rifle for the broom," she says.

- Going into politics -

About 40 percent of the FARC's 7,000 members are women.

Some of them will stick with the FARC in its new manifestation: It is due to transform into a political party under the peace deal.

"Afterwards? I'll carry on with the political movement that the FARC is going to become. I'll go where they tell me," says Adriana Cabarrus, 38, a FARC guerrilla for the past 18 years.

She has been entertaining herself in the demobilization camp by dancing to cumbia music in her boots with her companions.

"I just want to live in a free country, a country of social justice," she says.

"Perhaps I will just stay here in this area. This could turn into a new village."
By Joseph Ax

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former New Jersey attorney general and confidant of Governor Chris Christie avoided prison on Monday for pressuring United Airlines into operating a flight to an airport near his vacation home, a case that grew out of the Bridgegate investigation.

David Samson, 77, former chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, could have received up to two years in prison after pleading guilty to using his position to coerce United into restarting a money-losing nonstop route between Newark, New Jersey, and Columbia, South Carolina.

The flight, which Samson privately called the "chairman's flight," made it easier for him to get to his summer home, according to prosecutors.

U.S. District Judge Jose Linares in Newark ordered Samson to serve one year of home confinement and pay a $100,000 fine, after Samson's lawyers argued he should not be sent to prison because of his poor health.

Samson was accused of threatening to block United's plans for a new hangar at Newark Liberty International Airport unless United reinstated the flight.

United previously agreed to pay more than $4.6 million to settle related criminal and civil investigations without admitting wrongdoing. The scandal led to the resignation of United Continental Holdings Inc Chief Executive Jeff Smisek and two other executives, but no employees were charged.

Prosecutors had sought prison time, saying a stiff sentence for a high-ranking official would send a message.

"Obviously we're disappointed in the sentence, but we respect the court's decision," New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said in a statement.

The case emerged from the investigation into the shutdown of access lanes at the George Washington Bridge in September 2013. Fallout from the Bridgegate scandal damaged Christie's once-promising political career.

Two former Christie aides were convicted of orchestrating the closures to create massive traffic jams as payback for a local mayor's declining to endorse the Republican governor's 2013 reelection bid.

Story continues

Christie, who has not been charged, denied any knowledge of the scheme, but the aides testified he was aware of the lane closures at the time.

Samson was not charged in the Bridgegate case. But his name came up at trial as one of several officials who appeared to have been aware of the plot as it unfolded.

The bi-state Port Authority oversees the bridge, which connects Manhattan and New Jersey, as well as all three major New York-area airports.

A consultant who was also charged in the United scheme, former state transportation commissioner Jamie Fox, died in February.

(Editing by Tom Brown and Phil Berlowitz)
For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- White House officials on Monday defended President Donald Trump's explosive claim that Barack Obama tapped Trump's telephones during last year's election, although they won't say where that information came from and left open the possibility that it isn't true.

In televised interviews, Kellyanne Conway and Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump firmly believes the allegations he made on Twitter over the weekend. The aides said any ambiguity surrounding the issue is all the more reason for Congress to investigate the matter.

"We'd like to know for sure," Sanders, deputy White House press secretary, told NBC's "Today" show.

The House and Senate intelligence committees, and the FBI, are investigating contacts between Trump's campaign and Russian officials, as well as whether Moscow tried to influence the 2016 election. On Sunday, Trump demanded that they broaden the scope of their inquiries to include Obama's potential abuse of his executive powers.

When asked where Trump was getting his information from, Sanders said the president "may have access to documents that I don't know about."

Likewise, Conway said that "credible news sources" suggested there was politically motivated activity during the campaign. But Conway also said Trump might have access to other information she and others don't.

"He is the president of the United States," Conway told Fox News' "Fox & Friends. "He has information and intelligence that the rest of us do not."

Trump is said to be frustrated by his senior advisers' inability to tamp down allegations about contacts between his campaign aides and the Russian government. Compounding the situation was the revelation last week that former U.S. senator and now Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an early Trump campaign supporter, had met twice with the Russian ambassador but didn't disclose that to lawmakers when he was asked about it during his Senate confirmation hearing.

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Separately, an Indiana newspaper reported that Vice President Mike Pence used personal email to conduct state business when he was governor of Indiana. The revelation recalled the use of personal email by Trump's 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, when she was secretary of state. The issue dogged Clinton for most of the presidential campaign.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., said in a statement that the panel "will follow the evidence where it leads, and we will continue to be guided by the intelligence and facts as we compile our findings."

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the committee "will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates."

Trump's request carries some risk, particularly if the committees unearth damaging information about him or his associates. Committee Democrats will have access to the information and could wield anything negative against the president. Asking Congress to conduct a much broader investigation than originally envisioned also ensures the Russia issue will hang over the White House for months.

Obama's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said nothing matching Trump's claims had taken place.

"Absolutely, I can deny it," said Clapper, who left government when Trump took office. Other Obama representatives also denied Trump's allegation, which the FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Sunday. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the request by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The department, however, has issued no such statement. DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores declined to comment Sunday, and an FBI spokesman also did not comment.

Josh Earnest, who was Obama's White House press secretary, said presidents do not have authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens, as Trump has alleged was done to him. FBI investigators and Justice Department officials must seek approval from a federal judge for such a step. Earnest accused Trump of leveling the allegation to distract from the attention being given to the Russia issue.

Trump said in the tweets that he had "just found out" about being wiretapped. Unclear was whether he was referring to having learned through a briefing, a conversation or a media report. The president in the past has tweeted about unsubstantiated and provocative reports he reads on blogs or conservative websites.

The tweets stood out, given the gravity of the charge and the sharp personal attack on the former president. Trump spoke as recently as last month about how much he likes Obama and how much they get along, despite their differences.

"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" he tweeted, misspelling 'tap.'

___

Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow Darlene Superville at http://twitter.com/dsupervilleap
The fallout from a series of tweets U.S. President Donald Trump sent out Saturday morning continues. It began here:

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

Trumps predecessor, U.S. President Barack Obama, said through a spokesperson his administration had not ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Trump was likely referring to a story, circulating for month, that the FBI tried to obtain an order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to monitor transactions between Russian banks and individuals connected with the Trump campaign.

On Sunday, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Trump Tower was not wiretapped before the election, and FBI Director James Comey reportedly asked the Department of Justice to refute Trumps claims. Also on Sunday, U.S. press secretary Sean Spicer tweeted that the president is requesting that congressional intelligence committees determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016. Americans now have that investigation, in addition to those on Trumps potential ties to Russia, to look forward to.

The president did not tweet about a Sikh man who was shot in his own driveway and told to go back to your own country in a Seattle suburb, an incident the FBI announced on Sunday it would investigate, but he did tweet about Arnold Schwarzeneggers departure from The Apprentice, the reality television program he once hosted.

Politicians made equally powerful statements elsewhere in the world. Francois Fillon, the center-right French presidential candidate mired in scandal over allegedly paying parliamentary funds to his family, announced Sunday he would not drop out of the race. No one today can stop me being a candidate, he said. Alain Juppe, who many suspected would take Fillons place if he resigned, said Monday he would not run.

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Corruption was also the cause of the hour in Ukraine, where the tax chief stands accused of embezzling around $75 million. Roman Nasirov was arrested on March 2, and then claimed to have suffered a heart attack (a claim that could not be independently verified). A judge delayed a hearing as to whether his arrest should be extended for a second time on Sunday. Nasirov, however, stayed inside the courthouse Sunday night, which was surrounded by an anti-corruption crowd. As Atlantic Council research fellow and media platform Hromadske Int. co-founder Maxim Eristavi tweeted from the front lines, At Nasirov blockade: Leftists & far-rights, gay & homophobes. Feuds are on pause for the common goal of better Ukraine. Maidan deja vu, referencing the 2013 protests that eventually saw then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych ousted. What this round of anti-corruption protests will bring is still to be seen in the week ahead.

And if the weekend wasnt eventful enough already, North Korea decided to launch four ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan Monday morning. The United States strongly condemned the missiles launches, while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called it a new stage of threat. Even China, historically the closest thing North Korea has to an ally, rebuked the launch, showcasing its growing impatience with the hermit state.

Photo credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images
By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May will write to European Council President Donald Tusk this month to trigger Britain's withdrawal from the European Union under Article 50 of the EU treaty. It should be out within two years. Here is a timeline: THE ARTICLE 50 LETTER March 13 - The earliest the British parliament can complete approvals to launch what Britain says is an irrevocable divorce. March 15 - Tusk wants May's letter in mid-March so leaders can react at an EU summit on April 6. Letter should be public. March 20 - To frustrate Scotland's ruling, anti-Brexit SNP, May might hold off till after the SNP congress on March 17-18. March 25 - The other 27 EU leaders meet in Rome to mark 60 years of founding treaty. May wants to avoid spoiling the party by filing for divorce around then. Self-set deadline March 31. SUMMIT, GUIDELINES, RECOMMENDATIONS April 6-7 - EU27 have pencilled summit to agree guidelines for EU executive negotiating team led by Michel Barnier. EU needs about four weeks to prepare the summit, so any delay in letter may push it back. April 14 - Good Friday. If Tusk can't hold summit before this, Easter holidays across Europe will delay it until after... April 23 - French presidential election begins but before... May 15 - French President Francois Hollande hands over to a successor elected in second round of voting on May 7. April-May - Barnier will reply to leaders, possibly in days, with his detailed "recommendations" of how to structure talks. DIRECTIVES A series of ministerial Council meetings, specialized by topic, will be called, again excluding Britain, to agree legal "negotiating directives" that will bind Barnier and his team. FACE TO FACE After nine months of phoney war since the June 23 referendum vote to quit, British negotiators led by Brexit Secretary David Davis will finally sit down with EU, possibly in May. Talks may start with what to discuss first and how to split up topics. THE DIVORCE DEAL December 2017 - Brussels wants a basic deal on Withdrawal Treaty by year's end, e.g.: exit bill for Britain's outstanding commitments; treatment of British and EU expats; dealing with outstanding EU legal cases; new border rules. TRANSITION TO FUTURE RELATIONSHIP 2018 - May wants a comprehensive free trade deal. Few see two years as enough time to agree one and Brussels wants to hold off starting talks until after a divorce deal. But London and some EU states may push for parallel trade talks. An idea of customs plans may be needed to resolve eg Irish border problem. October 2018 - Barnier's target for Withdrawal Treaty, to give time for ratification by the European Parliament and a majority in the European Council by March 2019. B-DAY March 15, 2019? - Britain will leave the European Union. At any rate, it should leave two years after May's letter. The date could be fine-tuned. Britain could leave earlier if it gets a deal; and the two-year deadline can be extended if all agree. But Brussels wants Britain out before EU elections in May 2019. Despite mutual threats of no deal, few want such chaos. A PERIOD OF TRANSITION May and EU leaders say transitional arrangements may well be needed, to give more time to agree a future trade deal and give people and businesses time to adjust to the divorce. Many see another two to five years after Brexit for a final settlement. (Editing by Anna Willard)
Beauty and the Beast will make history for featuring one of the first known LGBTQ characters in a Disney princess film, as revealed by director Bill Condon.

SEE ALSO: 'Beauty and the Beast' director reveals Disney's first openly gay character

But in Russia the live-action film could be banned under the draconian "gay propaganda" law.

A Russian lawmaker, Vitaly Milonov, has sent a letter to culture minister Vladimir Medinsky urging him to take action against Disney's remake, calling it "a blatant, shameless propaganda of sin and perverted sexual relationships" under the guise "of children's fairy tales."

     "  "  -https://t.co/adHJyki7Vw pic.twitter.com/nxmMUtJLl3    (@rianru) March 4, 2017

The 2013 legislation, which has caused an outcry among human rights organisations and the international gay community, prohibits the spreading of "gay propaganda" among minors.

It also describes homosexuality as "non-traditional sexual relations."

The complaint, seen by state-owned Ria Novosti news agency, said the movie shouldn't be shown in Russia if the ministry found "elements of propaganda of homosexuality."

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Im convinced that the main task of the state regarding children is the protection of childhood and youth from the dirt of the world, preserving children's purity, guard our children from the harmful and dangerous phenomena," it said. "And in this case, our shared task is to not allow the release of this musical on the screen under any guise.

Medinsky told the BBC that they will consider the movie "according to the law" as soon as they obtain copies of the film with relevant paperwork for distribution.

In a sub-plot to the main story, Le Fou (Josh Gad), a sidekick of the film's main antagonist Gaston, has an "exclusive gay moment".
Govt transfers over 14k ha of natl forest to CFUGs

The government has handed over an additional 14,745 hectares of national forest to 19,361 Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) this year. The community forests occupied an area of 1,798,733 hectares of land across the country until last year.
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese hardliners have parts of their brains missing, exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said in an interview aired this week, comments likely to infuriate Beijing, which views the Nobel Peace laureate as a dangerous separatist. The Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in India after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, denies espousing violence and says he only wants genuine autonomy for Tibet. The animosity between the two sides, and their rivalry for control over Tibetan Buddhism, is at the heart of the debate about reincarnation. Speaking to U.S. comedian John Oliver in India's northern town of Dharamsala, where the exiled Tibetan government is based, he also said he might be the last Dalai Lama. "Very possible," he said. "If I become the last Dalai Lama, I feel very happy." Tibetan Buddhism holds that the soul of a senior lama is reincarnated in the body of a child on his death. China says the tradition must continue and its officially atheist Communist leaders have the right to approve the Dalai Lama's successor, as a legacy inherited from China's emperors. The Dalai Lama has suggested previously the title could end with him, when he dies. China accuses him of betraying, and being disrespectful of, the Tibetan religion, by saying there might be no future reincarnations. Asked if he was worried China might appoint its own Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader said it would be foolish. "Our brain usually, you see, has the ability to create common sense," he said. "The Chinese hardliners, in their brain, that part of the brain, is missing." China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tibet's delegation to the annual meeting of China's parliament, which opened on Sunday, is likely to hold a news conference some time this week. Such meetings tend to be dominated by the issue of the Dalai Lama. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Well go through the gate, the speaker of the House vowed. If the gate is closed, well go over the fence. If the fence is too high, well pole vault in. If that doesnt work, well parachute in. But were going to get health-care reform passed for the American people.

The speaker of that quote was not Paul Ryan but Nancy Pelosi, just over seven years ago. Dont be surprised, though, if the current keeper of the gavel utters a similar statement in the weeks ahead. Pelosi made that declaration at a precarious moment back in 2010, in the days after Democrats had lost their filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and the drive to enact the Affordable Care Act appeared on the verge of collapse.

Ryan is approaching a similar inflection point in his years-long effort to erase the law Pelosi succeeded in enacting. The legislation his committee chairmen have drafted remains officially under seal, but it has been beset on seemingly all sides by criticism. Democrats are waiting with arrows drawn to attack it. Rank-and-file Republicans, while supportive in general, are anxiously awaiting the details and worried about how to sell the plans less generous components to their constituents. The partys more centrist members say they wont rip up the laws expansion of Medicaida demand that makes true repeal all but impossible. And most concerning for the speaker, the conservatives who in the past have been more willing to buck the leadership remain unconvinced that the Ryan-backed bill wont simply replace Obamacare with, in the words of Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, another giant federal program.

If the replacement plan is Obamacare Lite, its not going to pass, warned Representative Raul Labrador, a member of the hardline House Freedom Caucus. The conservative group has raised concerns about a cornerstone of the emerging plan: the use of refundable tax credits to subsidize the purchase of health insurance for people who dont get coverage through their employer. The policy, critics on the right say, is too similar to the tax subsidies already in the Affordable Care Act.

Even though GOP leaders have yet to release their bill, the sales pitch is already well under way. Across the Capitol last week, senior Republicans scurried from meeting to meeting, briefing lawmakers on the evolving proposal while soliciting feedback on how to improve it. Inside a meeting of the House GOP conference on Thursday, Ryan brought renewed intensity, and a sense of urgency, to his push, lawmakers said. The speaker told Republicans he wanted the House to pass its Obamacare repeal-and-replace bill within three weeks. First, however, it must advance through four separate committees before a floor vote. Both the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means panels hope to mark the bill up this week. It would then go to the Budget Committee and finally to the Rules Committee.

If the replacement plan is Obamacare Lite, its not going to pass.

Meeting that deadline would give the Senate time to debate and vote on the health bill before Congress goes on a two-week break for Easter next month. Another key, if unstated, reason for the crunch: Party leaders want both the House and Senate to pass the legislation without an extended recess interrupting their workduring which their members would have to endure another round of town halls filled with supporters of Obamacare that could sap momentum for the bill.

In the House GOP meeting, Ryan made clear what President Trump had not during his speech on Tuesday nightthat the president was fully behind the leaderships plan. Moreover, a person in the room said, the speaker relayed another message from Trump to conservative lawmakers who want the House to first vote on a straight repeal measure before moving on to a replacement: The president, Ryan told them, was opposed to repeal only. Leadership allies rose to urge members to stick with the team, telling them that theyd take heat from constituents in their districts if they failed to deliver on their repeal-and-replace promise. Theyve enlisted Tom Price, the new health secretary and a conservative stalwart, to lean on his friends to back the legislation that is based on a bill he wrote when he served in the House. And on Friday, Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Ryans district in Janesville, Wisconsin, as a show of White House unity with the House speaker.

I am perfectly confident that when its all said and done, were going to unify.

Yet in both the House and Senate, the private sessions were inconclusive, suggesting that Ryans timeline for action may be too aggressive. One hold-up is that the Congressional Budget Office has yet to finish its projections on how much the bill would cost and what impact it would have on the number of people with health insurance. The speaker has argued that the plans combination of tax credits, expanded health-savings accounts, and high-risk pools to cover people with pre-existing conditions is broadly similar to proposals conservatives have supported in the past. But the resistance Ryan and his chairmen are facing underscores how little time rank-and-file Republicans have spent grappling with the important details of health-care policy until this year.

Senate Republicans rushed past reporters as they left a Wednesday-evening briefing with House committee chairmen. The meeting, they said, was positive and constructiveCapitol Hill code for There is no deal yet. It was an interesting discussion was about all the usually voluble Senator Ted Cruz would say. He added, cryptically, that he thought the talks would continue for some time. By Thursday, the Texas conservative had written an op-ed in Politico calling on Republicans to go much further than Ryans plan calls for. He wrote that the party should, if needed, overrule the Senate parliamentarian to fully repeal Obamacares insurance regulations and mandates. However, the GOP may not be able to do that under the budget reconciliation process, which it is using to roll back the law with a simple majority instead of a filibuster-proof 60 votes.

Recommended: Trump's New Travel Ban: Revised, Narrowed, and Tailored to Address Legal Challenges

In the House, Ryans biggest problem remains the Freedom Caucus, which, if its three dozen or so members voted as a bloc, could sink the leadership plan. The conservatives biggest problem with the bill is its reliance on refundable tax credits, but theyve also complained about plans to limit the popular tax deduction for health insurance and the lack of a full elimination of Obamacares Medicaid expansion. The groups leaders are aware that Ryan and his team may try to call their bluff, betting that conservatives wont actually be willing to vote against a repeal bill if it comes up for a vote. The leadership can afford to lose no more than 19 votes to achieve a majority of 218, although the threshold may be slightly lower due to vacancies in the chamber. I think there would be lots of people afraid to vote no, but I think there would be enough [unafraid] where you couldnt get to 218, said Representative Mark Meadows of North Carolina, the Freedom Caucus chairman. Adding to Ryans headache, the Koch Industries-backed Americans for Prosperity on Sunday urged Republicans to go back to the drawing board after Politico reported that a recent draft contained few changes from the leaked bill that conservatives are opposing.

In addition to conservatives, House leaders must persuade more moderate Republicans to accept a Medicaid compromise that may result in reduced fundingand coveragein states that expanded the program under Obamacare. Its going to be tough, said Representative Peter King of New York, where, he noted, 800,000 people were newly covered. We have to get something done, but I have real strong feelings on Medicaid expansion. I didnt like the concept from the start, but its there.

Recommended: A Violent Attack on Free Speech at Middlebury

For all of the GOPs problems in the House, however, its still the Senate that remains the partys bigger challenge. Senator Rand Pauls farcical scavenger hunt for the secret bill on Thursday and Friday obscured a more worrisome point for party leaders. They cannot count on the votes of Senators Susan Collins of Maine or Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who opposed a repeal bill in 2015 over its defunding of Planned Parenthood, which is also targeted in the current draft. There is not a consensus at this point, Collins said Sunday on Face the Nation. With Republicans holding only 51 votes, Pauls additional opposition would torpedo the legislation. Cruz and Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who have aligned themselves with the House Freedom Caucus in the past, could be similarly crucial. And other senators, including Lindsey Graham, have warned party leaders against trying to jam them with a take-it-or-leave-it plan that they cant amend. Ill leave it, Graham warned at a town-hall event on Saturday. The tight margin is one reason Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been sounding less confident than Ryan about the chances for success in his chamber.

The House speaker remains unbowed. Ryan has not adopted the by-any-means-necessary rhetoric of Pelosi, but hes crept a bit closer. I am perfectly confident that when its all said and done, were going to unify, he told reporters on Thursday, because we all, every Republican, ran on repealing and replacing [Obamacare] and were going to keep our promises. The next weeks may well determine if hes right.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump started his weekend in Florida in a fit of anger over his young administration getting sidetracked just days after his most successful moment in office. He returned to the White House late Sunday derailed  again.

Trumps frustration appeared to be both the symptom and the cause of his recent woes. Angry about leaks, errant messaging and his attorney general landing in hot water, he fired off a series of tweets that only ensured more distractions.

His staff had hoped to build on the momentum generated by his speech to Congress by rolling out his revamped travel ban and, potentially, unveiling his health care plan. Those efforts rapidly unraveled, sparking more staff infighting and enraging a president loathe to publicly admit a mistake and eager to shift the blame onto others.

And now, as Trump begins one of the most pivotal weeks yet for his presidency, his staff is facing the fallout from another allegation of close ties to Russia and the presidents unsubstantiated claims that his predecessor ordered him wiretapped during the campaign.

Trump simmered all weekend in Florida before returning to Washington ahead of signing new immigration restrictions, according to associates who spoke to the president and, like others interviewed, requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. Those close to Trump said it was the angriest hes been as president, his rage bursting to the surface at his senior staff Friday afternoon in the Oval Office.

Trump was furious about the negative impact of the flap over Attorney General Jeff Sessions meetings with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. He told one person he personally felt let down that his senior staff were unable to fight back against the story. He also suggested he felt that Sessions move to recuse himself from any investigation into administration links to Russia felt like an admission of defeat, said the person who spoke to the president over the weekend but declined to be named discussing private conversations.

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Sessions decision particularly infuriated a president who promised repeatedly during the campaign that hed win so much the American people would be tired of winning and he felt that it was a sign of weakness, the person said.

White House chief of staff Reince Preibus, scheduled to travel with Trump to his coastal Palm Beach estate, was told to stay behind. White House chief strategist Steve Bannon also remained in Washington but later flew to Mar-a-Lago.

Those close to Trump have said he has had his happiest days as president at Mar-a-Lago. He didnt cool off there this weekend.

Many West Wing staffers who stayed behind in Washington awoke Saturday morning to the chiming of their cell phones. The president was tweeting just after dawn to hurl the extraordinary accusation that President Barack Obama had ordered Trump Tower to be wiretapped, a charge for which Trump provided no evidence.

Trump had stayed disciplined on Twitter for days surrounding his congressional speech, but no more. Staffers planning to spend the weekend preparing for the presidents new executive orders were instead sent scrambling to deal with the incendiary tweetstorm, their carefully laid plans again wrecked 140 characters at a time.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer, an honored guest at Saturday nights annual white-tie Gridiron Dinner, a night of witticisms delivered by reporters and politicos alike, spent most of the night with his head buried in his phone, missing many of the jokes, several at his expense. Sessions had been slated to attend the event but canceled after the revelations about his meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

The first travel ban, which was hastily written with little outside consultation, was struck down by a federal court. Weeks of planning and delays have gone into the second order, one that is also sure to face legal challenges and, were it to suffer a second legal defeat, could have a devastating political impact.

Some Trump allies have been frustrated by his conspiracy-mongering about the inauguration crowd size and claims of widespread voter fraud, believing those accusations had become distractions to their agenda. Afraid to upset the mercurial president, they scrambled to fulfill his request to probe the alleged wiretapping.

On Sunday, the White House asked Republicans in Congress to search for evidence. Obamas intelligence chief would soon say no such action was ever carried out, and a U.S. official would confirm that the FBI had asked the Justice Department to dispute the allegation.

I think the bigger thing is, lets find out. Lets have an investigation, said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on ABC. If theyre going to investigate Russia ties, lets include this as part of it. And so thats what were asking.

Other Republicans seemed baffled by the charges, which could prove a distraction in the week ahead.

The president put that out there, and now the White House will have to answer as to exactly what he was referring to, said Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on CNN.

But Trump told friends that he was certain hed be vindicated.

I spoke with the president twice yesterday about the wiretap story. I havent seen him this pissed off in a long time, wrote Christopher Ruddy, a longtime Trump friend and head of NewsMax. When I mentioned Obama denials about the wiretaps, he shot back: This will be investigated, it will all come out. I will be proven right.'

The president, accustomed to a culture of corporate loyalty enforced by iron-clad nondisclosure agreements, also continued to rage about the leaks that have plagued his White House. He blames the leaks, rather than any of his own decisions, for his administrations shaky start and is threatening to make changes if they continue, according to one person who spoke to him. That could include making the administrations public case for policies, as he did in a lengthy news conference and his congressional speech, both performances praised by his backers.

Trump has been particularly incensed over the leaks about Russia ties, which have dogged him since his election. During the transition he ripped the intelligence community for being behind the leaks and even compared them to Nazi propaganda. Lately, he has blamed Democrats, suggesting that they were using them as an excuse for Hillary Clintons defeat.

___

AP White House Correspondent Julie Pace contributed reporting.
On March 6, 1857, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the Dred Scott case, which had a direct impact on the coming of the Civil War and Abraham Lincolns presidency four years later.

The case of DredScott v. Sandford was one of the most controversial decisions in the courts history. At the time, the Supreme Courts majority came from pro-slavery states or had connections to pro-slavery presidents.

Link: Library of Congress resources

The case had been in the court system for more than a decade. Scott had been born into slavery in 1795. In subsequent years, he lived in two parts of the United States that didnt allow slavery, Illinois and Wisconsin, along with his master.

When his current master died in 1846, Scott filed suit on behalf of himself and his wife, also a slave, to gain their freedom. The case was heard by three other courts as it made its way to Washington.

The Dred Scott decision came just two days after President James Buchanan took office, and it set the tone for his controversial term that led to the Civil War.

Chief Justice Roger Taney gave the courts opinion; it had ruled 7-2 against Scott.

Taney announced that slaves were not citizens of the United States and had no rights to sue in federal courts, and in fact, blacks couldnt be citizens.

There are two clauses in the Constitution which point directly and specifically to the negro race as a separate class of persons, and show clearly that they were not regarded as a portion of the people or citizens of the Government then formed, Taney argued.

The court also declared the Missouri Compromise of 1820 to be unconstitutional. And it said that Congress did not have the authority to prohibit slavery in the territories.

The decision was celebrated in the South and by slavery supporters. There was outrage in the North and among abolitionists.

One person who was publicly upset with the Dred Scott decision was Lincoln, who was a rising figure in the newly formed Republican Party. The Dred Scott case was a focal point of the famous debates between Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1858.

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The decision also made the Republican Party a national force, and led to the division of the Democratic Party during the 1860 presidential elections.

The growing power of the Republicans, who received considerable support from the northern states, directly led to fears in the South that slavery would be ended, and those fears started the momentum for secession and the Civil War.

Scott died in 1858 about a year after he and his family had gained their freedom, when his owner (under pressure from her husband) sent the Scotts back to their original owners, who promptly freed them.

Taney passed away in 1864. A year later, a request to include a bust of Taney in a hall that recognized chief justices was blocked by Republicans.

I declare that the opinion of the chief justice in the case of Dred Scott was more thoroughly abominable than anything of the kind in the history of courts. Judicial baseness reached its lowest point on that occasion, said Charles Sumner, a leading Radical Republican.

Sumner had been brutally beaten and almost killed on the Senate floor in 1856 when he made antislavery remarks. His attacker was Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina.

After the Civil War, the 13th Amendment and 14th Amendment effectively overturned the Dred Scott decision.

Today, the words Dred Scott are tossed out by politicians when they vehemently try to link a recent Supreme Court decision to a historically bad precedent. In 2010, for example, some critics compared the Citizens United v. FEC decision to it.

In 2007, Lynette Jackson, Scotts great-great-granddaughter, told NPR on the 150th anniversary of the decision that the lesson from the case is that people should try to do what is right.

Even if it doesnt look like its going to work out, in the end, it usually does, she said.
The Duggars Wish Josh Happy Birthday

When the news of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggars oldest son, Joshua, having a sex addiction, multiple affairs, and a history of molesting four of his sisters hit the streets, 19 Kids and Counting was pulled from the air by TLC in 2015 and Joshua Duggar was sent to rehab for his pornography and sex addiction. He returned to Arkansas after completing his rehabilitation, but kept a low profile on social media. His wife, Anna, ultimately stuck with him throughout the scandal, which broke when she was pregnant with one of their four children. Anna was heavily criticized at the time for knowingly exposing her children (two of which are girls) to a known, admitted child molester. At the time, it was said that Joshua did not actually rape his sisters, but details about what happened were sketchy as his sisters privacy, who live in the public eye, were of great concern.

Click here to continue and read more...

Click here to continue and read more...
Benghazi (Libya) (AFP) - Forces loyal to eastern Libya's strongman Khalifa Haftar said Monday they were preparing a large counter-offensive to retake key oil export terminals days after losing them to rival fighters.

"Libyan forces are mobilising in great numbers to chase terrorist gangs from the Oil Crescent," said Mohamad Ghanim, a spokesman for the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army.

On Friday the Islamist-led Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB) seized the key oil terminals of Ras Lanuf, which also includes an airport, and Al-Sidra in the Oil Crescent.

Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) forces have since carried out air strikes on BDB positions, but have not succeeded in repelling them.

Colonel Ahmad al-Mismari, a spokesman for the LNA, said fresh strikes on Monday hit vehicles of the Islamist militia, which controlled Libya's second city Benghazi until Haftar's forces ousted them from nearly all of it in an offensive started in 2014.

In September, pro-Haftar forces captured Ras Lanuf, Al-Sidra and two other eastern oil ports in a blow to the authority of the UN-backed unity government in Tripoli.

Haftar backs a rival administration in the country's far east that has refused to cede power to the Government of National Accord since it started working last year.

The eastern administration has accused the GNA's Defence Minister Al-Mahdi al-Barghathi, who is known for being hostile to Haftar, of backing the BDB.

But the minister on Monday denied the accusations.

"Those who are responsible for what is happening in the oil fields are those who have confiscated the real will of the Libyan people," Barghathi said.

"It shows nobody can control Libya by force," he said, in an apparent reference to Haftar, whose critics have accused him of wanting to install a military regime in the oil-rich country.

Barghathi's comments came after the Tripoli government on Friday denied any involvement in the offensive against the Oil Crescent, and condemning it as a "military escalation".

Libya has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.
Peter Navarro, the head of Trumps newly formed White House National Trade Council, said U.S. President Donald Trump will make addressing trade deficits a top priority to boost the U.S. economy in remarks that drew criticism from experts and economists.

Bilateral trade deficits do indeed matter, and it is a critical economic goal and in the interest of national security to reduce these deficits in a way that expands overall trade, Navarro told an audience of business economists on Monday. He said the administration would tackle trade deficits, in effect find a way for the United States to export more than it imports on a bilateral basis, to close the deficit gap. If we are able to reduce our trade deficits through tough, smart negotiations, we should be able to increase our growth, Navarro said.

Navarros comments drew skepticism from trade experts and economists across the political spectrum, who said that line of thinking on economics was flawed. Economists say trade deficits arent an indication of good or bad economic times, but rather a function of savings and investments. (The United States enjoyed a stellar trade surplus during the Great Depression in the 1930s, for example.)

He wont find economists  either on the left or the right  that believe trade deficits are this huge a problem, Chip Roh, a former assistant U.S. trade representative and trade lawyer, told Foreign Policy. It doesnt make economic sense.

When economists hear, Our goal is reduce the trade deficit, it baffles us, Gordon Hanson, a trade economist at the University of California, San Diego, told FP. Hes either using it as a cheap political ploy or theres a misconception  he doesnt understand how it operates.

Navarro named a few bad apples in his speech. He called out China for purposefully undervaluing its currency to boost exports, and India and Japan for their trade barriers. And he said Germany was also in the administrations sites. Germany is one of the most difficult trade deficits that were going to have to deal with but were thinking long and hard about that, he said in his speech Monday. In January, Navarro ripped into Germany for its trade policy, accusing the country of currency manipulation. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Trump in Washington on March 14 amid the disagreements over trade.

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Navarro isnt a fan of foreign investment in the United States either, it seems. The country would experience conquest by purchase if trade deficits arent addressed and foreign investors keep buying up chunks of the U.S. economy, Navarro wrote in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal published Monday. How might that alternative version of conquest by purchase end for our sons and daughters? Might we lose a broader cold war for Americas freedom and prosperity, not by shots fired but by cash registers ringing? he wrote.

Trump and his advisors have said they favor bilateral trade deals over multilateral deals, which they argue have hurt American workers. In his first weeks in office, Trump backed out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, a deal the Obama administration had been pursuing with 11 other countries, and said he would renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. That was a step away from his rhetoric on the campaign trail, when he vowed to scrap NAFTA altogether.



Trade experts are still nervous he may do so. It would be a disaster for the us and the world economy if we pulled out of NAFTA, William Krist, a trade expert with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars said.

Photo credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
Lack of instructor pilots hinders operations

The House Public Accounts Committee has asked Nepal Airlines to explain why it has not been flying its Chinese-made Y12e aircraft to mountain airfields.
Watson (Lucy Liu) thinks that Kittys (Ophelia Lovibond) return to New York is not a good idea.

In a sneak peek from Season 5, episode 15 of Elementary, Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) asks Watson and Kitty to talk to Captain Gregson (Aidan Quinn), but Watson is hesitant about it.

When Sherlock and Kitty asked what the problem is, Watson reminds them of the acid attack Kitty did to Del Gruner (Stuart Townsend) before she flew back to London.

You didnt just leave New York, you fled [after attacking Del], Watson tells Kitty.

Del Gruner wasnt a guy. He was a monster, Kitty says of her attacker. All things considered, Id say he didnt go off easy.

All I was saying the captain knew it was you, Watson warns her.

Sherlock corrects Watson, saying that Captain Gregson only suspected Kitty. He also points out that Gruner never said a word about who attacked him. Obviously, he didnt want to reveal his true connection to Kitty, Sherlock says.

As to why Kitty doesnt have any worries about meeting the captain, she tells Watson and Sherlock that she actually reached out to the captain after she left New York.

I wrote him a letter, the captain, after I go back [to London], she reveals. I didnt confess anything  I just apologized if I disappointed him. Its square.

Five years before becoming Sherlocks protege, Kitty was kidnapped, raped and tortured by a male perpetrator, who was later revealed to be Del. Kitty captured Del in Season 3, episode 12. Although Kitty didnt kill him, she did leave him badly scarred after assaulting him with an acid attack. At the time, Captain Gregson made it clear that he would have to track down the culprit of the crime, even if it was a name he knew, leaving Kitty no choice but to flee New York.

While the sneak peek doesnt reveal why Sherlock needs Watson and Kitty to talk to Captain Gregson, the synopsis for the episode suggests that it may have something to do with a serial killer who wants Sherlock and Kitty dead.

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The episode summary reveals that Kitty flies back to New York to warn Sherlock that they are the next targets of a murderer who is eliminating everyone involved in a case they worked on together in London. As Kitty, Sherlock and Watson team up with the NYPD to catch the murderer, Watson discovers that Kitty comes back with a secret relating to a new man in her life.

Elementary Season 5, episode 15, titled Wrong Side of the Road, airs on Sunday, March 5 at 10 p.m. EST on CBS.

Ophelia Lovibond as Kitty, Lucy Liu as Watson, Aidan Quinn as Captain Gregson, Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock

Photo: CBS

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Emma Stone poses with Leonardo DiCaprio

Emma Stone is adored by her fans for her quirky roles in romantic comedies and for her superb acting. She recently made it big with her movie La La Land opposite Ryan Gosling. But before Emma Stone was recognized as one of Hollywoods biggest stars, she was once a teenager who realized that she cannot keep her real name throughout her career.

In an interview with WMagazine, Emma Stone revealed that she had a different name that the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) asked her to drop. The Easy A actress was just a teenager when she realized that she cannot user her real name, which is Emily.
Emma Watson is a feminist. Based on her work and her words, there is no disputing that the Beauty and the Beast actress is unequivocally for the equal rights of all genders across the globe.

So when some people concluded otherwise because of a photoshoot that showed a little underboob, Watson was quick to shut critics down. However, many pointed out her statement is just kind of hypocritical based on comments she's made in the past about Beyonce.

SEE ALSO: Emma Watson schools critics on what feminism actually means

On Sunday afternoon, clearly baffled by the negative reactions to the Vanity Fair spread, Watson spoke up to remind everyone what it means to be a feminist.

"Feminism is about giving women choice, feminism is not a stick which to beat other women with. It's about freedom, it's about liberation, it's about equalityI really don't know what my tits have to do with it," Watson explained.

But here's the thingin a 2014 conversation with Tavi Gevinson for Wonderland Magazine, Watson critiqued Beyonce's brand of feminism for the same conflict many have been up in arms about regarding Watson's Underboob-gate: the sexualization of a women's body paired with messages of feminism.

As I was watching [the videos] I felt very conflicted," Watson told Gevinson for the magazine, speaking on Bey's self-titled visual album. "I felt her message felt very conflicted in the sense that on the one hand she is putting herself in a category of a feminist, but then the camera, it felt very male, such a male voyeuristic experience of her," she explained, completely contradicting her remarks on "choice" and "freedom" and what exactly "tits have to do with it."

Maturing from Hermione to Belle in @beautyandthebeast is a true coming-of-age story for @EmmaWatson: "I couldn't care less if I won an Oscar or not if the movie didnt say something that I felt was important for people to hear." Read the full cover story at the link in bio. Photograph by Tim Walker. A post shared by Vanity Fair (@vanityfair) on Feb 28, 2017 at 10:02am PST

And she's rightthey have absolutely nothing to do with it.

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But while Watson is entitled to feel how she feels, her previous critique of Beyonce paired with her current response to the Underboob-gate has the BeyHive furious on Twitter because it is a perfect example of accountability, learningand the history surrounding the policing of women's bodies, particularly black women's bodies.

Whether we're talking about school dress codes, swimsuits or Beyonce's music video wardrobe, the idea of how much a women is worth based on what she is wearing is inherently problematic, and in the case of both Beyonce and Watson and every one, it has nothing to do with being a feminist. Controlling what either celebrity wears in a photoshoot or music video does not take away the power of their message, nor does only allowing them express their sexuality in only socially acceptable ways.

In the United States, black women's bodies historically have had a hyper-sexualized stereotype imposed on them, rooted in colonialism. Policies and commodification of black women's bodies have reinforced this over the decades, making it especially important to understand and critique modern examples of thislike when a white woman of a certain privilege feels the need to put down a black woman expressing her agency as she sees fit.

While Watson has talked only occasionally about women's sexuality and feminism, this isn't the first time the actress has come under fire for her navigation of the fight for gender equality.

Most notably critiqued is Watson's involvement with the United Nations Women and helmed the He For She campaign, an initiative that invites men to join the movement and stand in solidarity for the fight for women and girls to have equal rights. Many saw this invitation as absurd, and overlooked just how much men benefit from gender inequality.

But whether in regards to the UN campaign or Beyonce, Watson's intentions aren't what we should be criticizing. As an actress of immeasurable influence and resources, her desire to elevate issues of equality and women's rights on every platform available to her are commendable and important to acknowledge.

That spotlight brings more eyeballs on Watson and as she wobbles through sometimes steep learning curves, it's important to not trivialize those actively holding her accountable to make sure she isn't just fighting for one kind of woman, and is cognizant of the implications her feminist actions have.

Regardless of whether or not Watson feels compelled to apologize for her comments on Beyonce, intersectionality and patience is what's critical. A learning curve on a public stage is both to be expected and, crucially, should be allowed. That, paired with Watson's latest remarks on how "feminism is about giving women choice" rather than a "stick which to beat other women with," are reminders we all could use in our everyday lives.
By Ralph Boulton and Andrea Shalal ISTANBUL/BERLIN (Reuters) - Tayyip Erdogan's portrayal of a Germany mired in its Nazi past was calculated to infuriate Berlin while swaying Turks at home and abroad to vote "yes" to sweeping new presidential powers he seeks. Erdogan certainly achieved the first aim, with one German politician dubbing him the "despot on the Bosphorus" and Chancellor Angela Merkel declaring that the remarks only trivialized Nazi crimes against humanity. With his foolish and absurd Nazi comparison, Erdogan has left the realm of rational discussion," Juergen Hardt, a lawmaker from Merkel's conservative CDU party, said of Erdogan. "While Germany sticks to democratic standards...President Erdogan is trying to disempower the Turkish parliament through a constitutional change." Erdogan's fury was triggered by decisions to cancel planned rallies in support of his referendum in several German towns. Events have so far been canceled in the cities of Gaggenau, Cologne and Frechen, with local authorities or venue operators citing concerns about safety or the size of the crowd. Turkish officials said a fourth event in the town of Kelsterbach was canceled on Monday. Merkel has said her federal government played no part in the decisions. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Germany would allow Turkish politicians to speak, as long as they were open about their intentions, announced them in a timely manner and did not import Turkish conflicts to Germany. The faithful at Erdogan's Istanbul rally registered their support for Erdogan's blustering speech with familiar chants of "Stand up straight! Don't bow down! The nation is with you!" But his portrayal of "fascist" German officials banning rallies to discourage a "yes" vote may alienate some of the 1.5 million Turkish voters in Germany whose support he badly needs. He could scarcely have used a more poisonous arrow against his NATO partner. Gokay Sofuoglu, chairman of the Turkish community in Germany, told Reuters Erdogans rhetoric was increasing tension in an already divided Turkish community. "Erdogan went a step too far," he said. "Germany should not sink to this level." Sofuoglu appealed to members of Germany's Turkish community to stay calm despite what he called a constant barrage of anti-German and anti-European messages on Turkish media. THE EMIGRE VOTE A leader with no rival who consistently wins close to 50 percent in elections, Erdogan is well placed to win powers he says are essential to secure a country threatened by Islamist and Kurdish militants and still recovering from a military attempt to topple him that killed 248 people. Opponents say the new system, allowing him to enforce decrees, dissolve parliament and declare emergency rule, would abolish checks already eroded during his 15 years in power. The almost 4 million Turkish voters living in the European Union are an important bloc that could be skeptical of Erdogan's desire for more authority, said Abdulkadir Selvi, a commentator with close links to the ruling AK Party. "Is the AK Party front uneasy about a 'no' wave across Europe and particularly in Germany? They are definitely uneasy, because votes overseas have begun to create a significant weight on the election results." Germany is not alone in worrying about Turkish rallies. The Dutch government has opposed a rally in Rotterdam, while the Austrian chancellor proposed an EU-wide ban on Turkish rallies, which would deflect some of the pressure from Berlin. "We now see a wave of fascism is being resurrected through Germany and Austria," Turkish pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak said in an editorial. "A racist trend is spreading across the whole of Europe preparing for open war against the two 'enemies', the Turkey enemy and the Islamic enemy." There was room for humor amid the bluster, albeit with a sarcastic edge: "Don't be scared, we are not planning to besiege Vienna again," the editorial said, referring to 16th and 17th century battles that halted Ottoman expansion in Europe. Erdogan has chafed at German criticism of a widespread purge he is conducting including arrests and dismissals of people in almost all walks of society suspected of links to the failed July coup. He has also accused Berlin of giving succor to Turkey's enemies, from Kurdish militants to leftist radicals. Dozens of Turkish diplomats and military figures accused by Erdogan of links to the coup have claimed political asylum in Germany. The German justice ministry says it has received 136 asylum applications. Erdogan has also bristled at German condemnation of the arrest of a German-Turkish journalist, whom he calls a spy. Merkel's response is constrained in part by her reliance on Erdogan's cooperation in a deal that stopped the flow of migrants into Europe from Turkey last year, after a million reached Germany the year before. Erdogan agreed to take back migrants who reach the EU from Turkey by boat. In return, the EU agreed to easier visas for Turks and progress on Turkey's long-delayed bid to join the bloc. The lead article in German news magazine Der Spiegel urged Merkel to free herself from the handcuffs of the migrant deal. Erdogan has made no hint so far that he might pull out of the deal, but Turkish officials grumble that Europe is not living up to its side of it. While we're expecting full support from Germany on issues such as the migrant deal, visa liberalization and Turkeys full EU membership, the exact opposite is happening," a senior government official said. "There is a great disappointment in that sense. (additional reporting by Tuvan Gumrucku, Orhan Coskun, Daren Butler, Tulay Karadeniz; editing by Peter Graff)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday put his most tactful diplomatic foot forward, railing at German refusal to allow some rallies by Turkish residents.

Germany, you have no relation whatsoever to democracy and you should know that your current actions are no different to those of the Nazi period, Erdogan helpfully noted. I thought the era of Nazism was over in Germany, but now I see that its going on. Everything is clear.

The atrocity that led Erdogan to level this particularly loaded charge at Germany? Last week, German authorities revoked permission for rallies by Turkish citizens in two German cities, Cologne and Gaggenau. Thats where Turkish government ministers were going to call for a Yes vote in a Turkish referendum, scheduled for next month, that would expand Erdogans presidential powers.

German authorities said they made the cancellation call for security reasons  namely, fear of overcrowding. And so, at a rally of his own, Erdogan  who has spent the last seven months jailing thousands of journalists, civil servants, and soldiers after an abortive coup in July  decided to liken Germany today to that of the 1930s.

Unsurprisingly, German officials did not agree with this characterization. At a business forum in Berlin on Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, One cannot even comment on such utterances, they are not justifiable  Comparisons with Nazis always just lead to one thing  to belittle those crimes.

The diplomatic spat comes at a complicated time for German-Turkish relations. German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel, a correspondent for Die Welt, is currently under arrest in Turkey. Erdogan said last Friday that Yucel was arrested because he a German agent and a member of a militant Kurdish group. A source in the German foreign ministry told Reuters this charge was absurd.

Erdogan has had other showdowns with Germany. For example, in April 2016, the Turkish president requested that Germany prosecute Jan Bohermann, a German comic who performed a poem mocking him on television. Insulting foreign leaders is a crime in Germany, although that particular law will be done away with by the end of 2017. Charges against Bohermann were dropped for insufficient evidence in October.

Despite all the tensions, Erdogan isnt threatening to cut off ties with Germany, home to 3 million Turkish immigrants. Rather, he said on Sunday, If I want to come to Germany, I will, and if you dont let me in through your doors, if you dont let me speak, then I will make the world rise to its feet.

Photo credit: MURAT CETIN MUHURDAR/AFP/Getty Images
Berlin (AFP) - Germany's chancellery on Monday hit out against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for likening a German ban on rallies by his ministers to "Nazi practices", calling the comparison "absolutely unacceptable".

"The government will make this very clear" to Turkey, Peter Altmaier, chief of staff at the chancellery, told public broadcaster ARD.

"There is absolutely no reason to allow ourselves to be reproached over this," he added.

Several local authorities in Germany last week banned rallies by Turkish ministers seeking to campaign for support ahead of an April referendum on boosting Erdogan's powers.

The authorities had cited capacity problems in hosting the rallies, which they said would likely attract large crowds.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has said her government did not have a hand in the decisions, which fell under the jurisdiction of local authorities.

But Ankara responded to the cancellations with fury.

In a bid to defuse the row, Merkel rang Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Saturday.

But a day later, Erdogan lashed out against Berlin, telling a rally in Istanbul: "Germany, you are not even close to democracy. Your practices are not different from the Nazi practices of the past."

On Monday, Altmaier repeated Merkel's argument that campaign rallies by Turkish ministers, in general, should not be banned.

"But they must adhere to existing rules. They must be registered and subject to checks," he said.
By Jonathan Saul and Katie Paul LONDON/RIYADH (Reuters) - Cruise missiles, floating mines and a remote-controlled boat have been deployed to attack ships in Yemen in recent months, changing the dynamic of the two-year-old war and pushing the country closer to famine, shipping and aid officials say. The weapons have targeted military vessels from a Saudi-led coalition which is fighting Iranian-allied Houthi rebels in the impoverished state on the tip of the Arabian peninsula, part of the same regional power struggle that is fuelling Syria's war. The conflict in Yemen, which al Qaeda has exploited to thrive amid turbulent conditions, has left four-fifths of the population in need of aid. Relief officials say food reserves will run out in two to four months. Increasingly innovative maritime raids near the narrow Bab al-Mandab maritime passage, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, add to already severe difficulties getting aid and commercial supplies to a country that imports 90 percent of its food and fuel by sea. Saudi-led air strikes close to vital ports in the Houthi-controlled north are also curbing imports, shipping sources say. Both sides deny hampering aid. "The potential for merchant ships to be caught up in this as collateral damage is high," said Phillip Belcher, marine director with INTERTANKO, an association which represents the majority of the world's tanker fleet. "Several of the attacks on military operated vessels have taken place in close proximity to merchant ships," he said. With nearly 4 million barrels of oil shipped daily to Europe, the United states and Asia plus commercial goods via the waterway, the stakes are high for ships sailing through the strait and for those making stops at ports in Yemen. SAUDI FRIGATE HIT A Saudi frigate was attacked on Jan. 30 close to the Red Sea port of Hodeidah in which two crew members were killed and three wounded, Saudi official media reported, blaming Houthis for the attack. The U.S. Navy said an unmanned remote controlled boat laden with explosives rammed the Saudi navy vessel, the first known strike by a "drone" attack boat, adding it was likely the Houthis were responsible, using technology supplied by Iran. Iran rejects accusations made by Saudi Arabia and its regional allies that it gives financial and military support to Houthis in Yemen, blaming the deepening crisis on Riyadh. "Riyadh and its allies are responsible for the bloodshed in Yemen," a senior Iranian official told Reuters. "All those claims about Irans involvement are baseless and fabricated news." There was no immediate comment from the Houthis or from Iran's Revolutionary Guards, which operates hundreds of small military craft. James Burnell-Nugent, former commander in chief of Britain's Royal Navy, said the use of an unmanned vessel introduced a new complication to maritime security in the region. Both the Bab and Hormuz are criss-crossed by lots of small vessels, often traveling at speed. Most of them are non-hostile, carrying contraband such as cigarettes. Amid this constant traffic, it is already very difficult for navies to pick out who is hostile and who isnt, he told Reuters. Al Qaeda may also have carried out its first attack off Yemen's shores in more than a decade, security specialists say. On Oct. 25 unknown assailants opened fire on the Galicia Spirit gas tanker close to the Bab al-Mandab. The vessel's owner said the attackers were also carrying a substantial amount of explosives. There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack. Gerry Northwood, of maritime security firm MAST and a former British Royal Navy captain with experience commanding warships in the region, said he suspected the attack showed al Qaeda's ability to carry out seaborne strikes on tankers. CRUISE MISSILES Other incidents have included an attack on Oct. 1 on a United Arab Emirates craft with what some Western experts say appears to have been an anti-ship cruise missile. The Houthis said they attacked the ship but have made no comment on the weapons used. The Houthis denied they were behind a series of failed missile attacks in October on the U.S. navy destroyer USS Mason, actions which drew retaliation in the form of U.S. cruise missile strikes on coastal radar sites in Houthi-controlled territory. Shipping industry sources say shipping firms were becoming more reluctant to deliver goods to Houthi-controlled Hodeidah port together with the neighboring port of Salif also on the Rea Sea. Robert Mardini, regional director for the Near and Middle East with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said it had stopped using Hodeidah, which is one of the major gateways for goods into Yemen. "Nobody wants to go to Hodeidah ... from our list of suppliers. So this is problematic," he said this week. The ICRC added it had not used the port for several weeks. The reluctance compounds delays in aid deliveries that have been reported at Hodeidah for months. The United Nations has said both sides have been holding up aid deliveries. The coalition denies blocking food or hitting infrastructure and says the Houthis routinely hold up aid deliveries and divert resources to the war effort, charges the Houthis deny. Further down the coast, al-Mokha city became the focus of alarm after the U.S. government's Maritime Administration said in late January it had reason to be believe Houthi fighters had laid mines close to the mouth of the harbor. The Houthis have not commented on the allegation. A maritime source familiar with the area said that, depending on the current, any free floating mines could be pushed into the open sea in an area close to the Bab al-Mandab. More than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which the United Nations has said is now the largest food insecurity emergency in the world, with an estimated 7.3 million people needing immediate help. For graphic 'Shipping at risk in Yemen's conflict' click : https://tinyurl.com/z2khlq7 (Additional reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Ankara, Phil Stewart in Washington, William Maclean and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in Dubai and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Brussels (AFP) - EU authorities on Monday approved a controversial nuclear expansion project in Hungary that is heavily backed by Russia.

The approval removes the last roadblock to the 12.5 billion euro ($13.2 billion) expansion of Hungary's only nuclear facility, which Russia is financing by 80 percent even as tensions between Europe and the Kremlin run high.

The European Commission "has approved this support under EU state aid rules on the basis of commitments made by Hungary to limit distortions of competition," said a statement.

Construction of the two 1,200 megawatt reactors at the Paks plant outside Budapest is considered a strategic project by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close ally of Russia's.

EU authorities were under pressure to take a close look at the deal amid fears the Kremlin was using it to meddle further with the bloc's sensitive energy sector.

Fiercely anti-nuclear Austria denounced the decision and threatened to take the case to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg.

"Austria can't accept that the European Commission considers that subsidising the construction of nuclear power plants is harmless," said Vice Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner, who also serves as economy minister.

"That's why we will examine legal options and contact the European Court (of Justice) if necessary," he told Austrian media.

In 2015 Austria filed a complaint against EU-approved state aid for the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in Britain, arguing that atomic energy was non-sustainable and high-risk.

On a visit to Hungary last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin lauded the project and said Russia was "ready to finance the expansion 100 percent". Moscow's state-owned Rosatom will build the facilities.

The Commission did not mention Russia in its statement, saying its powers were limited to competition concerns and that Hungary's financing committed no violations.

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The deal made headlines in November when Germany's representative on the Commission, Guenther Oettinger, flew in a private jet belonging to a Kremlin lobbyist closely associated with the project.

Environmental group Greenpeace said the Commission was "spectacularly irresponsible" in giving its approval.

"It's allowing massive subsidies for a project backed by a government that openly challenges the importance of independent oversight for nuclear safety," Greenpeace said.

The Commission already drew criticism in November when it dropped an infringement case after Hungary awarded the contract to Rosatom without holding an open tender.

Tensions have been high since Russia's annexation of Crimea and the start of the conflict in Ukraine in 2014, for which the 28-nation EU bloc has imposed wide-ranging economic sanctions against Moscow.
Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years.
Brussels (AFP) - The European Union on Monday approved plans for a military headquarters to coordinate overseas security operations, foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini said.

Mogherini, who has pushed hard for the EU to take on an increased military role, said foreign and defence ministers of the 28 member states "unanimously" backed the project.

"Today we decided to establish a MPCC (Military Planning Conduct and Capability facility) which will command the EU's non-executive military missions," she told reporters.

The facility will initially run three operations -- civil-military training missions in Mali, the Central African Republic and Somalia -- which do not involve the use of force, other than in self-defence.

The EU has also mounted Operation Sophia in the central Mediterranean, which can use force to stop migrant smugglers, and Operation Atalanta, part of international anti-piracy forces off the Horn of Africa.

These executive operations have their own command centres which will remain separate.

Mogherini said the decision was a huge step forward for the EU after decades of division over what defence role the bloc should take on -- with exit-bound Britain having long opposed it.

She spoke of a "certain pride" about the agreement.

"This is one of the fields where traditionally we have had in the history of the European Union more divisiveness -- since the Fifties we were struggling in the defence field," she said.

Britain's vote to leave the EU, stripping the bloc of one of its most powerful and nuclear-armed countries, plus doubts about US President Donald Trump's NATO commitment have given fresh impetus to efforts to step up military cooperation.

But top EU officials, including Mogherini, have had to repeatedly issue reassurances that the bloc is not going to undercut NATO as the primary defence for Europe.

Besides Britain, many of the former Communist states of eastern Europe such as Poland and Hungary have argued consistently that NATO must come first, given the need for US support in facing a more assertive Russia.

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"It is not a European army -- I know this is the label going around -- it is a more effective way of handling our military work," Mogherini, a former Italian foreign minister, said as she went into the meeting earlier Monday.

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker called for a common EU defence headquarters in September after the Brexit vote, resurrecting an idea that had circulated in the EU for years.

The new facility will initially have a small staff of around 30 and come under the EU's existing military structures.
Brussels (AFP) - The European Union will host a conference on the post-conflict future of Syria with the United Nations in Brussels on April 5, foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini said Monday.

The conference, following on from a similar meeting in London early last year, "will assess regional conditions and the conditions on which post-conflict assistance can be provided once a credible political transition is in place," Mogherini said.

The EU has consistently backed UN efforts to end the bloody conflict in Syria which has cost more than 310,000 lives and displaced millions since 2011 when protests against President Bashar al-Assad descended into all-out civil war.

Assad's future is the key question, with the various rebel groups backed by the United States and Turkey demanding that he step down in any settlement.

He insists he is going nowhere and backed by heavy Russian military support has re-established his position with the recapture of Aleppo, Syria's second city.

At the last round of UN-sponsored talks in Geneva on Friday, Damascus and the opposition agreed a "clear agenda" to end the war, according to UN envoy Staffan de Mistura.

He said there had been progress and he hoped to be able to invite both sides back to Geneva later this month for a new round of talks.

The Geneva peace talks run in parallel with negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan, brokered by Russia and Turkey, and which are focused on maintaining a fragile ceasefire reached in December after Assad recaptured Aleppo.

A new Astana meeting is expected to take place before the next Geneva talks.

The EU expects UN chief Antonio Guterres to attend the Brussels talks in April, along with senior officials from most of the countries that attended the original London conference in February 2016, European officials said.
BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Union's foreign policy chief says the EU will host a conference on Syria next month, following up on a meeting in London last year at which leaders pledged more than $10 billion to help fund schools, shelter and jobs for refugees.

Federica Mogherini said Monday that the conference on "supporting the future of Syria and the region" will be held in Brussels on April 5. It will be co-chaired with the United Nations and the governments of Germany, Kuwait, Norway, Qatar and Britain.

The initial aid conference was held in London in February 2016. Mogherini said one of the aims will be "checking where we are with the pledges ... to support Syrians inside Syria and in the neighboring countries."
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers on Monday urged restraint towards Turkey as some said they opposed campaigning by foreign politicians on their soil, stepping into a row that has soured relations between Ankara and Berlin. On Sunday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused Germany of "fascist actions" in cancelling rallies aimed at drumming up support among 1.5 million Turks living there who are eligible to vote in a referendum on extending his powers. "The reactions against Germany are very strong... I condemn the reaction of Mister Erdogan, it's nonsense," Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said on arriving for talks with his EU counterparts in Brussels. Ties between Turkey and the EU are strained over a number of issues related to human rights and the rule of law, including Erdogan's treatment of dissenters, critical media and the country's Kurdish community. But Turkey is also a NATO ally and has agreed a deal to block migrants from Syria and other Middle Eastern pressure points from leaving its shores, providing relief for EU governments under growing public pressure to stem immigration. "It would be very good if Germany and Turkey can sort this out and go back to normal," said Finland's Foreign Minister Timo Soini. His German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel, due to meet Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Berlin on Wednesday, told reporters the two countries had a responsibility to normalize a "clearly strained" relationship. "We are in favor of sometimes coming to different assessments but returning to a friendly and respectful contact ...in Germany and Europe," he said. EXPORTING TURKEY'S PROBLEMS? The arrest in Turkey of a Turkish-German journalist has fueled public outrage over the rallies, at which Turkish ministers were to urge a "Yes" vote in the April 16 referendum. Turkish authorities have sought to hold a similar gathering in the Netherlands which also has a sizeable Turkish community. The Dutch government said on Friday it was against plans for a rally in Rotterdam, saying it would inform Ankara of its opposition to the "undesirable" move. Austria's foreign minister also said he did not want Turkish politicians to campaign on its soil. Austria has proposed a ban to that effect, an idea that found favor with Slovakia's Miroslav Lajcak. "I think there should be rules, I would be rather restrictive because, as we see, it has huge damaging potential," Lajcak told reporters. "Obviously the agreement of the country where the rally should take place is very important... it should be clear that whatever happens is in line with the constitutional order of this particular country," he told reporters. Berlin says the rallies in Germany were canceled on security grounds. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska, Phil Blenkinsop, Tom Koerkemeier, Robert-Jan Bartunek, Writing by Gabriela Baczynska; editing by John Stonestreet)
Brussels (AFP) - The European Union on Monday warned the Democratic Republic of Congo it faces more EU sanctions if political and military leaders block a deal with the opposition on the country's future.

European Union foreign ministers discussed DR Congo amid growing frustration with President Joseph Kabila's refusal to stand aside at the end of his term late last year.

"The EU reminds political leaders and members of the security forces that it is ready to adopt new restrictive measures," said the text of DR Congo conclusions prepared for the meeting.

The asset freeze and travel ban sanctions would target those "responsible for grave human rights violations, for inciting violence or obstructing a peaceful resolution of the crisis which respects the aspirations of the Congolese people to elect their representatives," it said.

In December, the EU and the United States imposed sanctions on top DR Congo officials after clashes with protesters against Kabila in September left more than 50 people dead.

Kabila, who first took office in 2001 after the assassination of his father Laurent, holds onto power despite a transition agreement brokered by the Catholic church which provides for elections later this year.

The EU foreign ministers said the December agreement should be honoured and expressed concern about growing violence in the huge, resource-rich but poor former Belgian colony.

The political situation has been complicated by the death of long-time opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi in Brussels last month after he played a key role in the negotiations with Kabila on the transition accord.

Tshisekedi's brother Gerard Mulumba told Belgian broadcaster RTBF Monday that his brother's body would remain in Belgium as the "political family categorically refuses" the site offered for his burial in Kinshasa.

DR Congo's influential Catholic church meanwhile appealed for "patience" for talks aimed at ending the crisis.

Donatien Nshole, the secretary general of the Episcopal Conference (CENCO), also urged the Rassemblement opposition grouping, which includes Tshisekedi's party, to "remain united."
Versailles (France) (AFP) - The heads of continental Europe's biggest economies, in a joint view of the European Union's future at a troubled time, on Monday endorsed the idea of a "multi-speed" EU in which some members could deepen their integration faster than others.

Their meeting in the gilded splendour of the Palace of Versailles was spurred by calls to strengthen the EU in the face of Britain's exit from the bloc, eurosceptic populism and fears over US President Donald Trump's strategy for Europe.

"Unity does not equal uniformity," French President Francois Hollande told reporters ahead of a working dinner with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Italy's premier Paolo Gentiloni.

"For this reason I support new forms of cooperation," he said at a joint press conference with the other leaders.

Some EU member states could "go more quickly" and "further in areas such as defence and the eurozone, by deepening the economic and monetary union, and by harmonising fiscal and social policy," Hollande said.

Other EU members could choose to opt out of measures intended to deepen integration, he added.

France and Germany, which are often described as the European Union's "engine", had already backed the idea of a multi-speed Europe.

Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg had also signed on to the idea, as they worriedly eye the rise of anti-European parties.

- 'Courage' -

Merkel urged Europeans to "have the courage to accept that some countries can advance more rapidly than others", and that that should not stop members on a slower integration footing from catching up.

"We must be able to move forward," she said.

Gentiloni meanwhile urged "a more integrated European Union", albeit with "different levels of integration".

No concrete project was announced after the meeting in Versailles. There had been speculation the leaders would shy away from making specific proposals to avoid antagonising member states who resist the multiple-speed concept, including many in eastern Europe.

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European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has laid out five possible scenarios for the EU after Britain leaves. They include reducing the EU to just a single market, returning some powers to member countries and creating a "multi-speed" Europe.

EU leaders are now considering Juncker's options ahead of a summit in Rome on March 25 marking the bloc's 60th anniversary, where they will make their own declarations about the way forward after Britain's expected departure in 2019.

That date, combined with the rise of populist and nationalist figures, has triggered a wave of angst about Europe's future.

The EU faces legislative elections in The Netherlands this month, followed by presidential elections in France in April and May.

Germany, Europe's biggest economy and paymaster, holds legislative elections in September.

Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is widely forecast to reach the runoff in the French vote, while the party of firebrand anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders is expected to perform strongly in the Dutch race.

Merkel, meanwhile, is facing pressure from the hard-right populist party Alternative for Germany.

Trump's nationalism and expressed scepticism about NATO has also stirred concerns in Brussels. On January 31, the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, listed the Trump administration as a "threat" facing the bloc, along with China, Russia and radical Islam.
Versailles (France) (AFP) - The heads of continental Europe's biggest economies meet in the gilded splendour of the Palace of Versailles on Monday, seeking ways of strengthening an EU facing Britain's exit and mounting populism.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande -- whose two countries are often described as the European Union's "engine" -- will be joined by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Italian premier Paolo Gentiloni.

"The idea is to try to give political momentum to the four nations," a French diplomatic source said.

The meeting comes in the run-up to celebrations on March 25 of the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which founded what is now called the EU.

That date, combined with last year's referendum in Britain on leaving the EU and the rise of populist and nationalist figures, has triggered a wave of angst about Europe's future.

The EU faces legislative elections in The Netherlands this month, followed by presidential elections in France in April and May.

Germany, Europe's biggest economy and paymaster, holds legislative elections in September.

Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is widely forecast to reach the runoff in the French vote, while the party of firebrand anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders is expected to perform strongly in the Dutch race. Merkel, meanwhile, is facing pressure from the hard-right populist party Alternative for Germany.

Of the five options that European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker has proposed in a White Paper on the bloc's post-Brexit future, ranging from a simple single market to even deeper integration, Paris and Berlin have already made their choice: a "multi-speed" Europe.

In this scenario, countries wanting to move ahead on issues such as economic growth, border protection and defence could form smaller groupings, leaving reticent members behind.

"We certainly learned from the history of the last years that there will be as well a European Union with different speeds, that not all will participate every time in all steps of integration," Merkel said after a summit in Malta last month.

Story continues

Berlin and Paris say the challenges of Brexit, coming after the eurozone crisis, migration and the Ukraine conflict, make a fresh drive to bolster the EU's authority more urgent than ever.

Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg have signed on to the multi-speed idea, as they worriedly eye the rise of anti-European parties.

But to avoid antagonising member states who resist the idea, including many in eastern Europe, no concrete project is planned to be announced after the meeting in Versailles, which will be followed by a working dinner.
As Washington continues to reel from President Trumps evidence-free assertion that his phones were wiretapped by former President Barack Obama before the election, former Central Intelligence Agency director Michael Hayden says it seems Trump forgot something during his weekend Twitter flurry.

It looks as if the president just for a moment forgot that he was president, Hayden said on Fox News on Monday. Why didnt he simply use the powers of the presidency to ask the acting director of national intelligence, the head of the FBI, to confirm or deny the story he apparently read from Breitbart the evening before?

Hayden, a critic of Trump during the campaign, has served in national security roles in both Democratic and Republican administrations. In addition to the top job at the CIA, he has served as director of the National Security Agency and as principal deputy director of national intelligence.

On Saturday morning, Trump unleashed a series of tweets claiming Obama had wiretapped the phones at Trump Tower prior to the 2016 election. Trump provided no citations to back up the claim, and a spokesman for the former president branded the accusation simply false.

Related: Without evidence, Trump accuses Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! he declared from his Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Fla., where Trump once again spent the weekend.

Is it legal for a sitting President to be wire tapping a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW! he added.

It wasnt clear what, exactly, Trump was referring to as he raged against his predecessor, whom he labeled a bad (or sick) guy! And the White House did not clarify from whom Trump had just learned this new information.

But a report published Friday by Breitbart News quoted conservative radio host Mark Levin, who outlined the alleged steps the Obama took in its last months to undermine Donald Trumps presidential campaign and, later, his new administration. The Washington Post reported that the Breitbart article had been passed around in the White House ahead of Trumps tweets.

Story continues

Steve Bannon, Trumps chief strategist in the White House, is a former chief executive of Breitbart.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer issued a subsequent statement on Sunday saying that reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling, and that Trump is asking Congress to investigate.

President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016, the statement read. Neither the White House nor the president will comment further until such oversight is conducted.

On NBCs Meet the Press, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper categorically denied any suggestion that communications at Trump Tower were wiretapped before the election.

There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, as a candidate, or against his campaign, Clapper said.

When asked by host Chuck Todd whether he could confirm or deny if a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Act order (or FISA) for such wiretapping existed, Clapper declared, I can deny it.

Also read: Trumps evidence-free wiretap allegation dominates Sunday talk shows

And according to the New York Times, FBI Director James Comey asked the Justice Department to publicly reject Trumps assertion.

Comey has argued that the highly charged claim is false and must be corrected, the paper said Sunday, citing senior American officials as its source.

Hayden said its absurd to think Obama would have been involved in ordering surveillance on Trump Tower.

After the mid 1970s the authority was taken away from the president, he said. The only way you get there, if you get there at all, is [through] a judge. He has to have probable cause.

The judge, Hayden explained, could then issue a warrant to the FBI under FISA.

Hayden also said it would be unprecedented for such an order to be released to the public, but then again, stranger things have already happened under President Trump.

Were off the map here, Hayden said. We are in unprecedented territory as well. So perhaps at some point in order to set the record straight we may do something unusual.

On MSNBCs Morning Joe, the former spy chief said he believes Trumps tweeted wiretapping claim was strategic.

Hes trying to detract attention from what was a very, very bad news cycle, Hayden said. The president of the United States put his reputation, the reputation of his predecessor, and the reputation of this nation at risk to get at least a draw out of the next 24 hours.

But host Joe Scarborough isnt convinced theres a method to Trumps Twitter madness.

His tweets this weekend suggest the president is not crazy like a fox.

Just crazy.  Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 5, 2017

Trump's tweets are not an attempt to deflect. They are a product of having no impulse control.  Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 6, 2017

His tweets this weekend suggest the president is not crazy like a fox. Just crazy, Scarborough tweeted.

Trumps tweets are not an attempt to deflect, he added. They are a product of having no impulse control.

More from Yahoo News:
By Denis Dumo JUBA (Reuters) - A disaffected South Sudanese army general who quit his position last month announced on Monday that he had formed a new anti-government rebel group, underscoring mounting resistance to the rule of incumbent president Salva Kiir Lieutenant General Thomas Cirillo Swaka, formerly deputy head of logistics, resigned after he accused Kiir of turning the country's military into a "tribal army." The military, police and other security branches, he said, heavily recruited from among the Dinka, Kiir's tribe. Swaka was one of three top military officials who quit in February amid accusations of tribalism, nepotism, corruption and other abuses leveled against Kiir's government. In a statement on Monday, Swaka said his new rebel group, The National Salvation Front (NSF) "is convinced that to restore sanity and normalcy in our country, Kiir must go; he must vacate office." NSF would "fight to eradicate the malady that has badly tarnished the image of South Sudan," he said. Oil producing South Sudan, Africa's youngest nation, was plunged into its first war in 2013 after Kiir sacked his then deputy and political rival, Riek Machar. An ensuing two-year conflict was ended by a peace pact in 2015 and Machar, who had left the capital Juba at the start of the war, returned in April last year and was handed the same position. Festering tensions between the two men, who hail from rival tribes, exploded into military confrontation again in Juba in July, kicking off the latest wave of fighting that has spread to several parts of the country since. Machar now lives in South Africa after fleeing South Sudan at the start of the latest conflict. The rebel group will be a new source of instability in a country where escalating violence has already uprooted an estimated 3 million people, devastated the agriculture sector and the throttled the broader economy. Famine has been declared in parts of the country. South Sudan's military spokesman, Brig-Gen Lul Ruai Koang, told Reuters he had no immediate comment on the formation of the new rebel group and needed time to read Swaka's statement. In the document Swaka said an "above-the-law culture and mentality" prevailed among top officials in the military and blamed that for rampant crime, including robberies, rapes, embezzlement of public funds. (Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Ken Ferris)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Former Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva was arrested Sunday at the San Francisco International Airport, where he arrived from a vacation in South America, his attorney said.

The former mayor was arrested Sunday as he returned from Colombia, his attorney, Allen Sawyer, told Sacramento television station KCRA (http://bit.ly/2n3KHGB.

An arrest warrant was issued for Silva on Thursday on charges of profiteering, embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds and grand theft, among other charges. He will face the charges in San Joaquin County.

Silva left for his vacation on Wednesday, a day before FBI agents and investigators from the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office served search warrants at Silva's home and the Stockton Kids Club, which Silva used to run when it was known as the Boys and Girls Club.

Sawyer said Silva's arrest is not related to the charges he faced in Amador County last year for allegedly eavesdropping during a strip poker party at a youth camp he ran. Silva was charged with four misdemeanor counts for secretly recording portions of a teen counselor strip poker game and providing alcohol to minors. He denied the charges.
Maladies of the migrating mind

Many Nepalis around the world have connected with Hemanta Ranas new single Saili.
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The North Korean ambassedor expelled by Malaysia in a row over the investigation into the murder of the North Korean leader's half-brother said on Monday that the Malaysian government's actions had harmed bilateral ties. "I express grave concern over the extreme measures taken by the Malaysian government, doing great harm to the bilateral relations," Ambassador Kang Chol told reporters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport as he prepared to leave the country. Malaysia gave Kang 48 hours to leave on Saturday, following his failure to apologise for saying last month that North Korea cannot trust the Malaysian investigation into the death of Kim Jong Nam on Feb. 13. He had also accused Malaysia of "colluding with outside forces". (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
"Media Organizations Make Pilgrimage To Facebook Headquarters To Lay Content At Foot Of Mark Zuckerberg," reads the headline of perhaps my favorite article from The Onion.

It's a satire, of course, but the act of media companies traveling to Facebook's headquarters and speaking about how each party can better serve each other is, in fact, a reality. Two weeks ago, 15 of the top stakeholders in local media traveled to the New York office to do exactly that, among a day of other publisher-focused events including one on video monetization, previously reported by Digiday.

The roundtable for local news included partnership groups like the Local Media Association and the Local Media Consortium, as well as media companies like Gannett, TEGNA and McClatchy. The three participants, who Mashable spoke with, seemed optimistic about the future relationship given Facebook's commitment to listening, transparency and execution.

"I think its been really encouraging to see them opening up their news and content sides of their business to work with media companies because Facebook has been, 'Were just a platform and everyone else can use it or not or go to hell,'" said Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates and chairman of Local Media Association. "Theyve become reactively engaged."

What's happening

It took awhile for Facebook to engage so closely, yet that timeline wasn't surprising to publishers. "It took us that long to get with Google. About 10 years ago, Google was like, you give me your archives and we'll digitize them," said Rusty Coats, executive director of the Local Media Consortium.

In January, Facebook announced the "Facebook Journalism Project," an initiative to collaborate with media outlet and provide new tools and training for journalists. In the week prior, Facebook hired Campbell Brown, former NBC and CNN journalist, to serve as the new head of news partnerships.

Story continues

So far, Facebook is impressing publishers more than Google did. "There seems to be a bigger openness with the folks at Facebook to go in and learn. Before with Google, it was were going to tell you how it works. With Facebook, its tell us how," Borrell said.

Facebook already has some tools to offer based on publisher feedback. At the meeting last month, Brown began the day with an introduction and a welcome and spoke about monetization, highlighting new ways publishers can more easily make money from their content shared on Facebook.

Brown said publishers soon will be able to insert more ads into Instant Articles, perhaps every 150 words. These changes to the ad load are not finalized and could change. Facebook also presented its new option for publishers to insert ad breaks, a.k.a. mid-rolls ads, in videos, which it is currently testing with a select number of partners.

"There was a lot of negative reaction to mid-roll, but when they showed us the tool, it was simple, easy to implement," said Nancy Lane, president of Local Media Association. "They showcased that they were listening loud and clear."

Brainstorming

The meeting also included a brainstorming session, where Facebook engineers and product managers sat down with participants to discuss potential updates to the product itself.

Coats of the Local Media Consortium said he would like to see more information surfaced from Facebook's Groups, like which ones are the most popular in the area.

"It would help know how to better cover my market, capturing that master narrative," he said, likening it to the readership surveys he used to do while working for newspapers.

Coats also suggested more localized trending topics.

Lane said they discussed and made mockups of how local news could be reimagined of the site. For instance, they drew an "opt-in local News Feed" on tablets.

"There's real value in that, opt-in, consumer-driven, in Facebook," Lane said. "We don't know what's going to come of it. It's their company. We have to play by their rules. This could compete with Twitter, and I think they had interest in it."

For now, publishers can expect more commitment from the Facebook Journalism Project with regional meetings and larger events. Members of the team have already met with publishers in Dallas and Atlanta. Seattle and San Diego are up next.

Facebook is, for the first time, integrating a news and publisher track into F8, its annual developers conference. Brown is also scheduled to host an event with the local Media Consortium in May, according to Coats.

Still figuring it out

This moment in history required action not just by Facebook, but also an admission from publishers that Facebook is a game they have to play.

Publishers "have seen themselves as owners," Borrell said, "and they've had to learn."

"This is consumer-driven. Consumers are going to Facebook to get their news," Lane said.

But there are still some publishers at the early stages of figuring the transition out. Facebook is changing that, in part, with the Facebook Journalism Project.

One platform partner at the top of everyone's minds, including Facebook's, is Snapchat. Indeed, Facebook's head of local partnerships Phillip Rather, speaking at the Borrell Associates' 2017 Local Online Advertising Conference Monday, said, "Snapchat had a very successful IPO. The other successful millennial app is Instagram."

For now, working with Snapchat on Discover or another activation just isn't on the table for most small, low-budget publishers.

"I used to ask my kids about the media on there [Discover], and they were like, 'We never looked at that.' But not sure if you heard, when Marty Baron last week said we're looking at it. You know if Marty's thinking it's important, we have to pay attention. Anyone who can bring down the Catholic Church is worth listening to," Coats said.
(Reuters) - A bird flu strain was found in a chicken breeder flock on a Tennessee farm contracted to Tyson Foods Inc and 73,500 birds were killed by the disease or culled to control its spread, the government and company officials said on Sunday. It was the first confirmed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial U.S. flock this year and the first-ever HPAI case for Tennessee. During an outbreak in 2014 and 2015, dozens of countries imposed total or partial bans on U.S. poultry and egg imports. The Tennessee outbreak has already prompted South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong to limit imports of U.S. poultry. The United States exported $4.65 billion of poultry and poultry products, including eggs, in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Following are facts about the U.S. poultry market from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), industry groups and company filings. TOP FIVE U.S. POULTRY PRODUCING STATES Georgia: 1.340 billion broiler chickens in 2015 Alabama: 1.083 billion Arkansas: 962 million North Carolina: 823 million Mississippi: 723 million Tennessee ranks 15th at 185 million U.S. total: 8.687 billion TOP 5 U.S. POULTRY AND EGG MARKETS AND THEIR IMPORT RESTRICTIONS 1. MEXICO ($1.13 billion in U.S. imports in 2016) Mexico has banned poultry imports from Tennessee, according to its agricultural ministry. Mexico still bans imports of frozen poultry and poultry products from birds originating from, slaughtered or processed in 15 states before specific dates linked to a previous outbreak of avian flu, according to the USDA. 2. CANADA ($662 million) Banned imports of raw poultry and products produced in or near affected counties in 15 states between certain dates linked to outbreaks of avian flu in past years. Also barred imports of certain processed products. 3. HONG KONG ($472 million) Banned imports of poultry meat and products from Lincoln County, Tennessee. Imports from birds raised, processed, slaughtered or shipped from some counties in 18 other states are also banned, in connection with cases of avian flu in past years. Fully cooked or heat-treated products exempt. 4. TAIWAN ($132 million) Taiwan banned imports of poultry from Tennessee, according to the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council. Imports of poultry and poultry products slaughtered or processed in states with high or low pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks are banned. 5. JAPAN ($119 million) Japan banned imports of poultry from Tennessee, according to the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council. Imports of poultry and products raised, processed, slaughtered or shipped from some areas of 21 states on certain dates linked to past cases of avian flu are banned. Fully cooked products in hermetically sealed containers exempt. TOP U.S. CHICKEN MEAT COMPANIES Tyson Foods: Capacity to process 39 million chickens per week. Major supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc, which represented 17.5 percent of Tyson's 2016 consolidated sales. Supplied products to 115 countries in 2016 worth $4.1 billion. Pilgrim's Pride Corp : Majority-owned by meat packer JBS SA. Capacity to process more than 36.7 million birds per week. Sanderson Farms Inc : Capacity to process more than 10.6 million birds per week. TOP POULTRY BROILER MEAT EXPORTERS 1. Brazil: 4.110 million tonnes exported in 2016 2. United States: 2.978 million tonnes 3. European Union: 1.250 million tonnes 4. Thailand: 670,000 tonnes 5. China: 395,000 tonnes (Compiled by Karl Plume and Tom Polansek in Chicago and Adriana Barrera in Mexico City; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
By Nick Carey

DETROIT (Reuters) - France's PSA Group <PEUP.PA> said on Monday it agreed to buy Opel and its British Vauxhall brand from General Motors <GM.N> in a deal valuing the business at 2.2 billion euros ($2.3 billion).

Below is a summary of some details of the transaction, which is expected to close in 2017:

- GM will receive 1.32 billion euros for the Opel manufacturing business in the form of 650 million euros in cash and 670 million in PSA share warrants.

- PSA and BNP Paribas <BNPP.PA> will pay 900 million euros for Opel's financing arm, to be operated jointly and consolidated by the French bank.

- PSA says it will return Opel and its British Vauxhall brand to profit, with an operating margin of 2 percent within three years and 6 percent by 2026.

- PSA says profit can be achieved in part through 1.7 billion euros in joint cost savings. In a client note, Barclays equity research analysts said this was below the 2 billion euros in savings targeted by GM and Opel in 2012.

- The Opel sale cuts GM's cash balance requirement by $2 billion, allowing it to accelerate share repurchases.

- GM will record a special, non-cash charge of $4 billion to $4.5 billion.

- GM will retain $6.5 billion in underfunded pensions at Opel.

- The U.S. automaker will also issue $3 billion in debt toward covering some $3.2 billion in underfunded pensions that will be transferred to the German government.

- GM says that without Opel, its adjusted earnings per share in 2016 would have been $6.40, versus its reported total of $6.12. The company's adjusted margin would have been 8.6 percent, versus the 7.5 percent the Detroit-based company reported.

- Opel has six assembly plants, five component plants and around 40,000 employees.

($1 = 0.9432 euros)

(Reporting By Nick Carey; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)
The grand rounds podium is a coveted perch in medicine, a place where clinical leaders showcase their expertise. Its also a pedestal women dont reach as often as men.

A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday found that women are underrepresented as grand rounds lecturers in a wide range of clinical specialties. In a nationwide sample of medical schools and academic hospitals, a median of 26 percent of speakers were women. Meanwhile, women comprise 47 percent of medical students, 46 percent of residents, and 36 percent of faculty in the US.

When you dont see people who look like you, it can cause you to say, This doesnt look like a field I can thrive in, said the studys lead author, Dr. Julie Boiko, a pediatrics resident at the University of California, San Francisco.

These disparities in medicine are also not limited to gender or the lecture circuit: Another JAMA study published Monday found that black and Asian students are less likely than whites to be selected for membership in Alpha Omega Alpha, a prestigious medical honor society.

Read more: Invisible women: Female doctors and health care leaders are being hidden in plain sight

Boiko, who was a student at the University of Pittsburgh when she did the research on grand rounds, said the gender imbalance lowers the visibility of female leaders and may stifle the ambitions of women in academic medicine. Giving a grand rounds lecture is an opportunity to teach peers about new research and best practices. Its not merely a boost to ones ego, it is also an accomplishment to put on a resume and helps physician faculty members win promotions and tenure.

The study is the latest of several to highlight the gender gap in medicine. One recent paper found that women in academic medicine are paid an average of 8 percent less than their male colleagues, while others have found that they are also less likely to get promoted.

A group of researchers at Harvard further underscored the disparity by finding that female doctors achieved better outcomes than males in a large population of Medicare patients.

Story continues

Dr. Ashish Jha, the author of the latter study, said the unequal treatment of women undermines the quality of care and the quality of medical education, especially in grand rounds lectures. Its problematic for the people in the audience because youre getting a far less diverse set of views, said Jha, a professor of health policy at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. If you have a system that doesnt encourage new voices, it makes the quality of the grand rounds meaningfully lower.

He said fixing the imbalance is not difficult: Organizations need to make a commitment to bringing in more diverse voices. Its not hard to find totally qualified and competent women.

In their review of grand rounds lectures, Boiko and her research team analyzed 2014 data on speakers in nine specialities from 79 medical schools and hospitals nationwide. Overall, the researchers analyzed more than 200 grand rounds websites and calendar listings for speaker series, as well as more than 7,000 individual sessions.

The studys publication comes at a time when female enrollment in medical schools is increasing and many medical schools are working to create a more diverse and welcoming environment. But Boiko said the studys findings underscore a simple truth for women in medicine: Were still in an uphill battle.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI is investigating 300 people who were admitted into the United States as refugees as part of 1,000 counterterrorism investigations involving Islamic State or individuals inspired by the militant group, congressional sources told Reuters on Monday, citing senior administration officials.

Department of Homeland Security officials did not provide details of the investigations or the current immigration status of those 300 individuals during a briefing with congressional staffers, according to the sources, who requested anonymity.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
FBI Director James B. Comey has asked the Justice Department in the weekend, to publicly denounce President Donald Trump's claims that the former president of the United States, Barack Obama tapped his phones last year, officials told the New York Times on Sunday.

After Trump's series of tweets alleging former president Obama of tapping his phones during the 2016 presidential elections, Comey requested the Justice Department Saturday to issue a statement regarding this matter. According to Comey, Trump's highly charged allegations are false and could mean that the FBI broke the law because no president is allowed to tap a citizen's phone without the permission of the Attorney General. However, with the permission a president can tap mostly matters related to acquiring foreign intelligence information, according to Title 50 of the U.S. Code "War and National Defense."

The FBI has not issued any statement regarding this matter and Sarah Isgur Flores, spokeswoman for the Justice Department also did not comment on the issue, according to The Times. However, the White House issued a statement calling for answers to the allegations against the Obama administration.

"Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling. Neither the White House nor the President will comment further until such oversight is conducted," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said in a statement.

Comey's request followed Trump's allegations in a series of tweets Saturday where Trump accused Obama of "McCarthyism," and "Nixon/Watergate"-style dirty tricks. He also called Obama a "bad (or sick) guy." However, after these serious accusations, Trump has not yet offered evidence to show that his phones were tapped last year.

Story continues

Obama's Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper denied Trump's allegations and said that nothing of that sort had taken place. "Absolutely, I can deny it," Clapper said at NBC's "Meet the Press," Sunday. Clapper left the government when Trump became president and took office in January.

Obama's spokesman Kevin Lewis called the allegations false and said that the Obama administration had never been ordered to wiretap any U.S. citizen. "A cardinal rule of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice," Lewis told The Times.

Lawmakers including Republicans doubted Trump's demands for the investigation citing the allegations. Sen. Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, said he was "not sure what it is that he is talking about" at CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "Im not sure what the genesis of that statement was," Rubio said.

When asked about this at NBC's "Meet the Press," Rubio said, "Im not going to be a part of a witch hunt, but Im also not going to be a part of a cover-up. Suffice it to say I don't have any basis  I've never heard that allegation made before by anybody. But again, the president put that out there, and now the White House will have to answer as to exactly what he was referring to."

Related Articles
North Korea: Four ballistic missiles fired into sea

North Korea has launched four ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan.
Islamabad (AFP) - Five Pakistani soldiers and 10 militants were killed in a coordinated overnight raid at several border posts on the frontier with Afghanistan, the military said Monday.

The fighting took place in Mohmand, one of Pakistan's so-called tribal districts that form a buffer zone between the two countries, where the military has been battling Islamist militants for over a decade.

Pakistan's military issued a brief statement providing casualty figures, without mentioning which militant group was involved.

"Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed (the) terrorists' attempt," it said.

Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa "hailed the sacrifices" of the Pakistan soldiers and called for greater numbers to man the border, according to the statement.

The toll could not be immediately verified since the area is remote and journalists are denied access.

The raid came at a time of heightened tension between the two countries, with Islamabad blaming Kabul for a recent spate of militant assaults that killed 130 people in February, after a relatively long lull in violence.

Afghanistan for its part accuses Pakistan of fanning the flames of an insurgency that has gripped its country since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001.

Pakistan's foreign ministry later summoned the deputy head of the Afghan embassy in Islamabad to lodge a "strong protest".

"The Afghan government was urged to thoroughly investigate the incidents and take firm action against the terrorists operating from its soil," the ministry said in a statement.
Washington (AFP) - A former Guantanamo Bay inmate was killed in a US air strike in Yemen last week, the Defense Department said Monday, as part of a stepped-up campaign against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

"We can confirm the death of a former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Yasir al-Silmi," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said.

Silmi, also known as Mohammed Tahar, had been incarcerated at the notorious US military prison in Cuba from 2002 to December 2009, when he was repatriated to Yemen.

Davis said he was not considered a "high-value" target.

His Guantanamo file said the 37-year-old Yemeni was an "Islamic extremist" who had wanted to conduct bomb attacks against US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Republican lawmakers repeatedly blocked then-president Barack Obama's efforts to shut Guantanamo and pointed to former detainees returning to the fight as proof inmates should remain locked up there.

Silmi died March 2 in the same strike that killed Usayd al-Adnani, a "long-time explosives expert who served as the organization's emir within the Abyan governorate," Davis said.

The United States has conducted more than 40 strikes against AQAP in Yemen since ramping up operations five nights ago.

None of the strikes have been conducted based on intelligence gathered in a botched US raid in January, the first authorized by President Donald Trump, in which multiple civilians and a Navy SEAL were killed.

Two years of civil war in Yemen have allowed AQAP, which the US regards as the extremists' most dangerous branch, to consolidate its grip on territory in southern and eastern Yemen.
Paris (AFP) - France's embattled presidential hopeful Francois Fillon on Monday won "unanimous" support from his Republicans party, putting him firmly back in the driver's seat after veteran conservative Alain Juppe rejected calls to stand in his place.

"The political committee, after a wide-ranging exchange, unanimously renewed its support for Francois Fillon," Senate speaker Gerard Larcher told reporters after around 20 party seniors met to "evaluate" the crisis sparked by the fake jobs scandal clouding Fillon's campaign.

Fillon, 63, had told the meeting that Juppe's definitive decision not to run "confirmed that there isn't a plan B" to his candidacy, according to a text of his remarks sent to AFP.

With just seven weeks to go before the country goes to the polls in a two-stage vote, Fillon said: "We have lost too much time with vain debates, leaving the way open for the far right and candidates on the left who are rubbing their hands over our disunity."

In a sombre statement earlier Monday, Juppe, 71, said he would not stand in for Fillon, whom he criticised for his defiance of the justice system and swipes at the media.

He also said France was "sick" and suffering from a "profound crisis of confidence".

Polls suggested Juppe would be more popular with voters, but the centrist is considered too soft on immigration and other social issues for many of Fillon's supporters on the right flank of the party.

Juppe's decision removes a major rival for Fillon, who is sticking with his bid for power despite the prospect of criminal charges later this month as well as mounting criticism within the party and falling poll numbers.

Fillon was once the favourite to be France's next leader but his campaign is mired in accusations he used public funds to pay his wife hundreds of thousands of euros for fake parliamentary jobs.

Insisting that his is "the only legitimate" candidacy, Fillon said "our voters will not forgive those who maintain the poison of division".

Story continues

On Sunday Fillon was buoyed by a rally of tens of thousands of supporters in Paris.

But earlier Monday allies of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy were still pushing Fillon to step aside and name a replacement.

The infighting among Republicans and Fillon's chaotic campaign have made an already unpredictable election even harder to call.

The disarray appears to have benefited centrist, pro-business candidate Emmanuel Macron in particular, as well as far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who are shown in polls to be the likely top two candidates in the first round of voting on April 23.

Polls suggest 39-year-old Macron would beat Le Pen in the decisive second round on May 7 -- but after Donald Trump's victory and Britain's vote to leave the European Union, analysts caution against bold predictions.

- Juppe bows out -

Juppe, now the mayor of Bordeaux, on Monday voiced dismay over the state of the election campaign.

"Never under the fifth republic have we had an election in such confused conditions," Juppe said, stressing the dangers of National Front leader Le Pen's "anti-European fanaticism" and Macron's "political immaturity".

Fillon's defiance and accusations that the government, justice system and media were plotting against him have "led him into a dead-end", Juppe added in one of several criticisms of his colleague.

Both Le Pen and Macron -- one a far-right anti-establishment figure, the other an independent who founded a new political movement last year -- have tapped into widespread anger at France's political class.

"French people want a profound renewal of their politics," Juppe, a veteran politician who himself has a conviction over a party finance scandal, told a press conference in Bordeaux.

"Evidently I do not embody this renewal," he added.

National Front vice-president Florian Philippot said Monday that many French people who were thinking of voting Fillon would now opt for Le Pen.

"They want a free, safe and prosperous France, not a France that is subjected to the most brutal winds of globalisation," he told LCI television.

Current President Francois Hollande also warned in an interview published Monday that the threat of a Le Pen presidency was real but that he would fight to prevent it happening.

- Fillon to meet Sarkozy, Juppe -

Fillon, a devout Catholic, beat Juppe in the Republicans' primary in November, pulling off a surprise victory by campaigning as a "clean" candidate.

He was the frontrunner in the presidential race until Le Canard Enchaine newspaper revealed in late January that he had paid his wife Penelope and two of their children nearly 900,000 euros ($950,000) as his parliamentary assistants.

Participants in Monday's crisis meeting said Fillon agreed to meet with Sarkozy and Juppe to discuss strategy. But he was quoted as saying: "It has to be quick. We can't let the scandal last forever."

Sarkozy had suggested the meeting early Monday, saying that "in view of the gravity of the situation... everyone has the duty to do all that can be done to safeguard unity."

burs-adp-gd/boc
PARIS (AP)  Leaders of France, Germany, Spain and Italy have called for a European Union which allows groups of member states to advance at their own pace, in a joint effort to cushion the impact of the Brexit.

French president Francois Hollande hosted his counterparts on Monday evening in Versailles, near Paris, to prepare for a larger EU meeting later this week.

"Europe must be able to draw the consequences of the Brexit", he said in a joint statement with the other leaders of the European Union's major economies.

Hollande has pointed to the creation of a European defense that would operate in coordination with NATO as a priority.

In an interview published Monday in six European newspapers, he warned against the risk of implosion of the European Union.

"We must have the courage to accept that some countries can move forward a little more quickly than others," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. She insisted other member states should be able to join the more advanced ones when they are ready.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni joined their voices to call for steps toward further EU integration and to maintain Europe's common project.

The leaders also called on the EU to form new policies to protect its borders, handle the refugee crisis and improve the fight against terrorism.

Britain is expected to launch negotiations by the end the month on the terms of its exit from the bloc.

Last week the European Union's executive arm unveiled new ideas to keep the bloc unified.

The European Commission foresees five possible scenarios for Europe by 2025: to carry on as usual; function as a single market only; do less but be more efficient; allow groups of member states to advance at their own pace; or do far more together.
Paris (AFP) - A new publicity campaign featuring painfully thin models in "degrading" poses for the French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent sparked outrage Monday, with calls for it to be banned.

The poster campaign across Paris of a reclining woman in a fur coat and fishnet tights opening her legs, and another of a model in a leotard and roller skate stilettos bending over a stool, caused fury on social media.

The French advertising authority said most of the complaints it received were from people who saw the images as an "incitement to rape".

Its director Stephane Martin told AFP the brand appeared to have "uncontestably breached" the rules.

"I am not sure that (Saint Laurent's) female clients would like to be associated with these images," he said.

"We had a similar type of porno chic (in fashion advertising) a decade ago, and here we have it coming back again which isn't acceptable," Martin added.

He said they would decide on what action to take after meeting the label on Friday.

The authority bars all "degrading and humiliating representations of people", and can demand that advertisers withdraw or change their campaigns.

France's leading women's group, Osez le feminisme ("Dare to be Feminist"), called for the campaign to be pulled, saying this was not the first time Saint Laurent has crossed the line.

- 'Objectified and submissive' -

It had previously raised hackles with another campaign that used "a very young hypersexualised woman", said spokeswoman Raphaelle Remy-Leleu.

But she said this time the subtext of the images was "extremely violent".

"It ticks all the sexist boxes. The women are objectified, hypersexualised and put in submissive positions," she told AFP.

"How do they think they will sell anything today (to women) with that?

"But you have to ask if that wasn't intentional, that this was all about creating a scandal so we would talk about them," Remy-Leleu added.

Story continues

Saint Laurent was not available for comment. Ironically, the label made its name by putting women in men's tuxedos, a gesture that chimed with the rising feminist wave of the 1970s.

Britain's advertising watchdog banned a Saint Laurent advert two years ago that featured an overly thin model whose ribcage was showing.

Martin said the latest campaign had been created by Saint Laurent's in-house team, and questioned if its new young designer Anthony Vaccarello had not gone too far.

The Belgian creator has flirted with bad taste in his first two shows for the brand in which he radically ramped up the sex factor.

He marked his arrival at the label last year with a raunchy ad campaign, with one model wearing nothing but Saint Laurent earrings and another shot from behind with her legs spread and leaning over slightly.

For his Paris fashion week show on Tuesday, Vaccarello gift-wrapped his models in tight shiny leather mini-dresses while his debut collection featured a dress that exposed one breast.

"We have a rather young designer known for his rather 'specific' looks," Martin said.

It is possible that "in this rather closed world, with its specific codes, that they did not realise" the effect the adverts would have, the regulator added.
Gavin Grimm, a high school senior in Virginia, was sitting in class when he got the news on Monday morning: the historic moment he had been preparing for later this month at the Supreme Court would not be happening  maybe for several months, maybe for another year or two.

But the 17-year-old, who has spent half his high school career fighting his school board for the right to use the boys room at school, sounded calm and defiant on a call with reporters Monday afternoon. Im in it for the long haul, he said. If it took 10 years, Id stick with it.

The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear arguments in Grimms case on March 28, but in light of recent actions taken by the Trump Administration, that court remanded the case back to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday. In a joint action, Trumps Departments of Education and Justice had rescinded guidance issued under the Obama Administration, which said that schools must respect the gender identities of transgender kids or risk running afoul of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education.

The Fourth Circuit had previously ruled in favor of Grimm, but had not fleshed out an answer to a key question the Supreme Court was poised to consider  when it comes to Title IX, how should that word sex be understood? The court had instead ruled in favor of Grimm by finding that it was reasonable to defer to the Obama Administrations interpretation of the 1972 civil rights law.

We conclude that the regulation is susceptible to more than one plausible reading, the ruling read in part, because it permits both the [school boards] readingdetermining maleness or femaleness with reference exclusively to genitalia  and the Departments interpretation  determining maleness or femaleness with reference to gender identity. The move by the Supreme Court vacated that ruling.

Story continues

Grimm came out to his family and peers as transgender before the beginning of his sophomore year in Gloucester County and used the boys bathroom for several weeks without incident before parents in his community got wind of the situation and spoke out at heated school-board meetings. There, they debated where a student like Grimm belongs, just as state lawmakers have been debating what rights transgender people of all ages have to access bathrooms in the public square.

They were nightmarish, Grimm told TIME in a previous interview, to have members of your community  discussing your genitals in a public forum.

Eventually, the board passed a proposal that requires students to use bathrooms based on biological gender. Though Grimm has since attained a birth certificate issued by the state of Virginia to reflect his male gender identity, that policy  and ensuing court battles over whether it should be enforced  have left him avoiding the restroom at school whenever he can, and using the nurses restroom when he cannot. He sees the policy as sending a message that theres something about you that deserves to be segregated.

On the Monday call, organized by Grimms counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, he said the situation has added to the normal stresses of a senior year, gearing up for college and adulthood. He will very likely graduate before this question is now settled, though his legal team said that will not make the case moot because there are legal mechanisms to address wrongs that have happened to plaintiffs in the past.

Grimm lamented that younger transgender kids will be left in limbo for an extended period time by the Supreme Courts decision not to hear the case now, though it seems inevitable that the nations highest court will issue its first ruling addressing transgender rights in the near future. Several other courts around the country are considering cases that hinge on similar issues, with many lawyers making arguments that transgender people are protected by the Constitutions promise of equal protection under the law as well as bans on sex discrimination.

Nearing graduation, Grimm also said that his feelings about what the case is about have evolved in the past two years, as fights over transgender rights have moved to the center of Americas culture wars. Its not just about bathrooms, he says. Its about the right for trans people to exist in public spaces.
LGBT rights lawyer Josh Brock said that he was disappointed in the Supreme Courts decision Monday to avoid ruling on his clients case regarding bathroom access but that this was merely a detour  not a defeat.

Whats really unfortunate is that theres going to be so many trans kids held in limbo in the meantime, suffering some pretty significant consequences from the delay, he told Yahoo News shortly after the decision.

Brock, the senior staff attorney for the LGBT Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, is the lead counsel for Gavin Grimm, 17, a transgender student suing the Gloucester County School Board for access to the boys bathroom at his public high school in Virginia.

The Supreme Court, which had previously set arguments for March 28, announced Monday morning that it would not rule in Gloucester County School Board v. G.G.  sending the case back to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va.

This is just a procedural delay, not a merits ruling by any means. It just means the Supreme Court wants to wait for the 4th Circuit to rule on the issue first before deciding it themselves. Thats not unusual, Brock told Yahoo News. This just means we go back to the 4th Circuit and we have them rule, and then were back up at the Supreme Court again, if necessary, after that. I think its just a detour.

Transgender high school student Gavin Grimm in front of his home in Gloucester, Va., Aug. 22, 2016. (Photo: Steve Helber/AP)

The 4th Circuit already sided with Grimm in April 2016 while deferring to the Obama administrations landmark transgender rights initiative, instructing public school officials to let transgender students use bathrooms and other facilities that corresponded with their gender identity. On Wednesday, however, President Trump rescinded these guidelines.

Now its up to the 4th Circuit to decide  with the new federal guidelines no longer in effect  whether Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which concerns schools that receive federal funding, protects transgender students. Essentially, the appeals court needs to consider the scope of Title IX and whether it applies to trans people.

Story continues

Sarah Warbelow, the legal director for the Human Rights Campaign, coordinates the organizations advocacy concerning litigation that affects the LGBT community. She said they wanted a final determination from the Supreme Court affirming that Title IX does in fact cover transgender students.

This is incredibly disappointing. Its a delay of justice for transgender students, but its not a denial, she told Yahoo News.

Through the Supreme Court isnt about to set a nationwide precedent for transgender rights, Warbelow pointed out, the lower courts decision will set a precedent for public schools within the 4th Circuit, which includes Virginia, West Virginia, the Carolinas and Maryland.

So it would have an impact across that whole region. And then it would be influential with other courts. Courts in other states would not be required to follow the 4th Circuits determination, but typically courts are influenced by one another.

Since the Supreme Court had already accepted the case, Brock said, the team around Grimm was hopeful that the top court would keep the case instead of needlessly delaying it for another year or two.

Thats what the overwhelming majority of courts that have ruled on this have already held. And so its going to continue percolating in the lower courts and then be teed back up to the Supreme Court again in a year or two, Brock said.

He said that by rescinding the Obama administrations guidelines, Trump mostly just took a legal question off the table: Should courts defer to what the Department of Education says? But he said hes optimistic that the 4th Circuits underlying interpretation of Title IX would have been the same anyway.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Number of local units reaches 744

The government has decided to form 744 local units across the country, within the earlier ceiling set by the Local Level Restructuring Commission.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin on Monday rejected as "absurd" Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's comparison of current German policies to the Nazi era, and said the European Union should check if funds aimed at preparing Turkey to enter the bloc were working as intended. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert urged both sides to stay "calm and level-headed" and not lose sight of the close ties that bind the two NATO allies. "We firmly reject any comparisons between the policies of the democratic Federal Republic of Germany and the Nazi times," he told a regular government news conference. "Such comparisons are always absurd and out of place because they lead to only to one thing: a trivialization of crimes against humanity." Erdogan on Sunday likened bans on political rallies by Turks in Germany to "fascist actions" during the Nazi era, further souring bilateral relations amid mounting outrage in Germany over Turkey's arrest of Turkish-German journalist Deniz Yucel. Seibert said Germany would continue to allow Turkish politicians to speak in Germany about a referendum on expanding Erdogan's powers, as long as they were open about their intentions and did not import Turkish conflicts to Germany. Asked whether growing differences between Turkey and Europe should prompt the EU to curtail funding aimed at preparing Turkey to join the bloc, Seibert said: "One will certainly have to continually ask the question, as the EU does with all of its spending, whether the payments are achieving the initially intended goal." Separately, the leader of Germany's Turkish community said Erdogan's comments could harm bilateral ties and were exacerbating tensions among Turks in Germany. "Erdogan went a step too far. Germany should not sink to his level," Gokay Sofuoglu, chairman of the Turkish Community in Germany, which groups 270 member organizations, told Reuters, although he urged Berlin not to ban Erdogan from Germany. Seibert's comments came after Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern on Sunday urged the EU to halt membership talks with Turkey and scrap or restrict 4.5 billion euros in pre-accession aid promised to Turkey until 2020. Seibert told reporters Germany remained committed to good ties with Turkey because of their common interests, including the estimated 3 million people of Turkish background who live in Germany, NATO membership and the fight against Islamic State. But he said Germany was continuing to press Turkey for fair treatment of Yucel and his speedy release. The Die Welt correspondent is facing 10-1/2 years in prison if convicted of charges of propaganda in support of a terrorist organization and inciting public violence. Siebert conceded that the two countries had deep differences at the moment, but said the broader relationship remained essential. "Let us talk open and critically with another, but let's not lose sight of the special importance of our close German-Turkish relations. Let's stay calm and level-headed," he said. Two German towns last week canceled political rallies at which Turkish ministers had hoped to drum up support for a "Yes" vote in the April 16 referendum on expanding the president's powers. An estimated 1.5 million Turkish citizens living in Germany are eligible to vote in the poll, making them one of the largest constituencies outside Turkish cities like Istanbul. German chancellor Angela Merkel insists the rallies were canceled by the local authorities for security reasons and that federal officials were not involved. (Reporting by Joseph Nasr and Michael Nienaber; Writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Berlin (AFP) - Former German retail tycoon Anton Schlecker went on trial Monday, five years after his drugstore chain collapsed, accused of having stashed away millions in corporate assets before the bankruptcy.

Also in the dock in the western city of Stuttgart are his wife Christa, his son Lars and daughter Meike, and two auditors from accountancy firm Ernst and Young

The 2012 bankruptcy of the Schlecker chain -- which sold personal hygiene and household articles but no pharmaceuticals -- caused more than 25,000 job losses in Germany.

It was the single biggest wave of lay-offs in the post-war history of western Germany, the Verdi services union said at the time.

Anton Schlecker, 72, and his relatives did not publicly comment before the start of the trial and entered the court building through a back entrance.

Prosecutors charge that Schlecker, when he knew the family empire was going bust, withdrew more than 20 million euros ($21 million) in assets which would otherwise have gone to creditors.

This allegedly included a one-million-euro home renovation for son Lars, a holiday for the children that cost tens of thousands of euros, and 800,000 euros worth of financial gifts to four grandchildren.

The ex-tycoon's wife Christa is accused of having received tens of thousands of euros under the guise of consultancy fees.

Prosecutors also accuse Schlecker of having misrepresented the company's financial situation and making false claims before the insolvency court.

Schlecker, a butcher by training, founded his first shop in 1975 and grew the business into a multi-billion-euro company with more than 13,000 branches across Europe and a peak of around 50,000 employees.

Schlecker now faces 36 counts of embezzlement, contraventions of bankruptcy laws and other charges.

If found guilty, the family patriarch could face a maximum of 10 years' jail.

The trial started with the reading of a 270-page indictment, and the court set an initial 26 days of hearings until October.
Russelsheim (Germany) (AFP) - Under a tall brick tower marked with carmaker Opel's "Blitz" (lightning) logo, workers at the historic German firm's headquarters are cautiously optimistic about its takeover by France's PSA.

"Instinctively, I feel that it's rather positive. It's a new start," said 53-year-old Fritz Lagraffe outside the steel sheds at the Ruesselsheim plant, just across the Main river from Germany's financial capital Frankfurt.

There was little sign of disturbance to the daily routine among the clusters of workers gathered under the grey sky outside the massive works, after Peugeot and Citroen parent PSA announced Monday it is buying the Opel and Vauxhall brands from General Motors for 1.3 billion euros ($1.38 billion).

The end of Opel's 88-year ownership by United States giant General Motors will see it integrated into the French carmaker to form a new "European champion" second only to Germany's Volkswagen on the continent, executives say.

Works council officials called employees to a meeting on the merger in one of the gigantic production halls on the site this morning.

"Opel's brand will continue to be reinforced, otherwise they wouldn't have bought the business," Lagraffe, who works in marketing, said.

"I'm not too worried, I see the glass as half full," the elegantly-dressed man with round glasses and salt-and-pepper hair continued.

An Opel designer who asked to remain anonymous told AFP that: "Even this morning, some people didn't believe the PSA buyout would go ahead, but overall people are mostly happy with the news.

"We're hoping to finally have new opportunities and clear vision under PSA's management."

- Fears for jobs -

Other Opel employees are less sanguine about the future of the carmaker, which has failed to turn a profit since the turn of the millenium and became a money pit for GM.

Story continues

But few are willing to talk to the gaggle of journalists outside the entrances to the works.

"Of course there are worries" that new owners PSA could bring in cost-cutting measures and slash jobs in the coming years, one man in dark work trousers and a fluorescent vest said.

"I can't be happy, but I can't see it in a negative light either. Given that I'm 58 it might be a good thing, but younger people will have to see what comes of it," said another worker in a blue work coverall who refused to give his name.

"Our wage agreements run until 2018, and everything else still has to be negotiated before the deal is finally signed," the worker added, before joining the long lines of employees on their way back to work.

- New possibilities -

Adam Opel founded his firm in 1862, and it started out producing sewing machines and bicycles before taking the leap into the automobile industry in 1899.

Taken over by GM in 1929, the company was Germany's largest carmaker for decades before being surpassed by Volkswagen.

Since 1999, loss-making Opel and Britain's Vauxhall, which sells the same models in the island nation under its own brand, have cost their US parent company GM some $15 billion.

"It was never easy to work for GM, you couldn't say that Opel was high on their list of priorities. With PSA we're hoping for a more balanced relationship, Opel could really get back into shape very quickly if it's given the means," the anonymous Opel designer said.

"The general feeling is that this development is more of a chance to get the machine running again. There are still some worries among the workers on the productions lines -- it's likely to be a bit more complicated for them."
By Joseph White DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Cos deal on Monday to sell its European operations to France's PSA Group doubles down on a bet that the company can win by being less global but more profitable in an auto industry increasingly dependent on software and services. Without the German Opel and British Vauxhall brands, GM last year would have sold about 8.8 million vehicles, far behind Germany's Volkswagen AG and Japan's Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> in the race to be the world's largest automaker. Opel and Vauxhall combined sold nearly 1.2 million vehicles and generated $18.7 billion in revenue in 2016, about 11 percent of GM's total. However, all of GM's activity in Europe - the investments in new model designs and cleaner engines, the efforts to make factories more efficient and the wages paid to 38,000 employees - has generated nothing but losses since 1999. GM said on Monday that if it had not had Opel last year and had instead used the $2 billion shedding the unit will free up from its cash reserves to buy back stock, earnings per share would have risen 5 percent, even though revenue would have been 10 percent lower. Meanwhile, business in North America has boomed. GM's home market operations were reborn as a smaller company due in part to the U.S. government-led bankruptcy in 2009, with fewer brands, fewer dealers, fewer employees and far less money owed to creditors and retirees. Since 2009, cheap gasoline has powered a boom in sales of high-profit pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, lifting GM's North American pretax profit margins to just above 10 percent in 2016. To keep the North American profit machine revved up, GM must invest in new SUVs and trucks, as well as expensive technology to enable them to meet rising federal fuel economy targets. Europe is demanding cleaner cars, too. But far less of the technology GM would buy to clean up European diesels and tiny gasoline engines would be useful in the United States, where larger gasoline engines  including eight-cylinder motors used in pickup trucks  dominate the market. "Only 20 percent of the (European) portfolio overlapped with rest of General Motors' portfolio," Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra told analysts on Monday. That is why GM has concluded it cannot achieve significant economies of scale in emissions technology for Europe on its own. PSA CEO Carlos Tavares is betting Opel's revenue and sales volume would help give his company, which makes Peugeot, Citroen and DS cars, an advantage against rivals such as Volkswagen and Renault SA . GM is in on that bet because it will receive warrants equivalent to a 4.2 percent non-voting stake in the French company. GM's decision to walk away from Western Europe highlights two other profound shifts since 2009, when the board scuttled a deal to sell Opel and Vauxhall to a group led by auto supplier Magna International and Russia's Sberbank. The first is China, now the world's largest auto market, with roughly 28 million vehicles sold in 2016 and more growth forecast to come. As China grows, GM will need to shift more vehicle engineering money and capital investment to feed that market, which could eventually replace much of the global sales volume sacrificed by the sale of Opel. Buick, GM's primary brand in China, outsold Opel and Vauxhall in 2016. So did the Wuling brand of small commercial vehicles the company builds with partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Also since 2009, automakers have begun racing to transform cars into electrified, intelligent devices that are paid for by the mile instead of purchased on installment plans. Asked last month whether GM needed more radical restructuring to lift its share price, Barra said "the way that we are investing in the future, which I think is a huge opportunity, with transportation-as-a-service" and "the opportunity that technology has to transform this industry" could change how the company is valued. GM does not need factories in Europe to offer ride services there, she said. However, investors have not changed their views yet. Gary Silberg, head of KPMG's Americas automotive practice, said Silicon Valley companies such as Alphabet Inc and ride services leader Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] had the edge in the digital systems and the people needed to work with the terabytes of data required to make a car drive itself. "The war for talent is absolutely essential to winning in the marketplace," Silberg said. And those adept in artificial intelligence systems "are not going to work for the auto industry." GM demonstrated the industry's new economics last year when it agreed to pay $500 million, and potentially more, for tiny San Francisco robotic driving technology startup Cruise Automation. Ford Motor Co followed suit with a $1 billion deal to bring aboard and fund the future work of robotic vehicle startup Argo AI. GM's Barra has promised investors returns of 20 percent or more. The company said on Monday that after completing the European sale, it would have $2 billion to accelerate share repurchases, and capital spending would be reduced by about $1 billion a year. The pressure on GM to deliver high returns to shareholders forces tough decisions, Barra and other senior GM executives have said. The decision to abandon Opel after nearly 80 years is the most momentous yet, and the success or failure of that bet could define her legacy. (Reporting by Joe White; Editing by Giles Elgood and Lisa Von Ahn)
Google Home Announces That Obama Is Planning A Coup, Martial Law

Google Home, the search giants answer to the lackluster Amazon Echo, has some fascinating opinions when quizzed on former President Barack Obamas plans for the country, and other subjects. According to an article by Quartz, when directly questioned, Google Home will inform you that Barack Obama may in fact be planning a Communist coup detat at the end of his term, is in bed with the Communist Chinese, intends to institute martial law, and more.

The Amazon Echo has similar functions, but doesnt suffer the same search issues as Google Home. [Image by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]

The device also reports that Yes, Republicans = Nazis, five former U.S. presidents were members of the KKK, and that Obama is the king of the United States. That last is drawn from a Breitbart article from 2014.

According to SearchEngineLands Danny Sullivan, the problem is with what he calls Googles One True Answer algorithm.

Click here to continue and read more...
Port-au-Prince (AFP) - Haiti's late ex-president Rene Preval, a champion of the poor who served two terms as the country's leader, will be honored with a state funeral, a source close to his family said on Sunday.

The viewing for Preval, who died Friday aged 74, will be held on Friday at a museum on the Champ de Mars, the capital Port-au-Prince's main park. His funeral is set for Saturday.

The former president died after a cardiac arrest, according to local media reports citing Preval's sister.

With a reputation as an honest and efficient administrator, Preval served as president of Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, with a long history of political violence, in 1996-2001 and 2006-2011.

Since the end of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986, Preval was the only Haitian leader to have completed two terms as president, the constitutional limit, without suffering a coup or having to flee into exile.

A moderate leftist, Preval first served as prime minister to ex-president Jean-Bertrand Aristide from February 1991 until the government was toppled in September that year.

Following that coup, he sought refuge at the French and Mexican embassies in Port-au-Prince, and eventually joined Aristide in Washington, where he stayed until 1994.

Both Preval and Aristide had enjoyed huge support among millions of impoverished Haitians, many of whom live in the capital's violent slums.

Haiti plunged into lawlessness in February 2004 when Aristide stepped down during his second term and fled the country as insurgents closed in on Port-au-Prince.

During his 2006-2011 term, Preval's popularity suffered after a massive earthquake struck in 2010, killing more than 220,000 people. Critics said he showed a lack of leadership after the disaster.
Ah, the French presidential election. Months of twists and turns. At one point, some thought it would be a showdown between former President Nicolas Sarkozy and current French President Francois Hollande. Months later, neither of those men are even in the race, while current candidates are nearly all embroiled in scandal, and there is plenty of uncertainty whether either of the two main parties will make it through this election as they exist now.

With the first round of voting on April 23, heres a rundown of where each candidate stands (or stands set to fail):

Francois Fillon, the Republicans: Once upon a time, it was thought that the center-right candidate in this race was bound to be the next president of France, given the deep unpopularity of the current Socialist president, Hollande.

And indeed, Fillon pulled off a brilliant primary upset against Sarkozy and former Prime Minister Allain Juppe in the second round. But then it turned out that Fillon had allegedly used about 1 million euros in parliamentary funds for jobs his family members did not, in fact, do. At first, Fillon said he would resign from the race if charged. But on March 1, Fillon announced that he was indeed going to be put under formal investigation on March 15, two days before candidates are due to officially register. And at a rally in Paris on Sunday, Fillon said, contrary to his earlier statements, he would not step down. Almost as if taking his cues from across the Atlantic, he has called the allegations a political assassination; questioned the independence of the judiciary; criticized the media; and, on Sunday, he and his team hailed their own crowd size.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Juppe disappointed the euro by announcing he would not be running or replacing Fillon, leading many a France-watcher to wonder who could take Fillons place if anyone can convince him that it is in the best interest of his party and country (never mind that hes gone out of his way to undermine institutions dear to both) to step down.

Story continues

Marine Le Pen, National Front: Speaking of undermining institutions! Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right, anti-immigrant National Front, is also embroiled in scandal, both because she tweeted gruesome images of Islamic State killings, and because she allegedly used European Parliament funds to pay political staffers.

Nevertheless, despite the fact that she was literally born into politics (she took over the National Front after ousting its former leader, her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen), Le Pen and her openly anti-Islamic, arguably xenophobic, Euroskeptic, fiscally questionable policies are popular with those who claim to be tired of establishment politics  and increasingly women and members of the LGBTQ community. At present, she is expected to be one of the two top finishers and the first round of voting, which is to say she will likely make it into the second round.

Emmanuel Macron, Forward: Another politician ostensibly from outside the establishment, Macron is running not with an established party, but with his own En Marche (Forward) movement. Hes central-casting establishment, nevertheless: He worked for Banque Rothschild and, briefly, Hollandes government, speaks English (quelle horreur), and is a believer in the European project. If he and Le Pen make it to the second round and other candidates give Macron their unambiguous support, he could be the next president of France.

On Monday, his economic advisor, Jean Pisani-Ferry, said Macron represents real reform, real change. If he somehow manages to get elected, however, hell still need to deal with Junes legislative elections. If he cant field enough candidates from his own new party, or pull enough defectors from left and right, hell be stuck trying to push through reforms with a hostile or indifferent parliament. Such is the plight of the outsider trying to come in.

Benoit Hamon, Socialist Party: This candidate, representing the incumbent party, has virtually no chance of winning. But, in a bid to feel the Benoit anyway, he is expected to reveal a plan for universal income in the coming days.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, the Left Party: The far-left candidate is polling last among quasi-major candidates, but his campaign has borrowed a few tricks from the front runners Fillon and Le Pen in disparaging the the media, a stance that apparently does not know party in French politics.

Correction: This post originally stated Macron worked for Goldman Sachs. He worked for Banque Rothschild.

Photo credit: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images
Set in West Yorkshire, England, during the 1830s, "Shibden Hall" is based on real-life landowner Anne Lister and her many business, social and personal achievements.

Based on her own personal diaries, "Shibden Hall" promises a "remarkable and unlikely love story" set in the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, the BBC and HBO have announced.

"The drama will explore Anne Lister's relationships at home with her family, her servants, her tenants and her industrial rivals, who will use any dirty tricks they can to bring her down."

It follows Lister as she seeks to re-establish her family home. To do so, she "must re-open her coal mines and marry well."

There's just one hitch. "Charismatic, single-minded, swashbuckling Anne Lister -- who walked like a man, dressed head-to-foot in black, and charmed her way into high society -- has no intention of marrying a man."

"True to her own nature, she plans to marry a woman. And not just any woman: the woman Anne Lister marries must be seriously wealthy."

The eight-part drama has been written by Sally Wainwright, a BAFTA award winner for both "Happy Valley" and "Last Tango in Halifax."

"Anne Lister is a gift to a dramatist," Wainwright said. "She is one of the most exuberant, thrilling and brilliant women in British history, and I can't wait to celebrate her."
Walt Disney Co.'s (ticker: DIS) "Beauty and the Beast" will feature an "exclusively gay moment" -- one that already ignited a barrage of controversy.

It all started when director Bill Condon was interviewed by Attitude recently. Actor Josh Gad -- known for giving voice to the lovable snowman Olaf in the 2013 Disney hit "Frozen" -- plays LeFou, sidekick of the villainous Gaston (Luke Evans). LeFou is -- "somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston," the director says. "He's confused about what he wants. It's somebody who's just realizing that he has these feelings."

At one point, LeFou is seen dancing with another male character. "It is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie," Condon tells Attitude.

One movie theater in Alabama is choosing not to show the film, which is being released March 17. "If we cannot take our 11-year-old granddaughter and 8-year-old grandson to see a movie, we have no business watching it," the theater's new owners said on Facebook. "If I can't sit through a movie with God or Jesus sitting by me, then we have no business showing it."

A lawmaker from Russia wants his country to ban the film, which he called "a blatant, shameless propaganda of sin and perverted sexual relationships," reports CNN.

Evangelist Franklin Graham spoke out against Disney in a Facebook post. "They're trying to push the LGBT agenda into the hearts and minds of your children -- watch out!" he wrote. "Disney has the right to make their cartoons, it's a free country. But as Christians we also have the right not to support their company."

The movie has also been criticized for not being as progressive as it could've been.

@justjustin42 I could see that! Though to me it's all of a piece with the way they boasted about this lip-service progressiveness overall

Story continues

-- Jackson McHenry (@McHenryJD)

March 3, 2017

At a news conference Sunday, Condon said the film is about "what has this story always been about for 300 years. It's about looking closer, going deeper, accepting people for who they really are," according to People. "And in a very Disney way, we are including everybody. I think this is for everybody, and on the screen we'll see everybody. And that was important to me."

Gad says he is "very proud" of his version of LeFou. "Bill Condon did an amazing job of giving us an opportunity to create a version of LeFou that isn't like the original, that expands on what the original did, but that makes him more human and that makes him a wonderfully complex character to some extent," Gad said, according to People.

The movie, featuring Emma Watson as heroine Belle and Dan Stevens as the titular Beast, is a remake of Disney's popular 1991 animated film, which made nearly $425 million worldwide. It won two Oscars and was nominated for Best Picture. The live-action version is expected to make $100 million its opening weekend, with some putting it at possibly $120 million, reports Deadline. Its budget was $160 million.

The film is one of several possible blockbusters planned this year by Disney, including "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," "Cars 3" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

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David Oliver is Associate Editor, Social Media at U.S. News & World Report. Follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, or send him an email at doliver@usnews.com.
One held with 14 kg marijuana in Dharan

Police on Monday arrested a man with 14 kg marijuana from Manglabare Chok of Dharan-11 in Sunsari district.
LONDON (AP)  In a debate that has gone from office corridors to Britain's Parliament, lawmakers put their foot down Monday and told employers to stop making women wear high heels as part of corporate dress codes.

Members of Parliament debated a ban on mandatory workplace high heels, in response to a petition started by a receptionist who was sent home without pay for wearing flat shoes. The debate was non-binding, but the government promised to act against heel-height rules, makeup guidelines and other corporate codes that apply to women but not to men.

Labour lawmaker Helen Jones, who helped lead a parliamentary investigation into dress codes, said she and her colleagues were shocked by what they found.

"We found attitudes that belonged more  I was going to say in the 1950s, but probably the 1850s would be more accurate, than in the 21st century," she told lawmakers at Parliament's Westminster Hall.

Monday's debate was triggered by the experience of Nicola Thorp, who was told in December 2015 that her smart flat shoes were unacceptable for a temporary assignment in London with finance firm PwC.

Her employment agency, Portico, had a dress code specifying that female workers must wear non-opaque tights, have hair with "no visible roots," wear "regularly re-applied" makeup  and appear in shoes with a heel between 2 and 4 inches (5 and 10 centimeters) high.

For Thorp, that was a step too far.

She started an online petition, calling formal workplace dress codes "outdated and sexist." It has gathered more than 150,000 signatures, making it eligible for a debate in Parliament.

Thorp told the BBC after she launched the petition that "dress codes should reflect society."

"Twenty years ago, women weren't allowed to wear trousers in the same role that I'm doing now," she said. "And it's only because some women spoke up about that and said, 'We feel like we have a right to wear trousers,' that that's changed."

Story continues

The British government says the law already forbids companies from discriminating against women, but a report from Parliament's Women and Equalities Committee found that "discriminatory dress codes" remain commonplace in sectors including the retail and tourism industries.

The committee said it had heard from hundreds of women "who told us about the pain and long-term damage caused by wearing high heels for long periods in the workplace, as well as from women who had been required to dye their hair blonde, to wear revealing outfits and to constantly reapply makeup."

The College of Podiatry told the committee that women who wear high heels for long periods have "reduced balance, reduced ankle flexion and weaker muscle power in the calf" and are prone to disabling pain.

Jones said that "women told us that when they raised these concerns they were belittled." One was told "she'd have plenty of time to rest her feet when she was unemployed."

In London's financial district on Monday, many workers felt that companies were entitled to impose dress codes  but that mandatory high heels went too far.

"A lot of things are enforced, but high heels in particular  because that can also be a health issue for people  I think that's unnecessary," said company director Penelope Mantzaris.

Banker Dan Matthews said his company expected men to wear suits and ties "and I think that's a fair request."

"So I suppose it's fairly contradictory in a way, because in one respect I'm saying that we men should be required to wear a suit and tie but women shouldn't wear high heels," he said. "But I think that's just where the line happens to be at the moment."

Thorp's petition has already caused one change. Portico announced last year it was amending its policy to adopt a gender-neutral dress code and to allow workers to wear flat shoes if they prefer.

Britain's Conservative government said it was listening. Women and equalities minister Caroline Dinenage told lawmakers that the U.K. had "strong laws to tackle sex discrimination at work, and this includes dress codes."

But she said they needed to be more widely understood and better enforced. Dinenage said she had written to key trade bodies about "outdated and sexist employment practices."

"Shod in heels or flats, we are collectively putting our foot down," she promised.

___

Jonathan Shenfield contributed to this story.
A brave 3-year-old boy who was sworn in as an honorary member of the New York Fire Department just last year has lost his battle against cancer.

Read: 3-Year-Old Boy Battling Terminal Cancer Sworn In as Honorary FDNY Firefighter

In honor of his legacy, fire stations across New York State are honoring 3-year-old Trucker Dukes, of Hawaii, by adding his name to their riding lists with the hashtag, #TruckerRidesWithUs.

Little Trucker passed away in his mothers arms last Friday, following a painful battle with stage 4 neuroblastoma.

Oh my baby, how I wish this was just a bad dream, his mom, Shauna Dukes of Maui, wrote on Facebook. I miss you so much already."

His father, Joshua Dukes, who is a firefighter in Maui, wrote on Facebook: "We prayed that his passing [] would be peaceful, not painful and with ohana [family] there."

Trucker and his mom, Shauna, moved to New York City for treatment more than a year ago, and despite his three siblings and father still remaining in Maui, Trucker and his mom found themselves right at home in an FDNY firehouse on 85th Street on the Upper East Side.

Shauna told InsideEdition.com in an earlier interview they had been staying at the nearby Ronald McDonald House, but when he heard a fire engine pull up, he dashed straight into the arms of firefighter William Pitta.

"It was like a scene out of a movie," Shauna said in an earlier interview. "He saw Truckers face and opened his arms."

After months of getting to know each other, including inviting the family to dinner or hosting Truckers 3rd birthday party at their firehouse, firefighters decided to have the boy sworn in as an honorary firefighter in a May ceremony held on Randalls Island.

Read: Girl, 4, Dies After Dad Shared Her Photo to Call Attention to Harsh Reality of Childhood Cancer

"Going through something like your baby having cancer is such a hard time," Shauna previously told InsideEdition.com. "All the men that showed up there today  they showed up to honor him. Tears were rolling down my face because it was so special."

Story continues

As his health took a turn for the worse and Trucker was moved back to Maui, the family as well as the FDNY tried to raise money to send Truckers firefighter friends to visit him in Hawaii.

Now, the family is continuing to raise money to send the firefighters to his upcoming funeral.

To donate to Truckers cause, visit their fundraiser website.

Read: Teen Wins Homecoming King After He Passes Away From Cancer

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A couple of weeks before Christmas, National Geographics Ryan Duffy joined Filipino crime beat reporters on Manilas graveyard shift. On a tip, the American rides in a convoy of press cars to the scene of a vigilante killing.

So begins a new feature on the Philippines drug war, which airs Monday. It shows the aftermath of the first of five deadly shootings reported that night; one of over 7,000 since Rodrigo Duterte began his so-called war on drugs on July 1.

Replete with footage of bagged bodies in rain-slicked slums and relatives weeping at wakes  and overlaid with the Philippine Presidents brutal statements on killing millions of addicts  Nat Geo captures in motion a world rendered by James Nachtwey in his series In Manila Death Comes by Night, and by local photographers on the frontlines of the war. Duffys reporting  from crime scene, to wake, to drug rehab center  roughly follows the trajectory of Rishi Iyengars The Killing Time.

But theres also footage of a little-shown aspect of the drug war: Operation Tokhang  a portmanteau of the Visayan words for knock and plead. A clip shows police sweeping through a neighborhood and apparently arbitrarily detaining residents. The film suggest that the list of surrendered people compiled under such operations  which now counts more than 1 million members  might just be a hit list.

If you dont surrender they will kill you. But then again, even if you surrender they will also kill you, the father of a son who had surrendered and was later killed by police said in the first episode of Nat Geos Explorer series.

In a December survey conducted by Social Weather Station, 78% of Filipinos said they feared they or someone they knew would become a victim of extrajudicial killings  yet 85% reported being satisfied with the ongoing operations to curb drugs. Its a contradiction captured neatly here. Drug addicts are not humans, one interviewee said in support of the killings. His is a popular refrain. It comes straight from the President himself: Crime against humanity? Duterte has memorably mused, In the first place, Id like to be frank with you: are they humans?

National Geographics Explorer returns Monday, March 6.
ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Dry weather and strong heat in some of Ivory Coast's main cocoa growing regions are raising concerns about the size and quality of the upcoming cocoa mid-crop, farmers said on Monday, following forecasts for record production. The dry season in the world's top cocoa producer stretches from mid-November to March and it is normally very hot in February and March. Exporters and pod counters have predicted record production of nearly 2 million tonnes this season due to good weather. Farmers reported good growing conditions last week in the southern regions of Aboisso and Agboville, the coastal region of Sassandra and the western region of Soubre, but in other areas more rain was needed, they said. In the center-western region of Daloa, which accounts for about a quarter of national output, farmers reported scattered rain and strong heat last week. "We need more rain so that the beans are of good quality in the coming months," said Albert N'Zue, who farms in the outskirts of Daloa. "The heat is very strong and is reducing soil moisture." In the eastern region of Abengourou, known for the quality of its beans, farmers said cocoa leaves and flowers had dried out. "It's a drought here. The trees are not doing well and there is practically no fruit on the plantations," said Lambert Aka, who farms near Abengourou, adding that if it rained soon they could hope to have beans on the trees from June onwards. Farmers in other regions said cocoa trees had plenty of flowers and small pods but that the crop could suffer if there was not more rain this month. "We're waiting to see (what will happen) because it hasn't rained and the heat is strong," said Honore Dongo, who farms in the southern region of Divo. "If it doesn't rain before the end of the month and it remains hot, we will have losses," Dongo said. In Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt, farmers reported two heavy bouts of rain that would boost the mid-crop. "We think we are on the right track to have a good mid-crop if the rain doesn't leave us," said Lazare Ake, who farms in the outskirts of Soubre. Few beans are left on the trees from the main crop and the mid-crop harvest should begin in mid-April, Ake said. (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Writing by Nellie Peyton, editing by David Evans)
(WASHINGTON)  House Republicans on Monday released their long-awaited plan for unraveling former President Barack Obamas health care law, a package that would scale back the governments role in health care and likely leave more Americans uninsured.

House committees planned to begin voting on the 123-page legislation Wednesday, launching what could be the years defining battle in Congress and capping a seven-year Republican effort to repeal the 2010 law. Though GOP leaders expect their measure to win the backing of the Trump administration, divisions remain and GOP success is by no means ensured.

The plan would repeal the statutes unpopular fines on people who dont carry health insurance. It would replace income-based subsidies the law provides to help millions of Americans pay premiums with age-based tax credits that may be less generous to people with low incomes. Those payments would phase out for higher-earning people.

Read More: 5 Things to Know Now About the GOPs Obamacare Replacement Plan

The bill would continue Obamas expansion of Medicaid to additional low-earning Americans until 2020. After that, states adding Medicaid recipients would no longer receive the additional federal funds the statute has provided.

More significantly, Republicans would overhaul the federal-state Medicaid program, changing its open-ended federal financing to a limit based on enrollment and costs in each state.

In perhaps their riskiest political gamble, the plan is expected to cover fewer than the 20 million people insured under Obamas overhaul, including many residents of states carried by President Donald Trump in Novembers election.

Republicans said they dont have official estimates on those figures yet. But aides from both parties and nonpartisan analysts have said they expect coverage numbers to be lower.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the bill would drive down costs, encourage competition, and give every American access to quality, affordable health insurance. He added, This unified Republican government will deliver relief and peace of mind to the millions of Americans suffering under Obamacare.

Story continues

But besides solid opposition from Democrats, there were signals galore that Republican leaders faced problems within their own party, including from conservatives complaining that the measure isnt aggressive enough in repealing parts of Obamas law.

It still looks like Obamacare-lite to me, said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., among three Senate conservatives who have criticized the emerging GOP bill. Its going to have to be better.

The Republican tax credits  ranging from $2,000 to $14,000 for families  would be refundable, meaning even people with no tax liability would receive the payments. Conservatives have objected that that feature creates a new entitlement program the government cannot afford.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, wouldnt rule out changes in the measure by his chamber, where significant numbers of moderate Republicans have expressed concerns that the measure could leave too many voters without coverage.

The House has the right to come up with what it wants to and present it to the Senate by passing it. And we have a right to look it over and see if we like it or dont, Hatch told reporters.

Underscoring those worries, four GOP senators released a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., shortly before the bill was unveiled.

They complained that an earlier, similar draft of the measure does not provide stability and certainty for individuals and families in Medicaid expansion programs or the necessary flexibility for states. Signing the letter were Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Cory Gardner of Colorado and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia opted to expand Medicaid coverage under the law and accept beefed-up federal spending for the program. Around half those states have GOP governors, who are largely reluctant to see that spending curtailed.

In another feature that could alienate moderate Republicans, the measure would block for one year federal payments to Planned Parenthood, the womens health organization long opposed by many in the party because it provides abortions. It also forbids people receiving tax credits to help pay premiums to buy coverage under a plan that provides abortions.

Republicans said theyd not yet received official cost estimates on the overall bill from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. That offices projections on the bills price tag and the number of people the measure would cover could be key in winning over recalcitrant Republicans, or making them even harder to win over.

A series of tax increases on higher-earning people, the insurance industry and others used to finance the Obama overhauls coverage expansion would be repealed as of 2018.

In a last-minute change to satisfy conservative lawmakers, business and unions, Republicans dropped a plan pushed by Ryan to impose a first-ever tax on the most generous employer-provided health plans.

Popular consumer protections in the Obama law would be retained, such as insurance safeguards for people with pre-existing medical problems, and parents ability to keep young adult children on their insurance until age 26.

___

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.
Beirut (AFP) - The Islamic State group has imposed an "Afghan-style" dress code on men in its Syrian stronghold Raqa to help its fighters blend into the civilian population, a monitor and activists said Monday.

"For more than two weeks, Afghan-style clothing... has been imposed by Daesh," said Abu Mohamed, an activist with the "Raqa is Being Slaughtered Silently" group, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

"Anyone who does not comply faces prison and fine," he told AFP.

The new restriction comes as a Kurdish-Arab alliance of fighters nears Raqa, backed by the US-led coalition launching air strikes against IS.

The rule "is an attempt to make it harder for airplanes and the Kurdish forces... to distinguish between civilians and Daesh members," Abu Mohamed said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor of the war, also reported the new rule in Raqa.

"The Islamic State has imposed Afghan-style dress on residents of Raqa so that informants giving coordinates to the US-led coalition will not be able to distinguish between civilians and fighters," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

Abu Mohamed said there was a "state of alert" in Raqa, with new checkpoints springing up and IS arresting anyone who describes the situation as dire.

"Prices are skyrocketing and there is no electricity or water," he told AFP.

The Observatory also said civilians and the families of IS families were attempting to flee into Raqa province from neighbouring Aleppo, where IS is under assault in the east.

"Thousands of families in recent days have tried to reach the administrative borders of Raqa province, along with around 120 families of fighters and commanders of IS," the monitor said.

The Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces alliance advancing towards Raqa on Monday cut a key supply route between the city and IS-held territory in Deir Ezzor province to the east.

The alliance is now eight kilometres (five miles) from Raqa to the northeast, according to the Observatory.

It said IS was preventing civilians from entering the province "but granted families of its fighters" a document allowing "passage to Raqa city by boat as ground transportation is now impossible because the bridges across the Euphrates have been destroyed".
Its been a tumultuous few weeks for lovers and haters of pineapple-topped pizza. The pizza flavornotoriously a divisive choicehas come front and center in the political sphere and, of course, on Twitter.

First there was a meme circulated online meant to stir up the debate; it garnered more than 120,000 retweets since it was posted at the end of January. Then the president of trendsetting nation Iceland, Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson, jokingly denounced the use of pineapple. (He later had to clarify his comments as a joke, as he had backlash over the comical statement.)

In Arizona this weekend, one pizza maker even went so far as to apparently decline to top a delivery order with the tropical fruit. Disappointed recipient Ali shared the results in a now-viral tweet, after receiving cash back and an apologetic note along with her pineapple-free pizza.

I ORDERED A PIZZA WITH PINEAPPLE AND pic.twitter.com/VkmdaHYBwe  ali (@Try2ShootUsDown) March 5, 2017

Now the barbs (and jokes) continue to fly. Even Canadian prime minister and internet darling Justin Trudeau weighed in.

HOW U GONNA TELL ME U DONT LIKE PINEAPPLE PIZZA pic.twitter.com/CHHa33OtA1  JB (@breeezybouch) March 6, 2017

@JonWiseman I have a pineapple. I have a pizza. And I stand behind this delicious Southwestern Ontario creation. #TeamPineapple @Canada  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 24, 2017

when bae orders pineapple on their pizza pic.twitter.com/tMl0VY3vU4  NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) March 6, 2017

pineapple on pizza gonna be the most debated topic of 2017  vincent (@itsVincent_) March 4, 2017

how to properly eat pineapple pizza pic.twitter.com/yW8BMwvTtS  ife the child of God (@HXRLEEN) March 2, 2017

@wizardcarothers Well, well, well. Just like bacon, the Canadians ruined pizza as well. Need a wall. Pineapple on pizza is fake pizza. Sad! https://t.co/aGuOTkz9t0  Hank Schaab (@hank_schaab) February 25, 2017

am i the only one on earth that likes pineapple on pizza?  Zoe Rayner (@zoerayner99) March 6, 2017

Pineapple pizza is the best pizza, and that's not up for debate  Fatim (@fille_ivoirenne) March 6, 2017

Me: pineapple on pizza is okay

Taemin: I hate pineapple on my pizza

Me: pic.twitter.com/SGhEWHSime  mary {pinned} (@untiItoday) March 3, 2017

A poll in Britain suggests that 53% of those across the pond are actually in favor of the polarizing topping. But where do TIME readers fall? Vote for your preference in this all-important debate, below.
BAGHDAD (AP)  Iraq welcomed its removal from a revised U.S. travel ban on Monday, saying the move would strengthen its alliance with Washington as U.S.-backed Iraqi forces battle the Islamic State group in Mosul.

Iraq was among seven Muslim-majority countries whose nationals were temporarily banned from traveling to the United States in an earlier order issued by President Donald Trump in January, which sparked worldwide outrage and was blocked by the courts.

The White House says the ban is needed to prevent would-be terrorists from entering the country while stricter vetting measures are put in place. But it removed Iraq from the list under pressure from the State Department and the Defense Department, which had noted the close cooperation between the two countries in battling the IS group.

"Today our battle in Mosul is a battle that Iraqis are conducting on behalf of the entire world," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Jamal told The Associated Press, adding that the revision of the travel ban will "enhance" the U.S.-Iraqi partnership in that fight.

The original order angered many Iraqis, and prompted parliament to call for a reciprocal ban on Americans entering Iraq. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declined to impose such a measure.

The revised U.S. travel order is narrower and specifies that a 90-day ban on people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen does not apply to those who already have valid visas.

A fact sheet detailing the order cited negotiations that resulted in Iraq agreeing to "increase cooperation with the U.S. government on the vetting of its citizens applying for a visa to travel to the United States."

Thousands of American forces are in Iraq providing air support and logistical help for a massive operation to drive IS militants from Mosul, the country's second largest city. Smaller numbers of U.S. special operations forces are embedded with some Iraqi units.

Support from a U.S.-led coalition has been critical in the fight against IS, helping Iraqi forces to slowly roll back the militants over the past two and a half years. Iraqi forces are now in the midst of their toughest battle yet against IS as they push to retake Mosul's west after the eastern half of the city was declared "full liberated" in January.

Story continues

Iraqi troops on the front lines welcomed the revision to the travel ban while still expressing anger over the original order.

"To be honest, (the original ban) made me upset and that will not change," said Sgt. Maj. Asad al-Asadi of Iraq's special forces, who has been away from home battling IS for nearly three years. "I've lost three friends fighting terrorists and Trump calls me a terrorist."

___

Associated Press writer Susannah George in Mosul, Iraq contributed to this report.
3 killed in Saptari police firing during UML's programme

Three persons were killed when police opened fire to contain the situation after a violent clash with Madhesi Morcha cadres who were trying to foil CPN-UMLs programme in Rajbiraj of Saptari district on Monday.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's parliament on Monday evening said it had passed into law a bill barring entry into the country to those supporting a boycott of the Jewish state.

"The knesset (parliament) passed on its second and third readings the Entry into Israel bill," it said in a statement.

"A visa will not be granted nor a residence permit of any kind to any person who is not an Israeli citizen or permanent resident if he, or the organisation or body in which he is active, has knowingly issued a public call to boycott the state of Israel or pledged to take part in such a boycott," a statement said.

Israel has been faced with a boycott movement over its nearly 50-year occupation of the West Bank but it has lately intensified the diplomatic and legal fight against it.

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement campaigns for a global boycott of Israel until, among other demands, the country withdraws from all occupied Palestinian territories.

Israel sees the movement as a strategic threat and accuses it of anti-Semitism -- a claim BDS denies.

Haaretz newspaper said that the wording of the new law left open the possibility that it could be used against Palestinians living in Israel as temporary residents, while their applications for permanent residence were being considered.

Such a process is required by Palestinians seeking right of abode with their Israeli Arab spouses.

Last year Israeli authorities refused to renew the travel documents of prominent BDS campaigner Omar Barghouti.

His family are Palestinian but he was born in the Gulf state of Qatar.

He is married to an Israeli-Arab and as such has permanent resident status, although not full citizenship.

But Interior Minister Aryeh Deri has been considering revoking Barghouti's residence permit, the ministry has said.
Just when you think J.K. Rowling might have run out of ways to burn Donald Trump, she comes up with a fresh angle.

SEE ALSO: J.K. Rowling slams Trump adviser who called a woman an 'ugly b*tch' on Twitter

Her most recent shut-down came after Trump's latest Twitter rant, in which he accused Barack Obama of wiretapping him during his campaign.

On Sunday, Trump tweeted the following, slightly confusing rhetorical question:

Who was it that secretly said to Russian President, "Tell Vladimir that after the election I'll have more flexibility?" @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2017

This sparked Rowling to make a comparison that may only make sense to British people.

I've just realised who he is. He's Vicky Pollard. https://t.co/YirRiuCVUv  J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 5, 2017

Vicky Pollard, for anyone not familiar, is a character played by Matt Lucas in the comedy sketch show Little Britain. She's basically an aggressive teenager who specialises in ranting, denying any wrongdoing, and trying to shift the blame onto other people.

Rowling followed up her first tweet with an imaginary Trump quote, in perfect Pollard style:

'OhmyGod I SO can't believe you think I'm in bed with Putin bcos there's this whole thing with Obama that you don't even know nothing about' https://t.co/YirRiuCVUv  J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 5, 2017

Even Matt Lucas himself retweeted it.

So: does Trump resemble an angry teenager who's constantly trying to avoid blame by attacking others?

We'll let you be the judge.
Sadly, James Corden wasn't eligible to enter Idris Elba's Valentine's Day charity dating auction.

If he had been, though, we know exactly how their date would have shaped up: a romantic scooter ride for two around the UK's capital city.

SEE ALSO: Please enjoy this sweaty clip from Idris Elba's new documentary 'Fighter'

In the clip above, Elba explains how he offered a date with himself to raise money for the charity WE Can Lead.

"We can go driving on my scooter 'round London," says Elba, when asked what the date might involve.

"Oh, I'd love a ride on your scooter," responds Corden. "And I don't even mean that in the way it sounds... I'd feel so safe."

We hear you, James.
They may look good enough to eat, but Japan's mouthwatering food replicas are only for show as restaurateurs compete for the attention of hungry customers.

They're common sights in this food-obsessed nation, with everything from sudsy beers and perfectly glazed sushi to hamburgers and deep-fried pork cutlets, known as tonkatsu, on display.

Making fake food is a craft that Noriyuki Mishima has spent the last six decades perfecting.

"I haven't counted but I must have made tens of thousands of these dishes," said the 79-year-old, as he painted a plastic roast of beef.

"The toughest thing is probably getting the colour right."

There are no complex machines or special tools at Hatanaka, an eight-person firm in a Tokyo suburb where veterans like Mishima see themselves as artists.

It's just simple cutting tools, paint brushes, airbrush guns, and drying ovens at the little company with a "Fake Food Hatanaka" sign out front.

They don't use wax anymore -- it's durable silicone these days -- but the practice has otherwise changed little since the first replicas were made in Japan about a century ago.

During the early 1920s, artists producing models of human organs for doctors, were approached by restaurants to do the same thing for the food they wanted to sell.

The idea spread rapidly as eating out soared in popularity and rural people flocked to the cities. Unused to what city restaurants had to offer, the models gave country dwellers and locals alike a quick visual rundown of the chef's specialities.

- 'Artist's touch' -

They're also a handy point-and-order option for foreign tourists in a country where most menus are in Japanese only.

"Photos don't really give a sense of volume -- the replicas are the actual size so customers know immediately when they go into a restaurant what to expect, even before they're served," said Norihito Hatanaka, who runs the family company which was founded in the mid-sixties.

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Hatanaka doesn't worry much about new technologies, such as 3-D printers, taking over the food replica business.

"3-D printers cannot recreate an artist's touch and it would ultimately be more expensive because the materials are pricey and you'd still have to keep painting them," he says.

"It's a job for humans who have the creativity that machines lack. They don't know what is beautiful and appetising."

For veteran Mishima some of the hardest work is reproducing raw products like sushi.

"When it's grilled fish, the characteristic colours are easier to recreate," he said.

"But creating the colour of freshness -- that's tough."

Any food can be recreated from a silicone mold, whether it's a spongy cake or sizzling hamburger.

Each bit -- bun, meat, tomato, cheese -- is made separately before they're painted and assembled piece by piece.

The last step is a coat of varnish to give food a glistening look sure to catch the eye of peckish passers-by.

But replicas don't come cheap. A single dish can cost several hundred dollars, so some restaurants rent food model sets by the month for upwards of 6,000 yen ($50).

- Bacon headbands -

Takizo Iwasaki  whose eponymous firm controls about half the market in Japan -- is widely credited for turning faux food into what is now a $90 million business.

It's not a growth industry, though.

High-end restaurants shun the idea of plastic replicas to display their dishes, and the idea hasn't caught on much outside Japan.

But Mishima and his colleagues -- three twenty-something women -- don't think replicas are going to fade into culinary history just yet.

"It's been a childhood dream to make this fake food," said employee Asumi Shimodaira, as she worked on a plate of inedible ravioli.

For company president Hatanaka, it's the action models -- like a spaghetti-wrapped fork suspended in air -- that are his favourite.

But the firm isn't content to stick to old recipes.

It is pushing into new lines like fake food fashion accessories, such as fruit earrings, fried egg rings, and bacon slice headbands.

They also make pieces for those looking for unique footwear, or fun window displays. One pair of boots, covered in plastic toast and dripping with fake icecream and fruit sauce, can sell for 36,000 yen.

"We're not satisfied just taking the orders from restaurants," Hatanaka said.

"We like to make original creations too."
Jinger Duggar And Jeremy Vuolo Joke About Sex During Honeymoon

Jinger Duggar Vuolo seems to be laying low following her publicly televised honeymoon in Australia. Jinger was the focal point of the latest season of Counting On with her engagement, wedding, and honeymoon taking center stage. However, it seems that with sisters Jill Dillard and Jessa Seewald more than happy to stay in the spotlight, Jinger may now be laying low in Texas.

Jinger Duggar married Jeremy Vuolo on November 5, 2016. People Magazine reports that the wedding was held at the Cathedral of the Ozarks at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Nearly 1,000 guests were in attendance as Jinger Duggar walked down the aisle in a gorgeous gown that had a 13-foot long train. Jinger took a more elegent approach to her wedding than sister Jessa Seewald with her notorious ice cream sundae bar. Instead, Jinger opted for a modern and elegent naked wedding cake and autumn themed decor.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly on Monday confirmed a Reuters report that he was considering a proposal to separate women and children who cross the U.S. border with Mexico illegally, a policy shift he said was aimed at deterring people from making a dangerous journey. Kelly was asked in a CNN interview about the proposal, first reported by Reuters on Friday, in which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would change U.S. policy and keep parents in custody while putting children in the care of the Health and Human Services Department. "Yes, I am considering - in order to deter more movement along this terribly dangerous network - I am considering exactly that," Kelly said. "We have tremendous experience in dealing with unaccompanied minors," he said. "They will be well cared for as we deal with their parents." The policy change would allow the government to keep parents in custody while they contest deportation or wait for asylum hearings. Children would be put into the "least restrictive setting" until they can be taken into the care of a U.S. relative or state-sponsored guardian, said government officials who were briefed on the proposal. Currently, families contesting deportation or applying for asylum are generally released from detention quickly and allowed to remain in the United States until their cases are resolved. A federal appeals court ruling bars prolonged child detention. "Let me start by saying I would do almost anything to deter the people from Central America from getting on this very, very dangerous network that brings them up through Mexico into the United States," Kelly said. He said social service organizations have told him that more than 90 percent of the women making the journey from Central America are sexually abused. U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat whose district includes about 200 miles (320 km) of the border with Mexico, slammed the DHS proposal. "Bottom line: separating mothers and children is wrong," he said in a statement on Friday. "That type of thing is where we depart from border security and get into violating human rights," he said. About 54,000 children and their guardians were apprehended between Oct. 1, 2016, and Jan. 31, 2017, more than double the number caught over the same period a year earlier. (Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Jonathan Oatis)
By Duncan Miriri NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's government is opposed to a move by a legislator to amend the law to break up the country's biggest telecoms operator, Safaricom, the information minister said on Monday. Jakoyo Midiwo, the deputy minority leader in Kenya's national assembly, proposed amendments to the country's communication and banking laws aimed at breaking up Safaricom, which is 40 percent owned by Britain's Vodafone. Joe Mucheru, the information, communication and technology minister, said the move would punish operators for innovations, and discourage investments. "It will make Kenya a very unattractive destination for tech companies that want to come and innovate," he told Reuters. Safaricom is by far the biggest telecoms firm in Kenya. It has 26 million subscribers and dominates the thriving mobile-based financial services sector with its innovative M-Pesa platform. Midiwo, who accuses Safaricom of offering banking services without the necessary license, aims to force the firm to run M-Pesa as a separate business from the telecoms service. "We are not for that in any way," Mucheru said, saying it is up to operators to decide if they want to spin off parts of their businesses. Midiwo's proposal will be debated and voted on by parliament. Safaricom is also facing a separate call to be broken up in a leaked draft report on competition in the sector, which was commissioned by the watchdog, The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA). Safaricom is Kenya's biggest firm by market capitalisation and dwarfs the two other operators in the mobile market: the local subsidiary of India's Bharti Airtel and Orange, which the French telecoms company agreed last year to sell to London-based Helios Partners. The smaller operators have long argued that Safaricom enjoys a dominant position because it accounts for 90 percent of revenues in areas such as voice calls and text messages. Safaricom rejects the accusations of dominance. CA has not commented on the draft report, prepared by consultants Analysys Mason, saying it was reviewing it. Mucheru said it was unfortunate the report was leaked to the media, before it was analyzed by the regulator and operators, but assured the final decisions on fair competition would be done after careful analysis of the report. "These decisions are not going to be made in the media. They are going to be soberly done through the regulatory process," he said. (Editing by Louise Heavens)
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)  Kenya's domestic security minister said Monday that 379 pastoralist herders have been arrested for invading ranches that led to the killing of a British farmer over the weekend.

A severe drought in Kenya is causing tension because of the scarcity of water and pasture, as some communities move into other properties in search of the resources, said Joseph Nkaissery. He said criminals have taken advantage of the situation to steal.

The arrests come after rancher Tristan Voorspuy was shot dead while inspecting some of his lodges, which had been burned by the attackers. His body was found Sunday 190 kilometers (118 miles) north of Nairobi. Kenya has declared its drought a national disaster. Ranchers, however, say the land invasions are politically motivated and part of plans to take over their land.

The British High Commissioner to Kenya Monday said he was "deeply saddened" by Voorspuy's killing. Nic Hailey said he had repeatedly expressed his concern to President Uhuru Kenyatta's government over the situation in parts of Laikipia.

Kenya has been hit by a cycle of violence of land invasions and evictions in the 1992, 1997, 2007 elections. Kenya is to hold general elections in August.

More than 1,000 people died after the 2007 elections, the deadliest clashes in the country's history. A majority of the deaths were in the Rift Valley, where Laikipia is. More than 600,000 were evicted from their homes during the violence.

A 2008 government commission found that historical injustices such as unequal land distribution were partly responsible for the violence. A 2013 report reinforced those findings, saying longstanding grievances over land constitute the single most important driver of conflicts and ethnic tension in Kenya.
Redrawing of provincial boundaries has no bearing on local elections

As the date for local level elections has been set, political parties are preparing for polls. Yet the government has not been able to bring convince the agitating Madhes-based parties to take part in the elections.
After federal judges blocked a ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim-majority countries, President Trump unveiled a more limited version Monday.

With this order, President Trump is exercising his rightful authority to keep our people safe, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday. While no system can be made completely infallible, the American people can have high confidence that we are identifying ways to improve the vetting process and thus keep terrorists from entering our country.

The new executive order, which supersedes the order issued on Jan. 27, drops Iraq from the list of countries, bars travel from the remaining six countries for 90 days, no longer bars Syrian refugees from resettlement in the U.S. and drops a provision that would have made the process easier for Christian refugees.

This is not a Muslim ban in any way shape or form, a senior Department of Homeland Security official said Monday. This is a temporary suspension of nationals from six countries that are either failed states at this point or state sponsors of terror.

Under the new order, nationals from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen are not permitted to travel to the U.S. for 90 days starting after the order goes into effect at midnight on March 16. Nationals with valid visas from those countries are free to travel.

As previously reported, Iraq is no longer included on the list of countries impacted by the order. Senior Administration officials say they have received firm commitments from the Iraqi government that they will comply with the vetting, screening, and information sharing the Trump administration has deemed adequate.

The Trump Administration is delaying the implementation of the order until next week in an effort to ensure that the process is orderly, standing in stark contrast to the first order which was met with chaos. Officials say that any reports of people being stopped by Customs and Border Protection in the next few days should relate to laws currently on the books and will not be due to the executive order.

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There is going to be a very orderly process. You should not see any alleged chaos, an official said Monday. There are not going to be folks stopped tonight because of this Executive Order.

Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly said Monday his Department will work closely to implement the order humanely, respectively, and with professionalism but we will enforce the law.

During the 90-day pause, the Department of Homeland Security will perform a global, country-by-country review of the information provided to the U.S. during screenings. Each country will have 50 days to comply with any requests from the U.S. government for better or more information. Officials will still have the ability to issue waivers to certain individuals who wish to enter the U.S. while the ban is in place.

Officials said on a conference call Monday morning that the new order was constructed via close collaboration between the departments of Homeland Security, State and Justice.

There is no daylight between the White House and those executive departments, a DHS official said Monday.

The Trump Administrations approach to refugee admittance was also adjusted in the new executive order. The order still halts the resettlement of refugees for 120 days, but there is no longer a blanket ban on refugees from Syria, a country that is the midst of a lengthy and brutal civil war. The order no longer includes language suggesting there will be a preference for refugees who are religious minorities, which many took to mean persecuted Christians. The Trump Administration will still only admit 50,000 refugees during the 2017 fiscal year, a steep drop from the 110,000 the Obama administration wanted to admit this year.

A senior State department official said Monday that while refugees already undergo a stringent vetting process, the Department will be reviewing the procedures currently used during the 120-day pause.

The Trump Administration faced criticism for targeting refugees in the initial order given reports that refugees had not been involved in any major terrorist attacks that resulted in deaths. Senior officials said Monday that the Federal Bureau of Investigations is currently investigating cases of 300 people who were admitted to the U.S. as refugees for terrorist activities. Officials would not say which countries the individuals came from.

Senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice say the presidents first executive order was legally strong despite the challenges it faced in court. A Justice official says the new order should effectively moot the current legal challenges.

The Department of Justice believes that this executive order, just as the first executive order, is a lawful and proper exercise of presidential authority, said Attorney General Jeff Sessions at an appearance with Secretary Tillerson and Secretary Kelly on Monday. This Department of Justice will defend and enforce lawful orders of the president consistent with the core principles of our constitution.

Unlike the first executive order, the revised version was met with little fanfare by the commander-in-chief. There was no signing ceremony streamed from the White House or a major event featuring the president. There was instead, what appears to be a concerted effort to present as much information about the new ban to the public as possible.
PARIS (AP)  The Latest on General Motors' sale of its European brands to PSA Group (all times local):

3:15 p.m.

General Motors' exit from its money-losing European operations may not be the company's last act.

CEO Mary Barra, on a conference call with U.S. analysts Monday, said GM has work to do on some of its international operations. If it can't fix them, it may take another step like it did in selling Opel and Vauxhall to PSA, she said.

She said: "There are parts of the core business that we're going to make sure are earning their way into the General Motors portfolio." Barra did not specify which areas may be under review.

She said that such a move would be in keeping with GM's philosophy that every country has to contribute to the company's bottom line.

___

1:45 p.m.

French automaker PSA Group, which makes the Peugeot and Citroen brands, eventually will be able to sell vehicles in the U.S. under its deal to buy the Opel and Vauxhall brands from General Motors.

GM will be able to compete in Europe with ride-hailing and other new mobility services, and it can keep selling Cadillac and some high-performance Chevrolets in Europe in low volumes under the deal.

GM President Dan Ammann told U.S. analysts on a conference call Monday that once Opel and Vauxhall vehicles move to PSA-designed underpinnings, then the company is free to sell them in the U.S.

PSA CEO Carlos Tavares is familiar with the U.S. Before moving to PSA, he was president of Nissan Motor Co.'s North American operations.

Ammann said GM keeps flexibility to sell "some of the new business model type activities" in Europe, but it doesn't expect to sell mass market vehicles there.

GM currently sells a small number of Cadillacs and some Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette vehicles in Europe.

___

1:30 p.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May stressed the importance of the Vauxhall brand to Britain when she spoke with the CEO of General Motors ahead of the American company's announcement that it was selling its unprofitable Europe car business.

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May's office said in a statement Monday that May and Business Secretary Greg Clark spoke to Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors as well as with PSA Group chair Carlos Tavares.

The prime minister's office says that Barra made clear that Vauxhall "would recognize and respect all agreements regarding the workforce."

May and Barra also expressed confidence that the deal had the potential "to strengthen the Vauxhall brand and allow for further growth."

___

12:10 p.m.

Britain's business secretary has welcomed assurances by France's PSA Group that it will respect commitments to U.K. autoworkers when it purchases the European operations of General Motors.

Business Secretary Greg Clark says the government will work with PSA to makes certain that promises made to workers and pensioners are honored. The British arm of GM's European business, Vauxhall, employs 4,500 people at plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton.

Clark says he and Prime Minister Theresa May have been in contact with PSA Group and GM and that "they have been clear this deal is an opportunity to grow the Vauxhall brand, building on their existing strengths and commitments."

Clark says Britain is determined to make the country a center of innovation for "future vehicle technology, including electric vehicles."

___

11.55 a.m.

French President Francois Hollande says PSA Group's purchase of General Motors' European operations is proof that the French government was right to bail out PSA, maker of Peugeot and Citroen cars.

Hollande praised the deal, saying it heralds "the birth of a European champion of the automobile industry."

He said the deal shows that "the state was right" to step in twice over the last five years to help ailing PSA. The government and China's Dongfeng each now own 14 percent of PSA.

Hollande said PSA's recovery "is now complete."

PSA and GM announced the $2.3 billion deal Monday. GM's European business, which includes Germany's Opel and Britain's Vauxhall, has not made a profit since 1999.

___

11 a.m.

The leader of the Unite union in Britain says the organization's priority is to ensure the long-term future of thousands of autoworkers affected by PSA's purchase of the European operations of GM.

In a statement Monday, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said the union will focus its attention on trying to persuade the new management that it makes sense to continue "building in Britain."

But he insisted there is a role for government as "the uncertainty caused by Brexit is harming the U.K. auto sector."

The British government is expected to formally trigger two-year discussions of Britain's exit from the European Union in coming weeks.

Vauxhall, the British arm of GM's European business, employs 4,500 people at plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton, where the Astra and Vivaro models are made.

___

10:35 a.m.

German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries says French automaker PSA has made a series of commitments regarding the future of carmakers Opel and Vauxhall, which it is buying from General Motors.

In statement, the minister said PSA promised to "keep the existing contracts regarding locations, employment and investments and continues Opel/Vauxhall as an independent brand with an independent management."

In the statement, which was also signed by the governors of the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and Thuringia, Zypries said it's important that transparency is front and center of the upcoming discussions regarding the takeover.

The unions said they have reached a commitment from PSA that all Opel businesses will be "put under one Opel entity."

___

10:15 a.m.

Britain's former business secretary is warning that the Britain's departure from the European Union will make it harder to secure Vauxhall jobs in the medium term.

Liberal Democrat Vince Cable told the BBC that there is a "serious question mark" about the car maker's plants in Britain because of doubt on the future of the customs union and single market.

He says "car components have to go backwards and forwards across frontiers and they will require tariffs and checks."

Cable suggested that German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government would pressure the French to protect plants in her country.
North Korea fired four missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Monday morning (Sunday afternoon in Washington), sparking condemnation from China and U.S. allies in Asia, and further ratcheting up tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Experts said Pyongyang is testing President Donald Trumps neophyte administration  and plenty of others are taking note.

China, North Korea, and U.S. allies are going to be closely watching his response, Thomas Karako, a missile defense expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Foreign Policy.

But some 18 hours after the launch, the White House has not yet issued any statement, despite immediate and sharp rebukes from Japan and South Korean leaders. (The White House has found the time, meanwhile, to dispute the conclusions of the FBI director on Trumps wiretap claims.)

This is a direct challenge to the international community and a grave violation, acting South Korean President Hwang Kyo-ahn said. Having seen the brutality of North Korea from Kim Jong Nam, Id say the consequences of the Kim Jong Un regime having nuclear weapons will be horrible, he said, referring to the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns exiled half brother in Malaysia in February.

The missiles landed in water some 300 miles from Japanese shores, sparking an immediate rebuke from the Japanese government even as the White House remained silent.

The launches are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told parliament, referring to U.N. Security Council resolutions passed against North Korea.

The missiles reached an average height of 160 miles and traveled over 600 miles, though they were not likely intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), according to the South Korean military. South Korean defense ministry spokesperson Roh Jae-cheon said in a briefing the missiles were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the North Korean border with China, but added it was too early to tell what specific type of missiles were launched.

Story continues

The North American Aerospace Defense Command determined the missiles did not pose a threat to North America, Maj. Matthew Miller, a spokesman for U.S. Strategic Command, told FP.

The State Department also condemned the launch. The DPRKs provocations only serve to increase the international communitys resolve to counter the DPRKs prohibited weapons of mass destruction programs, acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

Even China took North Korea to task, saying it violated U.N. resolutions. China has historically been North Koreas most important ally, an economic and political lifeline to the outer world the Hermit Kingdom shuns. But Beijing is increasingly fed up with North Koreas antics and nuclear weapons program. In February, it banned coal imports from North Korea, cutting the cash-starved country off from a valuable source of foreign income (Though Pyongyang still operates an intricate network of front companies in China to evade international sanctions and funnel in foreign income, as Foreign Policy reported).

Pyongyang launched the missiles to try and drive a wedge between the United States and its allies, said Karako of CSIS. But he said it would likely have the opposite effect as Washington tightens its security relationships with South Korea and Japan. The three countries are consciously and deliberately moving toward greater defensive capability, Karako said, referring to South Koreas planned deployment of U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense systems. Thanks to Pyongyangs launch Monday, all this is going to speed up, not slow down, he said.

Photo credit: KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images
Paris (AFP) - Far-right leader Marine Le Pen could win the forthcoming presidential election in France, President Francois Hollande warned on Monday, vowing to "do everything" in his power to stop it happening.

Polls suggest that Le Pen, leader of the National Front (FN), is likely to win the first round of France's election on April 23.

However, surveys also show she would then lose in the deciding second-round run-off on May 7 either to the centrist and pro-business Emmanuel Macron or conservative candidate Francois Fillon.

But with Fillon's campaign in turmoil over accusations he paid his wife for a fake parliamentary job from public funds, analysts have warned that the election is extremely difficult to predict.

"There is a threat" of Le Pen winning the election, Hollande acknowledged in comments to French daily Le Monde -- part of an interview with six European papers.

"The far-right has not been so high (in the polls) for more than 30 years but France will not give in," vowed the president.

France "is aware that the vote on April 23 and May 7 will determine not only the fate of our country but also the future of the European project itself," he added.

Le Pen has vowed to ditch the euro as France's currency if elected and hold a referendum on the country's membership of the European Union.

Hollande, who has battled stubbornly high unemployment throughout his five-year term and has suffered low poll ratings, decided last year not to run for a second term.

He said it was his "last duty... to do everything to ensure that France is not convinced by such a plan" of taking the country out of the EU.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily barring all travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations was in place for just eight days before a federal judge blocked it. Nearly a month later, Trump has rolled out a new order aimed at overcoming the legal challenges but accomplishing the same stated goal: keeping would-be terrorists out of the United States.

A look at how the new order compares with the previous one.

___

BANNED FOREIGNERS

Old order: Three-month ban on citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries, including those who had valid visas but were outside the United States when the ban was signed.

New order: Three-month ban on issuing new visas for people from six Muslim-majority countries  Iraqi nationals are no longer banned  and exceptions for foreigners from the other six countries: Somalia, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya and Yemen. Citizens of those countries with valid visas will be admitted to the U.S.

___

SYRIANS

Old order: Syrian visitors, immigrants and refugees were barred from the United States indefinitely.

New order: Syrians will be treated the same as citizens of the other five countries singled out in the order.

___

REFUGEES

Old order: Four-month halt to refugees entering the United States.

New order: The refugee ban remains in place, though people already approved and on their way to the United States will be allowed in.

___

TIMING

Old order: The Jan. 27 order was immediately put into place, causing chaos and panic at airports as the Homeland Security Department scrambled to figure out who the order covered and how it was to be implemented.

New order: The new order, signed Monday, won't be affective until March 16. It also revokes the previous edict.
In St. Petersburg, Florida, city planners are busy mapping out how the low-lying coastal area will cope with sea level rise. In Salt Lake City, officials are working to get 100 percent of the city's electricity from renewable sources. Out in Los Angeles, electric cars are steadily replacing conventional cars in the city-owned fleet.

These local initiatives and thousands of others were already underway when President Donald Trump took office in January. Today, local leaders say they feel even more compelled to take climate action as Trump vows to cut funding and policies related to energy and environmental protection.

SEE ALSO: This giant offshore wind farm will be the largest in the U.S.

"We have both an economic opportunity and a responsibility to act  no matter what President Trump does," said Matt Petersen, the chief sustainability officer of Los Angeles, the second-largest U.S. city.

"That's what we're doing now and intend to do in the future," he added. "And hopefully we'll have some partnership in Washington."

Electric cars are parked atop the Los Angeles Police Department parking lot. The LAPD in 2016 added 100 electric cars to its fleet.

Image: Nick Ut/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Scott Pruitt, the newly appointed head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recently said he aimed to be a "good partner" with mayors and local officials.

"Protecting the health of our citizens... is absolutely essential, and we have to do that with a keen interest to jobs and growth as well," Pruitt said at a March 2 meeting with the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington.

The former Oklahoma attorney general also vowed to defend certain EPA state grant programs from looming budget cuts, including those for Superfund sites and brownfields, both of which affect cities.

But he didn't mention climate change or clean energy once during the brief meeting  even though it's EPA's job to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Pruitt, like Trump, doubts the mainstream scientific conclusion that human activity is driving global warming.

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The White House's budget proposal would slice the EPA's overall budget by 25 percent to $6.1 billion and reduce staffing by 20 percent, to 12,400 employees, Washington Post reported.

Average annual household carbon footprint by zip code.

Image: UC Berkeley CoolClimate Network, Average Annual Household Carbon Footprint

Meanwhile, on the opposite U.S. coast, Los Angeles is still carrying out its citywide sustainability plan. The city aims to bring $100 million in clean energy investments to the area by fostering startups and attracting developers, and it's seen a rapid rise in rooftop solar projects and electric-car charging stations, Petersen said.

Los Angeles is also a leading member of groups to help officials collaborate on climate policies.

It's among 12 U.S. cities involved in C40, a global network of megacities that work on everything from mass transit networks and microgrids to energy-efficient buildings and climate adaptation. Los Angeles is also studying how it could reach 100 percent renewable energy, a goal that two dozen other cities have already set through a campaign driven by the Sierra Club.

Brendan Shane, C40's regional director for North America, said Trump's election sparked a "rallying cry" among mayors who were gathered at C40's Mexico City summit in late November.

"There was a pretty immediate response that we needed to maintain this whole range of actions that are going to protect people," he said. "The federal government was never going to solve this [climate] problem."

That's not to say cities and states won't be affected by deep budget cuts at the Department of Energy or sweeping policy reversals at the EPA  two changes Trump is in the process of implementing.

Many local governments have benefited from federal support. The Obama administration provided billions of dollars' worth of grants, tax credits, training and other incentives to make communities cleaner and more resilient to climate change.

While Trump could scrap funding for local climate programs, there's one thing he can't so easily reverse: the low-carbon economy.

Electric carmaker Tesla Motors received (and fully repaid) a $452 million government loan.

Image: JUSTIN SULLIVAN/Getty Images

Over the last decade, cities and states have steadily lowered their greenhouse gas emissions by making buildings more energy-efficient and supporting the growth of solar arrays, wind farms, zero-emissions vehicles and other clean technologies. States in particular have enacted standards to require utilities to get a specific portion of their supplies from cleaner sources.

Solar and wind prices have plummeted in recent years as technology improves and projects reaches a massive scale. Some major utilities are expanding to include rooftop solar panels and energy-efficiency initiatives, both of which will reduce demand for coal-fired power plants.

Image: NC clean energy technology center/dEPT. OF ENERGY

Meanwhile, automakers are rolling out more models, at less exorbitant prices, of vehicles that don't run on diesel or petroleum. Consumers are increasingly ditching personal cars in favor of mass transit networks, carpooling services and ride-hailing apps.

These trends will help maintain some of the momentum on climate action at the local level, said Charlie Hales, who until recently was mayor of Portland, Oregon.

"I am bullish on the prospects of cities continuing to get real things done," he said.

Hales noted that Portland has cut its carbon emissions by 21 percent from 1990 levels  even as its population swelled  by encouraging residents and companies to use energy-efficient appliances, install rooftop solar systems, plant carbon-absorbing trees and avoid food waste.

Portlanders' preferred mode of transport: the bicycle.

Image: CRAIG MITCHELLDYER/Getty Images

As Portland's mayor at the time, Hales was among the more than 70 U.S. mayors who penned a Nov. 22 letter urging then-president-elect Trump to confront the climate crisis head-on.

"While we are prepared to forge ahead even in the absence of federal support, we know that if we stand united on this issue, we can make change that will resonate for generations," the mayors wrote.

In February, U.S. governors mailed their own letter to the White House. A bipartisan group of 20 leaders argued the wind and solar sectors are important economic engines for impoverished rural regions  the same areas Trump has vowed to revive through coal mining and oil drilling.

Local climate efforts aren't limited to progressive strongholds, like the state of California or the city of Portland. Take Florida, the political battleground state and one of the most vulnerable areas to rising sea levels and acidifying oceans.

Waves caused by Hurricane Matthew pound boat docks on Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Image: Getty Images

Last fall in St. Petersburg, a waterfront city on the Gulf Coast, leaders set aside $1 million for sustainability and resiliency planning. Part of that money will go toward meeting the city's new goal of getting 100 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources.

Ironically, the funding was made possible by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. BP agreed to pay the city $6.5 million after the deadly disaster upended the region's fishing and tourism sectors and left beaches covered in goopy crude.

"It was devastating to the economy, devastating to the environment, but even more of a blow to my community," said Emily Gorman, a sustainability consultant from St. Petersburg who worked with the Sierra Club to campaign for the 100-percent target.

A solar installer puts a panel on the roof of a home in Gainesville, Florida.

Image: JOE RAEDLE/Getty Images

"It's a funny silver lining that we now get to take these meaningful steps to make sure these things never happen again," she said, referring to BP's oil spill.

Such initiatives will continue during the Trump presidency, even as the administration tilts policies in favor of fossil fuel producers. Still, cities and states could take even larger steps to fight climate change if the federal government was walking with them, said Hales, the former Portland mayor.

"We will succeed better and faster with the help of national governments," he said.

Additional reporting by Mashable Science Editor Andrew Freedman.
Security beefed up in Saptari ahead of UML's programme

The Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) has announced transportation strike in Saptari district on Monday in protest against the CPN-UML's Mechi-Mahakali National Campaign.
Antananarivo (AFP) - Madagascan authorities on Monday issued a warning of severe floods and storm damage as tropical cyclone Enawo bore down on the island's northeast coast.

With the cyclone due to hit land on Tuesday morning, residents in its path were advised to evacuate low-lying areas, seek shelter and stock up on on food and water supplies.

"Enawo will land tomorrow, between 9:00 and 12:00 (0600 and 0900 GMT), in the districts of Antalaha and Maroantsetra," Thierry Venty, of the National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC), said.

"For now it's a tropical cyclone, but the forecast (...) says it will evolve into an intense tropical cyclone before making landfall," he told reporters at a press conference in the capital Antananarivo.

Venty said rescue teams were being positioned to provide emergency relief.

According to latest bulletin on Monday from Madagascar's meteorology department, Enawo was approaching the coast packing winds of 140 kilometres (85 miles) per hour, with gusts of up to 195 kilometres an hour.

The cyclone is expected to pound the coast before weakening as it heads down the eastern region towards Antananarivo.

Madagascar's storm season normally runs from November through February and claims dozens of lives every year.

In 2012, tropical storm Irina and tropical cyclone Giovanna claimed more than 100 lives.

The Indian Ocean island has suffered severe drought and food shortages since 2015, with the southern region the worst affected.
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - North Korea's expelled ambassador fired a final verbal salvo at Malaysia Monday over its investigation into the assassination of the half-brother of Pyongyang's leader, describing the probe as biased.

Speaking at Kuala Lumpur International Airport before his flight left, ambassador Kang Chol lashed what he called a "pretargeted investigation by the Malaysian police".

The murder of Kim Jong-Nam with VX nerve agent at the same airport last month sparked an acrimonious dispute between the two countries.

North Korea retaliated late Monday by ordering Malaysia's ambassador to Pyongyang to leave within 48 hours, the North's official media reported.

The diplomat had already been withdrawn by Kuala Lumpur for consultations.

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's foreign ministry confirmed its ambassador to Pyongyang had been officially declared persona non grata.

"This reciprocal action is normal in diplomacy," said ministry director-general Raja Nurshirwan.

North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man's identity but has repeatedly criticised the murder investigation and autopsy, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.

"They have conducted the autopsy without the consent and attendance of the DPRK (North Korea) embassy and later arrested a DPRK citizen without any clear evidence showing his involvement in the incident," ambassador Kang said.

South Korea has blamed the North for the murder.

It cites what it says was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother, who may have been seen as a potential rival.

In a sign of the security tensions, police armed with assault rifles cordoned off the entrance to North Korea's embassy in Kuala Lumpur before the envoy left.

Kang departed in a black chauffeured Jaguar -- the North Korean flag which denotes an ambassador was removed from its bonnet.

He checked in a Philips TV, three suitcases and four boxes vacuum-wrapped and marked with the words "DPRK Pyongyang".

Story continues

Senior government officials told AFP he left at 6.25 pm (1025 GMT) on flight MH360 for Beijing, shortly after the deadline for his expulsion at 6 pm.

He landed in the Chinese capital in the early hours of Tuesday morning, leaving the airport via a VIP exit surrounded by security, AFP journalists at the scene said.

He was then whisked away in a North Korean diplomatic car to Pyongyang's vast embassy complex in central Beijing, where he was expected to spend the night before flying on to North Korea.

- 'Hostile forces -

Malaysia had declared Kang persona non grata on Saturday and gave him 48 hours to leave the country after he failed to apologise for his criticism of the investigation.

The diplomatic dispute erupted last month when police rejected North Korean diplomats' demands to hand over Kim's body.

Kang then claimed the investigation was politically motivated and said Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with "hostile forces" -- a reference to the North's arch-rival, Seoul.

Malaysia summoned Kang for a dressing-down, with Najib saying the ambassador's statement was "diplomatically rude".

Malaysia has also cancelled a rare visa-free travel deal with North Korea. It ordered the ambassador expelled after he failed to present himself at the foreign ministry when summoned on Saturday.

The foreign ministry has said the expulsion is "part of the process by the Malaysian government to review its relations" with North Korea.

The row also extended to sport, with Malaysian football authorities banning the national team from playing an Asian Cup qualifying match in Pyongyang -- citing security threats in the wake of the expulsion.

Police are seeking seven North Korean suspects in their probe, four of whom left Malaysia on the day of the murder. But on Friday they released the only North Korean they had arrested for lack of evidence.

Two women -- one Vietnamese and one Indonesian -- have been charged with the murder. Airport CCTV footage shows them approaching the heavyset 45-year-old and apparently smearing his face with a cloth.

Police say he suffered a seizure and died less than 20 minutes later. Swabs of the dead man's face revealed traces of the VX nerve agent.

S Selvam, Huong's lawyer, suggested Monday that Malaysia does not have the expertise to identify the VX nerve agent.

He added that he would write to Malaysia's police chief asking for another autopsy.

"How is (it) that my client is accused of using VX nerve agent in her hand and applying it to the face of the deceased and not suffering any illness herself?" he told AFP.
UML leaders enter Saptari, mass meeting to commence shortly (Update)

CPN-UML team holding Mechi-Mahakali campaign has entered Saptari district through Bhardaha on Monday.
There is overwhelming evidence the Obama administration wiretapped President Donald Trump before Trump was sworn in as president, and Democrats are trying to cover that up, conservative talk radio host Mark Levin said Sunday.

Trump claimed in a series of tweets Saturday, without offering any evidence, that former President Barack Obama ordered wiretaps at Trump Tower.

The allegations came as calls mounted for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign for not admitting during his confirmation hearing he had contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the campaign. Sessions announced last week he would recuse himself from any investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russias efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Former National Director of Intelligence James Clapper and Sen. Mark Rubio, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on several Sunday morning talk shows they were unaware of any such surveillance.

But Levin told Fox & Friends said the question is not whether there was any surveillance but the extent of the surveillance.

The FBI sought and was granted a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court order, Levin said, despite Clappers comments that no such order was issued for Trump Tower to any of the agencies under his jurisdiction.

Levin said the FBI, CIA, National Security Agency, the Justice Department and two other agencies began investigating Trump and his team in October as part of the investigation into Russias activities. He quoted a story in the Guardian as saying the FBI applied for a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in order to monitor four members of the Trump team during the election campaign.

He also accused Democrats of trying to cover up the surveillance.

Former White House press secretary Josh Earnest explained why the allegations are ludicrous on ABCs This Week.

Story continues

This may come as a surprise to the current occupant of the Oval Office, but the president of the United States does not have the authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of an American citizen, Earnest said.

If the FBI decided to use their wiretapping authority in the context of the counterintelligence or criminal investigation, it would require FBI investigators, officials at the Department of Justice going to a federal judge, and making a case, and demonstrating probable cause to use that authority to conduct the investigation. That is a fact.

A spokesman for Obama dismissed Trumps allegations Saturday, saying it didnt happen.

A cardinal rule of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice  as part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false, Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said.

Related:

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Paris (AFP) - Fashion designer Stella McCartney claimed that fake leather was now as good as the real thing Monday as she charged into the animal cruelty debate that dogs the fashion industry.

With fur making a comeback on Paris fashion week catwalks, the British designer known for her label's ethical principles showed coats and suits made with high quality synthetic suede and leather, which she dubbed "skin-free skin".

As activists from animal rights group PETA protested at the Eiffel Tower against fashion's use of animal pelts, McCartney told reporters that imitation skins now "look so good" that they "genuinely pose a question to the industry about why anyone needs to use leather any more".

There is now nowhere to hide, she seemed to gently warning her peers.

That did not stop the life-long vegetarian adopting lots of British hunting and shooting style in her show, including a green quilted coat and headscarf borrowed directly from Her Majesty the Queen.

Horsey tweeds and high-waisted dressage suits were first out of the starting gate, with dresses and a top emblazoned with English equestrian artist George Stubb's masterpiece, "Horse Frightened by a Lion".

McCartney gave fox hunting a wide berth, however, leaving the contested terrain of the countryside for the city with slickly cut grey suits and a series of outfits in chic sandy, biscuity browns.

- Hermes goes full pelt -

The creator, the daughter of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, had previously admitted that it was difficult to find substitutes for leather.

But you would never know it from the string of faux leather trouser suits, jackets and coats that make up the core of her collection.

There was no question, however, of Hermes -- part of whose fortune rests on its Kelly and Birkin handbags -- giving up leather just yet.

Its autumn-winter collection was, nevertheless, a lot more edgily interesting than observers have come to expect.

Story continues

One of the opening wool coats was trimmed in red leather, and herds of cow hide followed in its faintly future gothic look that also had a definite air of the mountains about it.

Designer Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski said she wanted to change the perception of Hermes "as stuffy or serious and just show a little bit more vibrations".

While McCartney used little touches of tartan and check, Giambattista Valli became the latest designer to hop on the houndstooth bandwagon that has rolled right through Paris fashion week.

And like Rochas, which explored the erotic potential of buttoned-up aristos, he finished off his body-hugging frilly dresses in little bows.
President Donald Trumps newly installed national security advisor was promised full authority to reorganize the National Security Council to his liking after his predecessor was forced to resign after misleading the vice president about his conversations with the Russian ambassador.

But Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster is discovering the limits to any ambitious overhaul at the NSC, leaving him relying on people in many cases recruited by the former national security advisor, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, and other Trump confidantes. A wholesale purge is not expected, and several key NSC officials focused on the Middle East and other vital areas will keep their positions in the near term, a senior White House official told Foreign Policy.

The survivors, whose fate came into question after Flynns surprise ouster, include: K.T. McFarland, the deputy national security advisor; Michael Anton, the deputy assistant to the president for strategic communications; and Victoria Coates, the senior director for strategic assessments who previously worked as an art historian and aide to Ted Cruz.

McFarland, a former Fox News commentator, secured her status through a conversation with Trump, the official said. The president has asked K.T. to stay so shes staying, the official said.

Derek Harvey, the top Middle East adviser, worked with McMaster in Iraq. He is expected to continue on along with his deputies, including Joel Rayburn, Joe Rank, and Michael Bell.

There is also no indication that the Strategic Initiatives Group, a newly created sub-unit of the NSC that reports directly to Trumps Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon and son-in-law Jared Kushner, is endangered. But Sebastian Gorka, a self-described counterterrorism expert on the SIG, has come under increasing scrutiny in the media for his questionable professional credentials.

One big  and still open question  is whether McMaster will have significant influence in a White House with big personalities like Bannon and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. Bannon, in particular, has sought to jettison decades of U.S. foreign policy to focus on an economic nationalist agenda, which will further complicate McMasters job.

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And McMaster faces more obstacles than just inheriting a roster of politically connected employees he might otherwise want to dismiss. Hes also taking over an operation that operates on a shoestring budget.

The appropriated budget for the staff of NSC and Homeland Security Council is $12.8 million. That doesnt hire many people, Brian McKeon, the former chief of staff of the NSC from 2012 to 2014, told FP.

One way around those limits: Loaners from other government agencies. The Obama administration built a NSC of more than 400 people by getting nearly all of them on assignment from the Departments of Defense, State, and the Treasury.

Most NSC staff are detailees from other agencies, said Loren DeJonge Schulman, a former NSC official and deputy director of studies at the Center for a New American Security. At the end of the Obama administration, nearly 90 percent of the NSC staff were career on detail from other agencies.

But the reliance on career staffers brings its own risks for the Trump White House. Detailees have come under increasing suspicion as the source of the various leaks that have shown the Trump administration as chaotic and riven by infighting and disorganization. McMaster could find himself under pressure to remove those officials.

During an interview about the leaks with Fox News last week, Trump said I think that President Obama is behind it because his people are certainly behind it.

And some of the leaks possibly come from that group, which are really serious because they are very bad in terms of national security, he added.

McMaster could send those detailees back to their respective agencies and recruit new ones, but such a move is unlikely to happen quickly, if at all. Thats because detailees arent quickly replaceable, and many of them are needed because they possess the institutional memory that helps the NSC operate from day to day.

If you completely clean house, that will take a good bit of time, said McKeon, noting that new recruits need to have the proper clearances before they start their job. Detailees dont just suddenly appear.

Regardless of what McMaster decides to do about detailees, he could still make his presence known in other ways.

He is currently considering a proposal to undo some of the White Houses early and controversial moves, giving back permanent membership to the director of National Intelligence and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the Principals Committee, the top interagency group for debating national security issues, according to the New York Times.

Hes also considering merging the Homeland Security Council and the National Security Council, which would be a return to the formulation that existed during the Obama years. The Trump administration hived off the Homeland Security staff to curb Flynns influence. Now its likely that both councils will report to McMaster.

The two most significant moves McMaster has made so far are two reassignments. He sent David Cattler, deputy assistant to the president for regional affairs, to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and returned Brad Hansell, the acting deputy assistant to the president for transnational issues, to his previous job as the NSCs senior director for transnational threats. Those moves were first reported by Politico.

Cattler was overseeing all the regional directors and, according to foreign officials who dealt with him, increasingly assuming the duties of the the deputy national security adviser. But Cattler was vulnerable because he was considered a Flynn person, having been picked by the retired general and having worked worked for him at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

But other big names on the NSC are likely safe from any McMaster housecleaning.

Matt Pottinger, a former journalist and Marine intelligence officer, and now the NSC senior director for Asia, is also a Flynn-connected staffer. Kevin Harrington, deputy assistant to the president for strategic planning, is most closely linked to Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal who has significant influence in Trump world. The White House official said both men are safe as far as I know.

But McMasters influence is still an open question. In February, McMaster, an expert in counterinsurgency, told colleagues in a closed door meeting that using the term radical Islamic terrorism was counterproductive because it alienates moderate Muslims. But days later, Trump used the term anyway in his first joint address to Congress, a fact some viewed as a sign of McMasters lack of clout.

The White House official rejected that view as overblown.
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday said there was "absolutely no justification" for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's comments comparing German bans on certain political rallies to "fascist actions" reminiscent of the Nazi times. Merkel said Erdogan's comments only served to trivialize the unfathomable suffering of those affected by Nazi crimes against humanity, and were particularly sad given the many common factors that connected the two NATO allies. The German leader acknowledged deep differences with Ankara over issues such as freedom of the press and the arrest of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel. However, she said Germany remained committed to its own freedoms of press, assembly and expression, and would continue to allow Turkish politicians to campaign for a constitutional referendum in Germany, as long as their visits were announced in a transparent and timely fashion and respected German laws. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Michael Nienaber)
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP)  Police in El Salvador have arrested a Mexican man and seized $139,900 that he was carrying in two suitcases.

The National Civil Police say officers arrested Rolando Jurado Becerril on Sunday night at the capital's airport. The cash was hidden in bags with false bottoms.

Police said Monday the man had travelled from Bolivia to Peru and then on to El Salvador. His destination was Guatemala. Police initially suspected he was carrying drugs.

The cash is being analyzed to see if any of it is counterfeit.
Last week, Middlebury College, a Vermont liberal arts school with about 2,500 students, became the latest campus to make national headlines due to protesters who so detested a speaker that they tried to prevent their classmates from hearing him speak. Some cast the clash as pitting conservatives against liberals. But that isnt right.

The social scientist Charles Murray arrived on campus at the invitation of a student group to speak about his book, Coming Apart: The State of White America, 19602010. Two students who extended the invitation, Alexander Khan and Philip Hoxie, had been trying to understand the election of Donald Trump, although neither supported him. Intrigued by Coming Aparts analysis of the growing cultural gulf between the white elite (from which Middlebury draws many of its students) and the white working class, they felt their campus would benefit from engaging with its author.

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Many students and alumni and some faculty members disagreed.

Though the would-be censors varied widely in their familiarity with Murray and his beliefs, their objections flowed mostly from the content of his 1994 book The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life, and its most controversial argument: that the persistence of a black underclass in America is attributable partly to racial differences in intelligence, measured by IQ, that are partly genetic. (Like many of the protesters, Ive never read the bestselling book, which was published when I was 14. Later, reading up on the debates that followed its publication, I thought the smartest critics of the two controversial chapters that focused on racial differences were more persuasive than their defenders.)

Few nonfiction books have generated such sustained controversy, due largely to the horrific evils justified in bygone decades by pseudoscience positing white superiority and the fear that Murrays words could be exploited by white supremacists.

Story continues

The New York Times Magazine put its author on the cover along with a profile by reporter Jason Deparl titled Daring Research or Social Science Pornography? The New Republic, then edited by Andrew Sullivan, dedicated most of an issue to debating the book. Sullivan defended that decision two years ago, during one of the controversys periodic resurgences, after my colleague Ta-Nehisi Coates, who was attending Howard University when The Bell Curve was published, wrote, TNR's much celebrated heterodoxy was built on a strain of erudite neo-Dixiecratism. When The Bell Curve excerpt was published, one of my professors handed out the issue to every interested student. This was not a compliment. This was knowing your enemy.

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Protesters at Middlebury felt they knew their enemy well enough to justify denying classmates the chance to hear about his new bookone that was treated seriously by most major publications that review books on its way to becoming an influential bestseller. Coming Apart focuses on white people of different classes, and appeared on many lists of books to read to understand Trump. I once took its How thick is your bubble? quiz and found it a valuable exercise. After lining up early for seats outside a campus venue that holds 400 people, alongside students who wanted to hear the speech, protesters listened politely as senior Ivan Vallardes spoke about how the campus AEI club, the events sponsor, helped him transition from a diverse New York City arts high school to a rural college by offering a setting where diversity of expression could thrive.

Not only have my predispositions been challenged and testedI have also found myself wanting to delve deeper into unknown subjects and opinions, he said. Our aim is not to convince someone of any particular ideology. It is to come together as a community of students to deliberate and learn outside of the classroom.

The protesters kept listening, if less politely, as Middlebury President Laurie L. Patton noted the schools commitment to unlocking the potential in every student regardless of identity; reminded students that college policy allows everyone to examine and discuss all questions of interest to them, and to express opinions publicly and privately; warned that they would be in violation of college rules if they prevented anyone from speaking; noted that she disagrees profoundly with some of Charles Murrays views; and exhorted students, if there ever was a time for Americans to take on arguments that offend us, it is now. If there ever was a time for us to challenge influential public views with better reason, better research, better logic, and better data, it is now. If there ever was a time when we need to argue back, to declare ourselves committed to arguing for a better society, it is now.

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As Charles Murray was introduced, some protesters felt justified in disparaging the student who introduced him and shouting from the audience as that student made a brief case for the liberal-arts tradition and the benefits of free speech. Then, moments after Murray began to speak, the protesters imposed their will. Large swaths of the audience stood, turned their backs to the stage, and shouted a speech of their own that commences at about the 19-minute mark in this video:

Eventually, they began to chant, Your message is hatredwe will not tolerate it, and Charles Murray go awayracist, sexist, anti-gay. Some held signs that said, No eugenics here. One sign said, Fuck rhetorical resilience, objecting to a value many, including the administration and numerous faculty members, hold dear.

Murray stood silently at the podium through about 20 minutes of denunciations. Eventually, he was ushered aside by an administrator, who said, I apologize for the disruption of the event, to Mr. Murray, and to those of you whove been approaching us and asking when you will be able to hear him. Mr. Murray has just told me in the clearest terms that he would like to stay here for a long time  we believe that it is a deeply held value at his institution for people to be able to hear and listen to a variety of views, and for speakers to be able to visit our campus and to communicate their own views. Ill leave the choice with you. The protesters chose to reject that final plea. So the administrator announced that they would move to a secure room, set up a livestream, and go forward with the event, broadcasting it to back to the original room and to anyone on campus with a device. Even during the livestream, protesters tried to disrupt the event from outside the secure room, chanting, banging on windows, and even pulling fire alarms.

And thats all before Allison Stanger, the professor who spoke with Charles Murray on the livestream, pressing him on many of his controversial views, was made to fear for her life. Thats how she put it in a public Facebook post that described events that ended with her at a hospital with a neck injury.

Her words:

I agreed to participate in the event with Charles Murray, because several of my students asked me to do so. They are smart and good people, all of them, and this was their big event of the year. I actually welcomed the opportunity to be involved, because while my students may know I am a Democrat, all of my courses are nonpartisan, and this was a chance to demonstrate publicly my commitment to a free and fair exchange of views in my classroom. As the campus uproar about his visit built, I was genuinely surprised and troubled to learn that some of my faculty colleagues had rendered judgement on Dr. Murrays work and character, while openly admitting that they had not read anything he had written. With the best of intentions, they offered their leadership to enraged students, and we all now know what the results were. I want you to know what it feels like to look out at a sea of students yelling obscenities at other members of my beloved community. There were students and faculty who wanted to hear the exchange, but were unable to do so, either because of the screaming and chanting and chair-pounding in the room, or because their seats were occupied by those who refused to listen, and they were stranded outside the doors. I saw some of my faculty colleagues who had publicly acknowledged that they had not read anything Dr. Murray had written join the effort to shut down the lecture. All of this was deeply unsettling to me. What alarmed me most, however, was what I saw in student eyes from up on that stage. Those who wanted the event to take place made eye contact with me. Those intent on disrupting it steadfastly refused to do so. It was clear to me that they had effectively dehumanized me. They couldnt look me in the eye, because if they had, they would have seen another human being. There is a lot to be angry about in America today, but nothing good ever comes from demonizing our brothers and sisters. Things deteriorated from there as we went to another location in an attempt to salvage the event via live-stream for those who were still interested in engaging. I want you to know how hard it was for us to continue with fire alarms going off and enraged students banging on the windows. I thought they were going to break through, and I then wondered what would happen next. It is hard to think and listen in such an environment. I am proud that we somehow continued the conversation. Listen to the video and judge for yourself whether this was an event that should take place on a college campus. When the event ended, and it was time to leave the building, I breathed a sigh of relief. We had made it. I was ready for dinner and conversation with faculty and students in a tranquil setting. What transpired instead felt like a Baghdad scene from Homeland rather than an evening at an institution of higher learning. We confronted an angry mob as we tried to exit the building. Most of the hatred was focused on Dr. Murray, but when I took his right arm both to shield him from attack and to make sure we stayed together so I could reach the car too, thats when the hatred turned on me. One thug grabbed me by the hair and another shoved me in a different direction. I noticed signs with expletives and my name on them. There was also an angry human on crutches, and I remember thinking to myself, What are you doing? Thats so dangerous! For those of you who marched in Washington the day after the inauguration, imagine being in a crowd like that, only being surrounded by hatred rather than love. I feared for my life. Once we got into the car, the intimidation escalated. That story has already been told well. What I want you to know is how it felt to land safely at Kirk Alumni Center after taking a decoy route. I was so happy to see my students there to greet me. I took off my coat and realized I was hungry. I told a colleague in my department that I felt proud of myself for not having slugged someone. Then Bill Burger charged back into the room (he is my hero) and told Dr. Murray and I to get our coats and leaveNOW. The protestors knew where the dinner was. We raced back to the car, driving over the curb and sidewalk to escape quickly. It was then we decided that it was probably best to leave town. After the adrenaline and a martini (full disclosure; you would have needed a martini too) wore off, I realized that there was something wrong with my neck. My husband took me to the ER, and President Patton, God bless her, showed up there, despite my insistence that it was unnecessary. I have a soft brace that allowed me, after cancelling my Friday class, resting up all day, and taking painkillers, to attend our sons district jazz festival. Hes a high school senior who plays tenor sax, and I cried when I was realized that these events had not prevented me from hearing him play his last district concert. To people who wish to spin this story as one about whats wrong with elite colleges and universities, you are mistaken. Please instead consider this as a metaphor for what is wrong with our country, and on that, Charles Murray and I would agree. This was the saddest day of my life. We have got to do better by those who feel and are marginalized. Our 230-year constitutional democracy depends on it, especially when our current President is blind to the evils he has unleashed. We must all realize the precious inheritance we have as fellow Americans and defend the Constitution against all its enemies, both foreign and domestic. That is why I do not regret my involvement in the event with Dr. Murray. But as we find a way to move forward, we should also hold fast to the wisdom of James Baldwin, Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. Your fellow citizen and Middlebury community member, Allison Stanger

While only Middlebury students were permitted inside the lecture hall, it appears that some of the protesters outside of the event were not students enrolled at the college. Inside Higher Ed reports that a small group of six to 12 people who appeared not to be students were involved in the attack on the car and Stanger. These people were dressed in black and wore masks. Earlier some of them tried to enter the lecture hall and were turned away. Some of the people banging on the car were students, according to the article; the masked unknowns, who looked older, got away.

During the November 2015 protests at the University of Missouri, I wrote about Tim Tai, a student journalist who was trying to document the event, and what happened to him:

In the video, I see the most vivid example yet of activists twisting the concept of safe space in a most confounding way. They have one lone student surrounded. Theyre forcibly preventing him from exercising a civil right. At various points, they intimidate him. Ultimately, they physically push him. But all the while, they are operating on the premise, or carrying on the pretense, that he is making them unsafe. It is as if theyve weaponized the concept of safe spaces. I support people creating safe spaces as a shield by exercising their freedom of association to organize themselves into mutually supporting communities, Ken White wrote prior to this controversy. But not everyone imagines safe spaces like that. Some use the concept of safe spaces as a sword, wielded to annex public spaces and demand that people within those spaces conform to their private norms.

You can see video here of protesters pushing forward into him, even as they surreally accuse him of pushing them. At Middlebury, some of the students who mobbed Murray and Stanger as they left the eventsurrounding their car as some banged on its hood and windowsthen portrayed themselves as the party that was physically endangered. They published this statement anonymously in a student publication.

It reads, in part:

In recounting the events of Thursday night, it is essential to emphasize that protesters did not escalate violence and had no plan of violent physical confrontation. We do not know of any students who hurt Professor Stanger; however, we deeply regret that she was injured during the event. We are also deeply disturbed that Public Safety, private security officers and Burger incited and continually used violent and abusive force towards students and community members. Burger, Stanger, and Murray left McCullough around 7:00 p.m., surrounded by security personnel. Community members and students lined the path to their car, chanting and holding signs as the group left the building. One person blocked the sidewalk, holding a large sign in front of Murray. In the first of a series of disproportional and escalating acts of violence, security personnel immediately and without warning began pushing and pulling protesters out of the way as soon as they were within arms reach. Some people were thrown to the ground by security personnel, and one person was struck hard in the chest. A student reports that Professor Stangers hair was not intentionally pulled but was inadvertently caught in the chaos that Public Safety incited. It is irresponsible to imply that a protester aggressively and intentionally pulled her hair. Protesters then surrounded the parked car, with some pushing on the sides of the car. Several people stood behind the car, yet Burger attempted to back out of the parking spot. He managed to back out by inching through a throng of security personnel and protesters. He proceeded to drive through the crowd. At times Burger accelerated forward into protesters. Security personnel pushed, grabbed and dragged students and community members to the asphalt to clear the area around the car. Security personnel inflicted bruises and other physical harm on many people. One observer states that they saw Public Safety Telecom Manager and Tech Support Specialist, Solon Coburn, put his body between outside security personnel and protesters, mitigating security personnels unacceptable over-reactions. A traffic sign with a concrete base was knocked over in the path of the car. Burger was warned to stop by hand gestures and verbal warnings from multiple officers and protesters standing directly in front of the car. Instead, he accelerated into them and the concrete base, wedging a student between the car and the sign post, pushing both for a couple seconds and generating sparks and loud screeching. Burger showed no signs of stopping the car so people attempted to slow the car down to ensure the safety of the pinned student. Fortunately, someone was able to yank the student up from between the car and the sign post before the student was injured or killed. The sign was righted and Burger continued attempting to build up speed, at times running into protesters at around 5 miles per hour, sending people onto the hood of the car. The crowd began to disperse as Burger turned onto VT Route 30/South Main Street. A person was still on the hood of the car. Consistent with security personnels shouts to go faster, Burger accelerated to approximately 25 miles per hour, at which point the person, fearing for their safety, rolled off the hood and into the middle of the road across from Meeker House. Burger did not stop, and drove away from the person lying in the road. The actions of Vice President for Communications Bill Burger and Public Safety officers threatened students and community members for Murrays benefit. We condemn the administration and Public Safetys actions on Thursday night and since then  especially their attempts to discredit the protesters inside and outside McCullough. The administrations support of a platform for white nationalist speech was an intense act of aggression towards the most marginalized members of the Middlebury community peaceful protest was met with escalating levels of violence by the administration and Public Safety, who continually asserted their support of a dangerous racist over the well-being of students. Burger and Public Safety personnel should be held accountable for these acts through appropriate disciplinary channels.

To review, allowing Murray to stand on a stage and speak about Coming Apart was an intense act of aggression, while mobbing a speaker and faculty member, surrounding their car, banging on its windows, and jumping on its hood was peaceful protest.

There is a double-standard here.

A very different post-mortem was penned by Ata Anzali, a professor who attended university in Iran during a crackdown on free speech, and immigrated to the United States in large part because he knew that his freedom of speech would be protected.

As I sat in McCullough Student Center on Thursday, unsuccessfully trying to watch the live stream of Charles Murrays speech in the middle of student protests, fire alarms going on and off, and the live stream being cut off, I saw the frozen face of a man with whom I deeply and fundamentally disagreed, he wrote. As events unfolded, however, I could think less and less about my disagreements with him and more and more about how much the student protestors  who could afford to ignore Middlebury College President Laurie Patton and Professor Allison Stangers open and strong invitation for civic engagement and rhetorical resilience  took the tremendous amount of freedom that they had for granted. A freedom that, even after the loss of thousands of precious lives in its pursuit, still looks like an elusive dream in many countries across the globe.

In an echo of those sentiments, Martin Naunov, a Middlebury student who grew up in Macedonia, told me that he favored protesting Charles Murrays appearance but vehemently disagreed with hijacking the event and preventing him from speaking.

He emailed me this:

I am saddened and concerned by the intolerance and disrespect for liberal valuesespecially freedom of speechthat a minority (a sufficiently large minority however) of Middlebury College students displayed yesterday. Growing up in a non-democratic country has instilled in me a deep appreciation of the right to free speech, even of ideas that offend, shock, or disturb me. I have actually talked to other Middlebury students and faculty who are originally from non-democratic countries and we are all kind of blown away by the ideological intolerance that some protestors displayed yesterdayit honestly reminds us of the intolerance we see in our countries of origin. I want to be clear that I supported the protests. Protesting racial prejudices is noble and admirable. An extension of free speech in its own right. But protest is one thing and hijacking a speech is something else. In a few weeks, Middlebury is hosting another controversial speaker: Edward Snowden. Should some who are convinced that he is a traitor slam chairs or pull the fire alarm throughout the whole event, preventing others from considering or challenging Snowdens ideas? Today it's Murray they are shouting down with the Heckler's veto but at other, more conservative, campuses it could be a pro-choice or pro-LGBT speaker. It could easily go the opposite way. Middlebury, an institution I am so proud to attend, has admirably committed to both the principle of equality and the principles of free speech and civil, intellectual discourse. The disrupting and vulgar nature of the protests yesterday goes against the traditions and policies of Middlebury College and is the antithesis of what liberal arts education should stand for.

The student went on to observe, correctly, that a lot of media presented this as an issue between liberals and conservatives, but I think that this is inaccurate and misleading. Although the talk was organized by conservatives, he wrotethe two student organizers I spoke to actually described themselves as libertarians, and said that the AEI club has leadership that is ideologically mixedthe vast majority of those who profoundly opposed the disruptive nature of the protests, myself included, identify as liberals. Liberals and conservatives are together in this against a small but arrogant and vocal group that seems to be questioning the very value of free speech and civil discourse.

In the national media, the fallout from this incident has been bad press for Middlebury, much of it undeserved, insofar as the institution has, so far, done everything that a champion of free speech, academic inquiry, or liberal values could ask when confronted with protesters who feel justified in forcibly stopping an event. I expect this isnt the last time we will see a livestream used as a backup technique.

Regular readers know that I am a frequent proponent of free speech, the burdens that marginalized students disproportionately face when it is threatened, and the value of debate. For that reason, I want to avoid the course many publications have taken of denouncing the protesters who shut down the Charles Murray event through stigma, without ever addressing their arguments and explaining why I believe they are wrong. It is a minority of undergraduates who support no-platforming speakers. But that minority will grow even bigger if the rationale that they offer for their actions is not aired and addressed in detail. As I explain here, stigma is self-defeating. So I ask defenders of shutting down the Charles Murray event, or those with other perspectives: email your most persuasive arguments to conor@theatlantic.com.

Others will be responding to these events by trying to teach, rather than debate. Among them is Matt Dickinson, a Middlebury professor who published a blog post lamenting the way that last weeks event unfolded.

He wrote:

Two days before Murrays talk I spent my entire weekly politics luncheon discussing Murrays research in the Bell Curve, and acquainting students with many of the critiques of his findings. My presentation was attended by a packed audience of students and local residents, and many of the students went away primed to do battle with Murray. A few of them, drawing in part on my slide presentation, put together a pamphlet outlining five criticisms of Murrays argument in the Bell Curve, which they placed on every seat in Wilson Hall. Unfortunately, due to the actions of protesters, my students never had the opportunity to engage Murray beyond a few questions directed at him via Twitter. Whats worse, they now find themselves inaccurately characterized in media outlets as coddled, immature snowflakes and liberal fascists bent on promoting intolerance and hate. The ability of a vocal minority of students to impose their will on the majority of their peers  and evidently to feel no compunction in doing so  raises some important questions regarding Middlebury Colleges central mission and whether and to what degree it is in danger of slipping away.

He added that it is easy to blame those Middlebury students for not fully understanding the importance of the free expression of ideas and the need to tolerate opposing views.

However, he wrote, I wonder whether we, as faculty, should shoulder some  most  of the blame for their ignorance? Are we teaching students why we hold so strongly to these ideals? Perhaps if we spent as much time discussing the reason why even speech they view as hurtful should not be suppressed as we do explaining the College honor code, Thursdays event might not have happened. If we do not explain to students what underlies the Colleges rules regarding speech, how are they expected to understand why their actions last Thursday are viewed by so many, including almost every Middlebury student with whom I have talked, as abhorrent and unacceptable, and why some may face disciplinary action?

To teaching all this, he concluded, I am committed to trying.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Rome (AFP) - After an 11-month journey across desert and sea, Mohamed finally hears his mother's voice once more thanks to a Red Cross camper that travels across Italy to help migrants call home.

From the border crossing of Ventimiglia in the country's north to the southern island of Lampedusa, this white converted camper van has offered hundreds of freshly-arrived migrants a three minute call to their nearest and dearest.

Last stop was the capital Rome, where it pottered to a halt Monday in front of a Red Cross tent camp which houses up to 200 people plucked from unseaworthy vessels in the Mediterranean before they are sent to reception centres.

Mohamed, a 27-year-old from Senegal, takes his place at one of the tables manned by volunteers laid out in the sunshine, as others from Bangladesh, Eritrea, Pakistan and West Africa crowd around, some unable to believe their luck.

It can take time: numbers might not work, there may be network issues, or the phone rings off the hook. But often, a mother, brother or neighbour picks up on the other side of the world, and the distance drops away.

"I have not spoken to my mum for five months, I heard her voice and it was like a blow to the heart, a blow of madness. I'm happy," Mohamed tells AFP with a wide smile.

- Tears, celebrations -

He left home in April 2016, crossed the Sahara desert, was held hostage in Libya, before escaping and setting out to sea, where he was rescued by a Norwegian ship operating under the European border agency Frontex.

He was brought to Sicily on Sunday, and was driven to the capital overnight and given a bed at the Red Cross camp.

Mohamed used his three minutes -- as the seconds tick down on a timer clock beside him -- to thank his elder sister, who gave him the money for the journey.

He also urgently wants to warn his friends: "Never try what I did. I risked my life."

It is not the first time the Red Cross volunteers have seen people warning loved ones. A few weeks ago in Pozzallo, Sicily, an Ivorian woman used the phone call to beg her mother to stop other young women leaving.

Story continues

"Libya is hell," she sobbed according to the Red Cross, describing how she was raped by men holding her captive there.

"My head was there in the village, mother, it was only my body that was with those men," she was quoted as saying.

The calls can be difficult when migrants discover someone back home has died.

Others are moments of celebration, such as one in which a Malian man finally got through to his wife only to be told she had given birth to their baby boy.

In either case the calls work wonders, says project manager Francesco Montrone, who since mid-January has overseen over 1,500 calls, 60 percent of which have been successful.

- Mood changer -

"The mood in the centres changes a lot once the migrants call home. They calm down, the atmosphere is more relaxed," Montrone said.

The project was launched a year ago in the Netherlands by the Vodafone Foundation which finances the camper and pays for the calls.

The unit, which has spent two months on loan to the Italian Red Cross, will now return to tour Dutch reception centres, but Montrone hopes it won't be the last Italy sees of this mobile psychological lifeline.

Reception centres are obliged to provide migrants with telephone cards, but those waiting to be transferred from first responder camps do not have this privilege, nor do those living in informal settlements at the borders.

A shy young Nigerian sits down at one of the tables, shivering in his threadbare clothes. The volunteer assigned to take care of him runs to get him a body warmer before helping him dial his father's number.

At the next table, a Pakistani who arrived last week reassures his brother he is well until an alarm clock sounds: the three minutes are up.
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Militants attacked a Malian army post near the border of Burkina Faso on Sunday, killing 11 soldiers, a Mali defence ministry spokesman told Reuters. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack, but Islamist groups including al Qaeda affiliates have been resurgent in recent months in Mali, attacking army positions beyond their usual strongholds in the north. "The post was attacked between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. in Boulkessi, and there were 11 killed and five wounded," said defence spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Sidibe. He said a deployment of troops had been sent to the town as reinforcements, but did not say if the attackers had been caught by Sunday night. Islamist groups such as Ansar Dine have stepped up their insurgency in Mali over the past year. In 2016, they carried out dozens of attacks on United Nations and other targets and spread south into areas previously deemed safe. Al Qaeda's North African ally al Mourabitoun in January claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack on a military camp in northern Mali that killed up to 60 people and wounded more than 100 others, an attack it said was revenge against groups cooperating with French forces in the region. France intervened in Mali in 2013 to drive back Islamist groups that seized the desert north a year earlier and maintains a regional operation aimed at stamping out insurgents. (Reporting By Tiemoko Diallo and Adama Diarra; Writing by Edward McAllister; editing by Diane Craft)
WASHINGTON (AP)  North Korea's latest volley of missile tests put new pressure on a preoccupied Trump administration Monday to identify how it will counter leader Kim Jong Un's weapons development.

North Korea's march toward having a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the U.S. mainland is among the pressing national security priorities President Donald Trump faces. He has vowed it "won't happen" but has yet to articulate a strategy to stop it.

Trump spoke Monday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean Acting President Hwang Kyo-Ahn. The White House said the three leaders agreed "to continue close bilateral and trilateral cooperation to demonstrate to North Korea that there are very dire consequences for its provocative and threatening actions."

A wide array of options are on the table, but aggressive behavior by Pyongyang in response to U.S.-South Korean military drills that began last week could further shrink chances for diplomatic engagement.

Upheaval in the administration has added to uncertainty in foreign capitals about how Trump's "America First" mantra will translate into foreign policy, and how a new president with no prior experience in government might handle a security crisis.

An administration official told The Associated Press Monday that tougher sanctions, military action and resumption of long-stalled negotiations with North Korea are all under consideration as part of a policy review to provide options for the president within weeks.

The official, who demanded anonymity to discuss the private deliberations, did not anticipate an immediate U.S. response to the North's test-firing of four banned ballistic missiles Monday that South Korean and Japanese officials said flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). Three of the missiles landed in waters that Japan, a close U.S. ally, claims as its exclusive economic zone.

North Korea typically reacts during the annual military drills that it considers an invasion rehearsal, although Washington and Seoul say they are routine.

Story continues

This year's response could be more heated than usual. Victor Cha, a former White House adviser on Asia, said North Korea tends to up the tempo of missile tests during the drills when relations with the U.S. are bad. And next week, the drills shift from table-top exercises to military maneuvers.

"I think there are more tests coming," Cha said.

The U.S. and Japan have requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the latest missile launches. The meeting is likely to take place Wednesday, a U.N. diplomat said, demanding anonymity to speak before the official announcement.

North Korea, meanwhile, urged the council to discuss the U.S.-South Korea exercises, asserting the drills are driving the region toward "nuclear disaster."

Ri Song Chol, counsellor at North Korea's U.N. mission, told AP that supreme leader Kim Jong Un has said as long as there are "military exercises in front of the gate of my country," the North will continue to strengthen its military forces and "pre-emptive attack capabilities."

Over the seven weeks of last year's exercises, North Korea conducted nine missile tests, including of submarine-based and intermediate range missiles, but never more than two missiles at once. Five of the tests failed.

Cha said that Trump's hand could be forced by North Korea's provocative actions. The Obama administration relied heavily on sanctions, but the moves failed to stop Pyongyang.

"Right now they don't have any choice. I mean they've already had two sets of missile tests and then the use of a chemical weapon in an airport," Cha said.

North Korea is the prime suspect in the assassination last month of Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother in Malaysia, using what authorities say was VX nerve agent.

David Wright at the Union of Concern Scientists said the missiles launched Monday were likely either extended-range Scuds or medium-range Nodong ballistic missiles that have been tested numerous times before  not an intercontinental missile that threatens America.

"But the tests naturally will increase political pressure on Trump to take a tough stand," said Mark Fitzpatrick at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank. "He has a political imperative to show attention to the North Korean security threat, so as to counter the impression of a White House in disarray."

Trump's new national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, spoke by phone Monday with his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin, and they agreed to boost cooperation to get the North to face more effective sanctions and pressure, according to South Korea's presidential office.

"The United States stands with our allies in the face of this very serious threat," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in Washington.

He said the Trump administration is taking steps to enhance its ability to defend against North Korea's ballistic missiles, such as through the deployment of a missile defense system. Seoul agreed with the Obama administration to place that system on its soil against the objections of China, which is concerned the system's radar will range inside its territory.

The New York Times reported over the weekend that the Obama administration also tried to conduct cyber and electronic strikes against North Korea's missile program.

Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, who chairs a Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Asia, told AP he has called for the administration to provide a closed briefing to senators. He said he wants clarity on what has been done and under what authorities, and what the U.S. posture toward North Korea will be in the months ahead.

He also stressed a need to clamp down on Kim's sources of foreign revenue and for China to follow through on its promise to suspend imports of North Korean coal.

___

Associated Press writers Catherine Lucey in Washington and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to correct misplaced attribution in 10th paragraph, now attributing to U.N. diplomat that Security Council meeting likely to take place on Wednesday.
Most Americans want a special prosecutor to investigate contacts that officials on President Donald Trumps campaign made with Russian officials, according to a new poll.

The CNN/ORC survey released Monday showed that about two-thirds of Americans think a special prosecutor should be appointed to conduct the inquiry, while 32% say Congress can conduct a sufficient investigation. More than half of those surveyed are at least somewhat concerned about contacts between the Presidents campaign and Russia, a controversy that has lingered during the early weeks of Trumps administration. Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently announced he would recuse himself from investigations into the Trump campaigns ties with Russia, after revelations that he failed to disclose contacts with Russias ambassador during his confirmation hearings.

At least 70%, including 47% of Republicans, at least somewhat agreed with the intelligence communitys conclusion that Russia sought to influence the outcome of the election. But the poll also indicated that the steady stream of news reports about contacts with Russia have not had a major impact on the Trumps approval rating. Some 45% of Americans approve of the job President Trump is doing.

The survey of 1,025 people conducted March 1-4, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
By Isabel Coles SOUTH OF MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - The mouth of the tunnel is hardly visible on a muddy hillside overlooking Mosul, where fighting now rages between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants. In less turbulent times, trains ran through it on their way to or from Mosul, but when the militants overran the area in the summer of 2014, they barricaded both ends, ripped up the tracks and built an assault course inside, on which to train their recruits. Iraqi forces discovered the underground training camp after regaining control of the hillside last month in the early stages of a campaign to dislodge Islamic State militants from Mosul's western half. Locals tipped them off about the location of the camp, which reveals the extent of Islamic States determination, despite the overwhelming number and firepower of the forces arrayed against it, which are backed by a U.S.-led coalition. Clambering down a bank of earth that concealed the entrance, two Iraqi soldiers went into the tunnel - about 7 m (yards) high by 5 m (yards) wide, lighting the way with their mobile phones. They illuminated Islamic State slogans painted along the walls of the tunnel - around half a kilometer (0.3 mile) in length - and a series of obstacles, which one soldier tried out. "Their training is similar to ours," said Kadhem al-Gharrawi, a member of the Rapid Response Division, an elite Interior Ministry Unit. "It's tough training for special forces." It is not clear how many recruits passed through the camp or what became of them. The physical drills complemented the group's ideological training, evidence of which is contained in booklets littering the floor of the tunnel, detailing its uncompromising doctrine. A leaflet titled "Types of Idolatry", lies beside empty cartons of orange juice drunk by the recruits and packaging of the boots and balaclava headgear they wore. CONQUERING ROME The railway was built in the early 20th century, as part of the line connecting Berlin to Baghdad. It was out of use when Islamic State overran Mosul in the summer of 2014 and declared a modern-day caliphate spanning Iraq and Syria, pledging to expand across the world. "By the will of God, we will conquer Rome," reads one mural painted on the wall of the tunnel against the background of a blood red sun. Near the start of the assault course lie several backpacks full of sand, which were worn by recruits to weigh them down as they went over the obstacles, to increase the difficulty. After coming off the death slide, recruits would have swung along monkey bars and then thrown themselves flat to crawl under barbed wire, past the words "We will prevail despite the global Crusader alliance" painted on the wall. Red arrows point to the direction in which they were supposed to scramble over a wall - still covered in scuff marks made by their boots. The recruits appear to have slept there some of the time: bedding is strewn in two chambers dug into the sides of the tunnel, including a pink duvet cover decorated with cartoon character Mickey Mouse. The militants also installed lighting in the tunnel, powered by a generator set in the hillside. There was a medical clinic in a portacabin, as well as four shower cubicles and a place to perform ablutions before prayer in a tunnel section labeled "mosque". Another area was designated for washing dishes, not far from the slogan: "Heaven is jihad in the path of God". (Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
By Ju-min Park and Kaori Kaneko SEOUL/TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japan's northwest on Monday, angering South Korea and Japan, days after it promised retaliation over U.S.-South Korea military drills it sees as a preparation for war.

South Korea's military said the missiles were unlikely to have been intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), which can reach the United States. The missiles flew on average 1,000 km (620 miles) and reached a height of 260 km (160 miles).

Some of the missiles landed in waters as close as 300 km (190 miles) from Japan's northwest coast, Japan's Defence Minister Tomomi Inada said in Tokyo.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said "strong protests" had been lodged with nuclear-armed North Korea, which has carried out a series of nuclear and missile tests in defiance of U.N. resolutions. "The launches are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action," Abe told parliament.

Related Video:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

South Korea's acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn condemned the launches as a direct challenge to the international community and said Seoul would swiftly deploy a U.S. anti-missile defense system despite angry objections from China.

The missiles were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the reclusive North's border with China, South Korean military spokesman Roh Jae-cheon told a briefing. It was too early to say what the relatively low altitude indicated about the types of missiles, he said.

Joshua Pollack, editor of the U.S.-based Non-Proliferation Review, said it did not appear the North had launched an ICBM.

"It sounds like a field exercise involving deployed missiles, probably ones we've seen before," Pollack said. U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, also told Reuters there were no indications so far that North Korea had tested an ICBM.

Story continues

The U.S. military said it detected and tracked what it assessed was a North Korean missile launch, but it did not pose a threat to North America.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily news briefing that China, which is holding its annual meeting of the National People's Congress, had noted North Korea's latest action.

"All sides should exercise restraint and not do anything to irritate each other to worsen regional tensions," Geng said, referring to both the missile launch and U.S.-South Korean military exercises. JOINT DRILLS

North Korea had threatened to take "strong retaliatory measures" after South Korea and the United States began annual joint military drills on Wednesday that test their defensive readiness against possible aggression from the North.

North Korea criticizes the annual drills and has previously conducted missile launches to coincide with the exercises.

Last year, North Korea fired a long-range rocket from Tongchang-ri that put an object into orbit. That launch was condemned by the United Nations for violating resolutions that ban the use of ballistic missile technology.

North Korea test-fired a new type of missile into the sea early last month, and has said it would continue to launch new strategic weapons.

Last month's test was the first since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has vowed to rein in North Korea and its young leader, Kim Jong Un.

Trump's national security deputies have reviewed in recent meetings a range of options to counter the North's missile threat, the New York Times reported. Options include direct missile strikes on the North's launch sites and the possibility of reintroducing nuclear weapons to the South, the Times said.

Those options would soon be presented to Trump and his top national security aides, the report said, quoting U.S. administration officials.

The United States withdrew nuclear weapons from South Korea in 1991 before the rival Koreas signed a declaration on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. North Korea has since walked away from the agreement, citing the threat of invasion by the United States.

"The claim that we should redeploy nuclear weapons here, 20 years after they were withdrawn, is total nonsense," said Woo Sang-ho, floor leader of South Koreas main opposition Democratic Party.

"I am formally asking the United States not to bring this issue up for consideration," Woo said in a party meeting. North Korea conducted its fifth and most powerful nuclear test last September, following what the United States said was an "unprecedented" level of activity in its banned nuclear and missile programs.

State media said after that test Pyongyang had used a nuclear warhead small enough to mount on a ballistic missile.

The United States has about 28,500 troops and equipment stationed in the South, and plans to roll out the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile defense system by the end of the year.

Japan also plans to reinforce its ballistic missile defenses and is considering buying either THAAD or building a ground-based version of the Aegis system that is currently deployed on ships in the Sea of Japan. (Additional reporting by Christine Kim and James Pearson in SEOUL, Tim Kelly in TOKYO, Ben Blanchard in BEIJING and Phil Stewart in WASHINGTON; Writing by Jack Kim; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Paul Tait)
Muslim Jewish Trump 2017

Will 2017 be the year noted in history books where Muslim and Jewish people start uniting with each other against intolerance worldwide at a rapid rate? There are stories circulating about the rise of Muslim and Jewish unity because of Trump, and it appears this trend will grow stronger in 2017.

Starting in March 2016, news stories about Muslim and Jewish unity began appear more frequently because thousands of Muslims in America stood up for Jewish presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, as previously reported by the Inquisitr.

Soon after that surge of support for Bernie Sanders, Trump and his supporters were identified as the cause for both the Muslim and Jewish communities to experience intolerance, and this intolerance has united the two groups.

For example, Trumps Muslim ban and association with alt-right promoter, Steve Bannon, has led to giving white supremacists plenty of reasons to feel hes copacetic with their agenda, according to U.S. News.

Click here to continue and read more...
At least 30 people were killed Monday in a day of intense fighting in a town on Myanmar's border with China, authorities said, after rebels dressed in police uniforms launched a surprise raid.

Artillery and small arms fire continued throughout the day in Laukkai, a main town in the Kokang region of the northeastern state of Shan.

The clashes are some of the worst to break out in the Chinese-speaking Kokang region since fighting in 2015 left scores dead and forced tens of thousands to flee across the border into China.

Myanmar is already torn by various ethnic insurgencies. But the Kokang conflict has raised tensions with its giant neighbour.

Aung San Suu Kyi's government is desperate to end the decades-long borderland conflicts, but intensifying fighting threatens peace efforts.

Rebels from the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) launched an attack early Monday against police and military posts, according to Suu Kyi's office.

A separate group of fighters later attacked locations in the main town.

"According to initial information, many innocent civilians including a primary school teacher... were killed because of attacks by the MNDAA armed group," the State Counsellor's Office said in a statement, adding some attackers wore local police uniforms.

The statement, accompanied by grisly pictures of the dead and wounded, said at least five civilians and five local police were killed in the fighting.

It added that a further 20 "burned bodies" had been found alongside weapons.

Government spokesman Zaw Htay told AFP those casualties were MNDAA fighters.

Unverified video shared on social media appeared to show parts of the town still ablaze on Monday afternoon while civilians scurried to safety amid the rattle of small arms fire.

An army source told AFP fighting was continuing as darkness fell.

"Residents in town are fleeing. We do not know exact figures yet," the officer said.

Story continues

The Northern Alliance, an umbrella group of rebels including the MNDAA which has yet to join national peace talks, confirmed its members were fighting in Laukkai.

But in a Facebook post it said they carried out the attack "to resist an enemy offensive in self-defence" and cited Myanmar military operations since December.

The latest fighting raises the spectre of a fresh refugee exodus into China.

In early 2015 tens of thousands fled there when dozens of civilians, rebels and army troops died in months of fighting across the remote and mountainous region.

China said Myanmar warplanes dropped bombs on its side of the border during that bout of fighting.

Kokang has strong bonds with China -- local people speak a Chinese dialect and China's yuan is the common currency.

Observers say Beijing holds considerable sway over the rebels.

Skirmishes with the Northern Alliance have intensified across Shan state since late last year, claiming more than 160 lives across an arc of land in the long border region.
Nuclear-armed North Korea said Tuesday its missile launches were training for a strike on US bases in Japan, as global condemnation of the regime swelled.

Three of the four missiles fired Monday came down provocatively close to US ally Japan, in waters that are part of its exclusive economic zone, representing a challenge to US President Donald Trump.

In separate phone calls, Trump -- whose rhetoric on the campaign trail had raised doubts about the issue -- reaffirmed Washington's "ironclad commitment" to Japan and South Korea.

The US will demonstrate to Pyongyang that there were "very dire consequences" for its actions, the White House said in a statement.

The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting for Wednesday after a request by Washington and Tokyo to discuss additional measures following the launch.

Under UN resolutions, Pyongyang is barred from any use of ballistic missile technology, and the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said on Twitter that the world "won't allow" North Korea to continue on its "destructive path".

But six sets of UN sanctions since its first nuclear test in 2006 have failed to halt its drive for what it insists are defensive weapons.

- 'Feasting his eyes' -

Kim Jong-Un gave the order for the drill to start, the North's official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

"Feasting his eyes on the trails of ballistic rockets", he praised the Hwasong artillery unit that carried it out, it said.

"The four ballistic rockets launched simultaneously are so accurate that they look like acrobatic flying corps in formation, he said," the agency added, referring to Kim.

The military units involved are "tasked to strike the bases of the US imperialist aggressor forces in Japan in contingency", KCNA said.

The Korean version of the KCNA report said the North's missile launch demonstrated its readiness to "wipe out" enemy forces with a "merciless nuclear strike".

A series of photographs published by the North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed Kim watching the missiles rise into the air and another of him smiling gleefully, clapping with other officials.

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Seoul and Washington last week began annual joint military exercises that always infuriate Pyongyang.

It regularly issues threats against its enemies, and carried out two atomic tests and a series of missile launches last year, but Monday was only the second time its devices have come down in Japan's EEZ.

The launches came ahead of a trip by new US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to the region.

Choi Kang, an analyst at the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said the launch was a warning to Tokyo.

"North Korea is demonstrating that its target is not just limited to the Korean peninsula anymore but can extend to Japan at anytime and even the US," he said.

Trump has described North Korea as a "big, big problem" and vowed to deal with the issue "very strongly".

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Monday the administration was taking steps to "enhance our ability to defend against North Korea's ballistic missiles".

The New York Times reported at the weekend that under former president Barack Obama the US stepped up cyber attacks against North Korea to try to sabotage its missiles before launch or just as they lift off.

- Beijing frustrated -

The US military has begun deploying the THAAD anti-ballistic missile defense system to South Korea to protect against threats from the North, US Pacific Command said, with its first elements arriving on Monday.

Pyongyang wants to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the US mainland -- something Trump has vowed would not happen.

It has undoubtedly made progress in its efforts in recent years, although questions remain over its ability to master re-entry technology and miniaturise a nuclear weapon sufficiently to fit it onto a missile warhead.

The THAAD deployment has infuriated China, the North's key diplomatic ally and crucial to efforts to persuade it to change its ways, and it has imposed several steps seen as economic retaliation against South Korea.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Tuesday that Beijing remained "firmly opposed" to THAAD and will "resolutely take necessary measures to defend our own security interests".

Beijing has become increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang's nuclear and missile activities, and last month announced a suspension of all coal imports from the North until the end of the year -- a crucial source of foreign currency.

The North's missile launch could have been an attempt to distract attention from the murder of Kim Jong-Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport last month, South Korea's acting president Hwang Kyo-Ahn said Tuesday.

Seoul has blamed Pyongyang for the killing of the half-brother of the North's leader by two women using VX nerve agent.

With diplomatic tensions soaring, Pyongyang announced Tuesday it was banning Malaysians in North Korea from leaving the country, prompting a similar response from Kuala Lumpur. Both had already expelled the other's ambassador.
U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, a Republican who represents a large swath of South Jersey, has adamantly resisted holding a town hall meeting, preferring a series of meetings with 12 constituents at a time to avoid what he called the "YouTube" moment.

But LoBiondo is getting a star turn on social media nonetheless.

One of those small meetings held in Mays Landing ended up angering a Navy wife, who took to Twitter and various Facebook groups over the weekend to express her shock at the treatment she says she received from a LoBiondo staffer when she said she had "understood what I read of the ACA [the Affordable Care Act]."

It's appalling that my take-away from a political meeting is that staffer & Rep think I'm dumb. #resist #persist #scientist  Rebecca (@RebeccaBSNRN) March 5, 2017

"His staffer lost it," the woman, identified on social media only as Rebecca Ann, a spouse of a Navy serviceman, said, in one of several social media posts over the weekend. "He was rolling his eyes at me, gesticulating, and extremely animated."

When she pointed out that she was a nursing student, and well-educated, the staffer "loudly" shouted her down, she said, with LoBiondo "allowing the staffer to do so."

"I was made to feel like I was dumb, incapable because I am just a common citizen, and, of everything that happened at the meeting, this is the only thing that is sticking with me."

On Twitter, Rebecca wrote: "Cannot be overstated: Rep's staff suggested I'm too dumb to read & understand the ACA at meeting with Rep yesterday (Saturday)."

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She also objected to what she said was LoBiondo deleting critical comments on his Facebook page.

I have screen shots of every comment you deleted. I will not be silent. You cannot silence your constituents. @replobiondo https://t.co/cA7KPv4uQ3  Rebecca (@RebeccaBSNRN) March 6, 2017

Monday morning, LoBiondo tweeted an apology.

.@RebeccaBSNRN Appreciate your thoughtful & thorough review of ACA, service as nurse & military family. Again my fullest apologies. Frank  Frank LoBiondo (@RepLoBiondo) March 6, 2017

Rebecca, who did not return messages seeking comment Monday, said on Twitter she accepted the congressman's apology. She also vowed to keep up advocacy on behalf of military spouses and "to schedule meetings with Congressional folks ... regarding getting more military spouses like me into elected government."

Friends who RT'd me, please thank my Rep for making good on something bad It takes courage to apologize, esp publicly. @RepLoBiondo https://t.co/PUwxKc8Hdu  Rebecca (@RebeccaBSNRN) March 6, 2017

Rebecca wrote she was in school and was unable to return LoBiondo's Monday morning voice message, which she described as "heartfelt." Her Facebook posts were liked by more than 16,000 people.

LoBiondo, who has said he will not support a repeal of the ACA without a replacement and is fighting cuts to the Coast Guard, had earlier reiterated his preference for the many small meetings earlier.

Individual meetings & personal calls have always been my style. Well-received by those who have asked to come in. No plans to change format  Frank LoBiondo (@RepLoBiondo) March 4, 2017

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By Luke Baker JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump interrupted a police inquiry into Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was on Monday being questioned for a fourth time over suspicions of corruption. Not long after sitting down with police investigators at his residence in Jerusalem, one aide said, Netanyahu briefly excused himself to speak with Trump. "The two leaders spoke at length about the dangers posed by the nuclear deal with Iran... and about the need to work together to counter those dangers," Netanyahu's office said in a statement issued just before details of the police probe led prime time news. Netanyahu, 67, is a suspect in two cases, one involving the receipt of gifts from businessmen and the other related to conversations he held with an Israeli newspaper publisher about limiting competition in the news sector in exchange for more positive coverage. No charges have been brought against Netanyahu, who has been in power since 2009 and has denied wrongdoing. A police spokeswoman said a statement would be released after the session. "We are in the final stages," Police chief Roni Elsheich told reporters earlier about the investigation. Once it is complete, police will decide whether to drop the case or recommend the attorney general bring charges. As speculation bubbles, politicians from across the spectrum have begun maneuvering, believing early elections will probably have to be called if Netanyahu is indicted. Such a move would most likely lead to his resignation - in 1993 the Supreme Court set a precedent for ministers to step down if they are charged with corruption. It is possible someone from his Likud party could replace Netanyahu without a new vote, but many analysts think it unlikely, predicting an election would have to be called for September or November, depending on developments. The opposition Labour party will hold primaries in July, former defense minister Moshe Yaalon has launched his own party and Avi Dichter, the former head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency and a senior member of Likud, said on Saturday he would consider running for the party leadership. "I am here to lead and will undoubtedly run for Likud leadership and the premiership," Dichter was quoted as saying, comments his spokesman said were not a challenge to Netanyahu and referred to future primaries. SHAKE-UP? To analysts, the rumblings are clear and foreshadow change after 20 years of Netanyahu dominating the landscape. "Active politicians and those on the benches waiting to enter, all of them have concluded that early elections are coming because of the investigation," Menachem Klein, a politics professor at Bar-Ilan University, told Reuters. "They are starting to prepare themselves." Opinion polls show Yair Lapid, the head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, as the strongest candidate for prime minister if Netanyahu goes, but there are a host of others nipping at his heels. Other polls show Netanyahu remains the most popular politician. In recent weeks, Netanyahu has visited Britain, the United States and Australia. Trips are planned to Russia, China and India. Some critics suggest the travel is a way of delaying questioning. Others say it is about appearing statesman-like. "His junkets to far-flung places and visits with the leaders of world powers are intended to persuade Israelis that he's the be-all and end-all," columnist Yossi Verter wrote in Haaretz. "The deeper the investigations, the more he'll be in the air." Netanyahu's opponents name a number of party rivals bidding to replace him, including Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, Culture Minister Miri Regev and Transport Minister Yisrael Katz. Naftali Bennett of the far-right Jewish Home is seen as someone who could switch to Likud to try to lead. (Additional reporting by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and John Stonestreet)
TU told to conduct pending FSU votes after May 14

The elections of Free Student Union (FSU) that could not take place as scheduled on March 1 have been postponed in view of the upcoming local level elections, which is slated for May 14.
JOHANNESBURG (AP)  Nigeria on Monday announced the imminent closure of the international airport at Abuja, the capital, for six weeks to repair the runway.

The airport closure likely could delay the return home of President Muhammadu Buhari, who left the country on vacation on Jan. 19 and who has remained in London for medical treatment of an undisclosed condition.

Information Minister Lai Mohammed told a news conference that Abuja International Airport will be closed from Wednesday until April 9 for repairs to the runway, which experts say is in shocking disrepair. A South African Airways jet was damaged on landing there in August.

The government has urged airlines to fly instead to the small airport in Kaduna, 250-kilometers (155-miles) north of Abuja accessible by a highway notorious for accidents, hijackings and kidnappings.

All international airlines except Ethiopian Airlines have temporarily cancelled flights and said that they will not fly to Kaduna, apparently fearing for their passengers' safety.

Airlines including British Airways, Air France and Delta will continue to fly to Nigeria's economic hub of Lagos, but the closure of the capital's airport means a major disruption for government and private business.

The government has said it will provide security for buses to shuttle passengers from Kaduna airport to Abuja. On Monday, police beefed up security on the road, Premium Times newspaper reported. It quoted police chief Ibrahim Idris as saying measures include explosives-sniffing dogs at the airport and 24-hour helicopter surveillance of the highway.
Abuja (AFP) - Nigeria is advising its citizens against all but essential travel to the United States because of the lack of clarity on new immigration rules, the government said on Monday.

A special adviser to the president on foreign affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said in a statement that Nigerians "without any compelling or essential reasons" should consider delaying.

"In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to Nigeria," she said.

"In such cases reported to the office, such affected persons were sent back immediately on the next available flight and their visas were cancelled."

Dabiri-Erewa said "no reasons were given for the decision by the US immigration authorities".

The recommendation to postpone trips was given "until there is clarity on the new immigration policy" from Washington, she added.

Of the 2.1 million African immigrants living in the United States in 2015, 327,000 were born in Nigeria, according to data from the Pew Research Center, published in February.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 27 to bar people from seven, Muslim-majority countries from travelling to the United States for 90 days.

It also stopped all refugees for 120 days and Syrian refugees permanently. The ban caused global outrage, as well as chaos across the United States, before it was frozen by a legal ruling.

Trump is expected to sign a revised travel ban on Monday.
(Reuters) - Nine children have been removed from a filthy Chicago apartment reported to lack heat or food, and authorities said on Monday they were investigating neglect allegations.

Officers found the children, ages 3 months to 17 years, on Sunday afternoon after a report of a child left alone, a police spokeswoman said. Chicago's Fox 32 television said the apartment did not have heat or food and quoted a police representative as calling it "filthy and unlivable."

"They don't have anybody in custody," the spokeswoman said. "The detectives are still investigating."

Police took the children to Comer Children's Hospital for checkups. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said in an emailed statement that they had been placed with relatives under a department-monitored safety plan.

Two mothers are involved in the case, and the department is investigating allegations of neglect, the statement said.

The Department of Children and Family Services and Comer Children's Hospital declined to give details, citing privacy rules.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Peter Cooney)
All nine people aboard a helicopter that crashed during a mountain rescue drill in Japan over the weekend were killed, police said Monday.

Six bodies were found in the morning inside the wreckage in the central prefecture of Nagano, a Nagano police spokesman told AFP.

Three others, including the pilot, were confirmed dead on Sunday after a police helicopter located the crash site on a snowy mountainside.

Bad weather halted rescue operations until Monday.

The government will send investigators to the area where the helicopter went down on Sunday, public broadcaster NHK reported.

The nine people on board the aircraft were rescuers and local government officials involved in a mountain rescue exercise, according to NHK and other media.

Aerial footage from NHK showed the badly damaged helicopter on the wintry mountainside.
By Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump still has confidence in FBI Director James Comey, the White House said on Monday, despite his assertiveness in challenging Trump's claim that the Obama administration wiretapped him during the 2016 election campaign.

Federal Bureau of Investigation head Comey has asked the Justice Department to reject Trump's accusation that former President Barack Obama ordered a wiretap at Trump Tower in New York because the claim was false and must be corrected, a federal law enforcement official said.

Asked whether Trump still had confidence in Comey, White House Spokesman Sean Spicer said, "Theres nothing that I have been told by him that would lead me to believe that anything is different than what it was prior."

He was "almost 100 percent certain" Trump had not spoken to Comey since the Republican president made the allegation on Twitter on Saturday. "I'm not aware that that occurred," Spicer told reporters.

Trump gave no evidence for his claim, the latest twist in a controversy over ties between Trump associates and Russia that has dogged the early days of his presidency.

The wiretapping allegation hit U.S. stocks on Monday. Some investors worried that the affair could distract Trump from his economic agenda of introducing tax cuts and simplifying regulations that has powered a record-setting rally on Wall Street since the election.

The lack of detail on Trump's proposals, his isolationist stance and setbacks in filling his Cabinet have made investors question whether the post-election rally has run its course.

Democrats accused Trump of making the wiretapping claim to try to distract from controversy about possible links to Russia. His administration has come under pressure from FBI and congressional investigations into contacts between members of his campaign team and Russian officials.

A Republican lawmaker who heads a House of Representatives oversight panel said on Monday he had seen no direct evidence to back Trump's wiretapping assertion.

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"Thus far, I have not seen anything directly that would support what the president has said," Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told CBS in an interview.

The White House asked the Republican-controlled Congress to examine, as part of an ongoing congressional probe into Russia's influence on the election, whether the Obama administration abused its investigative authority.

(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey. Emily Stephenson and Eric Walsh; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Howard Goller and Cynthia Osterman)

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(SEOUL)  North Korea on Monday fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), with three of them landing in waters that Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone, South Korean and Japanese officials said, in an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.

It was not immediately clear the exact type of missile fired, but the tests will be viewed as a provocation by the Trump administration in Washington, which is working on its policy for North Korea. The New York Times reported over the weekend that, despite efforts to perfect cyber and electronic strikes against North Koreas missile program, the United States still cant effectively counter Pyongyangs actions.

Pyongyang has staged a series of missile test-launches of various ranges in recent months, including a new intermediate-range missile in February; it also conducted two nuclear tests last year. The ramped-up tests come as leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile program that can deter what he calls U.S. and South Korean hostility toward the North.

There have been widespread worries that the North will conduct an ICBM test that, when perfected, could in theory reach the U.S. mainland. Washington would consider such a capability a major threat.

U.S. national security adviser H.R. McMaster and senior South Korean presidential official Kim Kwan-jin held a phone conversation after the missile firings. The two condemned the launches and agreed to boost cooperation to get the North to face more effective sanctions and pressure, according to South Koreas presidential office.

Japanese officials said three of the four missiles landed in the 200-nautical-mile offshore area where Tokyo has sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting resources.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that Mondays launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province. The area is the home of the Norths Sohae rocket launch site where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.

Story continues

Seoul and Washington call their military drills on the Korean Peninsula, which remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty, defensive and routine.

The North hates the military drills, which run until late April and which analysts say force its impoverished military to respond with expensive deployments and drills of their own. An unidentified spokesman for the Norths General Staff of the Korean Peoples Army said last week that Pyongyangs reaction to the southern drills would be the toughest ever but didnt elaborate

The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, and 50,000 in Japan, as a deterrent against a potential aggression from the North.
By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - North Korea on Monday rejected accusations by United Nations experts that Pyongyang is evading international sanctions with a sophisticated network of overseas companies, describing a report to the U.N. Security Council as a "fraudulent document." North Korea is under heavy U.N. sanctions and an arms embargo designed to impede the development of its banned nuclear and missile programs. A panel of experts monitors violations of those sanctions for the 15-member Security Council. The latest annual report by the experts, seen by Reuters last month, said North Korea "is flouting sanctions through trade in prohibited goods, with evasion techniques that are increasing in scale, scope and sophistication." North Korea's mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Monday that the sanctions were "fully denying the right to live and development of our people and destroying the modern civilization as well as making our society turn back to the medieval dark land." Pyongyang renewed its call for the United Nations to convene an international forum of lawyers in New York or Geneva to clarify the legal basis for sanctions. It again threatened "stronger self defensive counter-measures" and said the United States and the U.N. Security Council would be to blame for any escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula or in the region. The U.N. experts report said the enforcement of sanctions against North Korea "remains insufficient and highly inconsistent" and calls for additional measures to address shortcomings. North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japan's northwest on Monday, angering South Korea and Japan, days after it promised retaliation over U.S.-South Korea military drills it sees as preparation for war. In a letter on Monday to British U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, president of the Security Council for March, North Korea's U.N. Ambassador Ja Song Nam warned that "the situation on the Korean Peninsula is again inching to the brink of a nuclear war" due to the U.S.-South Korea military drills. Ja again requested that the U.N. Security Council meet to discuss the military drills. Previous such requests have gone unanswered by the Security Council. The letter did not mention North Korea's missile launches on Monday. The United States and Japan have requested a United Nations Security Council meeting on North Korea's missile launches, which will likely be scheduled for Wednesday, diplomats said. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by James Dalgleish)
In the majestic belly of Beijings Great Hall of the People, where all of Chinas top political figures are currently gathered for the annual National Peoples Congress (NPC) legislative session, Premier Li Keqiang kicked off proceedings Sunday by warning of more complicated and graver situations and many uncertainties  both inside and outside China.

Right on cue, North Korea gave a perfect example: launching four ballistic missiles some 1,000 km into the sea off its eastern coast on Monday, three of which fell within Japans Exclusive Economic Zone. They are believed part of tests to develop a nuclear-armed missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland.

The timing of the launch during Chinas biggest political event of the year will no doubt irk the Beijing leadership. But it was likely also prompted by the huge military drills that have just kicked off between Washington and Seoul, which Pyongyang insists are a dress rehearsal for invasion. In response, North Koreas state news agency KCNA had already threatened to turn the stronghold of provocation into a heap of ashes through [a] preemptive nuclear strike.

It wouldnt be the first time North Korea has done something like this, says Daniel Pinkston, an East Asia specialist at Troy University in Seoul, of the missiles timing. There is the political dimension to these types of missile tests.

Read More: President Trumps Shadow Hangs Over Chinas Biggest Political Meeting of The Year

The Chinese leadership will be especially piqued as its relations with North Korea have reached a historic low. On Feb. 19, Beijing halted imports of coal  the Kim regimes main cash cow, bringing in some $1 billion annually  for the rest of the year. That brings China into line with the unprecedented U.N. sanctions it signed up to in March 2016, but which have only been spottily implemented so far. Pyongyang responded by accusing its increasingly reluctant sponsors of dancing to the tune of the U.S.

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This is the first step that really has significant economic consequences, says James Nolt, an East Asia expert at the World Policy Institute. Up until now most Chinese opposition has been rhetorical and diplomatic.

The change in Chinese attitude appears spurred by the assassination of Kim Jong Nam  elder half-brother to Kim Jong Un  using VX nerve agent in Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13. Kim Jong Nam lived mostly in the semiautonomous Chinese territory of Macau and was believed under the protection of Beijing.

But continued North Korean belligerence has strategic repercussions for China, as it led South Korea to agree to host a battery of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) antimissile defense system, which Beijing deems part of an American strategy of containment.

China is stridently against the THAAD deployment, even turning its ire on JapaneseSouth Korea conglomerate Lotte, which has offered land to be used for THAAD. Chinese nationalists have launched a boycott of Lotte that has (at least tacit) government approval. Lotte has five department stores and around 100 supermarkets in China, and makes almost a third of revenue from the Chinese market.

We have completely scrubbed the name of Lotte from our website, Chen Ou, founder and chief executive of Jumei Youpin, Chinas largest online cosmetics vendor, posted on Chinas Twitter-like microblog Weibo last week. I wont sell them in the future even someone beats me to death.

In addition, Chinese officials have closed four Lotte stores after carrying out inspections, while travel agents in China have been instructed to stop selling South Korea packages. Just over 8 million Chinese tourists visited South Korea in 2016, up a third on the previous year. South Korean exports to China amounted to $124 billion last year, comprising a quarter of total South Korean exports. The South Korean economy is highly vulnerable to Chinese economic retaliation, Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief economist at IHS Markit, said in a statement.

Read More: The World Can Expect More Cybercrime From North Korea Now That China Has Banned Its Coal

But Pyongyangs continued missile tests undermine Chinese arguments that THAAD is unnecessary. Beijing repeatedly calls for a return to the six-party denuclearization talks  comprising North and South Korea, Japan, Russia, China and the U.S.  which ran from 2003 to 2009 before being nixed by Kim Jong Il, former leader and father to Kim Jong Un and Kim Jong Nam.

However, Mondays launch just days after the coal freeze is further evidence that nothing can persuade the regime against its pursuit of nuclear weapons, which the 33-year-old Kim believes guarantees the survival of his family dynasty. China has not offered any meaningful alternatives to THAAD other than the bromide of talks.

Theres quite an asymmetry to Chinas response to events on the Korean peninsular, says Pinkston. What other measures [apart from THAAD] could South Korea take? Because this is a serious, existential threat. I never hear anything from the Chinese. Its hypocritical and undermines Chinas reputation around the world.

This is especially damaging as China attempts to recast itself as a global player in light of the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has vowed to draw down expensive military commitments oversees and embrace a nativist economic policy. The stage is set for Beijing to pick up the mantle. When Xi Jinping became the first Chinese leader to address the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 17, he said, We must remain committed to developing global free trade and investment, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation through opening-up and say no to protectionism.

Read More: Backlash Over THAAD Shows Why the Kim Clan Have Terrorized North Korea for So Long

However, such assertions come in stark contrast to Chinas petty retaliation against South Korea. On Sunday, Premier Li cut Chinas growth forecast to about 6.5%  its lowest rate in 26 years. In an era of growing protectionism in the U.S. and Europe, China will be looking overseas to guarantee its future prosperity. Continuing to support North Korea regardless of its endless provocations undermines this goal and Chinas attempts to appear a reliable international partner.

China will always stand on the side of peace and stability, will forever be committed to equity and justice, and will always work for world peace, contribute to global development, and uphold the international order, Li said on Sunday. China is a responsible country.

There is no better time to prove it.
Mechi-Mahakali campaign: UML changes venue for safety

After the Madhesi Morchas threat to disrupt its campaign in Saptari district, the CPN-UML has decided to change the venue of its mass meeting on Monday with a view to averting possible clashes with the regional parties.
Oslo (AFP) - Norway, which already boasts the world's highest number of electric cars per capita, said Monday that electric or hybrid cars represented half of new registrations in the country so far this year.

"This is a milestone on Norway's road to an electric car fleet," Climate and Environment Minister Vidar Helgesen said.

"The transport sector is the biggest challenge for climate policy in the decade ahead. We need to reduce (CO2) emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030 and ... this requires the electrification of the car fleet," Helgesen told AFP.

Sales of electric cars accounted for 17.6 percent of new vehicle registrations in January and hybrid cars accounted for 33.8 percent, for a combined 51.4 percent, according to figures from the Road Traffic Information Council (OFV).

"It is important to demonstrate that it is possible to achieve a technological transition and a market transformation in transport," Helgesen said.

"In this respect, Norway is a political laboratory where we are showing that things go quickly if we have the right incentive mechanisms," he added.

Somewhat paradoxically, Norway, the biggest oil producer in Western Europe, has adopted a generous policy to encourage the purchase of cleaner vehicles.

While cars with combustion engines are heavily taxed, electric vehicles are exempt from almost all taxes.

Their owners also benefit from numerous advantages such as free access to toll roads, ferries and parking at public car parks, as well as the possibility of driving in bus lanes.

Last year, the Norwegian authorities set themselves a target to have no newly sold cars that run exclusively on fossil energy after 2025.

"One of the main challenges in Norway today is to set up enough charging points," Christina Bu, secretary general of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association, told AFP.

"We still have a lot of work to do on this, especially with regard to fast recharging" along the main roads, she added.

Story continues

More than 60 percent of Oslo residents live in apartments and have difficulty accessing charging points for electric cars, Bu said.

In December, Norway registered its 100,000th electric car.

Still handicapped by limited range and high prices for larger models like those from Tesla, electric cars also face competition from the growing popularity of hybrids.

Sales of these cars, which combine combustion engines and electric motors, have been boosted by the arrival of improved models and a revision of the Norwegian tax system, with rates that are now based on the level of polluting emissions, rather than engine power.

Norway wants to limit carbon dioxide emissions of new vehicles to 85 grams per kilometre by 2020, a goal it has almost achieved: the figure stood at 88 grams in February after 84 grams in January -- compared with 133 grams when the decision was taken in 2012.
We are all still trying to figure out what the Trump administrations foreign policy will be, which is why Michael Antons America and the Liberal International Order, in the inaugural issue of American Affairs, merits some degree of attention. Anton doesnt have a lot of original or insightful things to say in this piece (about which more below), but since he is now deputy assistant for strategic communications at the National Security Council, one might read his essay in the hope of decoding the administrations underlying beliefs and anticipating its future course.

One thing is clear: Anton has mastered the template for conservative jeremiads about U.S. foreign policy and grand strategy. First, employ an authoritative but conversational style that suggests these issues are really pretty simple and only a fool or a knave would fail to understand them. Second, keep the analysis at 40,000 feet, avoid nitty-gritty policy details, and employ appealing alliterative concepts, such as Antons trinity of prestige, prosperity, and peace. Third, leaven the essay with selective historical examples and put in some well-chosen references to classical Greeks, Romans or other long-dead political philosophers to give the piece a shiny intellectual veneer. Lastly, treat your targets with a degree of contempt and suggest they are unpatriotic, incompetent, naive, intellectually lazy, or all of the above.

Antons main goal is to defend the president who subsequently appointed him and his main target is the coalition of liberal internationalists and neoconservatives who questioned Trumps fitness for office during the 2016 campaign and have continued to criticize him since November. He sees them as part of an inbred foreign policy priesthood or guild that is defending a liberal international order it can no longer define, explain, or justify. Our entire approach to foreign policy needs to be rethought, in short, and Donald J. Trump is the man to do it.

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You might think Id greet this article with loud cheers, given my own misgivings about Americas foreign-policy establishment and my belief that U.S. grand strategy needs to be revised. That is not the case, alas, because with one important exception, Antons fusillade misses its target. Even worse, theres little evidence he (or Trump) has any idea how to improve the situation.

To begin with, Anton maintains that opposition to Trump is based largely on an unthinking commitment to a U.S.-led liberal international order. He concedes that a few critics were worried about Trumps temperament but maintains most of the naysayers were motivated by objections to Trumps policy preferences. I dont know how he knows whats inside the critics heads, however, and the available evidence suggests that concerns about Trumps character and temperament were far from trivial. Former GOP national security officials published two open letters denouncing Trump during the 2016 campaign: one of them spent three paragraphs detailing Trumps personal deficiencies as a candidate and the other concluded by calling him utterly unfitted for the office. Sounds to me like character and temperament loomed rather large in his opponents assessments.

And not without cause, since Trumps behavior since Election Day confirms that their concerns were justified. We now have a president who reneged on his pledge to release his tax returns, remains unconcerned by his own multiple conflicts of interest, has uttered dozens of easily refutable falsehoods, appointed a number of top officials who have inexplicable difficulties telling the truth under oath, insulted the leaders of close U.S. allies in routine get-acquainted phone calls, and presided over an unhinged press conference that will provide YouTube fare for years. One could agree with all of Trumps policy initiatives and still find his erratic conduct disturbing.

Second, Antons attacks on defenders of the liberal international order are uninformed and misleading. He portrays Trumps critics as clinging to outmoded ideas and institutions in a reflexive and unthinking way, and claims they never define what the liberal order is and can no longer articulate the original rationale for the policies [they] advocate. But he hasnt done his homework: there are in fact a raft of serious books and articles laying out the case for a U.S.-led international order, some of them appearing in prominent policy journals like Foreign Affairs. There are also mounds of think tank reports and official policy documents (like the official National Security Strategy reports issued by Clinton, Bush, and Obama) laying out the case for a liberal order in some detail.

To be clear: I happen to think there are lots of problems with these defenses of U.S.-led liberal hegemony, both in its scholarly versions and in its more official manifestations. Antons article would make a useful contribution if it explained why these views were mistaken and if he had offered some concrete alternatives. But claiming that opposition to Trump is just a reflexive and unthinking defense of an outmoded status quo is both simplistic and unhelpful, because it doesnt tell us where liberal hegemony went wrong or identify what should be done differently.

Indeed, with one important exception, Antons critique of the current liberal order is unconvincing, most notably in his discussion of international trade. Not surprisingly, he echoes Trumps false but endlessly repeated claim that China (and others) are stealing American jobs. This argument was a key part of Trumps pledge to make America great again, but Anton devotes only a single, data-free paragraph to this vital issue. He pokes fun at phone-book thick trade agreements, but he never identifies how the existing trading order is flawed or explains how it should be reformed. And as numerous mainstream economists have confirmed, the claim that China or other bad trade deals have stolen U.S. jobs is a myth.

Like the president he now serves, Anton doesnt understand how the global trading order actually works. Trade agreements are long and complicated today because they are no longer primarily concerned with reducing tariffs (which are already quite low). Instead, contemporary trade agreements are mostly about harmonizing labor, regulatory, environmental, and copyright standards across many different societies, precisely for the purpose of creating fairer competition between states. Agreements of this kind are very much in Americas interest, because otherwise U.S. workers would have to compete with foreign industries where labor and environmental standards are much lower than they are in the United States.

Fourth, because Anton wants to portray Trumps predecessors (and especially Obama) as weak, naive, and irresolute, he ends up relying on one of the hard rights favorite myths: the idea that other states are prone to bandwagon with strong or threatening powers. The only evidence he offers for this dubious assertion is the distinguished foreign-policy expert Osama bin Ladens claim that When people see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature, they will like the strong horse.

This statement might be true at the race track, but how people might respond to different horses tells you precious little about international politics. If states were strongly inclined to jump on the bandwagon, as Anton apparently believes, then Napoleon and Hitlers initial victories would have attracted more and more states to their side and guaranteed their ultimate triumph. (Needless to say, the opposite is what actually occurred.) Similarly, if bandwagoning were common, the Islamic States initial victories would have rallied millions to their banner and led local powers to kowtow before them. Instead, the Islamic State managed to attract only a tiny fraction of the worlds Muslim population (many of whom were marginalized misfits and therefore susceptible to its message), and its emergence quickly provoked the formation of a balancing coalition that is now in the process of defeating them.

Antons embrace of the bandwagon myth is especially peculiar because it is at odds with Trumps stated desire to get U.S. allies to contribute more to their own defense. If you really believe that states will bandwagon, then logically you must also believe that reducing the U.S. role in Europe or Asia would lead our present allies to realign with China or Russia (or whomever they think is the strong horse). By contrast, those who believe states tend to balance against threats maintain the United States could reduce its commitments in some areas and let local powers uphold the balance on their own.

In short, Antons essay is not a serious guide to how the present liberal order might be updated. This failure is unfortunate, because the case for rethinking Americas global role is manifest and Anton does make one extremely important point. In particular, both he and Trump are correct to question the wisdom of trying to spread democracy into distant areas, and especially in places that are not vital interests and where the preconditions for effective liberal democracy are lacking. Had he confined his critique to this particular feature of recent U.S. foreign policy  a feature that liberal interventionists and neoconservatives have both embraced and defended in the past  he would be on much firmer ground.

Finally, Antons essay is long on criticisms of the present order but surprisingly short on practical advice for how to alter it. He believes the current liberal order is outmoded and needs to be reformed, but he neither elaborates an underlying logic to guide this reform, nor offers concrete policy steps that the United States should now undertake. Should NAFTA be revised and if so, how? Should the United States stay in NATO? Should it deploy more military forces in Asia, reduce them, or leave them about the same? Does chasing terrorists around the greater Middle East still make sense, given that weve been doing it for more than fifteen years and there seem to be more of them today than there were on 9/11? Does a big military buildup make sense if youre trying to get others to shoulder more of the burden? And so forth. Anton never answers these (and other) critical issues, leaving us in the dark about what he is really proposing. In that sense, of course, he fits in very well with the rest of Team Trump.

Photo credit: CAROLYN KASTER/AP
WASHINGTON -- Local Republicans are finding quieter ways to engage the protesters rallying outside their offices  although not always in ways that leave the groups satisfied.

With private sit-downs, forums held online or by phone or surprise meetings, Congressional Republicans from the Philadelphia area say they are responding to the outpouring of demands from constituents, only without the possibility of confronting raucous crowds intent on creating a scene.

The latest example came Monday, when Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) sat privately in Philadelphia with leaders of the most visible of the local liberal protest groups, Tuesdays With Toomey, and then took questions posted on social media while appearing on CBS3.

Neither of which quelled calls for an in-person town hall in the city, or frustration from his critics.

Toomey said he would hold a town hall in the future, but did not commit to a date or to bringing one to Philadelphia, where the second-term senator has never held such an event.

Tuesdays with Toomey wrote on Twitter that the group was disappointed and pledged to continue its weekly events outside his offices.

#TuesdaysWithToomey met w @SenToomey in #Philly today. Disappointed that he refused to commit to a town hall with his #realPA constituents  Tuesdays With Toomey (@TuesdaysToomey) March 6, 2017

I dont believe that Sen. Toomey really understands just how deep the frustration (is) and the very real fear that runs through a lot of his constituents right now, said Jessica Lennick, a Philadelphia resident and one of the organizers who met with the senator.

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She said closed-door meetings with small groups dont do enough to let constituents across the state have their voices heard. I think there is something very, very powerful about an elected official standing up and meeting with in person ... and doing it in an uncontrolled environment.

Toomey has said he is actively communicating with constituents, particularly in tele-town halls -- essentially large-scale conference calls on which he takes questions -- and having meetings with groups representing a broad range of viewpoints.

I'm sure we'll do an in-person town hall at some point, Toomey said in his appearance on CBS3. Asked if it would be in Philadelphia, he said, probably.

Others have also used discreet ways to try to answer the pressure coming from the left.

Rep. Ryan Costello, of Chester County recently surprised protesters with what he called a pop-up town hall by meeting with them and inviting them to ask questions (as long as everyone turned off their cellphones). Rep. Frank LoBiondo, of South Jersey, has held a series of meetings with small groups representing the protesters outside his office. No media are allowed.

On CBS Monday, Toomey took roughly 15 minutes of questions, largely reiterating previous statements on the Affordable Care Act and Russia. He noted that some 20,000 people have listened to his tele-town halls, though critics complain that the questions are screened by aides and there is no opportunity for follow ups.

The events, also used by nearly every local Republican, prevent the kind of confrontations that have greeted other lawmakers since President Trumps election, and that have been compared to the Tea Party-fueled scenes that swamped Democrats in 2009 and helped propel Toomey and others into office.

Now, Republicans from the Philadelphia area have largely avoided major public events, even as GOP colleagues in other states have stood in front of massive, and often rowdy, audiences. Local Republicans argue that protesters only want town halls so they can cause embarrassing scenes that can go viral

Newly energized activists on the left deny that and say they want to make their voices heard and hold their officials accountable amid deep concern about Trump. Every local Republican in Congress has faced protests outside their offices.

On Monday night Rep. Tom MacArthur, of South Jersey, was scheduled to become the first lawmaker from the Philadelphia area to host an in-person town hall since Trumps election.

Local Democrats have not held recent town halls, either, but they have not faced the same kind of pressure from constituents and some are beginning to schedule such events. Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) has a town hall planned for Sunday in Philadelphia and Rep. Dwight Evans (D., Pa.) plans to attend a town hall meeting hosted by the Lower Merion Board of Commissioners March 13.

Many Republicans show no signs of bowing to any pressure.

Individual meetings & personal calls have always been my style, LoBiondo recently wrote on Twitter. Well-received by those who have asked to come in. No plans to change format.

Individual meetings & personal calls have always been my style. Well-received by those who have asked to come in. No plans to change format  Frank LoBiondo (@RepLoBiondo) March 4, 2017

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FANGANE, India (Reuters) - Aajibaichi Shaala is not your ordinary school in India. The students at "grandmothers' school" in the village of Fangane are elderly women who are getting the chance to learn to read. "I love going to school," Kamal Keshavtupange, 60, told Reuters as she washed clothes outside her home in the village, 120 km (75 miles) east of the financial capital, Mumbai. India's literacy rate grew to 74 percent in the decade to 2011, according to the latest census, but female literacy continued to lag the rate for males by a wide margin. About 65 percent of women were found to be literate, compared with 82 percent of men, according to the 2011 report. Education experts and researchers have cited outdated attitudes toward women, including a preference for male children over females, and child marriages as main reasons for the lower female literacy rate. At Aajibaichi, afternoon classes in the one-room school are held six days a week for two hours. The lessons are timed so the women can finish their chores, or their work in the fields, before attending class. One of the few requirements is that all students are at least 60 years old. "My knees hurt, so I can't sit on the floor for long. That's the only problem. But I still go every day," said Keshavtupange. Clad in pink saris, their school uniform, the women walk every afternoon along dusty village paths to their lessons. "First I finish all my house work, then I go to school. It's good we have this in our village, said 70-year-old Drupada Pandurangkedar. Her eight-year-old granddaughter studies in the government primary school in Fangane. The women begin class with a prayer and then dive into their lessons, writing on slates to practice. The school uses teaching aids such as the alphabet painted on tiles which can be read by students with poor eyesight. Many of the aids are made by the students. Sheetal Prakash More, their 30-year-old teacher, said she would like to see women in other villages get the same access to education. "Every other teacher teaches children. Only I have the opportunity to teach elderly women," More said. "It's a great opportunity and I am very happy to teach them." (Additional reporting by Zeba Siddiqui; Editing by Euan Rocha and Darren Schuettler)
Almost a week after a near-great Academy Awards ceremony ended with the epic embarrassment of the wrong movie being initially given the Best Picture award, Vice-President Mike Pence last night took a slap at Hollywoods big night  and Tinseltowns politics.

Speaking of show business, did you all see what happened at the Oscars last week? the former Indiana governor said in his speech at Saturdays annual Gridiron Dinner in Washington D.C., according to pool reports. It really was something, the black-tie wearing Veep added at the very Beltway media insider heavy white-tie event full of jokes, self-deprecation and more than a few barbs. They gave out the Best Picture award to the wrong film. I gotta tell you, we havent seen that many shocked Hollywood liberals since, I dont know, November the eighth?

RelatedDonald Trump Takes Credit For Oscars Best Picture Snafu

Jordan Horowitz, Warren Beatty, Jimmy Kimmel Oscar

Pences dig at Hollywood was of course in regards to the fiasco and PricewaterhouseCoopers envelope fumble that saw La La Land announced as the big winner by Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty and then Moonlight revealed as the real victor in front of a packed Dolby Theater and millions watching on TV. It was also a hit by Donald Trumps administration on the overwhelming preference that the town had for Hillary Clinton in last years election.

RelatedPete Hammonds Notes On The Season: Final Oscar Thoughts, Plus A Call To Junk Another Bad Pricewaterhouse Idea

Like President Barack Obama before her, the ex-Secretary of State was a frequent visitor to numerous deep pocket big-ticket SoCal events hosted by Jeffrey Katzenberg, Haim Saban and others to fund her ultimately failed 2016 campaign. Needless to say, ex-Celebrity Apprentice host Trump did not have the affection or checkbooks of Hollywood  a point of obvious contention for the GOP candidate.

To add a little context, Pences Hollywood jab came as a secondary punch line after he mocked the presence of MSNBC at the Gridiron event along with all the major broadcast nets and fellow cable newers. But I guess its only a matter of time before the rest of show business gets invited, the Veep said of the left-leaning Comcast-owned cable news net being at the dinner.

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On social media later, Pence was gracious about the dinner and being invited:

Privileged to address the Gridiron Dinner. While we have our differences, & youll know when we have them, we must focus on what unites us.  Vice President Pence (@VP) March 5, 2017

BTW  In Florida for the weekend again, President Trump did not attend the 132nd annual Gridiron Dinner last night though, beside the VP, top advisors such as Kellyanne Conway and White House Press Secretary and SNL pinata Sean Spicer were there. On February 25, one day before the 2017 Oscars, POTUS made public that he will not be attending this years mockfest White House Correspondents Dinner either. Currently the dinner is still on and maybe, just maybe, last nights Gridiron was a test run for the Veep to try out some lines if he ends up stepping in for the boss.

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Jerusalem (AFP) - A Palestinian was killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Israeli army said on Monday.

The man, whom Israeli police named as 31-year-old Bassel al-Aaraj, opened fire at soldiers who came to arrest him at his home Sunday night and was shot dead.

Two other Palestinians were wounded by gunfire in subsequent clashes with Israeli troops, Palestinian hospital sources said.

Two weapons were later found on the property, according to an army spokeswoman.

A police spokeswoman said al-Aaraj was "the head of a cell planning attacks against Israeli targets".

Since a wave of violence broke out in October 2015, 254 Palestinians, 40 Israelis, two Americans, one Jordanian, one Eritrean and one Sudanese have been killed, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians who lost their lives were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities, with others killed during protests, in clashes or during air raids on Gaza.

The Israeli army routinely carries out forays and arrests in Ramallah even though it is in principle entirely under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
PANAMA CITY (AP)  Former Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega is in the hospital to undergo surgery Tuesday to remove a benign tumor from his brain.

Thays Noriega, one of his daughters, made the announcement Monday.

Noriega had been in prison for murdering opponents during his 1983-89 reign and for corruption, but authorities allowed the 83-year-old to switch to house arrest about a month ago so he could prepare for the procedure. It originally was scheduled for Feb. 15.

The tumor was detected several years ago, but has grown and could affect his brain function.

Noriega was ousted by a U.S. invasion in 1989 and was imprisoned in the United States on drug offenses. He then was jailed in France for money laundering and was returned to Panama in 2011 for further imprisonment.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military on Monday left open the possibility of additional North Korean ballistic missile launch attempts beyond the four medium-range missiles that landed in the sea off northwest Japan. "There were four that landed. There may be a higher number of launches that we're not commenting on. But four landed and splashed in the Sea of Japan," Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told a news briefing. Reuters reported on Sunday that the United States saw no indications of an intercontinental ballistic missile launch. Davis confirmed on Monday that there was no ICBM launch attempt.

Related:

Watch NBC TODAY Show on Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by James Dalgleish)
US police hunt man who shot Sikh amid hate crime fears

Police near Seattle are hunting for an attacker who shot a Sikh man and told him to "go back to your own country".
Lima (AFP) - Peruvian prosecutors ordered Monday investigations into President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski's possible links to an international corruption scandal involving construction firm Odebrecht.

State corruption attorney Katherine Ampuero said she had ordered a "preliminary investigation over alleged suspect operations" involving payments by Odebrecht to Latin America Enterprise, a company linked to the president.

She also said the authority had ordered similar investigations into former president Alan Garcia, suspected of accepting a bribe for awarding Odebrecht a contract to build an underground train line.

Kuczynski has previously denied taking bribes from Odebrecht. Garcia also denied Monday's allegations in a Twitter message.

Two other ex-presidents are already subject to investigations for allegedly taking bribes: Alejandro Toledo and Kuczynski's immediate predecessor, Ollanta Humala.

Odebrecht is implicated in corruption probes in several Latin American countries, most notably its home market Brazil.

In Peru, it has admitted paying $29 million in bribes to secure public contracts.

Kuczynski in January ordered Odebrecht to pull out of Peru and stripped it of a $7 billion gas pipeline contract.

His government has warned the scandal will trim Peru's economic growth this year since it will cause delays in big development projects.
By Meng Meng and Josephine Mason BEIJING (Reuters) - China has set itself a staggering task to cure its smothering pollution: switching coal-fired boilers and heating systems in at least 1.2 million households in 28 of its smoggiest northern cities to run on gas or electricity. By October. Beijing's latest crackdown on pollution, outlined in a policy document dated Feb. 17 and seen by Reuters this week, dangles a potentially game-changing carrot for the country's saturated global natural gas market. The projected extra needs would inflate China's gas demand by a quarter, according to consultancy Wood Mackenzie - some 50 billion cubic metres (bcm), more than the whole of France consumes in a year. That would offer the prospect of boosting prices in a seller's market and surging liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports. There's a large, expensive catch. Such expansion is all but impossible without investing in doubling underground storage capacity, building thousands of miles of pipeline to carry the gas in the west to the eastern cities, and installing pump stations in rural villages - all of which is supposed to be complete within a meager seven months. "The magnitude of this policy is unprecedented," said Guo Zihua, head of a rural development department at Beijing city hall that deals with villages surrounding the capital - now on the front line of the battle for cleaner air. "The central government has given us very little time to remove coal heating in rural villages. We are under tremendous pressure to reach the target," said Guo, speaking during a tour on Thursday of Beijing's outskirts designed to highlight the scale of the task. The radical plan comes as Beijing ramps up its years-long war on pollution by attempting to wean the nation off coal, its favorite fuel but one that chokes the north during China's cold winter months. Most power plants run on coal. The speed at which the project turned from a draft, issued in January, into an order suggests the government is determined to tackle the problem - at any cost. The issue of pollution has become a political hot potato that will be a major topic during China's upcoming annual parliament meeting, starting on Sunday. If Beijing official Guo's calculations are anything to go by, that cost will be enormous: by October, the capital must convert boilers serving around 300,000 residents to run on gas or electricity rather than coal, and is plowing 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion) into funding the switch. And for provinces that aren't as advanced as the capital, the challenge will be much more difficult and costly, said an official at the city's coal department on Thursday. HUGE QUESTIONMARKS As well as a matter of improving national health, curbing pollution is a key part of a strategy of upgrading the economy by shifting away from heavy industry like public construction projects and tackling overcapacity. Yet analysts say the plan's fate will rest on a massive, breakneck infrastructure build-out including LNG terminals, storage tanks and pipelines. "If you look at the pollution in China, it's clearly a massive problem so it's not a surprise they want to do this," said Neil Beveridge, senior oil and gas analyst at Sanford C Bernstein. "The big question is: how are they going to achieve it?" Underground storage capacity needs to increase to around 40 bcm, or 20 percent of annual demand, to support the boost in demand. That'd be up at least more than double an estimated current capacity 10-20 bcm. The daunting scale of the plan leaves huge questionmarks over the prospects of its success. But in the meantime, construction and energy companies are gearing up for a windfall. Some, like China National Petroleum Corp [CNPET.UL] (CNPC), were already at work on extending the country's gas infrastructure. CNPC is building the fourth Shaanxi-Beijing gas pipeline, a critical 1,114 kilometer line with 25 bcm capacity reaching China's northeastern region. The existing three lines with 35 bcm are already operating at full capacity. Whether by coincidence or design, the new pipe is due to come into operation by October this year. (Reporting by Meng Meng and Josephine Mason; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
May 9, 2022  Standing on the viewing platform in Red Square, President Vladimir Putin observed the military parade commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Unions defeat of Nazi Germany. This Victory Day, he had reason to be especially proud of his country.

Earlier that week, a group of 150 Russian special forces  bearing no insignia and disguised like the little green men who had occupied the Crimean peninsula eight years prior  had slipped into the tiny neighboring Baltic state of Estonia. Seizing a government building in Narva, a city on the border with an ethnic Russian majority, they planted a Russian flag on the roof and promptly declared the Narva Peoples Republic. In a statement released to international media, leaders of the nascent breakaway state announced they were defending ethnic Russians from the fascist regime in Tallinn, Estonias capital. Most of Narvas Russian-speaking citizens looked upon the tumultuous events with passivity. Ever since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, they suspected something like this would eventually happen.

In the months leading up to the incursion, Kremlin-backed television networks  widely watched by Estonias Russian-speaking minority  had beamed inflammatory reports about an impending Estonian genocide of ethnic Russians, much as they had warned of a similar phantom genocide allegedly perpetrated by the Ukrainian government against its own Russian-speaking population years earlier. Tensions reached a climax in March when Russian media accused an Estonian fascist gang of kidnapping an ethnic Russian teenager. Agents of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) in Narva were aware from the very beginning that the boy had actually died in an alcohol-induced accident after falling off a bridge. But such facts need not get in the way of a pretext, which came in the form of an ethnic Russian leader in Narva calling for Moscows fraternal assistance in staving off an incipient pogrom.

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Within an hour of Russian Spetsnaz forces commandeering the administrative building in Narva, the Estonians rushed into action. Approaching the outskirts of the city, the Estonian army announced that if the men did not exit the premises with their hands above their heads, Estonian officers would enter and clear the structure by force. Yet it immediately became apparent to all involved that this was an idle threat: Over the course of the previous evening, 25,000 Russian soldiers had amassed on the eastern side of the Narva River, along with 200 tanks and 50 attack helicopters. took Western intelligence agencies completely by surprise. American spy satellites ought to have detected any Russian troop movement along the borders of one of its easternmost NATO allies, yet Moscow, having gained access to Washingtons European communications network, was able to mask its maneuvers. (Edward Snowden, on whose chest Putin had pinned a Hero of the Russian Federation Prize in 2018, had seen to that.)

By the time Tallinn realized what was happening, there was little a force of several hundred Estonian soldiers could plausibly do. And since U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered the removal of all U.S. forces from the Baltic States in 2019  his demand that NATO members pay for American protection oblivious to the fact that Estonia was one of the handful of countries meeting the alliance threshold of spending 2 percent of its GDP on defense  that his move into Estonia might set off an automatic American tripwire.

With no ability to repel an impending, full-scale Russian incursion on its own, Tallinn immediately appealed to its NATO allies. At a hastily assembled meeting of the North Atlantic Council in the alliances Brussels headquarters, the Estonian representative stated that Russias actions constituted an act of war and therefore required the alliance to implement Article 5 of its founding charter, mandating that an attack on one member amounts to an attack on all. This was the moment of truth.

Despite countless speeches over the years by Western leaders attesting to the inviolability of NATOs borders, Putin knew such promises were hollow. He had read the polls indicating that majorities in leading NATO countries to allies threatened by Russia. The Kremlin had also exploited the openness of Western societies by orchestrating an assiduous, years-long, covert campaign to fund European political parties, media, think tanks, and nongovernmental organizations committed to undermining public support for the Atlantic alliance. This sowed discord across Europe and further sapped the will of its populations to protect liberal values by force of arms. Trumps repeated impositions of conditionality on the alliances mutual defense clause also suggested weakness to Moscow.

The campaign had worked even better than Putin hoped. While it was expected that some countries on NATOs western periphery, like Spain and Portugal, would be more circumspect about enlisting in military conflict over a tiny member state on the other side of the Continent, in fact, the strongest opposition to invoking Article 5 came from none other than Europes predominant political and economic power: Germany.

Such a state of affairs would have been improbable less than a decade earlier, when the stable grand coalition government of Chancellor Angela Merkels Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD) led Europe in confronting Moscow over its revanchist foreign policy. Yet German politics entered a new era after the 2017 federal election, when the CDU suffered the greatest defeat in its history. Merkels 12-year run as chancellor had been second in longevity only to that of Konrad Adenauer and her former mentor Helmut Kohl. But the fateful decision she made in September 2015 to open Germanys doors to an unlimited number of Syrian refugees  a move initially welcomed by most Germans, eager to bask in the theretofore unknown glow of international admiration and gratitude  would be her undoing. Proving that, in politics, good intentions matter less than consequences, the chancellors policy of humanitarian unilateralism emboldened a right-wing populist uprising across the continent.

When WikiLeaks impresario Julian Assange, still ensconced at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, published an email exchange between German government ministers appearing to massage the costs associated with resettling migrants, seized the opportunity. Its leaders bashed Merkel as a traitor to the people in connivance with the lugenpresse, or lying press, terms that had not been used in Germany since the Nazi era. In a move unprecedented for an American president, Donald Trump inserted himself into the German electoral campaign, attacking Merkel repeatedly for her migrant policy and calling on the German people to vote her out of office. With the quiet assistance of White House counselor Steve Bannon, the newly launched Breitbart Deutschland amplified Trumps criticisms with incessant, and often factually wrong, stories about migrant crime all illustrated with a doctored image of Merkels trademark rhombus hand gesture splattered in blood.

At the September 2017 federal elections, the AfD broke new ground in postwar German politics when it became the first party to the right of the Christian Democrats to enter the Bundestag winning 20 percent. With the electorate fractured among seven parties, the SPD  which had distanced itself from Merkels pro-migrant position and won a plurality of the vote  formed a government with Die Linke, (the Left), and the ecologist Greens as junior partners, forming Germanys first red-red-green coalition. Angela Merkels migrant policies ruined her country and her career. AUF WIEDERSEHEN, LOSER! President Trump tweeted upon the chancellors resignation.

So. it was that Sahra Wagenknecht became Germanys foreign minister. A Marxist true believer, she had joined the Socialist Unity Party (SED) in 1989 just months before the East German dictatorship collapsed. While many of her more opportunist peers had seen the writing on the (literal and proverbial) wall, leaving the SED and positioning themselves for a post-communist political future, Wagenknecht remained loyal to the faith.

The coalition agreement reached by the new German government endorsed an increase in the minimum wage to 25 euros per hour; gay marriage, tax, and pension increases; major defense cuts; and a reversal of most of the liberal labor market and spending reforms instituted by former SPD Chancellor Gerhard Schroder. One of its most popular moves (after granting Edward Snowden asylum) was its cancellation of basing agreements with the U.S. military. That was a decision warmly welcomed back in Washington where President Trump saw no purpose in a forward-deployed American military. Over the strenuous but irrelevant objection of the remaining handful of trans-Atlanticists in the Bundestag, the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany since the end of World War II, completed its phased evacuation by 2019.

Absent American forces in Europe, NATO was essentially a dead letter. At the North Atlantic Councils emergency session to discuss the Estonian crisis, the German representative (a 75-year-old former Stasi officer) began his remarks by voicing sympathy for the plight of the countrys Russian minority, whom, he said, faced official discrimination and exclusion at the hands of the Estonian authorities. Though the violent takeover of government property was of course unacceptable, the lack of Russian insignia on separatist uniforms as well as Putins strenuous denial of any Russian involvement rendered application of Article 5 reckless and irresponsible. Furthermore, given the history of Estonian bellicosity toward Russia, the possibility that the entire event was a provocation designed to drag Europe into war could hardly be ruled out.

Following the debacles in Afghanistan and Iraq, it was highly unlikely that the leaders of the flabby and decadent Western democracies would ever be able to convince their citizens to undertake another serious military operation, let alone one aimed at stopping Russia. Moscow had improved its image in many Western capitals with its Syrian machinations, convincing many of its indispensability in fighting the Islamic State. Also hovering over the entire discussion was the fear that Russia might drop a tactical nuclear weapon in the Baltic region if NATO defended its subjugated member. As far back as 2000, Putin, had lowered the threshold in Russias military doctrine such that any aggression utilizing conventional weapons in situations critical to [Russias] national security  and not just threats to Russias existence  could trigger a nuclear first use.

Fearing for their own hides, Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania insisted that Washington meet its security commitment to a fellow alliance member and redeploy troops to the Baltics bilaterally. The betrayal of Tallinn, they insisted, amounted to another Munich. But President Trump refused. Following a series of short, carefully worded speeches by each of the assembled delegates, the NATO Secretary General called for a vote on invocation of Article 5. The nays had it, 4-21, with only the two other Baltic States and Poland siding with Estonia.

Putin smiled to himself as he remembered , when, staring at all those perplexed faces lined before him in the grand Bayerischer Hof Hotel, he declared that Russia would no longer allow itself to be humiliated. How they cringed! What was it that Merkel had said about him during the Ukraine operation? That he lived on another world? That he had replaced understanding and cooperation with the law of the jungle? Well, he showed her who was boss.

Back in Red Square, glancing at the impressive display of Iskander missiles rolling past him, and raising his arm up to his forehead to salute the passing troops, Putin realized he would have to give some sort of medal to the Kremlin apparatchik who had presciently suggested that a Russian bank extend an $11 million loan to the National Front party (FN) in early 2015, which had helped clear Marine Le Pen a path to improbable victory in the 2017 elections.

Immediately upon taking office in 2017, Le Pen fulfilled her pledge to hold a referendum on withdrawing France from the EU, which she won handily. Her distaste for multilateralism soon turned to NATO. NATO was not for France, she said, which should be free to pursue a neo-Gaullist foreign policy  and she promptly withdrew from the alliance. France could now take full advantage of the arms export market offered by a hungry Russian client without having to endure complaints from pesky, erstwhile allies like Poland (the Wests sanctions on Russia over its aggression against Ukraine crumbled completely by 2019). It did little to improve the stagnant French economy, however; Le Pens extension and deepening of her socialist predecessors dirigiste policies (reducing the hours in a work week, lowering the retirement age, fattening up pensions, implementing new regulations) combined with Frances withdrawal from the single European market, drove unemployment to record levels. Meanwhile, the Le Pen administrations heavy-handed and indiscriminate antagonizing of French Muslims radicalized greater numbers of young men, made France a flytrap for Islamic extremists from across the globe, and saw Pariss majority-Muslim banlieues rocked by regular rioting.

At the 2019 European Parliament election, anti-EU parties  helped along by the Kremlin  increased their presence in the pan-Continental legislature to the point where nearly half the bodys members belonged to nationalist factions advocating the dismantlement of the EU altogether. Protectionist governments across the continent instituted tariffs that sharply reduced the Continents aggregate trade with the United States and, within Europe, chipped away at the free movement of goods, labor, and services that had been a signal achievement of the European project. Carve-outs were regularly made (thanks to a few greasy palms) for Russia, whose gas deliveries to Europe doubled in quantity. Anti-fracking groups successfully stalled progress on a European Energy Union, leaving Russia as the continents leading energy supplier. Germanys impulsive decision to abandon nuclear energy after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, combined with the disappointing results of its Energiewende (Energy transformation) and approval of the NordStream II pipeline, left the Continent even more dependent upon Russian gas. Less European cooperation, whether on defense, foreign policy, or the thwarted common energy market, meant that Moscow could return to what it knew best: haggling with an assortment of small, constantly squabbling nation-states, weaker individually than united, all seeking out their own modus vivendi with Moscow. After defeating Democratic presidential nominee Elizabeth Warren by a comfortable margin in 2020, President Trump hosted a forum for European nationalist leaders at the White House, where he expressly offered his administrations support for the gradual dismantlement of the EU.

Meanwhile, Great Britain was hurtling forward on a path to becoming Little England. When he was elected leader of the Labour Party in 2015, Jeremy Corbyn struck the parliamentary press gallery as a joke. By the 2020 election, however, the economic disaster wreaked by Britains departure from the EU (formalized in 2019) along with public disgust over a pedophilia scandal involving a senior Conservative cabinet minister, swayed bookies to cut 1-to-1 odds on a Labour government. When the votes were tallied, Labour achieved a hung Parliament with a bare plurality (259) of the bodys 650 seats. The U.K. Independence Party (whose leader Nigel Farage had endorsed Corbyns party leadership bid back in 2015) pocketed 10 seats at Westminster after making a pre-election pact not to run candidates in the same constituencies as Labour, thereby maximizing the anti-Tory vote. Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson was not far behind with 240 seats, but as Labour won more constituencies than any other party, Queen Elizabeth II (still spry at 94) called upon Corbyn to form a government, which the bearded radical socialist promptly did by inviting the Scottish Nationalist Party and UKIP into a bare working majority. To gain their support, Corbyn promised a second independence referendum for Scotland.

As was the case for their brethren on the Continent, life grew increasingly difficult for British Jews under . Unlike in France or Belgium, where attacks on Jewish individuals and institutions had become a regular occurrence, the experience for British Jewry was characterized not so much by episodes of violence but subtler forms of intimidation. There had been the governments decision to heed the cries of its most active supporters in the unions, peace movement, and academia and implement a full boycott of Israel; no longer could oranges grown in Jaffa be found at Tesco or Waitrose or even Marks & Spencer, itself once the target of boycotts decades earlier due to the Jewish provenance of its founders. In keeping with the culture to which British Jews had so well assimilated, their departure was reserved and understated. They didnt organize massive protests against the government or issue public appeals to world Jewry for help. The process was accompanied by quiet transfers of funds from pound sterling to dollar bank accounts and acquisitions of flats in Sydney and Vancouver, all executed with the steely resolve of that famed, stiff upper lip.

Fulfilling his campaign pledge, Corbyn withdrew the U.K. from NATO and expelled American military bases from Britain. Domestically, he renationalized key industries, instituted a maximum wage (taxing at 100 percent all annual income over 200,000 pounds), and set about dismantling Britains Trident nuclear deterrent in accordance with the resurrected 1983 Labour Party manifesto, (infamously dubbed the longest suicide note in history by one of the partys own parliamentarians). The attorney general brought against Corbyns Labour predecessor Tony Blair, who, having caught wind of the indictment just hours before it was announced, promptly fled the U.K. on a Sydney-bound private jet generously provided by his old friend Rupert Murdoch.

The outer edges of Europe were beset with their own crises. The secessionist flame lit by the successful Scottish independence campaign spread like wildfire: Catalonia finally voted to split from Spain, and the Veneto region seceded from Italy. In Northern Europe, meanwhile, right-wing populists were on the march. Angry reaction to years of untrammeled immigration saw to it that the Sweden Democrats, a nationalist party with neo-Nazi roots, formed a minority government in 2019 after all the other parties announced their refusal to join a coalition. A country that was once the most welcoming to refugees eliminated asylum altogether, a clear violation of EU regulations; similarly, right-wing nationalist governments had also come to power in the Netherlands, Norway, and Finland.

In Greece, the ouster of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras by his own Syriza partys radical wing brought an end to negotiations between Athens and its creditors. Were Syriza to win the next election, Tspirass replacement announced, Greece would prepare to leave the eurozone. On election night, when results indicated a Syriza defeat, the new prime minister delivered a live address to the nation declaring that fascist conspirators under orders from northern European bankster hooligans had stuffed ballot boxes, intimidated voters, and perpetrated numerous other electoral violations. Declaring that the police  by sympathizers of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party  could no longer be trusted to keep order, the prime minister called in the army, which promptly arrested parliamentarians from the center-right New Democracy and social democratic PASOK parties, shut down the presses of anti-government newspapers, and cut the transmissions of independent television stations. Italian Prime Minister Beppe Grillo, a former comedian, applauded the coup, as did Prime Minister Corbyn, who praised our Greek comrades valiant resistance against the neoliberal elite and their triumphant defense of peoples democracy in the birthplace of democracy itself. Alexander Dugin, the Russian fascist ideologist, also issued a supportive statement. Over five decades after the colonels coup brought a military junta to power in Greece, tanks once again rolled along the streets of Athens.

The breakup of the EU was proceeding apace. After years of centralizing power, stuffing public media institutions with partisan allies, and cracking down on nongovernmental organizations, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban finally fulfilled his 2014 vow to render Hungary an illiberal state. After the 2018 election, Fidesz stunned Europe by entering into coalition with the neo-fascist Jobbik party. Headed by a suave former KPMG accountant, Marton Gyongyosi, Jobbik had toned down its bloodcurdling rhetoric against Roma and thinly veiled anti-Semitic , making it more palatable to Hungarian voters wary of its reputation as a gang of brown-shirted ruffians who terrorized Gypsy villages for fun. Gyongyosi, who earned international infamy in 2012 when he demanded that the Hungarian government draw up a list of Jews posing a national security risk, convinced a third of the electorate to cast a vote for his party.

Brussels was confounded by the emergence of the Fidesz-Jobbik coalition. Outraged speeches were delivered in the well of the EU parliament, action was called for, chin-stroking editorials were published in newspapers across the continent, but nothing was done. Hungarys new government would eventually save Europe the trouble of having to punish it, however, by becoming the third country, after Britain and France, to leave the EU and NATO. Upon signing the formal renunciation documents in Brussels, where he delivered a fiery farewell speech condemning Europes betrayal of fundamental Christian values and the sanctity of sovereign nationhood, Orban returned to Hungary a conquering hero. After receiving a congratulatory phone call from President Trump (arranged by Bannon), Orban announced to a cheering crowd at Freedom Square  the same spot, incidentally, where he had called for the immediate withdrawal of Soviet troops as a young law student in 1989  that Hungary would enter the other EU, the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union, a collection of post-Soviet authoritarian regimes.

Hungarys flip was long in the making. One of Fideszs first acts upon returning to power in 2010 with a two-thirds parliamentary supermajority, (enough to rewrite the constitution, which it did), was to designate a day of national belonging in commemoration of the post-World War I Treaty of Trainon that broke up the Austro-Hungarian Empire and forced Hungary to surrender two-thirds of its territory. Though the declaration of an irredentist holiday went against the most fundamental precepts of the European Union, Brussels gave Orban a pass. (In nodding appreciation to her Hungarian counterpart, President Le Pen instituted a day of national sorrow marking Frances withdrawal from Algeria).

But Orbans appeal to nationhood beyond borders was more than sentimental. Granting citizenship to the millions of ethnic Hungarians dispersed among Hungarys neighbors, , instantly created a new political constituency for the ruling party. It also roiled the region. In Slovakia, once part of the Hungarian Kingdom in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and latterly disparaged as Upper Hungary by Magyar nationalists, a law regulating the use of languages other than Slovak in government offices, on official signs, and within a vaguely defined public sphere elicited the ire of ethnic Hungarians and their newfound protectors in Budapest. Hungary and Slovakis joint membership in the EU, however, had largely smothered nationalist passions under a supranational embrace, so that such disputes never rose beyond the rhetorical level. But once Budapest left the union, relations rapidly deteriorated.

The Hungarian Guard, a Jobbik-linked paramilitary organization whose ban had been upheld by the European Court of Justice, immediately regrouped after Hungary left the EU as Budapest was no longer subject to ECJ jurisdiction. In the summer of 2020, a Hungarian diaspora group held a rally in the majority-Hungarian Slovak border town of Dunjaska Streda, attracting a 15,000-strong crowd with speeches denouncing the Bratislava bandits and demanding Slovakias return to Hungary. When the organizers unfurled a giant flag of Greater Hungary displaying the countrys imperial borders, Slovak police entered the stadium and declared the event cancelled on grounds that display of such maps had been deemed illegal by Slovakias highest court.

Unfortunately for the police, a 1,500-strong Hungarian Guard regiment had traveled to Dunjaska Streda from the deindustrialized provinces of eastern Hungary. They did not take kindly to the dispersal order and attacked the police, who fired live rounds into the crowd. Orban had to restrain his Jobbik coalition partners, who were publicly demanding that the Hungarian army march to Pozsony, Bratislavas Habsburg-era Hungarian name. The role of peacemaker was left to Putin, who called Orban and explained that military conflict between Budapest and Bratislava had the potential to disrupt construction of the Russian-financed South Stream pipeline, whose planned route snaked its way to Central Europe through Hungary via the Black Sea.

Hungarys democratic regression had ripple effects across the region. That a European political party could abuse the instruments of democracy to entrench itself in perpetuity  and get away with it  proved attractive to many in post-communist lands where liberalisms roots did not run so deep. Polands ruling nationalist Law and Justice Party had long admired Orbanism from afar and went about mimicking the concentration of power, weakening of checks and balances, bullying of independent media, and other illiberal measures that were its hallmark. Eurosceptic to begin with, Law and Justices antipathy to the EU grew stronger following the U.K.s departure from the union, which forced to come home. Under the influence of returning Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who regained the job in 2019, Warsaw buried much of the goodwill it had fostered with Germany during the Merkel era. A particularly embarrassing moment came at a joint press conference in Berlin with the new German Social Democratic Chancellor, whom Kaczynski accused of harboring secret plans to annex parts of western Poland, a charge he had leveled at Merkel a decade earlier in a book entitled The Poland of Our Dreams. Roundly lampooned at the time, Kaczynski was now cheered on by like-minded nationalist-populist leaders in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as Breitbarts Polish language website.

Even still, despite the now near-complete decimation of the EU, the invasion of Estonia would have been nothing more than a gleam in Russian war planners eyes had they not brought down the Ukrainian government of President Mikheil Saakashvili in 2020. A year after the Maidan uprising, the post-revolutionary Ukrainian government recruited the brash former president of Georgia to serve as governor of the corruption-riddled Odessa region. In 2019, Saakashvili launched a surprise campaign for the presidency and became, after Simon Bolivar, the second person ever to become president of more than one country.

The lifting of sanctions by the United States and EU the year prior had emboldened Moscow, which launched a new offensive shortly after Saakashvilis election. As Russian tanks rolled toward Kiev, Putin directed his generals to capture the Georgian, who had earned himself a top spot on the Russian presidents enemies list after the 2008 Russia-Georgia War. Putin had long contemplated the punishment he would mete out to his Georgian nemesis should this day come, and remanding Saakashvili to the pro-Russian regime in Georgia, from where he had been exiled for nearly a decade, seemed the most humiliating form of retribution. There would of course first be a detour to Moscow, where Saakashvili could be subjected to the tender mercies of the FSBs finest interrogators at the notorious Lefortovo Prison and then paraded on international television to confess his manifold crimes.

At a press conference the following day, Putin joked that he would finally have the opportunity to hang Saakashvili by the balls, as he once privately confided he would do to French President Nicolas Sarkozy. When forces loyal to the Ukrainian government decamped to the western city of Lviv, longtime home of Ukrainian nationalism and now capital of a new, pro-European rump state, they were joined by millions of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the prospect of renewed Russian rule. Awoken from a drunken stupor at his dacha in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, the self-exiled ex-president Viktor Yanukovych was deposited onto a Russian jet bound for Kiev, where he reclaimed his position as Ukraines duly elected leader. The EU coup  as it had been labeled by diverse voices ranging from UKIP to the National Front to Die Linke  was finally reversed.

After the Cold War ended, Americans and Europeans steadily took for granted that the set of values and network of alliances which had upheld the liberal international order since the end of World War II would continue to shape the 21st century in the way they had positively influenced the second half of the 20th. But even before the prospect of a President Donald Trump, many voices on the Continent, citing persistent economic stagnation, difficulties absorbing migrants, and heightened tension with Russia, were calling for a gradual end to the European experiment altogether. Some were pulling out dusty copies of the European Security Treaty, a 2009 initiative dreamed up by then-Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, which proposed supplanting NATO with a new security architecture stretching from Vancouver to Vladivostok. Had they accepted Moscows offer when they had the chance, many Europeans wondered, could they have avoided todays imbroglio?

A chance to fix things presented itself at the of 2019, where Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were feted alongside Viktor Orban, Sahra Wagenknecht, Beppe Grillo and Dutch Prime Minister Geert Wilders. Putin relished the irony of returning to the Crimean port city, back in rightful hands, where the West once again conceded a Russian sphere of interest in Europe. Back at the 2007 Munich Security Conference, Putin had flattered European consciences when he asked why countries that forbid the death penalty even for murderers and other, dangerous criminals are airily participating in military operations that are difficult to consider legitimate. Why indeed, many German Social Democrats, British Laborites, Greek Syrizians, Hungarian Fideszians, and French National Frontistes asked, were their peace-loving countries  proper nations with proud histories and cultures  allying themselves with that uncouth hyperpower across the Atlantic? Did not Putin have a point? Was not Trump the ultimate expression of the American id? Was not the former reality television show star a far more dangerous man than the former KGB officer?

And how could Americans complain about Crimea or the reoccupation of Estonia  where, after all, hardly anyone had actually died  when Washington was responsible for so much misery and suffering in Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, and elsewhere? Having borne the brunt of the two World Wars, fought on their fields and in their cities, Europeans had learned the lessons of history far better than the Americans, who could never get enough war, as evidenced by their insatiable thirst for appallingly violent video games and Hollywood action films, not to mention their lusty backing of a madman who bragged about bombing the shit out of Americas enemies or their enthrallment to handguns, an obsession that had reduced the land of the free to a virtual Wild West. Why should we suffer blowback from the imperial follies of those armchair warriors in Washington, itching to start another Cold War with us Europeans once again stranded in the middle as their pawns?

Soon, prominent Europeans began voicing ideas that not so long ago were heard only on the political fringe: NATO is obsolete, Russia wants peace, Europe is occupied by America. We Europeans, read the open letter signed by some 250 eminent political leaders, journalists, intellectuals, and industrialists,

 have to share a continent with Russia, a geographical fact with material consequences that often eludes the Americans. We may not approve of every action taken by the Russian government, but disagreement must not mean eternal enmity. History has taught us that.

Entitled A New Peace for the Eurasian Era, the declaration  which went onto call for the merger of the European and Eurasian Economic Unions, the dissolution of NATO and its replacement by a European Security Treaty Organization including Russia and excluding the United States  was published as a full-page advertisement in the New York Times, the Times of London, Le Monde, El Pais, Die Zeit, La Repubblica, and every other major newspaper in Europe. Posted online, the manifesto gathered 15 million signatures in little more than a week.

Although his critics fingered Putin for orchestrating the demise of European unity, the Continents disintegration was almost entirely self-inflicted. It wasnt Russia, after all, that controlled European defense budgets, economies, foreign policy, or borders. No, European disorder was mainly the fault of Europeans, abetted by absent Americans. Putin had merely taken advantage of the opportunities laid before him.

For a brief moment, Putin remembered that Monday night in October of 1989. It was just a few weeks after his 37th birthday, and he was serving as a young KGB officer in Dresden, East Germany. A group of several thousand demonstrators had gathered in the city center for the weekly protest against the communist regime, and Putin realized that Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe was approaching its final act. With shouts of Freiheit! audible outside, he ordered his men to pour their files in the wood-burning stove. When he called a nearby Red Army detachment for protection, he was told in reply, We cannot do anything without orders from Moscow, and that Moscow is silent. It was one of the most humiliating experiences of his life, second only to watching the Berlin Wall collapse a month later. Then and there Putin vowed to his comrades that he would dedicate himself to avenging Russias humiliation in whatever way he could.

None of the men standing in the room that cold, October evening could have possibly imagined that the slight, fair-haired, and soft-spoken 37-year-old, sporting an impressive potbelly earned from four years of regular consumption of Dresdens finest ales, would one day become president of a post-communist Russia (indeed, none of them could have conceived that the Soviet Union itself would dissolve a mere 2 years later). But such is the nature of fate that it places ordinary men in extraordinary situations. What distinguished Putin was his ability to grasp the opportunity at hand, to take the main chance. He had done so when offered the job of president, again later when laying waste to Chechnya, annexing Crimea, intervening in Syria, and then, perhaps most daringly, ordering a full-spectrum influence operation to swing the election in what had been referred to as the worlds greatest democracy. Now, he was proving his decisiveness once again with the first-ever state attack on a NATO member.

Putin was a strong man, rarely given to overt emotion. But the enormity of what he had accomplished was difficult for even a stone-faced KGB man like himself to process. A solitary tear poured from his eye and slid down his freshly botoxed cheek. The parade was nearly over. It had taken three decades, but finally, the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century had been avenged.

What you have just read is a work of speculative fiction. The likelihood that any one of the aforementioned events will transpire differs to varying degrees; that all would occur in the nightmarish concatenation Ive foretold is unlikely. Yet a France beset by low-level civil war in its banlieues, a Hungarian government with fascist ministers, the emasculation of NATO, or the dissolution of the EU: None of these options can be written off as the stuff of pure dystopian fiction. If weve learned anything in this era of Brexit and President Donald Trump, its never say never.

Europes bloody history imprinted on successive generations of statesmen the perils of nationalism, xenophobia, and war. To avoid the mistakes of the past, and to protect against encroachment from the east, they invested their hopes in two vitally important multilateral organizations: the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Today, Russia is trying to destroy both, from without and within. If it succeeds in doing so, the consequences will be dire not only for Europeans, but for America and the entire world. With a new administration in Washington that promises to be as detached from European affairs as any since the interwar period, the possibility the continent may run off the rails again is extremely high.

In 2012, the European Union won the Nobel Peace Prize. Today, as that institution meekly confronts internal dissolution and external menace, the award may seem inappropriate. But for anyone who has spent time in the countries on the EUs periphery, the reasons behind the Nobel Committees choice were obvious. The most visible emblem on Kievs Maidan during the anti-government protests of 2013-2014 was the EU flag. For the brave Ukrainians who risked their lives, Europe is the apotheosis of liberal values, stable government, and peace.

As the forces of reaction and populism gain strength on both sides of the Atlantic, it is easy to become fatalistic about the fate of Europe and liberal democracy. There is nothing inevitable, however, about the course of human events. Yet the longer present trends continue  the longer Russian aggression and subversion goes unchallenged, Western defense budgets shrink, the roots of illiberal populism and nationalism go unaddressed, migratory waves continue unabated, economies stagnate, and America forgoes its role as guarantor of continental stability  the more probable this European nightmare becomes.
Tennessee police are searching for the suspect who stabbed a 23-year-old to death while robbing her home last week.

Tiffany Ferguson, a nurse a Saint Thomas West Hospital, was in her bedroom February 28 when an unknown man reportedly began robbing the Nashville condo she shared with a roommate.

Read: Pair Killed Their Landlord, 68, Then Lived With Her Body for 2 Weeks: Cops

Police said that Ferguson got into a confrontation with the man, which ended when he fatally stabbed her.

Police said Fergusons roommate was awakened by her screams and when she exited her room, she found the front door open. She then found Ferguson suffering from stab wounds, police said.

"From what we can tell at this moment, this does appear to be a random act," a police spokesman said at a news conference.

Ferguson later died at the hospital.

Police are still on the lookout for the man who was caught on surveillance footage prior to the attack.

A review of surveillance video from the apartment building found here shows a man pulling on the door handles of parked cars. He found at least one that was unlocked and rummaged through the vehicle, police said in a report.

The man then started checking for unlocked apartment doors and Fergusons was reportedly unlocked, according to police. Once inside, he reportedly started looking for valuables and left the apartment at least once with items before returning.

Read: Husband Charged With Murdering Doctor Wife Who Was Found Stabbed in Their Mansion

The suspect wore a zip-up hooded sweatshirt, boots and blue jeans with apparent holes in the rear knee area of both legs, as well as the front.

Family and friends have taken to Facebook with the hashtag #justicefortiff.

"Tiffany was the free spirited one of our family," her brother-in-law Anthony Cox told InsideEdition.com. "Her smile, contagious laughter, and willingness to accept anyone for who they were, caused anyone who met her to love her.

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"Our family and the entire community are grieving but know God has a plan, and something positive will come out of this horrific tragedy. It is hard for any of us to understand how this could happen to such a beautiful soul but we all have faith and comfort that she is in heaven with her daddy."

A candlelight vigil was held for Ferguson on Sunday night.

A scholarship fund has also been started in her honor.

Watch: 9-Year-Old Boy Tells Teacher His Dad Stabbed Mom to Death: Cops

Related Articles:
WASHINGTON (AP)  Where immigrants are concerned, James Wright is OK with people who are here legally, as well as illegally  if they haven't committed crimes. But turn the talk specifically to the risks and benefits of admitting refugees to the U.S., and the New Jersey resident gives a fraught sigh.

"It's hard not to be conflicted," said Wright, 26, an independent who supports President Donald Trump's proposed travel ban on certain foreigners. "By no means do I want to be cruel and keep people out who need a safe place. But we have to have a better system of thoroughly finding out who they are."

Wright is part of a group of Americans a new survey suggests are making distinctions between legal immigrants who choose to be here and refugees  who are legal immigrants, too  fleeing persecution in their home countries. A new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reflects that divide, with two-thirds of the respondents saying the benefits of legal immigration generally outweigh the risks. But just over half  52 percent  say refugees pose a great enough risk to further limit their entry into the United States.

Interviews with some of the poll's participants suggest the distinction may be one of perception in an age of religious and politically inspired violence and 4.8 million refugees fleeing war-scarred Syria.

"Sometimes the vetting might not be quality," said Randall Bagwell, 33, a Republican from of San Antonio, Texas, the state second to California in settling refugees between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31, according to the State Department. "Nobody can do quality control when they're just reacting immediately."

President Donald Trump has long linked tougher immigration limits to a safer country, and on Monday signed a new travel ban that, in part, will suspend refugee travel to the U.S. for four months except for those already on their way to the United States. The new order, which takes effect on March 16, will impose a 90-day ban on entry to the United States for people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen  all Muslim-majority nations  who are seeking new visas. It was Trump's second effort at a travel ban. The first was blocked by the courts.

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Also reflecting his hard line, Trump last week announced to Congress a new office to aid Americans and their families who are victims of immigrant violence. That's despite years of studies that have shown that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born people.

Much of Trump's candidacy and young presidency has been powered by the idea that he will protect Americans from "bad dudes" who want to come here, issuing a mix of tough, if vague, policy  from "extreme vetting" to the travel ban, a border wall with Mexico and more.

Americans report conflicting feelings about immigrants just over six weeks into his presidency, the poll suggests. On the one hand, Americans see refugees as a risk apart from other legal immigrants, with a third of Democrats, and 8 in 10 Republicans, say the risks are great enough to place more limits on refugees admitted to the U.S. Despite those fears, Americans still see legal immigration generally as a boon, the poll shows. More than 6 in 10 say a major benefit of legal immigration is that it enhances the reputation of the United States as a land of opportunity.

The good and bad of immigration has long been a painful and intensifying national debate. Trump has shown some flexibility  or inconsistency, depending on one's viewpoint  on his approach. For example, Iraq is no longer on the list of countries whose people are banned. Officials from the Pentagon and State Department had urged the White House to reconsider given Iraq's key role in fighting the Islamic State group. Also, the new order does not subject Syrians to an indefinite travel ban, as did the original.

Trump also has minimized talk of deporting all of the estimated 11 million people in the U.S. illegally and suggested that he could be open to comprehensive immigration reform. That sparked both interest and skepticism on Capitol Hill, where a solution has stymied Congress for years.

But Trump's warnings about refugees in particular apparently have stuck in the American consciousness, according to the poll.

Refugees entering the U.S. undergo rigorous background checks, including a search of government databases that list people suspected of having ties to terrorist groups. Processing of refugees can take up to two years  and usually longer for those coming from Syria. After a year in the U.S., refugees are required to check in and obtain green cards. But U.S. officials have acknowledged that information on people coming from Syria, in particular, may be limited.

Mandy Gibson, 37, sees the benefits of admitting legal immigrants  but isn't so sure about refugees.

"Maybe it's the media. They are making refugees sound like they aren't legal immigrants and I don't necessarily understand, but they are different to me," said Gibson, who works in a Greensboro, North Carolina, grocery store. Either way, she said, "anybody who is coming from countries that have ISIS really should have a very thorough background check."

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The AP-NORC poll of 1,004 adults was conducted Feb. 16-20, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

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Online:

AP-NORC: http://www.apnorc.org/

___

Follow Kellman and Swanson at http://www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman and http://www.twitter.com/El_Swan
Rome (AFP) - Pope Francis was urged by a prominent church reform group Monday to oust the head of a powerful Vatican department after accusations that senior officials blocked reforms approved by the pontiff to curb sex abuse.

The row follows the resignation last week of Marie Collins, an Irish survivor of clerical sex abuse, who stepped down from Francis's child protection panel slamming a "shameful" high-level obstruction of change in apparent defiance of the pope's wishes.

Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), replied Sunday to Collins's claim that his department had ignored Francis's decision in 2015 to create a new tribunal to judge bishops who cover up sexual abuse cases.

In an interview with Italy's Corriere della Sera daily, he said the tribunal was merely a "project" which Vatican departments felt would needlessly duplicate initiatives already in place to deal with wayward bishops.

An international group called We Are Church issued a statement urging Francis to replace Mueller "with someone who will introduce transparency, justice and compassion" in the CDF.

It accused the department of refusing to set up the tribunal in question and refusing to "change the processes it uses for investigating priests".

"The CDF has come to symbolize those aspects of our church that serve to protect and preserve institutional power," said Sigrid Grabmeier, the reform group's chair.

"For the good of our church, substantive change -- a conversion, really -- is needed in this important office. And quickly," she added.

Since his election in 2013, Francis has repeatedly promised to root out abusers, once describing their actions as comparable to participating in a Satanic mass.

He has also attempted to end a cover-up culture. But critics say his good intentions are proving little more than that.

In his most recent comment on the issue, in a December letter to bishops, Francis called for a renewed commitment to "zero tolerance," implicitly acknowledging much remains to be done.
Pot Heads Of Houston, Rejoice - Marijuana Possession Is Now Decriminalized

Starting Wednesday, people who are caught with small amounts of marijuana in Harris County, Texas, will have a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Last month, Texas police announced a new policy, effective March 1, that offers a four-hour drug education class to anyone found with less than four ounces of marijuana  which means, no jail time, no tickets, no court appearances, and no criminal record.

The classes cost $150; financial aid will be available to people who are unable to pay. Those who refuse to take the course will be taken to jail and charged.

We have spent in excess of $250 million, over a quarter-billion dollars, prosecuting a crime that has produced no tangible evidence of improved public safety, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg told the Houston Chronicle. We have disqualified, unnecessarily, thousands of people from greater job, housing and educational opportunities by giving them a criminal record for what is, in effect, a minor law violation.

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Paris (AFP) - French prosecutors closed a high-profile case Monday against a politician who was accused of sexually harassing colleagues last year in a scandal that led to criticism of parliament's macho culture.

Denis Baupin, one of several deputy speakers of the lower house of parliament, resigned the position in May last year after being accused of pinning a colleague against a wall and sending explicit text messages.

The Paris prosecutors' office said Monday that its investigation into sexual harassment had been closed because the allegations were too old, even though some incidents "could be classified as criminal acts".

The statute of limitations for harassment in France is three years. Some of the alleged incidents raised by eight colleagues who denounced Baupin dated back more than 15 years.

Baupin, a former member of the environmentalist EELV party who is married to Housing Minister Emmanuelle Cosse, has always denied any wrong-doing. His lawyer Emmanuel Pierrat said Monday that his "name and his honour have been damaged".

One of his accusers, Sandrine Rousseau, a senior figure in the EELV party, said she was satisfied that prosecutors had determined that some of the acts could be classified as criminal.

"I would have preferred that Denis Baupin was prosecuted," she told AFP.

A statement from four of the women who accused Baupin last year said that "no-one could now pretend to ignore this daily scourge" of sexual harassment of women in politics.
Paris (AFP) - French carmaker PSA on Monday announced the acquisition of General Motors' European subsidiary, which includes the Opel and Vauxhall brands, for 1.3 billion euros ($1.38 billion).

The move sees PSA regain its position as Europe's second-largest automobile manufacturer, after Germany's Volkswagen, overtaking rival French firm Renault.

PSA said in a statement it was also buying GM Europe's financial operations for 900 million euros in a joint deal with bank BNP Paribas, taking the total value of the deal to 2.2 billion euros.

The takeover includes six assembly plants and five component-making facilities and some 40,000 employees.

Plans for the takeover of the Opel division by PSA, which owns the Peugeot and Citroen brands, were unveiled in the middle of February, sparking fears in Germany and Britain that the prospective new owner could cut non-French jobs.

PSA boss Carlos Tavares said the firm was "deeply committed to continuing to develop this great company and accelerating its turnaround".

"We are confident that the Opel/Vauxhall turnaround will significantly accelerate with our support, while respecting the commitments made by GM to the Opel/Vauxhall employees," Tavares said.

Vauxhall employs around 5,000 people in Britain. Opel operates some 10 factories in Europe spread across six countries, and had 35,600 employees at the end of 2015, 18,250 of them in Germany.

Founded in 1862, Opel, with its lightning-bolt emblem, is a familiar sight on European roads, but in recent years the firm has booked repeated losses, costing Detroit-based GM around $15 billion since 2000.

A sharp fall in the pound since Britain's vote to quit the EU last June sank Opel's hopes of getting back into the black in 2016, and it ended up reporting a loss of $257 million.
VAT incentive benefiting sugar mills more: Farmers

The government has given priority to sugarcane farming considering its commercial importance.
Paris (AFP) - French carmaker PSA announced Monday the acquisition of General Motors' European subsidiary, which includes the Opel and Vauxhall brands, for 1.3 billion euros ($1.38 billion).

The move will let PSA regain its position as Europe's second-largest automobile manufacturer, after Germany's Volkswagen, overtaking its rival French firm Renault.

PSA said in a statement it was also buying GM Europe's financial operations for 900 million euros in a joint deal with the bank BNP Paribas, taking the total value of the deal to 2.2 billion euros.

The takeover includes six assembly plants and five component-making facilities, and about 40,000 employees.

Plans for the takeover of the Opel division by PSA, which owns the Peugeot and Citroen brands, were unveiled in the middle of February, sparking fears in Germany and Britain that the prospective new owner could cut non-French jobs.

The French carmaker's shares rose 2.7 percent on the Paris stock exchange on Monday to 19.58 euros. Shares in GM were down around 2.1 percent to $37.43 in midday trading in New York.

PSA chief executive Carlos Tavares said the company was "deeply committed to continuing to develop this great company and accelerating its turnaround".

"We are confident that the Opel/Vauxhall turnaround will significantly accelerate with our support, while respecting the commitments made by GM to the Opel/Vauxhall employees," Tavares said.

Vauxhall employs around 5,000 people in Britain. Opel operates across six European countries, and had 35,600 employees at the end of 2015, of which 18,250 were in Germany.

Founded in 1862, Opel, with its lightning-bolt emblem, is a familiar sight on European roads, but in recent years the company has booked repeated losses, costing Detroit-based GM around $15 billion since 2000.

Britain, where it sells vehicles under the Vauxhall brand, is Opel's largest European market.

A sharp fall in the pound since Britain's vote to quit the EU last June sank Opel's hopes of getting back into profitability in 2016, and it ended up reporting a loss of $257 million.

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- 'Difficult decision' -

Britain's Unite trade union said the productivity of the UK plants and the strength of the Vauxhall brand meant that it "makes sense" for PSA to continue manufacturing there.

Unite boss Len McCluskey also called on the British government to end the uncertainty surrounding trade relations with the EU after Brexit.

"We need every assistance from the government to give this sector a fighting chance," he said.

"That absolutely includes committing now to securing access to the single market and customs union."

PSA said the deal would enable substantial economies of scale and savings in purchasing, manufacturing and research, and the company aims to return Opel-Vauxhall to profit in the next three years.

GM's chairman and chief executive Mary Barra said at a press conference on Monday that the sale had been "a difficult decision for General Motors... but the right one".

In a statement confirming the sale, Barra hailed the move as "another major step" in the company's efforts to improve its performance.

"We believe this new chapter puts Opel and Vauxhall in an even stronger position for the long term and we look forward to our participation in the future success and strong value-creation potential of PSA through our economic interest and continued collaboration on current and exciting new projects," Barra said.

PSA said that all of Opel-Vauxhall's pensions would remain with GM, apart from a German pension pot and some smaller plans which will be transferred to the French manufacturer. GM is to pay PSA 3.0 billion euros for settlement of these obligations.

GM said that the sale would force it to account for deferred tax assets and pension losses and that it would make a one-time charge of up to $4.5 billion.

burs-rl/ric
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Puerto Rico's Justice Department says it is investigating a mayor on suspicion of sexually harassing a female police officer who filed a complaint against him.

The announcement comes hours after Gov. Ricardo Rossello demanded on Sunday that Mayor Hector O'Neill step down. O'Neill has been mayor of the wealthy city of Guaynabo located just southwest of the capital for more than two decades.

Authorities say they also are investigating claims that O'Neill paid nearly half a million dollars to the police officer and her boyfriend.

O'Neill has refused to resign and rejects the allegations. He says he won't talk about the case because it has been privately resolved and says no public funds were involved.
After making a joke on White House adviser Kellyanne Conway last week at a media dinner, who stirred a controversy for her picture showing her kneeling on a sofa in the Oval Office while taking a picture of a group gathered there, Rep. Cedric L. Richmond apologized Sunday for the joke, the Washington Post reported. Sen. Tim Scott, an American politician and the junior United States Senator for South Carolina, joked about Conway sitting on the sofa by linking that sofa to former President Bill Clinton's scandal with Monica Lewinsky in the late 1990s, saying "a whole lot worse had occurred on the couch, according to the Post.

In response to Scott's joke, Richmond, who represents Louisiana's second Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, had said, "Tim, you kind of opened the door. I really just want to know what was going on there, because, you know, I wont tell anybody. And you can just explain to me that circumstance  because she really looked kind of familiar in that position there. Dont answer  and I dont want you to refer back to the 1990s.

On March 2, LAGOP Vice-Chair Beryl Amedee, National Committeewoman Lenar Whitney and President of the Louisiana Federation of Republican Women, Gena Gore, had issued a statement in response to Cedric's: "Yesterday, Congressman Cedric Richmond made a deeply offensive remark regarding Kellyanne Conway, and he owes her a sincere and prompt apology. Using inappropriate sexual innuendos to demean women is sexism at its worst. Given that March is Womens History Month, Congressman Richmonds remarks about the first woman to successfully manage a US presidential campaign are especially disgusting. Wed hope that Governor John Bel Edwards and LA Democrat Chairwoman Karen Carter Peterson will join us in demanding Congressman Richmond apologize immediately."

After receiving criticism for his sexist overtones in the remark he made for Conway, Richmond issued a statement to her: "After a discussion with people I know and trust, I understand the way my remarks have been received by many, Richmond said in a statement. I have consistently been a champion for women and womens issues, and because of that the last thing I would want to ever do is utter words that would hurt or demean them. I apologize to Kellyanne Conway and everyone who has found my comments to be offensive," the Post reported.

Among the supporters of Conway, Chelsea Clinton came to her defense last week.

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, refused to comment on the remark made by Richmond. In an interview with the CNN, she said: "Well, I wasn't at the dinner. I'm just finding out about this." She said, "You all are criticizing Cedric for something he said in the course of the evening, and he maybe should be criticized for that; I just don't know the particulars. But I do, every day, marvel at the fact that somebody who said the gross and crude things that President Trump said  he wouldn't even be allowed in a frat house, and he's in the White House," she said.

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K Young leads a Swing Left house party in Tribeca, New York, on March 5. (Photo: Garance Franke-Ruta/Yahoo News)

SWINGING FOR THE FENCES. NEW YORK  In the shadow of the Freedom Tower, 16 liberal New Yorkers came together in a Tribeca storefront robotics workshop Sunday night to figure out how to help rebuild the Democratic grassroots and retake the U.S. House of Representatives from Republicans in 2018  a breathtakingly ambitious goal.

You probably couldnt pick a more arch-villain administration than we have now. Pretty much everything he does  it couldnt possibly be worse, said K Young, a 38-year-old digital executive and host of the meeting. His wife owns the childrens robot-building playground.

For two months after the election, he had had terrible sleep, he said. He was worried. Worried about the environment, deregulation, the economy, his childrens future  they are 1 and 4  his own future, and my neighbors who find themselves persecuted, potentially forcibly removed from this country. He worried that our president doesnt seem able to separate fact from fiction from opinion.

So he decided, I cant just sit by and do nothing. I cant just assume the arc of history bends toward justice all by itself, because it apparently doesnt. So Im here to try to help.

The people who gathered were strangers to each other, but over the course of the next hour the attendees whod RSVPed online began to get to know each other face-to-face at what was one of the more than 500 weekend house parties held across the nation under the banner of Swing Left. Collectively those house parties drew more than 10,000 RSVPs.

Launched the day before President Trumps inauguration by three novice organizers based in cobalt-blue political districts, Swing Left is an all-volunteer political action committee that aims to provide a pathway for Democrats in safe districts to engage with and help turn the tide in 52 House districts where the 2016 margin of victory was 15 percent or less. Holding all 17 Democratic-held districts and winning 68 percent of the 35 Republican-held ones would allow Democrats to retake the House.

Story continues

While the party out of power does tend to pick up seats in midterm elections, it would take a tsunami-level wave to wash away the GOPs grip on the House, thanks to gerrymandering that favors Republicans and the fact that Republicans are more dispersed across the landscape, while Democrats are packed into high-density urban districts, and to the fact that more Republicans vote in midterm elections than Democrats.

The meeting was divided up into sections. Introductions were followed by a video, discussion of the two target districts closest to Tribeca  New Jerseys Fifth and Seventh Congressional districts  and sign-ups for door-knocking and voter registration drives in Jersey.

Im as scared as you are, said Sue Freel, 60, a filmmaker and copy editor, telling the other attendees why she was there. I cant believe that hes president. I was devastated in a way Ive never been devastated, because Im not a young kid. And hes worse than Nixon. I lived through Nixon. I said, well, Ive got to do something. Ive got to do something. So I marched the very next day after he got elected  and then I joined the Womens March. And Ive been marching, but I feel like marching isnt enough. 

Im not going to stop marching, dont get me wrong, because the presence is necessary, but I felt I wanted to do something more practical, she said.

When Swing Left launched, it was met with both a measure of suspicion  no one in Democratic politics had heard of its founders  and an immediate outpouring of support. More than 300,000 people signed up on the site, swingleft.org, within weeks.

The site was the brainchild of a writer, political news junkie and GMAT teacher based in Amherst, Mass. After the election, I was just like anyone whos been watching the polls: flabbergasted, distraught, really despondent, and I was in my local coffee shop  I live in Amherst, Mass., in Western Mass  and I was just: I need to find something to do, some way to channel my energy that could actually potentially be productive, Swing Left founder Ethan Todras-Whitehill told Yahoo News. So he went online to look for his nearest swing district, which turned out to be over the border in the Hudson Valley of New York state, where Zephyr Teachout had just lost her House bid by 8 percent.

In Amherst, there was nothing he could do to help change electoral outcomes. I think there were no Republicans on my ballot in my district except Donald Trump. Literally nobody bothered to run  because why would you? Todras-Whitehill said. In an overwhelmingly blue district, the key votes all occur in the Democratic primary. And there are so many places in the country like that, he said.

But maybe, just maybe, if he did something over the next few years in New Yorks 19th Congressional District, he might be able to make a difference. The idea behind Swing Left was to give liberals like him from cobalt-blue districts some way of focusing their energies outside of where they lived  but somewhere close enough that they could drive there, and where the local cultures werent radically different. This would not be about people from San Francisco going to eastern Iowa for the final week before an election. It would be about people from Manhattan going to New Jersey, people from western Massachusetts going to upstate New York, and people from Washington, D.C., going to northern Virginia  and doing so over a period of 20 months.

In many of the targeted Republican-held swing districts, theres not even a Democratic challenger in the picture yet. But starting before there is one is the point. Nobody wins the primaries til about summer of 2018, and then they have like five months to scale up, and its reinventing the wheel, said Todras-Whitehill. What were going to try to do is building a campaign infrastructure in waiting  engaged, trained volunteers in a swing district who know and care about the district and are already doing the work for the campaign in advance of a Democratic candidate being named.

He reached out to a friend he knew from high school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, entrepreneur Josh Krafchin, and his wife, brand strategist Miriam Stone, and together they created Swing Left. The group is now partnering with Rock the Vote to register new voters in swing districts, and with Knock Every Door, a postelection effort started by former Bernie Sanders senior adviser Becky Bond, co-author of Rules for Revolutionaries: How Big Organizing Can Change Everything, to target swing-state congressional races by knocking on every door in key districts.

The connection to Knock Every Door was especially appealing to Freel. One of its first initiatives is research oriented: talking to voters, finding out what their concerns are, really getting to know the districts as a collection of people and stories instead of data points. That means talking to everyone, Democrats and Republicans, instead of just to select targeted voters likely to turn out to vote for a Democrat. Why would you vote this person in? is something Freel said she had trouble understanding of those who had backed Trump.

A major concern was how to get to the districts.

I have a car, so I can drive to New Jersey. Im not going to be driving, though, said Young, to laughter in the room, early in the meeting. Someone else can drive.

I drive a car and I have a valid license, said Freel a bit later. Im from California, so I really know how to drive. She did not, however, own a car.

I would like to know more about the transportation situation, another woman piped up later. Added another: Which is closer if you dont have a car?

This raised an intriguing possibility about part of the political disconnect between big-city liberals and those in more rural districts. Many of the liberals in public-transit-oriented cities like New York dont own a car, and in some cases they dont even know how to drive, so their ability to visit key areas of the country is circumscribed from the outset unless they band together and organize.

Why werent they trying to plug into Democratic politics, I asked the people assembled. Because the Democratic Party, came the reply, had gone AWOL after the election, at the very moment when they most wanted to take action. These organizations sprang up immediately afterward, explained Don Picket, 46, a writer who also does advertising agency digital and print production. The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, was adrift and undergoing a lengthy process of selecting a new chair. As well, he said, the Democrats have twice abandoned the grassroots. Their state-based organizing efforts have been allowed to decay. First, former Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Deans 50-state strategy was set aside, and then former President Barack Obamas election turnout machine was allowed to go fallow. They walked away from it, he said.

Those at the small gathering vowed to stay in touch on Facebook, and possibly Slack, and signed up for a calendar of actions in the two New Jersey districts. Thirty people had RSVPd to the meeting, and the future would surely see some of those who had attended drift away. Twenty months is a long commitment.

But for now they had made a start. And they had done it in person. Its good to meet outside of social media too, said Ben Bailey, an Emerson College student. Online life was only too familiar to him, after a campaign encounter with Jeb Bush went viral in 2016.

SCHOOLS OUT FOR MARCHERS. The Womens March is asking supporters to participate in a general strike on Wednesday, March 8, and there are some surprising signs of the power of that ask.

At least two school districts in the South are canceling classes, thanks to the number of female teachers who have said they plan to take the day away from the office on A Day Without a Woman.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools will be closed to students on March 8  proclaimed as A Day Without a Woman  because the school system expects to be shorthanded, reports the News Observer.

And in northern Virginia, Alexandria, Virginias public schools will close Wednesday, the system announced Monday. More than 300 staffers requested the day off, a situation that may be attributed to the observance of International Womens Day, the school system announced in a message to parents, reports Washingtonian.

A POST-MARCH MESS IN PORTLAND. Reports the Oregonian, Organizers of the Womens March on Portland are embroiled in a dispute about donations raised in support of the event.

The January march, which drew estimates of between 70,000 and 100,000 people to downtown, was, by most measures, a success. But in the weeks since, activists who hastily joined forces to organize the event have begun to fight publicly over what happened to donations that could total thousands of dollars.

Its unclear precisely how much money the event took in through T-shirt sales and other donations. But at least one organizer says the money hasnt been accounted for. The Oregon Department of Justice confirmed this week that it is looking into a complaint but stopped short of saying it has launched an investigation.

THATLL LEAVE A MARK. Women continue to get Nevertheless, she persisted tattoos, Reuters reports, writing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells criticism of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on their bodies. From a Reuters report: Every single women has had a Mitch McConnell or 10 or 20 in her life trying to tell her how to be and what to do, said Nora McInerny, a 34-year-old author and blogger who triggered the tattoo trend with an accidental public Facebook post.

NEVER TWEET? House of Cards showrunner Beau Willimon argued in seven tweets over the weekend that Trump should be removed from Twitter. The first two:

1. Today's tantrum is just the latest example of why @realDonaldTrump & @POTUS must be removed from @Twitter. Here's my full argument  Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017

2. Only one person on @Twitter is President of the United States. That comes with a supreme and unique responsibility unlike any other user.  Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017

Read more from Yahoo News:
Frozen organs could be brought back to life safely one day with the aid of nanotechnology, a new study finds. The development could help make donated organs available for virtually everyone who needs them in the future, the researchers say.

The number of donated organs that could be transplanted into patients could increase greatly if there were a way to freeze and reheat organs without damaging the cells within them.

In the new work, scientists developed a way to safely thaw frozen tissues with the aid of nanoparticles  particles only nanometers or billionths of a meter wide. (In comparison, the average human hair is about 100,000 nanometers wide.) [9 Most Interesting Transplants]

The researchers manufactured silica-coated nanoparticles that contained iron oxide. When they applied a magnetic field to frozen tissues suffused with the nanoparticles, the nanoparticles generated heat rapidly and uniformly. The tissue samples warmed up at rates of up to more than 260 degrees Fahrenheit (130 degrees Celsius) per minute, which is 10 to 100 times faster than previous methods.

The scientists tested their method on frozen human skin cells, segments of pig heart valves and sections of pig arteries. None of the rewarmed tissues displayed signs of harm from the heating process, and they preserved key physical properties such as elasticity. Moreover, the researchers were able to wash away the nanoparticles from the sample after thawing.

Previous research successfully thawed tiny biological samples that were only 1 to 3 milliliters in volume. This new technique works for samples that are up to 50 milliliters in size. The researchers said there is a strong possibility they could scale up their technique to even larger systems, such as organs.

"We are at the level of rabbit organs now," said study senior author John Bischof, a mechanical and biomedical engineer at the University of Minnesota. "We have a way to go for human organs, but nothing seems to preclude us from that."

Story continues

However, this research will likely not make it possible to return frozen heads back to life anytime soon, if ever, the scientists noted.

Since the first successful kidney transplant in 1954, organ transplantation has saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients. If it weren't for the large and growing shortage of donor organs, the life-saving procedure might help even more people. According to the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, more than 120,000 patients are currently on organ-transplant waitlists in the United States, and at least 1 in 5 patients on these waitlists die waiting for an organ that they never receive.

Right now, the majority of organs that could potentially be used for transplants are discarded, in large part because they can only be safely preserved for 4 to 36 hours. If only half the hearts and lungs that are discarded were successfully transplanted, the waitlists for those organs could be eliminated in two to three years, according to the Organ Preservation Alliance.

One way to save donated organs for transplantation is to freeze them. Ice crystals that can damage cells typically form during freezing, but in prior work, researchers have found a technique known as vitrification  which involves flooding biological specimens with antifreeze-like compounds  that could help cool down organs to stave off decay, while also preventing the formation of ice crystals.

Unfortunately, ice crystals can also form during the reheating process. Moreover, if thawing is not uniform across samples, fracturing or cracking may occur. Although scientists had developed methods to safely use freezing-cold temperatures to "cryopreserve" tissues and organs, they had not yet developed a way to safely reheat them. [5 Amazing Technologies That Are Revolutionizing Biotech]

In future research, scientists will attempt to transplant thawed tissues into living animals to see how well they do. "From my perspective and my collaborators' perspective, there is no reason why that should not work," Bischof told Live Science.

However, the researchers stressed that it was unlikely these findings would apply to the controversial field of cryonics, which seeks to freeze patients  or their brains  in the hope that future scientists will find a way to safely revive people. "There are huge scientific hurdles ahead of us, and it's rather premature to get into rewarming a whole person," Bischof said.

"Even if you preserved the whole body, the chances that neural pathways established during life were maintained during and after cryopreservation are probably remote," said study co-author Kelvin Brockbank, chief executive officer of Tissue Testing Technologies in North Charleston, South Carolina. "I don't think we'll see success for rewarming whole bodies within the next hundred years."

The scientists detailed their findings online March 1 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
BUCHAREST (Reuters) - A lawmaker from Romania's ruling Social Democrats proposed extending a draft bill granting prison pardons to include corruption offences, weeks after protests forced the government to abandon plans to decriminalize some graft charges. It is unclear whether the Social Democrat party, which together with junior partner ALDE holds a large parliamentary majority, would support the amendment presented by Senator Serban Nicolae, who said it was a personal not party proposal. The government says the bill is needed to ease pressure on the European Union state's overcrowded prisons - something echoed by Nicolae. "I don't think ... the corrupt must live three to a bed in dampness and with precarious hygiene," he told reporters. Romania is seen as one of the European Union's most corrupt states and Brussels keeps its justice system under special monitoring. While the European Commission has repeatedly praised the judiciary for progress stamping out graft, it has noted parliament has a track record of trying to weaken legislation. In early February, the cabinet of Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu approved an emergency decree that would have shielded dozens of public officials from prosecution, drawing international criticism and triggering the largest nationwide protests in decades. The ruling coalition rescinded the decree and reshuffled the cabinet. In its initial form, the draft pardons prison sentences of up to five years except for violence, treason, genocide and other serious crimes, as well as repeat offenders. It would halve sentences for pregnant women and single family earners. Nicolae's amendment would include pardoning sentences for bribery, influence peddling, abuse of power and conflict of interest. The senates legal commission meets on Tuesday to debate the bill, which needs parliament's approval to come into effect. Nicolae said roughly 2,700 people would benefit from the bill, just under 10 percent of all of Romania's convicts. Earlier this month, another Social Democrat lawmaker filed a proposal to introduce jail sentences for protesters that disturb constitutional order. Analysts have said the proposal was vaguely phrased and could apply to protests like the ones that took place across the country throughout February. The ruling party later said it did not back the lawmakers proposal. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Alison Williams)
Brussels (AFP) - Russia must halt "unacceptable" meddling in other countries, especially the Balkans and Ukraine, for there to be any chance of a fresh start with the West, British foreign minister Boris Johnson said Monday.

"Let us be very clear, Russia is up to all sorts of no good," Johnson said as he arrived for an EU foreign and defence ministers meeting in Brussels.

"They are engaged in cyber warfare, engaged in undermining countries in the Western Balkans -- you have seen what happened in Montenegro -- to say nothing of what has happened in eastern Ukraine," he said.

"It is completely unacceptable ... they have got to change, they have got to show that they can be trusted again," he said.

But Johnson, due to visit Moscow shortly, also said no one in Europe or the United States wanted to see a return to Cold War days.

The aim instead must be to "try to engage with the Russians, to try to understand where they are coming from... to get them back on to a better path."

The 2014 Ukraine crisis plunged ties with Moscow into a freeze reminiscent of the worst days of the Cold War and relations have been badly strained ever since.

Repeated efforts to enforce a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine between government forces and pro-Russian rebels have failed. Western leaders believe Moscow manipulates the fighting to put pressure on them and Kiev.

EU efforts to forge closer ties with the Balkan states meanwhile have stalled, with Brussels seen as failing to deliver on promises of membership and economic progress.

Like Johnson, other EU member states also see Russia's hand in recent developments, especially in Serbia where Moscow backs its traditional ally in Belgrade in not recognising Kosovo's independence.

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini was heckled in the Serbian parliament during a visit last week during which she highlighted the EU's efforts to normalise ties between Serbia and its breakaway province.

The EU's 28 national leaders will discuss the Western Balkans at a summit in Brussels on Thursday.
Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov, who was caught shopping for embargoed fish in Finland just last month, said on Monday that the new version of Beauty and the Beast should be banned under the 2013 law against homosexual propaganda. Milonov was one of the champions of that law.

Why ban Beauty and the Beast? Because the films director, Bill Condon, said that Gastons sidekick, LeFou, would give the film an exclusively gay moment. (Condon has since said its all been overblown.)

Milonov petitioned the Russian Ministry of Culture to ban the film, which he has not seen. In this case, society cannot be silent about what film distributors are offering under the guise of a childrens tale, namely, the obvious, blatant, shameless propaganda of sin, of perverted sexual relations, he wrote in a letter to the ministry. Our common task is to stop this music film from being shown on screens one way or another, he added.

The Ministry of Culture has not yet issued a ruling for the film, set to be released in Russia March 16. It would not be the first to decide not to run it  a drive-in theater in Alabama already made that call. But here are a few things it may want to consider:

First, if one is concerned that this films exclusively gay moment will serve as homosexual propaganda, one should probably note that the exclusively gay character is a villains henchmen, and also that his name literally means the fool.

Second, one should also note that the film is the story of a man who, after not letting a magical stranger into his abode, is turned into a nonhuman animal while his live-in servants are turned into inanimate but talking objects. They all then bring into their custody a human woman who, possibly displaying symptoms of Stockholm syndrome, falls in love with a  again, nonhuman  animal whom she quite literally knows only as Beast.

And thirdly Milonov may have put forth a ruse to try to make up for the Finnish fish incident. After all, in the noted scene Be Our Guest, the foods displayed are almost certainly not permitted under Russian patriotic food sanctions.

Photo credit: OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP/Getty Images
MOSCOW (AP)  A Russian court on Monday freed a cleaning lady who had been convicted of disseminating child pornography in a social media post decrying abuse, a case that has caused uproar in Russia.

Yevgenia Chudnovets, who worked in a kindergarten in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, was sentenced to six months in prison last November for posting a three-second video of child abuse in a summer camp, along with a call for the perpetrators to be punished. Individuals captured in the footage were convicted and sent to prison.

In a rare ruling, the district court in the Kurgan region overturned the November verdict and ordered the release of Chudnovets, who has spent three months in prison. The verdict followed President Vladimir Putin's promise to look into the case, in response to a reporter's question at a news conference in December.

Chudnovets, who was freed hours after the verdict, is now eligible for rehabilitation and damages from the state for her ordeal.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov hailed Monday's court ruling.

Chudnovets' conviction came amid a wave of criminal cases against Russians for various social media posts that began last year.

Rights activists and lawyers say the drop in violent hate crimes sent police and investigators scrambling to prosecute people for non-violent offenses to show a solid record of tackling extremism.
As marijuana use becomes increasingly legal, researchers need to explore new ways to make the drug safer for people to use, experts argue in a new paper. The potential harms of using marijuana include memory problems, impaired coordination, addiction, paranoia and withdrawal symptoms.

In the paper, authors in the United Kingdom discussed several potential options for making marijuana safer. For example, it may be possible to offset some of the harms of the drug by tinkering with the doses of two major chemical compounds in marijuana: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

"Although most users will not develop problems from their cannabis use, it is vital  that we explore alternative and innovative ways by which we can reduce and mitigate cannabis-related harms," study author Amir Englund, a research associate who studies addictions and the effects of cannabis at King's College London, said in a statement.

"With the rapidly changing political climate around cannabis, the demand to effectively reduce cannabis-related harms has never been greater, and more research is urgently needed to inform policy decisions," added Englund. [25 Odd Facts About Marijuana]

In recent years, eight U.S. states have legalized recreational use of marijuana, including California, Oregon, Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, Washington, Nevada and Colorado. Even more states, however, have legalized marijuana for medical use, although the drug remains illegal under federal law.

Other countries have loosened their marijuana laws as well: Uruguay legalized the sale of marijuana in 2013, and Canada is set to legalize recreational marijuana use in 2017. In addition, several European countries, including Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands, have lessened or abolished sanctions on possession of the drug, the authors said.

It's not clear exactly how marijuana legalization will affect people's use of the drug, but the legal changes are unlikely to reduce the number of people using marijuana, the authors wrote in their paper, published March 1 in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry. Thus, the time has come to consider how to reduce harm from marijuana, they said.

Story continues

Several studies suggest that higher concentrations of CBD in marijuana may protect against the harmful effects of the drug, the authors said. This may be because CBD offsets some of the negative effects of THC, the researchers said.

However, the dose of CBD that's needed to counteract the negative effects of THC is not known, the authors said. So future studies are needed to examine marijuana products that have various ratios of THC to CBD and how these products affect cognition, psychotic symptoms and the development of addiction, the researchers said.

Another option for making marijuana safer is to regulate the potency of the drug, the new paper said. For example, some countries have suggested capping the THC content of marijuana at 15 percent, while others have suggested taxing marijuana based on its THC content, the authors said.

However, more research is needed to better understand how the potency of marijuana affects the level of harm from the drug, the authors said. This might be done by collecting and analyzing joints from marijuana users and asking users how often they would smoke such a cigarette, along with other questions, the authors said.

Finally, researchers should look at how reducing tobacco consumption could also reduce harms from marijuana, since the two substances are frequently used together, the authors said.

Beau Kilmer, co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center, agreed that there is a need for more research to inform marijuana policies, including research on types of marijuana products people are using and the health consequences of these products.

"From a health perspective, we really need better information about what products people are using and the amounts they're consuming," said Kilmer, who was not involved in the new Lancet Psychiatry paper.

Much of what scientists know about the health consequences of marijuana is based on older studies that involved lower-potency products, compared to the products seen today, Kilmer told Live Science. [7 Ways Marijuana May Affect the Brain]

But one problem is that, because of the fast pace of the legal changes, jurisdictions considering the legalization of marijuana may need to make decisions about how to regulate the drug before more data in these areas becomes available, Kilmer said.

"Jurisdictions have to make decisions while they're confronting a tremendous amount of uncertainty," he said.

With regard to regulating marijuana potency, one option might be for jurisdictions to set an initial cap on the THC levels in marijuana and then revisit this policy once more research is available, Kilmer said.

Original article on Live Science.

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At least two school districts are planning to cancel classes on Wednesday for the Day Without a Woman, after officials learned that hundreds of staff members planned to stay home from work.

The Day Without a Woman, on March 8, is the latest political action organized by the group of activists behind Januarys Womens March. The organizers are asking participants to refrain from paid and unpaid work, shop only at small businesses owned by a woman or a person of color and wear red in solidarity.

Classes in Alexandria, Va. will be closed Wednesday after more than 300 school staff members requested the day off, according to a statement posted on the school districts website. The decision is based solely on our ability to provide sufficient staff to cover all our classrooms, and the impact of high staff absenteeism on student safety and delivery of instruction, district officials said in the statement. It is not based on a political stance or position.

Schools in Chapel Hill-Carrboro, N.C. will also be closed to students on Wednesday after district officials decided it would be impossible to effectively teach given the number of planned staff absences. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools values and supports its female employees, the district said in a statement. However, the decision to close schools is not an endorsement of the planned demonstration. The decision is made solely to avoid operating school on a day when there are insufficient staff to provide instruction and basic school services. The district staff is 75% female.

While major teachers unions like the American Federation of Teachers are not urging teachers to strike that day, the unions are planning to show solidarity at rallies before and after the school day.
spelling bee

What are the chances of winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee?

According to the Scripps website, over 11 million students participate in this popular National Spelling Bee contest each year. Therefore, to say that the average contestant has a one in a million chance at winning the entire event is highly inaccurate.

Every year, however, there is one person who beats the odds, advances all the way to the grand stage of the Spelling Bee finals, seals the deal with their final word after an exhausting contest and walks away with a trophy and their name in the history books. Does this mean that the other 10,999,999 wasted their time and walked away with nothing to show for it? Absolutely not!
WASHINGTON (AP)  A former foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trump's campaign says he has been contacted by the Senate intelligence Committee about its investigation into Russia's involvement in the 2016 election.

In response to the committee, Carter Page said he will "provide any information" that may be of assistance to the committee.

"I will do everything in my power to reasonably ensure that all information concerning my activities related to Russia last year is preserved," Page said in a letter addressed to North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, the committee chairman, and Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the vice chairman.

The Senate panel will review Russia's interference in the presidential race, which intelligence agencies have concluded was carried out on Trump's behalf, and potential links between Russia and Trump's campaign advisers and associates. The lawmakers have asked about a dozen individuals and organizations, including the White House, to preserve relevant materials.

The FBI has also been investigating ties between Russia and Trump advisers and associates during the campaign.

Trump has denied having any knowledge of such contacts. He's grown increasingly angry over a stream of stories suggesting otherwise, including revelations last week that Attorney General Jeff Sessions met with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. during the campaign. During his confirmation hearing, Sessions said he did not have contact with Russian officials.

Page, who briefly served as a foreign policy adviser to Trump's campaign, also met Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during a July event on the sidelines of the Republican National Committee. Trump's team has tried to distance the president from Page, saying he never had significant contact with him.

In his letter to the Senate committee, Page blamed Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign for spreading false information about his connections to Russia.

_

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC
A severed leg found in the Delaware River in late February came from a young man who jumped off the double-decker bridge carrying Interstate 95 across South Philadelphia, authorities say.

The man's Pennsylvania family reported him missing in late December, when police suspect he jumped. The U.S. Coast Guard found the upper half of his body on Feb. 16 in the waters near the Girard Point Bridge, which connects the city to Philadelphia International Airport.

Both of the man's legs were missing. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Chris Holdeman said boat propellers likely severed them at some point, and that large vessels with heavy-duty motors often pass below the bridge and run into things without noticing.

The cold water also likely prevented the man's body from surfacing sooner, Holdeman said. State police and Philadelphia police had searched for the body for nearly two months.

It wasn't until Feb. 26, however  about a week and-a-half after the man's upper body was found  that one of his legs washed up on the opposite side of the Delaware River in National Park, Gloucester County. A dog walker spotted the body part and called police.

New Jersey authorities are performing DNA tests, but Holdeman said the leg belongs to the man who jumped. The other leg has not been found.

Authorities did not release the man's identity or exact age, and The Inquirer does not typically publish the names of suicide victims.

Holdeman said the man's body parts do not appear linked to human remains that a man and his son found in Camden last week along the Delaware River. The Camden County Prosecutor's Office is trying to identify the remains, and said Monday the investigation is ongoing.

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An Arizona single dad of three has been deported to Mexico, leaving his young children to care for themselves.

Juan Carlos Fomperosa Garcia, 44, was deported Thursday, the day after he went to a check with the U.S Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to reports.

Read: Neighbors Mourn Girl, 5, Found Dead in Parents' Restaurant; Mom Charged with Murder May Be Deported

His 23-year-old daughter, Yennifer Sanchez, said she is now left to care for her two younger siblings, 14 and 17 years old.

Hes not one of those people that you hear about in the news, Sanchez said Friday at a news conference. Hes not a racist, hes not a drug dealer and hes a not a murderer. My father is an honest, working man, a family man, that loves everyone he meets.

KPHO

The girls are reportedly planning to go to see their father to bring him clothes and other belongings since "he was sent abruptly."

Sanchez said her father cares for his three children on his own.

The family says he arrived in the U.S. about 19 years ago.

Read: First-Grade Teacher Suspended Over 'Illegal Aliens' Post: School District

ICE says Fomperosa Garcia has been deported three times, and was convicted of a federal misdemeanor and had a deportation order.

Federal court records show he pleaded guilty in July 2015 to attempted illegal entry, a misdemeanor, after attempting to cross the border in San Luis, Ariz., while using someone elses documents.

He was sentenced to 30 days in prison.

Watch: Family Of Convicted Felon Torn Apart After Mother Is Deported To Mexico

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By Ian Graham BELFAST (Reuters) - Talks to save Northern Ireland's devolved government ran straight into an obstacle on Monday as Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster resisted renewed demands by Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein not to return as first minister. A snap election on Friday saw Sinn Fein surge to within one seat of the DUP and deny pro-British unionist politicians a majority in the British province's local assembly for the first time since Ireland was partitioned in 1921. The election result could have dramatic implications for Northern Ireland's politics and constitutional status. The two parties have shared power for a decade in a compulsory coalition that is a key part of the 1998 peace deal that ended three decades of sectarian violence. Their government collapsed in January after Sinn Fein withdrew support over Foster's handling of a controversial energy scheme. They now have three weeks to form a new power-sharing government to avoid either devolved power returning to London for the first time since 2007 or the prospect of a third election in less than a year. Sinn Fein, the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army, has for weeks insisted that it will not support the nomination of Foster as first minister while months of investigations get underway into the abuse of the heating subsidy she established as a minister. Foster remained defiant, however. "That is not the only red line they have put up before negotiations. I think it is a foolish thing to do," Foster told reporters. "Our vote was up in every single constituency. I think that is a pretty good basis on which to continue as DUP leader." She did not categorically rule out temporarily removing herself from consideration for first minister. Sinn Fein has indicated that it could back another DUP nominee for the position while Foster stays on as party leader. However Foster, who survived an IRA bomb attack on her school bus and whose father narrowly avoided being killed in an IRA shooting, has made it clear before that she will not be dictated to by Sinn Fein, a position shared by her party. Sinn Fein also wants Northern Ireland to set rights for Irish language speakers into law, another demand Foster has said she will never accede to. The Irish and British governments, who are co-guarantors of the two-decade old peace deal, have urged the parties to engage quickly, particularly as Britain is preparing to launch formal divorce proceedings from the European Union. Northern Ireland is considered the region of the United Kingdom most economically exposed to Brexit, due to its close trade links to the Republic of Ireland. The border between the North and the Republic is the UK's only land border with the EU. "The North doesn't have a voice really on Brexit at the moment because there is no executive so it really does behove the parties to come together. This isn't a time for red lines," Irish minister Leo Varadkar told national broadcaster RTE. (Writing by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Catherine Evans)
The latest test. North Korea has kept up the historic pace of its missile launches, shooting four more long-range missiles from a site in northwest North Korea on Monday. The missiles flew an average of 620 miles before falling into the sea between North Korea and Japan.

The launches are the second to occur since President Donald Trump took office in January, and follow last months test of the Pukguksong-2, a medium-range ballistic missile which traveled just over 300 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan.

In a statement, the U.S. Strategic Command said the launches did not pose a threat to North America, though the words dont seem to have calmed any nerves in Washington, Seoul, or Tokyo.

North Korea stays active. The launches come amid a flurry of worrying activity from the North, and follow a remarkable month in which Kim Jong Uns regime tested a solid-fuel rocket that it says is part of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States and in which the regime is accused of assassinating the leaders half brother, the Washington Post notes.

The missiles landed with the boundaries of Japans exclusive economic zone, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo Monday that these missile launches clearly show that North Korea has developed a new threat. We will collect information and strongly protest to North Korea.

The latest provocation is also seen as a response to the kickoff of an annual military exercise in South Korea that involves tens of thousands of South Korean and U.S. troops. About 3,600 U.S. service members recently deployed to the South for the Foal Eagle exercise, joining the 28,000 U.S. troops already based in South Korea. The drill runs through the end of April.

The acting South Korean President Hwang Kyo-ahn on Monday called for his government to push harder for ways to effectively strengthen the United States extended deterrence for South Korea, referring to new missile defense capabilities. While he not go into detail, his comments came hard on the heels of a New York Times report that president Trumps national security team recently discussed new options against North Korea, including the possibility of reintroducing nuclear weapons to South Korea.

Story continues

U.S. troops in Syria. U.S. Special Forces have been on the move in northern Syria, deploying near the city of Manbij over the weekend to act as a buffer between American-backed Syrian militias and forces controlled by Turkey. Photos have emerged of U.S. Stryker vehicles configured for the U.S. Armys 75th Ranger Regiment and specialized Humvees used by Special Forces moving near the city, and U.S. officials confirmed that the American presence around the city had been beefed up.

The Ankara-backed Free Syrian Army militia  bolstered by Turkish special forces  moved on Manbij last week, as Turkish officials said they wanted to clear the Kurdish YPG out of the area. Local Syrian forces and the U.S. military deny that the Kurdish forces are near the city. On a recent trip to northern Syria, FPs Paul McLeary spent time with both U.S. Special Forces and their local allies near the city, and found the Syrians clearly worried about the Turkish threat.

The view from Baghdad. Speaking with FP on Monday, spokesman for the U.S. military command in Baghdad Col. John Dorrian said the American troop presence in Syria and Iraq hasnt grown, despite the movement of more U.S. troops to Manbij. There are adequate forces in the area to handle the situation and reassure our allies and our partners, he said.

The Manbij Military Council has also said that it turned back a Russian convoy of armored vehicles and troops that tried to enter the area, but Dorrian said he hasnt seen any increase in Russian troops or aircraft around the city.

FPs Dan De Luce and Paul McLeary write that the situation in northern Syria, which sees an aggressive Turkish move toward the U.S.-backed forces represents a major test for the Trump administration and its promises to defeat ISIS quickly. Until now, U.S. military commanders have ruled out anything beyond some artillery support and an advisory role for U.S. special operations forces. But some officials and administration advisors are open to at least considering the idea of using conventional forces in a full-fledged combat role.

Trump trying to plug leaks. In an exclusive from FPs Elias Groll, he finds that the White House is searching for technology to shut off the leaks that have roiled the Trump administration in its first weeks and already caused the resignation of one top aide and a political firestorm for another.

White House IT officials met with at least one private firm selling a network security system that would give administration officials control over how staffers use computers and cellphones to transmit sensitive information, according to people familiar with the matter.

Welcome to SitRep. Send any tips, thoughts or national security events to paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or via Twitter: @paulmcleary or @arawnsley.

Slow grow. China has been slowing the rate of increase in its defense spending, with the official 2017 budget receiving the lowest year-over-year percent increase since 2010. The Washington Post reports that Chinas official defense budget will be around 1.3 percent of its gross domestic product this year, although Chinas official spending figures are widely believed to undercount the true size of the defense budget. Despite the slowing overall growth, Chinese observes expect that the Peoples Liberation Army Navy will still be Chinas favored service in terms of spending, receiving the lions share of budget increases.

Chinese boots are on the ground inside Afghanistan, according to a report from Military Times. Photos of Chinese mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles inside of Afghanistan have surfaced in Indian media and the Pentagon is aware that China is operating inside the country but China says its police, and not military, are the ones carrying out operations along a narrow sliver of the Chinese-Afghan border. Its unclear what Chinas operations are aimed at specifically but Beijing has long been concerned that members of its Uighur minority and Islamist extremists could using Afghanistan as a base for attacks inside of China.

Backdoor. The United Nations Security Council has slapped numerous sanctions on North Korea and its arms exports (and imports). So its a bit embarrassing that U.N. peacekeepers in Africa have been found using North Korean weapons. The AP got a look at a confidential UN report that shows Pyongyang has found its arms deals in Africa are a relatively easier way around the sanctions as there are willing customers and lax enforcement of sanctions rules. The UN panel of experts on North Korea reports that a shipment of 30,000 rocket-propelled grenades from North Korea sailing through the Suez canal attained the dubious honor of being largest seizure of ammunition in the history of sanctions.

Casualties. The Pentagon has released its official estimate of the number of civilians killed in airstrikes carried out by the U.S.-led coalition in Syria and Iraq. Reuters reports that the Pentagon says coalition aircraft were responsible for the deaths of 21 civilians between November of 2016 and January, contributing to a total of 220 civilians killed since the beginning of Operation Inherent Resolve. Other groups, such as Airwars, claim a much higher figure of 2,463 civilians based on a methodology that includes aggregated and weighted reports from monitoring groups and local media.

CSAR. A Syrian MiG-23 crashed in Turkey and the pilot is now claiming he was shot down. Reuters reports that the pilot, who was rescued by Turkish authorities, says he was downed while flying over Idlib. The Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham has claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft although the assertion has yet to be independently verified. The rescue by Turkey marks yet another sign of the turnaround in relations between Ankara, the Assad regime, and its supporters. In November 2015, a Turkish F-16 shot down a Russian Su-24 carrying out operations over Syria after it violated Turkish airspace, leading to a lengthy and bitter dispute between Turkey and Russia.

Oops. Plans for a nuclear submarine tucked inside the lining of a suitcase sold in a charity shop. It sounds like the beginning of a spy novel but its what happened at a store in Wales when workers cracked open a donated suitcase. The BBC reports that the plans appear to originate from Vickers, the manufacturer of the sub. British Navy decommissioned the Trafalgar in 2009 and the drawings found inside the briefcase have since been declassified. Nonetheless, the mystery as to how they got there remains.

Black eye for the Corps. An investigation by War Horse and Reveal shows that the Defense Department is investigating hundreds of Marines for trading revenge porn  revealing photographs taken and shared without knowledge or consent  of female service members on social media. A link to a shared drive containing the images was posted to a since-deleted Facebook page with 30,000 followers. The Naval Criminal Investigative service has begun an investigation into the incident and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Ronald Green issued statements condemning this type of demeaning or degrading behavior.

It remains to be seen what will come of the investigation. A similar incident took place among Marines in 2013. Then-commandant Gen. James Amos issued a memo on proper social media behavior and the Marine Corps subsequently referred a dozen Marines engaged in allegedly inappropriate behavior on social media to their commanders for appropriate action.

Imagery. Author Wesley Morgan took a stroll through satellite imagery of northern Syria and found what appears to be a military base housing American special operations forces, including Blackhawk, Chinook, and Apache helicopters as well as V-22 tilt-rotors.

Photo Credit: DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP)  Slovenia's president said Monday his invitation to host a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin still stands despite the talk of the Kremlin's meddling in the American elections.

Borut Pahor told The Associated Press that a "tradition" of first meetings between U.S. and Russian presidents in the small Alpine state shouldn't be discarded  and Slovenia is also the U.S. first lady's native land.

In June 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush and Putin had their first face-to-face meeting in Slovenia to explore the possibility of compromise on U.S. missile defense plans that Moscow opposed.

"Slovenia has officially expressed readiness ... it is ready to be the host of this meeting," said Pahor, whose country is a member of the EU but has traditional ties with Russia. "They would be welcome in fine atmosphere."

Melania Trump  born Melanija Knavs  left Slovenia in her 20s to pursue an international modeling career.

"Probably it would be attractive for the president of the United States because the first lady is from our country," Pahor said. "I wouldn't be surprised if they decide differently, it's their decision."

Putin has said Slovenia would be a good venue, but added that it's not only up to him.

Pahor said he had "briefly" discussed the issue with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

"He was polite, but his answer wasn't final," Pahor said.

The Slovenia "tradition" was interrupted during Barack Obama's presidency. He first met Russian president Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow, where he later had his first meeting with Putin, then the premier.

Trump has been trailed for months by questions about his campaign's ties to Russia. Compounding the situation is the U.S. intelligence agencies' assessment that Russia interfered with the election to help Trump triumph over Hillary Clinton, along with disclosures about his aides' contacts with a Russian official.

Story continues

In the wide-ranging interview, Pahor also spoke about the upcoming departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union and the upcoming elections in France and Germany where right-wing populists are vying for power.

"I told (European Commission President Jean-Claude) Juncker and other of my friends in Europe that if we don't offer an alternative in a short term, there could be problems," Pahor said.

"Brexit is a historic sign that something is terribly wrong," Pahor said. "More than one half of voters (in Britain) did not recognize the solution in Europe."

He said that the Franco-German alliance remained key to any future EU plans and counted on Paris and Berlin to drive that process following elections.

"I cannot imagine what would happen if France would live the EU," Pahor said.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP)  The businesses at a small Florida airport that the Secret Service orders closed each time President Donald Trump visits his Mar-a-Lago resort won't get any concessions.

U.S. Reps. Lois Frankel and Ted Deutch, both Florida Democrats, said Monday that Secret Service officials told Lantana Airport tenants during a closed-door meeting they cannot allow aircraft to take off from the facility.

The airport is about 6 miles southwest of Mar-a-Lago and the Secret Service says the small, propeller-driven planes and helicopters based there could be a threat to the president's security even if the aircraft are directed away from the resort.

The flight schools, a banner operation and other businesses at Lantana say they are losing thousands of dollars every time the president visits. Trump has visited Mar-a-Lago four of the seven weekends he has been president and there have been more than 30 violations of its airspace even with Lantana Airport closed.

"It was made very clear to us (Monday) that the Secret Service will not make any changes at this time to the flight restrictions," Frankel said. The Secret Service didn't return a call seeking comment.

Frankel said it's unlikely the airport's 28 businesses could get direct reimbursement from the federal government. She suggested they negotiate rent reductions with Palm Beach County, which owns the airport, and that the county then seek reimbursement. The county is already seeking $1.7 million to pay for extra security costs incurred by Trump's visits, and that tab is growing.

"We do not believe it is fair for one community to have the financial burden of repeated presidential visits," Frankel said. "We, of course, want the president to be safe when he is here and his family to be safe" but the costs shouldn't fall disproportionately on Palm Beach County taxpayers.

Jonathan Miller, the contractor who runs the airport for the county, said some of his tenants are trying to move more of their business to weekdays to avoid Trump's visits, but that only goes so far. Many flight students need to take their lessons on weekends, and that's when the banner company's customers want to advertise. A helicopter business already moved because of the visits, costing Miller $440,000 in annual rent and fuel sales.

"This won't work for four to eight years," he said.
"Through better or worse."

That was the motto of a U.S. Air Force airman when he held his beloved German shepherd that served alongside him until the very end.

Read: Officers Salute Last Known 9/11 Search Dog as She Heads to Hospital to Be Put Down

Bodza, an 11-year-old military working dog, was put down last week due to health complications after a lifetime of serving his country.

I held him in my arms the entire time, the dogs former handler Kyle Smith, who adopted Bodza after the canine's retirement, said. Ive never cried that much my entire life.

Smith, who was paired with Bodza in 2012 during a deployment in Kyrgyzstan, told InsideEdition.com he didnt find out he would put his dog down until earlier the same afternoon.

It was the saddest thing  he was dragging himself along the tile floor because it was hard to maneuver. Instead of putting him on the table, I had a minute with him on the floor, Smith explained. I just kept holding him, rubbing and kissing his head, telling him, 'I'm going to miss you.'"

Although he tried to hide his heartbreak from his superiors, he explained they arrived at the veterinarians office the moment they found out Bodza was being euthanized. Afterwards, they had a request.

"My boss immediately said, 'Wheres your American flag? You should have one in your building. Find it for me now.'" Smith said.

They then draped the flag over Bodzas body, in recognition for his service to the country.

"The worst thing you can do is not to recognize these dogs for what they are, Smith said. "For these guys to do this for a dog theyve never even met... he got a good sendoff that day.

Smith explained they developed a special bond right away when he became Bodzas handler.

He was one of those gentle giants, Smith explained. He was trained to bite, but I swear he only did it to make people happy. He had no interest in the world of hurting anyone.

Story continues

He said he quickly learned that Bodza often chased around his own shadow, and licked windows when he got excited. Bodza also enjoyed long car rides.

"My favorite thing about him was he didnt care what you were doing, he just wanted to be there doing it with you," he said. "Pretty much my whole career with him was walking around something, or walking to somewhere."

Smith was eventually paired with a new dog as a part of a different assignment, but in 2014, when Bodza retired from service, his boss surprised him with his adoption papers, knowing that Smith intended to take the German shepherd home when it came time.

"My boss said, Hey, go check your Jeep,'" Smith recalled. "They went out and put a bowl, a brand new leash and two collars, and they put [Bodza] at the back of my Jeep. I got to take him home the same day he retired."

Smith later became an instructor for military working dogs in El Paso, Texas, and said he started noticing Bodzas ailing health on their drive down from Virginia last October.

It was a rough ride, but I noticed he couldnt jump into the vehicle, I had to pick him up, he explained.

He said he assumed it was a minor case of hip dysplasia, and monitored his pup for the following months, until it became glaringly obvious Bodza was in pain.

Smith explained his 11-year-old dog was having trouble getting around, and would often slip on smooth surfaces. He also noticed his front legs weakened significantly.

Read: Elderly K9 Officer Receives Hero's Salute Before Being Put Down: 'He Was Family'

The veterinarian later diagnosed Bodza with degenerative myelopathy, an incurable disease that affected his spinal cord, and Smith was later forced to make the difficult decision to euthanize Bodza.

All of us have that dog that is so special to us, Smith said. I got married with this dog, I got divorced with this dog. I have a son on the way, and the most heartbreaking part is I really wish he was younger, so my son would be able to play with him. He was the nicest dog in the world.

To find out more about adopting military working dogs after service, visit www.VetsAdoptPets.org.

Watch: Fallen K9 Gets An Officer's Salute Fit for a Hero: 'He Served Valiantly and Courageously'

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Warsaw (AFP) - A jury in Warsaw on Monday named South African writer and anti-apartheid activist Breyten Breytenbach as the recipient of the 2017 Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award, named after the anti-communist Polish poet and philosopher.

"I'm pleased that this year the jury has chosen a poet who combines great talent with the attitude of an uncompromising man who sides with the oppressed," said Katarzyna Herbert, the widow of the poet who died in 1998, as she announced the winner.

Born in Cape Town in 1939, Breytenbach left South Africa for Paris in the early 1960s after becoming an opponent of apartheid.

He married in France but since his wife was of Vietnamese descent, he was unable to return to South Africa where mixed-race marriages were illegal.

Breytenbach however did return to his homeland in secret to engage in the anti-apartheid struggle, but was discovered and sentenced to years in prison for his activities.

French President Francois Mitterrand helped to secure his release in 1982. He then returned to France where he became a citizen.

Breytenbach has published some 50 books, including "The True Confession of an Albino Terrorist" and numerous volumes of poetry, written mainly in his native Afrikaans.

The 2017 edition of the Zbigniew Herbert Award will be presented in the Polish capital Warsaw on May 25.

Nominated for the Nobel Literature Prize in 1991, Zbigniew Herbert was a potent symbol of Poland's struggle for national independence against the oppressive intentions of its neighbours to the east and west.

He joined the Polish resistance against Nazi German occupation in 1939, and became a persistent thorn in the side of Poland's Soviet-sponsored communist leadership after World War II.

His best-known work, "Pan Cogito" (Mr. Cogito), was published in 1974. A leading critic said of the work, a reflection on the conditions of the intellectual living in a world without freedom, that there was "no poetic testament in Polish literature that was so bitter, and yet so full of hope."
Lawmakers swiftly reacted to President Trumps revised travel ban that temporarily halts people from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.

The revised order, which aimed to the tackle legal issues facing the original ban, dropped Iraq from the list of targeted countries and specified that the 90-day ban on travelers from Sudan, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen does not apply to people who have valid visas.

Democratic lawmakers swiftly condemned the new ban, saying it targets Muslims. Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, said in a tweet, Trumps Muslim Ban is still a Muslim Ban.

Trump's Muslim Ban is still a Muslim Ban. https://t.co/WtL7B8eg75  Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) March 6, 2017

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer tweeted, a watered down ban is still a ban. In subsequent tweets, Schumer called the ban mean-spirited & un-American, and urged for it to be repealed.

Despite the Administration's changes, the #MuslimBan2 makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited & un-American. It must be repealed.  Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 6, 2017

Americans need to know that this latest Exec Order has absolutely nothing to do with national security. It is still a ban. #MuslimBan2  Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 6, 2017

DNC Chair Tom Perez also called the ban un-American in a statement.

Trumps obsession with religious discrimination is disgusting, un-American, and outright dangerous, Perez said. Dont be fooled  he promised again and again during his campaign that he would single out and persecute a specific religious group, and thats exactly what hes trying to do now.

DNC chair Perez on Trump's new order: "Trumps obsession with religious discrimination is disgusting, un-American, and outright dangerous." pic.twitter.com/SvCDizxfHb  Steve Kopack (@SteveKopack) March 6, 2017

Other representatives echoed their colleagues.

President Trump's #MuslimBan2 is as equally immoral and un-American as the first version. This is not who we are and it must be repealed.  Senator Cortez Masto (@SenCortezMasto) March 6, 2017

This is the same ban, with the same purpose, driven by the same discrimination that weakens our fight against terror https://t.co/kulZNQU5bo  Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) March 6, 2017

.@POTUS signs another un-American EO based in fear & division. We will not stand for this kind of discrimination. https://t.co/VW99fYIiDT  G. K. Butterfield (@GKButterfield) March 6, 2017

Version 2 of the ban still targets Muslims, still inspires more terrorism, still violates our founding principles. Oh, and still illegal. https://t.co/b80kX16G2D  Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) March 6, 2017

Were reviewing the #muslimban2 & stand ready to litigate  again  to protect NY's families, institutions & economy https://t.co/V704y10yQH  Eric Schneiderman (@AGSchneiderman) March 6, 2017

The American people won't be fooled#MuslimBan 2.0 still bans immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, reinforces fear & weakens security.  Mike Quigley (@RepMikeQuigley) March 6, 2017

After being blocked in court, @POTUS is repackaging #MuslimBan. Make no mistake#MuslimBan2 will make us less safe https://t.co/2pJ6ypv7bM  Rep. Dan Kildee (@RepDanKildee) March 6, 2017

.@realDonaldTrump's "new" #ExecutiveOrder: Different vehicle for the same xenophobia/Islamophobia that contradicts our American values. #SMH  Gwen Moore (@RepGwenMoore) March 6, 2017

While Democrats were quick to decry the revised order, some Republicans cheered on Trumps new ban.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said the revised executive order advances our shared goal of protecting the homeland, in a statement.

I commend the administration and Secretary Kelly in particular for their hard work on this measure to improve our vetting standards, he continued. We will continue to work with President Trump to keep our country safe.
The discovery of a new and rarely seen nebula 10 billion light-years away has created a cosmic mystery: What is lighting up this dusty cloud of gases?

Researchers led by Zheng Cai, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have discovered an "enormous Lyman-alpha nebula," or ELAN, only the third of these vast cosmic structures ever seen. A nebula is an interstellar cloud of gases and dust; an ELAN is a special kind of nebula, so named because it emits Lyman-alpha radiation  a particular wavelength of light emitted when the electron in a hydrogen atom drops down to its lowest energy level.

The two other ELANS previously discovered are nicknamed the Slug Nebula (for UC Santa Cruz's idiosyncratic mascot) and the Jackpot Nebula (because it contains a whopping four quasars, extremely bright objects created by particles accelerating away from black holes). But the new ELAN is a head-scratcher. The Slug and the Jackpot have bright quasars illuminating their dust and gases, but the light source inside the newfound ELAN is a mystery. [Photos: The 12 Strangest Places on Earth]

"What's really odd here, and one of the hooks of the story, is there's nothing," said Jason X Prochaska, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz and one of the authors of the paper reporting the new nebula, available on the physics preprint website ArXiv. "There's the faint smudge of a galaxy, probably, but no quasar shining toward us."

A peek at the early universe

The mysterious ELAN is named MAMMOTH-1, after the Mapping the Most Massive Overdensities Through Hydrogen (MAMMOTH) project, led by Cai, which turned up the strange nebula. The goal of the project is to search for dense areas in the early universe; because it takes light from MAMMOTH-1 about 10 billion years to reach Earth, scientists are looking back in time to about 3 billion years after the Big Bang. In particular, Prochaska said, the research team is searching for protoclusters, which are the precursors to galaxy clusters.

Story continues

These are "the most massive single structures in the universe," Prochaska said.

Cai, Prochaska and their colleagues use light from quasars to find these protoclusters. When a quasar shines through a protocluster, the patterns of light absorption can reveal details about these networks of galaxies. The protocluster holding MAMMOTH-1 near its center  dubbed BOSS1441  is around 50 million light-years across, the researchers found. Or was, anyway. By now, the protocluster will have collapsed into a smaller, more mature galaxy cluster, Prochaska said. (A light-year is about 5.9 trillion miles, or 9.5 trillion kilometers.)

Looking for the light

ELANs are difficult to detect because they are so diffuse, Prochaska said. Directly observing one provides an opportunity to study how gases coalesce into galaxies, something that is usually possible only with computer simulations. [See Amazing Photos of Nebulas]

As for MAMMOTH-1's mysterious light source, the most likely candidate is an active galactic nucleus, or AGN, Prochaska said. (Quasars are one type of AGN.) Local dust, a few light-years from the AGN, may be obscuring it from view, he said. It should be easy to find the AGN by searching for infrared or longer wavelengths, Prochaska said.

"If we didn't see anything, that would kill that hypothesis, and we'd be scratching our heads," he said.

The research will be published in an upcoming issue of the Astrophysical Journal.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
By Maria Ramirez PUERTO ORDAZ (Reuters) - Workers at Venezuelan steelmaker Sidor are planting sunflowers and vegetables on company premises to ease a national food deficit as steel output has almost ground to a halt nine years after the company was taken over by the government. The company says the crops are meant to boost food supply in Venezuela, which suffers from chronic Soviet-style product shortages as a result of an unraveling socialist economic system that has been exacerbated by low oil prices. Late socialist leader Hugo Chavez nationalized Sidor in 2008. Since then, chronic labor disputes and deterioration of installations have decimated production and left a swollen payroll of employees twiddling their thumbs on the job. At the behest of their bosses, workers have planted sunflowers, sorghum and vegetables on about 100 acres at the mill. The sunflowers have grown tall after about four months, but sorghum and vegetables have not grown as expected, which workers suspect is a result of the soil not being apt for such crops. "The only harvest we have here is 100 workers looking for jobs at the Sidor gate in front of sunflowers grown by an industry that is supposed to produce steel," said Sidor employee Leonel Grisett. Sidor's President Justo Noguera did not respond to requests for comment. President Nicolas Maduro says his government is a victim of an "economic war" led by his adversaries. Critics counter that Venezuela suffers from unsustainable policies that have left public and private companies unable to function. Sidor workers say the agricultural venture is a reflection of company leadership being distracted by activities that are not a core part of Sidor's mission. The company has also built an equine-assisted therapy center, in which special-needs kids interact with horses. "The workers are just sitting here, staring at one another," said Carlos Ramirez, who has worked at Sidor for 31 years. "I've never seen anything like this. People are very worried." Sidor has not given official production figures in a year. But workers say liquid steel output in January signals that output this year will reach just 3 percent of its installed capacity, the lowest since it opened in 1963. (Writing by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Diego Ore and Bernadette Baum)
By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - Women and minorities face more barriers to getting ahead in their medical careers, both early in training and later on, researchers say. In one study, Dr. Julie Boiko of the University of California, San Francisco and colleagues found that women are underrepresented among speakers at grand rounds, which are presentations delivered by esteemed doctors to medical teams at other institutions. This was true for all but two of the medical specialties they examined during 2014. "Speaker selections convey messages of 'this is what a leader looks like,' and womens visibility in prestigious academic venues may subconsciously affect womens desires to pursue academic medicine," Boiko's team warns in JAMA Internal Medicine. A separate study in the same issue of the journal found that female doctors are judged to have less experienced when they finish training. Arjun Dayal of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and colleagues analyzed 33,456 evaluations from 2013 to 2015 of 359 doctors-in-training, or residents, from 285 supervising doctors at eight U.S. emergency medicine programs. Male and female doctors scored similarly during their first years of residency. But by the end of training, which typically lasted three years, male doctors were judged to have about a 13 percent higher attainment of important milestones than their female counterparts. "We saw this across all the levels of competencies," said Dayal. Female physicians were receiving poorer evaluations whether they were diagnosing a patient or fulfilling physically demanding tasks. The new study can't explain why women were evaluated lower than their male counterparts, but the senior author suggests it may be that women are judged more harshly as they take on leadership traits that are stereotypically male. "This study simply adds to a variety of other studies published recently suggesting that female physicians face a negative consequence in their work  for a lack of a better explanation  because theyre female," said Dr. Vineet Arora, who is also at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. A third study in the same journal found that medical students who belong to racial or ethnic minority groups have lower odds of being accepted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. Dr. Dowin Boatright from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut and colleagues looked at data on 4,655 medical students who applied in 2013 to residency programs at their institution. Students would typically indicate on their applications if they were members of Alpha Omega Alpha. "In terms of recognition, it is probably one of the most prestigious honors you can receive as a medical student," Boatright told Reuters Health. Compared to white medical students, black students had 84 percent lower odds of being Alpha Omega Alpha members, the researchers found. Asian students had 48 percent lower odds, compared to white students. "I think all these studies are showing that implicit bias exists in medical education, but people arent looking at measures to track it," Boatright said. Implicit bias consists of attitudes or stereotypes that affect people's "understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner," according to The Ohio State University's Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in Columbus. In an editorial accompanying the new research, Dr. Molly Cooke of the University of California, San Francisco, recounts the story, from 2016, of a female African-American physician whose assistance was rejected when one of her fellow airplane passengers became ill. The flight crew didn't believe her when she said she was a doctor. "What happened to Tamika Cross on Delta flight DL945 in October was terrible," wrote Cooke. "However, it is not exclusively the fault of the nonmedical world." "We must insist that our profession and the processes that our trainees encounter along the way treat them fairly and reflect the diversity of the patients we serve," she said. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2n7xKvp, http://bit.ly/2n7sx6z, http://bit.ly/2n7v8gR and http://bit.ly/2n7ol7c JAMA Internal Medicine, online March 6, 2017.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court is returning a transgender teen's case to a lower court without reaching a decision, leaving in limbo the issue of transgender rights in school settings.

Monday's action comes after the Trump administration pulled back federal guidance advising schools to let students use the bathroom of their chosen gender, not biological birth.

The justices said in a brief order that they have opted not to decide whether federal anti-discrimination law gives high school senior Gavin Grimm the right to use the boys' bathroom in his Virginia school.

The case had been scheduled for argument in late March. Instead, a lower court in Virginia will be tasked with evaluating the federal law known as Title IX and the extent to which it applies to transgender students.

Related Video:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

For Grimm, the order means that he probably will graduate with the issue unresolved and his ability to use the boys' bathroom blocked by a policy of the Gloucester County school board. Although he won a court order allowing him to use the boys' bathroom, the Supreme Court put it on hold last August, before the school year began.

"This is disappointing for trans kids across the country and for Gavin, who are now going to be held in limbo for another year or two," said Joshua Block, the American Civil Liberties Union attorney who represents Grimm. "But Title IX means the same thing today as it meant yesterday. Lower courts already have held that it protects trans kids."

Kyle Duncan, the lawyer for the school board, had no immediate comment on the order.

The high court action follows the administration's recent decision to withdraw a directive issued during Barack Obama's presidency that said which bathroom to use should be based on students' gender identity, not biological birth.

The administration action triggered legal wrangling that ended with Monday's order. In essence, the federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia, had relied on the Obama administration's interpretation of Title IX to side with Grimm. The appeals court accepted the administration's reading of the law without deciding for itself what the law and a related regulation on same-sex bathrooms and locker rooms mean.

Story continues

No appeals court has yet undertaken that more independent analysis, and the Supreme Court typically is reluctant to do so without at least one appellate opinion to review, and usually more than one.

Similar cases are pending in other parts of the country so it is likely that other appeals courts also will weigh in about the reach of anti-discrimination protections for transgender students.

Both sides in Grimm's case had asked for the high court to go ahead with the case, even after the administration withdrew the Obama-era directive, although the school board said the case should be delayed.

The justices did not comment on the case beyond their one-sentence order returning it to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Washington (AFP) - The US Supreme Court on Monday sent a key transgender rights case back to a lower court for reconsideration, after the administration of President Donald Trump withdrew guidance to schools that was relevant to the case.

The high court had scheduled a hearing for March 28 on a case involving bathroom rights for Gavin Grimm, a transgender high school boy in Virginia.

But on February 22, the Trump administration overturned rules set by predecessor Barack Obama requiring public schools to let transgender students use bathrooms and locker rooms matching the gender with which they identify, rather than the one on their birth certificate.

The old guidelines had interpreted the federal law banning sex discrimination in schools to include gender identity.

Related Video:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

But the new guidance allows states and school districts to decide whether students can access bathrooms of their choice.

Monday's decision was a setback for transgender rights activists, who will likely face a conservative majority on the top court by the time the case makes its way back for another hearing.

The high court vacated a decision by a federal appeals court based in Richmond, Virginia that had relied on the Obama administration's interpretation of the law to find in Grimm's favor.

Now, the appellate court will have to determine more broadly whether federal laws barring sex discrimination extend to gender identity.

- 'Detour' -

"While we're disappointed that the Supreme Court will not be hearing Gavin's case this term, the overwhelming level of support shown for Gavin and trans students by people across the country throughout this process shows that the American people have already moved in the right direction and that the rights of trans people cannot be ignored," said Grimm's lawyer, Joshua Block of the American Civil Liberties Union.

"This is a detour, not the end of the road, and we'll continue to fight for Gavin and other transgender people to ensure that they are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve."

Story continues

It was a win, though, for Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was reported to have prevailed over Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in arguing for revoking the Obama era guidance.

In leaving it to the states to decide the fate of transgender students, Trump is enabling conservatives to write the rules in the 32 states governed by Republicans.

While affecting only a tiny slice of the American population, the issue is one that resonates strongly with Trump's ultra-conservative base.

- Court's shifting balance -

A new appellate court decision is likely to go back to the Supreme Court, but not during the current session.

The court currently is evenly divided between four liberal and four conservative-leaning justices.

But its conservative majority will soon be restored if Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch is confirmed by the Republican-controlled Congress to a vacant Supreme Court seat, as is likely.

Block hoped to win a landmark judgment from the Supreme Court on the model of the resounding 5-4 victory for gay marriage in June 2015.

"Unfortunately, this means that far too many trans kids across the country will be held in limbo for another 1-2 years. With the Department of Education no longer protecting them," he said.

In leaving it to the states to decide the fate of transgender students, Trump is enabling conservatives to write the rules in the 32 states governed by Republicans.

In one anecdotal sign of the growing recognition of transgender rights, however, the clerk of the Supreme Court imposed the use of the pronoun "him" instead of "her" in briefs referring to Grimm.
(WASHINGTON)  The Supreme Court is returning a transgender teens case to a lower court without reaching a decision.

The justices said Monday they have opted not to decide whether federal anti-discrimination law gives high school senior Gavin Grimm the right to use the boys bathroom in his Virginia school.

The case had been scheduled for argument in late March. Instead, a lower court in Virginia will be tasked with evaluating the federal law known as title IX and the extent to which it applies to transgender students.

The high court action follows the Trump administrations recent decision to withdraw a directive issued during Barack Obamas presidency that advised schools to allow students to use the bathroom of their chosen gender, not biological birth.

The administration action triggered legal wrangling that ended with Mondays order. In essence, the federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia, had relied on the Obama administrations interpretation of Title IX to side with Grimm. The appeals court accepted the administrations reading of the law without deciding for itself what the law and a related regulation on same-sex bathrooms and locker rooms mean.

No appeals court has yet undertaken that more independent analysis, and the Supreme Court typically is reluctant to do so without at least one appellate opinion to review, and usually more than one.

For Grimm, the order means that he probably will graduate with the issue unresolved and his ability to use the boys bathroom blocked by a policy of the Gloucester County school board. Although he won a court order allowing him to use the boys bathroom, the Supreme Court put it on hold last August, before the school year began.

Similar cases are pending in other parts of the country so it is likely that other appeals courts also will weigh in about the reach of anti-discrimination protections for transgender students.

Both sides in Grimms case had asked for the high court to go ahead with the case, even after the administration withdrew the Obama-era directive, although the school board said the case should be delayed.

The justices did not comment on the case beyond their one-sentence order returning it to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
BAMAKO, Mali (AP)  Suspected jihadists from Burkina Faso have attacked a Malian military post across the border, killing at least a dozen Malian soldiers.

The attack was on a military base in Boulkessi, according to an announcement on Malian state television late Sunday.

A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals said that Malian soldiers fled Boulkessi after the assault.

While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, suspicion fell on a group from Burkina Faso known as Ansaroul Islam, which is linked to extremist groups in northern Mali.

The group claimed responsibility for a previous attack in January that killed 11 people including soldiers in Burkina Faso.

Extremist violence has been mounting over the past year along the border between Mali and Burkina Faso.
A 19-year-old was high on marijuana when she sped away from police, nearly striking an officer in the process, Pennsylvania authorities said.

Makia Jones has been charged with DUI and is being held at York County Prison, according to online records.

Read: Woman Allegedly Hides Marijuana in Child's Lunch box as She's Pulled Over by Cops

Officers were responding to a suspicious vehicle call when they smelled pot emanating from a silver Honda Civic, according to the York City Police Department.

Jones started the car as an officer tapped on the window, authorities said. He had to jump back to avoid being hit, police said.

Read: Police Find 3,000 Pounds of Marijuana Disguised as Watermelons

The teen exhibited slow motor skills and sluggish behavior and was too impaired to be behind the wheel, police said.

Officers said they found a small joint inside the car.

Watch: Area Where Mom Was Kidnapped Is Known for Marijuana Farms and Sex Trafficking

Related Articles:
Teresa Giudice's Mother Dead At 66: 'I Miss My Mommy'

Teresa Giudice of Real Housewives of New Jersey has lost her mother, 66-year-old Antonia Gorga. Her death was reportedly from natural causes. She is survived by not only Teresa, but also by her son Joe, her husband Giacinto Gorga, and seven grandchildren. Giudices mother made several appearances on the Bravo reality show. As reported by People, the daughter of Joe and Melissa Gorga was named after the Gorga matriarch. Their daughter is 12-years-old. Melissa paid tribute to Joe and Teresa as well as to their mother in an Instagram post.

May she Rest In Peace. She was a beautiful woman who loves her children & grandchildren so immensely I watched Joe & Teresa sit by her side for the last three months, the heart in this family is strong & she will live in our hearts forever???? A post shared by Melissa Gorga (@melissagorga) on Mar 5, 2017 at 5:11am PST

Joe Gorga has not publicly commented about his mothers death at this time.

Click here to continue and read more...
Maybe fossil fuels aren't dead after all. President Donald Trump has moved to spur coal mining and wants more oil drilling and less environmental regulation.

So is it time to pile into coal and oil stocks?

Many experts are encouraged, somewhat, by recent oil price increases, but warn it's still a risky sector beyond the government's control. Oil is trading for around $53 a barrel, up from around $37 a year ago but still well below past highs due to a glut. The coal industry is being hammered as electricity producers switch to cheap natural gas, a trend unlikely to change.

[See: The Best Energy Stocks to Buy for 2017.]

"Investors should have a diversified portfolio with some exposure to high-quality energy companies," says David Yepez, energy analyst and portfolio manager at Exencial Wealth Advisors in Oklahoma City. "For the more aggressive investor, having a slight overweight exposure seems suitable. For the conservative investor, an equal-weighted exposure to the sector appears appropriate."

He and other experts note that policies encouraging fossil fuel production won't enrich investors if gluts depress prices.

"The energy sector has been the second worst-performing Standard & Poor's sector in the last 10 years," he says, blaming regulation and low prices.

While Trump wants to spur coal production and jobs, that industry already employs far fewer than the solar and wind power industries, and easing coal regulation will not change the fact that natural gas is cheaper and renewables like wind and solar are getting cheaper.

Oil may have better prospects than coal. Low prices have forced the better companies to become more efficient, which could help them thrive even if prices do not soar, says Jody Team, a planner with Team Financial Strategies, an energy investment advisor in Abilene, Texas.

"As oil moves back toward $60 per barrel there could be opportunity and value in service companies as production continues to come back on," Team says, referring to firms like drillers and testers that serve oil producers.

Story continues

But low prices don't make for high profits, says Joshua Hall, owner of True Vine Investments in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

"At current oil prices, very few U.S. oil producers are generating free cash flow," he says. "By this I mean, that few have any excess cash left over after they reinvest in the drilling, etc., required to simply maintain their current production levels."

While production costs have fallen, Hall says that's largely due to price cuts by service companies that will charge more as oil prices rise. "Even if oil prices rise further, U.S. producers will still struggle because of the increased cost pressures," he says.

That said, he likes Baker Hughes (ticker: BHI), a low-debt leader in technology that could benefit from a pending merger with General Electric Co. ( GE).

Exencial Wealth Advisors prefers firms with strong balance sheets, vertical integration and good growth prospects for five or 10 years. The firm avoids those with lots of debt and low growth, Yepez says, recommending Pioneer Natural Resources ( PXD) and EOG Resources ( EOG).

While easing of regulation could benefit the oil industry, other trends might be more important, says Robert R. Johnson, president of the American College of Financial Services in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

[See: Oil ETFs: 8 Ways to Invest in Black Gold.]

"I think it is a terrific time to invest in energy stocks," he says. "Historically, energy stocks have been among the best-performing stocks in a rising-rate environment," citing research he did with Gerald Jensen of Creighton University and Luis Garcia-Feijoo of Florida Atlantic University.

They found that from 1966 through 2014, energy stocks were the best performing sector when rates were rising, gaining an average of 11.2 percent annually during those periods, versus 8.1 percent for consumer goods, 7.9 percent for utilities and lesser gains for steel, food and financial stocks.

Rather than pick and choose among individual energy stocks, small investors should buy index funds that offer diversification and low fees, Johnson says.

"Two great, low cost, passive alternatives for investors wanting exposure to the energy sector are the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLE) and the Vanguard Energy ETF ( VDE)," he says.

Another option is to invest in oil infrastructure like pipelines, refineries and storage facilities, which are used even if oil and gas prices slump, especially if production increases. Master limited partnerships, a kind of fund traded like a stock, make these bets easy and can pay handsome income.

"We are optimistic of the fundamentals for the midstream companies," Yepez says, referring to MLPs that gather, process, store, and transport energy. "MLPs will benefit from less regulation, more pipeline approvals and increases in crude oil volumes through the pipelines. The current dividend yield for the average MLP company continues to be attractive."

Many yield in the high single or low double digits.

If oil and coal look risky, what about renewable energy like wind and solar? Again, views are mixed.

"Renewable-energy companies will have an uphill battle to get subsidies from Washington" in an Republican-dominated era, Yepez says, referring to benefits that have made renewables competitive with fossil fuels.

"One way to have exposure is to find companies with diversified businesses that have some exposure to alternative energy investments. General Electric fits this criteria very well," he says.

But Garvin Jabusch, co-founder of Green Alpha Advisors, an asset manager that focuses on clean energy stocks, thinks renewable energy is a better bet than fossil stocks despite Trump Administration support for the traditional fuels.

Jabusch says fossils will have trouble competing as renewables grow cheaper. He likes 8point3 Energy Partners LP A ( CAFD) and Vestas Wind Systems.

[See: The 10 Best Energy ETFs for an Eventual Bounce.]

"Solar module costs have fallen 80 percent since 2008, and solar power can be generated for as little as 2.42 cents per kilowatt-hour, less than half the price of fossil-based electricity," he says.

Jeff Brown spent nearly 40 years as a newspaper reporter, columnist and editor, including 20 years writing about investing, personal finance, the economy and financial markets. He spent 20 years at The Philadelphia Inquirer and has been freelancing since 2007.
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Following is a chronology of Opel's history and its sale to Peugeot: 1863: Adam Opel set up a sewing machine workshop in the western German town of Russelsheim. He later made bicycles as well. 1899: Opel's sons, who took over the business, bought a car factory. They built their first automobile that year. 1928: Opel claimed the spot as Germany's biggest carmaker, with a market share of 38 percent. 1929: General Motors bought Opel. 1962: The company built a factory in Bochum and, later, plants in Kaiserslautern und Eisenach. 1999: GM Europe made a profit. 2004: GM announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs in Europe, of which about 6,000 were at Opel. Nov 2008: GM faced a liquidity squeeze. Opel asked Germany for state loan guarantees. Dec 2008: Germany said it is looking at various options to help Opel. Feb 2009: General Motors presented a restructuring plan to the U.S. government, put its Swedish carmaker Saab up for sale and announced $1.2 billion of cost cuts in Europe. June 2009: GM filed for bankruptcy. July 2009: GM emerged from bankruptcy, majority owned by the U.S. government. Sept 2009: GM agreed to the sale of a 55 percent stake in Opel to a group led by Canada's Magna International Inc. Nov 3, 2009: GM reversed the sale decision and instead said it will keep control of Opel. Feb 9, 2010: Opel asked Germany for 1.5 billion euros in state aid to fund restructuring; 4,000 job cuts. Mar 2, 2010: GM said it will triple its funding of Opel to 1.9 billion euros in equity and loans and cut its request for state aid. Mar 12, 2010: Britain said it will provide a 270 million pound loan guarantee to help safeguard the company's Vauxhall operations in Britain. Apr 30, 2010: GM said it will close a factory in Antwerp, Belgium by the end of 2010 with 400 million euros for termination benefits. 2012: Opel presented a 10-year turnaround plan to introduce 23 new or revised vehicles, with 13 new engines, by 2016. Feb 2012: GM took a 7 percent stake in Peugeot after the companies announced an alliance, promising eventual savings of $1 billion each. Oct 31, 2012: General Motors Europe (GME) outlined a target to achieve break-even EBIT-adjusted results by mid-decade through a focus on growth and cost efficiencies. Dec 2012: GM decided to close Bochum on Dec. 10, 2012. The last car came off the production line on Dec. 6, 2014 with closure costs of at least $866 million. Apr 10, 2013: GM pledged to invest 4 billion euros to fund 23 new cars and 13 new engines at Opel by 2016. Oct 2013: PSA and GM said they are scaling back their alliance. Mar 2013: Karl-Thomas Neumann appointed chairman of the board of Adam Opel AG and president, Europe. Dec 5, 2013: General Motors said it will drop the Chevrolet brand in Europe by the end of 2015 and focus its efforts on reviving Opel and Vauxhall. Dec 10, 2013: GM announced that company veteran Mary Barra will become CEO of GM in January 2014, while installing former investment banker and CFO Dan Ammann as president. Feb 19, 2014: The French state and China's Dongfeng each took 14 percent stakes in PSA in a 3 billion euro capital increase. The Peugeot family saw its 25.4 percent stake and 38 percent of voting rights diluted to parity with Dongfeng and the French state, ceding control of the company it founded in 1810 as a maker of tools and coffee mills. Jun 4, 2014: Opel updated its turnaround plan, pledged to reach a European market share of 8 percent in Europe, and an EBIT margin of 5 percent by 2022, by launching 27 new models and 17 new engines between 2014 to 2018. Mar 2015: GM said it will shut a Russian factory and wind down its Opel brand in the country, taking a $600 million charge. Jan 4, 2016: GM announced a $500 million investment in ride hailing firm Lyft Inc and laid out plans to develop an on-demand network of self-driving cars with the ride-sharing service. Jan 13, 2016: GM raised its profit outlook and said it will return cash to shareholders by raising its stock buyback program by 80 percent to $9 billion and increasing its dividend by 6 percent. Jan 21, 2016: GM said that it was creating a car-sharing brand, Maven, to expand the market for vehicles consumers borrow rather than own. Feb 24, 2016: PSA Group said it would consider paying a dividend for 2016 after reaching its medium-term targets ahead of schedule, helped by cost cuts. Mar 11, 2016: GM bought Cruise Automation, a San Francisco self-driving vehicle startup. Jul 2016: GM said it may need to cut costs in Europe to offset up to $400 million of potential headwinds triggered by Britain's Brexit vote. Jan 10, 2017: GM said it expected its earnings for 2016 at the high end of its previous forecast and said profits will rise in 2017. Jan 29, 2017: GM presented a new strategy to double the lifespan of vehicle platforms and increase capital spending to about $9 billion a year through 2019, up from $7 billion a year in 2014. Feb 7, 2017: GM' full-year results 2016 revealed Europe had made a $300 million euros adjusted EBIT loss. Feb 14, 2017: Reuters revealed General Motors is exploring a sale of its European arm Opel to French carmaker PSA Group. Feb 14, 2017: PSA Group and General Motors confirm they are exploring numerous strategic initiatives aiming at improving profitability and operational efficiency, including a potential acquisition of Opel Vauxhall by PSA. Feb 15, 2017: Paris-based PSA said it would despatch CEO Carlos Tavares to meet German labour and political leaders likely to include Chancellor Angela Merkel, as his GM counterpart Mary Barra visited Opel headquarters near Frankfurt. Feb 17, 2017: Germany's Economy Minister said she expects PSA Group's proposed acquisition of Opel to go ahead after hearing reassurances about preserving jobs in discussions with senior executives from GM and PSA. Feb 23, 2017: PSA Group announced its first dividend in six years and raised its medium-term profitability goal after full-year profit almost doubled. Mar 6, 2017: General Motors Co. and PSA Group said GM's Opel/Vauxhall subsidiary and GM Financial's European operations will join the PSA Group in a transaction valuing these activities at 1.3 billion euros and 0.9 billion euros, respectively. (Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)
Monday morning the White House rolled out the latest version of President Trumps immigration policy, with the president signing the revised executive order. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly detailed the revised language, which limited immigration from six majority-Muslim countries and dropped the exception carved out for religious minorities, which was seen by opponents as representing an unconstitutional form of religious discrimination.

The lineage of the order can be traced back to 2015 and the Republican primary, where in the wake of the San Bernardino shooting, then-candidate Trump called for temporarily banning Muslims from entering the United States. Below is a timeline of the travel bans evolution, from campaign promise to executive order to appeals court to todays revised version.

Dec. 7, 2015: At a campaign event in South Carolina, Trump announces his plans for a ban on Muslims traveling to the United States. By some interpretations, that could have covered not just immigrants but legal residents, even citizens. The statement read, Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countrys representatives can figure out what is going on.

Without looking at the various polling data, the statement continued, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.

July 21, 2016: During his address at the Republican National Convention, Trump said, We must immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism until such time as proven vetting mechanisms have been put in place.

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When asked whether that quote meant a slight rollback from his original ban promise on Meet the Press three days later, Trump replied: I dont think so. I actually dont think its a rollback. In fact, you could say its an expansion. Im looking now at territories. People were so upset when I used the word Muslim. Oh, you cant use the word Muslim. Remember this. And Im OK with that, because Im talking territory instead of Muslim.

Jan. 27, 2017: Late on his first full Friday in the White House, Trump signs an executive order entitled Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States. The order indefinitely barred Syrian refugees from entering the United States, suspended all refugee admissions for 120 days and blocked citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen) for 90 days.

Jan. 28: A series of protests at airports across the country take place, including a temporary halt in taxi service from JFK Airport in New York City. The ACLU wins an emergency stay on the ban in a New York federal court. Hameed Khalid Darweesh, an Iraqi interpreter who worked with U.S. military forces and had a Special Immigrant Visa, was initially detained at JFK but then released.

Its not a Muslim ban, but we were totally prepared. Its working out very nicely. You see it at the airports, you see it all over, said Trump when asked about how the order was working.

Jan. 29: The Department of Homeland Security releases a statement saying that green card holders would be exempt from the ban. The White House had initially said that they would be subject to additional screening.

In an interview with Fox News, former New York City mayor and Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani said that Trump had asked him about how to legally implement a Muslim ban.

Jan. 30: Acting Attorney General Sally Yates is fired by Trump for refusing to defend the order. At present, wrote Yates in a letter to Justice Department lawyers, I am not convinced that the defense of the Executive Order is consistent with these responsibilities nor am I convinced that the Executive Order is lawful. Consequently, for as long as I am the Acting Attorney General, the Department of Justice will not present arguments in defense of the Executive Order, unless and until I become convinced that it is appropriate to do so.

Ms. Yates is an Obama Administration appointee who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration, read the White House statement announcing her termination. It is time to get serious about protecting our country. Calling for tougher vetting for individuals travelling from seven dangerous places is not extreme. It is reasonable and necessary to protect our country.

It was later reported that Yates had also advised the White House about former National Security Adviser Michael Flynns contact with Russian officials.

Trump tweets, If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the bad would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad dudes out there!

The revised order signed Monday doesnt go into effect for 10 days.

Former President Barack Obamas office releases a statement:

President Obama is heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country, Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said. In his final official speech as president, he spoke about the important role of citizens and how all Americans have a responsibility to be the guardians of our democracy  not just during an election but every day.

Citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake. With regard to comparisons to President Obamas foreign policy decisions, as weve heard before, the president fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion.

The state of Washington announces it is suing Trump over the ban, attempting to have it declared unconstitutional and asking for a temporary restraining order against its enforcement. It is joined by Minnesota.

Jan. 31: White House press secretary Sean Spicer argues at a White House press briefing that the order is not a ban.

I think the president has talked about extreme vetting and the need to keep America safe for a very, very long time. At the same time, hes also made very clear that this is not a Muslim ban. Its not a travel ban. Its a vetting system to keep America safe. Thats it plain and simple, and all of the facts, and a reading of it, clearly show that thats what it is, Spicer said.

Yahoo News pointed out that Giuliani did not say the ban was based on religion, but instead suggested that it arose as a result of a desire for a Muslim ban.

Then you should ask Mayor Giuliani, Spicer replied. Thats  thats his opinion. Im just telling you what the president has said, and what the president has done has been to focus on making sure that we keep the country safe and that the executive order that was drafted does just that.

Feb. 3: Federal Judge James Robart rules in favor of the states of Washington and Minnesota in a national halt of the executive order. The executive order adversely affects the states residents in areas of employment, education, business, family relations and freedom to travel, Robart, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote. These harms are significant and ongoing.

The White House responded with a written statement: At the earliest possible time, the Department of Justice intends to file an emergency stay of this outrageous order and defend the executive order of the President, which we believe is lawful and appropriate. The presidents order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people.

The White House later issued a revised statement without the word outrageous.

The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned! said Trump via Twitter.

What is our country coming to when a judge can halt a Homeland Security travel ban and anyone, even with bad intentions, can come into U.S.? continued Trump. Because the ban was lifted by a judge, many very bad and dangerous people may be pouring into our country. A terrible decision. The judge opens up our country to potential terrorists and others that do not have our best interests at heart. Bad people are very happy!

U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton rules in favor of the ban in a suit filed by the ACLU of Massachusetts, refusing to issue the stay because he believed the administration was likely to prevail, on the grounds that the president has broad powers over immigration.

Feb. 9: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rules 3-0 to uphold Robarts stay. The three judges said the states had shown that even temporary reinstatement of the ban would cause harm and that the U.S. government had not offered any evidence of national security concerns to justify banning travel from the seven countries.

Trump responded by tweeting, SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!

Feb. 10: At a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump is asked about how he would respond to the Ninth Circuit ruling against his order: Well be doing something very rapidly having to do with additional security for our country. Youll be seeing that sometime next week. In addition, we will continue to go through the court process, and ultimately I have no doubt that well win that particular case.

Feb. 16: In a press conference, Trump says that hell institute a new immigration order, backing away from attempting to take the original immigration ban case to the Supreme Court.

Rather than continuing this litigation, the President intends in the near future to rescind the Order and replace it with a new, substantially revised Executive Order to eliminate what the panel erroneously thought were constitutional concerns, wrote Justice Department lawyers. In so doing, the President will clear the way for immediately protecting the country rather than pursuing further, potentially time-consuming litigation.

Feb. 21: In a town hall on Fox News, White House policy adviser Stephen Miller says that the new immigration order will be fundamentally the same as the original order.

One of the big differences that you are going to see in the executive order is that it is going to be responsive to the judicial ruling which didnt exist previously, said Miller. And so these are mostly minor, technical differences. Fundamentally, you are still going to have the same, basic policy outcome for the country.

March 1: Plans to sign the executive order are pushed back following Trumps joint address to Congress. A senior administration official told CNN, We want the [executive order] to have its own moment.

March 6: Trump signs the revised immigration ban, which includes the original seven countries except for Iraq. The order goes into effect March 16 and revokes the Jan. 27 order.

Related Slideshow: Jackson Heights Muslim enclave in the New York City melting pot >>>
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The bitter diplomatic dispute between North Korea and Malaysia over the poisoning death of leader Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother escalated dramatically Tuesday, with Pyongyang saying it had banned Malaysians from leaving North Korea. That was followed quickly by Malaysia saying North Korean embassy staff were barred from leaving its country. Malaysia had already expelled the North Korean ambassador on Monday. The North's Foreign Ministry told the Malaysian Embassy in Pyongyang that it would temporarily ban the exit of Malaysian citizens now in the North, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. It said the exit ban will be valid "until the safety of the diplomats and citizens of (North Korea) in Malaysia is fully guaranteed through the fair settlement of the case that occurred in Malaysia." Malaysia is pursuing several North Korean suspects allegedly involved in the killing, including a diplomat at the North's Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

A Malaysian official says the country is preventing North Korean diplomats from leaving because Pyongyang "manipulated" the murder case involving the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half brother. Malaysia banned North Korean Embassy officials and staff from leaving on Tuesday, soon after North Korea barred all Malaysians from exiting that country. Relations between the countries have been disintegrating since Kim Jong Nam was attacked with a nerve agent at a Kuala Lumpur airport terminal Feb. 13. Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says Malaysia did not want to retaliate but added, "When we are confronted with a country that has breached international diplomatic norms and ethics, we have no choice." He said Malaysia was forced to act because North Korea had "manipulated what we call a murder case."

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  U.S. missile launchers and other equipment needed to set up a controversial missile defense system have arrived in South Korea, the U.S. and South Korean militaries said Tuesday, a day after North Korea test-launched four ballistic missiles into the ocean near Japan. The plans to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, within this year have angered not only North Korea, but also China and Russia, which see the system's powerful radars as a security threat. Washington and Seoul say the system is defensive and not meant to be a threat to Beijing or Moscow.

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea on Monday fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) on average, with three of them landing in waters that Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone, South Korean and Japanese officials said. The test-launches appeared to be a reaction to huge U.S.-South Korean military drills that those countries consider routine but that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal. It was not immediately clear the exact type of missile fired, but the tests will be viewed as a provocation by the Trump administration, which is working on its policy for North Korea.

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  North Korea warned Monday that U.S.-South Korean military exercises, which it called "the most undisguised nuclear war maneuvers," are driving the Korean Peninsula and northeast Asia toward "nuclear disaster." The North Korean ambassador to the United Nations, Ja Song Nam, said in a letter to the U.N. Security Council that the U.S. is using nuclear-propelled aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, nuclear strategic bombers and stealth fighters in the joint exercises that began Wednesday. "It may go over to an actual war," Ja warned of the military drills, "and, consequently, the situation on the Korean Peninsula is again inching to the brink of a nuclear war." The letter was sent a few hours after North Korea fired four banned ballistic missiles, in apparent reaction to the U.S.-South Korean exercises.

BEIJING (AP)  China's announcement of a 7 percent rise in military spending for the year came shortly after President Donald Trump called for a 10 percent increase in America's defense budget, prompting renewed scrutiny of how the two countries' capabilities compare. While the U.S. military remains the dominant force in Asia and the world, China has been moving from quantity to quality and is catching up quickly in equipment, organization and capability, and is increasingly able to project power far from its shores. Rapid economic growth, lavish spending and a desire to regain China's historical role as East Asia's leading power are helping drive the moves.

TOKYO (AP)  A survey by the anti-graft group Transparency International shows that bribery and other forms of corruption are hindering poverty alleviation and hurting public health in Asia by channeling resources away from those who need them. The survey, released Tuesday, estimated that more than 900 million people in the region had paid bribes in the past year to obtain basic public services like schooling and health care. Nearly seven in 10 Indians surveyed had paid such bribes. The heavy reliance of cash payments in corruption was a major factor driving Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision in October to scrap as legal tender the 500- and 1,000-rupee notes that made up 86 percent of the country's currency.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP)  A lawyer for one of the women accused of poisoning the estranged half brother of North Korea's leader says there are serious holes in the case. In an interview published Sunday by Vietnam's state-run online newspaper Zing, attorney Selvam Shanmugam, who represents Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam, said allegations that the North Korean man had existing health problems should be cause for a new autopsy. Kim Yong Nam was fatally poisoned at Kuala Lumpur airport on Feb. 13, and so far Doan Thi Huong and an Indonesian woman have been charged with murder. Malaysian authorities say the toxic VX nerve agent was used in the attack.

SYDNEY (AP)  A British backpacker was sexually assaulted and held captive for weeks in the Australian Outback before being rescued by police who pulled over the car she was driving during a routine traffic stop, officials said Tuesday. Queensland state police officers noticed the 22-year-old woman had facial injuries and appeared distressed when they stopped the four-wheel drive along a highway in the rural town of Mitchell on Sunday. The officers then found a 22-year-old man hiding in a storage alcove in the back of the vehicle, police said. Police say the two had met three months earlier in the northeast city of Cairns, where the man lived.

BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Union has condemned North Korea for firing four banned ballistic missiles and said it would consult with Japan and international partners on how to react. Officials say the North Korean missiles were fired early Monday with three landing in waters that Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone. The test-launches appeared to be a reaction to huge U.S.-South Korean military drills that those countries consider routine but that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal. EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said launches were "in utter disregard" of several U.N. resolutions and further raised tension in the region.
PARIS (Reuters) - An emergency meeting of the French conservative party's leadership unanimously backed Francois Fillon as candidate for the presidential election, Senate leader Gerard Larcher said, despite a scandal over alleged misuse of public funds. The leader of the conservative The Republicans' party, Bernard Accoyer, confirmed the deal, saying the party had reunited and was re-launching Fillon's campaign. Former French prime minister Alain Juppe had earlier on Monday ruled out replacing scandal-hit Fillon in the coming presidential election but offered no alternative candidates. (Reporting by Sophie Louet; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Adrian Croft)
Putting off for at least a year any final ruling on the rights of transgender students under federal civil rights law, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered a federal appeals court to make a new review of a high-profile Virginia case, including an analysis of the change in policy by the Trump Administration.

For the 17-year-old transgender boy at the center of the case, Gavin Grimm, the Courts action means that he probably will graduate from high school in June without knowing whether he will win or lose his case. At a minimum, though, the new order wipes out the preliminary victory he had won in lower courts. That victory, however, was temporarily on hold while the Supreme Court acted on the case in an appeal by the school board.

For the transgender rights community, which has led what has become the nations latest civil rights movement, its desire to have a clear-cut and final Supreme Court ruling on whether discrimination based on gender identity is illegal will now have to wait for further developments in lower courts across the nation. There is no realistic possibility of a final Supreme Court decision for at least a year.

The Court had agreed to rule on the case of Gloucester County School Board v. G.G. to decide whether the 1972 federal civil rights law (Title IX) that bans discrimination on the basis of sex also bans discrimination based on gender identity. That category refers to people who were assigned one gender at birth but later accept that they are of the opposite gender.

Gavin Grimm was assigned female gender when he was born in May 1999. When Gavin was denied access to the boys bathroom at his high school in the small town of Gloucester Courthouse in Virginia, under his identity as a boy. he and his mother sued the school board under Title IX. When their case reached the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, they won. That court relied primarily upon the view of the Obama Administration that Title IX does reach gender identity discrimination. That was the lower court ruling that the Supreme Court had previously put on hold and, on Monday, vacated. A hearing on the case that had been set for March 28 will not now be held.

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The Justices action on Monday, taken without any Justice noting a dissent, followed the disclosure last month to the Court by the Trump Administration that it was withdrawing the Obama Administration view. Although the new governments lawyers insisted at the time that they had not made up their own minds on the scope of Title IX, they did stop enforcing the Obama approach across the nation, and so notified school systems. (Title IX bans discrimination in education programs supported by federal funds.)

When the Fourth Circuit Court gets the case back from the Supreme Court, it is expected to ask lawyers for the school hoard and for the youth involved to file new briefs giving their reaction to the Trump Administration review. In addition, the Circuit Court is likely to invite the Trump Justice Department to spell out more precisely just where it stands on the meaning and reach of Title IXs ban on sex discrimination. As of now, the federal government is not a party in the case.

There is no timetable yet on when the case might move forward in the Fourth Circuit Court.

That case, or some other, could reach the Supreme Court for a new test of the legal issue. There are significant cases now unfolding in North Carolina on that states law on the use of restrooms in all state buildings, and in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit involving 12 states challenge to the Obama Administration policy on the scope of Title IX.

After the Trump Administration took its own stance against the Obama view, the Supreme Court asked both sides in the Virginia case to react. Both sides replied that the Justices should go forward and decide the issue.

The Court chose not to take that advice, opting to let the lower court take a new look.

By the time a new case reaches the Supreme Court in the future, the Court may have a full bench of nine Justices. There had been an indication earlier in the Courts handling of the Virginia case that it might result in a 4-to-4 tie; that would settle nothing.

Although Gavin Grimm is scheduled to graduate from high school on June 10, that would not spell the end of his case. He still has pending a claim for damages for the school boards treatment of him on access to restrooms. That claim is based not only on Title IX, but also the U.S. Constitution.

If he loses on the Title IX claim, that would shift the focus to the constitutional claim, based on the Fourteenth Amendments guarantee of legal equality. It is not clear as of now whether that guarantee extends to transgender people. So far, the lower courts that have ruled on the Virginia case have not ruled on that separate question.

Legendary journalist Lyle Denniston is Constitution Dailys Supreme Court correspondent. Denniston has written for us as a contributor since June 2011 and has covered the Supreme Court since 1958. His work also appears on lyldenlawnews.com, where this story first appeared.
President Donald Trump accused President Barack over the weekend of wiretapping him during the 2016 presidential election, comparing it to the anti-communist probes in the 1950s known as McCarthy hearings. "Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory," Trump tweeted Saturday. "Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!"

Trump offered no evidence to support his claims, which might remind many Americans of the McCarthy hearings, an era known as the Red Scare that targeted liberals in American by labeling them communists despite little evidence to back such accusations. Trump's lifelong attorney, Ray Cohn, was also close to former U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the lawmaker who started the probes.

So what exactly is McCarthyism? After the Soviet Union and United States worked together to defeat Nazi Germany in World War II, Washington became concerned about the global spread of communism. McCarthy, a Republican from Wisconsin, stroked such tensions by alleging that communist spies had infiltrated the U.S. government. His claims saw people blackballed simply for being accused of having communist affiliations, despite a special Senate subcommittee concluding after an investigation that McCarthy's charges were a fraud and a hoax,

Decades later, Repulicans are comparing calls for an investigation into the Trump administration's ties to Russia to McCarthy's hearings. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, a Republican lawmaker from California, has said calls for a special prosecutor to investigation Trump and his advisers are based on speculation, not facts. "This is almost like McCarthyism revisited," Nunes told reporters in February. Were going to go on a witch hunt against innocent Americans?"

Trump's critics have also cited McCarthy to blast the White House. "Sen. McCarthy excelled at building on the public's FUD - Fears, Uncertainties and Doubts. At the time, Americans were terribly afraid of communists. Fearful they would ruin the U.S. social order and make the country into the next Soviet Union. So Sen. McCarthy conveniently blamed all social ills on communist infiltrators - people working in government jobs who were set on destroying the country. He then would accuse those he didn't like of being communists," a Forbes op-ed read in 2016. "Few have ever demonstrated the skills of McCarthyism better than Mr. Trump."

Related Articles
Conflicts of interest have been a permanent fixture of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. But a new report from the New Yorker shines a damning spotlight on one of Trumps most ethically hazy deals, and one that may leave the Trump Organization open to federal prosecution: The Trump Organizations work to build and manage a hotel in Azerbaijan in partnership with corrupt oligarchs, themselves apparently linked to individuals tight with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

To build the Trump International Hotel & Tower Baku  a project conceived in 2008, and nearly finished, but never opened to the public  the Trump Organization worked with the family of Azerbaijans transportation minister and a powerful oligarch, Ziya Mammadov. The project has plenty of problems  its in the wrong part of town, and cant compete with existing high-end hotels there  but seems likely to have fallen prey to the notoriously lax local ethics for business dealings.

Adam Davidson describes in great detail in his investigative report how Mammadov was known as notoriously corrupt even for Azerbaijan, in a U.S. diplomatic cable leaked by WikiLeaks years ago. He and his family also have close ties to a prominent Iranian business family, the Darvishis, whose members headed Revolutionary Guard-controlled firms that the U.S. government accused of sponsoring terrorism abroad and engaging in illicit activity including drug trafficking and money laundering.

With the Baku hotel deal, the Trump Organization may have violated federal corruption laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the New Yorker notes. The heart of the problem seems to be little due diligence before Trump jumped into the project, even though the country is known for being corrupt, his partners were billionaires on a $12,000-a-year-government salary, and corrupt practices were so commonly talked about they litter the State Department cables released by WikiLeaks and featured prominently in a 2014 Foreign Policy piece, The Corleones of the Caspian.

The entire Baku deal is a giant red flag  the direct involvement of foreign government officials and their relatives in Azerbaijan with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Corruption warning signs are rarely more obvious, Jessica Tillipman, an FCPA expert and assistant dean at George Washington University Law School, told the New Yorker.



The Trump Organizations Baku project shows the lack of extreme vetting Mr. Trump applied to his own business dealings in corruption-plagued regimes around the globe. Congress  and the Trump Administration itself  has a duty to examine whether the President or his family is exposed to terrorist financing, sanctions, money laundering, and other imprudent associations through their business holdings and connections, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said in an email to New Yorker.



The Baku hotel isnt of course the only conflict of interest Trump faces with his sprawling business empire that spans over 20 countries. He pledged to divest himself from his business, ceding oversight of day-to-day operations to his sons Don Jr. and Eric, but retains financial interest in the company. But ethics experts, including the Office of Government Ethics director Walter Shaub, said Trump wasnt doing enough to divest his business interests while serving as president. Critics fear Trump could weigh his companys profits in making policy.



People pay a $200,000 initiation fee to join the Trump-owned Florida Mar-a-Lago resort, and rub elbows with top Trump officials and cabinet members as he installs the White House there every weekend thanks to taxpayer largesse. (Lucky club members can watch real-time national security briefings on an open-air terrace.)

Foreign diplomats are flocking to stay at Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C. Several administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, even live there during the week, feeding more money to the Trump brand. The Trump Organization pledged to scrap foreign business dealings in January, but it its already violating that deal. Eric Trump flew to Uruguay in January for a business trip that cost the taxpayers nearly $100,000 in security. And Don Jr. was likely paid at least $50,000 to speak at an event in France, an event organized by friends of the Russian government.

American taxpayers arent the only ones shouldering the cost of Trumps business empire. According to the New Yorker, the Azerbaijani government forcibly evicted 30 families from their homes in 2011 to build a project of crucial government significance. That project was the still-never-opened Trump Hotel.



Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Correction, March 6, 2016: Donald Trump Jr.s Paris speaking appearance was organized by the Center of Political and Foreign Affairs, a think tank whose president is friendly with the Russian government. Due to editorial oversight, a previous version of this article mistakenly said the Russian government organized the event.
Donald Trump insists he will be proven right over claims his predecessor Barack Obama wiretapped the Trump Tower before the 2016 presidential election, Newsmax Media CEO Christopher Ruddy wrote in an article Sunday. Ruddy, who runs the conservative-leaning media house, is known to be a longtime friend of Trump.

In a series of tweets early Saturday, the president alleged the Obama administration snooped on him last October when he was the Republican presidential candidate. The 70-year-old did not back his claims with any evidence. However, according to Ruddy, Trump said he will investigate whether Obama really had wires tapped at the Trump Tower.

I spoke with the President twice yesterday about the wiretap story. I havent seen him this pissed off in a long time, Ruddy wrote in the article on Newsmax. When I mentioned Obama denials about the wiretaps, he shot back: This will be investigated, it will all come out. I will be proven right.

Obama, through his spokesman, denied the allegations, and former National Director of Intelligence James Clapper and Sen. Mark Rubio, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday they do not know of such surveillance on Trump.

However, conservative talk radio host Mark Levin said on Fox & Friends there is an overwhelming evidence the Obama administration spied on Trump and that Democrats are trying to cover it up.

The FBI sought and was granted a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court order, Levin said, even though Clapper maintained such an order was not issued for Trump Tower to any of the agencies under his jurisdiction.

Furthermore, Levin alleged the FBI, CIA, the National Security Agency, the Justice Department and two other agencies started a probe on Trump and his team in October as part of the investigation into Russias activities. He also cited a Guardian story saying the FBI applied for a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in order to monitor four members of the Trump team during the election campaign.

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The Democrats, including Rep. Adam Schiff (California) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (California), and Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis slammed Trumps allegations.

A cardinal rule of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice ... as part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false, Lewis said.

On Sunday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer urged Congress to include Trumps wiretapping claims into its investigation on Russias involvement in the presidential election. Also, according to a New York Times report, FBI Director James Comey asked the Justice Department this weekend to publicly deny Trumps wiretapping allegations. Senior authorities told the daily Sunday that Comey said Trumps claims against Obama were false and asked the Justice Department on Saturday to correct the record. However, the department has not released any statement in this regard.

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President Donald Trump is expected to sign Monday a new executive order on his controversial travel ban at the Department of Homeland Security, according to senior government officials familiar with the matter, the POLITICO reported. The new version of his executive order on immigration will exclude Iraq, which is a key ally in U.S.' fight against the Islamic State group.

Iraq has been removed from the original list at the insistence of the Pentagon and State Department as officials feared that if Iraq featured on the travel ban list, it could obstruct the U.S. fight against the Islamic State, according to ABC News.

The new executive order will temporarily stop all refugees from coming to the U.S., a senior administration official said, as reported by various media publications. The previous order included a 120-day ban on all refugees, except Syria, which was barred indefinitely. However, the new ban would remove the extra restrictions on Syrian refugees, the New York Times reported.

It remains unclear how long the temporary ban would go on.

Trump administration officials have pointed out the new order aims to overcome the legal challenges to the previous one. The new order's goals will remain the same  to prevent terrorists from entering the U.S., while the government reviews the vetting system for refugees and visa applicants from certain parts of the world, the Times reported.

On Jan. 27, Trump had signed an executive order halting all refugee admissions and temporarily barring people from seven Muslim-majority countries  Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya and Yemen. Instantly, there was chaos at airports around the world. Many passengers, who had green cards that allowed them to live and work in the U.S., were also barred from flights into the country. Others who had visas were unsure whether they would be allowed to enter the U.S. and many of those who could manage to arrive at airports in the U.S. were stopped.

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The January executive order was criticized by several former high-ranking diplomats, security officials and even CEOs of companies such as Apple, Google, Ford, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Uber, Netflix and Starbucks, CNN had reported in January.

The new order had been rumored for several weeks but was postponed from Wednesday after Trump's speech to the Congress. His team apparently wanted to keep the momentum going from the address, POLITICO reported.

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By Steve Holland and Julia Edwards Ainsley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump signed a revised executive order on Monday banning citizens from six Muslim-majority nations from traveling to the United States but removing Iraq from the list, after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts. The new order, which takes effect on March 16, keeps a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It applies only to new visa applicants, meaning some 60,000 people whose visas were revoked under the previous order will now be permitted to enter. Immigration advocates said the new ban still discriminated against Muslims and failed to address some of their concerns with the previous order. Legal experts said it would, however, be harder to challenge because it affects fewer people living in the United States and allows more exemptions to protect them. Trump, who first proposed a temporary travel ban on Muslims during his presidential campaign last year, had said his original Jan. 27 executive order was a national security measure meant to head off attacks by Islamist militants. It sparked chaos and protests at airports, where visa holders were detained and later deported back to their home countries. It also drew criticism from targeted countries, Western allies and some of America's leading corporations before a U.S. judge suspended it on Feb. 3. "As threats to our security continue to evolve and change, common sense dictates that we continually re-evaluate and reassess the systems we rely upon to protect our country," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters after Trump signed the new order. PELOSI SAYS BAN STILL 'IMMORAL' Democrats, a minority in Congress, quickly signaled fierce opposition to what they called a discriminatory ban. "The Trump administrations repackaging has done nothing to change the immoral, unconstitutional and dangerous goals of their Muslim and refugee ban," House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, a civil rights group in Washington, said the Trump administration had "doubled down on anti-Muslim bigotry." She told reporters on a conference call: "Its crystal clear this is a Muslim ban." But some Republicans who had been critical of Trump's original order were more positive on the new one. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was "very encouraged" by the approach and pleased that Iraq was removed from the list. Iraq was taken off the banned list because the Iraqi government has imposed new vetting procedures, such as heightened visa screening and data sharing, and because of its work with the United States in countering Islamic State militants, a senior White House official said. Trump's original ban resulted in more than two dozen lawsuits in U.S. courts. The Justice Department estimated 60,000 people had their visas revoked by the first order but senior administration officials said on Monday those visas were now valid again for entry into the United States. "By rescinding his earlier executive order, President Trump makes one thing perfectly clear: his original travel ban was indefensible - legally, constitutionally and morally," said Attorney General Bob Ferguson of Washington state, which succeeded in having the previous ban suspended. His office will likely decide this week on whether to proceed with litigation over the new order, he said. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he expected the revised order to have the same uphill battle in the courts as the original version. "A watered down ban is still a ban," he said in a statement. "Despite the administration's changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited, and un-American. It must be repealed." HARDER TO CHALLENGE The fact the ban affects fewer people already in the United States means it will be more difficult for opponents to find plaintiffs who have been harmed by the order and thus have legal standing to challenge it, legal experts said. The revised order expressly makes waivers possible for a foreign national seeking to enter the United States to visit a spouse, child or parent who is a U.S. citizen, or for "significant business or professional obligations." "They dotted their i's and crossed their t's in trying to anticipate what litigation might result," said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a Cornell Law School professor. The revised order means that tens of thousands of legal permanent U.S. residents - or green card holders - from the listed countries will no longer be affected. The original order barred travelers from the seven nations from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days. Refugees from Syria were to be banned indefinitely but under the new order they are not given separate treatment. Refugees "in transit" and already approved would be able to travel to the United States under the new order. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who along with several other senior Cabinet members had lobbied for Iraq's removal from the list of banned countries, was consulted on the new order and the updated version "does reflect his inputs," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said. Thousands of Iraqis have fought alongside U.S. troops for years or worked as translators since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Many have resettled in the United States after being threatened for working with U.S. troops. (Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Doina Chiacu, Tim Ahmann and Idrees Ali in Washington, Mica Rosenberg in New York and Dan Levine in San Francisco; Editing by Bill Trott, Nick Tattersall and Bill Rigby)
Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump signed a revised ban on refugees and on travelers from six Muslim-majority nations Monday, scaling back the order to exempt Iraqis and permanent US residents.

With his first attempt frozen by federal courts, Trump signed a second order suspending refugee admissions for 120 days and halting new visas for travelers from Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan.

The White House said Trump -- who is embroiled in controversy over his aides' links to Russia and his own Twitter outbursts -- signed the order behind closed doors Monday morning.

The new order comes into effect on March 16 and is meant to address legal problems. It explicitly exempts Iraqis, legal permanent residents and valid visa holders.

"The principles of the executive order remain the same," said White House spokesman Sean Spicer.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, one of three cabinet members rolled out to present the order in Trump's absence, described it as "a vital measure" for strengthening national security.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions added that it "provides a needed pause" allowing a review of how America deals with travelers from "countries of concern."

"Three of these nations are state sponsors of terrorism," Sessions said, referring to Iran, Sudan and Syria.

He added that others had served as "safe havens" for terror operatives.

Critics questioned the composition of the list, which includes citizens from countries that have never been involved in terror attacks in the United States.

Non-governmental groups accused Trump of covertly pursuing his controversial and possibly illegal campaign promise of a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States."

The question of Trump's intent is likely to dominate new legal challenges that are already being flagged by organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union.

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"President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people," said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU's Immigrant Rights Project.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the measure should be repealed, adding: "A watered down ban is still a ban."

Dozens of protesters rallied outside the White House on Monday night, holding signs with messages like "Fight ignorance, not immigrants."

Caroline Short, 29, rejected the idea that the ban would make America safer.

"Totally ridiculous... It will be used as a tool for people that want to say America hates Muslims," she said.

- Travel ban, take two -

Trump's first order had sparked a legal, political and logistical furor.

There was chaos at major airports and mass protests while several district courts moved to block its implementation and lawmakers expressed opposition.

The troubled rollout also dominated the first weeks of the new administration, leaving many with the impression that it was badly planned and badly implemented.

Polls show American public opinion is deeply divided on the issue. Most indicate a slight majority of voters opposed, with strong support among Trump's political base.

The Republican president criticized a court order suspending the ban as "a very bad decision, very bad for the safety and security of our country. The rollout was perfect."

But he has now stepped away from a promise to challenge the matter in the courts. The second order repeals the first, spelling the end of any pending legal proceedings.

Whatever the legal outcome, Trump's new ban is likely to polarize opinion further and be immensely popular with his core supporters.

- Shoulder to shoulder -

Iraq's inclusion in the first order prompted outrage in that country, including from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

The US and Iraqi militaries are currently fighting side-by-side in northern Iraq, trying to wrest the city of Mosul from Islamic State control.

The Iraqi foreign ministry on Monday expressed its "deep satisfaction" with the new order, and described it as an "important step" in strengthening relations between Baghdad and Washington.

But the revised travel ban is also likely to sow further confusion about US immigration policies.

On Monday, Nigeria advised its citizens against all but essential travel to the United States, citing the lack of clarity on new immigration rules.

"In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to Nigeria," said special adviser to the president Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

According to a report released Monday by travel data firm Forwardkeys, travel from the United States to the Middle East has also fallen sharply, with bookings for departure in the next three months falling 25.4 percent behind the equivalent time last year.

- Roiled by Russia -

But the ban is likely to help Trump divert attention from rolling crises on his ties with Russia.

Since US intelligence publicly accused Russia of trying to swing the November election in Trump's favor, questions have swirled about whether some in Trump's campaign colluded with Moscow.

The last week has seen his attorney general recuse himself from election-related investigations, after it emerged he met the Russian ambassador in Washington twice during the campaign.

It has also seen Trump level unsubstantiated allegations that former president Barack Obama ordered a wiretap on the now president's phone.
President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on Monday morning to again ban travel to the United States for citizens from six Muslim-majority countries, removing Iraq from a prior list of banned nations at the behest of military commanders and national security specialists.

The new order also lifts the previous, indefinite ban on refugees from Syria  they will face the same 120-day freeze as would-be travelers from other countries  and removes the the preference for religious minorities that featured in the administrations first stab at a travel ban.

The new ban, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on March 16, replaces the order Trump signed on Jan. 27 that sparked chaos at airports across the country and the world, and which ultimately was blocked by a federal appeals court. The court found that the White House failed to provide sufficient evidence that citizens of those countries banned originally  Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen  posed a national security threat, among other critiques.

Iraq is an important ally in fight to defeat ISIS, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said later Monday after the White House had confirmed the president signed the order.

But the Trump administration maintains that the order is not an acknowledgement the initial mandate was unlawful. Further, the administration still believes the courts do not have the right to review such immigration decisions  an argument it may soon find itself repeating, as the new order could well run into similar legal challenges.

The Constitution gave such power to the White House, knowing the president would possess such extensive information about potential threats from investigative agencies and the military, Attorney General Jeff Sessions added. Congress gave the president the authority and duty to protect the nation. This executive order is a proper exercise of that power.

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A senior Department of Homeland Security official said on a background call before the new order was announced, We were confident we would prevail in the ultimate disposition. But because of the quagmire of legal action Trump decided to go forward with a new order. We want to stress that there was nothing wrong with that first executive order, the official said.

The White House sought to justify the hurried rollout of the initial travel ban on national security grounds, but deliberately delayed the release of the new order because of positive reception to the presidents speech last Tuesday, according to reports. Officials directed queries about the delay to the White House, but said their initial security concerns remain.

I dont think the underlying, very real security concerns were changed in any way by any external events that are ongoing, the DHS official said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, (D-N.Y.), pointed to those reports about the delay in saying the new ban is not a national security necessity.

A watered down ban is still a ban, Schumer said in a statement after the announcement. Despite their best efforts, I fully expect this executive order to have the same uphill climb in the courts that the previous version had.

One likely point of contention with the new order will be the administrations argument that the six banned countries are somehow linked to terrorism in the United States. Officials on the call said the FBI is currently investigating for potential terrorist ties 300 people admitted to the United States as refugees, a number Sessions later emphasized in public remarks.

But that number is neither limited to the six countries included in the ban, nor to recent arrivals, officials said. They declined to provide any more information about the statistic that might support their contention of a security threat. Citizens from countries not included in the ban, like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have taken part in acts of terrorism against the United States.

The officials also rejected a draft DHS report that found little evidence that refugees or visa applicants from the seven countries originally banned posed a threat. There is no known case of recently admitted refugees conducting a deadly terrorist attack on U.S. soil; nor is there research suggesting citizens of the banned countries have a proclivity for terror at rates higher than native-born Americans.

Omar Jadwat, director of the the American Civil Liberties Unions Immigrants Rights Project, said the new order was simply a repackaged version of the original Muslim ban and still based on religious discrimination. The changes the Trump administration has made, and everything weve learned since the original ban rolled out, completely undermine the bogus national security justifications the president has tried to hide behind and only strengthen the case against his unconstitutional executive orders, he said in statement.

But officials said the new order targets nations from which the United States cannot adequately vet individuals, rather than singling out Muslim-majority countries.

This is not a Muslim ban in any way shape or form, this is a temporary suspension of entry for nationals from six countries that are either failed states at this point or state sponsors of terror, where adequate vetting is impossible, the DHS official said. Hundreds of millions of Muslims are still free to travel to the United States, the official added.

Under the new order, anyone who held a valid, multiple-entry visa, or legal permanent residence status as of the date of the initial order, will still be allowed to enter the United States. Future visa applicants from the six countries would be barred for 90 days, and all refugees, from any country, for 120 days.

The State Department and others are working to restore and assist those whose valid visas were physically revoked at airports or embassies so that they would be allowed to travel to the United States again. Initially the State Department said anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 visas were revoked by the initial order and even more people affected by its hasty rollout.

While before Trump took office, the United States refugee screening process was among the strictest in the world, taking an average of 18 to 24 months, Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Monday morning after Tillerson and Sessions spoke that potential terrorists are seeking to take advantage.

Enemies often use our own freedoms and generosity against us, Kelly said. Un-vetted, unregulated travel is not a privilege, especially when national security is at stake.

This story was updated at 11:55 a.m. to include remarks from Tillerson, Sessions, Kelly, and Schumer.

This story was updated at 12:24 p.m. to include remarks from the American Civil Liberties Union.

Kavitha Surana contributed to this report.

Photo Credit: Zach Gibson / Stringer
By Noah Barkin BERLIN (Reuters) - In 2008, the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel, Angela Merkel delivered a speech in the Knesset in which she described relations between Germany and Israel as "excellent". "Yes, our relations are special, indeed unique, marked by enduring responsibility for the past, shared values, mutual trust, abiding solidarity for one another and shared confidence," the German chancellor told members of the Israeli parliament, many of whom rose to their feet to applaud. Nine years on, it seems unlikely that Merkel would depict ties in the same glowing light. Political relations between Germany and Israel have sunk to their lowest point in several years, German officials say. And there is concern in Berlin that ties could become even more strained with Donald Trump as U.S. president. He has expressed ambivalence about the creation of a Palestinian state - a central aim of German policy in the Middle East - and offered only the mildest of criticism of Israeli settlements. Israeli officials also quietly acknowledge that relations are at a low point although they say the links between the two countries are still strong. The extent of the strains between Germany and Israel was underscored last month when Merkel canceled a summit with Netanyahu that was due to take place in Jerusalem in May. The official explanation was that Berlin was too busy with its G20 presidency. But German officials said privately that the main reason was anger over Netanyahu's plans, unveiled in the weeks after Trump took office, to accelerate settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and to legalize thousands of homes built on privately-held Palestinian land. "Netanyahu does not listen to us and the situation may only get worse with Trump," said one senior German official, who acknowledged that relations with Israel's right-wing government had been "completely pared back". In Israel, an official described the cancellation of the summit as a sign of "deep, deep displeasure" with Netanyahu, but argued that Berlin's main gripe was with Trump. "Germany is really angry with Trump, but they can't afford to express it or take him on directly because he's too strong," the official said. Kerstin Mueller, who runs the Tel Aviv office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation, a left-leaning German think tank, said recent developments may force Berlin to reexamine its relationship with Israel - a country towards which it feels a deep attachment and obligation because of the Holocaust. "The sense of responsibility is still there but I don't know how long it will hold," Mueller said. "The special relationship between Germany and Israel is not set in stone. In fact it looks right now like it may be in danger." GROWING GAP In an interview Yakov Hadas-Handelsman, Israel's ambassador to Germany, pointed to the strong ties between civil society in Germany and Israel, a surge in the number of young Israelis who visit the trendy German capital, and a steady back-and-forth of lawmakers and ministers between Berlin and Jerusalem. Germany's Justice Minister Heiko Maas was in Israel last month, Bundestag President Norbert Lammert is visiting this month and Germany's new Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel is considering a trip before Easter. But Hadas-Handelsman acknowledged a growing gap between the Israel-friendly stance that has guided German governments for decades and an increasingly skeptical population, particularly among younger Germans who do not feel a sense of responsibility for the Holocaust. A 2015 Bertelsmann Foundation study on the relationship showed that 77 percent of Germans believed it was time to "leave the past behind". Some 66 percent expressed anger that Germans were still blamed for crimes against Jews. Among respondents between the ages 18 and 29, 79 percent felt this way. "The more time that passes, the more difficult it will be to maintain the unique relationship even if there are no political disagreements," Hadas-Handelsman told Reuters. Ties between the countries run deep. Germany is a major sponsor of scientific research in Israel. It supplies the Israeli navy with submarines, financing a substantial portion of the costs itself. And economic relations are strong. Bilateral trade in goods and services totaled $5.5 billion last year, small compared to the $25.6 billion between Israel and the United States, but second only to Britain among European Union countries. There are no signs that the German government is considering ratcheting back these areas of cooperation. DELICATE MOMENT But a German diplomat said it was becoming ever more difficult to sell the close relationship with Israel to the German public. "Getting the balance right with Israel is increasingly difficult. If you don't criticize you get lambasted in the media. If you do criticize you are alienating a core partner," the diplomat said. In a German election year, he said, Merkel had nothing to gain from an awkward meeting with Netanyahu. Political tensions are not a new phenomenon. Back in 2011, Germany reportedly threatened to stop delivery of Dolphin submarines in response to Israeli settlement plans. A year later, Gabriel, then head of the opposition Social Democrats, caused a storm by likening Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank to "apartheid". The most senior members of the German government began paring back their visits to Israel some years ago. Merkel has visited only twice since her 2008 speech to the Knesset. Her last trip to Israel was in early 2014. But German officials and analysts say the current political divide appears to be deeper than it has been at any time in recent memory. "Israel knew with previous U.S. governments that it could only go so far. Now with Trump, the more radical elements in Israel feel emboldened," said Mueller of the Heinrich Boell Foundation. "We are at a very delicate moment. It is important how Germany reacts to this new reality. The relationship could change very quickly." (Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke and Luke Baker; editing by Anna Willard)
BERLIN (Reuters) - Demand for travel to the United States over the coming months has flattened out following a positive start to the year, with uncertainty over a possible new travel order likely deterring visitors, travel analysis company ForwardKeys said on Monday.

ForwardKeys, which analyses 16 million flight reservations a day from major global reservation systems, also said that travel from the United States to and from the Middle East has been especially hard hit after President Donald Trump's move to ban people from seven Muslim-majority countries.

"Uncertainty reigns and the presidential rhetoric appears to be deterring visitors to the U.S.," ForwardKeys founder Olivier Jager said in a statement.

Trump is expected to sign a new executive order restricting travel to the United States on Monday. It would take effect on March 16.

U.S. travel demand is set to be a topic at hotel and travel conferences in Berlin this week.

The chief executive of hotels group Marriott International <MAR.O> said it was too early for conclusive evidence and that currency moves could also be playing a role, particularly for travelers from Europe.

"The comments and actions of the new Trump administration are not helpful, but we're not seeing the data that would suggest they've been terribly harmful," Arne Sorenson told Reuters in Berlin on the sidelines of the IHIF hotels conference.

After the travel ban was imposed in January, international travel to the U.S. dropped by 6.5 percent in the following eight days, ForwardKeys data showed last month.

In its latest update on Monday, ForwardKeys said bookings to the United States recovered after the courts halted the ban, but dropped again in the nine days after plans for a new ban were announced on Feb. 17.

Overall, bookings for travel to the United States over the next three months are 0.4 percent down on last year, whereas they had been 3.4 percent ahead the day before the travel restrictions were imposed.

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The study also showed that accumulated U.S. bookings to the Middle East were up by 12 percent on last year in the three weeks before the ban. However, in the four weeks following the ban they were down 27 percent.

Chief executives of American Airlines Group Inc <AAL.O> and United Continental Holdings Inc <UAL.N> told reporters at an aviation summit held by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce last week their companies had not yet noticed any effects from the original order.

"Were not seeing any evidence of any particular decline in (travel to the United States) but were always worried about how other countries feel about entering our country," United's Oscar Munoz said.

Emirates and Qatar Airways, two of the Middle East's biggest airlines, declined to comment when asked about demand on U.S. routes.

According to travel search site Kayak <PCLN.O>, searches from Europe for flights to the U.S. are down by 12 percent since the elections. However, Germans, some of the world's biggest spenders on travel, have not been deterred, with searches up 10 percent in that period, Kayak said in data provided to Reuters.

(Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Additional reporting by Alexander Cornwell in Dubai; Editing by Alexander Smith and Bill Trott)
Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a revised executive order on immigration temporarily denying access to the United States to all refugees and travelers from six mainly Muslim countries.

The new order replaces a broader ban issued in the first days of Trump's presidency that was blocked by the federal courts after its chaotic introduction.

The revised decree, which will go into effect on March 16, drops Iraq from a list of targeted countries, exempts current visa holders and permanent US residents, and no longer blocks Syrian refugees indefinitely.

The original decree summarily denied entry to all refugees for 120 days, and travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. Refugees from Syria were blocked indefinitely.

Here are six key dates in the battle over the new administration's immigration restrictions:

January 27: Executive order, airport chaos

Just one week after his inauguration, Trump unveiled his order on January 27 with no prior warning, sowing travel chaos and confusion, and igniting worldwide outrage.

Legal challenges against the ban were quickly filed after airport officials detained dozens of travelers from the seven countries, as well as refugees seeking to enter the United States.

Protests were staged in cities across the United States and abroad.

February 3: Temporary suspension

A federal judge in Seattle, James Robart, suspends the ban nationwide after two US states asked for it to be overturned on grounds of religious discrimination and that it had caused "irreparable harm."

In a tweet, Trump calls Robart a "so-called judge."

Travelers from the targeted countries with valid visas begin arriving on US soil once again.

February 5: Emergency stay denied

In the early hours of February 5, a San Francisco-based federal appeals court rejects a Justice Department request to immediately restore the travel ban, schedules a hearing for both sides to present additional documents.

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February 7: Heated hearing

A panel of three judges hears arguments in a contentious hearing that focuses on whether to lift the lower court's stay immediately, rather than on the decree's constitutionality.

The Justice Department lawyer insists the president's action is justified by national security reasons and cannot be reviewed.

February 9: Suspension upheld

The federal appeals court refuses to restore Trump's controversial order, meaning the lower court's stay remains in place.

The court says the government has "not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of its appeal, nor has it shown that failure to enter a stay would cause irreparable injury."

The billionaire president vows a legal fight, writing on Twitter "SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!"

But the White House opts to produce a narrower decree that seeks to address the issues raised by the courts while reinstating most of the travel restrictions.

March 6: New order signed

On March 6, Trump signs a new executive order, maintaining many key points of the previous version but removing Iraq from the list and explicitly stating that legal permanent residents and those with valid visas are also exempt.

The new order goes into effect on March 16.
WASHINGTON  President Trump signed an executive order Monday significantly scaling back his original travel ban from January. The new order drops language that privileges religious minorities in refugee admissions from Syria and other countries.

The new executive order goes into effect on March 16.

Trumps January executive order was blocked nationwide by a federal judge in Washington for potentially encouraging unconstitutional religious discrimination. That case is still winding its way through the courts.

Among other things, the original executive order called into question the U.S. visas and green cards of people from seven majority-Muslim countries, including Iraq and Syria, while also suspending all refugee admissions from any country for four months and banning Syrian refugees indefinitely. Later the administration clarified that green card holders from the countries would be exempted.

The new executive order drops Iraq from the list of seven countries that will be banned and now only bars people from the six remaining countries from receiving visas in the future. It wholly exempts immigrants who currently hold valid U.S. visas from the ban and reinstates bans canceled by the original order. Refugees from Syria are no longer indefinitely barred from entering the United States, though the entire U.S. refugee program is still suspended for four months.

To our allies and partners around the world, please understand this order is part of our ongoing efforts to eliminate vulnerabilities that radical Islamic terrorists can and will exploit for destructive ends, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a brief news conference after the order was signed.

The text of the new executive order also states that Attorney General Jeff Sessions informed the president that the FBI is currently investigating 300 people who originally came to the country as refugees for potential terrorist plots or ties. The new order directs the administration to release a report in 180 days that publicizes how many foreign-born individuals were radicalized once entering the United States and how many were implicated in terrorist activity. It also asks the administration to track honor killings in the country.

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President Trump (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Perhaps the most important change for the executive orders chances in the courts is the dropping of portions of Januarys order that appeared to carve out exceptions for religious minorities. The new executive order defended the previous orders directive to privilege religious minorities in Syria and other countries when making case-by-case decisions about letting refugees into the United States despite the ban, but did not repeat that language. Those sections were specifically cited by the Ninth Circuit justices who blocked the order from going into effect as potential religious discrimination.

That order was not motivated by animus toward any religion, but was instead intended to protect the ability of religious minorities  whoever they are and wherever they reside  to avail themselves of the [refugee program] in light of their particular challenges and circumstances, the new order states.

Trump administration officials speaking anonymously insisted to reporters on a call Monday that the new, significantly revised order is not a concession that its original one is unconstitutional, but is the fastest way for the president to protect national security without court interference.

The Ninth Circuit judges also objected to the first version of the executive order for depriving legal immigrants from the banned countries of their legal rights to travel and return to the United States, since their visas would have been invalidated if they had done so. The Fifth Amendment right to due process applies to any people residing in the United States, not just U.S. citizens, the court reminded the Trump administration. The administration clarified days after the order went into effect that it did not apply to legal permanent residents of the United States, also referred to as green card holders. But the Ninth Circuit said it could not trust the government to stick to that interpretation, given how often it had changed its mind.

The new order is much clearer that it does not apply to green card holders, potentially helping it clear the legal bar.

However, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed lawsuits against the original order, said the change is not enough to make it legal.

The Trump administration must think the American people are fools if they think we dont all see this for what it is  a Muslim ban, said Faiz Shakir, national political director of the ACLU. It is denying entry to Muslim visa applicants and Muslim refugees. It fulfills Trumps dreams and ambitions of imposing a religious test on those who enter the United States.

However, the changed executive order means that some of the plaintiffs in the original lawsuits may now lack standing. For example, Iraqis who are no longer banned.

But the ACLU said it would be amending its lawsuits and may file new challenges. Well see you in court, said ACLUs National Legal Director David Cole.
There's a saying among traders about taking political stances on Wall Street that goes something like this: "I don't waste my time with blue states or red states -- the only color I care about is green."

As a political description of the Wall Street trading mindset, what's not to like? While the country continues to divide itself across partisan lines, savvy investors are looking for opportunities to beef up their portfolios with dollar sign-tinged ideas that leverage the American political scene.

Take the media and President Donald Trump. With the president using his bully pulpit to denounce big media outlets like CNN, The New York Times, CBS, and The Washington Post, national news platforms gnash their teeth and fight back just as hard, taking the Trump administration to task for political and policy stances both real and imagined.

[See: 7 Dividend Stocks to Benefit From Trump Tax Changes.]

According to a March 1 report issued by Media Tenor, a global, non-partisan media research firm with offices in Hanoi, Zurich, New York and Vienna, only 3 percent of 370 stories on Trump by NBC and CBS aired between Jan. 20 and Feb. 17 were viewed as positive. Forty-three percent were deemed negative and 54 percent were neutral, the report shows. Media Tenor even decided that 25 percent of the stories aired by conservative-leaning Fox News were negative, and 12 percent were positive (the rest were labeled neutral).

At first blush, many investors may take a pass on the constant squabbling between the U.S. media and the Trump White House. But a closer look reveals a possible opportunity in the dust-up -- ever since Trump took office, television news and print and online news ratings are up, and significantly so.

In fact, New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet, appearing with CNN's Brian Stelter on "Reliable Sources" Feb. 26, responded to a query about Trump and new subscriptions: "Every time he tweets, it drives subscriptions wildly."

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Clearly, Baquet is onto something. The Times reports that in the last fiscal quarter, the media giant (ticker: NYT) posted 276,000 new digital news subscriptions, the most robust quarter for subscriptions in six years. The Times also added 25,000 new subscribers on the print side -- also a six-year high.

CNN and Fox News ( FOXA) are racking up viewers as well. As of Feb. 16, both cable broadcasting networks were up 50 percent in 2017 in the key 25-54 demographic that advertisers covet. Ratings for MSBNC, which is owned by Comcast Corp. (CMCSA), were up 30 percent in the same timeframe.

[See: How 8 CEOs Reacted to Donald Trump's Immigrant Ban.]

Some investors have already taken notice and are driving up benchmark media industry stocks and funds. For example, PowerShares Dynamic Media exchange-traded fund ( PBS), which holds both old and new media stocks like CBS Corp. ( CBS), Facebook ( FB), Time Warner ( TWX), Yahoo ( YHOO), and Alphabet ( GOOG, GOOGL), is up 5.15 percent on a year-to-date basis.

As the old saying goes, confrontational news sells, and Wall Street watchers say media companies are benefiting from being the recipient of so many Trump haymakers.

"The continuous allegations of fake news perpetuated by the Trump administration appear to have no end in sight, but media conglomerates are welcoming the notoriety," says Fabrice Hamaide, president of Piksel, a New York-based video content company. "While Trump's candid rhetoric undoubtedly wages war on journalism, 'fake news' has been a godsend for an industry heading to the brink of extinction in the age of technology."

As a result, Trump levering the fake news card is populating an unprecedented level of attention by the public, which will benefit the news media in terms of audience engagement, Hamaide says. "Most of the time, so-called fake news is considered detrimental to media stocks," he says. "However, with the fight raging on between the administration and news media outlets, executives of media stocks are embracing the opportunity to capitalize on the latest craze of media accuracy."

[See: 8 Ways to Profit From Donald Trump's Infrastructure Plans.]

That's not even counting the potential for increased merger activity among media companies, as the Trump administration looks to loosen regulations governing such activity, Hamaide says. "Additionally, while no formal position has been communicated on either issue, any changes the new administration may make regarding the loosening of ownership rules and merger review could trigger a wave of M&A activity."



Brian O'Connell is a contributing financial writer for U.S. News & World Report. A former Wall Street bond trader and the author of two best-selling books; "The 401k Millionaire" and "CNBC's Creating Wealth", he has 20 years experience covering business news and trends, particularly in the financial, technology, political and career management sectors. His byline has appeared in dozens of top-tier national business publications, including CBS News, Bloomberg, Time, MSN Money, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, TheStreet.com, Yahoo Finance, CBS Marketwatch, and many more. Visit his web site at: https://brianoco.contently.com/. Or, visit this Amazon.com link for a list/review of some of his book titles. Reach out to him on LinkedIn.
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey will allow the family of a Syrian air force pilot whose warplane crashed on Turkish territory to visit him at the hospital where he is being treated, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told A Haber broadcaster on Monday. Turkey has been one of the leading critics of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and supports rebels fighting him in the country's six-year-old war. It currently has armed forces involved in operations along the Syrian side of the frontier. "This is a humanitarian issue. Permission will be granted (for the visit)," Yildirim said, adding that a commission would be set up to investigate the cause of the crash. The 56-year-old pilot bailed out of his Mig-23 warplane as it crashed in Turkey's Hatay region and was found by a Turkish rescue team. In his initial testimony to Turkish authorities, he said his aircraft was shot down on its way to strike rural areas near Idlib in northern Syria. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Gareth Jones)
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey does not plan a military campaign against the Syrian town of Manbij without coordinating with the United States and Russia, which have a military presence in the area, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Monday. "(Without such coordination) there wouldn't be much of a result and things could get more complicated," Yildirim told broadcaster A Haber, adding that talks at the military level were underway. Last week Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Manbij would be the next target in the military campaign Turkey is waging alongside Syrian rebels in northern Syria against both Islamic State and the Kurdish YPG militia. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Gareth Jones)
The President of the United States has two contradictory public faces, and the nation witnessed both last week in all their confusing and disruptive glory.

Donald Trump delivered a speech before Congress Tuesday that embodied the most effective traditions of his office. He called for unity, commemorated the plight of a military widow and asked his country to embrace its biggest challenges. The time for trivial fights is behind us, he said.

Four days later, he veered once again into unprecedented territory, with a Saturday tweet-storm at dawn from his Florida mansion that claimed, without evidence, that President Obama had wiretapped the Trump campaign and that Arnold Schwarzenegger had been fired from the Celebrity Apprentice, a television show that features aging pop stars who compete to make chewing gum jingles. Both Obama and Schwarzenegger disputed Trumps claims.

These approaches by Trump are impossible to reconcile, but the President appears not to mind the confusion. He has long seen power in contradiction, welcomed the attention that comes with controversy, and shown no shame when his statements are proved false, incendiary or misleading. In fact, his political success has hinged over the past year on his unpredictability, though the tactic appears to be coming under increasing strain now that he has become President.

The Trump who stood to deliver a joint address to Congress is the one most Republican leaders, not to mention most of his senior White House staff, hope will take center stage in the coming months. They see a more presidential Trump as someone who could succeed in rallying his party to pass major tax and health care reform this year, while steadying global concerns about American leadership in the world at a time of turmoil. And they worry that a less disciplined Trump could spark a backlash among voters and weaken his support in Congress.

Read More: Doald Trump Finally Sounded Like a President

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But the Trump that tweeted from his Mar-a-Lago compound is the one that Trump has long held most dear, a distracting, outrageous, defiant publicity hound, who plays loose with the facts and pummels his opponents with an improvisational vitriol. And it was this latter version of Trump that proved so successful during his political campaigns. I can be so presidential, Trump would often say on the stump, as if the cloak of respectability was a disposable trifle. Tuesday night proved he still has that capacity. Saturday showed he remains unwilling to suppress the other parts of himself.

The quick reversals over the week have once again caused strain and confusion among his senior White House team. Even as they were reading him tweets and pointing out laudatory coverage of his joint address to Congress, Trumps top staff worried about what would set him off and erase their hard-earned gains with the public, and with Republican allies on Capitol Hill.

These senior advisors describe themselves as frequently torn between serving the Presidents instincts and his interests. White House officials are engaged in a daily struggle on everything from his calendar to his policy proposals, between what Trump wants and what they believe best serves him and the country. In recent weeks, they have scrambled to cover for the President when he veers off script and endorses falsehoods. The White House aides were forced to clarify Trumps false claims about recent violence in Sweden, and have tried to explain away his baseless claim of 3 million undocumented residents committing voter fraud as a long-standing belief, albeit one that even White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer declined to personally endorse.

Staffers were caught blindsided by the Presidents wiretapping charge Saturday, with lawyers and communications aides huddling to determine what they could and couldnt say on such a sensitive law enforcement subject.

Instead of repeating the claim as a fact, Spicer released a statement asking for Congressional investigation. Neither the White House nor the President will comment further until such oversight is conducted, Spicer wrote in the statement. Hours later, another White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, appeared on ABC News to describe the wiretapping claim as a suspicion, without endorsing it as a fact. If this happened, if this is accurate, this is the biggest overreach and the biggest scandal, she said.

Read More: Inside Donald Trumps White House Chaos

The former Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, denied any wiretapping by intelligence agencies or the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the Obama presidency. There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the President-elect at the time, or as a candidate, or against his campaign, he said on NBCs Meet the Press. Justice Department rules prohibit the White House from intervening in criminal investigations, and any wiretapping would only be legally permissible with judicial review and a show of cause.

Trump had complained to aides on Friday that they had failed to properly handle the revelation that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had undisclosed contacts with the Russian Ambassador during the campaign, which prompted Sessions to recuse himself from the investigation into Russian meddling in the election. The Saturday tweets appeared to follow a pattern of creating a new firestorm to distract from what he sees as damaging publicity. When hundreds of thousands protested on in Washington the day after his inauguration, Trump made false claims about the number of people who had attended his event on the National Mall, and attacked the press for misreporting the numbers.

The changing public postures may have been driven in part by the change in location. Trumps weekend retreats to Mar-a-Lago, where he is surrounded by hundreds of well-heeled petitioners and cheerleaders, provide him with his most unfiltered criticism and guidance. Aides have come to appreciate the interludes they provide at the White House to get work done, but have come to dread the occasional wild idea or grievance he brings back after conversations with his friends.

Unlike the White House, where aides have taken to occupying Trump to try to lessen the frequency of his outbursts, in Florida his eruptions have intensified. Two people who were in Florida with the President this weekend told TIME that he remained agitated during his stay.

The result is a presidency that is unlikely to follow a coherent path anytime soon.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military has deployed a small number of forces in and around the Syrian city of Manbij as part of a new role to ensure that the different parties in the area do not attack each other, a Pentagon spokesman said on Monday. Captain Jeff Davis told reporters the forces were stationed inside and to the west of Manbij starting last week to be a "visible sign of deterrence and reassurance." While U.S forces have carried out training and advising missions in Manbij, this is the first time they have been deployed to make sure that Turkey- and U.S.-backed forces do not attack each other and focus on fighting Islamic State militants. The villages west of Manbij have been a focus of fighting since Wednesday between Turkish-backed rebels opposed to the Syrian government and the Manbij Military Council, part of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that includes the Kurdish YPG group. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is waging an insurgency in Turkey. "This is a new effort, this is the first time we've had to do something like this, which is to ensure that we are out there as a visible symbol that the enemy is cleared out of Manbij," Davis said. "There is not a need for others to advance on it in attempts to 'liberate' it," Davis added. He did not give a specific number of U.S. forces involved but said it was fewer than dozens and was carried out under existing authorities. "We have brought in some additional forces to be able to do this reassurance and deterrence mission," Davis said, adding that commanders had the authority to move small forces in for a short period of time. The city is controlled by the Manbij Military Council, which confirmed in a statement that the U.S.-led alliance had boosted its presence in the city recently after "the increase in Turkish threats to occupy the city." After clashing with Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army rebels west of Manbij last week, the council declared a deal with Russia to hand villages at the front line with Turkish forces to Syrian government control. (Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by James Dalgleish and Peter Cooney)
By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) - Most U.S. schools could do a lot more to protect students from the sun, with efforts like keeping kids indoors at high noon or making time for sunscreen application, a recent study suggests. Researchers examined data on policies at 577 schools nationwide. Just 16 percent of schools asked parents to apply sunscreen before school, and even fewer supplied sunscreen to students or scheduled outdoor activities to avoid the peak intensity of the suns ultraviolet (UV) rays. In spite of both strong evidence that UV exposure can lead to skin cancer and multiple calls for improvements in school programs including policies to prevent skin cancer, our study found that most schools still lacked practices that could protect children and adolescents from sun exposure while at school, said lead study author Sherry Everett Jones of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Students most at risk from the sun may get the least help with sun protection from schools, Jones added by email. High schools were less likely to adopt several practices even though high school students may be at particular risk for sun exposure because of their desire for a tan, Jones said. The researchers examined data from surveys on health policies and practices that were completed by school representatives in 2014. Among other things, questions touched on use of sunscreen at home and in school, scheduling outdoor time, and rules for wearing hats or sunglasses. Overall, 48 percent of respondents said teachers allowed time for students to put on sunscreen at school, researchers report in JAMA Dermatology. But just 28 percent said teachers reminded students to apply sunscreen right before going outside and only 13 percent had sunscreen on hand for students to use. Beyond sunscreen, about 30 percent of schools encouraged students to wear long sleeves or pants outside to limit sun exposure, while 33 percent recommended hats and 21 percent advised students to wear sunglasses outside. High schools were less likely to encourage sun protection than schools serving younger students, the study also found. Just 4 percent of high schools asked parents to have students apply sunscreen before school, for example, compared with 17 percent of middle schools and 21 percent of elementary schools. Sun safety practices varied by region, the researchers found. Schools in southern states, for example, were more likely to always or almost always schedule outdoor activities to avoid times when the sun was at peak intensity. The study wasnt a randomized experiment designed to prove that certain school characteristics cause sun safety practices to be more or less common, the authors note. Another limitation is the possibility that the individual completing the survey might not be aware of all school policies or practices related to sun safety, researchers also point out. Still, the results suggest that more public education about sun safety is needed, Dr. Henry Lim of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan writes in an accompanying editorial. Importantly, students can apply the sun safety habits they develop in school to other outdoor activities with their families and friends, throughout their lives, said Dr. Mary Tripp of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Parents can encourage schools to allow children to carry and apply sunscreen if current policies prohibit this or dont make it a priority, Tripp, who wasnt involved in the study, added by email. Parents can also make sure kids have hats, sunglasses and clothing that covers their arms and legs when theyre going to be outdoors. UV rays from the sun can damage unprotected skin, even after a brief exposure period such as 15 minutes, Tripp said. Students may also receive significant UV exposure during outdoor field trips and after-school activities. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2mO4nCg JAMA Dermatology, online March 3, 2017.
By Lawrence Hurley

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court, decrying the "recurring evil" of racial bias in the U.S. criminal justice system, ruled on Monday in the case of a Hispanic man convicted on sex charges that a juror's racist comments during deliberations may be grounds for nullifying a verdict.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the court, said the need to erase racial prejudice from legal proceedings overrides long-standing policies aimed at keeping jury deliberations generally off-limits in bids to overturn verdicts. Kennedy, a conservative, was joined by the court's four liberals in the 5-3 ruling.

The justices threw out a Colorado state court decision that upheld the conviction of Miguel Pena Rodriguez, who was accused of sexually groping two teenage sisters in a bathroom in 2007 at a race track where he worked and was convicted on three misdemeanor counts. Pena Rodriguez can now seek a retrial.

A juror in his trial said during deliberations that Pena Rodriguez, a Mexican-born lawful permanent U.S. resident, "did it because he's Mexican, and Mexican men take whatever they want."

Kennedy called racial bias in the criminal justice system a "familiar and recurring evil that, if left unaddressed, would risk systemic injury to the administration of justice."

It is the second time in two weeks the court has highlighted the issue of racial bias in the criminal justice system. On Feb. 22, it gave a Texas death row inmate named Duane Buck a chance to avoid execution because his trial was tainted by testimony from a psychologist who stated the man was more likely to commit future crimes because he is black.

Chief Justice John Roberts condemned "a particularly noxious strain of racial prejudice" in Buck's case, but dissented in Pena Rodriguez's case, along with two fellow conservatives.

The two competing issues in the case were the racially biased juror statements that Pena Rodriguez argued undermined his right to an impartial jury under the U.S. Constitution's Sixth Amendment, and a Colorado policy that makes jury deliberations generally off-limits in any attempt to overturn a verdict.

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'RACIAL STEREOTYPES'

Kennedy said when there is evidence a juror made a "clear statement that indicates he or she relied on racial stereotypes or animus," the defendant can challenge the jury deliberations.

"When jurors disclose an instance of racial bias as serious as the one involved in this case, the law must not wholly disregard its occurrence," Kennedy added.

Pena Rodriguez's appeal focused on whether the trial's outcome was influenced by the comments made by a former law enforcement officer, referred to as "H.C.," who served as a juror in the proceedings in Arapahoe County, near Denver.

According to other jurors, "H.C." also said that "where he used to patrol, nine times out of 10 Mexican men were guilty of being aggressive toward women and young girls." The man was reported to have said "Mexican men had a bravado that caused them to believe they could do whatever they wanted with women."

In dissent, conservative Justice Samuel Alito criticized the ruling for undermining the long-established tradition of jury confidentiality.

"For centuries, it has been the judgment of experienced judges, trial attorneys, scholars and lawmakers that allowing jurors to testify after trial about what took place in the jury room would undermine the system of trial by jury that is integral to our legal system," Alito wrote.

The court's ruling "pries open the door" to the jury room, Alito said. "This is a startling development, and although the court tries to limit the degree of intrusion, it is doubtful that there are principled reasons for preventing the expansion of today's holding," Alito added.

But Kennedy wrote that "blatant racial prejudice is antithetical to the functioning of the jury system and must be confronted in egregious cases like this one" despite policies on jury confidentiality.

Pena Rodriguez was working as a horse keeper at the Arapahoe race track in 2007 when he was arrested after the two teenage sisters, the 14-year-old and 16-year-old daughters of a jockey, identified him as the man who groped them in the women's bathroom of a barn at the racetrack where they had gone to take showers.

Pena Rodriguez, who said he was wrongly accused, was convicted on three counts of unlawful sexual conduct and harassment but not on the most serious charge of attempted sexual assault. He was sentenced to two years of probation and had to register as a sex offender.

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham)
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  Ukraine's deputy foreign minister on Monday accused Russia of financing terrorism by shipping arms, ammunition and funds to separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine and of discriminating against non-Russians in the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

The charges came as a case between Kiev and Moscow opened at the U.N.'s highest judicial organ.

The International Court of Justice case, which also seeks reparations for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, opens a new legal front in the bitter, drawn-out conflict between Russia and its neighbor Ukraine.

"This case will send a message about whether the international legal order can stand up to powerful countries that disregard law and disrespect human rights," Kiev's Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal told the 16-judge world court panel.

The Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur Flight MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014, by a Buk surface-to-air missile over conflict-torn eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. International investigators have concluded that the Buk missile that shot down MH17 was fired from Russia-backed rebel-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine by a mobile launcher trucked in from Russia and hastily returned there, a finding that Moscow rejects.

Calling the downing of MH17 "nothing less than an attack on humanity," Prof. Harold Koh, a lawyer representing Ukraine, warned that if the court did not take action, the missile launcher "could return again to Ukraine tomorrow."

The main case, in which Ukraine is asking the court to rule that Russia is breaching treaties on terrorist financing and racial discrimination, is likely to take months or years to resolve. But judges will likely take just weeks to rule on whether to grant the provisional measures sought by Kiev at the hearing Monday.

They include an order to halt financing to rebels in eastern Ukraine and to stop discriminating against non-Russians in Crimea.

Russia will present its legal arguments on Tuesday.

Koh said Ukraine wants the court "to invoke its legal authority to protect innocent Ukrainian civilians threatened by indiscriminate terrorism and cultural erasure."
VIENNA (AP)  The head of the U.N. agency monitoring the Iran nuclear deal says he emphasized the benefits of the pact in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and says he is confident his message was heard.

The issue is important because U.S. President Donald Trump promised to "tear up" the pact during campaigning, saying it fell short of the aim of sufficiently crimping Tehran's nuclear programs.

Yukiya Amano of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency says he told Tillerson last week that because of the deal the IAEA now has the "strongest verification" tools to monitor Tehran's atomic activities. As well, he said, "the nuclear activities of Iran are reduced."

He told reporters Monday that he is confident of "very good cooperation" with the United States on Iran.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN envoy for Western Sahara has offered his resignation after leading efforts for eight years to settle the conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front independence movement, a senior UN official said Monday.

Christopher Ross submitted his resignation in a letter sent last week to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is considering whether to make a new appointment.

Ross's departure would highlight the failure of the United Nations to make progress in settling the decades-old conflict in north Africa.

"He has worked for eight years to try to come up with a framework by which the parties -- the king of Morocco and the Front Polisario -- would be able to renew negotiations," said UN political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman.

"He has been unable to bring the parties back to negotiations," Feltman told reporters.

"He has offered his resignation for the secretary-general to act upon when he sees fit."

Guterres, who took over from Ban Ki-moon on January 1, is considering a series of new appointments of envoys who represent him in missions worldwide.

The move came after Guterres spoke by phone earlier this month with Morocco's King Mohamed VI to ask him to pull back troops from a zone in the contested Western Sahara.

Ross, an American who served as US ambassador to Algeria and Syria, had been harshly criticized by Morocco who accused him of being biased in favor of the Polisario Front.

A former Spanish colony, Western Sahara was annexed by Morocco in 1975.

An insurgency pushing for independence ended with a UN-brokered truce in 1991 and the deployment of a UN mission, MINURSO.

Morocco maintains that Western Sahara is an integral part of its kingdom despite a UN resolution that calls for a referendum on the future of the territory.

After Ban last year used the term "occupation" to describe the status of Western Sahara, Morocco reacted with fury and expelled dozens of staff from MINURSO.

The Security Council responded by calling on Morocco to restore "full functionality" of the mission, but only a few dozen staffers were allowed to return.
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP)  South Sudan's government is blocking desperately needed food aid and restricting United Nations peacekeepers, according to a confidential report by the U.N. secretary-general and a statement by a top U.N. official.

Together, the report and statement show the daunting conditions faced by the international community as it tries to combat a catastrophe in the troubled East African nation.

The internal report from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to members of the Security Council obtained by the Associated Press singles out South Sudan's government for "the destruction of all the social fabric in all parts of the country" and lists "outrageous" examples of belligerence by South Sudan's security forces.

South Sudan is impeding humanitarian assistance, said the U.N. humanitarian chief, Stephen O'Brien, after a two-day visit to the country over the weekend.

"People have been displaced, brutalized and raped. They have been attacked when they sought out assistance. This must stop, and it must stop now," O'Brien said in a statement.

At least 50,000 people have died in South Sudan's civil war, which began in December 2013 as a result of a struggle for power between President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar.

An estimated 100,000 people are experiencing famine, and another 1 million people are on the brink of starvation, South Sudan's government and U.N. agencies said in late February. South Sudan is now Africa's largest migrant crisis as more than 3 million people have either fled the country or become internally displaced, according to the U.N.

The impact of this ongoing conflict and violence has reached disastrous proportions for civilians, Guterres said in the internal letter.

The U.N. Security Council decided in August to send an additional 4,000 peacekeepers to South Sudan, but the government has delayed the arrival of the extra troops. Some progress on sending the extra troops has recently been made however, and the deployment of an advance contingent of Rwandan troops is being finalized, said Guterres' report.

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Guterres' letter, sent to the Security Council on Feb. 13, listed several incidents in which he said government forces hindered the U.N.'s peacekeeping and humanitarian work.

But South Sudan's government says it has improved security and taken steps to hold violators of rights abuses accountable, First Vice President Taban Deng Gai told members of the U.N. Human Rights Council on February 27th, according to a statement obtained by AP.

He said the government does not have enough resources to demobilize armed groups, and asked for more military funding.

"I can state with confidence that the notion of a looming genocide and possible ethnic cleansing is fading away as we continue with these demonstrations of our commitment to harmoniously live together," Gai said in the statement.

Gai's optimistic portrait of South Sudan is markedly different from the one U.N. officials provide.

U.N. peacekeepers were recently prevented from verifying allegations of government forces killing or arbitrarily arresting civilians, including in the troubled town of Yei, according to the internal letter from the secretary-general.

In late February, armed groups and members of the local community looted the compound and warehouse of Save the Children in the northern Jonglei area. The organization was the only distributor of food aid in the area, which is on the brink of famine.

"This is the most extreme act by the very people we are trying to help," said Peter Walsh, South Sudan director for Save the Children in a statement. "It is critical that parties to the conflict provide unimpeded humanitarian access to the affected community to avoid famine becoming their death sentence."
WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S. airstrikes against an al-Qaida-linked militant group in Yemen killed a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who was released in 2009 despite earlier recommendations that he remain in custody because he was considered a "high threat" to America and its allies.

The Pentagon says Mohammed Tahar, a Yemeni who was held at the detention center for seven years, was killed Thursday.

A March 2008 memo from the detention center commander warned that Tahar "will engage in extremist activities upon release. He has threatened (Guantanamo) personnel and continues to support jihad."

The 12-page memo, signed by Rear Adm. Mark Buzby, who was commander at the detention center at the time, raised Tahar's risk level from medium to high. And it described him as a problem detainee involved in 65 disciplinary incidents, including assaults on the guard force and other disturbances.

It is not clear why Tahar was released in 2009. That year, amid then-President Barack Obama's vows to close Guantanamo, the Defense Department revamped the military commissions involved in the prosecution of the detainees. Some of the changes made statements resulting from torture or degrading treatment inadmissible as evidence in trials and also limited the use of hearsay in the cases.

In 2010, the U.S. stopped releasing Yemeni detainees because most countries were unwilling to take them, and it was difficult to ensure they would not return to the battlefield. The U.S. won't send Yemeni prisoners to their homeland because it is too unstable, so other countries must be found to take them.

It was four years before any Yemenis were transferred out of Guantanamo again. Even now, a number of the roughly 55 detainees who remain at Guantanamo are Yemeni, including some who have been cleared for release. Four were released in January, and were sent to Saudi Arabia.

Also killed in the Yemen airstrike was Usayd al-Adani, an explosives expert and district leader of the group, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.

Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said the latest strikes in Yemen's Abyan region bring the total number of attacks to more than 40 over the past five days.
Beirut (AFP) - US-backed forces in Syria on Monday cut off a key supply route between the Islamic State group's stronghold Raqa and its territory in Deir Ezzor province, a commander and a monitor said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, seized control of the only major road linking Raqa along the Euphrates valley to Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

"The route... linking Raqa to Deir Ezzor was cut this morning," an SDF commander confirmed.

The SDF launched its offensive for Raqa -- the de facto Syrian capital of IS's so-called caliphate -- in early November and has since seized swathes of territory in northern Syria from the jihadists.

Its forces made a major incursion into the oil-rich Deir Ezzor province last month, in a drive to encircle and besiege the jihadists in Raqa.

Deir Ezzor province lies just east of Raqa and is almost completely held by IS. The jihadists also hold most of the provincial capital of the same name, and have been battling regime forces to overrun the city.

The SDF alliance, dominated by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), has benefitted from air support, equipment and training provided by the US-led coalition that has been carrying out air strikes against IS in Syria and neighbouring Iraq since 2014.
A former NATO commander raised concerns over the U.S. military's lack of modernization that he believed could help Russia and China push America behind in the list of world's most powerful militaries. U.S. Army Gen. Wesley Clark's comments came days after President Donald Trump said he would boost the country's military spending by $54 billion.

"We've taken it for granted. For 25 years we had the best ... armed forces in the world," Clark said Sunday, in an interview with John Catsimatidis on New York's AM 970. "The United States has mostly put its military modernization on what's called a 'warm idle.' We've done some research, weve looked at what we need. But we have not bought the stuff that is cutting-edge."

Currently, the U.S. has the world's most powerful military, with more than 1.4 million troops, 13,000 war planes, and nearly 9,000 tanks.

"We are spending our money on ordinance, on bombers, on missiles that are blowing holes in the ground and sometimes hitting terrorists," Clark said. "But Russia, they have produced a new generation of armored forces. ... They have a T-14 tank thats got active protection on it. ... It's the tank we would like to have in 2030. We are that far behind."

Russia has the world's second biggest military, with more than 1 million troops, 3,500 war planes and 15,000 tanks. Moscow's military budget is likely to grow to $41.4 billion by 2020, or about 5 percent of its GDP. In January, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the country's domestic defense industry will expand through 2025.

Clark also described a new Russian air defense system that is being used by China, which is ranked third with roughly 2.3 million soldiers and 3,000 war planes, saying, "It changes the air-ground dominance where the United States could easily get air supremacy in the past.

"The Chinese have their second aircraft carrier visibly under construction. My sources tell me there will be two more Chinese carriers built in this decade," he added, asserting: "China will have regional air superiority over the United States" without additional defense spending.

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While talking about the new military budget, Clark said: "Unfortunately, the new $54 billion (that would be) going into the Defense budget doesn't really deliver sufficient funds to meet the need. ... We need more money than that on a sustained basis."

On Sunday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced that the country will escalate its defense budget by 7 percent  the lowest military spending hike since 2010  but it would cost Beijing more than $146 billion.

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Guatemala City (AFP) - The United States on Monday lent weight to fighting drug trafficking and corruption in Guatemala with a visit by a State Department official focused on those issues.

William Brownfield, US Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, met with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales on those topics, Morales' government and the US embassy said.

The talks were off-limits to reporters, and no details were released.

The US embassy said on its Twitter feed that Brownfield ratified US support for Guatemalan efforts to fight corruption and terrorism.

Guatemala, with neighboring El Salvador and Honduras, is prey to gangs and drug cartels.

Violence and poverty in those countries are the main motivation for mass emigration to the United States, usually without visas or documentation.

The United States estimates that 90 percent of the cocaine consumed on its territory passes through Central America and Mexico.

The US government has in recent years donated vehicles to Guatemala's police and armed forces to fight drug trafficking.
Washington (AFP) - The Pentagon said Monday it has sent additional US troops into northern Syria in a show of strength aimed at deterring rival powers from targeting each other instead of the Islamic State group.

Defense Department spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said the troops have in recent days entered Manbij city, a former IS bastion that US-backed forces liberated last year.

"We have brought in some additional forces to be able to do this reassurance and deterrence mission," Davis said, without giving numbers.

America wants to make sure competing powers congregating in and around Manbij remain focused on hunting IS -- and not attacking each other.

The United States is backing a Kurdish-Arab alliance called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to fight IS, and these fighters pushed the jihadists from Manbij last year.

Around the same time, Turkey crossed into northern Syria and joined the anti-IS fight, while also working to keep in check the Kurdish fighters, which it views as terrorists.

Turkey has threatened to strike the Syrian Kurdish militia forces if they do not withdraw from Manbij.

Last week, Russian and Syrian regime troops headed to Manbij and are now just outside the city, very close to US forces.

That move might be beneficial for the United States, as it could stop Turkey and Kurdish forces -- both of whom are US allies -- from fighting there.

"This is obviously a really complicated situation, Davis said.

"We have made visible actions in deploying US forces as part of the coalition in and around Manbij to reassure and deter -- that's to deter parties from attacking any other parties other than ISIS itself."

The US military currently has about 500 mostly special-operations troops in northern Syria on a train-and-advise mission to help local forces tackle IS.

Davis said commanders have the ability to request extra troops if needed.

Their whereabouts is usually a closely guarded secret, so the sight of US armored-vehicle convoys rolling through Manbij, many flying large US flags, was remarkable.
Washington (AFP) - The United States condemned North Korea's launch of four ballistic missiles, vowing that Washington was ready to "use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against this growing threat."

"The United States strongly condemns the DPRK's ballistic missile launches tonight, which violate UN Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology," the State Department's acting spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

Toner added: "We remain prepared -- and will continue to take steps to increase our readiness -- to defend ourselves and our allies from attack, and are prepared to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against this growing threat."

Pyongyang launched four ballistic missiles on Monday in its latest challenge to US President Donald Trump, with three landing provocatively close to America's ally Japan.

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For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

Seoul and Washington began annual joint military exercises last week that always infuriate Pyongyang, with the North's military warning of "merciless nuclear counter-action".

Under leader Kim Jong-Un, Pyongyang has ambitions to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the US mainland -- which Trump has vowed will not happen.

Seoul said four missiles were fired from North Pyongan province into the East Sea -- its name for the Sea of Japan -- and that South Korea and the US were "closely analyzing" tracking data for further details.

The State Department said Pyongyang's bellicose actions will only help strengthen the already "ironclad" resolve of Washington and its allies against North Korea's "unlawful conduct."

"We call on all states to use every available channel and means of influence to make clear to the DPRK and its enablers that further provocations are unacceptable, and take steps to show there are consequences to the DPRK's unlawful conduct," Toner added.

"Our commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, remains ironclad."
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Monday that the United States has warned that annexing the West Bank would lead to an "immediate crisis" with President Donald Trump's administration.

Lieberman, speaking before his first trip to Washington since Trump took office, sought to push back against those in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition calling for a declaration of Israeli sovereignty over all or part of the occupied territory.

He said annexation would provoke a crisis with Washington and result in steep costs for the Israeli government since it would be required to provide services to Palestinians in the West Bank.

"We have received a very clear, direct message from the United States stating that the application of Israeli law in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) would provoke an immediate crisis with the new administration," Lieberman said before a parliamentary committee.

His office said he would leave Israel Monday night for Washington, where he would meet Vice President Mike Pence, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson "and hold other meetings."

Some 2.6 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967.

The latest call for annexation came on Sunday, when lawmaker Miki Zohar from Netanyahu's Likud party said in a television interview that "the two-state solution is dead".

Zohar advocated a single state, but said that Palestinians in the West Bank should not be allowed to vote in Israeli parliamentary elections.

Others have made similar calls, including Education Minister Naftali Bennett who heads the religious nationalist Jewish Home party.

Bennett advocates annexing most of the West Bank, and has said he hopes support from Trump's presidency will spell the end of the idea of a Palestinian state.

In his comments on Monday, Lieberman also laid out an economic argument against annexation, saying Israel immediately "will be required to spend 20 billion shekels ($5.4 billion/5.1 billion euros)" on various social services.

Story continues

The defence minister, who heads the rightwing Yisrael Beitenu party, advocates a two-state solution based on territorial and population exchanges.

Netanyahu says he still supports a two-state solution, though he has also pushed for settlement expansion in the West Bank.

He has found himself seeking to hold together his governing coalition -- seen as the most rightwing in Israeli history -- while managing international relations, including with the United States.

The US is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually.

Some Israeli politicians have pushed for the immediate annexation of Maale Adumim, an Israeli settlement of some 37,000 people in a strategic location east of Jerusalem.

However, a bill to annex the settlement has been postponed by the cabinet to an unclear date.
Former national security adviser Mike Flynn should testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee as it investigates Russian influence on the 2016 presidential election, Vice Chairman Mark Warner said Sunday.

In separate interviews Sen. Marco Rubio, a member of the panel, said understanding what happened is essential because Russia now is attempting to influence European elections.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded Russia hacked the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, and also planted fake news stories on social media.

I want to hear from General Flynn, Warner, D-Va., told CBS Face the Nation.

Flynn was forced to resign from the Trump administration after admitting he mislead Vice President Mike Pence about contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Attorney General Jeff Sessions last week recused himself from investigation of the Russian issue after admitting he had met with Kislyak twice but neglected to mention it during his confirmation hearing.

Democrats have been pushing for a special prosecutor for the investigation, but Rubio and other Republicans say theres no evidence that needs to happen in the absence of evidence of any illegal activity.

I certainly don't think we're at that point at this moment. And here's why. The job of the intelligence committee is not to be a law enforcement agency. The job of the intelligence committee is to gather facts and evidence, to go through counterintelligence programs, intelligence programs, understand all the evidence and the facts that are out there about how the Russians did this, why they did this, et cetera, and put all this in a report. That is our job, to gather facts, Rubio, R-Fla., said on NBCs Meet the Press.

The issue, Rubio said, is what exactly happened, saying he had no intention of participating in a witch hunt or a coverup.

I just returned from a trip a week ago to France and to Germany, where they have pending elections. They, too, are seeing the sort of active measures undertaken. So the purpose of the investigation is to gather facts, put them in a report to the Senate and the American people, so that we know what happened, and so that we can deal with it in the future. Because this is going to be an ongoing thing, unfortunately, not just in elections, but in our public policy debates, Rubio said.

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Rubio said if he feels the final report leaves out relevant facts, he will not sign off on it.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he has some doubts Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., will conduct a full investigation considering he initially expressed doubt any investigations should be conducted at all.

Schumer said Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee would push Rod Rosenstein, who has been nominated as deputy attorney general, so say he would be willing to appoint a special prosecutor.

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Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Attorney General Jeff Sessions will discuss travel restrictions to the U.S. as President Donald Trump enacts a new travel ban Monday.

Watch the remarks above, scheduled to begin at 11:30 EST.

The new ban will prevent people from six Muslim-majority countriesSudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemenfrom entering the U.S. for 90 days if they do not have visas that are currently valid, the Associated Press reported. Iraq had originally been included in the list of countries. The White House removed it when Iraq agreed to work more closely with the U.S. to vet Iraqi citizens applying for a travel visa, according to the AP.

The White House is announcing the new order after federal courts stymied the rollout of Trumps first travel ban, which applied more broadly to seven Muslim-majority countries.

[AP]
The Virginia teen at the center of a landmark legal battle over transgender bathroom policy said he is disappointed that the Supreme Court announced it wouldnt hear the case but that he is ready to keep fighting regardless.

Gavin Grimm, 17, is currently suing the Gloucester County School Board for access to the boys restrooms at his local high school. A Supreme Court ruling in his favor would have set a nationwide legal precedent affirming transgender rights.

Its certainly disappointing, but were moving forward like we always have been. Were ready to do whatever we need to do to protect the rights of trans students in whatever way we can, Gavin Grimm told Yahoo News Monday afternoon.

The Supreme Court had previously set arguments for March 28, but decided to send the case back to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in Richmond, Va. The 4th Circuit had sided with Grimm in April 2016, deferring in part to the Obama administrations guidelines.

President Trump recently rescinded those guidelines, so the Supreme Court wants the 4th Circuit to decide again without taking Obamas interpretation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 into consideration.

Gavin Grimm, 17, center, at his home with his parents, David and Deirdre Grimm. (Photo: Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Yahoo News anchor Bianna Golodryga asked Grimm if there is anything he would like to say to Trump, if given the opportunity.

I personally dont feel the need to speak directly. I think that my actions and what Im going through right now can speak for me, he responded.

Grimm said he would rather discuss what is actually taking place right now concerning the case, rather than hypothetical scenarios, such as a conversation with Trump.

Right now we have this disappointing message sent by the Supreme Court, and were just trying to move forward in light of that, he said.

Read more from Yahoo News:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Monday he was almost certain Donald Trump had not spoken to FBI Director James Comey about the president's claim, without evidence, that the previous administration wiretapped him during the 2016 campaign. Spicer told reporters he was "almost 100 percent certain" Trump had not spoken to Comey since the Republican president claimed on Twitter on Saturday that former Democratic President Barack Obama ordered a wiretap at Trump Tower in New York. Comey has asked the Justice Department to reject that claim. (Reporting by Emily Stephenson; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
By Emily Stephenson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is reviewing the possibility of a key change to U.S. biofuels policy requested by oil refiners and Carl Icahn, the billionaire investor and special advisor on regulations to President Donald Trump, a White House official said on Monday. The administration has no position "either way on this issue at this time," the White House official confirmed to Reuters. The statements come after news last week that Icahn had reached out to the White House regarding the change. The debate centers on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a 2005 policy that requires increasing volumes of biofuels to be added to gasoline and diesel each year. Oil refiners including Valero Energy Corp and CVR Energy Inc currently have to show environmental regulators they are meeting those annual mandates, and have urged the government to push this compliance further downstream to fuel blenders and integrated oil companies. Opponents of the change say it will complicate ensuring compliance and that it could threaten the future of the RFS policy that sets the annual requirements for use of biofuels with gasoline and diesel. Confusion over Trump's plans for RFS sparked wild swings in energy and agricultural markets last week. Carl Icahn, who owns a majority stake in CVR, said he had reached out to the White House about the issue. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also been reviewing requests from oil refiners including Valero Energy Corp and Delta Air Lines Inc's Monroe Energy LLC. A public comment period on the issue wrapped up late last month. Two sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters that they have been told by administration officials they are concerned about potential political backlash from biofuels companies and fuel marketers if they make the change that Icahn and Valero are seeking. (Reporting by Emily Stephenson in Washington; Additional reporting and writing by Chris Prentice; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
eo-Nazi protestors organized by the National Socialist Movement demonstrate near where the grand opening ceremonies were held for the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.

Earlier this week, anthropologists noticed that Googles search results for Boasian Anthropology, a branch of anthropology named after 2oth century German-American anthropologist Franz Boas, was returning a peculiar article as the top of the results.

Boasian Anthropology is a pseudo-scientific Jewish assault on White European racial consciousness and identity, read the featured snippet of the first article that appeared with the search results. To put it simply, the Jewish Boasian school of Anthropology suggested wrongly, that race was a social construct not rooted in biology or scientific determinism.

Grand Valley State University anthropology professor Deana Weibel-Swanson and her colleague Heather Van Wormer noticed something was wrong and Weibel-Swanson posted about their suspicions on Facebook.

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Several weeks ago, I treated a patient from Medellin, Colombia, who had escaped narco-terrorism and political violence to find a home in the US. But he was living here undocumented  and caring for him taught me what it means to do no harm.

In my first year as a resident at Cambridge Health Alliance, I often treat people new to the US who come here without documents. Im thankful that I can provide health care to my patients in what I believe is a safe setting. But these patients change the way I practice medicine, because they change the way I document medicine. This is something I never learned about in medical school.

Normally, hospitals are safe zones, free from immigration enforcement efforts. But this is a tenuous agreement  if the government wants to, a place of healing can become a place to detain.

To protect those living without documents, Ive had to learn to exercise caution about how I record a patients social history in our files. If you dont document it, its not discoverable, said Dr. Robert P. Marlin, the director of the Coordinated Care Program for Political Violence Survivors and the Refugee Health Assessment Program at CHA.

Looking back, I realized Id never seen this aspect of my Colombian patients history documented in his charts. While knowledge of legal status often helps medical providers connect our patients with valuable resources and care, that information has often been missing. Now I know why. While HIPAA typically protects patient health information, its not an unconditional legal shield. For these patients, given the current immigration climate, its better to be safe than sorry.

Read more: Immigrants, fearing Trumps deportation policies, avoid doctor visits

Earlier this year, President Trump signed an executive order effectively empowering immigration and customs officials to detain and start deportation proceedings on undocumented people in the US who have been charged with a crime, who have been convicted of a crime, who have received public benefits, or who have misrepresented themselves. For physicians who practice social justice, this order is at odds with our vows to protect our undocumented patients, advocate for their rights, and continue to serve them as healers.

Story continues

At a recent seminar on immigration and asylum at the hospital, Dr. Marlin and others taught attendees how much of a lifeline the cellphone can be to an undocumented patient. I now know to counsel patients to memorize important phone numbers  family, friends, and a trusted immigration lawyer, as one of the asylum speakers suggested. The sad reality is that this advice can be particularly important for children, making sure they know how to get help if their parents dont come home.

And for all the documentation that doesnt happen, there is one piece of paper that needs to be really accurate  emergency contacts. For example, if something were to happen, children may get stranded at day care, said Marlin. He even suggested setting up a lifeline, a system of friends and family that keep tabs on each other every day, with the idea that if you dont hear from me in 24 hours, I might not be safe.

Another thing Im learning  if a patient doesnt show up for important medical care, I might need to reach out to them. With the threat of heightened surveillance some patients may be afraid to seek any services, even in a sanctuary city like Cambridge. Even if these patients have support from grassroots medicine all the way to Bostons hospital leadership.

Leave them a message, asking if everything is OK, Marlin said.

What Im realizing is that maybe this is what preventive medicine looks like in 2017. Not only does my work mean Im preventing disease, but Im also preserving families. Im also protecting health care as a human right. Im trying to live the idea that Americas doctors do not equate not American with not human.

My patient from Medellin experienced unrelenting violence that I cannot begin to fathom, and he needed my help for a serious injury. My oath and my conscience dictate I care for him as a human being, and because of the risks he faces in having his undocumented status documented, I did this by sharing his relevant personal history orally. I am moved by his suffering and motivated to ensure that his health care, this one aspect of his experience, will be free of trauma and terror.
He was greeted like a star philanthropist.

The worlds richest doctor had just made a $12 million gift to the University of Utah. Members of the university community were urged to come thank him. And so, a crowd gathered.

For months, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong would continue to reap praise for his generosity in publicity put out by the university. Not mentioned in any of the tributes: $10 million of his donation would be sent right back to one of his companies. And the contract for his gift was worded in a way that left the University of Utah with no other choice.

The university health system did get free and valuable information for genetics research through the deal. But a STAT investigation has found that Soon-Shiong benefited even more from his charitable donation.

He got reams of patient data to help him build a new commercial product meant to assess patients risk of rare and inherited diseases. He got a stream of cash for one of his struggling companies.

And the deal made it possible for his company to inflate, by more than 50 percent, the number of test orders it reported to investors late last year while updating them on interest in a flagship product, a diagnostic tool known as GPS Cancer. Soon-Shiongs team counted genetic sequencing ordered by the University of Utah in those order numbers  even though the work for the university did not have anything to do with diagnosing or recommending treatments for cancer patients.

Even in the world of academic donations, which the wealthy often use to burnish their image or advance pet causes, the arrangement stands out as highly unusual.

Read more: He vowed to cure cancer. But this billionaires moonshot is falling far short of the hype

STAT has previously detailed how Soon-Shiongs high-profile cancer moonshot initiative achieved little scientific progress in its first year, instead functioning primarily as a marketing tool for GPS Cancer.

The University of Utah deal  laid out in contracts obtained by STAT through a public records request  illustrates how Soon-Shiong boosted his business through his philanthropy. He has been accused of doing just that in at least two legal filings, but the Utah contracts offer the first concrete example, spelled out in black and white.

Story continues

Four tax experts who reviewed the contracts at STATs request all agreed that the Utah deal was suspicious. Two said it appeared to violate federal tax rules governing certain charitable donations, amounting to indirect self-dealing by Soon-Shiong and his foundations.

Theyre laundering the funds through the University of Utah, said Marc Owens, a tax lawyer with Loeb & Loeb. Owens, who said the contracts appeared to violate federal rules, previously spent a decade as head of the Internal Revenue Services tax-exempt division.

Read more: Three times Patrick Soon-Shiongs philanthropy raised questions

The other two legal experts said the contracts were cleverly worded in a way that would likely steer clear of self-dealing  but agreed that, at the very least, they raised serious questions about Soon-Shiongs intent.

We pretty clearly have an optics problem, said Morey Ward, a tax lawyer with Ropes & Gray who represents tax-exempt organizations.

Soon-Shiongs spokeswoman, Jen Hodson, did not answer a list of emailed questions or return calls from STAT. Soon-Shiong has denied STATs repeated requests for an interview dating back to last fall.

The University of Utah put STAT on the phone with a geneticist whose team is using data generated by the deal for research, and answered additional questions by email. The university confirmed that it concluded it had to use the vast bulk of Soon-Shiongs donation to buy sequencing from his company but said the resulting research was fruitful.

My first reaction was surprise that the University of Utah lawyers agreed to sign this, said Brian Galle, a Georgetown University law professor who specializes in tax law and the law of nonprofit organizations, and who suspected the arrangement constitutes indirect self-dealing. (University of Utah spokeswoman Julie Kiefer said the universitys counsel reviewed both contracts.)

Questions about a crucial product

STATs reporting also raised questions about whether Soon-Shiongs signature GPS Cancer diagnostic, which is crucial to his core business, is making headway in the market.

NantHealth, the Soon-Shiong company that markets GPS Cancer, appears to have misled investors in reporting its third-quarter earnings last November. The company said that during the quarter it had received 524 orders for the GPS Cancer test, which analyzes tumor genetics and recommends treatments for patients. One-third of those orders came from the University of Utah deal, a company representative told investors on the earnings call.

But both Kiefer and the geneticist leading the research told STAT that the work they ordered from NantHealth had nothing to do with GPS Cancer. They paid for straightforward genetic sequencing, meant strictly for preclinical research. The geneticist, Deborah Wood Neklason, said she could not understand why NantHealth would count the work as orders for GPS Cancer.

(In the same earnings call, NantHealth did make a point of telling investors that it wasnt counting money from the University of Utah as revenue, which tax law experts said was appropriate since the university was using money from Soon-Shiongs big donation to pay for the sequencing.)

STAT has sought for weeks to talk to other hospitals that have placed orders for GPS Cancer, seeking information about how quickly the results came back and how oncologists viewed the recommendations.

STAT contacted nine health systems said to be using GPS Cancer. None would grant a request for phone interviews.

A spokeswoman for one of those systems, Sanford Health, which serves North and South Dakota, did agree to put an executive on the phone with STAT  but then canceled the interview, citing travel schedules. The spokeswoman, Jacqueline Palfy, later said by email that six patients at Sanford have been involved in the testing and that not all the results are back yet.

A showman with an audacious vision

It was September 2014 when members of the University of Utah community assembled in an auditorium to see Soon-Shiong unveil his $12 million donation.

The focus that day, as captured in video clips from the event, was all on Soon-Shiong. Hes committed his life to really advancing health for everyone in this country and in the world, and I think we should really be grateful for that, said Dr. Vivian Lee, the CEO of the universitys health care system.

Soon-Shiongs vision is so expansive, Lee raved at one point, its almost impossible to succinctly describe it.

Such glowing tributes stand at odds with Soon-Shiongs other reputation: that of a self-promoting showman flaunting more hype than substance.

A physician and entrepreneur with an estimated net worth close to $9 billion, Soon-Shiong has gotten the ear of Joe Biden and the pope, and has met at least twice with President Trump since the election. In recent weeks, hes said to have pitched a role for himself as national health care czar.

Read more: Meet Trumps would-be health czar: A billionaire with a brash vision, a bodyguard  and a divisive record

Soon-Shiong holds eclectic investments in the Los Angeles Lakers and a big newspaper company, but his main focus is his web of health care companies under the umbrella of NantWorks. Two of the companies are public, including NantHealth. The company has been losing money at a rapid rate and has seen its stock price plummet since its public debut last June. Soon-Shiong owns more than half of NantHealth, according to a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Soon-Shiongs contract with the University of Utah laid out a bold scientific goal for the collaboration: to find genetic clues to causes of diseases including several cancers and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often known as Lou Gehrigs disease.

The project was to be called the Chan Soon-Shiong Heritage 1K Project  after Soon-Shiong and his wife, the former television actress Michele Chan.

Two years later, the term heritage would surface again, as NantHealth told investors of its plans for a new product, GPS Heritage, to assess patients risk for rare and inherited diseases. The product would draw on genetic sequencing NantHealth was doing in partnership with the University of Utah, according to a company press release.

Indeed, NantHealth specifically listed the work it was doing sequencing samples for the university  work paid for by Soon-Shiongs donation  among corporate highlights for the second quarter of 2016.

Kiefer said that to the best of our knowledge, the university has no involvement or stake in the GPS Heritage product.

The gift contract did explicitly say that any improvements made to algorithms as part of the project would be retained by the original owner of that algorithm  leaving the door open for Soon-Shiong to use all data generated from the sequencing to improve algorithms in his commercial work. Such algorithms, which sift through vast quantities of genetic data to identify patterns, power GPS Cancer and, presumably, will be used to build GPS Heritage.

Read more: Whos the billionaire doctor palling around with Donald Trump?

The $12 million donation came from three different tax-exempt entities controlled by Soon-Shiong. According to Kiefer, $9 million of the money came from two private foundations Soon-Shiong controls, his family foundation and his National Coalition for Health Integration. The remaining $3 million came from his NantHealth Foundation, a type of public charity classified as a medical research organization.

The three foundations appear to be funded almost exclusively by Soon-Shiong and his wife. (Tax forms for one of the three list Bank of America as having contributed $100,000, a relatively small sum, around the time of the University of Utah deal.)

A telling contract, too clever by half

The contract with the University of Utah earmarked $2 million from Soon-Shiongs donation for scientific and administrative work. It says the remaining $10 million of the gift was required to be spent on Omics Analysis.

The contract does not explicitly require the university to funnel that genetics analysis business to NantHealth. But the contracts use of the term Omics is telling. Soon-Shiongs analysis company, which does genetic sequencing, is called NantOmics. And omics is a favorite term of the biotech billionaire.

I think that this transaction was deliberately structured to attempt to disguise self-dealing. That sort of too clever by half use of terminology simply reinforces my view, said Owens, the tax lawyer.

Another telling point: The contract laid out very detailed specifications for what kind of kind of facility would do that Omics Analysis. The sequencing was required to be done by a facility with the ability to do certain types of sequencing. With a certain minimum processing speed. With the ability to sequence each base of DNA a certain minimum number of times.

The University of Utah evaluated other facilities, Kiefer said, to see if they could do the sequencing as required by the gift contract. They couldnt.

The university concluded that NantHealth was the only facility capable of meeting the state-of-the-art standards and specifications required under the gift agreement, Kiefer said.

The contract to pay NantHealth for the sequencing work went into effect in January 2015, four and a half months after the donation. NantHealth would do the work at what was billed as a discounted cost  $10,000 per sample or individual  according to the contract. The company has not disclosed the regular price for such work.

The University of Utah shipped the first blood samples off to NantHealth that very same month. (The samples came from storage, from people who had agreed to participate in research studies dating back two decades earlier, according to Neklason, the geneticist.) The first results came back to researchers within a few weeks. The back and forth continued for two years until the final results came back in January.

All told, 1,000 blood samples, covering about 25 different diseases and conditions, were successfully sequenced. An additional 380 tumor and tissue samples, also from storage, were sent to NantHealth for sequencing, though some were too degraded to generate useful results.

Neklason said she and her team are thrilled with the project. Kiefer said the university believes Soon-Shiongs foundations delivered on their commitments and that the quality of the research exceeded our expectations.

Neklasons team is now analyzing the reams of data theyve received back from NantHealth to help them study the genetic causes of why certain people develop a condition while others dont. An early study from the project, on the genetics of premature menopause, was published last month in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

Soon-Shiong has not yet announced a date for GPS Heritage to hit the market.
The friendliest airport staff in the world can be found at Incheon International Airport in Seoul, according to the results of a new survey.

Compiled by the Airports Council International (ACI) based in Montreal, the 2016 Airport Quality Service Awards asked travelers to rate their airport experience across 34 criteria, from airport access, check-in, security screening, restrooms, stores and restrooms.

In the category of biggest airport hubs around the world -- those that see more than 40 million passengers pass through their halls -- the most civilized airport experience can be found at Incheon International, a major hub that repeatedly tops world's best airport awards.

"These airports have dedicated themselves to delivering a stellar customer experience. Promoting a culture of continuous service improvement has become a matter of gaining competitive advantage and optimizing non-aeronautical revenue performance," said ACI World director general Angela Gittens in a statement.

For the survey, passengers are questioned at the airport, on the day of their arrival.

The awards are presented to the airports that score the highest ratings over the course of a year.

Interestingly, the top three spots are occupied by airports in Asia and Southeast Asia, with Delhi, Mumbai and Singapore's Changi Airport tying for second place.

Beijing Capital International Airport rounds out the third spot.

This year's edition of the Airport Quality Service Awards marked the group's 10th annual report.

Here's a breakdown of regional winners:

Best airport in Africa: Mauritius Airport

Asia-Pacific: Seoul Incheon International Airport

Europe: Sochi International Airport

Middle East: Abu Dhabi International Airport

North America, Tie: Indianapolis International Airport, Jacksonville International Airport, Billy Bishop Airport (Toronto, Canada)

Latin America: Guayaquil Airport (Ecuador)
WWE news for Randy Orton and AJ Styles match

On Sunday night, the WWE Raw brands Fastlane pay-per-view was underway in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but the superstars of SmackDown Live were also in action in Illinois. Two longtime pro wrestling stars met in the ring for their first battle. The latest live WWE show took place at Rockford, Illinois, and featured some interesting matches ahead of Tuesdays next episode of SmackDown on the USA Network. In particular, both Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt were in action just days after Orton burned down Sister Abigails resting place.

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triple h, seth rollins samoa joe

Last week on WWE RAW, Seth Rollins made his first appearance on WWE television since suffering a torn MCL on the January 30 episode of the companys flagship show. Samoa Joes main roster debut was slightly marred because he was responsible for Rollins legitimate knee injury. But, WWE officials were able to incorporate the real-life setback into Joes storyline of being a mercenary and Triple Hs destroyer.

The plan, of course, was to book a marquee match between Seth Rollins and Triple H at WWE WrestleMania this year in Orlando. Similar plans were on the books for last years big show, but Rollins was forced to miss out on the spectacle because of his first major injury since being promoted to WWE.

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DUBAI (Reuters) - The leader of al Qaeda's Yemeni wing has said the United States refused to exchange jailed Muslim cleric Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman for a U.S. journalist who died in a failed rescue attempt in 2014, according to a recording posted on its media channel. Abdel-Rahman, also known as "the blind sheikh", died in a North Carolina jail last month while serving a life sentence for conspiracy in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York. "The mujahideen sought to rescue the blind and crippled sheikh more than once, but the Americans did not heed demands for the release of this revered scholar," Qassim al-Reymi, who became leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in 2015 after his predecessor killed in a U.S. bombing, said. "In the Arabian Peninsula, the mujahideen kidnapped an American and their only demand was the release of the crippled and blind sheikh and the afflicted sister and Pakistani neurosurgeon ... Aafia Siddiqui," he added, referring to American journalist Luke Somers. "America refused vehemently to exchange prisoners, and even sacrificed their citizen so as not to release them," Reymi said. Reuters was unable to verify the authenticity of the recording. There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials. John Kerry, then U.S. secretary of state, and Yemeni officials said at the time that Somers, 33, along with South African teacher Pierre Korkie, 56, were shot by their kidnappers shortly after the raid began in the Wadi Abadan district of Shabwa, a province long seen as one of al Qaeda's most formidable strongholds. Siddiqui is serving 86 years in a prison medical center in Texas. She was convicted in 2010 of attempting to shoot and kill a group of FBI agents, U.S. soldiers and interpreters who were about to interrogate her in Afghanistan for alleged links to al Qaeda. Movements across the Islamist spectrum from the Muslim Brotherhood to al Qaeda have issued statements mourning Abdel-Rahman, who was buried in Egypt last month. The United States, which sees AQAP as one of the deadliest branches of the network founded by Osama bin Laden, has carried out several attacks against the group in Yemen. (Reporting by Omar Fahmy in Cairo; Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay in Washington; Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Alison Williams)
This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Earth's climate system is replete with potential surprises, and the climate science community tends to be conservative when projecting future changes. The world also suffers from a creative deficit in imagining the human response to climate change  a deficit that fiction is well-suited to help alleviate.

One focus of my research is on sea-level change, both in the past and in the future. In his new work of climate fiction, New York 2140, author Kim Stanley Robinson supposes that climate scientists like me will be surprised by how quickly the world's ice sheets will shrink and sea levels will rise. His novel explores how civilization might nonetheless muddle through to remake this reshaped world.

In Robinson's future, the First Pulse of Antarctic and Greenland ice sheet collapse in the 2050s led to 10 feet of global sea-level rise in the course of a decade. The First Pulse and the food crisis of the 2070s served as focusing events, leading the world to take greenhouse gas reductions more seriously. Electricity generation shifted to renewables; container ships were replaced with fleets of wind-powered clippers; lighter-than-air airships replaced airplanes.

Yet these efforts were not enough to avoid a Second Pulse at the end of the 21st century, driven first by melting at the Aurora Basin in East Antarctica but then cascading around the world's ice sheets, leading to a further 40 feet of sea-level rise.

Current science suggests the speed of sea-level rise in Robinson's future is implausible. The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)'s 2013 report estimated that, under a future with high greenhouse gas emissions, global average sea level would likely rise by between about 1.5 and three feet over the course of this century. My research group's projections generally agree with the IPCC's assessment. But the IPCC assessed only what is likely; our group's work also suggests that sea-level rise as high as about eight feet by 2100 and 18 feet by 2150 is physically plausible, though extremely unlikely.

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But there's a lot we don't know about the behavior of ice sheets, particularly those  like the West Antarctic and parts of the East Antarctic including the Aurora Basin  that sit on ground that is below sea level. For example, warm water can attack submarine ice from beneath. If the ground underneath the ice sheet is sloping the wrong way, deepening toward the continent's interior, the water's advance will set up a self-sustaining cycle that exposes a growing cross-section of ice to erosion.

In addition, ice sheets can form unstable ice cliffs at their margins. A recent study that incorporated the collapse of ice cliffs found that, under a future of high emissions, it may be significantly easier to get to eight feet by 2100 and 18 feet by 2150 than previously thought. Still, even that study could not produce Robinson's 50 feet until after 2200.

Venice on the Hudson

Robinson's novel, however, is not a scientific projection: It is an exploration of human resilience in the face of extreme pressure. There are four basic ways coastal communities can respond to sea-level rise: suffering damage, developing protective infrastructure, finding ways of accommodating flooding and retreating from the coast. Robinson's New Yorkers engage in all four  and Robinson's vision of accommodation is profoundly richer than in the imaginings of adaptation strategies developed by national, state and local governments.

Despite the environmental apocalypse, life carries on in a flooded New York that has remade itself as a super-Venice. (See Climate Central's Surging Seas maps to explore what Manhattan would look like with 10 meters (33 feet) or 20 meters (66 feet) of sea-level rise.) The submerged streets of Lower Manhattan have turned into canals, crisscrossed by pedestrian high lines. Vaporettos have replaced taxis. Skyscrapers whose bases have fallen beneath the waves are protected by nanodiamond coatings and powered by solar microgrids.

Retreat has occurred mainly from the intertidal zone of Midtown Manhattan, where the forces of the daily tidal cycle wreak havoc on structural integrity. On the dry land surrounding the Cloisters, far uptown, carbon nanomaterials originally intended for space elevators allow new buildings on the shrunken island to reach hundreds of stories upward.

Technological progress focused on improving lives rather than accommodating the changed world has apparently slowed to a crawl  in some ways, not much has changed from today. Airships are steered by chatty but rule-bound AIs, and communications take place by tablet, with celebrities broadcasting live feeds of real-world adventures through the cloud.

Though this slow pace of progress may be literary license taken to make the world more relatable, it may also be a fair projection: If environmental crises consume the world's R&D budget, there may be little left for innovations without a survival benefit.

Meanwhile, financial capitalism proceeds much as it did in the early 21st century, periodically growing and imploding bubbles and receiving government bailouts. As in most of Robinson's works, the limits of the capitalist system serve as a motif: The book culminates in a democratic-socialist fantasy of an alternative political response to a bursting financial bubble that seems more rooted in 2008 than 2140.

Creative rethinking

In the real world, when climate change first entered the mainstream of civic discourse in the late 1980s, policy discussion focused almost entirely on limiting greenhouse gas emissions. While the world has made some progress, reflected in the United Nations' Paris Agreement and in the recent near-stability of global carbon dioxide emissions, the pace has been slow. The planet is increasingly feeling the effects of climate change, and so adapting to these effects has become a growing part of both scientific research and public discourse.

But most work on climate change adaptation has focused on near-term, marginal changes: for instance, making communities more resilient in the face of ever more common weather extremes, or installing pumps and elevating infrastructure to deal with the rapid growth of minor nuisance flooding along the shore.

Climate change and sea-level projections usually end by 2100, and on that timescale, two to three feet of global sea-level rise is far more likely than Robinson's 50 feet. But the world will not end in 2100, and many of the public works built today will still be around a century from now. In New Jersey, for example, many of the electric grid's switching stations that flooded in 2012 during Superstorm Sandy were sited more than a century earlier, during the age of Thomas Alva Edison.

So climate fiction can play a critical role in the face of the large-scale experiment we humans are conducting with the world's climate system: inspiring creative rethinks of the designs and technologies needed to reshape how we relate to our environment.

Science tells us that, by reshaping our global energy and agricultural systems, we can avoid the magnitude of planetary change that Robinson depicts. But to make those changes and to adapt to the changes we don't avoid, the world's best minds need to focus, not on new apps or financial innovations, but on the civilizational challenges at hand.

Works like Robinson's  starkly beautiful and fundamentally optimistic visions of technological and social change in the face of some of the worst devastation we might bring upon ourselves  can inspire that focus in a way that myopic discussions of the near term or grim, apocalyptic tales cannot.

Robert Kopp, Professor, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, and Director, Coastal Climate Risk & Resilience Initiative, Rutgers University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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Harare (AFP) - State doctors in Zimbabwe called off a three-week strike that paralysed hospitals "on compassionate grounds", a union leader said Monday, after negotiations with the cash-strapped government stalled.

Hospitals in Zimbabwe have been at a standstill since the middle of February with admissions suspended, many wards cleared of patients and non-critical casualty cases turned away after nurses joined the action.

State hospitals cater for the majority of Zimbabweans who cannot afford private hospitals.

The country had one of Africa's best healthcare systems, but many health professionals have left during the country's economic crisis over the last 15 years.

"We have resumed our duties. All the doctors are back at work," Edgar Munatsi, president of the Hospital Doctors Association, told AFP.

"We came to the decision on compassionate grounds after our meeting with the government failed to address our grievances.

"We were moved by the plight of the suffering patients. The mortality rate in the hospitals was going up and it appeared the government was not concerned."

No mortality figures were available from the government or the doctors' union.

The strike centred on demands for higher allowances and job guarantees for junior doctors.

The state-owned Herald newspaper said some allowances had been increased for medical staff.

An AFP correspondent in Harare observed last week that most wards at Parirenyatwa, Zimbabwe's main state hospital, were empty.

At the Mpilo hospital in the second city of Bulawayo, a small number of senior doctors attended to patients.

President Robert Mugabe, 93, returned to Zimbabwe this weekend after one of his regular trips to Singapore for medical care.

His government has struggled to pay civil servants and soldiers on time, resorting to staggering pay dates as funds runs short.

A planned strike on Monday by public workers over pay and delayed bonuses was postponed by organisers.

Last year, Mugabe's security forces quelled a series of street protests in Harare against his regime and the country's dire economic plight.
The bridal party had a great attitude about the accident. (Photo: McKaila Hanna Lifestyle Photography)

Sometimes, the difference between having good luck and bad luck on your wedding day is merely a matter of perspective. Iowa couple Krissi Buhrow and Shane McCollow could have felt like it was the worst luck that their bus began to fill with smoke while taking them from from Cedar Falls to their wedding chapel in Nashua on Feb. 25.

I was worried that it might stop and we may not get to the church, Buhrow told the Des Moines Register. The bus had been hot from the beginning of their 35-mile trip, and after the driver ran the air conditioner and then turned it off, the situation worsened. I just knew something wasnt right because of the smell and smoke.

They had the very good luck to make it, though, and right after all the people and liquor (yikes!) had been safely removed from the vehicle, it burst into flames.

It sounded like a gunshot, McCollow told the Register.

While they waited for the fire department to arrive, Michael Buhrow, the brides father and a captain of fire prevention at the Cedar Falls Fire Department, helped the driver contain the fire.

Rather than freak out at this turn of events, the couple posed for pictures in front of their flaming bus.

I cant believe as a bride she was that calm, wedding photographer McKaila Hanna said of Buhrow.

After the couple signed their marriage license, they took pictures with the Nashua Fire Department, too.

We continued on and it was actually pretty awesome, McCollow told the Register.

It also helps that the bus company, Dollys Party Bus, made sure this minor disaster  caused by leaking brake fluid  didnt disrupt any of their plans. They had a replacement bus ready in time to take the wedding party to the reception, and they waived all fees.

The newlyweds positive attitude reminds us of other couples who have managed to make mishaps into wedding lemonade. Last November, a couple in New Jersey who had been evacuated from their wedding reception due to a kitchen fire got some memorable firefighter photos out of the ordeal.

The way Allison and Kevin laughed it off and turned it into an amazing memory is something Ill never forget because that state of mind is so rare these days, photographer Drew Noel told Yahoo Style. It may be rare, but perhaps it is also catching on.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
Getty

A breastfeeding mom is sharing an emotional experience she had last week, after receiving a short note passed to her by a waitress in a cafe in Arizona.

Isabelle Ames has a 10-month-old daughter named Charlotte. After struggling to wrangle her baby and managing just a sip of coffee during the process, Ames sensed Charlotte was hungry and started nursing her daughter at the cafe booth  a task that had become difficult for the new mom to achieve in public.

Soon after, she was approached by a waitress named Erica who handed her a simple note. Ames posted a photo of the handwritten note on Instagram on Wednesday, sending the Ericas surprise gesture viral.

The note said Thank you for breastfeeding here! Much love and respect!!!

Ames recalls having she burst into tears, touched by the letter, she gave Erica a hug. The mom explained why the interaction was so meaningful in the caption.

ALSO SEE: This mommy-toddler workout duo is outrageously cute

She has a total of six teeth now, and we have both been sick for a week, Ames wrote. When she finished, my server came over and said, this pancake is from me, to you. Here is a little note to explain why. She then began to tell me how us mommas gotta look out for each other.

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ALSO SEE: New moms hilarious photos prove nothing can prepare you for motherhood

Breastfeeding is one of the hardest things I have done, next to labor, she wrote. No one prepares you for it, but everyone expects you to be excellent at it. You feel like a complete failure when it doesnt happen right away.

But hearing recognition and gratitude from a complete stranger gave Ames a sense of empowerment.

So often, before I feed Charlotte in public I get a twinge of fear. OK, this is the time. Someone is going to harass me. They are going to yell at me. Someone is going to tell me I cant do this here. But not today. Today I got love, respect and a free pancake.

The mom concluded her post by thanking her fellow parent, Erica, and evoking the hashtags #normalizebreastfeeding #lovewins.

Let us know what you think by tweeting @YahooStyleCA!




1. Yes. Taxpayers are funding its operation; they should have a voice in the naming process.

2. Yes. The city should operate with a spirit of inclusivity. Residents will be responsive.

3. No. Public input can be problematic; rejection of suggestions can be divisive for residents.

4. No. Residents elect council members to make decisions on their behalf. No input is needed.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say whether public input would be more of a benefit or a hindrance.

Vote

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If you're looking for new songs, you've come to the right place. We've got exuberant electronica, a rap take on yacht rock and sensual R&B, as well as great new tracks from LCD Soundsystem and Lil Yachty.



Credit: Tom's Guide/Shutterstock

Credit: Tom's Guide/Shutterstock

Not only can you stream the tracks here as YouTube videos, but you can also get these songs on Spotify with our playlist, which will be updated weekly. That way you can play them on your Bluetooth speakers or wireless headphones or save them for offline moments.

LCD Soundsystem, "call the police"



"call the police"

One of the tracks that LCDSS debuted at their recent string of shows in Brooklyn, "call the police" is hitting people in a variety of ways. It reminded me of two of the band's best tracks: "All My Friends" and "New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down," but a friend heard a completely different band in this song: the U2 of the 1980's. And, yes, they meant that as a compliment.

SZA feat. Travis Scott, Love Galore



"Love Galore"

Points to whomever named this track "Love Galore," as it's the sexiest song I've heard in months. And about this music video, it's even more overt than the song, so you'll want to wait for the kids to be out of the room.Especially with it's super-creepy ending.



RL Grime, Reims

"Reims"

Electronica artist RL Grime has been absent for two years, and supposedly he spent that time cooking up bangers like Reims. If the rest of the forthcoming album is as good as Reims, which bursts at the seams with clashing cymbals, synths and vocal loops, RL will be looking to take the maximalist crown from Hudson Mohawke.

MORE: Best Music Apps for Rocking Out

Majid Jordan, "Phases"



"Phases"

If this is a just world, "Phases" is the track that will bring singer/song-writer Majid Jordan out of frequent-collaborator Drake's shadow. As impossible as that may sound, his impossibly soft vocals and the hypnotic bass on the track make it more than possible.

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Grizzly Bear, "Three Rings"



"Three Rings"

As beautiful as it is cluttered with instruments, "Three Rings" is a fantastic way for Grizzly Bear to return to our playlists. The band's more popular tracks ("Two Weeks" "While You Wait For The Others") built a clean, methodical sound that is gone here, replaced with something that reminds us of recent Radiohead.

MORE: Best Spotify Playlists for Working Out

Brother Ali, "Own Light (What Hearts Are For)"



"Own Light (What Hearts Are For)"

Speaking of artists we haven't heard from in years, Brother Ali, the most famous albino muslim rapper on the planet, is back at it. And there is a lot to unpack in the video for his latest track. This clip opens with a solemn intro from Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah and then jumps between a range of imagery including a woman kneeling in prayer, another extending upwards in a yoga position and a cop being suspicious of a pulled-over driver. About halfway in, the imagery finally syncs up with the messaging, showing how younger, purer hearts don't see anything to be worried about when they see people in headscarves.

Lil Yachty, "Bring It Back"

"Bring It Back"

In sentences I didn't expect to type, Lil Yachty's latest video finds the auto-tuned rapper going to an adorably romantic prom night. The other major surprise here is that this song isn't even rap. It's classifiable as -- wait for it -- yacht rock. Yes, Lil Yachty got his yacht rock on. And hot damn, it's an ear-worm.

MORE: Buying Headphones in 2017: The Pros and Cons of Every Type

Gorillaz feat. RagnBone Man, Zebra Katz & RAY BLK, "The Apprentice"



"Apprentice"

Typically, guest appearances on Gorillaz tracks are moments for established superstars to play around and experiment. So imagine my surprise to hear up-and-comer Rag'n'Bone Man, a British singer/songwriter, turn in the best guest vocals on the animated band's latest album. If you like this, check out his other songs, including "Human."

B.o.B feat. Young Thug, "Xantastic"



"High"

This ethereal track from rapper B.o.B may be a break from his previous work, but that's not a bad thing. Sure, you might be disappointed if you came in looking for the same stuff as he's done before, but you can't bring that attitude to work from artists. If B.o.B manages to put out a whole album of great tracks, people might forget that time he revealed he's a flat-Eather


By Julia Love and Heather Somerville SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - When Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] was raising venture capital in 2013, it was one of the hottest deals around  and no one was more eager to write a check than Bill Maris and David Krane of Google's venture capital arm. Not everyone at Google Ventures, since renamed GV, agreed. The firm already had an investment in a competitor, Sidecar, and Uber was demanding what then looked like a sky-high valuation. Maris and Krane prevailed, and the deal is now regarded as GVs greatest success. On paper, the firm's initial 2013 investment of $258 million gained about 14 times its value over the next three years to more than $3.5 billion. But now Alphabet Inc, Google's corporate parent, is suing Uber for theft of trade secrets, alleging that one of the top engineers in its self-driving car program decamped with thousands of confidential files, including designs that helped him start self-driving truck company Otto and then quickly sell it to Uber. Uber denies those claims. The lawsuit, filed by Alphabets self-driving car unit Waymo, has jolted the fast-growing and highly competitive industry that has sprung up around autonomous vehicles and ride services, which are seen as the future of private road transport. Yet the confrontation was a long time in the making: the complex relationship between the companies was tense from the start, according to people familiar with the situation, and soured further as they increasingly competed with each other. Now, if the Waymo suit damages Uber, GV's investment in the ride-hailing company stands to go down as a Silicon Valley rarity: a large funding deal undermined by the firm's own investors. Whatever Waymo gains, Google Ventures loses, said Stephen Diamond, associate professor of law at Santa Clara University. The lawsuit is just one in a series of recent public setbacks for Uber, including allegations of sexual harassment that prompted an internal investigation, a video of Chief Executive Travis Kalanick arguing with an Uber driver that led him to make a public apology, and Uber's admission on Friday that it used a secret tracking tool to avoid authorities. We have reviewed Waymo's claims and determined them to be a baseless attempt to slow down a competitor and we look forward to vigorously defending against them in court," Uber said in a statement in response to the lawsuit. "In the meantime, we will continue our hard work to bring self-driving benefits to the world. A spokeswoman for GV declined to comment. DEAL AT ANY COST Uber was more than just another investment for then-fledgling Google Ventures, which needed a high-profile deal to put it on the map. Maris and Krane were early Uber fans, but it took about two years for the pair to connect with Kalanick. When Uber investor Benchmark finally brokered a meeting in May 2013, the Google Ventures partners were determined to do a deal at virtually any cost, according to two sources close to the transaction. With other would-be investors waiting in adjacent conference rooms at Ubers San Francisco offices, Maris and Krane made their pitch to invest. Kalanick pushed for a higher valuation, without a board seat; Google Ventures pushed back, asking for a board observer seat and a liquidation preference for protection if Uber was sold at a loss, one of the sources said. They finally came to terms, with a $3.5 billion valuation, and there were signs that a broader alliance could be in the offing. Separately, David Drummond, Google's senior vice president of corporate development, had a social relationship with Kalanick, and he joined the board. A ride in a self-driving car and a meeting with Google CEO Larry Page, recounted in Brad Stone's recent book "The Upstarts," seemed to bode well for the relationship. But conflicts emerged immediately. Kalanick, a tough negotiator, wanted a discount on the software tools behind Google Maps, the company's ubiquitous mapping software, according to a person close to the transaction. The best Google Ventures could offer was close contact between Uber and Googles mapping team, the person said. Kalanick also wanted Uber to be featured prominently in Google Maps, eventually giving customers a way to hail an Uber ride directly from Maps, and Google agreed, a source close to Uber said. But Uber felt Google dragged its heels on the integration and found the initial rollout disappointing, the source said. The friction only grew as Uber turned its attention to autonomous driving, an area where Google had already established an early lead. Uber announced its intentions in typically abrupt style in early 2015, poaching 40 faculty and researchers from Carnegie Mellon University to set up a self-driving lab in Pennsylvania. It bought mapping software firm deCarta and began investing heavily in its own mapping systems. Meanwhile, Google launched an on-demand delivery service, a market Uber is also chasing, and began offering a carpooling service through driving app Waze, which it acquired in 2013. The carpooling feature in particular rankled Uber, a source close to the company said. "Things escalated from frenemy to now enemy quite quickly," said Anand Sanwal, CEO and co-founder of venture capital research firm CB Insights. The tension bubbled to the surface last August, when Drummond stepped down from Ubers board. Uber declined comment on any of its dealings with Google and did not make Kalanick available for an interview. UNDERMINED BY ITS OWN INVESTORS? Ubers aggressive culture was the subject of many conversations at Google Ventures, a source close to the transaction said. Hoping to influence the startup, the venture firm at first encouraged a flow of talent from Google to Uber. Yet that too ultimately created problems. Anthony Levandowski, a key engineering manager at the self-driving car unit, now called Waymo, began to talk openly about leaving the company as the autonomous vehicle field blossomed, according to Alphabet's lawsuit. In January 2016, Levandowski and some colleagues quit Alphabet to form the self-driving truck start-up Otto, which Uber acquired later that year for $680 million. Alphabet claims in its lawsuit that Levandowski had been in touch with Uber even before he left Alphabet. In the lawsuit, Alphabet alleges Levandowski downloaded 14,000 proprietary design documents and used them to create Otto's - and later Uber's - version of a key autonomous vehicle technology called Lidar, which uses light pulses reflected off objects to gauge their position. Uber and Levandowski deny the allegations. The high-stakes legal showdown over whether vital information was transferred between the two companies is perhaps the logical conclusion of their opaque relationship. All along, Uber remained mysterious to its Google Ventures investors. Kalanick was adamant from the start that he would share little information, and try as it might, Google Ventures could not gain better visibility over time, two sources said. If anything, Kalanick grew more tight-lipped as his business matured. It was one of the few companies where we sat there and said, 'Hope it goes well,'" one of the sources said. (Reporting by Julia Love and Heather Somerville; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Bill Rigby)
Tesla is currently investigating what may have caused a Model S P85 to catch fire while at one of the companys Supercharger stations in Shanghai, China. The incident occurred late last week, and curiously enough, initial reports indicate that the car wasnt actively charging at the time the fire began to spread.

Don't Miss: New report reaffirms the most exciting new iPhone 8 feature

The fire was ultimately put out and thankfully no one was harmed during the incident. Addressing the matter in a statement provided to Electrek recently, Tesla said that it plans to conduct a full investigation into the matter.

No one was harmed in this incident, a Tesla spokesperson said. Were undergoing a full investigation and well share our findings as soon as possible.

Tesla, to its credit, has a history of being extremely transparent when it comes to providing full details about serious incidents involving its growing fleet of cars.

A few photos of the charred out Tesla Model S P85 can be viewed below, courtesy of Reddit user JayinShanghai.

tesla-fire-supercharger

tesla-fire-supercharger-shanghai

While we certainly dont want to draw any sweeping conclusions about the incident until Tesla figures out exactly what went wrong, its worth noting this isnt the first time weve seen a story involving a Tesla seemingly catching fire for no reason. This past August, for example, a driver taking a Model S 90D for a test drive heard a loud noise before noticing a message on the dashboard which read, Problems with charging.

Shortly thereafter, the driver pulled over whereupon the car reportedly burst into flames just one minute later. All of the passengers managed to escape unscathed and firefighters quickly arrived on the scene and put the fire out. A sensational photo of the burning Tesla can be seen below.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
One day in August 2015, Jared Denman got a frightened phone call at work from his wife, who was home with their 2-year-old daughter. A song was playing through the couples baby monitorthe Polices Every Breath You Take. The monitor was the kind that connects to the internet so that parents can see and talk to their baby or caregiver when theyre away from home. The device had been taken over by a malicious hacker, and the songs lyrics were particularly ominous: Every game you play, every night you stay, I'll be watching you.

Incidents like this may illustrate the need for consumers to be better educated and more vigilant when it comes to digital security. But if a breach could happen to Denman, who is an IT administrator with a sophisticated understanding of computer security practices, it can probably happen to most consumers. Some products, like the Denmans baby monitor, are sold by their manufacturers with vulnerabilities that leave them open to attack, such as a setup process that doesnt require users to change the default username and password. And its not just homes with baby monitors that are vulnerable. Its also homes with routers, security cameras, health-and-fitness apps, and even cars.

These types of attacks are probably happening to more and more people, and they dont know anything about it, Denman says.

In our recent CR Consumer Voices survey, 65 percent of Americans told us they are either slightly or not at all confident that their personal data is private and not distributed without their knowledge. We think its unfair and unrealistic to expect consumers to constantly play defense when the products and services they use arent engineered with basic privacy and security protections built in. Consumer Reports regularly writes about major security vulnerabilities and offers advice to our readers about good practices that can help protect their data and privacy. But as an organization, we aim to do more.

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Thats why were now launching the first phase of a collaborative effort to create a new standard that safeguards consumers security and privacyand we hope industry will use that standard when building and designing digital products such as connected devices, software, and mobile apps. The goal is to help consumers understand which digital products do the most to protect their privacy and security, and give them the most control over their personal data. This standard can also eventually be used by CR and others in developing test protocols to evaluate and rate productswhich will help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions.

We know were not the first ones to try to move digital products and services in the direction of greater privacy and security. In the past couple of years, efforts have been launched by both government agencies and other private organizations to pull together guidelines, but these have usually been narrowly focused on a single area, such as privacy policies or the security of connected devices. None of them has gained wide support. And some protections are actively being rolled backthe Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently blocked a new rule that would have added data security protections for internet users.

Consumer Reports has been working with several partners and has taken a comprehensive approach, building on some of the best thinking that has gone into prior efforts. We think these standards address a real gap in the marketplace. Heres an overview of how this project came together and how these standards will work.



What's the Point of a 'Standard'?

Look around, and youll see product standards in just about every field. Their purpose is to define what good products have in common, and these standards generally evolve over time. For instance, current federal safety standards ensure that vehicles have seat belts, multiple airbags, and electronic stability control to help protect drivers and passengers.

Standards and test protocols to evaluate products can be created by government agencies, but they dont always have to be, especially if the government is not adequately addressing a problem in the marketplace. Consumer Reports has plenty of experience working with and advocating for stronger standards for all manner of products. We pushed hard for and provided scientific input on the development of dynamic rollover tests now used by the government to evaluate all cars, including SUVs. We also develop our own protocols when we believe existing standards are not going far enough to protect consumers. The safety protocol we developed for doing comparative crash-testing on child car seats was designed to reflect consumers' real-world experiences better than government tests, and it has spurred a lot of productive dialogue with manufacturers.

We are now turning this type of focus to privacy. If Consumer Reports and other public-interest organizations create a reasonable standard and let people know which products do the best job of meeting it, consumer pressure and choices can change the marketplace. Weve seen this repeatedly over our 80-year history.

Maria Rerecich, who directs electronics testing at Consumer Reports, is helping lead the project. All kinds of products and services collect consumer data and rely on software to work, she says. But no one has defined how companies should build these products to really be good for consumers in terms of privacy and other issues. Those products include such diverse items as smart TVs, routers, security cameras, thermostats, and digital assistants (think Amazon Echo and Google Home)as well as pure software products such as apps and web browsers.

Getting this right matters more than ever. Even though internet-connected washing machines and automobiles may seem like high-end novelties today, these devicesas well as the apps and services that support themare quickly becoming the norm. Two years ago, about 40 percent of the TVs for sale were smart or connected sets, according to Gap Intelligence, a market research firm. By December 2016, the number was about 60 percent, and its sure to rise further. Appliances such as slow cookers and refrigerators are starting to incorporate that kind of connectivity as well.



Our Privacy StandardA Quick Overview

What does our digital consumer-protection standard ask of companies? As an example, we think devices that connect to the internet, such as the Denmans baby monitor, should require consumers to choose unique usernames and passwords during setup. You cant create an online bank account without creating a secure password; that should be true for a camera that transmits video from inside your home as well.

The new standard also calls on companies to delete consumer data from their servers upon request, to protect personal data with encryption as the data is sent through the internet, and to be completely transparent about how personal consumer information is shared with other companies.

This standard ultimately can be used to help Consumer Reports and other groups develop specific and repeatable testing procedures. Then we can evaluate products and give consumers the ability to compare products against each other on the basis of factors such as privacy protection, the way we already give them information on other aspects of product performance. In the hands of consumers, that kind of information is a powerful tool. It can help the individual, and it can shape the future.



Built Through Partnerships

We collaborated with three of the digital worlds most highly regarded leaders in the area of consumer protection: Disconnect, a company that makes digital tools consumers can use to block data-trackers and prevent other invasions of privacy; Ranking Digital Rights (RDR), a nonprofit research project that pores through privacy policies and other information that companies disclose to users; and Cyber Independent Testing Lab (CITL), a nonprofit software security-testing organization.

CITL was founded by info-security expert Peiter Mudge Zatko and mathematician Sarah Zatko. The security community has been trying for years to get people to care more about software security, and now people finally do, Mudge says. But the security community is not providing consumers with meaningful things to do about it. You cannot tell people everything's on fire, and then not have anything positive for consumers to do. We want to give all types of consumers the information they need to make smart security and safety decisions on what products to choose and use.



That can empower consumersand give companies a new way to compete with each other. Weve found that companies have very different approaches to protecting privacy and freedom of expression, says Rebecca MacKinnon, the founder of Ranking Digital Rights. Establishing an industry standard, she says, is the best way to encourage companies to act more responsibly.

To create the standard, all of the partners in this effort met repeatedly over a period of months to forge a working draft. Then each organization took different portions for trial runs by applying them to real products. The group looked at smart TVs, web browsers, and ride-sharing apps. Some of Disconnects tasks were to observe network traffic generated by the products to identify the presence of data trackers, determine whether private information had been encrypted, analyze permissions, and look for any egregious privacy violations.

RDR focused on privacy policies across all three product categories, CITL evaluated the browsers to see how securely they were built, and Consumer Reports analyzed multiple product categories to see whether they were susceptible to known security vulnerabilities. The idea was to refine the standard by using it for real-world evaluations.

"Together with our partners, were embarking on this ambitious journey to ensure that consumers remain in the drivers seat when it comes to the safety and security of their personal data," says Marta L. Tellado, President and CEO of Consumer Reports.

This is just the start of the conversation. Consumer Reports and our partners dont own the standardno one does. Were releasing it in a public, shared document. And were inviting others to give us feedback, add their own ideas, and make the standard better.



Our Supporters

Building out a product standard and testing program is important and difficult work that requires expertise. It is also expensive work. CRs testing, investigative work and research is largely funded by donations and member subscriptions. But to launch this program, we have benefited from the vision and generosity of The Craig Newmark Foundation and Craig Newmark Philanthropic Fund, as well as the Ford Foundation. Craig Newmark is a board member of Consumer Reports. The bequests of Henry and Edsel Ford established the 80-year-old Ford Foundation, but the philanthropic organization is today entirely independent from the Ford Motor Company.



More Details About the Standard

The full standard fills up several long, complicated spreadsheets. But if youd like a simplified version, heres an overview:



1. Products should be built to be secure

In the past two years, security researchers showed they could remotely hack into vehicles, taking over the steering and braking. And criminals have repeatedly gained access to laptop webcams, routers, and other products. Bad actors will probably always be with us, so consumers deserve products that are built with security as a priority.

How our standard addresses this. One way to test the security of a system is to ask an expert to break into it and see how hard that is to do. Consumer Reports may engage in that kind of penetration testing for some of our projects. But that type of research is time- and labor-intensive, so its impractical if you want to evaluate a large number of products.

To quickly check the security of many pieces of software, CITL has built automated tools that detect whether well-accepted security practices have been followed that reduce the risks from attackers, malware, and other threats.



Mudge likes to compare software to automobiles. You can't design a car that's 100 percent safe, he says, but you can follow procedures that are known to improve safety. If you have a car that doesn't have airbags, seat belts, or antilock brakes, you, as the consumer, need to know this, he says. CITL's tools check whether a piece of software has the equivalent of such safety features, and evaluates how well they appear to be built and deployed. A good grade from CITL doesn't mean the software can't be hacked at all, but it does mean it was built to be more secure, and tougher to attack.

Consumer Reports will look for ways to incorporate CITLs tools, as well as other security methods, into our testing.

The standard also asks some pretty straightforward questions, such as whether consumer data is encrypted to protect it from criminals and whether the company behind the product continually updates its software with security patches as new kinds of malware emerge.



2. Products should preserve consumer privacy

In 2015, Consumer Reports found that smart TVs, the kind that connect to the internet, were collecting information on everything their owners watched. We think consumers should know what data of theirs is being collected, and have a reasonable amount of control over it.

How our standard addresses this. The standards ask several questions of any product or service that collects data on its users. For instance, does the company tell the consumer exactly what data is being collected? Is the company collecting that information to make the product or service work correctly, or for some other purpose? And when a consumer closes an accountquitting a social media service, for instancedoes all that data get deleted?



3. Products should protect the idea of ownership

If you own a pencil, you can share it, give it away, or break it in two and write with the stubs. But the concept of ownership has become muddled when it comes to products that use computer chips and software. For instance, many cars, appliances, and even farm machinery rely on copyrighted software to work, and because its illegal to tamper with copyrighted programming, consumers can be forbidden from diagnosing and repairing machines theyve boughtor hiring an independent shop to do the work. Copyright laws are important, but they can also be abused. In general, when consumers buy products, we think they should be able to alter, fix, or resell them.

How our standard addresses this. The standard looks at a number of questions related to ownership. These include whether consumers are allowed to fix an item themselves or have an independent repair person fix it, whether the company tries to prevent the user from reselling it to someone else, and whether the company is clear and transparent about why and when it might unilaterally shut down a users access to a product or service they purchased or use.



4. Companies should act ethically

The first three statements are intended to create a framework for assessing how companies that produce digital products respect and protect their own customers. The fourth statement holds those companies accountable for how they interact with the broader world.

Why? We think that just as many consumers want to know whether their clothing is made in the USA or whether their coffee was produced using fair-trade practices, they may also care about values such as free speech. For example, a companys customers might want to know whether it resists digital censorship in totalitarian countries, and, closer to home, whether it quickly notifies the public after a data breach.

How our standard addresses this. The details depend on the type of product or service youre looking at. Questions include whether privacy policies are easy to find and to understand, whether a company you do business with is forthcoming with information if it experiences a data breach, and what kinds of measures it takes to protect freedom of expression.



What's Next

Making our consumer-protection standard public isnt just a gesture of transparency (although we think thats important). Its an essential part of the whole project.

The standard as its now written is a first draft. We hope that everyone from engineers to industry groups to concerned parents will get involved in shaping future versions of it. Weve placed the standards on GitHub, a website thats widely used by software developers to share ideas and work on group projects. Because GitHub can be hard for newcomers to navigate, weve also built a website that has the same information.

Some people might just make suggestions, while others may branch off and experiment with alternative proposals. We encourage feedback and refinement.



What matters for now isnt that every detail is correct. The important thing is for the idea of a digital consumer-protection standard to take hold. Casey Oppenheim, a co-founder and CEO of Disconnect, points out that the new standard could touch on a vast array of engineering practices and privacy policies, for thousands of products.

If people think weve missed the biggest thing, or gotten something wrong, well be like, Great, lets talk. We want to improve this with you.

What ultimately emerges should be a clear set of best practices that reflect basic consumer rights to privacy and security, and more. The details will evolve as rapidly as the technology and the public debate over these concerns.

The standard should be easy enough for consumers without a technical background to understand, yet sophisticated enough to guide testing organizations such as Consumer Reports as we develop precise testing protocols. We want to rate products on measures such as security, in much the same the way we currently assess products for physical safety and performance.

That will give consumers the power to make choices based on solid information. When consumers vote with their wallets and their clicks, weve seen that companies pay attention. We think companies will strive to out-do their competitors when it comes to privacy, security, and other consumer rights. The ones that do a better job will gain more customers. Thats one of the primary ways that consumer power works.





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  2006-2017 Consumers Union of U.S.
On Saturday, the government had said it would extend the state of emergency to contain the crisis until at least July 24, and anyone entering France would have to remain in isolation for two weeks.

In a strategy seen as an offensive move against Google Trips, Facebook has launched city guides of its own, and gone one step further by adding the option of booking a hotel restaurant or tour.

The feature was launched within a Facebook update with little fanfare, notes industry travel watcher Skift, and enables users to book their hotel room or make reservations in select cities directly through the app via a Book Now button.

"Facebook's latest move into the travel ecosystem could be seen as a big challenge to Google," wrote Skift analyst Dennis Schaal in the piece.

Because while Google Trips was also created as a mobile trip planner, complete with travel itinerary, city guide and tips on how to get around, the app stops short of allowing users to book reservations.

Facebook's booking feature is "an important step by a company with a mammoth user base," Schaal adds.

The app likewise takes a page out of the geolocating app Foursquare, showing users lists of cities their friends have visited, along with recommendations on the places to go and things to do thanks to Facebook's existing check-in feature, noted TechCrunch.

A section called "Places the Locals Go," is also made up of the most popular, highly-rated spots within Facebook.

Last year, Icelandair launched a new service allowing passengers to book their flight through Facebook Messenger, while KLM passengers became the first carrier to partner with Facebook in a new feature that allows fliers to check-in, get their boarding pass and receive flight status updates directly through Facebook Messenger.
Galaxy Note has become a dirty phrase associated with fire and disappointment in the last few months, so its easy to forget that the Note series used to be Samsungs flagship. Before it started spontaneously combusting, reviews fawned over the Note 7s non-flammable design and features like the iris sensor.

So obviously, Samsung is going to want to get its reputation back with the next Note device, set to land later this year. With a launch not expected until October, we dont have much by the way of leaks yet, but what we do have looks good.

Don't Miss: Samsung Galaxy S8 release date reportedly pushed back a week

A report from SamMobile claims that the in-house codename for the Galaxy Note 8 is Great. Thats a good sign for things to come, unless Samsung is trying some kind of Jedi mind trick to confuse the worlds tech bloggers.

The Galaxy Note 8 is going to have a tough time this year, as it will likely be debuting right after the iPhone 8. Apple is expected to go all-in this year with a new iPhone 8 model as well as incremental upgrades to the existing lineup with the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus. The iPhone 8 is likely to feature a 5.8-inch OLED display with minimal bezel, a fingerprint sensor built into the screen, and the possibility of an Apple Pencil-like stylus.

That makes the iPhone 8 a direct competitor to what has previously been easy Note sales, thanks to the big screen that the Note devices are famous for. Even worse for the Note 8, SamMobile is also reporting that we might see a refurbished Note 7 launched in South Korea. Thats good news for the environment, as it means the Note 7 might end up as more than just landfill, but its not exactly going to do wonders for Note 8 sales.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
Google has unveiled new measures aimed at helping news organizations drive more subscriptions and generate revenues (AFP Photo/LOIC VENANCE) (AFP)

Washington (AFP) - Google said Monday it was working to fix a search algorithm glitch that produced "inappropriate and misleading" results from its search engine and connected speaker.

The internet giant reacted after a blog post highlighted unsubstantiated search results indicating former president Barack Obama was planning a "coup d'etat' and that four former US presidents were members of the Ku Klux Klan.

The weekend post from Search Engine Land editor Danny Sullivan found Google delivered "terribly wrong" answers to some queries in its "one true answer" box at the top of search results and in queries to its Google Home speaker.

"The problematic examples I review don't appear to have been deliberate attempts," Sullivan wrote. "Rather, they seem to be the result of Google's algorithms and machine learning making bad selections."

Sullivan said when he asked the speaker if US Republicans were the same as Nazis, it answered in the affirmative.

Similarly, he cited an example in which Google's search engine listed four former US presidents as "active and known" KKK members, even though there has been no conclusive historical evidence supporting that.

The news comes amid a growing controversy over "fake news" circulating online via Google or Facebook, and efforts by the internet giants to weed out hoaxes and misinformation.

In a statement to AFP, Google said its boxed results at the top of a search query, known as "featured snippets," are based on an algorithmic formula.

"Unfortunately, there are instances when we feature a site with inappropriate or misleading content," Google's statement said.

"When we are alerted to a featured snippet that violates our policies, we work quickly to remove them, which we have done in this instance. We apologize for any offense this may have caused."

Google also noted it includes a "feedback" link under these snippets that can allow the search giant to flag or remove inappropriate content.
Most smartphones these days look the same, but it looks like Samsung is going to seriously shake things up come March 29.

New leaked photos of the Galaxy S8 show off a truly head-turning design, and Samsung's phone is pictured in a clear case, so you're not even getting the full effect.

The almost all-screen Galaxy S8 poses for the camera.. Credit: Slash Leaks

The almost all-screen Galaxy S8 poses for the camera.. Credit: Slash Leaks

Lining up nicely with the first official looking Galaxy S8 photo from last week, this image from Slash Leaks (by way of The Verge) shows Samsung's upcoming flagship is almost all screen up front, and you'll see that the Home Button is now a software button. Some say this will be called an Infinity Display.

A separate image shows a fingerprint sensor around back, which is in a rather awkward location. It's positioned right next to the camera lens; as we've said previously, that could lead to inadvertent lens smudges.

Given how small the bezels are, it will be interesting to see how Samsung prevents accidental screen touches, an issue some have complained about on the Galaxy S7 Edge. You'd basically need the phone equivalent of palm rejection on a laptop's touchpad.

In recent weeks we've seen what appears to be a working video of the Galaxy S8 and photos that show how you would be able to customize the front buttons on the phone via software, so it's clear that Samsung is thinking hard about how you'll interact with its new design.

As for other Galaxy S8 rumors, the phone is expected to be one of the first to sport Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 835 chip, which offer more speed and especially better power efficiency. Other features will likely include a new virtual assistant called Bixby and a versatile DeX desktop dock that will allow you to use the S8 with a larger monitor, keyboard and mouse.

But what will really get shoppers excited for the S8 is how it looks, and if the aesthetic we see here is on the money, Samsung is going to make a lot of it.

Story continues

See also : Best Android Apps You're Not Using
As dozens of smartphone makers unveiled their latest hardware at Mobile World Congress earlier this month, the next phase of mobile innovation came into focus: The camera. As smartphones have become increasingly similar in design, performance and utility, their designers are turning to photography as a means to differentiate their work from the competition.

One of the more interesting examples, complete with 5x optical zoom lens, came from Oppo, a Chinese smartphone brand youre sure to hear more about shortly. Other, more well-known brands, like Sony and Huawei, also touted their smartphones photography prowess. Samsung and Apple are sure to follow with camera innovations of their own in their next Galaxy and iPhone devices, respectively. (Apple is rumored to be introducing a 3D camera, for instance.)

Read more: All the iPhone 8 rumors we know so far

Theres good reason for smartphone makers to be leaning into camera tech. Whereas smartphone communication used to be about phone calls, texts and emails, its become an increasingly visual medium, thanks to apps like Snapchat and Instagram. Our mobile experience is becoming increasingly visual, and hardware companies will ignore that shift at their own peril.

The good news for us smartphone users is that innovations in mobile camera technology will drive all sorts of useful new innovations into the mainstream, like 360-degree video, 3D imaging and depth sensing. While some of those are abstract technologies today, they will power your favorite apps of tomorrow. In fact, youre probably just starting to use them already. Snapchats filters, for instance, are powered with a combination of camera hardware and software. Likewise the bokeh portrait effect found on the iPhone 7 Plus and other rival devices. And lets not forget the frenzy around Pokemon Go, which used players smartphone cameras as part of the gaming experience in a clever way. Armed with the latest smartphones, casual users are achieving complex visual tricks that once required dedicated hardware, specialized software, and the right training to accomplish. And theres plenty more photographic innovation yet to come.

Story continues

Read more: 7 must-read tips for taking better iPhone photos

Given that modern smartphones have been around for nearly two decades, one would assume we might be done pushing the boundaries of what this device is capable of doing. But theres still so far to go. Over the next few years, our smartphones will become even more capable, thanks in part to advancements in imaging and visual processing, but also thanks to computational advancements, cloud computing, network infrastructure and more.

These breakthroughs will remain a significant driver of so many future experiences, meaning the smartphone will keep disrupting all sorts of industries. Well also see tools once exclusive to professionals become commoditized, and available to everyone. Were already seeing some professional photographers do photo shoots entirely on smartphones. I can imagine a future where even adding complex and visually rich graphics and special effects will be possible, making it easy for anyone to capture and create Hollywood-level films on their phones. With all the hype around innovations like virtual reality, artificial intelligence and so on (which, to be fair, will be added into the smartphone over time) I still have to remind myself and others that the smartphone is still the next big thing.

Tim Bajarin is recognized as one of the leading industry consultants, analysts and futurists, covering the field of personal computers and consumer technology. Mr. Bajarin is the President of Creative Strategies, Inc and has been with the company since 1981 where he has served as a consultant providing analysis to most of the leading hardware and software vendors in the industry.
South China Morning Post

Alexandre Cerret will never forget the phone call he received three years ago, when what was supposed to be a regular evening turned into a nightmare. He was living in central Paris at the time, waiting for his girlfriend to come home from a night out near the Eiffel Tower. She was late and he was worried. When he finally received her call, she told him that she had been stopped by a stranger as she walked to her car, who then attacked and raped her. Do you have questions about the biggest topic
John Oliver sat down with the Dalai Lama on Sunday nights episode of Last Week Tonight on HBO. Oliver traveled to Dharamsala, India, to discuss many things with his holiness, but the main topic of conversation was the Dalai Lamas contentious relationship with China. Oliver joked, I am happy to sit here and criticize China with you because I know the consequences for me are not necessarily as bad as they are for you, which made the Dalai Lama laugh.

With the current Dalai Lama getting up there in age, Oliver talked about the possibility of China appointing its own Dalai Lama when he dies. His holiness said, Thats also, you see, one of the foolish act. Shortsighted! Without using human brain properly. Its harmful. And with questions surrounding who the next Dalai Lama will be, the current one is comfortable being possibly the last one. He said, If I am the last Dalai Lama, I feel very happy, and when Oliver asked if that was because he thought he was a good Dalai Lama, he responded, Yes, I may say, quite intelligent.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver airs Sundays at 11 p.m. on HBO.

Watch: Neil Gorsuch Given a Lobster on Last Week Tonight

Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Cynthia LuCiette, on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Heroes! It is a word that has inspired hope in many generations.

Get more news on local inspiration here

Whichever way one sees it, the heroes are always the celebrated personalities in every story.

READ ALSO: Nana Addo and his NPP gov't have already broken 5 promises - Haruna Iddrisu

Due to generational differences, it becomes very difficult for one to categorize, especially considering the fact that a hero in one dimension may be completely unknown in another.

But the overriding factor is that any man or woman considered as a hero must have achieved something great that really had an impact on the society.

However, anytime the word hero is mentioned in Ghana, all that comes to mind are the ones who were involved in political struggles. Inasmuch as there are other personalities also deserving of hero status, they have been relegated and are currently playing second-fiddle to the politicians.

PAY ATTENTION: Get all the news and photos for free on the YEN.com.gh app

How many times have we heard about Yaa Asantewaa and her bravery? How many times have we not been told about the big six and how Kwame Nkrumah fought to attain Ghanas independence? And how many times have we been taught in schools about the lasting impact of Tetteh Quarshie and his resolve in bringing cocoa to the then Gold Coast.

In truth, all the above names are heroes. But are they  and others of their ilk  the only ones worthy of attaining heroic status in Ghana? The answer is a definite NO!

So as the nation prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence, we take a look at other Ghanaian heroes whose shine have been made peripheral.

1. Dr Kennedy Brightson, Dodowa Hospital

Modern day heroes of Ghana following in Dr. Nkrumah's steps

Dr. Brightson is well-known for his interventions at the Dodowa Hospital which have help save many women from death during delivery.

Dr Brightsons dedication to work and a drive to safeguard the lives of pregnant women has endeared him and his team to hundreds of women who have given birth in the green, hilly community 40 miles east of Accra.

2. Ato Ulzen Appiah, GhanaThink Foundation.

Modern day heroes of Ghana following in Dr. Nkrumah's steps

Ato Ulzen-Appiah is an entrepreneur, manager, social media champion and blogger.

He is also the director of the GhanaThink Foundations, organisers of BarCamp Ghana and Junior Camp Ghana, events that bring people together to brainstorm on creative solution. GhanaThink also spearheads the National Volunteer Day events.

3. John Mahama, Former President of Ghana

Modern day heroes of Ghana following in Dr. Nkrumah's steps

John Mahama's rise to presidency made history in Ghana. He was the first to inherit the seat from a dead president.

Having lost the election in a time where many other African leaders were clinging onto power, many people hail him for being a "transition hero" and upholding the law of succession.

4. Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Investigative Journalist

Modern day heroes of Ghana following in Dr. Nkrumah's steps

Anas Aremeyaw Anas is an undercover journalist who uses anonymity as a tool to uncover untold stories in support of social justice in Africa.

5. Zanetor Rawlings, Politician

Modern day heroes of Ghana following in Dr. Nkrumah's steps

Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings is the eldest daughter of the 1st President under the 4th Republic of Ghana Jerry Rawlings and former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman.

Her political careers started off on a rough patch, but she found her footing and made it into parliament after a series of inspiring twists and turns.

6. Farida Bedwei, Tech Enthusiast / Software Engineer

Modern day heroes of Ghana following in Dr. Nkrumah's steps

Farida Nana Efua Bedwei is a Ghanaian software engineer whose life and success story beats the imagination.

Farida Bedwei was born with cerebral palsy but that didn't stop her from moving on in life. She was selected as one of the overall winners in Ghana at the Most Influential Women in Business and Government Awards.

7. Dr. David Abdulai, Medical Doctor

Modern day heroes of Ghana following in Dr. Nkrumah's steps

Dr David Abdulai, described often as the mad doctor, had over the years provided healthcare to the mentally ill in his clinic and on the streets for free.

He ran two clinics in the Northern region and provided treatment not only to persons with mental illness but also HIV/AIDS, Hernias, and other physical disabilities.

8. Charlotte Osei, Chair - Electoral Commission

Modern day heroes of Ghana following in Dr. Nkrumah's steps

Charlotte Osei's appointment as head of the Electoral Commision nearly divided Ghana into two half.

Most people didn't believe she was qualified for the job and others questioned her nationality. Nevertheless, Mrs. Charlotte Osei was a focus woman with a commitment and program.

9. Regina Agyare, Developer

Modern day heroes of Ghana following in Dr. Nkrumah's steps

Regina Agyare is a Ghanaian Software Developer and founder of Soronko Solutions, a software development company in Ghana.

Reginas story has been featured around the world, and she is an Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow and a GOOD Fellow. She was also a finalist for the African Digital Woman of the Year, and a Change Leader with Tigo Ghanas Reach For Change.

The list could go on and on, but the above names surely deserve to be celebrated as national heroes.

READ ALSO: Was Bishop Heward-Mills named after that gay UN diplomat?

There may have been one or two names that you feel have been left out, however, feel free to comment below.

Source: YEN.com.gh
General Joseph Nunoo- Mensah, the former national security coordinator has said that were he to be on the seat of government, a murder would have ensued after the incident of abuse at the popular fast food joint, Marwako.

Click here to read the latest news in Ghana

A few days ago, a Ghanaian female worker at the Abelemkpe branch of the restaurant, Evelyn Boakye had her face dipped in a pepper mixture by her Lebanese supervisor Jihad Chaaban.

The victim Evelyn, and Chabaan the supervisor

READ ALSO: Ghana turns 60 in grand style and Google is making the celebration, magical

According to the victim, Jihad forcefully dipped her face into the mixture after accusing her of allegedly damaging the restaurant's blender.

Evelyn said she was then locked up in a secluded corner for several hours, and the said supervisor warned off the other Ghanaian workers from helping her, or face losing their jobs.

The incident was reported the police, and Chaaban was arrested but later released on bail pending further investigations by the Accra police command.

PAY ATTENTION: Get all the latest news on the go with the YEN.com.gh app right here

Speaking to Accra FM on the incident, General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah said, "If I were the one in charge of the state when this happened, I would have killed somebody. I mean it, I would have killed somebody. How can this happen to anybody at all? When you listen to the story you realise that this is not the first time it has happened in the same company."

It should never have happened. Just because of a few cedis you want to kill somebodys daughter. This is happening in Ghana because we have allowed ourselves to be treated like that. It could not have happened a few years ago when I was starting my life in Nkrumah's Ghana, it could never had happened. I have lived in several countries. I was in Britain for 10 years, even there I would deal with the police officer because I knew my rights; you cant do this to me," he further stated.

READ ALSO: Mugabe caught dozing off at Ghana's 60th Independence day parade?

Do you have a story to share? Send us an email at info@yen.com.gh or visit our Facebook or Twitter pages.

Source: YEN.com.gh
A building on the Vodafone Campus in Dusseldorf, Germany, is seen in this photo. Mirae Asset Daewoo said Monday that it was named as a preferred bidder for the acquisition of the landmark complex. // Courtesy of Mirae Asset Daewoo

By Nam Hyun-woo



Mirae Asset Daewoo is striving to acquire the Vodafone office complex in Dusseldorf, Germany, the brokerage house said Monday.



It said it was chosen as a preferred bidder for the acquisition of the landmark complex, Vodafone Campus. The deal is worth 350 billion won ($303 million).



The investment will be for three assets: a 19-story main building, a smaller building of eight stories and a parking tower.



A Mirae Asset official said the Vodafone headquarters in the U.K. has used the complex as its main German office since 2012 and it is currently under a 20-year lease contract with the owner of the complex.



Mirae Asset noted that the lease contract is also included in the deal and the company can extend the lease up to 10 years when the present contract expires in 2032.



Mirae Asset will finance the investment with its equity capital and senior loans. The company said it expects a 5 percent yield through leasing the properties to Vodafone. Also, it expects rising property values in Germany would offer further gains there.



The securities firm said it may sell public fund products to purchase the German building, but added it is yet to make any decision about that.



The move is in line with Mirae Asset Group Chairman Park Hyeon-joo's initiative to expand the group's revenue sources to various domains including investments in alternative products and real estate.



In his recent email to Mirae Asset Group employees, Park said the company "will come up with creative and stable global fund products and dispatch alternative investment specialists all across the globe."



He added, "We will increase our net equity to 20 trillion won in order to beef up our footing as a global investment bank."



Along the same lines, Mirae Asset said Monday it will open a fund investing in the office of Australia's Department of Education and Training in Canberra. The company will ink a deal to acquire the building for 280 billion won. The education department will use the building until March 2025 and the company can extend the lease to 2030.



Last September, it also began a fund investing in prime office buildings in Dallas, Texas, which would be leased to State Farm, the biggest non-life insurer in North America, for at least 20 years.
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Onalaska Police

Feb. 16

9:58 p.m.  A 29-year-old Houston, Minn., man and a 33-year-old La Crosse man were cited in the 9500 block of State Hwy 16 for retail theft of items valued at $189.96.

Feb. 17

2:22 p.m.  A 56-year-old Woodbury, Minn., man reported the fraudulent use of personal information to purchase items worth $879.99 from an Onalaska retailer in the 9400 block of State Hwy 16.

Feb. 19

10:30 a.m.  A 42-year-old Onalaska man was charged in the 9400 block of State Hwy 16 with attempting to return merchandise valued at $79.99 he had not purchased.

Feb. 21

10:59 p.m.  A male La Crosse juvenile was charged in the 1800 block of Main Street E. with operating a motor vehicle without the consent of the owner and causing $1,500 in damage to the vehicle.

Feb. 22

7:54 a.m.  A male La Crosse juvenile was arrested in the 3200 block of Main Street E. and charged with motor vehicle theft of a vehicle valued at $3,000.

5:11 p.m.  A 29-year-old Chaseburg woman involved in a traffic accident at the US Hwy 53 and Sand Lake Road intersection was arrested for operating while under the influence and cited for seat belt violation.

10:06 p.m.  A 32-year-old La Crosse man was charged in the 3100 block of Market Place with theft, misdemeanor bail jumping and theft through fraudulent means.

Feb. 23

6:40 p.m.  A 40-year-old La Crosse man was arrested in the 9300 block of State Hwy 16 for attempted retail theft of items valued at $209.99.

Holmen Police

Feb. 17

7:15 p.m.  A 19-year-old man with no permanent address was arrested in the 400 block of Holmen Drive and charged with operating a motor vehicle without owners consent.

Feb. 20

2:22 a.m.  A 26-year-old Holmen woman was arrested at the intersection of Holmen Drive and Cole Court and charged with operating while under the influence and cited for unsafe lane change, nonregistration of vehicle and operating without insurance.

Onalaska Fire

The Onalaska Area Fire Department responded to 24 EMS calls, excluding vehicle accident with injury; four motor vehicle accidents with injuries; a motor vehicle accident with no injuries; removal of smoke or odor; two carbon monoxide detector activations, no CO; four unintentional smoke detector activations, no fires; an unintentional alarm system activation, no fire; gasoline or other flammable liquid spill; a gas leak; and an incident of wrong location.

Holmen Fire

The Holmen Area Fire Department responded to 18 medical incidents, one fire, one vehicle accident, one alarm and issued one burn permit.
Iraq was removed from a revised version of an executive order banning travel from certain Muslim-majority countries after intensive lobbying from the Iraqi government at the highest levels, a senior US official told CNN Monday.

President Donald Trump signed the order midday in the Oval Office, according to the White House. A previous version of the travel ban, which was mired in legal challenges, was revoked.

The pressure from the Iraq officials included a phone call between Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on February 10 and an in-person conversation between Abadi and Vice President Mike Pence in Munich on February 18.

Those conversations were followed by discussions between Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and members of the Iraqi government about vetting measures in place that would prevent suspected terrorists from leaving Iraq and coming to the United States.

Tillerson described his efforts in public remarks Monday after the new order had been signed.

"Iraq is an important ally in the fight to defeat ISIS, with their brave soldiers fighting in close coordination with America's men and women in uniform," he said. "This intense review over the past month identified multiple security measures that the State Department and the government of Iraq will be implementing to achieve our shared objective of preventing those with criminal or terroristic intent from reaching the United States."

Tillerson thanked Abadi for his "positive engagement and support for implementing these actions."

Officials in Baghdad welcomed Iraq's removal from the list of countries affected by the travel ban.

"(The) Iraqi Foreign Ministry expresses deep relief regarding the executive order that was issued by the American President Donald Trump, which excludes the Iraqis from the travel ban to the United States," said foreign ministry spokesman Ahmad Jamal.

"This is considered an important step in the right direction that strengthens and reinforces the strategic alliance between Baghdad and Washington in many fields, in particular the fight against terrorism," Jamal added.

In Trump's call with Abadi, the President vowed to seek a resolution to his counterpart's concerns about his citizens being unable to enter the United States, according to a readout of the phone call from Baghdad. The US official said Trump asked Tillerson to get greater clarity on vetting measures in Iraq.

Trump also faced pressure to remove Iraq from the order from some American national security officials, who argued the restriction burdened a key anti-ISIS partner. Some of those voices were holdovers from the Obama administration.

CNN's Kareem Khadder in Erbil, Iraq, contributed to this report.
The state Assembly Committee on Local Government will hold a public hearing Wednesday on a bill that would give local governments the option to stop publishing a summary of their actions in your newspaper. Assembly Bill 70 would allow local municipalities to post meeting minutes on their websites instead.

This is bad public policy under the guise of saving taxpayer dollars that would create considerable disruption for government transparency. Supporters of Assembly Bill 70 suggest local government websites are sufficient to notify the public of their actions and that publishing meeting minutes in the newspaper limits access only to newspaper subscribers.

The fact is, however, that all legal notices published throughout the state since 2005 are already available for free to the public through WisconsinPublicNotices.org. This comprehensive, searchable website hosted by the Wisconsin newspaper industry brings together ink-on-paper notices into one online location. This service is provided at no cost to local municipalities.

The goal of WisconsinPublicNotices.org is to enhance governments distribution of public information and assist citizens who want to know more about the actions of their local, county and state representatives. This permanent, third-party documentation  unalterable and independent of government itself  ensures the protection of your right to know for each and every citizen.

For years, this relationship between newspapers, local municipalities and WisconsinPublicNotices.org has successfully provided easy access to government information for all citizens, whether they seek it in print or online. Removing existing publication requirements would create holes in this invaluable statewide database while also neglecting the needs of those who lack adequate computer and internet access.

Please tell your legislators to oppose this unnecessary barrier to government transparency.
In the course of a few days, President Donald Trump showed how thoroughly he has conquered conservative activists and the Republican Party.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference, the attendees would have carried him in on a litter if they had been afforded the opportunity, and Republicans applauded everything he said in his address to the joint session of Congress.

The GOP reaction to Trumps speech was one of the nights fascinating subplots: Would Republicans applaud protectionism? Of course. Would they give a standing ovation to an infrastructure program that would have had them scowling in disapproval if President Barack Obama proposed it? Yeah, why not? Would they enthusiastically greet talk of paid family leave and investments in womens health? By all means, sign them up.

Trumps ecstatic reception from the right during the past week is testament to the sheer gratitude of the GOP rank and file that Trump, against all expectations, vanquished the House of Clinton.

Something more fundamental is going on, though. We are witnessing the end of Reaganism, and among the very people who were supposed to be most supportive of it. This doesnt mean that Trump and Congress wont pursue conservative policies  tax cuts, a defense buildup and deregulation all have a distinctly Reaganite ring  but the defining commitment of Reaganism to cutting the size of government is clearly fading.

If this commitment was always easier to enunciate than to effect, the aspiration was nonetheless important. Neither Ronald Reagan nor Newt Gingrich succeeded in paring back government, but they slowed its growth. And limited government was an organizing principle for the right.

This year at CPAC, Steve Bannon offered a different principle. He posited that nationalism unites the right, and that limited-government conservatives are just one element of the broader coalition. This view encapsulates the change wrought by Trump  in part because Reaganism had become so stale.

The conventional Republicans in the 2016 primary race hewed to Reaganism as a creed frozen in amber circa 1981. It didnt need significant updating; it just needed reassertion  with feeling. They were too rigid, too insular and too nostalgic. They were beaten by someone who was none of those things (actually, Trump was nostalgic, but not for the Reaganism of the 1980s).

Whereas they mistook all of America for a CPAC ballroom, Trump existed outside the ideological consensus of the GOP and picked up on issues that didnt enter the worldview of politicians obsessed with the glories of the 1980s, like wage stagnation.

Trump took his heterodox mix of policies, won the election and then could show up at CPAC and in Congress  venues where he was largely disdained 12 months ago  and bask in the adulation of eager Republican converts to Trumpism.

This Trumpism is still a work in progress. As expressed in his speech to the joint session, it is a jumble of populism (the dominant strand, with its emphasis on protectionism and immigration restrictionism), conventional GOP priorities (tax cuts, deregulation, etc.), and Ivanka-ism (family leave, womens health).

The only thing that doesnt fit is limited government. Trump wants both guns and butter, a military buildup and nation-building at home. He is not overly concerned with how to pay for this, or for his tax cut. Social Security and Medicare, an enormous swath of the budget, appear to be off-limits. The risk is that Trump may give us the rhetoric of Andrew Jackson, with the fiscal discipline of Lyndon Johnson.

Yet no one can be certain where this is headed. It is possible that the Republican majorities in Congress will impose more fiscal restraint on the president than he is inclined to impose on himself. And the staying power of Trumps reorientation of the right will depend much on the success or failure of his administration.

Perhaps Reaganism, one way or the other, will emerge again, although for now, its former guardians and enthusiasts have fallen hard for something else.
SEATTLE (TNS)  The Trump administrations attempted changes to immigration and refugee policy highlight a complex system that foreigners must navigate to settle in the United States. The terminology, procedures and rules can be confusing.

Heres a primer:

Q: What is a refugee?

A: Federal law defines a refugee as someone who is outside the United States and demonstrates they face or would have faced persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group in the country from which they are unwilling or unable to return.

Refugees are typically referred to the U.S. by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a U.S. Embassy or a nongovernmental organization. Once referred, it can take 18-24 months to process a refugee applicant.

A refugee is not someone seeking a better life for economic reasons.

Q: How many come here?

A: The number of refugees that come to the United States has shifted with world events, according to Pew Research Center. The U.S. allowed nearly 85,000 refugees into the country during the most recent fiscal year, according to Pew.

The Obama administration last year set a goal to take in 110,000 refugees in 2017. The elections results changed that; the Trump administration says that cap will be 50,000.

Q: How are they screened?

A: Refugees go through a long process that includes security checks with the National Counterterrorism Center, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.

Applicants are interviewed by U.S. Customs and Immigration Services officers. Their fingerprints are collected and submitted against an FBI database, a DHS database and a Department of Defense database.

Refugees receive a medical screening, then take a cultural class and choose a location to settle.

Before traveling, refugees are screened once again by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency and the Transportation Security Administration.

Q: What is a green card?

A: Lawful permanent residents are often referred to as green card holders, because thats the color of the card theyre required to carry at all times.

A green card holder is typically allowed in the United States for 10 years. After five years (or three with an American spouse), a holder can apply for naturalization and acquire citizenship.

Federal law requires refugees to apply for a green card one year after being admitted.

Q: How do people get green cards?

A: Immigrants must qualify for a green card through a job, through family members, through refugee or asylum status or by other special means.

Congress limits how many people immigrate to the U.S. via visas, which are issued by the U.S. State Department.

A U.S. visa is a travel document that allows people to enter the country. There are nonimmigrant visas for people wishing to stay in the U.S. temporarily and immigrant visas for those wishing to settle in the country.

There are more than 30 categories of immigrant visas, according to the State Departments website.

The State Department issued nearly 618,000 immigrant visas in 2016, according to the departments website. Most went to immediate relatives of U.S. citizens.

There is no limit to how many visas are issued for immediate family members, such as the parents, spouses of U.S. citizens and citizens unmarried children under the age of 21.

Q: What kind of public benefits are available to refugees and immigrants?

A: Food stamps and welfare are available to legal, qualifying refugees and immigrants, according to the Washington state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

There are also cash and medical-assistance programs available to refugees for their first eight months in the country.

Q: What about immigrants who enter the country illegally?

A: Washington is one of the few states where illegal immigration has risen recently, according to a report published by the Pew Research Center.

Drivers in Washington are not required to have a Social Security number. Immigrants who entered the United States illegally can acquire licenses to drive.Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for state food assistance, according to DSHS. In fact, undocumented immigrants are barred from most state and local assistance programs under federal law, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Federal benefits (including welfare and food stamps) are not available to unauthorized immigrants, except in some emergencies.

Unauthorized immigrants can receive disaster relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

They do not qualify for Medicaid, except in emergencies that could endanger the persons health.

In many cases, parents may apply for benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born children.

Immigrant children who were not legally admitted to the United States have a right to education after a 1982 Supreme Court ruling. In Washington, those students are eligible for free lunch and breakfast programs.

In an emergency, undocumented immigrants might qualify for cash assistance through the states Consolidated Emergency Assistance Program. They can also qualify for state-funded community programs that provide services like short-term shelters or crisis counseling.
WASHINGTON (TNS)  President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday ordering new travel restrictions for residents of six Muslim-majority countries as well as a temporary ban on refugees from around the world, retooling a directive issued five weeks ago that stoked chaos at airports and drew international condemnation and a rebuke in the federal courts.

The new ban, which takes effect March 16, halts travel for 90 days for residents of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The refugee suspension will last 120 days.

Iraq, whose citizens and nationals had been on the original list of banned travelers, was removed after officials there agreed to accept all Iraqi citizens being deported from the U.S., according to a senior official at the Department of Homeland Security who briefed reporters on the latest plan.

That was one of several changes to the order designed to insulate it from court challenges that blocked the first one. The new order also leaves more time for agencies to implement it in hopes of alleviating the confusion that accompanied the original order, which was issued only a week after Trump took office, with little consultation from top agency officials.

The new ban also clarifies that permanent residents and those holding valid visas will be allowed to enter the country or remain here. The order will give the State Department room for exceptions on a case-by-case basis when in the national interest of the United States, according to the Homeland Security Department.

There should be no surprises  whether its in the media or on Capitol Hill, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly said during an announcement at his agency alongside Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Trump signed the order privately Monday morning with little fanfare, and the White House announced it only afterward. White House officials have indicated for days that a new iteration of the January order  now stuck in legal limbo  was imminent.

Trump had defended the hasty manner in which the original order was crafted as necessary for security, claiming bad actors would try to enter the country if there was any delay in stopping them. Yet the new order not only took weeks to release, but it also provides time between Mondays signing and next weeks effective date.

Many in Trumps circle are also trying to change the subject, after several days of questions about the White Houses ties to Russia and a weekend in which Trump made unsubstantiated charges that former President Barack Obama was tapping his phones during the presidential campaign.

This is a very important week in this White House, where the president is going to continue to act on, along with the Congress, major pieces of his legislative and executive agenda, Kellyanne Conway, senior White House counselor, said on Fox News Fox & Friends, citing the travel ban order as one piece of Trumps plan.

The newest order will have sweeping effects, slowing the refugee program to a trickle and creating a new immigration standard for the six countries effected. But it falls short of the all-out ban on Muslims that Trump promised during the campaign.

Unlike the earlier directive, the new instructions do not suspend Syrian refugee admissions indefinitely. Syrian refugees are included in the blanket suspension and are not singled out.

Trump had vowed to keep fighting for the original order, tweeting see you in court after a pair of legal defeats that suspended enforcement of the ban. He has said his new order would be tailored to meet court challenges, while adding that he still considered the courts initial rejection a bad decision.

But two lines near the bottom of Trumps new travel order wiped away his original ban, an apparent attempt to end the court battle.

Executive Order 13769 of January 27, 2017, is revoked as of the effective date of this order, the new order reads.

The order, while not freezing all asylum seekers, would still repeat language in the old order that would slow their entry dramatically, by capping the program at 50,000 refugees for the year, compared with 110,000 allowed under policies of the Obama administration. The U.S. has already accepted 35,000 refugees this year, meaning only 15,000 more would be allowed.

In addition to blocking visas from the six listed countries, the new orders require agencies to take immediate steps to create enhanced vetting and screening procedures for all foreigners wanting to visit the U.S., the senior Homeland Security official said. The president is very concerned about existing vulnerabilities, the official said.

After the new order is implemented next week, Homeland Security and State Department officials will examine every country in the world to ensure they are providing the U.S. enough information to vet their citizens appropriately, a Homeland Security official said. This review period could also be used as leverage to force countries to take back people that the U.S. would like to deport, the official said.

The initial ban ran afoul of the courts in part because it gave a preference to refugees who are religious minorities fleeing persecution in their home country, underscoring the argument some of Trumps allies made that he was trying to fulfill a campaign promise to initiate a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countrys representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.

There is also no waiver for religious minorities in the new temporary refugee ban.

Trump also said in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network on the day the first order was issued that it was intended to help Christian Syrians.

In addition to concerns about a religious test, the courts faulted the implementation of the original order, which was drafted in haste and signed on Jan. 27. It created mass confusion and protests at U.S. airports.

An estimated 60,000 visa-holders were blocked from entering the country, including some who were already on airplanes bound for the U.S. The administration later clarified the order to allow citizens from the seven affected countries who hold legal permanent residence in the U.S. to enter the country without a waiver.
Great Lakes mayors warn against cut to ecological initiative: MILWAUKEE  A group representing Great Lakes region mayors in the U.S. and Canada is sounding the alarm against potentially drastic cuts to an ecological recovery initiative for the Great Lakes. The Trump administrations potential cuts to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative were reported by the Detroit Free Press last week. They would slash annual funding for the $300 million program to $10 million. The initiative combats invasive species, curbs nutrient-fueled algae blooms, cleans up toxic messes and restores sensitive fish and wildlife habitat. David Ullrich, executive director of The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, said that cuts of this magnitude would be devastating to five decades of restoration work. His group represents mayors from more than 125 cities in the Great Lakes basin.

Firefighters fight fire at their own firehouse: MAYVILLE, Wis.  Firefighters in the Wisconsin community of Mayville had to respond to a fire at a familiar scene  their own firehouse. Firefighters were dispatched round 10 p.m. Saturday after a passer-by reported seeing flames at the station, which is not staffed around the clock. The volunteer fire department said in a statement Sunday that crews arrived to find a vehicle on fire inside the station and put it out. The fire was confined to the vehicle, but the station had to be ventilated due to the heavy smoke. Investigators are still trying to figure out what sparked the fire.

Plane crash injures pilot: PAYNESVILLE, Minn.  The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a plane crash in the central Minnesota city of Paynesville that left the pilot hospitalized. The Stearns County Sheriffs Office says it happened around 2:45 p.m. Saturday. The pilot, 71-year-old Michael Jude, told responders he was flying from Clear Lake to Paynesville when his engine began to overheat. He attempted to land but aborted his first attempt and was coming back around when the engine failed. He tried to land in a corn field about a half-mile from the runway. The plane landed hard, damaging the wings and collapsing the landing gear. The pilot was standing outside the plane when rescuers arrived. He was taken to a local hospital then transferred to St. Cloud Hospital. The plane was a single-engine, amateur-built plane from 2009.
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10 (4) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (4) Aug 07 (3) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (3) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (4) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (5) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (4) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (3) Jul 05 (5) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (4) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (5) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (3) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (5) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (3) May 30 (5) May 29 (3) May 28 (4) May 27 (5) May 26 (7) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (6) May 21 (4) May 20 (3) May 19 (5) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (4) May 14 (4) May 13 (5) May 12 (4) May 11 (5) May 10 (6) May 09 (7) May 08 (3) May 07 (6) May 06 (4) May 05 (6) May 04 (6) May 03 (4) May 02 (4) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (6) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (5) Apr 22 (5) Apr 21 (7) Apr 20 (6) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (6) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (7) Apr 07 (4) Apr 06 (7) Apr 05 (6) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (6) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (6) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (5) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (6) Mar 25 (7) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (4) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (5) Mar 19 (4) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (3) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (5) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (5) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (6) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (5) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (3) Feb 29 (4) Feb 28 (4) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (5) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (5) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (2) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (4) Feb 14 (4) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (5) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (5) Feb 06 (5) Feb 05 (5) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (2) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (6) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (5) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (1) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (5) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (5) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (4) Dec 01 (5) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (5) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (4) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (5) Nov 12 (4) Nov 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12 (4) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (4) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (3) Jul 15 (4) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (3) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (1) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (5) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (3) Jun 15 (3) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (4) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (3) Jun 06 (4) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (4) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (3) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (4) May 27 (6) May 26 (3) May 25 (3) May 24 (3) May 23 (3) May 22 (5) May 21 (3) May 20 (3) May 19 (3) May 18 (4) May 17 (3) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (4) May 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(2) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (2) Feb 18 (2) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (2) Feb 15 (1) Feb 14 (1) Feb 13 (1) Feb 12 (2) Feb 11 (1) Feb 10 (2) Feb 09 (1) Feb 08 (1) Feb 07 (1) Feb 06 (1) Feb 05 (5) Feb 03 (1) Feb 02 (1) Feb 01 (1) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (5) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (3) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (2) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (5) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (1) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (5) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (6) Dec 14 (4) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (5) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (4) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (5) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (5) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (4) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (5) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 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(3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (2) Aug 07 (2) Aug 06 (2) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (2) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (2) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (6) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (4) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (2) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (2) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (1) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (2) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (5) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (2) May 23 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Monday, March 6, 2017

Here is the new Executive Order Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States. As expected, the travel suspension is now limited to six predominantly Muslim nations. Iraq is now not included. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway had "Fox and Friends."stated that Iraq will not be included under the travel ban "based on their enhanced screening and reporting measures.

CNN encapsulates "Travel ban 2.0: Here's what's different this time around"

Six countries are affected: Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen

Iraq was left off the list this time

Current visa and green card holders are not affected by this order

It explains the basis for including the six countries.

Here is a White House Fact Sheet on the revised executive order.

Here is the explanation for the six nations beginning in Section 1(d) of the order:

"Nationals from the countries previously identified under section 217(a)(12) of the INA warrant additional scrutiny in connection with our immigration policies because the conditions in these countries present heightened threats. Each of these countries is a state sponsor of terrorism, has been significantly compromised by terrorist organizations, or contains active conflict zones. Any of these circumstances diminishes the foreign government's willingness or ability to share or validate important information about individuals seeking to travel to the United States. Moreover, the significant presence in each of these countries of terrorist organizations, their members, and others exposed to those organizations increases the chance that conditions will be exploited to enable terrorist operatives or sympathizers to travel to the United States. Finally, once foreign nationals from these countries are admitted to the United States, it is often difficult to remove them, because many of these countries typically delay issuing, or refuse to issue, travel documents.

(e) The following are brief descriptions, taken in part from the Department of State's Country Reports on Terrorism 2015 (June 2016), of some of the conditions in six of the previously designated countries that demonstrate why their nationals continue to present heightened risks to the security of the United States:

(i) Iran. Iran has been designated as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984 and continues to support various terrorist groups, including Hizballah, Hamas, and terrorist groups in Iraq. Iran has also been linked to support for al-Qa'ida and has permitted al-Qa'ida to transport funds and fighters through Iran to Syria and South Asia. Iran does not cooperate with the United States in counterterrorism efforts.

(ii) Libya. Libya is an active combat zone, with hostilities between the internationally recognized government and its rivals. In many parts of the country, security and law enforcement functions are provided by armed militias rather than state institutions. Violent extremist groups, including the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), have exploited these conditions to expand their presence in the country. The Libyan government provides some cooperation with the United States' counterterrorism efforts, but it is unable to secure thousands of miles of its land and maritime borders, enabling the illicit flow of weapons, migrants, and foreign terrorist fighters. The United States Embassy in Libya suspended its operations in 2014.

(iii) Somalia. Portions of Somalia have been terrorist safe havens. Al-Shabaab, an al-Qa'ida-affiliated terrorist group, has operated in the country for years and continues to plan and mount operations within Somalia and in neighboring countries. Somalia has porous borders, and most countries do not recognize Somali identity documents. The Somali government cooperates with the United States in some counterterrorism operations but does not have the capacity to sustain military pressure on or to investigate suspected terrorists.

(iv) Sudan. Sudan has been designated as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1993 because of its support for international terrorist groups, including Hizballah and Hamas. Historically, Sudan provided safe havens for al-Qa'ida and other terrorist groups to meet and train. Although Sudan's support to al-Qa'ida has ceased and it provides some cooperation with the United States' counterterrorism efforts, elements of core al-Qa'ida and ISIS-linked terrorist groups remain active in the country.

(v) Syria. Syria has been designated as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1979. The Syrian government is engaged in an ongoing military conflict against ISIS and others for control of portions of the country. At the same time, Syria continues to support other terrorist groups. It has allowed or encouraged extremists to pass through its territory to enter Iraq. ISIS continues to attract foreign fighters to Syria and to use its base in Syria to plot or encourage attacks around the globe, including in the United States. The United States Embassy in Syria suspended its operations in 2012. Syria does not cooperate with the United States' counterterrorism efforts.

(vi) Yemen. Yemen is the site of an ongoing conflict between the incumbent government and the Houthi-led opposition. Both ISIS and a second group, al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), have exploited this conflict to expand their presence in Yemen and to carry out hundreds of attacks. Weapons and other materials smuggled across Yemen's porous borders are used to finance AQAP and other terrorist activities. In 2015, the United States Embassy in Yemen suspended its operations, and embassy staff were relocated out of the country. Yemen has been supportive of, but has not been able to cooperate fully with, the United States in counterterrorism efforts.

(f) In light of the conditions in these six countries, until the assessment of current screening and vetting procedures required by section 2 of this order is completed, the risk of erroneously permitting entry of a national of one of these countries who intends to commit terrorist acts or otherwise harm the national security of the United States is unacceptably high. Accordingly, while that assessment is ongoing, I am imposing a temporary pause on the entry of nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, subject to categorical exceptions and case-by-case waivers, as described in section 3 of this order.

(g) Iraq presents a special case. Portions of Iraq remain active combat zones. Since 2014, ISIS has had dominant influence over significant territory in northern and central Iraq. Although that influence has been significantly reduced due to the efforts and sacrifices of the Iraqi government and armed forces, working along with a United States-led coalition, the ongoing conflict has impacted the Iraqi government's capacity to secure its borders and to identify fraudulent travel documents. Nevertheless, the close cooperative relationship between the United States and the democratically elected Iraqi government, the strong United States diplomatic presence in Iraq, the significant presence of United States forces in Iraq, and Iraq's commitment to combat ISIS justify different treatment for Iraq. In particular, those Iraqi government forces that have fought to regain more than half of the territory previously dominated by ISIS have shown steadfast determination and earned enduring respect as they battle an armed group that is the common enemy of Iraq and the United States. In addition, since Executive Order 13769 was issued, the Iraqi government has expressly undertaken steps to enhance travel documentation, information sharing, and the return of Iraqi nationals subject to final orders of removal. Decisions about issuance of visas or granting admission to Iraqi nationals should be subjected to additional scrutiny to determine if applicants have connections with ISIS or other terrorist organizations, or otherwise pose a risk to either national security or public safety.

(h) Recent history shows that some of those who have entered the United States through our immigration system have proved to be threats to our national security. Since 2001, hundreds of persons born abroad have been convicted of terrorism-related crimes in the United States. They have included not just persons who came here legally on visas but also individuals who first entered the country as refugees. For example, in January 2013, two Iraqi nationals admitted to the United States as refugees in 2009 were sentenced to 40 years and to life in prison, respectively, for multiple terrorism-related offenses. And in October 2014, a native of Somalia who had been brought to the United States as a child refugee and later became a naturalized United States citizen was sentenced to 30 years in prison for attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction as part of a plot to detonate a bomb at a crowded Christmas-tree-lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon. The Attorney General has reported to me that more than 300 persons who entered the United States as refugees are currently the subjects of counterterrorism investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

KJ

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2017/03/here-is-the-newexecutive-order-protecting-the-nation-from-foreign-terrorist-entry-into-the-united-states-as-expected-the-tr.html


VOA Learning English presents America's Presidents.

Today we are talking about Thomas Jefferson. Although he took office in 1801, he is still one of the countrys best-known and most popular presidents. You can see a memorial honoring him in Washington, DC.

Jefferson is often linked to the countrys history of self-government, separation of church and state, and public education.

Over time, Jeffersons name also became linked to the continuation of slavery until the Civil War, and to the loss of land for Native Americans.

Founding father

Jefferson was born in 1743 and grew up in the hills and low mountains of Virginia. His familys wealth enabled him to get an excellent education.

Jefferson also learned to ride horses, dance and explore the natural world.

In the 1770s, Jefferson supported the American Revolution against Britain. He is probably most famous for being the lead writer of the Declaration of Independence.

Jefferson went on to hold many positions in the countrys new state and national governments. He served as governor of Virginia, a minister to France, secretary of state for President George Washington, and the vice president under President John Adams.

Virginia planter and slave owner

Jefferson played an important part in the creation of the U.S. But he often wrote to friends about how he most wanted to retire from public service and return to his home in Virginia.

In the 1760s, he designed a house there that he called Monticello  the word means little mountain in Italian.

About 130 slaves lived on Monticellos grounds at any time. They worked in Jeffersons home, farms, and on special projects, such as making cabinets and nails.

Jefferson owned about 600 slaves during his life. Yet he said he disliked slavery. He believed God would judge slave owners severely.

And, of course, Jefferson himself wrote in the Declaration of Independence all men are created equal and have the right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Yet Jefferson did not use his political power to end slavery. He expected future generations would permit slavery to end slowly across the country.

Jeffersons words and actions on slavery are contradictory. This conflict is especially evident because Jefferson likely had a long relationship with a slave at Monticello.

Her name was Sally Hemings. Evidence suggests that Jefferson was the father of her six children of record.

Third U.S. president

In 1801, Thomas Jefferson left Monticello to become the third U.S. president. His inauguration was the first held in Washington, DC.

Jeffersons government was a break from the earlier administrations. The first two presidents, George Washington and John Adams, supported a strong federal government. Jefferson, on the other hand, wanted to limit federal government.

As president, Jefferson cut the national debt. He reduced the military. He disliked the power of the Supreme Court over the laws Congress made. And he rejected appearances that made the U.S. president look like a European king.

One of the lasting images of Jefferson is of him receiving guests in old clothes and slippers.

But as president, Jefferson also appeared strong and powerful when dealing with foreign nations. Jefferson increased American naval forces in the Mediterranean to guard against threats to American ships.

And he permitted U.S. officials to buy a huge piece of land from France, even though the Louisiana Purchase added to the national debt and exceeded the power the Constitution gave the president.

In general, historians consider Jeffersons first term as president a success. Voters did, too, because he easily won a second term.

But those last four years were difficult. Jeffersons popularity suffered, especially when he stopped all American trade with Europe. Jefferson aimed to limit U.S. involvement in a war between Britain and France.

Instead, critics say he ruined the American economy.

Legacy

Critics also attacked both Jeffersons political ideas and his personal qualities. George Washington worried that Jefferson would weaken the strong federal government he had worked hard to create.

And even friends suggested in their letters that Jefferson was too idealistic.

Jeffersons opponents also accused him of not being a Christian, although he said he was. However, he did not believe the government should make rules about religion.

He wrote that the government should worry only about acts that hurt other people. He said it does not harm him if his neighbor says there are 20 gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.

Jeffersons thinking on the separation of church and state remains important  and, in general, popular  in the U.S. today.

However, Jefferson is linked to problems faced by Native Americans. He tried to get Indian nations to enter into treaties that ultimately took away their land. He wanted Native Americans to become more like European-Americans. His policies made them depend on the federal government.

And Jefferson took no major action to end slavery, either in his personal life or as a public official.

At the end of his life, Jefferson wrote proudly about his accomplishments. He said he wanted to be remembered for three things: writing the Declaration of Independence, supporting religious freedom, and creating the University of Virginia.

For the most part, he is.

Jefferson also supported free public education, especially for those who could not pay for school.

But his time at Monticello had many sorrows. His wife, Martha, had died in 1782 after difficulty in childbirth. Most of his children also died before him.

In addition, the cost of improving and caring for Monticello, as well as the money he spent on fine wine and good food, had ruined him financially.

Eventually, one of his daughters had to sell her fathers beloved Monticello and the slaves who lived there to pay his debts.

Jefferson died in his bed at the age of 83. The last detail of his life  which Americans love to tell  is that he passed away on Americas birthday, exactly 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Im Kelly Jean Kelly.

Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story. Caty Weaver and George Grow were the editors.

Did you enjoy learning about America's founders? Give us your suggestions in the Comments and on our Facebook page.

Editor's note: A photo caption was corrected to say that the reconstructed cabin at Monticello shows the home of Sally Hemings' brother and sister-in-law, not of Sally Hemings. Monticello is currently restoring a room historians believe Sally and and her children lived in for a time.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

contradictory  adj. involving or having information that disagrees with other information

significant  adj. large enough to be noticed or have an effect

slippers  n. light, soft shoes easily put on and taken off and worn indoors

picks my pocket  v. steals

Test your understanding of the story and develop your listening skills by taking this listening quiz.


For almost as long as people have walked on Earth, they have looked up at the moon and wondered: How did the moon get there? How long has it been there?

Scientists have studied these questions. And now, a group of researchers from California have an answer. Based on their studies, they think the moon is 4.51 billion years old.

For years, researchers have been studying the many rocks American astronauts brought back from the moon between 1969 and 1972. The early rock studies led many scientists to think the moon was formed long ago -- about 4.3 billion years ago.

Scientists believe the moon was created when a huge rocky object about the size of Mars struck a very young Earth. Then some of the pieces from that violent crash came together in space to form the moon.

But that estimated age, 4.3 billion years, created a problem for scientists. That is because it does not leave much time for life to get started and develop on planet Earth.

Melanie Barboni is a researcher in the Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

"Here at UCLA, there has been this study that has found that life could have appeared as early as 4.1 billion years old. So now if you believe the giant impact occurred at 4.3, it doesn't leave you a long time between the impact and basically the Earth being half destroyed and then the Earth acquiring all the conditions you need for life."

Zircons answer

Barboni and other researchers at UCLA wanted a better, more exact estimate of when the moon was formed. They found their answer by studying a moon rock brought back to Earth in 1971. Barboni says they looked closely for signs of a mineral called zircon.

"And we found out that the moon is actually older. The moon didn't form at 4.3 billion years old, but it formed at minimum and that is a minimum age - it could even be slightly older, it formed at minimum 4.51 billion years old..."

She says saving those extra years solves the problem of life on Earth. And this solution gives scientists a better understanding of how life formed here and how it might form on other planets.

"... you have much more time to cool down your Earth to like start having your plate tectonics things again, generate the atmosphere, generate the water and then finally having all the conditions met for life.

The new information means the moon was orbiting Earth just 60 million years after the birth of our solar system.

Noah Petro works as a researcher for NASA, the American space agency. He studies the moon at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

Petro is a geologist: someone with an expertise in rocks. He points out that the UCLA researchers were using a single rock to estimate the age of the moons surface.

He believes that the moon is in the range of 4.5 billion years old.

Petro adds that understanding the age of the moon is very important to understanding the solar system. Knowing when the moon was formed can tell scientists about when other events happened.

The gift that keeps giving

Lunar rocks have been studied on Earth since American astronauts first landed on the moon. They brought back more than 20 kilograms of rocks in July 1969. The last American astronauts on the moon brought back more than 100 kilograms of rocks in 1972. There are still rocks that have yet to be studied almost 45 years later.

Lunar samples are the gift that keeps on giving, Petro says. We will be studying them 45 years from now and 45 years after that.

But Petro says, as much as we use rocks, it isnt set in stone what happened.

That is because technology is always changing and new methods become available, providing new information from the rocks. Also, answers can be different, depending on what kinds of assumptions scientists make and how the information is processed.

The rocks contain truth in them, it is up to us to understand what they are telling us, Petro explains.

Theias impact

Scientists agree that a huge object they named Theia crashed into the young Earth to create the moon. But Petro says some evidence does not really fit the model of an impact  like the fact there is water inside the moon. Water should not be there if the moon resulted from a huge object striking Earth.

This means the model needs to be revisited, Petro says. And that means scientists will continue to study the moon to find more answers.

Currently, Petro is busy with NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter project. Since June 2009, the space agency has been gathering information from the orbiter, which is circling the moon. Scientists have seen new impact areas that show where meteorites or other objects have struck the surface.

Mission to the far side?

Scientists have also learned that the far side of the moon  the side facing away from Earth  does appear to be different than the side we see from here. Petro says there is less volcanic activity on the far side and there is a large crater, or impact area, there. He hopes NASA will be able to send a probe to the crater to find out why that side is so different.

Sending a probe to the far side of the moon will require a special satellite because the spacecraft will not have a straight line to communicate with Earth.

China also wants to explore the far side of the moon. In December 2016, the Chinese space agency announced its five-year plan for space exploration. It includes sending a probe to the far side of the moon. One expert says there are suggestions that China may also send humans there eventually.

So humans are far from finished looking up at that bright round object in the sky, and wondering, what is up there?

Im Anne Ball.

Kevin Enochs wrote this story for VOA News. Anne Ball wrote this story with additional reporting for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. Find us on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

impact  n. the act or force of one thing hitting another

acquire  v. to get something

plate tectonics  n. the geology theory that Earths surface is made of very large sections or plates that move very slowly

generate  v. to produce something or cause something to be produced

solar system  n. a group of planets and objects that orbit around a star

assumption  n. something that is believed to be true or probably true but that is not known to be true : something that is assumed

meteorite  n. a piece of rock or metal that has fallen to the ground from outer space

probe  n. a long thin scientific object used to measure or get information

See how well you understand the story by taking this quiz.
Experts are concerned about increasing attacks by the Islamic militant group al-Shabab in Somalia.

In the past few weeks, the group has increased suicide bombings of Somali hotels and military targets.

These attacks have caused the Trump Administration to consider increased military involvement in the country. Experts say that current actions, such as drone attacks, are not enough.

U.S. officials have said the Defense Department wants to expand the militarys ability to fight the al-Qaida-linked group. They have recommended that the Trump administration permit U.S. Special Forces to increase assistance to the Somali National Army. Defense officials also want the U.S. military to have the ability to launch pre-emptive airstrikes.

Analysts say new efforts in Somalia will be difficult and costly. The appearance of fighters pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group has made the situation more complex.

Rashid Abdi is an expert on the Horn of Africa area with the International Crisis Group.

The concern in Washington has been mounting for some time now. The Trump administration is simply reiterating what has been policy, with slight variations, said Abdi. U.S. special forces are already on the ground. Drone attacks have been scaled up.

Somali forces have struggled to fight militants

There are currently about 50 U.S. advisers in Somalia. They move in and out of the country to advise and assist local troops. The soldiers have accompanied Somali forces in several raids against al-Shabab fighters, according to Somali intelligence officials. Many fighters were killed in these raids, the officials said.

Somalia has been without an effective central government since the fall of leader Siad Barre in 1991. It is also one of the seven mainly Muslim countries whose citizens would have been temporarily banned from traveling to the U.S. by a presidential order. Federal courts have suspended that executive order.

Al-Shabab rose to strength during the many years in which Somali lacked an operating government. Several years ago, a collaboration of African Union troops pushed the extremist group from the capital, Mogadishu, and most other urban areas.

However, experts say that push against al-Shabab has weakened, and has allowed the group to regroup and to operate in the rural areas of the country. This has permitted attacks in Mogadishu.

A need for training

In the past year, the U.S. launched 14 airstrikes. According to a Somali intelligence official, these attacks resulted in the deaths of some top al-Shabab leaders, including Hassan Ali Dhore and Abdullahi Haji Daud.

However, the main military successes against al-Shabab have come from the African Union regional force in Somalia. They include about 22,000 troops and have operated in Somalia since 2007.

The AU force plans to withdraw by the end of 2020. Cost is a main reason for the withdrawal. The missions yearly budget has risen from $300 million in 2009 to $900 million in 2016, said Ahmed Soliman, an analyst with Chatham House, the London-based think tank.

If the African Union troops leave, the Somali army will have to fight al-Shabab alone. However, some observers consider it weak and disorganized.

According to Soliman, the U.S. military will probably increase training and coordination. But it is unlikely to put more American soldiers in Somalia.

A new threat

Al-Shabab militants continue to control towns and villages across the south and central parts of the country.

However, fighters linked with the Islamic State group also have appeared in the area. Officials are worried that their presence could grow in the country. These fighters broke away from al-Shabab and declared allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2015. Al-Shabab sees the new group as a threat to its operations.

Ahmed Mohamoud is a retired former Somali military general.

He said, Its only al-Shabab that can stand in ISIS way to expand its areas of operation. Somali forces are currently too disorganized to stop the new group.

Im Phil Dierking

This story was originally written for the Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted this story for Learning. Mario Ritter was the editor.

Do you think increased training is the solution to peace in Somalia? What are other ideas for helping bring stability to the region? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

airstrike  n. an attack made by aircraft.

allegiance n. loyalty to a person, country, group, etc.

drone  n. a type of small aircraft that flies without a pilot

pre-emptive  adj. done to stop an unwanted act by another group, country, etc., from happening

resilient  adj. able to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens

urban  adj. of or relating to cities and the people who live in them
Representatives of United Nations Security Council member countries visited a target of Boko Haram militants on Sunday.

The diplomats traveled to Maiduguri, the capital of Nigerias Borno State. They met there with women at a camp for displaced persons.

The diplomats have been on a four-day-long trip to the Lake Chad Basin. They went to Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria before going to Niger on Monday.

On Sunday, the ambassadors arrived in Maiduguri under heavy security. Two days earlier, three bombers died in a suicide attack near a fuel station. No civilians were hurt in the explosions.

The diplomats met with the women in a camp where about 7,000 people live. They heard the women tell about their husbands being killed. The women also said they had been abused by Boko Haram. The militant group has been fighting against the Nigerian government and its forces since 2009.

Deputy United States Ambassador Michelle Sisson was the only woman in the U.N. group. She has expressed support for women and girls in the Lake Chad Basin.

Im hearing stories not only of these families, and these women who have been victimized, their children victimized, by Boko Haram, but then the protection needs especially of women and girls, not only inside the camp, but also if they have to go outside, either for firewood or to seek some sort of income-generating activity.

U.N. officials say aid workers have yet to reach about 700,000 people in eight local government areas.

Officials say more than five million people in northeastern Nigeria are in need of food. At the camp for displaced persons, many people said they are not given enough aid to feed their large families.

We are suffering from food, we are suffering from hunger. Our children are dying from that. Sometimes at the end of the month, sometimes I dont have food, I will manage to go and beg small (amounts).

The United Nations has warned that about two million people in parts of the northeast could face famine conditions in the coming months if donors do not intervene. Peter Lundberg is the U.N. Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for northeast Nigeria.

There is no famine right now in the northeast, but we are really, really playing with a fire unless we continue to ensure that these people are getting steady assistance on a regular basis, and it is a struggle. Right now the food operations here cost $1 million per day.

Lundberg added that countries must keep the promises they made at a humanitarian conference in Norway last month. Delegates there promised more than $450 million in aid to help people in the Lake Chad Basin this year.

Im Caty Weaver.

VOA United Nations Correspondent Margaret Besheer reported this story from Maiduguri, Nigeria. John Smith adapted the story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

income-generating  adj. producing money

famine  n. a situation in which many people do not have enough food to eat

steady  adj. happening or developing in a continuous and usually gradual way
North Korea launched four missiles early Monday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said three of the missiles came down in his countrys waters. He said they landed in Japans Exclusive Economic Zone about 350 kilometers from the Japanese mainland.

The launches are clearly in violation of (United Nations) Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action, Abe said during questioning in parliament.

Also reacting, the United States said North Koreas provocations only serve to increase the international communitys resolve...Our commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japanremains ironclad, said State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner.

Toner added, We also call on the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) to refrain from provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric that threaten international peace and stability, and to make the strategic choice to fulfill its international obligations and commitments and return to serious talks.

The North Korean missiles traveled about 1,000 kilometers from where they were launched, in the northwestern part of the country. Their flight path suggests that they were not long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), however.

On New Years Day, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would soon test an ICBM.

Launch protests military exercises, may pressure China

The launches took place as South Korea and the United States are holding joint military exercises. The North Korean government says the exercises are reason for North Koreans to prepare for an invasion.

Last year, North Korea launched missiles during the joint South Korean-U.S. exercises.

The missile launches on Monday were not unexpected.

Bruce Bennett of the RAND Corporation research group told VOA that the most recent launches may have been an attempt to pressure China.

This was a launch that was intended to defy the United States and South Korea for doing the ongoing exercises, but it was also clearly pointed at China."

Last month, China said it would suspend coal imports from North Korea. Coal exports are an important way for the North Korean government to earn money.

Experts said Chinas move was to punish the North for the apparent killing of the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Malaysian officials say Kim Jong Nam died after being attacked by two women at the Kuala Lumpur international airport last month. They have blamed the banned nerve agent VX for his death.

Malaysia is seeking several North Koreans for questioning and has refused to release the body to North Korean officials.

Diplomatic relations between Malaysia and North Korea also have worsened. North Korea has said Malaysia has not carried out a fair investigation. Malaysia has expelled the North Korean ambassador and has ordered its top diplomat in North Korea to return home.

North Korean missile activity has increased

North Korea has increased activities in both its nuclear and missile programs since the start of 2016.

It has tested more than 25 missiles during that time. In February 2016, the North launched a satellite into space using ballistic missile technology banned by United Nations resolutions.

In reaction, the South Korean government approved deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system in the country. The costly defense system is designed to protect South Korea from the North Korean missile threat.

However, China opposes the placement of the missile system near its borders. Russia also has voiced concerns.

South Korea denounces latest test, political crisis continues

South Korean Prime Minister and acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn strongly denounced the latest missile tests by the North.

Our government strongly condemns that North Korea fired ballistic missiles once again ignoring continuous warnings from South Korea and the international community, Hwang said.

He added, It is a challenge against the international community and a grave act of provocation.

South Korea remains in a political crisis. President Park Geun-hye has been critical of North Koreas banned nuclear and missile activities during her term in office. She has pushed for the THAAD missile system and closed the Kaesong economic area jointly operated with the North.

But she is fighting impeachment on corruption charges. The countrys constitutional court is now considering the case against her. If Park is removed from office, the country will be required to hold its presidential election earlier this year than planned.

Im Mario Ritter.

Smita Nordwall, Fern Robinson, Brian Padden and Victor Beattie reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted the story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

exclusive  adj. available to only one person or group

provocative  adj. causing discussion or argument

ironclad adj. very strong and secure, too strong to change

inflammatory  adj. causing anger

obligations  n. things that are required to be done by a rule or law

ballistic missile  n. a weapon able to travel great distances

defy  v. to refuse to obey

challenge  n. the act of questioning authority or some action

grave  adj. very serious

impeachment  n. the action of charging a public official with crimes while in office
scholarship, news and new ideas in legal history
Country

United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica 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 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 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 Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of 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 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 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 Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
I have been writing about animals in this London Zoo column since 2008 (218 columns so far), but I have never written about the animals in the actual London Zoo, which opened in 1828 as the worlds first scientific zoo. The London Zoo has displayed a variety of noteworthy animals, such as Belinda the bird-eating spider, who lived to age 22 and helped many people overcome arachnophobia. They had a quagga, now extinct, that was the only living one ever photographed. For years, the zoos oldest animal was a great Indian hornbill named Josephine who died at 53.

A gorilla named Guy was the star attraction for decades, and a statue of him at the London Zoo commemorates the publics love affair with this animal. Captured as an infant in Cameroon, he came to London through a trade with the Paris Zoo for a tiger. He arrived on Guy Fawkes Night, which is how he got his name. Being closely related to humans accounted for much of his popularity, but his gentle personality was perhaps more important. On multiple occasions, he carefully held little birds that flew into his cage before releasing them, unharmed.

The original plan for Chi Chi the giant panda was to live in a United States zoo, but when the U.S. government ceased all trade with China at an inopportune time, Chi Chi was refused entry into the country. She came instead to London in 1958. As the only giant panda in the west, Chi Chi was extremely famous, and served as the model for the World Wildlife Fund logo.

Jumbo the elephant spent years at the London Zoo. His enormous size (even by elephant standards) explains why Jumbo came to mean oversized. Another large animal was the hippopotamus named Obaysch, acquired in 1850 by a trade with Egypts leader for some greyhounds and deerhounds. He was the first hippo in Europe since Roman times, and became such a huge attraction that zoo attendance doubled.

The most famous animal ever to live in the London Zoo was a black bear named Winnie. Lieutenant Colebourn, a veterinarian, bought the orphaned cub for $20 at a train stop in Ontario in August 1914 on the way to fight in World War I. He named the bear Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and brought him to Europe. Winnie became the regiments beloved mascot, but Colebourn brought him to the London Zoo when they left to fight in France a few months later.

Author A.A. Milne often went to the zoo with his son, Christopher Robin Milne, whose favorite animal was Winnie. Christopher loved the bear so much that he changed his own teddy bears name from Edward Bear to Winnie-the-Pooh, inspiring his father to write the stories enjoyed by millions of people around the world. (Pooh was a swan Christopher met while traveling.)

In 2005, the London Zoo had a four-day exhibit called Human Zoo, which contained eight humans and whose purpose was to highlight peoples membership in the animal kingdom.
Thanks to the Thomson Reuters Eikon Auctions app, the first two live foreign exchange auctions between the Bank of Ghana and the country's commercial banks as well as the Bank of Uganda and Ugandan commercial banks have been completed successfully.

Auction participants were invited to log in using their existing Thomson Reuters flagship desktop Eikon  with no need for additional software or hardware. The respective banks then used the Thomson Reuters trade notification service to send the successful bids to their own back-office and the back-office of the bidding organisations.

For Uganda, the auction was planned and organised on an eight-week turnaround by Thomson Reuters and the Bank of Uganda where the process also involved training staff from 26 commercial banks through a series of test auctions, one-to-one sessions and workshop. For the Bank of Ghana, the auction was planned and organised on a four-week turnaround.

The ease of use of the application is one of the key factors in its success, said Malcolm Collins, head of fixed income market development for Thomson Reuters. For these respective banks, our solution allowed them to create an efficient and reliable auction in a short turnaround. For the banks, it allowed them to join a simple, transparent auction process using their existing Eikon screens.

Philp Wabulya, executive head of operations for Bank of Uganda, said: The purpose for the new system is to improve the efficiency of the forex auction process in the Ugandan market. With no cost to the commercial banks we have been able to deploy a solution which benefits the whole market and provides transparency, accuracy and credibility to our market.

Kwabena Boamah, treasury & solutions sales head in West Africa for Thomson Reuters, agreed by saying that the implementation of the Thomson Reuters auction platform is part of the number of reforms, initiated by these banks, aimed at ensuring the financial system remained strong and stable.
Chinas premier Li Keqiang, speaking at the opening of the annual session of the National Peoples Congress, has endorsed a plan to turn the area around the Pearl River estuary into a cluster of cities and promised a strategic plan for the development to be unveiled in the future. We will promote closer cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macau, said Li, as cited by public broadcaster TDM. We will draw up a plan for the development of a city cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Great Bay Area, give full play to the distinctive strengths of Hong Kong and Macau and elevate their positions and roles in Chinas economic development and opening up. Li also warned in his inauguration speech that Hong Kongs independence movement will lead nowhere and stressed the importance of the One Country, Two Systems policy [more on page 10-11].

Macau delegate urges for opening of Wanzai port

Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Macau delegate Yeung Tsun Man proposed to the government the renovation of Wanzai port and the alternative of finding a place to build a new port or a ferry terminal. Yeungs suggestions were revealed during his participation in the annual CPPCC meeting in Beijing last Friday. Yeung added that the Wanzai port recorded a daily average of 2,038 passages last year. The low number is not due to the tourists unwillingness to use the port, but due to the restrictions on the ferries and the terminals operating hours. He therefore hopes the port can be open for use from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. every day.

Li Zezhong to be Zhuhais new mayor

The Guangdong Provincial Party Committee Organization Department recently published a statement on its website stating that Zhuhais current mayor, Zheng Renhao, will move to Zhanjiang city to be the Communist Party Secretary. The department has nominated Li Zezhong to be Zhuhais new mayor. The 47-year-old Li is from Lujiang in Anhui province, and is the chairman of the board of Guangdong Rising Assets Management Co., Ltd., a position which he has occupied since April 2016. Before being promoted to chairman, Li was a member of the companys senior management. Meanwhile, 49-year-old Zheng Renhao hails from Shantou in Guangdong province, and was the mayor of Shantou before being appointed as Zhuhais mayor last May.
Chief Executive Chui Sai On held a meeting on Saturday with the Chinese Minister of Education, Chen Baosheng. During the meeting, Chui noted that the MSAR government has invested in the improvement of local residents level of education. Chui thanked mainland authorities for their support in the development of the educational sector, noting that before the handover of Macau to mainland China, a large number of residents had not completed secondary-level education.

Chen encouraged local students to attend mainland universities. Since the start of the year, the Ministry of Education has increased the number of Macau students directly admitted to mainland universities, and has expanded the list of universities covered by the direct admission scheme.

As of mid-January, a total of 723 Macau students  the highest number on record  were enrolled in mainland universities via the scheme, according to Chui.

Chui is currently meeting mainland authorities in Beijing. Yesterday, he attended the opening ceremony of the 5th Session of the 12th National Peoples Congress (NPC).
Hong Kong entertainer Sandy Lam produced a tour de force performance for her 2017 Sandy Lam Pranava World Tour  Macau at The Venetian Macao on Saturday.

Accompanied on stage by international musicians, Lam gave fans a best of repertoire of classic love ballads and upbeat dance tracks. Lam also performed hits from her album Gaia, for which she won four awards at the 24th Golden Melody Awards in 2013.

According to a press release issued by Sands China, the concert was based on a Sanskrit concept of cosmic sound and celestial energy.

This was reflected during numbers themed around natural elements such as water, fire and wind. Lam also charmed fans in the 30 outfits she had made specifically for the tour, which cost around USD200,000.

The 2017 Sandy Lam Pranava World Tour kicked off with three sold-out concerts in Hong Kong last year, followed by performances in Singapore and Shanghai.

Peugeot said to reach deal to buy Opel

PSA Group and General Motors Co. are set to announce today the purchase of the Opel brand by the French company, creating the regions second-largest automaker and allowing GM to exit the European market, according to people familiar with the matter.

The two carmakers, which sent an invitation for a joint press conference in Paris today, have reached a framework agreement to complete the deal, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because negotiations are private. While final talks on remaining details of the transaction are ongoing, PSAs board signed off on the transaction on Friday, the people said. Spokesmen for PSA and Opel declined to comment.

One of the key negotiating points has been how PSA can achieve about 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion) in savings from a deal, said one person. These would come largely from potential future capacity reductions as well as savings from joint purchasing, sharing more parts and lowering overhead costs, the person said.

PSA and GM are also discussing the French carmakers ability to sell Opel vehicles globally and the U.S. companys right to bring Chevrolet-branded models to Europe down the line, two people said.
A senior Chinese government adviser has warned that the countrys internet censorship is hampering scientific research and economic development, in a rare public criticism of a sensitive policy that the government has vigorously defended.

Slow access to overseas academic websites have forced domestic researchers to buy software to circumvent Chinas site-blocking firewall, or even travel overseas to conduct research, Luo Fuhe, vice-chairman of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, told reporters in Beijing. He described the lengths that Chinese researchers go to simply carry out their work as not normal.

Luos remarks, reported by state media, came as national leaders and thousands of appointed representatives are gathering in Beijing for the national legislatures annual session. Luos conference, the CPPCC, is the official advisory body to the legislature, the National Peoples Congress.

Chinese officials rarely comment on internet censorship, other than to emphasize the need to respect the countrys laws. However, Luo may have felt free to speak up because of his status as a vice chairman of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, one of eight minor political parties the ruling Communists permit to shore up their democratic credentials.

Chinas sophisticated internet censorship tools block numerous foreign social media and news websites, while discussion of political topics and other sensitive issues such as Tibet and Taiwan are routinely squelched.

However, the same tools also hamper access to vast swathes of the internet outside China, including some research and university websites, whether inadvertently or by design.

Many Chinese employ virtual private networks to scale the censors blocks, known sometimes as the Great Firewall of China.

Luo, who studied and researched agriculture before taking up his official posts, also noted that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Programs webpages took up to 20 seconds to load while a famous foreign search engine  an apparent reference to Google  was also blocked.

He recommended that the government determine which websites are off-limits with greater precision and allow full open access to sites frequented by researchers, particularly if they do not contain political content.

Chinas authoritarian government has recently renewed a push for a greater role in global internet governance based on restrictions and regulations rather than the principle of free-flow of information found in democratic societies. AP
A top Chinese official called for more contacts between politicians in mainland China and Taiwan despite Beijings ongoing refusal to engage with the self-governing islands president.

The head of Chinas legislative advisory body, Yu Zhengsheng, said Friday that China continues its firm opposition to Taiwans formal independence and insistence that its leaders accept that the self-governing island is part of China.

Yu said members of his body should increase contacts with elected officials in Taiwan and with ordinary people.

Plant deeply the public opinion foundation for peaceful development between the sides, Yu said.

Yu made the remarks in an address at the opening of the annual session of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, which advises the rubberstamp parliament, whose annual session begins Sunday.

China cut off contacts with Taiwans government following the inauguration last May of Taiwans independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen. Despite years of economic inducements from Beijing, few in Taiwan are receptive to Chinas calls for political unification and most favor their current state of de facto independence.

Taiwan, a former Japanese colony, split from China amid civil war in 1949. AP
More than 350 people have died in a battle between Unita rebels and Angolan government forces in the city of Huambo, according to Angolan army reports.

The government of the southern African country also said that up to 1,500 people had been injured in the fighting.

Diplomats say the battle is vicious, with neither side taking many prisoners. According to the radio station of Angolas rebel movement Unita, government troops are fleeing from the city and large amounts of arms and ammunition have been seized, including several Russian-built tanks.

The government garrison in the city has been cut off for several weeks and is being supplied by occasional air drops.

Fighting around Huambo has intensified after Unita brought in troop reinforcements from Bie province, which is around 165km away to the east of the city.

Unita radio also reported that its leader, Dr Jonas Savimbi, would address the nation on the search for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Since January there has been no running water or electricity in Huambo, which is home to 400,000 people, and many areas have been flattened by artillery shells.

The battle for the key city is seen as more symbolic than strategic. The fighting in Huambo comes after the breakdown of a 1991 peace agreement which was aimed at ending 16 years of civil war in the former Portuguese colony.

Huambo is home to the Ovimbundu, the people who gave Mr Savimbis Unita (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) movement its main support.

Earlier, UN officials admitted defeat in their diplomatic attempts to halt renewed civil war in Angola, calling the outcome a bitter disappointment.

Unita failed to attend UN-sponsored peace talks in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, last week, but proposed fresh talks in Geneva.

Local aid agencies have described the health situation in Angola as dramatic  with a child dying every two hours in the paediatric hospital in the capital Luanda.

Most of the main aid agencies have left the country after Unita launched an abortive coup attempt in Luanda last November.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

Two days after the gun battle started in Huambo, Unita announced it had seized the countrys second city and was in complete control after capturing government positions.

More than 10,000 people are estimated to have died in the two-month battle for Huambo.

The rebel leader of Unita, Jonas Savimbi, died in a gun battle with government forces in February 2002.

Unita went on to become a political party and signed a ceasefire with the Angolan government in April 2002.

In 2003, Unita apologized for its part in Angolas 27-year civil war and asked for forgiveness.

Unitas secretary for political affairs, Abilio Camalata Numa, said his movement took responsibility for the many lives lost but he defended what he called the political project which had been the reason for the war.
Deutsche Bank AG will offer 8 billion euros (USD8.5 billion) of stock, sell part of its asset management business and named two deputies to Chief Executive Officer John Cryan as Germanys largest lender seeks to shore up capital after two consecutive years of losses.

The bank said it will keep its Postbank consumer division and still aims to reduce total costs to 22 billion euros by 2018, the Frankfurt-based company said in a statement Sunday. Chief Financial Officer Marcus Schenck, 51, and Christian Sewing, who oversees wealth management and consumer banking, will become co-deputy CEOs. The company will find a new CFO in due course.

The measures mark a reversal for Cryan, 56, who had unsuccessfully sought to sell Postbank to avoid tapping shareholders for extra cash. Deutsche Bank has posted more than 8 billion euros of net losses in the past two years as Cryan, who took over in 2015, settled misconduct investigations and scaled back capital-intensive debt-trading businesses.

A strong capital base is essential if were to succeed in charting this strategy, Cryan wrote in a letter to employees. The share sale will remove a major source of uncertainty. That should make us significantly more attractive for our clients.

The lender said it will sell a minority stake in its asset management unit through an initial public offering in the next two years. That, along with asset disposals at the investment bank, will help raise another 2 billion euros of capital. The bank will propose a dividend in May of 0.19 euros per share. Bloomberg
Indonesians are by turns shocked and bemused by Donald Trumps volatile presidency, but many in the worlds most populous Muslim nation say his personality and actions  including his controversial travel ban  havent changed their positive view of the United States.

There is a reservoir of goodwill in Indonesia toward the U.S., which Indonesians often see as a beacon for values they hope will flourish in their own country. Perceptions were particularly positive during Barack Obamas administration because of Obamas personal links to Indonesia and his efforts to heal divisions with the Muslim world.

The U.S. is one of the largest foreign investors in Indonesia. Phoenix, Arizona-based Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. operates one of the worlds largest copper mines and the worlds largest gold mine in Indonesias easternmost province of Papua.

Still, Trumps attempt to ban travel from seven predominantly Muslim nations is deeply unpopular with Indonesians, who see it as an anti-Muslim measure that could affect them even though their country is not one of the seven being targeted. Indonesias foreign ministry warned that Trumps policy could undermine the global fight against terrorism, but President Joko Jokowi Widodo was sanguine, telling his country there was nothing to worry about.

In fact, some say, Trump just needs to visit Indonesia and learn more about Islam.

Despite the perceptions created by a vocal hard-line minority, Muslim Indonesians mainly practice a moderate faith and want their young but feisty democracy to remain headed by a secular government.

And like the U.S., Indonesia is a former colony that struggled for its independence and a nation of remarkable diversity, with hundreds of languages and ethnic groups.

A look at how some Indonesians view Trump:

Rudy Madanir, an English teacher in Jakarta, the capital, who has visited the U.S. as a tourist and wants to travel there again, said he was shocked by Trumps election, having never imagined that this kind of man could be sitting in the White House.

But Madanir, 47, also said the protests against the travel ban showed there are many people in the U.S. who want to uphold values such as justice, freedom and nondiscrimination, and opened his eyes to how beautiful Americans are.

Maybe tomorrow it will be Indonesias turn [to be banned], who knows? With this weird and strange person sitting in the White House, anything can happen, he said. I wish Trump can visit Indonesia, the world most populous Muslim country, so he will experience firsthand how Muslims are here. We are not as scary as he might think.

Tingka Adiati, a 48-year- old housewife in Tangerang, a satellite city of Jakarta, said Trumps immigration policy did not change her image of America as a tolerant country open to people from around the world.

Trump is experiencing the euphoria of his victory, and given time, rather than Trump changing America, it will be him who is changed, Adiati said. His polices will also have to take into account the interests of American businesses in countries around the world, including Indonesia, she added.

Im sure Trump, with his life and business experience, hell learn and become aware that what he was saying and policies he made were not always right, and hell learn from that strong reaction from international society and his own people, she said. He is bound to change. And do not forget, the U.S. also has a lot of interests inIndonesia. Surely he would not dare to issue such a ban to Indonesia.

Lukas Christian, who owns a coffee shop in Tangerang, has a son at Wesleyan University in Connecticut who is planning to work in the U.S. after graduating this year.

Christian, 52, hopes his sons Indonesian nationality wont be a complicating factor. So far it hasnt, but the possibility still troubles him.

Indonesians consider America to be a tolerant society, and the travel ban shows Trumps own dislike of immigrants and Islam, he said.

Christian said Indonesia is totally different from the seven Muslim countries included in Trumps ban. Although Muslims are predominant here, we have [the state ideology] Pancasila and a secular constitution that protects diversity. I myself respect diversity, he said.

As a coffee seller, I can say this: There are many varieties of coffee in Indonesia, from Aceh to Papua, and people enjoy its variety, and it is just like the way of Indonesian thinking  tolerant, he said.

Maria Kartika Sari, a tour guide who lives in Jakarta, said she believes the majority of Americans disagree with Trumps travel ban. The 30-year-old said she has always considered the U.S. to be a tolerant nation of immigrants that is similar to Indonesia insofar as both countries have many different ethnic groups and religions.

When I heard Trump banned the entry of nationals from seven Muslim nations, I considered it as his personal decision because Americans are not like that, she said.

The seven countries targeted by the ban are known as troublemakers, she said, but that reputation stems from the actions of a few people, and its unjust to impose punitive measures against an entire country on that basis.

I want to say to Trump, he is a president now, no longer a businessman, she said. I understand hes a stubborn old man, but it is good for him to know that today he leads the United States, not just a company. He should change. Niniek Karmini, Jakarta, AP
Japanese Emperor Akihito arrived in Bangkok yesterday to pay his respects to the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, following a weeklong trip to Vietnam aimed at winning support against Chinese expansionism.

The monarchies  two of a handful remaining in Asia  have maintained close ties. Bhumibol first visited Japan in 1963, touching off a decades-long friendship with numerous visits back and forth, most recently a visit by Akihito to Thailand in 2006.

Akihito, accompanied by his wife, Empress Michiko, was to lay wreathes and sign a condolence book at the Grand Palace in Bangkok before meeting with King Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, who ascended the throne after the death of his widely revered father in October.

The emperors two-day visit to Bangkok comes as Thailand tilts closer to China, Japans main rival in East Asia.

Thailand and Japan have traditionally enjoyed close relations, unburdened by the legacy of World War II that has complicated Japans relations with other Asian countries. After a brief struggle, Thailand formally became Japans ally through much of the war, suffering little of the destruction wrought on others like China, Myanmar and the Philippines.

But following a 2014 coup, Thailands Western allies cut back on assistance, pushing the countrys ruling military junta closer to Beijing.

The visit is symbolic of Japans interest in boosting Japanese-Thai relations at a time when China seems to enjoy favor in Bangkok, said Paul Chambers, research director at the Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs.

China frightens many in Southeast Asia with expansionist policies in the South China Sea. But Chinas claims do not clash with Thai territorial waters, paving the way for friendly relations.

The 83-year-old emperor is Japans constitutional head of state, a role symbolic rather than political. However, his trips often serve to bolster relations with nations friendly to Tokyo.

The emperors itinerary has been packed with visits across Southeast Asia, a move aimed at shoring up a regional bulwark against China. Vietnam, which has sparred with China over territorial waters, rolled out the red carpet for Akihitos visit last week. In January 2016, the Japanese imperial family visited the Philippines, which also has disputes with China, paying its respects at a World War II memorial. AP
Malaysia said yesterday that its expulsion of North Koreas ambassador was intended to warn Pyongyang that it cannot manipulate the investigation into the killing of the North Korean leaders half brother.

The government on Saturday gave Ambassador Kang Chol 48 hours to leave the country after he refused to apologize for his strong accusations over Malaysias handling of the investigation into the Feb. 13 killing of Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpurs airport.

I think we have given a clear message to the North Korean government that we are serious about solving this problem and we do not want [the investigation] to be manipulated, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was quoted as saying yesterday by Malaysian national news agency Bernama.

The death of Kim, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has unleashed a diplomatic battle between Malaysia and North Korea. Malaysian authorities said Kim died within 20 minutes after two women smeared his face with VX, a banned nerve agent considered a weapon of mass destruction.

North Korea has rejected Malaysias autopsy finding that VX killed Kim. Kang has accused the Malaysian government of trying to hide something and said it colluded with outside powers to defame North Korea.

Kangs expulsion came just days after Malaysia said it would scrap visa-free entry for North Koreans and expressed concern over the use of the nerve agent.

Ri Tong Il, a former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations, has said Kim probably died of a heart attack because he suffered from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Authorities released a North Korean chemist from custody on Saturday due to a lack of evidence to charge him and deported him on the same day. Ri Jong Chol, however, has accused Malaysian police of threatening to kill his family to coerce him into confessing to the crime.

Malaysia is also looking for seven other North Korean suspects, four of whom are believed to have left the country on the day of the killing. Three others, including an official at the North Korean Embassy and an employee of Air Koryo, North Koreas national carrier, are believed to still be in Malaysia. Kang Chol, AP
The number of complaints from workers regarding labor conflicts in the construction sector decreased by 65 this year. However, there were still 148 local complaining employees, said the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) in a press conference on Friday.

In 2016, unhappy workers lodged 2,713 complaints with DSAL, amounting to five percent less than in 2015.

The figures provided by DSAL indicate that approximately 33 percent of all complaints filed with DSAL this year were from the construction sector, representing a three percent decrease year- on-year.

The sectors which saw the second

largest number of complaints were the hospitality and catering industries, with 439 complaints filed in total. The majority of complaints involving more than ten people were still filled by the construction sector. Most of these were related to disputes regarding salary, mandatory holidays and days off.

The Head of the Labour Inspection Department also said that the bureau had managed to resolve 97 percent of all cases raised. Of the unsolved cases, only three percent were put forth for resolution by the judiciary authorities.

On average, each dispute took fewer than 70 days to resolve. In 2015, the average procedure time was around three months.

DSAL said it had been conducting information seminars and workplace inspections to ensure that the government-mandated minimum wage for building administration workers  namely, those in the cleaning and security sectors  is enforced.

The minimum wage has been in force since January 2016. During 2016, the bureau received eight cases regarding the minimum wage, with ten employees involved.

The main complaints concerned salaries and firing compensation. The gaming sector recorded 230 complaints in 2016, 39 fewer than in 2015. However, on the whole, there were 34 more people complaining about their employees.

Lai Kin Lon, chief of the Department of Substitute Labour Inspection, said the lower number of cases and the increased number of people involved are related to the closure of VIP rooms in the first half of 2016. Lai explained that all associated employees had been laid off as a result.

There were four fatal work accidents this year in the construction sector, which were the direct outcomes of incidents of misconduct. There were three fewer deaths than in 2015.

From January to September of 2016, Macau recorded 5,684 injuries from work-related accidents, 847 of which were from the construction sector.

The department found 180 incidents of misconduct which resulted in the issuance of MOP882,000 worth of fines and penalties, a growth of 11.4 percent.

Lam Iok Cheong, chief of DSALs Occupational Safety and Health Department, added that 2016 was not a good year.

Lam said that DSAL would work harder, and that the department believes the situation in 2017 will improve.

Lam also revealed that DSAL will implement more measures to promote safety issues in the construction sector this year, such as cut-proof gloves and cold-weather clothing.
New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English signaled he might adjust the nations immigration program and joined the global chorus of concern about the risk to trade from the Trump administration as he gears up for a September election.

English, who took over as prime minister in December, has the tailwind of one of the best performing economies in the developed world and a budget in surplus that could allow him to offer tax cuts. But there are challenges: a housing boom is locking many first-home buyers out of the market and saddling others with huge debts. In the biggest city, Auckland, the average house price is now more than NZD1 million (USD703,000).

High immigration only adds to demand, and in a TV interview Saturday English said hed always anticipated New Zealanders would begin leaving the country to look for work, as they had in the past. That hadnt occurred because of the economic outlook.

People just keep turning up and Kiwis keep staying home, he said, referring to record immigration of 71,305 in the year through January. So our real challenge is responding to that growth and investing to support it so that people can have the quality of life here that they come for.

Tweaks to the program would be about getting a better balance of people, he said. There are more calls coming from businesses and the labor market about the need for skills, because we are creating so many new jobs, on the one hand, English said . On the other hand, making sure were getting the people who can match those skills.

New Zealands small, open economy is reliant on trade and vulnerable to the whims of major nations. Its biggest partner, China, is in the cross-hairs of U.S. President Donald Trump, who accuses the government in Beijing of artificially lowering its currency and stealing American manufacturing jobs. English, like other developed world leaders, has said New Zealand will have to wait and see whether the president acts upon his campaign rhetoric.

Its the policies that will matter, he said. Probably the area where weve got the most concern is trade. That if they do actually put in place significant protectionist measures, that will have an impact on us and on our trading partners.

New Zealands proportional representation electoral system is conducive to coalition governments, and despite the strong economy and recent opinion-poll readings, Englishs National Party could be unseated by just a small swing toward the Labour and Green opposition parties. National will be aiming to win a fourth term in office, which is historically rare in New Zealand, and the loss of Englishs charismatic predecessor, John Key, will be a blow to the partys chances. Michael Heath, Bloomberg
Chinas top economic official trimmed the countrys growth target and warned yesterday of dangers from global pressure for trade controls as Beijing tries to build a consumer-driven economy and reduce reliance on exports and investment.

In a speech to the national legislature, Premier Li Keqiang promised more steps to cut surplus steel production that is straining trade relations with Washington and Europe. He pledged equal treatment for foreign companies, apparently responding to complaints Beijing is trying to squeeze them out of technology and other promising markets.

Lis report set the growth target for the worlds second-largest economy at around 6.5 percent or higher, if possible. That is down from last years 6.7 percent expansion but, if achieved, would be among the worlds strongest, reflecting confidence efforts to create new industries are gaining traction.

The premier called for attention to the risks of Chinas surging debt levels, which economists see as a rising threat to growth.

Li announced no major initiatives, but that was widely expected as the ruling Communist Party tries to avoid shocks ahead of a congress late this year at which President Xi Jinping is due to be given a second five-year term as leader. Analysts expect Chinese leaders to use the legislative meeting to emphasize reducing financial risks and keeping growth stable.

At a time of demands in the United States and Europe for trade controls, Li warned China faces more complicated and graver situations at home and abroad.

Both the de-globalization trend and protectionism are growing, Li said. There are many uncertainties about the direction of the major economies policies and their spillover effects, and the factors that could cause instability and uncertainty are visibly increasing.

Chinese leaders have publicly defended free trade in response to President Donald Trumps promises to raise duties on Chinese goods, though Beijings trading partners complain China is the most closed major economy.

China may be adversely affected if Trump goes ahead with tough policies, but the impact should be limited, said economist Song Lifang at Renmin University in Beijing.

With Chinas domestic economy still in the phase of transformation, the tasks for Chinas economic growth are arduous but with great potential, said Song.

Growth has cooled steadily since 2010 as communist leaders try to develop a consumer-driven economy and reduce reliance on trade, heavy industry and investment.

The latest growth target is in line with those reforms and efforts to create a moderately prosperous society, Li said.

Chinese leaders have tried to downplay the significance of the growth target and shift focus to improvements in incomes, consumer spending and other factors. But the target is closely watched as a forecast of economic performance, which has repercussions throughout Asia, where China is the biggest trading partner for all its neighbors.

Li acknowledged concerns about the rising dangers of debt, though he said the financial system is stable.

We must be fully alert to the buildup of risks related to non-performing assets, bond defaults, shadow banking and Internet finance, said Li.

Banking and securities regulators already have said their priority this year is reducing risk and watching financial industries more closely following a 2015 stock price collapse and warnings investors are engaged in a dangerous new bout of speculative trading.

Beijings reliance on repeated infusions of credit to prop up growth since the 2008 global crisis has driven up debt, prompting concern it could trigger a banking crisis or drag on the economy.

Total debt owed by local Chinese governments, companies and households has soared from the equivalent of 150 percent of annual economic output before 2008 to about 260 percent. Regulators have begun trying to hammer out deals to reduce debt loads at state companies but private sector economists say they need to move faster.

Economists have warned setting a growth target too high could force Beijing to resort to stimulus spending, setting back efforts to reduce reliance on investment and debt.

Yesterdays report calls for creating 11 million new jobs, an increase from last years target of 10 million in a possible sign of increased official optimism.

Li promised to eliminate 50 million metric tons of steel production capacity. That would help to reduce the flood of Chinese exports that is depressing global prices and prompting complaints by Washington and Europe that thousands of jobs are in danger.

Li also promised to eliminate 150 million tons of coal production capacity. He didnt mention other industries such as aluminum in which Chinas trading partners complain excess capacity supported by government subsidies is distorting global markets.

Li promised equal opportunities and fair rules to private companies in the state-dominated economy. He promised changes including cutting taxes for the smallest businesses and simplifying the process of registering up a private company.

Party leaders have pledged repeatedly to give entrepreneurs, who create most of Chinas new jobs and wealth, a bigger economic role. But reform advocates complain state companies still control industries from banking to telecoms to energy and benefit from monopolies, low-cost bank loans and other favors.

Li also promised foreign companies equal treatment with their Chinese counterparts under a government development strategy dubbed China Manufacturing 2025.

That follows complaints by U.S. and European business groups that Beijing appears to be trying to squeeze foreign companies out of promising markets including software and other technology.

Turning to political affairs, Li warned Beijing would not tolerate any movement by self-ruled Taiwans popularly elected government toward formal independence.

We will resolutely oppose and contain separatist activities for Taiwan independence, he said.

A spokesman for the finance ministry told The Associated Press the that spending on Chinas military, the worlds second-highest after the United States, would rise 7 percent this year to 1.044 trillion yuan (USD151 billion), marking the smallest percentage annual growth rate this century. However, unlike in previous years, the defense budget figure was not released in the documents distributed to journalists.

Beijings military spending has grown by double digits almost every year for most of the past two decades. Joe McDonald, Beijing, AP

We will make our skies blue again

Li Keqiang pledged to make the countrys smoggy skies blue again and work faster to address pollution caused by the burning of coal for heat and electricity. His words to delegates at the opening of the annual National Peoples Congress highlight how public discontent has made reducing smog, the most visible of Chinas environment problems, a priority for the leadership. The 10-day event got underway under a sunny blue sky, thanks to heavy gusts from the north that cleared away the unhealthy gray from the day before. Protests have increasingly broken out in cities where residents oppose the building of chemical plants and garbage incinerators, as Chinas middle class grows increasingly vocal in awareness of the dangers of pollution.
Americans lack of understanding about China fueled old and untrue stereotypes during the U.S. presidential campaign, the spokeswoman for the countrys legislature said, pledging to address substantive concerns about trade.

National Peoples Congress spokeswoman Fu Ying said Saturday that both sides needed to make greater efforts to boost U.S. knowledge about its largest trading partner. She was speaking at a news conference ahead of Chinas 11-day annual legislative gathering in Beijing.

The U.S. has little understanding on China generally, is that right? said Fu, a former vice foreign minister and former ambassador the U.K. Every single candidate talked about China during the election campaign. But all I heard were either old stories or untrue China stories. This phenomenon is unnatural and abnormal, especially in a society with a free flow of information.

While President Donald Trump has refrained from stump-speech accusations that China was raping the U.S. of manufacturing jobs, he has continued to criticize the countrys currency policies, calling them the grand champions of currency manipulation in a interview with Reuters last month. Arguments that China was weakening the yuan to reduce the cost of its exports have lost steam as the country took steps to let the currency fluctuate more freely and started expending reserves to keep it strong.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin signaled in a Feb. 23 interview with Bloomberg News that he was in no rush to brand China a currency manipulator, something Trump has promised as the opening volley in a trade fight. Mnuchin said he would wait for a quarterly review of foreign-exchange markets to determine if the country was cheating.

On Saturday, Fu cited high-level communications with new U.S. administration, including two phones calls between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, as evidence that the two sides were committed to greater cooperation. During one of those calls, Trump reaffirmed U.S. support for the so-called One-China policy, easing concern in Beijing that he might upend ties over Taiwan.

The One-China policy remained the political foundation of stable relations, Fu said, adding that Beijing was ready to meet challenges with the White House. China was hoping to solve the trade-deficit issue through expanded trade with the U.S., she said.

Trump has promised to reduce the USD347 billion U.S. trade deficit with China. Peter Navarro, the head of Trumps National Trade Council, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross last year wrote a paper in which they blamed trade gap for what they described as Americas slow growth plunge.

Trade between the worlds two biggest economies supports around 2.6 million American jobs, according to the U.S.-China Business Council. While the U.S. has a goods-trade deficit with China, its exports of services to the country are growing rapidly. Between 2006 and 2014, they climbed more than 300 percent. Bloomberg
South Korea said it would ensure Korean companies dont face unfair trade measures in China, pushing back against pressure from Beijing over its decision to deploy a U.S. missile shield on its soil.

The China National Tourism Administration verbally ordered local travel agencies to stop selling tour packages to South Korea starting March 15, the state-run Korea Tourism Organization said Friday. The Korea Economic Daily said yesterday, citing unidentified officials, that Chinese authorities suspended businesses of four Lotte Mart stores for a month for allegedly violating fire safety norms.

South Koreas government is deeply concerned about the measures taken in China and will closely monitor the situation and strengthen responses, Trade Minister Joo Hyung-hwan said yesterday. Responses will be taken via international law should China violate WTO or Korea-China free trade agreement rules.

As North Korean leader Kim Jong-

Un ratchets up tensions on the peninsula with missile launches and nuclear weapons tests, businesses in South Korea are facing the heat in China after Seoul decided to station the shield  known as Thaad  on land offered by conglomerate Lotte Group. China says the system would upset the military balance in the region and risk undermining its own security.

The tensions are impacting financial markets. South Korea suffered a selloff Friday in hotels, cosmetic makers and other tourism-related companies that made the countrys benchmark the worst performer among Asian equity markets. It echoes moves by China to punish Japanese companies in 2012 amid a dispute over islands in the East China Sea.

Executives at Lotte held a meeting Sunday and sought active help from the South Korean government in handling damages.

Lotte will make all out efforts to minimize inconveniences for consumers by forging a constant response system with all workers in China, it said in a statement, adding it has 20,000 employees in China, a third of its overseas workers.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se told a local television channel that Thaad is for national security and Lotte Group made a difficult decision to cooperate with the government. It is not right for China to retaliate or impose regulations against Lotte, Yun said.

A Lotte Group spokesman said by phone that Chinese authorities had suspended the operation of four Lotte Mart stores in Dandong. Chinas fire services department didnt immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Calls to its tourism administration to ask about the travel restrictions werent answered. Bloomberg
The Macau Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2016 has been published by the U.S. Department of State, expressing some concern over troubling developments in the Macau SAR.

The 2016 report showed a general improvement over previous editions and included a less severe assessment than last years edition, which stated that the legal system was being abused to target political dissidents through exaggerated or misapplied charges.

Instead, the latest edition noted only that activists had expressed concern that the Macau Government abused prosecutorial procedures to target political dissidents, but also pointed out that police forces maintain they [only] charged those they arrested with violations of the law.

Other areas of concern in last years report were reiterated this year, with the U.S. Department of State report implying that little progress had been made in the year under review.

Although the U.S. Department of State welcomed the MSAR governments respect for freedom of speech and expression, as well as the fact that there were no significant instances of violence or harassment directed at journalists, it highlighted concerns expressed by Macau-based activists over misused criminal proceedings to target government critics.

Activists critical of the government reported the government monitored their telephone conversations and internet usage, the report continued.

The activists also provided information which led the department to conclude that media self-censorship is present in the territory, on the basis that certain critical coverage might impact government funding to media outlets.

In regards to the role of police forces in the territory, the report simply noted that between June 2015 and July 2016, there were only seven complaints of police mistreatment acknowledged by the authorities, including two complaints lodged with the Commission Against Corruption.

All complaints were dismissed for lack of evidence, concluded the report.

The report added that there had been no reports of unlawful or arbitrary killings by the government or its agents, and no reports of politically motivated disappearances.

The government issued a condemnation of the report via the Government Information Bureau, expressing the governments strong opposition to the content and claiming that it was groundless and baseless.

Foreign countries have no right to interfere in Chinas domestic affairs and should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs of Macau, the report stated.

With regard to the Greater China region, the report additionally highlighted a worrying trend of China encroaching on Hong Kongs autonomy, including an unnecessary and unsolicited Basic Law interpretation.

The Hong Kong government issued a statement, almost identical in its phrasing to Macaus, which condemned foreign interference in Hong Kong as a part of China.
CHINA-US The USS Carl Vinson, which is steaming through the South China Sea, is just one of several high-profile displays of U.S. naval power as President Donald Trumps administration weighs options of how to reassure allies and respond to an assertive China. The new U.S. administration has signaled a tougher approach.

VIETNAM-MALAYSIA A lawyer for one of the women accused of poisoning the estranged half brother of North Koreas leader in Kuala Lumpur says there are serious holes in the case. The lawyer said allegations that Kim Jong Nam had existing health problems should be cause for a new autopsy.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA was shaken by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake yesterday but no destructive tsunami was expected, officials said. The quake struck the South Pacific nation near New Britain island at a depth of 28 kilometers. There were no immediate reports of damage.

NEPAL An Australian trekker has died near the Mount Everest base camp, possibly due to high-altitude sickness, police said yesterday. The 49-year-old man died Friday at Lobuche village, located just below the base camp, at 4,940 meters, Nepalese authorities said.

PAKISTAN Islamic militants attacked several Pakistani military posts in tribal regions along the Afghan border, killing six soldiers, the army said yesterday. Pakistani troops repulsed the attackers, who had crossed overnight from Afghanistan into the Mohmand tribal region, the army statement added.

BAHRAIN government filed a lawsuit yesterday to dissolve a secular political party, the second-such organization it has targeted in the last year as part of an intense crackdown on opposition in the island nation.

HUNGARY The European Union has cleared Hungary to provide state aid to build two nuclear reactors with Russian help after Budapest made commitments to safeguard competition in the energy sector. The Hungarian deal, which was struck three years ago, had been held up because of the EUs regulatory demands.

SERBIA-MONTENEGRO A Serbian court has rejected a second extradition request by Montenegro for suspects in an alleged pro-Russia plot to overthrow the Balkan countrys government.

UK-RUSSIA Britains foreign secretary says he will encourage Russia to change its ways and win back international trust in talks soon with his Russian counterpart. Boris Johnson said that Russia has to be engaged on a twin-track basis.

PANAMA A bus carrying farm workers went off a highway and ended up in a stream southwest of Panamas capital, causing 18 deaths and injuring 37 others, authorities said.
A federal appeals court ruling stripped wolves of their protections in Wyoming on Friday, which could allow them to be shot on sight.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia sided in favor of Wyomings wolf management plan, which treats the animals as vermin. The courts decision overturned a lower-court ruling that sided with conservationists who fought a state law that allowed the unlimited slaughter of wolves in a predator zone that extended through most of the state, the environmental groups said.

The court stayed its decision pending an appeal.

Wyomings plan to shoot wolves on sight throughout most of the state was a bad idea when it was proposed, and its a bad idea now, said Rebecca Riley, a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the groups that fought the plan. The courts decision to lift federal protections for wolves in Wyoming will be a step backward for wolf recovery in the West.

Wolves were hunted to near extinction in the Lower 48 states. After a slight recovery after federal protections were granted in 1978, they exist on only 10 percent of their historic range. Many of the wolves that could lose their protection live outside the borders of Yellowstone National Park, where hunting is prohibited and where the wolves have been reintroduced.

Environmental groups earlier convinced a lower court that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Obama administration should not have moved to remove endangered species protection for wolves based on promises from Wyoming that it would not harm them in certain areas.

The appeals court essentially ruled that the federal agency had reason to trust Wyomings word.

Wyomings promises to protect wolves dont amount to much in a state that allows aggressive hunting, said Noah Greenwald of the Center for Biological Diversity. Wolves trying to make it to the Southern Rocky Mountains to mate or establish territory have to make it through the shoot on sight zone, a deadly journey that could once again lower their population, he said.
The Idaho Supreme Court says it will not reconsider the clemency case of a terminally ill man who is facing execution for his role in the 1985 slayings of two gold prospectors. The court made the decision Friday in Gerald Ross Pizzuto Jr.s case. That means the state remains free to seek a death warrant for Pizzuto. Once issued, the warrant would set the execution in the next 30 days. Deborah Czuba is one of Pizzuto's attorneys with the Federal Defender Services of Idaho. She says the Supreme Court's decision is disappointing, and that she hopes Idaho Gov. Brad Little will reconsider the execution or at least wait until after the holidays.
WASHINGTON  More than 500 organic stakeholders across 45 states weighed in on issues they see as critical to the organic sector as part of a comprehensive farm bill survey conducted by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) in the lead up to Congress beginning debate on the 2018 Farm Bill.

Organic fruit and vegetable growers, grains and oilseed farmers, livestock and poultry producers, dairy farmers, vineyard owners and flower growers, along with organic processors, food makers, distributors and other organic operations answered questions concerning barriers they face in their organic operations-from regulatory, research, and marketing, to production and investment barriers. Survey respondents also evaluated the effectiveness of existing programs geared towards the organic sector. In preparation for developing its advocacy work on the next farm bill, OTA partnered with members of OTAs Farmers Advisory Council and other organic organizations  17 of them  to poll stakeholders directly on issues.

The 50-billion-dollar-a year organic industry has earned a seat at the farm bill table as one of the bright spots in the farm economy. Organic farmers, ranchers, handlers, and food and textile makers add measurable value to rural economies, creating jobs and raising incomes  and they do this by responding to consumers interest in how their food is grown and made, said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association. We want to build on the success of past farm bills and focus on expanding the production base, supporting successful organic farmers and ensuring healthy markets.

The Farm Bill  a five-year omnibus bill that sets policy for commodity support and risk management, publicly funded agricultural research, rural development, conservation and nutritional support programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)  is set to expire in September 2018.

Survey participants cited lack of university or professional programs focusing on organic processing and technology, and lack of consumer awareness of organics benefits and value as critical challenges  or barriers-for both organic producers and handlers. Specific producer concerns were the cost of buying land, and the cost and availability of labor. Organic processors and food makers said a pressing issue is the lack of dependable supply of domestic organic raw materials.

Some of the top organic policy actions suggested by participants:

Strong support for the National Organic Program in applying uniform standards and providing strong oversight across the globe

Increased public education about the benefits of organic

Investment to support transition to organic and access to land programs for new organic farmers

Increased funding for organic production and ingredient research

Programs to improve transparency and tracking of international organic trade

Improved and increased data on the organic industry

Thanks to the Organic Farming Research Foundation and our many survey partners, we received responses from a diverse cross-section of the industry, which will assist us in developing policy recommendations for the next farm bill. Input from the organic sector is invaluable in shaping all of our advocacy efforts, and as we prepare for a new farm bill, we value the comments and observations from organic stakeholders even more, said Megan DeBates, Director of Legislative Affairs and Coalitions at OTA.

To represent and advocate for organic as effectively as possible in the debate over the next farm bill, and with a new Administration and a new Congress, OTA did what we frequently do-we reached out to the organic community for their feedback to guide us, DeBates added.

Batcha said OTA is now using the information obtained in the survey to build a well-vetted farm bill platform with additional input from OTA task forces and councils. Efforts will then focus on educating Congress and the Administration about the importance of Americas almost $50 billion organic industry, the priorities of the countrys more than 20,000 organic operators, and the expectations of millions of organic consumers.
SMITHFIELD, Va. (AP)  They met for the first time at his office inside the Isle of Wight County courthouse.

To Steve Edwards, she looked like a frightened teen.

To Ashley, he looked too casual to be a lawyer.

But Edwards, a prosecutor, helped put away her abusive stepfather in 2012.

And the attorney brought her to his horse farm to help heal.

In the process, he became a mentor and friend, a singing partner at open mic nights.

He was also her teacher on the farm, where together they train wild mustangs.

A few years later, she asked him a question: How hard would it be to change her last name?

She wanted to break free from her past. To separate herself from a name that caused her pain and grief.

Turns out, making the change would be easy. The only question was what name to take.

What about his? he suggested.

The change meant more than what was on paper. It was the beginning of becoming a family.

Today, prosecutor and witness are now father and daughter.

Ashley reported her stepfather for sexual abuse when she was 17. She knew she was going to meet with someone at the courthouse to talk, but she didnt know what to expect or whose side he was on, she said.

When she spotted Edwards, he was dressed in a bright orange shirt. He noticed something about her, too.

Her face, her nose, her shoulders, everything, he said. She just looked scared to death.

Edwards, a deputy commonwealths attorney, specializes in cases involving children and sexual abuse and already knew a lot about her case  the worst he said hes seen in his nearly 20 years as a prosecutor. But they didnt discuss it at that first meeting.

He just said, Im going to have to ask you some questions later, but lets talk about music. I hear you like music, Ashley said.

Early on, he brought her to his Smithfield farm, Mill Swamp Indian Horses. The farm offers a calm setting that helps victims of trauma open up.

Edwards instructs riders of all ages in natural horsemanship, which uses the animals own instincts and body language to train them. He also runs a breed conservation program meant to protect the Corolla Spanish Mustang from extinction.

About 50 horses roam open fields at Mill Swamp. Piglets, puppies and goats wander through pastures. When Edwards took Ashley to the horse lot, she showed an innate ability to connect with the animals, wrapping her arms around a mustang that wouldnt let anyone else touch him.

Her survival for so many years depended on her ability to read every single thing that was going on around her, he said. She understood the idea of being scared and being in a cage.

When Ashley turned 18 and her case was over  her stepfather sentenced to serve more than 19 years in prison  Edwards did something hed never done before for a witness.

He gave her a horse.

Without that connection, Edwards worried shed be isolated. Unlike other cases hed handled, Ashley didnt have family to support her.

I most certainly did not want her to be stepping into the rest of her life without having an anchor, he said.

A young colt named Peter became her link to the farm  and to Edwards.

It gave me a reason to come out here as often as possible, Ashley said.

Over months and years, the two trained the colt together.

And in time, Edwards helped Ashley start her own business  Road to Repair  combining her talents with the horses with her own story of survival.

Ashley now takes local law enforcement officers to the farm, where she teaches them how to use natural horsemanship as a model for working with trauma victims.

She teaches them how to build security and trust with victims by using passive body language, such as sitting next to victims instead of across from them and not looking them directly in the eye. The Virginia Victim Assistance Network has since honored her with an innovation award for her work.

As her relationship with Edwards grew, Ashley also began interning for the Commonwealths Attorneys Office, where, as an abuse survivor, she put victims at ease.

The prosecutor and former witness started singing together at open mic nights across Hampton Roads, too. They perform old folk and bluegrass in the vein as Steve Earle and Townes Van Zant.

Ashley said singing brings her out of her shell, and she can tell it relaxes Edwards after a challenging day. When she sings, I feel like Im making him proud, she said.

Several years ago, Edwards and his wife, Beth, invited Ashley to live with them.

Edwards describes the decision very matter-of-factly: Ashley needed a home and they had plenty of room.

Everybody needs a family, Beth Edwards said. Everybody needs to have someone they can turn to and someone who will be there for them.

Through example, they showed her how she deserved to be treated, Steve Edwards said. Their home was her home. She didnt need to ask permission to take food from the fridge.

This is what it is to be in a family, he said.

Somewhere along the way, she started calling him my dad or my Steve when talking about him with friends.

I slowly began to realize that he is my father figure, she said.

And I felt like I did deserve to be part of that kind of family.

When Ashley asked about changing her name, she couldnt believe Edwards offer. It was huge.

Hed never seen her cry that hard.

Hysterically happy, he said.

It didnt take long to file the paperwork, and in 2015, she became Ashley Edwards.

The family talked about adoption soon after.

I told Beth that I thought this was the thing to do, and she said, I do, too, he said. That was the whole thing.

Legally, Ashley was already an adult. But adopting her wasnt a leap for the Edwardses.

When Steve Edwards was growing up, his parents fostered over 100 children and adopted eight, he said. It was one of the reasons he became an attorney, to help children who didnt have a voice.

After he and his wife married, they fostered several kids and adopted one of their daughters when she was 5.

To add a third daughter, it seemed like the right thing to do, Beth Edwards said of Ashley.

They researched adult adoptions and initially thought they needed to wait to file paperwork until they had known each other for five years, Steve Edwards said.

Several years in, we figured out its only one year, Ashley said. So then we started right away.

Last fall, a judge signed off on the adoption papers. There was no ceremony, no court hearing.

Just like that, they were family.

Now 22, Ashley said shes started to heal from her past and gain confidence in herself. Shes blended in with the Edwards two other daughters and five grandchildren. She takes pride in cooking for her new family  shrimp scampi, cordon bleu, bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers.

Shes found a support system she never had before. Families, shes learned, dont give up on each other.

You dont ever get to a point where youre like, Im done with this,  she said. Theyre always a part of that unit. You dont give up hope.

Last Christmas, there was still one more gift  a picture frame.

Ashley smiled when she unwrapped it.

The adoption decree was inside.

Her face, her nose, her shoulders, everything. She just looked scared to death. Steve Edwards, Virginia prosecutor who uses horses as therapy for victims.
TWIN FALLS  At Twin Falls High School, Heather Gallentine says shes noticing a little bit of an increase in drug use among students.

Gallentine, who works in the schools counseling department, and a school resource officer brainstormed ways to help make more people aware of the problem.

One of their ideas: a community forum.

The forum is slated for 6 p.m. Monday at Twin Falls Highs Roper Auditorium. Its free and open to the public.

The community forum is to try to educate the community and parents about the drug issues were having here at school and in the community in general, Gallentine said.

It will begin with a presentation by the Idaho Meth Project followed by information about drugs prevalent in Twin Falls and Idaho and warning signs parents can watch for.

A panel of professionals and students will be available to answer questions.

Amara Schroeter, 17, is one of the students who will be on the panel. She joined Twin Falls Highs Idaho Drug Free Youth chapter this year.

I knew a lot of people who were in it, she said, and drug prevention is a topic that interests her.

Students from the chapter have also visited each of Twin Falls Highs 53 advisory classes over the last two weeks to talk with their peers, Gallentine said.

Emily Pilling, 18, whos in student council, has been presenting to advisory classes.

Obviously, high schools have drug problems, she said, and students may not have healthy coping mechanisms to deal with struggles in their lives.

Pilling said she and other student presenters tell their peers its normal to have issues theyre dealing with. They encourage classmates to get help from school counselors.
TWIN FALLS  Twin Falls School District Superintendent Wiley Dobbs will receive nationwide recognition for helping youth earn Congressional Awards.

Hes the 2017 recipient of the Inspiration Award, given to one adult volunteer with the program each year. Hell be honored June 21 in Washington, D.C.

The United States Congress awards gold, silver and bronze medals to 14 through 23-year-olds. Participants must complete projects in four areas: voluntary service, personal development, physical fitness and expedition or exploration.

For nearly 25 years, Dobbs has volunteered as a Congressional Award adviser. He has helped hundreds of Magic Valley youths earn the awards.

The Inspiration Award is given each year to an adult adviser who demonstrates leadership and whos making a difference in the lives of the young people they support, said Kirsten Gooden, senior program manager for the Congressional Award.

Dr. Dobbs has been part of the program for the very long time, she said. He has been a very big champion for children going through the program.

More than 75,000 young people nationwide have received a Congressional Award. Students put in a minimum of 200 hours of work for a bronze award, 400 for silver and 800 for gold.

Dobbs got involved in 1993, his first year as principal at Vera C. OLeary Middle School.

Parent Linda Norris, who was then an aide for U.S. Congressman Mike Crapo, asked him to get involved. Dobbs told her hed read about the program.

As a principal, you get a lot of programs you have to sift through, he said. But after learning about the Congressional Award, I thought this was outstanding.

It gives recognition to young people who do positive things, Dobbs said. So often, the attention is given toward the young people who are doing negative things. I really like the aspect that the United States Congress is recognizing youth in America for doing voluntary public service.

He said he fell in love with the program and started promoting it.

Twin Falls really became known nationwide as a hotbed for students earning their Congressional Award, Dobbs said.

He served for 16 years on the board for the Idaho council. Then, in 2009, he was appointed to the U.S. Congressional Award foundations board of directors, and served until 2016.

As a school principal, he often helped up to 30 local students at a time with their projects.

Since becoming school district superintendent in 2003, he has scaled back to working with about 10 students simultaneously.

Dobbs meets with students and their parents to help them understand the expectations. Then, he helps students write their goals and gather evidence.

Once youth earn their gold award, they go to Washington, D.C. to receive it from a member of Congress during a spectacular ceremony, Dobbs said.

He plans to retire Sept. 1 as Twin Falls School District superintendent, leaving his future involvement with the Congressional Award up in the air.

Dobbs said hes interested in working in a school overseas once he retires. If U.S. citizens are attending the school, he said hed like to continue promoting the Congressional Award.
TWIN FALLS  People for Pets is hoping to save money on its audit by delaying it a few months.

The city requires People for Pets/Magic Valley Humane Society to complete an audit each year within six months of its fiscal year. But because of timing, the audit would cost the nonprofit more money to do now.

The organization is asking the City Council on Monday to extend its audit completion date to June.

The Council meets at 5 p.m. Monday at 305 Third Ave. E. Also on the agenda:

The mayor will read proclamations for March for Meals and Ground Water Awareness Week.

Jody Tatum and Christopher Reid will receive certificates of appreciation for their service on the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Liyah Babayan will receive a service plaque for her time on the Parks and Recreation Commission. ZJ Martinez and Sherry Murray have requested to be appointed to the commission.

The Twin Falls Housing Authority is requesting that Richard Brown serve a five-year term as resident commissioner on its board.

Southern Idaho Tourism will present on its plans for the upcoming tourist season.
Vote for levy

As co-presidents of the Twin Falls Education Association, we urge patrons of the Twin Falls School District to support the upcoming supplemental levy. Our district is unique in the way administrators, the school board, teachers and the community work together. Decisions are made with discussion and input from all stakeholders. This levy, to provide the Twin Falls School District with $4.25 million each of the next two years, is no exception.

The Twin Falls Budget Advisory Committee, which is made up of teachers, community members, retirees, and business people, discussed the need for the levy in several meetings and didnt make the decision lightly. The school board took this process a step further by lessening the amount from previous years. We are so fortunate to work in a school district that has such a supportive community. Over the past decade the Twin Falls community has ap proved six levies to support education. We are able to recruit the very best teachers our profession has to offer because of this communitys dedication to its schools.

Our district is thriving and we thank you for this support. The proposed two-year levy is less than the one currently being utilized by the district, which expires in June. If approved, the average homeowner will likely see their taxes decrease. While there are many reasons to support the levy, the consequences of a district this large losing roughly 10 percent of the budget, which this levy provides, would be devastating. Students will feel that loss, which could result in larger class sizes, cutting programs and positions, and less money for curriculum. We hope that the citizens of Twin Falls continue to support the Twin Falls School District. Please join us in voting yes on the supplemental levy on March 17.

Mike Wilkinson and Peggy Hoy

Twin Falls
Can it be that this far in advance, the main components of the 2018 governors race already are coming into view?

Last week gave us some additional clarity, and at least a preliminary picture, enough to hang some thoughts around, is emerging.

So this seems like time to take stock.

Last week, after all, was when three-term Gov. C.L. Butch Otter confirmed he would not seek another term and would instead support his long-time lieutenant, Brad Little, for the job. Thats no surprise, of course. The probability has been against another run by Otter ever since his last one, and especially since Little announced for the office: Little would never challenge Otter in a primary. Littles early announcement mirrored Otters own early-in approach, soaking up support and building organization that would be denied to other contenders. Its sound strategy.

In some states, and at times in Idaho, all that might seem like nearly the end of the story. But Otters three terms has kept bottled growing pressures in the Republican Party, resulting in several more serious primary prospects.

Two of those already are announced. Developer Tommy Ahlquist, who has been centrally involved in downtown Boises recent redevelopment but has never run for office before, said last week he will file for candidate status, and will launch a statewide tour. (That followed a complaint, from a source unknown that he had been campaigning at Republican events while not registered as a candidate.) Business leaders without political experience have not tended to do well in top-line Idaho elections; youll find a string of earlier lower office elections and other political dues-paying on the resumes of nearly all of Idahos recent top elected officials (Otter being a good example). But every election is its own animal, precedents are made to be broken, and maybe Ahlquist stands out in a crowded field.

Theres also a former candidate for governor in the field: Russell Fulcher, the former legislator from Meridian who challenged Otter in the 2014 gubernatorial primary. He fell short then, with 44 percent of the vote, but that was in what amounted to a two-way race. If he could retain his support or even most of it, might that be enough to prevail in a three- or four-way contest? We know this much: He has been pulling together support for a second run for a long time now.

Last but surely not least: Raul Labrador, the four-term member of the U.S. House who has won with strong votes each time out, and has a firm base of support. He has not confirmed a run for governor, and could still decide otherwise, but the indicators keep pointing in that direction. (A recent one: His pushing of a congressional term limits measure, which might start to look embarrassing for a member of Congress much beyond four or five terms.) He does not seem deterred by the presence of any of the other contenders, or prospects. The probabilities at present favor his entry.

How does Little stack up here? He is broadly well-regarded (though not by everyone in the Republican Party), and will likely pick up much of the support Otter has had. But how does he fare in a strongly-contested four-way race?

Two-candidate races tend to be a lot easier to call than those where a bunch of candidates are jostling; the number of random factors that could throw a race in one direction or another will multiply. You could make a credible case for any of these four contenders to win a Republican primary.

And for all we know, there may be more. After all, were more than a year away, still, from the candidate-filing deadline.
There is a crazy plan concocted by some pea-brained functionaries in the Office of Communications Secretary Martin Andanar to include bloggers in the mainstream media covering the President. They can also become members of the Malacanang Press Corps.

I say its a crazy idea. Bloggers do not have the credibility, integrity and respectability of those in mainstream media. They dont have the Journalists Code of Ethics as we do. They are not responsible to anyone the way we are responsible to our publisher and the public. They cannot be sued for libel.

My gulay, hundreds of Filipino journalists have already been killed, either by those they have exposed for some wrongdoing in public office or in nongovernment organization.

I myself have been sued for libel 17 times. I have apologized four times in pure harassment suitsor made to apologize by my publisher.

By contrast, its so easy for anybody to become blogger. You just have to flick a finger whereas we had to go journalism school to qualify for the job.

ADVERTISEMENT

I first got my feet wet in journalism when I was editor of The Guidon, the publication of Ateneo de Manila at the Padre Faura ruins right after the Liberation of Manila in the late 40s. I then volunteered as an editor of The Mindanao Cross in Cotabato after my graduation. I became business editor of the defunct Philippines Herald in the 50s and an editorial writer and political and economic columnist until the 70s. And then I went on to broadcast until the mid-80s.

Social media are a product of technology, sure. But I still believe theres no substitute for the dissemination of news as the printed word, and broadcast, (especially television)an impact medium.

Counting bloggers among us professionals prostitutes media as a whole.

Many claim social media will soon replace the printed word and make newspapers an endangered species. I do not agree. I believe theres no substitute for the printed word as an instrument of government policy and above all, research.

I have spent more than six decades of my life in mainstream media. I have gone full circle in print, radio and television. Journalism is more than a profession and a careerits more of a calling. One cannot get rich here. In fact, a journalist with integrity is certain to retire poor.

That I have lasted this long is proof of my credibility.

To become a newspaper columnist, one has to earn his spurs. Many columnists today think that all it takes is knowing how to write.

In fact I am amazed why government officials, publicists, religious leaders and yes, bloggers are allowed to write in the opinion pages. I am not saying this because I am afraid of competition. In fact I believe in the free market of ideas. I just think it is unfortunate that newspapers have become a free-for-all.

In my generation, one has to earn his spurs to become a columnist to earn credibility. What is unfortunate now in my mind, is that newspapers have become free-for all in opinion pages.

Some of those who I believe are excellent columnists are Bobi Tiglao, Tatad, Andy del Rosario, and Fr. Ranhilio Aquino.

Journalism is a noble profession and it should not be prostituted by including bloggers. Not everyone can last for long.

* * *

There is no justification for having those inmates of the Cebu provincial jail strip and sit on the bare cold floor of the gymnasium while officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency searched for drugs and contraband inside their cells.

Whoever was responsible for that barbaric act must not only be charged with violation of privacy and human rights. He must be feathered and thrown into prison.

Some characters say that it was justified because the problem was the existence of illegal drugs and contraband items inside prison cells. My gulay, but should those responsible, including the Cebu governor, who was said to have given the order, and PDEA and prison officials get away with this?

I have witnessed brutality, and barbaric acts of Filipinos against their fellowmen during the Japanese occupation by some guerrilla organizations in the Ilocos. I had nightmares recalling them.

* * *

I can agree with Senate President Koko Pimentel that what Lito Banayo, propagandist of President Duterte, and now chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office based in Taipei, Taiwan, is doing with MECO employeesclassifying them like political appointees and making them resignis illegal and dangerous.

Pimentel said that Meco employees are not government people but are simple private employees under the One-China Policy. We do not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Meco and its counterpart based in the Philippines like Teco or Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office are considered non-government organizations.

Im really surprised that Banayo, in an attempt to bring with him his team, would resort to this. He has some experience in government, having been chairman at one point of the National Food Authority.

Banayo should know better.

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Irish airliner Ryanair has multiplied many folds its traffic in Morocco making the North African country one of its outside Europe top destinations.

Leaders of the Irish company have announced 13 new routes for winter 2017. The new routes will connect the kingdom to European cities such as Budapest, Munich, Bremen, Krakow and Seville.

The new routes add up to the existing 55 already established in the kingdom by the 30-year old airliner. Under the new plan, Ryanair will run 26 flights from Marrakech including seven new routes.

With this increase, the companys activities will witness a rise, put at 22 per cent, Moroccan media leconomiste.ma reports.

This increase in the frequency will support 2,000 jobs at Moroccan airports, said Eddie Wilson, Head of Human resources at Ryanair.

The company is seeking to carry 3 million passengers per year with this increase. Annual figure of travellers carried by the company only at Marrakech airport stands at 1.2 million.

The now leading airliner in Europe has managed to topple Germanys Lufthansa and EasyJet as the largest passenger carrier. 131 million passengers travelled on board Ryanair last year.

The company has overtaken its rivals thanks to its efficient marketing and price policy. Reputed to be cheap, Ryanair has placed the kingdom among its leading destination.
Bahrains upper house has approved a constitutional amendment authorizing the trial of civilians in military courts. During the session at the Shura Council, Justice Minister Khalid bin Ali al-Khalifa argued that military judges were best placed to deal with irregular warfare that the country is facing as he claimed that they also have a qualified judicial cadre of equal importance to civilian court judges.

The amendment has been strongly criticized by rights groups. Sayed Alwadaei, the director of advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, said the approval signals that the Bahraini king is effectively creating a police state with this de facto martial law. He added that the king should bore the responsibility of the new repressive measure and all the consequences it will have.

Supporters of the constitutional amendment applauded the move as a necessity due to the sporadic terrorist attacks that the country has been experiencing. Minister al-Khalifa said if militias and armed groups are committing terrorist acts targeting innocent lives and property, as well as receiving elements of combat training, we must confront them.

The 40-member Shura Council backed the approval by 31 to 1 while three members abstained from voting. The Council is appointed by the king. The government has not made any official statement against the criticisms being leveled against it.

Since 2011, Bahrain has been struggling with a wave of protests for profound constitutional reforms but authorities have been reacting stiffly, while accusing Iran of fuelling the protests by supporting the countrys Shia majority. The ruling Sunni minority enjoys the support of the Gulf States especially Saudi Arabia which sent ground troops in 2011 to help repel the protests.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed his cabinet about concerns on names given to streets in Israel as he vowed that he cannot allow naming streets after murderers of Israelis and Jews.

During the cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu pointed out that the streets named Yasser Arafat in an Arab town and Haj Amin al-Hussein among others are unacceptable in the Jewish State. He added that arrangements will be made including new legislation if need be, so that this does not happen here. The Israeli Prime Ministers attention to this case might have been due to the recent naming of a street in Jatt, an Arab town in northern Israel, after Yasser Arafat in honor of his peace efforts.

Mohammed Taher Wattab, Mayor of Jatt, deplored Netanyahus remarks as he recalled that the late Palestinian leader was a man of peace who signed a peace deal with Israel and it is a shame that the Prime Minister finds the need to waste his time on the name of a street in a small town like ours.

He said the focus on street names is part of efforts to distract the population from the ongoing investigations against the Prime Minister. Instead of dealing with the acute and substantive problems in this country, they are focusing on someone who earned the Nobel Peace Prize, signed agreements with Israel and was recognized internationally as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, Mayor Wattab stated.

The issue is slowly gaining momentum as the Interior Minister Arye Deri ordered the removal of the signs labelling the street by Wednesday.

The name change for Arafat has garnered more reaction than the other names with local residents claiming that the sign designating the street as Yasser Arafats street has been displayed for nine years.

Analysts say the developing story highlights that social reconciliation and pride continues to be a major issue between Jews and Arabs especially when it comes to determining who can be considered as a hero or a nationalist.
Government forces are forcing militants of the Islamic State to continue to retreat in the battle for Mosul and Lt. Colonel Abdel Amir al-Mohammadawi of the elite troops said they are very close to the main government complex. He is hopeful that they will take control of the site very soon after they took over a principal bridge leading to central Mosuls Old City.

The operation to take over the important extremist bastion of Mosul began two weeks ago and clashes have been fatal on both sides. Major Ali Talib of the Iraqi elite force noted that militants of the Islamic State have some mortar (teams) and snipers positioned inside homes to resist the offensive as well as suicide car bombs. The situation has contributed to the slow progress of the operation while the US-led coalition continues to provide aerial support.

While advance on the ground is progressing, concerns about the humanitarian cost of the war are mounting, as more than 40,000 people are reported to have fled Western Mosul within the past week. The number is expected to increase as more territories are liberated. Clashes between government forces and extremist fighters are getting closer to the most densely populated parts of the city and aid agencies have expressed concerns that camps to accommodate people fleeing the city are almost full. The UN warned that the number of displaced people could reach 400,000.

Meanwhile, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has highlighted that it is seriously concerned about the reported use of chemical weapons in Mosul. It has requested the assistance and cooperation of Iraqi authorities in the investigation. The United Nations warned that the alleged use of chemical weapons, if confirmed, would be a war crime and a serious violation of international humanitarian law. The Islamic State group has been accused of using chemical weapons during its battles with government forces.
Denying deal on Abkhaz Railway

By Messenger Staff

Georgias State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, denied information spread by Georgian opposition parties, as well as by Russian and Armenian media, that Georgia was ready to support the restoration of the railway passing through Abkhazia.The restoration of the railway is very much in the interests of Russia and Armenia, as so far these two states are connected mostly by air.These days a lot of interpretations of our policies were spread for unknown reasons. I think a very clear statement was made on the issue. No such negotiations has been held," said Tsikhelashvili.Several days ago, the Armenian Prime Minister said that at a meeting with the Prime Minister of Georgia they discussed the issue of an alternative route to Lars, Georgias northern bordering area.The opposition thinks that the government is considering the restoration of the railway through Abkhazia.Analysts are unanimous in claiming that the railway has a regional connotation and it might influence change the geopolitical status of the countries.It is agreed that there is no doubt opening of the railway is vitally important for Armenia, as through the route, the country - which is under blockade due to conflict with Azerbaijan. Activating the Abkhaz segment of the Georgian Railway, will provide a direct land connection with its ally Russia.Azeri analysts are sure that Russia will support Armenia with weapons through the railway, and such development might affect Georgian-Azerbaijan relations.Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of Georgia. We are carrying out investments in Georgia, providing the country with cheap gas. All these issues should be considered and Georgians should consult with the Azeri side, Azeri analyst Farkhan Mekhtiev suggested.Some Georgian analysts believe that the re-opening of the railway would be positive for Georgia also, as Georgians and Abkhazians would be involved in joint economic projects that will ease the reconciliation process.The issue is of the utmost importance, and together with economic considerations it also includes certain political risks, where each detail must be very cautiously discussed and analysed.Georgian political and economic analysts express their concern, that if Russia and Armenia would be connected through this rout it will negatively influence the cargo turnover via sea ports of Georgia, Poti and Batumi, as currently these two ports are the main hubs for East-West (and back) connection. Georgia receives considerable benefit from this. Besides, these analysts share the concern of Azeri colleges that such moves might result in deteriorating Georgian-Azeri relations.
Miami state Reps. Jose Felix Diaz and Jeanette Nunez have each agreed to serve on the powerful Constitution Revision Commission, serving as two of House Speaker Richard Corcoran's nine appointees to the powerful 37-member panel that will propose changes to the Florida constitution for the November 2017 ballot.

The two lawmakers, each who are in their last two years in the state House before facing term limits, will be among several legislators appointed by Corcoran to the panel by the end of the day today. Corcoran has made it clear that among the dozens of applicants who sought the job, he believes that "to the extent that somebody has had past elective experience I think gives them a better understanding.''

Corcoran served on the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, which also had the power to put proposals directly on the ballot but which failed in winning voter approval for their ideas. He considers both the CRC and the TBRC "wholly unaccountable" to voters but as long as the powerful panel remains in the Florida Constitution, he wants people who know how to succeed in getting something passed.

"When you have people who haven't' had, in my opinion, some past understanding of elective office and the burden of representing people and what that means, you don't have as much clarity of vision," Corcoran told members of Associated Industries of Florida last year. He said he also does not support appointing lobbyist of special interests to the panel.

By contrast, Gov. Rick Scott last week appointed 15 people to the commission and included several lobbyists and only two people with past legislative experience, choosing instead to pick people he has previously appointed to boards and committees as well as people who worked for him. He named Carlos Beruff, a homebuilder with no experience in elected office, to be the chairman of the commission.

"Having people who understand how a body politic works and can go in there and start working with their constitutional revision colleagues to get things done is important,"" Corcoran said. "You can like all these things but if we put them before the voters and if it sounds too confusing, they'll vote it down."

He has also made clear he has some priorities that he would like his appointees to focus on. "A lot of it is fixing bad decisions by the Supreme Court,'' he said, suggesting for example the focus should be on redistricting and rewriting the provisions of the constitution that have led to the court rejecting taxpayer-funded vouchers to private schools.

"We need to fix education,'' Corcoran declared before the AIF audience. "Bush v. Holmes has set us back. My No. 1 thing is to fix the Constitution regarding Bush v. Holmes. No. 2 is fix redistricting." He argues that the "de facto result" of the Fair Districts amendments approved by voters is "thanks to our Supreme Court is that they are also the Legislature."

Specifically, he wants the commission to "go in and fix the fact that we're the only state where we can have a court come in and demand what our thoughts are."

Another priority is to have the commission ask voters to impose "term limits on the Supreme Court."

"Another one I would like to see is term limits on the Supreme Court,'' he said.
Florida lawmakers open their annual 60-day session on Tuesday fresh off one of the most bitter political seasons in years and for Republicans, who control both chambers and the governors office, the feuding has already begun.

Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, says voters sent a message that they want legislators to address education, economic security and water  including what he sees is a need to build a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee to reduce toxic algae discharges into estuaries along the east and west coasts.

House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land OLakes, says education will be a priority but he believes voters signaled they want leaders who will blow things up  a validation, he says, of his push for lobbying and legislative reforms intended to end culture of corruption."

If Corcorans rhetoric isnt enough to ignite an intraparty feud, theres extra friction from the political aspirations of a powerful few Republicans. Gov. Rick Scott and the three term-limited members of the Cabinet all leave office in 2018 and Republican legislative insiders  from Corcoran to Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala  dominate the field of possible replacements, injecting party politics into the testy session mix. Story here.
Hundreds of protesters who were upset that U.S. Sen. Steve Daines wasn't planning a town hall this week decided to bring one to him instead ou
When Running Eagle followed a war party one day, the men admonished her to go back, but the Blackfeet warrior refused.

"She ended up saving the day," said Beth Judy, author of a new book about Montana history.

"Bold Women in Montana History" features stories of 11 women, including Running Eagle, the namesake of a popular waterfall in Glacier National Park.

Running Eagle's father had taught her to hunt and shoot, and before saving the day for the war party, she saved her father after enemies shot his horse out from under him, Judy said.

The uncommon female warrior lived before written records, and Judy said her stories are evidence of the power and reliability of spoken storytelling.

"Oral history is what has kept her alive and made her beloved over decades," Judy said.

In advance of a series of readings and signings in Montana, Judy talked last week about the research that went into the publication, her commitment to historical accuracy, and the inspiration she gained from the figures.

"I really loved them all, but Alma Smith Jacobs always does bowl me over with how much she got done with her life and what an amazing, strong and ethical person she was," Judy said of Montana's first African American state librarian.

And Elouise Cobell, the Blackfeet elder who took on the U.S. government in a class action lawsuit, is a favorite as well. "Her story always makes me cry or gives me chills."

***

In selecting the women to feature, Judy said she wanted to represent the entire state, so she considered a mixture of places, occupations, races and religions.

In her research, she was most interested in the factors that made the women strong. Their families contributed, as did their early experiences and choices as young people.

In some cases, such as with Jeannette Rankin, the figures who made historical marks on the state didn't always have firm plans about their futures. Rankin was clueless about her passion until she was in her 20s, and Judy suspects many young people can relate.

"A lot of them are asking, 'What am I going to do with my life? Who am I going to be?'" Judy said.

Of course, Rankin went on to become the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, making headlines across the country. She was also a pacifist who cast the only vote against the U.S. entering World War II, after voting to oppose entry into World War I as well, inspiring the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center in Missoula.

In her travels, Judy interviewed many people who personally knew the figures she features in the book, such as Cobell. She cites those encounters as one of her favorite aspects of the research.

"Because Montana history is so relatively short, I was able to meet so many people who knew these women," Judy said.

***

"Bold Women in Montana History" is part of a series of similar books by Mountain Press Publishing, and Judy edited the edition on Michigan women. She was asked to write the Montana publication because she loves history and women's stories.

"So it was right up my alley," Judy said.

Artist Stephanie Frostad designed the cover, and both author and artist will be talking April 1 at a launch party in Missoula for the book. (See related box for details on the launch party and other readings and signings.)

The book is geared toward young adults, or fifth graders and older, but it will likely have appeal beyond the target audience. Chris La Tray of Fact & Fiction said young adult literature remains popular far outside the age group for which it's written.

Montana itself is a draw, too. Classics such as Norman Maclean's "A River Runs Through It" come out of the Big Sky, and the state maintains an element of mystery to people who don't live here or haven't been here before, La Tray said.

History books also are popular with bookstore customers, especially tourists looking for reminders of their travels through Montana.

"If you're a book fan, it's a way to trigger your memory of what you experienced while you were here," La Tray said.

***

Judy toured the state to research the book, traveling to grave sites to confirm dates and reading journals. She said a lot of information that's presented online as historical isn't in fact accurate, and she wanted her book to reflect the truth.

"I was pretty devoted to trying to nail down correct facts," Judy said.

For instance, the records aren't clear about exactly when Running Eagle was born but they are clear that in order to appease her tribe, she went on a vision quest. The quest, near Running Eagle Falls, confirmed she was meant to be a warrior despite her gender, and the tribe supported her as a result, Judy said.

"She kept on encountering obstacles, but she didn't give up," Judy said.

Running Eagle became a war chief, leading successful raids and hundreds of men into battle, Judy said.

The women's stories inspired her, but the thing that's the most fun about the project is that she knows people in Montana will appreciate it.
Quentin Robinsons been throwing it down since he was 12 years old, skipping school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to attend dance battles against rivals from other schools during lunch hour.

For the next week, thats all you'd hear about, he said. Thats how we grew up.

Sunday he taught some moves that helped him win those dance-offs (and keep his nickname  SpecialFX) at his first regular hip-hop dance class, held at the Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre.

Eight students, from 7 years old to some more experienced dancers in their 20s, learned basics of popping, krumping, tutting, glide and wave, as well as some of Robinsons original choreography in the two-hour introductory session.

At the start of the class, Robinson made one thing clear: When he demonstrated a move, you didnt have to repeat it perfectly.

Its hip-hop, he said. Its you, its your style, its who you are.

And to demonstrate, he showed off some moves.

Dont be alarmed. This is me, he said.

Sundays class started with Robinsons favorite style of hip-hop: popping.

Popping largely involves quick muscle flexes in five areas of the body: upper arms, forearms, chest, stomach and thighs.

Youre going to make a muscle as fast as you can and let it go as fast as you can, he told the class, having each student hold their arms out and pop their biceps.

Robinson moved in this way through the class, taking moments to slow things down and teach intricate moves, never hesitating to take a few moments with one student until they got it right.

He taught the class a wave movement with the arms, airwalk and glide moves with the feet (smooth, so the shoes dont squeak across the floor).

You dont wanna hear that squeak, he said Not in the middle of a song.

Then the students learned some moves to Robinsons happy dance, choreography that hes taught to people all over the world for a documentary on dance.

The swing jazz moves came quickly during instruction, but when Robinson turned on the music, a double-time funk song, about half the class looked stunned by the speed they were suddenly expected to dance at.

Robinson grinned at them after the first try and by the third, fourth and fifth, it started to come together.

If you dont bounce, you will fall over, he reminded during a pause. Its a constant bounce to this entire routine.

Sure enough, on every beat, feet were leaving the floor, legs kicking, turning, sliding. It was impossible to be caught flat-footed.

They covered krumping, an angry type of dancing that involved some popping, as well as plenty of stomping with the thunderous bass and snare hits that gave the ballet theatres sound system a workout.

After a while, Robinson let the class go at it freestyle.

***

Seven-year-old Indy Dodge showed off some moves, light-up shoes flashing. Brandy La Roux, a trained belly dancer, incorporated a lithe arm wave into her dance.

La Roux said afterwards she came to Robinsons class looking to diversify her dance experience.

"It was awesome, she said, a great way to break away from the gym.

After a decade serving in the Marine Corps, Robinson made his way to Missoula and worked on getting his documentary, The Happy Project, off the ground.

The movie follows Robinson as he travels around the world to places like Uganda, Israel, Jordan and Indonesia to teach and learn dance moves, showing a common love of dance between people everywhere on Earth.

Every time we had some kind of function with musicthere was no problems at all, he said. Were all tied in that way.

Robinson hopes to hold video chats with people he meets overseas and students in Missoula, bringing together different experiences to find common ground.

This kid on the other side of the world woke up this morning and did exactly what you did, just in different circumstances, he said.

Robinson got to know the dance scene in Missoula by moving between different groups and studios, working with anyone and everyone whos got the moves hes looking for.

Hes excited to teach regular classes not just to share his talents, but to build a community; he can work students into future events and shows as they learn and get better at dancing.

The experience is learning it and being in a room and bouncing around with everybody enjoying the music, he said. I want to be able to build a platform. So its not just a hip-hop class and go home.

DanceFX classes are scheduled every Sunday at noon at the Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre. Students are welcome to attend single classes or multiple sessions at a discounted rate.
The year is 2019. The government sends in a SWAT team to seize any corporate property it wants without the due process or just compensation required by the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. The government also has the power to swipe bank assets, raid newspaper offices without warrants or just cause, and even censor any news published by a media corporation. No, its not the plot of a newly unearthed Orwell novel. These tactics, and more, would be legal under an amendment to the U.S. Constitution just introduced by Montana Sen. Jon Tester.

Testers amendment aims to strip rights from corporate entities. His amendment would provide that (1) The rights enumerated in this Constitution and other rights retained by the people shall be the rights of natural persons; (2) As used in this Constitution, the terms people, person, and citizen shall not include a corporation, a limited liability company, or any other corporate entity established by the laws of any state, the United States, or any foreign state.

Senator Tester justifies his proposal by arguing that a corporation doesnt hop on the combine to try and get harvest done. Well.

Seven years after Citizens United, the whole corporations arent people and therefore shouldnt have rights bit is getting pretty tiresome. Certainly, our elected officials should be held to a higher standard of debate.

Yes, its true that if youve never thought about it, the idea that corporations are people seems absurd on its face. Corporations are not people, of course. But, for many purposes, it makes perfect sense that the law treats them as such. For example, if the law did not treat corporations as people, they couldnt be sued.

The bigger point, though, is that corporations have rights because people have rights, and people form and own corporations. This is a principle as old as the American Republic, re-emphasized by the Supreme Court as early as 1819 in Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward. A corporation, the Court noted, is an artificial being, invisible, intangible, and existing only in contemplation of law. But that didnt mean that people gave up their rights when they formed a corporation. Rather, the decision emphasized that when people join together to accomplish things, they usually need some form of organization, and shouldnt have to sacrifice their rights just because they organize. Individuals, wrote the Court, find it impossible to effect their design securely and certainly without an incorporating act. Corporate rights are the rights people have when they act together.

Oddly enough, in the momentous Citizens United decision that prompts Testers proposal, not even the Courts dissenters ever mentioned the issue of corporate personhood. Why? Because they all understood that corporate personhood is a longstanding doctrine that is not controversial in law, and was not what the case was about.

So lets think about Testers reasoning. There are over 29,000 farms and ranches in Montana. Many of these are incorporated. And indeed, around the country a great many, perhaps most, family farms are incorporated. So in a sense, when your local family farmer gets to work, it is indeed a corporation who hops on that combine. In fact, Testers family farm is incorporated  it is T-Bone Farms, Inc. Does Tester think it should be illegal for him to post a political sign on his farms property?

Under Testers proposed constitutional amendment, the government could deprive him of a right to a jury trial any time a lawsuit involved his farm. The government could simply take his land, without due process, for any reason, and without compensation, all in violation of the takings clause. All this because, by incorporating his farm, he would give up his constitutional rights.

Constitutional amendments, such as that offered by Tester, will not pass in the next few years  but they indicate the general hostility to free speech that many senators have, and their willingness to silence speakers they dont like. They also show the willingness to advocate rash and dangerous proposals to accomplish that end. In the long term, that should concern us all.
I appreciate your reply in which you explained your reasoning for silencing U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the hearings for Jeff Sessions. However, the point of my letter was that your silencing of Warren was an example of the rushed proceedings to appoint Jeff Sessions as attorney general, in which Sessions lied to you and the other senators about his communications with Russian officials. The point of my letter was that the highest law enforcement official in this country committed perjury before the Senate. And that the rush to appoint him was a not very good, very bad idea.
During the peak of the environmental movement, both Democrats and Republicans made clear intent to protect the natural environment upon which we all depend through legislation such as the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).

It is appalling that today, our administration has decided to acquit the Environmental Impact Assessment, and integral tool to NEPA, on projects such as the Dakota Access Pipeline.

To put our country's most vital resources  land and water  on the chopping block of eminent disaster paves the way to a brutal violation of water required to support the health of 8 million Americans. Its an assault on the political figures of the past who understood that the health of our environment is directly related to the health of ourselves and of future generations. Additionally, the implementation of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) overrides rule of law and treaties, claimed by our Constitution as "the law of the land, between the United States and the sovereign Sioux Nation.

I am confident that with the correct approach, our nation can create infrastructure for clean energy and national security while maintaining our dignity and gratitude for our rule of law. Let us use this time to prove our integrity.

Lauren Swett,

Missoula
I was distressed Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke reversed the ban on lead ammunition and tackle within national wildlife refuge areas.

Any economic benefit cant outweigh the risk of lead poisoning to both wildlife and hunters and the families of hunters. The neurotoxic effects on raptors consuming lead-shot wildlife remains is well known. In addition, the concussive dispersal of lead, after game is shot, is well beyond the pathway of the bullet, putting consumers of the meat at risk for lead poisoning.

With acceptable substitutes available, copper bullets and steel shot, it is hard to see why Zinke would reverse such a ban. It is my hope, in the future, that lead-free ammunition becomes more popular.

Zinke certainly has not facilitated this. This fourth-generation Montana hunter, however, will continue to use lead-free ammunition and tackle as much as possible.

Richard Gould,

Superior
HAMILTON  The Bitterroot River Recreation Advisory Committee will meet Monday to review its draft recommendations for managing river recreation on the Upper Bitterroot and West Fork  and some changes may be coming.

The current recommendation sets aside portions of the river to non-commercial use on specific days.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Recreation Manager Christine Oschell said last week the committee may alter that recommendation.

Oschell said there has been a little push-back from some fishing outfitters who arent completely sold on the proposal.

We could be editing this and it might change, she said. I dont know how much, but it could change.

The 16-member, diverse volunteer committee met for four full days in developing its initial recommendation. Once finalized, the committees preferred alternative will be passed on to FWP officials.

The alternative will then go through an environmental review process that will include additional public comment before being presented to the states fish and wildlife commission.

The proposed alternative divides the upper Bitterroot River, including the West Fork, into four sections.

The section just below Painted Rocks Dam would be closed to all float fishing one day a week. That section runs from the dam to the Canoe fishing access site, which is located across the road from the Bitterroot Forests West Fork Ranger Station.

The closure of float fishing on the section would provide opportunity to non-commercial fishermen who prefer to wade.

The next section runs between the Canoe site to the Hannon Fishing Access Site.

Since that section is about twice as long as the rest, Oschell said there has been some talk about altering that section of river in some manner.

The other two sections run from Hannon to Wally Crawford and then Wally Crawford to Darby.

Under the preferred alternative, each one of those three sections of the river would be closed one day a week on consecutive days to commercial outfitters. The closure to commercial ventures would give local fishermen a place to go where they didnt have to compete with professionally guided trips.

Outfitters would be limited to two launches per day at access sites open to commercial fishing.

There has been a similar system on the Big Hole River for years.

The preferred alternative also would require all fishing outfitters that use any portion of the Bitterroot River to obtain a special recreation permit, which would help FWP track outfitter numbers and the number of days they have boats on the river.

Similar permits are already required on other rivers in the state, including the Blackfoot and Madison.

***

Mondays meeting is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Bitterroot National Forest Supervisors Office in Hamilton, 1801 N. First St. There will be an opportunity for public comment at the end of the meeting.

Oschell said she encourages public comment.

Were hearing through others that there were many outfitters upset about the proposal, she said. We didnt hear much about that during the earlier meetings.  We want people to have a venue to express their concerns.

Once the committee completes its work on developing a preferred alternative, Oschell said FWP will develop its own environmental analysis. That process will include additional opportunities for the public to offer input.

The committee was able to find consensus on the current preferred alternative at its last meeting in February.

There never were any really big moments of tension with this group, Oschell said. I think that shows that their values were all very similar. They all value this resource. They all had that common ground to start from.

The committee included fishing outfitters and guides, members of local sportsmens organizations and just plain fishermen with a connection to the upper Bitterroot River.

In the end, I think that people felt that they gave just the right amount for themselves and for the resource, she said. I think people on the committee agreed that the river was just being overused and they were afraid that it would not stay a quality fishery.

The hope is that the group will be able to find consensus again Monday when it makes its final recommendation, but that might not happen, Oschell said.

That will be OK, too, she said. We might end up with something that says the majority preferred this alternative.

I think that this process speaks to what a lot of people have been saying, Oschell said. The problem is real. There really is an issue that there are too many people. The alternative indicated that there was an agreement that this is not the way they want it to remain.

For more information about the upcoming meeting or the process, people can contact Oschell at 406-542-5562 or coschell@mt.gov.
KALISPELL  Blackfeet tribal members have a chance to vote on a new constitution and form of government in May.

The effort to change the tribe's government structure began two years ago after the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council splintered into two factions, leading to government shutdowns. In some cases employees went unpaid for weeks.

The Flathead Beacon reports the proposed constitution calls for a three-pronged government to replace the tribal council. There would be an executive branch to manage day-to-day operations, a 13-member legislative branch and an independent judicial branch.

In the coming weeks the Bureau of Indian Affairs will send a voter registration packet to every Blackfeet tribal member along with copies of the current and proposed constitution. Those who register will get a ballot for the May 22 election.
HAMILTON  For a few hours last week, Chyanne Davis knew what it felt like to be someone people looked up to.

The 18-year-old from Dillon liked that feeling.

The student at Trapper Creek Job Corps wasnt alone in that feeling of knowing that she could make a difference in someone elses life at Daly Elementary School last week.

She was one of several students from the Bitterroot Valley Job Corps center who sat down with fourth-graders to celebrate I Love to Read Month.

With the youngsters gathered 'round, the Job Corps students read a book and then talked about the trades that they are learning at center on the banks of the West Fork of the Bitterroot.

Nadiya Ward of Arlington, Texas, let the youngsters know that she planned to be a welder. The 17-year-old was following in the footsteps of her brother.

I really enjoy it, Ward said. I get to challenge myself and do something that others might not think is possible for a girl.

Davis has her own footsteps to follow.

Her great-grandparents were both carpenters, as was her aunt.

I thought for a long time that I was going to get into the medical field, but I love carpentry, Davis said. When I decided to go to Trapper Creek Job Corps, I decided that I would try it. I have to say that I really love it there because everyone really cares about you. They want you to succeed.

Thats the message that Davis hoped to pass on to the fourth-graders who gathered to listen to her read and answer questions about her decision to pursue a field thats mostly filled by men.

I love coming in and seeing these kids, she said. They need someone to look up to. It makes me smile that someone could be me.

Over at a nearby table, Darel McIntyre of Columbia Falls read a book about a farmers life as Aryn Gardipee of Rocky Boy turned the pages.

I was a little bit nervous about doing this at first, McIntrye said. Thats a lot of people to read to.

But both young men came alive when they had the opportunity to tell the fourth-graders about the trades they are learning. Gardipee wants to become a carpenter and McIntyre a welder.

From his pocket, McIntyre pulled out a small piece of steel with bead running down its center.

The youngsters seated around the table said they knew nothing about welding.

I was given this as a good luck piece by someone who had been in the class for awhile, McIntyre said. Welding is kind of like my art.

Daly Elementary fourth-grade teacher Angie Whitlow smiled as she walked among the different small groups of her students surrounding the young people from Trapper Creek.

Its really special to have them here, Whitlow said. They are good role models. Its a great way to wrap up I Love to Read Month.

Trapper Creek Job Corps teacher Andrea Shay was all smiles, too, as she watched her students step up and take a leadership role with the fourth-graders.

Teaching leadership is an important aspect of our whole program, Shay said. This is a way that they can learn responsibility in teaching others. Its also a really cool way that they can use their reading skills.

Being able to step back into an elementary classroom in such a positive manner can have a lasting impact for some of the students at Trapper Creek.

A lot of these students here today may not have had the best experiences in elementary school, Shay said. For whatever reason, traditional schooling may not have worked out very well for them. This is almost like having a chance at a second childhood and that can mean the world to them.

Carrie Wolfe of Trapper Creek Job Corps said that centers students are always looking for ways to give back to the Bitterroot Valley community.

Here, they get to tell their story, Wolfe said. They can tell young people that they need to stay focused and work hard in school. We, as adults can say the same thing, but it doesnt have the same impact as it coming from someone who really went through it.

These kids see our students different than they do adults, she said. These are such neat kids. Theyve made the decision to change their lives. I love the energy that comes from people who want something different and are willing to work hard for it.
Gail Lillian Boyd, a beloved mother, sister, grandmother, aunt and niece, passed away on Feb. 26, 2017, at the Mercy Care Center in Oakland, California, surrounded by those who cared for her the most.

Gail was born on Feb. 25, 1945, in Butte, Montana, the daughter of Herbert and Lorraine Nelson. Her father tragically died when Gail was a year old and her mother later married Dean Boyd.

The family moved to Seattle in 1957, where she graduated from West Seattle High School, class of 1963, and attended Central Washington University where she studied business administration.

For many years Gail worked for the Puget Sound Regional Council in Seattle while raising three children as a single parent.

In 2007, Gail moved to Pleasanton, California, to be near her three grandchildren. There, she was employed by Clarity Medical Systems as executive assistant to the president. In 2012, she was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma. Determined to beat the disease, she began her journey to survive this aggressive cancer, going forth with an unyielding spirit to persevere beyond the boundaries her doctors predicted. Persevere she did and she used the time she had to embrace her family and life-long friends.

Gail departed this earth as a rainbow spread over the sky announcing that she had come home and was safe. She will live in our hearts forever.

Gail leaves behind her three accomplished children, Diane (Anh) Tran, Debbie (Rick) Grebin, and Ian Ashenfelter; grandchildren, Nadia, Amanda, and Mikayla; brothers, Hal Nelson, Larry (Patty) Boyd, and Brian (Wendy) Boyd; her aunt, Lillian Tokle of Butte, Montana; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, and her family in Sweden.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Lorraine Boyd; father, Herbert Nelson; stepfather, Dean Boyd; brother, John Nelson; sister, Beverly Dunn; niece, Erin Dunn; and nephew, Michael Nelson.

Express condolences at www.mtstandard.com.
William Bill Carlton Austin passed away unexpectedly at his home Friday morning, March 3, 2017.

Bill was born in Cascade, Montana on Aug. 13, 1937, to Thomas G. Austin and Ethel (Bost) Giroux.

He attended grade school in Jefferson City and the Monroe School in Butte. While attending school, Bill delivered papers, watered flowers at the Mile High Motel and worked at the Lenz Market. Bill graduated from Butte High School as a member of the class of 1955.

On July 12, 1959, he and Carol Sahlberg were married. They had two children, Steve and Penny, and later divorced.

After high school he drove trucks for F & S Construction at the Berkeley Pit. Bills lifelong passion, both in work and at play, was automobiles. He worked as a partsman in Missoula, Great Falls and Butte, where he eventually owned the Champion Auto stores in Butte and Dillon.

Bill was a member of the Copper City Road Angels, the Pioneer Street Rods and the Butte Lodge of Elks 240 for 55 years. Bill loved Butte, America, his custom cars, the 4D9 MERC and COOL BLU, and looked forward to the weekend car shows with the boys.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Ed Austin.

Bill is survived by his son, Steve W. Austin of Helena, and daughter and son-in-law, Penny and Mike Boggs of Butte. He is also survived by three granddaughters and nine great-grandchildren, Lindsey (Boggs) and Justin Kovnesky and Marcus, Kandel, Novaleigh and Mikey, who Grandpa Bill affectionately called Short George, of Butte; Riley (Austin) and Sean Thatcher and Tysen, Tayler, Talen, Tripp and Deacon of Helena; and Bradie Austin of Helena. Bill is also survived by an aunt and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

We miss you dad and grandpa! Forever, keep workin on a Mercury!

Mr. Austins funeral service is at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 9, at the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Butte; with visitation at 10 a.m. Burial will follow the service at Sunset Memorial Cemetery.

Express condolences at www.mtstandard.com.
The Montana Cattlemen's Association Foundation has received a $5,000 grant from the Town Pump Charitable Foundation to help pay for processing hamburger from cattle donated by local ranchers.

The foundation has organized the Beef on Every Plate program enabling cattle producers to donate cull cows, steers, and bulls which the foundation then arranges to have processed into one-pound hamburger packages and distributed to local food banks.

One in seven Montanans struggle with hunger; one in five children in Montana live in households that struggle with hunger, according to a news release from the foundation. USDA reports 11.5 percent of Montana households are food insecure and often skip meals or go to bed hungry, including the elderly and children.

"As cattle producers, we always have beef in the freezer. Unfortunately, this is a luxury that too many Montanans do not share. The need is overwhelming! We are greatly appreciative of the support we have received from Town Pump to help feed our neighbors in need,'' said MCA Foundation President Hugh Broadus.

For more information contact Montana Cattlemen's Association Foundation, Box 536, Vaughn, Mont., 59487; email mca@montanacattlemen.org; or call (406) 930-1883.
There is a strip mall across the street from Auschwitz.

From the commandant's house at Plaszow it's a short walk to McDonald's.

Belzec is in a residential neighborhood.

I didn't expect that.

In 2005, when I joined an interfaith pilgrimage to these camps where the Holocaust happened, it kept surprising me to find them located, not in deep woods hidden from prying eyes, but smack in the middle of urban areas.

I assumed all this development was new, that it had grown up in the decades since the war. But our guide told me these were always residential and commercial districts. Joe Engel, a Holocaust survivor in our group, said the same thing in a different way:

"People say they didn't know. All the camps were so close to the city. How could they not know? You could smell the ashes, the flesh."

The closeness of death factories to places where people lived, worshiped and shopped was chilling. It suggested that evil didn't mind witnesses.

Last Saturday night, nearly eight decades after the death factories were closed, someone -- more likely a gang of someones -- toppled about 100 headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia. The same thing happened last week in St. Louis. And there have been dozens of false bomb threats at Jewish community centers in over two dozen states, including Florida.

When the people of Poland were forced by their occupiers to stand witness to acts of mass atrocity, each had to decide how to respond. Some acquiesced willingly. Some looked the other way. And at risk of property and life, some fought back. They hid Jews from death and smuggled them to freedom.

What Linda Sarsour and Tarek El-Messidi did last week was not nearly so dramatic or risky, but it was certainly in the same spirit of outreach to the vulnerable Other. The two activists started a campaign on LaunchGood.com, a crowdfunding website for Muslims, asking their brothers and sisters in Islam to help raise $20,000 to repair the cemetery in St. Louis.

They reached that goal in three hours. As of Tuesday afternoon, their total stood north of $140,000. Sarsour and El-Messidi say the surplus from repairing the St. Louis cemetery will go toward the one in Philadelphia -- and to a fund to repair any future acts of desecration.

On their LaunchGood page, they tell a story of the Prophet Muhammad once standing to pay his respects as a Jewish funeral procession passed by. When questioned about it, they say the Prophet responded: "Is it not a human soul?"

And what greater way is there to honor that common soul than for members of one group of the despised to reach out to another? At a time when we confront so much of what is wrong with America, it is heartening to be reminded of what is right. Necessary, too.

The Southern Poverty Law Center reports that since the election of Donald Trump, there has been a spike in right-wing extremism. African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Muslims, gays, transgender men and women, all of the most vulnerable and marginalized, find themselves under renewed attack: harassment, vandalism and even murder.

Again, no one is equating any of that with the Holocaust. That's not the point.

Rather, the point is the willingness to see what's going on around you, what's being done and to whom. In the digital age, you don't need to live across from a death camp for that. Sarsour and El-Messidi remind us that we, like the Poles once did, bear witness to a campaign of hatred. And like them, we must decide:

What kind of witnesses shall we be?

-- Leonard Pitts Jr. is a columnist for the Miami Herald.
In recent weeks, our community has been publicly debating how to best address the needs of our homeless citizens, largely due to the imminent closure of the Butte Rescue Mission, over safety concerns. This debate, however, has failed to shine a light on the ongoing work of the Butte Continuum of Care Coalition, which has, since the summer of 2014, been working on methods to end homelessness in Butte-Silver Bow County. The Coalition was formed when Homeward Bound, a transitional housing facility operated by Human Resources Council (now Action Inc.), closed, because of a change in federal policy. This change calls for a move away from transitional housing for the homeless to strategies for rapid rehousing and permanent supported housing.

Rapid rehousing, using a Housing First approach, is evidenced-based and focuses on providing permanent, stable housing quickly, in conjunction with community services, with the goal of ending homelessness nation-wide. The Butte Coalition, which is chaired jointly by the Butte Public Housing Authority (PHA) and Action Inc., has been meeting for nearly three years and has helped design a locally based rapid rehousing program, now operated by Action Inc. Other Coalition members include the Butte School District, St. James Healthcare Foundation, the Job Service, Veterans groups, Butte-Silver Bow Community Development and Public Health Departments, Montana Independent Living Project, Safe Space, the Community Health Center and the Western Montana Mental Health Center (WMMHC), among others.

The Coalitions Coordinated Entry Committee, which includes the Volunteers of America, serving homeless veterans; the Veterans Administration; WMMHA; the PHA and Action Inc., directs resources through various existing housing programs to provide permanent housing for Buttes homeless population. The Committee members work together to maintain a single list of those who are homeless through an ongoing program of outreach to the diverse homeless population, which is comprised of persons who are disabled, suffer from mental illness and/or are chronically homeless. In this way, the group can respond quickly to those whose needs are the greatest. However, everyone on the list is provided with some assistance, based on available resources. In addition, Action Inc., works to prevent homelessness in the first place, providing help to those who are on the verge of losing their residences.

Ending homelessness in Butte will take a concerted community effort and strong leadership from our local government. The agencies and organizations, whose mission is to serve those who need our help, deserve our support and encouragement. Let us be united in our commitment to providing safe, decent, supportive and affordable housing to all our citizens.

-- Janet Cornish, Butte, is a Community Development consultant working on local planning and community development projects throughout Montana.
The self-proclaimed head of the notorious Davao Death Squad (DDS) has claimed under oath that he killed almost 200 people and was paid millions of pesos -- more than $20,000 -- for his actions by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte.

Arturo Lascanas, a retired police officer, told the Philippine Senate that DDS members received money from the then-mayor in exchange for brutal killings of not only criminals but also of Duterte's enemies in politics and the media. At the time, Duterte was mayor of the southern Philippines city of Davao.

"We were motivated by the reward system ... when a killing is ordered and there's a price," he said. On top of payment for individual hits, he said that he had for 20 years received a monthly stipend of P100,000 (around $2,000) from Duterte.

The Philippines government has vehemently denied Lascanas' testimony, calling it a "fabrication."

"Lascanas tale on (Duterte's) alleged involvement in the EJK (extrajudicial killings) in Davao is a fabrication ... there is a contradiction between his statement in the press conference and in his affidavit executed the day before he made the press conference," Sal Panelo, Duterte's chief legal counsel told CNN by text message. Lascanas also had appeared in front of the media last month.

"(Duterte) is outraged by any extrajudicial killing. Neither will he tolerate it. He abhors any violation of the Constitution or any law. Anything he does as President is pursuant to the constitutional duty of serving and protecting the people imposed on him by the basic charter."

The hearing is the first one under the Committee on Dangerous Drugs and Public Order.

Witnesses 'credible'

Senator Leila de Lima, one of the President's harshest critics, said that she had "no doubt" that both Lascanas and Edgar Matobato, another alleged DDS member who had come forward, were "credible."

"No doubt Lascanas' testimony, like that of Matobato is credible. Both Lascanas and Matobato are actual and direct participants in many incidents of killing as ordered by then Mayor Duterte. Their testimonies are based on their personal first hand knowledge, hence, admissible and worthy of credence," she said in a statement.

"From these revelations, the hard, ugly and inconvenient truth is that President Duterte has a criminal mind as he is in fact a criminal, a mass murderer at that."

De Lima was arrested on drugs charges last month. She and her supporters maintain that the arrest is a politically motivated vendetta. She remains in detention and cannot participate in the hearings.

Shifting testimony

In a complete reversal of earlier statements, Lascanas testified before the Senate inquiry that he was part of the infamous group, which had operated in Davao from the mid-1990s to as recently as 2013.

In a Senate hearing in October 2016, he had denied being a member of the group, refuting the sworn evidence of Matobato, who claimed in testimony in September 2016 to the Senate that he was a member of the DDS.

"There is no Davao Death Squad, your honor. That is all media hype," Lascanas said at the time.

The vigilante group was allegedly composed of men from specialized anti-crime police units as well as former militants, he said.

Clean slate

Lascanas said in Monday's testimony that he was personally responsible for the deaths of almost 200 individuals, including 30 innocent bystanders.

Lascanas said his motive for changing his story was his "desire to tell the truth, not only because of my spiritual renewal" but also because of his fear of God.

"I wanted to clear my conscience," he said. He added that he had lied in his previous testimony out of fear for his family's safety.

Testimony 'politically motivated'

Supporters of the President say that Lascanas' testimony is politically motivated.

One senatorial ally of the President, Sen. JV Ejercito, said he cannot allow "the Senate (to) be used for any destabilization plot" but only for the sake of ferreting out the truth.

"(You might be being used) to pin down the president, this administration," Sen. Manny Pacquiao, the boxer and another senatorial ally of the President, told Lascanas.

Another pro-Duterte lawmaker, Alan Peter Cayateno, suggested the drug gangs who were suffering at the hands of Duterte's national police force were behind pushes to oust the President.

At the hearing, representatives from the Philippines Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said they will open or resume investigations on the Davao Death Squad.

"Because this is a continuing investigation, the CHR will be conducting and calling on (Lascanas and Matobato) and requesting to submit their affidavits," Commissioner Roberto Eugenio Cadiz said.

Philippine National Police Director for Investigative group Gen. Marquez said the police will open investigations of unsolved cases based on Lascanas' testimony.

"We will dig up these records and we will match and find corroborating evidence," he said.
The Trump administration is reportedly in the process of announcing rules that will attempt to define gender strictly and unchangeably based on one's genitals at birth -- effectively trying to redefine gender's legal meaning to erase transgender people who identified as such under expanded gender identity provisions put in place by the Obama administration.

According to The New York Times, the Department of Health and Human Services is leading "an effort to establish a legal definition of sex under Title IX, the federal civil rights law that bans gender discrimination in education programs that receive government financial assistance." Such an approach would, quoting the memo, make the determination "on a biological basis that is clear, grounded in science, objective and administrable."

Nothing could be further from the truth. Try as they might, the Trump administration cannot eliminate lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people with a stroke of the pen. Moreover, this proposal is contrary to science and to the law. Turning Title IX, a law designed to help fight discrimination, into a weapon against them will not stop LGBTQ people from living their authentic lives.

As to "science," it is abundantly clear there has never been a true gender binary -- just male and female -- in nature. In fact, such an approach denies the existence of intersex people, those whose sex characteristics do not correspond with our classic notions of male or female. Up to 1.7% of people are born intersex, a percentage comparable to the number of redheaded people -- not a minimal number. To suggest this rule approach is rooted in science is simply wrong.

The suggestion that such a rule is rooted in science is also belied by another scientific community: medicine. The medical community in the United States accepts that gender identity is not determined by one's genitalia at birth. Gender is a social construct and is not biologically determined. The American Psychiatric Association notes that gender dysphoria "involves a conflict between a person's physical or assigned gender and the gender with which he/she/they identify." The treatment, though, is not to force someone to accept the gender assigned at birth. To the contrary, it is to work through aligning their gender identity and expression in ways that remove the conflict. In other words, the problem is not the person's gender identity; instead it is the stress created by the discordance between that identity and the assigned gender, much of which is caused by societal condemnation.

The courts have been surprisingly progressive pioneers on this issue, having long recognized that gender is actually a social construction, not a biological phenomenon. As early as 1989, in Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, the Supreme Court concluded that discrimination on the basis of sex includes discrimination based on sex stereotyping, such as a woman who acts in an overly masculine manner. Other courts, such as the federal appellate courts sitting in Boston and Atlanta, have already extended this reasoning to protect transgender people from discrimination.

It is not clear whether the Trump rule could overturn such judicial precedent. It is true that, generally, courts are supposed to defer to interpretations of the law made by administrative agencies. So, in theory, courts might be willing to revisit these earlier interpretations of the law in the face of a contrary administrative rule. Yet, perhaps ironically, the conservative justices on the US Supreme Court seemed poised to reject such deference. So, the Trump administration's move may ultimately be rejected by the courts.

Bizarrely, such a rule would intrude on the province of the states. Protecting states' sovereignty -- a concern known as federalism -- has traditionally been a conservative issue as well. Yet under the proposed rule, the sex on one's original birth certificate would control the issue of gender, even though most states do allow people to change their gender marker. The rule would usurp the power of the states.

The impact of such a rule can cause harm beyond the removal of anti-discrimination protections. In my work, I have explored how the government's expressions of disfavor toward certain groups -- particularly LGBTQ people -- does inflict a general harm, suggesting that such people are lesser and other. This rule is a concrete example of such a harm.

And such marginalization can have concrete consequences. Suicide rates are higher in the LGBTQ community, given the lingering social and legal discrimination the community faces. And such rhetoric may encourage more violence against LGBTQ people.

The Trump administration may indeed harm LGBTQ people with this impending strike of a proverbial pen, but they cannot erase us. We exist, period. We always have and always will. The only question is whether we will receive respect and protection from discrimination. Many large corporations are affording us such protections. And a majority of Americans believe we should not be discriminated against. It's too bad the Trump administration is so behind the times.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  A burn ban is in effect in Muscatine County as of noon today.

The ban has been put in place because of the recent dry conditions and low moisture, and the expected upcoming dry weather in Muscatine County, according to a news release from the Muscatine Fire Department Office of Fire Prevention.

Mike Hartman, assistant chief and fire marshal, said the department checks with fire department chiefs in the county to ask if they feel a burn ban is needed, then talk to the state fire marshal's office which then issues the ban. The burn ban will last until conditions improve.

Hartman said the county has recently seen several field fires.

"I think it's just to the point where the chief said 'enough is enough,'" he said.

Any open burning within the county is banned, including the burning of fields, ditches, wooded areas, or any other burning that is not specifically permitted by the fire department. Violation of the ban is a simple misdemeanor and can be enforced as such.

Burning with a valid permit, like a fireplace permit issued by the Muscatine Fire Department within the City of Muscatine is allowed. However, the fire department is asking residents to be aware of conditions and remember they are responsible for the consequences of any fire they start.

Consequences can range from civil or criminal citations to fiscal responsibility for any or all damage caused by the burning.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors has approved the vacation of several roadways in the county, and tabled the decision on six more, pending additional information.

Residents filled the room at Monday morning's meeting. Several spoke against the vacation of a roadway near their property, some for the measures, and and some were neutral.

Vacating a roadway: When the county vacates a roadway, it is surrendering all its interest in the road and returning it to a landowner, according to Muscatine County Engineer Keith White.

The county roads, he said, have an easement, and if the county says it is not going to use the easement anymore the road goes back to the landowner.

"In the county they own it," White said. "But we have the right for a road, so they really can't do anything else with it."

Why vacate a roadway? Some were requested by nearby residents, White said, so they could control the road and have freedom to do what they think is best, like adding gates to keep other people from damaging the roadway.

The county also could choose to vacate something that is not serving much use as a road.

In some rare cases, which White said he has not encountered "in years," the county might choose to vacate a road that serves only as the driveway for one home.

Tabled roadway vacations: The board tabled items 5J, 7J, 8J, 9J, 10J and 14J on the agenda, which included items that concerned residents or that supervisors had more questions about.

Item 5J, in the Wapsinonoc Township, was the proposed vacation of a section of Birkett Avenue. Landowners expressed interest in putting a gate in place to keep other people from damaging the road or leaving trash in the area.

Don Feldman said he was concerned about 7J, which would vacate a section of Bancroft Avenue. He and other farmers in the area said they needed access to that road, because taking their farming equipment on Highway 6 would not be safe.

"Its very unsafe for us to run up and down (Highway) 6," he said.

Randall Eichelberger said he was concerned about item 14J, a section of Jasper Avenue in Lake Township. Right now, he said, access to his land is not a problem because he gets along with the farmer who would have control of the road.

"But if landowners ever changed I need to access down there to maintain pasture and stuff," he said.

What's next: The tabled items will be discussed at next Monday's meeting, so the board can have more clarity about citizens' concerns and the roadways, said Muscatine County Supervisor and Chair Jeff Sorensen.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Friar Laurence walked around the council chambers on Monday morning. Just moments before, his trial, which convened in Muscatines City Hall, concluded.

Now a jury of fourth grade students will decide his future. Laurence had married 14-year-old Romeo and Juliet and sold them potions that would eventually kill them. Would he be able to sell more potions? Could he continue to marry people?

Laurence, aka 10-year-old Cameron Kelly, was happy to be at the center of the mock trial, though he did not know what his peers will decide.

It is kind of tough because you dont know if Im going to be guilty or innocent, he said.

He and other gifted and talented fourth graders have been preparing for the trial for weeks, learning about the justice system and studying the cases they would present.

This is our culmination where we study the trials for two cases: one criminal, one civil, said teacher Dana Carlson, who works with gifted and talented students. Some of the students are lawyers and some are witnesses and theyve been designing questions for the lawyers to ask and weve been rehearsing them at school.

The idea behind (it is) whats an effective question and what questions are effective in the court trial to persuade the jury in your favor, she added.

The prosecutors understood this fact well.

Were trying to make Friar Laurence guilty, said Norah Williams, 9, of Madison Elementary.

She and two other prosecutors said they worked hard to make Laurence look guilty.

We thought about what we would ask to make him look guilty, Norah said.

They also listened carefully to the testimonies, issuing as many objections as they could. When the defense attorney asked a witness if he was happy to see the Montagues at the masquerade ball, Norah jumped from her seat.

Objection! Thats irrelevant! she interjected.

And the judge, a volunteer high school student, sustained her objection.

Now the trial was over and the jury was deliberating. Five minutes passed, and the jury still did not return.

I was nervous, very nervous, Norah said, reflecting on her performance.

But she knew one thing for sure.

I know hes guilty, nail him down with a hammer! she exclaimed.

Three minutes later, the jury returned to the courtroom.

Mr. Laurence, will you please rise? asked the judge.

And Cameron rose from his seat.

And then it happened: Laurence was acquitted on both counts. He can continue to sell potions and perform marriages.

Sandi Eversmeyer, who teaches at Mulberry and McKinley, was with the jury when they deliberated.

They were all in agreement that the friar can go ahead and marry, there was no discussion there. The discussion was whether or not he should be allowed to make potions, she said.

Norah, who was sure Laurence was guilty, said she was sad about the verdict. But despite the loss, she learned some important lessons.

We learned that its important to make sure the jury knows what youre saying and youve got to, like, almost interrogate the other people, she said.
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 []


 :     ,   ,   

  ,        , -     28         .
Kenya may just have its first lesbian celebrity couple, i.e if female rapper Kyki is to be considered a celebrity.

A few months ago, the little-known femcee made her mark in Kenyas rap industry with a no-holds-barred controversial diss track titled Kuku Mwitu, aimed at a host of Kenyas musicians.

Well, it appears controversy is the rappers middle name after she made public her affection for fellow female rapper, Tiziana.

Tiziana aka Miss Attitude is a half Kenyan half Tanzanian upcoming rapper, model and graduate from Kenyatta University, best known for her first single Kadem Kabaya.

The two have also worked together in the projects, Haki, Sisi Ndio Hao, and Get Your Money.

Over the weekend, Tiziana turned a year older and Kyki was there to shower her with love messages on her special day.

Kyki also shared intimate snaps, one of which shows the two femcees locked in a kiss.

She wrote:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

MAY YOU HAVE MANY MANY MORE

REMEMBER I LOVE U

MAY THE GOOD LORD KEEP YOU FOR ME

MAY YOU LIVE TO SEE YOUR DESTINY FULL FILLED #kisses #forever #Alsharappiz#femalerappers

Watch their collaboration Haki below:


It is a great thing to see Kenyan musicians release socio-political conscious music in this election year.

From Delas Paza Sauti, MDQs Kenyan Message, Kenrazy and Visitas Amani, Julianis Machozi Ya Jana, it is only right to laud their efforts in using the art to make a change and impact society positively.

H_art The Band is the latest music group in that list following the release of Think.

Think is a spoken word composition urging Kenyans to sit and reflect on choosing the right leaders for our country.

H_art The Band breaks down the piece as follows: With everything that has been happening from Worker Strikes left right and centre to elections just around the corner to wheel barrows that cost a foot _& arm to commissions of inquiry that rarely reveal truth :We Felt it was time for people to sit and reflect on their power which is SPEECH.

SPEECH isnt necessarily shouting or marching on the streets but standing up and choosing the leader of your choice.A leader who stands for something.SO THINK !!!

Watch below:


The sultry songbird is once again out to rule the airwaves with another brilliant single dubbed Simama Imara.

Simama Imara is the second single from Sanaipei Tande this year after the soulful Amina released in January. In this song, Sana addresses individuals who make uninformed assumptions about others without supporting facts.

Simama Imara is yet another Sana masterpiece that goes to show she is one of the most consistent artists in releasing good quality music. Sadly, she is also one of the most underrated musicians in the region.

Check out the lyric video below:


Assembly member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry honored Napa County resident Liz Alessio as the 2017 Fourth Assembly District Woman of the Year at the state Capitol on Monday.

Each year, the Assembly honors women throughout California who have made significant contributions to their communities.

Liz is an incredible leader in our district, volunteering her time to so many causes that it seems she touches every Napa life, said Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, who chose Van de Leur Alessio to be her first Woman of the Year as a newly elected assembly member. I hope this recognition inspires others to follow Lizs example of giving. She is an extraordinary person.

Alessio is the board president and program director of OPERATION: With LOVE from HOME, an organization that has sent over 13,000 care packages to deployed U.S. service members in combat zones. She also serves as board secretary for the George Yount Pioneer Cemetery in Yountville, commissioner for the City of Napa Park and Recreation Department and founder and coordinator for Homefront Napa, a program that provides support and tools for the family and friends of returning wounded veterans and active duty service members.

Her other volunteer efforts include the Napa Valley Academy Awards Benefit to help those who live with HIV/AIDS, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, American Cancer Society-Relay for Life, Reach For The Stars, Napa County Heart Safe Program and Napa County Safety-Net Food Program. In addition, Van de Leur Alessio is a 2014 graduate of Leadership Napa Valley where she received the John Wagenknecht Memorial Leadership Award.

Liz Alessio has worked at Queen of the Valley in Napa for almost 20 years and is currently Senior Community Programs Services coordinator. She oversees community benefit accounting and data, and participates in the implementation of community health needs assessment and community benefit prioritization.

During her time at the Queen, she has received the Values in Action Award for Dignity for demonstrating the core value that each person is a valuable member of the community and a unique expression of life.

I wish I could give out a dozen of these awards. There are so many incredible women doing so many wonderful things among the nearly half million residents in the Fourth Assembly District, Aguiar-Curry said. But, if Ive got to choose one, Liz is an obvious first choice. It is an honor to be associated with a person like her.

Alessio is a fourth-generation Napa County resident and the mother of three children, Jessica Ann Hunter, Sgt. Steven James Hunter, and Zane Lynch Alessio. She is grandmother to Ava Rae Alessio. She was joined at the Capitol by Jessica and Zane, and by her mother, Robin Boardman Hart.
A 40-year-old Sacramento man was arrested Sunday night in downtown Napa after police were called to remove an intoxicated person at the Napa Palisades Saloon.

Police responded at 10:11 p.m. to a report that man who appeared under the influence was refusing to leave the Main Street establishment, said Sgt. Nick Dalessi.

Believing the man to be intoxicated when he walked in, Napa Palisades staff had refused to serve him, but the man refused to leave, Dalessi said.

When officers arrived, Christopher Michael Priar tried to push past officers. There was a scuffle as police tried to handcuff him and an officer received a minor knee injury, Dalessi said.

Priar was booked at the Napa County jail for possible charges of resisting officers, battery on peace officers and public intoxication.

Napa Police had to obtain a search warrant to forcibly take a sample of Priar's blood to determine his level of intoxication, Dalessi said.
An American Canyon man was arrested Sunday morning after a dispute with police officers, according to authorities.

Shortly after midnight, officers were called to the first block of Via Pesara after a report of a burglary in progress, according to Sgt. Dave Ackman.

Police at the scene heard a loud confrontation inside the home and contacted Robert Anthony Booth, 57, Ackman said. Officers detained Booth after he resisted them violently and disobeyed their orders, according to Ackman.

Booth was booked into the Napa County jail on suspicion of failing to register as a sex offender, as well as resisting arrest and misdemeanor drug possession.
Authorities in Napa County arrested two residents Sunday in separate cases involving allegations of felony domestic violence.

At 1 a.m., relatives of Kyle John Bungart, 20, of Napa called police after he had a dispute with his live-in girlfriend, according to Sgt. Nick Dalessi of Napa Police.

When officers arrived at the home in the 100 block of Cherry View Court, the woman was absent,and Bungart said the couple's dispute had been only verbal, Dalessi said. However, the woman called police later in the morning to report that her boyfriend had hit her, choked her and broken her cellphone, according to Dalessi.

Police arrested Bungart on Cherry View Court at 9:43 a.m. and booked him into the Napa County jail on suspicion of inflicting corporal injury on a cohabitant, as well as vandalism and false imprisonment.

(Editor's note: Bungart was later charged with felony vandalism, a charge to which he pleaded not guilty, but was never charged with false imprisonment or corporal injury. This story has been modified from its original form to reflect this later development.)

Later Sunday, American Canyon Police received a call at 2:30 p.m. about a couple's dispute in the 100 block of Creekside Circle, during which a woman punched her husband in the nose, according to Sgt. Dave Ackman.

Officers detained Rhea Vengco Abcede, 36, and booked her into the county jail on suspicion of felony domestic violence. Her husband was not hospitalized, Ackman said.
North Korea fired four ballistic missiles almost 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) towards the Sea of Japan early Monday morning, in what Japan's leader described as "an extremely dangerous action."

Military in South Korea, Japan and the United States all confirmed the launch of four projectiles, which one US official said were intermediate range missiles.

Three landed inside Japan's exclusive economic zone, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, which extends 200 nautical miles from its coastline according to international maritime law.

Speaking to the Japanese Parliament Monday, Abe said the launch was a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

Experts said the move was almost certainly in reaction to joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, which Pyongyang views as preparations for an invasion.

The launch took place in Tongchang-ri, in North Korea's North Pyongan province. A spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles flew as high as 260 kilometers (162 miles).

'Grave violation'

Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn told the South Korean National Security Council Monday he strongly condemned North Korea's actions.

"This is a direct challenge to the international community and a grave violation," he said.

"Having seen the brutality of North Korea from Kim Jong Nam, I'd say the consequences of the Kim Jong Un regime having nuclear weapons will be horrible," he said referring to the killing of the North Korean leader's estranged half brother at Kuala Lumpur airport last month. North Korea has denied any involvement in the murder.

The US State Department said it remained "prepared to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against this growing threat."

"The DPRK's provocations only serve to increase the international community's resolve to counter the DPRK's prohibited weapons of mass destruction programs," acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

Foal Eagle drills

South Korea and United States' annual military exercises, known as Foal Eagle and which both countries say are defensive in nature, began on Wednesday March 1 and are expected to last until April 30.

North Korea has already denounced this year's exercises through state media service KCNA.

"Now that the US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces again kicked off the dangerous nuclear war drills against the DPRK at its doorstep, our army will counter them with the toughest counteractions," it said.

The exercises usually draw condemnation and retribution from Pyongyang.

"They (are) making it clear that as long as the US continues these exercises, North Korea will keep taking steps to bolster their deterrent," Jeffrey Lewis, Adjunct Professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey told CNN.

During last year's drills, North Korea fired multiple short to medium range missiles and announced it could place nuclear warheads on its weapons.

North Korean missile tests

This isn't the first time North Korea has launched multiple missiles over this distance.

In September 2016, North Korea launched three ballistic missiles about 1,000 kilometers to land in Japan's Air Defense Identification Zone, provoking a strong response from the country.

Monday's launch comes weeks after North Korea test-fired a new type of missile, the Pukguksong-2, a medium-long range ballistic missile.

That missile was also fired from North Pyongan province and traveled 500 kilometers (310 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan.

The launch happened while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in the United States visiting US President Donald Trump.

North Korean state media reported that Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the operation.

CNN's Junko Ogura, Lee Taehoon, Barbara Starr and Josh Berlinger contributed to this report.
The primary objective of an FCET is to obtain, under operationally representative conditions, valid reliability, accuracy, and performance of the missile system for use by Commander, Strategic Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.



Safety of the public was paramount throughout the mission. The missiles were unarmed and all launches were conducted from the sea, flew over the sea, and landed in the sea. At no time did the missiles fly over land.



A credible, effective nuclear deterrent is essential to national security and the security of U.S. allies and friends. The Trident II D5 missile is a submarine-launched ballistic missile which is one part of the nation's strategic deterrent triad. As the most survivable leg of the triad, it provides the national command authority with assured second-strike capability. Since its introduction to the fleet in 1989, the Trident II D5 missile has completed 165 successful test flights.
17:39

Claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "grown old" and must be "feeling tired", Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today said his party and ally SP would form a "government of youth" in Uttar Pradesh.





This government of youth, he claimed, will make UP "the factory of the world" and even former first lady of the USA Michelle Obama would find 'Made in Jaunpur' embossed over her kitchen utensils.





"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has grown old, and hence a government of the youth will be formed in UP. And this government will make the state -- the factory of the world. Products with 'Made in Uttar Pradesh' embossed on them will be made available throughout the world," he said.





Continuing his jibe, Rahul claimed that since Modi has grown old, he must be feeling tired. "I told Akhilesh that we must extend some help to Modiji. Let's give him some time...some moments of peace. You (Akhilesh) become the Chief Minister, and he (Modi) would get some rest," he said. Taking a dig at the PM's roadshows in Varanasi, Rahul said, "Repeated re-takes of Modiji's film are taking place." In four days, there have been four re-takes, but things did not materialise, he said. "Two days ago there was a roadshow, it did not yield desirable results, then there was a roadshow yesterday, it too did not result in anything positive. I heard that today Modiji is walking on foot," said Rahul, taking a swipe.





Continuing his attack, he said that Modiji's film of 'Achhe Din' has flopped and will not be available for public viewing. "In fact, Modiji is afraid, and hence for the last three days he has been camping in Varanasi," he alleged.





In his speech, Rahul said that five years from now, if a farmer from the state goes to the US, he would find that the phones available there are manufactured in UP. "We would emboss 'Made in Uttar Pradesh' over it, and whichever shop he visits, the entire stock would be from UP," Gandhi said.





Referring to the former US First Lady, Rahul said, "When Obama's wife would be cooking food in her kitchen, she would admire the utensils. After admiring the cooking utensils she should read the lines 'Made in Jaunpur' embossed over them."
15:11

The full story: Mulayam Singh Yadav's wife, Sadhna, breaks her silence, months after the rift between father and son, ripped the party apart.





Sounding confident, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh's wife Sadhna Yadav on Tuesday said she has been insulted a lot and accused of creating feud within the party but now she won't step back.





"I have been insulted a lot. Now I won't step back. People should not have got the courage to say so many things about me. I was brought up in a family where my father used to say that one should not publicise good work, but now time is different. A Chief Secretary was transferred. The people said I was behind it. It's false, though I wish I was so powerful," Sadhna told ANI.





Rebuffing allegations that she was behind the Samajwadi Party feud, Sadhna said time has done everything and no one is to be blamed for it.





"I have given time to everyone, be it Professor (Ram Gopal Yadav) or his children, Dharmendra, Tipu or the daughter-in-laws. I have considered all as a family. I always wanted to give credit to Netaji. I always thought I am able to do things because of him," she added.





Sadhna said she has been more in conversation with her son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav since January 1 than she has been in last five years.





"I don't know who misled Akhilesh. He respects Netaji and me a lot. I want our party to win again and Akhilesh to become the Chief Minister again," she said while being confident of Samajwadi Party's victory in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.





Sadhna also expressed her displeasure over the recent family feud in the party.





"He has done a lot for Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and the party. No matter what, nobody should have disrespected Netaji. It is he who founded and nurtured the party," she added.





A total of 1.41 crore voters, including 64.76 lakh females will exercise their franchise in the last phase.14,458 polling booths have been set up in this phase.





In the 2012 assembly elections, out of the 40 seats, 23 went to Samajwadi Party, five to BSP, four to BJP, three to Congress and five to others.In all, 535 candidates, including 40 (BSP), 32 (BJP), 31 (SP), 9 (Congress), 21 (RLD) and 5 (NCP) are in the fray in the final phase.While the maximum number of 24 candidates are from Varanasi Cantonment seat, the minimum of six candidates are contesting from Kerakat.
Forum to focus on latest fertilizer research

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Farmers and those concerned about fertilizer products, including nutrient efficiency, crop yields and water quality, have a chance to hear about practical applications of the latest research at the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council and Southern Illinois University Carbondale Research Forum at the university on March 15.

When farmers buy fertilizer to put on a field, they pay a fertilizer tonnage fee to the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council (NREC) distributes a portion of this money to fund research and improve communication about how fertilizer affects crops, soil and water. Of course this is important to farmers. Its important to non-farmers as well -- not only because of the significance of agriculture to the Illinois economy, but also because of the impact of farming and fertilizers on water quality and soil fertility.

The forum is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in Student Center Ballroom B. A $15 registration fee includes lunch. Register online at illinoisnrec.org.

The forum includes project updates from SIU and University of Illinois researchers, a farmer panel to discuss research needs and nutrient concerns, and a statement about NREC priorities and vision update. Speakers include SIU System President Randy Dunn; Brad Colwell, SIU interim chancellor; Mickey Latour, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences; Jon Schoonover, professor of forestry; John Pike, agronomist and Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association Southern Illinois Nitrogen Research Coordinator; and Illinois NREC staff and council members.

For more information, contact Julie Armstrong at julie.armstrong@illinoisnrec.org.
Engineering Professor awarded Jefferson Science Fellowship

Juan Claudio Nino will work with the State Department to evaluate domestic and international energy needs and identify more secure, renewable, and efficient energy options.

University of Florida endowed professor Juan Claudio Nino has been awarded a 2017-2018 Jefferson Science Fellowship by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. Nino is one of 14 academic scientists, engineers and physicians who were selected from institutions of higher learning from around the country this year. Within the U.S. Department of State, he will work at the Bureau of Energy Resources in the Office of Energy Transformation, analyzing energy technology drivers, trends, and policies to support the integration of more efficient, secure, and renewable energy options.

Ninos research focuses on ceramics, polymers, bio-inspired materials, and their composites. His lab is currently working towards the optimization and development of advanced functional materials for energy conversion and storage, high frequency and high temperature electronics, neural networks, and semiconductors and scintillators for radiation detection.

Juan is a leader in materials engineering and in developing innovative energy solutions, said Cammy Abernathy, dean of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. Hes an ideal candidate for this fellowship, a great ambassador for the college and the university, and Im proud to see him serve our country in this capacity.

Nino earned his bachelors degree in mechanical engineering at Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia. He was a lecturer at the Colombian Engineering School before joining Pennsylvania State University, where he completed his doctoral degree in materials science and engineering. His postdoctoral appointment focused on ferroelectric thin films at the Materials Research Institute at State College in Pennsylvania. He joined the University of Florida in 2003 and established the Nino Research Group (NRG), which focuses on the investigation of advanced energy materials towards enhancing their efficiency, performance, and sustainability.

He received the National Science Foundations CAREER and American Competitiveness and Innovation awards as well as the J. Bruce Wagner, Jr. Young Investigator award from the Electrochemical Society. In 2014, he received the U.S. Department of States Fulbright U.S. Scholar Innovation and Technology award. Last year, Nino served at the National Science Foundation as an expert within the Division of Materials Research. He is currently an associate editor for the Journal of the American Ceramics Society, and a coordinating editor for the Journal of Electroceramics.

The 2017-2018 Jefferson Science Fellows are the 13th class selected since the program was established by the Office of the Science and Technology Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State in 2003. The one-year assignments will begin in August of 2017.
J.B. Patil, the Chief Crew Controller in Central Railway's Solapur division (Maharashtra), was arrested for demanding Rs 20,000 bribe from the complainant for certifying his Rs 11 lakh expense claims incurred on meals coupons, gas cylinders and cleaning material during August, September and October last year.

In the other case, Hemchand, a trackman employed with Northern Railway's Moradabad division (in Uttar Pradesh) was arrested for demanding a Rs 30,000 bribe for allowing passage of the complainant's heavy vehicle through a railway crossing.

"Both the railway employees were arrested in two separate raids conducted by the CBI on the basis of complaints against them. They have been booked under charges of Prevention of Corruption Act," said Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) spokesperson R.K. Gaur.

--IANS rak/sm/vd

( 163 Words)

2017-03-06-19:30:10 (IANS)
China Daily said the move to slash rates is expected to drive forward industrial transformation and boost the upgrading and adjustment of real economy.

It reported that Li Yue, President, China Mobile -- the country's largest telecom operator -- said the domestic roaming charges account for 8 to 10 per cent of its total revenue, and removal of such fees will have an influence on the company. Li was quoted as saying that this will encourage China Mobile to improve operation and management efficiency.

"We are extremely delighted that GSMA's call to bring an end to domestic roaming fees has received resounding support from the leading operators in China, the largest telecoms market in the world," said Mittal.

"The plan to eliminate domestic roaming fees will not just promote customer convenience by ending bill shocks' but help boost usage by customers through adoption of network technologies to augment productivity, innovation and economic growth," he added.

Mittal expressed hope that operators in other countries will take the cue from China's example to usher in similar initiatives, in the interest of the customers.

The China Daily reported that China Unicom said it will increase the coverage of broadband access, develop innovative applications, and upgrade products and services in response to the initiative of "increasing broadband access speed and reducing tariff" by the authority.

--IANS ag/rn

( 285 Words)

2017-03-06-19:30:13 (IANS)
"AIIMS handed over the five 'visit reports' regarding the health condition of (the) late Chief Minister to (the) government of Tamil Nadu," an official statement said.

The papers were handed over by V. Srinivas, the Deputy Director (Administration) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), to J. Radhakrishnan of the Tamil Nadu Health Department.

Jayalalithaa was declared dead at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai on December 5 night. She was admitted on September 22 with fever and dehydration.

At the request of the Tamil Nadu government, the AIIMS deployed a team of senior specialists to visit Chennai five times from October 5 until Jayalalithaa passed away.

The AIIMS specialists were led by G.C. Khilnani, Professor in the Department of Pulmonology.

The Tamil Nadu government urged AIIMS on March 5 to hand over the "visit notes" of its specialists for its official records.

The development comes amid claims by supporters of former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam that Jayalalithaa's death needed to be probed to know if there was any foul play.

--IANS rup/rn/mr

( 211 Words)

2017-03-06-15:56:08 (IANS)
The matter is being heard by the Apex Court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra and Justices R. Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan.

The convicts - Akshay, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh - have challenged the Delhi High Court order which had sentenced them to the gallows, after keeping in view the fact that it was a rarest of the rare case.

Earlier, the trial court also had sentenced all the four convicts to death penalty.

On February 3, the Supreme Court accepted amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran's submissions that there have been violation of procedure with regard to the sentencing of the four convicts. The accused were required to file their affidavits by February 23.

Six people gang raped a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus. The woman succumbed to her injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012.

One of the accused, Ram Singh hanged himself in prison, while another man, who was a juvenile at the time of the crime, was convicted in August and will serve the maximum sentence of three years in a reform home.

On December 3, amicus curiae Sanjay Hegde questioned the evidence produced by the prosecution in the gang-rape case, and came out with certain points putting a question on the merit of evidence.

According to Hegde, one of the convicts, Mukesh, was not with the prime culprit Ram Singh when the offence was committed, since their mobile locations were found to be different on that night. (ANI)
South Korean shares edged down to more than a three-week intraday low early on Monday as retailers and travel agencies ran into trouble in China over Seoul's decision to deploy a US missile defence system. South Korea's Lotte Group, the country's fifth largest conglomerate, said on Monday four of its retail stores in China were closed after inspections by authorities, dragging shares of Lotte Shopping down by 4 percent in early trade, before a recovery brought the share back to stand just under 1 percent down as mid-session approached. The firm's difficulties in China came after affiliate Lotte International Co Ltd approved a South Korean land swap last week to allow the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, which is being installed in response to North Korea's missile threat.The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) was down 0.1 percent at 2,077.35 points as of 0239 GMT. The index reached as low as 2,067.68, its weakest since February 9. Jeong Dong-hyu, a stock analyst at Shinyoung Securities said that growing tension between Seoul and Beijing will take a toll on South Korean shares equities unless the issue is resolved."There are two scenarios. Either completing the deployment or the next administration nullifying the whole process," added Jeong.North Korea fired four ballistic missiles early in the session, three of which landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone, but had little impact on the markets. South Korea's finance ministry also said in a statement that the missile launch had no significant effect on stocks and currency markets.REUTERS SV PR0853 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-1176163.Xml
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly made history of sorts by holding its session for the first time outside Hyderabad after the bifurcation of the erstwhile united AP in 2014. The residuary state has been holding its Legislature sessions in Hyderabad since 2014 and now after a gap of six months both the Houses of the state Legislature met for their budget session in the new Assembly building complex at Velagapadu in the new capital city of Amaravathi, near here today. The budget session which began amid tight security arrangements with the customary address to the joint sitting of both the Houses by Telugu states common Governor E.S.L.Narasimhan is expected to last till the current month end. Th Business Advisory Committee (BAC) will meet soon after the Governor's address to decide about the duration of the session and business to be transacted. State Finance Minister Y Ramakrishnudu will present the general and agriculture budgets for 2017-18 on March 13. The session is expected to be a stormy one with the main opposition YSR Congress sharpening its arsenal to corner the government on the issue of Special Category Status (SCS) to the state. The move to extend suspension of firebrand YSRCP MLA Roja may also generate a lot of heat during the session.UNI SMS/DP CS 1045 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1176231.Xml
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his grand roadshows in Varanasi, the Samajwadi Party on Monday said the victory of Chief Minister Akhilesh Minister lies in the fact that the Prime Minister of the country had to relegate himself to campaign for votes in every small part of the city. SP Maharashtra unit president Abu Azmi told ANI that in comparison with Akhilesh's road show, Prime Minister Modi's cavalcade was a total 'flop show'. "Everywhere there is wave of Samajwadi Party. Akhilesh Yadav has risen to such heights that the Prime Minister of India is visiting every small part of the state and is asking for votes. I think this whole scenario is representative of the victory of the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance," he added. Further attacking the Prime Minister, Azmi said, "There was nobody standing with Prime Minister Modi, but, with Akhilesh Yadav, I can say, there hasn't been such a road show ever in the history of polls. Now, I think the Prime Minister has realised that their boat is sinking even in his own constituency." Campaigning for seventh phase and last phase of elections is in full swing in the state. Leaders and star campaigners of all major political parties are engaged in canvassing for their party and alliance candidates. A total of 40 constituencies spread over 7 districts of Eastern region of the state under this phase. Districts covered in this phase of polls are Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Bhadohi and Sonebhadra. A total of 535 candidates including 51 women are in the fray. BSP has fielded its nominees for all seats while BJP is in contest from 32 and has left 8 seats to its allies - the Apna Dal and the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party. The Samajwadi Party's candidates are in fray in 31 segments and its ally - the Congress - is in contest from 10 seats. (ANI)
The Prime Minister will later address a public rally in Rohaniya before returning to New Delhi in the evening.

Considered as the BJP's 'Brahmastra' the Prime Minister, has campaigned vigorously for his party to make its victory appear inevitable in a tough, triangular contest with SP-Congress combine and Mayawati's BSP.

Forty seats spread across seven districts of Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Sonbhadra and Jaunpur will go to the polls for the last phase on March 8. (ANI)
Talking to reporters here, BJP National Council member and former State President P K Krishna Das said his party was of the view that Dr Issac had sold the top secret Budget proposal to corporate house prior to presentation in the state assembly on March 2.

Alleging that details of the Budget proposal appeared in a section of media before presentation, he said a probe by CBI is must to unravel the truth, including involvement of graft, if any.

He said earlier too there were allegations against Dr Issac on issues such as People's Planning relating to decentralization of power to local bodies.

His party Veteran and Administrative Reforms Commission Chairman V S Achuthanandan too flayed Dr Issac on the issue through his article appeared in party organ Deshabhimani, he added.UNI PCH CS 1351

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Jharkhand's ruling BJP has taken strong exception to a delegation of tribal Christian priests, led by Ranchi Archbishop Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, meeting Governor Draupadi Murmu and demanding that the amendments to the two controversial land acts be scrapped as it was against the interest of the tribals. State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Laxman Gilua, who has launched an offensive against the Cardinal, alleged that his party had from the beginning maintained that people were being misled over the issue. He said that by meeting the Governor over the issue it is clear that the Church was backing the agitation against the amendments in the Chotanagur Tenancy Act (CNT) and Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) acts. "It is out in the open that religious heads are now indulging in politics," Gilua on Monday told reporters, adding that it was wrong on the part of the Cardinal to say that the land of the tribals would be looted if the amendments in these two acts are ratified. Gilua said that under the new amendments it has been nowhere said that land can be acquired for industrial use. The amendments only aim to facilitate the tribals to make commercial use of their own land. The religious heads should not mislead the people and should rather stick to their respective roles, he said. State BJP Vice President Sameer Oraon said that it was wrong on the part of the Cardinal to intervene in a constitutional matter. As per constitutional norms, the amendments have been sent to the Governor. He said the amendments are in the favour of the 'adivasis and the moolvasis'. BJP MLA Ramkuamr Pahan, who is also the head of the party's SC Morcha, said the Cardinal should clarify which provisions in the amendments would lead to forcible acquisition of land of the tribals. He alleged that the Cardinal was misleading the people. The Jharkhand government last November succeeded in passing the bills amending the two land acts Chhotanagur Tenancy Act (CNT) and Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act which were tabled amid protests by the opposition on November 23. The amendments were cleared by voice votes, without holding any discussion. After passage of the amendment bills, agricultural land can be used for non-agricultural purposes. The government can acquire land for infrastructure, power plants, roads, canals, panchayat buildings and others. --IANS ns/rn ( 402 Words) 2017-03-06-14:18:08 (IANS)
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences today handed over five visit reports regarding the health condition of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalaliithaa to the state government. The papers were handed over by V Srinivas, Deputy Director Administration, AIIMS, to Dr J Radhakrishnan. Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu in New Delhi. The state government had requested AIIMS yesterday for handing over the visit notes of the AIIMS delegation to Chennai for their official records. AIIMS had, at the request of the state government for expert medical advice, deployed a team of senior specialists to visit Chennai five times between October 5 and December 6, 2016 under the leadership of Dr G C Khilnani, Professor in the Department of Pulmonology, a statement here said. UNI SD AE RJ 1444 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0005-1176485.Xml
In connection to the rape case of a minor, the police today filed a second charge sheet against accused lawmaker Julius Dorphang. Rebel turned politician, Dorphang is the key accused in the alleged rape of a 14 years old minor girl in a guest house run by the son of Meghalaya Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh. The issue has snowballed into a major controversy and turned out to be a major embarrassment for the Congress led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) government with the opposition and civil society groups gunning for the head of Home Minister of the state. Earlier on February 9, the East Khasi Hills police had filed charge sheet before the Court of Special Judge (POSCO), Shillong Court, against six persons, including Mawhati MLA Dorphan, in the rape and trafficking case. The legislator was charge sheeted under Section 5 (C)/(1)/6 of the POCSO Act that calls for punishment of a public representative raping a minor. The legislator, who was supporting the Congress-led MUA-II Government, was removed from the post of chairman of Meghalaya Khadi and Village Industries Board. As many as 18 people who were directly or indirectly involved in the sexual assault of the minor had been arrested. Four more persons are yet to be arrested, while one among them identified as Sudhir Kumar Paul, whom the girl named as 'Prof Roy', has been declared an absconder by the police.UNI ABI AD1446 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1176545.Xml
In a significant haul, the sleuths of Narcotics Intelligence Bureau (NIB) seized 140 kilograms of Ganja (cannabis) meant for smuggling to Sri Lanka via the sea route from Rameswaram and arrested three people in this connection on the East Coast Road (ECR) at Devipattinam, here today. In pursuance of a tip-off received by the NIB, a special team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (NIB), Ramanathapuram G.R.Arasu intercepted a car on the ECR road and effected the seizure, police said. Three occupants of the car, identified as Muthupandi (28), Prasannapandi (29) and Ayyasamy (32) all hailing from Usilampatti in Madurai district were arrested for smuggling the narcotic substance, valued at several lakhs of rupees. Police investigation revealed that the trio procured the Ganja from Narcotic peddlers in Andhra Pradesh and were transporting the contraband in the car to Rameswaram for smuggling to Lanka in a clandestine boat. Although the Coastal Security Group of Tamil Nadu Marine Police, NIB, Indian Coast Guard and Customs officials were keeping a round-the-clock high vigil to foil the narcotic smuggling activities along the coastal areas, a network of narcotic peddlers and agents, who have links with drug cartels in Sri Lanka were clandestinely smuggling Ganja via Rameswaram due to its close proximity to the Island nation. UNI GSM CS 1502 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1176472.Xml
Mr Mohanty joined the bank in May 2014 as CFO of Retail & Products and went on to be CFO of Retail Banking segments, a position that he held before his current appointment, the banker said in a statement.

He has also held various senior roles in JP Morgan and American Express prior to joining the bank. Mr Mohanty has got rich international market experience across US, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. UNI ASH SB 1410

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Five persons were killed when a truck transporting bananas collided with a farm harvester vehicle in Madhya Pradesh, police said on Monday. Three others were injured in the accident on the Indore-Ichhwar road in Burharpur district on Sunday night, police official Subhash Pandey told IANS. The dead included both drivers. --IANS hindi-vgu/mr ( 60 Words) 2017-03-06-15:04:13 (IANS)
Former National Security Advisor of Pakistan Mahmud Ali Durrani today admitted that the 26/11 Mumbai attack was carried out by a terror group, based in Pakistan. Speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference, which was inaugurated by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Mr Durrani described the attacks on India's financial capital as the classic trans-border terror event. ''The 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan is classic trans-border terrorist event,'' said the former top Pakistan's security official, who was National Security Advisor at the time heavily armed terrorists from across border arrived at the Mumbai shore and launched attack at several locations. The standoff, which continued for over three days, had left 166 people dead, including 18 security personnel. The blunt admission on part of the former NSA is likely to put Pakistan in an embarrassing position, since Islamabad is asking for the concrete evidence from India about the involvement of Pakistan-based terrorists, especially LeT. Pakistan has been blaming India for the weak prosecution and slow progress in the ongoing trial in Islamabad and went on to suggest that LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi got bail because New Delhi couldn't provide incriminating evidence. UNI MK AE RJ 1514 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0090-1176562.Xml
The logjam over opposition demand for sacking of Bihar Excise and Prohibition minister Abdul Jalil Mastan for his uncharitable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi was broken today with opposition agreeing for taking up of question hour in the both the houses of the state legislature during the pre-lunch session. However, disorderly scenes were witnessed during zero hour with opposition demanding admission of adjournment motion on deteriorating law and order situation in the state leading to adjournment of both the houses at least one hour ahead of scheduled lunch break. The lower house witnessed disorderly scenes soon after conclusion of question hour when Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary announced rejection of an adjournment motion moved by BJP's Arun Sinha and others. Objecting to the Chair's ruling leader of the opposition Dr Prem Kumar said that law and order situation in the state had gone from bad to worse and criminals were having a field day. Citing a series of criminal incidents, he said a prominent businessman of Patna and his staff were killed in Vaishali district and criminals lodged in Saharsa jail had demanding extortion from family of Lance Naik Chandra Mishra who is posted on Indo-China border. Even as the leader of the opposition demanded statement from the government, several BJP and RLSP members trooped into the well of the house and started raising slogans denigrating the government. MORE UNI IS AKM 1633 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-1176737.Xml
A delegation of leaders from Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today called on Chief Election Commissioner Sayed Nasim Zaidi and other two Election Commissioners in Delhi and apprised them of alleged lapses in voting through postal ballots, besides other issues. Speaking to UNI over phone from New Delhi, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary Girish Chodankar said the delegation informed the CEC about the alleged lapses in postal ballot exercise in the state and flouting process in enrolling services voters.''Mask copies of postal ballots were leaked to BJP candidates, who in turn started threatening those, who were to cast votes through postal ballots. There was no secrecy and therefore, it was not a fair election. Special camps were organised, which were not according to the guidelines. ''Facilitation centres were not opened, as per the guidelines of the Election Commission. So, we demand that there should be re-poll using EVMs and votes through postal ballots scrapped,'' he said.''We raised the issue of enrollment of Army personnel as voters sidelining Booth Level Officers (BLOs). While BJP candidates were allowed to canvas, candidates of other parties were not allowed to meet those voters. Therefore, we demand that there should be re-poll in these constituencies,'' he said.''Third complaint was about expenditure of the Election Office in the state. We demand that the details of the expenditure of the office of the Chief Electoral Office should be uploaded on its website,'' he said.More UNI AKM PS RJ 1622 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1176688.Xml
Addressing a gathering here, Akhilesh Yadav said it was sad that Modi had even "divided electricity into Hindu and Muslim".

Pitching for the Samajwadi Party in the seventh and final phase of polling on Wednesday, he said allegations that more electricity was given out during Muslim festivals and less during Hindu events were baseless.

"We have responded to such false propaganda by providing statistics," the Chief Minister said.

He again asked Modi to swear by the Ganga whether Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, gets 24x7 power supply or not.

On Sunday, Modi remarked that when Akhilesh Yadav, his wife Dimple and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi went to the Kashi Vishwanath temple on Saturday, there was a 15-minute power cut.

"I do not have to prove anything or swear by Ma Ganga. Lord Shiva has proved the point that there is no round-the-clock electricity in Kashi," Modi said.

The Chief Minister on Monday asked the Prime Minister to tell the people of Varanasi what work he had done for the district.

He urged the people to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly elections.

He also pointed out how the huge crowds at last week's Varanasi road show had sent a message that people of Kashi and neighbouring areas were for the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance.

Akhilesh Yadav asked the people not to trust Modi as he had "not fulfilled any of the promises he made in the 2014 Lok Sabha election".

He also came down heavily on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, calling her previous government in the state as "pattar waali sarkar".

All that Mayawati did during her tenure was to make monuments and statues made of stone, he said.

--IANS md/in/mr/vv

( 318 Words)

2017-03-06-17:18:10 (IANS)
Commenting on the revelation made by Pakistan's former national security advisor Mahmud Ali Durrani on Mumbai 26/11 terror attack, public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam on Monday lauded the former for showing 'boldness', adding that Pakistan has been exposed thoroughly after his assertion. "Durrani has shown boldness and firmness. He has exposed Pakistan thoroughly and India's stand, as far terror attack is concerned, is totally ventilated. All this while, we were saying that terror outfits are being sponsored by Pakistan. Today's statement by Durrani clearly proves that the entire criminal conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan and Durrani, being an ex-NSA of Pakistan, knows the details," Nikam, who was a special public prosecutor in the 26/11 attack case, told ANI. Asserting that Durrani should advise the Pakistan government regarding his assertion, Nikam said the latter could not refuse the claim made by the ex-NSA of Pakistan. "To punish the perpetrators of the terrorist attack of November 26, we have given many evidences. So, the entire evidence is with the Pakistan government," he added. Earlier in the day, Durrani said the Mumbai terror attack was carried out by a terror outfit based in Pakistan and added that it was a classic trans-border terrorist event. "The 26/11 Mumbai attack, carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan, is an example of a classic trans-border terrorist event," he said while speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference being held at the Institute of Defence and Studies and Analyses. He said that because he held on this view, the government was not too pleased with, and it could one of reasons why he lost his job as the National Security Advisor (NSA). Durrani also said that Jamaat-ud-Dawachief Hafiz Saeed had no utility and Pakistan should act against him. Mahmud Ali Durrani, a retired army general, was the National Security Advisor to the Pakistani government when 10 Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai after hijacking a boat and killed at least 164 people and wounding 308 across the city. (ANI)
With Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCD) elections round the corner, the Congress today unveiled its blueprint for restructuring of the local body while holding the incumbent BJP responsible for what it called down-slide of the corporations. The Congress also attacked the Kejriwal government by saying that they had no idea of what to do with the Delhi. "With a great hope, we divided municipal corporations into three parts. But now they all are racing to touch the bottom first," Mr Chidambaram said after releasing a roadmap on making MCD 'From Deficit to Surplus'. He also added that the Delhi needs a radical restricting plan and that should be such that the people adopt it conveniently. "In next 5-10 years, this plan would help in making it a world class city." Indirectly, the former minister also took Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal head on by saying, "I heard someone wants to make Delhi London. They should first make what Delhi was 20 years back." Yesterday, Mr Kejriwal had said that he would turn Delhi into London in a year, if his party comes to power in MCD. On tainted candidates, he said, "Our approach to Municipal Corporation of Delhi must change. We must not elect such people who don't have an idea of what to do." On making cash starved MCD to surplus one, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Ajay Maken said a separate fund of Rs 2000 crore would be created for development of Infrastructure Deficit areas. He said that the corporations have potential to generate ample revenue but the current regime headed by the BJP is not working well. Among the steps that his party would take after coming into power includes bringing transparency and accountability in the system, enhancement of property tax collections, toll tax collections, outdoor advertisements and collections from parking to be streamlined. The party is also willing to issue municipal development bond in the open market, which would enable the corporations avoid dependency on centre and state. UNI ASH SHK 2000 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0388-1177315.Xml
The Supreme Court today exempted the Union of India from filing the status report made by the international tribunal whether India or Italy has the jurisdiction in the case of Italian marines, accused of killing Indian fishermen. A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Jagdish Singh Khehar, and also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and Sanjay Kishan Kaul, said the Centre need not file a status report after every three months before this court.It asked the Centre to rather file a final report when the tribunal decides whether India or Italy can try the marines. Massimiliano Latorre, one of the two Italian marines along with his associate, Salvatore Girrone, is facing murder charges for the killing of two Kerala fishermen on Kerala coast on February 15, 2012 on board ship 'MV Enrica Lexie.' The complaint was lodged by Freddy, the owner of the fishing boat 'St Antony', in which the two Kerala fishermen -- Ajesh Binki and Valentine -- were allegedly killed when the two Italian marines started firing on them apparently under the misconception that they were pirates. Following pressure from international community, India had dropped a plan to prosecute the two Italian marines under a tough new anti-piracy law. Italy says the incident occurred in international waters and that jurisdiction over the marines should lie with Rome.In April 2012, Rome had paid almost Rs 1.3 crore to each of the victims' families as compensation. In return, the families dropped their cases against the marines, but the state's case has yet to come to trial."Petitioners (Latorre and Girone) shall be liable to adhere to the time schedules fixed in relation to hearing before the international arbitral tribunal," the bench today said, adding that the final award of the tribunal be put up before it. The apex court had said all the conditions which were imposed on Girone would be applicable on Latorre as well besides putting a condition on the government to submit to it the three-monthly report about the case's progress at the tribunal. UNI XC RP1930 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1177231.Xml
Digitalisation and globalisation have democratised business, especially for SMEs, said Indonesian President Joko Widodo in his Opening Keynote Address to the first IORA Business Summit held in Jakarta today.He said that even though there are many challenges in the IOR region, businesses should see these as opportunities. Government, he said, should minimise their involvement in business activities and restrict themselves to creating an enabling policy environment and infrastructure - both physical and digital.Speaking on the occasion, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa called to strengthen blue economy in the IOR and that ocean as a unifying force in IOR and a significant source of food and energy security should be safeguarded and used sustainably for economic development. President of Mozambique highlighted the potential for tourism as a catalyst for economic development in IORA. The 21 member IORA completes its 20th anniversary this month. On this occasion, Indonesia as the current Chair of the IORA, is organising the first Leaders' Summit on 7th March. The Senior Officials Meeting, Council of Ministers Meeting and the Business Summit precede the Leaders Summit during which the IORA Concord will be announced. As a run up to the IORA Concord, the business community of IORA has prepared a Joint Declaration that will be submitted to the Leaders by the President of the Indonesian Chamber at the Leaders' Summit on 7th. India is well represented at the Summit by all major investors in Indonesia and IOR region. Speaking at the session on MSME Cooperation in IORA, Shailesh Pathak, CEO Cityinfra Capital, called for SME Facilitation an IORA SME Digital Business Model. This was endorsed by the Secretary General of IORA, Amb. K V Bhagirath who will work with FICCI, which is the Business Secretariat of IORA in India to create a pilot project which would then be scaled up to include all of IORA.Mr Puvan Sripathy, CEO GMR Airports, speaking at the session on enhancing tourism and connectivity through infrastructure shared the business model of creating tourism airports as satisfied tourists are brand ambassadors for a country. Leading companies with significant partnerships and business interests in Indonesia and IOR such as Aditya Birla, Adani Global, GMR, Feedback Infra, UPL Limited, L&T, Tata Power, TCS, Godrej, Tata Motors, City Infra, Ion Exchange, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics and constitute a significant part of this delegation.UNI ADP SHK 1849 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0429-1177068.Xml
The Award for 'Innovation' went to Dr. Deepak Pant, Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Central University of Himachal Pradesh for development of a reactor for direct conversion of waste plastic to LPG in small scale.

The Visitor's Award for 'Research' was jointly received by Dr. Shyam Sunder, Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University for his work in the area of diagnosis and treatment of Indian Kala-azar and Prof. Niranjan Karak, Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University for development of renewable resource based bio-degradable hyper-branched polymer nano-composites as self-cleaning, self-healing and bio-compatible smart sustainable futuristic material.

The honours were given on the third and final day of the Festival of Innovation in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

For selecting the winners, online applications were invited from all Central Universities for each category. A Selection Committee headed by Ms Omita Paul, Secretary to the President and comprising Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Chairman, UGC; Executive Vice-Chairperson, National Innovation Foundation and DG, CSIR screened the applications and selected the winners of the Awards. UNI NAZ SHK 2104

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Two doctors and a nun today filed an anticipatory bail plea before the Thalassery Additional Sessions Court (Adhoc 1) to avoid arrest in connection with the rape of a 16-year-old school student by priest Robin of St Sebastian Church in Kottiyoor. The petitions would be considered tomorrow.Police said the accused were identified as administrator of Christhu Raja Hospital Sister Ancy Mathew, Gynaecologist Sister Tesy Jose and Pediatrician Dr Hyderali of Christhu Raja Hospital at Thokkilangadi near Koothuparamba.Meanwhile, eighth accused nun Sister Ophelia, who is also the chief of adoption center (Holy Infant Mary Fondling) at Vythiri, also filed an anticipatory bail plea before the District Court at Wayanad.Peravoor Circle Inspector N Sunil Kumar-led team, probing this case booked seven persons, including two doctors, hospital staff and officials of orphanage under the POCSO and Juvenile Justice Act for cover up, negligence, shifting the baby from mother on the date of delivery and conspiracy over the delivery of the minor girl. Circle Inspector Sunil Kumar told UNI that those who have been booked were absconding and efforts were on to nab all of them, including the Nuns. He also said the police investigation team probing this case today filed a plea seeking police custody to Fr Robin Vadakkancheril (first accused) for questioning and took more evidence, before the Thalassery Sessions court, now he was under judicial custody at Sub jail here.It was on February 27, Fr Robin Vadakkancheril alias Mathew Vadakkancheril (48), who was the parish vicar at St. Sebastian Church, Neendunoki, near Kottiyoor in the district, which is under the Manathavady diocese was held from Chalakkudy, when he was in the preparations to flee to Canada after the case was registered against him.The child was shifted to an orphanage at Waynad on February 7 on the date of delivery and was produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Wynad on February 20 and cleared the role in the whole conspiracy..The orphanage, hospitals are run by a congregation under the St Sebastian Church and the then arrested priest, was the Manager or Director of those orphanage and hospitals. The Priest is also the manager of the school, who was studying in plus two in a school at Kottiyoor and the rape was held at his room in the church in May last. UNI AK RJ SHK 2106 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0098-1177392.Xml
In a telephonic call made to Prime Minister Modi today, Sonowal thanked him for ensuring timely arrangement in transiting the infant from Indira Gandhi International Airport to Gangaram Hospital.

"This timely intervention on the part of the Prime Minister gave a new lease of life to the baby", Sonowal added.

He further said the humanity and sensibility shown by the Prime Minister will set an example for others to follow.

The new born baby from Moran was suffering from pulmonary infection and was flown to New Delhi for advanced treatment.

Following a personal e-mail to him, Modi alerted his office which in turn asked Delhi Police to take immediate action.

At Delhi Airport, the air ambulance carrying the baby was offered priority landing.

The infant was taken out in an ambulance and rushed to Gangaram Hospital through green corridor created for the purpose as the baby reached the hospital in 13 minutes. UNI SG KK

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Police said three armed criminals started firingindiscriminately soon after the cash van carrying the amount wasparked outside the bank premises.

Even before security guard could react, he received multiple gun shot injuries and died on thespot.

Another person who had apparently gone to collect the cash was also killed in the indiscriminate firing.

One more person who had sustained gun shot injuries, also died during treatment in Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH). The criminals managed to escape with the booty unchallenged.

The deceased were identified as -- Suresh Singh, Yogeshwar Dasand driver of the van Anant Kumar.UNI KKS SJC

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''People's support is the biggest strength of National Conference, presence of which is in every nook and corner of the state,'' Dr Abdullah said, while interacting with a delegation from Leh here.

''People's unflinching faith in the party, which stands for Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian and Buddhist Itehad and opportunities of progress to all, has been a source of inspiration to carry forward the movement of people and channelise it for the betterment of all three regions and their sub-regions,'' he said, adding that leadership at local levels will have to work hard for achieving the ultimate goal.

He said the National Conference represents the urges and aspirations of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions.

Dr Abdullah also lauded the resilience and fortitude of the people of Ladakh for meeting various challenges, especially during the area remaining landlocked due to weather vagaries.

He said the National Conference will always remain in the forefront to espouse their cause to ensure that they live a dignified life with all facilities, including utility services available, at their doorsteps. UNI VBH RJ SHK 2215

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The Congress has suggested to the Election Commission of India (ECI) that there should be counting of votes of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) as well as Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines which were used for the first time in February 4 Assembly elections in Goa. Speaking to UNI, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary Girish Chodankar said,''When we met Chief Election Commissoner Sayed Nasim Zaidi and Election Commissioners Achal Kumar Jyoti and Om Prakash Rawat, I told them that your EVMs are under scanner following incidents in Maharashtra. Everybody thinks that EVMs can be tampered. So Goa could be like a lab where it could be proved that EVMs cannot be tampered. I requested them to pass an order that both counting will take place together.'' Stating that there was 100 per cent use of VVPAT machines in the assembly elections in Goa, Mr Chodankar said that he told the Commission that it was an opportunity for them to prove that EVMs could not be tampered. Mr Chodankar said that the Commissoners were convinced that it was a good suggestion and they would think over it. Mr Chodankar said that he suggested the Commissioners that the decision of recounting of votes should not rest with the Returning Officers and an order with regard to counting of votes through both the machines should be passed by the Commission. Assembly elections in Goa were held on February 4 and counting of votes is scheduled on March 11.UNI AKM SHK 2247 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0098-1177521.Xml
- Japan's Emperor Akihito paid his respects to Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Sunday on a visit to Bangkok during which he will also see the new king.Akihito, 83, and Bhumibol, who died aged 88 in October after seven decades on the throne, had a close personal relationship that stretched back to the 1960s and strengthened ties between the two Asian monarchies.Akihito and Empress Michiko, 82, visited the ornate Grand Palace, laying flowers and signing the condolence book. Bhumibol's body will be cremated at an elaborate ceremony towards the end of this year.Akihito was also due to see King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 64, who took the throne in December after the death of his widely-revered father.Once considered divine, Japan's emperor is defined in the constitution as a symbol of the state and the unity of the people. He has no political power, but his trips often have diplomatic overtones.A key regional concern for Japan has been the rise of China, with which Thailand has forged increasingly strong ties.On many of Akihito's overseas visits he has sought to soothe the wounds of World War Two, but Thailand allied itself with Japan and did not suffer casualties to the extent of many other Asian countries.Akihito last visited Thailand in 2006. His visit to Bangkok came at the end of nearly a week in Vietnam and he will return to Japan on Monday. REUTERS CJ BL2102 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1176044.Xml
North Korea on Monday morning launched four ballistic missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan, according to the Government of Japan. According to Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga, three of the four projectiles landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), an area that reaches to some 370 kilometres from the coast of Japan, EFE news reported. The launch was conducted at 7.36 a.m. local time (22.36 GMT Sunday) from the Tongchang-ri region on the northwest coast of North Korea towards the East Sea, as the Sea of Japan is known in Korea, Yonhap news agency quoted sources from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). --IANS lok/ ( 122 Words) 2017-03-06-06:12:09 (IANS)
In the wake of escalating tensions at the western border of Pakistan-Afghanistan, former Afghan president Hamid Karzai has said that Pakistan has 'no legal authority to dictate terms on the Durand line. Durand line is the 2,430-kilometre international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was established in 1896 between Sir Mortimer Durand, a British diplomat and civil servant of British India, and Abdur Rahman Khan, the Afghan Amir. However, Afghanistan does not officially recognise the international border. It has territorial claims on areas stretching from the Afghan-Pakistan border to the Indus River, comprising nearly 60 percent of Pakistani territory. "The Government of Pakistan has no legal authority to dictate terms on the Durand line. While we wish freedom for the people of #FATA from FCR and other repressive measures, we remind the Govt of Pakistan that Afghanistan hasn't and will not recognize the Durand line," Karzai tweeted. Karzai's comment comes against the backdrop of Pakistan deciding to close the border between the two states for an indefinite period on February 16 after a suicide attack took place at the Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine of in Sehwan, Sindh killing 88 people. It also comes days after Afghan envoy Omar Zakhilwala expressed his apprehensions on the same stating that Pakistan does not have a valid reason for the continued closure of crossing points on the Pak-Afghan border. Zakhilwal said Pakistan has failed to provide a 'convincing justification' for closing the border. "Argument that the closure of these crossing points was needed to stop terrorists' crossing cannot carry any weigh as these points such as Torkham and Spin Boldak have been manned by hundreds of military and other security personal and have all the checking infrastructure and equipments in place," Zakhilwal said in his Facebook post on Saturday.(ANI)
Around 239 people on board are still untraceable after the Boeing 777 went missing on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, nearly three years ago.

Australia, Malaysia and China jointly called off the underwater search in January, after the two-year hunt failed to trace the plane.

This comes after the officials probing the plane's disappearance recommended the search crews to head north to a new area identified in a recent analysis as a possible crash site. But, the Australian Government has already vetoed the idea.

Last year, China, Australia and Malaysian governments, who have helped fund the search, said they would resume the investigation only if any credible evidence on the whereabouts of the plane emerges.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished out of radar on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Though the authorities say the plane probably crashed in the Indian Ocean, but no wreckage was found by the officials despite an extensive underwater search of a vast area. (ANI)
News agency Anadolu quoted General Abdul Hamid Hamid stating that a large group of Taliban fighters attacked the check post of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) in Kunduz province early Sunday morning.

Safiullah Amiri, a member of the provincial council, said the attackers fled the scene with the arms and equipment belonging to the security forces.

Meanwhile, eastern Laghman province Governor Abdul Jabar Naeemi claimed that Taliban's major assault on the provincial capital Mehtarlam was stopped by the security forces.

Naeemi said 69 militants have been killed and over 40 others wounded as the security thwarted the militants' bid to overrun the city.

The latest attack comes days after Taliban's shadow governor for Kunduz, Mullah Abdul Salam Akhund, was killed last Sunday in an air raid by Afghan forces. (ANI)
South Korea Defense Ministry spokesman Kwon Ki-joon, said that "several projectiles" flew about 1,000 kilometers.

According to South Korean Defense Ministry official, the firing took place in North Pyongan's Tongchang-ri province, and the projectiles are believed to have landed in the East Sea of Japan.

This comes as South Korea and the United States are currently holding their annual military exercises, known as Foal Eagle.

North Korea had already denounced this exercise through state media service KCNA.

"Now that the US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces again kicked off the dangerous nuclear war drills against the DPRK at its doorstep, our army will counter them with the toughest counteractions," CNN quoted a statement. (ANI)
North Korea test-fired four ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan on Monday, in what Japan's leader described as "an extremely dangerous action", the media reported. Military in South Korea, Japan and the US all confirmed the launch of four projectiles, which one US official said were intermediate range missiles, CNN reported. Three of the four missiles landed in its Special Economic Zone (EEZ) - an area stretching some 370 km from the coastline of northern Akita prefecture, Japanese Prime Minister told parliament on Monday. "The latest launches of ballistic missiles clearly demonstrate evidence of a new threat from North Korea," Efe news reported citing Abe as saying. "These acts a very serious provocation" to Japan's security." According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the four projectiles were launched from an area near North Korea's Dongchang-ri long-range missile site at 7.36 a.m., and flew about 1,000 km, Yonhap News Agency reported. "We estimate the North fired four ballistic missiles. We are conducting an analysis (with the US) on the missiles to determine their type and other specifications. It will take a while before we can come up with a final analysis (based on American satellite data)," the statement said. Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn convened a National Security Council meeting after the launches. South Korea's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the incident and warned that the North would face consequences from its continued provocations and pursuit of nuclear and missile programs in defiance of the world's increasing pressure. Following the launch, the US has reaffirmed its commitment to defend itself and allies South Korea and Japan, by using the "full range of capabilities at our disposal". "The US strongly condemns North Korea's ballistic missile launches, which violate UN Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology," State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner said. Toner said the US "calls on all countries to use every available channel and means of influence to make clear to the North and its enablers that further provocations are unacceptable, and take steps to show there are consequences to its unlawful conduct." The latest provocation comes a day after the US said it may consider redeploying a tactical nuclear weapon in South Korea as a deterrent against growing nuclear and missile threats posed by the rogue regime. On Friday, Pyongyang threatened to conduct more missile firings in response to the two-month-long Foal Eagle exercise between Seoul and Washington, which lasts through April. In its latest provocations, Pyongyang launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile into the East Sea on February 12 to boast its military readiness and test the response from the new Donald Trump administration. It was the first test-firing of a North Korean missile since Donald Trump became the American president on January 20. --IANS ksk ( 477 Words) 2017-03-06-10:38:07 (IANS)
North Korea fired four ballistic missiles early today, three of which landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, the latest in a series of provocative tests by the reclusive state."Multiple ballistic missiles" were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the North's border with China and flew about 1,000 km (620 miles), South Korean military officials said, without providing the number of missiles."South Korea and the United States are conducting a close-up analysis, regarding further information," South Korea's Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. Acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn convened a national security meeting, South Korea's presidential office said in a text message.Japanese officials described the launches as a grave threat and said they lodged "strong protests" with nuclear-armed North Korea."The launches are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action," Abe said during lawmaker questions in parliament.No reports of damage to shipping or aircraft had been received since the launches, Japanese officials said.The US military did not immediately comment. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States also detected apparent launch activity in North Korea but declined to offer details.North Korea had threatened to take "strong retaliatory measures" after South Korea and the United States began annual joint military drills on Wednesday that test their defensive readiness against possible aggression from the North.North Korea criticizes the annual drills calling them preparation for war against it.Last year, North Korea fired a long-range rocket from Tongchang-ri that put an object into orbit. The launch was condemned by the United Nations for violating resolutions that ban the use of missile technology.North Korea test fired a new type of missile, known as the Pukguksong-2, into the sea early last month, and has said it will continue to launch new strategic weapons."Not only Pukguksong-2 but newer independent strategic weapons will fly high vigorously in the sky off the ground as long as the United States and the puppet regime are going ahead with their nuclear threat to us and an exercise for invasion war against the North," North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party said in a commentary last week.Last month's test was the first since US President Donald Trump was elected. REUTERS SDR 0601 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-1176141.Xml
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra has requested the World Bank (WB) not to terminate the revitalisation of KP and Fata (ERKF) and the Rural Livelihoods and Community Infrastructure Project (RLCIP). According to the Dawn, following the threats of cancellation of grant worth USD 27 million and the WB has been assured that its concerns would be addressed upfront and conditionality will be met on an urgent basis. "We understand that Fata secretariat is addressing our concerns and look forward to their earlier resolution. It is paramount that beneficiaries are supported without any interruption through swift decisions," the dawn quoted WB Communications Officer Mehreen Saeed, as saying. In a letter last month, the WB had warned Jhagra that the province could lose at least USD 27 million which is to be used for economic revitalisation of the province and the tribal areas, if the government did not approve PC-1s for the two key donor-funded projects.(ANI)
South Korea's Lotte Group today said more than 10 of its Chinese retail stores have been closed after inspections by authorities, as Seoul protests discrimination against the conglomerate in China after it provided land for a US missile defence system.The closures include two stores around the city of Dandong on the North Korean border, said a spokesman for Lotte Mart. The unit had 115 stores in China as of January contributing to group sales there of over 3 trillion won ($2.6 billion) in 2015.The spokesman could not provide further details, but employees at the two Dandong outlets told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the closures were fire-safety related. One of the stores was expected to reopen in a week's time and the second on April 1, the people said.Reuters could not immediately reach local fire safety authorities for comment.The closures are the latest in a series of incidents affecting South Korean companies in China after cyber attacks and a ban on sales of travel tours to South Korea.The incidents come after Lotte International Co Ltd approved a land swap outside Seoul last week that will allow South Korea to install the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, in response to missile threat from North Korea.South Korea's military earlier on Monday said North Korea fired "multiple ballistic missiles" into the sea prompting acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn to call for THAAD's swift installation.But China's government has objected to the deployment of THAAD, saying it has a radar capable of penetrating its territory, while state media has called for a boycott of South Korean goods and services.PROTESTS OUTSIDE LOTTE STORESOn Chinese social media on Monday, photos and videos circulated of protests outside Lotte stores, while others showed Lotte outlets with their steel grates pulled shut.Outside one store, a red banner with large white characters read: "South Korea's Lotte has declared war on China. Lotte supports THAAD. Get the hell out of China".The protests come days after Lotte Duty Free on Thursday said a cyber attack using Chinese internet protocol (IP) addresses had crashed its website. It is currently back online.The Lotte Group in a statement on Sunday said it was seeking assistance from the South Korean government regarding the issues it was facing in China, its biggest market where it employs around 20,000 people - a third of its overseas staff.Today, shares in Lotte Shopping Co Ltd, of which Lotte Mart is a business division, fell as much as 4 percent compared with a near-flat benchmark share price index .Lotte's troubles expanded to South Korea last Thursday as China's tourism ministry instructed tour operators in Beijing to stop selling trips to South Korea from March 15.The order has since spread to other regions across the mainland, an official at Korea Tourism Organization said today.One Chinese company cancelled its plan to send some 5,000 employees to South Korea's Incheon city in April, the official said, adding there were concerns about more such cancellations.China also cancelled its invitation on Friday for South Korea's trade minister Joo Hyung-hwan to attend its annual Boao forum, the ministry said on Monday. The forum's office cited a lack of panels for a session to which Joo was invited, the ministry said, without elaborating.On Sunday, Joo expressed "deep concerns over a series of actions in China" and protested against discriminating action by China towards South Korean companies."We will act accordingly to international law against any actions that violate policies of the World Trade Organization or the free trade agreement between South Korea and China," he said. ($1 = 1,154.0000 won) REUTERS SV NS1411 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-1176470.Xml
Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak rebuked North Korea today as his government prepared to kick out its envoy following his disrespectful comments over the investigation into the murder of the North Korean leader's estranged half brother.If North Korean agents did kill Kim Jong Nam, as U.S. officials and South Korean intelligence suspect, the decision to assassinate him on Malaysian soil could cost the isolated, nuclear-armed state one of the few friends that it has.Malaysia's outrage over the incident was heightened by the assassins use of VX nerve agent, a chemical so toxic that it is on a U.N. list of weapons of mass destruction.North Korea has refused to accept that the victim of the Feb. 13 murder at Kuala Lumpur International Airport was leader Kim Jong Un's half brother, and its ambassador accused Najib's government of colluding with external forces and said the investigation could not be trusted.Najib had branded Ambassador Kang Chol "diplomatically rude" and, angered by the lack of an apology, the Malaysian government on Saturday gave him 48 hours to leave."They should have apologised. So based on principles, we have declared him persona non grata," Najib told reporters at the parliament."This means that we are firm on the question of our honour... there is no one who can undermine us or disrupt us as they please," he said.Asked whether Malaysia, which recalled its ambassador to Pyongyang for consultations, would be reviewing diplomatic ties with North Korea, Najib was noncommittal."We will see. We'll take it one step at a time."The North Korean embassy has maintained silence since the expulsion order and Ambassador Kang has not appeared in public. He is supposed to leave Malaysia by 6 p.m. Monday (1000 GMT). The two country have maintained friendly ties since the 1970s, and until this week Malaysia was one of the few countries that North Koreans could enter visa without a visa. But that privilege has been revoked.So far, Malaysian prosecutors have charged an Indonesian woman and a Vietnamese woman for the murder.But police have identified eight North Koreans, including a senior embassy official and state airline employee, wanted for questioning in the probe. Police say that four of the North Koreans police they want to interview left Malaysia in the hours after the murder.Only one North Korean suspect was apprehended, but after a week in custody Ri Jong Chol was deported on Friday after being released due to insufficient evidence.Speaking to reporters in Beijing on Saturday, Ri accused Malaysia of using coercion to try to extract a confession."I realised that this is a conspiracy, plot, to try to damage the status and honour of the republic," Ri said.Kim Jong Nam, who had been living in the Chinese territory of Macau under Beijing's protection, had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of isolated, nuclear-armed North Korea. REUTERS SV GC1425 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-1176508.Xml
"26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan is classic trans-border terrorist event," he said.

He added that Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed has no utility and Pakistan should act against him.

Mahmud Ali Durrani, a retired army general, was the National Security Advisor to the Pakistani government when 10 Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai after hijacking a boat and killed at least 164 people and wounding 308 across the city.

"26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan is classic trans-border terrorist event," Durrani said while speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference being held at the Institute of Defence and Studies and Analyses.

He said that because he held on this view, the government was not too pleased with, and it could one of reasons why he lost his job as National Security Advisor (NSA).

Durrani was Pakistan's NSA when 10 Pakistani terrorists, who arrived via sea route from Karachi, launched coordinated attacks across Mumbai.

It took security forces three days to flush out the terrorists as they launched indiscriminate firing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal, the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the Oberoi Trident Hotel, Leopold Cafe and the Nariman House Jewish Centre.Durrani was removed from the post in 2009.

New Delhi has provided ample evidence to Islamabad over involvement of top Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders in the November 26, 2008 attacks. However, Pakistan has denied all such allegations blaming 'non-state actors' for the incident.(ANI)
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte approved on Monday a broadband internet plan, estimated to cost up to $4 billion, aimed at boosting access and service quality in a country growing at one of the world's fastest rates but lagging behind peers in connectivity.The Southeast Asian nation is plagued by poor internet coverage and low bandwidth, frustrating businesses and consumers, which complain of lackluster services. The telecoms duopoly of PLDT Inc and Globe Telecom Inc have already been warned by Duterte to shape up, or face new competition."President Duterte has approved the establishment of a National Government Portal and a National Broadband Plan," agriculture minister Emmanuel Pinol said in a Facebook post after a Cabinet meeting.Pinol said Duterte had emphasized the need for faster internet connection by rolling out a broadband plan that includes the deployment of fiber optics cables and wireless technologies.Details of the project are yet to be announced. Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Rodolfo Salalima has earlier estimated the project could cost somewhere between 77 billion pesos ($1.53 billion) to 200 billion pesos ($3.98 billion).The five-year plan revives a project from the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a key ally of Duterte, whose government had to abandon a $329 million broadband plan involving China's ZTE Corp in 2007 due to allegations of graft connected to the deal.The new plan aims to connect government offices across the country and increase internet penetration, especially in far-flung areas.It would benefit the country's $23 billion Business Process Outsourcing sector, which employs over a million Filipinos and has recorded double-digit growth for the past decade.REUTERS PY NS1600 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1176646.Xml
China's third most powerful leader said today that Beijing had the right to "step in" to Hong Kong's leadership contest, according to local politicians who met him, in remarks fuelling fears of meddling from Communist Party leaders.The comments by Zhang Dejiang, the head of China's parliament and its leading official on Hong Kong issues, came after other officials played down rumours that Beijing was interfering in a race pitting China's preferred candidate against a more popular figure.Under laws governing the former British colony since its return to Chinese rule in 1997, autonomous Hong Kong has the right to choose its chief executive via a 1,200-strong election committee stacked with Beijing loyalists.The committee is due to vote at the end of this month to decide between two former officials and a retired judge to lead the freewheeling city of 7.3 million people.But the independence of the election has been questioned, with several election committee members telling media they had received phone calls from people with ties to the Chinese government trying to influence their votes.The head of Beijing's representative office in Hong Kong, Zhang Xiaoming, said over the weekend that allegations of intervention were only rumours.Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the National People's Congress, said it was important for the election to proceed smoothly and stressed the significance of the chief executive's role as a link between Beijing and the Asian financial hub, according to the convener of the Hong Kong delegation to the congress, Maria Tam."It is a very important role, so the central government has the right to step in," Tam told reporters in her summary of Zhang's comments.Zhang also warned the delegation during the annual parliamentary meetings in Beijing that Hong Kong should not allow politics to dominate life in the city.He added that it was unfortunate that "street politics" had become a part of everyday life in Hong Kong while the neighbouring Shenzhen city was catching up economically."It is quite possible that Shenzhen can overtake Hong Kong in two years," Tam cited Zhang saying.Calls to the central government's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office seeking comment went unanswered. China's Foreign Ministry, the only department which regularly answers questions from foreign reporters, declined to comment.Hong Kong returned to China under a "one country, two systems" formula that allows freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland. China bristles at dissent, however, especially over issues such as demands for universal suffrage.This month's election is the first since mass pro-democracy street protests rocked Hong Kong in late 2014."EXTRAORDINARY AND OUTSTANDING"Beijing's support means former Hong Kong civil service head Carrie Lam is tipped as the favourite in the contest despite losing popularity polls to an ex-colleague, former Financial Secretary John Tsang.Tsang had previously rejected speculation that Beijing did not trust him despite his almost decade-long tenure as financial secretary.But during the meeting Zhang stressed "many times" that the next chief executive needs to be "extraordinary, outstanding" and have Beijing's trust, said Hong Kong delegate and election committee member James Tien."The implication is that being a secretary for 10 years doesn't necessarily mean the person is qualified as a chief executive," Tien said.Tien added some committee members expected the Beijing leadership to make its final preference known closer to the election.The central government is legally required to officially appoint the winner of the committee's election.Another delegate, the former head of Hong Kong's legislature, Rita Fan, denied that Beijing was intervening in the race, adding it had the right to voice its opinions."As a stakeholder, the central government has a right to express its views, and it hopes people can take its opinions into consideration," Fan said.But critics say Zhang's comments just weeks before the polls would further undermine the "one country, two systems" principle, which has come under strain, especially since the shadowy detention of five Hong Kong booksellers in late 2015."The central government might as well just tell us directly who to vote for and we all become rubber stamps," said pro-democracy legislator and election committee member Lam Cheuk-ting.REUTERS PY VP1650 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1176676.Xml
The German government today rejected Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's comparison of current German policies to the Nazi era, urged both sides to stay "calm and level-headed" and not lose sight of the close ties that bind the two NATO allies."We firmly reject any comparisons between the policies of the democratic Federal Republic of Germany and the Nazi times," government spokesman Steffen Seibert told a regular government news conference. "Such comparisons are always absurd and out of place because they lead to only to one thing: a trivialisation of crimes against humanity."Seibert said Germany would continue to allow Turkish politicians to speak in Germany as long as they were open about their intentions and did not import Turkish conflicts to Germany. He also said the European Union should investigate to ensure that funds paid to Turkey to pave the way for its accession to the EU were achieving their intended purpose.REUTERS PY GC1656 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1176787.Xml
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday confessed there was inadequate security at the time of the deadly suicide attack at the shrine of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan last month as some VVIP had arrived at the shrine an hour before the attack and took security personnel with him. The chief minister told lawmakers in Sindh Assembly that in Sehwan every now and then "so-called VVIPs" arrive and I'm not talking about politicians. I don't want to spell out who arrived there half an hour ago and took security personnel with him, he was not a politician but I do not want to blame anybody for this, reports the Express Tribune. "As I have told you the deployment of police was insufficient there [Sehwan]. I agree with you on this that police deployment was less and there were no proper [security] arrangements," he said. Addressing the provincial assembly members, Shah said the government did not receive any specific terror threat but there was an overall security threat in the province. Shah said that following the attack he had visited a few other Sufi shrines and held several security meetings to setup a comprehensive security plan. Meanwhile he rejected media reports that the CCTV cameras were not working at Sehwan shrine at the time of the attack. "This is not correct. It was due to load-shedding that camera resolutions were not good because they were functioning on generators which produce low voltage," he explained. At least 80 people were killed in the deadly attack claimed by Islamic State. (ANI)
The FBI is helping the hunt by the Seattle city police for an attacker who told a Sikh man to "go back to your own country" and shot him -- in the second xenophobic attack on Indians in the past two weeks. India has voiced deep concern and stressed the need to prevent such incidents. The US State Department has also, on behalf of the Donald Trump administration, expressed condolences and said they are working on the case. The 39-year-old victim, a US national of Indian origin, was identified by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as Deep Rai. He received a bullet injury on his arm in the attack on Friday. The Indian Embassy in Washington tweeted that Indian envoy Navtej Sarna "conveyed our deep concerns to the US government on recent tragic incidents". Sarna said that India has "underlined the need to prevent such incidents and protect the Indian community" and the embassy was coordinating with "all agencies concerned to ensure speedy justice". The Indian embassy said that the "State Department, on behalf of US government, expressed condolences and assured they are working" on it. A statement on Sunday from the FBI's Seattle office said the bureau remains "committed to investigating crimes that are potentially hate-motivated", the Seattle Times reported. Sushma Swaraj had tweeted that she has spoken to Sardar Harpal Singh, the father of the victim. "He told me that his son had a bullet injury on his arm. He is out of danger and is recovering in a private hospital," she wrote. Rai was working on his car in front of his house in Kent city on Friday night when the gunman, described as white and who had his face partially covered, opened fire at him and fled, the police said. "This is a top priority investigation, and we are doing everything possible to identify and arrest the suspect," Kent Police chief Ken Thomas said, adding that the city of about 120,000 should "be vigilant". Thomas said the gun shot victim has been discharged from the hospital. The shooting also created fear within the Sikh community with its members called on law enforcement to investigate the racially-motivated attack, the Seattle Times reported. Jaswinder Singh, of the Gurdwara Sikh Center of Seattle, said the group has received many calls and messages of support since the incident. "It's kind of scary to hear about things like this, but we definitely have been getting tremendous support from the community," he said. The Sikh Coalition, a national civil rights group, asked local and federal authorities to investigate the shooting in suburban Seattle as a hate crime. The attack reverberated across the nation, with Mayor de Blasio condemning it from New York. "As mayor of the city with the nation's largest Indian community, my message is clear: this is your city and this is your country," De Blasio tweeted. Sikh community leader in Washington state, Satwinder Kaur, said: "Everybody who is part of this community needs to be vigilant." "It is scary. The community has been shaken up," she said. The incident comes after Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was shot dead, and his friend Alok Madasani was injured in a shooting incident at a Kansas City bar on February 22. The shooter, US Navy veteran Adam Purinton, 51, was charged with premeditated murder and two counts of attempted murder. Authorities are investigating the attack as a hate crime after witnesses said he started yelling racial slurs, including "get out of my country". On Thursday, another Indian, Harnish Patel, 43, who ran Speedee Mart in Lancaster, was shot dead outside his house by an unidentified assailant. However, the police have said the killing did not appear to be racially motivated. Harnish, who originally hailed from Vadodara in Gujarat, was living in the US with his family for over 14 years. US President Donald Trump had condemned the shooting of Kuchibhotla. He had said America stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms. --IANS rn/vt ( 678 Words) 2017-03-06-17:14:09 (IANS)
Britain today urged Kenya to restore law and order in the north of the country after a British rancher was shot dead there.Numerous attacks have taken place in drought-stricken Laikipia region in recent months as armed cattle herders searching for scarce grazing have driven tens of thousands of cattle onto private farms and ranches from poor quality communal land. At least a dozen people have been killed.The most recent victim was Tristan Voorspuy, a British army veteran who held dual Kenyan and British citizenship and ran a company called Offbeat Safaris.Nic Hailey, Britain's high commissioner (ambassador) to Kenya, said he had repeatedly conveyed to the Kenyan government Britain's concern over the situation in Laikipia."(I) continue to urge the Kenyan authorities to take all necessary steps urgently to restore law and order, and to protect life and property in the area," he said in a statement.Sarah Korere, a member of parliament for Laikipia North, told Reuters on Sunday the violent land invasions were being stoked by politicians seeking votes from particular ethnic blocs in a national election scheduled for August.Kenya's interior minister, Joseph Nkaisserry, said the head of the country's criminal investigation directorate had been dispatched to the area to lead the investigation, adding 379 "illegal grazers" had already been arrested.He said Voorspuy's body had been taken away from the crime scene by security personnel after the pastoralists had earlier prevented neighbours from retrieving it.Kenya has a history of ethnic clashes and political violence. The last election, in 2013, passed relatively peacefully but more than 1,200 people were killed following a disputed poll in 2007.REUTERS CJ RK2210 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1177477.Xml
U.S. President Donald Trump walks with his grandchildren Arabella Kushner (L) and Joseph Kushner (R) to board Marine One from the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, March 3, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday demanded Congress investigate the "potentially politically motivated" wiretapping of him ordered by his predecessor Barack Obama during the 2016 presidential race.

The White House said in a statement that reports concerning such politically motivated investigations "are very troubling."

"President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016," the statement said.

It added that neither the White House nor the president will comment further until such oversight is conducted.

On Saturday, Trump openly claimed Obama had his "wires tapped" in Trump Tower in New York before the 2016 Election Day in November.

"Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!" Trump tweeted in a series of five tweets on Saturday morning.

Trump also compared the alleged wiretapping by Obama to the "Watergate" scandal, which brought down former Republican President Richard Nixon after it was exposed that he ordered wiretapping of the Democratic Party in the 1970s.

Trump did not detail how he got the information, nor provide any proof to support his accusation against Obama.

However, Obama immediately refuted Trump's accusation as "simply false."

"A cardinal rule of the Obama Administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice," Obama's spokesman Kevin Lewis said in a statement on Saturday.

"As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false," he said.

Trump's "wiretapping" accusation came after days of media reports about the contacts between some members of his campaign team and Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Thursday he will recuse himself from any current or future investigations into Russia's possible link with Trump's presidential campaign, after admitting he met with Kislyak twice last year but didn't reveal it at the Senate hearings for his confirmation.

There have been suggestions that contacts between Trump campaign team and Russia were picked up by intelligence agencies as part of routine surveillance of the Russians.

Trump and his aides have denied there were any improper contacts. But the media reports about the phone talks between Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn with Kislyak during the transition period already led to Flynn's resignation last month.

Several congressional committees are currently investigating Trump team's contacts with Russia, which was accused of interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential race to help Trump through hacking activities. Russia has strongly denied such accusation.
NEW YORK, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been caught intently looking at a newspaper story about Vice President Pence's email issues, according to local media reports.

While sitting in a Boston-to-New York flight, Clinton was caught by a passenger to be glancing at a front-page story in USA Today "Pence used personal email in office."

The photo posted on the passenger's Twitter acount was quickly and widely circulated.

Clinton's 2016 Democratic presidential bid was mired in her use of private email server to send and receive official State Department information.

An FBI investigation concluded that Clinton's actions were "extremely careless" but not criminal.

Pence used his email account, which was hacked last summer, at times to discuss sensitive matters and homeland security issues when he was governor of Indiana, the Indianapolis Star reported on Thursday.

"I am very confident our email practices were in compliance with Indiana's laws," Pence told reporter Friday in Wisconsin.

He also said there is "no comparison whatsoever" between his situation and Clinton's, considering she "mishandled classified information" and "destroyed" email requested by members of Congress and other officials.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 5 (Xinhua) -- An international team of researchers has found that rain and snow may play a more important role than how hot or cold it is for the evolution of plants and animals.

By reviewing 168 published studies that measured natural selection over certain time periods for plant and animal populations worldwide, the team concluded that between 20 and 40 percent of variation in selection within studies could be attributed to variability in local precipitation.

The 20 biologists from the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia published their findings in the journal Science.

"We demonstrate that variation in selection is commonly coupled to shared climatic conditions, particularly aspects of precipitation," said Stephanie Carlson, associate professor of freshwater fish ecology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a co-author on the study. "Whether or not adaptive evolution will occur in response to this selection is unclear, but our results do suggest that climate change has the potential to alter adaptation across the globe."

"This is significant, especially considering the global scale of the study," Adam Siepielski, assistant professor at the University of Arkansas and study leader, was quoted as saying in a news release from UC Berkeley. "These results also suggest that variation in selection is actually partly predictable based on shared climate features like precipitation."

Meanwhile, the team found that changes in temperature had much less effect than precipitation. "Temperature didn't have much explanatory power," Siepielski said. "It might act on a different scale that we couldn't pick up in the data set."
TOKYO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The DPR Korea launched four missiles Monday morning and three fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone, said Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.
SYDNEY, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Australian dollar made gains against its U.S. counterpart on Monday as profit taking caused the greenback to drop value overnight.

At the Asian open, one Australian dollar bought 75.94 U.S. cents, a sizeable jump from the 1700 local time AEDT amount of 75.54 U.S. cents on Friday.

Joseph Capurso, currency strategist at the Commonwealth Bank said that China's positive economic news will help boost the Australian dollar in the short term.

"The Australian dollar may recieve some short term support following news over the weekend that China's government is strongly committed to infrastructure investment in railway, road and water conservation," Capurso said.

"High commodity prices have improved the outlook for Australia's economy and reduced the Australian dollar's overvaluation."

At 0800 local time AEDT, one Australian dollar buys 75.89 U.S. cents.
SYDNEY, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Australian share market opened slightly down Monday, with great performances by the mining sector following the release of China's work report, offset by separate losses in the healthcare and consumer sectors.

At 1057 local time AEDT, the S&P/ASX200 index was down 5.9 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5723.7 points, while the broader scoped All Ordinaries was down 7.6 points, or 0.13 percent, to 5767.8 points.

Evan Lucas, market analyst at IG, told Xinhua the market is holding up quite well, with China's economic figures released boosting the mining sector.

"What is also quite impressive is if you have a look at the current top 10 best performers, it's things like Fortescue, Bluescope Steel, and Rio Tinto." Lucas said.

In the banking sector, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia was down 0.2 percent, the National Bank of Australia was also down 0.16 percent, ANZ struggled, down 0.39 percent, while Westpac bucked the trend and gained a solid 0.46 percent.

In the mining sector, a strong early performance saw BHP Billiton gain 1.03 percent, Rio Tinto were also solid, up 1.31 percent, Newcrest also did well, up 0.95 percent, while Fortescue surged ahead in trade, up 2.23 percent.

The oil and gas majors had a hard open, with Santos down 1.36 percent, Oil Search also fell, down 1.13 percent, while Woodside Petroleum were relatively flat, only down 0.03 percent in early trade.

Grocery giant Woolworths was up a minor 0.04 percent, while rival Wesfarmers had a hard morning down 0.79 percent.

Biotech firm CSL struggled, down 0.95 percent, airline Qantas had no gain, while telco giant Telstra had a morning boost, up 0.55 percent.

At 1121 local time AEDT, one Australian dollar buys 75.83 U.S. cents.
SEOUL, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has fired multiple ballistic missiles into east waters as combined forces of South Korea and the United States launched their joint military exercises, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea said Monday.

The JCS was quoted by local media as saying that several ballistic missiles of an unidentified type were fired from Tongchanri-ri in the DPRK's northwest region at about 7:36 a.m. local time (2236 GMT on Sunday).

The missiles flew about 1,000 km into the east waters. The Tongchang-ri is home to the DPRK's Sohae Satellite Launching Station where a long-range rocket was launched in February last year following the nuclear detonation the previous month.

Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary confirmed the missile launch, saying four missiles were fired and three fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The DPRK's missile launches came after Seoul and Washington kicked off the Foal Eagle field training exercise on March 1.
CANBERRA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Australian Trade Minister Steve Ciobo will this week lead a delegation of business leaders to Jakarta for the 2017 Indonesia-Australia Business Week (IABW), with securing greater export opportunities for Australian businesses firmly on the agenda.

Steve Ciobo, Australian minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, has said as Australia's closest neighbor, Indonesia is a vital market for Australian exporters, especially considering that "tens of millions" of Indonesian households would soon be joining the burgeoning middle class.

"IAWB will help create more export opportunities for Australian businesses by focusing on industry sectors where Australian expertise is well matched to commercial potential in Indonesia," Ciobo said in a statement released Monday.

"The 120-strong Australian business delegation will participate in a program of 57 events across five cities including Jakarta, Surabaya, Bali and Lombok.

"The program will highlight opportunities in vocational education and training, tourism, financial services and technology, water and sustainable urban design and agribusiness supply chains."

"With a population of more than 255 million and an economy approaching 1 trillion U.S. dollars, there is enormous scope to expand our trade with Indonesia -- our 13th largest trading partner."

"Tens of millions of new Indonesian households are forecast to join the middle class over the next five years, presenting significant opportunities for Australian exporters to supply the growing needs of Indonesian consumers with Australian goods and services."

Ciobo said the trade mission would also provide an opportunity for the government to "progress" its "top trade priority", the Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA).

"Indonesian Trade Minister (Enggar) Lukita and I will meet again this week as we work to finalize negotiations by the end of the year," Ciobo said.

"Momentum is building for an ambitious IA-CEPA following the recent visit to Australia by President (Joko) Widodo."

"During the visit it was announced Indonesia would cut sugar tariffs for Australian exports -- a big win for our cane growers. This followed Indonesia's decision to expand live cattle import requirements that will allow Australia to export more live cattle -- another great early IA-CEPA outcome."

Ciobo's visit to Indonesia comes as Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also prepares to visit Jakarta to attend the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) summit, also this week.
SYDNEY, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Common medications in Australia can cost 3.7 times as much as the global benchmark, a study has found.

The report, published by the Grattan Institute on Monday, found that drug prices in Australia remain "unacceptably high."

The Grattan Institute said that even after a round of price cuts expected in April under the "price disclosure" policy, drug prices in Australia will still be 3.7 times more expensive on average than the benchmark best price.

Prices in Australia are almost twice those in Britain and 3.1 times higher than prices in New Zealand.

Stephen Duckett, a health economist at the Grattan Institute, said that the governments price disclosure policy is working too slowly.

"If a more effective policy had been in place, the savings to the government, and therefore taxpayers and patients, would have been much greater," Duckett told the Guardian Australia on Monday.

"This report identifies savings of hundreds of millions of dollars a year that can be made if the government pursues a better drug deal. With a mounting budget repair task, and the need to find money to fund new and better drugs, the government should grab this low-hanging fruit."

The report identified the therapeutic group premium, whereby different drugs that treat the same condition are clustered into therapeutic groups after which the government subsidises the cheapest drug in each group, as being far too narrow.

Australia has applied the policy to seven groups, compared to 30 therapeutic groups covered by a similar policy in Germany.

"The way the therapeutic group premium operates in Australia is bad," the report found.

"There are too few drug groups, and the current policy tolerates higher prices for drugs which are largely equivalent to cheaper versions."

Duckett said the government would save more than 150 million U.S. dollars a year if it increased the number of groups to 18.

"What we are saying with this report is that while price disclosure has been somewhat effective, there are a number of measures the government could introduce to supplement price disclosure and create additional savings," Duckett said.

"The government has to be looking for every possible saving, especially if they are considering lifting the Medicare rebate freeze, which will cost them billions of dollars each year."
by Will Koulouris

SYDNEY, March 6 (Xinhua) -- China's science and technology sector has been surging forward rapidly over the past decade, according to a leading Australian scientist.

Professor Andrew Dempster, director of the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research at the University of New South Wales told Xinhua in a recent interview that specific examples, such as the BeiDou navigation satellite system, demonstrate China's strong commitment to science.

"In the last few decades we've seen significant advancements coming out of China," Dempster said.

"For a long time GPS and GLONASS were the only satellite navigation systems around, but now the BeiDou system coming out of China is growing very rapidly."

Dempster said the satellite system, currently serving the Asian region, will be ready for global deployment soon, utilizing the BeiDou-2 and BeiDou-3 satellites.

"It's been quite a rapid deployment, and it is very impressive the way China has gone about doing that."

Although satellite navigation is Dempster's area of specific expertise, he is well versed in space technology, and is very impressed with recent technological advances coming out of China's space sector.

"A couple of things that happened last year, the one that is of particular interest to us, and is really a world first, is the Quantum communications satellite," Dempster said.

"I think it may have caught some Western observers a little bit by surprise that China is able to launch that experiment."

Dempster said the satellite, which makes "perfectly secure" communications possible, had previously only been possible in the theoretical realm, which China's scientists have now made a reality.

China's space program was another aspect of the science and technology surge that had Dempster excited, with the space mission late last year witnessing two Chinese astronauts return from space after a 33 day stay on the Tiangong-2 space lab, demonstrating China's strong space program.

"It was very impressive that the astronauts were able to stay up there for one month," Dempster said.

"It is evident that the Chinese space program is in a very healthy state."

Dempster attributes part of China's strong growth in science to education, with significant progress being made in not only sending students abroad to study, but through partnerships with global universities, partnerships that saw Dempster himself teach in China.

"Twice I've been to Beijing to run courses on satellite navigation at Beihang University," Dempster said.

The commitment to education, Dempster said, occurs not only at the university level, but is supported by the work done by the Chinese Government to nurture the burgeoning sector.

"There is a good recognition at the top level of government of the value of the knowledge economy," Dempster said.

"When you have commitment at the government level to developing science, a good commitment to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in high schools and junior schools bodes very well for the progress of science."

In terms of the future, Dempster envisions even further progress by scientists in China, and believes China based researchers may receive the highest global recognition for their rapid advancements.

"I don't see any reason why a Chinese scientist would not win a Nobel Prize," Dempster said.

"China has shown strong commitment to the development of science. I see only positive developments for science in China for at least the next decade."
WELLINGTON, March 6 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's top military officer left for Timor-Leste Monday in a show of support for the young Pacific nation's security.

The Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Tim Keating, said he would hold talks with Commander of the Timor-Leste Defence Force Major General Lere Anan Timur, Prime Minister Dr Rui Maria de Araujo and President Taur Matan Ruak.

"This is a good opportunity to discuss issues of mutual interest and reaffirm New Zealand's commitment to Timor-Leste's security and prosperity," Keating said in a statement.

"New Zealand has a long history of defence cooperation with Timor-Leste, and a considerable number of current and former NZDF (New Zealand Defence Force) personnel were deployed to the country in various rotations to help ensure stability after the independence referendum from Indonesia in 1999," he said.

"The NZDF continues to maintain a small presence in Timor-Leste, with two personnel currently deployed as part of the Mutual Assistance Program, providing logistics training and strategic advice to the Timor-Leste Defence Force."

The visit is the latest in a series of exchanges to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Last week Prime Minister Rui Araujo and two other ministers visited New Zealand and held talks with Prime Minister Bill English.

Timor-Leste gained independence from Indonesia in 2002.

Keating would go on to Perth, Australia, from Timor-Leste to observe Exercise Ocean Explorer, an Australian-led maritime military exercise involving three New Zealand ships.
SEOUL, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) test-fired four ballistic missiles into east waters early Monday as combined forces of South Korea and the United States launched their joint military exercises last week, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea said.

The JCS was quoted by local media as saying that four ballistic missiles of an unidentified type were fired from an area near Tongchanri-ri in the DPRK's northwest region at about 7:36 a.m. local time (2236 GMT on Sunday).

The missiles flew about 1,000 km into the eastern waters.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said three out of the four DPRK ballistic missiles fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone.

DPRK has not made any comment on the missile launch yet.

The Tongchang-ri is home to the DPRK's Sohae Satellite Launching Station where a long-range rocket was launched in February last year to put a satellite into orbit.

The February rocket launch followed the DPRK's fourth nuclear detonation in the previous month, which brought about the toughest-ever UN Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang. It was followed by the DPRK's fifth nuclear test in September last year.

The South Korean military is analyzing the missile launches jointly with the U.S. forces, maintaining a full defense readiness for any possible DPRK provocations, according to the JCS.

The DPRK's test-launches came in a possible retaliation to the annual U.S.-South Korea springtime war game that kicked off on March 1. Pyongyang has denounced it as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion.

The Foal Eagle field training exercise is scheduled to last by the end of April, mobilizing U.S. strategic assets such as a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and stealth fighter jets.

On Feb. 12, the DPRK also test-fired a new type of Pukguksong-2 intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) in the launch supervised by top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.

The IRBM, which was fired at an almost vertical angle of 89 degrees, blasted off to the highest altitude of 550 km and flew about 500 km. If it was launched at a normal angle, it would have traveled over 2,000 km, according to the South Korean intelligence agency's analysis.
BERLIN, March 5 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel took a narrow lead of 1 percent compared with her rival Martin Schulz in the federal elections in September, according to a poll of the opinion research institute Emnid released on Sunday.

The result, published in the German newspaper Bild, came after a Infratest dimap's poll put the chance of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SPD) ahead of Merkel's Christian Democratic Party (CDU) on Feb. 23.

This marked the first time in a decade that an opposition party has led the governing party in a poll.

"SCHULZ-FACTOR"

Both polling institutes asked at least 1,000 eligible voters "if there is a general election next Sunday, which party would you vote for?"

The 61-year-old SPD candidate Schulz, president of the European Parliament from 2012 till this year, has been hopeful to become the first German chancellor from his party in 15 years.

Since his nomination on Jan. 24 as the SPD candidate in the federal elections, the party's nominal share of the vote has seen a 12-percent rise up from 20 percent, which the German media said should attribute to the "Schulz-factor."

The SPD, in a governing coalition with Merkel's CDU since 2013, has struggled to regain popularity following the unpopularity of the labor market reforms among voters. Its introduction of an 8.5-euro minimum wage in 2015 has not helped improve its electorial performance either.

The current party leader Sigmar Gabriel agreed in January to step down before September elections considering the growing support for Schulz.

However, Reinhard Schlinkert, founder and president of Infratest dimap, told Xinhua that "elections will be in September. At the moment, 36 percent of voters are still undecided. Let's wait and see."

MERKEL'S "ACHILLES' HEEL"

For her part, Merkel has been facing the most severe electoral challenge since taking office in November 2005. Her refugee policy has sparked stern criticism in particular from the anti-EU and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Since 2015, the female leader has permitted the entrance of 1.5 million refugees, the majority of whom had fled the conflict in Syria.

The consequence of the decision, reinforced by the escalating terrorism-related attacks and mounting public fear, has gained the AfD significant popular support by attacking Merkel's policy.

Nevertheless, the Schulz-factor has helped shift support from the AfD to the SPD, as the former's 15 percent vote share in January has fallen to 11 percent in the Feb. 23 poll and 10 percent in the March 5 poll.

CHALLENGE AHEAD FOR NEW CHANCELLOR

The new German chancellor must deal with the new U.S. administration which has accused Germany of taking advantage of a "grossly undervalued euro" to boost its exports. U.S. President Donald Trump also threatened to retaliate with tariffs on German goods.

Merkel said she will seek common ground with Trump "wherever possible," but someone would be reminded not to resort to protectionism, without specifically mentioning Trump.

Whereas Schulz, before the U.S. election, told the German news magazine Spiegel that "Donald Trump is a problem for the entire world." He also called the AfD "a disgrace to the Federal Republic."

With regard to Brexit, both Merkel and Schulz have made it clear that there can be no question of free access to the single market without the free movement of people, in contradiction to the claims of British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Schultz's supporters have adopted the campaign slogan "Jetzt ist Schulz," which literally means "it's time for Schulz."

But there is a pun on the German word schluss, so the slogan could also mean "stop that now," which the German media said has delivered a stern message to his long-serving female rival for the chancellorship.
PHNOM PENH, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Monday broke ground for the construction of a 16-km stretch of the ring road encircling Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, under China's concessional loan.

Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Xiong Bo presided over the ceremony, which was attended by some 6,000 people.

The ring road is being built under the concessional loan of 61 million U.S. dollars from the Chinese government, Hun Sen said, adding that the Shanghai Construction (Group) General Company undertakes the project which is expected to be completed in three years.

The 23-meter-wide road is off the National Road No. 4 in western Phnom Penh to the Cambodia-China Friendship Takhmao Bridge in the southern part of Phnom Penh.

"The road is very important to allow traffic to avoid the city center," the prime minister said.

He expressed profound gratitude to the government and people of China for having provided grant aid, non-interest loan, and concessional loan to Cambodia for socio-economic development.

Meanwhile, the prime minister announced that he would lead a high delegation to attend a "Belt and Road " Summit in Beijing, capital of China, on May 14 and 15.
BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The myriad services just a swipe of the finger away in China are no longer limited to food delivery, airport check-ins, or finding a bike on the street.

The latest novelty is an after-death service: organ donation.

Once beset by misconceptions and opaque proceedings, the Internet is unleashing explosive growth of people signing up for organ donation.

Huang Jiefu, director general of the China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the annual "two sessions" that the number of online applicants in two days had been equal to those registering at Red Cross offices in two years.

In December, Huang's foundation -- backed by the National Health and Family Planning Commission -- launched an organ donation function on Alipay, an online payment platform with 450 million users.

Alipay users can easily register themselves as potential organ donors, because to sign up as an Alipay user, one has to submit accurate personal data. It saves the foundation efforts to collect and verify potential donors' information.

If one regrets, even at the deathbed, he can de-list himself from the pool by a few clicks, says Hong Junling, public relations manager of the foundation.

Hong said after three months of operations, the number of registered donors on Alipay has exceeded 100,000 and keeps rising.

"With Internet, I register in just one minute," said an eager donor who chose to remain nameless. "Life is short, but by donating my organs, I can save the lives of others and part of me will live on in them, so why not?"

In China, about 300,000 patients need organ transplants each year.

Volunteers became the lone source of transplants after organ trading was outlawed in 2011 and the use of organs from judicial systems banned in 2015.

In a public opinion poll by the foundation, 83 percent of the respondents said they would like to donate their organs after death. Among the remaining 17 percent, more than half were reluctant to register because they did not know where to apply or complained that the registration was too complicated.

Xiaolong (pseudonym) was diagnosed with progressive muscular dystrophy when he was six years old. Last year, at 14, he decided to call off his treatment.

Xiaolong said he had wanted to donate his body, but did not know where to go. He only succeeded in getting touch with a Red Cross cornea bank after appealing on a local TV channel.

China has 731 million Internet users, more than half of the entire population. Internet is rapidly changing people's life, including the way they participate in charity.

"The wide availability and convenience of the Internet made it much easier for the Chinese to express their wish to donate organs," said Huang, a member of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a political advisory body.

Though registered donors do not translate into actual donors because the law gives the deceased's family the final say, there will definitely be more donations in the long run, Huang said.

As political advisors, CPPCC members can put forward proposals, comments and suggestions on major political and social issues.

Huang has proposed that the health insurance covers organ transplant costs so that more low-income families can afford it.
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) walks to the Oval Office after returning to the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Feb 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey has asked the Justice Department to publicly reject President Donald Trump's claim that his predecessor Barack Obama ordered wiretapping of his phones during last year's election, media reports said Sunday.

Comey made the request on Saturday after Trump criticized Obama for tapping his phones at the Trump Tower in New York just ahead of the Election Day last November, the reports cited senior U.S. officials as saying.

In a series of tweets on Saturday, Trump compared the alleged wiretapping to the Watergate political scandal in the 1970s that brought down former Republican President Richard Nixon for wiretapping the rival Democratic Party. But Trump did not provide any evidence to support his assertion.

Comey argued that Trump's claim was false and must be corrected, the senior officials were quoted as saying.

Obama has already refuted Trump's claim as "simply false."

Trump on Sunday also demanded Congress investigate the "potentially politically motivated" wiretapping of his phones by Obama during the 2016 presidential race.

The White House said in a statement that Trump requested that, as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees "exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016."

Trump's "wiretapping" accusation came after days of media reports about the contacts between some members of his campaign team and Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Thursday he will recuse himself from any current or future investigations into Russia's possible link with Trump's presidential campaign, after admitting that he met with Kislyak twice last year but did not reveal it at the Senate hearings for his confirmation.

There have been suggestions that contacts between the Trump campaign team and Russia were picked up by intelligence agencies as part of routine surveillance of the Russians.

Trump and his aides have denied there were any improper contacts. But the media reports about the phone talks between Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn with Kislyak during the transition period already led to Flynn's resignation last month.

Several congressional committees are currently investigating the Trump team's contacts with Russia, which was accused of interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential race to help Trump through hacking activities.

Russia has strongly denied such accusations.
SEOUL/TOKYO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- South Korea, Japan on Monday strongly denounced the test-launches of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as it violates the UN Security Council resolutions.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the DPRK fired four ballistic missiles of a new type into east waters at about 7:36 a.m. local time (2236 GMT on Sunday). The missiles flew eastward some 1,000 km on average, and three out of the four fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone.

South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is serving as caretaker president following the impeachment in December of President Park Geun-hye, denounced the DPRK's missiles launches as a grave provocation and a direct challenge to the international community as it defied repeated warnings from the international society against ballistic missile launches.

Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement that the DPRK's ballistic missile launches blatantly and clearly violates the UN Security Council resolutions while threatening peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the entire international community.

Under the UN resolutions, Pyongyang is banned from testing any ballistic missile technology.

The statement said Pyongyang should realize the fact that repeated provocations and "fanatic" adherence to nuclear and missile developments will speed up the country's isolation and self-destruction.

In Japan, Prime Minister Sinzo Abe confirmed the missile launches during an Upper House Committee session on Monday, saying "the launches clearly show that North Korea has reached a new dimension of threat and the repeated launches are serious provocation to our security".

Japan has also filed an official protest against the DPRK over the latest missile launches, the Japanese leader said.

While saying there were no immediate reports of damage to ships, vessels, or aircraft flying in the vicinity of the missiles' flight path, Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference in Tokyo that the DPRK's launch was a "grave threat to national security", and Japan would be fully on alert for any future contingencies.

Senior security officials of South Korea and the United States also had phone talks over the missile launches.

Kim Kwan-jin, top security advisor to impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye, talked with U.S. national security advisor Herbert McMaster of the White House via phone for 15 minutes from 10:45 a.m. local time (0145 GMT), South Korea's presidential Blue House said in a statement.

During the talks, Kim and McMaster strongly denounced the missile launches, agreeing to strengthen cooperation to put effective sanctions and pressure towards the DPRK.

South Korea's chief negotiator of the six-party talks also held emergency phone talks with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts following the DPRK's missile test-launches, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

The DPRK's test-launches came in a possible retaliation to the annual U.S.-South Korea springtime war game that kicked off on March 1. Pyongyang has denounced it as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion.

The Foal Eagle field training exercise is scheduled to last by the end of April, mobilizing U.S. strategic assets such as a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and stealth fighter jets.

The South Korean military is analyzing the missile launches jointly with the U.S. forces, maintaining a full defense readiness for any possible DPRK provocations, according to the JCS.

About 10,000 U.S. troops, including U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), will be mobilized for the drill together with 290,000 South Korean soldiers.

It would be almost the same as the largest-ever spring war game carried out in 2016.

On Feb. 12, Pyongyang successfully test-launched a new type of Pukguksong-2 intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) in the launch supervised by DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un.

Expectations had been running high for the DPRK's test-firing of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the near future based on the IRBM technology, but the JCS said the missiles launched Monday were unlikely to be new ICBMs of the DPRK.
Director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) He Lifeng answers questions during a press conference on China's economic and social development and macro-economic control for the fifth session of the 12th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 6, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhao Yingquan)

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- China has invested more than 50 billion U.S. dollars in countries along the Belt and Road since the nation proposed the initiative in 2013, a senior economic official said on Monday.

The Belt and Road Initiative has won support from over 100 countries and international organizations, with nearly 50 cooperation agreements signed between governments, said He Lifeng, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual parliamentary session.

He said progress under the initiative was "better than expected."

The initiative was proposed by China in the hope of creating a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes.

In the spirit of regional connectivity, China is working in aviation, power, rail, road and telecommunications projects with participating countries.

To further strengthen cooperation, China will host a high-level forum on the Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing in May.
News program about test-fire of a ballistic missile of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is seen on TV at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Feb. 12, 2017. (Xinhua file/Yao Qilin)

SEOUL/TOKYO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- South Korea, Japan on Monday strongly denounced the test-launches of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as it violates the UN Security Council resolutions.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the DPRK fired four ballistic missiles of a new type into east waters at about 7:36 a.m. local time (2236 GMT on Sunday). The missiles flew eastward some 1,000 km on average, and three out of the four fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone.

South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is serving as caretaker president following the impeachment in December of President Park Geun-hye, denounced the DPRK's missiles launches as a grave provocation and a direct challenge to the international community as it defied repeated warnings from the international society against ballistic missile launches.

Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement that the DPRK's ballistic missile launches blatantly and clearly violate the UN Security Council resolutions while threatening peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the entire international community.

Under the UN resolutions, Pyongyang is banned from testing any ballistic missile technology.

The statement said Pyongyang should realize the fact that repeated provocations and "fanatic" adherence to nuclear and missile developments will speed up the country's isolation and self-destruction.

In Japan, Prime Minister Sinzo Abe confirmed the missile launches during an Upper House Committee session on Monday, saying "the launches clearly show that North Korea has reached a new dimension of threat and the repeated launches are serious provocation to our security".

Japan has also filed an official protest against the DPRK over the latest missile launches, the Japanese leader said.

While saying there were no immediate reports of damage to ships, vessels, or aircraft flying in the vicinity of the missiles' flight path, Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference in Tokyo that the DPRK's launch was a "grave threat to national security", and Japan would be fully on alert for any future contingencies.

Senior security officials of South Korea and the United States also had phone talks over the missile launches.

Kim Kwan-jin, top security advisor to impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye, talked with U.S. national security advisor Herbert McMaster of the White House via phone for 15 minutes from 10:45 a.m. local time (0145 GMT), South Korea's presidential Blue House said in a statement.

During the talks, Kim and McMaster strongly denounced the missile launches, agreeing to strengthen cooperation to put effective sanctions and pressure towards the DPRK.

South Korea's chief negotiator of the six-party talks also held emergency phone talks with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts following the DPRK's missile test-launches, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

The DPRK's test-launches came in a possible retaliation to the annual U.S.-South Korea springtime war game that kicked off on March 1. Pyongyang has denounced it as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion.

The Foal Eagle field training exercise is scheduled to last by the end of April, mobilizing U.S. strategic assets such as a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and stealth fighter jets.

The South Korean military is analyzing the missile launches jointly with the U.S. forces, maintaining a full defense readiness for any possible DPRK provocations, according to the JCS.

About 10,000 U.S. troops, including U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), will be mobilized for the drill together with 290,000 South Korean soldiers.

It would be almost the same as the largest-ever spring war game carried out in 2016.

On Feb. 12, Pyongyang successfully test-launched a new type of Pukguksong-2 intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) in the launch supervised by DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un.

Expectations had been running high for the DPRK's test-firing of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the near future based on the IRBM technology, but the JCS said the missiles launched Monday were unlikely to be new ICBMs of the DPRK.
ISLAMABAD, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan army said Monday that five soldiers had been killed in clashes with terrorists who launched an overnight attack on three check posts along the Pak-Afghan border.

An army statement said that 10 terrorists were also killed in the counter attack.

"Last night Terrorists from across the border attempted physical attack on three Pakistan Border Posts in Mohmand Agency. Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed terrorists attempt. In exchange of fire 5 soldiers embraced Shahadat (martyrdom). Over 10 terrorists reported killed," the statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations said.

Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa appreciates response by Pakistani troops to the terrorists' attacks in Mohmand Agency.

General Bajwa expressed grief on loss of precious lives that the army hailed the sacrifice made by brave sons of soil.

No group claimed the attacks. Generally speaking, the splinter Jamaat-ul-Ahrar group of the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan operates in the border region.

Pakistan army said that Pakistani militants, who have fled to Afghanistan as the result of major offensives in the tribal regions, routinely launch attack on border posts.

Pakistan last month closed its border with Afghanistan after a series of terrorist attacks which killed over 100 people in days.
RIYADH, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia will hold the King Abdulaziz Camels Festival from March 19 to April 15 to select the most beautiful camel, which will be awarded a prize of 25 million pounds (about 30 million U.S. dollars).

More than 300,000 camels will compete in the beauty contest, according to the organizer.

"Judges are on the look out for untouched natural beauty with prizes awarded throughout the festival. Camels are assessed in five categories, according to breed and colour," said Dr. Talal Al Torifi, the spokesperson of the festival, as quoted by Daily Mail.

Various features are included to evaluate the beauty of the camels, such as the size of the camel's head, the length of its neck, the shape of its eyes, the roundness of its hump, whether the lips cover the teeth, whether the lashes are long enough and so on.

The annual national festival attracts millions of people, including the royal families and celebrities.

The organizer hopes that the festival would strengthen the traditional practices and connect the older generations and the new ones.
KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Eight Taliban militants were killed after Afghan security forces launched an operation in northern Kunduz province overnight, a district governor said Monday.

"The night raid was launched on a confirmed tip-off in Chaghar locality of Imam Sahib District. Five militants were wounded and a militants' bunker was also destroyed following the raid," Gov. Amanuddin Qurishi told Xinhua.

Among the killed were four Taliban Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and bomb-making experts, the official said, adding that no civilian or security force member was hurt during the operation.

The Taliban militants and other insurgent groups have been using IEDs to target security forces.

The Afghan security forces have beefed up security operations against militants as spring and summer known as fighting season is drawing near in the country.

On Saturday night, 18 Taliban militants, including Qari Mazloom, a Taliban shadow district governor for Imam Sahib, were killed after Afghan air force struck a Taliban position in the district bordering Tajikistan, according to Qurishi.
Combined photo taken on July 25, 2015 shows the Long March-3B/Yuanzheng-1 rocket carrying two new-generation satellites for the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) blasting off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua file/Zhu Zheng)

by Will Koulouris

SYDNEY, March 6 (Xinhua) -- China's science and technology sector has been surging forward rapidly over the past decade, according to a leading Australian scientist.

Professor Andrew Dempster, director of the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research at the University of New South Wales told Xinhua in a recent interview that specific examples, such as the BeiDou navigation satellite system, demonstrate China's strong commitment to science.

"In the last few decades we've seen significant advancements coming out of China," Dempster said.

"For a long time GPS and GLONASS were the only satellite navigation systems around, but now the BeiDou system coming out of China is growing very rapidly."

Dempster said the satellite system, currently serving the Asian region, will be ready for global deployment soon, utilizing the BeiDou-2 and BeiDou-3 satellites.

"It's been quite a rapid deployment, and it is very impressive the way China has gone about doing that."

Although satellite navigation is Dempster's area of specific expertise, he is well versed in space technology, and is very impressed with recent technological advances coming out of China's space sector.

"A couple of things that happened last year, the one that is of particular interest to us, and is really a world first, is the Quantum communications satellite," Dempster said.

"I think it may have caught some Western observers a little bit by surprise that China is able to launch that experiment."

Dempster said the satellite, which makes "perfectly secure" communications possible, had previously only been possible in the theoretical realm, which China's scientists have now made a reality.
WELLINGTON, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Young New Zealanders will have to work longer and retire older under changes to the government's universal state pension scheme announced Monday.

The government cited the rising costs and aging population as reasons for lifting the age of entitlement for national superannuation (NZ Super) from 65 to 67.

Immigrants will also have to wait longer to qualify, with the required period of residency doubling from 10 years to 20 years.

The changes will be introduced from 2037, with the qualifying age rising by six months each year until it reaches 67 in 2040.

The change will not affect anyone born on or before June 30, 1972.

And it will be put to the test of a general election in September before being legislated early next year.

The change is set to be a major election issue as the government has suspended contributions to the nation's superannuation investment fund since 2009 and the main opposition Labour Party has vowed not to lift the age of entitlement.

"Gradually increasing the retirement age from 2037 will more fairly spread the costs and benefits of New Zealand Super between generations, ensure the scheme remains affordable into the future and give people time to adjust," Prime Minister Bill English said in a statement.

Even after the change, someone who retired at age 67 in 2040 was likely to receive a pension for longer than someone who retired at age 65 today, because the average life expectancy was increasing by about 1.3 years each decade.

"It will also bring New Zealand into line with other countries like Australia, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany and the United States, which are all moving to a retirement age of 67," said English.

The previous Prime Minister, John Key, who stepped down in December last year after eight years in power, had repeatedly stated that he would resign rather than raise the age of eligibility for national superannuation.

Finance Minister Steven Joyce said the government's previous position of not changing the age of eligibility was appropriate in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis, when New Zealanders were looking for certainty at a time when the government's finances were under pressure.

The proposed changes to the age of eligibility and the residency requirements were estimated to save the government more than 0.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), or 4 billion NZ dollars (2.8 billion U.S. dollars), annually once the changes were in place, Joyce said in a statement.

The scheme cost 4.8 percent of GDP last year, which compared to an average of 9 percent across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

However with the increasing proportion of the population aged over 65, the cost was projected to rise to 8.4 percent of GDP by 2060.

Older people were also working longer, with more than 100,000 people aged 65 to 69 now in work, compared to 15,000 in 1997.

New Zealand introduced a universal state pension in 1940 and the current scheme dates from 1977.

The age of eligibility was progressively increased from 60 to 65 between 1992 and 2001.

Payments are set at 66 percent of the average weekly wage, and currently provide 335.50 NZ dollars (235.32 U.S. dollars) per person a week for a married couple or 443.50 NZ dollars (311.07 U.S. dollars) for a single person.
SUVA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Fiji and Norway have explored mutual cooperation in the renewable energy sector, the Fijian government said Monday.

The discussion was made at a meeting in Suva between Fijian Prime Minster Voreqe Bainimarama and Norwegian State Secretary Tone Skogen, according to Fiji's Department of Information.

"Prime Minister Bainimarama noted Norway's successful record in renewable energy, particularly with regards to vocational training offerings, and expressed Fiji's interest in pursuing development cooperation and knowledge transfer in the renewables sector," the department said.

At the meeting, Bainimarama outlined Fiji's leadership agenda at the Conference of Parties (COP 23), and sought Norway's commitment to assist with preparations in the lead-up to the COP 23 negotiations and to the United Nations Oceans Conference, which Fiji will co-host in June.

The meeting also covered bilateral collaboration in aqua-agriculture development.
COLOMBO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- A New Zealand business delegation arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday to further strengthen business links between the two countries.

Led by New Zealand Food Safety Minister David Bennett, the delegation comprises some of New Zealand's leading companies.

Sri Lanka is New Zealand's 23rd largest goods export market and New Zealand is Sri Lanka's 54th largest goods export market.

New Zealand's top exports to Sri Lanka are milk powder, butter and fruit. Sri Lanka's top exports to New Zealand are tea, retreaded tyres and gloves.

The New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, New Zealand's economic development and trade promotion agency, with support from The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will be assisting the delegation to explore the possibility of forging new business ventures with their Sri Lankan counterparts.

Prior to his arrival in Sri Lanka, Bennett said New Zealand's relationship with Sri Lanka is stronger than ever.

"Sri Lanka's economy is thriving, with the potential for New Zealand to increase not only its commodity trade, but other sectors including aviation and healthcare," said Bennett.
GUIYANG, March 6 (Xinhua) -- When rape flowers begin to blossom in the rugged fields of southwest China, people know it is time to depart. Young fathers and mothers leave home to find jobs, putting toddlers and teenagers into the hands of elderly grandparents.

For the past decades, spring always brought hope along with a sense of the inescapable sorrow of separation for people at Dazhai village, Bijie county, Guizhou Province. The village has over 2,200 people, mostly of the Miao ethnicity, and the most common way to escape poverty is to find jobs elsewhere.

Cai Qun, a 36-year-old mother, repeatedly experinced such departures before emerging as a creative embroidery artist and becoming a successful entrepreneur. She is also among the 2,800-strong deputies of the 12th National People's Congress, now gathering for the most important political meeting of the year in Beijing.

Cai wants to bring more congressional and public attention to the fate of China's "left-behind children."

"A child needs a mother. Stop the mothers from leaving and bring them back," she said.

Cai's hometown, Bijie, a poor city in Guizhou of southwest China, has witnessed the brutal damage poverty and absence of parental care can do.

In 2012, five street children in Bijie died from carbon monoxide poisoning when burning charcoal for warmth, in a roadside dumpster. In 2015, four left-behind children aged 5 to 13, from one family, died after drinking pesticide at home.

There are about 260,000 left-behind children in Bijie. Nationwide, China has more than 60 million children in rural areas who are left with relatives, usually grandparents. These children are easy victims of tragedies such as murder, trafficking and suicide.

"I hope there will be more incentives, like loans to small business who can offer jobs to mothers in their hometowns," Cai said. "When mothers do not have to leave, there are fewer left-behind children."

FROM WASTE-PICKER TO LAWMAKER

Cai's childhood was mostly about fighting hunger, the reason she left hometown. Cai's mother, now 87, gave birth to 13 babies, of which six survived, with Cai Qun the youngest. She has four older sisters and a brother.

Her parents grew corn and sweet potatoes on a small piece of land. "We did not have a paddy field, so it was very difficult to feed us. My mother always had to borrow food from neighbors," she said.

At the age of 12, Cai followed her sisters to provincial capital Guiyang to make a living collecting garbage.

"We picked food, cakes and vegetables to eat. We picked plastic bottles to sell. I was most happy when I got an empty Maotai bottle -- it could sell for five yuan and got us a nice meal," she said.

Like most girls in her village, Cai married early. She gave birth to her daughter Yang Linfeng at the age of 16.

"My oldest sister took care of Linfeng when I was away. For my daughter, my sister was more of a mother than me. I was like a relative she saw only once a year," she said.

As Linfeng grew up, Cai and her husband Yang Zeyou sought jobs in the trade and manufacturing hubs of Yiwu and Shenzhen, where shoe, backpack, clothing and electronics factories gather.

"I worried most when Linfeng got sick. Once she had a high fever and breathing difficulties. My sister cooked pork heart with cinnabar to treat her, and it took her a long time for her to recover. I wanted to go home, but the factory did not allow any leave in that period. It pained me like a needle stabbing into my heart," Cai said.

Cai made up for her absence by making hand-embroidered dresses for her daughter. She sewed as many auspicious patterns on her dresses as possible.

Her daughter Linfeng, 20, got married in January, wearing her mother's hand-sewn dress. She is a nurse in the city hospital.

Almost every woman in her village knows embroidery, but Cai is probably more talented and skilled. She does not have to uses rulers or compasses to draw the patterns. She has the parameters in her mind.

In 2007, Cai joined a provincial folk art competition and won a prize for her wax painting.

"The competition was an eye-opener. My husband and I made up our minds to open a workshop at home," she said.

Cai expanded her house into a factory and founded a company under her own name. In 2013, Cai was elected to the national legislature for her efforts in preserving ethnic craftsmanship and success in creating jobs for women.

MOTHERS SHOULD STAY

Cai's embroidery products are popular at a karst cave tourist destination about 2 kilometers from her home. Last year, the shop's turnover was 8 million yuan (about 1.15 million U.S. dollars).

She employs about 300 women, and half of them used to be migrant workers. "The older women are more skilled, but I'm persuading more young women to come and work for me," Cai said. "When there are many orders, women come to work at her shop, but they can also work at home if necessary."

"In our village, many women have more than one kid. When their mothers are away, I saw brothers taking younger ones and running around in the field without people to look after their safety. Their childhood shouldn't be like that, without a mother," she said.

At her shop, one woman straps a baby on her back while she draws on the paper using wax.

"Wax painting and embroidery are mainly the hands' job. A baby on the back hardly affects anything for a Miao woman," Cai said.

Yang Zhongmei, a 29-year-old mother, joined the workshop in 2015. Before, she worked at an electronics factory in Shenzhen. She earns about 3,000 yuan (about 434 U.S. dollars) every month, a few hundred less than what she earned in Shenzhen.

"My older boy is in third grade, and my girl is in kindergarten. My son, in particular, is happy to see me back," Yang said.

"When I was young, my mother would sing when she sat down, resting from a day's work, sewing by candlelight. It is hard to forget the scene. I hope embroidery can change the lives of more Miao women, like it did for mine," Cai said.
Photo taken on March 5, 2017 shows the new terminal, the second-largest airport terminal in Tibet, at Nyingchi Mainling Airport in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The new terminal, the sixth of its kind in Tibet, started operation on March 6. It covers an area of 10,300 square meters and will be able to handle 750,000 passengers and 3,000 tonnes of cargo throughput annually by 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)

LHASA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The second-largest airport terminal in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region started operation Monday.

The new terminal, the sixth to open in Tibet, is located at Nyingchi Mainling Airport. It covers an area of 10,300 square meters and will be able to handle 750,000 passengers and 3,000 tonnes of cargo throughput annually by 2020.

The Nyingchi airport will open new air routes to Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, resume routes to Beijing and increase more round trip flights to Lhasa, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chongqing and Shenzhen after the new terminal comes into service, said Liu Wei, deputy director of Civil Aviation Administration of China in Tibet.

The airport has seen year-on-year increases in passenger flow since it was put into service in 2006. Passenger volume hit 390,000 in 2016, bringing the total passenger number to 2 million in past years, Liu said, adding that the new terminal will effectively alleviate pressure brought by the growing number of passengers.

Nyingchi is located in southeast Tibet at an average elevation of 2,950 meters above sea level. The city has attracted more visitors in recent years thanks to tourist attractions such as its peach blossom festival.
A qipao fashion show is hosted by spouses at the Chinese Mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 4, 2016. (Xinhua/Wang Shoubao)

ADDIS ABABA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- A fashion show on qipao, a stylish traditional Chinese dress for ladies, exhibited a beautiful facet of the rich Chinese culture to diplomats of different countries here at the African Union.

Hosted by spouses at the Chinese Mission to the Africa Union on the premises of the Mission Head's residence in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, the Qipao Fashion Show on Saturday featured performances on different themes, including young girls' beauty; wedding; hosting friend; Chinese Romeo and Juliet dance; violin solo: a fishing boat song at dusk; and learning embroidery among others.

During the event that also displayed sample qipaos, an eight-year-old Chinese girl, in particular, captured the attention and the heart of the audience with her performance on violin solo: a fishing boat song at dusk.

According to Kuang Weilin, Head of the Chinese Mission to the Africa Union, the event was hosted by the spouses at the Mission in connection with the upcoming International Women's Day, aiming to promote the rich Chinese cultural elements to the rest of the world.

Stating that many Africans and other nationals do not know about China's qipao, also known as Mandarin gown, Kuang said the event was a very good platform to promote the traditional clothing and related cultural elements to diplomats of different countries.

"The event was a great success; it showed the Chinese culture to our friends, to ambassadors. I think, this event is also a very good event for the promotion of better understanding between China and other countries," he said.

"Qipao really is the symbol of the Chinese culture. And interestingly, not many people in Africa really know about qipao; it is our responsibility to introduce qipao to Africans so that African friends, ambassadors will really have better understanding of the Chinese culture," noted the Ambassador.

He said the Mission would continue to host such events in future with a view of promoting the rich culture of China to the rest of the world.

Participating in some of the performances and making presentation on qipao and its evolution, Wu Hua, spouse of the Chinese Ambassador to AU, noted that qipao is symbolic of Chinese culture.

It demonstrates the elegance, grace, and tenderness of the Chinese women, she said.

"Its design and style show special features of the woman's figure. However, at the same time, it does not expose too much. It shows Chinese woman's beauty subtlety," she added.

Attending the event, African and other diplomats have hailed the event, which featured qipao fashion show, presentation on evolution of the traditional robe (qipao), and performances on the different Chinese customs on different occasions.

Susan Sikaneta, Zambian Ambassador to Ethiopia and AU, told Xinhua it was a magnificent event.

"I must say that this fashion show has been magnificent, wonderful, and beautiful. I can describe it in all these beautiful words because it has really been magnificent," she said.

The fashion show was not only entertaining, but also informative and educative, said the Ambassador.

Speaking to Xinhua, Monica Sabatucci, spouse of the Head of EU Delegation to AU, said she admired the event.

"It is really, really, nice; it was a new experience for us; we can see how in-depth the perfection is of the Chinese people; it is a different culture you get to understand more; how important perfection is color. It was a different presentation. And it was really, new experience for all of us," said Sabatucci.

"It was not the first time; but every new presentation is new experience. Definitely, it was really, really, positive, and I was really, really honored to see all this kind of different presentation; it was not only the fashion show but also the presentation of the different customs that China offers," she said.
TOKYO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- All nine people on board a helicopter that crashed in a mountainous area of Nagano Prefecture in central Japan have been confirmed dead, local police officials said Monday.

Police officials in the area told local media that rescue services alongside a contingent of the Japanese Self-Defense Force (SDF) found the bodies of the all-male crew in and around the wreckage of the helicopter.

The Bell 412 EP, which belonged to the local government and was going to be used to conduct a drill to rescue stranded climbers off a mountain, crashed on Sunday afternoon on Mt. Hachibuse, in Nagano Prefecture.

Earlier on Monday, local police said that the rescue teams had found all nine people from the crashed helicopter with the search being delayed on Sunday due to bad weather.

Local police had initially said that five people had died and four were showing no vital signs of life at the site of the crashed aircraft Monday morning.

The police in the region have identified five of the victims from the helicopter crash.

The men police confirmed dead are one pilot and four firefighters who belong to Nagano Prefecture's Fire and Disaster Management and Aviation Center, Japan's public broadcaster NHK said.

The police have yet to identify the other four victims, according to NHK.

The helicopter took off from Matsumoto airport for a mountain rescue drill, according to local reports on Sunday.

The police said the crashed chopper was found near Mt. Hachibuse, which straddles Matsumoto and Okaya Cities.

The nine people aboard the helicopter included a pilot, seven fire fighters and an engineer.

A regular inspection was conducted on the crashed helicopter in February, local officials said, adding that no abnormalities were found at that time.
TOKYO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks lost ground Monday as the yen's appreciation against the U.S. dollar dampened investor sentiment, with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) launch of ballistic missiles in the morning contributing to a risk-off mood.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped down 90.03 points, or 0.46 percent, from Friday to end the day at 19,379.14.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, lost 3.15 points, or 0.20 percent, to close at 1,554.90.

Insurance, land transportation and precision instrument-linked issues comprised the day's issues that closed in notable negative territory, with declining issues outpacing advancing ones by just 930 to 916 on the First Section.

On the main section, trading volume totaled 1,408.97 million shares, dropping from Friday's volume of 1,717.45 million shares.

The turnover on the first trading day of the week came to 1,720 billion yen (15.10 billion U.S. dollars).
TAIPEI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- A tour bus lost control and ran into a house in Taiwan, injuring the driver and three passengers.

The bus was carrying 23 tourists from the Chinese mainland and a guide when the accident happened in New Taipei City at about 10 a.m. Monday, according to local fire-fighting authorities.

The driver lost consciousness in the accident and was sent to a hospital for treatment. Three mainland tourists suffered minor injuries.

The tour group will carry on its journey in Taiwan and is scheduled to leave the island on Sunday.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.
SAO PAULO, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The Brazil Open men's final was postponed on Sunday after heavy rain interrupted the clash between Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas and Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain.

Play was due to resume at midday local time on Monday with Ramos-Vinolas leading the dual defending champion 7-6 (3), 3-3.

Ramos-Vinolas took the upper hand in the first-set tie-break but a brief rain delay appeared to jolt Cuevas into action early in the second set.

The Uruguayan broke his opponent to take a 3-1 lead before Ramos-Vinolas rallied to level the set at 3-3.

A heavier shower began in the seventh game of the set with Ramos-Vinolas serving, forcing players off the court for a second time.

Officials waited until late into the night before deciding to resume the match on Monday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping joins a panel discussion with deputies to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) from Shanghai Municipality at the annual session of the NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2017. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese leaders have told national lawmakers during the major annual political sessions that the country will open up like never before.

China's opening door will not close, said President Xi Jinping on Sunday afternoon, vowing the country will keep on opening up on all fronts, and continue to liberalize and facilitate trade and investment.

Xi made the remarks while joining in a panel discussion with lawmakers from Shanghai at the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC). Shanghai has been a pioneer of opening up, and is home to China's first pilot free trade zone.

Delivering a government work report to NPC deputies Sunday morning, Premier Li Keqiang detailed unprecedented opening-up measures to the outside world.

Foreign firms will be able to get listed on China's stock markets and issue bonds. They will also be allowed to participate in national science and technology projects, Li said.

Foreign firms will be treated the same as domestic firms in license applications, standards setting, and government procurement, and will enjoy the same preferential policies under the Made in China 2025 initiative, a plan to modernize the manufacturing sector.

Significant improvements will be made in the environment for foreign investment. Service industries, manufacturing and mining will be more open to foreign investment.

Local governments can, within the scope of the powers granted them by law, adopt preferential policies to attract foreign investment. China will build 11 high-standard pilot free trade zones, and widely spread practices developed in these zones that are proven to work, according to the report.

China will extend the practice of processing international trade through a single window, which enables cross-border traders to submit regulatory documents at a single location and thus improves efficiency.

The authorities will achieve nationwide integration of customs clearance procedures this year, Li said.

POSITIVE REACTION

"Foreign capital's participation in China's national science and technology projects will expedite the commercialization of basic science research achievements," said Qiu Zilong, a researcher with the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

A catfish effect is expected as foreign capital penetrates China's development in science and technology, said Wang Jing, head of Newland Technology Group, who is also a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

Globalization and liberalization of trade are the trend of the time, and Chinese enterprises must follow President Xi's directives in opening up to get an edge in global competition, said Chen Xuyuan, head of Shanghai International Port Group and an NPC deputy.

The latest opening-up initiatives demonstrate China's confidence and focus, said Zhang Zhao'an, deputy head of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and an NPC deputy.

ANCHOR OF GLOBALIZATION

China is seen as the anchor of globalization. Experts have taken note of China's emphasis on opening up, casting the choice as one which benefits China itself as well as the rest of the world.

"Leaning against the anti-globalization headwinds, the Chinese government recently emphasized the need to further open up the economy and attract foreign investment. We think concrete moves in this direction can help China move up the value chain," wrote Ding Shuang, an economist with Standard Chartered, in a preview of the NPC session.

Earlier this year, President Xi made a passionate speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in which he compared protectionism to "locking oneself in a dark room."

China's development is an opportunity for the world. China has not only benefited from economic globalization but also contributed to it. Rapid growth in China has been a sustained, powerful engine for global economic stability and expansion, said Xi at the time.

China's door will keep on opening wider, and China will keep working to be the most attractive destination for foreign investment, Premier Li said in his report.






TAIYUAN, March 6 (Xinhua) -- A 28.8 meter-long carved picture "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" made from over 6,000 tin cans astonished visitors in northern China's Shanxi Province Monday.

The aluminum foil carving "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival," a famous Chinese paintings often dubbed "China's Mona Lisa," is the work of Gao Bao'an, a resident of Linfen city.

Gao used more than 6,000 tin cans and took three years to finish the 28.8 meter-long, 1.3 meter-tall carving, almost five times the size of the original.

The carving on tiny tin cans, which each could only be unfolded to 21 centimeters in length, was no easy task.

"A single can was not enough to carve one character and a finished figure needed to go through as many as 26 procedures including copying, clipping, polishing and pressing," Gao said. "Every step mattered. Some patterns were so complicated that it not only took me a long time, but very often I would cut my fingers."

To make sure his carving was a perfect replica of the original, Gao used magnifiers to observe the details to keep any errors to within 0.3 millimeters.

"You need patience and carefulness to make large-scale works," Gao told Xinhua.

Though not trained professionally, Gao has always been an art lover. He has tried to paint with grain and is interested in manual tie-dyeing.

"It is easy to discard a can, but it is also a kind of resource," explained Gao.

The "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" was created by Zhang Zeduan during the Northern Song Dynasty (960 to 1127 A.D.) and depicts the buildings and daily life in the ancient capital of Bian Jing.

The authentic piece is kept in the Palace Museum and can only be seen once every three years, to protect the fragile ancient paper. Using a more hardy material such as tin cans offers an opportunity for more people to enjoy the ancient artwork.
MOSUL, Iraq, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi forces on Monday pushed further inside the western side of Mosul and freed a new neighborhood as they advance toward the old city center amid fierce clashes with Islamic State (IS) militants, the Iraqi military said.

Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) commandos liberated Sumoud neighborhood in the southwestern part of the city after heavy clashes with IS militants, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Amir Yarallah, from the Joint Operations Command, said in a statement.

CTS special forces have initiated a new push at the edges of the adjacent neighborhood of Mansour, Yarallah said.

Meanwhile, federal police and interior ministry special forces, known as Rapid Response, are engaged in street-to-street fighting against IS militants in the neighborhoods of Dandan and Dawassa, in the southern part of Mosul's old city center.

The battles in the old neighborhoods of downtown Mosul bring the troops closer to some main government buildings in Dawassa neighborhood.

The recapture of Sumoud neighborhood came a day after Yarallah announced a new push in the western side of Mosul, locally known as the right bank of Tigris. The advance came after a two-day pause due to bad weather that had limited air support by Iraqi and international coalition aircraft.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, announced the start of an offensive on Feb. 19 to drive extremist militants out of the western side of Mosul, locally known as the right bank of Tigris River, which bisects the city.

Late in January, Abadi declared the liberation of the eastern side of Mosul, or the left bank of Tigris, after more than 100 days of fighting against IS militants.

However, the western part of Mosul, with its narrow streets and a population of between 750,000 and 800,000, appears to be a bigger challenge to the Iraqi forces.

Mosul, 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.
HANOI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The export value of Vietnam's handicraft products has averaged 1.6 billion USD per year since 2000, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said on Monday.

The country has 5,411 handicraft villages, of which 1,864 are traditional ones, reported local Ha Noi Moi (New Hanoi) online newspaper.

Annually, the number of business households in rural areas increases by 8.8-9.8 percent, with a growth rate of about 15 percent, said MARD, adding that craft villages create jobs for about 11 million laborers in rural areas.
by Xinhua writer Qu Junya

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The latest developments on the Korean Peninsula have further complicated the situation in Northeast Asia, and highlighted an imperative need for all the concerned parties to return to peaceful negotiations within the framework of the Six-Party Talks.

On Monday, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) reportedly test-fired four ballistic missiles into waters off its east coast, the second of its kind in less than a month if confirmed.

A report by the South Korean news agency Yonhap said Pyongyang's latest missile test is in "an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal."

The latest missile test took place two months after top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un warned in his New Year's message of more missile tests aimed at improving Pyongyang's capabilities to defend its security interests.

Those include deterring hostilities from Seoul and Washington, such as their two-month-long joint military drills described by the DPRK as military provocations and the planned deployment of the U.S. THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system in South Korea.

The U.S.-South Korean planned deployment of THAAD has also sparked strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition from both Russia and China as it will damage the delicate strategic balance in Northeast Asia.

For the DPRK, developing ballistic missiles will do no good as it would lead to economic sanctions in accordance with related United Nations resolutions.

As for South Korea, the current situation proves that neither military muscle-flexing with the United States nor the U.S. THAAD system could provide it with protection and security.

To stop the situation from simmering, the United States and South Korea should halt their military games and abondon the deployment of THAAD, while the DPRK needs to exercise more political restraint.

Besides, greater diplomatic efforts are needed, including resumption of the Six-Party Talks that had proved to be the only effective way out of the stalemate in denuclearization of the peninsula.

U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted a "No" to the DPRK's any of its ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile) effort before taking office, and his administration is now saying "No" to talks with Pyongyang.

Media reports said the Trump administration earlier refused to issue visas for DPRK diplomats set to visit New York in March for unofficial talks with former U.S. officials.

In comment, Doug Bandow, an expert at the U.S. think tank Cato Institute, said "refusing to engage won't make that prospect (DPRK missile and nuclear threats to the United States) go away."

"Military strikes could lead to full-scale war. Sanctions have so far been a dead end," he wrote in an article in the U.S. international affairs magazine The National Interest. "Certainly, talking isn't likely to make the problem worse, and it appears to be the only path that moves forward."

It is time for parties concerned to go back to the negotiating table to end wrangles and wrestles and reopen the long stalled Six-Party Talks that once brought the Korean Peninsula nearest to denuclearization with a settlement acceptable to all.

Related:

Spotlight: Korean Peninsula nuke issue, THAAD to be discussed by South Korean, U.S. defense chiefs

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The first U.S. defense chief under Trump administration visited South Korea on Thursday, picking the Northeast Asian ally as his first overseas tour destination since he took office about two weeks earlier. Full story

Commentary: South Korea-U.S. war games stack up tensions in Korean Peninsula, region
JAKARTA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday called on member states of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to jointly tackle challenges and tap on opportunities in the Indian Ocean region.

The Indian Ocean is ocean of the future and is the future of the world, Widodo said while addressing the opening of the business forum of the 20th IORA summit in Jakarta's landmark JCC convention center.

"That is why Indonesia wants to strengthen the maritime axis drive that would eventually be linked with IORA," the president said in front of delegations of the IORA member countries attending the event.

IORA needs to create solutions on challenges to vibrate the economy in its member countries, particularly in the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises, he said.

Besides that, significant efforts need to be carried out in empowering women and youths in the region, the president said.

Information technology-based enterprises will become the business model mostly used in the future in the region, the president said, adding that investors will be attracted to those capable of providing the most interesting and attractive returns.

"The governments' task is to assure well operation of communication infrastructure, from 3G, 4G and 5G technologies, as well as building the fiber optic network that provides huge bandwidth capacity at affordable price," he said.

IORA is an international organization with 21 member states. Indonesia holds the rotating chair of IORA this year.

At least 16 leaders of the IORA member countries have been confirmed to attend the summit's apex session on Tuesday.

Six topics - maritime safety, facilitating trade and investment, disaster mitigation management, fishery management, science and knowledge sharing, tourism and cultural exchange - are high on the agenda of the summit this year.
HANOI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese ministries and localities have been told not to buy new cars in 2017 to cut public spending, according to an order by Vietnam's Ministry of Finance (MoF) on Monday.

Vietnamese MoF Deputy Minister Nguyen Huu Chi said the move aimed to tighten public spending and improve the effectiveness of using public property.

Instead of buying additional cars, ministries and localities should pay a travel allowance to officials who were previously eligible to use state-owned cars or to rent cars, said Chi.

Chi also ordered the ministries and localities not to use Official Development Assistance (ODA) and preferential and commercial loans to buy state-owned cars.

Management boards of foreign-aid projects which want to buy cars are required to submit detailed plans to the MoF for approval, Chi added.

Since March 1, 2017, the government of Hanoi became the first in the country to carry out a pilot program of offering travel allowances to officials.

The maximal travel allowance is 9.3 million Vietnamese dong (407 U.S. dollars) a month.

Mai Xuan Vinh, head of Hanoi Finance Department's Public Property Management Office, said redundant state-owned cars at the agencies would be handed over to the city administration, which would allocate them to other state agencies lacking state-owned cars. Schools and hospitals were among those on the priority list.

Data from the city's Finance Department showed Hanoi has about 400 state-owned cars, with the cost to run a car standing at 223 million Vietnamese dong each year.

The program is expected to save the capital budget 50 billion Vietnamese dong a year.

The city plans to introduce the program at all state agencies by October this year.

In a related move, the Party Committee of Vietnam's central Da Nang city has returned a five-seated Toyota car presented to it by a local company, following an order by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

The Toyota Avalon Limited had been used to shuttle Da Nang Party Committee's Secretary Nguyen Xuan Anh.

The car was returned to the company in early March, three days after a regular government meeting where Phuc asked local authorities not to accept expensive cars as gifts. (1 Vietnamese Dong = 0.000044 U.S. dollar)
KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), who has been expelled by the Malaysian government, on Monday expressed "grave concern over the extreme measures" taken by Malaysia.
HANOI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Monday urged his country and Laos to strive to raise their bilateral trade revenue by 10 percent this year.

Phuc made the proposal at a meeting with visiting President of Lao National Assembly Pany Yathotu in the capital of Hanoi.

According to Phuc, the two countries should continue to expand cooperation in security, defense, economics, trade-investment, and education-training, reported the Vietnamese government's e-Portal.

The Vietnamese prime minister suggested the two sides continue to remove obstacles in the implementation of Hanoi-Vientiane expressway, upgrade routes connecting East-West economic corridor, cooperate in a potassium mine in Laos' Khammouane Province, as well as implement two governments' deals on developing hydropower projects in Laos.

Yathotu, for her part, said at the meeting that more and more Vietnamese firms have been pouring money in Laos.

Laos is "active in supplementing and amending laws on investment promotion to create more favorable conditions for enterprises and investors, including those from Vietnam," said Yathotu.

The president of Lao National Assembly is visiting Vietnam on Sunday at the invitation of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, with whom Yathotu held talks earlier on Monday.

Vietnam and Laos established diplomatic ties in 1962.
CAIRO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed and 26 others injured on Monday in a bus crash on a highway in Egypt's Mediterranean coastal Matrouh province, official MENA news agency reported.

The passenger bus collided with a heavy truck on Alexadria-Matrouh highway near Dabaa city, the report said.

The governor of Matrouh hurried to the scene and ordered a payment of 10,000 Egyptian pounds (about 600 U.S. dollars) to the family of each of the dead and half the amount each to the injured.

Road accidents are common in the most populous Arab country due to lack of highway monitoring systems, poor road maintenance and weak observance of traffic rules.

In early February, eight people, mostly college students, were killed and 43 others wounded when a tour bus overturned in South Sinai province, southeast of the capital of Cairo.

In mid-January, at least 10 people were killed and two others injured when a microbus overturned into a canal in Daqahliya province, north of Cairo.

"About 12,000 people die annually in Egypt due to road traffic crashes, a road traffic fatality rate of 42 deaths per 100,000," says a report from the World Health Organization.
LUSAKA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The following are news highlights in Zambia's major media outlets on Monday.

-- Millers in Zambia have dismissed claims by a farmers' association that there was a maize crisis in the country.

Millers Association of Zambia president Andrew Chintala said claims by the Zambia National Farmers Union were not true, adding that the country was food secure with 915,000 tons of maize available and a national capacity to store 2.9 million tons of the grain. (Zambia Daily Mail)

-- A team of top-class business executives from Sweden are expected in Zambia to finalize a number of trade agreements and discussions on economic diplomacy between the two countries.

Zambia's deputy ambassador to Sweden Anthony Mukwita said the visit of the team was significant as it signified strengthened trade relations between the two countries. (Zambia Daily Mail)

-- Zambia's tax agency has fired 15 officers for allegedly being involved in smuggling and corruption.

Zambia Revenue Authority commissioner-general Kingsley Chanda said the officers were dismissed after investigations revealed that they were involved in the increase in the smuggling of various goods by conniving with the smugglers. (Daily Nation)
by Naim-Ul-Karim

DHAKA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- A High Court Division bench of Bangladesh on Monday ordered 154 toxic tanneries in capital Dhaka to shut down.

The bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md. Salim passed the order upon a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association or BELA.

According to the court ruling, the tanneries will remain shut down until they are shifted from Hazaribagh to a new cluster in Savar on the outskirts of the capital.

The court also ordered relevant government authorities to shut down utility services including gas line, power and water lines of the tanneries which damage the environment.

On Thursday, another High Court bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das gave two weeks to the tanneries to pay 308.5 million taka (about 3.75 million U.S. dollars) as penalty for not shifting to Savar.

In June last year, Bangladesh's High Court ordered the tanneries to pay 50,000 taka each to the national exchequer a day in compensation for polluting the environment until they shift to Savar.

The Tanneries later moved the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the order. The amount was then revised to 10,000 taka.

In 2001, Bangladesh's High Court ordered these tanneries to relocate to Savar but the order was not executed.

On June 23, 2009, the court once again ordered the relocation to be completed within Feb. 24, 2010.

The relocation orders suffered repeated setbacks as tanners said that they are yet to install rawhide processing facilities at the Savar park.

Hazaribagh is home to 95 percent of Bangladesh's leather tanneries while none of whom has an effluent treatment plant as required by the country's environmental and labor law.

Against this backdrop, Dhaka's Hazaribagh residents who often complain of skin diseases and respiratory illnesses have been living in one of the world's most contaminated urban environments.

The workers of the tanneries also suffer from health problems as they work with extremely dangerous chemicals with little protective equipment.

Bangladesh exports finished leather to over 30 countries including China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands and Vietnam.

According to the Export Promotion Bureau of Bangladesh, earnings from export of leather and leather products in Fiscal Year 2015-16 grew 15.31 percent to 1,160.95 million U.S. dollars. (1 Bangladeshi taka = 0.013 U.S. dollar)
MUMBAI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The following are foreign exchange rates of the Indian rupee with major international currencies as was released by the Reserve Bank of India on Monday.

Currency Rate

USD 66.7559/1

Euro 70.7346/1

Japanese Yen 58.6700/100

Pound Sterling 81.9762/1
DHAKA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- As part of its continued efforts to revive the golden era of jute, the Bangladeshi government on Monday observed the "National Jute Day" for the first time in the country.

The slogan of the day is "Golden fiber, golden country, jute goods of Bangladesh."

The day was inaugurated with a colorful rally in capital Dhaka in which Bangladeshi Minister for Textile and Jute Imaj Uddin Pramanik and State Minister Mirza Azam attended.

Various colorful events including decoration of important places in the capital with lights and festoons, rally, cultural programs, boat rally and displaying of diversified jute goods have also been arranged to mark the day.

Mirza Azam said earlier that the day would be observed through various activities to boost domestic use of the golden fiber.

A three-day fair of jute goods will be held at Bangabandhu International Convention Center in the capital on March 6-8, he said.

Diplomatic missions of Bangladesh in different countries will also arrange programs to mark the day, he said.

He said that Bangladesh would become a middle-income country by 2021 through expansion of export markets of jute and jute goods and creation of more jobs in the sector from which the country in the 2015-16 fiscal year earned 919.58 million U.S. dollars.

Export from jute and jute goods in the last fiscal year grew 11.52 percent.

In January, the Bangladeshi government made use of jute bags mandatory for 11 more products to boost domestic use of the golden fiber after the imposition of anti-dumping duty on jute goods imported from Bangladesh by the Indian government.

The government has made the use of jute bags compulsory in the preservation and transporting of 20 kg or more of commodities like onion, ginger, garlic, pulses, potato, flour, chili, turmeric, coriander seeds and husks of rice and wheat.

In a similar order, the Bangladeshi government has made use of jute bags mandatory for six products - paddy, rice, wheat, corn, fertilizer and sugar.

India on Jan. 5 imposed anti-dumping duty ranging from 6.30 dollars to 351.72 dollars per ton on imports of jute and jute products from Bangladesh and Nepal to protect domestic industry.
MOGADISHU, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The UN humanitarian agency confirmed on Monday that 196 people have died from acute watery diarrhea (AWD) and cholera outbreak in Somalia since January.

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update on cholera that a total of 7,909 AWD/cholera cases have been reported in 11 regions (38 districts) since the beginning of 2017.

It said the health partners are supporting affected communities with hygiene kits as well as oral rehydration salts to manage moderate cases in the communities.

Severe cases are managed in the cholera treatment centers established in Bay and Bayhow hospitals, said the UN.

"In Lower Jubba, Banadir and Bay regions, in areas where partners have access and have been able to mount a response, such as Baidoa town, cases have reduced," said the UN.

However, surveillance reports show that the epidemic is spreading to inaccessible areas, especially to villages outside Baidoa town and in other inaccessible area in Bakool and in Gedo regions.

"In Bakool region, the most affected districts are Wajid and Burdhuhunle and in Gedo, Garbahaarey district. In these inaccessible areas, the disease is 4.5 more deadly compared to accessible areas where WASH (water, sanitation and hygine) and health services have been provided to the affected communities," it said.

According to the UN, some communities are relying on buying water, the prices of which are spiking beyond the reach of many due to the depletion of water sources as a result of severe drought.

"Communities are then forced to resort to unsafe water sources, increasing the risk of water-borne diseases such as AWD/cholera," it said.
LUSAKA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government has invited bids for firms intending to implement its second Scaling Solar Project aimed at boosting energy availability, its investment firm said on Monday.

The Industrial Development Corporation has invited the private sector for its second solar project after the success of the first project.

The investment firm said in a notice that the second project will be for the development of between 150-250 megawatts of solar power plant.

"The Industrial Development Corporation expects that, in addition to individual companies, consortia will be formed to respond to the anticipated tender. These companies and consortia would likely comprise a mix of international, regional and local companies with expertise in developing utility scale solar PV," the notice said.

In May last year, President Edgar Lungu launched the first round of the Project targeting 100 megawatts and directed that development of up to 500 megawatts of solar power sources be actualized in the immediate term.

French firm Neoen S.A.S was chosen as the preferred bidder for the first project after a competitive bidding process.

Minister of Finance Felix Mutati said last Friday that the government has finalized negotiations with the French firm for the start of the project which is expected to commence this year.

The Scaling Solar Project is a World-Bank supported project meant to boost solar energy production in African countries. The International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank, offers a one-stop shop solution and package of advisory services, template contracts, financing, guarantees and insurance to help the government and utilities procure solar power transparently, competitively and at a lower possible cost.
TAIPEI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- A tour bus lost control and crashed into a house in Taiwan leaving the driver dead and a number of passengers injured.

The bus was carrying 22 tourists and a guide from Jilin Province when the accident occurred on a highway to the city of New Taipei at about 10 a.m. Monday, according to local firefighting authorities.

The driver lost consciousness at the scene and was later confirmed dead.

The tour group will continue its journey in Taiwan and is scheduled to leave the island Sunday.

One of the passengers, surnamed Zhang, told reporters that most of the passengers did not know how the bus crashed into the house. He said they had managed to get out of the car via an emergency exit and waited for about two and half hours for another bus as arranged by the travel agency.

A number of passengers thought the driver might "have some problems with his physical condition."

The accident is under investigation.

Tour bus accidents have been frequently reported in Taiwan. On Feb. 13, a tour bus overturned in Taipei, leaving 33 Taiwanese dead. On Feb. 4, a tour bus carrying 28 passengers, mostly from the mainland, hit the top of a tunnel in Kaohsiung, injuring 21.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye bows during her speech to the nation at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Nov. 29, 2016. (Xinhua/Blue House)

SEOUL, March 6 (Xinhua) -- South Korean special prosecutors, who wrapped up their independent investigation last week into a corruption scandal embroiling President Park Geun-hye, said on Monday that President Park had ordered support for the power transfer of Samsung Group.

The independent counsel team, which launched its probe on Dec. 21, ended its 90-day probe on Feb. 28 as Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is serving as the acting president following Park's impeachment, rejected an extended investigation.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, an heir apparent of the biggest family-controlled conglomerate, has been taken into custody as he is suspected of paying tens of millions of U.S. dollars in bribes to Choi Soon-sil, Park's longtime confidante at the center of the scandal, in return for the national pension fund's support for the merger in 2015 of two Samsung affiliates.

The merger between Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T was extremely crucial to the Samsung heir to inherit the management control from his ailing father Chairman Lee Kun-hee who has been hospitalized after a heart attack nearly three years ago.

Moon Hyung-pyo, former health and welfare minister in charge of the control of the national pension fund who is now in custody, said President Park ordered him in June 2015 to help Samsung merge the two units. The order was given to the former minister through former senior presidential secretary Ahn Jong-beom.

The special prosecutors recommended that the national pension fund, which is in charge of retirement savings for nearly half of the 50 million population, should be free from any outside pressures even from the presidential office and government ministries.

Samsung, however, has claimed that there was no quid pro quo in the donations to two foundations controlled by Choi as well as no pressure on the national pension fund into supporting the 2015 merger.

President Park has been identified as an accomplice to Choi for bribery charges, becoming the first South Korean leader to be branded as a criminal suspect.

According to the investigation results, Park and Choi had had phone calls 573 times between April 18 and Oct. 26 last year through mobile phones bought with borrowed names. Park and other close aides also had conversations via the cellphones.

Choi also intervened in state affairs behind the scenes. The president's decades-long friend pressured the foreign ministry to nominate a Choi-favored figure as an ambassador to Myanmar to gain illegal profits from official development assistance (ODA) projects.

Independent counsel Park Young-soo told his first press conference that all of prosecutors and investigators tried their best to meet people's expectations with public support and cheers. He had refrained from standing in front of media cameras for fear of distorted interpretation of his comments.

He expressed the feeling of inconvenience for the non-extended investigations, citing the limited time allowed and non-cooperation from key suspects.

President Park had vowed to accept face-to-face interrogation from special prosecutors, but she rejected repeated calls for it. The presidential office also thwarted the prosecutors' attempt to search Park's office, citing the possible leakage of military secrets.

The head of special prosecutors stressed the importance of getting to the bottom of cozy ties between politicians and businessmen as well as the influence-peddling scandal for the national union.

Outside the venue for the press conference, loyalists to President Park rallied against the independent probe, with national flags and the Stars and Stripes in their hands as usual. The Park loyalists, mostly in their 60s, demanded the arrest of the independent counsel.

Related:

South Korean prosecutors brand president as suspect, indict Samsung heir on bribery

SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- South Korean special prosecutors on Tuesday branded impeached President Park Geun-hye as a criminal suspect for bribery charge in collusion with her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, who is at the center of the corruption scandal. Full story

Impeached S.Korean president decides not to attend final court hearing
People gather at the Olympic Youth Development Center where 8 people died in a stampede in Lusaka, Zambia, on March 6, 2017. At least eight people were killed on Monday while 28 others injured in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, during a stampede to collect food, the police said. (Xinhua/Cyril Banda)

LUSAKA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed on Monday while 28 others injured in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, during a stampede to collect food, the police said.

The victims were among about 35,000 who had rushed to the Olympic Youth Development Center where a group called Lesedi Seven had invited people for prayers as well to receive food hampers.

Esther Katongo, the police spokesperson said the incident happened in the early hours of Monday as the crowd jostled to enter the premises.

Five people died on the spot while three died from hospitals where they were rushed for medical attention, she added.

Among the dead included six females, one adult male and one male juvenile.

"We have since dispersed the gathering and an inquiry into the matter has been instituted," she said in a statement.

The group, which is under the Church of Christ, had issued a statement last week that it would be donating food parcels, which includes maize meal to 35,000 people and that most of the recipients would be people with special needs, unemployed as well as other members of the public.

It had said it would employ about 1,000 people to help with the distribution.
ACCRA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday presented awards to 60 students who distinguished themselves in last year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for junior high school students.

This award was instituted in 1993 to commemorate the celebration of Ghana's birth. Every year, two graduates from the BECE are selected from each of the 10 regions for the awards. However 60 students were awarded this year to commemorate Ghana's 60th independence birthday.

Among the criteria for selection include academic criteria, participation in co-curricular activities, exemplary conducts and other special qualities of excellence.

President Akufo-Addo said "to be a stronger and more innovative nation, Ghana must do all it can to keep the dreamers dreaming".

He said Ghana is at the point where it needs big dreams to complete the transformation of the country.

"It is for this reason that investments in our educational system have become a key priority for my government," he said.

The Minister of Education Matthew Opoku Prempeh advised the award recipients to eschew complacency and build on their achievements.

Ghanaians celebrate their 60 years of independence on Monday after the country attained independence on March 6, 1957 from Britain.
WINDHOEK, March 6 (Xinhua) -- United Nations human rights expert Rosa Kornfeld-Matte is currently on an official visit to assess the human rights situation of older persons in Namibia.

A statement from the UN's Information Centre in Windhoek on Monday said the expert's visit started on March 2 and will end on March 13.

The visit is an important opportunity to identify both best practices and gaps in the implementation of existing laws related to the promotion and protection of the rights of the elderly, the statement said.

"I am particularly interested in learning more about Namibia's extensive social protection system, including the universal non-contributory pension, which helped to significantly reduce poverty levels as well as the advanced technology introduced in the mid-1990s to manage the payment system," Kornfeld-Matte said.

The expert will present her findings and recommendations of her visit to Namibia in a report to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2017.
BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Three press conferences will be held at the media center of the fifth session of the 12th National People's Congress Tuesday, on March 7.

-- Finance Minister Xiao Jie and Assistant Finance Minister Dai Bohua will meet the press at 9 a.m. on "finance work, reform of fiscal and tax systems."

-- Agriculture Minister Han Changfu and Vice Agriculture Minister Zhang Taolin will meet the press at 10:45 a.m. on "agricultural supply-side structural reform."

-- Director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development Liu Yongfu will meet the press at 4:15 p.m. on "poverty alleviation."

Members of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) will give a press conference on "cultural confidence" and "the telling of the Chinese story" at the media center of the CPPCC session Tuesday afternoon.
DAMASCUS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has cut the road between the Islamic State (IS)-held province of al-Raqqa and the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, a monitor group reported on Monday.

The IS has lost all routes out of al-Raqqa, save for one through the Euphrates River, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The SDF, a Kurdish-led group supported by a U.S.-led anti-terror coalition, succeeded on Monday to cut the main road connecting al-Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS in northern Syria, with the IS-held areas in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, said the London-based monitor group, which says it relies on activists on the ground inside Syria.

The latest achievement came after a months-old offensive the SDF launched under the air cover of the U.S.-led coalition to isolate al-Raqqa from its countryside and other IS-held areas in the oil-rich Deir al-Zour.

The first stage of battles launched by the SDF in recent months focused on the eastern countryside of al-Raqqa, and last month the group unleashed an offensive against IS positions in the countryside of Deir al-Zour, as a prelude to cutting the IS supply route between the two areas.

Last week, the Observatory said 300 families left Iraq's Mosul or al-Raqqa and reached the IS-controlled city of al-Mayadeen in the countryside of Deir al-Zour, a move seen as anticipating further escalation of battles against the terror-designated group.

The losses near al-Raqqa were not the only heavy blow to IS, as Syrian government forces have also made strides against IS positions in the eastern countryside of Aleppo province in northern Syria with the help of its powerful ally Russia.

For the SDF, the U.S. support was instrumental in boosting the momentum of Kurdish-led groups in northern Syria.

In the city of Manbij, in Aleppo countryside, the SDF, now controlling the city through a local group known as Manbij Military Council, said Sunday evening that Kurdish-led groups' are now in control of the city, under the protection of the U.S.-led coalition.

This came as Turkish forces and allied fighters declared their next goal was to dislodge the Kurdish groups out of Manbij, after Turkey-backed rebels captured the city of al-Bab from IS in Aleppo countryside recently.

For Turkey, the presence of Kurdish influence in northern Syria near the Turkish borders is a red line, but for the U.S., the Kurdish groups are crucial allies on the ground.

The SDF said it will hand over areas west of Manbij to Syrian government forces, which would serve as a separation force between the Turkish-backed groups and the Kurdish-led ones.
ISLAMABAD, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Monday summoned a senior Afghan diplomat and lodged protest over a recent cross-border attack that killed at least five Pakistani soldiers.

The army said earlier that terrorists launched attacks on three checkpoints in Mohmand Agency on late Sunday.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed the attacks.

Pakistani officials insist that Ahrar, which is blamed for several deadly attacks in the country, "operates from the Afghan side of the border."

In this regard, the deputy head of Afghan mission was called to the Foreign Office Monday to learn Pakistan's grave concern over the incident, said Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.

The statement said the Afghan government was urged to thoroughly investigate the incidents and take firm action against the terrorists operating from its soil to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

"It was further emphasized that cooperation from Afghan side for effective border management was important for preventing cross-border movement of terrorists and militants."
BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- China plans to boost its tourism sector by upgrading infrastructure and giving the public easier access to travel information, a government document said on Monday.

The National Tourism Administration unveiled the plan in a development guideline for the tourism industry during the 2016-2020 period. It echoes the country's national strategy to spur the service sector.

According to the document, by 2020, roads to the country's major tourist attractions will be renovated to meet growing travel demand. Large tourist destinations will have easier internal transportation.

In the next four years, the country will add 20 inter-region bike lanes with a total length of 5,000 kilometers to boost zero-emission travel. More tour buses and RV campsites will also open.

Toilets at tourist sites have long had a nasty reputation. Visitors have complained of a toilet shortage, unhygienic conditions, and lack of sanitation workers.

To address the problem, the country aims to install and upgrade 100,000 restrooms. Toilets at major tourist sites should apply stringent hygiene standards with environmentally friendly cleaning approaches at most facilities.

The document also outlines plans to build a more integrated information sharing system and provide visitors higher-quality services.

China's tourism revenue totaled about 4.69 trillion yuan (about 689.7 billion U.S. dollars) in 2016, up 13.6 percent year on year. Domestic tourists made 4.44 billion trips last year, an increase of 11 percent, official data showed.

Tourism plays a key part in the world's second-largest economy as the country moves to build an economy driven by the service sector and consumer spending rather than trade and investment.

By 2020, the country will spend about 2 trillion yuan on the tourism sector, which will contribute more than 12 percent of GDP, according to the plan.
BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi is in no rush to expand internationally and will expand into the overseas markets gradually, the company's CEO said Monday.

"It takes time and resources to learn about and enter a new market due to different cultural, legal and business environments, and hasty expansion will cause into many problems," Xiaomi's board chairman and CEO Lei Jun said at the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of China's national legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC).

The tech firm started overseas expansion three years ago and is now selling products in over 20 countries and regions worldwide.

It took Xiaomi two years to become one of the top five smartphone brands in India, its largest overseas market, which brought in sales of about 1 billion U.S. dollars in 2016.

"India sets a good example whose experience can be shared in expanding into other countries, and Xiaomi will start from neighboring markets and then go for western ones," Lei said.

Lei, who is also a deputy to the NPC, believes that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative offers good opportunities for Chinese tech firms to expand overseas by helping other countries develop IT infrastructure.

To make Chinese tech firms' overseas expansion easier, Lei suggested that Chinese authorities could establish specific offices in foreign countries to offer legal, cultural and commercial consulting services and help bridge cooperation with foreign markets.

"In five to ten years, China's smartphone brands will earn global popularity with products featuring impressive design, quality, service and reasonable price," Lei added.
NAIROBI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Kenya plans to begin construction of a 158 MW geothermal power plant at the end of March, officials said on Monday.

State-owned Kenya Electricity Generating (KenGen) Managing director Albert Mugo told an investors briefing in Nairobi that procurement of the contractor for the Olkaria V project was concluded last month.

"We have already secured funding and we expect construction works to be completed by mid 2019," Mugo said. The geothermal power plant consist of two plants each producing 79 MW.

KenGen has also received funding from the European Investment Bank and the German Development Bank to construct another 70 MW geothermal power plant which should be connected to the national grid in 2019.

The power producer plans to add 743 MW of electricity by the year 2022 out of which 653 MW will comprise of geothermal power while 90 MW will consist of wind power.

Mugo said that Kenya will concentrate on producing geothermal power because the East African nation has huge geothermal resources.

"Kenya has only tapped less than 600 MW of geothermal power out of a potential of 10,000 MW," he said.

Mugo said that Kenya currently has an installed electricity generating capacity of 2,370 MW out of which KenGen produces 1,630 MW.

KenGen's energy mix includes 52 percent hydropower, 38 percent geothermal while thermal and wind accounts for nine and one percent respectively.
ANKARA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- A Russian woman reportedly connected to the assassin of Russian ambassador to Turkey has been detained in Ankara, Turkish media reported on Monday.

Investigators suspect the 33-year-old woman, identified only as Ekaterina B., of maintaining telephone and WhatsApp contact with the killer of Russian Ambassador Andrey Karlov into late November, Hurriyet Daily reported.

The assassin, off-duty police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas, shot dead the Russian envoy at the opening of an art gallery exhibition on Dec. 19. He was killed by police at the scene.

The Russian Embassy in Ankara has requested additional information regarding the detention of the woman, Russian media outlet Sputnik reported.
DHAKA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi government has signed a USD 300 million financing agreement with the World Bank to strengthen local governments.

The money will go to all 4,550 Union Parishads, the lowest tier of local government, helping with the annual financial audits of all Union Parishads.

Built on the success of two predecessor projects, the Local Governance Support Project 3 (LGSP3) will benefit over 115 million people across the country, said the Washington-based lender in a statement received here Monday.

The project will also pilot a fiscal transfer system for 16 Pourashavas (municipalities) in all eight Divisions, it said adding the eligible municipalities will receive expanded block grants to give them access to greater resources to respond to local service delivery priorities.

"Over the past decade, the World Bank has been supporting the government's vision of a stronger and more accountable local governance system. Started in 2006, the LGSP was the first nationwide program to provide block grants to Union Parishads to spend at their own discretion," said Qimiao Fan, World Bank country director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.

"With consecutive projects, fiscal transfers to Union Parishads for discretionary spending has increased 11-fold to Taka 2.23 million per Union Parishad in FY2016 from Taka 0.2 million in FY2007. LGSP3 will continue the momentum, and the enhanced discretionary resources will enable local governments respond to local needs more effectively."

Since 2006, the World Bank has been financing the Union Parishad block grants. From the fourth year of the LGSP3 project, the government will fully finance the Union Parishad block grants out of national budgetary allocations with all the principal features. LGSP3 will fully functionalize the web-based monitoring of Union Parishads functions developed under the predecessor project.

"Bangladesh has made significant progress in moving forward the decentralization agenda as stated in the Seventh Five Year Plan," said Kazi Azam, Secretary-In-Charge, Economic Relations Division, government of Bangladesh.

"The government's continued commitment is evident as we proceed to institutionalize a transparent and predictable fiscal transfer system for the Union Parishads which will benefit over 70 percent of the country's population living in the Union Parishads."
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang joins a panel discussion with deputies to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) from Shandong Province at the annual session of the NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 6, 2017. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday called for more efforts to create a favorable environment for innovation and entrepreneurship and seek new driving forces for the economy.

For China to maintain medium-high economic growth, the biggest potential lies in bringing out the creativity of the country's population of more than 1.3 billion, said Li while joining a group of lawmakers from Shandong Province to discuss the government work report.

He stressed the need to further cut taxes and fees, and promised to build innovation platforms to meet the demands from emerging industries and new business models.

"The gathering of new growth momentum could help create jobs and lead the economy to higher levels," he said.

In the government work report the premier delivered Sunday, China set the growth target for 2017 at around 6.5 percent, with the goal of creating over 11 million urban jobs.

The premier said this year's growth rate, which remains at a medium-high level, could support enough employment.

While reiterating the basic tone of "seeking progress while maintaining stability," he called for more focus on improving growth quality and efficiency to strengthen internal impetus for the economy.

Premier Li also demanded more attention on issues related to the people's well-being, such as education, medical care, social security, housing and environmental protection.




ARUSHA, Tanzania, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Monday signed a Country Programming Framework (CPF) with Tanzania that will help in improving agriculture, food security, nutrition and natural resources management in the country over the next four years.

The signing event was held here between the FAO Country Representative, Fred Kafeero, and Tanzania's Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Eng. Mathew Mtigumwe.

Kafeero said that the framework guides FAO support and partnership with the government of Tanzania from 2017 to 2020 in the context of UN Development Assistance Plan (UNDAP II) 2016-2021.

"It draws lessons from the previous CPF and it takes into account the findings and recommendations of the evaluation of FAO's contribution to the United Republic of Tanzania 2014-2016. It also seeks to strengthen collaboration with key stakeholders and development partners supporting the government of Tanzania," he said.

Explaining the UN body's contribution and expected results under the framework, the FAO Representative highlighted the four mutually reinforcing priorities of the CPF, which include evidence-based agriculture policy, planning, investment and sector coordination; increasing agricultural production, productivity for food and nutrition security; improving market access for increased incomes; and strengthening resilience to natural and man-made threats and crises.

According to Kafeero, the implementation of the CPF is estimated at a minimum of 17.6 million US dollars to be financed through partnerships with development partners, the government of Tanzania, South-South Cooperation programmes and joint One UN programmes.

"Implementation of the priorities will be through working in partnership with central and local governments by specific linkages and coordination with agriculture line ministries; collaboration with non-state actors, the private commercial sector, academia, and research institutions," he stated.

Mtigumwe commended the FAO support in improving agriculture and natural resources management in the country and pledged full support to the framework.

"Agriculture plays a critical role in our economy and FAO is one of our key partners in improving the sector which remains to be the biggest employer in the country." he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd R) meets with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni (2nd L) and his mother, former Queen Norodom Monineath (1st L), in Beijing, capital of China, March 6, 2017. Xi's wife Peng Liyuan (1st R) attended the meeting. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo)

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and his mother, former Queen Norodom Monineath, on Monday.

Xi hailed the profound friendship between Chinese and Cambodian people, adding the friendship is very precious as it was started and fostered by the older generations of Chinese leaders and Cambodian former King Norodom Sihanouk.

Xi and Sihamoni exchanged visits in 2016. Xi said China-Cambodia ties have witnessed rapid growth, citing high political mutual trust, win-win economic cooperation, mutual support in domestic development and close coordination in global and regional affairs.

The Cambodian royal family has been committed to boosting friendship with China and has made great contributions in this regard, he added.

Xi called on both sides to maintain high-level contacts, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, synergize their development strategies, boost cooperation on key projects, and strengthen coordination in multilateral affairs.

Sihamoni and his mother recalled Xi's visit to Cambodia last year, adding bilateral friendship and cooperation had been consolidated through the visit.

The Cambodian royal family, government and people appreciate China's support for the country's economic and social development, they said, vowing to carry on the former King Sihanouk's friendship policy toward China and boost stronger bilateral ties.

Sihamoni and his mother arrived in Beijing on Friday.
KIGALI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda President Paul Kagame has said that Rwanda is committed to supporting the deepening of integration of the East African Community (EAC) to achieve economic and social prosperity of the citizens within the region.

He made the remarks on Monday while addressing a Special Sitting of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) which starts a two-week session at the Rwandan Parliamentary buildings in the capital Kigali.

The EALA is the law-making organ of the EAC established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC. Being the legislative arm of the community, members are sworn into five-year terms.

The regional parliament is responsible for, among other things, approving budgets of the EAC and debating audit reports.

"East Africa is increasingly perceived as a region on the move. We have to continue to meet these high expectations. It is easier to trade and do business with each other and we are collaborating to expand energy and transportation infrastructure," said Kagame.

He noted that citizens of the EAC member countries move more freely than ever before and communication within the region has become more affordable and convenient.

"Much of this progress was the result of political will, responding to the needs and aspirations of our citizens. Rwanda's commitment to the East African Community ten years after we acceded to the treaty is stronger than ever. Integration is not a zero-sum game. When we work together, we are all better off," Rwanda president said.

Kagame also called upon the deepening of Africa integration saying that the continent must have a strong and unified voice that communicates the aspirations and positions of Africa on the global stage.

This will be the Third Assembly's last sitting in Kigali as its term ends in June when a new Assembly [the Fourth Assembly] is expected to be ushered in.

According to Dan Kidega, speaker of EALA, strong support from the leadership of EAC member states will play a key role towards advancing regional integration.

"Deepened EAC agenda will be achieved through regional free trade areas, progressing towards customs union, a common market, monetary union and political federation. We are grateful for member countries that have strongly supported this journey to achieve socio-economic prosperity of the citizens, "he explained.

EAC is made up of six countries including Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda.
JAKARTA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian attorney general office and Wildlife Conservation Society-Indonesia program (WCS-IP) have teamed up in taking measures to boost protection on endangered species in the archipelago country.

The collaboration would allow the appliance of stronger sanctions against those committed in a crime against protected animals, Noor Rachmad, a deputy attorney general at the office said on Monday.

The attorney general office and the WCS-IP on Monday signed an agreement on cooperation to raise knowledge of prosecutors on crimes against the endangered species, allowing them to file a stronger demand in such case.

"This agreement will unify our vision in preserving environment and enforcing law," he said at Aryaduta Hotel.

The official disclosed that rampant illegal trades of protected species have cost Indonesia a 10-to-20 billion U.S. dollar financial loss per year.

Indonesia is home to scores of endangered species, including Sumatran tigers, Rhino, Orang Utan and others.
MOSCOW, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia is concerned about new missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and urges all parties to show restraint, the Kremlin said Monday.

"These are the steps that lead to a further increase of tension in the region," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency in a comment on the DRPK's recent multiple missile launch.

He added that Moscow would conduct an exchange of views on Pyongyang's latest move with concerned countries.

On Sunday, the DPRK fired four ballistic missiles of a new type into east waters. The missiles flew some 1,000 km eastward on average, and three out of the four fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to a report by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The DPRK's test-launches came in possible response to an annual U.S.-South Korea springtime war game that kicked off on March 1. Pyongyang has denounced it as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a government work report during the opening meeting of the fifth session of China's 12th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2017. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

SYDNEY, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Australian media have devoted much coverage to the Chinese government work report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang to the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Sunday, stressing that China's sustained growth will benefit Australia.

The Australian Financial Review (AFR), Australia's Number One financial newspaper, Monday had a front page feature, as well as stories throughout, highlighting the policy direction China will be taking in economical development, national defense and foreign affairs.

On the front page under the banner headline of "China stays on growth path," the writers of the story, Angus Grigg and Lisa Murray, said China's plan to increase spending on infrastructure will benefit Australian mining companies.

"The confirmation that China was largely sticking to the economic growth script, and putting off any drastic, and potentially destabilizing, reforms will be interpreted as good news for Australian exporters of iron ore and coal," they said.

In one of the other AFR pieces, Grigg said that the Chinese government work report with its focus on "stability" will ensure that growth remains constant in China, defying expectations by some that this would not be the case, and providing a boon for the Australian economy.

"This suggests the sharp fall in commodity prices forecast by some is unlikely to eventuate this year," Grigg said.

The Australian, Australia's largest national paper, also featured the work report heavily, as Rowan Callick, their China correspondent, said the Chinese government with the report is "standing firm in not adopting strong stimulus policies and continuing to give top priority to creating jobs."

It also mentioned China's strategy to eliminate "zombie enterprises" that receive funding but have no positive effect on the economy.

It was not just the media that reacted positively to the government work report, with economists in Australia also extolling the benefits of China's strategy for the next year.

Professor James Laurenceson, deputy director of the Australia China Relations Institute at the University of Sydney, told Xinhua that the continued stability of growth in China is great news for Australia.

"At the moment Australian services to China are growing at 20 percent per year and agricultural exports are doing well too. So it's a continuation of the positive impact on Australia," Laurenceson said.

Laurenceson also believes that the next 12 months will see "significant" economic reform in China, which will further boost not only the Chinese economy, but the Australian economy as well.

"So if China continues to grow at 6.5 percent and China implements more infrastructure spending, that will require Australian iron ore, Australian coal, so I expect another 12 months of quite broad based Chinese demand for our exports," Laurenceson said.

Evan Lucas, market analyst at the IG, was confident in the positive impact of the Chinese figures, noting that the early Monday morning trade saw the mining sector in Australia picking up a lot of value.

"That's positive, with the 6.5 percent growth target being seen as a floor, rather than a target," said Lucas.

Wei Li, Asia economist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, said the Chinese government's strategic plans will have positive impacts across the globe.

"The Chinese government's commitment to fast infrastructure investment and continued cut in steel and coal overcapacity are positive for both domestic and global commodity prices," he said.




Part of the crowd that gathered at the Olypmpic Youth Development Center where 8 people died in a stampede in Lusaka on March 6 2017. (Xinhua/Cyril Banda)

LUSAKA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed on Monday while 28 others injured in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, during a stampede to collect food, the police said.

The victims were among about 35,000 who had rushed to the Olympic Youth Development Center where a group called Lesedi Seven had invited people for prayers as well to receive food hampers.

Esther Katongo, the police spokesperson said the incident happened in the early hours of Monday as the crowd jostled to enter the premises.

Five people died on the spot while three died from hospitals where they were rushed for medical attention, she added.

Among the dead included six females, one adult male and one male juvenile.

"We have since dispersed the gathering and an inquiry into the matter has been instituted," she said in a statement.

The group, which is under the Church of Christ, had issued a statement last week that it would be donating food parcels, which includes maize meal to 35,000 people and that most of the recipients would be people with special needs, unemployed as well as other members of the public.
MANAMA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Bahrain's justice ministry on Monday filed for the dissolution of the National Democratic Action Society (Waad), the second largest opposition society.

This came after the dissolution of Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, the largest opposition party.

In a statement carried by Bahrain News Agency, the ministry accused the Waad of involvement in major violations, including supporting terrorism and violence and glorifying convicts of terrorism.

Al Wefaq was disbanded for similar reasons, as part of strict steps the government said are aimed at eliminating violence in the country.
BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday questioned the findings of a United States human rights report and cautioned against using the issue of human rights to interfere in China's internal affairs.

The U.S. State Department released an annual report on global human rights Friday, which pointed a finger at China and some other countries.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang voiced firm opposition to the "2016 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices," which he said was full of unfounded accusations and prejudice.

China has lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side, Geng said at a regular press conference.

He said anyone free of political bias about China's human rights situation would not deny the remarkable improvements since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

China holds that countries should have dialogue and exchanges with one another on human rights on the basis of equality and mutual respect, Geng said.

He urged the United States to view China's human rights situation in an objective and fair manner and stop using the issue to interfere in China's internal affairs.

Regarding the report's accusations about the human rights situation in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, Geng dismissed the false accusations and stressed that the United States has no right to intervene in the internal affairs of China.

Since the return of Hong Kong and Macao, the "One Country, Two Systems" policy and the Basic Law have been implemented comprehensively, and Hong Kong and Macao residents enjoy full rights and freedom in accordance with the law, said Geng.

These are well-established facts and cannot be called into question, he added.
ZAATARI REFUGEE CAMP, Jordan, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The spokeswoman of the World Food Program (WFP) in Jordan has praised China for its assistance to helping Syrian refugees in the country.

Welcoming meals donated by China, consisting of basic food items such as canned hummus, bottled water, canned tuna and crackers, help to sustain some Syrian refugees in Jordan, Shaza Mograby told Xinhua in an interview on Sunday at the Zaatari refugee camp, some 70 km north of the capital Amman.

"These welcoming meals are enough to sustain these refugees until they are officially enrolled into the WFP's food assistance program," said Mograby, describing the donations as "generous."

The planned number of people to benefit from the donations in 2017 is 4,000 Syrians each month, Mograby said.

Under an agreement signed last September between China's Ministry of Commerce and the WFP, China will donate 2 million U.S. dollars to Jordan and Lebanon to help Syrian refugees in the two countries.

With 1.5 million dollars allocated to Jordan, China's contribution will also help the WFP run two kitchens set up inside the camps to support the school meals program, which could provide the Syrian refugees' children more healthy and diverse food.

"China is not only providing life-saving assistance through the welcoming meals, but also investing in Syria's next generation," said Mograby.

According to the WFP spokeswoman, these kitchens, which will be ready very soon this month, are expected to feed around 12,300 students per year. They will also provide cash-for-work assistance for Syrian women involved in the project.

"The students will be receiving fresh oven-baked pastries as well as pieces of fruits and vegetables... packaged and made by women and men living in Zaatari camp," said Mograby.

Zaatari refugee camp, first opened on July 2012, is currently home to more than 79,000 Syrians, the majority of whom are women and children, according to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.

Jordan says it has provided refuge to nearly 1.3 million Syrians, more than 600,000 of whom are registered. Of these, around 100,000 live in refugee camps, while the vast majority live in "non-camp settings" in rural and urban areas.
Photo taken on March 1, 2017, shows the livestock owned by illegal herders in Mugie Wildlife Conservancy, Laikipia County, Kenya. (Xinhua/Pan Siwei)

LAIKIPIA, Kenya, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Armed raiders invading a ranch shot dead a British national in northern Kenya's Laikipia County on Sunday evening, officials confirmed on Monday.

Tristan Voorspuy, a father of two, was shot dead after he went to inspect the remains of a friend's home that had been burnt down by raiders on Friday.

Laikipia Ranchers Association chairman Martin Evans said Voorspuy was inspecting the damage caused by the raiders when the attackers opened fire on him.

He said the former British Army officer died on the spot and it took hours for his body to be collected since there were fears the bandits were still lurking in the bushes.

Voorspuy who was raised in Sussex and served for six years in the British Army before turning to tour guiding is a shareholder in Sosian Ranch.

On Saturday, a police helicopter was shot at in the same farm as security officers carried out aerial surveillance where illegal grazers and bandits have continued to wreak havoc.

Initial reports suggested that Inspector General of Police was in the targeted helicopter but he denied the reports saying he had already left the area.

The attacks are allegedly linked to suspected armed Pokot and Samburu herdsmen who have invaded ranches in Laikipia en masse with their cattle.
BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- China's mobile service operators will eliminate charges for domestic roaming and long-distance calls as data services become their major source of revenue.

The fees will be canceled as of Oct. 1, said Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology Chen Zhaoxiong at a news conference on Monday.

China began a campaign aimed at faster and more affordable Internet connections in 2015 after users had long complained about roaming fees, which were introduced 23 years ago.

The ministry has made solid progress toward the target with joint efforts by China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, he said.

The official deadline is an ultimatum for the operators, which had unveiled plans to phase out the fees in August 2016, including no longer introducing service plans that charge those fees.

Their efforts witnessed stellar growth in China's 4G mobile service users from fewer than 100 million in 2014 to 770 million, more than half of the world's total.

Carriers are vying for these consumers, unveiling competitive data plans for them to browse through more content on handsets, no matter where they are.

On Feb. 24, China Unicom introduced a plan called "Ice Cream" with no monthly cap on call time and data at a price of 398 yuan (57.7 U.S. dollars), while its rivals rolled out schemes featuring high data quotas.

In 2016, some 9.36 billion gigabytes of data were consumed through mobile Internet use, up 123.7 percent year on year, as users consumed 98.3 percent more data on average monthly, official data showed.

The fee reduction would account for only a single-digit percentage of mobile carriers' revenues and can be counteracted through increased service consumption, said Fu Liang, a telecommunications analyst.

Xi Guohua, former chairman of China Mobile, also said a dent in profits will be overweighed by more consumption, employment and economic growth.

The fees-cutting decision was unveiled after a government work report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang Sunday had promised a raft of measures to ensure faster and more cost-effective information networks.

Among the measures are lower fees levied on small- and medium-sized enterprises for dedicated Internet access and broader access to broadband Internet in rural areas, Chen said.

China will continue to improve the market environment for telecommunications by further opening the market and promoting benign competition, he added.
The ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Malaysia, Kang Chol, goes through customs at the Kuala Lumpur airport, Malaysia, March 6, 2017. The ambassador of the DPRK in Malaysia, who has been expelled by the Malaysian government, on Monday expressed "grave concerns over the extreme measures taken" by Malaysia which will harm bilateral ties. (Xinhua/Chong Voon Chung)

PYONGYANG, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced Monday that Malaysia's ambassador is labeled as a persona non grata, demanding the diplomat leave the country within 48 hours from 10:00 a.m. local time (0130 GMT) on Sunday.

The foreign ministry announced without elaboration the decision in a brief statement carried by the official news agency KCNA.

The decision came after Malaysia declared the ambassador of the DPRK to the country Kang Chol as a "persona non grata" on Saturday night and asked him to leave Malaysia within 48 hours, amid a row over investigation into the death of a DPRK male.

Kang and the DPRK government accused the Malaysian side several times of "colluding with hostile forces" in its investigation into the death of the DPRK man on Feb. 13 in Kuala Lumpur, and refused to trust the probe.

A DPRK national, identified as Kim Chol, was attacked on Feb. 13 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2. After seeking help from the airport staff, he died en route to hospital.
TEHRAN, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Czech Republic signed an accord to build a waste-to-energy (WTE) power plant in Iran in the coming months, semi-official Fars news agency reported Monday.

The contract was signed between Iranian Deputy Energy Minister for Electricity and Energy Affairs Houshang Falahatian and Chairman of Czech Parliament's Energy and Commerce Committee Milan Sarapatka in Tehran on Monday.

According to the contract, a 20-megawatt incinerator power plant will convert 350 tons of waste into energy on daily basis, the report said without elaborating on the location where the plant will be constructed.

Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian welcomed participation of the Czech companies in financing or constructing waste-fuel power plants in Iran.

Tehran and Prague are also considering the capacities of the two countries in the water and electricity sectors.

"The record of cooperation between Iran and Czech Republic dates back to a long time ago and we are currently cooperating on the construction of Khoda-Afarin hydroelectric power plant in Northwestern Iran," Chitchian said last October.
TEHRAN, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Iran and South Africa have reached preliminary agreement to cooperate jointly in the construction of gas to liquid (GTL) conversion plant in Iran, semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday.

During the meeting on Sunday, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Marzieh Shahdaei and the visiting South African Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson agreed on launching feasibility studies for building a gas to liquids unit with a capacity of 50,000 barrels.

Gas to Liquids is a refinery process to convert natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons into longer-chain hydrocarbons, such as gasoline or diesel fuel.

On Saturday, Iran's Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that Iran was ready to purchase shares of the refineries in South Africa.

Namdar made the remarks on the sidelines of a meeting with Joemat-Pettersson.

The purchase plan was aimed at guaranteeing long-term oil exports to the country, Zanganeh said.

Iran's state oil companies should not be involved in the deals, he said, adding that private sector, with the help of Iran's National Development Fund, could participate in the purchase of the refinery shares.
SINGAPORE, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say on Monday announced several enhancements to support professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) looking to switch careers.

Lim said the Professional Conversion Program (PCP) will continue to subsidize 70 percent of the monthly pay of PMETs undergoing career conversion, but the government will raise the salary support caps from 2,000 Singapore dollars (1,418 U.S. dollars) to 4,000 Singapore dollars (2,836 U.S. dollars).

The minister added employers who hire PMETs who are 40 years and older or those who have been unemployed for more than six months will get a higher level of subsidy. They will receive a 90 percent subsidy of the monthly pay at a higher cap of 6,000 Singapore dollars (4,255 U.S. dollars), up from 4,000 Singapore dollars (2,836 U.S. dollars) a month.

Lim also revealed details on enhancements of the Career Support Program (CSP) to help PMETs who have been unemployed for longer duration. Employers who hire mature PMETs or those who have been actively job searching for a year or more will get higher wage subsidies. The salary support will be extended from 12 to 18 months.

Singapore government will hire two foreign employment agencies, which own experience of working with the government, to help PMETs find jobs, said Lim.

In addition, government-run National Jobs Bank will become a one-stop jobs and skills online portal, with more self-help tools for users.
by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Relations between Turkey and Germany, which have been tense since last year, worsened further lately as the two NATO allies and key economic partners are locked in acrimony over a ban preventing Turkish ministers from addressing expats inside Germany to campaign for constitutional reforms granting extended powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish voters will go to the polls on April 16 to approve or reject constitutional amendments to transform the nation's parliamentary system into a presidential one.

Germany, home to over 3 million out of 5 million people of Turkish origin in Europe, is a key factor in the political campaign. With some 1.4 million voters, it is a must-go spot for members of the Turkish government.

Erdogan, who had campaigned in Germany in 2011 and 2014, was reportedly planning a another political rally to secure the important diaspora before the referendum.

The German government under Chancellor Angela Merkel is under increased pressure from the opposition and the press to reject such Turkish campaigns inside the country, especially after a reporter of the prominent newspaper Die Welt, Deniz Yucel, became the first German citizen to be arrested last month for what was described as "terrorist propaganda" as part of Erdogan's crackdown in the wake of the failed coup last summer.

The journalist has been accused personally by Erdogan of being a "German agent" and a member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Yucel "hid in the German embassy as a member of the PKK and a German agent for one month," Erdogan said.

"We cannot understand and thus accept such an opposition to Turkish government members wanting to reunite with their citizens and speak to them from a country who declares itself as a champion of freedoms," a Turkish diplomatic source said on condition of anonymity.

"We surely don't expect such a stance from a country that we consider an ally and a friend," added the source.

Several Turkish ministers were blocked in the past few days to attend public rallies in German towns, prompting immediate and harsh criticism from Ankara.

One of them was Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, a loyal political ally of Erdogan.

"Not allowing the Turkish justice minister to speak, does it adhere or not to German human rights, Mrs. Merkel?" Bozdag asked.

Merkel insisted that the decision was taken by the municipalities and that Germany is keen on insuring the freedom of expression.

In an attempt to defuse a very possible crisis, Merkel called his Turkish counterpart on Saturday and the latter described their conversation as "good and productive."

The Turkish prime minister told reporters that the foreign ministers of the two countries would meet this week to discuss the issue.

The growing row is troubling for Merkel because she had persuaded Turkey to help block the surge of Syrian refugees fleeing to the European Union.

But the war of words continues to escalate when Erdogan himself made harsh accusations against Germany.

On Sunday, the Turkish president accused German authorities of using "Nazi methods of the past."

"Turkey has no democracy lesson to take" from Berlin, he said.

"I, Erdogan, will decide to go to Germany and they will not allow me in the country. That's unheard of," he said. "If I want, I will go there tomorrow and let us see what they will do then."

"I thought that Nazi methods were a thing of the past in Germany," an angry Erdogan told reporters on Sunday evening. "I'm totally mistaken."

The turmoil in relations between Berlin and Ankara has been ongoing since Germany criticized the large-scale crackdown on suspected coup-plotters and those alleged to have links to Kurdish militants following last July's failed coup.

Germany also refuses to extradite dozens of Turkish individuals among their officers and diplomats that Ankara suspects of involvement in the botched coup.

"Germany does not want the political polarisation that we witness in Turkish society to spill on their land, fearing for a disruption of the public order," Huseyin Bagci, a professor from the Middle East Technical University (Metu) in Ankara, told Xinhua.

By its unwillingness to welcome Turkish government officials, Berlin is clashing with its own democratic values vocally preached in the European Union, said the expert on international relations.

"A Turkish president has the right to meet his citizens in any foreign country," added Bagci.

After Austria, the Netherlands also joined Germany in banning Turkish political rallies.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said a planned pro-Erdogan rally in Rotterdam on March 11 would be "undesirable."

"We believe that the Dutch public space is not the place to conduct another country's political campaign," Rutte said in a statement on Friday, drawing an angry response from Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu the next day.

"What do you mean we can't campaign? Where is democracy? Where are freedoms? Where is freedom of expression?" Cavusoglu asked.

"None of you can stop us," he said. "We will go where we want to go. We will meet with our citizens and we will have our meetings."

Bozdag, the Turkish justice minister, has accused "several" EU countries of being against changing Turkey's governing system, because they do not want Turkey to be a strong and stable country.

Deniz Zeyrek, a renowned columnist from Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, while denouncing Germany, also criticized the Turkish government for using the emergency rule imposed after the failed coup to ban all opposition assemblies and meetings across the country.

"Freedom of speech goes for everyone, for Germany as well as Turkey," he said. "Let us not all forget that important fact."
MANILA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- A female cadet topped this year's graduating class at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), the country's premier military institution announced on Monday.

Rovi Valino Martinez of Cabanatuan City, north of Manila is the valedictorian of PMA Class of 2017. Seven other female cadets are in the top 10, school authorities said.

Of the 163 graduating on Sunday, 62 are female, the largest number since women were accepted in the military academy in Baguio City, the so-called summer capital of the Philippines because of its cool weather.

President Rodrigo Duterte is the guest speaker at the PMA graduation for the first time.

Martinez, 22, will receive the Presidential Saber from Duterte. She will also receive the Philippine Navy Saber, the Academic Group Award, and plaques for Social Sciences and Navy Professional Courses.

She will also receive the JUSMAG award from the U.S government, as well as special awards from the Spanish Armed Forces and the Australian Defense Forces. Martinez will also go to the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island for being the top Navy graduate, the academy said.

A law has granted women in the Philippines equal access to the service academies. The first batch of female cadets were accepted into the military school in 1993.

Since 1993, the official website of the PMA said that the number of female cadets accepted has since been limited to no more than five percent of the total number of cadets entering the academy at any one time.

Female cadets have graduated with the classes of 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000.

Martinez is the second female cadet to make it to the top of her class. In 1999, the first female cadet was made valedictorian of her class, the academy said.
BEIRUT, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Visiting French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stressed Monday his country's commitment to continue supporting Lebanese Army.

"France will continue to support the Lebanese army in commitment to the pledges made by the French president," said Le Drian following meeting with Lebanon's President Michel Aoun at Baabda Presidential Palace.

According to a statement by the presidential media office, Le Drian said "France will also increase the military training courses it provides for the army."

Le Drian arrived to Lebanon on a three-day official visit.

He is expected to hold meetings with Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, his Lebanese counterpart Yaaqoub al-Sarraf and Army Commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji.
CAIRO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian National Committee on Libya met Monday to discuss the latest developments in Libya and urged Libyans to seize Cairo initiative as a historic chance to end the inter-Libyan conflict, said the Egyptian military spokesman in a statement.

"The committee believes that the Libyans have a historic chance to take the initiative lead and go to the dialogue table to reach a Libyan agreement that blocks the way for attempts of foreign interference," Egyptian Military Spokesman Tamer al-Refaay said in the statement.

Formed in 2016, the military-oriented Egyptian committee on Libya reaffirmed that a political solution is "the only way" out of the Libyan crisis, appreciating the responses of the Libyan House of Representatives and the Higher State's Council that are currently naming representatives for a joint committee whose formation has recently been agreed in Cairo.

"The Egyptian committee will continue its efforts to support the Libyan joint committee once formed, in cooperation with the United Nations, to reach a settlement satisfactory for the Libyan people to end the current crisis and open a new stage of prevailing security and stability in Libya," said the military spokesperson.

Following the ouster and killing of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libyan factions engaged in a state of civil war that escalated in 2014 and resulted in splitting power between two rival governments in capital Tripoli and Tubruk, northwestern and northeastern Libya.

Tubruk government was recognized by the international community then, before the Libyan Presidential Council (PC) was established in late 2015 as a unity government following a UN-brokered peace deal between warring Libyan factions reached in Skhirat, Morocco.

Supported by self-proclaimed Libyan national army led by Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar, the parliament-backed government in Tubruk refuses to recognize the UN-backed, Tripoli-based unity government, known as the Government of National Accord (GNA), which is run by the PC.

Egypt, which has recently hosted several meetings of Libyan factions, refrains from recognizing the GNA, saying it is up to the Libyan people to determine their own government, yet Egypt repeatedly expressed support for the Libyan parliament and its government and for strongman Haftar's crackdown on militants in Libya.

In January, Cairo hosted top diplomats from Libya and its neighboring states, namely Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Chad, Niger and Tunisia, as well as the Arab League (AL) chief and UN envoy, who issued a communique urging Libyan dialogue and reiterating rejection of any foreign military interference in the war-torn country.

In mid-February, Egypt managed to get Haftar and GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj to Cairo but failed to convince the two rivals to hold direct talks.

A week later, the foreign ministers of Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt met in Tunisia and said that the Libyan settlement must imperatively be political and it has to integrate all concerned Libyan parties.

Despite inability to have Haftar and Sarraj in tete-a-tete talks, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said earlier in March, in a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, that Cairo's efforts "did not fail" but it would need more effort and communication.
JERUSALEM, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday that Washington has warned that annexing the West Bank would lead to an "immediate crisis" between the two countries.

Lieberman was responding to hardliners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, who are calling for a declaration of Israeli sovereignty over all or part of the West Bank.

Lieberman said annexation would prompt a crisis with President Donald Trump's administration.

"We have received a very clear, direct message from the United States stating that the application of Israeli law in Judea and Samaria would provoke an immediate crisis with the new administration," Lieberman told the parliament's Defense Committee. Judea and Samaria is a Hebrew biblical term for the West Bank, a territory Israel occupied in 1967.

Lieberman said that a decision to annex this land would mean the integration of 2.7 million Palestinians in Israel."

Pointing out an economic reason, Lieberman said that annexation means the Palestinians would "have to receive at least residency status," he said.

"That means that from the first day, 20 billion shekels just from the National Insurance Institute in unemployment benefits, maternity allowances, and other payments. I'm not even talking about the budgets of the interior ministry, the housing ministry and other offices that will also go there," he said.

Israel has been controlling the West Bank ever since it occupied the land, despite international condemnations and calls to end the occupation.

Some lawmakers pushed forward a bill to annex Ma'aleh Adumim, a 37,000-resident settlement, and linking it to Jerusalem. However, the cabinet has postponed the discussion on the draft law to an unknown date.

Lieberman, the leader of the right-wing party of Yisrael Beitenu, is a long-time supporter of a two-state solution based on territorial and population exchanges.
TEHRAN, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday that the Islamic republic hopes relations with Egypt to be restored.

Bahram Qasemi hoped for the removal of obstacles to establish stronger relations with Egypt as a "major" country, according to Tasnim news agency.

To this end, Tehran maintains necessary contacts with Cairo through Egypt's interests section in the country, Qasemi said, expressing the hope that barriers for closer ties will be overcome and the bilateral ties will experience better conditions.

"The ties are always two-way, and a set of conditions need to be prepared in both capitals to take steps to promote relation," he was quoted as saying.

Over the past years, Iran has announced readiness to mend relations with Egypt by settling differences on certain issues.

Ties between Egypt and Iran were cut off after Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. After the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, particularly after former president Mohamed Morsi took office, the ice began to thaw with mutual visits of the two countries' leaders.

However, the warming up of the relations halted following Morsi's removal by the military on July 3, 2013, when Iranian foreign ministry said that the intervention of Egyptian armed forces in politics was "unacceptable and disturbing."
BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- China plans to launch six to eight BeiDou-3 satellites in 2017, according to a senior designer of the satellite navigation system.

It is part of a plan to put 35 BeiDou satellites into space to form an orbiting satellite network and offer worldwide navigation services by 2020, said Yang Yuanxi, deputy chief designer of the BeiDou satellite navigation system, on Monday.

Yang was speaking on the sidelines of the fifth session of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, of which he is a member.

Compared to earlier generation products, the BeiDou-3 is able to cover a wider range and has a longer lifespan of 12 years, according to Bao Weimin, another CPPCC National Committee member and an official with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

Named after the Chines name for the Big Dipper constellation, the BeiDou system is designed to offer an alternative to GPS.

A government white paper published in December said China expects to provide basic services to limited clients in 2018 and expand to all clients with more accurate and reliable services through better ground- and satellite-based systems by 2020.

China has already sent 22 BeiDou satellites into space.

Yang said the launches this year will feature two satellites on a single carrier rocket.
DAMASCUS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army captured on Monday the Jazal oil field west of the ancient city of Palmyra following battles with the Islamic State (IS) group, a military source told Xinhua.

The government forces backed by allied fighters wrested control over Jazal after battles with the IS, during which several weaponry have been used, said the source on condition of anonymity.

Jazal is one of several gas and oil fields located near Palmyra, in the eastern countryside of the central province of Homs.

The IS militants captured these energy fields during their second invasion to the city of Palmyra last December.

On Thursday, the army recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra and pushed forward to capture the energy plants in its surroundings.

The army forces reached Jazal on Sunday evening, before wresting full control over the facility on Monday.

Unfortunately, the IS set the wells on fire in the field prior to their withdrawal, said the source, adding that the IS militants regrouped in the nearby Mazrur oil field and the mountain of Jabal Jazal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara pose for photographers after a memorial ceremony for late mayor of Ariel, Ron Nachman, in the Israeli settlement of Ariel in the occupied West Bank February 2, 2017. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

JERUSALEM, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday that Washington has warned that annexing the West Bank would lead to an "immediate crisis" between the two countries.

Lieberman was responding to hardliners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, who are calling for a declaration of Israeli sovereignty over all or part of the West Bank.

Lieberman said annexation would prompt a crisis with President Donald Trump's administration.

"We have received a very clear, direct message from the United States stating that the application of Israeli law in Judea and Samaria would provoke an immediate crisis with the new administration," Lieberman told the parliament's Defense Committee. Judea and Samaria is a Hebrew biblical term for the West Bank, a territory Israel occupied in 1967.

Lieberman said that a decision to annex this land would mean the integration of 2.7 million Palestinians in Israel."

Pointing out an economic reason, Lieberman said that annexation means the Palestinians would "have to receive at least residency status," he said.

"That means that from the first day, 20 billion shekels just from the National Insurance Institute in unemployment benefits, maternity allowances, and other payments. I'm not even talking about the budgets of the interior ministry, the housing ministry and other offices that will also go there," he said.

Israel has been controlling the West Bank ever since it occupied the land, despite international condemnations and calls to end the occupation.

Some lawmakers pushed forward a bill to annex Ma'aleh Adumim, a 37,000-resident settlement, and linking it to Jerusalem. However, the cabinet has postponed the discussion on the draft law to an unknown date.

Lieberman, the leader of the right-wing party of Yisrael Beitenu, is a long-time supporter of a two-state solution based on territorial and population exchanges.
Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif delivers a speech at the third day of the 53rd Munich Security Conference (MSC) at the Bayerischer Hof hotel in Munich, southern Germany, on February 19, 2017. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

TEHRAN, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday that the Islamic republic hopes relations with Egypt to be restored.

Bahram Qasemi hoped for the removal of obstacles to establish stronger relations with Egypt as a "major" country, according to Tasnim news agency.

To this end, Tehran maintains necessary contacts with Cairo through Egypt's interests section in the country, Qasemi said, expressing the hope that barriers for closer ties will be overcome and the bilateral ties will experience better conditions.

"The ties are always two-way, and a set of conditions need to be prepared in both capitals to take steps to promote relation," he was quoted as saying.

Over the past years, Iran has announced readiness to mend relations with Egypt by settling differences on certain issues.

Ties between Egypt and Iran were cut off after Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. After the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, particularly after former president Mohamed Morsi took office, the ice began to thaw with mutual visits of the two countries' leaders.

However, the warming up of the relations halted following Morsi's removal by the military on July 3, 2013, when Iranian foreign ministry said that the intervention of Egyptian armed forces in politics was "unacceptable and disturbing."
by Maria Vasileiou

THE HAGUE, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The outcome of the Dutch general election scheduled for March 15 could be a barometer of populism impact for a series of high-stake elections in France, Germany and possibly in Italy later this year.

The results could be a touchstone of the power of the growing populism in the continent to see whether it has gained sufficient support among European Union (EU) core members to disrupt the bloc's values and political stability.

GROWING POPULISM

"Radical right-wing leaders across Europe would disseminate an outcome marking big gains for anti-immigration and euro skeptic Geert Wilders' party as an impending sign of a growing wave of populism," said Paul Teule, lecturer in political economics at the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

With nine days to go, the Dutch vote is the first of three elections in EU founding members this year. The French will vote in presidential first round on April 23 and second round on May 7. The Germans will face federal elections on Sept. 24 and Italy may follow later.

"In the event of a favorable for Wilders, the outcome will fit in the narrative of an upcoming populism spring ready to overturn the established political order across Europe and worldwide," Teule told Xinhua. "Extreme right leaders build expectations for electoral gains on this easy to spread narrative. Wilders did the same with Trump."

The Dutch anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) leader had hailed Donald Trump's election in the United States as "a historic victory" and "a revolution," claiming it would cause a similar political shift in Europe.

Teule suggested that a Wilders' electoral victory would invigorate populist parties across the EU.

"Far right leaders and, in particular, Marine Le Pen in France will propagate it as an example of a nationalist, anti-EU party topping the polls," said the Dutch political expert and author of "Vrijheid voor Gevorderden" (Freedom for Advanced Readers), a book on Dutch politics containing a comprehensive rethink of the notion of freedom.

ANTI-EU PLATFORM

Both Wilders and Front National (FN)'s leader Marine Le Pen in France are running on an anti-immigrant, anti-European platform that blames the EU for taking away control from the nation state.

The two far-right leaders have seen a significant rise in their popularity and expect electoral gains with the help of rising migration concerns across the EU following the massive influx of immigrants.

Wilders has pledged to close the Netherlands' borders, shut down mosques and leave the EU if he gets into power. Le Pen has also pledged to put France's euro membership to a vote.

A total of 28 parties will bid for the 150 seats at the Dutch lower house. The PVV is competing with Prime Minister Mark Rutte's conservative People's party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) to be the largest party.

The latest poll by Peilingwijzer, which combines different polls, showed that the VVD would win 23-27 seats while the PVV would get 21-25 seats.

However, Enzo Rossi, professor at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), questioned the potential of momentum by Wilders' possible electoral victory to his pals in other EU countries.

In his point of view, national factors or "certain issues randomly surfacing" may play a more significant role in giving Le Pen more chances to mark electoral gains.

For example, the French far-right leader might be boosted by the investigation into claims of "misuse of public funds" launched against conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon.

"The issue is irrelevant to the rise of populism in Europe, but many of the votes lost by Fillon could now be siphoned off by Le Pen," he argued.

What's more, the Amsterdam-based Italian political scientist believes that the outcome of the Dutch elections in the event of a Wilders' victory could be "a wake-up call for France" by triggering a stronger anti-Le Pen vote.

The momentum towards this direction could be even stronger as Wilders is unlikely to participate in the next Dutch government, he added.

WILDERS EFFECT

Due to the fragmented nature of Dutch politics, no party has ever won a majority in the lower house, making coalitions inevitable.

But so far, almost all major parties have ruled out working with Wilders.

"Even if Wilders wins the election, he's unlikely to become prime minister," said Rossi.

The opinion was echoed by Teule, who also ruled out the possibility.

But he warned that even if Wilders is blocked from real political power in the Netherlands, his winning big in the election would be a blow for the EU's political order.

"Even if his mandate will be limited, his election would cause political frustration," said Teule, suggesting it will be difficult for the next government to get legislation through.

"There will be many cases of rolling back on bills relating to EU decision making, especially on issues of further integration, common rules, investment," he said. "The narrative of resentment will be so dominant that policies will be scaled back and progress could only be achieved on a topic by topic basis."

For Rossi, the growing influence of the narrative of anti-EU populism, a trend already on the rise since the Brexit vote and the Trump election, will be devastating for mainstream and established parties.

A Le Pen victory in France would be more worrisome for the EU than a Wilders' lead in the Dutch polls, he added.

While in the Netherlands the tradition of coalition politics will keep Wilders out of power, in France president holds a great amount of executive power.

But now French polls suggest that Le Pen has a fat chance of passing through the first round.

In addition, according to Rossi, Wilders is against the EU but does not have "a very thought-through platform." Le Pen, on the contrary, has stronger positions for Europe's second largest economy with her promises of a return to the nation state and a vote on the country's EU membership.

"At the end of the day the Dutch recognize their dependence on EU integration for prosperity," said Rossi. Actually 40 percent of Dutch consider EU partnership "a good thing," while 30 percent think of it as "bad," according to the Netherlands Institution for Social and Cultural Research.
XI'AN, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Zheng Yan has told stories about the Terracotta Warriors thousands of times and knows more about the Xi'an icons than many natives of the ancient city, but she is not yet recognized as a permanent resident.

Recently, however, the 29-year-old tour guide, who is applying for household registration permit, or "hukou," saw hope in a new policy.

The hukou is a crucial document entitling residents to social welfare in a given city. The capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province eased its rules from March 1.

Under the new policy, permanent residency is available to non-natives like Zheng if they are aged 35 or below, are graduates and are willing to work, live or start a business in the city.

Migrants can transform their status from temporary to permanent resident if they meet certain requirements, such as buying property, investing a large sum of money or being identified as "talents" fulfilling certain criteria.

Statistics show that within two days, the Xi'an government answered questions from more than 16,000 non-natives, handling about 3,700 applications.

FREE LABOR MOVEMENT

Zheng graduated from Baoji University of Arts and Sciences in 2011. Attracted by its historical monuments and cultural relics, she became a tour guide in Xi'an, about four hours drive from her home city, Ankang.

But working and owning a house there has not made her feel a real part of the city.

"Permanent Xi'an residents enjoy preferential policies in purchasing vehicles and houses, and even obtaining driving licenses," said Zheng, adding that non-natives have to pay extra fees of 40,000 yuan (around 5,800 U.S. dollars) to 50,000 yuan for children to finish at the local public primary schools.

The household registration system has divided the nation into rural and urban populations since the 1950s. The system makes it difficult for migrants to enjoy equal welfare in cities, such as educational opportunities, employment support and care for senior citizens.

And it has been long criticized for hindering free labor movement, which is essential to building a modern society.

"The new policy eliminated people's worries and is helpful for us to keep talent in the city," said a manager, surnamed Li, from a Xi'an-based biological product company.

The new policy allows the company's chief engineer, 50-year-old man surnamed Liu, to gain permanent residency. Liu started to work for the company in 2015, but his hukou was from his hometown Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei Province.

"Separation from my hukou always brings me troubles," Liu said. "Once I lost my ID card, and I had to catch a 13-hour train to Shijiazhuang to apply for a new one. I feel closer to the city these days. It is my home now," he added.

CITY DEVELOPMENT

China first decided to reform its household registration system years ago. Challenged by restricted resources, big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou control their population using a points-based system.

This year Beijing is working out detailed rules for migrants to claim permanent resident permits based on the points system. Applicants must meet several requirements, including having a temporary residence permit and paying social security premiums in the city for at least seven consecutive years.

Under the points system, employment, accommodation, educational background and tax payments will be converted into points. Migrants can transform their household registration status to local residence after reaching a specified number of points.

Lu Weichao, a 33-year-old computer engineer, once considered leaving Beijing for a smaller, less competitive city, but has now changed his mind as the points system enables him to gain a permanent residency.

"Another reason is that big cities can offer me more job opportunities, and my baby girl can get a better education and broader her horizons," Lu said.

"If migrants cannot get equal welfare like permanent residents, they will leave. Some western cities have already witnessed talent shortages, which have hindered their development," said Shi Ying, a researcher with the Shaanxi Academy of Social Sciences.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, China's registered permanent urban residents rose to 41.2 percent of the total population in 2016, after the easing of the household registration policy.

In 2015, only 39.9 percent of the country's population held urban status, and the current urbanization drive is aiming for 45 percent by 2020.

Zhang Baotong, president of the Shaanxi Province Economic and Cultural Research Institute, said that it showed progress.

"The basis of a city's development is talent. Relaxing the residency permits can help attract more talent. On the other hand, young people will have more opportunities entering big cities," Zhang said.

But how do local residents view the household registration reform?

"The growth of the population can increase income for people in the service sector, like me," said Wang Ping, a taxi driver.

However, others were concerned.

"Will the price of real estate rise after more people need houses here?" said Xiang Xiaoli, a college student. "The policy is good, but we should improve our public services such as education and health to meet the demands of a larger population,"

Such concerns were shared also by Zheng Yan.

"Giving non-natives like me an identity is good, but we also hope to live in a city with sustainable development and enough resources," she said.
Spokesman of Libyan National Army (LNA) colonel Ahmed Al Masmary gestures during a news conference in Benghazi, Libya, March 3, 2017. Picture taken March 3, 2017. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

CAIRO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian National Committee on Libya met Monday to discuss the latest developments in Libya and urged Libyans to seize Cairo initiative as a historic chance to end the inter-Libyan conflict, said the Egyptian military spokesman in a statement.

"The committee believes that the Libyans have a historic chance to take the initiative lead and go to the dialogue table to reach a Libyan agreement that blocks the way for attempts of foreign interference," Egyptian Military Spokesman Tamer al-Refaay said in the statement.

Formed in 2016, the military-oriented Egyptian committee on Libya reaffirmed that a political solution is "the only way" out of the Libyan crisis, appreciating the responses of the Libyan House of Representatives and the Higher State's Council that are currently naming representatives for a joint committee whose formation has recently been agreed in Cairo.

"The Egyptian committee will continue its efforts to support the Libyan joint committee once formed, in cooperation with the United Nations, to reach a settlement satisfactory for the Libyan people to end the current crisis and open a new stage of prevailing security and stability in Libya," said the military spokesperson.

Following the ouster and killing of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libyan factions engaged in a state of civil war that escalated in 2014 and resulted in splitting power between two rival governments in capital Tripoli and Tubruk, northwestern and northeastern Libya.

Tubruk government was recognized by the international community then, before the Libyan Presidential Council (PC) was established in late 2015 as a unity government following a UN-brokered peace deal between warring Libyan factions reached in Skhirat, Morocco.

Supported by self-proclaimed Libyan national army led by Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar, the parliament-backed government in Tubruk refuses to recognize the UN-backed, Tripoli-based unity government, known as the Government of National Accord (GNA), which is run by the PC.

Egypt, which has recently hosted several meetings of Libyan factions, refrains from recognizing the GNA, saying it is up to the Libyan people to determine their own government, yet Egypt repeatedly expressed support for the Libyan parliament and its government and for strongman Haftar's crackdown on militants in Libya.

In January, Cairo hosted top diplomats from Libya and its neighboring states, namely Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Chad, Niger and Tunisia, as well as the Arab League (AL) chief and UN envoy, who issued a communique urging Libyan dialogue and reiterating rejection of any foreign military interference in the war-torn country.

In mid-February, Egypt managed to get Haftar and GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj to Cairo but failed to convince the two rivals to hold direct talks.

A week later, the foreign ministers of Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt met in Tunisia and said that the Libyan settlement must imperatively be political and it has to integrate all concerned Libyan parties.

Despite inability to have Haftar and Sarraj in tete-a-tete talks, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said earlier in March, in a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, that Cairo's efforts "did not fail" but it would need more effort and communication.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan greets his supporters during a Women's Day rally in Istanbul, Turkey, March 5, 2017. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

ANKARA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Relations between Turkey and Germany, which have been tense since last year, worsened further lately as the two NATO allies and key economic partners are locked in acrimony over a ban preventing Turkish ministers from addressing expats inside Germany to campaign for constitutional reforms granting extended powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish voters will go to the polls on April 16 to approve or reject constitutional amendments to transform the nation's parliamentary system into a presidential one.

Germany, home to over 3 million out of 5 million people of Turkish origin in Europe, is a key factor in the political campaign. With some 1.4 million voters, it is a must-go spot for members of the Turkish government.

Erdogan, who had campaigned in Germany in 2011 and 2014, was reportedly planning a another political rally to secure the important diaspora before the referendum.

The German government under Chancellor Angela Merkel is under increased pressure from the opposition and the press to reject such Turkish campaigns inside the country, especially after a reporter of the prominent newspaper Die Welt, Deniz Yucel, became the first German citizen to be arrested last month for what was described as "terrorist propaganda" as part of Erdogan's crackdown in the wake of the failed coup last summer.

The journalist has been accused personally by Erdogan of being a "German agent" and a member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Yucel "hid in the German embassy as a member of the PKK and a German agent for one month," Erdogan said.

"We cannot understand and thus accept such an opposition to Turkish government members wanting to reunite with their citizens and speak to them from a country who declares itself as a champion of freedoms," a Turkish diplomatic source said on condition of anonymity.

"We surely don't expect such a stance from a country that we consider an ally and a friend," added the source.

Several Turkish ministers were blocked in the past few days to attend public rallies in German towns, prompting immediate and harsh criticism from Ankara.

One of them was Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, a loyal political ally of Erdogan.

"Not allowing the Turkish justice minister to speak, does it adhere or not to German human rights, Mrs. Merkel?" Bozdag asked.

Merkel insisted that the decision was taken by the municipalities and that Germany is keen on insuring the freedom of expression.

In an attempt to defuse a very possible crisis, Merkel called his Turkish counterpart on Saturday and the latter described their conversation as "good and productive."

The Turkish prime minister told reporters that the foreign ministers of the two countries would meet this week to discuss the issue.

The growing row is troubling for Merkel because she had persuaded Turkey to help block the surge of Syrian refugees fleeing to the European Union.

But the war of words continues to escalate when Erdogan himself made harsh accusations against Germany.

On Sunday, the Turkish president accused German authorities of using "Nazi methods of the past."

"Turkey has no democracy lesson to take" from Berlin, he said.

"I, Erdogan, will decide to go to Germany and they will not allow me in the country. That's unheard of," he said. "If I want, I will go there tomorrow and let us see what they will do then."

"I thought that Nazi methods were a thing of the past in Germany," an angry Erdogan told reporters on Sunday evening. "I'm totally mistaken."

The turmoil in relations between Berlin and Ankara has been ongoing since Germany criticized the large-scale crackdown on suspected coup-plotters and those alleged to have links to Kurdish militants following last July's failed coup.

Germany also refuses to extradite dozens of Turkish individuals among their officers and diplomats that Ankara suspects of involvement in the botched coup.

"Germany does not want the political polarisation that we witness in Turkish society to spill on their land, fearing for a disruption of the public order," Huseyin Bagci, a professor from the Middle East Technical University (Metu) in Ankara, told Xinhua.

By its unwillingness to welcome Turkish government officials, Berlin is clashing with its own democratic values vocally preached in the European Union, said the expert on international relations.

"A Turkish president has the right to meet his citizens in any foreign country," added Bagci.

After Austria, the Netherlands also joined Germany in banning Turkish political rallies.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said a planned pro-Erdogan rally in Rotterdam on March 11 would be "undesirable."

"We believe that the Dutch public space is not the place to conduct another country's political campaign," Rutte said in a statement on Friday, drawing an angry response from Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu the next day.

"What do you mean we can't campaign? Where is democracy? Where are freedoms? Where is freedom of expression?" Cavusoglu asked.

"None of you can stop us," he said. "We will go where we want to go. We will meet with our citizens and we will have our meetings."

Bozdag, the Turkish justice minister, has accused "several" EU countries of being against changing Turkey's governing system, because they do not want Turkey to be a strong and stable country.

Deniz Zeyrek, a renowned columnist from Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, while denouncing Germany, also criticized the Turkish government for using the emergency rule imposed after the failed coup to ban all opposition assemblies and meetings across the country.

"Freedom of speech goes for everyone, for Germany as well as Turkey," he said. "Let us not all forget that important fact."
NAIROBI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The EU on Monday expressed optimism that member states of the East African Community (EAC) will sign the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

Alessandro Tonoli, Trade adviser with EU Delegation to Kenya said the EAC Heads of State last year expressed the willingness to move ahead as a bloc so that they can continue enjoying the duty and quote free market.

"We fully respect this and want to support EAC regional integration. We understand that our partners need some time to continue their internal process," Tonoli said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

"The EU respects the decision making process in the region and that we hope that the countries that have not done so yet will sign soon so that the EPA can be implemented and provide benefits to the region," he added.

He observed that negotiations went on for many years because the EPA deals with very complex issues, providing modern mechanisms to address them.

Kenya's Trade and Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohamed last week assured that Nairobi still has access to the EU market despite that the other East African countries failed to sign the EPAs.

Mohamed said Kenya could only be limited to enjoy duty and quota free access market if the other countries completely fail to sign as outlined in the trade protocol.

"Kenya has complied with the first condition of the EPAs protocol of signing and ratifying it. However, Kenya is likely to lose on other benefits such as European Development Fund (EDF) as the same demands signing of the trade framework be executed by the entire bloc," Mohamed said.

"We are hoping that during the next EAC summit scheduled next month, positive outcome will be realized so that there can be a smooth trade between the region and EU," he added.

All the EAC countries ought to have signed the EPAs as a bloc with the EU by Feb. 2. The CS confirmed that Kenya signed and ratified the document mid last year while Rwanda has only signed.

Tanzania has delayed the full actualization of the pact and refused to sign, claiming the agreement would have serious consequences for its revenues and the growth of its industries.

Uganda has expressed a commitment to append its signature but insists Tanzania must be on board first.

Burundi which has been sanctioned by the EU following political upheavals says it will not sign the trade deal until the sanctions are withdrawn.
LUSAKA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia is making preparations to join Africa's largest trading bloc, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the bloc said on Monday.

Tunisia is preparing to sign the COMESA Treaty during the next summit scheduled for October this year, which will herald its admission into the regional bloc as the 20th member, according to a statement released by the secretariat based in Lusaka, the Zambian capital.

According to the statement, Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed told a COMESA delegation that his country was ready to conclude the negotiations early in readiness for the accession to the COMESA Treaty.

The Tunisian government expressed its readiness and commitment to contribute to the realization of COMESA's objectives once the country was admitted.

A COMESA delegation led by its secretary-general Sindiso Ngwenya is in Tunisia to discuss with the government on the steps towards joining Africa's largest trading bloc.

The delegation held talks with the Tunisian government on the activities needed to be undertaken as part of the preparations to accede to the COMESA treaty, the statement added.

Tunisia first applied for observer status in COMESA in 2005 but the matter was not concluded. The government formally wrote to the regional bloc making inquiries of joining it in February last year.

Currently, Egypt is the only country in north Africa which is a member of COMESA.

Article four of the COMESA treaty provides that the regional bloc may admit a country which is an immediate neighbor of a member state.
BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday said it is opposed to the launch activities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that violates UN Security Council resolutions, and urged all sides to keep restraint.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily press conference that the UN Security Council resolutions have clear stipulations about launching activities using ballistic missile technology by the DPRK. China is opposed to the DPRK's launch activities that violates the UN Security Council resolutions.

Citing the ongoing training exercise jointly conducted by the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK), Geng said under the current circumstances, all relevant parties should keep restraint and avoid provoking each other and intensifying the tense situation in the region.

Geng made the remarks when asked to comment on the DPRK's firing of four ballistic missiles.

According to Geng, China's special representative on Korean Peninsula affairs Wu Dawei had phone calls with chief delegates of the United States and the ROK to the six-party talks. Wu voiced China's stance and concerns over the U.S.-ROK military drill and the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in ROK.

Wu said the joint military drill will not help to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue, but could intensify the confrontation and complicate the situation, according to Geng.

Wu also reiterated China's firm opposition to the deployment of THAAD and urged the other two countries to attach importance to China's concerns and deal with the problem appropriately.
CAIRO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian security forces killed four militants and arrested 22 others during Sunday's raids in restive North Sinai province bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, the Egyptian military spokesman said in a statement Monday.

"The raids that took place on Sunday killed four extremists, busted a fifth with a gun machine and arrested 22 other suspects," military spokesman Tamer al-Refaay said in the statement, adding the campaign destroyed three hiding places of the armed extremists.

Earlier in mid-February, at least three Egyptian soldiers were killed in Mount Halal area as a roadside bomb targeted their armored vehicle, while security raids killed three militants and arrested three others.

Growing anti-government terror attacks in Egypt killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the mid-2013 military removal of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in response to mass protests against his one-year rule.

Later, security crackdown on Morsi's supporters killed about 1,000 of them, arrested thousands others and blacklisted his Muslim Brotherhood group as "a terrorist organization."

Since the beginning of the year, at least 25 police and military personnel have been killed in blasts and confrontations nationwide. Most of the terrorist attacks were claimed by a Sinai-based militant group loyal to the regional Islamic State group.

Security campaigns in Sinai killed hundreds of militants and arrested a similar number of suspects over the past few years as part of the country's anti-terror war declared by former army chief and current President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi following Morsi's ouster.

Military Intelligence Chief, Gen. Mohamed Farag al-Shahhat, said during a military-held symposium earlier in February that at least 500 extremely dangerous terrorists have been killed since a massive anti-terror campaign, known as "The Martyr's Right," started in September 2015.
Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), joins a panel discussion with deputies to the 12th NPC from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the annual session of the NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 6, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese leaders on Monday joined national lawmakers and political advisors in discussions at the ongoing "two sessions."

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, joined NPC deputies from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions in two separate panel discussions.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, Zhang said, voicing the hope that a new chief executive who meets the central government's requirements will be elected smoothly and according to law. He also urged Hong Kong to maintain political stability and economic prosperity.

Zhang said Macao should seize the country's development opportunities and continue to serve as an example of the "one country, two systems" practice.

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, joined political advisors from the China Democratic League and personages without party affiliation in a panel discussion.

Yu called on them to conduct research and raise suggestions on major economic and social issues, and perform their duties in democratic supervision.

Wang Qishan, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, joined NPC deputies from Qinghai Province, home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow River and other major rivers.

Wang stressed the importance of confidence in Chinese culture, hoping Qinghai will protect the rivers that have fostered Chinese civilization.

Joining NPC deputies from Tianjin Municipality, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli called for pursuing economic development of a higher quality, more efficient, more equitable and more sustainable.

Zhang expressed hope that Tianjin would make solid progress in supply-side structural reform, and promote the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
Russian President Vladimir Putin walks prior to a State Council meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on December 27, 2016. (AFP PHOTO)

MOSCOW, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia is concerned about new missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and urges all parties to show restraint, the Kremlin said Monday.

"These are the steps that lead to a further increase of tension in the region," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency in a comment on the DRPK's recent multiple missile launch.

He added that Moscow would conduct an exchange of views on Pyongyang's latest move with concerned countries.

On Sunday, the DPRK fired four ballistic missiles of a new type into east waters. The missiles flew some 1,000 km eastward on average, and three out of the four fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to a report by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The DPRK's test-launches came in possible response to an annual U.S.-South Korea springtime war game that kicked off on March 1. Pyongyang has denounced it as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion.
YANGON, March 6 (Xinhua) -- At least five traffic police officers and five civilians were killed in a renewed fighting in Myanmar's northeastern Shan State Monday between government forces and a local armed group, the Office of the State Counselor's Office said.

Four other traffic officers were also taken away as hostages by the Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) after the armed group launched attacks on Laukkai, a main town in the Kokang region of the state, the office said in a press release.

MNDAA started to launch attacks at 0200 a.m. local time (1930 GMT Sunday) Monday morning with small and heavy weapons, destroying some residential buildings, hotels and military camps and burning vehicles, the release said.

In one offensive, about 30-strong MNDAA, disguising as police members, attacked the Yanlongkyait police camp from the south but was counter-attacked by the government forces.

Later, about 50-strong MNDAA shot at the residence of U Wai San, member of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone Administration and a hotel in Laukkai at 0230 a.m.local time. Four vehicles of the hotel were destroyed and the cash counter was robbed until 0510 a.m. when the government troops intervened. The MNDAA later retreated to the east of the border.

The Myanmar government troops are making area clearance operation following the incident, the released said.

The government claimed 20 burned bodies from the Kokang side, it added.
by Dragana Paulsen

OSLO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Trade frictions between China and the European Union (EU) have their global impact, but Norwegian experts say these frictions could not undermine the relationship between the two sides and overall international trade.

They said more transparency and respect of World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements and international regulations will boost cooperation and prevent trade protectionism.

RESPECTING WTO RULES

China has expressed doubts about anti-dumping taxes imposed by the EU on steel products and solar panels from China, calling for an end to such unfair measures.

"Although there have been some trade frictions between China and Europe, they should not be over-dimensioned. The EU has implemented new anti-dumping measures on iron and steel, but most of the trade continues without problems," Arne Melchior, senior research fellow at Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), told Xinhua.

"Lower economic growth in Europe leads to more discussion on trade politics, the same way the industry crisis in 1970s led to quota restrictions on textile. Anti-dumping measures are more often used during recession," he said.

Melchior believed that overcapacity in the metal sector and lower prices were what led to "a new discussion on trade politics in the EU, where its northern members have a more liberal attitude."

"Brexit could eventually weaken the liberal wing in the EU's trade discussion," he added.

Melchior emphasized the importance of respecting WTO frames when resolving trade conflicts. [ "China could make an effort to counter criticism from the EU and the United States that refers to unfair competition by focusing on subsidies, patent rights and competitive conditions," he said.

Paul Midford, professor of political science at Norwegian University of Science and Technology, said there have been "real trade frictions" concerning solar panels and steal exports from China to the EU.

"Nonetheless, I don't think these frictions are serious enough to undermine the overall economic and political relationship. Both sides now have a strong incentive to cooperate in promoting an open and liberal international trade order and resist the protectionist sentiments," he said.

The reports about a possible early summit between China and the EU this year reflected the new priority the two sides were putting on cooperation against protectionism, Midford said.

NORWAY AS A BRIDGE

In the wake of normalization of the diplomatic ties between China and Norway, many are positive about the future diplomatic and economic cooperation and possible free-trade agreement between the two countries.

"Norway is an open economy that is dependent on a well-functioning multilateral trading system. Norwegian welfare is built on trade and international division of labor, and we have strong interests in an open world trade with a level playing field," Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Monica Maeland told Xinhua.

"Norway will continue to work for an open world trade and new trade agreements. The Norwegian government is, therefore, looking forward to resuming negotiations on a free-trade agreement between Norway and China. A free-trade agreement will benefit both countries by increasing trade and investment," she said.

Melchior also expressed hope for stronger economic cooperation between Norway and China and believed the Nordic country could play an important role in the world trade system.

"Norway has a positive attitude towards China and has for example supported the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)," he said.

"Norway is not a member of the EU, but participates in the European Economic Area (EEA), and we are, together with the northern EU-countries, among those that are for freer trade," he said.

The EEA was established in 1994 and now it contains the EU's 28 member states plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The EEA Agreement provides for the free movement of human resources, goods, services and capital within the single market.

"This is an important time, when there is an increased support of protectionism in some Western countries, including the United States. Norway can also play an important role in the WTO to prevent polarization in trade politics," Melchior said.

Helge Hveem, professor of political science at University of Oslo, agreed that Norway could play an important role in the current trade conflicts between Europe and China.

"Since Norway has normalized its political and diplomatic connections with China. It is not unthinkable that Norway can play a role as a mediator for proposals to solutions, either through its WTO channels or via direct bilateral contacts between China and the EU," he said.
SINGAPORE, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Tuesday to Wednesday, said Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a press statement on Monday.

Balakrishnan will co-chair the 2nd Singapore-UAE Joint Committee with UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Gergawi.

Under the theme of "Singapore and the United Arab Emirates: Cross-Regional Hubs", the Joint Committee will reaffirm the strong regional hub-to-hub connections between both countries and explore ways to further expand bilateral cooperation, according to the statement.

Balakrishnan will also visit the Sultanate of Oman on Thursday. This will be his first official visit to the Middle East. Enditem
YANGON, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday called on Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) to abandon armed attacks and return to the table for peace talks.

Suu Kyi made the call in her capacity of chairperson of the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC), in response to an attack launched by the MNDAA on Laukkai, Kokang region in the northeastern Shan State ealier in the day.

She urged the armed group to join all other nationalities to walk on the path of peace, which the Myanmar people desire.

Armed conflict would not bring advantage to all nationalities residing in the union but would bring bad impact on the regional people, she said.

At least five Kokang traffic police and five civilians were killed when the MNDAA attacked police posts and residential area in Laukkai, according to a government release. Four other Kokang traffic police were also taken away by the MNDAA as hostages.

MNDAA attacked Laukkai with small and heavy weapons , destroying some residential buildings, hotels and military camps with vehicles burned.

The Myanmar government troops were launching counter-attack and making area clearance operation following the incident.

Recently, Aung San Suu Kyi met with a delegation for political negotiation (DPN) of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), which represents the non-signatory armed groups to the Nationwide Cease fire Accord (NCA), in Nay Pyi Taw and agreed to the nine points demanded by the UNFC.

Besides, the government's Peace Commission also met with the DPN of the UNFC, agreeing to accept those deserved to be included in the peace process.
BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- While China's policymakers have reined in their growth expectations for this year, a glass-maker in the southwest of the country is running its assembly lines at maximum speed.

With technicians and machines operating at full capacity, there are no signs of any economic slowdown in workshops of Zisun Technology.

The Chongqing manufacturer has even started to worry that it may not be able to meet demand as orders keep flying in. In contrast with Zisun, many other Chinese glass companies can barely keep their heads above water in an industry long beset by overcapacity.

Ruan Wei, deputy general manager of Zisun, believes the secret lies in applying technology to a sophisticated market demand. For example, Zisun products include a glass microfiber filter that can block 99.99 percent of particulate matter with a diameter greater than 0.3 micron.

"Our technology can match or surpass anything the world's leading companies offer. We already control the lion's share of the domestic market and we just cannot keep pace with orders," said Ruan.

Zisun is the epitome of the innovation-driven growth companies, which carry much of China's hopes for propping up a decelerating economy.

On Sunday China set its 2017 GDP growth target at "around 6.5 percent," the lowest in a quarter of a century, at the annual parliamentary session, not much lower than last year's range of 6.5 percent to 7 percent.

Economists said the move indicates more energy will be channelled into reform -- good news for companies like Zisun -- instead of chasing earth-shattering GDP figures.

"Given external uncertainties, the new target is pragmatic and in line with current conditions and leaves room for reform," said Chi Fulin, director of the China Institute for Reform and Development.

Supply-side structural reform was highlighted in the government work report, with plans to cut steel and coal capacity, digest unsold homes, bring down corporate leverage, relieve business burdens and fix weak economic links.

Efforts will cover on a variety of areas, including cutting red tape, tax reductions and relaxed control of market access.

Policymakers have demonstrated the tolerance to the economic slowdown, Robin Xing, chief China economist with Morgan Stanley, said. "A lower target will help wean the country off reliance on investment-drive growth, curb capital flows to old industrial sectors and eliminate outdated capacity."

China's growth model during the past decade has resulted in serious overcapacity and accumulating financial risks.

Fully aware of the side effects, the central bank shifted to a prudent and neutral monetary policy a few months ago, pledging to curb excessive credit expansion. The government expects M2 to grow by around 12 percent in 2017, down from the 13-percent goal set for last year.

China achieved progress in its structural transformation during the past year, Xing said citing more contribution by consumption and the service sector to economic growth.

As the revival of traditional industries is incomplete, growth companies in emerging sectors like Zisun are expected to play an important part in holding the economy steady this year and beyond.

"China should accelerate fostering of new economic engines to offset the failing old economy," said Zhang Liqun, a researcher with the Development Research Center under the State Council.

Analysts believe a lower target does not mean the economy will dawdle.

"We predict growth momentum will remain strong," said Liu Liu with China International Capital Corp., a Beijing-based investment bank, which raised its China 2017 GDP growth forecast to 6.8 percent.
BANGKOK, March 6 (Xinhua) -- A royal decree stripping of the monastic rank of Thailand's wanted monk, the former abbot of the country's biggest temple, has hit the headlines of Thai media on Monday.

The media buzz comes after an announcement of Thailand's royal gazette on Sunday night, in which King Maha Vajiralongkorn has agreed to demote Phra Dhammachayo on ground that he had not turned himself in and cooperate with authorities on several charges against him.

The 72-year old monk, the spiritual leader of the influential buddhist temple Dhammakaya, was accused of money laundering, receiving stolen assets and illegally using land to build mediation centers.

He refused to show up and surrender to all the charges, claiming too ill to present himself in the court. He was reportedly last seen in the public since last May.

Thai government has invoked section 44, known as the junta's special power, to search for the fugitive monk across the temple. But the operation has been hampered by thousands of his followers.

The royal command said what the monk has done has made him unfit to hold the ecclesiastic rank of Thep, one of the most important royal distinctions of Thai Buddhism, which was awarded to him in 2011.

The demotion means the former abbot cannot use his ecclesiastics title any more and is now an ordinary monk in the hierarchy of Thai Buddhism. Yet he is not defrocked until the Sangha Council takes up such a step.

This could be the first royal move to demote the religious rank of an influential buddhism figure since King Maha Vajiralongorn took his throne in last December. Observers say the demotion could pave the way for junta government to arrest the monk. The government has launched the siege with thousands of military and police for two weeks but still failed to get the warrant.

The public relation sector of the temple refused to comment on what happened during the past two days, saying it's "too subtile".
BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Several countries are condemning Monday's test-launch of four ballistic missiles by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as it was in violation of the U.N. Security Council resolutions once again.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the DPRK fired four ballistic missiles of a new type into east waters at about 7:36 a.m. local time (2236 GMT on Sunday). The missiles flew eastward some 1,000 km on average, and three out of the four fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone.

"China opposes the DPRK's violation of the U.N. Security Council's stipulation," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.

In response to the launch, the U.S. State Department said it was "prepared to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against this growing threat."

"The United States strongly condemns (the DPRK's) ballistic missile launches ... which violate U.N. Security Council resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's (the DPRK's) launches using ballistic missile technology," acting state department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

Under the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, Pyongyang is banned from testing any ballistic missile technology.

South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who serves as caretaker president following the impeachment in December of the defamed President Park Geun-hye, denounced the missile launch as a grave provocation and a direct challenge to the international community as it defied repeated warnings from the international community against ballistic missile launches.

Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement that the launch was in blatant and clear violation of the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions while threatening peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the entire international community.

In Japan, Prime Minister Sinzo Abe confirmed the missile launch during an Upper House Committee session on Monday, saying "the launch clearly showed that North Korea (the DPRK) has reached a new dimension of threat and the repeated launches are serious provocation to our security".

Japan has also filed an official protest against the DPRK over the latest missile launch, the Japanese leader said.

While saying there were no immediate reports of damage to ships, vessels, or aircraft flying in the vicinity of the missiles' flight path, Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, told a news conference in Tokyo that the DPRK's launch was a "grave threat to national security", and Japan would be fully on alert for any future contingencies.

Senior security officials of South Korea and the United States also had phone talks over the missile launch.

Kim Kwan-jin, top security advisor to impeached President Park Geun-hye, talked with U.S. national security advisor Herbert McMaster of the White House via phone for 15 minutes from 10:45 a.m. local time (0145 GMT), South Korea's presidential Blue House said in a statement.

During the talks, Kim and McMaster strongly denounced the missile launch, agreeing to strengthen cooperation to put effective sanctions and pressure on the DPRK.

South Korea's chief negotiator to the Six-Party Talks also held emergency phone talks with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts following the DPRK's missile test-launch, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman also criticized the United States and South Korea for their recent military measures against the DPRK, which could have triggered retaliation.

"China has also noted that both are holding large-scale military exercises targeting the DPRK," Geng said, "All sides should exercise restraint and not do anything to irritate each other to worsen regional tensions."

The Foal Eagle field training exercise, which kicked off on Wednesday, is scheduled to last by the end of April, mobilizing U.S. strategic assets such as a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and stealth fighter jets. Pyongyang has denounced it as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion.

About 10,000 U.S. troops, including U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), will be mobilized for the drill together with 290,000 South Korean soldiers.

It would be almost the same as the largest-ever spring war game carried out in 2016.

On Feb. 12, Pyongyang successfully test-launched a new type of Pukguksong-2 intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) under supervision by top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.

Expectations had been running high for the DPRK's test-firing of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the near future based on the IRBM technology, but the JCS said the missiles launched Monday were unlikely to be new ICBMs of the DPRK.
BRUSSELS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- European Union (EU) on Monday slammed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s latest test-launch of four ballistic missiles as a move "in utter disregard of multiple UN Security Council resolutions."

"These actions are illegal and further raise tensions in the region and beyond to the detriment of all," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warned in a strongly-worded statement.

Mogherni reasserted EU's ground that the DPRK must halt all launches using ballistic missile technology and abandon its ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, as required by the UN Security Council.

She also urged the DPRK to "immediately re-engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue with the international community, in particular the Six-Party Talks."

Mogherini hinted that the EU would slap further sanctions towards the DPRK, saying that she will team up with Japan and other international partners to "further discuss the international response over the coming days."

The DPRK test-fired four ballistic missiles into east waters early Monday as combined forces of South Korea and the United States launched their joint military exercises last week, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea said.

The JCS was quoted by local media as saying that four ballistic missiles of an unidentified type were fired from an area near Tongchanri-ri in the DPRK's northwest region at about 7:36 a.m. local time (2236 GMT on Sunday).

The missiles flew about 1,000 km into the eastern waters.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said three out of the four DPRK ballistic missiles fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone.

DPRK has not made any comment on the missile launch yet.

On Feb. 12, the DPRK also test-fired a new type of Pukguksong-2 intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) in the launch supervised by top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.
ISLAMABAD, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan has decided to reopen its border with Afghanistan for stranded Afghans and Pakistani nationals for two days from Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

Pakistan closed the border last month after a series of attacks that killed over 100 people. The attacks were claimed by the Taliban groups which officials say now "operate from the Afghan side of the border."

Hundreds of people who had valid visas were stuck up both sides of the border, which remained closed for 16 days on Monday. Besides, over 5,000 containers with transit goods, are also parked on both sides of the border. However, Pakistan has not yet decided if the border will also be opened for trade.

The ministry said in Islamabad that the decision to reopen the border has been conveyed to the Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan.

All concerned at the two crossing points have also been informed, a statement said.

"For all in order to provide an opportunity to those nationals of Afghanistan who had come to Pakistan on valid visas, and wish to return to their country, the Government of Pakistan has decided to open the border crossings at Torkham and Chaman on 7th & 8th March 2017," the ministry said.

The crossing points will also be opened on these two days for those nationals of Pakistan who had gone to Afghanistan on valid visas and wish to return to Pakistan, it said.
WINDHOEK, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Regional experts including top government officials, leading clinicians and researchers, civil society advocates and program implementers will be in Namibia's coastal town Swakopmund, to discuss HIV prevention response in sub-Saharan Africa.

The British High Commission and Wilton Park, an executive agency of the United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Monday said the three day meet will start on March 8 to 10.

Namibia's Health Minister Bernard Haufiku is set to open the session, which will run under the theme, 'Building a stronger HIV prevention response in Sub-Saharan Africa.' Namibia's first lady, Monica Geingos will also grace the event.

According to the British High Commission, participants will discuss what HIV prevention efforts work best, and how these can be expanded and funded across sub-Saharan Africa to best meet the needs of diverse groups at high risk.

Furthermore the groups will identify opportunities to deliver prevention to key populations, to overcome existing barriers and to ensure prevention can be prioritized while treatment for HIV continues to be scaled up.

Earlier in February, health experts from eastern and southern Africa regions' were in Windhoek, discussing HIV prevalence among young adolescent girls and young women.
KHARTOUM, March 6 (Xinhua) -- An international commission for following up implementation of Darfur peace deal on Monday reiterated improvement of the security situation in the region and decline of banditry acts and tribal confrontations.

The Implementation Follow-up Commission (IFC) of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), which is chaired by Qatar, on Monday held its 12th regular meeting in the Sudanese capital Khartoum to review progress in the implementation of the deal.

The meeting discussed peace and development in Darfur, voluntary return of the displaced people, reintegration of former fighters and other issues.

"Darfur has witnessed a clear stability where roads and markets have been reopened and looting acts receded," said Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud, deputy prime minister of the State of Qatar, when addressing the meeting.

"I call on the non-signatory movements to join the Doha document to put an end for the conflict in Darfur," he added.

Kingsley Mamabolo, Acting Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), for his part, renewed the mission's commitment to continue supporting all parties to the DDPD and members of the implementation commission fully implement the deal.

He noted that UNAMID would continue dealing with the texts of the DDPD as a comprehensive approach towards sustainable peace allover Darfur.

The DDPD follow-up commission brings together in its membership the government of Sudan, armed movements signatory of the document and representatives from Burkina Faso, Canada, Chad, China, Egypt, France, Japan, Russia, Britain, Ireland, the United States, the African Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and UNAMID.
Visitors look at a windmill bulit in 1779, in Haarlem, the Netherlands, on May 12, 2012. (Xinhua/Sylvia Lederer)

THE HAGUE, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The outcome of the Dutch general election scheduled for March 15 could be a barometer of populism impact for a series of high-stake elections in France, Germany and possibly in Italy later this year.

The results could be a touchstone of the power of the growing populism in the continent to see whether it has gained sufficient support among European Union (EU) core members to disrupt the bloc's values and political stability.

GROWING POPULISM

"Radical right-wing leaders across Europe would disseminate an outcome marking big gains for anti-immigration and euro skeptic Geert Wilders' party as an impending sign of a growing wave of populism," said Paul Teule, lecturer in political economics at the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

With nine days to go, the Dutch vote is the first of three elections in EU founding members this year. The French will vote in presidential first round on April 23 and second round on May 7. The Germans will face federal elections on Sept. 24 and Italy may follow later.

"In the event of a favorable for Wilders, the outcome will fit in the narrative of an upcoming populism spring ready to overturn the established political order across Europe and worldwide," Teule told Xinhua. "Extreme right leaders build expectations for electoral gains on this easy to spread narrative. Wilders did the same with Trump."

The Dutch anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) leader had hailed Donald Trump's election in the United States as "a historic victory" and "a revolution," claiming it would cause a similar political shift in Europe.

Teule suggested that a Wilders' electoral victory would invigorate populist parties across the EU.

"Far right leaders and, in particular, Marine Le Pen in France will propagate it as an example of a nationalist, anti-EU party topping the polls," said the Dutch political expert and author of "Vrijheid voor Gevorderden" (Freedom for Advanced Readers), a book on Dutch politics containing a comprehensive rethink of the notion of freedom.

ANTI-EU PLATFORM

Both Wilders and Front National (FN)'s leader Marine Le Pen in France are running on an anti-immigrant, anti-European platform that blames the EU for taking away control from the nation state.

The two far-right leaders have seen a significant rise in their popularity and expect electoral gains with the help of rising migration concerns across the EU following the massive influx of immigrants.

Wilders has pledged to close the Netherlands' borders, shut down mosques and leave the EU if he gets into power. Le Pen has also pledged to put France's euro membership to a vote.

A total of 28 parties will bid for the 150 seats at the Dutch lower house. The PVV is competing with Prime Minister Mark Rutte's conservative People's party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) to be the largest party.

The latest poll by Peilingwijzer, which combines different polls, showed that the VVD would win 23-27 seats while the PVV would get 21-25 seats.

However, Enzo Rossi, professor at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), questioned the potential of momentum by Wilders' possible electoral victory to his pals in other EU countries.

In his point of view, national factors or "certain issues randomly surfacing" may play a more significant role in giving Le Pen more chances to mark electoral gains.

For example, the French far-right leader might be boosted by the investigation into claims of "misuse of public funds" launched against conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon.

"The issue is irrelevant to the rise of populism in Europe, but many of the votes lost by Fillon could now be siphoned off by Le Pen," he argued.

What's more, the Amsterdam-based Italian political scientist believes that the outcome of the Dutch elections in the event of a Wilders' victory could be "a wake-up call for France" by triggering a stronger anti-Le Pen vote.

The momentum towards this direction could be even stronger as Wilders is unlikely to participate in the next Dutch government, he added.

WILDERS EFFECT

Due to the fragmented nature of Dutch politics, no party has ever won a majority in the lower house, making coalitions inevitable.

But so far, almost all major parties have ruled out working with Wilders.

"Even if Wilders wins the election, he's unlikely to become prime minister," said Rossi.

The opinion was echoed by Teule, who also ruled out the possibility.

But he warned that even if Wilders is blocked from real political power in the Netherlands, his winning big in the election would be a blow for the EU's political order.

"Even if his mandate will be limited, his election would cause political frustration," said Teule, suggesting it will be difficult for the next government to get legislation through.

"There will be many cases of rolling back on bills relating to EU decision making, especially on issues of further integration, common rules, investment," he said. "The narrative of resentment will be so dominant that policies will be scaled back and progress could only be achieved on a topic by topic basis."

For Rossi, the growing influence of the narrative of anti-EU populism, a trend already on the rise since the Brexit vote and the Trump election, will be devastating for mainstream and established parties.

A Le Pen victory in France would be more worrisome for the EU than a Wilders' lead in the Dutch polls, he added.

While in the Netherlands the tradition of coalition politics will keep Wilders out of power, in France president holds a great amount of executive power.

But now French polls suggest that Le Pen has a fat chance of passing through the first round.

In addition, according to Rossi, Wilders is against the EU but does not have "a very thought-through platform." Le Pen, on the contrary, has stronger positions for Europe's second largest economy with her promises of a return to the nation state and a vote on the country's EU membership.

"At the end of the day, the Dutch recognize their dependence on EU integration for prosperity," said Rossi. Actually 40 percent of Dutch consider EU partnership "a good thing," while 30 percent think of it as "bad," according to the Netherlands Institution for Social and Cultural Research.
KIEV, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine is willing to enhance its humanitarian cooperation with the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), especially on the issues related to the conflict in eastern regions, First Vice Speaker of the Ukrainian parliament Iryna Gerashchenko said on Monday.

"Ukraine prioritizes humanitarian issues and stands ready for their resolution," Gerashchenko wrote on Facebook after her meeting with visiting President of the ICRC Peter Maurer.

Particularly, Ukraine plans to create a joint mechanism with the ICRC for searching people, who went missing during the conflict in the Donbas, Gerashchenko said.

Besides, the two sides will cooperate on the issues related to the protection of critical infrastructure in eastern Ukraine and the release of people captured during the conflict, she added.

Kiev believes that pro-independence insurgents are holding at least 113 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians detained during the conflict. Another 483 Ukrainians are listed as missing.

Insurgents said earlier that the government is holding 618 of their supporters.

The conflict between government troops and rebels in eastern Ukraine, which rages for almost three years, has killed some 10,000 people.

The humanitarian situation in the conflict-affected areas, where many critical infrastructure objects were damaged by the hostilities, is alarming, with an estimated 3.8 million civilians are in need of immediate humanitarian assistance.

Maurer arrived in Kiev earlier in the day for a five-day visit.
HARARE, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean doctors ended a three-week strike at the weekend after government met some of their demands.

The doctors went on strike mid February, pressing for their annual bonuses, an increase in on-call allowances and cheaper cars. Nurses joined the strike last week.

Government had deployed army doctors to work at affected public hospitals.

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) said in a statement they now waited for the government to deliver on its promises.

The government increased doctors' on-call allowances to 360 U.S. dollars per month from 288 dollars and promised a car loan package and created 250 new posts for doctors and 2,000 posts for nurses.

Zimbabwe's public health service delivery has deteriorated significantly over the years due to lack of funds and suffers from shortages of critical health personnel, drugs and equipment.

The resumption of work by the doctors and nurses comes at a time when government is engaging with restive civil servants who are demanding their 2016 annual bonuses.

The civil servants had initially planned to hold a demonstration on Monday in protest over the delayed bonuses but suspended it to allow for a meeting with government officials.

The cash-strapped government has offered to pay the bonuses with housing stands instead of cash.

However, it is reported that some civil servants want their bonuses in cash instead of land.
LAGOS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- James Bala Ngilari, a former governor in northeast Nigeria's Adamawa State was on Monday sentenced to five years of imprisonment for corruption, without the option of fine.

He was found guilty of corruption charges filed against him in September 2016 by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the country's anti-corruption police.

The High Court in Yola, the state capital, presided over by Justice Nathan Musa, said the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that Ngilari violated the Public Procurement Act of the state by awarding contract for the procurement of 25 vehicles for his commissioners at the cost of 167 million naira without following due process.

He said Ngilari's action amounted to executive lawlessness.

Musa said the five years was the least he could give Ngilari, whose lawyer, Samuel Toni pleaded for leniency "in view of his invaluable contribution while he was the governor of the state during the trying moment of insurgency."

Musa said Ngilari would serve the sentence in the prison of his choice in the country "but for now he should start with Yola prison."

Musa expressed hope that the conviction and sentence of Ngilari would serve as a deterrent to serving governors who engage in doing things without following due process.

"It is my hope that this conviction and sentence will serve as deterrent to serving governors," he added.

The Judge acquitted the former Secretary to the State Government, Andrew Welye and Former Commissioner of Finance, Sunday Lamurde, who stood trial with the former governor on same offenses of 17 count charges.

The judge said that the prosecutor could not prove the case against them.

Lawyers to Ngilari said their client would appeal the sentence. Enditem
BRUSSELS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) foreign and defense ministers agreed to establish a command center for the planning and conduct of EU's overseas missions, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday.

"We are progressing steadily towards strengthened defense cooperation and we will continue to do more. The European Union has unique tools to help Europeans to take more responsibility for their own security, and to do more effectively," Mogherini told media after a ministerial meeting.

"Today we decided to establish a military planning and conduct capability (MPCC) which will command the EU's non-executive military missions," she said.

According to EU's statement, the MPCC will operate within the existing EU Military Staff of the European External Action Service and it will command the EU's military training missions in Somalia, in Central Africa and in Mali.

"This will allow the mission commanders in the field to concentrate on the specific activities of their mission, with better support provided from Brussels," the statement said.

The MPCC will work under the the EU Political and Security Committee, which is composed of EU member states' ambassadors and is based in Brussels.
NAIROBI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Monday raised an alarm over increasing cases of severe malnutrition among children in Somalia, terming it a threat to their survival.

A statement from ICRC received in Nairobi noted that the number of undernourished Somalia children in urgent need of life-saving interventions has spiked against a backdrop of biting drought currently engulfing the horn of Africa state.

"This rise in child malnutrition is a serious warning sign for Somalia, one that demands both attention and immediate response," said Jordi Raich, the head of ICRC Somalia delegation.

The statement from ICRC indicated that mothers with malnourished children have been trooping its stabilization center in Kismayo General Hospital and other parts of south and central Somalia to seek medical attention.

According to the statement, 369 new patients were admitted to the stabilization centre in February this year, a 40 percent increase in one year period.

The statement added that 414 new patients were admitted at the center in December last year.

"Since November 2016, we are feeling the strain as the number of patients increases," remarked Mohamed Gedi who oversees the stabilization center in Somalia.

"These patients are coming from the rural areas; the pastoral areas where farmers have had their crops fail twice now," Raich said.

ICRC aims to reach 1.4 million people in Somalia with food aid, clean water and cash grants this year as part of its drought response in the country.
File photo shows Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe speak during the State of the Nation Address in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, Dec. 6, 2016. (Xinhua)

HARARE, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Monday traveled to Ghana for its 60th independence anniversary, just hours after arriving back in the country from Singapore where he had gone for a scheduled medical review.

The veteran president who turned 93 last month, rushed to the Southeast Asian country last Wednesday where he had routinely visited in recent years for medical check-ups.

"For us, Ghana is a symbol of African freedom struggles and independence and by going back to Ghana, His Excellency is associating himself with the politics and persuasion of Ghana in the context of Africa's struggles for independence," his spokesperson George Charamba was quoted as saying by the State-controlled Herald newspaper.

Mugabe has an emotional attachment to Ghana where he once taught soon after the West African country's independence. His first wife, Sally Francesca Hayfrone, was also a Ghanaian. She died in 1992.

Mugabe's spokesperson hit back at critics who complain that Mugabe travels a lot. He said his ability to travel that much on official business outside the country indicates that he is still fit and strong.

"That puts paid to any claims that the president is very ill. In fact, he is so well that he beats even the youngest politicians," Charamba said.

The opposition has criticized Mugabe's numerous visits outside the country, claiming they are a waste of scarce resources.
NAIROBI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Kenya will deploy additional security personnel in the northern frontier districts that have experienced insecurity occasioned by cattle rustling, inter-tribal skirmishes and invasion of private ranches, officials said on Monday.

Cabinet Secretary for Internal Security, Joseph Nkaissery told reporters in Nairobi that the government will deal firmly with criminal elements involved in cattle raids, poaching and killing of civilians in Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet and Laikipia counties.

"We have substantially increased the number of police officers and reservists to bolster security in counties grappling with cattle rustling, murder, destruction of property and poaching," said Nkaissery.

His remarks came in the wake of killing of a dual British/Kenyan national, Tristan Voorspuy on Sunday by armed herders in the expansive Sosian Ranch which he co-owned.

The Sosian ranch which is located in Laikipia County is the latest epicenter of clashes between big land owners and pastoralists over water and pasture.

Nkaissery said the security agencies have been instructed to flush out herders who have illegally occupied private ranches in Laikipia.

"So far, illegal grazers have been cleared from sixteen ranches and the director of criminal investigations is leading a probe aimed at apprehending those inciting them to commit the criminal act," said Nkaissery.

Kenya has been on the global spotlight since mid-February when inter-tribal skirmishes, cattle rustling and invasion of private ranches by herders escalated.

Nkaissery blamed severe drought that and attendant competition for scarce water and pasture for escalating the conflict.

He at the time noted that criminal elements have taken advantage of the volatile situation in drought hit northern frontier districts to engage in banditry and poaching.

Nkaissery said that action will be taken against political leaders who incite local communities to occupy private ranches that are a major source of tourism revenue.

He revealed police have far arrested 379 illegal grazers in Laikipia County while additional police camps have been established in Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet to bolster security.

On his part, Kenya's cabinet secretary for tourism, Najib Balala said insecurity in the northern frontier districts bode ill for the country's reputation as a prized destination for international travelers.

"We are closely monitoring the volatile security situation in the northern parts of the country and have enhanced inter-agency collaboration to minimize risks to the tourism sector," said Balala.

Rising insecurity in Kenya's vast and arid northern region ahead of August 8 general elections has worried investors and bilateral partners.

Pundits warned that tribal tensions and increased cases of banditry could undermine economic growth and peaceful political transition in the east African nation.
HARARE, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwean government said Monday it will now pay the 2016 bonuses for civil servants in cash starting the end of next month.

Addressing journalists after meeting with workers representatives, Public Service, Labor and Social Services Minister Prisca Mupfumira said the government would stagger the bonus payments, after opting to pay in cash instead of land as it had previously promised.

"After deliberations, we finally came up with an agreed position where we are going to be paying our civil servants their bonuses staggered as follows; end of April, end of May, June and August," the minister was quoted as saying by state-run news agency New Ziana.

The minister said government would pay defense forces and health workers in April, police and prison workers in May, followed by teachers in June and the rest of the civil servants in August.

Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa who was also present at the meeting, said cash flow challenges had necessitated the staggering of bonus payments.

"We will make such payments because of the budgetary constraints, we have other payments to make," he said.

He revealed that the bonus payments would add a strain of 180 million U.S. dollars on the 2017 national budget.

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Mangudya, Health and Child Care secretary Gerald Gwinji and several representatives of government workers also attended the Monday meeting.

Apex Council chairperson Cecilia Alexander said the workers, who had initially planned but cancelled a demonstration over the bonuses on Monday, had finally agreed to payment of bonuses in cash and in a staggered form just like what happened for the 2015 bonuses.

Initially, the government had offered to give the workers unserviced residential stands, half payment of salary or to give them funds raised from bonds but it is reported the majority of the workers refused, demanding their bonuses in cash.

The government has in recent years been failing to pay its workers on time due to cash flow challenges.

Government wage bill takes up 200 million dollars per month, translating to about 80 percent of collected revenue.
JUBA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Displaced people living at a UN civilian camp in Juba said on Monday that the government has barred some 965 secondary school students from writing their examinations at the UN camp.

Secondary school students across conflict-hit South Sudan started their final year examinations on Monday morning after the exercise was postponed late 2016 due to inadequate resources, insecurity and logistical challenges.

Over 20,000 people are living in the Protection of Civilian Site (POC) 1 and 3 after fleeing their homes in December 2013 following deadly clashes between supporters of South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar which left tens of thousands dead.

Primary and secondary school children have been taking examinations in several UN protected camps across South Sudan for the past three years.

Gideon Machar, Deputy Chairman of the Protection of Civilian Site (POC) 3 told Xinhua that the students refused a proposal by the government to do examinations outside the UN camp over safety concerns.

"We received information today that the government is not ready to give examinations to students in the POC three yet all necessary requirements were met. We tried to make inquiries but no tangible outcome. So maybe this is politically motivated," Machar said.

He called on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and civil society organizations to intervene and ensure that the student's concerns are addressed.

"We appeal to the stakeholders to give more pressure to the government to allow the students in the POC to take their examinations because we are all South Sudanese and it is our right to education," he added.

Lul Ruai Dhol, Secretary General of South Sudan Examinations Secretariat, confirmed to Xinhua by phone that students at the UN missed their final examinations because they refused to travel to the government protected examination centres.

"We have decided that they (students) should come and sit the exams outside the UN camp because the government is capable of providing security. They will sit the exams if they accept to come," Dhol said.

A total of 19,484 candidates are sitting for the examinations in 25 states. Three states of Gok, Southern Liech and Latjor in northern South Sudan were excluded from the secondary leaving examinations due to insecurity.

The boys to girls' ratio still remains wide as only 5,905 girls females (30 percent) registered for the examination compared to the 13,579 male students.

South Sudan has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world as only 15 percent women and 40 percent men of the country's 12 million population are able to read or write, according to official data from the Ministry of Education. Enditem
JERUSALEM, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Israeli police questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for the fourth time as part of two ongoing separate criminal investigations over graft suspicions, local media reported.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the police cannot comment on the reports while the questioning is undergoing.

Netanyahu is under suspicions that he and his wife received expensive gifts from Israeli-U.S. businessman and Hollywood producer, Arnon Milchan, and he is also accused of secret talks with the publisher of a large Israeli newspaper regarding reducing the competition in the news sector in return for more positive coverage.

Police chief Roni Alsheikh said that the investigation is in the final stages. Once finished, police will decide if to drop the case or recommend the attorney general bring charges.

Netanyahu repeatedly dismissed the allegations as "baseless" and hinted it was part of a political prosecution aimed to remove him from the office. "There won't be anything because there isn't anything," he said on several occasions.

However, the mounting investigations sparked a commotion in the political arena, with politicians from all across the political spectrum maneuvering amidst speculations that early elections are possible.
The European Union flags flutter in front of EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Oct. 12, 2012. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

BRUSSELS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) foreign and defense ministers agreed to establish a command center for the planning and conduct of EU's overseas missions, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday.

"We are progressing steadily towards strengthened defense cooperation and we will continue to do more. The European Union has unique tools to help Europeans to take more responsibility for their own security, and to do more effectively," Mogherini told media after a ministerial meeting.

"Today we decided to establish a military planning and conduct capability (MPCC) which will command the EU's non-executive military missions," she said.

According to EU's statement, the MPCC will operate within the existing EU Military Staff of the European External Action Service and it will command the EU's military training missions in Somalia, in Central Africa and in Mali.

"This will allow the mission commanders in the field to concentrate on the specific activities of their mission, with better support provided from Brussels," the statement said.

The MPCC will work under the the EU Political and Security Committee, which is composed of EU member states' ambassadors and is based in Brussels.
KIGALI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Investors from Africa-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Program (RECP) are looking for "good deals" in the evolving private renewable energy sector in Rwanda, according to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

The business personnel are part of the trade mission to the small central African country consisting of up to 20 European and African companies from the solar energy and small hydro power sector.

The RDB on Monday kicked off a two-day business forum with RECP investors through extensive networking and business match-making sessions in the Capital Kigali.

Rwanda hosts the Africa-EU RECP trade mission meeting from 6th to 8th March 2017 that focuses on enabling participants to identify new business opportunities, exchange know-how, and find Partners for joint business development.

"Rwanda is full of business opportunities. Renewable energy is an area where little has been done to exploit the potential of the sector. We are glad investors from Africa-Europe Renewable Energy Cooperation Program are willing to support the development of renewable and clean energy in our country," Mark Nkurunziza, chief finance officer of RDB told reporters on Monday during the meeting.

He added that during the business forum participants will be able to forge strong connections with potential business partners, identify technology solutions from leading European providers and engage with relevant financiers and investors.

According to Michael Ryan, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Rwanda, the Africa-EU RECP will open the door for other European investments in Rwanda within the energy sector.

"When looking at the financing of development in relation to Rwanda's energy sector, it is evident that investors are keen to get a slice of the country's renewable energy development program," he said.

Rwanda has set an ambitious target of increasing its installed electricity generation capacity to 563 MW within the next two years, both on grid and off grid, with an aim of achieving 70 percent electrification connectivity by 2018 from 24 percent at the moment.

To support Rwanda energy capacity increment, in December 2015, the World Bank approved 95 million U.S. dollars for Rwanda's energy sector.

Last year, Rwanda unveiled a mega methane gas power plant the Kivu-Watt Gas Power project, which is expected to produce 100 megawatts from Lake Kivu, Karongi district, western province, the world's only methane rich water body.

Rwanda is set to import 30 megawatts from Kenya on a five-year long arrangement expected to start later this year. The country also plans to import 400MW of power from Ethiopia by 2018, aimed at increasing electricity supply in the country, especially for industrial use.

In February 2015, Rwanda unveiled 23.7 million U.S. dollars solar power plant, the first of its kind in the region and the third in Africa after the ones in South Africa and Mauritius.

The utility power located in Rwamagana district, eastern province that was developed by the Netherlands-based company, Gigawatt Global, adds 8.5 MW to the national electricity grid.
ASTANA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan agreed to jointly develop international transport and transit corridor to Europe and Middle East countries after the presidents' meeting on Monday.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev started his first visit to Turkmenistan on Monday after he won the presidential election at the end of 2016, according to the local media.

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed his readiness to participate in the creation of an international transport corridor in Ashgabat. Different agreements on economic, trade, energy issues were discussed as well.

"In particular, Turkmenistan is ready to work together to create a corridor from Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Caspian Sea-South Caucasus with access to the Black Sea ports of Georgia, Turkey, Romania and other countries," Berdymukhamedov said after the talks with Uzbek President.

Turkmenistan President said on Monday that Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will strengthen cooperation in the transport field to create a powerful and modern infrastructure, which would provide an integrated transport systems in the Central Asian region, Europe and the Middle East.

Berdimukhamedov highlighted that the efficiency of Turkmen-Uzbek cooperation will be strengthened due to common interests and the political will.

The two presidents signed an agreement on strategic economic cooperation for 2018-2020 years, a memorandum on further development of cooperation in the field of rail transport, inter-governmental co-operation program in the cultural and humanitarian sphere for 2017-2019 years, the program of cooperation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan for 2017-2018 years.

Uzbek President on Monday started a two-day state visit Turkmenistan.
WARSAW, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Parliamentary speakers from four four Central European nations were expected to discuss European Union (EU) reforms at a Tuesday meeting held in Warsaw, local media reported on Monday.

The four nations -- also called Visegrad Group or V4 -- are Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic. They are in a cultural and political alliance.

"The future of the EU depends on how effectively the bloc is reformed in the spirit of European solidarity and how quickly this is done," Polish parliamentary Speaker Marek Kuchcinski said, quoted by Polish Press Agency.

The four nations were aware of the problems the EU and the rest of Europe was facing, he said.

The meeting in Warsaw would be vital to work out a joint position of the V4 before the upcoming EU summit in Italy. The summit, marking the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome, "is a good moment to make the EU better", Kuchcinski said.

Earlier this month, the prime ministers of the four nations had also met in Warsaw, discussing the EU's current affairs and the union's future.
VIENNA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The chief of UN nuclear agency on Monday said the agency is confident of having "good cooperation" with the new U.S. administration.

In an attempt to brush aside fears surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump's stance towards the Iranian nuclear deal, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano told reporters: "I am confident that we can have very good cooperation with the United States in the future."

He said he met with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington last week to discuss nuclear issues including the Iranian nuclear deal which was signed in 2015.

Amano said he was pleased with his meeting with members of the new U.S. administration, noting his agency is monitoring the implementation of the deal.

"We have the strongest verification regime in Iran while the nuclear activities of Iran are reduced," he told reporters.

IAEA said Iran is cooperating with the agency to implement the Iranian nuclear deal.
BEIRUT, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Northern Lebanese port of Tripoli received on Monday a delivery of Chinese highly sophisticated cranes and equipment which are expected to boost the port's capacity.

The delivery marks a new phase in the port's development plan through expanding its capacity to receive huge ships and compete with leading regional ports.

A ceremonial event was held at Tripoli port to unveil the newly delivered cranes and equipment in the presence of Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian, former Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Head of Tripoli's Chamber of Commerce and Industry Toufic Dabboussi, Tripoli Port Director Mohammad Tamer along a number of other distinguished dignitaries.

The cranes and equipment were shipped aboard the 17,644 ton, 164-meters long and 47-meters wide "Mega Caravan," and the installation process is expected to be finalized in about 50 days.

The process will be supervised by 25 Chinese engineers to ensure the process will meet with international standards.

During the occasion, Wang stressed that "those cranes are considered among the biggest in Lebanon and among the most important Chinese mass productions exported to Lebanon."

He pointed out that "following installation of the equipment, Tripoli port will expects a substantial development of its activities in Lebanon and regionally."

As for Dabboussi, he said that "the equipment is part of the first development phase of Tripoli's port and I think the equipment will sustain the port for about four or five years. The second phase involves importing two additional heavy cranes along with eight other smaller cranes as I believe the port will reach a capacity of receiving 400 thousand containers in three years' time. In the future I think we will import double the quantity of these cranes."

As for Tamer, he said that "with the arrival of the Chinese heavy sophisticated cranes, work in the port's new container zone will be launched and we will become capable of receiving the world's largest ships, competing with the most developed and advanced regional ports."

Tamer added that the delivered equipment is "the most advanced and sophisticated equipment in the world and is similar to the ones operating in Chinese ports, or in Singapore, the United States or Rotterdam in Holland."
HOUSTON, March. 6 (Xinhua) -- The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Monday called for more investments to meet future oil supply in the world.

"Global oil supply could struggle to keep pace with demand after 2020, risking a sharp increase in prices, unless new projects are approved soon," the IEA warned in a report issued here at the CERAWeek, an annual international gathering of energy industry leaders, experts, government officials and policy makers.

Echoing the the agency's latest five-year oil market analysis and forecast report, IEA's Executive Director Fatih Birol said at a press conference here on Monday that "We are witnessing the start of a second wave of US supply growth, and its size will depend on where prices go, but this is no time for complacency. We don't see a peak in oil demand any time soon. And unless investments globally rebound sharply, a new period of price volatility looms on the horizon."

According to the report, the global picture appears comfortable for the next three years but supply growth slows considerably after that. The demand and supply trends point to a tight global oil market, with spare production capacity in 2022 falling to a 14-year low.

In the next few years, oil supply is growing in the countries like the United States, Canada, Brazil and elsewhere but this growth could stall by 2020 if the record two-year investment slump of 2015 and 2016 is not reversed. While investments in the U.S. shale play are picking up strongly, early indications of global spending for 2017 are not encouraging.

In the next five years, oil demand will rise, passing the symbolic 100 mb/d threshold in 2019 and reaching about 104 mb/d by 2022.Developing countries account for all of the growth and Asia dominates, with about seven out of every 10 extra barrels consumed globally. India' s oil demand growth will outpace China by then.

While electric vehicles are an important factor for oil demand, the IEA estimates they will displace only limited amounts of transportation fuel by 2022.

The IEA believes that the largest contribution to new supplies will come from the United States. The agency expects the U.S. light tight oil (LTO) production to make a strong comeback and grow by 1.4 mb/d by 2022 if prices remain around 60 dollars/bbl.

The United States responds more rapidly to price signals than other producers. the report said that if prices climb to 80 dollars/bbl, U.S. LTO production could grow by 3 mb/d in five years. Alternatively, if prices are at 50 dollars/bbl, it could decline from the early 2020s.

Within OPEC, the bulk of new supplies will come from major low-cost Middle Eastern producers, namely Iraq, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Others like Nigeria, Algeria and Venezuela will decline. For its part, production from Russia is forecast to remain stable over the next five years.

As for the changes in international oil-trade flows and investments in storage infrastructure, the IEA said that Asia will need to look beyond the Middle East to meet its growing import requirements.

With OPEC countries focused on boosting domestic refining capacity to meet local demand and ramp-up exports of refined products, additional crude oil exports from Brazil and Canada will be higher than those from the Middle East.

The five-day CERAWeek by IHS Markit opened here on Monday with a theme of "pace of change: building a new energy future".
STOCKHOLM, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Sweden wants national and local governments in the Baltic Sea region to set an example on environmental protection by banning microplastics in cosmetic products.

On Monday, Sweden's environment minister Karolina Skog took part in the opening of the inaugural Baltic Sea Future Congress in Stockholm, which focuses on developing innovation and leadership to achieve sustainable development in the Baltic Sea region.

Skog said plastic waste in the oceans was one of the most serious environmental problems on the planet.

"Microplastics in cosmetic products are completely unnecessary and there are alternatives," Skog said in a statement published on the Swedish government website, adding she was working on instituting a ban.

"I believe Sweden, along with other countries and municipalities in the Baltic Sea region, can demonstrate global leadership in this area," the statement read.

In the fall of 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 global sustainable development goals, one of which concerned the oceans where the aim is to reduce marine waste and microplastics in the oceans. In June, Sweden and Fiji will jointly host a global conference focusing on the issue.

According to the statement, Sweden also leads efforts to eliminate dangerous substances and plastics in the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region to identify emissions sources and environmental protection measures.
SKOPJE, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Macedonia's political stalemate continues as the president hasn't gone back on his decision last week not to give the party holding the majority of parliamentary seats in the election a mandate to form a government, despite calls by domestic and foreign political actors to do so.

Social Democratic Union (SDSM) leader Zoran Zaev requested Monday that President Gjorge Ivanov respect the Constitution of Macedonia and give him the mandate to create a new government in cooperation with the ethnic Albanian parties.

"We secured 67 votes in parliament and now we are on the verge of creating a government. They don't want to give up power and they are finding all sorts of reasons not to give it up. But I would like to call again on the president to respect our Constitution," Zaev told local media Monday.

Ivanov didn't mandate Zaev to form a government, saying that Zaev had presented him with a platform that threatened the interests of the country.

Ruling party VMRO-DPMNE, led by Nikola Gruevski, has also categorically rejected the platform, considering it unacceptable.

Through this platform, Albanian parties require that the Albanian language is made an official language of the country.

According to Gruevski, the deadlock situation in Macedonia could be solved in two ways.

One option would be to hold early elections in May along with local government elections, and the second way would be for Zaev to accept VMRO-DPMNE's offer to give up on his platform, Gruevski told reporters.

Macedonia held snap general elections on Dec. 11, 2016 but no government has been formed yet.

Gruevki was the first politician winning mandate from the president to form a government, but he failed to reach an agreement on possible coalition with Albanian parties.
WASHINGTON, March 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order banning nationals of six Muslim-majority countries to enter the country, excluding Iraq from the list of a previous ban.

The new document maintained a 90-day ban on nationals of Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Iran and Somalia, from entering the United States, effective from March 16.

"Each of these countries is a state sponsor of terrorism, has been significantly compromised by terrorist organizations, or contains active conflict zones," the order said.

Nationals of the six countries who are outside the United States will banned from entering the country, except those who are lawful permanent U.S. residences or fit other criteria.

Notably missing from the list is Iraq, which had been subject to a similar ban imposed in January.

"The close cooperative relationship between the United States and the democratically elected Iraqi government, the strong United States diplomatic presence in Iraq, the significant presence of United States forces in Iraq, and Iraq's commitment to combat ISIS justify different treatment for Iraq," the document said.

A review conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, will determine after 70 days the order has went into effect whether any countries should be added or removed from the list.

In addition to the travel ban, the order also suspended the decision making on refugee applications for 120 days after the effective date.

The new order was signed in observation of court rulings and to avoid further litigation, the order said.

Trump has signed a similar executive order on Jan. 27, which imposed a ban on nationals of Muslim-majority countries to enter the United States for 90 days, refugees for 120 days and Syrian refugees indefinitely.

A federal judge of the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Washington later slapped a nationwide restraining order on the travel ban, and the ruling was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
U.S. President Donald Trump walks to the Oval Office after returning to the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Feb 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, March 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order banning nationals of six Muslim-majority countries to enter the country, excluding Iraq from the list of a previous ban.

The new document maintained a 90-day ban on nationals of Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Iran and Somalia, from entering the United States, effective from March 16.

"Each of these countries is a state sponsor of terrorism, has been significantly compromised by terrorist organizations, or contains active conflict zones," the order said.

Nationals of the six countries who are outside the United States will banned from entering the country, except those who are lawful permanent U.S. residences or fit other criteria.

Notably missing from the list is Iraq, which had been subject to a similar ban imposed in January.

"The close cooperative relationship between the United States and the democratically elected Iraqi government, the strong United States diplomatic presence in Iraq, the significant presence of United States forces in Iraq, and Iraq's commitment to combat ISIS justify different treatment for Iraq," the document said.

A review conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, will determine after 70 days the order has went into effect whether any countries should be added or removed from the list.

In addition to the travel ban, the order also suspended the decision making on refugee applications for 120 days after the effective date.

The new order was signed in observation of court rulings and to avoid further litigation, the order said.

Trump has signed a similar executive order on Jan. 27, which imposed a ban on nationals of Muslim-majority countries to enter the United States for 90 days, refugees for 120 days and Syrian refugees indefinitely.

A federal judge of the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Washington later slapped a nationwide restraining order on the travel ban, and the ruling was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
NICOSIA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The UN envoy had failed to convince Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci to return to the negotiations to attempt to reunify the Greek and Turkish communities on the island, A Cypriot government spokesman told state television on Monday.

After securing the consent of Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades to resume the talks, the UN Secretary General's special adviser on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, met with Akinci for three hours on the weekend in an effort to bring him back to the negotiating table.

"We talked to Eide after he spoke with Akinci and his message was that there was no change in the position of the Turkish Cypriot leader," Cypriot government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said.

Akinci withdrew from the negotiations after the all-Greek Cypriot parliament passed an amendment making it mandatory for teachers to speak in class about a 1950 referendum in which the Greek Cypriot community, which makes up 80 percent of the population, expressed its wish to unite with Greece.

That policy was changed in 1960 when Cyprus, until then a British colony, became an independent state. More recently, the reunification of Cyprus or part of it with any state, or the secession of any part of Cyprus was excluded in an agreement between Anastasiades and Akinci when they started negotiations 22 months ago.

During his three-hour meeting with Eide on Saturday, Akinci insisted that parliament reverse its vote before he returned to the negotiations, sources said.

Akinci's demand has caused a strong reaction from lawmakers, even those who fervently support the resumption of the negotiations, as it was considered a move to dictate to parliament how to vote.

A parliamentary committee which considered the bill last week said it had not set a date to debate it.

A UN spokesman in Nicosia said Eide would travel to the United States on Tuesday, where he would meet with U.S. administration officials dealing with the Cyprus problem before coming back later in the week to meet with civil society groups of Turkish and Greek Cypriots who are pressing for the resumption of the negotiations.
Photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Feb. 13, 2017 shows a test firing of a surface-to-surface medium- and long-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2 on Feb. 12, 2017. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday claimed it successfully test-fired a surface-to-surface medium- and long-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2 and its top leader Kim Jong Un guided the test firing, according to the state news agency KCNA. (Xinhua/KCNA)

UNITED NATIONS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea should refrain from any further provocations, UN Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-Genera Farhan Haq said on Monday.

Speaking at the daily news briefing, Haq said that "we deplore the continued violation of the Security Council resolutions by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, including most recent launches of ballistic missiles."

"The DPRK leadership should refrain from further provocations and return to full compliance with its international obligations," he said.

Earlier in the day, the South Korea Defense Ministry reported that the DPRK launched an identified missile at 7:36 a.m. local time. Later, Japan said that the country had launched four missiles, with three landing in Japanese territorial waters.

The UN is evaluating the situation, said Haq.
BRATISLAVA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Slovak police have arrested two Syrians for trying to smuggle migrants, Slovak Police Corps spokesperson Denisa Baloghova confirmed on Monday.

The duo were caught attempting to smuggle a 23-year-old Syrian woman with two children through the Hungarian-Slovak border near Bratislava last week.

"The Syrian woman and the children had been registered as asylum seekers in Hungary. The two alleged people smugglers, Ahmed A. and Daham A., last week picked her and the children up in front of an asylum facility in Hungary with the intention of smuggling them through Slovakia to Austria," explained Baloghova.

The two Syrians were taken into custody in Bratislava and Syrian migrants have been placed in a transitory facility for migrants pending their return to Hungary.
SANAA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted at least 24 airstrikes on sites and military camps controlled by Yemeni Houthi rebel fighters along the Red Sea coast west of Yemen on Monday, a security official said.

The airstrikes targeted Houthi fighters in several sites and military camps in the provinces of Hodeida and Taiz, said the official on condition of anonymity.

There were no reports of casualties.

The ongoing air campaign aimed to dislodge Houthi rebels away from the Red Sea coastal strip and narrow Bab al-Mandab maritime passage, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.

Houthis have repeatedly targeted coalition warships on the Red Sea.

Saudi-led coalition have mobilized forces and fighters loyal to exiled Yemeni internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi off Red Sea port cities of neighbouring Hodeidah and Mokha in a bid to set siege on capital Sanaa, the second stronghold of Houthis and their loyalists of former president.

Houthi fighters, who seized control of north Yemen, have been also fighting Saudi Arabia on borders since the Saudi-led military coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 via an air and ground campaign.

The coalition campaign is attempting to restore power to expelled President Hadi. More than 10,000 Yemenis have been killed, with over three million displaced.
UNITED NATIONS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Civilian displacement out of western Mosul in Iraq continued over the weekend, Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said here Monday, adding that the number of people displaced from both east and west Mosul tops 200,000.

"The number of people displaced from western Mosul alone since the military operation began on 19 February is approaching 46,000," Haq said at a daily news briefing here."The number of people currently displaced from east and west Mosul combined is 206,500."

"Emergency assistance, including ready-to-eat food, water and blankets, is being provided at mustering points and security screening sites, and families receive further assistance once they proceed to displacement areas," he said.

Humanitarian partners continue to race to establish space in camps and emergency sites for those displaced, he noted.

Currently space for almost 77,000 people is available, and work is ongoing to further expand and establish new sites, Haq said. "Public buildings are also being investigated as additional emergency shelter sites."

Over the weekend, humanitarian workers were able to distribute emergency assistance inside western Mosul for the first time. Some 200 families in a south-western neighbourhood received emergency packages of food rations, water, and hygiene supplies.

Mosul witnessed a fighting between the Iraqi government forces and Islamic State (IS/Da'esh) terrorists

The Iraqi government force's advance toward Mosul came after the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced on Feb. 19 the start of an offensive to drive the extremist militants out of the western side of Mosul, locally known as the right bank of Tigris River which bisects the city.

Late in January, Abadi declared the liberation of the eastern side of Mosul, or the left bank of Tigris, after more than 100 days of fighting against the Islamic State (IS) militants.

However, the western side of Mosul, with its narrow streets and a heavy population of between 750,000 and 800,000, appears to be a bigger challenge to the Iraqi forces, according to the United Nations estimates.

Mosul, 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.
LIMA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Former Peruvian president Alan Garcia was accused of allegedly receiving bribes by Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, the special prosecutor for the Odebrecht case announced on Monday.

Prosecutor Katherine Ampuero also denounced former minister of transports and communications Enrique Cornejo and former executive director of Lima's Electric Train Authority Oswaldo Plascencia for their crime in the bribery case.

"We have presented a denunciation for crimes against the public administration as we have gathered...sufficient evidence...to open an investigation into these three people," wrote Ampuero in her statement to the judiciary.

Elmer Cuba, Garcia's former deputy minister of communications, has already been arrested for having received 2 million U.S. dollars from Odebrecht in order to grant it the concession to build Lima's Electric Train.

Ampuero added that her office assigned to this case had taken an active role in the investigation, allowing it to gather documents and evidence leading to these charges against Garcia and his collaborators.

These charges are also related to an investigation into the construction of the Electric Train's Line, in which judiciary authorities found irregularities during the tendering process.

According to declarations by Odebrecht senior executives arrested in Brazil, the company paid around 8 million U.S. dollars in bribes during Garcia's government to be granted the right to build the train.

Peru's Public Ministry is also pursuing investigations into whether other ex-presidents had received millions of dollars in bribes from Odebrecht.
ALGIERS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Algeria on Monday inaugurated a new air base in the southernmost province of Tamenrasset, as part of the North African nation's efforts to secure its border.

The deployment of Hassi Tiririne air base was officially inaugurated by Deputy Defense Minister, Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaid Salah, APS news agency reported, quoting a statement of Defense Ministry.

This new military installation comes at a time where Algeria is facing constant terrorist threats, including the intrusion of weapons and terrorists.

Several arm bunkers have been discovered in recent months along the borderline with Mali, Niger and Libya, while many terrorists were either captured alive or killed.

Located in a region plagued by unprecedented security and political instability, experts believe Algeria faces ongoing terrorist threats.
COPENHAGEN, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Three Britain-based brain researchers have been awarded a Danish major prize, The Brain Prize, for explaining how learning is associated with the reward system of the brain, the organization behind the prize announced on Monday.

The prize-winners, English Peter Dayan, Irish Ray Dolan and German Wolfram Schultz, have identified how learning is linked with anticipation of reward, thus revealing the mechanisms in the brain that lead to compulsive gambling, drug addiction and alcoholism, according to a press release from the Lundbeck Foundation which established the prize in 2010 as a European prize.

Colin Blakemore, chairman of the foundation's selection committee, said the research of these three prize-winners offers far-reaching perspectives on the understanding of human behavior and how people make decisions.

"Their research has also provided a valuable key to understanding what goes wrong when people succumb to compulsive gambling, drug addiction, obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia," Blakemore said. Through animal testing, mathematical modelling and human trials, the three prize-winners have proven that the release of dopamine is not a response to the actual reward but to the difference between the reward expected and the reward people actually receive, according to the foundation.

The one-million-euro Brain Prize was awarded for the first time in 2011. This year's prize will be presented on May 4 in Copenhagen.
DUBLIN, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Ireland said on Monday it plans to raise up to 1.25 billion euros (1.32 billion U.S. dollars) this week in its second dual bond auction of this year.

In a statement, the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) said it will auction between 1 billion euros and 1.25 billion euros of bonds on Thursday through a dual auction of debt that matures in 2026 and 2045.

The NTMA returned to dual auctions last month for the first time since 2010.

Last month, it sold 600 million euros of bonds that are due to be repaid in 2022, and a further 650 million euros of securities that mature in 2026.

The agency says it will issue between 9 and 13 billion euros of long-term bonds this year.

In Ireland, the NTMA is responsible for borrowing on behalf of the government and managing the national debt.

Last year, the agency raised 8.25 billion euros in funding. (1 euro = 1.06 U.S. dollars)
UNITED NATIONS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations office dedicated to disaster risk reduction on Monday called for urgent support to improve disaster risk management in Haiti, following a damage assessment of Hurricane Matthew six months ago.

"Hurricane Matthew revealed disturbing truths about least developed countries which lack the capacity to respond adequately to climate change and the rising intensity and frequency of weather-related disasters," the UN secretary-general's special representative for disaster risk reduction, Robert Glasser, said in a press release.

More than 900 people were killed when the hurricane hit the Caribbean country in October 2016, and Haiti was the worst hit in the region at a time when the country has still not fully recovered from the 2010 earthquake. The economic lost totaled 2.7 billion U.S. dollars, or 32 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), according to the UN assessment.

Glasser made his appeal on the eve of the 5th Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas, which opens in Montreal, Canada, on Tuesday.

"While the government's civil protection system prevented many deaths, it is unacceptable that over 600 people should have died in a hurricane that was so well-forecast," he added.

Meanwhile, Glasser urged strong support for the three-year recovery plan developed by the Haitian government, the UN and other partners that seeks 2.72 billion U.S. dollars.

He said that Haiti demonstrated how implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the global plan to reduce disaster losses, has to take into account the role that poverty plays in driving disaster risk.

In 2012, it was estimated that 58 percent of the 10 million people live below the threshold of 2.4 U.S. dollars per day while 24 percent live in extreme poverty or less than 1.23 dollars per day. Haiti is estimated to have lost on average two per cent of its GDP to weather-related disasters every year between 1975 and 2012.
UNITED NATIONS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Unhealthy environments are responsible for one-quarter of child deaths, according to two new reports from the United Nations health agency.

The UN News Center on Monday quoted the latest information as saying that polluted environments take the lives of 1.7 million children under the age of five.

"A polluted environment is a deadly one - particularly for young children," Margaret Chan, Director-General of the UN World Health Organization (WHO), was quoted as saying, adding "their developing organs and immune systems, and smaller bodies and airways, make them especially vulnerable to dirty air and water."

In one of the two reports, Inheriting a Sustainable World: Atlas on Children's Health and the Environment, WHO announced that many of the common causes of death among children aged between one month and five years of age are preventable with safe water and clear cooking fuels. These include diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia.

The main pollutant is in the air, resulting in 570,000 deaths each year among children under five. Air pollution can stunt brain development and reduce lung function and trigger asthma. In the longer-term, exposure to air pollution can increase the child's risk of contracting heart disease, stroke or cancer.

The reports also point out harmful chemicals that work through food chain, such as fluoride, lead and mercury, as well as the impact that climate change and UV rays have on children's development, the report said.
JERUSALEM, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Israel's parliament approved on Monday night a law to prohibit boycott supporters from entering the country.

Under the new law, foreign nationals who publicly support the campaign for boycotts, divestments, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel could be barred from entering the country.

The Knesset (parliament) passed the controversial law with 46 lawmakers voting in favor and 28 voting against it.

Peace Now, an Israel-based settlement watch group, denounced the law as "undemocratic." The new legislation "will not prevent boycott but rather, deteriorate Israel's international standing and lead Israel towards international isolation," the group warned in a statement.

First launched in 2005, the Palestinian-led campaign calls to end the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which Israel seized in 1967, and acknowledge the Palestinians refugees' right of return to their pre-1948 lands.

The campaign was endorsed by civil society organizations and universities throughout the world, as well as public figures such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Pink Floyd musician Roger Waters.
MONTEVIDEO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay's Interior Minister Eduardo Bonomi on Monday called for the Parliament to pass a law against gender violence, drafted by the government.

Speaking to the National Gender Council in Montevideo, ahead of International Women's Day on March 8, Bonomi called gender violence "a cultural, social, educational problem, which must be faced. Without facing it collectively, we cannot end it."

He stated that the ministry had passed protocols to handle situations of gender violence among its staff, such as sexual assault or discrimination in the workplace, although he added more should be done for these to be respected.

He also stated that a program of electronic ankle bracelets applied to around 1,000 cases of gender violence had worked so far and would be extended across the country.

The use of electronic ankle bracelets alarms the police if the aggressor gets into the restriction zone established by the court.

So far in 2017, Uruguay has registered eight feminicides, leading to a series of protests by feminist groups in the country and a new push for the gender violence law to be passed.

In 2016, at least 24 women were murdered in gender violence cases in Uruguay.
HELSINKI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Following the announcement by Foreign Minister Timo Soini that he would no longer run for another term as chairman of the Finns Party (known as True Finns Party), it becomes possible that an anti-immigrant wing could gain control in the party that Soini has managed for 20 years.

The party convention due in June in Jyvaskyla, central Finland, is open to all members, and thousands are expected to attend. The outcome may remain a cliffhanger until the last minute although internal polls have indicated a majority for moderate populists.

Representing the current moderate party majority, Sampo Terho, chairman of the parliamentary group of the Finns Party, announced his candidacy on Monday. Defence Minister Jussi Niinisto said he would not run but would support Terho.

Jussi Halla-aho, leader of the party's anti-immigration wing and currently a member of the European Parliament, said on Monday he would announce his decision by next week.

In a recent poll conducted by Lannen Media about the backing for potential candidates, Terho gained 57 percent support whereas Halla-aho had 42 percent.

Lauri Nurmi, commentator of Lannen Media, said on Monday that Halla-aho could win in Jyvaskyla, if the anti-immigrant wing of the party succeeds in mobilizing its backers to the convention.

Newspaper Keskisuomalainen said the competition would be a "fight that will shake the coalition government and the whole Finland". The True Finns party may also break up, Keskisuomalainen concluded.

Terho described on Monday the True Finns as a "workers' party without socialism" and with nationalistic overtones, but stressed measures to curb immigration. Terho said a referendum on Finnish EU membership could be considered as a demand after the 2019 parliamentary election.

On the other hand, supporters of Halla-aho envisage a strong anti-immigration agenda.

Analysts said a turn for a radical direction would throw the True Finns out of the three-party government coalition.

Newspaper Keskisuomalainen said that the pre-convention situation of the True Finns puts the government into a difficult position. "The True Finns will have to gain fresh victories in the coalition so that internal criticism would not increase."

As one of the ruling parties, the Finns Party can boast previous practices of defending the interests of its voters. It blocked the plans to wreck the general applicability of labor union contracts, and prevented cutbacks in the housing subsidies for the elderly.

Nurmi said these actions have helped low income Finns but have not been able to raise its support level. He said it is a "political tragedy".

In the general election in 2015, True Finns gained 17.6 percent backing and became the third largest party in the 200-seat parliament. But in current opinion polls, the party has only nine percent backing.
BRUSSELS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) regulators gave the green light to Hungary's expansion of its nuclear power plant which involves Russian technology and finance, it was announced Monday.

Hungary's financial support for the construction of two new nuclear reactors in Paks (Paks II) was in line with the EU's state aid rules, said the European Commission which overseas the bloc's competition policy.

The EU executive arm's decision came three years after Hungary and Russia signed to construct the new reactors at an existing facility in Paks, which later stirred concerns and controversy in Brussels about Moscow's deepened influence in Europe.

The commission's approval was conditional, as it said in a statement, following that "the Hungarian government has made substantial commitment," including to avoid overcompensation of the operator of Paks II and market concentration, as well as to ensure market liquidity.

The new nuclear power plant in Paks, about 110 km south of Budapest along the Danube, would be Hungarian-owned and worth up to 12.5 billion euros, of which 10 billion euros would be loaned from the Russian participant and the rest from Hungary.

Under their agreement, the new reactors would remain operable for 60 to 80 years and the construction could begin in 2018. The first reactor should be able to go on line in 2025 and the second in 2026. (1 euro = 1.06 U.S. dollars)
SAN FRANCISCO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- A radio telescope array project led by the University of California, Berkeley, has received a grant of 5.8 million U.S. dollars to increase the number of dishes from planned 240 to 350, increasing the telescope's sensitivity to radio waves from the period after stars first formed in the early universe.

The grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, established by Intel Corporation co-founder Gordon E. Moore and his wife Betty I. Moore in September 2000, to the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA) project will help build 110 new telescopes, so as to creat a much more sensitive array able to detect faint radio signals at a wavelength of 21 centimeters.

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the team 10 million dollars last year to boost the number of telescopes to 240, a project being built in South Africa that should be completed in 2018, when the Moore-funded expansion will begin. "Expanding HERA will help us map bubbles of ionization around early galaxies in our universe and will extend our ability to find the earliest signs of star formation in our universe," said HERA lead investigator Aaron Parsons, an associate professor of astronomy at UC Berkeley.

The radio waves to be explored by the array can potentially provide a history of the so-called "epoch of reionization," a period beginning about 400 million years after the Big Bang when the first stars started to form and emitted copious high-energy light that eventually ionized about 90 percent of the hydrogen atoms in the universe. That event allowed starlight to travel uninterrupted through the universe, into telescopes today.

The Big Bang, theorized as the beginning of the expansion of the universe, took place approximately 13.8 billion years ago.

Using next-generation instrumentation for 21-centimeter cosmology, HERA will probe the 3-D structure of the universe during the very first appearance of stars, galaxies and black holes. The first generation of hot massive stars and black-hole binaries filled the intergalactic medium with X-rays.

"These X-rays would have heated up the hydrogen surrounding galaxies and should produce detectable fluctuations in the 21-centimeter line," Jacqueline Hewitt, lead investigator on the Moore Foundation grant and director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, was quoted as saying in a news release from UC Berkeley on Monday. "Measurements of the 'epoch of X-rays' power spectrum could, in principle, distinguish between different scenarios for the very first generation of stars."

The grant from the Moore Foundation was awarded through the MIT, a member of the HERA collaboration that also includes other U.S. universities and research institutes and two institutes in Italy and South Africa.
PARIS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Spain on Monday expressed their support for a different-speed Europe during an informal summit in Versailles, southwest Paris.

"Unity is not uniformity," French President Francois Hollande said at the end of the meeting, noting that some member countries of the European Union could go faster and "further in areas such as defense, tax and social harmonization, culture or youth. "

Europe must have the courage to accept that some countries are moving faster than others, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, adding that it's necessary for Europe to have a key role to face other actors of globalization.

For his part, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has noted that the European Union is a success story which must be well built.

Expressing readiness for better integration, Rajoy hailed European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's White Paper which he said would further improve integration in Europe.

As to Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, he noted that the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which will take place on March 25 in the Italian capital, will aim at pushing ahead integration in Europe.
Three peasants go across the rape flower fields in Luoping County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, March 2, 2017. Luoping is famous for its amazing beauty in spring when rape flowers are in full bloom. (Xinhua/Wu Kaixiang)
Public sector employees of Houthi rebels gather to protest against suspension of their monthly salaries for five months in Sanaa, capital of Yemen, on March 5, 2017. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)
IDB to help entrepreneurs

IDB President Luis Moreno gave this commitment, even as Jamaica has also bid for an IDB office on its soil. While a member of the IDB Group, the IIC is legally independent from the IDB Group, having its own management and resources.

The IIC has an exclusive focus on providing direct and indirect financing to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). It provides financing and technical assistance so SMEs can grow and drive development in the region and expand themselves geographically in key sectors.

It finances companies that are profitable, have growth potential, have audited financial statements, and comply with national labour and environmental regulations.

It funds projects that are financially feasible and profitable as well as environmentally sound and also offers funding for financial institutions to use the IICs resources to lend to small and medium- sized companies in LAC member countries.

This will provide direct benefits to businesses in Trinidad and Tobago while contributing to the development landscape by providing opportunities for joint venture projects and public private partnerships (PPP).

It also opens up the opportunity for the private sector to play an even greater role in national development through the provision of financing and technical support to help their businesses grow.

The IIC also helps to leverage access to other global and regional sources of funding.

The Ministry welcomed this initiative as helping the Ministrys goal of national development through environmental, social, spatial and economic progress.
US praises TT in drug fight

The interception took place on February 16 in international waters north of Paramaribo, off the coast of Suriname and resulted in a find of 4.2 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated street value of US$125 million ($837,000,000).

The ministry said this was one of largest drug busts in the Atlantic since 1999.

TT also has an extradition treaty with the US. The State Department said, The past two years have seen a sustained utilisation of that extradition treaty. In collaboration with its international partners, this country seized approximately 1.2 metric tonnes of marijuana and 292 kilograms of cocaine last year.

In 2015, 1.35 metric tonnes of marijuana and 249 kilograms of cocaine were seized in 2015. The State Department said drug treatment professionals assess that drug usage continues to increase among young people in TT. No charges of drug-related corruption have been filed against senior government officials last year.

The Police Complaints Authority recorded 352 complaints (including perverting the course of justice, fraud, corruption and extortion) last year. Media and anecdotal reports of drug-related corruption in the ranks of the Police Service, Defence Force, Customs and Excise Division and port employees are common.

The State Department also said Government is an active partner in the US Caribbean Basin Security Initiatives programmes. Those programmes include preventing financial crimes and reducing the illicit trafficking of firearms.

Identifying the main challenges to combating the drug trade as institutional challenges,  the State Department said, In order to deter traffickers, the Government of TT should implement reforms and programs to expedite prosecutions and persist with a more evidence-based criminal justice system to enable convictions.
Girl, 12, missing

When she failed to return home, a Missing Person report was made to police. Checks by worried relatives and friends of the child on the weekend have turned up nothing.

Anyone with information on the whereabout of Sherry Ann is asked to contact the nearest police station.
Last rites for true patriot

She was married to Reverend Ethelbert Samaroo for 56 years and was the mother daughters, Wendy and Arlene. In 2012, on the 50th anniversary of this countrys Independence, Mahase-Samaroo told Newsday that the National Anthem was chosen in the small village of Guaico, Sangre Grande, where she was still living in her parents home.

She had been invited to be a member of a Committee appointed to select the Anthem. As Chairman of the Committee, the late Helen Mae Johnson, founder of the Biennial Music Festival and Queens Hall, divided the music from scores of entrants, giving each one of them a small pile to take home and select the best for final presentation to the overall Committee.

The late Pat Castagnes music was in Mahase-Samaroos file. I played them all, she said, and just knew immediately that Castagnes entry was the one. I called the entire household to come and listen to the National Anthem of Trinidad and Tobago and played it for them. At the final meeting of the Committee, the Chairman asked Mahase- Samaroo to play all the selections from the sub-committees who explained: It really was from the beginning the anthem, it was so majestic. I did not write it but I selected it and the others agreed it was the best...Castagne had really written this anthem for the formation of the Federation of the West Indies which fell through...Castagne submitted it, which would explain his thoughts of side by side we stand islands of the blue Caribbean Sea but it worked well for us as we are islands of the blue Caribbean. At the Church service last Saturday, beautiful music for this extraordinary musicologist filled the air. She had once said in an interview with this writer: Music is a great part of my life! The St Augustine Girls Alumnae Chorale, which she formed in 1984 and remained as director up to the time of her passing, fittingly serenaded their late Choir Mistress as her body was borne out of the church with the song, Thank You For The Music.
MP: Female crime victims need empathy, counselling

Since the beginning of this year, she said yesterday, quite an alarming number of young women comprise the statistic of 91 murders thus far. Rape and sexual assault on girls, particularly those under age 15, have been recorded. She said the manner in which some female victims have been murdered, such as in having their throats slit and stomachs disembowelled, wreaks the societys psyche.

Gayadeen-Gopeesingh, an attorney, pointed out that when the bulk of the countrys resources in the form of budgetary allocations, is devoted to national security, then we as a society has fundamental problems and we have to deal with it or we will soon become an animal society. Some B10.5 billion has been allocated to National Security for the current period. Yet still the murders and mayhem is worsening.

Crimes against women, Gayadeen- Gopeesingh said, is rapidly becoming the norm and young girls falling victims to sexual predators is a constant threat. Almost every day you hear of females who are victims of assault and violence.

It happening in the schools. Teachers seduce schoolgirls and police officers, soldiers, taxi drivers are taking advantage of young women who are vulnerable due to their immaturity.

Young women, desperate to find work or trying to reach their destination after work are being abused. Even in the matrimonial home there is abuse as men believe it is their right to be abusive to their wives, the well-spoken MP, alluding to the unstated view among certain men that women are basically their property.

Women must not be blamed for the attitudes of men. They must not be blamed for socialisation into submissiveness which also is a retention from some patterns of our ancestral cultures. Therefore, we have much to do, distinct from (Prime Minister Dr Keith) Rowleys suggestions which confirm a set of simplistic prejudices that may even incite violence, as it suggests the woman, look for that, she said.

Gayadeen-Gopeesingh told Newsday that given the volume of crime against women, Government must as a matter of priority, reach out to victims who are in need of empathy, counselling and financial support. On the other hand, perpetrators need therapy and need to knew they will be brought to justice expeditiously through a proper functioning criminal justice system.

Taking issue with PM Rowleys recent statements that women should choose their men wisely, Gayadeen-Gopeesingh said that young school girls and children have no choice in the matter to avoid sexual violence at home. In fact, the parliamentarian said, t such statements ignore what she describes as the evolutionary, cultural and psychological factors that research has shown, are part of the cause of violence against the female.
Cabinet fires entire Port Board

The developments come amidst rampant dissent by other Board Members over Sahadeos efforts to recruit a General Manager.

In addition to Sahadeo the incumbent board comprise Deputy Chairman Michael Patterson, Radha Permanand, Glen Wilson, Ken Wright, Melissa Alexis James and Ferdie Ferreira.

Sources told Newsday that Sahadeo invested some $500,000 in a management consultancy firm to headhunt for such a candidate but other Board Members were vehemently opposed to her approach.

Some of them have gone as far as blaming line Minister Fitzgerald Hinds and even Prime Minister Keith Rowley for seemingly protecting Sahadeo despite their dissatisfaction with her modus operandi.

One source revealed yesterday that the Prime Minister wanted to deal with the appointment of a new Port Authority Board as a matter of urgency and did not wish to wait until its regular meeting on Thursday which will be held in Tobago.

Additionally, the Prime Minister did not wish to discuss the matter in the absence of certain Ministers who are undertaking overseas missions this week.

These include Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Stuart Young, and Minister of Trade and Industry, Paula Gopee-Scoon.
PM, Dillon, top cop congratulate police

Additionally, the Acting Commissioner noted in his letter that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley also wanted to extend his heartfelt thanks for the work carried out by members of the police service especially for their visibility and for their round the clock presence in all areas throughout the country and to preserve law and order.

The letter from the Acting Commissioner also noted that Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon was deeply moved by the efforts of the police officers in ensuring that there was not a spate of senseless killings, robberies, rapes and other serious crimes during the two days of revelry.

Over the Carnival extended weekend, seven murders were committed.

The letter pointed out that it were it not for the commitment of officers, the public would not have been able to enjoy the Carnival the way they did and he asked that the commitment displayed be continued in the coming months.

Despite the kudos expressed by the Acting Commissioner to police officers, the Police Social Welfare Association questioned the rationale for the long working hours officers were forced to endure during the Carnival period, stating that officers were overworked and very tired. Association President Inspector Michael Seales said while officers are glad to keep the criminal elements at bay, they are also human and feel tired like any ordinary human being. He believes the Carnival work hours could have been broken up or shortened. He said that this matter will be discussed with the Acting CoP so that better arrangements could be made for next years Carnival.

Inspector Seales said that the Association was heartened to learn that the Acting CoP, the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Security had taken time to commend the ranks for their exceptionally good work, during Carnival.
Back to back sittings this week

On March 3, Newsday reported that Cabinets weekly meeting will take place in Tobago on Thursday and there will be a meeting between government ministers and their secretary counterparts in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) on March 10. Newsday understsands the venue for both meetings could be the Magdalena Grand Hotel.

The House sits today from 2.30 pm to debate the Indictable Offences (Pre-Trial Procedure) Bill, 2017.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi will open debate on the bill, which is designed to abolish preliminary inquiries. Todays House sitting is the second for this month and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley will field questions from the Opposition during Prime Ministers Questions.

There could be questions posed to Rowley or to other government ministers in the Urgent Questions period, regarding the hiring of a US firm to undertake lobbying efforts on behalf of the Government. The final legislative hurdle to ensure TT is compliant with the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FACTA) of the United States will be dealt with on Tuesday when the Senate sits from 1.30 pm to debate the Tax Information Exchange Agreements Bill 2016.

The bill was passed with amendments in the House on February 23, after the House agreed with a report from the joint select committee (JSC) established to treat with the bill. The bill requires a three-fifths majority for passage in the House and in the Senate, with the latter equating to 19 votes. The Government, Opposition and Independent benches in the Senate have 15, six and nine votes respectively.

Government officials last week said government ministers and their THA counterparts will discuss issues of mutual interest when then meet on Friday. Some of the issues expected to be discussed in the meetings on March 10 include security, finance, tourism and agriculture.

After the Peoples National Movement (PNM) won the September 7, 2015 General Elections, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley told Newsday an arrangement was made for Cabinet to meet at least twice a year in Tobago. The Prime Minister explained the rationale behind this was to foster closer ties between Central Government and the THA
In an earlier column, I wrote about a question that comes up repeatedly on a few social book sites that I follow. That one concerned how a person can read more than one book at a time. On those book sites, people also like to debate about whether one actually reads an audiobook.
Nick Herringer claps along with a metronome. He draws lines on a big screen, repeating patterns drawn by the computer. He identifies icons of cars when they flash before his eyes. This is the 22-year-olds speech and cognitive therapy, which he has been doing at least twice a week. Every wee
"If it rains today, Alpaca the cart, and you push it."



Kevin Wehrer

was this week's winner.



The winner's name will be put into a drawing for a free month subscription or extension.



Look for a new photo Monday.
Irish Low-cost carrier, Ryanair continues its expansion in Morocco with the opening of 13 new air routes bringing the total number of destinations served by the airline towards the Kingdom to 68.

The airline said in a statement that its winter program for Morocco includes the introduction of seven flights to link Marrakech airport to the European cities of Budapest, Cologne, Nimes, Krakow, Santander, Perpignan and Venice.

Ryanair said it will add three routes to the Fez airport by scheduling two flights a week from Bremen, Munich and Seville.

Agadir airport, for its part, will be linked by three weekly flights to Brussels and Charleroi and by two flights to London Stansted, while six flights will be scheduled to land in Oujda, two from Paris Bauvais, two from Brussels Charleroi and two others from Marseille.

Ryanair will thus serve 3.1 million passengers annually, which will create 2300 jobs on-site in the seven Moroccan airports where it operates, said the company in a statement quoting its Human Resources Director, Eddie Wilson.

In its February traffic statistics, the Irish low-cost carrier said that traffic grew 10% to 8.2m customers and load factor rose by 2% points to 95% while the annual traffic to February grew by 14% to 119.1 million passengers.
Christopher Ross, the current Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the Sahara, has informed the new UN Chief Antonio Guterres about his intention to resign as his term ends in March, several Moroccan and Algerian media outlets reported.

Ross, 74, has allegedly communicated his wish not to renew his term in office as UN envoy as he anticipates that the current UN Secretary General may not keep him in office.

The former US diplomat, who served as an Ambassador for his country in Algiers, has not showed up in his office in the UN headquarters in New York for some time and according to Moroccos le360.ma and Algerias TSA-Algerie.com he has informed his collaborators in the UN that he quits.

The UN Secretary General has to find a new Envoy before April, the date when the Sahara issue report will be submitted to the UN Security Council.

Ross left a legacy of failures on the Sahara issue due to his biased stands in favor of the Algerian-sponsored separatist thesis leading Morocco in 2012 to withdraw its confidence in him.

His term as UN Envoy for the Sahara was marred by partial reports, a worn out negotiation process devoid of prospects for progress and biased and unbalanced guidance to the UN.

Ross was appointed by the outgoing UN Secretary General Koreas Ban Ki-moon in replacement of Dutch Peter Van Walsum, who described the Polisarios quest for independence as unrealistic and unfeasible.
Libyas internationally recognized parliament, the House of Representatives (HoR), has condemned the attack on two Libyan oil terminals by Islamists, blaming the UN-backed Presidency Council (PC) of supporting the attackers.

Forces known as Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB) opposed to the east-based renegade military Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar Friday assaulted al-Sidra and Ras Lanuf terminals, protected by Haftar forces also aligned with the HoR.

Several members of the House have come forward to condemn the attacks they blame on the PC. They also laid into the Libyan Political Accord signed in Morocco, in December 2015.

Over 70 lawmakers out 200 have reportedly voiced their frustration. Even though most of the dissenters are from the East, they have been joined by colleagues from the south and west, Libya Herald reports.

The dissenters, the media notes, include HoR spokesman Abdullah Bulaihak, second deputy president Ahmed Arhuma and the heads of three committees, Ramadan Shambesh (constitution and legislature), Idris Adam Al-Magharbi (foreign affairs) and Isa Al-Araibi, (power and natural resources).

The institution argues the LPA, the PC and Government of National Accord (GNA) are tailored to diminish the powers of the parliament.

Haftar in September snatched Libyas oil crescent protected by PC-aligned forces and handed the terminals to the National Oil Corporation (NOC). The HoR approved the move, awarding Haftar the rank of Field Marshal.

The HoR has opposed PC, rejecting two times nominal Prime Minister Faiez Serrajs cabinet proposals.

Serrajs PC denied any involvement in the Friday assault and condemned the military escalation.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that an agreement has been sealed with Tunisian authorities to speed up the process of repatriating the Tunisians who failed to obtain the status of refugee in Germany after a rejected Tunisian awaiting deportation killed 12 people at a Berlin market in December.

Merkel made the announcement during a two-day trip to North Africa that also included a stop in Egypt.

Besides the facilitation of the repatriation of rejected asylum seekers, Merkels talks in Tunis also dealt with job training for Tunisians.

Speaking at a joint Press conference with Tunisias President Beji Caid Essebsi, Merkel said that questions from Germany on the identities of Tunisian asylum applicants would be answered within 30 days and that Germany would help Tunisia set up a registration system to issue passports within one week.

We have agreed with Tunisia to send back 1,500 Tunisians who have been refused (permission) to stay in Germany, Merkel said.

Weakened by her open-door migrant policy, Merkel, who faces elections in September, is pressured to push for ways to encourage rejected North African asylum seekers living in Germany to depart the country and return home, notably after German authorities blamed Tunisian bureaucracy for delaying the repatriation of Anis Amri, the suspect in the Berlin market attack that killed 12 people.

Merkel was also supposed to visit Algeria to discuss migration issues but her visit was called off due to President Bouteflikas failing health.

Last year the success rates for asylum requests was 3.5 percent for Moroccans, 2.7 percent for Algerians and just 0.8 percent for Tunisians.
The Flintlock 2017 military exercises were launched in the Tifnit training base in Moroccos southern zone area of operations with the participation of US experts and more than 2,000 military personnel from 24 African and Western nations.

The tenth annual iteration of the exercise was launched by Moroccan and US military representatives on February 27 in Tifnit and is set to run until March 16 across seven African host nations, Dvidshub.net, a website specializing in military affairs affiliated to the US Military Department said.

During this exercise, an emphasis is placed on small unit special operations forces tactics, weapons training and fire support, lifesaving first aid and trauma care, command and control and force protection.

The event aims at strengthening security institutions, promoting multilateral sharing of information and developing interoperability between counterterrorism partners from across Africas Sahara region.

Several African special operations forces and Special Operations Command Africa jointly plan and execute the exercise, the same source said.

Morocco plays a key leadership role in Africa and we are honored by the continued partnership and friendship between our two countries. We look forward to working with you over the next few weeks, the website quoted a US exercise instructor as saying, highlighting the longstanding ties between the two countries, which date as far back as to the independence of the U.S.

Annually, the US and Morocco organize the African Lion military drills aiming at improving interoperability and mutual understanding of the techniques and procedures of the participating armies, which in the past included the U.S., Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Tunisia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria, and Portugal.
Kim Jong-un. Photo: KNS/AFP/Getty Images

Its that time of year again; North Korea usually registers its displeasure over the annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises with some show of force, and on Monday it launched four ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. Three landed within 200 nautical miles of Japans coastline.

U.S. and South Korean officials said they do not believe they were intercontinental ballistic missiles, but it shows the North is making advances toward its goal of producing an ICBM capable of hitting the West Coast of the U.S.

Last month North Korea test-launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile, which landed short of Japans territorial waters. Analysts said it showed improved power and range, according to the Washington Post.

Carl Schuster, Hawaii Pacific University professor and former director of operations at the U.S. Pacific Commands Joint Intelligence Center, noted that the North has been testing missiles at a faster rate. They did a launch a month ago, theyre now launching (more) in 30 days, thats a third of the time they used to need, he told CNN. Keep in mind if theyre doing a test shot you want to keep some (missiles) in reserve in case you go to war, so youre shooting a missile that is operationally spare. That means their missile stockpiles are larger than they were before.

Both South Korea and Japan issued statements condemning the launch. The launches are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action, said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

President Trump recently tweeted about North Koreas nuclear ambitions, saying of its goal of creating a weapon that can reach the U.S., It wont happen! The White House has launched an internal review to determine how it should go about making that a reality. All options, including the use of military force, are reportedly under consideration.
Look whos upset about an unsubstantiated allegation  Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

FBI Director James Comey unsuccessfully lobbied the Justice Department to publicly reject President Trumps unsubstantiated allegation that President Obama ordered a wiretap on him, according to the New York Times and NBC News. Citing anonymous senior American officials, the Times reports that Comey starting pushing for the rebuttal on Saturday following Trumps early morning Twitter rant, in which the president said that he had just found out that Obama had ordered a wiretap on him during the 2016 presidential campaign, but without citing any evidence for the claim (which Obamas spokesperson has categorically denied). Comey apparently argued that Trumps false allegation, which could not be supported by evidence, implied that the FBI had broken the law and had to be corrected. Comeys campaign seems to have failed, however, since the Justice Department has remained silent about Trumps wiretap allegations  though as the Times points out, its not clear who at Justice would approve or issue such a statement now that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the investigations.

No evidence has been provided by either Trump or the White House to back up the wiretap claim, which almost certainly entered Trumps head via a conservative radio hosts conspiracy theory. Nonetheless, the White House is pushing forward with the idea, and the president has even called on Congress to investigate the matter, though the wiretap claims have done little to distract from the investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.

Indeed, one of the concerns put forward by senior FBI officials to the Times is that Trumps false allegation will actually make the public more suspicious of the president, in that officials are also said to be worried that the notion of a court-approved wiretap will raise the publics expectations that the federal authorities have significant evidence implicating the Trump campaign in colluding with Russias efforts to disrupt the presidential election.

Obviously, the director of the FBI seeking a public rebuke of a sitting president is yet another unprecedented turn of events for the Trump era, but if there is one person whos familiar with unprecedented breaches in protocol, its James Comey.
Transgender students like Gavin Grimm consigned to the judgments of state and local authorities. Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images

In a simple one-sentence order today, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in favor of transgender Virginia student Gavin Grimm being able to access the bathroom that accorded with his gender identity. It instead instructed the Fourth Circuit to reconsider the case in light of the Trump administrations withdrawal of its predecessors interpretation of federal anti-discrimination laws.

The nondecision comes as no great surprise, since the Fourth Circuit made deference to the U.S. Department of Educations guidance central to its ruling in favor of Grimm last April:

At the heart of this appeal is whether Title IX [governing sex discrimination in education] requires schools to provide transgender students access to restrooms congruent with their gender identity, the courts opinion said. We conclude that the Departments interpretation of its own regulation . . . as it relates to restroom access by transgender individuals, is . . . to be accorded controlling weight in this case.

The Trump administration knocked the props from beneath that decision on February 22:

In the two-page letter to public schools, the Trump administration said the Obama-era guidance did not provide extensive legal analysis of how its position was consistent with Title IX.



The letter cited significant litigation caused by the guidance, showing the need for due regard of the role of states and local school districts in shaping education policy.



As President Trump has clearly stated, he believes policy regarding transgender bathrooms should be decided at the state level, the White House said in a statement. The joint decision made today by the Department of Justice and the Department of Education returning power to the states paves the way for an open and inclusive process to take place at the local level with input from parents, students, teachers and administrators.

In theory, the Fourth Circuit and ultimately the Supreme Court could independently determine that there are federal rights for transgender students in public schools, whether or not the administration agrees with that position. But such a finding is unlikely, and students like Grimm will have to hope for vindication in that open and inclusive process to take place at the local level instead of the federal courts. Otherwise they are just another example of collateral damage from the events of last November 8.
Donald Trump, meet Joe McCarthy. Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo - Pool; Hank Walker/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

Ever since evidence of Donald Trumps strange and murky ties to Russia entered the public debate, skeptics have dismissed the issue as McCarthyism. The charge originated on the left, from sources like the Nation and Glenn Greenwald, to the libertarian right, and finally migrated to Trump and his supporters. The president, they charge, is the victim of a smear campaign harkening back to the most notorious demagogue in American history. Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory, tweeted the president Saturday. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! Devin Nunes, the chairman of the committee tasked with investigating (or, alternatively, not investigating) the Russia scandal, has dismissed the issue in similar terms. I have to have some evidence that some American actually had contact with Russians, Nunes proclaimed last month, and I dont have that now. This is almost like McCarthyism revisited.

That we do have evidence of Americans having actual contact with Russians  quite a lot of evidence about quite a lot of Americans in Trumps orbit  ought to be a clue that McCarthyism is not the most apt analogy. Indeed, it is a much closer description for the methods used by Trump himself.

Since McCarthyism means different things to different people, a brief reminder of just what Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy did may be helpful. During and after World War II, conservative Republicans considered Franklin Roosevelts domestic and foreign policies socialistic and un-American. Conservative critics linked the two criticisms together: Roosevelt had enlarged the role of the federal government, and he and his successor, Harry Truman, had cooperated with the Soviets during and after the war. At times his coalition included some communist spies, a fact that gave enough surface plausibility for McCarthy to claim that the New Deal under Roosevelt and Truman was fundamentally a communist conspiracy.

McCarthyism was a series of specific lies in service of the larger conceptual lie. The specific lies insisted that the federal government was honeycombed with Soviet spies who were colluding openly with the Democratic Party. The larger lie was an attempt to erase the distinction between communists and New Deal Democrats, whose points of contact were short-lived and minimal, and by the postwar era had grown deeply estranged as Harry Truman confronted the U.S.S.R. McCarthy and his allies, of course, viewed it just the other way around. To them, the partnership between the New Deal and communism was a larger truth, which justified McCarthys smaller lies.

There are certainly some parallels between the charges made by McCarthy then and the charges made against Trump now. Both involve accusations of improper ties to Russia, and both rely on parsing evidence that is not wholly public. And it is also true that, if you search the internet, you can find some unfounded or even silly claims being made against Trump. This is a big country, after all.

That said, the differences overwhelm the similarities. The differences begin with the factual basis. If McCarthy had limited his accusations to cases where he had some solid basis for suspicion  like Alger Hiss, a State Department employee who really was a Soviet spy  then McCarthyism would not be a word. To apply the term McCarthyism to any suspicion of hidden or inappropriate relations with a hostile foreign power is to dilute the term beyond any useful meaning. The case for concern about Trumps relationship with Russia does not rely on conspiracy thinking. There is an extensive public record.

It is the parallels between McCarthy and Trump, rather than McCarthy and Trumps adversaries, that are most compelling. As some have noted, Trump was literally mentored by Roy Cohn, McCarthys right-hand man. Trump, like McCarthy, alleges the existence of a shadowy cabal of government bureaucrats to which he attributes near unlimited power. Representative Steve Kings plea for Trump to purge Leftists from executive branch before disloyal, illegal & treasonist acts sink us is indistinguishable from McCarthys plan. Had the phrase deep state been in general circulation 70 years ago, one can only imagine what McCarthy could have done with it.

Trump, like McCarthy, uses reckless accusations to whip his supporters into a frenzy and disorient his foes. A White House official, speaking to Mike Allen, inadvertently let slip Trumps most McCarthyite quality: his indifference to truth. The president just has a great nose for these things, the official told Allen. Its the bureaucratic leaks  the deep state  that bother him most. Even if it turns out not to be true that they surveilled Trump Tower, he will have a very good point to make about the level of sabotage coming from Obama holdovers. The giveaway is even if it turns out not to be true. Trump didnt float this scenario as a possibility, he asserted it as fact. But like every conspiracy theory he has floated  from Obamas allegedly forged birth certificate to Rafael Cruzs alleged role in the Kennedy assassination  the facts of the case have no relevance to Trump.

Another parallel is the relationship between the two demagogues and their party. Few conservatives wanted to defend McCarthy flat-out. He was too buffoonish and unpredictable. Yet they found him useful. He was raising important issues, changing the terms of the debate, rallying the kinds of people they wished to see engaged in public life, and above all, making the right enemies. The style of anti-anti-Trump polemic that has become fashionable on the right is precisely the tone that conservative intellectuals took toward McCarthy. Leading voices of the right like Irving Kristol and William F. Buckley defended McCarthy as a necessary evil who raised the vital anti-communist issue, exposed the failings of the Democratic Party, and, while he may have gone too far here and there, was the subject of hysterical overreaction by fussy liberal elites. Indeed, conservatives still occasionally trot out defenses of McCarthy. Steve Bannon did it in 2013.

Trump and McCarthy both captured the passions of the conservative base in a way no other Republican politician of their time had managed. They channeled populist, anti-intellectual paranoia that frightened elites in both parties by threatening to tear apart the structures of republican government. The main way that the two men differ should not come as comfort: It is that McCarthy was a senator and an insurgent within his party, and Trump is the president who commands his.
The original travel ban had many legal flaws. Its replacement will spur more challenges, but probably less chaos. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

It was signed in private and announced to the world on Fox & Friends by Kellyanne Conway, an indication that the White House wants its revised travel ban to make less news than the flawed original, while reassuring the base that he hasnt relented on the underlying policy.

The new ban, as expected, cures a lot of the problems that led to its suspension by the federal courts (most definitively by Judge James Robart, with an assist from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals). It explicitly does not apply to legal permanent residents, which the White House tried to exempt the day after the original order. It is limited in scope to future visa applications (or renewals), which helps avoid more chaos at airports, as does its more deliberate timetable for implementation (taking effect on March 16, not immediately). An indefinite ban on refugees from Syria now has an end date, one of a number of steps made to buttress the frayed national-security rationale for the ban. And perhaps most significantly from a legal standpoint, there is no longer a preference for Christian refugees, which removed one of the grounds for concluding this whole exercise is just a thinly veiled recasting of the clearly unconstitutional Muslim ban Trump originally promised on the campaign trail.

The exclusion of immigrants from Iraq from the new travel ban focuses on a political, not legal, problem with the original ban: embarrassing incidents of Iraqis who risked their lives for the American military being kept from seeking refuge in the U.S., and blowback from the Iraqi government, which is heavily engaged in joint operations against ISIS.

The new executive order generally supplies more language justifying various elements of the ban on national-security grounds, in part to counter the impression given by recent Department of Homeland Security reports that immigrants from the countries covered by the travel ban do not represent that distinctive or imminent a threat.

So at first blush the revised policy looks likely to survive an initial wave of lawsuits seeking to prevent its implementation. It does, for example, revoke the old order, despite some concerns that the president would never concede his black-robed critics were right. But looking ahead, there is very little the administration can do to completely prevent judicial consideration of the many statements made by Trump and his surrogates during the campaign that a Muslim ban was their ultimate goal. And that could be where the incurable problem lies.

Watch Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly announce the updated travel ban in the video below.
Trump took a Breitbart distortion of the evidence about an FBI operation targeting Russians and gave it his own distinctive twist of delusion. Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

The weekends of many a journalist and lawyer were disturbed by the 45th presidents tweetstorm alleging that the 44th president went so low as to tapp my phones [sic] at Trump Tower prior to the election. It would be a shocking coincidence if the Trump tantrum was not spurred by a Breitbart story the very day before charging that Barack Obama sought to execute a silent coup against Trump utilizing surveillance operations. Separating fact from fiction and mischaracterization is difficult in a situation that involves highly classified operations and incredibly arcane legal processes. But the best guess we can make is that Breitbart picked up and significantly distorted some earlier British reporting on FBI surveillance requests related to its ongoing investigation of possible Russian interference with the 2016 election, and then Trump added his own distinctive twists to the story as he imagined it.

What does actually seem to have happened is this, as explained by Julian Sanchez:

[T]he allegation made by various news sources is that, in connection with a multi-agency intelligence investigation of Russian interference with the presidential election, the FBI sought an order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court authorizing them to monitor transactions between two Russian banks and four persons connected with the Trump campaign. The Guardians report alleges that initial applications submitted over the summer, naming four members of the Trump team suspected of irregular contacts with Russian officials, were rejected by the FISC. But according to the BBC, a narrower order naming only the Russian banks as direct targets was ultimately approved by the FISC in October.

In Breitbarts account, the FBI became the Obama administration, and in Trumps, it was Obama himself. This is not a small detail, since any White House knowledge about, to say nothing of direction of, this type of surveillance would be illegal.

Similarly, the approved surveillance in October was aimed at Russian banks, not anyone in the Trump campaign, and was very likely limited to stored financial records to determine whether money changed hands with respect to the 2016 elections. In the Breitbart version, this became wiretaps and monitoring an opposing presidential campaign using the high-tech surveillance powers of the federal intelligence services. Trump simplified it all to Obama tapp[ing] my phones.

So while it is probably not accurate to say the whole brouhaha is a Trumpian fabrication, it sure appears to be a fabulist interpretation of murky events. The alternative explanation is a blatantly extralegal surveillance operation orchestrated by Barack Obama, who despite all appearances to the contrary was able to use James Comey and the FBI as his pawns.

The events surrounding FISC proceedings are, by the way, murky by design, which leads to another can of worms: Trump may be incidentally declassifying large swaths of secret information via his Twitter tirades. The laws surrounding covert surveillance are meant to ensure thorough review of requests to make sure the silent coup Breitbart is alleging cannot occur  but for obvious reasons the proceedings are indeed silent. If the president himself can blow all this up on social media, then we really are at risk of a system where political whim is the only law.
Photo: Oivind Hovland/Getty Images/Ikon Images

The classical view of emotion  a bundle of ideas dating back to the ancient Greeks  says that emotions are best described as something that happen to you. In this line of thinking, emotions are the antagonist of cool, calculated intellect; each emotion has a particular center in your brain and expression on your face.

Lisa Feldman Barrett, director of Northeastern Universitys Interdisciplinary Affective Science Laboratory, has a bone to pick with this classical view, which in her new book she calls a two thousand year old assumption. Based on decades of her and others research, How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, out Tuesday, is a thorough, thoughtful skewering of the classical view, something she seeks to supplant with a constructive view, which contends that emotions are a sort of memory-based reasoning. Emotions are not your reactions to your world, she tells Science of Us. They are how you make sense of whats going on inside your body in relation to the world.

In the below interview, lightly edited for length and clarity, Barrett expands on how that mental construction takes place, and how that shapes everything from the treatment of cancer to how kids learn how to regulate their feelings to why time slows down when you travel.

A central claim in the book is that emotions are constructed, rather than being something that happen to you. How does that work?

From your brains perspective, any given sight or sound or ache can have multiple causes. Your brain is trying to figure out what the causes of the sensations are so it understands what to do about them. But the problem is, the information that its getting from the world and from your body is partially incomplete. Its kind of ambiguous. Any given flash of light or sound or ache can have many different causes. So how does your brain figure out what the cause was and what to do about it? Well, it has one other source of information at its disposal, which is its past experiences.

Lisa Feldman Barrett. Photo: Mark Karlsberg / Studio Eleven/Studio Eleven

It can actually take past memories and combine them, bits and pieces of past experience and combine them. And its doing this in a predictive way. So, really, the way that your brain is working is, its taking past experience and its anticipating what the next moment will be like. What you see and hear and taste and so on are simulations that function as predictions, which are then confirmed or modified by sensory input from the world and from the body.

Thats kind of science-fiction-y, to say that your experience of life is a simulation.

Well, it is in a sense! Its really that your present experience is a simulation of your past, corrected by the world.

And thats where your concept of emotional granularity fits in: the more fine-grained your emotional concepts are, the more precise emotions you have.

Because you have more granular experience your brain is equipped to construct more concise emotions in the moment. Right? So if you have a very fine-grained conceptual system for emotion, you know a lot about emotion, then your brain is able to construct very precise prediction in a way thats tailored very specifically to your situation. So youre not using stereotypes; youre using these very fine-grained, honed, situated predictions.

I recognize I might be asking you to speculate here, but to me that seems like it explains why novel experiences cause the experience of time to slow down. Like, I travel a fair amount. So when I go to Ethiopia or to Japan, a week there feels like a month in New York.

It is speculation only in the sense that I think we dont really completely understand all of the mechanistic processes by which this happens. Theres definitely something happening with time perception thats very fluid. And I think it definitely is related to the amount of energy that is expended in encoding. I think the more detail that youre encoding, the more youre paying attention [to your surroundings], but attention from a neuron standpoint is just, some neuron is modulating the firing of another neuron. Paying attention means you have a network in your brain which controls how much prediction error youre encoding, basically. Thats what learning is. Its the encoding of prediction error.

The constructive view seems germane to attachment theory, the idea that people learn relationship dynamics as infants and kids and replicate those relationship styles in their adult relationships. This seems like such a strong example of this  of emotion as a learned way of interpreting a signal.

Absolutely. I mean, if you think about a little infant brain, infant brains are not structured  theyre not like miniature adult brains. An infant brain is born without the benefit of all the networks that are present in an adult brain. So you can think about a little infant brain as a set of neurons awaiting instructions on how to wire itself. And early experience really wires the brain. A brain is programmed, in a sense, to wire itself to the physical and social realities of the environment that it inhabits. Its by virtue of these experiences that the brain acquires the knowledge that it needs to predict and therefore construct its perceptions in the future and its experiences in the future.

One important realization, I think, is that your brain, in wiring itself, its job isnt primarily to create thoughts and feelings and perceptions for you. Your brains job, really, if it can be said to have a job, is to regulate your body. Its to keep all of the systems in your body in balance. The analogy I like to use is, just as a large company has a financial office that regulates the revenues and expenditures so it develops budgets for different accounts  your brain basically acts like the financial office of your body. It manages a budget for all the accounts in your body. For glucose, salt, water, temperature, all of these things.

[But] an infant cant regulate its own nervous system. It requires caregivers to do that. The earliest experiences that a brain receives for wiring itself come from the interactions with the caregiver, who is regulating the babys body budget. This is how an infant learns how to do it themselves, and part of that learning involves not just the actions that a caregiver will take, but also the words that are spoken and the sensations that derive from those words and those actions.

The constructive view is a way of understanding how early experiences get under the skin, get embedded, and essentially become embodied in the brains wiring to set the brain on a particular developmental trajectory that eventually becomes the adult brain.

You say that depression is this body budgeting gone awry.

Many illnesses are body budgeting gone awry. But in depressions case, what usually happens is youve overspent. So either youve spent too much of your resources or you havent replenished them. Maybe youre not sleeping adequately. Maybe youre not eating properly. Maybe youre not exercising well. Maybe youre under constant stress, meaning that your brain believes that you need more glucose than you actually do. So its flushing your system with cortisol so you can get glucose into your system as fast as possible. But you dont really do anything with it. So its kind of like impulse buying. Your brain is predicting that you need this glucose. But then its predicting a threat, so its predicting that you need to run, but then you dont. You just sit there like youre in a meeting and youre being criticized by someone or you feel threatened by someone. Youre flushed with cortisol, youre flushed with glucose, but youre not using the glucose. So youve squandered your resources, essentially.

If this kind of thing goes on for long enough, where youre spending extravagantly and youre not replenishing, youre gonna go into debt, just like you would with money. But when you go into debt, biologically into debt, then your immune system starts to get involved because your brain thinks that your body is sick. Once your immune system kicks in and believes that your body is sick when it isnt really, then any number of diseases can manifest themselves.

Going off your point about the brain constructing experience out of signals from the world and the body  how does interoception, or your felt sense of your interior, inform that process? Does greater interoception produce some greater emotional granularity? Is this a lever in which we can become more, say, emotionally intelligent?

That is certainly a hypothesis that people have. I think there are multiple paths to increased emotional granularity. So I think the more distinctions that you make, the more opportunity you have to make finer-grained categories and concepts. So I dont think that interoceptive sensitivity increasing on its own, independent of anything else, is sufficient for producing increasing granularity. But I think its necessary. Meaning, the more variation you can detect, the more opportunity you have for making finer-grained categories and concepts. But I think without words, without an increase in vocabulary, I think its very hard to have an increase in the granularity in emotion concepts. So its not impossible, I just think its really tricky.

And you know, you can see this in everyday life. When people undergo treatment for cancer, for example, they have a huge variety of what we would call interoceptive sensations that they have no language for. And this is actually a huge problem in the treatment of cancer.

Wow, really?

In English, we have a fairly substantial vocabulary for emotion. But we dont really have an equivalently elaborated vocabulary for physical sensations. And in medical circles, but particularly in circles where people are receiving treatment or they have a disease that increases the range of their physical sensations, they dont have a language for it.

They cant be communicated and also they dont know how to make sense of them. So they dont know, is this my anxiety? Does this mean my treatment isnt working? Does it mean my treatment is working? What do I know? Its just not clear. Its noise. But its scary noise because theyre uncertain and they dont know what it means.

Ive long been struck by neuroscientist Antonio Damasios contention that what we call wisdom results from having a more fine-grained sense of ones embodied states. How does that fit in here?

I think your body definitely is a source of wisdom. Its not because it carries around in it biological fingerprints of emotion that you learn to recognize, or that theres some objective reality that you learn to recognize. Your body is a source of wisdom because it contains information that your brain can learn so that it can construct better. So it can construct your perceptions in a more functional way. It can tailor your actions in a way thats more precise to the situation, as opposed to using a stereotype. So it lets you be more efficient and it lets you be more functional. I think thats what wisdom is, really. Its knowing what to do and how to do it.
This May, in a major acknowledgment of her art, Rei Kawakubo will participate in a retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The thought of Kawakubo at the Met is staggering on a number of levels. She is a living designer, which is a rarity for such an exhibit. Her work over the past 40 years at Comme des Garcons has been controversial and often difficult to explain, but it will not be a surprise if attendance surpasses that of the McQueen exhibition, such is the spectacle of her clothes. When I try to picture the diminutive, frequently unsmiling Kawakubo on the red carpet at the Met gala  dressed, perhaps, as she was dressed yesterday at her fall show, in her standard black motorcycle jacket and black skirt  I see a woman distinctly out of her element, going perhaps against her will.

Thats because Kawakubos art has been defined by refusal  refusal to make normal clothes, refusal to play the fashion game, and refusal, above all, to explain herself. She will typically issue an enigmatic phrase  red is the new black is the best known. Yesterday, the key words were the future of silhouette. For the last several years, Kawakubo has all but given up designing actual clothes  with functioning armholes and so on  and instead focuses on sculptural pieces that vaguely resemble the outline of clothes. Its almost an admission from the industrys last living rebel that fashion design, at least for now, has hit a wall and cant move forward.

However, the beauty of a Kawakubo collection, as Ive discovered over the years, is that its hugely open to interpretation, and at the same time contains threads of thought that can be pulled through, from season to season. She has long been obsessed with silhouette  the foundation of fashion since, more or less, the 12th century, when clothing began to change more frequently and acquire more shape. Shes fascinated by the notion of dresses embedded within a larger dress or a similar form. And shes really crazy about scale. Her pieces lately have been gigantic.

The primary clue this season was the orientation of the all-pink raised runway. It was set up to suggest a vanishing point  that is, the end of the runway was wider than the start, with the edges representing two parallel lines that would eventually converge. That of course suggested remoteness  Kawakubos future. The notion of silhouette was conveyed by the first two creamy white shapes: They looked like dress forms based on an exaggerated Kardashian figure. Another clue was Kawakubos choice of materials. Instead of fashion fabrics, she used insulation foam, brown packing paper, industrial-strength padding, silver polyester film, and melted black rubber on black nylon mesh.

View Slideshow Photo: Imaxtree

A person viewing these creations from a distance would have no trouble seeing the outline  or the remains?  of an overcoat or skirt. In previous collections, Kawakubo has masterfully embedded historical dress shapes in her clothes, as if to suggest that the future is present in the ruins of the past.

Naturally, this  and the sheer scale of her creations  raised a lot of questions. Was Kawakubo saying were all going to be horribly fat in the future? And not just fat, but wearing our old sofas? Is the consumerist spree that began in the mid-19th century leading inevitably to a world of trash, where so-called luxury products and the stuffing from your FedEx delivery eventually converge?

I dont know. But I thank the day that fashion produced a woman willing to ask such uncomfortable questions  or, rather, encourage us to ask them. Because its not only vision thats now seriously lacking in the industry; its also the power to question our times and beyond.

View Slideshow Photo: Imaxtree

It doesnt seem fair to call Junya Watanabes collection punk, although the extraordinary shaved and dyed wigs (by Kiyoko Odo) and makeup (Isamaya Ffrench) certainly looked punk, as did the tartan kilts and tattered black tights. Watanabe has taken this particular trip often. He began his career making clothes assembled from fabrics he found in London flea markets. He alluded to that period with loose tops and shifts created from a three-dimensional melange of leopard prints, black vinyl, brocades, tartans, and tweeds. They almost suggested armor. But, to me, they also subtly referred to French couture shapes that Watanabe has explored in the past. Some of the silhouettes  the sweep of a skirt, the way a tartan piece tumbled on the shoulders  definitely had a classic couture vibe. So this collection was compact with ideas, and proof as well that they can still yield great energy.
Brian Kennedy

Expedition Coordinator - NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

When Brian was five years old, he decided that he wanted to be a marine biologist and explore the unknown reaches of the planet, and now he has his dream job. Originally from land-locked Athens, Georgia, Brian grew up fascinated with marine mammals and the ocean. Brian attended the Honors College at the College of Charleston (CofC) in South Carolina where he majored in Marine Biology and minored in Marine Geology. While at CofC, he had the opportunity to sail on multiple research cruises aboard two different NOAA research vessels and meet multiple NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps members. Shortly after graduating with honors from CofC, Brian was awarded a commission in the NOAA Corps. His first sea assignment was as a Junior Officer aboard NOAA's Okeanos Explorer, America's Ship for Ocean Exploration. Upon completion, Brian was then assigned to NOAA's Ocean Exploration Program, where he worked as an Expedition Coordinator for the Okeanos Explorer. Now separated from the NOAA Corps, Brian works for the Office of Ocean Exploration and Research as the telepresence coordinator. Brian has participated in or led more than 25 expeditions of exploration taking him to two oceans (Atlantic and Pacific), three continents (North America, South America and Asia), and through the waters of more than five countries (Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Indonesia). Brian is serving as the ROV navigator on this expedition.
idk how that haircut will redefine femininity considering it's the same exact cut every edgy white lady in their 30s, and Miley Cyrus, gets.

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MTE

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ScarJo has had it forever. I guess she's already *redefined* feminism.

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And... it's ugly af. Sorry.

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True. I can name at least 10 other famous women who have had that haircut.

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Can verify. But I'm super edgy because mine is pink!

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lol mte, she's about 4 years too late.

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She throws on a dress and campaigns for Hillary but thinks she's a retro revolutionary. She makes racist displays and ableist jokes so she still ain't shit.







Edited at 2017-03-06 04:25 am (UTC)

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I mean she's a white feminist. This shouldn't come to a surprise to anyone anymore.

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Exactly. She's still cancelled.

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popcorn kernel?

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came here to ask same thing lol

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It looks like a popcorn kernel

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omg you're right lol

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I actually think it's one of those piercings people get inside their mouths but idk

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katy's caption on instagram: Currently taking applications for real friends who aren't afraid to tell me there's quinoa in my teeth

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I don't know how a edgier version of the "I want to speak to you manager" haircut will redefine what it means to be feminine, but OK

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Ba ha ha hahaa, the accuracy.

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i feel like its more "asst manager at Carl's Jr"

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Or: "this my video haul from Bath and Body works"

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lol

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mte

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lmao first thought that came into my head

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lmaooo my friend hated this one girl in our class because she was super obnoxious (spoke way too loudly and always gave everyone opinions noone asked her for) and had that kind of haircut. she didn't know her name but she called her "that chick with the 'can i speak to your manager' haircut" and i immediately knew who she was talking about

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like every 5th woman in hollywood wants to redefine what it means to be feminine.

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She doesn't think when she speeks

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her artpop era is here

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Gaga even had a similar styled wig when Applause video premiered

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lol

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OMG what is she even doing. This era is all over the place and she's just copying several other people.. one of whom I think might be Ellen based on those shoes and that dancing.

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She's giving me Kristen Stewart teas, which is interesting bc supposedly they are friends.

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Aren't they close with Robert?

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Yea I was just thinking that, during Teenage Dream her concept was pretty clear but now her current era is just messy and I don't really get it

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lmao irl

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lmao mte

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LMAO no votes for smash

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She can still Four Five Seconds it

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bye

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the fuck was that performance

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Did she cancel AGAIN?

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she did. she betta quit before she gets a bad reputation with her young fanbase

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Is wanting to redefine what it means to be feminine internalized misogyny?

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Can we also talk about the male Marines who were passing around nudes (some illegally obtained) of their female colleagues in private FB groups and shit? Because I'm seeing red over it and I hate men.

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Let me tell you, when I told my boyfriend (a retired Marine, 9 years service, including Iraq) about it and told him to ~speak out against it~ on FB because he's such a feminist, his response was (paraphrased) "It gets worse than that. Some private FB groups have videos of war and people killing each other."



I was like (headdesk/facepalm/middle finger) "great, well, THIS IS ABOUT WOMEN, serving our country, who were sexually victimized by thousands of their male colleagues without their knowledge... let's stay in the lane, ok?"



fucking men, god I hate them all, and then they wonder why I laugh in their face when they claim they care about women.

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30,000 people in that Facebook group? Holy SHIT



Kill all these men tbh

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Jesus fucking christ. WTF IS THIS SHIT?



Just human garbage I swear.

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Scum

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men are scum and not to be trusted

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Wtf

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i expect nothing from men and yet i am still disappointed

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There was a hacking of a voting center in Georgia ahead of the April 18th special election.

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https://map.peoplepower.org/ In other news the ACLU is encouraging people to attend resistance training events:

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Thanks for the heads up!

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Thank you! There's an event in my town just a few minutes away from my house and I'm supposed to work all day that day. (maybe I can swap my shift.)

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I can't believe this unsubstantiated claim clearly used as a distraction from sessions perjury actually worked

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The media has no idea how to respond to Trump.

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Perjury is really hard to prove. Getting him to recuse himself is still a huge win.

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The bizarre thing is he wanted to distract everyone looking into Sessions lying under oath about dealings with russia by reminding everyone about his own dealings with russia.



The story of the fbi looking to wiretap trump because of his russian connections was already reported on and the msm ignored it so most people didn't know about it.



All he did was remind people that he does have connections to russia, make himself look like a paranoid fool by accusing Obama and now his lap dog Comey is calling Trump a liar.



Trump saw a dumpster fire and was like "I know how to put this out" *pours gasoline*

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I don't think Trump is smart enough to use the wiretapping claims as an intentional distraction. I think he just heard about it on some conservative conspiracy blog/radio show/whatever and impulsively tweeted his response.

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He read it F R O M B R E I T B A R T.

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He read it on Breitbart, and Breitbart got it from a conservative conspiracy theorist w/ a radio show

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PBS @NewsHour is streaming audio from Sean Spicers off-camera White House briefing https://t.co/Xq61BM8W9g  Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) March 6, 2017

Spicy's off camera press gaggle can be listened to here (ty PBS):

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AND THEY WANT TO SHUT DOWN FUCKING PBS?! YO IT'S DONATION TIME ON PBS. DONATE PEOPLE!

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just got my tax return today so let me run on over to pbs.org...

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Profiles in courage? Tillerson Sessions and Kelly afraid of taking questions about an important new government policy. The cowardly lions.  Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) March 6, 2017



Losing more hope by the day, tbh. :/ Losing more hope by the day, tbh. :/

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And in related news, I am praying this isn't true but nothing is impossible under a Trump presidency. CTV contacted him and wouldn't comment rn.



JUST IN: Gold Star father Khizr Khan cancels scheduled speech in Toronto after being told his "travel privileges are being reviewed." pic.twitter.com/3dXFMnjced  Rosa Hwang (@journorosa) March 6, 2017

It's just his sequel to birtherism. A conspiracy theorist who gets his news from Infowars and Breitbart is POTUS. Trump is lucky Obama doesn't sue him.And in related news, I am praying this isn't true but nothing is impossible under a Trump presidency. CTV contacted him and wouldn't comment rn.

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Every journalist I follow on Twitter is saying to proceed with extreme caution re: the Khan story. I would not be surprised if this was a planted story to make liberals/journalists look bad for believing "fake sources" when it turns out to be false.



Edited at 2017-03-06 07:02 pm (UTC)

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I mean, hence why I stated "I pray it's not true."



Given the statement from the organization on FB just now there looks to be some truth to it. People should still wait and see, though.

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i wouldn't be surprised. WH admitted they used psyops, planting fake information about Trump's reversal on immigration, to pump up the media for his congressional speech and MSM bought it.

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Considering Canadians aren't being allowed into the US, it wouldn't surprise me if it's starting to go the other way as well.

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lmfao that gif!

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vaguely using "russian businesses"/"russian government" and tillerson--a former OIL ceo--as lynchpins for this conspiracy is dumb, sorry

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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-russia-collusion-campaign-us-spies-nsa-agent-considerable-intelligence-a7613266.html SIs! Did you read this story yet?

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People should call Trump's bluff here. Do a investigation. The only thing that will turn up is what Trump and his people were doing with Russia.

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Why Law & Order: S.V.U.s Donald Trump episode will probably never see the light of day https://t.co/dwjhCpoaim pic.twitter.com/7vQVYESfIr  Vanity Fair's HWD (@HWD) 6. Marz 2017





And me and Mariska [Hargitay, who plays Lt. Olivia Benson],were on his bumper, and hes sweating it. But at the end of the day, it comes out that he was innocent. He didnt do it. So weve got to apologize, and hes still doing his thing, talking his shit. And it turns out that his campaign advisor, who was his best friend, was booby-trapping him because he knew he would be terrible for America!

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lmao i just saw that!



that's BULLSHIT tbh. they wrote an entire episode about, like, dozens of women lying about having been raped? for the sake of a twist? wtf is happening to this show?



btw i love how ice t was like "eh the episode was shit anyway. at least i got paid."

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Whatever happened to Trump ~vowing~ to sue his accusers?

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We were supposed to SEE HIM IN COURT over the travel ban EO and that's not happening either. He's so full of shit and it boggles my mind that his supporters don't care.

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I swear everyone in this admin is so dumb and terrible. That Kristen Bell laugh/cry gif has become my default setting.

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does anyone know why the press briefing today is audio only

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smh the trump team is really scrambling for evasion tactics arent they

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It's so gross to listen to tho, he's said twice to reporters: "Calm down, there are no cameras, you don't need to jump up to get my attention..."

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I hope they look into it and uncover legal wiretaps obtained because the trump campaign was suspected to be colluding with Russia. and I hope all the recordings are subsequently made public.

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Definitely why people need to look into Trump's allegations. But he's hoping the allegations will make people not want to look into it so his connections remain undetected.

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I think the FISA warrant confirms that they were looking for collusion but according to clapper- they didn't find anything.

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if there's bugs, there's a warrant. Obama taught constitutional law, he knows how to keep clean.

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I've realized there is literally NOTHING 45 could do that would make some of these people take away their support. I went to our town hall meeting and holy shit it was a mess. Inside the 270 of us who got in (because they purposely picked a tiiiiny venue for "safety" reasons) were fine, the congressman was conniving and dismissive but it was alright but outside there were protestors from both sides and when we were leaving we heard things like "make America white again" and one of the color guards men who brought in the flag was "joking" about using the protestors for target practice! this dude was geriatric like at least 80 years old-- a korean war vet. being back in the south land has been crazy eye opening for me.

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I mean, he said it himself. He could go out and shoot someone and he would be a hero. It's sick.



Edited at 2017-03-06 07:57 pm (UTC)

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nah, i thought the russia ties would be enough for some of the racist windbags he was winding up early in the election to quietly retreat. i was wrong, clearly.

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trump is not this big schemer, he is not a mastermind-- he's a fucking idiot. he thinks he can deflect on this rus issue w the wiretap story, but he is bringing more attention to it. what a fuck up.

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i'm mad that i'm the first comment in a political post

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I enjoyed your first comment. :)

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bannon, tho.



i think trump is a schemer in that he always wants to be ahead or take people down, but i think he has always had and will always need people like bannon -- and those kinds of people love having a puppet to do their work for them

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I feel like him being really dumb doesn't get talked abt enough, like he has a low IQ just based on his limited vocabulary and no logical/critical thinking.

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The media was talking about his "triumphant" speech to congress and then Sessions snatched the spotlight.



Wouldn't be surprised if he got jealous and pivoted the conversation back onto himself. He doesn't even care if it's bad press as long as people are talking about him again.

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The best quote I've seen about him is, "Trump is a poor man's idea of rich, a weak man's idea of strong, and a stupid man's idea of smart." It is so true. I've had so many people tell me I'm a moron because I've said Trump isn't smart. And it's all because of how much money he claims to have. "How can a dumb man have so much money?" Sorry, Jimbo Bubba... just because Trump is smart enough to convince you that he is smart doesn't actually make him smart. If money makes the man, where is all the love for bin Laden?

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People need to realize that most of his success comes from the fact that he's always been rich and is a heartless asshole. You can accomplish a lot if you don't give a single shit about anyone or anything other than yourself.

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He looks like what would happen if Tom Hanks and Santa Claus had a baby.

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When I saw the cover, I legit thought they had used the Santa Claus filter from snapchat on him.

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This is...... very accurate lol

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lmao

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This is Tom Hanks if Tom Hanks was still on that island in Castaway

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What is it going to take to get this fucking administration out of there?! This is literally insane, I feel like I'm trapped in a nightmare and we are all going crazy and nobody wants to stop the insanity.

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Concrete evidence that Trump himself colluded with/is in financial or otherwise debt to the Russians in order to secure the win.



It's coming.

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a virus that wipes out all of humanity... that's what :(

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I'm hoping for surprise comet myself.

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I hope it only wipes Americans. I'm innocent.

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Taking back Congress in 2018, imo.

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Nothing. He's going to be there the next 8 years. It's only after he's gone and there is no money and no jobs that his supporters will realize. They don't care if he is in collusion with Russia as long as it appears he's putting America first. "If that is what it takes" is basically the motto of his supporters

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lmao trump and his merry band of fascists aren't going anywhere unless we remove them ourselves. and that's not happening either. we're fucked.

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nothing

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aliens

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They're all thisclose to getting thrown in prison, anyway.

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dont get my hopes up

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You know that won't happen.

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I hope so. I'm hoping that's why Trump is blindly swinging punches left and right: he's panicking because they're close.

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Exactly. He's a caged animal and knows it.

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Agent Orange makes me so furious. I'm furious and depressed that this is the world I have to live in, and that POC children have to grow up in.

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Sometimes I look at my niece and just feel sad because what sort of world are we leaving for these bbs?

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"We dont need more confirmation that theres something wrong with Donald Trump. Lets instead find ways to rebuild what is rational. And the Democrats, goddamn it, get a little backbone, get a little spine."



ita with all of this.

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that fallon mention. fuck him for real.

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What pisses me off even more about Fallon now is that he's done a complete 360 and doing skits every night that rip apart the Dumpster. It's not genuine though. I KNOW he's doing it because of all the shit he got for that interview. And I swear, his show is paying magazines to tweet about every damn skit he does about it. I've seen such a huge increase in coverage of him lately on my newsfeed. Such bullshit.

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it's because his ratings are down~



Colbert has been doing better lately

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there is nothing about him that is genuine. hes phony as fuck.

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ikr. fuck fallon.

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What pisses me off even more about Fallon now is that he's done a complete 360 and doing skits every night that rip apart the Dumpster. It's not genuine though.



And what makes me laugh is all the Trump supporters screaming about Colbert while propping up Fallon as the one with class and integrity, and now look at him, chasing after ratings since Colbert took the lead lmao. And on top of that, all his remaining fans are cheering him on for ripping Trump apart and I'm watching his material thinking, "Really? This is ripping him apart to you guys?"

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It was nice to see him supporting trans rights too

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If Obama, Clinton or any Dem pulled even 2% of what he's doing there would be a 24/7 news cycle discussing impeachment. Republicans would be on every cable news outlet demanding impeachment and investigations. I think the new Muslim ban today really reminded people how much of a gut punch we've taken and how drained we all are - bc it feels so draining to fight back and resist this new awful shit every week even though it's all we have right now. Which lbr this is what Trump and Bannon want. This is how fascism operates. It makes people be like "oh this new ban isn't as bad!" While protest and fighting back helped water down this ban, it's still racist, counterproductive and disgusting.

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.01% tbh lol I hate them all

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Agreed with all of this.

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Republicans just released the plan to repeal Obamacare.



Goodbye health care, people.



Edited at 2017-03-07 12:02 am (UTC)

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Wait until seniors read about what will happen to Medicaid in this bill. It becomes a voucher. That'll end well. And not surprising it's awful for women.

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Yaaaaay. At least I was expecting it since November?

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he's so great on Twitter.

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I want to but I'm debating it, my boss supports it but it will be my first day I'll take off since I started my job in January, I think it will be ok though.

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I might have jury duty :(

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Wear red and don't buy anything

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I want to so badly but I work in a preschool and me not there would really mess up everything (which I know is a large point of this but I have a hard time not thinking about the benefit of my kids). Plus, I don't trust any of my trump supporting coworkers with my class. I'm trying to raise them in the light.

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Where's the strike - DC again? If there's one in NYC, I'd participate

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I don't work, but I can wear red and not buy anything.

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It's already my day off but I would've probably joined anyway. IDK if there are any rallies near by that I could go to though.

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I'm not going but ngl I'm kind of disappointed in some of the reasons coming from the women I know. "I can't take off because I'm taking off St paddys day to drink" is not good enough sorry.

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My company has been giving people that day (International Women's Day) off since forever so I'm just gonna stay home and binge watch something



Edited at 2017-03-06 10:51 pm (UTC)

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i'd love to but I already have waaaaaay too many absences from work :/ Definitely wearing red and not buying anything, tho

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I feel this concept backfires because men would want women out of the workforce.

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Unfortunately I can't do it, but I'll definitely wear red and won't buy anything.

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idk must be nice to not have to work. I can't just take a day off and my uniform is black so...

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i can't...i take care of living things, so i can't just not work.



i'll just do the whole not buying anything on wednesday and support it that way. hope the whole thing is successful though.

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I'm actually off work that day - are there any public protests planned for that day?

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There's one in Melbourne after working hours (just a rally) but none of my friends can go and now I have a doctor's appointment (TMI: I've been bleeding heavily in my period for 7 days now. Usually it's only heavy on the first day out of the five.)



I'll try and make it if I'm not too dead. I feel like I'm letting down the cause :(

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At least Bush JR surrounded himself with competent people. Drumpf can't even do that.



I'm getting more pissed at the GOP for allowing this BS. They and Fox News used the tiniest BS to be anti-Obama. But when some legitimate corruption is happening before their eyes, they don't do shit.

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Let's not forget the literally shitstorm that was Hurricane Katrina and FEMA. "You're doing a heck of a job, Brownie!" So Bush Jr surrounded himself with plenty of incompetent people. And/or people who don't believe in the federal government (while they continued to gather a federal paycheck.) Newsflash: government can work if the people running it believe that it can and should work.

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I feel like he came out of reclusiveness specifically to shit talk Trump. Good for him



fuck jimmy fallon forever, to my knowledge he hasn't taken responsibility for that dumb interview. I loved when Ethan Coen dragged him and more of Hollywood should do the same.

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When Donald Trump won the presidential vote last year there was an outcry from his opponents due to his alleged close ties with the Russian government. Many believed that Trump would be quick to remove U.S. economic sanctions against Russia, thus stimulating economic growth in the country and making it more daring territorially.

This has not happened and is unlikely to happen, as is becoming increasingly obvious. The sanctions have remained, and so have low oil prices, pressuring Russias growth and stock market. These two factors are seen by some analysts as the drivers behind equity price trends in the country.

According to CNBC, the Moscow Composite Index, or Micex, is down 8 percent in the past three months, underperforming the U.S. stock market by 15 percent, thanks to Trumps vow to keep sanctions in place and, of course, the new lower normal for oil prices.

Now, investors are naturally wary of tapping a market that is the object of economic sanctions, even though the last two months of 2016 saw a 15 percent jump in Micex, driven by expectations of a warming in bilateral relations. This decline in equity prices we are witnessing now was to be expected once it became clear that this warming  if it takes place at all  will not be a quick deal.

In terms of relative weight, however, oil prices may have more to do with stock market developments in the worlds largest oil exporter. Despite much praise for OPECs deal, which saw the cartel and 11 other producers pledge to remove some 1.8 million barrels of crude from the global market, it has so far failed to bring prices much higher.

This is concerning for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf producers, as it surfaced recently, but it does not seem to be bothering the Kremlin. At the start of this year, Deputy Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that the country could return to positive GPD growth in three years if Brent remains at US$50 a barrel. Each additional US$10 per barrel translates into over US$28 billion in state revenue.

So what about the stock market? Micex is down by 8 percent in the year to date, but thats a bit more than three months. The one-year change in the index, however, as of March 6, is a gain of 9.89 percent, which is not too shabby considering that 2016 marked the bottom of the oil price rout, plus the full set of sanctions. Related: Saudis Cut Light Crude Prices To Asia To Keep Market Share

Analysts believe that the downward trend in the Micex will continue through the rest of the year. This is, again, only to be expected  quick spikes in equity markets driven by a single event and its potential implications are often short-lived, just like the jumps in oil prices that followed every statement from an OPEC or Russian oil official in the months leading up to the November 30 production cut deal.

Chances are, however, that the drop will slow down, unless the new administration changes its stance on Russia to an openly hostile one. Lets not forget, after all, that the U.S. sanctions against Russia are not of the blanket type: they target specific individuals and legal entities close to President Vladimir Putin. This curbs the adverse effects in the context of equity market trends, so some investors can still do business in Russia.

Oil prices are likely to remain around the US$55 a barrel mark for Brent and a little lower for WTI. Sanctions are also likely to remain in place. This means that Russian stocks are likely to continue their slide, but the slide will probably slow as the Trump hype fades and Russian stock markets return to business as usual.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The oil markets have long expected that U.S. shale production would rebound once oil prices started to rise. But the comeback of shale could be much faster and stronger than many once anticipated.

As Bloomberg Gadfly points out, the rise in U.S. oil production since output bottomed out at the end of last summer has been swift. Since September, U.S. production has climbed roughly 125,000 bpd on average each month, pushing total production above 9 million barrels per day. That is a much faster pace of growth than the original shale boom that began years ago. The corresponding period for the 2011-2014 shale boom saw monthly growth of just 93,000 bpd.

There are a few reasons for this. First, the industry is leaner than it once was, with some of the least efficient companies forced out of the market and the consolidated sector is now moving quickly with oil prices stabilized in the $50s per barrel range. Second, oil drillers have a lot more experience in shale than they did years ago. Improved drilling techniques, which include longer laterals, more wells per wellpad and stronger fracking processes are yielding more oil per rig and per well. Third, instead of drilling everywhere, companies are focusing on the best spots this time around. Finally, it isnt just the small companies drilling in U.S. shale  the oil majors are increasingly getting into the shale game.

Relatedly, low oil prices have paradoxically made shale more attractive. With all but the most profitable large-scale projects off of the table, everyone is trying to get into relatively low-risk shale. Even though shale has famously suffered from higher breakeven costs, the upfront costs are low and returns are quick, making shale wells a safe bet. ExxonMobil has decided to allocate more than $5 billion to shale drilling in Texas and North Dakota this year, a dramatic shift from the megaproject-focus that the company has had for decades. Related: As Non-OPEC Compliance Hits 60%, Oil Prices Remain Stagnant

That all means that U.S. shale is now one of the most highly-prized areas for new oil investment. "North American oil companies are going to increase their spending by 25 percent in 2017 compared to last year," Daniel Yergin, oil historian and Vice Chairman of IHS Markit, told Bloomberg. "The increase reflects the magnetism of U.S. shale."

More rigs and more investment could mean stronger gains in shale production this time around compared to the original shale boom. As Bloomberg notes, shale companies like EOG Resources and RSP Permian are projecting production increases of 30 percent in the next two to three years, a larger increase than the companies posted in the first shale boom.

ExxonMobil is planning to produce 750,000 bpd from U.S. shale by 2025, or about a fifth of the companys total output.

Chevron is stepping up spending on the Permian Basin as well. "Chevron has a big position in the Permian, and Exxon just bought a new position. That's the kind of proof of the pudding that the independents like myself are saying, 'It's the best basin the world.'" Randy Foutch, founder and CEO of Laredo Petroleum, told CNBC. Related: Despite Promises To Cut, Iraq Raises February Oil Exports

It should be noted that while the U.S. has gained around 400,000 bpd since September, some of that came from a handful of large-scale offshore projects that came online, projects that were planned years ago. However, as Bloomberg Gadfly argues, that was also the case during the first shale boom.

In short, shale production could come back much faster than the markets originally expected. For now, estimates run the gamut. JP Morgan says shale production will add 400,000 bpd by the end of 2017 while Rystad Energy and Macquarie put the figure at a much higher 900,000 bpd.

The higher end of that range should not be ruled out given the early signs of robust growth. If gains in shale production rise by that much, they could go a long way to offsetting the OPEC cuts. The realization of a swift U.S. shale rebound is also starting to set in. With WTI and Brent failing to make any meaningful price gains since December, OPEC is now starting to consider an extension of its deal through the end of the year.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Not everybody attending the Iranian natural gas summit last week in Frankfurt was there for the same reason.

While most were gauging the prospects for an opening of major natural gas reserves and liquefied natural gas (LNG) export prospects, others were there for quite different reasons.

Take the three representatives from Russias gas giant Gazprom (OGZPY), for example. They werent there to scout new investment packages. On the contrary They were there to see just how badly their companys position was under siege.

And its no wonder the Gazprom guys looked concerned. From what I saw at the summit, they have every reason to be.

For energy investors, on the other hand, the news is very good

Gazprom is in Dire Straits

Gazprom may still be the largest natural gas company on the face of the Earth, exporting more gas than anybody else and providing revenues that account for the biggest single chunk of the Russian central budget But it is facing down some difficult times.

For one, extractions are declining at the primary mature fields the company has depended on for decades. To offset that growing problem, Gazprom needs to move into three very expensive new regions  above the Arctic Circle, onto the continental shelf, and into eastern Siberia.

Moscow is hard pressed to provide the necessary funds for that.

Then, there is the need that Gazprom continue to expand aggregate exports. Merely to keep pace with past year totals is not enough.

New pipelines to China and Europe were touted as solutions to this issue. Yet both projects have been plagued with political, pricing, and contract problems. In the case of the South Stream project  intended to move Russian volume into southeastern Europe  astronomical costs, blockading politics from transit countries, and a rising EU move to diversify energy sourcing, have combined to scuttle the venture.

Additionally, Gazprom has relied on a contract mechanism that is falling under its own pressure

The Gas Giants Pricing Structure Does it No Favors

A typical agreement from the Russian behemoth includes three components. First, its a very long-term deal. Usually such contracts will extend for 20 years. Second, there is a take or pay provision. This requires that the end user accept a minimum amount of gas (usually 70 percent of a monthly allotment) or pay as if they had  regardless of actual demand.

Third, theres the pricing formula itself. Its determined by using a basket of crude oil and oil product prices and adjusted periodically (monthly in some cases, still quarterly in others). Its here that Gazprom has suffered its most appreciable shortfall. As the price of crude oil collapsed starting in November 2014 until the recent OPEC production agreements, Gazproms pricing formula made sure its export proceeds went south as well.

Several European contract parties have also brought (or threatened to bring) arbitration actions to reduce either prices or volume drawn (or both). Several of these have obliged Gazprom to provide temporary contact alterations.

Of course, these changes simply become precedents for others to demand the same. Related: Is A Second OPEC Cut On The Cards?

The dive in oil prices has created major revenue problems for Gazprom. The more recent move up in crude has done little to offset the problem. The company continues to spend more than it is bringing in.

Now, it certainly does benefit from off the books subsidies from the government. But with the entire Russian central budget dependent on oil and gas export revenues, under the table transfers are hardly a workable solution.

So the last thing Gazprom needs is rising competition in the markets it already services.

And that brings us back to Frankfurt

LNG is the Future of the Natural Gas Market

Gazprom representatives to the Iran LNG & Gas Summit in Frankfurt were there to assess their Iranian competition. True, the company had been involved in a development project for one of the more than 20 phases in Irans huge offshore South Pars basin.

But the three Gazprom guys at Frankfurt were not there to scout new investment packages. This was all about the companys existing markets already under siege.

There was talk about an ongoing discussion to move Iranian gas to India via an underwater pipeline, prospects for expanding existing volume moving to Turkey, and the continuing saga of a pipeline to Pakistan.

Aside from some additional gas moving to Turkey that could be transited on to Europe, these pipeline projects pose little direct competition to main Gazprom revenue sources.

LNG, however, is quite a different matter.

LNG involves cooling natural gas to liquid form and then transporting it in specially designed tankers. It is then regasified on the receiving end and injected into existing domestic pipeline networks. LNG allows the formation of markets and hubs where major pipeline interchanges do not currently exist.

Thats the problem issuing from Frankfurt

Gazproms is Years Behind in the LNG Race

As the movement for Iranian LNG projects intensifies, Gazproms traditional delivery approach comes under further strain. Iran potentially has more natural gas than even Russia, is prepared to provide consignments at lower cost, and is becoming the darling of the international investment community. Related: The EV Myth  Electric Car Threat To Oil Is Wildly Overstated

Gazprom, meanwhile, has been late getting into the LNG race. The Sakhalin II project off Russias Pacific coast is producing LNG, and exports have been moving to Asia. But attempts to add volume there has been stymied by rising competition from Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Its major Yamal LNG project in the very north of Russia, the one that was supposed to have made a major entry into European and other markets, is experiencing bureaucratic and operational problems. There is little left for Gazprom to fall back on.

The company used to deprecate LNG as an alternative to piped gas, claiming the cost would never be competitive. Not anymore. Figures agreed to in Frankfurt indicate massive increases in the capacity of global LNG terminals (some of them in the hands of publicly traded companies), with LNG demand rising to meet it by 2023.

By that time, the Gazprom model will have been supplanted and both Europe and Asia will be receiving ever increasing shipments of LNG in preference to Russian gas via pipeline.

No wonder the Gazprom guys looked concerned. They have every reason to be.

By Dr. Kent Moors via Oilandenergyinvestor.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
By John A. Charles, Jr.

In a recent interview with the Portland Business Journal, Chris Rall of Transportation for America argues for increased state support of public transit service. He says that Oregon only covers three percent of the operating costs of transit, while other (unnamed) states pay for 24 percent.

I dont know the source of Mr. Ralls claim, but the audited financial statements for the largest transportation districts in Oregon show a very different picture.

In FY 2016 TriMet had total operations revenue of $542,200,000 but only $118,069,000 came from passenger fares. That means TriMet riders received a 78% subsidy from other sources.

At Lane Transit District in Eugene, passenger fares in 2015 were only $7.2 million, while total operating revenue was $60.9 million. Non-riders paid for 88% of operations.

For Cherriots Salem-Keizer transit, public support totaled 94% of all operating revenue in 2015.

Undoubtedly the largest subsidy goes to the Portland-Eugene passenger rail line operated by ODOT. For every one-way ticket sold in 2015, the public paid $120.

Before state legislators approve any more subsidies to transit, they should require that transit operators recover at least 50% of costs from customers. If riders are only willing to pay 10 percent, why should taxpayers have to pick up the rest of the tab?

John A. Charles, Jr. is President and CEO of Cascade Policy Institute, Oregons free market public policy research organization.

(This post was updated March 7, 2017 to correct the TriMet operations revenue figures.)
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.
In my last post we looked at the need for change in one controversial domestic sector, education. But since that wasnt nearly contentious enough (I only got about 400,000 death threats), lets move on to something really controversial: climate change.

Strangely enough, climate science is a subject I actually know something about. (You neednt be so shocked.) For 15 years I managed a family office for people who were committed conservationists and who were deeply worried about the impact of human activity on the natural world.

Over that period we funded virtually every environmental organization on the planet. Most of them were so mainstream that merely reciting their names was enough to put you to sleep. But a few were so whacked-out radical that I refused to meet with them anywhere except at a remote Arizona trailer park owned by a friend of mine. (That friend was not, as many people have supposed over the years, Edward Abbey, although I knew Abbey slightly via Garrett Hardin. In any event, I had to give up the trailer park venue when my friend landed on the FBIs Most Wanted list.)

In those days climate science was, if not exactly in its infancy, then at least in its boisterous adolescence. It was an exciting time, with new discoveries rolling in almost daily. Scientific opinion was all over the map and investigators would literally call me up in the middle of the night (absent-minded professors not being all that adept at juggling time zones) with thrilling news of the latest revelations.

Gradually, all this activity coalesced into a consensus of scientific opinion about climate change. Note that there is no controversy whatever about whether the earths climate is changingits been changing continuously since the earth first developed an atmosphere some four billion years ago. The questions before the house are how fast climate is changing, in what direction, and whether it is changing primarily for organic reasons or because of human activity.

The consensus of scientific opinion is articulated by the US National Research Council (the research arm of the National Academy of Science) as follows:

Science has made enormous inroads in understanding climate change and its causes, and is beginning to help develop a strong understanding of current and potential impacts that will affect people today and in coming decades. This understanding is crucial because it allows decision makers to place climate change in the context of other large challenges facing the nation and the world. There are still some uncertainties, and there always will be in understanding a complex system like Earths climate. Nevertheless, there is a strong, credible body of evidence, based on multiple lines of research, documenting that climate is changing and that these changes are in large part caused by human activities. [My emphasis.]

That statement is a little too political and defensive for my taste, but nonetheless it accurately describes both the current climate change consensus and, more important(!), my opinion. And so, on the one hand, the differences between my views of climate change and the climate change consensus are so small you couldnt drive a quark between them. On the other hand, Im positively appalled by the consensus and believe it has spawned its own demise.

How can this be? The problem is that, somewhere between the randy adolescence of climate science and today, climate science stopped being climate science and started being climate religion. And, unfortunately its not one of those gentle, inclusive religions like, say, Unitarianism, which espouse Two Commandments and Eight Suggestions. No, its an authoritarian, intolerant religion more like Catholicism during the Inquisition or, maybe better yet, like radical Islam as practiced by the likes of ISIS. The slightest deviation from approved Catholic doctrine in the Late Middle Ages would get you tortured and executed. The slightest deviation from extreme Islamic doctrine under ISIS marks you as an infidel suitable only for beheading.

So far, members of the climate change consensus havent actually beheaded anyone in the literal sense, but they have certainly done so in the figurative sense. The slightest deviation from the consensus marks you as a climate denier whose reputation and career deserve to be trashed. Everyone in or near the world of climate science knows a small handful of senior climate scientists who have either been destroyed or have left the field. Everyone knows a good dozen or so junior researchers whove learned to keep their doubts firmly to themselves.

As far as I can tell, if these doubters were allowed to publish, lecture and apply for grants freely, their work wouldnt really challenge the climate consensus. But it would powerfully improve the reputation of climate science and would likely win over people (like me) who already agree with the consensus but who are disgusted by it nonetheless.

Normally, as Im sure you know, a bloggers opinions arent worth a bucket of warm spit. But as already noted Ive been involved in climate science for many years. Ive attended dozens of conferences, read scores of published papers, slogged through hundreds of brain-numbing requests for grant support. So I know where the bodies are buried. I know where the climate consensus arguments are strong, where those arguments are weaker, and where the scientists dont know their butts from a mudflat in Bolivia.

The evolution of climate science into climate religion has already resulted in the election of an American President who is skeptical of the consensus and who has appointed an even bigger skeptic as Administrator of the EPA. And it will only get worse until the climate change consensus stops acting like God.

There are a couple of other reasons why change needs to come to the world of climate science, but Ill get to those next week.

Next up: Loose Change, Part VIII
NORTH OF THE DELTA  Po Monkeys Lounge at 99 Po Monkey Road sits in the middle of a cotton field on the Mississippi Delta of the Yazoo River near Marigold.

For the better part of half a century, every Thursday night, William Seaberry opened his one-room juke joint to anybody who wanted to come socialize, dance and forget their everyday troubles. And for nearly 3,000 Thursdays, Po Monkeys wailed all night with raw blues that christened the surrounding fields with the music born from the stories of former slaves who worked this soil.

It was a place where the best of the best shared their music and stories, not to get famous, but out of a deep love and longing to sing and play.

Theres something about the blues, the way the music cries in chords, notes and scales that mirror the human voice. Something about the way the guitar squeals, the blues harp whistles and the Hammond B3 organ responds with a Slow Blues in G.

How could you leave me that way, baby? Leave me all alone?

Theres something about the way the instrument responds to the question with a riff, a scream, a long, bent note or a slow, burning slide.

And something about the way it feels  bone-deep, instinctive, visceral.

Its not about the paycheck, the tip jar; in blues its about, Did it touch you,  said Albany blues artist and blues scholar Andrew Wheeler, who is headlining at the Hudson River Music Hall in April. The blues is front and center, it makes you feel better  when you play it, its not all that sad. Its laced with hope.

Wheeler said he recently met a young woman who was from the Mississippi Delta and he asked her about her awareness of the blues and the only person she knew was Seaberry.

She turned to another person and said, you know who I mean? That guy from Po Monkey, he just died, he said. I said, so thats it? You dont know any other blues people? She said,no.

Last July, Seaberry passed away, but his famed juke joint remains an icon to a legend known for his flamboyant hot pink or lime green suits and his love of the blues.

Its very addicting when you can play emotion like that, Wheeler said.

Much like nights at Po Monkeys, where musicians played every Thursday just to play, theres a growing cadre of local musicians who meet every Thursday night at the Lawrence Street Tavern in Glens Falls, audience or not, to share and jam the blues.

From week to week, it varies with different musicians; usually there are about 20 musicians, very talented players, said co-organizer Matt Donnelly, who plays several instruments, but mostly keyboard, with the pop band South Street Saints. Donnelly believes in the value of the sessions for musicians and he even got his dentist, Dr. Tom Lee, also on keyboard, to start jamming on Thursday nights.

The heart of this is the blues, Donnelly said. We have had musicians join us from North Carolina, Germany, New Jersey, Manhattan.

Shades of Po Monkeys Lounge





At many venues, a jam session means that musicians sign up and are given a slot. When their number is called, they generally play a couple of songs. Donnelly said he recently went to a jam, traveled a distance to get there, waited over an hour and got to play two songs.

But in keeping with older juke joint and folk traditions, the Lawrence Street Tavern Blues Jam rotates musicians in and out every three songs, all night long. They share instruments, try out different roles from the bands they play in  a lead vocalist might play lead guitar, or a drummer will sing lead vocals  and improvise with new musicians.

I come here to support Matt and its a ball, said Peter Azotea of Saratoga Springs, vocals and guitar, who also plays in the South Street Saints.

Aaron Nason, bass guitar, also with the South Street Saints, along with Azotea and Donnelly, is a blues jam regular.

Two Thursday nights ago, Scott Simpson, who plays and sings with the rockn roll band Rattail Jimmy, said it was his second time at the jam sessions. He said he has been learning from some of the musicians playing at the sessions since he was a kid.

Its a great music scene, he said, adding that with YouTube, kids today dont always get the type of in-person musical mentorship that is so common in the older traditions.

A blues jam regular and co-organizer, drummer Fred Tripp, stands on the sidelines holding his sticks and cheering on the newcomers like Paradox Saints guitarist and vocalist, Brian Fitzgerald, who just happened on the jam when he heard the music outside.

I stopped in to see who was playing, said Fitzgerald, who sang several songs with musicians he had never met at a late-February jam. Its just a bunch of musicians coming together and jamming for fun.

Tripp, who never mentions his long and storied blues career, was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame in 2014. Ive been playing the blues for 50 years, said Tripp, who opened for such blues legends as Muddy Waters and Willy Dixon and toured with famed Austin blues band Omar and the Hollers.

I love it. Its a tough gig, but thats what I love, Tripp said about playing the blues. Ive lived it.

Documenting the living legends





Last June, Phil Bacon told his wife, Im taking my cameras and going over to Hudson River Music Hall.

On that July night, Wheeler was a guest artist along with the Fade to Blues Band from Lake Placid.

I looked around and the other 18 people who were there were blown away by the talent, Bacon said. It made me sick to my stomach that they were so good and no one was there to witness it. And I decided to make a documentary focused on the talent of the here and now and the talent in our area.

At the time, Bacon was a known figure at Rays Supply. But he quit his job and set out to make movies. And after months of going to blues jam sessions and hours and hours of interview footage with area blues talent, Bacon announced his upcoming film, Blues Masters of Upstate New York, an Alberta Crossroad Production, this week.

Its time for a new type of documentary that displays the talent here, he said. I went on a path to get the truth out of these players. They are baring their souls with the blues.

In addition to his upcoming documentary, Bacon is also in charge of booking blues acts for the Strand Theater and the Hudson River Music Hall in Hudson Falls. And in April, he will launch Friday night blues at the Hudson River Music Hall.

Wheeler, who has been playing since he was 13 and is scheduled to play at HRMH on April 14, said he just returned from playing in Memphis. Down south, the blues is hot  in Atlanta, Florida.

But he admitted its a tough sell in this region. Around here, its a struggle, he said, adding that the Capital Region has a strong blues network.

So blues jam sessions, like the ones at Lawrence Street Tavern in Glens Falls and Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, keep local musicians tied to the art they love.

Its cost me a lot, Wheeler said. Im just addicted to it.
BOLTON  School officials are hoping a proposed $9 million project will give their programs a head of steam.

Voters will head to the polls on Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m. in the school gymnasium lobby to decide on the fate of a proposed 17,000-square-foot addition that would create more space for technology and the arts. These are key components of a curriculum concentration that has been labeled STEAM, standing for science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

The addition onto the 1974-era wing of the building would contain a 300-student auditorium, music room, two practice rooms and a lobby for a separate entrance that the community could use. The district is calling the addition the Community Arts Music and Performance Space.

Superintendent Michael Graney said he has heard concerns from the community the district is building an auditorium just for 200 students, which includes prekindergarten. The districts K-12 enrollment is about 187 students, which is down from the 2006 figure of 271.

The new space will allow the district to relocate its instrumental and vocal music rooms to the new space, which will free up room to expand the technology wing. But Graney said the project involves much more.

Thats the one area I think is really lacking in what we offer for kids  because its landlocked, he said.

Graney showed the tight quarters that contain the wood shop.

The ventilation is horrible and theres just not enough space, he said.

Relocation of the instrumental music room would allow the district to go through that wall and make one big technology area with an open floor plan, according to Graney. The district could expand its offerings to include engine repair and maker space, where students can work on projects.

Graney said school officials have had conversations with organizations, such as the Bolton Free Library and Camp Walden, about using the auditorium space. Other collaborators could be the Lake George Theater Group, the Sagamore Resort, The Sembrich, the Lake George Land Conservancy, the Lake George Association, Seagle Music Colony, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the town of Bolton.

We really want to open this facility to the community in the summer or any time were not using it, he said.

The projects third goal is to address items on the districts building conditions survey, such as replacing the elevator, making stormwater improvements to reduce runoff into Lake George, replacing roofing in select areas of the building, repairing brick mortar to keep water out of the exterior walls and fixing the bus garage.

Graney said the district was fortunate that it got a second opinion on the condition of its bus garage. The consultant said the building was structurally sound and needed repairs, such as replacing metal paneling that is falling off. The roof was redone a few years ago.

It would have been expensive to build new, he said.

We were hoping to maintain that bus garage for at least 10 years and even longer, he said.

The district is planning to add a prefabricated maintenance storage building so it can get more equipment inside, he said. There would also be 28 parking spaces constructed, using land purchased at 22 First St.

He said they will be repaving the area in front of the bus garage, which is now gravel, and that will serve as additional overflow parking.

The project would be paid for through a variety of sources, according to Graney. The district is tapping $608,500 from the donation by Uhl family, who spent summers in Bolton and left an endowment to be spent on the fine arts.

It is also using $895,000 from fund balance and $318,500 from capital reserve funds.

The remaining amount of $7,248,000 would be bonded. The bond payment would add about 26 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to residents tax bills. For an average home assessed at $300,000, it would add $78 per year to the tax rate.

The goal would be to complete the project in time to hold the Class of 2019 graduation in the new auditorium, Graney said.

Some residents have expressed concerns about the project. Julie Beers said she believes that the scope of the work is too broad.

It would be fine if they just wanted to remodel the bus garage and fix up the technology room and do what is really needed, she said.

Graney said the district wants to increase opportunities for students.

STEM and STEAM didnt exist back then other than a stove and a teapot, Graney said. Education has changed. Were trying to make the best decision for kids and our community.
QUEENSBURY  A New York City man was jailed Friday after police received a call about suspicious activity in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store in Queensbury and seized a quantity of crack cocaine, authorities said.

The Warren County Sheriff's Office arrested Craig A. Webster, 32, of Manhattan for allegedly possessing crack with intent to sell in the parking lot of Wal-Mart on Quaker Ridge Road, officials said.

He was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony, arraigned and sent to Warren County Jail for lack of bail.

The Sheriff's Office Narcotics Enforcement Unit made the arrest, assisted by the Patrol Division.
QUEENSBURY  A Queensbury man was charged with felony driving while intoxicated after a traffic stop early Sunday in Queensbury, police records show.

Benjamin J. Rosenthal, 26, was arrested after he was stopped on Luzerne Road just before 2:30 a.m., according to the State Police public information website.

He has a prior DWI conviction, which resulted in the charge filed Sunday being upgraded to a felony. Prior media reports show he was arrested in Lake George in 2011 after a one-vehicle crash on Stone Schoolhouse Road.

Rosenthal was released pending prosecution in Queensbury Town Court.
Store staff determined the bill was fake after she left, and Cummings was arrested the next day after she passed another fake $100 bill at a business in Colonie, the Sheriff's Office said in a news release. That led to police linking her to the Queensbury case as well, and she was brought to Queensbury Town Court on Monday to be charged, police said.
QUEENSBURY  The Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court is allowing a construction workers injury lawsuit against the Queensbury school district to proceed, reversing a lower court ruling.

The lawsuit concerns an incident that occurred on Feb. 10, 2011. John C. Hall Jr., who was employed as a plumber and pipefitter with Collette Mechanical Inc., was working on a heating renovation project at the district.

Hall was walking down a staircase into the basement of a building where Collette stored its tools, when he fell and fractured his right femur. He required surgery for his injuries.

Hall filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court of Warren County against the school district, alleging negligence. He claimed the stairwell was insufficiently lit, according to the court decision.

District officials responded that employees from the districts maintenance and technology department responded to the scene and said they did not have any difficulty seeing in the stairwell and said the plaintiff told them he was not sure of the precise cause of his fall. They said they had not received any complaints about the adequacy of the lighting in the stairwell.

Warren County Supreme Court Justice David Krogmann on Sept. 30, 2015 granted a motion by the district for summary judgment to dismiss the complaint. Hall appealed the decision.

Both parties argued the case on Jan. 10 before a three-judge panel. In a decision dated Feb. 23, the Appellate Division said Hall had raised issues of fact that should have been resolved at trial.

A co-worker of the plaintiff said a light at the bottom of the stairwell was not working, and he could not tell when he reached the bottom. He noticed that there was no bulb in the light fixture at the bottom of the stairs when he was working in the area the day before the accident, according to the decision.

While the affidavit of plaintiffs co-worker was contradicted by other evidence in the record, such contradictions presented credibility determinations, which Supreme Court should have left to be resolved by the trier of fact, the Appellate Division wrote.

The motion to dismiss has been reversed, so now the matter can proceed to trial.

Halls attorney, Joseph Brennan, did not return a message left for comment on Monday.

Queensbury Superintendent Douglas Huntley was out of the office and could not be reached for comment.
The cousins who proposed a large center for delinquent youths at Camp Hebron are back with a smaller proposal.

They are buying two houses, one in Jackson and one in Salem, and plan to house 12 teenagers in each location. They will present details to the Jackson Town Board at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Cambridge American Legion, 2106 Route 22.

Local school officials and the commissioner of the Washington County Department of Social Services will be in attendance, hoping to learn more about the project, dubbed the Brand New Beginnings Youth Center. Organizer Jesse Brand kept the details to a minimum prior to the presentation.

My legal team and my board dont want me to talk in advance, Brand said. I think its important the people hear from my mouth first.

He added that the presentation is just a courtesy.

Its more of an informative meeting. Im just letting people know what were doing, he said.

Because both towns do not have zoning, theres not really an option of rejecting their project, he said.

Jackson Supervisor Jay Skellie conceded that was true.

If all the permits are in place, theres nothing we can say, he said. These places are needed, and everybody wants them, but nobody wants it in their backyard.

Brand must get a license from the state, which will do regular inspections. He began applying five years ago and has completed most of that process, according to the state.

He was criticized last year after a presentation that some felt was disorganized. Tammy DeLorme, the county Department of Social Services commissioner, said the project wasnt thoroughly developed.

This presentation will be better, he said.

The one is a lot more in-depth, he promised.

The new plan also responds to one major concern: His original proposal would have placed 50 teenagers in the Salem high school. The ninth through twelfth grades have about 150 students now, so adding 50 would have been a tremendous change. School officials said they were worried the 25 percent increase in enrollment, made up of students with serious behavior problems, could change the culture of the school.

The new project would place 12 teenage girls in Salem and 12 teenage boys in the Cambridge high school.

The teenagers would be placed at the Brands center because of drug or alcohol addiction, aggressive sexual behavior or fire-starting.

That would be a challenging group of students, said Cambridge Superintendent Vincent Canini.

He met with Brand recently and tried to hammer out a plan for the students, but he walked away feeling as though he had no answers.

We had multiple questions and it was a non-answer to everything, he said.

Among the issues: The school district once before allowed a student to attend with an aide that was not hired by the school. That aide was discovered taking inappropriate actions with a student, Canini said.

So Canini told Brand he couldnt send students to school with their own aides.

He said hed have someone follow them. We dont allow that anymore. Wed have to hire someone, he said. My biggest concern would be the fire-starters. If they asked to go to the bathroom, theyd need to be supervised.

That expense would probably not be reimbursable, he said. Each school district must pay for regular education costs for their students while they attend a different school district, but only certain costs can be charged to the home district.

He also asked Brand about plans regarding the students grade levels.

Theyre probably 16, 17 years old, still in ninth grade. Thats the type of thing he couldnt answer, Canini said. If they all come in ninth grade, wed probably do something special for those students. But they would probably all fall in different ranges.

Without that level of detail, which Brand might not know until teenagers are placed at his facilities, Canini said it is difficult to make plans.

I tried to describe it to him as, its like he already had the party and now we have to clean up his mess, he said. He never involved the schools to see how to make it work.
GLENS FALLS  Educators call it a teachable moment, and it can happen at any time in almost any place.

In this case it happened Wednesday night, at the very end of the American Legions speaker series on World War II.

The topic had been the experiences of three local women who had been in Nazi-occupied Europe during the war. Students from Elizabeth Straders government class at Glens Falls High School had interviewed them and presented their stories and many others  as well as veterans and senior citizens  were there to hear the stories.

As the event came to an end, students Brooke Boucher and Destinni Combs were talking to one of the women, Susanna Schuster Canavan, a German, whose family suffered during the war.

Canavan spoke of coming to America and her horror of finding out about the Holocaust and the Nazis murder of Jews and others. Her family was not impacted, but at the same time, she knew nothing about it, she said.

You didnt know about the camps during the war? one of the high school seniors asked, the other silent and wide-eyed.

No, Canavan replied. Where we were, we knew nothing about that.

The two girls looked at each other, shook their heads and talked about just how unbelievable that was, how surprised they were that could happen.

After a short silence, the conversation began anew, on another topic.

Telling the stories

Student Patricia Blair told Canavans story to the crowd of more than 100 people, using the womans own words and beginning with, Life was beautiful until one day when I got to school, the Nazis were there.

Blair told of Canavans stories of rationing and shortages until we were liberated by the Americans.

Canavans admiration for the U.S. military was clear.

The soldiers were very good to us, Blair read. Thank God for the U.S. Army.

A compelling tale

One of the women chose to tell her story herself, and it was a long and detailed one.

Gunta Krasts Voutyras, who was born in Latvia, told of being taken from her home country and moved around Germany during the war.

Voutyras read five single-spaced, typewritten pages, telling of a childhood that stretched from Latvia to Redwitz in southern Germany. Her father was conscripted into the German army, and she and the rest of her family were forced to live in miserable conditions in a long bunkhouse.

Unlike many others, the Latvians faced two enemies, the Soviets and the Germans, but in the end, she wound up with the Americans.

When it became clear the war was ending and the Americans were going to be the first to reach us...the Nazi soldiers simply disappeared from the village, she said. We moved to an old, dilapidated cave out in the hillside.

One evening, she and the others heard a new noise, and knew it was a tank. Being curious, she went out to see whose tank it was.

That beautiful, marvelous white star was on the side of the tank, she said. It was the Americans.

A third local woman, Pierrette Pia Baldwin, who spent the war in France under German occupation, was unable to come because of a family emergency. Baldwin moved to the region in 1954 and opened Chez Pierre restaurant with her husband.

Also in the audience was Linda Kimmerly, one of Warren Countys three Gold Star mothers. Her son, Kevin, a staff sergeant, was killed in Iraq in 2003.

One of the audience members of audience was Henry Gurney of Whitehall, who was a private at Omaha Beach during the invasion of Normandy.
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A few weeks before Trump took office as President, he cancelled construction of the nearly-finished building in Baku to avoid potential conflicts of interest even though the construction was in its final stages. Last June, The Washington Post reported that the hotel had plastic-wrapped reception desks in the lobby.
Senior administration officials highlighted those points in the hour before President Trump signed the new order on Monday. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions also held brief remarks about the revised travel ban.

The major differences are as follows.

1. Iraq is removed from the list.

The new order singles out Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, and Libya. Citizens from those nations will be exposed to the 90-day hold on issuances of visas, just as they were in the original order that Trump signed in late January. Iraq, however, which appeared on the first list, has been removed.

During the Monday press call, a Homeland Security official said this was because the Iraqi government agreed to provide the US with additional information about its citizens.

"Iraq is no longer one of those countries because we have received firm commitments from the government of Iraq over the last several weeks since the first executive order was issued about increased cooperation with the United States in terms of information sharing," the Homeland Security official said. "We have received adequate assurance from the government of Iraq that we will be able to do the kind of vetting a screening of its nationals that the president of the United States has directed."

2. Existing visa holders will not be subjected to the ban.

The original order's failure to distinguish a position on existing visa holders from those countries led to mass chaos at airports immediately after its implementation. Kelly, the secretary of homeland security, said soon after its implementation that green-card holders would not be affected by the travel ban.

This time, existing visa holders are exempt from the beginning. The 90-day period applies to citizens of those six nations seeking new visas.

3. Religious minorities are no longer given preferential treatment.

The new travel ban will not give preferential treatment to religious minorities, such as Syrian Christians, applying as refugees.

That provision had given critics reason to believe that the initial order was intended to serve as a de facto "Muslim ban," something Trump had touted along the campaign trail, though he wavered from it at times.

4. Syrian refugees are no longer singled out.

The new order retains a 120-day ban on entry to the US by all refugees, but that group now also includes Syrian refugees, who were previously facing an indefinite ban on entry into the US.

5. The rollout will occur in 10 days.

Instead of being implemented immediately, the new executive order will take effect March 16, giving the government a full 10 days to adjust and prepare.

"You should not see any chaos, so to speak, or alleged chaos, at airports," a Homeland Security official said in the press call, later adding, "There aren't going to be folks stopped tonight from coming into the country pursuant to this executive order."

That position runs contrary to what Trump tweeted once a federal judge placed a nationwide stay on the original order.

"If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the 'bad' would rush into our country during that week," he wrote. "A lot of bad 'dudes' out there!"

Reaction

In remarks to the press after Trump's signing of the order, Sessions said the goal of the order was "to protect the American people as well as lawful immigrants."

"The US has a right to control who enters our country and to keep out those who would do us harm," he said, claiming that the FBI was conducting 300 terrorism-related investigations into refugees.

Senior officials on the press call earlier refused to answer which countries those refugees came to the US from, making it unclear whether those refugees were from the nations included in the ban.

"With this order, President Trump is exercising his rightful authority to keep our people safe," Tillerson said in his remarks.

Democrats remained steadfast in opposition to the order.

"Trump's obsession with religious discrimination is disgusting, un-American, and outright dangerous," Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez said in a statement. "Don't be fooled  he promised again and again during his campaign that he would single out and persecute a specific religious group, and that's exactly what he's trying to do now."

And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the "watered-down ban is still a ban."

"Despite the administration's changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited, and un-American," the New York Democrat said. "It must be repealed."
The missiles sputtered out, landing in the waters close to Japan's coast without doing any damage, and the US and South Korea quickly responded by agreeing to deploy one of the world's best missile defense systems, the Terminal High-Altitude Air Defense.

After a February 12 missile test, which demonstrated its own scarily improved capabilities, Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said that the launch posed a "grave threat to our national security," but that the US was "capable of defending against a North Korean ballistic missile attack."

But experts have repeatedly told Business Insider that even the greatest missile defenses don't offer complete protection from North Korea's ballistic missiles, and as North Korea refuses to play by the West's rules, missile defense becomes increasingly irrelevant.

What North Korea demonstrated on Sunday was a salvo fire, which intends to overwhelm missile defenses with a volume of missiles. North Korea could launch hundreds of missiles from mobile launchers hidden across the country at any given moment. Some of them could be decoys. Some of them could be long-range missiles lofted higher away from earth to reenter the atmosphere at speeds no interceptor missile could hope to match.

North Korea's submarine could sail beyond the range of US and allied defenses and launch a nuke from the high seas. In short, missile defenses can be fooled, and North Korea showed on Sunday it doesn't intend to be outfoxed.

Even with the US's THAAD deployed and with constant monitoring, Kelsey Davenport, the director of nonproliferation at the Arms Control Association, told Business Insider that missile defense isn't a good enough response to North Korea's missile tests  diplomatic engagement is needed.

"The major issue with relying on the missile defense system is capacity," Ian Williams, associate director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Business Insider.

Davenport said: "Missile defense is not a surefire way to negate the threat posed by another country's nuclear-capable ballistic missiles."

The US has 25,000 troops deployed to South Korea and more than 50,000 in Japan. Seoul, South Korea's exposed capital city, is home to 10 million civilians. No missile defense system on the planet can guarantee the safety of every one of these people.

The US just doesn't "have enough interceptors to sit and play catch with everything that North Korea can throw," Williams said. "US and allied missile defenses could likely absorb a first wave, but there would need to be coordination with strike forces to start knocking out North Korea's missiles out before they could be launched."

The second major issue, according to Williams, is coverage. The US uses multiple layers of missile defense systems like Patriot missile-defense batteries and guided-missile destroyer ships, but they provide uneven coverage in the region.

Even Abel Romero , the director of government relations at the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, told Business Insider that missile defense is not "solely the answer" to stopping threats from North Korea. China and Russia have missiles that can reach the US in less than 30 minutes, defeat all existing missile defenses, and target up to 10 separate locations with individual warheads, but no one in the US looks to defend against such attacks, according to Romero.

"As of right now, I've never heard anyone come out and say we need to build a missile defense system to defend us from Russia and China," said Romero.
Speaking at a Dinner and Awards Night programme organised by the Insurance Institute of Ghana, the Commissioner of the NIC Madam Lariba Bawa the country is losing millions of cedis.

Even though the insurance Act requires all goods being imported into the country to be insured by Ghanaian Insurance Companies some practices of the Ghana Revenue Authority make it almost impossible to enforce this provision.

She said the Ghanaian practice is different from what other African countries do.

Unlike countries like Nigeria and Kenya where all imported goods are insured locally, the situation in Ghana is such that a very small proportion of imported goods are actually insured in Ghana.

READ ALSO: Seth Terkper justifies imposing high taxes

Apart from being a gross violation of the Insurance Act it also robs the insurance industry of a significant source of income thereby hindering growth and profitability."

She, therefore, appealed to the Ministry of Finance to help remove the challenges that hinder insurance companies from insuring imported goods.
Mr. Mahama was among the dignitaries who graced the Ghana at 60 celebrations which was held at the Black Stars Square.

He was looking classy in his Ghana@ 60 cloth which was creativity sewn into a long sleeve shirt which he paired with black trousers and shoes.

The 58-year-old politician is among the stylish men in Ghana, who continuously wear African prints to promote the local textile industry.

READ ALSO: 5 reasons why we love Stonebwoy

The fashion options for men are not as dramatic as that of women, who have a wide array of style to choose. This is why men who master the fashion art are so rare.
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The fitness instructor was evicted on the Sunday Eviction show for sexually harassing TBoss.

ALSO READ: Kemen gets disqualified for making sexual moves on TBoss

Who knew that something like this would garner this much attention on a show where almost everything goes?

And yes, many agree that he got what was coming to him but with the attention he is finally getting, we wonder if he really just ruined his career or made it.

Anyways, everyone seems to have an opinion of the situation and all that happened, and not the least is that TBoss may have set Kemen up.

The others are, well, mostly hilarious.

Check out some reactions below.

According to one Ekan Damie, a first-time viewer, "I actually decided to watch on Youtube to see what warranted the eviction since I know immoral acts have actually been condoned on the show before now.

"I totally see nothing wrong with what Kemen did based on the values of the show.

"If they allow the opposite sex to creep into or share bed, I see no reason why touching is not possible. Besides, the lady in question neither cautioned him or complained to Big Brother in any Dairy section.

"And for those questioning my morality, we are talking of an immoral show here, not Project Fame or Ultimate Search.

"So all of you talking about Kemen being immoral on the Big Brother Show, please, what is he to be? A business analyst?

"Silence means consent. if TBoss did not show her displeasure in words or action, the eviction was a huge misconception as the guy put it."

Another big fan of the show, David Que said, "It is now clear to me that this world has really become very decadent.

"How can Payporte and BBA expect any individual to have high morals under the influence of alcohol?

"Many have ended up raping women because of alcohol, many get into fights, many express suppressed feelings that have been locked up inside. Many sleep in gutters, bare floors,

"Some can't even ask a woman out until they are intoxicated. Given the same opportunity, many will choose differently if they weren't intoxicated. BB Naija is such a waste of valuable time."

Another, Femi Adelaja said, "The organizers are a disgrace and are insincere maggots. How can they be talking about morals when they allow housemates sleep together, where is the morals there?

"Yes, Kemen was creepy, which I am totally against but if TBoss had real issues with it, they would have settled it amicably."

"Though I don't like Kemen, this was totally unfair to him. I mean, they are adults who can resolve this thing amicably," Said another fan.

The list goes on and on, but then, everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

We would like to know what you think about Kemen's eviction and the issue of morality in the Big Brother house.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Payporte, an official sponsor of the reality show, released a statement on social media network, Instagram, condemning Kemen's actions.

The statement reads: An official statement from Payporte on the incident between Kemen and TBoss:

Hello everyone, based on last nights footage of Kemen making sexual moves on TBoss which sparked a large outrage, we will like to make our stance known on this matter.

Payporte is strongly against sexual harassment and perversion and we strongly condemn Kemens actions.

We believe individuals whether under influence of alcohol or being sober, should have morals.
"I am not against telling stories, but I am against glorifying criminals and showing drug trafficking as glamorous. This confuses youths,"Sebastian Marroquin, who changed his name from Juan Pablo Escobar after his father's death, told the Spanish newspaper El Periodico.

"I receive tonnes of messages from youths asking for help to be like my dad. They want to be that criminal, they send me photos dressed up like him, with his moustache, his hairstyle," Marroquin added.

"Series about narcos have turned my father into a hero and given young people the idea that it is cool to be a drug trafficker."

Marroquin, 39, made headlines last year when he took to Facebook to list 28 inaccuracies in Netflix's popular series about his father and called the show "insulting".

He told El Periodico that he offered the producers of the series access to his family's personal archives, including letters written by his father and never before released videos, but they said they were not interested.

"They preferred inventions by some scriptwriters in California to the truth from those who suffered this story in the flesh," Marroquin told the newspaper.

Colombian television station Caracol TV has also come out with a series about Escobar and several movies are in the works.

Escobar headed the world's leading cocaine cartel in the 1980s. He fought extradition to the United States with a violent campaign in Colombia, ordering bombings and the kidnapping and killing of politicians, judges and journalists who got in his way.

Marroquin was 16 when his father was shot to death in 1993 by Colombian police.

He rebuilt his life in Argentina after Escobar was gunned down, re-emerging as a guilt-ridden public speaker determined to make amends for his father's role in the drug war that racked Colombia.
The president did this before heading to the Independence Square for the national parade which was held on the same day.

He revealed this when he when he delivered his speech at the Independence Square. He mentioned that many leading figures of faith in Ghana support this idea.

I am happy to announce that on my way to these grounds, Independence Square, I stopped to perform a very important duty. I have this morning cut the sod for the commencement of the building of a national cathedral of interdenominational worship in our capital, Accra, which is supported by many of our leading figures of faith.

It is meant to be a gesture of thanksgiving to the Almighty for the blessings he has showered and continues to shower on our nation.

Christians in Ghana belong to various denominations. The country has few interdenominational churches nationwide.
iStock/Thinkstock(JERUSALEM) -- While President Trump has backed away from moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a ranking Republican Congressman visited the country Sunday, pushing for the controversial move.



Ron DeSantis, the chair of the Subcommittee on National Security, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and toured four possible sites for the embassy relocation, including the two current U.S. consulates in West Jerusalem.



DeSantis did not meet with Palestinian leaders, who warn the move will destroy the chances for peace.



Speaking to ABC News, the Florida Republican said he believes Trump will move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.



"I thought it was important that the committee come out here and look at some of these proposed embassy sites because given President's Trump, Trump's position in the campaign, I think it's unlikely, if I had to bet, that he's going to sign another waver," DeSantis said.



That waver expires in May and without it, a 1995 law passed by Congress to relocate the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem would go into effect.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
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Mondays parade at the Independence Square comprised of officers from the security agencies, teachers and pupils drawn from schools in the Greater Accra region.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said Ghana has not attained economic freedom 60 years after its independence, contrary to what its founding fathers had desired.

READ MORE: Major roads in Accra closed for Independence Day

Akufo-Addo at Ghanas 60th Independence Day anniversary at the Black Star Square in Accra on 6 March said "At independence, the popular slogan was to seek first the political kingdom and all other things would be added. We assumed and, indeed, we expected that rapid economic development would follow the political freedom that we achieved. Sadly, the economic dividend that was meant to accompany our freedom has still not materialised.

"Sixty years after those heady days, too many of our people continue to wallow in unacceptable poverty. After 60 years, we have run out of excuses and it is time to set Ghana to rights and get our country to where it should be. The challenge before us is to build our economy and generate a prosperous, progressive, and dignified life for the mass of our people. Hard work, enterprise, creativity and a consistent fight against corruption in public life would bring the transformation we seek."

The President paid glowing homage to the nation's fallen heroes such as first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, D.J. Danquah, poet Akpaloo, and E. T. Mensah.

Read full speech here:
No vehicle would be allowed to park at unauthorised places or drive through these road blockages. Security vehicles and vehicles carrying dignitaries would be allowed after through checks, a statement released Sunday by the Motor Transport and Traffic Department of the Police said.

Towing cars would be available to tow any abandoned disabled or wrongly parked vehicles at the event grounds and owners surcharged, the statement added.

The roads expected to be closed on March 6 are published below.

28th February Road from the CEPS Headquarters to Castle Road Junction

Osu Cemetery Traffic Light on the Lokko Street

Castle Road from AU Circle to Osu Cemetery Traffic Light

Starlet 95 Road will be closed at the Ministries Traffic Light Intersection

Traffic Diversions

The following traffic diversions were also announced:

Traffic from the 28th February Road emanating from La, Labone, and Osu heading towards the Central Business District will be diverted unto the Salem Avenue at the Castle Traffic Light to link up with the Oxford Street.

Traffic from John Evans Atta Mills High Street towards Black Star Square shall be diverted unto the Liberia Road at the CEPS Headquarters traffic light towards the National Theatre Traffic Lights Intersection

Motorists from Lokko Street towards the Castle Road should use Ajumaku Street and Oxford Street

Traffic from AU Circle towards the Castle Road through Osu Cemetery Traffic Light shall be diverted unto the Abdul Diouf and King Hassan Roads to link with Gamal Abdul Nasser Road in front of Ghana Institute of Journalism.

The statement further indicated that vehicles with appropriate anniversary embossed with stickers such as Red, Gold and Green will be allowed to park at the Black Star Square arena.

Car parks

The following areas have also been earmarked for car parking at the event:

The forecourt of the State House

The International Conference Centre

Access Bank car park

The Osu Cemetery car park

The Accra Sports Stadium car park
The parade is being held at the Black Star Square.

The parade inspection was preceded by traditional, Islamic and Christian prayers.

Foreign heads of state in attendance are the Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe.

Others in attendance are former presidents Jerry John Rawlings, Kufuor and John Mahama. Former first ladies Nana Kunadu Rawlings and Lordina Mahama are also in attendance.

Shortly after the parade, the president lit the perpetual flame and the "Ghana @60 on" relay torch.

It was then given to iconic boxer Asumah Nelson who will hand it over to the Greater Accra Regional Minister.

It will go to all regional capitals.
The police have beefed up security around the restaurant, fearing another attack.

Last week, the Abelemkpe branch manager, Jihad Chaaban, dipped the face of a Ghanaina worked called Evelyn Boakye into a blended pepper.

Mr Chaaban has apologised to her in a letter seen by Pulse.com.gh.

The apology follows his suspension as the Branch Manager of Marwako Fast Food.

"I wish personally to sincerely apologise to you for the incident on the night of 26 February 2017 at our Ablenkpe place of work, he said in a letter.

He continued: "True to God, all I sought to do was to point you to something I found wrong. I admit I was angry a bit at the moment and saw you panic and accidentally resulting in the pepper splashing onto your face.

"I very sincerely regret the incident and apologise to you.

In the letter, Mr Chabban said he harbors no hatred against the victim who has been identified as Evelyn Boakye.

He said: "Please dont feel I have any hatred for you because you got the police to arrest me and I have to face prosecution and disciplinary proceedings at the same time.

"I also regret that you may have felt the transport money I gave you was intended to stop you from taking any action.

"I take my suspension in good faith because of what happened, which has not only hurt you but also brought such embarrassment to the company we both gave our best to give it the excellent reputation it enjoys.

The management of Marwako suspended him after a massive social media campaign for Ghanaians to boycott the services of the restaurant.

In a statement signed by its Chief Executive Officer, Alhaji Marwan Mohammed, Marwako said it regret the incident, adding that "the branch supervisor at the centre of the unfortunate development has since been suspended, without prejudice, pending investigations and disciplinary sanctions over the alleged act."

READ MORE: Senior MP outraged by assault on Ghanaian workers by foreign employers

There have been numerous incidents of abuse of Ghanaians in foreign-owned businesses.
Philippians 4:19 in the bible reads, And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

At a post-budget hearing event, the finance minister noted: I thank you, honorable members, for the somewhat fire baptism you gave me in the house during the budget reading.

"I remember when the minority raised the placards and I saw 419 budget, it reminded me of the Bible; Philippians 4:19 and that gave me strength. And I was like these people dont know what they are doing.

A day after the budget reading, the Minority delivered a prompt response, saying it is full of deception as well as broken promises.

"The Finance Minister failed to outline clear policies to address this important issue afflicting the Ghanaian economy today i.e. -the near-uncontrollable fall of the Ghana Cedi which is now considered the worst-performing currency in the world. This is especially regrettable in view of the stability the Ghana cedi enjoyed in the 2016 fiscal year under the NDCs agenda for transformation," the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said.

He added: "Again this is regrettable because this budget stifles exports and stimulates imports. A situation which will impact negatively on the manufacturing sector, industries as a whole, accelerated job creation and a stable currency."

President Nana Akufo-Addo's maiden budget saw the reduction and abolishing of numerous "nuisance tax."

But Mr Iddrisu held that the president's failure to reduce the corporate tax from 25 to 20 percent, reduce electricity tariffs and pay arrears owed contractors within 100 days "can only mean a betrayal of the trust" of Ghanaians.
According to the president, they equally fought hard for our cultural integrity and the identification of who we are as Ghanaians.

He paid homage to Ephraim Amu, the composer of the famous Yen Ara Asase Ne, Philip Gbeho, the composer of our National Anthem, Theodosia Okoh, the designer of our national flag, Apaloo, the poet who immortalised the philosophy and music of the Ewe language among others.

He said: "I pay homage to Ephraim Amu, Tata Amu as he was fondly called. He was the composer of what easily passes as our unofficial National Anthem, Yen Ara Asase Ne. Is there a Ghanaian among us today who can sing or hear that song, in whichever language, without being moved?

"Ephraim Amu stood alone, most of the time, against what he saw as cultural domination. You did not have to wear a European-cut suit to be a scholar, you could wear a fugu, kente and above all, a locally woven fabric, and still be an educated person, he argued. He insisted you did not have to eat foreign foods because you were a scholar, and he insisted our music was as interesting and sophisticated as any around the world. Those were radical ideas for the time.

"I pay homage to Philip Gbeho, the composer of our National Anthem, and to Theodosia Okoh, the designer of our national flag. I pay homage to Kofi Antubam, the artist who first put Ghanaian art on the map. I pay homage to Saka Acquaye, the poet, writer, sculptor and musician, who wrote the first African folklore, The Lost Fisherman. I pay tribute to J.A. Braimah, the Gonja scholar and statesman who wrote insightful publications about the Gonja people.

"I pay homage to Apaloo, the poet who immortalised the philosophy and music of the Ewe language. I pay homage to E.T. Mensah, King Bruce, Jerry Hansen and the others who popularised highlife, which has become an enduring identity of Ghanaian music. I pay tribute to the great musicologist, J.H. Nketia, who is the great authority on African music.

"I pay homage to Otumfuo Prempeh I, who waged a heroic, even if unsuccessful, battle against the British and retained his dignity even in exile. I pay homage to Yaa Asantewa, that woman of valour, who led the Ashanti resistance to British imperialism. I pay homage to Nana Ofori-Atta I, who saw the wisdom in investing in the education of the young.

"I pay homage to Professor Alexander Adum Kwapong, the first Ghanaian Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, who became an icon in the development of our educational system.

"I pay homage to Oko Ampofo, sculptor and physician, who encouraged confidence in our traditional arts and medicine. It is thanks to him that herbal medicine became a respectable subject of study and research in our country.
The beauty entrepreneur and CEO/Founder of House Of Tara International is celebrating turning 40.

Tara is having a tea party currently and while she's at it, below are five things about the entrepreneur we're sure you didn't know about.

1. She and TY Bello have been friends since they were 11

According to her, "This girl (TY Bello) right here has been my friend since we were 11 and she 10.

We have a few things in common.

We came to know the Lord at this age and a covenant relationship was created."

2. She loves to mentor and help in the development of young people

She annually hosts a Tara Fela Durotoye (TFD) mentorship series and has shared several success stories from it.

3. She launched a hub against intellectual property theft

The beauty entrepreneur came together with other entrepreneurs across different industries to stand against piracy in Nigeria.

Pulling all resources together, the collective initially launched a viral tease addressing this on social media with short videos before the campaign was launched.

4. The Sound of Music is one of her favourite movies

She took a trip to Salzburg in February this year just to experience the Sound of Music chronicles.

She said of the trip, "I travelled 6 hours to participate in a 4-hour tour. I enjoyed every moment of it. Excited like a child tourists from Japan Australia USA sang loudly on the bus some of our favourite sound of music songs.I will keep the memories close to my heart goodbye Salzburg."

5. Tara was the makeup artiste at RMD and wife Jumobi Adegbesan's society wedding
As Trevor Noah pointed out on Thursday's "Daily Show," allegations that Trump's team has been in "cahoots" with Russia have followed him since the campaign  and Noah did not hold back in mocking the latest news.

"No matter how hard the Trump administration tries, Russia just keeps coming back," Noah said. "I'd say that Russia is Trump's herpes."

The bigger problem for Sessions than the meeting is the fact that he did not disclose it when asked about the Trump campaign's potential meetings with Russia during his confirmation hearings for attorney general. Sessions said he had not met with "the Russians."

"He lied under oath while interviewing to be the guy who prosecutes people for lying under oath," Noah said.

A Justice Department official explained that Sessions simply "did not remember" his meeting with the

"Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!" the "Daily Show" host said. "I'm sorry, that is not a decent excuse. How do Trump's people keep forgetting that they've met with Russians? This is a thing. Let me tell you something: If you meet a Russian, you'll remember that s---."
"I spoke with the president twice yesterday about the wiretap story. I haven't seen him this pissed off in a long time," Ruddy wrote in a column on Sunday for Newsmax, the conservative news site he founded.

"When I mentioned Obama 'denials' about the wiretaps, he shot back: 'This will be investigated, it will all come out. I will be proven right,'" Ruddy added.

In a series of tweets on Saturday, Trump alleged, without providing evidence, that Obama ordered the wiretapping of phones in Trump Tower weeks before the 2016 election. The claim appeared to be inspired from a story on Breitbart, a far-right news site whose former editor is Trump's chief strategist Steve Bannon.

The White House doubled down on the wiretapping allegation on Sunday, calling for Congress to investigate the claim as part of its probe into Russia's meddling in the election.
The April 2 runoff election pits Lenin Moreno, successor to current left-wing President Rafael Correa, against Guillermo Lasso, the right-wing opposition candidate.

The Correa government has hosted Assange in a converted-office apartment in the embassy since June 19, 2012, when he fled bail and requested asylum in Ecuador to avoid extradition to Sweden, which has called for his return in relation to sexual-misconduct allegations.

Welcoming Assange lent Ecuador some of the WikiLeaks founder's cache and gave Correa the sheen of a defender of press freedom at a time when he was assailing the press at home.

But Assange's accommodation may come to an end if Lasso assumes Ecuador's highest office.

"The Ecuadorian people have been paying a cost that we should not have to bear," Lasso told The Guardian during an interview in February. "We will cordially ask Senor Assange to leave within 30 days of assuming a mandate."

Lasso was behind Moreno by several points when he made his initial comments about evicting Assange from the embassy, which came about 10 days before the first round of voting on February 19 (Lasso and another conservative candidate, Cynthia Viteria, both told AFP they would end Assange's asylum if they won).

Since then, he has taken lead, with one late-February poll giving him a 52.1 to 47.2% advantage over Moreno, though 19% of respondents in that poll were undecided.

In the days after that poll was taken, Lasso also qualified his stance on Assange.

"We will ask Mr. Assange, very politely, to leave our embassy, in absolute compliance with international conventions and protocols," he told the Miami Herald by email earlier this month. But, he said, "we vow to take all steps necessary so that another embassy will take him in and protect his rights."

Lasso also noted that Assange said he would agree to US extradition if President Barack Obama gave Chelsea Manning  the former US soldier who leaked hundreds of thousands of cables to WikiLeaks in 2010 and was subsequently sentenced to 35 years in a US prison  clemency.

Prior to leaving office, Obama commuted Manning's sentence, granting her release on May 17.

Assange has said that commutation is not a pardon and remains in the embassy (Manning is a transgender woman, and in this election Ecuador allowed people to vote according to their chosen gender for the first time).

As polarizing a figure as Assange has been, his presence in Ecuador's embassy is just one of many issues that could influence voters when they head to the polls on April 2.

The Odebrecht graft scandal  related to millions of dollars paid out in bribes by a Brazilian multinational firm of the same name  has implicated officials from around the region.

Several current and former officials at Petroecuador, the country's state-run oil firm, are wanted on bribery and money-laundering charges in relation to Odebrecht contracts. When the offenses in question allegedly took place, current Vice President Jorge Glas, who is Moreno's running mate, was in charge of Petroecuador.

For his part, Lasso, a former banker  an unpopular profession in Ecuador  was a presidential-cabinet member during a financial meltdown in the late 1990s that ruined savings and led many to leave the country, though he has dismissed efforts to tie him to that calamity.

While Correa has been praised for the economic boom Ecuador experienced during his 10 years in office, the country faces a uncertain outlook. The country's economy shrank 1.7% in 2016  a contraction brought about by the ongoing slump in oil prices.

Many in the country have grown tired of Correa and worry his grip on power has abetted corruption.

Correa's government was able to stave off the deeper oil-related economic crises that have afflicted other countries in the region  in part by taking on large amounts of debt that forestalled cuts to popular social programs and layoffs of public-sector workers.

The next president may have to pursue unpopular measures, like tax hikes or budget cuts, that would alienate Ecuadorians in response to that mounting debt.

In that environment, Moreno  whose predecessor cut Assange's internet access in the weeks before the US presidential election over WikiLeaks' distribution of Hillary Clinton's staffers' emails  may adopt a more hostile stance toward the WikiLeaks founder's presence.

Asked about Assange's possible impact on the first round of presidential voting  which Moreno won 39% to Lasso's 28% but fell just short of the 40% margin needed to win outright  Lasso said little.
The 45th president has signed 34 executive actions so far, with far-reaching effects on Americans' lives.

While many of them have been billed as executive orders in the popular vernacular, most of them were technically presidential memoranda or proclamations.

The three types of executive actions have different authority and effects, with executive orders holding the most prestige:

Executive orders are assigned numbers and published in the federal register, similar to laws passed by Congress, and typically direct members of the executive branch to follow a new policy or directive. Trump has issued 16 orders.

Presidential memoranda do not have to be published or numbered (though they can be), and usually delegate tasks that Congress has already assigned the president to members of the executive branch. Trump has issued 13 memoranda.

Finally, while some proclamations  like President Abraham Lincoln's emancipation proclamation  have carried enormous weight, most are ceremonial observances of federal holidays or awareness months. Trump has issued five proclamations.

Scholars have typically used the number of executive orders per term to measure how much presidents have exercised their power. George Washington only signed eight his entire time in office, according to the American Presidency Project, while FDR penned over 3,700.

In his two terms, President Barack Obama issued 277 executive orders, a total number on par with his modern predecessors, but the lowest per year average in 120 years. Trump, so far, has signed 16 executive orders in 45 days.

Heres a quick guide to the executive actions Trump has made so far, what they do, and how Americans have reacted to them:

Executive Order, March 6: A new travel ban

Trump's second go at his controversial travel order bans people from

Existing visa holders will not be subjected to the ban, and religious minorities will no longer get preferential treatment  two details critics took particular issue with in the first ban. The new order removed Iraq from the list of countries, and changed excluding just Syrian refugees to preventing all refugees from entering the US.

Democrats denounced the new order, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer saying the "watered-down ban is still a ban," and Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez saying "Trump's obsession with religious discrimination is disgusting, un-American, and outright dangerous."

Read the full text of the order here 

Presidential Memorandum, March 6: Guidance for agencies to implement the new travel ban

This memo instructs the State Department, the Justice Department, and the Department of Homeland Security how to implement Trump's new travel ban.

It directs the three department heads to enhance the vetting of visa applicants and other immigrants trying to enter the US as they see fit, to release how many visa applicants there were by country, and to submit a report in 180 days detailing the long-term costs of the

Read the full text of the memorandum here 

3 Presidential proclamations, March 1: National months for women, the American Red Cross, and Irish-Americans

The president proclaimed March 2017 Women's History Month, American Red Cross Month, and Irish-American Heritage Month.

Read the full text of the women's history proclamation here 

And the Red Cross proclamation here 

And the Irish-American proclamation here 

Executive Order, February 28: Promoting Historically Black Colleges and Universities

This order established the

Read the full text of the order here 

Executive Order, February 28: Reviewing the 'Waters of the United States' rule

The order directed federal agencies to revise the Clean Water Rule, a major regulation Obama issued in 2015 to clarify what areas are federally protected under the Clean Water Act.

Trump's EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt called the rule "the greatest blow to private property rights the modern era has seen," in 2015, and led a multi-state lawsuit against it while he was Oklahoma's attorney general.

David J. Cooper, an ecologist at Colorado State University, cautioned that repealing the rule wouldn't settle the confusion about what the federal government can protect under the Clean Water Act, or where.

Read the full text of the order here 

Executive Order, February 24: Enforcing regulatory reform

This order creates Regulator Reform Officers within each federal agency who will comb through existing regulations and recommend which ones the administration should repeal. It directs the officers to focus on eliminating regulations that prevent job creation, are outdated, unnecessary, or cost too much.

The act doubles down on Trump's plan to cut government regulations he says are hampering businesses, but opponents insist are necessary to protect people and the environment. L

Read the full text of the order here 

Executive Order, February 9: Changing the order of succession in the Department of Justice

This order enacted a line of succession to lead the US Department of Justice if the attorney general, deputy attorney general, or associate attorney general die, resign, or are otherwise unable to carry on their duties. In order, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, the US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and then the US Attorney for the Western District of Missouri will be next in line.

The action reverses an order Obama signed days before leaving office. After Trump fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates for refusing to enforce his first travel ban, he appointed

Read the full text of the order here 

Executive Order, February 9: Combating criminal organizations

The order is intended to "thwart" criminal organizations, including "

The action directs law enforcement to apprehend and prosecute citizens, and deport non-citizens involved in criminal activities including "the illegal smuggling and trafficking of humans, drugs or other substances, wildlife, and weapons," "corruption, cybercrime, fraud, financial crimes, and intellectual-property theft," and money laundering

The Secretary of State, Attorney General, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Director of National Intelligence will co-chair a

It also instructs the co-chairs to present the president with a report within 120 days outlining the penetration of criminal organizations into the United States, and recommendations for how to eradicate them.

Read the full text of the order here 

Executive Order, February 9: Reducing crime

Following up on his promise to restore "law and order" in America, Trump signed an executive order intended to reduce violent crime in the US, and "comprehensively address illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and violent crime."

The action directs Attorney General Jeff Sessions to assemble a task force in order to identify new strategies and laws to reduce crime, and to evaluate how well crime data is being collected and leveraged across the country.

Trump has come under fire recently for claiming the national murder rate was at an all-time high, when it has in fact dropped to one of the lowest rates ever, with 2015 merely experiencing a slight uptick from the previous year.

Read the full text of the order here 

Executive Order, February 9: Protecting law enforcement

The order seeks to create new laws that will protect law enforcement, and increase the penalties for crimes committed against them.

It also directs the attorney general to review existing federal grant funding programs to law enforcement agencies, and recommend changes to the programs if they don't adequately protect law enforcement.

The action is likely in response to multiple high-profile police killings over the past year, including a sniper attack that killed five Dallas police officers in July.

Read the full text of the order here 

Executive Order, February 3: Reviewing Wall Street regulations

Trump signed two actions on Friday that could end up rewriting regulations in the financial industry that Obama and Congress put in place after the 2008 financial crisis.

The executive order sets "Core Principles" of financial regulation declaring that Trump's administration seeks to empower Americans to make their own financial decisions, prevent taxpayer-funded bailouts, and reduce regulations on Wall Street so US companies can compete globally.

It also directs the Secretary of Treasury to review existing regulations on the financial system, determine whether the Core Principles are being met, and report back to the President in 120 days.

Experts worry that loosening regulations could roll back the Obama administration's landmark consumer protection reform bill, Dodd-Frank, aimed at reducing risk in the financial system. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the progressive darling from , led the charge decrying the actions.

Read the full text of the order here 

Presidential Memorandum, February 3: Reviewing the fiduciary duty rule

The memorandum directs the Labor Secretary to review the "fiduciary rule," another Obama-era law

Presidential proclamation, February 2: American Heart Month

This ceremonial proclamation

Executive Order, January 30: For every new regulation proposed, repeal two existing ones

The order states that for every one regulation the executive branch proposes, two must be identified to repeal. It also caps the spending on new regulations for 2017 at $0.

Some environmental groups expressed concern that the order could undo regulations put in place to protect natural resources.

Read the full text here 

Executive Order, January 28: Drain the swamp

The order requires appointees to every executive agency to sign an ethics pledge saying they will never lobby a foreign government and that they won't do any other lobbying for five years after they leave government.

But it also loosened some ethics restrictions that Obama put in place, decreasing the number of years executive branch employees had to wait since they had last been lobbyists from two years to one.

Read the full text here 

Presidential Memorandum, January 28: Reorganizing the National and Homeland Security Councils

Read the full text here 

Presidential Memorandum, January 28: Defeating ISIS

Making a point to use the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism" (something Trump criticized Obama for on the campaign trail), Trump directed his administration "

Read the full text here 

Executive Order, January 27: Immigration ban

In Trump's most controversial executive action yet, he temporarily barred people from majority-Muslim Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen from entering the country for 90 days, and Syrians from entering until he decides otherwise.

Federal judges in several states declared the order unconstitutional, releasing hundreds of people who were stuck at US airports in limbo. The White House continues to defend the action, insisting it was "not about religion" but about "protecting our own citizens and border."

Tens of thousands of people protested the action in cities and airports across the US, company executives came out against the order, and top Republicans split with their president to criticize Trump's approach.

Read the full text here 

UPDATE: Since the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down this order on February 9, Trump issued a new order intended to replace this one on March 6.

Presidential Memorandum, January 27: 'Rebuilding' the military

This action directed

Read the full text here 

Presidential proclamation, January 26: National School Choice Week

Trump proclaimed January 22 through January 28, 2017 as National School Choice Week.

The ceremonial move aimed to encourage people to demand school-voucher programs and charter schools, of which Trump's Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos is a vocal supporter. Meanwhile, opponents argue that the programs weaken public schools and fund private schools at taxpayers' expense.

Read the full text here 

Executive Order, January 25: Build the wall

Trump outlined his intentions to build a wall along the US border with Mexico, one of his main campaign promises.

The order also directs the immediate detainment and deportation of illegal immigrants, and requires state and federal agencies tally up how much foreign aid they are sending to Mexico within 30 days, and tells the

Read the full text here 

Executive Order, January 25: Cutting funding for sanctuary cities

Trump called "sanctuary cities" to comply with federal immigration law or have their federal funding pulled.

The order has prompted a mixture of resistance and support from local lawmakers and police departments in the sanctuary cities,

Read the full text here 

Executive Order, January 24: Expediting environmental review for infrastructure projects

The order allows governors or heads of federal agencies to request an infrastructure project be considered "high-priority" so it can be fast-tracked for environmental review.

Trump signed the order as a package infrastructure deal, along with three memoranda on oil pipelines.

Read the full text here 

3 Presidential Memoranda, January 24: Approving pipelines

Trump signed three separate memoranda set to expand oil pipelines in the United States, a move immediately decried by Native American tribes, Democrats, and activists.

The first two direct agencies to immediately review and approve construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone XL Pipeline, and the third requires all pipeline materials be built in the US.

While pipeline proponents argue that they transport oil and gas more safely than trains or trucks can, environmentalists say pipelines threaten the contamination of drinking water.

Read the full text of all three memoranda here 

Presidential Memorandum, January 24: Reduce regulations for US manufacturing

Trump directed his

Read the full text here 

Presidential Memorandum, January 23: Reinstating the 'Mexico City policy'

The move reinstated a global gag rule that bans American non-governmental organizations working abroad from discussing abortion.

Democratic and Republican presidents have taken turns reinstating it and getting rid of it since Ronald Reagan created the gag order in 1984. The rule, while widely expected, dismayed women's rights and reproductive health advocates, but encouraged antiabortion activists.

Read the full text here 

Presidential Memorandum, January 23: Hiring Freeze

Trump froze all hiring in the executive branch excluding the military, directing no vacancies be filled, in an effort to cut government spending and bloat.

Union leaders called the action "harmful and counterproductive," saying it would "disrupt government programs and services that benefit everyone."

Read the full text here 

Presidential Memorandum, January 23: Out of the TPP

This action signaled Trump's intent to withdraw from the Trans Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that

said

Read the full text here 

Executive Order, January 20: Declaring Trump's intention to repeal the Affordable Care Act

One of Trump's top campaign promises was to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare.

His first official act in office was declaring his intention to do so. Congressional Republicans have been working to do just that since their term started January 3, though there's dissent among Republicans

Read the full text here 

Presidential Memorandum, January 20: Reince's regulatory freeze
US President Donald Trump has apparently honed in on North Korea as his most serious external challenge, and has reportedly declared them the single greatest threat to the United States. In January, Trump tweeted that North Korean missile hitting the US, as they've often threatened, ""

But in reality, taking out North Korea's nuclear capabilities, or decapitating the Kim regime, would pose serious risks to even the US military's best platforms.

Business Insider spoke with Stratfor's Sim Tack, a senior analyst and an expert on North Korea, to determine exactly how the US could potentially carry out a crippling strike against the Hermit Kingdom.

First, a decision would need to be made.

Military action against North Korea wouldn't be pretty. Some number of civilians in South Korea, possibly Japan, and US forces stationed in the Pacific would be likely to die in the undertaking no matter how smoothly things went.

In short, it's not a decision any US commander-in-chief would make lightly.

But the US would have to choose between a full-scale destruction of North Korea's nuclear facilities and ground forces or a quicker attack on only the most important nuclear facilities. The second option would focus more on crippling North Korea's nuclear program and destroying key threats to the US and its allies.

Since a full-scale attack could lead to "mission creep that could pull the US into a longterm conflict in East Asia," according to Tack, we'll focus on a quick, surgical strike that would wipe out the bulk of North Korea's nuclear forces.

Then, the opening salvo  a stealth air blitz and cruise missiles rock North Korea's nuclear facilities.

The best tools the US could use against North Korea would be stealth aircraft like the F-22 and B-2 bomber, according to Tack.

The US would slowly but surely position submarines, Navy ships, and stealth aircraft at bases near North Korea in ways that avoid provoking the Hermit Kingdom's suspicions.

Then, when the time was right, bombers would rip across the sky and ships would let loose with an awesome volley of firepower. The US already has considerable combat capability amassed in the region.

The first targets...

Next, the US would try to limit North Korean retaliation.

Once the US has committed the initial strike against North Korea, how does Kim Jong-un respond?

Even with its nuclear facilities in ashes and the majority of their command and control destroyed "North Korea has a lot of options," said Tack. "They have their massive, massive conventional artillery options that can start firing at South Korea in a split second."

But as the graphic below shows, most North Korean artillery can't reach Seoul, South Korea's capital.

Additionally, Seoul has significant underground bunkers and infrastructure to quickly protect its citizens, though some measure of damage to the city would be unavoidable.

According to Tack, much of this artillery would instead fire on the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas, detonating mines so that North Korean ground forces can push through. Also within range would be US forces near the DMZ.

Some 25,000 American soldiers are stationed in South Korea, all of whom would face grave danger from North Korea's vast artillery installations.

But the North Korean artillery isn't top of the line. They could focus on slamming US forces, or they could focus on hitting Seoul. Splitting fire between the two targets would limit the impact of their longer-range systems.

Additionally, as the artillery starts to fire, it becomes and exposed sitting duck for US jets overhead.

The next phase of the battle would be underwater.

North Korea has a submarine that can launch nuclear ballistic missiles, which would represent a big risk to US forces as it can sail outside of the range of established missile defenses.

Fortunately, the best submarine hunters in the world sail with the US Navy.

Helicopters would drop special listening buoys, destroyers would use their advanced radars, and US subs would listen for anything unusual in the deep. North Korea's antique submarine would hardly be a match for the combined efforts of the US, South Korea, and Japan.

While the submarine would greatly complicate the operation, it would most likely find itself at the bottom of the ocean before it could do any meaningful damage.

What happens if Kim Jong Un is killed?

"Decapitation" or the removal of the Kim regime would be a huge blow to the fiercely autocratic Hermit Kingdom.

Kim Jong-un has reportedly engaged in a vicious campaign to execute senior officials with packs of dogs, mortar fire, and anti-aircraft guns for a simple reason  they have ties to China, according to Tack.

Jong-un's removal of anyone senior with ties to China means that he has consolidated power within his country to a degree that makes him necessary to the country's functioning.

Without a leader, North Korean forces would face a severe blow to their morale as well as their command structure, but it wouldn't end the fight.

"Technically North Korea is under the rule of their 'forever leader' Kim Il Sung," said Tack, adding that "a decapitation strike wouldnt guarantee that the structures below him wouldnt fall apart, but it would be a damn tricky problem for those that remain after him."

Unfortunately, North Koreans aren't shy about putting their leader first, and at the first indication of an attack, Kim would likely be tucked away in a bunker deep underground while his countrymen bore the brunt of the attack.

Then the US defends.

"If North Korea doesnt retaliate, theyve lost capability and look weak," said Tack.

Indeed few would expect North Korea to go quietly after suffering even a crippling attack.

Through massive tunnels bored under the DMZ, North Korea would try to pour ground troops into the South.

"The ground warfare element is a big part of this," said Tack. "I think that the most likely way that would play out would be the fight in the DMZ area," where the US would not try to invade North Korea, but rather defend its position in the South.

Though its air force is small and outdated, North Korean jets would need to be addressed and potentially eliminated.

Meanwhile...

US special operations forces, after stealthy jets destroy North Korea's air defenses, would parachute in and destroy or deactivate mobile launchers and other offensive equipment.

The US faces a big challenge in trying to hunt down some 200 missile launchers throughout North Korea, some of which have treads to enter very difficult terrain where US recon planes would struggle to spot them.

It would be the work of US special forces to establish themselves at key logistical junctures and observe North Koreans' movements, and then relay that to US air assets.

So how does this all end?

North Korea is neither a house of cards or an impenetrable fortress.

Additionally, the resolve of the North Koreans remains a mystery. North Korea has successfully estimated that the international community is unwilling to intervene as it quietly becomes a nuclear power, but that calculation could become their undoing.

North Korea would likely launch cyber attacks, possibly shutting down parts of the US or allies' power grids, but US Cyber Command would prepare for that.

North Korea would likely destroy some US military installations, lay waste to some small portion of Seoul, and get a handful of missiles fired  but again, US and allied planners would stand ready for that.

In the end, it would be a brutal, bloody conflict, but even the propaganda-saturated North Koreans must know just how disadvantaged they are, according to Tack.

Even after a devastating missile attack, some of North Korea's nuclear stockpile would likely remain hidden. Some element of the remainder of North Koreans could stage a retaliation, but what would be the point?
Loi Sapin is an anti-corruption law that was introduced in France in 1993 in order to make the business of media-buying more transparent.

Under the law, media-buying agencies are not allowed to work as both the buyer and seller of advertising for their client. In other words, it means they can't bulk-buy media inventory ahead of time and sell it back to their client at a later date. The law also requires that the agency can only be paid by the advertiser  meaning they can't receive rebates from a publisher or media owner.

Media owners are also required to report directly to the advertiser a month after their advertisements appear, with a rate card and details about the services that were performed.

But for years, there has been a huge question mark over how  or if  the law should apply to the buying of digital media. In January 2015, the French government proposed an amendment to the law to say that it should apply to "any medium whatsoever." But there was still confusion about the vagueness of the wording. The buying and selling of digital media is complex and often sees agencies  through their trading desks  act as both the buyer and the seller.

On February 9, a new Loi Sapin decree was passed, which includes digital advertising services. Specifically, it now covers: "Any medium connected to the internet, such as computers, tablets, mobile phones, televisions, and digital panels."

The decree comes into force in January 2018. Agencies can no longer continue to buy and resell digital media to their clients and media owners will be required to send invoices and detailed information about the services they performed directly to the advertiser.

Non-compliance can carry fines of up to 300,000 for individuals and

What this means for French ad agencies  and agencies the world over

Most big agency groups have already been preparing for the change and have separated their media planning agencies from their trading desks, which sell digital media that is traded programmatically (using automated systems, in other words). If a media planning agency is advising a client on which resellers to use, they must clearly state whether any of those firms are owned by their parent company.

Stephanie Faber, who heads law firm Squire Patton Boggs' commercial, intellectual property, and data protection groups in Paris, told Business Insider: "It shouldn't be too complicated to explain to a client. You have to say: 'We are advising you to use this and that seller, Seller X is part of my group. But we also use other sellers.' Agency trading desks can still exist and all the companies I know of that do this kind of business have been adapting to the requirement of creating a separate entity."

Havas is one such company that has a separate trading desk  Affiperf  from its media agency, Havas Media.

Sebastien Robin, global programmatic director at Havas Media Group, thinks the new decree is good news and a "step forward for the whole industry."

He told Business Insider: "We expect the decree will restore the trust between advertisers and the group of agencies and clear the doubts that arose across the industry in the past couple of years following the WFA (World Federation of Advertisers) and ANA (Association of National Advertisers) reports issued in the USA, which is a market with a different structure than ours in France."

The ANA report suggested non-transparent business practices were "pervasive" in the US media-buying landscape, while the WFA claimed 90% of advertisers are reviewing their programmatic advertising contracts in order to gain better transparency from their agencies. Last month, the chief marketing officer of the world's biggest advertiser  Marc Pritchard of P&G  gave a landmark speech, calling for the industry to increase transparency around media buying and rid itself of a "media supply chain that is murky at best and fraudulent at worst."

Levels of distrust between advertisers and agencies when it comes to the business of digital media buying are clearly at a worrying high. What happens in France could serve as a model for the entire global advertising industry.

Or it could have the opposite effect.

There is the possibility that programmatic advertising spend in France could decline as a result of the new law coming into play as it will make it more difficult for agencies and ad tech vendors to boost their margins through rebates, inventory markups, and other opaque practices.

Some digital media owners and intermediaries may also find themselves in a tight spot because they may have to rethink the incentives they once offered in order to encourage spend on their platforms  and they will also be required to adapt their workforces and technical solutions in order to handle transparency requests from advertisers.

Programmatic digital ad spending in France grew 53% year-on-year to 639 million ($706.9 million) in 2016, with programmatic's share of digital display spending rising 13 percentage points to 53%, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Industry observers will take great interest in how French programmatic ad spending plays out in 2018.

If it continues its meteoric growth, France could serve as an example that transparency is healthy for every stakeholder in the digital advertising market.
The warehouse chain's fees will most likely increase by $5, to $60, for its basic membership and by $10, to $120, for its executive membership, according to UBS analyst Michael Lasser.

The fee hike could be announced Thursday along with the company's second-quarter earnings report, though it is more likely to come in the third quarter, Lasser wrote in a research note published Monday.

Costco hasn't confirmed a fee hike, but it also hasn't ruled one out.

During an earnings call in December, Costco CFO Richard Galanti suggested the time may be right for the company to raise fees, though he hedged that by saying, "I'm not trying to suggest that it's tomorrow afternoon."

Several months earlier, Galanti had highlighted the fact that Costco had raised its fees every five to six years and that January 2017 was the fifth anniversary of its most recent fee hike in the US.

The company recently increased its membership fees by 10% in Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Mexico, and the UK.

Fee increases shouldn't have a major impact on sales and membership renewals, which are at a rate above 90% in the US and Canada, Lasser said. In fact, an increase should support a boost in shares, he said.

"Traffic growth was solid across the company in December and January (up an average of 4% in the US and 3% worldwide)," Lasser wrote. "This suggests members continue to be intrigued by the company's value proposition, and leads us to believe that renewals likely at least remained steady at 90.3% in the US and Canada and 87.5% worldwide."
If anything, boycotts are gaining steam  and they appear to be having an impact.

In February, brands such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Belk dropped Ivanka Trump's fashion line.

While Nordstrom and others have said the decision was purely financial, all of the companies that have dropped the first daughter's brand had been targets of the #GrabYourWallet movement. Shannon Coulter, a brand and digital strategist, started the hashtag in October to encourage people who were offended by Donald Trump's language and actions to boycott companies doing business with his family.

As of Monday, 53 companies are still on Grab Your Wallet's boycott list. But the movement has narrowed its focus on 10 companies. Here are the anti-Trump movement's top targets.

Macy's

While the chain banned Donald Trump's menswear line last year after the president-elect referred to Mexican immigrants as "rapists," it still sells Ivanka Trump's lines of clothing, jewelry, and handbags.

L.L. Bean

Unlike other companies on the list, L.L. Bean does not sell Trump products. Instead, it has been targeted because Linda Bean, a member of the company's board and the granddaughter of the company's founder, Leon Leonwood Bean, donated $60,000 to a Trump-supporting PAC called Making America Great Again LLC.

Grab Your Wallet is calling for a boycott until Linda Bean is removed from the company board.

Bloomingdales

The retailer sells Ivanka Trump's lines of shoes and handbags.

Dillard's

The retail chain sells Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories.

Zappos

The shoe company carries Ivanka Trump shoes, clothing, and handbags.

Amazon

The e-commerce giant carries both Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump merchandise, from the book "The Art of the Deal" to Ivanka Trump's shoe line.

For what it's worth, some Trump supporters on Reddit have also called for a boycott of Amazon because CEO Jeff Bezos said he wants to send Trump to space. The CEO has also said the president-elect "erodes our democracy around the edges."

Hudson's Bay

The Canadian department chain sells Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories.

TJ Maxx

The retailer sells Ivanka Trump clothing, shoes, and accessories.

However, TJ Maxx has recently wanted to avoid highlighting this fact. In early February, the company instructed employees to throw away signs advertising the first daughter's brand. The memo also told workers to mix Ivanka's merchandise with other products, instead of showcasing the brand separately, The New York Times reported.

Lord & Taylor

The retailer sells Ivanka Trump clothing, jewelry, and handbags.

Bed Bath and Beyond
"There's a big question about who these people were," the best-selling author Douglas Preston, who visited the remnants of this city, told Business Insider. "What happened to this civilization? Why did they abandon this city so suddenly?"

Preston was part of a research mission launched two years ago to explore the ruins of what is said to be a lost civilization. He wrote about his recent trip through the Honduran jungle in the new book "The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story."

Some have said that the buried remnants correspond with an ancient, legendary "White City"  a town of extreme wealth that vanished some 600 years ago. Since the 1900s, rumors of this forgotten city had danced on the lips of explorers, aviators, and tourists excited by the prospect of uncovering hidden treasure. But no one knew much about the people who once lived there.

Even after some parts of an abandoned village, including remnants of plazas and pyramids, were uncovered in 2012, during the first expedition to the area, anthropologists and archaeologists remained stumped.

"In the words of the leading Honduran archaeologist on our expedition, 'What we know about this culture is ... nothing,'" said Preston.

Nevertheless, some intriguing theories have emerged. Researchers on the most recent trip found a cache of nearly 500 intricately carved stone objects inside something Preston described as "a grave not for a person, but for a civilization."

The legend of the lost city and the discovery that made archaeologists fume

The 1,000-year-old ruins  whose timeline coincides with the "White City"  were buried in the rainforest, in a round valley ringed by steep cliffs. Since a team of researchers uncovered them in 2012, they've been revisited by more research teams, including Preston's.

When news outlets picked up the story, most portrayed it as an ancient mystery that had finally been solved. National Geographic ran with the headline "Exclusive: Lost City Discovered in the Honduran Rain Forest." NPR announced "Explorers Discover Ancient Lost City in Honduran Jungle."

There was one problem, though, according to researchers who signed a public letter condemning the claims in the news: The ruins were not the "lost city" of lore  and worse, they may not have been lost to begin with.

The dissenting researchers  including Chris Begley, an archaeologist at Transylvania University who has 20 years of experience in the region  said the National Geographic story exaggerated the findings and ignored the region's indigenous people. National Geographic responded to the letter by linking to a statement from the research team that says its story never claimed to have discovered the "lost city," but merely a lost city in the region.

The people who disappeared

Controversy notwithstanding, the teams of researchers and documentarians who visited the site in 2012 and 2015 came away riveted by what they'd seen. Preston and several other archaeologists maintain that they set foot on terrain that had been untouched for half a millennium. And they say the clues these people left behind point to a tragic end.

"It's hard to believe that in the 21st century a lost city could still be discovered, but that's exactly what happened," he said. "People hadn't touched foot there in 500 years. It's absolutely true."

Whoever populated the area deep in Honduras' Mosquitia Jungle did not leave many clues. The team that visited in 2012 was able to date the remains it uncovered to somewhere between 1000 AD and 1400 AD. That places people in the region after the era of the Mayans, whose civilization stretched from southeastern Mexico across Guatemala and Belize and into the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador.

"They grew up near the Mayans. They took on the pyramids. They laid out their cities in a somewhat Mayan fashion, but not quite," Preston said. "But it's very mysterious. There's so much we don't know."

What researchers do know is that whoever lived there disappeared suddenly. In addition to rough remnants of their pyramids and plazas, they left behind a series of intricate stone pieces, including what is thought to be part of a ceremonial seat featuring an effigy of a "were-jaguar." So far, researchers have identified nearly 500 of the stone pieces.

"At the base of a pyramid we discovered an enormous cache of beautiful stone sculptures," Preston said. "It appears the people brought their objects, carefully laid them to rest, and then walked out of the city."

Several archaeologists and anthropologists who were on Preston's research team believe the people were felled by disease.

"The evidence is very strong that that's what happened," Preston said. "These were diseases brought by Europeans, specifically smallpox and measles."

But it's unlikely that Europeans ever reached this civilization  at least not in person. Instead, the diseases probably found the indigenous populations by way of trade. As goods exchanged hands, so did viruses. And some of these invaders were foreign illnesses against which the indigenous people had no defense.
With the brand mired in a row over the alleged mistreatment of more than 150 models at the casting for the show, the Georgian wunderkind brought the spotlight back on the clothes with a string of cheeky and breathtaking innovations.

Having caused a sensation last year with his trench coats and jackets pulled down off the shoulder -- worn most memorably by Kim Kardashian the night she was tied up and robbed in Paris -- the young designer has given the venerable aristocratic label a second almighty yank.

This time as well as wrap-around skirts inspired by rubber car mats, Gvasalia gave his coats another violent tug, pulling their right side up over the left shoulder.

The effect both startled and delighted critics, with Vogue declaring within minutes that he had brought the label's "legacy forward with audacity and wit".

Gvasalia included a series of spectacular, floatily oversized ball gowns at the end of the show, the first couture dresses the brand has shown since the twilight years of its founder Cristobal Balenciaga in the late 1960s.

The 35-year-old told the legendary Vogue critic Suzy Menkes backstage that he only finished the dresses at the last minute, having studied photographs of classic Balenciaga gowns once worn by European royalty.

"They are all made by hand. The pieces all came together yesterday, like it happens in couture, last minute, because there were so many people working on them," Gvasalia said.

"They were all lying like corpses on these tables in the atelier, which was quite an amazing experience."

Rearview mirror bags

New York Times critic Vanessa Friedman gave the collection her imprimatur, calling the dresses "cool couture" while suggesting they just might be the thing to wear to the Big Apple's party of the year.

"Someone should wear this to the Met Gala," she tweeted, a reference to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual star-studded benefit.

The iconoclastic designer's rearview mirror clutch bags -- the second part of his car theme -- also turned heads, and could yet prove to be the next Gvasalia object of desire for fashionistas.

Whether they should be taken as some ironic commentary on what has been a torrid week for the label is open to conjecture.

But the brand will be grateful for the distraction the show has brought to its troubles off the runway.

Balenciaga was forced to sack two casting directors earlier this week over claims of alleged "sadistic" treatment of scores of models who were forced for wait hours in an airless stairway during a "cattle call" casting at its headquarters.

Several told AFP that the door was closed on them and they were left in dark.

While the brand apologised to the models, the sacked casting agent denied Friday that she had been at fault and turned the blame back on the label.

'Make fashion diverse again'

Last year Gvasalia -- who also heads the uber-hip Vetements brand -- faced criticism for failing to use a single black model in his shows up to then.

The designer, who counts black rap stars including Kanye West among his biggest fans and clients, had said he got his ideas from travelling on the metro through one of the French capital's most ethnically diverse neighbourhoods.

However, Gvasalia used five black models and four Asians among the 47 who walked in his jokily-billed "intimate" Balenciaga show Sunday in a cavernous Paris convention centre.

Even so, a model had protested outside the show with a placard that read: "Make fashion diverse again. Women's rights are human rights. More ethnic models."

Gvasalia's immense influence on the current fashion scene was there to see in French label Celine autumn-winter collection, another highlight of Sunday's shows.

While there was plenty of the label's trademark modernist chic tailoring, models carried blanket-towels similar to ones that appeared in Balenciaga's menswear show in January, and one man's style shirt and skirt combination was a clear nod to the young pretender.
But when my aunt brought me to Lagos, all the promises of getting me into school and a better life were forgotten as I was turned into a house help. After spending a year with her, she gave me out to a woman to work as a maid.

I slaved for the woman for the next three years, hawking different items for her while she paid the money she was supposed to pay me to my aunt who refused to give me a dime out of it.

I was living like a destitute and did not have money to buy even my underwear. That was when I met Clement, a commercial motorcycle rider who came to my aid when he knew my story.

He was the one who bought underwear, clothes and even sanitary pads for me. We started a relationship and before I knew it, I became pregnant for Clement and went to live with him.

He promised to go and see my parents and let them know he was the one responsible for my pregnancy but did not do so till I put to bed.

Before our baby clocked three years, I was pregnant again but still, he refused to go and see my parents, always saying he would do so when he is financially buoyant.

In between, my family called him several times for him to come and do the right thing but he always gave one excuse or the other.

Now, my family has refused to have anything to do with me and my children and the last time my father called, he told Clement categorically that he does not recognize him as my husband and that if he refused to come and pay my bride price before June this year, he should be ready to take anything that comes his way.

I know the kind of family I come from and they can even harm me or my children just to get back at Clement but it seems he is not ready to do anything as he has said he is ready to call their bluff.

Grace."
She made the comments in a statement released by her media aide, Abdurrahman Balogun.

The statement reads in part:

In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to the Nigeria.

In such cases reported to the office, such affected persons were sent back immediately on the next available flight and their visas were cancelled. No reasons were given for the decision by the US immigration authorities.

She said further that the statement is only to advise Nigerians without any compelling or essential reasons to visit the US to consider rescheduling their trip until there is clarity on the new immigration policy.
The workers, in a communique issued at the end of a meeting at the partys temporary secretariat in Wuse II, Abuja, said the certainty of end to the leadership crisis in the party had remained hazy.

Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff had on February 23, 2017, forcefully reopened the national secretariat after the Court of Appeal In Port Harcourt affirmed him as authentic national chairman of PDP.

In the communique read by the PDP Director of Administration, Gurama Bawa, said the workers agreed that they will not resume until all ongoing litigation on the issues were settled.

They said that one of the major casualties of the partys power tussle were the staff, many of whom had spent 17 years of their working lives serving the party.

The staff members have witnessed their salaries peter away, receiving just about 32.50 per cent of their 2015 salaries.

Their housing, transport and other allowances have all fallen into arrears, with many members of staff thrown out of their accommodations by landlords.

Members of staff are desirous of resuming work after having been made victims of problems they never caused, but are concerned about their safety, he said.

The workers recalled that after the court judgement in 2016 which validated the partys national convention held in Port Harcourt, members of staff were requested to resume duty in May/June, 2016.

The staff in obedience did so but only in the few days they reported for work, they were harassed and intimidated by demonstrators and protesters.

We were violently chased out of the offices, many had to run away leaving their personal belongings which we understand have now been vandalized by unknown persons, they said.

They said apart from appeal already filed on the latest judgment, the staff members are also concerned that the BoT has written a protest letter to the Inspector-General of Police against the reopening of the secretariat.

According to the communique, the letter which is to avoid breakdown of law and order, is a situation which again highlights the danger that staff will be exposed to if they resume duty as directed.

They said that one of the things that would guarantee safety of lives in the secretariat was the full implementation of the Feb. 17 Court of Appeal judgment.

They however said that the judgement appeared to be implemented or observed in the breach as Sheriff surprisingly resumed at the secretariat without the National Working Committee (NWC).

They said that the judgement ordered the maintenance of status quo ante as May 21, 2016, meaning that the 12 National Working Committee (NWC) members of the party should resume duty immediately with Sheriff.

But, only three out of the 12 members of NWC namely Prof. Adewale Oladipo, the National Secretary; Alhaji Bala Buhari , National Treasurer and Alhaji Fatai Adeyanju, National Auditor are the only ones working with Sheriff.

The situation is more frightening to us as staff in the light of the fact that those working with the Acting National Chairman are those handpicked through processes that are alien to the PDP Constitution.

For example, Dr. Cairo Ojugboh, presently officiates as Deputy National Chairman when he was a candidate in the May 14, 2016 PDP Zonal Congress where he contested for the office of the National Vice Chairman, South-South but lost to Chief Emma Ogidi.

The same untoward recruitment holds for Bernard Mikko from South-South geo-political zone who now operates as Acting National Publicity Secretary as against Chief Olisa Metuh who is from South-East.

Other similar anomalous recruitments are in other offices. Staff members are afraid that again seeds are being sowed for violent contestations that would endanger their lives and properties, the communique said.
In a statement released by his media office in Abuja on Monday, the former Vice President, and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said he had known Ojo for nearly three decades.

He described Ojo, who was his former spokesperson as an irreplaceable asset who was loyal and reliable until the very last day.

Ojo was at my house on Friday, he visited me before travelling out of Abuja. I had no idea that it was the last time I would ever set eyes on him.

He has little concern for material things, he is a pure intellectual, motivated only by a desire to give the best that his brains has to offer, Atiku said.

Abubakar said Ojo over the years was an indispensable member of his media team and became his political protege; and a man who boldly spoke the truth to him always.

The former vice president explained that an entire book of thousands of pages would be needed if he was to say everything that he thought and felt about his long-time friend, now gone forever.

He, however, prayed God to grant his family and particularly his children the grace to bear the loss.

Onukaba died at about 6pm on Sunday at Igbara-Oke near Akure, his death was confirmed to newsmen by one of his relations, Mr Yusuf Itopa.
This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Celestine Ogugua, Head Media, and made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja.

Uja stressed the need for Nigerians to support President Buhari to deliver on his campaign promises and laid solid foundation for the countrys growth and development.

He said a nation like Nigeria with all the symbols of greatness can only be built to last by those who have been established on the enduring virtues of Christ.

He admonished Christians to live up to their calling in Christ and lead by example in being strategic in their reasoning and planning.

He said Nigeria is the country in the world, which still sponsors pilgrimage and so pilgrims should give back by being change agents in the country.

I feel sad that people come on pilgrimage and when they leave here, their character is even worse.

I want you to make up your mind that you wont deny Jesus Christ, Uja said.

The Nigerian pilgrims in a one-day Prayer Convocation for Nigeria jointly prayed for the restoration and perfection of President Muhammadu Buharis health and the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at Mount Zion, Jerusalem.

Also in his remarks, Mr Babachir Lawal, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), called on Christians to desist from what he described as Pull Him Down Syndrome.

He also advised that they should cut off from peddling false rumors about the Presidents health in the social media, adding that they should focus on pursuing their own agenda.

He said Christians should be more apt in decision-making that concerns the country instead of complaining about the government of the day.

Earlier, speaking on the theme: Building a Covenant Nation, Pastor Seyi Malomo, Aso Rock Chaplain, said Christians must use their position to build Nigeria up, not destroy it.

We are praying that beginning from here, there will be a new Nigeria because when a nation is built, everyone will benefit," he said
Buhari also told Bello that he is feeling fine and all is well with him, according to a statement released by the governors spokesman, Kingsley Fanwo.

Fanwo said that Buhari and Bello spoke while the governor was returning from Abeokuta, Ogun State where he had attended the 80th birthday ceremony of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo.

Bellos spokesman added that the conversation took place in the presence of the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Ahmed Imam, and other top Kogi citizens who accompanied the governor to Abeokuta.

He (President Muhammadu Buhari) told the governor that he is observing rest and will return very soon to Nigeria to continue his assignment of providing purposeful leadership for the nation," Fanwo said.

Buhari also spoke to Obasanjo and congratulated him over his birthday celebrations.

According to Buharis spokesman, Femi Adesina, the president described Obasanjo as a true citizen of the world.

Adesina also said that Obasanjo wished Buhari good health, saying he stands together with him in prayers, so that he can return soon to continue the good work he is doing for the country.

Obasanjo said, during his birthday celebrations in Abeokuta, Ogun state, that he is not disappointed with Buhari's performance so far.

ALSO READ: Obasanjo mocks PDP, says party is dead

The former president also said that Buhari is strong in insurgency and anti-corruption matters but had never been sound on economy and foreign affairs.

President Buhari has been in London since January 19, when he left Nigeria for what was supposed to be a 10-day medical vacation.

The president however wrote the Senate on February 5 to extend his vacation indefinitely after explaining that he could not leave London till "certain factors" were ruled out by his doctors.
The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello said the President stated this in a telephone conversation with him.

Bello said Buhari spoke with him for some minutes, assuring that he would be back in the country soon.

The President is currently on a medical vacation in London.

In a statement by Bello's spokesman, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, it said Buhari and Bello spoke when the Governor paid a visit to Lagos in company of the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly and other government officials.

The statement reads: "While in Lagos, President Muhammadu Buhari called Governor Yahaya Bello and interacted with him for a couple of minutes. Governor Bello was in the company of the Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, a few other Honourable Members of the House, Honourable Commissioners and other top government functionaries.

"The President thanked the Governor for his support and his leadership qualities. He told the Governor that he is observing rest and will return very soon to continue his assignment of providing purposeful leadership for the nation.

ALSO READ: Gov Yahaya Bello commends Emir of Daura over prayers for Buhari
Buhari, according to his spokesman, Femi Adesina, called Obasanjo from London, where he is observing a medical vacation.

Adesina said, via a statement released on Sunday, that Buhari congratulated Obasanjo in a telephone call from London, where he is convalescing.

Buhari also told Obasanjo that a time like this provides opportunity to reflect on his invaluable roles and contributions to the unity and cohesion of Nigeria, the brotherhood of all Africans, as well as peace and amity over the globe.

He also described the former President as a true citizen of the world.

Those of us who served under you in various capacities recall a man with boundless energy, with razor  sharp mind, and one who does not suffer fools gladly. Working with you was a school in itself, and the lessons learnt are worth their weight in gold, Buhari said of Obasanjo

According to Adesina, Obasanjo wished Buhari good health, saying he stands together with him in prayers, so that he can return soon to continue the good work he is doing for the country.

Obasanjo said, during his birthday celebrations in Abeokuta, Ogun state, that he is not disappointed with Buhari's performance so far.

ALSO READ: Obasanjo mocks PDP, says party is dead

The former president also said that Buhari is strong in insurgency and anti-corruption matters but had never been sound on economy and foreign affairs.

President Buhari has been in London since January 19, when he left Nigeria for what was supposed to be a 10-day medical vacation.

The president however wrote the Senate on February 5 to extend his vacation indefinitely after explaining that he could not leave London till "certain factors" were ruled out by his doctors.
A statement signed by NANS President Chinonso Obasi and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, said that the prayers would start on Wednesday.

Obasi said that Nigerian students would join other patriotic citizens to intercede on behalf of the President, who has been on extended medical vacation in the UK.

He said As leaders of tomorrow and champions of a better Nigeria, we should not be left out in the national call for prayers for the President, especially now that his presence is needed for the country to navigate its way out of economic recession and political despair.

He, therefore, enjoined all students in the tertiary institutions to join their hearts in prayer to God to heal the President.

He said that the prayers of 40 million Nigerian students would bring quick recovery and rejuvenation to the President.

It is our belief also that the early return of Mr President to the country after he must have rested well, will increase the tempo of the anti-corruption battle which is the cornerstone of his mandate.

As NANS has elected to take up the challenge of whistle-blowing to assist in the fight against institutional and official corruption, our hearts go out to God in prayer for the captain of the anti-corruption armada, President Muhammadu Buhari," he added.

Obasi added that his return would help continue the fight against graft in academic institutions, where the cancer has eaten deep, threatening the destiny of millions of Nigerian students.
Following a report by the UK Guardian that Jonathan rejected the offer of British armed forces to help in rescuing the girls, who were abducted in April 2014, the media aides of the ex-president have refuted the claims.

In a statement signed by Ikechukwu Eze, the media adviser to the former president said the lies in the report were self evident.

Our attention has been drawn to a report that has been trending, without proper attribution, to the effect that the last administration rebuffed British offer to rescue the kidnapped Chibok school girls, he said.

We wish to promptly point out that nothing can be further from the truth, as Nigerians are conversant with the effort made by the Jonathan administration towards rescuing the Chibok girls, especially in relation to collaborating with the international community.

We can confidently say that the lies in this report are self evident. This is because the international press as well as the Nigeria media actively covered the multinational efforts and collaboration which involved some of the major powers deploying their crack intelligence officers to work with our own security operatives, and those of our neighbours, he said further.

Continuing, Eze said: In fact, the Jonathan administration was so genuinely supportive that the foreign powers involved were granted permission to overfly our airspace, while conducting the search and rescue missions.

We would wish to recall that this collaboration was made possible following letters personally written by former president Jonathan to Barack Obama, former president of the United States; Francois Hollande, president of France, David Cameron, former British prime minister, as well as personal contacts made to the Governments of Israel and China, seeking their assistance in the search for the abducted Chibok girls.

ALSO READ: How GEJ allegedly rejected UK's offer to rescue Chibok girls in 2014

We are not surprised that this kind of concocted story is coming out at this point in time, as it appears that some people who have obviously been playing politics with the issue of the Chibok girls will stop at nothing to further their interest, he said.
Last weekend, the UK Guardian reported that the former Nigerian leader turned down an offer from the British authorities to rescue the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls who were abducted from their dormitory in April 2014.

"British armed forces offered to attempt to rescue nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by the Islamist group Boko Haram, but were rebuffed by Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria's President at the time," the story read.

Some other parts of the story read as follows: "In a mission named Operation Turus, the RAF conducted air reconnaissance over northern Nigeria for several months, following the kidnapping of 276 girls from the town of Chibok in April 2014. The girls were located in the first few weeks of the RAF mission, a source involved in Operation Turus told the Observer. We offered to rescue them, but the Nigerian government declined.

"The girls were then tracked by the aircraft as they were dispersed into progressively smaller groups over the following months, the source added".

In rejecting the offer to help, Jonathan was quoted as telling UK officials that "Nigerias intelligence and military services must solve the ultimate problem.

Jonathan has wasted little time in calling the story a tissue of lies.

In a statement that has been widely dispersed through his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan said: We wish to promptly point out that nothing can be further from the truth, as Nigerians are conversant with the effort made by the Jonathan administration towards rescuing the Chibok girls, especially in relation to collaborating with the international community.

We can confidently say that the lies in this report are self evident. This is because the international press as well as the Nigeria media actively covered the multinational efforts and collaboration which involved some of the major powers deploying their crack intelligence officers to work with our own security operatives, and those of our neighbours."

But the following paragraph from that statement was the ultimate own goal from Jonathan and his team:

"We are not surprised that this kind of concocted story is coming out at this point in time, as it appears that some people who have obviously been playing politics with the issue of the Chibok girls will stop at nothing to further their interest".

Therein lies the problem with Jonathan and this whole issue of the Chibok girls--the abduction by Boko Haram in April of 2014, was treated as a matter of politics by the Jonathan administration.

'It was the APC that was behind it all', the Jonathan administration said at the time through its litany of talking heads.

Where urgency was needed to get the girls back in the early days of the abduction, the Jonathan administration dithered and plodded.

In May of 2014, then First Lady Patience Jonathan laid bare the thinking inside the Jonathan camp with that tragi-comedy "There is God o" outing.

For the Jonathans, this was the handiwork of opposition politicians who just wanted to score political points. As far as they were concerned at the time, no abduction had taken place.

Another former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, had blasted Jonathan for a lack of urgency in rescuing the girls as soon as they were abducted.

The Federal Government could have acted quickly when the news broke so as to save the innocent girls, but nothing was done, Obasanjo lamented.

Obasanjo added that: The President (Jonathan) did not believe that those girls were abducted for almost 18 days. If the President got the information within 12 hours of the act and he reacted immediately, I believe those girls would have been rescued within 24 hours, maximum 48 hours.

"The President had doubts: Is this true, or is it a ploy by people who dont want me to be President again?

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has also spoken along similar lines.

So, when the UK Guardian says members of the British armed forces were pointed to where to shove their help, by the Nigerian government, it's difficult to disagree too much.

In the early days, Jonathan did not believe that the girls had been abducted. Every major snafu from the Nigerian military toward the rescue of the girls in 2014 and 2015, flowed from this mindset.

All the looting of monies meant to purchase weaponry for the decimation of Boko Haram, arose from this flawed mindset.

It's three years since the girls were abducted and we should be talking about how to rescue the over 100 of them still in Boko Haram custody.

But we shouldn't miss the lesson from this episode as we pray that this kind of incident never repeats itself.

There are die-hard 'Jonathanians' who still refer to the entire Chibok girls incident as a "scam". For this lot, it's quite unfortunate, to say the least.

But they are not alone.

Jonathan felt the same way before his administration thought it necessary to fashion out a rescue plan.

It was part of what cost him the throne a year later.

That's where that story from the UK Guardian was headed.

That's the context for it all.

It's time to heed the lessons from tarring every occurrence with the brush of politics.
The Commissioner for Information, Dr Godwin Udeuhele, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Monday.

Udeuhele said that the move was in addition to the 2,000 primary school teachers employed at the beginning of 2017.

Within this year, we have been able to recruit 2,000 teachers in public primary schools to boost teaching and learning and all of them are now teaching.

Approval has also been secured to recruit additional 2,000 volunteer teachers to fill the spaces created by retirees in our secondary schools, he said.

Udeuhele said that the state government through its policies has shown enough interest to re-energise the education sector in the state.

He said that the volunteer teachers would also replace ghosts identified in the education sector.

The commissioner said that the state government was currently auditing staff of the public service with a view to identifying ghost workers.

He said that the Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi administration had been eventful and glorious.

It has been almost two years of success and peaceful co-existence and propagation of the four-point agenda of the state government, he said.

Udeuhele also said the state government had made available N250 million to the state Univeristy of Science and Technology and over N100 million to the Institue of Managment and Technology for accreditation of its programmes.
The Magistrate, Mr Ahmed Ndajiwo, however, gave the convicts N1,500 option of fine each.The convicted had admitted committing the offence and begged for leniency.Because you are first time offenders, I will listen to your plea, but I am warning you to ensure that you desist from the act, the magistrate told the convicts.Kabiri Isah, one of the convicts, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he cannot afford to rent a shop in the FCT, but promised that he would desist from the act.The counsel to the AEPB, Mr Eze Eze, had told the court that the convicts committed the offence on March 3, 2017.Eze said that the convicts were arrested by the AEPB`s task-force and brought to its mobile court in Area 10, Garki Abuja.He told the court that one Isah and 15 others displayed their wares in unauthorised places within the city centre where they were caught by members of the task-force.Eze said that the offence contravened Section 35 (D) of the AEPB Act, No. 110 of 1997.
Hajiya Fatima Madugu, Commissioner for Science and Technology, made the disclosure in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.

Madugu said that the beneficiaries were mainly female undergraduates in the field of Medicine and Engineering.She said that the aim was to encourage girl-child education and boost manpower capacity of the state in critical areas of need.

The commissioner said that the government had given priority to students undertaking professional courses relevant to immediate human needs.

Madugu added that the government was also taking care of students from the state in various tertiary institutions across the country.
Boroh told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the amnesty programme has had a great impact on the ex-militants with their only challenge being the boycott of the area by multinational companies.

The amnesty programme has achieved great things because of the synergy between the various ministries and the ex-agitators.

The only complaint they had was that the multinational oil companies operating in the region have all left and they are not happy about it.

What can they do for them to return?.

So I told them their attitude would make a difference, and they are all happy now; they say they will behave well and make the place very conducive for the oil companies to operate.

So they are all very happy to receive the operational oil companies back to the Niger Delta.

Well over 5000 have been engaged and its an ongoing process.

Boroh appealed to the youths of the region to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Federal Governments agriculture project.

He said the Presidential Amnesty Office was already training beneficiaries of the programme in technology-based agricultural methods.
According to a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday by Maj. Abubakar Abdullahi, the Co-ordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, Operation Delta Safe, seven illegal refineries were destroyed in Bayelsa.

Abdullahi said the refineries were discovered around Obhoyohan and Ngiri Creeks in Nembe Local Government Area of the state.

He said that they contained 150,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, while three suspects had been arrested in connection with the illegalities.

In Delta, Abdullahi said the troops destroyed six illegal refineries made up of four storage tanks and two dug out pits filled with suspected crude oil around Sara Abiteye swamp in Warri South West Local Government Area.

Additionally, another patrol at the axis Ajoloso Creek in Elume community destroyed a camp housing eight illegal refineries.

Similarly, troops destroyed nine illegal refineries that comprised four ground pits and three metal tanks filled with product suspected to be stolen crude oil at Katu near Camp 5 in Warri South-West.

This is in addition to seven illegal refineries earlier destroyed around Opunami Creek.

Another patrol conducted around Udu, Ughelli South Local Government Area discovered eight illegal refineries depot at Udu trailer park and destroyed 1200 drums laden with 140 metric tonnes of illegally refined diesel, he said.

This is in addition to 25 others earlier raided at Creek 6 and Ijokiri in the same Local Government Area, he said.

The media coordinator appealed to the people to support Operation Delta Safe with useful information, adding that all hands must be on deck to frustrate the activities of economic saboteurs.

Let me also advise the sponsors and operators of illegal refineries to desist from the economic sabotage which begets environmental pollution and other social problems.

Our troops would not relent until our mandate is achieved, the coordinator said.
He said that the Federal Government was aware of the problems in the communities and was making efforts to resolve them.

The Federal government has gone into partnership with host communities as they represent the future of the country.

Our visits to all oil-producing communities in the country is to understand the problems in these communities and seek new vision for the communities, he said.

The acting president also said that no fewer than 4,000 graduates from the states were captured under the Federal Government N-Power graduate initiate and that some of them had been deployed to oil-producing communities.

He said that the Amnesty Programme was not for selected communities, adding that the government would ensure that all host communities benefited from it.

He vowed that all abandon projects in host communities would be completed, assuring that any contractor that had embezzled funds would be prosecuted.

Osinbajo lauded the host communities for being peaceful in the past 40 years as there had not been issues of oil theft and pipeline vandalism in Edo.

Earlier, the state governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, said that there were 38 oil-producing communities and 205 oil wells in the state.

Obaseki said that the state was ready to work with the Federal Government to bring more development to the oil-producing areas.

ALSO READ: Suspected militants disrupt meeting with Osinbajo in Ed

According to him, the state government will engage the youths trained by the amnesty programme in its agricultural initiative.

The state will no longer allow any federal agency or parasatal to execute programmes which do not meet up with the states master plan, he said.
However, the acting presidents meeting with stakeholders in the state was disrupted by a group of protesters who broke into the venue.

The protesters were allowed to speak their minds after attempts by Governor Godwin Obaseki failed to pacify them.

They subsequently urged Osibanjo to visit the oil producing parts of the state and not stay in Benin, the state capital.

The acting president had earlier paid a visit to the Oba of Benin and told the monarch: I am here as emissary of President Buhari who asked me to visit the oil producing communities.
This was disclosed via a statement released by Sarakis Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu.

The statement reads in part:

"The visit will commence with a visit to a German Village, Feldheim, which was the first community in the country to achieve 100 percent self-sufficient renewable energy. This will enable the Nigerian delegation to learn a few things on how to resolve the nation's perennial energy crisis.

"The Senators will at different times meet with the President of the Bundesrat, Mrs Dreyer, her Deputy, Johannes Singhammer, the Parliamentary State Secretary in charge of the Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development, Thomas Silberhorn, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, head of Julius Berger, Mr. Walter J. Lindener and President of the Berlin House of Representatives, Ralf Wieland.

It will also hold discussions with economic representatives of the German-African Business Association, the Parliamentary Friendship Group for relations with the English and Portuguese speaking States of West and Central Africa of the Bundestag and attend plenary of the German Parliament.

The legislators, apart from visiting important legislative institutions in Berlin, will hold discussions with Nigerian embassy officials and discuss possible ways of engaging with the German authorities to further attract German investment into Nigeria and improve economic relations between both countries.

The visit to the German Parliament by the leadership of the Nigeria legislature will present opportunities for the visitors to explain the economic policies of the present administration and the legislative support being offered by the National Assembly in that regard. The Senators will further solicit support from the Germans for Nigeria's drive for diversification of its economy and solicit the support of the German business community.
The protesters, who carried placards, invited Osinbajo to the creeks, saying if he cant come, he should leave their oil alone.

According to Cable News, a member of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) said they had already prepared for Osinbajos visit.

He said We were at the airport tarmac, we saw three helicopters, we thought Mr Acting President, who is a son of this region will come and visit the oil and gas producing communities.

We were waiting tirelessly since yesterday, preparing tirelessly for our August visitor, but surprisingly, we were told that because the place is not secured, the acting president cannot come.

We say if you know our place is not secured enough for you to come, then leave our oil alone  leave our oil alone.

Reports say the protesters did not even yield to the pleas of the Edo state Governor, Godwin Obaseki.

In his response, the Acting President told the protesters that he would visit oil producing communities, adding that they should expect him.
Buratai gave the advice in a remark after he received the Millennium Hero award conferred on him by a coalition of over 80 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at the Army Headquarters, Abuja.

The award was in recognition of the leadership he provided for the army in decimated, degraded and eventually sacked the Boko Haram terrorists from their strong hold in the Sambisa forest.

Buratai vowed that the agitators and those with intent to destabilise the country would not succeed as the Nigerian Army and other security agencies were ready to protect the nation from disintegration.

Those individuals and groups that are bent on destablising our country I think they have to wait till may be the next three or four millennium for them to do that.

That is if may be the next generation of officers and men will allow them at all.

Having been given the Millennium Hero award, I want to call on all the agitators for separation and other acts of distabilisation, they better forget it, not in this era, not in this millennium, Buratai said.

The army chief assured that insurgency and terrorism were now at the beginning of their end.

He said that the situation now signaled the beginning of victory and continuous victory over all groups that are bent on destabilising the country, especially in terms of security.

He said I want to say that we would continue to do our best to maintain security atmosphere that is needed as provided for in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

We have been tasked to defend our country.

We have taken a number of measures to ensure that the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists that are on the run are finally cleared, many have surrendered, many of them have been captured."

Earlier, Mr Olabode Adeyemi, the Executive Director, African Media Roundtable Initiative, who presented the award on behalf of the CSOs, noted that Buratai changed the tide of the war against the terrorists.

The leadership of Buratai has now been generally viewed as one that came with the midas touch and changed the tide of the war.

His ability to boost the morale of the troops and caused what we now have as degraded insurgents is one that must be commended by all, Adeyemi said.

He noted that gorilla warfare was difficult but having defeated the Boko Haram terrorists, the Nigerian army had proved that it had the capability to defend the territorial integrity of the country.

Adeyemi, however, called for the establishment of army formations in Kogi which he said had witnessed some acts of terrorism and other forms of criminality.

ALSO READ:Innoson presents new military vehicles to Buratai

He condemned the Amnesty International (AI) for always accusing the army of human rights violation.

We also wish to condemn the incessant and unwarranted attacks by the Amnesty International against the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Bello, in a condolence message issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Petra Akinti-Onyegbule, said that he was particularly sad that Adinoyi-Ojos death came at a time the state needed the services of the late media executive.

He, however, commended Adinoyi-Ojos contributions to journalism profession, saying that the deceased departed the world with good character, integrity, honour and intellectual sagacity.

The governor prayed God to grant the reposed soul of the departed journalist eternal rest.

He urged members of deceaseds family, friends, relations and colleagues to be consoled that Adinoyi-Ojo lived a worthy life and left indelible marks in the sand of time.

A former Managing Director of the Daily Times of Nigeria Plc, Dr Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, was on Monday buried in Oboroke-Ihima, ancestral home in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi.

Adinoyi Ojo, who died on Sunday evening was buried according to Muslim rites at about 5.30 p.m, followed by special Islamic prayer presided over by the Chief Imam of Ebiraland Alhaji Musa Galadima.

Adinoyi-Ojo, 57, was hit by an oncoming vehicle while running to nearby bush to avoid armed robbery attack at a spot in Igbara-Oke, Ondo State.

The former journalist died on the spot and his corpse was later deposited at a morgue in Akure.

He was said to be returning from Abeokuta to Abuja where he had gone to grace the inauguration of a library built by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

His journalism career took a turning point in 1984 as aviation correspondent to the Guardian newspaper when he scooped the importation of 53 suite cases.

The suits, believed to be loaded with millions of naira notes, were brought in violation of a ban placed on importation of naira notes from abroad.

He later served as the Special Assistant on media to the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Adinoyi-Ojo was also an aspirant during the 2015 governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He is survived by a wife, Memunat and three children.
Defending Kemen, a Speaker at Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Onofiok Luke, encouraged the disqualified housemate to take solace in the biblical story of Jesus and His triumphant entry to Jerusalem.

"The song on the lips of everyone was hallelujah, but that song on those same lips changed the following period to a condemnation and shout of crucifixion," he wrote.

Read Onofiok's Facebook post below;

I have never really watched the big brother Nigeria, I only follow it activities on the social media. Up until this evening Kemen our son was celebrated online by fans and followers of BBN from our very Akwa Ibom but suddenly, a breaking news of his disqualification from the house and the whole narrative changed and the social Media is now saturated with different stories and versions about Kemen and his disqualification.

Many who before now had celebrated Kemen are in a hurry to crucify him for his mistake(s).My take here is not to hold brief for Kemen and whatever he might have done to merit his disqualification( which I am yet to know) but to reflect on how difficult it is to be in the spotlight in our clime --the fear of failing,--the fear of making mistakes,--the fear of mockery and the most dreaded of them all --the fear of inua Uyo.

We are all humans and are all prone to mistakes but when we are not the affected we engage sanctimonious disposition that tends to confer sainthood.For Kemen, take solace even in the biblical story of Jesus on His triumphant entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday where the song on the lips of everyone was hallelujah, but that song on those same lips changed the following period to a condemnation and shout of crucifixion.

All the same da yong di ke ikot " idiok owo" ibaha.When you are on the spotlight in my town you need to pray heavily for the grace of God to preserve you and to lead you not into temptation because anything otherwise mbio usaak owo mkpo eyoyoho Isong. They can make you run and leave town.
A High Court in Rivers state recently declared Sheriff as the lawful chairman of the PDP.

According to Punch, the National Director of Administration of the party, Mr. Gurama Bawa said the workers will not resume until the Supreme Court rules on the matter.

Bawa also said that the workers are the ones suffering from the PDP crisis because they are not being paid.

He said To put it mildly, one of the major casualties of this power struggle has been the staff of the PDP national secretariat, many of whom have spent 17 years of their working life striving to establish and grow the bureaucracy of the party.

They have witnessed their salaries wither away, receiving just about 32.50 per cent of their 2015 salaries. Their housing, transport, and other allowances have all fallen into arrears with many members of staff thrown out of their accommodations by landlords.

Members of staff are desirous of resuming work after having been made victim of problems they never caused but are concerned about their safety.
According to Punch, the PSP South-West chairman, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe said this in Abuja while speaking to newsmen.

This is coming on the heels of a meeting of South-West PDP leaders reportedly organised by Fayose, which held on Monday, March 6, 2017in Ekiti state.

Ogundipe said Fayoses action in summoning a meeting he lacks the right to call at a time when well-meaning leaders and elders are calling for restraint and reconciliation is most despicable.

Otherwise, how do we describe his action and utterances under the guise of a non-existent and illegal South West PDP leaders forum?

In what capacity did he call the meeting of South-West PDP leaders? Can a governor call a zonal PDP leaders meeting?

Has he been able to call a full meeting of the PDP Governors Forum which he purports to lead? We thank God that most of the respectable leaders of our party in the South West shunned the illegal gathering.
The factional Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, who was sacked by the court, said his committee will not abandon the party for Ali Modu Sheriff.

This was recently made known to the spokesperson for the caretaker committee, Dayo Adeyeye.

Makarfi, however, said members of the party are free to join other political associations to realise their political ambition.

The denial by the Makarfi led committee is coming after the legal adviser to the Sheriff led PDP warned the Makarfi led committee to desist from registering the APDP as a rival political party to the PDP.

Adeyeye said: We state clearly and without ambiguity that the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP is not, in any way, involved in the plans to register any party by the name of APDP or any other party for that matter.

It is unthinkable that the National Caretaker Committee, which, without any doubt, enjoys the support of all the recognised organs of the party, will contemplate such a move.

We, however, acknowledge and recognise the right of party members to seek alternative platform to actualise their political dreams, which is an inalienable right guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

ALSO READ: Sheriff faction says attempt to register new party is "fraud"
However, this does not mean things stop happening, especially in the Nigeria's religious sector.

Thankfully, Pulse is always here to keep you updated.

Here is a list of what you may have missed over the weekend.

1. Apostle Johnson Suleman's alleged lover pops up: A woman has popped out of nowhere with claims that she has been secretly dating the founder of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleman. The lady, a Canadian based Nigerian named Stephanie Otobo, says that they met in September 2016. According to some legal documents, filed on her behalf by Festus Keyamo chambers, the alleged lover started dating the Man of God after he told her that he had divorced his wife and wanted more male children. Suleman allegedly proposed to her and she said yes, then, there was a formal introduction in Delta State. Afterwards, she got pregnant due to the pastors alleged desire to have more male children. Unfortunately, the baby was lost after Suleman allegedly changed his mind and gave her a concoction, that made her bleed profusely. After the abortion, the marriage was called off as the preacher abandoned, and her story, which was unknowingly recorded by a pastor in Warri, was used to extort money from the Apostle. Now, she is threatening to release their naked pictures, raunchy text messages, bank statements, and more. She is also demanding for N500M, through her lawyers.

2. 'Jesus Christ' shows up and disappears in Lagos: According to VENO News, a Jesus Christ look alike was spotted in Sogunle, Lagos state. On their Facebook account, they wrote, "This man was trekking along the road at Sogunle area in Lagos state, Nigeria, this morning when people saw he look like Jesus Christ, they started bringing their phone and snapping suddenly they couldnt find him again.

3. Female preacher claims to God: A female preacher in Republic of Benin is claiming to be God. News Express reports that 25-year-old Vicentia Tadagbe Tchranvoukinni has said that she is God, she fell from heaven and that her mission on earth is to defeat the devil. Her story was supported by the Churchs spokesman Cardinal Cesaire Agossa, who said, People do not understand that the Holy Spirit Creator of Heaven and Earth uses the body of Perfect as its temple. Her mission is to end the reign of Beelzebub, to succeed in exterminating sorcery and all evil spirits that prevent mankind from developing. This is not the first time she has been in the news for something like this. In the past, Tchranvoukinni has made some outrageous claims, caused five church members to suffocate to death after they locked themselves up inside a sealed room with burning incense while praying for deliverance. Reportedly, she also refers to herself as the Perfect and Gods Holy Spirit. All of these have led to her church being expelled from the Benin community of churches.

4. Malawian pastor's anointing oil allegedly turns baby from boy to girl: A Malawian pastor, Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, has performed a jaw-dropping miracle with his anointing oil. The prophet, who heads Enlightened Christian Gathering Church in Pretoria, reportedly changed a baby gender. Here is the testimony. "My baby girl is a miracle baby...I came as an International Visitor and Major 1 gave me a gift of the anointing oil. When I arrived home I gave my sister the anointing oil and in faith my sister applied the anointing oil declaring that the God of Major 1 must change the gender of the unborn baby that she was carrying to change from a baby boy to a baby girl. On the day that she was giving birth the doctors were shocked as they saw a baby's gender had changed from a male to female. And when her father heard of what had happened, he changed from going to the sangomas and he followed them to pray to the God of Major 1."
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, made this known in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by Mr Tony Ojobo, the Director, Public Affairs of NCC.

Danbatta spoke on Monday in Abuja at an interactive session on the quality of service delivery with MNOs and the management of NCC.

Danbatta said that NCC had declared 2017 as the year of the consumer, adding that all hands should be on deck for telecom consumers to have a fresh lease to high quality of service.

He said that the consumer had to be treated with dignity, adding that the eight-point agenda of the commission had put the consumer first.

He explained that NCC had put measures in place to check and monitor QoS on various networks.

And we have sent this report to our taskforce on QoS and have been interacting with government at different levels as part of the measures to deal with the poor QoS, he said.

Danbatta admonished the operators and co-location service operators to provide suggestions on how to address the situation.

He said that NCC had appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to make FOREX available to operators.

He said that the appeal to CBN by NCC was part of measures to cushion the situation and ameliorate the recurrent inaccessibility to foreign exchange by operators.

Danbatta told the operators that the commission had written to the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele and he was favourably disposed to addressing the FOREX needs of the operators.

Specifically, as a follow up to the letter, the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, NCC, Mr Sunday Dare had a meeting with the CBN governor and extracted a commitment from him on how he hoped to address the FOREX needs of the operators, he said.

Earlier, the NCCs Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Mr Ubale Maska was also quoted as saying that QoS had been a great concerned as consumers inundated the commission with complaints.

He said It requires everybodys input if the situation has to be redressed, hence 2017 has been declared the year of the consumer.

The NCC Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity (DTSNI), Dr Fidelis Ona, explained that the commission was aware of some of the challenges faced by operators.

Ona said that the challenges included Right of Way (RoW), Force Majeure, difficulty in acquiring new cell sites, multiple taxation and regulation, vandalism, power supply among others.

We are engaging stakeholders, including industry working group on QoS, special committee on Counter Harmonisation to address this, he said.

NCCs Head, Quality of Service Unit, Mr Edoyemi Ogoh in his presentation traced poor quality of service to fibre cuts, community issues, among others.

Ogoh said that in October 2016, operators experienced 175 cuts across the nation while they recorded 180 cuts in November 2016 and 103 in December, 2016.

There were 113 community issues in October 2016, 74 in November 2016 and 133 in December 2016, fibre cuts and community issues remain major drawbacks for QoS, he said.

In their various presentations, some of the operators painted a grim picture of their encounters, especially in an economy that is going broke.

Mr Hassan Jamil, the Chief Technical Officer, MTN Nigeria, expressed happiness with the interactive session as it helped the regulator to know their situation.

Jamil said that the demand for both voice and data services were on the rise but they were unable to catch up on investment because of scarce FOREX availability.

ALSO READ: NCC will still hike your internet cost

We planned 100 sites for Abuja but after a very longtime, we were only able to build six because of the bottlenecks of getting approvals and until we resolve these, quality of service will be a mirage, he said.

Similar situations were painted by representatives of Globacom Ltd., Airtel Nigeria, Etisalat, American Towers Company (ATC), IHS Ltd., among others.
Leaders of the new party, called the Momentum Movement, said it builds on the success of a recent signature drive it organised to demand a referendum be held on Budapest's bid to host the Olympic Games in 2024.

Last month the group of activists, who are mostly in their 20s and 30s, said they collected more than enough signatures to hold the ballot, but the government announced soon after it had withdrawn its backing for the candidacy.

The Momentum Movement plans to run candidates in all of Hungary's 106 constituencies at the next parliamentary election, scheduled to be held in the first half of next year.

While it is yet to set out an election programme, the party's leaders have told local media its policies will include better cooperation with other EU members on migration policy, in contrast to Orban, long known for his go-it-alone approach.

They have also criticised the strongman premier's cosy relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The party faces a daunting task in its challenge to Orban however as, according to recent opinion polls, the popularity of his ruling right-wing party Fidesz, in power since 2010, has hardly been dented by its Olympics bid setback.

"Although changing the government in 2018 seems unrealistic to many people, many people also thought that collecting more than 100,000 signatures would be impossible for us," Anna Orosz, a Momentum leader, told local media.

The party has also said it wants to bring an end the squabbling between the left and the right-wing.
Ahmadinejad's first tweet from his personal account was a video in which he called on people to follow him at @Ahmadinejad1956.

"In the name of God Peace be upon all the freedom loving people of the world," he wrote in English.

Despite the service being blocked for ordinary citizens, many of Iran's top officials tweet regularly, including President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Even the office of supreme leader Ali Khamenei maintains accounts in several languages.

Iranian users -- who get round the restrictions using privacy software -- were quick to point out the irony that Twitter was banned following mass protests against Ahmadinejad's re-election in 2009.

The protests, which followed accusations of election-rigging, were considered the first time in the world the service was used to promote and organise demonstrations, and earned the nickname "The Twitter Revolution".

Twitter and other social media sites would go on to play a significant role in protests around the Middle East during the so-called "Arab Spring" in the following years.

Ahmadinejad, who was president from 2005 to 2013, has been pushing for a return to frontline politics in the run-up to the presidential election in May.
The jihadist attack on the border village of Boulekessi killed 11 troops and wounded five more, according to an official toll from the defence ministry read out on national television.

"One of our positions was attacked early Sunday morning by terrorists, on the border with Burkina Faso," a highly-placed Malian military source told AFP on condition of anonymity earlier Sunday.

French forces stationed in the troubled west African nation sent helicopters to help Malian forces assess the attack site, the source later added, and 20 soldiers had crossed into Burkinabe territory to flee the violence.

A regional security source said the attack was carried out by Ansarul Islam, a jihadist group that claimed an attack in December in which 12 Burkinabe soldiers were killed.

Ansarul Islam is led by Burkinabe Malam Ibrahim Dicko, a radical preacher who wants to create an Islamist "kingdom" in the region, experts say.

There was no official claim of responsibility from the group.

Dozens of soldiers were killed in a suicide attack on an army base on January 18 in Gao, northern Mali.

But jihadist attacks like Sunday's have increased in Mali's centre, having previously been largely confined to the restive north.

A resident of Douentza, the county seat near the base, said the assailants had looted or torched large amounts of military hardware.

The Malian army told AFP that a team had been dispatched to assess the damage and provide reinforcements.

Timbuktu surrounded

Meanwhile in Timbuktu, northern Mali, residents said their city was entirely surrounded by rival armed groups, blocking all entry and exit points.

"They have taken position everywhere outside the city. We are very scared of being caught in crossfire," said the resident of Abaroudjou, a neighbourhood on the city's outer edge.

Witnesses told AFP shots were fired on the city outskirts and the main road to Timbuktu was cut off by mid-evening.

The tensions relate to Boubacar Ould Hamadi, an ex-separatist rebel who was awarded a position as head of an interim regional authority in Timbuktu that will pave the way for elections to be held when security improves.

Internal conflicts within the former rebel alliance have delayed Hamadi taking his position until Monday, and appeared to have erupted anew ahead of the deadline.

The government maintains that the heads of the new regional authorities in Timbuktu and Taoudenit will still begin work Monday.

Mali's north fell under the control of Tuareg-led rebels and jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012, who were largely ousted by a French-led military operation in January 2013.

But the implementation of a peace accord struck in 2015 has been piecemeal, and insurgents who refused to sign the deal are still active across large parts of the country.
Khalifa Sall, who has run the city since 2009, held a press conference Sunday to defend himself against claims made by prosecutors that his office was unable to show receipts proving that funds earmarked for food for the city's population had been spent correctly.

Sall broke down in tears during the press event, explaining his family had been shocked by the accusations, and told journalists he would comply with a request to be questioned by criminal investigators on Monday.

But he hit out at what he said were politically motivated allegations and said he was ready to face scrutiny over the missing cash.

"I am ready to go before the court with all those who accuse me," Sall said.

Sall, a rebel member of the Socialist Party, part of the country's ruling coalition, had been seen as a probable contender in the 2019 presidential elections, and has claimed a plot may be under way to remove him from the running.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack, but Islamist groups including al Qaeda affiliates have been resurgent in recent months in Mali, attacking army positions beyond their usual strongholds in the north.

Defence spokesman Col. Abdoulaye Sidibe said: the post was attacked between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. in Boulkessi, and there were 11 killed and five wounded.

He said a deployment of troops had been sent to the town as reinforcements, but did not say if the attackers had been caught by Sunday night.

Islamist groups such as Ansar Dine have stepped up their insurgency in Mali over the past year.

In 2016, they carried out dozens of attacks on UN and other targets and spread south into areas previously deemed safe.

Al Qaedas North African ally al Mourabitoun in January claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack on a military camp in northern Mali that killed up to 60 people and wounded no fewer than 100 others, an attack it said was revenge against groups cooperating with French forces in the region.
Elizabeth Beiderbecke-Hart didnt realize the level of her great uncle's fame until she attended the first jazz festival bearing his name.

In 1971, at the inaugural Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, hundreds of people were impressed by the then 11-year-old's relationship to Bix.

That's when I remember thinking, Oh, he really is a big deal, Beiderbecke-Hart, a Quad-City native who now lives in Springfield, Illinois, said. People left and right knew my last name. It made me see how important he was to the Quad-Cities and the jazz world. It started a lifelong passion for me.

Now that the Bix Beiderbecke Museum and Archives  a dream decades in the making for Beiderbecke-Hart and other fans of the Davenport native and jazz legend  is on track to open in July, she says his fame is very much alive.

Having a festival every year is a tremendous tribute, she said. Having a museum that you can walk in and see that's there 365 days a year  it's going to be one of the high points of my life.

The museum is set to debut on July 21  the week before the Quad-City Times Bix 7 and in time for the 46th annual jazz festival set for Aug 3-5  in the basement of River Music Experience, or RME, in downtown Davenport.

Construction is on schedule for the facility, which cost $625,000, according to museum board president Howard Braren. Braren, a Rock Island-based Bix relative who has a background in fundraising, said they have about $80,000 left to raise.

Its a dream that many Bix fans have had worldwide to have a museum that celebrates Bixs life and music, where he was born and where hes buried, Braren said. This museum tells the whole story.

The museum will include 10 sections that follow the life of the Davenport native (1903-1931), with original artifacts, including his cornet and piano; previously unseen photos, letters and news clippings, a recreation of the stage he played at Hudson Lake, Indiana, as well as a life-size figure of Bix.

People have talked about it for decades and its never taken off, Randy Sandke, a Pennsylvania-based musician and board museum vice-president, said. Were finally doing it.

Plans for the museum at RME were initially announced in Novevember 2015. In the 1990s, plans were discussed to build a permanent Bix hall at Putnam Museum.

People will get a good idea of who he was, what he was like and why he is relatable today, Sandke said. "It's what we've wanted for a long time."

Sandke, who says Bix inspired him to start playing the trumpet, named his son, who is now 9, after the famous and other-worldly cornetist.

He had a very intriguing life and he's almost an elusive figure, Sandke said. No matter how you research and read, theres always this feeling that you dont quite know him. This museum will help with that.

If the annual jazz festival, which brings people from all over the country and world to Davenport, is any indication, Sandke said the museum stands to draw plenty of tourists to the Quad-Cities.

Bix music still has a worldwide appeal, he said. His music lives on. And its more popular today than it ever has. That's a good thing for Davenport.

The museum includes a collection purchased from musician and jazz historian Scott Black and includes 40 boxes of material from Phil Evans, who wrote two books about Bix based on the collection.

They went around and interviewed people who played with Bix on tape, Braren said. And we have those tapes. Its a treasure trove of material.

It also includes a collection of handwritten letters and photographs purchased from Beiderbecke-Hart. In her 20s, she inherited the collection, which originally belonged to Bix's mother.

Every little note he wrote  and he wrote a lot of them  his mother Agatha saved. They are unbelievably touching, Beiderbecke-Hart said. Theres a lot of photos that have never been seen and thats like the holy grail for Bix fans.

In the coming months, Braren and Sandke will oversee the finishing touches of the museum with the help of Detroit-based designer Joseph Hines.

When you see artifacts he actually touched, its something you cant get in books ... you'll feel closer to him," Sandke said. "It's going to be a new way to experience Bix."
A Make the Magic event in support of Camp Kesem at Augustana College, Rock Island, will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the River Bandits Stadium Champions Club, Davenport. Check-in closes at 6:30 p.m. and programming starts at 7 p.m. Admission includes cocktail hour, dinner, camper and counselor speeches.

The Camp Kesem mission is to ensure that every child touched by a parent's cancer is never alone. Camp Kesem is a nationwide community, driven by passionate college-student leaders, that supports children through and beyond their parents cancer.

Camp Kesem operates more than 70 free summer camps in 34 states for children ages 6 to 16. The camping experience provides children a peer-support network that understands their unique needs, builds confidence and strengthens their communication skills.

For tickets, visit https://donate.kesem.org/events/-/e111673
MUSCATINE A man was transported by AirCare to an Iowa City hospital Sunday night with serious injuries from gunshot wounds.

Several shots were reported around 9:22 p.m. Sunday in the 600 block of West 3rd Street, and officers found a male gunshot victim outside of a vehicle in the 300 block of Broadway Street, according to a news release from the Muscatine Police Department.

Officers also located several shell casings in the area.

The victim, identified as Aaron Allen, 21, of Letts, was transferred from Trinity Muscatine to University Hospitals, Iowa City, by AirCare Emergency Transport, where he was in intensive care Monday with serious injuries.

The Muscatine Police Department is asking for the publics assistance, and anyone with information in relation to the incident or other criminal activity is encouraged to call the Muscatine Police Department at 563-263-9922, ext. 608, or send a private message through the department's Facebook Account. Callers may remain anonymous.
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit against United Neighbors have clarified the claims against their former employer down to one issue: unpaid wages, compensation and benefits.

Anthony Bribriesco, attorney for the Davenport agency's former director, Dr. Ida Johnson, and employees Patricia Williams, Theresa Fuller and Tonya Williams, held a news conference to articulate his clients' position Monday afternoon in Bettendorf.

In addition to filing suit against United Neighbors, the plaintiffs also have taken aim at current executive director Evelyn Nelson, whom they fault for the lead-up to their suit.

"What we're saying is she made false accusations against my clients," Bribriesco said. "She convinced the board to ask Dr. Johnson to retire early. She convinced the board to have my clients fired wrongfully, and that's what leads us to these lawsuits."

While Bribriesco represents all four clients, the claims and charges are not the same in each suit.

Johnson, who was set to retire at the end of 2016, blames Nelson for making false statements to the board, which in turn resulted in it asking Johnson to retire in September.

Nelson was hired as deputy director after Johnson announced her retirement with the intention of Johnson mentoring and preparing Nelson to lead United Neighbors.

The three other plaintiffs filed suit on the basis of unpaid wages and benefits and defamation.

Bribriesco made it a point, however, to distance the purpose of all plaintiffs' suits from the current investigation into organization's rental assistance program.

The Iowa Finance Authority stopped payments to United Neighbors after a compliance visit in late October triggered an investigation and a forensic audit of the program over the past two years.

Prior to the visit by HOME Program Analyst Rita Eble on Oct. 21, the last compliance check for the rental assistance program was completed on May 7, 2015.

"She retired early in exchange for being compensated," Bribriesco said. "It's a simple contract and promise. It has nothing to do with the rental assistance program."

As to the claims of defamation, Bribriesco said his clients would drop the charges if an apology was issued to his clients.

"We only brought that because our understanding is when they convinced the board to wrongfully fire my clients or wrongfully terminate those contracts, it was based on false accusations," Bribriesco said.

When asked about a public admission of guilt, Bribriesco said that was not necessary.

Ralph W. Heninger, attorney for Nelson and United Neighbors, issued a statement in response to the plaintiffs' news conference.

"I believe this was a one-sided, staged event to put out inappropriate information about a court matter," Heninger said. "My clients are looking forward to defending the case in a proper manner in the courthouse."
Three people were behind bars Monday after police say they assaulted and robbed a woman and held her against her will in Davenport.

Kayla A. Herbert, 19, and Zachary D. Adcock, 21, both of Muscatine, and Robert A. Cornell, 24, of Moscow, Iowa, face charges of first-degree robbery, second-degree kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony.

Adcock also faces a charge of carrying weapons, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Bond was set Monday at $200,000 cash-only for each person. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 16.

The incident happened about 5:40 p.m. Sunday, according to arrest affidavits filed by Davenport police in Scott County District Court.

According to the affidavits:

The three conspired to pick up a woman at a location in Davenport and take her to a separate location, where they assaulted her.

They then took her against her will to another location. She began to yell for help and tried to kick out the window in Adcocks vehicle in an attempt to escape.

Adcock was armed with a loaded .380-caliber pistol and pointed it at the woman. Herbert and Cornell grabbed her and prevented her from escaping. Cornell then stole $2,745 that was in the womans bra.

The three later gave statements to police that they held the woman against her will and took her to a separate location and held her to prevent her from escaping.

They also told police that they stole money, which was later found in Herberts purse and scattered throughout Adcocks vehicle. The firearm used in the robbery was recovered, according to the affidavits.

First-degree robbery and second-degree kidnapping are both a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison. The conspiracy charge is a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Reps. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., and Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, cruised to wins last November, but the Democratic Party is putting the two lawmakers in its incumbent protection program for the 2018 election cycle.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the party's political arm in the U.S. House, announced Monday that 19 members had been placed in its Frontline program.

The move comes about a month after Republicans announced their 36 initial targets for the 2018 election. Loebsack and Bustos were on that list, too.

Republicans are targeting Democrats in districts President Donald Trump won last November. That includes both Iowa's 2nd District and Illinois' 17th.

Trump narrowly won the 17th District; he won the 2nd by 4 points.

Loebsack, who is from Iowa City, defeated Republican Christopher Peters last fall by about 7 points. Bustos won by more than 20. Both, however, faced opponents that weren't well known and had relatively little money.

The Frontline program is a partnership that helps vulnerable members by assisting with fundraising and campaign infrastructure. "Incumbent protection is a critical part of the DCCCs offensive strategy, and will allow us to maximize our gains in 2018," Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, a New Mexico Democrat who chairs the campaign committee, said Monday.

Already, Loebsack and Bustos have been targeted by advertising sponsored by a Republican group with ties to the GOP leadership.

In response Monday, Loebsack said he has faced tough challengers before and has emerged a winner. "Todays announcement will ensure that our team has the tools necessary to fight the negative ads that have already begun attacking the work we have accomplished," he said.

Jared Smith, a spokesman for Bustos, said she has been working to hold the Trump administration accountable  and that's what Republicans ought to focus on, too, "instead of engaging in political attacks."

Even though the parties have identified where they think the most vulnerable members are, it doesn't guarantee that a district will be competitive in the following election. Bustos was in the Frontline program for 2016, but she ended up winning by a wide margin. In addition, the parties won't make firm decisions about how much money they'll put into a race until next year.
1. Breezy with showers later today

A good Monday to all. Some wind, some rain and an enhanced risk of grass fires top the weather today.

Here are the weather details from the National Weather Service.

There's a chance of rain throughout the day with showers likely after 4 p.m. Skies will be cloudy and breezy with a high near 66 degrees. The chance of precipitation is 60 percent with new rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible except in thunderstorms. South winds between 20 to 25 mph will gust as high as 35 mph.

Tonight showers and possibly a thunderstorm are possible. The chance of precipitation is 80 percent with new precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. The overnight low will be around 39 degrees. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.

While light precipitation will help limit the fire weather threat today windy conditions and wind gusts exceeding 30 mph will quickly dry out abundant vegetation and any grass fires that do develop would spread rapidly.

Tuesday will be sunny and windy with a high near 57 degrees. West winds between 15 to 20 mph will increase to 25 to 30 mph in the afternoon with gusts as high as 45 mph.

These high winds will bring with it a very high risk of grass fires.

The Mississippi River in the Quad-Cities is nearing flood stage this morning. The river is currently at 14.88 feet. Flood stage is 15 feet. The river is expected to rise to 15.2 feet tonight and then begin to fall.

2. Man's body found in parking lot was shot

Davenport police say they are now investigating the discovery of a man's body early Sunday in the Brady Street Stadium parking lot as a homicide.

The body of Demetrius Allen, 18, was found in the parking lot at 3600 Brady St., with suspected gunshot wounds.

An autopsy is pending, according to police.

Police responded to the area following a report of someone lying in the parking lot on the northeast corner of the stadium. They found the man deceased at the scene.

3. John Deere Road construction begins this week

Work on the John Deere Road widening project resumes Thursday. The work involves reconstruction of the eastbound lanes of John Deere Road and improvements to the following side streets: 38th Street, 41st Street, 53rd Street, 60th Street and 70th Street.

The first item of work will be to shift the side streets into a one-lane in each direction configuration.

At 53rd Street, traffic will be shifted to one lane in each direction on the east side of the street, allowing for reconstruction of the west side of 53rd Street.

Once that work is completed, the same concept will be applied to:

 60th Street, with one lane in each direction of travel on the east side of the street.

 70th Street will be changed to one lane in each direction on the west side of the street.

Also 38th Street will be closed to northbound traffic heading to John Deere Road. To gain access to John Deere Road from 38th Street, drivers will need to take 41st Avenue Drive to 41st Street.

Then westbound John Deere Road will be shifted north onto temporary pavement constructed last construction season. A temporary barrier will then be placed on John Deere Road from the crossover east of Interstate 74 and John Deere Road interchange to the crossover east of 70th Street.

Then eastbound John Deere Road will be shifted into a head-to-head configuration in the westbound lanes. Each direction of John Deere Road will have two lanes in each direction with dedicated left turn lanes at 41st, 53rd, 60th and 70th streets. The only exception will be westbound John Deere Road coming up to 70th Street will be restricted to one lane until after the 70th Street intersection.

Traffic on John Deere Road will be head-to-head for the 2017 construction season. The estimated switch date is March 27.

When traffic is shifted to the head-to-head configuration, the ramp from westbound I-74 (traveling north) to eastbound John Deere Road will be closed. The scheduled closure for the ramp is March 27.

For westbound I-74 (traveling north) traffic wanting to travel on eastbound John Deere Road, a detour will be in place utilizing three clover leaves of the I-74 and John Deere Road interchange.

Got that?

4. Davenport road work update

 Brady Street project

The two to three left lanes of Brady Street will be closed between 4th Street and Palmer Drive for sewer lining: today, lane reduction between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Tuesday, lane reduction between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

 Kimberly Road and Division Street

Work to widen the intersection at Kimberly Road and Division Street is set to begin March 13.

Stage 1 will install a water main on 40th Street to Rodeo Road and should be completed by March 17.

Stage 2 will reduce lanes of travel on Division and Kimberly and will begin March 20.

 Other projects

There will be intermittent closures at the intersection of Lombard Street and Elsie Avenue for full depth concrete repairs through March 24.

South Concord Street between River Drove to Utah Avenue remains closed due to flooding along the river and is estimated to re-open March 15.

Work continues on 28 Street between Western and Gaines streets, E. 29th Street and Lorton Avenue, Fillmore Street from 17th to 18th streets, Forest Grove Road, Locust at Main streets and River Drive.

5. Deadline looms for Rhythm City barge

The adage less is more rings true about the riverfront for many Davenport residents. Many clamored for the removal of the Treble Clef casino boat, which departed for Memphis late last year. Now, the last stanza of Rhythm City Casino Resort's barge approaches and the vision of a less obstructed view of the riverfront is becoming more clear.

Per an agreement with the city of Davenport, Rhythm City has until the end of the month to remove the barge and porte cochere from the riverfront.

As was the case when the casino elected to move from the riverboat to its current land-based location on Elmore Avenue, the barge is currently still for sale on Pinnacle Marine Corporation's website for $399,500. Read more.

6. Doxsie's after-thoughts from Iowa-Penn State

Sports columnist Don Doxsie provides his insights about the Hawkeyes after watching Iowa's win over Penn State. Read more.

No. 7 Hawkeyes face No. 10 Indiana in Big Ten tournament Just a little more than two weeks after their only meeting of the regular season, Iowa and I

6 plus one. Hilltop Campus Village, Food Bank donation, employees of the year

Business reporter Jennifer DeWitt reports among other things that Hilltop Campus Village in Davenport is welcoming another new businesses in her weekly column Bizbytes. Read more.
Business and insurance interests are trying to wipe out insurance benefits that cover every working Iowan.

Workers compensation is a required employee benefit. It covers medical treatment, lost wages, and compensation to workers injured on the job. At least thats what its supposed to do.

In reality, insurance companies often abuse the system to delay and deny benefits to injured workers whose bills pile up. The lucky ones find a lawyer who can help them get medical care, pay bills, and feed their kids. The unlucky ones are left to borrow money from family, or go on public assistance.

Leandra Haughey just started a new job in 2014, cleaning a Marshalltown meatpacking plant at night after meat-processors left for the day. This was not her dream job, but she was happy to have it. One night a coworker noticed she was lost, led her to the basement of the large empty plant, beat her, and raped her. (Leandras rapist is now in prison, where he belongs.)

Iowas workers compensation laws required Leandras employer to provide prompt treatment for her physical and psychological injuries. Instead, they promptly denied her claim and fired her, but not the rapist. They continued to deny her treatment for 19 months until she hired me.

This is an extreme example, but employers and insurance companies routinely delay and deny these guaranteed benefits. A bill (House Study Bill 169) in the Iowa legislature makes it easier for employers and insurance companies to dispose of you, rather than pay your benefits.

Business and insurance interests are trying to sell this as a reform package to roll back court cases that helped workers. Thats false. In 2015, the national news publication ProPublica wrote about the demolition of workers compensation: Over the past decade, states have slashed workers compensation benefits, denying injured workers help when they need it most and shifting the costs of workplace accidents to taxpayers.

This bill arbitrarily cuts off benefits for the most severely disabled workers at age 67. It slashes benefits for common workplace injuries, like shoulder injuries. It gives employers and insurance companies broad new authority to deny claims and delay benefits. And it virtually eliminates coverage for orthopedic injuries to workers who are overweight or over 40.

Iowa is joining the race to the bottom in workers compensation. Will businesses save money? Of course. Workers and taxpayers will be picking up the tab from now on.
All roads are open and normal traffic has resumed in Davenport after a partial train derailment affected traffic for several hours.

A Canadian Pacific Railroad locomotive partially derailed about 2:30 p.m. Monday in the area of West 4th and Taylor streets, according to Davenport police, who assisted with traffic control during road closures.

The train with more than 100 cars blocked several Davenport intersections, including Rockingham Road, 3rd Street, Division Street, Taylor Street and Marquette Street. Traffic remained snarled in those areas late Monday afternoon.

Police said there were no known hazards.

 Linda Cook
2005-2022 All contents of this blog are the property of Bonnie K. Hunter, and cannot be reproduced in any way without prior written consent.
The din of middle school lunchtime chatter was quickly overtaken by applause on Monday as Rapid City firefighter Robert Rendon walked through the North Middle School cafeteria on crutches.

The local firefighter's right leg was amputated below the knee after a serious motorcycle crash last month. When the students found out about Rendon and his crash, they raised $800 by selling bracelets and hosting fundraising activities like "jeans day." On Monday, the students and staff gave Rendon that check during the lunch.

Rendon said he was touched by the generosity of the students and staff at the school. He hopes the children learn that bad things happen in life, but that they don't have to define you.

He offered the advice of "be able to accept help when you need it."

Rendon said his recovery is going well and he is taking his own advice regarding acceptance and assistance. Fellow amputee firefighters and groups involved with motorcycle crashes have reached out and offered him help.

In three weeks, Rendon will be fitted with his first prosthesis and over the next year, doctors will work to make sure the fit is right and that it works as it should.
PIERRE | After a strong debate about safety, both with more guns and without, the state Senate on Monday voted to allow people with enhanced carry permits to bring their pistols into the state Capitol.

Some senators argued that allowing guns into the Capitol would make things safer from potential attack, while others said having concealed weapons inside the halls of government opens the door to potential accidents and safety issues.

The vote was 19-15 in favor of House Bill 1156. It now goes to the governor for his decision whether to sign it into law or return it to the Legislature with a veto.

People would need to register in advance with Capitol security. The registration would last for 30 days.

Thirteen percent of South Dakotans have a regular concealed carry permit, Sen. Jim Stalzer, R-Sioux Falls, said. About 1,500 people statewide have the necessary enhanced-permit clearance.

Stalzer said the Capitol is the only non-education state building that is a gun-free zone under state law. He said many offices in the Capitol have one door to enter and leave.

He said the secretary of state, the state treasurer and the public utilities commissioners have told him they would feel more comfortable if they could carry pistols.

He said state Treasurer Rich Sattgast identified some security flaws. I think it would be better if those did not become public, Stalzer said.

The Supreme Court chamber of the Capitol would remain closed to weapons.

Stalzer emphasized he wasnt being critical of Capitol security.

They do a great job while we are here. But the pure fact of the matter is, they are not here all year long, Stalzer said.

He said 18 states allow legislators to carry guns in the Capitol; 16 allow employees to carry; and 14 allow the public to carry.

Sen. John Wiik, R-Big Stone City, said enhanced permit training takes two days. He said he received his training from Stalzer.

Our enhanced permit holders are the essence of a volunteer, Wiik said. This is a lifestyle.

Sen. Bob Ewing, R-Spearfish, said hes never felt unsafe in the Capitol during his five years as a legislator. He said he trusts the Highway Patrol and that guns arent needed in the Capitol.

Sen. Deb Soholt, R-Sioux Falls, called the bill too much too soon in relation to other safety measures that could be taken.

Stalzer said in the last 10 years there was one situation involving a legislator in Kentucky whose gun went off while she was cleaning it. He said there were two other occasions involving guns left in a desk drawer and a restroom.

Sen. Troy Heinert, D-Mission, said he has no idea of how safe other people are with firearms. He mentioned the possibility of a gun in a briefcase going off when slung across a legislators desk.

I mean, I have no control over that. But now this bill forces me to be around that on the Senate floor, Heinert said.

Sen. Art Rusch, R-Vermillion, said the Capitol isnt a place for guns. He said its a place for debate. A retired judge, he said he also came to that conclusion about courthouses.

If more protection is needed, the Legislature needs to bite the bullet and provide money for it, Rusch said.

Sen. Neal Tapio, R-Watertown, supported allowing the enhanced-permit holders to be armed in the Capitol.

This is becoming a dangerous, dangerous world, Tapio said. We need to have some level of protection.

Senate Democratic leader Billie Sutton of Burke said many children visit the Capitol and legislators need to think about them handling guns that are left unsupervised.

Sen. Stace Nelon, R-Fulton, said a pistol is a tool. He called it common-sense protection of the people in the Capitol.

Quite frankly Ive struggled with this bill, Sen. Alan Solano, R-Rapid City, said. He trusts Capitol security and said he hasnt felt threatened. He ultimately voted no.
PIERRE | While the land exchange that was necessary for a Spearfish Canyon state park died this legislative session, state officials continue to proceed on stewardship and management planning for the highly used and much treasured piece of the Black Hills.

The South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Commission received a report last week from state parks director Katie Ceroll about what happens next, after the governor pulled his funding request to the Legislature that would have paid for the 1,480-acre exchange.

Another non-controversial issue? commissioner Barry Jensen of White River said as Ceroll prepared to start.

Correct, she replied.

Theres still the future of Bismarck Lake to consider, and the canyons two waterfalls  Spearfish and Roughlock  as well as the Savoy fishing area that GF&P already manages.

Ceroll said recreational use continues to rise in the area. Her schedule still calls for a master plan to be completed by September even though the state park concept is off the table.

A steady schedule of volunteer committee meetings and public meetings is set for the next six months. In April, a consultant will review whats been learned and the possible scenarios. In May, officials will host a meeting on the canyon and a meeting on Bismarck Lake. In August, a public comment period would take place.

Commissioner Gary Jensen of Rapid City asked what the commissions role would be. Secretary Kelly Hepler said the department would bring the plan to the commission. He said there would be pieces for the various sites.

I think its going to be a collaboration, Hepler said.

Commissioner Scott Phillips of rural New Underwood said the first meeting Jan. 26 was pretty negative over any plans for the canyon. He said he senses theres been somewhat of a softening of public opinion since then.

Ceroll replied, Theres a resource thats sensitive, is being loved. Preserving the resource is at the core, she said. And that core does resonate, she said.

Commissioner Paul Dennert of Columbia asked how the master planning can proceed after the funding legislation was set aside. Ceroll said there are multiple possibilities.

Dennert wondered if Bismarck Lake could be attached. I think it would be wise to move ahead with that at a faster clip if were held up on the canyon, Dennert said.

I think were in a pause mode, Ceroll responded. The pause allows time for planning in response to trends. Thats good for planning, she said.
Clarita Alia doesn't look like she has many tears left. Her eyes tell the story of a life filled with grief.

She is frail, depleted and seems much older than her 63 years.

Alia sleeps in an empty, rundown stall -- the remnants of her small vegetable stand -- in the southern Philippines city of Davao.

The air is putrid. Raw sewage flows in a nearby gutter. Rats scurry amidst piles of trash. Such is life in the slums.

Alia wonders what life would be like today if her sons Richard, Christopher, Bobby, and Fernando were still alive.

"Richard was always bringing me flowers. Christopher would kiss me," she says. "I'm still longing for my children."

Alia's voice breaks. Tears stream down her cheeks. Then she sobs. It's the cry of a mother who has lost a child. Only, she has lost four.

Her weathered hands tremble as she clutches a plastic bag with a small notebook and a handful of photos of her sons -- the only pictures she has left.

She explains how they grew up dirt poor, like pretty much everyone in the slums of Davao. Drugs and crime plagued their neighborhood.

When former prosecutor -- now President -- Rodrigo Duterte was first elected mayor of his hometown in 1988, Davao was dubbed "the murder capital of the Philippines."

Crime was out of control. Residents were justifiably scared to walk the streets at night. The new mayor declared open season on criminals by encouraging police and vigilantes to use lethal force to rid them from the streets.

By the time Alia's sons came of age, Duterte's brutal war on crime was in full effect in Davao. Alia tried to steer her boys away from the gangsters that seemed to rule the backstreets and alleys of the slums. But the lure of easy money, combined with peer pressure, proved irresistible.

"My son Richard, the eldest, was about 15. And he was in the gang. But I told him please get out of that because Duterte already warned on the TV that your sons and daughters who are really into something (crime) should get out of the city because they will be killed."

Richard was first to die, in 2001 according to Alia. She says Christopher was killed later that year, and in 2002, Bobby was stabbed to deathall of those cases remain unsolved.

Fernando was in hiding for nearly five years before being stabbed to death in 2007 -- all of those cases remain unsolved.

Police told Alia her sons were thugs, "serial thieves," unable to be rehabilitated.

But according to Alia, that's what police always say when they shoot and kill "society's garbage" -- a term Duterte has used to describe street thugs, dealers, and other targets of his drug war.

Alia says death has become common in the city.

"That's the problem with our government here in Davao. People will do nothing even if they see somebody is being shot. They just don't care," Alia says.

During our interview, passing teenagers heckle Alia for openly criticizing Duterte, whose nationwide approval ratings are around 80%.

"People should speak up, especially the victims," Alia says. "If they remain silent, the suffering will continue."

She's one of the few in Davao who seems willing to say the killings must stop.

Duterte served seven terms as Davao mayor, leading the southern city for 22 years. Locals say he transformed Davao from one of the most dangerous cities in the Philippines to one of the safest, even though between 2010 to 2015, Davao City had the fourth highest number of crimes countrywide.

Duterte is the first Philippine president from the island of Mindanao where Davao is located, a point of immense local pride.

Even though the city's murder rate remains high, and despite the persistent terror threat in Mindanao, locals proudly claim they no longer live in fear.

They often speak of Duterte's father-like presence. Many describe him as a disciplinarian. That discipline includes strict rules. A nightly curfew for minors, a smoking ban, and an early cut-off for liquor sales.

"He treats everyone as if they are part of a big family. If you did something wrong, then definitely you will be disciplined. If you did something bad you will be punished," says one woman at the night market.

"He's done a lot for the city in terms of keeping peace and order and inspiring people to be better citizens. He's a hands-on leader," another man says.

But Duterte is most revered for his crackdown on crime. He has admitted to personally shooting three people he calls criminals during his early days as mayor, though he later said he was among a group firing weapons and claimed he had no way of knowing if his bullets were the ones who struck their targets.

In any event, he has long encouraged police, and the public, to take matters into their own hands.

A United Nations report and human rights groups documented a wave of hundreds of mostly vigilante killings committed by death squads across Davao during Duterte's long run as mayor.

Duterte has denied any involvement.

One of Duterte's most vocal opponents in Davao is Father Amado Picardal, a Catholic priest who has been assigned there for 16 years.

He runs a human rights group that claims to have tracked more than 1,400 murders in Davao over the last 20 years.

"This is wrong. We have to put a stop to this. Because if this continues it will destroy us as a country, as a nation," Picardal says.

"It is bringing out the worst in a lot of people ... Most of (those killed) will be poor, most of them will be users, and the problems of poverty will still be there. It is not addressed. It is going to bring us to ruin."

CNN's Kathy Quiano contributed to this report.
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MOSCOW, March 6 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko)  The Kirovsky Regional Court will hear an appeal against sentence of Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny, who has earlier been found guilty in Kirovles embezzlement case for the second time, RAPSI learnt from the courts press-service on Monday.

On February 8, Navalny was convicted of organizing embezzlement at the Kirovles timber company for the second time and received a 5-year suspended sentence, while another defendant in the case, Pyotr Ofitserov, received a 4-year suspended sentence. Additionally, they were fined 500,000 rubles ($8,500) each.

Navalny claimed not guilty and said that he is going to appeal the sentence with the Russian Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In November, the Supreme Court overturned sentences against Navalny and Ofitserov in Kirovles embezzlement case and sent it for retrial. The court delivered the ruling taking into consideration the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

In February 2016, ECHR held that the applicants right to a fair trial had been violated and ordered Russian authorities to compensate Navalny with 48,000 of legal costs and Ofitserov with 22,000. Additionally, Russia was obliged by court to pay 8,000 euro each in damages.

On February 21, 2017, lawyers representing Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny asked the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to exercise any and all available options to assist in the execution of the judgment.

Navalny was given a five-year suspended sentence for embezzlement at the Kirovles timber company in July 2013. Later, Moscow's Lyublinsky District Court increased a probation period for him to 5.5 years. Ofitserov received a four-year suspended sentence.

According to investigators, while serving on a voluntary basis as an adviser to the Kirov Region governor Navalny organized the theft of over 10,000 cubic meters of timber from Kirovles company between May and September 2009.

Investigators claimed that Pyotr Ofitserov, then Director of Vyatka Timber Company, and Kirovles CEO Vyacheslav Opalyov were involved in the scheme. Proceedings against Opalyov were treated as a separated criminal case after he had admitted his guilt.
Russian woman allegedly linked to ambassador Karlovs killer arrested in Turkey - report

Context Russia launches investigation into murder of ambassador to Turkey

MOSCOW, March 6 (RAPSI)  A Russian woman suspected of being in contact with alleged killer of ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov has been arrested in Ankara, CNN Turk reported Monday.

The 33-years old woman, known as Ekaterina B., or Ekaterina Borisovna, has been identified while analyzing telephone conversations of Mevlut Mert Altintas, the suspected assassin of the Russian ambassador, according to CNN Turk.

Reportedly, Ekaterina B., who is suspected of organization of prostitution, communicated on the phone and exchanged WhatsApp messages with Mevlut Mert Altintas in November 2016.

On December 19, the off-duty police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas opened fire at an art gallery in Ankara when Karlov was giving a speech, according to Turkish officials. The ambassador was mortally wounded. At least three other persons were reportedly injured. The gunman was later killed by police officers in a shootout.

Videos of the assassination taken by journalists give investigators a reason to believe that the gunmans actions and speech were related to his opinion concerning Russias policy in combating international terrorism.

Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case over the murder of Karlov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Karlov had been despicably killed. The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in turn characterized the murder of Russian ambassador as a terrorist attack aimed at deterioration of relations between the countries after the beginning of their normalization.

Relations between Russia and Turkey became troubled in October 2015 after killing Oleg Peshkov, the pilot of Russian Su-24 bomber downed by the Turkish Air Force in Syria. At that time, President Vladimir Putin described the murder of Russian pilot as a stab in the back delivered by accomplices of the terrorists. In the fall of 2016, Putin and Erdogan negotiated over getting Russia-Turkey relationship back on track.
Theres far more to fishing than casting a fly.

Matt Devlin of Missoula knows all about how the love of that pastime can transcend time to create friendships forever tied to seeking that perfect cast on that perfect day in that perfect crystal-clear pool.

On Sunday, March 12, the folks who find a seat at Hamiltons Pharaohplex Theater for the Montana Fishing Film Festival will get a glimpse of just that in a film produced by Devlin about his long-lasting friendship with fellow fishing guide Bryce McLean of Stevensville.

Its about a friendship thats lasted 10 years or so, Devlin said. While things in both of our lives have changed over the years, we still really love going out and fishing every chance we get. While everything has changed, including going from first generation Go-Pro cameras to borderline Hollywood-level cinema stuff, the soul of it all has stayed the same.

At its core, its about sharing an adventure of attempting to fool a trout to suck in an artificial fly.

That film is just one of the 12 to 13 Montana-made films in the festival sponsored by Eddie Olwells Fishs Eddy O Outfitters to benefit the Bitter Root Water Forum.

This will be the first time that Hamilton has hosted the festival that Devlin has been hosting for the last four years.

The festival offers films made by professionals and self-taught film makers. All but one features trout fishing in Montana.

As a way to get people excited about another upcoming fishing season, Olwell has been hosting a film festival in Hamilton for the last two years. The previous festivals included a lot of exotic locations, fishing for species that many Montanans will never see.

A lot of people told me last year that they would like to see more films about fishing in Montana, Olwell said.

And so the Stevensville man looked north to find Devlins PMD Productions.

This is the fourth year that weve been doing this, Devlin said. Its been really humbling to see how its grown. Im the only employee. I get to see first how much work it takes to see an idea come to life.

Four years ago, Devlin and McLean thought they would see what kind of film they could create while fishing some of their favorite waters in southwest Montana.

It wasnt quite good enough to get in the bigger fly fishing film festivals, but we still wanted to show it to people, Devlin said. We decided the rent the Crystal Theater and show it to whoever showed up. The idea kind of snowballed and we found that there were a lot of other fishing movies being filmed in Montana.

This year, the Montana Fishing Film Festival has appeared or will appear in Missoula, Bozeman, Helena and Hamilton. Folks in Salt Lake City, Utah will also have a chance to see it in a show hosted by folks living in that area.

These films really resonate with people in a similar way, Devlin said. People come up to me after the show and theyre thankful. They thank me for putting this on. I think it connects with people because these are filmed in places that are similar to where they fish and live.

The only film in this years festival that doesnt originate in Montana or include trout is about carp fishing in Utah.

We thought that might be interesting to some people, Devlin said. There seems to be a growing interest in fishing for carp in Montana. There are some carp in Toston Reservoir in the lower Missouri. Those are some big fish.

All the proceeds for the Hamilton showing and a Reels N Brews event at Bitterroot Brewing immediately following the festival will benefit the Bitter Root Water Forum.

Olwell currently serves as the forums board chair. Hes very proud of the huge amount of restoration work the Bitter Root Water Forum has been able to accomplish in the past few years to stabilize and protect upper tributaries of the Bitterroot River.

The doors will open at the Pharaohplex Theater at 11 a.m. The films will begin showing at 11:30 a.m. Tickets cost $12, with kids ages 12 and under free. Tickets can be purchased at the Freestone Fly Shop or at the door.

The event at Bitter Root Brewing will run from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. A portion of every beer sold during that time will benefit the water forum. There will also be a variety of silent auction items to bid on, door prizes and a raffle for a float trip with Eddie O, complete with a gourmet lunch.
HELENA  The Montana Democrats on Sunday picked musician Rob Quist of Creston as their U.S. House candidate to replace Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

Zinke resigned from Congress Wednesday and will be replaced in a special election May 25. Gov. Steve Bullock set the election for 85 days after Zinkes resignation, although he had 100. Montana wont have a representative in Congress until Zinke is replaced.

The party held four rounds of voting during the special nominating convention at the Best Western Premier Great Northern Hotel in Helena, eliminating the lowest vote-getters each round until someone ended up with more than 50 percent.

Quist defeated state Rep. Amanda Curtis on a vote of 90-69 in the final round, state Rep. Kelly McCarthy of Billings was eliminated after the third round, Gary Stein of Missoula was eliminated and Dan West of Missoula dropped out after the second round, and attorney John Meyer of Bozeman, Lee Link Neimark of Whitefish and Tom Weida of Helena were eliminated after the first round.

Before the voting began, delegates had 30 minutes to give one-minute speeches for the candidate of their choice. Quist, Curtis and McCarthy received the majority of their support, with at least five delegates speaking on each candidates behalf. Most delegates who spoke said the three candidates were most likely to put together the best campaign in 80 days. West had two delegate supporters and the remaining candidates had none.

The leading candidates were divided on whether political experience would help or hinder their electability. Candidates did agree on several core aspects of the Democratic platform, such as keeping public lands public and fostering an inclusive environment.

Quist, who gained fame in the Mission Mountain Wood Band, hasnt ever held elected office. When announcing his campaign, Quist touted years of public service including serving for 11 years on the Montana Arts Council and as a state ambassador to Montanas sister state in Kumamoto, Japan. He advocated for the Montana Food Bank and received a grant from the Office of Public Instruction to create anti-bullying programs and art programs in public schools.

Quist said hes traveled the state and understands what kind of representation Montanans need. He grew up in Cut Bank and now lives in the Flathead Valley. The musician received an endorsement from former Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who called Quist a political outsider who will stand up for Montana.

While nominating Quist, Rosebud County Committee Vice Chair Jean Dahlman said he has a unique relationship with Montanans and will appeal to Independent and Republican voters.

These are the voters we must win over in order to win the general election, Dahlman said.

Dahlman said Quist has already shown hes capable of growing the party. While traveling to garner the support of delegates, he created seven new central committees.

Never have we seen such uncertainty. Voters are alarmed, she said. They are asking for a new kind of leadership.

Kyle Kuntz, a delegate from Blaine County, said Quist was the most electable candidate and will find support from both sides of the aisle.

Quist said hes come to know Montanans without being a career politician, which gave him a broad perspective and ability to represent the entire state.

I ask you to look outside the bubble of Helena to a man who has represented Montana from behind a different kind of microphone, he said.

He spoke to policies he would support, including fixing the Affordable Care Act, funding education, opposing the transfer of public lands and womens reproductive rights, including protecting funding for Planned Parenthood.

The last Democrat to hold the congressional seat was Pat Williams, who served from 1979-1997.

"I hope to get to Congress and have the same impact Pat Williams had," Quist said after winning the nomination.

He added that the election is going to be a sprint, but said Quists are good at sprinting.

"I think, who better than a musician for a campaign like this?" he said. "I think we're really well prepared."

Quist said he has been connecting with Montanans his whole life, and he doesn't think he will have trouble getting people to cross party lines. He said he has had conversations with Republicans, and they agree on 80 percent of the issues.

"I really don't feel like I'm an underdog in this race," he said.

Kevin Hamm, with the Stonewall Democrats, gave an energizing nomination speech for Curtis, which drew applause and cheers from the crowd. He said Curtis, who was defeated by Republican Steve Daines after being nominated to run for U.S. Senate only 50 days before the 2014 general election, has experience in a short and fast-paced election.

She has walked through that fire already, he said. Its time we help the lady take the seat.

Curtis also highlighted the necessity of experience, mentioning her two terms in the state Legislature and the requirement of the nominee to immediately understand and act on federal policy issues. She said shes already been vetted by Republicans after running against Daines.

She took time out of her speech to issue a general warning to whoever won the nomination, saying they will deal with trackers from the opposition and said the other side doesnt play nice.

Theyll make up lies about you, she said. Theyll give you a tracker who acts as your shadow whose only job is to make you look bad or lose your cool.

If chosen, Curtis promised to have authentic conversations with Republicans and unite people according to the states core values.

This is about more than looking like a Republican, she said. This is about talking to our friends and neighbors.

Curtis ended her speech by acknowledging shes a woman, which she called the elephant in the room. She shamed delegates for suggesting a woman couldnt win right now.

Do you hear yourselves? Did you hear the 10,000 women in Helena? For the record, once and for all, without a doubt in my mind I do think a woman can win right now, she said. I think this is our time more than ever.

Rep. Nate McConnell, D-Missoula, nominated McCarthy and referenced his sponsorship of a bill to prohibit discrimination against the LGBTQ community, even though McCarthy knew the odds werent in his favor.

Like all of us in this room, Kelly wanted the ugly practice of discrimination to end, McConnell said. Kelly knows what courage is.

McCarthy touted his three sessions in the Legislature. Hes built the budget as part of the House Appropriations committee for three sessions and said 80 percent of the legislation he carried last session became law. He said Montana needs to send a representative who understands the nuances of the current political climate.

In this race, legislative experience and national security experience and experience serving our nation matter, McCarthy said.

The majority of the Democratic votes came from county committee people. Gov. Steve Bullock and Sen. Jon Tester each got a vote, and 21 came from the partys executive committee. Another 10 votes came from partner organizations, such as the College Democrats and the Montana Indian Democrats Council.

Republicans will choose their nominee on Monday evening at the Best Western Premier Great Northern Hotel. Unlike the Democrats, the Republicans required each of their seven candidates to put forward a $1,740 filing fee. They also required candidates to get support from 10 committee voters in at least five counties.

All of the 212 Republican voters come from county committees. Candidates include 2016 gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte, state Sen. Ed Buttrey of Great Falls, Dean Rehbein of Missoula, Drew Turiano of East Helena, Rep. Carl Glimm of Kila, Ed Walker of Billings and former Republican chairman Ken Miller.

Gianforte has already launched a statewide advertising campaign for the special election with a 60 second commercial. He said hes already secured enough votes to get the nomination on Monday.

Ron Vandevender, state party chair for the Libertarians, said they will pick their candidate in a convention Saturday in Helena. Candidates include Mark Wicks of Inverness, James White of Helena, Rufus Peace of Livingston and Chris Colvin and Evan Gardner of Kalispell.
Beginning Monday, we are turning off comments on Missoulian.com and Ravallirepublic.com.

This doesn't mean we want to shut off discussion about the news of the day. But it does mean we want to direct that conversation to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, which is where most of that discussion is happening already.

We will be experimenting with some new tools in the coming months to draw you into digital exchanges on our websites based on key events happening in Western Montana.

But like many other news organizations, we have concluded that allowing comments on every story on our sites rarely adds consistent value to the public debate and, too often, hurts innocent subjects of the stories, makes the jobs of our reporters harder and harms the reputation of the Missoulian and the Ravalli Republic.

We know this decision will disappoint some readers. But a review of our websites shows that the vast majority of comments are made by a tiny fraction of our digital readership.

Moreover, the tenor of those comments in the last few months  reflecting the divisions in our country right now  has become less civil, creating more heat but shedding less light as writers devolve into name calling and worse to make their points.

Many of you have asked why we simply can't require people to use their real names when they comment or why we can't edit the comments.

Papers such as the New York Times have the staff to pre-screen comments before they are posted. The Missoulian and Ravalli Republic do not. And we do not have the technology or the staff to verify the identity of commenters. Even if we did, the best use of our reporters and editors is to gather the news and act as watchdogs in our communities, not as bird dogs for online comments.

To the tiny few who will claim that this decision is violating your First Amendment rights, you're mistaken. The Internet has given you more platforms than ever to make your views known. But we will no longer offer a platform that lets you do so anonymously.

While I know this is the right decision, making it was personally difficult. I instituted online commenting a decade ago at another news organization and did so with the belief that it would help break down the institutional walls between the newsroom and news readers.

The experiment was noble but, in hindsight, was doomed to fail because the vast majority of newsrooms do not have the resources to turn online commenting into a robust town square debate of the issues of the day.

So we're pulling the plug Monday. You can find our stories on Facebook and Twitter and can post them to any social site where you'd like to begin a discussion. But please keep it clean and keep it civil. We need, as a nation, to find better ways to talk with each other. This is our contribution to that important cause.
Biratnagar, Nepal: The death toll of Saptari incident has reached four after three more cadres of the United Democratic Madheshi Front (UDMF) succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment at Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) on Monday evening.

According to the BPKIHS the deceased have been identified as Ananda Shah, Digambar Yadav and Pitambar Lal Mandal. Earlier, Sanjan Mehta of Maleth VDC- 2 was killed by the bullet fired by the Nepal police.

Police had opened fire while trying to control the situation in and around the venue were the CPN UML had organized a mass assembly as part of the Mechi- Mahakali campaign.

It is said that among the injured dozens of UDMF cadres, the condition of the four is said to have critical. Critically injured nine UDMF cadres were referred to the BPKIHS for treatment.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Following the Sunsari incident, the agitating United Democratic Madheshi Front (UDMF) has decided to withdraw support from the incumbent CPN Maoist Center chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal led government.

A meeting of the UDMF leaders held at the central party office of the Federal Socialist Forum Nepal at Tinkune of Kathmandu on Monday evening, decided to withdraw the support from the government.

It is said that a letter will be write to the Speaker Onsari Gharti on Tuesday to inform about the withdrawal from the government.

Condemning the incident the meeting has also decided to call the general strike in Terai districts on March 7 and 8 to protest the incident.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Responding to the Saptari incident, the main opposition party CPN-UML has decided to put off its ongoing Mechi-Mahakali campaign for three days.

An emergency Standing Committee meeting of the UML held on Monday evening at Saptari decided to put off the campaign for three days.

We have put off our Mechi-Mahakali campaign for three UML's Publicity Department chief Yogesh Bhattarai has said issuing a press statement on Monday evening.

The UML has also stated that the campaign was put off on the basis of information that there were conspiracies being hatched to thwart the UML's rallies.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Challenging to the governments decision to increase the number of local units, a writ petition has been filed at the Supreme Court (SC) demanding interim order against the government decision on Monday.

Chiranjibi Rijal filed the writ at the SC demanding that the decision of the government to increase the number of local units from 719 to 744 be scrapped immediately through the interim order.

Writ petitioner Rijal has a claim that the decision made from the cabinet meeting breaches the jurisdiction of the constitutionally formed commission.

The government has on Sunday decided to add 25 more local units to the total 719 units proposed by the Local Level Restructuring Commission (LLRC).

The writ petitioner has a claim that the governments decision breaches the constitutional provision of Article 295(3) that authorities to the LLRC to determine the number and boundaries of village and municipal councils.
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The Daily Star - February 25, 2017

Communalising textbooks - How others may look at us

Manzoor Ahmed

The opening words of an education blog posted under the auspices of UNESCO Global Education Monitoring report concludes that the new version of textbooks from grade one to grade ten display a deliberate move to give the content a religious if not communal slant. (See Global Education Blog, 8 February, 2017).

It goes on: Bangladesh has always had separate religious books in schools for followers of different faiths, and textbooks for other disciplines have always been secular. This year, however, the new text books, even those that are not related to religious studies, have been tailored to please religious groups. First graders now learn that O is for orna, a type of scarf worn by girls and women, rather than for ol, a type of yam, for instance. In addition, 17 poems have been removed, which local media has reported, at the request of a group -Hefazat-e-Islam - who reportedly told the government those were atheistic.

It further adds: Some commentators believe the changes in Bangladeshs books might have a political motive, given that the next general election is in 2019, and pleasing these groups could win over a particular electorate. The government has been quick to say this is not the case.

The blog refers to the GEM Policy paper on textbooks published last year. The paper had pointed out that textbooks can easily breed and reinforce intolerance, prejudice and discrimination. aIn 16 countries in Europe and North America, for example, 50 percent to 75 percent of all coverage of Islam and Arab societies in world history secondary school textbooks is related to conflict, nationalism, extremism or terrorism, representing these societies as violent and unstable,a the policy paper noted.

What should be a matter of concern for Bangladesh policy makers is that the recent incidents in Bangladesh are cited as an example of the bigotry and distorted views seen in text books in many countries. The Blogs concluding words warn, a This story revealsa that monitoring education progress cannot rely on access data alonea there is an urgent need to monitor the content of education if we are to ensure that education is promoting sustainable development.a

As part of the Ekushey Book Fair, Bangla Academy hosted a public discussion on education and social progress on February 20. This writer was invited to present the main paper. Professor Emeritus Sirajul Islam Chowdhury was in the chair, while the discussants included Prof. Abdul Mannan, UGC Chairman; Prof. Harunur Rashid, Vice-Chancellor of the National University; and Rasheda K. Chowdhury, Executive Director of CAMPE.

I drew attention to the fact that the first education commission of independent Bangladesh, the Kudrat-e- Khuda Commission, had made a distinction between learning about religion and religion-based education.

The Commission had recommended a common universal education for all children up to grade 8. Madrasas, after this primary stage, would be a form of vocational education for those who may become teachers for family religious instruction, religion teachers in general schools, imams and muezzins of mosques, and kazis or registrars of Muslim marriages.

The Commission never envisaged a parallel religion-based system of education from pre-primary to university, supported by the state revenue along with the secular system. We have strayed far from the premises of the Khuda Commission.

It is hardly discussed, and not a politically correct question to ask, whether the state should support a faith-based system of education; and if it does, what proportions of students, institutions and public budget for this parallel system should be compared to the secular system. The madrasa proponents have already raised the logical demand for a full parity with the secular system claiming access to public service jobs for madrasa graduates. Soon there may even be a demand for quotas for madrasa graduates.

Lets not forget that the madrasas supported by public funds and the quomi madrasas run with charity raised at home and abroad prospered since the military rulers assumed power in 1975. The irony is that once the genie was out of the bottle, even the elected governments found it impossible to put it back.

The discussants and the chair at the Ekushey forum agreed that it would be a dangerous game to appease religious extremists out of short-sighted political calculation. The characterisation of the Bangladesh textbooks in the GEM blog may not be entirely fair. But it would be quite fair to say what happened with the textbooks recently is not acceptable and must not be allowed to be repeated.

The writer is Professor Emeritus at BRAC University.

o o

Dhaka Tribune - March 06, 2017

HC questions legality of changes made to textbooks

by Ashif Islam Shaon

HC questions legality of changes made to textbooks

The changes made to the textbooks by removing well-known writers was allegedly made to satisfy the demands of radical group Hefazat-e-Islam.

The High Court issued a rule yesterday, asking the government to explain why the changes made to the curriculum by excluding write-ups of well-known authors should not be declared illegal.

Justices Naima Haider and Abu Taher Mohammad Saifur Rahman issued the rule after holding a primary hearing on a writ petition filed by educationist Prof Dr Anwar Hossain and curriculum expert Momtaz Jahan, stating the changes to the curriculum were illegal and unlawful.

The court asked the education secretary and the chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board to respond within four weeks.

Syed Mamun Mahbub, one of the counsels to the petitioners, said: aThe exclusion of the writings of well-known and pro-Liberation War writers like Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Golam Mustafa, Humayun Azad, Sanaul Haque and others from the textbooks shows a clear tendency toward communalism. This is clearly a conspiracy.a

aIn 2013, the textbook had contained write-ups from well-known writers. The texts had expressed non-communal, social and ethical mores and values,a he added.

aRecently, when radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam demanded the exclusion of some writers from the textbooks of Class I till Class IX, the authorities concerned removed some writersa pieces from the textbooks and replaced them with religion themed texts.a

o o

The Daily Star - March 7, 2017

Why changes in textbooks?

HC questions, asks authorities to explain in 4 weeks

Staff Correspondent

The High Court yesterday questioned the legality of bringing changes in the textbooks of primary and secondary levels by excluding write-ups of some reputed authors.

The court issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to show cause in four weeks as to why the changes in the textbooks should not be declared illegal.

The education secretary and chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) have been made respondents to the rule.

The HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman came up with the rule following a writ petition filed last week by former vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University Prof Anwar Hossain and curriculum expert Momtaz Jahan challenging the legality of the changes in the textbooks.

The petition said some write-ups of several acclaimed and progressive authors, including Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Golam Mustafa, Humayun Azad and Sanaul Haque, have been removed from the books.

Some write-ups, which are already in the religion studies books, have been included in the Bangla curriculum for class-I to classaIX following the demand of Hefajat-e Islam, a Qawmi madrasa-based organisation, added the petition.

The contents that have been dropped are --- Prarthona by Golam Mostafa and Boi by Humayun Azad for class-V; Ranchi Bhraman by S Wazed Ali, Lal Goruta by Satyen Sen, Lalu by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Ramayan Kahini by Upendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury and Sabha by Sanaul Haque for class-VI.

The petition read that some new contents, which are in the religion studies books, have been included in the Bangla textbooks. Sobai Miley Kori Kaj has been added to the Bangla textbook for Class-II, Khalifa Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) class-III, Khalifa Hazrat Umar (RA) class-IV and Biday Hajj and Shaheed Titumir to that for class-V.

Such changes in the curriculum are the reflection of communalism and this is unlawful, petitioners lawyer Syed Mamun Mahbub told The Daily Star.

The government is facing widespread criticism from various quarters over some embarrassing blunders in textbooks and dropping of some contents.

Hefajat and Bangladesh Awami Olama League have all along been demanding exclusion of some of the poems written by aHindus and atheistsa .

Many have alleged that some poems, including Boi by Humayun Azad, have been dropped from Bangla textbooks for different classes as per the demand of the two organisations.

Eminent citizens and different organisations strongly condemned the anomalies in textbooks and demanded withdrawal of the aerror-ridden textbooksa immediately.

Following criticisms and media reports, the education ministry made NCTB chief editor Pritish Kumar Sarkar and its senior expert Lana Humayra Khan officers on special duty (OSD), a status regarded as a punishment.

Several committees have already been formed to identify the mistakes in textbooks and also those responsible.

o o

newsnextbd.com, Sunday, February 26th, 2017

A silent coup

by Maskwaith Ahsan;

Bangladesh is going through a phase of alarming radicalization. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with an obvious intention to remain unchallenged, has over and again vowed that Bangladesh will follow the Medina Convention.

Initially it was thought that the slogan of aMedina Conventiona was just rhetoric to please the sentiments of Muslims. Some Awami supporter even tried to justify this rhetoric by saying that Sheikh Hasina was trying to counter the religious politics of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which was a trading partner of the Jamaat-e-Islami.

But as days roll by, Hasina seems to be falling in her own trap; her religious sentiments are overpowering the spirit of democracy. She has recently renewed her commitment to rebuild the society in light of so-called Islamic teachings.

Bangladesh protest

Fanatics demand execution of atheists in Bangladesh a File

On this matter alone the ruling Awami League can be seen clearly split along ideological lines, with the splinter faction sticking to the secular spirit of the 1972 constitution designed to establish an inclusive peoplesa Republic where people from all religions could enjoy equal rights.

The other group within the Awami League is adamant to establish a Muslim Bangladesh based on the dream of Jamaat-e-Islami. This group appears more powerful, as it has a more effective role in the decision making process. Its aspiration is to go beyond Pakistan and have a country like Saudi Arabia. From textbooks to tailoring houses, a recreation of the Islamic Kingdom is getting obvious.

With the collective connivance of Jamaat, BNP and Awami League, the Hindu community is being wiped out of Bangladesh. Statistics reveal that all the parties are sharing the land and wealth of uprooted Hindus. Other religious and ethnic groups have gone through this same crime against humanity committed by all the three leading political players.

In step with the aan eye for an eyea political tradition the Awami League has benched the BNP since coming into power. Some Jamaat leaders have been tried for their crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 struggle but now it seems to be merely a ploy by the Awami League to portray itself as having successfully cleaned up the mess created by Jamaat.

The reality on the other hand is that the Jamaat is now more influential than before. It has historically sided with every regime in power so as to achieve its target of creating a nation like Saudi Arabia.

Over the course of decades the Jamaat-e-Islami systematically planted its people in every political party and administration of Bangladesh and thatas why we can clearly see that no matter which party come to power the political thoughts of Jamaat remains dominant across the nation.

Bangladesh textbook

Progressive students bring out procession in Dhaka to protest doctoring of school textbooks a file

In different times groups with different names like Ulama League or Hefajat have come forward with similar demands all designed by the Jamaat. Excluding Hindu writers from the textbooks and radicalization of the educational system have been implemented during the present Awami League regime according to the will of Ulama League and Hefajat.

Now even the education minister of Awami League says that Islamic teachings should be the backbone of the educational system of Bangladesh.

Just as the Jamaat affiliated groups in Pakistan created a akafir factorya by declaring their opponents one by one as kafir, in Bangladesh too they have created an a atheist factorya which has led to the killing of many writers and bloggers.

The Awami League hasnat even bothered to condemn such fatwas and actions of the Hefazat let alone hold its leaders accountable for publicly declaring the killing of atheists as aWajiba (religious duty).

Instead, the Awami League openly sided with Hefazat by refusing to allow the display of slain blogger Avijit Royas books during the Ekushe Book Fair. So much so that this year the Ekushe Book Fair took place under strict police scrutiny to identify and remove any element in any book that could in any way hurt the so-called religious sentiments of the right-wing.

Now Hefajat has come up with a new demand to remove the sculpture of Themis from the Supreme Court premise and replace it by a replica of the Holy Quran. This has unmasked many closeted right-wingers who have come out in open support of this demand.

It seems that the Jamaat-e-Islami has been successful in replacing true Islamic philosophy with its own brand of conservative religious politics.

Bangladeshi writer

Maskwaith Ahsan is an expatriated journalist and writer
The Algerian regime, which has closed its borders with its Moroccan neighbor since 1994 and which continues to support the Polisario separatists, is seemingly destabilized by Moroccos application to become a full-fledged member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

After it failed to prevent Morocco from returning to the African Union, Algerian diplomacy was once again completely disoriented by the Kingdoms decision to integrate a regional community at its southern borderline.

The Algerian regime, which has tirelessly maneuvered to impose its hegemony in the Maghreb and the Sahel, is now cornered by the results of the large-scale diplomatic offensive initiated by King Mohammed VI across Africa. During the latest African summit in Addis Ababa, the King had pointed out that the flame of the Arab Maghreb Union has faded.

Commenting on Moroccos willingness to join ECOWAS one month after it returned to the AU, the Algerian media did not hesitate to talk about a geostrategic overturn in the whole region.

The political and economic rapprochement between Morocco and the countries of the continent, a rapprochement that included recently even the countries that were siding with Algeria on the Western Sahara issue, seem to put Algerian authorities in a very uncomfortable position, conceded the Algerian press.

What reinforces Moroccos breakthrough in Africa is that Algeria, whose economy relies up to 90% on the receipts of hydrocarbons, has nothing more to offer its former African partners. With the collapse of oil prices, Algerian rulers are now confronted with serious budgetary difficulties aggravated by a growing social tension.

It is in this context that the Algerian regime has incited in recent months the Polisario leadership to opt for military escalation in the buffer zone of Guerguarat in the southernmost tip of Western Sahara, to push the Moroccan neighbor in an armed conflict. But it was without counting on the diplomatic skillfulness of King Mohammed VI who rapidly defused the tension, and spared his country from falling into the trap set by Algeria.
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Nuclear threats, human rights complaints and political strife constantly keep North Korea in the news. Here are more a dozen charts that help 
In a cheeky play on the cultural call for diversity in the workforce, Netflix announced that Nicolas Jakoby, the first ever Orc Police Officer (played by Joel Edgerton), has joined the the South Central Los Angeles Police Force, solidifying a commitment to diversity and their acceptance of all communities and races. Jakoby will be partnering with the esteemed Human Officer Scott Ward (Will Smith) and providing much needed insight into the Orc community in the Los Angeles area.

So, what is Bright? Written by the talented and oft misunderstood Max Landis (Chronicle, American Ultra), the feature screenplay for Bright caused a studio bidding war resulting in a $3 million pay day for the young writer when Netflix came out on top. The film is directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad, End of Watch).

Synopsis: Set in an alternate present-day where humans, orcs, elves and fairies have been coexisting since the beginning of time, Bright follows two cops from very different backgrounds. Ward, a human (Will Smith), and Jakoby, an orc (Joel Edgerton), embark on a routine night patrol that will alter the future of their world as they know it. Battling both their own personal differences as well as an onslaught of enemies, they must work together to protect a young female elf and a thought-to-be-forgotten relic, which in the wrong hands could destroy everything.

The Netflix original film stars Will Smith, Joel Edgerton, Noomi Rapace, Lucy Fry, Edgar Ramirez, Ike Barinholtz, Enrique Murciano, Jay Hernandez, Andrea Navedo, Veronica Ngo, Alex Meraz, Margaret Cho, Brad William Henke, Dawn Olivieri, and Kenneth Choi.

Bright hits Netflix in December.
Osaka Asian Film Festival generally forgoes retrospectives and screenings of classic cinema to concentrate on contemporary works from the Asian region. This year, theyre making a break from this tradition by hosting a rare screening of Nomura Yoshitaros The Refugee. The 1955 film is playing as part of this years special program, In & Out of Work: Looking at Asia through the Prism of Employment which aims to reveal the true face of Asian societies and people through films that depict their labors. The 35mm film is solely preserved at the National Film Center of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. English subtitles were specially commissioned for the screening and will be used here for the very first time.

Synopsis:

A Chinese medical student named Gan Shosho finds himself cut off from his homeland as he is studying in Japan during the outbreak of the war. Despite his difficult circumstances, he finds love in the form of Sachiko and the two marry. They later travel to Nanjing to live a new life together where Sachiko and Shosho cooperate with the Japanese-backed government. Their ultimate hope is to secure peace but their idealism is not enough to keep them together through brutal times and with the end of the war the two find themselves facing a divorce...

Nomura Yoshitaro began his career in Japanese cinemas Golden Age, directing his first film in 1953 at Shochiku studios. The prolific director would become known for his later collaborations with mystery writer Matsumoto Seicho, with the partnership resulting in works such as Castle of Sand (1974) and The Demon (1978).

The Refugee features many familiar Golden Age acting talents. It stars Ozu regular Sada Keiji, along with fellow stalwart Chishu Ryu. The pair would later appear together as father and son in Ozus final masterpiece, An Autumn Afternoon. Kishi Keiko, memorable as the Snow Woman in Kobaysahi Masakis Kwaidan, co-stars.

The Refugee will play at Hankyu Umeda Hall, Monday 6th March, 6:30pm
Vidyut Jamwal is an actor with the skills, looks, and talent to become an international action regular. I hesitate to say he could be a star on the level of someone like Jackie Chan or Jet Li, but he certainly as at least as much charisma as someone like Tony Jaa or Iko Uwais. He's good fashion model good looks, a physique good enough to dampen the loins of the women of the world, and his martial arts and gymnastic skills are solid enough to give someone like Jaa a run for his money with the size of someone like Michael Jai White of Marko Zaror. So why isn't he a star yet? Probably because of films like Commando 2: The Black Money Trail.

In 2013 Jamwal made is debut as a leading man in the low budget actioner Commando: A One Man Army and immediately lit up audiences with his remarkable flexibility, agility, and movie star good looks. While the film wasn't a modern masterpiece by any means, it certainly delivered the goods in terms of martial arts action and '80s style Cannon action on a tiny budget in a film that surprised fans in India and even made a minor impact on the genre festival circuit at events like Fantastic Fest and Fantasia.

Even though the film never saw a commercial release in North America, Commando alerted the action film diehards to the presence of a new talent to watch out for. So, when word first came that Commando 2 was on the horizon, we all sat up and waited patiently for the return of Vidyut Jamwal in a film that would perhaps make better use of his talents and maybe even a bigger budget. That wait has lasted four long years, and unfortunately it looks like we'll have to continue waiting for a film that builds on Commando's reputation, rather than detracts from it.

Producer Vipul Amritlal Shah and writer Ritesh Shah return to action for the second Commando film, and their motto appears to be more = better. In this rough continuation of the first film, Jamwal's Commando Karan Dogra is sent to Bangkok to round up one of India's biggest tax scofflaws and criminals, Vicky Chadha. The film is loosely based on the recent demonetization scheme from India's Prime Minister in which 80% of the nation's hard paper currency was deemed illegal in an attempt to ferret out cash stores of those involved in nefarious deeds.

The new setting allows for ever more elaborate and ornate visuals after the first film's more than a little subdued jungle/village vibe. Karan has also gotten a promotion to high level agent of the Indian government and his own team of operatives. So, instead of the "Army of One" of the first film, we now have a bunch of lesser sidekicks to deal with. This is the first problem with Commando 2, more does not equal better in this case, and the focus of the film becomes more and more diffuse as the story attempts to wrangle all of these characters.

The first film was able to harness the sheer power of Vidyut Jamwal by putting him as the very clear focus and primary driving narrative force. He's not a great actor, but he is a very competent performer given the right set of circumstances and a solid script that understands his abilities and limitations. In Commando 2 he's asked to helm a much more ambitious project - read: more expensive - and with that obligation came the desire of the filmmakers to crank everything up to eleven. The problem is that they elements they decided to accentuate are not the elements that made the first film worth watching.

Vidyut Jamwal is an incredible athlete and wonderfully talented martial artist, so the idea here should have been to accentuate those skills and focus more on the reason the audience bought the ticket in the fisrt place. Instead we get a sprawling story, extraneous characters who do nothing other than provide unnecessary comic relief, and the dilution of Jamwal's talent in the service of attempting to create a larger world for the character. It doesn't work. The film is bloated beyond redemption and almost everything that endeared audiences to this character is either completely stripped or cranked up to a farcical extreme that detaches the audience from the film.

When I walked into Commando 2 I wanted to see one thing; I wanted to see Karan Dogra kick a lot of ass. For the first few minutes I thought I might get my wish, unfortunately it was a tease that only accentuated by frustration with the direction the film decided to go. After an opening action sequence that does a relatively good job of letting us know that we are back in Commando's world, the film spends nearly as hour setting up characters, several of whom are red herrings or Maguffins, before returning to the punch. An hour. Even by Bollywood standards that's an awfully long time between set pieces in an action film. And then, we're basically told that nothing about the first half of the film was relevant anyway.

It's a stupid and insulting bait and switch that does nothing to advance the story and actually detracts from the film's momentum by introducing a villain at the halfway point and discarding characters who had almost managed to earn empathy without looking back. Narratively, it's a goddamned disaster, and that's not even to mention the ridiculous romance that gets shoehorned into the film, and numerous unnecessary and baffling twists that render huge chucks of plot irrelevant. Enemies turn out to be friends, friends turn out to be enemies, and with not a shred of foreshadowing. It's sloppy writing that fails monstrously at its goals and left me feeling very cheated.

Okay, so the story isn't that great, and the action scenes are too few and too far between. Perhaps if the action sequences that are part of the film are good enough, those narrative sins can be forgiven.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen either. Part of the appeal of the first Commando film was the fact that all of the stunts in the film were done in camera. No wires, no doubles, no CG. However, all of that has gone out the window in Commando 2, where numerous green screen action sequences are staged, there is a ton of wire work, and the editing of the film leaves the viewer unsure if even the wire stunts were performed by Jamwal. A huge part of Jamwal's appeal is the fact that he doesn't need fancy tricks to make his skills look amazing. He's been touted as the next Tony Jaa, but even Tony Jaa waited several films before succumbing to the wire-fu menace, Jamwal did it in his second solo outing and it just looks bad.

I'm used to Bollywood action defying physics at every opportunity, but Commando was a breath of fresh air simply because India finally had an action star whose skills spoke for themselves. Sadly Jamwal is hung out to dry by the director, Devan Bhojani, and much of his incredible talent is left on the table in what should've been a huge coming out party for this performer. Not only is the action highly staged and augmented by wires and CG, it's also incredibly slow moving for the most part, as well as being repetitive. Everything Commando 2 does well, it did better the first time around, and in a much shorter running time.

As if the dilution of Jamwal's talent by the stunt team wasn't enough, the film also attempts to throw in a terrible looking GoPro first person action sequence toward the end of the film. The POV sequence is confusing to watch and not very well staged, leaving me baffled as to what was going on and even worse, completely confused as to the geography of the scene. It's the kind of gimmickry that untalented performers need. Allowing the scene to focus on his talents rather than throwing in an completely unnecessary and unsuccessful visual stunt is an amateur move.

Vidyut Jamwal is a martial artist with movie star good looks, the last thing he needs is gimmicks mucking up his film, but here we are, marveling over the aftermath of a complete disaster where a grand success should've been. Cut away at least forty minutes of this two and a half hour beast, remove half of the characters, ditch the wire-work, and tell the stunt team springy leg bouncy things stopped being cool ten years ago, and maybe there's something salvageable in Commando 2. The world was ready for a Vidyut Jamwal action epic, sadly, it got a dud. We'll have to wait a while longer for another film to truly give him the showcase he deserves, let's just hope it happens before people stop caring.
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Who is Sunny Hostin? Her Husband, Family & Net Worth Sunny Hostin is no ordinary Latina  American lawyer but also a successful columnist, multi-platform journalist, and social commentator. A happily married woman and mother of two, Hostin is the Senior Legal Correspondent and Analyst for ABC News and co-host of ABCs popular morning talk show, The View. She is a legal expert popularly known as a former ...

Who Is Robert Costa and Is He Married, Who Is His Wife? Robert Costa is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC who is regarded as being part of Americas next generation of journalists. The University of Notre Dame graduate, who is of Italian/Portuguese descent, has been lauded for his fresh political perspectives in an industry full of old heads. In addition to his work listed above, Costa ...

Team Valor Pokemon Go  7 Key Facts You Need To Know Team Valor Pokemon Go  The craze of the new game Pokemon Go is one that took the gaming world by storm sending teenagers and adults alike into a frenzy and one of its teams Team Valor, has proven to be instrumental in making it so. Before the game was created, Pokemon was a cartoon ...

Sheryl Underwood  Husband, Family & Net Worth She is known for her trademark smile which can be described as the brightest and broadest smile ever seen on planet earth. She is none other than Sheryl Underwood the comedian, actress, and TV host whose funny wits has left America in great awe. Although Sheryl has risen to become an important personality in the industry, ...

Team Mystic Pokemon Go: 7 Facts You Need To Know And Signs You Are One Team Mystic of the break out game Pokemon Go is a team that is full of sass and chivalry. With an enchanting monicker, Team Mystic stands out from the rest of its counterparts and deserves to take the crown as champion in the Pokemon gaming-verse. To be a member of this exceptional team of Pokemon battle ...

Exploring Guy Beahms Dr Disrespect Persona, Wife and Why He was Banned Permanently From Twitch Guy Beahm who is popularly known by his online alias  Dr DisRespect, is an award-winning Twitch.tv streamer. He has leveraged on the Twitch platform to become an internet personality that is quite widely known. His online success is just more proof that anyone who is good at what they do can attain celebrity status ...

Critical Facts About Lee Ann McAdoo  The Infowars Anchor Lee Ann Mcadoo is a conservative journalist and television host whose interests in conspiracies and astrology has established her as a famous American reporter. Often referred to as Wonder Woman, McAdoo is a reporter who works for InfoWars.com, a controversial right-wing website run by radio show host, Alex Jones. Who Is Lee Ann McAdoo? Lee Ann McAdoo was born on 7 ...

Millie Weaver  Age, Husband & Infowars Career Millie Weaver is an American model, journalist, political activist, and social commentator. The young and beautiful journalist rose to fame working as a reporter for a controversial right-wing website InfoWars.com. Also known as Millennial Millie, Weaver is a social media influencer with over 100,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel and over 35,000 followers on Twitter. Who Is Millie Weaver and What Is ...

Is Jessica Tarlov Married? What Are Her Height & Weight? Jessica Tarlov is an American political consultant, strategist, and analyst whose influential and regular TV presence has made a popular figure. A good example of beauty with brains, Tarlov has appeared on various TV networks, mostly the FOX News Network where she is known for her liberal views on political analysis and insights. She is also the senior director ...

Who Is Kelly Rebecca Nichols  Alex Jones Ex-Wife? Kelly Rebecca Nichols is the ex-wife of controversial American radio show host, Alex Jones. She got nationwide attention following her divorce and subsequent custody battle with her estranged husband. Nichols, who worked with PETAs public relations department, was herself no stranger to controversies as she was involved in several publicity stunts of the non-profit animal rights ...

Who Is Bree Morgan  Cole Sprouse Ex-Girlfriend And What Is She Up To Now? Although Bree Morgan became famous through the Instagram, she also sapped some dose of popularity from Disneys sweetheart, Cole Sprouse of the Sprouse brothers. She is not only an Instagram star but also a YouTube vlogger whose popularity has long exceeded the ordinary level. Bree is conspicuously prominent on the internet and has her digital savviness ...

Does Vanna White Have Husband or Children, What Is Her Net Worth / Salary? For over three decades, Vanna White has been a household name, famous as the co-host and letter turner of the iconic NBC game show Wheel of Fortune. The talented and beautiful television personality is also an actress with several TV series and films to her credit. Since making her Wheel of Fortune debut in 1982, she has become one ...

Liz Wheeler  Biography, Husband & Net Worth Liz Wheeler is the kind of girl who sets the room on fire whenever she comes around. In this situation, however, she sets our screens on fire each time she appears as the host of One America News Tipping Point. She is, therefore, a presenter, publisher, consultant and a member of the Board of Zoning ...

Betty White  Net Worth, Children & Husband The entertainment industry will remain indebted to personalities like Betty White who brought something extra to the table and kept the world entertained for donkey years. The comedienne, actress, and writer graced the big screens in the early 50s as a show host and has been a delight since then. She is the queen of ...

Is Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Dead or Alive, What Are His Net Worth & Education? Everyone will always remember Bill Nye as the Science Guy. Besides his TV show Bill Nye the Science Guy, he is well-known for his Netflix show Bill Nye Saves the World which started airing in 2017 as well as his appearances in many famous media projects as a science educator. The star studied mechanical engineering ...

Is Cesar Millan Dead, Who Is The Wife & What Is His Net Worth? Cesar Millan is the famous dog whisperer who often stirs up mixed emotions. The Mexican-American is precisely speaking, a dog behaviorist; he has been in the game for over 25 years. His Emmy-nominated television series, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan further pushed his method and tactics into the limelight. The series was produced from 2004 ...

Is Thomas Sanders Gay and Does He Have A Boyfriend? By the time Vine was shut down in January 2017, Thomas Sanders was already popular within and beyond the internet community for his heavy involvements on the online video hosting platform. After the tragic shutdown of Vine impacted on the growing career of the multi-talented personality, he immediately switched over to YouTube where he continued to upload ...

Is Shepard Smith Gay, Who Is The Boyfriend & What Is His Net Worth? There are only a few media personalities who are as bold and confident as Shepard Smith. Apart from his impressive stint at Fox News Channel which includes but not limited to his classic news delivery, upfront stance on virtually every issue and much more; he loves his job as much as he loves his personality. Smith ...

Is Milo Yiannopoulos Gay? His Husband and Net Worth Milo Yiannopoulos is a popular writer, journalist, polemicist, public speaker, and political commentator who is also known as the founder of The Kernel, an online blog. He has been said to be among the list of 100 weird and influential people in the United Kingdom. He appeared on this list as a result of personal beliefs and ...

Does Ryan Seacrest Have A Wife Or Girlfriend, What Is His Net Worth? From radio to television, Ryan Seacrest is a household name and a force to be reckoned with in showbiz. The radio personality, television host, and producer is best recognized as the host of the popular TV talent search contest American Idol. Heres how the media personality who always knew what his lifes ambition was and diligently pursued ...

Is Anderson Cooper Gay, Who is The Boyfriend or Husband? For many, the thought of becoming a millionaire by writing and talking about other people appears unachievable but this is the reality of the prominent American journalist Anderson Cooper who gathered millions of dollars for conducting accurate political analysis and other vital reports on TV. He is the main anchor of the CNN news show Anderson ...

Is David Muir Gay or Does He Have A Wife, What Is His Salary? David Muir is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who works for the ABC broadcast-television network and anchors the ABC World News Tonight with David Muir program while also co-anchoring the magazine program 20/20. The Ithaca College graduate, whose show has become the most-watched newscast in America, has covered stories from all across America and the world; reporting ...

Joel Osteen  Divorce Rumors, Net Worth & Family Members Joel Osteen is an American Televangelist, Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church based in Houston, Texas, a husband and a father of two. He is an author of many books, seven of which are New York Times Best Sellers and his televised sermons capture more than 7 million viewers per week and 20 million every month ...

Who Is Todd Chrisley? What To Know About His Children, Gay Rumors & Net Worth Premiered on the USA network in 2014, Chrisley Knows Best is one of the most watched family reality TV shows in the U.S. The series which is currently in its sixth season is centered around U.S real estate mogul Todd Chrisley and his family. The show reveals Todd the patriarch of the Chrisley family as a strict dad who rules ...

Who Is Shannon Bream Of Fox News? Her Husband, Children & Net Worth Shannon Bream who hosts the iconic primetime program started her journalism career in the late 1990s debuting as the evening and late-night news reporter for the CBS affiliate, WBTV. The beauty from America currently works for the Fox News Channel and she is best known for anchoring the primetime program. She also hosts Americas News ...

Is Troye Sivan Gay, Who Is His Boyfriend and What Is His Net Worth? Troye Sivan is an Australian singer and songwriter best known for songs like Happy Little Pill, Youth, Heaven (with Betty Who) and The Boyfriend Tag (with Tyler Oakley) which have all garnered him different awards and ranked on the Billboard Charts. Sivan, who was born in South Africa but now resides in the United States, is ...

Did iDubbbz Have Cancer, Is He Gay and Who Is His Girlfriend Now? iDubbbz is one YouTuber who has made a career out of courting controversy. Renowned for his absurdist channels and comedy video series, the Los Angeles based personality is the owner of two channels, iDubbzTV, and iDubbzTV2, as well as the brains behind comedy video series such as Content Cop, Kickstarter Crap, Gaming News Crap, and ...

Inside Greg Gutfelds Love Story With Wife Elena Moussa and Why Fans Thought He Was Gay Greg Gutfeld is a seasoned American television producer whose career in the media industry has spanned over a decade. He is a man of many talents who makes extra income through comedy, journalism, and editorial works. Gutfeld regularly appears on Fox News Channel as a panellist and co-host of the political talk show The Five ...

Works That Made Bo Burnham A Household Name and How Much He Is Worth Now One of YouTubes first viral stars and the worlds most exciting young comedian, Bo Burnham, has always amazed critics and comedy aficionados alike. Often regarded as the Justin Bieber of comedy, thanks to his fresh looks, floppy blond hair and hoodies, he has a multi-faceted career bigger than many comedians twice his age. It wouldnt ...

Is Louie Anderson Gay And What Is His Net Worth? Louie Anderson has one of the most abstract faces in the industry and equally knows how to use it to his advantage. He is not only a stand-up comedian but also an actor and television host who is known for his distinctive comic wits. Some of his notable projects include Family Feud, where he was ...

Is Don Lemon of CNN Gay, Who is His Partner and What Is His Salary? Don Lemon has risen to become one of the most recognizable faces on CNN over the past few years. The fiery journalist, who anchors CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, is liked and somewhat disliked for his strong and candid opinions on a variety of matters that do not just include politics but also race, significantly, matters that ...

Is Rachel Maddow Gay, Who is the Wife and How Much Does She Earn in Salary? Rachel Maddow is an award-winning American journalist, political commentator, and television news anchor. She is best known for hosting the popular nightly TV show The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Prior to this, she hosted a talk radio program on Air America Radio from 2005 to 2010. As of now, the TV sensation co-anchors MSNBCs ...

Demystifying Pokimane  Her Real Name, Ethnicity & Boyfriend Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Pokimane Thicc is one of those stars who took advantage of the internet to make a name for herself. Given the unlimited potentials which the social media space offers, many people have been instantly propelled to fame just by posting creative online contents. Not only has ...

A Breakdown of Kris Jenners Net Worth, Sources Of Income and Relationships Over The Years Standing outside and looking in, Kris Jenner looks like the oil that greases the wheels of the entire Kardashian/Jenner machine. She has been dubbed a momager and rightfully so because she seems to have had a part to play in the trajectory of each and every one of her daughters individually and the Kardashian brand ...

Pursuits That Brought Liza Koshys Fame To its Zenith and Her Love Life Since David Dobrik Liza Koshy is an American actress who has leveraged YouTube as a platform to promote her comedy while also serving as a television host on occasions. She is talented and funny and has gathered a lot of fans from around the world. Koshy started on Vine in high school and was able to get millions of ...

Alex Aiono Biography  Inside The Life Of The American Singer Not everyone who started from the streets has attained the heights where Alex Aiono is currently. His story could be referred to as the perfect definition of rising from Grass to Grace. He came into the limelight after he started out as a YouTuber, singer, and producer. One fascinating thing about the young YouTuber is ...

Virginia Vallejo Biography And Her Love Story With Pablo Escobar Virginia Vallejo can be referred to as one of the oldest whistleblowers in history after her involvement with Pablo Escobar which made her famous. Over the years, many questions have been raised about her relationship with the drug lord and why she endangered her life to be with him despite his notorious acts. The death ...

Princess Love Bio  Ethnicity, Real Name & Parents For many people, Princess Love is simply Ray Js wife but there is so much more to this feisty lady than meets the eye. She is a star in her own right and has many feathers on her cap. Princess Love is a reality TV star, a model, video vixen, and fashion designer. She and her ...

Who is Papa Franku Also Known As Filthy Frank or Joji, Where is He Now? The social media as we all know today has given people the opportunity to be creative and innovative and at the same time, make something of themselves. YouTube is one of the known social platforms we have today that makes it possible for people to express their God-given talents and post videos they created to ...

Who Is Molly Qerim, How Did She Become a Famous Sports Anchor and Who Is Her Husband? Molly Qerim is an American sports anchor popularly known for moderating First Take, a highly rated sports talk show, on ESPN. Prior to joining ESPN, Qerim hosted Fantasy Live and NFL AM on NFL Network. It is quite obvious that the widely acclaimed television personality is in a class of her own when it comes ...

Safiya Nygaard  Height, Parents & Net Worth Safiya Nygaard is an American YouTuber, writer, content producer, and director who is popular for posting makeup, beauty and fashion videos on YouTube. Her videos regularly top at least one million views, thanks to her lively character as well as her willingness to experiment with outrageous outfits and different beauty products. Here are the things to ...

The Rigors of Sunlen Serfatys Career Journey Until CNN and Fun Facts About Her Personal Life CNN correspondent, Sunlen Serfaty is an Emmy Award-winning journalist known for covering a broad range of breaking news stories, national news, and Washington politics. She has been able to garner widespread recognition for herself which even goes beyond the sphere of her work. Her profile also increased with the extensive work she did in covering ...

Demystifying Jazz Jennings Real Name, Boyfriend & Family Of One The Youngest Transgenders Jazz Jennings is an unusual personality who became famous as a transgender activist and was recorded as the youngest documented public figure to be seen as transgender. She is also a YouTube personality and spokesmodel for brands, her fans, and other transgenders. She fought for acceptance in her high school with her super supportive family for over ...

Inside Fred Armisens Life  Ethnicity, Romantic Relationships and Gay Rumors Fred Armisen is an award-winning American comedian, he is also a writer, an actor as well as a musician. He was a cast member of the legendary comedy show, Saturday Night Live for 13 years and also one of the brains behind the successful satirical show Portlandia. Find out more about this incredibly talented guy ...

Ed and Lorraine Warren Biography: Cases, Kids, and Family Life Have you ever woken up with fear you could not explain, or felt a strange presence that made the hair at your nape rise or even experienced strange occurrences around you? Well, these were some of the promptings that made the well-known paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren delve into trying to explain the ideas ...

Truth About Tony Romos Wife, Kids and Life Since His NFL Retirement Tony Romo grew from the field as a quarterback to the screens as an American Football Analyst. He was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the richest football league in the world (NFL) before retiring. As a junior, he was honored as an All-Ohio Conference Member, an Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and ...

Who is Brittany Venti, The Controversial Game Streamer and YouTuber? In recent times, many people live stream themselves playing video games. This has become a popular pastime on the internet and many highly skilled gamers have become internet celebrities through this means. However, some of them rather than becoming renowned for their gaming skills and great commentary, have become controversial and infamous. A good example ...

Rob Dyrdeks Family: His Kids And Relationship With Wife Bryiana Noelle Flores A multi-talented star and an elite pro skateboarder, Rob Dyrdeks success story began at a remarkably young age. Yet another proof that schooling doesnt always correlate with success, Rob has established himself not just as a phenomenal sportsman but also as a successful entrepreneur. Besides perfecting his skill as a natural talent on the board, ...

xChocobars  Biography and Everything You Should Know About Her Having distinguished herself and recorded massive successes in an industry notably dominated by men, it is very safe to say that Xchocobars deserves all the attention and cash she makes from her career. A household name on Twitch (a smart live streaming video platform), the online-gamer is popularly known for streaming classic games such as Stardew ...

Everything To Know About Mary Padian, Her Boyfriend and Net Worth Mary Padian is a famous American television reality personality best known for her involvements on the Reality show Storage Wars. She also has her own shop called Mary finds where she displays her antique collections. Since her childhood, Padian has been a creative learner. At the time, she used to create new items out of reusable ones and ...

Betsy Woodruffs Family Life: Is She Married or Related To Bob Woodruff? An old name in the world of journalism, Betsy Woodruff has warmed her way into the hearts of many with her impressive talents. Through hard work, Woodruff has carved a niche for herself in a very competitive field. Betsy has strong family and work values and is also an advocate for equal opportunities for everyone ...

Matpat (Matthew Patrick)  Wife, Height & Net Worth As far as internet business is concerned, Matpat remains one of the most dynamic and seasoned figures. He boasts a wealth of experience that has helped him in growing his business from one level of greatness to another. Like most successful people, MatPat started out small but today, he makes millions of dollars from his ...

Facts About Ricegum  His Girlfriend, Real Name & Net Worth Ricegum is an online gamer and YouTube sensation who ditched college; took advantage of the digital era, and made a name for himself on the internet. Though he began as a gaming YouTuber, Ricegum soon gained recognition as a controversial internet star following his many diss tracks. Here is everything you need to know about the youngster ...

Joy Taylor Once Married MLBs Richard Giannotti  Inside Look At Her Love Life and Family The erosion of the sexist idea that women have no business in sports broadcasting created a host of women celebrities who attained fame outside of modeling and acting. One of them, Joy Taylor, a radio personality and TV host for Fox Sports 1, has been in the industry since 2009, becoming one of the most ...

What To Know About Conan OBriens Wife, Kids & Family Today The name Conan OBrien is one that jumps right at you almost immediately you start talking about the most popular television hosts in the USA and this is no surprise because the man behind that name has risen to become one of the most admired men in the business. Known for hosting the late-night talk ...

David Letterman  Net Worth, Wife & Son In all of American, one man whose face has been seen frequently by late night TV talk show lovers is none but David Letterman. The comedian and TV show veteran has been hosting late night talk shows for more than three decades. His Late Night with David Letterman show began on February 1st, 1982 aired ...

Demystifying Sssniperwolfs Family Background And The Boyfriends Shes Had Since she launched her eponymously named channel in 2013, Sssniperwolf has been on the rise when it comes to video game influencers. She is one of the biggest names in the online gaming subgenre of YouTube videos. Real name Lia Shelesh, she started with Call of Duty: Black Ops II but has diversified with other ...

Lester Holt  Wife, Family & Net Worth Lester Holt is a multiple award-winning journalist, newscaster, reporter, and actor who has worked for notable media houses like WCBS TV, CBS, MSNBC and among others. His remarkable feat in journalism has endeared him to the hearts of many and earned him some awards and recognitions. Read on to get acquainted with his biography, ethnicity, ...

What Is Louis C.K. Doing Now, Where Are His Family And How Much Is His Net Worth? It is not easy to make it in comedy. It takes more than a funny bone and the ability to elicit a few giggles from a listening audience. For all the complexities that go into making a successful career in comedy, Louis C.K, the Washington D.C-born comedian, did it. For years, he was at the ...

The Progression of Hoda Kotbs Career, Her Ancestry and Family Life Hoda Kotb gained fame as a television host and news anchor for NBC. She anchors the shows signature show Today, and it has been an excellent vehicle for her skills in front of a camera. Kotb has won several awards, including Daytime Emmys and Peabody Awards. Simply put, she is one of the most successful ...

Jerry Seinfelds Family: All About The Amazing Comedians Wife and Kids Apparently one of the highly important entertainers in America, Jerry Seinfeld is a man of many talents. A very funny man, he is considered to be one of the most successful comedians in the USA who has been in the business as a professional rib-cracker for more than 40 years. As an actor, he has ...

The Rigors Of Sarah Silvermans Rise To Prominence And Rundown Of The Men She Has Dated A comedian, writer, and actress, Sarah Silvermans art and craft is as unique as you would ever find. Her poignant use of comedy to discuss social issues such as race, sexism, politics, and religion has gained her an impressive following. As unorthodox as her style is, so is her life experiences. She previously suffered from epiglottitis ...

Who Is Hannibal Buress, Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend & Why Was He Arrested? Making people laugh when they are tense or not in the mood is a tough order and to ply the trade, it must indeed take some guts and expertise, this is what the humor maker, Hannibal Buress has been able to achieve and sustain after his inital teething process. The African-American is a screen writer, stand-up ...

The Success of John Mulaneys Career Efforts Since His Work On Saturday Night Live and Facts About His Wife John Mulaney had been working as a professional comedian for years before Saturday Night Live changed his status for life and like many who are now his fans, you probably did not know of him then. However, that changed when he joined the sketch comedy show in 2008. Since then, he has been one of ...

Jeff Dunham  Wife, Children and Net Worth Ventriloquism is a very subtle method of making an inanimate object (like a puppet, doll or dummy) appear to be saying words which are actually coming from the person (holding the inanimate object). In effect, the individual throws his/her voice to the puppet and can even appear to be having a conversation with it. Not ...

Ellen DeGeneres  Net Worth, Wife  Portia de Rossi & Parents Ellen DeGeneres is an American female standup comedian who has proven that whatever a man can do, a woman can also do. Since her journey as a standup comedian started in 1981, she has held swirl as one of the finest comedians America and the world at large has seen. She is often referred to ...

Revisiting Joan Rivers Death  The Daughter, Husband & Net Worth She Left Behind Joan Rivers was a renowned American comedian, TV host, writer, and actress. Her brand of comedy consisted of scathing one-liners and no individual or topic is spared. She hosted her own talk shows in the 80s and 90s and was a pioneer for women in stand up comedy. She was the first woman to host a late night ...

The Struggles of Margaret Chos Childhood, How It Influenced Her Career Growth and Love Life Margaret Cho is best described as a comic star who knows how to maneuver everything related to life into a rib-cracking joke. She is also known to criticize every social and political problem, especially those involving race and sexuality. Apart from her talents as a comic actress, she does amazingly well as a singer and ...

Where Is Eric Bolling Today? Who Is His Son & What Is His Net Worth? Eric Bolling who was once a notable figure on Fox News, is an American TV personality, an author, and versatile Journalist. As a political and financial analyst/commentator, he anchored discussions bothering on finance for Fox Business Channel. Here is everything there is to know about his career, family, and allegations that led to his exit ...

Who Is Chelsea Handler and Does She Have A Husband or Boyfriend? Chelsea Handler is one of Americas top female comedians. She is also an actress, writer, television host, producer, and activist. She is known to be very outspoken even with things that are very personal. In separate interviews with The New York Times, Handler revealed that she had an abortion twice when she was 16. She has authored five books ...

How Did Laura Lee Achieve Fame, How Much is She Worth and Who is Her Husband? Laura Lee is a popular American YouTuber, make-up artist and beauty blogger. From posting videos of her makeup routines on Instagram, Lee has transformed into a beauty influencer and a YouTube sensation. Today, her YouTube Channel has over 630 million views and 4.5 million subscribers. Asides having millions of followers across all social media platforms, ...

Madison Gesiotto Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Measurements Madison Gesiotto is no ordinary woman; although she excelled in quite a number of pageants and competitions while she was in school, it is her views on politics and issues in America that has made her name known to most people. She possesses beauty and intelligence in a seemingly equal measure and has been able ...

Who Is Lil Tay? Parents, Brother, Sister, Age, Net Worth, Ethnicity Child stardom is nothing new in the entertainment world. With the advent of social media, we have seen more stars made from the internet than ever before, and Lil Tay is one of them. Her uploaded rap videos trademark is cursing, swearing, cash-throwing, and use of obscene languages. Her fame went wild after she dropped ...

What To Know About Tig Notaros Wife, Kids and Family Today Tig Notaro is an American stand-up comic star, writer, actress, and radio analyst. Since she started her career in 2001, she has become one of Americas best comedians, particularly when it comes to observational comedy. One prominent aspect of her routine involves her family, which includes a wife and two children. Interestingly, Tig Notaro is part ...

Who Is Chantel Jeffries? What To Know About Her Age, Ethnicity & Net Worth Chantel Jeffries is a lady of many talents. Beyond being celebrated as a DJ, she has fared well as a model, an actress, musician, and as an artist. She first rose to fame on Instagram where she has a large following. However, in recent times, she has hit the spotlight for her rumored relationships with some ...

Is Ellen DeGeneres Married, Who Is The Brother  Vance DeGeneres and Family Members? Ellen DeGeneres is one of a kind celebrity in todays world as she has used her wealth for the greater good for many people. She has served a host of famous awards shows like the Grammy, Primetime Emmy and Academy Awards. Moreso, she is probably one of the most decorated entertainment personalities around the world and ...

Carli Bybel Bio  Height, Boyfriend & Net Worth Video blogging is now on the rise and YouTube is the place where most of it happens. If you are a lady who cares about her looks or a guy who likes to help his woman out with her looks, then one person whose name rings a bell when it comes to giving beauty tips ...

Who Is Lexy Panterra? What To Know About Her Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth Lexy Panterra is one of the YouTube personalities whose breakout came through the Twerk dance videos she posted on her social media handles and YouTube which has so far generated over 13 million views for her. From there on, she created her LexTwerkOut workout program in 2014. She is sure very talented as she as moved ...

Who Is AnneMunition? What Is Her Ethnicity & Does She Have A Girlfriend or Boyfriend? AnneMunition is a professional gamer and content creator of American origin. She is one of the most sought-after streamers on Twitch  a popular online platform for watching and streaming videos, especially video games. AnneMunition has almost half a million followers on Twitch and her channel has accumulated at least 13 million views. Her favorite games ...

Norm MacDonald  Former Wife, Son & Net Worth Recently, 59-year-old former Saturday Night Live stand-up comic Norm MacDonald caused a not-so-funny stir when he expressed his personal opinion about the #MeToo movement speaking in defense of Louis CK and Roseanne Barr. Following the backlash of his actions, he is diligently doing damage control for his questionable opinion by posting a public apology on ...

Inside Iliza Shlesingers Life With Husband and How Much She is Worth Now Witty, spontaneous, and truly humorous, Iliza Shlesinger is an American comedian who is clearly proving that the stereotypical claim that women are not really funny is not only incredibly wrong but completely outrageous. Having been in the game for more than 10 years, Shlesinger has grown bigger with each step, stunning fans with her incredible ...

Who Is Nessa Diab? Details of her Parents, Ethnicity & Relationship With Colin Kaepernick Nessa Diab has gained more fame as the girlfriend of different footballers than in her career. She is currently with the popular National Football League (NFL) player, Colin Kaepernick, and has stood by his side during his most trying times. Also known for her mononym, Nessa, she recently engaged in a tweet battle with the ...

Samantha Bee  Inside the Life of Full Frontal Comedian and Presenter We have over the decades seen various brands of humor and personalities who have walked the ropes. One of the formidable forces in the world of comedy is no other than the iconic Samantha Bee of the Daily Show who now runs her own television show on TBS channel. She is a Canadian-American political commentator, ...

What Happened To Jessica Williamss Boyfriend And Which Are Her Best Works? Jessica Williams is a woman who has a lot of feathers in her cap  and keeps acquiring more. The former senior political correspondent of the comic Daily Show, who is also a comedian and actress whose recent movie appearance include starring as a playwright just recovering from a recent split with her boyfriend, Damon, and ...

Who is Nicole Byer? Here are 5 Facts You Need To Know About The Comedian Nicole Byer, an American comedian, actress, and writer, made a name for herself after she played supporting roles on MTVs prank show Ladylike and the reality show Girl Code. The latter was a series that featured comedians who analyzed in minute details, all the issues that young women deal with daily, from period to dating, to weird friendship dynamics and questions about sex. Currently, ...

A Closer Look At Bart Kwans Ethnicity, Height & Personal Life Bart Kwan is one of few Asians who is known for being successful in the comic industry at an international level. His fame broke out after the YouTube channel which he created with his close pal Joe Jo garnered up massive followings. The talented duo has been running the channel since 2007 and their success ...

Heres How VanossGaming Achieved Fame Online, His Worth and Other Facts About The Gamer For many years, the decision to drop out of college to pursue an online career was considered to be foolish and self-destructive by conventional wisdom. It was no different when Evan Fong, popularly known as VanossGaming, dropped out of college to pursue a YouTube career. However, that radical move paid off, and he stands shoulder to ...

Desi Perkins  Ethnicity, Net Worth & Husband YouTube is littered with videos of makeup tutorials by different people but if you are interested in learning how to do your makeup like a pro, there is just one person on that platform who you must follow. She is none other than Desi Perkins! She is a popular make-up artist, Instagram star, and vlogger. Desi, ...

The Phases of Casey Neistats Pursuits and His Love Story With Candice Pool YouTuber, vlogger, filmmaker, and creator extraordinaire; these are just a few hats that Casey Neistat wears and the story of how he got here is incredible. A native of Connecticut, Neistat started out by making refreshingly-authentic short films and videos that featured content that was based on everyday life and called attention to serious issues. He ...

Connor Franta  Inside The Life of American YouTuber YouTube has produced a lot of young celebrities in modern times and Connor Franta happens to be one of them. Apart from being a YouTuber, the young American is also an entrepreneur, entertainer, and writer. His journey to fame began almost a decade ago when he started a self-named YouTube channel where he uploads content ranging ...

Rhett and Link  Bio, Who are Their Wives, Net Worth and Family Facts Rhett and Link refer to an American comedy duo who are very popular on YouTube. They are known for their comic songs, viral commercials, skits and the daily show, Good Mythical Morning. Good Mythical Morning is the most watched daily show online, averaging 100 million views in a month. The show has featured guests such ...

A Walk Through The Maze of Ryan Higas Career Pursuits And Relationship With Arden Cho Ryan Higa is not only celebrated as a YouTube star, but he is also famed for appearing on television screens as an actor and comedian. Nigahiga, his Youtube channel, has gathered over 20 million subscribers and billions of views with his different comic acts, short films, and music videos uploads. With the rise in his career, ...

What to Know About The Shows That Made Craig Ferguson a Star and His Family Ties Rising to the top of your profession can sometimes be a hard and difficult process. It requires days and nights of working consistently hard to be better than what you were yesterday. It requires not giving up when all of your experiences seem to be pushing you to quit. It is because of these challenges ...

David Dobrik Married Liza Koshy for One Month  Inside His Family and Relationships David Dobrik is a YouTube sensation who has garnered fame not just for his vlogs but his love life too. Given his career as a YouTuber, his channel is one place where he shares his romantic escapades. With a cute boyish look like his, this Slovakian young man is definitely a good catch, and not ...

Merrell Twins Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Boyfriend One of the beautiful things about modern life is social media. As rudimentary as it might seem, it could turn out to be the greatest thing that would be invented in the next 50 years because of its impact on human life. Very few tools have revolutionized human behavior and culture as much as social ...

Who Is Bunny Meyer, Is She Married & What Is Her Net Worth? Bunny Meyer is a YouTube celebrity who has amassed over 8.8 million subscribers with 1.5 million viewers on her channel. She is popularly known as Grav3yardgirl and is one of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world. She initially started out as a fashion designer and later chose the path of a YouTuber. Grav3yardgirl has used her knowledge on fashion, makeup, ...

Ninja  Inside The Life of The American YouTuber and Internet Personality Ninja is a talented video game player known for his mastery of Fortnite and other seemingly difficult games he plays with ease. The video gamer made a career out of what is ordinarily the hobby of many people and has since then amassed a huge online following. Find out about him here, including the controversies that ...

What Is Eva Gutowskis True Sexuality and How Did She Rise So Fast As an Influencer? Ever since Eva Gutowski joined YouTube in 2011, it has been an interesting journey for her, moving from one milestone to the other. Backed by an army of young women and teenage girl fans known as Evanators, she has risen to become one of the most-talked-about personalities in the digital stratosphere. She has also leveraged ...

Emma Chamberlain Biography  Age, Height & Net Worth Before now, people in the entertainment industry could only achieve popularity after many years of dedication and hard work but since social media came into the scene, massive success and overnight popularity became possible. That is the story of Emma Chamberlain who encountered fame as a fifteen-year-old. Emma is one of the many young people who became ...

Anna Akana  Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth There is a new crop of YouTubers known by their different contents with a very strong uniqueness that stands every one of them out, some upload video games, some fashion while some others have comedy video contents to showcase on their channels. Anna Akana has used her platform to showcase her comedy contents to the ...

Revealing Truths About Lilly Singhs Ethnic Background, Family and Her Relationship With Yousef Erakat Lilly Singh is an Indian-Canadian YouTube personality, actress, and comedian also known as Superwoman. She kicked off her YouTube career in 2010 with the launch of her channel IISuperwomanII and followed it up with a vlog channel in 2011. This paved the way for her fame and success which led to a world tour. The ...

Who Is Andrea Constand, Is She Married and What Is Her Connection With Bill Cosby? Many people got sexually molested but could not voice out due to the stigma victims suffer and what will become of them thereafter. Very few of the victims danm every consequence to seek justice and bring the perpetrator to the book, like Andrea Constand. She never got any media buzz, not until her friend cum molester; ...

Who Is Lazarbeam (Lannan Eacott)? Here Are Facts You Need To Know Lannan Eacott became a person of interest after his YouTube channel, LazarBeam pulled him to the limelight. Initially, he started with uploads of Madden Challenge videos before deciding to build his own channel in January 2015. Within the space of three years, his YouTube channel had gathered over 7 million loyal subscribers. Today, he has not ...

Puzzling Facts About Wengies YouTube Success and More About Her Fiance Among the many YouTubers who have succeeded in winning the hearts of millions of people is Wengie. She is a Chinese-Australian YouTube personality, vlogger, singer, and voice actress. Wengie is famous for a lot of things, from her simple life hacks, DIYs, craft ideas to fun experiments, tricks and pranks. Her content portfolio also includes hair tutorials, diet & fitness tips, lookbooks, ...

Is Jeffree Star A Billionaire and How Much Does He Make On YouTube? If looks can be deceptive then theres no other person who proves this maxim better than Jeffree Star. A quick look at Stars pictures would likely leave you wondering whether or not to tag him a male or female. But who says being controversial has to be a curse? For Star, his looks have caught ...

The Place of Rosanna Pansinos Career Hats In Her Rise To Fame and Facts About Her Personal Life There are a few phrases that could summarize Rosanna Pansinos rise to fame. None of them can do it better than the famous axiom, no knowledge is lost. Her popularity YouTube comes out of her foray into other professions, specifically acting. Although acting now occupies one of the major professional hats in Rosannas resume, it was ...

Muselk (Elliott Watkins) Biography  Age, Girlfriend and Net Worth The new and best in-thing in terms of career is video gaming and we have over time seen young men and women make massive income from an activity that was purportedly designed to serve as a hobby or a relaxation activity. One of such individuals is the Australian-born YouTube Celebrity and Twitch streamer, Muselk, whose ...

PopularMMOs Biography: 5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know We have over the years seen social media millionaires, especially on the YouTube social platform. These celebrities cum millionaires have made names for themselves after carving out niches on the internet, and a typical example of one of such exciting media personality on the YouTube is American Minecraft gamer and YouTube star, PopularMMOs whose channel ...

Jason Nash Once Married Marney Hochman  What To Know About His Ex-Wife and Kids The now-defunct video-sharing app Vine was the path that led Jason Nash to fame. With it, he built an audience of over two million followers, which he parlayed into a significant YouTube career. That move has seen him become one of the most popular personalities on the internet, with the cash income to go with ...

Where Does Dantdm Live? What Do We Know About His Net Worth, Wife and Brother? Most parents buy video games for their kids to occupy their time leisure, while other parents frown at their kids when they play video games. Despite the disparity, every parent would be proud of their child if he/she eventually turns a celebrity or millionaire through playing video games like Dantdm. Biography of Dantdm Dantdm was born Daniel ...

LaurDIY  Biography: 5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTuber LaurDIY is the YouTube channel of Lauren Riihimaki which she created on December 1, 2011, when she was still a college undergrad with the sole aim of giving Do It Yourself (DIY) as well as practical fashion and beauty tips to her followers. She has used the channel to establish herself as a YouTube personality ...

Lachlan Ross Power  Bio And Family Life Of Australian The YouTube Star It is amazing the varied sources of income that the internet has made possible in this day and age. Internet fame can get its holder a whole lot of monetary and social benefits, but it must be noted that it does not come easy or cheap. For those who desire fame, content is the sacrifice ...

Alfie Deyes  Bio and Net Worth: Everything You Need To Know Alfie Deyes is one internet personality you definitely would like to know about. He boasts of over 10 million subscribers on three of his YouTube channels and has three bestseller books to his name. He is probably the most renowned young personality on YouTube today and his vlogging empire continues to grow by the day. ...

Colleen Ballingers Love Story With Husband Erik Stocklin and How Much She Is Worth Now Colleen Ballinger is an American comedian and YouTuber who is a very funny, adventurous, and highly talented woman. She is also an actress, singer, and writer. Collen is widely known for her work on YouTube where she posts content on her channel, Miranda Sings. The comedian has gained many subscribers over the years and has ...

Who Are The Dude Perfect Members and How Much Are They Worth? Entertainment in the 21st century can be digested in many forms and with platforms like YouTube, the creators and purveyors of entertainment have been democratized. Today, one of the most popular platforms to exhibit ones creative talents is YouTube, even though there are other platforms like Twitter, Facebook, who suffer in comparison to YouTube because ...

Who Is Rudy Mancuso, What Is His Earning Power and What Do We Know About His Girlfriend? Rudy Mancuso started his internet journey on Vine. He would later transition to YouTube where he solidified his place among the internets most beloved comedic creators. He is now regarded as one of the renowned internet personalities in the world, with a presence in mainstream TV and film projects like Comedy Centrals Drunk History and ...

Vsauce (Michael Stevens) Biography and Net Worth: All You Need To Know The advent of YouTube and the internet as a whole revolutionized how human beings consume information. With each passing year, the percentage of learning that is done in a traditional classroom decrease as a seismic shift to internet-based learning happens in our education industry. From open courses online to YouTube classes and videos, there are ...

How did Jake Paul Make His YouTube Big Break and Who is His Wife? One of the most interesting Social Media personalities of the 21st century is the young and popular Jake Paul whose elder brother is the famed Vine star, Logan Paul. Jake has utilized the power of the internet to bring himself to the limelight with a channel named JakePaulProductions that has amassed up to six billion ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About Reaction Time (Tal Fishman)  The American YouTuber Before 2015, the leading meaning of reaction time was the amount of time it takes to respond to a stimulus, until Tal Fishman started his channel, Reaction Time on YouTube and the dominant meaning changed. Today, a google search of Reaction Time would deliver Tal Fishmans videos and YouTube channel link with a few physics ...

Grace Helbig  Net Worth, Boyfriend and Family Life of The YouTuber Grace Helbig is an American internet personality, comedian, actress, and writer. She became popular due to her daily vlog series, DailyGrace, which ran on My Damn Channel from 2008 to 2013. Helbig is also popular for her own indie series on YouTube, ItsGrace, which she launched in 2014. Her vlogs which feature random stuff such as ...

Mark Wiens Bio  Ethnicity, Wife and Parents Food is a great way to connect with people. We all love to eat, if not for the pleasure of food, the satisfaction of quenching hunger, and the very process of providing and sharing that food is part of the strongest bonds that bind humanity together. Maybe it is our historical connection to food, where ...

Is Filthy Frank Dead, What Happened To Him and How Much Is He Worth? As George Kusunoki Miller, he was a nobody. However, as Filthy Frank, George was one of the most famous internet personalities on the planet. The Filthy Frank Show, a sketch series on his YouTube channel, TVFilthyFrank, was one of the platforms most influential creations. He is the reason a crazy dance song, Harlem Shake, made it ...

CaptainSparklez Bio  Net Worth, House and Cars of The Famous YouTuber Sometimes, what society wants from its citizens is quite different from what the citizens want for themselves. This is evident in the life and career of video blogger and American YouTube personality, Jordan Maron famous for his YouTube channel CaptainSparklez. He dropped out of school after discovering his talent in playing an online game called Minecraft. ...

Who is Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg)? Here are Facts You Must Know Canadian Youtube personality, Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg) originally started out polishing and designing nails even before it became a trendy culture in the social media. Simply Nailogica started out her showbiz career in her early days as a child actress, acting in commercials for game and toy companies. Aside from acting, she is blogger, vlogger, specializing ...

5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know About Huda Beauty In the world of entrepreneurship, it is interesting when an individual has a mentor who he/she looks up to, this yield more productivity on the part of the individual. The iconic and rich American beautician and makeup artist Huda Kattan nicknamed Heida is the founder of the Huda Beauty blog which is number one Instagram beauty blog ...

Is Dino MasterChef Gay? Details About His Ethnicity, Girlfriend, Where He Is Now Food, for the better part of the early years of human life, was nothing more than what we needed for survival. There was no artistry or curation to the method of cooking. The scarcity of food left no room for artistic expression until we figured out agriculture and we could make as much as we ...

Who Is Gabbie Hanna And How Did She Become Famous? As the world shifts to digital media and depends more and more on streaming services for its news and entertainment content, YouTubers have become one of the leading creators in the new media world. Their understanding of the online audience: how to create, maintain, and increase followers, are all handy skills that have primed them ...

Jacksepticeye  Height, Girlfriend & Net Worth Jacksepticeye is a YouTuber and actor who gained popularity with a series of gaming videos he uploads on his channel to the delight of millions of his subscribers. He is Known primarily for his comic video game series titled Lets Play and his vlogs. His channel was formerly ranked 46th in the list of most subscribed ...

Chris Heria Personal Details: About His Wife, Height & Ethnicity Background In this generation, keeping fit has become one of the major criteria for being hale and hearty. In fact, most occupations these days are majorly concerned with ones body mass, weight and looks. Unlike the past where most people have to register in a gym to keep fit, social media has made it quite easy ...

Everything You Need To Know About Game Grumps Gaming is becoming incredibly popular on YouTube these days with game vloggers make millions of dollars out of them yearly. One of the most popular up-coming gaming YouTube channels is Game Grumps. The Lets Play series was created in 2012 and celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 18th, 2017. In six years of its existence, the ...

Daithi De Nogla Biography, Girlfriend and Net Worth YouTube has created an avenue for many to make wealth and become famous from the comfort of their homes while having fun. Many have built a career out of the platform, uploading numerous videos that have earned them the admiration of viewers across the globe. For Daithi De Nogla, he is loved for his humorous commentary on ...

Does Phoebe Robinson Have A Boyfriend or Husband and What Do We Know About Her Family? Phoebe Robinson is a New York-based comedian, writer, and actress. She is best known as the co-creator and co-host of the WNYC Studios podcast 2 Dope Queens. Just like some other female comedians, she never had any original plans of becoming a stand-up comedian even though, according to her, she took a class on a whim at Carolines on Broadway. After ...

Who Are Lex and Alana from Listed Sisters? What Is Their Ethnicity & Is the Show Cancelled? America is a country built on diversity. Everywhere you look all over the country, a countless number of immigrants or children of immigrants have become an integral part of the fabric of the country. From entertainment to business, immigrants are creating a niche for themselves and climbing to the summit of their respective professions. One ...

Riveting Facts About Danielle Lombard And What She Is Best Known For The American entertainment industry is one that provides many avenues for aspiring hopefuls to express their talents and become famous. From films to television shows and game shows, there is no shortage of ways for men and women who desire fame to pursue and earn it in the United States of America. Another tested medium ...

Unearthing New Details About The YouTube Success And Personal Life of Alex Burriss of Wassabi Productions Wildly hilarious and truly audacious, Alex Wassabi is an American YouTuber who has become a very popular face on the video-sharing platform after having garnered millions of subscribers over the years by keeping people glued to his channel with his witty parody video releases. If you have always loved parody videos, there is every chance ...

Everything You Need To Know About H2O Delirious H2O Delirious whose full birth name is reported to be Jonathan Gormon Dennis has successfully kept himself mystified by hiding his face behind the masks leaving his loyal fans speculating who he really is for many years. The American YouTube star is easily identified by the Jason Mask Style with make-up which he wears on his ...

Who Is HolaSoyGerman and What Happened To Him? German Garmendia has certainly seen it all when it comes to internet success. His channels, HolaSoyGerman and JuegaGerman are in the top twenty most subscribed channel on YouTube. The Chilean YouTuber found a way to tap into one of the worlds greatest inventions and make a living from it. He has been able to build ...

Who Are Glenn Becks Family, What Is His Net Worth And What Happened To Him? The American political commentary space is filled with different personalities. A few of them, through their rhetoric, charisma, and resources have been able to build a large following of men and women who listen to them for insight and direction for various political and social issues in the United States. For Conservatives, the story is ...

Following Charissa Thompsons Rise Through The Ranks Of Sports Casting and All About Her Boyfriend Superstar TV host and sportscaster, Charissa Thompson, has been hailed as one of the highest-profile women journalists in America, and the reason is there for all to see. She has worked for popular establishments such as Versus, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, GSN, and Big Ten Network. She currently hosts the popular pre-game show, Fox NFL Kickoff, ...

Is Chris Kattan Gay or Does He Have A Wife? What Is His Net Worth? Chris Kattan is a popular American comedian and actor. He has appeared in several comic movies and TV series such as The Middle, A Night at the Roxbury and Bunnicula. Kattan is, however, most popular for his six-year stint as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. During his time on the legendary show, he ...

Everything You Should Know About the Rise of Insta Star Claire Abbott and Why She Gave It All Up A lot of young Americans have shot into the limelight for uploading different kinds of videos on YouTube. Some of these young stars include Connor Franta, Desi Perkins, Emma Chamberlain, the Dolan Twins (Ethan and Grayson), and Claire Abbott. The latter became a social media celebrity for uploading sexy bikini pictures of herself on social media. Apart from ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTube Channel  h3h3Productions H3h3Productions is a YouTube channel that specializes on Comic responses or reactions of other contents or trendy stories. The celebrity couple that created the channel has over time racked up sizable views for their commentaries and contents. Even though they had their own fair share of copyright cases, thankfully they scored an unprecedented victory in all ...

Lilypichu Bio  Height, Brother and Love Story With Albert SleightlyMusical Chang Like most popular internet celebrities, Lilypichu is one of those Twitch streamers who spend their lives on camera. From daydreaming about the possibility of becoming a full-time professional streamer, she grew to live out her dreams on the popular live streaming platform where people play games, make crafts, and showcase their day-to-day activities. Given the rise of ...

KSI  What To Know About His Girlfriend, Brother  Deji Olatunji & Net Worth Assuredly, when Internet inventors Vint Cerf and Bob Khan created the technological masterpiece, they probably did not know how massive the creation will be harnessed by many for different purposes including as a platform for earning money through content creation. One of such person who smiles to the bank regularly today for spending time creating ...

The Interesting Progression and Highlights of Carrie Keagans Career as a Host and Actress Carrie Keagan has garnered huge fame through her various stints on television. She is not just your regular TV host but one with a difference. Keagan has hosted several high profile events and TV shows, including VH1s Big Morning Buzz Live and Fox News Channels Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld. However, not many know she ...

The Gist On Elise Jordans Marriages And Her Rise To Prominence Political commentaries tend to be boring when it is handled by someone who does not have a knack for it. However, when you see the likes of Elise Jordan run the same commentary, you will have a lot of reasons to look forward to watching her again as the journalist is well-versed in the field ...

What Is Timmy Thick Best Known For and How Successful Is The Star? Thanks to the internet, many people whose talents would have ordinarily gone unnoticed have become famous. A very good example of this modern-day internet celebrity is Timmy Thick, an American social media star. He became popular on Instagram due to his penchant for posting raunchy pictures of himself. He also often posted videos of himself ...

What Does Heather Storm Do For a Living and Who Is She Dating? Reality Television is a great way to make a name for oneself as well as amass a fortune. Heather Storm can attest to this as she is one of those who have made a name and earned a lot from reality TV. She made her name appearing on shows like Car Fanatics, Awesome Autos, and, ...

Matt Carriker Biography  Net Worth, Wife & Height Unlike your regular veterinary doctor next door, Matt Carriker chose to spice up his noble profession with the unusual. Though he is known to many as a medical practitioner, Carriker is better renowned as a YouTube star and an animal lover. Having recorded huge successes on his various YouTube channels, the vet doctors name and ...

Jillian Mele of Fox News Career Achievements, Husband & Measurements There are quite a good number of presenters on radio and television who listeners and viewers may never wish to miss any of their shows because of their sensational golden voice, beauty or the special way or artistry they anchor their shows. Jillian Mele is one of such. She has been at the top of ...

Who is Gillian Turner of Fox News? Her Fiance or Husband and Net Worth Gillian Turner is well-known as a news correspondent for Fox News Channel but before she became a TV personality, she built an intimidating resume working for different institutions, including the American government. She served in different capacities at the White House National Security Council during the administration of former US Presidents  George W. Bush and Barack Obama. ...

Gloria Govan Bio  Age, Ethnicity & Height Even as Gloria Govan is famous as an American actress, author, a TV host, and reality television star, shes more popular as the wife of the former NBA player, Matt Barnes. She became known after appearing on the Florida version of the reality television series, Basketball Wives and later, Basketball Wives: LA  after Matt was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Sadly, ...

Michael Fishmans Interesting Start as an Actor and Why He Divorced His Wife of Many Years When one door closes, another one opens. As silly as that axiom may seem, it is the story of the resurgence of Michael Fishman, who plays D.J Conner on the popular show, Roseanne. Having played the character for several years as a child actor into his teenage years; when the show originally ended, Michael did ...

Who Is October Gonzalez  Tony Gonzalezs Wife? All You Need To Know October Gonzalez is a popular American TV host and media personality. Additionally, she is also a model. Gonzalez has hosted several TV shows such as Beat Shazam, Entertainment Tonight, and Rachel Ray. She has also featured in several reality TV shows. Gonzalezs fame is not just due to her profession but also because of her ...

Who Is Tony Berlin  Harris Faulkners Husband: His Children and Family Facts Tony Berlin is a popular American media guru. He has variously worked as a reporter, anchor, and producer for some of the biggest TV networks in America. They include CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC (where he hosted the popular Good Morning America). Berlin has now diversified into public relations and owns his own PR firm. ...

The Progression of Gianna Tobonis Journalism Career and Details About Her Marriage to Kyle Buckley Gianna Toboni may not be your ideal newscaster but her unusual reporting is what made her a household name. The American journalist is renowned for her hard-hitting and authentic reportage. A motivator and activist for total press freedom, Gianna loves to explore pervasive cultural issues. Not only does this unique and ambitious journalist call for all ...

Dog The Bounty Hunters Family Including Details of His Late Wife and Kids Popularly known as Dog, a name which he got from the television series, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Duane Chapman, an American bounty hunter, and one-time bail bondsman, went from being convicted for a felony to being a reality TV star. He was brought to the limelight following the capture of the convicted criminal, Andrew Luster in 2003 and this eventually made ...

Vicky Karayiannis, Chris Cornells Wifes Bio, Children and Family The world of showbiz is made up of different people who serve different roles, and function in a variety of capacities, and one of the most important people are those in the background. Publicists are undoubtedly one of these background people yet they are vital to the life and fame of most of our favorite ...

Joe Rogan Has A Step-Daughter and 2 Other Kids With Wife Jessica Ditzel  Meet His Family Joe Rogan is a popular American stand-up comedian and TV host. His journey to stardom began in the late 80s and has seen him host several shows, the most popular is the game show titled Fear Factor. The exciting show dares contestants to face some of their greatest fears and embark on challenging stunts. The ...

Josh Gates and Wife Hallie Gnatovich Have 2 Kids But Who Has the Higher Net Worth? Best known for his explorations and adventures, Josh Gates, is a television presenter with a voracious appetite for seeing the world and the beauties in it. Some of that beauty, however, is in his home, in the form of two children he shares with his wife, Hallie Gnatovich. Not excluded is their marriage which has lasted ...

Holly Sonders Wiki, Plastic Surgery & Why She Divorced Her Husband  Erik Kuselias After trying everything within her capacity to have a low key wedding, Holly Sonders was drawn to the public because of her husbands controversy at his workplace. Well, the two are rumored to be divorced but the article below will give more light on how true these rumors are. Meanwhile, Holly Sonders is yet to ...

Nadeska Alexis Bio  Age, Boyfriend & Net Worth Journalism is one diverse profession that allows the practitioners to choose their area of specialty, build a career on it by reporting the truth and facts which in the long run will distinguish them as deserving commendation and recognition among their peers. Some choose to specialize in political journalism, while to others it is sports ...

Media Platforms Charlamagne Tha God Has Explored and All The Controversies He Has Courted Charlamagne Tha God is an American on-air personality, radio presenter, and more recently, author. He is popularly known as a co-host on New York radios nationally syndicated show, The Breakfast Club, a program he has been hosting alongside DJ Envy and Angela Yee since 2010. However, his early years had no connection to his current career ...

A Look At Jimmy Fallons Net Worth and Family Including His Wife & Kids Sometimes, a childs passion for something is a pointer to what he/she would become in the future. As a child, Jimmy Fallon was literally obsessed with watching the late-night comedy program, Saturday Night Live (SNL). Then, his parents would tape the clean parts for him to watch and later, he and his sister would re-enact sketches from the ...

Kay Adams Biography  Does The Sportscaster Have A Husband or Boyfriend? When you hear the phrase sports enthusiast, women are hardly the first group that comes to mind. Well, thats changing pretty fast. Especially with the rise of female sports analysts and broadcasters like Kay Adams who is famed for knowing more about sports than most men do. And why not, shes paid handsomely for it ...

Ben Shapiros Family  Meet His Wife, Kids and Sister Who is Popular for the Wrong Reasons A multi-talented man, Ben Shapiro is a man of controversial nature, an attribute that has made him an unusual public figure. An intellectual whose career path was clearly defined even before he became a man, the Jewish conservative commentator has always had his way with words. He became popular by sharing his critical and often ...

QVC Shawn Killinger Bio  Husband, Net Worth & Facts To Know Shawn Killinger is a prominent TV personality who has worked her way to the top. Though not initially a journalist by training, she defied the odds and today has established herself as a household name, as well as, worked alongside some industry legends. More than just being a reporter, newscaster, and anchor, heres all you ...

Liv Lo  Dissecting the Ethnicity, Parents and Personal Life of Henry Goldings Wife While many are aware that Liv Lo is the better half to Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding, only a few understand why his beautiful wife appears increasingly endearing to fans. A former model turned TV personality, and fitness star, Liv has an impressive resume which when combined with that of her statuesque spouse is considered a perfect ...

Stpeach Age, Husband and Other Facts About The Twitch Streamer Lisa Vannatta, famously known by her online alias, STPeach is a Canadian video game streamer cum vlogger who has garnered fame through her appearances on different video-sharing/social networking platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, Twitch, Reddit, and Twitter. The beautiful lady got her career to a start in August 2015 when she joined the live streaming video platform, Twitch. She rose to ...

Insights into Seth Meyers Wife, Family and What His Net Worth Is Celebrities are mostly remembered and known for the work they do. For Seth Meyers, his career as a comedian, writer, actor, TV host, and producer is his biggest identifier. He was on Saturday Night Live SNL show as a head writer and cast member for more than ten years during which he built a reputation ...

Who Is Jessica Gadsden  Age, Net Worth & All About Charlamagne tha Gods Wife Jessica Gadsden is an American fitness coach as well as a personal trainer. She is better known as the spouse of popular American media personality, Charlamagne Tha God. Charlamange Tha God is a well-known TV and radio personality in the U.S. He has featured in several shows (both on the radio and TV) and is ...

Who Is Collins Tuohy  Michael Ohers sister ? Her Wedding, Husband & Net Worth Collins Tuohy is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, blogger, and social media personality. She is also better known as the adoptive sister of NFL player, Michael Oher, whose life story inspired the Hollywood blockbuster The Blind Side. The Blind Side tells the true life story of Oher who grew up in an impoverished background consisting of a ...

Eye-Popping Facts About The Personal Life And Career Success Of Sportscaster Heidi Watney Heidi Watney is a media personality who has created a niche for herself as a sportscaster. Starting out as a radio presenter, the brilliant young lady has gone on to work for several prominent sports networks, and currently, she is with the MLB. The sportscaster is also known to have been an avid sports lady right ...

Marty Lagina Bio  Siblings (Martina and Rick Lagina), Net Worth and Wife Marty Lagina is an American engineer and businessman who has risen to fame as a reality TV star. This is thanks to his involvement in the adventure TV series, The Curse of Oak Island. The Curse of Oak Island is a long-running TV series which airs on the history channel. The show aims to solve ...

Is Jordan Schlansky Just A Character or a Real Life Person and What Does He Do? The world of late-night television is an interesting one. Shows during that time are geared towards giving viewers comedic relief from a long day at work through interviews and comedy sketches. The often charismatic host of this show requires the balancing talent of a producer whose primary job is to deliver great episodes. It is ...

Heres How Wealthy Jimmy Kimmel Is From All The Phases of His Career, Marriages and Sons Health Jimmy Kimmel is a renowned late-night talk show host known for his charm, wit, and the A-list guests he features on his show. As the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! On ABC, Jimmy has been serving comedy to television viewers for years which played a pivotal role in launching him into mainstream fame and enabled ...

Natasha Bertrand Biography  Is She Married? Who Is the Husband & What Is Her Age? Natasha Bertrand is not just a young prominent journalist but a first-rate investigative reporter. With her natural beauty and smile, Natashas sharp, insightful political commentary also makes her a thorough reporter. Her sound political perspective and coverage in the country have made her a force to be reckoned with in the profession. Renowned for her ...

What Happened to Shane Kilcher? His Injury Update, Net Worth and More Shane Kilcher is well-known thanks to the Discovery Channel series Alaska: The Last Frontier. It is a show that documents the daily lives of the extended Kilcher family, people who live without plumbing or modern heating. The episodes follow their routines as they rely on hunting and farming for their nutritional needs as well as ...

Is Stephanie Gosk Gay or Lesbian, Who is the Wife or Partner  Jenna Wolfe? In August 2013, NBCs Today viewers were greeted with two shocking news. Today weekend anchor, Jenna Wolfe, announced that she was as a lesbian, introducing her partner as NBC News correspondent Stephanie Gosk, and said the two are expecting their first child. A long time has passed since then and certainly, a lot of things ...

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 Five years after his SCOTUS victory, Evan Miller scheduled to be resentenced | Main | No grants, but latest SCOTUS order list still has lots of intrigue for criminal justice fans (especially those concerned with risk-assessment sentencing) 

March 5, 2017

Continuing efforts to unwind felon disenfranchisement in some states

The Wall Street Journal has this notable new article headlined "States Ease Restrictions on Voting by Felons: Florida proposal to lift its lifetime ban would add to a nationwide trend." Here are excerpts:

Mr. Meade is among an estimated 6.1 million felons who have served their time and lost their right to vote, of whom about 1.7 million live in Florida. Virginia, Kentucky and Iowa are the only other states with lifetime voting bans, which can be lifted only through the clemency process. Other states impose waiting periods or require felons to complete parole or probation requirements. Mr. Meade plans to be in the courtroom Monday when the Florida Supreme Court reviews a proposed constitutional amendment to allow felons, except for murderers and sex offenders, to vote after they finish their sentences, parole and probation. The court will decide whether the measure meets standards to go before voters, provided it gets enough signatures; Mr. Meade, as head of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, is leading the petition drive to put the amendment on the 2018 ballot. To be shut out of the democratic process is like a perpetual punishment and slap in the face saying youre never going to be a citizen, said Mr. Meade, a 49-year-old father of five. I paid my debt to society and served my time. Now I should have the opportunity to have my voice heard. Since 1997, 23 states have made it easier for people with felony convictions to vote again, according to the Sentencing Project, which advocates an overhaul of crime laws. This year, Nebraska is considering a bill that would eliminate a two-year waiting period. Critics of automatic restoration of voting rights argue that voting is a responsibility, not a right, and that felons should have to take steps to earn that right after leaving prison. President Donald Trump attacked Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe for using executive orders to restore voting rights to felons after release from prison. Hes letting criminals cancel out the votes of law-abiding citizens, Mr. Trump told a rally in Leesburg, Va., the day before his election. The efforts in Florida and Virginia reflect a nationwide push by criminal-justice activists to alleviate what they call collateral consequences of incarceration. In many states, felons released from prison are barred from getting certain occupational licenses, public housing, food stamps and other government assistance. That makes it harder for ex-inmates to get back on their feet, some criminal-justice experts say.... In 2007, then-Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, and his cabinet, relaxed the rules to make it easier for felons to vote after leaving prison. During the former Republicans one term, more than 155,000 felons regained their voting rights. Mr. Crist is now a Democratic member of Congress. Beginning in 2011, under current Gov. Rick Scott, with support from state Attorney General Pam Bondi, felons had to wait at least five law-abiding years before applying to a clemency board. Applications for clemency plunged after the board, which includes Mr. Scott and Ms. Bondi, implemented the new wait time. Since Mr. Scotts election in 2010, 2,487 people with felony convictions have regained access to the polls.... In Kentucky and Iowa, efforts by Democratic governors to make it easier for felons to vote were reversed by their Republican successors. Many Republicans see restoration of voting rights as a strategy by Democrats to add more African-Americans, who make up a disproportionate share of the prison population, to the voting rolls; Democrats see GOP opposition as tantamount to suppressing the black vote. Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R., Fla.), one of the only GOP officials to sign the petition supporting the constitutional amendment, said the issue should transcend partisanship. After the court decides whether it qualifies for the ballot, the amendment would need roughly 750,000 signatures; to take effect, it needs approval from 60% of voters. If you cant give people a way to get back on their feet and become fully active citizens once theyve served their time, then its only a matter of time before they end up back behind bars, Mr. Curbelo said.

March 5, 2017 at 11:33 PM | Permalink

Comments

Criminals are registered Democrats by 3-5 to 1. Enfranchisement is a stealthy way to tilt the stalemated division of the voting public toward the Democratic Party. This tactic is in the same category as having millions of illegal aliens vote, after Obama promised, no DOJ prosecutions of this massive law breaking.

Politifact is a worthless, Democratic Party hate speech, propaganda outlet. Here is its analysis. Even this extremely partisan hate speech Democratic Party partisan group can see that.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/dec/01/ted-cruz/are-overwhelming-majority-violent-criminals-democr/

Posted by: David Behar | Mar 6, 2017 2:47:14 AM

"Many Republicans see restoration of voting rights as a strategy by Democrats to add more African-Americans, who make up a disproportionate share of the prison population, to the voting rolls; Democrats see GOP opposition as tantamount to suppressing the black vote."

This is a tendentious way of stating the idea that those who violate criminal law should forfeit their power over the rest of us through the ballot box. And why does that proposition become problematic simply because of the demographics of law-breakers?

Democrats love criminals (or at least their votes).

Posted by: federalist | Mar 6, 2017 9:39:55 AM

There was recently an oral argument at SCOTUS regarding a sex offender being blocked from social media. This was deemed in a bipartisan fashion as outrageous, a broad concern for freedom of speech being expressed once someone serves their time.

Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R., Fla.) thinks this should apply to voting rights too.

I think I see the problem. The provision here has a caveat: "except for murderers and sex offenders, to vote after they finish their sentences, parole and probation."

Sex offenders get more respect on this blog. Take out that exception, which is unfair [especially if the term is as open-ended as it often is], and more "love" will be shown.



Posted by: Joe | Mar 6, 2017 11:34:16 AM

A change in Florida, a perennial swing state, could have a huge impact on future political outcomes in the U.S.

Posted by: ohwilleke | Mar 6, 2017 1:03:38 PM

federalist, I think that proposition is problematic regardless of demographics. I don't see the justification for the majority to define conduct that takes away the ability of the minority to vote to change that definition. The fundamental tenant of democracy is people get to vote on how to govern our lives and you don't get to take away that vote just because you don't like how they'll vote.

Posted by: Erik M | Mar 7, 2017 8:38:48 AM

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 "Women in Prison: Should they be treated differently from men?" | Main | Continuing efforts to unwind felon disenfranchisement in some states 

March 5, 2017

Five years after his SCOTUS victory, Evan Miller scheduled to be resentenced

This local article, headlined "Re-sentencing of Evan Miller ordered by US Supreme Court set for March 13," reports on the upcoming resentencing of a defendant's whose surname now represents a big part of modern "kids-are-different" Eighth Amendment jurisprudence. Here are some of the particulars from the article, which prompts some questions for me:

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March 13 in Lawrence County for Evan Miller, whose original sentence on a capital murder conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court and led to sentencing laws being changed for juveniles nationwide. The Supreme Court in 2012 ordered that Miller be re-sentenced because the states only sentencing option for a juvenile convicted of capital murder was life in prison without the chance of parole. A state law adopted last year now gives a judge the option of sentencing a juvenile convicted of capital murder to life in prison with the chance of parole after serving at least 30 years in prison. Miller, now 28, was convicted of capital murder in 2006 for the 2003 killing of Cole C. Cannon in Cannons home in a Five Points mobile home park. Miller, who was 14 when the beating death occurred, is an inmate at St. Clair Correctional Facility in Springville. Cannons daughter, Cindy Cheatham, said she thinks next months sentence hearing before a jury will be the the last court proceeding for the Cannon family in the case. Even though there is anticipation, it makes me sort of edgy and emotional, Cheatham said. Im ready for it to be over. But it will never really be over.... When Miller was sentenced in 2006, Circuit Court Judge Philip Reich, who is now retired, sentenced Miller to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The only sentences allowed by state law at the time for capital murder were the death penalty or life in prison without parole. Reich could not sentence Miller to death because the Supreme Court in 2005 declared the death penalty for defendants younger than age 18 to be unconstitutional. The Equal Justice Initiative appealed Millers sentence to the Supreme Court, which voted 5-4 that the state must have another sentencing option available for juveniles in a capital case other than life without parole. The court sent the case back to Lawrence County for re-sentencing. The new state law that a juvenile can be eligible for parole after 30 years does not preclude a judge from sentencing a juvenile capital murder defendant to life in prison without parole.

My first question after reading this article concerned why it took nearly five years for Evan Miller to have a resentencing, but this local article from last year suggests that resentencing was delayed until the Alabama legislature created a "Miller fix" in its sentencing law. That "fix" now gives an Alabama judge, as detailed above and more fully in this local article, in this kind of case the discretion to impose LWOP or life with a chance at parole after 30 years.

But when remains unclear to me is why Evan Miller is apparently scheduled to appear before a jury at resentencing. I suspect this may be because technically he is being resentenced on a capital conviction, but some have suggested in this juve sentencing setting that the Supreme Court's work in Miller and the follow-up case Montgomery, combined with the Apprendi line of cases, now requires a jury finding of "irreparable corruption" to permit giving a juve an LWOP sentence. I would be grateful to hear from anyone in the know about Alabama sentencing procedures about why this article talks about Miller's upcoming sentence hearing being "before a jury."

March 5, 2017 at 08:30 PM | Permalink

Comments

From the article:

"After Miller and Montgomery, as many as 2,000 inmates will now be looking to judges or legislators for their chance at parole, Nellis said. Some -- like Henry Montgomery, who was convicted of killing a sheriff's deputy in Louisiana in 1963, when he was 17 -- have been locked away for decades."

That is the real aim of Miller, 2000 rehearings and tribunals, to generate massive lawyer employment.

Yeah, you lawyers, kids are different. They are superior to adults, in every way, including in morality. They commit a tenth the number of serious crimes as adults.

The states should just ignore the Supreme Court. Miller should have been executed on the spot. Look at the picture of this arrogant murderer. He knows he got away with murder, with the aid of the lawyer accomplices on the Supreme Court, paid off with lawyer jobs.

The decisions of the Supreme Court violate Article I Section 1 of the constitution. Each is a crime of insurrection against the constitution, void for illegality, void for rent seeking and self dealing.

Posted by: David Behar | Mar 5, 2017 9:00:15 PM

Doug,

I found it interesting that in the second article you posted Patterson, a spokeswoman for the Alabama attorney general's office, said "Alabama's Supreme Court has set out standards for addressing claims like Miller's, and the lack of a new law isn't what's holding up his resentencing. But the prosecutor's office didn't explain why it's taken nearly four years to bring Miller back before a judge." It would appear she is referring to Ex Parte Henderson (Alabama Supreme Court, 144 So.3d 1262, September 13, 2013) in which the Court held that "trial courts retained the sentencing discretion necessary to comply with Roper and Miller when sentencing juvenile offenders for capital murder." The Alabama Supreme Court examined the text of Alabama's capital sentencing statute, which juvenile petitioners were arguing mandated a life without parole sentence or death, and concluded that:

"We recognize that a capital offense is defined under our statutory scheme as one punishable by the two harshest criminal sentences available: death and life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Alabama's statutory scheme goes on to define 18 classes of murders and the circumstances that make those murders subject to the harshest punishments under the law. The juveniles focus their arguments on the fact that the statutory scheme defines a capital offense as an offense punishable by death or life imprisonment without parole, and they argue that this definition requires that their indictments be dismissed because neither punishment is now available for juveniles. Although the death penalty has been categorically banned, a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is still possible for a juvenile homicide offender. However, it cannot be automatically imposed as a sentence on a juvenile homicide offender based on the heightened protections established for sentencing juveniles as set out in the Supreme Court's jurisprudence. The juveniles argue that they will not know the punishment they face because a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole is no longer available. It is the mandatory, determined at the outset, imposition of a sentence of life imprisonment without parole when sentencing juveniles that is outside constitutional boundaries. It is not the actual sentence of life imprisonment without parole that was barred in Miller.3 Instead, Miller requires that the sentence be reviewed for the possibility of parole. Miller's Eighth Amendment boundaries when sentencing a juvenile homicide offender now subject that sentence to the possibility of parole. Accordingly, the juveniles have actual notice that, if convicted, they face a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole as a ceiling. The juveniles have notice of the floor as well, because Miller requires that a juvenile convicted of capital murder is entitled to have his life sentence reviewed for the possibility of parole. It is well settled that should a statute become invalid or unconstitutional in part, the part that is valid will be sustained where it can be separated from that part that is void. King v. Campbell, 988 So.2d 969 (Ala.2007). Sections 13A558 and 59 evidence the intent of the legislature that Alabama have a valid capital-murder statutory-sentencing scheme as it applies to adults and to juveniles tried as adults. Severing the mandatory nature of a life-without-parole sentence for a juvenile to provide for the ameliorative possibility of parole because of characteristics attendant to youth does not invalidate  13A539."

After Henderson (and on remand from the U.S. Supreme Court) the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals (CR-06-0741) reversed Miller's sentence and remanded back to trial court for Miller to be resentenced according to "the procedure established in Henderson." So it does appear that trial court's in Alabama were given the discretion to comply with Miller even before the legislature passed its statutory Miller fix in 2016.

With regards to Miller having his mitigating factors considered by a jury, the Alabama Supreme Court in Henderson wrote that "[s]ection 13A545(a), Ala.Code 1975, provides that if a defendant is convicted of a capital offense, the trial court shall hold a separate sentencing hearing to determine whether the defendant shall be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole or to death. The sentencing hearing is conducted before a jury unless the hearing before the jury is waived, and the jury shall issue an advisory verdict of life imprisonment without parole or death, depending on its findings of aggravating and mitigating circumstances." However, I am a bit confused because the Miller fix that went into law amends 13A543(e) to read: "If the defendant is found guilty of a capital offense or offenses with which he or she is charged and the defendant establishes to the court by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she was under the age of 18 years at the time of the capital offense or offenses, the sentence shall be either life without the possibility of parole or, in the alternative, life, and the sentence shall be determined by the procedures set forth in the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure for judicially imposing sentences within the range set by statute without a jury, rather than as provided in Sections 13A545 to 13A553, inclusive. The judge shall consider all relevant mitigating circumstances."

It would seem that the legislature wanted to place the sentencing hearing before a judge rather than before a jury as 13A-5-45 to 13A-5-53 details the role of the jury in sentencing for a capital case unless a jury sentence is waived by the defendant. ARCrP Rule 26.6(a) states: "Except in death penalty cases and in cases involving offenses committed prior to January 1, 1980, the judge shall impose the sentence in all cases. In death penalty cases and in cases involving offenses committed prior to January 1, 1980, the sentence shall be imposed as provided by law." While Miller's case is a capital offense under Alabama law it would not be a death penalty case because of Roper, so it would seem, at least to my cursory reading, that the legislature intended for a judge to determine sentencing in a juvenile homicide case rather then a jury. I wonder if the question of who sentences/resentences a juvenile offender in a homicide case will end up becoming a new issue requiring resolution by a state's Supreme Court.



Posted by: Sean | Mar 6, 2017 10:57:52 AM

It was to work out a deal , by law Edger can not be resentenced- ex post facto , which is forbidden by federal and state constitutes ... You must apply the law as it was in affect at the time of the commission of the offense ... One only need to look back to when Bobby Frank Cherry was tried and convicted and thereafter sentence ... Four murders , with racially motivates and the use of a t&t sticks , all of which would of gotten him a death sentence in the mid 80's .... And for a those against him getting a lighter sentence ; he can force them to let him out - by Alabama Law , so be thinkful his lawyers and him not pushing for that and beside he was a child , what if you was punished for the many err you made but wasn't caught and even those you was caught for , would one be wrong for wanting to punish you for the remainder of your' life - I did not think you would of suggested ...dont like the law change the policy ...

Posted by: Jah | Mar 19, 2017 6:15:15 AM

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 Continuing efforts to unwind felon disenfranchisement in some states | Main | SCOTUS rules in Beckles that federal advisory guidelines are not subject to Due Process vagueness challenges 

March 6, 2017

No grants, but latest SCOTUS order list still has lots of intrigue for criminal justice fans (especially those concerned with risk-assessment sentencing)

The Supreme Court this morning released this order list, and it is extended because there is a summary per curiam GVR in a Nevada capital case (available here) and a trio of extended statements concerning the denial of cert (two of which were authored by Justice Thomas and one of which comes from Justice Sotomayor). I would comment at length about these matters, but SCOTUS has provided bigger sentencing fish to fry by also deciding the Beckles vagueness case today (discussed here).

For hard-core sentencing fans, perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the order list is this item:

16-6387 LOOMIS, ERIC L. V. WISCONSIN The Acting Solicitor General is invited to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States.

As some may recall from some prior postings, Loomis concerns a due process challenge to the use of risk-assessment instruments at sentencing. It will be very interesting to see what the Trump Administration decides to say in this case and to see if SCOTUS ultimately takes up this timley and consequential issue.

Prior related posts on Loomis case:

March 6, 2017 at 10:04 AM | Permalink

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 No grants, but latest SCOTUS order list still has lots of intrigue for criminal justice fans (especially those concerned with risk-assessment sentencing) | Main | SCOTUS rules in Pena-Rodriguez that Sixth Amendment creates exception to jury impeachment rule when racial animus revealed 

March 6, 2017

SCOTUS rules in Beckles that federal advisory guidelines are not subject to Due Process vagueness challenges

The Supreme Court this morning issued a big opinion concerning the operation of and challenges to the federal sentencing guidelines in Beckles v. United States, No. No. 158544 (S. Ct. March 6, 2017) (available here). Here is how the opinion authored by Justice Thomas gets started:

At the time of petitioners sentencing, the advisory Sentencing Guidelines included a residual clause defining a crime of violence as an offense that involves conduct that presents a serious potential risk of physical injury to another. United States Sentencing Commission, Guidelines Manual 4B1.2(a)(2) (Nov. 2006) (USSG). This Court held in Johnson v. United States, 576 U. S. ___ (2015), that the identically worded residual clause in the Armed Career Criminal Act of 1984 (ACCA), 18 U.S.C. 924(e)(2)(B), was unconstitutionally vague. Petitioner contends that the Guidelines residual clause is also void for vagueness. Because we hold that the advisory Guidelines are not subject to vagueness challenges under the Due Process Clause, we reject petitioners argument.

After the oral argument tone in this case, I am not surprised to see this result. But I expect I may have more to say about the particulars of this Beckles ruling in the coming hours and days. To begin, I think the sentiments in the closing section of the opinion of the Court best accounts for the Beckles outcome:

In addition to directing sentencing courts to consider the Guidelines, see 3553(a)(4)(A), Congress has directed them to consider a number of other factors in exercising their sentencing discretion, see 3553(a)(1)(3), (5)(7). The Government concedes that American judges have long made th[e] sorts of judgments called for by the 3553(a) factors in indeterminate-sentencing schemes, and this Court has never understood such discretionary determinations to raise vagueness concerns. Brief for United States 42. Because the 3553 factors  like the Guidelines  do not mandate any specific sentences, but rather guide the exercise of a district courts discretion within the applicable statutory range, our holding today casts no doubt on their validity. Holding that the Guidelines are subject to vagueness challenges under the Due Process Clause, however, would cast serious doubt on their validity. Many of these other factors appear at least as unclear as 4B1.2(a)s residual clause. For example, courts must assess the need for the sentence imposed to achieve certain goals  such as to reflect the seriousness of the offense, promote respect for the law, provide just punishment for the offense, afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct, and provide the defendant with needed educational or vocational training . . . in the most effective manner. 3553(a)(2). If petitioner were correct that 4B1.2(a)s residual clause were subject to a vagueness challenge, we would be hard pressed to find these factors sufficiently definite to provide adequate notice and prevent arbitrary enforcement. The Government tries to have it both ways, arguing that the individualized sentencing required by the other 3553(a) factors is different in kind from that required by the Guidelines. An inscrutably vague advisory guideline, it contends, injects arbitrariness into the sentencing process that is not found in the exercise of unguided discretion in a traditional sentencing system. Reply Brief for United States 1011. But it is far from obvious that the residual clause implicates the twin concerns of vagueness any more than the statutory command that sentencing courts impose a sentence tailored, for example, to promote respect for the law. 3553(a)(2)(A). And neither the Guidelines nor the other 3553 factors implicate those concerns more than the absence of any guidance at all, which the Government concedes is constitutional. The Government also suggests that the Guidelines are not like the other 3553(a) factors because they require a court to decide whether the facts of the case satisfy a legal standard in order to derive a specific numerical range. Id., at 22. But that does not distinguish the other sentencing factors, which require courts to do the same thing. Section 3553(a) states that district courts shall impose a sentence sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to comply with the purposes set forth in [3553(a)(2)]. In fact, the Guidelines generally offer more concrete advice in imposing a particular sentence and make it easier to review whether a court has abused its substantial discretion. There is no sound reason to conclude that the Guidelines  but not 3553(a)s other sentencing factors  are amenable to vagueness review.

March 6, 2017 at 10:08 AM | Permalink

Comments

There remain a big chunk of pre-Booker cases that are alive. I'm aware of a fair number that were filed before the AEDPA deadline. While Beckles is definitely bad news for the post-Booker folks, I think it's actually a strong case to say that the mandatory Guidelines are susceptible to vagueness challenges.

Posted by: Adam Stevenson | Mar 6, 2017 2:57:00 PM

Excellent and important point, Adam!

Posted by: Doug B. | Mar 6, 2017 3:53:10 PM

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 SCOTUS rules in Beckles that federal advisory guidelines are not subject to Due Process vagueness challenges | Main | Formalism (and floodgate/functionality fears?) prevail over functional analysis in Beckles 

March 6, 2017

SCOTUS rules in Pena-Rodriguez that Sixth Amendment creates exception to jury impeachment rule when racial animus revealed

A split Supreme Court weighed in on the intersection of racial bias and jury decision-making via a notable Sixth Amendment ruling in Pena-Rodriguez v. Colorado, No. 15606 (S. Ct. March 6, 2017) (available here). Here is how Justice Kennedy's opinion for the Court gets started and concludes:

The jury is a central foundation of our justice system and our democracy. Whatever its imperfections in a particular case, the jury is a necessary check on governmental power. The jury, over the centuries, has been an inspired, trusted, and effective instrument for resolving factual disputes and determining ultimate questions of guilt or innocence in criminal cases. Over the long course its judgments find acceptance in the community, an acceptance essential to respect for the rule of law. The jury is a tangible implementation of the principle that the law comes from the people. In the era of our Nations founding, the right to a jury trial already had existed and evolved for centuries, through and alongside the common law. The jury was considered a fundamental safeguard of individual liberty. See The Federalist No. 83, p. 451 (B. Warner ed. 1818) (A. Hamilton). The right to a jury trial in criminal cases was part of the Constitution as first drawn, and it was restated in the Sixth Amendment. Art. III, 2, cl. 3; Amdt. 6. By operation of the Fourteenth Amendment, it is applicable to the States. Duncan v. Louisiana, 391 U. S. 145, 149150 (1968). Like all human institutions, the jury system has its flaws, yet experience shows that fair and impartial verdicts can be reached if the jury follows the courts instructions and undertakes deliberations that are honest, candid, robust, and based on common sense. A general rule has evolved to give substantial protection to verdict finality and to assure jurors that, once their verdict has been entered, it will not later be called into question based on the comments or conclusions they expressed during deliberations. This principle, itself centuries old, is often referred to as the no-impeachment rule. The instant case presents the question whether there is an exception to the no-impeachment rule when, after the jury is discharged, a juror comes forward with compelling evidence that another juror made clear and explicit statements indicating that racial animus was a significant motivating factor in his or her vote to convict.... The Nation must continue to make strides to overcome race-based discrimination. The progress that has already been made underlies the Courts insistence that blatant racial prejudice is antithetical to the functioning of the jury system and must be confronted in egregious cases like this one despite the general bar of the no-impeachment rule. It is the mark of a maturing legal system that it seeks to understand and to implement the lessons of history. The Court now seeks to strengthen the broader principle that society can and must move forward by achieving the thoughtful, rational dialogue at the foundation of both the jury system and the free society that sustains our Constitution.

The start of the dissenting opinion by Justice Thomas explains his concerns and the core concerns of the other dissenters (which are expressed via an opinion by Justice Alito joined by the Chief and Justice Thomas):

The Court today holds that the Sixth Amendment requires the States to provide a criminal defendant the opportunity to impeach a jurys guilty verdict with juror testimony about a jurors alleged racial bias, notwithstanding a state procedural rule forbidding such testimony. I agree with JUSTICE ALITO that the Courts decision is incompatible with the text of the Amendment it purports to interpret and with our precedents. I write separately to explain that the Courts holding also cannot be squared with the original understanding of the Sixth or Fourteenth Amendments.

March 6, 2017 at 10:33 AM | Permalink

Comments

A lawless decision. It's really that simple.

Posted by: federalist | Mar 6, 2017 11:45:29 AM

Federalist, I notice that every decision you disagree with is "lawless" or written by "hack" judges. What inference can we draw from this pattern?

Posted by: anon5 | Mar 6, 2017 11:59:36 AM

anon5 nails it. Federalist, if only you were on the Court, all would be right with the world.

Posted by: Emily | Mar 6, 2017 12:00:47 PM

I don't know about all, but certainly a lot.

Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Mar 6, 2017 12:43:14 PM

It's lawless for any number of reasons:

(1) The idea that jurors cannot impeach their own verdict is unquestionably a constitutional rule, and that doesn't depend on what was said during deliberations.

(2) What's the logical stopping point? Are we going to have intrusive review of everything a juror ever said in his life? Are we going to permit investigations? What about denials by the person who said it? What about anti-male comments? Or code words?

Posted by: federalist | Mar 6, 2017 1:50:10 PM

Federalist writes the case is lawless because "(1) The idea that jurors cannot impeach their own verdict is unquestionably a constitutional rule, and that doesn't depend on what was said during deliberations." Last I heard the Supreme Court decides what the law is.



(2) What's the logical stopping point? remarks showing that the juror is racially biased against the defendant. That's the logical stopping point.

Posted by: Jane | Mar 6, 2017 2:26:00 PM

"Last I heard the Supreme Court decides what the law is."

From a power standpoint, that's true (until it's not.) From the standpoint of logic (see Scalia's dissent in Dickerson), it's certainly not.

Posted by: federalist | Mar 6, 2017 3:19:51 PM

Oh, and Jane, go re-read the opinion, there is a lot of conditionality (sure to go bye-bye) on the admissibility of impeachment evidence.

Posted by: federalist | Mar 6, 2017 3:21:56 PM

Jane. I am sorry. The constitution prohibits judicial review in Article I Section 1, giving law making power to a Congress. The repeal of a law is law making.

Posted by: David Behar | Mar 6, 2017 4:10:47 PM

Mr. Behar, "It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is." Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137, 177 (1803).

Posted by: Jane | Mar 6, 2017 4:54:41 PM

Jane is understandably unclear on federalist's terms since things like "unquestionably" includes "not only things what the Supreme Court questions but what many others do." So, we are left with wondering the test other than "I disagree strongly."

As to limits, bias is a test that arises in various contexts. I don't know of anyone who disagrees that this is valid at some point. In each case, some similar slippery slope concern can be raised. For instance, bias of the judge is cited for recusal purposes. What is valid there? Some criteria over time are formulated and weighed.

Basically, there is a reasonable debate on the appropriate rule, which makes the narrowly divided Court here unsurprising.

Posted by: Joe | Mar 6, 2017 6:13:50 PM

I find myself torn on this issue but I do want to respond to one point. Jane writes, "remarks showing that the juror is racially biased against the defendant. That's the logical stopping point." Sorry, Jane but that's not a logical stopping point. That doesn't mean that it is wrong; it just means that a racial stopping point has no basis in logic. Indeed the majority opinion explicitly denies any basis in logic, it roots its argument in the idea that race is special /historically/. The point that Kennedy makes about history is valid--we fought a war over race. I just don't know that I find it persuasive in this context.

Be that as it may, Federalist is correct on the logic point. The court did not use logic to defend its position; it used history. Whether that makes the decision "lawless" is debatable.

Posted by: Daniel | Mar 6, 2017 9:04:10 PM

Logical is defined by one dictionary as "characterized by or capable of clear, sound reasoning." I think Jane's statement works as applied here. There are clear, sound reasons for race to be given special concern here above and beyond other things ... at least if setting up a national floor.

Kennedy did not merely rest on history: "racial bias implicates unique historical, constitutional, and institutional concerns." Pragmatic concerns are also cited. One can debate the argument on the merits. But, logic was used. In fact, even if he merely used history, it might be logical, if history is an appropriate means to determining the meaning of constitutional terms. Originalists often think so.





Posted by: Joe | Mar 6, 2017 9:42:34 PM

Jane. The unlawful nature of Marbury is reviewed below.

The first expression of your judicial review was in Dred Scott. That decision cancelled the Missouri Compromise, that prevented war for 20 years. It violated a ratified international treaty with Canada. It set off the Civil War that killed 850,000 people. It set back race relations for 100 years. Aside from those consequences, judicial review is a great idea.

OK. The Civil War was really bad lawyer toxicity set on our lawyer besieged nation. How about the millions of babies that have been killed with no due process in our American holocaust, as a result of the judicial review in Roe v Wade?

Did you know that Dred Scott is not covered in law school, much in the same way, the attack on Pearl Harbor is not covered in Japanese history class?

The lawyer is a total denier.

http://supremacyclaus.blogspot.com/2007/06/marburygate-or-misconduct-in-marbury-v.html

Posted by: David Behar | Mar 6, 2017 11:29:07 PM

I would say that if it wasn't serious enough for the other complaining jurors to refuse to reach a verdict that it isn't serious enough to question now. They chose to come forward after the verdict rather than before, and I believe that makes all the difference.

Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Mar 7, 2017 1:55:57 AM

Mr. Behar, you write, "How about the millions of babies that have been killed with no due process in our American holocaust, as a result of the judicial review in Roe v Wade?"

A fetus is not a baby, no more than is a sperm cell. By the way, you (and all men) should be prosecuted for murdering hundreds of millions of living sperms, the source of life, everytime men masturbate. Mr. Behar, how many times did you do so this week?

Posted by: Virginia from Virginia | Mar 7, 2017 9:12:58 AM

The decision is lawless for any number of reasons, but one problem in particular is that this is simply not how a rights-based jurisprudence is supposed to work.

Obviously, the starting point for this right is the right to a fair jury. So, if the idea is that this right, in this context is only violated when the juror (we don't know the rule where there is a non-unanimous verdict) makes an explicit statement tying invidious views to his/her decision, the disconnect is obvious. First of all, it's an odd "magic words" approach which runs counter to pretty much everything in our law when it comes to the protection of basic constitutional rights--the only other thing I can think of that comes close is the idea that racial bias accusations against prosecutors must satisfy a pretty high threshold.

Second of all, just read this drivel:

"Not every offhand comment indicating racial bias or hostility will justify setting aside the no-impeachment bar to allow further judicial inquiry. For the inquiry to proceed, there must be a showing that one or more jurors made statements exhibiting overt racial bias that cast serious doubt on the fairness and impartiality of the jury's deliberations and resulting verdict. To qualify, the statement must tend to show that racial animus was a significant motivating factor in the juror's vote to convict."

So if a juror says the "n-word" but doesn't tie that to the juror's decision to convict, the defendant is out of luck? Are you kidding me? Once the right has been established, it needs to be protected, or else it's not really a right, but a dog and pony show created so enlightened courts can join the national dialogue on race. Ok, so maybe there's another exception for the "n-word"--so what about a "YBM" slur?

This is just nonsense. The Constitution just doesn't cut this finely--either overt racial bias is ok in the jury room or it is not. So maybe, just maybe, the Constitution allows states to look at a process and decide that, hey, in a system where citizens are interposed between the state and the prison cell, we put them in the room and what is said in the room stays in the room, instead of creating a strained exception.



Posted by: federalist | Mar 7, 2017 12:50:26 PM

@joe

The argument you present in defense of logic is itself illogical. For everything is unique, every second, every minute, every moment of space time is unique--like a snowflake. The argument that there is unique set of historical, legal, institutional set of circumstances that make racism special is a perfect example of an argument that proves too much because that is true of all arbitrary sets of circumstances. There is nothing logical about it; it's hocus pocus.

Posted by: Daniel | Mar 7, 2017 12:59:56 PM

To those above who write that the holding of the case is not logical. I say,

"it has been truly said that the life of the law is not logic but experience, see O. Holmes, The Common Law 1 (1881), California v. U. S., 98 S.Ct. 2985, 2987, 438 U.S. 645, 648 (1978) (Rehnquist, J).

Posted by: Jane | Mar 7, 2017 1:35:07 PM

Jane, you're just scoreboard pointing. The problem is that this decision is very difficult to defend in terms of legal process.

Posted by: federalist | Mar 7, 2017 1:44:44 PM

I am currently a criminal defense lawyer. I've tried more than 50 federal criminal cases to verdict, from the prosecution side and from the defense side. I strongly believe in the jury system, including the right of jurors to free and untrammeled deliberation. I was aghast when I read of this decision in this morning's paper.

It seems to me that Kennedy and the other Justices in the majority have an unjustified, unreasonable belief in their own ability to cleanse the process from racial elements. They want it to be pure as the driven snow, but life is not pure, and wanting something does not make it so. Jurors come to their deliberations with all of their biases intact. We need to trust that, collectively, they will respond to the better angels of their nature. We should not set aside their judgment just because some jurors, or defense lawyers, run to the court to disclose offensive, racist comments by another juror. The defendant should have been told this hard truth: "Life is not pure. Life is not fair. You may not have been treated fairly, but there are other values beside fairness, the confidentiality of jury deliberations is one of them, and fairness does not outweigh it."

The results of the process will be as fair and enlightened as the citizenry, embodied in the jury, are fair and enlightened. One would hope that the "enlightened" jurors would fight back against expressions of racial prejudice. In this case, it seems that they may have -- what else would explain what seems to have been a compromise verdict?



Posted by: Late Inning Relief | Mar 7, 2017 4:26:41 PM

@Jane.

I agree whole-heartedly with your Holmes quote because it is exactly my point. Just because something is illogical doesn't mean that it is wrong. However, we should be clear on our terms and not use the word "logic" to buttress our positions when in fact what we mean is "experience".

It's worth nothing that Holmes said that what is living in the law is experience. Sometimes, as in this case, the law presents a difficult choice between the living (experience) and the dead (logic).

Posted by: Daniel | Mar 7, 2017 5:08:09 PM

It's hard to make the argument that the rule against impeachment is a "constitutional" rule. Many states have versions of that rule with numerous exceptions. It's harder, however, to make the argument that the court makes which is that the constitutional right to a jury trial requires allowing impeachment in some circumstances. While the Framers of the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment might have disagreed on whether the right to trial by jury absolutely requires the rule against impeachment, there is little or no support in the historical record for the proposition set forth by the five justices -- that the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment require this exception to the rule against against impeachment.

Posted by: tmm | Mar 7, 2017 8:22:05 PM

Jane. Experience has shown us the judgment of lawyers has been catastrophic to the nation. The profession must be crushed to save this country. They are stupider and have less sense than kids in Life Skills class learning to use forks, and to tie their shoes as the curriculum.

Posted by: David Behar | Mar 8, 2017 8:38:03 AM

tmm, "is constitutional" means that states are permitted to adopt it--not that it is required by the constitution.

If racial bias is such a compelling reason to create an exception to a plainly constitutional rule, then the "narrowness" of when that exception will obtain is illogical.

Putting aside the results--what is better from the standpoint of adherence to justice:

(1) The Constitution allows states to protect the sanctity of the jury room by facilitating free and open debates within the room. This is necessary because the Framers decided that a jury of free citizens will always be interposed between the state and a prison cell. or

(2) Racial bias in the jury room is intolerable, but we're going to only allow evidence of that in certain situations.

Posted by: federalist | Mar 8, 2017 9:15:30 AM

"Basically, there is a reasonable debate on the appropriate rule, which makes the narrowly divided Court here unsurprising."

Notice the elision. The issue for the Court, of course, was not whether the absolute rule is a good idea or not, but whether the Constitution forbids it.

Posted by: federalist | Mar 8, 2017 9:47:32 AM

Daniel notes:

"The argument you present in defense of logic is itself illogical. For everything is unique, every second, every minute, every moment of space time is unique--like a snowflake. The argument that there is unique set of historical, legal, institutional set of circumstances that make racism special is a perfect example of an argument that proves too much because that is true of all arbitrary sets of circumstances. There is nothing logical about it; it's hocus pocus."

Your use of language continues to be unconvincing to me. This extreme use of "unique" is not how the term is being used. And, again, HISTORY, which you single out as used by the Court here, was but ONE thing listed when defending the rule set forth. It used various criteria to defend using the rule specifically in case of race. If you don't like how they used "unique," take the word out. Use "very special for constitutional purposes" or whatever you want to use.



Posted by: Joe | Mar 9, 2017 12:19:46 PM

Late Inning Relief is "aghast." Thanks for your .02!

Still, I'm unsure why one should be "aghast" about this since jurors are not merely trusted to make a decision. There are a range of checks on the process. If this appalls you, I gather maybe you are not a big fan of Batson either! And, merely having an offensive opinion probably won't be enough under the opinion anyhow.

I can understand disagreement with the result. Going the other way would not be horrible. tmm notes "little or no support in the historical record" for it. I'm not an originalist, so original understanding doesn't compel me one way or the other. I think there is support in the "historical record" for special concern. Is this specific rule necessary? Logical arguments both ways imho. fwiw.

Posted by: Joe | Mar 9, 2017 12:28:48 PM

Late inning relief asserts that is aghast at the opinion. He asserts "Jurors come to their deliberations with all of their biases intact. We need to trust that, collectively, they will respond to the better angels of their nature." Who is he kidding?

So, let me ask, after a guilty verdict against a black defendant, a juror calls you up, Mr. Defense attorney, and says, "sir, I must tell you that we took the first round of votes and it was 10-2 for acquittal. Then the two dissenting jurors got up and proclaimed they would never vote to acquit that "nigger" because all niggers are guilty; "it's in their blood." They continued, "we didn't even listen to the evidence or to the jury instructions. We took one look at that black son of a bitch and said guilty, guilty guilty guilty." After this harangue, the the jury voted again 12-0 for guilt.

The juror says to you he doesn't think that was right. He asks you if there's anything you can do. So, given that scenario, do you just sit on your rear end? Federalist, just imagine (immplausible as it may be, I know) that you were the defense attorney who received the call, would you say, "thanks for the call; that's the way it goes."?

Posted by: anon | Mar 10, 2017 11:03:29 AM

anon poses a nice hypothetical Late Inning and Federalist, but make it even stronger: let me ask, after a guilty verdict against a black defendant, a juror calls you up, Mr. Defense attorney, and says, "sir, I must tell you that we took the first round of votes and it was 10-2 for acquittal. Then the two dissenting jurors got up and proclaimed they they too thought the defendant was innocent but that they would never vote to acquit a "nigger" because all niggers are guilty of something, even if not what this guy's on trial for; "it's in their blood." They continued. We took one look at that black son of a bitch and said guilty, guilty guilty guilty." After this harangue, the the jury voted again 12-0 for guilt.

the juror says to you he doesn't think he did right and what the dissenting jurors did was right. He asks you if there's anything you can do. So, given that scenario, do you just sit on your rear end? Federalist, just imagine (immplausible as it may be, I know) that you were the defense attorney who received the call, would you say, "thanks for the call; that's the way it goes."?

Posted by: anon2 | Mar 10, 2017 4:44:42 PM

The hypotheticals posed above by anon and anon2 convince me that Pena-Rodriguez was correctly decided.

Posted by: Mary from Rhode Island | Mar 10, 2017 4:46:27 PM

Virginia. Before answering questions about my sperm, I need to see a picture of you.

Posted by: David Behar | Mar 12, 2017 6:57:05 PM

Mr. Behar, I'm not sure you produce any sperm at all.

Posted by: Virginia from Virginia | Mar 12, 2017 9:12:17 PM

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On September 24, 1957, a man walked into the First Wisconsin National Bank on Water Street and handed the teller a note. It read, Dont get excited. Make up $2,000 in $20 bills and dont sound the alarm." Terrified, the teller collected all the money she had in her drawer  just over $1,700  and handed it over. The man quickly and quietly left the bank, walking past five guards, and vanished into the mass of mid-day downtown traffic.

One week later, in Wichita, Kansas, 28-year-old Jack Humrich was driving a stolen car on the back roads late one night when he was pulled over by a police officer doing a routine license check. After the cop approached the car, Humrich sped away and a high-speed pursuit ensued. After blowing a tire, Humrich and his passenger ditched the car and fled into a nearby cluster of homes. After about 20 minutes, Humrich crept back to the stolen car and was tackled by a pair of officers who had hidden nearby to await his return. He was arrested on a charge of auto theft and taken to the local jail. He said nothing about the car, but confessed  unprovoked  to the Milwaukee bank robbery.

Jack DeWayne Humrich was what they used to call a hard-luck case. His only regular employment came as a carnival roustabout and he had been in and out of trouble with the law for most of this adult life. Just a few months before the bank robbery, he and his brother had been arrested for crossing state lines in a stolen car and possessing stolen rifles. His brother got jail time, but the charges against Jack were eventually dropped. The day after the robbery, Humrich was stopped on West Wells Street for speeding and hit with three charges  two moving violations and a disorderly conduct charge stemming from an old sexual assault complaint. In jail in Milwaukee, he was tight-lipped. A few days after his arrest, he plead out on the charges, paid some fines and took a years probation. Then, he skipped town.

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While papers in Milwaukee were proclaiming the bank robbery was now all but solved, the teller who was the only eyeball witness to the crime said that Humrich was not the man who robbed her. Indeed, she had reported the robber to be a blonde with curly hair. Humrich had dark, straight hair. A Milwaukee detective who went to Wichita to arrange for Humrichs transfer to Wisconsin dismissed the discrepancy, calling it one of those unfortunate things."

The day after Humrichs confession, a Hales Corners contractor stepped forward to say that the alleged bank robber had been with him on the day the crime occurred, working as a painter. The man said that Humrich had spent the entire day with him, outside of Milwaukee, and had, after his arrest for speeding on Wells Street, asked for his weeks wages to pay his fines. He had not seen Humrich since. Convinced of the contractors story, Milwaukee police withdrew their warrant for Humrichs arrest, which left the roustabout in Wichita  where he was still insisting he had robbed the bank. I dont care [what the police say]," he told a reporter. Im their man."

Although the local cops had dismissed his claim, the FBI thought enough of Humrichs confession to send a man to Kansas to talk with him. Evidently unwilling to risk a charge for lying to a federal agent, Humrich glumly admitted that was not, in fact, guilty of bank robbery. The confession was the first step in a long con, Humrich admitted. He had hoped to be transferred back to Wisconsin, where he would  when authorities in Kansas had given up on his auto theft charge  recant his confession and use his alibi with the contractor to prove his innocence. But for once, it had been the honest part of Humrichs life that caught up with him. Two weeks later, as Humrich awaited his trial in Wichita, a Chicagoan named Andrew Smith, with his curly blonde locks, was arrested trying to hold up a Los Angeles bank. Once in custody, he admitted to the First Wisconsin robbery. This time, no one could prove otherwise.
SIOUX CITY | Many Sioux City and Dakota Dunes residents are being asked to boil their water before use through 10 a.m. Tuesday after water failed to meet a standard for water disinfection Monday.

A news release from the city of Sioux City said a filter valve problem Monday kept water at Sioux City's Zenith Water Treatment Plant from meeting chlorine exposure guidelines. The problem was fixed by late morning, the release said.

Residents in the Grandview Pressure Zone, an area encompassing much of Sioux City's land area and the most customers, are being advised to boil all water for one minute prior to using it for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth and preparing food.

Residents in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, are also advised to boil their water since the community purchases some of its water from Sioux City.

Sioux City has five pressure zones: Grandview, Indian Hills, Western Hills, Morningside and the airport.

Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms that can cause symptoms like nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches.
From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, guests will receive a free short stack of the restaurant's buttermilk pancakes, In return, they will be asked to leave a voluntary donation that will benefit CMN and its efforts to enhance children's health care in Siouxland.
SIOUX CITY  Kory Menken has left his role with the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and The Siouxland Initiative to become the executive director of the Spearfish Economic Development Corporation in South Dakota.

Menken served as the director of workforce solutions for The Siouxland Initiative and the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce for about 18 months. In this capacity, Menken was responsible for the development and ongoing implementation of a comprehensive workforce development strategy for the Siouxland metropolitan area.

He was the first person to hold the position, which was established by the organizations to more fully address a growing shortage of skilled workers in the region. Prior to that, Menken spent 12 years as the economic development director in North Sioux City.

Menken has close ties to Western South Dakota, specifically to Spearfish, where he graduated from Black Hills State University in 1990.

In a release, John Senden, president of the SEDC Board of Directors, said hes very pleased with the hire and laid out what he thinks Menken brings to the table.

Kory has strong experience in economic and workforce development in South Dakota, and he is vastly familiar with the Black Hills and Spearfish, Senden said. We are confident he will exceed SEDCs goals and increase business growth, retention and expansion, building a diverse economic community.

In the same release, Menken commented on how excited he is for his new role.

Spearfish is a community with a vibrant past and a very bright future. I look forward to partnering with our private and public stakeholders in reaching our shared goals of economic prosperity and sustainable community growth.
SIOUX CITY | Sioux City Police are searching for a man and woman suspected of robbing the Central Mart on Hamilton Boulevard early Sunday morning.

According to a news release from the Sioux City Police Department, around 12:30 a.m. two suspects entered the convenience store at 800 Hamilton Boulevard, where they displayed a weapon and demanded money. They fled on foot from the scene.

Police say the first suspect, whose picture authorities released Monday afternoon, is described as a black male in his 20s, approximately 6 feet tall and 180 pounds wearing a black coat and white shoes. The second suspect is described as a black female in her 20s, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and 150 pounds dressed in all black.

Police are continuing to investigate the incident. The release did not specify how much money was taken from the convenience store.

Anyone with information can call the police's Crimestoppers line at 258-TIPS (8477).
I don't know how many young women come to this blog or how many are parents of teenage or young adult women, but here are some safety tips from Kelsey's Army:

T

I

P

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1. Trust your instincts - If something feels wrong then something probably is wrong.2. Know your surroundings - know who and what is around you.3. Always have a plan for where you would go and what you would do if a situation arises.4. Be willing to make a scene in order to be noticed.5. Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back.Remember the acronym TIPS:ake Chargenform others of your whereaboutsrepare for any situationurvival Mentality (role play situations so you will respond should they happen)For more information, go to Kelsey's Army
Akeem Rashad Harrington, 22, of Waldorf, Md. (Booking photo via Chas. Co SO)

LA PLATA, Md.

(March 06, 2017)Tony Covington, State's Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, March 2, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced Akeem Rashad Harrington, 22 of Waldorf, to 48 years with all but 28 years suspended for 12 Counts of Reckless Endangerment, Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Assault, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, Production Equipment, and 2 counts of Possession of a Regulated Firearm.On May 15, 2016, officers responded to the 3500 block of Threshfield Street in White Plains after a report of an assault. An investigation revealed that occupants of a vehicle traveling in the neighborhood got into an altercation with party-goers attending a resident's graduation party over a blocked roadway. The occupants of the vehicle left before officers arrived. Later that evening, one of the occupants of the vehicle returned with Harrington to the residence. Three shots were fired at one man standing on the porch to the house. The front door was kicked in and multiple shots were fired into the occupied home. None of the victims, including children, were struck.Harrington was apprehended two days later by officers, who also found a large quantity of marijuana that Harrington attempted to discard before arrest.At sentencing, Assistant State's Attorney John A. Stackhouse told the judge, "When these things like this happen in our community, it is incumbent upon the system to prosecute and sentence violent individuals accordingly."Party-goers Block Road; Argument Ensues; 3 Charged with Attempted Murder, May 18, 2016
Lips, the ultimate in drag dining, kicks-off the fundraising for this years fourteenth annual Smart Ride with their A Night of Stars HIV/AIDS awareness event scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 9.

The fundraiser is an effort to raise funds that will go towards the annual 165 mile Smart Ride bicycle ride taking place in November. The ride, that stretches from Miami to Key West, benefits HIV/AIDS-related charities, including Broward House, Childrens Diagnostic & Treatment Centers, Metro Wellness and Community Centers, Pridelines, AIDS Help, Compass Community Center, and Miracle of Love.

Over the past 13 years, Smart Ride has raised more than $8.5 million, and 100 percent of the money raised by its participants are given to AIDS Service Organizations throughout the State of Florida to provide direct services to those living with, affected by, or at risk for the disease. In this 14th year, both Lips and Smart Ride are pulling out all the stops to make sure its their biggest and best yet.

The Lips event, hosted by hostess Nicolette with a special appearance by Michael Dean as Cher, will feature celebrity guest servers: Jane Bolin, Victor Diaz Herman, Stacy Hyde, Mark Ketchum and Tom Runyan.

"Lips continues its proud support of the community with this fun night planned especially for Smart Ride, which donates 100 percent of proceeds to statewide AIDS care service organizations, said Yvonne Lame, Lips founder and co-owner. A Night of Stars will showcase Lips unique brand of dragalicious fun while raising funds to offset costs of the huge successful biking event.

Michael Goodman, event organizer and spokesperson for Lips, said this years event to kick-off the Smart Ride funding is sure to be a blast.

Lips is known as the celebration place, and this event is just that as the official kick-off of Smart Ride. Goodman said. It will be amazing with a night of stars, including the celebrity servers, special guest talent and the cast of Lips, plus everyone will be excited to help launch this years amazing ride. 

According to Goodman, the partnership between the Lips family and Smart Ride has been a natural one, and one that just makes a ton of sense.

Lips is proud to support the community and respected organizations like Smart Ride. It is a good match and a cause that is near and dear to the Lips family.

For Smart Ride founder Glen Weinzimer, raising funds for HIV/AIDS charities hits home. Weinzimer was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS over 20 years ago. Last year Weinzimer told SFGN just how important getting funds to help get HIV/AIDS patients support and treatment is, as hes a living testament as to what advances in medicine have done for those living with the HIV and AIDS.

I shouldnt be alive. Weinzimer said last year prior to the Smart Ride race. I was one of those people who wasnt supposed to live 10 days.

Lips has been a partner of the Smart Ride event for several years now. The fundraisers have helped the annual event raise money thats been critical to making the ride happen every year.

We are grateful to Lips for their continued support for the past four years, which impacts several statewide organizations committed to helping those affected by HIV/AIDS, Weinzimer said. Our amazing group of celebrity servers to this kick-off event, we know this will be our best year as we challenge ourselves and the community to raise more than $1.1 million.

Reservations are required for Lips A Night of Stars to benefit SMART Ride. Tickets are $50 per person, which includes a three-course dinner with soft drinks, gratuity and the show cover charge. A $75 VIP level enjoys the same plus premium seating and one complimentary drink. To reserve your seats for Lips A Night of Stars in support of Smart Ride, call Smart Ride at 866-696-7701 or visit TheSmartRide.org.
(AP) Yelp, the crowd-sourced company specializing in online reviews, is wading into the national debate over transgender people's bathroom access with a new feature that will enable consumers to search for businesses offering gender-neutral restrooms.

Related: Wilton Manors to Consider Flying Transgender Flag

In a blog post on Friday, Yelp said it would collect information from both customers and business owners in order to add a "Gender Neutral Restrooms" category to its listings. Yelp defines such restrooms as locking, single-stall toilet facilities accessible to people of any gender.

"At Yelp we thrive on inclusion and acceptance," the blog post said.

Rachel Williams, Yelp's head of diversity since November 2014, said the initiative, to be phased in over several weeks, marked the first time during her tenure that the company had sought to integrate a social issue into its website and app.

"The hope is that this feature gets business owners thinking about how they're presenting themselves - who they're supporting and why," Williams said. "Maybe it will start some conversations."

She said the idea for the new feature came from employees in Yelp's products section who were "incensed" by efforts in some parts of the U.S. to curtail transgender people's civil rights.

On Thursday, Yelp was among 53 U.S. companies filing a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting transgender teen Gavin Grimm in a lawsuit against his local school board in Virginia's Gloucester County. Grimm wants to use the boys' bathroom at his high school, saying it matches his chosen gender; the board's policy prohibits him from doing so.

Along with Yelp, businesses supporting the brief included Airbnb, Apple, eBay, IBM, Microsoft, PayPal, Tumblr and Williams-Sonoma. Similar briefs were filed by religious leaders, major medical associations, civil rights organizations, teachers' unions and other groups.

The conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, which filed a brief supporting the Gloucester County school board, criticized the 53 companies for disregarding the concerns that some students might have about sharing bathrooms and locker rooms with transgender schoolmates.

Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for March 28, although the school board is seeking a delay.
In a county that Republicans swept decisively last election cycle, a group of Florida Democrats prepared to organize an opposition movement.

Polk County is where Mufasa told Simba not to come, said David Jones invoking words from The Lion King to a room full of community activists Saturday at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Lakeland. The gay marriage ban started right here at the First Baptist Church.

Jones is a member of the Rainbow Ridge Democrats, an LGBT political group based in Polk County. He was one of several speakers during the winter meeting of the Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus.

The caucus has been around a while under various names, said Michael Albetta, a district director representing Broward County. Albetta said what started as Triangle Democrats in Key West grew to become a statewide movement known as the GLBT Caucus. Sally Phillips of Hillsborough County took control in 2011 and the caucus later became the Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus with the A standing for allies.

We couldnt do it without our allies, said Phillips.

Terry Fleming of Alachua County was re-elected Caucus President at Saturdays meeting. Chartered by the Florida Democratic Party, the caucus serves to educate, advocate, support and elect.

We dont care where you are on the Kinsey scale as long as you believe in equal rights, said Jones.

In this I-4 corridor community the caucus heard reports from around the state, a presentation from civil rights group Floridians for a Fair Democracy followed by a speech from Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith of Orlando.

Smith, claiming the title as Floridas first queer Latinx legislator, represents district 49 in Tallahassee. The lawmakers speech primarily focused on guns.

Florida is the gunshine state, Smith said. Its really sad. We  unfortunately because of how permissive our state laws are when it comes to access to firearms  we are at the top of and the bottom of a lot of really terrible lists.

Smith said Florida ranks last among all 50 U.S. states in funding for mental health services. Citing a recent report from the Tampa Bay Times, Smith said a child is shot every 17 hours in Florida.

Attempting to reverse those trends, Smith has filed house bill 6033 which targets the Firearm Owners Privacy Act (FOPA), a 2011 piece of legislation commonly referred to as Docs vs. Glocks.

That law is so stupid, Smith said. God forbid a doctor should ask a patient, Are you a firearm owner? Do you have your firearm safely secured unloaded and locked in a private place in the home? Because if they (Docs) do ask that question under Florida law they can be sued and also lose their license to practice medicine. How stupid is that? Its stupid and extreme.

With many constituents of district 49 still healing from the Pulse Nightclub massacre, Smith is partnering with Senator Gary Farmer of Fort Lauderdale to repeal the Docs vs. Glocks law.

Representatives, Smith said, are allowed to file six bills each session.

Meeting in Lakeland was a risky move for the caucus. Polk County, despite having more registered Democrats (151, 056) than Republicans (147,456) went for Donald Trump in last falls U.S. Presidential election. Trump carried the county with 157,418 votes (55 percent) to 117,422 (41 percent) for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
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Ah, Bahhhstinthats the best way I can try to spell out their distinctive accent. A complete 180 turn from the sunny skies, sprawled out cityscape, and spiderwebs of freeways in my home base of Los Angeles, Boston wooed me with its cobblestone streets and mix of personalitiesparticularly in its growing coffee scene. I took a couple of days to survey some of the best cups in town.

George Howell Coffee

Specialty coffee pioneer George Howell has been in the business for years. He is the mind behind deep-freezing raw coffee beans for storage as well as a major investor in the refractometer. Howells newest cafe in the Godfrey Hotel is a sparkling burst of tasteful color schemes and marble countertops, interwoven with sleek wood and industrial cement walls. The menu itself is pretty minimalistbeverage options include your standard latte drinks or choice of single origin versus an espresso blend, all of which get pulled from a Kees van der Westen Spirit. For brewed coffee, you can choose between their own roasts brewed deliciously on FETCO, or a pour-over from a Modbar. They have a few tea and sandwich options, and the staff is currently experimenting with meticulously handcrafted sodas.

The gang at George Howell Coffee is bursting with knowledge, kindness, and some damn good brewing skills. Within the first 10 minutes of entering the cafe, I was set up with the single-origin espresso (Brazil Daterra) and a pour-over (Kenya Mamuto AA), both of which blew my mind. The espressos light, tangy sweetness balanced with the brews deep blueberry flavors effortlessly. With additional events like public BYO cuppings, George Howells Godfrey Hotel cafe is easily a must-see-must-drink-must-indulge coffee experience for Boston.

George Howell Coffee has multiple locations. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook Twitter , and Instagram

Gracenote Coffee

Gracenote Coffee, whose name derives from a comparison of musical notes to coffee notes, is a bustling little nook and roaster in Chinatown. With a simple, quiet exterior, I was surprised by the bustling interior, with a line nearly out the door for most of my stay. Patrick Barters small corner shop, now coming up on its one-year anniversary, is adorned with hanging potted plants, deep mahogany shelves, and white brick wallsall working hard to make this crowded joint still feel like home. The crew keeps it relevant with a Modbar setup and a Mahlkonig EK 43 grinder while also retaining simplicity in the menu: choose from milk drinks, two espressos, or a drip coffee. A rotating feature drink is on offer as well: on this visit it was a cardamom latte, a perfect cold weather sipping beverage. After getting pushed into a corner by the post-work crowd filling the room, I managed to down a syrupy single-origin Ethiopia at a slim wood panel standing table lining the window. The only downside here is probably the hours of operationweekday closings of 4:30 p.m. and weekends at 3 p.m. make for quite the scramble to get your caffeine fix.

Flat Black Coffee

Flat Black Coffees seemingly Australian theme is not to be confused with its actual prideful origins in Boston. The roasting company is currently the largest independently owned roaster, retailer, and wholesaler of specialty coffee in the area. Out of its six locations, I decided to venture into the Franklin Street location in the Financial District. Unlike Bostons more boutique cafes, this spot has a massive menu of selections ranging from all manner of espresso drinks like flat whites and its namesake flat blacks to manual brewing options like pour-overs from Hario V60s and French press. The shop has a lot going on: my eyes were bouncing as I peeped at the shelves of tea jars, the six different drip coffee pots, and the large array of Torani syrups. (What a job it must be to close this place every night!) A spacious, mustard-yellow interior and quirky floral paper ball chandeliers make for a relaxing contrast to the high-fashion shops I had encountered earlier. See? Coffee doesnt have to be serious all the time! I settled for a simple cortado, which proved to be a solid choice amongst the flurry of menu items. Flat Black definitely makes coffee for the general audience instead of the specialty coffee community, but its certainly worth a stop in for a quick fix if you can avoid the slam of the morning work rush.

Barismo Coffee

After walking through five miles of academia in Cambridge the following day, it was long past time for a much-needed caffeine boost. Barismo Coffees flagship locationoriginally called Dwelltimehides on a neighborhood street a mile outside of Harvard University in a historic auction house.

Barismo pays attention to detail. The quality is what matters most, and the gang is always looking to experiment with the next big thing in specialty coffee. General manager and co-founder Jamie van Schyndel was kind enough to walk me through their cold brew flight of a flat, nitro, and aromatic version of Guatemalans and Costa Rican coffees, the last one was infused with gin and hops. I was also introduced to their version of a draft latte, a drink originally popularized by La Colombe. This one, however, used the strength of cold brew to create the beverage, rather than using espresso. Aside from these choices, you may decide between a menu of craft selections or milk drinks, and another menu of draft selections that get served out of kooky wood-handled kegs. The in-house bakery allows for an equally extensive menu of baked goods and weekend brunch, and the red brick and wood-floored interior creates a pretty desirable study spot for the Harvard eliteand coffee-goers in general, of course. The roaster recently opened another Cambridge cafe in nearby Kendall Square, where Voltage Coffee + Art once resided.

Barismo Coffee has multiple locations. Visit their official website and follow them on Twitter and Instagram

Render Coffee

Before my final urban hiking venture, this time through the Freedom Trail, I concluded my coffee tour at Render Coffee, located off of Columbus Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue in Bostons South End. This cozy shop keeps it simplethere are no marble countertops, no brewing equipment that would cost an arm and a leg to have at home. There is, however, gorgeous, open atrium-style seating in the back of the shop for guests to peer out of while the rain pelts the glass. Serving Tandem Coffee Roasters from Portland, Maine, and the previously mentioned Gracenote, Render brings a little slice of Pacific Northwest aesthetics to the East Coast while maintaining their home roots too. The cafe offers a little bit of something for everyone, from the sweet-tooth coffee drinkers vanilla latte to more refined single-origin pour-over offerings. Hungry? If youre not hankering for one of their savory meat-heavy sandwiches you should probably indulge in their decked-out breakfast bagels and settle in for a little while.

Pavement Coffee

No guide to Bostons coffee scene would be complete without mention of Pavement Coffeehouse(s), a small chain of now six coffee bars across the Boston area, including their latest near Fenway Park. Launched in 2010 by Larry Margulies, Pavements been a powerful influence on the growth of the Boston coffee scene, serving arguably the citys best cup of Counter Culture Coffee plus homemade bagels that locals are obsessed with.

Katrina Yentch is a freelance journalist based in Los Angeles. Read more Katrina Yentch on Sprudge.
Los Angeles is experiencing a boom in new coffee shops, but Warbler Coffee Roasting has delivered something truly new to the city in the form of a decked-out coffee trike, bringing nitro coffee on wheels to neighborhoods all over town.

Kim Rodgers and Sarah Sypniewski are behind the Warbler operation. After becoming interested in specialty coffee, Rodgers went down the rabbit hole and eventually decided to take coffee roasting into her own hands. One thing led to another, and before I knew it I was importing a roaster from China and consulting with Scott Rao, author of The Coffee Roasters Companion, says Rodgers. I knew if I was serious about getting into coffee, I needed to learn from the best and soak up as much as humanly possible. That was two years ago when she began thinking about leaving her career in marketing to make roasting her full-time job.

The coffee-trike idea arose when the two went to Coffee Con in LA in January. There they met with the nitro-coffee specialists at Bona Fide Craft Draft, who had built a trike for their coffee operation. This is when Rodgers realized she didnt need a brick-and-mortar space to expand her coffee business. The prospect of opening a shop in Los Angeles was daunting and, honestly, not something we had the capital for, she explains. When we crossed paths with Bona Fide and saw the trike they had built, a light bulb went offmaybe we dont need a whole shop after all! The idea came to fruition after Sypniewski convinced Rodgers to start an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to build their own trike.

After raising enough money, the Warbler Coffee custom-trike build-out was set in motion, with Bona Fides help. It was a long process to get the trike on the streets, due to various LA Health Department regulations. Rodgers says something like the trike had never been done before in LA, but luckily, the Bona Fide crew was able to customize the machine to meet all the health codes.

The trike debuted just this past August, and the Warbler duo have been busy keeping up with booking demands ever since. Their offerings are simple: Warblers own roastan Ethiopia-and-Guatemala blendplus a nitro hibiscus tea. The coffee that pours from the nitro-keg system is incredibly smooth and creamy. Rodgers fell in love with Bona Fides Craft Draft method, telling me, Theres a hot step to the process, so its definitely not a traditional cold brew, but the nitrogen has a similar effect as the cold-brew process. It smooths out the acidity, but doesnt completely flatten it. Its only the one coffee and one tea for now, but there are plans to experiment with different tea flavors. In the meantime, Warblers trike is a regular at Venices popular Artists and Fleas flea market, while also popping up at festivals and even weddings.

Another trike is a possibility in the future given this first ones popularity, and Rodgers says they hope to partner with a few more brick-and-mortar businesses soon so that the trike isnt the only place to enjoy Warbler Coffee by the cup. And well, of course, continue to sell our whole bean coffee online, so anyone can enjoy Warbler at home. Theyve already begun working with a few places that offer Warblers nitro coffee on tapSanta Monica Brew Works is serving it next to their craft beer selection. Maybe this coffee is destined for more than one permanent home.

Tatiana Ernst (@TatianaErnst) is a Sprudge staff writer based in Los Angeles. Read more Tatiana Ernst on Sprudge.
Irans former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has opened a Twitter account, despite having been instrumental in getting it banned in the country, according to The Guardian daily of Great Britain.

March 6, 2017, 10:42 Ex-president joins Twitter despite ban in Iran

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 6, ARTSAKHPRESS: One of Ahmadinejads first tweets from his personal account was a video in which he called on people to follow him at @Ahmadinejad1956.

In the name of God Peace be upon all the freedom loving people of the world, he wrote in English.

The Twitter biography reads: Husband, dad, grandfather, university professor, president, mayor, proud Iranian.

Despite the service being blocked for ordinary citizens, many of Irans top officials tweet regularly, including the president, Hassan Rouhani, and the foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Iranian users, however, were quick to point out that Twitter was banned after mass protests against Ahmadinejads reelection in 2009.
The Ontario Liberal Government made news last week when it announced that it would be cutting hydro rates this year. Premier Kathleen Wynne has, in part, credited a provincial horse trainer with the reductions becoming a reality.

Libby Keenan operates the Sunhall Equestrian Center in Amherstburg. The facilitys primary focus is on developing solid and correct basics in Dressage; but Keenans viral letter focused on something that impacted all horse owners and Ontarians alike  high hydro rates. She wrote that increased hydro rates in the province would impact the sustainability of the equestrian centre.



Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne pictured meeting with Libby Keenan (CBC ) Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne pictured meeting with Libby Keenan (CBC )

According to an article by the CBC, Premier Wynne had learned of the letter and eventually had a sit-down with Keenan to personally discuss the issue. Wynne had promised to address the cost of hydro in the province. On Thursday, March 2, before it was publicly announced, Wynne phoned Keenan and told her of the upcoming hydro reductions. The Premier stated that Keenans letter played a role in the decision.

"I thought it was respectful of her to call herself and not have an assistant make contact," Keenan stated via social media. "She gave me her word on these issues and she is making good on that. I achieved what I went for."

It is expected that the average residential hydro bill will drop by 17 per cent this summer. When further exemptions are taken into account, overall rate reductions could drop by 25 per cent.

Keenan told the CBC that she doesnt care if the move is an election ploy or not, but that, "I care about my bottom line and it's going to improve."

(With files from the CBC)
Trot Insider has learned that John Donald D.D. MacDonald died peacefully with family at his side on Friday, March 3 in Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital. He was 77.

He is survived by his loving, dedicated wife of 55 years, Sandra. He enjoyed his large family of seven children. Patricia "Toodie" MacPhee, John Donald "Jack" MacDonald, Leonard "Lennie" MacDonald (Barb Gillis), Richard "Butch" MacDonald (Charlene Marchand), Wendy MacDonald (Steve Mullendore), Nicole "Nikki" MacEachern (Daniel), Natalie Larade(Alex).

He was Grampa/papa to Patricia Rankin, Brock MacPhee, Grant MacPhee, Whitney MacDonald, Danielle MacPhee, Lauren Gillis, Samantha MacEachern, Shelby MacEachern, Carter Larade, Nate Larade, Lizzi MacEachern; great granddaughters, Izzy MacPhee, Kalia MacDonald.

D.D. was predeceased by his parents, Dan Alfred & Agnes Jane MacDonald; brother, John Francis MacDonald; son-in-law, Daniel MacPhee.

He is survived by his sisters, Anne Goodbrand-Brantford, ON.; Sharon Pritchard-Oakville, ON.; and Eileen Beaton(Hughie John), Port Hood. He will be dearly missed by all his nieces, nephews, grand nieces, grand nephews, great- grand nieces and great grand nephews.

John Donald, otherwise known as "D.D", was the first born son of Dan Alfred and Janie. At a young age he would go out to the beautiful Glencoe Mills to put the hay in with his grandfather, Johnny "Seoc", it was then that his passion for horses was born. D.D's love of horses continued his whole life, and he could be found daily at the little track on the Irish road grooming and training horses. D.D's love of the horses took him to Montreal where he found work as a trainer but his beautiful home town of Port Hood was calling and he returned to marry the love of his life Sandra and raise his family of seven. D.D was employed with the SRSB as a bus driver for 24 years. No easy task , as quiet as he was every kid in the hood knew to be quiet when D.D gave a warning. Although he didn't say much, he was heard.

Soon after his retirement from the school board D.D's first love called him back and he headed to Campbellville, Ontario; where he worked seven years at the Garth Gordon Stables once more with his horses. A dream fulfilled. D.D returned home for the final time in 2002 and drove his last race at the Inverness track at the age of 71. Dad was a beautiful quiet man, shy, humble but could crack a one liner like a typical Caper. He will be greatly missed by his faithful companion, wife of 55 years, Sandra; his seven children; eleven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. His was a good life; he worked hard and was blessed to enjoy his family, his horses and his love of a good team. Go leafs Go!

To all the staff of Inverness Consolidated Hospital, the special care you gave to dad as he began his journey "Home" will always be remembered. Lori Ann MacDonald, your professional advice and graciousness has been a blessing.

At this time of great sorrow, we, the family are so thankful to live in such a beautiful community such as Port Hood. A community where neighbours, co-workers and friends seek to ease the burden our hearts. The thoughtful considerate gifts of food, child care, menial chores... to the comforting unseen gifts of thoughts and prayers. Thank you so very much for the messages, phone calls and stopping in. We are so blessed to live in a community where people take the time to stop in and let us know that they stand with us in our time of sorrow.

Visitation will take place at Port Hood Resting Place, Mon. March 6th 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Funeral mass will take place in St. Peters Church Tues. March 7th at 11 a.m. with Fr. Bernie MacDonald officiating. Burial will take place at Donald's Ancestral Acres in Glencoe Mills at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Central Inverness Palliative Care Society or to Port Hood Resting Place.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of John Donald D.D. MacDonald.
Victoria Hearst's 'Cosmo Hurts Kids' Campaign Fights to Protect Children from The Mag's Harmful Pornographic Messages

Granddaughter of publishing titan William Randolph Hearst is making her own mark in the magazine world by taking on COSMOPOLITAN's adult content.

NASHVILLE, March 6, 2017 / Standard Newswire / -- Miss Victoria Hearst (photo) is making news by actively fighting against the magazine that was the flagship of her famous grandfather's publishing empire. Miss Hearst insists that the messages displayed on the cover and in the pages of Cosmopolitanare damaging to children, and that the Cosmo of today bears NO resemblance to the wholesome family magazine her grandfather purchased in 1905. Victoria isn't the only one who is concerned about Cosmo's harmful effects. The American Psychological Association contends that sexualization has significant negative mental health consequences for underage girls.

"Cosmo seduces underage girls into reading the magazine by putting teen and 'tween idols on the cover," Victoria says. Then, once they open the magazine's pages, they find the following:





 Drawings of naked men and women in sexual positions

 Photos of female and male nudity

 Articles glorifying group sex, anal sex, married couples swinging parties, sex with strangers and more

 A monthly "Sex Q & A" section where female readers ask graphic sexual questions and receive graphic answers

 "Sex Toy of the Month" and "Sex Position of the Month" features

Despite the pornographic nature of the magazine's content, Hearst Communications, Inc. refuses to put a content warning on Cosmopolitan Magazine!

The goal of the Cosmo Hurts Kids campaign is NOT to censor the magazine or put it out of business. Instead, Victoria Hearst is seeking to have it labeled "adult material" so it cannot be sold to anyone under 18. It clearly violates states' "material harmful to minors" laws, and it should not be sold to kids.

Miss Hearst will officially launch the Cosmo Hurts Kids campaign with a press conference at NRB's annual International Christian Media Convention, taking place February 27-March 2, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. Cosmo Hurts Kids is currently running radio PSAs on the Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity shows in New York, Memphis, Nashville and Colorado, and on Mark Levin's show in Colorado, as well as on BOTT Radio stations in 15 states. The campaign has, also, taken out full-page ads in Charisma, Ministry Today and Spirit Led Woman magazines.

Miss Hearst's grassroots efforts are already paying off. After meeting with Memphis County, Tennessee, Attorney General Amy Weirich to discuss Cosmo's harmful effects on children, Ms. Weirich sent a letter to merchants informing them of Tennessee's "harmful to minors" law and outlined what their businesses need to do to comply with it. Cosmo Hurts Kids is making informational flyers available and encouraging all concerned citizens to contact Hearst Communications executives and Cosmo editor-in-chief Michele Promaulayko to express their opposition to the sale of this magazine to vulnerable underage children.

For more information on the campaign, visit www.CosmoHurtsKids.com

About Victoria Hearst

The youngest of five girls, Victoria Hearst grew up in the shadow of her larger-than-life family legacy, thanks to her grandfather, publishing titan William Randolph Hearst. As a child, she aspired to a career in show business, and spent years studying acting, singing and dancing before moving to Los Angeles at age 18. After guest spots on a popular Japanese television series and the soap opera General Hospital, Victoria was on her way. Then, in December 1995, she became a Christian and her life changed forever! She began to use her talents to further God's kingdom, opening Praise Productions Christian Store and Praise Him Ministries/Ridgway Christian Center in Ridgway, Colorado.

Miss Victoria Hearst sits on the boards of Billye Brim Ministry/Prayer Mountain in the Ozarks and Operation Blessing Japan. As a strong supporter of Israel and the Jewish people, Miss Hearst is a member of the OR Movement World Leadership Council. The OR Movement designs and develops communities for Jews in Israel's Negev and Galilee regions.

For additional interviews and information, please contact:

Dianne Rogers, Brimstone Services
KABUL, Afghanistan 

has kept its border crossings with

sealed for more than two weeks, with thousands of Afghan visitors stranded in Pakistan and traders unable to move their vegetables and fruit across.





After a suicide bombing at

on Feb. 16, which killed more than 80 people, the Pakistani military shut its borders with Afghanistan, saying the terrorists behind the attack had sanctuaries in the country. It also carried out shelling into Afghanistan.





Omar Zakhilwal, Afghanistans ambassador to Pakistan, said Sunday that if the border did not open soon, his government would be forced to airlift its stranded citizens, which could be a new low in the relationship between the neighboring countries.





Their 1,600-mile border has long been a contentious issue. Ever since the fall of the Taliban government in 2001, Afghan and Western officials have said that the Afghan insurgencys leadership maintains havens in Pakistan, particularly in the city of Quetta. The free movement across the border has helped the militants avoid defeat in a 15-year war led by the United States.





In recent years, the Pakistani authorities have said the leaders of the militant groups waging deadly attacks inside their territory are based across the border in Afghanistan.





Mr. Zakhilwal, the Afghan ambassador, said some leaders of these attacks on Pakistan might be in Afghanistan, but they mostly operate in areas controlled by the Afghan Taliban. He said his government, along with the United States-led coalition, had targeted Pakistani militants in Afghanistan, including the mastermind of a

in 2014.




The revelations raise concerns about the effectiveness of the program and the pressures placed on AFP officers mentoring their PNG counterparts.

The Australian has learnt of deep dysfunction in the PNG-based policing partnership program, led by the AFP, which has just been renewed for another two years at a cost of $48 million.

AN Australian Federal Police mentoring mission to Papua New Guinea spectacularly imploded amid allegations that officers caused the death of a prisoner, sold black-market guns, sexually assaulted one another, got drunk on duty and swam naked in an apartment pool.

Fallout from the abortive mission to Lae, one of the regions most dangerous cities, is still impacting on the AFP, with numerous Comcare claims, complaints to the Commonwealth Ombudsman, a legal action by then sergeant Brad Turner seeking $10m in damages, officers on lengthy sick leave, and numerous secret internal investigations.

The same mission had been the subject of allegations in 2015 made by an anonymous officer that the AFP had not done enough to investigate human rights violations by PNG police, including shooting unarmed suspects and failing to investigate serious crimes such as murders.

At the time, the AFP said it had reviewed the allegations but did not identify any matters requiring further action. PNG police said the claims were false.

But evidence has now emerged confirming that PNG police shot unarmed suspects and that they failed to investigate murders.

It also found that while the PNG police were allegedly conducting human rights violations, the AFP officers who were supposed to be their mentors were embroiled in an internal war that sparked the extreme allegations and made the operation almost unworkable.

The Australian does not suggest the AFP took part in the human rights violations.

Efforts to contact PNG police for comment yesterday were unsuccessful. The AFP confirmed it had investigated two AFP members who were implicated in a death in custody in PNG. The allegation was not substantiated, a spokesman said.

The spokesman also confirmed an AFP professional standards investigation had been undertaken into various issues involving member conduct in PNG in 2014. He said as a result the AFP took certain actions in regards to the outcomes of those matters.

The spokesman said the AFP received a number of allegations regarding code of conduct breaches by AFP members in PNG, which were investigated, and no further comment could be made.
BY OLIVIA ROSE

MINISTER of Tourism, Hon. Ralph Higgs says the Government is exploring all avenues to collect and protect its revenue.





Higgs made this comment during a brief exclusive interview with the Weekly News on Wednesday March 1.





Tax evasion and avoidance are problems which seem to have defied solution, and have bedeviled the Turks and Caicos tax system for many years; however, the new Tourism Minister says his administration is working assiduously to reverse this debilitating issue.





His sentiments come after owners of the Regent Grand recently voiced their concern about the long running tax evasion practice of some villas, condos and private homes in the Turks and Caicos Islands.





The call for greater regulatory practices is one which has been made for a number of years, most recently last week by the Chamber of Commerce and the Hotel and Tourism Association when they met for the first time with the new Government.





Premier Sharlene Cartwright- Robinson at a press conference on Thursday (March 2) disclosed that her government has already sent legislation aimed at regulating these businesses to the attorney general's chambers for implementation over the next four years.





She said: "One bit of legislation that will be of interest to the people is the regulation of the RBOs.





"We want to do that from two standpoints and that is to make sure that we are not losing revenue and to make sure that the industry is regulated but also in the issue of national security because we want to know who is renting where and given the recent unsettling environment as it relates to crime we want to know where people are in this country and it is important to know where tourists are in these stand alone villas and heavily bushed, not well lit areas, we want to be able to protect our product and protect tourists who continue to rent under the RBOs.





"I dont want to give the impression that all of them are illegal or unregulated but it is an industry that has to be managed and managed better.





These establishments are accused of not paying their accommodation taxes to the Government and there is a call for them to be regularized as private rental properties.





A well-placed source at the Regent Grand resort in Grace Bay recently told this publication that there are American unit owners who have been engaged in the practice, and are undermining the hotel business in the country.





In a recent press statement, both the TCHTA and the Chamber, stated that an area identified was that of private home owners using platforms like Airbnb, Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO) and other online sites to secure bookings.





This, they said is an emerging business which needs regulating as it can be a revenue source for the administration in the collection of taxes.





Currently there are several hundred rental properties in the TCI listed on these websites most of which are rented at exorbitant prices, with many of them not paying any taxes.





This is not a problem that plagues the TCI only, as many other Caribbean tourism destinations are affected by rise in online vacation home rental platforms.





The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association has since published a resource guide supporting the TCIs effort to level the playing field through the taxation and regulation of the sector and its engagement in public and private sector tourism development efforts.





According to industry news last year, the region's leading umbrella tourism private sector organization is counseling the Caribbean's 32 national hotel and tourism associations and governments to work together to address the challenges and opportunities presented by the rapid rise of the online vacation home rental industry and other sharing economy businesses being fueled by hosting platform companies like Airbnb and Uber.





"Airbnb, in particular, recorded more than 25,000 listings in the Caribbean as of February 2016 and is projecting significant growth this year. Destinations such as the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Cancun, Martinique and Barbados feature the most listings on Airbnb with continued growth projected throughout the entire region.





CHTA president Karolin Troubetzkoy has noted that the sharing economy made possible by these hosting platforms is happening whether, whether it is embraced or not.





He pointed out: "This leaves us with two options: we can allow it to develop as an untaxed and under-regulated market and lose out on tremendous opportunities or we can bring all the players to the table to work out solutions to the benefit of all concerned parties.





Only last month, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the regions tourism development agency, and Airbnb, whose community marketplace provides access to millions of unique accommodations, signed a landmark agreement to develop a set of policy principles and recommendations on the sharing economy for Caribbean governments and other stakeholders.





Under the agreement, both organizations will share data and studies with policymakers about the positive impact of the sharing economy in the region; identify ways to make it more inclusive; and broaden the benefits of tourism to non-traditional actors, attract new stakeholders and focus on providing amazing and unique travel and cultural experiences to visitors.





This partnership agreement will also provide to the CTO an economic analysis of Airbnbs positive impact on local economies.





By reviewing Airbnbs aggregate data, key stakeholders will be briefed on the value of a peer-to-peer review mechanisms; at the same time Caribbean government officials and other stakeholders learn about the long term benefits of the sharing economy and home sharing in particular.





"The CTO is establishing a basis for mutual cooperation with Airbnbs. It is important for us to examine all aspects of this important segment of the sharing economy.





We believe that by clearly understanding Airbnbs massive influence in capturing consumers interest in unique accommodations we will be in a position to properly advise our members and to allow the Caribbean to achieve the goals of year-round profitability, visitor satisfaction and sustainable tourism development, Mr. Riley said.





Currently, there are 41 thousand listings across the Caribbean and a typical host in the Caribbean earns approximately US$3,900 per year.





The agreement will also help to identify new ways to market the Caribbean as a region: One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean and grow the tourism industry.





With this cooperation agreement, Airbnb will continue promoting tourism and highlighting Caribbean history and culture.





The strategy focuses on the diversification of the tourism industry and the expansion of the economic opportunities for the Caribbean people.




By Kandi Hariraj

While our Beautiful by Nature Turks and Caicos Islands are naturally attractive to visitors, it is also the excellent services provided by personnel in the hotel and tourism industry that keep the destination flourishing and famed.





Last Thursday evening the ninth annual Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Associations (TCHTA) Star Awards celebrated the dedicated individuals "who go above and beyond the call of duty to deliver stellar service to our visitors.





The opulent event, held at the Tropicana Show and Supper Club, was well attended by tourism and hospitality industry partners, nominees and supporters.





Attendees enjoyed an entertaining evening and dinner as they saluted the nominees and winners that keep our tourism industry growing.





Welcome remarks from TCHTAs Executive Director Stacy Cox, Director of the Tourist Board Ramon Andrews and The Hartling Groups Karen Whitt, all hailed a bright future for TCIs tourism and lauded the island chain as a strong destination, while thanking every industry worker who makes its success possible.





Cox said: "The pursuit of excellence in our sector can never be obtained without the continued dedication and commitment of every worker. Excellence is also, of course, about hard work. It is the hard work of

everyone sitting here tonight that propels us forward.





A riveting keynote speech by psychologist Darron Turnquest, Director of Youth Bahamas Corporate Training, who inspired patrons as he reminded everyone how difficult it can be in the service industry and that it was about the process in getting the award, rather than the actual award.





Other highlights of the evening included a fashion display by House of Jeritt models, performances by Clement Howell High School Choir and Wesley Methodist School dance group and a captivating rendition of the British Anthem and National Song by Chrystal Charles.





With strong competition and over 165 nominees in the eighteen categories, it was mentioned that judges had difficulty deciding the winners as all candidates were outstanding.





2016 TCHTA Star Awards Winners

Bartender of the Year - Carton Waite, The Palms

Chef of the Year - Edwin Gallardo, Seven Stars Resort

Housekeeper of the Year - Carlton Salmon, Beaches Resort Villages and Spa

Employee of the Year - Shanice Williams, Ganseveoort TCI

Supervisor of the Year - Duval Phedre, The Sands on Grace Bay

Manager of the Year - Jessica Rigby, Gansevoort TCI

Hospitality Hero - Kirkford Gardiner, Ministry of Border Control

Taxi Driver of the Year  Edward Barranco, Beaches Resort Villages and Spa

Fan Favourite - Roxanne Wade, Beaches Resort Villages and Spa

Hotelier of the Year- Tendra Musgrove, Villa Del Mar and Urmas Karner ,The Somerset on Grace Bay

Restaurant of the Year - Graces Cottage, Hemingways Restaurant & Bar and Parallel 23

TCHTA Allied Member Restaurant of the Year - Mango Reef

Hotel of the Year - Point Grace Resort

Heart of Hospitality - Dennis Been, Windsong Resort

Ambassador of the Year - Sherman Lopez, Beach House

Allied Member of the Year - The Wine Cellar

TCHTAs Shining Star - Lauren Callighen, The Palms

Entertainer of the Year - Chrystal TESS Charles




























His Excellency the Governor, Dr John Freeman, chaired the 5th meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, 1 March 2017, at the N J S Francis Building on Grand Turk.

All Ministers were present except the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs, Transportation and Communication.

At this meeting Cabinet:

Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve a mutation and rectification and then a tender for applications for the commercial lease of combined Crown Land Parcels 60610/305 and 306 at Norway and Five Cays, Providenciales, in line with section 34 of the Crown Land Ordinance 2012;

Approved a Provisional Warrant Resolution for forwarding to the next sitting of the House of Assembly for the withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund of an amount not exceeding $85,067,096 for the continuation of government business for the first four months of Financial Year 2017/18 pending passage and entry into force of an approved Appropriation Ordinance for 2017/18;

Advised His Excellency the Governor to appoint the following as members of the International Finance Marketing and Promotions Working Group (IFMPWG), the body set up to advise the Minister of Finance, Trade and Investment on the strategic direction and promotion of the TCI financial services sector, for a period of 18 months with effect from 1 April 2017  Mr Peter Savory (Corporate Management/Trust Administration); Mr Kenrick Walters (Banking); Mr Norman Hamilton (Insurance); Mr Clayton Been (Corporate Management/Trust Administration); Mr Mark Lindsay McCann (Trust Administration); Mr Jonathan Katan (Bar Association); Mr David Stewart (Trust/Financial Industry Association); Governors Office representative; FSC representative; AGs Chambers representative; Ministry of Finance representative;

Approved the renewal of the lease agreement for the Premiers Official Residence on Grand Turk for a period of four years with effect from 1 March 2017;

Discussed a paper prepared by the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services on ongoing management issues at the National Health Insurance Board;

Agreed to extend the 2016/17 lobster season from 15 March to 31 March 2017;

Noted the recommendations of the Public Procurement Board to award contracts in line with the Public Procurement Ordinance 2012 as follows  TR16/20 Upgrade and extension of the Providenciales morgue and equipment; TR16/33 Repairs to the Lands Division building, Grand Turk; TR16/34 Enhancement of the Standard Integrated Government Tax Administration System for the Revenue Department; TR16/40 Construction of a classroom block, Long Bay High School Phase III; TR16/48 Mental Health Home Phase III, Grand Turk; TR16/51 Replacement roof, Waterloo Phase II;

Received an information paper from the Ministry of Home Affairs updating Cabinet on progress on emergency works at HM Prison to be discussed further at the next meeting of Cabinet;

Received a briefing by the Hon. Attorney General on her attendance at the recent Financial Action Task Force Plenary Meeting at the OECD in Paris including steps required to be taken by TCI to meet its financial services related international commitments in relation to the Global Forum on the Exchange of Tax Informations assessment of TCI set for the third quarter of 2017 and the CFTAF mutual evaluation of TCI which is set for the first quarter of 2018 and, in particular, commitments related to beneficial ownership

Agreed adjustments to the Fiscal Strategic Policy Statement 2017/21 to be submitted to the UK Government to take account of planned revenue and expenditure related to the European Union grant provided to TCI under the European Development Fund (EDF) 11;

Received a briefing by the Hon. Premier and HE the Deputy Governor on their recent attendance at the annual EU/Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) meeting in Aruba including on TCI assuming the Chair of the Overseas Countries and Territories Association and on the signing of the Financing Agreement of the EDF 11;

Received a briefing by the Hon. Deputy Premier on his recent attendance at the twenty eighth inter-sessional meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Guyana including on regional security issues and correspondent banking




Act Now says the plan is an attempt by the government to appease the foreign owned logging industry and oil palm companies and ensure a continuation of their illegal occupation of customary land.

Act Now says converting the so-called SABL leases will not only repeat injustice and human rights abuses, it will give control of vast tracts of land to a small number of people overseen by a corrupt and dysfunctional Department of Lands.

COMMUNITY advocacy group Act Now has condemned plans by the Papua New Guinean government to convert unlawful land leases to another form of land tenure using Incorporated Land Groups.

If the land ends up being registered then it could be sold, leased or mortgaged again and again, Act Now said. It is the next step in making people slaves in their own communities and excluding them permanently from their land.

Act Now said the only proper course of action is for the government to cancel the leases and return the land to customary landholders. It will then be for the people to decide on the future of their land.

It said that over the past 10 years fraudulent Special Agriculture Business Leases have been used to steal rights to more than five million hectares of customary land from local communities.

Prime Minister Peter ONeill had promised the government would implement the recommendations of a Commission of Inquiry and cancel the leases; but now the Lands Minister wants to convert them to another form of land tenure.
tech2 News Staff

Bitcoin has hit an all time high of $1,200 (approx Rs 80,000) based on talks of the first US Bitcoin exchange-traded fund getting approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission. In India, Bitcoin is selling for over Rs 1,00,000 per bitcoin in Bitcoin trading apps such as Unocoin. Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor R Gandhi recently pointed out the risks associated with Bitcoin transactions at a FinTech conference.

"We can see that in these types of virtual currencies there is no central bank or monetary authority. They pose potential financial, operational, legal, customer protection and security-related risks," Gandhi said. "My arguments against virtual currencies stem from two elements  the concept of confidence and anonymity. The currency should be able to sustain these two elements forever. It will impair its exalted status once either of these two elements gets affected."

Amid the surging prices, a question was raised in the Rajya Sabha on 6 February, on the legal status of virtual currencies such as Bitcoin in India. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, pointed out that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had cautioned Indian citizens against the use of Bitcoin.

Bitcoin transactions in India are legal, the RBI has just cautioned users about the risks of cryptocurrency trading. There are however no official redressal mechanisms, and users transacting with virtual currencies do so at their own risk. The RBI is monitoring the use of Bitcoin in the country, and is in the process of formulating regulations, including foreign exchange laws, and norms for payment systems. The cautionary note is based on a press release by RBI in 2013, when adoption of Bitcoin in the country was a lot less than it is in 2017.

The risks as noted by the RBI include a lack of a central framework for resolving problems, the highly volatile and speculative nature of the cryptocurrency due to a lack of backing by assets, trading across various jurisdictions with unclear legal regulations, and the dangers of being entrapped or associated with financial transactions for illegal and illicit activities. One of the biggest problems for the RBI is in the way the money is stored in digital wallets that are prone to hacks, malware attacks, theft and loss.

China

Early this year, the People's Bank of China met with owners of Bitcoin exchanges, and cautioned the people against the use of Bitcoin as a currency. Officially, the bank considers Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as "virtual commodities" that do not enjoy the same status as currency. The bank has also cautioned users of Bitcoin, asking them to bear the corresponding risks and responsibilities. Banks and Financial institutions are prohibited from making Bitcoin transactions, and the Bitcoin trading activities are being monitored for violations of foreign exchange norms.

United States of America

In the United States, Bitcoin is treated as property, and Bitcoin transactions are taxed as if they were property transactions. Employers are required to report payment of wages to employees using Bitcoin, and these kinds of payments are subject to payroll taxes. Taxes on gain or loss of value based on transactions depends on whether or not the Bitcoin is held as a capital asset. Although bitcoin is commonly used as a currency, it is not recognised as legal tender in any of the jurisdictions in the United States.

United Kingdom

Initially, Bitcoin in the UK was considered a tradeable voucher, which was later reclassified as "private currency", which reduced the tax liability. Transactions to and from Bitcoin are not taxed. There are taxes for Goods and Services sold for Bitcoin, based on the corresponding value of the legal tender to the cryptocurrency at the time of transaction. Income generated by Bitcoin mining activity is also exempted from tax.

Russia

The Bank of Russia, like the RBI, refers to cryptocurrencies as "virtual currency". The Bank of Russia has issued a warning to Russian citizens, rising the same concerns as the RBI. The speculative nature of the currency, high risk of loss of value, and no entities that can be held legally accountable for settling disputes. The strongly worded warning alerts citizens of possible prosecution over cryptocurrency transactions as the financial activity can be considered as participating in a process that helps terrorists and criminals launder money. The federal Tax Service in Russia has noted in a letter that there are no legal mechanisms prohibiting Bitcoin transactions in Russia.

Australia

The Reserve Bank of Australia refers to cryptocurrencies as "digital currencies", and treats Bitcoin as property, similar to the regulations in the United States. Bitcoin transactions themselves are regulated by the bank, or subject to regulatory oversight. Bitcoin trades are treated as barter trades. As Bitcoin has a steady rate of supply, a limited availability, and cannot respond to seasonal peaks or sudden increases in Demand (say around holiday sales seasons), Australia does not consider any role of cryptocurrencies in the monetary policy.

Europe

The European Banking Authority has also issued a warning to European citizens on the hazards of using "virtual currencies." The risks pointed out in the warning include the potential for loss on electronic trading platforms, there are no legal protections for the money deposited in cryptocurrency exchanges, the virtual currencies can potentially be stolen through electronic means, and the high volatility of the cryptocurrencies. The EBA has gone so far as to recommend that "You should not use real money that you cannot afford to lose." Virtual currencies can be used to make payments without incurring charges, and without a bank acting as an intermediary. Value added tax, and capital gains tax may apply according to the country where the transaction is occurring.

Brazil

The Central Bank of Brazil has issued a clarification noting that there is no regulation for Bitcoin in Brazil. The notice points out that any regulatory oversight would put pressure on the cryptocurrencies, and that regulations from any authority from any country can potentially affect the prices of the cryptocurrencies, as well as the ability to trade in them. Brazil refers to Bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies as virtual currencies, noting that they are different from digital currencies. The development of the financial instruments such as Bitcoin is being monitored by the Central Bank of Brazil, and it has said that it is open to legal interventions, if necessary.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the countries with the harshest regulations against cryptocurrencies. As the country has harsh anti money laundering laws, anyone conducting Bitcoin transactions faces a jail term. The use of cryptocurrencies of any kind, including Bitcoin, is banned in Bangladesh. Anyone found being involved with Bitcoin transactions faces up to twelve years in jail.

Indian regulations

The process of formulating regulations in India is taking its own sweet time, and RBI seems to be focusing more on formulating regulations for the underlying distributed ledger technology called blockchain, rather than the virtual currencies such as Bitcoin and Litecoin that are based on blockchains. Waiting for too long to introduce regulations is likely to disturb the markets, platforms, apps and systems that emerge before the regulations are in place.

The world over, in times of financial insecurity, Bitcoin is considered as a hedge.

For those who want to get into Bitcoin transactions in India, Unocoin is a convenient platform with a monthly investment plan. BtcxIndia, Zebpay and Coinsecure are other Indian Bitcoin trading platforms. The prices per Bitcoin varies across the platforms. Over 500 merchants in India accept Bitcoin as a payment option.
tech2 News Staff

British Condoms, a condom manufacturer has come up with a smart condom that well... gets more things done than your regular condom. Called the i.Con, it has not been designed to enhance your performance. However, the smart condom is 'smart' and in this day and age of smart watches and wearables, this one could save your life and help you measure a few other details during sex.

For beginners, the i.Con is not a condom per se, but a wearable for your penis. It's a condom ring that sits at the base of your penis over a condom and basically records data during sex.

And no, it does not allow you to share your statistics on social media (for now).

The wearable condom ring uses a nano-chip and couple of sensors that are used to measure a few details (that some may be interested in) like number of thrusts, calories burned, average skin temperature, girth measurement, manage the frequency of sex sessions and different positions (available as beta). It's made of a strong synthetic rubber that packs in a tiny waterproof carbon fibre unit, which is where that chips and sensors reside that is similar to the design of say your Mi Band only smaller.

After you are done with your session, you simply slip out the wearable condom ring and download the data using the integrated micro USB port. If you were wondering, the same micro USB port can be used to charge the wearable as well.

The wearable smart condom is available for pre-order in the UK at price tag of GBP 59.99 (roughly Rs 5,000).

And all of the above are not the important bits about the wearable. Here's where things get really interesting.

The team that developed the i.Con told Mashable that the wearable claims that it can also double up as an STD indicator.

According to the team, the i.Con packs in an "antibodies filter" which will send an alert to the smartphone when it detects proteins or antigens found in STIs. For now, the feature is not out yet, but is in the final stages of medical testing, so expect it to be out soon via a software update.
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India will organise its first mobile congress in September with a special focus on reaching out to the South East Asian markets. "There is Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and an edition in Shanghai. There is nothing in between for South East Asia.

India is emerging as one of the global leaders in telecom which we will also showcase in the Indian Mobile Congress," COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews told PTI.

He said that the Department of Telecom and the Ministry of Electronics and IT have laid their emphasis on Indian Mobile Congress and Cellular Operators Association of India will drive it.

The GSM Association, which organises annual global event of Mobile World Congress (MWC) here, has agreed to associate with the three-day event that will be held at Pragati Maidan starting September 27, he said. Mathews said he along with Indian government delegation had held discussion with British and Swedish Trade Ministers for their engagement in IMC.

"We have held meeting with official representatives of other governments as well," Mathews said. He said that all Indian mobile operators, Facebook, Huawei, Ericsson, Cisco etc are likely to participate in the mobile congress.

"We have asked other Indian business association to come together and be part of it. The event will focus on knowledge sharing, exhibition, start ups, skill development and all pillars of Digital India including Make in India," Mathews said.

PTI
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A vest designed to shield astronauts from deadly solar particles in deep space is set for trials on a lunar mission ready for deployment on any manned mission to Mars, its Israeli developers said. The AstroRad Radiation Shield has been devised by Tel Aviv-based StemRad, which has already produced and marketed a belt to protect rescue workers from harmful gamma ray radiation emitted in nuclear disasters, such as Chernobyl and Fukushima.

The vest will protect vital human tissue, particularly stem cells, which could be devastated by solar radiation in deep space or on Mars, whose sparse atmosphere offers no protection, StemRad's CEO Oren Milstein said. U.S. space agency Nasa has said it hopes to send astronauts to Mars in the mid-2030s. The vest is made of layers that look like a contoured map and will be tailor-made for each astronaut. Non-metallic protective materials will be positioned on each shield to cover the organs of each astronaut.

"This product will enable human deep space exploration. Our breakthrough has come in creating the architecture of the multi-layered shield to accurately cover the most important organs," Milstein said. StemRad say it has proven the concept in the laboratory and in simulations, but testing will also take place on the Orion spacecraft, a joint project of Lockheed Martin, Nasa and the European Space Agency.

Orion is set to orbit the moon unmanned during the debut flight of Nasa's heavy-lift Space Launch System rocket, scheduled for late 2018 but it is also assessing the feasibility of flying two astronauts on that mission. During the lunar flyby mission, the vest will be strapped to a "phantom" torso dummy, a device used to monitor radiation absorption. Another phantom will fly unprotected and the two will be analyzed after they return to Earth.

Nasa had no immediate comment on how the test could be affected if the agency decided to put astronauts on Orion. Stemrad's chief technologist, Gideon Waterman, said the vest needed to combine density with flexibility to protect astronauts while enabling them to move about as freely as possible. Mock-ups have been made, and the first protective vest is expected to be produced by the end of the year, Milstein said.

"Based on our simulations, we're sure it works but to be 100 percent sure, we're sending it up on EM-1," he said, referring to Nasa's Exploration Mission-1, the first flight of the combined Space Launch System rocket and the Orion capsule. The Orion will have its own small shelter for solar storms or flares that have dangerous bursts of radiation, and the vest, Milstein said, will offer the same degree of protection so astronauts can keep safe in other parts of the spacecraft.

Astronauts in Earth's orbit, such as those on the International Space Station, do not face the same risk because they are protected by the planet's magnetic field which acts as a shield, he added.

Reuters
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National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) today launched a programme to train small and medium traders in various modes of digital payments. NIELIT, under the Ministry of IT and Electronics, would conduct the programme through five regional workshops, 30 state workshops and 100 Digi Dhan campaigns. At the regional level, the programme will be rolled out in Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai.

"We need to recognise that this is the changing face of India. The country is undergoing a digital transformation backed by 108 crore mobile phones, 50 crore internet users and 111 crore Aadhaar holders," IT and Electronics Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said while launching the initiative. This comes at a time when the government is pushing for increased adoption of digital transactions post demonetisation. Prasad added that demonetisation should be seen as "transformative" and not a standalone programme, as it has been effective in clamping down on corruption, terror funding and money laundering.

He urged the trading and business community to turn digital transactions into a "national movement". The training programme is aimed at enabling adoption of digital payment mechanisms such as Unified Payments Interface, Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, and Aadhaar-enabled payment system by the trading community. About 13,500 small and medium unorganised/self organised businesses/ traders are targeted, an official release said.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) would be mobilising traders and trade union leaders for training on digital payment initiatives.

PTI
A few months prior to this drama, I had arrived in Kundiawa (population 200; 80 expatriates) in January 1964 having just turned 19.

That said, most proceedings were laced with profuse and jocular references to the time I was lost for 24 hours in the Yongomugl caves when my lamp failed and I couldnt navigate the many branches and faults to find my out.

REVISITING Simbu after 50 years last week, I was feted with a degree of celebrity I really didnt merit.

My assignment was as head (and only) teacher at the 12-student Kundiawa Primary A School, at the time located in the Chimbu Club and shared with the drinkers who, during school hours, would cagily enter by the back door and consume in uneasy silence behind a shuttered bar.

A stood for Australian curriculum. In those days, one incentive to attract expatriates to the Territory was a commitment that, if their location could muster at least 12 students of primary school age, no matter how remote the outpost, the colonial Administration would provide a teacher.

At Kundiawa A the pupils included a blend of Australian, mixed race and one indigenous child  the bright as a button son of Johannes Yonduai, the senior medical orderly. It was clear to me that young Yonduai had been recruited to make up the numbers.

I quickly settled into a routine of teaching, socialising, sport and exploration. It was a good life. The Simbu people were kind to me. Young as I was, they called me masta  a term of subservience which has, except for the very old, thankfully vanished from their vocabulary.

Now, in early March 2017  having been absent from Simbu for 50 years  I was back in Kundiawa with a chunk of my family.

The visit had occurred at a propitious time. Relationships had not been good between the Simbu Provincial Government and the Simbu Writers Association/Simbu Children Foundation powerhouse.

The latter, led by the charismatic Jimmy Drekore  PNGs Man of Honour whose childrens charity is internationally recognised - and administered by the careful, competent and wise Francis Nii, was perhaps seen as a competing source of influence.

But our impending visit, and a shared desire to reach out to the people of my home in Noosa, had sublimated the hard feelings and resulted in a powerful collaboration.

Simbu Governor Noah Kool  who was in Port Moresby on parliamentary duties - has given us a letter to carry with us back to Noosa inviting the shire mayor, on behalf of the Noosa people, to embark on a mutual project which the Simbus have designated as Projek Wantok  Project Friendship. My wife, Ingrid, is a Noosa councillor.

And so it was that our first task in Kundiawa was to attend the provincial administrative offices for a meeting to welcome us and, through Provincial Administrator Joe Kunda and other dignitaries, to convey the good wishes of the Simbu people to the people of Noosa. There were many speeches.

I will have more to say here about Projek Wantok in future months as we navigate the processes involved in turning it into a reality.

The thaw between SWF/SCF and the provincial government had also led the government agreeing to fund many expenses associated with our visit  including the provision of motor vehicles and the two official dinners. At which there were many more speeches.

On the morning of the second day, we made our way north along the precipitous Gembogl road to Barengigl High School, where I was to address the students and teachers on the benefits of reading and writing.

Serendipitously, the schools new principal, Roslyn Tony, a founding member of SWF, had just had an essay and a poem published in My Walk to Equality, which will be launched in Port Moresby on Wednesday and in Brisbane on Thursday next week.

So, as I concluded my remarks, I was able to extract from my bilum a fresh copy of the book and present it to a delighted Roslyn Tony in front of equally elated teachers and students.

After a wonderful lunch of local produce  strawberries, pineapples, pawpaw, trout, chicken and all manner of vegetables  and with Francis Nii telling us increasingly stridently that bikpla ren ikam, we made our way down the steep, deeply rutted clay track from the school to the main road and returned to Kundiawa.

There was a final dinner that night at which gifts were exchanged and, at six the next morning, three vehicles were on their way to Kagamuga airport, three hours drive covering the 100 km, to see us safely on our way to Port Moresby.

Beforehand, I was able to sit down with Mathias Kin to discuss the publication of his important and long-awaited history of Simbu. It's now in manuscript form and we'll spend a couple of months in editing before a launch date later in the year.

So to Jack, Paul, Merrilyn, Kathy, Mathias, Arnold, Roslyn, the two Jimmys, Francis, Philip and the many other angra and friends who made this return to Simbu such a memorable and important occasion  tenku tru. Wagai wagai!
tech2 News Staff

Cab aggregator Ola has said it has signed MoU with Government of Madhya Pradesh to create 25,000 entrepreneurs in the state. The MOU is focused towards training, skill development and empowerment of 25,000 driver partners in the next two years, Ola said in a press release. It said the MoU has been signed with Madhya Pradesh State Skill Development Mission (MPSSDM) and Directorate of Skill Development (Technical Education & Skill Development Dept).

The company has set goal of nurturing micro entrepreneurship and skilling 50 lakh drivers by 2020. Ola said as part of this initiative, it will work closely with the State s Skill Development Department in providing essential training infrastructure, utilities and technology framework that will ensure an improved employment scenario for the youth of Madhya Pradesh.

Along with skilling and training thousands of men and women, Ola said it will also organise on-ground events, build communication modules and create a conducive ecosystem for aspiring driver partners to get requisite training and skills. Ola is successfully operational in 5 cities Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh with various offerings including the likes of Micro, Mini, Prime and Auto-rickshaws.

PTI
tech2 News Staff

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has roped in veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan as its first 'OnePlus Star' - which is a select group of distinguished OnePlus users. Bachchan who has been associated in the past with LG's flagship smartphones - he was the one who launched LG G3 and LG G4. This is the first major face that OnePlus India is associating with for its flagship smartphone - the OnePlus 3T.

Speaking on the association Pete Lau, CEO and founder of OnePlus said, "As the brand grows to the next level, we aim to continue to bond with our community in a more meaningful and engaging way. Our association with Amitabh Bachchan will further strengthen this bond, give our users a greater sense of purpose and help the brand scale to new heights."

According to the OnePlus team, Bachchan has been considered as he represents OnePlus' motto - Never Settle.

https://twitter.com/getpeid/status/838722537274101760

Amitabh Bachchan claims that he is impressed with the OnePlus 3T and a user himself and is quite impressed with the phone.

You can read our reviews of the OnePlus 3 as well as the OnePlus 3T.

OnePlus has launched the latest Open Beta version for OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T devices. The latest version is based on Android Nougat 7.1.1 along with Google Daydream VR services enabled in the system. The update comes after a months break that OnePlus developers took after the launch of OxygenOS 4.0.3 to celebrate the festival season in China.

Recently, reports leaked the details of the upcoming OnePlus 5, which is expected to come with a glass body, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, 6GB RAM, 64GB internal storage and more. The highlight of the OnePlus 5 is expected to be its 23MP rear camera that combined with the 830/835 is expected to provide better shooting performance and imagery. Other details include a USB Type-C port along with the usual fast charging, a 4,000mAh battery and a front facing 16MP camera module that is expected to be similar to the current model.
tech2 News Staff

Snapdeal has been facing a lot of trouble and recently had to lay off a large number of employees. Even its mobile wallet company FreeCharge lost its CEO Govind Rajan. The latest news now suggests that Snapdeal is planning to sell Freecharge to online payments company Paypal.

According to a report, negotiations between Snapdeal's parent Jasper Infotech and multiple investors have been on for 18 months to raise $150-300 million in fresh capital. The deal is expected to value the around $500 million which is $100 million more than what Snapdeal paid for FreeCharge back in 2015.

While the information comes from ET who spoke to three people having knowledge of the development, both Paypal and FreeCharge have denied to comment on this.

"This will free up to a great deal Snapdeal's desperate need for funds at a time when investors are not willing to put money into its business," said one of them.

The deal would be beneficial to both FreeCharge as it will gain some backup and for Paypal as it will have a chance to strengthen its footprint in India.

If you remember, Snapdeal chief executive, Kunal Bahl in a recent interview with Reuters said that he hopes the company to become profitable in the next two years.

PayPal had recently filed a trademark infringement suit against Paytm saying that Paytm was using a similar looking logo and colour scheme.
tech2 News Staff

Xiaomi Mi Mix was one a kind device thanks to its almost bezel-less display. The device launched in October 2016, has yet to find any parallel in the smartphone world. But it looks like the Chinese smartphone maker is already working on the successor, allegedly called the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2. The device is expected to be worked on by French designer Phillipe Starck, who also designed the first Xiaomi Mi Mix.

According to latest rumours, the Mi Mix 2 will come with a curved AMOLED display which covers around 93 percent of the front part of the device, as opposed to 91.3 percent on the Mi Mix. This means that the bezel on the Mi Mix 2 will be even thinner than on the first phone.

The report in GizmoChina also states that the ceramic build quality and bone conduction for audio technology will also be present on the new Mi Mix 2.

It is also expected to get a fingerprint scanner embedded in the lower part of the display. Chinese company Goodix had recently demoed an in-display fingerprint technology at MWC 2017. According to this technology, smartphone makers can define certain area of the display as a fingerprint sensor, thereby bypassing the need to use a dedicated finger print scanner button on the front or back.

According to industry analyst Pan Jiutang, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 will be supporting in-display fingerprint and it will be launched in the second half of the year.

Considering the Mi Mix was launched only in October 2016, it still looks like a long way off for the Mi Mix 2 to be launched.
iVOOMi, a Chinese electronic major OEM/ODM is set to enter the fast-growing smartphone market in India with the launch of series of High-End Smartphones. The brand plans to launch 4 models in India ranging from Rs. 4000-Rs. 10,000.

iVOOMi will unveil iV505 as their first smartphone in Indian Market in the month of March, priced at Rs. 3,999. iV505 provides high-end features  Jio ready 4G VoLTE SIM cards on both the slots, flash charge technology, and Android Marshmallow 6.0 which is unique to smartphones in this price range.

Bradley Yan, iVoomi Global Business Head said, iVOOMi has established high-trust and credibility of consumers and clients globally through its path breaking innovation, customisation and high-quality services. We are committed to establishing iVOOMi in the Indian market with our innovative products loaded with highly valued SmartMe OS (Customized OS) & features at an affordable price. We are committed to continuously deliver better user experience at disruptive prices to the aspirational Indian consumers.

iVOOMi currently has its focus on Online-only strategy and therefore, has tied up with Shopclues, Indias first and largest managed marketplace. The partnership will focus on a successful launch and entry into the Indian market.

The company has a broader plan for Indian market and intent to establish its R&D and Manufacturing unit in India by 2019. iVOOMi is currently working with key brands from Europe , Russia, South East Asia and Asian countries.

@Technuter.com News Service
Former Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy knows a thing or two about the state's regional economic development councils.

From 2011 until 2015, Duffy acted as the chair for the 10 panels. He traveled across the state and attended regional council meetings. In 2013, when he addressed the Cayuga Economic Development Agency's annual luncheon in Auburn, he praised the county's representatives for their contributions to the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council.

As lieutenant governor, Duffy was the biggest cheerleader for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's upstate agenda, particularly the regional economic development councils and the role the panels have played in boosting the region's economy.

Duffy's support for the regional economic development councils hasn't wavered.

In an interview with The Citizen, Duffy defended one of Cuomo's signature initiatives and fired back at critics who say the volunteer members of the regional councils should be required to file financial disclosure forms.

Duffy recalled attending a discussion at the Brookings Institute and highlighting the regional economic development councils, which formed in 2011  Cuomo's first year in office. He said people were "enthralled" with the regional approach to supporting projects across the state.

"Having been involved with the state when they first were brought into existence, give the governor all the credit because it was really his idea," Duffy said. "As the councils formed, there's no other system that exists like it that I know of  across the country."

The regional councils, Duffy said, is a grassroots initiative. The members meet, identify projects that support the region's goals and make recommendations to the state. The regional councils' recommendations account for 20 percent of the final decision. The state's share is 80 percent, mainly because state agencies are the source of funding for these projects.

One benefit of the regional councils: It's brought the business community together with leaders from colleges and universities. That was by design, according to Duffy. Cuomo wanted to bring academic and business leaders together to "combine the economic synergies of both."

"Before this, these leaders never worked together," he said. "It has brought people together across the regions."

That work has resulted in billions of dollars flowing into the 10 designated regions. (Central New York's council is comprised of representatives from Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties.)

Since 2011, the state has awarded $4.6 billion to support more than 5,200 projects and the creation of over 210,000 jobs.

Some legislators have criticized the process  one they feel picks winners and losers. But each year, Cuomo asks for $750 million to support another round of the regional council initiative. And every year, the state Legislature agrees to grant the governor's request.

This year, Cuomo is once again asking for $750 million to support a seventh round of the regional economic development council awards. However, legislators may seek changes to the program.

One possible change: Requiring members of the councils to submit financial disclosure forms. Legislation introduced in the Assembly and Senate would place the regional economic development council process in state statute, which means the public officers law would apply to members of the councils.

Under the public officers law, council representatives would be required to submit financial disclosure forms.

Duffy, who now serves as president and CEO of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, joined other Rochester business leaders in signing a letter to Assembly Majority Leader Joe Morelle, a Rochester-area Democrat, urging him to fend off efforts requiring council members to disclose their finances.

Duffy contends that regional council members are already required to abide by a code of conduct and submit conflict of interest forms, which provides information about their connections to any businesses or organizations.

When he was lieutenant governor, Duffy had to submit financial disclosure forms and released his tax returns for public review.

"I never complained or questioned that," he said. "I'm an elected official and that goes with the job."

But he doesn't see why the same should be expected of regional council members. He reiterated that they're volunteers who don't earn a salary. They also don't have a final say in the decision-making process. And the funding, he said, doesn't necessarily impact any members in a direct way.

If there is funding that's going to a member's business or organization, Duffy isn't opposed to allowing Empire State Development, the agency that oversees the regional councils, to take a closer look and ensure that the assistance will be used for a legitimate purpose.

Beyond that, he doesn't see a need for greater financial disclosure.

"When you're asking people who are just volunteering to disclose their financial data and information and make that public, I think we all take issue with that," he said.

Duffy added later, "When you look at the level of volunteerism that is so important to government, you don't want to lose that."

He cited the work of Wegmans CEO Danny Wegman, who co-chairs the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council. Wegman, he said, spends several hours focusing on the regional council's plans and projects. He receives no compensation.

"When you look at Wegmans, they are just adding value to our economy and the economies of states up and down the Eastern seaboard now," Duffy said. "But he gives all this time to really help support the local and regional economy."

If the financial disclosure requirement is adopted, Duffy thinks the regional councils will face a recruitment challenge.

He's already heard from a regional council co-chair who said they will step down if required to provide detailed personal financial information. An Auburn businessman, Currier Plastics President John Currier, said he would likely resign his seat on the central New York council if the financial disclosure requirement is implemented.

Duffy said if these volunteers walk away, the state's economic development efforts will suffer. And that's not good news for upstate New York.

"This would be, if anything, a big hit for upstate. And to lose some of the talent that we have on these councils and who leads these councils. When that talent goes, who are we going to recruit to replace them?"
Another giveaway! I have 3 copies of this book to giveaway to some lucky people. You must live in either the US or Cananda and no P.O. ...
Youth hacked to death in Jessore

Jessore Correspondent :

Daring assailants hacked to death at youth inside a business outlet at crowded Munshi Meherullah Maidan in Jessore town on Sunday evening.

The dead was identified as Bappa Islam Pappu,20, son of Motalib Hossain of Ghople Nawapara Road in Jessore town.

Eyewitnesses said 3-4 miscreants killed Bappa hacking him with sharp weapon inside Jeans Fashion of Jessore District Council market chasing him from Munshi Meherullah Maidan in Jessore town.

The incident took place in front of a folk of people but nobody dare to save him.

Monir hossain, maternal uncle of the victim, told that 3-4 miscreants killed Bappa hacking him with sharp weapon inside Jeans Fashion of Jessore District Council market. After fleeting the assailants we rescued him and taken to Jessore General Hospital.

Dr. Yousuf Ali told that the victim was dead before taken to Hospital. He was died for over bleeding.

S. M Naimur Rahman, the police boss of jessore said that being informed we visit the place and came to know that 3-4 miscreants killed Bappa hacking him with sharp weapon inside Jeans Fashion of Jessore District Council market chasing him from Munshi Meherullah Maidan. Police working to arrest the assailants.




Britain and Ireland step in to end Northern Ireland stalemate

Political parties in Northern Ireland started a three-week countdown to form a power-sharing executive following a divided election result .



Britain and Ireland said Sunday they would dispatch envoys to help resolve a stalemate in Northern Ireland after elections in the British province last week that failed to end divisions.

Political parties in Northern Ireland started a three-week countdown on Saturday to form a power-sharing executive following Thursday's election.

The vote was sparked by divisions between the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which wants Northern Ireland to remain in the United Kingdom, and Sinn Fein, which wants it to be reunited with the rest of Ireland.

British Prime Minister Theresa May and her Irish counterpart Enda Kenny spoke by phone on Sunday and agreed Britain's Northern Ireland Minister James Brokenshire and Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan will hold talks with the parties on Wednesday.

"They discussed their shared commitment to work with the parties to move forward and create a stable administration which ensures a strong, peaceful and prosperous Northern Ireland," a spokesman for May said.

The British and Irish premiers will hold further talks on the fate of Northern Ireland's semi-autonomous assembly at an EU summit on Thursday, he added.

Dublin said the two leaders will stay in close contact over the political situation, with Kenny's office stressing the aim of "re-establishing a functioning executive as soon as possible".

The election was prompted when Sinn Fein, the Irish republican party, refused to continue working with the pro-British DUP after leader Arlene Foster refused to step aside pending an ongoing investigation into a botched green energy programme she had introduced as energy minister.

The DUP won 28 seats in the election while Sinn Fein garnered 27 seats in the 90-seat assembly.

The overall results marking a historic shift as unionist parties lost their absolute majority for the first time since the province's creation in 1921.

The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), a nationalist party, won 12 seats; the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) won 10; the cross-community Alliance Party took eight; and others won five.

Following the election, Brokenshire called for "urgent discussions" to see the devolved parliament get back on track.

"Now that assembly members have been elected, there is a limited window in which the assembly and executive can be restored," he said.

Sinn Fein has so far refused to back down on its demand for Foster to step down.

If the political deadlock cannot be resolved within three weeks, the assembly could be suspended and governance of the province transferred to London..

Meanwhile, Russia will have to prove it can be trusted again but there was no appetite among Western allies for a new cold war, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Monday.

"Let's be clear: Russia is up to all sorts of no good," Johnson said on arrival at a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "They've got to change, they've got to show they can be trusted again. I think that's very important," he added.

"It's also important to stress that we are not in a new cold war with Russia. Neither the UK, nor our friends in the rest of the EU nor in Washington is there any appetite for a new cold war," he added.
11 warranted accused held from Patiya

Chittagong Bureau :

District Police of Chittagong rounded up eleven warranted accused from Patiya area of Chittagong on Sunday during their night long drive in the area.

Officer In-charge of Patiya thana Neyamat ullah told that thana police in their nightlong drive in Patiya poura area managed to apprehend the 11 warranted accused as alleged in different criminal offenses and the absconders in charge sheet.

The detained identified as Enamul Hoque, Arfan, Md. Harun, Nazimuddin, Md. Amir Hossain, Md. Selim, Shah Alam, Milon Sarkar, Amir ahmed, Md. Shafi and Fazal Ahmed. The detained have been sent to jail custody, thana police sources said.


Career session at ULAB

Mohammed Tariqul Islam, Head of Group HR and Corporate Communications and Ashique Mahmood Adnan, Lecturer, School of Business (USB), ULAB distributing certificates among the participants of a career session namely \"Skills 4 Career\" held at ULAB city cam

Campus Report :

ULAB Career Services Office (CSO) hosted a session of Day-2 and Certificate Awarding Ceremony of "Skills 4 Career" at its city campus recently.

"Skills 4Career" is designed to build well-rounded leaders of the future. CSO organized the 'Skills4Career' program with 66 participating students where the modules are designed to complement the usual knowledge gained from books, and to help students become a better thinker. The main objective of the course is to build each individual to reach their highest potential. The whole program was facilitated by CSO Team with the support of promising ULAB Alumnus and respected faculty members. Students participated in different activities to sharpen their knowledge on Career Planning, Time Management, Networking Skills, Communications & Interpersonal Skills, Team Building Skills, Job Analysis and Interview tips.

Mohammed Tariqul Islam, Head of Group HR and Corporate Communications conducted the workshop on interview techniques and shared his corporate experiences and life stories to encourage the students and to take the upcoming global challenges in positive phenomena and told the students to be a smart and creative worker to achieve success.

Ashique Mahmood Adnan, Lecturer ,School of Business (USB), ULAB summarized Career Planning, Networking Skills, Communications and Interpersonal Skills, Job Analysis and Interview tips to the students. Islam and Shubhankar Shil, Assistant Professor, School of Business (USB), ULAB handed over certificates and crests to the participants. Abu Hena Md. Rasel, Director of Career Services Office and students from across the department were present on the ceremony.
A two-year congressional investigation led by U.S. Rep. John Katko found employee access controls lacking at the nation's airports. But one airport has launched a pilot program that could serve as a model for how other aviation hubs address insider threats.

Miami International Airport, in coordination with global security firm Smiths Detection, launched the employee screening initiative in January. The airport screens its employees using the latest explosive trace detection equipment and X-ray technology.

Mark Hatfield, a former Transportation Security Administration deputy administrator who now serves as assistant aviation director and chief security officer at Miami airport, touted the pilot program and said it boosts the airport's security capabilities.

"It folds in very well to the ongoing operation that we have here which requires that all employees going into controlled areas  the (security identification display areas) of the airport  are subject to daily screening, as well as identity screening," Hatfield said in a phone interview.

The pilot program will serve as a case study for screening employees. Miami, along with Smiths Detection, is utilizing other technological equipment. Smiths provided algorithms that enhance the airport's security capabilities and bottle screening is available to test backpacks, bottles and other items that can be easily passed through in secure areas.

Stephen Esposito, vice president and general manager of government and commercial solutions for Smiths Detection, lauded Miami International Airport for taking a leadership role in determining new ways and using upgraded equipment to combat potential insider threats.

"All the newest and latest technologies that are out there right now that can really provide that full screening capability and fit the needs that we believe are being asked for by places like Miami," Esposito said.

The report released by Katko, R-Camillus, in February detailed a wave of incidents involving aviation employees allegedly using their security clearances to commit crimes.

There have been drug rings that were aided by airline and airport employees. A Delta Airlines employee allegedly played a role in a gun smuggling operation.

Katko's report referred to the arrest of a Kansas man, an employee at the Wichita airport, who was accused of building a bomb using wiring acquired from the airport.

"At a time when we face increased threats from homegrown radicalization and lone-wolf terrorism, we must ensure that our airport access controls are strong and that we are doing all we can to mitigate the insider threat to aviation security," Katko said in a statement last month.

What's missing at many U.S. airports is employee screening at access points leading to secure areas.

Hatfield, who was a TSA employee for 14 years, noted that there's no federal requirement in place mandating that airports conduct full employee screening. Miami's pilot program is a voluntary effort.

The program builds on Miami's existing employee screening program, which Hatfield said predates the Sept. 11 attacks. The security procedures were adopted as a crime-fighting effort. After 9/11, the initiative evolved and now serves a dual purpose.

One explanation for why airports haven't adopted full employee screening is the price tag. According to Hatfield, Miami's program has annual recurring costs of more than $3 million. There's also a personnel requirement to ensure that the employee screening checkpoints are adequately staffed.

"We feel it's an important part of our overall security program here," Hatfield said. "Absent a federal requirement to do so, other airports have to make that decision based on their own fact sets and analysis of the threats."

While Miami has its own program, there are questions about whether the federal government will require all airports to have full employee screening in place. The costs, as shown in the Miami case, are a challenge.

There are ways the federal government can support employee screening programs at Miami or other airports. Esposito said encouraging communication can be beneficial to the parties involved.

"I think that the things that we see coming from the (transportation security subcommittee) and Chairman Katko's activities, we're communicating the results of that analysis," he said. "Organizations like TSA and then airports and then industry can get together and truly talk through them to determine where we can find some best practices and then bring those best practices to the table."
BD urges India for another hearing on anti-dumping duty decision

Economic Reporter :

Bangladesh government and businesses have urged the Indian authority to arrange another hearing before taking its final decision on imposing anti-dumping duty on import of hydrogen peroxide from Bangladesh.

India's move to impose anti-dumping duty on the product came on the heels of imposition of the same duty by the country on Bangladeshi jute and jute goods on January 5 that hit hard Bangladesh's export earnings from its neighbour. The Bangladesh commerce ministry and three local hydrogen peroxide producer-exporters separately sought a third hearing regarding the India's latest move, officials said.

They also said that the ministry and the exporters -Tasmin Chemical Complex, ASM Chemical Industries and Samuda Chemical Complex Limited - also denied the allegation of dumping the product in India and presented their arguments to the DGAD.

The Director General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) of Indian commerce ministry has started a procedure to impose anti-dumping duty on import of hydrogen peroxide from six countries including Bangladesh. The other countries are Pakistan, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand.

The DGAD took the step following a petition from two Indian producer-exporters and on February 16 issued a disclosure statement determining the margin of the injury at 10 per cent to 30 per cent to Indian manufacturers due to the alleged dumping by Bangladeshi exporters.
Querrey shocks Nadal to lift ATP Acapulco title

Querry became the tournament\'s first American champion following a 6-3 7-6 (7-3) victory.

AFP, Acapulco :

Unseeded American Sam Querrey stunned second-seeded Rafael Nadal 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) on Saturday to win the ATP Mexico Open and end the Spaniard's run of perfection in Acapulco.

Querrey, ranked 40th in the world, fired 19 aces, backed up by powerful, precise groundstrokes, en route to his first career victory over Nadal in five meetings.

The Spaniard, the 2005 and 2013 champion, had never even lost a set in Acapulco.

"I'm ecstatic," Querrey said. "To do it against Rafa makes it even a little sweeter."

Querrey captured his ninth ATP title in an impressive week that saw him beat four top-10 players -- Belgian David Goffin, Austrian Dominic Thiem, Australian Nick Kyrgios and sixth-ranked Nadal.

He's projected to return to the top 30 in the world rankings on Monday.

"It's definitely a tournament that I'm going to remember for the rest of my life," Querrey said. "It's just one of those weeks where I got in the zone and everything was working for me. I hope I can have more like this.

"After the match against Goffin, I knew I could go far here if I continued to play at that level," he added.

"My forehand and backhand were great and my serve bailed me out of trouble when I needed it."

Nadal, playing his first tournament since falling to Roger Federer in five sets in the Australian Open final, was denied his first hard court title since Doha in 2014.

Querrey surrendered just four points on his serve in the opening set and he broke Nadal at love to seize a 5-3 advantage.

He served it out comfortably, firing a forehand winner on his second set point after just half an hour.

Nadal made more inroads in the second set, but couldn't convert any of his six break chances.
Can UN prevent global conflicts?

Megan N. Roberts :

In early January, new United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made his first formal address to the Security Council. The topic-conflict prevention and sustaining peace-was fitting. Guterres had campaigned for the job emphasising that the UN needed to get serious about preventing conflict, moving away from the organisation's typically reactive stance. After discussing a series of changes he had already made within the UN secretariat to strengthen the bureaucracy's preventive activities, Guterres noted, "The primary work of conflict prevention lies with member states."

Delivering those remarks, the secretary-general faced a different set of Security Council bosses than he might have expected when he set out to lead the world body. The UN leadership transition this year has taken place in the shadow of Donald Trump's ascension to the White House. The new United States president campaigned on a platform of disentangling the US from international obligations and has expressed antipathy toward the UN itself. Early signs of the administration's approach, including a leaked draft executive order to slash UN funding (which was quickly walked back) and early interest in cost-cutting on the part of Trump's UN envoy Nikki Haley, suggest that the new administration may yet deliver on its campaign pledges.

The Security Council's other permanent members are also undergoing major shifts in their positions in the world. The United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union upended its domestic politics, and the process by which it will depart is likely to take up considerable focus in the coming years. France is also in the midst of an election campaign in which Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate critical of multilateralism and international institutions, could prevail. Sensing the global vacuum, China's leader Xi Jinping has recently become the defender of free trade and globalisation. Russia, meanwhile, continues to advocate for a "post-West" world order.

Taken together, these changes point to an inflection point in the interactions of great powers that will have meaningful implications for their engagement with international institutions. The UN has for years been dogged by charges of irrelevance, and struggles to respond to today's challenges. The prolonged stalemate in the Security Council over the conflict in Syria has particularly paralysed the organisation. The institution's belated response to incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse by its peacekeepers also drew significant condemnation outside the confines of the UN community in New York, though the world body has since taken important steps to address the issue.

In selecting Guterres, member states also endorsed a plan to breathe new life into the institution. Picking up on the central findings of three seminal reviews on the UN's peace and security architecture in 2015-on peace operations, peace-building, and women, peace, and security-the new secretary-general centred his campaign platform on reorienting the institution to be better positioned on prevention. Now in office, the question is whether member states will work with him to do so. Though Guterres's appointment generated palpable excitement, the new secretary-general faces political, financial, and bureaucratic obstacles to achieving the required culture for change.

The new constellation in the Security Council may have meaningful implications for how it approaches conflict prevention. Its five permanent members have historically split on their interpretation of the breadth of its role in preventing conflicts. The US, along with France and the UK (known together as the P3), has a history of favouring a more expansive preventive role. The Council's other two permanent members, China and Russia, typically express a more restrictive interpretation of its remit. Though the Council's interest in acting in a preventive capacity was already limited in cases when a powerful member was involved in a looming conflict, this new body, if it does indeed express a more narrowly defined self-interest, may find itself generally more skeptical of acting preventively.

And, it is not only Security Council members who have reservations about moving from words to action on prevention: Many states in the UN's wider membership have their own concerns about operationalising the principle, including on tricky considerations of sovereignty. In particular, leaders of countries that may attract more attention under a prevention-centered UN may be concerned that such a shift may "internationalise" their own domestic affairs or threaten their leadership.

There are also more practical concerns, including the fact that the Security Council's agenda is already overburdened by managing ongoing conflicts. This makes it functionally difficult for stretched diplomats to devote time to crises bubbling below the surface. The result, as Security Council Report notes, is a paradox: The council could in theory reduce the time and financial resources it devotes to crises if it were able to focus on prevention, but its agenda is already overextended with managing conflicts that were not prevented in the first place.

Given the political sensitivities, it is unsurprising that member states have allowed the UN's prevention activities to go underfunded. The issue is not confined to the structural limits on the budget of the Department of Political Affairs. Even as member states coalesced around the selection of a strong secretary-general in the fall of 2016, a funding appeal for the UN's Peacebuilding Fund fell far short of its $300 million goal, generating only half of the needed pledges.

In his short tenure, Guterres has already made some specific requests of his member state bosses, not least his request that the Security Council make more use of Chapter VI of the UN Charter, on peaceful means of resolving disputes, including negotiation and mediation. He has also offered his "good offices" to support the council's preventive work and to engage with member states to build trust in preventive action. Two activities this year offer the opportunity to ask for more: an internal peace and security review that Guterres personally initiated shortly after taking office, which will include recommendations to member states, and a report requested by the Security Council on the UN's "sustaining peace" activities. As the International Peace Institute's Youssef Mahmoud argues, the latter provides an ideal opportunity to advocate for changes in how the UN allocates prevention resources.

Transformational change is not easy in any large organisation, let alone a global body with nearly 200 masters. Guterres himself has acknowledged that the UN's bureaucracy gets in the way of its ability to operate, but previous UN officials have gone further in describing the extent of the problem. In 2016, departing assistant-secretary-general Anthony Banbury lamented, "If you locked a team of evil geniuses in a laboratory, they could not design a bureaucracy so maddeningly complex, requiring so much effort but in the end incapable of delivering the intended result." This bureaucracy, which has not kept pace with the expansion and growing complexity of UN operations, is in part to blame for a history of "siloed" responses to complex problems, an issue identified in the 2015 reviews as hampering the institution's effectiveness. As Guterres noted in a memo circulated to senior UN officials, "The conclusion in all cases has been that the United Nations secretariat is under-performing in conflict prevention, in peace operations and in its efforts to sustain peace, and that some of the solutions to this problem lie within our control."

Nonetheless, the new secretary-general has experience in moving bureaucratic mountains. In the 10 years that he led the UN's refugee agency, Guterres oversaw a sweeping reform package that delivered administrative cost savings. In his short tenure at the helm of the UN, he has moved swiftly on this front, announcing several immediate steps to change how the organisation operates, to strengthen its decision-making, improve coordination across the various conflict prevention capacities, and bolster the strategic analysis that the secretariat provides to the Security Council. Guterres has also brought a sense of urgency to the task, casting aside diplomatic protocol to make rapid changes in the areas under his control.

An area that remains a serious problem is human resources. Despite considerable work during Ban Ki-moon's time in office, the UN is still unable to get the right people into the right places at the right time. Indeed, it still takes over 200 days on average to hire a staff member. This is particularly an issue for preventive action, where deep expertise is needed, often with little notice. Guterres has identified staffing as a key element of his reform agenda. Unfortunately, this is an area where member states may foil his best efforts. Guterres has already drawn public ire from the US on his proposed nomination of Salam Fayyad, former Palestinian prime minister, to lead the UN's mission in Libya. As the European Council on Foreign Relations' Richard Gowan argues, the incident raises questions about how the new secretary-general will manage major powers as he staffs the rest of his team, let alone how he manages the dysfunctions of the UN's sprawling human resources systems.

The timeline to deliver, however, is short. Guterres's mandate is strongest now, but his honeymoon may be brief. In September 2017 the UN will hold a high-level meeting on sustaining peace. In the lead up to the meeting, Guterres must translate the good will generated by his selection into support for a practical reform agenda that reorients toward prevention. It represents his best chance to position the UN to realise its founding principle to prevent war, but perhaps also his biggest challenge.

(Megan M. Roberts is Associate Director, International Institutions and Global Governance, at the Council on Foreign Relations. The article was originally published in The Global Observatory).


FBI Director asks Justice Deptt to reject Trump's Wiretap claims

NBC News :

FBI Director James Comey asked Justice Department officials to publicly reject President Donald Trump's claims that former President Barack Obama ordered the wiretapping of Trump Tower, The New York Times reported Sunday. A senior U.S. official confirmed the newspaper's reporting to NBC News.

The Times reported that Comey requested that the Justice Department publicly rebut the president's allegations - which he posted on Twitter without evidence - because the claims are untrue and suggest that the FBI broke the law. Comey's appeal pits him against the president. But, The Times added, Comey is having difficulty knocking the story down because there are only a few politically appointed Justice Department officials who could approve a statement, as Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from anything pertaining to the government's investigation into alleged connections between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Despite Comey's request, Trump's White House did not back off on Sunday and called for Congress to investigate. "President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement. He offered no evidence to back up the allegations, which Trump compared to a scandal of "Nixon/Watergate" proportions.

NBC News has found no evidence that would support his claims, which have been flatly dismissed by the previous administration.

An Obama spokesman called Trump's tweets "unequivocally false," and James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he had no knowledge of any surveillance of Trump Tower. Later Sunday, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee demanded that White House counsel Donald McGahn respond to The Times' report that his office had sought to gain access to what he "believed to be an order issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court authorizing some form of surveillance related to Mr. Trump and his associates."

Such an effort would be "inappropriate" and "improper," the lawmakers said in a letter to McGahn obtained by NBC News. "The independence of the Department of Justice and the FBI is a particular concern when individuals associated with both the Administration and the President's campaign may be the targets of the investigation," the lawmakers said. Meanwhile, politicians on both sides of the aisle said the White House needed to provide evidence to back up the president's allegations.

"Suffice it to say I don't have any basis - I've never heard that allegation made before by anybody," Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a Republican member of the Select Committee on Intelligence, said Sunday.

"I've never seen anything about that anywhere before," Rubio said. "But again, the president put that out there, and now the White House will have to answer as to exactly what he was referring to."
Gold smuggling turns daily affair

Md Joynal Abedin Khan :

Gold smuggling in the country's different airports, land ports, railway stations and frontier areas has increasingly become a nuisance for the customs department, as seizures of the contraband bullion are now a daily affair, customs intelligence sources said,

The quantity of gold seized by the customs members is only a fraction of the bullion being brought to the country. So, the gold confiscated is just the tip of the iceberg, they said.

It is to be noted that the law enforcing agencies, including, customs detectives, police, BGB and GRP men, seized nearly 4,491kg of gold bars and jewellery in the last four years, they added.

Of theses, 1467 kilograms of gold were seized in 2016, 784 kg in 2015, 1540 kg in 2014 and 620 kg in 2013 from the airport, according to them.

Another sources said, 2,794 kilograms of gold seized in various incidents in the last five years were deposited in the Bangladesh Bank.

A total of 233 cases were filed between 2011 and 2016, and 131 people were arrested, including foreign nationals, on charges of gold smuggling, they said.

In line with this, customs officials on Monday arrested two persons along with 20 gold bars weighing around two kilograms worth around Tk 88 lakh at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).

In Chittagong, customs intelligence officials seized nine gold bars weighing two Kg from a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines at Shah Amanat International Airport.

Earlier, law enforcers recovered six gold bars from a passenger in Chittagong on February 23.

In the meantime, 3.5 kg gold bars worth around Taka 1.75 crore were recovered from a man at HSIA on February 28.

On February 21, around three gold bars were captured and four persons were detained in Dhaka and Chittagong respectively, said Customs Joint Commissioner SM Sohel Rahman.

Customs authority recovered 16 gold bars worth about Taka one crore from an aircrafts at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet on December 17, said Sajjadur Rahman, Assistant Commissioner of Customs Department.

At Kamalapur, Dhaka, the Government

Railway Police seized five gold bars from a passenger at Kamalapur railway station on February 4.

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested a man along with 12 gold bars weighing 1.5 kg from Shikari Battala on September 22 in last year.

When contacted, Dr Moinul Khan, Director General (DG), the Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation (CIID), told The New Nation on Monday that law enforcers seized gold and other jewelery everyday at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the city and other parts of the country.

He also claimed that the customs authorities seized over 1100 Kg gold at the HSIA in last half and three years.

"Gold seizures in the airports have become a daily affair for us and dozens of syndicates are involved in gold smuggling in connivance with airport and airline insiders," said Dr Mainul Khan,

"We have found airliner staff indulging in 'such nefarious activities', but we have still not been able to completely put a stop on such activities because there are a lot of unforeseen cracks in the security apparatus in the airports," he added.

"We are trying our level best to plug these cracks by conducting surprise checks at vulnerable spots," he further said. "The smuggling with the combined channel of terrorism and organised crime is threatening the country," said Major General (retd) Abdur Rashid, a security analyst.

He said that the authorities should combine research, training and preventive measures to bring smuggling down to tolerable level, if not to zero.
Admission of 140 students cancelled

Teacher fired, 2 served show cause notice, student expelled, 2 staff suspended

Staff Reporter :

The administration of Islamic University (IU) on Monday suspended a teacher, expelled a student and cancelled admission of 140 other students in connection with the first year admission test question paper leakage.

Besides, the university authorities also issued show cause notice against two other teachers and suspended three employees over the question paper leakage. The two teachers have also been relieved of all responsibilities relating to admission exams for two years.

The decision was taken at a syndicate meeting of the university headed by Vice-Chancellor Professor Rashid Ashkari.

The suspended teacher is Nurul Islam, Assistant Professor of Department of Mathematics. The IU administration also barred him from participating in all academic activities for two years.

The show cause notices were served against Mizanur Rahman, Associate Professor and Chairman of Department of Mathematics, and Altaf Hossain Russel, Assistant Professor and Chairman of Department of Statistics.

Monojit Kumar, a student of Mathematics Department, was expelled from the university. The employees who have been suspended are-Alauddin and Saiful Islam, the Registrar of the university told journalists. Besides, Chairman of Finance and Banking Department Md. Asaduzzaman has been suspended temporarily for Ph. D-related irregularities.

The IU authorities will arrange a fresh admission test soon as they cancelled admission of 140 students who sat for the examination.

"The university authorities took the decision as the probe body formed earlier to investigate the incident found a teacher, an administrative officer and three employees involved in the question paper leakage for the first year admission test of 'F' unit of the 2016-2017 session, " a teacher preferring not be named said.

Earlier on Saturday, the probe body submitted the report.

On January 25, the university authorities formed a three-member probe body headed by Prof Mustafa Kamal of Mathematics Department to investigate the allegations of question paper leakage and result forgery in the Bachelor (Honors) 'F' unit admission test under the session 2016-17.

According to the University Registrar Office, complaints were raised from various quarters after publication of the results of 'F' unit. Mathematics Department Professor Dr. Mustafa Kamal was the convener, while Professor Dr. Ahsanul Ambia and Proctor Professor Dr. Mahbubur Rahman were the members of the committee.

It was alleged that IU Chhatra League unit and some of the teachers were involved with the result forgery and question paper leakage.

Earlier, President and Secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League of IU unit Saiful Islam and Amit Kumar in a written complaint to the university authorities alleged that the question paper for the first year admission test of 'F' unit held in December last year had been leaked.
Customs seize contraband worth Tk 1bn in Ctg Port

Staff Reporter :

Customs officials at Chittagong Sea Port on Monday seized huge quantities of contraband imported under false declaration, sources involved with the investigation said.

They said the illegal goods like liquor, cigarettes, TVs and photocopy machines were imported under false declarations as capital machinery.

Six out of 12 containers seized have worth about Tk 1 billion cigarettes, liquor, television and photocopier sets which were imported from China under the false declaration.

"The contraband include huge quantities of cigarettes, up to 90 inches televisions and world's most costly liquors like Royal Salute, Chivas Regal, Tequila Silver," Moinul Khan, Directorate General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, told The New Nation on Monday. Mentionable that Royal Salute, Chivas Regal, Tequila Silver liquors are among top ten most costly branded liquors of the globe.

So far, six of the 12 containers have been opened at the New Mooring Container Terminal at the port in presence of officials of the directorate and local customs house.

Moinul Khan said huge quantities of television sets were found during physical inspection of the six containers that came in the second consignment.

Besides, a huge quantity of photocopy machines, cigarettes and television sets were also found in the containers, he added.

However, an approximation of the specifics was not available till filling this report.

"We are trying to trace both the importer and exporter as they are absconding since we are investigating the irregularities in this regard," he said.

The two consignments have been brought by two separate business firms-Henan Anhui Agro Lc at Dumni of Khilkhet in Dhaka and Agro BD & JP of Keraniganj. Both the firms are owned by a person named Khorshed Alam.

Customs officials, however, said that the contraband in the dozen containers could amount to over Tk 100 crore which was declared to be capital machinery for animal feed on papers.
HC orders to shut all Hazaribagh tanneries

Staff Reporter :

The High Court (HC) on Monday directed the government to shut down all tanneries operating in the city's Hazaribagh area without delay.



The court also ordered to disconnect gas, power and water lines of those industries accusing them of polluting the environment and violating of HC directives.



Ministries of Home, Environment, Industries and Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner have been asked to assist the Department of Environment to shut down the tanneries.



The HC Bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Salim passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the Bangladesh Environment Lawyers' Association (BELA).



The court fixed April 6 for submission of progress report on shutting down the tanneries and fixed April 10 for further hearing in this regard.



Upon a writ petition, filed by BELA, the High Court in June 2009 directed the tannery owners to move the tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar by February 2010. In October 2010, the date was extended to April 2011.



On December last year, the Industries Secretary issued a notice saying that no raw leather will enter Hazaribagh after March 31, 2017 and no tannery will operate thereafter March 31, 2017.



BELA submitted a petition to the HC on January 3 and argued that the Industries Secretary had no authority to extend the time for relocating the tanneries from Hazaribagh without permission from the HC.



After holding hearing on the petition, the HC yesterday directed the Director General of Department of Environment to immediately shut down the tanneries at Hazaribagh and their utility services, Chief Executive Officer of BELA, Syeda Rizwana Hassan, told the reporters after the court order.



According to the report submitted by the Industries Secretary, 43 tanneries only out of 154 were relocated in Savar. Rest 122 tanneries are operating in Hazaribagh. Even they did not pay the compensation fixed by the Appellate Division for polluting the environment.



At this, the HC ordered the government to shut down all the tannery industries operating at Hazaribagh soon as per section 4(3) and 4(ka) of Environment Protection Act.



Senior Advocate Fida M Kamal took part in the hearing on behalf of BELA. Chief Executive Officer of BELA Advocate Syeda Rizwana Hassan, Advocate Minhazul Haque Chowdhury and Advocate Saeed Ahmed Kabir assisted him. Advocate Rais Uddin Ahmed represented the Industries Ministry.



Meanwhile, the High Court on Thursday directed the 154 Hazaribagh tannery owners to deposit Tk 30.85 crore in the state exchequer within two weeks for failure to pay the compensation fixed by the Appellate Division for polluting the environment.



The HC bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das passed the order after hearing a contempt of court petition.

The court also said if the tanneries failed to comply with the order they would have to face tough action.



Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) in July last year ordered every tannery owner to pay Tk 10,000 per day for polluting the environment in the area.



The SC also ordered the tanners to relocate their industries to Savar from Hazaribagh.



It was later seen that the tannery owners did not relocate their industries, nor did they pay the compensation. At this a petition was filed with the court.



The Industries Secretary Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan appeared in the High Court recently and informed the court that 154 tanneries, which were operating at the Hazaribagh in Dhaka, did not pay Tk 30.85 crore as compensation for polluting the environment.



Counsel for the petitioners Advocate Monzill Murshid said that he had sought the court's directives in this regard.



Hearing his petition, the court ordered the Hazaribagh tannery owners to deposit Tk 30.85 crore in the State exchequer in two weeks.
Intern doctors should be helpful to patients

STRIKE by intern doctors in government hospitals over the past several days left patients almost without treatment highlighting the need for compassion in our young physicians when they are turning critically volatile. The strike started from Bogra Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital (BSZMCH) on Thursday last to quickly spread in other public hospitals over the past few days for suspension of four intern doctors for six months. Patients turned back from hospital doors all over the country with their suffering mounting as regular doctors remained undone in absence of intern doctors from work.



The chaotic situation that aggravated with involvement of the leaders of the ruling party affiliated intern physicians however came to an end bringing relief to the nation yesterday as the interns called-off the strike after the Health Minister announced withdrawal of punishment of four intern doctors. The decision came after an emergency meeting with the intern doctors' representatives in the capital. Earlier intern doctors of Bogra Medical College Hospital went on the strike protesting suspension of their four colleagues over assaulting the relative of a patient on February 19.



The strike started with the suspension of the four by the Health Minister alongwith the order to move to other public hospitals to continue the internship after six months. Now the government has withdrawn the punishment and the situation at public hospitals returns normal. But question arises why the interns were punished and why they assaulted the relative of a heart patient at least three times in the hospital who apparently did not hurt them anyway except addressing a female intern doctor as 'sister' who took it as a diminutive language.



It appears the interns were punished based on an investigation by an Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Health but they turned down the inquiry report saying it was not done properly. Now the interns will not have to suffer but they caused big suffering to the nation leaving behind the question why patients or their relatives should come under physical assault in hospital wards and premises where decent behaviour and cooperation to people coming for treatment should have been at work. Such ugly incidents like beating of visitors are taking place very often in public hospitals throughout the country to raise question what is wrong with our younger doctors. Patients or their relatives may be at fault at times but they often do it with duress and doctors must be rather well trained to handle the situation.



In fact hatred and intolerance are increasingly dominating the mindset of many of our younger physicians showing more cruelty than fellow feeling and demonstration of physical might and superiority instead of serving patients with dedication. In our view our young physicians must be helpful to people and learn to serve them with selfless spirit.






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.
When a newly discovered photo of Harriet Tubman made national headlines in February, Karen Hill knew it had to come home.

However, it could be a pricey trip.

The photo, which recently came into the possession of New York City auction house Swann Galleries, is part of an album that will go up for bid there March 30. Hill, the president and CEO of the Harriet Tubman Home in Auburn, said the photo is expected to fetch between $20,000 and $30,000.

To give the nonprofit home the funds to bid competitively, Hill said, it will launch a crowdfunding campaign Tuesday, March 7: #BringHarrietHome. The home is partnering on the campaign with Women You Should Fund, a platform for supporting woman-led projects.

"Certainly, Harriet Tubman is a woman you should fund," Hill said.

The photo, which depicts Tubman in the late 1860s and was authenticated by Hill and biographer Kate Clifford Larson, would be the most significant artifact in the home's collection of 60,000, Hill said. It was part of an album of prominent 19th-century central New York figures that was recently discovered by a private citizen. The album's original owner is believed to be Tubman friend and fellow abolitionist Emily Howland, of Sherwood.

Written on the back of the photo, Hill said, is "Powelson Photography, 77 Genesee St., Auburn."

"It's very much an Auburn story," she said. "I hope Auburnians and folks in central New York really get behind the campaign."

Tubman was between 43 and 46 when the photo was taken, Larson told The Citizen in February. Hill said that makes the photo one of the earliest of Tubman, who was careful not to let herself be photographed during her work leading slaves northward on the Underground Railroad and, later, spying for the Union during the Civil War.

Hill acknowledged that a public crowdfunding campaign to support the home's bid on the photo album could invite more interest and drive its price even higher. However, she continued, the home feels the campaign is the best way for it to bid competitively. The home has yet to determine who will go to New York City to bid on the photo, she said.

Hill said if the home secures the Tubman photo, it will be "interpreted further" as part of the creation of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, which comprises Tubman's residence in Fleming, the Home for the Aged in Auburn and the Thompson AME Zion Church and rectory on Parker Street. The home hopes to have the park and its $30 million visitor center ready by 2020, Hill said  the same year a new $20 featuring Tubman's face is expected to be unveiled by the U.S. Treasury.

"This is a real campaign not just for the park and surely for the AME Zion Church, but this is a campaign for Auburn to lift Harriet Tubman's profile as an Auburn citizen and for people to really get to see her, to see how she dressed and looked when she was interfacing with William H. Seward and other abolitionists," Hill said. "This would be amazing for her Auburn identity."
AUBURN  A 51-year-old woman has been sentenced to prison for stealing merchandise from several retail stores in Cayuga County.

Early last year, Kimberly Switzer was charged with two felonies  third-degree burglary and first-degree falsifying business records  and six misdemeanors  five counts of petit larceny and one count of third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

First, on Jan. 29, 2016, Switzer illegally entered Wal-Mart on Grant Avenue in Auburn and stole merchandise, Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann said. She was charged with petit larceny and third-degree burglary as Wal-Mart had issued Switzer a restrictive notice in 2009, prohibiting her from all Wal-Mart locations due to previous thefts.

Then, on March 5, 2016, Switzer was arrested for stealing more than $300 worth of merchandise from Bass Pro Shops in Aurelius. She was also found to be driving with a suspended license at the time, state police said.

In October 2016, the district attorney allowed Switzer to plead guilty to one count of third-degree burglary in full satisfaction of the charges. And in exchange for her plea, Judge Thomas Leone agreed to sentence the defendant to six months in jail followed by five years probation.

Switzer was scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 5, 2017. However, in December 2016, the Cayuga County Probation Department notified the court that she was not cooperating with probation. Then, Switzer failed to appear at sentencing, and a bench warrant was issued for her arrest.

On Sunday, March 5, 2017, Switzer was picked up on that warrant and charged with a new count of petit larceny, this time for allegedly shoplifting at a Kinney Drugs in Auburn. In addition, police discovered Switzer had been arrested and charged with another petit larceny in Wayne County in December.

"Ms. Switzer is a poor candidate for community supervision," Budelmann said Monday in Cayuga County Court, noting that Switzer has 11 prior misdemeanor convictions. "I don't think probation is the answer here."

Leone agreed, sentencing Switzer to two to six years in prison.

"I understand you've got some issues ... but you're a serial shoplifter," he said. "I can't in good conscience continue you on probation. ... Something needs to change."
By Peter Turnley

I've always tried to look most every person I meet, every situation, and the world straight in the eye. In 2000, NEWSWEEK sent me to Russia to attempt to make a portrait of Vladimir Putin. It was a very difficult task which required lots of persistence, luck, and serendipity, but I did succeed in making what was at that time the first exclusive portrait of Putin since he had taken power. This photograph was never published, and to my knowledge has never been publishedthis is a type of absurd reality that I'm sure many photographers have experienced in their careers, and in many ways, it is one of the beautiful realities of photographyonce a strong photograph is made, one way or the other it exists, and will, one day or another, see the light of day, and its visual and human power will be known. And, this is in many ways why I do what I doit's what moves me, what motivates me, and what makes me dream.

With this image as an example, at a moment when Putin and Russia are now, 16 years later, so much at the center of a world storm in American politics and world affairs, by looking a man and a situation in the eyes, a photograph can offer everyone an opportunity to know maybe just a bit more, and help everyone, if not understand, at least feel something more than they knew or felt before. I must confess that I often find my own relationship with the world surrealI have photographed Mandela, Castro, Gaddafi, Gorbachev, Arafat, Mubarak, Ceausescu, Yeltsin, Lady Diana, Clinton, Obama, Pope John Paul II, Assad, Mitterand, Thatcher, Blair, Muhammad Ali, Honnecker, Schroder, Kohl, Rabin, Reagan, Bush, and many others. Almost every day, something in the news of importance will take place, and I will find myself remembering a personal experience that was somehow very close to the center of the dynamic in question. With all of this, I feel a sense of pride and gratitude to feel very much alive. I hope to continue to always look the world straight in the eye, with my own eyes and, more importantly, my heart.

Peter

Friend-o'-TOP Peter Turnley is a lifelong photojournalist and former NEWSWEEK photographer who has been profiled by "60 Minutes" and has more than forty covers of the magazine to his credit. He was recently given a major retrospective at the leading art museum in Cuba. He has published many books, alone and with his twin brother David, including two bestselling photobooks of lyrical images of Paris. He lives in New York City and Paris.

Words and photograph 2017 by Peter Turnley, all rights reserved

Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)

Featured Comments from:

Ray Hunter: "What a rich character study (or study of a person hiding his character) in a single image. Looks like a still from a film based on one of John LeCarre's novels, which I mean as a compliment."

jlesalvignol: "This portrait is exceptional. Putin is already in the construction of his historical character. An expressionless face, a look that seems empty, vacant, focused somewhere behind the camera that he nevertheless looks at frontally. A mouth that is contemptuousbarelyto say: good, I am here without being here. The duty! But I am so far ahead already. And I think of this great exhibition in Paris 2006 in the Senate of the Republic: Titian, the Power on the Face. Three examples that lead us to that Putin by Peter: Doge of Venice Marcantonio Trevisan; Portrait of Pope Paul III; Portrait of Antonio Anselmi. And I'm forgetting Charles V...."

Mike replies: Excellent. I didn't think of Titian. The one who came to mind for me is Parmigianino. cf. this for example:

"Portrait of a Man" from about 1530. And perhaps this by Bronzino at the Met. But I think Peter's Putin is better than either of these...it seems oddly seraphic and faintly sinister at the same time, and I wonder if it was not too much of a "psychological portrait" to serve as a news photograph for the editors who commissioned it! It's closer to art than reportage, I think.

Ann Spear Borne: "'No one matters in this world but me.'"

Lynn: "I looked hard to find another world leader's portrait, both past and present, with a similar expressionwithout success. It seems to me that behind Putin's expression is all the sad history of the Russian Motherland. I also tried to think of other photographers who could have been capable of taking such a powerful and interesting portrait. Only one came immediately to mind: Jane Bown."

Frank Petronio: "Striking portrait of my second favorite world leader, kudos."

Omer: "I see a mask put on by a thug who is wholly inconsiderate of the consequences of his actions. And yes, contemptuous, suggesting a psychosis that makes him dangerous."

Chris Dematte: "No wonder that it was never published. Too close to a running gag of the Russian opposition:

Mike replies: ...And our visual antecedents cast a wider net!

Nigel: "I think the picture is made by the vestigial fallen halo formed by the rim of the military cap,behind him. While completely out of keeping with what we know about Putin, it adds a suggestion of soul (and vulnerability?) to what is normally an expression as soulless as that of a shark."

Mike replies: I agree, and if it does have that subliminal connotation then it matters that it is askew as well...perfect....
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But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

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Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.
Pinckneyville Community Hospital has announced that Dr. Joon Ahn, from the Orthopaedic Center of Southern Illinois, has been added to the list of specialists offering clinic in Pinckneyville, according to a news release from the hospital.

Ahn is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons and CAQ. He joined the Orthopaedic Center of Southern Illinois in 2001 after the completion of a fellowship in surgery of the Hand and Upper Extremity at New York University Medical Center-Hospital for Joint Diseases. He graduated from New York University before attending medical school at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, where he became a member of AOA and the National Honor Medical Society. He completed his Orthopaedic Residency at New York University Medical Center.
JORDAN  The good news is that more land in Jordan and Elbridge is no longer considered part of the floodplain in the area.

The not-so-good news is how complicated the Federal Emergency Management Agency's process may be for property owners to navigate.

Robert Herrmann Jr., code enforcement officer for the town of Elbridge and villages of Elbridge and Jordan, held a public information session Thursday at the Jordan-Elbridge Community Center with two representatives from the state Department of Environmental Conservation and a representative from U.S. Rep. John Katko's office.

The DEC aids FEMA in regulating the floodplain, as FEMA doesn't have staff to handle it, said Bill Nechamen, the DEC's chief of Floodplain Management Section, Division of Water, Bureau of Floodplain and Dam Safety.

The impetus for the meeting was resident Korinna Pugh's call to Herrmann after receiving a letter in the mail from her mortgage company.

Flood insurance is a scary phrase when you open up the mail, Herrmann said.

I had no knowledge of what I should be looking for, why do I have to pay this, where can I go for resources, Pugh said.

She also reached out to Katko's office and spoke with Michael Fandrich, who said the congressman is working on flood insurance reform in Washington.

The National Flood Insurance program, adopted by Congress, expires every five years and will expire this year.

While Nechamen acknowledged the new floodplain maps are affecting flood insurance, this mapping wasn't about getting more insurance dollars but about getting more accurate images of where flooding is likely to happen.

He said this was about updating the maps, which were based on topographic maps from 1982. The new maps were made employing aerial laser technology.

He reviewed the old and new mapping and each flood zone.

"As a whole, a lot more land came out then came in," he said.

But, Herrmann said, the issue isn't so much about the property as it is about the buildings.

"What always happens when these maps come out is that the lenders are required by law to have property owners get flood insurance if they deem that the structure, not the land, is in the flood zone," Nechamen said.

If your property becomes included in the flood map, you will be notified, but if you are moved out of a floodplain, you will not be notified. So, it is important to check your status and alert the bank if your property moves out of the flood map.

Banks, however, always have the final say and use determination companies to determine if your property is in a floodplain. These companies are not regulated by the state or federal government.

In the most recent amendment to the law, Congress recognized the duress it can cause a property owner to have the status change into the floodplain, so it came up with a newly mapped procedure. This allows for the insurance rate to start out smaller and increase over time.

You have to show evidence to your insurance agent to get this newly mapped rate. The rate can stay with the property if you sell, as long as you have maintained payments.

In addition, buildings that existed before this program started (pre-1980) get a subsidized rate to make up for the difference. There is a $25 surcharge in an attempt to cover this subsidy, but the fee is $250 a year if the structure is not a primary residence.

If it is determined by a surveyor that the lowest point touching your house is at or above the flood elevation, then you are entitled to a letter of map amendment.

Nechamen explained the A zone is the highest rate on the flood insurance rate map. Then, there is the X zone when you can try to get a preferred risk rate or even to get the bank to rescind the insurance. The bank makes the final decision. The bank can always make you get flood insurance, but you are entitled to get the cheapest rate.

Also, rates are determined by the flood elevation and the level of your lowest floor. A basement presents the worst possible situation. Some people have gone as far as filling in their basements to vented crawl spaces.

Nechamen said whenever there are improvements in a watershed by either the town, village, county or state  say, a culvert repair  it isn't always reported to FEMA. These can add up, getting your property out of the flood zone.

Ultimately, Nechamen directed residents to contact the DEC for help navigating through the process. He introduced Kevin Delaney, who works in the DEC's Syracuse office and is available if residents need someone to come out and look at their issue.

Fandrich said individuals can also call Katko's office with questions.

We are attempting to make a complicated subject more understandable for the homeowners, Herrmann said.
The top Capitol Hill Democrats from Illinois say they believe President Donald Trump's revised travel ban is unconstitutional and won't survive legal challenges.

U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth said Monday that the restrictions on travel from six Muslim-majority countries won't improve the security of Americans. Duckworth says the order provides a "propaganda tool" for America's enemies by helping them claim that the United States hates Muslims.

Trump's revised order issued Monday bars new visas for citizens from Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Libya for 90 days. It also shuts down the U.S. refugee program.

U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro praised the new order's "precise language," adding "I am hopeful that this additional clarity will help ensure that the United States government honors its most important obligation: to protect the American people."

Democratic U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Chicago says Trump's action leads the country "away from security, morality, and prosperity."

 The Associated Press; The Southern contributed to this report
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COLUMBIA  Agriculture is important for the South Carolina economy and the states youth are stepping up to have their voices heard as advocates for the agricultural industry.

More than 1,000 members of the South Carolina FFA Association gathered at the South Carolina Capitol Feb. 22 for the annual Legislator Appreciation Day. The members met with state legislators to thank them for their support and discuss the future of agriculture and education in the state. This event was held in conjunction with National FFA Week Feb. 18-25. The National FFA is the youth organization formerly known as Future Farmers of America.

We are gathered here not only to celebrate FFA Week, but to celebrate our legislators who support FFA and agricultural education, said Austin Cathcart, state FFA president and a member of the Lexington-Richland District 5 FFA chapter. We also celebrate this common love of agriculture that has been instilled in each of us wearing these blue jackets. The path we are paving for American agriculture is ensuring that future generations will have enough food to eat and clothes to wear.

Hugh Weathers, South Carolina commissioner of agriculture, commended the youth for their interest and involvement in agriculture.

Your attendance here today shows you care about South Carolina agriculture, Weathers said. I encourage you to talk with your (government) officials about agriculture. Use your words effectively and let them know what you are thinking. Your attendance today is a great boost for South Carolina agriculture and for those of us who make critical decisions concerning agriculture in our state.

State Rep. David Hiott, R-Pickens, said he, too, was encouraged by the FFA members attendance at the State Capitol.

Too often, we read and hear about negative actions involving our youth, Hiott said. But when I look out and see you, Im encouraged. I know our future is in good hands.

State Sen. Daniel Verdin, R-Laurens, said FFA is one of the best organizations youth can belong to.

As a young person, you are on the cusp of life, Verdin said. As a member of FFA, you are in the greatest preparatory role of any young person here in South Carolina. What you are learning now will benefit you later in life. Remember everything you can about events such as this so that you can use your experiences to help you throughout your lifetime.

Molly Spearman, state superintendent of education, applauded the steps the FFA organization has taken to include everyone.

When I was in school, I couldnt be in FFA, Spearman said. I had to be in FHA, which stands for Future Homemakers of America and was the girls club. As I look out among you, I see girls wearing blue FFA jackets and I know weve come a long way. My advice to you is to keep going. I am confident in our future because I know South Carolina is producing exceptional young people who will be able to successfully lead our state in the future.

The blue FFA jackets Spearman referred to are blue corduroy jackets that have been worn by FFA members since the 1930s.

As the event began to wind down, members of the Saluda High School FFA Club said they were happy to have attended the Legislator Appreciation Day as it gave them an opportunity to advocate for agriculture.

This is one of the most important things we can do as members of FFA, said Hannah Bowen, a junior at Saluda High School and member of the schools FFA Chapter. Food and fiber are essential for everyone and farmers are the providers for these necessities. We are here to speak out and let our legislators know we support and encourage support for South Carolina agriculture.

The event also included the awarding of Honorary State FFA and Honorary American degrees to several of the legislators. These degrees are reserved for those individuals who have gone beyond the call of duty to promote and support the mission of the FFA at the local, state and national levels. These prestigious awards are considered to be among the top agricultural awards available in America.

Receiving Honorary State FFA degrees were Ron Ronveri, state director of Career and Technology Education for the South Carolina Department of Education; and Sen. J. Thomas McElveen III, D-Sumter. Receiving the Honorary American Degree was Sen. Greg Hembree, R-Horry.

South Carolina has more than 7,200 members in FFA chapters located throughout the state, said Keith Cox, secretary-treasurer of the South Carolina FFA.
NORWAY -- More than 100 area Girl Scouts and their troop leaders and parents celebrated the cultures of other countries on International Day on Feb. 25 at the Three Crosses Ministry building in Norway.

International Day is set aside to share cultures and explore the diverse nations of the world. The Girl Scouts participated in activities and projects with global themes to honor their sister Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in other countries. The theme for this year's program was Grow."

The day started with a Parade of Flags, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag, the Girl Scout Promise and skits performed by each troop representing the nation they were portraying. The skits included singing, dancing, recitations and short presentations.

The Girl Scout Circle closed the program. Then, each girl was given a passport so they could visit each of the booths that were set up to sample traditional foods from different countries and learn specifics about the various cultures.

The countries and the troops representing them were: United States (Norway Troop 407 and Orangeburg Troop 79), Italy (Orangeburg Troop 10), Japan (Orangeburg Troop 628), Greece (Orangeburg Troop 471), Kenya (Orangeburg Troops 221, 235 and 480), India (Orangeburg Troop 125), Nigeria (Orangeburg Troop 304), Liberia (Orangeburg Troop 64), China (Orangeburg Troop 11) and Honduras (Orangeburg New Light United Church Troop 500). The World was represented by Orangeburg Troop 770.
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Report: Trump furious that Sessions recused himself

(The Hill) President Trump is furious over Attorney General Jeff Sessions's decision to recuse himself from investigations into Russia, according to reports Saturday.

Sessions on Thursday recused himself from any investigations into Russias interference in the 2016 presidential election, bowing to mounting bipartisan pressure after it was revealed he spoke to Moscow's U.S. envoy during the campaign then denied doing so during his confirmation hearings.

Sessions said he made his decision after consulting with officials at the Justice Department, who recommended he should no longer participate in the probe.

Washington Post reporter Robert Costa tweeted Saturday morning that President Trump left the White House "in a fury" on Friday, "fuming about [Jeff] Sessions's recusal and telling aides that Sessions shouldn't have recused himself," also calling the reports of his meeting "bull."

ABC News also reported that Trump went "ballistic," on Friday, also over the Sessions news.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/322363-reports-trump-told-aides-sessions-shouldnt-have-recused-himself
South Carolina State University can fly and soar to greater heights, James E. Clark said Sunday after his installation as the institutions 12th president.

Clark received the robe and other articles of the office of president during his investiture ceremony at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

Greatness is not out of our reach, because greatness is already here, Clark said. It just needs to be nurtured.

Never should we hold back the greatness in these walls. We must tell our story and continue to tell our story until theres no one left  to tell, he said.

I am so grateful to be standing here today in the presence of all of you as I pledge my commitment to uphold the ideals of this institution, he said. And, as with any great union, I promise to love, cherish and honor this university forever.

The installation was held during the 121st Founders Day convocation. Clark called it very appropriate as we preserve our heritage and embrace our future.

Clark said he welcomed all present with gratitude.

I am fully aware of the magnitude of responsibility that todays event represents. It is a responsibility brought on by the legacy of this great university built over 120 years of trials and tribulations, of dedication and success, he said.

Built into this legacy is a special history, a history of serving, a history of making a difference, a history of generating great leaders.

Throughout years of segregation, education was viewed in the black community as an extension of family, helping your neighbor to grab that next rung on the ladder, he said.

S.C. State over the years developed and maintained a similar caring core and embracing of its students, he said. This is who we have been, who we are today and who we must be in the future.

In 121 years, many barriers have been broken, he said. African-American students can be found on campuses all across the world, he said.

However, an HBCU is and continues to be relevant, not for only educating an African-American population, but for educating a diverse population that seeks educational programs that allow them to compete among any graduate in the world, he said.

He said he runs into proud S.C. State alumni everywhere he travels.

The pride and love that these alumni express is a key reason that we are still here 121 years later, educating students, he said.

Clark thanked his late parents for getting him to where he is today.

I thank you for your hard work to ensure that I had a grace of opportunities in life, he said. Ive been fortunate and I owe it to you.

He also thanked his siblings and other family members and friends for their support and inspiration.

To the S.C. State board, he said, I cannot say enough about you. We started this journey as a team in the spring of 2015, and I am so proud of what weve accomplished as a board and the support you continue to provide me as president.

Clark was a member of the S.C. State board until he was named president last summer.

He thanked Congressman Jim Clyburn and former governor Nikki Haley for their support as well.

He also said he was thanking Gov. Henry McMaster in advance for the great work that I expect you will continue. He also gave thanks to the members of the S.C. General Assembly.

Vernell T. Brown, National Alumni Association president, said Clark was the right president for this job.

Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler thanked Clark, alumni, faculty and staff.

The city council stands behind you 100 percent, he said.

Orangeburg County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright congratulated Clark on his installation.

We thank you for your leadership in helping our community, he said.

Claflin University President Dr. Henry N. Tisdale brought greetings on behalf of the communitys colleges and universities and spoke of the shared history of S.C. State and Claflin.

It is a natural partnership in fostering intellectual pursuits and developing leaders for an ever-expanding global society, he said.

State Sen. John W. Matthews Jr. said it was honor to be a part of the celebration.

Our purpose being here today is more than being here today. Its about installing the new president of this historic university. Today is about a new beginning, he said.

Board Chairman Charles Way prefaced the installation ceremony with some encouraging words for Clark.

Yours will be the great privilege and responsibility of leading South Carolina State to the fulfillment of its great promise for many years to come, Way said.

After Sundays event, freshman David Govan said, So far, I think hes a pretty good president. I feel like hes on the right track.

Freshman Israel Robinson said, I know hes working hard for the campus, and (with) me being here for a year, I can tell its a rebuilding year.

So we as students do expect a lot from him next year.  Hes a greater leader. Hes pretty much said what he wants to do. Next is really going to be the year for us to see what hes going to do.

During Sundays Founders Day convocation, South Carolina State University presented the following awards:

 Kenneth E. Middleton -- Distinguished Community Service Award

 Kendra Speed Sellers -- Distinguished Young Alumna Award

 Michael W. Triplett Sr.  Distinguished Alumnus Award

 Brenda L. Williams  Distinguished Alumna Award

 Class of 1966 --- Distinguished Alumni Award

Also, retired Lt. Col. Thaddeus T.K. Bythewood Jr. was inducted into the Thomas E. Miller Society. Retired Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lamar Webster Powell was inducted posthumously.

The university also presented its faculty and staff service awards.
Radio problems are an ongoing concern for Orangeburg Countys volunteer firefighters, a top county fire official says.

"Right now our communication is not what we need at the volunteer level," Orangeburg County Fire Advisory Board Chairman Carl Thompson said last week.

"There are departments that are not getting tones, there are departments that are not getting good communication, there are departments that cannot communicate back with dispatch, he said.

Thompson spoke of the problem with Orangeburg County Fire Commission members last week.

Communications at the scene of a fire are fine, Thompson said.

"It just seems like we are not getting from the fire department to the dispatch office back and forth," he said. "The transmissions are not making it. They are not going through clear, they are not coming out clear."

Thompson said about half of the county's 400 volunteer firefighters are using a new, 800 MHz radio system while about half are using an increasingly obsolete VHF system.

He said the solution for the radio problem is for the county to provide the money so the district can purchase 800 MHz radios for all the firefighters.

Forms and surveys have been sent out to each of the county's fire departments to see how many need 800 MHz radios in an effort to get a better idea of the cost.

"I don't think it is a problem we can solve here because it is a dollar problem, Thompson said. It is a huge dollar problem.

Orangeburg County Chief Fire Operations Officer Teddy Wolfe said the 800 MHz radios are given to firefighters with a higher fire call volume.

An 800 MHz radio costs about $5,000 each, meaning that for each of the remaining 200 firefighters to receive a radio it would cost the district about $1 million, he said.

"I know that is a pill we can't swallow," Wolfe said.

Wolfe did note the district tries to use grants and the county has helped the district purchase 800 MHz radios in the past.

Wolfe also said there is a statewide upgrade of the 800 MHz system to what is called the P25 system, which will help improve communications. The upgraded system will still use the 800 MHz radios.

But he said the communication problem, which is most severe in the Canaan area, will not be solved by the P25 system alone.

A radio tower needs to be put in place between Rowesville, Canaan and Branchville, Wolfe said. Hes heard that this will happen when the P25 system comes online.

"We are going to have to look at some changes," Wolfe said. "Communication is an issue we will forever have because it is just such a complex thing. What we don't have is the money to keep up with the technology."

Thompson said that even if a tower is placed in the Canaan area, those 200 firefighters with VHF radios will not benefit from a new tower because it will only work with 800 MHz radios.

While those with a VHF radio may have a lower call volume, Thompson says the firefighters are still very much needed and important.

"I have to look at who is out there on the highway with me or who is at the structure fire that I am trying to save somebody's' home," Thompson said. "Every one of the people are as important as the top responders."

Orangeburg County Fire Commission Chairman Linzie Muldrow said the concerns will be taken under advisement.

"You know having proper equipment, proper personnel and proper communication is the antidote," Muldrow said. "That is how you fight fires and save peoples lives and property. Those three are very important."

In other matters:

 Commissioners received a preliminary 2017-2018 fiscal year budget for their review. The county's fiscal year begins July 1.

The $3.3 million budget is relatively unchanged from last year and will be voted upon at the commission's March meeting.

Ball said the only difference is that the district has about $275,000 more available, which will be used toward the purchase of land and the construction of a station in the Pine Hill area, as well as additions to other stations.

 Commissioner David Funchess encouraged fire departments in the district to enhance their community outreach efforts by inviting groups such as the children from Connie Maxwell's Children's Home to their outings.

He said recently the West Middle Fire Department held a barbecue supper and invited children from the home.

"These kids thoroughly enjoyed this," Funchess said. "We let them go on the fire trucks. It would be a blessing to any department if they can invite any children like this ... I think you will be well rewarded for doing so."

"We are out there every day," Funchess continued. "They know we fight fires but what else do we do that helps the community?"

 The Canaan Fire Department substation on Hudson Road is scheduled to receive an Insurance Service Office rating inspection in the coming week. The inspection is expected to help reduce the Class 10 areas near the station.

A lower ISO rating leads to lower home insurance premiums.

 Commissioners elected Muldrow to remain as chairman and Steven Murdaugh as vice chairman. The commission elects officers every two years.

 Commissioners introduced new Commissioner Rusty Fogle, who was recently appointed to the board by Councilman Heyward Livingston. Fogle assumes the seat of longtime Commissioner Frances Davis, who has retired.

 Commissioners will look to have their annual appreciation dinner for fire district leaders and county elected leaders on either on Thursday, March 16 or Tuesday, March 21 at the Chestnut Grill.

 Commissioners entered into executive session to discuss personnel and contractual issues.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Beta Zeta Omega Chapter of Orangeburg and the Gamma Nu Chapter of Claflin University will observe the sororitys 109th Founders Day at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 12.

The event will be held at the James and Dorothy Z. Elmore Chapel on the Claflin campus, 400 Magnolia St. The afternoon will celebrate the esteemed founders and incorporators of the first Greek-letter sorority for African-American women and will feature an address by Vertelle M. Middleton of Charleston, 12th South Atlantic Regional director. A reception at Claflins Ministers Hall will follow.

Established Jan. 15, 1908 at Howard University, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. has flourished into a global organization of more than 290,000 college-trained members, united by the bonds of sisterhood and empowered by a commitment to servant-leadership that is both domestic and international in its scope.

Through the years, Alpha Kappa Alpha has used the sisterhood as a grand lever to raise the status of African Americans, particularly girls and women. The sorority has enriched minds and encouraged lifelong learning; provided aid for the poor, the sick and underserved; initiated social action to advance human and civil rights; worked collaboratively with other groups to maximize outreach on progressive endeavors; and continually produced leaders to continue fulfilling its credo of Service to All Mankind.

Beta Zeta Omega Chapter was established in 1934, and is the oldest chapter of any Greek-letter sorority for African-American women in South Carolina. The chapter also bears the distinction of being the second oldest graduate chapter in the sororitys largest region, comprising South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. For over 82 years, the chapter has provided programs of service to the Orangeburg community that support the sororitys international program thrusts. The president of Beta Zeta Omega Chapter is Evelyn Singleton. The event chair is Alice Carson Tisdale.

Middleton will address the sororitys international program theme, Launching New Dimensions of Service. She has held numerous regional and international appointments during her more than 50 years as a member. She is an active member of Gamma Xi Omega Chapter in Charleston, where she has served as president, vice president, graduate advisor and in a host of other leadership roles. The chapter also named her Member of the Year twice.

Middleton received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and sociology, and earned a Master of Arts in human resource development from Webster University. She also pursued post-graduate study at Temple University, Bank Street College in New York and the United States Research and Development Corporation. Middletons career spans more than 53 years in the areas of teaching, counseling and adult education. Now retired from Trident Technical College in Charleston, she maintains an active interest in the field of education as an adjunct instructor at the institution.

Middleton is a former member of the board of directors of the Site & Design Zoning Commission for the City of Charleston, a position she held for 18 years as the only African American female. Additionally, she is the lay president of the Greater Beard Chapel AME Church, parliamentarian for the Edisto District Lay Organization, charter member and former president of the South Carolina Professional Association for Access & Equity and former president of the Black History Intercollegiate Consortium.

Middleton received the 2014-2015 Magnum Opus companys DESI Award for Outstanding Community Service, the Charleston Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Outstanding Service Award, the 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. Outstanding Educator and Community Service to the Disadvantaged awards and the South Carolina Commission on higher Education Access and Equity Award. Named one of 24 Outstanding Women in Charleston, she is also a two-time honoree of the YWCA Tribute to Women in Industry and Communities, has received the WPAL Radio Distinguished Service Award and has been honored as both Lay Person of the Year and Church Woman of the Year by Greater Beard Chapel AME Church.

She is the widow of the late James Middleton II, mother of three adult children  Jamela Wintons, Rev. Dr. Kylon Middleton and Dr. Gloria Holmes  and grandmother of three.

All members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (whether affiliated with Beta Zeta Omega or not), as well as fellow Greeks and friends are invited to attend the public event. The chapel program is free of charge. The cost for anyone desiring to attend the reception is $15 per person. Those planning to attend the reception may mail payments to Beta Zeta Omega Founders Day, P.O. Box 241, Orangeburg, SC, 29116, and are asked to RSVP by email to dechavis@hotmail.com. Parking will be available, and assistance will be provided those with mobility needs.
President Donald Trump got the loudest applause Wednesday night with his pledge to repeal and replace Obamacare.

In standing by the campaign promise to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, the president insists he and Republicans will approve a health care plan that better serves Americans. But there is skepticism and opposition, from people around the country afraid of losing health insurance and from members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, particularly in the Senate.

Prior to his address to Congress and the nation, Trump went on record as stating that the health care equation is complicated. That acknowledgement is refreshing  and accurate.

The world of the unknown without Obamacare is frightening to many just now coming to grips with the landscape of health care under the ACA. Members of Congress have been hearing about the concerns in meetings with constituents. And they are right to listen and learn from those at the grass roots and those at the highest levels of government and business.

The ACA has flaws and has proved far too costly for too many, but as complicated as the health care system is today, wholesale change does not need to be made based on political rhetoric related to undoing former President Barack Obamas signature achievement. It appears Obamacare needs reform more than repeal and replacement. And more and more members of Congress are moving in that direction.

As the president and Congress make decisions on the future, there is a key component to be understood: The issue is not health insurance, it is health care. Toward understanding that, Trump and every member of Congress should weigh key points made by James Huffman, dean emeritus of Lewis & Clark Law School and a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution. He wrote the following for InsideSources.com:

Not having health insurance is not the same thing as not having health care.

As a way of paying for health care, insurance makes sense only if there is some correlation between the risk of incurring a future cost and the premium charged to guarantee payment if the cost is incurred. By pooling the risks faced by many individuals, insurers are able to guarantee, for a reasonable premium, to pay those future costs. By paying the premium, individuals avoid the need to self-insure, which few can afford, or the possibility of future financial catastrophe.

When they are required to cover people without regard for their individual risks, insurance companies are no longer in the insurance business. They are in the wealth transfer business. A promise to pay for all future health care costs for all people without regard to the risks each person faces is not insurance. It is universal health care, which is what Obamacare advocates wanted in the first place.

It also makes no sense to pay for reasonably certain future costs with insurance.  Similarly, by requiring insurers to cover routine future health costs like annual check-ups and contraception, we increase those costs by the amount insurers need to administer payment and make a profit.

For those who cannot afford to pay for routine health care, the solution is public subsidy, not insurance. Our concern should be that everyone has health care, not that everyone has insurance. The success or failure of Obamacare, or whatever replacement Republicans may come up with, should be measured not by the fact that 20 million people are newly insured but rather by the quality and cost of the health care those people and everyone else receive.

Where Obamacare has succeeded in growing the numbers of people with insurance, it has failed to encourage the competitive markets essential to improved quality and lowered costs. And by equating health insurance with health care, its defenders have greatly exaggerated the extent to which the law has benefited people previously without health care.

The central challenge Republicans face in replacing Obamacare, if they intend to maintain the subsidies provided by that law, is paying for it. If the individual mandate is repealed, the largest part of the Obamacare subsidies will no longer be covered by the rapidly rising premiums paid by the young, healthy and wealthy. Repeal of the mandate and continuation of the subsidies will require Congress, meaning taxpayers, to cover the full cost of subsidized health care.

By embedding the cost of subsidies in health insurance premiums, Obamacare effectively commandeered insurance companies as tax collectors and wealth redistributors. This may appeal to politicians wishing to avoid responsibility for raising taxes, but it distracts from the challenge of assuring that everyone has quality health care at the lowest cost possible.
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 Police are searching for a gunman who allegedly walked onto a residential driveway in Washington state and shot a Sikh man in the arm, authorities said.

The gunman allegedly told the man "Go back to your country." Police are investigating the shooting in Kent as a possible hate crime, according to CNN affiliate KIRO.

The victim is a US citizen, originally from India's Punjab province, Seattle-area Sikh community leader Jasmit Singh told CNN.
By Azertac





A Heart Center was opened under the Republican Treatment and Diagnostic Center in Baku on March 6, Azertac reported.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva attended the opening ceremony.

The head of state cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the center.

President Aliyev and Mehriban Aliyeva viewed conditions created at the center. The head of state and the first vice-president met with staff of the center.




By Azernews





Azerbaijan`s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who is on visit to Moscow, met with Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister of Russian Federation, Co-Chair of Inter-Governmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia.

Prior to a meeting, Elmar Mammadyarov laid a wreath at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier near the walls of Kremlin and paid tribute to their memory, Azertac reported.

The meeting participants stressed that this year marks the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Russia and expressed satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations at the level of strategic partnership over this period.

The sides noted an important role of Inter-Governmental Commission in development of economic-trade relations between Azerbaijan and Russia.

They also stressed particular significance of high-level mutual visits and humanitarian ties between our countries.

Later, Mammadyarov met with Ilyas Umakhanov, Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of Russia.

On behalf of the Council of Federation of Russia, Umakhanov presented the medal Council of Federation. 20 years to Elmar Mammadyarov on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Russia.

The sides expressed satisfaction with the development level of bilateral relations over the period of 25 years of diplomatic relations and successful development of cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation.

Mammadyarov emphasized the role of parliamentary cooperation in furthering of bilateral relations.

On the first day of his trip, Mammadyarov met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, with whom he mulled bilateral relations, global challenges, and cooperation in international organizations.

Russia and Azerbaijan are linked by relations of strategic partnership based on equality, respect for each other's interests and good neighborliness. Currently, there are more than 80 interstate and intergovernmental agreements signed between two countries.

The trade and economic cooperation is successfully developing, while the Russian-Azerbaijani trade turnover amounted to over $1,954 billion at the end of 2016.

Today , about 600 enterprises and organizations operating in the majority of subjects of the Russian Federation are involved in foreign trade with Azerbaijan. A total of 17 of them have cooperation agreements with Azerbaijan.








By Trend





Uzbekistan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed loan agreements worth $573 million, Uzbekistan National News Agency (UzA) reported.

In particular, the ADB allocated a $100-million loan for a project on financing small businesses in rural areas and for businesses of women entrepreneurs. Also, a $121-million loan was allocated to develop water supply systems in Uzbekistans Tashkent region.

The agreements were signed during the three-day visit of ADB President Takehiko Nakao to Uzbekistan. Nakao visited the countrys Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent regions and got acquainted with the results of implementation of the investment projects co-financed by the ADB.

Nakao has earlier met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

During the meeting, Mirziyoyev noted strengthening of the mutually beneficial partnership between Uzbekistan and the ADB in the implementation of programs and projects aimed at modernization of Uzbekistans economic sectors and infrastructure.

Uzbekistan joined the Asian Development Bank in 1995.
By Azernews





By Kamila Aliyeva

Astana will once again be a platform for talks on settling the Syrian crisis on March 14-15, while guarantor countries have been discussing its format and level.

Kazakhstans Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said on March 6 that guarantor countries [Russia, Iran and Turkey] continue consultations on the dates of a new meeting on Syria to be held in Astana

"Preliminary dates announced in Geneva, that is, March 14-15, still remain," Sputnik Kazakhstan cited the Kazakh top diplomat as saying.

He further added that representatives of the Syrian opposition had expressed concern over a number of issues.

"In Geneva, I had a chance to speak to several representatives of the Syrian opposition who expressed some concern, as, in their opinion, the ceasefire agreements are not being implemented appropriately as well as agreements on the prisoner release and documents on defining areas to which the ceasefire agreements apply. We have briefed the guarantor countries on the oppositions concerns," Abdrakhmanov said.

The previous international meeting on settling the Syrian crisis took place in Kazakhstans capital of Astana on February 15-16.

Participants in the meeting discussed issues related to monitoring the ceasefire and the prospects of the intra-Syrian consultations in Geneva. Apart from the guarantor countries and delegations of the Syrian government and the armed opposition, Jordan, the United States and the United Nations also participated in the meeting.

Armed conflict continues in Syria since March 2011. Government troops are confronted by militants of different armed rebel groups. Russia has begun airstrikes on terrorist facilities in Syria since 30 September 2015. The Russian military involvement follows an official request from President Bashar Assad to President Vladimir Putin.

The UN has repeatedly tried and failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed 300,000 and displaced 11 million since it began five years ago.
By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

Iran encourages Armenia and Azerbaijan to solve their problem by themselves, Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told APA on March 6.

He added that Iran does not interfere in the affairs of its northern neighbors as they are independent countries.

Previously, Tehran has repeatedly voiced readiness to mediate between the two Southern Caucasus states of Armenia and Azerbaijan to help settle the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict 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. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

Qasemi further noted that the economic relations existing between Iran and Azerbaijan do not satisfy Tehran, and Iran wants to develop these relations.

We are also negotiating in connection with the abolition of the visa regime for Iranian citizens, he said. We hope that with the support of the heads of state of both countries, the issue will be resolved in a favorable way."

Since February 2010, Iran unilaterally abolished its visa regime for all citizens of Azerbaijan. The citizens of Azerbaijan can travel to Iran and stay in the country without visa from 15 to 90 days.

As for the trade turnover between two countries, it hit some $15.77 million in January 2017, while the index of last January stood at $9.56 million.
Abu Dhabi International Airport will be one of the largest state-of-the-art airports in the world, with a capacity to accommodate 30 million passengers per year by 2019, according to a report.



Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the deputy chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, was speaking to the media following a tour of the Midfield Terminal Building (MTB) on Sunday, said the state news agency Wam.



Stretching over 742,000 sq m, the MTB will be the largest in Abu Dhabi and will be visible from more than 1.5 km away. It will house 65 aircraft gates and boast a 3,500-sq-m duty-free zone, it stated.



''The expansion work on the airport is proceeding smoothly as planned. When the work is completed in 2019, the airport will be able to receive 30 million passengers per year. At that time, we will be up to the challenge and are confident of succeeding,'' Sheikh Hazza was quoted as saying in the report.



The Abu Dhabi International Airport, he said, will be the jewel in the crown of the infrastructure projects in the emirate, and will constitute a paradigm shift in international standards to cope with the development the UAE capital Abu Dhabi is currently witnessing.



''We are always looking forward and the airport project will reflect this evolving vision,'' he added.



During his tour, Sheikh Hazza surveyed the central terminal space, the duty-free zone area, the under-construction transit hotel, the moving sidewalks and the administration office building.



He also reviewed the 28-m-high arch which stretches up to 180 m at the entrance, making it one of the world's largest internal arches.



"The remarkable and tangible progress of the Abu Dhabi airport exemplifies our openness to the world, and thanks to this open environment of tolerance and competitive services, the capital has become a favourite destination for other nationalities,'' he added.






Alstom, a French multinational company operating in the worldwide rail transport markets, has handed over the first of the 69 metro trainsets to Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) for operation in lines 4, 5 and 6 of Riyadh Metro.



Alstom said the production of the metro trainsets was well on track and all the metro trainsets would be delivered by the end of 2018.



ADA launched in 2013 a project to build a metro network that would be 176 km long and include six lines and 85 stations. Alstom, as part of the Fast consortium, is in charge of supplying a full integrated metro system for lines 4, 5 and 6 (or Yellow, Green, and Purple lines).



The metro system includes 69 Metropolis trainsets, as well as Urbalis, Alstom CBTC signalling solution, the power supply and its energy recovery system Hesop, stated the company.



Composed of two cars each, the Riyadh metro trainset is 36 m long and is able to accommodate up to 231 passengers, it added.



Alstom said each train features three classes: first, family and single class separated by a glass partition. The trains will offer passengers a high level of comfort, ergonomic seating, LED lighting and advanced passenger information systems.



The interior and exterior aesthetical design has been developed as per ADAs specific requirements. The exterior car body features painted stripes that indicate the colour of the line the metro trainset will circulate on, it added.



On the key achievement, Gian Luca Erbacci, the senior vice-president (Middle East and Africa) at Alstom, said: "We are pleased to hand over on time the first Metropolis trainset to ADA. This landmark project will allow Riyadh residents and visitors to commute aboard a reliable, comfortable and eco-friendly means of transport."



"Furthermore, Alstom is committed to be a close and long-time partner of the kingdom to efficiently address its mobility needs and support in carrying out its upcoming transport projects," he added.



Erbacci said the metro trains are 100 per cent motorised, allowing them to run on gradients of up to a six per cent slope.



"The trains are designed to run on standard-gauge track at a top speed of 90 km/h. The trains have been designed with the region's climate in mind. One such feature is a more powerful air-conditioning system, capable of delivering sufficient cooling capacity even in extreme heat. In addition, the bogies, traction drive, brakes and doors have been fitted with special elements in order to prevent the ingress of sand," he added.



The metro trainsets are produced in Alstoms factory in Katowice, Poland, said the statement from Alstom.



Metropolis is part of Alstoms metro range. More than 5,000 Metropolis cars have been sold worldwide to cities like Panama, Singapore, Sydney, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, and Amsterdam, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Scientists gathered in Abu Dhabi for a forum on human longevity said humans may live up to 140 years within the next two generations with one expert arguing that the first person to live 1,000 years is probably already born.



Speaking at the Aspen Abu Dhabi Ideas Forum, Dr Brad Perkins, chief medical officer, Human Longevity, said: Right now the most daunting and expensive human health problem that the world is facing is age related chronic disease. Our hypothesis at Human Longevity is that genomics and the technologies that support its application in medicine and drug discovery are going to be the next accelerant in extending a high performance human lifespan.



The two-day part private conference, part public festival aims to tackle some of the worlds largest moonshot challenges.



Dr Maha Barakat, director general, Health Authority Abu Dhabi, argued that the world is in a transition phase, and on the cusp of major improvements in medicine that will help people live longer.



Once we have gone through this phase and through this research we are hearing about, we will be heading towards a phase where we can live longer without disease. And that I would say is the Holy Grail. This is the utopian society that we are heading towards, where we can live much longer.



Speakers shared some of the current developments in medicine which will help to achieve this goal, such as regenerative medicine, which is already a reality.



Dr Anthony Atala, director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University, spoke about strategies that exist to promote regeneration include using cells alone, using cells and scaffolds together for structural defects, alongside bio-printing to create human organoid microchips which can be used to test the effectiveness of drugs.



He said challenges exist surrounding cost, scale and regulation, but the goal is to keep bringing these technologies to more patients.



Dr Aubrey de Grey, a biomedical gerontologist based in Mountain View, California, US, and chief science officer of SENS Research Foundation, a California-based biomedical research charity that performs and funds laboratory research dedicated to combating the aging process, argued that the first person to live to 1,000 years is already probably alive today.



He further commented that fixing ageing is difficult, but not impossible and the only way in which people are going to stay alive a long time is by staying healthy a long time.



He further concluded: We won World War II and World War I. World War III hasnt happened yet. But World War 0 which we have been fighting against nature since the dawn of civilization is still there to be won.



The Aspen Abu Dhabi Ideas Forum is a collaboration between Tamkeen, a Government of Abu Dhabi-owned company, and the Aspen Institute, an educational and policy studies organisation based in the US.



The event was held in partnership with McKinsey & Company, the UAE Space Agency, Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, Health Authority Abu Dhabi, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, US-UAE Business Council, NYUAD, The National, Al Ittihad, DubaiEye and Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas. -TradeArabia News Service
The Beatrice Public Library is celebrating Nebraskas 150th birthday with a special art exhibit that opened this month.

The exhibit, Native American presence on the Missouri, is a collection that documents and illustrates the historic presence of Native Americans along the Missouri River.

The special exhibit is on loan from the collection of George Neubert, courtesy of the Flatwater Art Foundation, and consists of 19th century wood etchings, chromolithographs and photographs.

Beatrice Library Director Laureen Riedesel said Neubert, former director of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, collected the pieces over the years after taking a personal interest in the subject of Native Americans who lived in the area.

He collected prints and engravings as he was collecting for that museum and others, Riedesel said. He was interested in art that represents Native Americans and the result of that personal collecting is the wonderful exhibit we have now.

Riedesel added that Neubert grew up in Beatrice and now resides in Brownville. She specifically requested the exhibit to be shown around the time of Nebraskas 15oth anniversary of becoming a state, which was celebrated last Wednesday.

The exhibit will be on display in the lower level of the library until May 21. This date was chosen to ensure children visiting the library on field trips and for school can see the pieces.

In addition, the library dusted off a collection of its own thats also on display.

The librarys collection consists of historic maps of Nebraska depicting a very different design.

Riedesel said one example, from when Nebraska was a territory, shows that there was once a county between Lancaster and Gage counties.

At one time Gage County was smaller to the north because we had a county between Lancaster and Gage, she said. From the truck stop to Saltillo Road was a different county.

The county is now referred to as Old Clay County, to avoid confusion with the current Clay County.
Gulfood 2017, the 22nd edition of the worlds largest food and beverage trade platform in Dubai, is showcasing some innovative new products that promise to catch the imagination of consumers.



Across the 1,000,000-sq-ft show, which runs until March 2 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), up to 90,000 food professionals from 150 countries are absorbing tens of thousands of products being promoted by 5,000 exhibitors from 120 countries.



From weird to the wonderful, conventional to revolutionary, we pick eight great new products tipped to be world beaters in months to come.



1. Enter the veggie sharwarma: Hungarys Korostej is trialling its new veggie sharwarma cheese concept at World Food, one of Gulfoods eight dedicated sectors. The company is producing its already popular grilled cheese in huge blocks ready to fit on a traditional sharwarma grill, accompanied by lettuce, tomato and green pepper. Sales manager Omar Haboulsi says the cheesy option is designed to give increasing numbers of vegetarian consumers an alternative to the traditional lamb and chicken sharwarmas.



2. Why fry when you can bake? Northern Irelands Kestrel Foods is leveraging Gulfood 2017 for the international launch of its Forest Feast range of baked, not fried, fruit and nut snacks. In contrast to the conventional frying of dried fruit and nut snacks, the Forest Fresh range is air baked  making it perfectly attuned to the regions increasing demand for healthy snacks.



3. Halal, is it meat youre looking for? The traditional Cornish pasty is going halal with Crescent Halal Pies & Pasties. Produced by the UKs Lewis Pie & Pasty Co. the range is approved by the UKs Halal Authority Board and has already been ordered by the regions Choithram Supermarket chain. If interest at the British Pavilion at Gulfood is anything to go by, these pasties are destined for big things!



4. Back to the future with Jimmys Iced Coffee. The inspired creation of UAE-born and Dubai-educated entrepreneur Jimmy Cregan, these ethically-produced iced coffee products are already bona fide hits in the UK. Aligning with the fast growing RTD (ready-to-drink) coffee segment and available in three flavours - Original, Skinny and Mocha - Jimmys Iced Coffee contains only four ingredients: British semi-skinned milk, Arabica coffee, demerara sugar and water. With every carton carrying the brands signature Keep Your Chin Up strapline, Jimmys tongue-in-cheek rapping in slick advertising virals have made the grab-and-go beverages brand a genuine YouTube sensation. Tucked away on packaging giant Tetra Paks Gulfood stand, Jimmys spent the week working on local distributor deals that he hopes will culminate in the Made in Britain product finding its way on to UAE supermarket shelves later in this year.



5. Hummus on the go! The worlds only UHT aspetic hummus launched at Gulfood 2017 won first-day orders from Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The result of 15 years of design and research by the Amman-based Kasih Food Production Company, the hummus-on-the-go snack is featured in the shows official Jordanian national pavilion. The hummus products come in three types: a larger catering version; handy, long-life home packs; and a kids packs  Hammous and Hammousa  which are fortified with vitamins A, B6, B9, B12, D3 and D with funky child-friendly packaging that is proving highly popular with retailers looking to satisfy demand for nutritious and convenient lunchbox and car journey options.



6. Water wonderful world! Dubai-based SME Sky River has launched its futuristic, game-changing water coolers at Gulfood. The revolutionary machines literally convert air into water by capturing the air around them, before filtering and cooling it into the purest form of drinking water. With no need for bottles, plastic or chemicals, Sky River creates water in its purest form, for example, seawater contains about 80,000 parts per million (ppm) of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), bottled water roughly 100-200 ppm. Sky River claims its air-turned-water contains just 10-20 ppm  the freshest of the fresh. Various units are available  theres one designed for homes which produces up to 20 litres of water per day, and a larger unit designed for industrial use which can make up to 1,500 litres of drinking water in 24 hours. The machines are destined for big things - Emirates NBD struck a deal with Sky River at Gulfood to provide four-year, interest-free payments for buyers.



7. Kale you believe it! Al Areesh has debuted its water-grown fresh AQUA Kale at Gulfood. With normal kale grown in soil exposed to pesticides and microbial, this water-grown version is 100% pesticide-free and high in nutrients. Once harvested, the farmed product is formed into frozen portions to preserve freshness, increase shelf-life to 12 months and retain optimum levels of nutrition. Its a perfect product for creating functional healthy juices, salads and smoothies. Water brilliantly diverse product!



8. Spread some gold on your toast! Joanna Morgan, owner of Welsh marmalade maker Radnor Reserves and winner of the Worlds Best Marmalade Award, dreamed up the idea as a gift for her parents Golden Wedding Anniversary last year. After the orange fruit preserve, mixed with the 23ct gold flakes, earned glittering praise from friends who claimed it is good for arthritis, Morgan brought her golden creation to Gulfood 2017 and hopes to have it in UAE stores soon. She has already shipped an order to India for a wedding. She insists marmalade is enjoying a resurgence thanks to the recent Paddington movie  about the bear from Peru who eats marmalade sandwiches.  TradeArabia News Service
Alstom, as a part of Fast consortium, has handed over to Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) the first of the 69 metro trainsets that will circulate on Lines 4, 5 and 6 of Riyadh Metro.



The production of the metro trainsets is well on track and Alstom has set to meet its deadline and deliver all the metro trainsets by end 2018, a statement said.



ADA launched in 2013 a project to build a metro network that would be 176 km-long and include six lines and 85 stations. Alstom, as part of the Fast consortium, is in charge of supplying a full integrated metro system for lines 4, 5 and 6 (or Yellow, Green, and Purple lines).



The metro system includes 69 Metropolis trainsets, as well as Urbalis, Alstom CBTC (Communication Based Train Control) signalling solution, the power supply and its energy recovery system Hesop.

Composed of two cars each, the Riyadh metro trainset is 36 m-long and is able to accommodate up to 231 passengers. Each train features three classes: first, family and single class separated by a glass partition.

The trains will offer passengers a high level of comfort, ergonomic seating, LED lightning and advanced passenger information systems. The interior and exterior aesthetical design has been developed as per ADAs specific requirements. The exterior car body features painted stripes that indicate the color of the line the metro trainset will circulate on, the statement said.

The metro trains are 100 per cent motorised, allowing them to run on gradients of up to a 6 per cent slope. The trains are designed to run on standard-gauge track at a top speed of 90 km/h. The trains have been designed with the region's climate in mind. One such feature is a more powerful air conditioning system, capable of delivering sufficient cooling capacity even in extreme heat. In addition, the bogies, traction drive, brakes and doors have been fitted with special elements in order to prevent the ingress of sand, it said.

"We are pleased to hand over on time the first Metropolis trainset to ADA. This landmark project will allow Riyadh residents and visitors to commute aboard a reliable, comfortable and environmentally-friendly means of transport. Furthermore, Alstom is committed to be a close and long-time partner of the Kingdom to efficiently address its mobility needs and support in carrying out its upcoming transport projects, said Gian Luca Erbacci, senior vice president for Middle East & Africa at Alstom.

The metro trainsets are produced in Alstoms factory in Katowice, Poland.

Metropolis is part of Alstoms metro range. More than 5,000 Metropolis cars have been sold worldwide to cities like Panama, Singapore, Sydney, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, or Amsterdam, the company said.  TradeArabia News Service
Unilever has announced the launch of Forsaty, a campaign that seeks to discover the next female vlogging star in the GCC region in partnership with global video-sharing platform YouTube.



The two-month campaign will reward one up-and-coming vlogger with a cash prize of $35,000 and a one-year contract as brand ambassador for Unilever, as well as mentorship and workshops from YouTube, a statement said.



Unilever will invite female online video enthusiasts to create a series of vlogs based around Dove, Ponds, Sunsilk and Lipton  four much-loved brands from the companys portfolio of over 400 established names.



The campaign has enlisted four regional YouTube stars  Alanoud Badr (Lady Fozaza), UN Change Ambassador Hayla Ghazal (Hayla TV), Mimi (Eswara) and Haifa Beseisso (Fly With Haifa)  to help the budding online video stars in each stage of the Forsaty journey.



Diana Baddar, head of YouTube Partnerships in the Middle East and North Africa, said: In the past year, YouTube has seen a huge increase in the volume of content produced by women across the Mena region. I am proud to see hard-working and talented young women bringing their creativity to life across diverse areas including comedy, vlogging and fashion. Through doing so, they are actively contributing to the overall growth of Arabic digital content.



Asad Rehman, media director, North Africa and Middle East at Unilever, said: Content creation is an integral aspect of branding and communication today. We spend a lot of time answering questions, such as how a piece of content fits the needs of a consumer and how it becomes relevant to our brands. The best way to answer these questions is to foster content that comes from the consumers themselves. Forsaty is an important campaign for Unilever, Google and the industry at large. Motivating the content creators of tomorrow and helping them hone their skills will go a long way for all of us.



Following the release of a reveal video, the Forsaty campaign will kick off with Challenge 1 on March 8. The Hair Improv Challenge with Sunsilk is a radically different take on the popular hair tutorial format that is set to test the presentation and improvisation skills of the entrants.



Successful contestants will face three further challenges. Things To Remember focuses on the Ponds brand and invites the participants to put together a box of meaningful items for their older selves to open 10 years from now, while A Day With Me, centered on a cup of Lipton Green Tea, is all about healthy choices. My Beautiful Moment, linked to the Dove personal care brand, uses YouTubes Draw My Life meme as an inspiration.



One of the four regional YouTube stars will get each challenge underway through posting her own vlog on her channel as well as on the Forsaty YouTube channel and microsite.



The elimination process will see 200 hopefuls whittled down to 25, 10, and three, before crowning the overall winner. Online followers will play an important part through voting for their favorite videos before the YouTubers and the Unilever team make the final call.



The Forsaty campaign will test a wide variety of vlogging skills and showcase many different styles of vlog content while tapping into the regions huge online audience and high levels of engagement with key social media stars, the statement said. - TradeArabia News Service
The UAE Space Agency welcomed famed astronaut and space icon Buzz Aldrin at its headquarters on Sunday.



Aldrin met with Dr Khalifa Al Romaithi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency; Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, director general of the UAE Space Agency; and senior agency officials to discuss cooperation and collaboration in the fields of space science, technology, education and exploration, a statement said.



During his time at the UAE Space Agency, Aldrin also met with students including the recent winner of the UAEs Genes in Space competition, organised by the UAE Space Agency in partnership with The National and Boeing.



Alia Al Mansoori, the 14-year-old Emirati winner from Al Mawakeb School Al Barsha in Dubai, was inspired by Aldrins anecdotes and was thrilled to hear about his career as a Nasa astronaut, the statement said. - TradeArabia News Service


The DIFC Courts ongoing work to underpin the UAEs business links with Asia has been boosted by a new cooperation agreement with their counterparts in Malaysia.



The agreement with the Federal Court of Malaysia covers procedures for the mutual recognition and enforcement of money judgments and builds on the formal relationships that have been established with judiciaries in China, Singapore and South Korea.



Bilateral trade between the UAE and Malaysia is estimated to be worth $billion annually. In response to these strong business ties, the DIFC Courts and the Federal Court of Malaysia have come together to establish for the first time how the two courts will interpret each others money judgments, providing businesses with additional certainty should a contractual dispute arise.



DIFC Courts Chief Justice Michael Hwang said: The DIFC Courts now have formal relationships in place with four of Asias largest and most dynamic economies. Given Malaysias strong industrial and financial services base, the country has been a priority for some time. This agreement represents another significant step forward for trade ties between the UAE and Malaysia that will provide practical assistance to investors, businesses and lawyers in both countries. It also marks the beginning of what we hope will be a fruitful relationship between our two courts that will enable the sharing of judicial excellence in areas like efficiency and speed of justice.



The Right Honourable Tun Arifin bin Zakaria, Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Malaysia, was in Dubai to sign the agreement and also to give the first DIFC Dispute Resolution Authority Academy Lecture of 2017.



Chief Justice Zakaria said: The Malaysian Judiciary welcomes the agreement between our Courts. The agreement which provides for the mutual recognition and enforcement of money judgments will help stimulate business and trade between Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. The Malaysian Judiciary is certainly proud to be associated with DIFC Courts, which is one of the forerunners of International Financial Courts. We look forward to greater cooperation with the DIFC Courts for our mutual benefits.



The DIFC Courts are one of the worlds most connected judiciaries, with enforcement agreements in places with many of the UAEs key trading partners, including the Commercial Court of England and Wales, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Supreme Court of Singapore, Federal Court of Australia, New South Wales Supreme Court, Supreme Court of Korea, High Court of Kenya (Commercial and Admiralty Division), and Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan. - TradeArabia News Service


US President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order on Monday banning immigration from six Muslim-majority countries, notably dropping Iraq from January's previous order, said a report.

The ban covers Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

The new version exempts people who hold current visas and drops an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees, reducing it to 120 days. It also makes clear that lawful permanent residents are excluded from the ban, a CNN report said.

The new travel ban comes six weeks after Trump's original executive order was rolled out to chaos and confusion at airports nationwide, and eventually blocked by a federal court.

It blocks entry to the US for citizens from six of the seven countries named in Trumps original order, officials at the Department of Homeland Security and state department told reporters on a conference call on Monday.



The move comes after a federal judge blocked the ban and a federal appeals court upheld that ruling, denying the Justice Departments request to reinstate it, said a Guardian report.



As with the previous order, people from Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Libya will face a 90-day suspension of visa processing. But Iraq will be removed from the list of countries affected.

Iraq will "increase cooperation with the US government on the vetting of its citizens applying for a visa to travel to the United States," according to an administration fact sheet.



The inclusion of Iraq in the original order had prompted concerns from the national security community because of the countrys role in fighting terrorism alongside US forces, stated Guardian.



The revised order will keep in place a 120-day suspension of the refugee program, but it will no longer identify Syrian refugees as subject to an indefinite ban. Officials on the call said Syrians would be treated no differently from other refugees seeking asylum in the US, stated the report.



The order will not come into effect until 16 March, according to leaked guidance documents published by Just Security, in contrast to the first order which was implemented with immediately, it added.



Other changes will include an exemption for green card holders, who were swept up in the chaos that resulted from the previous order at airports across the country.



Language granting priority to religious minorities for entry has also been scrapped, officials said, while attempting to make the case that the travel ban did not seek to target individuals of any one faith, said the report.



The new order is intended to address the legal challenges that stemmed from Trumps original travel ban, which was issued on January 27, it added.
The 10th cycle of the Zayed Future Energy Prize is open for entries, it was announced earlier today.



Submissions from eligible entrants are invited in the Small and Medium Enterprise, Non-Profit Organisation and Global High Schools categories, while the Large Corporation and Lifetime Achievement categories are open to nominations from the public. Entries will close on July 6.



President of the UAE His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has declared 2017 as the nations Year of Giving, which coincides with the 10th cycle of the Zayed Future Energy Prize. Established to honour Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyans legacy of environmental stewardship and sustainability, and having positively impacted the lives of more than 289 million people to date, the prize embodies the UAE's spirit of giving and expands it to a global scale.



Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, Dr Nawal Al-Hosany commented: In January 2018 we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Zayed Future Energy Prize. Since its inception, the prize has continuously recognised and empowered those striving to deliver a sustainable future for all  hence the extraordinary impact we have seen over the previous nine years.



Dr Al-Hosany continued: We call on all those who want to join our international community of pioneers positively changing the lives of millions of people, to enter the Zayed Future Energy Prize today. From providing access to energy in Africa, to innovative storage solutions in Europe, our winners have been pushing the boundaries of what is achievable in terms of clean energy solutions and sustainable practices across the world.



The Zayed Future Energy Prize has received over 10,000 nominations and submissions across more than 100 countries since its founding in 2008. In 2016 alone, the prize received a record 1,676 entries from 103 different nations, a 22 per cent increase on the previous record set the year before.



Paul Smith-Lomas, CEO of Practical Action, the winner in the NPO category of the 2017 Zayed Future Energy Prize, said: We would highly recommend other organisations to apply for the Zayed Future Energy Prize in the future. It allows you to benefit from the publicity and associated networking opportunities that come with this prestigious award.



At the 2017 awards ceremony, Li Junfeng, Director General of Chinas National Center of Climate Strategy Research, won the Lifetime Achievement award for his unwavering commitment to the adoption of renewable energy in China. General Electric (GE) won the Large Corporation award for leadership in the wind and solar energy markets. Sonnen, was awarded the prize in the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) category for leadership in providing battery storage technology solutions. In the Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) category, UK-based Practical Action was recognised for its work in providing deprived communities with clean energy across the globe.



The five winners in the Global High Schools category are: Starehe Girls' Center, Kenya for the Africa region; Green School Bali, Indonesia for the Asia region; Bolivias Unidad Educativa Sagrado Corazon 4 for the Americas; Belvedere College in Ireland for Europe; and Huonville High School, Tasmania for the Oceania region. - TradeArabia News Service
Marubeni Corporation, a leading developer and operator of international power projects, said its joint venture with China's JinkoSolar Holding, has won a contract to develop a major photovoltaic (PV) power plant near the town of Sweihan in Abu Dhabi, UAE.



Construction is likely to be completed in April 2019 and will be funded by international project finance

lenders.



Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea) said the Marubeni-JinkoSolar JV was selected to build and operate the 1,177 MW plant from among six other bids received by the authority in September 2016.



A special-purpose company - owned by Marubeni (20 per cent), JinkoSolar (20 per cent) and Adwea with a 60 per cent stake - will construct, own, operate and maintain the PV plant, said the company in a statement.



Adwea has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) under which all generated power will be sold to its wholly-owned entity Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Company (Adwec).

Commenting on the deal, Abdullah Ali Musleh Al Ahbabi, the chairman of Adwea, said this is a highly significant event for both Abu Dhabi and also for the global solar PV market.



"Not only the project, but also the price of net electrical energy that we have agreed, will be one of the most competitive prices seen to date in the solar PV industry," he remarked.



JinkoSolar chairman Xiande Li said: "We are excited to be a part of the significant milestone project to co-develop with Adwec and Marubeni. The execution of the PPA demonstrates our strong technical skills, reliable high-efficiency products and development capabilities."



We are proud of making a significant contribution to the development of the solar industry in Abu Dhabi," he added.



Marubeni already operates four thermal independent power (and water) projects in the UAE: Taweelah B IWPP, Fujairah F2 IWPP, Taweelah A2 IWPP and Shuweihat S2 IWPP, said a company spokesman.



This project, which is one of the largest and most competitive PV power projects in the world and the first renewable project for Adwea and Adwec, will be the fifth asset in the UAE for Marubeni, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
FCS Computer Systems (FCS) and NEC Enterprise Solutions EMEA, both leading providers of advanced ICT solutions to the hospitality sector, have inked a partnership agreement.



The FCS suite of hospitality interface and operational solutions, encompassing billing interface, voicemail, job dispatch, engineering, housekeeping, glitch management and more, are fully tested and integrated to work with NECs range of IT and communications servers, and will be available directly to order through NECs business partners in EMEA.



Eric Rogers, FCS vice president EMEA, will be working closely with his team to support NEC partners in their rollout of these solutions.



This partnership is not just only about call accounting and voicemail, but also about providing NEC partners a fully featured range of new solutions to offer their hotel partners, thereby enhancing the value and relationship of new and existing customers, said Rogers. I have been working closely with Kees Van Donk (director of hospitality EMEA for NEC) and his team to make this a reality and am delighted to say that today the partnership is now in full effect, and I am looking forward to working closely with NECs hospitality team, and the wider NEC partner family to support this new agreement.



Smart Hospitality

We are extremely pleased to work with FCS in close partnership, confirmed Van Donk. With our Smart Hospitality drive and Executive Hospitality Partner Program we are continuously building onto our in-depth experience and expertise in serving the hotel industry worldwide and supporting our business partners with integrated solutions that enable them to go to market more successfully. This partnership with FCS is a valuable addition to the solutions we offer in our NEC Smart Hospitality Framework.



Under the new agreement, NEC Enterprise Solutions, NEC partners and their hotel clients will have access to FCS full suite of hotel operations management applications. The multi-language, web-based applications streamline a multitude of back-of-house and guest-facing hotel operation needs, from real-time maintenance requirements to housekeeping management to guest issue tracking and a comprehensive customer relationship management platform. The applications can seamlessly interface with the hotel industrys most popular property management systems, and can be implemented either a la carte or as the full comprehensive suite. The applications feature mobile apps, allowing hotel staff to stay connected from anywhere on property. Recently completed installations at Hilton Hotels in Amsterdam and Rotterdam represent the first of many hotels to see the benefits of this partnership. - TradeArabia News Service


Welcome to Transfigurations! This blog is intended to serve the orthodox Anglican community and the wider Christian community. We pray that all that is posted here will be faithful to the Scriptures as the inspired word of God, speak the truth in love, edify, bless and transform this local body of Christ, and be an impetus for revival, repentance, prayer and intercession!
The U.S. Senate considered striking down the Bureau of Land Managements new rule-making protocol, BLM 2.0, on Monday night, in a continued attempt to purge Obama-era regulations.

The dry federal process has become the topic of heated debate as conservative leaders try to cut back on federal oversight and advocates for the environment and recreation cry foul.

Congressional leaders from Wyoming introduced the rule for the chopping block in January under the Congressional Review Act, which can strip 11th-hour regulations of an outgoing presidential agenda with a simple majority vote in each house and the signature of the president.

The resolution of dissent on BLM 2.0 passed in the House days after being introduced by Rep. Liz Cheney and is now awaiting consideration in the Senate.

The Senate was scheduled to vote on whether to proceed with the rules consideration Monday night. The final decision was not available by press time.

***

BLM 2.0 is a reform of the federal agencys 1983 protocol on public involvement in the regulation process. It was passed in December, during the last leg of the Obama administration. If 2.0 is eliminated, the federal agency may revert to the 34-year-old method for the foreseeable future, as the CRA prohibits rehashing a rule thats been struck down. It could also revert to an early 2000s version that amended the 1983 rule.

Those in favor of cutting the rule see it as part of the state-versus-federal debate on land management. Under the previous president, a burdensome bureaucracy grew exponentially, they say.

Planning 2.0 represents a federal power grab that ignores expert knowledge and undermines the ability of state and local governments to effectively manage resources and land use inside their own districts, said Cheney in a January statement before proposing an end to the rule.

The congresswomans stance on the rule has not changed in the weeks since.

BLM 2.0 was a misguided and damaging attempt by the Obama administration to undermine the rights of state and local governments to manage resources and land use inside their own districts, she said in a statement. I was honored to introduce the bill repealing 2.0 in the House, and very pleased that it passed. Im hopeful the Senate will pass this important bill so we can begin to restore the rights and authority of Wyoming communities, citizens, and industry.

Sen. Mike Enzi told the Star-Tribune in a recent interview that he believed there was a reasonable role for federal agencies like the BLM and the Environmental Protection Agency to play in Wyoming but that states were best placed to regulate their various industries or protect environmental interests on the ground. Enzi was the first lawmaker to use the CRA to repeal an outgoing presidents action, after Bill Clintons presidency in 2001. It hadnt been used since.

The planning rule is one of a handful that are now being considered for repeal using the CRA. A law mandating stricter environmental protections for streams near coal production was struck down by the CRA in February.

***

Those in favor of BLM 2.0 are flummoxed by its inclusion in the debate over federal strong-arming. The rule went through a two-year vetting process, was considered in two congressional sessions and was the subject of multiple public comment periods.

Those in favor say the political argument against the rule, that it undermines public control of federal regulations, is far from the truth.

The rule is mistakenly enmeshed in politics, as current leaders push back against the work of previous Democratic leaders, said Chamois Andersen, executive director of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation.

BLM 2.0 shouldnt qualify as political maneuvering, she said. Under these new guidelines, the public is involved in crafting a rule on federal lands from the outset, she said.

Before 2.0, only the BLM and cooperating agencies could see a proposed rule until a public draft was published, sometimes years later, she added.

As a result, public individuals from industry, wildlife organizations or recreationists on public land were unaware of the direction of a rule until its parameters were all but established. That system introduced the possibility for lawsuits, lengthy critiques and reworking of a rule, she said.

Some of the confusion over 2.0 may be attributed to the changes in public land management over the years, Andersen explained.

There has been a move toward ecosystem-based management on federal lands instead of species- or region-based management. That has led to the misconception that regulations are more restrictive, when the opposite is correct, she said.

BLM 2.0 allows officials to be more flexible, identifying the richest areas for oil and development, while securing areas where conservation is needed for wildlife or streams protected for anglers, Andersen argued.

If more congressional leaders were familiar with how the rule works and what it accomplishes, many with concerns now would likely come to support it, she said.
CHEYENNE  The Wyoming Legislature passed a bill that would allow Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, to sell cars directly to drivers in the state  with lawmakers enthusiastically proclaiming the move will give a bump to Powder River Basin coal.

Senate File 57 changed the states franchise law to allow direct sale of vehicles to Wyomingites without the use of independently owned car dealerships, said Daniel Witt, a manager of business development and policy for the Palo Alto, California-based company, who lobbied for the legislation.

But the bill had detractors, including an organization that represents legacy carmakers, which argued the legislation creates unfair competition. SF57 puts other automakers at a disadvantage because they must continue following franchise code, with its strict dictates on how manufacturers and dealerships do business, said Dan Gage of the Washington-based Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

Tesla, which sells two models and is about to unveil a third, doesnt market through a network of dealerships, Witt said.

The bill, which was sent to Gov. Matt Meads desk for signature, will allow Tesla to open a showroom and service shop in Wyoming, Witt said. Now that the bill has passed, the company will evaluate where to open a location.

Tesla records indicate it has sold about 50 cars to people who live in Jackson, Cheyenne and Casper. They have to take their cars to Denver or Salt Lake City for service under current law, he added.

The legacy automakers agreed to a set of rules 50 years ago that make it illegal for them to sell directly to customers, he said.

Gages organization represents a dozen car manufacturers, including Ford, GM, Mercedes and Toyota. Together, they represent over 70 percent of the U.S. market, he said.

While auto manufacturers believe the system needs to be reformed, SF57 was created to help companies such as Tesla and not them, he said.
It might not be long before the inscription atop Yellowstone National Parks iconic Roosevelt Arch is posted in Ryan Zinkes new digs.

Its what the new Interior secretary says is his mission for the Department of Interiors management of federal lands: For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.

Sitting in my office and I am now recognizing the task before me. Im excited about it. Its great to be asked by the president to be his voice on public lands, Zinke said Friday. I look forward to going out in the field and visiting our parks, our refuges and our holdings and just talking to the people. It goes back to the benefit and enjoyment of the people, and I intend to live up to the model.

The Republican from Montana has repeated the statement often since saddling up and riding to work with the mounted National Mall Police on Thursday. He was then greeted by his new staff as a Northern Cheyenne Indian drummer pounded out an honor song at the top of the Department of the Interior steps. It was a dramatic departure from his job as just one vote out of 435 in U.S. House. Zinke is the only congressman from a state so wide it falls just a few miles short of taking up an entire time zone.

It was just two years ago when Zinke was moving into his House office. Hed been a state legislator for a couple terms in the last decade. Before that he was 23-year veteran of the Navy SEALs, where he reached the rank of commander. He served in Iraq.

In President Donald J. Trumps Cabinet of millionaires, Zinke, 55, is tied with Vice President Mike Pence as the least wealthy, by a long shot. Minus his congressional salary, Zinkes non-government worth is about $800,000 and includes a 1938 Cadillac, a Harley Davidson, some family art and some rental properties, most notably in the Montana timber and ski town of Whitefish, where Zinke, a plumbers son, grew up in the shadow of Glacier National Park.

It is impossible to look in any direction from Zinkes hometown without seeing federal land. The local ski resort, Big Mountain, occupies land leased from the Forest Service. There is a tight green stubble on the landscape where a legacy logging industry sawed jobs from federal timber. Theres the national park and to the east of it the Blackfeet Indian Reservation before the landscape flattens into millions of acres of Bureau of Land Management grazing land, punctuated by farm communities founded in the land rush of the early 1900s.

In Montana, the federal government is everyones neighbor. Its the fourth largest state in the nation. The federal government owns a third of the property. The Department of Interior manages all but the U.S. Forest Service property.

The department represents federal governments obligation to American Indian tribes. It supervises oil, gas drilling and coal mining on federal lands and waters. It manages national parks and battlefields, national monuments and also protects endangered species. The Fourth of July bash on the National Mall? Yep, that too, and several other purposes, as well. It employs 70,000 people and has a $20.7 billion annual budget.

Like all neighbor relations, sometimes theres tension between communities and their largest neighbor. It is the Department of the Interiors job to balance the publics interests in both conservation and revenue from federal land, Zinke told Lee Montana on Friday.

I think we have to recognize that there are some public lands that fit better under the Muir model, where man is more of an observer, the lightest footprint, Zinke said. And there are special places in our public land holdings that deserve that special recognition, and we have it to a degree with wilderness and national parks. But the preponderance of lands, I think, are under the Pinchot model of multiple use.

John Muir was a pioneer of American public land preservation whose vision was crucial in the creation of national parks. His counterpart was Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Pinchot established the management of natural resources for revenue. His maxim was, The greatest good for the greatest number and that good included industry.

Multiple use is making sure that the public can use our lands for the enjoyment and the benefit of the people, Zinke said. That benefit side may include timber harvest, it may include oil energy production. It may include mining. Our charter is to make sure that those activities that are more invasive have a reclamation plan where at the end of the project that land is returned either in the same or better condition than what we started with. And thats where the right regulation  but not excessive regulation  is needed.

Its where jobs are tied to federal land where relations are most heated between the federal government, states and local communities. Zinke sees a need to restore trust with those communities. In Congress, he tried to give local governments, states and Indian tribes more say in the management decision on federal lands. He was harshly criticized for it by House Democrats who said he was giving too much power to non-federal stakeholders in mining and drilling.

But the federal government should be able to create wealth and jobs from its resources, while also protecting public access to federal property for recreation.

National monuments

Several battles concerning public lands await the new Interior secretary. In Utah tempers are flaring over the Bears Ears National Monument. The ears are twin buttes that poke from Southern Utahs Elk Ridge. The features are surrounded by canyons, mesas and cliffs that include archaeological sites.

Former President Barack Obama declared the 1.35 million-acre monument before leaving office last year. Utah Republicans, like Rep. Jason Chaffetz have said the they hope President Trump and Zinke eliminate the monument status.

Republicans stand on Bears Ears cost Utah the nations largest outdoors show, which brought 50,000 visitors to the state and $45 million year. Organizers said they couldnt support a state that didnt support Bears Ears.

Zinke didnt say the monument would be undone, but it might be changed.

I think we should follow the law in that there is no doubt there are areas that should have special protection and a monument is appropriate, Zinke said. But we should work with local communities, we should work with the states. We should follow the law that monuments should be appropriate to the specific areas that deserve that protection. Some of the monuments created in the last administration were popular. They had grassroots support. They had broad support at the state level. And other monuments, especially those that were created late and the actions that were taken late in administration, they do they smell of political agenda rather than gaining consensus. And theyve become viewed in many parts, especially in Utah, as, once again, breaching this bond of trust. And so my task as a secretary is to review all actions that were taken to make sure that we are and advocate for the local voice and advocate for the state and be seen as partners rather than adversaries.

The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is an example of a declaration that worked. The 330,780-acre monument in Northern California was widely supported by the community. Thats the support for a monument Zinke prefers.

A president has never undone a previous presidents national monument. Zinke said theres nothing in the law that prohibits nullification, but theres nothing that clearly allows it, either. But national monuments can be changed.

Theres no doubt that a president can modify a monument that has been done before. Theres precedent in that, Zinke said. I think what the goal is on monument designation is to make sure you have local, and state, broad support of the people who live there, the people who are most affected by the monument. And of course that speaks to what my motto has been and will be: for the enjoyment of the people, which is on the Roosevelt Arch.

Standing Rock and Malheur

If the federal government had better local relations, it would hopefully have fewer protests like the one at Standing Rock, North Dakota, where the Dakota Access Pipeline is to cross beneath the Missouri River. The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge standoff in Oregon is another example where Zinke said things might have been different if public perception of federal land management were different. Federal property was damaged, and in the Malheur standoff someone died. Both incidents cost the federal government millions of dollars that could have been spent on restoration and management, he said.

Going forward, when the public sees a Fish and Wildlife truck, or a BLM truck, I want the public to think about management, Zinke said, Wildlife and land management rather than law enforcement. And I think thats an important distinction. Going forward, again, my biggest task is to restore trust at the local level, and thats being an advocate and making sure people believe they have a voice.

Coal

Zinke is a coal-state Republican. Montana has the largest holdings of federal coal in the United States. In Congress, he fought against a DOI suspension of coal leases triggered by concerns that coal royalties were set too low and needed to be studied. President Trump and Congress have since worked to lift the coal lease ban.

Zinke said coal, oil and gas from federal land is important because low-priced energy powers U.S. manufacturing. Those mining jobs are also directly linked to manufacturing in other states, like Illinois, where Caterpillar employees are hopeful an increase in mining under the Trump administration will boost demand for heavy machinery.

Coals decline is tied to a glut in global supply which has made exports unprofitable while at the same time cheap natural gas replaces coal as the nations primary source at power plants. Zinke and other Republicans argue that federal policy shouldnt exacerbate coals problems. They would like to see more coal power, an idea President Trump campaigned on.

But other economies tied to federal land also need to be promoted where possible, Zinke said.

We should not view it in terms of just extraction, Zinke said. Public land also has a driver when it comes to recreation. In some areas, particularly in the Seattle area, Mount Rainier, Olympic National Park, the forest around Seattle, there is a strong desire to elevate recreation. In Alaska, there is a strong desire for energy development, many of our Native tribes particularly. Some of the biggest resource concerns are owned by Eskimos and Native indigenous peoples, and they are very pro-energy development. They use the pipeline. In many ways, it is their lifeblood, so I think its best to view things locally and start understanding the challenges of energy development. The president was right to look at punitive excessive regulations to undo those and let the market drive things. I think the goal is to make sure we have clean air, clean water, but also the economic engine of the U.S.

Tribal relations

Not all American Indian tribes support fossil fuel development, Zinke acknowledged. Where there is opposition, the United States needs to honor that, he said.

I think with the tribes, and Ive talked with the tribes extensively before, although as a congressman I had the best relationship with the tribes in Montana, Zinke said. As a secretary now of Interior I have to have the same relationship with all tribes.

I think it stems from three things. One is sovereignty, and sovereignty has to be more than a word. Sovereignty has to mean something. Two is respect. And three is self-determination. And thats making sure the tribes have the tools to shape their own destiny and the authority to do that. As you know, even in the West, tribes are not monolithic, meaning that some tribes are pro-resource, pro-energy, pro-fossil fuels. And other tribes stand staunchly against that. I think it goes back to respect and sovereignty that each tribe in my judgement has to have the authority, the tools to carve their own path. And also from the Department of the Interior is to understand culturally many of these tribes are different, and their path may be unique to them, and I have to respect that.
Can a woman expect to have her words heard while her breasts are also visible Can women be sexy -- or even better, sexual -- without having their own bodies used as weapons against them? Sadly, it seems the answer is no.

Last week, Vanity Fair published a photograph of the actress Emma Watson posing in a sheer top that shows the middle and underside of one of her breasts, alongside an interview where she talks about women's rights (Watson is a UN Goodwill Ambassador and outspoken feminist). In response, British radio host Julia Hartley-Brewer tweeted, "Feminism, feminism... gender wage gap... why oh why am I not taken seriously... feminism... oh, and here are my (t*ts)!" Later, she added that Watson "complains that women are sexualized and then sexualizes herself in her own work. Hypocrisy."

It's a confounding argument -- how is it hypocritical for a person who advocates for the rights of human females to have the visible secondary sex characteristics of a human female? But the use of Watson's body, and particularly its sexual (or sexualized) parts, as a tool to judge and humiliate her is sadly common -- as we saw in another photo-related story this week, where male US Marines were caught posting hundreds of explicit images of their female colleagues and other service members in a Google Drive folder, shared in a private Facebook group. Derogatory comments reportedly peppered the photos.

It's not clear if the photos were taken illicitly or shared voluntarily with individuals who then circulated them. But the message is clear: women who are sexual deserve to be humiliated; this ritual humiliation of women is a fun form of male bonding -- not to mention an easy way to strip confident women like Watson and members of the armed forces of some of their power.

In a society so saturated with sex, and where the overwhelming majority of adults have sex outside of the confines of marriage, it can sound laughable to argue that sex, for women, remains stigmatized. But it does.

Appearing sexy for male aesthetic enjoyment is okay, sort of, just so long as you don't get too bossy about the feminism stuff or cross some ever-shifting boundary of female propriety that seems to change along the lines of class, race, age and circumstance. Those boundaries can also be shifted even in hindsight, massaged into a post-facto justification for bad male behavior.

To be female and demonstrably enjoy being sexual is even worse.

If being both female and sexual didn't still carry a stigma, there would be no secret Google Drive folder of explicit photos of female Marines. Naked women would still be titillating to heterosexual men, sure, but there would be no naughty secret, no group bonding over the power to secretly humiliate the women you know and work with, no smug sense that when you see a female Marine in your workplace that you've got something on her and she doesn't even know it.

The concept of "revenge porn," wherein men release sexually explicit photos of their exes in an effort to demean them, would neither exist nor have an audience. It certainly wouldn't be met with tut-tutting about women who voluntarily send their partners sexy photos, or let their partners take sexy photos of them. Sex could just be a thing that adults do for fun, that isn't wrapped up in male entitlement or women "giving it up." Naked photos intended as a private sexy gesture for one's sex partner could be just that.

And sex, too, could be about fun and pleasure, not female morality or virtue. An actress could pose standing, arms crossed, looking straight at the camera, and the visible presence of a breast could be reflective solely of the fact that she has breasts, not a commentary on her sexual readiness or her ability to use her brain.

That's the future women like Emma Watson, who use their platforms to spread the feminist gospel, are pushing for. It's not any less feminist to do it tits-first.
Almost 30 car crashes were reported Monday in Casper when high winds and blowing snow pummeled the city during the morning rush hour.

Twenty-two of those collisions occurred between about 6:50 and 8 a.m., according to the Casper Police Department. There were no serious injuries.

Law enforcement called a snow day due to the overwhelming number of crashes and too few officers to keep up.

If anybody has a crash today that doesnt involve injuries or the vehicles can be moved, they need to contact the front desk at the police department at a later time, Sgt. Jeff Bullard said Monday morning about snow day protocol. If there are injuries or the vehicles are disabled, they can call 911.

Icy roads caused a snowplow to lose traction and collide with a school bus Monday morning at the intersection of Beverly and Farnum streets.

No one was injured, and both vehicles were able to continue on their way, according to the Casper Police Department.

Eight children were on the bus at the time. The students were later taken to school, and their parents were notified. The accident will be investigated, Bullard said.

A spokeswoman for the Natrona County School District said the driver of the plow was trying to stop and assist the bus when the plow slid into the front of the school vehicle.

As the storm continued across central and southeast Wyoming on Monday afternoon, portions of Interstate 25 from Casper to Glendo were closed, and the interstate between Glendo and Cheyenne was closed to light, high-profile vehicles. Interstate 80 between Rawlins and Laramie was also closed.

The Wyoming Department of Transportation cautioned there was an extreme blow-over risk on portions of both major roadways. Gusts up to 55 mph were expected to hit Casper and gusts up to 65 mph were forecast in Cheyenne.

High winds raced across the state Sunday night. The National Weather Service recorded gusts up to 74 mph at Muddy Gap, 65 mph northwest of Buffalo and 92 mph outside of Clark.
Having trouble following the fast-moving developments about the Trump teams ties to Russia? Heres a primer to get you up to speed:

President Donald Trump got to know Russian President Vladimir Putin very well, but he doesnt know Putin.

Putin sent Trump a present and they spoke, but Trump has no relationship with him.

Trump has nothing to do with Russia, but his son has said Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets and we see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.

Russia definitely hacked the Democratic National Committee, unless it was a 400-pound man in his bedroom or a guy in a van down by the river.

U.S. intelligence agencies allege that Putin meddled in the election to try to get Trump elected, but this was all a ruse and a fake news fabricated deal to try and make up for the loss of the Democrats.

There was no communication between Trumps team and Russia during the campaign and transition, except for communication with Russia by Trumps future national security adviser, his future attorney general, his son-in-law and two others.

Attorney general Jeff Sessions did not have communications with the Russians, except for the two meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak he neglected to mention under oath.

Sessions said he never discussed the campaign with Russians, which is not what was alleged.

Sessions had no idea what this allegation is about regarding his Russian contacts but had an enough of an idea what its about to declare it is false.

Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation, but this decision is unrelated to the discovery that he spoke twice with the Russian ambassador despite his claims that he had no such meetings.

Sessions cannot confirm the investigation he recused himself from exists or will exist in the future.

Sessions believes that perjury is one of the constitutional high crimes and misdemeanors and goes to the heart of the judicial system, except his false testimony under oath to Congress was not a false statement but a case of speaking too quickly.

Sessions met with the Russian ambassador during the time Sessions was serving as a surrogate for the Trump campaign, but not in his capacity as a surrogate for the Trump campaign.

Sessions remembers nothing of his meetings with the Russian ambassador, except that he remembers clearly talking about terrorism and religion and Ukraine and hes sure they didnt talk about the campaign.

It was a total coincidence that around the same time Sessions was meeting with the Russian ambassador, Trump gave an interview that ended up on Russian state-owned TV saying he didnt believe reports of Russian influence in the U.S. election.

Trump, Trumps press secretary and a broad swath of Republican members of Congress said there is no reason for Sessions to recuse himself from the investigation from which Sessions recused himself.

The incendiary and salacious dossier by a former British intelligence official on Trumps involvement with Russia was completely unverified, but U.S. authorities were prepared to pay the man who wrote it.

Carter Page, who has extensive ties to Moscow, had no role in the Trump campaign, except that Trump, meeting with The Washington Posts editorial board, listed Page as an adviser.

Reports of the Trump teams ties to Russia are fake news, yet those who leaked the information for those articles need to be found and punished.

Trump ousted Michael Flynn, his national security adviser, who Trump says did nothing wrong.

Flynn, who spoke several times with Kislyak on the day President Obama announced sanctions against Russia, told Vice President Pence and the FBI that the discussion that intelligence officials heard them having about sanctions was not a discussion about sanctions.

The sanctions that Flynn reportedly discussed with Kislyak, in the conversation he cant entirely remember, were not really sanctions.

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort had absolutely nothing to do and never has with Russia, except for his extensive work for Russian oligarchs and pro-Russia forces in Ukraine.

Manafort declared in the fall that theres no investigation going on by the FBI that Im aware of into his contacts with Russia, months after that investigation began.

Sessions previously asserted that no one is above the law and that failure to punish people for being untruthful under oath will weaken the legal system, and he proclaimed that Im very careful about how I conduct myself in these matters. Except when he isnt.

So, now you know everything there is to know about Trump and Russia. This has been a public service announcement.
Paula Browning, Chief Executive at Copyright Licensing NZ said, This is the first time we have surveyed New Zealand writers about their earnings and other aspects of writing. Improving our understanding of the challenges writers face means can do more to support them. We know that we need a strong local writing and publishing industry so that New Zealand stories are told, both by New Zealanders and for New Zealanders. The report clearly demonstrates that we need to do more to support our writers and increase their ability to earn a living from writing.
The NASA astronaut who commanded the Apollo 9 mission has died. NASA said Monday that James McDivitt died last week in Tucson, Arizona, at age 93. McDivitt was also the commander of 1965s Gemini 4 mission with Ed White, who took the first U.S. spacewalk during that flight. McDivitt's Apollo mission came in 1969, four months before the moon landing. Apollo 9 orbited Earth to test the first complete set of equipment to go to the moon. McDivitt later went into management with the Apollo program. He was selected by NASA for the second class of astronauts in 1962.
When we take relationships for granted, they are usually over before we realize what happened. Taking business relationships for granted can be expensive. Lets look at a couple of true cases in which only the names have changed.

The Pima Mortgage company referred all of their clients to Monroe Title. This relationship lasted several years, and generated millions of dollars in revenue for Monroe Title. Then one day the phone rang and it was a different title company, asking if Pima Mortgage was accepting new referrals. They wanted to introduce the mortgage company to a real estate broker who needed a lender to refer their clients to.

Monroe Title had always provided great service, but they never introduced Pima Mortgage to a new source of business. This was a chink in the armor of an otherwise strong relationship. Pima Mortgage appreciated this new income stream, and within two weeks their referrals were going to the new title company.

Mark is the owner of a successful insurance agency. Many of Marks clients need a good restoration company after a flood or fire. Mark met Lisa, the owner of a restoration company in their professional referral group. Mark started sending Lisa his business and they became good friends. The volume of business Mark sent was significant and he was her single best referral source. After a few years Lisa decided to leave the referral group, assuming her relationship with Mark was solid. One of Lisas competitors quickly joined and in a matter of weeks, Mark began to send his referrals to the new restoration company. Mark stated to the group that while Lisa was still his friend, she made the decision to leave the group. Since the group is where Mark got most of his business, he was going to support other members.
If you go

What: 24th annual Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival.

When: Sunday, March 12, through March 19.

Where: Leo Rich Theatre, 260 S. Church Ave.

Tickets: $30 adults, $10 students, or $120 for the five festival concerts in advance at arizonachambermusic.org/tickets or at the door.

Et cetera: The annual festival gala dinner and concert at Arizona Inn, 2200 E. Elm St., will begin at 6 p.m. March 18. Tickets are $160 at arizonachambermusic.org/tickets
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some March 6 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages.
Hospitalized at Tucson Medical Center since his birth last month, Orion Flores is one of a growing number of local babies exposed to opioids in the womb.

The need to help babies like Orion and their families was the impetus for a new program that aims to help parents quit their addiction to opioids like heroin and oxycodone, manage the challenges of parenthood and keep families together.

Orions mom, Melissa Flores, has been in the fledgling program  a partnership between Tucson Medical Center and CODAC Health, Recovery and Wellness  since her third month of pregnancy.

Services through CODAC include a rehab methadone clinic, support groups at the hospital neonatal intensive care unit for parents with addicted newborns and care for newborns withdrawing from opiates.

Since September, the program has helped about 40 families, said Kelly Irving, CODACs senior director of womens services.

Withdrawal symptoms from an opiate addiction are the same for both children and adults, said Pat Brown, manager of the newborn intensive care unit at TMC. She said the withdrawal includes gastrointestinal problems, an inability to eat, pain and jitters. Often, the babies are inconsolable.

They go through the same withdrawals that an adult would go through, except theyre not able to verbalize what that pain is, Brown said.

Methadone

Most pregnant women who come into labor and delivery at TMC are forthcoming with their drug use because they want the best care for their baby, Brown said. Babies typically remain in the hospital for two to three months while they are treated for withdrawal, she said.

Flores, 25, has been receiving doses of methadone for treatment of her addiction to opiates at a CODAC clinic every morning since August, when she found out she was pregnant with Orion, her second child.

Babies like Orion whose mothers have drug problems are often diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), which is a group of problems that often occur in a newborn who is exposed to drugs while in the mothers womb.

Babies with NAS can have a number of symptoms, including an inability to eat and breathing difficulties.

Five babies, including Orion, have been born with NAS at the hospital since Jan. 1. There were 50 babies born with NAS at the hospital in 2016, TMC officials say.

Bruce Reddix, a pediatrician contracted to work with babies at TMC, said he has seen an increase in NAS-affected babies over the past few years. Statewide, the number of babies with NAS increased by 224 percent between 2008 and 2015, statistics from the Arizona Department of Health Services show.

Group sessions

Two rooms with white tile walls in the hospitals neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are designated for newborns like Orion who have been exposed to drugs. Each of the five babies the rooms can hold is assigned a nurse when they are born, and families are encouraged to be in the room with their children.

The separate area for these families benefits the parents because it encourages open conversation about where they are in their drug use, Brown said. There is a conference room next door where support groups are held by CODAC representatives for families.

Brown said it is best for all babies in the NICU that those displaying withdrawal or NAS symptoms are in a separate area.

A lot of times the families are very much involved and the nurses are there with these parents pretty much all the time, Brown said.

Irving said its generally mothers, grandmothers, and occasionally fathers and other family members who attend the group sessions.

In these sessions, parents are educated about substance abuse, treatment for themselves and their children, and they are encouraged to talk about what it feels like to have a child who was exposed to opiates.

Pregnancy

Flores found out she was pregnant with Orion when she went to TMC for a general health concern in August.

She immediately decided to move into a CODAC residential treatment facility called Las Amigas for four months so she could prepare for the birth of Orion and deal with her addiction.

Flores now is living at a Gospel Rescue Mission facility and is a part of a CODAC program called Mothers Caring About Self. She is working toward being able to support herself and her children.

I go to a clinic every morning, except for Sunday, I get a take-home dose for that day, Flores said. We take our dose at the window and they watch us.

Methadone used in the clinic is a synthetic opiate medication for treatment of people withdrawing from opiate addiction, said Irving. It is administered in liquid form.

A lot of people continue to use opiates because they dont want to experience this withdrawal because it is very intense, and then there is a high potential to relapse within the opiate addiction. Irving said.

Methadone gives them enough of an opiate to stop any withdrawal symptoms that they may have, but not enough to get high off of.

State custody

In some cases, the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) will remove a child from mothers who continue to combat addiction.

When baby Orion is discharged from the hospital, state officials will conduct an investigation to see if a case needs to be opened, program officials said.

Flores 19-month-old son, Jude, is currently in state custody and living in a foster home, but Flores says she hopes it is a temporary situation.

She sees Jude twice a week and is working on reunification, she said.

In cases where DCS is involved, CODAC will help the family and follow the case, Irving said.

We are the treatment providers going to their child and family team meetings, to their court hearings, and providing updates on the progress they are making in their substance use and their ability to cope and live healthy, productive lives, Irving said.

Irving said families can choose to remain with CODAC for case management or ongoing individual or group-therapy services.

Trauma therapy

Flores moved to Tucson from Massachusetts six years ago and said CODAC has provided the home, family and support system she lacked when she moved here.

We like to make sure that they are connected with some sort of community support, Irving said.

If thats a 12-step program, a club that they really enjoy going to, a church group, or something that connects them to other people in a healthy way, thats when we know people are ready to move on from our services and live their lives.

There are staff members at CODAC who are in recovery themselves who are on-site and available to help offer support, Irving said.

Flores said she looks forward to having more time with her children and on doing her ink drawings and other artwork.

Im excited to teach the kids how to draw. I try to get Jude to hold a colored pencil sometimes, but he doesnt get it yet, Flores said.

Irving said CODAC hopes to partner with a childrens provider to offer child-parent psychotherapy as part of the program.

It will be trauma-focused, where parents will be able to acknowledge the trauma they have caused their child, work to express that, and apologize for it, she said.

It helps them move on from the guilt and shame that they have from causing this in the first place, Irving said.
Imagine a dust storm, driven by monsoon downbursts, building near the Maricopa-Pinal county line.

There are thousands of Interstate 10 motorists and hundreds of thousands of Phoenix exurb residents who would probably want to know about such a storm before the stinging, blinding wall of sand arrives.

But does all of metro Phoenix need to get the alert? Likely not, but the National Weather Services Ken Waters told the dozens of attendees at the annual dust-storm workshop in Coolidge last week that thats exactly what would happen with the existing cellphone warning system in place for dust events.

If Im sitting in northwest Maricopa County and Ive got a cellphone, Im going to get that dust-storm warning, even though its 150 miles away, he said. Thats a dramatic over-warning.

Come this fall, those warnings are slated to get much more focused, a development Waters described as years and years in the making and one of the most significant changes in the NWS warnings in recent memory.

Waters said the change wasnt the result of new or improved technology, but rather the simple fact the agency didnt apply the polygon warnings already in place for tornadoes, thunderstorms and other serious weather phenomena to dust events. But soon the warnings will reflect the fact that Arizona dust storms are in a league of their own.

So, starting this fall, if you get a dust warning on your cellphone, dont brush it off like you might have in the past. Those alerts will then mean there is a dust storm nearby bearing down on you, and that change should help cut down on what Waters described as warning fatigue.

The Road Runner also heard some updates on the dust-sensor system the Arizona Department of Transportation has planned for a particularly problematic stretch of I-10 just northwest of Picacho Peak.

Lets first talk about just how problematic the half-mile stretch between mile 213.6 and 214.1 is.

ADOT studied the matter between 2010 and 2015 and came up with some astonishing results. Over that period, there were 83 dust-related crashes  three with fatalities and five that resulted in incapacitating injuries  between East Riggs Road near Phoenix and West Ina Road near Tucson, an 87-mile stretch. More than half  43, including two fatal incidents  occurred on the half-mile stretch in question, according to a presentation by ADOT system technology manager Reza Karimvand.

To improve safety in the corridor, ADOT intends to install a series of advanced short- and long-range dust sensors between mileposts 209 and 219 that connect to a series of electronic message boards and variable speed-limit signs that can warn drivers and reduce speed limits  as low as 35 mph  when dust storms or more localized dust events occur. Karimvand said the system will cost about $8 million, and the work is eligible for federal Highway Safety Improvement Program grants. The project, which is going to be rolled into the I-10-Arizona 87 interchange project, is expected to be advertised to bidders by mid-June.

But what is going on at this stretch that makes it so dangerous? Theres not an agreed-upon answer yet, but Karimvand was one of a number to point to agricultural-related activities near the interstate as a possibility.

On his way back to Tucson from the workshop, the Road Runner stopped at the area in question and saw acres of dusty land all but bereft of vegetation just a stones throw from the interstate.

In a wide-ranging, informal conversation toward the end of the dust summit, the Arizona Department of Environmental Qualitys Len Drago heard from scientists, county officials and private citizens who suggested a number of conceivable culprits and solutions. Several felt that heavy cattle grazing could be preventing native plants from returning to the denuded patch, and others pointed to the potential hydrological impacts of a canal that runs nearby.

Still others wanted to see data collected that could be used to establish legal liability for landowners whose property contributes to blowing dust and accidents, and another proposed looking into specialized conservation easements to cut down on grazing.

Whatever the root causes, Dan Leins, with the NWS Tucson office, told the group that localized dust events originating nearby  as opposed to massive haboobs that can travel for miles  are responsible for many, if not most, of the serious dust-related incidents.

Drago, the deputy director of ADEQs air-quality division, is part of an interagency work group tasked with learning about and addressing I-10 dust issues, including at this stretch. While he emphasized that a lot remains unknown about whats going on at this half-mile, he said the group hopes to have some recommendations within the next couple months. The Road Runner already has his request in to see them when theyre ready.

As to root causes, Once we identify that, then well partner with the landowners to see if there are things we can do to help mitigate potential dust in the future, he said, adding that so far the team has had great cooperation from those landowners.

DOWN THE ROAD

From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, South Craycroft Road will be closed at I-10 to allow for the installation of a construction bridge in preparation for I-10 deck work. All the on- and off-ramps will be open, but vehicles will not be able to pass under the interstate on Craycroft.

There will be travel lane restrictions at the Speedway and North Stone Avenue intersection starting at 7 a.m. Monday to allow for utility work. Restrictions, which will not impact any turn lanes, will be in place through mid-afternoon Wednesday.
Four of the countrys most respected novelists are in the running for New Zealands richest fiction writing prize with todays announcement of the 2017 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards shortlist.

Commonwealth Prize-winning novelist Catherine Chidgeysis one of the contenders for the $50,000 Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize, as are multi-award winning writer Owen Marshalls, critic, poet and novelist C.K. Steadsand critically acclaimed poet and novelist Emma Neales

through the generosity of one of the Acorn Foundations donors.

The prize, now in its second year, is awarded

The Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize judges convenor, Bronwyn Wylie-Gibb, says all four finalists demonstrate compelling writing, surprising plots, sudden poignancies, sharp humour and beautifully observed characters. These are the books that we loved, that provoked, that excited us, and that we are still thinking about.

For the first time in the history of the New Zealand Book Awards, an international judge will assist in selecting the winner of the fiction category.

Distinguished Canadian writer Madeleine Thien will be the first to assume this role. New Zealand Book Awards Trust chair, Nicola Legat, says this countrys writers have long wished for an international view of their books, and having an international judge will now be a permanent feature of this award.

Ms Legat further reports that judges across all categories found selecting a shortlist in a very tight longlist field difficult.The overall standard of publishing in New Zealand in the last year was so very high.

In the Poetry category, the finalists are Tusiata Avias Fale Aitu

The Poetry convenor, Harry Ricketts, says that each finalist was highly accomplished, ambitious, demanding and rewarding.The quality of long-listed collections by experienced poets was extremely high, so too that of first-timers. And the collections, so striking, so innovative, were so distinctive in poetics and in content. Each [of the four finalists] pushes you outside your comfort zone, adjusts your expectations, sends you back to discover new things about the poems, about yourself reading them.

The finalists in the Illustrated Non-Fiction category are

showcase the skills of Aotearoa New Zealands writers, editors, designers, printers and publishers, presenting aspects of our life and culture in original and compelling ways, she says.

Stylish production enhanced the aesthetic appeal of the Illustrated Non-Fiction shortlisted books, with crisp photography and fascinating historical images complemented by great design, says the convenor, Linda Tyler. 

The General Non-Fiction categorys finalists are Anthony Byrts

This Model World: Travels to the Edge of Contemporary Art

; Adam Duddings My Fathers Island; Ben Schraders The Big Smoke: New Zealand Cities, 1840-1920, and Ashleigh Youngs Can You Tolerate This? C

onvenor Susanna Andrew says the judges chose the books that thrilled them with their vigour, originality and wisdom.

These four
OPINION: "Im sure you will see, as I have, that for all the 'God talk' that Christian nationalists throw around, their attitudes and actions are starkly antithetical to the gospel of love and inclusion for all advocated by the Jesus they claim to believe in," writes Rev. Gary Nelson, a former conservative pastor in Payson.
Help India!

By Arun Kumar

Washington, (IANS): Indian-American investor and philanthropist Frank Islam hopes that a $2-million management school set up by him at his alma mater, the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), will become an incubator for leaders in India.

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From this Complex will come the leaders who will make India and the world a better place, said Islam, who dedicated The Frank and Debbie Islam Management Complex at the AMU in February.

That is my vision, he told IANS. I also expect that the Complex will be a place for sharing of information and imparting and development of knowledge.

It will be a space where faculty and students can collaborate on innovative projects. It will be an educational empowerment zone, he said.

As a result of that collaboration, the Complex will be a place where dreams will begin and students will develop the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities to realise them, Islam added.

Speaking of his role in developing stronger people-to-people ties between the US and India, Islam said he hopes to be a strong advocate for increased attention to addressing the educational needs of minorities and those in the weaker sections in India.

I will also focus time and attention to the development and support of new entrepreneurs and making the connection between American businesses and investors and those interested in starting new businesses.

Islam also called attention to need for increased constructive civic engagement by those with the capacity and competence to be difference makers.

This would ensure that these two strong democracies are places where freedom, equal rights, and equality of opportunity regardless of sex, race or religion are true in reality and not just in rhetoric.

Asked how he saw India-US relations growing under President Donald Trump, Islam said former President Barack Obama saw the US and India as indispensable partners.

But Trumps more isolationist emphasis on America first and economic nationalism suggests that he is not putting building relations with foreign countries  India included  at or near the top of his agenda, he said.

However, Islam firmly believes that Trump administration will broaden and strengthen and deepen our engagement with India as US-India relationship had bipartisan support.

Islam currently heads the FI Investment Group, a private investment holding company. He founded the QSS Group, an information technology firm in 1994 and built it from one employee to more than 2,000 employees and revenues of approximately $300 million before its sale in 2007.
Help India!

By Ambedkar Reading Group-Delhi for Twocircles.net

Much of the present-day discussions use the category of caste to abandon the Muslim question and see it anew from within the ambit of a larger anti-caste location. We feel that there are serious problems with this political and theoretical move and this is what we want to problematize in the two-part series.

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Recently, we saw the coming together of Dalits and Muslims at the ground level against a common enemy  the Hindu, Brahminical State and Culture  in many instances. It was a unification of lower caste groups and Muslims that we witnessed in the struggles of ASA in Hyderabad Central University too. Such a combination was what irked the authorities in HCU, which led to the persecution and eventual suicide/institutional murder of Rohit Vemula. However, in spite of this, the intellectual discussions that are happening today seem to be writing off any Dalit-Muslim unity as an impossible and even undesirable political formation by pointing to the existence of caste among Muslims.

In fact, at the end of 2016 we saw two different articles, one in The Hindu and second in Roundtable India, which addressed this issue. Both these articles, Faizal Devjis Is a Dalit Muslim Alliance Possible and Khalid Anis Ansaris A Bahujan Third Space Beyond Left and Right: Really? vehemently opposed the very possibility of forming a Dalit-Muslim unity. Both of these articles point to the evidence of caste among Muslims so as to demolish the very category of the Muslim and to subsume this religious identity within an identity of caste, in the name of anti-caste politics.

Caste is integral to the formation of almost all identity groups in India as it is foundational to the social and cultural fabric of India. Moreover, if we look at all marginalized and oppressed groups, it was the dominant caste/community among them that was involved in organizing the community. So, social stratification (on the basis of various factors including caste) is a reality for all minority groups including Muslims. Even Babasaheb Ambedkar wrote about this in his seminal work, Annihilation of Caste. However, all of the above articles, and much of the present-day discussions use the category of caste to abandon the Muslim question and see it anew from within the ambit of a larger anti-caste location. We feel that there are serious problems with this political and theoretical move and this is what we want to problematize in this piece.

Even though caste exists among women, among Dalits, among many social groups in India, it does not lead to the dismantling of the politics of any of these groups. The woman question continues to remain as a powerful field employed in almost all spheres of life and culture, in spite of the assertive attack on it by many Bahujan women who feel excluded from the homogenizing category of woman. In fact, these attacks are also often made from a renewed understanding of women and gender. Similarly, even if there are divisions among Dalits, and Maha Dalit has already become an established category like the Pasmanda Muslim and Maha Dalits have started asserting themselves, one does not sees the presence of this issue in any intellectual discourse. The national acceptance of the caste question is itself today mediated by the large-scale employment of the category of the Dalit, which is often posited as a very homogenous and easily recognizable category.

However, when it comes to the Muslim question, the existence of caste among Muslims is employed not towards a reassertion of a new and renewed Muslim politics that would be informed by an understanding of the reality of caste, but the well-established concept of caste is used to bombard the very category of the Muslim and to replace it with the notion of a collective wherein the Muslim is added in with the category of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs as a caste category, and the issue of religion is discarded as needless and useless for any kind of contemporary analysis. This can be very clearly seen in these words of Khalid Anis Ansari in the article, Muslims that Minority Politics Left Behind:

Since the express object of the Pasmanda movement has been to raise the issue of caste-based exclusion of subordinate caste Muslims, it has stressed on caste-based solidarity across religions. As Ali Anwar, the founder of Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz, says: There is a bond of pain between Pasmanda Muslims and the Pasmanda sections of other religions. This bond of pain is the supreme bond  That is why we have to shake hands with the pasmanda sections of other religions.

In this article, after agreeing that Pasmanda Muslims share a widespread feeling of Muslimness with the upper-caste Muslims, the reality of caste within this shared Muslimness makes Ansari move towards a position where he would rather focus on the Pasmanda Muslims shared experience of caste-based humiliation and disrespect with subordinated caste Hindus, even though he is well aware that this solidarity is equally interrupted by the discourse around religious difference. So when face to face with an identity, which is complex in nature, whose religion based solidarity is broken by caste and caste-based solidarity is broken by religion, Ansari chooses to focus on caste-based solidarity and discard the solidarity that is based on religion.

The best illustration of the political consequence of such a perspective is the Pasmanda Muslim position on the reservation for Muslims. Sub-group reservation is a demand by most identity groups today. OBC women, Maha Dalits and the Most Backward Classes are all demanding sub-quotas within the larger category as a way of better belonging to the very category that excludes them. However, in the case of Muslims, Pasmanda Muslims, in their own words have consistently objected to the demand of reservation for the entire Muslim community dubbing it as a ploy by the hegemonic high caste Muslims to corner all the benefits. (Khalid Anis Ansari: Why BAPSAs support to Muslim Right is problematic) Instead, they seek reservations only within the established category of SC and OBC. In other words, Pasmanda politics aims at preventing all new attempts by Muslim organisations to get reservations as a group.

Now we need to understand here that the draft Constitution of India did provide reservations for Muslims. According to the decision of the Minorities Sub-Committee, the draft Constitution of February 1948 reserved seats for Muslims in Parliament and State legislatures. However, this reservation was taken away by the Constituent Assembly in May 1949.

In fact, it is through a very secular, savarna, liberal, nationalist politics that Muslims were cleverly pushed out of the ambit of reservations in India. It is the same nationalist process that put Dalits in the category of Hindus in the constitution. So now, if a politics is created in the name of caste, which will oppose any kind of assertion of Muslim politics/reservation, it is not difficult to see that this politics is framed within the same secular, savarna liberal process that pushed Muslims out of the ambit of reservation and made Dalits constitutionally Hindu.

However, as it must be obvious, one can see that it is very difficult for a group, which is already feeling oppressed within a totality to first demand reservations for the totality of Muslims and then ask for sub-reservation within it. In fact, this is an impossibility in the present scenario. In other words, the demands of Pasmanda Muslims are created from a certain impossibility regarding the Muslim question in Caste Hindu India. However, and this is what we want to argue here if we are to push towards a radical transformative politics, we need to understand how the caste among Muslim discourse is actually reasserting this impossibility of the Muslim identity in a Caste Hindu India and thereby reasserting the ideology of the caste Hindu Nation.

Such an impossibility is automatically reproduced when most present day caste among Muslims discourses fail to distinguish between Hindu and Muslim social groups. In his Annihilation of Caste, Babasaheb Ambedkar reveals a greater insight about the same, which is very useful for thinking through these issues today. In this seminal work Ambedkar makes two major definitions about Hindu and Muslim social groups. About the Hindu society he says:

Hindu Society as such does not exist. It is only a collection of castes. Each caste is conscious of its existence. Its survival is the be-all and end-all of its existence. Castes do not even form a federation. A caste has no feeling that it is affiliated to other castes, except when there is a Hindu-Muslim riot. On all other occasions each caste endeavours to segregate itself and to distinguish itself from other castes. (Annihilation of Caste, Dr B R Ambedkar).

Here the argument is that Hindu society as such doesnt exist as it is just a group of castes and that this collection of castes can probably come together only in the face of the Muslim other. That is, the presence of the Muslim can create an affiliation of castes, which is otherwise not there. Thinking along these lines, we can then argue that it is this affiliation in the face of the Muslim that creates Hindu unity or Hindu identity or Hinduism itself. This is the same reason why riots are needed whenever there is a need to manufacture such a Hindu Unity.

Now look at what Ambedkar has to say about Muslim and other minority groups in the same essay:

If we apply these considerations to castes among Mohammedans, Sikhs, and Christians on the one hand, and to castes among Hindus on the other, you will find that caste among Non-Hindus is fundamentally different from caste among Hindus. First, the ties which consciously make the Hindus hold together are non-existent, while among Non- Hindus there are many that hold them together. The strength of a society depends upon the presence of points of contact, possibilities of interaction, between different groups which exist in it. These are what Carlyle calls organic filaments i.e., the elastic threads which help to bring the disintegrating elements together and to reunite them. There is no integrating force among the Hindus to counteract the disintegration caused by caste. While among the Non-Hindus there are plenty of these organic filaments which bind them together.

The major argument put forward here is that in contrast to Hindu society, which does not have a binding factor due to the presence of caste, and which can come together only in the face of the other of the threatening Muslim, in spite of the presence of caste, Muslim society is bound by organic filaments which reunites them even in the face of the disintegrating elements of caste.

Two important points can be deduced from Ambedkars initial arguments about caste in Hindus and Non-Hindus. One is that there is something in non-Hindu community formations, which offers the possibility of transcending caste. Secondly, Hinduism in India is made possible when castes come together (even if momentarily) in the face of the Muslim other. In fact, from the cow protection riots of the 1920s to the present day tensions between Hindus and Muslims there are deliberate attempts to make this coming together happen not only through the imposition of a hegemonic Brahminical culture on lower castes, but also through an attempt to bring all warring caste factions together as Hindu in the face of the threatening other of the Muslim.

In the light of this discussion, we can now rethink the way Hinduism has been viewed from within the Dalit Bahujan discourse. This will help us better locate Hinduism and see the way in which the caste among Muslim discourse is framed to neglect it.
Help India!

New Delhi, (IANS): Expressing concern over delays in the trial in the Babri Masjid case, the Supreme Court on Monday said the separate trials underway in Lucknow and Rae Bareli must be clubbed together to speed up the judicial process.

A bench of Justice P.S. Ghosh and R.F. Nariman has posted the matter for further hearing on March 22.

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The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), challenging the May 2010 Allahabad High Court decision.

The High Court had acquitted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti and then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh of the charge of criminal conspiracy in the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

The High Court had said there was no merit in the CBIs revision petition challenging the May 4, 2001, order of the special court, which directed dropping of criminal conspiracy charges against them.
A PAIR of bungling bank robbers will be cursing their bad luck after getting away with a G4S security Money Box only to find it completely empty.

The thieves got away with the money box  which can hold up to 25,000 in cash  after one man tackled a G4S member of staff at a Barclays Bank in South East London.

Struggling with the G4S worker on the bank floor in Chislehurst, staff and customers watched on in shock as the robber grappled for the box.

After snatching it from the G4S worker, the robber made his getaway in a car driven by a second robber who was parked outside.

One onlooker said the man shouted give me that box before rugby tackling the G4S worker to the floor of the High Street branch.

It all happened so fast, the eyewitness said. Before the G4S worker had time to react he was on the floor.

The next minute the robber was out the door with the box.

She added: It was all very dramatic, I wasnt sure what had happened until the event was over.

But the robbers will be cursing their bad luck after sources close to the investigation confirmed that the box was, in fact, empty.

A G4S spokesman confirmed that the employee had activated security measures meaning a red die will have been ejected over any contents in the box as well as the robber as he opened it.

Head of Operational Risk for G4S Cash Solutions, Gareth Skinner said: "On Wednesday 22 February, one of our cash crew members was the victim of an attack during a routine service to a bank on Chislehurst High Street.

Fortunately our colleague has not suffered any serious injuries but understandably has been shaken by the attack.

He added: "We are working closely with the Metropolitan Police and I would urge anyone who may have been nearby and seen this attack to get in touch with the police or dial 101 so that those behind it can be brought to justice.

The branch was shut for the remainder of the day, shortly after the incident at around 3 PM.

Forensic officers from the Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO) and metropolitan police officers were on the scene shortly after the incident.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan police said: "Detectives from the Met's Flying Squad are investigating at cash-in-transit robbery in Chislehurst. "Police were called at approximately 15:00hrs on Wednesday, 22 February to reports of the robbery on High Street.

"The custodian was pushed before the suspect stole the cash box."

A Barclays spokesperson said: I can confirm that an incident took place at our branch in Chislehurst on Wednesday afternoon and the branch was closed for the rest of the day while the police completed their investigations.

With increasing calls for a cashless society, it appears that Barclays are ahead of the game.

G4S use armoured vehicles to transfer their security boxes which are monitored via satellite tracking.

Glue and ink features are deployed in incidents such as this one, which renders bank notes unusable when triggered.

The UK launched its plastic 5 note last year and is gearing up to launch a 'fraud-proof' 1 coin in the coming months.
Archived Results for Monday, March 6th, 2017

Gene Foster Mr. Gene Kelly Foster, Sr, age 72, a resident of Elk's Circle, Chocowinity, NC died Thursday, February 23, 2017 at Pitt Vidant Medical Center By: Announcements

Search Terms: gene kelly foster chocowinity Search Terms: obituary
Who is Geert Wilders?

He is a divisive figure on the Dutch political scene with as many followers as haters. Known for his anti - Islam stance, his anti - immigration views plus being anti - the European Union Wilders is reflecting a populist politics seen elsewhere.

His great ambition is to emulate Brexit and the election of Donald Trump in the United States. Wilders has been compared to the new President saying he wants to make The Netherlands great again. Wilders lives his life in hiding and whenever he is seen out and about is protected by security.

Wilder's Ambition

This maverick politician wishes to contest the Dutch elections in March and become Holland's next Prime Minister. His party the Dutch Freedom Party already sits in the Dutch Parliament as does he.

Geert Wilders said if given the chance he would enact policies to make Holland feel more Dutch in his view. Such policies would be the closing down of Mosques, stopping or limiting Islamic immigration and has said Dutch people should reclaim their streets again.

The Netherlands Muslim population is about 5% of the countries population and many feel unwelcome.

In interviews with news media, Wilders has said that if he were in power Muslims could stay. He followed this up by saying they would only be allowed to stay if they were patriotic Dutch citizens.

Wilders Perception

No doubt the left leaning media whether in the Netherlands or elsewhere will not like Wilders. Calling him all the names that people on the so called far right get called day in and day out. Wilders has attracted the same vitriol that Marine Le Pen, Donald Trump and Nigel Farage have received.

The people who vote for populists are not necessarily racists when they see their areas changing and feel like outsiders in their own country.

When any populist politicians come along left or right and speak a language the people understand these populists usually do well

While these people might not necessarily become the leader of their country they can change the course of their nation's history like Nigel Farage.
US President Donald Trump inherited a secret program, ordered by his predecessor, Barack Obama, of sabotage the North Korean ballistic missile program by cyberattacks.

Obama started the fight three years ago

Three years ago, President Barack Obama asked the Pentagon to intensify the cyber and electronic attacks against the ballistic missile program of North Korea with the hope that the launch ramps will be sabotaged when they will open. The result was that many missiles launched by the North Korean army began to explode, to deviate from the path, to disintegrate after launch or to collapse into the sea.

The proponents of these efforts argue that the punctual attacks have given a new dimension to the US missile defense systems, delaying a few years the capacity of the Stalinist regime in Pyongyang to threaten American cities with nuclear bombs with intercontinental missiles.

Other experts have become increasingly skeptical about Washington's new approach, arguing that the manufacturing errors, the opponents infiltrators and the incompetence can be factors that led to ballistics failed.

Kim Jong-Un, the North Korean leader, now claims that his country is "in the final stages of preparation" of an inaugural test with intercontinental missile.

Donald Trump will respond aggressively to threats

Donald Trump has drawn attention on several occasions that he will respond aggressively to the threats of North Korea.

The new US president could order to intensify the cyber and electronic attacks, but the efficiency isn`t guaranteed. He could start negotiations with Pyongyang to halt nuclear and ballistic missile programs, but the threat is likely to persist. He could prepare punctual bombardments on launch ramps, an option considered by Barack Obama too, but the chances that all the targets to be destroyed are really small.

He could make pressure on China to limit the support and the commercial relations, but Beijing never took steps leading to the collapse of the North Korean regime.

In the course of some recent meetings, the American presidential advisers to national security analyzed these options, and the possibility of resubmitting nuclear bombs in South Korea, as a warning.
After a brief, one-day stint as a calm and level-headed leader, President Donald Trump is back to his old tricks as he signs a new executive order banning travellers (even those with valid travel documents) from six countries: Yemen, Libya, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, and Iran. The only difference between this and the only travel ban is that this time hes dropped Iraq from the list. That was nice of him, given that America invaded Iraq after 9/11, which Iraq had nothing at all to do with.

The ban will begin on 16 March

Trumps new travel ban will be effective as of 16 March and will last for 90 days.

His 90-day ban on refugees entering the United States will also be reinstated, but he will no longer be permanently banning refugees specifically from Syria. Again, how very nice of him.

The federal court who saved the day last time have ruled that this ban is hunky dory as a replacement for Trumps previous ban, so thats a really great victory for democracy. One less country and slightly less scrutiny and prejudice, but its still basically the same and were back to square one.

Trumps signing of the new deal came hot on the heels of the emerging news that the FBI are currently investigating 300 refugees with ties to ISIL (one letter off the one everyones scared of, but still pretty scary).

Legal action threatened against new ban

Now that people know Trumps travel bans mean squat and they can be easily overthrown, a lot of law officials are threatening legal action. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has vowed to challenge the new ban. Schneiderman says that although the White House may have made changes to the ban, the intent to discriminate against Muslims remains clear, and thats something he wont stand for.

He used some beautiful words during his anti-Trump diatribe, calling the Presidents policies draconian and describing them as diametrically opposed to good, wholesome values. Beautiful.

According to Sean Spicer, Trumps new travel ban will keep the nation safe. Will it, Sean? As a way of feebly currying favour for the ban since it was so unpopular last time, Homeland Security decided to use this opportunity to announce their investigation into 300 refugees who had been found to have links to the Islamic State via a thousand counterterrorism investigations they were carrying out.
Donald Trump is someone who has said a lot of controversial statements and falsehoods with no evidence and even as the President of the United States, he is not letting up in this regard. His latest defamation is against Barack Obama, his predecessor who is no stranger to accusations by Donald Trump. President Trump has now accused Barack Obama, with no proof, of wire-tapping his phone a month before the election.

The accusation

In the early hours of Saturday, President Trump posted this tweet: Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory.

Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!. The President also compared this to Nixon/Watergate and claimed Obama to be a Bad (or sick) guy.

Trump went further in his claims by going on to say that a court had earlier denied a wiretap request. President Trump has given no details to back up his outlandish claims nor has he suggested which court order he was referring to when defaming his predecessor.

Nevertheless, these claims add to Trumps other comments where he accused Barack Obama of orchestrating the political protests towards the acts of the Trump Administration and of being the one responsible for the government leaks which have continuously undermined an already fragile White House

The response to Trumps accusations

Obviously, the response to these claims has been swift.

Kevin Lewis, who is the spokesperson for Barack Obama, stated that these accusations were simply false and that neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any US citizen. Ben Rhodes, who was Mr. Obama's foreign policy adviser and speechwriter, had this to say to Donald Trump:

No President can order a wiretap. Those restrictions were put in place to protect citizens from people like you. https://t.co/lEVscjkzSw  Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) 4 March 2017

Evidently, Trump, who is currently on a weekend vacation in Florida, has yet again stirred a lot of commotion within the political landscape of the United States.

Additionally, with no proof to support his claims, it may seem to some that this was designed to be a distraction from the political protests, the recent scandals involving Jeff Sessions and the links between the Trump Administration and Russia.
The magnificent natural scenery and the Mediterranean climate of Benidorm, in Spain, love the traveler for its wide maritime expanse that offers great beaches adorned by the richness of the blue tones of its waters and white sands.

This Spanish destination is located in the Province Of Alicante, has thousands of options to stay, such as comfortable hotels, guesthouses, hostels, tourist camps and apartments. Its varied services and recreation alternatives are ideal to enjoy an unforgettable vacation.

The tourists arrive in Benidorm through different routes of entry, to access via land, has a new bus station, built in a magnificent location located at the entrance of the city.

To arrive by plane, Benidorm has El Altet Airport, located next to the city of Alicante only 60 km, where travelers will find a regular bus service that offers the possibility of traveling from Alicante airport to Benidorm and vice versa.

Another alternative to reach this charming tourist paradise is through trains, the city offers the Renfe service, which allows you to travel from Alicante to Benidorm through the national network and the Metropolitan Tram, which carries passengers along the north coast of province of Alicante, where exuberant marine landscapes predominate.

Culture in Benidorm

Thousands of leisure activities held every year in Benidorm, such as its fabulous cultural activities, gastronomic festivals, musicals and art exhibitions, ideal to know about the life and history of this European town.

Its streets full of hotels, taverns and taverns impress with its dynamic nightlife, and in Benidorm tourists enjoy various options to share with family and friends an incredible vacation, full of moments of fun in the Valencian style.

Benidorm stands out among Spain's vacation options for its elegant streets decorated with imposing skyscrapers, symbols of modernity, which make it one of the most important tourist destinations and frequented by the avant-garde architectural design of the city.

Tourists learn in Benidorm where to go to bright night spots, such as the Oktoberfest which is carried out with the support of the wide chain of restaurants that surround the city and delight with the careful reception and attention that the employees, who dress in elegant clothes Typical of Bavaria, suitable for the occasion.

Other shows are the nautical competitions that celebrated in the Bay of Benidorm and they become an alternative of amusement in this tourist destination Valencian. The nautical event celebrated more than 40 years ago and is one of the oldest in Spain because of its sporting relevance it is the center of attention of many visitors and strengthens tourism in this charming holiday paradise.
In the two weeks that he has been in the White House, the most controversial decision that Donald Trump has made has been his executive order that critics have labeled a "Muslim ban." After a federal judge blocked the order, the new president has decided to lash out on social media.

Trump on Twitter

Just over a week ago, Donald Trump signed into law the aforementioned "Muslim ban," which limited travel to and from seven different countries in the Middle East. In response, airports were detaining travelers who were from these countries, leading to massive protests breaking out at airports across the country, while celebrity critics of the president used their following to speak out.

On Saturday morning, Federal Judge James Robart of Seattle blocked the executive order, claiming it was unconstitutional. During his early morning Twitter rant, Trump referred to Robart as a "so-called Judge," and continued his attack later in the day, as reported on February 4.

What is our country coming to when a judge can halt a Homeland Security travel ban and anyone, even with bad intentions, can come into U.S.?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017

Because the ban was lifted by a judge, many very bad and dangerous people may be pouring into our country. A terrible decision  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017

"What is our country coming to when a judge can halt a Homeland Security travel ban and anyone, even with bad intentions, can come into U.S.?" Donald Trump wrote on Twitter Saturday night.

"Because the ban was lifted by a judge, many very bad and dangerous people may be pouring into our country," he continued in a follow-up tweet, before adding, "A terrible decision."

Why aren't the lawyers looking at and using the Federal Court decision in Boston, which is at conflict with ridiculous lift ban decision?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017

The judge opens up our country to potential terrorists and others that do not have our best interests at heart. Bad people are very happy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2017

"Why aren't the lawyers looking at and using the Federal Court decision in Boston, which is at conflict with ridiculous lift ban decision?" Donald Trump said in yet another tweet on the matter.

In his most recent message on Twitter, Trump then accused Judge James Robart of allowing terrorists into the United States. "The judge opens up our country to potential terrorists and others that do not have our best interests at heart," Trump wrote, while noting, "Bad people are very happy!"

BREAKING: Justice Department challenges judge's halt of travel ban https://t.co/RIPC8oifU4 pic.twitter.com/EgbgtIv3OD  CBS News (@CBSNews) February 5, 2017

Next up

After the judge blocked the "Muslim ban," the United States Justice Department filed an appeal over the executive order, setting up a potentially long legal battle that will only add to the controversial and political division. Despite the pushback from critics, it doesn't appear that the White House is going to back down anytime soon, as Donald Trump continues his attacks on those who oppose him.
THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) is a deep penetration missile Defense system. The USA and North Korea have announced that this weapon system will be deployed in south Korea to counter the ICBM threat from North Korea. The proposed deployment has alarmed both china and Russia. On Thursday the Russian ambassador to South Korea called the positioning of the system as a threat to the region. This was the third time the ambassador had articulated such views in as many weeks.

Opposition of China

China has also objected to the operationalization of the system.

Both the nations have reiterated their serious concern on the deployment. The statement opposing the deployment was released at the end of the 6th China-Russia consultation on the security situation in Northeast Asia. The last meeting was held on Thursday and was co-chaired by Assistant Foreign Minister of China Kong Xuanyou and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov.

North Korea a proxy

Both the nations are worried because of theX-band radar incorporated in the system that can peer deep into China and Siberia. But at the same time, they are not making any attempt to rein the missile program of the North Korean dictator. Knowledgeable observers feel North Korea is a proxy for China. Kim Jong is serving China's purpose to keep the pot boiling and create tension for the USA and South Korea.

The USA and South Korea are going ahead with the deployment after North Korea tested its ICBM. It's a matter of time before Kim Jong has an ICBM to reach the American coast. This will obviously delight China.The deployment of the defense system has also angered many in South Korea who are demonstrating against the deployment of THAAD.

China-Russia axis

In the meantime, both China and Russia are ganging up against the USA. Both countries have decided to coordinate their efforts to oppose the USA and Japan in East Asia. The Russian and Chinese navy has also carried out joint Naval exercises in the South China sea. Both nations have also decided to take further countermeasures against the proposed deployment of the THAAD system.

Donald Trump has just completed his first month in office and it will be interesting to watch how he counters the China-Russia axis in East Asia
Court Upholds Senate Confirmation of Cabinet Secretaries

Permit Nighttime Hunting of Coyotes in Coastal Counties

Legislation on Public Meetings/Records Law Violations

Rural Infrastructure Authority Grants for Beaufort County

Contact: Sen. Bill Cook

Sen. Bill Cook bill.cook@ncleg.net

Last week, a three-judge panel denied Gov. Cooper's request to continue blocking a state law, clearing the way for the Senate to confirm his cabinet secretaries - an authority provided to us by our state's constitution. This process will be very similar to the procedure currently underway with our federal government in Washington, D.C. Since the court has removed all barriers to the legislature moving forward with confirmation hearings on the eight appointees that Gov. Cooper has sworn in as acting department secretaries, we expect to announce a revised schedule soon.I filed Senate Bill 76 (Permit Nighttime Hunting of Coyotes) last Tuesday. Coyotes are nonnative and invasive - they're very destructive to the native wildlife. Currently, there is no closed season for hunting coyotes in North Carolina. Electronic calls may be used and coyotes may be hunted at night, except on private lands in Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington counties. This bill would allow five coastal counties to be coequal with the other 95 counties in our state in regards to the rules of hunting coyotes.Senator Norman Sanderson and I have crafted legislation, Senate Bill 77 (Public Meetings/Records Law Violations) , which would add some teeth to the state's open meetings and public records laws. Under the current statute, one can violate the law with impunity. Currently, officials will knowingly close the door on the public because they most likely will not be held accountable. The people of North Carolina want good government which includes transparency and fairness. If government officials are concerned about opening meeting penalties, they will go the extra mile to ensure transparency. Open government is vital to an informed public.The leadership of Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) and the University of North Carolina General Administration hosted several legislators for a tour of the ECSU campus last Thursday. Shown (left to right) are Sen. Kathy Harrington, myself, UNC Board of Governors Member Steve Long, UNC System President Margaret Spellings, ECSU Chancellor Thomas Conway, UNC Board of Governors Member Harry Smith, Sen. Phil Berger, Sen. Harry Brown and Sen. Chad Barefoot. Higher education is an invaluable resource for dependable leadership within our communities, state and nation.Last Thursday, the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority approved funding for two projects in Beaufort County - one utilizing the Community Development Block Grant program and the other taking advantage of the state's Building Reuse program. A $500,000 grant was awarded to support a downtown redevelopment project to renovate a building previously used by Fowle & Sons General Merchandise in Washington, N.C. The three-story historic building has been vacant for more than 40 years. The renovation will enable New Vision Partners, LLC to operate Castle Island Brewery, a restaurant and brewery on the first floor. The other grant is $25,000 to support the reuse of a 65,000 square foot building, constructed in 1905, that has been vacant for two years. The renovated structure will house Ribeye's of Washington, and approximately $279,000 of private-sector investment is being applied to this project.
On Monday, President Donald Trump signed in to law his revised travel ban after his original executive order was shut down by a federal appeals court. While Trump put pen to paper, members of the media were banned from covering the event, as the tension between the press and the White House continues.

Trump vs Media

When Donald Trump announced his campaign for president back in June 2015, he was quickly at odds with the mainstream media when he referred to illegal immigrants from Mexico as "rapists" and "murderers." Since then, the former host of "The Apprentice" has engaged in an almost daily war of words with press, who he refers to as "terrible" and "dishonest." Following his election win over Hillary Clinton, Trump has increased his attack on the media, labeling them "fake news" in an attempt to deflect from his own issues in the White House.

One of the most controversial aspects of Trump's short time as president has been his "Muslim ban" executive order, which received heavy backlash from the American people, the media, and even a federal judge. As seen during a March 6 broadcast on CNN, one host is not happy that Trump banned reporters from covering the signing up his updated travel ban.

The latest travel ban put in place by Donald Trump is his latest attempt to water-down his original intention. The revised order takes Iraq off the list of restricted countries, while also exempting green card and visa holders. In response to the news, CNN host John King ripped into the president for banning reporters from the signing. "We wont show you the picture of the president signing the executive order thats incredibly important to his administration," King said, explaining that the network has a "policy that you cannot have canned press release pictures from a White House."

CNN refuses to show Trump signing travel ban because big boy wont let reporters attend https://t.co/Tq7rMHn0hC pic.twitter.com/WgLtwkjl0q  Raw Story (@RawStory) March 6, 2017

"You have to let the reporters in," John King went on to say, before stating, "The president is a big boy.

He doesnt have to answer questions if theyre shouted at him." Not stopping there, King confirmed "they (White House) wouldnt let anyone in" because Trump "believes his predecessor (Obama) somehow wiretapped him during last years campaign."

President Trump issued a new immigration ban order. Iraq was removed from the list. https://t.co/aulyOCBe6K pic.twitter.com/gMuc30ccWp  NYT Graphics (@nytgraphics) March 6, 2017

Unfounded attack

John King's comment are in reference to the unverified tweets that were sent out by Donald Trump over the weekend where he accused former President Obama of finding a way to engage in wiretapping at Trump Tower. As of press time, Obama and his former aides have denied the allegations, while the Trump administration has yet to provide any credible evidence to back up the claim.
After just over six weeks in the White House, Donald Trump can't get away from the growing scandal of Russia's involvement in his campaign and administration. In an attempt to deflect from his current issues, Trump has now accused former President Barack Obama of ordering his Trump Tower offices to be wiretapped.

Conway on Trump

Despite his best efforts, Donald Trump seems forever linked to controversy involving Russia. From his hidden tax returns, to the Kremlin hacking the Democratic National Committee, to members of his administration being caught illegally communicating with foreign officials, Trump has been backed into a corner on the issue in question.

The last week has caused even more trouble for the former host of "The Apprentice," as Attorney General Jeff Sessions was exposed by the Washington Post for speaking to the Russian ambassador on at least two occasions during the campaign. As part of his defense, Trump has accused Barack Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower, despite not providing any evidence to verify his claims. This issue was highlighted with Presidential Counsel Kellyanne Conway during the March 5 edition of "Justice with Judge Jeanine" on Fox News.

Joining Fox News host Jeanine Pirro was Kellyanne Conway, who did her best to defend Donald Trump over the aforementioned allegation of wiretapping. "Does President Trump already know the answer to the question as to whether or not he was wiretapped?" Pirro asked.

"He may," Conway responded, unable to confirm that Trump's comments were accurate. "We know there were politically motivated stories and investigations all through the campaign season," Conway said, quickly shifting blame onto alleged media attacks. Conway then went to say that her claims were verified by "credible news sources," though she didn't mention any news outlet in particular.

He May: Conway Cant Confirm If Trump Definitely Knows He Was Wiretapped https://t.co/ZV5kxEz6Df (VIDEO) pic.twitter.com/17DiUiT6Dw  Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 6, 2017

Conway deflects

Jeanine Pirro continued to press Kellyanne Conway, asking why Donald Trump has not provided any facts to back up his conspiracy, asking, "If the president knows this, he is in a position to declassify any warrant or wiretap order if one to exists.

Why doesn't he just do that and prove it?" Once again, Conway didn't give a straight answer, pushing the blame on Democrats for continuing to bring up allegations about Russia. The conversation continued and concluded with Conway making sure to take several jabs at the Democratic Party and the mainstream media, without ever giving a credible answer.
Mike Pence is currently under fire after a matter of public record revealed the Vice President used a private email account when he was conducting business related to being the governor of the State Of Indiana. The biggest concern many are having with this latest revelation is how incredibly easy it is to hack private email servers. Did Mike Pence put the state of Indiana at risk when he was the governor? Is he currently putting the U.S. at risk as the Vice President?

The White House claims he did nothing wrong

It didnt take long for a spokeswoman from the White House to release an official statement regarding Vice President Mike Pence.

The spokeswoman claims Pence did nothing wrong and followed the letter of the law in regards to the way he conducted himself as the governor of the state of Indiana. It was the Indianapolis Star that first reported the emails showing that Pence had used his personal AOL account to discuss homeland security matters while he was the governor.

Pence has been the victim of email hacking before

Perhaps the biggest reason why some are concerned as to whether or not Pence is going to compromise U.S. security is because he has already had an email security issue in the past. Last Spring his personal AOL account because the victim of an email phishing scheme. All of Pences contacts received an email from his email address claiming he and his wife were stranded and needed someone to send them money to come home.

For obvious reasons, the fact that Mike Pence become the victim of an email hack on the very same email accounts he uses to conduct government related business  including talking about homeland security  has people concerned. Do Americans have to worry about Pence compromising their safety?

Marc Lotter  a spokesperson to Mike Pence  claimed comparing the Vice President to the time Mrs.

Clintons email got hacked was absurd because Pence did not discuss classified information in his private emails. Lotter went on to reassure everyone that Pence  as the Vice President of the United States  has moved on to a more secure email account. He claims Pence would never use his private AOL account to conduct business related to being the Vice President.

Should people be concerned about how Mike Pence conducts business via email? Should it be concerning that he was the victim of an email hacking scam? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Over the weekend, Donald Trump has pushed back at allegations that his administration is linked to Russia, doing so by putting the blame on Democrats and former President Barack Obama. In response, some hosts on MSNBC have decided to speak out.

MSNBC on Trump

Since the early days of the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump has been hit with multiple allegations of being linked back to the Russian government. After refusing to release his tax returns, speculation continued to grow, with many wondering what the former host of "The Apprentice" was hiding in his financials.

As time moved on, news reports would reveal questionable information that only raised more questions about Trump and the Kremlin. In recent weeks, Trump has fought back repeated allegations that his administration has been communicating with Russian officials, going as far as accusing Barack Obama of wiretapping his phones at Trump Tower. As seen across Twitter on March 5, two MSNBC hosts are not holding back their thoughts on the commander in chief.

His tweets this weekend suggest the president is not crazy like a fox.

Just crazy.  Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 5, 2017

"There is NO proof that: 1. Barack Obama ordered any thing 2. That Trump Towers had its phones tapped," MSNBC host Joe Scarborough wrote on Twitter Saturday morning.

On Sunday, Scarborough continued to lash out at Trump on social media. "The White House interfering with an FBI investigation focused on the president would be an obvious abuse of power," he tweeted, while adding, "This is outrageous."

Did Trump trash the 44th President and slime American democracy based on a conspiracy theory pushed on talk radio and website? That's sick. pic.twitter.com/41vwtB9QNS  Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 5, 2017

Not stopping there, Joe Scarborough continued his Twitter attack on the president.

"Did Trump trash the 44th President and slime American democracy based on a conspiracy theory pushed on talk radio and website?," Scarborough wondered, before noting, "That's sick." The co-host of "Morning Joe" went on to tweet that "Trump is not about the Republican Party. Trump is about Trump."

There is NO proof that:

1. Barack Obama ordered any thing

2. That Trump Towers had its phones tapped. https://t.co/tCwwBbrge9  Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 4, 2017

Mika's take

Fellow co-host of "Morning Joe" on MSNBC, Mika Brzezinski, also had a few words for Donald Trump.

"We need a serious, credible President. The presidency is being lowered, diminished, and undermined by the President," Brzezinski wrote on Twitter, using the hashtag "#sadtowatch."

We need a serious, credible President. The presidency is being lowered, diminished, and undermined by the President #sadtowatch Sad 4 USA  Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) March 5, 2017

The FBI is demanding that the Justice Dept calls out Trump for his lies this weekend. Unfortunately, Justice remains silent. #FakePresident  Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) March 5, 2017

On Sunday night, Brzezinski piled on, tweeting, "The FBI is demanding that the Justice Dept calls out Trump for his lies this weekend. Unfortunately, Justice remains silent." Adding insult to injury, the MSNBC host also used the hashtag "#FakePresident" to describe Trump.

Moving forward

As Donald Trump continues to push the conspiracy theory that Barack Obama had his office bugged at Trump Tower, no credible evidence has been presented to back up the allegations. In addition, the FBI has recommended that the Justice Department reject the claims made by the president.
Virginia has made history by being the first state in the United States to pass a law that allows robots to deliver merchandise straight to people's doors. While it is true that Virginia has made robotics history, other states are sure to follow. The same law is pending in Idaho and Florida. Therefore, those states could be next to legally have robots on their streets.

Lawmakers

The bill was sponsored by two Virginia lawmakers who drafted the legislation. Ron Villanueva and Bill DeSteph teamed up with developers, Starship Technologies, an Estonian-based ground delivery robotics company.

Amazon and Grubhub supported Virginia lawmakers in their effort to get the law passed. The Virginia legislation was signed by Governor Terry McAuliffe on Friday, March 3. The new law becomes effective in Virginia on July 1, 2017.

The robots

A robot cannot weigh over 50 pounds, including the items they are carrying. They cannot travel over ten miles per hour. However, they are permitted to go autonomously. Robots are not allowed on all streets. They are allowed only on streets in a crosswalk. People must look out for the robots at all times because they are not required by law to stay within sight of the person who is controlling it. However, the person controlling it is required to at least remotely monitor the robot and take over if something goes wrong.

Robots will travel at an average speed of four miles per hour when delivering and can deliver items in 5-30 minutes within in a 3-mile radius. They can be tracked on a smartphone and will alert customers when their shipment is ready to be unlocked with their smartphones. Since the robots are powered electronically, they use just a small amount of energy.

Requirements of states

Each state is allowed to regulate how robots will be operated locally. For instance, a city council could impose a stricter speed limit or keep the robots out of their city entirely. Just because by law robots can be in a state doesn't mean they have to be in every city in the state. If local communities find that robots are not working out for them, they can be banned completely from their jurisdiction.

How do you feel about robots being on your streets? Do you plan to use robots for your deliveries?
If you want something more serious, then try and grab some tickets to see the vintage play by American playwright #Arthur Millers called The Price. Mark Ruffalo is joined by some very talented theater actors in a staging at the American Airlines Theater and it's due to open on March 16.

Ruffalo is an interesting actor-activist hybrid who has earned inches of newspaper columns for his environmental message and #activism. He says that his acting and art is his activism, that his "acting teacher used to say we should pay to go to the church and the theater should be free." The play has had good reviews and comes with star power and a role played by Danny DeVito in  unbelievably  his Broadway debut.

The Miller play, not the most common of the esteemed playwright's works to be staged, explores familial obligations and money in 1960s New York City, so it is a period drama with a contemporary message that, say, the whole of the Trump family can relate to.

Ruffalo has spent a lot of time talking about the #anti-fracking movement during his interview, and was a big reason that fracking was banned in the State of New York. Theater, like politics, is a pretty cut throat sport in New York at least.
This weekend, #FBI director James Comey, requested the Justice Department to openly reject President Trumps claims that then-President Barack Obama had ordered for Mr trump's phones to be wire tapped. The director of the FBI has stated that the dramatic accusation from Trump is not based in any truth and should be corrected, officials from the department claimed.

Mr. Comey's request came to light on Saturday after Trump, the President of the United States of America, fired off a series of #impassioned tweets early in the morning claiming that Obama ordered the unusual and unsubstantiated order.

Will the Justice Department reject bombshell claims?

Comey has been trying to convince the #Justice Department to reject Trump's unusual assertion, since it insinuates that the FBI broke the law, officials stated on Monday. Nobody from either the FBI or the Justice Department was willing to comment on the matter.

The FBI director's request  and the very act that he spoke out  is a highly unusual admonition of a President-elect, since it translates as the #United State's most senior law enforcement official publicly questioning  and scolding  the veracity of the head of the nation.

Although many politicians and officials on both sides of the political divide spoke out against #Mr Trump's accusations on Saturday, this confrontation between the FBI director and the president is the most serious consequence of what many see as Trump's out-of-control and highly unprofessional  and not very presidential Twitter usage.

This fracas  following many in the last week  highlights the perils of what the President and his advisors have unleashed by accusing a former president of illegal and high-stakes spying on another political opponent.

Officials and politicians speak out

On Twitter many spoke out against the fracas. #Nancy Pelosi, House Democrat demanded that Sessions step down from his post and that Trump be investigated.

She wrote: 'The Deflector-in-Chief is at it again. An investigation by an independent commission is the only answer.'

On Sunday, Trump insisted that a congressional inquiry into #Mr. Obama's apparent abuse of federal Law Enforcement Agencies during the 2016 presidential election take place. Trump's spokesman added that the President had described reports about the wiretapping troubling and alluded that Congress should look at these reports along with investigations into Russias possible interference in the election.

#The White House didn't back down from the President's claims, but instead stated on Monday that it would no longer comment on the matter. Senior FBI officials, meanwhile, are worried about the effect of these accusations on the bureau's credibility. Comey has not been dealing directly with #Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General, since Sessions on Thursday recused himself from any processes examining the possible Russia influence in the election.

Many on Twitter are wondering what will happen in the upper ranks of the country's security and law enforcement agencies, as such a conflict has never happened before.
There are days when it seems that the news is simply variations on a single theme surrounding President Donald Trump or Attorney General #Jeff Sessions and a journalist or reader can lose sight of the fact that there are other news items. So, rather than bore readers with the usual stories, why not give them some good news stories that they may have missed amongst the trending items?

Luck or intuition?

Australias News Corp has reported a story of an investment advisor who made what could be a near record profit on an investment.

A few years ago American based Australian Jeremy Liew noticed a friends daughter spending a lot of time on an app.

He approached its designer Evan Spiegel and asked how he could help the company to get off the ground.

In this way the Investment Advisor got into Snapchat with an initial investment of $600,000.00 and over years which eventually became an investment of over $8 million dollars. The result is that his company is now worth over $2 billion.

Its amazing what some intuition and a touch of luck can bring when you get into the beginning of a social media phenomenon.

Clean the car regularly

Another Australian had more than his share of good luck recently and also a lesson about cleanliness. As reported by the BBC a man in Newcastle in New South Wales decided to clean out his car, for reasons that will become obvious, he did not want his name mentioned.

In the car he found a forgotten shopping bag with a year old lottery ticket in the bottom. The ticket ended up being a first prize ticket worth over AUS$ 1,000.000.00. He certainly learnt that it is definitely worthwhile regularly clearing the car...

Careful of your customers

UPI reports an unusal incident in a restaurant in Bimbembre, Spain.

The owner of El Carmen restaurant would have been happy to have a group of 120 book the restaurant for a baptism with a 900.00 deposit for a menu of starters, main course and a wide selection of alcoholic beverages. HIs happiness did not last long.

In what was obviously a well staged operation, the group left the restaurant unnoticed and without paying the remaining  2,100.00.

Although the police were informed he has little hope of recouping the losses. It appears that it was not the first such raid by the group as the same thing had occurred a couple of months before.

The only question for the owner to ask was how his serving staff did not notice the customers disappear. A Case for the X-Files?

A good way to spend nuclear alerts

And finally, an entertaining way to avoid worrying about the possibility of a new Cold War.

Like the United States, Great Britain too has a system of nuclear bunkers, some of which were built in the early 1980s. Police in Wiltshire were recently given a tip off about suspicious activities regarding a disused bunker which had been built to shelter members of the countrys hierarchy in a case of a nuclear war with the Soviet Union.

On their arrival they found a sight that would have made Doctor Strangelove proud.

The bunker had been turned into a massive marijuana plantation of thousands of plants worth over 1,000,000.00. Naturally for an underground setting the bunker had been equipped with sophisticated hydroponic and lighting systems. According to the Police evidence indicated that the plants found were not the first crop raised in the bunker.

While the three men arrested await trial, it would have been interesting to know what other surprises may be hidden in nuclear bunkers around the world.

These examples tell us that there is a cure to the news we read every day. For every bit of bad, fake, or depressing news we read finding something that can give us a laugh is only a click away if we ask the search engines. I suspect it is something that many of us should do more often...
Over the last few weeks President Donald Trump has spoken put on many issues and these have had reactions from overseas. Mexicos President Enrique Pena Nieto cancelled a visit to the White House due to the executive order on the #border wall and about Mexican migrants in the United States and now other comments have had their reaction from world leaders.

China

Following recent comments on a proposed $54 billion dollar increase to the budget of the American armed forces and plans to increase the number of nuclear weapons Russian politicians made generic comments about the plans, but another superpower has announced even more concrete steps in reply to the proposals.

Over the weekend the nation with the biggest arms budget after the United States made known its official reaction to the Oval Offices proposals.

In reports from the BBC, CNN and other news agencies the Chinese government announced a 7% increase on its already high military spending for 2017. According to these reports the figure is official, but may in fact be higher than that announced.

Chinese plans for military expansion and its construction of artificial islands on the South China Sea, apparently for use as forward military bases have worried not only Americas Asian allies, but the United States itself which recently sent a naval flotilla in the area led by the Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

These increases are a clear reaction to President Trumps announced plans, but another announcement from an unexpected source highlighted even more that even friendly foreign governments have not appreciated the changes in direction in the United States since the Inauguration on January 20th.

European visas

On Friday March 2nd the European Parliament voted to reintroduce visas for American citizens wishing to visit the Old Continent.

While the issues that led to the decision are long standing, the recent change in regulations about Moslems entering the United States and difficulties even for with visitors of other nationalities has pushed the Parliament to direct the European Commission to remove the waiver on American citizens visiting the continents.

In fact, in recent weeks New York tourism officials have reported fears that this year there may be a decrease of as many as 300,000 visits to the Big Apple in reaction to recent developments in American politics.

To rub salt into the wound for Washington the European Commission extended the visa waivers to citizens of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. A clear sign of the times.

Attacks

These reactions together with reports of attacks on Indian citizens in the United States in 10 days by people yelling Get out of my country as happened in Kansas where one victim died and also over the weekend at Seattle have raised fears of a wave of hate crimes against foreign citizens in the country.

These incidents should raise awareness in the White House of the power of the language used by any President. It can only be hoped that message of the consequences of the Presidents language is understood and without too high a price for the country and its relations with other countries.
After a dramatic week in which the current administration was put yet again under the hammer for ties to Russia, President Trump on Saturday blamed #Barack Obama for spying on him by wire tapping his phones during the 2016 election. Maybe this was a move to end speculation on #Russia  or maybe not. What we do know is that the president went crazy on Twitter on Saturday morning, and behaved in a most chaotic manner, which wasnt at all presidential.

But still, none of us forgot about #the Russia problem.

And Russia, it seems it hot. So hot that on Saturday The New York Times featured a flaming yellow advertisement for #The Americans, the trending television show that follows a couple of Russian spies in America.

The ad was bright and eye-catching, and it seemed to sit right at home on the front page of the newspaper.

Russia is so in vogue that #Mad Men's creator Mathew Weiner's new show is also about a Russian family. Titled #The Romanoffs, it looks at the descendants of the titular famous dynasty and follows their lives since 1918, when they were apparently all killed. All, that is, except Anastasia Romanoff, who supposedly created a new identity.
Reining in State Regulations

Beach Stabilization Study

Senate Issues Subpoena after Cooper Cabinet Secretary is a Repeated No-Show

Contact: Bill Cook

Bill Cook bill.cook@ncleg.net

Continuing our strong record of eliminating or simplifying job-killing rules and regulations, along with Senators Andy Wells and Norman Sanderson we filed a comprehensive regulatory reform bill last week, Senate Bill 131 . In the past six years, we have crafted legislation rolling back unnecessary and burdensome regulations. Due to our efforts through the Regulatory Reform Act of 2013, rules now must be reviewed for effectiveness and need at least once every 10 years, or they will automatically expire. Thus, 12 percent of the rules reviewed so far are being removed. Additionally, over one-fourth of rules have to undergo further scrutiny through the rule adoption process, meaning more could be repealed. Results show that this reform is working, hence approximately 871 rules are slated to be removed. This bill continues our commitment of providing relief to the citizens of North Carolina by modernizing and simplifying cumbersome or outdated regulations.A provision in the 2016 state budget directed the Division of Coastal Management and the Department of Environmental Quality to study and provide an executive summary of readily available data on the physical, economic, storm mitigation, and public safety benefits of beach nourishment. Tourism is one of North Carolina's largest industries and based on most recent statistics, tourism statewide generates $1.0 billion in state tax revenue and $601.2 million in local tax revenue. In 2013, 3 of the top 10 counties for tourist travel expenditures were coastal counties, with Dare County (#4) generating $957 million, New Hanover County (#8) $478 million, and Brunswick County (#10) $471 million. Dare County alone provides 5% of North Carolina's tourist travel income, with 17.7% of overnight visitors to the state reporting beach recreation as their leading activity during their stay. We must maintain a healthy ecosystem, protect the public's right to access and use the beach, protect property rights, and afford property owners (both public and private) with storm protection. To review a copy of the report click here Enjoyed meeting with Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler recently to discuss the needs of our state's number one industry. The agriculture sector contributes $84 billion to the state's economy and accounts for more than 17 percent of the state's income.Last Thursday, Gov. Cooper's Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs failed to appear for a third time at a hearing to confirm his appointment, those of us who serve on the Senate Commerce Committee voted to issue a subpoena compelling Sec. Larry D. Hall to appear this week. Open government is vital to an informed public. Giving the people of this state an opportunity to learn about unelected department heads who control billions of their tax dollars is not something anyone should be fighting over. Nor should it be controversial that public officials must - like everyone else - follow the law.
America is a country where people from all corners of the world arrive and settle down. They belong to different faiths and cultures and want to live in harmony. However, when there is a crime committed that is attributed to hate, it rings a discordant note.

That is what happened in Seattle a few days after the shooting of two Indian immigrants in Arkansas. CCNN reported that the target was a sikh who is also an American citizen. He was in his driveway and the gunman argued with him, shot him in the arm and fled after ordering him to go back to his country.

The victim was hospitalized and later discharged and the incident has sent the community into a panic. The police and FBI are treating it as a hate crime and carrying out necessary investigation.

The Sikh community in Seattle

The number of Sikhs who reside in Washington is in the region of 50,000 and a great majority of them (nearly 30,000) live in the Kent-Renton area where this incident occurred. Members of the Sikh community have explained that they face the risk of hate crime attacks because of their attire  as per their faith, they must wear turbans and grow beards and these mark them out as different aND susceptible to hate crimes.

FBI is investigating the crime alongside Kent police and has confirmed that it is committed to investigate all cases of crimes that are motivated by hate.

Administration must assure the people

Jasmit Singh is a leader of the Sikh community in Seattle and he has summed up the sentiments of the community by saying that this should be treated as anti-Sikh hate crime to prevent crimes of this nature. He has also added that because they look different, they are being targeted. No one would like to see his loved ones falling victim to hate crimes.

While on the subject, he has drawn a parallel with the past administrations of the Bush and Obama eras. Jasmit Singh has appreciated the swift action and communication that used to be taken in those days and regretted that such response is not forthcoming from the present administration.

Rajdeep Singh of the Sikh Coalition feels that violence against minorities is on the rise following the presidential election and it is necessary to identify hate crimes in a proper manner and take suitable action.
In a week that should begin with President Trump directing his attention to finalizing all the nominations for the new Administration and addressing issues of the running of the country his tweet attacks on former President Barack Obama are now creating new distractions for the White House.

Friday night tweet attack

In a series of tweets late Friday night and early Saturday morning President Donald Trump accused the Obama White House of tapping Trump Tower during the presidential campaign. Despite the denial of members of the Obama Administration, Donald Trump then demanded that Congress formally investigate the allegations.

It should be stated that the President provided no proof of his claims and even fellow Republicans such as Senators Marco Rubio and Ben Sasse have declared they have no knowledge of any details that may back the allegations.

While Senior White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer described the claims as unsettling as quoted by the Guardian, he too was unable to provide any details or proof for the Press.

Distractions

These claims may have a basis in fact, but it seems that they are aimed more at distracting public and press attention away from the investigations into Russian connections with the Trump team during the election campaign which led to the recent resignation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and then to the decision by Attorney General #Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from any investigations into these matters.

In fact, reports over the weekend, from ABC and the Independent to name only two sources, state that President Trump was furious over the Attorney Generals decision. To quote the Independent President Donald Trump reportedly went into a "ballistic" rant at his senior staff over Attorney General Jeff Sessions stepping aside from investigations into Russia's interference in the presidential election.

If the President has proof of these claims then he should produce them and forward them to the appropriate agencies for investigation. If they are based on fact then the investigations should go the full course. This of course also applies to the allegations of Russian interference in the presidential campaign in favour of Donald Trump.

The public has the right to know the truth about all these matters, but in the meantime the White House has a number of issues that must take priority and not be subject to further distractions.

Priorities

The first matters to finalize are the executive orders signed in the first week of the Presidency. The first of these is the repeal and replacement of Obamacare. Despite assurances that such a plan is in the offing, Democrats have been asking to see these plans and according to the New York Times at least one Republican, Senator Rand Paul, has been unable to find any trace of such a plan.

Other orders to be addressed are that of the Mexican border wall and the signature of the new order on Moslem immigration to replace the original order not blocked by the courts.

Despite repeated announcements that this was to be signed, this has still not occurred.

The other vital issue waiting to be finalized is that of the nominations to the vacant positions in the new Administration.

Last week saw confirmations of the Secretaries of Housing, the Interior and Energy, but according to Sundays New York Times, less than three dozen of the more than a thousand positions have been filled.

What now?

It would be fair to ask, where does the White House intend doing in the near future?

Last Tuesdays speech by Donald Trump in Congress saw a lull in the stormy beginning of the Presidency and three days without tweets. Yet the week was still dominated by the investigation onto the Russian interference and the role of Jeff Sessions in the investigations which he resolved by his recusal.

Now the public can only wait and wonder whether or not there will be even more distractions from the Oval Office and if they will concentrate on its presumed agenda. The ball is in Donald Trumps court.
It was a weekend of #high drama and major chaos yet again at the White House.

Whilst the Obama wiretapping spectacle was taking place, and whist FBI director James Comey was seeming to go head-to-head with the President, Trump's administration proposed a budget on Saturday that would practically dissolve the #Environmental Protection Agency, by cutting its funding by 70 percent.

Also, on Monday the #travel ban was reinstated with this time six  instead of seven  Muslim majority countries on the list. Many took to social media to decry the move, including politicians such as Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi.

Many wondered on Twitter whether the fracas over the wire-tapping assertions had been designed to deflect attention from these other serious issues.

This is not the first time that #trump has unleashed a bomb-blast of confusion and chaos from his perch in Trump Tower  and from his very own Twitter account. The weekend that his administration announced the travel ban in February, Trump quietly issued and installed Steve Bannon, who was once tied to alt-right publication Breibart and known as a right wing agitator, as the head of the National Security Council. This position is usually reserved for military generals, and the move caused doubt and worry in many Trump opponents minds.
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who last collaborated on the historical drama Bridge of Spies, teaming up for another movie set in American history The Post. The film, about the Washington Posts involvement in The Pentagon Papers affair, will also star Merryl Streep as Post publisher Katherine Graham. Hanks will star as the Posts chief editor Ben Bradlee and Spielberg will direct.

The Pentagon Papers were a study of the Vietnam War from 1945 to 1967 commissioned by the Pentagon that demonstrated that Lyndon Johnson was systematically lying to the American people and Congress about the true nature and goals of the war.

Among other things, the documents showed that the United States was conducting secret bombing raids on nearby Cambodia and Laos where the North Vietnamese had troops and a military infrastructure. The most damning revelation was that the United States was involved in South East Asia not so much to come to the aid of South Vietnam but to contain China.

Excerpts of the papers were photocopied by Daniel Ellsberg who worked on the study for the Rand Corporation and turned against the war as a result. Ellsberg risked prosecution for espionage for leaking the papers, first to the New York Times, then to the Washington Post. The revelation touched off a nasty legal battle pitting the media with the Nixon Administration that tried to get the papers suppressed, citing national security concerns.

The Supreme Court disagreed and voted 6 to 3 to allow the Pentagon Papers to be published.

If all of this sounds like a prequel to All the Presidents Men, the reader would not be wrong in supposing so. Some of the same players who were involved in Watergate were also involved in the Pentagon Papers scandal. The affair is considered a victory for a free press, though it did presage later leaks such as the one committed by Edward Snowden, who no doubt found himself a latter-day Ellsberg. The scandal also cemented President Nixons intense distrust of the media, which he considered to be an enemy. The paranoia, not entirely unfounded, played a role in Nixons eventual downfall.
A Spring Airlines flight attendant serves a meal to a passenger in the 'Spring Plus' class, the business economy segment of the aircraft, during a flight. Spring Plus is the only class that offers food to fliers during flights of the budget airline. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Spring Airlines plans new flights from Chinese cities to neighboring markets

Spring Airlines (later abbreviated as Spring), China's first and largest budget carrier, is sewing up plans to consolidate and expand its overseas forays.

China's most internationalized airline, Spring already has nearly 40 percent of its capacity serving international flights.

This year, Spring plans to launch more routes from some Chinese cities to Phnom Penh in Cambodia, and expand the markets in Phnom Penh and Cebu in the Philippines. Besides, more routes from inland Chinese cities to Japan are in the pipeline.

"Because of the limited scheduled flight time of major airports, most of our international flights are mid- and short-hauls between second- and third-tier Chinese cities and first- and second-tier foreign cities," said Zhang Wu'an, vice-president and spokesman for Spring Airlines.

"For instance, we have flights connecting (Chinese cities such as) Shijiazhuang in Hebei province with Nagoya in Japan, and Yangzhou in Jiangsu province and Lanzhou in Gansu province, with Bangkok. In addition, we have flights connecting Chengdu in Sichuan province with Phuket."

Given the government's strategic objective to expand the Belt and Road markets, and an increasing demand for outbound tourism from Chinese travelers, it's very necessary for domestic airlines to add more international flights, he said.

So, starting from 2015, Spring has launched flights from Chinese cities to destinations along the Belt and Road markets. Those routes include flights from Xi'an to Osaka in Japan, from Chengdu and Shenzhen to Siem Reap in Cambodia, and from Guangzhou to Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. The routes have played a crucial role in guiding Spring's expansion into more overseas markets.

Established in 2004, the Shanghai-based Spring is the aviation subsidiary of Shanghai Spring International Travel Service. It became the first budget airline in China to set up an overseas joint venture. Currently, it has a subsidiary in Japan, and overseas bases in South Korea and Thailand.

By June last year, Spring's fleet comprised 60 Airbus A320 aircraft. By 2020, it plans to own 100 A320 jets in all. Since the second half of 2016, Spring adjusted part of its international capacity to the domestic market, due to volatile political situations in some countries in the region.

"All of our aircraft are Airbus A320, and largely we have only economy class. The single type of aircraft and class setup have enabled us to lower the costs of staff license training, air materials reserve and flight maintenance management. After modification, we increased cabin capacity to 186 seats. Our average passenger occupancy rate is around 95 percent, which makes us one of the domestic airlines with top occupancy rate," Zhang said.

"We simplified ground and cabin services, and lowered the weight limit of free check-in baggage. We also sell the tickets through direct online and mobile selling, instead of relying on agents. These measures have helped us to reduce the costs and flight ticket prices.

"With our low-cost operating model and price advantages, we would like to further discover the potential markets in second- and third-tier cities. We hope to exploit growth opportunities presented by China's new wave of urbanization."

Zhang further said the airline currently faces cost challenges from rising fuel prices, a major part of the company's operational costs. Besides, competition from overseas budget airlines is intensifying.

Li Xiaojin, a professor of aviation economics at the Civil Aviation University of China in Tianjin, said: "The oil price rise will have a negative effect on domestic airlines. Airlines are very susceptible to fluctuations in oil prices, and it will be a challenge to their economic performance.

"The oil prices are unlikely to drop or surge significantly. Airlines could take some steps to hedge against the risks. They can prepare to levy a fuel surcharge on passengers and take other measures to reduce oil consumption, as the impact is likely to be long-term," he said.
LHASA  The second-largest airport terminal in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region started operation Monday.

The new terminal, the sixth to open in Tibet, is located at Nyingchi Mainling Airport. It covers an area of 10,300 square meters and will be able to handle 750,000 passengers and 3,000 metric tons of cargo throughput annually by 2020.

The Nyingchi airport will open new air routes to Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, resume routes to Beijing and increase more round trip flights to Lhasa, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chongqing and Shenzhen after the new terminal comes into service, said Liu Wei, deputy director of Civil Aviation Administration of China in Tibet.

The airport has seen year-on-year increases in passenger flow since it was put into service in 2006. Passenger volume hit 390,000 in 2016, bringing the total passenger number to 2 million in past years, Liu said, adding that the new terminal will effectively alleviate pressure brought by the growing number of passengers.

Nyingchi is located in Southeast Tibet at an average elevation of 2,950 meters above sea level. The city has attracted more visitors in recent years thanks to tourist attractions such as its peach blossom festival.
SEOUL - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has fired multiple ballistic missiles into east waters as combined forces of South Korea and the United States launched their joint military exercises, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea said Monday.

The JCS was quoted by local media as saying that several ballistic missiles of an unidentified type were fired from Tongchanri-ri in the DPRK's northwest region at about 7:36 am local time (2236 GMT on Sunday).

The missiles flew about 1,000 km into the east waters. The Tongchang-ri is home to the DPRK's Sohae Satellite Launching Station where a long-range rocket was launched in February last year following the nuclear detonation the previous month.

Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary confirmed the missile launch, saying four missiles were fired and three fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The DPRK's missile launches came after Seoul and Washington kicked off the Foal Eagle field training exercise on March 1.
Irish and European Union flags are pictured outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, February 23, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - A committee of politicians in the House of Commons Sunday called on British Prime Minister Theresa May's government to make a unilateral decision to safeguard the rights of 3.2 million nationals from EU countries living in Britain.

The cross-party Exiting the European Union Committee unanimously agreed in its report that May's government should act now.

The Members of Parliament (MPs) called on the government to ensure British nationals already residing in other EU countries, and EU citizens already living in Britain, do not lose their rights to healthcare and pensions after Brexit.

Veteran Labour MP Hilary Benn, who chairs the committee, said: "EU citizens who have come to live and work here have contributed enormously to the economic and cultural life of the UK. They have worked hard, paid their taxes, integrated, raised families and put down roots."

"They did not have a vote in the (EU) referendum, but the result has left them living under a cloud of uncertainty. They are understandably concerned about their right to remain, and their future rights to access education and healthcare," said the MP.

"Equally, Brits who live and work on the continent are worried about their right to work and access healthcare after Brexit."

"EU nationals in the UK and UK nationals in the EU are aware of the forthcoming negotiations, but they do not want to be used as bargaining chips.

Although the government has said it wants EU citizens to be able to remain, this has not offered sufficient reassurance that the rights and status that they have enjoyed will be guaranteed. It should now do so," he added.

The committee's findings are not binding on May's government who have said the status of EU nationals in Britain will be given priority once Brexit talks start with Brussels.

Last week, members of the unelected House of Lords agreed by a large majority an amendment to the parliament bill introduced by May to trigger the Brexit process. The amendment aims to guarantee the status of Europeans living in Britain, but it is expected to be dropped next week when the bill returns for a final decision to the House of Commons.

The committee report also called for an overhaul of the process for EU nationals in Britain applying for a permanent right to remain. It said the 85-page application form is not fit for purpose.

Committee chair Benn said: "We were told that at pre-referendum rates of processing, giving residence documents to all potentially eligible applicants using the current system would take the equivalent of 140 years."

The committee has also called on the government to set out how it will establish a new system for immigration to be in place within two years of triggering the Article 50 exit process, and what the rules for EU migrants will be once free movement ends.
Chinese Consul General Luo Linquan (front row, center) joins the 24 winners of the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad in the San Francisco consular district on Friday at the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco. Provided to China Daily

Twenty-four outstanding Chinese students currently studying in the US were singled out for academic excellence in 2016 on Friday at the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco.

The annual awards program is sponsored by the China Scholarship Council, a non-profit agency affiliated with the country's education ministry, aimed at providing financial assistance to overseas Chinese students.

In the San Francisco consular district, covering Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Northern California and Nevada, 24 Chinese students were each awarded certificates and $6,000 scholarships.

They were among 501 winners of the Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad, which was established in 2003 to reward the academic excellence of self-financed Chinese students studying abroad, as well as encourage them to return to China or contribute to China's development after graduation.

"Since China adopted the reform and opening-up policy, more and more Chinese students choose to pursue education abroad," said Chinese Consul General Luo Linquan, addressing the awards ceremony. "They have demonstrated their talent in various areas through their hard work."

Last year, a total of 544,500 students studied abroad, up 4 percent year on year, which makes China the country sending the largest number of students abroad, according to Luo.

Among those overseas students, nearly 80 percent are studying in English-speaking countries, including the US, the UK and Australia. The number of self-financed students reached 498,200, making up 91.49 percent of the total overseas Chinese students.

Yuan Gao, 30, is one of this year's award winners. He is a graduate student in biophysics at the University of California-San Francisco.

Gao studies three-dimensional structures of macromolecules in the human body using a technique called single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. Such research can help scientists better understand key physiological processes and eventually facilitate development of better therapeutic drugs, he said.

Last year, Gao also received an award from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, his home area. The award was aimed at recognizing the achievements of native Xinjiang students studying overseas.

"What's more important than the financial sponsorship is the recognition of my work on the national level," said Gao.

He said the award represented the Chinese government's attention and care for overseas students and it would encourage him to make further academic strides.

After receiving his doctorate degree this summer, he said he plans to further his studies as a postdoctoral researcher in the US.

"Students' mobility is an important part of the educational exchanges between China and the United States," said Luo.

Currently, 328,000 Chinese students are studying in US universities, and 43,000 of them are in the San Francisco consular district, according to Luo.

"The exchange of students will promote better understanding and friendship between the two countries as well as a healthy bilateral relationship," he said.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com
By AMY HE in New York | China Daily USA | Updated: 2017-03-06 23:25

China attaches great importance to protecting wildlife and is committed to advancing the country's wildlife preservation goals, said China's ambassador to the UN in observance of World Wildlife Day.

"Wild fauna and flora  an integral part of the ecosystem  plays a huge role in ecology, genetics, social and economic development, science, and education, and has a direct bearing on the continuity of human civilizations and future development," said Liu Jieyi at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday.

China announced late last year that it will stop commercial processing and sale of ivory tusks and manufactured goods made from ivory by the end of 2017, a move hailed by conservationists.

Liu said that ecological preservation is important not just for biodiversity, but goes in tandem with social and economic development, which he said governments consider when implementing policies.

"All countries should drive economic and social development through ecological development, and encourage green development and green lifestyle, creating job opportunities, eradicating poverty, and improving livelihood will help reduce poaching," he said.

The international community should also combat illicit trafficking by punishing those involved and strengthening law enforcement from production to sales to trafficking, Liu said.

"In particular, illicit online wildlife trade must be cracked down. As the saying goes, no trade, no killing," he said.

International cooperation should also be deepened, with countries not only honoring the relevant UN General Assembly resolutions and their obligations, but also conducting joint efforts to train law enforcement, share information and protect wildlife, he said.

Government agencies, international organizations, and the private sector should be "brought in for enhanced synergy", he said.

The United Nations is observing this year's World Wildlife Day with a call to harness the power of young people's voices in conservation efforts.

Peter Thomson of Fiji, who is president of the UN General Assembly, said that raising global awareness of biodiversity also requires acknowledging that the dramatic decline in global wildlife is largely due to human activity, including population growth, climate change, pollution, poaching and illicit trafficking.

"With illicit trafficking of wildlife generating billions of dollars each year, the proceeds of this transnational crime are fueling armed conflicts and terrorism and posing serious challenges to sustainable development," Thomson said.

World Wildlife Day was established in 2013 at the 68th session of the UN General Assembly after the signing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

It recognizes the importance of biodiversity and invites member states and organizations to raise awareness of wildlife to ensure that international trade does not threaten endangered species' survival.

According to a 2014 World Wildlife Fund report, in the last 40 years about 50 percent of all wildlife has been lost, and more than 16,000 species are considered endangered and threatened by extinction.

African elephant mortality rates surpass their birthrates, and one elephant is killed every 15 minutes. The polar bear population is expected to decline by two-thirds by 2050, the report said.

amyhe@chinadailyusa.com
Contact: Daniel Keylin

Daniel Keylin daniel_keylin@tillis.senate.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. Tonight, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) issued the following video statement following President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress. Senator Tillis stressed the need for Republicans and Democrats to work together to address the major challenges facing the nation.Tonight, the President addressed the nation and outlined an ambitious policy agenda.It includes overhauling our antiquated tax and regulatory codes, reforming our health care system to make health care more affordable, and fulfilling our commitments to our brave veterans.Regardless of where you stand on President Trump and his policy proposals, I hope you agree that continued gridlock and bitter partisanship in Washington will keep our great nation from reaching its full potential.Whether you're a Republican, Democrat or Independent, far more unites us than divides us. We all want our children to inherit an America that is stronger, safer and more prosperous. We all want to see our fellow Americans have access to affordable health care and a quality education. We all want to see America continue to serve as the beacon for freedom and opportunity for the rest of the world.The American people sent a very clear message last November that they're tired of politics as usual. That want to see results coming out of Washington, and those results will require bipartisanship, and at times compromise.I'm committed to working on the proposals put forward by the President and moving forward with bipartisan solutions.Whether it's modernizing's our nation's infrastructure, reforming our criminal justice system, or securing the border and finally fixing our broken immigration system, there is tremendous potential to pursue bipartisan policies that will benefit our nation.I'll be doing my part to ensure that happens. I'll also be making my voice heard when my colleagues on both sides-including members of my own party-become roadblocks to the results the American people want to see.Thank you so much, and may God bless North Carolina and United States of America.
President Donald Trump signed a revised executive order for a US travel ban on Monday, leaving Iraq off the list of targeted countries, after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts, senior administration officials said.

The new order, which the White House said Trump had signed, will keep a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of six Muslim-majority nations - Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, the officials said.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders had said earlier on Monday that the new order would take effect on March 16. The new directive delays implementation to limit the disruption that created havoc for some travelers when Trump issued his original order.

Trump had said the restrictive order is necessary to ensure domestic security. His secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, told reporters on Monday, "As threats to our security continue to evolve and change, common sense dictates that we continually re-evaluate and reassess the systems we rely upon to protect our country."

Iraq was taken off the list in the original order, which was issued on Jan 27, because the Iraqi government has imposed new vetting procedures, such as heightened visa screening and data sharing, and because of its work with the United States in countering Islamic State militants, a senior White House official said.

"There's going to be a very orderly process," a senior official from the Department of Homeland Security said. "You should not see any chaos so to speak, or alleged chaos at airports. There aren't going to be folks stopped tonight from coming into the country because of this executive order."

Thousands of Iraqis have fought alongside US troops for years or worked as translators since the US-led invasion in 2003. Many have resettled in the United States after being threatened for working with US troops.

The White House official said the new executive order also ensures that tens of thousands of legal permanent residents in the United States - or green card holders - from the listed countries would not be affected by the travel ban.

More than two dozen lawsuits were filed in US courts against the original travel ban and the state of Washington succeeded in having it suspended by the 9th Circuit court of Appeals by arguing that it violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination.

Trump publicly criticized judges who ruled against him and vowed to fight the case in the Supreme Court, but then decided to draw up a new order with changes aimed at making it easier to defend in the courts.

Refugees who are "in transit" and already have been approved would be able to travel to the United States.

Trump's original order barred travelers from the seven nations from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days. Refugees from Syria were to be banned indefinitely but under the new order they are not given separate treatment.

"This executive order has scrapped that division and the indefinite suspension and has collapsed them into a single category of a 120-day suspension," the White House official said.

Reuters
President Xi Jinpingand first lady Peng Liyuan meet with visiting Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath on Monday in Beijing.Zhang Duo / Xinhua

China and Cambodia should push their cooperation forward on major projects, President Xi Jinping said on Monday while meeting with visiting Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath.

The two countries should maintain high-level exchanges, and the leaders should visit each other frequently like visiting relatives, Xi said, while calling for connection of both countries' development strategies.

The president spoke highly of the contributions that the Cambodian royal family has made to the two countries' friendship. The friendship was forged and cultivated by previous generations of Chinese leaders and the late Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk, he said.

Sihanouk lived in China for nearly 40 years before passing away in Beijing in 2012. He played a key role in the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia in 1958.

China and Cambodia have maintained high mutual political trust, benefited mutually from their economic ties and coordinated closely in international affairs, Xi said, adding that China is willing to make joint efforts for greater bilateral achievements to benefit both peoples.

He also called for enhancing coordination in multilateral affairs and making continuous efforts for regional peace and China-ASEAN cooperation.

Sihamoni and Monineath expressed gratitude for China's long-term support of Cambodia's economic and social development.

They called Xi's state visit to Cambodia in October historic, firmly strengthening Cambodia-China cooperation. Xi's visit was marked by the two countries agreeing to jointly implement the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and enhance cooperation in production capacity.

The initiative, consisting of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was put forward by Xi in 2013 with a focus on infrastructure and trade.

In a message to the Cambodian people, Sihamoni said his trip to Beijing was to have his health checked, according to Xinhua News Agency. The king usually has a checkup by Chinese doctors twice a year, the report said.

Jin Yong, a professor of international relations research at the Communication University of China, said that Cambodia, an important member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has firmly supported China in national sovereignty issues in recent years.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn
Governor Declares March 5-11 Severe Weather Preparedness Week

Develop a family emergency plan so each member knows what to do, where to go and who to call during an emergency.

If thunder roars, go indoors! Lightning is close enough to strike you.

Know where the nearest safe room is, such as a basement or interior room away from windows.

Know the terms: WATCH means severe weather is possible. WARNING means severe weather is occurring; take shelter immediately.

Assemble an emergency supply kit for use at home or in your vehicle. Make sure to include a 3-day supply of non-perishable food and bottled water.

If driving, leave your vehicle immediately to seek shelter in a safe structure. Do not try to outrun a tornado in your vehicle and do not stop under an overpass or bridge.

If there is no shelter available, take cover in a low-lying flat area.

Contact: Ford Porter

Ford Porter govpress@nc.gov

RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper has declared March 5-11 Severe Weather Preparedness Week and urges North Carolinians to prepare and practice safety plans in case severe weather strikes, which could happen as soon as tonight according to weather forecasts.North Carolina is traditionally an active tornado and severe thunderstorm state and while severe weather can occur at any time of year, spring is the most active season. Today's weather forecast shows much of North Carolina at risk for potentially severe storms this evening and overnight.Governor Cooper said.Schools and government buildings statewide will hold tornado drills Wednesday, March 8, at 9:30 a.m. to practice their emergency plans. Test messages will be broadcast on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radios and the Emergency Alert System.Governor Cooper said.Unfortunately, North Carolina is no stranger to severe weather. In 2016, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued 61 tornado warnings for North Carolina and recorded 16 tornadoes. There were 121 flash flood warnings issued last year and 121 incidents of flash flooding across the state, many of which were associated with Hurricane Matthew. In addition, the NWS issued 697 severe thunderstorm warnings, and recorded 827 incidents of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and/or large hail. Numerous severe storms, flash flooding, tornadoes and hurricanes caused severe damage and loss of life.Tornadoes form during dense thunderstorms when winds change direction and increase in speed. These storms can produce large hail and damaging winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. A tornado can develop rapidly with little warning, so having a plan in place will allow you to quickly respond.Read Governor Cooper's proclamation and get more information on tornadoes and overall emergency preparedness through the ReadyNC mobile app and online at ReadyNC.org
North Carolina spends about $21 billion in state tax dollars every year, with total state spending reaching around $52 billion once federal spending and other income sources are counted.

As Gov. Cooper prepares to release his state budget proposal , its a good time to be reminded of a couple basic numbers:But that's not all, because local governments across NC spend billions of dollars as well. The latest US Census estimate says total government spending (federal pass-throughs, state and local spending) comes to $87.5 billion this year With a population of about 10.1 million people , that works out to more than $8,600 in government expenditures for every man, woman and child in the state. For a family of four, that comes to nearly $35,000.And this doesn't count the billions of dollars in federal programs sent directly to NC recipients.
In following the tone of the book, Kubrick originally intended to film the story as a serious drama. However, as he later explained during interviews, he began to see comedy inherent in the idea of mutual assured destruction as he wrote the first draft. Kubrick said:



"My idea of doing it as a nightmare comedy came in the early weeks of working on the screenplay. I found that in trying to put meat on the bones and to imagine the scenes fully, one had to keep leaving out of it things which were either absurd or paradoxical, in order to keep it from being funny; and these things seemed to be close to the heart of the scenes in question." Wikipedia

"Because I direct films, I have to live in a major English-speaking production center. That narrows it down to three places: Los Angeles, New York and London. I like New York, but it's inferior to London as a production center. Hollywood is best, but I don't like living there.

You read books or see films that depict people being corrupted by Hollywood, but it isn't that. It's this tremendous sense of insecurity. A lot of destructive competitiveness. In comparison, England seems very remote. I try to keep up, read the trade papers, but it's good to get it on paper and not have to hear it every place you go. I think it's good to just do the work and insulate yourself from that undercurrent of low-level malevolence." Stanley-Kubrick--1987

Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake

President Merkin Muffley

Dr. Strangelove

Gen. 'Buck' Turgidson

Brig. Gen. Jack D. Ripper

Col. 'Bat' Guano

Maj. 'King' Kong

Russian Ambassador Alexi de Sadesky

Lt. Lothar Zogg



Click on picture for larger view

"Dr. Strangelove's" humor is generated by a basic comic principle: People trying to be funny are never as funny as people trying to be serious and failing. The laughs have to seem forced on unwilling characters by the logic of events. A man wearing a funny hat is not funny. But a man who doesn't know he's wearing a funny hat ... ah, now you've got something. Roger Ebert











Is the concerted Democrat plan to obfusticate the purpose of government by the unprecedented delaying of President Trump's appointments, while galvanizing with the organized protesters' directive to obstruct the process of governing, at the federal level, working for the Democrat brand? Yes, Democrats will finally create a Socialist Progressive utopia if they remain banded together. No, the nation is in dire straits, on so many levels, and needs immediate repair. I'm busy with my important life, such as it is, and don't care. 68 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



1 Back in 1964 Dr Strangelove , a black comedy satire movie about Right Wing unhinged Military commanders starting a nuclear war, was a parody of the cold war warriors who were concerned about the Russian threat and fluoridation of our water. Back then the liberals thought the concerns about the Russian's intentions was paranoid and overblown.The movie was filmed mainly in England. When asked why he lived and filmed in England Stanley Krubrick ( American expatriate) said:Flash forward fifty-three years and we now have unhinged Democratic politicians fearing the Russians and blaming Donald Trump for being too cozy with them. They are also drinking only bottled water because of their fear of the impurities in the faucet water supply. Hell the movie even had a Russian Ambassador that looked surprisingly like the current one in the news. Have you noticed that many of those Russians living here seem to be enjoying the fruits of a bountiful table courtesy of the capitalist pigs.?Peter Sellers played the hapless often confused and bewildered President who could not believe or accept what was going on. His counterpart today is Senator Up.Chuckie Shoe.We have come full circle, which in politics is considered as nuance; not to be confused with actual convictions. Despite the fact that I voted for Barry Goldwater, who the Democrats tried to make into an Unhinged General, Dr Strangelove was and still is one of my all time favorite comedies right up there with The Pink Panther. I would never have dreamed that this would become somewhat a reality show in Washington DC. At the risk of putting too fine a point on this comparison, maybe the only thing that has stayed consistent over the years are the Russians. They are still single focused on World Dominance. Many of the characters have names which are double entendres or innuendos:Roger Ebert said in his review of Dr. Strangelove:You can't make this stuff up or can you? Or as Alex would say:Here a few clips from the movie which I still think is one of the all time best comedies.The last one is my favorite.Just a parting word of advice: "DON'T DRINK THE WATER - DRINK ONLY PURIFIED BOTTLED WATER
MORTON COUNTY, N.D.  The Committee to Protect Journalists and several other press freedom organizations are calling on Morton County to dismiss charges against journalists arrested while covering Dakota Access Pipeline protests.

The first criminal case against a journalist proceeded to trial on Thursday, March 2, but was dismissed after a judge found the state didnt meet its burden of proof.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has identified at least nine journalists who face charges in Morton County for covering pipeline protests, not including additional arrests made last week. Most face misdemeanor charges such as trespassing or engaging in a riot.

In a letter dated Thursday to Morton County States Attorney Allen Koppy, the press freedom organizations call for the charges to be dropped.

The letter, also signed by seven other groups including the Society of Professional Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, points out that several reporters arrested on inauguration day in Washington, D.C., later had their charges dropped.

Journalists have an important role in documenting incidents in the public interest, including instances of civil disobedience and law enforcement operations, the letter states. This role often draws them near to the scene of action. Trespass and rioting laws should require criminal intent, and journalists who are simply doing their job should not face criminal charges.

Morton County prosecutors didnt respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Christopher Schiano, who reports for the volunteer media collective Unicorn Riot, went to trial Thursday on a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespass stemming from his coverage of protest activities. His attorney, Robert Quick, said the judge dismissed the case after determining that prosecutors didnt meet their burden of proof.

We beat the case on the merits of the case, Quick said.

A second journalist for Unicorn Riot was scheduled for trial Friday morning in Morton County.

One of the most recent reporters arrested was Jack Smith IV, a journalist for the online news outlet Mic, who is facing a charge of obstruction of a government function, a Class A misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of one year in jail.

Smith was arrested last week while documenting a police line proceeding south on Highway 1806 near the main protest camp, which had been ordered closed by state officials earlier that day.

Officials designated an area for credentialed media to cover the events, but Smith said the staging area was too far away to observe the police and he hadnt received information about how to get credentialed.

Prior to his arrest, law enforcement said everyone that remained in the area was subject to arrest, including media.

Smith, who had two press passes and a large camera hanging around his neck, said he thought hed be able to record from a safe distance as officers entered the camp. But instead of entering the camp, officers rushed forward and made about 10 arrests. Smith said he and an independent journalist were among those arrested.

Lt. Tom Iverson of the North Dakota Highway Patrol said everyone there was given clear warnings that they needed to move or be subject to arrest.

If youre credentialed or not credentialed, you still have to obey the laws and obey commands given to you by law enforcement. All people have to do that, Iverson said.

Smith has not had his camera or laptop returned to him since his arrest.

Also Thursday, the board of the North Dakota Newspaper Association discussed concerns about the media credentialing process implemented last week by the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

The state agency said in a news release it would not credential freelance reporters or photographers without a specific assignment from a legitimate news outlet.

Steve Andrist, executive director of the North Dakota Newspaper Association, said the organization is concerned about limitations placed on covering news stories and plans to follow up with state agencies to try to avoid problems in the future.

To make a value judgment as to which news outlets are legitimate, I dont see how you can leave that in the hands of a government entity, Andrist said.
CANNON BALL, N.D.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished cleaning up the main Dakota Access Pipeline protest camp at the end of day Thursday, March 2, a full week after moving in with its contractors.

The Oceti Sakowin camp was the largest of three occupied camps on corps-owned land along the Cannonball River in southern Morton County. All three sprung up in opposition to the nearby Dakota Access crude oil crossing under the Missouri River/Lake Oahe.

Corps spokesman Capt. Ryan Hignight said the final tally of debris removed from the camp by all contractors was just over 2,000 cubic yards of material requiring more than 600 roll-off dumpsters.

The Corps awarded a bid of slightly more than $1 million for its part of the work, which is in addition to cleanup contractors brought in earlier by both Standing Rock and Morton County, he said.

Once occupied by thousands of people, the camp had dwindled to a few hundred before it was evacuated Feb. 22 in a mostly peaceful process, though 46 people were arrested for failing to leave as ordered.

Corps contractors are still working on clearing out the Rosebud camp on the south side of the Cannonball River and expect to finish that over the weekend, he said.

The corps will next focus on cleaning the Sacred Stone spirit camp near the reservation town of Cannon Ball, the first camp to be established almost a year ago in April. Sacred Stone was vacated on Tuesday and Wednesday, after the Bureau of Indian Affairs served a finding of trespass on those occupying the camp. The camp ending was relatively quiet and undramatic.

Much of Sacred Stone is on corps property taken for flooding of Lake Oahe, though some of the campsites on higher ground were on Department of Interior land held in trust for the tribe. LaDonna Brave Bull Allard established the camp and has a one-fifteenth interest in the trust land, while the tribe has a two-thirds ownership. Allard organized a Gofundme fundraising account for Sacred Stone and received just over $3.1 million from 62,000 donations, with donations still coming in Friday.
State of the Blog

I'm not keeping up the blog like I used to. Posts will be here and there, as the mood strikes. Most of what I have to say is in my book. Thank you for reading.


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Blowing up dead animals was just part of the deal in the 16 seasons Nolan Melin worked as a backcountry horse packer and trail crew member for the Forest Service.

Youve got to get rid of them, he said matter-of-factly about a pretty unusual occurrence.

Otherwise, a dead horse or mule might attract bears to a wilderness trail, which is dangerous for humans and the bears.

Scarce

Horse packing is a skill few people possess in this digital, mechanized age. The profession harkens back to a simpler time when horsepower actually involved a real horse.

In the Forest Services Region 1, which encompasses 25 million acres spread across five states including Montana, there are only eight full-time horse packers with another 25 who include that specialty in their other duties. So that made Melin a rare breed.

Traute Parrie, retired Beartooth District ranger, said,   When I got to the Beartooth District ranger job, it was some combination of humbling and thrilling to realize I'd landed on a district where we still had a permanent packer, a rare thing these days. It spoke to the values that this district holds important.

The reality is that its also a punishing profession  lifting heavy loads as well as dealing with horses and mules that sometime possess a mind of their own. Most horse packers have several tales about a wild blow up, when animals bucked loose and took off for points unknown.

Mules are unforgiving if you dont understand them, Melin said. I love those old mules, but they knew who was boss and who they could walk over.

Moving on

Worn out at the age of 36, after years of heavy lifting and being thrown from his mount a few times, Melin is stepping down from his job as packer for the Beartooth Ranger District to work in Miles City. The new job will be closer to his hometown. He grew up on a ranch outside of Ashland.

His departure is leaving a hole in a key position for the forest, and hes taking his wife, Manda, who was a nine-year trail crew veteran  a double whammy for the district.

It will be a blow for me, said Allie Wood, the districts wilderness and trails manager.

A lot of our trails are in the wilderness, she explained. So we need to get to crews in the backcountry. Its less effort to do it with stock than to have the trail crew carry in 80 to 90 pounds of gear.

With restrictions on federal hiring, Wood isnt sure if or when Melin might be replaced.

Explorer

There are close to 300 miles of trails in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, a 937,000-acre region in south-central Montana that also contains the highest mountain in the state  12,799-foot Granite Peak.

Ive seen every inch of them, except for maybe some stuff on top, Melin said, starting off when he hired on to the trail crew at age 19.

He applied for the job on a lark, simply because his brother was putting in for a position in the Forest Service. In a weird twist of fate, Melin got hired, his brother didnt. After getting broken in as a trail crew member, Melin started packing when the contractor for the Forest Service broke his neck. After increasing his skills, the agency sent Melin to a regional packer school for more specific training.

I grew up on a ranch so I knew livestock, but not all of the knots and loads for packing, Melin explained.

Eventually he was taking in five mules hauling 800 to 1,000 pounds of gear on his own once or twice a week, averaging 500 to 600 miles a year. The gear might be for trail work, weed abatement or simply hauling out trash that other wilderness visitors have left behind.

All the important field work that the public expects us to do, but sometimes feels like it's disappearing, Parrie said.

The loads would contain everything from awkward wooden timbers for making water bars to dense and heavy bags of concrete to build bridges, and on occasion, explosives to blow up dead animals.

Blasting

Blasting deceased animals can be complicated if the carcass is particularly pungent, Melin noted. That makes the horses and mules nervous, as well as challenges the intestinal fortitude of the workers  Melin included.

The ones that have been out there a couple of weeks, when you come up on them it can really ruin your day, he said.

Theres also the added anxiety that a bear, smelling the same decaying carcass, may be attracted to the site.

The idea is to blow up the dead animals, which can weigh around 1,000 pounds, into smithereens and scatter those bits across a wide area so the carcass is no longer a bear attractant.

The biggest chunk we ever found (after the explosion) was the size of a pop can, Melin said. I never did find a horseshoe, but I was sure I was always pointed the other way and hiding behind a large rock to avoid being struck by a flying metal shoe when the blasting caps were ignited.

Hard working

On the other end of his job responsibilities, Melin loved to ride to the Lake Plateau, a high-mountain region between the Stillwater and Boulder rivers strewn with a few of the 948 lakes that dot the wilderness.

Although comfortable with livestock, coworker Jess Howell said she was surprised to find out that Melin liked mountain biking and ultimate Frisbee, pastimes that seemed out of sync with his cowboy attitude. Yet Howell had nothing but praise for Melins work ethic.

He's tough and does whatever it takes to get the job done, even if that means working into the night or going without breakfast, lunch and dinner, Howell said. He thinks quick on his feet and comes up with solutions when he or the crew gets in a pickle. He doesn't seem to be afraid of anything.

He was a backbone for us, Wood added.
HELENA  The Montana Democrats on Sunday picked musician Rob Quist of Creston as their U.S. House candidate to replace Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

Zinke resigned from Congress Wednesday and will be replaced in a special election May 25. Gov. Steve Bullock set the election for 85 days after Zinkes resignation, although he had 100. Montana wont have a representative in Congress until Zinke is replaced.

The party held four rounds of voting during the special nominating convention at the Best Western Premier Great Northern Hotel in Helena, eliminating the lowest vote-getters each round until someone ended up with more than 50 percent.

Quist defeated state Rep. Amanda Curtis on a vote of 90-69 in the final round, state Rep. Kelly McCarthy of Billings was eliminated after the third round, Gary Stein of Missoula was eliminated and Dan West of Missoula dropped out after the second round, and attorney John Meyer of Bozeman, Lee Link Neimark of Whitefish and Tom Weida of Helena were eliminated after the first round.

Before the voting began, delegates had 30 minutes to give one-minute speeches for the candidate of their choice. Quist, Curtis and McCarthy received the majority of their support, with at least five delegates speaking on each candidates behalf. Most delegates who spoke said the three candidates were most likely to put together the best campaign in 80 days. West had two delegate supporters and the remaining candidates had none.

The leading candidates were divided on whether political experience would help or hinder their electability. Candidates did agree on several core aspects of the Democratic platform, such as keeping public lands public and fostering an inclusive environment.

Quist, who gained fame in the Mission Mountain Wood Band, hasnt ever held elected office. When announcing his campaign, Quist touted years of public service including serving for 11 years on the Montana Arts Council and as a state ambassador to Montanas sister state in Kumamoto, Japan. He advocated for the Montana Food Bank and received a grant from the Office of Public Instruction to create anti-bullying programs and art programs in public schools.

Quist said hes traveled the state and understands what kind of representation Montanans need. He grew up in Cut Bank and now lives in the Flathead Valley. The musician received an endorsement from former Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who called Quist a political outsider who will stand up for Montana.

While nominating Quist, Rosebud County Committee Vice Chair Jean Dahlman said he has a unique relationship with Montanans and will appeal to Independent and Republican voters.

These are the voters we must win over in order to win the general election, Dahlman said.

Dahlman said Quist has already shown hes capable of growing the party. While traveling to garner the support of delegates, he created seven new central committees.

Never have we seen such uncertainty. Voters are alarmed, she said. They are asking for a new kind of leadership.

Kyle Kuntz, a delegate from Blaine County, said Quist was the most electable candidate and will find support from both sides of the aisle.

Quist said hes come to know Montanans without being a career politician, which gave him a broad perspective and ability to represent the entire state.

I ask you to look outside the bubble of Helena to a man who has represented Montana from behind a different kind of microphone, he said.

He spoke to policies he would support, including fixing the Affordable Care Act, funding education, opposing the transfer of public lands and womens reproductive rights, including protecting funding for Planned Parenthood.

The last Democrat to hold the congressional seat was Pat Williams, who served from 1979-1997.

"I hope to get to Congress and have the same impact Pat Williams had," Quist said after winning the nomination.

He added that the election is going to be a sprint, but said Quists are good at sprinting.

"I think, who better than a musician for a campaign like this?" he said. "I think we're really well prepared."

Quist said he has been connecting with Montanans his whole life, and he doesn't think he will have trouble getting people to cross party lines. He said he has had conversations with Republicans, and they agree on 80 percent of the issues.

"I really don't feel like I'm an underdog in this race," he said.

Kevin Hamm, with the Stonewall Democrats, gave an energizing nomination speech for Curtis, which drew applause and cheers from the crowd. He said Curtis, who was defeated by Republican Steve Daines after being nominated to run for U.S. Senate only 50 days before the 2014 general election, has experience in a short and fast-paced election.

She has walked through that fire already, he said. Its time we help the lady take the seat.

Curtis also highlighted the necessity of experience, mentioning her two terms in the state Legislature and the requirement of the nominee to immediately understand and act on federal policy issues. She said shes already been vetted by Republicans after running against Daines.

She took time out of her speech to issue a general warning to whoever won the nomination, saying they will deal with trackers from the opposition and said the other side doesnt play nice.

Theyll make up lies about you, she said. Theyll give you a tracker who acts as your shadow whose only job is to make you look bad or lose your cool.

If chosen, Curtis promised to have authentic conversations with Republicans and unite people according to the states core values.

This is about more than looking like a Republican, she said. This is about talking to our friends and neighbors.

Curtis ended her speech by acknowledging shes a woman, which she called the elephant in the room. She shamed delegates for suggesting a woman couldnt win right now.

Do you hear yourselves? Did you hear the 10,000 women in Helena? For the record, once and for all, without a doubt in my mind I do think a woman can win right now, she said. I think this is our time more than ever.

Rep. Nate McConnell, D-Missoula, nominated McCarthy and referenced his sponsorship of a bill to prohibit discrimination against the LGBTQ community, even though McCarthy knew the odds werent in his favor.

Like all of us in this room, Kelly wanted the ugly practice of discrimination to end, McConnell said. Kelly knows what courage is.

McCarthy touted his three sessions in the Legislature. Hes built the budget as part of the House Appropriations committee for three sessions and said 80 percent of the legislation he carried last session became law. He said Montana needs to send a representative who understands the nuances of the current political climate.

In this race, legislative experience and national security experience and experience serving our nation matter, McCarthy said.

The majority of the Democratic votes, as many as 160, came from county committee people. Gov. Steve Bullock and Sen. Jon Tester each got a vote, and 21 came from the partys executive committee. Another 10 votes came from partner organizations, such as the College Democrats and the Montana Indian Democrats Council.

Republicans will choose their nominee on Monday evening at the Best Western Premier Great Northern Hotel. Unlike the Democrats, the Republicans required each of their seven candidates to put forward a $1,740 filing fee. They also required candidates to get support from 10 committee voters in at least five counties.

All of the 212 Republican voters come from county committees. Candidates include 2016 gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte, state Sen. Ed Buttrey of Great Falls, Dean Rehbein of Missoula, Drew Turiano of East Helena, Rep. Carl Glimm of Kila, Ed Walker of Billings and former Republican chairman Ken Miller.

Gianforte has already launched a statewide advertising campaign for the special election with a 60 second commercial. He said hes already secured enough votes to get the nomination on Monday.

Ron Vandevender, state party chair for the Libertarians, said they will pick their candidate in a convention Saturday in Helena. Candidates include Mark Wicks of Inverness, James White of Helena, Rufus Peace of Livingston and Chris Colvin and Evan Gardner of Kalispell.
President Donald Trump has demonstrated that he can act, well, presidential, live on national television for an hour.

He started his joint address to the U.S. House and Senate last week by strongly condemning recent acts of hate against Jewish American communities after previously giving mixed signals.

Recent threats targeting Jewish community centers and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week's shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all of its very ugly forms, Trump said to applause.

He continued with uplifting language: Each American generation passes the torch of truth, liberty and justice in an unbroken chain all the way down to the present. That torch is now in our hands. And we will use it to light up the world. I am here tonight to deliver a message of unity and strength, and it is a message deeply delivered from my heart.

The president disproved pundits who predicted his first address to Congress would veer into a rant. His speech was coherent, if short on details, as big presidential speeches usually are.

He called for bipartisan cooperation, an essential step for this nation that will require the cooperation of the president, Congressional Democrats and Republicans.

The big speech full of optimism and broad promises is the easier part of being president. The much, much harder job will be filling in the details of dollars and policies. In coming weeks, Trump must tell Americans how he expects our nation to achieve his goals on tax reform, free trade, infrastructure building, military expansion, health insurance that is less costly, education choice for black and Hispanic children and more.

Trump repeated his campaign promise about building a wall on the Mexican border, but he didnt repeat his claim that Mexico would pay for it.

There were a few clunker comments, too. Trump announced a new government agency that would assist victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants. Never mind that the vast majority of U.S. crime is committed by Americans. Why not create an agency that would serve all victims of crime?

Time will tell if Americans saw the real Trump Tuesday night. In the first few days after that speech, he was sticking to presidential script, visiting a U.S. Navy ship, and a parochial school. After 72 hours, there had been no new Tweets blasting journalists or disparaging the judiciary.

Perhaps, Trump is beginning to understand that every word counts when its the president of the United States speaking or Tweeting. That development would be good for his presidency and good for all Americans.

Now Americans must stay tuned to see what Trump actually does for the remaining 47 months of his term.
HA NOI  The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will inspect adherence to inorganic fertiliser production regulations at production and processing enterprises.

The market management departments will be responsible for examination and then the inspection team of the ministry will recheck the departments inspection in key areas.

According to minister Tran Anh Tuan, the inspection is aimed at ensuring compliance with the regulations on producing and processing inorganic fertiliser by businesses.

The purpose is also to detect, prevent and deal with violations in production and uncover unlicensed firms to protect the interest of customers, he said.

It also aims to determine shortcomings in the management of fertiliser in general to timely report to competent authorities to deal, adjust and complete current regulations on fertilser management.

The inspection will help restore order in the fertiliser market, considered to have poor quality and fake goods, which were creating problems for farmers over time.

The minister also ordered inspection teams to not create obstacles for businesses.

According to statistics of the Viet Nam Fertiliser Association, the country currently has more than 1,000 enterprises producing fertilisers of thousands of different varieties. However, businesses which do not have licence continue to exist.

A report of the Market Management Department showed that more than 2,000 cases of violation had been uncovered in 2016, increasing by 150 per cent compared with 2015, and administrative fines had reached VN22.7 billion (US$1 million).

The inspection will begin on March 15.  VNS
HA NOI  The Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) will maintain its controlling stake in major ports and divest from others as it targets increased efficiency and profitability of core services over the next five years.

Under its five-year (2016-2020) investment and development plan approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, it will maintain its controlling stake in the nations three major ports in Hai Phong, a Nang and HCM City.

The corporation currently holds a majority stake of between 75 per cent and 95 per cent in the three ports.

It will divest and give up its controlling stake in several smaller ports.

Under the five-year plan, the corporation will concentrate its investments in the Lach Huyen and inh Vu ports in Hai Phong City; the Hai Phong International Port; the Lien Chieu Port in a Nang; and the Nghe Tinh Port in Ha Tinh Province.

In the southern region, the corporation is to focus efforts on beginning operations at the Sai Gon-Hiep Phuoc Port and developing general ports in Hau Giang, Can Tho and Cam Ranh provinces.

Meanwhile, it will restructure its bank debts and prepare to list its shares on the national bourse.

It will strive to improve the efficiency and profitability of its sea transport, ports and maritime services, sustain and increase the States capital, and withdraw from ineffective businesses.

The exploitation and development of deepwater ports and transit ports will be improved to make it competitive in the region.

Vinalines plans to complete its equitisation process early next year.

The corporations revamp plans after years of losses and soaring debts. In 2015, its debt was estimated at VN11 trillion, or $504 million, owed to 24 lenders, nearly half of them foreign firms. The majority of its domestic market share on import-export carriage has been taken over by foreign shipping businesses.

For 2017, Vinalines targets a revenue of around VN15.3 trillion (US$668.4 million), lower than last year, when it topped VN16 trillion.  VNS
HA NOI  Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) will offer 25 per cent of its capital during its upcoming initial public offering (IPO), scheduled in the second quarter of 2017, the group has announced.

The amount of shares, equivalent to VN10 trillion (US$438.6 million), will be sold to the companys employees, as well as the public.

The timetable for the first phase of the equitisation has not been disclosed, but will not occur later than June, as set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

VRG General Director Tran Ngoc Thuan said, due to the huge amount of equitised capital, the groups shares would be sold to strategic investors in the second phase, after developing criteria for selecting strategic investors.

Important criteria will include financial capability and business areas which should be similar to VRGs operation, Thuan added.

He noted that many parties had registered to become strategic investors, but they would be scrutinised by MARD and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc before receiving approval.

The list will be disclosed in the future, Thuan said.

According to the decision of the Prime Minister, VRG will have to equitise the group and its 20 member companies.

In mid-January, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan urged VRG to divest by June 2017.

Last year, the rubber group successfully sold stakes in two subsidiaries, the Tan Bien and Ba Ria limited companies, as well as divested from 24 non-trade units, collecting more than VN2.9 trillion.

In 2017, VRG has targeted to earn VN4.2 trillion in pre-tax profits, a year-on-year increase of 47 per cent, despite industry forecasts of challenges due to the unpredictable impacts of climate change.  VNS
HA NOI  Many State-owned enterprises are seeking to divest from commercial banks this year, as forecasts for the local stock remain positive.

Both The Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) plans to auction their holdings in Maritime Bank and Ocean Bank (OCB) in March.

VNPT has registered to offload its entire holding of 71.6 million shares in Maritime Bank at the starting price of VN11,900 (US$0.52) per share, equivalent to 6.09 per cent of the banks capital, in an auction scheduled for March 10.

The move is in line with the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue to urge the telecommunication group to divest from its listed member companies.

On a smaller sale, Agribank will sell 390,665 shares in Ocean Bank during an auction in mid-March. The starting price is set at VN10,200 per share.

Mobifone, one of the three largest mobile network operators in Viet Nam, also plans to divest from Southeast Asia Commercial Bank (SeABank) and Tien Phong Bank (TPBank) this year, after the failure in 2016.

In April last year, Mobifone put up its entire holding of 33.4 million shares of SeABank, equivalent to 6.12 per cent of the banks capital, for sale at the initial price of VN9,600 per share, but no investors registered to buy.

The same month, it also registered to sell 14.28 million shares, or 2.57 per cent of TPBanks capital, and successfully sold 61 per cent of this amount. Before the sale, the mobile network company held 4.76 per cent of TPBanks capital.

According to VP Bank Securities Company (VPS), banks could be among top best performers on the securities market this year, driven by the intense restructuring process in the financial system, as well as the Governments support policy of easing foreign ownership limits in commercial banks.

In addition, many small banks have plans of debuting shares on the stock market this year, and this would facilitate divestment from these banks.

The VN-Index could climb to 780 points this year, on the average price-earnings (P/E) ratio of 17, VPS wrote in a report.

The benchmark VN-Index gained 14.8 per cent in 2016, ending the year at 664.87 points. It has gained 7.2 per cent this year.

In the third quarter of last year when the stock market had perked up, dairy firm Vinamilk (VNM) successfully sold over 2 million shares in An Binh Bank (ABBank).

In December, Tan Thuan Industrial Promotion Co Ltd (IPC) and Saigontourist also successfully offloaded their entire holdings in SaigonBank.  VNS
MOSCOW  The Vietnamese Businesses Association (VBA) in Russia hosted a seminar in Moscow to discuss ways to promote Viet Nams economic and trade ties with Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

During the event on Sunday, participants reviewed the associations activities in 2016 and proposed future plans.

Vietnamese enterprises were urged to maintain their operations in Russia, with the latters economy showing signs of recovery.

The free trade agreement signed between Viet Nam and the EAEU creates opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises in Russia, they said.

According to Duong Hoang Minh, commercial counsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, the EAEU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement has boosted economic links between Viet Nam and Russia.

Viet Nams export turnover to Russia increased by 20 per cent in 2016, Minh said.

Meanwhile, Le Truong Son, chairman of the VBA in Russia, stressed Vietnamese firms in Russia have made efforts to reinforce their position and market share.

The association has served as a bridge to strengthen links between Viet Nam and Russia, he said, adding that the association is operating large-scale programmes to enhance economic and trade ties between Viet Nam and the EAEU.  VNS
HA NOI  Thailands Siam Cement Group (SCG) has acquired a part of Long Son Petrochemicals (LSP) Complex for US$36.1 million, reviving its delayed petrochemical complex in Viet Nam.

The $36.1 million acquisition raises SCGs stake in LSP from 46 per cent to 71 per cent, making it the largest shareholder. The remaining 29 per cent is held by Vietnam Oil and Gas group PetroVietnam (PVN).

The corporation had been looking for a new partner for the LSP project in Ba Ria-Vung Tau since 2015 after Qatar Petroleum International (QPI) decided to withdraw. Finally, SCG purchased the entire 25 per cent stake from Qatar Petroleum Viet Nam Limited (QPIV), a division of QPI.

The transaction was carried out through SCGs wholly-owned subsidiary Vina SCG Chemicals (VSCG), the company said in a filing.

The project will be financed through a combination of equity and debt, the final decision for which is expected to be made in the first half of 2017.

Located around 100km from HCM City, LSP is the first petrochemical complex in Viet Nam. The projects goal is to develop a 1-million-tonne ethylene cracker with a flexible gas and naphtha feed, creating an olefin capacity of up to 1.6 million tonnes per year.

SCG is a century-old Thai corporation with interests in cement production, construction materials, chemicals and packaging. Regionally, it has investments in Indonesia, Viet Nam and Cambodia. By the end of 2016, SCG had invested more than $800 million through a number of projects in Viet Nam.  VNS
HA NOI  State-owned enterprises (SOEs) have contributed VN14.2 trillion (US$621 million) to the coffers through divestment in the first two months of 2017, the finance ministry has said.

Around VN36.3 billion has come from selling stakes in five sensitive areas  securities, insurance, banking and finance, real estate, and investment funds  and another VN2.1 trillion from other fields.

The State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) sold stakes worth VN1.2 trillion in 11 companies, earning a total of VN12.1 trillion. Of the estimates, SCIC divested VN780 billion from the Viet Nam Dairy Products JSC (Vinamilk). It gained nearly VN11.3 trillion from the sale of Vinamilk stocks.

Though no SOEs have been equitised in the first two months of this year, those companies listed for equitisation in the 2016-20 period are actively involved in the process.

In 2016, 56 enterprises were approved for equitisation. The total value of these firms was VN34 trillion, of which the State capital was valued at VN24.4 trillion.

As per the equitisation plan, the charter capital of the 56 companies was VN24.37 trillion, of which the State held VN11.9 trillion. The stakes sold to strategic investors were worth VN7 trillion, those sold to workers were worth VN388 billion, and shares sold at public auctions were worth VN4.3 trillion.  VNS
HA NOI  The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), whose fate seems uncertain after the US  withdrawal, will certainly continue in another form, the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has said.

We believe that TPP member countries, even the US, dont want to waste the six years of negotiation and the large opportunities the trade deal would bring, Vu Tien Loc, chairman of VCCI, said to reporters last week.

The TPP will certainly continue. It could be a bilateral or multilateral trade deal, he said, adding that it, however, may come into effect at a later date than previously scheduled, which was 2018.

Viet Nam has a lot of expectations from the TPP and the European Union-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) as they open large markets and create significant opportunities for trade growth and for improving domestic economic institutions.

The fate of the TPP became uncertain in January after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order formally withdrawing the US from the 12-nation trade deal on his fourth day in office.

In 2016, the US was Viet Nam s largest export market, bringing in a revenue of US$38.5 billion, a 15 per cent rise over the same period last year, customs statistics showed. The US has maintained this position in the first two months of 2017, with the turnover rising by 18.9 per cent compared to the same period last year, to $6 billion.

With the TPP on shaky legs, Viet Nam is now looking more towards the EVFFTA, which is expected to come into force in 2018.

Viet Nam should focus on three measures to grasp opportunities from the EVFTA, which include hastening the signing and approval of the EVFTA, continuing institutional reforms, and improving its competitiveness and business environment, Loc said.

The trade deal will help connect the Southeast Asian country of nearly 90 million people to the European Union (EU), which has an estimated population of 500 million. The market size would be nearly 1 billion if the ASEAN markets are included.

Viet Nam s export to the EU in the first two months of 2017 reached $5.4 billion, up 13.2 per cent, while import from these markets rose by 24.6 per cent to $1.7 billion.
The qualify of life we enjoy in Montana is directly connected to the public investments we make in our communities  modern schools and quality education for our children, safe roads, updated water and sewer systems, and an affordable college education for our future workforce. With the Montana legislative session halfway complete, legislative leaders have made deep and devastating cuts to the state budget that impede our states ability to continue to prosper and will impact some of our most vulnerable families and neighbors.

Subcommittees in charge of the state budget have met to hear from Montanans across the state about the impact of these budget decisions. But our legislators are not listening.

As the budget stands today, state investments essential for seniors, students and our most vulnerable families are at risk. The Department of Public Health and Human Services faces one of the deepest cuts in the budget totaling over $90 million cut in state and federal funds, including serious cuts to programs administering Medicaid benefits and other services to seniors and people with disabilities who need assistance staying in their own home or reside in nursing homes. Investments to the Montana University System have been cut by $23 million, likely to result in double-digit tuition increases for Montana students and families. The Legislature has cut funding within the Department of Military Affairs for regional hazardous materials response teams.

These cuts will hurt our families and our communities, and legislators need to hear from their constituents that the cuts are unacceptable.

In this second half of the session, the Llegislature can and should work to restore these cuts. To do so, it must get serious about ensuring we have adequate revenue in the state. The governors budget provides a balanced approach to current budgetary constraints, by including both spending cuts and common-sense measures to ensure we have adequate levels of revenue. Unfortunately, key legislative leaders have indicated a dangerous unwillingness to accept this balanced approach and instead have imposed additional deep, unnecessary, and harmful cuts. Rather than closing tax loopholes and ensuring special interests and out-of-state corporations pay their fair share, these legislators seem ready to ask Montanas hardworking families to pay more in tuition, Montanas seniors and individuals with disabilities to go without critical services that make it possible to stay in their homes, and local governments and taxpayers to shoulder a greater share of the costs to ensure our communities are safe.

Cuts already taken will have a devastating impact on our communities, but these cuts may be just the tip of the iceberg. Last month, the legislatures staff released a report showing where we stand with revenue and projected spending, factoring in actions taken so far by the legislature. Considering the cuts already seen, we sit roughly $140 million below the goal of a $300 million ending fund balance. Unless legislators recognize the need for additional revenue, we should expect to see even further cuts.

When the Legislature returns this week, legislators will make important decisions about whom they represent: multinational corporations and the wealthiest 1 percent, or hardworking Montanans, local communities and our most vulnerable neighbors.

Montanans are taking note and standing up for strong investments in our state, recently holding rallies in Missoula, Kalispell, and Great Falls. These rallies send a message to our elected officials during the legislative break that we stand with our fellow Montanans and communities. There is still time to right these wrongs. The Legislature has 45 more days to ensure we have enough revenue in the state and restore the deep and potentially devastating cuts they have made to the budget. It is possible in the state of Montana to have a balanced budget, fund the services that help citizens and communities across the state, and leave a healthy ending fund balance.
A NANG  An art troupe from Japan and a delegation of Theravada Buddhists from Myanmar will join the annual Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) Festival in Ngu Hanh Son District on March 14-16.

According to the districts Culture and Information Centre, the festival will include bai choi (a card game in which players sit in a hut and play and sing at the same time), boat-racing on the Co Co River, a photo exhibition and calligraphy demonstration as well as folk games.

Artists from Japan will present calligraphy skills and photos of pagodas and other Buddhist artifacts.

A Buddhism lecture and meditation session will take place at the a Pagoda in Su Van Hanh street, beside the Quan The Am Pagoda.

The opening ceremony is scheduled for 7pm at Quan The Am Pagoda at the foot of the Kim Son Mountain on March 14.

As planned, the countrys first Buddhist Culture Museum will be opened at the Quan The Am Pagoda with an exhibition of over 500 antiques.

Religious history: Tourists visit the Buddhist Culture Museum at the Quan The Am Pagoda in a Nang city.  VNS Photo Cong Thanh

The museum, which covers over 500sq.m, will also have ancient documents, statues and sculptures on show.

The main festival, which falls on March 16 (the 19th of lunar February), will feature the procession of an image of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and a prayer for a year of peace, prosperity and happiness for the nation.

It will also demonstrate stone sculptures of the 400-year-old Non Nuoc stone village  the National intangible heritage recognition  in Ngu Hanh Son (Marble Mountain) district.

A series of cultural activities including martial art performances, chess, a run for peace, a candle-lit flower release, drums and traditional dances will be held from morning to night during the 3-day festival.

The annual festival, which is one of the leading cultural events in the city each year, was recognised as one of 15 biggest cultural festivals in Viet Nam.

The festival draws around 10,000 residents and tourists each year. In 2014, the Thai Sangha delegation also joined the festival.

The festival will close with a gratitude ceremony on March 16.  VNS




HCM CITY  Young amateur filmmakers aged 16-28 nationwide are eligible to participate in the fifth Sfilm Contest 2017, to be launched in HCM City this week.

The contest, called Hanh Trinh Cua Lua (Journey of Fire), will feature stories related to young people and their hopes and dreams.

Organised by Dreamtime Productions, in co-operation with its partner Hoa Sen University, the contest will give participants, particularly students at universities and colleges, an opportunity to explore their creativity.

Contestants will compete in different categories, such as short films (15 minutes or less), short documentary films or videos (eight minutes or less), and trailers (one minute or less).

Stories about youth and their difficulties in life, study and love are expected to be featured.

Films should include at least one poster each.

A group of skilled directors and camera operators from film studios and cinematography schools, such as Trinh Hoan, Phan Gia Nhat Linh and Hong Anh, will join the jury.

The winners will be chosen from 15 nominations.

Top prizes will be given for Best Film, Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Sound Effects and Best Creation, and Best Poster.

Prizes worth several millions of ong and six full-time scholarships to study cinema at Hoa Sen University will be presented.

Audiences will also vote for their favourite film.

Actress and film producer Hong Anh, a member of the jury, said: Our jury supports contestants who bring their stories to life in a realistic way."

Contestants should send their work to the festivals organising board before June 5 at sfilmcontest@gmail.com or to Hoa Sen University, 8 Nguyen Van Trang Street, District 1.

Last year, the Sfilm Contest received more than 90 productions in different categories.

The first prize was given to Loyalty, a 12-minute film about the friendship of a poor student and his dog. The film was made by a group of students from HCM City.

To view Sfilm Contest winners, visit the website https://www.facebook.com/Sfilm.Contest.VNS
The HCM City Peoples Committee on Friday established a headmasters council, an association of the headmasters of 46 universities in the city.  Photo vietnamnet.vn

HCM CITY  The HCM City Peoples Committee on Friday established a headmasters council, an association of the headmasters of 46 universities in the city.

The council is chaired by Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of the Peoples Committee.

Speaking at the ceremony, Phong said the council aims to help the city to improve graduate and postgraduate educational quality and offer high-quality human resources to the city.

The citys authorities pledged to support school development and offer favourable conditions for schools, lecturers and students to work, study and conduct science research in hopes of promoting the citys education, he said.

The council is divided into six sectors, including pedagogy; health; culture, arts, tourism, social sciences and humanities; technique and technology; economics; and politics and law.

It will offer training programmes for lecturers and reform curriculum and teaching methods in order to suit the development of the country, the region and the world.

It will also promote co-operation with the National University in HCM City and international universities to create activities to improve graduate educational quality.  VNS
HA NOI  All districts and communes in the capital city of Ha Noi will start campaigns this week to control the pervasive encroachment of cafes, beer joints and cars on sidewalks, Chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Nguyen uc Chung announced.

At a meeting held on Saturday on the implementation of measures to intensify inspections and punishment of violations relating to traffic and urban order, Chung said the handling of pavement and street encroachment were discussed many times and many campaigns were conducted, but all failed.

He attributed the failure to lack of close supervision by leaders of relevant ministries and agencies, adding that the task must be carried out more resolutely, methodically and patiently to gain sustainable results.

He said that when he was Director of Ha Noi Police, his survey found that up to 150 out of 180 beer shops along pavements were "supported" by police.

He also asked whether relatives of leaders of districts and communes did not, in fact, manage illegal parking spots.

The first order of business, he said, was to increase public awareness and encourage people to abide by regulations, he said, adding that regular inspections should be carried out to ensure that regulations are followed. Any individuals and organisations violating regulations would be strictly punished, he said.

Apart from punishing violators, it was essential for heads of districts, communes and agencies to take responsibilities for violations happening in their areas, he said. The city will set up interdisciplinary inspection teams and will strictly punish those leaders who let violations occur within their jurisdictions, he said.

City targets 37 congestion spots

Deputy chairman of the HCM City Peoples Committee Le Van Khoa instructed the Department of Transport to basically eradicate 37 existing traffic congestion spots before June at Fridays meeting.

The Transport Department should work with the Ministry of Transport to set up check-in area and shuttle bus service around the Tan Son Nhat Airport as well as submit suggestion to the city Peoples Committee in an effort to speed up construction of two underground parking plots in Trong ong stage and Le Van Tam park, Khoa said.

In recent meeting with local authorities, chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong pledged that in 2017, the city will reduce at least 5 per cent of traffic accidents, number of deaths and injuries comparing with 2016. He also committed that 37 traffic congestion spots, including Tan Son Nhat Airport and Cat Lai seaport, will be eradicated.

He instructed the citys Traffic Safety Committee, leaders of relevant authorities, chairmen of districts closely working together to reduce traffic congestion and accident for 2016 -2020 period.

Phong also stressed that management of pavement, roads must be paid attention because this is also one factor leading to existing serious traffic congestion.

The municipal leaders also instructed traffic police in co-operation with Transport Department, districts, relevant authorities to increase their patrol, management and strictly fine any action that can restrict transport, ensure no illegal racing, no pavement encroachment, no illegal bus and station.

Last year, there were 3,962 traffic accidents, 805 deaths and 3,204 injuries. These figures were 5.54 per cent of traffic accidents higher, with 208 cases comparing with 2015, more 103 deaths (14.6 per cent higher) and less 97 injuries.

Everyday, the city has more 180 new-registered automobiles and 850 motorbikes while there is not much road to be built. The city often faces sudden traffic congestions with traffic accident, big rain, flooding. Tan Son Nhat Airport and Cat Lai seaport are considered as the most serious traffic congestion spots. -- VNS
Ministries and localities have been told not to buy cars this year unless otherwise dictated by a comprehensive review of the number of State-owned cars.  Photo infonet.vn

HA NOI  Ministries and localities have been told not to buy cars this year unless otherwise dictated by a comprehensive review of the number of State-owned cars.

Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyen Huu Chi, who issued the order, said it was aimed to tighten public spending and improve the effectiveness of using public property. Instead of buying additional cars, ministries and localities should pay a travel allowance to officials who were previously eligible to use State-owned cars or to rent cars, he said.

Chi also ordered the ministries and localities not to use money from Official Development Assistance and preferential and commercial loans to buy State-owned cars.

Management boards of foreign-aid projects that want to buy cars are required to submit a detailed plan to the finance ministry for approval, he said.

Ha Noi pilots travel allowance

As of March 1, Ha Noi is the first locality in the country with a pilot programme of travel allowances to officials of the departments of transport, finance, planning and investment, labour, invalid and social affairs, as well as State-agencies in the districts of Ha ong, Long Bien, Thanh Tri and Gia Lam.

The maximal travel allowance is VN9.3 million (US$407) a month.

Mai Xuan Vinh, head of the Finance Departments Public Property Management Office, said redundant State-owned cars at the agencies would be handed over to the city administration, which would allocate them to other State-agencies lacking State-owned cars. Schools and hospitals were among those on the priority list.

Data from the citys Finance Department showed the city has about 400 State-owned cars, with the cost to run a car about VN223 million ($9,750) each year.

The programme is expected to save the capital budget VN50 billion ($2.2 million) a year. The city plans to introduce the programme at all State-agencies by October.  VNS
HCM CITY  Last year, H, a HCM City resident, transferred a total of VN10 billion (US$437,800) to a man shed met on a social media website.

The man, Jame, introduced himself as an American marine engineer based in the US. After getting to know each other, Jame promised he would marry H. and help her immigrate to the US.

In March 2016, Jame told H. he was going to Malaysia to invest in a $4 million oil extraction project. He asked to borrow some money from H for five months, promising that he would give her $500,000 and come to Viet Nam to marry her after finishing the project.

He never did. In July 2016, H. filed a complaint with the city police.

The number of Vietnamese women tricked by online scammers, starting with love affairs on social media, has tended to increase in recent years, especially in HCM City, according to the Crime Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security.

Ninety-eight per cent of the victims hold college degrees and the majority of them have stable jobs, said Lam Thi Ngoc Hoa, vice chairwoman of the HCM City Womens Association.

Over the last three years (2014-2016), HCM City police have received 58 complaints. They have brought 32 cases to trial, apprehending 21 suspects, two of whom were Nigerian men. The total amount of scammed money was VN22 billion ($963,000).

The Crime Police Department sees the online scammers as a new type of criminals with a bag of cunning tricks.

Typically, they are foreign men who play the roles of successful businessmen, politicians, engineers, etc., and use social media platforms to befriend middle-aged Vietnamese women with glamorous appearances, according to the department.

It says that, broadly, there are two groups of people involved in these scams.

The first group consists of foreigners of African origin, mostly Nigerian, who set up fake social media accounts and build fake profiles of rich men in troubled family circumstances. Then, they befriend and court Vietnamese women, and convince them they hope to live with them in Viet Nam.

To gain the womens trust, the scammers also express their desire to send them expensive gifts and a lot of money hidden in containers and packages, fabricating shipping bills to look like they are coming from authentic delivery companies. Then they ask the women for their full names, addresses and phone numbers, and provide this information to the second group.

The majority of people in the second group are Vietnamese women who have been in relationships with, or have children, with the foreign suspects, the department says.

These women disguise themselves as customs officials at the Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports or staff of international delivery companies, and tell the victims that they have received packages from foreign countries with the names and nationalities of the scammers on them.

They ask the victims to pay a several dozen millions of ong as customs fees to receive the packages. After the victims fall for the trick and transfer the money, these women would contact them again, saying several millions of dollars in cash, or gifts that are just as expensive, have been found in the packages, and if hey do not pay another customs fee of 10 per cent of the total value of the gifts, the packages would be either confiscated or returned to their places of origin.

If and when the victims transfer this money, the scammers throw away their SIM cards and cannot be reached any more.

Tough nut to crack

Since the social media platforms are based in foreign countries, it is difficult for the police to collaborate with them to track down the scammers, police say.

They also acknowledge many loopholes in the States management of e-commerce and online payments of State-owned agencies, enterprises and individuals. Regulations on handling high-tech crimes are not comprehensive and fail to meet actual needs.

The investigation process is also hindered by the fact that the scammers live either in foreign countries or in private apartment complexes, hardly making contact with local residents and using fake identities.

Some of them are always on the move and change their addresses often. Their partners-in-crime also use fake personal information and unregistered SIM cards when contacting victims, so that it is impossible to retrieve information from their call logs.

The bank accounts to which the victims send money are set up by Vietnamese, sometimes with fake ID cards, but the money is withdrawn from ATMs in foreign countries.

The Crime Police Department says collaboration with concerned countries like Cambodia and Malaysia is crucial for apprehending the scammers.

Immigration procedures should be tightened for people coming from China, Taiwan and Africa, and stricter controls are needed for registering mobile phone numbers, it adds.  VNS
Transforming the workplace for women requires the elimination of structural barriers, discriminatory laws and social norms to create equal economic opportunities.  Photo ILO

HA NOI  Transforming the workplace for women requires the elimination of structural barriers, discriminatory laws and social norms to create equal economic opportunities, said United Nations Resident Co-ordinator Kamal Malhotra. He spoke Friday at a dialogue organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and UN Women about womens economic empowerment in the changing world of work.

The event, timed to mark International Womens Day on March 8, brought together nearly 100 delegates from ministries and Government agencies, social-political organisations, civil social organisations and UN agencies in Viet Nam.

Malhotra said the world of work was changing in significant ways, increasingly engaging women in paid labour both in the services and manufacturing sectors.

However, globalisation reproduced gender inequalities by concentrating women workers at the bottom of the global value chain, in the lowest jobs, in piece-rate, subcontracted work and insecure forms of self-employment, with little or no access to social protection, he said.

Viet Nam is a dynamic, emerging economy with 73 per cent of women participating in the economy  the third highest rate in the 10 ASEAN economies, where the average is around 65.5 per cent, he said.

Economic growth of the country is not necessarily translating into greater gender equality for all, Malhotra added.

For example, only 29 per cent of working women in Viet Nam are engaged in wage employment compared to almost 40 per cent of working men. Wage employment is often associated with better working conditions and socio-economic status.

More women than men are in vulnerable employment due to a large share of women working as family workers with no independent access to income.

Women in Viet Nam face discrimination in law, such as the unequal retirement age. Rigid gender norms are restricting womens opportunities. Women bear the disproportionate burden of domestic work and care work and they are expected to balance this responsibility with productive work, he said.

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs ao Ngoc Dung said that Viet Nam has about 25.82 million working women, accounting for 48.48 per cent of working people.

Viet Nam implemented programmes and projects to assist women in accessing labour market information, preferential loans, job training or getting jobs.

But, he said, the quality of jobs for women remains low and unstable; the rate of women working in the informal economy remains relatively high. Of the working women, over 41 per do simple manual jobs and 43.6 per cent are farm workers.

Women in wage employment are paid a monthly salary of VN 4.58 million while mens salary is about VN5.19 million.

Unemployed women accounted for 44.6 per cent of about 1.12 million unemployed people in Viet Nam.

Moreover, some FDI companies in Viet Nam are seen to prefer employ young female workers aged of 18 and 20. Women aged 30-35 rarely continued to be employed, thus they return to their hometowns, mostly rural areas, with little capital and no job, Dung said.

Its necessary to add mechanisms/ provisions into the revised Labour Code to make employers use labour sustainably and provide employees with decent work and access to social welfare, he added.

ao Quang Vinh, director of the Institute of Labour Science and Social Affairs under the labour ministry, said that Viet Nams legal framework and policies reveal gender inequality.

Discrimination against women is found in regulations on retirement age, and jobs in which employers are not allowed to employ women. There remain gender stereotypes in career orientation and job options. Preferential policies for hiring more female workers are available but not implemented effectively.

He said that Viet Nams growing global integration and the fourth industrial revolution could result in gender gap reduction but include the downsizing of particularly labour-intensive industries, such as textile and garment, footwear and electronics, in which women workers account for 70-85 per cent.

The existence of gender stereotypes in career choices and employment is the biggest barrier preventing women from developing and achieving higher status in family and society, he said.

Vinh said in order to promote gender equality in the changing world of work, Viet Nam needs to revise laws and remove regulations unfavourable to women in human resources development. He urged measures to help groups of disadvantaged women labourers access and benefit from human resources development policies.

Deputy Minister of MOLISA, Nguyen Trong am, said it is necessary to revise and complete laws and policies relating to gender equality and womens advancement. He also urged efforts to eliminate gender prejudices and stereotypes, noting that women themselves should become more proactive in building their own capability and actively participate in the building, enforcement and supervision of policies.  VNS
HA NOI  Proposed legislation to eliminate some favourable conditions for female workers has met with resistance by both workers and employer.

If approved, the draft Labour Code for 2018 would remove the favourable terms for female workers that were regulated by the 2012 Labour Code. These include a 30-minute daily break for menstruating women, 60-minute break a day for women nursing babies younger than one year.

Tran Thi Dung, chairwoman of HCM City-based Kollan Companys trade union, said these favourable terms reflected an understanding of the needs of female workers. A 30-minute break every day on menstruating days shows sympathy for weariness of women, helping female labourers feel motivated and giving them peace of mind.

Tran Thi Phuong, working at An ien Garment Company in HCM City, said women feel comfortable on menstruating days if they have time for personal hygiene at the workplace. Many enterprises apply strict regulations on break time so female workers dont have enough time for personal hygiene.

Dr Nguyen Bich Thao with 30 years of obstetrics experience agrees that women got tired when they menstruate. Short breaks every day will help them feel more comfortable and boost labour productivity, she says. Women who are in breastfeeding need a short break every day to pump milk,  she adds. Short break are very necessary for them.

Reproductive healthcare for female workers hasnt received proper attention from employers.

A young female worker at HCM City-based Tan Binh Industrial Park said: I need time for my 10-month-age child. Thanks to regulation on a 60-minute break every day, I had time to nurse the child who was at a childcare centre near the company.

Tran Thi Nhu Phuong, head of the HCM City Womens Union, said the current Labour Codes regulation on 30-minute breaks for menstruating women was reasonable, helping female workers avoid gynaecological disease and ensuring their reproductive health.

Favourable terms for female workers are in keeping with international conventions, Phuong said. "Why do we eliminate such regulations? Law makers need to listen ideas from beneficiaries and independent organisations .

Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, deputy chairwoman of the HCM City Labour Federation, said waiving such favourable terms for female workers was a setback for the Labour Code.

Talks between the citys Labour Federation officials and local workers indicate that not only do all workers disapprove of the change, but so do employers.

My opinion is that in a progressive and modern society female workers must be given priority. We cannot waive favourable terms due to some complains by enterprises, she said.

Some employers have arranged suitable jobs for female workers still nursing their children, according to Thuy, enabling them to undertake light work, leave early and not work night shifts. VNS
QUANG NINH  A tourist cruise boat burst into flames on Sunday midnight when docking at Tuan Chau Port in northern Quang Ninh Province. Two people on board escaped just in time.

The flames reportedly originated in the cabin of the wooden boat named Huy Loc QN 3883. The boat was built in 2008 with the capacity to carry 48 passengers. It was used to carry people for sightseeing in Ha Long Bay.

As soon as the fire was reported, 22 firefighters and two boats were mobilised to extinguish the fire, Nguyen uc Long, chairman of Quang Ninh Province Peoples Committee, said.

A pumping boat of the Long Hai Transport Services Ltd Company was asked to pump water from the boat to prevent it from sinking.

The case is under further investigation.

This is the third fire on wooden boats since the beginning of this year and the 14th boat fire in almost seven years on Ha Long Bay.  VNS
HA NOI  Households in the capitals Old Quarters can enjoy preferential tax rates if they offer motorbike parking services in their premises, Ha Noi Mayor Nguyen uc Chung has said.

The lack of parking space in the Old Quarters has been a pressing issue for more than a decade. This area of the city is full of narrow roads and pavements, particularly so on the streets where many small businesses are based, such as Hang Bong, Hang Bot and Hang ao.

As a result, people either park their motorbikes on the pavements or have to park at parking lots and walk to the stores.

The construction of underground parking lots is progressing slowly, and it is not easy to meet citizens demands for parking spaces, Chung said. The city wants to encourage households with large indoor spaces to offer parking services, he said at a recent conference on road safety and urban order.

The mayor has asked the citys finance and tax departments to develop preferential tax policies for households that offer parking services.

Take Hang Bot street as an example. Every household on this street can see at least 100 vehicles per day. With the current parking rate, they will make a much higher profit than by lending the space to businesses, he said.

The plan is to have one home-based parking space every 50-100 metres, the mayor said.

Chung has instructed the chairmen and vice-chairmen of the Peoples Committees of Hoan Kiem, Ba inh, Hai Ba Trung and ong a districts to survey and select households suitable for parking services.

He has also requested vehicles to park as close as possible to the home-based stores so that there is sufficient walking space on the pavements for pedestrians.

District authorities, especially of Hoan Kiem District, have been asked to mark out parking spaces in front of the stores with paint, he said.  VNS
The Montana Legislature is proposing to cut almost $100 million from Medicaid health care services. A majority of these cuts will impact essential personal care services for our fellow Montanans who are elderly or low-income adults, and children with disabilities.

The Department of Public Health and Human Services and the governors office are supporting cuts to these services, basing their decision on unspent service dollars in 2016, which appear to be excess. What DPHHS is failing to consider is the staggering number of Medicaid recipients not receiving care because Medicaid reimbursement rates and wages for direct care workers are so low it isnt possible to hire nurses and caregivers. This leaves hundreds of children and adults who are authorized for services not receiving care; leaving funding unspent.

The Legislature also recently voted not to fund Direct Care Worker wages. The failure to provide adequate and necessary funding for nursing and caregiving wages means we have tens of thousands of hours of unstaffed nursing shifts across the state. Not only do we have a 43 percent turnover in our nursing staff, a minimum of 10 additional full-time nursing staff would be required to fill the hours which have been authorized by the state to care for those in need.

While we will continue to provide services to the best of our ability within these funding and staffing constraints, we fear further funding restrictions will mean we cannot continue to provide the level or amount of nursing services required by children with disabilities in our state.

Consumer Direct Care Network was started in Montana in 1990 and has since expanded to 14 states across the U.S., providing Medicaid and Medicare services. Nowhere else in our network do we find the staffing shortages as egregious as here in Montana. We are committed to our home state, our employees here, and the caregivers and participants we serve.

Please contact your legislators today. Urge them to support increased Direct Care Wages and vote against the Medicaid budget cuts proposed in HB2.
TOKYO  Three of the four missiles North Korea launched Monday landed in Japanese-controlled waters, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, calling the development a "new stage of threat".

"North Korea today fired four ballistic missiles almost simultaneously and they flew some 1,000 kilometres," Abe said in parliament. "Three of them landed in our countrys Exclusive Economic Zone."

"This clearly shows North Korea has entered a new stage of threat," he said, adding he would call a meeting of the countrys National Security Council.

The incident marked just the second time that North Korean missiles have landed in Japans EEZ -- a 200-nautical mile area off its coast that gives it certain rights in terms of exploitation of natural resources.

North Korea in August last year fired a ballistic missile directly into Japans EEZ for the first time, one of a series of launches that drew intense international condemnation.

The Japan Coast Guard said that there was no damage reported to shipping in the area where the missiles landed.

Under international law, territorial waters extend up to 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres) from the coast of a landmass.  AFP
ENTEBBE  Sudanese rebels on Sunday released at least 125 prisoners they had captured in fighting with government forces, most of them soldiers, an AFP journalist said.

Their release was secured thanks to mediation from Uganda, while the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) played a facilitating role.

The rebel Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) had captured the prisoners in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states, where the group has been fighting Sudanese government forces for years.

The longest-held prisoners had been captured in June 2009 and the most recent about six months ago.

While the ICRC said 125 people had been freed, Sudanese military spokesman Brigadier Ahmed Khalifa al-Shami put the number at 127 -- including 109 soldiers and 18 civilians.

"The Sudanese army recognises this as a positive step towards achieving peace in the country," Shami said in a statement.

Ethnic minority rebels in Blue Nile and South Kordofan have been fighting government forces since 2011, accusing President Omar al-Bashirs Arab-dominated government of politically and economically marginalising the two regions.

Fighting in the two areas and in Darfur has left tens of thousands of people dead and displaced millions.

Khartoum announced a unilateral ceasefire in June 2016 in all three conflict zones, which it extended by six months in January.

UN officials say that for years Blue Nile and South Kordofan have been no-go areas for aid officials, leaving thousands of people without access to humanitarian relief.

In a statement, the ICRC said it had "facilitated the release and repatriation of 125 people".

The agency said it had transported the released prisoners from South Sudan to Entebbe in Uganda and onward to Sudan.

"The entire transfer operation took place over four days," the ICRC said, adding that it had followed a request from Kampala, Khartoum, Juba and the SPLM-N.

"We are very pleased that these people will finally return to their families," the ICRCs head of delegation in Sudan, Gerard Peytrignet, said.

No bad treatment

Speaking to AFP, SPLM-N Secretary General Yasir Arman described the prisoners release as a humanitarian gesture of goodwill, "to bring happiness to their families".

Mohamed Saied Hassan of the Sudanese foreign ministry told a press conference that 19 of the men were civilian miners caught up in an internal SPLM-N dispute over control of gold mines in Blue Nile state.

However, Arman claimed that the 19 men were members of a militia allied to the government.

The prisoner release negotiations were chaired by officials from the Ugandan government and included direct talks between Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni and Bashir.

Thanking the Ugandan government for mediating the release, Hassan said:

"This operation paves the way for more cooperation between the two countries."

Speaking to AFP on the tarmac at Entebbe airport about 35 kilometres from Kampala as he and his men prepared to board the flight to Khartoum, Colonel Lirifat Abdala Ahmed, the most senior captive officer, said he had been treated well since his capture in May 2013.

"There was no bad treatment, no bad behaviour. I have served 25 years in the Sudanese army and now I want to go home to rest," a smiling Ahmed said.  AFP
Several local nurses honored

DES MOINESSeveral Northeast Iowa Nurses have been selected as honorees among the 100 Great Iowa Nurses award program sponsored by several hospital and nursing organizations.

Local honorees include Wendy Ager of Cedar Falls, Western Home Communities; Holly Benning and Bethany Moore, both of Waverly, Waverly Health Center; Jennifer Goos of Dike and Cynthia Horn of Independence, both at Buchanan County Health Center, Independence; Tonya Root of Coulter, Franklin General Hospital, Hampton; Sean Schafer of Traer, Parkview Manor Inc.; Chris Schill of Union, Central Iowa Healthcare; Jenilee Teeling of Sumner, Community Memorial Hospital; and Lee Thoma of Urbana, retirement community.

Honorees will be recognized May 7 at the Iowa Events Center Grand Ballroom in Des Moines.

Sponsors include Mercy Health Network, UnityPoint Health, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and the Iowa Nurse Practitioner Society.

Advanced Heat Treat to show

WATERLOO  Advanced Heat Treat Corp. in Waterloo has been awarded a grant to help cover expenses incurred exhibiting at ConExpo-CON/AGG construction industry trade show in Las Vegas March 7-11.

The grant is provided by the Iowa Economic Development Authoritys Domestic Trade Assistance Program, which is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

This grant is designed to assist small companies in Iowa, like Advanced Heat Treat, with efforts to increase exporting. Advanced Heat Treat has four facilities across the U.S. (two in Iowa) and would like to explore opportunities that would increase the number of customers they provide services to that export.

Study defines Allens impact

WATERLOO  UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital generates 2,616 jobs that add $141 million to the Cedar Valleys economy, according to the latest study by the Iowa Hospital Association.

In addition, Allen employees by themselves spend near $50 million on retail sales and contribute near $3 million state sales tax revenue.

The IHA study examined the jobs, income, retail sales and sales tax produced by hospitals and the rest of the states health care sector. The study was compiled from hospital-submitted data on the American Hospital Associations Annual Survey of Hospitals and with software other industries have used to determine their economic impact.

Covenants

impact studied

WATERLOO  Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-Iowa has a more than $240 million impact on the local county economy, according to a 2017 economic report from the Iowa Hospital Association (IHA).

The amount not only includes income for hospital associates, but business and household needs of hospital employees create a multiplier effect that also supports additional jobs in the area.

Specifically, the IHA determined Covenant Medical Center accounts for a $210 million impact on Black Hawk County, and Sartori Memorial Hospital contributes more than $19 million. Mercy Hospital of Franciscan Sisters makes an $8.9 million dollar impact on the Fayette County economy.

Event to address student debt

WATERLOO  Dupaco Community Credit Union is sponsoring a free event to explore the decisions parents and teens are faced with as students prepare to graduate from high school.

Life After Graduation: Explore Your Options will be 6 to 8 p.m. March 22 at Marcus Crossroads Cinema, 2450 Crossroads Blvd.

The event is open to the public and will include a special screening of the film Broke, Busted & Disgusted, which explores the student-debt crisis and the true cost of a college degree. Following the screening, the films producer, Adam Carroll, along with Dupaco staff experts will lead a discussion on developing a plan to explore options and determine a path.

Through podcasts, TED Talks and in-person programs, Carroll encourages schools, institutions and families to spend time teaching kids and young adults the importance of financial literacy. He is the author of Winning the Money Game and 30 Days to $1K.

Tickets are free and can be picked up at Dupaco branches in Waterloo and Cedar Falls. Tickets will not be available at the movie theater. Learn more at dupaco.com/ExploreYou rOptions.

Trade show set at country fair

GRUNDY CENTER  The Grundy County Fair Board will host its fourth annual Business Trade Show at the 2017 Grundy County Fair.

The Trade Show will be July 20 from 2 to 7 p.m. in the Alumni Building. Businesses are invited to showcase their productsc. The Trade Show is $10 for vendors and free for spectators, but space is limited.

Contact Karen Benson 464-2286 or Brady Gearhart at 290-0643 to be a vendor.

BMC employees are honored

WATTERLOO  The employees of BMC Aggregates have received recognition at the Iowa Limestone Producers Association annual convention.

BMC Aggregate employees operating in Waterloo South Quarry, Waterloo Sand, Gilbetville Sand, Portable Wash Plant No. 1, Raymond Shop & Portable Wash Plant, and Fertile Sand, Wash Plant & Shop operating in Black Hawk, Hancock and Worth counties won honors for working the entire year of 2016 without a lost-time accident.

Dairy Foundation group to meet

CALMAR  The annual meeting of the Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation will be Wednesday at Iowas Dairy Center in Calmar. Registration will begin at 10 a.m.

The events include a presentation from Melissa ORourke, ISU Extension & Outreach Farm Management Specialist, discussing managing employer and employee expectations on the dairy farm. The Farm Babe, Michelle Miller, also will explain her thoughts on how to better communicate the story of agriculture with the general public.

The annual meeting will begin after lunch and includes the election of officers. In addition, there will be displays from leading dairy industry businesses that support the Dairy Foundation.

Current members and anyone interested in learning about the Dairy Foundation are invited to attend; however, an RSVP is requested for lunch.

For more information on becoming a member, contact Megan at (563) 534-9957, ext. 107, or email kregelm@nicc.edu.
Waterloo

Police Log

Anthony Dean Deckard, 27, of Waterloo, was arrested March 2 at 1642 E. Mitchell Ave. for forgery and fourth-degree theft. He allegedly cashed a stolen check for $315 on Jan. 12.

Mark Wayne Barrow, 51, of 215 Dane St., was arrested March 2 on West First Street for first-degree burglary and serious domestic assault. He allegedly entered 610 W. First St. and assaulted Leslie Kingery on Feb. 27.

Shawn Michael Franzen, 27, of 600 W. Parker St., was arrested March 1 for serious domestic assault. He allegedly assaulted Ami Cronan, 23.

Tyrone Emanuel Wright Jr., 41, of 503 W. Dale St., was arrested March 1 at home for serious domestic assault. He allegedly assaulted Leeata Wright, 49.

Jacob Hampton, 22, of 1223 Dundee Ave., was arrested Feb. 27 for first-offense operating while intoxicated, driving while suspended, possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a prescription drug in connection with a Jan. 26 traffic stop.

Tayjuan Oneal McMullen, 24, of 1312 W. Fourth St., was arrested Feb. 21 at 821 Broadway St. for carrying weapons, interference while armed and possession of marijuana. Police found a loaded 9mm Glock handgun in his waistband and marijuana in a backpack.

Christopher John Radke, 33, of 815 Kunz Drive, was arrested Feb. 21 at the jail for second-degree theft. He allegedly took a camera and jewelry from a home at 403 Williston Ave. in October.

James Earl Spates, 34, of 706 Baltimore St., was arrested Feb. 20 for third-degree sexual abuse. He allegedly had sexual contact with a girl when she was ages 12 and 13.

Willie Parker Williams, 50, of Waterloo, was arrested Feb. 20 at the jail for second-degree theft. He allegedly wrote $1,729 worth of bad checks in December.

Steve Wayne Lundgren, 29, of 1021 South St., was arrested Feb. 14 at home for serious domestic assault. He allegedly assaulted Mercedes Lundgren, 23.

Mark Edward Panther, 63, of 1010 Ackermant St., was arrested Feb. 14 on Lafayette Street for second-offense operating while intoxicated and driving while revoked following a traffic accident.

James Duane Wright-Buls, 18, of 630 W. Park Ave., was arrested Feb. 14 at his home for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and assault. He allegedly assaulted Arron Claus-Davis, 18. Alex Michael Bullerman, 18, of Waterloo, also was arrested for assault.

Andrew Lee Bauer, 30, of 800 Hickory St., was arrested Feb. 13 at home for identity theft and unauthorized credit card use. Details weren't available.

Michael Adrian Beard, 42, of 125 Sherwood Drive, was arrested Feb. 13 for aggravated domestic assault and three counts of child endangerment. He allegedly assaulted Jessica Plants with a knife while children were present.

Jacari Duprie Pendleton, 24, of 825 Easton Ave., was arrested Feb. 13 at 1445 Oleson Road for serious domestic assault and child endangerment. He allegedly assaulted Erika Bell while she was holding a toddler Nov. 16.

Erich Michael Simmer, 37, of 210 Balboa Ave., Cedar Falls, was arrested Feb. 13 on East Ridgeway Avenue for second-offense operating while intoxicated following a traffic accident.

Traynetta Brisha Monique Ford, 29, of 1732 Newell St., was arrested Feb. 7 at 184 W. 18th St. for carrying weapons. Police responding to a disturbance found a stun gun.

Korey Linn Christian, 39, of Evansdale, was arrested Feb. 4 on West Second Street for third-degree theft, interference and possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver. He allegedly took a phone from Wal-Mart in Cedar Falls on Dec. 3, and police found meth and a scale when they arrested him during a traffic stop Feb. 4.

Timothy James Schultz, 35, of 720 Bismark Ave., was arrested Feb. 1 at 1825 Logan Ave. for child endangerment. He allegedly stuck sewing needles into the fingers of a girl as a form of discipline.

Arlando Rayshawn Anderson Jr., 20, of 3411 Kingswood Place, was arrested Jan. 24 on Francis Street for third-degree theft. He allegedly took a cell phone valued at $600.

Fernando Gonzalez, 43, of 3347 W. Fourth St., was arrested Jan. 15 at 1418 W. Ridgeway Ave. for serious domestic assault. He allegedly assaulted Ana Gonzalez.

Keimoni Shanae Johnson, 20, of 808 N. Barclay St., was arrested Jan. 15 at 926 Linn St. for simple assault, disorderly conduct and trespassing. She allegedly assaulted Tariq Muhammad as Kuzzin's Convenience Cafe, 926 Linn St.

Tyrone Tate, 37, of 420 Locust St., was arrested Jan. 14 on West Ninth Street for assault on a peace officer, interference and public intoxication. He allegedly spit on a police officer as he was being arrested for public intoxication following a disturbance.

Jayvon Roosevelt Sanford, 24, of Waterloo, was arrested Jan. 13 at 221 Miriam Drive for assault. He allegedly assaulted Nakisha Matlock on Dec. 21.

David James Fuller, 54, of 709 W. Mullan Ave., was arrested Jan. 12 at his home for serious domestic assault. He allegedly assaulted Michelle Randall.

Demarius Defontae Grundy, 25, of 1740 W. 11th St., was arrested Jan. 12 in the 200 block of Western Avenue for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. Police found 18 bags of marijuana during a traffic stop.

Burglaries: Kelly Groth reported the theft of two laptop computers during a burglary to her home at 121 Dawson St. on Feb. 7. Adem Rizvanovic reported the theft of a TV, laptop computer, coins and jewelry during a burglary to his home at 923 W. Ninth St. on March 2. Antonio Turner reported the theft of two TVs and a stereo during a burglary to his home at 533 Beech St. on Feb. 24.
CEDAR FALLS  AAUW-Cedar Falls is offering a scholarship of up to $1,000 to a female student currently attending Hawkeye Community College.

Applicants should be women 23 or older who plan to transfer at least 30 credit hours by the end of spring 2017 to the University of Northern Iowa for the fall 2017 semester.

Application information may be found on the HCC website at www.hawkeyecollege.edu.

Deadline to apply is April 7.

The American Association of University Women is an organization that works to empower women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research.
WATERLOO  Two teens were detained after a disturbance broke out at Electric Park Ballroom when a hip-hop concert was canceled over the weekend.

Video of the chaos shot by Breeze Visual, which included people overturning tables at the National Cattle Congress venue and a struggle with police officers outside, was posted on social media accounts.

NCC officials said there was no damage to the building or contents.

The fracas started as fans waited for a performance by Chicago rapper Famous Dex on Saturday night. Also scheduled to appear was special guest King Dough.

The entertainer didnt want to go on stage for some reason, said Jim Koch, facilities manager for National Cattle Congress.

Prompter Rob Hocken of Upper Deck Concerts said the other artists and opener King Dough performed, and after the set Dex wanted the stage cleared.

Dexs other guys performed, and Dex was on the microphone talking, but for some reason Famous Dex wanted everybody cleared off. And when we got everybody cleared off, he took off, Hocken said.

It didnt make any sense, he said.

A tweet sent out on the @FamousDex twitter account around 10:30 p.m. read: Sorry about tonight oml they was on BS so I Left wasnt feeling the Vibe.

Famous Dex was paid in full, Hocken said. He said despite his departure, concertgoers had a few hours of performances.

For their money, they got five artists. It was going from 7 until about 11:30, Hocken said.

Off-duty deputies with the Black Hawk County Sheriffs Office were working at the venue, and they called Waterloo police for assistance around 11:20 p.m. Saturday, said Capt. David Mohlis with the Waterloo Police Department.

Video posted by Breeze Visual which had logged 31,000 views on Facebook as of Monday morning  showed authorities clearing out the building. Outside, a teen kicked a cigarette urn near the front door. When an officer approached her, she pulled away, and a struggle ensued. Two other officers became involved, the video shows.

Mohlis said two teens were detained for disorderly conduct and interference causing injury, both misdemeanors. He said the injuries were minor.

Hocken likened the aftermath to what occasionally happens at closing time at nightclubs.

They left, and they caused a fight. It happens at bars. It happens everywhere, Hocken said.

Hocken said hes concerned fallout from Saturdays concert will make it difficult to schedule future hip-hop shows.

This is the reason we are like, Listen, if you want more shows, you have to behave, Hocken said. Disturbances can make local law enforcement think twice about staffing shows, and if law enforcement wont participate there wont be shows, he said.

We want to do more because Waterloo has got a good population, and they need a music scene. But if the crowd cant control themselves and the artist cant control themselves, we dont know what to do, he said.

Upper Deck usually works with country and rock artists. The company brought rapper Lil Dirk to National Cattle Congresss Pavilion in November.
DES MOINES  Significant changes are coming to Iowas laws.

Whether those changes will be for the better remains to be seen and could depend greatly on the eye  or political leaning  of the beholder.

More certain is the fact one sweeping change to state law already has been made, and many more are in the works.

For the first time since 2010, the Iowa Capitol is controlled by one political party. From 1997 to 2010, Democrats held the governors office and had majorities in both the House and Senate.

Starting this year, Republicans have complete lawmaking control for the first time in two decades, for at least this year and next.

Thus far, they have not squandered the opportunity.

Although the chambers have so far sent just six bills to the governors desk  four of which have been signed into law  one of those bills brought dramatic changes to the way the states public employees collectively bargain for wages and benefits.

More big changes, with Republicans at the helm, are in store.

I am very optimistic that we have a lot of really good things going for us in this state, said Sen. Bill Dix, the new Senate majority leader from Shell Rock. The promise that I made to my caucus, the promise Ive made to my voters and supporters in my district is that were going to focus on policies that create a new legacy of opportunity here in Iowa, and were not going to let them down.

Democrats said they do not think the new Republican-led policy changes will accomplish Republicans stated goals.

We see what has happened so far by Republicans as being broken promises, said Rep. Mark Smith, the House minority leader from Marshalltown. They talked a good game about improving the lives of Iowans, and weve not seen legislation yet that puts more jobs into our state, helps people get ahead in our economy and the overall economy improving.

Friday was a key deadline in the 2017 legislative session. In order to remain eligible for consideration, bills had to achieve a prescribed level of support: passage through at least the committee level. The deadline winnows the field of eligible bills and provides a glimpse at the majority partys agenda.

With that deadline passed, here is a look at what bills already have been passed and sent to the governor, what bills are working through the legislative process and what is yet to come:

Whats done

Republican lawmakers set to work quickly to trim $110 million from the state budget for the current fiscal year, a move spurred by lower-than-expected state tax revenues. The GOP spared Medicaid and public K-12 education from the cuts, but the states public universities absorbed a big hit: The University of Iowa and Iowa State University budgets were cut by $8 million apiece, and the University of Northern Iowa was cut $2 million.

Branstad initially proposed a de-appropriation of about $110 million, but lawmakers actually de-appropriated and transferred nearly $118 million. Lawmakers did cut the universities by $18 million total but also directed the Department of Management to find specific ways of cutting $11.5 million of the nearly $118 million they approved. So the regent universities got another round of budget cuts under that. Its now up to more than $20 million.

Republicans also early in the session determined a funding level for K-12 public education for the 2017-2018 school year, a 1.11 percent increase in general aid over the previous year. Democrats and public education advocates expressed concern that funding level will be insufficient.

The collective bargaining changes were significant and drew much attention to the Capitol. The new law, which went into effect immediately upon its Feb. 17 signing by Gov. Terry Branstad, dramatically reduced the elements  health insurance, for one prominent example  over which public workers can collectively bargain. The law also added stronger benchmarks for those public employee unions to recertify.

Republicans said the changes were needed to balance a system that they said had grown to favor employees and to give public employers more flexibility in creating wage and benefits packages.

Democrats, public employees and their unions decried the law as an assault on public workers.

Whats in the works

Many more pieces of legislation that would bring significant changes to state law are proceeding.

One would halt all public funding to womens health care clinics that perform abortions, the most prominent example being Planned Parenthood of the Heartland.

Public funds may not be used to fund abortions, but conservatives have long sought to stop all funding to providers that perform abortions. That would be achieved with legislation passed by the Iowa Senate and an Iowa House subcommittee. The bill creates a new state family planning program that sends no state money to Planned Parenthood.

Critics say the bill would leave women who use Planned Parenthood without options for not only abortions but also disease screenings and prenatal services, and that the state will lose out on $3 million in federal match funds.

GOP lawmakers also considered abortion policy proposals. A bill that would have recognized life at birth  a so-called personhood bill  did not garner enough support ahead of last weeks deadline and is ineligible for the rest of the session. Lawmakers were still debating a separate measure that would ban abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy.

Another bill moving through the Iowa House would bring sweeping changes to the states gun laws.

The bill has many elements, including a so-called stand your ground provision that would lessen the burden for an individual to prove he or she felt threatened before using deadly force with a gun. Proponents say the bill expands Iowans constitutional rights, while opponents fear the changes would increase gun violence and make the state a more dangerous place.

And at the request of Secretary of State Paul Pate, lawmakers in both chambers are considering legislation that would require voters to present some form of identification at the polls. The bill would require photo identification, such as a drivers license, or a state-issued voter ID card with a signature and bar code that poll workers could scan.

Supporters say the proposal would strengthen Iowas election system, which Pate says already is one of the cleanest and fairest in the nation. Critics say the bill could dissuade potential voters who do not possess one of the required forms of identification.

Whats yet to come

Because this first deadline impacts policy bills, legislators typically wait until later in the session to start work on funding bills.

Republicans have not yet introduced legislation on school choice programs and tax reform, but GOP leaders said both issues will be addressed.

Republicans want to establish programs that help families send their children to non-public K-12 schools. While legislation is not yet drafted, such programs typically include state funding that could be used toward tuition and other costs at private schools.

Dix also said Senate Republicans want to address tax policy; he talked specifically about the states income tax, which is one of the highest in the nation, according to the national nonprofit Tax Foundation.

The hurdle Republicans face is both school choice programs and tax cuts come with a price tag in what figures to be another tight budget year.

Whatever we do, its going to be well-thought out, its going to be utilizing the evidence weve witnessed in other states and also in our own state, Dix said, pointing to income tax reductions made in Iowa in the late 1990s.

Republicans agenda

House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said she thinks Republicans are making good progress on issues that Iowans raised as priorities.

We said when we were elected to the majority once again that we were going to focus on making this a great place to live, work and raise a family, and thats where were going, Upmeyer said.

Democrats and other opponents of some of these GOP proposals disagree with Republicans suggestions that these new policies will be good for Iowans.

The legislative session so far has been a complete contradiction of everything Republicans said during their campaigns, said Danny Homan, president of the states largest public employee union. In the months leading up to the election, we saw flashy ads about job creation and prioritizing Iowa schools and weve seen the complete opposite.

They balanced their budget problems on the backs of public employees, gave schools a measly 1.1 percent (increase to K-12 school funding), stripped workers of their seat at the table, which is already negatively affecting contract negotiations, and taken every opportunity to restrict health care access for low-income women. This legislative session has been an all-out attack on working men and women in the state of Iowa.
RodCon will

be held April 1

CEDAR FALLS  The Rod Library at the University of Northern Iowa will host the fourth annual RodCon from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 1.

RodCon is a mini comic book convention where people with common interests can come together to share their love of all things pop culture. Activities will include a costume contest, kids zone, escape room, panels, demonstrations, trivia and art and merchandise exhibitions.

The event has several local sponsors and received a Cedar Falls Tourism & Visitors Bureau grant. Were proud to be bringing even more to this annual family-friendly, fun and engaging event, said RodCon planning committee member Caroline Francis.

Larry Nemecek and Adam Van Wyck will serve as RodCons keynote panelists. Nemecek, also known as Dr. Trek, will discuss his work on Trekland and other Star Trek projects. Van Wyck, a storyboard artist, will present on his work with several DC and Marvel comic productions.

Additional panels include So You Want to be a Stormtrooper and Dr. Nathan Bird and The Evolution and Superpowers: Where are all the X-Men?

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Melinda Beland, library assistant, at 273-2802 or melinda.beland@uni.edu or go to www.library.uni.edu/rod-con.

Honor Flight

Variety Show set

WATERLOO  Electric Park Ballroom will again be the venue for the Sullivan-Hartogh-Davis Cedar Valley Honor Flight Variety Show at 5:30 p.m. April 8.

The event helps fund future Cedar Valley Honor Flights of veterans from the Waterloo Regional Airport to see Washington, D.C. military memorials.

This Sullivan-Hartogh-Davis Cedar Valley Honor Flight Show is open to all veterans and the general public. Donations and variety show proceeds supplement efforts of individuals, organizations and businesses in Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan Grundy, North Tama and other counties to make Honor Flights possible.

Doors for the variety show event will open at 5:30 p.m., and the serving line will open at 6:30 p.m. Past Honor flight participants will attend and share their experiences.

The show will feature local artists and will conclude at approximately 10 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at Hy-Vee stores in Cedar Falls, Waterloo and Waverly. To reserve a table of eight, call Frank Magsamen at 830-8807.

Unique job fair

set in Waterloo

WATERLOO  The Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services will hold a unique job fair for people with disabilities later this month.

It will be from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. March 28 at UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital, Entrance 1.

It is called a reserve job fair, connecting businesses and industries to potential candidates. Instead of the business having a booth, job candidates will have the spotlight to showcase and highlight their skills for potential employers.

For the past nine months, multiple area businesses and agencies have created an internship program catered to students with disabilities.

Businesses and organizations are being asked to attend the reverse job fair to meet students who have gone through the internship and consider them for employment.

It is free to attend.

For more information, call Michael Howell at 234-0319.
In the summer of 2013, Aimee Stephens sent her employer a letter explaining she was about to change her life. She was a transgender woman, and she intended to start dressing as such at work.

She never expected then that she was about to enter into a yearslong legal dispute, one that might soon become a litmus test for lesbian, gay and transgender rights before the next US Supreme Court.

Stephens had spent months drafting the message to management at R&G and G&R Harris Funeral Homes, a family-owned business in the Detroit area, she says. She was 52 years old at the time, and she had spent her entire life fighting the knowledge she was a transgender woman, to the point that she had considered ending her life.

Now that she was coming out at work, she hoped her nearly six years of positive performance reviews, which had earned her regular raises, would count in her favor.

But her boss, a devout Christian, told her the situation was "not going to work out," according to court documents. Thomas Rost offered her a severance package when she was fired, but she declined to accept it.

She filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor's enforcement agency, and the government sued the funeral home. The department accused the funeral home of firing Stephens for being transgender and for her refusal to conform to sex-based stereotypes.

A district court agreed with the funeral home that the federal workplace discrimination law known as Title VII did not protect transgender people. But it found that the funeral home did discriminate against Stephens for her refusal to conform to its "preferences, expectations, or stereotypes" for women. The EEOC appealed.

The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Stephens and the EEOC in March. The funeral home's lawyers accused the court of exceeding its authority by expanding the definition of sex in a way that threatens to "shift" what it means to be a man or a woman.

In July, lawyers representing the funeral home asked the Supreme Court to take up the case to determine if transgender individuals are protected under Title VII's sex-based provisions. If the court takes up the case, it could have broader implications for the definition of sex-based discrimination. And it could impact case law that precludes firing anyone -- gay, straight or cisgender -- for not adhering to sex-based stereotypes.

"The stakes don't get much higher than being able to keep your job," said Harper Jean Tobin, director of policy for the National Center for Transgender Equality. "Harris Funeral Homes is a stark example of the job discrimination that so many transgender people face."

Advocates say it's one of the most important current civil rights issues for the transgender community, along with similar considerations in education and health care. And they say it has been settled by years of case law. In the past two decades, numerous federal courts have ruled that federal sex discrimination laws apply to transgender and gender-nonconforming people, including Title VII, the Title IX education law, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.

But lawyers from the Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative Christian nonprofit representing the funeral home, say it's far from settled.

"No court or federal agency has the authority to rewrite a federal statute. That power belongs solely to Congress. Replacing 'sex' with 'gender identity,' as the 6th Circuit and the EEOC have done, is a dramatic change," senior counsel Jim Campbell said in a statement.

"What it means to be male or female shifts from a biological reality based in anatomy and physiology to a subjective perception. Far-reaching consequences accompany such a transformation."

'Like a punch in the gut'

The case is one of several that could go before the high court raising the question of whether sex includes gender identity for the purpose of Title VII. The question is coming up more often as the transgender community grows more visible, especially in the workplace.

"The most common context in which you see some kind of discrimination is in the workplace," University of Texas professor law and CNN legal analyst Stephen Vladeck said. "This is the context in which there are the most claims that would rise or fall on whether gender identity is equivalent to sex."

Now 57, Stephens began working in a funeral home in her 20s, preparing bodies for viewing, helping present the deceased in their best light. It was a way for her to bring a measure of comfort to people in their times of greatest need, she said.

She moved to Michigan nearly 20 years ago to be with her wife, and returned to the funeral home industry. She joined Harris Funeral Homes as an apprentice in October 2007 and served as a funeral director/embalmer from April 2008 until her termination in August 2013.

She enjoyed her work, but she struggled with her identity, she says. One day in November 2012, she went out to the backyard of her Redford home with a loaded gun.

"I couldn't see myself going backward or forward," she said. "I buried it as deep as I could for my whole life, but it doesn't stay buried."

Then, she realized she loved herself and her life too much to give up, and went back inside the house, she says.

Her wife, Donna Stephens, says she had noticed a change over time in her spouse. She thought it was depression, or worse, an affair. "When she came out and she told me, it was honestly sort of a relief," she said. "But it was very upsetting to find out the truth of what could have happened."

Stephens had started seeing a counselor who recommended she write the letter for her workplace. She began working on it in early 2013, and hand-delivered it to her co-workers and boss on July 21, 2013.

"I always knew there was a chance they would go off the deep end, but I was really hoping they would be more tolerant of my decision," she said. "Losing my job was like a punch in the gut."

Stephens' health began to decline due to kidney failure and she could no longer work. Money became tight and Donna Stephens had to take on extra jobs while she grappled with her spouse's transition. They sold their van, their camper and a piano to make ends meet. A close call with death in fall 2017 renewed her resolve to speak publicly about the case in between appointments with doctors and dialysis sessions.

She's still determined to see her case through. "What they did to me was wrong, and I won't be the last," Aimee Stephens said. "It's important that we treat one another as we would want to be treated. Religious freedom doesn't give you the right to override other people's freedoms."

The case background

In her complaint to the EEOC, Stephens alleged that management said it terminated her because the public would not accept her transition, according to court documents. In a deposition, Rost testified that he fired Stephens because she "was no longer to represent himself as a man" and "wanted to dress as a woman," the court documents said.

The funeral home had a dress code for public-facing employees: suits and ties for men, skirts and business jackets for women. For Rost, who believes the Bible teaches that "sex is immutable," acquiescing to Stephens' proposal would have violated the funeral home's dress code, according to his petition. And Rost was concerned that female employees would have to share the restroom with Stephens, his lawyers claim.

Rost's arguments center on the definition of sex as "a biological reality based in anatomy and physiology," not a "subjective perception evidenced by what people profess they feel." It's a position Alliance Defending Freedom lawyers have held in legal disputes across the country, where the group represents school districts, parent groups and individuals in fights against policies that let transgender individuals use facilities based on their gender identity.

Rost believed "he 'would be violating God's commands' if a male representative of Harris Homes presented himself as a woman while representing the company," his petition says.

What Brett Kavanaugh could mean for the case

Sixteen states filed a brief on August 23 supporting the funeral home, urging the Supreme Court to "restore the balance of power in our federal system." The attorneys general of 13 states and the governors of three others signed, saying states should be the ones to "legislate and experiment in this policy arena."

When Congress enacted Title VII in 1964, according to the brief, "sex" and "gender identity" had different meanings, and Congress has treated them as separate concepts ever since. Several federal statutes include "sex" and "gender identity" as separate traits, but not Title VII.

"Congress clearly knows there is a distinction between sex and gender identity. It has used both terms at the same time (indicating they are not interchangeable), and it has thus far declined to add gender identity to Title VII," the brief says.

"Unless and until Congress affirmatively acts, our Constitution leaves to the states the authority to determine which protections, or not, should flow to individuals based on gender identity. The 6th Circuit ignored this fact and essentially rewrote federal law, engaging in policy experimentation."

It's not clear if the Supreme Court will take the case. But Lambda Legal Staff Attorney Sasha Buchert and other civil rights advocates say they are deeply concerned about the potential outcome, especially if nominee Brett Kavanaugh is on the bench. The court of appeals judge served as associate counsel and then senior associate counsel to the president from 2001 to 2003. While awaiting confirmation for nearly three years, he became assistant and staff secretary to Bush.

What they know about his record on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals suggests he won't be friendly to workers or to the LGBT community, Tobin said. What's more alarming is what they don't know about his time in President George W. Bush's White House, during which the administration fought same-sex marriage, she said. The Senate Judiciary Committee released a portion of documents related to his work in the early 2000s, but none from his time as staff secretary from 2003 to 2006. Tobin and others say the release sheds virtually no new light on his legal thinking or positions on issues.

"What we do know is troubling enough, but the fact that there is such a concerted effort to keep us from seeing his whole record makes you wonder what they don't want us to see," Tobin said.

Under President Obama, the EEOC and the Department of Justice took the position that gender identity and transgender status were protected under federal sex discrimination laws. After President Trump took office, "We knew that the administration's position about protections for transgender people was less secure than the previous one," said Stephens' ACLU lawyer, John Knight.

The Justice Department released a memo in 2017 instructing DOJ attorneys that Title VII's prohibition on sex discrimination does not include gender identity or transgender status. The DOJ also sided with the Alliance Defending Freedom in the case of Gavin Grimm, a transgender teen who sued so he could use school facilities corresponding with his gender identity; and in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, involving a baker who refused to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding.

The DOJ has not filed a brief in the funeral home case.

What's at stake

In March, the 6th Circuit held that the funeral home discriminated against Stephens based on her sex. It also found that the funeral home was not entitled to a religious freedom defense.

In its ruling, the panel cited the 1989 Supreme Court decision in Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins. The landmark case involved a female employee who sued after she was passed over for a promotion for being "macho" and told that she should walk, talk and dress "more femininely." The court held that a woman could sue for sex discrimination "even though she was not discriminated against for being a woman per se, but instead for failing to be womanly enough," the 6th Circuit said.

The funeral home's lawyers claimed its sex-specific dress code applied to everyone, not just Stephens. But the 6th Circuit said the question was whether the funeral home could terminate Stephens because she refused to conform to its "notion of her sex," not whether she intended to comply with the dress code.

"Title VII's reference to 'sex' encompasses both the biological differences between men and women, and gender discrimination, that is, discrimination based on a failure to conform to stereotypical gender norms," the 6th Circuit said. "Discrimination on the basis of transgender and transitioning status is necessarily discrimination on the basis of sex."

In addition to Title VII's scope, Rost's lawyers have also asked the court to consider whether employers are prohibited from applying sex-specific policies "according to their employees' sex rather than their gender identity."

Fearing the worst

Advocates say the question could have dramatic implications not only for transgender individuals but for anyone who fails to meet an employer's expectations for how a man or women should appear or behave.

"Being transgender is the very essence of not conforming to gender stereotypes," Buchert said.

"The initial impact is obvious, that it would be extremely harmful for transgender people in the workplace because the holding would specifically focus on gender identity. But it's likely the court could hold broader and define sex discrimination in a myopic and narrow way that would carve out all protections for LGBT workers that have been in place for decades."

Stephens is also wary of the case going to the high court after winning at the court of appeals. The issues at stake are matters of life and death for the transgender community, and she wants people to hear her story, she says. Like others, though, she fears an adverse outcome.

"The 6th Circuit was a great decision on behalf of transgender people and their rights. The court made it clear that you can't use religious beliefs to discriminate against people, and it made clear that we have rights under federal law," she said.

"But what if the court strikes it down? That's a day I can't imagine."
The birth of Iowas medical marijuana program in the Legislature was remarkable and dramatic, and the issue has ever since remained one of much legislative intrigue.

That continues this year as lawmakers face a critical deadline that, if not changed, will end the program.

Iowas medical marijuana program was approved in the waning days of 2014s legislative session. Advocates had pressed lawmakers all session to create the program, seemingly to no avail. But just when the issue appeared to be dead a bill was introduced, debated, approved and sent to the governor, who signed it into law.

It was quite the dramatic entrance for a program that allows Iowa residents to, with a physicians prescription, possess cannabidiol, an oil byproduct of the marijuana plant that has medicinal qualities, to treat themselves or their children who suffer from epileptic seizures.

The programs creation was welcomed and celebrated by advocates. But it also is narrow and restrictive; the program does not allow cannabidiol to be grown or sold in Iowa, and many other states that have a program do not sell outside their borders, which can make it difficult for Iowans to obtain the product.

And the program only allows for cannabidiol to be used to treat epileptic seizures. Advocates say more forms of medical cannabis should be legalized, and more ailments  cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder, for example  should be eligible for treatment.

Advocates push to expand the state program kept the issue in lawmakers focus and the news. Dozens, maybe hundreds of people came to the Iowa Capitol in 2015 and 2016 to plead with lawmakers and tell their tales of pain, suffering - and for some who have used cannabidiol, remarkable success.

Last year, an effort was made to expand the program. But the original bill, which would have permitted the growth and sale of medical cannabis, was stripped to its bare bones almost immediately after introduction. The amended version only attempted to create a partnership with one or more of the 28 states that have expansive medical cannabis laws.

The final version of the bill was deemed insufficient by advocates, and it was voted down by the Iowa House.

With the program set to expire July 1, lawmakers this session have been attempting to craft legislation that would extend and in some cases expand it. Already there have been ups and downs.

A bill introduced in the Iowa House achieved many of advocates goals: It would have extended the program, permitted the growth and sale of medical cannabis and created a process by which more ailments could be added.

The bill appeared to have some support when it was introduced and approved by a three-member subcommittee. More often than not, legislators do not hold subcommittee hearings unless they are confident the bill has at least enough support to pass the next step, the full committee.

There appeared to be optimism around that House bill when all three members of the subcommittee  two Republicans and one Democrat  approved it.

However, the very next day, the bill died when it was revealed there was not sufficient support from the full committee.

Back to the drawing board.

Legislators appear to be intent on, at the very least, extending the existing program. I have not yet heard any concern nothing will get done and the program will expire. Whether any measure of expansion will occur remains in doubt.

The House has started over with a bill that extends the program and provides if the federal government approves medical cannabis for medicinal use, so too shall the state.

The Senate has drafted an expansion bill that is much more like the original House bill in that it permits the growth and sale of medical cannabis and expands the ailments covered.

It has been a long journey for medical cannabis advocates, with triumph and heartbreak along the way. Already this session, there have been twists and turns in the road and more are likely to come before legislators adjourn for the year.

The question that remains is, once they do, what kind of medical cannabis program will be in place?
Democrats have been accused of having a passion deficit, particularly during midterm elections where they historically have lost seats, but also evident in the 2016 presidential race.

In the aftermath of Donald Trumps victory over Hillary Clinton, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the House minority leader, said, We just didnt have the emotional connection. He had the emotional connection.

That lack of passion has contributed not only to Republican control of Congress, but the dominance in 32 state legislatures and 33 governorships that enables the GOP to gerrymander House district lines to its liking.

With Republicans holding complete control of federal and Iowa executive and legislative branches, Democrats are now showing the same passion that underscored the rise of the take-no-prisoners conservative tea party movement, which had the financial backing of the Koch brothers Americans for Prosperity.

Whether the outrage in protests and town hall meetings on issues like immigration, health, education and workers rights translates into a cohesive movement remains to be seen. All the sturm und drang in Wisconsin during Republicans attack on state employee unions did not. Trump won its electoral votes, and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson was re-elected.

While Clinton won the popular vote in the presidential election by more than 2.8 million and Democrats won the overall popular vote in House races by 4 percent, that was largely due to lopsided successes on both coasts. Clinton prevailed in California alone by four million votes.

The blame game has cited President Barack Obamas failure to maintain momentum from his 2008 election, Clintons inept presidential campaign, lackluster leadership in Congress from Sens. Harry Reid, R-Nev., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Pelosi (where Midwesterners are essentially absent from high-ranking positions), and the ineffective Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

In Iowa, Democrats without any legislative leverage held out hope Republicans would be conciliatory on their long-held agenda involving labor issues, education, gun rights, the environment and abortion.

In Waterloo in January, Senate Minority Leader Robb Hogg of Cedar Rapids said, I believe we have an opportunity to persuade the current Republican majority not to go down the ideological experimentation with our state, the way theyve done in Kansas or Wisconsin. We can stop that excess.

Not so.

Nationally, Democrats recently elected Obamas Secretary of Labor Tom Perez to head the DNC. Perez, a civil rights lawyer, narrowly defeated Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim in Congress, in what was viewed as an establishment victory over liberal supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

The intraparty battle masked a similarity in platforms.

We came here in different ships and boats but were all in the same boat now, said the Rev. Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., prior to the election. If we dont come together as brothers and sisters, were going to perish as fools.

After Obamas victories, Democrats strategist believed the party had a sufficient advantage among the young, college-educated, minorities and women to win a national election. While Clinton catered primarily to the converted, Trump stripped away support Obama had among whites, workers and rural voters, whose numbers exceeded expectations, while younger voters and nonwhites underperformed for Democrats.

Rep. Sean Maloney, D-N.Y., and the DCCC reviewed what went wrong in 2016 and found the partisan bent of a House district can be determined by the percentage of the population that is rural, has a college degree and is diverse. Democrats took seats from the GOP in suburban areas but lost in increasing rural and less diverse districts.

The Democrats have a decidedly uphill battle. The House now has 237 Republicans and 193 Democrats with five vacancies, including four Republicans who resigned to join the Trump administration. It hasnt been this bad for Democrats since the early years of the Depression.

Trump won 230 of the 435 congressional districts. Republican gerrymandering has taken formerly competitive districts out of play in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Democrats are likely to make gains in areas undergoing transformation like northern Virginia with its tech boom, and in famously conservative Orange County, California, which also is changing.

They may be hopeful that Trumps missteps and bellicosity will magically transform voters as well as entitlement program reforms and the GOP social agenda.

But they were deluded before that Trump and the Republicans would self-destruct. While pundits predicted the demise of the GOP, the passion of its various factions prevailed.

Democrats will have to marshal the same passion, but also be pragmatic to court independents who disdain both parties  42 percent of all voters, according to a 2016 Gallup Poll, compared to 29 percent for Democrats and 26 for Republicans. Of those independents, 17 percent leaned Republican, 15 percent Democrat, and 11 percent lacked any preference.
MILFORD, Utah  The ADF community woke up to shocking news as word spread that member Matt Schofield (1989  2017) had committed suicide Mar. 4. Schofield was veteran of the Marine Corps, and reportedly suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Recently his beloved therapy dog, Bear, had gone gone missing, which was reportedly a devastating loss for Schofield. Friends have said that the grief must have been too much to handle.

Born Nov. 27, 1989, Schofield was originally from Milford, Utah. His family moved to Salt Lake City, where Schofield attended Olympus High School, graduating in 2008. He then attended Snow College for one year before joining the Marine Corps. In 2013, Schofield took a job with Marine Corps recruiting, and then eventually moved back to his hometown of Milford. In recent years, he was working as a chef and taking courses through the Academy of Art University, based in San Francisco.

Schofield was a solitary Druid practitioner and was not well-known throughout the national ADF scene. However, he kept online friendship with other Druids, and followed the community happenings. Despite any connection he had made spiritual or otherwise, it did not completely alleviate his suffering. A close friend posted on his memorial page, Matt fought hard to stay here in this life as long as he could. He had a brave heart and courage to fight as long and as hard as he did. I love him, and will always love him for the spectacular human that he was and his spirit will always continue to be.

ADF members and others are now sharing phone numbers for support hotlines and organizations that specifically deal with suicide, PTSD, and veteran care. Quoting information from Schofields friend Lindsey Smith, Rev. Sean W. Harbaugh, Public Relations Director of ADF posted this statement: PTSD is real and needs the same amount of attention physical wounds do. If you or someone you love is fighting with PTSD please call the Veterans Crisis Line 1-800-273-8255 or the Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255.

Harbaugh also added, While most ADF priests are not licensed counselors, part of our training is to have a list of resources available to refer you in times of crisis. Youre never alone. Reach out. What is remembered, lives.

* * *

UNITED STATES  A statement has been released by members of Our Freedom: A Pagan Civil Rights Coalition on the proposed removal of the Johnson Amendment, the tax code that prevents non-profit organizations from engaging in certain political activities. The statement reads, On Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, at the National Prayer Breakfast, newly-elected President Donald J. Trump stated that he would totally destroy the Johnson Amendment. . . . The leaders herein undersigned oppose any effort to rescind, reverse, and/or repeal the Johnson Amendment. Since 1954 it has been a bulwark in the tax code where it has reinforced both the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.

The coalition is made up of a group of leaders and liaisons of national Pagan organizations and publications in America, as well as other key individuals who have a strong national presence. The group was formed in 1993 and has been a working coalition since that point. A list of its past projects is posted online.

Leaders of the coalition felt compelled to speak out on this particular issue because, as a Constitutionally protected group of minority religions, we are particularly concerned with issues of church and state.

As a side note, the statement was co-authored by Witch and attorney Dana Eilers, who died shortly after its publication. However, Eilers did live long enough to sign her own name, which the coalition left on the document as memorial to a woman who spent her entire Pagan career fighting for religious freedom.

* * *

WILMINGTON, Del.  Pagan artist Abby Willowroots words were used to open a Mar. 2 Wilmington City Council meeting. According to reports, the prayer was given to Council President Hanifa Shabazz by a minister friend. The prayer, which was then read before the council, begins, In humility, gratitude and great joy, we open our hearts, our eyes, our ears, our minds, as we meet to serve our city  The entire prayer as read is published on the local news site Delaware Online, and it appears to be crafted form a number of nondenominational public meeting prayers written by Willowroot.

Willowroot, who has not yet responded for comment, is an artist and a priestess living in California. She is the founder of the Goddess 2000 project and the Spiral Goddess Grove. She has been an active member of the U.S. Pagan community since the 1960s, and her art work graced the cover of very first issue of Sage Woman published in 1986. In recent years, Willowroot has been vending at Pantheacon, where she offers both her handcrafted wands and jewelry.

The reaction to the reading of her prayer was mixed. President Shabazz, who is Muslim, had advocated for a moment of silence in place of the councils regular Christian-based prayer. However, the community was unhappy with that choice. Willowroots prayer, which she published online for noncommercial use, seemed to be a good middle ground, offering a spiritual blessing without supporting any one particular religion. One city council member, who happens to be a Christian pastor, was not crazy about the idea of using a Pagan prayer, as for her it is not nondenominational. Michelle Harlee said that the source still matters, because it indicates the spirit behind the prayer. However, she added that she is willing to go with whatever the community wants.

Rev. Selena Fox, who has delivered invocations before government meetings herself and has been a longtime advocate of inclusive prayer, said, I appreciate the universalism of the prayer and am glad that it is being used and that others know about this. If there is to be prayer at public meetings with those of many religions, spiritualities, and philosophies present, it is good to have something that has a universal dimension.

The prayer will reportedly be used to open meeting for the next four years.

* * *

Coming up this week: we will be looking at hate crimes in Canada, the Johnson Amendment and how it affects Pagan organizations, and whether or not someone can file copyright claims to a holiday.

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One of the most memorable faux pas Oregon Supreme Court Justice Jack Landau has observed while on the bench happened when the presenting attorneys phone rang  and he answered it. What seemed to be obvious court protocol wasnt necessarily evident to that attorney. On campus Friday morning, Willamette Law students had the chance to learn those protocol dos and donts, ask questions, and watch two real cases argued before the court.

During their session, the court hears cases at the three Oregon law schools, giving students and the public an opportunity to connect with the judicial system. Attorneys representing Carvel Gordon Dillard v. Jeff Premo and Larisas Home Care, LLC v. Karen Nichols-Shields argued their cases for the court Friday. Justices Rives Kistler and Lynn Nakamoto were absent due to other obligations, but they will participate in the final case decisions.

In Carvel Gordon Dillard v. Jeff Premo, the court weighed whether the Court of Appeals had jurisdiction under ORS 138.525 over a petitioners appeal of the judgment dismissing his petition for post-conviction relief with prejudice, when the post-conviction court had entered the judgment without holding a hearing.

In Larisas Home Care, LLC v. Karen Nichols-Shields, the court reviewed if in a case where a person or their agent commits Medicaid fraud such that a health care facility does not receive payment of non-Medicaid rates, that facility would have a reasonable expectation of being paid non-Medicaid rates.

While the attorneys presented their arguments, the justices went back and forth with them, asking questions and challenging them to consider hypotheticals. The justices agreed that they are not trying to trap the attorneys.

When we ask questions, its because we actually want to know what the answer is, Landau said. ...Thats the point when were the most persuadable  when we ask questions.

After about an hour, the cases were submitted. Final decisions will be released in six to seven months.

First-year law students are working on their first appellate briefs and were required to attend. Their questions following the cases ranged from what things to avoid doing in court to when the court considers overruling precedent to how the cases are decided following oral arguments.

The justices gave thoughtful answers and advice to the audience. As they filed out of the courtroom, they wished luck to those working on their appellate briefs.

About Willamette University College of Law

Opened in 1883, Willamette University College of Law is the first law school in the Pacific Northwest. The college has a long tradition at the forefront of legal education and is committed to the advancement of knowledge through excellent teaching, scholarship and mentorship. Leading faculty, thriving externship and clinical law programs, ample practical skills courses and a proactive career placement office prepare Willamette law students for today's legal job market. According to statistics compiled by the American Bar Association, Willamette ranks first in the Pacific Northwest for job placement for full-time, long-term, JD-preferred/JD-required jobs for the class of 2014 and first in Oregon for the classes of 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Located across the street from the state capitol complex and the Oregon Supreme Court, the college specializes in law and government, law and business, and dispute resolution.
The original pipeline protest camp on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation closed Wednesday, as the Bureau of Indian Affairs encouraged people to go home rather than be found trespassing.

The final campers left the Sacred Stone camp after days of hurried cleanup that followed a warning from the BIA that the campers were trespassing on land majority-owned in trust for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Federal law enforcement officers put up a hard checkpoint at 11 a.m. at which time no one was allowed back into the camp, according to BIA spokeswoman Nedra Darling. After that, they did a walk-through and told the last 20 people they had to go, which most did. She said there were "no incidents at all."

Two people who did not want to leave were arrested without resistance for misdemeanor criminal trespass, and turned over to the Sioux County Sheriff, Darling said. A third, Native American person was also arrested by BIA officers on unknown charges.

On Thursday, representatives from the tribal environmental and preservation agencies will assess the closed camp for further cleanup, she said.

The Rev. John Floberg, an episcopal priest on Standing Rock, who was in the camp over the past few days, said most people left after notice from the BIA, because they wanted to go on their own terms.

"People saw Oceti go up in flames and they were determined that not happen at Sacred Stone," Floberg said. "They knew what the boundary was, and they respected the boundary that was set."

About 150 people left during the day Tuesday, and the final 25 left on Wednesday, he said. Most people moved out of the area with the help of some weekend fundraising for bus tickets and gas cards. Some went to the powwow grounds in Eagle Butte, S.D., where the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has invited people to stay.

"The people at Sacred Stone worked exceedingly hard to do as much as they possibly could in breaking down that camp, preserving property, preserving the land, preserving as best they could relations on Standing Rock," he said.

Over the past several days, campers took down the yurts and some other structures, Floberg said. Other donations and teepees are left there.

The protesters' move came after the BIA handed out a final notice of trespass to campers remaining at Sacred Stone on Monday. They were first alerted they were trespassing on Feb. 15. According to the BIA, the federal government owns a two-thirds share of the land in trust for the tribe, giving the tribe authority over how the land is used.

The camp was founded in April in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline. For the first several months, it had the support of the tribe. In recent months, founder Ladonna Allard, who owns a minority share in the land, spoke of making the quasi-village a permanent "eco-camp to teach people to live on Earth again" and offer some services to the town of Cannon Ball.

But many residents in Cannon Ball did not want that. Frustrated with the closure of the Backwater Bridge, use of the local gym and alcohol and drug use in the area, the district passed a resolution in January asking the protesters to leave. The tribe adopted that resolution and asked the BIA for help getting the protesters to leave.

Allard did not respond to a phone and text message for comment on Wednesday.

Cannon Ball District Chairman Robert Fool Bear said his community was happy to hear the camp was closed. He expects the Seventh Generation/Blackhoop camp, which received a final trespass notice Wednesday, will meet a similar fate soon.

"We just need to get back to doing what we were doing prior to all of this," Fool Bear said.
Members of Team Yokota came out to welcome the first of 14 C-130J Super Hercules being assigned to the 374th Airlift Wing during an arrival ceremony held here, March 6.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark Dillon, Pacific Air Forces vice commander, along with U.S. Air Force Col. Kenneth Moss, 374th Airlift Wing commander, accompanied the aircraft on the final leg of its journey from Kadena Air Base, Japan to Yokota Air Base, its new home in the Pacific. Upon landing, it received a raucous greeting from a combined Japanese and American audience, anxious to get a firsthand look at the future of tactical airlift in the region.

Im very excited about us receiving the aircraft because it allows us to do a lot more around the Pacific, said Senior Airman Alex Lauher, 374th Airlift Squadron loadmaster. Its a step toward the future. It enables us to better help with things like humanitarian missions by carrying more food, water and supplies to those areas.

The new aircraft, assigned to the 374th AW, will eventually replace the units existing C-130H fleet, which has been in service for nearly 30 years. The transition is part of an Air Force-wide effort to modernize the entire active duty C-130 fleet. It effectively closes a strong chapter in airlift history, as the H model has been in active duty service since 1974.

The C-130J incorporates state-of-the-art technology to reduce manpower requirements, lower operating and support costs, and provide life-cycle cost savings over earlier C-130 models.

Compared to older C-130s, the J model climbs faster and higher, flies farther at a higher cruise speed, and takes off and lands in a shorter distance.

Yokotas C-130s will also be 15 feet longer, increasing usable space and providing the ability to rapidly transport critical supplies, personnel and equipment around the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Much like its H-model older brother, the C-130J will be used to support critical peacekeeping and contingency operations in the Indo-Asia Pacific region, including cargo delivery, troop transport, airdrop and aeromedical missions. The aircraft provides significant performance improvements and added operational capabilities that translate directly into increased effectiveness. Some of these attributes include the ability to:

Operate out of 2,000 ft.-long dirt strips in high mountain ranges.

Carry 164,000 pound payload

Travel 14% faster than the H-model

Travel 2000 miles

Perform in-flight refueling, ground fueling, weather reconnaissance, electronic warfare, medical evacuation, search and rescue, paradrop, special operations and many other missions.

Generate much greater operational efficiencies. The C-130J outperforms older C-130s in combat operations by at least a two-to-one margin.

Operate with only three crew members for most missions, exposing fewer flight crew members to potential combat threats.

Demonstrate reliability that far exceeds most other military aircraft with average mission capable rates routinely in the 80 to 90 percent range.

While this is only the first of the new J-model aircraft to arrive at Yokota, members of the 374th AW are already excited about continuing the mission with the new capabilities.



Today marks the beginning of the transition for the 374th Airlift Wing, from operating the C-130 from models E through H, to now operating the worlds most advanced tactical airlifter, the C-130J, Moss said. We will continue to be the most important base in the Pacific for projecting airpower throughout the Indo-Asia Pacific Region and the C-130J is going to be key to that piece. It is part of what we do every day.
Mar 6, 2017 | By Benedict

Engineers from the UKs Government Communications Centre (HMGCC) are using 3D printing to recreate the Lorenz SZ42, an unbreakable cipher machine used by Hitler and the German Army during World War II. Only four of the machines still exist.

Lorenz SZ42, Hitler's "unbreakable" cipher machine

During the Second World War, various versions of the Lorenz cipher were used by the German Army to encrypt strategic communications. These machines, each of which contained 12 wheels with a different number of pins, were attached to standard teleprinters in order to turn readable German text into code. A duplicate Lorenz cipher fitted to a teleprinter at the receiving end would then turn the encrypted message back into German.

Originally considered unbreakable by the Germans, the Lorenz cipher was eventually cracked by British codebreakers at Bletchley Park, the UKs central codebreaking site, in Buckinghamshire. Because the Lorenz ciphers were used by the Germans to encode extremely important strategic information, Britains decrypting of the machines messages was integral to the eventual Allied victory.

Around 200 units of the Lorenz SZ42, one of four versions of the machine, were used during the war, but only four survive. One of those four SZ42s, a machine that was used by the German Army in Norway, was recently given to the UKs National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park (TNMOC) on long-term loan from the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum. There, the machine will be receiving some important maintenance work. Because the cipher is missing some components, including a motor, engineers from HMGCC are using 3D scanning and 3D printing technology to rebuild it.

Lorenz teleprinter, wheel setting guide, and SZ42 cipher

UK veterans Betty O'Connell and Irene Dixon operated the Colossus to break Lorenz code during WWII

Lorenz SZ42 cipher in the USA with motor (top) intact

The exciting project will involve two key stages: first, using 3D scanning equipment to reverse engineer an existing Lorenz motor from a different machine, and second, 3D printing a replica of that motor which can then be fitted to the recently borrowed SZ42. The HMGCC team will take three-dimensional images of an existing Lorenz motor and then reconstruct it using 3D printing techniques, explained John Whetter of TNMOC. Externally, the motor will be almost indistinguishable from an original.

The Lorenz machine receiving 3D printing maintenance was seized by the Norwegian secret services following the conclusion of the war. Soon, with a 3D printed motor fitted to it, the machine will be used by staff at TNMOC to demonstrate how code from the Lorenz was eventually deciphered by the British codebreaking machine Colossus, which was designed by research telephone engineer Tommy Flowers and mathematician Max Newman, using contributions from cryptanalyst Alan Turing.

Wheels of the Lorenz SZ42

Ablesetafel 40 or Spruchtafel, used to determine Lorenz wheel settings

Lorenz teleprinters like these were linked to the ciphers

A HMGCC spokesman commented: The wartime work at Bletchley Park, including breaking the Lorenz cipher, was instrumental in the birth of modern computing and the development of what we now call cyber security. HMGCC looks forward to its young apprentices reconstructing this machine in support of TNMOC's wider work to explain why Bletchley Park's legacy still matters today.

According to TNMOC, the reconstructed Lorenz SZ42 cipher containing the 3D printed motor could be ready by summer 2017.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Residents across Bismarck will head to the polls Tuesday to vote on a $57.5 million bond to expand and renovate Bismarck schools.

The bond would provide funding to increase space at all three middle schools, which are either full or will have too many students in the next few years. Bond money also would be used to remodel aging Bismarck High School, adding a new 650-seat auditorium and a third gym court. It also would result in the removal of six portable classrooms from outside Century High School.

The latest demographic projections show Bismarck schools expect to gain about 1,500 more students in the middle schools and high schools in the next five years.

If the bond fails, district administration will have to identify alternatives to house the influx of students. Early ideas include more portables, but it remains to be seen whether some schools  including Century and Simle  could even handle additional mobile classrooms.

Voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at all schools, including BECEP and Lincoln Elementary School.

Early voting numbers show about 375 people have already voted in the bond election as of Wednesday, according to Darin Scherr, business and operations manager for the Bismarck schools. A total of 425 absentee ballots were sent out. All absentee ballots need to be postmarked by Monday.

The bond needs 60 percent plus one vote in order to pass, Scherr said.

The $57.5 million bond comes after a historic $86.5 million bond was passed in 2012 that helped build Liberty Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School and Legacy High School.

In comparison, Scherr said there were 1,459 absentee ballots in 2012, but early voting numbers numbers should not correlate to fewer people wanting to vote absentee.

The upcoming $57.5 bond will hold the 2015-16 mill rate steady, meaning homeowners taxes will not increase more than current levels. Over the next three years, the district will retire some bonds and has the opportunity to replace them, therefore not increasing the mill levied on taxpayers.

An informal survey of residents across town found some people were unaware of the upcoming special election.

Two women walking their dogs in the Southport area of Bismarck on Thursday did not know the election was coming up, but said they would research the bond further before Tuesday.

Carol Marrs, 73, was shoveling a sidewalk outside her home in north Bismarck on Thursday afternoon. She and her husband built their home in 1981, and her two sons went to Century High School.

Marrs did not know of the upcoming election and said her husband is the one who usually takes care of their property taxes. Despite not being aware of the election, Mars said she now plans to go online and look into the bond.

"Yeah, I will (vote)," Marrs said, not indicating whether she would vote for or against it.

Bismarck Public Schools held three informational sessions in January to inform voters on the specifics of the bond. The first session at Wachter Middle School had a turnout of about 50 people.

Parents with children in the school system, or who will be, arguably have a huge stake in the upcoming bond election.

Sarah Grendahl, sat inside her car outside Rita Murphy waiting for her 10-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son to get done with school.

To me, its a no brainer," said Grendahl, adding she will vote for the bond. "It would only benefit the children."

Grendahl said she was originally informed of the bond at an open house at Simle Middle School, where her daughter will attend next year.

Grendahl, who has a home in north Bismarck, said she's not concerned over property taxes remaining at current levels and said the district demonstrated a "good plan of action" on how they will use taxpayers' money to fund the bond.

"Its not like theyre asking for a certain amount of money and they dont know what theyre going to do with it yet," Grendahl said. "I think that helps a voter, too.

One local developer said he's not concerned that the school bond will have an impact on future homeowners.

We have to expand our school systems in the areas where our community is expanding, said Chad Moldenhauer, of K&L Homes.

Moldenhauer and his company are building a large development, called Heritage Ridge and Heritage Park, in northwest Bismarck near Liberty Elementary School. There are 150 lots in the two communities combined, he said.

Though newer homeowners will be paying more in property taxes than those in pre-existing homes, Moldenhauer said a school bond is typically given a pass or might be an exception.

People relocating or building a new home often consider the school district their children will attend, especially if they have school-age children, he said.

It seems that people that would be purchasing in new areas would be especially tuned to wanting those new facilities, wanting to expand those new facilities. And we certainly cannot get behind the demand for good education, because its one of the pillars of our society," he said.

For more information on the upcoming bond election, visit the district's website at www.bismarckschools.org/district/growth/.
Mar 6, 2017 | By Tess

German auto manufacturer Daimler has added a new 3D printing system to its arsenal of innovative manufacturing technologies. The automakers latest addition is the RICOH AM S5500P, an industrial polymer sintering production printer. The powder bed fusion 3D printer will help Daimler to drive forward its rapid prototyping capacity using advanced materials.

With a relatively large build volume of 550 x 550 x 500 mm, the RICOH AM S5500P can be used with a wide range of high-quality SLS materials, such as polypropylene (PP) and PA6GB. These materials, along with the capacity to additively manufacture them, can offer many advantages to the automotive industry, particularly for making prototype parts in a time and cost efficient manner.

Ricoh, headquartered in Tokyo, is a global tech company that has provided a range of technological solutions to businesses and individuals for over 80 years. In more recent years, the company has become active within the 3D printing industry, developing additive manufacturing technologies, including the RICOH AM S5500P SLS 3D printer, and an upcoming metal 3D printer. Most recently, the company partnered with UL to offer a 3D printing training program to clients.

According to a press release, Ricoh staff will be on hand to install the RICOH AM S5500P at Daimlers facility, and will help to train and offer guidance to Daimler engineers, who will use the machine to both print automotive prototype parts on demand, and to help develop new applications.

AM innovators are rightly demanding the highest quality of PP and PA6GB material printing, said Greg Plowman, Head of Additive Manufacturing Business, Ricoh Europe. The RICOH AM S5500P allows Daimler to extend its impressive range of 3D printing applications, while ensuring that prototype parts are printed as needed to aid product development. This agreement forms another landmark in the AM industry, demonstrating the ambitions that can be realized through a shared commitment to innovation.

RICOH AM S5500P 3D printer

Other features of the RICOH AM S5500P SLS 3D printer include: dual powder distribution, advanced thermal control (meaning it can maintain small temperature gradients and offer high accuracy and repeatability), eight infrared lamps, heating of the build chamber from all six sides, and high machine reliability. The 3D printer has a footprint of 2,100 x 1,520 x 2,400 mm and an overall weight of 2,000 kg.

This is not the first time Daimler has worked with additive manufacturing technologies, though its RICOH 3D printer is the latest addition to its facility. In fact, Daimler was a relatively early adopter of additive manufacturing technologies, as it bought a large-scale metal 3D printer in 2012. Last year, Daimler announced it would also be 3D printing spare parts for Mercedes trucks.

Posted in Rapid Prototyping

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Mar 6, 2017 | By Tess

A PhD student from Eindhoven's University of Technology in the Netherlands has created an extremely lifelike baby mannequin using 3D printing. The mannequin, which includes a 3D printed skeleton, a heart with functioning valves, and lungs that can inflate and deflate, is meant to be used by doctors in training so that they will be better equipped to operate on young children.

Mark Thielen, the PhD candidate behind the innovative project, is hoping his lifelike infant models will help doctors get a more hands-on and accurate training when it comes to treating small babies. According to the researcher, making and providing lifelike replicas for infant anatomies has until now been incredibly difficult, due to the small and intricate nature of their organs. 3D printing, he says, can offer a solution.

Thielen worked with 3D Hubs to prototype the anatomical mannequin, basing its design on an MRI scan of an actual infant. Thielen and 3D Hubs tested a number of different materials to see which would be best suited for the medical application. In the end, Thielen made the internal organ models using thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) rubber. The organs were made with the help of a PolyJet 3D printing process that made the molds in which the TPE organs were cast.

To make the mannequin even more realistic, Thielen has included sensors that are capable of providing feedback for such measurements as pressure, stress, and impact during training procedures. This feedback is given when a fluid (mimicking blood) is run through the internal model. The liquid, along with the cameras and sensors built into the organs, provides vital feedback to the trainee, such as when pressure might be too high or too low etc.

Currently, the 3D printed infant mannequins are still in their prototyping and development stage, though Thielen is hopeful that his innovative project will impact the medical community positively in the near future. He also believes that his research could go beyond helping only infants, and could be used to create realistic and interactive models for other body parts and organs to help train medical professionals.

In the medical field, 3D printing is being used more and more to create lifelike models, both to train new doctors, and to help established surgeons prepare for complex surgeries. The benefits of 3D printing anatomical models are numerous, as the technology allows for bespoke, patient-specific models to be made, often for reasonable costs and in a timely manner. As 3D printing materials continue to advance, the potential for better models is also growing, as doctors could soon be trained using extremely realistic 3D printed organs with lifelike feedback and textures.

Photos: 3D Hubs

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Dr.Thirumurugan Mahadhevan wrote at 3/15/2017 11:05:16 AM:I was having this idea for and discussed about this with my team almost before a year. Unfortunately, I was not having a proper support to take it forward. Good to see someone working on the same platform of ideology as mine. I hope to bring more advanced things similar to this. All the best to Mr.Thielen




Mar 6, 2017 | By Julia

3D printing has become an increasing source of medical aid in earthquake-stricken Nepal. In the wake of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated the country in April 2015, killing almost 9,000 people, Nepalese communities have been struggling to survive.

a 3D printed plastic otoscope

Health clinics are largely overwhelmed and under-resourced. Local charities say that a series of complications including poor road infrastructure, a lack of finances, and slow bureaucracy means a lengthy supply-chain process. Additionally, as most of Nepals medical equipment is manufactured in China or India, local health clinics struggle to purchase any supplies that arent available in bulk.

Consequently, medical items taken for granted in Western hospitals, such as tweezers, fetoscopes, and otoscopes, can take up to three months to arrive to Nepalese clinics that need them. And for a country still reeling from a natural disaster of such a high magnitude, lengthy wait times arent a viable option.

In response to the crisis, the US-based charity Field Ready has established itself in Bhotechaur. Yet while another American charity in South Asia isnt exactly news, Field Ready offers something different: 3D printed medical resources.

Initially focusing on the design and manufacture of spare parts for machines damaged by the earthquake, Field Readys team of engineers soon realized they could help ease Nepals supply chain problem in another, more direct way.

When Field Ready engineer Ram Chandra Thapa learned that doctors at a Bhotechaur clinic had no way to examine their patients ears for signs of infection, he designed and 3D printed a plastic otoscope.

a patient and her baby at a Bhotechaur clinic

The items that we develop using 3D printers are cheaper, and they can be made in the field, Thapa says. So far, doctors and medical practitioners are happy with the 3D printed equipment, he notes.

Thapa is currently testing designs for several 3D printed medical instruments such as plastic fetoscopes, tweezers, otoscopes, umbilical clamps, and wrist braces. Field tests are carried out at health clinics in earthquake-damaged villages like Bhotechaur.

The instruments are very good, says Bimala Upreti, a Bhotechaur-based nurse. We are able to provide treatment for ear infections now when the patients come here.



homes damanged by the 2015 earthquake

Patients, on the other hand, are impressed but say the clinics are still underresourced. The new equipment is good, they say, but there still remains no way to carry out important procedures like blood tests.

Thapa is now moving forward with designs for other plastic medical items. So far, those include kidney trays, forceps, sharp boxes, and stethoscopes. He hopes that 3D printers can eventually be permanently installed in remote health clinics in Nepal, where doctors and nurses could be trained, and then able to directly print their own supplies as needed.

Ideally, the project would be funded by charities, aid agencies, and the Nepal government, but as always, funding presents an obstacle.

If they had 3D printers in their health clinics, they could just download 3D designs and print it there, Thapa says.

For now, Field Ready continues to develop designs and carry out testing.

homes damaged by the earthquake

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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by Akim Reinhardt

Donald Trump is going down. His house of cards will collapse at some point. The leaks will keep flowing and eventually his position will become untenable. Conflicts of interest. Connections to Russia. All of it will become too great a weight to carry, especially since The Donald has very few genuine allies in Washington.

The Democrats want him gone. So too do most of the Republicans. Hell, they never wanted him to begin with. The GOP did everything it could to derail his candidacy, and only climbed aboard after Trump's runaway train was the last red line careening towards the White House. So for now they're playing nice with the former Democrat who eschews Conservative dogma in a variety of ways and is loyal to absolutely no one save himself. But when the moment comes, they'll gladly trade Trump in for Mike Pence, a Conservative's wet dream.

For all these reasons, Trump may not make it to the finish line. But there's one more factor to consider: the precedent of regicide. And to understand that, we should begin by briefly recounting of the demise of the Ottoman sultan Osman II.

Young Osman II ascended the Ottoman throne in 1618 at the tender age of 14. Wishing to assert himself, in 1621 he personally led an invasion of Poland, which ended with a failed siege of Chota (aka Khotyn, now in western Ukraine). In a rather unwise move, Osman blamed the defeat on his elite fighting force, the Janissaries. Afterwards, he ordered the shuttering of Janissary coffee shops, which he saw as a hotbed of conspiracies against him. The Janissaries responded with a palace uprising. In 1622 they imprisoned the 17 year old monarch and soon after killed him. Because it was strictly forbidden to spill royal blood, they strangled him to death.

I first learned about the rise and fall of Osman II in 1992 while taking a graduate course on Ottoman history. "Something happens," our professor warned us in a foreboding tone, "the first time an empire commits regicide."

This was hardly the first time an Ottoman sultan had been ousted. In fact Osman II himself had become sultan after a coup against his uncle. However, our professor suggested that there was an important difference. When Osman II was murdered his own soldiers, a new line had been crossed and strong taboo had shattered a strong taboo. The precedent could not be undone. The throne upon the Bosphorous would be forever weakened; sultans would rule from a more vulnerable position. Indeed, this would not be the last Janissary revolt or the last sultan to be murdered.

Afterwards, this lesson stuck with me, and I began to wonder if might apply it to U.S. history. However, I did not look at presidential assassinations as necessarily parallel. Even the murder of presidents Abraham Lincoln and William McKinley, both of whom were dispatched by killers with avowedly political motives, didn't seem to bear the same lesson. For it was not just the violence of Osman II's end that was important. It was also that he had been done not by a rogue assassin, but rather by competing elements of his own government.

In U.S. history there have been instances when Congress attempted to remove presidents from office. But instead of the royal bow string that was wrapped around Osman II's throat, the instrument of American regicide has been impeachment hearings. Our regicides have been strictly political, not literal.

The first serious effort to impeach a president came against Andrew Johnson, who inherited the White House in 1865 after Lincoln's death. Part of the move against him can be located in crass politics. Johnson, a Democrat from a Confederate state (Tennessee), faced a Congress thoroughly dominated by Northern Republicans. And the actual grounds upon which he was eventually impeached were likely unconstitutional; hoping to restrain Johnson, Congress had passed a bill forbidding presidents to remove their own cabinet members without congressional consent. When Johnson fired Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, whom he'd inherited from Lincoln, the House filed 11 impeachment charges against him.

However, there was a lot more to the attack on Johnson than just politics. In truth, while the direct justifications for impeachment were dubious, the entire episode reflected something much larger and deeper: an epic struggle for the soul of the nation.

How does one put a country back together after it has been riven by civil war? Furthermore, what would be the fate of both former confederates rebels and newly freed slaves?

The constitution offers no clear formula for addressing these questions. Congress obviously wanted a say in the matter. However, after assuming the presidency, Johnson took the initiative, pursuing his own reconstruction plans while Congress was out of session.

Presidential Reconstruction (1865-66) was an utter fiasco. A former slave owner, Johnson was a bitter and virulent racist. He eventually came to oppose slavery, but he believed the former slaves should remain in a deeply subservient position. As president, he overtly opposed the 14th amendment (1868), which granted African Americans citizenship and equal protection under the law. He also stood by and did nothing as Southern states ran amok. The infamous Black Codes quickly replaced the old Slave Codes; state and local laws sprouted up to bypass the 13th amendment and trap African Americans in exploitative agricultural labor practices. The KKK and other groups used violence to suppress African American political action. When blacks tried to assert their equality, they often met lethal oppression. Scores of African Americans were killed in race riots across the South. Adding insult to injury, Johnson also handed out pardons to high ranking Confederates, eventually up to and including former Confederate president Jefferson Davis.

Congress was appalled and began administering its own version of reconstruction, passing a series of civil rights acts, reconstruction acts, and constitutional amendments that granted African Americans political rights and oversaw a prolonged military occupation of the South. By the time he was done, Johnson had issued more vetoes than all of his predecessors combined. But with a super majority, Congress simply passed legislation and overrode his opposition. Johnson hurt his own cause with a disastrous speaking tour that turned most Northern voters against him. By the time of his impeachment trial in 1868, he was barely governing.

The House impeached Johnson and the Senate voted 38-19 in favor of removing him. However, since a 2/3 majority was needed, it failed by one vote. Part of the reason is that many moderate Republicans were less than enamored with Radical Republican Senator Benjamin Wade, who was in line to replace Johnson. Moderates figured it would be easier to advance their agenda with a hobbled Democratic president than with a feisty fellow Republican they didn't always agree with.

Thus, Johnson rem ained in office for a little over a year, largely neutered of power. A serious effort at American regicide had taken place for the first time.

It's difficult to measure the long term impact of Johnson's impeachment on the presidency. He was followed by Civil War hero Ulysses S. Grant, whose own presidency was fairly robust but also plagued by enough corruption that the former general's reputation waned greatly. Afterwards came a parade weak presidents are forgotten to most Americans, and whom most high school history students associate with little more than odd facial hair styles. It was not until the turn of the 20th century that the presidency assumed a stronger role as Theodore Roosevelt and later Woodrow Wilson helped establish what historians sometimes refer to as the Imperial Presidency: strong chief executives who promoted imperial ambitions abroad and (by the standards of the time) an activist federal government at home.

After a succession of presidents dedicated to small government and laissez-faire policies, the office was again strengthened under Franklin Roosevelt, who used it to combat the Great Depression and fight World War II. By the 1970s, Andrew Johnson's impeachment was more than a century past, and for most Americans he had been reduced to little more than an odd historical footnote and a black and white illustration in textbooks.

Then came Richard Nixon.

Like many developed nations with large Baby Boom cohorts, the United States today has a rather old population. The median age is nearly 39. That means nearly half the people, a large majority of the voting age population, and an overwhelming majority of current politicians were alive when Richard Nixon resigned the presidency amid scandal in 1974 to avoid the near certain prospect of impeachment by the House of Representatives and removal from office by the U.S. Senate. I believe that this is the modern case of American regicide that has so greatly influenced the political landscape ever since, shattering the taboo and leaving every subsequent president more vulnerable to political attacks from competing elements within the state.

Space will not allow me to review the myriad twists and turns of Watergate. Suffice it to say that, unlike the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, this was not a battle for the soul of the nation and its people filtered through a flimsy, partisan impeachment and removal trial. Rather, Richard Nixon was simply a corrupt and vile politician who attempted to further his career by actively undermining American democratic institutions when his goons stole election campaign secrets from Democratic Party headquarters. And then he ordered a cover up, complete with an illegal slush fund. And then he publicly lied about it. And then he abused his office by attempting to squash investigations. And then he refused to cooperate with Congress and the courts.

In short, Richard Nixon was a felon who committed high crimes against the state, and he had to go.

However, despite the righteousness of his exit under threat of removal, the floodgates were opened. The office of the presidency had been weakened, and every subsequent president had to carry the burden. Presidents were no longer the especial symbol of American virtue. They were no longer half a step above the fray and accorded a higher degree of respect. They were now just like any other politician, subject to the dirtiest of tricks and forever within the opposition's sites, an indelible target upon their backs.

Don't believe me? Just check the numbers.

Through the tenure of Barack Obama, there have been 44 presidents. Only two of them have been impeached (Johnson and Bill Clinton), with one other facing the near certain prospect of it (Nixon). However, a dozen presidents have seen a Congressperson officially move to begin impeachment hearings, with the cases eventually going nowhere. Of those dozen, half came before Richard Nixon. The other half were aimed at Nixon and his successors.

In other words, of the 36 presidents who preceded Nixon, only six endured a motion for impeachment, and only one was actually impeached or faced serious threat of it.

After Nixon's resignation, 5 of the next 7 presidents suffered an impeachment motion in the House, and one of them, Bill Clinton was actually impeached. In fact, every president beginning with Ronald Reagan has seen a member of Congress move to impeach him.

Ronald Reagan faced an impeachment motion over the Iran Contra Scandal.

George Bush the Elder faced an impeachment motion over the first Iraq war.

Prior to actually being impeached over the Monica Lewinski scandal, Bill Clinton faced an impeachment motion for allegedly obstructing an investigation of alleged campaign contributions from foreign sources.

George Bush the Younger faced an impeachment motion over his version of the Iraq (and Afghanistan) war.

Barack Obama faced two impeachment motions: one for administering the drone program in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the other for the odd combination of charges that he failed to do perform his presidential duty while also abusing his presidential powers.

All of this is not a coincidence. Rather, it marks a fundamental change in American presidential politics. It highlights a new attitude towards the presidency. This is the fallout of American regicide.

Congress did the right thing by chasing Richard Nixon from the White House. The correctness of congressional actions in that case are supported not only by almost every serious historian and political analyst who has assiduously studied the matter, but also by the bi-partisan movement against Nixon.

In February of 1974, the House of Representatives voted to authorize its Judiciary Committee to consider impeachment hearings. The vote tally? A whopping 410-4.

Later that year when the Judiciary Committee recommended impeaching Nixon on three counts, it was not quite as overwhelming a vote, but it was not strictly partisan. All the Democratic committee members voted Yes on all charges, but some Republicans also concurred: GOP members voted Yes a total of 15 times and No a total of 36 times on the three counts. And on the two measures that failed, all Republicans voted No, but so too did some Democrats: Dems voted No a total 18 times.

Moving to impeach Nixon was absolutely the right thing and eventually might have eventually come to fruition even if Republicans held the House as the evidence against the president became ever more damning and undeniable.

Nevertheless, the unintended repercussions of House actions and Nixon's flight from office are still with us. Every president is now a potential target for impeachment, particularly if the opposition party is in control, as witnessed by Clinton's impeachment, which regardless of its actual merits, passed the House on a partisan vote, and then failed in the Senate on a partisan vote.

The regicide of Richard Nixon is a legacy we continue to live with. Impeaching the president is no longer seen as a gasp-inducing nuclear option demanding the most serious of circumstances. All presidents now live with the specter of impeachment. Thus, the possibility of a serious movement to impeach Donald Trump arising at some point seems all the likelier.

Furthermore, Mike Pence is no Benjamin Wade. Many Republicans themselves are ill at ease with The Donald and strongly prefer Pence.

And so, should the Democrats regain the House in 2018 the midterm elections, it seems all but certain that Trump will face impeachment. But even if Republicans maintain their control of the House, they may yet work behind the scenes to manifest a more informal regicide.

If things continue to deteriorate, Republicans may pressure Trump to resign. Perhaps he would cite health concerns to save face, claiming an endless string of supposed victories on his way out the door.

And if things degenerate to the point that even a sizeable share of Republican voters disavow Trump, then the GOP itself could begin impeachment proceedings should The Donald fail to heed. That scenario, which seems rather far fetched at the present, highly partisan moment, could become more viable should the revelations of Trump's connections to Russia and Vladimir Putin become so clear that all rational voters can no longer deny them.

Under those circumstances, it would be vital for Republicans to get Trump out of office with enough time for Pence to assert himself as a legitimate incumbent for the 2020 election. Over a year should do it. By the time the 1976 election rolled around, Gerald Ford had spent two years as president after taking over for Nixon. It almost worked. He was able to fend off a challenge within the party from Ronald Regan, and probably would've beaten Jimmy Carter had he not hung himself with the albatross of pardoning Nixon in one of his first acts as president.

The Republicans will remember this. If they need to remove Trump from office because they risk going down in flames with him, then they will move quickly so that Pence can establish himself.

All in all, it seems some level of attempted political regicide against Donald Trump will emerge over the next four years. The details of course are impossible to predict. Whether it is the actual regicide that Nixon suffered, the near regicide that Clinton endured, or the far less successful attempts that everyone after Carter has witnessed, remains to be seen. At this point, we can't even know if it will be out in the open or take place behind closed doors, or if it will be initiated and pushed by the Democrats or the Republicans. But something is probably in the offing.

The king will soon be dead. Long live the king.

Akim Reinhardt's website is ThePublicProfessor.com


by Evert Cilliers aka Adam Ash



Trump is obviously a human being, with children and grandchildren, so of course he has humanity. But that humanity might be different from yours.

Here are some extracts I've gathered from various news sources (google a paragraph if you want to see source) and, in conclusion, some thoughts about our leader's humanity.

1. A Father Talks About The Death In Yemen Of His Son, Seal Team 6 Member Ryan Owens

Ryan Owens, a member of the military's elite SEAL Team 6, was killed in late January after his unit came under intense fire during an assault on a fortified terrorist compound in Yemen. The Pentagon said the SEALs killed at least 14 militants from al-Qaeda's Yemeni affiliate, but also acknowledged that at least 25 civilians  including the 8-year-old daughter of a militant who had been killed by a US drone years earlier  were killed in the fighting.

The deaths, and the fact that the SEALs didn't kill or capture the al-Qaeda leaders they were targeting, prompted immediate questions about why Trump had green-lit the operation, and about whether the intelligence gathered at the scene was worth the high human and financial cost (a $70 million US aircraft was also destroyed during the mission).

Owens' father, Bill, told the Miami Herald in a recent interview that he did not want to meet Trump when the president attended Owens' dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Feb. 1.

"I told them I didn't want to make a scene about it, but my conscience wouldn't let me talk to him," Bill Owens told the Florida newspaper on Friday.

Owens also called for an investigation into his son's death and additionally said he was troubled by Trump's treatment of the Khans, a Gold Star family of a Muslim soldier killed in Iraq.

Owens, also a military veteran, was troubled by Trump's harsh treatment of a Gold Star family during his presidential campaign. Now Owens was a Gold Star parent, and he said he had deep reservations about the way the decision was made to launch what would be his son's last mission.

[] Bill Owens said he was assured that his son, who was shot, was killed early in the fight. It was the first military counter-terrorist operation approved by the new president, who signed the go-ahead Jan. 26  six days into his term.

"Why at this time did there have to be this stupid mission when it wasn't even barely a week into his administration? Why? For two years prior, there were no boots on the ground in Yemen  everything was missiles and drones  because there was not a target worth one American life. Now, all of a sudden we had to make this grand display?''

The Pentagon has insisted that the raid produced "actionable intelligence," but offered no details to substantiate the claim. That assessment isn't universally shared: NBC News reported Tuesday that the raid had "so far yielded no significant intelligence."

2. The Political Fall-Out From The Yemen Raid

In its immediate aftermath, Trump officials said the raid had been planned during the waning weeks of the Obama administration and that they had accepted the military's recommendation to go forward with it. Obama administration officials countered that Trump was simply trying to pass the blame for the botched mission.

"In a nutshell, Trump and his team owns the process and the ultimate decision  and the consequences," Colin Kahl, a national security official in the Obama administration, said on Twitter after the raid.

Kahl wasn't the only one critical of the raid. Arizona Sen. John McCain, the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee and one of the GOP's most respected voices on national security issues, flatly labeled it a failure.

"When you lose a $75 million airplane and, more importantly, an American life is lost  I don't believe you can call it a success," McCain told NBC News in early February.

3. Trump Refuses To Take Responsibility For The Raid

The simmering controversy over the raid flared up again on Tuesday when Trump broke with decades of presidential precedent and blamed the military for the failed operation  and for Owens's death  rather than taking responsibility himself.

"This was a mission that was started before I got here. This was something they wanted to do," Trump said. "They came to me, they explained what they wanted to do  the generals  who are very respected, my generals are the most respected that we've had in many decades, I believe. And they lost Ryan."

As Phillip Carter wrote for Vox, most presidents of both parties have stepped up and accepted blame for failed military operations, regardless of whether they were their fault. Trump, Carter wrote, took a very different path:

"Still, Trump's blunt refusal to accept personal responsibility for the Yemen raid burns because it marks such an incredible betrayal of his office and the awesome responsibility that our president must shoulder, especially in the national security sphere. A president who passes the buck is not one we can trust to lead our military or keep us safe."

4. Trump Hails Ryan Owens In His Speech to Congress

Trump said in his speech to Congress: "We are blessed to be joined tonight by Carryn Owens, the widow of U.S. Navy special operator, Senior Chief William Ryan' Owens. Ryan died as he lived, a warrior and a hero, battling against terrorism and securing our nation. (APPLAUSE) I just spoke to our great General [Jim] Mattis just now, who reconfirmed that, and I quote, Ryan was a part of a highly successful raid that generated large amounts of vital intelligence that will lead to many more victories in the future against our enemy.' Ryan's legacy is etched into eternity. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) And Ryan is looking down right now. You know that. And he's very happy, because I think he just broke a record."

5. Tweets from vets

The president's decision to lavish so much attention on Carryn Owens, meanwhile, sparked a torrent of angry responses on Twitter, with critics arguing that he was trying to use her grief for political gain.

Soldier Jane @sgtjanedoe

Twitter TL reaction to Ryan Owens moment:

Press: how powerful and moving

Veteran friends: this is gross and uncomfortable

10:03 PM  28 Feb 2017

730730 Retweets

1,5061,506 likes

(((Steve Chapman))) @SteveChapman13

Just imagine Lincoln exploiting a soldier's death so shamelessly for partisan end. Or Eisenhower, Reagan or either Bush.

Kia Makarechi @Kia_Mak

Trump just spent 5 minutes telling the father of a fallen soldier to buzz off http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/26/politics/navy-seal-father-donald-trump/

6. Commentary by Ed Brayton on his blog:

II'm justWTF? Hey Ryan, you're dead now and your family is weeping over it in front of the entire world, but I'm sure you're happy because I just got a long burst of applause by exploiting that death. That always makes people happy, doesn't it? Donald Trump is a buffoon, an absolute buffoon. It is humiliating to this country that we elected that dollar store Bond villain as president.

I can't even begin to express how repulsive this entire display was. And that otherwise intelligent people allowed themselves to get caught up in it and get all weepy and emotional should cause them a lifetime of embarrassment.

Van Jones said Trump's tribute to Navy SEAL Ryan Owens, who died in a raid in Yemen, was "one of the most extraordinary moments you have ever seen in American politics, period" and that it was the moment Trump "became president of the United States." He also said it's the kind of thing that could make Trump a two-term president.

Oh for crying out loud. Did you go soft in the head? Are you that easily manipulated emotionally? There was nothing the least bit extraordinary about it, it was business as usual  politicians using grieving widows and the deaths of soldiers as a cover for the horrors of war and their own decisions to send young people  not their kids, of course, they're much too valuable; other people's kids  to kill and die. It was nothing more than war propaganda, a sideshow to distract attention.

7. Colin Taylor writes:

For Trump to exploit Owens' grieving widow for a photo-op and then joke about applause duration is one of the more despicable things he's ever done  and it's a long list. If he really wanted to honor Owens' memory, he would take responsibility for giving the order and take responsibility for his death, instead of blaming first President Obama and then his generals for the disaster.

7. Michael Moore reacts (obviously)

Michael Moore accused Trump of inviting Owens' wife, widow Carryn Owens, to be present at the address so he could "use" her as a prop to distract from the fact that the mission that got Owens killed was 100% Trump's fault and was a massive failure. Moore said: "That's why she's there, as sort of an f-you' to the people who are criticizing him for this. And this poor woman, this widow who has lost her husband, she is in desperate grief right now. To use that to put another notch on his belt  and what is he thinking about?" The filmmaker also trashed Trump for his complete lack of empathy: "To a malignant narcissist you're not ever thinking that you're insulting anybody because it's all about you. That would require empathy."

9. Daily Kos reacts (Daily Kos is an influential progressive blog):

What the nation witnessed last night was political pornography, noisome and revolting, courtesy of political pornographer-in-chief, Donald Trump.

I have never felt such hot hatred for anyone as I did last night for that lying and preening awful excuse of a human being. For this so-called president, this so-called "man"  to shamelessly exploit Ryan's widow and her raw grief as a tawdry national prop for his flaming narcissism, as a cowardly cover for his lies about what happened in Yemen, and as an emotion-milking smokescreen for his and the Republican Party's fascistic policies  is the most abusive and disgusting thing I have seen in over 50 years of following politics.

This was beyond the pale. This is irredeemable.

10. Final Thoughts

Two things need to be remembered about the Ryan Owens affair:

1. Trump refused to take responsibility for the mission and blamed his generals for the soldier's death ("and they lost Ryan"): something no president has ever done before.

2. Trump said, off-script, in a moment of supreme tastelessness: "Ryan is looking down right now. You know that. And he's very happy, because I think he just broke a record." As Amy Davidson wrote in The New Yorker: "With that last reference to the way measures of popularity can make a person happy, Trump did seem to remember who he was. And so might the rest of us."

You decide if these two instances show that Trump's humanity is the same as yours.

Listen, my questions about Trump's humanity is not necessarily driven by political disagreement. I think Bill Clinton is a jerk when it comes to women. Just like Trump. Maybe worse. I also think Bill was a bad president, what with instigating mass incarceration, signing the bills that enabled Wall Street fraud, doing welfare "reform," outsourcing jobs with NAFTA (which also destroyed much agriculture in Mexico), and doing nada about the genocide in Rwanda. But then, his post-presidential foundation has saved many, many lives in this world. He is redeeming himself.

I also recognize that there were folks who voted for Trump because they agreed with his economic message about NAFTA and jobs, even though they knew he was a jerk.

But answer me this: do you think Obama would have ducked responsibility or imagined a dead soldier being very happy because he established a record for applause?

And how about this:

What will happen to our morality and humanity under Trump? Is Trump creating an atmosphere in which it will be easy for us to forget our humanity? Already hate crimes and anti-Semitic acts have surged since his campaign. And what with talk of living in a post-truth world, Trump appears to be normalizing lying. The contrast with President Obama boggles the mind, it's so brutally stark.

This is the question that should disturb us to our very souls:

Will Trump make us normalize inhumanity?
Our monthly list of must-try restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.

China Live Restaurant's Interior. Courtesy of China Live.

China Live

The much-anticipated, epicurean destination China Live opened its first floor for service on March 1st offering market-driven cuisine, teas, and an extensive retail section. Oolong Cafe highlights the historic teas of China and is decorated with hand-painted blue and white tiles that portray both fourteenth century China and Bay Area landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge and the TransAmerica Pyramid. The Market Restaurant, a 120-seat full-service eatery includes a rotating menu of eight specialized stations: dumplings and dim sum, rice bowls, Chinese charcuterie and barbecue, cold salad, noodles and rice bowls, fresh seafood, soups and tonics, wok stir fry and grill, and desserts. Come hungry. // 644 Broadway St. (Chinatown), chinalivesf.com





The Rusty Mule moody interior bar setting. Courtesy of The Rusty Mule

The Rusted Mule

Kristian Cosentino (Dirty Water) and Richard Vila (Poquito) have joined forces to bring you The Rusted Mule, a high-end cocktail lounge focused on the three brown spirits: bourbon, brandy, and rum. The name is derived from the term "three rusted mules," and the menu features innovative "mules" such as La Mula, made with tequila, or the Horse and Groom, made with whiskey. A menu of light fare including carrot corn dogs and soft serve will help you soak up the boozy cocktails. // Open Tuesday-Saturday, 5 p.m.-1 a.m.,1217 Sutter St. (TenderNob), facebook.com/RustedMuleBarSF





Bayou Creole Kitchen & Rotisserie

The Mission just got another Creole restaurant in the form of Bayou Creole Kitchen & Rotisserie. The menu, from chefs Arthur Wall and Jerome Rivoire, features Southern classics such as frog legs, fried green tomatoes, seafood gumbo, shrimp and grits, crawfish etouffee, rotisserie chicken, and baby back ribs. // Open Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5 p.m.-10 p.m. (Open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday), 3412 17th St. (Mission), bayousf.com





Verve Cafe Roasters San Francisco interior. By Parker Batterson

Verve Coffee Roasters

Santa Cruz-based Verve Coffee Roasters has opened their first San Francisco location in the Castro offering coffee, espresso, juices, and a light food menu. The bright decor, by LA-based design studio Bitches,features blonde wood and subtle colors to represent the fog and the Northern California coast. Both breakfast and lunch will be available and the menu was created by three-Michelin-starred chef David Kinchand head baker Avery Ruzicka of Manresa Bread. Stand-out items include chia pudding, avocado toast, poached organic egg biscuits, and more. This location is Verve's ninth and joins the existing locations in Santa Cruz, LA, and Tokyo. // Open daily, 6 a.m.-8 p.m., 2101 Market St. (Castro), vervecoffee.com/pages/locations-san-francisco





Mestiza Taqueria

SoMa's newest restaurantis Mestiza Taqueria from owner Deanna Sison Foster (Little Skillet, Farmerbrown) and consulting chef Sophina Uong (900 Grayson, Pican, Calavera). The name Mestiza, which means mixed culture or heritage, illustrates the intention of the culinary program which has a Mexican taqueria feel but includes traditional ingredients and flavors from the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The menu includes carne asada, tostadas, mixto bowls with choice of protein and rice, ceviches, salads, and, of course, tacos. Be sure to check out the back patio which has a beautiful mural by Oakland artist Jet Martinez. // Open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m., 595 Bryant St. (SoMa).





The Fermentation Lab Courtesy of The Fermentation Lab





Fermentation Lab

Fermentation Lab, a collaboration between Jeannie Kim (Sam's Diner) and "Beer Chef" Bruce Paton, is a California-focused gastropub with 25 beers on tap and vegetarian-friendly selection of charcuterie plates, deviled eggs, sandwiches, salads, and fermented foods. The culinary side will be run by Bruce Paton withJakub Przybyszewski (Sam's Diner) overseeing the front of the house and plans to add a processional cicerone in the near future. The pub will also donate 10 percent of the restaurant's sales from beer and wine to a local charity of the customer's choosing. // 1230 Market St (Mid-Market), fermlabsf.com





The Wolf Oakland

New restaurant The Wolf opened in the former Bay Wolf space in early February from Oakland restauranteurs Rebekah and Rich Wood of Wood Tavern. The culinary program is led by executive chef Yang Peng (Wood Tavern) and the new menu offers meat-centric fare such as as duck liver pate toast, steak tartare, and Alaskan black cod, as well as other French classics served with seasonal California flair. // 3853 Piedmont Ave. (Oakland), thewolfoakland.com









Maison Bleue Cafe

Maison Bleue Cafe recently opened in the former Cafe Clem space in Berkeley. The restaurant has a new blue exterior, marble countertops, and recycled wood accents. The menu offers sweet and savory crepes, sandwiches, omelets, savory buckwheat galettes, pastries, and desserts. The cafe also offers French wines by the glass or bottle, beer, and cider. Coffee is sourced from Oakland's Roast Co., and tea is from Five Mountain teas. // Open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., 2020 Kittredge St. C (Berkeley), maisonbleuecafe.com





Gilman Brewing Company

Berkeley beer drinkers are enjoying the recently opened Gilman Brewing Company. Though they had a soft opening in January, as of March, they are now open daily from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Founded by two home brewers, Tim Sellmeyer and Sean Wells, Gilman Brewing Company is offering funky beers made in small batches in both American and Belgian styles. Currently on the menu are two farmhouse ales, a French saison, a smoked porter, an American stout and their most popular beer, Secret Brunch, a smoked maple bacon brown ale fermented with maple syrup. // 912 Gilman St. (Berkeley) gilmanbrew.com





Manila Bowl

San Francisco has another addition to the casual dining scene with Manila Bowl, a New York-based Filipino rice bowl shop from restauranteurs Aris Tuazon (Ugly Kitchen, Claw Daddy's) and Jim Harvey Sy. This is the first Manila Bowl in San Francisco, and the menu focuses on rice bowls designed to showcase the flavors and regional specialties of the Philippines such as chicken adobo, beef pares, bangus sisig, and vegetarian laing bowls. // 1355 Market St (Mid Market), manilabowl.com
It might not be long before the inscription atop Yellowstone National Parks iconic Roosevelt Arch is posted in Ryan Zinkes new digs.

Its what the new Interior secretary says is his mission for the Department of Interiors management of federal lands: For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.

Sitting in my office and I am now recognizing the task before me. Im excited about it. Its great to be asked by the president to be his voice on public lands, Zinke said Friday. I look forward to going out in the field and visiting our parks, our refuges and our holdings and just talking to the people. It goes back to the benefit and enjoyment of the people, and I intend to live up to the model.

The Republican from Montana has repeated the statement often since saddling up and riding to work with the mounted National Mall Police on Thursday. He was then greeted by his new staff as a Northern Cheyenne Indian drummer pounded out an honor song at the top of the Department of the Interior steps. It was a dramatic departure from his job as just one vote out of 435 in U.S. House. Zinke is the only congressman from a state so wide it falls just a few miles short of taking up an entire time zone.

It was just two years ago when Zinke was moving into his House office. Hed been a state legislator for a couple terms in the last decade. Before that he was 23-year veteran of the Navy SEALs, where he reached the rank of commander. He served in Iraq.

In President Donald J. Trumps Cabinet of millionaires, Zinke, 55, is tied with Vice President Mike Pence as the least wealthy, by a long shot. Minus his congressional salary, Zinkes non-government worth is about $800,000 and includes a 1938 Cadillac, a Harley Davidson, some family art and some rental properties, most notably in the Montana timber and ski town of Whitefish, where Zinke, a plumbers son, grew up in the shadow of Glacier National Park.

It is impossible to look in any direction from Zinkes hometown without seeing federal land. The local ski resort, Big Mountain, occupies land leased from the Forest Service. There is a tight green stubble on the landscape where a legacy logging industry sawed jobs from federal timber. Theres the national park and to the east of it the Blackfeet Indian Reservation before the landscape flattens into millions of acres of Bureau of Land Management grazing land, punctuated by farm communities founded in the land rush of the early 1900s.

In Montana, the federal government is everyones neighbor. Its the fourth largest state in the nation. The federal government owns a third of the property. The Department of Interior manages all but the U.S. Forest Service property.

The department represents the federal governments obligation to American Indian tribes. It supervises oil, gas drilling and coal mining on federal lands and waters. It manages national parks and battlefields, national monuments and also protects endangered species. The Fourth of July bash on the National Mall? Yep, that too, and several other purposes, as well. It employs 70,000 people and has a $20.7 billion annual budget.

Like all neighbor relations, sometimes there's tension between communities and their largest neighbor. It is the Department of the Interiors job to balance a the public's interests in both conservation and revenue from federal land, Zinke told Lee Enterprises on Friday.

I think we have to recognize that there are some public lands that fit better under the Muir model, where man is more of an observer, the lightest footprint," Zinke said. "And there are special places in our public land holdings that deserve that special recognition, and we have it to a degree with wilderness and national parks. But the preponderance of lands, I think, are under the Pinchot model of multiple use.

John Muir was a pioneer of American public land preservation whose vision was crucial in the creation of national parks. His counterpart was Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Pinchot established the management of natural resources for revenue. His maxim was, The greatest good for the greatest number and that good included industry.

Multiple use is making sure that the public can use our lands for the enjoyment and the benefit of the people, Zinke said. That benefit side may include timber harvest, it may include oil energy production. It may include mining. Our charter is to make sure that those activities that are more invasive have a reclamation plan where at the end of the project that land is returned either in the same or better condition than what we started with. And thats where the right regulation  but not excessive regulation  is needed.

Its where jobs are tied to federal land where relations are most heated between the federal government, states and local communities. Zinke sees a need to restore trust with those communities. In Congress, he tried to give local governments, states and Indian tribes more say in the management decision on federal lands. He was harshly criticized for it by House Democrats who said he was giving too much power to non-federal stakeholders in mining and drilling.

But the federal government should be able to create wealth and jobs from its resources, while also protecting public access to federal property for recreation.

National monuments

Several battles concerning public lands await the new Interior secretary. In Utah tempers are flaring over the Bears Ears National Monument. The ears are twin buttes that poke from Southern Utahs Elk Ridge. The features are surrounded by canyons, mesas and cliffs that include archaeological sites.

Former President Barack Obama declared the 1.35 million-acre monument before leaving office last year. Utah Republicans, like Rep. Jason Chaffetz, have said they hope President Trump and Zinke eliminate the monument status.

Republicans' stand on Bears Ears cost Utah the nations largest outdoors show, which brought 50,000 visitors to the state and $45 million year. Organizers said they couldnt support a state that didnt support Bears Ears.

Zinke didnt say the monument would be undone, but it might be changed.

I think we should follow the law in that there is no doubt there are areas that should have special protection and a monument is appropriate, Zinke said. But we should work with local communities, we should work with the states. We should follow the law that monuments should be appropriate to the specific areas that deserve that protection. Some of the monuments created in the last administration were popular. They had grassroots support. They had broad support at the state level. And other monuments, especially those that were created late and the actions that were taken late in administration, they do smell of political agenda rather than gaining consensus. And theyve become viewed in many parts, especially in Utah, as, once again, breaching this bond of trust. And so my task as a secretary is to review all actions that were taken to make sure that we are and advocate for the local voice and advocate for the state and be seen as partners rather than adversaries.

The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is an example of declaration that worked. The 330,780-acre monument in Northern California was widely supported by the community. Thats the support for a monument Zinke prefers.

A president has never undone a previous presidents national monument. Zinke said theres nothing in the law that prohibits nullification, but theres nothing that clearly allows it, either. But national monuments can be changed.

"Theres no doubt that a president can modify a monument that has been done before. Theres precedent in that, Zinke said. I think what the goal is on monument designation is to make sure you have local, and state, broad support of the people who live there, the people who are most affected by the monument. And of course that speaks to what my motto has been and will be: for the enjoyment of the people, which is on the Roosevelt Arch.

Standing Rock

If the federal government had better local relations, it would hopefully have fewer protests like the one at Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota and South Dakota where the Dakota Access Pipeline is to cross beneath the Missouri River. The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge standoff in Oregon is another example where Zinke said things might have been different if public perception of federal land management were different. Federal property was damaged, and in the Malheur standoff someone died.

Going forward, when the public sees a Fish and Wildlife truck, or a BLM truck, I want the public to think about management, Zinke said, Wildlife and land management rather than law enforcement. And I think thats an important distinction. Going forward, again, my biggest task is to restore trust at the local level, and thats being an advocate and making sure people believe they have a voice.

Coal

Zinke is a coal-state Republican. Montana has the largest holdings of federal coal in the United States. In Congress, he fought against a DOI suspension of coal leases triggered by concerns that coal royalties were set too low and needed to be studied. Trump and Congress have since worked to lift the coal lease ban.

Zinke said coal, oil and gas from federal land is important because low-priced energy powers U.S. manufacturing. Those mining jobs also are directly linked to manufacturing in other states, like Illinois, where Caterpillar employees are hopeful an increase in mining under the Trump administration will boost demand for heavy machinery.

Coals decline is tied to a glut in global supply which has made exports unprofitable while at the same time cheap natural gas replaces coal as the nations primary source at power plants. Zinke and other Republicans argue that federal policy shouldnt exacerbate coals problems. They would like to see more coal power, an idea Trump campaigned on.

But other economies tied to federal land also need to be promoted where possible, Zinke said.

We should not view it in terms of just extraction," Zinke said. "Public land also has a driver when it comes to recreation. In some areas, particularly in the Seattle area, Mount Rainier, Olympic National Park, the forest around Seattle, there is a strong desire to elevate recreation. In Alaska, there is a strong desire for energy development, many of our Native tribes particularly. Some of the biggest resource concerns are owned by Eskimos and Native indigenous peoples, and they are very pro-energy development. They use the pipeline. In many ways, it is their lifeblood, so I think it's best to view things locally and start understanding the challenges of energy development. The president was right to look at punitive excessive regulations to undo those and let the market drive things. I think the goal is to make sure we have clean air, clean water, but also the economic engine of the U.S.

Tribal relations

Not all American Indian tribes support fossil fuel development, Zinke acknowledged. Where there is opposition, the United States needs to honor that, he said.

I think with the tribes, and Ive talked with the tribes extensively before, although as a congressman I had the best relationship with the tribes in Montana, Zinke said. As a secretary now of Interior I have to have the same relationship with all tribes.

I think it stems from three things. One is sovereignty, and sovereignty has to be more than a word. Sovereignty has to mean something. Two is respect. And three is self-determination. And thats making sure the tribes have the tools to shape their own destiny and the authority to do that. As you know, even in the West, tribes are not monolithic, meaning that some tribes are pro-resource, pro-energy, pro-fossil fuels. And other tribes stand staunchly against that. I think it goes back to respect and sovereignty that each tribe in my judgment has to have the authority, the tools to carve their own path. And also from the Department of the Interior is to understand culturally many of these tribes are different, and their path may be unique to them, and I have to respect that.
What county auditors want voters to know ahead of the midterm election

elections
Baobab Resources plc (LON:BAO) is an iron ore, base and precious metals explorer with a portfolio of exploration projects in Mozambique. The Company is pleased to present an update of activities at the Massamba Group iron / vanadium / titanium project where a 160Mt resource upgrade was announced on 30 August 2011, the first of three resource statement updates expected before the end of 2011. The Company continues to target a resource base of 300Mt of iron ore by the end of 2011.
A bill that would allow a one-time tax exemption for those whove experienced the loss of a child as a stillborn birth will head to the full North Dakota Senate after being passed out of committee Monday afternoon in a matter of minutes.

House Bill 1239 would allow parents of a stillborn child to qualify for a tax exemption that families file for their living children, when they file a fetal death certificate. The tax exemption would be for one year, the year in which the stillbirth occurred.

Primary bill sponsor Rep. Kim Koppelman, R-West Fargo, called it a recognition that that life is a life.

Obviously, thats a challenging and trying situation, Koppelman said of having a stillborn child.

Senate Finance and Taxation Committee members quickly sided with Koppelman, giving HB1239 a do pass recommendation within about five minutes with little questioning.

Federal law doesnt allow for claiming stillborn children on their taxes but at least five states allow for a one-time tax credit or deduction.

In HB1239, the deduction would be equal to the federal deduction for a qualifying child. When the bill was heard in committee in the House earlier in the session, lawmakers were told that the number for this year would be $4,050.

Koppelman said the exemption would be helpful to those who end up having to deal with the hospital costs of childbirth coupled with a funeral shortly thereafter.

HB1239 passed the House in January by a 90-0 vote.
Caula on strike with Syrah's (ASX:SYR) advanced Balama Graphite Project



Spectacular High Grade Graphite Discovery

Sydney, Mar 6, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Mustang Resources Ltd ( ASX:MUS ) is pleased to announce that it has made a spectacular high-grade graphite discovery at its 80% owned Caula Project (License 6678L) along geological strike of the Syrah Resources ( ASX:SYR ) world-class Balama graphite project in Mozambique.



- Extremely high-grade results over extensive widths from diamond drilling at Mustang's Caula Graphite Project (Licence 6678L) in Mozambique



- Spectacular grades of up to 26% Total Graphitic Carbon (TGC) demonstrate potential for Caula to become a low-cost supplier to the lithium battery industry



- Results include:



o MODD 001: 40m at 15.9%TGC average (inc. multiple intersections of 24-25% TGC)



o MODD 002: 14m at 12.9%TGC average (inc. multiple intersections of 21-23% TGC)



o MODD 003: 87m at 15.2% TGC average (inc. multiple intersections of 25-26% TGC)



o MODD 004: 63m at 12.1% TGC average (inc. multiple intersections of 22-25% TGC)



o MODD 005: 63m at 11.1% TGC average (inc. multiple intersections of 21-22% TGC)



- Core samples in transit to SGS Perth for full metallurgical analysis and flowsheet development - with results expected early in Q2 2017



- Field assessment has also highlighted the potential for large flake sizes



- Results will underpin maiden JORC Resource scheduled for release at end of Q2 2017; Scoping Study to follow in August



Each of the first five diamond drill holes at Caula returned exceptionally high grades of up to 26 per cent Total Graphitic Carbon in multiple 1m samples/intersections.



Graphite was also intersected over extensive widths of 14m to 87m (downhole based on an incline of between 55deg and 60deg), providing strong evidence that Caula is both a large and extremely high-grade deposit with graphite mineralisation starting at shallow depth in the oxidised zone near surface.



The Caula Project sits within Mustang's Balama Project licence areas. Due to the highly successful results at Caula, Mustang has decided to name this project in its own right. The licence areas which do not form part of Caula will continue to be referred to as the Balama Project.



The Caula core is now on its way to SGS, a leading Perth laboratory, which will assess its metallurgical characteristics. These results, combined with the assays from the holes referred to above, will be used to calculate a maiden JORC Resource estimate. Mustang expects to publish this estimate in the second quarter followed by an initial Scoping Study.



Mustang also intends to undertake a comprehensive analysis of flake size distribution and preliminary flowsheets for high-quality graphite concentrate products. This is aimed at confirming field observations which suggest the Caula graphite deposit contains large flake-sizes.



Mustang Managing Director Christiaan Jordaan said that the results showed Caula was set to be a Tier 1 graphite project.



"It is already clear that Caula will be one of the highest-grade graphite deposits in the world," Mr Jordaan said.



"This high grade will enable us to generate a top-quality product at a relatively low cost, maximising margins and providing protection against any price volatility."



Caula Project - Phase 1 Drilling (Licence 6678L)



A total of five diamond drill holes have been completed to date on the Caula Project on Licence 6678L within the tight closed anticline hinge identified by the SkyTEM data (see Figure 2 in the link below).



The recent diamond holes drilled have intersected significant intervals of graphite including drill hole MODD 001 on licence 6678L (Caula Project), has an average of 15.9% TGC within the mineralised graphitic mineralisation zone from 10m to 65.68m (all depths mentioned for this hole are downhole depths - based on an incline of 55deg). The graphite mineralisation is shallow with high grades close to the surface, including 23.2% TGC at 11m from surface, 23.6% TGC at 12m from surface and 22.8%TGC at 13m. The highest TGC value recorded for this hole is 24.9% TGC at 24.44m - 23.44m below surface. Details shown in Figure 2 (see the link below).



Based on a 0.05% TGC cut off, drill hole MODD 002 on licence 6678L (Caula Project) has an average of 12.90% TGC within the mineralised graphitic zone from 19.04m to 63.14m (all depths mentioned for this hole are downhole depths - based on an incline of 55deg). The highest TGC value recorded for this hole is 23.2% TGC at 19.04m - 20m below surface. Details shown in Figure 3 (see the link below).



Based on a 0.31% TGC cut off, drill hole MODD 003 on licence 6678L (Caula Project) has an average of 15.20% TGC within the mineralised graphitic zone from 14.85m to 158.42m (all depths mentioned for this hole are downhole depths - based on an incline of 55deg). The highest TGC value recorded for this hole is 26.3% TGC at 153m - 154m below surface. Details shown in Figure 4 (see the link below).



Based on a 1.82% TGC cut off, drill hole MODD 004 on licence 6678L (Caula Project) has an average of 12.1% TGC within the mineralised graphitic zone from 17m to 97.04m (all depths mentioned for this hole are downhole depths - based on an incline of 60deg). The highest TGC value recorded for this hole is 24.8% TGC at 35m - 36m below surface. Details shown in Figure 5 (see the link below).



Based on a 0.12% TGC cut off, drill hole MODD 005 on licence 6678L (Caula Project) has an average of 11.03% TGC within the mineralised graphitic zone from 13.35m to 100.44m (all depths mentioned for this hole are downhole depths - based on an incline of 56deg). The highest TGC value recorded for this hole is 22.10% TGC at 60m -61m below surface. Details shown in Figure 6 (see the link below).



Licences 6636L & 4662L



Based on a 1.8% TGC cut off, drill hole MODD 007 on licence 6636L has an average of 9.4%TGC within the mineralised graphitic zone from 17m to 49m (all depths mentioned for this hole are downhole depths - based on an incline of 58deg). The highest TGC value recorded for this hole is 16.50% TGC at 29m - 30m below surface.



Drill hole MODD 008 on licence 4662L, has an average of 3.4%TGC within the mineralised graphitic zone from 20.44m to 41.44m (all depths mentioned for this hole are downhole depths - based on an incline of 57deg). The highest TGC value recorded for this hole is 6.22% TGC at 38.44m - 41.44m below surface.



Further Laboratory Analysis & JORC Resource



In relation to the current analysis program, graphite samples are now in transit to undergo metallurgical processing at SGS, Perth to confirm the flake size distribution and their liberation properties. The Company will announce the laboratory analysis results in the near future. Following the completion of the metallurgical analysis a JORC Resource will e calculated followed by an initial Scoping Study.



To view tables and figures, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/957Q14C3





About New Energy Minerals Ltd





New Energy Minerals Ltd (ASX:NXE) (FRA:GGY) is an ASX listed junior mining company, that recently announced the divestment of the Company's Caula vanadium - graphite project and the Montepuez Ruby project in Mozambique.
Maintenance Airmen support Polish mission

When people think of generating, executing and sustaining combat airpower, ground equipment is not usually the first thing to come to mind.



However, the Airmen assigned to the aerospace ground equipment shop at the 407th Air Expeditionary Group ensure mission success every day by providing the aircrew and maintainers everything needed while on the ground to ensure they take off again without delay.



Theyll use air conditioners to cool off the avionics  generators for engine runs  and stands to get on top of and fix the aircraft, said Senior Airman Melissa Jones, a 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Group AGE specialist. In the simplest terms, we work on the equipment that is needed for the aircraft.



Although the mission is most visible when that equipment is on the flightline hooked up to aircraft, the majority of an AGE Airmans work happens in the back shop.



Most of my job is preventative maintenance, Jones said. We fix stuff before it breaks.



The three Airmen assigned to the 332nd EMXG, who are forward deployed to the 407th AEG, run inspections on about 30 of their 74 pieces of equipment every month.



Those inspections include a detailed list of tasks specified for each piece of equipment, from checking the tires and the coolant levels, to topping off the oil and fuel. Once the inspections are complete the equipment is returned to the ready line, with confidence that it will be fully operable once on the flightline.



The primary customer on the installation at this time is the transient alert office, which is responsible for ensuring the smooth arrival and departure of transient aircraft on base.



Tech. Sgt. Mark Sullivan, the 332nd EMXG TA quality assurance evaluator, said the AGE shops role is a critical component in executing his mission.



What our guys do is they hook up an alternate power unit so they can shut down the power to an aircraft and then this AGE unit is hooked up so they have power to run and dont have to use the airplanes power, Sullivan said. Were not able to do that if the equipment is not working right.



In addition to supporting the TA mission, the AGE airmen work very closely with their Polish counterparts on the flightline.



When my guys need help, they borrow something  the cables to charge for example  from the Americans, said Polish Air Force Capt. Adrian Gaszewski, the technical back shop commander.



Gaszewski is no stranger to working with his American counterparts. He has participated in military cooperation exercises in the U.S., Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and in his home country of Poland.



These experiences have helped him understand the mutual benefits that can be achieved for both nations by working together and facilitating an open dialogue when problems arise.



We had a malfunction with the fuel leakage, Gaszewski said. The American guys saw an easy way to repair the aircraft and we learned from this. We are an alliance.



Building partnerships with coalition nations operating on the installation is just one of the ways the AGE shop is improving mission effectiveness.



One of the primary focus areas for the unit has been improving upon existing programs or implementing new programs as needed to improve the mission.



One example of a program the AGE Airmen have implemented involves load-testing aircraft jacks.



Previously, the unit was required to take its aircraft jacks to another installation about an hour-and-a-half drive away to load test them. Since the load-testing program has been implemented locally, they can perform those tests here, saving three hours to work on other mission essential tasks.



The AGE shop has also implemented a safety and hazardous waste disposal program in the past few months.



We came in here and there was just so much to get started, Jones said. But now that we have all these programs established and things are running more smoothly, it has become a lot easier.
Get AfricaFocus Bulletin by e-mail! Format for print or mobile South Africa: Targeting Immigrants, Again AfricaFocus Bulletin

March 6, 2017 (170306)

(Reposted from sources cited below) Editor's Note "In the post-apartheid South Africa, resurgence of xenophobic violence is a symptom of the deep leadership deficit. For the fourth consecutive week now, South Africa is witnessing what many analysts call a "resurgence" of xenophobic violence in parts of Johannesburg and Pretoria, the country's capital city. The reality is that this type of violence is a daily occurrence in the country, although it does not always get media attention. It has, in fact, become a longstanding feature in post-apartheid South Africa." - Jean Pierre Misago, African Centre for Migration and Society, Johannesburg South Africa is not unique in seeing a "resurgence" of antiimmigrant violence this year. As in many other countries, notably the United States and many European countries, this trend draws on widespread prejudice among substantial sectors of citizens against immigrants seen as criminal and job-takers. But it is also driven by official state policy which employs its own official bureaucratic violence, by the "leadership deficit" cited by Misago, and by even more massive and multifaceted anti-immigrant campaigns such as that currently being mobilized by the new U.S. administration. This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains three short articles with news and analysis of the most recent events in South Africa, as well as links to other sources for deeper analysis. Additional short articles and reports of related interest, including reactions from other African countries: Omano Edigheji, "Xenophobia in South Africa and Nigeria," Sahara Reporters, February 26, 2017

http://tinyurl.com/hfqya5d Simon Allison, "South Africa has become the Bad Guy in Africa," Daily Maverick, February 26, 2017

http://tinyurl.com/jm9qlxm Alexandra Hiropoulos, "Gauteng Xenophobic Attacks February 2017," Xenowatch, February 26, 2017

http://tinyurl.com/jm6xnmr And for contemporary US parallels, see Anand Giridharadas, "A Murder in Trump's America," The Atlantic, February 28, 2017, at http://tinyurl.com/zv8ucb9

On murders of immigrants, including the most recent shooting in Kansas. Laila Lalami, "Donald Trump Is Making America White Again," The Nation, March 2, 2017

By Laila Lalami

https://www.thenation.com/article/who-belongs-in-america/ Holland Carter, "For Migrants Headed North, the Things They Carried to the End," New York Times, March 3, 2017

Art exhibit on deadly results of U.S. immigration policy in desert on Mexican border, from Clinton through Obama Emily Bazelon, "Department of Justification," New York Times Magazine, February 28, 2017

On the anti-immigrant agenda of Jeff Sessions, Stephen Bannon, and Donald Trump.

http://tinyurl.com/jxsb4af Additional sources on the anti-immigrant attitudes and the Trump election campaign can be found at http://www.noeasyvictories.org/usa/anti-immigrant.php For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on migration and related issues, visit http://www.africafocus.org/migrexp.php Of special interest is the 2014 article by Sisonke Msimang, "Belonging--why South Africans refuse to let Africa in," - http://www.africafocus.org/docs14/sa1410.php ++++++++++++++++++++++end editor's note+++++++++++++++++ Xenophobic violence in the 'Rainbow' nation by Jean Pierre Misago Al Jazeera, March 1, 2017 http://tinyurl.com/hggn89u [Jean Pierre Misago is a researcher with the African Centre for Migration and Society at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.] [Text only. Original at link above contains additional links to many other sources.] In the post-apartheid South Africa, resurgence of xenophobic violence is a symptom of the deep leadership deficit. For the fourth consecutive week now, South Africa is witnessing what many analysts call a "resurgence" of xenophobic violence in parts of Johannesburg and Pretoria, the country's capital city. The reality is that this type of violence is a daily occurrence in the country, although it does not always get media attention. It has, in fact, become a long-standing feature in post-apartheid South Africa. Since 1994, tens of thousands of people have been harassed, attacked or killed because of their status as outsiders or foreign nationals. Despite claims to the contrary by the government, violence against foreign nationals in South Africa did not end in June 2008 when the massive outbreak that started a month earlier subsided. As the current incidents illustrate, hostility towards foreign nationals is still pervasive in the country and continues to result in more cases of murder, injuries, threats of mob violence, looting and the destruction of residential property and businesses, as well as mass displacement. And yes, the violence is xenophobic (and not "just crime", as many in government prefer labelling it) because it is - as the scholar Belinda Dodson reminds us - "an explicit targeting of foreign nationals or outsiders for violent attacks despite other material, political, cultural or social forces that might be at play". It is a hate crime whose logic goes beyond the often accompanying and misleading criminal opportunism. The real motive of the violence, as unambiguously expressed by the perpetrators themselves, is to drive foreign populations out of communities. Xenophobic violence as a symptom of leadership deficit A quick analytical look reveals that the drivers of ongoing xenophobic violence in South Africa, as well as the lack of effective response and preventive interventions, reflect a dreadful lack of competent, decisive and trusted leadership at all levels of government. The drivers of xenophobic violence in South Africa are inevitably multiple and embedded in a complex interplay of the country's past and present structural - political, social and economic - factors. Chief among underlying causal factors is obviously the prevailing anti-immigrant sentiment easily fuelled by political scapegoating. Political leaders and officials of the national, provincial and local government often blame foreign nationals for their systemic failures to deliver on the political promises and satisfy the citizenry's growing expectations. Due to political scapegoating, many South African citizens perceive foreign nationals as a serious threat that needs to be eliminated by any means necessary. This perception is stronger among the majority of citizens living in poor townships and informal settlements where they meet and fiercely compete with equally poor African immigrants for scarce resources and opportunities. The result is that local residents in these areas have become increasingly convinced that foreign nationals are to blame for all their socioeconomic ills and hardships including poverty, unemployment, poor service delivery, lack of business space and opportunities; crime; prostitution; drug and alcohol abuse; and deadly diseases. By blaming foreign nationals for its failures to deliver on its core functions and responsibilities, the South African government is unfortunately displaying an obvious if sorry sign of weak and incompetent leadership. The triggers of the violence paint an even more worrying picture of the leadership deficit in the "rainbow" nation. Indeed, the strong anti-immigrant sentiment alone cannot explain the occurrence of violence in some areas and not in others where such negative attitudes are equally strong. Attitudes are not always a good predictor of behaviour. Rather ample research evidence indicates that the triggers of the violence are located in the "micropolitics" at play in many of country's towns townships and informal settlements. Instigators and perpetrators of xenophobic violence are well known in their respective communities, but the de facto impunity they enjoy only means that they are likely - as they have in many cases - to strike again. Violent attacks on foreign nationals are usually triggered by political mobilisation led by local economic and/or political players and informal community leadership groups (in the form of civic organisations, community policing forums, business associations, concerned residents' associations, etc) for their economic and political interests. This violence is essentially "politics by other means". It has proved a useful tool for these local politicians to consolidate their power and community leadership monopoly needed to expand their client base and the economic revenues it represents. These "violence entrepreneurs" capitalise on people's sentiments and frustrations and have no difficulty co-opting local residents for participation in the violence given the pervasive negative attitudes. Xenophobic violence is triggered by the mobilisation of the existing collective discontent. With denialism and impunity, violence continues It is common knowledge that the official South African government's response to xenophobia and related violence has been characterised by "denialism". Such denialism is rooted in a discourse which labels all xenophobic violence as "just crime and not xenophobia", a categorisation that demands few specific and sustained interventions or policy changes. Both President Jacob Zuma and Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba repeated the popular if infamous refrain this week. Perhaps understandably, admitting the existence of a xenophobic citizenry is both ideologically and politically uncomfortable for the ruling African National Congress, which is now the custodian of the multiracial, multi-ethnic "rainbow" nation and sees itself as the champion of human rights and unity in diversity. In addition to the lack of effective policy response, the government unwillingness to recognise xenophobia coupled with a general weak judicial system has also led to an alarming culture of impunity and lack of accountability for perpetrators and mandated institutions: foreign nationals have been repeatedly attacked in South Africa since 1994 but few perpetrators have been charged, even fewer convicted. In some instances, state agents have actively protected those accused of anti-foreigner violence. Similarly, there have been no efforts to hold mandated institutions such as the police and the intelligence community accountable for their failure to prevent and stop violence despite visible warning signs. As an example, government promises to set up special courts to enable quick prosecutions after the 2008 and 2015 violence never materialised. Instigators and perpetrators of xenophobic violence are well known in their respective communities, but the de facto impunity they enjoy only means that they are likely - as they have in many cases - to strike again. Unfortunately, the government's unwillingness to acknowledge that this violence is xenophobic and its failure to work on finding appropriate solutions are a sign of ineffective leadership. Without appropriate intervention violence will continue. Black lives don't matter in xenophobic South Africa Redi Tlhabi Washington Post, March 2, 2017 http://tinyurl.com/hved2oz Redi Tlhabi is a radio and television journalist from Johannesburg. Last week was an ugly, humiliating one for South Africa; a country once considered a jewel of democracy on the African continent has been gripped by a wave of xenophobic violence. In a matter of days, more than 30 stores belonging to foreign nationals were shut down after intense attacks and looting by locals in several townships. We are breathing a sigh of relief that there has been no loss of life. This is not the first time that foreigners have faced attacks in South Africa's townships and provinces. In 2008, the country's streets were ablaze, literally, with violence against foreigners. Ernesto Alfabeto Nhamuave, a national from Mozambique, was beaten, stabbed and set on fire in broad daylight. A police officer tried in vain to douse the flames, but it was too late. Nhamuave died. And there has been no justice for him. Sixty-two people, including South Africans, were killed at that time and more than 100,000 were displaced. Last year, more than 20 shops were looted in one area alone, and foreign nationals had to flee their homes. On Friday, with the government's endorsement, citizens from Pretoria, the capital, marched against foreign nationals in an antiimmigrant protest. The government said that the march was an agitation against crime in South Africa, which has been endemic in this society for many years. Yet the protesters did not march to police headquarters; instead they went to the Home Affairs office, which is in charge of immigration in the country. The xenophobic violence tends to have a racial element. Nigerians, Somalis, Malawians, Pakistanis and Zimbabweans are often the targets of this prejudice. Perhaps it reflects the complex truth about South Africa's xenophobia  that it is never just a rejection of a different identity but also a lament for the economic exclusion experienced by black South Africans, or all black Africans, for that matter. The acts of violence are specifically targeted at African and Asian migrants. White migrants are safe. They own businesses and property and generally go about their lives peacefully. They are seen as providers of work and capital, but black ones are seen as encroachments and threats. They are from the margins of our society, and even the language used to describe them  illegal immigrants, illegal aliens, outsiders  creates an "us and them" dynamic. They are dirty, they are criminals, they are drug peddlers  common accusations that are articulated boldly on radio and television. It is surreal as we watch how here and in the United States, black lives really don't matter. Even in a majority black country, the government is not decisive or unequivocal in its condemnation, choosing instead to obfuscate and sanitize this xenophobia by calling it something else, such as "criminal acts." These are hate crimes, no different from the killing of Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in the United States. The suspect reportedly asked him and a companion whether they had valid visas and shouted that they should "get out of my country." This sounds so familiar. Migrants in South Africa are constantly told to "go back home." We have not experienced random shootings by citizens, but rather a wellorchestrated, mass uprising by multitudes. And in this way, individuals escape personal responsibility for hate crimes. Nelson Mandela, the founding father of our democracy, said: "South Africans must produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanity's belief in justice.  Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another." We have failed. According to the Migration Policy Institute, South Africa displays one of the highest levels of xenophobia in the world. In the past decade, foreigners have been blamed for every malaise under the sun  "They are stealing our jobs," "committing crimes" and, of course, "taking our women." High levels of unemployment  especially youth unemployment, which averaged 51 percent between 2013 and 2016  creates a fertile environment for foreign workers to be scapegoats, despite the fact that foreign-born migrants make up only 1.6 million of South Africa's population of about 55 million. South Africans must remember the sagacity and generosity extended to us in our time of need. African countries took on South Africa's liberation movements when they were banned by apartheid. They provided a home and education for their families. Some of these governments provided financial help to the party that is in government in South Africa today. I am hoping that the divisions that colonialism and racism tried to engineer in our psyche will not prevail. I am hoping that citizens who endeavor to make their countries "great again" will not do so at the expense of basic decency and justice. The awful politics of xenoophobia by Stephen Grootes Daily Maverick, February 27, 2017 http://tinyurl.com/jhx7pf4 South Africans have a certain reputation for public robustness. We fight, scream, and shout at each other, all in the name of deciding what would make for a better country. At times, though, this robustness threatens to derail us at a time when many people could be vulnerable to serious harm. On Friday in Pretoria, violence broke out during a march planned by people who were "opposed to illegal immigrants". The police struggled to maintain order. And instead of speaking with one voice, everyone in a leadership position was busy pointing fingers, particularly at Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba. There was plenty of notice that xenophobic violence was coming. In stark contrast to the violence that claimed nearly 60 lives in 2008, and the awfulness that marked the violence in KwaZulu-Natal two years ago, last week we knew that a group of people in Mamelodi were going to march against the presence of foreign nationals in their community. They said that it was a march against crime, but when pushed on their motives it became clear that the real issue was simply that they did not like people who were not like them. When the marching and the clashes started on Friday, the police immediately moved to contain the protests. A group of Somali men grouped together, partly perhaps for protection, partly perhaps to cause their own violence. This was the kind of thing that only leads to trouble. One of the oldest insults among human beings can be boiled down to this: He is a foreigner, and therefore a barbarian. And it is also universal among societies everywhere; when people feel their lives are getting worse and hopeless, they will turn on people they see as different, or somehow not being "like them". Situations like these need cool heads, and plenty of disciplined force from the police. But a problem of this kind also needs leadership. On Friday morning, the ANC released a statement about the xenophobic violence, essentially calling for calm. But by the third paragraph of the statement, it was already attacking Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba, saying he should be "singled out for particular mention", and attempting to blame him for the violence. They claimed further that "it was the reckless statements of Mayor Mashaba that lit the tinderbox of hatred in the first place". Where the ANC is absolutely correct is to criticise Mashaba for his words and actions on this issue in the last few months. His comments about "illegal immigrants", and his almost wilful and deliberate conflation of the words "immigrants" and "criminals", was wrong, perhaps bordering on the criminal. As a public representative, he should be ashamed of himself, and the DA should be ashamed of itself for not smacking him down in public. His comments in this regard are surely against everything the DA claims to stand for. It is hard to know why Mashaba made them in the first place. Maybe he genuinely believes there is a problem and that it needs to be addressed. Perhaps he feels that it's a way to get votes. As the US and other places have recently demonstrated again, being "antiimmigrant" can play successfully to prejudice. Or he could just be prejudiced himself, like so many other South Africans, and people all over the world. But to say that he is responsible is to utterly miss the greater context of what is happening in South Africa these days. And, worse, it is to forget the role the ANC government played over the last few years. Last week, before the march, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba held a press conference specifically about the xenophobic tensions. He said he had met with the organisers of the march, and had pleaded with them to act responsibly. It was the kind of act that you would expect someone in his position to do; it was the right thing to do. Unfortunately, his department could also be accused of playing a role in demonising foreign nationals in the first place. It is his officials who deport people, and decide which foreign nationals get to stay and which get to be kicked out. And, depending on where you stand on these things, it is also his department that has largely failed to deal with the problem. The perception has grown that people who are foreign are here illegally, because government has failed to stop them from being here. But it is not only Gigaba's fault. It is impossible to police this properly, the dynamics of economics, geography and the human nature to desire a better life for yourself and your children are all against him. With the best will in the world, Gigaba is going to be unable to change those perceptions, or even make much of a difference on the ground. Stopping human migration requires the kind of a control over a population that North Korea has. Anything less will just not work. Gigaba himself has a fairly decent track record in this regard. He at least is not afraid to call xenophobia what it is, and to label a xenophobic march a xenophobic march. His political boss, President Jacob Zuma, appears unable to do even that, claiming on Friday that there were even foreign nationals in these marches, because they were actually "anti-crime". Proof, once again, that it's not only the facts that are alternative, sometimes it's the entire universe. Gigaba once did something that very few other ministers have done on this issue. He raised the ire of Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini. In 2015 Zwelithini had been accused of making comments that were seen as an incitement to commit violence against foreign nationals. A few days later, violence did in fact erupt in KwaZulu-Natal. Gigaba made a comment that leaders should behave responsibly, which appeared to have angered the king. In the end, the SA Human Rights Commission decided, controversially, to exonerate Zwelithini. And the ANC, certainly in public, has failed to publicly criticise the king for these comments. Which surely suggests they do not believe that there is a link between what he said and the violence that followed. It is important to follow this logic through to the bitter end. If the Zulu king makes comments like this and does not incite violence against foreign nationals, while the mayor of Joburg makes similar comments and does incite violence, then who has more power? Is the ANC seriously suggesting that Herman Mashaba, as a DA mayor, has a greater moral authority and plain old influence over people in Tshwane than King Goodwill Zwelithini does in KZN? And if that is the case, it surely follows then that the ANC is actually in much greater political trouble than we thought. In politics, it is usually a mistake to build your enemy up, to make them look powerful. In their haste to be seen to condemn Mashaba, that is exactly what the ANC is doing. It made him look powerful, as if he had the ability to shape events, that he has this magical authority over people. Who, for the record, weren't even in "his" city, but in Pretoria. But what is also being forgotten here is the other actions of national government. As the CEO of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Neeshan Balton, pointed out on Friday, it was national government that decided to roll out "Operation Fiela", whose aim was action against foreign nationals. And it is national government alone that controls the police. And thus the officers who are famous for rounding up foreign nationals and stealing cash from them. It's not about what you say as a leader, it's also about what you do. Our government has failed to do much to change attitudes, to present any kind of example. Mashaba himself said, in a statement issued on Monday, that he had tried to set up several meetings with Gigaba to discuss this entire issue, and invited him to a city lekgotla on the issue. Mashaba says he declined that invitation. But it would appear Gigaba is happy to discuss the issue, just not with Joburg's DA mayor. Rather, according to Mashaba, he has accepted an invitation to speak at an event hosted by the Joburg ANC, and its leader, and former Joburg mayor Parks Tau. No matter how you look at it, that is playing politics in times when the national government should know better. To look at this situation from a neutral standpoint, should such a place exist, is to realise that everyone is at fault here. Mashaba should not have said what he said. The ANC national government has not provided an example of how to treat foreign nationals, despite often saying the right words. People of influence who say things that are xenophobic are let off the hook. Very few of the people who call themselves leaders in our society can escape blame here. And if any of them think that they can blame someone else, it's time they took a look in the mirror. DM AfricaFocus Bulletin is an independent electronic publication providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus Bulletin is edited by William Minter. AfricaFocus Bulletin can be reached at africafocus@igc.org. Please write to this address to subscribe or unsubscribe to the bulletin, or to suggest material for inclusion. For more information about reposted material, please contact directly the original source mentioned. For a full archive and other resources, see http://www.africafocus.org
The Bombay High Court on Monday voiced displeasure over old fashioned techniques being used by Maharashtra and other states in probing serious offences like murder and terrorism.

The world has moved ahead employing modern methods for investigating such serious crimes, but the states are still lagging behind, it said.

A division bench of Justices V M Kanade and P R Bora said it was very displeased with improper probe in several cases by investigating agencies resulting in acquittals.

Serious offences like terrorism, murder and so on should be probed using modern techniques and nuances of investigation and not in the same old fashioned manner. We are sorry to say that while the world has moved ahead with modern techniques in investigation, Maharashtra and other states are lagging behind, Justice Kanade said.

The HC was hearing a petition filed by Pune-resident Ashwini Rane who had sought a CBI probe into the murder of her husband Nikhil Rane. Nikhil, who was a builder in Pune, was shot dead on November 23, 2009.

When the police probe reached a dead end, Ashwini approached the HC, which transferred the case to the CBI in 2011.

The court had then kept the petition pending and extended its scope to include police lacunae in such cases.

The HC had also asked the Maharashtra government to look into the issue of police failure to probe such cases.

The bench said the Maharashtra government should look at how other countries are probing serious crimes and evolve the same mechanism and techniques.

The state government needs to prepare a finger print bank so that in cases of murder and other such serious offences it will be useful to find out if there is any similarity between cases, the judges said.

The bench also noted that the state police academy in Nashik needs a complete overhaul and new techniques need to be included in the training.

The court asked state Advocate General Rohit Deo to personally look into the issue.

The HC then posted the petition for further hearing to March 10.
North Korea on Monday fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers, with three of them landing in Japans exclusive economic zone, South Korean and Japanese officials said, in an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.

It was not immediately clear the exact type of missile fired; Pyongyang has staged a series of missile test-launches of various ranges in recent months, including a new intermediate-range missile in February. The ramped-up tests come as leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile program that can deter what he calls US and South Korean hostility toward the North.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Mondays firing shows that North Korea has become a new kind of threat. Japanese officials said three of the four missiles landed in the 200-nautical-mile offshore area where Tokyo has sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting resources.

South Koreas joint Chief of Staff said in a statement that Mondays launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province. The area is the home of the Norths Seohae Satellite Station where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.

The US military said on Sunday it detected and tracked what it assessed was a North Korean missile launch at 4:34pm CST (2234 GMT), but added the launch did not pose a threat to North America.

US Strategic Command spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Martin ODonnell said US forces remain vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations and are fully committed to working closely with our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies to maintain security.

The US military did not provide further details about the launch.

Seoul and Washington call their military drills on the Korean Peninsula, which remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty, defensive and routine.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem described the U.S. border with Mexico as a war zone last year when she sent dozens of state National Guard troops there. Noem said theyd be on the front lines of stopping drug smugglers and human traffickers. But newly released records from the National Guard show that in their two-month deployment, the South Dakota troops didnt seize any drugs and sometimes went days without encountering any migrants at all. Noem justified the deployment and a widely criticized private donation to fund as a state emergency because of drugs making their way across the southern border to South Dakota. But the records cast doubt on whether the deployment was effective in addressing that.
Five Pakistani soldiers and 10 militants were killed in a coordinated overnight raid at several border posts on the frontier with Afghanistan, the military said Monday.

The fighting took place in Mohmand, one of Pakistans so-called tribal districts that form a buffer zone between the two countries, where the military has been battling Islamist militants for over a decade.

Pakistans military issued a brief statement providing casualty figures, without mentioning which militant group was involved.

Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed (the) terrorists attempt, it said.

Army chief general Qamar Javed Bajwa hailed the sacrifices of the Pakistan soldiers and called for greater numbers to man the border, according to the statement.

The toll could not be immediately verified since the area is remote and journalists are denied access.

The raid came at a time of heightened tension between the two countries, with Islamabad blaming Kabul for a recent spate in militant assaults that killed 130 people in February, after a relatively long lull in violence.

Afghanistan for its part accuses Pakistan of fanning the flames of an insurgency that has gripped its country since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001.

Last year Pakistans top foreign official Sartaj Aziz admitted the country hosted top Afghan Taliban leaders but said it used its position to wield influence over the group and was trying to bring them to peace talks.
In a biggest statement ever made by an ex-Pakistani general has proved that Pakistan is a terrorist sponsoring state, Ex-Pak NSA Mahmud Ali Durrani exposed the role of Pakistan in the 26/11 Mumbai attack while speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference, Delhi.

He said, I hate to admit it that the 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan is classic trans-border terrorist event.

The theme of the conference this year is Combating Terrorism: Evolving an Asian Response.

He also talked about Hafiz Saeed and said, Hafiz Saeed has no utility, we should act against him.

He, however, said the Pakistani government had no role in the attack.

Durrani was sacked from the post of national security adviser for confirming Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasabs Pakistani nationality to the media.

He said, Terrorism remains pervasive challenge to international security, developing coordinated global response is important. Terrorism is undoubtedly the single biggest threat to international peace & security.

He further said, Afghanistan and India have been victims of proxy war for decades now.

In reaction to the NSAs comment, Pakistan Defence Analyst Tariq Pirzada said, Ex-Pakistan NSA is speaking pure rubbish.

Durrani is out of his mind. He has obviously switched sides. If he thinks Pakistan is responsible for the cross-border terrorism you should hold him till you complete the prosecution. Because there are no witnesses, said Tariq Pirzada.

New Delhi has provided ample evidence to Islamabad over involvement of top Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders in the November 26, 2008 attacks. However, Pakistan has denied all such allegations blaming non-state actors for the incident. Lashkars operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who India says masterminded the attack, has been in hiding after getting bail over a year ago.

American citizen David Headley, who admitted scouting targets for the 2008 attack, has testified that the plot was hatched with at least one Pakistani intelligence official and a navy frogman.

If former US ambassador to India Timothy Roemer is to be believed, the 26/11 attacks brought India-Pakistan on the brink of a nuclear war.

Those attacks almost started a war between Pakistan and India that might have resulted in some kind of a nuclear war, Roemer had said.

Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam welcomed Durranis statement. I would like to congratulate him for showing the courage, but now he must come out and open the whole conspiracy to the world, Nikam said.
He had a detailed conversation with Fadnavis and convinced him to make peace with Sena and let the coalition government function smoothly.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has said that the decision of pulling out of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor race is in the interest of Mumbai residents, adding that it would support Shiv Sena while keeping the `transparency` as the utmost priority. According to sources from Sena and BJP, when both parties had locked horns over BMC mayoral election it was NCP president Sharad Pawar who initiated a call to Uddhav Thackeray and advised him to refrain from withdrawing support to the BJP led state government or take any extreme step. Pawar also assured Uddhav that he would speak to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and ask him to allow Shiv Sena to have its Mayor without political jostle by withdrawing from BMC mayoral election.

Uddhav Thackeray responded and agreed to follow Pawars instructions and let him mitigate into entire issue. Pawar accentuated going against each other would not benefit BJP or Sena, as they have alliance in state and centre. As promised to Uddhav, Sharad Pawar had detailed conversation with Fadnavis and convinced him to avoid hostile approach towards Shiv Sena over BMC mayoral election and let the coalition government function smoothly. Inspite of the announcement from BJPs supreme leaders to teach lesson to Sena by sidelining them Fadnavis after sensible advice from Sharad Pawar changed the strategy with approval from senior BJP leaders and declared withdrawal from BMCs all posts and positions elections.

BJP spokesperson Shaina NC said, This is commendable gesture of our Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in the interest of Mumbaikars. We will stand united to support Sena in places where Mumbaikars benefits but we will also play checks and balances when it comes to transparency. When good work is continuing in the state with the help of the government then I have nothing to comment on. The act which BJP has taken is the most sensible one and I thank them for it from the bottom of my heart, said Transport Minister Diwakar Raote.

Fadnavis had stated that BJP will not contest for Mayor or Deputy Mayors post. He said, At the end of the day, Shiv Sena had won more seats as compared to us, so we respect the mandate of the people. We will not contest for Mayor or Deputy Mayors post, nor will we play the role of Opposition in the BMC.

BJP will support Sena for the sake of development, and we won`t compromise on transparency, he said. The election for BMC`s Mayor post will be held on March 8.
The Supreme Court of India has expressed its concern over the pace of the proceedings of Babri Masjid demolition case and is going to take a decision on those accused on 22 March. The apex court has called for a joint trial and is likely to club the Raebareli and Lucknow cases. The cases pending in the two cities will be heard in Lucknow.

The indication came from a bench of justices PC Ghosh and RS Nariman hearing a petition by the CBI challenging the Allahabad High Court dropping conspiracy charges against the leaders, including senior BJPs LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh. They also include several VHP leaders.

The Supreme Courts observations came ahead of the last phase of assembly polls in the state.

Previously, a court in Rae Bareli had released Advani and 12 others including Vinay Katiyar and Kalyan Singh of conspiracy charges for razing the 16th century Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in December 1992.

Kalyan Singh, who is now the governor of Rajasthan, was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh when this ancient mosque was razed down by kar sevaks of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad who believe it to be the birth place of Lord Ram.

The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High court by its February 12, 2001 order had held that the trial court committed no illegality in taking cognizance of joint consolidated charge sheet and all the offences were committed in the course of the same transaction to accomplish the conspiracy. The high court by its said order had noted that the evidence for all the offences was almost the same.

The matter is pending before the Supreme Court since March 3, 2011. The main case against the activists  called Karsevaks  is pending in the Lucknow trial court.

The CBI had chargesheeted Advani and 20 others under sections 153A IPC (promoting enmity between classes), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505 (false statements, rumours etc circulated with the intent to cause mutiny or disturb public peace).

But it subsequently invoked charges under Section 120 B (Criminal Conspiracy) which was quashed by the Special Court whose decision was upheld by the High Court.

The May 2010 order of the High Court had said there was no merit in the CBIs revision petition challenging the May 4, 2001 order of the special court which directed dropping of criminal conspiracy charges against them.
Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Monday that the United States has warned that annexing the West Bank would lead to an immediate crisis with President Donald Trumps administration.

Lieberman sought to push back against those in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition calling for a declaration of Israeli sovereignty over all or part of the occupied territory.

He said annexation would provoke a crisis with Washington and result in steep costs for the Israeli government since it would be required to provide services to Palestinians in the West Bank.

We have received a very clear, direct message from the United States stating that the application of Israeli law in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) would provoke an immediate crisis with the new administration, Lieberman said before a parliamentary committee.

Some 2.6 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967.

The latest call for annexation came on Sunday, when lawmaker Miki Zohar from Netanyahus Likud party said in a television interview that the two-state solution is dead.

Zohar advocated a single state, but said that Palestinians in the West Bank should not be allowed to vote in Israeli parliamentary elections.

Others have made similar calls, including Education Minister Naftali Bennett who heads the religious nationalist Jewish Home party.

Bennett advocates annexing most of the West Bank, and has said he hopes support from Trumps presidency will spell the end of the idea of a Palestinian state.

In his comments on Monday, Lieberman also laid out an economic argument against annexation, saying Israel immediately will be required to spend 20 billion shekels ($5.4 billion, 5.1 billion euros) on various social services.

The defence minister, who heads the right-wing Yisrael Beitenu party, advocates a two-state solution based on territorial and population exchanges.

Netanyahu says he still supports a two-state solution, though he has also pushed for settlement expansion in the West Bank.

He has found himself seeking to hold together his governing coalition  seen as the most right-wing in Israeli history  while managing international relations, including with the United States.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. Winds light and variable.
Kazakhstan Air Astana has extend its handling contract with FCS Frankfurt Cargo Services.

Hans-Georg Emmert, managing director of FCS, said: Air Astana is a growing airline, not only for passenger services but also in the cargo sector. The handled tonnage has more than doubled in the last years.

We very much appreciate the extension of our co-operation reflecting the estimation and trust in our high standards, especially security, quality and service.

Air Astana serves the route from Frankfurt to Astana in Kazakhstan on a daily basis. During the winter timetable the route is served with a Boeing 757 and during summer with the larger Boeing 767.

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March 3, 2017

Abdel Aty Massoud, a member of the Education and Scientific Research Committee in Egypt's parliament, sparked debate after he suggested banning students who are from Syria and other countries from enrolling in Egyptian public universities. As a result, the committee was divided into two camps. While some backed this suggestion because universities are overcrowded, others opposed it, arguing that close bilateral ties between Egypt and Syria need to be preserved.

The Education and Scientific Research Parliamentary Committee met Feb. 12 to discuss Massouds proposal. The meeting was attended by then-Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ashraf El Shihy.

Some members believe that it is necessary to deny enrollment to Syrian students and that Egyptian students be given priority because of the lack of openings in the universities. Others, however, considered that it is necessary that all Syrian students be admitted to universities and have equal rights in terms of tuition fees and attendance.

Alif Kamel, a member of the committee, told the press Feb. 11, The demand that Egyptian and Syrian students be treated equally must be heeded, to highlight Arab unity and Egyptian-Syrian cooperation. But it would be an obligation for Egypt to stand by its Arab brethren should more universities be established in Egypt, in reference to the overwhelming number of Egyptian students and the limited number of universities in Egypt.

Kamel added, Egypt is not a wealthy state that can assimilate a large number of students from other countries into its education sector. Syrian students cannot be enrolled at the expense of Egyptian students; priority should be given to Egyptian citizens. Egyptian students need to be enrolled first, and in case there is a surplus of seats in universities, Syrian students may be admitted without any discrimination between them and Egyptians.

Shihy said during the meeting, It is unacceptable that well-off Syrian students take the Egyptian students seats and rights. I will not have any student of any citizenship replace Egyptian students.

Ghida Shafiq Qalaji, secretary-general of the Syrian General Commission for Refugees and Development, an organization in Egypt that provides assistance to Syrian refugees, told Al-Monitor, Syrian students have put up with a lot of suffering. Everybody knows about the internal war and crises the Syrian people have suffered from, which forced them to abandon their houses and jobs and resort to Arab countries, including Egypt, which had always supported us. Yet things have changed this year. After Syrian and Egyptian students paid equal tuition fees, which were minimal and convenient, universities are heading toward the implementation of a new system requiring that tuition fees be paid in dollars instead of Egyptian pounds. This system, however, is applicable to students who do not hold a degree from Egyptian high schools.

The tuition decision requires that foreigners, be they refugees or immigrants, pay a higher fee in hard currency, contrary to the past when they paid minimal fees just like Egyptian students.

She added, For instance, all faculties of medicine at Egyptian universities are requiring that all refugees and immigrants pay $7,000 per year. There is no distinction between refugees and immigrants in the education sector. It is impossible for us to pay this sum.

Qalaji added, Nevertheless, given our suffering, Syrian students willing to be enrolled in any public university [are an exception and are given a] 50% reduction of tuition fees. For instance, in order for a Syrian student to register at the faculty of medicine, $3,500 needs to be paid. This sum is also big. Where can the Syrian student get this sum from?

Qalaji viewed that it is impossible for refugees to pay this sum, despite the reduction, and demanded that Syrian refugees and Egyptian students pay the minimal fee of about 600 Egyptian pounds ($37) in public universities.

She continued, I don't know why universities took such a decision that serves a ban preventing the admission of Syrian and other refugees in Egyptian universities. We know well that Egypt is facing an economic crisis and needs to boost foreign currency supply. We also know that there is huge number of Syrian refugees in Egypt.  But why do Syrian refugees have to pay the cost?

According to Sept. 23, 2016, UNHCR figures, As of August 31, 187,838 refugees and asylum-seekers have been registered with UNHCR in Egypt. The largest number, 116,175  or 62% of the total [number of refugees]  were Syrians, followed by 31,200 Sudanese, 10,941 Ethiopians, 7,254 Somalis and 7,000 Iraqis, among others.

Qalaji concluded, Egypt is a host country of Syrian and African refugees. In the name of brotherhood, we call upon Egypt to cancel the new system adopted by the government in universities and bring equality back between Egyptian and Syrian students, so that minimal fees can be paid in Egyptian pounds, as was the case last year.

Egypt ratified on June 28, 1980, the 1951 Refugee Convention providing for the social and legal protection of refugees without discrimination as to race, religion or country of origin.

Constitution Article 93 stipulates that the state is committed to the agreements, covenants and international conventions of human rights that were ratified by Egypt.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Education and Scientific Research Parliamentary Committee member Samir Ghattas rejected Massouds proposal, saying, Egypts ties with brethren Syrian people are historical and deep. We certainly reject the proposal to ban Syrian and other Arab and African students from being enrolled in Egyptian universities. We stressed the need that they receive equal treatment regarding tuition fees, which Egyptian students pay in Egyptian pounds. This was decided by the committee at the end of the meeting, and the minister complied with our request. Yet a distinction needs to be made between Syrian refugees and immigrant students, as immigrants and refugees should not be equated with Egyptian students. Well-off Syrian students who got their secondary school degrees from Saudi Arabia, for instance, will not benefit from low fees.

The proposal to ban the entry of Syrian refugees to Egyptian universities is on hold until parliament approves or rejects it during the next few weeks.
March 6, 2017

What good is it if a man gains great political power but permanently loses his country and its international partners? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan might soon find out.

Erdogan is running an increasingly divisive campaign in the run-up to the April 16 referendum to possibly expand his role in Turkish politics. In recent days, his tone has become more disdainful and dangerous than usual. On March 5, it was reported that several German municipalities had canceled rallies by a Europe-based Turkish nongovernmental organization allied with Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The rallies would have involved speeches by ministers of Erdogans AKP with the intention of whipping up votes to pass the referendum among Turkish citizens living in Germany and other European countries. Erdogan blamed the cancellations on the German federal government and charged that the move was not much different than Nazi practices. The irony here is that Erdogan uttered remarks in 2016 that some observers interpreted as admiration for Adolf Hitler.

Of course, Erdogans reaction did not come out of thin air. For much of last week, European politicians had been urging AKP politicians not to campaign in Europe out of concerns that they might create animosity among the millions of Turks who live there. Erdogan and his AKP saw the move as European governments not-so-subtle endorsement of the no camp. Add to the mix the spying imams crisis that erupted between Ankara and its European partners in February, and it is easy to see why the Nazi crisis boiled over now.

The sad part is that by Erdogan standards, the president had been running a relatively sane campaign. On Feb. 18, he told reporters that although he would not pressure those who wished to vote 'no' in the referendum, the supporters of exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen, the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) all clamored for the nos to win. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, in lockstep with the AKP behind Erdogan, sang a similar tune on Feb. 5 when he argued, Yes because the PKK, FETO, HDP say no. The AKP government is depicting the HDP and PKK, which Ankara has designated a terrorist group, as extensions of each other, Many Turks, and the AKP, refer to the Gulenist movement as the FETO, an acronym for the Fethullah Gulen Terror Organization.

In recent days, Erdogan and his supporters have begun to equate a no vote in the referendum as support for terrorism, essentially suggesting that anyone who opposes increasing the Turkish presidents powers is either aiding and abetting terrorists or is an actual terrorist.

Meanwhile, Erdogan, the AKP and their media supporters had a field day with the Turkish presidents verbal blitz against Germany. The pro-government daily Sabah ran the headline Europes Fascist Face Rose from the Dead, while the Star repeated Erdogans Nazi practice line.

Even the nominally independent Hurriyet, whose owner Aydin Dogan is once again on Erdogans bad side, felt the need to run the Turkish presidents explosive statement at the bottom of its front page: I thought Nazism was over. Milliyet, part of Dogans media empire until 2011 but now owned by a pro-AKP business group, ran an even more sensational line by Erdogan: I could show up at [Germanys ] door tomorrow, and if you wont let me talk, Ill get the whole world riled up.

With this episode, Erdogan and the AKP are falling back on an old trick from their playbook: turning themselves into the underdog. Despite being in power since 2002 and consolidating their position on the commanding heights of Turkish politics in the 2010 referendum, Erdogan likes to portray himself as the oppressed because Turks, like voters elsewhere, like seeing the weak guy come out on top.

Unfortunately for Erdogan, his go-to strategy may not work this time. As Ali Bayramoglu and Mustafa Sonmez have pointed out in Al-Monitor, Turkeys conservative voters are worried about the image of one man rule under Erdogan, while populist economic measures to woo the support of the urban poor might backfire.

For the no voters to prevail on April 16 is enough of a likely outcome that Al-Monitors Cengiz Candar raised the possibility that Erdogan and the AKP might postpone the referendum altogether rather than run the risk of an electoral embarrassment at this critical juncture.

There are 41 days left before the Turkish electorate decides whether it will create a super-presidency and expand Erdogan's powers. Given the painful picture at the moment, many Turks feel that April 16 cannot come soon enough.
March 3, 2017

On Feb. 20, the Iraqi Oil Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with the Iranian Oil Ministry to settle disputes over the joint oil fields and examine the possibility of building a pipeline to export crude oil from the Kirkuk fields, in the north of Iraq, through Iran. The ministry also wants to study moving Iraqi crude oil to the Iranian Abadan refinery.

According to an Iraqi Oil Ministry statement, Iraqi Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaibi agreed with his Iranian counterpart Bijan Zanganeh during the latters visit to Iraq on coordinating their stances in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to achieve balance in the global oil markets, support oil prices and study the construction of pipelines to export crude oil from Kirkuk fields through Iran.

Five Iraqi oil fields are situated along the border with Iran: Dehloran, Shahr, Paydar Gharb, Aban and Al Noor. Baghdad and Tehran share the fields of Majnoon, Abu Ghraib, Bazerkan, Al-Fakkah and Khana. These fields contain huge reserves of light crude oil close to the earths surface and reserves exceeding 95 billion barrels. This is the largest reserve of hydrocarbons in the Middle East.

On Feb. 2, Iranian companies resumed drilling 20 new oil wells in the southern Azadegan field, which is one of the shared oil fields between Iraq and Iran.

Oil and Energy Committee member of parliament Ahmad Madloul told Al-Monitor that most disputed oil wells are Iraqi, according to the maps that were published before the Iran-Iraq war. But Iran believes otherwise. The agreement will be decisive for settling the dispute. He said, If a joint committee is not formed, the oil wells will bring bigger problems in the future for both countries.

He asked that the committee identify, when formed, the proprietorship of the lands first to find out who rightfully owns the oil wells on the shared borders.

Iraq and Iran occasionally accuse each other of overstepping when it comes to the shared oil fields. As a result, the formation of a committee to solve the disputes was requested.

The Institute of Development Studies, based in London, indicated in its 2012 report that Iraq lost around $17 billion due to Iranian violations of the shared oil fields, which means around 14% of the states yearly revenues. The report noted that Iran extracts around 130,000 barrels a day from four shared fields  Dehloran, Shahr, Paydar Gharb and Aban.

Oil experts at the Iraqi Ministry underlined the importance of the agreement with Iran. Hamza al-Jawahiri, an oil expert, told Al-Monitor, The activity in these fields must be specified in an agreement to allow for its development from both Iraq and Iran.

As for building oil wells between Kirkuk and Iran, Madloul said, Kurdistan would not allow this because the pipeline would have to pass through Sulaimaniyah in the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

He added, If Iran and Iraq implement the above idea, the federal government in Baghdad will make do without the pipelines under the Iraqi Kurdistan regions control, which transfer oil from the north of the country to Jihan Port in Turkey. Then, it is loaded on board ships.

Jawahiri said that a pipeline between Kirkuk and Iran would be highly beneficial because Iraq needs more ways to export oil. Moving Kirkuks oil through Iran would give Iraq more flexibility in exporting the oil from northern fields if the Turkish Jihan pipeline is out of order.

He added that if Sulaimaniyah refuses to build the pipeline, the Iraqi government will resort to peaceful ways to convince it, noting that military force can be legally used against Sulaimaniyah if it does not cave in.

Kurdish members of parliament have another opinion in the issue of building a pipeline through Iran. Tareq Sadiq, a member of parliament with the Kurdistan Alliance, told Al-Monitor, Extending a pipeline from Kirkuk to Iran is impossible. The project will not go through due to its high cost, political situation and partisan disputes that would impede it. Sulaimaniyah will not allow it.

According to Zanganeh, Iran wants to implement several strategic projects to enhance its cooperation opportunities with Iraq. He seemed reassured about the improvement of global oil prices, following OPECs decision to reduce production in December.

Strategic expert Abdul Rida al-Hamid, an academic at the Faculty of Management and Economics at the University of Baghdad, said that the agreement was signed with Iran because successive Iraqi governments have not adopted clear economic policies, in general, and oil policies, in particular. The state lacked a specific identity. He told Al-Monitor, The Iraqi governments oil policy faces many challenges, including international willpower, the domestic political situation and the connection between the states existence and the oil pipelines.

He added, The government will not resort to exporting oil through a long and costly pipeline. It can make up for this by establishing a pipeline from Kirkuk to Basra, which is more efficient economically and less costly. It would also shield the Iraqi economy from political fluctuations and would open thousands of job opportunities for the unemployed.

Hasty governmental solutions that the Iraqi government has been adopting to rescue itself from the various crises will only multiply its woes and will not stabilize the Iraqi economy.
About 48,000 people booked Airbnb rooms in Alabama in 2016, according to recently released data from the homesharing company.

That's an increase of a full 242 percent from 2015, Airbnb said.

Apparently, increased regulations on Airbnb haven't slowed the popularity of the site in Alabama. Last year, Homewood banned the use of Airbnb and similar sites in single family homes, though it's still allowed in higher density housing like apartments and condos.

Last March, Airbnb began collecting and remitting taxes for its host throughout the state; previously, it was the host's responsibility to remit taxes for Airbnb rentals. Airbnb said it paid the state government $300,000 in tax revenue in 2016.

The number of hosts in Alabama also increased 140 percent to 1,200 in 2016. Airbnb estimates guests paid a combined $6.9 million to Alabama hosts in 2016.

The most popular guest destination in Alabama for Airbnb in 2016 was Gulf Shores, followed by Birmingham and Orange Beach.

About 40 percent of Alabama hosts are older than 50, and 55 percent of all hosts are money.

Airbnb was founded in 2008 and has rentals in 34,000 cities and 191 countries.
chickens eating.JPG

Chickens eat at a large poultry house in Etowah County, Nov. 14, 2014. Chickens have been given antibiotics in their feed for years to promote growth and ward off intestinal disease. (Eric Schultz/eschultz@al.com)

Alabama agricultural officials are urging poultry owners to be vigilant after bird flu was detected in a flock at a farm along the state line in Tennessee.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 73,500 chickens were destroyed as a result of a detected outbreak of H7 avian influenza, or HPAI, in Lincoln County, Tenn., just north of Huntsville. The commercial breeder where the outbreak was detected supplies Tyson Foods, but officials have declined to identify the breeder. The outbreak was announced yesterday.

An Agriculture Department spokeswoman said the birds affected were not even ready to be processed when the flu was detected.

The facility in Tennessee is under quarantine, along with approximately 30 other poultry farms within a 6.2 mile radius of the site, state officials said. Portions of Alabama are within that zone. Officials say the flu has not been detected at other sites in the zone, nor on the farm in question, and inspections should be completed today. Backyard flocks are also included.

Alabama Agriculture Department Commissioner John McMillan said he has spoken with Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Jai Templeton and both departments are working together.

"I want to assure all Alabamians that our department will continue our surveillance for avian influenza and approach this incident with an abundance of caution," McMillan said in a statement. "Every flock of chickens in Alabama is tested for avian influenza before being processed for human consumption."

Officials said this is the first case of this strain of bird flu detected this year.

An Agriculture Department spokeswoman said state investigators have already knocked on more than 100 doors gathering information.

Alabama officials said HPAI does not "pose a risk to the food supply" and no affected animals entered the food chain. This strain appears different from an outbreak in 2015 in the midwest, and no transmission to humans was reported then.

Alabama's backyard poultry owners are urged to refrain from moving birds offsite or introducing new birds. They should also isolate their birds from other animals, wear clothing designated for use only at the poultry house, and minimize access to people and unsanitized equipment.

They are also urged to keep the area around the poultry buildings clean, sanitize their facility between flocks, clean equipment coming and going out, and properly dispose of bedding material and dead chickens.

Other information is available at this Alabama Cooperative Extension System website.

Anyone with questions can call the Poultry Division at 334-240-6584 or to report if birds show unusual signs of disease or unexplained deaths.

Alabama is the nation's second largest producer of chickens bred and raised for meat production.
Montgomery native and Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer made her "Saturday Night Live" hosting debut this past weekend, and the "Hidden Figures" star didn't disappoint. Fresh off of her latest Oscar nomination, the Auburn University grad made the most of her first time on the late night staple, appearing in nearly every sketch and digital short, including a hilarious cold open that blended as many Alabama references they could find. Watch the highlights of Spencer's hilarious episode.

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Cold Open: Jeff Sessions as Forrest Gump

Kate McKinnon returned as the Attorney General and former Alabama senator, reprising the role she originated a few weeks ago, with the former senator playing a heightened version of another Alabama character: Forrest Gump. The Alabama references didn't stop there, as the episode's host Oscar-winner and Montgomery native Octavia Spencer entered the sketch as her character Minnie from "The Help." Learn more, and watch the sketch above.

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Monologue

Clearly beaming with joy at the opportunity to host "SNL," Spencer hit the monologue stage to joke about being nominated for an Oscar and playing nurses for most of her career.

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Republican Movie Trailer

This biting satirical fake movie trailer tells the story of the would-be Republican who stood up to President Donald Trump. Spencer plays a woman who shows her granddaughter a statue of the faceless Republican, whose head is "TBD."

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Drug Company Hearing

Spencer plays a woman who sues her former employer for intellectual property theft, specifically the very unique drug names that are more common than one might think.

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Zoo-opolis Voice Actors

While creating a knock-off version of "Zootopia," Spencer and fellow voice actors fake impressions of real celebrities at a recording session. She shows off her terrific takes on Oprah Winfrey, Viola Davis and Jodie Foster.

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Sticky Bun

During a restaurant training session, Spencer and her fellow employees have trouble simulating how they'd greet customers.

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Youngblood

Kenan Thompson's wily city park "chess master" thinks he can teach young Pete Davidson a thing or do, but it doesn't to quite as planned. Spencer talks a little trash in the process.

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Wine Bar

Spencer plays the friend of an overzealous Cecily Strong who insists her new pal will bring more crazy to their partying than she lets on.

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Spencers Gifts HQ

Here, she plays the dissatisfied heir to Spencers Gifts, as she rejects her underlings' latest suggestions for silly products to save the company.

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The Chocolate Man

Beck Bennett plays an office outcast who attempts to win back his co-workers by becoming "The Chocolate Man," but they're not buying the act.

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Show promo

Check out Spencer's funny mid-week promo done with musical guest Father John Misty and cast member Kenan Thompson.

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Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

More Alabama...

"SNL" didn't stop with the Alabama gags after the show's cold open. Later during the "Weekend Update" segment, anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che cracked jokes about Jeff Sessions and the Alabama drive-in theater that refuses to screen "Beauty and the Beast." Learn more. (NBC)

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Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

Share your thoughts!

Congratulations to Alabama native Octavia Spencer for hosting "SNL." We loved the show, but we want to know your thoughts. Share what you thought of the episode in the comments. Thanks! (Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC)

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Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

More Alabama on "SNL"

See when Alabama has made other appearances on "Saturday Night Live" via hosts, musical guests and more.

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The Miss Alabama family just added a new member to its sisterhood.

Auburn's Jessica Baeder, Smiths Station's Outstanding Teen, was crowned Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen 2017 Sunday afternoon after competing with 45 other contestants representing communities from all over the state.

The third time was the charm for the Auburn High School junior. She first competed in the 2015 pageant and walked away with "nothing but experience," she said. During the 2016 competition, Baeder, 17, was named first runner-up to Tiara Pennington, Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen 2016.

"That just kind of really lit a fire under me and got me really excited about this year and now it's actually happening," she told AL.com.

Minutes after her win, Baeder said everything still felt like a dream. "I'm just so honored," she added.

By winning the Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen crown, Baeder will have the opportunity to attend college debt-free. She will receive a $5000 cash scholarship and four-year renewable full tuition scholarships to Auburn University, the University of Montevallo, Troy University, The University of Alabama, and Jacksonville State University. She will also receive scholarships from the University of North Alabama and Wallace State Community College.

Baeder will represent the state of Alabama later this year at the Miss America's Outstanding's Teen competition, a sister program of the Miss America Organization. To prepare her for the national competition, she'll receive wardrobe assistance, a fitness package from One to One Personal Fitness, and a personal website from MeSky Designs.

The city of Sylacauga welcomed the contestants along with their friends and family for the 15th anniversary pageant. Teens competed in two preliminary competitions Saturday at B.B. Comer Memorial High School. Judges Anthony LoRusso, Katie Smart, George Yanoshik, Valley native Jacinda Carlisle and Tuscaloosa native Tresa Hardin scored the contestants in talent, private interview, evening wear/onstage question, lifestyle and fitness, and scholastic achievement.

The contestants were narrowed to the top 15 at the start of Sunday's final competition emceed by Meg McGuffin, Miss Alabama 2015.

Joining Baeder in the top 5 were Lauren Bradford, Coastal Alabama's Outstanding Teen, 1st runner-up, Lindsay Fincher, Center Point's Outstanding Teen, 2nd runner-up, Reagan Handley, Hoover's Outstanding Teen, 3rd runner-up, and Lydia Martin, Phenix City's Outstanding Teen, 4th runner-up.

Jessica Baeder, center, was crowned Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen 2017, Sunday, March 5, 2017. Joining her in the top 5 were from left, Lydia Martin, 4th runner-up; Lindsay Fincher, 2nd runner-up; Lauren Bradford, 1st runner-up; and Reagan Handley, 3rd runner-up.

Pennington bid a tearful farewell to the audience after presenting Dedra Pennington, her mother, with the Power of One Award.
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In a recent article for Crisis Magazine, Samuel Gregg, Actons director of research, reflects on Pope Paul VIs social encyclical Populorum Progressio. He criticizes it for faulty time-bound economic ideas and international approach to charity efforts, but praises the work it for its openness to variety in how to address social and economic problems as well as its affirmation of the differing roles of clergy and the laity. In his criticism, Gregg challenges the protectionist ideals put forth in Populorum Progressio, as well as the positive effects of transfer of capital from richer to poorer nations. He says:

The encyclical expressed, for example, considerable skepticism concerning free trades potential contribution to overcoming poverty. At the time, such skepticism was commonplace among international development experts. Fifty years later, however, the evidence that free trade has played a decisive role in helping hundreds of millions escape poverty is overwhelming. By contrast, Populorum Progressio suggested, albeit vaguely, that developing countries should adopt protectionist measures which would allow them to build up certain infant industries. In retrospect, we know that those developing nations which failed to open themselves to global trade didnt prosper economically. As Saint John Paul IIs encyclical Centesimus Annus observed just 24 years later, countries that tended to isolate themselves from the global economy suffered stagnation and recession. Another misjudgment of Populorum Progressio concerned the faith it placed in international aid to address poverty in developing nations. The encyclical even called for the establishment of a world fund through which wealthy countries would transfer capital to poorer nations and thereby help relieve the needs of impoverished peoples. Unfortunately, theres sparse evidence that international aid or government-to-government wealth-transfers have made any systematic contribution to povertys reduction in developing nations. Numerous scholars ranging from the late Lord Bauer to Robert F. Gorman, Philip Booth, Dambisa Moyo, Thomas Dichter, Michael Matheson Miller, and William Easterly have raised serious questions about aids effectiveness. They have also highlighted the many ways in which aid has actually retarded economic development and even, in some instances, helped facilitate corruption.

Conversely, Gregg affirms Paul VI in his support of individual liberty in acting with ones conscience, as well as articulating the differing roles of clergy and the laity:

It followed, Paul stressed, that each Christian should determine, in his conscience, the actions which he is called to share in. It was also important, the pope added, for Catholics to understand that there is often a legitimate variety of possible options about how to address social and economic problems. Few readers of Populorum Progressio would have arrived at that conclusion. Above all, Octogesima Adveniens reiterated a central teaching of Vatican II: that the renewal of the temporal order is the proper task of laymennot, sotto voce, the clergy. The responsibility of bishopswhich presumably included himself as bishop of Romewas, Paul stated, to teach and to interpret authentically the norms of morality to be followed. This division of labor, he indicated, was important so that the laity, without waiting passively for orders and directives could undertake the initiative for shaping the communities in which they live. All these points remain important today. Certainly, the Churchs pastors have a responsibility to remind us of Catholic social teachings principles and their theological and philosophical bases. The moment, however, our pastors enter into the specifics of those policy issues about which Catholics are free to disagree, theres a serious risk they will crowd out the contribution of laypeople, especially those who want to be respectful of their bishops. This doesnt mean that bishops cant express their views on such subjects. It does, however, suggest thatlike Pope PaulCatholic clergy should readily acknowledge the legitimate plurality of views which Catholics can have on most policy questions. If this is the only insight to be gained from reflecting upon Paul VIs social teaching fifty years after Populorum Progressio, it would be of immense service to the Church universal.

To read the full article from Crisis Magazine, click here.

Image: Pope Paul VI (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Ambrosius 007


University campuses remain a site of opposition to the new authoritarianism and its policies.

Following the 2013 military coup, students affiliated with  and sympathetic to  the Muslim Brotherhood demonstrated in public universities to demand the return of the deposed President Mohamed Morsi. Their demonstrations turned universities into a new battleground between security forces and students as Egypts new rulers moved to crack down on student activism.

The clampdown has been harsh.

Egypts ruling generals have used laws, regulations, procedures, and security tools to subdue student dissidents. The government has employed private security companies to patrol public university campuses and pushed university administrations to enforce harsh penalties against non-compliant students.

The general prosecutor has transferred hundreds of student dissidents to criminal courts and even more have remained in police detention. In the academic year following the coup, at least 14 students were killed in campus violence and hundreds arrested or suspended.

Students, however, continued to hold protests in public universities and mobilise against pro-government candidates in student unions elections.





In the first semester of the 2013  2014 academic year alone, there were 1,677 student protests at public universities across Egypt, with the largest numbers occurring at al-Azhar University, whose campuses are scattered across several provinces of the country; Cairo University; Ain Shams University; and Alexandria University.

The unanticipated student union election results demonstrated that student opposition to the government remained strong, and that the governments assault on student activism neither took politics out of university campuses nor silenced student groups.

In the face of increasing state-sponsored violence, several student groups gradually began to call for the wholesale rejection of the constitutional, legal and political measures adopted by the new political order.

Students demands gradually shifted away from emphasising the return of Morsi to office and focused more on denouncing Egypts ruling military governments crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, liberal and leftist parties opposed to them as well as independent NGOs.

Between 2013 and 2016, student groups protested at the ban on the Muslim Brotherhood and its designation as a terrorist entity. They condemned the mass killing of Muslim Brotherhoods members and supporters in the violent dispersal of sit-ins on August 14, 2013.

Students also took bold stances regarding the security services implication in human rights abuses, on university campuses and elsewhere. They demanded trials for police personnel involved in murdering students during protests and the immediate release of students imprisoned and detained for political purposes, as well as those who were forcibly disappeared.

Some student protests decried the provision in the 2014 constitution that referred civilians to military courts and the passage of undemocratic laws such as the anti-protest and terrorism laws.

In addition, efforts to restrain the role of the security services on campuses moved closer to the forefront of the student agenda. Between 2013 and 2016, students organised a number of vigils to express their rejection of the Supreme Council of Egyptian Universities decision in September 2013 that made administrative security units operating on campuses responsible for maintaining security and preventing riots, violence and bullying.





Students also protested about the legal basis of giving those security units the right to issue arrest warrants and initiate litigation against students. The Supreme Council of Egyptian Universities decision essentially overruled a 2010 court ruling that banned the presence of any security units or forces on university campuses.

Despite student protests, the security services have sustained their presence on campus. Indeed, the new authoritarian order has engineered a far-reaching set of tools to repress student activism.

In 2013, Adly Mansour, the interim president, amended the Organisation of Universities Act (Act No 49 of 1972, with article 184 including the amendment) to give presidents of public universities the authority to dismiss  without litigation  students charged by universities administrations with subverting the educational process, endangering university facilities, targeting members of the academic and administrative staff or inciting violence on campuses.

Since the amendment was made, university administrations have demonstrated a higher propensity to take punitive action against students involved in protests.

In the academic year 2013-2014, for example, 1,052 students were referred to university disciplinary boards for investigation and more than 600 students were dismissed. Dozens more were prevented from completing exams.

This repression campaign continued in the academic year 2014-2015 and resulted in a lull in student protests. During the first semester, student groups organised 572 protests, the largest numbers of which occurred, once again, at the universities of al-Azhar, Cairo, Ain Shams, and Alexandria.

Students participating in the protests included members of the Muslim Brotherhood as well as liberal and leftist-inspired student groups, which gradually began to oppose the new authoritarianism.

These latter groups drew their members from parties such as the Strong Egypt Party, the Bread and Liberty Party, the Constitution Party and the Movement of Revolutionary Socialists.

Frequent clashes on campuses between students and administrative security units, as well as between students and private security units, in the academic year 2014-2015 facilitated a dramatic increase in the overall number of security forces operating in university spaces.

Violent dispersals of peaceful vigils became the norm, and they often resulted in mass arrests and, often, in the killing of a few students. The state also did not refrain from employing its other repressive tools to crush student activism, such as dismissal from universities, arrests and court proceedings, resulting in harsh sentences.

The political scene at Egyptian universities changed drastically in the academic year 2015-2016. Vibrant student activism, which had characterised the two preceding years, largely disappeared, revealing the efficiency of employing repressive tools.

The few student protests that took place during this period consisted of vigils and demonstrations designed to show solidarity with imprisoned and detained students. But they did not go unpunished by university administrations and the security services. Thirty-two students were arrested during the first semester and 52 during the second. Either administrative security units, private security forces, or police forces, whose visible presence on campuses continued, made the arrests.

Despite the slower pace of student activism, two significant incidents in the academic year 2015-2016 demonstrated that student groups were not completely quashed.

The first incident took place in late 2015 when the government, through the Ministry of Higher Education, relatively unsuccessfully attempted to exert control over the elections of student unions in public universities. The second incident came in April 2016, when students joined others in holding vigils and demonstrations to protest the signing of the maritime border agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

READ MORE: The tragedy of Egypts stolen revolution

In October 2015, the Ministry of Higher Education instructed university administrations to exclude certain students from running in student union elections. The effort targeted those allegedly affiliated or sympathising with the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as students who led or participated in anti-government protests and faced disciplinary punishment.

On October 8, the Ministry of Higher Education issued a ministerial decree (Decree no. 4307 of 2015) to make these changes into law. The decree stipulated that candidates in the elections of student unions should not be affiliated with organisations or entities that were criminalised under the law or declared terrorist. It also stipulated that candidates university records should be free of any disciplinary punishment.

Student union elections were held in public universities across the country in November 2015, and three main student platforms participated in them. The Voice of Egypt Student Coalition  which had strong ties with university administrations and, through them, with the security services  pushed for the de-politicisation of universities.

Mostly liberal and leftist students aspired to oppose the new authoritarianism and reinvigorate student activism. Groups of independent students rejected ties to both the government and the opposition; they framed student unions as representatives of the rights and interests of the student body.

The Muslim Brotherhood, meanwhile, was banned from fielding candidates.

READ MORE: Egypts anti-protest law  Legalising authoritarianism

Liberal, leftist, and independent students won most of the unions seats, much to the chagrin of pro-government candidates. Ties with university administrations, the security services and promotion campaigns managed by the Ministry of Higher Education had failed to ensure the success of the Voice of Egypt Coalition.

Two independent members of the student unions were further elected to head the executive office of the General Union of Egyptian Students, an umbrella union in which all unions are represented.

These unanticipated student union election results demonstrated that student opposition to the government remained strong, and that the governments assault on student activism neither took politics out of university campuses, nor silenced student groups.

These were the only elections in which pro-government candidates lost and was one of few electoral systems that the security services had failed to control. They stood in contrast to the presidential elections in 2014, the parliamentary elections in 2015 and elections of professional associations boards.

Following the elections, the Ministry of Higher Education tried to overturn the results. The ministry refused to ratify the results, and in so doing, denied the elected union the legal basis for their existence. In December 2015, the ministry dissolved the executive office of the General Union of Egyptian Students, citing a procedural error.

These steps underscore the new authoritarianisms dedication to making sure that public universities do not slip out of its tight control.





As of early 2017, Egypts ruling generals have continued to pursue student groups that resist their clampdown and that mobilise against security interventions in universities.

The protests against the signing of the maritime border agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia also highlighted the fact that universities remain, to a degree, a site of opposition to the new authoritarianism and its policies.

Protests against the agreement originated in universities and later spilled into the broader public. Student groups and unaffiliated students organised massive protests between April 15 and April 25, 2016, in several public universities across Egypt, in tandem with the broader mobilisation centred around the Syndicate of Journalists.

As in the syndicates protests, the security services used excessive force to crush the April 2016 student protests and arrested scores of students who later faced court proceedings.

However, the strong participation of students in the April 2016 protests highlighted the fact that their interest in public affairs and political matters was not quashed, and that the generals clampdown did not achieve the complete depoliticisation of public universities.
For the countrys growing number of people sleeping rough, harsh winter temperatures have added to their woes.

Glasgow, United Kingdom  As night descends, the evening air covers Glasgow in an icy chill. Professionals, leaving their workplace, wrapped up warm against the elements, hurry towards the citys train stations for their commute home. Shoppers, equally determined to keep the cold at bay, briskly move in and out of stores as roads across the city fill with cars and pedestrian walkways with people.

Such scenes are frequently played out in Scotlands most populous city. But scattered across Glasgows bustling centre is another common spectacle, the homeless. There is David, who, together with his dog Casper, is looking to find a safe place to bed down for the night. George, who, sitting by the entrance to Glasgow Central Station, his face scarred and calloused by years of hard living and drinking, begs for money from passers-by. And Chantelle, who, slumped forward on her head outside a department store, is feeling the after-effects of illegal drug use.

People sleeping rough is a common sight on the streets of Britains cities. Ask commuters whether the phenomenon has been on the rise in major urban centres such as Glasgow, Manchester and London in recent years, and many will answer in the affirmative.

READ MORE: Muslims and Christians team up to help homeless

In one of the worlds largest economies, it is usual to see people sleeping on cold, hard beds of concrete.

More than 4,000 people slept rough on the streets of England in 2016, according to a recent official snapshot survey  a 16 percent increase on the year before. It was the sixth successive year of rising numbers since 2010.

The number of people sleeping on our streets continues to rise at an appalling rate by Matt Downie, head of policy at Crisis, a UK homeless charity

Many campaigners on the issue of homelessness contend that the governments statistics for people who sleep rough may be an underestimate. The Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) put the number of individuals seen sleeping rough in London by outreach workers at 8,096 in 2015-2016  an increase of 7 percent compared with the previous year.

The number of people sleeping on our streets continues to rise at an appalling rate, says Matt Downie, the head of policy at Crisis, a UK homeless charity.

Behind these statistics are thousands of desperate people, sleeping in doorways, bin shelters, stations and parks  anywhere they can find to stay safe and escape the elements. Cuts to housing benefit and a woeful lack of affordable housing are just some of the reasons rough sleeping continues to rise.

Long-term addiction to drugs and alcohol, family breakdown and depression are other reasons why people often find themselves living on Britains streets.

Sixty-five-year-old Davids life began to unravel after the death of his wife in 2004. When Al Jazeera spoke to him, he had been wandering the streets of Glasgow  one of Britains largest cities  for nearly two months after abandoning a house that he shared with a friend.

I used to live in a caravan park before that, he says, his dog of nine years, Casper, sitting by his side. But a young boy came and smashed my caravan up. All my personal stuff is there but I cant get into it.

IN PICTURES: A tour through London with the citys homeless

Although outreach workers from Simon Community Scotland, a homeless charity, have been trying to find David some form of accommodation, the reluctance of shelters to accept pets has meant that he has refused help.

Where he goes, I go, says the Glaswegian, who maintains that he has survived through the generosity of passers-by. The way Ive taught him is that hell only ever take food from me, so if I gave him to somebody else, he would starve and he would die.

In recent months, as the bitter British winter saw evening temperatures plummet to below zero, some have died on the countrys streets. These have included two cases of people sleeping rough in Kent, in southeast England, a homeless man found dead in Birmingham city centre, and another rough sleeper who died in Liverpool.

Many experts contend that the government has much to answer for in perpetuating rough sleeping in Britain.

Homeless people get left behind, says Kate Moss, a professor at the University of Wolverhampton law school.

Moss, co-author of Women Rough Sleepers in Europe  Homelessness and Victims of Domestic Abuse, added: [They] fall through social safety nets and need to be empowered but this just doesnt happen and there is no political will to make this so, since government wants us to believe that peoples poverty and homelessness is always their own fault. I do not agree.

That said, many social commentators are applauding the UK governments Homelessness Reduction Bill currently making its way through parliament. When the bill, which has enjoyed cross-party support, becomes law later this year it will require English council authorities to assist anyone 56 days away from homelessness to secure accommodation  up from the current figure of 28 days. The scheme will see 48m ($60m) of government funding handed to local authorities.

Ending homelessness will require political consensus, says Downie. The Homelessness Reduction Bill is a great example of what can be achieved when party politics are put to one side.

WATCH: Anger in UK over anti-homeless device

Yet, Dawn Foster, of The Guardian, writing in January this year, said that the scale of the problem warranted a greater injection of government cash than the Homelessness Reduction Bill was providing for.



Homelessness hits a new high in the UK

The government needs to step back and assess the issue, she wrote. Homelessness is a national crisis. Not just street homelessness, but hidden homelessness; in addition to the rise in rough sleeping, hundreds of thousands of people are living in temporary accommodation.

Downie says that rough sleeping ruins lives, leaving people vulnerable to violence and abuse, and [takes] a dreadful toll on their mental and physical health, adding that our recent research has shown how rough sleepers are 17 times more likely to be victims of violence.

David does his best to avoid trouble on the streets of Glasgow where the citys Winter Night Shelter was used 4,060 times by 605 rough sleepers during its four months of operation last year. He says that the local police often look out for him  and while he likes a wee drink and a smoke now and again he says that he never uses drugs.

Dressed in a winter coat that he hopes will see him through his present life on the streets, and accompanied by his buddy Casper, the sexagenarian knows where he will make his pitch for the chilly evening ahead.

Theres a church up the road thats nice and quiet  I stayed around there last night and Ill go back and stay there tonight.

For David, like Britains other rough sleepers, luxury is simply another days survival.

Follow Alasdair Soussi on Twitter: @AlasdairSoussi
Ibrahim Dogus is the founder and director of the Centre for Turkey Studies, which hosts the British Kebab Awards.

Kebab shops have become so common place in much of Western Europe over the last 50 years that it is easy to forget that they were once something exotic and unusual.

They are consumed differently from country to country, but are ubiquitous across the United Kingdom, France, Germany and beyond.

The way they became an institution, a feature of countless towns and cities, something so ordinary as to not be noticed, speaks to the integration of the communities that brought kebabs to Western Europe.

Unquestionable presence

From one perspective, the kebab industry can (and I believe should), in many cases, be seen as an example of successful integration.

Immigrant communities, through hard work and entrepreneurship, have woven themselves into the economic and social fabric of their receiving societies.

The presence of the kebab industry in Western Europe is now unquestionable, even if some would like to question the presence of those who brought them.

Over time the kebab has transformed. It went from something exotic, to become  in the UK, at least  a staple for late-night drinkers. In the past years, it has once again undergone something of a change with an increasing number of people enjoying kebabs as a sit-down meal.

The evolving status of the kebab interplays with that of the community around it. The story of the kebab in Britain reminds us of the immigrant struggle, and success, in the age of Brexit.

Another way the kebab has evolved in Britain is that kebab shops are no longer owned and run only by people of immigrant descent, such as Turkish, Kurdish, Cypriot communities that traditionally make kebabs.

READ MORE: Syrian refugee chefs share their recipes

Today, some of Britains most successful kebab shops are run by people who do not have any particular ethnic connection to Anatolian and Middle Eastern cuisines.

With this change, the kebab has adapted to local tastes and has been fully claimed by those of non-immigrant descent.

Indeed, there is no singular, authentic kebab. They vary from country to country: The famous German doner kebab is quite different from what we come across in France or again from what is eaten in the UK.

Two-way integration

This variety speaks to the two-way process of integration. Immigrant communities adapt to and integrate into their recipient cultures, but they also engage in a process of communication, bringing new ideas and cultural elements.

Berlin would not be the same without its Turkish and Kurdish communities, nor would North London. Nor, for that matter, would be countless smaller towns and cities across these countries.

Much like the curry before it, the institution that is the British kebab has surpassed its background. In this way, the humble kebab holds a powerful message about how integration can work. It marked the newcomers as much as the receivers.

Whats more, the way kebab became a staple of British life tells us something fundamental about our shared humanity. Through the simplicity of hot, grilled meat and bread, the presence of communities once contested in the UK has now become wonderfully unremarkable.

In Brexit Britain, where we have seen a spike in xenophobia and Islamophobia, it is worth reminding ourselves of this positive integration story.

Let us believe in an idea of a Britain where white, black or Asian you can follow your ambitions, whatever they be, from serving amazing Middle Eastern food with a British twist to hungry revellers, or excelling in law, art, science or anything else. by

We must make sure that this positive voice rings out strong, because today there are other currents driving the UK and many other parts of the world in another, darker direction. Islamophobia threatens the most fundamental values of our societies, such as tolerance and integration, which makes them great.

Thus, it is heartening to see that kebab shops are everywhere and they have transcended their origins and become a part of countries everywhere in Western Europe.

At the same time, it is also important not to forget the immigrant origins of this food, in light of everything that is going on now. Let us not forget that kebabs in the UK are a food born of an immigrant communitys struggle.

Helping to overcome local conflicts

Also in the story of the British kebab, there is more to celebrate than an immigrant communitys successful integration.

Turks and Kurds, who had been locked in a decades-long conflict in their homeland, realised that there is much more that binds them than divides them during their common experience in Britain as immigrants. Today, alongside with Turks and Kurds, it is possible to find people from a huge range of backgrounds working together in the kebab industry in the UK.

On the back of this success, Turks, Kurds and other groups who were once defined solely by kebab and kebab shops in Britain, are now moving beyond the industry.

We can find Turks and Kurds in all areas of the community, in a huge range of sectors. From proud kebab restaurant owners to lawyers or politicians, just like any other group in the country. Turks and Kurds proudly brought the kebab industry to this country, but they are not defined solely by it.

Herein lies the importance of engaging in forming the narrative of a given communitys contribution to society. Too many kebab shop workers have at some point been the target of racist or xenophobic comments.

We want to challenge those attitudes. We want the kebab industry to be seen as an important contribution by the Turkish, Kurdish and Cypriot communities to British culture, something in which Brits of all ethnic backgrounds can enjoy together.

We want the work of those in the sector, regardless of background, to be respected and valued. From the first kebab shop in the 1940s, the industry has expanded into a $3.4bn industry, employing around 200,000 people in the UK.

INTERACTIVE: What food means to me

We want those of Turkish and Kurdish descent living in the UK to feel proud of their communities achievements, but also that they can follow whatever path they choose in this country.

Ultimately, the work of writing the story of our shared community is a never-ending one. We have to be ever vigilant in ensuring the right story is being told, the story of which we can be proud.

Let us believe in an idea of a Britain where white, black or Asian you can follow your ambitions, whatever they be, from serving amazing Middle Eastern food with a British twist to hungry revellers, or excelling in law, art, science or anything else. Let us swim around this melting pot, enjoying the mix.

Ibrahim Dogus is the founder and director of the Centre for Turkey Studies, which hosts the British Kebab Awards.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Ten fighters and five soldiers dead after border posts targeted in attacks claimed by a faction of Pakistani Taliban.

At least 15 people have been killed in clashes on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border after Pakistani Taliban fighters attacked three border posts in Pakistans Mohmand tribal area, according to the military.

A Pakistan military statement said on Monday that 10 fighters were killed and five soldiers lost their lives in the attacks that occurred late on Sunday.

Pakistan and Afghanistan share a 2,500km-long border, which is largely unpatrolled and disputed by Afghanistan.





[This attack] emphasises the need for required physical presence on the Afghan side of the border, the statement said.

Terrorists are a common threat and must be denied freedom of movement or action along the border.

In a statement emailed to journalists, the Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction of the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.

This attack was a part of Jamaat-ur-Ahrars previously announced Operation Ghazi, which targets the enemies of Islam and is ongoing with full force, the statement said.

The group has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks last month, including suicide bombings against police in the eastern city of Lahore; attacks on government employees in the northwestern town of Ghalanai; and an explosion in a court complex in Charsadda district.

Pakistan sealed all border crossings with its northwestern neighbour following those attacks, which together with the 88 killed at a shrine in Sindh province claimed more than 120 lives.

Pakistans foreign office announced on Monday that two border crossings would be reopened for 48 hours on Tuesday to allow stranded visitors in either country to return home.

That announcement came hours after a senior Afghan diplomat was summoned to the foreign office to protest over the latest border attacks, urging Afghanistan to take firm action against terrorists operating from its soil to prevent recurrence of such incidents, according to a statement.

READ MORE: Sufis bring message of unity to Sehwan Sharif

The statement said a soldier was killed in a similar attack on a border post in Pakistans Khyber tribal area.

Afghanistan denies it has allowed its territory to be used against Pakistan, accusing its neighbour of giving sanctuary to leaders of the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.

Pakistan denies the charge.

Last month, both countries exchanged lists of fighters they believed to be hiding in each others territory, demanding action be taken against them.
Authorities say rebels attacked Chinese-speaking Kokang region while armed group says violence was self-defence.

At least 30 people have been killed in a region on Myanmars border with China after rebels  some dressed in police uniforms  launched a surprise attack, according to authorities.

Mondays clashes were some of the worst to break out in the Chinese-speaking Kokang region of the northeastern state of Shan since fighting in 2015 left scores dead and forced tens of thousands to flee across the border into China.

Rebels from the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) group launched an attack early on Monday against police and military posts in Kokang, according to the office of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmars de facto leader.





A separate group of fighters later attacked locations in Laukkai, a main town in Kokang.

According to initial information, many innocent civilians including a primary school teacher  were killed because of attacks by the MNDAA armed group, the state counsellors office said in a statement.

It also said some attackers wore local police uniforms.

The statement, accompanied by graphic pictures of the dead and wounded, said at least five civilians and five local police were killed in the fighting.

It also said that a further 20 burned bodies had been found alongside weapons.

Zaw Htay, the government spokesman, told AFP news agency that the 20 bodies were of MNDAA fighters.

Unverified video shared on social media appeared to show parts of the town still ablaze on Monday afternoon while civilians scurried to safety amid the rattle of small arms fire.

READ MORE: Aung San Suu Kyi hosts ethnic minorities in Myanmar

An army source told AFP that the fighting was continuing as darkness fell.

Residents in town are fleeing. We do not know exact figures yet, the officer said.

The Northern Alliance, an umbrella group of rebels including the MNDAA which has yet to join national peace talks, confirmed its members were fighting in Laukkai.

But in a Facebook post, it said they carried out the attack to resist an enemy offensive in self-defence and cited Myanmar military operations since December.

Multiple conflicts

Myanmar is torn by multiple ethnic conflicts, but the Kokang conflict has raised tensions with China.

The latest fighting raises the spectre of a fresh refugee exodus into China.

In early 2015 tens of thousands fled there when dozens of civilians, rebels and army troops died in months of fighting across the remote and mountainous region.

IN PICTURES: Displaced by continued fighting in Myanmars Shan state

China said Myanmar warplanes dropped bombs on its side of the border during that bout of fighting.

Kokang has strong bonds with China  local people speak a Chinese dialect and Chinas yuan is the common currency.

Observers say Chinas government holds considerable sway over the rebels.

Clashes with the Northern Alliance have intensified across Shan state since late last year, claiming more than 160 lives across an arc of land in the long border region.
Reports say FBI asks justice department to refute Trump allegation  made without evidence  that Obama wiretapped him.

The FBI has asked the US justice department to refute President Donald Trumps accusation that Barack Obama ordered a wiretap of his phone, according to US media.





Citing senior officials, the New York Times reported that FBI director James Comey made the unprecedented request on Saturday because there was no evidence, and the accusation insinuates that the FBI broke the law.

A US congressional committee has confirmed that it will look into Trumps allegation. The justice department has not commented.

Comeys request came after Trump, without providing evidence, accused Obama of ordering his phone in Trump Tower be tapped during last years election campaign.

Trump has not commented further on the accusation since making it in a series of tweets on Saturday.

Democrats accused Trump of trying to distract from a rising controversy about possible ties to Russia. His administration has come under pressure from the FBI and congressional investigations into contacts between members of his campaign team and Russian officials.

A spokesman for Obama denied the allegation, calling it simply false. The former presidents national intelligence chief James Clapper has also denied it.

There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, as a candidate at the time or against his campaign, Clapper said on NBCs Meet the Press.

White House backpedals

Jason Johnson, a professor of political science in Baltimore, told Al Jazeera that any investigation was likely to be short.

Its not clear what the congressional committee will do and how they will do it, but it cant last very long because the accusation is false, Johnson said, adding a president is unable to order a wiretap.

The president cant demand that anyone gets wiretapped and the only way that there could be a wiretap of Trump Tower is if judges and lawyers and investigators and the justice department felt that Trump was engaging in some illegal behaviour.

On Sunday, the White House appeared to somewhat backpedal on the accusations, only going as far as saying there should be a probe into the possibility of wiretapping.

WATCH: Is the media normalising Donald Trump? (24:59)

I think the bigger thing is lets find out. Lets have an investigation. If theyre going to investigate Russia ties, lets include this as part of it, Trump spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

Trumps accusation appears to have been based on unverified reports from right-wing Breitbart News outlet, which was once run by his chief strategist, Steve Bannon.

Trump was said to be furious that positive reviews of his joint address to Congress on Tuesday were overshadowed by a series of revelations about meetings between members of his team and Russian officials.

The president was also said to be angry that Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused, or excused, himself from any election campaign or Russia-related investigations.

Democrats and a growing number of Republicans in Congress have called for the appointment of a special prosecutor and a bipartisan inquiry to look into the Russia question.
Activists want Trump administration to make hate crime a priority after Rai was shot and wounded near Seattle.

The FBI is helping police in the US city of Seattle hunt for an attacker who shot a Sikh man and told him to go back to your own country, authorities said.

The victim, a US national of Indian origin, was identified by Indias foreign minister as Deep Rai.

He told police that a gunman described as six feet tall, stockily built and covering the lower half of his face, approached him on Friday as he worked on his car in his driveway.

Rai says they got into an argument before the gunman shot him in the arm.

The FBI said it remains committed to investigating crimes that are potentially hate-motivated in a statement, according to The Seattle Times.

READ MORE: Sikh Coalition  After Seattle attack we are vigilant

On Sunday, Kent Police chief Ken Thomas said no arrests had been made following the attack that took place about 32km south of Seattle.

This is a top priority investigation, and we are doing everything possible to identify and arrest the suspect, Thomas said in an email, adding that the city of about 120,000 should be vigilant.

The attack in Washington state comes after a man of Indian origin was killed and two other people were wounded in a shooting at a Kansas bar that federal agencies are investigating as a hate crime.

Witnesses said the suspect yelled get out of my country before he opened fire.

Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, died at a hospital while Alok Madasani, 32, and Ian Grillot, 24, were in a stable condition.

The Sikh Coalition, a civil rights group based in New York, has called on the Donald Trump administration to make hate crime prevention a top priority.

So far, the administration has done nothing in this regard, the groups interim director of programmes Rajdeep Singh Jolly told Al Jazeera.

These attacks are part of a broader pattern of hate and violence against immigrants and religious minorities. Whats particularly chilling is that in both cases  the anti-Sikh attack near Seattle and the murder of Srinivas Kuchibhotla  both men were told to go back to their country.

Xenophobic political rhetoric is literally putting lives in danger.

READ MORE: Friends and family mourn for slain Srinivas Kuchibhotla

Hira Singh, a Sikh community leader, said there have been increasing complaints from Sikhs near Seattle who say they have been the target of foul language or other comments.

This kind of incident shakes up the whole community, he said, adding that about 50,000 members of the faith live in Washington state.

Sikhs have previously been the target of assaults in the US after the 9/11 attacks; the backlash that hit Muslims around the country expanded to include those of the Sikh faith.

In 2012, a man shot and killed six Sikh worshippers and wounded four others at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee before killing himself.
Two cities stop short of becoming haven for undocumented migrants to avoid losing federal funds after Trumps order.

Manchester, New Hampshire, United States  Portsmouth will introduce a welcoming and diversity resolution in lieu of declaring itself a sanctuary city on Monday, ending a months-long debate on the designation under pressure from the US administration, and leaving New Hampshire without a sanctuary city.

Portsmouth citizens have been talking about this issue for the past month or so. To delegate ourselves as a sanctuary city would put federal funds at risk. It doesnt accomplish anything, Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine, a public official known locally for his celebration of diversity, told Al Jazeera.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January promising to withhold federal funds from any such jurisdictions.

While there is no official designation, sanctuary cities generally offer safety to undocumented migrants and often do not use municipal funds or resources to advance the enforcement of federal immigration laws, neither do they cooperate with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency that conducts arrests and deportations.



US: Anxiety grows among undocumented immigrants

Its important for us to make a declaration of acceptance of diversity Splaine continued, but becoming a sanctuary city has never been on [the city councils] agenda. Its something that residents have been debating.

Residents of Portsmouth and nearby Durham, two university cities with progressive reputations and diverse populations, had considered putting forth resolutions declaring themselves sanctuary cities after the inauguration of Trump.

Both have declined to do so, instead favouring the welcoming resolutions.

We could lose about $5.5m, and it wouldnt really accomplish anything. The federal government can do whatever it wants, Splaine said.

READ MORE: Trump signs new Muslim travel ban excluding Iraq

Eva Castillo, director of the New Hampshire Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees, told Al Jazeera on Monday that she wasnt holding [her] breath for Portsmouth, or any other city in New Hampshire, to become a sanctuary city.

New Hampshire has a relatively small Latino population. According to the Pew Research Centers Hispanic Trends site, they comprised 3 percent of the states populace in 2014.

However, the immigrant population is growing both in size and economic power, according to a study by the American Immigration Council, an immigrant advocate group. Currently, 1 in 18 New Hampshire residents is either Latino or Asian.

Castillo said the small number of her community does not inspire city leaders, even with the best intentions, to take great fiscal risks.



Analysis: Trump should abandon attack on Muslims

However, she was encouraged by the stance of those in New Hampshire such as Andrew Lavoie, police chief of Nashua, the second-largest city in the state.

Lavoie said his department will not do checks on immigration status.

We arent going to walk up to a person and ask for their immigration status. What gives you the right to do that? Thats certainly wrong, Lavoie told Al Jazeera in an interview.

But the chief said that Nashua certainly does not want to be a sanctuary city: If ICE asks us for assistance in serving an arrest warrant, absolutely wed honour it. Were sworn to uphold any warrant signed by a judge, Lavoie concluded.

When asked about the importance of sanctuary city status, which typically means law enforcement will not execute ICE warrants, Castillo finished by saying a sanctuary city is more of a statement than anything. Right now, were working with the churches to set up sanctuary spaces to give refuge to those in need.

Churches have become a central focus in the debate on sanctuary cities.

In Austin, Texas, a flashpoint in this issue, St Andrews Presbyterian Church has taken the step of housing at-risk undocumented immigrants.

ICE policy typically stops the agency from apprehending the undocumented when housed in sensitive areas such as churches and schools.

READ MORE: Protests grow as Texas moves against sanctuary cities

The Reverend Babs Miller, of St Andrews, told Al Jazeera over the phone that the decisions of Portsmouth and Durham to reject sanctuary city status was disheartening, but understandable.

Using financial pressure is a good way to get people to do things your way, Miller said.

As the Trump administration enters its second month, Miller commented that churches and law enforcement across the country have felt economic pressure on both the state and federal levels.

I hope that folks continue to stand firm. Weve been speaking to churches and communities about supporting each other, raising money for law enforcement that might be losing funding, and thinking outside the box to keep people safe, the reverend concluded.

Follow Creede on Twitter: @creedenewton



Who should stand up for human rights?  Inside Story




I oppose implementing Skynet and increasing minimum wage laws for the same reason: to forestall the robots.

Its probably inevitable that a T-1000 will return from the future to terminate John Connor. But there is still something we can do to prevent (at least for a time) a TIOS from eliminating the cashier at your local fast food restaurant.

For example, Wendys is adding customer service machines to at least 1,000 restaurants, or about 15 percent of its stores, by the end of the year.

In Europe, McDonalds ordered 7,000 TIOSs (Touch Interface Ordering Systems) to take food orders and payment. In America, Panera Bread is moving to replace all of their cashiers with wage-free robots in all of their 1,800 nationwide locations. There is even a burger-making robot that can churn out 360 gourmet hamburgers per hour.

As Andy Puzder, the head of Hardees and Carls Jr.s parent company and briefly US president Donald Trumps nominee for secretary of labor, said in a 2016 interview, With government driving up the cost of labor, its driving down the number of jobs. Youre going to see automation not just in airports and grocery stores, but in restaurants.

This is the problem with Bernie Sanders, and Hillary Clinton, and progressives who push very hard to raise the minimum wage, added Puzder. Does it really help if Sally makes $3 more an hour if Suzie has no job?

I, for one, welcome our new fast-food robot overlords. Im just not ready for them yet. And neither are millions of American workers.



Over the long run, the adoption of technological innovations tends to increase prosperity and economic flourishing. For example, we are all much better off because of 19th century workers who lost their farm jobs. Likewise, well also be better off (again, in the long run) because a HAL 9000 is flipping our burgers and freeing up the human Hals and Hallies of the world for more productive labor. But in the short-run, the use of robot replacements for low wage employees will hurt the poorest, most low-skilled workers.

The main advantage such workers have now is that they are cost efficient. Fast-food businesses are currently willing to hire low-skilled workers and serve as remedial-training vocational schools because its in their economic self-interest to do so. But raising the minimum wage takes away that incentive and will motivate businesses to replace those workers with automated machines.

Its certainly the rational choice. If you were the owner of a fast-food restaurant, would you rather be staffed by efficient, reliable robots or low-skilled workers (e.g., teenagers, ESL-adults) who tend to have higher than normal human problems? As Puzder said, [Robots are] always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, theres never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex, or race discrimination case. If it suddenly becomes cheaper to buy robots than pay a premium for human labor, what do you think businesses will choose?

We already have the answer  you can find it at your local gas station. If youre younger than 40 you arent likely to remember full-service filling stations (unless you live in Oregon or New Jersey where self-service if forbidden by law). Yet they were once the norm.

In 1950, there were over 81,000 gas stations and only about 200 self-service stations (almost all in California). It wasnt until the two gas shortages in the 1970s (1973 and 1979) caused higher fuel prices which led consumers to look for pricing relief. Almost overnight, full-service stations became all but extinct  taking an entire sector of low-skilled jobs with it.

The recent move in California and New York to rapidly increase the minimum wage to $15 over the next several years will have the same effect. A small group of employees will see their pay increase while many more will find their jobs disappearing completely, never to come back. Keeping the minimum wage at its current rate (or, better yet, eliminating wage floors completely) wont prevent the robots from taking those jobs in the long run. As even the Obama administrations own internal team of economists admitted, low-paying have an 83 percent chance of being automated. But letting the free market determine the price of labor would allow for a smoother transition and give low-skilled workers time to adjust.

Sometimes what initially appears to be a noble and humane idea has unforeseen and dramatic consequences. Proponents of minimum wage increases have (mostly) good intentions. But so did Dr. Miles Bennett Dyson and the engineers at Cyberdyne Systems. And we know how that turned out.
Announcement of advance, which some dispute, comes as forces continue targeting ISIL from Tigris Rivers western side.

The Iraqi army says its US-backed forces have captured a bridge that leads to the ISIL-held city centre from the south, in a new push to drive out the armed group also known as ISIS.

The army on Monday said the bridge, which it named as al Hurriya, is the second to be reclaimed. The first was seized in the south during the offensive on western Mosul launched on February 19.

However, there are conflicting reports over the latest claim, with sources telling Al Jazeera that the Iraqi army had in fact not retaken the second bridge.

All of Mosuls five bridges over the Tigris River have been destroyed in the fighting but their recapture and repair would aid in the governments fight against ISIL, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group, which is present in the north.





We control the western end of the bridge, an officer told Reuters news agency.

On Sunday, Iraqi forces launched the new push towards the citys old centre, from the western side of the Tigris.

In a fight marked by explosions and open fire, residents of western Mosul fled in thousands as smoke rose over the city.

The operation in Mosul was officially launched in October last year. In January, its eastern half was declared fully liberated.

Meanwhile, in Erbil, Iraqi forces have forcibly displaced at least 125 families with alleged links to ISIL, Human Rights Watch said on Sunday. The families have been moved to a camp near Tikrit.

We came here with only the clothes we had on us, one of the affected women said.

They beat us and dragged us [from our home].

READ MORE: Iraq: Hospital chief sure about chemical use in Mosul

According to the report, Sunni tribal groups, together with Iraqi soldiers in the Salah al-Din governorate, forced the families out and destroyed their houses following a council order stating that anyone proved to have been complicit or affiliated with ISIS has no right to return to the governorate.

While politicians in Baghdad are discussing reconciliation efforts in Iraq, the states own forces are undermining those efforts by destroying homes and forcing families into a detention camp, said Lama Fakih, Human Rights Watchs deputy Middle East director.

These families, accused of wrongdoing by association, are in many cases themselves victims of ISIS abuses and should be protected by government forces, not targeted for retribution.

More than 200,000 displaced

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a Switzerland-based NGO, more than 45,000 people have fled their homes in western Mosul since the beginning of the push.

IOMs figures indicate that more than 200,000 have been displaced as a result of the offensive.

More than 17,000 people arrived from west Mosul on February 28 alone, while over 13,000 came on March 3, according to the IOM.

On Saturday, a senior Iraqi government official publicly criticised UN-led efforts to aid those displaced by the west Mosul fighting, while the UN said that such assistance is the top priority.

Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Khazir, east of Mosul, said: Whats striking is how many have arrived here [in the camp for internally displaced people] with no shoes.

Iraqi authorities say an average of 10,000 people are leaving every day, she added. Everyone weve spoken to here is telling us an unimaginable story.
Politician condemns Basil al-Arajs assassination, a day after Israeli shooting which also injured two Palestinians.

Protesters have marched in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank calling for justice after Israeli security forces killed a 31-year-old Palestinian activist.

The march came late on Monday, a day after Basil al-Araj was killed by Israeli troops in a house in al-Bireh, on the outskirts of Ramallah.

Two other Palestinians were wounded by gunfire in subsequent clashes with Israeli security forces, according to Palestinian hospital sources.

Seen as close to Islamists, Araj, who was from al-Walaja in Bethlehem, had spent several months in a Palestinian Authority prison, according to a Palestinian security source.

Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian non-violence activist and the head of the Palestinian National Initiative political party, told Al Jazeera that Arajs death was nothing but an act of extrajudicial killing and assassination.

Israeli version disputed

The Israeli police said on Monday that the security personnel were there to arrest Araj and later found two firearms in the house.

In remarks on Twitter, Micky Rosenfeld, an Israeli police spokesman, said: Palestinian terrorist killed in border police CT [counterterrorism] operation in Ramallah was planning an attack against civilians and security forces.

Another Israeli police spokesperson said Araj was the head of a cell planning attacks against Israeli targets.

However, Khalid al-Araj, an uncle, said Araj did not fit the typical profile of an attacker.

He said his nephew was an intellectual who devoted much of his time to reading and research, particularly about the history and geography of Palestine.

READ MORE: Timeline of Palestines history

He said Araj never belonged to any particular faction but believed that intellectuals should express their thoughts in action and not only words.

For his part, Barghouti, the independent Palestinian politician, said he visited the house in Ramallah where the Israelis said a firefight occurred.

The said there was a fight and clash, but what I found was that the only side that was shooting was the Israelis, he told Al Jazeera.

If Araj had any chance to shoot, he would not have been able to shoot more than one bullet. The house was completely bombarded with Israeli bullets. The Israeli side is trying to claim there was shoot back.

No safety or security

Barghouti said it was really amazing that the Israeli army entered the centre of Ramallah, which is supposed to be under the Palestinian Authoritys control.

Regular raids by the Israeli army and police units in the occupied West Bank are controversial because they often involve incursions into Area A, which was designated as solely under the remit of Palestinian security forces in the Oslo peace accords.

Usually the Israeli army claim that they inform before entering the area, but they came into the centre of Ramallah, which shows that they have full military control there, Barghouti said.

This means that there is no safety or security for any Palestinian anywhere.

Since October of 2015, more than 265 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces  either during alleged attacks on Israelis or in clashes with Israeli forces, according to official Palestinian figures.

Israeli authorities say at least 47 Israelis have been killed by Palestinians over the same period.
Police open fire after supporters and opponents of upcoming local election clash, leaving at least four people dead.

At least four protesters have been killed and four others injured in Nepal after security forces opened fire at a political rally, according to police.

Thousands of officers were deployed on Monday to the southeastern town of Rajbiraj, where the Unified Marxist and Leninist party had organised a get-out-the-vote rally before local elections set for May 14.

Members of the Madhesi ethnic community, who oppose the upcoming polls, held a counter-protest. The police opened fire at the protesters when they began hurling stones at the leftists.

An 18-year-old man died at a local hospital, while three others died at another hospital in Dharan, a town about 80km east, said Sarbendra Khanal, a spokesman for Nepal Police.

The area is still tense. Protesters have set at least four vehicles on fire and have obstructed the highway, Khanal said, adding that about 40 security forces were injured in the clashes.

Khanal said that the leaders of the party that organised Mondays rally were escorted back to their homes in the east of the country.

The opposition party has been critical of the protesters demand seeking greater rights.

Nepals coalition government announced last month that polls would be held on May 14 for more than 700 local bodies, the first local elections in 20 years.

The governments move has met fierce opposition from the Madhesis, who protested by shutting down the southern region bordering India for a day.

The polls were delayed for years because of civil war and political infighting, but the protesters have refused to participate in the elections and are demanding amendments to the countrys new constitution.

The Madhesis say the constitution discriminates against them by limiting their representation in state institutions.

They have long called for the redrawing of provincial boundaries to ensure greater representation for their community.
A retired Philippine police officer has linked President Rodrigo Duterte  during his time as a mayor of Davao  and his men to nearly 200 killings that the officer and other members of a death squad allegedly carried out.

Arturo Lascanas made the allegations at the start of a nationally televised Senate inquiry on Monday after he admitted to lying in October during another Senate inquiry into alleged extrajudicial killings linked to Duterte.

Lascanas said that he had personally killed 300 people, about 200 as a member of a Davao death squad, with his last in 2015. He also detailed two cases where he had murdered critics of Duterte, under the instruction of the then-mayors bodyguard.





Lascanas, who broke down in tears before the media when he revealed his story two weeks ago, is the second person to testify before politicians to Dutertes alleged links to a clandestine hit squad.

I feared for the life of my loved ones, Lascanas said when asked why he had earlier denied the death squad existed.

He said he changed testimony because he was tormented by what he had done and wanted the truth to set me free.

It was because of my desire to tell all the truth, not only because of my spiritual renewal, but the fear of God, I wanted to clear my conscience, he said.

Dutertes allies dismissed the claims as a plot by his opponents to discredit the president and his war on drugs, a campaign that critics say has disturbing similarities to a pattern of mysterious killings in Davao.

Dutertes spokesman, Ernesto Abella, described Lascanas as a polluted source and perjured witness.

READ MORE: Children and Dutertes drug war  Lessons from the past

Abella called Lascanas testimony fabricated and unacceptable.

Duterte has repeatedly denied involvement in summary executions, either as president or during his 22 years as Davao mayor.

His police chief Ronald dela Rosa, a former Davao police chief, has dismissed the death squad claims as a myth created by the media.

Human rights groups have documented about 1,400 suspicious killings in Davao while Duterte was mayor and critics say the war on drugs he unleashed as president has the same hallmarks. Numerous investigations have found no proof linking Duterte to those deaths.

More than 6,000 people have been killed in Dutertes war on drugs since he took over as president on June 30 last year.
Major advance claimed in push to seize ISILs de-facto capital along with the destruction of Euphrates River bridges.

US-backed Syrian fighters have cut the last main road out of Raqqa, the de-facto capital of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, according to Kurdish military sources and a Britain-based monitor.

If confirmed, it would be a major advance for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed mainly Kurdish Syrian group, in its phased push to surround and ultimately capture Raqqa.

The SDF said its forces have cut the highway between Raqqa and Deir Az Zor province.

Cutting the road between Raqqa and Deir Az Zor means that practically the encirclement of Daesh capital is complete by land, the Kurdish military sources told Reuters, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL.

Air strikes by the US-led coalition have also destroyed the bridges across the Euphrates River to Raqqa, according to the monitor, the Syrian Organisation for Human Rights.

Wait and watch approach

Reporting from the Turkish-border town of Gaziantep, Al Jazeeras Natasha Ghoneim said the major parties involved in the conflict are taking a wait and watch approach to see what US President Donald Trump will do.

Last month, the Pentagon submitted a proposal to the US administration on how to speed up the fight against ISIL, also known as ISIS.





In a joint address to Congress last week, Trump said that he had directed the defence department to develop a plan to demolish and destroy ISIL.

In the last week, the SDF took control of a major highway near the city of Al Bab.

The highway allows basic necessities to be transported as far east as Raqqa.

Syrians living in the city of Azaz near the Turkish border told Al Jazeera that they are worried about the cost of goods.

The prices are getting higher. The goods are fewer. Were being controlled by the traders. Were forced to fight, Mohamed Ahmed, Azaz resident, said.

More than 66,000 people have been forced to flee fighting in northern Syria, according to the UN.

A petrol-station worker expressed fear that the cost of fuel will go up.

Today, a barrel of diesel is $122. Theres a chance itll increase to $130. The vehicles run on diesel. The bakery runs on diesel. So, prices will go up, Abu Mahmoud said.
Three of four ballistic missiles landed in waters as close as 300km to Japans northwest coast, Shinzo Abe says.

North Korea has fired four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japans northwest coast, South Korean and Japanese officials said, days after the reclusive state promised retailiation over US-South Korea military drills it sees as a preparation for war.

Seoul said four missiles were fired from North Pyongan province into the East Sea on Monday and that South Korea and the United States were closely analysing tracking data for further details.

Seoul and Washington began annual joint military exercises last week  something North Korea has long condemned as a deliberate provocation.





Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said three of the North Korean missiles came down in Tokyos Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)  waters extending 200 nautical miles (370km) from its coast.

This clearly shows North Korea has entered a new stage of threat, Abe said in parliament.

The launches are clearly in violation of [UN] Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action.

South Koreas military said the missiles were unlikely to have been intercontinental ballistic missiles which could reach the US, but flew on average 1,000km and reached a height of 260km.

Some of the missiles landed in waters as close as 300km to Japans northwest coast, Japans Defence Minister Tomomi Inada said in Tokyo.

South Koreas acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn, condemned the launches and said the country would swiftly deploy a US anti-missile defence in the face of angry objections from China.

OPINION: Will there be a Korean war under Trumps presidency?

These missile tests are creeping closer to Japan and we assume North Korea can hit most of South Korea, Robert Kelly, professor of political science and diplomacy at Pusan National University, told Al Jazeera.

Bombing North Korea can be hugely dangerous because it can easily hit the South Korean capital. Missile shields are probably the best defence for the future.

Pyongyang carried out two atomic tests last year and a series of missile launches, but Monday was only the second time its devices entered Japans EEZ.

Seoul has blamed Pyongyang for the killing of Kim Jong-nam, half-brother of the Norths leader, by two women using VX nerve agentat Kuala Lumpurs International Airport last month. North Korea denies that.
Eleven killed and five wounded in attack on base near border with Burkina Faso, defence ministry says.

Eleven soldiers have been killed and five wounded in an attack on a military base in Mali as rival armed groups surrounded the city of Timbuktu.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack near the border with Burkina Faso on Sunday but armed groups, including al-Qaeda affiliates, have been increasingly active in recent months, attacking army posts beyond their usual strongholds in the north.





The post was attacked between 4am and 5am in Boulikessi, defence spokesman Abdoulaye Sidibe told the Reuters News Agency, adding that reinforcements had been sent to the area.

Armed group such as Ansar Dine have increased the frequency of their attacks over the past year.

In 2016, the group carried out scores of attacks, including on United Nations peacekeepers, while spreading into the south and other areas previously deemed secure.

FEATURES: On trial  the destruction of history during conflict

Al-Qaedas North African ally, al-Mourabitoun, claimed responsibility for an attack on a military camp in January that killed up to 60 people and wounded at least 100.

Mali is awash with weapons and home to several rival armed groups. Its northeast has been in a state of emergency, which gives security forces extra powers, since a wave of violence last year.

The north of the country fell under the control of Tuareg-led rebels and groups linked to al-Qaeda in 2012, who were largely ousted by a French-led assault in January 2013.

The implementation of a peace deal agreed in 2015, though, has been piecemeal and, despite the presence of at least 11,000 UN peacekeepers, armed groups who refused to sign are active across large parts of the country.
South Sudans government is blocking food aid and restricting United Nations peacekeepers, according to the UN.

After a two-day visit, UN humanitarian chief Stephen OBrien said on Monday that obstacles to humanitarian assistance included active hostility, access denials and bureaucratic impediments.

People have been displaced, brutalised and raped. They have been attacked when they sought out assistance. This must stop, and it must stop now, OBrien said in a statement.





Obtained by the AP news agency, an internal report to Security Council members from Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, criticised the government for the destruction of all the social fabric in all parts of the country and listed outrageous examples of belligerence by South Sudans security forces.

Sent on February 13, Guterres letter said UN peacekeepers were recently prevented from verifying allegations of killings or arbitrary arrests of civilians, including in the town of Yei.

In late February, armed groups and members of the local community looted the compound and warehouse of Save the Children, a humanitarian organisation, in the northern Jonglei area.

The group was the only distributor of food aid in the area, which is on the brink of famine.

Humanitarian crisis

This is the most extreme act by the very people we are trying to help, Peter Walsh, South Sudan director for Save the Children, said in a statement.

It is critical that parties to the conflict provide unimpeded humanitarian access to the affected community to avoid famine becoming their death sentence.

READ MORE  UN: Ethnic cleansing under way in South Sudan

But Taban Deng Gai, the countrys first vice president, told members of the UN Human Rights Council on February 27 that the government has improved security and taken steps to hold violators of human rights accountable, according to a statement obtained by AP.

He said the government does not have enough resources to demobilise armed groups, and asked for more military funding.

I can state with confidence that the notion of a looming genocide and possible ethnic cleansing is fading away as we continue with these demonstrations of our commitment to harmoniously live together, Gai said in the statement.

At least 50,000 people have died in South Sudans civil war, which began in December 2013 as a result of a struggle for power between President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar.

An estimated 100,000 people are experiencing famine, and another one million people are on the brink of starvation, South Sudans government and UN agencies said in late February.

South Sudan is now Africas largest producer of migrants, as more than three million people have either fled the country or become internally displaced, according to the UN.
These are the major changes to President Trumps first immigration order, which was blocked in the courts.

President Donald Trump has signed a revised executive order banning refugees and citizens from six Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States.

For 120 days, the US will not allow any new refugees into the country and for 90 days, visas will not be issued to people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

These are the major changes to Trumps first immigration order, which was blocked in the courts.

Iraqis off the list  Iraqis are removed from the list of banned nationals. The White House said Iraq was removed because it has imposed new vetting procedures such as heightened visa screening and data sharing, and because of its work with the US in countering ISIL.

Only new visa applicants included  Travellers from the six banned countries who already have visas, and refugees who have already been given visas will not be barred from entering the US.

Green card holders and dual citizens exempt  Permanent residents of the US or dual-national citizens from listed countries will not be turned away and green card holders travelling abroad will no longer be at risk of being unable to return home.

Implemented from March 16  The original ban took effect immediately, without warning, causing chaos at airports as travellers already midair when the order was signed were detained in airports and others were prevented from boarding planes.

Syrian refugees not singled out  The original order banned refugees from Syria from entering the US indefinitely. The new order removes that clause.

Loophole closed for religious minorities  While the original order made an exception for refugees who are members of persecuted religious minorities, saying they could enter the US despite the ban, the new order has no mention of religion.
Iraq officials rejoice as country is off the list, which is expected to narrow to six predominantly Muslim countries.

President Donald Trumps revised travel ban will temporarily halt entry to the United States for people from six Muslim-majority nations, reports said.

Trump is expected to sign the new executive order on Monday.

The directive aims to address legal issues with the original order, which caused confusion at airports, sparked protests around the country and was ultimately blocked by the courts.

A senior White House official told the Reuters news agency that the order would keep a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Unlike the previous order, the new directive is not expected to include Iraq in its list of countries targeted, following pressure from the Pentagon and state department, which had urged the White House to reconsider, given Iraqs key role in fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.

READ MORE: What makes Trumps revised travel ban different?

Iraq said the revised order sends a positive message about the future of bilateral relations as the two countries work to combat ISIL.

Government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi said the decision to revise the ban shows that there is a real partnership between Washington and Baghdad.

Memories of chaos

Al Jazeeras Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, said: It seems that they [Iraqi officials] have been told by US officials that they will not be part of the ban.

Chaos ensued when the first such order was signed on January 27, said Fisher.

A number of agencies went to the courts and said, Youve got to put a stop to this. Of course, they won. The Trump administration challenged that in court and lost. The ban was temporarily lifted.

WATCH: The media, Muslims and Trumps travel ban (24:59)

The revised order does not apply to those who already have valid visas, Associated Press reported.

Trump was not expected to hold a public signing ceremony for the new measure.

Instead, several Cabinet secretaries  Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Attorney General Jeff Sessions  planned to discuss the order at an event late Monday morning.

Additionally, Trumps order suspends the entire US refugee programme for 120 days, though refugees already formally scheduled for travel by the state department will be allowed entry.

OPINION: Trumps Muslim ban is a dangerous distraction

When the suspension is lifted, the number of refugees allowed into the US will be capped at 50,000 for fiscal year 2017.

Other changes are also expected, including no longer singling out Syrian refugees for an indefinite ban.

Syrian refugees will now be treated like other refugees and be subjected to the 120-day suspension of the refugee program.

The new version is also expected to remove language that would give priority to religious minorities.

Critics had accused the administration of adding such language to help Christians get into the United States, while excluding Muslims.
 Iranian Film Depicts Destruction of U.S. Navy | Main | Travel Articles Eschew Bias, Highlight Beauty of Israel 

March 06, 2017

Facebook Reinstates Fatahs Terror-Promoting Page



A mere three days after its removal, Facebook has reopened the terror-promoting page of Fatah, the movement that dominates the Palestinian Authority. Facebook did so without removing any of the terror promoting material that is regularly posted on the page,? according to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), a non-profit organization that monitors Arab media.

Shortly after Facebook decided to close down the page, the Palestinian Authoritys (PA) Ministry of Information accused Facebook of targetingPalestinian national platforms on social media? and displaying a blind bias in favor of the occupation.? More conspiratorially, the PAmaking use of long-standing antisemitic tropes of Jews controlling the mediaclaimed that Facebook had an agreement? with the Jewish state.

However, according to PMW, Fatahs Facebook page frequently posts material celebrating anti-Jewish violence and terrorism. On April 20, 2016, for example, Fatahs student movement posted a video entitled Martyrdom-seeking unites us,? which depicted three young Palestinians planning and carrying out an attack on Israeli soldiers with knives and vehicle-ramming.

CAMERA has frequently highlighted how Facebook has been used to promote Palestinian terrorism and antisemitism (see, for example German Authorities Investigate Facebook for Allowing Holocaust Denial,? Nov. 9, 2016).

Facebooks rules forbid bullying, harassment and threatening language. However, the social media organization has been criticized for failing to remove antisemitic posts and apologia and propaganda from terrorist groups. In one January 2014 example that CAMERA documented, an image posted on Facebook celebrated Nazi violence against civilians; perversely using Nikes swoosh logan and slogan Just Do It.? Initially, Facebook refused to remove the image, stating that it didnt violate community standards.? Eventually, the organization reversed course, removing the post and banning the user (Facebook Admits the Obvious,? Jan. 9, 2014).

Facebook has also been used by Palestinian terrorist groups to organize and plot attacks against Israelis, as CAMERA noted in an Aug. 17, 2016 article (Israel Busts Terror Cells Sponsored by Hezbollah, Recruited via Facebook?).

Facebook did not provide a reason for its decision to reinstate Fatahs page.

Posted by SD at March 6, 2017 09:04 AM

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US president signs order after courts blocked previous directive, with latest list of banned countries narrowed to six.

Donald Trump has signed a revised travel ban that will temporarily halt entry to the US for people from six Muslim-majority nations.

Under the Republican presidents order announced on Monday, a 90-day ban on travel to the US will be imposed on citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Travellers holding pre-existing visas would still be allowed entry, according to the new order, which will come into effect at midnight on March 16.

Green card holders  that is, those who have US permanent residence  will not be affected by the order.

Al Jazeeras Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, said: [US officials] have tried to take what was the existing executive order, make it much tighter, and essentially make it bulletproof in the courts.

OPINION: All international laws Trumps Muslim ban is breaking

In initial reactions, rights groups criticised the new order, with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) saying that the new ban was a scaled-back version that shares the same fatal flaws.

In a statement, ACLU said: The only way to actually fix the Muslim ban is not to have a Muslim ban. Instead, President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people.

Unlike the previous ban, the new directive does not include Iraq in its list of countries targeted, following pressure from the Pentagon and state department which had urged the White House to reconsider given Iraqs key role in fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

The new version also removed language that would give priority to religious minorities.

Critics had accused the administration of adding such language to help Christians get into the US while excluding Muslims.

Positive message for Iraq

The Iraqi government said the revised order sends a positive message about the future of bilateral relations as the two countries work to combat ISIL, also known as ISIS.

Saad al-Hadithi, government spokesman, said the decision to revise the ban shows that there is a real partnership between Washington and Baghdad.

Rex Tillerson, US secretary of state, said that the renewed ban is a vital measure for strengthening our national security.

With this order, President Trump is exercising his rightful authority to keep our people safe, he said.





Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the order responsibly provides a needed pause so we can carefully review how we scrutinise people coming here from these countries of concern.

Three of these nations are state sponsors of terrorism, Sessions said, referring to Iran, Sudan and Syria, adding that others had served as safe havens for fighters.

Trumps first order, signed on January 27, led to chaos at airports, protests and international condemnation.

That order resulted in more than two dozen legal cases in US courts and was ultimately blocked by the courts.

Many said the order partially fulfilled Trumps campaign promise to ban Muslims from entering the US.

Bob Ferguson, the attorney general of Washington state, which succeeded in having the previous ban suspended, said he was carefully reviewing the new order.

Theres going to be a very orderly process, a senior official from the homeland security department said.

You should not see any chaos, so to speak, or alleged chaos at airports. There arent going to be folks stopped tonight from coming into the country because of this executive order.

Unconstitutional actions

Senator Ted Cruz praised the new order, which he described as a responsible step of acting to prevent terrorists from infiltrating our refugee programmes.

In contrast to the hysteria and mistruths that are still being pushed by the media, President Trumps executive order implements a four-month pause in refugee admissions so that stronger vetting procedures can be put in place, Cruz said.

READ MORE: What makes Trumps revised travel ban different?

Peter Roff of Frontiers for Freedom, a right-wing think-tank, also welcomed the revised immigration order.

Muslims are not banned from America, he told Al Jazeera.

On the contrary, Muslims are welcomed in America, but we are only trying to prevent terrorists from coming in who might be infiltrating our country as refugees.

ISIS and al-Qaeda terrorists killed more Muslims than Christians and Jews.

By contrast, leading Democrats condemned the new ban, with the partys new leader saying we have a responsibility to fight back.





Chuck Schumer, leader of the minority Democrats in the Senate, said he expected the revised order to have the same uphill battle in the courts as the original version.

A watered-down ban is still a ban, he said in a statement.

Despite the administrations changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more. It is mean-spirited and un-American. It must be repealed.

Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said party members have a responsibility to fight back.

Ive seen firsthand the difference we can make when we refuse to accept the hateful, immoral, unconstitutional actions of the Trump administration, Perez said.

Senator Dianne Feinstein said the ban does not strengthen our national security.

Painting more than 150 million people with the same broad brush is contrary to the principle of religious freedom and will do nothing to make us safer, she said.
Following weeks of protest outside U.S. Rep. Ted Yohos Gainesville office, hundreds gathered at his town hall meeting Saturday, the crowd flowing into the driveway of Countryside Baptist Church.

The tension among attendees outside, most of whom stood in opposition to the Republican congressman, boiled over when a Donald Trump supporter was punched in the face and taken to a hospital.

Yoho, who represents Floridas 3rd Congressional District  which includes Alachua, Clay and Bradford counties and parts of Marion County  has supported Trump since he was still a republican candidate for president.

He was one of several speakers at Trumps campaign rally in Ocala in October.

At the 10 a.m. meeting, one of dozens that have taken place across the country between republican lawmakers and constituents, Yoho answered questions about issues such as Trumps temporary travel ban, health care, LGBTQ+ rights and the alleged ties between the presidents administration and Russia.

After weeks of protesters gathering at Yohos office every Tuesday, Melissa Wokasch was part of the group protesting outside the meeting. The 40-year-old member of Gainesville City of Resistance, an anti-Trump activist group, said people on both sides were frustrated they werent being let in. Some threw their bodies against the gate while others argued with security.

People were very frustrated that they werent being let in, she said. It certainly wasnt an inviting atmosphere.

Wokasch said the small venue made it impossible for people to participate in the conversation inside. She said she believed deception was at play.

They chose a church that could fit 300 people and was outside of public transportation routes, she said. Gainesvilles a very diverse town, and I dont think you can find 300 people to represent all of Gainesville.

After the meeting, at about 11:49 a.m., attendees Michael Robert Chriss, 64, and Charles Duane Webster, 61, began to argue.

As the argument intensified, Chriss punched Webster in the face, causing Webster to fall to the ground, according to an arrest report filed by the Alachua County Sheriffs Office.

Chriss told deputies Webster pushed him and then punched him in the stomach, ACSO said. Chriss responded by punching Webster back and walked back into the crowd of protesters.

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Six witnesses saw Chriss punch Webster without provocation, according to the report. Deputies interviewed witnesses and found Chriss in the crowd.

Chriss was arrested on a charge of aggravated battery. He was taken to Alachua County Jail, where he was released Sunday afternoon on a $10,000 bond. Webster was taken to the hospital.

As of press time, Chriss could not be reached for comment.

Eli Barrett, 20, was standing outside as people left the church after the town hall. He said he noticed Webster being aggressive toward protesters.

He was very threatening and very obnoxious, Barrett said. He had it coming.

A man is handcuffed after allegedly punching another man in the face and knocking him unconscious after Town Hall with Congressman Ted Yoho at Countryside Baptist Church on Saturday, March 4, 2017. Witnesses said they saw the man throw the punch after an exchange of words and walked back into the crowd.










English News China's foreign aid is more people-oriented

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 6 Mars 2017





By Ji Peijuan from People's Daily By Ji Peijuan from People's Daily

In the past six decades, China has provided nearly 400 billion yuan of aids to 166 countries and international organizations, lending a helpful hand when the latter were in need. But an emerging trend is that the focus of such assistance has been shifted from infrastructure construction to projects related to people's livelihood.



The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Feb.19 reached an agreement with Mongolia on a $5.5-billion bailout scheme. In the bailout package, China has extended its currency swap agreement worth 15 billion yuan (about $2.2 billion) with the latter to relieve its pressure on the balance of payments and help with its urgent debts.



Chinese government donated $1 million as humanitarian aid to Surigao City in the southern Philippines which was hit by the most destroying earthquake in the past century on Feb. 10. In addition, China will also provide two sums of non-reimbursable assistance to Syria for humanitarian supplies and projects.



The above are several of the latest foreign aid initiated by Chinese government. Merely in 2016, China assisted nearly 250 engineering and supply projects, trained 29,000 professionals, and sent 5,000 managerial or technical staffs, medical personnel and volunteers, to overseas destinations, benefitting 156 countries, regions and international organs.



China has so far provided more than 50 batches of emergency humanitarian assistance to nearly 30 countries and international organizations including Fiji, Surinam, Ecuador, and Sri Lanka, winning recognition from the international society.



Talking about these aids, Dr. Zhang Fei, associate research fellow of Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), said in an interview with the Peoples Daily that compared with building stadiums, government halls and other large-scale constructions in the past, China is giving more money to develop economy and improve people's livelihood in assisted countries.



China has not only built highways, railways, bridges, harbors, power and communication facilities for assisted countries, but also lent a helpful hand in building hospitals and schools, cultivating agricultural experts, training business and technical talents, Zhang added.



China's assistance in recent years concentrated more on the need of economic and social development of recipients, especially the industrial need and people's desire for a better life, the scholar said.



"For instance, China's aid money may be better used to train skilled agricultural talents than adding more stadiums, for a country suffering from food shortage that needs to improve grain yield, " she explained.



China is now on one hand concentrating efforts to accelerate industrial upgrade, international capacity cooperation and overseas expansion of Chinas equipment manufacturing, and on the other hand committing to regional connectivity through the "Belt and Road" initiative and other approaches, Liu Haifang, deputy director of Center for African Studies at Peking University told People's Daily, advising China to combine the two tasks with its future foreign aid programs.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China's Beidou reaches world-leading level: white paper Silk Road e-commerce promotes trade among Belt and Road countries Irrigation project in Jiangsu gets world heritage designation Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News China vows an arduous fight for cleaner sky

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 6 Mars 2017



Du Shaozhong, Director of Institute for Health and Environment of Communication University of China accumulated over 90,000 flight miles last year due to business trips. As a high carbon emitter from transportation, Du voluntarily spent 275 yuan ($39.8) for 11 tons of carbon credit to compensate for his carbon output in the year.

By Yang Xun from People's Daily Chinese Premier Li Keqiang declared on Sunday China's resolute determination to fight for a cleaner sky in the government work report he delivered at the opening meeting of the 5th session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC).



China will cut the emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide by 3 percent and have a remarkable drop for PM2.5, a fine particulate matter, in selected areas this year, Li pledged.



In order to fulfill the arduous task, Li urged all levels to increase efforts to address pollution caused by the burning of coal, control sources of industrial pollution, deal with vehicle emissions, reduce days with polluted air, and tighten the supervision and punishment against violators.



In order to lower the emissions, Beijing and its neighbors, including Tianjin, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan provinces, will ramp up their efforts to reduce the use of coal, curb vehicle emissions, shut down polluted businesses and plant more trees in 2017.



Local governments have yielded apparent accomplishments in combating air pollution, thanks to their intensified efforts after the central government introduced a guideline in 2013. The average PM2.5 concentrations in 74 big Chinese cities has dropped around 30 percent, and the landmass suffering from acid rain has declined to the level 20 years ago.



The National Energy Administration will also innovate governance approaches and encourage the use of natural gas rather than coal for heating.



More actions indicate that China is stepping up efforts in addressing smog and making the sky blue again.



Experts believe that to remove people's "smog anxiety", more efforts from the public and government are required.



On one hand, governments at all levels should pursue eco-civilization and green development, cope with smog with an iron fist and improve the air quality, while on the other hand, the public should reduce the emission of air pollutants and greenhouse gas in every aspect of the daily life, they explained.



To cut down pollution and deal with smog, the general public should manage their life in a refined and green manner, according to experts. More Chinese people are watching over their behaviors in the fight against smog.



Du Shaozhong, Director of Institute for Health and Environment of Communication University of China accumulated over 90,000 flight miles last year due to business trips. As a high carbon emitter from transportation, Du voluntarily spent 275 yuan ($39.8) for 11 tons of carbon credit to compensate for his carbon output in the year.



Pic:



A campaign to advocate no use of fireworks for sake of less air pollution was held in Dongcheng District, Beijing in January. The picture taken shows a public security officer introducing the significance of less fireworks. (Photo by He Yong from People's Daily)



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China's Beidou reaches world-leading level: white paper Silk Road e-commerce promotes trade among Belt and Road countries Irrigation project in Jiangsu gets world heritage designation Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News Nominations Open for the Africa Food Prize 2017

Alwihda Info | Par Agra - 6 Mars 2017





Nairobi, 6 March 2017: The search is on for the winner of the 2017 Africa Food Prize - the preeminent award that recognizes outstanding individuals or institutions that are leading the effort to change the reality of farming in Africa from a struggle to survive to a business that thrives.



Now in its second year, the US $100,000 prize celebrates Africans who are taking control of Africas agriculture agenda. It puts a bright spotlight on bold initiatives and technical innovations that can be replicated across the continent to create a new era of food security and economic opportunity for all Africans.



In 2016, the inaugural Prize was awarded to Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze, the outgoing President of the Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), for his outstanding leadership and passionate advocacy in putting Africas smallholder farmers at the center of the global agricultural agenda. As one example, Dr. Nwanze was credited with reorienting IFADs work to focus more on making small-scale farming a viable business through a country-led approach to rural development, moving from one office on the continent just a decade ago to 40 country offices today. The Prize also acknowledged Nwanzes courage in reminding African leaders to go beyond promising development and change to delivering it.



The 2017 winner will be chosen by the Africa Food Prize Committee, an independent body of preeminent leaders that is chaired by the former Nigerian President, H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo. The other committee members are Prof. Calestous Juma, Dr. Eleni Z. Gabre-Madhin, Prof. Joachim von Braun and Amb. Sheila Sisulu.



With the acknowledgement that no region of the world has developed a diverse, modern economy without first establishing a successful agriculture sector, the Africa Food Prize exists to reward individuals and institutions that are pioneering efforts to create prosperity in Africa. It is hoped that this will encourage others to follow their lead.



The Africa Food Prize began as the Yara Prize, and was established in 2005 by Yara International ASA in Norway to honor achievements in African agriculture. The Yara Prize recognized individuals from Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Mozambique for their success in making African farms more productive, profitable and resilient. Past winners include Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the former Nigerian Agriculture Minister who now heads the African Development Bank (AfDB); Dr. Agnes Kalibata, the former Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources in Rwanda who now serves as AGRAs President; and Dr. Ousmane Badiane, Africa Director for the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).



Moving the Yara Prize to Africa in 2016 and rechristening it the Africa Food Prize gave the award a distinctive African home, African identity and African ownership



The deadline for nominations is 05 June 2017 and the winner will be unveiled at a high-profile gala dinner at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), 4-8 September 2017 in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire.



More information on how to nominate is available on the Africa Food Prize website.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China's Beidou reaches world-leading level: white paper Silk Road e-commerce promotes trade among Belt and Road countries Irrigation project in Jiangsu gets world heritage designation Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News Potatoes grown from seeds may solve hunger in Africa

Alwihda Info | Par Solynta - 6 Mars 2017



WAGENINGEN  Potatoes grown from Dutch seeds yield 2 to 4 times bigger harvests for small-scale, poor farmers in East Africa than potatoes grown using local seed potatoes. These findings are the result of initial tests using experimental varieties grown from potato seeds by Wageningen-based agro-tech company Solynta in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Experiment in Congo by Dutch company Solynta is extraordinarily successful As such, potatoes grown from seeds may prove to be an effective means to provide not only the growing population of Africa, but also those of India, Bangladesh, and China with more and better food and thus contributes reducing hunger.



For several years now, Solynta has been working on breeding potatoes grown from the actual seeds of potato plants. This method allows one to develop new varieties of potatoes faster, varieties that are better able to withstand potato blights, in turn making the use of pesticides obsolete. These varieties produce increased yield and are easier to transport, because only 25 grams of seed can be used to sow the same number of new potatoes as 2,500 kg of seed potatoes. Thanks to its groundbreaking techniques, Solynta was named a National Icon in 2014, and given a 2.5 million euro grant by EU programme Horizon 2020, because of its huge importance to the global food supply.



Solynta expects that they will be able to bring the first marketable potato varieties to the market in 2021. But really, we cant afford to wait that long, because 30,000 people die of hunger and malnutrition every day, says general director Hein Kruyt. The test in Congo has shown us that Solyntas True Potato Seeds can contribute solving a serious problem, including in other countries where hunger is an issue. That is why Solynta is looking for partners and support to be able to supply potato seed sooner to developing countries and other countries where the farmers are looking to increase yield.



The results of the experiment were rather unexpected. Solynta sent an envelope containing the seeds of ten experimental potato varieties to Nioka in Congo, a representative location for overall potato cultivation in the highlands of East Africa. These seeds were then sown throughout the first half of 2016. Although the test was performed under tough conditions and there was barely any rain for ninety days, the seeds yielded between 8 and 29 tonnes of potatoes per hectare, two to four times the usual yield in Africa. Keep in mind that this experiment wasnt even conducted with our best seeds  just think of what kind of yield those could produce! says Kruyt.



After rice, corn, and wheat, potatoes are the most cultivated staple food in the world, and they are grown on all continents. The millions of small-scale farmers in Africa who grow potatoes to provide themselves with sustenance buy their seed potatoes on the local market. The average yield per hectare ranges from 5 tonnes of potatoes per hectare in Uganda to 15 tonnes in Kenya. The yield depends on the quality of the seed potatoes. These are often poor quality, because the propagation, storage, and distribution of seed potatoes leave something to be desired. The farmers save part of their harvest to sow in the coming year, which further diminishes the quality of the crop.



Seed potatoes from the Netherlands are unaffordable. On top of that, the containers full of seed potatoes coming out of Europe often spend weeks just sitting there in the harbour, and it takes even longer for them to be transported to the hinterland. A good portion of the seed potatoes may spoil in that time. Kruyt: We are able to send an envelope full of good, clean seed, instead of a container, within 24 hours, for farmers to use to get started on their harvest."



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China's Beidou reaches world-leading level: white paper Silk Road e-commerce promotes trade among Belt and Road countries Irrigation project in Jiangsu gets world heritage designation Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
 Facebook Reinstates Fatahs Terror-Promoting Page | Main | ISIS Tells Supporters to Dress Up Like Jews, Carry Out Attacks 

March 06, 2017

Travel Articles Eschew Bias, Highlight Beauty of Israel

While the mainstream national newspapers continue push the Palestinian narrative about Israel and the Middle East, two recently-published travel articles about Israel are refreshingly honest. Harpers Bazaar has published a photo essay full of gorgeous scenes from Israel, 30 Photos that Will Make You Want to Book a Flight to Israel ASAP.? The Hindu, an Indian publication, has provided a detailed plan for vegetarians to eat their way through the Jewish state, Breaking Bread in Israel.?

In The Hindu, reporter Pankaja Srinivasan is relieved to report that vegetarians can, in fact, travel in Israel without fear of "starvation." He samples laffa bread in Tel Avivs Carmel Market, zatar bread in Jaffa, hi-tech pita bread and chocolate rugelach in Jerusalem, and falafel everywhere.

Srinivasans article is yet another welcome sign of the increasingly warm ties between India and Israel. You can read the whole thing here.

In addition, Harpers Bazaar has published 30 beautiful images of Dead Sea beaches, Jerusalem landscapes, markets, and holy sites, Tel Aviv skylines and neighborhoods, food in Jaffa, and Caesarea relics.

Overall the article is free from the types of bias we usually see, for example, it acknowledges that Jerusalem is part of Israel, and doesnt propagandize the Dead Sea. There is, however, one minor error: the caption in the photo of the Western Wall Plaza refers to the Kotel as the last wall standing of the Second Jewish Temple.? In fact, the Western Wall was not part of the Temple itself, but rather a remnant of an outer retaining wall surrounding the Second Temple. On the other hand, the publication correctly noted that the Western Wall "is considered the holiest place where Jews are permitted to pray," and that this is "due to its connection to the Temple Mount," a point that hard news organizations have gotten wrong repeatedly.

You can see all of the photos here.

A shot of a Tel Aviv beach is accompanied by the caption, A woman takes a dip in the Mediterranean sea off the shores of Tel Aviv. Fun fact: this could be you!? Well, yes, it could be! Im getting my ticket now.

Posted by kabe at March 6, 2017 01:07 PM

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Post a comment
The International Development Secretary has set out a five point plan to deliver a more effective global response to the unprecedented number of crises the world currently faces. Before last month, there had been only one certified famine globally since 2000. Parts of South Sudan are now in famine and in 2017 there is a []Source : http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...
In his first speech to members of NATO, American Secretary of Defense Mattis said, Americans cannot care more for your childrens future security than you do. This echoes his boss Donald Trumps campaign statement, "Number one it (NATO) was obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago. Normally, a new president can count on the backing of his own party, but on this issue there is a rare consensus on both sides of the aisle in support of the existing policies.

The core divergence of geopolitical views is this:

Supporters of NATO see American commitments as implicitly limitless and irreversible. They insist that the arrangements have worked well for the United States, and any attempt to challenge them is not in Americas national interests. Ideologically, adherence to existing commitments defines our national interests.

Driven by effectiveness, not ideology, Trump believes the existing commitments are not eternal and are limited by resources. Therefore, we must define our national interests in order to shape our commitments  not allow existing commitments to define our interests.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, is a case in point. Established in April 1949, NATO was designed to serve three objectives:

Deter Soviet expansionism. Prevent the revival of militarism in Europe. Encourage European political and economic integration.

At that moment in time Europe was in ruins and facing a formidable threat from the Red Army, and later from the combined forces of the Warsaw Pact. Given strategic and political realities, the United States emerged as the principal guarantor of peace. With the demise of the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact disintegrated as well. So, if you are Vladimir Putin, you would ask the United States about NATO, Against whom are you maintaining this beautiful friendship?

And if you are Donald Trump, you realize that seventy years later the kids have grown up and the geostrategic reality is fundamentally different. Today, the European Union is a massive economic power, with a population of 500 million and a combined GDP akin to the United States. Russias GDP is comparable to South Korea or Australia. The EU is sufficiently strong to maintain the regional order.

However, despite economic strength and manpower, Western democracies, having downgraded their military capabilities, continue to rely on the United States for maintaining their security. The absurdity is that while Europeans are enjoying a 35-hour work week, generous benefits and extended vacations, American workers have to put in 40 to 50 hours per week to support Europes defense.

And it gets better! With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact, NATO found itself without a mission. Mission accomplished is not good news for a military alliance  it needs enemies for self-preservation.

Hence, the concept of an alliance was quietly converted into a doctrine of collective security. The significance is that while alliances identify potential adversaries and serve clearly defined objectives, the doctrine of collective security carries much broader implications. It may oppose any aggressive conduct anywhere in the world that may be interpreted as a threat to the peaceful international order. In this spirit NATO, paraphrasing John Quincy Adams, has gone around the world in search of monsters to destroy -- often pursuing not strategic but moral goals in an attempt to promote Western values.

But the most troublesome aspect of this conversion is that in a violation of the verbal agreement between Secretary of State James Baker and Russian Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, NATO launched a massive expansion to the east, growing from 16 countries before the reunification of Germany to 28 today. This expansion can be seen from Moscow only as a strategy to encircle Russia and turn its neighbors into hostile countries. It provokes Russias paranoia and could lead to a direct confrontation with the United States reminiscent of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

As George Kennan, American diplomat and author of the concepts of Cold War and containment, prophetically wrote in the New York Times on February 5, 1997:

.. expanding NATO would be the most fateful error of American policy in the entire post-cold war era.... Such a decision may be expected to inflame the nationalistic, anti-Western and militaristic tendencies in Russian opinion; to have an adverse effect on the development of Russian democracy; to restore the atmosphere of the cold war to East-West relations, and to impel Russian foreign policy in directions decidedly not to our liking.

President Clinton, who was an architect of the expansion, ignored George Kennans warning and subsequently created a destabilizing environment in Europe, which was further exacerbated by the Obama administration. Idealism and affinity have led to the over-extension of American commitments and resulted in financial burdens that, according to Trump, America can no longer afford.

As Lord Salisbury observed, The commonest error in politics is sticking to the carcass of dead policies.

Alexander G. Markovsky is a Soviet emigre. He holds degrees in economics and political science from the University of Marxism-Leninism and an MS in structural engineering from Moscow University. He resides in Houston, Texas, with his wife and daughter, where he owns a consulting company specializing in the management of large international projects. Mr. Markovsky has also written for the The Hill, Israpundit, New York Daily News, RedState, and WorldNetDaily. He can be contacted at alex.g.markovsky@gmail.com
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said on Sunday that he would have been aware of any FISA court-ordered surveillance of Trump Tower and the Trump surrogates within during the campaign by the Obama administration., He says he was not, implying there was none:

A former top intel official under President Obama asserted Sunday that President Trumps phones were not tapped, contradicting a claim made by the current president.Obviously, I cant speak officially anymore, but I will say that for the part of the national security apparatus that I oversaw as [Director of National Intelligence], there was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time or as a candidate or against his campaign, James Clapper said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press.Clapper maintained that he wouldve been told of there was a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court order to survey Trumps phones on something like this.I can deny it, Clapper said, asserting that an order related to Trump or Trump Tower does not exist to his knowledge.

Clapper may think that the Obama administration is incapable of such an act, the same Obama administration that used the IRS in a way Richard Nixon only dreamed of in targeting the Tea Party movement. Such an act would indeed make Watergate look like, well, a third-rate burglary. Clapper forgets as well how the NSA and the Obama administration spied on world leaders, starting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel:

President Barack Obama knew of the organizations spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel -- and approved of the efforts, a National Security Agency official has reportedly told a German newspaper. The Economic Times writes the high-ranking NSA official spoke to Bild am Sonntag on the condition of anonymity, saying the president, not only did not stop the operation, but he also ordered it to continue. The Economic Times also reports the official told Bild am Sonntag that Obama did not trust Merkel, wanted to know everything about her, and thus ordered the NSA to prepare a dossier on the politician.

The Obama administration spied on many world leaders and, speaking of interfering in elections, interfered in the Israeli election in an attempt to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu.

The State Department paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayers grants to an Israeli group that used the money to build a campaign to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in last years Israeli parliamentary elections, a congressional investigation concluded Tuesday. Some $350,000 was sent to OneVoice, ostensibly to support the groups efforts to back Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement negotiations. But OneVoice used the money to build a voter database, train activists and hire a political consulting firm with ties to President Obamas campaign  all of which set the stage for an anti-Netanyahu campaign, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations said in a bipartisan staff report.

Of course, the Obama administration was not above surveillance of the press and treating respected reporters as criminals. Take the case of Fox News reporter James Rosen, named by the Obama administration as a criminal co-conspirator in a case involving violations of the Espionage Act:

The Justice Department named Fox News's chief Washington correspondent James Rosen "at the very least, either as an aider, abettor and/or co-conspirator" in a 2010 espionage case against State Department security adviser Stephen Jin-Woo Kim. The accusation appears in a court affidavit first reported by the Washington Post. Kim is charged with handing over a classified government report in June 2009 that said North Korea would probably test a nuclear weapon in response to a UN resolution con demning previous tests. Rosen reported the analysis on 11 June under the headline 'North Korea Intends to Match UN Resolution With New Nuclear Test'. The FBI sought and obtained a warrant to seize all of Rosen's correspondence with Kim, and an additional two days' worth of Rosen's personal email, the Post reported. The bureau also obtained Rosen's phone records and used security badge records to track his movements to and from the State Department.

The James Clapper who denies Obama administration spying on the Trump campaign is the same James Clapper who once lied to Congress, saying that the NSA wasnt conducting surveillance of the American people. As U.S. News and World Report noted, his recent resignation didnt assuage critics who believe James Clapper, like other Obama administration personnel, dodged a perjury bullet when he testified before Congress on the issue of NSA surveillance of American citizens:

Some lawmakers reacted to the long-expected resignation announcement from Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on Thursday by wishing him an eventful retirement, featuring prosecution and possible prison time. The passage of more than three years hasnt cooled the insistence in certain quarters that Clapper face charges for an admittedly false statement to Congress in March 2013, when he responded, No, sir" and "not wittingly to a question about whether the National Security Agency was collecting any type of data at all on millions of Americans. About three months after making that claim, documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed the answer was untruthful and that the NSA was in fact collecting in bulk domestic call records, along with various internet communications. To his critics, Clapper lied under oath, a crime that threatens effective oversight of the executive branch. In an apology letter to lawmakers, however, Clapper said he gave the clearly erroneous answer because he simply didnt think of the call-record collection. Clapper later told MSNBC he considered the question akin to asking, When did you stop beating your wife? and so gave the least untruthful answer.

Critics who say president-elect Donald Trump has no right to disparage our good and faithful intelligence servants or to be skeptical of the intelligence they gather might be willing to accept least untruthful answers but others are not. As Investors Business Daily editorialized in June 2013 after Clappers testimony:

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper struggles to explain why he told Congress in March that the National Security Agency does not intentionally collect any kind of data on millions of Americans. "I responded in what I thought was the most truthful, or least untruthful, manner by saying 'no,'" Clapper told NBC News on Sunday. Least untruthful? Lying to Congress and the American people is just that, except in Clapper's mind. And it seems to depend on the meaning of "collect," a reminder of President Bill Clinton's defense that charges of his lying depended on the meaning of the word "is."

The record of James Clapper and the Obama administration on truthfulness is suspect. The Obama administration has spied on world leaders, American citizens, and the press. It is said that Trump has provided no proof of Obama administration surveillance, which is hard to do in a tweet. But Breitbarts Joel Pollak has put together an interesting timeline of the surveillance scenario, including not one, but two FISA requests with such items as:

1. June 2016: FISA request. The Obama administration files a request with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) to monitor communications involving Donald Trump and several advisers. The request, uncharacteristically, is denied 4. October: FISA request. The Obama administration submits a new, narrow request to the FISA court, now focused on a computer server in Trump Tower suspected of links to Russian banks. No evidence is found -- but the wiretaps continue, ostensibly for national security reasons, Andrew McCarthy at National Review later notes. The Obama administration is now monitoring an opposing presidential campaign using the high-tech surveillance powers of the federal intelligence services. 7. January: Times report. The New York Times reports, on the eve of Inauguration Day, that several agencies -- the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Treasury Department are monitoring several associates of the Trump campaign suspected of Russian ties. Other news outlets also report the existence of a multiagency working group to coordinate investigations across the government, though it is unclear how they found out, since the investigations would have been secret and involved classified information.

Yes, thats the same Brietbart Trump adviser Steve Bannon ran. But if theres a credibility contest between Clapper, the Obama administration, and Team Trump, my money is on the latter.

Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.
In his BBC broadcast of October 1, 1939, Winston Churchill spoke of Russia as "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." His words have often been quoted, but the remaining words of his sentence are less familiar. Churchill continued, "Perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest."

Eighty years later, the view of Russia as an enigma preoccupies American politicians and news commentators. Yet it is evident that pursuit of national interest is still the key to Russian policy. Not surprisingly, as a large nation, about one eighth of the world's land mass, with an influential history and an important culture, Russia strives to be a great, even global power, and a member if not an equal partner at the international table of countries playing a role in resolution of pressing problems such as Syria and international terrorism.

However, instead of discussing what Russian national interest might be, the media is preoccupied with casual meetings between American politicians and Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin. In the real, not fanciful, conspiratorial world, it is perfectly acceptable for members of all political parties to meet with foreign diplomats without arousing allegations or suspicions of any sinister motive or secret alliance. No rational person would conclude after seeing the photo of Senator Chuck Schumer meeting with Putin, both smiling and having coffee and doughnuts, that an investigation into the content of the coffee as well as into the nature of the conversation is required in the national interest.

It is unfortunate that some in the American political and media sectors are preoccupied with the fantasy that intervention by Putin and Russian associates alone determined the result of the U.S. presidential election and the victory of Donald Trump. It is equally absurd that two brief meetings of officials such as that of now-attorney general Jeff Sessions, then chair of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, with the Russian ambassador to the U.N., Sergey Kislyak, in July and September 2016 should be scrutinized as if part of some international conspiracy or interference in American politics.

President Putin, in an hour-long comprehensive press conference on December 19, 2016, dealt with the issue among many others. He claimed that after the US election, the Obama administration and leaders of the Democratic Party were trying to blame all their failures on outside factors. He asserted that the Democratic Party had lost not only the presidential election, but also the Senate  "Did we or I also do that?" He delivered the message that the defeated party always tries to blame somebody on the outside. His advice was, "It is important to know how to lose gracefully."

In this year, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 1917 Russian Revolution, it is more useful for senators as well as the Trump administration to discuss and assess Putin and his policies in the context of the Russian national interest. Who is this former KBG operative, ruthless, with tight control over government and increasing executive power, but also apparently revered as a highly popular, father-like figure?

Is Putin the embodiment of Russian pride and patriotism? Is his strong personal governance of the country reminiscent of the tsarist regime that lasted 300 years and that ended on March 2, 1917 with the abdication of Nicolas II, or the incarnation of Vladimir Lenin and his revolutionary viewpoint, or the reincarnation of the ruthless Josef Stalin, or a new version of the more moderate Alexander Kerensky, prominent in the February 1917 revolution, or a malevolent figure, the godfather, as Masha Gessen in her book The Man without a Face asserted, "of a mafia clan ruling the country"?

Irrespective of how U.S. politicians assess Putin, he is certainly no democratic exponent or upholder of free speech. Too many critics of his policies have paid the ultimate price. Among many other well known people who have lost their lives are Valentin Tsvetkov, crime-fighter, killed on October 18, 2002; Alexander Litvinenko, poisoned in London on November 23, 2006; Anna Politkovskaya, critic of the Chechen conflict, shot four times on October 7, 2006; and Artyom Borovik, courageous journalist opposed to the Afghan war, killed in a suspicious aircraft crash on March 9, 2000. All these come amid and in addition to a number of members of the Duma, the Russian parliament.

In this 100th anniversary of the 1917 Revolution, can the attitudes of contemporary Russian leaders to the Revolution provide insight into the view of current national interest? Instead of the unitary triumph of the Bolsheviks, the events of 1917 were more convoluted, and that complexity seems now to be recognized. There were, of course, two revolutions, in February and October, with feuding political bodies: the Duma, the provisional government, the Soviet of Petrograd, and the capture of power by the small Bolshevik party led by Lenin.

At first, the 1917 October (or November) Revolution was commemorated for many years with a large military parade incarnating the power of the Soviet state and implying the approval and complicity of the majority of the population. That tradition was ended in 1996 and the celebration of the great Socialist Revolution Festival became the Day of Concord and Reconciliation. The transformation is symbolic of Putin's preventing a repeat of 1917, with its convoluted cast of characters and political organizations  Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, Bund, Octobrists, Social Revolutionaries, Trudoviks, and K.D.  by instituting strong government control of Russian society. Nevertheless, there is no official narrative of the meaning of 1917, and Putin is unclear and perhaps uncertain on the issue. It is interesting that he recommended on December 19, 2016 the creation of a committee to organize future commemoration.

The problem is assessing Russia and Putin in particular in the context of 1917. For the Western world, the crucial and threatening statement came from Lenin. On his arrival on April 16, 1917, after exile in Switzerland, at the Finland Station in Petrograd, now St. Petersburg, he declared that "[w]e must fight for the social revolution, fight to the end, until the complete victory of the proletariat. Long live the worldwide socialist revolution."

Today, Putin does not herald a worldwide socialist revolution, but he is a believer in a strong Russia. Part of the tsarist and former regimes, at least the powerful Vladimir the Great, prince of Kiev, and even the ruthless Ivan the Terrible, are remembered if not glorified, and the Orthodox Church is gaining members. Yet before Putin, nostalgia of the Soviet Union had already virtually ended with the rule of Leonid Brezhnev.

Interestingly, as if to illustrate the complexity of Russian national identity, an art exhibition in St. Petersburg in February 2017 featured a canvas with Tsar Nicolas on one side and Lenin on the other. Visitors to Red Square in Moscow notice that on one side is Lenin's tomb and on the other side is the GUM Department store, with fashionable and expensive products from exclusive boutiques and stores such as Cartier and Louis Vuitton.

Russia is torn between honoring the achievements, military and scientific, of the Soviet Union and the desire to create a normal state. There is tension between honoring revolution and need for stability. The Orthodox Church honors the tsar family that was killed by the Bolsheviks, but a metro stop is named after Pyotr Voikov, who was involved in their murder by gasoline and sulfuric acid. Statues of Stalin have disappeared, but those of Lenin remain.

In his virtual "state of the union" address, 70 minutes long, on December 1, 2016, Putin showed awareness that Russia must be responsive to political and economic challenges. He explained reasons for Russian economic slowdown, internal problems, and difficulties of investment and modern technology. Besides speaking of domestic issues and the economy, Putin spoke on foreign policy, commenting that there is a need for cooperation among nations and that Russia does not want confrontation with anyone. What was important was his conciliatory tone and call for better foreign relations. He counted on the alliance with the United States in the fight against the real threat of international terrorism rather than fictional threats.

Trust but verify is still in order. It is now up to sensible members of the U.S. Senate as well as the Trump administration to explore the possibilities of such an alliance and to deal with real issues confronting the two countries.
"Comrades! The kulak uprising in your five districts must be crushed without pity. The interests of the whole revolution demand such actions ... You must make an example of these people. (1) Hang (I mean hang publicly, so that people see it) at least 100 kulaks, rich bastards, and known bloodsuckers. (2) Publish their names. (3) Seize all their grain. (4) Single out the hostages per my instructions in yesterday's telegram. Do all this so that for miles around people see it all, understand it, tremble, and tell themselves that we are killing the bloodthirsty kulaks and that we will continue to do so. Reply saying you have received and carried out these instructions. Yours, Lenin."

Thus did V.I. Lenin command leftist mobs in 1918 to be whipped up by his Bolshevik organizers. Mob agitation and propaganda (agit-prop) became a major attack strategy of the radical Left in Russia, picking innocent targets to hang and destroy by propaganda. This is also what George Soros witnessed in in Budapest, when Nazi-incited mobs killed Jews and put them on cattle cars for the death camps. Soros sold the furniture of deported Jews to begin building his fortune. He has said "it was the happiest time of my life."

In Leninist jargon, Obama is an "agitator," not an "organizer." The words "community organizer" are just an inversion of "communist agitator." And this is the model for all of the mob activities so persistently found to be the tool of the left.

What the United States is witnessing today is a leftist lynch mob seeking innocent victims. The other day, Rick Santorum was targeted by a Twitter mob. Today it may be you. They will use anything: The oligopoly media, Pravda on the Hudson (The New York Times), the Washington Post, and "professors" who live off taxpayers, to agitate the innocent and the ignorant. You can watch it happen. When you see it, please keep track of who, when, how, why. If you don't see the string-pullers behind the scenes now, you will soon, because the playbook is always the same.

The aim of agitation-propaganda (or agit-prop) is to overthrow legitimate governments. It is a major part of Obama's hero Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, which should be called "rules for mob agitators." This moment has been prepared by Obama and Hillary (who wrote a fawning bachelor's thesis justifying agit-prop), both acolytes of lynch mob agitator Alinsky.

Alinsky learned agit-prop from the Russian progroms around 1900, which persecuted his (Jewish) parents, who then fled to Chicago. The city then became a center of Leninist agitation.

In Alinsky's rules, agitators must: "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." In Russia, it was the Jews. In Obama's Jakarta, where the Indonesian civil war broke out in 1965, (The Year of Living Dangerously,) it was mostly the overseas Chinese who were scapegoated. The dynamic began in France when rabid mobs attacked shopkeepers over government-triggered price hikes at the dawn of the French Revolution.

For Lenin it was the kulaks -- the pathetic "rich peasants" in what was becoming Soviet Russia. In a lesser, but no less valid manifestation, for The New York Times it was Justice Clarence Thomas when he was nominated to the Supreme Court, and any number of conservatives and Republicans, who learned to kowtow, to mouth the party line from the NYT and WaPo, so that even today House Republicans are afraid to speak up against lynch-mob agitation by the left.

Today the lynch mobs are organized by Obama and Michelle, who have been joined by Valerie Jarrett, living in their home to be at the very center of things. Today's lynch mobs have been picked and trained by George Soros front groups. The mobs are mostly ignorant adolescents, led by today's agitators.

This is all standard operating procedure on the totalitarian left.

The Democrats have a long, long history of mob agitation. In the Civil War, they defended black slavery, as conservatives know very well, and not a single liberal will confess today. The KKK was a Democratic Party front group to keep blacks cowering in fear after Republican President Abe Lincoln signed the Emancipation Declaration of 1863 and the Reconstruction began at the Civil War's end.

Segregationist Democrats called themselves Dixiecrats, another word for KKK enablers. They accomplished by lynching and terrorism what federal and state laws could not: Keeping black people shaking in fear.

"Fear" is what agitators aim to create.

To quote Lenin's master, Karl Marx,

"In his article, The Victory of the Counter-Revolution in Vienna, Neue Rheinische Zeitung, No. 136, 7 November 1848:

 there is only one means to shorten, simplify and concentrate the murderous death throes of the old society and the bloody birth pangs of the new, only one means  revolutionary terrorism[5] ..."

Marx was not a "great philosopher," as the Bolshie BBC wants you to believe. As an economist, he never produced a single original thought. He was a scapegoating rabble rouser, and agit-prop artist, and one of the most destructive human beings in history. In the 150 years after Marx and Engels' Communist Manifesto of 1848, an estimated 100 million people were murdered by the international left -- not by accident, not as an unintended side effect from trying to make the world better, but as a matter of deliberate policy.

Lynch mobs are a traditional feature of Muslim jihad, too. The "Reverend" Jeremiah Wright, Obama's mentor, specializes in whipping up racist rage and anger against whites, with the exception of leftists who support his "cause." Father Michael Pfleger, another vicious mob agitator in Chicago, sounds like Hitler on one of his radio rants (see YouTube).

In the Muslim world, "spiritual leaders" (imams and mullahs) practice television and radio propaganda, often paid for by Saudi oil billionaires, to whip up mobs. The West refuses to admit that ISIS murder and rape battalions follow jihadist commands to the letter. All their bloodthirsty cruelty against children and women, homosexuals, Coptic Christians in Egypt, Jews, women who don't cover their faces and bodies, all that cruelty is carried out by male mobs whipped up by their "spiritual leaders," especially on Fridays.

If you want a definition of evil in the world, this is it. If you don't recognize it already as a kind of routine massacre of the innocents, do your homework.

You will never understand today's rage on the left, or its real effort to overthrow American constitutional government, if you do not understand lynch mobs -- KKK, Leninist, Soros-sponsored, and Obama-controlled.

Do your homework and you may save your country. Ignore it and try to find a better place to live.
FBI director James Comey asked the Department of Justice to issue a denial that President Trump was wiretapped before the 2016 presidential election. The unusual request was made over the weekend after the president issued a series of tweets accusing the Obama administration of illegal surveillance of his campaign headquarters.

The Hill:

Senior American officials told The New York Times on Sunday that Comey has said the president's wiretapping allegations are not true and asked the Justice Department on Saturday to publicly correct the record. The report comes after President Trump, in a series of early Saturday tweets, claimed President Obama had ordered the wiretapping of Trump Tower. The FBI and the DOJ declined to comment to the Times. Comey wants the Justice Department to deflate Trump's claim because there is no evidence to support it, the Times reported, and it insinuates that Comey's FBI broke the law, the officials told the paper. The president laid out the wiretapping claims without any evidence and questioned whether it was legal for a sitting president to be "'wire tapping' a race for president prior to an election." "How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process," the president tweeted. "This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Sunday called the reports about "potentially politically motivated investigations" before the 2016 presidential election "very troubling." In a series of tweets, he said the president is "requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigation powers were abused in 2016." Spicer said that neither the White House nor the president would "comment further until such oversight is conducted." An Obama spokesman said Saturday that Trump's accusations were false.

Why wouldn't Comey issue a denial himself? The director is a senior Justice Department official and would presumably be in the know about any warrants issued to spy on the Trump campaign. The Times story gives this explanation for Comey's request, including the notion that the claim "falsely insinuates that the F.B.I. broke the law."

In addition to being concerned about potential attacks on the bureau's credibility, senior F.B.I. officials are said to be worried that the notion of a court-approved wiretap will raise the public's expectations that the federal authorities have significant evidence implicating the Trump campaign in colluding with Russia's efforts to disrupt the presidential election. Mr. Comey has not been dealing directly with Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the matter, as Mr. Sessions announced on Thursday that he would recuse himself from any investigation of Russia's efforts to influence the election. It had been revealed on Wednesday that Mr. Sessions had misled Congress about his meetings with the Russian ambassador during the campaign.

So Comey wanted a denial from outside the bureau to avoid the charge that any rejection of the Trump wiretapping allegation was self-serving.

DoJ has so far failed to issue a statement of denial, which is not surprising, given the political hot potato Comey has dropped into their lap. The career employees at Justice are passing the buck on taking responsibility for a denial while the political appointees for the Department are being blocked by Senate Democrats from taking office. Quite literally, there's no one at Justice who wants the job of placing the department on the record that no such wiretapping took place.

Comey has managed to get both sides angry at him over the past year. He failed to recommend indicting Hillary Clinton but then re-opened the investigation just days before the election. Is this request for a statement a "betrayal" of Trump, as Drudge suggests in his headline ("Comey Turns on Trump")? It is if you believe liberals who think Comey was in Trump's corner during the campaign. Otherwise, this is an attempt by Comey to cover his own  and the FBI's  ass in the wiretapping matter.
First, President Trump refused to take their questions. Later, he tweeted that they were a network of "fake news." Then they got caught in a fake news scandal, of the grossest sort, reporting some of the "golden showers" phony dossier on Trump as straight news and getting caught and discredited. Turned out it was just the product of some disgusting left-anarchist's febrile imagination, and only Buzzfeed made a bigger fool of itself. Then Trump spokesman Sean Spicer refused to call on them or even let them in their prized perches in the press room. The final straw, almost, was when a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, the peppery Maria Zakarova, piled on and upbraided CNN as fake, too, telling them to quit spreading lies and fake news. The hits just keep coming...

All of that might be tolerable on the grounds that if you are taking flak, you might be over the target.

Not the case for CNN.

What must smart now is that CNN is losing out on coveted media award nominations to...Vladimir Putin's state-owned Russian network, RT News.

RT crowed as much, hailing how its news coverage nominations for its documentary footage on Syria and the like beat out both CNN and the BBC in the latest round of news awards nominations for New York Festivals, an awards group linked to big money advertisers in New York, Sunday.

It isn't that surprising. Anyone who watches RT knows that despite being owned by the Russian government it does pretty good news and has a sharp eye for the viral, as well as pop culture. It's brave, it doesn't shy from forbidden topics or shibboleths, and it reports every graphic detail  which, of course, enrages the left as RT portrays leftists in an unflattering light  and it takes on some pretty scary assignments. The winners will be announced in April, but the large number of nominations, beating out the bigger legacy media, including CNN, is a sign of something.

Now, a normal American might question why RT should get any nomination at all, given that it is a network owned by the Russian government. The CIA attributed no less than a third of its unclassified report on Russian meddling in the U.S. election last January to the horror of RT, singling it out as the leading problem.

The propaganda aspect is grossly exaggerated. Far from being under the iron grip of Putin, it actually does pretty good TV. Sure, the influence of its ownership on its content is there, and you can see it from time to time  assorted Russian hobbyhorse topics, such as the stupidity of the Ukrainians  but it's not very different from the sort of influence Rupert Murdoch exerts on the Wall Street Journal or Arthur Sulzberger on the New York Times.

That's got to stink for CNN, which is seeing even its awards possibly snapped away by hated rivals, leaving it only with its bias.
Writing at Front Page Magazine, Matthew Vadum does a superb job bringing together the evidence that a massive abuse of politicized government agencies took place in the eight years of the Obama presidency, and that spying on candidate Donald Trump was the natural outgrowth of these policies. Matthew is such a gifted writer that the material comes alive.

This is a worthy companion to the riveting Mark Levin video presentation featured elsewhere on today's blog.

Here is a short sample:

Now the outlines of a Watergate-like conspiracy are emerging in which a sitting Democrat president apparently used the apparatus of the state to spy on a Republican presidential candidate. Watergate differed in that President Nixon didn't get involved in the plot against the Democratic National Committee until later as an accomplice after the fact. Here Obama likely masterminded, or oversaw someone like the diabolical Benghazi cover-up artist Ben Rhodes, masterminding the whole thing. Throughout his agonizingly long presidency, Obama serially abused his powers as the nation's Chief Executive to undermine his political opponents. It might be said that every day of his presidency he committed at least one impeachable offense. Obama used the IRS to target conservative and Tea Party nonprofits, along with Catholic, Jewish, and pro-Israel organizations. He brazenly lied about it, too. His Justice Department surreptitiously obtained telephone records for more than 100 reporters. He did nothing while Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius repeatedly violated the Hatch Act, an anti-corruption statute. This is hardly an exhaustive list of Obama's misdeeds in office. Books have been written about his corruption and many more such volumes will follow.

The big question that worries me was clearly stated this morning by J.J. Sefton:
A former top intelligence official-turned-whistleblower at the National Security Agency says surveillance programs by the NSA could have been keeping tabs on the Trump campaign and that their intelligence could have been shared with other agencies.

William Binney, a legend at the NSA, laid out the case for warrantless wiretapping of Trump Tower and how other intel agencies like the CIA could have had access to the wiretaps.

Fox News national security correspondent James Rosen  himself bugged by the Obama administration  says Trump may be right:

ZeroHedge Blog:

Washington's Blog asked the highest-level NSA whistleblower in history - Bill Binney - whether he thought Trump had been bugged. Binney is the NSA executive who created the agencys mass surveillance program for digital information, who served as the senior technical director within the agency, who managed six thousand NSA employees. He was a 36-year NSA veteran widely regarded as a legend within the agency and the NSAs best-ever analyst and code-breaker. Binney also mapped out the Soviet command-and-control structure before anyone else knew how, and so predicted Soviet invasions before they happened (in the 1970s, he decrypted the Soviet Unions command system, which provided the US and its allies with real-time surveillance of all Soviet troop movements and Russian atomic weapons). Binney told Washington's Blog: NSA has all the data through the Upstream programs (Fairview/Stormbrew/Blarney) [background] and backed up by second and some third party country collection. Plus the FBI and CIA plus others, as of the last month of the Obama administration, have direct access to all the NSA collection (metadata and content on phones,email and banking/credit cards etc.) with no attempt at oversight by anybody [background]. This is all done under Executive Order 12333 [the order which allows unlimited spying no matter what intelligence officials claim] .... FBI would only ask for a warrant if they wanted to be able to take it into court at some point given they have something meaningful as evidence. This is clearly true given the fact the President Trump's phone conversations with other country leaders were leaked to the mainstream media. In other words, Binney is saying that Trumps phones were bugged by the NSA without a warrant - remember, top NSA whistleblowers have previously explained that the NSA is spying on virtually all of the digital communications of Americans. - and the NSA shared the raw data with the CIA, FBI and other agencies. If the FBI obtained a warrant to tap Trump's phone, it was a "parallel construction" to "launder" improperly-gained evidence through acceptable channels. As we've previously explained: The government is laundering information gained through mass surveillance through other agencies, with an agreement that the agencies will recreate the evidence in a parallel construction  so they dont have to admit that the evidence came from unconstitutional spying. This data laundering is getting worse and worse. So does it mean that the NSA spying on Trump Tower actually turned up some dirt? Maybe ...

Binney has no direct knowledge of any surveillance of Trump Tower. What he has is a roadmap for how it could have been done. He also shows the likelihood that agencies could have used whatever information was captured by the NSA's information dragnet.

A couple of caveats. First, Obama's executive order allowing other intel agencies access to the NSA's raw data was signed after the campaign was over. That doesn't mean that any wiretapped information from the Trump campaign wasn't gathered or even shared by NSA. It means that it is less likely that intelligence agencies had access to Trump campaign phone and email records before the election.

Secondly, from what we know so far, the FBI was not operating under any warrants, nor were there any FISA warrants issued to spy on the Trump campaign. Again, this doesn't mean that it didn't happen. In fact, Binney's roadmap shows it's more likely that if surveillance occurred, it was done without a warrant. But if we're looking for hard evidence or a paper trail proving Trump's charge, we may never find it.

Astronomer Carl Sagan popularized the adage, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." Sagan was talking about alien visitation of Earth and the fact that to date, solid "evidence" has been lacking. The same should hold true in politics. Accusing the former president of the United States of conducting a secret wiretapping program against an opposition presidential candidate is just about as extraordinary as it gets. So far, those who claim that the charges are true  including the president  are lacking solid evidence that the bugging occurred. What is offered as "proof" is more opinion and supposition than substantiation of facts.

But Binney's roadmap, along with what we know of surveillance during the Obama years, points to extremely troubling questions that Democrats cannot dismiss as "conspiracy-mongering." In this case, there were a will and a way. For the sake of the country, Congress needs to get to the bottom of the matter.
Now that the #Obamagate wiretapping scandal is on us, with voters wondering "did he or didn't he" bug the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump, as the latter charged Saturday, it's worth it to look at the president's style of governing. The estimable Doug Ross of Director Blue has a list of historic "firsts" of the Obama presidency, most of which show abuse of power in a pattern so repetitive it's impossible not to think this could go farther.

You can be the judge of whether or not Obama had it in him to bug the candidacy of Trump. But check out Doug's list to see what Obama's leadership character pattern amounts to.

As an old journalist buddy of mine from the foreign correspondent front in Africa said upon his return to the states: "I spent 20 years in the jungles here, serving my country in a way ... only to return home to an African dictator." He saw the pattern then. Ross's list might show the pattern to many more.
Just a week ago, President Trump was embattled. Democrats were lining up to go before cameras to ask, "Did [Trump associate X] meet with the Russians? When? What did they say? We need a full investigation!"

Trump was clearly on the defensive.

And then, on Thursday, all of a sudden, talk show host Mark Levin connected the dots. He asked himself a simple question: how did the media and Democrats know that Trump associates had talked to the Russians, however innocuous the contacts may have been? The information had come from government leaks. And how did the government know? Quite obviously, it must have been monitoring members of the Trump campaign.

It was at that point that Levin pieced together the scattered press reports showing that the Obama administration had, apparently, been monitoring members of the Trump campaign  a very, very political thing to do during an election campaign.

Once Mark put it out there on Thursday, there was a media explosion. Other outlets picked it up. President Trump himself raised the issue, comparing the situation to the Watergate scandal. Democrats on the offensive suddenly found themselves on the defensive.

And they all have Mark Levin to thank.

Breitbart didn't break the story.

Drudge didn't.

Neither did Fox News.

It was Mark Levin, a former chief of staff to an attorney general, who knows how the government works. He also thinks things through on his own. A Mark Levin show isn't a Mark Levin show unless he is heard screaming into the microphone, "I WRITE MY OWN BOOKS!!!!" Exactly. He's analytical.

Some Trump supporters have been critical of Levin for not supporting President Trump down the line. And it is true that Levin has been critical in a number of areas, notably:

1) Trump's support for tariffs (a tax on consumers),

2) Trump's trillion-dollar infrastructure plan (more debt),

3) Trump's plan for paid family leave (make jobs more expensive),

4) Trump's possible failure to keep his promise to end the DREAM Act,

5) Some questionable Cabinet picks like Steven Mnuchin (a George Soros associate) and a John Boehner crony as director of personnel at the White House.

But Mark has supported President Trump vociferously in his appointments of Jeff Sessions as attorney general and Scott Pruitt as EPA director. He lavished praise on the president's address to Congress and his plans to control entry into America from dangerous countries. Mark has also defended the administration frequently when it has come under attack from Democrats.

And now Mark, working from "The Bunker," has launched a political ICBM that has struck the heartland of the Democrats. Given that, shouldn't we show him a little gratitude?

Questions for discussion:

1) Look at the policy disagreements above Mark has with Trump. Do you disagree with any of them?

2) Do you think President Trump should be grateful to Mark for turning the rhetorical tide of this political attack, when no one else did?

3) If you feel that Mark helped the President, don't you think it's time you signed up with AMAC or shopped for window dressings at Blindster.com, as Mark often suggests?

Ed Straker is the senior writer at NewsMachete.com.
Environmentalists protesting the Trans-Pecos pipeline in West Texas are standing by their leader who was arrested last week on various charges in California, including having sex with a minor in 2002. He was convicted of forcible rape in 1984 and was a registered sex offender in California before assuming a false identity and moving to Texas.

Washington Free Beacon:

Protestors were shocked this week when Pedro Rabago Gutierrez, who went by Pete Hefflin while leading protests at the site of the Trans-Pecos Pipeline in West Texas, was arrested and had his criminal history and true identity exposed.

Gutierrez had not been seen since he was released on parole from California in 2002 after a long series of serious crimes. He was first imprisoned in 1984 on charges of forcible rape and drug possession with an intent to sell, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Gutierrez was released in 1990 but failed to stay out of legal trouble, according to the report. He was reimprisoned numerous times for parole violations and then convicted in 1998 for having sex with a minor. California authorities lost track of him after his 2002 parole.

But in November 2016, Gutierrez emerged as an environmentalist in Texas protesting a Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting over a proposed pipeline that would carry natural gas from the state into Mexico. He became a vocal leader of the protest, eventually rising to become the activists' head of security and ceremonies. He also was made a board member of the Society of Native Nations.

Many activists at the camp are standing by the man they knew as Pete Hefflin despite the serious charges that brought about his arrest.

Lori Glover, who owns the land containing the protest site and plays a leading role in protest activities, said she was "privileged" to have worked with him.

"He served his time, made a new start," Glover told the Chronicle. "I was unaware of any of this past history. Despite that, I feel very privileged to have worked with Pete Hefflin."

Her husband, Mark Glover, called Hefflin an "honorable man" and wrote off his criminal history by pointing out that "American Indians have an incredibly high incarceration rate."

"Ive known Pete Hefflin for six months and Ive found him to be a very honorable man and I will stand by him any day," Mark Glover said. "American Indians have an incredibly high incarceration rate, and if he's served prison time, I wouldn't doubt it. But we believe in redemption and we believe in Pete Hefflin."
The average metro train doesnt go beyond a few stories underground. But sometimes the geology and the geography of the region, such as the presence of rivers and swamps, forces engineers to go deep underground. The Arsenalna, a station on Kiev Metro's Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line, is such an exception.

Arsenalna station is located 105.5 meters below the surface, making it the deepest metro station in the world. If you made a vertical shaft on earth as deep, you could drop the entire Statue of Liberty into it and still have more than twelve meters of headroom left to drop other stuff. To board a subway train at this station, commuters have to take two seemingly never-ending escalators to the bottom. The journey takes up to five minutes.

The escalator at Arsenalna metro station. Photo credit: AMY/Wikimedia

Arsenalnas unusual depth is attributed to Kiev's geography. The station entrance lies at top of a steep valley next to the Dnieper River whose high banks rise above the rest of the city. Arsenalnas adjacent station, Dnipro, lies just above ground level close to the river bank before the metro line dives into the ground under Dniepers high banks. In order to avoid a steep descent, the Arsenalna station had to be built on the same level which required the stations entrance to be at the top of the banks, more than a hundred meters above.

Arsenalna metro station. Photo credit: Antares 610/Wikimedia

Arsenalna metro station. Photo credit: AsDur/Flickr

Arsenalna metro station. Photo credit: MrEdPhoto/F4/Flickr

The worlds second deepest metro station is located on Saint Petersburg Metro, which is one of the deepest metro systems in the world and the deepest by the average depth of all the stations. The system's deepest station, Admiralteyskaya, is located 86 meters below ground. The Saint Petersburg Metro including Admiralteyskaya has some of the longest escalators in the world, exceeding 130 meters.

Admiralteyskaya metro station. Photo credit: Wikimedia

Escalator at Admiralteyskaya metro station. Photo credit: da885/Flickr

The former Soviet Union has some of the most deepest underground metros in the world. Park Pobedy, located on the Moscow Metro, lies 84 meters underground, warranting it the third position in the list of deepest metro stations in the world. The Moscow Metro is also the deepest in Russia, having a maximum depth of 97 meters.

Like many Russian subway stations, Park Pobedy is beautifully decorated.

Park Pobedy. Photo credit: jaime.silva/Flickr

Park Pobedy. Photo credit: Paula Funnell/Flickr

Park Pobedy. Photo credit: Paula Funnell/Flickr

Yet another contender to the title of the worlds deepest metro system is Pyongyang Metro, in North Koreas secretive capital city, with tracks lying at over 110 meters underground. Commuters ride down to the Puhung Stationone of only two that foreigners are allowed entry on escalators accompanied by the sound of revolutionary anthems booming from antique loudspeakers. The journey takes nearly four minutes.

Because of its depth, the metro stations double as bomb shelters, with blast doors in place at hallways. The metro is so deep that the temperature of the platform remains a constant 18C all year.

Pyongyang Metro. Photo credit: BRJ INC/Flickr

Murals of ultra-nationalistic themes decorate walls at stations of Pyongyang Metro. Photo credit: Marcelo Druck/Flickr

Pyongyang Metro. Photo credit: Clay Gilliland/Flickr

Pyongyang Metro. Photo credit: Stephen/Flickr

Pyongyang Metro. Photo credit: Tatyana/Flickr

Pyongyang Metro. Photo credit: Uri Tours/Flickr

Pyongyang Metro. Photo credit: Dan Sloan/Flickr

Other deep stations worth mentioning are:
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Brush fire.jpg

A car stolen over night is believed to be the cause of a wide-ranging brush fire off of I-10 and Hwy. 90 headed towards Pascagoula. Multiple crews are on the scene in an attempt to contain the fire. (Tyler Carter/tcarter@al.com)

JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. - Officials say that a wildfire has been contained after threatening homes and generating smoke that creating hazardous driving conditions on I-10 and U.S. 90.

Per Jackson County Emergency Services Director Earl Etheridge, a vehicle fire that was "suspicious in nature" caused the brush fire.

According to Etheridge, a Jackson County deputy reported the woods fire around 9:45 a.m. Sunday at the Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Moss Point.

Etheridge said a total of 500 acres had been burned and nine homes had been damaged.

"The fire burned to the northwest, crossed Highway 90, and burned all the way up to the interstate, which caused Mississippi Highway Patrol to close the interstate," said Etheridge.

Both roadways eventually reopened to traffic. Etheridge said rain would be a much-needed aid in putting out smoldering in less accessible areas.

"Everything has now been contained for the most part, if we can just get some rain in here, we will be good," he said.

Alabama Forestry, two volunteer fire departments, Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Forts Lake Franklin Creek Fire Department aided in directing traffic and battling the fire.
(ANSA) - Rome, March 6 - The Italian foreign ministry in Rome said on Monday that it "condemns" the launch of missiles by North Korea. "The repeated missile tests" and "the development of a nuclear arsenal" are a "threat to international peace and security and an open violation of the Security Council resolutions," a statement read. North Korea "must abandon the development of a missile and nuclear arsenal and stop the path taken of challenging the international community and self isolation," it said. "Italy is ready to contribute to a firm, cohesive response from the international community".


(ANSA) - Milan, March 6 - Italy will bid farewell in a Milan parish Friday to DJ Fabo, the blind and tetraplegic former DJ whose recent assisted suicide in a Swiss clinic rekindled debate on end-of-life issues like euthanasia and living wills, the right-to-die activist who helped him commit suicide, Marco Cappato, said Monday.

"It won't be a Mass but a memorial in one of the areas of the parish (of Sant'Ildefonso)," said Radical Party member and Luca Coscioni Association Treasurer Cappato, who is risking up to 12 years in jail for his role in Fabo's death.

Lower House whips said last week that the House may start examining a bill on living wills soon.

Sources within the ruling coalition said the general debate on the bill may well start on March 13.

Parliament's long failure to legislate on end-of-life issues was highlighted last week by the assisted suicides in Switzerland of Fabo, left blind and tetraplegic by a 2014 car crash, and of a cancer-suffering pensioner from Veneto.

Cappato is under investigation in Milan for aiding the suicide last Monday of DJ Fabo.

The investigation was opened after former MEP Cappato reported himself to Carabinieri police on Tuesday.

The Radical Party member, who risks up to 12 years in jail, has said he hopes to face a trial as he bids to "get the State to assume its responsibilities".


(ANSA) - Brussels, March 6 - Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said he would "raise the question" of tortured and slain Italian researcher Giulio Regeni with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry during a meeting of European ministers on Monday. "I will tell him that as far as we are concerned the case can only be closed before the word 'truth'. There are no words that are subordinate to truth," Alfano said.

After a working lunch with Shoukry, Alfano said his Egyptian counterpart had reiterated that Cairo would do its "all" to get at thr truth about the Cambridge doctoral student from northeastern Italy.

Egypt, Alfano said, "wants ties with Italy to be fully restored", referring to the current lack of an ambassador in Cairo, because of the case.

Alfano said Cairo was "prepared to retrieve the truth out of any drawer it might be in, giving a helping hand until the end to find those responsible for the murder".

Regeni, 28, went missing in the Egyptian capital on January 25, 2016, on the heavily policed fifth anniversary of the uprising that ousted former strongman and president Hosni Mubarak.

His severely tortured, mutilated body was found on February 3 in a ditch on the city's outskirts.

Egypt has denied speculation its security forces, who are frequently accused of brutally repressing opposition, were involved in the death of the Cambridge doctoral student.

Egyptian and Italian prosecutors have been working on the case but Rome has yet to send a new ambassador to Cairo in protest at the lack of progress.

At the end of January the deputy head of the Egyptian parliament's foreign affairs committee, Tarek El Khouly, repeated that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi wants to find the people who tortured and murdered Regeni.

"I think there is an order from the Egyptian political leaders, from the president in person, to the general prosecutor to discover who killed Regeni, whoever that may be," El Khouly told ANSA.

"I think that, in any part of the world, mistakes are made by security apparatus. Perhaps it is a crime concerning an Egyptian security apparatus, perhaps not," said El Khouly, adding that the Regeni case had been politically "exploited" in both Egypt and Italy and urging a "separation" between Italy-Egypt ties and the case.

It recently emerged that the head of the Egyptian street sellers' trade union secretly filmed Regeni for the Cairo police in December 2015. The union official, Mohammed Abdallah, said he had agreed to do his patriotic duty because Regeni was a "spy".


(ANSA) - Rome, March 6 - Naples Mayor Luigi De Magistris said Monday that most of the infamous 'Vele' (Sails) tower blocks in the southern city's Scampia district will be demolished as part of a new government plan for deprived areas on the outskirts of Italian cities. "The Vele will come down, the first (block will be demolished) at the start of the summer this year," he said. He added that only one of the four 'Vele' blocks will remain.

This will be renovated and turned into the headquarters of the Naples metropolitan authority. Scampia has high rates of crime and unemployment rates and is one of the areas used by the Neapolitan Camorra syndicate to sell drugs. Parts of the hit movie Gomorrah, based on Roberto Saviano's book about the local mafia, were shot in Scampia. Premier Paolo Gentiloni on Monday presented a plan to invest 3.9 billion euros in deprived areas on the outskirts of Italian cities, including 500 million euros right away. "Today a 500-million-euro commitment was made for the best 24 projects in the periphery areas," Gentiloni told a press conference. "The commitment regards 120 interventions in total, so 95 more than those for today. The money is there.

"The CIPE (Interministerial Economic Planning Committee) has set aside another 800 million of the 1.6 billion needed and the other 800 million are part of the fund for infrastructure. "In addition to the 2.1 billion, public and private funding will be added for a total of 3.9 billion".


Brussels demo urges EU to respect relocation commitments Dutch citizens, NGOs protest ahead of European Council summit

(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, MARCH 6 - Demonstrators took to the streets of central Brussels on Monday to call on EU member states to make good on their commitments concerning the relocation of migrants from Italy and Greece.



The demonstration, organised by the movement of Dutch citizens 'Let's bring them here' and supported by numerous associations and NGOs, comes on the heels of a similar initiative in The Hague in November. Activists holding a banner reading 'Refugees are welcome' headed up the procession. "The symbolic action is directed at governments and at the leaders who will be at the European Council summit on Thursday and Friday," explained Katinka Simonrs. "They need to understand that we are serious. If we do not see new results shortly we will go to Greece to take the refugees. We will make the transfers ourselves," added Rikko Voorberg.



The protesters are demanding faster implementation of the 2015 EU-mandated migrant redistribution programme that envisages spreading asylum-seekers more evenly across member states to take the pressure off front-line countries such as Italy and Greece. (ANSAmed).




130 migrants intercepted in Aegean heading for Chios Mostly from Syria, Iraq, Iran and Morocco

(ANSAmed) - Istanbul, March 6 - Turkish coast guard authorities on Sunday intercepted at least 130 migrants and refugees off the coast of Cesme in boats heading for the Greek Aegean island of Chios. The migrants came mostly from Syria, Iraq, Iran and Morocco and included numerous women and children. They were taken to identification centres in the province of Smirne and face expulsion from Turkey. The number of migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey has fallen to a few dozen a day as a result of the controversial accord signed by the EU and Turkey a year ago. (ANSAmed).




ROME - The eighth edition of Middle East Now, the international cultural festival dedicated to the Middle East region, opens in Florence on April 4.

The six-day event presents over 40 films by well known and emerging directors from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Iran, Israel, Iraq, Kurdistan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia. This year the festival takes as its theme the urban dimension of life in the Middle East, with a special focus on Egypt.



The line-up includes In the Last Days of the City by Tamer Elsayed, dedicated to Cairo; director Mohammed Hammad's debut Whitered Green; the documentaries Whose Country? by Mohamed Siam, which takes a ruthless look at the country through the fortunes of a group of police agents in the capital, and Happily Ever After, on the tormented love affair between Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir in post-revolution Egypt; and the first acclaimed feature film by young talent Sherif Elbendary, Ali, The Goat and Ibrahim. Corollary events include a course in Iraqi cuisine and two appointments with famous on-line Arabic teacher Maha Yacoub focusing on everyday expressions in use across the Arabic-speaking world. (ANSAmed).


Seven Tunisians arrested on dinghy heading to Italy Suspects apprehended in El Hoauria on Cap Bon peninsula

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, MARCH 6 - The Tunisian authorities on Monday arrested seven Tunisian nationals for trying to make the illegal sea crossing to Italy, the interior ministry has said.



The suspects were apprehended on board a dinghy in El Hoauria on the Cap Bon peninsula.



One of the suspects was reportedly wanted by police. The suspects said they had paid approximately 500 Tunisian dinars (less than 250 euros) per head for the failed crossing.



(ANSAmed).




BRUSSELS - Demonstrators took to the streets of central Brussels on Monday to call on EU member states to make good on their commitments concerning the relocation of migrants from Italy and Greece.

The demonstration, organised by the movement of Dutch citizens 'Let's bring them here' and supported by numerous associations and NGOs, comes on the heels of a similar initiative in The Hague in November. Activists holding a banner reading 'Refugees are welcome' headed up the procession. "The symbolic action is directed at governments and at the leaders who will be at the European Council summit on Thursday and Friday," explained Katinka Simonrs. "They need to understand that we are serious. If we do not see new results shortly we will go to Greece to take the refugees. We will make the transfers ourselves," added Rikko Voorberg.

The protesters are demanding faster implementation of the 2015 EU-mandated migrant redistribution programme that envisages spreading asylum-seekers more evenly across member states to take the pressure off front-line countries such as Italy and Greece.


Name: Arlie Hartman

Title: National Security Operations Manager - Cloud

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.

Degree: Bachelors degree in Business, IT Management at WGU (in progress)

Years in IT: 16

Years in cybersecurity: 11

Cybersecurity certifications: CCSP, CISSP, HCISPP, GSEC, PCIP



How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity?

I was working as a quality analyst doing root cause analysis for unsatisfactory IT incident resolutions  I was, essentially, a complaints department. I saw a position available as a technical analyst for our regional security officer and I applied and got it. I started out supporting the RSA Ace server for remote access second factor and the PGP key server for PKE and our interface engine. As I built more trust with my boss, I started attending meetings he was too busy to go to. I built relationships across the organization and started learning a tremendous amount about healthcare, information security and enterprise IT. I really enjoyed the blend of people and technology.



Why did you get your CCSP?

While I was working as a qualified security assessor (QSA), I often had to assess public and private cloud infrastructures to the PCI-DSS. I would lean heavily on our younger analysts who were more experienced in AWS and Azure. When I went back to healthcare, my employer was evaluating a migration to Office365 so I thought it would be a great opportunity to put into practice all the research I had been doing on cloud computing.



What is a typical day like for you?

The greatest thing about being an information security professional is that you never have a typical day. If you like doing the same thing every day and never being challenged, do not get into information security. Generally, I start by catching up on urgent emails, read through the analyst reports, threat feeds, security tweets and cybersecurity news. After that, I work through my ever-changing list of daily, weekly and long-term deliverables. I try to check in and make sure my team has what they need, and let my director know if there is anything we need help with. We are a small team that often helps evaluate technology or process changes and assists with acquisitions. I am busy, but productive.



Can you tell us about a personal career highlight?

I really enjoy talking with other information security professionals. I attend local and regional security conferences, from (ISC) events to DerbyCon. I have been fortunate enough to speak at GrrCon and at my local Circle City Con. I was recently asked to join the board of my local Central Indiana ISSA chapter which has been growing beyond expectations. I enjoy getting the opportunity to listen, learn and share in such a great community of professionals.



How has the CCSP certification helped you in your career?

It has been a natural progression from my CISSP to earn my CCSP. The certification demonstrates to my peers that I am staying current with technologies as they evolve. Attaining the CCSP has shown to my leadership that I am seriously committed to our evolving technology strategy and that I have the competency to contribute.

What is the most useful advice you have for other cloud security professionals?

What you do as a cloud security professional is important. This specialty is a vertex of compliance, risk management, APIs and virtual infrastructure. I am seeing my generation of information security professionals, who came from infrastructure and traditional networking, start to work with a new generation of professionals who natively understand software-defined infrastructure. Getting the organization and IT group into the cloud, safely, is one of the great infosec responsibilities of our time.

Read the Rise of the Cloud Security Professional whitepaper for more information on the CCSP.
(ANSAmed) - Bari - A strong European Union is needed to meet the current migration challenge, Albanian European Integration Minister Klajda Gjosha said on Monday.



"I don't yet know what direction President Trump will take concerning immigration because right now there is a big discussion going on in the US," Gjosha said.



"What I do know for sure is that a better and stronger Europe will be better able to tackle the issue despite the approach America is taking now," she added. Gjosha also appealed for more "solidarity" and "unity" in Europe in order to meet the present global challenges. "I think that the EU and its member states are taking for granted the real significance of the Union and the reason for its creation: peace, solidarity, unity," she said.



"In this sense the countries in the Western Balkans can make a major contribution  beacuse we don't take anything for granted and truly see a united Europe as the only prospect we have for joining forces and building a better and safer Europe," Gjosha concluded. (ANSAmed).


Bill Belichick,James Develi

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, left, congratulates James Develin after their team defeated the Atlanta Falcons in overtime at the NFL Super Bowl 51 football game Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, in Houston. The Patriots defeated the Falcons 34-28. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

(Matt Slocum)

New England Patriots fullback James Develin, an impending free agent, has agreed to re-sign on a two-year contract, according to Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald.

Develin, a valuable player in the Patriots' power running game, has been with the team since 2012.

He is the first player in New England's large free agent class to re-sign.

The futures of key free agents like Dont'a Hightower, Martellus Bennett, Logan Ryan, Duron Harmon, and Jabaal Sheard will be determined over the next week.

Unrestricted free agents can begin negotiating with new teams on Tuesday. They can officially sign beginning Thursday.
There is a story  perhaps apocryphal  that sums up the top-down attention to detail that has propelled Qatar Airways to the leading echelon of airlines.

It goes thus: A journalist was interviewing group CEO, Akbar Al Baker, in his office overlooking the ramp at the old Doha International Airport. Midway through the interview, Al Baker, glancing occasionally at the aircraft docked at the terminal, seemed to be becoming distracted. After a few minutes he stopped the interview, picked up the telephone on his desk and punched in a number. When his call was answered, pleasantries were minimal: Its late, he said down the line. Why is it late?

Al Baker, the story goes, had such an encyclopaedic knowledge of his airlines operations that he knew one particular flight was five minutes behind schedule in pushing back from the gate.

Whether true or not, it exemplifies the ethos behind the airline  a relentless focus on details to provide a product capable of attracting passengers from around the world to transit through Doha, the Qatari capital, on their journeys.

Since taking over the airline following a 1997 re-launch, Al Baker has gained a reputation among aircraft manufacturers as being one of their most demanding customers. He is prepared to buy huge quantities of aircraft  Qatar Airways has an astonishing 350-plus on order at present, to add to its current fleet of around 190  but insists that everything meets his exacting requirements.

He has publicly castigated both Boeing and Airbus when problems have arisen with aircraft destined for his fleet, and he has been prepared to invoke the nuclear option of simply walking away if they do not meet his standard.

The handover of the first Airbus A350-900, for which Qatar was launch customer, was delayed by a fortnight in December 2014 because of a last-minute hiccough involving a cabin equipment supplier. And 2016 saw him cancel the first four A320neos from an order of 50 (34 A320neo and 16 A321neo) because of a problem with the new Pratt & Whitney PW1100G turbofan.

The issue was that the PW1100Gs start-up times were longer than specified. In June, Pratt & Whitney executives insisted that the glitches had been fixed, but an unconvinced Qatar Airways nevertheless cancelled its second pair of aircraft in September.

We will walk away from more aircraft as they become due, Al Baker said. I cant answer when the problem will be resolved [but] we have confidence in Airbus. We are negotiating a contract with them for us to mitigate the issue.

The airline has also faced problems with slower-than-expected deliveries of its fleet of Airbus A350s: We have 12 A350s at the moment, Al Baker said at the end of November. We should have had 19 [by the end of 2016]. Three more are promised [by year-end]. We think only one will arrive.

The combined shortfall of the two Airbus types has led Qatar Airways to cancel up to 800 flights and Al Baker estimated that the problems would cost the airline $400 million in the current financial year.

The airline is also due to take delivery of the larger A350-1000, but it has not yet decided how to deploy them, said Al Baker. We need to see the weight and range of the aircraft. It may be heavy. It may have payload issues. In general, however, it will be earmarked for ultra-long sectors.

At the top of the market, Qatar Airways has three options for A380s, as well as the 10 already ordered and being delivered. Will those options be exercised? Were still not sure. We still have time to decide.

Fed up with the A320neo problems, in October 2016 Qatar Airways signed a letter of intent for up to 60 Boeing 737 MAX 8s. However, these will not be used by Qatar Airways itself: We wont operate the A320 with the 737. The 737 is to cater for investment in other airlines.

One of those airlines is likely to be Italian carrier Meridiana, in which Qatar Airways has a pending deal to take a 49% shareholding. This was due to be finalised as Arabian Aerospace was going to press.

The decision to get involved with Sardinia-based Meridiana, which has been in the works for a year, surprised observers. While neighbouring Gulf carrier Etihad has a track record of taking a stake in failing airlines that it feels nevertheless hold promise, such as Alitalia, Air Serbia and Airberlin, Al Baker is on record as saying that he would never get involved with an airline that required a lot of money or management time to turn around.

However, despite Meridiana having made consistent losses in recent years and flying a heterogeneous, increasingly elderly fleet, he felt it was a worthwhile investment.

Meridiana shouldnt be in the state its in. If we didnt have confidence that we could turn it around quite quickly, we wouldnt be interested. We see theres huge potential in Meridiana: its the second national carrier of Italy and its not burdened with as much debt as people think.

A major problem at the Italian airline has been its over-manning. However, said Al Baker, the airlines trade unions had accepted that the only way it could survive was by shedding several hundred personnel. This process had started, but Qatar would not make a final commitment to invest until an agreed staff level had been reached.

Once the final contract had been signed, Qatar Airways would lease new aircraft to replace Meridianas existing fleet, he said. Although he did not spell it out, it seems likely that the Italian carrier would be the home for some of the new Boeing 737 MAX 8s, for which Qatar has placed a commitment.

The intention was to increase Meridianas size and the airline would continue to operate as an independent airline, he added. There would be very little or no overlap in its activities with those of Qatar Airways and it would not directly feed Qatars Doha hub, but some transfer of passengers was possible at Milan or Rome.

Meanwhile, Al Baker also foresees considerable expansion in Morocco. Qatar Airways has had a codeshare agreement with Royal Air Maroc (RAM) since August 2015 and intends to increase its current thrice-weekly Marrakesh service to daily, using Boeing 787-8s.

It wants to become much more closely involved with RAM, take a stake in it and expand both its size and reach. We need to get involved with RAM to develop the company. We feel theres a huge potential there.

The north African airline should be ready to start serious negotiations with us to offer us a stake in the company. The amount [of the shareholding] depends on the Moroccan Government, but were very keen, both as an airline and on the political level, to help Morocco develop its aviation industry.

We want to take a stake in RAM to develop the airline into an even bigger carrier, to serve Africa with a much expanded airline network and as a major hub to North and South America.

Africa was still the poor relation in terms of long-haul services, he said. Qatar Airways sees Africa as a very important continent thats badly underserved by international carriers. Carriers that serve Africa are taking advantage of the low frequencies by overcharging passengers. His airline would like to remedy that, he said: Were not going to be cheap but when you pay a fare on Qatar Airways you get value for money.

He also regarded Casablanca as an important hub  but warned that the citys airport facilities had lagged behind the expansion of RAM and needed investment to increase capacity and improve facilities.

Were also going to invest in real estate  hotels  to boost the tourism industry in Morocco.

Further afield, he said he did not intend to increase Qatar Airways 20% stake in International Airlines Group  which includes Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and low-cost carrier Vueling  at the moment. Similarly, he was happy, at present, with the recently acquired 10% stake in South Americas LATAM group.

Concern has been expressed by some Gulf airlines that the election of Donald Trump as US president could lead to a resurrection of US airlines claims that Gulf carriers have an unfair competitive advantage over European and US airlines through alleged subsidies. Certainly, Trump has made it clear he intends to protect US jobs and his neo-protectionist views have caused alarm in some quarters.

However, Al Baker was more sanguine over the incoming presidents stance: Hes a very shrewd businessman. I think Mr Trump is wise enough not to be baited by the American carriers. We bring the US millions of dollars in benefits and millions of passengers. So much tourism and [many] businesses depend on passengers travelling on business, leisure and to see families. Tourism is a vital industry in the US, so I dont think president-elect Trump will be swayed by protectionist policies. Im sure he will look at the bigger interests.

Qatar Airways and other Gulf carriers have expressed concern in recent years that air traffic control restrictions in their home region are having a detrimental effect on services. One study in 2016 found that the average delay to flights in the region because of ATC bottlenecks was 29 minutes and that that figure was likely to double in the next few years as fleets grew and airspace became steadily more congested.

Airlines, governments and air navigation service providers have pooled their efforts to try to find a solution. Al Baker said that the problem was now being recognised, but that there was some way to go before a solution was in place. Such a solution would have to involve the regions air forces.

I think people have started to realise that theres airspace congestion in the Gulf. This is not because we have a lack of airspace but because a lot of that space is blocked by the military and we need to be able to open that up, for us to be able to fly more efficiently.

Al Baker is a man used to getting his way on issues, but one goal recently eluded him. Qatar Airways had, for two years, been planning a new, domestic airline for Saudi Arabia, Al Maha Airways, to get a share of the Gulfs largest national air travel market.

The first Airbus A320s were bought and there were plans for a fleet of up to 50 aircraft. However, a licence to start operations was not forthcoming from the Saudi regulatory authorities and Al Maha was quietly dropped.

Yes, Im disappointed that we were not able to launch that airline. We hope we will have another opportunity to fulfil our wish to serve the Saudi nation.

A recent change of leadership at the Saudi transport ministry would help, he believed. However, capacity improvements also had to be put in place at Saudi Arabias airports to cope with increased traffic flows. Once all those problems are resolved, we will reinvigorate our interest in operating a domestic Saudi airline.

Like that departing aircraft at Doha International, for Al Baker and Qatar Airways, the timing has to be right.


Women make up close to 44% of the airlines workforce and have been an integral part of the success story of Emirates over the last 31 years.

Emirates currently employs more than 29,000 women from over 150 nationalities. Women employed at Emirates come from diverse backgrounds and work across the entire spectrum of airline operations. Over 18,000 work as cabin crew, while the rest are represented across technical as well as in professional and leadership roles. Close to 2.5% of the total female staff occupy managerial positions in the airline, and women are also increasingly working and advancing in functions that were more traditionally represented by men. Over the past decade, the number of women employees at Emirates has increased in line with the airlines growth. The proportion of women as part of the airlines total workforce has also grown by 6% during the same period.

Abdulaziz Al Ali, executive vice president of human resources at Emirates said: Emirates is committed to providing equal opportunities at the workplace for both women and men across all business functions. We are proud of our women colleagues and their immense contribution to the growth and success of the airline. We hope that they can continue to inspire and be role models for girls and women across the globe interested in pursuing careers in aviation.

From pilots to aircraft engineers, cargo supervisors to flight dispatchers

Emirates female cockpit crew come from 24 nationalities and are aged between 20 and 59 years, including pilot cadets. Watch Captain Nevin Darwish from Egypt and First Officer Alia Al Muhairi from the UAE fly the iconic Emirates Airbus A380 aircraft from Dubai to Vienna. Captain Darwish is the first woman of Arab origin to have captained the Airbus A380. First Officer Al Muhairi, a UAE national, is currently the youngest Emirati female pilot operating the Emirates A380 aircraft.

In Emirates Engineering, women work as licensed aircraft engineers, mechanics, and technicians for aircraft maintenance and repairs. Women also work at critical positions in flight operations both on the ramp as operations managers, turnaround coordinators, aircraft loading supervisors and load controllers as well as in the operations centre as flight dispatchers and duty managers.
For over one month, Gulf Air branded London cabs operated across the central and greater London area.

Gulf Airs UK country manager Rashid AlGaoud said: We wanted to raise awareness of Gulf Air in one of the airlines key markets, and to do so in a truly standout way. With Sherbet Media we achieved this. We gained great brand awareness from this campaign with positive feedback from a broad spectrum of residents and visitors who saw and used the Gulf Air branded taxis in various locations throughout London.
The MoU was signed by Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, director general of MBRSC and Dr. Gwang-Rae Cho, president of KARI.



This MoU provides a concrete basis for the on-going cooperation and partnership between the UAE and South Korea with respect to transferring the know-how of space technology, within coherent frameworks that will boost the UAEs position in this regard, especially knowing that South Korea currently has a high profile with its notable achievements in the world space society, said Al Shaibani.

Dr. Gwang-Rae Cho, president of KARI, said: Considering the importance of international collaboration in space development, the signing of this MoU between KARI and MBRSC is all the more meaningful as it will facilitate both implementing organizations in working together more effectively under the common goal of strengthening capacities in the space sector.
The agreement was signed at KHCF offices by RJs chief commercial officer server Aydin deputizing for the president/CEO Captain Suleiman Obeidat and director general of KHCF Nisreen Qatamish.

Under this agreement, RJ gives its frequent flyers, members of Royal Plus Program, the chance to contribute to the fight against cancer by donating their collected travel miles to the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Center to be used by patients to travel to therapeutic recreation camps abroad as part of the patients treatment to alleviate the anxieties and concerns they may have. The miles could also be used by the centers doctors and employees to travel and get necessary training, and to attend medical conferences.

Aydin said: We highly appreciate KHCF for making such an effort in changing peoples lives and giving them hope. Being healthy is a blessing; however, for the cancer patients, KHCF is a bigger blessing for them, their parents and their loved ones as well.

He added: As the national carrier of Jordan, and as a part of this community, Royal Jordanian is very proud to support the mission of KHCF and considers it a duty towards Jordan, and being involved in our society is a must.

He said that RJ will always be there for the people of Jordan and any good initiatives that help Jordan to be a better and a healthier country.

Qatamish said: This donation coming from the RJ passengers contributes to raising the morale of the patients and enables them and their companions to travel onboard RJ to visit various countries as part of their treatment programme.

Through Royal Plus frequent flyer programme, RJ aims to offer its passengers a seamless travel experience with special services in exchange for their collected miles. Passengers who join the program can accumulate miles when they travel with RJ or any of its oneworld partners or its code share partners, according to the destination, ticket price and travel class.
FTV2, named, "The Powerhouse," is designed to test aircraft systems, including propulsion, electrical and mechanical systems, all of which were fully functional during the 4 hour, 28 minute flight.

Captain Jeff Karnes, assisted by his co-pilot, J.R. Marcolesco and Flight Test Engineer Ben Povall took off from Bombardier's Toronto facility at 10:50 a.m. EST on Saturday. The initial flight also tested the aircraft's performance at high altitude, with FTV2 climbing to 43,000 feet (13,106.4 metres), as expected.

"The successful flight of the first flight test vehicle (FTV1) in November 2016 paved the way to the smooth flight of FTV2 this past weekend," said Michel Ouellette, senior vice president, Global 7000 and Global 8000 Programme. "We are focused on meeting the program's development and certification schedule and, once again, we have demonstrated our ability to deliver results through the hard work and dedication of the highly skilled teams working on the programme."

"We now have a flight test vehicle dedicated to testing the aircraft's systems. Data from FTV2 will supplement the successful results we have already obtained from test rigs, including the Integrated Systems Test and Certification Rig (ISCTR) and, from the extensive flight testing of FTV1 to date," said Francois Caza, vice president, product development and chief engineer, Bombardier. "We are on track with our test program and are very pleased with the progression and performance of our flight test vehicles to date. The dedication and collaboration our teams have shown were critical in achieving this significant milestone", he added.
Olivier Jager, CEO, ForwardKeys, said: It is interesting to note that the travel ban has not only impacted travel from the seven affected countries to the USA, as one would expect; it has also affected travel in the opposite direction too. At this point, we do not know why exactly but we suspect that United States citizens may be avoiding travel to Islamic countries, fearing that they will not be welcome or that Muslims based in the United States may be avoiding travel fearing re-entry problems or both. Nevertheless, whilst we cannot be sure of the cause, the effect, a 27% collapse in bookings to the Middle East, is substantial.

ForwardKeys also found that the travel ban on people from the seven Muslim-majority countries had a much wider than expected impact, as total international travel to the USA fell by 6.5% in the wake of the executive order. The intervention by the courts a week later to strike down the ban triggered a recovery; only for bookings to the USA to slump again when President Trump promised a new ban. Bookings for future arrivals are effectively flat.

The impact of the ban on outbound travel is demonstrated by the fact that accumulated USA bookings to the Middle East three weeks before the ban were up by a very healthy 12% on last year. However, in the four weeks following the ban they were down 27%, a 39% meltdown!

The same pattern was observed in bookings to South Asia, which, prior to the travel ban were 12% up and in the period afterwards fell to 24% down, a 36% reversal. (ForwardKeys geographic definition, following UNWTO, puts Iraq, Yemen and Syria in the Middle East and Iran in South Asia). As a benchmark, total outbound bookings from the USA made during the peak January booking season, prior to the imposition of the travel ban, were unusually healthy, 17% up on last year. The surge was likely driven by pent-up demand for travel to Europe, which was negatively affected in 2016 by a series of terrorist incidents. In the four weeks after the imposition of the ban, the rise in total outbound bookings had fallen back to 4.4%.

Looking ahead at bookings for future travel during the upcoming three months, March-May, there has also been a significant stall in bookings from the USA to the Middle East and South Asia. On January 27th forward bookings for travel to the Middle East were 23% ahead of the same point last year but by February 28th, they had fallen to 2.4% behind, a 25.4% slow-down. Bookings for travel to South Asia during the March-May period were 8.8% ahead prior to the imposition of the ban; by February 28th, they were 6.6% behind, a 15.4% slow-down. As a benchmark, overall USA outbound travel for the next three months is, as of February 28th, a very healthy 11% ahead but prior to the ban it had been an even healthier 20% ahead, a 9% slow-down.

Whether the overall slow-down in forward bookings has been caused by the travel ban is debateable  it could simply be the consequence of an unusually strong peak booking season in January. However, the collapse in bookings to the Middle East is very difficult to explain without reference to the travel ban.

Looking more closely at total international travel to the US, ForwardKeys data shows that the imposition of the travel ban on January 27th caused a 6.5% slump in bookings to the USA in the following eight days. However, when the ban was struck down by the courts on February 4th, there was a recovery and in the 12 days after that, bookings rose to 2.2% over the same period last year. But, as soon as plans for a new ban were announced on February 17th, bookings again fell and in the 9 days since, they have been 4% down on the equivalent period last year. The Middle East and Africa were particularly hit by a reluctance to travel to the USA, as was Europe.

Looking ahead, forward bookings for total international arrivals in the USA during the next three months, are currently slightly, 0.4%, behind where they were at the same time last year. Inbound travel from Europe, the Middle East and Africa is significantly behind whereas travel from Asia Pacific and the Americas is ahead. As a benchmark, on January 27th, the day before the imposition of the travel ban, three-month forward bookings were 3.4% ahead.

Olivier Jager, concluded: Donald Trumps on-off travel ban has created a rollercoaster ride for the travel industry. Some passengers do not know where they stand as they await President Trumps promised new order. Its not at all clear when that will come. In the meantime, uncertainty reigns and the presidential rhetoric appears to be deterring visitors to the USA.


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Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer is asking state legislators to slow down on two Republican-backed education bills he says will negatively impact students in his city.

Fischer posted a Facebook video taking on two pieces of legislationHouse Bill 151, known as the neighborhood schools bill, and House Bill 520, which would allow charter schools in the state. Both measures have already passed out of the House.

Should it pass, the neighborhood schools bill would require districts to enroll students in the school nearest to their homes. The bill has exceptions for special schools, such as magnet schools and others with entrance requirements, and also proposes that no student be displaced to make room for another.

Supporters argue that the bill will allow more parental choice. But opponents argue that the bill threatens to roll back decades of desegregation efforts in the Jefferson County school district, which includes the city of Louisville. The district has been perhaps the most stalwart in the country in its decades-long efforts to keep its schools integrated

It currently uses a complex method in student assignments to ensure that schools are racially- and socio-economically diverse. The district, with 100,000 students, is the largest in the state.

More than 40 percent of families in Louisville send their children to schools that are not neighborhood schools, Fischer said in the Facebook video. The bill would have unintended consequences, he said, by restricting school choice, creating schools of concentrated poverty, and forcing students to attend schools that may not be the best fit for them. There is also the question of the millions of dollars that would be needed to create true neighborhood schools would come from, he said.

(See Education Weeks special report, Brown at 60" on the anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education and Louisvilles desegregation program. The Washington Posts Emma Brown also has an in-depth look at how the bill could affect Louisvilles desegregation program.)

According to WDRB, Jefferson County schools Superintendent Donna Hargens testified against the neighborhood schools bill. While Hargens said neighborhood schools will likely give families more stability, she argued that it would decrease choice, equity and diversity, according to the station.

Fischer said student assignment policy in Louisville should be left to local education and city officials.

Improving JCPS is a complicated topic that is best addressed by Louisvillians, he said. Lets take the time to do this right.

Will Kentucky Finally Get a Charter School Law?

The charter school bill is expected to pass the state Senate this week and has the support of Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. It will allow private organizations and members of the community to apply to open charter schools. While for-profit organizations cant apply to open a charter schoolthe charter schools board of directors can contract with the for-profit group to operate the school, according to the Associated Press.

The charter bill as proposed would allow the mayors of Louisville and Lexington, as well as local school districts, to be charter authorizers. Their decisions could be reversed by the state, the AP reported.

Fischer said he supports charters that would help students who need the most support and that would be based on models of charter schools that have demonstrated strong results in the 43 other states that already allow them.

The current bill, he said, has numerous challenges that must be addressed, including questions about the funding and whether funding for charter schools will negatively impact existing schools. He also raised concerns about the use of non-certified teachers and allowing corporations to profit from our tax dollars and our children through for profit schools.

Bevin has criticized those who have opposed the charter bill.

The argument that this is somehow a threat to the public education system is a lie. It is a scare tactic, it is meant to preserve the statute quo, the AP quoted Bevin as saying. This is not a threat to anything except failure.

While the school board in Louisville has criticized both bills, the district is arguing from a weakened position. The district was recently placed under a state management audit after a limited review found numerous financial and administrative issues. A few days after the announcement of the audit, several parents rallied to call for Superintendent Hargens resignation.

Fischer urged residents who are affected to call their state representatives.
Expecting large staff absences next week on International Womens Day, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district in North Carolina has canceled classes .

March 8 is International Womens Day, and a one-day protest billed as A Day Without a Woman, is planned around the world. The organizers are urging women to take the day off from paid and unpaid work, refrain from shopping, except at small businesses and those owned by women and minorities, and to wear red in a show of solidarity.

The one-day demonstration is being promoted by the group that put together the Womens March on Jan. 21, when millions of women and men across the world mobilized for womens rights and in protest of the new Trump administration.



If female educators across the country join the demonstration en masse, it could cause staffing challenges for schools. Public education is a female-dominated profession: In the 2011-12 school year, about 76 percent of public school teachers and about 52 percent of public school principals were women, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

About 75 percent of Chapel Hill-Carrboro employees are women, the News & Observer reported.

This is not to say that all women identify with the causes of the Womens March or will join the demonstration.

While many women will not participate in the demonstration, Jim Causby, the superintendent of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro district, said in a statement that a survey by principals and central office employees of staff showed that absences could be widespread.

The results showed that the number was significant. He determined that he would not have enough staff to safely run the schools and made the decision to change the day to an optional teacher workday, he said.

While Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools values and supports its female employees, the decision to close schools is not a political statement, Causby said. It is entirely about the safety of students and the districts inability to operate with a high number of staff absences.

In addition to canceling classes, the district will not have on-site childcare services on March 8. Students will not be required to make up the day because the district has enough instructional days to meet requirements, he said.

Last month, some schools faced similar staffing shortages, as well as student absences, as part of a Day Without an Immigrant demonstrations and boycotts that were largely a protest of the Trump administrations immigration policies.
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Emergency Situations told Armenpress on March 6, as of 08:30, some highways are closed and difficult to pass in Armenia.

Urasar-Katnaghbyur highway is closed, and the alternative route is difficult to pass.

Sotk-Karvachar highway is difficult to pass.

The Emergency Situations Department of Georgias Ministry of Interior Affairs informs the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles.
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the German leadership on banning the Turkish ministers to hold a campaign in the country ahead of the constitutional referendum, Reuters reports.

Erdogan accused Germany on running Nazi policy.

Germany, you have no relation whatsoever to democracy and you should know that your current actions are no different to those of the Nazi period, Erdogan saying at a rally in Istanbul as quoted by Reuters.

He said this issue will be regularly raised during international-level meetings.

We no longer want to see the Nazi world, the fascist regimes. I thought that German left it, but it turns out that I was wrong, he said.

Turkeys Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag had been due to address expatriates in Gaggenau in support of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's controversial reforms. But local authorities withdrew permission for the rally, saying the planned venue was not big enough.

Bekir Bozdag condemned the decision stating that what has happened is unacceptable. He also cancelled his meeting with German Justice Minister. Later Turkey's Foreign Ministry has summoned the German ambassador Martin Erdmann in Ankara.
There is change energy in our nation. Gone are the agriculturally and ethnic roots where the traditional was valued, maybe even more than change. Energy is active and, in its present form, the fervor to replace what was (and is) has captured the minds and hearts of the majority. People are paying attention and fighting against what they dont believe in and for what they do. Action is a good thing. It is personally empowering and it does contribute to change. It is also exhausting.

Tradition vs. Change

Perhaps more than anywhere else schools hold the tension between the desire for traditions and core values and the desire for change. While voices rise up demanding we do things differently and get different results, there is a counter resistance when we raise the need to close buildings or drop programs or add early childhood or shift the system to become a STEM one. Educational leaders can become exhausted and frustrated from the work they are doing. They can become disempowered by falling short of making the changes for which they work so hard.

One of the most challenging leadership responsibilities may be communicating to external audiences and rally people to support the movement forward. While we have plans to make the system new and vibrant and working for all, we end up sounding like protectionists. Whether proposing a change in school starting times, grade configurations, use of technology, staffing, grading or school-business partnerships, leaders are on point. They need the skills to bring the community of students, faculty, staff, parents, and community members along.

A Metaphor

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, streamed on Netflix, is a dramatic representation of the O.J. Simpson trial that exposes the dealings and maneuvering on both sides of the court. No matter what you may believe about O.J.'s innocence or guilt, how the trial unfolded is instructive. Two specifics stood out as mirrors of what is happening in our country. One is overconfidence and the other is shrewd understanding of the audience and the use of an opening that will change minds and energize.

Overconfidence

The prosecutors appeared to be overconfident. They had the evidence they thought they needed to convince a jury of O.J.'s guilt. The overconfidence led to their failure. Some leaders who are change advocates can fall victim to overconfidence as well. Being sure a proposal or an idea is good for children and will support them to greater success is an inherent good. That force for good can be deterred by not understanding the potential opposition. In the throes of enthusiasm we can discount the realities of those who are affected by not listening to someone who is walking in those shoes.

Perhaps that is what happened in Hillary Clintons campaign. It appeared to the entire world, perhaps even the Trump campaign, that she was going to win the election. Overconfidence may have kept Clinton from understanding what she needed to do to win. Simply having what she considered good ideas and a high standard of civility proved to be not enough. Strategy was missing, strategy that took into account the effectiveness of her oppositions ability to appeal to the change ferment, to respond to the fermenting discontent and to speak in plain terms with simplicity.

Stories abound from school leaders who have tried to make changes and have failed. Mandated changes are easier to make. One can simply shrug and blame the mandate. But for the many more things that can be changed and are not mandated, there is a skill of communication required. Lets learn it isnt just about getting the message out. It is about crafting the right message in a manner that is understandable and generates support. It takes skill. That leads to a second lesson.

Understanding Your Audience

In the dramatic representation of the O.J. trial, Johnnie Cochran shrewdly led the defense team to allow the undercurrent of the belief there existed racial bias in the Los Angeles Police Department to be exposed. Rather than spending time defending O.J., he kept raising questions about the possibility that the investigators from the police department wanted to frame O.J. because they were biased. Even today, we are still dealing with racial bias in police departments, so we can identify the depth of this pulse and understand how it simmered at the time. The defense team came to understand the value of deflecting attention away from O.J. and to the police by providing evidence that Detective Mark Furman had expressed bias, used racial epithets in the past.

Then candidate Trump understood his audience. Playing to the frustrations that had been seemingly ignored by the previous administration, he played his strong suit. Make the deal... taking a lesson from his experience, finding the hot spots, selling his name and product as something that people really want and need. He brought people together by separating them from others. In the long haul, this strategy may not allow him to lead but it did allow him to be elected.

School leaders come to their communities with their own good ideas, receive others from the board of education, parents, teachers, students or acquire others from conferences and dialogue with other school leaders. Timing matters. Do the preparation before encountering the resistance. It appears the current administration is doing that with the revision of the travel ban this time.

Before putting an idea out there consider:



the why that will matter most to those needed to make it all happen

who the key people are to be includee in the planning

the steps needed to be taken

the voice with which the message will be spread

the interruptions that may occur along the way and the manner in which they will be dealt with and by whom

how the energy required to carry the change forward will remain fueled

The Three Lessons

My behavior and that of other organizational members determines whether a given change initiative lives or dies. Behavior is the connective tissue between strategy and action, between intent and implementation. Behavior comprises culture (Shea, G. & Solomon, C.) .



Taking the time to understand where the sweet spot exists in those who are affected by the change makes the difference. What beliefs do they hold that can be energized? Is it belief in equity? Is it fear of their children not being prepared for the workforce? Is it the desire for their children to experience academic success? Is it a yearning for their children to feel more included and involved in school life Trust the team that knows where the feelings are and trust your own intuition. Then, check it to protect form overconfidence and with the audience at the rim of the circle. They are the translators. Becoming a successful change leader depends upon knowing them.

Ann Myers and Jill Berkowicz are the authors of The STEM Shift (2015, Corwin) a book about leading the shift into 21st century schools. Connect with Ann and Jill on Twitter or Email .

Illustration by johnhain courtesy of Pixabay
Washington

[UPDATED 3:15 p.m. ] The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday returned the major case on transgender rights in schools to a lower court for fresh consideration of the Trump administrations withdrawal of Obama-era guidance that federal anti-discrimination law protected gender identity.

In a one-sentence order without recorded dissent in Gloucester County School Board v. G.G . (Case No. 16-273), the justices vacated the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, in Richmond, Va., that had deferred to the Obama administrations interpretation of Title IX.

The action is a defeat in the short term for Gavin Grimm, the female-born student who now identifies as male, who was barred by a Gloucester County, Va., school district policy from using the restroom that aligns with his gender identity.

Its disappointing, Grimm said in a conference call with reporters. Its going to keep trans kids in school, and those just coming into school, in limbo for an extended period of time.

The courts action also means the justices wont be resolving in the near term a debate over transgender rights that has roiled the nations schools. But the issue could return to the high court within a year or two as other cases address whether Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which bars sex discrimination in federally funded schools, may be interpreted today to cover gender identity.

After the Trump administration last month withdrew the Obama-era guidance on transgender rights, both parties urged the court to proceed with the case and decide the underlying question of whether Title IX covers gender identity, although the school board urged a delay to allow the Trump administration to fully formulate its position and express its views in the case.

The court opted instead to send the case back to the 4th Circuit.

This is justice delayed, not justice denied, Joshua A. Block, Grimms lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, said in the same conference call. He stressed that Grimms case will go forward based on the Title IX claim as well as a 14th Amendment equal-protection claim that was part of his lawsuit but was not ruled on by either the district court or the appeals court below.

Were not disheartened in any way about the decision to remand the case to the 4th Circuit, Block said. He also said that despite some ambiguity about whether a lower-court injunction in Grimms favor (which was blocked by the Supreme Court last summer) was technically back in effect, the ACLU would not focus on that injunction but could still win a new order that might allow Grimm to use the boys restroom before he graduates this June.

The Gloucester County School Board issued a statement that says, On remand to the lower courts, the board looks forward to explaining why its commonsense restroom and locker room policy is legal under the Constitution and federal law.

Kerri Kupec, a lawyer with the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based group that filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the Gloucester County school board, said in a statement that in light of the Trump administrations action, It only makes sense for the Supreme Court to vacate the 4th Circuits earlier decision and instruct it to reconsider this case. The 4th Circuit should affirm the plain meaning of Title IX, which protects boys and girls privacy in locker rooms, showers, and restrooms.

But the National Association of Secondary School Principals, which had joined with other education groups in a friend-of-the-court brief in support of Grimm, said it was disappointed the Supreme Court would not soon settle an issue of civil rights.

Were not talking about what content to teach in English class, which is the domain of the states, the NASSP statement said. This is about asserting the rights in schools of a severely marginalized group of kids.

Grimm said he was in school Monday when he began to receive text messages about the high courts action.

I was as prepared as I could be for that possibility, he said.

Barred from the boys restrooms at his school, Grimm said he has been trying to avoid having to use a restroom at all while there, or using the restroom in the nurses office. Fellow students and his teachers have mostly been positive to my face, though he acknowledge there have been some passive-aggressive responses behind his back.

Grimm said his thinking about the restroom-access battle has evolved with recent comments by the transgender actor Laverne Cox, a star of Orange is the New Black on Netflix and the new series Doubt on CBS. Cox has said in a number of recent media appearances that bathroom access for transgender people is not just about restrooms but about equal treatment and the right of transgender individuals to go about their lives.

This is about whether we can exist in public or not, Grimm said.
Anti-money laundering agency gives Chandilya two weeks to appear before it and take questions.

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday issued summons to former AirAsia India chief executive Mittu Chandliya for questioning in a case related to alleged violation of certain provisions of Foreign Exchange Management Act.

According to ET Now the agency that works under department of revenue of finance ministry has given two weeks time to Chandilya to appear before it and take questions.

It was alleged that back in 2013, AirAsia India with Chandilya at its helms signed deals with Singapore-based HNR Trading, Link Media. For the deal with HNR, Chandilya allegedly paid Rs 22 crore to fictitious entities in Singapore, in violation of FEMA rules.

Chandilya had joined AirAsia India back in 2013. The no-frills carrier was a joint venture between Malaysia-based AirAsia Berhad, Telestra and India's Tata Sons.

This comes close on the heels of a prolonged legal tussle between Rata Tata and Cyrus Mistry who was unceremoniously removed as Tata Sons chairman on October 24 last year.

After he was sacked from Tata Sons, Mistry had alleged a fraudulent transaction worth Rs 22 crore took place in AirAsia deal.

On March 6, the National Company Law Tribunal discarded plea filed by two Mistry family-owed companies alleging mismanagement and oppression at Tata Sons.
Tribunal says Mitsry firms were not eligible to allege mismanagement and shareholder oppression.

Cyrus Mistry and his family companies received yet another NCLT blow.

Mumbai: National Company Law Tribunal on Monday turned down Cyrus Mistrys contempt plea against Tata Sons, according to ET Now. Mistry was ousted as Tata Sons chairman on October 24 last year at a hurriedly called board meeting.

Since his removal, Mistry was at loggerheads with Tata Group patriarch Ratan Tata who at the time of Mistrys ouster was chairman emeritus of Tata Group. He also dragged the dispute to the legal forum to seek a favourable order.

The $103 billion salt-to-steel conglomerate cited breach of confidentiality and overlooking of Group interests for personal gains as prime reason for pink slip handed out to Mistry.

Mistry had earlier alleged oppression and mismanagement at Tata Sons. He also charged the conglomerate did not heed interests of minority shareholders.

NCLT in its Mondays ruling that has come 130 days after Mistrys sacking from Tata Sons has observed that contempt petition by Cyrus Investments and Sterling Investments, two Mistry family-owned businesses, was not maintainable.

It also ruled that the two companies instrumental in bringing out the contempt petition were not eligible to allege mismanagement and shareholder oppression at Tata Sons.

The Tribunal will take up a waiver for Tata Group's petition on March 7.
There are 1,30,000 Indian seafarers working abroad and they remit around $35-40 million annually.

These seafarers were so far exempted from paying tax on their remittances if they stay 182 days in India.

Mumbai: The proposal of the Income-Tax authorities to tax Indian sea farers who remit their salaries earned abroad to India could cost the country a drop in foreign exchange.

There are 1,30,000 Indian seafarers working abroad and they remit around $35-40 million annually. These seafarers were so far exempted from paying tax on their remittances if they stay 182 days in India.

But the Kolkata bench of the I-T appellate tribunal recently held these seafarers are liable to pay taxes on receipt basis because the foreign employer on the instruction of the seafarer remitted the salary to his NRE account in India.

The Centres Maritime Agenda 2020 as well as stakeholders of the maritime industry envisages the global share of Indian seafarers should increase to 9 per cent from the current 7 per cent. This could be in jeopardy if the tax authorities implement the decision of the court, said Capt Kamal Chaddha, former mariner and now MD of Marix Media.

He said most countries dont tax international earnings of foreign going seafarers. India should not lag behind given the competition to secure lucrative assignments for their citizens, he said.

Hopes are now on the case filed by both Maritime Union of India and National Union of Seafarers of India challenging the I-T Tribunals decision in the Calcutta high court.
The filmmaker says that he is done with the actress playing the victim card at every given point of time.

Karan and Kangana are yet to work with each other in a film.

Mumbai: Kangana Ranaut makes headlines for her fiery statements, some of which were on display at her recent appearance on Karan Johar's 'Koffee with Karan.'

Kangana Ranaut had called out Karan Johar on his 'nepotism' and 'movie mafia,' on the show.

While Karan, who was recently blessed with twins via surrogacy, had maintained a dignified silence through it, he's finally reacted and slammed the actress on her unsolicitedly blunt perspectives and comments.

"I am done with Kangana playing the victim card at every given point of time with a sad story to tell about being terrorised by the bad people in the industry; if its so bad, leave it," he lambasted.

Karan said, "I was gracious enough to keep everything. I could have edited out so much. It is my show. I said no, this is her opinion, let the world see it. I gave her the platform."

"I appreciate that she had a great, great perspective and point of view and everyone lauded her that she came on my show and gave it out to Karan like people put it," he added.

Karan Johar also reacted on her comments on 'nepotism'.

"I don't think she's understood the entirety of that statement. Because what is nepotism? Am I working with my nephews, nieces, daughters, and sons? And what about those 15 filmmakers who are not from the film industry who I have launched and put into movies? That no one will talk about," he slammed her.

He also blasted her on every stand she took against the industry.

"When she said 'movie mafia' what did she mean? Because what does she think we're doing? Sitting and not giving her work? Is that what makes us mafia? No, we do that by choice...I do that because may be I'm not interested in working with her. That doesn't make me a movie mafia, it makes me a man with an opinion," Karan posited.

Karan's next production, 'Badrinath Ki Dulhania,' starring Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, releases on March 10.

Watch the video here:
The actress took to social media to share pictures of her getting playful with her nieces.

The pictures that the actress shared on social media.

Mumbai: Priyanka Chopra is currently involved with her international projects like 'Quantico' and 'Baywatch' and there is no doubt that she is among the busiest actresses in the industry.

However, despite her extremely busy schedules, the actress ensures she finds time to spend time with her family.

And currently, her obsession are her two nieces.

The adorable munchkins have taken to the actress quite well and PeeCee can barely get enough of them.

Priyanka had recently made a sizzling appearance at the 89th Academy Awards, in a silver attire.

Though her last Bollywood appearance was in Prakash Jha's 'Jai Gangaajal,' she's yet to sign a new film.
The actress won the award for her outstanding contributions to American and international film and theatre.

Viola Davis received the Harvard foundation 2017 'Artist of the Year' award, recently, at Harvard's Cultural Rhythms Festival in Cambridge.

According to Harvard Gazette, S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation said, "The students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation are delighted to present the acclaimed television and film artist Viola Davis with the 2017 Artist of the Year Award."

"Our student committee praised her outstanding contributions to American and international film and theater. She recently received the Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and British Academy of Films and Television Arts awards, as well as an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of August Wilson's play 'Fences'," Counter added.

The 51 year-old received 'Best Supporting Actress' award at this year's Oscars, for 'Fences' and also bagged Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA awards for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of ' Fences', an August Wilson play.

She also acted in the play's 2010 Broadway revival, with Denzel Washington, which earned her a Tony award.

Previous winners of this award includes, Quincy Jones, Shakira, Andy Garcia, Salma Hayek and Matt Damon.
This week I wrote an article about the idea of using federal special education money as vouchers for students with disabilities , which is currently seeing some high-placed support, including from U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

To be sure, any sort of funding shift to a voucher would require a top-to-bottom Congressional overhaul of the 42-year-old Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. And the current federal contribution for special education averages out to only about $1,800 per student ages 3-21 with disabilities.

But both DeVos and President Donald Trump are strong supporters of school choice, with Trump specifically calling for a choice program for disadvantaged children during his address to a joint session of Congress . (Its unclear whether students with disabilities would be included under the disadvantaged umbrella.)

State School Choice Programs for Students With Disabilities

Federal red tape, however, has not stopped individual states from offering their own choice programs, including vouchers and educational savings accounts. Twelve of 26 voucher programs nationwide are aimed specifically at students with disabilities, as are 4 of 5 educational savings account programs, 2 of 21 tax-credit scholarship programs, and 1 of 9 individual tax credits or deductions. (Also, nothing prevents a student with an individualized education program from taking advantage of any other choice program out there.)

Vouchers

Educational Savings Accounts

Tax-Credit Scholarships

Individual Tax Credit/Deductions



South Carolina: Exceptional SC Tuition Tax Credit

Thanks to Jason Bedrick, the director of policy at EdChoice, and EdChoices 2017 edition of The ABCs of School Choice for this information.

How Well is School Choice Working for Students With Disabilities?

This is where you, the reader, come in. I can find out how many families are taking advantage of these programs. But what I dont know is how well the programs are working for families. Are you able to access educational options that would have been unavailable to you otherwise? Has waiving your due process rights under the IDEA been a concern, or ultimately irrelevant? Is procuring a voucher easy or a bureaucratic hassle? And, most importantlydo you feel that your children are learning more because these options are available?

Id like to hear from parents for an articleId like to shift this discussion away from high-level Washington policymakers and down to the family level. Please email me at csamuels@epe.org if youre willing to share your experiences, and share this request with others who might like to talk about their own situations. Im looking forward to hearing from you!

Photo: President Donald Trump, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., left, and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos hold cards received from the children in a 4th-grade class during a tour of St. Andrew Catholic School on March 3, in Orlando, Fla. Trumps daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, are at rear.Alex Brandon/AP
Hugh Jackman revealed that he had spoken to the comedian about retiring from the role of Wolverine while on top.

Australian actor Hugh Jackman, whos currently riding high with the success of his latest film Logan, has revealed that acting legends Jerry Seinfeld and Sir John Gielgud had inspired him to take up the Wolverine mantle for the ninth and final time.

(Gielgud) said how he played Hamlet 10 times in his life because he never felt he quite got it. I havent had quite 10 but I was really determined, whether it was my best or not, to get everything out that I had ever felt I wanted to say about this character, what he represented, Hugh reportedly told Daily Telegraph.

According to Dailymail.co.uk, Hugh also revealed that talking to comedian Jerry Seinfeld about retiring from the character while he was on top, was why he wanted this movie to be his last as the iconic X-Men character.
Several vehicles parked outside the police station, furniture and some documents were set on fire by the mob.

Arrah: An angry mob on Sunday torched Barhara Police Station partially and set a police vehicle on fire over a man's custodial death in Bihar's Bhojpur district.

Ram Sajjan Satva, a resident of Barhara village, died on Saturday after he was allegedly beaten up by policemen. A crowd gathered outside the police station after the incident and pelted stones, injuring several police personnel.

"So far 10 persons have been taken into custody, one officer and one constable have been suspended," said Superintendent of Police Kshatranil Singh.

Several vehicles parked outside the police station, furniture and some documents were set on fire by the mob.

The fire tenders were rushed to bring the situation under control.

The police on Saturday held up Satva after his daughter lodged a complaint that her father used to come home drunk and abuse her.

Satva's kins have alleged that he was killed in police custody.

However, the police have claimed that the victim died after he jumped off the vehicle when he was taken to a government hospital for medical examination.

An investigation is currently underway.
The email sent by accused Vaibhav Baddalwar is full of grammatical errors.

Mumbai: The Mumbai cyber police on Sunday arrested a 34-year-old unemployed man from Nagpur, who allegedly sent a threat email to Reserve Bank of India (RBI)s governor Urjit Patel, who lives in Mumbai.

According to the cyber cell police, accused Vaibhav Baddalwar allegedly sent the email on February 23. In the email, Baddalwar asked Mr Patel to resign from his post as the RBI governor, failing which, he would kill Mr Patels children. The email warned: We will finish your family overnight, your lovely daughter, son will get killed in coming blast... The police said that the email is riddled with grammatical errors and disjointed sentences. The cyber police is investigating how Baddalwar managed to get Mr Patels personal email ID.

The police arrested Baddalwar from Nagpur, after tracing his internet protocol address. The police is verifying why Baddalwar sent the threat mail to Mr Patel. Deputy commissioner of police (cyber crime) Akhilesh Kumar Singh said, We have sent him for a medical examination but he appears to be mentally disturbed.

A source from the cyber police said that Baddalwar is unemployed and stays with some relatives in Nagpur, although he hails from Gadhchiroli. He appears to be depressed and was frustrated because he was not getting a job. He did hold three jobs in the past, the source said.

A senior officer from the cyber police revealed that Mr Patel initially informed the RBI general manager about the threat email, who in turn approached the police to register an FIR. But since the threat was sent via email they were asked to inform the cyber police, which registered an offence on February 28. After registering the FIR, we began investigations and traced the mail to the accused. He had used his laptop to send the email, the police source said.

The email states: Hi Mr Urjit, RBI Governor, my dear son, please quit the job, don't seat in the RBI, this is my right, otherwise, we will going to kill you, we will finish your family overnight, your lovely daughter, son will get killed in coming blast, without any bones remain in the body.

The cyber police after investigating, sent a team to Nagpur where the accused stays in the main area of the city. He (Baddalwar) is said to have completed his post graduation but is unemployed since many years. We are investigating how he got hold of Mr Patels personal email. He (Baddalwar) has admitted to sending the email. Baddalwar says that he got the email address off the web, said a source from the cyber cell. The accused had been booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code.
A software to facilitate this kind of database has been prepared and a pilot scheme has been launched in Rajasthan, Odisha and Karnataka.

Once the software is adopted by all the states, it will help in porting the data related to registered and Aadhaar-linked properties to the central registry. (Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: Stepping up its crusade against benami properties, the Modi government is now planning to create a central registry  a database of all commercial and residential properties  which will be linked to Aadhaar. A software to facilitate this kind of database has been prepared and a pilot scheme has been launched in Rajasthan, Odisha and Karnataka.

The decision to create a central registry was taken after the Centres demonetisation move. The step is being seen as part of the NDA regimes ongoing campaign against black money, and is aimed at identifying benami as well as illegally registered properties and curb flow of shady funds through this route.

The Prime Ministers Office (PMO) has sought views of the Niti Aayog as well as the land reforms department of the rural development ministry in this regard. According to highly-placed sources, both the departments have suggested that all the states should be taken on board.

In fact, the land reforms department has developed a software with the help of National Informatics Centre (NIC) to facilitate linking of registration of all domestic as well as commercial properties with Aadhaar numbers. Rajasthan, Odisha and Karnataka have already tested this software on a pilot basis, sources informed this newspaper.

Once the software is adopted by all the states, it will help in porting the data related to registered and Aadhaar-linked properties to the central registry.

In addition to this, the provision of preparing a central registry may also be included in the Registration Act of 1908, which is currently being studied by a group of ministers (GoM).

The proposal to set up a registry of this kind has received a go-ahead from the Niti Aayog and comments from the states are likely to be invited soon, sources said. The PMO mooted the proposal after receiving feedback from various groups and stakeholders in the post-demonetisation scenario. Subsequently, the Niti Aayog was asked to look into the possibilities of setting up a central registry of all domestic and commercial properties to be linked to Aadhaar.
The college had last week ordered an inquiry into alleged involvement of its students in the clashes

Student of Ramjas College during their protest march against ABVP at North Campus in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: Delhi University's Ramjas College has asked its students and teachers to voluntarily come forward to submit to the inquiry committee evidence on the recent campus violence.

The college, which witnessed widespread violence on February 22, had last week ordered an inquiry into alleged involvement of its students in the clashes over a seminar while resolving to stand by its teachers and students who had planned the event.

The genesis of the clash was an invite to JNU students Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid to address a seminar on Culture of Protests which was withdrawn by the college authorities following opposition by the ABVP.

The investigation committee will submit its report in a time-bound manner. All those voluntarily willing to depose as witness or produce evidence in any form should submit it to the probe panel, PC Tulsian, the acting principal, said.

Following ABVP protests, the college had withdrawn the invite to Khalid, who has been charged with sedition, and Rashid, who was the face of the movement demanding JNU students release in the sedition case registered last year.

Delhi University authorities had earlier said the proctors office was also looking into the issue.

The Union HRD ministry had also sought a report.
Earlier today, the Supreme Court refused to stay the arrest of absconding Prajapati and asked him to approach the concerned court.

Lucknow: A close aide of rape-accused Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati on Monday surrendered before the Lucknow Police.

Head Constable Chandrapal is one of the seven accused in the rape case.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court refused to stay the arrest of absconding Prajapati and asked him to approach the concerned court.

Prajapati, who has been on the run since February 27 after an FIR was lodged against him, had approached the top court for a stay on his arrest.

A bench of the apex court headed by Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri made it clear that it won't modify its order.

Prajapati is accused of raping a woman and molesting her minor daughter in 2014.

The Uttar Pradesh Police had issued non-bailable warrants against Prajapati and six others in connection with the rape charges.

Prajapati's passport was revoked for four weeks to prevent him from attempting to flee out of the country.

Earlier this week, the police also initiated proceedings for a look out notice against Prajapati following reports that he may try to escape abroad to evade arrest.
The decommissioning ceremony will be attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and other dignitaries.

Mumbai: INS Viraat, the world's oldest aircraft carrier in active service will be decommissioned on Monday day with a ceremonial send-off in Mumbai.

A glorious chapter in the Indian Navy's history will come to an end today when INS Viraat, the longest serving aircraft carrier will retire after serving the country for nearly three decades.

The decision on the warship's future has not been taken yet. But the warship would be possibly converted into a museum, hotel or preserving it as a relic of maritime history.

Navy Chief Sunil Lanba told NDTV that the carrier will be sold as scrap if they are unable to find a buyer for it in four months.

The decommissioning ceremony will be attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and other dignitaries.

The grand event will see the lowering and wrap-up of the naval flag installed on the warship at sunset, marking an end to a long sea odyssey lasting 55 years.

INS Viraat was commissioned in Indian Navy in 1987, before that the historic ship served Royal British Navy for 27 long years.

It was built in 1943, during the Second World War.

The carrier has provided utmost protection to the country during many tense situations.

The decision on the warship's future has not been taken yet.

But the warship would be possibly converted into a museum, hotel or preserving it as a relic of maritime history.
Hindu mobs had demolished the 16th century mosque in UPs Ayodhya, claiming it was built on the birthplace of god-king Rama.

New Delhi: Senior BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani, M.M. Joshi and Uma Bharti, may face a criminal trial in the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case as the Supreme Court indicated Monday that it might revive conspiracy charges against them and 10 others.

The court gave this indication while hearing an appeal filed by the CBI in 2011, during the UPAs regime, against the dropping of conspiracy charges by lower courts on the ground that only the demolition case  and not the conspiracy one  had been transferred to the premier investigation agency.

Hindu mobs had demolished the 16th century mosque in UPs Ayodhya, claiming it was built on the birthplace of god-king Rama, triggering some of Indias worst riots since Partition, killing about 2,000 people.

The CBI under the NDAs dispensation Monday supported the appeal and additional solicitor general Neeraj Kishan Kaul pressed for a joint trial in one court with conspiracy charges added. VHPs Vishnu Hari Dalmia, Vinay Katiyar Sadhvi Rithambara are some of the other accused.

At the outset, a bench of Justices Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Rohinton Nariman told the CBI counsel, We will not accept the discharge of Advani and others on technical grounds. We will allow you (CBI) to file a supplementary chargesheet against 13 persons by including the conspiracy charges. We will ask the trial court to conduct a joint trial in a Lucknow court. Mr Kaul said This is what we want.

However, even as the court was about to pass its order, Mr Advanis counsel K.K. Venugopal said that if conspiracy charges were added, all 186 witnesses who had deposed before a Rae Barely court would have to be examined again. He also drew the attention of the court to a delay of 1,600 days in filing the appeal by the CBI and an intervener, Haji Mahmood Ahmed.

But the court said it would condone the delay, and posted the matter for a final hearing on March 22.

There are two sets of cases  one against Mr Advani and 12 others who were on the dais at Ram Katha Kunj in Ayodhya when the mosque was demolished, while the other case was against unknown kar sevaks who were in and around the disputed structure.

The sessions judge in 2001 dropped the conspiracy charges against Mr. Advani and others on the ground that the case which was transferred to the CBI related only to karsevaks. The high court in 2010 upheld the special courts order.

The high court had said it was open to the state government issuing a fresh notification for transfer of both FIRs to the CBI, but the then state government failed to do so. The CBI later filed an appeal in the top court.
The court has directed Mr Jaitley to appear again for cross-examination on Tuesday.

New Delhi: Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, who has sued Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for defamation, was cross-examined in an open court on Monday by former Union minister and fellow lawyer Ram Jethmalani.

In course of a back-and-forth interaction that went on for four hours, Mr Jaitley was asked to explain how he called the damage to his reputation irreparable and

unquantifiable and whether it had anything to do with his personal feelings of greatness. Mr Jethmalani, a former BJP leader, was unsparing as he demanded that Mr Jaitley explain  Why the defamation suit? The court has directed Mr Jaitley to appear again for cross-examination on Tuesday. In the intense courtroom drama that continued till 4pm, the bone of contention was the establishment of loss to the finance ministers reputation. At one point, the legal stalwart, Mr Jethmalani, even got into a discussion on dictionary meaning of goodwill and reputation.

He said: I am showing you an authoritative dictionary of websters and are you aware of the difference between the two words? Now I suggest to you that goodwill is enjoyed by even a crook who has done some good things to somebody.

Further on, in his statement, Mr Jaitley said, It appears that defendants (Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and others) made defamatory statements against me immediately after the raid. Their effort was to deflect the attention from this raid and somehow link me to the controversy with which I have no connection.
Regret matter has assumed political overtones: Apex court

New Delhi: In a huge setback to the Samajwadi Party in the midst of Assembly polls, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant relief from arrest to state transport minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati in an alleged rape and sexual harassment case filed by a 35 year old woman. He is now contesting from Amethi constituency and on the run following a non bailable warrant issued for his arrest.

A bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and R.K. Agrawal regretted that the matter has now assumed political overtones. The bench made it clear to the counsel for Prajapathi and the state government, We only directed registration of FIR and investigation. You probe into the matter and if there is nothing say so. We have not ordered non bailable warrants. If some other court had issued NBW then it is open to you to challenge the same in accordance with law. This court has not expressed any opinion or monitoring the investigation. Parties may avail whatever rights and remedies available to them.

The bench passed this on a petition from the woman, who alleged that the minister promised her a post in SP party and raped her when she met him three years ago.

She also alleged that the minister also took some obscene photos and threatened her that they would be made public and repeatedly raped her. She also alleged that the minister molested her teenaged daughter but the police refused to register an FIR.
Oklahoma will become the worst state for teacher pay unless state legislators can agree on legislation this year, reports the Tulsa World .

The state will be eclipsed by South Dakota and Mississippi, which have recently passed teacher pay raises, unless Oklahoma lawmakers can agree on one of a handful of bills introduced this year. But it appears that budget issues may scuttle all of these efforts as legislators have been unable to find the money to back any of the proposals. Lawmakers, who are also trying to fill a budget gap, say that they would have to come up with $53 million for every $1,000 they raise teachers pay, reports News 9, the CBS-affiliated television station in Oklahoma City .

According to the Tulsa World, state agencies had to cull $1.3 billion from their budgets last year, and the outlook for this year isnt much better. An additional $868 million shortfall is expected this year.

It is not a game, Preston Doerflinger, the states finance secretary, said last week. We need new revenue.

Back in November, Oklahoma voters soundly defeated a ballot initiative that would have given most teachers $5,000 pay bumps. Those raises were going to be funded with a new 1 percent state sales tax. As Teacher Beats Brenda Iasevoli reported after the election, nearly 60 percent of state voters rejected the proposal .

But Amber Englandexecutive director of Stand For Children, a nonprofit that advocated for the ballot initiative said it would be wrong to read those results as a rejection of higher teacher pay.

People were split on how to fund it, she told the World. We were shocked at the size of the defeat, but it was necessary to get the conversation started. We had tremendous support on the issue of teacher raises, so we need to capitalize on that and shift gears a bit.

School administrators around the state have been arguing for the increase, saying that they are struggling to recruit and retain good teachers with the current salary schedule. According to a pair of surveys of exiting teachers that were done by Tulsa Public Schools, low pay is the primary reason educators are leaving the district, reported the World.
There are reports of rebels receiving training on the new warfare tactics in Abujhmad in south Bastar district of Narayanpur.

A cop, requesting anonymity, said intelligence earlier tipped-off on Maoists move to upgrade guerrilla warfare tactics to make it mobile and deadly. (Representational Image)

Bhopal: Taking a cue from Chambal bandits, Maoists have introduced horses in insurgency hit conflict zone of Bastar in Chhattisgarh to turn their guerrilla warfare more effective, intelligence has said.

For the first time in three-decade history of Leftwing extremism in Bastar, Maoists, mounted on horses, were seen ambushing security forces in Mirtur jungle in south Bastar district of Bijapur on March 3, leaving two cops dead, a senior police officer posted in the region disclosed to this newspaper on Monday.

Two jawans of Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF), who were part of a road opening party that came under attack by Maoists at Chareli under Mirtur police limits in Bijapur district, reported that Maoists riding horses ambushed them, leaving them confused at least for some time.

The two jawans, Budharam and Gabbaram Kashyap, claimed to have seen Maoists opening fire on them from AK 47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons while riding horses in the forest area.

A cop, requesting anonymity, said intelligence earlier tipped-off on Maoists move to upgrade guerrilla warfare tactics to make it mobile and deadly. There are reports of rebels receiving training on the new warfare tactics in Abujhmad in south Bastar district of Narayanpur, in which horses were used, he said.It appears the rebels have taken a leaf out of Chambal robbers strategy of ambushing security forces riding horses, he added. The March 3 Mirtur Naxal attack was the first instance of Maoists using horses to ambush security forces, he said.
Mr Modi made an impassioned plea to voters to defeat the SP-Congress combine and the BSP, blaming them for UPs plight.

Varanasi: Campaigning for Uttar Pradeshs Assembly elections ended Monday as top leaders of all major political parties gave their final push to woo voters.

Forty seats in eastern UP, including five in PM Narendra Modis Parliamentary constituency Varanasi, will go to the polls Wednesday, ending a two-month-long exercise across seven phases.

Mr Modi made an impassioned plea to voters to defeat the SP-Congress combine and the BSP, blaming them for UPs plight. He ended his three-day campaign in Varanasi with a visit to Garhwaghat Ashram where he fed cows. He could not address the gathering due to a short-circuit-caused power failure. He also visited the residence of late Lal Bahadur Shastri. He left Varanasi after a rally in Rohaniya.

UP CM Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed separate rallies in Jaunpur.

Claiming that PM Modi has grown old and must be feeling tired, Mr Gandhi said his party and ally SP would form a government of youth in Uttar Pradesh.

BSP president Mayawati returned to Lucknow after wrapping up her campaign. At a press conference in the state capital, she claimed that the BSP was all set to form the government with a comfortable majority.

Most Union ministers camping in Varanasi left the holy city Monday evening.
On Hafiz Saeed, Durrani said that he had no utility for Pakistan, and the country should act against him.

Armed forces personnel outside Taj, while the terrorists carry out the attack in the hotel. (Photo: File)

Islamabad/ New Delhi: Pakistans former National Security Adviser (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani on Monday said that the 26/11 Mumbai attack was carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan.

Durrani said that the attack bore the marks of a classic trans-border terror event.

On Hafiz Saeed, accused of masterminding the attacks, Durrani said that he had no utility for Pakistan, and the country should act against him.

India last week asked Pakistan to reinvestigate the 2008 Mumbai terror attack case and put on trial Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed who is currently under house arrest in Lahore under the anti-terrorism law.

India made a fresh demand in a reply to Pakistan's request to send 24 Indian witnesses to record their statements in the case, an interior ministry official said on Wednesday.

"We have received a reply from Indian government in response to our letter regarding sending 24 Indian witnesses to Pakistan to record their statements in the Mumbai terror attack case.

"But instead of entertaining our request India has sought reinvestigation of the case and also demanded trial of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba operation commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in the light of evidence it had provided to Pakistan," the official said.
Animal rights activists are strongly opposed to the move to lift the ban on bullock cart races, since the bulls are usually tortured.

Mumbai: A BJP MLA on Monday reached Vidhan Bhawan in a bullock cart, in a novel protest to demand restarting of bullock cart races in Maharashtra.

The move by Mahesh Landge, who represents Bhosari constituency in Pune district, comes in response to a demand by farmers in his constituency that Maharashtra should emulate Tamil Nadu which lifted ban on Jallikattu.

"We are waiting for the Maharashtra government to bring in a bill to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, to pave the way for its centuries-old tradition of bullock cart racing," Landge said.

When pointed out that CM Devendra Fadnavis had spoken of bringing the bill during the budget session, which began today, Landge said "We want the bill to be brought in the first week itself, as village jatras (rural fairs) are beginning and people are being deprived of the races."

Security officials at Vidhan Bhawan stopped the MLA's bullock cart, followed by his supporters, outside the main building of the state legislature.

Animal rights activists are strongly opposed to the move to lift the ban on bullock cart races, saying the race was banned as the bulls were being tortured.

Tamil Nadu lifted ban on Jallikattu, brushing aside objections raised by animal rights organisations there and same policy should be adopted here as well, Landge said.

The races were banned in Maharashtra in 2011, after bulls were categorised as performing animals under the Act.

Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, Shiv Sena MP from Shirur (Pune district) and Peasants and Workers Party legislator Jayant Patil are among the politicians who have been pursuing the issue with the state.

Adhalrao Patil said he had raised the issue in Parliament thrice and sought intervention of PM Narendra Modi to restart the bullock cart races.
Modi also said the SP and BSP are two sides of the same coin, with the former being A (Akhilesh) SP and B (Bahujan) SP.

Lucknow: Despite the controversy over his Varanasi roadshow on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held yet another roadshow there on Sunday, this time an official one. The BJP had apparently not taken permission for Saturdays roadshow, and the Election Commission had sought a clarification on this from the district returning officer.

Union minister Piyush Goyal said that there was no roadshow on Saturday and the Prime Minister had simply visited the Kashi Vishwanath temple and Kaal Bhairav temple to offer prayers. The people had come out onto the roads to welcome him, he added.

Later, addressing a public meeting, Mr Modi mocked UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi as delicate people who were not capable of taking hard decisions, pitching himself as a grassroots leader who can develop the state. Mr Modi also said the SP and BSP are two sides of the same coin, with the former being A (Akhilesh) SP and B (Bahujan) SP.

Taking potshots at the Congress over its losses in recent polls, he said one day research would be done to find out if it once existed, as it is disappearing from everywhere. He said both Akhilesh and Rahul were delicate people who cannot take hard decisions. They think what if they lose what they got. I have not got anything in inheritance... Whatever I have got is due to the blessing of the people of Kashi. I can take hard decisions to rid the country of its problems. I have the courage to do so.

BSP president Mayawati said Sunday that Saturdays roadshow by the PM was a serious violation of the model code of conduct, and the Election Commission should take note of it. She said such a violation was clearly designed to influence voters.

Sundays roadshow began at the Pandeypur crossing and ended at the Kashi Vidyapeeth. Thousands of supporters thronged the PMs convoy as it wound its way through the streets of Varanasi. The supporters wore saffron caps and carried saffron and green balloons, chanting Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi.

The roadshow culminated in a public meeting where Mr Modi targeted the Akhilesh Yadav government for kuchh ka saath, kuchh ka vikas, and said the state governments concept of development was not an all-inclusive one. When my MPs from UP meet me, they tell me UP mein yahan bhi khuda, wahan bhi khuda, jahan nahin khuda wahan kal khuda  a reference to potholed roads here, he said.

He said the western part of the country was developed but the eastern part remained steeped in neglect and backwardness. He said the country could not progress unless all parts developed together. It is like one hand being paralysed... such a person cannot be called fully healthy, he explained.

Mr Modi said the SP, BSP and Congress had been attacking each other, but all three had come together after demonetisation which had hit them the most.
The police registered an FIR against Prajapati and six others for allegedly gangraping a woman and molesting her minor daughter.

Lucknow: In a major development that is bound to cause much embarrassment to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik sent a letter to Mr Yadav demanding to know why rape-accused minister Gayatri Prajapati continued to remain in the ministry.

Raj Bhavan sources claimed the letter said: A non-bailable warrant has been issued against Prajapati after an FIR was registered against him in a rape case. Serious questions of constitutional morality and dignity arise on his remaining in the state Cabinet. The governor sought the CMs justification (for) retaining the minister.

The governor said it had come to his notice that the CM himself asked the minister to surrender, but he hadnt done so and was absconding. There are apprehensions he might have fled to some foreign country, he added. This is serious as Prajapati is a Cabinet minister.

It may be recalled that on Saturday the rape-accused UP ministers passport was impounded, a lookout notice issued and airports alerted. The UP police claimed it was conducting raids across the state to trace the minister.

The passport was cancelled and the lookout notice issued hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the SP-Congress alliance of chanting Gayatri Prajapati Mantra during the ongoing election campaign.

The police registered an FIR against Prajapati and six others for allegedly gangraping a woman and molesting her minor daughter. The FIR was filed last month on the Supreme Courts directive.

BJP president Amit Shah raked up the issue Sunday at an election meeting in Ambedkarnagar. He said Prajapatis arrest would be one of the first tasks if his party forms the government in UP. Mr Shah said: As soon as the BJP forms the government in UP on March 11, we would search (Gayatri Prasad) Prajapati even from hell and send him to jail.
SPG undertook a massive security drill to provide foolproof security cover to PM Modi during his roadshows in Varanasi.

New Delhi: The ongoing Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh have not just been a challenge for political heavyweights but also for the countrys elite security agency, Special Protection Group (SPG), which is tasked with protecting the Prime Minister.

Sources said the SPG had made unprecedented security arrangements for three consecutive days in Varanasi when PM Narendra Modi travelled in the open, in the middle of a huge crowd.

In fact, the security arrangements were first of its kind made by the SPG as the PM was totally exposed to a huge crowd from all sides and any untoward incident could have happened. So we had to put in place a massive security drill to ensure full protection of the PM, a senior security official said.

What made the situation more difficult was that PM Modi, who continues to be hugely popular with the people, attracted massive crowds for three days in Varanasi. This made the PM more vulnerable to an attack since he was moving in an open SUV, especially after sunset, sources added.

To ensure that the PMs events in his Lok Sabha constituency were executed without any glitch, an advance liaison team from the agency was camping in Varanasi to co-ordinate with local police and para-military forces.

Sources claimed that there was a three-cordon security layer during the events. While the UP police provided the outer most cordon, the second ring was that of the para-military forces, along with rooftop teams and those moving along with the PMs convoy. The inner-most cordon, which surrounded the PM and the SUV in which he was travelling, was provided by the SPG. This unit is known as the Ring Round Team (RRT) that provides body cover or protection to the PM.

The RRT normally comprises 8-10 top SPG commandos, but for the Varanasi events the number was substantially increased to about 100 SPG personnel.

Part of the new security cover organised especially for the PMs roadshow in Varanasi was a modified, open SUV which was bullet and blast proof, had railings fixed on three sides to help SPG commandos climb onto the vehicle whenever the PM was on the move.

The SPG had also deployed a commando on the SUVs roof to immediately protect the PM in case of any incident. Since there were huge crowds all over, particularly on rooftops, anyone could have simply hurled a stone at the convoy. So the idea of deploying a PSO on the roof of the PMs SUV was to provide him with body cover in case of any eventuality, the official added.
The farther we move away from reducing women to their bodies in dance, the better it is for society.

The approach of International Womens Day is an opportunity to reflect on a few of the many multi-faceted aspects of women as a gender in relation to dance and empowerment. Perhaps these women hold up half the sky focus lends itself more to reflection and awareness than celebration as, though there is much to celebrate, there is much to decry.

At the most perceptible level in India, parents are proud to have off-spring accomplished in what are called classical dance forms and professional dancers of the eight recognised classical forms are generally respected. Less than 100 years ago, neighbours would spit on the doorstep of a family who allowed their daughters to dance.

Tagore was incredibly visionary and brave in introducing dance for joy and communication as part of the college education at Santineketan from virtually the start of the 20th century. He drew on various folk and classical traditions to support his vision of Bhavanritya for student productions. Today every school in the county embraces this concept of dance and dance dramas using traditional forms as far as the level of their students capacity permits. Accomplishment in dance is now valued as both an acknowledgement of commitment to disciplined training and respect for traditional culture.

There has been an exponential increase in middle and upper class young women studying dance since the pre-Independence neo-classical revival days, though I recall that when I first came to India beautifully trained fellow students abruptly ended their dance lives as soon as they married. Happily, the stigma of allowing the bahu of the family to appear on a public stage has become increasingly rare.

An International Womens Day celebration

At the same time, East or West, dance is still largely stigmatised as unworthy of being considered a serious activity or career for a man. In an interesting article called Why Women Dominate Modern Dance, Roger Copeland described dance as the art of pure physical presence in which women are most fully reduced to and equated with their bodies. He wrote in this context how Modern Dance pioneers like Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Ruth St. Denis, and Katharine Dunham, and others courageously rebelled against the corsets, slippers and limited view of the feminine in classical ballet. The founding mothers and some fathers of Modern dance danced with bare feet and bare emotions which was a revolutionary departure from most other art traditions which were male driven and male dominated.

I grew up in a progressive dance conscious city that hosted performances and residencies by all the greatest American and international dancers, including even Uday Shankar and recognising Rukmini Devi Arundale with an honours doctorate. In the dance education atmosphere, one took for granted that dancers had to be acquainted with literature, poetry, philosophy, music and art history alongside body mechanics. While there were certainly men as well as women in the forefront of the dance world, this was an era where women of intelligence and creative passion were drawn to dance.

Elizabeth Zimmer, Dance editor of New Yorks Village Voice was an alumna of Bennington College with my elder sister, one of only two colleges offering a dance major in the 1960s. I can never forget her response a couple decades ago to my question Why does contemporary dance seem less engaging these days, even though technique is excellent? I was stuck by her assessment that the talent pools of the best and the brightest women have many more creative career options as we drew closer to this century.

Of course, there are still plenty of terrific women dancers and choreographers in contemporary concert dance in the West and coming into the fledgling field in India continuing the legacy, but it was thought provoking to consider that progress in womens empowerment across the professions in the west impacted the world of dance.

Twyla Tharp and Pina Bausch exemplify intellectually rich dance perspectives that shift audience attention to focus on the dance and not a body in terms of gender.

In the ballet world, leadership roles remain mostly occupied by men and decisions on grants and choreography are influenced by the male gaze. In India there are different equations in the classical and contemporary dance world. With dance genres originating from all male, all female, solo or group traditions, it is impossible to fairly encapsulate the diversities in any all-encompassing statements.

Women have bravely committed to careers in previous all male dance forms such as Kathakali, Chhau and Manipuri Cholom just as others have entered the military and drive taxis. Dance and dance-drama practices like Kuchipudi, Gotipua, Sattriya and Jatra reflected a societal view that only men should take on the roles of women in public performance.

Ideally, the presentations of previously temple based, female solo classical reconstructions on the stage aspire to evoke a spiritual consciousness rather than simply flaunt the female figure. Both men and women equally excel in interpreting the masculine, feminine and androgynous elements of the expressive and pure dance components yet audiences and sponsors still have a way to discern the dance itself as paramount.

There have been times in history when the enchantment of dance served decadent and voyeuristic interests more closely aligned with the oldest profession in the world than the aesthetic expression of the highest values of culture and art. The farther away we move from pure physical presence in which women are most fully reduced to and equated with their bodies, the better for every society, for culture, for the world of dance, and for our humanity.

Sharon Lowen is a respected exponent of Odissi, Manipuri and Mayurbhanj and Seraikella Chau whose four-decade career in India was preceded by 17 years of modern dance and ballet in the US and an MA in dance from the University of Michigan. She can be contacted at sharonlowen.workshop@gmail.com.
Users will be shown five curated, new profiles every day and can send a chat requests too

'Inclov' which started off as an offline matchmaking venture in 2014 but will now be an mobile application. (Photo: Pixabay)

New Delhi: Differently-abled individuals will now be able to find the perfect match for themselves, thanks to a new mobile application that is making the phenomenon of

love more inclusive than ever before.

Similar to the existing dating application Tinder, 'Inclov' which started off as an offline matchmaking venture in 2014, gives individuals with special needs an opportunity

to find a partner who can be compassionate and thoughtful towards their condition.

A knee injury that left one of the co-founders of 'Inclov' Shankar Srinivasan under "house arrest" for over three months, made him realise the inaccessible nature of public platforms across the country.

"My co-founder Kalyani Khona came up with the idea in July 2014 and it started off as an offline matchmaking agency where profiles were matched manually."Both of us were passionate about matchmaking and we thought about which community requires it the most - and this seemed like the one," Srinivasan told PTI. Like any other application, an individual is expected to input basic details like 'Name', 'Image(s)', 'Age', preference

of gender along with professional and educational details.

They are also required to mention additionally the type of disorder or disability they have, to offer users a transparent and seamless experience while making choices. An individual is also expected to provide information about the 'Percentage of disability', 'Assistive devices', and 'level of independence'.

"You will be shown five curated, new profiles every day and you can send a chat request. Once the request is accepted, the two users can chat with each other on the app and at their discretion exchange personal information," says Srinivasan.
Entrepreneur Dekyi Yangtso Chawla shares some must-do activities in the fascinating land of Che Guevara, Cuba.

1 Definitely take a drive around the city on the vintage Cadillacs, and put on Salsa music while at it. Choose a convertible, put your head back, and let your hair fly with the wind.

2 Have a daiquiri at the famous Floridita that was the famed author Ernest Hemingways most favourite watering hole.

3 Stay at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, a heritage property rich in history and beauty. Dont miss the stunning peacock that dances around the portico bar n cafe, while you sip on their famous pina colada. Yum!

4 Visit one of the Partagas Cigar factories and watch how the best cigars in the world are made here sniff around for a whiff of the famed Cubans!

5 Visit the Museo de la Revolucion and catch a glimpse of the lives of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara.

 As told to Namita Gupta
Teachers from Chicagos largest charter school network, with support from local politicians, held a press conference today to explain why they are taking steps to unionize. The teachers at the Noble Charter Schools Network first announced their intent to form a union on Friday morning.

Ivy McDaniel, who has taught science for the Noble Charter Schools Network for four years, underscored the need for educators to have more of a say in decision-making. School policies, she said, have a direct impact on student learning. Yet teachers who have the most direct insight into the needs of their students dont feel empowered to share their input with administrators. Our students deserve a stable and fair community with teachers who are empowered to advocate for them and to determine the direction of our school, she said at todays press conference.

Among the politicians voicing their support of Nobles union effort were state Senator Daniel Biss, state Representative Theresa Mah and Treasurer Kurt Summers. This is simple, said Summers. Theres a legal right to organize without interference or intimidation.

In fact, the teachers attended a meeting of the Noble board after the press conference to ask members not interfere with the decision to organize. Science teacher McDaniel said that Noble teachers are allotted just five days off per school year, including sick days, and that they are giving up one of those days to attend the board meeting to ask members to remain neutral as educators decide their next steps.

At this moment in time, when schools are starving for resources, dont waste $1 million on union busting, said Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa to Nobles board. He represents the 35th ward, which includes the campus of Nobles Pritzker College Prep.

If their effort proves successful, the 800 teachers and staff members at 17 campuses in the Noble Network of Charter Schoolswho are collectively responsible for educating 12,000 studentswould be the largest charter union in the nation.

The Union of Noble Educators issued an open letter on Friday to the charter networks founder and CEO Michael Milkie and school administrators. We want a voice in decisions, stability in our schools and, most importantly, the best possible future for our students, the educators wrote in a letter with 131 signatures.

Milkie acknowledged in a statement the teachers right to organize or not organize, but warned that operating under a union contract could result in the charter network giving up its power to run schools the way it sees fit.

In my experience as a former [Chicago Public School] teacher, I believe a restrictive union contract could eliminate the curriculum and flexibility we have to best serve our students needs, he wrote in the statement.

Charters were founded as innovation labs where teachers could create their own experimental schools free from district and union bureaucracy. (This Education Week article by Arianna Prothero takes a look at how the charter schools movement has evolved over its 25-year history .) But recently the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff (ChiACTS) has worked to organize teachers and staff at 32 of the citys charter schools, reports CBS Chicago .

Teachers at several Chicago charter schools have unionized, including the ASPIRA network. Last week, ASPIRAs union, ChiACTS Local 4343, voted to permit a strike over stalled contract negotiations. A strike date may be set as early as Tuesday. It would be the first charter school network strike in the United States, according to chicagoacts.org .

Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis expressed support for Noble teachers and staff in a letter, calling them courageous and writing that she is proud of their desire to strengthen their collective voice to better advocate for the students they serve. She also wrote that she hoped the Noble administrators would not stand in their way. I hope the Noble CEO, principals, and board of directors grant these educators the respect they have earned and do not interfere with this process, for it is very important that they are free to organize to create the type of learning community and environment that all of Chicagos children deserve.

Lewiss support does not mean CTU would represent Noble teachers and staff. Charter unions are not affiliated with the Chicago Teachers Union. Each unionized charter network negotiates a separate contract, independent of the Chicago Teachers Union contract, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Some principals claimed even students from nearby private schools are enrolling in model schools.

While initially the plan was to develop selected 54 schools, the government later extended the infrastructure makeover to all its schools in phases. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Ever since Class 7 student Harshs school got a facelift, his happiness has no bounds. The crumbling walls or rickety benches, which for long have been identified with government schools, no longer welcome him.

Shaheed Hemu Kalani Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya (SHKSBV), Lajpat Nagar, which is among the 54 government schools selected as a model or pilot school, has undergone a huge makeover. The AAP government plans to bring them on par with private schools. These schools were selected after principals submitted proposals on how to improve their schools.

SHKSBV now has eight new smart classrooms, IT and travel and tourism lab and a resource centre for differently-abled students.

Bilkul naye jesa hogaya hai, ab bhot acha lagta hai. Ever since the school tur-ned model, teachers have become more responsible and focus more on teaching. Now, we have projectors, LED lights, new desks and blackboard. CCTVs will also be installed soon, said Suraj, a student.

In the two consecutive annual Budgets announced by the AAP, the education sector was allotted the lions share of the total allocation, raising hopes that it will be the governments key priority.

While announcing the budget for 2016-17, the government had in March 2016 granted Rs 10,690 crore for education, nearly 23 per cent of the total allocation.

Most of the schools have completed 90-95 per cent of the construction of the new school building and will begin teaching in the new classrooms by the new academic session.

Modern infrastructure helps boost students confidence and brings change in their behaviour. The mentor teachers who have been trained are performing excellently in other schools too. We are even offering activities, including music, dance, craft, which has made the students more joyful. Even the reputation of school has increased among parents and children, said Kuldeep Singh, principal of Government Boys Senior Secondary School, Ambedkar Nagar.

Government Girls Senior Secondary School in New Kondli, Sarvodya Kanya Vidyalaya  Zeenat Mahal in Jafrabad are some of the other schools where students feel motivated to study in the model classrooms.

Reportedly, Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, Rouse Avenue, had become the citys first model government school with state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure, inaugurated by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in January.

While initially the plan was to develop selected 54 schools, the government later extended the infrastructure makeover to all its schools in phases.

The 8,000 classrooms promised are almost complete. These will be available from April onwards when the new session starts. This is one major achievement because there are so many parts in Delhi where high-student ratio is the norm, said Atishi Marlena, Advisor to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the Education portfolio.

Some principals claimed even students from nearby private schools are enrolling in model schools.

While on one hand, the focus has been on improving infrastructure facilities, 2016 saw interventions aimed at improving learning levels of students from class six to nine. From announcing its much ambitious Chunauti-2018 scheme in June and taking a pledge of 100 per cent ability to read to various teachers training programmes, the method of learning in classrooms is also slowly changing.

Learning deficits is a huge problem and we have tried to bridge them. When ASER results come, a lot of governments deny that the condition is not so bad but we as a government have taken this challenge head on and have said publicly that this is the problem and we are trying to resolve it, she said.
The residents have filed a police complaint alleging negligence on the part of the electricity department.

Ghaziabad: Residents of Murad Nagar area in Ghaziabad on Monday blocked the Delhi-Meerut highway for some time after a 45-year-old man was electrocuted on coming in contact with a high tension live wire passing over the roof of his house.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Aashish Srivastav said Nirankar Sharma, a resident of Jeetpur colony, went to the roof of his house and accidentally touched a live high tension wire passing over it.

He fell unconscious and was rushed to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

Enraged over the death, the residents of the area protested against the power department, raised slogans and blocked the Delhi-Meerut highway for some time, demanding that the high tension line be shifted elsewhere.

Policemen were rushed to the spot who sent the protesters back after assuring them of action and the highway was cleared.

The residents have filed a police complaint alleging negligence on the part of the electricity department, the officer said.
Women have been subjected to patriarchy and misogyny for a very long time, the LSR College student said.

The Asian Age spoke to Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur (20), who was at the centre of a controversy over her comments on the death of her martyred father and her social media campaign. In her first-ever interview after she was embroiled in a battle among leading political parties, Ms Kaur told Sushmita Ghosh that the need of the hour was to teach young boys about feminism and women safety at the grassroots level. Sharing her views on gender inequality, the Lady Sri Ram College student said that gender equality needs to be taught just the way inequality has been taught for generations.

Q. There is a lot of debate on gender related issues all over the world. What according to you is the essence of these issues?

A. This is not a recent problem we are facing. Women have been subjected to patriarchy and misogyny for a very long time. Even if we go back to the Shakespearean time, women were not allowed to go on stage or act. But right now we are in a very comfortable space. Even though it is terrible, we have much more forward thinking space as compared to the past. Women are still able to ask for their rights and its about time to move forward. When it comes to feminism and women safety, this needs to be taught to young boys from the grassroots level that girls are not different from them and neither are they weaker. Equality needs to be taught exactly in a way that inequality has been taught for generations.

Q. There was a hullabaloo over your social media campaign over the Ramjas issue. What challenges social media is posing before women in raising their voice?

A. I believe the situation for women on social media has become worse. On social media, people can easily troll you sitting behind the screen and say whatever they want to. They usually know there arent any consequences because cyber space is a new concept for the government to wrap their head around which I have realised. It is terrible that women are being harassed on social media. I went through the same. Even now if I open my Twitter account, there will be horrible comments. We are moving into the world of technological and virtual space where certain laws need to be implemented on a priority.



Q. We talk about women empowerment all the time. How much do you think this notion exists in reality?

A. Girls like you and me come from upper middle class family so here the dialogue of women empowerment is somewhere important, but it is something which does not come out of the blue. If we talk about the rural sections to other classes of people, there women really need to be empowered like backward areas in Haryana, smaller villages in Punjab and if as a country we need to grow, we need to empower these women. Women are at least 50 per cent of the population, and if they are not working then how will we grow?

Q. You are a bold thinker. What message would you like to give to girls of your age?

A. Everyone who has been suffering or suffered, I would like to let you know that you are not alone and I am right there with you. I have myself faced harassment and I really need you to know that there is nothing wrong you have done. You are not the reason. Just hang in there, be strong and speak up for what is wrong and what is right. Its important to let people know that girls are strong and can raise their voice.



Q. Today, how easy or difficult is it to be vocal about your concerns?

A. Being a Literature student, I have thought about this a lot. I feel that the society has been using a womans sexuality to control her for the longest time. If anything wrong happens, the question mark comes on women sexuality. If she is trying to speak up, then she is given rape threats. I dont understand why the whole thing surrounds women sexuality. Its time to break these barriers. Its just like if a man is with two women, it is not objectionable. However, if a woman is going with different men, it is highly objectionable. Thats where the question of equality comes. So we need to develop and open our mind to understand the entire concept.



Q. How do you think the society can seek equality in future?

A. Our responsibility as citizens is to really counter inequalities. Its everybodys responsibility to stand up for those who are not in a position to speak for themselves. Thats how we can move forward.



Q. There is a lot of talk about stringent laws for sexual crimes. Do you think law is the only answer?

A. In the recent past, a lot of new laws have been introduced. But we need to understand one thing that laws and mentality go hand in hand. We just cannot implement the laws and expect the people to follow them. The mindset needs to change with the laws. There should be more conversations about how its wrong to harass women  and it needs to be advertised more and women should speak up for themselves. I believe in actions rather than talks.
Jain has already been questioned by the I-T officials for the alleged violation of Income-Tax laws.

New Delhi: Fresh trouble seems to be brewing for Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is preparing to initiate a separate inquiry against him to probe his alleged links with hawala operators. Mr Jain has come under the scanner of the Income-Tax department for allegedly indulging in hawala transfers worth nearly Rs 17 crore.

ED sleuths are scrutinising documents pertaining to Mr Jains alleged involvement in hawala transaction of Rs 17 crore. The agency may soon initiate its separate inquiry against him, sources said. Mr Jain has already been questioned by the I-T officials for the alleged violation of Income-Tax laws.

There are allegations that certain hawala operators were in direct touch with the minister through his personal mobile phone and the transactions happened with some code words, sources said. It is suspected that certain firms allegedly linked to Mr Jain received Rs 16.39 crore from 56 shell companies of three Kolkata-based hawala operators. However, Mr Jain has already denied the charges and said he has nothing to do with the hawala operators.

Mr Jain is already under the scanner of CBI. The CBI recently initiated an inquiry to probe the alleged irregularities committed in the appointment of Mr Jains daughter Soumya as the advisor in the health department of the city government. There are allegations that the health department did not follow proper procedure while appointing the health ministers daughter as the advisor in the same department. The CBI has already registered an FIR in connection with alleged irregularities in the appointment of Nikunj Aggarwal, a senior resident, as OSD to Delhi health

minister.

BJP Leader Vijender Gupta, had alleged that Nikunj Aggarwal is the son-in-law of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals sister-in-law. Aggarwal had made a hand written application on a plain paper for appointment in the hospital on August 6, 2015 and within four days his appointment was approved without following any procedure, sources said.
The first list of selected students for admission to nursery classes will come out on Tuesday.

Experts advise that parents should block the seat wherever they get admission for their child without waiting for a better school. (Representational image)

New Delhi: Scores of parents have complained to the directorate of education (DoE) regarding private schools changing the criteria for nursery admissions just days before the list of selected candidates is to be released.

The complaint was made around 15 days ago and the parents allege that since the DoE has taken no action till date, there is an uncertainty regarding the process.

A parent, Shivani, complained that Heritage School (Vasant Kunj) changed the points allotted to siblings and neighbourhood criteria. Another parent, Ashish Agarwal, had complained against Delhi Public School (Rohini).

Sumit Vohra, founder of admisisonsnursery.com which is an online portal for parent community, said that the latest move by some schools is not justified and that the DoE should act against them. On Monday, he sent a letter to education minister Manish Sisodia and to the DoE, along with the parents complaints.

The government had initially made it compulsory for 298 schools built on the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land to first admit children who live within 0-1 km and have siblings in the same school, then to those within 1-3 km, followed by those living within 3-6 km.

However, the Delhi high court dismissed the directives and since the hearing is still on, it had asked the schools to go by both the governments and their own criteria till a final verdict in the case is given.

The first list of selected students for admission to nursery classes will come out on Tuesday. Experts advise that parents should block the seat wherever they get admission for their child without waiting for a better school.

This should be the thumb rule that you block your first seat, said Mr Vohra.

Also, parents shouldnt get dejected and wait for second list. Many schools like DPS also come out with third and fourth lists. So, those parents whose children didnt get selected should wait till Mar 31, said Mr Vohra.
Banerjee said the recent attacks have created panic among the family members of the Indians staying in the US for various reasons.

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday requested the Centre to take up the recent incidents of attacks on Indians in the United States at the highest level to ensure that such incidents are not repeated.

"Today I have addressed a letter to Sushma Swaraj ji, Union Minister of External Affairs, on the recent incidents of attacks and unfortunate deaths of young Indians in the United States," she said in a statement.

"It is indeed a matter of great concern and my heart goes out to share the sufferings that have come upon their family members," the Chief Minister said.

Banerjee said the recent attacks have created panic among the family members of the large number of Indians staying in the US for various reasons.

"Since the number of Indians studying, working, living in the US is very large, such incidents are causing a situation of panic amongst their family members living in India," a concerned Banerjee said.

"I have requested the Union Minister to kindly see that the matter is taken up at the highest level, so that these type of incidents do not recur and Indians living in the US feel safe, secure and worry-free," she added.

Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla (32) was killed in Kansas in February when 51-year-old US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani, yelling "get out of my country".

Harnish Patel, 43, the owner of a convenience store in Lancaster County, South Carolina, was found dead of gunshot wounds in the front yard of his home on Thursday. Police had said in Patel's killing his Indian ethnicity did not appear to be a factor.
Rao is set to address both houses of legislature on the day of commencement of state assembly session on Monday.

Mumbai: Complete loan waiver to the farmers is likely to be a principal issue in the budget session of Maharashtras legislature that is to start from Monday. Opposition parties have put pressure on the government forming a united front for demands from governor C. Vidyasagar Rao. Mr Rao is set to address both houses of legislature on the day of commencement of state assembly session on Monday.

On Sunday, leaders of all opposition parties, including opposition leaders of both houses, met the governor requesting him to instruct the government on waving off farmer loans. A memorandum, given to the governor by opposition parties read, Almost nine thousand farmers have committed suicide in last three years in Maharashtra. In just last two months 117 farmers committed suicides in Marathwada. These numbers shows the stress farmers are undergoing due to misrule of state government. The memorandum demands complete compensation for farmers. The issue has attracted Shiv Senas support as well, as Sena ministers have demanded the same in Sunday cabinet. Not long back, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had placed the condition that the party will support the state government only if it waives loans for farmers completely.

After the meeting, Sena minister Ramdas Kadam said, We have demanded relief for farmers. If Narendra Modi could promise loan waiver in UP then why is the CM not doing the same for Maharashtra? He should go to Delhi and get the PMs clearance for this.

Looking at the only issue that opposition and its partner Sena is pushing to corner him, Mr Fadnavis is readying his argument.
Police suspects university or college officials also involved in case.

Mumbai: The Vashi police has seized around 21 mobile phones of college students in the HSC paper leak case, in which they have arrested four accused since Sunday. The phones have been sent to the forensic laboratory in Kalina for further investigation. The police suspects that some university or college officials are also involved in the case along with a few students. According to the police, the four arrested accused are the ones who received leaked exam papers on their WhatsApp accounts and forwarded it to around 60 other students.

Investigation officer G. Kakde said, We have confiscated mobile phones of 21 youngsters whose links we have found in circulating these messages. All these students formatted their WhatsApp (and deleted data in it) after they came to know that we have registered the case. Therefore we have sent the phones to the forensic lab to recover the data, analyse who had forwarded it and conversation between these students.

The arrested accused have been given police custody till March 9. The police is probing who orchestrated the leak and how much they charged from the students for the same. Question papers of two subjects, Marathi and Secretarial Practice, were sent to the accused 10 minutes before the exam began.

Mr Kakde further said while seeking police custody of the students, We suspect (that) someone from the university or college helped these students to take the picture. We are searching for the same person and soon we will reach to them.

The arrested persons have been identified as Rahul Bachelal Bhaskar (22), Azaruddin Kamaruddin Shaikh (20), Mohammad Aman Mohammad Islam Shaikh (19) and Suresh Jha (26).
Samsung customers who had signed for early access for the service will now be able to set up their Samsung Pay account to make payments.

The mobile payment service will work with Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy A5 (2016) and Galaxy A7 (2016) in the country.

Samsung today rolled out its mobile payment service for India with support for Paytm wallet as well.

Samsung customers who had signed for the early access program for the service will now be able to set up their Samsung Pay account to make payments.

The service comes with support with Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) and Near Field Communication (NFC) and is secured by three levels--Fingerprint Authentication, Digital Tokenization and Samsung KNOX.

According to reports, Samsung has collaborated with various banks, including ICICI, SBI, HDFC, Axis and Standard Chartered Banks for the service.

Samsung has confirmed On its website to add support for the American Express and Citibank cards in the coming days.

The mobile payment service will work with Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy A5 (2016) and Galaxy A7 (2016) in the country.
CNN's show promotes xenophobia and Hinduphobia, alleged Ajay Shah of American Hindus Against Defamation.

Washington: A number of Hindu Americans were up in arms against CNN for airing a show which they alleged portrays Hinduism in a negative light. 'Believer with Reza Aslan', a six-episode "spiritual adventures series", was premiered on Sunday. The show explores the facts and myths behind the Aghori, a mystical Hindu sect known for extreme rituals.

Eminent Indian American Shalabh Kumar, a top supporter of the US President Donald Trump said, "this is a disgusting attack on Hinduism." In a tweet, Kumar said, "Hinduism has been attacked because a large number of Hindu Americans supported Trump during the election campaign."

"I condemn @rezaaslan, CNN for airing Believer with fiction. Disgusting attack on Hindus for supporting @POTUS @stephenkbannon @newtgingrich," Kumar, also the founder of Republican Hindu Coalition said in a tweet. A host of individuals and organisations joined him against the CNN show.

"When we are witnessing intolerant attacks on minorities, telecasting this serial will add more misrepresentation, bias and may lead more hate crimes," said Khanderao Kand, a community leader who had initiated efforts to eradicate misrepresentation of Hinduism in California text books in 2004.

"With multiple reports of hate-fuelled attacks against people of Indian origin from across the US, the show characterises Hinduism as cannibalistic, which is a bizarre way of looking at the third largest religion in the world," US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) said in a statement.

It urged CNN to stop the show from being aired that night. "We are very disappointed. This is an issue that is of deep concern to the Indian American community evidenced by the large number of calls/emails we have received. In a charged environment, a show like this can create a perception about Indian Americans which could make them more vulnerable to further attacks," said USINPAC chairman Sanjay Puri.

CNN's "Believer with Reza Aslan" show promotes xenophobia and Hinduphobia, alleged Ajay Shah of American Hindus Against Defamation.
Man Who Sold Parts to Iran for WWIII Denied Lighter Sentence

What part of "World War III" did Sihai Cheng not understand?

Cheng, a Chinese national convicted of selling parts to Iran for "World War III," asked a federal appeals court to reduce his sentence. He basically said it was just a sales pitch, apparently forgetting that China sentences people to death just for selling sensitive information.

The U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals summarily dispatched Cheng's appeal, ruling that the trial judge did not exceed her authority in sentencing him to 108 months in prison. The parties had agreed on a lesser sentence, but the judge saw it differently.

"You're not the first case I've seen like this, and I think there has to be a deterrent message sent out there, particularly if you know you're helping a nuclear weapons program," Chief Judge Patti B. Saris said.

What About the Other Guy?

Cheng was caught in an illicit scheme to export pressure transducers -- sensitive goods with nuclear applications -- in violation of the U.S. embargo against Iran. Between 2009 and 2011, Cheng helped export 1,185 transducers by fraudulently obtaining U.S. export licenses, stripping the parts of serial numbers and repackaging them to hide the fact that they violated export laws.

After pleading guilty, Cheng appealed his sentence on various grounds. The First Circuit, in a 11-page decision, was not impressed. The judges took aim at Cheng's argument that others involved in the scheme received lighter sentences.

"In the circumstances of this case, this 'he did it too! argument is unpersuasive," they said. "Stated bluntly, the fact that the sentencing court had no ability to sentence certain of Cheng's co-conspirators does not make Cheng's own sentence substantively unreasonable."

World War III

In hawking his goods, Cheng apparently thought it would help his sales if he said the parts could be used in the next world war.

"We already hear the steps of the big war!" Cheng wrote in one chat to his Iranian client.

That apparently pushed the trial judge to the high end of the sentence. She said his conduct imperiled America, calling it a "huge threat to the national security interests of the United States."

Related Resources:
Trump on Saturday alleged, without offering supporting evidence, that Obama ordered a wiretap of the phones at Trump Tower.

Washington: The former top US intelligence official rejected President Donald Trump's accusation that his predecessor, Barack Obama, wiretapped him even as the White House on Sunday urged Congress to investigate Trump's allegation.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that FBI Director James Comey asked the Justice Department this weekend to reject Trump's wiretapping claim because it was false and must be corrected, but the department had not done so. The report cited senior US officials.

The White House asked Congress, controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans, to examine whether the Obama administration abused its investigative authority during the 2016 US presidential campaign, as part of an ongoing congressional probe into Russia's influence on the election.

Trump on Saturday alleged, without offering supporting evidence, that Obama ordered a wiretap of the phones at Trump's campaign headquarters in Trump Tower in New York.

"There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate or against his campaign," former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who left his post at the end of Obama's term in office in January, said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Under U.S. law, a federal court would have to have found probable cause that the target of the surveillance is an "agent of a foreign power" in order to approve a warrant authorizing electronic surveillance of Trump Tower.

Asked whether there was such a court order, Clapper said, "I can deny it."

Democrats accused Trump of trying to distract from the rising controversy about possible ties to Russia. His administration has come under pressure from FBI and congressional investigations into contacts between members of his campaign team and Russian officials.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions bowed out last week of any probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election after it emerged he met last year with Russia's ambassador while serving as a Trump campaign advisor. Sessions maintained he did nothing wrong by failing to disclose the meetings.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump and administration officials would have no further comment on the issue until Congress has completed its probe, potentially heading off attempts to get Trump to explain his accusations.

"Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling," Spicer said in a statement.

US Representative Devin Nunes, Republican head of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee examining possible links between Russia and Trump's campaign, said in a statement that any possible surveillance on campaign officials would be part of the probe.

Trump made the wiretapping accusation in a series of early morning tweets on Saturday amid expanding scrutiny of his campaign's ties to Russia. An Obama spokesman denied the charge, saying it was "a cardinal rule" that no White House official interfered with independent Justice Department investigations.

The White House offered no evidence on Sunday to back up Trump's accusation and did not say it was true.

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders, appearing on ABC's "This Week," said Trump has "made very clear what he believes, and he's asking that we get down to the bottom of this. Let's get the truth here."

'Early stages of investigation'

Trump, who is spending the weekend at his Florida resort, said in his tweets on Saturday that the alleged wiretapping took place in his Trump Tower office and apartment building in New York, but there was "nothing found."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Trump had either made a false accusation, or a judge had found probable cause to authorize a wiretap.

"Either way, the president's in trouble," Schumer said on NBC's "Meet the Press," adding that if Trump was spreading misinformation, "it shows this president doesn't know how to conduct himself."

Clapper said "there was no evidence" of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in a January intelligence report concluding Russian interference in the 2016 election, but "this could have unfolded or become available in the time since I left government."

Trump's allegations echo charges made in recent days by several conservative news and commentary outlets, all without offering any evidence.

Trump should immediately turn over any evidence he has to support his allegation, said U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"What we need to deal with is evidence, not just statements," she said on CBS's "Face the Nation," adding she also had not seen evidence of collaboration "but we are in the very early stages of our investigation."

Trump fired his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, in February after revelations that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office.

Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary under Obama, said the president did not have the authority to unilaterally order a wiretap of a U.S. citizen.

"The president was not giving marching orders to the FBI about how to conduct its investigation," Earnest said on ABC's "This Week."
In one instance, Pushor also sarcastically described the park as 'mini Mumbai'.

In the video, Pushor takes a video of Indians taking a stroll in the park while their children ride bikes and play around. (Photo: Facebook)

Ohio: In yet another racist attack on Indians in US, a video posted on the website SaveAmericanITJobs.com shows Indian families relaxing and hanging out in an Ohio park, while the man taking the video accuses them of stealing American jobs.

The incident comes barely a week after Hyderabad techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla was shot dead at a bar in Kansas.

The video titled, "Welcome to Columbus Ohio suburbs - Lets take a walk to Indian park" was posted on the website managed by 66-year-old Steve Pushor, who works as a computer programme in Virginia.

In the video, Pushor takes a video of Indians taking a stroll in the park while their children ride bikes and play around. While his camera pans through the park, Pushor says, "The number of people from foreign countries blows my mind out here. You see this whole area is all Indian, amazing. Its an amazing number of jobs have been taken away from Americans. The Indian crowd has ravished the Midwest. Its a takeover".

In one instance, Pushor also sarcastically described the park as 'mini Mumbai'.

" What were trying to point out is people in Ohio, IT workers and other professional people have lost their jobs to foreign guest workers. Thats what our point is," he added.
A Marine Corps spokesman told the newspaper that military officials are uncertain how many military personnel could be involved.

Washington: Senior US lawmakers on Sunday condemned the suspected distribution of nude photographs of female Marines to military personnel and veterans via a social media network that promotes sexual violence, and called on the Marine Corps to fully investigate.

The Marine Corps Times, an independent newspaper focusing on issues involving the service, published an internal Marine Corps communications document with talking points about the issue, describing the social media network as a closed Facebook group with about 30,000 members. The network solicited nude photos of female service members, some of whom had their name, rank and duty station listed, the newspaper reported.

A Marine Corps spokesman told the newspaper that military officials are uncertain how many military personnel could be involved.

The chairman of the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, Republican Mac Thornberry of Texas, and the panel's senior Democrat, Adam Smith of Washington state, separately called for a complete investigation.

"Degrading behavior of this kind is entirely unacceptable," Thornberry said in a statement. "I expect the Marine Corps to investigate this matter fully with appropriate consequences for those who willingly participated."

Smith also called for proper care to be provided to the victims, and said that, "This behavior by Marines and former Marines is degrading, dangerous, and completely unacceptable."

Officials from the Marine Corps Naval Criminal Investigative Service were not immediately available for comment.

The site talked of misogynist behavior, the Marine Corps document said, and the photos were on a secure drive in cloud storage, which has been removed.

The document advised a response along the lines of: "The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in a closed website. This behavior destroys morale, erodes trust, and degrades the individual."

According to an annual report that the Pentagon released in May 2016, the U.S. military received about 6,000 reports of sexual assault in 2015, similar to the number in 2014, but such crimes are still underreported.
Pakistan army had launched a crackdown against terrorists after an Islamic State suicide bomb attack in Sindh province claimed 88 lives.

Peshawar: Five Pakistani soldiers were killed by militants in a cross border terrorist attack on three border posts in the country's restive northwest tribal region, the army said on Monday.

"Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed terrorists attempt. In exchange of fire 5 soldiers were killed yesterday," the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

Ten of the attackers were also believed to have been killed, the statement said.

"Last night terrorists from across the border attempted physical attack on three Pakistan border posts in Mohmand Agency," it said.

"Terrorists must be denied freedom of movement along the border," Pakistan army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa was quoted as saying in the statement.

Last month, Pakistan army launched a crackdown against terrorists after an Islamic State suicide bomber at a crowded Sufi shrine in Sindh province claimed 88 lives. Pakistan often accuses Afghanistan-based terrorists for the attacks in the country.

Last month, the army has killed more than 100 suspected terrorists and also handed over to Afghanistan a list of 76 terrorists hiding across the border.

At the heart of the problem are Kabuls continued allegations against Pakistan for providing what it called 'safe havens' to terrorists launching the cross border raids, The Express Tribune reported.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said North Korea fired four missiles, three of which landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

Seoul: Nuclear-armed North Korea fired four ballistic missiles east of the peninsula on Sunday, with Japan saying three of them landed in its waters.

Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile in February  its first such launch since October - which Seoul said was aimed at testing the response from the new US administration of President Donald Trump.

Seoul said several missiles were fired into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, and that South Korea and the US were "closely analysing" tracking data for further details.

"In terms of the range, it is around 1,000 kilometres," the South's defence ministry said in a statement.

Seoul said its armed forces were "closely monitoring the North's military for further provocations and maintaining military readiness".

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said North Korea fired four missiles "almost simultaneously", three of which landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

In response to the launch, South Korea's acting president Hwang Kyo-Ahn convened an emergency National Security Council (NSC) meeting, the presidential office said in a statement.

Seoul and Washington launched annual joint military exercises last week that infuriate Pyongyang, which condemns them as provocative rehearsals for invasion.

A day after the Foal Eagle drills kicked off, the North's military warned of "merciless nuclear counter-action" against enemy forces.

"Now that the US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces again kicked off the dangerous nuclear war drills against the DPRK at its doorstep, our army will counter them with the toughest counteractions," a spokesman said in a statement carried by the KCNA news agency.

North Korea has regularly carried out actions in protest against the exercises, last year firing seven ballistic missiles during them.

That rocket -- said by the North to use solid fuel and to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead -- flew east for about 500 kilometres before falling into the Sea of Japan, South Korea said at the time.

North Korea is under heavy international sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes.

In February, China - the North's chief ally and diplomatic protector - announced a suspension of all coal imports from the North until the end of the year, depriving Pyongyang of a crucial source of foreign currency.

China's foreign ministry said Beijing and Pyongyang were still "friendly neighbours" but added it remained opposed to the North's nuclear ambitions.

North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology. But six sets of UN sanctions since Pyongyang's first nuclear test in 2006 have failed to halt its drive for what it insists are defensive weapons.

Last year the country conducted two nuclear tests and numerous missile launches in its quest to develop a nuclear weapons system capable of hitting the continental US.

Pyongyang has also been blamed by Seoul for the killing of Kim's half-brother Kim Jong-Nam by two women using VX nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur's international airport last month.
by Nirmala Carvalho

The Archbishop of Ranchi led a delegation of Christians to governor of Jharkhand which passed the amendments on the use of land. Eliminated the restriction that prevented the State and individuals to buy land. In the event of economic difficulties, the tribals would sell the properties to the highest bidder.

Ranchi (AsiaNews) - Christians in Jharkhand are opposed to the amendment of two laws on land ownership that threaten to deprive the use of tribal lands. Card. Telesphore Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, led a Christian delegation to the governor of the Indian state, composed mostly of tribal farmers.

Meeting with Draupadi Murmu, they have expressed their concern over the new rules that would only apparently favor the farmers. AsiaNews, the archbishop said: "The amendments do not bring benefit to our people. The rules will lead to expropriation of lands ".

The dispute revolves around the amendments to two laws approved by the state government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The November 23, 2016 MPs have given consent to the amendment of Chotanagpur Tenancy Act and Santhal Paragana Tenancy Act. The amendments cancel a previous ban on acquiring tribal lands imposed by the state on individuals. This protected them and protected notice of tribal land ownership, mostly uneducated whose lands are the only source of income that guarantees their survival.

On paper, the amendments would allow the use of tribal lands for non-agricultural purposes, without losing possession. The Christians, however, complain that this gives the green light to the indiscriminate exploitation of the territory. In fact, if the tribal were in difficult economic conditions, they would be inclined to sell the land to the highest bidder.

According to Christians, no one - let alone the law in question - ensures that the tribal property will not be used to maximize the profits of industrial or tourist activities. The people who inhabit these regions for centuries, says the statement of the Christian delegation "would be left without land." Then they turn directly to the governor, who will make the final decision, adding: "We demand you stop this legislation."

Card. Toppo continues: "The life of our people is linked inextricably with the forest, land and natural resources that have sustained us for generations. Now it is threatening their very existence. Our tribal and poor people are in danger of losing the small property that they have at the expense of industrial, commercial and government projects. The amendments threaten their lives and livelihoods, destroying the future of the Jharkhand population. "

According to the cardinal, "changing laws will bring devastating consequences: mass displacement, migration of tribal, serious dangers to community life and survival". "The Church  he concluded - cannot remain silent in the face of all this. We are always on the side of the poor ".
The apostolic administrator looks at the Patriarchates administrative and financial errors. Lent is a way to conversion. Priests and the community are committed. The treasure will shine in earthen vessels.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews)  For the first time in his capacity as apostolic administrator, Mgr Pizzaballa has addressed a letter for Lent to the diocese of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

In the missive, he touches the situation of the Patriarchate, noting the role it has played in its 170 years of existence and the important contributions it has made to the life of Christians in terms of schools, parishes and institutions.

Quoting from Pope Francis, Mgr Pizzaballa calls on the faithful to "refuse to settle for mediocrity ", but prepare themselves instead for the Lenten journey of conversion.

Speaking about his work as apostolic administrator, he cites existing problems, in particular financial and administrative difficulties. " We [. . .] failed in some important areas, he writes, perhaps not focused enough on our primary mission: preaching the Gospel and dedicate ourselves to the pastoral activities."

The problems include financial issues related to the American University of Madaba set up by the Patriarchate. At the end of 2014, the Holy See created an ad hoc committee to ensure its stability.

The way to turn this crisis into a "place for a new life" started just before Lent with the meeting of all the priests of the Latin Patriarchate, on 27 and 28 February, at the House of the Visitation of the Sisters of the Rosary, in Fuheis, Jordan. The meeting serves as an annual general meeting.

"We have much to do. Now is the time to begin the work of reform, reconstruction and renewal," Mgr Pizzaballa explained. According to him, the Patriarchate will overcome this moment of difficulty thanks to the commitment shown by priests and bishops at the meeting.

However, the whole community is also called to participate. "I ask you all to pray during Lent that we may indeed work together, bishops, priests, religious men and women, lay men and women, youth and aged ones."

One of the proposals for the future is to open new diocesan offices to coordinate and unify pastoral outreach to the community.

Citing Saint Paul to the Corinthians, the apostolic administrator notes that "our human fragility" is necessary to make clear that this "extraordinary power" belongs to God and not to man. For this reason, the faithful can be confident that the treasure entrusted to them "will shine through even though we are earthen vessels."

Finally, the prelate sends a message of encouragement. "Brothers and sisters, united in prayer this Lent, we set our face to follow the Lord to Jerusalem. Yes, the way will be a hard one but let me share with you my confidence that if we persevere with Him, we will emerge in the light of His Resurrection!

May the Lord bless you all in this Lenten journey!
Control of al-Hurriya bridge snatched from the Islamic State. The heaviest fighting since the offensive for the recapture of the western sector. Refugee emergency worsens in recent days at least 45 thousand people have fled their homes.

Baghdad (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Iraqi government forces have taken control of al-Hurriya (Freedom) Bridge, the second on the Tigris river to be wrested from the jihadists of the Islamic State barricaded since the offensive in the second most important city of the country .

Over the weekend the Baghdad army and Kurdish militias launched a new military operation in the western sector of Mosul; the eastern part is, in the hands of the government since January after weeks of intense fighting.

All five bridges over the Tigris River, connecting the two areas of the city, were damaged by air coalition raid. However, the capture of the second bridge, better known as bridge-Jamhuriya, will provide a base for government forces.

The fighters had struck the bridges with the goal of limiting the Islamic States ability to maneuver and move and the ability to supply the fighting groups or strengthen their positions in the eastern sector.

Mosul, the metropolis of the north of Iraq, is the last Daesh stronghold [Arabic acronym for the Islamic State, IS] in Iraq.

Yesterday, an Iraqi army officer said that troops were involved in the heaviest fighting since the offensive to recapture the area west of Mosul, two weeks ago. The old city is home to the great mosque of al-Nuri, where the IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed the creation of the "Caliphate" in July 2014.

Last month, the government had managed to oust the Daesh militia from the area east of Mosul, to the right of the Tigris, after months of intense fighting. The offensive began on 17 October last year and it has taken nearly five months to defeat the jihadi resistance in the area.

UN sources report that half of recorded victims are civilians. Since October 1096 people have been killed, nearly 700 wounded in the plain of Nineveh. Meanwhile, activists and humanitarian associations are dramatically appealing for the welfare of the civilian population, involved in the fighting. According to reports from the International Organization for Migration, at least 45 thousand civilians have fled their homes because of the battle for Mosul.

The situation is of extreme emergency and NGOs can barely cope with the continual arrivals in the refugee camps. Before the start of the assault 750 thousand people lived in the western sector of the metropolis.

On February 28 alone more than 17 thousand people arrived from Mosul west; a further 13 thousand fled March 3. To date, as a result of the offensive, 200 thousand people are displaced from the city. Some have already gone back to their homes in the eastern sector.
by Kamran Chaudhry

Federal authorities decided to join seven tribal areas to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. British-era rules are still enforced in the area. The government plans to invest a billion dollars. For Lutheran bishop, locals have been neglected and it will be long time before they truly understand the notion of nation.

Lahore (AsiaNews)  Pakistans Christian leaders have criticised the central government for joining the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

It would be difficult to control the tribal areas, Lutheran Bishop Jimmy Mathew of Mardan told AsiaNews. They deserve a separate set up. Locals have been neglected since the countrys independence from the British in 1947 and it will be long time before they truly understand the notion of nation.

On 2 March, the federal cabinet announced plans to merge the predominantly Pashtun FATA to their neighbouring province. The tribal areas on the northern border with Afghanistan are considered a safe haven for jihadist groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and al-Qaeda.

The seven semi-autonomous areas are subject to the Frontier Crimes Regulation. Introduced during the British Raj, it denies residents the right to go to court for criminal acts committed locally.

Collective punishment decided by tribal elders is enforced. There are no schools. Development groups cannot operate in the areas. Residents dont have access to medical care. And whilst residents vote for the lower house of parliament, the latters laws do not apply to them.

The governments decision starts a five-year process of unification with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. District elections could be held later this year. The central government plans to invest 110 billion rupees (about US$ billion) in the region.

In recent years several military operations against the strongholds of extremist groups have caused mass displacement. An estimated three million people are internally displaced, forced from their homes into camps or cities.

Basically it is a human rights free zone, said Zar Ali Khan Afridi, chairman of the Tribal NGOs Consortium. In absence of any legislation, locals cannot appeal for their freedom once arrested. Many languish in jail for decades. Jirgas (traditional village councils) cannot replace courts.

The government announcement has brought a sigh of relief. People have been demanding justice and freedom for decades. Still its a long process, said the activist based in the Khyber agency.

Conversely, for Fr William Nasir, director of the Commission of Social Communications for the Islamabad-Rawalpindi Diocese, the merging of tribal frontiers is not a good decision.

These areas look like a set from Jesus movies, he said. We feel so helpless; there is so much to do. Church workers and Caritas staff are urged to visit these areas only in local clothes and preferably wearing a beard. Without any factories, they trade weapons and grow opium.

For the clergyman, The government will gain more territory, but more provinces mean more development. It can result in development work for neglected locals.
Three of them reach 200 miles from the Japanese coast. Retaliation against the "provocation" of joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington. Shinzo Abe: A new level of threat. The US prepared to use "full range" of tools.

Seoul (AsiaNews) - In the early hours of the morning, North Korea launched four missiles into the Sea of Japan. Three of them have fallen in the exclusive economic zone of Japan [200 nautical miles from the coast], after covering 1000 km.

According to military sources in the South, the launch took place at 7:36 this morning from the Dongchang-ri missile base, near the Chinese border, and appears to be in response to joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States. Pyongyang has often denounced these exercises as "evidence" of an intended invasion of the North.

Three days ago, North Korea had threatened to launch missile in response to these exercises.

In a Foreign Ministry statement, Seoul condemns the launch of the missile as a "provocation", and as a clear violation of the resolutions of the UN Security Council and a major threat to the peninsula and to the world.

Yoshihide Suga, spokesman for the Japanese government, has denounced the act as "a serious threat to national security." Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pointed out that today's launch is "a new level of threat".

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner joined the chorus of condemnation and reiterated "our commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan," using "a full range of capabilities at our disposal against this growing threat. "

Last year, Seoul and Washington reached an agreement to install an anti-missile system called Thaad (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) in Seongju, 200 km southeast of the capital. Each missile unit costs about $ 800 million. The Korean Catholic Church is opposed to the project because it could lead the peninsula into a "new Cold War."
The congress, which was postponed from November last year, could have major repercussions for the KNUs involvement in the peace process, with a vote expected to shake up the organizations management.

The international delegates, who represent overseas Karen organizations, have been invited to the March 14 event as observers and will not be allowed a vote, according to the International Karen Organization (IKO). The KNU executive committees decision to bar the international representatives from voting drew criticism, as it contradicts a previous agreement made at the 15th congress.

The overseas invitees hail from Australia, Canada, Norway, Japan, Malaysia, and the UK. Eight of the international representatives have been invited by the KNU, while the others represent two Karen civil society groups, according to the convening committee.

So far the domestic attendee list has yet to be confirmed. Invitations have been sent to 15 potential observers from Karen political parties and CSOs inside the country, but no responses have been received, the convening committee said.

Pado Saw Thaw Thi Bwe, chair of the KNU congress convening committee, said some confusion remains about the specific number of representatives that can be sent from each organization.

Part of the confusion may be attributable to the multiple hats participants wear. For instance, Mann Kyaw Nyein, secretary of the Karen National Party, said he will be attending the event on behalf of the Karen Unity and Peace Committee and not as a KNP representative.

They [the convening committee] said theyd send the list of representatives who are set to attend the congress within two or three days, he added.

Observers say the KNU is currently divided between two factions with different outlooks on the peace process: one supports engagement with the Tatmadaw, and the other wants to engage only with the elected National League for Democracy-led government. By preventing the international groups from participating in the vote, some have suggested that the pro-Tatmadaw faction is hoping to sway the poll.

However, Padoh Saw Thaw Thi Bwe told Karen News in January that the decision to limit the vote was based on administrative structure. Only representatives from KNU-controlled villages, village tracts, townships and districts will be allowed to run and to vote in the congress election, he said.

Like the 15th iteration, the upcoming congress will be held in Lay Wah.
AskMen Study Reveals The Most-Searched Sex Positions By State

Trending News: These Are The Most Popular Bedroom Positions In Each State

Long Story Short

An AskMen study of Google data by state reveals each state's most common sex position searches. The nation as a whole agrees on doggy-style, but analysis revealed several strange quirks across the country.

Long Story

If you spend a lot of time scouring your RSS feed for scientific sex news (it's ok, and probably better, if you don't), you realize that there's no shortage of studies and surveys addressing the most popular sex positions. Similarly, we've learned time after time that when it comes to porn searches, geography plays an astounding role in determining what people like to watch while they tug their tamales.

But what if someone combined the two? That is, replace porn with actual meatspace sex to find out what kind of humping people like to do based on their geography. That's essentially what we've done in an original study. By mining Google AdWords data at the state level and breaking it down by a predetermined list of sex positions, we were able to determine not just how Americans like to bump uglies, but how often they turn to the web for inspiration.

On average, Americans Google sex positions at a rate of about 4.5 searches per 1,000 residents. In the map above, the darker the state, the greater the frequency of their sex position searches. Generally speaking, we see the less-populous states coming in with higher search volume  Wyoming is America's least-populous state, for example, and their 9 searches per 1,000 residents is nearly twice the national average.

My guess is that it has to do with population diversity. In other words, while a more populous state will have a certain subset of the population more in the know about (or at least, less interested in) sex positions, that dilution doesn't happen in more sparsely-populated locales. That could go both ways, of course, but given human nature people are more likely to be interested in sex than not.

I have no clue what's going on in DC (which is obviously not a state but works as one for our purposes), by the way. They have roughly 100,000 more residents than Wyoming, and the city's population is ethnically, politically and economically diverse. Yet their 18.7 searches per 1,000 residents is nearly four times the national average  either it's an aberration, or the jokes about crusty, conservative old people actually being freaks in the sheets holds water.

When we get down to the state level, things get a little more interesting. Doggy-style sex is the most-searched position nationwide, but when you go down a level some clear factions emerge.

There's something deeply, deeply funny about "woman on top" taking a plurality of states. I picture people searching it the way they would "dabbing" or "the mannequin challenge," as though it's some kind of teen fad best approached with caution. Woman on top was the most popular term in a majority of southern, western and northeastern states. Doggy-style, which was again popular everywhere, was buoyed in part by a diverse midwestern faction that was split between doggy and woman on top. Otherwise, we learn that folks in New Jersey and Massachusetts are aggressively generous lovers, and Missourians are doing their own thing.

Of course, one of these studies wouldn't be complete without some true weirdness, so we saved the best for last. There were a few terms that, while not popular enough to appear in any nation- or even statewide lists, were popular enough in a handful of places to make you wonder what they're putting in the water over there.

I'll be honest, I don't know what any of these are. I thought the invention of new sex positions was the sole provenance of teenage boys who'd never get the chance to try them, but it appears that the home-fires burn hot in America's heartland. Wyoming, perhaps because there's not much to do and no one to talk to, is extremely fond of a particular BDSM position. A reluctant search tells me that Magic Bullet is a position friendly to pregnant women, so it would seem that South Dakotans realize family planning and carnal pleasures need not be mutually exclusive.

Something f*cked up is going on in Delaware, West Virginia and their cohort states. Neither Fire Hydrant nor Overpass seem to offer any advantage over their tamer parent positions, and they may well be impossible for people lacking sufficient balance and flexibility. I guess I'd get bored too if I lived somewhere like Delaware or West Virginia.

Overall, the U.S. has an interest in creative sex positions that's as varied and diverse as its population (it should be noted that Missionary wasn't the most popular position search in any state). Maybe if we knew we had a shared interest in sexual adventures, we could make some real progress in this country.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Could there be something cultural to explain the regional popularity of certain positions?

Drop This Fact

Nationwide, the second-most popular search term was 69. Nice.
U.S. Marine Corps Investigating A Scandal Involving Leaked Nude Pics Of Female Service Members

Trending News: Nude Photo Sharing Ring Prompts U.S. Marine Corps Investigation

Long Story Short

The U.S. Marine Corps is investigating the sharing of hundreds, maybe thousands, of naked photos of female active duty members and veterans online.

Long Story

Hundreds of Marines are being investigated after the discovery of a closed Facebook group that featured naked photos of female Marines, and the obscene comments that accompanied them.

The Marines United page had close to 30,000 followers until it was shut down last month. Open to male only service members and veterans, as well as Navy Corpsmen and Royal Marines, the page featured photos of female service members shared without their knowledge or consent. It also featured in some cases the personal information of the women, such as their names, rank, duty station and social media profiles.

The Facebook page linked to a Google Drive account and urged members to contribute photos. The photos appear to have been obtained in a variety of ways, from sharing with partners to surreptitiously photographing subjects to perhaps even hacking their social media accounts.

In one instance, a female corporal stationed to Camp Lejeune was followed and secretly photographed picking up her gear. Members suggested the uploader take her out back and pound her out. Someone else suggested, And butthole. And throat. And ears. Both of them. Video it though for science.

The story was reported by non-profit reporting organizations The War Horse and The Center for Investigative Reporting. The War Horse, which reports on war trauma and veterans affairs, was founded last year by Thomas James Brennan, an Iraq and Afghanistan Marine veteran and Purple Heart recipient. There apparently have been threats made against Brennan and his family because of his reporting on the story.

Our official statement on Marines United and the distribution of nude photos: pic.twitter.com/slWopFLthe  Service Women (SWAN) (@Servicewomen) March 6, 2017

The War Horse initially contacted the Marine Corps to discuss the Marines United Facebook page in late January. The service asked Facebook and Google to delete the accounts almost immediately but photos were still being added in mid-February. The Corps says it the Naval Criminal Investigative Service has launched an investigation and two people have already been dismissed: a Marine veteran who worked as a subcontractor who shared the Google Drive account, and the active duty Marine who photographed the corporal at Camp Lejeune.

Reaction from Marine officials has been unequivocal: sharing naked photos of service members destroys morale, erodes trust and degrades the individual. The Marine Corps does not condone this sort of behavior, which undermines its core values, according to a statement.

"[It] hurts fellow Marines, family members, and civilians. It is a direct attack on our ethos and legacy, wrote Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Green, the most senior enlisted Marine on active duty, in an e-mail to the War Horse. It is inconsistent with our core values, and it impedes our ability to perform our mission.

And in an interview with the Marine Corps Times newspaper, the services Commandant, General Robert Neller, said, The success of every Marine, every team, every unit and command throughout our Corps is based on mutual trust and respect. I expect every Marine to demonstrate the highest integrity and loyalty to fellow Marines at all times, on duty, off-duty and online.

One female Marine captain wrote on the Corps Facebook page:

Hard to argue with her.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

How do you change one aspect of military culture without compromising the effectiveness of the force as a whole?

Drop This Fact

Marine infantry units only began accepting their first female members on January 5.
The first bust at the end of February reportedly caught seven 12-wheeled trucks shipping more than 50 tons of illegal hardwood, including luxury padauk and tamalan varieties. The truck drivers admitted that the logs were being transported from Yangon to Mudon Township, the Mon State Forestry Department said at a March 1 press briefing.

Further investigation of the two sites netted further seizures. In Kamarwet Village, officials discovered a deposit of 60 tons of illegal logs. And in a nearby sub-township of Mudon township, another 70 tons were seized.

When we asked the truck drivers and conductor[s] where they had unloaded the logs before, they replied that they dropped them off near Kamarwet Village, after Mudon Town, said U Min Thein Myint, director of the Mon State Forestry Department. When we and the police went to check [those locations], we found over 130 tons of padauk and tamalan wood.

He added that the state forestry department believes the timber was slated for international export, to be smuggled through the states seaport.

A fourth seizure appeared to confirm the Yangon-Mon State route. Between February 24 and 25, over 50 tons of padauk and tamalan wood was seized from trucks on the Yangon-Mudon highway. Of the seven trucks busted, one was stopped in Paung Town, three were seized in Mottama Town and another three were stopped at a tollgate just outside Mudon Town.

In total, 10 people were arrested in the seizures, and are facing charges under section 42(b) of the forestry law for extracting, moving or possessing timber from a preserved tree without a permit. They could face a K 20,000 fine or two years in prison if convicted.

We already transferred the arrestees to the court. We are still investigating to find out who owned the logs, said U Aye Naing, assistant director of the Mon State Forestry Department. The court will likely order that the government take the impounded trucks, while the logs will be taken by the forestry department.

The state forestry officials said the 180 tons of illegal timber seized last month mark the largest-ever illegal log bust carried out in Mon State.

Translated by Aong Jaeneh

Edited by Laignee Barron for BNI
By Julie Anne Jacobs

AuburnTigers.com

Trading in goggles for aprons, swimmers Natasha Lloyd and Caroline Baddock gave Auburn taste buds a glimpse of the sunny New Zealand coastline.

Guest chefs at the Wellness Kitchen, the student-athletes served local dishes from their native country, New Zealand, to fellow Auburn students and faculty.

The menu selected by Lloyd and Baddock featured lamb and roasted vegetables with parsnips and "kumara," the New Zealand term for sweet potatoes.

"It is a very common dish at home," Lloyd says. "It's a family sort of dinner."

Lloyd, a senior studying organismal biology, and Baddock, a junior in marine biology, enjoy cooking on the weekends for friends. Recipes, however, are seen more as suggestions rather than instructions.

"I love to cook meals, but I am more of a 'I will just figure something out' rather than a recipe person," Baddock says. "I love to experiment."

Time, along with detailed recipes and calculations were critical for the swimmers as they served hundreds of Auburn students, making everything from the marinade on the meat to cutting and seasoning the vegetables.

"We ended up putting in around 12 hours of prep-time to cook all the food," said Lloyd.

"The process itself turned out to be a lot of work," Baddock said. "From never cooking one roasted lamb by myself to cooking 40 all at once definitely proved to be challenging."

Throughout the process, both Lloyd and Baddock relied on the expertise and guidance of the Wellness Kitchen staff.

"I felt, at times, like we were slightly clueless but people were ready to help us immediately," Lloyd says. "The staff was fantastic."

"Getting to know the staff was really fun and there was a lot of good banter that went on during the two intensive days," Baddock states.

Even with preparation and training by the Wellness Kitchen, the student-athletes were still anxious about how the Auburn Family would react to the new dish.

"I was just nervous that it wouldn't taste any good," Baddock says. "I have never cooked for this many people before."

Nerves were quickly put to ease, though, as Auburn students couldn't get enough of the dish, presenting clean plates and eager appetites.

"We had lots of people coming up for seconds and thirds, which I am going to assume meant they loved the food," Lloyd said.

"All the feedback we received was really positive and there wasn't much left over at the end of the night, which is always a good sign," says Baddock.

Yet, ultimately, the student-athletes measured the night's success based on one select group's reaction to the meal.

"A lot of people came up and gave us compliments, which was very sweet, but we didn't hear a single complaint from our massive swim team, who we knew would be very harsh critics," Lloyd said. "So, I think it's fair to say it was a success."

Though the guest chef role proved to be a large undertaking, the swimmers relish the opportunity to bring a little piece of home back to the Plains.

"It was an awesome experience and I am so grateful we had the opportunity to do this," said Lloyd.

"It felt really good to share this part of our lives with people and to show them a little slice of what New Zealand cuisine is like," Baddock said.

Judging by the looks of empty plates and overflowing appetites, it's safe to say that little slice of New Zealand was a huge success.
Freedom Foods bucks dairy trend





Unlike other Australian dairy producers, Freedom Foods has achieved sales growth within its dairy operations for the first half of the 2017 financial year.

Freedoms dairy operations at Shepparton, Victoria, achieved a sales growth which the company said reflected new contracts and increased demand in Australia, China and South East Asia.

Freedom also achieved growth in its dairy beverages sales, including its Australias Own Kids Milk sold in China.

Australias Own Kids Milk is now the leading imported childrens milk brand in China were it is distributed.

Overall profit increase

The overall operating net profit reported by Freedom Foods for the first half of its 2017 financial year was AUD $5.3 million.

This was a 78 per cent increase on its results for the first half of its 2016 financial year.

Each of Freedom Foods business units achieved increased sales except for its Speciality Seafood division which was impacted by a shortage in sardine supply and an unfavourable exchange rate on purchasing in salmon and sardines.

Cereal and snacks

Freedoms cereal and snacks operation delivered an increased operating earnings result. This included a full contribution from its acquired Darlington Point Mill and Dandenong business.

Plant-based beverages

Sales in Freedoms plant-based drinks increased.

Freedom said its Taren Point production facility is at capacity and that its new facility at Ingleburn will help reduce costs of ongoing operations.

Related articles
South China Sea conflict, warning for Australians to stockpile supplies





Australias largest motoring organisation, the NRMA, has warned that Australias dependency on overseas fuel import shipments passing through the South China Sea could lead to a major shortage of petrol with consequent unavailability of essential supplies including food.

Quoted on the ABC, retired Air Vice Marshall, John Blackburn, who is currently advising the National Roads and Motorists Association (NRMA) on Australias fuel security, said the distribution of food, medicine and water across Australia was dependent on overseas fuel.

If anything was to stop fuel entering the country, such as a conflict in the South China Sea, Australia could have significant problems in distributing its food, medicine and other essential supplies as there is a lack of Australian-based reserve supplies.

Would Australians have enough food if something was to happen?

In Australia there is not much promotion on having supplies like food ready in case of emergency. This is different even to New Zealand which due to the increased risk of earthquake has more of a focus on emergency preparation.

As reported by the ABC, the NRMA says Australias stockholding capability is seven days for chilled and frozen goods delivery, 9 days for dry goods, 7 days for retail pharmacy supplies, 3 days for hospital pharmacy supplies and 3 days for petrol stations.

Case study in point

Many Australians are unaware that several years ago, the Australian Food and Grocery Council published a pantry list which provided some guidance on basic essentials to be held in every household to cater for shortages caused by disruption in grocery supply chain in circumstances such as a pandemic. The Pantry List can be found here. The New Zealand scheme suggest that schools and workplaces also hold emergency stocks of groceries, more details can be found here.

In 2008, Australian food compliance experts, FoodLegal, made a submission to a Australian parliamentary committee on Australias food production.

Although the submission stressed that it did not promote survivalism, it drew attention to the amount of planning required by government to handle food shortages and that consideration needs to be given to the wider ramifications that make food shortages very likely.

FoodLegals 2008 submission can be found here.
Two top firms advised on the $300m final stage of the Hornsdale Wind Farm, which is expected to drive down cost of wind energy in South Australia once fully operational. Baker McKenzie advised Neoen, the majority owners of the wind farm. Herbert Smith Freehills advised on the construction, operation, and financing of third stage of the project.Both Baker McKenzie and HSF advised on the first two stages of the project in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Baker McKenzie also advised Neoen on the initial acquisition of the project from Investec in 2014.The third and final stage adds 35 wind turbines to the first multi-staged, separately project-financed wind farm in Australia. The project will boast 99 wind turbines with a maximum capacity of 309 MW.Neoen Australia, along with John Laing and Megawatt Capital Investments, has secured a long-term senior debt financing package from international financiers. Siemens, which supplies the projects turbines, has agreed to construction and long-term operating and maintenance agreements.Each stage of this landmark project is underpinned by a separate 20-year feed-in-tariff for the supply of power to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), with Stage 3 achieving a price of $73 per MWh. The ACT Government targets having 100% of its electricity supplied by renewable energy sources by 2020.The HSF team was led by partner Elizabeth Charlesworth and executive counsel Alison Dodd. The Baker McKenzie team was led by partners Paul Curnow and Sean Rush.The Australian renewables sector has seen continued growth over the past six to 12 months, with a large number of renewables projects achieving significant project milestones in the last two months alone and a number of others already in the pipeline, Charlesworth said.Hornsdale is unique in the way it was structured and financed on a staged basis  each time delivering pricing efficiencies, said Curnow.
The ex-wife of an international gambler has reportedly fired a law firm and is in dispute with others in a 12-year battle with her husband.Elisabeth Steicke has been pursuing high-rolling husband David in a $40 million legal battle but has added several Australian law firms to her list of opponents. The latest is Jordan & Fowler, according to an article from The Advertiser.It reports that the Supreme Court in Adelaide heard that Mrs Steicke sacked the firm days before she was due to be cross-examined about debts to other law firms.The article says that Winton & Co, Connelly & Co and Pederick Lawyers have all pursued court action against Mrs Steicke, who had also sued Donaldson Walsh in 2010. The Advertiser says that in affidavits Mrs Steicke says she is not a difficult client and just wants a law firm that tells the truth.A team from Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Canadian-headquartered multinational Altus Group on its acquisition of Australian real estate firm EstateMaster.Lead partner Ben Smits was assisted by Sydney corporate associate Mitchell Kelly while Sydney employment partner David Cross also provided advice.Global healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson has been embroiled in multiple lawsuits and a new poll shows how damaging they have been to its reputation.The firm has seen public perception of its brand slump amid lawsuits relating to deaths connected to talcum powder products. Two suits were settled in the first half of 2016, resulting in $127 million of payments; but there are more than 2,000 lawsuits pending in the US courts.Polling company YouGov says that Johnson & Johnson has suffered heavily from the publicity surrounding the cases and from layoffs in its medical devices division. Survey respondents general impression of the firm fell almost 20 per cent since May 2016 with its reputation falling 15 per cent.
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Canadian citizen Manpreet Kooner was on her way to a day spa in Vermont when she was stopped at the US border. The 30-year-old Montreal resident, who works at a science lab, was held for six hours before being denied entrance into the US.

Kooner, who was born and raised in Canada by parents who come from India, was told she needed an immigrant visa. The two friends she was traveling with, both white, did not have a problem.

"I'm speechless," Kooner said to CBC news. "There are no answers."

According to CBC:

Kooner's story is the latest in a string of recent tales involving Canadian travellers scrutinized or turned away by U.S. border agents. Last month, for instance, a woman from the Montreal suburb of Brossard said she was denied entry after being fingerprinted, photographed and questioned in detail about her religion and her views on Trump. Kooner was reluctant to attribute her situation to racism, but said friends who have reached out to her say that could be the case. "People have said we need to take that into account here, because unfortunately, yeah, my skin colour is brown," she said.

This actually wasn't the first time Kooner was stopped at the border. Last December she was pulled over at the border for a random check, and then turned away because of a computer problem. She was allowed in the US the following day. Her mother was also turned away last summer, without any apparent reasons.

Kooner says the idea of crossing the border now makes her sick.

Read the full story here.

Photo: Jeff Nelson
About half of law firms in the US and Canada plan to raise marketing spend this year, a study has found.According to legal staffing and consulting solutions firm Robert Half Legal, 45% of law firms they asked in a recent survey said their firms planned to increase marketing budgets. Among those, 4% said their law firms planned a significant increase, while 41% said the increase will be modest.Marketing spend is also tipped to either stay the same or increase, with 44% of respondents saying their marketing spending will neither increase nor decrease. Only 1% said their firms planned a modest decrease while 6% said they dont know and 4% said they did not use marketing services.Managing partners are hiring marketing specialists and consultants to help distinguish their firm's brand and broaden its exposure to potential clients, said Robert Half Legals Charles Volkert.Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group, a specialist staffing service for interactive design, marketing and advertising and public relations professionals, said that law firms are focusing more on new media.Law firms are placing greater emphasis on providing client-focused web content to showcase their practice area expertise, such as blogs, videos and podcasts, she said. There's high demand for web and mobile designers, content strategists and brand managers who can use the latest technologies to help firms deliver enhanced customer experiences via digital channels.
By Jonathan Roberts, Professor in Robotics, Queensland University of Technology

Shutterstock/Steve Lagreca

If you happen to live Pittsburgh in the US or Milton Keynes in the UK, then you may occasionally see one of the driverless, or self-driving, cars that are currently being tested around the world.

With most major car makers developing the technology, plus new entrants into the car world such as Google, Uber and Apple, it is evident that driverless cars will eventually become real and mainstream.

The media is awash with discussion of how driverless cars work, the ethical dilemmas in their use and how will they impact the workforce of professional drivers.

A recent article listed 25 shocking predictions about a future with driverless cars.

But few people are talking about revolutionary and maybe unexpected ways people will use driverless cars once they are autonomous and common place.

Some of these interesting uses will not be for everyone, and many will be highly controversial, but when something as pervasive in our society as the car undergoes a revolution, we can expect a whole lot of other big changes.

Driverless really means no driver

The driverless cars of the future really will have no driver. And more importantly, no potential driver.

At this stage, the various authorities that grant permits to test driverless cars have required they all have a back-up driver who, in theory, can take over in an emergency. This is for good reason: driverless cars have not yet been demonstrated to be reliable or safe enough.

But the idea of a reliable human back-up driver is problematic. Research shows that the ability for someone to process the immediate situation, take control of a vehicle and avoid an impending accident is limited at best.

So we should assume future driverless cars will not require a human back-up driver, once authorities are shown that having such a person is less safe than having no-one at the wheel.

With the assumption of truly autonomous cars, what will people want to do with them?

Delivery (of everything and everyone)

A first use for a truly driverless cars will revolve around the delivery of goods, people and animals. If you know that there will be another person at the destination to unload the car, then the options are almost limitless and potentially scary.

Imagine an off-leash dog park with a human attendant to handle the dogs. The lazy or busy future dog owner could load their dog into a driverless car at home and send it off to the dog park. No more the dog owner walking the dog.

What about incapacitated people? Had a few too many drinks while you are out on the town? Hop into a truly driverless car and be taken home.

Sick of being a taxi-driver parent, and dont like the idea of popping your little ones into a ride sharing car? If a driverless car can transport dogs and drunks then transporting children will be easy.

But should children be allowed to be transported unaccompanied by an adult or a responsible person? How would restrictions on the transport of children in driverless cars be policed?

If the car can not be interfered with by its occupants, then the question only revolves around the care of children and not the safety of road users.

Have a morning meeting in a town eight hours drive away? Why not book a sleep-pod driverless car to drive you overnight to your destination. Such cars could be equipped with comfortable beds and even a small airline style toilet.

The privacy of your own pod

Some industry experts have already raised concerns that the introduction of self-driving cars could see a cars backup driver engaging in dangerous sex. But could it be that the future of paid-for-sex or casual sex will be enabled by autonomous driverless cars?

It does not take much imagination to consider that a business could be created that utilises apps, driverless cars and the desire to make lots of money. Maybe it will be that dating-like apps will exist that get people together in discrete driverless cars.

Driverless cars will not need any windows and will be able to drive around the streets without anyone outside having any idea what might be going on inside.

What will this mean for our relationships? Sex outside traditional relationships will be uber easy, as it were. For some, this is great news. For others it will be confronting.

Will governments try and legislate against it? Will religious groups start campaigns to try to ban it? Will it create a new class of paid sex worker who just does a few jobs a week to earn some extra money? Will the future driverless car companies offer this service on top of their standard transport options?

The sex industry has always been regulated with the use of location as a weapon against it. You cant have a brothel here, you cant pick up here, and so on.

But driverless cars are just around the corner and they have the potential to change this business totally. The sex industry has also traditionally been a fast adopter of new internet-based technology and the industry is experiencing great change because of it.

In the end, the advent of truly autonomous driverless cars will change society in ways that are hard to predict. But one thing is for sure, they will have a serious impact on the way most of us live, whether we like it or not.

Jonathan Roberts does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.

Originally published in The Conversation.
Hi all

I'm new and silly. Please help me with my hard situation. Please.

My Quick explanation: I came to Australia via Student Visa, got married, no child and applied for Visa 820 but refused on 02/2015. Holding BVE and renew every 3 months. Got divorced and married to my husband currently, have one son, 1 year old. I applied for visa 820 on 2/2017 but DIBP responded to me that Invalid application.

I don't know what to do next. Please help me.

Thanks
Hi everyone,



Looking for some foundation understanding of the process. I am an Australian citizen, my partner is a US citizen and has a 17yr old dependent.



1) What is the most effective VISA option for both of them to remain in AUS for an uninterrupted 12mths while we fulfil the cohabitation requirement.



2) What are the implications for a dependent once18 (March 2018) if we have not obtained a permanent partner visa (stage one).



I'll leave it at that for the moment to avoid putting the cart in front of the horse.



Thank you for your advice.



Alison
Fair enough - for reference the reason I ask is I have seen people hate their job, try and stick it out and ended up changing visa never getting PR through the 457 route. I personally got made redundant on a 457 and ended up in a messy situation that resulted in no work rights for 9 months, if I had of been eligible for a PR visa at the time I would have applied for it in a heartbeat - I can't really assist much further other then to let you know my own experience.I wasn't in an IT role, however, I did have a 457 in management consultancy, I hold a degree in the field I was employed in and had 3 years (post degree) previous experience. I didn't do any form of skills assessment (that I know of) I just had to provide a transcript of my degree, the visa was granted within a couple of weeks of application. It was all done through a migration agent that the company paid for.Perhaps come and do the WHV and plan the future as it happens, even if you don't get a 457 you will have had an opportunity to experience Australiaif you find a company willing to sponsor then they will do everything for you anyway, not to mention it will be up to date information that they act on.
A Tesla Model S charging at a Tesla Supercharger station. Photo: Eric Gandarilla

New York state is launching a rebate program for electric vehicles (EVs) that will offer a $2,000 incentive for zero-emission and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The program is designed to make EVs more price competitive with traditional cars, according to a report by the Associated Press. The initiative, which is part of an effort to reduce automotive carbon emissions, is expected to launch April 1.

The New York State legislature approved the rebate program in 2016 but recently received final approval from Governor Andrew Cuomo, according to Digital Trends.

The rebate has been in the works for long, since it had already been approved by lawmakers in April 2016.

More than three-quarters of states in the U.S. already offer incentives to lower EV costs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The state has already rolled out a rebate for municipalities buying electric vehicles for their government fleet, according to Kate Muller, director of communications and corporate marketing, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
German photographer Florian W. Mueller has created an interesting series of images about REM sleep. Set in a mossy forest, they feature one out-of-place piece of the forest.

He says of the project:

Exploring dreams has always fascinated me. Especially the dreams in which one has the guess that it could be a dream, but is not sure. Just this feeling that something is wrong. Like here: The environment is not uncommon, there is no foreign body present, but something is wrong.Second, the photographed trunks are remnants of tree trunks. Tree trunks in a nature reserve. Of course such work is useful and necessary, but heavy skidmarks and piles of tree trunks appear absurd in such an area. As absurd as 30 kilogram heavy, floating tribes.

 REM (Florian Mueller via)
PSA Group has reached an agreement with General Motors to purchase GMs European operations  which include the Opel and Vauxhall brands, as well as GM Financials European operations  for 2.2 billion euros.

This acquisition, noted Carlos Tavares, chairman of PSAs managing board, will position PSA Group as the second-largest auto manufacturer in Europe, solely behind Volkswagen.

This acquisition has become a game changer for PSA, as we become a 55 billion euro auto revenue company with a robust second position in the European market, said Tavares.

As part of the agreement, PSA Group will purchase the Opel and Vauxhall brands for 1.3 billion euro. PSA Group and BNP Paribas will jointly acquire GM Financials European operations for about 900 million euros, split evenly among the two companies, noted GM President Dan Ammann during a press conference announcing the acquisition.

The acquisition of Opel and Vauxhall brands will include all of the brands operations, six assembly and five component manufacturing facilities, one engineering center in Russelsheim, Deutschland, and approximately 40,000 employees. However, GM will retain the engineering center in Torino, Italy.

Opel and Vauxhall will also continue to benefit from the intellectual property licenses from GM until their vehicles progressively convert to PSA Group platforms over the next few years, added Ammann. The first two of three vehicles to emerge from Opels collaboration with both PSA Group and GM will be the Opel Crossland X and Opel Grandland X.

With the exception of the German active employee plan and a handful of other smaller plans, European and UK pension plans will also be remaining with GM. The smaller plans and German active employee plan will be fully funded by GM and then transferred to PSA Group, said Ammann.

During the Q&A portion of the press conference, Marry Barra, CEO of GM, was asked if the decision to sell off GMs European operations was motivated by Brexit. Barra said that the decision was not motivated by Brexit. However, during the press conference, she did note that the businesses would have broken even if it had not been for Brexit.

She added that the companies have been a part of GM since the 1920s and that the decision to sell them off was a difficult one to make.

[Opel and Vauxhall] have played meaningful roles in expanding the freedom and opportunity that was part of the transportation revolution, said Barra. Their work has produced some of the worlds most exciting automobiles  and their contributions to the future will continue to have a lasting impact on the industry and the world.

By reducing balance sheet risk, improving cash flow and margins, this transaction, she added, will allow GM to unlock $2 billion in capital. The company intends to then use that $2 billion to accelerate share repurchases, subject to market conditions.

The key to our future momentum is agility and speed; this requires prioritization and thoughtful decisions about where we put resources, and todays announcement is yet another step to advance our progress, said Barra.

Opel is expected to be profitable and will generate operation free cash flow by 2020, according to Jean-Baptiste, executive vice president, Finance. PSA Group expects Opel and Vauxhall to reach a recurring operating margin of 2% by 2020 and 6% by 2026.

Opel and Vauxhall sold 1.6 million units in 2016. Additionally, the companies generated 17.7 billion euros in revenue in that same year. After the acquisition of the two brands, PSA Group will hold a 17% market share in Europe, excluding the markets in Russia and Turkey.
VIDEO: How to Perform Hands-Only CPR

Each year, thousands of Americans suffer injuries in traffic collisions. Would you know what to do if you were involved in  or unexpectedly came across  a crash in which someone else was injured but emergency services hadnt yet arrived?

After you call 911 for help, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles recommends the following measures:
Luxury Retreats, a provider of luxury rental villas, has announced a new promotion with partner Auto Europe, a provider of international car rental services.

During the month of March, Luxury Retreats guests will be provided a complimentary premium sedan rental for their 2017 European vacation or a complimentary SUV rental for their 2017 U.S., Mexico, Caribbean, or Hawaiian vacation when booking select villas.

Provided by Auto Europe, the complimentary premium sedan includes vehicles such as the Mercedes Benz C-Class, Mercedes Benz B-Class, Audi A4, and Audi A3.

Auto Europe will provide an intermediate-sized SUV for villas booked in the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Hawaii  with the exception of an intermediate sedan model in St. Martin, Turks and Caicos, St. John, Virgin Gorda, and Grenada, according to the company.

"Our goal is always to provide a frictionless environment for our customers, and the partnership with Auto Europe will allow our guests to enjoy their vacation with the utmost convenience and luxury," said Joe Poulin, CEO and founder of Luxury Retreats. "By providing our guests with an optional delivery of the car to their villa, they are free to focus entirely on their getaway experience."

The promotion is included with select villas priced over $1,000 a night and booked for a minimum of seven nights with a maximum stay of 30 nights, according to the company.

The reservations need to be made before March 31 and for arrival before Dec. 31. Travelers will enter promo code EPC317 for European destinations and promo code SUV417 for U.S., Mexico, Caribbean, or Hawaiian destinations.
Faraday Future is no stranger to lawsuits as the so-called "electric start-up company" found itself yet again a defendant in another lawsuit. This time, it comes from the visual effects company, The Mill group. Also, Nevada State Treasurer Dan Schwartz is calling for an audit the company made with the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED). And guess what, Tesla has also been dragged into this, too.

Dan Schwartz called Faraday Future a "Ponzi scheme" as the Nevada State Treasurer as always been a strong opponent of FF's deal to the state. He specifically called an audit regarding deals made between Tesla and Faraday Future and Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED), reports Electrik.

As it turns out, GOED's growing authority, since 2014, has caught the attention of the State Treasurer. Thus, Schwartz is specifically seeking "more information on the projects GOED funds which have received substantial tax credits and financial assistance from Nevada taxpayers, including Faraday Future and Tesla."

"The ... audit should examine all documents, confidential or not, which were used by GOED in vetting the projects under (state laws) and the documentation which was provided to GOED which ultimately led to the approval of all projects of these statutes," added Schwartz.

A problem with Faraday Future is that Schwartz couldn't get access to the company's financials, claiming that they were dire. But the electric start-up automaker seems to be moving forward with its plans and its factory.

Adding to the start-up company's growing pain is the $1.8M post-reveal lawsuit filed by visual effects company, The Mill group. FF has not responded to any other case it faced in the past, until now when FF responded in a very 2017 manner on Twitter where it's launched litigious threats of its own.

We will take necessary legal actions against suppliers that failed to comply with contractual requirements to protect company interests. https://t.co/fX2MlWK9W5  Faraday Future (@FaradayFuture) January 24, 2017

In a nutshell, the suit was pretty straightforward: The Mill group worked on a presentation for a product demo for FF's new car and it didn't get paid. According to the lawsuit obtained by Jalopnik, FF allegedly paid only $20,000 for a $1.82 million presentation that it ordered.

It is not great to threaten to sue your own contractors. If the company wants to work with only the creme of the crop in business, then they might think twice before lashing out on everyone's favorite place: Twitter. This might spell disaster for a company who is just starting to get its bearings in place.

Faraday Future has been the subject of other lawsuits alleging unpaid bills. Two other cases were settled late last year by the company over late bills and the very public spat regarding their Nevada factory.

So, what does this mean for the electric start-up automaker that is supposed to rival Tesla? Is it about time we say hello to a "Faraway Future" for Faraday Future? Or they might suddenly rise from the ashes and blow our minds. But that is future uncertain. Until then, we'll keep an eye out for the latest updates. Stay tuned.
Merely a few days before Lamborghini debuts the new Lamborghini Huracan Performante at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, scandal revolving around the car rise. Lamborghini announced on Wednesday that it had beaten the Nordschleife production car record by five seconds with the Performante.

The previous record holder was the Porsche 918 Spyder. The Spyder has 887 horsepower and highly sophisticated track-bred technologies which help it ferociously claw the pavement.

The Lamborghini Huracan Performante, on the other hand, has 625-640 horsepower. It is equipped with a lighter body and several aerodynamic upgrades.

With the celebration underway, some Nurburgring experts say something is amiss with the record-breaking Performante lap time. In his blog post, Bridge to Gantry's Dale Lomas expressed his thoughts on the historical record.

Lomas claimed that the lap time does not make sense when looking at the digital speedometer overlaid on the video posted by Lamborghini on YouTube. The time recorded was 6:52 around the 12-9-mile German race track.

Because of this, Lomas thinks it is highly possible that the video was sped up during editing. It could be a great explanation why the speeds do not add up.

In his blog, Lomas also took note of some speed discrepancies that appear to have come up with Lamborghini's video. This is assuming that the speeds shown in the video are based on readings sent from a GPS speedometer and not the wheel sensor speedometer on the car

Yahoo! News showed a photo of two gauges from the Huracan Performante lap video. They also posted further statements from Dale Lomas quoted from his blog post.

YouTuber Misha Charoudin.also expressed his doubts on Lamborghini's very own lap video. Lamborghini has yet to release a statement regarding these controversies.

Fans are hoping to get some clarity regarding the Lamborghini Huracan Performante before it's showcase on the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Watch the said video below.
Friends and colleagues of a Vancouver Island flight instructor paralyzed in a training accident are rallying around her trying to ensure she achieves a new dream of somehow continuing to work in aviation. Kristen Ursel, an instructor at the Victoria Flying Club, was with a student in January when their 172 clipped powerlines after a touch and go and ended up in brush at the end of the runway at the Duncan, B.C. Airport. News reports at the time noted she was trapped in the wreckage for two hours in a complicated rescue because of the live power lines and that she was taken to the hospital. Her complicated recovery is now the object of a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $100,000 to get her from her hospital bed to a new role in aviation.

Ursel, who is also a single mother, broke her neck in the crash and was left with limited use of her arms and hands. She is currently in the G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Center in Vancouver where her friends report that her resolve to return to aviation is guiding her recovery. Kristen is determined to one day return to work wherever she can in the aviation industry, says the GoFundMe description. While her direct medical expenses are covered, there will be numerous additional costs to cover on her way back and the campaign is aimed at those expenses.
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta defended the agencys rollout of the NextGen air traffic control modernization program to a blue-chip business audience last week, saying its ahead of schedule and its completion will be worth the wait. Huerta gave pointed remarks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Summit in response to President Donald Trumps comments after a meeting with airline executives that NextGen is totally out of whack. Huerta told the business leaders that his agency has made tremendous progress implementing the system and the savings to the aviation industry and government are just beginning.

While Ill be the first to acknowledge that wed all like to move faster, I also firmly believe that any fair review of the past few years makes clear that our work together has been critical to the success of the tremendous progress we have made to revamp our air traffic system with the latest technologies, Huerta said. The FAA can demonstrate that it has already delivered more than $2.72 billion in benefits under the NextGen modernization umbrella. We expect that number to climb to $160 billion by 2030. He said the rollout is already 29 months ahead of schedule and the resulting savings will allow it to expand the implementation of datalink services to seven towers beyond the 55 already earmarked. Trump has also doubted Huertas credentials for the job, suggesting a pilot should be in charge of the FAA. Hes not a pilot? I just think a non-pilot would not know the sophistication of this [ATC] system, right? Trump told the airline meeting.
Normally its a good thing when a pilot walks away from a crash but a Missouri man may have pushed that sentiment a little. Rather than trying to find the wrecked aircraft, Kansas authorities found themselves looking for its pilot last week. According to the Kansas City Star, Randal S. Shannons shattered Maule was in plain sight in a farmers field. What was missing was whoever was on board the aircraft. After he finally identified himself, Shannon, of Drexel, Missouri, apologized. He had a meeting to make in nearby Roxbury.

Shannon reportedly told authorities that he was trying to land on a road when a gust of wind blew him into the pasture and the aircraft was damaged. He dusted himself off, got to his meeting and found another way home. He did call in six hours later but police wonder what took so long. The lady (who spotted the plane) was freaking out, Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Craig Davis told the Star on Friday. And I told him that (leaving the scene) wasnt fair to all these other people who have to run lights and sirens down there  and youre not even there.
Iris has the reputation of being a cold and austere note. Obtained from the roots of iris pallida, rather than flowers, it smells of its sourcemore like a sliver of frozen woods than petals. (This is why iris in perfumery is not quite a floral note, and its classified separately, between woods and violets.) And yet, its my favorite scent for winter. It fits so perfectly into the wintery panorama of scents that I can hardly imagine these cold days without an opaline sillage of iris. On the other hand, a beautiful perfume is beautiful all year round, so Im slowly transitioning to spring with my bouquet of irises.

The indisputable gold standard irises are Chanel No 19, Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist, and Annick Goutal Heure Exquise. Hermes Hiris is another notable fragrance, often referred to as a cult favorite, whatever that means. Although I enjoy No 19, Iris Silver Mist and Hiris, my personal iris cult is more varied, a testament to the allure of this ingredient.

Courreges Blanc

A wispy, gauzy blend of iris, rose and musk, Blanc is an ideal introduction to those who think that iris is the powdered Habsburg royalty of the fragrance world. In Blanc, it adds a touch of elegance, while offsetting the brightness of lychee and pepper.

Parfums DelRae Mythique

If Blanc proves that iris can be lighthearted, Mythique shows that it can also be sumptuous. Folded into the layers of jasmine, patchouli and sandalwood, iris is as baroque as it can be in this exceptional perfume. The contrasting accord of crushed mandarin peel keeps the balance from tipping into complete decadence.

Ann Gerard Cuir Nacre

One of the most natural pairings for iris is not with flowers, but with leather and woods, which shows that its olfactory bloodline is more complicated than it appears at first. Ann Gerard is a jeweler, who understands a thing or two about facets, which is why her collaboration with perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour has been so successful. In Cuir Nacre they explore all facets of iris, while setting it in soft leather. Elegant but with a dark twist.

Armani Prive Pierre de Lune

Pierre de Lune is a cologne version of an iris, with green notes emphasizing its cool, lithe form. A touch of violet, on the other hand, brings out the floral layers of this complex note, reminding us of the link between the root and the blossom. An ethereal fragrance that lingersanother surprise.

Yardley Iris and Lavender

Fun, easy to wear and easy to like. Iris and Lavender is a riff on Yardleys trademark lavender colognes, but with a trendy touch of pink pepper. If youre looking for a symphony in your perfume, then look elsewhere, but if you need a simple, clean cologne, its a good choice.

The Red Sphinx by Alexandre Dumas

Not long ago Amber, one of my reader, sent me several quotes from her favorite novels that includes scent references, and the mention of letters sprinkled with iris powder in The Red Sphinx by Alexandre Dumas caught our fancy. The idea seemed so delightful, even though the only letters I seem to write are to Belgian bureaucrats. Incidentally, Dumas spent a few years in Brussels after Louis-Napoleons coup detat in 1851. The real reason was not political, however, but rather prosaicDumas was trying to escape debt collectors.

The Red Sphinx is a sequel to The Three Musketeers, but it was never finished by Dumas. It was published in France only in 1946 and in English last year. Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and DArtagnan dont appear in this story, but the scheming cardinals, iris redolent queens and handsome counts will be plenty for an entertaining read. The Red Sphinx can be read as a standalone novel.

Alone in her room, Anne of Austria listened to the receding footsteps of Gaston dOrleans and of her mother-in-law. When the sound had completely faded, she slowly rose, pushed her petite feet into her Spanish slippers of sky-blue satin embroidered with gold, and sat down next to her vanity. From a drawer she took out a small canvas bag containing iris powder, a perfume she preferred for her clothes above all others, and which her mother-in-law had brought her from Florence. This powder she sprinkled on the blank second page of the letter from Gonzales de Cordovajust as, by different means, the same result was obtained from the note from Christine to Gaston, and from that of Charles-Emmanuel to the queen mother. Under the powder, letters soon appeared on the sheet sent from Gonzales de Cordova to the queen.

Id love to hear about your favorite iris fragrances.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin
6 March 2017 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Giulio Boccaletti

Much of the world seems to be on edge. The Wests relationship with Russia, the future of NATO, the Syrian civil war and refugees, rising right-wing populism, the impact of automation, and the United Kingdoms impending departure from the European Union: all of these topics  and more  have roiled public debate worldwide. But one issue  one might say the most significant of them all  is being ignored or pushed aside: the environment.

That was the case at this years annual meeting of the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland. Beyond a mention of the Paris climate agreement by Chinese President Xi Jinping, topics like climate change and sustainable development didnt even make it to the main stage. Instead, they were relegated to side meetings that rarely seemed to intersect with current political and economic events.

Allowing environmental issues to fall by the wayside at this time of geopolitical and social instability is a mistake, and not just because this happens to be a critical moment in the fight to manage climate change. Environmental degradation and natural-resource insecurity are undermining our ability to tackle some of the biggest global issues we face.

Environmental insecurity is a major, though often underestimated, contributor to global instability. The UN High Commission on Refugees reports that natural disasters have displaced more than 26 million people per year since 2008  almost a third of the total number of forcibly displaced people in this time period.

Even the current refugee crisis has an environmental element. In the years leading up to the war, Syria experienced its most extreme drought in recorded history. That drought, together with unsustainable agricultural practices and poor resource management, contributed to the internal displacement of 1.5 million Syrians and catalyzed political unrest ahead of the 2011 uprising.

The link between environmental and agricultural pressures extends far beyond Syria. Over-reliance on specific geographies for agriculture means that food production can exacerbate environmental problems, or even create new ones. This can pit global consumer interests against local citizen interests, as it has along the Mississippi River, where fertilizer runoff from one of the worlds breadbaskets is contributing to concerns about water quality.

The connection goes both ways, with environmental conditions also shaping agricultural production  and, in turn, the prices of agricultural commodities, which represent about 10% of traded goods worldwide. For example, rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns are already driving up the price of coffee. With the global land area suitable for growing coffee set to contract by up to half by 2050, price pressures will only intensify.

A sudden shift toward trade protectionism could drive up agricultural commodity prices further. Such an increase would affect farm-level household income, favoring some farmers while harming others. End consumers, particularly the poor and vulnerable, would also suffer.

Another reason why the environment should be at the center of economic debates is its role as the worlds single largest employer. Almost a billion people, just under 20% of the worlds labor force, are formally employed in agriculture. Another billion or so are engaged in subsistence farming, and therefore dont register in formal wage statistics.

Any initiatives to support economic development must support this populations transition toward higher-productivity activities. This is particularly important at a time when increasingly sophisticated and integrated technology threatens to leapfrog an entire generation of workers in some countries. Efforts to benefit this huge population must focus not only on training and education, but also on new models that allow countries to capitalize on their natural capital  the landscapes, watersheds, and seascapes  without depleting it.

Just as natural-resource insecurity can cause displacement and vulnerability, effective natural-resource management can support conflict resolution and sustainable economic development. On this front, efforts to achieve environmental remediation, to boost the resilience of rural communities, to advance sustainable agricultural production, and to support community-based environmental stewardship have all shown promising results.

Consider the Northern Rangelands Trust, an organization focused on creating community conservancies to enable sustainable and equitable land use in Kenya. NRT has helped pastoralist communities establish effective governance mechanisms for the environment on which they depend, reducing conflict over grazing rights, especially in times of drought.

For many communities, members relationship with the landscape in which they live is an integral part of their identity. With effective governance and planning, open dialogue, resource-sharing frameworks, and sufficient investment, including in skills training, these communities can translate this relationship into effective environmental stewardship  and build healthier and more secure societies.

The crises engulfing the modern world are complex. But one thing is clear: the environment is connected to all of them. Solutions will mean little without a healthy world in which to implement them.

Copyright: Project Syndicate: The Geopolitics of Environmental Challenges

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 March 2017 15:41 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijans State Committee on Property Issues will hold another auction for privatization of 146 state objects on April 4, the agency announced on March 6.

The auction will feature 21 joint stock companies, 78 small businesses, 16 non-residential areas and 14 vehicles.

Dental polyclinics in Sumgayit and Baku, Azerbaijan cinema in Astara, celebration halls in Baku, as well as non-residential areas in Baku, Sumgayit, Mingachevir, Agstafa, and Kurdamir will also be put for privatization.

The activities of the state objects cover several areas of industry, transport, construction, agriculture and others.

The third stage of privatization in Azerbaijan started in the framework of the presidential decree dated May 19, 2016. Under the decree, the acceleration of the state property privatization process has been defined as an important direction of the economic policy.

So far, more than 700 state enterprises and objects have been put for sale. Over 300 new state-owned enterprises and facilities were declared open for privatization in Azerbaijan in 2016.

The portal for privatization  privatization.az, launched in July 2016, reflects all necessary information about the facilities, their addresses, location, and even initial cost and aims at facilitation of the process. The website is available in two languages - Azerbaijani and English. Why Azerbaijan is special section available on the website explains the reasons and advantages of investing in the country.

The privatization process is designed to attract both foreign and local investors, as well as improve the business environment of Azerbaijan.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 March 2017 13:08 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

The world-famous Kronos Quartet will perform works by Azerbaijani composer Franghiz Alizada during its world tour.

The concert program includes Franghizs three works, including Mugam Sayagi, Oasis and Dance, Trend Life reported

This tour of Kronos Quartet is unusual, as the concerts will be followed by workshops for young musicians from 18 countries.

Having commissioned more than 800 new works of music over 40-plus years in action, it now has embarked on a program called Fifty for the Future, a commitment to commission 50 pieces over the next five years, geared to the training of students and young professionals.

Franghiz Alizada enjoys long productive cooperation with Kronos, which has presented her works, including Mugam Sayagi, Absheron and Oasis since 1993.

Alizada, who has been honoured a UNESCO Artist for Peace, is an Azerbaijani composer and pianist, currently living in Germany. She is best known for her works which combine the musical tradition of the Azerbaijani Mugam and 20th century Western compositional techniques, especially those of Arnold Schonberg and Gara Garayev. Her style is characterized by a bold synthesis of these two worlds. She creates music in which Eastern modal thinking merges with Western constructive elements.

Her works have been performed at festivals in Stockholm, Warsaw, London, Heidelberg, Amsterdam, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Frankfurt, Berlin, Zurich, Bonn and Cologne.

Kronos Quartet successfully collaborates with many of the world's most intriguing and accomplished composers and performers.

The groups numerous awards also include a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance (2004) and Musicians of the Year (2003) from Musical America.

In addition to composers, Kronos counts numerous performers from around the world among its collaborators, including Azerbaijan's mugham master Alim Gasimov.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 March 2017 15:10 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

YARAT Contemporary Art Space and British Council present new project.

A seminar and round table for organizations working with people with disabilities and individuals with disabilities will be held on March 6.

The event aims to share the UK and Azerbaijan experience and discuss next steps in inclusive culture. The seminar would be a valuable networking opportunity for organizations working in arts and civil society.

The event will host representatives of government agencies, local and national organizations working in disability and social inclusion, dance and theatre practitioners, educational institutions, key influences, and potential sponsors.

Candoco Dance Company is a company of disabled and non-disabled dancers who create profound experiences, to excite, challenge and broaden perceptions of art, aesthetics and ability.

Celebrating 25 years of creating acclaimed cutting edge work, Candoco will present one of the most strikingly physical double bills to date: Beheld and Set and Reset/Reset in Baku.

The performance will take place at the Azerbaijan State Academic Drama on March 7.

The event will start at 10:00. Admission is free.

For more information or questions, please contact:

Dilara Ibrahimova, Arts Manager

+994 12 497 1593

10:00 - 10:50 Workshop by a member of Candoco Dance Company

11:00 - 12:00 Presentation by "sa" theatre

12:00 - 13:00 Presentation by local expert

13:00 - 14:00 Networking event organized by British Council

14:00 - 17:00 Mater-class by "Candoco" Dance Company

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 March 2017 18:21 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Wowoman, womens personal and professional development platform, invites you to join a new project- WoWoman Cinematography - WoWoman: WoWideo!

The first part of the project will feature seven interactive evening sessions and three-day seminars, which will be held from March 10 to May 10 by filmmaking professionals- Ahmed Mukhtarv, Maria Ibragimova and Famil Mahmudbayli.

The seminars led by national and international figures of cinema are an important part of the two-month project.

The classes will be held for free in Azerbaijani and English languages.

"The project's motto "the Camera! Motor! Non-stop!" speaks for itself - too many things need to be learned in a constantly changing cinematic environment, so we will not stop until we create our own Hollywood. This is a great opportunity for "Her", wishing to start a career in the movies! We believe that education will open opportunity and "She "will get the necessary practical knowledge to create "Her" own short film. The main criteria of the project is the best film idea and strong motivation, the message reads.

WoWoman actively cooperates with Women in Motion project, created by director Maria Ibrahimova with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan.

Send your applications until March 10, 2017.

To participate in film school WoWideo fill in the following form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScBAGu9p70TFJA8LhIikmuiauuSqAWaWb85NjPc3Fyhph1eag/viewform?c=0&w=1

For more information, please visit an official page of the project WoWoman:WoWideo, and a platform WoWoman.

Media partners of the event are Trend.az, Day.az, Milli.az, Azernews.az

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 March 2017 12:33 (UTC+04:00)

The 2017 USACC Annual Conference concluded with a high-level formal reception organized in partnership with Embassy of Azerbaijan at the historic Willard InterContinental hotel.

The reception was dedicated to the celebration of 25th anniversary of U.S.-Azerbaijan Diplomatic Relations.

The high-level reception was very well-attended and featured over 220 distinguished guests, including 17 ambassadors. Some attendees from the American side included Congressman Steve Cohen, Congressman Henry Cuellar, U.S. Ambassador Robert Cekuta, high-ranking officials from the White House and the National Security Council, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Department of Energy, ExIm Bank, OPIC, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other government officials, top business executives, heads of international organizations and diplomatic corps. Azerbaijani side was represented by Ambassador Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijan Ministry of Economy, SOCAR, SOFAZ, Center for Analyses of Economic Reforms and Communications, State Committee for Property Issue and other delegates.

The reception formally started with remarks from Ambassador Elin Suleymanov, who recognized the myriad of high-level guests in attendance. He touched upon Azerbaijans willingness in moving cooperation forward and the importance of maintaining bilateral relations based on mutual interest and respect. Deputy Assistant Secretary of U.S. Department of State Bridget Brink acknowledged that Azerbaijan was amongst the first countries to support the United States immediately after 9/11 attack. She then stressed the importance of energy security and reiterated the support of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for Southern Gas Corridor. Ambassador Robert Cekuta also congratulated the guests and highlighted the importance of expanding bilateral relations in all spheres, including trade and business.

Other keynote speakers of the evening were Governor John Sununu and Congressman Steve Cohen.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of ten USACC Appreciation Awards to dignitaries, politicians and companies for their continuous contribution to the United States - Azerbaijan diplomatic, trade and business relations over the past 25 years. Recipients were:

Congressman Steve Cohen for contribution to U.S.-Azerbaijan Diplomatic Relations

Ambassador Robert Cekuta for contribution to U.S.-Azerbaijan Diplomatic Relations

Ambassador Elin Suleymanov for contribution to U.S.-Azerbaijan Diplomatic Relations

Amos Hochstein for contribution to U.S.-Azerbaijan Diplomatic Relations

Governor John Sununu for contribution to U.S.-Azerbaijan Diplomatic Relations

Boeing for contribution to U.S.-Azerbaijan Business and Trade

BP for contribution to U.S.-Azerbaijan Business and Trade

Chevron for contribution to U.S.-Azerbaijan Business and Trade

PASHA Bank for contribution to U.S.-Azerbaijan Business and Trade

SOCAR for contribution to U.S.-Azerbaijan Business and Trade

Awardees also received newly minted Azerbaijani stamps for the occasion of 25th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations, especially prepared and delivered by the Azerbaijan Ministry of Transportation, Communications and High Technologies.
6 March 2017 11:11 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov is in Moscow on an official visit at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The visit is taking place on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Russian-Azerbaijani diplomatic relations, which will be celebrated on April 4, TASS reported.

"During the talks the ministers will discuss the state and prospects of bilateral cooperation, key aspects of regional and international agenda, including the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry noted that for more than two decades Russia, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, has been a key mediator in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement.

The Russian side added that unlocking the conflict is of paramount importance for Russia, given the geographical proximity and the common history of peoples of the two countries. Assisting the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement is among Russias foreign policy priorities.

Russia along with the U.S. and France is a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group established to broker a peace to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

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.

The Russian Foreign Ministry added that Russia and Azerbaijan are linked by relations of strategic partnership based on equality, respect for each other's interests and good neighborliness. "Currently, there are more than 80 interstate and intergovernmental agreements signed between two countries."

The trade and economic cooperation is successfully developing, said the Russian MFA, adding that the Russian-Azerbaijani trade turnover amounted to over $1,954 billion at the end of 2016.

The ministry noted that interregional cooperation is an important component of the Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation. Currently, about 600 enterprises and organizations operating in the majority of subjects of the Russian Federation are involved in foreign trade with Azerbaijan. A total of 17 of them have cooperation agreements with Azerbaijan.

"We are considering the upcoming visit in the context of the continuation of the Russian-Azerbaijani political dialogue, and further expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation," the Ministry stressed.

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6 March 2017 12:15 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) has cleared more territory in the liberated Jojug Marjanli village of Azerbaijans Jabrayil region on March 5.

The village was liberated by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces from the Armenian occupation in April 2016.

ANAMA noted that its employees discovered 105 fragments of exploded ammunition in the cleared area of 200 square meters, adding that no mines or unexploded ordnance were found.

In general, a territory of 841,422 square meters and 122 houses have been cleared in Jojug Marjanli since the beginning of the mine clearance operations.

Earlier, on March 1, ANAMA informed that it had cleared a territory for construction of 50 houses in Jojug Marjanli and construction companies carried out works on laying the foundation and began construction of houses. Currently, ANAMA carries out work in the territory where more 150 houses are planned to be built.

Jojug Marjanli village was fully liberated from the Armenian occupation in April 2016, when Azerbaijani Armed Forces prevented an Armenian provocation on the contact line. To protect civilian population, the Azerbaijani army launched counter attacks and as a result, the Azerbaijani troops retook hills around the village of Talish, as well as Seysulan settlement, and also took over Leletepe hill located in the direction of Fizuli region.

In late January, President Ilham Aliyev ordered to restore Jojug Marjanli. Under the order, 4 million manats were allocated for the construction of 50 private houses, a school building and relevant infrastructure at the first stage.

Moreover, President Aliyev signed an order on additional measures to construct the road leading to the liberated Jojug Marjanli village and allocated 4.3 million manats from the state budget for the construction of 9 km long highway in the village.

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6 March 2017 16:50 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Baku has hosted a seminar entitled Protection of the rights of refugees, organized by the ANAS Human Rights Institute in cooperation with the European Union.

Director of the Human Rights Institute Aytan Mustafayeva, addressing the event, said that the main objective of the seminar is ensure protection of the rights and freedoms of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), analysis of the current situation in this field in Azerbaijan, and exchange of experience in supporting them in various fields.

She reminded that the policy of terror, genocide and aggression pursued by Armenia against Azerbaijan has a centuries-old history.

Mustafayeva noted that 250,000 Azerbaijani citizens were expelled from Armenia in 1988 and hundreds of people were killed as a result of the severe tortures.

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.

Due to the ethnic cleansing policy carried out by Armenia and the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions of Azerbaijan, the number of refugees and internally displaced persons hit more than 1.2 million.

Mustafayeva, speaking about the problems of refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan and works done in this field, said that Azerbaijan's experience in this area is an example for Europe, which has faced with the problem of migrants.

She said that the government of Azerbaijan has done much work in the past years for protecting the rights of these citizens and their integration into society.

Azerbaijan spent 6.1 billion manats (over $3.5 billion) over the past 23 years for the solution of problems of refugees and IDPs. With a population of over 9.6 million, Azerbaijan is among the countries carrying the highest IDP caseload in the world in per capita terms.

During the past 13 years, 161,000 able-bodied IDPs were provided with permanent job in budget organizations and in other areas, while 200,000 people were provided with temporary jobs.

With the growing economic and political situation of the country, the state pays more attention on the most difficult problem once concerning the refugees and displaced persons. The state improves the living conditions of refugees and IDPs, it has adopted relevant state programs and legislative acts.

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6 March 2017 17:23 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Iran encourages Armenia and Azerbaijan to solve their problem by themselves, Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told APA on March 6.

He added that Iran does not interfere in the affairs of its northern neighbors as they are independent countries.

Previously, Tehran has repeatedly voiced readiness to mediate between the two Southern Caucasus states of Armenia and Azerbaijan to help settle the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict 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. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

Qasemi further noted that the economic relations existing between Iran and Azerbaijan do not satisfy Tehran, and Iran wants to develop these relations.

We are also negotiating in connection with the abolition of the visa regime for Iranian citizens, he said. We hope that with the support of the heads of state of both countries, the issue will be resolved in a favorable way."

Since February 2010, Iran unilaterally abolished its visa regime for all citizens of Azerbaijan. The citizens of Azerbaijan can travel to Iran and stay in the country without visa from 15 to 90 days.

As for the trade turnover between two countries, it hit some $15.77 million in January 2017, while the index of last January stood at $9.56 million.

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6 March 2017 17:55 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group will visit Azerbaijan this week, MG Russian co-chair Igor Popov informed APA on March 6.

Popov said that in the course of the week, he, along with other co-chairs  Richard Hoagland of the U.S. and Stephane Visconti of France  will visit Azerbaijan.

In Baku, the co-chairs will meet with Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and mull the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

Popov said that the visit of the OSCE Minsk Group to Armenia will take place later.

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.

Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

The OSCE Minsk Group, the activities of which have become known as the Minsk Process, works to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for over two decades, but in vain.

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6 March 2017 14:17 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

"Kaspersky Lab", a global cyber security company, will develop cooperation with the public and private sectors of Azerbaijan in the field of protection of critical infrastructures.

Benjamin Levtsov, Vice President of Corporate Sales and Business Development at "Kaspersky Lab" told Trend that they aware of how concerned the Azerbaijani banks on security issues.

"Azerbaijan has become one of the first countries, where we have introduced our new ATM security system. In addition, Azerbaijani banks are among the first to use Security Assessment solution that is some kind of a penetration test. Banks are also showing interest in the use of protection systems against targeted attacks, he said.



The Vice-President of "Kaspersky Lab" also raised the issue of coordination and cooperation with Computer Security Incident Response team (CERT), operating under different ministries and departments, including the financial sector.

"We conducted a series of meetings with the relevant ministries of the country and have a pretty good understanding of how various CERTs operate in Azerbaijan. We shared our experience and vision in this area and we hope that this will be taken into account," he said, voicing readiness to work actively with the Azerbaijani CERTs, providing specific information support.

"Besides, we are ready to provide them with access to the "cloud" infrastructure of "Kaspersky Lab" for obtaining detailed reports of malicious programs. Currently, we discuss this issue, and I hope that as a result many CERTs in Azerbaijan will use it, he said.

Levtsov went on saying that Head of "Kaspersky Lab" Yevgeny Kaspersky is expected to visit Azerbaijan this June.

Currently, work is underway on drafting the program of the visit, as it is too early to say.

"We held meetings with telecommunications companies, banks and SOCAR on these days. There are a number of areas of cooperation with each organization, in connection with which we are now preparing a road map for each customer individually, depending on their needs. With the Ministries as well. Now we are working to ensure that agreements have been signed, Levtsov said.

High priority, according to the vice president, should be given to the national program to improve computer literacy of civil servants or students.

"This is a different program, but it should be, so that people become more vigilant and not become victims of hackers. It is not excluded that it will take years, Levtsov said.

Some 11,000 corporate computers in Baku faced hacker attacks in 2016, said expert Sergey Lozhkin at a press conference organized by Kaspersky Lab on March 3.

The total number of hacker attacks on companies in Azerbaijan, over the past year exceeded 2.2 million, according to the expert. About 84 percent of the attacks were recorded in Baku and 11 percent on Absheron peninsula.

"Almost every organization in the world has been subjected to cyber attack at least once in 2016, according to a study by Kaspersky Lab. The most common threats are: malicious software - 38 percent of companies have experienced this problem , Improper use of IT resources by company employees - 36 percent and device losses containing corporate data - 31 percent," Lozhkin said.

The expert noted that the results of attacks sometimes were deplorable. Some 43 percent of companies lost critical information due to cyber attack, according to Kaspersky Lab. The average damage from a successful attack for small and medium-sized businesses is estimated at $86.500, and for large companies - $891,000.

--

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6 March 2017 13:24 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The recent visit of Azerbaijani president to Tehran as well as signing of several important documents showed an eternal friendship between the two neighboring countries.

President Ilham Aliyev paid a one-day official visit to Iran on March 5 at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani, during which they highlighted developing relations and stressed the significance of high-level reciprocal visits in developing bilateral cooperation.

The visit comes as the eighth between President Aliyev and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in the past four years, considering the fact that the two heads of state also met in a trilateral meeting with Russia recently.

"These visits show relations between the two countries are progressing proudly," said Ilham Aliyev. Our relations have been built on ancient history, culture and common religion, he said. We have established very good cooperation on this solid basis. Our political relations are at a high level and we support each other in all international organizations.

The head of state expressed gratitude to Iran for its position on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement on the basis of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. This position is based on the international principles, laws and justice. Each country's territorial integrity is inviolable," he said.

Making joint statement for the press with Iranian counterpart, President Aliyev said that cordial bilateral ties are rooted in cultural, historical and religious commonalities, pointing out good results achieved in the economic sphere.

He said that the North-South Transport Corridor project, which is being jointly implemented by Azerbaijan and Iran, is a historical event.

This project also makes great contribution to regional cooperation. The number of trilateral formats is increasing in the region. Great success has been achieved in the energy sector. We connect our power lines and are making exchange, said President Aliyev.

He further noted that there are good opportunities for cooperation in the oil and gas sector.

Iranian company is an active participant and investor of the Shah Deniz 2 project. There was held a broad exchange of views today for carrying out joint oil and gas operations in the Caspian Sea, said President Aliyev. I would like to especially mention the activities of the joint economic commission. The commission operates very actively and executes all orders of presidents in time and at the high level.

Our trade turnover has grown by more than 70 percent last year. This is the result of the agreements reached, said Ilham Aliyev, citing 18 MoUs signed in recent years.

Two additional documents have been signed today. This creates a strong legal framework for our relations. The Iranian side has begun making investments in Azerbaijan and we are grateful for that, added President Aliyev.

Azerbaijan has also mobilized great volumes of financial resources for construction of Rasht-Astara railway, added the president.

A year ago, I said in this hall that Azerbaijan will build its railway up to the Azerbaijani-Iranian border in 2016. We have achieved that. It is already a reality. Even a railway bridge has been constructed and commissioned over the Astara River. The first train has recently crossed the border through the newly-built bridge, said Azerbaijans president.

Hassan Rouhani hailed relations with neighboring Azerbaijan as friendly, brotherly and strategic, saying they share close views on regional issues.

Rouhani, said Iran is ready for swapping oil and oil products with Azerbaijan, Iranian PressTV reported. He also touched on transit cooperation, saying their recent completion of a rail road linking the Iranian city of Rasht to Astara in Azerbaijan had marked an important step in this regard.

In their talks, the two sides also discussed cooperation on environmental issues as well as the Caspian Sea legal regime. The sea is shared by Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.

"Legal issues over the Caspian Sea require the consensus of the five countries. In this context, cooperation, consultation and negotiation between Iran and Azerbaijan are very important," Rouhani said.

Signing the documents between Azerbaijan and Iran was held with the participation of the two presidents, where the parties inked "Memorandum of Understanding between the Financial Markets Supervision Chamber of Azerbaijan and the Financial Intelligence Unit under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance of Iran on Cooperation in Fighting Against Terrorism Financing and Legalization of Criminally Obtained Funds or Other Property" and Memorandum of Understanding between the Financial Markets Supervision Chamber of Azerbaijan and the Financial Intelligence Unit under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance of Iran on Cooperation in Fighting Against Terrorism Financing and Legalization of Criminally Obtained Funds or Other Property".

Within the framework of the visit President Aliyev also met with Supreme Leader of Iran Sayyid Ali Khamenei, where the head of state said Azerbaijan-Iran ties have been very well developing over the last years.

He pointed out excellent relations between the two countries in political, economic and other fields. "Azerbaijan and Iran actively support each other within international organizations."

In turn, Ali Khamenei said his country attaches great importance to cooperation with Azerbaijan. He stressed the significance of increasing mutual trade.

--

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6 March 2017 12:09 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received Simon McDonald, the United Kingdoms Permanent Under Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Azertac reported.

President Aliyev said Simon McDonald`s visit to Azerbaijan created a good opportunity for discussing cooperation and regional issues between the two countries.

The head of state said the agenda of cooperation issues is very comprehensive, pointing out the expansion of the bilateral relations. President Aliyev said the two countries enjoy very good relations in energy area, adding that Azerbaijan-BP cooperation spans over 25 years.

President Aliyev described BP as the main strategic partner of Azerbaijan in the field of energy, expressing his confidence that this cooperation will successfully continue.

The president said British companies have become more interested in Azerbaijan`s non-oil sector recently, adding that this is in line with Azerbaijan`s economic diversification policy and will enhance business relations between the two countries.

McDonald, in turn, said this is his first visit to Azerbaijan and hailed Baku as a modern city, saying he is deeply impressed with the new architectural samples.

Simon McDonald said he will familiarize himself with the world famous Heydar Aliyev Center. He said a lot of British companies invest in Azerbaijan under agreements signed between the two countries.

The reforms carried out in Azerbaijan in recent years, attention to education, measures to reduce unemployment and poverty and address social issues in Azerbaijan were highlighted at the meeting. They discussed the impact of the fall in oil prices on the speed-up of diversification, Azerbaijan`s international standing and the country`s rating by international organizations.

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6 March 2017 17:43 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov is on a working visit to Moscow for a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Speaking at the meeting on March 6, Mammadyarov said that he agrees with the assessment of development of friendship relations and strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Russian Federation.

During 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations Azerbaijan and Russia have not undergone major upheavals, the minister noted.

Azerbaijan loves and respects the Russian language, there are a lot of Russian-language schools and universities in Azerbaijan. At the same time, Russian universities open their branches in the country, he added.



Today, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia is growing, but it is necessary to work even more to increase the trade turnover between the two countries.

We actually did a good job to increase trade turnover between our countries. Probably, it is necessary to admit that you need to make much more efforts to increase trade for several times," Mammadyarov said at the meeting.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia in 2016 amounted to $2.05 billion, which is 10.5 percent higher than the year before, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan.

Russia is one of the main trade partners of Azerbaijan, ranking second in commodity turnover, the first - in the import of products and the eighth - in exports. About 31 percent of Azerbaijan's non-oil exports fall on Russia, which is the first among Azerbaijan's trade partners in this indicator.

Mammadyarov also said the FMs will sign a plan for cooperation and consultations for 2017.

In turn, Lavrov said that Azerbaijan is an important strategic partner of Russia, and the positions of the two countries coincide on the majority of key issues.

The talks with my colleague and friend, Mammadyarov, were constructive, we discussed the schedule of the upcoming meetings, including those at the highest level, and we reviewed the situation in the economic sphere, Lavrov noted.

He went further saying that regular meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, as well as other government officials of the two countries play a decisive role in development of strategic partnership.



Interparliamentary ties are developing intensively and cooperation between the Azerbaijani and Russian foreign ministries is to ensure a harmonious development of relations in all spheres, Lavrov said.

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Lavrov went on to say that Russia will further work to find acceptable solutions to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

A number of key issues in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement still remain unresolved, he said adding that most issues can be quickly agreed on but the key points still remain unresolved and the sides are currently not yet close to resolving them.

The conflict 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.

Mammadyarov, in turn, said the main issue in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the presence of political will to resolve it, stressing that for Azerbaijan, returning the occupied lands is of national interest.

Easing tension is very important for us. It should be understood that when there are negotiations, guns are silent, Mammadyarov said, stressing the necessity for a progress in the negotiation process.

He also noted that Baku insists on substantive negotiations on the matter.

Azerbaijani FM said Russia is making serious efforts for settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He noted that everything depends not only on Azerbaijan or on mediators, but also on Armenia, which has to start moving towards a solution.

Caspian Sea status

Speaking about the legal status of the Caspian Sea, remaining unsolved during the past two decades, Mammadyarov said that there are good preconditions for moving forward in this issue.

"Three of the five Caspian states have a common position on the status of the Caspian Sea.

Lavrov, for his part, said he and Mammadyarov widely discussed the Caspian Sea status.

We hope it will be possible to complete the work regarding the convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea at the forthcoming meeting of the Caspian states foreign ministers and to prepare a number of other documents for presidents, who plan to hold the next Caspian Summit in Kazakhstan, added Russian FM.

The Caspian littoral states  Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Iran  signed a Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea in November 2003. Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to exercise sovereign rights for subsoil use in July 1998. The two countries signed a protocol to the agreement in May 2002.

As part of the visit Mammadyarov also attended an exhibition dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan in the Foreign Ministry of Russia.

--

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6 March 2017 18:03 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Zarba has been successfully tested and its mass production has already been launched.

This was stated in a report of the Cabinet of Minister on 2016 results, which will soon be presented at the Parliament.

Two more types of UAV are also planned to be manufactured in the country in 2017, according to the document.

The report shows that the number of types of defense products and their spare parts, manufacture of which has already been mastered, reached 1,100 units in 2016.

The Azerbaijani-made products transferred to the security forces include such weapons as mortars of various caliber and their ammunition, 5.45-millimeter machine gun, 7.62-mm general-purpose machine gun, sniper rifle of special purpose, Matador and Marauder armored personnel carriers.

Moreover, Azerbaijani military factories produced 30-mm automatic grenade launcher complex, sight for ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft installation, ammo of various calibers, PG-7V grenade launchers, aerial bombs for a training exercise, 2 Orbiter UAVs and other weapons.

Azerbaijan, which is in war with neighboring Armenia over the latter's groundless territorial claims during more than 20 years, keeps in focus the armament. The country creates its own armament and works closely with leading companies and firms in various fields of military industry.

The countrys Defense Industry Ministry increased the volume of defense industry products in 2016 by 1.6 times compared to 2015, while the product assortment rose by 1.8 times.

Twenty-eight military factories are currently operating within the Defense Industry Ministry of Azerbaijan. Products of these factories are exported to more than 10 countries of the world.

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6 March 2017 11:26 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Camal

Crude prices fell on March 6 amid the report released by the Baker Hughes on the growing number of drilling rigs in the U.S..

The price of May futures for Brent crude oil has dropped by 0.39 percent to $55.68 per barrel as of 01:15 EST. Meanwhile, the price of April futures for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil has decreased by 0.47 percent and stood at $53.08 per barrel.

The number of drilling rigs in the U.S. jumped by 0.27 percent and stood at 756 over the working week ending March 3, according to the Baker Hughes. Oil rigs have increased by 1.16 percent, while gas rigs have decreased by 3.31 percent in the country during the week.

The oil output data of Russia also affected the prices. The average daily volume of oil production in the country increased in February by 1.9 percent per annum to 11.109 million barrels per day.

Russia has pledged to cut its oil output by 300,000 barrels per day from 11.247 million barrels per day in October 2016 to 10.947 million barrels per day during the first half of 2017.

Meanwhile, OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo said that it is early to talk about the extension of oil output cut deal.

When we meet in May, we will be able to look at all the data  and see what we have achieved, Barkindo told journalists during the CERAWeek energy conference in the US city of Houston.

Last November in Vienna, the OPEC members agreed upon a deal to cut production as of January 1 by about 1.2 million barrels per day, or about 4.5 percent of production, to 32.5 million barrels per day.

According to a recent OPEC report, world oil supply fell by over one million barrels per day in January, averaging at 95.75 million barrels per day.

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6 March 2017 17:41 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Camal

Azerbaijan, an energy-rich Caspian country, has presented its data on daily oil output for February 2017 to the OPEC Monitoring Committee.

The volume of daily production last month amounted to some 776,400 barrels, with some 50,000 barrels falling to a share of condensate, a source in the countrys Energy Ministry told Trend.

The volume of daily export stood at 604,100 barrels of oil with some 50,000 barrels accounting for condensate and 26,800 barrels falling to a share of oil products.

This January, the volume of daily production amounted to some 793,900 barrels, while the daily export was 617,000 barrels.

The Ministry stressed that Azerbaijan completely fulfills its commitments to reduce production by 35,000 barrels per day under the output cut deal reached last November.

The OPEC Monitoring Committee has confirmed that Azerbaijan has achieved a 214-percent compliance with the conditions of the Vienna Agreement, according to the Ministry.

"In the letter, the Committee informed that Azerbaijan is one of the countries which play a leading role in this process [of output reduction], the ministry said.

The Azerbaijani Energy Ministry revised its forecast for oil output, following the struck of the first since 2001 deal between OPEC and non-OPEC states to curtail oil output jointly.

Prior to the landmark deal, the volume of production in the country was at the level of 37.72 million tons of oil, while daily output was at 829,100 barrels. Oil production of the country in 2017 is forecasted to stand at 39.797 million, while average daily oil production will amount to 800,000-807,000 barrels

The OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report, released on February 13, showed that the cartel largely complied with the production cut agreement and fulfilled its pledges reaching a record-setting compliance in January.

The monitoring group said the cartel reduced its production by 3 percent, equivalent to 90 percent compliance. The biggest contribution came from OPEC de-facto leader Saudi Arabia (reduction of 496,200 bpd).

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6 March 2017 11:59 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Astana will once again be a platform for talks on settling the Syrian crisis on March 14-15, while guarantor countries have been discussing its format and level.

Kazakhstans Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said on March 6 that guarantor countries [Russia, Iran and Turkey] continue consultations on the dates of a new meeting on Syria to be held in Astana

"Preliminary dates announced in Geneva, that is, March 14-15, still remain," Sputnik Kazakhstan cited the Kazakh top diplomat as saying.

He further added that representatives of the Syrian opposition had expressed concern over a number of issues.

"In Geneva, I had a chance to speak to several representatives of the Syrian opposition who expressed some concern, as, in their opinion, the ceasefire agreements are not being implemented appropriately as well as agreements on the prisoner release and documents on defining areas to which the ceasefire agreements apply. We have briefed the guarantor countries on the oppositions concerns," Abdrakhmanov said.

The previous international meeting on settling the Syrian crisis took place in Kazakhstans capital of Astana on February 15-16.

Participants in the meeting discussed issues related to monitoring the ceasefire and the prospects of the intra-Syrian consultations in Geneva. Apart from the guarantor countries and delegations of the Syrian government and the armed opposition, Jordan, the United States and the United Nations also participated in the meeting.

Armed conflict continues in Syria since March 2011. Government troops are confronted by militants of different armed rebel groups. Russia has begun airstrikes on terrorist facilities in Syria since 30 September 2015. The Russian military involvement follows an official request from President Bashar Assad to President Vladimir Putin.

The UN has repeatedly tried and failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed 300,000 and displaced 11 million since it began five years ago.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 March 2017 12:53 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is on an official visit to Turkmenistan, the Turkmen Dovlet Khabarlary reported on March 6.

This is the first foreign visit of Mirziyoyev as the head of the state.

The desire of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to bring the intergovernmental dialogue to a higher level gives confidence that the Ashgabat meeting, on the basis of which it is planned to sign a package of documents, will be a prelude to a new phase of multi-aspect cooperation with huge potential, the Turkmen side reported.

The strategic character of the long-term partnership is successfully demonstrated by implemented projects, in particular, the laying of transnational gas pipeline Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China, which opened new horizons for the expansion of regional cooperation, as well as projects planned for implementation.

Both countries expressed their readiness to take an active part in the creation of an international corridor Central Asia - Middle East (Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman), the implementation of which will not only contribute to boosting trade and economic cooperation between the states of Central Asia, Near and Middle East, but also will become one of the most important factors for sustainable development in the region and in the entire world.

There are also favorable conditions for bilateral cooperation in the framework of other promising projects in the transport sector, including the creation of a corridor Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Caspian Sea-South Caucasus with access to the Black Sea ports of Georgia, Turkey, Romania and other countries.

One of the strategic directions of the partnership between the two countries is the sphere of energy. Turkmenistan supplies natural gas to China through Uzbekistan since 2009.

The joint Uzbek-Turkmen Commission on trade-economic, scientific-technical and cultural cooperation operates since 1996.

In 2015, the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to about $320 million, in January-August of 2016 - $177 million.

Uzbekistan exports fertilizers, construction materials, fruits and vegetables, electrical and mechanical equipment, vehicles, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, services to Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan supplies oil products, propylene polymers, sulfuric acid to Uzbekistan.

In Uzbekistan, 7 enterprises operate with the participation of the Turkmen side. In Turkmenistan, there are 6 enterprises with participation of residents of Uzbekistan.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 March 2017 12:23 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

A 33-year-old female, citizen of Russia, has been detained in Turkey in connection with the assassination of Andrey Karlov, Russias ambassador to Turkey, the Sabah newspaper reported on March 6.

The detained woman, named Ekaterina, had close contact with the killer of the Russian ambassador, according to the newspaper.

Previously three suspects, including two police officers, were arrested in connection with the assassination of Andrey Karlov.

Andrey Karlov died after being fatally wounded in an armed assault in an art gallery in Ankara late Dec. 19, 2016. Three other people were injured in the attack.

The killer, Mevlut Mert Altintas, was eliminated. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the incident an act of terrorism.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 March 2017 17:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev supported the initiative to dissolve the Parliament commenting on the statement of MP Bakyt Torobayev, the presidential press service reported on March 6.

MP Bakyt Torobayev has earlier proposed his counterparts to dissolve the Parliament, Atambayev said on March 6 during the presenting of state awards at his residence.

"He [Torobayev] wanted to help out his looter-brother; however, I would back his suggestion. I wanted to address the MPs, crows do not pick out crow's eyes. If you cannot find peace, get dissolved together with Bakyt Torobayev," said Atambayev.

Or else, the President called the Parliament to abide law, and think of the destiny of the country and work for the sake of the nation. "If you don't want peace, then people want it," stated the President.

President Atambayev said that some parliament members allege that the Boeing plane, which crashed near Bishkek in mid-January killing about 40, was carrying some cargo owned by him and that he has millions-worth of offshore property in Cyprus.

They say that my cargo was on board, they [MPs] shout about it, but know that this is not true, he said adding that if they were sure about it, they would have already gone to Istanbul or Hong Kong to check this information and bring evidence.

If they do not have the means, I am willing to buy tickets for them, these are just rumors and attempts to blacken my name, Atambaev said.

Instead of generating laws, the Parliament, according to Atambayev, has become a place of generating rumors.

Kyrgyzstan's state security service said it detained opposition leader Omurbek Tekebayev on Sunday on charges of corruption and fraud. Tekebayev, 58, leads the Ata Meken (Fatherland) party's parliamentary faction.

At a session of Parliament, which addressed the issue of detention of Tekebayev, Bakyt Torobayev offered MPs to dissolve Parliament if it is not capable of solving problems.

The ex-Soviet Central Asian nation will hold a presidential election on November 19. Atambayev cannot run for re-election under the Kyrgyz constitution.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 March 2017 17:06 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The International Atomic Energy Agency has verified the removal of excess centrifuges and infrastructure from Irans Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant to the Fuel Enrichment Plant at Natanz in January, where they are now stored under Agency's continuous monitoring.



The Agency has been verifying and monitoring the implementation by Iran of its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) for more than a year, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said during a meeting of the Board of Governors, IAEAs website reported.



You have received my report on Verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of United Nations Security Council resolution 2231 (2015), he said, adding that my Report, provides more information in relation to Irans LEU stockpile, which was facilitated

by clarifications agreed by the Joint Commission established under the JCPOA".



He added that the Agency continues to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its Safeguards Agreement.



Evaluations regarding the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran continue.



Iran and the P5+1 Group, including US, France, UK, Russia, China plus Germany reached a nuclear deal, which implemented in January 2016. The deal lifted nuclear-related sanctions on Iran.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 March 2017 17:57 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

France will do everything to ensure the trust of international banks in the issue of cooperation with Iran, French Economy Minister Michel Sapin said in Iran, IRNA news agency reported.

"We can't work on developing our economic relations if we don't also normalize our banking relations," he said after meeting his Iranian counterpart Ali Tayebnia.

"Over the past few months, relations (between Iran and France) have considerably developed. There are projects being realized, contracts being signed," he said, noting that financial circuits need to be normalized.

Trust must be built "to allow companies -- if they so wish -- to have financing channels that are safe and efficient", Sapin said.

French and other European companies have returned to Iran since the partial lifting of international sanctions in January 2016, when a landmark nuclear deal with world powers came into force.

However, international banks have not re-established financial circuits with Iran, fearing reprisals from Washington which has maintained some economic sanctions against the country.

I will make efforts to ensure the confidence of international banks for cooperation with Iran, and I am sure that this will be achieved, Sapin said commenting on the doubts of a number of international banks in the issue of cooperation with Iran.

"France's big banks are international banks. They work around the world including in the United States. It is therefore normal that they worry about respecting American rules with regards to their American activities," Sapin said."I can't blame them, but they need to rebuild trust.

Iran, five permanent UN Security Council members, Germany and the European Union signed the JCPOA in July 2015 to ensure the peaceful nature of Irans nuclear program.

Then, the Islamic republic pledged to refrain from developing or acquiring nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of sanctions imposed against Iran.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Vienna, Austria, March 06, 2017 / B3C newswire / -- Hookipa Biotech AG, a company pioneering a new class of immunotherapies for oncology and infectious diseases, today announces the appointment of Igor Matushansky, M.D., Ph.D. as Global Head, Research and Development. The appointment is effective from today.

Dr. Matushansky joins Hookipa from Daiichi Sankyo, where he was the Global Head of Translational Development for Oncology. He led Daiichi Sankyos international research unit focused on early oncology therapeutic programs, strategy and development, and was accountable for development activities from post-target identification basic science research to first-in-man trials and proof-of-clinical concept. Prior to that, Dr. Matushansky was at Novartis where he was Global Head for Clinical and Scientific Development at its Gene & Cell Therapy Unit as well as a Global Clinical Program Lead within Novartis Oncology Translational Medicine Unit.

Before being recruited to the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Matushansky was a Professor at the Columbia University Medical Center where he ran an independent laboratory and clinic focusing on the molecular biology, translational opportunities and clinical trials in sarcomas. Currently he is an Adjunct Professor of Medical Oncology, Columbia University. He grew up in New York City where he received his undergraduate B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from Columbia University. He then went on to attend the Albert Einstein College of Medicine where he received his MD as well as a PhD in Molecular Biology. He performed his Internal Medicine residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital - Weill Cornell Medical Center and then completed a fellowship in Medical Oncology as well as a post-doctoral research fellowship in Cancer Biology at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Commenting on the appointment, Hookipas CEO, Mr. Joern Aldag said: Dr. Matushanskys valuable experience heading up R&D units at big pharma coupled with his significant immuno-oncology expertise will be transformative to Hookipa as we expand our Company from prophylactic to therapeutic immuno-oncology focused therapies. His impressive and extensive professional background makes him a perfect fit for our leadership team during an important time in our Companys growth. I look forward to working together to achieve our goals and strategic priorities for 2017 and beyond.

Dr. Matushansky said, TheraT has real potential both alone and in combination with other immune-modulators and/or targeted therapies to improve not only the current clinical outcomes but the quality of life for a wide array of cancer patients. Its an exciting time to join the Hookipa team and I am very eager to share my experience in drug development to further its mission to help patients.



About Hookipa Biotech

Hookipa Biotech is developing next-generation immunotherapies for infectious diseases and cancer using novel proprietary arenavirus vector platforms. To date, Hookipa has raised EUR 13.7 million in non-dilutive funds and EUR 37 million equity investment from internationally renowned venture capital investors including Sofinnova Partners, Forbion Capital Partners, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Takeda Ventures and BioMedPartners.

About Vaxwave

Hookipas Vaxwave technology presents a completely new replication-defective viral vector platform designed to overcome the limitations of current technologies. In this vector the gene encoding the viral envelope protein, normally responsible for virus entry into target cells, has been deleted and replaced with a target gene of interest. The resulting vectors infect target cells and stimulate very potent and long-lasting immune responses, however they can no longer replicate and are therefore non-pathogenic and inherently safe. HB-101, a cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylactic vaccine, is in a clinical phase 1 trial and has already shown to be both safe in humans and to elicit potent antibody and T cell responses. We are confident to establish HB-101 as the best-in class CMV development program.

About TheraT

Hookipas TheraT platform is based on an attenuated replicating virus and is capable of eliciting the most potent T cell responses - a crucial step in treating patients with aggressive cancers. Significant pre-clinical data demonstrates that TheraT is a powerful modality capable of turning cold tumors hot which should result in an additional layer of efficacy in the fight against solid tumors. Specifically, TheraT has proven to be safe in animals as well as capable of eliciting > 50% antigen-specific T cell responses and strong tumor control in mice. The first clinical trial with HB-201 targeting human papilloma virus-induced head and neck cancer is currently being prepared. This immuno-oncology technology is further being leveraged to target tumor self-antigens or shared neoantigens.

Issued for and on behalf Hookipa Biotech AG by Instinctif Partners.



Contacts

At the Company

Joern Aldag

Chief Executive Officer

Hookipa Biotech AG

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Two brothers convicted of voluntary manslaughter in a deadly shooting at a Bakersfield gas station will sit another two months in jail before 
A popular City of Bakersfield trash rebate program for seniors is on the chopping block. Since 1987, city homeowners older than 65 have been getting a 50 percent rebate on the trash service fees they pay on their property tax bill. Bakersfield City Council members could end that discount on March 8.
Naperville, Ill.-based Vital Wellness Home Health, which provides home health and private duty services in the Chicago, Phoenix and Denver areas, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy March 2.

In its bankruptcy petition, the company listed its liabilities as $2.3 million, and the total value of its assets as about $1 million.

The company said in its bankruptcy petition that it has no more than 49 creditors. Vital Wellness Home Health said it owes rent totaling $39,236.86 to Jones Family Naperville LLC, which is its creditor with the largest unsecured claim.

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Humble (Texas) Surgical Hospital, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Feb. 24, says it will have to cease operations and lay off its 50 employees if Aetna doesn't release garnishments on its bank accounts.

Prior to Humble Surgical Hospital filing for bankruptcy, a judge ordered the hospital to pay Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna $51.4 million, including nearly $10 million in interest, in a seven-year-old court battle over the hospital's out-of-network charges. After the hospital filed its bankruptcy case, Aetna garnished Humble Surgical Hospital's bank accounts in an attempt to satisfy the judgment.

On March 1, Humble Surgical Hospital filed a motion to hold Aetna in contempt for attempting to collect. While Aetna argues it followed the court's orders regarding the garnishment of the hospital's bank accounts, Humble Surgical Hospital claims Aetna failed to comply with a federal bankruptcy rule by attempting to collect too soon.

Humble Surgical Hospital said in its March 1 motion that it has no funds to operate after Aetna garnished approximately $545,000 from its bank accounts. Without access to cash, the hospital said it will have to convert to Chapter 7 bankruptcy and cease operations, which will result in 50 employees losing their jobs.

Regions Bank is also attempting to stop Aetna's collection efforts and to intervene in Aetna's suit against Humble Surgical Hospital.

In its motion for intervention, Regions Bank argues it "has a clear interest in the funds that are the subject of the Aetna garnishments." The bank says it has a secured claim of about $3.56 million on the hospital' assets that supersedes Aetna's $51.4 million judgment.

"It is evident that if Aetna continues with collection activities on its judgment that it will be exerting control over funds in which Regions has a superior perfected security interest," according to Regions' motion. "Without the ability to appear in this matter and provide notice to Aetna and this court, Regions' ability to recover its security could be severely impaired."

Humble Surgical Hospital is currently appealing the court's $51.4 million judgment.

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Rapid City (S.D.) Regional Hospital's Interim President Dennis Millirons has completed his contract, effective March 16, 2017.

Here are four takeaways:

1. Mr. Millirons joined Rapid City Regional Hospital on an interim basis in August 2016, following former President Mick Gibbs' resignation. He also served as Rapid City market president for the hospital's parent Rapid City-based Regional Health.

2. During his brief tenure, the hospital started construction on a three-story parking garage, the first phase of a multi-year project.

3. Paulette Davidson, COO of Regional Health, will take over as interim president of the hospital and as Rapid City market president.

4. Previously, Ms. Davidson served as chief human capital and patient experience officer at Omaha-based Nebraska Medicine.
Thomas E. Starzl, MD, PhD, a surgeon and researcher who helped pioneer the field of organ transplantation, died Saturday at age 90, reports The New York Times.

Dr. Starzl earned both his medical degree and a doctorate in neurophysiology in 1952 from Evanston, Ill.-based Northwestern University.

In 1967, he became the first surgeon to successfully transplant a liver at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Dr. Starzl is also credited for his research on cyclosporine  a drug used to prevent patients from rejecting their donor organs. The Food and Drug Administration approved cyclosporine in 1983 following his extensive research efforts.

Dr. Starzl joined the University of Pittsburgh (Pa.) School of Medicine in 1981 where he served as a professor of surgery and launched the first liver transplant program in the country, according to a news release. Here, he also studied the transplantation of multiple organs at once and advocated for the use of the experimental anti-rejection drug FK-506, which was easier to use and more effective than cyclosporine.

University of Pittsburgh named Dr. Starzl director of the transplant unit in 1990 and officially named it the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute six years later, according to the report.
Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems has inked a deal to sell off another one of its hospitals as part of its debt reduction plan.

CHS has signed a definitive agreement to sell 125-bed Stringfellow Memorial Hospital in Anniston, Ala., to The Health Care Authority of the City of Anniston for $25 million, which includes the assumption of the $13 million facility lease.

The transaction, which is expected to close in the second quarter of 2017, is part of a turnaround plan CHS put into place last year to improve its finances. In an attempt to trim its debt load, the company is selling 25 hospitals, including Stringfellow Memorial.

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Leaders of Boston's largest hospitals and health systems sat down with City Mayor Martin J. Walsh Friday to share their concerns about potential repercussions of an ACA repeal, including job cuts, according to The Boston Globe.

Hospital chiefs in attendance included those from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Carney Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, New England Baptist Hospital and Tufts Medical Center, according to the report.

Mayor Walsh held the meeting to gather input from the city's leading hospitals on how their institutions may be affected upon the repeal and replacement of the ACA. He said he promised to share their concerns with his fellow mayors in cities across the U.S., according to the report.

During the meeting, the healthcare leaders primarily discussed how scrapping the ACA could destabilize their organizations and ultimately push them to implement job cuts. The effects of this would be far-reaching in Boston, where hospitals are among the largest private employers and play an important role in the local economy, according to the report.

"It will destabilize all of us," Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center President Peter Healy said in the meeting, according to the report. "We would all be having job losses."

Sandra L. Fenwick, CEO of Boston's Children's Hospital, said she's afraid Congress will "rush to get something done with a lack of knowledge about unintended consequences," according to the report.
The Florida Board of Medicine cleared a prominent West Palm Beach orthopedic surgeon of any wrongdoing related to two wrong-site surgery complaints filed by the Florida Department of Health in 2014 and 2015, according to the Sun Sentinel.

The board deemed the allegations that Dror Paley, MD, performed or furthered wrong-site procedures as groundless because he only planned the two pediatric surgeries. Matthew Harris, MD, actually performed them. The two surgeries occurred between 2012 and 2013 at the Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute, located on the grounds of St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach.

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Both procedures involved two surgeons and two patients being operated on simultaneously but in separate rooms. This practice is permitted under Florida medical law. The medical board panel found no evidence to suggest this operational structure contributed to the errors.

During the procedures, Dr. Harris implanted metal plates in the wrong locations on the patients' bodies. The errors were promptly corrected and the patients experienced no lasting harm. The panel cleared Dr. Harris of any wrongdoing due to his young age and inexperience, along with communication breakdowns that occurred in the operating room, according to the Sentinel citing a health department investigation.

In January, Zachary Bell, the health department's assistant general counsel, delivered a letter to the panel. The letter suggested the complaints against Dr. Paley be dismissed after the physician's attorney provided "compelling, additional information, which suggests that neither [Dr. Paley] nor his surgical practice environment contributed to the wrong-site procedure."

Orthopedic surgeons at the Paley institute perform approximately 1,500 orthopedic procedures on adults and children from around the world every year.

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There are more than 400,000 Medicare beneficiaries who receive total joint replacements every year and costs for these procedures are increasing. Initiatives such as the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement program attempt to control costs through bundled payments on a 90-day episode of care.

An article published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery examines the ethics of gainsharing in total joint arthroplasty as hospitals and physicians align to improve the quality and lower the cost of total joint replacements.



"Gainsharing is not a new concept in orthopedic surgery, but its inclusion in CJR is its most impactful implementation. However, there are ethical concerns that arise when instituting a program of incentivized financial partnerships between surgeons and hospitals," according to the article.

The CJR bundled payment program began for hospitals in 67 regions across the United States in April 2016 and included voluntary gainsharing arrangements between hospitals and collaborators, some of which were physicians. Here are a few of the potential ethical issues physicians face in the gainsharing model:

1. Physicians may change decision-making about patient care when financial incentives are involved, whether they do it consciously or unconsciously.

2. Since the device cost is among the most expensive aspects of surgery, the hospital and surgeon attempt to negotiate with device manufacturers on better pricing. If device companies can't meet the desired price point, surgeons may decide to switch devices and use an implant system they're less comfortable with.

3. Physicians could face malpractice liabilities if they use less expensive devices that lead to patient harm.

4. Organizations that implement gainsharing must ensure quality doesn't slip. It's incumbent on the providers to make sure there is clinical equivalency between two resources with different costs and ensure any gainsharing arrangements are compliant with the DOJ and OIG regulations.

5. Providers must weigh whether increased costs upfront could lead to lower costs in post-surgical care and how short-term costs can impact long-term savings in terms of the technology survivorship and clinical complications. A more expensive implant that lasts longer and leads to fewer complications could save on the back end.

6. The patient's role in decision-making can also impact gainsharing arrangements. Current gainsharing models don't take patient preference into account.

7. Gainsharing models incentivize physicians to minimize risk, and those who are at a higher risk for complications or may need additional post-surgical care are in danger of not receiving the care they need.

8. Orthopedic device manufacturers are concerned gainsharing measures could stifle innovation as the companies aren't incentivized to invest in research and development. The gainsharing model may also make it more difficult for small companies and start-ups to break into the market with new technology.

"The important concerns discussed in this review must be addressed by implementation of the proper safeguards, including monitoring by legal oversight bodies such as the OIG and DOJ," concluded the article's authors. "Surgeons must also ensure that clinical decisions made for short-term gain do not have adverse long-term consequences."
Rany Jazayerli, MD, a dermatologist in the Chicago suburbs, decided to share his heritage as a Syrian and Muslim with his patients in a letter while also outlining his views on recent immigration policy. The Daily Herald published a column from Dr. Jazayerli, explaining what happened when he sent his political views to patients.

Dr. Jazayerli was at a medical conference in Utah when President Donald Trump signed his executive order placing travel bans on immigrants from seven countries where citizens are predominantly Muslim. The executive order left much up to interpretation and in some airports Green Card holders were detained and denied access to the United States.

During the period after President Trump signed the ban, Dr. Jazayerli remained in Utah but felt he "had to do something." When he returned to Chicago, he decided to pen a letter to his patients sharing his Syrian and Muslim heritage because polls show Americans are more likely to think positively about Muslims when they know someone of Muslim decent personally.

Dr. Jazayerli guessed his patients would respond positively, and they did.

He reported several patients inquired about his family still living in Syria and none of his patients reported leaving the practice because of his letter.

"Maybe I'm supposed to be surprised at how positive the response has been from my patients, but I'm really not. I have complete confidence in the inherent goodness of this nation and its people, and I have faith that once my patients understand how this order affected me on a personal level, they would respond with sympathy and support," Dr. Jazayerli wrote.

The travel ban could have an impact on the U.S. physician shortage as well, as 30 percent of American transplant surgeons attended foreign medical schools and more than 260 people from countries affected by the travel ban have applied for medical residencies in the U.S. President Trump's initial executive order was suspended on Feb. 3 and a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit subsequently upheld the suspension, according to the Washington Post. However, President Trump is expected to sign a second executive order today that would go into effect March 16 that would impose a 90-day ban on entry for immigrants from six countries and suspending the U.S. refugee program for 120 days.
A significant gap in spine surgery safety awareness struck Michael Vitale, MD MPH, of New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia Orthopedics, in 2012.

Although physicians fiercely respect their oath to do no harm, complications happen.

"If we're just a little more thoughtful about slowing down the machine, optimizing better teams and developing infrastructure to protect patients, we can avoid a lot of these things," explains Dr. Vitale. "It's a miserable thing being a surgeon trying to do good, and being the executor of patient harm."

So, Dr. Vitale called on national experts to collaboratively develop specific goals and deliverables on decreasing surgical site infections following spine surgery.

The initial meeting of 24 participants proved fruitful, eventually leading to the publication of best practices to avoid SSI in spine deformity. Driven by an energy to improve other areas of spine safety, Dr. Vitale held the meeting again in 2014 with a focus on optimizing responses after intraoperative neurological monitoring changes. The resulting paper from this meeting turned into a checklist to which most spine deformity surgeons frequently refer.

"People were clamoring to be part of the work, and we had an obligation to get the meeting to scale," remembers Dr. Vitale.

So, the Safety in Spine Surgery Summit was born in 2016, drawing a standing-room only crowd from across the United States and many other countries. On Feb. 10, 2017, Dr. Vitale chaired the second annual summit in New York City, attended by 200 people. Unfavorable weather did not deter attendance from around the nation; Dr. Vitale observed people viewed the meeting as a "fundamental missiona sacred responsibility."

"We could fill a room with at least 500 people with this kind of content," he says. "The world is changing so quickly, people are hungry to adopt the latest techniques and methods to optimizing safety."

Lawrence Lenke, MD, surgeon-in-chief of the Spine Hospital at NewYork Presbyterian/Allen, served as a co-chair of the summit.

"I think the culture of safety and value in healthcare is very prominent in all areas, but I think spine patients and spine surgery are certainly seen as something risky and a bit controversial regarding outcomes and also very costly," he says.

Dr. Lenke reiterates that all surgeons have complications despite best efforts, and it is the surgeon's responsibility to learn how to avoid them when possible.

"There are some things that can be avoided and shame on us if we're not doing what is necessary to avoid them," Dr. Lenke says.



Summit sessions emphasized key spine safety issues such as:

 Infection

 Neurological injury

 Deformity

 Minimally invasive spine surgery

 Implants and radiation

The afternoon highlighted spine company CEOs in a public panel: "We have these industry leaders in the field take their guard down and talk about the challenges we are all facing together, and some of the conflicts they have in regards the balance between innovation, growth and patient safety," notes Dr. Vitale. "We are all in this together."

The system-based topics, such as 'Slowing the Machine for Patient Safety,' intrigued Dr. Lenke's interest the most. He foresees a significant industry change, in which strict criteria determines surgical candidates.

"Right now, surgical decision-making is highly variable and reminiscent of the Wild West; it is still a very individualized process between surgeons and patients," explains Dr. Lenke, who attributes this to lack of standardization in the spine field.

Unlike other medical fields, spine surgery doesn't always abide by standardized diagnoses and treatments, which Dr. Lenke says is partly due to challenging diagnostic processes and highly technical procedures. "We're getting better over time; at least every orthopedic spinal surgeon must perform a fellowship to get credentialed in hospitals now," he notes.

Dr. Vitale says a shift must occur in surgeon thinking to realize the profession requires not only technical skills, but teambuilding, culture work, and safety checklists.

"I think we need to really think deeply and thoughtfully for the right dose and mechanism for innovation. It's not only about the technology or technique, it's also about the soft skills  how we think about our job," he concludes.

With interest spiking, Dr. Vitale is already planning the Third Annual Spine Safety Summit.

For more information, medical professionals can access all meeting lectures, as well as an array of checklists, pathways and guidelines on the meeting website.
Farmers in some of the world's poorest countries could be hit by at least 1 billion in extra taxes for importing goods to the UK when it leaves the European Union, campaigners have warned.

Brexit could "make or break" the livelihoods of already-poor farmers depending on what action the Government takes on trade with 116 developing countries, the Fairtrade Foundation and Traidcraft said.

Without measures to replicate current EU rules - which exempt products such as bananas, sugar and coffee imported from developing countries from charges or taxes - the incomes of millions of farmers could be hit.

But there is also an opportunity to deliver fairer trade deals between the UK and those countries to help them work their way out of poverty, a report from the organisations at the start of Fairtrade Fortnight said.

Imports from developing countries to the UK are worth 34 billion annually, and almost half (47%) of them could face additional tariffs if Britain does not take action to replicate EU rules - costing 1 billion.

Kenya's cut flower industry could face new tariffs of between 8.5% and 12% for blooms sold to the UK, slapping an estimated 3.6 million in extra taxes on a sector which supports the livelihoods of half a million people.

Malawi's sugar industry could face additional import taxes of 3.7 million for raw cane sugar.

The threat comes on top of impacts that Brexit has already had on poor farming communities, with the devaluation of sterling putting pressure on prices they receive from UK buyers.

The fair trade organisations are calling on the Government to ensure poor people in developing countries do not find themselves paying new import duties.

Ministers should make an immediate offer of preferential access to British markets for those countries, they said.

The Government must also study the impact of future free trade deals with wealthier countries to make sure they do not undermine poorer nations, and it should be made easier for developing countries to sell higher value products to the UK.

Michael Gidney, chief executive of the Fairtrade Foundation, said: "Many farming communities are already living on the edge, struggling with the impact of exploitation brought on by low prices for their produce.

"Brexit could make or break the future for these farmers and could mean the difference between working their way out of, or way back in to, poverty.

"This Government has repeatedly said it wants new trade deals to be fair for all. We need action to match that ambition: if the UK is to become a great, global trading nation we must make sure we change trade for good."

Robin Roth, chief executive of Traidcraft, said: "We've calculated that new taxes on imports from the world's poorest countries could amount to around 1 billion if the Government fails to act.

"This could mean rising costs for UK consumers on things like fresh fruit, coffee and garments - or more likely, hit the income and working conditions of already poor and vulnerable producers and workers in developing countries."

The Government could score a "quick win" by offering immediate one-way market access to imports from developing countries, ensuring uninterrupted supply for UK consumers and jobs and income for the world's poorest producers, he said.

A Department for International Trade spokeswoman said: "We are a strong believer on the principle that free and fair trade has been the greatest liberator of the world's poor, harnessing the forces of globalisation to spread prosperity and lift millions from poverty.

"The UK has always been a leading voice in support of free trade as a tool for economic development. That is why we are seeking to achieve continuity in our trade and investment relationships with developing countries."
Receptionist Nicola Thorp launched the petition after she was sent home from work when she refused to wear high heels

Employers must review their dress codes to reform any offices retaining a "dodgy 1970s workplace diktat", the Equalities Minister has said.

Caroline Dinenage spoke out against "outdated and sexist" employment practices uncovered after more than 150,000 people signed an e-petition to outlaw discriminatory workplace dress codes.

London receptionist Nicola Thorp launched the petition last year when she was sent home from work after she refused to wear high heels.

A subsequent investigation by the Petitions Committee and the Women and Equalities Committee found that women have been told to dye their hair and wear revealing clothes.

Ms Dinenage said she had written to key trade bodies about these "outdated and sexist employment practices, saying that women should not be expected to wear things that cause discomfort or expense when male colleagues did not have to.

During a Westminster Hall debate on the issue, Ms Dinenage said: "W e have had anti-discrimination laws in this area for more than 40 years, yet it is a safe bet that these sort of dress codes have existed under the radar, with female employees putting up with discrimination because that is the way things are.

"Shod in heels or flats, we are collectively putting our foot down and attitudes are changing, and this petition has brought that change very clearly into the public domain."

Ms Dinenage added: "Whether they (women) wear high heels or not, it should be absolutely up to them, not to some outdated, dodgy 1970s workplace diktat.

"I must reiterate that the Government utterly condemns such dress requirements where their effects are discriminatory."

Labour MP Gill Furniss said her daughter was denied compensation when she suffered a fractured foot after she was forced to wear high heels at work for lengthy period.

Ms Furniss (Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough) said: " Wearing heels in this way often causes foot pain, bunions, skin lesions, lower limb pathology and other related discomforts for the heel-wearer.

"In fact, my own daughter suffered from a metatarsal fracture, which is more commonly affiliated with sports injuries, when she was forced to wear high heels in a former retail job.

"Quite literally adding insult to injury, she was denied any compensation or sick pay as she wasn't on the payroll for long enough. "

Labour MP Helen Jones, chairwoman of the Petitions Committee, said they had heard evidence of "discriminatory" and "totally reprehensible" attitudes towards women.

She said: "We found attitudes that belonged more, I was going to say in the 1950s but probably the 1850s might be more accurate, than in the 21st century.

"And we found that women, especially young women in vulnerable employment, were exploited at work.

"Threatened with dismissal if they complained, they were forced to bear pain all day, or to wear clothing that was totally unsuitable for the tasks that they were asked to perform, or to dress in a way that they felt sexualised their appearance and was demeaning ."

Women in heels were expected to climb ladders, move furniture and walk for great distances, while others were told to unbutton their blouses to entice male customers, Ms Jones added.

Shadow equalities minister Paula Sherriff suggested gender-based dress codes make women more vulnerable to sexual harassment in the workplace.

Ms Sherriff also claimed the introduction of employment tribunal fees of up to 1,200 had stopped many women from seeking recourse through the courts.

She said: "How on earth can this Government claim to show any commitment to tackling sexist and discriminatory working practices when they have effectively priced women out of their own employment rights?"
Despite largely positive reviews from fans, the return of Top Gear failed to impress in the ratings as it was seen by nearly two million fewer viewers than its series debut last year.

However, the BBC Two motoring programme was up against the penultimate episode of BBC One's popular period drama Call The Midwife in the Sunday 8pm timeslot.

Top Gear, which has been revamped with Matt Le Blanc at the helm alongside co-hosts Chris Harris and Rory Reid, was watched by an average of 2.8 million people, according to overnight data, while Call The Midwife was seen by an average of 8.9 million.

These initial figures do not account for those watching on catch-up at a later time.

Top Gear's series launch in 2016 - with Chris Evans and Le Blanc as new presenters following the departure of long-running hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May - had scored 4.4 million viewers overnight.

Fans praised the new-look show on social media, with former Friends actor Le Blanc as Top Gear's leading man.

Sunday's instalment, which featured a trip to Kazakhstan and an interview with Scottish actor James McAvoy, prompted viewers to describe the new series as a "massive improvement" and that it had made "a promising start".

"Top Gear is back how it should be!" enthused one viewer on Twitter, while another joked the show "was so sweet I could have licked it".

LeBlanc, 49, was called "a natural" as a presenter and several people said the programme was better without Evans, who quit after the last series, saying he gave it his best shot but that it was "not enough".

Last year's series opener was largely savaged by viewers, mainly due to Evans's hosting style.

The decline in audience numbers follows a pattern in recent years, as the motoring magazine show scored higher viewers on average for its series openers with Clarkson, Hammond and May in the driving seat.

The first episode of Top Gear's 2015 series was seen by 5.3 million, and the overall average for the trio's final five years fronting the programme - between 2011 and 2015 - saw an average of 5.2 million viewers per debut episode for every new series.

Meanwhile, Call The Midwife, which concludes its sixth series next Sunday night, has mostly seen a steady increase over the past seven weeks.

The first episode of the series in late January was seen by 7.72 million fans during its broadcast while the overall series average is now at 8.55 million, due to a spike in viewers during its fifth episode at 9.09 million.

Elsewhere, the BBC's alternative reality period drama SS-GB has continued to drop in the ratings as its third episode, which aired on Sunday night at 9pm, scored an overnight average of 3.4 million viewers.

The second episode last week had declined to 3.9 million from the first episode's 6.1 million.

The drama series, an adaptation of Len Deighton's 1978 book of the same name that takes a look at what would have happened if the Nazis had won the Battle of Britain, lost viewers after many complained they found it difficult to hear much of the dialogue.
Irish Minister Michael Creed, who is being urged to block law

Fishing boats based in Northern Ireland are to be permitted to work in Irish inshore waters - up to six nautical miles from the coast - thanks to a new bill being drafted.

Inshore waters are not subject to the European Union's common fisheries policy that imposes fishing quotas on member states.

Irish fishermen are angry with the new bill and say it will allow more fishing to take place than ever before.

The Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017 has been drafted in response to a Supreme Court ruling in Dublin last October that an informal arrangement from 1959 known as 'voisinage', allowing Northern Irish boats access to Irish inshore waters without fear of prosecution, was not lawful.

The Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Michael Creed, is coming under intense pressure to try and put a stop to the new law.

Labour's spokesman on fisheries, Willie Penrose, said Creed should halt the new law and consult with the fishermen about its possible ramifications.

The Irish inshore fishing fleet has enjoyed improved catches since last October after Northern Ireland-based vessels were not permitted there.

A total 1,800 small boats in the Irish inshore fleet fish for crab, lobster, prawns, mackerel, whiting and haddock.

Mr Creed's spokesman said: "The amendment will not change long-standing fishing access arrangements, but will take account of the court's judgment and provide for arrangements that existed prior to October to be reinstated within a legislative framework."

While boats owned and operated in Northern Ireland will get access to the Irish inshore waters, the Irish fleet will still have access to Northern Ireland coastal waters.

However, the chief executive of the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation said it was a 'myth' that Irish vessels made use of this right.

Francis O'Donnell said: "Nobody can show me UK statutes that allow Irish boats to fish in Northern Ireland waters.

"In Galway Bay, Northern Ireland vessels were catching a lot of whiting and haddock. It's important they're not there this spring. Small Irish boats are looking to do a lot better. If this new bill comes it will undermine their prospects," he added.
Bowalley Road Rules



The blogosphere tends to be a very noisy, and all-too-often a very abusive, place. I intend Bowalley Road to be a much quieter, and certainly a more respectful, place.

So, if you wish your comments to survive the moderation process, you will have to follow the Bowalley Road Rules.

These are based on two very simple principles:

Courtesy and Respect.

Comments which are defamatory, vituperative, snide or hurtful will be removed, and the commentators responsible permanently banned.

Anonymous comments will not be published. Real names are preferred. If this is not possible, however, commentators are asked to use a consistent pseudonym.

Comments which are thoughtful, witty, creative and stimulating will be most welcome, becoming a permanent part of the Bowalley Road discourse.

However, I do add this warning. If the blog seems in danger of being over-run by the usual far-Right suspects, I reserve the right to simply disable the Comments function, and will keep it that way until the perpetrators find somewhere more appropriate to vent their collective spleen.


Arlene Foster last night appeared to be digging in her heels and refusing to step aside as the First Minister designate in a move that could risk the future of devolution.

Senior DUP sources told the Belfast Telegraph that Mrs Foster should reconsider her decision and not put her personal pride before what was best for "the party and the people of Northern Ireland".

The sources said they believed that Sinn Fein wouldn't back down from its position of not forming a government with the DUP if Mrs Foster was nominated as First Minister before the inquiry into the 'cash for ash' scandal issued at least an initial report.

One DUP figure proposed a compromise move for Mrs Foster whereby she would accept another ministry in the new Executive, with the agreement that she would step up and become First Minister after the inquiry.

"I think that is an entirely reasonable compromise which doesn't involve Arlene being humiliated," the source said.

"It wasn't a good election for us, we can't ignore that.

"But this is a possible solution that I think Sinn Fein would go for and it would enable Arlene to regain lost ground."

Another high-ranking DUP source said that around a third of MLAs felt "angry and let down" by their leader.

But he said that Mrs Foster had strong support from her deputy, Nigel Dodds, and from senior party advisers.

"Arlene is determined to brazen it out and that is putting the future of devolution in jeopardy," he said.

"She was once an asset to our party, but she is now a liability.

"It's all about self-preservation - 'me, me, me, me'. I believe that's a major miscalculation.

"Sinn Fein won't back down on this one. Given their election result they've no reason to do so."

The sources said that just because this was Sinn Fein's position, the DUP shouldn't automatically oppose it.

"If Sinn Fein says it's Monday, it doesn't mean it isn't Monday and we all insist it's some other day," he said.

"I believe that Arlene and the team around her are leading us into a terribly bad decision."

Writing in yesterday's Sunday Life, Mrs Foster said she was determined to remain as party chief and lead the DUP into talks with Sinn Fein.

"To the 225,413 people who placed their trust in the DUP, I say thank you... people voted DUP in numbers not seen since 1984. Over 22,000 more voted DUP than in our record breaking election last May," she said.

"When the talks begin on Monday, I will seek to work with other parties to create the circumstances where we can not just get the Executive up and running, but do so in a way in which it will endure."

Mrs Foster was yesterday backed by party colleague Simon Hamilton.

He told the BBC that she had the "full support" of her party and the election result was an "endorsement" of her leadership. DUP Assemblyman Edwin Poots said it was vital that the parties worked together to get the Stormont institutions up and running as soon as possible.

Speaking to the News Letter, he warned against a return to direct rule. "Ourselves and Sinn Fein have to get over whatever problems we have and ensure that we can respond to the real needs of the public, particularly in terms of health, education and the other issues that really matter for the people of Northern Ireland," he said.

East Belfast DUP MP Gavin Robinson raised the possibility that Mrs Foster might step aside as First Minister designate until the Renewable Heat Incentive inquiry had concluded.

Speaking to Stephen Nolan on BBC Five Live, he stressed that it would be for her alone to decide.

"As a party that wants to see devolved government in Northern Ireland succeed we are not going to present impediments to progress but we are not going to have another party determine who is going to lead our party," he added.

Results centre - select a constituency - every result as it happened -



North Antrim - East Antrim - South Antrim - North Belfast - East Belfast - South Belfast - West Belfast - Strangford - South Down - Lagan Valley - Upper Bann - Newry and Armagh - Fermanagh & South Tyrone - West Tyrone - Mid Ulster - East Londonderry - Foyle - North Down
Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire is keen to get all-party talks under way as soon as possible

Attempts to restore the Executive will get under way today after the bombshell Assembly election, but there are fears the negotiations could become bogged down.

Theresa May and Enda Kenny have ordered government ministers to open urgent talks with parties in an attempt to restore devolution.

The Prime Minister and Taoiseach had a 15-minute phone conversation yesterday about the election outcome.

They will discuss Northern Ireland again at the EU council summit in Brussels on Thursday after Secretary of State James Brokenshire holds a series of bilateral meetings with the five main Stormont parties, starting this afternoon.

Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan is expected to join the talks on Wednesday.

The first official meeting of the new 90-strong Assembly is likely to take place next Monday, when there will be an attempt to elect a Speaker.

From that point legislation arising from the St Andrews Agreement allows for a fortnight before there must be a meeting to try and form an Executive.

Sinn Fein insisted it would not nominate a Deputy First Minister if the DUP puts Arlene Foster forward as a candidate for First Minister.

But the DUP has said republicans cannot dictate the party's choice. As such, many expect the stalemate that led to the election to continue. Were that the case, Mr Brokenshire would have no choice but to call another poll.

However, according to the relevant legalisation, he only has to do so within a "reasonable period".

That could provide the flexibility needed for negotiations to continue on a range of issues, including Sinn Fein's demands that past agreements on an Irish Language Act and dealing with the legacy of the Troubles be implemented.

Mr Brokenshire yesterday said the discussions would remain confidential.

He made the announcement after ringing Mrs Foster, Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, outgoing Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt and Alliance leader Naomi Long, along with a number of others.

"There is a limited window in which the Assembly and Executive can be restored," Mr Brokenshire said.

"Urgent discussions need to take place to ensure inclusive devolved government resumes."

But Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said the British Government had to recognise it was not an honest broker.

Pointing out that Conservative candidates in the Assembly election won fewer than 2,400 votes, Mr Adams added: "The British Government has given up all pretence of independence - they are not neutral arbitrators.

"They have refused to implement and honour their agreements and responsibilities. They are part of the problem.

"The Irish Government needs to hold London to its responsibilities and obligations. The Taoiseach knows this. So does Minister Flanagan.

"That needs to be their focus in the coming talks."

Mr Brokenshire said that alongside the establishment of an Executive, the talks would address other issues, including the legacy of the past.

"The responsibility for forming a new Executive rests with the two parties eligible to nominate a First Minister and Deputy First Minister both to engage with each other and to advance discussions with all eligible parties," he added.

"A new Executive will need to agree a Programme for Government, a budget for 2017-18 and any changes to how the Executive will work.

"The UK Government will engage with the parties to secure progress. Discussions will focus on securing implementation on the basis of existing commitments rather than the renegotiation of prior agreements. In particular, there is an urgent need to resolve the implementation of the commitments concerning the legacy of the past in the Stormont House Agreement."
Ousted MLA Emma Little Pengelly blamed voter confusion for her failure to retain a second DUP seat in South Belfast.

She said leaflets advising voters that first preferences should go to her running mate were distributed in the wrong areas.

Leaflets for Mr Stalford, she claimed, were handed out in areas where the DUP message should have been to vote for Ms Little Pengelly as first preference.

She said at one polling station one person handed out leaflets and "misinformation" for "many hours".

Former special adviser Little Pengelly also hinted she may run again to retake her seat.

In a Facebook post on Sunday morning, the barrister thanked those who turned out to vote.

She said: "I apologise to the voters in Stranmillis PS where Stalford 1 leaflets were handed out for many hours during election day and misinformation given out. Unfortunately this person would not leave.

"This should not have happened and there should not have been that confusion to you, the DUP voters.

"I can assure you I have raised it with the party.

"In an election where 25 votes separated Christopher and me, this confusion was unacceptable."

Mrs Little Pengelly added: "We fought a hard campaign and the DUP vote rose to 9,000 in this election.

"The DUP was once again the biggest party in South Belfast. This time around I lost Nettlefield PS as recommended No1 Little Pengelly (in order to try and ensure both DUP candidates got a similar first preference vote to give us the best chance of 2 seats), despite this my first preference vote equalled last year's."

Asked if he was party to the leaflets being handed out, Mr Stalford said he had no comment to make on that matter.

He added: "I have been on the receiving end of an Assembly election defeat and I know how sore it is.

"There is always the temptation to look for blame and think it is unfortunate we did not get two seats and I wish we had.

"I wish Emma all the very best for the future."

Asked again if he played any role in his leaflets being distributed, he said: "These accusations have been made two days after the vote and after the heat of a campaign battle and I have no further comment to make."

During the campaign Mrs Little Pengelly's civil servant husband, the Department of Health head Richard Pengelly, hit the headlines amid controversy after an email was leaked in which he expressed concern over overtly political tweets by health staff.

He cited two from doctors which were critical of the DUP and Sinn Fein in his email.

Results centre - select a constituency - every result as it happened -



North Antrim - East Antrim - South Antrim - North Belfast - East Belfast - South Belfast - West Belfast - Strangford - South Down - Lagan Valley - Upper Bann - Newry and Armagh - Fermanagh & South Tyrone - West Tyrone - Mid Ulster - East Londonderry - Foyle - North Down
Calls for the DUP and Ulster Unionists to join forces are growing after the Assembly vote saw unionism lose its parliamentary majority for the first time in the history of Northern Ireland.

Unionists hold just 44% of the 90 Assembly seats and together are just one vote ahead of combined nationalism.

If all unionists united on an issue in the Assembly, it would mean 28 DUP votes, 10 Ulster Unionists, the TUV's Jim Allister and former Justice Minister Claire Sugden - a total of 40.

Against that, the combined vote of Sinn Fein with 27 seats and the SDLP on 12 is 39.

Former Ulster Unionist MLA David McNarry suggested the two main unionist parties should more closely align at Stormont.

"To stop republicans steamrolling the unionist identity, unionism at Stormont has no choice but to align," he said.

"Unionists now have no choice other than to align the DUP and UUP under a joint whip in a 38-strong Unionist Assembly group at Stormont.

Mr McNarry, who most recently was Ukip's leader in Northern Ireland but stood down at last May's election, added: "The time is now for action. People will welcome a united unionist bulwark defending their future."

East Belfast loyalist community worker Jim Wilson also warned part of the problem for unionism is "too many political parties". He told BBC Radio Five Live: "At one time we had one unionist party in Northern Ireland, it was the Ulster Unionist Party. The people within unionism need to start to realise that, galvanising the support into one political party."

However, the former loyalist prisoner, who now works in east Belfast, said the current unionist parties were not serving the interests of working-class loyalists.

"There are only two parties within the nationalist community and they do very well and they've given themselves a lift."

Meanwhile, the UUP announced one of its two MPs, Tom Elliott, is to chair the party's delegation for the forthcoming talks to restore devolution.

The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, who also played a leading role in the Stormont House talks and American diplomat Richard Haass' abortive attempt at a deal, was chosen after an emergency meeting of party officers on Saturday.

They also decided to put back the party's annual general meeting by a few weeks, until Saturday, April 8.

That could lead the party to have to decide whether it will go back into the Executive in the next few weeks, while Mike Nesbitt remains as leader, and after nine months of Opposition.

But if the party remains in opposition it could mean a majority nationalist Executive for the first time - with the DUP in control of three Ministries, Sinn Fein in control of three and the SDLP with one, in addition to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

Results centre - select a constituency - every result as it happened -



North Antrim - East Antrim - South Antrim - North Belfast - East Belfast - South Belfast - West Belfast - Strangford - South Down - Lagan Valley - Upper Bann - Newry and Armagh - Fermanagh & South Tyrone - West Tyrone - Mid Ulster - East Londonderry - Foyle - North Down
A record-breaking proportion of female politicians have been elected to the new Assembly. Women will make up 30% of MLAs - putting Stormont ahead of both the Dail and the House of Commons in terms of gender equality.

A total of 27 women won seats in last week's election, with nationalist parties well in front of unionists in terms of female representation.

The share of women MLAs has risen from 28% in the previous intake elected last May, which had itself surpassed all past records in terms of successful female candidates.

In 2011 women made up 19% of MLAs, and in the first Assembly election in 1998 only 14 female politicians were returned - comprising just 13% of the chamber.

The new Assembly will have 11 Sinn Fein, six DUP, four SDLP, and three Alliance women.

Ulster Unionist MLA Rosemary Barton, Clare Bailey of the Green Party, and independent unionist Claire Sugden complete the numbers. Sinn Fein leads the way on gender equality among the big parties, with 41% of its MLAs female, Alliance comes in second on 38% and the SDLP third on 33%.

The DUP lags behind significantly with 21% of its MLAs female, and the UUP is last on 10%.

There are almost twice as many nationalist as unionist women in Stormont - 15 compared to eight.

South Belfast SDLP MLA Claire Hanna said she was delighted that a record proportion of women had been elected.

"It's great to see, but I'm disappointed that two very capable Ulster Unionist women - Jo-Anne Dobson and Sandra Overend - didn't get elected.

"They will be hugely missed from their party's team," she said.

Ms Hanna stated that women MLAs' visibility would encourage other females to become involved in politics.

"I'm not just talking about sending out a message to young women, older women have a huge role to play too," she said.

"My mum Carmel didn't stand for election until she was nearly 50.

"Dolores Kelly has just made a remarkable comeback, and is clearly in her political prime at 57."

South Antrim DUP MLA Pam Cameron said: "It's been so hectic that I didn't realise such a fantastic number of women were elected.

"I'm delighted at the progress that has been made.

"But I'm devastated for my party colleagues Brenda Hale and Emma Little Pengelly, who were passionate about what they believed in and I hope they will be back soon."

In terms of gender equality in political representation, Northern Ireland is now well in front of the Republic, where women make up 22% of TDs in the Dail, and it has just nudged ahead of Westminster, where women account for 29% of MPs.

But even with the advances made, Stormont still lags behind the other devolved institutions in the UK, with women making up 48% of the Welsh Assembly and 35% of the Scottish Parliament.

However, women have still made huge advances in politics here in the past year.

"Three of our five main political party leaders are female - the DUP's Arlene Foster, Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill and Alliance's Naomi Long.

The trio all topped the poll in their respective constituencies.

In terms of female representation, the most progressive constituency isn't trendy South Belfast, as might be anticipated, but Fermanagh and South Tyrone, where four out of five MLAs are female.

Four constituencies have no women MLAs - North Antrim, East Antrim, Lagan Valley and North Down.

Lagan Valley's two female representatives - the UUP's Jenny Palmer and the DUP's Brenda Hale - both lost their seats.

Foyle, which previously had no women elected to Stormont, now has one - Sinn Fein's Elisha McCallion, who topped the poll.

Another strong female performer who did the same was the DUP's Carla Lockhart in Upper Bann.

In the ultra-competitive South Belfast, the Greens' Ms Bailey and Alliance's Paula Bradshaw were both successful.

The DUP's Ms Cameron said that, despite the advances, there wasn't room for complacency.

"I don't believe in quotas or positive discrimination, but women do need encouragement to put themselves forward in politics whereas men tend to be over-confident," she said.

"It also must be acknowledged that women face challenges men don't.

"I've never heard a male MLA say they had to get home to cook dinner or do the washing or ironing.

"They tend to have wives who look after all that for them."

Results centre - select a constituency - every result as it happened -



North Antrim - East Antrim - South Antrim - North Belfast - East Belfast - South Belfast - West Belfast - Strangford - South Down - Lagan Valley - Upper Bann - Newry and Armagh - Fermanagh & South Tyrone - West Tyrone - Mid Ulster - East Londonderry - Foyle - North Down
For a rough introduction to my philosophy of blogging, including the Code of Amiability Ito follow on this weblog, please read my fifth anniversary post . I consider blogging to be a very informal type of publishing - like putting up thoughts on your door with a note asking for comments. Nothing in this weblog is done rigorously: it's a forum to let my mind be unruly, a place for jottings and first impressions. Because I consider posts here to be 'literary seedings' rather than finished products, nothing here should be taken as if it were anything more than an attempt to rough out some basic thoughts on various issues. Learning to look at any topic philosophically requires, I think, jumping right in, even knowing that you might be making a fool of yourelf; so that's what I do. My primary interest in most topics is the flow and structure of reasoning they involve rather than their actual conclusions, so most of my posts are about that. If, however, you find me making a clear factual error, let me know; blogging is a great way to get rid of misconceptions.
DUP leader Arlene Foster and deputy leader Nigel Dodds speak to the media outside Stormont in Belfast

DUP leader Arlene Foster has said there is no revolt in her party after Sinn Fein surged at the polls.

The Democratic Unionists saw their 10-seat lead as the biggest grouping at Stormont cut to just one following Thursday's election.

Mrs Foster also said she was going into negotiations between the five largest parties on restoring power-sharing wanting to do a deal.

Sinn Fein has vowed not to re-enter devolved government with her as first minister.

Asked about her support within her party, she said: "There is no revolt.

"I've had a very good meeting today with my party officers. I'll meet with my full Assembly team tomorrow morning and talk to a lot of my other colleagues as well.

"So there's no problem, no problem at all."

Following Thursday's election, Sinn Fein closed the gap on the DUP to a solitary seat while the overall unionist majority at Stormont was lost.

The election was called after former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest at Mrs Foster's refusal to stand aside as first minister while a public inquiry is held into a botched green energy scheme predicted to cost the Northern Ireland taxpayer close to half a million pounds.

His resignation forced a snap election.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire has been meeting Stormont party leaders in an attempt to persuade them to form a new power-sharing executive.

The parties have three weeks to overcome their differences.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said Prime Minister Theresa May and Mr Brokenshire were "part of the problem" and called for an independent chair of the talks.

The Sinn Fein leader accused the UK Government of breaking past agreements aimed at stabilising the Stormont institutions.

He also said republicans had no confidence in Mr Brokenshire to chair post-election negotiations.

Mrs Foster established the failed green energy scheme.

But despite the controversy, the DUP's vote was up in every constituency across Northern Ireland.

Mrs Foster said: "That is a pretty good basis on which to continue as DUP leader."

Her party's performance was overshadowed by what unionists described as a "tide" of republican support.

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said it was the biggest vote ever cast for any party in an Assembly election and it would be "perverse" to suggest someone should step aside as a result.

"The people will decide who leads the DUP. The people have given a resounding mandate and endorsement to Arlene as the leader of the DUP."

Mr Adams said: "We are very clear about our view that if recent statements by James Brokenshire and Theresa May are to be taken at face value then the British Government is going to make all the mistakes that it made in the past."

Alliance party Assembly member Stephen Farry warned that the "bitterness" between Sinn Fein and the DUP was "more extreme than it has been in quite some time".

He said: "At times, the UK government is too close to the perspective of the DUP, rather than acting as an impartial broker to the parties.

"He needs to reflect on the potential damage that has been done by some of those comments."
Tony Blair has dismissed a report he is in talks to become an adviser to US President Donald Trump as "an invention"

Tony Blair has dismissed a report he is in talks to become an adviser to US President Donald Trump as "an invention".

The former Prime Minister is said to have met Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner three times in recent months, including in the White House.

The Mail on Sunday reported Mr Blair wanted to become a Middle East peace envoy for the President. He held the role for the Quartet group of countries for eight years, until 2015.

A statement from the former Labour leader's office said: "The story is an invention. Mr Blair (right) has made no such pitch to be the President's Middle East envoy. Neither has he had any discussions about taking such a role or any role working for the new President.

"He has been working on the peace process for 10 years. He continues to do so. He does so in a private capacity.

"He will continue to do it in that way. Period."

It was reported that Mr Blair met Mr Kushner, who is now an adviser to the President, for the first time in September last year.

They reportedly met a second time in November after Mr Trump's election win, ahead of the latest apparent encounter in Washington. The President put Mr Kushner in charge of brokering a peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the White House is demanding that a probe into Russian interference in last year's US presidential election also examine claims that former President Obama had telephones at Trump Tower wire-tapped.

White House officials said they want the congressional committees to determine whether "executive branch investigative powers" were abused in 2016 - a reference to President Trump's claim of wire tapping in a series of tweets on Saturday.

Mr Trump has offered no evidence or details to support his claim, which was denied by Mr Obama's spokesman.

He made the allegations in a series of tweets, claiming he "just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!"

Mr Trump compared the alleged activity to behaviour involving former president Richard Nixon and the bugging of his political opponents.

"How low has President Obama gone to tapp (sic) my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" he tweeted. But Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said a "cardinal rule" of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered in any Justice Department investigations, which are supposed to be conducted free of political influence.

"As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any US citizen," Mr Lewis said, adding that "any suggestion otherwise is simply false".

Mr Trump said the wire-tapping occurred in October. He ran the presidential transition largely out of Trump Tower in New York, where he also maintains a residence.
Police officers at the scene of the shooting on Belfasts Crumlin Road

Police officers at the scene of the shooting on Belfasts Crumlin Road

A PSNI officer who survived a dissident republican murder bid has told how he thought he was going to die.

Speaking for the first time, the officer described how he was left with blood pouring from his body after being shot in north Belfast six weeks ago.

It comes as police make a fresh appeal for information about the attack at a petrol station forecourt on the Crumlin Road on January 22.

The case is due to feature on the BBC's Crimewatch programme tonight.

Police have confirmed an AK-47 assault rifle was used by the attackers.

Recalling the moment that he was shot, the PSNI officer tells the programme: "I felt something hit me... everything sort of slowed down. Blood was pouring out.

"I thought that was me. I thought I was going to die on that forecourt."

The officer, who is in his 20s, was shot two or three times in the arm in the attack.

A dissident republican group known as the New IRA later said it was responsible. It said the attack was a "targeted" attempt to kill two officers.

The officer said he signed up for policing to make a difference.

"Joining the police - it sounds cliched, but it was just the thought of helping people," he adds.

"You build a rapport and they do end up knowing you by name. I'm not just a uniform."

Detectives are hoping tonight's appeal will encourage people to come forward with information.

As well as the moment of the attack being caught on CCTV, footage also shows a red Audi A4 estate car which police are linking to the attack.

The vehicle, registration KNZ 2862, was later found burned out in the Andersonstown area of west Belfast.

Detective Superintendent Kevin Geddes urged people with information on the shooting to come forward.

"I welcome the opportunity to make a fresh appeal for information on Crimewatch tonight, more than one month after the attack, when I will also reveal new pieces of information in relation to the investigation," he says.

"The programme will also feature my colleague speaking about his ordeal publicly for the first time.

"He will bravely describe the moments leading up to the attack, his thoughts and feelings on realising he had been shot and injured, and also describe his road to recovery."

As many as 10 shots from an automatic weapon are believed to have been fired in the attack, which happened around 7.30pm on the evening of January 22.

The officer underwent emergency surgery in hospital and is now recovering.

The shooting drew widespread condemnation.

Chief Constable George Hamilton described it as "completely reckless" and "crazy".

Secretary of State James Brokenshire and Justice Minister Claire Sugden said it was "sickening".

The New IRA was formed in 2012 after a number of dissident republican organisations said they were unifying under one leadership.

It is believed to be the largest dissident republican organisation.

It has been responsible for a number of attacks since its formation, including the murders of prison officers David Black and Adrian Ismay.
Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Michelle O'Neill join other newly elected Sinn Fein MLAs during a press conference at Parliament Buildings, Stormont. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness collapsed the last Assembly by resigning over Arlene Foster's refusal to step aside over the RHI inquiry

The family of Martin McGuinness have requested privacy, Gerry Adams has said, following reports the former deputy First Minister's health has deteriorated.

The Irish News reported on Monday that the Sinn Fein veteran had spent the past two weeks in hospital.

Mr Adams would not comment on his colleague's health as Sinn Fein unveiled its new Assembly team at Stormont on Monday.

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Mr Adams said he wanted to send his best wishes to the former deputy first minister, his wife and family.

He added that the McGuinness family had requested privacy and that should be respected.

Mr McGuinness (66) retired from front-line politics due to his health in January. He resigned as deputy First Minister in the wake of the RHI scandal which led to last week's historic Assembly election.

The former IRA commander said he had intended to retire from politics in the summer but his health meant he was unable to run in subsequent election. Michelle O'Neill was selected by the party as his replacement.
George McMillan (left) and Ulster Banks Conor McNeill at McMillan Porsches new premises in Antrim

A Co Antrim Porsche workshop is expanding as Northern Ireland's appetite for luxury cars surges, it was announced today.

Sales of Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, Land Rover and Volvo all hit record highs in 2016, zooming off forecourts at their fastest in a decade, and up 19% on the year before.

But the popularity of Ferrari is on the wane, as year-on-year Northern Ireland sales of the Italian supercar fell by 29%, according to figures from a leading trade body.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMT) reported that 220 Porsches were sold in Northern Ireland in 2016 - up 7% on 2015, and amounting to the highest number bought since the savage financial collapse in 2007.

And that's despite a hefty price tag of at least 40,000 for a new model - and upwards of 10,000 for a second-hand machine.

Ulster Bank chief economist Richard Ramsay said the shift towards Porsche is linked to what he calls "the SUV phenomenon".

"The whole market has seen a shift towards surban or sport utility vehicles (SUVs) so brands that have embraced it have done well and the brands which haven't, haven't," he said.

"People like SUVs and it's all about giving consumers what they want so the successful brands are offering premium products for a variety of budgets.

"Vauxhall had its worst year for sales since 1999, for example, so the luxury brands are now eating into the middle of the market."

George McMillan, who owns McMillan Porsche in Antrim, said the rising number of enthusiasts for the luxury car has seen his customer-base swell, so he is now expanding his business.

Although he has used vehicles up for grabs - with prices starting at 10,000 for a second-hand Porsche Boxster or 15,000 for a Cayenne - his main line of work involves repairs as opposed to buying and selling.

"Our main customers are young men and women starting out in the world of Porsche, or retired people," said Mr McMillan, who has been in business since 1990.

To facilitate ongoing growth, McMillan Porsche has acquired new 55,000 sq ft premises at Kilbegs Industrial Estate in Antrim, made up of a large workshop, training area, customer facilities, and a forecourt.

There, Mr McMillan said the company intends to expand its workforce from five people to 15 people over the next two years, with the help of an investment of almost 250,000 from Ulster Bank.

"The recession helped our business," he said.

"Prior to it, customers went to mainstream dealers and never queried prices but, since then, businessmen started to look around and realised they can get better deals elsewhere."

He added: "Outside of Germany, the UK has one of the highest instances of Porsche ownerships anywhere, and Northern Ireland has a large and growing base of Porsche owners."

Conor McNeill, business manager with Ulster Bank, said: "We are very pleased to help with the new premises, which are a fitting base for a highly professional business."

McMillan Porsche offers servicing, diagnostics, modifications, repairs, and rebuilds of the premium cars.
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About Censored News Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell. Since 2006, Censored News has received more than 20 million pageviews. As a collective of writers, photographers and broadcasters, we publish news of Indigenous Peoples and human rights. Contact publisher Brenda Norrell: brendanorrell@gmail.com

From the publisher Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell, a journalist in Indian country for 40 years. Norrell created Censored News after she was censored and terminated as a staff reporter at Indian Country Today in 2006. She began as a reporter at Navajo Times during the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation. She was a stringer for AP and USA Today and later traveled with the Zapatistas through Mexico. She has been blacklisted by all the mainstream media for 14 years. Contact brendanorrell@gmail.com

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Former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness collapsed the last Assembly by resigning over Arlene Foster's refusal to step aside over the RHI inquiry

Theresa May and Enda Kenny have ordered government ministers to open urgent talks with parties in Northern Ireland in an attempt to restore devolution.

After a snap election radically altered the face of the Stormont Assembly, abolishing for the first time the overall unionist majority, political leaders have three weeks to form an executive.

But the two main parties, the Democratic Unionist Party and Irish republicans Sinn Fein, are on a collision course over Arlene Foster's leadership.

Sinn Fein have refused to pull back from its red line that the DUP leader can not be reinstated as first minister while an inquiry is ongoing into alleged corruption and misuse of public money in a heating scheme scandal that forced last week's snap poll.

The DUP has insisted Sinn Fein can not dictate who they nominate to lead the party in any restored Stormont Executive.

Mrs May and Mr Kenny held a 15-minute telephone conversation on Sunday about the election outcome.

They have ordered Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire and Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan to meet all political parties on Wednesday "with a view to re-establishing a functioning executive as soon as possible, and to address outstanding issues under the agreements".

Two two leaders agreed to discuss the issue again at the EU council summit in Brussels on Thursday.

In separate co-ordinated statements on Sunday, both Mr Brokenshire and Mr Flanagan warned there was a "limited window" to resolve differences and get a functioning parliament back up and running.

Mr Brokenshire said responsibility lies on the shoulders of both the DUP and Sinn Fein.

The Secretary of State added "confidential" talks would start immediately to resolve other outstanding issues over the full implementation of peace agreements in the region and how the legacy of the Troubles is addressed.

Mr Flanagan said it was of the utmost importance for the people of Northern Ireland that the political institutions, established under the Good Friday Agreement, promptly resume "not least so that they can effectively engage with the issues raised by Brexit".

However, Sinn Fein's John O'Dowd, education minister in a previous executive, signalled a looming deadlock.

"If the DUP decide after the implementation talks that will take place over the next number of weeks that they are going to nominate Arlene Foster as joint first minister, Sinn Fein will not support that nomination," he said.

"We were very clear on the doorsteps, we were very clear during the election and we have a mandate, and we said to people we would not support Arlene Foster as joint first minister ahead of the publication of the RHI report."

Former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness collapsed the last Assembly by resigning over Ms Foster's refusal to step aside pending an inquiry into the renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme.

The botched green energy initiative has been embroiled in controversy and could cost the Northern Ireland taxpayers 490 million.

An inquiry into its operation is not expected to make any findings for at least six months.

Mr O'Dowd said there is a "recipe for a stable executive and assembly" but warned the issues that forced the snap election could not be ignored.

"Alleged corruption at the heart of the government, alleged incompetence at the heart of government," he said, adding the high turnout at the polls showed the public are "very, very tuned in" to the scandal.

But the DUP's Simon Hamilton, economy minister up until the assembly's collapse, said Ms Foster has a mandate to lead her party.

"We can't have the sort of powersharing John is talking about whenever you have diktats coming from Sinn Fein about who leads and who heads up the DUP in government," he told BBC's Sunday Politics.

"I have heard a lot from Sinn Fein over the last number of weeks about respect, but they are not respecting the mandate that the DUP has received, and that mandate endorsed Arlene Foster."

The pro-Brexit DUP narrowly remained the region's largest party by just one seat as a Sinn Fein surge saw the republican party make major gains over the DUP.

Having entered the election 10 seats ahead of Sinn Fein, the DUP's advantage was slashed to a solitary seat.

Only 1,168 first preference votes separate the DUP and Sinn Fein and, for the first time, Unionists will not have an overall majority at Stormont.

Amid the fallout, Mike Nesbitt said he would resign as Ulster Unionist leader.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has said the "perpetual unionist majority" at Stormont has been "demolished".

On Sunday, Mr Adams took aim at the Conservative government in London, saying they are "part of the problem" of the political crisis in Northern Ireland.

"The British government refuses to implement the agreements on legacy and has sought immunity for their soldiers and agents," he said.

"They have set aside the concept of consent, and undermined human rights safeguards, in seeking to impose Brexit against the will of the majority of voters in the north.

"The British government has given up all pretence of independence.

"The Tory party stood in the recent election and was rejected again by the electorate receiving only 2,379 votes.

"They are not neutral arbitrators.

"They have refused to implement and honour their agreements and responsibilities.

"They are part of the problem."

Mr Adams also attacked the Irish government for not holding London to account as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement.

But the Sinn Fein leader said his party will be at Stormont on Monday to "engage positively with all the other parties" to find a way forward.

It is understood Mr Brokenshire will meet with all five main party leaders on Monday "on a bilateral basis" ahead of talks including Mr Flanagan on Wednesday.
An Olly Murs concert will be among the events attended as part of the census

Increasing tax paid by music venues could pose a major threat to the UK's live music scene, according to academics.

The organisers of Britain's first live music census say a major overhaul of commercial property rates - which will be revealed in Wednesday's Budget - could see a huge rise in costs and force many venues to close.

Matt Brennan, of the University of Edinburgh, who is leading the project, said venues operating at grassroots level are particularly vulnerable.

He said: "Venues around the country have been telling us that they already operate on thin margins, so proposed increases in rateable values of up to 55% in some cases will have a significant impact.

"The UK Live Music Census will be very important in identifying challenges that the industry faces, such as rising rates and other issues. It will give us a detailed picture of what exactly it means to be a venue owner, a musician and a live music lover in 2017.

"Our hope is that the census will be a vital tool in strengthening a much-loved part of the UK's culture."

Described by its organisers as a "Springwatch for live music", the census is led by the universities of Edinburgh, Newcastle and Glasgow.

For 24 hours, volunteers will track performances in cities across the country from lone buskers to massed choirs and from dance floors to stadium concerts.

There will be co-ordinated censuses in Glasgow, Newcastle, Oxford, Leeds, Southampton and Brighton, with volunteers attending live music events including Olly Murs at Leeds Arena, Nicola Benedetti at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, RnB in Oxford, and jazz in Newcastle.

Jo Dipple, chief executive of UK Music, one of the partners of the census, said: "The findings for each of the six cities will inform academics, entrepreneurs and music fans alike. It will help organisations like UK Music to understand better the pressures on music businesses and venues so we can lobby for the most effective policies in each area.

"For example, we know that a disproportionate hike in business rates could pose a serious threat to qualifying music SMEs and grassroots venues. The more we are able to identify threats, the more effective our lobbying for policy change in that area will be."

Lord Clement-Jones, a Liberal Democrat peer and spokesman for the creative industries, said: "Live music is facing a number of challenges at the moment, from venues closing down to the threat of increased business rates.

"However, data about the sector has so far been relatively scarce and mostly anecdotal, and so the much needed data collected by UK Live Music Census will help us protect live music going into the future."

A Government spokesman said: "The revaluation ensures business rate bills more closely reflect the property market.

"The Government has introduced a 6.7 billion package of measures providing support for all ratepayers, and 600,000 businesses will pay no rates at all.

"For those that may see rises in their bills as a result of the revaluation we've put in place 3.6 billion in transitional relief, and ministers are looking at how best to provide further support to businesses facing the steepest increases as part of the Budget on Wednesday."
Rahim Mohammadi, 40, will appear in court charged with the murder of 80-year-old Lea Adri-Soejoko, whose body was found in a lock-up at an allotment in north-west London

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of an 80-year-old grandmother whose body was found in a garage at an allotment.

Rahim Mohammadi, 40, of Goldsmiths Row, east London, was charged on Sunday with the murder of Lea Adri-Soejoko, the Metropolitan Police said.

The pensioner, who was strangled with a ligature, was discovered on Tuesday in Colindale, north-west London, in a lock-up store at the allotment where she was secretary.

A post-mortem examination took place at Northwick Park Hospital on March 1 revealing the cause of death was ligature of the neck, the Met said almost a week after her death.

Mohammadi, who was arrested on Friday, appeared in custody at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Monday for a five-minute hearing.

With the help of a translator speaking Farsi, he confirmed his name, address and date of birth and held his hands clasped together.

He was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on March 8, when he will be able to apply for bail.

Meanwhile, officers will be in the area of the allotments between 2pm and 6pm on Monday and are keen to speak to anyone who knew Ms Adri-Soejoko, or who saw or spoke to her in the days leading up to her death.

She was wearing black wellington boots with white spots and pink piping around the sole and top of the boot, a navy blue quilted jacket and grey trousers, the Met said.
Francois Fillon's fight to stay in the race for France's presidency continues on Monday with a meeting of his party's political committee while the man he defeated in the run-off to win his party's primary contest was due to speak to the media.

Alain Juppe had been the favourite to win the keys to the Elysee until Mr Fillon's surprise victory in the primary contest for the Gaullist party now known as Les Republicains.

However, the scandal surrounding alleged "fake job" payments to Mr Fillon's Welsh wife Penelope and two of his children has prompted some allies to urge Mr Fillon to step down.

On Sunday Mrs Fillon spoke for the first time about the crisis, vowing to stay with her husband "until the end" before she attended a rally of his supporters in central Paris.

Mr Juppe, the likely beneficiary of any withdrawal by Mr Fillon, was due to speak to the media in Monday from Bordeaux, where he is mayor.

Mrs Fillon, originally from Abergavenny, told Le Journal du Dimanche: "I have told Francois to go on until the end."

She reiterated her support for him saying: "I have been with Francois for 36 years and will be as long as we are alive."

She admitted she was dismayed the scandal had become known as Penelopegate, telling the paper: "When I first read that, I was without words.

"It really hurt me, the association of my name with this immense scandal.

"...I felt like I had been struck by lightning. It's the worst thing I have experienced in my life."

Mr Fillon, who revealed last week he has an appointment with magistrates on March 15 when charges are expected to be laid, had started 2017 as favourite to win the presidency but the 63-year-old father-of-five has seen his poll ratings plunge since the scandal first revealed by newspaper Le Canard Enchaine emerged.

On Sunday a large gathering of supporters braved the weather to show their support for Mr Fillon.

Current polling suggests the far-right's Marine Le Pen and Socialist-turned centrist Emmanuel Macron are now the two likely candidates to contest the presidency in the second round of voting on May 7 after the first round on April 23 whittles the field down to two.

President Francois Hollande, a Socialist, is not seeking a second term after a spell blighted by terror attacks.

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy, who came third in the primary contest, issued a statement on Monday calling for talks to resolve the crisis.

The statement read: "Faced with the gravity of the situation faced by the right and centre, everyone has a duty to preserve the unity which is the condition of alternance (an alternative government).

"Our disunity is making the extreme-right's bed.

"It is in this spirit I propose to Francois Fillon and Alain Juppe to meet to find a worthy and credible exit from a situation that cannot last longer and which is creating deep unease with the French people."

Mr Juppe, a prime minister during the presidency of Jacques Chirac, wasted little time in telling the media he would not seek to run for president.

He said: "I confirm once and for all that I will not be a candidate to be president of the Republic."
The Met assistant commissioner said police and intelligence agencies have disrupted 13 terrorist attack plots since June 2013

Security services have thwarted 13 potential terrorist attacks on the UK in less than four years and are running more than 500 live investigations at any time, Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer has revealed.

Assistant commissioner Mark Rowley disclosed the figures as he launched a major appeal for the public to report any suspicions and act on their instincts, saying their help is critical to foiling atrocities.

The Metropolitan Police officer told the Press Association that since June 2013, police and intelligence agencies have disrupted 13 terrorist attack plots.

The figure is one higher than the last tally given in October.

Information from members of the public has contributed to stopping some of those attacks, while figures show it has assisted counter-terrorism police in a third of the most high-risk investigations.

Describing the contribution as "extraordinary", Mr Rowley said: "Some of that information is a change in someone's behaviour, some of that's about suspicious activity.

"Sometimes that public information has actually started an investigation. Other times it's part way through and it corroborates some things or adds to things we already know.

"The public are making a great contribution which is critical to us all working together to protect ourselves from terrorism."

Despite foiling a string of plots since the murder of Lee Rigby in May 2013, the senior officer stressed that the threat continues to be severe while authorities have some big operational challenges.

Investigators have been making arrests at a rate of close to one a day on average since 2014.

The official threat level for international terrorism has stood at severe - meaning an attack is "highly likely" - for more than two years.

Mr Rowley said that "tempo" of activity continues. He identified a host of challenges including encrypted communication methods, propaganda and the range of possible attack methods.

"Now we worry about everything from fairly simple attacks with knives or using vehicles all the way through to the more complex firearms attacks," he said.

"All of that means that our job remains difficult. We've got over 500 investigations at any one stage."

In that context, the flow of information from the public to build intelligence on individuals or groups plotting attacks is seen as more important than ever.

In the year to March, the anti-terrorist hotline received more than twice the number of calls on the previous 12 months, with 22,000 people making contact.

Mr Rowley said: " Even though the public are doing a great job, we want more help."

A poll of more than 2,000 adults found that most respondents believed it was important for communities to work with police to defeat terrorism.

However, a quarter of those surveyed said they might not report their suspicions because of fears over wasting police time and almost two in five were unsure about what suspicious behaviour might look like.

As part of the Action Counters Terrorism campaign, a podcast has been produced revealing previously untold stories of how terrorist attacks on UK soil were prevented, featuring accounts from detectives, bomb disposal and surveillance officers.

Mr Rowley said the aim of releasing new material was to give an insight into how terrorists might prepare and provide more confidence for the public to report any suspicions.

He said: " I think what often happens is a member of the public will see something, or hear something, and think 'well that's a bit odd, but maybe I'm overreacting and I won't bother telling anybody'.

"Us putting more information out there, the aim is that it gives that bit more confidence for the public.

"We will respond carefully, we won't overreact.

"If it turns out to be a call where you made it with good intent but actually there was no problem at the end of it, that's fine.

"We'd rather have many calls like that, rather than miss out on the critical one that helps us stop an attack."

Security minister Ben Wallace welcomed the campaign, saying: " The horror of recent terrorist attacks in Europe and beyond is a shocking reminder of the threat we all face."

:: For further information go to gov.uk/ACT
The Foreign Office said it was providing support

A former British Army officer has been shot dead in Kenya.

Tristan Voorspuy was killed by pastoral herders on Sunday while inspecting some of his lodges, a local police official told the Associated Press.

Mr Voorspuy, who spent six years in the Army from the mid 1970s, including two as a cavalry officer, was the founder of luxury adventure safari company Offbeat Safaris.

Born in South Africa but schooled and raised in Sussex, Mr Voorspuy left the Army in 1981 and rode a motorbike from London to Cape Town, before creating Offbeat Safaris in 1990.

Mombasa-based business Scenic Air Safaris posted a tribute on its Facebook page, saying: "It is with very very deep sadness that we report the tragic death of Tristan Voorspuy co-owner of Offbeat Safaris and Sosian Ranch in an incident in Laikipia today, Sunday March 4.

"Our thoughts and prayers go to his wife Cindy and family and to his friends and partners at Sosian Lodge and Offbeat Safaris.

"A true officer and a gentleman.#sosianlodge #offbeatsafaris."

Scenic's marketing manager, Simon Penfold, wrote on his page that Mr Voorspuy was murdered " in cold blood" by people who were "d riven by crooked political motives that can only be described as 16th century - at best".

He added: "To those vexatious individuals I say this - you cannot hide - the truth will prevail - RIP an officer and a gentleman - we will never forget. Thoughts and prayers to Cindy and the family on this tragic day."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are offering support to the family of the British national who has died in Kenya and we are in touch with local authorities."
Kang Chol's expulsion came days after Malaysia said it would scrap visa-free entry for North Koreans (AP)

North Korea has ordered Malaysia's ambassador out of the country in response to Malaysia's expulsion of North Korea's envoy following the death of Kim Jong Nam in Kuala Lumpur airport.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the Malaysian ambassador has been labelled persona non grata and ordered to leave within 48 hours.

On Saturday, Malaysia ordered North Korean Ambassador Kang Chol to depart within 48 hours after he criticised Malaysia's handling of the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Mr Kang told reporters as he prepared to leave that Malaysia was taking "extreme measures" that would do "great harm" to bilateral relations.

Malaysia had already announced on February 20 that it was recalling its ambassador to North Korea "for consultations".

In an attack believed to have been orchestrated by North Korea, Mr Kim died less than 20 minutes after two women allegedly wiped VX nerve agent on his face at Kuala Lumpur airport on February 13.

The women, one from Vietnam and one from Indonesia, have been charged with murder.

North Korea has denied any role in the killing and accused Malaysia of conspiring with its enemies. North Korean ambassador Kang Chol has rejected a Malaysian post-mortem examination that found Mr Kim was killed with VX, a banned chemical weapon.

Malaysia was protecting its "sovereignty and dignity" by expelling the North Korean ambassador, p rime minister Najib Razak said.

He added that the decision to expel Mr Kang sent a clear message.

"It means that we are firm in defending our sovereignty and dignity," Mr Najib said.

"Don't ever insult our country and don't try to cause disruptions here."

Malaysian foreign ministry spokesman Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin said the country's ambassador to North Korea, who was recalled two weeks ago for consultations, was still in Kuala Lumpur. "This reciprocal action is normal in diplomacy," he said.

Malaysia's finding that VX killed Mr Kim boosted speculation that North Korea was somehow behind the attack. Experts say the oily poison was almost certainly produced in a sophisticated state weapons laboratory, and North Korea is widely believed to possess large quantities of chemical weapons, including VX.

North Korea is trying to retrieve Mr Kim's body, but has not acknowledged that the victim is Kim Jong Un's half brother, as Malaysian government officials have confirmed.

Ri Tong Il, a former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations, has said Kim probably died of a heart attack because he suffered from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Health minister Subramaniam Sathasivam said pathologists have ruled that out.

"We are saying, based on autopsy findings, there was no heart attack," he told reporters at parliament.

Still, a lawyer for the Vietnamese suspect said news of existing health problems should be cause for a new examination. He also claimed that Malaysian pathologists do not have the expertise in VX.

The two women accused of poisoning Kim say they were duped into thinking they were taking part in a harmless prank.

Malaysia is looking for seven North Korean suspects, four of whom are believed to have left the country on the day of the killing.

The three others, including an official at the North Korean embassy and an employee of Air Koryo, North Korea's national carrier, are believed to still be in Malaysia.

North Korea has a long history of ordering the killings of people it views as threats to its regime.

Kim Jong Nam was not known to be seeking political power, but his position as eldest son of the family which has ruled North Korea since it was founded could have made him a danger.

The fallout from the diplomatic battle also reached the sports field.

Citing security concerns, Malaysia will not allow its national soccer team to travel to North Korea for a qualifying match for the 2019 Asian Cup, the Football Association of Malaysia said.

Malaysia was due to play North Korea on March 28.

Kang Chol's expulsion "made the current situation unsafe for Malaysians to travel to North Korea for the moment," said the association's secretary-general, Hamidin Mohamad Amin.

The association has asked the Asian Football Confederation to shift the venue from Pyongyang to a neutral arena.
Donald Trump's original orders temporarily blocked citizens of Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Libya from coming to the US (AP)

US president Donald Trump has signed a revised travel ban which will temporarily halt entry to the US for people from six Muslim-majority nations who are seeking new visas.

Mr Trump's directive aims to address legal issues with the original order, which caused confusion at American airports, sparked protests around the country and was ultimately blocked by federal courts.

The revised order is narrower and specifies that a 90-day ban on people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen does not apply to those who already have valid visas, who can travel freely.

The White House also dropped Iraq from the list of targeted countries, following pressure from the Pentagon and state department, which had urged the White House to reconsider given Iraq's role in fighting Islamic State.

A fact sheet obtained by reporters cites negotiations which resulted in Iraq agreeing to "increase cooperation with the US government on the vetting of its citizens applying for a visa to travel to the United States".

An Iraqi spokesman said the change marks a "positive step" and shows Washington and Baghdad have a "real partnership".

The mere existence of the fact sheet signalled that the White House was taking steps to improve the rollout of the reworked directive.

The initial measure was hastily signed at the end of Mr Trump's first week in office, and the White House was roundly criticised for not providing Cabinet officials and others with information ahead of the signing.

Notably, Mr Trump was not holding a public signing ceremony for the new measure.

Instead, several Cabinet secretaries - homeland security secretary John Kelly, secretary of state Rex Tillerson and attorney general Jeff Sessions - planned to discuss the order at an event late on Monday morning.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer was not scheduled to hold an on-camera briefing on Monday either, leading to the appearance that the president was distancing himself from the order, which was a signature issue during his campaign and the first days of his presidency.

The order also risks being overshadowed by unsubstantiated accusations the president made over the weekend that former president Barack Obama had ordered the tapping of his phone during the campaign.

Trump administration officials said that even with the changes, the goal of the new order is the same as the first: keeping would-be terrorists out of the United States while the government reviews the vetting system for refugees and visa applicants from certain parts of the world.

According to the fact sheet, the Department of Homeland Security will conduct a country-by-country review of the information the six targeted nations provides to the US for visa and immigration decisions.

Those countries will then have 50 days to comply with US government requests to update or improve that information.

Additionally, Trump's order suspends the entire US refugee programme for 120 days, though refugees already formally scheduled for travel by the State Department will be allowed entry.

When the suspension is lifted, the number of refugees allowed into the US will be capped at 50,000 for fiscal year 2017.

Other changes are also expected, including no longer singling out Syrian refugees for an indefinite ban. Syrian refugees will now be treated like other refugees and be subjected to the 120-day suspension of the refugee programme.

The new version is also expected to remove language that would give priority to religious minorities. Critics had accused the administration of adding such language to help Christians get into the United States while excluding Muslims.

"I think people will see six or seven major points about this executive order that do clarify who was covered," said presidential counsellor Kellyanne Conway in an interview with Fox News.

She said the new order will not go into effect until March 16, despite earlier warnings from the president and his team that any delay in implementation would pose a national security risk, allowing dangerous people to flow into the country.

Legal experts say the new order addresses some of the constitutional concerns raised by a federal appeals court about the initial ban, but leaves room for more legal challenges.
Senior members of Mrs Merkel's government have hit out at the comment (AP)

Germany's government has condemned remarks by Turkey's president accusing officials of "Nazi practices," days after a local authority prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally there.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff called Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statements "absolutely unacceptable".

Peter Altmaier said: "Germany cannot be outmatched regarding the rule of law, tolerance and liberalism."

Mrs Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said the German government "strongly rejected" the equation of modern Germany with Nazi Germany, adding that such comparisons downplayed the crimes of the Nazis.

Mr Seibert noted that there were strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there were "far-reaching differences of opinion" between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of the referendum that would give Mr Erdogan new powers.

Mr Altmaier said the German government was in contact with Turkey's government and announced that "we will make sure the significance of the problems of what happened in recent days will be recognised and understood in Ankara as well".

Mr Erdogan had said in Istanbul: "Germany - you don't have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past."

His remarks followed a decision last week by local authorities in south-west Germany to withdraw permission for Turkey's justice minister Bekir Bozdag to use a venue to hold a rally near the French border that was part of a campaign to get Turks in Germany to vote "yes" in an upcoming referendum on constitutional reform.

EU officials said that totally cutting ties with Turkey would not be in the bloc's interests.

An EU migrant deal with Turkey, which also is a Nato member, has significantly cut down the number of migrants crossing into Europe.

German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel sought to smooth stirred-up emotions on Monday and stressed the need to "normalise" what he calls a "highly strained" relationship with Turkey.

Other European nations with significant Turkish immigrant communities have also expressed their opinions on the issue.

"Our Austrian solution should be clear: we will not accept any campaign appearances by Turkish politicians in Austria," Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz said, as he arrived at a meeting of European Union counterparts in Brussels.

He added that "we don't want campaigns from other states to be brought to Austria and conflicts from other countries imported ... that is always damaging for integration".

However, Mr Gabriel sounded sceptical about calls from some other European Union ministers to consider EU-wide rules for campaign appearances by foreign politicians pointing out that every country had its own opinion on the topic.

"I think the main thing is that everyone uses the possibilities they have to ensure that we get back to a somewhat normal relationship," he said.

Luxembourg foreign minister Jean Asselborn said that "normally you would have to think that democracy is strong enough to cope with this."

AP
Here's a blinding flash of the obvious: a study carried out at the University of Edinburgh has found that people change over the course of their lives. Between the ages of 14 and 77, profound shifts of personality occur: individuals alter "beyond recognition", according to the Scottish project - which was led by Mathew Harris, an academic brainbox, and examined the mental health of Scots over six decades.

Traits that were evident in adolescence faded. Back in the 1950s, young teenagers were assessed for characteristics such as self-confidence, perseverance, stability of mood, conscientiousness, originality and desire to learn.

A sizeable number of the same individuals were tested again recently, at the age of 77, and the boffins concluded that only two of these character traits - conscientiousness and stability of mood - remained consistent. Harris and his team were also puzzled as to why these two traits remained, whereas others often vanished into thin air.

You know what happens? Life wears you down. The feminist Gloria Steinem once said that "life breaks all of us in the end". The researchers put this in more scientific lingo: "A wide range of genetic and environmental factors likely contribute to change in personality traits over time and it is not yet clear why some traits might be more affected by these factors than others."

I have seen some of those changes take place - simply through the process of weary experience - and the slow, dawning realisation that many, if not most, of your dreams are unlikely to be fulfilled: that marriages, entered into with rapture, descend into sordid quarrelling; that children, born into morning joy, may grow to be disturbed adolescents and then suicidal adults; that the idealistic values of shining youth collapse into the disillusion of corrupt systems.

I'm now watching a generation move into middle age - people in their 40s and 50s whom I first knew as children and adolescents - and sometimes it's heartbreaking to see the hand that life has dealt them. I have seen optimism falter, hope dashed and blithe spirits turn dark and bitter.

It's not the grey entering their hair: it's the iron that enters the soul.

So - why wouldn't personalities change over that lifespan, from 14 to 77? People have to survive and adapt as best they can. Self-confidence will be undermined and perseverance dented. Originality and desire to learn takes a shocking hit when you come to realise that there are a heck of a lot of people out there who are a lot more original and keen of intellect than you are.

Yeats lamented at the way life's course can change people - for him, for the worse - in his poem Why Should Not Old Men be Mad?. He offered the melancholy reflection: Some have known a likely lad/That had a sound fly-fisher's wrist/Turn to a drunken journalist.

My husband used to quote those lines ruefully. Yet there's always another side to the story. Maybe the lad who was a talented angler found he couldn't make a penny piece out of fishing; maybe he earned a decent living toiling in the print trade and better enjoyed a few drams at Davy Byrne's with mates than sitting by a lonely riverside with a fishing rod?

Real life sometimes leads you in ways dictated by necessity. And along the route you not only lose illusions, but, to the bewilderment of the Edinburgh eggheads, your personality changes and adjusts.

And there's got to be an upside too. Some characteristics are discarded with the passage of time, and some are improved. Gradually, over the years, I have learned to correct a once almost-incorrigible unpunctuality. The mobile phone is said to facilitate lax timekeeping because meeters can always text a message saying, "I'm running late", but it's had the almost opposite effect on me. Gone are the days when I might be an hour, even two hours, late for a meeting (or even a meal).

Maybe it's not the mobile phone: maybe it's the well-observed fact that older people are usually more reliable, not because they were born that way, but because they have learned to become more reliable. You have more awareness of the impact of careless or selfish behaviour on others. That's a good outcome, isn't it? It demonstrates the plasticity of the brain in its ability to learn from experience.

Some traits don't alter - some can be magnified, and not always in a good way: the brilliant talker becomes the garrulous bore, the careful planner becomes the obsessive control freak. But if many changes are adjustments from a process of disappointment and disillusion, some may be a wise mellowing.

In Mike Mills' film 20th Century Women, Annette Bening plays an unconventional woman, Dorothea, who has resisted social conformity and lived her own life with a commitment to honesty, but, at 55, she suddenly baulks at some of the 'hardcore feminism' a younger woman seems to be pushing at her 15-year-old son (urging him to repeat the word 'menstruation, menstruation', as a feminist-friendly exercise). Openness and honesty have their limits: Dorothea is adjusting.

I've seen how life changes people. Yet for all the slings and arrows which we have to suffer, I still believe we can aspire to change for the better.
Last week I was on Talkback discussing nationalism with the eminently reasonable Dr David McCann. The topic had hit the headlines because the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan had said there was no difference between those who try to divide us on the basis of whether were English or Scottish and those who try to divide us on the basis of our background, race or religion.

I agreed with Mr Khan, but unsurprisingly an awful lot of people didnt, including Dr McCann. But then nationalism is a difficult ism to discuss because so few people seem to agree on what it is.

Is it a healthy pride in ones country?

Is it My country right or wrong?

Is it xenophobia?

Or is it a tribal marking, as  despite my Dublin Catholic nationalist background  I came to see it in Ireland and, more recently, in Scotland.

Ive read a lot about it in my time, but I cant think of anyone who has better summed up the contradictions in our attitudes towards nationalism in these islands than the political commentator Andrew Marr  born and brought-up in Scotland.

A few years ago, writing about the frequently ill-tempered lead-up to the referendum on independence, he told about how Ukip leader Nigel Farage was hounded out of Edinburgh by violent protesters.

Mr Marr was particularly struck that it was hardcore Nats who were accusing him of outrageous nationalistic sentiment.

Yet Mr Farage was simply trying to get independence for the UK from Brussels, which was not necessarily totally different from trying to get independence for Scotland from London.

Mr Marrs explanation was that: Your neighbours nationalism is always toxic and xenophobic, while your nationalism is always good.

Isnt it strange that people talk about being a proud Irish or Scottish or Welsh nationalist, but to call anyone a British or English nationalist is a term of abuse immediately smeared as racism?

Seeing what aggressive nationalism did to the small island I love turned me against the whole ism.

I call myself a patriot.

George Orwell, who had an extraordinary gift for clarifying complicated issues, was emphatic that nationalism should not be confused with patriotism.

To him patriotism was devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life that one had no wish to force on others.

Nationalism, on the other hand, was obsessed with power and prestige.

The thoughts of a nationalist, he wrote, always turn on victories, defeats, triumphs and humiliation.

In the case of Ireland, that was historically evident in Anglophobia and deep hostility to any of the islands inhabitants who did not share nationalisms prejudices and aspirations.

Sadly, some hardline Scottish nationalists  many of whom have Irish origins  think the same way.

Its not that I see anything ignoble in wanting independence and self-determination. I know many good people  like my brother  who support the Scottish Nationalist Party and I have several friends who passionately want a united Ireland.

Yet while most Irish people have outgrown the worst manifestations of the nationalism Orwell described, the leaders of the Sinn Fein cult have not.

The dreadful Northern Ireland Assembly election campaign was well described by the SDLPs Alex Attwood as being in big part about bogeymen and who was top dog...

Having set a trap for Arlene Foster and licked his lips as she obligingly marched into it and gave him a plausible excuse to pull down Stormont, Gerry Adams had the pleasure of watching her demean herself by playing the ethnic card badly.

If she had been taking lessons on how to enrage nationalists and get them voting greener, while driving despairing unionists into the arms of the Alliance Party, she couldnt have done better.

I regard Gerry Adams as a power-hungry, toxic menace to Ireland north and south. I like Arlene Foster personally, and I agree with her that concessions to his party only make it hungry for more, and that most Sinn Fein grievances are manufactured, but her crocodile analogy was one of the many gifts that she gave Mr Adams.

The DUP has (just about) won the election.

If its leaders dont learn to be patriots rather than nationalists, unionism will lose the war.
The election is over and it will be analysed in the coming days and years, perhaps as a watershed. Certainly it was brutish, and ostensibly we are back where we suspected we might be.

The election is over and it will be analysed in the coming days and years, perhaps as a watershed. Certainly it was brutish, and ostensibly we are back where we suspected we might be.

The orange-green tribalism is stronger than ever nearly 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement, and we are living in dangerous times, which call for wise heads and calm nerves.

There is physical danger too, as exemplified in our report on the young police officer who survived a republican dissident murder attack in north Belfast a few weeks ago.

He talks movingly about joining the PSNI to help people, and almost ended up dead at a petrol station.

There will be much debate about the motivation in the Sinn Fein surge in voting, but Arlene Foster's ill-judged remarks about crocodiles at the hustings certainly did it no harm.

Constitutional nationalism did well, and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has built a solid base.

The Alliance Party also did well, with the strong direction of Naomi Long,

The major question is the future of unionism, after losing its Stormont majority for the first time.

Although the DUP just nudged ahead of Sinn Fein, the resurgence of the latter is a wake-up call to all unionists.

Unionism needs to be politically smarter, more relevant and modern, and more gracious in outreach.

Logically, a single unionist party might do better, but given the bitterness between the two groups, is a united front a realistic option?

The big question for the DUP is whether Foster should remain as First Minister, a post that it came so close to losing.

She has been unimpressive since the RHI scandal broke, and it is a moot point whether she received a personal vote, or whether DUP supporters voted with a heavy heart mainly out of fear of damaging the Union.

Perhaps the role of First Minister and party leader should be separate, if that could work, but the jury is still out on Foster's future.

Meanwhile, the serious challenges facing Northern Ireland have not gone away.

There are huge questions over health, education and infrastructure, as well as Brexit.

The election caused political earthquakes here, but outside Northern Ireland there is little interest, and we are on our own.

There is no viable alternative to genuine power-sharing.

Many people feel that a political cloud hangs over us again, and it cannot be underestimated that many unionists are gloomy and fearful.

Sinn Fein has put much emphasis on equality, but this works both ways, and unionists need equality too.

We need to turn down the temperature and to have a calm and constructive approach by all sides.

It is not a time for triumphalism, but rather for finding a way to live together permanently in peace.

It is tempting to forget how far we have come until we are reminded of the continuing violence, including the vicious dissident republican attacks, and the tragedy of a young policeman lying on a forecourt with a shattered arm and fearing he was going to die.

His story is a chilling reminder of the risks the police take, of the continuing and grotesque paramilitary violence here, and of the consequences of our endless division.

Above all, the events of recent days are a reminder of the urgent need for Northern Ireland to start to heal itself.

Nothing less will do - for all sides.
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Robert Mugabe, who left Harare for Accra early this morning, has arrived in the Ghanaian capital to join Ghanaians who are celebrating the 60th anniversary of their independence in 1957, which kick-started the decolonisation of African countries.He is accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi.The celebrations are also made special as they remember the founder of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah.Several African cities have halls, roads, bridges, hospitals and other monuments named after Nkrumah, who has remained a popular revolutionary icon across the continent and the developing world.Meanwhile, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa is the Acting President.
During a protest in New Delhi, members of the Indian Jat community demand that the government classify their caste as an Other Backward Class under the countrys caste system which would entitle them to government jobs and educational benefits, March 2, 2017.

Indian and Bangladeshi officials Monday rebutted a new U.S. State Department report that points to extrajudicial killings and other abuses committed by police and security forces in their countries as among the most significant human rights problems recorded last year.

Reacting to the report, an official from India brought up attacks against its citizens in the United States. Meanwhile, officials in Bangladesh rejected the State Departments findings as sweeping, saying they were based on inaccurate information.

According to the latest edition of the State Departments annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices  the first published under the new Trump administration  the most significant human rights problems in India in 2016 involved abuses by police and security force including extrajudicial killings, torture, and rape.

It also pointed to ineffective responses to crimes against women, children and members of scheduled castes.

The reports 64-page chapter on India stated that insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeastern states, and the Maoist belt committed serious abuses including killings of armed forces personnel, police, government officials, and civilians.

While she had not read the report, Lalitha Kumaramangalam, chairwoman of the National Commission for Women, challenged the United States for issuing it on Friday.

The U.S. has no locus standi to talk about human rights violations in India when in their own country Indians are facing abuse, she told BenarNews, before saying she would need to see the entire report before she could comment further.

The annual report assesses human rights practices worldwide except for the United States.

Two Indian citizens were shot, one fatally, in Kansas on Feb. 22. Nine days later, a Sikh man who is a U.S. citizen of Indian origin, was shot near Seattle, Wash. In both instances, the suspects allegedly told the men to get out of the United States.

Others pointed out that some of the concerns raised in the report were legitimate.

There is no accountability of the state of acts committed by police. People, especially the poor and minorities are picked up and put behind bars, Ritu Kumar, a social activist and lawyer with the Human Rights Law Network, told BenarNews.

Police have no real evidence and innocent people are framed up. The police are seldom accountable and seem to enjoy the immunity thinking that they can always get away with their deeds, Kumar said.

In the southern state of Kerala, a leader of the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties blamed the local government for silencing activists.

There is massive corruption. Atrocities are committed against Christian minorities and even minor girls are not spared. Atrocities have become chronic and have exceeded all permissible limits. The state government is framing draconian laws to silence the social activists, General Secretary P.A. Pouran told BenarNews.

Bangladesh responds

In its executive summary on Bangladesh, the State Department also said that the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) had increased attacks last year by executing high-profile attacks on religious minorities, academics human rights activists and members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community.

Human rights groups said the governments response resulted in extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, torture and other abuses, according to the report.

We formally reject the report published by the U.S. state department because this is not based on correct information, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu told reporters on Monday. Bangladesh does not support in principle the U.S. governments sweeping comment on the human rights situation of other countries.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said there was nothing new in the report and reiterated his much-repeated claims from last year that IS and AQIS have no presence in Bangladesh.

The militants have not been able to carry out a single attack since July 2016. We have foiled their plans and destroyed dens. We will eliminate them, Kamal told reporters as he responded to the report that includes a 57-page chapter on Bangladesh.

An attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in July left 20 hostages dead. Since then, police have killed at least 34 suspected militants in raids and other shootings.

He praised police efforts to eliminate militants. We have not carried out any extrajudicial killings in the pretext of an anti-militant drive, Kamal said.

In denial

Mizanaur Rahman, former chairman of Bangladeshs National Human Rights Commission, said the report raised some good points  specifically on extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.

What the government is doing is denial. We have to discard the culture of denial to improve the situation at the ground level, he told BenarNews.

Despite agreeing with some of the contents, Rahman questioned the messenger.

Publishing such a report needs a solid moral ground. But I think, at this moment, the U.S. governments moral ground to publish such a report is shaky, he said.

Akash Vashishtha in New Delhi and Kamran Reza Chowdhury in Dhaka contributed to this report.
A bid from Pulte Homes to rezone and add 465 residences and possibly a school near Sandy Run Creek on Jedburg Road wasn't met with open arms at a Oct. 26 community meeting on the part of local homeowners seeking to preserve the area's rural characteristics. Read moreJedburg Road residents tell Pulte Homes: 'Keep it rural'
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CHIREDZI - Zimbabwean government's woes continue to mount, with government hospitals either running out of essential drugs or giving out expired drugs.Patients at Chiredzi general hospital told this reporter yesterday, that they are receiving their three month supply of the life prolonging ARVs with an expiry date of February 28 2017.One of them even went further to reveal boxes and containers with Batch No. E150440B and a MFG date of 03/2015 and an EXP date of 02/2017."Most patients don't look at the expiry date. They are just given their drugs and rush home with their three months supply. After all the nurses are not all that friendly, so if you dare ask questions you risk being thrown out."Receiving medication for our terminal illness is no longer a basic right as enshrined in the country's constitution, because even those who request for four or five months supply for different reasons has to fork out $5 for the service," said Susan Dombo. (*Not her real name to protect her privacy)Another patient, Jonas Rombe (*also not his real name), reinforced Susan's sentiments and went on to say many patients risk regression after taking expired drugs."If we revert back to the lessons we went through before we're initiated on Antiretroviral Therapy, there is a higher risk of regression and chances of drug resistance," said Jonas.When contacted for comment, Masvingo Provincial Medical Director (PMD), Dr Amadeus Shamu professed ignorance and said investigations will be carried out."We are not aware of that. I promise investigations will be carried out. ARVs are very essential to people living with HIV that we cannot risk giving patients expired drug. We might have one or two isolated cases, but I doubt if the whole lot is expired."Patients should immediately notify our staff and have the problem rectified. As for the issue of bribes we are are going to make a thorough investigation," he said.The Minister of Health and Child Welfare, David Parirenyatwa, could not be reached for comment as his mobile was out of reach.Meanwhile, the health sector has been dealt a severe blow after doctors at government hospitals downed tools demanding better salaries and working conditions.
BGSU students, faculty and staff who have the excellence, ingenuity and ability to overcome barriers for women were honored at the 4th annual Women of Distinction Awards March 1. The women selected for this honor represent diverse backgrounds, personal characteristics and life experiences. They are also lifelong advocates for promoting equity for women and girls everywhere.

Twenty-two faculty, staff and students, both undergraduate and graduate, were nominated for this award. The six finalists were chosen for serving as role models and/or mentors, empowering women and girls to achieve their goals, demonstrating a commitment to the BGSU mission, encouraging others to live up to BGSUs core values, advocating for policies and practices intended to produce equitable outcomes for all and for making extraordinary contributions in her communities.

The finalists were:

Michaela Schrum is a senior majoring in International Studies with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. Schrum received a Hoskins Fellowship and has been to Palestine to research the Palestinian Israeli conflict to further develop her knowledge of the Middle East.

Pempho Chinkondenji is a second-year graduate student in the Master of Art in Cross Cultural and International Education program. Chinkondenji co-founded the non-profit Loving Arms to help women who have been sexually abused in her home country of Malawi. Chinkondenji currently serves as the international affairs chair for the Graduate Student Senate.

Keji Kujjo is a second-year graduate student in the Master of Art in Cross Cultural and International Education program. In conjunction with the Womens Center, Kujjo completed a grant that funded BGSUs first Elect Her Leadership training program, which encourages and trains college women to run effective campaigns for student government as well as more prominent government positions down the road. Kujjo also initiated the BGSU Sheroes recognition campaign for unsung heroes, role models, and mentors.

Sheila Brown is the associate director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and has been working at BGSU for 17 years. In her role she helps provide leadership for multicultural programming. Brown advises Queens of Color and the Element Dance Team. She also serves as a liaison to the Black Student Union and the Multi-Faith Alliance.

Sara Chambers has been a lecturer of theatre and film at BGSU for 16 years. She focuses on female-centered theatre, supports women in their womanhood, and provides opportunities for women to come into and activate their bodies. She is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Broken Spectacles Productions.

Maureen Doyle is a senior at BGSU, majoring in History with a minor in Womens Studies. Doyle was president of Omega Phi Alpha National Service Sorority last year, is currently president of the Multicultural Greek Council and is a Student Leadership Assistant for the Center for Leadership.

The ceremony included a panel discussion that allowed the six finalists to share their advice, inspiration and experiences.

"Honestly, I still cannot believe that I am one of the six women honored with this prestigious award," Chinkondenji said. "I feel extremely humbled, because I never even dreamed that this was going to happen. I cannot say that I received this award because of my personal efforts alone, but I am surrounded by strong support systems that keep me going. This award makes me appreciate all those people, and motivates me to keep pressing on and working hard to advocate for women and girls. I strongly desire to see other young women, especially those from developing countries just like me, excel and find life-changing opportunities that will help them to live a life of purpose."
For Immediate Release, March 6, 2017 Contact: Diana Dascalu-Joffe, Center for Biological Diversity, (720) 925-2521, ddascalujoffe@biologicaldiversity.org

Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians (303) 437-7663 Legal Protest Targets Trump Plans to Auction 32,000 Acres of Public Lands in Wyoming for Drilling, Fracking CHEYENNE, Wyo. Moving to defend American public lands, WildEarth Guardians and the Center for Biological Diversity late last week challenged a Bureau of Land Management scheme to auction off 32,965 acres of federal land in Wyoming for drilling and fracking. The auction is planned for June 22. In an administrative appeal (also called a protest), the groups confronted the BLM's public lands sale and the threat that new fracking poses to the climate, clean air, public health and the region's wildlife. More fracking will only worsen air pollution in a part of Wyoming that's already exceeding national air quality standards meant to protect people, said Diana Dascalu-Joffe, senior attorney at the Center. Destroying public land for fracking at the cost of human health and our climate future is terrible public policy. Already this area of Wyoming, called the Upper Green River region, has suffered smog levels comparable to big cities' because of rampant oil and gas development. This is nothing short of a public lands giveaway at the expense of our health and our climate, said Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians' climate and energy program director. President Trump may try to hand over our lands to the likes of Exxon and BP, but today and throughout the next four years, we're taking a stand and sending the message that we will not allow our public lands to be handed over the oil and gas industry without a fight. The proposal in Wyoming comes as the Trump administration appears to be ramping up public lands oil and gas lease sales while rolling back public health and environmental protections. All told, nearly a million acres of public lands are slated to be sold to the oil and gas industry in 2017, including public lands in Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Ryan Zinke, the incoming secretary of the interior, has vowed to implement Trump's vision of opening more federal lands to the fossil fuel industry. Ten percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are linked to federally approved oil and gas development. A report by the Center for Biological Diversity and others has found that public land sales to the oil and gas industry could lead to the release of 89 billion metric tons of carbon emissions, equal to nearly 15 years of U.S. greenhouse gas pollution. Most of the lands up for sale in Wyoming's planned auction in June are located in southern and southwestern Wyoming, a remote region of high desert that contains some of the largest contiguous tracts of undeveloped public lands managed by the BLM. Aside from concerns over air pollution, Friday's protest also charges that the BLM's plan fails to disclose whether fracking would occur in greater sage grouse habitat. It also fails to conform to new  though inadequate  resource management standards designed to protect the bird. Wyoming supports 35 percent to 40 percent of the nation's greater sage grouse population and is a source population for the more isolated grouse populations in Montana and the Dakotas. Download the protest here. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.2 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
For Immediate Release, March 6, 2017 Contact: Randi Spivak, (310) 779-4894, rspivak@biologicaldiversity.org Rep. Bishop Proposes $50 Million Plan to Seize, Privatize America's Public Lands WASHINGTON Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, has released his latest plan to seize, dismantle and privatize America's public lands. Bishop's 2018 budget request released late Friday calls for handing over public lands to states and private interests for unfettered drilling, fracking, mining, grazing and development. Rep. Bishop is sadly mistaken if he thinks the public is going to stand by and watch him privatize and destroy our national forests, wildlife refuges and other magnificent public lands, said Randi Spivak, the Center for Biological Diversity's public lands director. The public's deep and abiding love for our shared public lands has united people across the country to fight back against these destructive proposals. Bishop's proposal includes a $50 million price tag for taxpayers. Hear this now, Rob Bishop: You will be soundly defeated. You may have the financial backing of Exxon, BP and Halliburton, but you do not have the support of the American people, who collectively own these lands, Spivak said. When Bishop says he wants to get rid of burdensome regulations,' he's talking about the very laws that protect our drinking water, the air we breathe, the habitat wildlife needs and the cherished places where we play and explore. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.2 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
Beam Suntory, the world's third largest premium spirits company, has signed on as one of several launch partners to the Shazam massively scaled augmented reality (AR) platform for its brand partners, artists and hundreds of millions of global users.

This is the first-to-market AR experience for a US spirits brand, enticing users to Shazam to gather discounts on their Sauza or Hornitos purchases. Across the US and starting in April 2017, users who visually Shazam in-store creative will have the chance to play a fun, co-branded AR interactive memory game and, upon guessing, will receive redemptions to encourage purchase and top-of-mind presence.

We are excited to collaborate with Shazam as the first company in the US to launch its augmented reality in-app functionality, said Michelle Cater, Beam Suntorys senior director of commercial marketing. With more than 150 years of experience producing premium tequila, we have constantly innovated throughout the years to reach consumers in new and exciting ways. This breakthrough technology offers an accessible, immersive platform with which to engage in a rewarded gamification experience at the point of purchase leading up to Cinco de Mayo. Sauza Tequila and Hornitos Premium Tequila should effectively break through the Cinco de Mayo advertising clutter, thanks to this exciting partnership.

To access Shazam World:

1. Open Shazam (ensure you have the latest Shazam iOS or Android version downloaded to your phone from the app store) 2. Tap the Camera on the Home Screen, and go through the quick on-boarding flow if this is your first time 3. Scan the Shazam Code on the card - keep your camera positioned over the card for magic!

Bringing marketing to life

Since launching visual-recognition functionality in 2015, Shazam has partnered with brands and artists to seamlessly connect its users to innovative custom content. AR marks the next huge step forward in this visual capability and offering. AR has become a cornerstone to engage users in immersive experiences and allow brands to reach audiences through a compelling, interactive new medium.

The new platform can bring any marketing materials to lifeproducts, packaging, POS, advertising, events and morejust by utilising the app to scan unique Shazam Codes. The codes are capable of delivering AR experiences including 3D animations, product visualisations, mini-games and 360-degree videos.

We knew we were on to something big when we released visual image recognition in 2015, said Shazam CEO, Rich Riley. With the rapid rise of augmented reality, it is a natural evolution for Shazam to be a first-mover in delivering AR at scale.

One of the things missing from augmented reality for advertisers has been a frictionless way to deliver these experiences at scale, said Shazam CRO, Greg Glenday. Because the company has such a massive install base and consumers are already accustomed to using the app for discoverywe have now solved that problem. The possibilities for a brand to bring their products to life or make their advertising more engaging are only limited by the imagination.

Shazam has partnered with Zappar, the augmented reality app on mobile devices, to deliver the code-scanning technology behind Shazam Codes as well as the platforms immersive and expressive short form mobile experiences. Shazam AR works with all iOS (Shazam v10.5) or Android (Shazam v7.5) devices.

For more information, go to www.shazam.com.
In e-commerce, order fulfilment involves managing inventory, packaging orders, shipping to customers and handling returns. Many e-commerce businesses are outsourcing this to third parties, thereby giving e-commerce businesses the freedom to focus on growth.

Selecting the right e-commerce fulfilment partner will enhance customer satisfaction, minimise fulfilment blunders, attract repeat business and boost profits significantly. However, making the wrong choice could mean doom for your enterprise. Here are six points to consider when making this decision.

1. Scope

Most fulfilment companies specialise in specific kinds of business or industries. Before making a decision, one needs to find out if the provider would be a good fit for ones business. Carry out some research to find out which customers it has worked with and ascertain if the e-commerce fulfilment partner is able to scale to fulfil the demands of a growing business.

2. Technology

When it comes to fulfilment, technology is very critical. Make sure the fulfilment provider has the necessary technology solutions to carry out its role efficiently and effectively. For instance, warehouse management systems (WMS) and flexible order management systems (OMS) are a must for success in fulfilment.

3. Location

One needs to choose a fulfilment service that can deliver orders to customers in a timely manner. This is why it would be advisable to work with providers that are located near train depots, shipping ports, airports and major highways. Fast delivery will make one stand out from the competition and attract more repeat buyers.

4. Insurance

It is very important to ensure that one is protected from losses due to extreme weather, water damage, fire, theft and vandalism. Therefore, find a fulfilment service that has an insurance policy covering ones products. Do not forget to check out the kind of security measures provided at the warehouse. There should be sufficient security cameras, climate controls, perimeter fencing and patrol guards. In addition, make sure there is proper network security to protect sensitive information.

5. Pricing terms

Fulfilment companies charge based on inventory storage, shipping location, order handling and package weight/size. Visit the websites or offices of different companies and take time to understand their fulfilment pricing terms. Many of these companies even provide calculators on their sites which can help one determine expected costs.

6. Range of services

The ideal fulfilment provider should be able to handle a wide range of services. This includes order fulfilment, shipping, warehousing, logistics and shipping. Finding a service provider that offers everything under one roof will save one the trouble of working with different companies.
Lanzerac Wine Estate has added two new wines to its premium range which now includes a Chenin Blanc and Syrah, showcasing innovation in the team's winemaking practices.

We couldnt have asked for better timing to release these wines," says cellar master Wynand Lategan. Chenin Blanc seems to be the talk of the town now and the quality of South African Chenin Blancs has shown vast improvement year on year. The same applies to the Syrah. It took some time to perfect the style of what we wanted to achieve, but the vineyards have matured beautifully allowing us to release a terroir-specific Syrah from the Jonkershoek Valley that we are proud to showcase.

Both varietals are produced from vineyards in the Jonkershoek Valley, one of the oldest and smallest wards in the greater Stellenbosch appellation. The Valley itself is entrenched by the Botmaskop, Jonkershoek and Stellenbosch mountains and despite the current drought in the Western Cape still regularly records higher rainfall figures than the rest of Stellenbosch. The lay of the valley also means that the South-Eastern wind plays a major part in the Valleys unique climate, resulting in a continuous cooling effect, even in the middle of the scorching summer months.

Wynand feels that the Chenin Blanc shows typical varietal characteristics with an abundance of apricot and peach flavours which are supported by ripe pineapple. The 22% Oak maturation ensures a soft, creamy finish with a lingering aftertaste. Perfect for lazy summer evenings as the weather starts to cool, the Lanzerac Chenin Blanc 2016 is ready to drink now and will reach its maximum potential if cellared correctly until 2018. The wine pairs beautifully with chicken liver parfait served with a homemade apple chutney and toasted brioche, sweet and sour pork, scallops, white-rind cheese such as Brie, and even roasted root vegetables.

As its name implies the Lanzerac Syrah 2015 personifies the cooler climate of the Jonkershoek Valley, and Wynand describes this lighter styled premium red wine  the first from Lanzerac in more than 10 years  as showing aromas of white pepper, coriander, fynbos and red wine poached plums, following through to a complex palate of ripe red and black berries with a savoury undertone. The Lanzerac Syrah is made in a style that will satisfy wine lovers that want to enjoy the wine immediately, but it can also be cellared for another three years. A culinary match made in heaven, the wine pairs perfectly with a platter of cured meats, paprika-roasted leg of lamb, grilled rib eye steak and lamb shanks prepared in a Syrah jus.
The US monster SABMiller created by acquiring Millers and then merging it with Molson Coors looks set to attack the former SAB in its home market in alliance with arch-enemy Heineken.

Miller Genuine Draft, a brand SAB launched in SA in 2004 after acquiring the US's Miller Brewing Company, will now be sold in SA exclusively by Heineken, the MD of the brewer's South African operations, Ruud van den Eijnden, said on Monday.

Those who have followed the global beer wars will know the South African theatre turned particularly vicious after Heineken refused to allow SAB to continue selling its "green bottle" brand Amstel in retaliation for SAB entering South America.

The fighting escalated when Heineken proceeded to attack SAB in its backyard by building Sedibeng brewery in partnership with Diageo and Namibian Breweries.

SABMiller's divorce from MillerCoors so as to marry Anheuser-Busch InBev appears to have freed its former US partner to form new alliances.

Molson Coors International CE Stewart Glendinning said in Monday's press release: "We have welcomed the world famous Miller family of brands into our business globally and are therefore pleased to partner with Heineken SA, a key player in one of the world's largest beer markets by volume.

"The shared experience and skills of our respective organisations gives us confidence that this partnership will deliver on Molson Coors International's growth ambitions and our 'first choice for consumers and customers' agenda."

Heineken said in the press release: "We believe that the Miller Genuine Draft brand perfectly complements our existing brand portfolio and will help to grow our business in SA. We are determined to grow the brand and are convinced that we have the right experience and skills to deliver on this aspiration as part of our strategy to win. This agreement is an important milestone for our company and our relationship with Molson Coors International."

Source: BDpro
Social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook are fast becoming the first point of contact for consumers who have a complaint. Very often customers are guaranteed a rapid response compared to using call centres or email. It makes sense therefore for customer experience managers to be able to monitor and manage all feedback, including social media, via one platform. This is precisely what Aptean's Respond aims to achieve.

Colyn Dee, Cirrus TechVue director

Aptean has incorporated an add-on social media management component into Respond 6.2, the latest version of its complaints and case management software solution. For now, the social media platforms to be monitored and managed include Facebook and Twitter. Combined with an industry leading text analytics and sentiment analysis engine, which categorises feedback by severity, flagging those requiring urgent response. Respond allows social teams and complaints management staff to prioritise accurately and understand customer sentiment trends at a glance.

Colyn Dee, director of Cirrus TechVue, which represents Aptean in South Africa, says that companies often have two separate teams for dealing with social media and customer experience. Very often the customer experience team is not aware of a complaint that has come through via social media.

With Responds social engagement platform, your customer service team can now have direct access to your companys Twitter and Facebook channels to respond to, resolve and escalate inbound complaints, compliments or feedback, notes Dee.

The customer service team can even create cases within Respond directly from a conversation if needed. The social engagement platform links up two traditionally separate teams by allowing social and formal case management to happen under one roof. The software enables organisations to get to the root cause of customer satisfaction issues and quickly implement improvements.

It is the perfect solution for consumer-focused sectors such as financial services, medical aid, travel, utilities and cellular phones companies, says Dee. Responding quickly and appropriately to negative and positive social comments can help businesses in these industries increase customer loyalty and retention.

Contact

Colyn Dee, Cirrus TechVue, 011 783 1508, az.oc.surric@nyloc, www.cirrus.co.za

Karen Heydenrych, Communikay, 083 302 9494, az.oc.yakinummoc@nerak




International watchdog Global Witness accused Swiss-based mining corporation Glencore of paying more than $75m to a scandal-hit Israeli businessman with close links to the Democratic Republic of Congo's President Joseph Kabila.

"Between 2013 and 2016 mining giant Glencore paid over $75m to Dan Gertler, a controversial businessman accused of bribing senior officials in Democratic Republic of Congo to advance his mining interests," Global Witness said in a statement.

"These payments were due to be (made) to Congo's state mining company Gecamines under the terms of the original contract it had with Glencore," said the environmental and corruption watchdog.

Instead, however, they were made to Gertler, whom Global Witness described as "a friend of the Congolese President" and "a known corruption risk".

But in a statement on Friday, Glencore said the payments had been made "in accordance with a payment instruction from Gecamines".

The group also said it had complied with all its disclosure obligations.

In a separate statement, Gertler's Fleurette Group flatly denied any wrongdoing, and instead accused Global Witness of using "amateur, immature financial calculations that do not follow even the basic valuation techniques used by all professionals in this field".

It also said Global Witness's report "either misunderstands or ignores the basis economics of this deal (the sale of royalties) which produced significant value for Gecamines and a loss to Fleurette".

In November, Global Witness said the vast, mineral-rich DR Congo's state mining company had signed up to $880m of royalties over to an offshore company owned by Gertler -- "more than Congo's annual health spending".

"Typically royalties like this are for the benefit of the population. This is especially vital in Congo, which ranks near the bottom of the UN Human Development Index and has one of the lowest rates of GDP (gross domestic product) per capita in the world."

Joseph Kabila took power following his father's assassination in 2001. He has faced unprecedented pressure to stand down in recent months after his term expired in December.

As political tensions soared, he struck a power-sharing deal with the opposition on New Year's Eve that provides for elections late this year.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has said that it has decided to press charges against the waste disposal company EnviroServ for "emitting toxic fumes from its Shongweni landfill site".

The decision to charge was announced by KwaZulu-Natal NPA head, Advocate Moipone Noko.

Dean Thompson, CEO of EnviroServ has described charges brought against it as premature, and that the company is ready to defend any legal action.

The charges against EnviroServ come after a series of events, including protests by residents complaining of an unbearable stench. In September, the Green Scorpions opened a case against the company for contravening the National Air Quality Act.

Two weeks ago the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) issued a notice of intention to revoke or suspend EnviroServ's landfill licence, pending further investigations. Lauren Johnson, an environmental activist and head of the non-profit Upper Highway Air, expressed relief that EnviroServ was finally being taken to task.

However, Thompson has accused the Green Scorpions of playing to the gallery, saying the company had entered into an arrangement with the DEA. Thompson said on Thursday, 2 March, that the company had learnt of the NPA's decision to prosecute through the media and had not received any formal charges.

"In view of certain agreements concluded with the DEA, as recently as February 15 2017, the NPA's decision is premature and will be opposed. We have been in consultation with the authorities for four months now, and had an agreed process which ends in April," he said. "The charges, therefore, come as a surprise to us as we are still awaiting reports by the independent experts which will contain conclusive facts."

Thompson said the company has sought to work with the affected communities but there were individuals stoking residents' anger and spreading false information about the company: "We first became aware of odour complaints from the community surrounding our Shongweni site in April 2016. This was the first time we had recorded a concentration of complaints since we first started operating there."

"We started talking to the community immediately and a town hall meeting was held where a working group (including members of the community) was set up and tasked with conducting a joint fact-finding mission," Thompson said. "We also set up a complaints line where people could report odour events via a website or SMS."

Source: Business Day
The Interprovincial Stock Theft Prevention Forum between the Northern Cape and the Free State was launched on Thursday, 2 March 2017, in Bloemfontein. The forum will be known as the Gariep Interprovincial Stock Theft Prevention Forum.

Michael Moselle via 123RF

Delegates from the Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO), Free State Agriculture (the VKB/FSA Safety Desk), Agri Northern Cape, the SAPSs Visible Policing, Stock Theft Units, Organised Crime (Hawks) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) from both provinces were present. The goal of the Forum is to pro-actively prevent stock theft in the two provinces as well as improve the ability and interaction of all role players to fight stock theft.

The second strategic focus area of the Forum is to strengthen relationships between farmers and all role players within the Criminal Justice System to reach the following goals:

 A decline in stock theft in both provinces, taking into account the fact that farmers report stock theft to a lesser extent.

 Monthly monitoring of stock theft cases in certain geographical areas in terms of the border between the provinces, especially where arrests took place as well as monitoring the progress of such cases in courts.

Under-reporting on stock theft

Perceptions under producers and organised agriculture of both provinces are that the Criminal Justice System (CJS) does not impose adequate sentences for stock thieves; that cases are inadequately investigated, that cases are unnecessarily delayed by courts and that cases are dismissed and thrown out of courts without adequate reasons provided.

All of the mentioned reasons and many others can be identified as contributing factors of why farmers do not report stock theft cases. In 2016 it was found that the under-reporting figure for stock theft in the Free State can be 67%, which makes it very difficult for the SAPS to launch crime prevention operations/patrols based on correct crime pattern analysis.

Statistics SA found in their 2016 Community Survey that the non-reporting figure for certain crimes exceeds 80%. This means communities, including agriculture communities, have lost trust in the CJS. The above-mentioned reasons are contributing factors to the establishment of the Forum to create the correct image in terms of stock theft proactively and reactively in both provinces. The Forum will also, in cooperation with all role players in the CJS, communicate successes in terms of operations and successes to producers.

Sharing information

Another goal of the Forum is to share crime information by means of WhatsApp groups as fast as possible so that the reaction time of role players can contribute to successful arrests. The establishment of Stock Theft Information Centres (STIC), where crime information in terms of criminal involvement in stock theft will also be given through to detectives/investigators and cases followed up on by the NPA, will also be established in certain geographical areas.

It is a given that criminals are also getting smarter, and their fear of detection makes it easier to operate over provincial borders. Offset areas/markets in terms of livestock can also be found in other provinces. Another aspect that is very successfully addressed by a Forum, is that auctioneers and farmers can assist the SAPS at auctions to proactively identify livestock that could be sold illegally. The Forums goals will also include improvement of communications between provinces, as well as coordinating crime prevention operations in interprovincial high crime areas.

The Forum will continuously communicate any changes to applicable legislation to producers, as well as information in terms of workshops that will be launched in cooperation with the SAPS. Training of visible policing of detection of stock theft in terms of removal certificates and transport permits is also planned for this year.

The Interprovincial Stock Prevention Forum between the Free State, Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga, which was revived in 2015, delivers good results and successes. The establishment of the Gariep Interprovincial Stock Theft Prevention Forum contributes to this success. A cross-border forum will be established between South Africa/the Free State and Lesotho soon.

The RPO and organised agriculture, including FSA and Agri Northern Cape, requests all farmers who want to become involved in these forums, to contact their provincial safety representatives. The management of the Gariep Interprovincial Stock Theft Prevention Forum is:

Johann Stadler  chairperson (082 774 8813)

Joe Scholtz  vice-chairperson (082 324 9600)

Dirk Krapohl  secretariat (082 604 1320)
Employers meddling in the private affairs of their employees have been the topic of many a discussion in the past. Typically, this revolves around the employer's right to take action against employees for their afterhours conduct on social media or in public. Most workers are now aware that they may face disciplinary action, even dismissal, where their social media conduct can cause embarrassment to their employer. However, it appears that some employers take their right to interfere in the private conduct of employees a step too far...

The Labour Court recently considered allegations that an affair between the employee's boss and his wife made continued employment intolerable. The court had to consider whether the conduct by the manager (employer) could sustain a claim of constructive dismissal.

Constructive dismissal is now a statutory claim whereby the employee claims that the employer's culpable conduct has resulted in the termination of the employment relationship. Essentially, the employee must claim and show that:

he resigned from employment,

that the employer's culpable conduct caused the relationship to become intolerable, and

that the problematic conduct was the main cause for the decision to terminate the relationship.



This category of dismissal intends to protect employees from situations where employers no longer wish to retain an employee in service, but instead of dismissing them, make continued employment intolerable. But for a claim for constructive dismissal, employees suffering in abusive relationships would have resigned without recourse.

However, not every disagreement in the workplace gives rise to a valid claim of constructive dismissal. Our courts place a very high hurdle in the path of a disgruntled employee seeking to succeed in claiming constructive dismissal. Continued employment must be intolerable. This may translate into "no reasonable employee could be expected to accept such behaviour any longer". Being upset about your employer's refusal to pay you a bonus or grant you a salary increase does not satisfy this test. Being unhappy because your boss shouted at you similarly does not meet the requirement. But what is the situation when your boss has an ongoing affair with your wife? Our court recently considered this conundrum.

In Niland v. Harvey & others, the Labour Court considered what Judge Steenkamp referred to as "... a tale of white mischief in the farming community of the Eastern Cape". The judgment records that the employee, after commencing employment, got married. His wife then had an affair "for some years" with his employer. The employee eventually resigned, claiming that the employer made continued employment intolerable (by having and continuing an affair with his wife). The employment tribunal dismissed the employee's claim, holding that he failed to prove constructive dismissal. The employee asked the court to review and set aside the arbitration award.

The court considered the sad facts of the matter. It concluded that the employee was not induced into resigning as a result of the employer's conduct. The lapse of time between the seminal event and the employee's resignation belied his claim that the employer's conduct caused the intolerability. His own testimony during the arbitration (as to what was actual the cause of the breakdown) also proved to be his undoing.

There are arguably many morals to be taken from the above story. From an employment law perspective, the judgment again confirms that our courts and tribunals will not merely accept the employee's contention that the employer's conduct caused the intolerable situation. Employees should act with trepidation before they resign and claim that they were constructively dismissed. Addressing the underlying causes for workplace unhappiness while still in employment often proves to be more effective than seeking relief after resigning.

-Ends-

Lesley Rencontre

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

lesley.rencontre@epicmslgroup.com

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THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS: The Netherlands is considering a bill to give police far-ranging powers to prosecute cybercrime, including the ability to hack suspects' computers or trap suspected paedophiles.

The "Computer Crime III" bill will be discussed Wednesday by the Senate, the last step before becoming law in a country where according to the central statistics office, 92% of its 17 million citizens use the internet.

Apart from allowing police to hack into computers, tablets and mobile phones - with a judge's permission - the new law will also allow police to use so-called "lure teenagers" and virtually-generated "children" to entrap paedophiles.

"Lure teenagers" are police agents posing online as minors to entice cyber sex.

Police have previously used the fake teens to trap potential paedophiles, but could not prosecute perpetrators because according to Dutch law no minor was actually involved.

The bill was approved by parliament's lower house in December including the possibility to use "virtual fictitious creations" pretending to be minors as lures, the NRC daily newspaper reported on Friday.

A Dutch rights group in 2013 identified over 1,000 paedophiles around the world by offering online sex with a computer-generated 10-year-old Filipina girl called "Sweetie".

The new law will also make attempted grooming - where an adult chats to a child on the internet with the eventual aim to get the child to commit a sexual act online or to sexually abuse the child - a criminal offense.

The proposed law comes against the backdrop of Dutch prosecutors seeking nearly 11 years behind bars for a man accused of a global racket which coaxed young girls into posing naked before blackmailing them.

The defendant Aydin C. is suspected of forcing dozens of young women from as far as Britain, Canada, Norway and the United States into performing sex acts in front of their webcams.

He is also wanted for trial in Canada in the case of 15-year-old Amanda Todd who committed suicide in October 2012 after being tormented by an anonymous cyberbully.
The JSE is expected to introduce three new indices to replace the current South African property index (Sapy) within the next three to four months, an eagerly awaited move which industry players believe will further boost the size and stature of listed real estate as an asset class.

 Leung Cho Pan  123RF.com

The JSE embarked on a process to improve existing property indices two years ago as the general view was that the benchmark Sapy no longer accurately represented the local property sector. The Sapy was launched in 2003 at a time when property still formed a small portion of the JSE's overall market cap. Back then, the sector was highly illiquid and not widely covered by investment analysts.

However, 14 years on the market cap of the sector has ballooned to nearly R500bn and property is recognised as a major asset class alongside general equities, bonds and cash. The rush of new property listings in recent years has pushed the JSE's bevy of property counters to close to 50. Yet the Sapy only includes the JSE's 20 largest property counters by market cap.

The geographical spread of property stocks has also changed dramatically with at least 20 of the JSE's property counters today being pure offshore plays. That's a far cry from 2003 when the JSE had only one offshore property listing - Liberty International (now Intu Properties). However, most of the JSE's offshore listings are excluded from the Sapy as only those with a primary listing are included.

The JSE's proposal released at the end of 2016 suggests the Sapy is replaced by three new indices - the SA Reit Index; the Tradable Property Index; and the All Property Index. The SA Reit index will include only JSE listed companies classified as South African-based real estate investment trusts, or Reits. This index would be similar to the current Sapy but exclude all dual listed offshore companies, such as New Europe Property Investments, Rockcastle, MAS Real Estate and Stenprop, and developers such as Attacq.

The Tradable Property Index would likely include the 13 most liquid property companies on the JSE regardless of where the primary listing is. The third proposed index, the All Property Index (Alpi), will include all property companies in the All Share Index (currently 30), including both foreign and local property companies, Reits and developers. The foreign companies will be included based on SWIX weightings.

Mark Randall, manager of indices and valuations at the JSE, said the JSE has now concluded its process of market consultation. "Once we have considered the feedback, we will incorporate that into our changes and announce the final implementation date."

However, industry players believe the new indices are likely to be introduced as early as mid-year.

Mohamed Kalla, director of Sesfikile Capital, says the JSE has taken positive steps to realign the Sapy and make the index more relevant. "We look forward to applying our skillsset towards generating returns across a wider universe."

Kalla says initial changes in the Sapy will likely trigger material changes across many fund managers' portfolios as their benchmarks may be adjusted, which could create short-term trading opportunities. "However, the real opportunity is more strategic and long term in nature as the greater liquidity and more efficient stock allocation should enhance the quality of investment portfolios in light of risk and return."

He believes out of the three indices proposed the Alpi is the most appropriate to replace the Sapy. "The SA Reit Index would be an attractive yielding index with a strong South African bias but we feel it would be limited and quite homogeneous with little opportunity for adequate diversification. It would also have higher concentration risk than the current Sapy."

Similarly, Kalla says while the Tradable Property Index would be appropriate for tracker funds, it's also limiting with regards to choice and could push companies to chase size and liquidity at the expense of earnings.

"The Alpi should be the primary index that replaces the Sapy as it incorporates more choice and simultaneously lowers concentration risk."

Source: Business Day
The 2017 Knight Frank Wealth Report has identified five of the best neighbourhoods around the world poised to outperform in a number of categories.

Gentrification and the ripple effect

Neighbourhoods similar to New Yorks Lower East Side, aptly described by the New York Times as where gritty meets trendy, have traditionally been overlooked for more established postcodes. However, recent housing developments, such as the $1bn Essex Crossing Development, are acting as a catalyst for wider gentrification.

Elsewhere, buyers looking for an authentic bohemian atmosphere, coupled with high-quality, good value housing, are turning to areas like Quartier Des Paquis, Geneva. Alex Koch de Gooreynd, partner at Knight Frank, predicts this artisan quarter is poised to outperform the rest of the city by some margin over the next five to ten years, paralleling the transformation to that of Londons Notting Hill in the 1970s.

Value hunters

Buyers might be surprised to see long sought after locations, such as Mayfair, London, which provide some of the most stylish housing in the world on the value hunter list. However, relative value p/sqft redefines the postcode as more financially accessible and the arrival of some of the worlds most prestigious developments secure its position. Cosmopolitan neighbourhoods similar to the 10th Arrondissement, Paris, which are centrally located yet offer lower property prices are popular with creative industries. Hip inner city areas such as Woodstock, Cape Town, which are offering Urban Development Tax Incentive schemes, are seeing average property prices sharply rise to R2.2m. Alternatively, buyers looking for a beachfront location should consider the South Coast, Barbados with new projects such as the Capri development.

Technology and creative industries

With the recent boom in the technology and creative industries, high-tech sectors are shaping the residential and cultural landscape of neighbourhoods. Zhangjiang, Shanghai, previously known as a manufacturing and industrial area, has transformed into a major residential community as an IT hub. Mumbais largest tech firms are queuing to set up offices in the previously overlooked area, Majiwada-Kasarvadavali, resulting in an influx of tech HNWIs and rapid improvement to social infrastructure. Mediaspree in Berlin, where hip clubs sit alongside Coca-Cola and Mercedes Benz will see its first high-rise skyline due to a surge in housing demand.

Infrastructure and transport

Regeneration and expansion of public works, including major train lines, roads, airports and hospitals, are attracting developers and residents alike to urban and suburban areas. Notable development to infrastructure has cemented Dubai South as the emirates flagship urban project, with the highly anticipated first two residential communities due to complete 2019. Neighbourhoods such as South Main, Vancouver, seen as a gateway to downtown have seen recent land banking as developers anticipate growth alongside improvement to transport connections.

For the full list and details of the 20 neighbourhoods, refer to pages 36-40 of the Wealth Report.
In a research study commissioned by Tongaat Hulett and conducted by GIW Consulting (Pty) Ltd, director Graham Wood says several interesting conclusions arose following an analysis of STR Global's independent metrics of the Umhlanga Hotel market. As a leading source of historical daily and monthly hotel performance trends, STR Global measures 340 South African hotels comprising 45,000 rooms including 15 Umhlanga hotels or 2,000 rooms.

Leon Swart via 123RF - Umhlanga Rocks

The Umhlanga Hotel market represents 4% of the South African market and 28% of the KZN provincial market and over the past three years has consistently outperformed the national market in terms of occupancies, rates and revenue per available room.

Wood says 41% of the Umhlanga STR market is weighted toward full-service hotels with four and five-star hotels accounting for 20% each and three-star hotels accounting for 52%.

In 2015, the Umhlanga node recorded a revenue per available room growth of 13% and in 2016, an 11% growth was achieved.

Strong correlation between office space demand and hotel rooms

Corporate office growth in Umhlanga and the proximity of the King Shaka International Airport has seen an exponential growth in individual corporate travel demand for Umhlanga. International statistics show there is a strong correlation between office space demand and hotel rooms with the former being a sound forecast for the latter, Wood says.

His comments considered the 2013 report from US commercial real estate company Cushman & Wakefield analysing the relationship between the demand for office space and hotel rooms sold in six US and five Canadian cities.

Hence, given the continuing increase in office space demand, Durbans continued ability to host international and regional conferences such as the recent 21st International Aids Conference and the World Economic Forum on Africa in May 2017; together with the renewal of the citys beachfront promenades to boost domestic and international tourism, it was pragmatic to assume there would be a corresponding rise in demand for hotel rooms in the next three to five years.

He adds that business and leisure tourism would continually be supported and boosted by Tourism KZN and Durban Tourisms promotional efforts, particularly as the city prepares to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Capacity for new hotels

The 206 key Radisson Blu Hotel, expected to open in 2018/19, and the recent Protea Hotel by Marriott Umhlanga 120-room expansion, are projects responding to the positive Umhlanga market sentiment. Wood believes there is still capacity for at least another two hotels to be operational on the Umhlanga Ridge within the next three years to five years. Umhlanga Ridgeside, the 140-hectare piece of prime real estate situated in the heart of the economic node of Umhlanga offers the obvious opportunity for such new hotels and Tongaat Hulett is already engaging with a number of hotel industry players in this regard.

Umhlanga Arch, a R1.2 billion-rand mixed-use development located within Umhlanga Ridgeside, has responded to the market demands and will include a 200-bedroom premium-branded hotel. Its ideal location, overlooking the Durban coastline and enjoying easy access to Umhlanga, La Lucia Ridge, Gateway and King Shaka International Airport, is well suited to both business and leisure travellers alike.

Meeting corporate and leisure travel needs

New investments must consider the needs of the target market segments especially corporate clients; an optimal mix of international and local brands, full service versus select service requirements, conferencing and meeting facilities and brand differentiation.

A fresh, differentiated full or select service offering with quality meeting facilities will meet the corporate and leisure traveller needs. Many of the South African and international brands have launched differentiated lifestyle brands ideally suited to the Umhlanga Ridgeside landscape, Wood says.

City hotels are one of the demand drivers (market sectors) that Tongaat Hulett is actively working on with a range of government agencies and industry players and where the region has existing or potential competitive advantages.
More than any other security topic, encryption seems to perplex a lot of people.

Many may have seen it within their WhatsApp and view encryption as being infinitely complicated, and while it is certainly no small feat to create truly secure encryption algorithms, there are a lot of simple types of encryption that you might have implemented yourself without knowing it.

 pratyaksa via 123RF

The history of encryption

As of late, encryption has become highly topical making the front pages of newspapers and websites all over the world, however, it is not a new concept. In fact, data encryption has been around for some time. Longer than a year, ten years, more than a hundred  even more than a thousand years.

Encryption was used by Julius Caesar during his reign of the Roman Empire, where he would change the first three letters of the alphabet to the last three thereby encrypting the messages he sent to his generals. Similarly, the Germans invented the Enigma machine to send encrypted messages during World War II, which meant the allies could not, at first, read the intercepted content.

Interestingly, the first prototype of the computer emerged from an investigation into figuring out how to decipher Enigma.

What are the benefits of encryption?

Encryption keeps sensitive and personal information secure and private. This includes all online data such as bank details, emails, and social networks  as well as offline data, such as information stored on hard-drives that only you can access.

With this security technique, you will not only prevent identity theft but in the case of losing a device such as a smartphone, tablet or computer, you can be confident that cyber criminals will still not be able to access your data.

What does it mean to encrypt a message and how does it work?

Although there are many encryption systems, the most common ones are the use of public and private keys.

In this system, all internet users have two keys  a public one that everyone can see and use and a private one that only a specific individual can use.

An alteration made by a mathematical algorithm transforms readable data (a message) into non-readable data. This means that when it is sent to a recipient, it is encrypted and in order to read it, a key is needed to decrypt it.

All the major operating systems and many popular software applications give you the option of encrypting files or folders on your device. When you use this option, you must choose a password that allows you (and anyone else you share the password with) to unlock and decrypt those files. As such, if a cybercriminal succeeds in intercepting one of the messages, he or she will not be able to read it without your private key, and your information remains secure.

Document in use

Encryption is great for when data is in storage or in transit, but there is one other situation that bears discussion; when your encrypted document is in use (when you have opened a protected document and are viewing or editing it). This includes any time the encrypted file is open, even if it is minimised or visually covered up in some way.

Unlocking the file means that it has been decrypted in your devices memory. If for example, someone has opened a backdoor into your machine with malware, they can access that data if it is unlocked.

This does not mean encryption is ineffective, in fact, liberally using encryption can really limit the amount of damage someone can do and it can also shrink the window of time in which an attacker has access to your decrypted data.

Therefore, layers of defences are a good thing: one technology can help bolster the effectiveness of another as each shrinks the opportunity for an attacker to steal data.
The discipline of design is increasingly the place where data and the drawing board collide, with almost all of the designers on stage at Design Indaba 2017 touching on, one way or another, how they apply their skills to help make sense of an info-saturated world.

Visual data

According to Brooklyn-based information designer Ekene Ijeoma we are swimming in a sea of data. This is not a bad thing. For example take a look at Ijeomas awesome 'refugee project', a website which extracts these oceans of encoded intelligence about human refugee migration onto a map, enabling the viewer to grasp the scope of this topical global issue via real-time stats and graphics without any political agenda.

Also from Ijeoma, 'wage islands' project  an ingenious interactive installation, (gotta love alliteration), which sees a 500-piece laser-cut acrylic model raised or lowered out of a water tank to convey the issues of wage and housing inequalities in NYC, demonstrating at the touch of button where one can afford to live in New York based on income. As in the previous example providing a tangible picture of an abstract concept.

Ijeoma takeouts: Think like citizens not just creatives", "Use data for people not just consumers, and the quotable clincher Let's make conversation-pieces not just masterpieces".

Seeing through data eyes

Giorgia Lupi is possibly the uncrowned queen of the infographic. The 'data-artist' has a string of awards, articles, mentions and exhibits, based on her ability to elegantly visualise the details of everyday life through data-driven eyes, citing data as a pair of new eyes to see more and better.

Her book entitled Dear Data, co-authored with friend Stefanie Posavec contains 'data postcards' from the project, which saw the pair mail postcard-size, data-inspired illustrations to each other every week for a year.

You can give it a try. All you need is paper, some coloured pens and a commitment to visually map/plot/graph any mundane aspect of your daily life, for example how many times you check the time in a week, the number of thank yous given and received, or the number of times you smiled at strangers. This is really the essence of spatial mathematical thinking and might be considered in primary schools to advantage.

Florally aural

The key component of Lupis presentation was a collaboration with accomplished guitarist and composer Keki King, using hand-drawn data  where lines are beats, flowers are notes, dots are finger patterns, top and bottom are left- and and right-hand and so on, providing a lyrical floral representation of the music, that visually expresses aural concepts that enhances the atmosphere and essence of the music.

Aural data... digital

If visualising data is the designers domain, gathering it is at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence, an area where Finnish techpreneur and therapeutic designer Marko Ahtisaari is in his element. A Directors Fellow of MIT Media Lab, he is CEO and co-founder of the Sync Project, a worldwide experiment using music as an alternative to pharmaceuticals in sleep, relaxation and other therapies. The project aims to build a data-gathering platform via that ubiquitous sensorial device, the smartphone.

As one of the nicknames for Cape Town is Slaapstad (rhymes with Kaapstad, Afrikaans for Cape Town, and means 'sleep city'), Design Indaba seemed an appropriate target audience for the invitation to participate in the project via an app, featuring the music of Marconi Unions Adrift, apparently the most relaxing music ever produced. Download it and sleep your way through this global research project.

Biometric data

Accessible data may be mined in a number of ways from the range of human motion and rhythms to intelligent wearables from designers, such as global graduate and lecturer at Parson School of Design New York, Grace Jun, who embeds clothing with data to capture the range of movements of people with disabilities, the elderly or those who may have undergone surgery to create new dialogues with therapists.

Gathering biodata is also seen in the work of local award-winning Red & Yellow School graduate Carina Bonse, who has developed a wearable based on her research monitoring the Ecoli levels due to sewage on Cape Town beaches, via a smart armband.

The data frontiers

In her dramatised presentation, Nelly Ben Hayoun touched on topics pertaining to the outer reaches of both physical and theoretical knowledge, using the metaphorical courage of explorers such as Vikings setting out into the unknown, to illustrate contemporary quests, such as explorers diving down into the ocean depths where apparently microbial maps of information from 3bn years ago are preserved in fossil records, the mapping of microbial diversity and terraforming as a means of colonising Mars, work being done at the SETI Institute with the mission to search for extraterrestrial intelligence and such like pursuits.

Comment from the SETI Institutes former director, Jill Tarter advises that with regard to ascertaining whether humans are alone in the universe, the best way might be to look at radio signals and other frequencies  a field apparently known as Astrobiology.

Data soup

Ijeoma had already said that we are swimming in a sea of data. In her presentation on the last day of Indaba, Tea Uglow, creative director of Googles Creative Lab in Sydney, musing on the incubating principles of virtual-, multi-dimensional- and augmented-reality, commented that we have not even begun to scratch the surface of what we know. With regard to the sea of information in which we reside and how we may engage with in the future  gesturally, visually, aurally, sensorially, physically  Uglows prediction that the whole of reality doesn't need to be on a screen, may yet prove the way we currently interact with the informational data around us as clumsy a papyrus scroll.

Images courtesy of DesignIndaba.com.

For more, visit our Design Indaba special section for all the latest coverage!
Data can be beautiful yet insightful, visceral and poetic  not just pragmatic, was the key message from New York-based designer and coder Ekene Ijeoma. His empathy saw him creating The Refugee Project to provide a narrative of global migration.

Ekene Ijeoma

Headlined as an artist, interaction designer and social entrepreneur, Ijeoma urged creatives at Design Indaba this year to see people as citizens, not just consumers. His core message was one of collaboration and empathy because understanding other cultures breeds empathy. He started off his presentation, making everyone in the Design Indaba audience stand up and acknowledge one another, ending off with a hug.

Describing himself as a designer who codes and a coder who designs, his unique worldview sees him tackling projects to address issues to help people. He says he constantly struggles to find ways to capture the world around him, both creatively and from a data analysts perspective. He tries to bridge the gap between the feelings evoked in photography and the facts revealed in data visualisation.

Much of Ijemoas work initially involved commercial websites, installations and music videos. But something didnt sit right and he changed the frame. I wanted to see technology as poetic, not just pragmatic. I wanted to see people as citizens, not just consumers.

The Refugee Project

He started looking outside of the frames of photography and worked with design studio, Hyperakt, looking at the data of refugee migration. The collaboration created an interactive lab which could plot refugee migration, The Refugee Project. Data was sourced from the UNHCR refugee data and UN population data.

We didnt just want to show the data, but wanted to show political and social causes of refugee migration. We wrote over 100 stories, and were the first to look at the refugee crises over years. We used graphic design to visualise post-genocide and the refugee crisis Data can be beautiful, yet insightful.

This is how The Refugee Project is described on the home page: In every corner of the earth ordinary people are forced to leave their homes, often without notice, often never to return. When they cross international borders, they are called refugees. The Refugee Project is a narrative, temporal map of refugee migrations since 1975. UN data is complemented by original histories of the major refugee crises of the last four decades, situated in their individual contexts.

It shows a world map with circles and lines showing where refugees are from, which countries gave them asylum and the patterns of movement over the decades until 2015. It also looks at the impacts of refugee migration and provides a history to educate about refugee migration.

The Refugee Project is an experimental learning and exploration tool and feedback is invited.

Ijeomas body of work has earned him many accolades, as his official bio attests: he is a NYFA Fellow in Architecture, Urban Structures and Design and NEW INC member. He was named in Adweek's Creative 100 as one of the 10 "visual artists whose imagination and intellect will inspire you"; and Good magazine's Good 100 for "tackling pressing global issues". Hes also been nominated for Design Museum's Designs of the Year award. His work has been exhibited at galleries and museums including Annenberg Center for Photography, Neuberger Museum of Art, Design Museum, Istanbul Design Biennial, Vignelli Center, and Salone Del Mobile.
On Saturday, 25 March 2017, FreshlyGround and Sipho Hotstix Mabuse will share the Spier Amphitheatre stage for the first time, as part of Mabuse's 50-year-celebration in music. The show will start at 6pm.

All the classics will be in there, Sipho divulges, Including Burn Out, Shikisha, and many more songs that have shaped me as a musician, philanthropist and father to my beautiful daughters.

As to what FreshlyGround fans can expect from the multi-platinum-selling globetrotters, with their sixth album currently in final production with Swedish producer Tore Johannson, the band may just offer a sample of whats to come from the group in the months ahead. There will be material never performed before, Zolani teases. There will also be some deviations from the usual popular material too.

Ive never played at Spier before, Sipho declares. Ive also never performed with FreshlyGround before either. I have huge respect for the music they create, and they are lovely people which just enhances the whole experience.

The much-applauded Around The Fire and Wrestling With Dawn producer, playwright and performer, Siphokazi Jonas will also share the stage on the night, revealing yet another side to her dynamic talent. Im delighted to have her open for us, Sipho says. I have watched Siphokazi, over the last two years, create her own path and make work for herself, all of which needs to be heard and applauded. Im really looking forward to a great night.

A long overdue marriage of two trailblazers, expect pomp, ceremony and a night filled with celebration and tumultuous applause. Join the chorus and come sing along.

Ticket details

Tickets are available now from Computicket.
NEWSWATCH: Speaking at a Naamsa motor industry briefing last week, Econometrix MD Rob Jeffrey said the loss of South Africa's motor industry would cost the country at least 660,000 jobs and R84.5bn in wages, reduce GDP by more than R210bn and widen the country's trade deficit by R40bn.

 welcomia via 123RF

According to a report on Business Day, industry executives are discussing the next phase of automotive policy with the Department of Trade and Industry. The current Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP) expires in 2020.

The report further states that Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies wants negotiators to map out a framework to 2035 and to consider including trucks, buses and motorcycles in a policy that, until now, has been limited to cars and light commercial vehicles.

For more:
Scan Display is one of many retailers showcasing their product at the global retail trade fair, EuroShop, in Dusseldorf, Germany from 5 to 9 March 2017. Attendee Paul Hugo says so far they've seen, new ideas, new trends, creativity and wow, at Euroshop 2017.

EuroShop 2017 is set to be one of the biggest in the event's history with 2,400 exhibitors from 61 countries set to participate.

Digitalisation in retail will be one of the main themes at this year's event and Scan Display MD Justin Hawes has already spoken on the international platform about their experiences with event greening. He spoke at yesterday's Expo and Event Forum on event greening and what he has learnt while implementing event greening at various events. He included case studies such as the South African Climate Change Response Expo hosted at COP17 in 2011, which was awarded the UFI Sustainable Development Award in 2013, and Africas leading MICE event, Meetings Africa, which has won multiple green awards.

Hawes believes that you cannot simply talk the talk but must also walk the walk, so all of his knowledge is shaped by personal experience and real events.

Click through to Scan Displays galleries of digitalisation, going live at Euroshop and for more, and be sure to follow the Euroshop17 hashtag!
As conflict and instability continue, the food security situation in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin is drastically deteriorating, FAO warned last week, as it called for swift and decisive action from the international community to protect the livelihoods of millions of families dependent on farming, livestock and fishing for their food and livelihoods.

Image by 123RF

With the next planting season starting in May, and with scarcity of animal fodder and water points during the lean season, it is crucial that crop seeds, tools and livestock support reach families urgently to limit the scope of the deepening crisis that now involves four countries: Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.

Some 7.1 million people are now severely food insecure across the four countries. Among them are 515 000 children who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition - a condition which, if untreated, can lead to permanent damage to a child's development and even death.

FAO is among the UN agencies and governments attending the Oslo Humanitarian Conference last week, organised to mobilise international funding for the crisis-struck region, where 80 to 90 percent of people rely on farming, fishing and herding for their livelihoods.

"In the worst-affected areas, famine continues to loom - and millions will remain trapped in cycles of severe hunger if we don't enable farmers to start cropping now," said Dominique Burgeon, director of FAO's Emergency and Rehabilitation Division, who is representing FAO at the conference. "Our collective efforts cannot be limited to merely avoiding massive famine - they need to allow people to return to a dignified life. And supporting agriculture is the key to both," he said.

Besides reducing hunger and boosting nutrition, investing in farmers also provides much needed job opportunities that reduce migration and limit the potential for radicalization of unemployed youth, according to Burgeon.

Crisis spilling across borders

Violence related to the armed group Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria has spilled over to parts of neighboring countries in the Lake Chad Basin - specifically, Cameroon's Far North, western Chad and southeastern Niger - with devastating effects on food security and livelihoods.

The UN foresees around 120 000 people facing famine conditions in Nigeria

With the Lake Chad Basin approaching a critical period in the agricultural calendar, FAO is urgently calling for $30 million in immediate emergency support to help farming families in the four countries get ready to plant in the upcoming May planting season and prevent them from slipping into long-term dependency on food aid.

A total of $232 million will be needed to secure food production and access to food for three million people in the worst-hit areas over the next three years. The vast majority of the requested funds - some $191 million - is designated for Nigeria, which is bearing the brunt of the crisis.

Violence and displacement drive severe hunger

Violence has driven millions across the four countries from their homes and hampered access to agricultural lands and assets, creating massive humanitarian needs in an area already struggling with food insecurity, poverty and environmental degradation. Host communities, in particular, have been struggling for several years now to feed the displaced as well as their own.

As humanitarian access improves, revealing the magnitude of impact of the conflict, time has come to support both people who remained on their land and those who decide to return to their original livelihoods.

In Borno State alone, the population in crisis, emergency and catastrophe phases of food insecurity (Phases 3 to 5 on the five-tiered scale used by humanitarian agencies) increased from 2 million in August 2016 to 3.3 million in October-December 2016. The worst-affected in this group are not able to feed themselves and have exhausted all resources by selling off their belongings, including seeds, tools and animals. Without intervention, that number is expected to climb to 3.6 million at the height of the lean season in August 2017.

The UN foresees around 120 000 people facing famine conditions in Nigeria. Of this number, the vast majority - some 96 percent - are expected to be in Borno.

Targeting the most vulnerable

Emergency farming assistance must go hand in hand with food assistance for it to be successful throughout the upcoming lean season. To this end, FAO is collaborating with the World Food Programme to ensure vulnerable families - mainly IDPs and host communities - receive food assistance, and at the same time agriculture-based livelihood support in the form of provision of seeds, tools and fertiliser. This way, they will able to restore and protect their livelihoods and farming assets for ongoing food production.

FAO's long-term strategy for the Lake Chad region puts a special emphasis on supporting refugees, internally displaced families and host communities, as these are the most vulnerable groups in this crisis. Interventions are geared to improving their food security and nutrition and building their resilience so they are better equipped to handle future shocks. In addition, restoring agriculture-based livelihoods will offer a unique opportunity to pave the way to recovery and peace in the affected areas.

The strategy incorporates not only provision of farming and livestock inputs but also technical training, cash transfers, instruction in natural resource management, and support in setting up community-managed funds that can reduce vulnerability to shocks.
The research, conducted by Opinium for business ISP Beaming, found that more than half (52%) of businesses in the UK fell victim to cybercrime in 2016. Such breaches cost UK businesses A29.1 billion (US$35.8 billion).

The most common types of cybercrime were phishing and viruses, both of which were found to have impacted 23% of the businesses surveyed, while data breaches or hacks affected 18%.

Beamings research also reveals that larger businesses were more likely to fall victim to cybercrime. While less than a third (31%) of businesses with 10 employees or less fell victim last year, that figure rises to 71% among businesses with 250 employees or more.

Furthermore, adoption of new cybersecurity technologies increased the fastest among smaller businesses in 2016. In addition, more than half a million British businesses took out cyber insurance policies for the first time in the last 12 months.

Large organisations are more likely to become a victim of cybercrime due to being more valuable targets and because employees are often the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain, said Sonia Blizzard, managing director of Beaming. They are also more resilient as they have resources to aid their recovery. Successful cyberattacks on smaller businesses are less frequent, but cause disproportionately more harm. It is encouraging that small businesses are taking the threat more seriously and investing in their cyber defenses, as a single attack could potentially break them.

According to Beamings research, 1 in 5 (19%) of UK companies are now covered for losses associated with cyber security breaches and data theft. Thats a significant rise on the 11.1% reported by Marsh two years ago.
Is It Safe To Take Flu Medicines During Pregnancy? Prenatal oi-Chandana Rao

If you are a pregnant woman, the thought of you developing some kind of an ailment that may affect you and your unborn, would have surely crossed your mind, right?

Pregnancy is a phase in which, a woman has to take extra precautions, when it comes to her health, as she has to protect another life, which is growing inside her.

For this reason, it is very important to take care of your health, when you are pregnant and especially avoid getting infectious diseases.

As humans, we are all prone to sickness once in a while and pregnant women are no exception.

It is believed that some pregnant women tend to get afflicted with diseases quite often, as their immunity can be low during this phase, due to the hormonal fluctuations.

When a pregnant woman is affected with infectious diseases like flu, she may have to take certain strong medications to treat the diseases and these medications can have negative effects on her unborn.

So, is taking flu medications during pregnancy safe? Let us find out.

Flu During Pregnancy

Influenza, also known as flu, is one of the most common ailments afflicting people, regardless of age and gender, and pregnant women are no exception.

Flu is a viral disease, which is mostly spread through food, water and air, which affects the immune system of the victim and creates a number of undesirable symptoms.

Some of the common symptoms of flu are fever, cold, body pain, fatigue, cough, etc.

So, when pregnant women are affected by such symptoms, it may affect their unborn too! However, they may be worried about taking flu medication also because they contain certain strong chemicals that could cause harm to the foetus.

The good news is that a recent research study has found that it may be rather safe for pregnant women to take flu medications.

Researchers in Scandinavia and France conducted a survey on more than 6000 pregnant women, who showed flu symptoms and gave them mild medications to ease the symptoms.

It was detected during this process that no potential harm to the pregnant women or their unborn was caused by flu medications.

So, in conclusion, flu medications prescribed by a doctor can be taken by pregnant women, if the dosage is monitored by the doctors.

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Story first published: Monday, March 6, 2017, 20:17 [IST]
Several hundred women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chattanooga, will gather for the fourth annual Chattanooga Women's Conference. This year 's conference will be held on Saturday, March 11, at 3067 Ooltewah-Ringgold Road from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Women of all denominations, age 18 and older, are invited to attend.

Drocella Mugorewara, executive director of Bridge Refugee Services, will be the featured guest speaker. Seven years ago, Mrs. Mugorewara fled Rwanda as a refugee without a penny, friend, or family which to rely. She came to America, reunited with her family of seven, and now resides in Knoxville, where she devoted her life to serving refugees throughout our communities.

Guided by a scripture found in Moroni 7:47 which states - "Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him" - women of 12 LOS congregations in the Chattanooga area will donate and pack basic kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and personal supply items for Bridge Refugee Services.



Other sessions include discussions about family history research, how to be holy women, rejoicing with those who rejoice, mourning with those that mourn, how to stand for truth and righteousness with civility and respect, personal development, marriage and family relations, food storage, and how to live providently.



Dr. JulieAnn Krogel, a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Oak Ridge, Tn., will also speak about making love last. UTC Professor Mark Mendenhall will share his thoughts about how we can have charity without condoning wrongdoing.



For more information, contact Mrs. Celeste Ward at jimandceleste@hotmail.com who serves as the President of the Relief Society for the Chattanooga Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Relief Society organization of the LOS Church is one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the world, founded in 1842, and with approximately six million members now in over 170 countries and territories.


IHOP associates flipped pancakes for the pediatric patients at the Childrens Hospital at Erlanger to celebrate their upcoming National Pancake Day event.

On Tuesday, March 7, five local IHOP restaurants will offer each guest a free short stack of their famous buttermilk pancakes on National Pancake Day.

For every short stack of buttermilk pancakes served on National Pancake Day, IHOP guests are invited to make a voluntary donation to Childrens Hospital at Erlanger to celebrate the brands annual day of giving. Since 2006, IHOP National Pancake Day has raised approximately $24 million to provide life-saving treatment, programs and medical equipment for pediatric patients  including more than 42,000 children treated annually at Childrens Hospital at Erlanger.

Each year, our local IHOP restaurants and their associates step it up during National Pancake Day, said Rebecca Brinkley, director of Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals at Childrens Hospital at Erlanger. We are grateful for their enthusiastic support for our patients and thank all the customers who donate to this years campaign.
Lee University hosted Robert Olen Butler for the first event of the 2016-17 Writers Festival. The Pulitzer Prize winning author read to a crowded room and answered audience questions about the creative writing process.

Mr. Butler read from A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain, his book of short stories about Vietnamese refugees making their homes in Louisiana.

Butler invites his audiences to travel imaginatively, to cross the barriers that separate us from other people, to find our place in the human family, and to become more compassionate and empathetic, said Dr. William Woolfitt, director of the Writers Festival and Lee professor.

Following the reading, Mr. Butler answered questions from the audience on a variety of subjects, including his daily life, his musical tastes, what writing looks like for him, and his perspective on Christianity.

I truly appreciated not only Robert Olen Butlers work, but his profound responses to the listeners questions, said Adrianna Barry, a sophomore English literature major.

The evening closed with a dessert reception and a book signing with the author.

Earlier that day, Mr. Butler also read from his book and spoke about his writing with the Southern literature Encore class, a course designed for seniors in the community.

Mr. Butler has published 16 novels and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1993 for A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain. A veteran of the Vietnam War, he writes about the complex interactions between people of different cultures, Americans who travel overseas, and Vietnamese who have relocated to the Unites States.

Along with writing, Mr. Butler serves as a distinguished professor of Creative Writing at Florida State University. He has lectured at universities, spoken at conferences, and met with writers groups in 17 countries as a literary envoy for the United States. Mr. Butler has hosted a live feed about his creative writing process.

Mr. Butlers reading was funded by South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Tennessee Arts Commission. South Arts was founded in 1975 to promote the Souths unique heritage and enhance the public value of arts. It strives to nurture a vibrant quality of life and artistic excellence in the South.

The Writers Festival concludes with poet Susan ODell Underwood on Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m. in the Rose Lecture Hall. For more information about the Writers Festival, contact Dr. Woolfitt at wwoolfitt@leeuniversity.edu.
From watching the acrobatic antics of Malagasy lemurs to learning more about the claw-some might of Coconut Crabs, the Tennessee Aquarium is about to make a Spring Break visit feel more like an island getaway.

Guests arriving at the Aquarium will be among the first to visit the newly opened Lemur Forest exhibit. After a months-long renovation, the Tropical Cove has been transformed into a recreation of the spiny forests and rainforests of Madagascar. Here, visitors will see Red-ruffed Lemurs dangling upside down from perches dozens of feet overhead and watch Ring-tailed Lemurs and Radiated Tortoises soaking up the sun on a miniature island. Lemur experts will provide even more insights into these charismatic, fascinating mammals during Leaping Lemurs presentations offered twice daily at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.



Also in the Tropical Cove, guests will be able to enjoy the dramatic improvements to Stingray Bay. The walls of this visitor-favorite exhibit  the Aquariums largest touch tank  have been thinned out and smoothed to allow easier access to the ray and shark species swimming through its warm waters.



From March 10 through April 9, the Aquarium is introducing a series of island-themed Spring Break encounters to its schedule of free Extraordinary Experience programs. The following encounters will be offered at 1:30 p.m. each day:



 March 10-18  On the Wild Side of Island Life  Islands have unique animals, some of which are found nowhere else in the world. During this special encounter, youll meet an interesting island resident. (Ocean Journey Level 4 outside Lemur Forest)



 March 19-25  Seaside with Seahorses  Shallow reefs and mangrove forests surrounding islands are home to hungry seahorses. Meet a seahorse expert and watch these marvelous creatures having lunch. (River Journey Seahorse Gallery)

 March 26-April 1  Island Giants  Coconut Crabs  Tropical islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans are home to the worlds largest land crabs. See one of these herculean crustaceans up close and learn more about their incredible feats of strength. (Ocean Journey Level 4 outside Lemur Forest)

 April 2-9  Totally Tropical  The tropics contain an amazing wealth of plants and animals. Meet a living treasure from one of the many tropical regions of the world during this fun program. (Ocean Journey Level 4 outside Lemur Forest)

Spring Break represents one of the last opportunities guests will have to visit Monster Fish before it leaves the Aquarium on April 15. Housed in the River Place building, this National Geographic traveling exhibit is based on the Nat Geo WILDseries of the same name hosted by Dr. Zeb Hogan. Monster Fish offers up enormous, scale replicas of titanic freshwater species such as the Goonch Catfish and Sawfish as well as videos and interactive games that show that, despite their extraordinary size, these leviathans face many threats to their long-term survival.

At the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater, guests visiting during Spring Break will be able to take in showings of several 45-minute giant screen movies. Dream Big 3D, Wild Africa 3D and Jean-Michael Cousteaus Secret Ocean 3Dtake viewers on breath-taking cinematic adventures made even more stunning thanks to the theaters recent upgrade to an IMAX with Laser projection suite. Special screenings ofJerusalem 3D also will be offered at 6 p.m. daily throughMarch 30. A schedule of showings is available online at tnaqua.org/calendar/month/cate gory/imax-showtimes .

An afternoon cruise aboard the River Gorge Explorer can be an unforgettable experience, especially during the longer days of an Appalachian spring. During each two-hour cruise, passengers on the Aquariums high-tech catamaran will take in the natural grandeur of the Tennessee River Gorge  also known as Tennessees Grand Canyon  while a naturalist points out wildlife and locations of historic significance. A schedule of cruise dates is online at tnaqua.org/calendar/month/cate gory/cruise-times .
The London headquartered Barclays PLC has applied to the South African Reserve Bank for approval to reduce its shareholding in the Barclays Africa Group to below 50 percent.

In a recent Xnews announcement by Barclays Bank Botswana led by Rynette ven der Merwe, to its shareholders, the application-which also requires the approval of the Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, based on the advice from the Registrar of Banks, includes the terms of the separation payments and transitional services arrangements. The agreed terms provide for contributions by Barclays PLC to BAGL totalling 765 million (ZAR12.8 billion), primarily in recognition of the investments required for the Group to separate from Barclays PLC.

These contributions, comprise 515 million (ZAR8.6 billion) in recognition of the investments required in technology, rebranding and other separation projects, 55 million (ZAR0.9 billion) to cover separation related expenses, of which 27.5 million was received in December 2016; and 195 million (ZAR3.3 billion) to terminate the existing service level agreement between Barclays and BAGL, relating to the Rest of Africa operations acquired in 2013.





Barclays Finance Director, Mumba Kalifungwa explains in the statement that, the expectation is that the financial contributions will neutralise the capital and cash flow impact of separation investments on the Group over time. However, the separation process will have an impact on BAGLs financial statements for the next few years, most notably by increasing the capital base in the near-term and generating endowment revenue thereon, with increased costs likely over time as the separation investments are concluded. Consequently, BAGL will start to report normalised results that better reflect the underlying performance of the Group once the contributions have been received, he said.

In addition, Barclays PLC has agreed to contribute an amount equivalent to 1.5 percent of BAGLs market capitalisation (ZAR2.1 billion) towards the establishment of a larger broad-based black economic empowerment scheme. Barclays first broke plans to reduce stake in its African subsidiary (Barclays Africa) through a placing with institutional shareholders in 1st March 2016 from 62.3 percent to a minority shareholding overtime. The move will not change Barclays Africas position as one of the continents largest banks, serving more than 12 million customers through its operations in 10 countries in Africa. This is where some of its largest markets are in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Botswana, Tanzania and Ghana.

At the time, Jes Staley, Barclays chief executive, described the move as an important first step in reducing its stake in the Africa business, adding that they continue to explore opportunities to reduce the shareholding, including capital market and strategic options.After the global financial crisis in 2008, regulators introduced new rules which have had far-reaching effects on banks. One of the consequences was that it became less profitable for global banks such as Barclays to own large businesses abroad, hence the decision to offload.

Barclays then gave itself two years to cut its stake below 20 percent and indicated an interest in keeping a minority stake. The UK bank has had approaches from several potential bidders for its African business, including its former chief executive Bob Diamond, who has teamed up with US private equity group, Carlyle to explore an offer.

As part of the agreed terms, from the date on which Barclays PLC started its reduction: BAGL can continue to use the Barclays brand in the rest of Africa for three years. BAGL is further expected to receive certain services from Barclays on an arms length basis for a transitional period, typically up to three years.
Former Ambassador to Japan Jacob Nkate has sealed a deal with Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi to join forces for Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) elective congress slated for Tonota in July this year.

Sources within both Masisi and Nkates camp have revealed to this publication that a deal was sealed recently for the two to work together. Masisi will be defending his seat as party Chairman while Nkate who also harboured dreams of becoming the party chairman has now joined the Vice Presidents camp to contest as Secretary General.

Botswana Guardian can safely reveal that Nkate forwarded his name to express interest for the position of secretary general, currently held by Botsalo Ntuane.Nkate was tipped for the partys chairmanship and ultimately the presidency. News within BDP corridors is that Nkate who was allegedly pushed to take up the ambassador assignment to Japan would stop at nothing this time to put his foot down and ensure that he reclaims his political status. Nkate has served before in various Party structures among them as BOMASE Regional Secretary, Ngami Constituency Secretary, BDP NYEC Chair and BDP Secretary General. This week Nkate confirmed that he has submitted his name for the secretary general seat.





Yes I can confirm that I have responded to an announcement by the party that those who are interested should show by writing expression of interest to contest for any position in the central committee, said Nkate. He dismissed claims that he is joining Masisis lobby list. He said he would be happy to work with any democrat who would approach him. I have decided to contest for this seat after careful consideration and engagement with other fellow democrats especially my supporters. As I have said in previous communication with the media I would be happy to serve in any position that fellow democrats feel I would best suited to serve in, revealed Nkate.

However, information gathered by this publication is that Nkate who would be challenging Ntuane has found a home under Masisi who is also enjoying the support of party leader, Ian Khama. The duo is said to have reached an agreement after long deliberations and supporters engagements on ways of working together. The duo decided to join forces given its experiences and influence in the party. Nkate has been in the party for long. Masisis current form and command among democrats would be complemented by Nkates experience and alliance with other disgruntled BDP members post Festus Mogaes era, an insider told this publication.

Masisi, who is believed to have built base for himself among various party structures, is said to be poised for victory and anyone challenging him would face an uphill battle. His recruitment drive within the opposition, which saw masses of opposition members especially from Botswana Movement for Democracy and Botswana Congress Party joining the ruling party, has earned him respect among BDP members especially the rank and file.
Bank of Botswana (BoB), the regulator of commercial banks this week allayed fears that the multibillion Pula sector is headed for a second liquidity squeeze in a period of less than two years.

Botswana Guardian understands that between December and January this year, there has been a notable increased activity within the interbank lending market, a clear sign that some commercial banks were short of liquidity to keep their respective operations running. Two years ago, the central bank was forced to devise a rescue plan to bailout the then embattled banking industry which was experiencing liquidity challenges, which limited their ability to generate fresh loans.

At the time, BoB injected P2, 3billion in the industry, after relaxation of Primary Reserve Requirement (PRR) to keep the industry alive. However, there are signs that the sector, which accounts for half the countrys Gross Domestic Product (GDP) might fall into a similar crisis. However, BoB said there is no need to press panic buttons, as the industry is sound.





At a Press conference to announce the Monetary Policy Committee decision on lending rate this week, central bank executives admitted that there have been increased lending activities among banks in the past months. We are not denying it (liquidity squeeze). This is coming from temporary factors such as reduced government spending and increased demand for funds during the said months (January and December), newly promoted Head of Financial Markets department, Matthew Wright told Botswana Guardian.

Some banks might have been short of funds, but they never came to us, he said. Wright told the Press that, some temporary factors that could have resulted in limited funds in the market include increased demand for foreign currencies, especially during the holiday period when most locals were travelling to foreign countries. This explains why some banks borrowed funds from each other, he stressed. During the 2014/15 liquidity squeeze that was experienced within the local banking market, some banks turned away clients under the pretext that they did not meet their lending criteria. However, this time around, there have not been instances where clients are turned down purely because of limited funding.

We have not come across an instance where a productive project is turned down because of limited funds within the banking industry, disclosed BoB Governor, Moses Pelaelo. Pelaelo, who succeeded Linah Mohohlo last year, said they are keeping a close eye on developments related to a possible liquidity squeeze before they can act. Despite fresh information suggesting that the local bank might be teetering on the brink of a credit squeeze, some commercial banks profits are picking.

Listed commercial bank, First National Bank Botswana has reported a 9 percent increase in profits.

Barclays Bank Botswana, is also expecting improved results in the year that ended December 2016. Meanwhile, BoBs Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) released this week shows that, banks extended less money to clients in the past year. Annual growth in commercial banks credit decreased from 7.1 percent in December 2015 to 6, 2 percent in December 2016.

The slowdown in annual credit expansion was mostly associated with the decrease in growth in lending to households, said the report. The bank attributed the fall in households to restrained growth in personal incomes. Property loans declined in the past year. Bank executives attributed the decline to a weak property market.

Annual growth in mortgages declined from 7, 2 percent to 6, 3 percent. Meanwhile, the central bank reported in the same MPS that credit to the mining sector declined mainly because of BCL loan repayment in December 2016. BCL which has been placed on voluntary liquidation received a loan of about P1billion from Barclays Bank Botswana early last year. The loan, which was guaranteed by government, has since been repaid in full.
Air Botswanas re-fleeting process which has been under consideration over the last few years by the shareholder (government) has since been put on hold pending completion of the privatisation process. The shareholder recently invited suitable entities, companies, consortiums or service providers capable of offering efficient and reliable air transport services to meet the needs of Botswanas business and tourism sectors by operating Air Botswana to indicate their interest in the airline.

Air Botswanas Director-Commercial, Hugh Fraser revealed to Botswana Guardian that Air Botswana is currently undergoing privatisation and the re-fleeting project is on halt until the process is complete. This was following an inquiry from last weeks announcement on the resumption of Air Botswana routes to Kasane and Cape Town. Air Botswana currently operates four ATR turbo propeller aircraft and a leased Jet aircraft, which is operated on the Gaborone-Cape Town route. Meanwhile, the Gaborone-Cape Town route resumed on February 26th, whilst the Gaborone-Kasane resumed on March 1st.

The service will be operated through an existing agreement with CemAir on the same current flight schedule to minimise any customer inconvenience. Air Botswana said this is an internal commercial agreement to cover the operation of the Cape Town route and has been in place since 2015





Fraser explained to this publication that, the Kasane and Cape Town routes were never suspended. Rather, we had replaced the Jet service with a turboprop for six weeks between Gaborone and Cape Town, but the jet operation has been reintroduced. The Kasane flights were reduced due to heavy maintenance on the aircraft and reduced fleet availability. However, five flights per week have now been restored between Gaborone and Kasane from 01 March.

Days of operation between Gaborone and Cape Town in either direction remain as Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The Gaborone and Kasane flights will be on Wednesday and Friday respectively. Air Botswana said the Sunday flights will become a later morning schedule, to better suit tourism and other business travellers to the Kasane / Chobe area.
The battle lines are drawn. And the fight for the control of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party is finally shaping up. After months of speculations on who will contest for which position come July in Tonota, democrats this week Wednesday threw their names in the hat to contest for various positions within the party.

Wednesday the 1st of March was set as the deadline for BDP members to express their interest to serve Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in the partys central committee. The July congress viewed by some as a break or make for the party which has ruled Botswana for over five decades will see heavyweights battling for key positions with the chairmanship being used as a stepladder to succeeding President Ian Khama.

A fierce battle is expected in the key positions of Chairmanship and Secretary General. No competition according to information gathered by this publication so far should be expected for the BDP Treasurer seat, which for years has been the exclusive preserve of businessman and motor magnate, Satar Dada. For the chairmanship, Botswana Guardian is reliably informed that by end of business on Wednesday which was the deadline for submission of names for those interested, BDP Executive Secretary Merapelo Moloises office had received an overwhelming number of applicants.





Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi is expected to defend his seat against Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development Nonofo Molefhi, former MP and businessman Robert Masitara while information is still unavailable whether Minister of Environment Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism Tshekedi Khama, the presidents younger brother, has shown interest to contest. Current Secretary General Botsalo is expected to defend his seat against former party Secretary General and immediate past Ambassador to Japan Jacob Nkate. Deputy Secretary General also Minister of Defence Justice and Security, Shaw Kgathi will face Francistown Specially-Elected Councillor also former BDP National Youth Chairman Andy Boatile and former Botswana National Youth Council Chairman Louis Sibanda. They have both confirmed their candidature.

Long serving Treasurer, Dada confirmed that he would be defending his seat. Masisi has long declared that he would be defending the seat. Nkate who had earlier indicated that he would be challenging Masisi confirmed this Wednesday that he would be contesting for Secretary General seat. He is said to have reached a compromise with Masisi. Ntuane declined to confirm his candidature when contacted.

He confirmed however that many democrats have expressed interest for various positions in the BDP. Ntuane said they have received a flood of expression of interest. But I am not at liberty to divulge any names. The names will be published at the party National Council on the 25th of March 2017. As for whether I would be defending my seat you would know on March 25th, he stated. Ntuane is said to be on Molefhis lobby list. His challenger is not new to BDP politics as he held the same position before. Sources say Nkates bid will enjoy a boost from Masisi who has already made inroads in his campaign. The Vice President is enjoying the support of majority of BDP NYEC members and majority of Womens Wing members.

However, Ntuane who has close ties with the partys rank and file, could gain sympathy votes if he decides to stand, as many democrats feel he has been sidelined ever since he assumed office in 2015 and most of his key responsibilities, among them reviving structures, have been usurped by the Political Education Committee (PEC). Masisi could also have an easy way as many believe he has been aggressive in his campaign as evidenced by his recruitment drive. In the partys 2015 Mmadinare elective congress Masisi entered the race late but thrashed all his opponents. Molefhi, who is said to be enjoying support from some cabinet ministers, could bank on his calmness and neutrality when it comes to factions. His campaign, unlike Masisis, has been conducted discreetly and only came out into the open a fortnight ago when he told a local publication that he is in the race.

Masitara on the other hand could have a mammoth task as many believe he is not in touch with structures of the party. Just like Nkate, Masitaras absence from active politics poses danger as this means the system has thrown him out. When asked about his interest, the former MP for Gaborone West North hung up the phone but according to his close associates, Masitara who has been out of the country landed this week to forward his name. Minister Tshekedi Khama could not be reached for comment and at press time had not responded to an SMS inquiry sent to him but only responded via SMS saying, Sorry I cant talk right now. Names of those who have expressed interest are expected to be tabled before the monthly party central committee meeting on Monday.




BEIJING (PTI): China on Saturday announced that it will increase its defence spending by around seven per cent this year, the slowest hike since 2010, even as it vowed to guard against "outside forces" interfering in its territorial disputes.



The increase in defence spending announced by Fu Ying, the spokesperson of China's parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), is expected to take the country's defence budget to about 1.02 trillion yuan, which is three times bigger than India's new defence budget of US$ 53.5 billion.



The nearly seven per cent increase could be China's slowest defence budget rise in at least a decade, marking the second time for the defence budget increase to dip into the single digit since 2010, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.



Last year, China increased its defence spending by 7.6 per cent, allocating about 954 billion yuan (around US$ 143.7 billion).



A year before that, China increased the defence spending by about 15 per cent as part of its efforts to modernise the world's largest military of 2.3 million troops.



China's announcement to increase defence spending comes after US President Donald Trump vowed a 10 per cent increase in America's military spending of about US$ 600 billion.



Much of China's budget this year was expected to go for the development of Navy as the second largest economy looks to expand its influence beyond its shores.



China's claims in the South China Sea and East China Sea have caused a lot of concern in the region.



China currently has one aircraft carrier and is building another. Chinese defence officials say that the third is also in the pipeline to match the growing strength of US Navy in hotspots like the disputed South China Sea.



"China's military capacity building will be continued.



This is the requirement for safeguarding our national sovereignty and security," Fu told media.



She said China's defence budget accounted for 1.3 per cent of the country's GDP, compared with NATO members' pledge to dedicate at least two per cent of GDP to defence.



"You should ask them what their intentions are," Fu told reporters, adding that China has "never inflicted harm on other countries."



"Of all the conflicts and wars in the world that have killed and displaced so many people and caused significant losses of property, which one is China to blame for?" she asked.



On China's disputes with neighbouring countries, Fu said China advocates dialogue and peaceful solutions in addressing those issues.



"We call for a peaceful settlement through dialogue and consultation (of the disputes). But at the same time, we must also have the capability to defend our sovereignty, our rights and interests," Fu said.



"In particular, we must guard against outside forces from interfering with such issues," Fu said.



The NPC spokesperson, however, did not elaborate on what "interfering" she was referring to and also did not mention the disputes in question.



"The enhancement of China's capabilities is conducive to safeguarding regional peace and stability, not the contrary," she said.



On the South China Sea issue where US has deployed an aircraft carrier to assert its freedom of navigation, she said China and some ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries have already returned to dialogue and consultation, and tensions in the area have shown trends of easing.



"As to the future development (of the settlement of these disputes), I think we also need to take into account the intentions on the US side," she said, calling the US' actions in the SCS a "weather-vane" for the region.



Fu went on to say that concerns over navigational freedom in the SCS are misleading and uncalled for.



"In essence...Washington is perhaps concerned that China could catch up with or surpass the US in terms of capability," she said, noting that there is still a huge gap between the two countries.



Fu said whether a military poses a threat rests on its "strategic intentions."



"Thus the key question we should really ask is whether we are pursuing common security or exclusive security," Fu said.



"China wants common security for all, and this is the shared consensus of many Asian countries as well," she said.



China's economic growth continued to slowdown as last year it registered a nearly three-decade low of 6.7 per cent declining from 6.9 in 2015.



The increase in China's military expenditure, especially for the Navy, is aimed at safeguarding the country's fast expanding overseas interests and is in response to the unstable security situation in the Asia-Pacific region, Chinese military experts were quoted as saying by the state-run Global Times last week.



Chu Yin, associate professor at the University of International Relations, said, China's rapid military development is a recurrent trend with the country's rising economic power, and is entirely legitimate and reasonable.



"It doesn't need Trump as an excuse," he told the daily.


Gareth Laffely, 18-year-old NAMMY Rising Star Award recipient and NAMMY and ISMA multi-award nominated Native American flutist, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer, returns to the Chattanooga Native American Heritage Festival and Pow Wow On The River 2017 stage as a headline performer on Saturday, March 25, and Sunday, March 26. Performance times are, Saturday at 11 a.m., 5:15 and 8:30 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m., time approximate due to Pow Wow events scheduled.

The event is celebrating 10 years and will support the Cherokee Heritage Center Museum and Gallery at Raccoon Mountain for Hamilton County.

Review for Gareth:

Gareth is one of the youngest musicians to reach the # 2 spot on Billboard Top Ten New Age chart with his "Sky Before a Storm" CD. "Regen's Song" (a song from the CD), was written for 12-year-old Regen Morris of Sevierville, Tn., who lost his battle with brain cancer in Dec 2013. The song features GRAMMY winner, Laura Sullivan on piano and has been made into a popular music video with proceeds from the song being donated to St Jude Children's Hospital in Regen's name.

Gareth's music has been featured on nationally acclaimed NPR radio program Hearts of Space, as well as His music can also be heard on Music Choice Network's Soundscapes channel, and is a favorite on WUTC and WAWL Chattanooga. Gareth volunteers for Hospice using his music to comfort terminally ill patients and takes an anti-bully program into schools across the country.

Gareth has a revolutionary style that combines rock, pop, and world music and is completely self taught on the Native American flute. He is of Mi'kmaq/Cree descent and from Gallatin, Tn. near Nashville.

Also featured this year will be the Tlaltlacayolotl Aztec Dancers. This year's festival will include dancers, along with an award winning tipi lodge, and crafts, such as bow making, beading, pottery, finger weaving, and carving.

The Chattanooga Heritage Festival and Pow Wow On The River 2017 will be held at First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd. Hours are Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m. with Grand Entry at 12 and 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. with Grand Entry at 12 p.m.

Admission is: adults $10, seniors 60 years and up $5, kids 6-12 $5, students/sponsors with ID $5, and all military, current or retired are free, also police, fire and EMS with ID are free.


An unrelated file photo

HYDERABAD (PTI): Futuristic Information Communication Technology (ICT) will be the backbone for Network Centric Warfare, according to Research Centre Imarat (RCI) Director BHVS Narayana Murthy.



"The state-of-the-art unified command, control, sensors and systems are the backbone of network centric warfare and these systems played a vital role in the latest successful flights of interceptor missiles," he said.



"DRDO has developed many high speed communication networks and devices for its missile applications. ICT will be a game changer in the future by integrated network across services," Murthy said.



He was speaking at an International Summit on 'Trends and Innovations for Next Gen ICT (TINICT-2017)' organised by Computer Society of India (CSI) in association with Research Centre Imarat (RCI), DRDO, Hyderabad on Sunday, an official statement said.



"Digital India initiatives will have a major impact on the common man and will strengthen the delivery of services and resources. It is essential for the country to establish institutes at rural areas for promoting digital literacy among masses," Murthy said.



Director General (Micro Electronic Devices & Computational Systems), DRDO G Athithan said, "With the advancements in ICT, there is a paradigm shift towards Internet of Things (IoT) which can be both useful and also with potential pitfalls if not handled properly. The need of the hour is robust cyber security measures and building trustworthy IT devices."



Telangana s IT secretary Jayesh Ranjan said, "CSI has to proactively bridge the urban and rural digital divide. We need generic apps which can impact and assist common people in their daily life. Broadband facilities have to reach every nook and corner of the country."



He further said the IT Ministry of Telangana government has taken initiatives for the benefit of farmers and will assist them with modern IT tools for better cultivation of crops and soil growth.






TEHRAN (AP): Iran has successfully test-fired a sophisticated Russian-made air defence system, the official IRNA news agency has reported.



The report said the test of the S-300 system on Saturday came during a recent military exercise named Damvand, the name of Iran's highest mountain.



It said the test targeted various flying objects including missiles. With a range of up to 200 kilometers, the S-300 is capable of simultaneously tracking and striking multiple targets.



Russia delivered the S-300 system to Iran in 2016, nearly 10 years after the initial contract had been signed. Iran signed the US$ 800 million contract to buy the S-300 missile system in 2007, but Russia suspended their delivery three years later because of strong objections from the United States and Israel.



In 2016 a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers went into practice under which Iran limited its nuclear activities in return for the lifting of sanctions.




A file photo.

SEOUL (AFP): Nuclear-armed North Korea fired four ballistic missiles east of the peninsula on Monday, with Japan saying three of them landed in its waters.



Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile last month -- its first such launch since October -- which Seoul said was aimed at testing the response from the new US administration of President Donald Trump.



Seoul said several missiles were filed into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, and that South Korea and the US were "closely analysing" tracking data for further details.



"In terms of the range, it is around 1,000 kilometres," the South's defence ministry said in a statement.



Seoul said its armed forces were "closely monitoring the North's military for further provocations and maintaining military readiness".



Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said North Korea fired four missiles "almost simultaneously", three of which landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.



In response to the launch, South Korea's acting president Hwang Kyo-Ahn convened an emergency National Security Council (NSC) meeting, the presidential office said in a statement.



Seoul and Washington launched annual joint military exercises last week that infuriate Pyongyang, which condemns them as provocative rehearsals for invasion.



A day after the Foal Eagle drills kicked off, the North's military warned of "merciless nuclear counter-action" against enemy forces.



"Now that the US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces again kicked off the dangerous nuclear war drills against the DPRK at its doorstep, our army will counter them with the toughest counteractions," a spokesman said in a statement carried by the KCNA news agency.



North Korea has regularly carried out actions in protest against the exercises, last year firing seven ballistic missiles during them.



That rocket -- said by the North to use solid fuel and to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead -- flew east for about 500 kilometres before falling into the Sea of Japan, South Korea said at the time.



North Korea is under heavy international sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes.



Last month, China -- the North's chief ally and diplomatic protector -- announced a suspension of all coal imports from the North until the end of the year, depriving Pyongyang of a crucial source of foreign currency.



China's foreign ministry said Beijing and Pyongyang were still "friendly neighbours" but added it remained opposed to the North's nuclear ambitions.



North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology. But six sets of UN sanctions since Pyongyang's first nuclear test in 2006 have failed to halt its drive for what it insists are defensive weapons.



Last year the country conducted two nuclear tests and numerous missile launches in its quest to develop a nuclear weapons system capable of hitting the continental US.



Pyongyang has also been blamed by Seoul for the killing of Kim's half-brother Kim Jong-Nam by two women using VX nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur's international airport last month.


The Alzheimers Association and Elmcroft of Shallowford are partnering to bring, Coffee with Kodsi, an educational question-and-answer program featuring Dr. Matthew Kodsi, neurologist with Chattanooga Neurology. This event will afford attendees the opportunity to ask a leading expert in the field of dementia care their most pressing questions. Alzheimers is a very challenging disease for both the patient and the caregiver, Dr. French said. This is a golden opportunity to ask the expert as well as connect with others in the Alzheimers community.

Alzheimers disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the only Top 10 cause of death that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed. The disease is affecting more and more individuals as they are diagnosed or put into a caregiver role, according to officials. Understanding the disease and how to manage the often-baffling effects is the key to effective management, said Amy French, manager of programs for the local Alzheimers Association.



Coffee with Kodsi takes place Friday, March 31 from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. at Elmcroft of Shallowford, 7127 Lee Hwy. in Chattanooga. It is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP to 423-954-0286.
Three Christian bands will be in Collegedale Saturday, March 18, as part of a nationwide tour. No. 1 Billboard Chart-topping Christian band Big Daddy Weave will be performing live at Collegedale Community Church alongside We Are Messengers and Zach Williams - two artists who have made their way to the top of the charts this year.

Tickets are $25-$50 and are available at https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1369257.

Review for Big Daddy Weave:

Big Daddy Weave is one of the top artists in Christian music: they are one of the genres biggest headlining artists, the second most played artist at Christian AC-Monitored radio in 2014 and the recipient of multiple industry awards and nominations, including: Dove Awards, K-LOVE Fan Awards, Billboard Music Awards and ASCAP Awards.

Between 2012 and 2015, Big Daddy Weave has achieved five straight No. 1 singles at radio, the most recent being My Story from the 9/18/15 album, Beautiful Offerings, and the previous four from the bands career best-selling album, Love Come To Life. Redeemed was certified gold by the RIAA in 2015. Big Daddy Weave has career album sales of more than one million units.

Formed in 2002, Big Daddy Weave is: Mike Weaver, Jay Weaver, Jeremy Redmon, Joe Shirk and Brian Beihl. More information can be found online at www.bigdaddyweave.com.
Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) all over Ireland are hosting more than 380 inspiring events for an estimated 14,500 start-ups, entrepreneurs and business owners during Local Enterprise Week 2017.

Local Enterprise Week, which runs until this Friday, aims to increase awareness of the range of supports and services available to micro and small enterprises from the 31 LEO offices in every local authority area.
Two former bank executives jailed last year for a 7.2 billion conspiracy to defraud in 2008 have opened appeals against their convictions.

Last July, the former head of capital markets with Anglo Irish Bank John Bowe (pictured) and the former chief executive of Irish Life and Permanent, Denis Casey, were found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of agreeing a scheme to mislead the public about the true health of Anglo.
Large crowds are expected to attend the funeral of 90 year Paddy Lyons who was found dead in his Waterford home over a week ago.

Family and friends will gather at St Mary's Church in Ballysaggart at 11 o'clock this morning to bid farewell to the retired farmer.
A policeman shot at a petrol station has described how he thought he was "going to die on that forecourt".

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer, aged in his 20s, was hit three times in the arm during January's attack in Belfast.

A group calling itself the New IRA claimed responsibility for the attempted murder, in which an AK-47 assault rifle was used.

Speaking anonymously in an episode of the BBC's Crimewatch to be broadcast on Monday night, the policeman, speaking anonymously, said: "I felt something hit me...everything slowed down. Blood was pouring out.

"I thought that was me. I thought I was going to die on that forecourt."

Detectives will use the BBC show to appeal for more information on the attack on Crumlin Road by releasing previously unseen CCTV footage.

It is believed rounds may have been fired from behind a fence across the road from the garage forecourt as two officers emerged from the shop.

The images show a car police are linking to the attack, a red Audi A4 estate which was found burned out in west Belfast after the incident.

Detective Superintendent Kevin Geddes said: "I welcome the opportunity to make a fresh appeal for information on Crimewatch tonight more than one month after the attack when I will also reveal new pieces of information in relation to the investigation.

"The programme will also feature my colleague speaking about his ordeal publicly for the first time.

"He will bravely describe the moments leading up to the attack, his thoughts and feelings on realising he had been shot and injured, and also describe his road to recovery."

Three men, aged 30, 36, and 39, who were arrested in connection with the incident were all released unconditionally.

No further arrests have been made since then, police said.

- AP
Update - 9.30pm: A member of the Cabinet says the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes must be allowed finish its work in relation to the former Bon Secours facility in Tuam.

Last week, the commission confirmed it had discovered the remains of a "significant number" of children in a sewer system at the Galway site.

Politicians on all sides of the political divide have condemned the find, which comprises of hundreds of discarded babies' bodies.

The home in Tuam operated between 1925 and 1961, and the samples are likely to date from the 1950s.

It is believed several hundred children were buried at the site.

Advocacy groups have been calling for similar excavations at other former homes around the country.

Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe says it will be considered.

He said: "Cabinet and Minister (Katherine) Zappone will of course consider whether there is the potential for any such discoveries elsewhere within our country.

"But before we go ahead with any such decisions, I think it is important to establish do we have any evidence that might prompt such excavations?"

Update - 3.30pm: The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has described the discovery of a mass grave at the Tuam Mother and Baby Home as "truly appalling".

Politicians on all sides of the political divide have condemned the Galway find which comprises of hundreds of discarded babies' bodies.

Mr Kenny says the relevant authorities should now be given time to decide how next to proceed.

Speaking to Midwest Radio, the Taoiseach said: "Well when this first cam to light following the analysis done by Miss Corless, the local historian in Tuam, I described the way that babies of single mothers were treated in this country, back in 2014, as being akin to some kind of sub-species.

"It's appalling, truly appalling."

Kenny says find of human remains at Tuam site 'truly appalling' https://t.co/MS3VHJptL0 pic.twitter.com/hgho2OTypo  RTE News (@rtenews) March 6, 2017

"And obviously the coroner and everybody involved has to see how best we can proceed with the next step in this case, and possibly others.

"It's a horrendous situation for those whose siblings were treated in this fashion."

Asked if the Commission of Investigation into mother and baby homes needs to be extended following the Tuam discovery, he said: "When the Minister for Children's talking to the commission, obviously if it needs to be extended then it will be extended."

"But I think the next step, if I understand this, is for the coroner to move here - but the question is what do you do to attempt to identify the remains of a substantial number of babies between three weeks and three years (old) which have come to light in this case.

"And are there others, in other locations, who were treated in the same fashion?

"So this is another issue - one of many that we have come across in the last number of years - which were left lying in the shadows of an Ireland that we had hoped was gone"

"But I commend the local historian, Ms Corless, who followed through on this - and now it's beginning to come to light the scale of what actually happened".

Earlier: The Bon Secours order that ran the Tuam mother and baby home has come under pressure to disband and to give up their assets to the State, writes Elaine Loughlin.

People Before Profit (PBP) have called on the nuns to make a complete and unreserved apology to the victims of the mother and baby home.

Speaking this morning AAA-PBP TD Brid Smith claimed the Bon Secour nuns had been guilty of a "massive cover-up" of "criminal activity" which they had denied for many years.

Ms Smith was joined by Deirdre Wadding, a former resident of Bessboro mother and baby home in Cork.

Ms Wadding said the revelations that more than 700 babies had been buried in pits in the Co Galway home, had shocked her but proved that "church and State colluded from the very foundation of this State to oppress women. Women and children have been brutalised by those twin forces for decades now.

"For me it has been a very wobbly few days, to be personal about it, as I read about Tuam it certainly stirred up my own experiences," said Ms Wadding who was sent to Bessboro aged 19 in 1981.

She said even then the culture of "shame, isolation, banishment and loss" still existed.

Calling on the order to give up their assets and disband Ms Smith said: "Bon Secour now run, and make lucrative profits from two private hospitals, one in Glasnevin and the other in the University area of Cork. They are a very wealthy organisation."

She added that their resources should be used to compensate families involved and to provide memorial services to remember the children buried in Tuam and other homes.

"The order itself should be disbanded and their assets handed over to the State.

"They would be two fine hospitals that the State could take over and run, not for profit but for the benefit of everybody."

"We need to once and for all tell the church to get out of our lives, get out of the lives of our children, get out of the lives of our women, get out of beds, get out of our schools and get out of our hospitals" Ms Smith said.
Let Me Tell You is a new bespoke podcast series from



Hosts Daniel McConnell and Paul Hosford take a look back at some of the most dramatic moments in recent Irish political history from the unique perspective of one of the key players involved.


Tragedy or no Tragedy, it is happening - Steps are back!

The 90s band are returning for 2017 with a huge UK & Ireland arena tour, plus a brand-new single and album, marking their 20th anniversary.

WE'RE BACK !!! New Album & Tour !!!! WHOOP !!! #20YearsOfSteps  pic.twitter.com/kn8okXrewW  H from Steps (@Ianhwatkins) March 6, 2017

The foursome are set to take to the stage of Dublins 3Arena on November 13 before hitting Belfast and multiple cities across the UK.

Wait  it gets better.

Supporting the band are none other than the Vengaboys.

*Cue every 90s child hysteria*

The new single, Scared Of The Dark premieres later this week and will be released on Friday March 10 ahead of the new album Tears On The Dancefloor, out Apr 21.

The band have scored fourteen consecutive top 5 singles, sold over 20 million records and reached Number One with three albums and three singles.
Zoe Neal, of Soddy Daisy, won the regional, district and state VFW for the state of Georgia.

She delivered her speech to the VFW of Rossville on February 5 and

two weeks later

, delivered it to the VFW awards ceremony in Macon.





In winning the state, she received an all expenses paid trip to be recognized in the Circle of Winner in Washington DC last week where she represented where she won an additional scholarship money from the regional, district and state.Additionally, she received an all expenses paid trip to Valley Forge with the state winners in June.





Zoe Neal attends Laurel Springs online academy and is from Soddy Daisy. She is in 11th grade.


Angela Merkel has rejected the Turkish president's accusation of "Nazi practices" among German officials, days after authorities prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally.

Chancellor Merkel said in Berlin: "One cannot seriously comment on such misplaced statements."

Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans for rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of a national referendum on constitutional reform which would give Recep Tayyip Erdogan more powers.

The Turkish president's remarks follow a decision last week by local authorities in south-west Germany to withdraw permission for Turkey's justice minister Bekir Bozdag to hold a rally near the French border as part of a campaign to encourage Turks in Germany to vote "yes" in an upcoming referendum on constitutional reform.

Responding to that, Mr Erdogan said: "Germany - you don't have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past."

Mrs Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said earlier that the German government "strongly rejected" that view, adding that such comparisons downplay the crimes of the Nazis.

Mr Seibert noted that there are strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there are "far-reaching differences of opinion" between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

He also dismissed any notion that the federal government was involved in the decision to cancel events with Turkish officials, saying it was up to local officials to decide whether they could guarantee the necessary security.

Other European nations with significant Turkish immigrant communities have also expressed their opinions on the issue.

"Our Austrian solution should be clear: we will not accept any campaign appearances by Turkish politicians in Austria," Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz said, as he arrived at a meeting of European Union counterparts in Brussels.

He added that "we don't want campaigns from other states to be brought to Austria and conflicts from other countries imported ... that is always damaging for integration".

However, German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel sounded sceptical about calls from some other European Union ministers to consider EU-wide rules for campaign appearances by foreign politicians, pointing out that every country had its own opinion on the topic.

"I think the main thing is that everyone uses the possibilities they have to ensure that we get back to a somewhat normal relationship," he said.

Luxembourg foreign minister Jean Asselborn said that "normally you would have to think that democracy is strong enough to cope with this".

The strife comes at a time when the European Union is relying on a migrant deal with Turkey which has significantly cut down the number of migrants crossing into Europe.

However, Mr Erdogan has several times threatened to quit the deal when expressing anger over European countries.

Germany also has reconnaissance aircraft deployed at a Nato base in Turkey as part of the alliance's fight against the Islamic State group.
US president Donald Trump's new travel ban order will temporarily halt entries to the US for people from six Muslim-majority countries who are seeking new visas, sources revealed.

It has emerged that the new travel ban will take effect on the same day he meets Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway has confirmed the new executive order will take effect on March 16, the same date on which he is due to meet the Taoiseach, with Mr Kenny previously having committed to raising concern about the US president's immigration policy.

Mr Trump will sign the order which aims to address legal issues that arose from the original directive, after it was blocked by the courts.

According to a fact sheet distributed to US politicians, people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen who do not currently have valid visas will be blocked from coming to the US for 90 days.

Iraq was originally included on the list of banned countries.

But according to the fact sheet, Iraq was removed from the order after agreeing to increase co-operation with the US government on vetting of its citizens applying for a travel visa.

Iraq has said its removal from a revised US travel ban sends a "positive message" for relations.

Government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi said the decision to revise the ban shows that there is a "real partnership" between Washington and Baghdad.
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has called for a meeting with embattled conservative candidate Francois Fillon and his possible replacement to find a solution to the crisis that threatens to shatter the French right.

Mr Sarkozy said the current divisions, which are linked to Mr Fillon's decision to maintain his presidential bid despite impending corruption charges, are playing into the hands of the far-right.
North Korea has fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 620 miles, three landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to South Korean and Japanese officials.

The firings were an apparent reaction to huge joint military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.

It was not immediately clear what type of missile was fired. Pyongyang has staged a series of test-launches of various ranges in recent months, including a new intermediate-range missile in February.

The ramped-up tests came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile programme that can deter what he calls US and South Korean hostility.

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said the latest firing shows that North Korea has become "a new kind of threat".

Japanese officials said three of the four missiles landed in the 200-nautical-mile offshore area where Tokyo has sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting resources.

South Korea's Joint Chief of Staff said in a statement that the launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province.

The area is the home of the North's Seohae Satellite Station where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.

Seoul and Washington call their military drills on the Korean peninsula - which remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty - defensive and routine.

The North condemns the military drills, which run until late April and which analysts say force its impoverished military to respond with expensive deployments and drills of their own.

A spokesman for the North's General Staff of the Korean People's Army said last week that Pyongyang's reaction to the southern drills would be the toughest ever, but did not elaborate.

North Korea conducted two nuclear tests last year. There have been widespread concerns that the North will test an intercontinental ballistic missile that, when perfected, could in theory reach US shores. Washington would consider such a capability a major threat.

The US has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, and 50,000 in Japan, as a deterrent against a potential aggression from the North.
South Korea's military says North Korea has fired a projectile into the waters off the North's east coast.

It was not immediately clear what was fired, but Pyongyang has staged a series of missile test-launches of various ranges in recent months.
Supermarket chain Asda has been fined 300,000 (347,000) for food safety failings after inspectors found dead mice and flies at a home delivery depot.

Council safety officers made the discovery in the bread section at the site in Enfield, which distributes food to online shoppers in London and Essex.

They also found mouse droppings on shelves and in a packet of cereal, while a pack of sugar in the home baking aisle had been gnawed by rodents.

Inspectors also found the shells of fly pupae under shelves, spilt foodstuffs and rotting coriander in home delivery trays when they visited the Southbury Road depot on May 27 last year.

Asda was fined on Friday and ordered to pay 4,843 (5,600) costs after it admitted three food safety and hygiene breaches at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court in January, Enfield Council said.

Daniel Anderson, the cabinet member for environment, said: "It beggars belief that a national retailer would allow food to be stored in an environment where rodents are running riot.

"It is simply unacceptable for customers to be exposed to the potential risk of harm because a company cannot get its house in order and store foodstuff in a safe and hygienic manner.

"Hopefully (the fine) will send out a strong message to all retailers that we will not tolerate them being less than properly vigilant and ensuring their staff abide by their own stated hygiene policies to protect the health and well-being of their customers."

Asda said it had carried out a "full and thorough review" to improve its food safety processes, including its pest control.

A spokesman for the supermarket said: "The conditions found at our Enfield home shopping centre in May 2016 were completely unacceptable and we are deeply sorry that on this occasion the strict processes we have in place failed at a local level.

"We would like to reassure all our customers that immediate steps were taken as soon as the issue was flagged last year to restore the high standards that our customers expect from us."

-PA
South Sudan's government is blocking desperately needed food aid and restricting United Nations peacekeepers, according to the UN.

An internal report from UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres to members of the Security Council obtained by the Associated Press shows the daunting conditions faced by the international community as it tries to combat a catastrophe in the troubled East African nation.

It singles out South Sudan's government for "the destruction of all the social fabric in all parts of the country" and lists "outrageous" examples of belligerence by South Sudan's security forces.

The UN humanitarian chief, Stephen O'Brien, said South Sudan is impeding humanitarian assistance, following a two-day visit to the country over the weekend.

"People have been displaced, brutalised and raped. They have been attacked when they sought out assistance. This must stop, and it must stop now," Mr O'Brien said in a statement.

At least 50,000 people have died in South Sudan's civil war, which began in December 2013 as a result of a struggle for power between President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar.

An estimated 100,000 people are experiencing famine, and another one million people are on the brink of starvation, South Sudan's government and UN agencies said in late February.

South Sudan is now Africa's largest migrant crisis as more than three million people have either fled the country or become internally displaced, according to the UN.

The impact of this ongoing conflict and violence has reached disastrous proportions for civilians, Mr Guterres said in the internal letter.

The UN Security Council decided in August to send an additional 4,000 peacekeepers to South Sudan, but the government has delayed the arrival of the extra troops.

Some progress on sending the extra troops has recently been made, however, and the deployment of an advance contingent of Rwandan troops is being finalised, said Mr Guterres' report.

The letter, sent to the Security Council on February 13, listed several incidents in which he said government forces hindered the UN's peacekeeping and humanitarian work.

But South Sudan's First Vice President Taban Deng Gai told members of the UN Human Rights Council on February 27 hat the government has improved security and taken steps to hold violators of rights abuses accountable, according to a statement obtained by AP.

He said the government does not have enough resources to demobilise armed groups, and asked for more military funding.

"I can state with confidence that the notion of a looming genocide and possible ethnic cleansing is fading away as we continue with these demonstrations of our commitment to harmoniously live together," Mr Gai said in the statement.

His optimistic portrait of South Sudan is markedly different from the one UN officials provide.

UN peacekeepers were recently prevented from verifying allegations of government forces killing or arbitrarily arresting civilians, including in the troubled town of Yei, according to the internal letter from the secretary-general.

In late February, armed groups and members of the local community looted the compound and warehouse of Save the Children in the northern Jonglei area.

The organisation was the only distributor of food aid in the area, which is on the brink of famine.

"This is the most extreme act by the very people we are trying to help," said Peter Walsh, South Sudan director for Save the Children in a statement.

"It is critical that parties to the conflict provide unimpeded humanitarian access to the affected community to avoid famine becoming their death sentence."

-AP
Never mind shaking your booty, the Art, Not Apart festival team wants Canberrans to "shake their souls" at this year's event on March 18.

And the festival program, launched officially on Monday morning, is a wicked menu that looks inspiring enough to do just that.

Performer (and former Canberran) Oliver Levi-Malouf aims to shock and disorientate the audience in 'Sirens', part of the Art, Not Apart line-up. Credit:Oliver Levi-Malouf

The line-up includes gender-bending performance artists, a troupe of naked pianists, rehearsed and raw rhymes at a brand new Poet Tree and a 100m long collaborative street art project along Edinburgh Avenue. All underpinned by a festival soundtrack that includes authentic Romani gypsy music, electronica and hip-hop.

More than 200 performance and visual artists - and some who defy genre - will converge on New Acton and new partner venue the National Film and Sound Archive for the festival. This year's theme is 'Shake It Up'.
Carwoola resident Alex DeValentin said she had no radio reception during the recent fire. Credit:Jamila Toderas

Happy Tuesday! We're looking at a maximum of 25 degrees today. The cooler weather is expected to continue most of the week, before nudging toward 30 on Friday and the weekend.

Carwoola mum Alexandra DeValentin was without radio reception as fire bore down on her Carwoola property last month.

She spent about 45 minutes not knowing the direction of the fire and struggling to access ABC Radio Canberra.

While the federal government said it would fix the mobile coverage in the Eden-Monaro electorate through its $100 million blackspot program, NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the issue of radio reception had slipped through the cracks.

Clare Sibthorpe has the story.
Data mapping shows assaults, sexual assaults and theft are concentrated in the suburbs of Civic and Belconnen while also revealing:

Canberra's hotbeds of crime have been revealed by Fairfax Media analysis. Credit:Stock

Analysis reveals total crime in the territory has dropped 1.6 per cent since 2014 but reported assaults have increased by almost 40 per cent.

Canberra's crime hotspots have been revealed by a Fairfax Media analysis of official police data.

The number of assaults within the city centre was particularly concerning, with reported incidents climbing from 281 in 2014 to 430 last year.

A spokesman for Police Minister Mick Gentleman said the government was aware inner-city violence was an issue and was working to combat it.

"It is an issue that we are addressing and it remains an important part of our focus in reducing crime throughout the territory," he said.

See Canberra's crime hotspots here

Opposition police spokeswoman Giulia Jones said many residents had been noticing a change within Civic in recent years.
Crown Resorts' controversial Barangaroo casino faced "inadequate" and "superficial" parliamentary scrutiny before being approved, according to the former head of NSW's gambling regulator.

Chris Sidoti, who was chairman of the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority for eight years to January 2016, has used an interview with ABC's Four Corners to criticise the lack of a full public inquiry before James Packer's Crown was granted the Barangaroo licence.

"There was no public tender process and there was no inquiry at any stage, a public inquiry, as to the public benefit involved in this," Mr Sidoti, who was the regulator at the time, told Four Corners.

"I don't think there was an appetite for thorough scrutiny. I think there was a wish simply to get the job done in terms of having some basic level of examination and doing the deal."
Vicinity Centres is considering replacing some of its cleaning contractors with robots in a bid to automate and save costs, according to one of the company's non-executive directors, Wai Tang.

In a roundtable discussion ahead of International Women's Day, Ms Tang said disruption and volatility in the sector had led to many changes.

Vicinty Centres, which manages shopping centres around the country, had recently started trialling whether robots could be used to clean its centres.

But such a move, if it was formally implemented, would "displace many jobs", she said.
A leading urologist of his own generation and younger brother-in-law of the urologist James Peters (deceased), Jim O'Collins contributed to the remarkable progress in treating the urinary system made during his years in that specialised field of surgery.

Born on December 20, 1932 James Patrick O'Collins grew up on his parents' property ("Rock Lodge") in the hills outside Frankston. Educated at Xavier College, he became a student at Newman College and in 1957 graduated MBBS at the University of Melbourne.

Jim O'Collins, leading urologist

After a year of residency at the Mater Hospital, Brisbane, working as a casualty surgeon and urologist, he returned to St Vincent's Melbourne for a year as pathology registrar and then senior registrar in surgery. He topped the course for the first part of his FRACS (Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons) before leaving for London and a course at St Thomas' Hospital. Having already completed the first part of his FRACS, in March 1961 he could take the second part of his FRCS (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons) and topped his group.

Three years of enriching practice in England began with an appointment as senior registrar in orthopaedics at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington. Jim then moved north to work in Leeds as a urologist at St James' University Hospital (popularly known as "Jimmy's"). At the end of 1962 he was appointed senior registrar at the Bradford Royal Infirmary.
The impact of climate change on the Australian environment and its ecosystems is increasing and some aspects may be irreversible, the latest State of the Environment report has warned.

The condition of the environment was "poor" and "deteriorating" in some areas, despite improvements in the marine environment and the Murray-Darling Basin, according to the report.

To be released on Tuesday by Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg, the five-yearly dossier says Australia lacks overarching national policies that establish "a clear vision" for protecting and managing the environment, including climate change, between now and 2050.

A summary provided to Fairfax Media warns of increasing pressures from coal mining, the coal-seam gas industry, habitat degradation, land-use change and invasive species.
It's one of the most extraordinary situations imaginable: a woman sharing the stage with her rapist, discussing her experience and his responsibility.

But that's exactly what attendees witnessed as Thordis Elva and her rapist Tom Stranger shared the stage at the All About Women conference at the Opera House on Sunday.

Thordis Elva was 16 when she was raped by 18-year-old Australian exchange student Tom Stranger in Reykjavik, Iceland.

"I don't want to focus on forgiveness today, I want to focus on responsibility," Ms Elva said at the beginning of her talk.

That a rapist has been given such a public platform is something which has come under heavy criticism. A petition against his upcoming appearance at a Women of the World festival in London has attracted more than 2000 signatures.
Chicago Went 6 Days Without A Fatal Shooting For The First Time In Over 4 Years

By Stephen Gossett in News on Mar 6, 2017 3:51PM



Getty Images / Photo: Brad Thompson

For the first time in more than four years, Chicago went six days without a shooting fatality, according to the Sun-Times.

The stretch of time last week without a fatal shooting was the first time since January 2013; and Chicago has only once went more than four days without a deadly shooting between then and the recent six-day stretchin December of last year, the paper reports.

According to Chicago police, the most recent shooting fatality in Chicago happened on Saturday, March 4, in Austin. At around 12:13 p.m. officers responded to a call of a person down in 5400 block of West Ohio Street and found a man facedown in a vacant lot. The victim, 32, had been shot several times in the lower body. He was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.

Ninety-six people have been fatally shot so far in Chicago this year, according to the Sun-Times. A study of last year's spike in gun violence by the University of Chicago's Crime Lab found that there was no simple explanation for the city's violence, although increased deadliness of guns was one of many possible factors. Some Chicago-based criminologists have highlighted disinvestment in certain poverty-stricken neighborhoods as key contributing factors to the gun violence.


A Polish lawmaker sparked a backlash in the European Parliament after he said women should not have equal pay to men because they are "weaker, smaller and less intelligent."

European Parliament member (MEP) Janusz Korwin-Mikke made the remarks at a debate on the gender pay gap in Brussels on Wednesday.

Janusz Korwin-Mikke participates in the 5th March of Freedom and Sovereignty on October 8, 2016 in Warsaw, Poland. Credit:Getty

"Do you know which was the place in the Polish theoretical physics Olympiad, the first place of women, of girls? I can tell you: 800th. Do you know how many women are in the first 100 chess players? I can tell you: not one. Of course women must earn less than men because they are weaker, they are smaller, they are less intelligent, and they must earn less. That is all," he said.

Korwin-Mikke, 74, is a right-wing politician who represents the Silesia region of Poland.
The situation has prompted a group of leading health experts to slam the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which they say has exaggerated e-cigarettes' dangers, while ignoring their "substantial" health benefits. The group of 16 academics, researchers and doctors supported an application to the TGA to allow the use of nicotine at concentrations of 3.6 per cent or less for use in e-cigarettes as a tobacco harm reduction measure. However, the TGA made an interim decision in February to continue its ban on nicotine for use in e-cigarette. It is due to make a final decision on March 23. In response, the group has made a submission calling the ban "unethical" and "unscientific". It has pointed out what it believes are "fundamental flaws" in the TGA's reasoning, which they say is not supported by evidence or overseas experience.

These include ignoring e-cigarettes' potential to aid quitting, and exaggerating the risk of increasing nicotine dependence as most users were smokers first. A major concern for the TGA is that e-cigarettes could provide a gateway for young people to take up smoking, but the group says this is "unjustified and overblown" as overseas experience shows the opposite - that they are vaping instead. The group points to 2014 research that estimated six million Europeans had quit smoking with e-cigarettes and a review that found vaping was at least 95 per cent safer than smoking. Ideology was behind the ban and why Australia's most prominent health organisations, such as the Cancer Council and Heart Foundation, supported it, University of New South Wales Associate Professor Colin Mendelsohn said. "It's political, it's emotional, it's ideological - it's we've always done it this way," he said.

"They are finding little problems in the research and are basically throwing smokers under the bus." Australia was pursuing a "smoke-free agenda ... but like the war on drugs, prohibition doesn't work", Associate Professor Mendelsohn said. He said some health advocates were "blinded by their hatred" of the tobacco industry, which was funding e-cigarette research and investing in e-cigarette companies. "If they change over to a safer product, that's win for everyone," he said. "They can save their businesses, keep their shareholders happy, but also billions of lives are saved."

With the UK, EU, US, Canada and NZ having either legalised e-cigarettes or are in the process of doing so, Associate Professor Mendelsohn said Australia was falling behind. "It's extraordinary they exempt the most lethal consumer product ever invented, but they criminalise people who want to use low concentration nicotine in e-cig for harm reduction," he said. "Nicotine is not the harmful ingredient in tobacco. It does not cause cancer or lung disease and has only minor effects on the cardiovascular system." Another member of the group, Professor Ron Borland, who is also a fellow at the Cancer Council Victoria, said the council supported the ban as it was being cautious about the potential long-term risks. However, he said he didn't support a ban on a product that had been found to prevent disease now because of potential problems in the future.

A TGA spokeswoman confirmed it was taking a "cautionary approach" to e-cigarettes. "[There is ] limited evidence on their quality, safety, efficacy for smoking cessation or harm reduction, and the potential risks they pose to population health," she said. She noted a World Health Organisation paper presented at a tobacco control conference in November last year that also urged caution. Loading Mr Stephens, who had read up on the evidence supporting e-cigarettes, questioned why a method that could help smokers and ease the burden on the health system was being ignored.
It's become fashionable to speak of "post-truth politics" and the "post-factual era". And while that memorable utterance from the Trump White House alerting us to the existence of "alternative facts" had all the shock value of a seismic shift, the reality is that blatant public falsification has been with us for some time, quietly developing to its current malignant state.

Recent history suggests that Donald Trump is not so much an originator as a more outrageous heir to a school of lying that has been well used by others to obfuscate truths and avoid accountability. For example, the invasion of Iraq, under the pretext of searching for weapons of mass destruction that didn't exist, rested on "alternative facts" from the start. London and Washington heavy-hitters made sizeable dents in political credibility as they scrambled to justify the unjustifiable and defend the indefensible. Chilling, indeed, was British prime minister Tony Blair's curt dismissal of evidence contrary to his position  "I only know what I believe"  to a disbelieving Labour Party conference in 2004. How can you argue at all logically with a statement like that?

British prime minister Tony Blair at the 20004 labour conference. Credit:Andrew Milligan

But even more alarming was what emerged across the Atlantic when United States officials were faced with questions about Iraq. In an interview with The New York Times' Ron Suskind, a senior White House aid (unnamed, but widely thought to be then president George W. Bush's chief strategist, Karl Rove) offered what amounts to a philosophical underpinning of alternative facts.
The world is going nuts for Australian farm produce as overseas markets clamour for locally grown nuts such as almonds and macadamias as well as agricultural stalwarts such as beef, lamb, wool and cotton.

The value of Australian farm production is forecast to surge by 8.3 per cent this financial year to a massive $63.8 billion, thanks to favourable seasonal conditions in most farming areas and strong prices for major exports such as beef, lamb and wool.

Vast almond orchards like this one in Victoria's north west are contributing to Australia's agriculture boom. Credit:Erin Jonasson

Production records have been smashed across the country, and with the overwhelming majority of our farm produce sent overseas, the value of farm exports is forecast to hit $47.7 billion in 2016-17 and rise even higher next year, to a record $48.7 billion.

Australia is tipped to export a record volume of wheat (22.8 million tonnes), barley (7.4 million tonnes) and chickpeas (1.4 million tonnes), and earn a record $75 million plus from cherry exports.
A six-year-old girl has died after a crash on a quad bike being driven by a 13-year-old girl.

Five children were riding two quad bikes on a farm near Pilliga, 100 kilometres west of Narrabri, on Sunday afternoon.

One of the bikes, carrying three girls, left a roadway on the property and struck two trees, a NSW Police spokesman said.

The six-year-old girl died at the scene.
A man has been charged with murder after a woman's body was found in Sydney's west on the weekend.

Police were called to the building on De Witt Street in Bankstown about 7.30pm on Sunday to check on the welfare of female resident.

When officers entered the apartment, they found the 55-year-old woman not breathing.
The proposed Brisbane Metro may run on existing busways, carrying commuters in large vehicles with tyres, but don't expect the Deputy Mayor to call them buses.

Cr Adrian Schrinner, fresh from being publicly called out for "moaning" by British superstar Adele, repeatedly refused to use the b-word to describe the vehicles on Monday morning.

"Like I said, it's a hybrid vehicle that doesn't exist in Brisbane," he told ABC Radio Brisbane listeners, saying the vehicles would carry about 150 passengers each.

"Some people call it a bus but, ultimately, it's about moving large numbers of people, as I said."
A man accused of being involved in the 2015 murder of Gold Coast father Greg Dufty has had the charge against him dismissed.

Ethan Clarke, 21, was released after his lawyer David Funch successfully argued in Southport Magistrates Court on Monday that statements against his client by two co-accused were inadmissible.

Greg Dufty.

Mr Clarke was one of six men charged with murdering Mr Dufty, who was last seen in July 2015.

Mr Funch told a committal hearing the only evidence against his client was statements given by Liam Bliss and Clinton Stockman, who have already been committed to stand trial for Mr Dufty's murder.
Brisbane City Council has softened its opposition to the Gabba hosting high-drawing concerts, after British superstar Adele attracted 120,000 to the venue over two nights without incident on the weekend.

Still, there was no immediate prospect of a repeat, with Stadiums Queensland confirming on Monday no further acts had been booked for the inner-south-eastern suburbs venue.

The relative success of Adele's two shows seemed to assure the Gabba passed the test and would be used again for major concerts.

Deputy mayor Adrian Schrinner, who first raised concerns about the ability of Brisbane's public transport to cope with the two 60,000-strong crowds last month, said on Monday the council was now satisfied the Gabba had passed the test.
New legislation will "empower" Queensland Health officers to shut down or fine facilities for poor hygiene practices, Health Minister Cameron Dick said on Monday.

The legislation, which Mr Dick plans to introduce to parliament by the end of March, is in response to the December 2016 closure of a Brisbane dental clinic because of poor infection control measures.

Health Minister Cameron Dick wants Queensland Health officers to have more power to fine and shut down health facilities with poor hygine standards. Credit:Jorge Branco

At the time, patients of Gap Free Smile at Carina were encouraged to get independent checks as a caution in case they had contracted hepatitis C from a recent treatment at the clinic.

"This case late last year in December illustrated that we needed to have stronger powers to enable Queensland Health to act and act immediately if necessary," he said.
Cops Care More About Black Lives Than 'A Lot Of Black Politicians,' Says Police Union Head

By Stephen Gossett in News on Mar 6, 2017 5:26PM



Screenshot from 'The Contract'

As the battle between the Chicago police union and police-reformist aldermen continues to percolate, union president Dean Angelo said in a recent interview that Chicago police care more about black lives than many black politicians.

In an hour-long interview with The Daily Line publisher Mike Fourcher for The Aldercast, Angelo, President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge, said, Police officers are more concerned about black lives than a lot of black politicians, because we risk our life for people that dont look like us.

Politicians that demonize the policeand these activists that think all the suddenwere the problem, were not the problem. Were not the demon out there. Were the ones you call when your junk is hitting the fan, because you know were gonna come, Angelo said in the interview, which was posted on Sunday.

Angelo also said the police contract is under attack and criticized aldermen who he claims have not read the contract, yet are pushing for revisions.

At the same time that Angelo is running for re-election as union president, the City Councils Black Caucus, along with some other aldermen, is pushing hard for those fundamental reforms to the police contract.

Among the aldermens requests are an end to the requirement for an affidavit that prevents anonymous complaints for advancing; a stop to the controversial 24-hour so-called cooling off period that officers have before making a statement after police-involved shootings; and an end to the clause that allows disciplinary record older than four years to be destroyed.

While members of the Black Caucus lobby for the changesfor which Mayor Rahm Emanuel has gestured supportAngelo looks to shore up his re-election bid, as officers ballots are due in this month.

The wide-ranging interview also touches on the Department of Justice recommendations for reform in the Chicago Police Department and the FOPs lawsuit against the city of Chicago, which alleges that investigators for the citys police oversight agencies are not properly trained. You can listen here.

Angelo raised eyebrows late last year when the union president appeared to defend a code of silence while speaking with filmmakers for an Al Jeezera documentary about the police union and its contract.

Chicagoist has reached out to members of the City Council's Black Caucusincluding Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th), the chairman; and Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), the vice chairmanfor comment. This post will be updated as necessary.
While Snap's blockbuster IPO has boosted the net worth of several high-profile investors and co-founders by billions of dollars, one of the previously less-visible big winners is Australian venture capitalist Jeremy Liew.

A partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, Liew's deal to make the very first investment in the company previously called Snapchat produced billions in gains for his firm.

Speaking to the Australian Financial Review, Liew said the result was "just another day at the office", and hoped it wouldn't be the biggest accomplishment of his career.

"I'm 45 and I've been a venture capitalist for about 10 years," he said. "I would definitely be disappointed if the best years of my career were already behind me."
8. Picasa ii Speaking of photo management, Picasa, Google's desktop photo library tool, was one of our favourite ways to organise your digital photos until Google decided to kill it off in 2016. The good news is that most of Picasa's features made it into Google Photos. While Google Photos lacks the desktop management tools that Picasa had, the online version is plenty robust as a replacement. Which is good, because except for Apple Photos, there really aren't many desktop photo management apps left. 7. Google Answers

xx Google killed Google Answers way back in 2006. Unlike current competitors like Stack Exchange, Quora, and the always-insightful Yahoo Answers, Google Answers incentivized good answers by offering up cash payments. When a user asked a question on Google Answers they could also post a bounty. If you liked a well-researched answer, you'd pay out and could add a tip on top of that. Before Google Answers, Google had a similar service, called Google Questions and Answers, where you'd email Google staffer a question and they'd answer it for $US3. While Quora is the best replacement, there's no money involved there, but services like Fiverr and Amazon Mechanical Turk take a similar approach if you're looking for someone to do your research for you. 6. Google Wave

xx Google Wave existed between 2010 and 2012 and was one of the company's most ambitious failures. Wave was too ambitious though, as nobody was quite sure how to use the email-instant messenger-document collaborating-wiki-forum-blogging tool. Once Google laid Wave to rest, Apache took over some of the protocols, but little came of it. As baffling as Wave was for most users, it laid the groundwork for a number of now-popular services, including Slack and Discord, which are the closest modern equivalents when it comes to Wave's chat systems. If you miss the document collaboration features in Wave, you have plenty of alternatives in Google Drive, Dropbox, or Office. 5. Google Helpouts ii

The general idea of Helpouts was connecting you, a normal human Google user, with an expert so you can ask questions live. Some of these Helpouts channels cost money, but most were free, which is why it failed in the long run. Still, it was useful in theory and the ability to ask experts questions on everything from home repair to Photoshop was appealing. There aren't a ton of alternatives that work the same way as Helpouts, but Clarity.fm is similar if you need help with a startup and our own Ask an Expert series is great provided the topic of the week is useful for you. 4. Google Notebook ll Google discontinued Google Notebook in 2012, but it lived a long and full life by Google standards. As the name suggests, Google Notebook was an online notes platform where you could store notes and even add web clippings provided you were using Firefox or Internet Explorer. If that all sounds familiar it's because it's basically Evernote.

The good news is that replacements are a dime a dozen. Google Notebook might have been one of the first online notes apps, but nowadays Evernote, OneNote, Simplenote, and Google Keep all fill the void. While all of the modern options have far surpassed Google Notebook, it still holds a special place in our hearts for being one of the first good options around. 3. Google Labs jj While the main landing page for Google Labs is gone, the spirit lives on in one way or another. Chrome has its experimental flags and Gmail still has a slew of experimental options built into it. Google Labs might be technically dead, but that doesn't mean the company doesn't still release weird, random new apps before quickly forgetting about them. 2. iGoogle

dd iGoogle was a totally personalised startup page that you could customise with whatever you wanted, which, in the age of algorithms, is a long lost feature. You do still have some options though. For now, myYahoo still exists, igHome looks almost identical to iGoogle, and Netvibes is the most modern option of them all. 1. Google Reader google reader
The Gatwick Hotel has consistently provided a kind of safety net for Geza over the years. Despite several stints in jail he could find a room there when his criminal record barred him from other rental properties.

Now the Gatwick rooming house in St Kilda is closing it will join the long list of old style rooming houses to shut down  places that had provided accommodation of last resort for people like Geza.

"It's a place I can afford to stay. There's no great bond. It's very easy just to move in and start getting on with your life," he said.

Despite plans to rehouse the Gatwick's current residents, homelessness agencies say the closure will likely worsen Melbourne's rough sleeping crisis because of the loss of yet another "place of last resort".
Police at parliament say the protest is over a coal mining issue. That's the best we can manage.

That signal fault is now affecting trains with delays of up to 15 minutes between Caulfield and Dandenong.

Thanks for reading Express today... and happy anniversary to my husband, Mark. We will be back on deck tomorrow. Check in then.
Just as he obsessed over the crowd size at his inauguration and upward of 3 million fictional illegal voters, Trump's mammoth ego cannot take the daily drumbeat of attacks and accusations. When adversity strikes - as it did with new allegations concerning Attorney-General Jeff Sessions, who was forced to recuse himself from any campaign-related investigation - he becomes unhinged and paranoid. He can stick to a teleprompter speech for an hour, but soon reverts to form. The owner of a 30th floor apartment in Trump Tower which was available on Airbnb faces a penalty of $1,310. Credit:Sasha Woolley 2. Trump is panicked A variation on the first possibility would be that Trump correctly realises the intelligence community has a good deal more information on what contacts his associates had with Russians than he does. A New York Times story last week confirmed that the intelligence community also has intercepts of Russian officials discussing their contacts with Trump associates. Trump, under this theory, is panicked. An exaggerated, unsupported claim from a right-wing provocateur and gadfly, Mark Levin, that Trump was directly wiretapped is enough to set him off into a Twitter frenzy. As they said about Richard Nixon, even paranoids have enemies.

The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Moscow where Donald Trump stayed in 2013. Despite saying he wanted to build a Trump tower in Russia, Trump never completed a deal in the country's booming but volatile real estate market. Credit:AP 3. Trump creates distractions Another explanation is that Trump, as he does when things go wrong (the Sessions recusal, disarray on tax and health-care legislation, accusations about his foreign holdings), deliberately creates distractions. He'd rather the media chatter about whether he is sane than focus on the need to obtain his taxes to determine what connections he and his family have to Russia. (Recall that last week a story surfaced that Donald Trump jnr was paid handsomely for a speech in France for a pal of the Putin oligarchs.) 4. Trump could be right, sort of And finally, it is possible that he is right that Trump communications were under investigation - but only up to a point. We go back to a story from late October 2016 in which FBI officials allegedly investigated a connection between computer servers owned by the Trump Organisation and the Russian Alpha Bank.

The New York Times reported that there could be an "innocuous explanation" for 2700 so-called look-up messages sent from Alpha servers to Trump's. This does not necessarily mean the FBI or anyone else was "wiretapping" Trump Tower, but we have yet to find out the extent of its investigation and whether, for example, the FBI discovered additional ties between Trump associates and Kremlin allies. Apart from the server story, news reports have suggested, as a Time magazine story did, that "as major banks in America stopped lending him money following his many bankruptcies, the Trump conglomerate was forced to seek financing from non-traditional institutions. Several had direct ties to Russian financial interests in ways that have raised eyebrows." Trump denies he has any ties to Russia. "I can tell you, speaking for myself, I own nothing in Russia. I have no loans in Russia. I don't have any deals in Russia," he said recently, leaving open the possibility that he and/or his sons have ties to Russians operating outside Russia. After Trump's Twitter outburst, some lawmakers, such as Republican Senator Ben Sasse, chose to take him "seriously" - that is, calling for proof of his claims. Others argued that his accusations only underscored the need for a definitive, independent investigation conducted by either a commission with subpoena power or a special prosecutor named by the Deputy Attorney-General (Sessions, who is recused, could not do so).
Caracas/Lima: Venezuela's leftist government on Monday called Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski a "coward" and "dog" servile to the United States for his antagonism to socialism.

Kuczynski, a 78-year-old former Wall Street investment banker who won election last year, has been one of the most vocal critics in the region of Venezuela's ruling "Chavismo" movement named for late socialist leader Hugo Chavez.

He particularly irked President Nicolas Maduro's government with a recent speech in the United States where he said Latin America was in general like a well-behaved dog on the carpet except for Venezuela which was "a big problem."

Maduro called for an apology over the weekend, and his feisty Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez followed up on Monday with a blistering attack at an event in honour of Chavez.
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Artists forced out of their Bristol base by the council two years ago have found a new home - a former working mans club in St Pauls.

The citys Residence group have been without a permanent home since leaving the Milk Bar in St Nicholas Street, in 2015 after Bristol City Council put it up for rent.

Along with two other art collectives, they have moved into the Grade II-listed Brunswick Club, a former working mens club in St Pauls.

James Stenhouse, from Residence, told BBC News: Its low rent, a huge space and exciting to be with other collectives.

Residence has moved into the venue along with artists from Bristol Experimental and Expanded Film (BEEF) and Champ Arts.

Their opening night on Friday (March 3) was attended by dozens of people, with queues to get in spilling out into the street.

Artist filmmaker Louisa Fairclough, from BEEF, said the former working men's club was an "incredible space" with billiard rooms, skittle alleys and a dance hall.

She said BEEF realised it could not take on the building alone and that "it would be great to bring together several collectives in order to inhabit the entire building - a collective of collectives."

The three artist groups - made up of about 40 people aged from 20 to 70 - have been given an initial nine-month lease.

Landlord and investor Michael Bertelsen added: "In this day and age, with all the government cuts to the arts, it's good to use under-performing assets, like this listed building, for altruistic purposes in the relative short term - because empty buildings do fall into disrepair and it also secures them.

"It's a symbiotic relationship, having somebody occupy them works well for the landlord and the occupier."

The Brunswick working men's club closed in June last year due to falling membership.
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Three women attacked another customer at a Bristol kebab shop like savages when she told one to pick up dropped food in a kebab shop, a jury has been told.

Janet Crees said she was punched and kicked, had her hair pulled and a drink poured on her head during the incident at the Fishponds Pizza and Grill on Fishponds Road.

Three women deny a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to the incident in October 2015.

They are Christine Hewer, 25, of Coombe Close, Kingswood; Tammy Connors, 21, of Joyce Close, Horfield and Jessica Fisk, 20, of Abingdon Road, Fishponds.

Miss Crees told Bristol Crown Court today that she had been on a night out with her friend and lodger Diane Rowley when they went to the takeaway, which has since closed, for food.

She described how one woman customer was shouting and swearing on her phone, while another barefoot woman was sprawled over the counter counting change.

Miss Crees said when the girl on the phone lost her balance and dropped food, she told the girl she should pick it up.

She told the jury: The girl with no shoes on shouted What the f***s it got to do with you?!

She was effing and blinding, saying You f-ing ugly old woman, youre past your sell-by date.

Miss Crees said the woman continued hurling vile abuse at her before she was pushed and shoved.

She said: I ended up on the floor.

I was being pounded by them, just all over my head and body.

It felt like they were using hands and feet, like savages.

Miss Crees said at least two women reigned down blows on her and she also had drink poured over her.

She said: There wasnt a lot I could do.

"They all seemed to have long hair. I remember trying to get up and tugging on the hair. I was trying to get up but I couldnt.

The jury was told Miss Crees and her friend eventually went outside the shop and called police, as her attackers were locked inside.

She said: There was one girl spitting food at the inside of the window, shouting abuse.

Later three women left the shop and were driven off in a Peugeot car, she said.

She told the jury that, although she initially thought she had suffered a broken nose and jaw, it was later found she had sustained multiple bruising to her head, groin area, under her armpits, chest ribs and back.

She also had clumps of hair pulled out.

Miss Rowley said two women attacked her friend, before a third woman joined in.

She said they called emergency services but only an ambulance attended.

The case continues.

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Gutierrez, Duckworth & Local Advocates Blast Trump's 'More Of The Same' 'Muslim Ban'

By Stephen Gossett in News on Mar 6, 2017 8:08PM



Photo: Tyler LaRiviere

National lawmakers from Illinois and Chicago-based activists alike blasted President Donald Trump's revised immigration and refugee ban, arguing that, despite some alterations, the executive order still amounts to a "Muslim ban."

"This is just the same stuff on a different day. If you called xenophobia a rose, would it not smell just as foul?" said Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) in a statement.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth argued that the new action will again be counterproductive to national security and hinges on a discriminatory framework.

"Just like his last Muslim ban, this executive order plays into our enemy's hands by giving them a propaganda tool to spread a false narrative about the United States hating Muslims," Duckworth said in a statement. "This ban will not make our country safer and betrays the American values those of us who served in uniform fought to defend. Discrimination is discrimination and no amount of sugarcoating by the President will change that."

Sen. Dick Durbin called the action, which Trump signed on Monday morning, "unconstitutional and un-American." "Wasting taxpayer dollars and unnecessarily inflicting pain on innocent families isnt going to change that," Durbin said in a statement. "Trumps executive order plays directly into our enemies hands and makes America less safe. Trumps first travel ban was blocked by multiple federal courts, and his latest will no doubt face the same fate.

Under the revised order, Iraq is no longer on the list of affected countries, and the provision that favored religious minorities, such as Christians from the Middle East, is removed. The ban on Syrian refugees is for 120 days, after which a review is scheduled, rather than indefinite. But citizens from six Muslim-majority nationsSyria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemenare barred from getting visas for at least 90 days.

Here in Chicago, the American Arab Action Network led a press conference, supported by dozens of local organizations, at 101 W. Congress Pkwy., the Chicago office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Among those who in support of AAAN were Organized Communities Against Deportations, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Pilsen Alliance, Syrian Community Network, Arise Chicago, United Working Families, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and several others.

Our strength is grounded in the way we work together, lift each other up, and defend our refugee brothers and sisters who are being targeted by their country of origin without any basis by the current administration, said Lawrence Benito, chief executive officer of Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, in a statement.

Regardless of what you call it, it is still a ban on Muslims said Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia at the press conference.

Mary Meg McCarthy, Executive Director of Heartland Alliance National Immigrant Justice Center, echoed the Garcia's sentiment. "This new order is simply a modified refugee and Muslim ban," she said, calling the premises of the order "patently unlawful."

Update 3:45 p.m.

The Illinois American Civil Liberties Union, the Council on Islamic Relations Chicago and lawyers who have been at OHare airport volunteering their services to travelers affected by the ban since Trumps first executive order all weighed in on the latest at an afternoon press conference.

There have been a series of cosmetic changes to a bad that had been found to be unconstitutional, said Ed Yohnka of the Illinois ACLU. Its still unconstitutional, it remains a religious test to enter the US. This is something fundamentally that our nation has never permitted and we will not permit it again.

Yohnka also pointed out that though the Trump administration has used national security to justify the ban, that security wasnt exactly of paramount importance after the presidents joint address to Congress last week. This was so important to national security that they didnt want to spoil their political moment, said Yohnka, referring to the administration's decision to hold the signing of the ban after Trump received favorable reviews of his speech from some in the press.

CAIR-Chicago meanwhile, formally announced its Travelers Assistance project (TAP), an effort to streamline the process for affected travelers seeking or in need of legal assistance due to the executive order.

"TAP combines pro bono legal assistance, technology that streamlines the exchange and access of data, and CAIR-Chicago's organizational resources and special access and credibility within the Muslim community to maximize results, eliminate redundancies, and ensure the ability to analyze trends," said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago.

The groundswell of support from the legal community right after the first executive orders was not just a weekend of interest, said Matt Pryor, coordinator for TAP who is also one of the more than 1400 legal professionals who have been volunteering their time to assist travelers at OHare airport. Lawyers, interpreters and others have been at the airport every day since Trumps first executive order in January.
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Someone called in a bomb threat to Clara Barton High School in Crown Heights on Friday  the third borough high-school bomb scare in one week, and now police are investigating a possible connection between the explosive but empty threats.

Administrators at the Classon Avenue school received the call at 11:43 am, prompting an evacuation and a subsequent search by police that failed to turn up any explosives or other dangerous devices, according to cops.

Faculty at Midwood High School fielded a similar bomb threat on Feb. 28, as did Park Slopes John Jay Educational Campus on March 2.

In both incidents, police scoured the schools but also turned up empty handed, and students were herded back into class in less than two hours following their evacuations.

Cops are looking into whether theres a connection between the three threats, according to a Police Department spokesman  although there is nothing specifically linking them right now.

Naturally, officers are also exploring the possibility that some of the calls were the work of less fastidious students trying to avoid exams, according to police sources.

Because every time we vacate there nothing happening, it seems to like somebody called because they dont want to take the test, a source said.

City high-school students were not undertaking any state or city testing  such as mid-terms or the Regents exam  last week, according to Nigel Franklin, assistant principal at Millennium High School, which is one of several schools at John Jay.

Despite the polices investigations into a possible link, the Department of Education considers the threats completely unrelated, according to agency spokeswoman Toya Holness.
HS Football: North Penn upsets Pennsbury in instant playoff classic

With the game on the line, North Penn coach Dick Beck opted to go for the win with a two-point conversion attempt against Pennsbury.
Yardley Friends Meeting at 65 N. Main Street in Yardley will host the documentary Organic Roots on Friday, November 18 at 7 p.m. Join director Al Johnson for a showing of this film followed by a discussion of the last 50 years of this movement. Organic foods are part of our life today and a tool in our concern for...
Wang Yuja performs with the London Symphony Orchestra in Guangzhou in 2014.

The London Symphony Orchestra has begun an intensive period of cultural bridge-building with China aimed at promoting East-West ties and mutual understanding. LSO has completed its sixth China tour.

"We are really building the connections between East and West," says LSO managing director Kathryn McDowell.

The orchestra, whose London home is at the Barbican Concert Hall, first toured China in 2004, a special honor for the orchestra because it was also the centenary year of the LSO, says McDowell.

"We have been going every two or three years since. We have been building our relationships and profile," she adds.

This year's tour marks an increased intensity of engagement.

"We are looking to be in China every year for the next few years. It is about stepping up the commitment. This is the first of our annual tours for the next three years through to 2019," she says.

McDowell has been managing director of the LSO since 2005, and it was under her stewardship that the orchestra began to step up its China focus.

She says she has seen a positive change in British-Chinese cultural relations.

The enhancement of cultural ties between the two nations has come at the same time as a growth in the number of concert halls in China, and a related growth in interest in Western classical music.

The LSO played at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the Shanghai Symphony Hall, and in Wuhan, the capital of Central China's Hubei province.

"Chinese audiences have changed very much. There are new concert halls in so many places," says McDowell.

She praises the relatively new Qintai Concert Hall in Wuhan, where the LSO was the first foreign orchestra to play.

"It is very exciting to be in at the point where new audiences are being developed and where a whole interest in orchestral music is building. We are looking for ways in which we can help that grow and develop," she says.

McDowell says the touring program of two different but well-respected pieces from the Western tradition - Rachmaninoff's 2nd Symphony and Mahler's 4th - were chosen because of their appeal for an audience keen for the best of the Western classical music tradition.
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October 31, 2022

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In November, there are hundreds of new and returning TV showsit can be overwhelming to try and choose what to watch. That's why we've selected some of the best options...
Artist to create permanent mural on Buffalos East Side as part of UB residency

BUFFALO, N.Y.  Internationally celebrated visual artist, performer and storyteller Shantell Martin will be in residence at the University at Buffalo March 11 to June 25 as part of the universitys Creative Arts Initiative (CAI), offering a multifaceted program that will include the opening of her first solo museum exhibition, titled Someday We Can, at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

Martins residency, provided in cooperation with the Albright-Knox, also will involve free public talks and the creation of a permanent outdoor mural on Buffalos East Side, in connection with the gallerys Public Art Initiative

Exhibiting Martins works in the museum while simultaneously executing a permanent outdoor mural is intended to make a public statement that beautiful and inspiring creative work belongs to communities and should be presented in neighborhoods.

Martins work is described as a meditation of lines; a language of characters, creatures and messages that invite viewers to share a role in her creative process. She is a former visiting scholar at MIT Media Lab and an adjunct professor at New York Universitys Tisch School of the Arts.

Her residency schedule includes:

March 13: Meet the artist, to be held from 1-3 p.m. in the Screening Room of UBs Center for the Arts for a discussion of her work and creative process.

Martin says she never knows what she will draw prior to putting the pen to her chosen surface. The pen knows where it is going and I just follow, she says. Martin sees the act of drawing as essential to our creative nature. She recognizes the notion that many cultures, including our own, perpetuate a myth that presents artists as rarified geniuses and creative masters crafting works of precision well beyond common capacity, but counters this claim by openly revealing the simplicity with which she operates, encouraging others to drop their guard and express themselves. The event is free and open to the public.

April 7: Martin will be in conversation with Aaron Ott, Albright-Knox curator of public art from 7:30-8:30 p.m. in the Albright-Knox Auditorium.

This free and public event is part of M&T Banks First Fridays. Admission to Martins exhibition will also be free on this day.

June 4-8: Martin will produce her permanent public mural.

Martin often creates work in front of an audience. The mural project offers the chance to watch the fabrication of Martins piece. Her production is a performance of movement and grace, chance and reaction, inspiration and intuition. Im often surprised by the final outcome of my large works since the physical proximity required to make them means that I cannot see the total composition until stepping back from the work, she says.

Martin has been featured on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, and her hand-illustrated bedroom walls graced the cover of The New York Times home section in May 2012. Her work has appeared in Creative Review Magazine, and she was named French Glamours coolest it girl of New York in 2011.

Martins recent art commissions include an interior installation at the Viacom headquarters in Times Square and a custom installation for the Brown Institute for Media Innovation located in Pulitzer Hall, Columbia University. She regularly creates live digital drawings at conferences, musical performances and museums including the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Moving Image, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts and MoMA.

The CAI is a university-wide initiative dedicated to the creation and production of new work upholding the highest artistic standards of excellence and fostering a complementary atmosphere of creative investigation and engagement among students, faculty, visiting artists and the community.

Through its Artist-in-Residence program and its innovative, interdisciplinary offerings for students, CAI is raising the profile of UB and Buffalo in world of artistic expression and revitalizing the initiatives proud tradition as a leader in contemporary art.
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Artist to create permanent mural on Buffalos East Side as part of CAI residency

Shantell Martin works on a special event in Toronto, in collaboration with Saks Fifth Avenue, that would immerse invited guests in a black-and-white world of hands-on interactive art. The 2015 event celebrated the arrival of Saks to Canada.

By BERT GAMBINI

The pen knows where it is going and I just follow. 

Internationally celebrated visual artist, performer and storyteller Shantell Martin will be in residence at UB March 11 to June 25 as part of the universitys Creative Arts Initiative (CAI), offering a multifaceted program that will include the opening of her first solo museum exhibition, titled Someday We Can, at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

Martins residency, provided in cooperation with the Albright-Knox, also will involve free public talks and creation of a permanent outdoor mural on Buffalos East Side in connection with the gallerys Public Art Initiative.

Exhibiting Martins works in the museum while simultaneously executing a permanent outdoor mural is intended to make a public statement that beautiful and inspiring creative work belongs to communities and should be presented in neighborhoods.

Martins work is described as a meditation of lines; a language of characters, creatures and messages that invite viewers to share a role in her creative process. She is a former visiting scholar at MIT Media Lab and an adjunct professor at New York Universitys Tisch School of the Arts.

Her residency schedule:

March 13: Meet the artist, 1-3 p.m., Center for the Arts Screening Room. A discussion of her work and creative process.

Martin says she never knows what she will draw prior to putting the pen to her chosen surface. The pen knows where it is going and I just follow, she says. Martin sees the act of drawing as essential to our creative nature. She recognizes the notion that many cultures, including our own, perpetuate a myth that presents artists as rarified geniuses and creative masters crafting works of precision well beyond common capacity, but counters this claim by openly revealing the simplicity with which she operates, encouraging others to drop their guard and express themselves. The event is free and open to the public.

April 7: Martin will be in conversation with Aaron Ott, Albright-Knox curator of public art, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. in the Albright-Knox Auditorium.

This free and public event is part of M&T Banks First Fridays. Admission to Martins exhibition will also be free on this day.

June 4-8: Martin will produce her permanent public mural.

Martin often creates work in front of an audience. The mural project offers the chance to watch the fabrication of Martins piece. Her production is a performance of movement and grace, chance and reaction, inspiration and intuition. Im often surprised by the final outcome of my large works since the physical proximity required to make them means that I cannot see the total composition until stepping back from the work, she says.

Martin has been featured on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, and her hand-illustrated bedroom walls graced the cover of The New York Times home section in May 2012. Her work has appeared in Creative Review Magazine, and she was named French Glamours coolest it girl of New York in 2011.

Martins recent art commissions include an interior installation at the Viacom headquarters in Times Square and a custom installation for the Brown Institute for Media Innovation located in Pulitzer Hall at Columbia University. She regularly creates live digital drawings at conferences, musical performances and museums, including the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Moving Image, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts and MoMA.

The CAI is a university-wide initiative dedicated to the creation and production of new work upholding the highest artistic standards of excellence and fostering a complementary atmosphere of creative investigation and engagement among students, faculty, visiting artists and the community.

Through its artist-in-residence program and its innovative, interdisciplinary offerings for students, CAI is raising the profile of UB and Buffalo in the world of artistic expression and revitalizing the initiatives proud tradition as a leader in contemporary art.
The ROCKWOOL Group has unveiled its new brand identity together with a new purpose statement and corporate video.

The Groups brand evolution includes a new ROCKWOOL symbol  a graphic representation of a volcano. The symbol stands for the commitment to enrich modern living through processes and products that exist harmoniously, and it will be used across all ROCKWOOL Group daughter brands.

This evolution aligns the branding of the ROCKWOOL Groups diverse product portfolio to better demonstrate to our customers and other stakeholders the breadth and depth of how we use the natural power of volcanic stone to enrich and transform modern living, while addressing the challenges of the future. It will also support ROCKWOOLs future geographical expansion.

The new corporate video has been launched through a thunderclap campaign  a large-scale scheduled social post, in which supporters share the message simultaneously to build awareness of the global challenges of modern living, and the solutions that already exist today that can go a long way towards solving them.

The new purpose statement  Release the natural power of stone to enrich modern living  conveys that all businesses within the ROCKWOOL Group have one overarching goal: to enrich modern living by improving the life of everyone who comes in contact with our products.

Mirella Vitale, ROCKWOOLs senior vice president for group marketing, communications and public affairs, said: I am proud of the ROCKWOOL Groups long heritage in harnessing the power of one of the worlds most abundant natural resources in sustainable and innovative solutions that help solve the challenges of modern living. The updated brand identity marks an important evolution in the way we talk about our company, conveying a consistent vision and shared heritage across our diverse product portfolios full range.
Rudridge has come to the rescue of Mayfair Farm Riding Stables after materials for their new paddock were stolen in a burglary last week.

Rudridge donated five rolls of Wrekin multitrack geotextile membrane to the stables, replacing the items stolen in the break in. The materials will be used to form the integral base of a riding arena.

Paul Duke, branch manager at Rudridge Farnham, said: As a community-focused company we were very saddened to hear about the burglary at Mayfair Farm Riding Stables. We are delighted to be able to help them continue expanding their facilities and look forward to seeing the paddock when it has been completed.

Mayfair Farm Riding Stables is a family run business that gives people the opportunity to enjoy a country lifestyle whilst developing special relationships with animals.
Travis Perkins has raised over 38,000 for the Northampton and Warwickshire Air Ambulance Service - thanks to the hard work and dedication of fundraising by its colleagues in the IT department.

The 500-strong IT team raised the vital funds, which will help service the lifesaving missions that are carried out by the charity, through a series of challenges and events. This included a dragon boat race and summer ball, in addition to the team completing a sponsored National and Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.

As part of the charitable work, Travis Perkins also took part in Air Ambulance Week, which included setting up a clothes bank and organising a bake off. Another fundraising triumph saw the IT department hold a Christmas cake sale, which raised a staggering 4,000 in just an hour.

Neil Pearce, group chief information officer at Travis Perkins, said: We have raised a significant amount of money, which Im sure will help support the incredible work that the Northampton and Warwickshire Air Ambulance Service do in our local community. I am very proud of the team and look forward to raising more money with them in 2017 to help communities.

The IT team will continue to support the Northampton and Warwickshire Air Ambulance Service throughout 2017 with activities and events designed to raise even more funds. To support the Travis Perkins team with its fundraising efforts, please visit www.justgiving.com/company/travisperkinsit.
Bryan Clover, chief executive officer of the Rainy Day Trust, is going to be walking the entire length of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in May to raise money for the charity.

The route takes in 186 miles of breathtaking scenery, as well as 35,000 ft of climb and descent.

Mr Clover is aiming to walk the path in 10 days, averaging about 20 miles a day. The 'norm' is around 15 days. All of the funds raised by the walk will be spent in Wales where very few people are aware that the Rainy Day Trust is here to help them.

Addis is the primary sponsor for the event, but the Rainy Day Trust is looking to raise as much money as possible.

You can support the charity in a number of ways, such as a company donation where we will then acknowledge your donation on social media and mention the name of the company during the walk on Twitter.

You can also support the Rainy Day Trust direct by clicking on the link below to Mr Clovers Just Giving page - www.justgiving.com/fundraising/PembsCoastalChallengeRainyDayTrust.

Finally, you could come along for a day and join Mr Clover on the walk to help raise awareness of what the charity is here to do. A four-bedroom house has also been donated for the Rainy Day Trust to use for the 10 days, so there's no need to worry about camping!
Everything you need to know for MLS Cup 2022
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Actor Wang Qianyuan and actress Liu Shishi in The Battle at the Dawn.

A TV series about China's first generation of policemen under the Communist Party of China will air on Beijing Satellite TV on March 3.

The Battle at the Dawn, with the Ministry of Public Security as one of the producers, is based on a group of Chinese policemen in Harbin, the capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, in 1946.

After World War II, Harbin became the first large city in China to be liberated by the Communists.

The Vice-Minister for Public Security, Chen Zhimin, says the series will shed light on Chinese policemen.

Chinese policemen have a lot of similarities with FBI agents. But while Hollywood movies make FBI agents into screen heroes, the series will make the policemen heroes for the public, he says.

Liu Jiang, the director, says the production is a salute to the first generation of Communist policemen who tackled criminals in a complex environment.

Despite the nature of the subject, the series has star power.

Wang Qianyuan, a veteran actor who won the best actor award at the Tokyo International Film Festival for The Piano In A Factory in 2011, plays the lead as the public security bureau chief, Cheng Qiang, in Harbin.

Wang says that he learned a lot about the risks of police work during the shooting. He says that there are nearly 6,000 fatalities among the police in China every year.

Actress Liu Shishi, known for a series of fantasy epics, will star as a Kuomintang spy in the series.
People look at images on display at the China Culture Center in Berlin.[Photo/Chinaculture.org]

The China Cultural Center in the German capital of Berlin has hosted a series of activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of ties between China and Germany.

The three-day Changzhou Culture Week, held from Feb 24-26, featured cultural elements from China's Jiangnan - the Southern reaches of the Yangtze River - including folk music, opera, and exhibitions of paintings, calligraphy and traditional Chinese handicrafts.

"The Changzhou Culture Week is part of the culture series of 'China Today - Cooperation, Friendship and Win-Win' to celebrate the 45th anniversary of China-Germany diplomatic relations," Zhang Junhui, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, said.

"Cultural exchanges are an important part of the all-round strategic partnership between the two nations, and enhancing such exchanges will promote understanding between the two peoples and help achieve win-win cooperation."

In the coming months, more than 80 cultural activities including music, drama, dance, creative design, literature and film will be staged in both China and Germany under the China Today project, according to the Chinese Culture Ministry.
Cultural misunderstandings are holding back from reaching their full potential in the workplace. This is a problem for employers because employees from East Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and China, now make a sizeable portion of the workforce.
Kingfisher Airlines' two prime assets, Kingfisher House in the city and Kingfisher Villa in Goa, will be auctioned on Monday by banks to recover their loans to the long-defunct airline started by defaulter businessman Vijay Mallya.

While Kingfisher House will be put under the hammer for the fourth time after three failed attempts, Kingfisher Villa is being put on sale for the third time.

The reserve prices for both the properties owned by Mallya have been lowered after the earlier attempts of the 17-lender consortium failed to attract bidders.

The SBI-led consortium has reduced the reserve price of the erstwhile headquarters of the grounded airline, Kingfisher House, by 10 per cent to Rs 103.50 crore as compared to that of Rs 115 crore for the previous auction held last December.

In the first auction of Kingfisher House last March, the reserve price was set at Rs 150 crore but was lowered to Rs 135 crore in the second auction held in August as none of the bidders came forward to buy the property.

The prime property has a built-up area of over 17,000 sq ft and is located in the plush Vile Parle area near the domestic terminal.

Similarly, the reserve price of Kingfisher Villa, the plush property situated at Candolim in north Goa is set at Rs 73 crore, which is around 10 per cent down than the second auction held last December.

In the December auction, the price of the sea-facing property was set at Rs 81 crore. It was put under the hammer for the first time last October with a reserve price of Rs 85.29 crore.

The Villa was once used by Mallya to host lavish parties.

SBICAPS Trustee is auctioning the properties on behalf of the lenders.

Mallya has been declared a wilful defaulter and is wanted by Indian authorities for default in payment of loans related to that was grounded in 2012.

He owes over Rs 9,000 crore to lenders like SBI, PNB, IDBI Bank, BoB, Allahabad Bank, Federal Bank and Axis Bank, among others. He left the country on March 3 last year and is currently said to be in the UK.

On Friday, Mallya, in a series of tweets, blamed faulty engines as one of the reasons for the collapse of .

He said IAE, a group firm of Pratt & Whitney, against which aviation regulator DGCA has ordered a detailed inspection, has been sued for supplying defective engines to his erstwhile airlines.

Aviation regulator DGCA recently ordered a detailed inspection of 21 Airbus 320neo planes of IndiGo and GoAir that are equipped with P&W engines, which are facing frequent glitches.
Despite the nostalgia in the audit and consulting fraternity over the global efforts to revive Arthur Andersen, the iconic professional services brand that folded up in 2002, it will be a long haul for the newly set-up fledgling network to re-build its reputation and business, say experts.

For former clients and ex-employees, the new avatar of will be different from what it was known for  an organisation with a common ownership, its work culture and business practices. This time around it will be a network of affiliate firms in different countries, using the brand.

In a statement on March 1, Paris-based global managing partner Stephane Laffont-Reveilhac said the firm had been reconstituted with 26 offices in five continents and 16 countries. The offices include those in the US (Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco), Europe (Cyprus, France, and Greece), Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Nepal, India and other Asian countries.

Delhi-headquartered International Business Advisors, a full-service audit and tax advisory firm, has been appointed the India affiliate for Arthur Andersen. Puneet Sharma, one of the four partners of the firm, said they were in the process of getting the regulatory approvals for using the Arthur Andersen brand name in India.

The brand has a lot of goodwill. But re-building its reputation and business will be a long journey, said Bobby Parikh, partner, BMR & Associates, who headed Arthur Andersens India operations till 2002.

Founded in 1913 in Chicago, Arthur Andersen became one among the Big Five professional services firms, with 85,000 employees and $9.3 billion in revenues globally in 2002. However, an accounting fraud in US energy major Enron in 2001 dented the firms reputation beyond repair, leading to the disbanding of Arthur Andersens global network in 2002.

A partner in one of the Big Four professional services firms, who had worked at Andersen India, noted that the brand had high re-call value with clients. But just the brand is not enough to build business. It will depend on the value proposition the new firm and its affiliate bring to the table, he said.

Former employees said there was a particular image that clients and employees attached to the Arthur Andersen brand. The challenge would be to live up to that image and also bring a differentiated service in the market, said another ex-Andersen employee.

According to Parikh, the market for professional services in India has changed since 2002. One would have to first build a scale to compete with the Big Four and that can happen over time, he said. The Big Four  Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC - between them have a top line of around Rs 12,000 crore with interests in auditing and advisory services. Apart from the Big Four, there are 100-odd global audit and accounting networks that operate out of India.

The nostalgia over Arthur Andersens revival efforts could be seen in Stephane Laffont-Reveilhacs March 1 LinkedIn post. There were over 800 comments and more than 2,200 shares of the post. Most comments  largely from ex-employees  gushed over the move and re-called the firms heyday and its work culture. One commentator noted: its not often that former employees talk so positively about their former employer.

The jury, however, is still out whether the new avatar of Arthur Andersen will live up to its past reputation.
With no high-end models after the Note 7 debacle, Korean chaebol Samsung, known for its super-premium phones in the Rs 45,000-plus bracket, is counting on its semi-premium range to improve sales. By semi-premium, the reference here is to phones in the Rs 25,000-35,000 bracket. At the same time, the countrys largest smartphone maker is also eyeing numero uno position in the online space, where it lags peers Xiaomi and Lenovo at No. 3.

On Monday, March 6, Samsung will launch a new phone in India in the Rs 25,000-30,000 bracket. This will be the second launch in a week in this range. Last week, the Korean major relaunched a six-month-old model A9Pro at a new price-point of Rs 29,900. It was earlier available for Rs 32,490. Interestingly, this phone will be available only online now as against offline earlier, lending credence, say experts, to Samsungs online bent. The companys other online-only phones are bunched under a series called On, which are models priced under Rs 20,000 a unit.

While online constitutes a quarter of overall smartphone sales in India, it still is an important channel, say experts.

Most Chinese brands, which have populated the Indian market in recent years, have made a mark pushing their phones online, analysts said.

In February, Samsung came out with a new series called the C series, targeting the Rs 35,000-36,000 bracket. The strategy, say experts, is clear  be aspirational, but yet affordable to consumers. As the leader, our focus is on all segments of the market, says Manu Sharma, vice-president (mobile business), Samsung India. We have feature phones costing Rs 1,200 a unit, going right up to those that cost Rs 55,000 apiece in our portfolio, he says.

But sector analysts say that Samsung has been hit hard in recent quarters by brands such as Vivo, Oppo, Gionee, HTC and One Plus in the Rs 25,000-30,000 bracket, as the Korean major focused its attention on the super-premium end of the market in its drive to take on Apple.

In many respects, the Note 7 issue, where a series of battery explosions compelled the company to eventually recall the phablet last year, has acted as a reality check, say experts. They say it has pushed the company to focus not only on premium flagship models, but also phones lower down the pecking order.

The Rs 25,000-35,000 price range has become a key focus area for Samsung in recent months since brands such as Vivo and Oppo have done well there, says Tarun Pathak, senior analyst, Counterpoint Research. Besides the super-premium end, the only other segment that can give players good margins is the semi-premium market since price realisations are fairly good, Pathak says. So brands, he says, can maintain equity without having to compromise too much on price.

Faisal Kawoosa, lead analyst, CyberMedia Research, says: Samsung seems to be testing the waters with slightly lower-priced offers. This is critical, as it has ceded ground to Apple in the absence of a super-premium phone in recent months. This should help it fill the gap for now.

Company executives argue that its super-premium segment is not unrepresented with the S7 Edge, a one-year-old model still doing well in the marketplace. This phone, for the record, was adjudged the best phone of 2016 at the recently-concluded Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

But, say experts, in the fickle world of smartphones, where consumers have no brand loyalties, one year is too long a time to keep interest levels going. While the S8, Samsungs latest in the S series is slated for a global launch on March 29, it will hit the Indian shores only in the second or third week of April.
In the first nine months of this financial year, Maruti Suzuki India sold a little over 60,000 cars to cab aggregators, six per cent of sales.
Are you in need of a therapist but feeling nervous about visiting a consultant? Do you want an expert advice on clearing your thoughts but time is a constraint?
Not long ago, Indias scene was all about the consumer internet. A billion-strong people taking to the internet riding on smartphones made it seem like a market just about to ripen. Investors in all shapes and sizes  from newbie angels to behemothic hedge funds  raced to bet on e-commerce plays and a hundred apps mushrooming all over the country. But that lap of the investment race is over with no winners, dead or dying companies, and a funding winter.
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Cartoon shows a couple handing over a divorce certificate to a house seller, who says "a fake divorce certificate can help you enjoy the favorable housing policy." [Cartoon / Xinhua]



A wave of divorces recently swept a small village in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, with more than 160 couples rushing to the local marriage and divorce registration office within a short space of time, the Nanjing Morning Post reported.

Unlike the usual case when a couple split due to a disharmonious relationship, these couples, in ages ranging from the 20s to 80s, divorced for an ulterior motive - to get more relocation compensation.

Marriage and interests in the eyes of villagers

Located in Gaoxin District, Jiangbei Village was included in the provincial capital's urban land requisition project long time ago. After large-scale demolition, the village was left in ruins, with only a few shops left scattered along the main streets.

Interviewed by the Nanjing Morning Post on the reason for their divorce, villagers were not at all shy. "This is indeed the case, and we do it because we want to get more relocation compensation out of it," many said.

According to local land acquisition and relocation policy, compensation is measured in terms of household size, and each family group can receive an additional 70-square-meter of housing and 131,000 yuan (about US$19,070).

The compensation proved very tempting. So far, most of the 160-plus households in the village have completed their divorce formalities, according to a shop owner, who used the term "fake divorce" to describe the act.

Many divorced couples still live together. A man in his 80s said that he and his wife had a very good relationship, but they divorced for financial reasons. He said that their "fake divorce" was aimed at getting more compensation for the future relocation.

Asked what might happen if they couldn't remarry, a villager explained that nobody cared about it for the time being. "Everybody is doing it and we'll deal with other things later. Just wait and see," the villager said, adding that the divorce is worthwhile if it could help them get more compensation.

Loopholes in land requisition and relocation policies

According to the house demolition policy, only consensual divorces occurring at least five years before could be used to determine household size for demolition and relocation compensation. So, why did so many couples still rush to register for divorce and therefore get benefits?

Things always sort themselves out. A local legal service agency sent staff workers to the village to help villagers handle the business. The workers were familiar with helping villagers seeking the "fake divorce" approach to avoid the limits on relocation cases.

This time, they explained to the villagers, there were no clauses in the demolition and relocation policy stipulating that a court-approved divorce couldn't enjoy the compensation policy.

Villagers followed the staff's advice to use this loophole and, as a result, divorce service fees subsequently surged from 5,000 yuan to 15,000 yuan.

Later, an official from local house demolition office said that the office did receive complaints that some villagers had taken the advantage of the policy loophole; however, he said, the office had yet to determine whether the demolition and relocation project will continue to be implemented without any change in the policy document.

Experts warn of severe consequences of 'fake divorce'

A similar case happened in a village in the province's Changzhou City seven years ago when 84 couples rushed to register their divorce within the space of a few days in order to get more relocation compensation. Similar cases also happened recently in the province's Jiangxizhou, Jiangning and Pukou areas.

So, the "fake divorce" cases reveal one of the anomalies emerging amid rapid urbanization in China.

Legal experts argue "fake divorce" for such a purpose can bring about potential legal consequences, so it is a "dangerous game." People who use loopholes existing in State policies for their personal benefits not only damage family harmony, but also undermine social stability.

Zhou Haiwang, vice-director of the Institute of Population and Development at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said that when so many people decide to divorce against their wish for family stability, policy makers should consider an adjustment, China Daily reported.

Legal experts suggest that the key to curb this phenomenon at source lies in the government departments, who must carefully check and carry out relevant policies and even set up a remedial mechanism.
UTC Climate, Controls & Security has successfully completed its planned acquisition of EcoEnergy, Wipro Limiteds energy services business division. EcoEnergy, based in Bengaluru, India, is a leading energy management solutions company that optimises customers energy consumption by analysing insights gained from their software-as-a-service platform, big data analytics and domain-centric people and processes.
The AIIMS on Monday handed over the medical report by its doctors of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J to the state government.

The report contains the analysis of Jayalalithaa's health condition by the doctors of the premier institute during their five visits to Chennai.

AIIMS Deputy Director (Administration) V Srinivas said that the state government had on Sunday sought the visit notes of the delegation for its official records.

The move assumes significance in the backdrop of doubts being raised from different quarters over the former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief's death on December 5.

Srinivas handed over the papers to the Principal Secretary of Health of Tamil Nadu, Dr J Radhakrishnan, here on Monday.

"On the request of the Tamil Nadu government for expert medical advise, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had deployed a team of senior specialists to visit Chennai five times between October 5 and December 6, 2016.

"The team was led by Dr G C Khilnani, Professor in the department of pulmonology," Srinivas said.

The Tamil Nadu government had on Sunday rejected former chief minister and rebel AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam's claims of foul play in the treatment of Jayalalithaa, an allegation which has been dismissed by state Health Minister C Vijayabaskar.

The opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) too has approached the Madras High Court seeking a comprehensive probe into the death of Jalalalithaa.

Twelve AIADMK MPs, belonging to the O Panneerselvam group, had met President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on February 28 and handed over a petition seeking a probe into the medical treatment provided to .
Auction of two plush properties of Vijay Mallya's defunct Kingfisher Airlines  Kingfisher House in this metropolis and Kingfisher Villa in Goa  proved to be a damp squib once again today with not a single bid coming in.

The 17-lender consortium led by State Bank could find no buyers despite reducing the reserve prices for both the properties by nearly 10 per cent to recover loans running into thousands of crores of rupees from the airline that got grounded in 2012 under a huge financial burden.

Kingfisher House, the erstwhile headquarters of the airline, was put under the hammer at a reserve price of Rs 103.5 crore while the same for Villa in Goa was Rs 73 crore.

Mallya himself has been in the UK for almost a year despite summons against him here in India, while a number of banks have initiated recovery proceedings for their unpaid loans and some have even declared him a 'wilful defaulter'.

In a series of tweets last week, Mallya blamed faulty engines as one of the reasons for the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines.

While the auction of Kingfisher House has failed for the fourth time, Kingfisher Villa could not get any bid for the third time.

"Although there were enquiries for both the assets, no bids were received," said a source familiar with the auction.

The reserve price for Kingfisher House was cut by 10 per cent from Rs 115 crore in the previous auction held last December.

Lenders had made the first attempt to sell Kingfisher House in March last year with a reserve price of Rs 150 crore, which was reduced to Rs 135 crore in the second attempt.

The prime property has a built-up area of over 17,000 sq ft and is located in the plush Vile Parle area near the domestic airport terminal.

The SBI-led consortium had reduced the reserve price of Kingfisher Villa, the plush property situated at Condolim in North Goa, by 10 per cent from Rs 81 crore quoted in the second attempt at auction of this property in December.

The sea-facing property, which had been home to numerous lavish parties hosted by Mallya in the past, was put under the hammer for the first time last October with a reserve price of Rs 85.29 crore.

Auction for both the properties was conducted by SBICAP Trustee on behalf of the lenders.

Mallya owes over Rs 9,000 crore to lenders like SBI, PNB, IDBI Bank, BoB, Allahabad Bank, Federal Bank and Axis Bank, among others. He left the country on March 3 last year for the UK and Indian authorities have been trying since then to bring him back.
The Chinese media on Monday accused India of using the card to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia and warned New Delhi of "severe consequences" if it hosted the Tibetan spiritual leader in a "disputed" area in Arunachal Pradesh.

"Despite objections by China, India will host the in a disputed region on the China-India border in coming weeks," state-run Global Times said in an op-ed.

The comments came after the Chinese Foreign Ministry criticised India for allowing the to visit Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as southern Tibet.

The permission was granted last October and the Dalai Lama is expected to visit the area in the coming weeks.

Referring to reported comments by Indian officials that it was a religious trip and Dalai Lama had undertaken numerous such visits earlier, the article said the officials has not realised the consequences.

"These Indian officials apparently didn't realise, or deliberately ignored, the severe consequences the Dalai Lama's trip would bring.

"The 14th Dalai Lama is by no means a spiritual leader but a Tibetan separatist," it said, adding that allowing him to the "disputed area will inevitably trigger confrontation, undermine the stability of the region and sour Sino-Indian relations".

"For a long time, some Indians have considered the Dalai Lama as a strategic asset. They believe that India could gain many benefits by using the Dalai issue as leverage. For instance, making an issue of the Dalai Lama could serve as a diplomatic tool to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia," it said.

"However, they overestimate the political value of the Dalai Lama and his group while miscalculating China's determination to safeguard its core interests," it said.

"An increasing number of Western leaders have shut the door on the Dalai Lama in recent years after realising the Dalai card is ineffective," it said, referring to the recent decision by Mongolia not to invite him in future.

"Against such a backdrop and at a time when a China-India strategic dialogue was just held to improve bilateral relations, the decision to receive the Dalai Lama in the disputed region is unwise. Leveraging the Dalai Lama issue to undermine Beijing's core interests risks dragging the two countries into a state of hostility," it said.

"The good momentum for the bilateral relationship in recent years shouldn't be disrupted. In future, there is a great potential for the two countries to tap into cooperation.

"As the two biggest emerging economies, they have vast common interests on establishing a new global financial order, tackling climate change and other major issues. Now China and India have come to a critical period to further upgrade bilateral ties," it said.
A 17-year-old was killed after a speeding Benz ran over him here, police said on Monday.

Atul Arora, a Class 11 student, died after the car collided with his Scooty near Paschim Vihar area on Sunday night, police said.

Arora was dragged about 100 metres by the car before it ran over him, police said.

The car driver escaped from the spot.

According to Arora's family, he was returning home after dropping off a friend.

The incident was captured in CCTV cameras of nearby shops.

"We are examining the CCTV footages of nearby roads to get evidence and to identify the driver who is at large now," a senior police officer said.

"A manhunt is on to arrest the driver," he added.
Two college students were arrested from suburban Malad here last night by Navi Mumbai Police in connection with the leak of two question papers during the ongoing HSC Board exam.

Rahul Bachchelal Bhaskar (22) and Azharuddin Shaikh (20) --both students of TY (third year) and SY (second year) B.Com from a local college--were arrested from their residence at Malvani in Malad, said a senior police officer who did not wish to be identified.

According to police, photographs of three pages each of question papers of both Marathi and Secretarial Practice (SP) were circulated on a social media platform (Whatsapp) just before the commencement of exams on March 2 and March 4.

The examinations of Std 12th, conducted by Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (commonly called SSC and HSC Board) are being held at present.

After the first paper leak, Dattatray Jagtap, Chairman of Konkan division of the Board, filed a complaint with Vashi police in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

Subsequently, police initiated a probe into the case with the help of crime branch and as well as Cyber Cell and identified the WhatsApp group from where the leaks originated, the officer said.

Also, two separate offences have been registered against unidentified persons at Vashi Police Station in Navi Mumbai under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and other specified Exams Act -1982 and the IT Act.

During investigations, a team of Navi Mumbai Police zeroed in on two students from Malvani area and arrested them late last night, said Hemant Nagrale, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner.

On Saturday, Jagtap had appealed the students not to panic and had said that no re-examination of Marathi and Secretarial Practise subjects would be held.
The navy on Monday decommissioned Indian Navy Ship (INS) Viraat, the worlds oldest aircraft carrier, 58 years after she entered operational service with the Royal Navy in 1959. During this period, she sailed over a million kilometres, enough to circumnavigate the world 27 times.
The world's oldest aircraft carrier in active service, INS Viraat, will be decommissioned on Monday after serving the Indian Navy for nearly 30 years. The decommissioning ceremony will be attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and other dignitaries. The grand event will see the lowering and wrap-up of the naval flag installed on the warship at sunset, marking an end to a long sea odyssey lasting 55 years. Here are 10 things to know about INS Viraat:


Single and want to rent a womb like Karan Johar? Think again. While the Bollywood filmmaker has become father to twins Roohi and Yash through surrogacy, he may be among the last few fortunate single fathers who could commission surrogacy within the legal ambit.

The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 passed by the Union Cabinet last year bans single men, women and gay couples from opting for surrogacy. The draft Bill, currently pending with the parliamentary committee also puts an end to commercial surrogacy and allows it only in an altruistic form without any monetary benefit to the surrogate mother, who has to be a blood relative.

While this move has been criticised by many who champion human rights, others have backed the amendment.

ALSO READ: Karan Johar, SRK, Aamir: Celebs who found joy of parenthood via surrogacy Following the birth of Karan Johar's twins, the issue of surrogacy has once again taken centre stage.

What is surrogacy?

Surrogacy is an arrangement where a surrogate mother bears and delivers a child for another couple or person. In gestational surrogacy, an embryo, which is fertilized by in vitro fertilization, is implanted into the uterus of the surrogate mother who carries and delivers the baby. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate mother is impregnated with the sperms of the intended father.



Surrogacy may be commercial or altruistic, depending upon whether the surrogate receives financial reward for her pregnancy.

Is surrogacy in India legal?

Yes.

Commercial surrogacy is legal in India, Ukraine, and California while it is illegal in England, many states of United States, and in Australia, which recognize only altruistic surrogacy. In contrast, countries like Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Italy do not recognize any surrogacy agreements.

According to The Surrogacy (Regultion Bill 2016):

Who can opt for surrogacy?

* To allow altruistic ethical surrogacy to intending infertile couple between the age of 23- 50 years and 26-55 years for female and male respectively.

* The intending couple should be legally married for at least five years and should be Indian citizens



* Couple shoudn't have any surviving child (biological, adopted or surrogate), except one who is mentally or physically challenged or suffers from a life-threatening disorder or fatal illness.

The bill also disallows childless or unmarried women to be surrogate mothers.

Who can be a surrogate mother?

* A close relative of the couple

* A married woman with a child of her own, aged 25-35

* She can be a surrogate mother only once in her lifetime

* Should be certified as medically and psychologically fit.

* The Surrogacy Bill bans homosexual couples, people in live-in relationships and single individuals from renting a womb

India - a favourite destination of fertility tourism

Commercial surrogacy has been legal in India since 2002, a practice that has been fully taken advantage of by many stars in the Hindi film industry. Even internationally, India as been a favourite country for those wanting a surrogate child. The reason behind its popularity is 'cheap availability' of the service.

According to National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), each year, couples from abroad are attracted to India by so-called surrogacy agencies because cost of the whole procedure in India is as less as one-third of what it is in United States and United Kingdom (Rs 10-20 lakhs).

What drives mothers to commercial surrogacy?

The reason driving the mothers to surrogacy is usually poverty and lack of education, which further ensures their inability to challenge the exploitation. Hence, initiatives are being taken to promote altruistic and not commercial surrogacy.

Provisions for safety of women prior to The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016

In 2002, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) laid out guidelines for surrogacy, which made the practice legal, but did not give it legislative backing. This led to a booming surrogacy industry which had lax laws and no enforcements.

End of commercial surrogacy in India

On November 4, 2015, Department of research in November stated that the department has decided not to support commercial surrogacy, after consultation with various Ministries/departments of the government. It further stated that till the enactment of the proposed 'Assisted Reproductive Technology Regulation (Bill), provisions will be made to ensure safety of the surrogate mother.

Here are the guidelines:

1. Import of 'human embryo' is prohibited except for research purposes based on guidelines issued by DHR.

a) Surrogacy clinics/IVF clinics or any other centre/ clinical establishments, offering surrogacy services will not import human embryo for offering surrogacy services or in connection thereto. b) No visa should be granted by the Indian Missions for foreign nationals or to Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders intending to visit India for commissioning surrogacy. c) No exit permission should be granted to the child to be born through surrogacy to foreign nationals and OCI cardholders.

2. Unethical practices in surrogacy, including illegal determination of sex by such clinical establishments, will be dealt with severely.

It prohibited sex-selective surrogacy, required the birth certificate to only have the names of commissioning parents, required one of the commissioning parents to be a donor, required a life insurance cover for the surrogate mother and ensured right to privacy of the mother and the donor, among other things.

Surrogacy Bill 'patriarchal'?

The Modi government faced severe criticism over its draft surrogacy bill. Dr Manisha Gupte of Pune-based NGO Masum told Times Of India , "It's good that a regulation has come in, but the problem is that it doesn't boost the rights of women in any way." She felt little thought had been spared for the woman in midst of a surrogacy. "It isn't really empowering women that surrogacy is now restricted to relatives. No thought seems to have been given to how the woman's life will pan out after the surrogacy. After all, giving up a child isn't the same as giving blood. So, what happens when she goes back home? How does society react to her?" said Dr Gupte, who has been associated with the women's rights movement for decades.

The bill, she said, seemed "patriarchal" and "homophobic".

However, the government is adamant and said last year that it is open to incorporating suggestions but insisted that some of the key provisions of the Bill, including putting a stop to abandonment of children and exploitation of women, are "non-negotiable"

"Non-negotiable is exploitation of women should not happen, abandonment of children should not take place," Minister J P Nadda said.
Expressing concern over delays in the trial in the case, the Supreme Court on Monday said the separate trials underway in Lucknow and Rae Bareli must be clubbed together to speed up the judicial process.

A bench of Justice P S Ghosh and R F Nariman has posted the matter for further hearing on March 22.

The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), challenging the May 2010 Allahabad High Court decision.

The High Court had acquitted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti and then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh of the charge of criminal conspiracy in the demolition of the .

The High Court had said there was no merit in the CBI's revision petition challenging the May 4, 2001, order of the special court, which directed dropping of criminal conspiracy charges against them.
A south Delhi neighbourhood on Sunday began getting round-the-clock potable through taps in a major project that a minister said will be implemented across the capital.

A first in Delhi, the pilot project was started at Navjeevan Vihar, a part of the larger and thickly populated Malviya Nagar area.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Minister Kapil Mishra inaugurated the project.

Mishra pointed out that not getting potable in taps was one area which divided Indian cities from the rest of the developed world.

"It may be a small step but what we have done today bridges the gap between Delhi and other major cities of the world," he said to applause from residents gathered in large numbers.

"Getting running and potable water through taps is an indicator that Delhi is on the path of becoming a world class city," Mishra added.

This scheme would soon be implemented all over Delhi, he said.

The minister said Delhi had been divided into 1,010 units. Each unit would be isolated and fixed in order to provide every household with round-the-clock drinking water.

Mishra pointed out how Indians, after returning from cities like London or Singapore, would never fail to mention that they could drink straight from the taps there  unlike in India.

It was Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's dream that Delhi should also embrace this idea, Mishra said.

Sisodia said maintaining the project would be a challenge unless the project was spread across the city.

Delhi Jal Board supplies drinking water to most residential and commercial areas through taps but for only select hours.

In other parts of Delhi where there is no water network, water tanks supply water.

Mishra said the Delhi government was determined to bring into its water network the entire city - be it slums, unauthorized colonies or the middle and posh areas.
Rajkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) has urged Union Finance Minister to scrap charges levied by some public and private banks after certain number of cash transactions at branches.

"Recently, some private and public banks have announced cash transaction charges on their account holders beyond stipulated number of cash transactions," said RCCI president Sameer Shah in a letter to Jaitley.

"After almost four months since demonetisation, things remain unsettled at ground level. Marginal businessmen, poor and middle class people are still at receiving end. Almost on daily and weekly basis, some new rules are introduced," he claimed.

"We, as an apex industry body of the district, are receiving complaints from our members regarding obstacles being created in the form of new measures," he claimed.

"The bank should reduce their administrative expenditure and NPAs to earn more, but it is ridiculous to levy charges on cash transactions," he said.

Private banks like HDFC and ICICI, as well as public banks like SBI recently announced that they will levy fees of Rs 150 on deposit or withdrawal of cash from the savings accounts at bank branches beyond four to five times in a month.
India improved its ranking last yearmoving up from 131 to 130 in a list of 190 countriesby reducing the average time taken to start an enterprise and secure a permanent electricity connection, according to 2016 World Bank data. However, an IndiaSpend analysis of these data shows that India still ranks among the worst performers on other key parameters



Source: World Bank



Note: For time taken to get electricity, data prior to 2008, and for time to resolve insolvency, data prior to 2012 are unavailable.
The BJP-led government in Maharashtra on Monday announced a slew of decisions to mitigate agrarian distress and to boost the flow of investments in order to maintain its pre-eminence as the favoured destination.
Cabinet approves Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Renewable Energy between India and Portugal

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Renewable Energy between India and Portugal.

The MoU was signed on 6th January, 2017 in New Delhi. The MoU will help in strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Both sides aim to establish the basis for a cooperative institutional relationship to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on new and renewable issues on the basis of mutual benefit equality and reciprocity. The MoU envisages constitution of a Joint Working Group which can co-opt other members from Scientific Institutions, Research Centers, Universities, or any other entity, as and when considered essential. ?
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Revised Cost Estimate-I of 400 MW Koteshwar Hydro Electric Project (HEP) in Uttarakhand at an estimated completion cost of Rs.2,717.35 crore. .

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The project is being implemented by Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) India Limited. .

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In addition to additional generating capacity of 400 MW of peaking power it will regulate releases from Tehri Reservoir for irrigation and drinking water supply. The reservoir of Koteshwar HEP will also act as lower reservoir for under construction Tehri PSP (1000 MW). .

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Background:.

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The Project has already been commissioned fully in March, 2012. Only balance works are to be done which are not linked with operation of the Plant but essential for safety and completion of the project. .

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President of India presents visitors awards for Best University, Research and Innovation

The Third day of the Festival of Innovation in Rashtrapati Bhavan concluded with presentation of Visitors Awards for the year 2017 by President Pranab Mukherjee at a function held in Rashtrapati Bhavan today (March 6, 2017).The President presented the Visitors Award for the Best University to Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. The Visitors Award for Innovation was presented to Dr. Deepak Pant, Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Central University of Himachal Pradesh for development of a reactor for direct conversion of waste plastic to LPG in small scale. The Visitors Award for Research was jointly received by Dr. Shyam Sunder, Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University for his work in the area of diagnosis and treatment of Indian Kala-azar and Prof. Niranjan Karak, Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University for development of renewable resource based bio-degradable hyper-branched polymer nano-composites as self-cleaning, self-healing and bio-compatible smart sustainable futuristic material.For selecting the winners, online applications were invited from all Central Universities for each category. A Selection Committee headed by Smt.

Omita Paul, Secretary to the President and comprising Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Chairman, UGC; Executive Vice-Chairperson, National Innovation Foundation and DG, CSIR screened the applications and selected the winners of the Awards. Speaking on the occasion, the President said areas for research activity should align with the developmental challenges of our nation. The best minds in our universities should apply themselves to work out solutions in areas like sanitation, urban transportation, sewage disposal, clean river systems, healthcare and drought-resistant farming. They should also convert new knowledge into innovative products that are directly beneficial to the common population. Innovative minds should create tools and implements that alleviate the drudgery of farmers, workers, artisans and weavers. The number one barometer for successful outcome of research and innovation should be its beneficial applicability to a wider section of the population. The President said the honours recognize the single-minded devotion and painstaking work in the pursuit of excellence of the winners. JNU has been adjudged the best university for its unrelenting pursuit of academic excellence. It has shown outstanding performance in all key parameters like quality of students and faculty, training of faculty, citations, publications, research projects, foreign collaborations, seminars and innovation exhibitions. He urged the University to continue the good work.
A view of the city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, which is experiencing rapid urban growth and development. [UN Photo/Kibae Park]

When I joined the UN in 1994, aid from rich countries to Asia-Pacific nations accounted for more than 10 percent of all money in the region. Today that figure is less than 1 percent - but aid is still indispensable.

Drastic donor funding cuts, reportedly under consideration, would limit our ability to help build a safer and more sustainable world.

Here is why aid still matters.

For decades, international development cooperation was a one-way system providing funds and experts to poorer countries. It catalyzed enormous advances.

We at the United Nations Development Programme ( UNDP ) specialized in building government, parliamentary and judicial institutions. We trained officials, organized expert exchanges and designed processes.

These institutions then unleashed economic growth. The region's GDP has shot up from about 10 percent of the global figure in the 1950s to nearly 40 percent today.

As economies grew, countries' own resources dwarfed the inflow of foreign aid. This is a seismic shift in the global development system and means our role has changed.

Our new purpose is to help Asia-Pacific governments spend their own money in the best way for their own development.

And big challenges remain - some 300 million people still live in poverty.

Rising inequality, rapid urbanization, aging population, migration, extremism and environmental disasters all require sophisticated solutions.

Some of these issues can have a destabilizing effect much further afield, including on countries in North America and Europe.

UNDP is tackling these challenges. Our $1 billion portfolio of development projects in Asia-Pacific - largely funded by aid - allows us to design and test solutions that countries can then turn into national development programs.

We have identified five key ways to promote sustainable development.

Our experts are helping countries plan, budget and implement projects they are funding themselves. In Pakistan we are helping the government embed the sustainable development goals in its plans and budget. Pakistan is committing its own resources to creating jobs and providing access to clean water and quality education. This creates positive and long-lasting change with benefits beyond the country's borders.

We are investing in innovation. We want to design new and more effective solutions to old problems. An example of this is our Phones Against Corruption project in Papua New Guinea, which began as a pilot project in the Ministry of Finance but is now being scaled up to cover more and more government offices in the country. We have seen so many successes that we are opening an innovation lab this year.

We are helping countries access new sources of financing. Sophisticated UNDP climate change projects have attracted more than $200 million in new resources from the Green Climate Fund for six countries in the region. We are also exploring ways of engaging private capital. One such way is social impact investing, which creates measurable social or environmental benefit as well as profit.

We are bringing together governments, business, civil society, philanthropists, communities, volunteers and international partners so all their formidable skills can be used. One such example is the Responsible Business Forum , which has established a network of 700 influencers in the Asia-Pacific region.

Lastly, we have restructured our offices so that they are equipped to provide the support and expertise needed in the twenty-first century. On one hand, we have cut 500 jobs; on the other, we are investing in expertise and activities that help countries cope with new issues such as extremism, migration and jobs for young people.

When I joined the UN, Asia-Pacific governments did not fund our projects and partners such as business, think tanks and philanthropists were rarely involved in our work. Today, money and expertise flows in many directions.

Yet, aid remains vital to ensure the new resources are used to the best effect. It helps make development work. Aid gives governments the tools to tackle risks that threaten their own societies and - in the shape of militancy and the movement of people across borders - are of critical concern far beyond Asia-Pacific.

The author is director at UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific. The article was first published in the Huffington Post

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi lauds Doordarshan for highlighting struggle of women achievers through its program Tejaswini Government is committed to all round empowerment of women: WCD Minister

The Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has lauded the efforts of Doordarshan to highlight the lives of those women who have distinguished themselves in taking up challenges & realizing high aspirations. The WCD Minister was speaking at an event organized in New Delhi today on the occasion of completion of 100 episodes of flagship programme for women Tejaswini, produced by Doordarshan .The story of each of you represents a struggle. It is a story of how you followed your hearts despite strong odds against you. I congratulate each one of you who are present here as well as those achievers who could not be present here. I commend the efforts of Doordarshan for having discovered such wonderful women and through their programme Tejaswini, motivating thousands of other women to aspire for the best", Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said.Highlighting the new initiatives of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, the WCD Minister said that the Government is continuously striving towards all round empowerment of women. To give women a safe environment, a network of One Stop Centres (OSCs) across the country is being set up which will provide legal, medical, police & counseling assistance to women who are in distress situations. Over 60 such centres have already been setup in the country and gradually there will be one such centre in each district, she informed. Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said that the Ministry has also set up a Grievance Redressal Cell with a dedicated e-mail to receive complaints from women needing help.

Another initiative of the ministry is the launch of the e-commerce platform for women entrepreneurs called Mahila-e-Haat. Lakhs of women artisans have already joined this platform which helps to market their products across the country. This initiative is being expanded to establish the National Women Entrepreneurship Council which will cater to women who want to take the entrepreneurial route for economic empowerment, the Minister explained. The WCD Minister said that todays programme is being organized just before we get into the International Womens Day when we celebrate our women and pay tribute to them for the myriad ways in which they serve the society. The Ministry of Women and Child Development will be giving the Nari Shakti Awards on 8th of March. In order to spread the message of equality of gender, the Ministry has also started a fabulous campaign, #WeAreEqual on social media, Smt Maneka Gandhi disclosed. The Minister urged everybody to join the unique initiative on Facebook & Twitter. Todays programme was organized by Doordarshan to celebrate the 100 episodes of its popular program Tejaswini. Tejaswini is a program based on women achievers who had the courage to tread unusual paths and have successfully set new options for thousands of other women to follow. The Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu and Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore were also present on the occasion.
The Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal reaches Nairobi, Kenya to participate in the 4th Annual Devolution Conference; To share the experience of the devolution system and its progress in India. .

The Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal will represent the India in the 4th Annual Devolution Conference and will share the experience of devolution system and its progress in India. In this regard, Shri Meghwal would specifically highlight the 73rd-74th Constitutional Amendments and provisions their under for strengthening the local governance in the Republic of India. The Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Meghwal has reached Nairobi, Kenya to participate in the 4th Annual Devolution Conference to be held from 06th to 09th March, 2017 at Nakuru County of Kenya. Shri Meghal has been asked by the Prime Minister to represent India in the said Conference. .

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During his visit to Kenya, Shri Meghwal will address the Devolution Conference and will brief the Conference on the revenue sharing between the Centre and the States as well as showcase the smooth devolution on the recommendations of 14th Finance Commission from the earlier 32% share in 13thFinance Commission to 42% of Unions net tax receipts, to the States. To share the successful experience of the Urban and Rural Local Bodies, Shri Meghwal will inaugurate the Conference. The objective of the Conference also includes sharing of good experience of devolution system and through the platform of Devolution Conference how it can be used to increase Good Governance and Public Accountability for the Social & Economic Development internationally. .

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In this International Conference, around ten thousand delegates will participate from different regions including African Nations and China. The Members of Parliament, Leaders of Opposition from all States, professionals, representative of various civil societies, religious & social organizations from Kenya will also take part in the aforesaid Conference. .

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simply cannot be overlooked anymore. It is a wide-ranging issue, impacting public and private lives in ways that are causing concern the world over. US president Donald Trumps recent immigration ban and the UKs Brexit vote are just two examples in a series of political acts that are shaping public attitudes about Muslims, with many experiencing stigmatisation and marginalisation as a result.
Around the world, tradition often opposes equality. But when it comes to the question of gender equality, such situations can become volatile. Thats what happened in Indias Nagaland this February, when protests relating to womens political participation killed two people. The conflict has also led the government of this eastern federal state to play a game of political musical chairs.



Nagaland, one of the eight northeastern Indian states, is mainly composed by Naga tribes  a term coined by British anthropologists but which refers to various indigenous populations  who inhabited a large territory there before Indias independence. There are at present 17 Naga tribes in Nagaland, with distinct languages and customs.
The US embassy here on Sunday condemned the attack on a Sikh man who was injured in firing by a gunman in Washington.

"Saddened by the shooting in Washington. Wish for quick and full recovery. As @POTUS (President of the US) said, we condemn 'hate and evil in all its forms'," MaryKay Loss Carlson, Charge d'Affaires at US Embassy, tweeted.

The 39-year-old Sikh, who was hit in the arm, survived the Friday night attack, the third shooting of an Indian-origin man in the last 10 days.

The victim, who has not been named, was working on his car in front of his house in Kent city of Washington state when the gunman described as white, opened fire at him, the police said.

On Thursday night, Indian-origin businessman Harnish Patel was shot dead outside his home at Lancaster in South Carolina.

The incident happened after Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was shot dead at a bar in Kansas city on February 22.
The Supreme Court on Monday expressed its concern over delay in trial against the people involved in demolition of Babri Masjid.

The apex court also favoured joint trial of all the accused.

The apex court said that separate trial going on in Lucknow and Raebareli must be clubbed together.

It posted the case for further hearing to March 22.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has challenged the Allahabad High Court's ruling to acquit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veterans L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, the then Uttar Pradesh chief minister and present Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh and others.

The apex court had sought responses from all the accused during the last hearing.

Babri Masjid, a 16th century mosque, was built by one of the generals of Mughal emperor Babar. It was demolished by a mob on December 6, 1992.

Advani and Joshi were present at the site when the mosque was pulled down.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Citizen Watches (India) celebrates International Women's Day by unveiling Citizen Eco Drive EX1484-81A and Eco Drive EM0502-86P.

An ode to the modern women, these tastefully crafted watches are a blend of beauty, femininity and modernity. These watches represent contemporary Indian women who are confident and are ready to take on challenges.

Commenting on the occasion of International Women's day, Shunya Shoji, Managing Director, Citizen Watches (India) said, "We encourage women to celebrate this special day by gifting themselves these precision driven watches which are crafted to make each woman feel honored."

Citizen Eco Drive EX1484-81A is an epitome of technological mastery and sheer elegance. Fashioned in silver and gold, this watch exudes opulence in its every detail. It is set in stainless steel white case with golden detailing, with gold and silver toned stainless steel bracelet perfectly complimenting it.

This timepiece is powered by CITIZEN's famed Eco-Drive technology which ensures no battery replacement. It is made with water resistant technology of five bar.

Citizen Eco Drive EM0502-86P is inspired by spirit and elegance of modern Indian women. An intricately crafted stainless steel dial with yellow gold plating complemented by stainless steel mesh gold plating strap is sure to take your breath away. This wristwatch features mineral glass, and Eco-Drive technology which ensures no battery replacement.

Every Citizen timepiece is an expression of grandeur and technological mastery.

These watches are retailed at CITIZEN's exclusive stores and multi-brand outlets across the country.

Price: Citizen Eco Drive EX1484-81A: Rs. 18,900

Citizen Eco Drive EM0502-86P: Rs. 14,900.

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A prominent Hindu organisation in the United States has issued a statement against CNN's show 'Believer with Reza Aslam', citing it promotes xenophobia, particularly, Hinduphobia.

Ajay Shah, Convenor, American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD) said in his statement, "The six-part CNN series, 'Believer with Reza Aslan,' purports to demystify some of the religions, however, from the promotional material and review articles about the show, it is clear that the show paints Hindu dharma (spiritual, religion and cultural tradition) by accentuating a lesser understood tiny sect of a faith that count seventy ascetics among a one and a quarter billion adherents, whose mainstream practices and philosophical underpinnings have flourished for thousands of years."

"Ms. Aslan attributes the quest for societal-equality in Indian society to Aghori influence, ignoring the fact that underpinning of this equality is inherent in the most ancient of Hindu scriptures, including Rig Veda, the earliest scripture of Hindu dharma. As most non-practicing Hindus, Mr. Aslan has not gained deeper understanding of difference between varna (caste label that is acquired based on profession and is not based on birth) and jaati (family association that traditionally passed through inheritance)," the statement further reads.

Shah has also said Aslan had a way to denigrate other religions. While he promoted 'moderate' Islamic Sufi tradition as mainstream in the media, he generalises fringe elements of Hindu faith, while ignoring the peaceful, non-violent, all accepting and universal ideals of Hindu dharma.

AHAD believes that this crass representation of Hindu faith will do little to promote interfaith understanding. It will promote ignorance about Hindu traditions and promote ridicule of Hindu children in the schools.

To ensure that the educational ideals of this series are met, the AHAD has demanded that Hindu related episodes in the series be reviewed by practicing Hindu experts before they are aired.

AHAD further called on CNN to hold itself to higher standards.

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In the same direction [By Zhai Haijun / China.org.cn]

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the "Belt and Road" (B&R) initiative in late 2013. It comprises the "Belt," which is a network of roads across the world, and "the Road" which is actually a network of shipping lanes and ports. The project has a geo-strategic component focused on advancing China's economic goals and utilizing its industrial potential. It serves to remove China's dependence on the Malacca Strait for oil imports, improves trade connectivity, furthers China's foreign policy and minimizes conflicts as it reconnects the world.

The B&R is an innovative paradigm of global integration involving 65 countries, including one-third of the world's GDP, impacting 65 percent of the world's population and a quarter of all the goods and services. It kicked off with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the first of its six corridors and the linchpin of the B&R initiative, as it unlocks Central Asia, connects to Xinjiang, leads down to Gwadar port and then onwards to Africa, Iran and the Middle East. With related major energy and infrastructure projects being in full swing, CPEC becomes the center-point where transit trade routes converge linking Russia with Central Asia. Pakistan has also provided a special security division to secure CPEC from all dangers.

All this economic activity has also brought about a major geopolitical realignment in the form of the China-Russia-Pakistan power troika , an equation which provides economic benefit while it addresses mutual security concerns regarding ISIS in Afghanistan. It also consolidates the entire region vis-a-vis the new dimension of U.S.-India ties. The B&R initiative is a vital combination of geo-economics and geo-strategy.

This project of the century has kept the world economy afloat since 2013 by withstanding the crash of the trans-Atlantic banking systems. As PricewaterhouseCoopers reports, the "real value" in China's economy and its investments in countries along its Belt and Road initiative is shifting to infrastructure projects and rising at a rapid pace. The B&R is to be financed mainly by the Silk Road Fund and the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank. Additionally, the collapse of the Trans-Pacific Partnership provides Beijing with the perfect opportunity to re-integrate Asian investment that used to find its way to American banks.

As China's top legislature (NPC) and political advisory body (CPPCC) has just begun their annual " two sessions " in Beijing, the world keeps track of the event to detect the direction of the economic superpower. Premier Li Keqiang said in his government work report , "We will ensure order in the financial sector and build a firewall against financial risks." Eleven million more jobs have been planned, and the growth rate has been fixed at around 6.5 percent to ease risk and ensure stability. Flexibility is necessary as it would facilitate any new reforms required by the new central committee due to be elected at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China this autumn.

Further prospects and direction of the B&R initiative will be determined at the "two sessions" as the project is an integral part of China's new reforms and an intrinsic part of its foreign policy. The project's progress will be taken into account and discussed. Consequently, this year's "two sessions" are the key to China's imminent strategy and bear great relevance for global markets.

China is going to hold the Belt and Road forum this May and it would be a masterstroke by China if more countries like U.S. and India announce their participation or signal their approval with their presence at this forum; the great game is never really over and there is much more scope in Chinese wisdom and peaceful globalization in the Eurasian Century .

The author is a geopolitical analyst at think tank Katehon, Pakistan.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
The Delhi High Court will today hear a petition challenging amendments made in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) admission policy.

The Delhi Police, earlier this week, said that a peaceful protest was being carried out by the students in the JNU against the changes made in the admission policy .

The university authorities, however, alleged that the protesters were blocking the administrative block in the campus.

When the matter came up for hearing before the Delhi High Court on March 1, the police submitted a report stating that the students were holding a protest 50 m away from the administrative block.

"The vice chancellor, teachers and staff of the JNU are using the administrative block without any hindrance. Everything is smooth there and even there is over 300 officials from the JNU security," the Delhi Police counsel told the High Court.

The students are protesting the recent amendments made in the JNU admission policy, which they claim will lead to a massive cut in MPhil and PhD seats.

The students have been sitting since February 9 at the administrative block.

The counsel also objected to the listing of the matter before the court and said that it was not empowered to hear criminal matters.

Taking note of this, the judge referred the matter to the bench of Chief Justice to decide whether the issue raised in the plea comes under the purview of education or crime.

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At least five Pakistan Army soldiers and more than 10 militants have reportedly been killed in a terrorist attack on three border posts along Afghasnistan in Mohmand Agency on Sunday night.

Pakistan army's military media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that last night terrorists from across the border attempted physical attack on three Pakistan border posts in Mohmand Agency.

"In exchange of fire five soldiers embraced martyrdom and over 10 terrorists were reportedly killed," Dawn quoted the ISPR statement as saying.

"Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed terrorists attempt," it added.

Appreciating the response by Pakistani troops to last night's cross border attack, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Jawed Bajwa expressed grief on the loss of precious lives and hailed the sacrifices made by the soldiers.

General Bajwa emphasised on the need for physical presence on the Afghan side of the border for effective border security.

"Terrorists are common threat and must be denied freedom of movement/action along the border," he said.

The cross border terror attack comes at the time when Pakistan is facing a surge in terror attacks in the country.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have accused each other over harbouring terrorists, and the issue came into the spotlight once again following the recent string of terrorist attacks in Pakistan, which claimed over 100 lives.

Pakistan reacted angrily and closed border crossings with Afghanistan, demanded handover of 76 wanted terrorists and shelled terrorist hideouts on the Afghan side of the border.

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Asserting that the revelation made by Pakistan's former security advisor Mahmud Ali Durrani on Mumbai 26/11 terror attack is a victory of the Indian Government's diplomacy, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Monday said the BJP government at the Centre has always strongly raised this issue in various international forums.

"From the very beginning, the Indian Government has maintained this stand. Now, when the former security advisor of Pakistan is saying the same, it is good for us. This is a victory of the Indian Government's diplomacy. I believe what he said is true," Shah told ANI News Editor Smita Prakash in an exclusive conversation, while on his way to Somnath.

"Whatever he said is absolutely true. We need to take action against Hafiz Saeed and the plan of the 26/11 attack was made on the soil of Pakistan. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has always categorically raised this issue in various international forums," he added.

Earlier in the day, Durrani said the Mumbai terror attack was carried out by a terror outfit based in Pakistan and added that it was a classic trans-border terrorist event.

"The 26/11 Mumbai attack, carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan, is an example of a classic trans-border terrorist event," he said while speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference being held at the Institute of Defence and Studies and Analyses.

He said that because he held on this view, the government was not too pleased with, and it could one of reasons why he lost his job as the Security Advisor (NSA).

Durrani also said that Jamaat-ud-Dawachief Hafiz Saeed had no utility and Pakistan should act against him.

Mahmud Ali Durrani, a retired army general, was the National Security Advisor to the Pakistani government when 10 Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai after hijacking a boat and killed at least 164 people and wounding 308 across the city.

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A support group meet for sleep patients was held on Sunday on the occasion of World Sleep Day, which will be observed on March 17.

The meet was spearheaded by Dr. Manvir Bhatia, senior consultant and head, Sleep Centre, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, who has acquired a reputation for organising free camps, public camps and support group meetings for patients with sleep disorders.

Sunday saw patients share their experiences, receive updated information with regard to their treatment and disorders, engage in group activities and a question and answer session. Patients got a chance to interact with Dr. Manvir Bhatia.

Overall, the meet encompassed the concept of sleep in its entirety and its requirement for optimal and alertness. It also allowed participants to learn more from one another and gain a better perspective observing others who were suffering from the severity of the same conditions.

Through their interactions more effective methods for sleep inducement were discovered.

Some of the distinguished guests present were Dr Ashok Seth, Chairman - Cardiac Sciences, Cardiac Sciences, FEHI; Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman, Fortis C-DOC and film-maker Mr. Muzaffar Ali, among other dignitaries.

Additionally the meet marked the launch of Dr. Bhatia's, The Sleep Solution. The book, released by Dr Ashok Seth, Chairman - Cardiac Sciences, Cardiac Sciences; Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman, Fortis C-DOC and film-maker Mr. Muzaffar Ali, is a doctor's professional take on sleep.

The book addresses queries related to sleep, sleeping habits and disorders. The concepts associated with sleep are made clearer, understandable and are described in an unambiguous manner. Most importantly, it highlights the necessity of sleep for our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing and draws attention to the ever-increasing threat of 'blue light radiance' of the multiple devices, which have become extensions of our lives. The book also provides quick tips and other helpful remedies to correct a person's sleeping habits.

World Sleep Day is an annual event organized by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) since 2008. It is aimed to celebrate the benefits of good and healthy sleep and to draw society attention to the burden of sleep problems and their medicine, education and social aspects; to promote the prevention of sleep disorders.

World Sleep Day is observed every year and campaigns on varied issues such as "to sleep better" (2016) and "When sleep is sound, and happiness abound" (2015). This year for 2017, the theme is "Sleep Soundly, Nurture life".

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A day after Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik sought Akhilesh Yadav's reply on Samajwadi Party leader Gayatri Prajapati's continuation as cabinet minister, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioned the Chief Minister for not taking cognizance of the matter, adding that the state government is trying to protect the rape-accused.

"The FIR itself was registered only after the Supreme Court's intervention, otherwise, the FIR wouldn't have been filed.. Also after the registration of FIR and him being an absconder he continues to be minister in the government as if the government itself is protecting this rape-accused," BJP leader Minakshi Lekhi told ANI.

Lekhi said the Akhilesh Yadav-led Uttar Pradesh government had lot to answer in case of Gayatri Prajapati.

"Why have they not acted on the complaints in the first part itself and on the second part, after the registration of FIR and after the Apex Court's intervention, why they have not arrested the person. Now, the Governor who is the supreme authority in Uttar Pradesh has to intervene," she added.

The Uttar Pradesh Governor yesterday wrote to Akhilesh Yadav, seeking his clarification over rape-accused Gayatri Prajapati's continuation as minister in the cabinet.

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A day after Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik sought Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's reply on rape-accused Samajwadi Party leader Gayatri Prajapati's continuation as cabinet minister, the Janata Dal (United) said the former should have asked the Election Commission (EC) instead of to the Chief Minister.

"The Governor should know that currently the Akhilesh Yadav Government is caretaker and the EC is running the government. Therefore, the governor should write to the EC instead of the Chief Minister," JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav told ANI.

Yadav further said Prajapati should follow the law and surrender himself before it.

"He is not only an MLA, but, also a minister and should follow the law," he added.

The Uttar Pradesh Governor yesterday wrote to Akhilesh Yadav, seeking his clarification over rape-accused Prajapati's continuation as a minister in the cabinet.

Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh Police had issued non-bailable warrants against Prajapati and six others in connection with the rape charges.

Prajapati's passport was revoked for four weeks to prevent him from attempting to flee out of the country.

Earlier this week, the police also initiated proceedings for a look out notice against Prajapati following reports that he may try to escape abroad to evade arrest.

On February 20, Prajapati moved the Supreme Court against its order of registering an FIR against him and sought protection from the arrest and recall of the apex court's earlier order.

The apex court had directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to file a status report in the case within a period of eight weeks.

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Viola Davis adds one more trophy to her big trophy cabinet.

Davis received the Harvard foundation 2017 'Artist of the Year' award, recently, at Harvard's Cultural Rhythms Festival in Cambridge.

According to Harvard Gazette, S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation said, "The students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation are delighted to present the acclaimed television and film artist Viola Davis with the 2017 Artist of the Year award."

"Our student committee praised her outstanding contributions to American and international film and theater. She recently received the Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and British Academy of Films and Television Arts awards, as well as an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of August Wilson's play 'Fences'," Counter added.

The 51 year-old received 'Best Supporting Actress' award at this year's Oscars, for 'Fences' and also bagged Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA awards for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of 'Fences', an August Wilson play.

She also acted in the play's 2010 Broadway revival, with Denzel Washington, which earned her a Tony award.

Previous winners of this award includes, Quincy Jones, Shakira, Andy Garcia, Salma Hayek and Matt Damon.

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In the aftermath of the Tral encounter which ended in South Kashmir on Saturday, Defence expert Wing Commander (Retd.) Praful Bakshi on Monday said retaliating when attacks have happened is a wrong policy, adding that at least two surgical strikes in a week should be done by India.

"We must retreat in their area and show that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is our area and we will take it. At least two surgical strikes in a week should be done by India," Wing Commander (Retd.) Bakshi told ANI.

"The government said that they will take appropriate steps but that does not mean that they will increase the security officers. This is a wrong policy that we will not attack but only respond when attacks have happened," he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, another Defence Expert Major General (Retd.) P.K. Sehgal extended support to Army Chief Bipin Rawat for his strict action message that those who would help the militants would be punished.

"If these things are happening continuously that the Kashmiri youth are supporting the militants and injuring, killing our people then the nation has to accept that and act accordingly," he added.

As many as two terrorists, three Army personnel and one policeman were killed in the encounter that broke out at Tral in south Kashmir on Saturday.

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An Indian origin man was assaulted in Auckland and subjected to a racist tirade during a road rage incident, according to local media reports.

According to Newshub, it's the second case the news service has been made aware of in just the past week and both were caught on camera.

According to a report by Newshub, it was 5 p.m. on a weekday and Narindervir Singh, the victim, started filming from inside his vehicle. The video was being streamed live onto Facebook.

Singh said in the video: "I gave him a space ... that lady gave me the finger. He was driving that car [pointing to a white Holden] and now he's trying to threaten me, giving me bad names."

After Singh informed the driver that he was uploading the video live, the situation escalated and he was abused, sworn at and told to go back to his own country.

"It really shocked me and after he [left], I was really shaken. I don't know what to do, it really hurts my heart ... The first thing in my mind was that he might hurt me with some weapon," Singh told Newshub.

When Singh left, he assumed it was all over. But when he parked on a nearby side street, the white Holden pulled up once again and the racist rant continued.

Bikramjit Singh, a New Zealand citizen, suffered similar abuse last week as he left a Papatoetoe storage facility. A man, who claimed Bikramjit was speeding yelled at him, saying: "Go back to your f*****g country - slow down! You know what the speed limit is here."

The man who hurled abuse in that case ended up apologising in an email, blaming two alcohol beverages he'd consumed earlier that day.

But those who work with migrants say such discrimination does appear to be increasing.

The incidents come close on the heels of recent incidents of apparent hate crime against Indians in the U.S.

Last week, a 39-year old Sikh man was shot at by an unknown assailant outside his home in south Seattle and allegedly shouted "go back to your own country."

Last month in Kansas, a 32-year old Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed by 51-year old US Navy veteran Adam Purinton.

Earlier last week, Indian-origin convenience store owner Harnish Patel, 43, of Lancaster in South Carolina was found dead of gunshot wounds in his yard.

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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra has requested the Bank (WB) not to terminate the revitalisation of KP and Fata (ERKF) and the Rural Livelihoods and Community Infrastructure Project (RLCIP).

According to the Dawn, following the threats of cancellation of grant worth USD 27 million and the WB has been assured that its concerns would be addressed upfront and conditionality will be met on an urgent basis.

"We understand that Fata secretariat is addressing our concerns and look forward to their earlier resolution. It is paramount that beneficiaries are supported without any interruption through swift decisions," the dawn quoted WB Communications Officer Mehreen Saeed, as saying.

In a letter last month, the WB had warned Jhagra that the province could lose at least USD 27 million which is to be used for economic revitalisation of the province and the tribal areas, if the government did not approve PC-1s for the two key donor-funded projects.

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 Flash

China's top tourism authority has warned tourists of the risks regarding South Korea's change of its entry policy for Chinese citizens.

"The number of incidents involving Chinese citizens' entry to Jeju Island of South Korea has risen sharply recently. Some of them were denied entry and waited a long time at airports before they were repatriated, which has attracted wide public attention," said a statement on the website of the China National Tourism Administration on Friday.

It said the administration attached great importance to the matter.

The administration met with officials from the South Korean embassy in Beijing as well as officials from the country's cultural organizations and "lodged serious representations", said the statement.

The administration warned Chinese citizens to be aware of the risks of overseas trips and asked them to carefully choose their destinations.

It advised them to get to know the entry policy of South Korea and prepare documents as required.

"If you are caught in an emergency or unfairly treated or involved in a dispute, contact the local Chinese embassy or consulates immediately. Evidence of the matter should be gathered and saved in case complaints or legal suits are lodged in the future," the administration said.

Some tourist agencies in China have stopped providing tours to South Korea over the past week.

Wanzhong Tourism Travel Service issued a statement on Friday and canceled all South Korean tourism products.

"For those who had signed up and paid for the South Korean tours, we can arrange tours to other destinations or we will rearrange the tours after the tension in relations between China and South Korea have eased," the company statement said.

Guo Jinming, head of online sales of Wanzhong, said his company thought it was the right decision to cancel recent trips to South Korea and regarded it as a patriotic move by a tourist company, as South Korea has provided land to the US forces stationed to deploy the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense.

Guo said his company is busy refunding clients and will cover all their losses from canceling the trips.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday that China adopts a positive and open attitude toward exchange and cooperation between China and South Korea.

"But this requires proper popular support and appropriate public opinion, as we have stated repeatedly," he told a daily press briefing in Beijing.
U.S. President Donald Trump has thanked people for their 'tremendous support' and for organising mass rallies in support of him across the country.

"Thank you for the great rallies all across the country. Tremendous support. Make America Great Again!," he tweeted.

This came a day after a series of small rallies were organised by the pro-Trump group across the country.

The rallies were organised by Main Street Patriots, a Tea Party group, and Gays for Trump, which formed during Trump's presidential campaign.

The pro-Trump rallies were taking place in 60 cities.

Around 100 of Trump supporters arrived at the Trump Tower wearing "Make America Great Again" hats.

"We just want people to know President Trump has support," The Guardian quoted a member from the Main Street Patriots, Debbie Dooley.

However, clashes erupted after anti-Trump protesters arrived, reportedly, chanting, "No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA," while waving signs as, "Not Fit to Serve - No Mandate."

Trump had suggested that people should hold their own rally to counter rallies held against him.

"Maybe the millions of people who voted to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN should have their own rally. It would be the biggest of them all!" he tweeted.

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Pakistan's former national security Advisor Mahmud Ali Durrani on Monday said that the November 26, 2008 terror attack in Mumbai was carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan and added that it was classic trans-border terrorist event.

"26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan is classic trans-border terrorist event," he said.

He added that Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed has no utility and Pakistan should act against him.

Mahmud Ali Durrani, a retired army general, was the National Security Advisor to the Pakistani government when 10 Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai after hijacking a boat and killed at least 164 people and wounding 308 across the city.

"26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan is classic trans-border terrorist event," Durrani said while speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference being held at the Institute of Defence and Studies and Analyses.

He said that because he held on this view, the government was not too pleased with, and it could one of reasons why he lost his job as National Security Advisor (NSA).

Durrani was Pakistan's NSA when 10 Pakistani terrorists, who arrived via sea route from Karachi, launched coordinated attacks across Mumbai.

It took security forces three days to flush out the terrorists as they launched indiscriminate firing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal, the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the Oberoi Trident Hotel, Leopold Cafe and the Nariman House Jewish Centre.Durrani was removed from the post in 2009.

New Delhi has provided ample evidence to Islamabad over involvement of top Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders in the November 26, 2008 attacks. However, Pakistan has denied all such allegations blaming 'non-state actors' for the incident.

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Hours after Pakistan's former security advisor Mahmud Ali Durrani asserted the November 26, 2008 terror attack in Mumbai was carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said that there was nothing new in this revelation.

"India's stand is very well known. There is nothing new in this revelation," Rijiju said.

Earlier in the day, Durrani said the Mumbai terror attack was carried out by a terror outfit based in Pakistan and added that it was a classic trans-border terrorist event.

"The 26/11 Mumbai attack, carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan, is an example of a classic trans-border terrorist event," he said while speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference being held at the Institute of Defence and Studies and Analyses.

He said that because he held on this view, the government was not too pleased with, and it could one of reasons why he lost his job as the Security Advisor (NSA).

Durrani also said that Jamaat-ud-Dawachief Hafiz Saeed had no utility and Pakistan should act against him.

Mahmud Ali Durrani, a retired army general, was the Security Advisor to the Pakistani government when 10 Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai after hijacking a boat and killed at least 164 people and wounding 308 across the city.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the wake of escalating tensions at the western border of Pakistan-Afghanistan, former Afghan president Hamid Karzai has said that Pakistan has 'no legal authority to dictate terms on the Durand line.

Durand line is the 2,430-kilometre international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It was established in 1896 between Sir Mortimer Durand, a British diplomat and civil servant of British India, and Abdur Rahman Khan, the Afghan Amir.

However, Afghanistan does not officially recognise the international border. It has territorial claims on areas stretching from the Afghan-Pakistan border to the Indus River, comprising nearly 60 percent of Pakistani territory.

"The Government of Pakistan has no legal authority to dictate terms on the Durand line. While we wish freedom for the people of #FATA from FCR and other repressive measures, we remind the Govt of Pakistan that Afghanistan hasn't and will not recognize the Durand line," Karzai tweeted.

Karzai's comment comes against the backdrop of Pakistan deciding to close the border between the two states for an indefinite period on February 16 after a suicide attack took place at the Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine of in Sehwan, Sindh killing 88 people.

It also comes days after Afghan envoy Omar Zakhilwala expressed his apprehensions on the same stating that Pakistan does not have a valid reason for the continued closure of crossing points on the Pak-Afghan border.

Zakhilwal said Pakistan has failed to provide a 'convincing justification' for closing the border.

"Argument that the closure of these crossing points was needed to stop terrorists' crossing cannot carry any weigh as these points such as Torkham and Spin Boldak have been manned by hundreds of military and other security personal and have all the checking infrastructure and equipments in place," Zakhilwal said in his Facebook post on Saturday.

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After visiting the Gadhwa Ghat Ashram in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday headed to Ramnagar where he paid floral tribute to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

PM Modi LSO offered prayers at the Gadhwa Ghat Ashram temple and fed cows.

He will later address a public rally in Rohaniya before returning to New Delhi in the evening.

The Prime Minister has been campaigning vigorously for his party to make its victory appear inevitable in a tough, triangular contest with SP-Congress combine and Mayawati's BSP.

Forty seats spread across seven districts of Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Sonbhadra and Jaunpur will go to the polls for the last phase on March 8.

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Asserting its stand on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his grand road show in Varanasi, the Congress on Sunday stated that attempts were being made to cover up the issue.

"They are trying to indicate that he (Prime Minister) was coming out of 'darshan' of the temple and people just gathered and followed his cavalcade but that's not true. It's another matter if he doesn't want to admit the truth," Congress leader Salman Khurshid told ANI.

"The Prime Minister did not have the permission for the road show; that was made clear by the local administration," he added.

Prime Minister Modi held a roadshow in his constituency on Saturday ahead of the last phase of the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The road show garnered the attention of many political leaders, who accused him of violating the moral code of conduct.

The Congress even asked the Election Commission (EC) to register an FIR against Prime Minister Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for allegedly violating the model code of conduct for holding a road show in Varanasi without the required permit from the authorities.

In Uttar Pradesh, campaigning for seventh phase and last phase of elections is in full swing.

Leaders and star campaigners of all major political parties are engaged in canvassing for their party and alliance candidates.

A total of 535 candidates including 51 women are in the fray. BSP has fielded its nominees for all seats while BJP is in contest from 32 and has left 8 seats to its allies Apana Dal and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party.

Samajwadi Party's candidates are in fray in 31 segments and its ally congress is in contest from 10 seats.

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A day after his grand road show in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday visited the Gadhwa Ghat Ashram here, where he offered prayers and fed cows.

The Prime Minister will later address a public rally in Rohaniya before returning to New Delhi in the evening.

Considered as the BJP's 'Brahmastra' the Prime Minister, has campaigned vigorously for his party to make its victory appear inevitable in a tough, triangular contest with SP-Congress combine and Mayawati's BSP.

Forty seats spread across seven districts of Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Sonbhadra and Jaunpur will go to the polls for the last phase on March 8.

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Former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Monday said the former external affair minister S.M. Krishna, who quit the Congress party in January, will soon join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"He (S.M. Krishna) is going to join our party as early as possible," Yeddyurappa told media after a meeting with Krishna.

Krishna had tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the Congress party on January 28, alleging that the grand old party had sidelined him citing his old age.

Expressing pain over his exit from the Congress, Krishna had said, "What pained me was how the Congress sidelined a loyal worker lime me and cited my age for the same. I toured the state during the last elections and nobody thought I was old. Suddenly, they have discovered that I am old and need rest. I felt the Congress did not need me."

The 84-year-old first became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1968 from Mandya.

Krishna had served as the chief minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004.He also served as the governor of Maharashtra for the period 2004-2008. He served as the Minister for External Affairs during the UPA-II regime led by former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

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Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif left for Kuwait from here on a two-day official visit.

Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi are accompanying him on the visit.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will meet the Kuwaiti leadership for in-depth review of bilateral relations between the two countries. He will also address gatherings of select Kuwaiti investors, as well as the Pakistani community residing in Kuwait.

Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, will receive the Prime Minister at the Bayan Palace for a detailed meeting on Tuesday, reports Radio Pakistan.

The Prime Minister will hold delegation-level talks with the Prime Minister of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Important regional and international issues of mutual interest are expected to come under discussion during the visit.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will also meet the Speaker of the Kuwaiti Parliament, Marzouk Al Ghanim. Pakistan-Kuwait parliamentary relations have seen enhanced cooperation in recent years.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to Kuwait is part of the regular high level exchanges between the two sides.

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The Shetkari Annadata Organisation on Monday accused both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders of adopting double standards when it comes to promoting austerity across the nation.

Speaking to ANI here, Organisation president Jayaji Suryavanshi said, when PM Modi talks about saving every drop of water so that the present drought-like across country is not repeated, on the other hand, one of the ministers used countless water tankers in drought-hit Marathwada region for his son. He was referring to the opulent wedding of the son of Maharashtra Delhi Chief Raosaheb Danve.

The Opposition also criticised the extravagant wedding, terming it as 'unjustified'.

"It's a private matter but spending so much on a wedding function isn't justified in the Marathwada region that has been in the grip of a drought for two years now,"Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil told ANI.

Danve's son wedding was organised at the Jabinda Estate lawns in Aurangabad and was attended by political bigwigs of Maharashtra.

The wedding had a lavish designer sets which resembled like a medieval-era palace. The ceremony was also monitored by police using the drone-mounted camera.

The couple also had a pre-wedding shoot which was equally lavish.

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 Flash

A committee of politicians in the House of Commons Sunday called on British Prime Minister Theresa May's government to make a unilateral decision to safeguard the rights of 3.2 million nationals from EU countries living in Britain.

The cross-party Exiting the European Union Committee unanimously agreed in its report that May's government should act now.

The Members of Parliament (MPs) called on the government to ensure British nationals already residing in other EU countries, and EU citizens already living in Britain, do not lose their rights to healthcare and pensions after Brexit.

Veteran Labour MP Hilary Benn, who chairs the committee, said: "EU citizens who have come to live and work here have contributed enormously to the economic and cultural life of the UK. They have worked hard, paid their taxes, integrated, raised families and put down roots."

"They did not have a vote in the (EU) referendum, but the result has left them living under a cloud of uncertainty. They are understandably concerned about their right to remain, and their future rights to access education and healthcare," said the MP.

"Equally, Brits who live and work on the continent are worried about their right to work and access healthcare after Brexit."

"EU nationals in the UK and UK nationals in the EU are aware of the forthcoming negotiations, but they do not want to be used as bargaining chips. Although the government has said it wants EU citizens to be able to remain, this has not offered sufficient reassurance that the rights and status that they have enjoyed will be guaranteed. It should now do so," he added

The committee's findings are not binding on May's government who have said the status of EU nationals in Britain will be given priority once Brexit talks start with Brussels.

Last week, members of the unelected House of Lords agreed by a large majority an amendment to the parliament bill introduced by May to trigger the Brexit process. The amendment aims to guarantee the status of Europeans living in Britain, but it is expected to be dropped next week when the bill returns for a final decision to the House of Commons.

The committee report also called for an overhaul of the process for EU nationals in Britain applying for a permanent right to remain. It said the 85-page application form is not fit for purpose.

Committee chair Benn said: "We were told that at pre-referendum rates of processing, giving residence documents to all potentially eligible applicants using the current system would take the equivalent of 140 years."

The committee has also called on the government to set out how it will establish a new system for immigration to be in place within two years of triggering the Article 50 exit process, and what the rules for EU migrants will be once free movement ends.
The Shiv Sena on Monday urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to include a Lokayukta in his state cabinet to ensure transparency and an end to corruption, rather than wasting his time targeting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (MBC).

"If the CM is so committed to transparency, we welcome that, but why doesn't he start from his Mantralaya. We have earlier said that they should put a 'Lokayukta' in their cabinet, then the truth will be clear," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI.

Slamming Fadnavis for corruption in the BJP-ruled Nagpur Municipal Corporation and the Maharashtra government, an editorial in the Saamana has asked Fadnavis to appoint a Deputy Lokayukta at Varsha, his official residence, to ensure transparency in governance.

"Is there corruption only in the BMC? Why don't you appoint a Deputy Lokayukta for the Pune Municipal Corporation and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation?" said Sanjay Raut.

Earlier in the week, the BJP withdrew from the race for the post of mayor of the BMC. Fadnavis had also announced that he would request the Maharashtra Lokayukta to appoint a Deputy Lokayukta exclusively for Mumbai to ensure a transparent city administration.

In the 227-member BMC House, the Shiv Sena secured 84 seats, the BJP got 82, the Congress 31, the NCP nine, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena seven, the Samajwadi Party six, the AIMIM two, the Akhil Bharatiya Sena one while five Independents also won. Four independents had extended support to the Shiv Sena, while the ABS had offered to support the BJP, which were yet still far away from the magic figure of 114 for electing their Mayor.

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A group of Indian fishermen, who were fishing between Danushkodi and Katchatheevu off the Tamil Nadu coast, were allegedly fired upon by the Sri Lankan Navy in which one fisherman was killed.

The deceased was identified as a 22-year-old man and his body was brought to the Rameshwaram Government Hospital.

Meanwhile, a case had been registered in the local police station.

According to reports, around 3 more fishermen have suffered injuries in the firing which occurred in Adambalam, that comes under Indian territory.

Last week, 15 Indian fishermen were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy and all their equipment and fishing gear was taken away.

The fresh incident of opening fire comes a day after Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy wrote to the Centre over it not taking concrete steps in stopping the steady harassment of fishermen from Tamil Nadu.

The letter spoke in detail about how Indian fishermen were constantly being hauled by the Lankan Navy and also about their equipments and boats being seized without any law being followed.

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Taking cognizance of the statement made by Pakistan's former security advisor Mahmud Ali Durrani, the Congress on Monday said strict action should be taken against the terrorists involved in the heinous act.

Congress leader Shobha Oza said the Indian Government has always claimed Pakistan's involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, but Pakistan always denied it.

"Now, if Pakistan is accepting it, strong action should be taken against those terrorists involved in the act," Oza told ANI.

Earlier today, Durrani said the November 26, 2008 terror attack in Mumbai was carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan, adding that it was a classic trans-border terrorist event.

"26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan is a classic trans-border terrorist event," he said.

Durrani also added that Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed had no utility and Pakistan should act against him.

Mahmud Ali Durrani, a retired army general, was the Security Advisor to the Pakistani government when 10 Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai after hijacking a boat and killed at least 164 people and wounding 308 across the city.

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Pakistan former national security Advisor Mahmud Ali Durrani has said that terrorism is the more potent and immediate threat to Pakistan than India, adding that no country is facing it much as they are.

"I felt very bad the moment this happened. I called Mr. Narayanan, NSA and asked him if he allowed us we would send two-three investigators to help to reach the root cause, but, mistrust prevailed," Durrani said in reference to 26/11 Mumbai attack while speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference held at the Institute of Defence and Studies and Analyses.

He said even the United Nations is unable to define what terrorism is even when it has become a household term.

Durrani said while people are blaming Pakistan of supporting terrorism but the country itself continues to suffer from terrorism the most.

"Terrorism in any form, irrespective of its objective, should be forcefully condemned," he said.

Durrani urged each country to ensure that its territory is not used to attack any other nation. He said Intelligence Agencies need to play a positive role in diffusing terrorism.

Durrani noted that resolving border disputes will help diffuse terrorism.

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Alarmed by incidents of the recent killings of Indian citizens in the United States, the in Washington has expressed their concerns and conveyed the need to prevent such incidents and protect the Indian community.

"The in United States is saddened by the incident in Kent Washington. A Sikh gentleman was shot in the arm. He was told to "go back to your own country. That has really created a heightened sense of alert and concern throughout the United States. It's the similar situation," said Dr Rajwant Singh, Founder and Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education.

Asserting that there is deep concern for the safety of the community members, Singh said it's very important that the national leadership comes forward and make a very powerful and strong statement against these kinds of hateful acts.

"Our heart goes to all the people who have faced similar circumstances. An Indian-American was killed in Kansas just few days ago and the Jewish community has seen the rise of threats against the community and their centres. So this is not the American that we have always felt so proud of. We feel America is a great country but there are some fringe elements who have now come out and they are trying to create hate among communities and against minorities," he added.

"We need to have a leadership of this country.a political leadership to come out strongly and speak against these kinds of hateful acts. The law of enforcement agencies needs to take a strong action to allay the fears and concerns of the throughout United States," Singh said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Ravi Singh, a Washington resident said it is important to recognize that their community is ready to engage in talk and reach across and speak to other communities.

"In a way, I think this is critical for South Asians to recognize that we need to work together. We should ensure that we have a larger voice together," he added.

Another Washington resident Bhai Gurdarshan Singh said the country needs leadership this moment when there is a lot of attacks on the immigrants.

"This moment is a little bit scary post 9/11. There is a lot of backlash which is going on against the Sikhs and the Indian community. We want to make sure that the government is a strong force behind condemning these attacks which have been happening," he added.

Meanwhile, Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna has conveyed the need to prevent such incidents in America and protect the Indian community to the state authorities.

"Amb @NavtejSarna conveyed our deep concerns to US Gov on recent tragic incidents involving Hardish Patel & Deep Rai (sic)," Indian Embassy in the US tweeted on Sunday.

"Amb @NavtejSarna underlined need to prevent such incidents and protect Indian community(sic)," it added.

The State Department, on behalf of the US Government, expressed condolence and assured they are working with all agencies concerned to ensure speedy justice.

Earlier, the US embassy in Delhi also condemned the shooting.

"The United States is a nation of immigrants and welcomes people from across the world to visit, work, study and live. US authorities will investigate thoroughly and prosecute the case, though we recognise that justice is small consolation to families in grief," the US charge d'affaires said in a statement.

On Thursday, 43-year-old Harnish Patel, a store owner in the US , was shot dead outside his home, just days after Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed in Kansas in an apparent 'hate crime' shooting.

39-year-old, Deep Rai, a Sikh man, was shot and wounded outside his house by a partially-masked gunman in the US who shouted "go back to your own country", in another suspected hate crime.

According to the Washington Post, the victim was working on his vehicle outside his home in the city of Kent on Friday when he was approached by a stranger, who walked up to the driveway.

There was an altercation, and the gunman - a stocky, 6-foot-tall white man wearing a mask over the bottom part of his face - said "Go back to your own country" and pulled the trigger. An argument ensued, and the suspect, wearing a mask, told him to go back to his homeland, the victim said. The victim told police the man then shot him in the arm.

According to the local police, the Sikh man sustained "non life-threatening injuries" and they are "treating this as a very serious incident.
Ahead of the seventh phase of the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party on Monday targetted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his grand road shows in Varanasi and quipped that the victory of Chief Minister Akhilesh Minister lies in the fact that the Prime Minister of the country has relegated himself to campaign for votes in every small part of the city.

"Akhilesh Yadav's stature as a politician has risen to such heights that the Prime Minister of India is visiting every small part of the state and is asking for votes. I think this whole scenario is representative of the victory of the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance," president of the Maharashtra state branch of the Samajwadi Party Abu Azmi told ANI.

Azmi also said that in comparison with Akhilesh's road show, Prime Minister Modi's cavalcade was a flop show.

"There was nobody standing with Prime Minister Modi, but, with Akhilesh Yadav, I can say, there hasn't been such a road show ever in the history of polls. Now, I think the Prime Minister has realised that their boat is sinking even in his own constituency," he said.

Campaigning for seventh phase and last phase of elections is in full swing in the state.

Leaders and star campaigners of all major political parties are engaged in canvassing for their party and alliance candidates.

A total of 40 constituencies spread over 7 districts of Eastern region of the state under this phase. Districts covered in this phase of polls are Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Bhadohi and Sonebhadra.

A total of 535 candidates including 51 women are in the fray. BSP has fielded its nominees for all seats while BJP is in contest from 32 and has left 8 seats to its allies - the Apna Dal and the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party.

The Samajwadi Party's candidates are in fray in 31 segments and its ally - the Congress - is in contest from 10 seats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his grand roadshows in Varanasi, the Samajwadi Party on Monday said the victory of Chief Minister Akhilesh Minister lies in the fact that the Prime Minister of the country had to relegate himself to campaign for votes in every small part of the city.

SP Maharashtra unit president Abu Azmi told ANI that in comparison with Akhilesh's road show, Prime Minister Modi's cavalcade was a total 'flop show'.

"Everywhere there is wave of Samajwadi Party. Akhilesh Yadav has risen to such heights that the Prime Minister of India is visiting every small part of the state and is asking for votes. I think this whole scenario is representative of the victory of the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance," he added.

Further attacking the Prime Minister, Azmi said, "There was nobody standing with Prime Minister Modi, but, with Akhilesh Yadav, I can say, there hasn't been such a road show ever in the history of polls. Now, I think the Prime Minister has realised that their boat is sinking even in his own constituency."

Campaigning for seventh phase and last phase of elections is in full swing in the state.

Leaders and star campaigners of all major political parties are engaged in canvassing for their party and alliance candidates.

A total of 40 constituencies spread over 7 districts of Eastern region of the state under this phase. Districts covered in this phase of polls are Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Bhadohi and Sonebhadra.

A total of 535 candidates including 51 women are in the fray. BSP has fielded its nominees for all seats while BJP is in contest from 32 and has left 8 seats to its allies - the Apna Dal and the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party.

The Samajwadi Party's candidates are in fray in 31 segments and its ally - the Congress - is in contest from 10 seats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the Samajwadi Party of criminalising Uttar Pradesh, citing they had turned police stations into their party offices.

"The Samajwadi Party offices have been placed inside the Uttar Pradesh Police Stations and that is why, police takes permission from their workers before lodging a case," he said while addressing a rally in Varanasi.

Prime Minister Modi also urged the people not to give another chance to the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress.

"There is a government in Uttar Pradesh which has nothing to do with development. This government is anti-farmer. Why is it that farmers don't benefit from the Fasal Bima Yojana? Why they don't help farmers in distress. Don't give another chance to the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the BSP to destroy UP," he said.

"Once the BJP comes to power, I will personally ensure to throw out all the corrupt elements in the state from the bureaucracy to the politicians and bring prosperity to all," he added.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi visited the Gadhwa Ghat Ashram and also paid floral tribute to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Forty seats spread across seven districts of Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Sonbhadra and Jaunpur will go to the polls for the last phase on March 8. The results will be announced on March 11.

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WATConsult, a digital and social media agency bagged the social media mandate of Belgium's largest airline, Brussels Airlines, thus enabling the airline to expand its operations in India.

A subset of the Dentsu Aegis Network, WATConsult will be involved in the digital media strategy planning for the brand's Indian presence along with the content creation and design across its social media platforms.

"Social media and digital, in general, has become a very important marketing channel for Brussels Airlines over the last few years. As we enter the Indian market for the first time, it is important to have a strong partner in order to raise awareness about the Brussels Airlines brand," said Patrick Roofthooft, Brussels Airlines Director-Commercial Development in India.

WATConsult, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, is based out of Mumbai with branch offices in Delhi and Bengaluru. It has received more than 100 awards and recognitions in the field of social media marketing.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hit out at the Communist Party of India (Marxist) saying its government in West Bengal destroyed the state with all the social evils overpowering it.

"The country saw communist government, like in West Bengal. Today, there is poverty, lack of law and all public evils have overpowered the state," said Prime Minister Modi while delivering a speech here.

Targeting its political rival the Congress, the Prime Minister said the country did not progress under the former's rule.

"The country say Congress rule. I don't need to say where we (country) have reached, what is our condition," he added.

Stressing on good governance, the Prime Minister said they remain connected with citizens, note their troubles and ensure work is done on time.

Highlighting on some of his government's initiatives, Prime Minister Modi said out of 18,000 villages in mission mode, 1,500 were in Uttar Pradesh alone.

"Our aim is to ensure smoke-free rural India. We want 5 crore rural households to have access to gas connections in 3 years," he added.

Prime Minister Modi earlier in the day held his second roadshow here starting from Pandeypur Chauraha which concluded at the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith.

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 Flash

Russian security forces had busted a criminal cell linked to the Islamic State (IS) in the country's Dagestan region, Russia's National Anti-terrorism Committee (NAC) said Sunday.

The Federal Security Service and Interior Ministry forces killed one suspect and detained three others of an IS-related cell in the Republic of Dagestan, said an NAC statement.

The four suspects plotted attacks on government bodies and local residents in Dagestan, said NAC.

Dagestan is a hotbed of Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus close to the conflict-ridden Middle East. Repeated violent attacks have plagued the region for years.
A Bangladesh High Court on Monday ordered 154 toxic tanneries here to shut down.

The order came after Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) filed a writ petition, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the court, the tanneries will remain shut until they are shifted from Hazaribagh to a new cluster in Savar.

The court also ordered relevant authorities to shut down utility services, including gas line, and power and water supply, of the tanneries which damage the environment.

Another High Court bench on Thursday gave two weeks to the tanneries to pay 308.5 million taka ($3.75 million) as penalty for not shifting to Savar.

In June last year, the court ordered the tanneries to pay 50,000 taka each to the national exchequer a day in compensation for polluting the environment until they shift to Savar.

The tanneries later moved the Supreme Court against the order. The amount was then revised to 10,000 taka a day. One Bangladeshi taka equals 13 US cents.

In 2001, the high court ordered these tanneries to relocate to Savar but the order was not executed.

Hazaribagh is home to 95 per cent of Bangladesh's leather tanneries and none of them has an effluent treatment plant as required by the country's environmental and labour laws.

Against this backdrop, Dhaka's Hazaribagh residents, who often complain of skin diseases and respiratory illnesses, have been living in one of the world's most contaminated urban environments.

The workers inthe tanneries also suffer from health problems as they work with extremely hazardous chemicals with little protective equipment.

Bangladesh exports finished leather to over 30 countries, including China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands and Vietnam.

According to the Export Promotion Bureau of Bangladesh, earnings from export of leather and its products in Fiscal Year 2015-16 grew 15.31 per cent to $1,160.95 million.

--IANS

py/vt

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The 4th Annual Devolution Conference, to be held here from Monday till March 9, would focus on increasing good governance and public accountability.

Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal is representing India and has reached Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, for the conference to share experience of the devolution system and its progress in India, a statement from the Finance Ministry said on Monday.

"The objective of the conference also includes sharing the good experience of devolution system and how it can be used to increase good governance and public accountability for social and economic development internationally," the statement said.

"Meghwal would specifically highlight the 73rd-74th constitutional amendments and provisions for strengthening the local governance in India," it said.

The minister, who will inaugurate the conference, will also talk about the revenue sharing between the Centre and the states as well as showcase the smooth devolution of the Union's net tax receipts to the states, from the earlier 32 per cent share in the 13th Finance Commission to 42 per cent on the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission.

Around 10,000 delegates from different regions, including African nations and China, are participating in the conference, organised by its member countries and hosted by Kenya.

"The Members of Parliament, Leaders of Opposition from all states, professionals, representative of various civil societies, religious and social organisations from Kenya will also take part in the conference," the statement said.

--IANS

mm/vgu/vt

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Five Pakistani soldiers were killed in an attack on three border posts along the Afghanistan border, the army announced on Monday.

The army's press wing the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that "terrorists" from across the border had targeted the posts on Sunday night in Mohmand agency, Dawn news reported.

Over 10 militants were also killed in the attack, it added.

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa condemned the attack.

--IANS

ksk

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Afghanistan's National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar on Monday asked Pakistan to take action against all terror groups without any discrimination.

"A sincere operation against all terrorits groups without distinction will certainly produce great benefits not just for Pakistan but also for the entire region," Atmar said while speaking to journalists after delivering a keynote address at the 19th Asian Security Conference held at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA).

On the terror sancturies in Pakistan, he said: "Continuation of sancturies of groups against another will certainly be seen as a hostile act and we believe strongly that we have a common enemy in the region.

"An enemy that kills innocent people in Afghanisatan and also in Pakistan and India. So, we have to work together as responsible state and to make sure that this enemy doesnot take advantage of our territory and establish sancturies."

Referring to Pakistan-based terror groups, Atmar said: "Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are not friends of Afghanistan and also considered as enemies of Afghanistan... unfortunately they are not just responsible for dreadful violence in India but also in Afghanistan."

"We have made it clear that in Afghanistan, we will not allow them to establish sancturies. That's why they are fighting our forces."

To a question on the closing of the border crossings by Pakistan, he said: "The terrorists are not using legitimate crossings... It is not going to advance our counter agenda. It will only hurt the public on both sides."

Pakistani authorities on Monday decided to open the Pakistan-Afghan border crossings for two days to facilitate nationals of both the countries to return home.

The crossing points were sealed after a series of bomb blasts and suicide attacks rocked the country, killing over 100 people last month. Pakistan accused Afghanistan of harbouring the militants who carried out the attacks.

--IANS

rs/vd

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After his hectic campaigning in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Gujarat on Tuesday for a two-day visit during which he will inaugurate a much-awaited cable bridge in south Gujarat and address a national convention of women sarpanches on International Women's Day in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.

The new cable-stayed bridge, on NH 8 over river Narmada near Bharuch town, connects twin industrial towns of Bharuch and Ankleshwar. It is expected to considerably ease traffic on the busy highway that leads to commercial capital Mumbai.

After inaugurating the cable bridge in the evening, Modi will address a public meeting at the agriculture university in Bharuch. The Prime Minister would also take part in an 'Industry Meet' at ONGC Petro Additions Limited (OPAL), Petrochemical Complex situated at Dahej near Bharuch as chief guest.

Then he would leave for state capital Gandhinagar to attend a special dinner organised at Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's residence to be attended by Rupani's Council of Ministers as well as BJP MLAs.

Early on Wednesday, Modi will leave for coastal Somnath temple to offer prayers and attend a meeting of the Somnath Trust, headed by former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel. Modi is a member of the trust. This would be Modi's first visit to the historic temple after he became Prime Minister in May 2014.

In the afternoon on March 8, after returning from Somnath, Modi would address a convention of women sarpanches in Gandhinagar. He would then fly back to Delhi.

--IANS

desai/rn

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The AIIMS on Monday handed over to the Tamil Nadu government the reports of its specialists who visited Chennai when Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was hospitalized.

"AIIMS handed over the five 'visit reports' regarding the health condition of (the) late Chief Minister to (the) government of Tamil Nadu," an official statement said.

The papers were handed over by V. Srinivas, the Deputy Director (Administration) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), to J. Radhakrishnan of the Tamil Nadu Health Department.

Jayalalithaa was declared dead at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai on December 5 night. She was admitted on September 22 with fever and dehydration.

At the request of the Tamil Nadu government, the AIIMS deployed a team of senior specialists to visit Chennai five times from October 5 until Jayalalithaa passed away.

The AIIMS specialists were led by G.C. Khilnani, Professor in the Department of Pulmonology.

The Tamil Nadu government urged AIIMS on March 5 to hand over the "visit notes" of its specialists for its official records.

The development comes amid claims by supporters of former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam that Jayalalithaa's death needed to be probed to know if there was any foul play.

--IANS

rup/rn/mr

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The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Monday handed over to the Tamil Nadu government the reports regarding the five visit made by its specialists to Chennai to give expert advise when former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was hospitalised prior to her death.

"AIIMS handed over the five visit reports regarding the health condition of Late Hon'ble Chief Minister Tamil Nadu to Government of Tamil Nadu," said an official statement.

According to the authorities, the papers were handed over by V. Srinivas, AIIMS Deputy Director (Administration), to J. Radhakrishnan, Principal Secretary of Tamil Nadu's health department.

Jayalalithaa was declared dead at Apollo Hospital here on December 6. She was admitted to the hospital on September 22 with fever and dehydration.

At the request of Tamil Nadu government for expert medical advise, the AIIMS had deployed a team of senior specialists to visit Chennai five times between October 5, 2016 and December 6, under the leadership of G.C. Khilnani, Professor in the Department of Pulmonology.

The Tamil Nadu government had requested AIIMS on March 5, 2017 for handing over the visit notes of the AIIMS delegation to Chennai for their official records.

--IANS

rup/rn

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Cash-strapped regional airline has suspended its operations till March 15 for operational reasons, said a company official on Monday.

"We have suspended our services since February 28 and stopped bookings till March 15 for operational reasons. We will announce our revival plans on March 15," Air Costa's Marketing Vice-President Kavi Chaurasia told IANS from Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada.

The three-year-old feeder airline was operating daily service to eight cities, including six in the southern region - Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Tirupathi, Vijayawada and Vizag and two in the western region - Ahmedabad and Jaipur.

"We have grounded our two Embraer aircraft. We are talking to investors for infusion of investments as we are facing fund crunch," admitted Chaurasia.

Though the low-cost airline had four Embraer jets with a capacity to fly 112 passengers in each of them, two are stalled at the Hyderabad airport after they were impounded by GE Capital Aviation Services for defaulting on payments.

The budget carrier has about 600 employees.

According to the information with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Vijayawada-based airline was founded by L.P. Bhaskara Rao, a realtor.

The airline had reported Rs 130 crore loss on revenue of Rs 327 crore for fiscal 2015-16.

DGCA data for December showed had the highest number of cancellations at 13.65 per cent and its market share was 0.6 per cent.
History was made in this new Andhra Pradesh capital on Monday with the beginning of first session of the state assembly and state council.

Governor E. S.L. Narasimhan addressed the joint session of the two houses at the new legislature building, which has come up at Velagapudi village near the interim state secretariat.

The new building was abuzz with activity and festive atmosphere prevailed as members of both the houses arrived to attend the first day of the budget session.

Members of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and its alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and lone opposition YSR Congress Party witnessed the historic moment.

The state government, which shifted the administration from Hyderabad to Amaravati last year, completed the legislature building in a record time.

The Governor, in his address, said the golden moment would be etched for forever in the state's history.

Narasimhan said undaunted by the challenges post bifurcation, the government converted every crisis into an opportunity.

He claimed that the state was marching ahead the path of all-round development despite the challenges including budgetary constraints, infrastructure deficiencies and unresolved issues arising from State Reorganization Act.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said that holding the legislature session on "our soil" is a historic moment.

He said though the state had 10 years to run the administration from Hyderabad, his government got it shifted in two-and-half years. He claimed that within a short period, it emerged as one of the front ranking states in the country.

Meanwhile, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the legislature decided to conduct the session for 14 days.

The general and agriculture budgets for 2017-18 will be presented on March 13.

--IANS

ms/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Campaigning for the final phase of the seven-stage Uttar Pradesh assembly elections came to an end at 5 p.m. on Monday, bringing the curtains down on one of the most caustic and bitterly-fought political battles ever seen in recent times.

The last round of balloting on March 8 for the 403-member assembly comprises 40 constituencies in Poorvanchal or eastern Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Sonebhadra and Jaunpur districts.

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, went to the Gadwaghat Aashram, venerated by millions from the Yadav community, and also visited the ancestral home of the late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at Ramnagar to pay homage to him.

He also addressed a rally at Khushipur in Rohaniya area, winding up an extensive campaign in which he addressed more than two dozen rallies. He urged people to boot out the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress and vote for his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Meanwhile, for the SP-Congress alliance, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav addressed seven back-to-back rallies in Poorvanchal, during which he accused Modi of "misleading the people of UP", while Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi addressed a rally at Jaunpur where he called Modi an "aging leader" and asked people to vote for young leaders.

Gandhi also took potshots at the 'Acche Din' slogan of the BJP, saying the film has flopped.

Akhilesh Yadav's wife and Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav also addressed three rallies in Bhadohi and Chandauli.

BSP supremo Mayawati did not address any rally on Monday and took stock of the balloting so far from her Lucknow bungalow, a party leader said.

The electorate in the seventh round of polling comprises 1.41 crore voters, including 64.76 lakh women. A total of 14,458 polling centres have been set up, a poll panel official told IANS.

Security forces have stepped up vigil for the last phase as three districts -- Chandauli, Mirzapur and Sonebhadra -- are Maoist-affected.

The maximum number of candidates in the fray are from Varanasi Cantt (24) and the least (6) in Kerakat assembly constituency.

In the 2012 state assembly elections, the SP had swept the region by winning 23 of the total 40 seats. The BSP trailed far behind with five, followed by the BJP with four and the Congress with three. Five seats went to other smaller parties.

Votes will be counted on March 11, along with counting of ballot cast in the Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab assembly elections earlier. The Election Commission has already begun preparations for the vote count at 75 centres across the state.

--IANS

md/vd /vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bernadette Toots M. Feuling, 87, of Chippewa Falls passed away peacefully Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, at home surrounded by family and love.

She was born into this world Aug. 17, 1929, in Tilden with a twinkle in her eye. She was the fourth of five children born to August Butz and Lousie (Benish) Loew. She grew up working on the family farm on County Hwy. C. As a child one of her fondest memories was shooting squirrels and skunks behind the barn with her mother.

She met the love of her life, Wayne, in 1953 at the T & C Tavern, which was owned by Waynes parents, Don and Richardine Feuling. Wayne was home on leave from the Navy and his mother, Richardine told him he should ask Toots out on a date. He did and they were married Jan. 14, 1956, at St. Peters Church in Tilden. They enjoyed 61 wonderful, loving years together.

Toots loved to fish. She was good and lucky at it. She always made sure her line was in the honey hole. She and Wayne spent over 30 summers at the Six Lakes Resort in Chetek, where she could fish every day. She enjoyed bowling, dancing and listening to polka music, playing cards and cribbage. She was always on the go...no moss growing under her feet!

She took many road trips with wonderful friends all over the U.S. Trips to the casino were fundays. She often started each day with, what are we doing today? It was always a new adventure.

She was a funny, amazing, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved to have all her children and grands close. She taught her three children many life lessons. The most memorable were how to fillet a fish the right way, how to check the oil on their cars and most important, to just be nice to everyone they meet.

She will be in our hearts but sadly missed by her husband, Wayne; daughter, Cathy (Rocky) Bergevin; sons, Duane Du Bug (friend, Felice Johnson) and Randy (Cathy) Feuling; grandchildren, Lindsey (Pat) Jordan, Nate (Samantha) Bergevin, Cory Bergevin, Missy (Cory Brown) Feuling, Emilee (Jake) Hepfler, Carlee (Wes) Segebrecht and Sissy (Mike) Knopps; and the greats, Benny, Tatum and Ellis, Isaac, Cali, Kendall and Payton and Sydney, Kaleb and Kate; her sister, Geraldine Goulet; sisters-in-law, Bev Wild, Bernice Loew and Blanche Loew; brother-in-law, Ken Klimek; and many wonderful nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Toots was preceded in death by her parents, Butz and Lousie Loew; her in-laws, Don and Richadine Feuling; her brothers, Kenny, Bob and Pete Loew; her sisters-in law, Darlene Adams, Yvonne Ginther, Debbie Klimek and Sis Loew; her brothers-in law, Clayton Goulet, Bernard Wild and John Adams; and many good friends and relatives she will be happy to see again.

A memorial Mass will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at Holy Ghost Church in Chippewa Falls. The Rev. Justin Kizewski will be celebrant of the funeral Mass. Burial of cremains will be in the Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spooner at a later date.

Friends may call from 11 a.m. until the time of services at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at Holy Ghost Church in Chippewa Falls.

Horan Funeral Home in Chippewa Falls is in charge of arrangements.

Family and friends may express condolences online at www.horanfuneralhome.com.
China is set to increase military spending by 7 per cent this year, its lowest increase in over two decades, the government announced on Monday.

In 2016, the government increased military spending by 7.6 per cent, its lowest increase in six years, and by 10.1 per cent the previous year, Efe news reported.

The defence budget will account for 1.3 per cent of China's GDP and will rise to 1.04 trillion yuan (around $151 billion), according to the finance ministry.

The budget was presented during the opening ceremony of the annual meeting of the National People's Congress, which took place on Sunday.

On the eve of the opening ceremony, the spokesperson of the NPC session had said the increase would be around 7 per cent and the figure was expected to be confirmed on the first day of the plenary session, but for the first time in decades, China broke this tradition.

In his opening address on Sunday, Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang announced - without mentioning an exact amount - more support to the army, and added that the country will strengthen its air and maritime defence as well as border controls to safeguard its national interests and security.

Li also reaffirmed the government's commitment to the reform of the armed forces, aimed at modernising the outfit and reducing troops by 300,000 by the end of this year.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
If December in wintry Goa is synonymous with its electronic dance music festivals, underground trance gigs and bohemian revelry, the advent of early summer comes with its own promise of fun and splendour, albeit more of a religious kind.

On the heels of the celebrated Carnival, a popular festival which roots itself in Christian tradition and is celebrated in February, comes Shigmo, a Goan adaptation of the Holi festival, which attracts equal attention among the Hindus of Goa.

Although a much older practice compared to the Iberian-inspired Carnival, the Shigmo shares some similarities with it, especially with the street-oriented celebrations, colourful float parades and, of course, music -- which, unlike the Carnival, focuses more on indigenous instruments and songs eulogizing Hindu culture.

The state Tourism Department has, over the years, been pushing Shigmo and its abounding energy as a draw for inbound tourists and, according to its Director Sanjeev C. Gauns Dessai, the effort is paying off.

"During Shigmo, the state attracts thousands of tourists from across the country. It is this time of the year when people from across the state also come together. Through this festivity, the state showcases its rich culture and traditions to the world, also depicting religious scenes and folklore," Dessai told IANS.

The festival will be held from March 14 to 27 this year.

Shigmo, the official said, is Goa's most unique and largest religious Hindu festival, depicting rich culture, folklore and traditions of the state as well as its people, heritage and mythology through song and dance in the parades.

Men march with tall, colourfully-draped wooden poles to the beat of drums, others dance with decorated umbrellas. Men and women dress up in elaborate costumes representing various deities during the parades, which are held in all the major towns in the state through the festive period.

The procession culminates in a series of illuminated floats, on which larger-than-life mechanical figures represent important deities and some even re-enact historic and mythological feats.

"The parade is a vibrant display of multi-coloured flags, decorated umbrellas, large musical instruments and other colourful elements. This mesmerising, larger-than-life celebration brings together fantasy and folk to form a fusion in the floats that parade through the streets," Dessai added.

Some of the common elements of the parade are traditional folk dances like ghode modni (a warrior dance using mock-horses) and fugdi to the tune of drums and cymbals.

Shigmo, Dessai said, was being held in different centres across the state this year, as it would help tourists get better insight into the various places, which they would frequent in order to attend the festival.

"Every year, the festival is getting bigger with better floats and attractive programmes and performances. It has been noted that foreign tourists are interested in viewing Shigmo as much as the Carnival as the former showcases Hindu mythology and as much colour and festivities as the Carnival does," Dessai said.

(Mayabhushan Nagvenkar can be contacted atmayabhushan.n@ians.in)

--IANS

maya/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Slamming the Narendra Modi government, the Congress on Monday said that deception of voters and betrayal of people's faith has become hallmark of the present Prime Minister's brand of politics.

Talking to the media, Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar also flayed Prime Minister Modi for allowing banks to slap penalty on the customers if a minimum balance is not maintained in their accounts.

"The Modi government has become synonymous with hoodwinking, jumlabaazi, backstabbing, deception, betrayal, treachery, duplicity and falsehoods," Kumar said.

"Deception of voters and betrayal of people's faith is the hallmark of Modiji's brand of politics. After the improper decision of demonetisation, Modi government is now severely hurting the finances of the poor and the middle class by levying a charge on maintaining a minimum balance in bank accounts," he said.

"The State Bank of India had done away with the minimum balance criteria for savings bank accounts. The UPA government in 2012 had put a halt of such charge, but the Modi government has re-introduced it," he added.

The party, quoting the SBI website, alleged that according to the information available on the bank's website, the monthly average balance that customers needed to maintain in their savings bank accounts in SBI branches in metropolitan areas was Rs 5,000.

"In case the monthly average balance is below 50 per cent, then a charge of Rs 50 plus service tax will be levied. If the shortfall is between 50 and 75 per cent, then the account holder will have to pay Rs 75 plus service tax and if the shortfall in the average balance is more than 75 per cent, then a charge of Rs 100 plus service tax will be levied," said Kumar.

The Congress also said the Modi government claimed to have opened 27.77 crore Jan-Dhan Accounts (till February 22, 2017), of which almost 25 per cent (6.94 crore) were zero balance accounts.

"Although the SBI circular at the moment excluded the Jan-Dhan Accounts, knowing this government's past record, under the pressure of mounting debts and NPAs, it will not be a surprise if they do a 'U' turn on this," he said.

"With this decision, Modiji is usurping the hard-earned money of the poor and benefitting the banks, so that they can show it as profit and also help them reduce their surging NPAs," Kumar alleged.

The Congress party also attacked the Modi government for doing away with subsidy to sugar manufacturers.

"Another move by the Modi government hits the households of poor families. With one stroke, the central government has taken away Rs 4,500-crore subsidy to sugar manufacturers, which poor families availed of when they bought sugar from PDS shops," Kumar added.
Delhi will remain Delhi but will become as clean as London if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) wins the upcoming municipal polls, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday.

After media reports quoted him as saying on Sunday that he was determined to transform Delhi into a London, the AAP leader clarified that he never said that.

"Delhi is a great city, its people are great and Delhi will remain Delhi," Kejriwal told the media.

He said Delhi, if the AAP came to control the civic bodies that are now with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), would become as clean as London or any other Western city.

As of now, he said, garbage was piled up everywhere in Delhi, fouling the atmosphere.

He said when the AAP took control of Delhi in February 2015, it had clear control over four areas: education, health, power and water.

"In all four areas, everyone praises all that we have achieved," Kejriwal said.

He said if the AAP came to control the civic bodies, which he claimed had been ruined by the BJP and the Congress, Delhi would become as clean as London in just one year.

Elections to the municipal corporation in Delhi are due in April.

--IANS

am/mr/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Arunachal Pradesh Governor P. B. Acharya on Monday urged the state's legislators not to allow to come in the path of development and progress.

"The nation has a lot of expectations from this government led by a young and modern Chief Minister. The youth of the state have huge expectations from the members of this House and from the government," he said in his address at the beginning of the budget session.

" must be fought on the electoral battleground, but must never be allowed to come in the path of development and progress."

Acharya also exhorted the legislators to play a constructive role in taking the state forward by shunning narrow and selfish motives following the mantra of "Arunachal Rising" and "Team Arunachal".

Noting that the state has seen much economic development and progress during the course of the last three decades, he said much still remains to be done.

Acharya also said that his government will focus on specific policy measures, which would stimulate exclusive economic growth and development and also lay the foundations of a knowledge-led society.

"The overall priority for the development of the state is on three 'Es', i.e. Education, Electricity and Employment," he said, adding that special emphasis would also be on higher education with skill abilities, harnessing the state's hydropower potential and empowerment of the youth and women through skill development and employment.

In spite of the fiscal challenges, Acharya said that the government has managed to maintain tight financial discipline this year and a healthy cash balance while even going ahead to implement the 7th Central Pay Commission's recommendations.

Moreover, he said that Khandu government had assumed office against the backdrop of a difficult fiscal situation created by profligate spending and had inherited considerable liabilities, but added that the Central government was "generous" with resource transfers on the recommendations of the Fourteenth Finance Commission and buoyancy in tax collections.

"This has helped us address some of the difficulties faced by the state," he said, adding that the government must take concrete measures to expand its own resource base and would gradually need to rationalise excise duty rates and monetise the land.

Archarya also announced that the Khandu government's priority will include developing the state as the organic hub and fruit bowl of India, position it as a centre for wellness, spiritual and adventure tourism, create policies and institutions to encourage entrepreneurship, employment generation and skill development and reinvigorate stalled hydropower projects, which hold the biggest economic resource for the state.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Election Commission (EC) on Monday shot a notice to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and abetting bribery during one of his election rallies recently.

The EC has sought a reply from Akhilesh by Tuesday evening as to why action should not be initiated against him.

Akhilesh, during one of his election meetings at Gyanpur in Bhadohi (Uttar Pradesh) on March 4, allegedly told the public to take money from the rival candidate but keep in mind the "Cycle" -- Samajwadi Party's election sysmbol -- while voting.

Speaking about the rival candidate, Akhilesh said: "Suna hai ki bahut paisa baant raha hai. Paisa bhi rakh lena aur Cycle ko yaad rakhna (I hear he is distributing a lot of money. Keep the money but remember the cycle)."

Not amused with Akhilesh's remarks, the commission in its notice called it a prima facie violation of the MCC and abetting bribery.

"Whereas bribing and abetment of bribery is an offence under IPC, it is also a corrupt practice under 123 (1) of Representation of the People Act, 1951, and in the Commission's prima facie opinion your aforesaid statement is violative of provisions of sub-para (4) of Para (1) of the Model Code of Conduct," the EC notice read.

"You are hereby called upon to explain latest by 5 p.m. on March 7 as to why action should not be taken against you, failing which the Commission shall take a decision without any further reference to you," it added.

--IANS

mak/nir/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey has asked the US Justice Department to publicly reject President Donald Trump's claim that his predecessor Barack Obama ordered his phones to be tapped last year, senior officials said.

Comey, who made the request on Saturday after Trump levelled his allegation on Twitter, has been working to get the Justice Department to knock down the claim because it falsely insinuates that the FBI broke the law, officials told the New York Times on Sunday.

The FBI chief has argued that the claim is false and must be corrected, the officials told the newspaper.

The Justice Department and the FBI declined to comment.

However, the White House showed no indication that it would back down from Trump's claims.

On Sunday, Trump demanded a congressional inquiry into whether Obama had abused the power of federal law enforcement agencies before the 2016 presidential election.

In his demand for a congressional inquiry, the President, through his Press Secretary Sean Spicer, issued a statement on Sunday that said: "President Donald Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016."

A spokesman for Obama and his former aides have called the accusation by Trump "completely false", saying that Obama never ordered any wiretapping of a US citizen.

"A cardinal rule of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice," Kevin Lewis, Obama's spokesman, said in a statement on Saturday.

Speaking on NBC News on Sunday, former Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. denied that a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) wiretap was authorised against Trump or the campaign during his tenure.

"There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the President-elect at the time as a candidate or against his campaign," Clapper said on "Meet the Press", adding that he would "absolutely" have been informed if the FBI had received a FISA warrant against either.

In his claims early Saturday morning, Trump tweeted that he "just found out" that Obama had "my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower" before the election. Trump compared the alleged action to "McCarthyism."

By Sunday morning, the White House doubled down on Trump's explosive tweet storm and called for the congressional probe.

--IANS

soni/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The FBI is helping the hunt by the Seattle city police for an attacker who told a Sikh man to "go back to your own country" and shot him -- in the second xenophobic attack on Indians in the past two weeks. India has voiced deep concern and stressed the need to prevent such incidents.

The US State Department has also, on behalf of the Donald Trump administration, expressed condolences and said they are working on the case.

The 39-year-old victim, a US national of Indian origin, was identified by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as Deep Rai. He received a bullet injury on his arm in the attack on Friday.

The Indian Embassy in Washington tweeted that Indian envoy Navtej Sarna "conveyed our deep concerns to the US government on recent tragic incidents".

Sarna said that India has "underlined the need to prevent such incidents and protect the Indian community" and the embassy was coordinating with "all agencies concerned to ensure speedy justice".

The Indian embassy said that the "State Department, on behalf of US government, expressed condolences and assured they are working" on it.

A statement on Sunday from the FBI's Seattle office said the bureau remains "committed to investigating crimes that are potentially hate-motivated", the Seattle Times reported.

Sushma Swaraj had tweeted that she has spoken to Sardar Harpal Singh, the father of the victim.

"He told me that his son had a bullet injury on his arm. He is out of danger and is recovering in a private hospital," she wrote.

Rai was working on his car in front of his house in Kent city on Friday night when the gunman, described as white and who had his face partially covered, opened fire at him and fled, the police said.

"This is a top priority investigation, and we are doing everything possible to identify and arrest the suspect," Kent Police chief Ken Thomas said, adding that the city of about 120,000 should "be vigilant".

Thomas said the gun shot victim has been discharged from the hospital.

The shooting also created fear within the Sikh community with its members called on law enforcement to investigate the racially-motivated attack, the Seattle Times reported.

Jaswinder Singh, of the Gurdwara Sikh Center of Seattle, said the group has received many calls and messages of support since the incident.

"It's kind of scary to hear about things like this, but we definitely have been getting tremendous support from the community," he said.

The Sikh Coalition, a national civil rights group, asked local and federal authorities to investigate the shooting in suburban Seattle as a hate crime.

The attack reverberated across the nation, with Mayor de Blasio condemning it from New York.

"As mayor of the city with the nation's largest Indian community, my message is clear: this is your city and this is your country," De Blasio tweeted.

Sikh community leader in Washington state, Satwinder Kaur, said: "Everybody who is part of this community needs to be vigilant."

"It is scary. The community has been shaken up," she said.

The incident comes after Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was shot dead, and his friend Alok Madasani was injured in a shooting incident at a Kansas City bar on February 22.

The shooter, US Navy veteran Adam Purinton, 51, was charged with premeditated murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Authorities are investigating the attack as a hate crime after witnesses said he started yelling racial slurs, including "get out of my country".

On Thursday, another Indian, Harnish Patel, 43, who ran Speedee Mart in Lancaster, was shot dead outside his house by an unidentified assailant.

However, the police have said the killing did not appear to be racially motivated.

Harnish, who originally hailed from Vadodara in Gujarat, was living in the US with his family for over 14 years.

US President Donald Trump had condemned the shooting of Kuchibhotla. He had said America stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms.

--IANS

rn/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The FBI is helping the police in the US city of Seattle hunt for an attacker who shot a Sikh man and told him to "go back to your own country", authorities said.

A statement on Sunday from the FBI's Seattle office said the bureau remains "committed to investigating crimes that are potentially hate-motivated", The Seattle Times reported.

The 39-year-old victim, a US national of Indian origin, was identified by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as Deep Rai.

"I am sorry to know about the attack on Deep Rai, a US national of Indian-origin. I have spoken to Sardar Harpal Singh, the father of the victim," Sushma Swaraj tweeted.

"He told me that his son had a bullet injury on his arm. He is out of danger and is recovering in a private hospital," she said.

Rai was working on his car in front of his house in Kent city on Friday night when the gunman, described as white and who had his face partially covered, opened fire at him and fled, the police said.

"This is a top priority investigation, and we are doing everything possible to identify and arrest the suspect," Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas said, adding that the city of about 120,000 should "be vigilant".

Thomas said the victim has been released from the hospital.

The shooting also created fear within the Sikh community with its members calling on law enforcement to investigate the racially-motivated attack, the Seattle Times reported.

Jaswinder Singh, of the Gurdwara Sikh Center of Seattle, said the group has received many calls and messages of support since the incident.

"It's kind of scary to hear about things like this, but we definitely have been getting tremendous support from the community," he said.

The Sikh Coalition, a national civil-rights group, asked local and federal authorities to investigate the shooting in suburban Seattle as a hate crime.

The attack reverberated across the nation, with Mayor de Blasio condemning it from New York.

"As mayor of the city with the nation's largest Indian community, my message is clear: this is your city and this is your country," De Blasio tweeted.

Sikh community leader in Washington state, Satwinder Kaur, said: "Everybody who is part of this community needs to be vigilant."

"It is scary. The community has been shaken up," he said.

The incident comes after 51-year-old Adam Purinton fatally shot Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an aviation engineer, and wounded Alok Madasani, both Indian and 32, at a Kansas City bar last month.

Purinton was charged with premeditated murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Authorities are investigating the attack as a hate crime after witnesses said he was drinking hard and started yelling racial slurs, including "get out of my country".

--IANS

soni/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan on Monday summoned a senior Afghan diplomat and lodged a protest over a cross-border attack that killed five Pakistani soldiers.

The army said earlier that terrorists launched attacks on three checkpoints in Mohmand Agency a day earlier. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed the attacks.

Pakistani officials insist that Ahrar, blamed for several deadly attacks in Pakistan, operates from Afghanistan.

The deputy head of the Afghan mission was called to the Foreign Office on Monday and conveyed Pakistan's grave concern over the killings, the Foreign Ministry said.

A ministry statement said the Afghan government was urged to thoroughly investigate the incidents and take firm action against the terrorists operating from its soil to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

"It was further emphasized that cooperation from the Afghan side for effective border management was important for preventing cross-border movement of terrorists and militants."

--IANS

ahm/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Protestors in Athens on Monday launched at least five Molotov cocktails at the Greek Parliament during an anti-education reform protest.

High school students had gathered at the iconic Syntagma Square to protest against a series of education reforms and to demand more funds for schools.

A police spokesman told EFE that around 250 people participated, of which 50 were believed to have been involved in the attacks.

He said anti-riot police dispersed the demonstration without resorting to violence or arrests.

Demonstrating students were seen chanting slogans and holding banners as they denounced the measures.

They were also protesting the closure of certain schools and the removal of several degree options from technical and professional schools.

--IANS

soni/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid a major row with neighbouring Punjab over river water sharing through the SYL canal, the Haryana government on Monday allocated Rs 100 crore in its 2017-18 budget for the construction of the controversial canal.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar told media here on Monday that as the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal has to be constructed, an allocation of Rs 100 crore has been made in the Haryana budget for this.

Haryana Finance Minister Abhimanyu, who presented the state's budget on Monday, had also said that if more funds needed for the construction of the SYL canal, Rs 1,000 crore more would also be given for the same.

The SYL canal has been a bone of contention between both states for over three decades. Punjab maintains that it has no water to spare for other states.

The Supreme Court, in its verdict on the contentious SYL issue, had in November last year ordered that the SYL canal should be constructed.

The Punjab government openly announced that it will not allow construction of the canal and stated that it had no water to spare.

A special session of the Punjab assembly was convened in November, following the Supreme Court ruling, in which the assembly issued directions to the Punjab government and its officers "not to allow construction of the SYL canal and to recover money from other states for supply of water".

The assembly issued directions to the Punjab government, cabinet and entire government officers and officials "neither to hand over any land of the state to any agency for the construction of Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal nor allow anyone to work on this project and give any sort of cooperation for this purpose in the larger public interest". Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had moved the resolution.

"House takes notice of this fact that Punjab needs 56 MAF (million acre feet) of water for agriculture, out of which river waters amount to only 27 per cent of its and that the Central Ground Water Commission had already declared 105 out of 138 blocks as over-exploited. Without requisite waters, Punjab which is the grain bowl of India is continuously becoming barren and resultantly posing a threat to national food security and state economy.The House takes a serious view of the fact that Punjab is already falling short of its canal water needs and farmers of Punjab are facing serious water crisis," the resolution noted.

The Supreme Court ruling came on a Presidential reference to the controversial 'Punjab Termination of Water Agreements Bill' passed by the Punjab assembly in 2004, abrogating the water sharing agreements with other states. The court held the law as "unconstitutional".

The Punjab government even ordered de-notification of nearly 5,000 acres of land acquired for the SYL canal nearly four decades ago and handed back the land to farmers from whom it was acquired.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday told the state assembly that his government is contemplating granting pension to the spouse of its deceased women employees from next year.

Khattar gave the information while replying to a question raised by legislator Ravinder Macchrouli.

Till now, only widows of state government employees were eligible for pension on the death of their husbands.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court on Monday suggested to the government an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India into the number of trees felled in the national capital for various projects.

It also remarked that if trees were included as voters in electoral rolls, they would have been spared the axe.

The remarks were made by a division bench of Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Ashutosh Kumar while hearing suo motu proceedings on air pollution in the national capital.

The court took note that the Delhi Metro and Asola sanctuary authorities had axed a large number of trees in the national capital for various projects.

The court noted that the Delhi government had not taken steps to identify and remove encroachments in the Asola-Bhati wildlife sanctuary and fixed the matter for hearing on March 9.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has secured the first position in Airport Service Quality (ASQ) passengers' survey in the 5-15 million passengers per annum (MPPA) category for the year 2016.

Airports Council International (ACI), headquartered at Canada's Montreal on Monday communicated this to GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), which operates the airport.

The ASQ survey statistics shows that Hyderabad airport has steadily improved its score from 4.4 in 2009 to 4.9 in 2016 (measured on scale of 1 to 5).

Hyderabad airport has also the honour to be the first airport in India to have been awarded by ACI, The Director General's Roll of Excellence in Airport Service Quality in 2014 for consistently earning the top five ranking in its category in the ASQ for five years in a row.

GHIAL CEO S.G.K. Kishore said that they are delighted and honoured to be ranked number one.

"While the recognition has definitely made all of us proud, but we have still miles to go. Hyderabad Airport, running in to its 9th year of operations, is designed to cater to 12MPPA. It has witnessed a growth of more than 20 per cent in the last year with a passenger throughput of close to 15MPPA in CY 2016," he said.

"We soon plan to go for expansion of the airport, where it can enhance its capacity to meet 20 MPPA. As interim measures to manage the current traffic growth, reorientation of various passenger check points within the terminal is being tried and undertaken," he added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif alleged in the National Assembly on Monday that neighbouring countries India and Afghanistan have joined hands to create unrest in Pakistan.

Responding to opposition lawmakers' point of objection to Pakistan shutting down border crossings with Afghanistan, Asif said that Pakistan was trying to implement better and more complete border management with Afghanistan.

Until there was better border management with Afghanistan, he said, the scourge of terrorism will continue to exist, Dawn reported.

The issue of border management is one of national security, Asif said, urging lawmakers not to play on the matter. "We have the right to shut the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan and protect our people," Asif claimed.

He said that the border has 25 openings from where people travel between the two countries, but Pakistan cannot let terrorists cross into the country.

"If there will be terrorist attacks in the country and people will die by the hundreds, we will shut the border down," he asserted.

"We gave refuge to thousands of Afghans, but we will not keep housing terrorists," he said, adding, "the killers of our sons are sitting on Afghan soil, the government needs to take action against them."

About India, the Defence Minister said there had been a constant rise in India's alleged unprovoked firing and violation of the ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control.

In a written reply to the house, Asif claimed that in the past four years, India has violated the ceasefire agreement 1,170 times along the LoC and 257 times across the International Border.

The civilian deaths in the past four years has risen to 111, he said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India has issued an advisory to citizens travelling to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to be alert and monitor local media in the wake of a strike by police there which has led to limited police presence in some areas.

The advisory has also asked Indians visiting Rio de Janeiro to follow the guidance of local authorities.

"In case they need consular assistance, they are requested to contact the Embassy of India in Brasilia at +55-61-32484006 (email:attcons.brasilia@mea.gov.in and hoc.brasilia@mea.gov.in ) or the Consulate General of India in Sao Paulo at +55-11-32793780 (email:visa@cgisaopaulo.in)," the advisory said.

The advisory is only for Rio de Janeiro.

Last month, the Brazilian government decided to send 9,000 troops from the armed forces to reinforce security in Rio de Janeiro following the police strike over poor pay.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 14-day joint training exercise of the armies of India and Oman began on Monday at Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh.

The exercise, Al Nagah-II, drew contingents comprised of platoon strength troops from both the armies, the Defence Ministry said.

The second edition of the exercise is in continuation of a series of joint exercises between the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman.

The first edition was held at Muscat in 2015.

"The aim of the joint exercise is to acquaint both forces with each other's operating procedures in the backdrop of counter insurgency and counter terrorism environment as also to enhance the existing military relationship between" the two armies, an official statement said.

The exercise will enhance the inter-operability between both the armies in conducting joint operations and cement bonds of friendship between the two countries, it said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera has denounced the shooting of a Sikh man in Washington state, which is being investigated by the FBI and the police as a possible hate crime.

"This disturbing crime is an outrage that goes against everything we stand for as a nation of immigrants," Bera said in a statement.

"On the heels of the Kansas shooting, crimes motivated by hate are on the rise," Bera said, reported CNN on Monday.

"Xenophobia and racisim have no place in America, and we as a nation need to stand up to these hate crimes -- starting with the President. Thankfully, the victim is recovering, and my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family," he said.

The 39-year-old victim, a US national of Indian origin, was identified by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as Deep Rai. He received a bullet injury on his arm in the attack on Friday.

The FBI is helping the hunt by the Seattle city police for an attacker who told Rai to "go back to your own country" and shot him -- in the second xenophobic attack on Indians in the past two weeks.

A statement on Sunday from the FBI's Seattle office said the bureau remains "committed to investigating crimes that are potentially hate-motivated", the Seattle Times reported.

Sushma Swaraj had tweeted that she has spoken to Sardar Harpal Singh, the father of the victim.

"He told me that his son had a bullet injury on his arm. He is out of danger and is recovering in a private hospital," she wrote.

Rai was working on his car in front of his house in Kent city on Friday night when the gunman, described as white and who had his face partially covered, opened fire at him and fled, the police said.

"This is a top priority investigation, and we are doing everything possible to identify and arrest the suspect," Kent Police chief Ken Thomas said, adding that the city of about 120,000 should "be vigilant".

Thomas said the gun shot victim has been discharged from the hospital.

The shooting also created fear within the Sikh community with its members called on law enforcement to investigate the racially-motivated attack, the Seattle Times reported.

The US State Department has also, on behalf of the Donald Trump administration, expressed condolences and said they are working on the case.

The Indian Embassy in Washington tweeted that Indian envoy Navtej Sarna "conveyed our deep concerns to the US government on recent tragic incidents".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Residents along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya are using Bangladesh SIM cards for communication, Meghalaya's Opposition Leader Donkupar Roy informed the assembly on Monday.

Roy, who was participating in the amendment to the motion of thanks on the Governor's Address, urged the government to take steps to ensure connectivity in rural areas and those along the international borders.

"People are using the Bangladeshi SIM cards to communicate with relatives and friends, since no landline connection is available in the international border and mobile networks are very poor," the veteran United Democratic Party legislator said.

Shella constituency, which is represented by Roy, is on the India-Bangladesh border. He revealed that he also has a Bangladesh SIM card but does not use it, knowing that it is illegal.

"However, the people on the border have no option and are compelled to use Bangladeshi SIM card for better communication," he said.

The UDP legislator informed the assembly that even the Border Security Force troopers are using the Bangladeshi SIM cards.

"Once I asked one BSF personnel about the problem, who told me that communicating with his colleagues was very difficult. While we were sitting, I saw one personnel was also communicating by using Bangladeshi SIM card," Roy claimed.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It might not be long before the inscription atop Yellowstone National Parks iconic Roosevelt Arch is posted in Ryan Zinkes new digs.

Its what the new Interior secretary says is his mission for the Department of Interiors management of federal lands: For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.

Sitting in my office and I am now recognizing the task before me. Im excited about it. Its great to be asked by the president to be his voice on public lands, Zinke said Friday. I look forward to going out in the field and visiting our parks, our refuges and our holdings and just talking to the people. It goes back to the benefit and enjoyment of the people, and I tend to live up to the model.

The Republican from Montana has repeated the statement often since saddling up and riding to work with the mounted National Mall Police on Thursday. He was then greeted by his new staff as a Northern Cheyenne Indian drummer pounded out an honor song at the top of the Department of the Interior steps. It was a dramatic departure from his job as just one vote out of 435 in U.S. House. Zinke is the only congressman from a state so wide it falls just a few miles short of taking up an entire time zone.

It was just two years ago when Zinke was moving into his House office. Hed been a state legislator for a couple terms in the last decade. Before that he was 23-year veteran of the Navy SEALs, where he reached the rank of commander. He served in Iraq.

In President Donald J. Trumps Cabinet of millionaires, Zinke, 55, is tied with Vice President Mike Pence as the least wealthy, by a long shot. Minus his congressional salary, Zinkes non-government worth is about $800,000 and includes a 1938 Cadillac, a Harley Davidson, some family art and some rental properties, most notably in the Montana timber and ski town of Whitefish, where Zinke, a plumbers son, grew up in the shadow of Glacier National Park.

It is impossible to look in any direction from Zinkes hometown without seeing federal land. The local ski resort, Big Mountain, occupies land leased from the Forest Service. There is a tight green stubble on the landscape where a legacy logging industry sawed jobs from federal timber. Theres the national park and to the east of it the Blackfeet Indian Reservation before the landscape flattens into millions of acres of Bureau of Land Management grazing land, punctuated by farm communities founded in the land rush of the early 1900s.

In Montana, the federal government is everyones neighbor. Its the fourth largest state in the nation. The federal government owns a third of the property. The Department of Interior manages all but the U.S. Forest Service property.

The department represents federal governments obligation to American Indian tribes. It supervises oil, gas drilling and coal mining on federal lands and waters. It manages national parks and battlefields, national monuments and also protects endangered species. The Fourth of July bash on the National Mall? Yep, that too, and several other purposes, as well. It employs 70,000 people and has a $20.7 billion annual budget.

Like all neighbor relations, sometimes theres tension between communities and their largest neighbor. It is the Department of the Interiors job to balance a the publics interests in both conservation and revenue from federal land, Zinke told Lee Montana on Friday.

I think we have to recognize that there are some public lands that fit better under the Muir model, where man is more of an observer, the lightest footprint, Zinke said. And there are special places in our public land holdings that deserve that special recognition, and we have it to a degree with wilderness and national parks. But the preponderance of lands, I think, are under the Pinchot model of multiple use.

John Muir was a pioneer of American public land preservation whose vision was crucial in the creation of national parks. His counterpart was Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Pinchot established the management of natural resources for revenue. His maxim was, The greatest good for the greatest number and that good included industry.

Multiple use is making sure that the public can use our lands for the enjoyment and the benefit of the people, Zinke said. That benefit side may include timber harvest, it may include oil energy production. It may include mining. Our charter is to make sure that those activities that are more invasive have a reclamation plan where at the end of the project that land is returned either in the same or better condition than what we started with. And thats where the right regulation  but not excessive regulation  is needed.

Its where jobs are tied to federal land where relations are most heated between the federal government, states and local communities. Zinke sees a need to restore trust with those communities. In Congress, he tried to give local governments, states and Indian tribes more say in the management decision on federal lands. He was harshly criticized for it by House Democrats who said he was giving too much power to non-federal stakeholders in mining and drilling.

But the federal government should be able to create wealth and jobs from its resources, while also protecting public access to federal property for recreation.

National monuments

Several battles concerning public lands await the new Interior secretary. In Utah tempers are flaring over the Bears Ears National Monument. The ears are twin buttes that poke from Southern Utahs Elk Ridge. The features are surrounded by canyons, mesas and cliffs that include archaeological sites.

Former President Barack Obama declared the 1.35 million-acre monument before leaving office last year. Utah Republicans, like Rep. Jason Chaffetz have said the they hope President Trump and Zinke eliminate the monument status.

Republicans stand on Bears Ears cost Utah the nations largest outdoors show, which brought 50,000 visitors to the state and $45 million year. Organizers said they couldnt support a state that didnt support Bears Ears.

Zinke didnt say the monument would be undone, but it might be changed.

I think we should follow the law in that there is no doubt there are areas that should have special protection and a monument is appropriate, Zinke said. But we should work with local communities, we should work with the states. We should follow the law that monuments should be appropriate to the specific areas that deserve that protection. Some of the monuments created in the last administration were popular. They had grassroots support. They had broad support at the state level. And other monuments, especially those that were created late and the actions that were taken late in administration, they do they smell of political agenda rather than gaining consensus. And theyve become viewed in many parts, especially in Utah, as, once again, breaching this bond of trust. And so my task as a secretary is to review all actions that were taken to make sure that we are and advocate for the local voice and advocate for the state and be seen as partners rather than adversaries.

The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is an example of declaration that worked. The 330,780-acre monument in Northern California was widely supported by the community. Thats the support for a monument Zinke prefers.

A president has never undone a previous presidents national monument. Zinke said theres nothing in the law that prohibits nullification, but theres nothing that clearly allows it, either. But national monuments can be changed.

Theres no doubt that a president can modify a monument that has been done before. Theres precedent in that, Zinke said. I think what the goal is on monument designation is to make sure you have local, and state, broad support of the people who live there the people who are most affected by the monument. And of course that speaks to what my motto has been and will be: for the enjoyment of the people, which is on the Roosevelt Arch.

Standing Rock and Malheur

If the federal government had better local relations, it might have fewer protests like the one at Standing Rock, N.D., where the Dakota Access Pipeline is to cross beneath the Missouri River. The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge standoff in Oregon is another example where Zinke said things might have been different if public perception of federal land management were different. Federal property was damaged, and in the Malheur standoff someone died. Both incidents cost the federal government millions of dollars that could have been spent on restoration and management, he said.

Going forward, when the public sees a Fish and Wildlife truck, or a BLM truck, I want the public to think about management, Zinke said, Wildlife and land management rather than law enforcement. And I think thats an important distinction. Going forward, again, my biggest task is to restore trust at the local level, and thats being an advocate and making sure people believe they have a voice.

Coal

Zinke is a coal-state Republican. Montana has the largest holdings of federal coal in the United States. In Congress, he fought against a DOI suspension of coal leases triggered by concerns that coal royalties were set too low and needed to be studied. President Trump and Congress have since worked to lift the coal lease ban.

Zinke said coal, oil and gas from federal land is important because low-priced energy powers U.S. manufacturing. Those mining jobs are also directly linked to manufacturing in other states, like Illinois, where Caterpillar employees are hopeful an increase in mining under the Trump administration will boost demand for heavy machinery.

Coals decline is tied to a glut in global supply which has made exports unprofitable while at the same time cheap natural gas replaces coal as the nations primary source at power plants. Zinke and other Republicans argue that federal policy shouldnt exacerbate coals problems. They would like to see more coal power, an idea President Trump campaigned on.

But other economies tied to federal land also need to be promoted where possible, Zinke said.

We should not view it in terms of just extraction, Zinke said. Public land also has a driver when it comes to recreation. In some areas, particularly in the Seattle area, Mount Rainier, Olympic National Park, the forest around Seattle, there is a strong desire to elevate recreation. In Alaska, there is a strong desire for energy development, many of our Native tribes particularly. Some of the biggest resource concerns are owned by Eskimos and Native indigenous peoples, and they are very pro-energy development. They use the pipeline. In many ways, it is their lifeblood, so I think its best to view things locally and start understanding the challenges of energy development. The president was right to look at punitive excessive regulations to undo those and let the market drive things. I think the goal is to make sure we have clean air, clean water, but also the economic engine of the U.S.

Tribal relations

Not all American Indian tribes support fossil fuel development, Zinke acknowledged. Where there is opposition, the United States needs to honor that, he said.

I think with the tribes, and Ive talked with the tribes extensively before, although as a congressman I had the best relationship with the tribes in Montana, Zinke said. As a secretary now of Interior I have to have the same relationship with all tribes.

I think it stems from three things. One is sovereignty, and sovereignty has to be more than a word. Sovereignty has to mean something. Two is respect. And three is self-determination. And thats making sure the tribes have the tools to shape their own destiny and the authority to do that. As you know, even in the West, tribes are not monolithic, meaning that some tribes are pro-resource, pro-energy, pro-fossil fuels. And other tribes stand staunchly against that. I think it goes back to respect and sovereignty that each tribe in my judgement has to have the authority, the tools to carve their own path. And also from the Department of the Interior is to understand culturally many of these tribes are different, and their path may be unique to them, and I have to respect that.
A 14-day joint military training between India and Oman started in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, an Indian defence official said.

The joint training exercise of the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman, named Al Nagah-II 2017, commenced with the opening ceremony at Bakloh in Chamba district, defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta said.

He said the training contingents comprised platoon strength troops from both the armies. Senior military observers of both the countries would be witnessing the validation phase of the exercise.

The second edition of the joint exercise is in continuation of a series of joint exercises between both the armies. The first one was held in Oman in January 2015.

The aim of the joint exercise is to acquaint both forces with each other's operating procedures in the backdrop of counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism environment as also to enhance the existing military relationship between the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman, an official statement said.

The exercise will also enhance the interoperability between both the armies in conducting joint operations and cement bonds of friendship between the two countries, it added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dozens of foreign delegates and officials on Monday attended the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) summit in the Indonesian capital.

About 100 people, including representatives from the 21 IORA member countries that border the Indian Ocean were seen at the meeting, which celebrates 20 years since the association's founding, Efe news reported.

For Monday's portion of the three-day summit, which started on Sunday, a Council of Ministers meeting was on the agenda, as well as a business summit aimed at boosting cooperation among the member states, according to the official IORA website.

Some of the senior delegates attending Monday's proceedings were Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

Tuesday's agenda includes the IORA Leaders' Summit hosted by Indonesia -- the current chair of IORA -- organised under the theme "Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful, Stable, and Prosperous Indian Ocean".

The international association was formed in 1995 and brings together countries across Asia, Oceania and Africa.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iraqi forces on Monday pushed further inside western Mosul and freed a new neighbourhood as they advanced towards the old city centre amid fierce clashes with Islamic State militants, the Iraqi military said.

Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) commandos liberated Sumoud neighbourhood in the southwestern part of the city after heavy clashes with the IS group, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Amir Yarallah, from the Joint Operations Command, was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

Meanwhile, federal police and interior ministry special forces, known as Rapid Response, were engaged in street-to-street fighting against the IS in the neighbourhoods of Dandan and Dawassa, in the southern part of Mosul's old city centre.

The battles in the old neighbourhoods of downtown Mosul bring the troops closer to some main government buildings in Dawassa.

The recapture of Sumoud came a day after Yarallah announced a new push in the western side of Mosul, locally known as the right bank of Tigris. The advance came after a two-day pause due to bad weather that had limited air support by Iraqi and international coalition aircraft.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of an offensive on February 19 to drive the IS out of Mosul.

The ongoing operations have forced up to 57,000 civilians to flee their homes, the Iraqi government has announced on Sunday.

"Teams affiliated to the Iraqi ministry of migration have received more than 57,000 civilians" during the past 15 days of the military operation in the western side of Mosul, according to a statement by Jassim Mohammed al-Jaf, Minister of Migration and Displaced.

The migration ministry provided emergency supplies, including food and medicine to displaced people, Jaf said, adding that the Iraqi ministry is also ready to receive some 100,000 people in its camps near Mosul.

The total number of displaced civilians reached 286,000 since the beginning of the major offensive to liberate Mosul on October 17, Jaf added.

A total of 206,520 individuals have been forced into displacement, a tracking system developed by the International Organisation for Migrants (IOM) showed.

According to the latest figures by IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) system, these individuals being displaced were from 34,420 families.

The United Nations estimated that about 750,000 to 800,000 people still live on the western side of Mosul, which could be a challenge to the Iraqi forces as the troops enter the city's narrow streets in the densely populated neighbourhoods.

Mosul, 400 km north of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling the group to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An air ambulance, hired by Medanta Hospital, had crashlanded near Bangkok on Sunday, killing one of its pilots, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday.

"The Air Ambulance of Medanta Hospital with five member crew caught fire and crashlanded near Bangkok. The injured were shifted to Bangkok Hospital by Army helicopters," she tweeted on Monday.





In a series of tweets, she said that the Indian mission was extending all possible assistance.

"Our Mission has just informed me that we have lost pilot of the Air Ambulance Arunaksha Nandy. Dr.Shailendra and Dr.Komal are in the ICU. The other two have sustained minor injuries.



Our Mission has just informed me that we have lost pilot of the Air Ambulance Arunaksha Nandy. /3  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 6, 2017

"Our Mission is extending them all help and assistance. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family," she added.



Our Mission has just informed me that we have lost pilot of the Air Ambulance Arunaksha Nandy. /3

 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 6, 2017

The Thailand-bound air ambulance of Medanta hospital from New Delhi with five on board had crash-landed at Nakhon Pathom Airport near Bangkok on Sunday.

The private air charter being operated on the Pilatus Aircraft PC12 VT-AVG was operating a medical flight.
Meghalaya assembly Speaker Abu Taher Mondal on Monday disallowed an adjournment motion by opposition Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) for a discussion on rising crimes against women and children.

Seeking to move the motion, HSPDP legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said: "The image of the state has been tarnished due to the involvement of the political class. Even the Raj Bhavan has turned into young ladies' club, as reported in the media."

"We cannot sweep this under the carpet as it is a great shame for the state. The house should stand united. If we take up the issue, it will reflect that the members of the House are concerned about the issue," he said.

However, Mondal disallowed the adjournment motion saying that a special motion on the issue, which will be moved by United Democratic Party legislator Paul Lyngdoh, has been listed for being taken up on Tuesday.

The Speaker also informed the legislators that Leader of Opposition Donkupar Roy and National People's Party (NPP) legislator James K. Sangma will raise the issue of measures to improve the safety of women and children during the discussion on the amendment to motion of thanks to the Governor for his address.

Supporting the Speaker's ruling on the adjournment motion, Lyngdoh said: "Since the Speaker has admitted a special motion on the issue, there is a scope for debate when it will be taken up."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Happy at getting 76 per cent marks in his Class 11, Atul Arora was looking forward to his first day in Class 12 on Monday. But hours before, the 17-year-old student was killed by a speeding Mercedes Benz that dragged the boy around 100 metres after ramming his Scooty, police said.

Atul died in the accident at Paschim Vihar in west Delhi on Sunday night.

The car driver along with his three-four friends fled the spot. The accident was captured in CCTV cameras of nearby RWA's DDA flats of GH-9 block and a petrol pump and CNG station.

Atul, a student of Bal Bharti School at Pitampura, had just passed Class 11 and was to attend his first day in the new class on Monday. His 76 per cent marks were announced just two days back, Tara Anand, his maternal grandmother, told IANS.

The boy was the sole male heir in the joint family which included the families of two brothers of his father Ajay Arora. He is survived by his parents and two elder sisters.

"He was very enthusiastic about his birthday which falls on April 18. We had planned a trip out of the city to celebrate that as well as his Class 11 result," his grandmother told IANS.

The incident occurred just half a kilometre from his residence. The eyewitness, Sanchit and his sister Akshita, niece and nephew of Rakesh Dabas, President of Residential Welfare Association of GH-9 block at Paschim Vihar, informed the police and claimed that it was Mercedes Benz involved in the accident.

"They took Atul to nearby hospital but he was later declared brought dead. We have handed over the entire 15 seconds CCTV footage of the accident to the police. It is clearly visible in the CCTV footage that it was Mercedes car but I do not know why police are still trying to identify the car," Dabas told IANS.

"The family was very happy after we got the news that this time too he got good marks in Class 11, but we did not know our happiness will soon be turned into sorrow, and that we would lose Atul a day after. He was to turn 18 on April 18," Tara Anand said, sobbing.

"I last spoke to him on Saturday night when he had talked to me over phone at around 11 p.m. to share the good news of his excellent result. He was pleading with me to visit him but god wanted something different, that I would see him dead," she said.

Atul was spiritual by nature and a regular visitor of a temple located at Sundar Vihar.

On Sunday night, the priest 'Bhagat ji' of the temple called him to join in the distribution of the bhandara prasad. After completing the temple service, Atul reached home, but at 9 p.m the priest called him back to the temple and asked him to drop a person at some nearby place, Mohit, a family member, told IANS.

"Atul took his sister's Scooty, and after dropping the person was coming home. When he took a U-turn from a narrow road near the CNG-Petrol pump, a speeding Mercedes car rammed him head-on and dragged him along the road," Mohit said.

"The family regrets that they did not stop him from going a second time. If the priest had not called Atul back, he would be alive today," Tara Anand said.

"Although some locals and employees of the fuel station claim it was a Mercedes involved in the accident, but it is not yet clear in the CCTV footage. It appears to be a high-end car. The investigation is currently underway and we will make a breakthrough soon," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Rishi Pal, told IANS.

The boy's father, Ajay Arora, a DDA employee, is currently recuperating from paralysis while his two uncles, Vipin Arora and Rakesh Arora, have no son. Rakesh, who is settled in Belgium, had on Sunday morning left for Belgium.

The boy's mother, Sangeeta, and elder sister, Ruchi, are school teachers at Guru Nanak Public school and another elder sister, Archana, is a student of Delhi University.

Atul loved riding bikes and cars. He was driving his sister's Scooty when he met with the accident.

"Atul wanted to become a Chartered Accountant and open his own company. He had a good character and was an easy going person. We talked on Sunday morning and had planned to meet up in school. When we heard news of his death in school, we reached his residence," his classmate, R.N. Gupta told IANS.

The Arora family has been living in the three-storey DDA flat in Paschim Vihar for the past 20 years.

--IANS

sp/rn

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 17-year-old Class 12 student was killed here when a speeding Mercedes Benz ran over him after hitting his Scooty, police said on Monday.

Atul Arora died in the accident at Paschim Vihar in west Delhi on Sunday night. He was dragged about 100 metres by the car before it ran over him, police said.

The car driver fled the spot. The incident was captured in CCTV cameras of nearby shops.

"We have identified the driver and will soon nab him," a police officer said.

Atul was a student of Bal Bharti School at Pitampura and had just passed Class 11.

He was to attend his first day in the new class on Monday. He scored 76 per cent marks in the Class 11 results announced just two days back, Tara Anand, his maternal grandmother, told IANS.

The student was the sole male heir in the joint family which included the families of two brothers of his father Ajay Arora. He is survived by his parents and two elder sisters.

"He was very enthusiastic about his birthday which falls on April 18. We had planned a trip out of the city to celebrate that as well as his Class 11 result," Anand told IANS.

Earlier reports said Atul was a Class 11 student.

--IANS

sp/vn/rn/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to polarise voters on communal lines.

Addressing a gathering here, Akhilesh Yadav said it was sad that Modi had even "divided electricity into Hindu and Muslim".

Pitching for the Samajwadi Party in the seventh and final phase of polling on Wednesday, he said allegations that more electricity was given out during Muslim festivals and less during Hindu events were baseless.

"We have responded to such false propaganda by providing statistics," the Chief Minister said.

He again asked Modi to swear by the Ganga whether Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, gets 24x7 power supply or not.

On Sunday, Modi remarked that when Akhilesh Yadav, his wife Dimple and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi went to the Kashi Vishwanath temple on Saturday, there was a 15-minute power cut.

"I do not have to prove anything or swear by Ma Ganga. Lord Shiva has proved the point that there is no round-the-clock electricity in Kashi," Modi said.

The Chief Minister on Monday asked the Prime Minister to tell the people of Varanasi what work he had done for the district.

He urged the people to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly elections.

He also pointed out how the huge crowds at last week's Varanasi road show had sent a message that people of Kashi and neighbouring areas were for the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance.

Akhilesh Yadav asked the people not to trust Modi as he had "not fulfilled any of the promises he made in the 2014 Lok Sabha election".

He also came down heavily on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, calling her previous government in the state as "pattar waali sarkar".

All that Mayawati did during her tenure was to make monuments and statues made of stone, he said.

--IANS

md/in/mr/vv

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday visited the ancestral house of late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at Ramnagar and paid his homage.

Modi drove to Ramnagar from Gadwaghat and spent about 30 minutes at the late Prime Minister's house.

He sat cross-legged on a mattress on the floor in a room adorned with portraits and pictures of Shastri, known for his simple lifestyle.

Dressed in a sky blue half-sleeve kurta, the Prime Minister listened to the recital of Shahstri's jeevni (life story) song by local performers and applauded.

He earlier paid floral tributes at a portrait of the second Indian Prime Minister and also garlanded the statue in the front gate of the house. Shastri was born at his maternal grandparents house in Mughalsarai, Varanasi, but spent some years of his childhood in his paternal ancestors house in Ramnagar.
Music Broadcast Ltd's initial public offering (IPO), which opened on Monday, was subscribed 51 percent of the offer.

According to data from stock exchanges, out of about 1.04 crore shares offered, 53.17 lakh shares were subscribed on the opening day while shares reserved for retail investors were fully subscribed.

Non-institutional investors' category was subscribed 3 percent but no subscription was attracted in the qualified institutional buyers' category.

The IPO, which is in a price band of Rs 324-333 per share, will close on Wednesday.

On Friday, the company had raised Rs 146.5 crore by allotting shares to anchor investors as part of anchor book allocation and shares were given to anchor investors at Rs 333 each.

Anchor book is the part of an IPO that bankers can allot to institutional investors on a discretionary basis and this subscription usually opens a day before the launch of an IPO, acting as an indicator of institutional investor interest.

Investors who participated in the anchor book allocation were funds from HSBC, Reliance Capital, Nomura, DSP BlackRock, ICICI Prudential, HDFC Standard Life Insurance, Franklin Templeton, Birla Sun Life Insurance and among others.

The Radio City FM station operator plans to raise up to Rs 400 crore in primary capital, while existing investors will sell shares worth Rs 86-88.5 crore through an offer for sale.

The company plans to use the proceeds of the share sale to repay debt and for general corporate purposes.

--IANS

bdc/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
WASHINGTON  During his recent address to Congress, President Trump earned a standing ovation for once again declaring that, in place of Obamacare, Americans should have the freedom to purchase health insurance across state lines.

Heres the dirty little secret: Obamacare already gives Americans this freedom.

Dirtier still: When Republicans propose across state lines legislation, theyre really talking about reducing states sovereignty to make their own regulatory decisions. So much for states rights.

Filthiest yet: The best-case scenario for Trumps proposal would be that nothing happens; worst case, lots of people lose access to health care.

Despite the flip sloganeering, this is complicated stuff. (Nobody knew health care could be so complicated, amirite?) So first, heres some background on how the system works today.

Since 1945, the federal government has delegated the regulation of individual health-insurance plans to the states. That means states have decided what benefits insurers must cover (diabetes screening, in vitro fertilization, acupuncture, etc.); how much insurers can adjust premiums based on age, gender, past illness, occupation and other characteristics; and lots of other kinds of regulations, such as how plans can be marketed.

Then the Affordable Care Act came along.

Among many other provisions, Obamacare raised the floor for what services insurers had to cover, though states can still require benefits above the federal minimum. For example, the ACA says plans must fully pay for certain types of preventive care that not all states required previously.

The law also placed restrictions on how much insurers can adjust premiums based on age and other characteristics (though again, states can limit this further) in the individual and small group markets. The law says insurers cant charge you more just because you once had cancer or because youre female, both practices that almost all states used to allow.

And, apparently unbeknownst to Trump and other Republicans, Obamacare also encouraged the sale of insurance across state lines.

The law set up a framework to help states develop health care choice compacts with one another to allow plans to be sold across borders, conditional on mutually agreed-upon rules. Several states have started the process of creating such compacts. But to date, none has materialized.Why is ... complicated.

Lots of state regulators dont want to give up turf, according to Georgetown University Health Policy Institute professor Sabrina Corlette. (Theres that state sovereignty thing again.) Plus, insurance companies havent exactly been clamoring for the right to sell across state lines.

The barriers to selling plans in a new state turn out to be less about regulatory red tape and more about the colossal costs associated with setting up networks and negotiating rates with new doctors and hospitals.

What, then, are Republicans proposing?

When Republicans talk about allowing health insurance to be sold across state lines, this is shorthand for a bigger suite of deregulatory proposals. What theyre usually referring to is (a) lowering or eliminating the federal minimum standards for all states, and allowing insurers from one state to sell a product that undermines anothers laws.

In other words, they want to allow a company in, say, lower-regulation Alabama to be able to sell insurance in higher-regulation Massachusetts, without having to follow Massachusettss laws about pricing or coverage.

At first blush this idea sounds like it has merit. It might give consumers more options.

But lets game out what happens.

Just as credit card companies tend to domicile in South Dakota, and many other companies wanting to minimize their tax liabilities incorporate in Delaware, every health insurer would have an incentive to park in the state with the least-restrictive regulations.

They could then cherry-pick the youngest, healthiest patients in the higher-regulation states who dont expect to consume much health care, according to Urban Institute senior fellow Linda Blumberg. That would leave behind older, less-healthy people in those relatively higher-regulation states, driving up average costs and making premiums less affordable.

In time, those sicker, older consumers would be forced to either drop their insurance altogether (causing costs for remaining patients to rise even further) or buy less-generous out-of-state coverage themselves. Any struggling insurers left in those high-regulation states would also pressure regulators to loosen coverage requirements to push prices down.

In other words, a race to the bottom. People either lose their coverage because they can no longer afford it, or they end up buying plans that dont cover much of anything.

Its hard to see the upside, which is why even conservative and free-market-oriented health experts have decided this unkillable across state lines proposal is junk. It sure sounds nice to those who dont know much about health care policy. Just ask our president.Catherine Rampells email address is crampell@washpost.com. Follow her on Twitter, @crampell.
Aim to bring more locally-produced series and films to its Indian viewers, global internet TV network Netflix on Monday announced strategic partnerships with Airtel, Videocon d2h and Vodafone. The move is to offer Netflix services over the top (OTT) through these companies' direct-to-home and mobile platforms.

"India is more movie-centric and among the top three markets in terms of mobile usage. We are investing heavily on content and will soon open an office in Mumbai," Reed Hastings, Co-founder and CEO of Netflix, told reporters here.

Netflix launched its service globally in January 2016, including in India.

"In 2017, we will work on making our Indian service better in every dimension. What's unique about Netflix is that we have got international originals and we will focus on premium content," Hastings added.

With these partnerships, Netflix's critically-acclaimed programmes like 'House of Cards' and 'Narcos and The Crown' will be easily accessible to consumers across direct-to-home and mobile platforms throughout the country.

"In the months and years to come, we look forward to bringing our Indian members more compelling stories from all over the world, an ever-improving viewing experience and incredible joy," Hastings added.

Bharti Airtel will integrate the Netflix app into its direct-to-home service throughout the country.

"Airtel has been a pioneer in bringing the best of global content and products to its customers. We are delighted to partner Netflix to bring their popular content to our customer on one of our key digital platforms," Said Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and CEO (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel.

Netflix will also be integrated into the Videocon d2h set-top box, allowing viewers to instantly access Netflix by clicking a dedicated Netflix button on the remote control.

"We are delighted to have Netflix as a partner on our HD Smart Connect STB. This partnership strengthens our DNA of innovation by providing an instant TV screen experience for Netflix users in a seamless manner," added Saurabh Dhoot, Executive Chairman, Videocon d2h.

In the mobile space, Netflix will partner with Vodafone on pre-paid programs and will enable payment integration, allowing Vodafone customers in India to pay for their Netflix subscriptions via their monthly bill.

"We are proud to be the first mobile partner of Netflix in India and look forward to offering its rich content to further delight our millions of customers", said Sandeep Kataria, Director Commercial, Vodafone India.

Coming soon on Netflix will be Marvel's "Iron Fist" and new seasons of "Orange is the New Black" and "House of Cards".

Later this year, members will have exclusive access to Netflix original films such as "War Machine" starring Brad Pitt and Sir Ben Kingsley; "Okja" starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Tilda Swinton and Paul Dano; "Our Souls at Night" from acclaimed Indian director Ritesh Batra and starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda; and "Bright", starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton.

"Working with some of India's top artists, we cannot wait to bring more locally-produced series and films to our more than 93 million members households around the world," Hastings told reporters.

--IANS

anuj/na/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi's Lieutinent Governor Anil Baijal on Monday praised the Delhi government's achievements in health, education and other sectors and said 1,000 Mohalla Clinics will be set up within six months.

Addressing the Delhi assembly on the opening day of the budget session, Baijal listed all the work done by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the last two years.

This was Baijal's first address to the house after he assumed office in December -- and it came as a contrast to the times when the AAP and former Lt Governor Najeeb Jung were locked in perennial conflict.

Focusing on the health and education sectors, he said over 100 Mohalla Clinics - where people have access to doctors, tests and medicines for free - were working and their number would go up to 1,000 in six months.

In his 25-minute address, periodically welcomed by thumping of desks by the AAP-dominated house, Baijal said the clinics had earned global acclaim including from former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Baijal, who succeeded Jung in December, added that 122 polyclinics -- secondary healthcare centres -- would also be completed in the next one year.

He said the Delhi government had also made radiology tests like MRI, CT and PET scans free for Delhi's residents.

"My government is focused on providing affordable healthcare services to its citizens."

Baijal said 10,000 additional beds would soon be added to Delhi's healthcare system.

The Lt Governor said work was on to build 8,000 new classrooms and 20 new schools, out of which 14 schools were ready.

For higher education, construction of new campuses for Ambedkar University had started at Rohini in north-west Delhi and Dheerpur in north Delhi.

For skill development, the Delhi government will set up five new polytechnics.

Baijal praised the government for its "reading campaign" that he said had transformed one lakh children from non-readers to readers.

The Arvind Kejriwal government had also prevented arbitrary fee hike by private schools built on government land.

Baijal spoke about the approval he had given to let the government hike minimum wages of workers by around 37 per cent.

He said water connections had been provided in 1,175 unauthorised colonies. The government was also giving 20,000 litres of drinking water free to every household.

According to Baijal, the fourth phase of Delhi Metro consisting of eight corridors totalling 116 km would be completed by 2021.

"The third phase, which will take the Delhi Metro's operational network from 189 km to 330 km, is likely to be completed by June 2017," he said to another round of applause.

The budget session of the Delhi assembly will end on March 10, a month before the capital holds municipal elections in which the AAP will take on the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.
North Korea test-fired four ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan on Monday, in what Japan's leader described as "an extremely dangerous action", the media reported.

Military in South Korea, Japan and the US all confirmed the launch of four projectiles, which one US official said were intermediate range missiles, CNN reported.

Three of the four missiles landed in its Special Economic Zone (EEZ) - an area stretching some 370 km from the coastline of northern Akita prefecture, Japanese Prime Minister told parliament on Monday.

"The latest launches of ballistic missiles clearly demonstrate evidence of a new threat from North Korea," Efe news reported citing Abe as saying.

"These acts a very serious provocation" to Japan's security."

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the four projectiles were launched from an area near North Korea's Dongchang-ri long-range missile site at 7.36 a.m., and flew about 1,000 km, Yonhap News Agency reported.

"We estimate the North fired four ballistic missiles. We are conducting an analysis (with the US) on the missiles to determine their type and other specifications. It will take a while before we can come up with a final analysis (based on American satellite data)," the statement said.

Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn convened a National Security Council meeting after the launches.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the incident and warned that the North would face consequences from its continued provocations and pursuit of nuclear and missile programs in defiance of the world's increasing pressure.

Following the launch, the US has reaffirmed its commitment to defend itself and allies South Korea and Japan, by using the "full range of capabilities at our disposal".

"The US strongly condemns North Korea's ballistic missile launches, which violate UN Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology," State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner said.

Toner said the US "calls on all countries to use every available channel and means of influence to make clear to the North and its enablers that further provocations are unacceptable, and take steps to show there are consequences to its unlawful conduct."

The latest provocation comes a day after the US said it may consider redeploying a tactical nuclear weapon in South Korea as a deterrent against growing nuclear and missile threats posed by the rogue regime.

On Friday, Pyongyang threatened to conduct more missile firings in response to the two-month-long Foal Eagle exercise between Seoul and Washington, which lasts through April.

In its latest provocations, Pyongyang launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile into the East Sea on February 12 to boast its military readiness and test the response from the new Donald Trump administration.

It was the first test-firing of a North Korean missile since Donald Trump became the American president on January 20.

--IANS

ksk

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Monday said there was "nothing new" in former Pakistan National Security Advisor (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani's public admission that a terrorist group from his country carried out the 2008 Mumbai attack.

"India's stand is very well known. There is nothing new in this revelation," Rijiju told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Durrani said the Mumbai terror attack was carried out by a terror outfit based in Pakistan and added that it was a "classic trans-border terrorist event".

"I hate to admit that the 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan on November 26, 2008, is a classic trans-border terrorist event," Durrani said at the 19th Asian Security Conference held at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) here.

He was the National Security Advisor when 10 Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai by a fishing boat and committed mayhem over three days.

Durrani, however, insisted that the Pakistan government had no role in the mayhem masterminded by Lashkar-e-Taiba supremo Hafiz Saeed and operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who got bail in 2016 after years of alleged sluggish trial in Pakistan.

Pakistan's failure to conclude the trial in the case has been one of the major strains in bilateral relations with India.

--IANS

sk-vd/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least one person was killed and six others injured in a clash between agitating Madhesi Morcha protestors and security personnel in Nepal's southern Saptari district, police said on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Ranjan Mehata, who was shot in the head and died on the spot. Madhesi Morcha has claimed that Mehata was their member.

According to Nepal's Home Ministry, one person died in the clash on Sunday evening, while another was seriously injured and five others, who received bullet injuries in the clash, were undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The ministry claimed that at least two dozen police personnel were injured in the violent clash.

Security personnel resorted to firing after Madhesi Morcha supporters attempted to foil a mass gathering organised by the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxists-Leninists) [CPN-UML] at Gajendra Narayan Singh Industrial Corridor in Rajbiraj municipality under the Mechi-Mahakali campaign.

Security was beefed up in and around the clash area by the ministry after the Madhesi Morcha announced it would obstruct the campaign organised by the CPN-UML. Several parts of the districts were tense since then.

The CPN-UML has started a 15-day-long east-west campaign from Saturday across the Terai/Madhes areas of Nepal which was opposed by the agitating Madhesi Morcha.

Madhesi Morcha, an alliance of Madhes-based parties of Nepal, has acrimonious ties with CPN-UML after top CPN-UML leaders repeatedly called them "anti-national" and "political force run by foreign powers".

After CPN-UML decided to launch the campaign, the Morcha has been telling it to stop it or face disruption. The Morcha cadres clashed with police while CPN-UML chairman K.P. Sharma Oli was addressing those present in the mass meeting.

Earlier, six Morcha cadres were injured in a clash that occurred before Oli reached the venue. Two persons were reported to be in critical condition.

The Morcha leaders and cadres burnt tyres and took out demonstrations carrying black flags and sticks since early morning on Monday, aimed at foiling the CPN-UML mass meeting.

--IANS

giri/vgu/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Pakistan National Security Advisor (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani on Monday admitted that a terrorist group from his country carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and hoped Islamabad will act against detained Lashkar founder Haafiz Saeed, the mastermind.

Durrani's admission at the 19th Asian Security Conference held at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) here is the first by any high-ranking Pakistani official that confirms India's stand that the Lashkar-e-Taiba plotted and executed the carnage nine years ago, killing 166 Indians and foreigners.

"I hate to admit that the 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan on November 26, 2008 is a classic trans-border terrorist event," said Durrani, who was the NSA when 10 Pakistani terrorists sailed into Mumbai and committed mayhem over three days.

While nine of the Pakistani terrorists were killed, one, Ajmal Kasab, was caught, tried and hanged.

Weeks after the attack, Durrani told a national TV that Kasab was a Pakistani citizen -- a remark that cost him his job on January 7, 2009.

"I made a statement on Pakistan television which the (then) Pakistan government did not like and I was sacked. Is that not enough proof for you?" Durrani, also a former Pakistan Army commander, told reporters at the IDSA.

However, he insisted that the Pakistan government and the Inster-Services Intelligence (ISI) have "nothing to do" with the mayhem masterminded by Saeed and LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who got bail in 2016 after years of alleged sluggish trial in Pakistan.

Durrani said as the then top security official in Pakistan, he had offered assistance to India to probe the Pakistani link into the strike but "unfortunately mistrust overruled common sense" at that time.

"I called my counterpart in India (Shivshankar Menon) and said if you allow, we will send two people for investigation to sit with you in Mumbai. But because of mistrust it was not allowed."

India downplayed Durrani's remarks, saying there was nothing new.

"India's stand is very well known. There is nothing new in this revelation," Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said.

Pakistan's failure to conclude the trial in the case has been one of the major strains in bilateral relations.

New Delhi has maintained that it has shared evidence to prove that the 10 attackers were trained at a Lashkar camp in Pakistan.

Durrani also hit out at Saeed -- a terrorist commander who carries a $10 million reward announced by the US.

"Hafiz Saeed has no utility. I hope they (Pakistan government) will punish (him)."

Saeed was put under house arrest on January 30. The Lashkar founder, who now runs a banned Jamaat-ud-Daawa charity, was detained after the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008 but was freed by a court in 2009.

Pakistan has also listed the Lashkar founder under the country's Anti- Act -- a tacit acknowledgment of his links to .

Terror sanctuaries in Pakistan and cross-border emanating from there remained at the centre of the three-day security conference that was also attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Afghan NSA Hanif Atmar.

Durrani also admitted that Pakistan had given shelter to leaders of the Haqqani Network -- an Afghan guerrilla insurgent group that was also alleged to have masterminded at least one attack on an Indian mission in Afghanistan in 2008.

"(Jalaludin) Haqqani was in Pakistan. I don't know whether he is still there or not."

He said terror groups like Haqqani Network "are not our friends, they are our enemies".

Parrikar called on Asian countries to act against the "most pervasive and serious challenge" of terrorism.

"The threat of terror is transnational. The response doesn't seem so," he said. "A collective action should come from Asia."

The Afghan NSA asked Pakistan to act against "all terror groups without distinction".

This, he said, "will certainly produce great benefits not just for Pakistan but also for the region".

--IANS

rs-ao/sar/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Pakistan National Security Advisor (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani on Monday admitted that a terrorist group from his country carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and hoped Islamabad will act against detained LeT founder Haafiz Saeed, the mastermind.

Durrani's admission at the 19th Asian Security Conference held at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses here is the first by any high-ranking Pakistani official that confirms India's stand that the Lashkar-e-Taiba plotted and executed the carnage nine years ago.

"I hate to admit that the 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan on November 26, 2008 is a classic trans-border terrorist event," said Durrani, who was the NSA when 10 Pakistani terrorists sailed into Mumbai and committed mayhem over three days.

But he insisted that the Pakistan government had no role in the mayhem masterminded by Saeed and LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who got bail in 2016 after years of alleged sluggish trial in Pakistan.

Pakistan's failure to conclude the trial in the case has been one of the major strains in bilateral relations. New Delhi has maintained that it has shared evidence to prove that the 10 attackers were trained at a Lashkar camp in Pakistan.

Durrani said as the then top security official in Pakistan, he had offered assistance to India in probing the Pakistani link into the strike but "unfortunately mistrust overruled common sense" at that time.

"I called my counterpart in India (Shivshankar Menon) and said if you allow we will send two people for investigation to sit with you in Mumbai. But because of mistrust it was not allowed," he said.

Durrani also hit out at Saeed -- a terrorist commander who carries a $10 million-reward announced by the US.

"Hafiz Saeed has has no utility. I hope they (Pakistan government) will punish (him)."

Saeed was put under house arrest on January 30. The Lashkar founder, who now runs a banned Jamaat-ud-Daawa charity, was detained after the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008 but was freed by a court in 2009.

The Mumbai mayhem left 166 Indians and foreigners dead. While nine of the Pakistani terrorists were killed, one, Ajmal Kasab, was caught, tried and hanged.

Pakistan has also listed the Lashkar founder under the country's Anti-Terrorism Act -- a tacit acknowledgment of his links to terrorism.

--IANS

rs-ao/sar/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday called on Asian countries to take action against terrorism, describing it as the "most pervasive and serious threat".

" remains the most pervasive and serious challenge to global security while the threat is transnational... even when there is broad consensus on what constitutes act of terror, a formal agreement is missing," he said in his address at the 19th Asian Security Conference being held at the Institute of Defence and Studies and Analyses here.

The theme of the conference this year is "Combating Terrorism: Evolving an Asian Response".

Terming as "central" Asia's role in the fight against terror, Parrikar said: "Seven out of top ten countries having the highest adverse impact (from terrorism) are coming from Asia.. The initiative of global response has to come from Asia."

"A global response to can only emerge if there is a regional consensus on issues effecting the countries involved," he said.

"A strong regional push from Asia will exert more pressure on the rest of the world to adopt a cohesive framework to fight all terror group, he added.

On the Indian role in the fight against terror, the Minister said: "India can't afford to distance itself from happenings in the Asian countries."

--IANS

rs/vd/dg

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police on Monday used batons to disperse employees of the National Health Mission (NHM) here demanding higher wages and permanent jobs.

Dozens of employees from the Kashmir Valley gathered on the Residency Road in uptown Srinagar shouting slogans.

After they tried to block traffic, police used batons to disperse them. The employees said five of their colleagues were injured in the police action.

Representatives of the employees said despite repeated assurances, neither their services had been regularized nor their monthly emoluments increased.

The NHM employees work in hospitals as doctors and paramedics on fixed emoluments in Jammu and Kashmir.

--IANS

sq/vgu/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Ronit Roy says he has temporarily quit social networking site Facebook for personal reasons.

The actor, who clocked 25 years in Indian showbiz, said he will be back soon.

He tweeted on Monday: "I'm off Fb for a while. Personal reasons. Will be back soon."

Ronit also said actor Hrithik Roshan has gifted him a watch after the success of "Kaabil".

He posted: "This is how the man with a heart of gold shares the success of 'Kaabil' with me! I'm overwhelmed and overjoyed! Thank you Hrithik. Love you."

Ronit is next gearing up for the release of "Sarkar 3", in which he will be seen alongside megastar Amitabh Bachchan. Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, the film is slated to release on April 7.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Soon after his first bid for state schools chief failed, the then-Beloit School District superintendent threw his support behind another public-school advocate, the soon-to-be state superintendent.

"It was an honor to compete with someone I've admired for many years in the recent primary, who has the experience and priorities that we need in our next state Superintendent," Lowell Holtz said in a February 2009 statement, backing Tony Evers, who would go on to win that year's general election and another one four years later.

Now, Holtz is challenging Evers  this time in the general contest as the conservative choice who opposes Evers on key policies amid a remarkably different educational landscape. Republicans and conservatives now control every level of government, the state's spending on taxpayer-funded school vouchers for private schools has increased and the state's teachers union no longer plays an influential role in funding and supporting Democrats.

Holtz's path began in an elementary school classroom in rural Minnesota, included a stint on a police force in Whitewater and traveled to five elementary principal and school district superintendent positions across Wisconsin. He was fired from his first administrative job  as a principal in Cambridge  and in his last one clashed with School Board members in suburban Whitnall, where Holtz was criticized for not immediately notifying parents about a district worker accused of soliciting sex from a minor.

He also received a state and national award for his work as an elementary school principal in Peshtigo, and as superintendent he quickly cured a stalemate between a district and its teachers union in contract negotiations.

Still a supporter of creating a fair system of measuring both private voucher schools and public schools, Holtz has now made school voucher expansion a centerpiece of his campaign and touted the absence of his signature on a 2012 petition to recall Gov. Scott Walker. And he has reversed his previous support for the Common Core State Standards, a change he ties to the governor's reversal.

"Common Core was basically sold as a Corvette and it didn't take long to realize it was a manure spreader," Holtz said in an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal.

Now retired, Holtz says his experiences teaching and working in a number of school districts of various sizes and demographics make him a superior choice to Evers at a time when Wisconsin has been labeled as having the largest gap in academic achievement between black and white students in the nation.

Holtz said the Department of Public Instruction, which the state superintendent oversees, should be providing support teams in schools and their neighborhoods to help teachers and encourage parents to be involved in their schools and reduce the amount of time teachers and administrators must spend recording data.

Evers, in a statement, said more equitable funding for schools and engaging school communities are key to shrinking achievement gaps. He said he will "continue to work with the legislature to ensure education is a priority" in the new state budget.

If the primary results are any indication, Holtz has an uphill climb. Evers took 69 percent of the vote in a three-way race. Holtz  mired in a controversy over allegations he proposed getting out of the race in exchange for a guaranteed, taxpayer-funded, $150,000 state job  received 23 percent.

Holtz's dismissal divides Cambridge

Holtz's first job as a school administrator began in 1989 as an elementary school principal in Cambridge and ended with the school district's board members unanimously voting not to renew his contract six years later  a matter the State Journal characterized at the time as dividing the community.

School Board president Mark Sewell said at the time that Holtz was dismissed for poor job performance, but Holtz maintains it was because he took seven weeks of paternity leave during the school year to be with his newborn son.

Before they voted to fire Holtz after a nearly 10-hour School Board meeting, Cambridge School Board members said while he had an "aptitude for dealing with kids" and had "substantial parental support," Holtz also had problems with communication and "human relations problems," according to minutes of a Feb. 27, 1995, closed board meeting.

"The board, after hearing all of the testimony, much of it very damning, deliberated for three and a half hours before voting 6-0 to (fire) Holtz," Sewell wrote in a March 23, 1995, letter to the State Journal. "Do you really think that a superintendent or school board would spend countless hours, divide the community, and incur blazing media attention because a principal asks for six weeks off to be with his newborn child? Testimony at the hearing clearly indicated that Holtz was a poor administrator and had been so for many years."

But the School Board paid Holtz a $50,000 settlement after Holtz won an initial finding of probable discrimination from the state Equal Rights Division.

"It was painful but it was a struggle that had to be gone through so men could (have equal rights to paid leave)," Holtz said in the interview. "By no means is that a reflection of that school district."

Lois Swain, who was on the School Board at the time, said she could legally not talk about the circumstances that led to Holtz's departure  including why she voted to fire him  but said she supports him against Evers. Other board members could not be reached for comment, were deceased or did not respond to requests for interviews.

"I liked Lowell a lot," Swain said. "I thought he was a good elementary school principal."

Peshtigo to Whitnall

By the time Holtz settled with the Cambridge School Board, he was principal of an elementary school in Peshtigo  a job that earned him a state Principal of the Year award in 1999 from the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators and a national distinguished principal award from the U.S. Department of Education.

In 2002, he was hired as the Palmyra-Eagle School District superintendent by board members.

"At that time we were negotiating an annual contract with the teachers and we had not been successful in getting a contract with the teachers, and after he came we got a contract," former Palmyra-Eagle School Board member Bob Oleson said. "We opened school without a contract with the teachers and he was able to get us a contract in the first semester."

Oleson said Holtz came to the district at a time when it was "evolving" in handling the diverse backgrounds of students there and was able to "bring the district back together."

But the board's happiness with Holtz eventually diminished, he said, and after four years Holtz left to become the superintendent in Beloit, where he worked for three years.

First run for state superintendent

Holtz resigned from Beloit to make his first run for state superintendent. After not making it through the primary, and applying for other positions, Holtz was hired in 2010 as superintendent of the Whitnall School District, a five-school district in suburban Milwaukee.

He has said he retired to mount a campaign for state superintendent, but an email released amid two weeks of controversy surrounding the race indicates Holtz may have been losing support among board members.

"My board went from 5-2 in my favor to 4-3 against with the last election. A very tough group to work with. Anyway, the bottom line is that I officially retired from the district last night," Holtz wrote in a Jan. 12, 2016, email.

Holtz said last week the board was a liberal-leaning board and was difficult to work with.

"I can tell you I am endorsing Tony Evers for state superintendent," former Whitnall School Board president LuAnn Bird said. "I worked with Lowell for a number of years while he was here at Whitnall. But I just feel that Tony has a better grasp of managing an organization and how to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars."

Quin Brunette, School Board vice president, said his opinion of Holtz diminished after Holtz's handling of a 2013 incident in which the district's food services director was arrested (and later convicted) for using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime and Holtz did not release information to the public for at least two weeks.

Holtz said he waited to tell the public until the police wanted to release information. He said he held a community meeting about the matter after a journalist reported the arrest.

Proposal to leave race

In the days preceding the Feb. 21 primary, Holtz became embroiled in controversy after opponent John Humphries released a document to reporters showing Holtz had sought a $150,000-per-year job on a three-year contract with the Department of Public Instruction if Holtz dropped out of the race and Humphries won in April, and he offered the same to Humphries if he dropped out of the race.

Bird said she wasn't surprised.

"I was the board president so I worked very closely with him for a couple years, so it didn't surprise me that he would try that," Bird said.

She also said Holtz gave no indication as superintendent that the district should not be matching curriculum to the Common Core academic standards.

"It's interesting Dr. Holtz now is running against Common Core, when we spent a lot of money and time researching and implementing and never once in open session or in a workshop did he say anything bad about it," Brunette said.

Holtz said he encouraged implementation in order to be measured accurately against other school districts because the state test is aligned to Common Core.

But Bird also said the school district improved its academic offerings while Holtz was superintendent.

"We are doing some amazing things in our classrooms  the most innovative practices out there based on research," she said. "Under his leadership that all got started."
Banned currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 of the face value of Rs 14,36,000 were seized by the police here, officials said.

Acting on a tip-off, the Crime Branch unit of Bilaspur seized the demonetised Indian currency from a car on Delhi-Mumbai National Highway, after creating a check post under the KMP Expressway flyover in early hours of Monday.

The police recovered 1,312 notes of Rs 1,000 denomination and 248 notes of Rs 500 denomination,a senior police officer told IANS.

He said that the person in the car could not explain why or how he was carrying the banned currency notes.

The officer added that police seized the currency notes under Section 102 of the Criminal Procedure Code and that the Income Tax Department has been informed.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Women & Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde on Monday announced a probe into the shocking case of discovery of 19 female foetuses near a private hospital compound in the state's Sangli district.

"This matter is extremely heinous and condemnable," she told media persons, adding that three officials from Sangli and two from Pune have been deputed to investigate the matter.

Urging parents to save daughters, Munde emphasised the need to motivate parents to support their children irrespective of the child's gender as more details of the sordid incident tumbled out.

Following local complaints of unauthorised sex determination tests and alleged illegal abortions of female pregnancies, police on Sunday ordered digging of the compound outside the private Bharati Clinic in Mhaisal village of Sangli and unearthed the foetuses.

Sangli Superintendent of Police Dattatray Shinde said that these fetuses were aborted and buried with intentions to dispose them off and would be further probed.

The main accused in the case, a homoeopathic doctor Babasaheb Khidrapure is absconding and police teams have been formed to trace him out, he added.

The lid on the sordid scam blew up with the mystery death of 26-year-old pregnant Swati Jamdade on February 28, police said.

Initially, her husband, Praveen Jamdade claimed it was an "accident" case and attempted to cremate her body, but his in-laws objected strongly.

Her father Sunil Jadhav has given a statement to police that despite strong objections, Jamdade had gone ahead with aborting his wife's female foetus, a move that claimed her life.

A police raid on the premises early on Monday revealed a full-fledged illegal "operation theatre", functioning in the basement of the hospital though Khidrapure holds only a homoeopathic degree.

The Sangli police have also arrested Jamdade and registered a case against the absconder medico.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the racket had been going on for several years at the private hospital.

--IANS

qn/vd/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The $1.5 billion privately-held Sanmar Group, with interests in chemicals, engineering, shipping and steel castings, on Monday announced it has chalked out around Rs 2,825 crore fresh investments plans - on its own and in joint venture.

The investments, in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and in Egypt, will be in doubling of flagship company Chemplast Sanmar Ltd's suspension polyvinyl chloride (PVC) capacity, and setting up of hydrogen peroxide plant - both at an outlay of around Rs 700 crore.

The group also plans a chlorinated PVC (CPVC) project in equal joint venture with Kem One SAS of Europe involving a total outlay of Rs 325 crore, and increasing the PVC capacity in its Egypt plant to 400,000 tpa which calls for an investment of around Rs 1,800 crore.

"Work on the doubling up of suspension PVC capacity will begin in 12 months time and the plant is expected to go on stream in couple of years' time. The outlay will be around Rs 600 crore. The expansion will happen at our existing facility in Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu," Group Deputy Chairman Vijay Sankar told reporters here.

There is a large demand for suspension PVC and with a current capacity of 300,000 tpa, Chemplast Sanmar is the second largest maker in the country.

According to Sankar, the plan is to take the suspension PVC production capacity to one million ton per annum in stages.

Chemplast Sanmar Managing Director Ramkumar Shankar meanwhile told IANS that they "did not go for expansion earlier as availability of feed stock was an issue. Now couple of plants in the region are coming up and we will now import the feedstock".

According to him, the company will locate the Rs 100 crore 18,000 tpa hydrogen peroxide project at its Mettur facility and cater to the textile units in the state.

The 20,000 tpa CPVC project in 50:50 joint venture with Kem One will come up at Karaikal in Puducherry.

The investments will be funded by debt and internal accruals.

Meanwhile the Sanmar group launched the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Chemplast Sanmar.

--IANS

vj/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sri Lankan legislators have joined lawmakers from across South Asia to prioritise and safeguard children's rights, the UN children's agency Unicef said on Monday.

According to the Unicef, despite economic growth and improvements in realising the rights of children, massive disparities still exist, preventing children from living in dignity, reaching their full potential and making choices about their futures.

Sri Lanka, home to eight million children under 18, has some of the region's best health indicators, almost universal primary schooling, with nearly 90 per cent of the population having access to safe drinking water, Xinhua news agency reported.

However, Unicef noted that violence against children, including physical abuse at home, remains a concern. While the rate of extreme poverty is declining (by 16 per cent between 2002 and 2012), child poverty rates remain higher.

"Even though our indicators are really good, we still have issues like child marriage, school dropouts and migration affecting children," said Sudarshani Fernandopulle, an MP.

"Children remain at the heart of a country's development and future economic growth. We need to invest more in policy reform and budgetary allocation in order to address the remaining disparities that prevent every child, especially the most vulnerable and marginalised, from reaching their full potential," she said at a children's regional meeting.

Unicef said the meeting was a milestone in bringing together lawmakers from all eight countries in South Asia to prioritise, promote, and safeguard children's rights.

It was an opportunity to plug in the critical role that parliamentarians can play in tackling key development challenges affecting children within the larger framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, it said.

--IANS

py/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least three persons were killed and 10 others injured in a clash between agitating Madhesi Morcha protestors and security personnel in southern Saptari district, officials said on Monday.

According to Nepal's Home Ministry spokesperson Bal Krishna Panthi, three persons died in the clash and 10 were injured, among them a critically injured member of the Madhesi Morcha. They were undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

Among those killed, Ranjan Mehata has been identified by Madhesi Morcha as their member. He was shot in the head and died on the spot.

The police are yet to identify the other two.

The Home Ministry claimed that at least two dozen police personnel were injured in the violent clash.

Security personnel resorted to firing after Madhesi Morcha activists attempted to foil a mass gathering organised by the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxists-Leninists) [CPN-UML] at Gajendra Narayan Singh Industrial Corridor in Rajbiraj municipality under the Mechi-Mahakali campaign.

Security was beefed up in and around the area by the ministry after the Madhesi Morcha announced it would obstruct the campaign organised by the CPN-UML. Several parts of the districts were tense since then.

The CPN-UML has started a 15-day east-west campaign from Saturday across the Terai/Madhes areas of Nepal. The agitating Madhesi Morcha has opposed this.

Madhesi Morcha, an alliance of Madhes-based parties of Nepal, has acrimonious ties with CPN-UML after top CPN-UML leaders repeatedly called them "anti-national" and "political force run by foreign powers".

After CPN-UML decided to launch the campaign, the Morcha has been telling it to stop it or face disruption. The Morcha cadres clashed with the police while CPN-UML Chairman K.P. Sharma Oli was addressing the mass meeting.

Earlier, six Morcha cadres were injured in a clash that occurred before Oli reached the venue. Two persons were reported to be in critical condition.

The Morcha leaders and cadres burnt tyres and staged demonstrations with black flags and sticks since early morning on Monday, aimed at foiling the CPN-UML mass meeting.

--IANS

giri/vgu/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The second-largest airport terminal in Tibet started operation on Monday, officials said.

The new terminal, the sixth to open in Tibet, is located at Nyingchi Mainling Airport. It covers an area of 10,300 square metres and will be able to handle 750,000 passengers and 3,000 tonnes of cargo throughput annually by 2020, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Nyingchi airport will open new air routes to Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province and resume routes to Beijing.

There will also be an increase in more round trip flights to Lhasa, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chongqing and Shenzhen after the new terminal comes into service, said Liu Wei, deputy director of Civil Aviation Administration of China in Tibet.

The airport has seen year-on-year increases in passenger flow since it was put into service in 2006.

Passenger volume hit 390,000 in 2016, bringing the total passenger number to 2 million in past years, Liu said, adding that the new terminal will effectively alleviate pressure brought by the growing number of passengers.

Nyingchi is located in southeast Tibet at an average elevation of 2,950 metres above sea level.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of the assembly elections in Left Front-ruled Tripura next year, two main tribal-based parties are all set to launch their agitation in the northeastern state against the central government's Citizenship Bill, among other issues.

The decision follows separate demonstrations by the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi earlier this month to press for their demands.

Tribal population plays a crucial role in in ethnically-mixed Tripura, as a third of the 60 assembly seats are reserved for them -- as is one of the two Lok Sabha seats.

In a significant political development, the IPFT and the INPT, along with another tribals party -- National Conference of Tripura (NCT) -- in mid-January formed an All Tripura Indigenous Regional Parties Forum (ATIRPF) to oppose the central government's Citizenship Bill introduced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Parliament.

The ATIRPF observed a 12-hour shutdown in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) areas on February 8.

The TTAADC, a constitutional, elected council, was formed in 1987 to protect and safeguard the political, economic and cultural interests of the tribals.

Even separately, the IPFT has been vigorously agitating for the creation of a separate state, carved out by upgrading the TTAADC areas.

"An IPFT delegation during the demonstration in Delhi, held during March 1 to 3, met Union Minister Jitendra Singh on March 2 and discussed the Citizenship Bill and the separate state issue. The minister told the delegation that he would take up the matter with the ministries concerned," IPFT President Narendra Chandra Debbarma told IANS here on Monday.

He said that Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office (PMO), held a meeting with the IPFT leaders in his DoNER Ministry office and discussed the TTAADC affairs.

"(After demonstration in Delhi) now we will take our agitation forward in Tripura in support of our demands," Debbarma said.

The INPT also held a sit-in demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in support of its eight-point charter of demands.

Its demands include more power to the TTAADC, promulgation of inner-line permit regulation to protect indigenous tribals and recognition to tribal language -- Kokborok -- in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution, rasing the reservation of seats for the tribals in the 60-member Tripura assembly to 50 per cent, and withdrawl of the Citizenship Bill.

"INPT's central executive committee would hold meeting here on March 17 to chalk out the next agitational programme in support of our demands," INPT spokesman Srota Ranjan Khisa told IANS.

He said, "Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju informed the INPT delegation in Delhi that the central government is now on the job to provide more autonomy to all the autonomous district councils (ADCs) in the northeastern states."

There are 10 ADCs in northeast India, facilitating the socio-economic development of tribals, who make up 27-28 per cent of the region's total population of around 45.58 million.

Of the 10 ADCs, formed as per the constitutional provisions, three each are in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram and one in Tripura. Besides, in Manipur there are six ADCs set up under the administrative decisions of the state government.

Ahead of the 2018 assembly elections in Tripura, Congress, Trinamool Congress and the BJP, who have poor base among the tribals, are trying to forge electoral alliances with the INPT, IPFT and the National Conference of Tripura (NCT), who constitute one third of Tripura's 37 lakh population.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of motorcycle-borne assailants on Monday shot dead a bank official and a security guard of a cash van in Bihar's Patna district and looted Rs 60 lakh, police said.

The Punjab National Bank official and security guard were shot dead when they were on their way from Barh town to Belchi area to refill cash in an ATM, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj said.

The police were investigating the incident.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday sought support and votes for the BJP, and attacked the ruling Samajwadi Party, saying the state was in the "throes of anarchy" and law and order had crumbled.

At an election rally in Rohaniya, the Prime Minister said time was ripe to change the "taqdeer" (fortune) of Uttar Pradesh and sought support for candidates from alliance partners, Apna Dal and the Bharatiya Samaj Party.

"In this election vote out the corrupt like the Bahujan Samaj Party, SP and Congress and install a majority BJP government in UP," he said.

The Prime Minister said the state was in the "throes of anarchy" as crime was shooting through the roof and law and order had crumbled under the SP government. "Copy mafia, mining mafia, liquor mafia....they are ruling the roost in the state and the police stations have been turned into offices of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP)," he stated.

In an attempt to connect with the milling crowds, the Prime Minister said he felt fortunate to have been born in Gujarat, the land of Mahatma Gandhi and then coming to Varanasi, making the Poorvanchal as his 'karmabhoomi'.

Urging people to come out in large numbers to vote and break all past records of balloting, the Prime Minister said the central government was harbouring dreams of making the country progress and to ensure that the poor and the homeless in India get a roof over their head by 2022 and also double the income of the farmers by 2022 when India completes 75 years of her freedom.

"All this is possible, we have made a road map for this and are taking strong and robust steps in this direction," he said.

Modi also detailed many welfare schemes rolled out by his government and reiterated his personal commitment for the prosperity of the people in need, farmers, poor people and the honest.

"There was an acute problem and shortage of urea in previous years but ever since we came, by ensuring that all urea in the country is neem coated, we have ensured that the urea meant for the fields of the farmers goes to them and not to chemical factories," Modi said as people applauded.

He also said that the BJP-led NDA regime has ensured that lakhs of households have got LPG cylinders and connection and was trying to ensure than five crore people get these gas connections.

The Prime Minister said that farmers whose water pumps have failed will now get them replaced free of cost under a central government scheme. Targeting BSP chief Mayawati, Modi said she had lost the faith and confidence of the people.
The US Pacific Fleet and its transport ship USNS Fall River is in Sri Lanka for the first-ever Pacific Partnership goodwill mission to the island nation from March 6 to 18.

Working side-by-side with the Sri Lanka Navy and local organisations in the Hambantota region, this multinational effort includes free health clinics and disaster-relief efforts, the US embassy said on Monday.

"Through this Pacific Partnership mission, the US will continue to help Sri Lanka respond more quickly to humanitarian challenges," it said.

"At the same time, our Sri Lankan partners will share with us their valuable lessons learned from past natural disasters," the embassy quoted US Ambassador Atul Keshap as saying.

Pacific Partnership is the largest multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted each year in the Indo-Pacific region.

Military and civilian experts from Australia and Japan will participate in the exercise along with the US and Sri Lanka, the embassy said.

--IANS

mr/rn

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pioneering Missionary Radio Station Honored for Innovation in Sharing the Gospel

HCJB Ecuador receives NRB International Media Award for online, social media initiatives that have broadened audience and extended impact

ORLANDO, March 6, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- The world's first Christian radio missionary station has been honored for its still-pioneering work in using new media to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.

Photo: Geoff Kooistra, Reach Beyond's director of services in Ecuador, received the NRB (National Religious Broadcasters) International Media Award on behalf of partner HCJB Ecuador at Proclaim 17, the NRB International Christian Media Convention in Orlando, Fla.

Geoff Kooistra, Reach Beyond's director of services in Ecuador, received the NRB (National Religious Broadcasters) International Media Award on behalf of partner HCJB Ecuador at Proclaim 17, the NRB International Christian Media Convention in Orlando, Fla.

Presented during the Media Awards Luncheon on March 2, the NRB honor is given to an organization based outside the United States that "excels in media ministry--exercising integrity and faithfulness to the cause of Christ, while demonstrating unusual effectiveness--and excels in innovative uses of electronic media in the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ in impacting the target culture."

Founded in Quito, Ecuador, in 1931, radio station HCJB has in recent years expanded its radio broadcasting to include live streaming, exclusive online print and video content and social media interaction with listeners. The new initiatives have broadened the impact of the station known as "The Voice of the Andes," which ranks seventh in popularity among Quito's 50 radio stations.

Today the station's live stream draws 17,000 monthly visitors, while a youth-focused live stream featuring music has listeners in almost 40 countries. The station's website ( www.radiohcjb.org ) attracts 360,000 visitors annually. In the first six months of last year more than 600 decisions for Christ were made by visitors directed to the website, www.godlife.com

While traditional broadcasting remains central to HCJB Ecuador's mission, "we realized that we needed to be less radio-centric and integrate other platforms and opportunities more," said Kooistra. "Everything works together. When we make a radio program, we need to think about the content being multi-platform. We are not just speaking on the air, but how will this work on the web and how might it be used in an article or on social media?"

Now a partner ministry of Reach Beyond operated by HCJB Ecuador since 2016, the station has broken new ground from the beginning. Originally broadcasting with a tiny 200-watt transmitter in Quito, HCJB was the world's pioneer missionary broadcaster. It later added shortwave with signals reaching around the world in more than 20 languages at its peak. For decades, the ministry also operated both AM and FM outlets in Quito as well as an FM station in Guayaquil along with several repeater stations. While the shortwave and AM outlets have been discontinued, the FM broadcasts remain, beaming a message of hope in Christ across Ecuador.

Looking ahead, HCJB Ecuador plans to develop new avenues of communication as opportunities arise.

"The audience is going to have even more choice in the way they are going to consume content in the future," said Kooistra, "so we're going to have to keep our eyes open and be ready to make changes quickly as the audience changes."

The HCJB Ecuador team in Quito--14 Ecuadorians and four missionaries-was "very excited" to learn of the award, said Kooistra. "We feel like our efforts over the past few years to be intentional in broadening the scope of what we do are being rewarded, and it is an honor to be recognized in this way."

Originally from Grand Rapids, Mich., Kooistra and his wife, Tammy, have served in Quito for 19 years. The couple has three children.

Reach Beyond ( www.reachbeyond.org ) is a media- and medical-based evangelical ministry with operations on five continents. It spreads the gospel of Jesus via both traditional and new media, including radio broadcasts, webcasts, social media and the distribution of solar-powered radios. It also reaches out to the needy throughout its growing network of healthcare services. Today Reach Beyond has more than 1,000 staff members in over 30 countries.

To schedule an interview with a Reach Beyond representative, contact:
The sister of actor Dhanush says her family is undergoing a lot of agony over an elderly couple's claims that Dhanush is their long separated son.

But Vimala Geetha says no matter what, the family is united and will fight the case. Dhanush was also upset after a few private pictures of his were leaked online.

On Sunday, Vimala, a dentist by profession, wrote a moving Facebook post which was then deleted.

She wrote: "For the past few months, our family is going through so much pain and agony because of various issues and we all kept quiet. We belong to a very poor family and one man with his hard work and sacrifice gave us food, education and everything we have now.

"From a small village in Theni to what we are now didn't come overnight or without sacrifice. My brother has faced criticism, embarrassment and insults to reach this level."

She said Dhanush -- a popular film celebrity and son-in-law of megastar Rajinikanth -- achieved stardom through hard work and sacrifice.

"Success comes with a price I guess. Act of revenge in all ways possible and character assassination. Is this what an actor who tortures himself so much to entertain his fans and people of Tamil Nadu deserves?" she asked.

Talking about how Twitter is being abused by some, she said: "Twitter has become a media where anyone can talk anything or post anything and it's disheartening to see cheap, fake porn videos on a platform where even a 12-year-old has accounts! And the worst thing is the number of people who ask for such perverted videos."

She said her family will stay united. After writing the post, Vimala deactivated her Twitter account.

"Not in a state to talk to anyone or see anyone. Whoever is doing this, stop it. You cannot bring back someone if they go to the extent of killing themselves, particularly women. Please live and let live. God bless and goodbye for a while," she wrote.

--IANS

hp/rb/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A women's rights group on Monday demanded that the West Bengal government immediately probe alleged police atrocities in Bhangar and withdraw fake charges against leaders of an ongoing movement opposed to the setting up of a power grid in the area.

The 12-member team of WSS (Women against Sexual Violence and State Repression), who visited the violence-stricken villages of Bhangar, said the government should immediately start a dialogue with the villagers to "de-escalate the situation".

"We have reports of 23 village houses and four-five shops being vandalised by the police on January 16 when police entered the villages. There were also instances of sexual and physical assault on women," WSS team member Madhuri Krishnamurti told media.

"A woman was sexually assaulted by police in front of her disabled husband and another's hand was broken in three places during the police beating," she added.

"The villagers also alleged that the two persons killed during the January 16 clash between police and agitators were in fact 'murdered by the police in cold blood'. The government must take immediate action against the police personnel and goons involved in the violence," Krishnamurti said.

Krishnamurti also accused the state government of trying to quash the land movement by arresting the leaders on fake charges and tagging them as terrorists.

"One of our members Sharmistha Chowdhury is presently in jail for supporting the movement. Many leaders of the mass movement were also arrested under UAPA (Unlawful Activity Prevention Act) which can be only used against persons endangering the integrity and sovereignty of the country. Attempts to paint the legitimate and peaceful protest as unconstitutional or terrorist must stop," she added.

Another member of the visiting team said the land acquisition process at Bhangar is illegal even by the older land acquisition Act of 1984, as the villagers were repeatedly misinformed about the project and the compensation packages arbitrarily decided.

"The illegal acts about the Bhangar project started as early as 2003 when the 13-acre land was taken over without informing the motive and scale of the project. The whole act of giving compensation to the villagers was handled by a local Trinamool Congress leader who decided the packages arbitrarily. None of the government officials were involved in the process," Advocate Shalini Ghera alleged.

"A case against the forcible land acquisition is still pending in the high court and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that 11 families have not taken the compensation. How then did the work for the power grid advance," she wondered.

Taking a swipe at the Trinamool Congress-led state government for its harsh stand against the land movement, the WSS members urged the government to immediately start a dialogue with the villagers as part of confidence-building measures.

"A party that came to power by supporting the land movements of Singur and Nandigram is now taking harsh stand on another land movement. They should hold immediate and unconditional talks with the protesting villagers and undertake confidence building measures to gain back the trust of the village," they said.

South 24 Parganas district's Bhangar, known for its history of political violence, was on the boil since November over 'forced' acquisition of 16 acres of farmland -- spread over the villages of Khamarait, Machhi Bhanga, Tona and Padmapukur -- by the state government for the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL).

The area flared up when angry protestors fought a pitched battle with police when the law-keepers tried to enter Padmapukur village in January. The agitators hurled stones and bricks, surrounded the police vehicles and also torched some police vans.

Two persons were shot dead and a several were injured in the clash.

Following the incident, the West Bengal government announced the cancellation of the power grid project and said no land would be taken from the villagers if they were not willing to part with it.

--IANS

mgr/ssp/sm/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The majestic INS Viraat, the world's oldest serving aircraft carrier, sailed into pages of history on Monday with the final lowering of the Naval Ensign and Commissioning Pendant in a solemn ceremony at sundown.

The formal decommissioning function was presided over by Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, First Sea Lord and Royal Navy Chief, Admiral Sir Philip Andrew Jones, and the carrier's Commissioning and Commanding Officer Vice Admiral Vinod Pasricha.

Another over 1,300 guests, including past and present officers from the Indian Navy and Royal Navy, attended the event, marking the culmination of several pre-decommissioning functions during the past few days.

Speaking to mediapersons on board this evening, Admiral Lanba termed the decommissioning as "both a moment of pride and sorrow."

On the former warship's future, he said he would be happy if any state government came forth with a feasible plan to convert it into a museum.

Among other plans being considered it to sink the ship and convert it into a major tourist attraction for divers, he added.

Monday's elaborate but solemn ceremonies included the release of a Special Cover by Army Postal Service and a book on the history of INS Viraat, which was known as HMS Hermes during her tenure with the Royal Navy.

The country's second Centaur-class vessel, it served 29 years under the Indian flag, preceded by 27 years with the Royal Navy, earning a Guinness World Record as the oldest serving warship on earth.

In her heyday, the 226.5 metres long and 48.78 metres wide ship with a full load displacement of 28,700 tonnes, was manned by 150 officers and 1,500 sailors.

The pride of the Indian Navy housed the Sea Harrier jump jets, a shot take off and vertical landing fighter aircraft, as well as helicopters like the anti-submarine Sea King MK42B, Sea King MK42C, SAR (search and rescue) Chetak, indigenously-built Advanced Light Helicopters 'Dhruv' and Russian twin rotor Kamov-31 among others.

The 12-degree ramp on the bows of Viraat was her most striking visual feature which helped improve the safety factor and radius of operation/payload carrying capacity of the Sea Harriers.

At the height of operations, an average food complement prepared on board daily included 350 kg rice, 7,000 parathas, 200 kg mutton, 80 kg dal, 300 kg of vegetables and other items, all in her kitchen.

It was like a mini-floating township with other logistics infrastructure comprising libraries, gymnasiums, on-board ATM and TV and video studios.

The ship housed a full-fledged 16-bed hospital with two operation theatres, blood transfusion facility, X-ray machines, ECG, full-fledged pathology lab, and dental centre to tackle medical emergencies with attendant medical staff, a laundry which washed over 800 pairs of uniforms daily, a tailor and a barber shop.

In 1975, Prince Charles of Britain, then a newly qualified helicopter pilot, had joined the 845 Naval Air Squadron on flying duties from the then HMS Hermes in the Caribbean and off Eastern Canada.

Even after she joined the Indian Navy, there was a room named after Prince Charles where he resided on the warship, and many photographs showing her glorious history were recently part of an exhibition named "Heritage Route".

Unlike all other Indian Navy ships, Viraat housed a chapel and a graveyard on board, which was reminiscent of her British military era, and the new owners (India) retained these as they honoured a chapter of her history.

Armed with a motto of 'Jalamev Yasya, Balamev Tasya' (Sanskrit for One Who Controls The Sea is All Powerful), the ship played major roles for the country in Operation Jupiter, Operation Parakram and Operation Vijay, and other operations and duties.

--IANS

qn/vd

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik is within his constitutional right to question the continuation of the absconding Gayatri Prajapati, who is accused of rape, as a minister in Akhilesh Yadavs (pictured) cabinet on the grounds of constitutional morality and dignity. It is a different matter that such concerns were not raised in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Gujarat where a minister reportedly continued in the state cabinet even after his conviction. The BJP, too, is justified in questioning the UP police for failure to apprehend the minister, as the same force had traced stolen buffaloes of an influential minister. This has dented Yadavs otherwise clean image at a crucial juncture amid elections. The least that he could have done under the circumstances to salvage his own image was dismiss the minister from his cabinet beforehand. It is now too late, and he may have to pay a heavy political price. It is advantage BJP.
The suggestion by Microsoft founder Bill Gates that robots should be taxed in the interest of saving human jobs has generated sharp debate across the political spectrum. In his scheme, the tax would offset the social costs of automation and could be used to finance a universal basic income (UBI). From the votaries of industrial growth, the objection stems from the disincentive on innovation and the resultant productivity losses, pointing to the industrial revolution as evidence. Greeces former ultra-left finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has raised questions about how the tax would be computed. Mr Varoufakis points to three problems.
The verbal volleys on the hustings arent quite over with the end of the polls in Punjab last month. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh is now miffed at PM Modi for not taking up the issue of recent attacks on Indians abroad. Referring to the latest incident of a racist attack against a Sikh youth in the US, Singh said on Monday that the growing intolerance and a spate of violence targeting the Indian diaspora had serious implications for the country and needed to be checked before it escalated to unmanageable levels. It was not enough for the Indian government to condemn and express concern over these shocking and biased attacks, he said, calling for urgent high-level intervention to prevent their recurrence. Given the presence of a large number of NRIs in the US hailing from Punjab, Singh also urged the Trump administration to act sternly against elements perpetrating hate crimes.
Once a destination of Indias most sought after parties, Kingfisher Villa, owned by former King of Good Times, Vijay Mallya, in Goa failed to get a buyer a third time. Banks, which are auctioning Mallyas properties, were expecting the sea-front property to fetch upwards of Rs 70 crore. Mallya, who has been in London since defaulting on the Rs 9,000-crore loan taken by Kingfisher Airlines, had blamed everyone for the shutdown of the airline including engine suppliers, Pratt & Whitney, and government policies.
A recent ruling of the Supreme Court will provide needed relief to people will a common grievance, say, against builders delaying the delivery of flats. The apex court has ruled such flat buyers can get together and approach the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) directly. Consumer activists say the ruling will have a far-reaching impact, beyond the real estate sector.



ALSO READ: Govt hopes to pass Consumer Protection Bill in Budget session



According to the Consumer Protection Act, the amount in a dispute decides the court a consumer may approach. If it is up to Rs 20 lakh, a consumer has to file in the district forum. If the amount involved is Rs 20 lakh-1 crore, the state forum. Only for amounts above Rs 1 crore may a consumer directly approach the NCDRC.
Exchange-traded funds (ETF) crossed an important landmark in India when SBI Fund Management announced it had become the first fund house to cross the Rs 20,000-crore mark of assets under management.
Betting big on the coming Delhi local body elections, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi brought in former finance minister to present a blueprint for the economic revival of the three municipal corporations in the national capital.
Victoria Hearst's 'Cosmo Hurts Kids' Campaign Fights to Protect Children from The Mag's Harmful Pornographic Messages

Granddaughter of publishing titan William Randolph Hearst is making her own mark in the magazine world by taking on COSMOPOLITAN's adult content.

NASHVILLE, March 6, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- Miss Victoria Hearst (photo) is making news by actively fighting against the magazine that was the flagship of her famous grandfather's publishing empire. Miss Hearst insists that the messages displayed on the cover and in the pages of Cosmopolitanare damaging to children, and that the Cosmo of today bears NO resemblance to the wholesome family magazine her grandfather purchased in 1905. Victoria isn't the only one who is concerned about Cosmo's harmful effects. The American Psychological Association contends that sexualization has significant negative mental health consequences for underage girls.

"Cosmo seduces underage girls into reading the magazine by putting teen and 'tween idols on the cover," Victoria says. Then, once they open the magazine's pages, they find the following:





 Drawings of naked men and women in sexual positions

 Photos of female and male nudity

 Articles glorifying group sex, anal sex, married couples swinging parties, sex with strangers and more

 A monthly "Sex Q & A" section where female readers ask graphic sexual questions and receive graphic answers

 "Sex Toy of the Month" and "Sex Position of the Month" features

Despite the pornographic nature of the magazine's content, Hearst Communications, Inc. refuses to put a content warning on Cosmopolitan Magazine!

The goal of the Cosmo Hurts Kids campaign is NOT to censor the magazine or put it out of business. Instead, Victoria Hearst is seeking to have it labeled "adult material" so it cannot be sold to anyone under 18. It clearly violates states' "material harmful to minors" laws, and it should not be sold to kids.

Miss Hearst will officially launch the Cosmo Hurts Kids campaign with a press conference at NRB's annual International Christian Media Convention, taking place February 27-March 2, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. Cosmo Hurts Kids is currently running radio PSAs on the Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity shows in New York, Memphis, Nashville and Colorado, and on Mark Levin's show in Colorado, as well as on BOTT Radio stations in 15 states. The campaign has, also, taken out full-page ads in Charisma, Ministry Today and Spirit Led Woman magazines.

Miss Hearst's grassroots efforts are already paying off. After meeting with Memphis County, Tennessee, Attorney General Amy Weirich to discuss Cosmo's harmful effects on children, Ms. Weirich sent a letter to merchants informing them of Tennessee's "harmful to minors" law and outlined what their businesses need to do to comply with it. Cosmo Hurts Kids is making informational flyers available and encouraging all concerned citizens to contact Hearst Communications executives and Cosmo editor-in-chief Michele Promaulayko to express their opposition to the sale of this magazine to vulnerable underage children.

For more information on the campaign, visit www.CosmoHurtsKids.com

About Victoria Hearst

The youngest of five girls, Victoria Hearst grew up in the shadow of her larger-than-life family legacy, thanks to her grandfather, publishing titan William Randolph Hearst. As a child, she aspired to a career in show business, and spent years studying acting, singing and dancing before moving to Los Angeles at age 18. After guest spots on a popular Japanese television series and the soap opera General Hospital, Victoria was on her way. Then, in December 1995, she became a Christian and her life changed forever! She began to use her talents to further God's kingdom, opening Praise Productions Christian Store and Praise Him Ministries/Ridgway Christian Center in Ridgway, Colorado.

Miss Victoria Hearst sits on the boards of Billye Brim Ministry/Prayer Mountain in the Ozarks and Operation Blessing Japan. As a strong supporter of Israel and the Jewish people, Miss Hearst is a member of the OR Movement World Leadership Council. The OR Movement designs and develops communities for Jews in Israel's Negev and Galilee regions.

For additional interviews and information, please contact:

Dianne Rogers, Brimstone Services
Chhattisgarh government today informed the state legislative assembly that 252 farmers have committed suicide during the last three years.

In a written reply to a question of Congress MLA Amarjeet Bhagat, state's Revenue Minister Premprakash Pandey said, "252 farmers have committed suicide across Chhattisgarh between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2016."



As per the minister's reply, 94 farmers have committed suicide in Surguja district in the aforementioned period followed by Kabeerdham (45), Bemetara (33), Raigarh (20), Rajnandgaon (17), Janjgir-Champa (11), Balod (9) and Raipur (8).

Four farmers have ended their lives each in Mahasamund and Balodabazar districts and 3 in Dhamtari while one each at Durg, Bastar, Korba and Kondagaon during this period, it added.

Of them, kin of the 17 farmers were provided financial assistance from the government under different funds, the reply said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan's former top security officer Mahmud Ali Durrani today said the 26/11 Mumbai strike was a "classic example" of cross-border terrorism, carried out by a Pak-based group and hoped that its chief Hafiz Saeed is punished.

However, Durrani, a former national security advisor of Pakistan, maintained that the government had no role in the terror strikes that claimed lives of 166 people.

"26/11 Mumbai strikes, carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan, was a classic trans-border terrorist event," he said while addressing a conference on combating terrorism at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis here.

Later talking to reporters, he said, "I know (this) for definite. I have very good information that the Government of Pakistan or the ISI (Pakistan's spy agency) was not involved in 26/11 (terror attack). I am 110 per cent sure."



Asked to elaborate, Durrani declined to divulge details, saying he was sacked by the Pakistani government for certain statements he made regarding the Mumbai attack. "I made a statement which the government did not like and I got sacked," he said.

In response to a question on JuD chief Saeed's usefulness to Pakistan, Durrani said he has "no utility" for the country and that the Mumbai attack mastermind should be "punished".

Durrani, who had served as a Major General in the Pakistani army, was sacked in 2009 for having indicated that Ajmal Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist arrested for the Mumbai terror attack, may have been a Pakistani. Kasab was hanged by India.

India has been maintaining that Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes and has been demanding action against Saeed. However, Pakistan has been maintaining that it demands more evidence to bring Saeed to book.

Durrani also sought to debunk India's assertion that it carried out surgical strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC), saying he did not see evidence of any such attack by the Indian forces.

However, he advocated cordial relations between New Delhi and Islamabad and said Pakistan cannot progress if there is no friendship with India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Set for his Davis Cup debut as non-playing captain, Mahesh Bhupathi prefers to have a combination of three singles players and a doubles specilalist, which means either Leander Paes or Rohan Bopanna will make the cut against Uzbekistan in April.

Bhupathi said the team will be finalised close to the tie but as of now, considering the strong challenge that Uzbekistan pose for India, a 3-1 combination look like ideal.

"If you ask me to tell you right now, because of the depth of the Uzbekistan team, I would prefer to play three singles and a doubles but there is no reason it can't change in next few weeks," Bhupathi told PTI in an exclusive chat.

AITA chose a six-member squad that includes both Paes and Bopanna, and left it on Bhupathi to pick his preferred final four.

Asked what will determine the selection of one doubles player, if at all he goes with 3-1 combination, Bhupathi did not divulge his strategy.

India's first ever Grand Slam winner, made it clear that he he is keeping his options open of having all singles specialist in his team leaving both senior pros Bopanna and Paes out of the final four.

"The team will be chosen the day before the draw. I am not sure who is going to play doubles. I am not sure if I am going to have any doubles players at all but whatever needs to win I will make sure that happens."



When asked that the option of picking four singles out of the current squad, may not be practical, Bhupathi said it was.

"We do have. Sriram Balaji plays singles as well as doubles. We can have two (singles players), we can have three, we can have four. I will decide in April," Bhupathi, winner of 12 Grand Slam titles, said.

Bhupathi also said that it does not affect him if media talk about his frosty relationship with Paes, with whom he has a 23-match unbeaten streak in Davis Cup in doubles.

"I only heard it from you guys. It does not affect us, we are experienced campaigners."



The 42-year-old said, he has a vision for the Indian Davis Cup team and he would like to take along all the players with him.

"I spoke to 12 players from Saketh to Sumit, Purav, Divij, to Jeevan. All of them are going to be part of process going forward, to get us back into the World Group. I have told them when squad is chosen, there is not guarantee they will play but I am expecting them to support the team even if they don't play. They were all very reciprocative and supportive," he said.

Bhupathi also emphasised that players' fitness will be of paramount importance in his reign as captain and he will keep a close watch on them before the April tie.

"I want to make sure that whoever plays is match fit. Next four weeks they are all playing different parts of the world, we will be tracking how they are doing. Match fitness and off court fitness are both important aspects on Davis Cup weekend," he said.

Saketh Myneni had pulled out of the New Zealand tie in the last minute due to fitness issues and Vishnu Vardhan had to answer an SOS call from AITA to play doubles with Paes.

Bhupathi said it was not this incident that forced him to bring new fitness guidelines for the players as they have to now undergo fitness assessment in Mumbai before making themselves available for Davis Cup.

"Not really. It is a very basic idea which every team in the world follows, unfortunately it was never implemented in our country."



Bhupathi seemed realistic when asked if he thinks with the current set of players, India can cross the final hurdle.

"This team is a little different, at least two times they had (retired) Somdev. We have a lot of depth now. We have different players to choose from and we are definitely going to try," he said.

Under previous captain Anand Amritraj, the Indian team reached the Davis Cup World Group Play-offs stage thrice, falling to big teams such as Serbia, Czech Republic and Spain eventually.

Bhupathi said it was important for Yuki to remain injury-free to get back to top-100.

"We will have to wait see. Yuki is coming from an injury and he has done well at the beginning of the year. Need to keep our fingers crossed, we know he is capable of being a top-100 player, so we have to hope he stays healthy then he automatically gets back to were he belongs."



Bhupathi also praised his predecessor.

"I think Anand was a good captain. The players were happy and at the end of the day, if players are happy then Anand was a good captain in my opinion," he signed off.
Four-time RSP MP Joachim



Buxla, who later switched to Trinamool Congress, died in a private nursing home in Hyderabad today, party sources said.

Buxla, 62, was suffering from cancer.

His body would be brought here from Hyderabad tomorrow.

In 1996, Buxla quit his job in a nationalised bank to contest on RSP ticket from Alipurduar Lok Sabha constituency and won.

He continued to win from that seat till 2009 general election when RSP selected another candidate. Buxla quit RSP and fought as an Independent candidate but lost.

He then joined the Trinamool Congress and contested in 2011 Assembly election and 2014 Assembly by-poll as TMC candidate from Kumargram seat but lost.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC president Mamata Banerjee condoled his death.

"Saddened at the passing of Joachim Buxla 4time MP , Alipurduar, Bengal. He was a member of our party. My condolences to his family & friends," Banerjee twitted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Six Pakistani soldiers were killed after Taliban militants from Afghanistan attacked several border posts in the country's restive northwest tribal region, prompting Islamabad to summon a top Afghan diplomat to lodge a protest.

The attackers targeted border outpost in Mohmand and Khyber tribal region along the border with Afghanistan yesterday.

"The terrorists from across the border last night attempted physical attack on three posts in Mohmand," military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said.

"Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed terrorists attempt. In exchange of fire 5 soldiers were killed," Ghafoor said.

Ten of the attackers were also believed to have been killed, he said.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Nafees Zakaria said another soldier was killed in Khyber as the result of firing by terrorists from Afghan territory, prompting Islamabad to launch a strong protest with Afghanistan.

A Pakistani Taliban breakaway faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Pakistan lodged a protest with Afghanistan and urged Kabul to thoroughly investigate the incidents and take firm action against the terrorists operating from its soil to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

"Afghan Deputy Head of Mission was called to the Foreign Office today for conveying Pakistan's grave concern over the incident," he said.

"It was further emphasised that cooperation from Afghan side for effective border management was important for preventing cross-border movement of terrorists and militants," Zakaria said.

"There is the need for required physical presence on Afghan side of the border for matching and effective border security," Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said.

"Terrorists are common threat and must be denied freedom of movement/action along the border," Bajwa said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack by terrorists while appreciating the ultimate sacrifice by soldiers.

"The soldiers who sacrificed their life are our real heroes and the nation promises to honour them by standing firm against terrorists nefarious designs to hit at our way of life," he said.

"Terrorists are mistaken if they think they can weaken the resolve of our nation," he said.

Sharif said the military operation 'Raddul Fasaad' was against every terrorist working from with in the country or operating from a foreign territory.

"The enemies of Pakistan will be eliminated along with their cancerous ideology," he said.

Last month, the Army has killed more than 100 suspected terrorists and also handed over to Afghanistan a list of 76 terrorists hiding across the border.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Six Pakistani soldiers were killed after militants from Afghanistan attacked several border posts in the country's restive northwest tribal region, the army said today.

After the attacks, Pakistan lodged a protest with Afghanistan and urged the government there to thoroughly investigate the incidents and take firm action against the terrorists operating from its soil to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

The attackers targeted border outpost in Mohmand and Khyber tribal region along the border with Afghanistan yesterday.

"The terrorists from across the border last night attempted physical attack on three posts in Mohmand," Military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said.

"Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed terrorists attempt. In exchange of fire 5 soldiers were killed," Ghafoor said.

Ten of the attackers were also believed to have been killed, he said.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Nafees Zakaria said another soldier was killed in Khyber as the result of firing by terrorists from Afghan territory, prompting Islamabad to launch a strong protest with Afghanistan.

A Pakistani Taliban breakaway faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility for the attacks.

"Afghan Deputy Head of Mission was called to the Foreign Office today for conveying Pakistan's grave concern over the incident," he said.

"It was further emphasised that cooperation from Afghan side for effective border management was important for preventing cross-border movement of terrorists and militants," Zakaria said.

"There is the need for required physical presence on Afghan side of the border for matching and effective border security," Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said.

"Terrorists are common threat and must be denied freedom of movement/action along the border," Bajwa said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack by terrorists while appreciating the ultimate sacrifice by soldiers.

"The soldiers who sacrificed their life are our real heroes and the nation promises to honour them by standing firm against terrorists nefarious designs to hit at our way of life," he said.

Last month, the Army has killed more than 100 suspected terrorists and also handed over to Afghanistan a list of 76 terrorists hiding across the border.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 85 Indian were on Monday sent to jail after being arrested by Pakistani authorities for allegedly fishing into the country's territorial waters.

The were arrested on Sunday by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency.

A spokesman for the agency said the were asked to leave the Pakistani territorial waters near Sir Creek in the Arabian Sea but they did not pay attention to the call.

"We have also seized 14 boats and handed them over to the Docks police for further action," he said.

Shaukat Ali, a senior police official at the Docks police station, said the Indian fishermen were presented before a judicial magistrate on Monday, who ordered them to be sent to jail.

A fishermen's association in India on Sunday had put the number of those arrested at 94.

On January 27, the Maritime Security Agency had arrested 60 Indian fishermen and seized 10 boats.

India and Pakistan share an extensive maritime boundary which is poorly defined, resulting in fishermen on both sides inadvertently crossing over to the other side.

Fishermen from both sides often spend years in each other's jails before being set free and sent home as the neighbours have a disagreement over their maritime border in the Arabian Sea.

Pakistan had released some 219 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture on January 5.
Air India is looking for fuel suppliers at Washington and Tel Aviv airports, as the national carrier prepares to expand international services.

The state-owned airline plans to start services to Washington and Tel Aviv in the coming months.

For Washington, Air India plans to fly Boeing 777 while for Tel Aviv Boeing 787 is to be pressed into service.

As part of expansion plans amid stiff competition in both domestic and international segments, the carrier has announced plans to fly to Washington, Tel Aviv as well as some cities in Africa.

It has now floated a tender seeking entities to supply fuel for its flights at Washington, the US and Tel Aviv, Israel.

This month, Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani was in Israel.

"At Israel to assess the feasibility of starting a new flight between Delhi and Tel Aviv," he said in a Facebook post last week.

Contracts for the fuel supply is to commence from May 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018, as per the tender document.

"At those stations where our qualified personnel are not available to carry out the quality control and refuelling procedures, the fuel supplier shall use Air India Limited's quality control and refuelling procedures," it said.

The deadline for submitting the bids is March 27.

There are also plans to start services to Toronto while flights to Copenhagen are scheduled to be launched in May.

Besides, Air India is looking to increase frequency on routes such as Melbourne, Sydney Colombo, Kathmandu, Singapore and Bangkok.

Over the next two years, the carrier is expected to induct more than 30 aircraft, including five wide-body planes. Currently, it has a fleet of around 140 aircraft.

Air India, which is staying afloat on a Rs 30,000-crore bail-out package from the central government, reported an operational profit of Rs 105 crore in the last fiscal ended March 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Enforcement Directorate has summoned former CEO and MD Mittu Chandilya in connection with a FEMA probe.

Officials said the agency has asked Chandilya to depose before the Investigating Officer (IO) of the case here by the middle of this month, during which his statement is expected to be recorded under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

They added the former top executive has also been asked to submit certain documents related to his personal finances and others.

When contacted, an spokesperson said, "In the interest of protecting the confidentiality of its employees and former employees, AirAsia India will not comment on the issue. If ED requests for some information the airline will cooperate."

Chandilya was at the helm of the airline between June 2013 and March 2016.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing ousted Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry's allegation that fraudulent transactions of Rs 22 crore, involving non-existent entities in India and Singapore, were carried out in an instance involving the airline.

It has also questioned AirAsia India's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ankur Khanna in December last year in connection with the case.

The agency is also looking at a specific transaction of Rs 12 crore, out of Rs 22 crore, made to a Singapore firm as part of its investigation.

ED officials said the agency is also examining the documents and findings of an in-house forensic investigation, as claimed by Mistry.

In October last year, flagging "ethical concerns" in Tata Group's joint venture with AirAsia, Mistry had claimed a forensic investigation had revealed fraudulent transactions of Rs 22 crore involving non-existent entities in India and Singapore.

He had alleged that due to the latter's passion for aviation, the Tata Sons Board increased capital infusion into the aviation sector at multiple levels of the initial commitment.

In a letter written to the Board members of Tata Sons a day after he was ousted on October 24, Mistry said, "Board members and trustees are also aware that in the case of AirAsia, ethical concerns have been raised with respect to certain transactions as well as the overall prevailing culture within the organisation.

"A recent forensic investigation revealed fraudulent transactions of Rs 22 crore involving non-existent parties in India and Singapore."

Mistry went on to allege that "executive trustee Mr Venkataraman, who is on the board of AirAsia and also a shareholder in the company, considered these transactions as non-material and did not encourage further study".

It was only at the insistence of the independent directors, one of whom immediately submitted his resignation, that the board decided to belatedly file a FIR, Mistry had said in the letter.

He claimed it was Tata who had completed negotiations with AirAsia, but early in his tenure as the Chairman of Tata Sons he (Mistry) was asked to table a proposal for the JV with AirAsia at a Tata Sons board meeting.

In 2013, Tata Sons had joined hands with Malaysian carrier AirAsia and Arun Bhatia's Telestra Tradeplace to start low-cost carrier AirAsia India. The carrier had to wait for nine months before taking off.
On February 26, 2017, a church in Lebanon ordained its first female pastor. Not only is this big news for Tripoli Evangelical Church, but for the entire Middle East. Rola Sleiman is going down in history as the first female pastor to be ordained in the Arab world.

Christs justice has been finally fulfilled, Sleiman told journalists after her ordination ceremony.

Sleiman was born in Tripoli to a Syrian father and Lebanese mother. Her parents were involved in the church and encouraged their children to be as well. Sleimans interest in church went deeper than most, and by the time she was a teenager she considered a role in the church. Sleiman wanted to pursue a degree from the Near East School of Theology in Beirut. She was denied funding, but managed to pay for her education through private funding.

Despite having just been ordained, Sleiman is no stranger to the pulpit. Previously, she served as a preacher and later as a pastor of the Presbyterian Tripoli Evangelical Church, but she had to work within certain limitations to which non-ordained people are required to adhere. For instance, when she officiated a wedding or funeral, a male ordained pastor had to oversee the ceremony. With ordination also comes more responsibility: Sleiman is now able to perform the sacraments of baptism and communion for her congregation. Sleimans church is a part of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, which serves 3,000 members (officially); however Sleiman estimates the actual number of congregants to be three times this.

The 40-year-old Sleiman stepped into the role of pastor in 2007 when the former pastor of Tripoli Evangelical left for the U.S. In his absence, Sleiman temporarily took up the slack in order to keep things going in the church. Of that unexpected transition, Sleiman told reporters, My conscience did not let me leave my church without a pastor. A temporary fix eventually led to Sleiman appealing to the church Synods Administration Council and putting the decision in the hands of a congregational vote. In 2008 when she was approved to take the title of pastor of Tripoli Evangelical, Sleiman said she received virtually 100 percent.

Although people were surprised by the move (including members of the Synod Administration Council), Sleiman said, The key is that people know me. Maybe they would normally choose a male pastor but because I had served with them they saw what was in me and not just my gender.

Though the Council was surprised by her request, there is nothing in their theology to warrant excluding women from the role of pastor. When the Synod voted again this year in consideration of her ordination, they voted 23-1 in favor of her. Sleiman told reporters, Christ is love, and love does not distinguish between men and women.

If ordaining female ministers is a controversial topic in the U.S., it is even more so in the heavily patriarchal Middle East. A Human Rights Watch Report sums up the plight of women in the Middle East as unequal and unprotected. Sleiman recognizes the impact her ordination is going to have on the broader social narrative. She says, If the church discriminates against women, what should we expect of the state?

Sleimans ordination comes at a time when we are seeing more female clergy in the U.S. as well.
Inspired by the art of pure imagination, a group show here will provide an account of "Surrealism" as it explores different forms of the human figure.

"Surrealist Humanity", set to begin tomorrow, will showcase paintings that resonate with the idea of renaissance and attempts to find a connection between "spirituality", "knowledge" and "wisdom".

The exhibition will see three women artists bringing together an intriguing collection of art works where human figures, predominantly male, will signify transformation and change in different ways.

Using earthy colour tones, Delhi-based artist Anita Sethi has portrayed male figures along with an uncanny object, making a "surreal" statement.

"I am inspired by dream as well as reality and express them in terms of human anatomy. I use male figures the most because of the beauty of the muscles as it adds lots of volume to the portrait.

"Since I have also been influenced by spiritualism, I always attempt to reflect that aspect in my paintings as well," says Sethi.

In shades of reds and browns, "Guardian" by Sethi signifies "authority" and "power".

The striking "shoe" lying beside the man seeks to establish "humility" and "servitude".

"The faces are mostly hidden in my paintings because I do not like people perceiving the same idea due to facial expressions while looking at the picture. Moreover, I portray human figures with no hair since for me it represents them in a holistic and mysterious manner," says Sethi.

Self-taught painter Shashi Tripathi will showcase the journey from knowledge to wisdom through her art works. The paintings, all in oil on canvas, have been inspired by time.

"The paintings signify the journey from knowledge to wisdom. There is a difference between both of them. We grasp so much information in our day to day life and attain knowledge about several things happening around but it can be turned into wisdom only when it is channelised in the right direction," says Tripathi.

The exhibition will also showcase art works of Deepali Roongta whose love for nature has been reflected through natural forms and in bright colours.

The show is set to continue till March 11 at India Habitat Centre here.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Centre today told the Supreme Court that it has asked universities across the country to include 'Environment Studies" in the college curricula as directed in a judgement delivered in 1991.

A bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul considered the response of the Human Resources Development Ministry that the University Grants Commission (UGC) committee is looking into the matter and the needful will be done.

The court then disposed of the interim application filed by environmentalist M C Mehta seeking a direction to the Centre and others to include 'Environment Studies" as one of the subjects in college and school curricula.

Additional Solicitor General P S Patwalia, appearing for the Centre, said that some universities have included the subject in the curriculum and efforts are on to persuade the others.

He said that 306 universities are yet to include the subject in their curriculum.

So far as the inclusion of the subject in schools are concerned, the Centre has no role as the states have their own examination boards and only they can take a decision, he said.

Earlier, the apex court had rapped the central government for not implementing its 1991 directions including making 'Environment Studies' a compulsory subject in college and school curricula.

Prior to this, the Centre had apprised the court that it has constituted a Core Committee comprising a Chairman and four Members to monitor and review matters relating to the implementation of directions issued in its order passed on November 22, 1991 on Mehta's PIL.

The bench was hearing an interim plea of Mehta alleging that the directions passed in 1991 on his PIL have not been complied with in letter and spirit and had asked the Centre to apprise it on what steps could be taken to ensure that the curricula include 'Environment Science' as compulsory subject.

In the 1991 verdict, a bench headed by then Chief Justice



Rangnath Misra had said "the UGC will take appropriate steps immediately to give effect to what we have said, i.E. requiring the Universities to prescribe a course on environment. They would consider the feasibility of making this a compulsory subject at every level in college education.

"So far as education up to college level is concerned, we would require every state Government and every Education Board connected with education up to matriculation or even intermediate colleges to immediately take steps to enforce compulsory education on environment in a graded way. This should be so done that in the next academic year, there would be compliance of this requirement."



Besides making 'Environment Science' a compulsory subject, it had then passed a slew of directions including an order to "cinema halls, touring cinemas and video parlours to exhibit free of cost at least two slides/messages on environment in each show undertaken by them".

Disposing of the PIL in 1991, the bench had asked the Centre to issue appropriate directions to state governments and Union Territories to "invariably enforce as a condition of license of all cinema hails, touring cinemas and video parlours" to show slides on environment free of cost.

"The Ministry of Environment should within two months from now come out with appropriate slide material which would be brief ... To efficiently carry the message home on various aspects of environment and pollution."



It had said that the materials to be shown by exhibitors, would be given to the District Collectors, the licensing authorities for the cinema exhibition halls, for compliance.

"Failure to comply with our order should be treated as a ground for cancellation of the licence by the appropriate authorities. The material for the slides should be such that it would at once be impressive, striking and leave as impact on every one who sees the slide," it had said then.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry should start without delay producing information films of short duration on various aspects of environment and pollution bringing out the benefits for society on the environment being protected and the hazards involved in the environment being polluted, it said.

It had asked the then Attorney General to have a dialogue with the Ministry as to the manner the All India Radio and Doordarshan could assist this process of education.

Environmentalist Mehta, in his fresh plea, alleged that the directions have not been complied with in letter and spirit even after the lapse of so many years.
NCP MLA Jitendra Avhad today approached the Bombay High Court seeking a direction to poll authorities to carry out revision of electoral rolls of all the constituencies of Maharashtra.

Avhad, in his public interest litigation, said before the next civic elections in 2019, a revision of electoral rolls has to be carried out.

"The polls conducted this year were marred as scores of voters could not vote due to various reasons. The fact that the voters' list was defective was vouched by all political parties," the petition said seeking a direction to the Election Commission of India and the Maharashtra Election Commission.

"Unless the electoral roll is prepared strictly in accordance with the provisions of law, it will have no sanctity and an election conducted on such defective electoral roll will tilt the balance of power," the petition said.

In his petition, Avhad has sought for a committee to be set up that shall conduct a study and then submit suggestions to the Election Commission as to how a flawless electoral roll can be prepared.

The petition will come up for hearing before a division bench in due course of time.

Elections to 10 civic bodies in Maharashtra, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), were held on February 21. There were complaints that several voters, especially in Mumbai, could not exercise their franchise as their names were missing from the electoral rolls.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The NCP president Sharad Pawar today said the BJP has supported its estranged ally Shiv Sena in the BMC after its attempts to capture power came unstuck and to save the coalition government in Maharashtra.

"The BJP had made all attempts to capture power in BMC. However, after realising that it is unsuccessful in doing so, they finally decided to support the Shiv Sena," Pawar told reporters here.

His remarks came against the backdrop of the BJP withdrawing itself from the BMC Mayoral poll in favour of the Sena.

The Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently announced the BJP will not contest the Mayoral poll, due this week, which paved the way for Sena to install its nominee Vishwanath Mahadeshwar as new Mayor of Mumbai.

Pawar said, "the BJP is supporting Sena in BMC with an intention to save the coalition government. You will see their (Sena's and BJP's) bickering in future."



Though Sena is a junior alliance partner in the BJP-led Central and Maharashtra governments, both the parties contested the last month's polls to local and civic bodies, including Mumbai, in Maharashtra separately.

"The mudslinging between the BJP and Sena in run-up to the civic polls was intended to secure maximum number of seats. We should try to stop them from reaching the magic figure in future," Pawar said.

While the Shiv Sena has emerged as the single largest party in BMC elections by winning 84 seats, the BJP came close second with 82 seats. However, none of the parties is in the position to reach the magic figure of 114 seats necessary to rule the 227-member body.

Responding to a query on the BJP-backed Independent MLC Prashant Paricharak's remarks on soldiers, Pawar said they were "uncalled for".

"A public representative is not expected to behave in such an irresponsible manner. The demand for Paricharak's resignation is proper," he said.

The members of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, cutting across party lines, today demanded "permanent suspension" of Paricharak for his controversial remarks.

Terming "shameful" the recent Army examination paper leak, Pawar said the system should be blamed for this.

Pawar appealed to cadres to "introspect" in the wake



of the drubbing suffered by his party in recently-held elections to ten municipal corporations and 25 Zilla Parishads.

"Whatever be the reasons, we should introspect and also concede the defeat in polls. We should identify the mistakes and rectify them to make the party stronger," the former Union minister said after interacting with the party workers.

The ruling BJP has made inroads into NCP's bastions in western Maharashtra in the polls.

The NCP lost its traditional strongholds of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations, which were wrested by the saffron party. The BJP won 8 out of 10 civic bodies that went to polls.

"We had worked vary hard in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. However, what went wrong is not known. While we lost in these urban places simultaneously we did well in rural pockets," Pawar said.

Responding to a query, he said the NCP would hold talks with the "like minded parties" to come to power in those Zilla Parishads where the margin of victory between his party and the BJP is small.

He said the party leaders should find a workable solution with the Congress in future by holding talks.

Without taking the BJP's name, Pawar said, "the party which is in power in Centre and Maharashtra had extensively used its power to win the elections."



He said in the Thane Municipal Corporation, which was won by the Shiv Sena, the differences between the NCP and the Congress over allotment of certain seats adversely affected the prospects of both the parties.

He said crossing over of many leaders from the NCP before and after elections also affected its performance in polls.
The BJP today demanded that the government pay attention to fencing and beautification of temples, crematoriums and burial grounds.

Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar made the demand in the state Assembly and sought a statement from the state government in this regard.

Bijendra Prasad Yadav, who was answering questions related to the Home department as its minister in-charge in place of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who holds the Home portfolio, said the state government has a plan to renovate and beautify old temples in the state.

"Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had mentioned of this plan in the House, which even you had appreciated," he told the Leader of Opposition.

Concerned over theft of statues from temples, the state government has drawn up a plan to erect fences around temples existing for more than 60 year as part of security measures and take up required renovation work.

Yadav informed the House that if fencing of some temple or crematorium was very urgent, a Legislator could get it done from the MLA's local Area Development Fund.

On this, Prem Kumar urged the government to raise the amount of MLAs' Development Fund from the present Rs 2 crore to Rs 4 crore annually.

His demand found support from members of the BJP and NDA partner parties.

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A 38-year-old businessman was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Gandhi Nagar area of Delhi's Shahdara, police said today.

The deceased, Vineet Jain, was on his way back home on his motorcycle when he was attacked and shot around 9.30 PM yesterday, said a senior police officer.

Police said they were probing all the possible angles, including personal and professional relationships, in the murder case.

The deceased owned a wholesale business of sewing materials.

"We have ruled out robbery as a motive since Vineet's mobile phone and money were found intact. We are investigating whether the murder was the fallout of a business rivalry, family dispute or a love angle," he said.

The officer said that the family members are in a state of shock and they haven't been able to speak to them so far.

"We will be scanning his mobile phone to know the persons he was in touch with. We will be speaking to his wife and brothers to know whether he had any enmity," he said.

Eyewitnesses have told police that they saw a man running away after attacking Vineet.

Police, so far, have taken footages from around 20 CCTV cameras installed in the area and was scanning them to gain clues to the accused.

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Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh today presented the annual budget of Rs 76,032 crore for 2017-18 in the state legislative assembly giving thrust on digital inclusion and infrastructure development.

"The budget focuses on welfare of poorest of poor and inclusive growth," Singh, who also holds the Finance portfolio,said in hisbudgetspeech.

In a major initiative, the state government announced to launch Suchna Kranti Yojna (SKY) under which 45 lakh smartphones will be provided to family belonging tobelow poverty line (BPL) and college students. The beneficiaries would also get SIM cards along with the phone.

"A provision of Rs 200 crore (for 2017-18) has been made for the first phase of the scheme, which will be fully implemented over a period of 2-2.5 years," the CM told reporters on the Assembly premises.

He added that the scheme is expected to attract an investment of Rs 900 crore.

Under the 'Bastar Net' project, 'digital information highway' will be set up in Bastar division (a Left Wing Extremism affected region), the CM said.

"800 km optical fiber cables will be laid in the Bastar region for the expansion of Internet and other digital services," he added.

Besides, 12,348 fair price shops in the state are being linked to digital payment mode.

"In the first phase, Public Distribution System (PDS) in five districts- Dhantari, Mahasamund, Balod, Raigarh and Rajandgaon, will go cashless," he added.

The state budget underlined that the estimated expenditure is 7.58 per cent higher than the revised estimate of 2016-17.

While the revenue surplus is estimated at Rs 4,781 crore, the Gross fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs 9,647 crore, which is 3.49 per cent of the GSDP.

The budget allocates 36 per cent of expenditure in development heads for scheduled tribe sector and 12 per cent for the scheduled caste sector.

The social sector expenditure is estimated at 41 per cent and economic sector expenditure is 38 per cent of the total expenditure.

"A Divyang (specially-abled people)college at a cost of Rs 2.56 crore will be set up at Raipur for educational upliftment of special children," the CM said.

Nine Javahar Navoday Vidyalay will be opened at



Bijapur, Sukma, Kondagaon, Gariyabnd, Bemetara, Mungeli, Balodabazar, Sarguja and Balrampur districts, he said.

Similarly, three Kendriya Vidyalay will be established at Bijpaur, Sukma and Naya Raipur, he added.

The budget has earmarked Rs 3,600 crore for the food security scheme besides Rs 709 crore for the social security pension.

The agriculture sector has been allotted Rs 10,433 crore, a 26 per cent rise as compared to the allocation made in 2016-17, he said.

Under the Mukhyamantri health insurance scheme, the amount of sum insured has been increased from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000.

The budget also proposes to set up new Industrial areas in Bhatapara, Lakhanpuri (Kanker) and Mahrumkala (Rajnandgaon).

Under good governance, 'Dial 112' scheme will be launchedto provide speedy police assistance in cases of crime, accidents, any medical emergency, the CM said.

"While police assistance will be provided in ten minutes in urban areas, within half-an-hour in rural areas through 'Dail 112'," the CM said adding that a provision of Rs 50 crore has been made for the project.

Goods and Services Tax is to be implemented soon. Hence, no major change has been proposed in the tax structure.

Under the tax proposals, consumers will get half a per cent of tax relief in case of payment through digital mode except for specified articles like cement, steel, coal, diesel, petrol, kerosene, motor vehicle, pan masala and tobacco products.

"This arrangement will be effective till the time GST (goods and services tax) is implemented," Singh said.
The Centre today approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on renewable energy signed with Portugal.

"The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for signing of a MoU on Renewable Energy between India and Portugal. The MoU was signed on January 6, 2017 in New Delhi," an official statement said today.

The MoU will help strengthen bilateral cooperation between the countries, it said.

Both sides aim to establish the basis for a cooperative institutional relationship to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on new and renewable issues on the basis of mutual benefit equality and reciprocity.

The MoU envisages constitution of a Joint Working Group which can co-opt other members from Scientific Institutions, Research Centres, Universities, or any other entity, as and when considered essential.

(REOPEN DCM95)



The Cabinet also approved the memorandum of understanding with Portugal for cooperation in the field of IT and Electronics.

"The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Portugal on cooperation in the field of IT&E. The MoU was signed on January 6, 2017 in New Delhi," an official statement said.

"The MoU will help in developing a long term and sustainable cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual interest in the areas of IT&E in line with each country's laws and regulations," the statement said.

Earlier in the day, Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad met Maria Manuel Leitao Marques, Portugal's Minister of Presidency and Administrative Modernisation where both sides stressed on the need to further explore opportunities to strengthen ties in the field of information and communication technology.

To fast-track the collaboration, the government is also looking to set up a working group to enhance the scope for furthering ties, which will be a follow-up of a bilateral agreement between between both the countries.

"From cyber security to digital delivery to financial inclusion, there is a great scope of working between Portugal and India. We are very soon going to start working group between Portugal and India," Prasad said after meeting Maria Manuel Leitao Marques.
The Comptroller and Auditor General has pointed out lack of transparency in bar and beer-wine parlour licenses in Kerala during 2015-16 and found irregularities to the tune of Rs 70.74 crore.

The Excise Department issued licences without collecting proper stamp duty, resulting in Rs 4.24 crore revenue loss, said the March 2016 year ended report tabled by Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac in the Assembly today.

"In 2015-16, test checks of the records relating to excise duty, license fee receipts of 34 offices under the Excise Department showed non and short realisation of excise duty, license fee, interest penalty and other irregularities involving Rs 70.74 crore in 30 cases," it said.

The audit found that the systems in the Department to issue beer and wine parlour licenses, identification of persons liable to obtain licenses for spirituous preparations and enforcing provisions of the Abkari Act and Rules made thereunder "did not function transparently and efficiently".

The report also said the then state government also had not followed the instructions of the Centre for not issuing fresh licenses to liquor vendors along the National Highways.

"The Government of India issued instructions to remove liquor shops along the National Highways and to ensure that no licenses are issued to liquor vendors along NH to prevent drunken driving and thereby reducing the occurrence of road accidents," it said.

"As on 31 March, 2016, there were four bar hotels and 182 beer, wine parlours functioning along the NHs," it added.

The audit noticed that during 2013-14 to 2015-16, 10 fresh bar and beer/wine parlour licenses were issued to hotels located along National Highways.

It also found that provisions of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008 were not complied with while according sanction for conversion of paddy and wetland in many cases during the period.

Two among the many such cases were irregularities found in sanction accorded by the government for conversion of land for the project at Methran Kayal paddy fields to Kumarakam Echo



Tourism Village project and for the Medi City project at Kadamakkudy panchayat in Kochi.

Sanction for both these projects were however cancelled by the then Congress led UDF government itself.

The report also found deficiencies in management of finance and inadmissible expenditure from the State Disaster Response Fund with expenditure impact of Rs 153.63 crore.

Disaster Management Plan at the state/district levels and by Local Authority were not prepared even after 10 years of enactment of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, it said.

Provisions of National Disaster Management Authority guidelines were not included in the municipal and panchayat building rules dealing with the construction of buildings in the state, the report found.

"The Kerala government is continuing a relief-centric approach in disaster management activities rather than a pro-active prevention, mitigation and preparedness driven approach as envisaged in the Disaster Management Act," Amar Patnaik, Principal Accountant General (Economic and Revenue Sector Audit), Kerala said here in a press meet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Microphones fell silent and the dust from the over two month-long electioneering settled as parties wrapped up their campaign for the final phases of polls in Uttar Pradesh and Manipur today.

The highlight of the acrimonious campaign for the March 8 polls for 40 seats in eastern Uttar Pradesh was the show of strength by the BJP, the SP-Congress combine and the BSP in PM Narendra Modi's Varanasi constituency where he camped for three days.

Manipur will see polling in 22 seats across five districts in its second and final phase, where the fate of almost all the big names in the north east state's politics -- including Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, Deputy CM Gaikhangam and human rights activist-turned-politician Irom Chanu Sharmila -- will be decided.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Prime Minister visited temples, held a roadshow and attended a number of public events in the holy city along with several rallies in the region, in the final push by the BJP to reach out to voters ahead of the seventh and last phase.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also matched it with their own campaign blitz in the region. Joined by Akhilesh's wife Dimple, the two leaders held a roadshow, hours after Modi arrived in the city and paid obeisance at the Kashi Vishwanath and Kal Bhairav temples with much fanfare.

BSP chief Mayawati, who is seeking a fifth term as Chief Minister, also addressed a rally in Rohaniya, around 20 km from Varanasi the same day.

A galaxy of BJP veterans and Union ministers also made a beeline to Varanasi towards the fag end of electioneering, making the poll atmosphere highly charged.

The poll in Manipur this time is billed as a major test for the 15-year-old Congress regime which is facing a stiff challenge from the BJP. Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who has not been keeping well, did not campaign in the state. The task of spearheading the Congress campaign was left to party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who addressed a rally in Imphal on February 28.

BJP held rallies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 25 and by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on February 19 in Imphal.

Sharmila, who fasted for 16 years for repealing the AFSPA from the state, is in the election fray for the first time and is pitted against Ibobi Singh himself in Thoubal constituency.

The high-decibel campaign in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa was set rolling after the EC announced polling dates on January 4.

In Punjab and Goa polling was held on February 5, while Uttarakhand went to polls on February 15.

In Uttar Pradesh polling was announced in seven phases between February 11 and March 8. The EC announced a two-phase exercise for Manipur, the first of which was on March 4.

After the final phase of the polling on March 8, all eyes will be riveted on March 11 when results of elections in all five states, dubbed as a litmus test for the Narendra Modi government, will be declared.

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An inter ministerial Central today visited drought hit villages in Puducherry for assessing the loss suffered due to failure of north east monsoon.

The 11-member team is led by the Joint Secretary to Union Agriculture Ministry Rani Kumudini.

The team also held discussions with the farmers about the drought situation.

Puducherry government had already declared Puducherry and Karaikal regions as drought hit following inadequate rains.

The team also held discussions with the Puducherry Administration.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had already urged the Centre to release a relief of Rs 105 crores for Union Territory to tackle the drought situation.

He had also presented a detailed report to the Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh during his visit to Delhi a few weeks ago.

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: Chemplast Sanmar Ltd, the flagship company of the Sanmar Group, has lined up investments of around Rs 1,050 crore as part of its expansion plans which include setting up of a Chlorinated PVC project in Tamil Nadu, a top official said here today.

The investments comprise a Rs 100 crore Hydrogen Peroxide Plant at Mettur, a Rs 350 crore CPVC project along with its Joint Venture company Kem One SAS, a France-based Chloro Vinyl company in Karaikal, Sanmar Group, Deputy Chairman, Vijay Sankar said.

Besides the two projects, the company would also be investing around Rs 600 crore for expansion at its existing facilities in Tamil Nadu, he said.

"The CPVC (Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) project will come at an investment of Rs 350 crore. It will be set up under our joint venture with Kem One SAS, France-based company", he told reporters here.

It is a 50:50 Joint Venture project and the factory would have an initial capacity of 20,000 tonnes.

Sanmar Group also has operations in Egypt manufacturing caustic soda and poly vinyl chloride under its firm TCI Sanmar Chemicals.

TCI Sanmar Chemicals has invested about USD 1.20 billion in first phase and has manufacturing facilities in Port Said, Egypt.

"The investments will be investing Rs 1,800 crore for the expansion plans to increase the plant capacity there", he said.

On ramping up capacities at existing facilities in Mettur, Karaikal and Cuddalore districts in Tamil Nadu, he said the company would be investing about Rs 600 crore for taking up expansion activities in stages.

To a query on becoming a privately-held company from being a listed entity, Sanmar Group Chairman N Sankar said the company would decide "to go public" in future, depending upon the market conditions.

"There is nothing to hide by becoming a private company (from being a listed firm). Stock market demands certain conditions. We are in commodity business and whether we need to go public may depend in future", he said.

Sankar and senior company officials were here to announce the 50th Golden Jubilee celebrations of the company scheduled to be held in May.

A logo to mark the golden jubilee year was released on the occasion.

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Fayez Tarawneh, Chief of Royal Court of Jordan will reach India tomorrow on a four-day visit during which he is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During his tour from March 7 to 10, Tarawneh is also expected to meet Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Vice President Hamid Ansari.

Tarawneh will also be visiting Agra, besides attending a programme organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here.

He will deliver a lecture on "Global War on Terrorism and its Implication on Middle East Region and Beyond" at the Indian Council for World Affairs.

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Protestors clashed with security forces today in Shopian district of south Kashmir where the law enforcing personnel were carrying out a cordon and search operation.

Dozens of people started pelting stones at security forces during the operation in Pinjoora area of Shopian district this morning, a police official said.

He said police used tear gas shells and batons to chase away the protestors.

The security forces had launched the operation after receiving information about presence of militants in the area but the searches were called off as no suspicious person was found there, the official said.

There were no reports of anyone getting hurt during the brief clashes, he added.

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Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned as an accused in a criminal defamation complaint filed by Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra by a Delhi court which said "prima facie", the offence was committed.

Noting that the imputations were prima facie made against Chandra's reputation, Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria asked Kejriwal to appear before the court on July 29.

Since the accused had made such imputations on the national television against the complainant, it has clearly established that such imputations intending to harm the reputation of the complainant or to defame him, were made, the court said.

"Thus, clearly, there is sufficient material on record to summon accused Arvind Kejriwal for offences punishable under section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code," it said.

Chandra had on November 17 last year moved the court seeking prosecution of Kejriwal for allegedly defaming him by levelling false allegations in the wake of demonetisation.

Chandra, who filed the plea through lawyer Vijay Aggarwal, alleged that Kejriwal, while addressing a press conference on November 11, had made "false, fabricated and defamatory allegations" against him.

The chairman of the Essel group had also claimed that Kejriwal had "defamed" him "by making inherently defamatory statements and caused serious harm to his reputation by imputing behaviour incompatible with proper conduct and suggestions of involvement in illegal activity."



The complaint claimed that Kejriwal, while addressing the press conference, "without any lawful basis or justification, dragged the name of the complainant in the entire facade, which has defamed and lowered the reputation of complainant in the eyes of general public and thus accused person (Kejriwal) has committed the offence of criminal defamation.

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Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said Delhi will be made as clean as London keeping its unique cultural ethos intact, seeking to clarify his earlier remarks which have been mocked by the Opposition.

Kejriwal said that his Aam Aadmi Party would clean up the capital within one year of coming to power in the three municipal corporations of Delhi (MCDs).

"I want to clarify that I have not said that we will turn Delhi into London. Delhi has its own culture and its heart... Delhi's people are very good.

"When we go to western countries including London, we see a high level of cleanliness there. Delhi will be made as clean as London, which only the AAP can do," he told reporters.

While addressing a gathering yesterday, Kejriwal had said that if the AAP won the MCD polls, it would spruce up Delhi and make it look like London within a year.

The Delhi chief minister also slammed the BJP and the Congress, saying that both the parties which have been controlling the MCDs for 20 years have failed to clean up the city.

"The BJP and the Congress have been ruling municipal corporations for 20 years and they have destroyed MCDs (financially). It is the first responsibility of MCDs to clean up Delhi.

"It is only the AAP which can clean up Delhi as people know that we have done unprecedented works in education, water, power and health," the Delhi chief minister said.

Over his London's remark, Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari hit out at Kejriwal, saying "he should first make Delhi a better Delhi before planning to make it London."



"We want to ask Kejriwal that if he wants to make Delhi as beautiful a city as London then what efforts have been made by the PWD under his control for beautifying main roads and regularising unauthorised colonies," Tiwari said.

The BJP leader also sought to know what work has been done by the Transport Department for the development of public transport.

"I also want to know what steps have been taken by your horticulture department to make Delhi a green city," Tiwari asked.

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With only a year left for the assembly polls in Karnataka, Congress high command has asked its dissident leaders, including former Union Minister Janardhan Poojary, to refrain from airing their opinions against the state government in public.

The state party leadership, which has also often come under attack from a fewsenior leaders, including Jaffer Sharief, H Vishwanath and Poojary, had taken up the matter with the High Command, party sources said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has told the leaders not to be critical of the state leadership as it may have a negative impact on the party in the next assembly elections.

Gandhi asked Poojary to put forth his views in private and at party forums or approach her if he had any complaints, the sources said.

Poojary, a staunch critique of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his administration, has often openly voiced his opinions in public.

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A group of fishermen have allegedly hacked to death a 7-feet-long estuarine crocodile in the Bagapatia village under Mahakalpada police station jurisdiction of Odisha's Kendrapara district.

Forest officials spotted the carcass of the slain crocodile near a water body in the village yesterday.

The carcass bore multiple injury marks and it was probably caught in the fishing net, said forest officials.

The crocodile had strayed into human settlement and had reportedly killed cattle, which angered the villagers, prompting them to kill the reptile, forest officials said.

The esturian crocodile has been accorded protected status under wildlife legal provisions, they said.

"A case under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 has been registered. The reptile's body has been sent for post-mortem. From the injury marks, it is quite apparent that the reptile had fallen prey to man-animal conflict," said Mahakalpada Forest Range Officer, Bijoy Kumar Parida.

Since the last 18 months, seven adult and sub-adult salt-water crocodiles have died after trespassing in human habitations, forest officials said.

The species are itinerant in nature and stray into adjoining water-bodies because of its increase in hyper-salinity contents, they said adding, after a temporary sojourn, they leave for their permanent habitation within the Bhitarkanika habitation corridors.

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The European Union today approved plans for a military headquarters to coordinate overseas security operations, foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini said.

Mogherini, who has pushed hard for the EU to take on an increased military role, said foreign and defence ministers of the 28 member states "unanimously" backed the project.

"Today we decided to establish a MPCC (Military Planning Conduct and Capability facility) which will command the EU's non-executive military missions," she told reporters.

The facility will initially run three operations -- civil-military training missions in Mali, the Central African Republic and Somalia -- which do not involve the use of force, other than in self-defence.

The EU has also mounted Operation Sophia in the central Mediterranean, which can use force to stop migrant smugglers, and Operation Atalanta, part of international anti-piracy forces off the Horn of Africa.

These executive operations have their own command centres which will remain separate.

Mogherini said the decision was a huge step forward for the EU after decades of division over what defence role the bloc should take on -- with exit-bound Britain having long opposed it.

She spoke of a "certain pride" about the agreement.

"This is one of the fields where traditionally we have had in the history of the European Union more divisiveness -- since the Fifies we were struggling in the defence field," she said.

Britain's vote to leave the EU, stripping the bloc of one of its most powerful and nuclear-armed countries, plus doubts about US President Donald Trump's NATO commitment have given fresh impetus to efforts to step up military cooperation.

But top EU officials, including Mogherini, have had to repeatedly issue reassurances that the bloc is not going to undercut NATO as the primary defence for Europe.

Besides Britain, many of the former Communist states of eastern Europe such as Poland and Hungary have argued consistently that NATO must come first, given the need for US support in facing a more assertive Russia.

"It is not a European army -- I know this is the label going around -- it is a more effective way of handling our military work," Mogherini, a former Italian foreign minister, said as she went into the meeting earlier Monday.

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker called for a common EU defence headquarters in September after the Brexit vote, resurrecting an idea that had circulated in the EU for years.

The new facility will initially have a small staff of around 30 and come under the EU's existing military structures.

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North Korea's expelled ambassador fired a final salvo at Malaysia today over its probe into the assassination of the half-brother of Pyongyang's leader, describing the investigation as biased.

Speaking at Kuala Lumpur International Airport before his flight was due to leave, ambassador Kang Chol disparaged what he called a "pretargeted investigation by the Malaysian police".

The murder of Kim Jong-Nam with VX nerve agent at the same airport last month sparked an acrimonious dispute between the two countries.

North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man's identity but has repeatedly criticised the murder investigation and autopsy, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.

"They have conducted the autopsy without the consent and attendance of the DPRK (North Korea) embassy and later arrested a DPRK citizen without any clear evidence showing his involvement in the incident," ambassador Kang said.

South Korea has blamed the North for the murder, citing what it says was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother who may have been seen as a potential rival.

Before the ambassador left for the airport, police armed with assault rifles had cordoned off the entrance to North Korea's embassy, with police vehicles and motorcycle outriders parked nearby.

Kang departed in a black chauffeured Jaguar - the North Korean flag denoting an ambassador now removed from its bonnet. He checked in a Philips TV, three suitcases and four boxes vacuum-wrapped and stamped with the words, DPRK Pyongyang.

Senior government officials told AFP he was expected to leave at 18.25 on flight MH360 for Beijing, shortly after the deadline for his expulsion at 1800.

Malaysia declared Kang persona non grata on Saturday and gave him 48 hours to leave the country after he failed to apologise for his criticism of the investigation.

The diplomatic dispute erupted last month when police rejected North Korean diplomats' demands to hand over Kim's body.

Kang then claimed the investigation was politically motivated and said Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with "hostile forces" - a reference to the North's arch-rival, Seoul.

Malaysia summoned Kang for a dressing-down, with Najib saying the ambassador's statement was "diplomatically rude".

Malaysia has also recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and cancelled a rare visa-free travel deal with North Korea. It ordered the ambassador expelled after he failed to present himself at the foreign ministry when summoned on Saturday.

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North Korea's ambassador fired a final salvo at Kuala Lumpur today shortly before a deadline for his expulsion expired, saying a Malaysian probe into the assassination of the half brother of Pyongyang's leader was biased.

Speaking at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Ambassador Kang Chol said the probe was a "pretargeted investigation by the Malaysian police".

He added: "They have conducted the autopsy without the consent and attendance of the DPRK (North Korea) embassy and later arrested a DPRK citizen without any clear evidence showing his involvement in the incident.

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Assam government today said it has instructed all superintendents of police to remain alert and tighten security at all sensitive places in view of the possibility of ISIS recruiting youths from the state.

Replying to a discussion during the zero hour in the assembly, Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said all the SPs have been ordered to keep a strict vigil and maintain a close watch on doubtful people.

"Moreover, instruction has been given for tightening security at all sensitive places like railway stations, airports, historical places, temples, dargahs, refineries and shopping malls," he added.

Patowary was replying on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also holds the home portfolio, during the zero hour debate raised by BJP MLA Ashok Singhal on possibility of recruitment drive by ISIS in Assam and other parts of the country.

"We have also ordered to strengthen security along Indo-Bangla border and secure the river ways. Police have been strictly asked to maintain close coordination with various intelligence agencies," he said.

Besides, security and other agencies have been keeping a close watch on social media as these can be tools of influencing youths for joining the global terror outfit, he added.

The minister informed the house that two trained members of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were nabbed from Nalbari district.

Assam police, he said, has so far arrested 56 JMB extremists after the Burdwan blast in West Bengal in 2014.

"Apart from them 10-12 JMB members are absconding at present," Patowary added without elaborating.

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At least four police officers from Niger were killed in what a security source described today as a "terrorist" attack near the west African nation's border with Mali and Burkina Faso.

The attack yesterday struck Wanzarbe, a town located in the western region of Tillaberi -- one of a string of areas where Niger declared a state of emergency Saturday.

"The provisional toll is four police officers killed in a clear terrorist attack on Sunday night (last night)," the security source said.

The assault targeted a police station, he added.

Tillaberi and neighbouring region Tahoua have witnessed several deadly attacks on army posts and refugee camps, blamed by authorities on Malian jihadists linked to the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) group.

These include a late February attack in Ouallam, Tillaberi which killed 16 soldiers and wounded 18. And in October, 22 soldiers died in Tahoua during a daring assault on a refugee camp.

At least 43 soldiers were killed in jihadist attacks from October 2016 to February this year in Tillaberi and Tahoua.

Niger shares its southern border with Nigeria which has been struggling with a bloody seven-year uprising by the Boko Haram extremist group that has so far claimed more than 20,000 lives.

The insurgency began in northeast Nigeria but has since spread to Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel today rejected remarks by Turkey's president accusing officials of "Nazi practices," days after a local authority in Germany prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally.

"One cannot seriously comment on such misplaced statements," Merkel said at an event in Berlin, the dpa agency reported.

Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of a national referendum on constitutional reform that would give Erdogan more powers.

Last week, local authorities in southwestern Germany withdrew permission for Turkey's justice minister to use a venue to hold a "yes" rally aimed at Turks living in Germany.

Responding to that, Erdogan yesterday said that "Germany, you don't have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past."



Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said earlier today that the German government "strongly rejected" that, adding that such comparisons downplay the crimes of the Nazis.

Seibert noted that there are strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there are "far-reaching differences of opinion" between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

Seibert dismissed any notion that the federal government was involved in the decision to cancel events with Turkish officials, saying it was up to local officials to decide whether they could guarantee the necessary security.

The strife comes at a time when the European Union is relying on a migrant deal with Turkey that has significantly cut down the number of migrants crossing into Europe.

However, Erdogan has several times threatened to quit the deal when expressing anger over European countries. Germany also has reconnaissance aircraft deployed at a NATO base in Turkey as part of the alliance's fight against the Islamic State group.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel sought to smooth stirred-up emotions today and stressed the need to "normalize" what he calls a "highly strained" relationship with Turkey.

He also pointed out that EU countries have a common interest in not letting NATO partner Turkey "drift further to the east" and that German authorities back freedom of expression and that it's normal for Turkish politicians to want to address their compatriots in Germany, 1.4 million of whom are eligible to vote in the referendum.

Other European nations with significant Turkish immigrant communities have expressed different opinions on the issue.

"Our Austrian solution should be clear: we will not accept any campaign appearances by Turkish politicians in Austria," Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said as he arrived at a meeting of European Union counterparts in Brussels.

He added that "we don't want campaigns from other states to be brought to Austria and conflicts from other countries imported ... That is always damaging for integration.

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West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh today hit out at the Trinamool Congress government in the state and a section of the media for trying to tarnish the party's image in the child trafficking case.

He also accused CID of trying to frame BJP leaders in the child trafficking case and arresting party leader Juhi Chowdhury for her alleged involvement in child trafficking case.

"I really have a doubt about the wisdom of the media and CID. The prime accused Chandana Chakraborty was arrested and on the basis of her version our party leader Juhi Chowdhury too was arrested by CID and the entire media is shouting slogans against BJP," Ghosh said here.

Chowdhury, the general secretary of BJP state Mahila Morcha, was arrested by CID last week for her alleged involvement in the child trafficking case. The BJP state unit on Tuesday had removed Juhi from all party posts till the investigation is over and she comes out clean.

"A section of media is busy dancing to TMC's tune. The TMC government in order to save their own leaders are trying to frame BJP leaders in false cases. But media should remember that we are not in politics because of them," Ghosh said.

CID has arrested seven persons in the case so far. Jalpaiguri District Child Protection Officer Sasmita Ghosh was arrested today and her husband Mrinal Ghosh, the Darjeeling district child protection officer, had been arrested in connection with the case on Friday night.

The others arrested in this case are Debasish Chandra, a member of the district Child Welfare Committee, besides Chowdhury. Also arrested were Sonali Mondal and Chandana Chakraborty, the chief adoption officer and chairperson of NGO Bimala Shishu Griho, a children's home in Jalpaiguri town which is in the centre of the child trafficking racket.

Chakraborty's brother Manas Bhowmik was also arrested.

Mondal, Chakraborty and Bhowmik were charged with selling about 17 children, aged between one and 14 years, to foreigners by entering into shady adoption deals.

The CID had unearthed the child trafficking racket during raids at homes and nursing homes in Baduria area of North 24 Parganas district, in Behala in the southern fringes of Kolkata and some other parts of south Bengal in November last year.

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The record two-year investment drop in oil industry due to weak prices may lead to a potential shortage of global oil supplies in three years, the International Energy Agency warned today.

According to the latest five-year oil market forecast by IEA, global oil supply could struggle to keep pace with demand after 2020, risking a sharp increase in prices, unless new projects are approved soon, said Fatih Birol, Executive Director of IEA at CERAWeek conference.

The global picture appears comfortable for the next three years but supply growth slows considerably after that, according to 'Oil 2017', the IEA's market analysis and forecast report previously known as the medium-term oil market report.

The demand and supply trends point to a tight global oil market, with spare production capacity in 2022 falling to a 14-year low.

In the next a few years, oil supply will grow in the US, Canada, Brazil and elsewhere but this growth could stall by 2020 if the record two-year investment slump of 2015 and 2016 is not reversed. While investments in the US shale play are picking up strongly, early indications of global spending for 2017 are not encouraging, it said.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Birol discussed ways to work closely in energy sphere.

Birol said he had a great discussion with Pradhan over India's successful upstream revival and deepening India collaboration.

"We are witnessing the start of a second wave of US supply growth, and its size will depend on where prices go. But this is no time for complacency. We do not see a peak in oil demand any time soon. And unless investments globally rebound sharply, a new period of price volatility looms on the horizon," said Birol.

Oil demand will rise in the next five years, passing the symbolic 100 millions of barrels per day (mb/d) threshold in 2019 and reaching about 104 mb/d by 2022.

Developing countries account for all of the growth and Asia dominates, with about seven out of every 10 extra barrels consumed globally.

India's oil demand growth will outpace China by then.

While electric vehicles are an important factor for oil



demand, the IEA estimates they will displace only limited amounts of transportation fuel by 2022. The largest contribution to new supplies will come from the US.

The IEA expects US light tight oil (LTO) production to make a strong comeback and grow by 1.4 mb/d by 2022 if prices remain around USD 60/bbl.

Expectations for US LTO are higher than last year's forecast, thanks to impressive productivity gains.

The US responds more rapidly to price signals than other producers. If prices climb to USD 80/bbl, US LTO production could grow by 3 mb/d in five years.

Alternatively, if prices are at USD 50/bbl, it could decline from the early 2020s.

Within OPEC, the bulk of new supplies will come from major low-cost Middle Eastern producers, namely Iraq, Iran, and the UAE. Others like Nigeria, Algeria and Venezuela will decline.

For its part, production from Russia is forecast to remain stable over the next five years.

The report also highlights changes in international oil- trade flows and investments in storage infrastructure.

Asia will need to look beyond the Middle East to meet its growing import requirements.

With OPEC countries focused on boosting domestic refining capacity to meet local demand and ramp-up exports of refined products, additional crude oil exports from Brazil and Canada will be higher than those from the Middle East.
General Motors is selling its unprofitable European car business to the French maker of Peugeot, marking the American company's retreat from a major market and raising concerns of job cuts in the region.

With the 2.2 billion euro (USD 2.33 billion) deal announced today, GM is giving up brands Opel in Germany and Vauxhall in Britain that have given it a foothold in the world's third-largest auto market since the 1920s. They have not, however, made a combined profit in the past 18 years despite multiple turnaround efforts.

For the once-struggling PSA Group, which makes Peugeot and Citroen cars and has just recently reshaped its own business, the acquisition will turn it into Europe's No. 2 automaker after Volkswagen.

Carlos Tavares, the CEO of the French company, said the deal was "a game-changer for PSA."



GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra told reporters in Paris: "This was a difficult decision for General Motors but we are united in belief that it is the right one."



Britain's vote to leave the European Union, which caused a plunge in the pound, weighed on the decision. "Without Brexit, we would have reached the breakeven goal" at last in 2016 for the European business, Barra said.

PSA will join with French bank BNP Paribas in the purchase, which foresees taking over 12 manufacturing facilities that employ about 40,000 people, according to a joint statement by the companies.

Executives insisted that no job cuts are currently foreseen, but analysts say they're inevitable over the long term.

GM will keep its manufacturing center in Turin, Italy. GM and PSA will continue to collaborate on electric car technologies and maintain existing supply agreements on some Buick models.

Shares in General Motors Co. Were down 1.9 per cent in premarket trading at USD 37.49, while PSA's were up 3.4 per cent at 19.46 euros, suggesting investors find the terms of the deal broadly advantageous for the French company.

The purchase marks a major turnaround for PSA, bailed out just three years ago by Chinese investors and the French state. CEO Tavares, recalling PSA's "near-death experience," said he hopes to parlay his success to similar savings at Opel, cutting costs through scale and better use of factory capacity.

For GM, the agreement indicates that Barra decided to focus on profits over market share.

Asked whether the arrival of the Trump administration played a role in GM's decision to sell, Barra said GM looked at "the changing landscape from a regulatory, a geopolitical and customer preference standpoint" before making a decision.

Western Europe is the No. 3 auto sales market, behind China and the U.S. Opel and Vauxhall last year sold just under 1.2 million vehicles, amounting to only 5.6 percent of the market, according to GM.

"Unloading Opel-Vauxhall and the European part of the financing greatly improves GM's balance sheet, allowing investments in growing markets such as China and India.

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The leaders of the Congress and the NCP from Goa today requested the Election Commission to conduct simultaneous counting of votes from EVMs and Voters Verification Paper Audit Trail on March 11 to ensure accuracy.

The leaders of both the parties called upon the full bench of the ECI, led by the Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi, in Delhi.

They presented a resolution adopted by various political parties, excluding the BJP and the AAP, in Goa in a meeting held last week in Panaji.

"We demanded that counting of votes on EVMs and VVPAT machine should be conducted simultaneously, as there is a scepticism across the country about the credibility of EVMs. This would be an opportunity to ECI to prove that EVMs are reliable if the VVPAT slips and the count on EVM tallies," AICC Secretary Girish Chodankar told PTI from Delhi after the meeting.

VVPAT machines were introduced across all polling booths in Goa during the February 4 polls.

Chodankar, accompanied by the NCP's Goa unit spokesman Avinash Bhonsle, raised a question-mark on the secrecy of voting through ballot papers which is allowed for those employees of the state government who were on election duty.

The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Goa has allowed the voting by ballot papers till few hours before the counting on March 11.

However, the political parties in Goa had expressed apprehension that the employees could be pressurised to vote in favour of particular candidates.

"Entire process adopted for ballot paper voting has been doubtful. There cannot be such a long period from February 4 till March 11 for the state government servants to submit their ballot papers," Chodankar said.

He said the CEC and other officials gave them a patient hearing.

Claiming that a large number of Army personnel had cast their votes in recent polls while on duty here, the Congress leader said it should have been verified whether their names were deleted from the voters' rolls in their native places.

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Haiti's late ex-president Rene Preval, a champion of the poor who served two terms as the country's leader, will be honored with a state funeral, a source close to his family has said.

The viewing for Preval, who died Friday aged 74, will be held on Friday at a museum on the Champ de Mars, the capital Port-au-Prince's main park. His funeral is set for Saturday.

The former president died after a cardiac arrest, according to local media reports citing Preval's sister.

With a reputation as an honest and efficient administrator, Preval served as president of Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, with a long history of political violence, in 1996-2001 and 2006-2011.

Since the end of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986, Preval was the only Haitian leader to have completed two terms as president, the constitutional limit, without suffering a coup or having to flee into exile.

A moderate leftist, Preval first served as prime minister to ex-president Jean-Bertrand Aristide from February 1991 until the government was toppled in September that year.

Following that coup, he sought refuge at the French and Mexican embassies in Port-au-Prince, and eventually joined Aristide in Washington, where he stayed until 1994.

Both Preval and Aristide had enjoyed huge support among millions of impoverished Haitians, many of whom live in the capital's violent slums.

Haiti plunged into lawlessness in February 2004 when Aristide stepped down during his second term and fled the country as insurgents closed in on Port-au-Prince.

During his 2006-2011 term, Preval's popularity suffered after a massive earthquake struck in 2010, killing more than 220,000 people. Critics said he showed a lack of leadership after the disaster.

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The Uttarakhand High Court today asked the state government to get a report from Nagpur's National Environmental Engineering Institute on the reasons of receding water level of the Naini lake.

A division bench comprising Justice Rajeev Sharma and Justice Alok Singh issued this direction while hearing a plea for stopping deforestation in and around Nainital and encroachment around the lake.

The bench has asked the government to procure the NEERI report within six weeks.

The high court earlier on November 7 last year had banned felling of trees within a radius of five kilometre around the lakes of Bhimtal, Nainital, Khurpatal, Sattal and Nauckuchiytal.

It had also banned all new constructions within a radius of two kilometres around the lakes, ruling that "no new construction would be undertaken without getting assessed the bearing capacity of the areas from a specialised institution like NEERI."



"This exercise shall be undertaken within a period of two months and be completed within six months from today (Nov 7)," the court had ruled.

"The bearing capacity shall be assessed taking into consideration the topography and geography of the area, existing population, infrastructure available including natural resources like availability of portable water, capacity and sustainability," it had said.

It had stipulated that "the further construction/s shall take place only as per the recommendations made by the NEERI, Nagpur."



On Monday, on an application by the Lake Development Authority of Nainital, the court clarified that the requisite distances for undertaking construction activity or felling trees would be measured from the edges of the respective lakes.

The court had taken up the matter, taking cognisance of a letter of an NGO worker Tara Dutt Rajput, who had brought to its the notice the threat caused to the fragile ecology and environment of the area abutting the lakes including the flora and fauna.

The main cause of degradation of environment and ecology in the areas surrounding lakes was identified to be unauthorised and haphazard constructions in these areas.

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A Higher Secondary examinee and his friend were killed when the motorbike carrying them hit a roadside tree at Fiagachhi under Jagatballabhpur police station in Howrah district, police said today.

The accident occurred when the two were returning from a fair in Fatikgachhi last night.

Police said the HS examinee was 19 years old and his friend was 20.

The two were residents of Ghanashyambati under Jagatballabhpur police station.

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India and Pakistan will hold talks on various issues relating to the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in Lahore on March 20-21 with the Indian side maintaining that it is always open to a resolution bilaterally.

"The agenda for the meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) has not been finalised yet but India is always open to settling issues relating to the pact with Pakistan bilaterally," a top government source said.

Pakistan has been flagging concern over designs of India's five hydroelectricity projects -- Pakal Dul (1000 MW), Ratle (850 MW), Kishanganga (330 MW), Miyar (120 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW) -- being built/planned in the Indus river basin, contending these violate the treaty.

Pakistan had also approached the World Bank, the mediator between the two countries of the 57-year-old water distribution treaty, in August last year raising issues over Kishanganga and Ratle in Jammu and Kashmir.

While there is no confirmation so far whether issues relating to these two projects will figure during the two-day meet as they are before the WB, the source said Pakal Dul, Miyar and Lower Kalnai may be discussed.

"Pakistan has been raising concern over designs of the three projects for at least two-three years now.

"These issues may be discussed as there has not been any resolution yet," the source said, but stressed "these projects do not violate the pact".

The three projects, being built on tributaries of Chenab river, are in the pre-construction/under-construction stages.

Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai are being built in Jammu and Kashmir at cost of Rs 7464 crore (November 2008 price level) and Rs 396 crore respectively.

Miyar hydroelectricity project, located in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul Spiti district, is estimated to cost Rs 1125 crore.

The commission, which has officials from both the countries as its members, was set up under the treaty to discuss and resolve issues relating to its implementation.

It is mandatory for the commission to meet at least once in a fiscal, alternately in India and Pakistan.

The PIC's meeting, to be attended by India's Indus water commissioner and MEA officials, will take place nearly six months after New Delhi decided to suspend talks on the pact in the wake of the Uri terror attack by Pakistan-based outfits.

The PIC had last met in May 2015 here.

India had on Friday downplayed its participation in the upcoming meeting in Pakistan to discuss issues relating to sharing of Indus river water, saying it does not amount to resumption of government-level Indo-Pak talks.

Declaring that "blood and water cannot flow together", Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held a meeting in September to review the treaty in the backdrop of the terror strikes, including the Uri attack.

After the meeting, officials had announced that the government has decided to suspend further talks and increase the utilisation of rivers flowing through J&K to fully exercise India's rights under the pact.

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Union minister Kiren Rijiju today said India's position on the 26/11 Mumbai attack is very well known and there is "nothing new" in former Pakistani NSA Mahmud Ali Durrani's remark that it was a "classic example" of cross-border terror.

"India's position is very well known and consistent. There is nothing new for us," the Union minister of state for home told PTI when his response on Durrani's statement was sought.

Addressing a conference on combating terrorism here, Durrani said the 26/11 terror strikes were a "classic example" of cross-border terrorism, carried out by a Pakistan-based terror group, but maintained that the Pakistani government had no role in the attack.

India has been blaming Pakistani government establishments for the country's worst terror attack in which 166 people lost their lives.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said on February 12, 2016 that it was abundantly clear that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was behind the deadly Mumbai attack and Islamabad should act against all those involved in it.

Former Home Minister P Chidambaram had said on June 28, 2012 that Pakistani state actors were involved in the 2008 carnage.

"When I say state actors, at the moment, I am not pointing a finger at any particular agency. But clearly there was state support or state actors' support for the 26/11 massacre," he had said.

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Private carrier Monday said it has tied-up with Fiji Airways to provide seamless air connectivity between India and Fiji via Singapore and Hong Kong with code share flights.

As part of the pact, which is effective from March 8, the passengers of will be allowed to travel Nadi in the pacific nation, using Fiji Airways network.

Similarly, the passengers of Fiji Airways will be allowed to travel to Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai on flight to these places from Singapore.

The Jet Airways flight from Hong Kong to Mumbai and Delhi will also be operated as code-share flight, Jet Airways said in a release.

Code-sharing allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers and provide seamless travel to destinations where it has no presence.

The agreement, a first-of-its-kind between the airlines of the two countries, will address the growing demand for travel between India and Fiji, it said.

The code share agreement with Fiji Airways reflects offers the best possible connections to more and more destinations around the world. This would enable seamless connectivity between both countries, Jet Airways Whole-time Director, Gaurang Shetty, said in the release.

According to the airline, all code share flights will allow through check-in to the final destination of any journey.

Fiji Airways' Managing Director and CEO Andre Viljoen said, "Demand for travel from Fiji to India for tourism, medical treatment, education and family reasons keeps growing and our code share agreement will boost this even further.
Kerala assembly today unanimously passed a resolution condemning the sacked RSS functionary Kundan Chandravat's 'death threat' to state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The resolution, moved by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs A K Balan, condemned Chandravat's statement and also asked the Madhya Pradesh government to register a case under relevant sections against him.

Chandravat had triggered a row last week with an announcement that he would pay a sum of Rs 1 crore for beheading Vijayan to avenge the killing of RSS workers allegedly by CPI-M workers in Kerala.

"The house shares concern and anxiety of the people caused due to the death threat to Pinarayi Vijayan, who had been in the forefront of state politics for the last five decades, as legislator, Minister and now Chief Minister of the state", the resolution said.

The resolution also urged the people to unitedly defeat the "primitive culture" of facing with weapon instead of ideologies.

Supporting the resolution, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the Chandravat's statement was a challenge to secularism and democracy and people of the state heard it with shock.

"Madhya Pradesh government had taken the matter very lightly," Chennithala said.

When State Minister for PWD G Sudhakaran brought to the notice of the House the absence of lone BJP member O Rajagopal while moving the motion, Balan said the resolution was introduced with the concurrence of the legislator.

Later, Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan announced that the House passed the resolution unanimously.

RSS had on March 3 sacked Chandravat for his announcement of Rs 1 crore bounty for beheading Vijayan.

Chandravat had also alleged that 300 innocent people belonging to the RSS had been killed but the Kerala Chief Minister was turning a blind eye.

After his speech sparked an uproar, drawing condemnation from the CPI(M), the Congress and even from the RSS, Chandravat retracted his statement and expressed regret.

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Kerala government will soon launch 'Kerala Brand' organic vegetables in the market to promote pesticide-free vegetables grown by farmers.

Minister for Agriculture V S Sunil Kumar told the Assembly that steps were on to sell the organic vegetables, grown in selected clusters across the state, under the brand name.

"The Agriculture department will sell organic vegetables, produced in 446 selected clusters, under the name Kerala Organic brand," he said during the Question Hour.

Detailing other plans to promote agriculture, the Minister said 'rice agro-parks' would be set up in Palakkad, Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts soon.

A string of such small-scale agro-parks would be set up in other parts of the state also in the later phase making use of the facilities of district agro-farms and other available land, he said.

In view of increasing concerns about pesticide containing vegetables and fruits coming from neighbouring states, Sunil Kumar said more laboratories would be set up to examine the chemical residue in them.

The proposal to set up an advanced laboratory, where at least 50 samples of vegetables and fruits could be tested in one hour, was also under the active consideration of the government, he said, adding, launching of interest-free loans for farmers was also being considered.

On the drought situation prevailing in the state, the Minister said crops in 30,353 hectare agriculture land had been damaged, registering a lose of Rs 300 crore.

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Kuwait will restore the citizenship of opposition figures and dozens of their relatives nearly three years after revoking it in a crackdown on dissent, lawmakers said today.

"Our thanks to the emir for his generous gesture of restoring the revoked citizenships," Islamist opposition MP Mohammad al-Dallal tweeted after a meeting with Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

Several of the 14 MPs who attended the meeting confirmed that the oil-rich Gulf state's ruler had ordered the citizenships to be restored.

The Kuwaiti government in mid-2014 stripped at least four opposition figures and dozens of their family members of their nationality as part of a crackdown on dissent.

The decision, following large street protests demanding political reforms, was slammed by rights groups.

Those affected included Islamist former opposition MP Abdullah al-Barghash and more than 50 members of his extended family.

They also included former spokesman of the opposition Popular Action Movement Saad al-Ajmi, who was later deported to Saudi Arabia.

The owner of the opposition-linked Alam Al-Youm newspaper Ahmad Jabr al-Shemmari and Islamist preacher Nabil al-Awadhi also lost their nationality.

Several of those affected sued the government.

The move to restore their status comes after a November snap election in which opposition groups participated after a four-year boycott, winning almost half of the 50 seats.

Opposition groups and candidates made restoring citizenship rights a key election pledge.

Kuwait has a native population of 1.35 million, many of whom became citizens through naturalisation.

The emirate also has 3.1 million foreign residents.

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The traditional 'Lathamar Holi' started with pomp at Barsana village here, as couples celebrated the colourful festival with utmost zeal amid a tight security put in place by district authorities.

The annual event, said to be observed for last 5000 years in Barsana and Nandgaon villages is welcomed with enthusiasm and historical pride.

Celebrated in the villages a few days before Holi, 'Lathamar' means 'playing with sticks'.

"In the festival, men folk try to smear colour on new clothes worn by women who traditionally protect themselves with lathis," a priest said.

This year, the gala event saw several thousand domestic and foreign tourists enjoying the thrill that this unique festival provides.

The celebration of Holi here is marked by a fine blending of music and dance by local youngsters who enthral the visitors from across the globe.

"I appreciate the stamina of woman folk for continuously attacking men for nearly one hour," Hansaroopa, who came from the USA said.

While newly wed Uma Shrotiya was thrilled, since it was her maiden participation in Lathamar Holi, Chandrakanta(72) was proud of participating in the sportfor the 50thtime.

However, Urmila Goshwami lamented over not being able to participate this year due to illness.

"Owing to strict vigil, no untoward incident has taken place," ADMAK Awasthi said, adding that posting of police in plain clothes was effective aswomen felt safe.

"Only seeing is believing," said Rajkumar Tomar from Ahmedabad, who was mesmerised.

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A lawyer for one of the women accused of poisoning the estranged half brother of North Korea's leader says there are serious holes in the case.

In an interview published yesterday by Vietnam's state-run online newspaper Zing, attorney Selvam Shanmugam, who represents Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam, said allegations that the North Korean man had existing health problems should be cause for a new autopsy.

Kim Yong Nam was fatally poisoned at Kuala Lumpur airport on February 13, and so far Doan Thi Huong and an Indonesian woman have been charged with murder. Malaysian authorities say the toxic VX nerve agent was used in the attack.

North Korea has not acknowledged that the man was Kim Yong Nam, but identified him as Kim Chol, the name on in his diplomatic passport Shanmugam comments come after a North Korean official, the country's former ambassador to the U.N, said Kim Chol had heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure.

"There were reasons for the North Korean ambassador to say so. I believe that there are issues that the Malaysian attorney general has to consider," Shanmugam was quoted as saying, adding "they should have a new autopsy."



Shanmugam said that if the VX nerve agent was used, why were the two women not harmed, or anyone else at the airport.

"Was it the toxic VX agent or Kim Chol's illnesses?" he said of the possible reasons for his death.

Shanmugam said he would meet Huong for the first time in prison on Monday.

Doan Van Thanh, Huong's father, told The Associated Press by telephone from his home village in northern Vietnam that he met Shanmugam on Saturday and agreed to have him represent his daughter.

"I believe that my daughter is not guilty," Thanh said. The death of Kim, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has unleashed a diplomatic battle between Malaysia and North Korea. Malaysian authorities said Kim died within 20 minutes after two women smeared his face with VX, a banned nerve agent considered a weapon of mass destruction.

North Korea has rejected Malaysia's autopsy finding that VX killed Kim.

The Malaysian government on Saturday gave Ambassador Kang Chol 48 hours to leave the country after he refused to apologise for his strong accusations over Malaysia's handling of the investigation into the killing.

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A young Madhesi activist was today killed in alleged police firing and several others injured in clashes when Madhesi cadres tried to disrupt a public meeting of the main opposition party CPN-UML in southern Nepal.

The United Democratic Madhesi Front activist was killed when police opened fire to disperse the UDMF cadres who had encircled the venue of the meeting in Saptari district, party sources said.

Sanjay Mehta, 18, had sustained serious injuries in the clashes that erupted when CPN-UML chairman and Nepal's former prime minister KP Oli was addressing a gathering nearby.

Mehta died moments later, the UDMF sources said.

The police resorted to firing after they failed to control the Madhesi cadres. They earlier baton charged them and fired tear gas cells, said Chief District Officer Baldev Gautam.

The public meeting was called by Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist as part of its Mechi-Mahakali campaign launched two days ago in the Terai's Jhapa district.

The CPN-UML says the campaign is aimed at strengthening the national unity and expedite the implementation of the Constitution.

The Madhesi Front was disrupting the meeting as part of its separate campaign against local body polls scheduled for May 14.

Prime Minister Prachanda has said the government is trying to bring the Madhes-centric parties on board for the polls.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, launched a six-month- long agitation against the implementation of the Constitution without ameding its provisions that would address the demands for more representation and re-demarcation of state boundaries.

At least 50 people died in the violent Madhesi protest between September 2015 and February last year.

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The Maharashtra government will take up with Karnataka the need for joint efforts to prevent women being taken to border towns for female foeticide.

The Government suspects that a cross-border abortion racket is in operation after 19 aborted female foetuses were found dumped in a stream at a village in Sangli, bordering Karnataka, yesterday.

"Maharashtra government will take up the issue of female foeticide with Karnataka to prevent such cases, especially after the Sangli incident," Deepak Sawant, Maharashtra Health Minister told PTI today.

Nineteen aborted female foetuses were found dumped near a stream at a village in Sangli district of western Maharashtra by police yesterday.

Probing the case of a pregnant woman's death during abortion, the police had reached the stream in Mhaisal village where it found the foetuses.

Sangli Superintendent of Police, Dattatray Shinde had said the death of a 26-year-old pregnant woman on February 28 blew the lid off the "racket".

The woman had died during abortion at a private hospital run by a homoeopath, who is on the run, police said.

"As the villagers suspected a foul play in the woman's death, they approached police, following which the racket was busted," Shinde said.

The woman was taken to the hospital by her husband a few days back for abortion as she was carrying a girl child for the third time.

The Minister said a committee headed by Chief Secretary Sumit Malik was set up yesterday to conduct an investigation in the matter and co-ordinate with various departments to curb such practices.

There are also instances of women from Maharashtra being taken to border areas of Karnataka for abortion. In such cases, Maharashtra Police cannot directly go there and initiate action, Sawant said.

"We have also asked the Sangli District medical officer and civil surgeon to file their reports on Mhaisal incident. Once the report comes, there will be appropriate action," Sawant said, adding search was on for the absconding doctor.

"Such cross border nexus does exist and they profit from loopholes in the policing system and lack of communication between the two state governments," a government official said, requesting not to be identified.

(REOPENS BES 7)



Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe today said that



she will raise this issue in the Upper House and demanded that a central committee be set up to investigate this "nexus".

"I demand a fact-finding Committee investigation in the matter. Even medicine suppliers are involved in such malpractices. This is a serious issue. On one hand, PM Narendra Modi is talking about 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' and on the other hand, daughters are being killed before they are born," Gorhe said.

"As this case pertains to both Maharashtra and Karnataka, the state government should pursue the Centre to set up a committee of central government officers' from the health department to look into the issue. This measure will be more effective," she told
Malaysia's prime minister today said he expects no apology from North Korea over its comments on the investigation into the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, as Pyongyang's ambassador faced a deadline to leave the country.

On Saturday Malaysia declared Ambassador Kang Chol persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave the country for failing to issue an apology for his criticism of Malaysia's investigation into the murder.

Kim Jong-Nam, the half-brother of Pyongyang's leader, was poisoned February 13 with the deadly nerve agent VX. North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man's identity but has repeatedly disparaged the murder investigation, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.

Asked by reporters whether he will demand an apology from Pyongyang, Prime Minister Najib Razak replied: "Right now we are not getting anything. I don't expect anything."



"They should have apologised based on principles, [so] we have declared him persona non grata," added Najib, speaking to reporters after a ceremonial opening of parliament in Kuala Lumpur.

South Korea has blamed the North for the murder, citing what they say was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother who may have been seen as a potential rival.

The diplomatic spat erupted last month when Malaysian police rejected North Korean diplomats' demands to hand over Kim's body.

Kang then claimed the investigation was politically motivated and said Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with "hostile forces", referring to the North's arch-rival, Seoul.

Malaysia summoned Kang for a dressing-down, with Najib saying the ambassador's statement was "diplomatically rude".

Malaysia has also recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and cancelled a rare visa-free travel deal with North Korea.

Malaysia issued a February 28 deadline for an apology, which passed and then expelled the ambassador when he failed to present himself at the foreign ministry when summoned on Saturday.

The foreign ministry has said the expulsion is "part of the process by the Malaysian government to review its relations" with North Korea.

Kang is expected to leave on a flight to Beijing on Monday evening, officials told AFP.

With media camped for a third week outside the North Korean embassy, Kuala Lumpur Monday buzzed with speculation on would happen if Kang refused to leave.

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The Supreme Court today exempted the Centre from filing before it the status report on the progress made by the international tribunal in deciding the jurisdiction issue in the case of Italian marines, accused of killing Indian fishermen



A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said the Centre need not file a status report after every three months before this court and asked it to rather file a final report when the tribunal decides whether India or Italy can try the marines.

The marines, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, are accused of killings two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012.

"Petitioners (Latorre and Girone) shall be liable to adhere to the time schedules fixed in relation to hearing before the international arbitral tribunal," the bench also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul said, adding that the final award of the tribunal be put up before it.

The court, meanwhile, asked Additional Solicitor General P S Narsimha, appearing for the Centre, to keep the Kerala government informed about the developments which may take place from time to time before the tribunal.

On September 28, 2016 the apex court had allowed Latorre to remain in his country till the international arbitral tribunal decides the jurisdictional issue.

The apex court had said all the conditions which were imposed on Girone would be applicable on Latorre as well besides putting a condition on the government to submit to it the three-monthly report about the case's progress at the tribunal.

The court's direction had come on a plea by Italy seeking modification of bail conditions of Latorre to enable him to remain in that country till jurisdictional issue was decided by the international tribunal.

The apex court had on September 8, 2016 decided to hear Italy's plea on behalf of Latorre who had sought urgent hearing on the ground that an earlier court order was valid till September 30, 2016.

While relaxing Girone's bail conditions on May 26, the apex court had allowed him to go to his country till the jurisdiction issue was decided.

The apex court had earlier imposed four conditions on



Girone including that he has to report to a police station in Italy on the first Wednesday of each month and Italian authorities have to inform the Indian Embassy in Rome about it.

The second condition was that he will not tamper with any evidence, nor influence any witness in the case.

Thirdly, Girone has to give an undertaking that he will remain under the jurisdiction of Supreme Court and lastly, if found violating any of these conditions, his bail will be cancelled, the court had said.

The marines, who were aboard the Italian-flagged commercial oil tanker 'Enrica Lexie', are accused of killing two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast on February 15, 2012.

The complaint against the marines was lodged by Freddy, the owner of fishing boat 'St Antony' in which the two Kerala fishermen were killed when the marines opened fire on them allegedly under the misconception that they were pirates.

On April 26, the apex court had extended till September 30 the stay of Latorre in Italy after it was informed that the international arbitral proceedings would be completed by December 2018 before International Tribunal for Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Germany.

The apex court had also asked the Italian Embassy here to give an undertaking to abide by the conditions under which Latorre was allowed to leave India.

The court had earlier stayed all criminal proceedings, including the trial of the two marines.

While allowing the joint request of India and Italy, the apex court had said the proceedings would remain stalled till the jurisdictional issue about which country has the right to conduct trial was decided through international arbitration.

The apex court had on August 26, 2015 suspended all court proceedings here in pursuance of an interim order of the ITLOS asking India to maintain "status quo" in the case.

The Indian government had then said a five-member tribunal (ITLOS Annex VII arbitral tribunal) would be set up, probably to decide the issue of jurisdiction.

The court, in August last year, had extended the stay of Latorre, who had undergone a heart surgery in Italy, by six months while asking him to file an undertaking that he would abide by its conditions.

Latorre, who had also suffered a brain stroke on August 31, 2014, was allowed by the apex court on September 12, 2014 to go to Italy for four months and after that, extensions have been granted to him.
Minister of State for Finance, Arjun Ram Meghwal, would highlight the initiatives taken for strengthening local governance in India at the 4th Annual Devolution Conference to be held on March 6-9 in Kenya.

Meghwal has been asked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to represent India at the conference, an official statement today said.

Meghwal is scheduled to address the conference on revenue sharing between the Centre and the states as well as showcase the smooth devolution that happened in India following recommendations made by the 14th Finance Commission to raise to 42 per cent the Union's net tax receipts to the states, from the earlier 32 per share in the 13th Finance Commission.

The statement said that the objective of the conference also includes sharing of good experience of devolution system and how it can be used to increase good governance and public accountability for the social & economic development internationally.

In this international conference, around 10,000 delegates will participate from different regions including African nations and China.

Members of Parliament, leaders of opposition from all states, professionals, representative of various civil societies, religious & social organisations from Kenya will also take part in the conference.

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Chittorgarh Fort, a World Heritage Site in Rajasthan, was vandalised by a group of men who broke mirrors installed at the Padmini Palace of the Rajput queen who was in the after protests over a period film named after her.

Three mirrors installed at the Padmini Palace inside Chittorgarh Fort complex were damaged by four-five unidentified men in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan.

Rajput outfit Karni Sena had in January protested against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film Padmavati and had asked Chittorgarh Fort authorities to remove the mirror work from the palace a few days back.

"The mirrors were broke by unidentified persons last evening. An FIR was registered under relevant sections on the complaint of the Archaeological Survey of India against unidentified persons and the matter is under investigation," SP, Chittorgarh, Prasanna Kumar Khamesra said today.

According to the outfit, Queen Padmini had committed 'jauhar' (self immolation) along with thousands of other women when Alauddin Khilji attacked the Fort in 1303 AD.

They dispute a story based on the poem "Padmavat" by Malik Muhammmad Jayasi written in 1540 that Khilji had seen Padmini's face through a mirror.

Karni Sena patron Lokendra Singh Kalvi said they do not believe in the tale that Khilji had seen Padmavati's face through a mirror as mirrors were not available at that time.

"Not only Rajputs, but other communities also object to this view. Karni Sena had requested the fort authorities to remove the mirrors a few days ago.However, it is not confirmed whether those who broke the mirrors were members of the Sena or not. This will be know after police investigation," Kalvi said.

Karni Sena had alleged distortion of historical facts in Bhansali's film starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapur and Ranveer Singh.

However, the production house had later clarified that there was nothing objectionable in the script of the movie following which the Karni Sena had withdrawn its protest.

The state government has also said that the film would not be allowed to release in the state until Rajput community leaders watch the film.

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In a suspected case of extortion, motorcycle borne miscreants hurled bombs at a JCB machine of a contractor near Chanditala village in Jajpur district, police said today.

The JCB machine was on canal renovation work being carried out by a contractor when two miscreants came on a motorcycle yesterday afternoon and asked its operator to give telephone number of the contractor of the work who was absent from the site, at gun point, the police said.

As the JCB operator was reluctant to give contractor's telephone number, the miscreants hurled two crude bombs at the machine and fled away. Though the JCB got damaged due to explosion, the operator survived unhurt, they said.

"On being informed we reached the spot and started investigation. We have sealed all entry and exit points of the area and informed all police stations in around Barachana. Though the machine got partly damaged, its operator survived unhurt," said Sudhakar Sahu, inspector-in-charge of Barachana police station.

Extortion is believed to be the motive behind the incident, he said.

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A BJP MLA today reached Vidhan Bhawan in a bullock cart, in a novel protest to demand restarting of bullock cart races in Maharashtra.

The move by Mahesh Landge, who represents Bhosari constituency in Pune district, comes in response to a demand by farmers in his constituency that Maharashtra should emulate Tamil Nadu which lifted ban on Jallikattu.

"We are waiting for the Maharashtra government to bring in a bill to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, to pave the way for its centuries-old tradition of bullock cart racing," Landge told PTI.

When pointed out that CM Devendra Fadnavis had spoken of bringing the bill during the budget session, which began today, Landge said "We want the bill to be brought in the first week itself, as village jatras (rural fairs) are beginning and people are being deprived of the races."



Security officials at Vidhan Bhawan stopped the MLA's bullock cart, followed by his supporters, outside the main building of the state legislature.

Animal rights activists are strongly opposed to the move to lift the ban on bullock cart races, saying the race was banned as the bulls were being tortured.

Tamil Nadu lifted ban on Jallikattu, brushing aside objections raised by animal rights organisations there and same policy should be adopted here as well, Landge said.

The races were banned in Maharashtra in 2011, after bulls were categorised as performing animals under the Act.

Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, Shiv Sena MP from Shirur (Pune district) and Peasants and Workers Party legislator Jayant Patil are among the politicians who have been pursuing the issue with the state.

Adhalrao Patil said he had raised the issue in Parliament thrice and sought intervention of PM Narendra Modi to restart the bullock cart races.

(REOPENS BES5)



"We had reached near Mantralaya, which is adjacent to Vidhan Bhawan, when police stopped us. We then took the bullock cart to the state BJP office, which is in the same area," Landge said.
SP candidate and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav today hit out at the Narendra Modi government for "deriving political mileage" from the Army's accomplishments.

"I am the daughter of an armyman. These people are taking mileage from the martyrdom of our soldiers. They are politicising the army...Never seen such a government earlier," the star SP campaigner said said at an election meeting here.

Dimple also targeted the Centre over the demonetisation move saying they had made people "run around" for their own money.

"The Modi government which had promised 'achchy din' did the 'karnama' of note ban...You were made to run around for taking out your own money from banks...That was your hard earned money...Till date there is no detail of how much black money has been detected," said Dimple, who is contesting the state Assembly polls from Kannauj constituency.

Attacking Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, Dimple said, "Making false promises is also a karnama...Being seen a lot in media and failure to keep up the promises is corruption and dishonesty."



"You must all be aware of this Gujarati bhai (Amit Shah) of ours...It is his 'karnama' to shift the blame of the Centre's failure on the head of others and present fake statistics," Dimple said.

She also hit out at the government for the transaction charges announced by banks and hike in LPG prices for those who had given up their subsidy.

"You will have to compare as to which is the government that works for you and which is the one offering only allurements," she said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tributes to Lal Bahadur Shastri at a memorial erected at the site where the former Prime Minister had spent early childhood.

Modi, who has been campaigning in the city for three days, chose the last day to travel to Ramnagar township across the Ganges. The pathway leading to the Shastri Chauraha crossing, named after the late PM, was jampacked with supporters and admirers who had been standing there for hours.

Chants of "Modi! Modi! reverberated through the air as the PM's cavalcade appeared.

Modi, who is also the local MP, got up from his seat inside his black vehicle and stood on the footboard, balancing himself with one arm entwined around the door frame and waving at the crowds with the other as the cavalcade trudged towards the statue of Shastri.

After paying floral tributes at the statue, Modi headed towards the house where Shastri's father had lived until his death. Shastri was only two years old at that time. The family had then moved to Allahabad.

Passing through a narrow alley, the Prime Minister covered a distance of a few hundred metres on foot amid chants of "Modi! Modi!" from the crowd before entering the premises which have now been converted into a small museum.

After paying floral tributes at life-size portraits of Shastri and "Bharat Mata", kept side by side, Modi went inside and had a look at the pictures adorning the walls wherein various episodes from the ex-Premier's life were depicted.

He also enjoyed a song based on Shastri's life, sitting cross-legged on a mattress covered with a white sheet.

Known for his love for music, the PM was seen clapping his hands and gesticulating with his head several times in appreciation of the rendition, made to the tune of tabla and harmonium.

As he left for his onward journey, many of the residents gushed that this was the first time that a Prime Minister had paid a visit to the house of Shastri, who is revered for his honesty and integrity and leadership during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war.

Talking to PTI over phone, Shastri's maternal grandson and BJP national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh said, "I cannot find enough words to appreciate what the Prime Minister has done. My grandfather was a Congress leader but the party never gave him his due".

"My grandmother had made a request to the then Congress government 40 years ago that the house, which Modi visited today, be made a museum so that people may visit the place and feel inspired.

"The proposal saw the light of the day only when Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the PM," Singh said.

"Today, Modi has moved a step further in the direction of acknowledging our unsung heroes and recognizing their contributions," Singh said in a voice choked with emotion.

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North Korea said today it would expel Malaysia's ambassador in a tit-for-tat move after Pyongyang's envoy left the Southeast Asian nation in an increasingly bitter row over the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

"The Foreign Ministry of the DPRK (North Korea) notifies that the Malaysian ambassador to the DPRK is labeled as a persona non grata... And demanded that the ambassador leave the DPRK," state agency KCNA said, giving a 48-hour deadline.

Malaysia had earlier recalled its envoy to Pyongyang for consultations as the two countries traded barbs over an investigation into the killing of the North Korean leader's half-brother last month.

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's son Nara Lokesh today filed his nomination for election to state Legislative Council under MLAs' quota.

The election is scheduled to be held on March 20.

Government Chief Whip Kalva Srinivasulu proposed Lokesh's name while Deputy Chief Ministers K E Krishna Murthy and N China Rajappa, TDP's AP unit president K Kala Venkata Rao and other legislators seconded the nomination.

Lokesh submitted his papers to Legislature Secretary (in-charge) and Returning Officer K Satyanarayana Rao.

The members of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) politburo had last month unanimously proposed Lokesh's name for a Council seat and left the final choice of candidates to Chandrababu.

For sometime now, there has been talk of Lokesh's possible induction into the state Cabinet.

Lokesh, currently the TDP general secretary, is neither the member of Legislative Council nor the Assembly.

Since there are no vacancies in the 176-member Assembly, the only available option for him is to get elected to the Council.

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Nigeria is advising its citizens against all but essential travel to the United States because of the lack of clarity on new immigration rules, the government said today.

A special adviser to the president on foreign affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said in a statement that Nigerians "without any compelling or essential reasons" should consider delaying.

"In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to Nigeria," she said.

"In such cases reported to the office, such affected persons were sent back immediately on the next available flight and their visas were cancelled."



Dabiri-Erewa said "no reasons were given for the decision by the US immigration authorities".

The recommendation to postpone trips was given "until there is clarity on the new immigration policy" from Washington, she added.

Of the 2.1 million African immigrants living in the United States in 2015, 327,000 were born in Nigeria, according to data from the Pew Research Center, published in February.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 27 to bar people from seven, Muslim-majority countries from travelling to the United States for 90 days.

It also stopped all refugees for 120 days and Syrian refugees permanently. The ban caused global outrage, as well as chaos across the United States, before it was frozen by a legal ruling.

Trump is expected to sign a revised travel ban today.

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Nuclear-armed North Korea fired an "unidentified projectile" into waters east of the peninsula early today, the South's defence ministry said.

The item was fired from North Pyongan province "around 7:36 am" (local time), the ministry said in a statement adding it landed in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

The South's Yonhap agency cited an unnamed ministry official as saying the projectile could be an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland.

Seoul and Washington launched annual joint military exercises last week that regularly infuriate Pyongyang, which condemns them as provocative rehearsals for invasion.

Visiting a North Korean army headquarters unit, leader Kim Jong-Un ordered the troops to "set up thorough countermeasures of a merciless strike against the enemy's sudden air assault", the state-run Korean Central Agency said on the day the Foal Eagle exercises started.

North Korea fired a ballistic missile last month -- its first such launch since October -- which Seoul had said was aimed at drawing "global attention" to its nuclear and missile programme and "testing the response from the new US administration" of President Donald Trump.

North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology. But six sets of UN sanctions since Pyongyang's first nuclear test in 2006 have failed to halt its drive for what it insists are defensive weapons.

Last year the country conducted two nuclear tests and numerous missile launches in its quest to develop a nuclear weapons system capable of hitting the continental US.

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Numaligarh Refinery Limited



(NRL) has entered the Myanmar market by exporting wax, following the visit of Union Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan to the neighbouring country.

A total order of 720 MT of Wax has been received from Myanmar, out of which the first consignment of 100 MT of Fully Refined Paraffin Wax was dispatched from NRL's Marketing Terminal at Numaligarh on Saturday last, a NRL release said.

The Minister had headed a delegation of senior NRL officials to Myanmar the February to explore business opportunities there.

NRL has so far exported 2,264 MT of Wax to 11 countries like Mexico, Kenya, Nepal, Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Thailand, Hong Kong(China), Brazil, Indonesia , Dominican Republic and Myanmar.

NRL has also received an order for 100 MT of Wax from the Central American nation of Guatemala, which will be dispatched in a day or two, the release said.

NRL is the first Indian oil company to have penetrated the Myanmar Wax market where China enjoyed a monopoly so far.

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Chinese handset vendor has roped in Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan as its brand representative.

"Association with the living legend reiterates the brand philosophy of 'Never Settle' and the company's pursuit of perfection," said in a statement today.

"As the brand grows to the next level, we aim to continue to bond with our community in a more meaningful and engaging way," founder and CEO Pete Lau said.

The association with Bachchan will further strengthen this bond, give users a greater sense of purpose and help the brand scale new heights, he added.

"Being a OnePlus user myself, I am thrilled to represent the brand in India and become a part of the passionate community of OnePlus fans to take the brand legacy ahead," Bachchan said.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi today dissolved the Maharashtra core committe of the party with immediate effect.

In a letter to the committee members, Owaisi said the committee stands dissolved with effect from today, party sources told PTI.

AIMIM won 26 seats in the recently-held elections to ten municipal corporations in Maharashtra. It has two MLAs in the state.

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Pakistan-based terror groups finance terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir by generating millions in donations through their charity organisations, an NIA officer said today.

Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a charity run by terror outfits Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Al Rehmat Trust, backed by another terrorists group Jaish-e- Mohammed (JeM), have been supporting terrorists and funding terrorism in Kashmir, said Atul Goel, Superintendent of Police, National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The agency is entrusted with probing terrorism-related cases.

Goel said the NIA was looking into the activities of JuD, LeT and JeM and also the working of trusts associated with them in the neighbouring country.

"These outfits collect donations from people in Pakistan and then pass on the money to finance terrorism in Kashmir through their over ground workers," he said, addressing a session at the 19th Asian Security Conference on 'Combating Terrorism: Evolving an Asian Response'. The session was chaired by former Home Secretary G K Pillai.

'Al Rehmat Trust' distributes pamphlets to raise funds for sacrificing animals during Eid and after collecting the money, they finance terrorism, the officer said.

FIF, one of the major and fastest growing Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) in Pakistan, also collects money from people and uses them to fund terrorists, Goel said.

"JuD chief Hafiz Saeed addresses the volunteers of FIF. They have an entire network of people who work for their agenda of fomenting terror in Kashmir," he said.

Goel said these organisations indulge in collection of



money outside mosques.

"Authorities have a video in which two persons are seen soliciting funds from people outside a mosque in Karachi in the presence of Pakistani Rangers," the officer claimed.

These groups organise special campaigns during natural disasters and festivals and solicit money.

"JuD seeks voluntary donations during Eid. FIF, under the name of Tehreek-e-Azadi Jammu and Kashmir, organise campaigns and seeks donations illegally. Such incidents often get published in the local media (there)," Goel said.

FIF also seeks collection of funds online. One of the major sources of fund collection is sacrificing animals and collection of money during festivals, he said.

"Apparently, they collect millions of dollars in donations through crowd funding in the name of social service. A 2012 report says 780 million Pakistani rupees were collected for funding terrorism in Kashmir," the officer said.

The groups also run profit-generating businesses like operating schools where fee is exceptionally high in the context of south Asia, targeting upper middle class, he said.

David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American terrorist who is serving a 35-year sentence in the US, before his seventh visit to India, was given FICN by one Major Iqbal of Pakistan-snoop agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Lahore, which he spent in Mumbai, Goel claimed. Headley is an accused in 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case.

Director General, National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics, P K Dash said terrorism had mutated into a business of power and money cloaked in fundamentalism, funded by rogue economics that requires little capital but gives huge return.

A comprehensive approach is needed to tackle the issue as terrorism cannot be neutralised merely with guns, Dash said.
Pakistan was invited for the two-day meeting of the SAARC grouping on animal diseases held here recently but the neighbouring country chose not to send its representative, the government today said.

The invitation for the first 'SAARC Epidemiology Networking Forum' meeting was sent by the UN body Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

"The fact is that FAO invited nominations from all MSs (member states) of SAARC and no nomination from Pakistan could be received by FAO and the same was conveyed by FAO to the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries," an official statement issued by the Agriculture Ministry said.

The meeting was held in the national capital on February 27-28 and was jointly organised by the Government of India, the SAARC Secretariat and FAO.

"The 1st EpiNet meeting was a purely technical meeting and the FAO of UN, who initiated this programme, is a neutral organisation as regard to its stand on any political conflicts anywhere in the world," the statement said.

Last week, the ministry had said in a statement that the epidemiology focal points "from the 7 member states, except Pakistan, participated in the meeting".

The objective of the meeting was to operationalise a sustainable and functioning veterinary epidemiology network among the eight SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) member states to build collaboration to achieve a more effective and efficient control of trans-boundary animal diseases, including zoonoses.

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A Palestinian was killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Israeli army said.

The man, who was wanted and whose name was not given, opened fire at soldiers who came to arrest him at his home, where two weapons were later found, an army spokeswoman said.

Two Palestinians were wounded by gunfire in subsequent clashes with Israeli troops, Palestinian hospital sources said.

Since a wave of violence broke out in October 2015, 254 Palestinians, 40 Israelis, two Americans, one Jordanian, one Eritrean and one Sudanese have been killed, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities, with others killed during protests, in clashes or air raids on Gaza.

The Israeli army routinely carries out forays and arrests in Ramallah although it is in principle entirely under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

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At least 16 people died and 35 were injured in Panama when a bus veered off a highway and flipped into a ravine and then a river, the authorities have said.

Civil Defense officer Jose Donderis yesterday said the bus headed from the Bocas del Toro province on the Caribbean Sea to a ranch in Chame -- a town on the Pacific Ocean some seven hours away -- crashed near Cienaga Vieja in Anton, Cocle province, southwest of Panama City, around 1900 GMT.

"It is a really dramatic accident," he said, adding that the cause was not yet known. "The entire bus, the inside part of the bus, was squeezed into the part where the driver would be and a lot of people were trapped there."



Many of the injured were in critical condition, Donderis said. He had previously reported 10 people died in the crash.

Other passengers drowned when water from the river into which the bus fell swamped it, Donderis added.

Helicopters and ambulances have been sent to the scene, he said.

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The O Panneerselvam faction today met Greater Chennai Police Commissioner S George for the second time, seeking permission to observe a one-day fast here, part of their March 8 state-wide stir in district capitals, seeking an independent probe into the demise of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa



"Since only two more days are left, we came here to remind him again", former AIADMK Minister K P Munuswamy told reporters after presenting a memorandum to the Commissioner.

On February 28, the Panneerselvam's faction, led by AIADMK Party Presidium Chairman E Madhusudhanan, said it would



Observe a one day fast in all district capitals across Tamil Nadu on March 8, seeking an independent probe into the demise of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

"The silence maintained by the Tamil Nadu government on the issue has caused worry to the people of the state and to the true loyalists of Amma (J Jayalalithaa)," he had said.

Madhusudhanan had also met the Commissioner, seeking permission to conduct the agitation in a peaceful manner.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat starting tomorrow, during which he will attend a number of events and meetings.

During the visit, Modi will inaugurate a national convention of women sarpanch, address an industry meet of OPAL project of ONGC and inaugurate a four-lane bridge over Narmada river in Bharuch.

The Prime Minister will also visit Somnath temple and attend a meeting of the Somnath Temple Trust.

Modi will arrive at Surat Airport tomorrow evening, from where he will go to Dahej to address an industry meet at ONGC Petro Additions Limited (OPAL) petrochemical complex.

Thereafter, he will head to Bharuch, where he will inaugurate a new bridge constructed on river Narmada to ease the traffic woes on Ahmedabad-Mumbai National Highway.

The Prime Minister will also address a public gathering in Bharuch and lay a foundation stone for a bus port in the town.

After that event, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani will host a dinner for Modi at his residence in Gandhinagar, where state ministers and MPs are expected to remain present.

Thereafter, the Prime Minister will head to the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar, where he will stay the night.

On Wednesday, Modi will be flown to Somnath temple, where he will offer special prayers and attend the meeting of the Somnath Temple Trust.

Modi is the trustee of temple trust, of which former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel is the president.

BJP president Amit Shah and senior party leader L K Advani will also attend the meeting of the temple trust. Both of them are also its trustees.

On Wednesday afternoon, Modi will address the national convention of women sarpanch in Gandhinagar on the occasion of International Women's Day.

Women sarpanch from different parts of the country will attend the event, which has been jointly organised by the Centre and the Rural Development Department of Gujarat government.

In the last few months, Modi has paid a number of visits to his home state where the assembly elections are scheduled to be held by the end of this year.

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On the final day of campaign for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be holding a rally in predominantly rural Rohaniya Assembly segment falling under his Lok Sabha constituency.

This will be the third consecutive day of electioneering by the Prime Minister here.

Since Friday, Modi has addressed as many as three public meetings and taken out two processions in open vehicles.

The Congress has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission that prior permission had not been sought for Friday's "roadshow", taken out hours before a similar show of strength by Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav.

The BJP has maintained that these were not "roadshows" but "Jan Sampark yatras" and there was no breach of model code of conduct as the PM merely waved at the cheering crowds, without uttering a word, on his way to a temple on Friday and the venue of his rally yesterday.

Today's rally appears strategically timed and placed as Modi will deliver his speech when less than a quarter of the day will be left before campaign comes to a close at 5 P.M.

Rohaniya houses Jayapur, the first village to be adopted by the PM under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.

The assembly segment had come into being after the delimitation of constituencies in 2008.It has stuck out like a sore thumb for the BJP in Varanasi, which is otherwise considered a party stronghold.

In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Murli Manohar Joshi won the seat for the BJP though the party trailed in Rohaniya behind the candidates of Samajwadi Party, BSP and Apna Dal, one of the reasons why his victory margin remained a slim 18,000 votes.

In the 2012 assembly polls, the BJP finished a distant fourth with its candidate securing a paltry 9.67 per cent of votes and forfeiting his deposit.

Wary of the tricky nature of this assembly segment, the party entered into a tie-up with Apna Dal (AD), just before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.The AD enjoys a following among the Kurmis, who form a major chunk of voters here.

AD's Anupriya Patel was the sitting MLA from the seat and she went on to win from Mirzapur in the Lok Sabha polls riding the Modi wave.

Her party, though lost Rohaniya in the ensuring by-poll as her mother Krishna was defeated by the SP candidate.

Patel's party has suffered a split as she now heads one



of the factions and her mother leads the other.

The BJP, which is aggressively expanding its base among the OBCs, has claimed Rohaniya for itself leaving Sevapuri, the only other rural assembly segment in Varanasi, for Patel's party.

Significantly, the Garhwa Ghat ashram which the PM visited earlier in the day, is a monastic order that is revered by the Yadavs.

Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav had recently visited the ashram.
Police armed with assault rifles cordoned off the entrance to North Korea's embassy in the Malaysian capital today, as speculation mounted that the ambassador was about to be escorted to the airport following an expulsion order.

Police vehicles and motorcycle outriders were parked nearby. Senior government officials told AFP that ambassador Kang Chol was expected to leave Malaysia at 18.25 (1025 GMT) on flight MH360 for Beijing, shortly after the deadline for his expulsion expires.

Malaysia and North Korea are enbroiled in an acrimonious dispute over the murder of Kim Jong-Nam, the estranged half-brother of Pyongyang's leader, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport last month.

On Saturday Malaysia declared Kang persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave the country after he failed to apologise for his criticism of Malaysia's investigation, which found that Kim had been poisoned with the deadly nerve agent VX.

North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man's identity but has repeatedly disparaged the murder investigation, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.

Asked by reporters whether he would demand an apology from Pyongyang, Prime Minister Najib Razak replied: "Right now we are not getting anything. I don't expect anything."



"They should have apologised based on principles, (so) we have declared him persona non grata," he told reporters.

South Korea has blamed the North for the murder, citing what it says was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother who may have been seen as a potential rival.

The diplomatic dispute erupted last month when Malaysian police rejected North Korean diplomats' demands to hand over Kim's body.

Kang then claimed the investigation was politically motivated and said Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with "hostile forces", referring to the North's arch-rival, Seoul.

Malaysia summoned Kang for a dressing-down, with Najib saying the ambassador's statement was "diplomatically rude".

Malaysia has also recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and cancelled a rare visa-free travel deal with North Korea. It issued a February 28 deadline for an apology.

It ordered the ambassador expelled after he failed to present himself at the foreign ministry when summoned on Saturday.

The foreign ministry has said the expulsion is "part of the process by the Malaysian government to review its relations" with North Korea.

Police are seeking seven North Korean suspects in their probe, four of whom left Malaysia on the day of the murder. But on Friday they released the only North Korean they had arrested for lack of evidence.

After Ri Jong-Chol was deported, he claimed police offered him a comfortable life in Malaysia for a false confession, saying the investigation was "a conspiracy to impair the dignity of the Republic (North Korea)".

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Police today used force to scuttle a march by hundreds of National Health Mission (NHM) employees, who are on strike since March 1 demanding regularisation of their services in the Jammu and Kashmir government here.

The striking employees assembled under the banner of All J&K National Health Mission Employees Association at Press Enclave in the heart of the city and tried to march towards the Chief Minister's high-security Gupkar residence here but were stopped by police shortly.

Police initially used batons to disperse the protesters and later burst a few teargas shells after the employees refused to disperse and continued with the march, officials said adding nearly a dozen protesters were taken into preventive custody and lodged at Kothibagh police station.

Condemning the police action, a spokesman of the striking employees said police used batons and fired teargas shells resulting in injuries to a number of employees.

The NHM employees initially had been on a 72-hour pen down strike, which they later extended till today to press for their demands including regularisation of their services.

The strike by 13,000 NHM employees hit the patient care at various district and sub-district hospitals and Primary Health Centres across the Valley.

The NHM employees are demanding equal pay for equal work, regularisation of their services and other benefits on par with other government employees, claiming that most of them have completed about a decade of contractual service and have crossed their age bar limit.

Criticising the government for its approach, senior CPI(M) leader and MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami demanded formulation of a comprehensive policy to regularise the employees working under NHM in Jammu and Kashmir.

"There is a dire need to chalk out a regularisation mechanism for employees, including doctors, paramedical and management staff working under NHM in the state," Tarigami said.

He said these employees are paid only one third of emoluments in comparison to their counterparts in the state which needs to be enhanced substantially keeping in view the nature of their duties and price escalations.

Reiterating for implementation of the recent directions of the Supreme Court regarding the principle of 'equal pay for equal work,' Tarigami said "this is the least that justice can be delivered with aggrieved employees."



He said health sector in rural areas is in bad shape and these NHM employees are the only hope to set this sector on the right track.

"It is shocking that the government has been using brute force against these employees who protest peacefully to get justice," he said adding "it seems that the government has become deaf and dumb and even unwilling to talk to the protesting employees to resolve their genuine demands".

Tarigami asked the government to take the issue seriously and initiate negotiations with agitating employee instead of using "brute force" to resolve the issue.

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Arunachal Pradesh Governor P B Acharya today exhorted members of the state Assembly to play a constructive role in taking the state forward.

Delivering his address on the inaugural day of the budget session of the Assembly, Acharya urged lawmakers to rise to the occasion and propel the state to greater heights.

Reminding about the goals of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', the Governor said the members should show the right path, lead by example and be an inspiration for thousands of youth of the state.

"The nation has a lot of expectations from this government led by a young and modern Chief Minister. The youth of the state have huge expectations from the members of this House and from the government. Politics must be fought on the electoral battleground, but never be allowed to come in the path of development and progress," he said.

Outlining the policies and programmes of the government, Acharya said the priority of the government would be to usher in long term governance reforms, to develop Arunachal as the organic hub and fruit bowl of India, to position the state as the centre for wellness, spiritual and adventure tourism, to create policies and institutions which encourage entrepreneurship, employment generation and skill development.

"It is crucial that our villages be provided with infrastructure facilities, which make rural life vibrant. The government will be taking concrete measures for rural transformation through planned investments in rural infrastructure," The Governor said.

"In spite of the fiscal challenges, the government has managed to maintain a tight financial discipline this year and even gone ahead and implemented the recommendations of the Seventh Central Pay Commission," he said.

Acharya said the overall priority for development of



the state was on three Es - Education, Electricity and Employment.

Special emphasis would be on higher education, harnessing the hydro-power potential of the state and empowerment of the youth and women through skill development, he said.

"The culture of bandhs and disruptions, which vitiated the work environment over the last few years, is now a matter of past and the work culture and ethics of governance have taken precedence," Acharya said.

The Governor pointed out that one of the key impediments which has hindered economic growth of the state was the absence of robust connectivity.

"This has a direct impact on the inflow of private investments as well as tourist inflow. The Centre had recently announced highway projects of more than Rs 50,000 crore to be constructed over the next three years. The Trans Arunachal Highway has made steady progress and some niggling problems of land acquisition have been overcome," he said.

A blueprint of the Frontier Highway and an East-West Industrial Corridor and railway corridor has been prepared which was being discussed with the Centre for funding, the Governor said adding, rural road connectivity has also progressed considerably.

"The government is working on investment policies and frameworks, which will help attract private investment and create job opportunities," he said.

The Governor also said the government's focus area would be gender equality and women empowerment.
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is here to showcase India's oil and gas field discoveries at an influential energy conference, discussed the prospects of working together with a Houston-based major petrochemical firm.

The Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, met Bob Patel, the Indian-American CEO of LyondellBasell, a USD 31 billion firm, and discussed the prospects of working together.

Pradhan is in Houston to attend the CERAWeek conference, ranked among the top five corporate leader conferences in the world.

Accompanied by Consulate-General of India in Houston Anupam Ray, officials from oil and gas sector and members of the Indo-American Chamber of Greater Houston, he also visited LyondellBasell Houston Refinery and Channelview petrochemical complex.

The visit was preceded by a meeting with an overview of the US petrochemical industry by industry analysts from IHSMarkit, the UK-based organiser of the international meet.

Later, Pradhan and officials from oil and gas sector will showcase India's oil and gas field discoveries at the meeting.

He earlier visited the Houston consulate for a community reception. He is scheduled to have bilateral meetings with petroleum ministers from Canada, the UAE, Israel, the US, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and also the International Energy Agency (IEA) Secretary-General.

Pradhan will also meet experts from hydrocarbon sector, including Daniel Yergin and Bob Dudley, Group Chief Executive of British Petroleum, one of the world's leading integrated oil and gas companies.

Other than Pradhan, Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak and Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau will address the international gathering of the industry, policy and financial leaders. The conference will continue till March 10.

"We look forward to Novak's perspectives on behalf of Russia, the world's largest oil producer and those of Pradhan's on behalf of India, the world's fastest-growing major energy market as well as future prospects for its domestic oil and gas production," Daniel Yergin, conference chair and vice chairman of IHS Markit, said.

Yergin said they also look forward to listen to Trudeau's perspectives on US-Canada relationship. Trudeau will be honoured with CERAWeek Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award for his commitment to expanding Canada's role in the sustainable development of its natural resources.

The organisers have describe CERAWeek as a "unique event".

"It's a unique gathering where we're going to have probably nearly 3,000 delegates from more than 60 countries attending," said Jeff Marn, senior manager for corporate communications at IHS Markit.

Marn said CERAWeek has been called the "DAVOS of energy for its international scope and the preeminence of the stage," DAVOS being an economic forum held every year that hosts prominent CEOs.

The conference features attendees from over 60 countries.

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Petroleum MinisterDharmendra Pradhan, who is here to showcaseIndia's oil and gas field discoveries at the CERAWeek conference, visited LyondellBasell Houston Refinery and Channelview petrochemical complex.

During his visit yesterday, Pradhan was accompanied by Consulate General of India in Houston, Dr Anupam Ray, Senior Officials from Oil and Gas sector, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH).

The tour was preceded by a breakfast meeting with an overview of the US petrochemical industry by IHS Markit industry analysts.

Pradhan also visited Houston consulate for a community-wide reception and meet and greet which was attended by major Indian-American organisations and members of the community in Houston.

Pradhan and senior officials from Oil and Gas sector will showcase India's small and marginal oil and gas field discoveries at the conference.

Pradhan is scheduled to have several bilateral meetings with visiting petroleum ministers, including those from Canada, UAE, Israel, USA, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Russia and also Secretary General of International Energy Agency (IEA).

He will also meet and exchange views with renowned experts from hydrocarbon sector, including Dr Daniel Yergin and Bob Dudley, Group Chief Executive of BP.

Pradhan, Russia's energy minister Alexander Novak and Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau will be among those to address the international gathering of industry, policy and financial leaders at CERAWeek 2017, organised by the UK-based IHS Markit from March 6 to 10.

"We look forward to Novak's perspectives on behalf of Russia, the world's largest oil producer and those of Pradhan's on behalf of India, the world's fastest-growing major energy market as well as future prospects for its domestic oil and gas production," said Yergin, conference chair and vice chairman of IHS Markit.

"We look forward to Justine Trudeau's perspectives on US, Canada relationship and are pleased to honour him with the CERA Week Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award for his commitment to expanding Canada's leadership role in the sustainable development of its natural resources to help to meet the world's future energy needs," saidYergin.

CERAWeek is ranked among the top five corporate leader conferences in the world with top speakers that will provide new insights and dialogue to the future of energy.

"Overall, this is a really unique event in terms of its scope and reverence," Jeff Marn, senior manager for corporate communications at IHS Markit, said.

"It's a unique gathering where we are going to have probably nearly 3,000 delegates from more than 60 countries attending," he said.

TexasSenator John Cornyn, the Senate Majority Whip, will



join AlaskaSenator Lisa Murkowski, chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, in a discussion led by Yergin, on the future of US energy policy.

According to Marn these two speakers were selected in particular because they are both highly respected in their areas.

The speakers' unique position to discuss the future of energy while the United States is in a point of transition, will be able to contribute to this year's theme of transition.

The dialogue is on the agenda for 9:35 am (local time) on March 10 and is titled "What's Ahead in Washington?"



Marn said the conference holds a strong global presence featuring attendees from over 60 countries, energy administrators from over a dozen countries, government officials, CEOs and senior executives from major oil and gas companies, power companies, renewable energy companies and leading technology and financial firms.

Marn described the CERA Week as a "unique and rare opportunity" to get high-level insight from a broad spectrum of policy and industries, saying, "I want to stress the global nature of the conference."



"This is a rare opportunity for us to have insights of two extremely respected senators on where they see US energy policy going, where the agenda goes with the new administration, priorities and, overall, the outlook for the energy as US policy sees it."



This is the 36th CERAWeek to take place and continue to discuss energy future,according to the CERAWeek website.

The speakers will be able to contribute to the energy policy moving forward by discussing what the future energy world will look like with a new presidential administration, Marn said.

Petroleum MinisterPradhan also met Bob Patel, CEO of



LyondellBasell, a USD 31 billion petrochemical company and discussed prospects of working together.

Pradhan also visited Houston consulate for a community wide reception which was attended by major Indian-American organisations and members of the community and friends of BJP in Houston.

"Had a nice interaction with friends from Overseas Friends of BJP in Houston;great to see their enthusiasm & commitment for party & ideology," he tweeted.
Donald Trump is the "deflector- in-chief", a powerful Democratic leader has said while dismissing the US President's allegation of wiretapping of Trump Tower before the 2016 elections as a "wrap-up smear" by "an authoritarian".

"The president is the deflector-in-chief, anything to change the subject from where the heat is," the House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said.

She was responding to Trump's allegation that his predecessor Barack Obama had ordered wiretapping of the Trump Tower before the November elections. The allegation has been denied by Obama's spokesperson Kevin Lewis as "simply false".

Pelosi said: "As one who has been engaged in intelligence, a member of the Gang of Eight, for a long time, I can tell that it's just ridiculous for the president, President Trump, to say that President Obama would ever order any wiretap of an American citizen, any president."



"We don't do that. It's called a wrap-up smear. You make up something," she told CNN.

"It's a tool of an authoritarian, to just have you always be talking about what you want them to be talking about. Rather than Russia, we're talking about, did President Obama do thus and so? He certainly did not," she said.

"Then to take it to the Congress and say, now you investigate this, when he's been not in favour of Congress investigating anything, including what do the Russians have on Donald Trump politically, financially or personally, that's the truth we want to know," she said.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton told Fox that the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has already begun a probe into Russia's efforts "to undermine confidence" into the American political system and US interest across the world.

"That inquiry is going to be thorough, and we're going to follow the facts wherever they lead us. And I'm sure that this matter will be a part of that inquiry," Cotton said.

"We are going to review allegations of any kind of improper contacts between Russian officials and campaign officials or other American citizens. And I'm sure that we'll be reviewing any allegations such as this," he said when asked about Trump's wiretapping allegations.

However, Cotton said, he has seen no such evidence on the allegations that has appeared in the media so far. "That doesn't mean that none of these things happened. It simply means I haven't seen that yet - as Speaker Ryan said in the lead-in to our conversation here," he said.

Democratic Senator Chris Coons said "no president should ever directly order and intercept a wiretap" on an American citizen. "You have to go in front of a judge and get a warrant in order to conduct a wiretap," he said.

"So, one of two things has happened here. Either President Trump has inappropriately released classified information and was himself a subject of a court-ordered wiretap. I think this is a very remote possibility - there was some inappropriate actions by the previous administration," Coons told Fox .

"In either case, it doesn't help our country for this to all be worked out on Twitter," he said.

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Forty-four inmates of the high security jail in Ajmer are on a hunger strike demanding facilities like TV, a volleyball court and phone facility.

12 of those sitting on the hunger strike since Thursday last have been hospitalised.

The jail houses only hardcore criminals and one of the grouses of the prisoners is that petty criminals are also lodged in the facility, jail sources said.

"Nearly a dozen are admitted to a hospital on medical advice. Blood investigations are being done and if required they will be fed intravenously.

"44 had gone on hunger strike demanding luxuries in the jail. Only hardcore criminals are lodged in the high security jail. It is unjust to demand TV in cells, volley ball court and PCO," Additional Director General of Police (ADGP Jail), Ajit Singh told PTI.

He said Public Call Office (PCO) and TV will connect them to the outside world and help them pass on information whereas volley ball will lead to "scuffle among inmates".

The district administration officials have tried to convince the inmates to withdraw the strike but they have remained adamant.

The Jail superintendent's efforts to persuade the inmates also did not bear fruit.

The ADGP (Jail) said, "We continuously review the behaviour of jail birds and following positive feedback they are shifted to general jails. It is a routine process. In the last review we had shifted eight jail inmates from high security jail to general jails".

Currently, there are 70 hardcore criminals lodged in the high security jail.

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US President Donald Trump's revised executive order temporarily halting entry to the US for people from six nations still has the "intent" to discriminate against Muslims and authorities here are ready to go to court against it, New York Attorney General said today.

"While the White House may have made changes to the ban, the intent to discriminate against Muslims remains clear. This does not just harm the families caught in the chaos of President Trump's draconian policies - it is diametrically opposed to our values, and makes us less safe," Eric Schneiderman said.

He said courts across the country had made it clear that Trump is "not above the Constitution".

Schneiderman said that his office is closely reviewing the new executive order and he stands ready to "litigate -- again -- in order to protect New York's families, institutions and economy".

Trump today signed the revised executive order, temporarily halting entry to the US for people from six Muslim-majority nations who are seeking new visas while dropping Iraq from the list, after worldwide outrage over the controversial immigration policy.

The latest executive order specifies that a 90-day ban on people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen does not apply to those who already have valid visas.

The new order drops Iraq's name from the list of targeted countries, saying Baghdad has agreed to increase cooperation with the US on the vetting of its citizens applying for a visa to travel to America.

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The government on Monday asked State Bank of India (SBI) to reconsider its decision to levy penalty on non-maintenance of minimum balance, which the bank plans to hike manifold from April 1 impacting over 310 million savings bank account holders.

SBI, according to a source, has also been asked to reconsider charges it proposes to levy on cash transactions and ATM withdrawals over specified limits.

The countrys largest lender has announced imposing penalty ranging from Rs 20-100 on non-maintenance of minimum average balance (MAB) in savings bank accounts from April 1.

The penalty is as high as Rs 500 in case of current accounts.

The penalty for breach of MAB is being reintroduced after a gap of five years.

The bank has also increased the minimum balance requirement by many times, which is as high as Rs 5,000 for account maintained with branches in six metro cities.

has also imposed restrictions on withdrawals of cash from its branches as well as ATMs. These will attract charges after certain specified limits.

"Government has asked to reconsider it's decision to impose a penalty on non- maintenance of minimum balance in accounts from April 1 onwards," the source said.

The government has also urged and other lenders, including private sector to "reconsider the charges on cash transactions and ATM withdrawals above a certain limit".

Some private banks, like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank, have started charging a minimum amount of Rs 150 per transaction for cash deposits and withdrawals beyond four free transactions in a month.



Points to consider:





* SBI has been asked to reconsider charges it proposes to levy on cash transactions and ATM withdrawals over specified limits

* The bank has announced penalty ranging from Rs 20-100 on non-maintenance of minimum balance in savings bank accounts from April 1

* The penalty is as high as Rs 500 in case of current accounts

* Penalty for non-maintenance of minimum balance is being reintroduced after a gap of five years

* The bank has also increased the minimum balance requirement to Rs 5,000 for an account maintained with branches in six metro cities
Retired British Royal Navy officials, while attending the decommissioning of INS Viraat today, recalled their memories about the aircraft-carrier, which was earlier known as HMS Hermes.

INS Viraat was the second centaur-class aircraft carrier which was in service with Indian Navy for 30 years and before that, with UK's Royal Navy for 27 years.

Earlier known as HMS Hermes, INS Viraat was in the Royal Navy from 1959. In the late 80s, Indian Navy purchased it at the cost of USD 65 million and was re-commissioned on 12 May 1987.

53-year-old Andy Trish, a retired airman of British Royal Navy said, "I remember the first day when I stepped on this ship. It was like a home for me. I even celebrated my 19th birthday on this ship, known to us as HMS Hermes."



Trish was one of the 20 contingents who had joined the HMS Hermes as airmen. All were present at the decommissioning ceremony here.

Trish had joined the British Royal Navy as an 17-year-old. He witnessed the British Royal Navy winning the Falklands War.

He also saw sinking of a ship from Royal Navy's fleet, which had his brother on-board.

"David, my elder brother was on another ship during the Falklands war. I knew he was there and one day, during the battle, the ship got sunk. I can not forget the moment, as I lost him forever," recalled Trish.

David Shepherd, who had served on HMS Hermes, said he wished the ship comes back to the UK.

"Yes, we feel, we should just get it back. The way it has been maintained and kept in the same shape, we are overwhelmed with it," he said.

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A father-son duo was injured today after a wall of a school in outer Delhi's Kanjhawla area collapsed, police said.

Ravinder (24) and his son Yashraj (9) were standing near the wall when it collapsed and the two received minor injuries, they said, they were taken to a hospital.

According to police, a hole was being dug near the school's wall which has weakened it and led to its collapse.

No case has been registered yet, police said, adding they are probing if it was a case of negligence.

According to a Delhi Fire Service officer, a call was received around 2.25 PM about wall collapse in Venus School in Kanjhawla, following which four firetenders were rushed to the spot.

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North Korea today fired "several" banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) into waters off its east coast, South Korea's military said, an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.

It was not immediately clear what type of missile was fired or the exact number; Pyongyang has staged a series of missile test-launches of various ranges in recent months. The ramped-up tests come as leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile program that can deter what he calls US and South Korean hostility toward the North.

Seoul and Washington call their military drills on the Korean Peninsula, which remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty, defensive and routine.

The South's Joint Chief of Staff said in a statement that today's launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province. The area is the home of the North's Seohae Satellite Station where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.

The North hates the military drills, which run until late April and which analysts say force its impoverished military to respond with expensive deployments and drills of their own. An unidentified spokesman for the North's General Staff of the Korean People's Army said last week that Pyongyang's reaction to the southern drills would be the toughest ever but didn't elaborate



North Korea test-launched a new intermediate-range missile in February and conducted two nuclear tests last year. There has also been widespread worry that the North will conduct an ICBM test that, when perfected, could in theory reach US shores. Washington would consider such a capability a major threat.

The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against a potential aggression from the North.

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Sexual harassment, gender-based misconduct and violence perpetrated by university staff in the UK has hit "epidemic" levels, according to a media report.

Freedom of information (FoI) requests by the Guardian newspaper sent to 120 universities, including the prestigious Oxford University, found that students made at least 169 such allegations against academic and non-academic staff from 2011-12 to 2016-17.

At least another 127 allegations about staff were made by fellow colleagues.

"Sexual harassment of students by staff members has reached epidemic levels in British universities. Most universities have no effective mechanism to stop staff from pressuring students into sexual relationships, and when it happens, any sort of disciplinary action is pretty much non-existent," Ann Olivarius, senior partner at the law firm McAllister Olivarius was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Oxford University reported the highest number of allegations against staff by students, with 11 received by its central administration and 10 by colleges - though it said there may have been duplication between college and central administration figures.

It was followed by Nottingham University with 10, Edinburgh University with nine, University of the Arts London (UAL) and Essex with seven and Cambridge University with at least six.

A University of Oxford spokesperson said: "A wide-ranging campaign across the university in recent years has made clear that sexual assault and harassment, whether by staff or students, will not be tolerated anywhere at Oxford."



"We see the number of students now coming forward to disclose or report incidents as reflecting the progress made," he said.

According to the 'Guardian' analysis, Oxford University also had the most staff-on-staff allegations, with 17 recorded centrally and three by colleges - though again, there may be duplication.

Next was Cambridge University with at least seven, Portsmouth University with six, and Exeter University, York University and London School of Economics (LSE) with five each.

Of the cases disclosed in response to FoI requests, 136 staff-on-student cases were investigated by universities.

A vast majority were investigated internally and only a small number were investigated by police.

The pro-vice-chancellor for education at the University of Cambridge, Prof Graham Virgo, said: "It is a very significant challenge for people to disclose sexual misconduct or harassment; as a result we have designed the procedure with student choice at its heart, so students can choose for their complaint to be heard in a way that suits them."



Stephen Marshall, university secretary and registrar at UAL, said: "There is no place for sexual harassment or gender-based violence at UAL. We are already working hard to improve how we handle and prevent incidents of harassment.

A University of Nottingham spokesperson said: "There have



been no such allegations from students, relating to university staff, in the past three years and less than 10 incidents in the two years prior to this."



"Similarly with regards (to) allegations of staff from staff there have been less than 10 allegations in the last five years. Clearly our range of initiatives and policies around this issue is helping to drive this message home," the Spokesperson said.

A University of Edinburgh spokesperson said: "We recognise that, on occasion, there will be legitimate complaints that individuals wish to raise and we actively encourage the reporting of concerns and maintain an effective complaints procedure for that purpose."



"We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual harassment and have robust procedures in place for students and staff to report instances of sexual harassment," a spokesperson of the University of Essex said.
The Supreme Court today transferred to the Delhi High Court the alleged suicide case of Amity University's law student Sushant Rohilla.

A bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Uday Umesh Lalit directed the apex court registry to send the judicial records related to the case to the high court.

The apex court had earlier directed the University's founder President Ashok K Chauhan to file an affidavit detailing action taken on the incident.

On September 5 last year, the apex court had on its own (suo motu) taken cognisance of a letter written by a friend of Rohilla, who had allegedly committed suicide, saying it would examine whether there was an "element of suspicion" that the incident took place due to "harassment".

It had also appointed senior advocate and jurist F S Nariman as the amicus curiae to assist it in the alleged suicide case and said it may consider laying down some guidelines.

The PIL was instituted after taking note of the letter written to then CJI T S Thakur by one Raghav Sharma, a close friend of the deceased and a 4th-year law student.

It has been claimed that 20-year-old Rohilla, who could not attend classes for quite some time due reasons including his physical health, was depressed over the prospect of not being allowed to take the examination by the college because of lack of attendance.

The letter has blamed the Amity authorities for Rohilla's suicide on August 10 at his residence.

Alleging harassment by his teachers, his classmates had taken to social media and launched protests on campus after his death demanding action against his professors, two of whom have since resigned.

The letter to the CJI had sought that the apex court should take cognisance of the incident and order a probe by an independent committee in such matters.

It also referred to the letter written by the student before taking the extreme step that he "might not mentally survive" the debarment.

The college had said the student had 43 per cent attendance, whereas the attendance requirement of the university was 75 per cent.

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Switzerland today extradited a former member of the Algerian rebel Armed Islamic Group to France, where he has been wanted since September, Swiss authorities said.

Merouane Benahmed, who was arrested in Switzerland six months ago after he skipped out on his house arrest in northwestern France, "was handed over to French authorities at the Thonex-Vallard border crossing," justice ministry spokesman Folco Galli said in an email.

Benahmed, who had been living under house arrest in the French town of Evron since 2015, had failed to show up for one his mandated meetings with local police on September 8, triggering his arrest warrant.

He was detained in Vallorbe, in the Swiss canton of Vaud, on September 22.

Migration authorities at the time said he had wanted to seek asylum in Switzerland.

The justice ministry decided in December to grant France's extradition request, but Benahmed appealed the decision.

The Swiss federal criminal court rejected his appeal last month, and since he did not counter that ruling, "the extradition order ... Became enforceable," Galli said.

The 43-year-old Benahmed fled Algeria in 1999 before being sentenced to death in absentia.

He was slapped with the 10-year prison sentence in France over his links to a suspected insurgent organisation known as the "Chechen Network."



He was released in 2011 and has since lived in several parts of France.

Algeria's Armed Islamic Group, known by its French acronym GIA, waged a deadly war against the country's secular military government through the 1990s.

It is now considered largely dormant.

Benahmed's lawyer, Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, has described her client's house arrest as "illegitimate.

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Expressing the state government's resolve to construct SYL Canal, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said a proposal to allocate Rs 100 crore has been made in the state Budget.

The chief minister was interacting with media persons after the presentation of the state budget for the year 2017-18 in the ongoing budget session here today.

Earlier, Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu said while presenting the budget that the government was committed for construction of Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal and getting the state its rightful share of the waters of Ravi-Beas.

"I propose to allocate an outlay of Rs 100 crore specially for this purpose in 2017-18. I assure the august House that for construction of the SYL even if Rs 1000 crore is required, we will provide the same," the FM said.

Hearing of the Presidential Reference which was pending for the last over 12 years was decided by the Supreme Court of India on November 10, 2016 in favour of Haryana, Abhimanyu said in his budget speech.

He said that on November 28 last year, Haryana had submitted a memorandum to the President of India for his personal intervention to ensure early completion of the remaining portion of SYL Canal in Punjab and to deliver long pending justice to the people of Haryana.

Khattar, while haling the budget said that no new tax was introduced and described the budget as "growth oriented, balanced and pro-people".

In reply to a question, the Chief Minister said that a hike of 15 to 30 per cent has been made in allocation of budget for different departments so as to further accelerate the pace of development.

In a reply to yet another question, Khattar said the state government was considering a proposal under which family members of martyrs would get financial assistance even without the receipt of necessary certificate.

He said this step would allow the next of the kin to get the benefit without anny hassle.

Earlier, talking to media persons, Abhimanyu said it will



be for the first time that the state government would have its Asset Management Cell to keep a record of its properties in Haryana as well as other states, which would help in their effective management.

A fund namely Asset Augmentation Fund would also be set up for the rejuvenation and upkeep of old buildings like schools, colleges and hospitals.

The Finance Minister said that although Haryana's geographical area is 1.34 per cent of the country's total area and has 2.09 per cent of country's total population, yet its contribution to the nation's GDP is 3.6 per cent.

He said Haryana has constantly been making its impact on the growing economy of the country.

He said that as the Railway Budget has now been made a part of the Union Budget for the year 2017-18, the Haryana Government too has, for the first time, mentioned railway projects in its budget.

Haryana and the Railways have signed an agreement and a joint venture company would be formed during this year to maintain joint projects.

Abhimanyu claimed that it is for the first time that any state government has spent a sum of Rs 2,405 crore in two years on the repair and maintenance of rural roads.
At least 30 people were killed today in a day of intense fighting between security forces and ethnic rebels on Myanmar's border with China, authorities said.

Five civilians, five police officers and at least 20 rebel fighters died after clashes broke out at Laukkai in the northeastern state of Shan, according to a statement by the office of Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

"According to initial information, many innocent civilians including a primary school teacher... Were killed because of attacks by the MNDAA armed group," said the statement on Facebook, referring to the acronym of the rebel group fighting Myanmar's military in the region.

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The BJP's Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh today lashed out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her opposition of linking Aadhar card to mid-day meal programme in schools.

Alleging that her party was involved in corruption related to the scheme, Dilip Ghosh said that the opposition to the center's decision was driven by concern for TMC leaders who were involved in corruption in the mid-day meal programme.

"None of the state government's had opposed this decision only the TMC government is opposing to it. The reason is several TMC leaders are involved in corruption in mid-day meal programme and other government schemes. The Aadhaar linkage is being done to tap those corruptions. The decision is hurting the vested interests of TMC and that is why they are opposing it," Ghosh said.

On Saturday, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee had slammed the Centre's move as 'shocking'.

Party leader in Rajya Sabha, Derek O'Brien had yesterday said he will give notice for a discussion on the subject on the first day of the second phase of the Union Budget session which starts on March 9.

The HRD Ministry had said that cook-cum-helpers working under the mid-day meal scheme as well as the student beneficiaries will be required to have Aadhaar cards to avail the facility.

Those who are not yet enrolled for Aadhaar cards have been given time till June 30.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami today presented the farm input relief assistance to 31 farmers representing 31 districts who suffered crop losses due to drought conditions.

Besides, the Government also directed the District Collectors to deposit the relief assistance to the farmers in their respective bank accounts, an official release said.

Tamil Nadu Government, on February 21, had announced that Rs 2,247 crore would be given to the farmers as "farm input relief assistance" to bank accounts of 32 lakh farmers who suffered crop losses in view of the drought conditions.

The assistance would be given at the rate of Rs 5,465 per acre for affected paddy and other irrigation crops, Rs 3,000 for rain fed crops, Rs 7,287 per acre for long-term crops and between Rs 2,428 and Rs 3,000 per acre for silk worm rearing.

As part of kick starting the initiative, Palaniswami at a function in Secretariat presented the relief amount to 31 farmers of 31 districts at a function in Secrtariat.

AIADMK Ministers, Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and senior government officials were present on the occasion, the release added.

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US President and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today had a long phone conversation about strategic threats posed by Iran, the premier's office said.

"The two leaders spoke at length about the dangers arising from the nuclear deal with Iran and Iranian aggression in the (Middle East) region and the need to work together to deal with those dangers," it said in a statement.

The landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers was reached in July 2015 and went into effect in January last year. It saw Iran agree to dismantle part of its nuclear programme, surrender enriched fuel and submit to inspections in exchange for the partial lifting of sanctions.

But critics of the agreement, particularly Netanyahu, argue that when some of the clauses of the deal expire in 10 and 15 years, it will leave Tehran on the threshold of building a bomb.

Trump too is a vociferous opponent of the treaty.

The US president told Netanyahu the nuclear agreement was "one of the worst deals" he had ever seen when the two met at the White House last month.

Trump said his administration had already imposed new sanctions on Iran, and he would do more to prevent Iran from ever developing a nuclear weapon.

Washington last month imposed new sanctions on individuals and companies supporting Iran's ballistic missile programme and on its elite Revolutionary Guards.

During today's call, Netanyahu also thanked Trump for taking a strong stand in his speech to Congress last week against a string of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States, the statement said.
Vigilance sleuths in Jammu and Kashmir today arrested four persons including two former tehsil supply officers over corruption charges in Kathua district.

"All the four accused have been taken into custody from Hiranagar and Billawar in district Kathua by the sleuths of SVO (State Vigilance Organisation) and presently lodged in police station pacca danga for sustained questioning," an SVO officer said.

A case was registered in 2012 after a surprise Check conducted by vigilance sleuths regarding allegations of misappropriation of foodgrains by then Billawar Tehsil Supply Officer (TSO) Amar Singh, store keeper Jaswant Singh, salesmen of Malhar & Kindli Depots Lakshman Dass and Bali Ram, the official said.

It was found that during the period of April 2009 to February 2010, food grains and ration received by TSO Billawar from AD CA&PD Kathua for disbursement to different categories of population (APL, BPL and others) living in far flung area of Malhar and Kindli have been misappropriated in connivance with Dass and Ram, he added.

"Further investigations into the matter reveal that the accused officials of CAPD department by abuse of their official positions with ulterior motives entered into criminal conspiracy with each other and misappropriated huge quantity of ration and food-grain items meant for disbursement to the beneficiaries, causing losses to the state exchequer," he added.

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Ukraine urged the UN's top court today to help bring stability to its war-torn east, seeking to convince judges that Russia is "sponsoring terrorism" in Kiev's conflict with separatist pro-Russian rebels.

"Today I stand before the court to ask for the protection of the basic human rights of the Ukrainian people," Kiev's deputy foreign minister Olena Zerkal told the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

"Thousands of innocent Ukrainians have already suffered deadly attacks," she said.

Zerkal later told journalists on the steps outside the Peace Palace courthouse that "Ukraine will win this case because we are on the right side."



Russia's representatives did not comment after the three-hour hearing, but a large delegation is present in The Hague. They will put the Kremlin's case tomorrow.

Nearly three years of conflict have claimed about 10,000 lives in eastern Ukraine -- and led to Russia's seizure of Ukraine's southern peninsula of Crimea in 2014 -- pushing ties between Moscow and the West to their lowest point since the Cold War.

Zerkal told the court that Kiev was only seeking "a measure of stability and calm in an unpredictable and dangerous situation."



Ukraine is asking the ICJ to impose emergency measures ordering Russia to stop its alleged funnelling of money, weapons and personnel into the east, and to halt what it called "discrimination" against minorities in Russian-occupied Crimea.

It is also seeking compensation for attacks on civilians during the conflict including victims of Malaysia Airways flight MH17, shot down in 2014 over eastern Ukraine with the loss of all 298 lives on board.

Moscow has long denied arming the rebels and has said the case is motivated only "by political interests".

It also says Kiev has "shown a lack of will to hold a concrete dialogue."



Moscow has denied any involvement in the MH17 disaster and instead points the finger at Kiev.

Ukraine lodged its case at the ICJ against its former Soviet master in mid-January, saying it had protested for several years against Moscow's alleged financing of separatist rebels battling Ukrainian government forces.

Kiev says that Moscow has "largely failed" to respond to its efforts to resolve the dispute and that "further negotiations would be futile."



Ukraine "respectfully requests the court to adjudge and declare that the Russian Federation bears international responsibility by virtue of its sponsorship of terrorism... for the acts of terrorism committed by its proxies in Ukraine," it said in papers before the court.

Ukraine was now facing a "human rights emergency," said Harold Hongju Koh, another of Kiev's representatives, adding that "in Crimea, Russia must cease its campaign of cultural erasure.

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Washington and Tokyo have sought an emergency UN Security Council meeting after nuclear-armed North Korea fired a defiant salvo of ballistic missiles toward Japan.

The call came yesterday after Pyongyang had earlier launched at least four missiles, with three splashing down in the sea close to key US ally Japan.

The launches present a challenge for US President Donald Trump, who has described North Korea as a "big, big problem" and vowed to deal with the issue "very strongly."



South Korea said four missiles were fired from Tongchang County in North Pyongan province into the East Sea -- its name for the Sea of Japan.

The missiles travelled about 1,000 kilometres and reached an altitude of 260 kilometres, a spokesman for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Yesterday's launches were the latest in a series of test-firings that violate UN resolutions barring Pyongyang from developing missile technology.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said North Korea poses a "very serious threat," adding the Trump administration was taking steps to "enhance our ability to defend against North Korea's ballistic missiles."



Such defences include the planned deployment to South Korea of a missile-defence system called THAAD.

US Defence Department spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis suggested North Korea had attempted to launch more than four missiles and these were medium-range rockets, not ICBMs.

"There were four that landed. There may be a higher number of launches, but we are not commenting on" that, the Pentagon spokesman said.

Seoul and Washington last week began annual joint military exercises that always infuriate Pyongyang, drawing the North's military warning of "merciless nuclear counter-action."



Under leader Kim Jong-Un, Pyongyang wants to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the US mainland -- something Trump has vowed would not happen.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said three of the North Korean missiles came down in Tokyo's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) -- waters extending 200 nautical miles from its coast.

"This clearly shows North Korea has entered a new stage of threat," Abe told parliament.

The emergency UN meeting is likely to be scheduled tomorrow when ambassadors return from a visit to the Lake Chad region in Africa, diplomats said.

America's ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said on Twitter that the world "won't allow" North Korea to continue on its "destructive path."



Pyongyang carried out two nuclear tests and a series of missile launches last year, but yesterday was only the second time its devices had entered Japan's EEZ.

After an emergency meeting of South Korea's National Security Council, acting president Hwang Kyo-Ahn called the North's nuclear and missile provocations "immediate and real threats" to his country.

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Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said today that the United States has warned that annexing the West Bank would lead to an "immediate crisis" with President Donald Trump's administration.

Lieberman, speaking before his first trip to Washington since Trump took office, sought to push back against those in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition calling for a declaration of Israeli sovereignty over all or part of the occupied territory.

He said annexation would provoke a crisis with Washington and result in steep costs for the Israeli government since it would be required to provide services to Palestinians in the West Bank.

"We have received a very clear, direct message from the United States stating that the application of Israeli law in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) would provoke an immediate crisis with the new administration," Lieberman said before a parliamentary committee.

His office said he would leave Israel tonight for Washington, where he would meet Vice President Mike Pence, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson "and hold other meetings."



Some 2.6 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967.

The latest call for annexation came yesterday, when lawmaker Miki Zohar from Netanyahu's Likud party said in a television interview that "the two-state solution is dead".

Zohar advocated a single state, but said that Palestinians in the West Bank should not be allowed to vote in Israeli parliamentary elections.

Others have made similar calls, including Education Minister Naftali Bennett who heads the religious nationalist Jewish Home party.

Bennett advocates annexing most of the West Bank, and has said he hopes support from Trump's presidency will spell the end of the idea of a Palestinian state.

In his comments today, Lieberman also laid out an economic argument against annexation, saying Israel immediately "will be required to spend 20 billion shekels (USD 5.4 billion)" on various social services.

The defence minister, who heads the rightwing Yisrael Beitenu party, advocates a two-state solution based on territorial and population exchanges.

Netanyahu says he still supports a two-state solution, though he has also pushed for settlement expansion in the West Bank.

He has found himself seeking to hold together his governing coalition -- seen as the most rightwing in Israeli history -- while managing international relations, including with the United States.

The US is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than USD 3 billion in defence aid annually.

Some Israeli politicians have pushed for the immediate annexation of Maale Adumim, an Israeli settlement of some 37,000 people in a strategic location east of Jerusalem.

However, a bill to annex the settlement has been postponed by the cabinet to an unclear date.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Veteran actor Patrick Stewart says he made the crew of "Logan" feel jealous when co-star Hugh Jackman carried him around while shooting for the scenes of the film.

The 76-year-old star, who plays the wheelchair-bound character of Professor Charles Xavier, had to be carried up the flights of stairs by Jackman's Wolverine and Stewart says many people on the sets were green with envy, reported USA Today.

"There were numerous envious glances in my direction bycertain members of the crew," says Stewart.

He adds, he considers being carried by Jackman was an honour and something that will be a part of his working profile.

Stewart says, "I think that is one thing I shall have on my CV in the future - a Knight of the Realm and also the distinction of being carried in the arms of Hugh Jackman all around the Deep South of the United States. I look on it as a significant distinction.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The CPI(M) today said it would go ahead with a public meeting to be attended by the party leader Pinarayi Vijayan here on March 19, a day after a BJP MLA asked the Kerala Chief Minister to stay away from the gathering.

Condemning the comments of Goshamahal MLA Raja Singh that "he would see how that meeting would happen if Vijayan attended it", the CPI(M) politburo member BV Raghavulu said his party cannot be cowed down by such "threats".

In a video message yesterday, Singh had alleged the RSS and BJP members were being targetted and killed in Kerala.

"The Kerala CM is visiting Hyderabad and he is going to address a public meeting at Nizam College Grounds here on March 19. Our Hindu brothers are being killed in that state and how can we remain silent when the CM of that state is visiting Hyderabad. I will see to it how that meeting will happen," Singh had said.

The Left party is holding the meeting to mark the culmination of its five-month long "Mahajana Padayatra" which took off on October 18 last year from Ibrahimpatnam in Ranga Reddy district with the main agenda to secure social justice and comprehensive development.

Singh, who had said he didn't have any problem with the CPI(M) or CPI holding the meeting except for Vijayan's presence, had appealed to the Telangana Government and the state Police not to grant permission to the gathering.

Claiming that it has become a "habit" for the BJP and the RSS to issue such "threats', the CPI (M) politburo member said people and democratic forces should condemn the "attempts to stall the meeting due to political reasons."



He alleged RSS functionaries had issued threats against Vijayan in Karnataka earlier and in Madhya Pradesh recently, and also to a Kargil martyr's daughter.

CPI(M) has taken a permission from the police and it would organise the event "democratically", Raghavulu added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Participating in yoga and deep breathing classes twice a week along with home practice may effectively reduce the symptoms of depression, a new study claims.

The findings provide support for the use of yoga-based interventions as an alternative or supplement to pharmacologic treatments for depression, researchers said.

"This study supports the use of a yoga and coherent breathing intervention in major depressive disorder in people who are not on antidepressants and in those who have been on a stable dose of antidepressants and have not achieved a resolution of their symptoms," said Chris Streeter, associate professor at Boston University School of Medicine in the US.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common, recurrent, chronic and disabling. Due in part to its prevalence, depression is globally responsible for more years lost to disability than any other disease, researchers said.

Up to 40 per cent of individuals treated with antidepressant medications for MDD do not achieve full remission.

The study, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, used lyengar yoga that has an emphasis on detail, precision and alignment in the performance of posture and breath control.

Individuals with MDD were randomised to the high dose group, three 90-minute classes a week along with home practice, or the low dose group, two 90-minute classes a week, plus home practice.

Both groups had significant decreases in their depressive symptoms and no significant differences in compliance.

Although a greater number of subjects in the high dose group had less depressive symptoms, the researchers believe attending twice weekly classes (plus home practice) may constitute a less burdensome but still effective way to gain the mood benefits from the intervention.

According to Streeter compared with mood altering medications, this intervention has the advantages of avoiding additional drug side effects and drug interactions.

"While most pharmacologic treatment for depression target monoamine systems, such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, this intervention targets the parasympathetic and gamma aminobutyric acid system and provides a new avenue for treatment," said Streeter, who is also a psychiatrist at Boston Medical Centre.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
: The younger brother of Malayalam actor, the late Kalabhavan Mani, has begun a three-day fast, demanding that CBI take over the probe into his mysterious death



R L V Ramakrishnan, who began the fast at nearby Chalakudy yesterday, said a year had passed since his brother's death, but no case had been registered so far.

"We have waited for a year. If we do not get justice we will protest in front of the secretariat at Thiruvananthapuram," he said.

The late actor's sisters Shanta and Ammini said they wanted to know the circumstances leading to his death.

"He was looking after us," they said.

Mani had died on Mar 6 last year and people from various walks of life visited his house at nearby Chalakudy today to pay their respects the late actor.

The actor, who had essayed many roles in south Indian films, was found in serious condition at his farmhouse at nearby Chalakudy. He was rushed to hospital, but passed away.

While a lab at Kochi had found traces of chlorpyrifos, a toxic pesticide in his viscera sample, a Hyderabad lab had stated that traces of methyl alcohol were found in his blood.

He was being treated for a liver ailment at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences at Kochi, where he breathed his last.

Kerala government had on June 11 last year decided to hand over to CBI, the probe into the actor's death.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Officials of the Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of Thane Police arrested a 20-year-old youth from Madhya Pradesh on Saturday after seizing fire arms from him.

Police Inspector N T Kadam of AEC told PTI that the youth Mukesh Chauhan hailed from Khargone district of MP and had come down to Thane to sell the fire arms.

On Saturday evening, based on a tip off, policemen laid a trap at Kongaon in Bhiwandi and nabbed him.

Four pistols of .32 bore and also 30 live cartridges were recovered from him. The arrested accused is suspected to have links with the infamous Shikalkar gang, police said.

Also four empty magazines were found in his possession, he said.

An offence under sections 3, 25 (1B)(A) and also sections 37(1), 135 of the BP Act has been registered with local police.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Naveen Thukral

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - India is likely to import about 2-3 million tonnes of wheat in the crop year starting in July, even as the country is set for a bumper domestic harvest, the head of conglomerate Adani Enterprises' agribusiness division said on Monday.

India is expected to produce about 95 million tonnes of wheat from the upcoming harvest, Adani Agribusiness chief Atul Chaturvedi told in an interview, up from last year's 85 million tonnes estimated by traders.

"It takes a few years of bumper production to get the stocks to comfortable levels," said Chaturvedi, head of one of India's biggest agriculture companies, pointing to the need for more imports. Chaturvedi spoke in an interview on the eve of a major palm oil conference in Kuala Lumpur: As well as grains and pulses, his firm processes oilseeds and refines vegetable oils.

India, the world's second-largest wheat consumer, has bought more than 5 million tonnes of wheat since June last year, after two consecutive years of decline in production due to droughts and unseasonal rains ahead of harvest. India is also the world's second-biggest wheat producer.

The domestic wheat harvest is expected to peak in April, likely limiting purchases in the following months, but traders expect importers to step up purchases towards the end of the year when supplies are likely to tighten.

The benchmark Chicago wheat futures rose for a second week in a row last week with strong demand, fund buying and concerns about dry weather in U.S. plains underpinning the market.

India could impose a 25 percent import tax on wheat by the middle of March, two government sources said last week, reinstating the tariff after a gap of nearly three months in response to recent large purchases from overseas.

Chaturvedi said that Indian government is targeting procurement of 32-33 million tonnes of wheat for state reserves, against about 22-23 million tonnes bought last year.

Importing wheat for consumption in southern states will be cheaper than transporting it from the nation's main northern growing regions, he said.

"The world is awash with wheat, it is cheaper for importing wheat from the Black Sea region or Australia for millers in southern India," Chaturvedi said.

Most flour millers, biscuit and confectionery makers in coastal towns of southern India find it cheaper to import, especially from Australia, than to buy grain from farmers in the key producing states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in north India and Madhya Pradesh in central India.

(Reporting by Naveen Thukral; Editing by Emily Chow and Kenneth Maxwell)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
is to buy Aberdeen Asset Management in an 11 billion pound ($13.5 billion) all-share deal that should save 200 million pounds a year in costs, pushing rivals to follow suit as fund managers' margins sag.

The merger, creating Britain's biggest money manager with 660 billion pounds in assets, values Aberdeen around 3.8 billion pounds based on its closing share price on Friday. The tie-up follows an industry shift towards rivals providing low-cost index-tracking products and away from so-called active investment management, which charges customers higher fees.

"We were both medium-sized asset managers ... we recognised mutual strengths, complementarity that will create an asset management powerhouse," Chief Executive Keith Skeoch told a media call.

The deal is expected to lead to some job cuts and is likely to face tough questions from politicians in Scotland where there is increasing pressure for a second independence referendum after Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

Aberdeen Chief Executive Martin Gilbert told BBC radio the deal would lead to job losses where the two had an overlap, but he said it was too early to say how many would go.

Ben Cohen, analyst at Canaccord Genuity, said there was a strong industrial logic for the merger in terms of scale, capabilities and cost savings. "There will be a political dimension to the creation of a Scottish national champion, not least because the bulk of any cost savings will come north of the border," he said, reiterating a 'buy' recommendation on the stock.

By 0845 gmt, shares in were up around seven per cent and Aberdeen by more than five per cent. Rivals Jupiter Fund Management and Ashmore were also higher as the market anticipated deals among small and mid-sized firms.

Standard Life, roughly twice the size of Aberdeen at 7.5 billion pounds, made its name selling insurance and traces its roots back to the 19th century. Aberdeen is one of Europe's largest listed fund groups.

The deal also follows increased pressure on fund management from Britain's Financial Conduct Authority to provide better value for money for investors.

Against that backdrop, analysts at RBC Europe said the deal was defensive and did not come without negatives for Standard Life shareholders, who were "overpaying" for Aberdeen, an emerging market specialist which has suffered hefty outflows as investor sentiment towards these regions has soured.

"As there is no bid premium Standard Life shareholders are effectively paying for this takeover premium over and above the fundamental value of Aberdeen," they wrote in a note to clients, flagging an 'underperform' rating on Standard Life.

COST CUTS

The groups said the new company, to be headquartered in Scotland, would take a one-off 320 million pound charge to cover integration costs.

The said 31 per cent of the merger benefits would come from simplifying and harmonising their operational platforms, 16 per cent from eliminating overlaps in distribution and 12 per cent from "a rationalisation of central functions."

The rest would come from property, legal, consultancy and also investment management.

Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Laith Khalaf flagged "considerable" overlap in their multi-asset, fixed income and property strategies.

Aberdeen's two-biggest investors, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking and Lloyds Banking Group, have both given non-binding statements of support for the deal, which the companies expect to complete in the third quarter of 2017.

They had confirmed on Saturday that they were in talks over a deal in which Standard Life shareholders would own two-thirds of the combined group and where both sets of company directors would split power on the board.

Skeoch, a fishing buddy of Gilbert, who he has known for 30 years, said they first started having serious discussions about the deal in early January and had agreed to share the top job, a prospect that has worried some analysts.

"We have grave concerns over the structure of the board," Shore Capital analyst Eamonn Flanagan said in a note to clients, in which he gave a 'hold' recommendation on Standard Life.

"To us, a single CEO calling the shots and retaining overall responsibility is critical in all such transactions ... we wait to see how the chemistry between Skeoch and Gilbert develops."

Goldman Sachs is acting as financial adviser to Standard Life whilst JPMorgan and Credit Suisse are advising Aberdeen on the transaction.
A consortium including India's JSW Steel and Italian state holding company Cassa Depositi e Prestiti [CDP.UL] made a rival binding offer but provided no details of their plans for the site.

The government is expected to make a decision on the bids in about a month.

None of the parties involved revealed the size of the bids for the 15 sq km site near the city of Taranto.

Ilva was placed under court administration in 2013 after magistrates seized 8.1 billion euros of assets belonging to its former owners, the Riva family, amid allegations that toxic emissions were causing abnormally high rates of cancer.

The government took over administration of the business in 2015 to try to save jobs and clean up its polluting furnaces.

With two of its five furnaces closed, Ilva produced 5.8 million tonnes of steel last year, well below the 8 million tonnes it is authorised to produce. This was an increase of more than 1 million tonnes from 2015 and helped to reduce the plant's operating loss, which is still a hefty 220 million euros.

Italy wants a buyer that will restore profitability at a site that employs about 11,000 people in an economically depressed area. Last month the government arranged a temporary layoff scheme for up to 3,300 Ilva employees.

Intesa Sanpaolo , Italy's biggest retail bank, signed the letter of intent presented by ArcelorMittal and Marcegaglia.

The consortium said it would boost output with low-carbon steelmaking technologies, ultimately up to 9.5 million tonnes of finished products. It also said it would invest an initial 10 million euros in a research and development centre.

"It has been sad to watch the decline of this great company in recent years and we are excited to have the chance to contribute to a new renaissance of this Italian steel icon," Marcegaglia's chairman and chief executive, Antonio Marcegaglia, said in a statement.

(Reporting by Steve Scherer and Isla Binnie; Additional reporting by Vincenzo Damiani in Bari; Editing by David Evans and David Goodman)

(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
IT Firm Tech Mahindra on Monday announced it has signed an agreement to acquire a US-based healthcare Information Technology consulting company CJS Solutions Group LLC, which does business as The HCI Group.

Tech Mahindra will make an upfront payment of $89.5 million for purchase of 84.7 per cent stake in the company. The balance stake of 15.3 per cent will be acquired over a period of three years, it said.

The move is expected to strengthen position in healthcare provider space and give access to marquee customers and healthcare consultants, the statement added.

"Healthcare is one of the few sectors globally that is driving adoption of digital technologies. The acquisition will not only position Tech Mahindra as a significant player in the healthcare provider space, but will also provide an opportunity to go deeper in this space via EMR implementation and surrounding services route," said CP Gurnani, MD & CEO of Tech Mahindra.

Headquartered in Jacksonville, The HCI Group works with global Tier-I healthcare service providers, primarily in the US and UK, focusing on providing end-to-end implementation of Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) software, training and support services.

The HCI Group has a large pool of 'Epic' and 'Cerner' (healthcare software) certified professionals, and it is a leading implementation firm for these companies globally, it said. For 12-month period ended September 20, 2016, HCI Group had revenues of USD 114 million.

The Enterprise Value is USD 110 million. The transaction is expected to close by April 2017, subject to the regulatory approvals.


State Bank of India has decided to increase manifold the minimum balance required for maintaining savings account from April 1, hitting 31 crore depositors including pensioners and students.

The monthly average balance (MAB) requirement has been increased to as high as Rs 5,000 for branches in six metros.

Savings bank account holders of SBI and its five associates (merging with it on April 1) will have to maintain the monthly balance or else they will invite a penalty ranging from Rs 20 (rural branches) to Rs 100 in (metro cities).

SBI has 31 crore savings bank accounts.

As of now, monthly average balance (MAB) for a savings bank account is Rs 500 without facility of cheque book and Rs 1,000 with cheque book across the country.

India's largest bank has now decided to fix separate MABs for 'metro', 'urban', 'semi-urban' and 'rural' areas from the beginning of next financial year.

Here are all the new charges that will come into existencefrom April 1:

The bank will start charging Rs 50 after the first threecash deposits of the month. This limit is prescribed for saving bank accounts.

For current account holders the cash transaction charges canbe as high as Rs 20,000

The bank account holders will have to maintain a minimumbalance or Monthly Average Balance (MAB)

Failing to maintain the minimum balance can attract a fee upto Rs 100 plus service tax

The charges and MAB varies according to the location ofbank. It is minimum in case of rural branches.

In metropolitan areas like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai andBengaluru there will be a charge of Rs 100 plus service tax, if the balance goesbelow 75 per cent of the minimum average balance.

If the account holder is falling short of 50 per cent orless of the MAB, then the bank will charge Rs 50 plus service tax.

Cash withdrawal from ATMs will be charged after the firstthree transaction for other banks and first five transactions from SBI ATMs.

The account holder will be charged Rs 20 after the threetransactions from other bank ATMs and will be charged Rs 10 for withdrawalsfrom SBI ATMs.

There will be no charge on withdrawals from SBI ATMs if theaccount holder maintains a minimum balance of Rs 25,000

In case of other bank ATMs, the account holder will have tokeep a minimum sum of Rs 1 lakh to avoid withdrawal charges.

Rs 15 will be charged for SMS alerts per quarter from debitcard holders who manage to maintain average quarterly balance of up to Rs25,000 during the three months period.

There will be no charge for UPI/ USSD transactions of up toRs 1000.

With inputs from PTI


California has endured a five year drought, but for much of the state, the drought is over.



Here are a few resources to track the rain and snow.



These tables show the snowpack in the North, Central and South Sierra. Currently the snowpack is about 153% of normal for this date in the North, 189% of normal in the Central Sierra, and 197% of normal in the Southern Sierra.



And here are some plots comparing the current and previous years to the average, a very dry year ('14-'15) and a wet year ('82-'83). This winter is well above the average and close to the record winter of '82-'83 in the Central and Southern Sierra.



And for Los Angeles, here is a historical table of annual rainfall. After five years of significantly below average rainfall, this year is well above normal. On average, there is about 11" of rain through February in LA (rain is measured July through June). This year, LA has received over 18" of rain through February.



This is good news for the state and the state economy.



For Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail hikers, I recommend using the Upper Tyndall Creek sensor to track the snow conditions. This graph shows the snow water content for Upper Tyndall Creek for the last 40 years. Note: I hiked the trail in September 1998 - a very wet year - and there was snow all year on Mt. Whitney.



There were four very dry years in a row, and then last winter was a little better - but still below normal.



For the Tyndall Creek area, this is the wettest year since 1998, and it is still early March!
| BY Ricki Green |

Instant Scratch-Its and News Corp have teamed up for a new four-week promotion aimed at providing Queensland and South Australian customers with an extra thrill and the chance to win thousands of dollars worth of travel.

The Holiday Giveaway Promotion and campaign developed by GPY&R Brisbane, will run from 5 March to 1 April 2017 and gives customers the chance to win one of four $5,000 travel vouchers, and one $20,000 travel voucher.

As part of the promotion, customers will receive a special promotion scratch card when they buy both a participating newspaper and Instant Scratch-Its Crossword at their local lottery outlet. To enter, they simply enter their details, the unique scratch card code and Instant Scratch-Its Crossword SYS Code into the microsite www.holidaygiveaway.thelott.com.

News Corp mastheads participating in the promotion include The Advertiser and The Sunday Mail in South Australia, and The Courier-Mail, Sunday Mail, Cairns Post, Townsville Bulletin and Gold Coast Bulletin.

Instant Scratch-Its brand portfolio manager Nada McNamara said the promotion had been designed to give regular readers and customers an extra thrill in their day.

Says McNamara: We know that newspapers and Instant Scratch-Its are among the most popular newsagency purchases and are often bought together, so it made sense to team up and offer our customers the chance to win something special.

Its also a fun way to attract new newspaper readers and new Instant Scratch-Its customers by offering a prize, and continuing to encourage people to visit our vast network of Instant Scratch-Its retail outlets.

Each week during the promotion, well draw a winner of a $5,000 Allure Travel voucher from the pool of that weeks entries, while all entries across the four weeks will be in the running to win a $20,000 Allure Travel voucher, drawn at the end of the promotion.
| BY Ricki Green |

UnLtd, the media and marketing industry foundation, has today announced it has secured ten social impact partnerships for 2017. The partnerships match the talent, professional expertise and corporate social responsibility goals of leading industry brands with the specific needs of selective organisations focussed on addressing youth disadvantage.

The ten inaugural partners are ARN, Bauer Media, Google, GroupM, IPG Mediabrands, Mamamia, Network Ten, OMD, The Media Store and Yahoo!7.

Each partnership comprises three key elements; strategically aligning with one or more of UnLtds charity partners, establishing specific projects across 2017 that deliver mutual benefit, and measuring the real social impact of each project and engagement. The UnLtd charity partners are selected based on their impact and effectiveness across key issues including mental health, drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness, literacy and education, sexual and domestic abuse.

The partnerships will encompass creative fundraising, brand building and community engagement activities along with skilled volunteering to address the specific needs of each charity partner. Value will be contributed and measured across services and resources delivered, time contributed and direct financial contributions.

According to Paul Fisher, CEO of UnLtd, a recent industry survey found that 84 percent of respondents stated they believe the media, marketing and advertising industry can and should be doing more to positively impact society.

Says Fisher: Our launch partners are leading the charge to unite our industry around a big and unacceptable social issue that we are ideally skilled and resourced to address with real impact and measurable success. We are delighted they have come on board and we know from experience that not only will hundreds of thousands of young lives be improved, but the partner companies and their staff will experience hugely rewarding and often life-changing experiences themselves.

When I meet the young people that UnLtd and our partners support, they often thank us for believing in me for giving me an opportunity, and for inspiring me to change my life. Giving hope, belief and prospects for a bright future to young people in need is the ultimate reward.

Says Paul Anderson, chief executive officer, Ten Network: Ten has partnered with UnLtd since October 2014, working to connect and engage our staff with a dozen youth-focused charities around the country. The work UnLtd and its partners are doing is making a real difference in the lives of many young Australians and helping to tackle many key social issues. We are proud to be associated with UnLtd and proud of the work it is enabling Ten and our staff to do with these great charities.

Says Jason Pellegrino, managing director, Google Australia: Google strongly believes that technology can play a big part in solving big, real life problems. We are really pleased to support the important work that UnLtd is doing collectively on behalf of Australias media industry to help young people in need, through efforts ranging from mental health support to literacy and education.

Says Mark Lollback, CEO, GroupM: The whole team at GroupM and GroupM agencies are proud to be part of this UnLtd initiative. There is nothing more rewarding than being able to help the youth of our wonderful country by giving back.

Says Craig Jepsen, CEO, The Media Store: Beyond the wonderful positivity of this partnership in supporting Australian youth, we are also excited to support UnLtd because it realises our younger team members motivation and desire to engage in community initiatives.
| BY Lynchy |

Vinasoy, Vietnams leading soy milk brand, has appointed The Purpose Group to handle all of its portfolio of brands. The Purpose Group has been awarded the Vinasoy, Fami and Soymen brands.

Ngo Van Tu, Vinasoys Chief Executive Officer, said, We have been working with The Purpose Group for a number of years. We have had great success stories as the result of The Purpose Groups brand strategy, insightful planning and impactful creativity. We have the choice of having the best international and independent agencies in Vietnam handling our business. It was a tough decision. By choosing The Purpose Group, we chose an agency that truly understands our brands, and an agency that has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to further the growth of our business.
Two former senators who were targeted last year by opposition ads paid for by unidentified contributors and defeated in their bids for re-election expressed support Friday for a bill that would require disclosure of those who fund such attack ads.

"People need to be able to identify these people (and) where they get their money," former Sen. Jerry Johnson of Wahoo said.

Johnson said he was targeted by a campaign flyer that noted he had supported a bill increasing the state gasoline tax; it urged people in his district to "tell Sen. Johnson to quit raising taxes."

That ad was sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, he said.

Former Sen. Les Seiler of Hastings said he was targeted by an organization called Trees of Liberty, as well as by Americans for Prosperity.

One ad stated that Seiler, who had been chairman of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee, was not present at committee hearings 75 percent of the time, he said.

"That one made me mad," he said, because the truth was that he had missed only one day of committee hearings.

"Three of us got hit hard" by what he described as "dark money" last year, Seiler said.

Also targeted was former Sen. Al Davis of Hyannis, who lost his bid for re-election, too.

Trees of Liberty "seemed to focus its attacks on Republicans that had voted to override the governor's vetoes," Jack Gould of Common Cause Nebraska told the Legislature's Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

"Currently, individuals who fund organizations like Trees of Liberty and Americans for Prosperity are able to hide their identity," Gould said.

"That means that lies can be told without being held responsible. It is a cowardly act."

Gould described those organizations as "shadowy."

Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue, sponsor of the campaign finance reform bill (LB252), said candidates and citizens "have a right to know" who is contributing to those attack ads, which are "clearly designed to influence the election."

Contributors avoid disclosure now because the ads do not specifically urge a vote for or against a candidate, she said.

Frank Daley, executive director of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, supported the bill, stating that it ensures such activity is "treated the same way as electioneering ads."

Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln suggested that the current practice may legitimately "protect people's ability to speak unpopular opinions or political views" without being identified as donors.

Americans for Prosperity opposed the bill, suggesting that some of its donors may fear reprisals because of the individuals and causes they choose to support.

They do not want their names revealed, the committee was told.

LB252 seeks to require disclosure of those who donate and direct funds to specific ads that identify candidates by name and it would require disclosure of the amount spent.

"In Nebraska's 2016 elections," Gould said, "Trees of Liberty was able to hide in Colorado, launch attack ads against named candidates and reveal nothing about their expenditures."

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com.
Sunday, March 5, 2017 at 10:17PM

Google has done many movie tie-ins in the past. This time around, Google Maps works with Legendary for the upcoming release of Kong: Skull Island. You cant exactly see the island on the map as its just a blip on the south of the equator in the Pacific Ocean. But it does get an info page of sorts that links it as an Archeological Site and has a link to the official tie-in website that lets you explore the island and the creatures on it. You can also leave a review, if you want. Kong: Skull Island comes out in Canada on March 10.

Source: The Verge
Pham is alleged to have grabbed his friend by the neck and punched him in the jaw, prompting the man to say he was helping the bikie gang out of fear the accused would hurt him.
When asked what the main areas of focus have been in the first few months in the new role, Toros immediate response is: SEA-ME-WE-5. We are speaking one week before the SEA-ME-WE-5 project launch celebration event in Istanbul, which TTI is organising. TTI is one of 19 SEA-ME-WE-5 consortium members, and the cable is set to strengthen its unique terrestrial network between three continents.

Our main focus is to increase the number of partnerships, enhance cooperation and gain new customers in our region, he says. We are focusing heavily on SEA-ME-WE-5, the subsea fibre-optic cable system, and enhancing our customer base in geographies such as the CIS region, the Middle East and Africa. The latter he says is an emerging market which is of particular interest to TTI, especially in Eastern Africa.

At the end of 2016, construction of the hotly anticipated 20,000km SEA-ME-WE-5 subsea cable running between Marseille and Singapore, connecting 17 countries across three continents, completed. TTI is one of the consortium members of the cable offering 100Gbps DWDM technology and capacity of 24Tbps on three fibre pairs. The consortium claims that it was built to offer a low-latency connection across the route and to deal with bandwidth demand between Europe and Asia that has quadrupled. Toros is pleased that the RFS date was met and the system is operational and ready for commercial use.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has helped to fund Turkeys investment in the new high-tech fibre-optic subsea cable system by providing a $50 million loan to Turk Telekom Group.

The financing provided TTI with the ability to lay cables under the sea and to build a branching unit in Marmaris on the Mediterranean coast, in Mugla Province, south-western Turkey. Branching units are used in submarine cable systems to provide traffic and power routing between the trunk and branch cables.

The mega internet infrastructure project is set to serve as a brand new platform for the future telecommunications business in Turkey and for the region. It can help build a stronger digital industry in the country and attract high-tech companies, content providers and the major players in the digital economy.

The system is set to bolster Turkeys infrastructure as the countrys growing economy needs greater connectivity and ever-stronger ties with Europe, the US and Asia. Turkey has experienced a steep increase in internet use over the last couple of years and demand is also growing due to the popularity of video streaming and HD video. The increased capacity for data traffic will result in higher quality of internet connections in Turkey and the neighbouring countries.

We have strong cross-border connectivity with certain neighbour countries, which were constantly enhancing, says Toros. Most of the countries and operators in Central Asia and the Middle East are getting IP transit services from Western Europe, which can result in delays in their services, but were committed to enhancing capacity services, and there is a strong focus on improving IP transit services for our business partners and customers. Its a long-term plan TTI has embarked on.

Geographically, Istanbul is the only transcontinental city in the world located on two continents and as such TTI has a critical role to play transiting traffic for operators in a region in which it is continually enhancing its backbone. We are looking into new opportunities with some different types of subsea cable systems, specifically in the Black Sea region and on the other side of the Eastern Mediterranean sea, added Toros. Istanbul is fast establishing itself as a key regional hub for data and voice exchange.

Interconnecting MPLS networks has further enhanced TTIs presence and reach domestically and internationally, Toros says, adding that TTI and its mother company are fully committed to further investing in making the backbone even greater.

The demand for capacity services and IP transit is booming in the region and also in the Middle East. The Iranian market is opening up post the relaxation of sanctions and Cisco helping to restore and rebuild the Iraqi national backbone, a multi-layer IP and optical network spanning the long terrestrial route from Iraq to Turkey, is testament to this surge. At Capacity Eurasia 2015, TTI signed a partnership agreement with Palestinian telco Paltel. The move saw the two companies interconnect their MPLS networks, helping to extend network coverage to their enterprise customers.

Strengthening Digital Silk Road ties

TTI has signed a number of memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreements with Asian operators in recent years and is fully behind the ongoing campaign to enhance the Digital Silk Road. The Digital Silk Road is one of the most important projects in Asia today, connecting the Asian operators with Europe, says Toros, who believes the truest routes in the region stem from submarines. But we do believe that there must be terrestrial back-ups for the South Asian and Central Asian countries.

In mid-2016, an MoU with PCCW Global was signed to explore service portfolio and geographic synergies between the two leading telecommunications companies, which will be found by leveraging TTIs broad geographic reach to bring PCCW Globals suite of cyber and broadcast capabilities to its customers.

PCCW Global stated that it was delighted to have entered into this MoU to explore mutually beneficial business opportunities for the two companies, adding that TTI has a track record for seamless connectivity and unique coverage from Western Europe through the Middle East and onward to Asia.

An MoU was also signed with China Telecom Europe in 2014 looking to collaborate on providing telecoms and IT services to Chinese enterprises operating in Turkey and the surrounding Central and Eastern Europe regions.

TTIs evolving journey

As you know, Turk Telekom made a couple of acquisitions up to 2011, with the last one being TTI at the beginning of 2011, explains Toros, who has been in the industry for more than 28 years and with the carrier since 2003. It was a great achievement and was the right move by Turk Telekom Group.

TTI has invested heavily to stay competitive in a region with an increasing amount of competition amongst carriers and wholesale operators. To differentiate ourselves amongst the wholesalers and the carriers, Toros divulges, well be creating some value-added services and corporate/enterprise services.

Toros explains that mobile and fixed-line applications and services are such areas which can be evolved. Turk Telekom Mobile in Belgium, which serves the mobile applications and services in that market, has now been transferred from Turk Telekoms mother company to TTI. By adding this kind of experience, we are going to enhance our business and the services we offer.

Before the end of this year, we will conduct a survey in Europe in order to look into increasing our presence with retail services, and we should hopefully have added, to the agreement of our shareholders, more business to TTI before the end of the year as well, says Toros.

We also have a consultancy division within TTI, which cooperates with operators in different geographies in Asia and Africa, which will become an additional business stream for TTI.

TTIs target is to increase the voice termination and increase the mobile and fixed voice businesses in Turkey, says Toros, but due to the internet usage increasing exponentially in Turkey, along with social media subscriptions, our data business is getting much more valuable and important for us to focus on evolving.
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 ...
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.
There is a happy news for parents looking to send their children to nursery classes for the academic session 2017-18.

They can now apply for nursery admissions in certain Delhi government schools also.

From the upcoming 2017-18 academic session, around 150 Sarvodaya Vidyalayas under the directorate of education will offer nursery classes, online forms for which are already out.

About the admission process:

The online registrations for admissions in these schools began on Saturday, March 4, 2017, and will end on March 18, 2017.

Parents who want to get their child admitted for the nursery, KG and Class 1 can apply to Sarvodaya Vidyalayas during this time.

There are around 450 Sarvodaya Vidyalayas under the directorate of education out of which 404 offers KG (pre-primary) options.

The government plans to introduce nursery classes in all these schools in the coming years and has started the process with 150 schools for the upcoming academic session.

Important note:

Online application forms for nursery and KG/ Class I (entry class) in government Sarvodaya Vidyalayas of the DOE need to be submitted by the parents between March 4, 2017, to March 18, 2017 (both days inclusive) on the department's website under the link 'Govt Schools Admission'," the DOE said in a circular.

Parents can select five Sarvodaya Vidyalayas as per their preference in the application form.

Admission will be done based on the draw of lots as per the number of seats available in a particular Sarvodaya Vidyalaya.

"There will be one section of the nursery in the around 150 schools and each class will have 40 seats," officials said.

Eligibility criteria:

For nursery class:

Application forms of only those children will be considered who have completed three years of age as on March 31, 2017 (child must be born on April 1, 2013, to March 31, 2014).

For KG class admissions:

The child should have completed 4-years of age as on March 31, 2017 (child must be born on April 1, 2014, to March 31, 2013).

For Class I admissions:

Applicants should have attained the age of 5-years as on March 31, 2017 (child must be born on April 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012).

Parents will have to fill details such as 'Aadhaar number' of the child and provide one passport size photograph of the child, bank account number of the child along with the name of the bank's branch and its IFSC code and date of birth of a child.

Parents will also have to submit documents at the time of admissions such as original date of birth certificate issued by MCD or any other local body. Certificate of caste and certificate of disability also needs to be submitted wherever applicable, said an official.

IIHMR Opens Admission For MBA Program 2017
The RACIRI Summer School is a joint initiative by Russia, Sweden, and Germany in the collaborative framework of the Rontgen-Angstrom-Cluster (RAC) and the Ioffe-Rontgen-Institute (IRI).

The RACIRI Summer School is held every year under a special focus theme. Its venue rotates annually among the three partnering countries.

Applications are invited for three RACIRI Scholarships enabled within the framework of the India@DESY Collaboration for the year 2017. Young Indian scientists are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

The program structure, lectures, and topics are designed to improve the fundamental understanding rather than focusing on plain experimental methods and techniques.

Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) is a multidisciplinary research institute situated in Jakkur, a locality north of Bangalore, India. It is relatively young yet well-known around the Globe.

Who can apply for the scholarship?

Young Indian scientists are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Where can the scholarship be taken?

The scholarship can be taken in India.

For whom is the scholarship awarded?

The scholarship is awarded to the young researchers in materials science in close connection to research at large-scale x-ray and neutron sources.

The school will mainly address Ph.D. students, master (diploma) students in their final research year, and young postdoctoral researchers.

What is the study subject of the scholarship?

The summer schools offer a unique training program and stimulating learning environment for young researchers in materials science in close connection to research at large-scale x-ray and neutron sources.

The number of scholarships available: Three scholarships are available.

Eligibility criteria:

The following criteria must be met in order for applicants to be eligible for the scholarship.

JNCASR expect the successful candidates to be excellently qualified senior master students in the final phase of their study program (master/ diploma), or Ph.D. students with the proven academic background and necessary qualifications, or young scientists (Postdocs).

Students and young scientists from India wishing to participate must first apply at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) and will then be nominated by a committee (based on their academic accomplishment, research and education experience, and with careful consideration of gender balance).

Nationality: Young Indian scientists are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

How to apply?

Applicants are requested to electronically submit:

A CV

A one-page motivation letter explaining why he/ she would like to participate and how this might benefit his/ her ongoing or planned research.

Two reference letters.

All documents should be submitted by March 15, 2017, to its official website and http://www.jncasr.ac.in/. Please be advised to submit your application as soon as possible.

Important date to remember:

Scholarship application deadline is March 15, 2017.

Further Information, interested candidates can visit the official website

Saha Institute Of Nuclear Physics Offers Fellowship For Indian Students
Johnson & Johnson said on Friday that a state court jury in Missouri had returned a verdict in its favor in the latest trial to arise out of thousands of lawsuits alleging the companys talc-based products can increase the risk of ovarian cancer.

The jury sided with Johnson & Johnson and talc supplier Imerys Talc in a lawsuit by Tennessee resident Nora Daniels, who alleged that she used J&J Baby Powder for 36 years and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2013.

The verdict came after three straight prior jury verdicts in St. Louis against J&J awarding plaintiffs a combined $195 million. More than 2,500 lawsuits are pending in state court in St. Louis.

The jurys decision is consistent with the science, research, clinical evidence and decades of studies by medical experts around the world that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc, Johnson & Johnson said in a statement.

Imerys in a statement thanked the jury for following the science that establishes the safety of talc.

Ted Meadows, a lawyer for Daniels, in a statement said he was disappointed by the verdict.

We continue to maintain that the association between genital talc usage and ovarian cancer remains an issue of public health and demands that consumers be warned of the specific risks, he said in a statement.

Plaintiffs have accused J&J of failing for years to warn that talc was linked to an increased risk for ovarian cancer. J&J has said it acted properly in developing and marketing the products.

In February 2016, a Missouri state jury ordered J&J to pay $72 million to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer after years of using talc powder for feminine hygiene.

In May, another jury in Missouri returned $55 million to a woman who said the companys talc-powder products caused her to develop ovarian cancer. J&J was subsequently hit with a third verdict in October for $67.5 million.
With just a few hours left until the 2017 Geneva Motor Show kicks off for the media, Zenvo Automotive have been spotted loading two highly powerful machines into the Palexpo complex.



Christened the TS1 GT, the first one is a special edition hypercar that was unveiled a few days ago, with a stunning look and more power than you could ever imagine.

At its heart is a 5.8-liter twin-supercharged V8 engine produces a massive 1,180 PS (1,163 HP) and 1,100 Nm (811 lb-ft) of torque. Details surrounding its 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time have yet to be released, but a previous teaser revealed its top speed at 402 km/h (250 mph).

Besides the impressive TS1 GT, the small Danish automaker was also seen bringing a regular version of the TS1 to Geneva. It wears a head-turning acid green finish that may remind some of the Porsche 918 Spyder.

Zenvo Automotive will drop more info on their specially-painted supercar at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, which will become a Mecca for car fanatics all over the world, until March 19.

VIDEOS
Audis product offensive continues with a display of power at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show.



Described as a coupe from Audi Sport that perfectly combines performance and aesthetics, the new RS5 Coupe is coming to complete the new A5 Coupe family, and to sit above the S5 in the range.

Its expected to need less than 4 seconds for the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint, and to reach an electronically capped top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph), due to its new 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine. This should produce more than 444 horses and 599 Nm (442 lb-ft) of torque, as weve previously reported.

Created to rival the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe, the Audi Q8 will also land at the brands stand in Geneva, straight from the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, where it made its global premiere. The dynamic SUV is currently in concept form, but it will eventually hit the assembly line.

Rounding up the list of premieres will be what the Germans refer to as a natural gas model with a unique sustainability concept. This is the most mysterious car Audi will have on display, but we will learn everything there is to know about it tomorrow, at 8:35 am CET (2:35 am EST).

Previous reports also talked about other possible premieres at the Audi stand, such as the RS1, and RS Q5 but these remain unconfirmed for now.

PHOTO GALLERY
Jaguar is preparing to unveil its entry-level E-Pace SUV in May as it pushes forward with its aggressive roll out of crossover and SUV models.



Since the Jaguar F-Pace launched last year, it has already accounted for over half of the brands sales and spurred on by its success, the British brand is planning at least three all-new SUV models to launch before the end of the decade. These will include the E-Pace, the all-electric I-Pace and an Audi Q7 rival dubbed the J-Pace.

The E-Pace has the potential to be the most popular of all and will take the fight to the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 and be similar in size to the Range Rover Evoque.

Underpinning the E-Pace will be the same LR-MS platform as the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Evoque with front-wheel drive coming as standard and all-wheel drive offered as an option. Jaguar Land Rovers six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions will be available.

In terms of engines, a 161 hp 2.0-liter diesel is expected to act as the entry-level unit, Autocar reports. It will be joined by a 178 hp 2.0-liter diesel and a 237 hp, twin-turbo 2.0-liter diesel. Theres a possibility that a hybrid powertrain will be offered at a later date.

Aesthetically, the E-Pace will closely resemble the styling of the F-Pace albeit on a slightly smaller scale. That means the same F-Type-inspired taillights will be featured as will a tapered roofline and rear end and a brutish-looking front fascia.

PHOTO GALLERY
Its official, boys and girls: French automaker PSA Group is buying Opel and Vauxhall, with (nearly) all its connected properties, from General Motors.



The deal will see Opel and Vauxhall get out from under GMs umbrella to stand under PSAs, alongside the Peugeot, Citroen, and DS brands. The move is expected to transform PSA into Europes second-largest automaker (behind Volkswagen).

The acquisition  which may prove the industrys largest since the formation of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles  wont just encompass the Opel and Vauxhall brands, though. It also includes six assembly plants, five component manufacturing facilities, and an engineering center in Russelsheim, Germany. With it, PSA will absorb some 40,000 new employees. But GM will hold on to its engineering center in Turin, Italy.

Through the arrangement, Opel/Vauxhall will continue collaborating with General Motors  at least until the German and British brands gradually transition to PSA platforms over the coming years. That may take a while, though, considering how young Opels current lineup is: It just launched the new Corsa in 2014, the Astra in 2015, and is in the process of rolling out a new Insignia, to be shared with other GM brands like Buick and Holden in other markets.

In connection with the deal, PSA will also jointly take over GMs European financial operations together with BNP Paribas  a Paris-based banking giant that consistently ranks among the top ten in the world.

All told, the transaction is valued at approximately 2.2 billion  of which PSAs share (including Opel/Vauxhall and half of the financial operations) comes to 1.8 billion. GM will also take non-voting shares in PSA in the form of warrants, bringing the total value to the American industrial giant up past $4 billion.

In the wake of the acquisition, PSA may elect to phase out the arrangement that currently has rival Renault supplying its Trafic and Master vans to Opel and Vauxhall. The bigger question, however, is over just how GM will tackle the European market without its principal European operations remains to be seen. But wed expect some combination of the Chevy and Cadillac brands to be step up to fill the void.

Photo Gallery
Confirming the initial rumors, Lamborghini went on and released an onboard lap video of their upcoming Huracan Performante at the Nurburgring, completing the process in a record-breaking 6:52.01, beating the previous record set by the much more powerful Porsche 918 Spyder by 5 whole seconds.



It didnt take long for some reactions to question Lamborghinis achievement, accusing them from speeding up the video framerate to just plainly faking the whole damn thing.

But heres the thing: Nurburgring lap times, as they stand, can never be proven fake, even if they are; first, there is no official governing body overlooking the manufacturers trying to set a lap time and secondly, even if there was ever such a thing, we still are left with one major issue concerning the conditions and the state of this massive track at the time of the lap attempt.

Among the most popular critics of Lamborghinis lap was Dale Lomas of Bridge to Gantry, who thinks that theres something off with Lamborghinis lap in his blog post after examining the digital speedo readouts of the lap videos in both the Aventador SV and the Huracan Performante.

As Lomas points out, both of these readouts are fed from GPS rather than the wheel speed and they have been added to the video during the post-production process. GPS is known to be miles more accurate than an onboard gauge, but its signal strength depends on things like trees, ground reflections and more, which logically explains the readout glitches displayed in both videos.

Misha Charoudin. on the other hand. compared the Huracan Performantes record lap with the one posted from the Porsche 918 Spyder, even creating an excel sheet comparing specific high and low speeds as taken from the cars speedos shown in the respective videos. In that excel sheet, Charoudin found that the Porsche was traveling faster than the Lambo in the majority of the tracks length, leading many to believe that the ltalian supercar maker was caught cheating.

MISHA CHAROUDIN

Only this isnt true as the data used for backing up the fake lap theory is simply worthless. Picking up entry, exit or straight-line speeds which are measured in different ways, in different track conditions, from two separate videos is never going to form a solid basis for comparison, to say the least.

Add to that the fact that these videos are usually edited in the post-production process to add things like the nice digital speedometer in Lamborghinis case or that the lap footage Porsche released for the 918 is actually three seconds slower than its record time.

One Lap Heroes pointed out at this with a video response, explaining that you cant cherry pick speed readouts from an edited video, just because it fits a certain narrative. When it comes to analyzing how a car is faster or slower than another one, you need both cars wearing ideally the same tires and the full telemetry of both laps, measured by the same instrument on the same day and only then you can draw a useful verdict.

One Lap Heroes

As for the accusation of Lamborghini speeding up the video, well it appears that this theory is also debunked after Racelogic, the maker of the perhaps the worlds most respected measuring equipment, posted a lengthy geeky analysis of the lap on their Facebook page and despite Lamborghini not using their systems to time the Huracan Performante.

We all know that Nurburgring lap times are just a marketing tool used cleverly by the manufacturers and every clear-headed petrolhead should always approach the matter with more than just a pinch of salt. Theres no need for drama in this, especially because there is no official control on the lap times published from time to time.

On top of all that, we simply cant believe that Lamborghini would risk its huge reputation over a Nurburgring lap record, it just doesnt make sense as Chris Harris also tweeted.

Ive had my beef with @Lamborghini , but I just cannot believe that theyd post a dodgy Ring time for the Superperformante. chris harris (@harrismonkey) March 3, 2017

The new Lamborghini Huracan Performante will be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show tomorrow, so hopefully well get all the details of that Ring record soon. Who knows, perhaps the best explanation of why the new Lambo is so incredibly fast around the Nurburgring is given in the video linked below.

VIDEO
A Toyota Tacoma managed to take flight at the conclusion of a police chase in Louisiana last week in a truly extraordinary sight.



According to reports, the stolen pickup truck was pulled over for speeding while 18-year-old Kevonte Dekorey Austin was in the passenger seat. As the police officer spoke to the driver, Austin, an escaped prisoner, jumped into the drivers seat and took off in the Tacoma.

He was followed by police and ultimately hit a set of spike strips at approximately 115 mph (185 km/h). Shortly after, he was faced with a roadblock and made the split-second decision to swerve off the road and down a grassy embankment.

Unable to slow down, Austin slammed the pickup into a drainage pipe and subsequently soared through the air in a scene fitting for The Dukes of Hazzard. The pickup landed on a woman sitting in her car at a restaurant parking lot who thankfully, wasnt injured in the incident.

Austin and the original driver were both taken into custody without serious injuries.

VIDEO
Photo: Contributed

Like its older brother Windows XP, Vista is reaching the end of its life. Its time to move on.

End of the Road for Vista Support from Microsoft

Microsoft will end all support for the Vista operating system April 11, 2017. That means that Microsoft will not provide any updates (including security updates), fixes, or technical assistance for Vista.

It does not mean that your Vista computer will stop running on April 11. Microsoft doesnt have a big lever to pull and shut your computer down permanently. It means that your computer is less secure in the absence of security updates. Microsoft explains here.

Other types of support end, too

If youre still running Vista, you might have noticed that youre getting notices that your browser is out of date, and pop-ups encouraging you to install the most recent version of Internet Explorer. Well, you cant.

You havent been able to do that for years, because mainstream support for Vista ended in April 2012, when updates for Internet Explorer 9 stopped being available. And, Vista is not capable of running a version of Internet Explorer any newer than that.

The workaround, until now, has been to install either Firefox or Chrome. But as Microsoft extended support ends, the updates to those browsers will no longer support Vista. Browser updates generally address security issues. So along with no security updates from Microsoft, Vista users will be using vulnerable browsers.

Firefox will continue to work on Vista until September 2017.

Chrome version 50 will continue to work on Vista, although its not clear how long that will be true. What will be a problem for Chrome users on Vista is that Gmail will lose a lot of its functionality on that older version of Chrome by the end of 2017.

The Opera browser appears to be the only major browser continuing support for Vista. I have not been able to discover how long they plan to do that.

Microsoft Security Essentials, the free anti-virus program from Microsoft, will not be updated on Vista when extended support ends in April. If you are still using a computer with Vista on it, you need to make sure your current antivirus product will continue support or you need to find another one.

End of Life dates are not a secret, at least when it comes to operating systems

When Microsoft releases a new operating system, they post the support dates here. Sometimes, as in the case of Windows XP, they provide support for longer than they thought they would have to.

You can see when Microsoft intends to stop support for any operating system by looking at that page. For a thorough explanation of Mainstream vs Extended Support, see this Microsoft FAQ.

To discover what operating system youre running, click on Start | Computer | Properties or press the Windows Key and the Pause/Break key at the same time. Either method opens the Properties.

Now what?

If youre running Vista, you need to be preparing to replace it with Windows 10, which is the current version of Windows. You are probably running it on a computer that is at least eight years old, and its unlikely that upgrading that computer is going to provide you with a satisfactory Windows 10 experience.

You should be budgeting for a new computer. Well talk more about what to look for in a new computer in a future column.

Cate Eales runs Computer Care Kelowna, a mobile service helping home users and businesses get along with their computers. To arrange an appointment phone her at 250-764-7043.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
It appears more of us are seeking a way to feel better  whether it be through organic foods, natural body products or mental and spiritual support.

All were on offer this weekend at the Vernon Wellness Fair held at Rec Centre.

Since starting the fair 13 years ago, organizer Shara Mendoza said there has been a shift in the public's thinking.

The general population is becoming more aware of the products that they are using, of the natural products that are available to them in the health and wellness community, said Mendoza. We are noticing a huge growth in this industry.

People flocked to the fair as it opened Sunday morning and Mendoza said approximately 1,500 attended on Saturday.

We have people here wanting to foster their spiritual growth so they might be looking for a spiritual counsellor or to discuss different religions or options for their spiritual growth. We also have a large population rising up, seeking organic, GMO-free, natural products to use on their body and to consume because they are not trusting what they are finding on store shelves anymore.

The businesses at the fair were from around the Okanagan Valley, and included acupuncturists, producers of protein powders , probiotics and skin care and others.

Mendoza said people could also have some fun and try out various different types of massage therapy.

The wellness fair was open Sunday until 4 p.m.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A group representing Great Lakes region mayors in the U.S. and Canada is sounding the alarm against potentially drastic cuts to an ecological recovery initiative for the Great Lakes.

The Trump administration's potential cuts to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative were reported by the Detroit Free Press last week. They would slash annual funding for the $300 million program to $10 million.

The initiative combats invasive species, curbs nutrient-fueled algae blooms, cleans up toxic messes and restores sensitive fish and wildlife habitat.

"Cuts of this magnitude would be devastating to the efforts of our two countries over the past five decades to restore the resource," David Ullrich, executive director of The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for a story published Sunday (http://bit.ly/2mIox0n ). His group represents mayors from more than 125 U.S. and Canadian cities in the Great Lakes basin.

Ullrich said the cuts would also undermine all of the lake restoration and protection efforts underway by local governments, which are collectively far more significant than the federal restoration initiative launched by the Obama administration in 2010.

"Local governments have been investing at over $15 billion per year ... well beyond the federal governments' investments," Ullrich said, "and this would be a major step back from the responsibility shared for this resource."

Conservation groups have also criticized the potential cuts.

"Great Lakes protection is not a partisan issue. No matter how different our backgrounds, Great Lakers value clean water," the Alliance for the Great Lakes said in a statement Friday. "For decades, people of all political affiliations from all corners of the region, have consistently shown strong support for protecting the Great Lakes. And, some of the most critical programs and regulations targeted by President Trump's proposed cuts have been supported by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle."
Photo: HO-Reynolds-Alberta Museum

A Canadian drag racer that was one of the fastest vehicles on four wheels has returned home to Alberta for a spot in a provincial museum.

Wheeler Dealer, a top fuel dragster that roared to victories on the international circuit in the 1970s, has been donated to Alberta's fleet of historic vehicles at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin.

Built in 1973 and operated by Terry Capp of St. Albert, Alta., and Bernie Fedderly of Edmonton, the car competed directly against some of the biggest names in international drag racing.

Wheeler Dealer also helped establish the careers of Capp and Fedderly, who are now members of the Canadian Motorsports and Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

Team Capp sold Wheeler Dealer in 1979 to get another dragster, and subsequent owners raced and modified it over the next three decades.

Brian Friesen of Winnipeg acquired the car in 2007, did a full restoration, and has now donated the dragster to the museum.

"I am thrilled to see such a significant piece of Canadian history reside within one of our provincial museums. 'Wheeler Dealer' is an example of how Albertans and Canadians push the envelope to excel," Ricardo Miranda, Alberta's culture and tourism minister, said in a news release.

According to the U.S. National Hot Rod Association, top fuel drag racers are among the fastest accelerating racing vehicles in the world. With their long, thin bodies, giant rear wheels and relatively tiny front wheels, they can reach speeds of more than 500 km/h in under four seconds.

The Reynolds-Alberta Museum is provincially owned and features a wide variety of vintage automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, aircraft, tractors, agricultural implements and industrial equipment.

According to the Alberta government, top fuel dragsters that are mostly intact are rare, since they are typically built as one-off machines that are raced until they're replaced by newer technology or destroyed in an accident.

"This vehicle is a desirable addition to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum and will greatly enhance our provincial automotive racing collection," Miranda said.
Photo: The Canadian Press

With the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop, French conservative Francois Fillon clung tenaciously to his presidential candidacy Sunday, emboldened by thousands of supporters at a high-stakes rally aimed at quashing pressure on him to step aside because of impending corruption charges.

Crowds of flag-waving voters chanting "Fillon, President!" appeared to give him the confidence he needs to keep up the fight. That support came despite a raft of defections by conservative allies in recent days that threatened to plunge France's unpredictable presidential campaign into unprecedented disarray just seven weeks before its first-round election.

"No one can stop me from being a candidate," he said on France-2 television Sunday night. The rally, he said was "a demonstration that my legitimacy remains very strong."

Fillon, a former prime minister, apologized to voters for errors in judgment but insisted he was being unfairly targeted in an election season. Once the front-runner in France's presidential race, he is now being eclipsed by two other candidates.

His low-profile Welsh wife Penelope  accused of earning a generous taxpayer-funded salary for years for jobs she never performed  took an unusually public place at his side at Sunday's rally, waving a tricolour flag before adoring crowds.

Despite the rally, Fillon's Republicans party remains dangerously divided over his candidacy. Its political committee is holding an urgent meeting Monday to evaluate the situation after Sunday's rally and the recent defections, including by Fillon's campaign manager and his campaign spokesman.

Many conservatives want Alain Juppe, another former prime minister who was the runner-up in the party's primary, to run in Fillon's place.

Fillon warned that this close to election day, any "improvised candidacy ... would lead to failure."

Juppe, who has shown little inclination to run as a replacement candidate, planned to make a statement Monday in Bordeaux, where he is mayor. He campaigned on a more moderate platform than the tough-on-security, pro-free market Fillon.

Polls now suggest that far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist independent candidate Emmanuel Macron will come out on top in the first-round vote on April 23. The top two vote-getters go on to compete in the May 7 presidential runoff. A poll released Sunday suggested Juppe would have a better chance at reaching the runoff than Fillon.

Fillon showed no sign of backing down Sunday, however.

"You should not surrender to worry or anger," he told the rally on Place de Trocadero, buffeted by rain and wind. He thanked "those of you who will never give up the fight, you who always refuse to listen to the siren calls of discouragement."

Fillon apologized to his supporters for having to concentrate on defending his family's honour "while the most essential thing for you, as for me, is to defend our country."

"I committed the first error in the past, in asking my wife to work for me. ... I shouldn't have done that," he said. "And I committed the second in hesitating about the way to talk about it."

Dozens of buses brought supporters in from around France, while riot police stood guard. Fillon claimed that 200,000 people showed up at Sunday's rally, though police estimates were much lower. Puzzled tourists took selfies of the crowd.

Hundreds of left-wing protesters held a counter-demonstration across town to denounce widespread political corruption among France's political elite.
Photo: Kate Bouey

One person was taken to hospital for observation Sunday after a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of 27th Street and 39th Avenue.

A Vernon Fire Rescue crew, ambulance and RCMP were at the scene around 2:30 p.m.

Some debris was scattered in the intersection leading to the closure of the left-hand turn lane west on 39th.

Three people in a pickup were unharmed while an occupant in a van was sent to Vernon Jubilee Hospital, said Fire Captain Colin Clarke.
This last bit of snow isn't bothering the swans that overwintered in the North Okanagan.

A large number of them were caught on camera while displaying over the weekend.

The birds can be seen at Otter Lake and parts off the Shuswap River, said Claude Rioux of the North Okanagan Naturalists Club who shot the footage.

There are probably only a couple of weeks left before the swans start to head north once again to reach their nesting grounds, said Rioux.
Photo: Facebook - Roxy Reich

The federal government is looking at extending a tax credit for mining companies in an effort to create jobs in the sector.

Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr announced on Friday that the government is proposing a one-year extension to the 15-per-cent mineral exploration tax credit, which was set to expire at the end of the month.

"We need to support the people, companies and industries that have the greatest potential for growth," Finance Minister Bill Morneau said in a news release. "Canada's exploration and mining sector is already one of the most successful in the world, and we are proud to support those who work hard to create new opportunities for our country, while investing in our communities."

The credit is intended to incentivize junior mineral exploration companies and their investors to spend on early-stage mineral exploration.

According to the federal government, over 200 companies made use of the credit by granting "flow-through shares" to more than 10,400 individual investors.

Flow-through shares allow junior mining companies to issue shares to investors to fund exploration projects, which are given a tax credit for the investors.

Carr says extending the credit will support "an industry that is increasingly recognized for its innovation and sustainability on the ground here in Canada.

"Mining in Canada is an essential economic driver and source of good middle class jobs, including in remote communities across Canada."
Photo: The Canadian Press

A small group of people spent Sunday trying to harness the social media outcry against the acquittal of a Halifax taxi driver who was charged with sexually assaulting a woman in his cab.

They gathered at a library on Sunday to write letters demanding a judicial council review of Judge Gregory Lenehan, who ruled last week that the Crown failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the woman did not consent to sexual activity with cab driver Bassam Al-Rawi.

Elise MacIntyre, a 27-year-old auto mechanic, said she has no experience as an organizer, but was so moved by the graphic details of the case and Lenehan's blunt remark that a "drunk can consent" during last Wednesday's ruling that she decided to hold an event to help others navigate the process of filing a formal complaint requesting a judicial council sanction or removal from the bench.

A spokeswoman for the province's judiciary confirmed Friday that a complaint has already been received.

Al-Rawi, 40, was charged after police found the woman, in her 20s, passed out and partially naked in his car in the early hours of May 23, 2015.

MacIntyre says that if a police constable's testimony that Al-Rawi was seen shoving the woman's pants and underwear between the front seats is not enough evidence for a conviction, then it's "open season on drunk women."

"How do I look at those young people in my classroom and say ... 'If somebody does something to you, you should tell somebody,'" said junior high school teacher Sarah Bezanson. "To have the system fail (the victim) in this way makes other people look at the situation and go, 'Why bother?'"

The group sat around a table with pens and yellow legal pads, each writing a personalized complaint to be sent to the office of the chief provincial court judge, who normally decides whether to refer complaints to a judicial council composed of judges, lawyers and laypeople but has recused herself in the case because she is Lenehan's former wife.

Sarah Hicks, a 28-year-old family support worker, came to the library to collect handwritten signatures for a petition to be presented to Nova Scotia's justice minister to support an online campaign with more than 33,000 supporters.

Hicks says the victim in the case was let down twice  once by the taxi driver she trusted would get her home safely and a second time by a legal process she thought would bring her justice.

"Everyone can relate to being in a taxi. You have this inherent notion that you be should be safe," she says. "Here's a judge who's supposed to know the law inside out ... but they both failed."
Photo: The Canadian Press

President Donald Trump turned to Congress on Sunday for help finding evidence to support his unsubstantiated claim that former President Barack Obama had Trump's telephones tapped during the election. Obama's intelligence chief said no such action was ever carried out, and a U.S. official said the FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute the allegation.

Republican leaders of Congress appeared willing to honour the president's request, but the move has potential risks for the president, particularly if the House and Senate intelligence committees unearth damaging information about Trump, his aides or his associates.

Trump claimed in a series of tweets without evidence Saturday that his predecessor had tried to undermine him by tapping the telephones at Trump Tower, the New York skyscraper where Trump based his campaign and transition operations, and maintains a home.

Obama's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said nothing matching Trump's claims had taken place.

"Absolutely, I can deny it," said Clapper, who left government when Trump took office in January. Other representatives for the former president also denied Trump's allegation.

The FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute Trump's allegations, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Sunday. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the request by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.

No such statement has been issued by the Justice Department. DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores declined to comment Sunday, and an FBI spokesman also did not comment.

The New York Times reported that senior American officials say FBI Director James Comey has argued that the claim must be corrected by the Justice Department because it falsely insinuates that the FBI broke the law.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said without elaborating Sunday that Trump's instruction to Congress was based on "very troubling" reports "concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election." Spicer did not respond to inquiries about the reports he cited in announcing the request.

Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to "exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016." He said there would be no further comment until the investigations are completed, a statement that House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi took offence to and likened to autocratic behaviour.

"It's called a wrap-up smear. You make up something. Then you have the press write about it. And then you say, everybody is writing about this charge. It's a tool of an authoritarian," Pelosi said.

Spicer's chief deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said she thinks Trump is "going off of information that he's seen that has led him to believe that this is a very real potential."
Photo: Pixabay

The University of Moncton says a 10th malicious email was sent to the school community from the same source that has been targeting a female student for more than a week.

The school said in a statement Sunday that another email was circulated Saturday night and then promptly deleted by the university's IT department.

The series of mass emails, some of which contained naked photos of a female student and a threat toward the university, started arriving last Saturday.

The university said it will not be commenting further as school officials work with experts and law enforcement to stop what it calls the "degrading" campaign.

University president Raymond Theberge has called the attacks cyberterrorism, but said the school won't shut down its email server because that would let the perpetrator win.

RCMP said last week that it had interviewed the woman who was targeted and has identified a possible suspect, but no arrests have been made.
UPDATE: 10 a.m.

One of five fishermen plucked from churning, windswept seas said he felt like they had become trapped in a scene straight out of The Perfect Storm as winds and waves lashed their fishing boat far off Newfoundland.

Frank Brown was with four other crew aboard the Northern Provider on Sunday when a vicious storm came on quickly about 150 nautical miles northeast of St. John's.

Brown said the setting was much like the 2000 George Clooney movie that chronicled the demise of the Andrea Gail fishing boat, which was lost near the Flemish Cap off Newfoundland with all its crew in a raging 1991 storm.

"It was like a scene from the movie 'The Perfect Storm,' but with a better ending," he said.

Brown and his crew mates, who had been at sea searching for seals since Monday, ran into trouble coming home Sunday morning when winds suddenly gusting to 60 knots pushed swells from three metres up to 10 metres.

Fearing they wouldn't make it, they sent out the distress call and waited for help. It finally came in the form of a helicopter dispatched by the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre.

"It was a sigh of relief to see the helicopter hovering over the boat," said Brown, who is from Summerford.

Conditions were so rough they couldn't be taken off the boat, so the crew had to jump in the water and be rescued by a search and rescue tech who was lowered into the water from the helicopter.

A video taken from inside the aircraft and released by the centre shows a diver wearing a mask and flippers being lowered down into the choppy water as the fishermen jump off their boat, one by one, as chunks of ice drift nearby.

Brown was amazed they all walked away without a scratch.

"It was a pretty dangerous situation, but the helicopter crew were the best of the best," he told VOCM News.

The harrowing experience didn't seem to phase Brown, who said, "I'd go tomorrow, if I had a boat," when asked if he would venture back out on the water.

The Northern Provider was abandoned in the high seas, and coast guard vessels have been dispatched to see if it's still afloat
Photo: The Canadian Press RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson

The top Mountie says he is going to step down at the end of June.

RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson says he believes the time has come to focus more on his family after spending 32 years with the force, the last five as commissioner.

In a message to his Mounties, Paulson says it is a profound honour and privilege to serve with them.

Paulson says the RCMP still has issues it must deal with, including historical, yet persistent, harassment claims and mental health concerns for employees.

He also points to safety and training questions arising from the murder of Mounties in Moncton in 2014.

The tough list of issues will land on his successor's desk and make for what Paulson calls a busy and challenging spring.
Open letter: UBCIC calls on BC and Canada to reject the Steelhead LNG Project



Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, Premier Christy Clark and Ministers Polak and Rustad,



We are writing with respect to UBCIC Resolution 2016-34, Support for WSANEA First Nations Opposition to Steelhead LNG, which was presented, affirmed and endorsed by consensus at the UBCIC Annual General Assembly Chiefs Council on September 22, 2016 (enclosed).



As Indigenous Peoples, we have experienced time and time again, third party industrial interests being granted access to the resources of our territories. The Federal and Provincial Governments continually fail to recognize our Indigenous Title, Rights and Treaty Rights which reflect and enshrine the deep environmental values that many British Columbians share with us.



The Chiefs of the WSANEA First Nations located on the Saanich Peninsula (Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tsawout, Tseycum) have publically announced their opposition to the Malahat LNG project proposed by the Steelhead LNG and Malahat First Nation.



The WSANEA First Nations are the successor Nations and beneficiaries of the rights recognized and confirmed by the Treaty of 1852 with the Crown. The Treaty provides unqualified protection and recognition of their right to carry on their fisheries as formerly done.



First Nations continue to exercise our laws and jurisdiction to protect our lands, our waters, our coasts and our rivers, as we have done for thousands of years.



These rights are enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which Canada has adopted without qualifications, which states:

Article 25: Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and other resources and to uphold their responsibilities to future generations in this regard.

Article 32

(1): Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for the development or use of their lands or territories and other resources.

(2): States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands or territories and other resources, particularly in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of mineral, water or other resources.

(3): States shall provide effective mechanisms for just and fair redress for any such activities, and appropriate measures shall be taken to mitigate adverse environmental, economic, social, cultural or spiritual impact.



In contravention of the UNDRIP, the National Energy Board export license was issues last year to the proponent without the free, prior and informed consent of theWSANEA First Nation.



This project poses an unacceptable risk to the health, safety and livelihoods of First Nations throughout the Saanich Inlet, and will contribute to the negative environmental and health impacts experienced by Indigenous peoples throughout the world as a result of accelerating global climate change.



The Saanich Inlet is a critical source of food, recreation and ceremony for the WSANEA First Nations.



The WSANEA First Nations are opposed to the proposed floating liquefied natural gas terminal, the proposed sub-sea gas pipeline or the proposed shipping activity in the Saanich Inlet.



The UBCIC Chiefs-in-Assembly fully support the WSANEA First Nations opposition to the Steelhead LNG project and urge the governments of Canada and British Columbia to respect the laws and authority of First Nations and to protect the environment, fisheries, and health and safety of all BC communities by opposing and rejecting the Steelhead LNG project.



On behalf of the UNION OF BC INDIAN CHIEFS

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip

President

Chief Robert Chamberlin

Vice-President

Kukpi7 Judy Wilson

Secretary-Treasurer
Its happened twice, now. People at public forums have been busy talking about the problem of the park takeover, and theyve seamlessly slipped into talking about the problem of homelessness.

What ties the two together in the minds of these speakers is the idea that city council is remiss in expressing genuine concern for the public interest.

In support of the business community, council created a bylaw to fine the homeless for sitting or sleeping on sidewalks.

They could instead have recognized that the homeless are people, that these streets belong to the people, and, of course, that the homeless would be better off living in homes than being fined for not having one.

In support of the business community, council created two bylaws to give away public parkland for the next 29 years.

They could instead have recognized that parks belongs to the people, all the people, not just a thin sliver of the community.

So city hall has succeeded in creating an us-versus-them scenario.

On our side, make no mistake, we are the people. Everyone at the citys public hearing and the oppositions public meeting knew this. We, the public, were engaged in a fight to protect our public park.

We are now an as-yet unnamed public advocacy group, engaged in the same fight, and with even greater determination.

On the other side, there is the elite, the one per cent.

Perhaps they started out as merely the business community, the establishments where we take our dry-cleaning, drink our coffee, and buy our airline tickets.

When the city decided to privilege their concerns over the concerns of the majority, they became, wittingly or not, an exclusive class.

Is this us-versus-them scenario what the community wants? Shall we sit back and say what council has done is all well and fine, carry on?

Or shall we say, lets recognize the people, all of them, and lets recognize the public interest, and lets move forward together, the people undivided.

Join us by emailing Linda Jones-Evans, [email protected].

Dianne Varga
Photo: The Canadian Press

A class action lawsuit has been filed against a New Brunswick medical marijuana producer after unapproved pesticides were used in its products.

Wagners Law Firm alleges roughly 2,000 people purchased cannabis products containing myclobutanil and bifenazate from Moncton's Organigram Inc. last year.

The law firm says both chemicals are considered toxic and are not authorized for use on medical cannabis, and says users are worried about the health effects.

It says Organigram recalled five lots of product in December and 69 lots in January before the company's organic certification was suspended.

Wagners says the proposed representative plaintiff  writer Dawn Rae Downton  consumed the cannabis for nearly a year before learning she was exposing herself to banned pesticides.

The statement of claim alleges Organigram breached its contract with customers to provide a certified organic product free from unauthorized pesticides.

The firm says Organigram originally offered a refund to customers, but later reversed its position and offered credit for future purchases.
Photo: American Express Essentials

A Penticton winery and bistro has been ranked alongside some of the worlds most exotic locations as one of the best outdoor dining locations.

Bench 1775 placed fourth on the American Express Essentials top 20 list, put in the same category as patios and outdoor dining rooms in Saint Tropez, Croatia, the French West Indies and beyond.

Its pretty crazy to get recognition like this, said Tyson Still, who managed the bistro last summer. We were only open from June to October, and for not being a pro-chef, or going to chef school, its nice to have recognition.

Still is also the co-founder of Winecrush Market, which won a BC Small Business Award last week.
Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

A Penticton judge told a man in court that his turnaround story made his week Monday morning.

Aaron Kroeger was in court over charges, including assault, possessing a weapon for dangerous purpose and resisting arrest, in connection with a May 2015 incident in which a man was found lying on the ground on Lakeshore Drive unconscious.

Kroeger was seen near the man, holding a dark object. He ran into Okanagan Lake Park. He was later spotted by police on Lakeshore Drive, when he turned onto Main Street and into Gyro Park. The officer followed him into the park, when Kroeger began running.

The officer caught up with him after about 100 metres, and took him down.

Crown counsel told the court he was verbally abusive and aggressive during arrest. Kroeger was found to have a stun gun which peaked at over 5,000 volts, higher than what is legally allowed.

The Crown lawyer offered no circumstances on what led up to the man being found on the ground, and Kroeger pleaded guilty only to possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and possession of an unauthorized non-firearm weapon.

Kroeger had admitted to abusing alcohol and ecstasy and was found to have drunk a considerable amount that day. Defence lawyer James Pennington told the court Kroeger had cleaned up his act since the incident, noting that while he was mostly clean shaven now, he had long hair before.

"You don't have anything against long hair, do you?" Judge Gregory Koturbash asked with a laugh.

Pennington also noted that Kroeger's demeanour had changed since the incident, and that before it was hard to get him into a conversation. Now, Pennington said, he provides full and appropriate answers to questions. Pennington added that Kroeger has been seeing Penticton Indian Band elders for counselling.

Koturbash began sentencing by telling a story of a computer problem he had. When he called for technical help, they told him he had an "ID-10-T" problem, which he thought Kroeger could relate to.

"You know what an ID-10-T problem is?" Koturbash asked, before holding up his note pad with the word "IDIOT" on it, causing some laughter in the courtroom. "But you should be proud of the changes that you've made. It appears as though you're on a positive path, now."

Kroeger was given a 90-day conditional sentence, to be served in the community, with Koturbash offering that he didn't believe that he required residential treatment, but left it up to a probation officer. He noted that public treatment centres are high quality if Kroeger did need it.

"The type of correction that you can get for free through community corrections ... Charlie Sheen would spend tens of thousands of dollars to get that kind of treatment," Koturbash said.
Photo: Google Street View

Some banging and clanging at Vernon's Home Hardware Building Centre led to the arrest of three people early Sunday morning.

RCMP received a call from a member of the general public at 4:15 a.m., said Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy, RCMP spokesperson. The man was walking to work and heard unusual noise coming from the Home Hardware Building Centre.

When officers arrived, they also heard noise coming from the large fenced storage compound on the property.

Three people were located and arrested inside the compound for break and enter, said Noseworthy.

From the looks of what was going on in there (when officers entered the compound), they were compiling a bunch of things to take with them when they left.

A Kitimat man, 40, and a 32-year-old woman from Lake Country have been released from custody but charges have been recommended.

A 38-year-old Vernon woman has been held in custody to appear in provincial court Monday.
Photo: Flickr/RCMP

A man changed the tire on a Ford Ranger pickup on Westside Road on Sunday and then stole the vehicle, RCMP report.

The red, unplated 1991 pickup was sitting in the parking lot of Bills New and Used Consignments because it needed repairs  including a new tire.

At approximately 11:45 a.m., a Caucasian male in his 20s, with short black hair (and) wearing a black winter jacket, was seen walking into the parking lot, said Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy, RCMP spokesperson. He put a new tire on the truck, then drove away in it.

Noseworthy said the rightful owner was informed by telephone when staff at the consignment shop called. He did not recognize the description of the thief.

In another incident, a red 2000 two-door Honda Civic was stolen from a residence on the 2500 block of 30th Avenue on Monday just before 4 a.m.

Noseworthy said the owner of the vehicle woke up to hear the car being driven away.

The car has a B.C. licence plate EB913W.

Anyone with information on either incident is asked to call the Vernon/North Okanagan RCMP at (250) 545-7171 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
When I first wrote this blog, the event was more than three years away. Not anymore! Each day now seems to bring a new announcement of a talk, a workshop, or an event related to the eclipse. With tens of millions of people headed for the zone of totality, its going to be the biggest science event in history. In this blog I list 25 of the eclipse's important details for our readership, the general public, and the media. Read them, and learn about the event. But for sure plan to experience totality. You'll remember it for the rest of your life as the greatest thing you ever saw!

1. This will be the first total solar eclipse in the continental U.S. in 38 years. The last one occurred February 26, 1979. Unfortunately, not many people saw it because it clipped just five states in the Northwest and the weather for the most part was bleak. Before that one, you have to go back to March 7, 1970.

2. A solar eclipse is a lineup of the Sun, the Moon, and Earth. The Moon, directly between the Sun and Earth, casts a shadow on our planet. If youre in the dark part of that shadow (the umbra), youll see a total eclipse. If youre in the light part (the penumbra), youll see a partial eclipse.

3. A solar eclipse happens at New Moon. The Moon has to be between the Sun and Earth for a solar eclipse to occur. The only lunar phase when that happens is New Moon.

4. Solar eclipses dont happen at every New Moon. The reason is that the Moons orbit tilts 5 to Earths orbit around the Sun. Astronomers call the two intersections of these paths nodes. Eclipses only occur when the Sun lies at one node and the Moon is at its New (for solar eclipses) or Full (for lunar eclipses) phase. During most (lunar) months, the Sun lies either above or below one of the nodes, and no eclipse happens.

5. Eclipse totalities are different lengths. The reason the total phases of solar eclipses vary in time is because Earth is not always at the same distance from the Sun and the Moon is not always the same distance from Earth. The Earth-Sun distance varies by 3 percent and the Moon-Earth distance by 12 percent. The result is that the Moons apparent diameter can range from 7 percent larger to 10 percent smaller than the Sun.

6. It's all about magnitude and obscuration. Astronomers categorize each solar eclipse in terms of its magnitude and obscuration, and I dont want you to be confused when you encounter these terms. The magnitude of a solar eclipse is the percent of the Suns diameter that the Moon covers during maximum eclipse. The obscuration is the percent of the Suns total surface area covered at maximum. Here's an example: If the Moon covers half the Sun's diameter (in this case the magnitude equals 50 percent), the amount of obscuration (the area of the Sun's disk the Moon blots out) will be 39.1 percent.

7. Solar eclipses occur between Saros cycles. Similar solar and lunar eclipses recur every 6,585.3 days (18 years, 11 days, 8 hours). Scientists call this length of time a Saros cycle. Two eclipses separated by one Saros cycle are similar. They occur at the same node, the Moons distance from Earth is nearly the same, and they happen at the same time of year.

8. Everyone in the continental U.S. will see at least a partial eclipse. In fact, if you have clear skies on eclipse day, the Moon will cover at least 48 percent of the Suns surface. And thats from the northern tip of Maine.

9. Its all about totality. Not to cast a shadow on things, but likening a partial eclipse to a total eclipse is like comparing almost dying to dying. I know that 48 percent sounds like a lot. It isnt. You wont even notice your surroundings getting dark. And it doesnt matter whether the partial eclipse above your location is 48, 58, or 98 percent. Only totality reveals the true celestial spectacle: the diamond ring, the Suns glorious corona, strange colors in our sky, and seeing stars in the daytime.

This probably isnt a revelation, but the Moons shadow is round. If it were square, it wouldnt matter where you viewed totality. People across its width would experience the same duration of darkness. The shadow is round, however, so the longest eclipse occurs at its center line because thats where youll experience the Moons shadows full width.

11. First contact is in Oregon. If you want to be the first person to experience totality in the continental U.S., be on the waterfront at Government Point, Oregon, at 10:15:56.5 a.m. PDT. There, the total phase lasts 1 minute, 58.5 seconds.

12. The center line crosses through 12 states. After a great west-to-east path across Oregon, the center line takes roughly nine minutes to cross a wide swath of Idaho, entering the western part of the state just before 11:25 a.m. MDT and leaving just before 11:37 a.m. MDT. Next up is Wyoming, where the umbral center line dwells until just past 11:49 a.m. MDT. From 11:47 a.m. MDT until 1:07 CDT (note the time zone change!), the dark part of the Moon's shadow lies in Nebraska. The center line hits the very northeastern part of Kansas at 1:04 p.m. CDT and enters Missouri a scant two minutes later. At 1:19, the shadows midpoint crosses the Mississippi River, which at that location is the state border with Illinois. The center line leaves Illinois at its Ohio River border with Kentucky just past 1:24 p.m. CDT. Totality for that state starts there two minutes earlier and lasts until nearly 1:29 p.m. CDT. The center line crosses the border into Tennessee around 1:26 p.m. CDT. Then, just past the midpoint of that state, the time zone changes to Eastern. North Carolina has the midpoint of the eclipse from 2:34 p.m. EDT until just past 2:38 p.m. EDT. The very northeastern tip of Georgia encounters the center line from just past 2:35 p.m. EDT until not quite 2:39 p.m. EDT. Finally, its South Carolinas turn. The last of the states the center line crosses sees its duration from 2:36 p.m. EDT to 2:39 p.m. EDT.

13. Totality lasts a maximum of 2 minutes and 40.2 seconds. Thats it. To experience that length, youll need to be slightly south of Carbondale, Illinois, in Giant City State Park. You might think about getting there early.

14. The end of the eclipse for the U.S. is not on land. The center lines last contact with the U.S. occurs at the Atlantic Oceans edge just southeast of Key Bay, South Carolina. Im pretty sure the crowd wont be huge there.

15. Cool things are afoot before and after totality. Although the big payoff is the exact lineup of the Sun, the Moon, and your location, keep your eyes open during the partial phases that lead up to and follow it. As you view the beginning through a safe solar filter, the universe will set your mind at ease when you see the Moon take the first notch out of the Suns disk. Around the three-quarters mark, youll start to notice that shadows are getting sharper. The reason is that the Suns disk is shrinking, literally approaching a point, and a smaller light source produces better-defined shadows. At about 85 percent coverage, someone youre with will see Venus 34 west-northwest of the Sun. If any trees live at your site, you may see their leaves act like pinhole cameras as hundreds of crescent Suns appear in their shadows.

16. This eclipse will be the most-viewed ever. I base this proclamation on four factors: 1) the attention it will get from the media; 2) the superb coverage of the highway system in our country; 3) the typical weather on that date; and 4) the vast number of people who will have access to it from nearby large cities.

17. Only one large city has a great view. Congratulations if youre one of the 609,000 people lucky enough to live in Nashville. The city center and parts north of it will experience 2+ minutes of totality. Unfortunately, thats the only large city with a great view. In the tally below, column 1 lists 25 other large metropolitan areas. The second column shows the amount of the Suns surface the Moon will cover as seen by viewers in each city.

Atlanta 97 percent Boston 63 percent Chicago 87 percent Cincinnati 91 percent Dallas 76 percent Denver 92 percent Detroit 79 percent Houston 67 percent Indianapolis 91 percent Las Vegas 72 percent Los Angeles 62 percent Memphis 93 percent Miami 78 percent Milwaukee 83 percent Minneapolis 83 percent New Orleans 75 percent New York City 72 percent Oklahoma City 84 percent Philadelphia 75 percent Phoenix 63 percent Pittsburgh 81 percent Portland 99 percent Salt Lake City 91 percent Seattle 92 percent Washington, D.C. 81 percent

Now a brief follow-up: about half of both Kansas City (pop. = 464,000) and Saint Louis (pop. = 318,000) lie within the path of totality. Unfortunately, the center line doesnt pass through either of them. An educated guess then, tells me that most residents interested in the eclipse will drive 30 minutes or so for an extra two minutes of totality.

18. A few small cities are well-placed. Heres a list of smaller municipalities either on the center line or near it with their approximate populations.

Carbondale, Illinois 26,000 Casper, Wyoming 58,000 Columbia, Missouri 113,000 Columbia, South Carolina 132,000 Grand Island, Nebraska 50,000 Greenville, South Carolina 61,000 Hopkinsville, Kentucky 33,000 Idaho Falls, Idaho 58,000 Jefferson City, Missouri 43,000 Paducah, Kentucky 25,000 Saint Joseph, Missouri 77,000 Salem, Oregon 157,000

19. Totality is safe to look at. During the time the Moons disk covers that of the Sun, its safe to look at the eclipse. In fact, to experience the awesomeness of the event, you must look at the Sun without a filter during totality.

20. Yes, the Suns a lot bigger. Our daytime stars diameter is approximately 400 times larger than that of the Moon. What a coincidence that it also lies roughly 400 times farther away. This means both disks appear to be the same size.

21. You wont need a telescope. One of the great things about the total phase of a solar eclipse is that it looks best to naked eyes. The sight of the corona surrounding the Moons black disk in a darkened sky is unforgettable. That said, binoculars give you a close-up view  but still at relatively low power  that you should take advantage of several times during the event.

22. Nature will take heed. Depending on your surroundings, as totality nears you may experience strange things. Look. Youll notice a resemblance to the onset of night, though not exactly. Areas much lighter than the sky near the Sun lie all around the horizon. Shadows look different. Listen. Usually, any breeze will dissipate and birds (many of whom will come in to roost) will stop chirping. It is quiet. Feel. A 1015 F drop in temperature is not unusual.

23. Maximum totality is not the longest possible in 2017. The longest possible duration of the total phase of a solar eclipse is 7 minutes and 32 seconds. Unfortunately, the next solar eclipse whose totality approaches 7 minutes wont occur until June 13, 2132. Its 6 minutes and 55 seconds of totality will be the longest since the 7 minutes and 4 seconds of totality June 30, 1973.

24. The future is bright but long. The next total solar eclipse over the continental U.S. occurs April 8, 2024. Its a good one, too. Depending on where you are (on the center line), the duration of totality lasts at least 3 minutes and 22 seconds on the east coast of Maine and stretches to 4 minutes and 27 seconds in southwestern Texas. After that eclipse, its a 20-year wait until August 23, 2044 (and, similar to the 1979 event, that one is visible only in Montana and North Dakota). Total solar eclipses follow in 2045 and 2078.

25. This event will happen! As astronomers (professional or amateur), some of the problems we have are due to the uncertainty and limited visibility of some celestial events. Comets may appear bright if their compositions are just so. Meteor showers might reach storm levels if we pass through a thick part of the stream. (Oh, and the best views are after midnight.) A supernova as bright as a whole galaxy is visible now, but you need a telescope to view it. In contrast, this solar eclipse will occur when we say, where we say, for how long we say, and in the daytime, no less. Guaranteed!

BONUS: Facts are great, but I also posted a list of two-dozen-plus-one tips you might find useful. Check out Two dozen tips for the August 21, 2017, total solar eclipse.
Photo: Contributed

A Halifax-area man who had sex with a sleeping female friend has been convicted of sexual assault, largely based on text messages he sent to the complainant after the crime.

Robert Shawn Burton of Lower Sackville, N.S., told the court he and the woman were engaged in consensual foreplay, and when sexual intercourse began, he stopped as soon as she told him to stop.

The complainant testified there was no consent to any sex acts, telling the court that she was asleep when the intercourse started early on Feb. 3, 2014.

In a written decision released Monday, Justice Joshua Arnold of Nova Scotia Supreme Court said Burton's version of events was not credible.

The judge cited text messages from the accused, who apologized for his behaviour and did not deny the woman's allegation that he had sex with her while she was asleep in his bed.

The judge said Burton's testimony during his trial in December and January was tailored to defeat the woman's allegations and did not make sense when compared with the text messages he wrote to her after the assault.
Photo: Facebook

A Montreal woman who is a Canadian citizen says she was barred from entering the United States and told to get a visa.

Manpreet Kooner says she was turned away at a crossing along the Quebec-Vermont border on Sunday and informed she needed a valid visa.

Kooner, 30, is of Indian descent and was born in Montreal to parents who came to Canada from India in the 1960s.

She says she's perplexed given she was travelling on a Canadian passport and has no criminal record. Kooner says she was travelling with two friends  both white  who were not questioned by border officials.

Kooner is just the latest person to be turned away at the border in recent months for various reasons.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman said today the department can't comment on individual admissibility inspections, but noted that possession of a valid travel document does not guarantee entry to the United States.

Kooner's story was brought up in the House of Commons on Monday as the NDP peppered the Liberals with questions about her case and about allegations of racial profiling at the border.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told reporters that each country has the sovereign right to control its borders.

"We also have the high expectation that all of our citizens will be treated respectfully and in a fair manner," Goodale added.

He said Montreal-area MP Anju Dhillon is looking into the Kooner case and will seek a remedy to the situation.
Photo: Google Street View

A second doctor has set up practice in Enderby following efforts to attract internationally trained physicians who want to live in Canada.

Dr. Patrick Mafulu, who trained in South Africa, began at the Enderby Community Health Centre approximately three weeks ago, confirmed the clinic. In August, Dr. Michael Abayomi started seeing patients.

Enderby councillor Brian Schreiner and Splatsin First Nation representatives took part in the recruitment process, along with Interior Health officials.

Because we were part of the hiring process, we feel both the current doctors have come to the Enderby for what it has to offer, said Mayor Greg McCune. We have our fingers crossed, hoping at least one will stay in Enderby for a long time.

Enderby has seen several doctors come and go as part of an IH program where foreign doctors must practice in rural communities for three years before they can move to larger centres.

"Rural communities often face bigger challenges with attracting new doctors, and the Practice Ready Assessment program strengthens health-care services in these communities," said Health Minister Terry Lake.

Since beginning as a pilot project in April 2015, a total of 53 family doctors have been recruited and now are providing care to patients in rural and remote communities throughout the province. Two additional cohorts of up to 15 internationally trained physicians each will be assessed in the spring and fall of 2017.

McCune said even if the two doctors don't stay past the three years, IH has agreed to prompt replacements so we won't have a four month gap in doctors.
Photo: Kate Bouey

A man who pleaded guilty to assaulting a 23-year-old male victim outside Monashee's Bar in the downtown two-and a half years ago has been given a 90-day intermittent jail sentence and three years probation.

Lucas Slizak, 25, was sentenced in B.C. Supreme Court in Vernon last Friday.

On Sept. 21, 2014, RCMP officers discovered a severely beaten victim at the scene of the attack who had been punched and kicked in the head. He had a fracture to the base of his skull and a broken nose, police reported.

Slizak was arrested ten days after the man was hospitalized.

Slizak is paying $6,837 in restitution to the victim. He has been ordered to provide a DNA sample and has been banned from owning a firearm for ten years.
To the south west of Kerala in the Indian Ocean lie the Maldives  a chain of coral islands known for their beauty as well as their tumultuous existence. Most of the islands are barely centimetres above sea level, with the highest natural point being just eight feet above sea level. And some years ago, climate change experts announced that the entire chain of islands will soon be swallowed up by the rising waters of the Indian Ocean. According to a United Nations report, the Maldives may not survive beyond the year 2100. However, despite the threat to their very existence, the lonely islands are hot property in international diplomatic circles. India, China and Saudi Arabia are each planning to lease one atoll (group of islands) each from Maldives' bouquet of 26.

India vs China

Maldives has, for long, been an Indian outpost, especially during the three-decade-long presidency of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

But the islands are increasingly slipping into the arms of potential contestants to maritime supremacy in the region.

The island nation is a key part of China's audacious 'String of Pearls' policy, which intends to surround India with crucial outposts around the Indian Ocean.

But it's the Saudis who are the first off the block. This week, King Salman landed in the Maldives with his 1,500-strong entourage to finalise the deal.

Opposition to leasing out atolls

The Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party has issued a strong statement emphasising the dangers of leasing out atolls to foreign powers, which can be nothing but a case of selling family jewels to pay an old debt. In the proverbial sense, it can be as dangerous as inviting a tiger to share your meal.

President (Abdulla) Yameen recently announced plans to sell Faafu atoll to the government of Saudi Arabia, without any form of consultation with the people of Faafu or the Maldives. This has resulted in understandable public outrage. To date, no information on the proposed project has been shared with the public. The MDP expresses serious concern that the Faafu plans  which would allow a foreign power to control one of the country's 26 atolls  amounts to creeping colonialism by the Saudi government.

The MDP parliamentary group also stated its intention to overturn a constitutional amendment passed in 2015, which allows foreign parties to own land in the Maldives.

What do the Saudis want?

Saudi Arabia's intentions to lease the atoll, as of now, are unclear. But surely, the atoll cannot be for the purpose of building a mall or a resort. The real reason behind King Salman's initiative can only be to shore up the wobbly Maldives as a powerful Islamic state with Saudi presence, Saudi money and a Saudi army.

It is not that the Maldives, cut off from the rest of the dirty world by miles of ocean, are immune to religious tail-winds. As early as the 13th century, the islands were visited by an Islamic itinerant, who promptly converted the people from Buddhism. Moroccan traveller Ibn Batuta also landed there.

Like waves that lash its coasts, conquerors and travellers over centuries have seen the archipelago as a challenge and opportunity. King Salman is the latest among them.

And with Saudi Arabia would come Wahhabism, the puritanical and literal interpretation of Islam, which is often cited as the root of jihadism. The Saudis would inject generous doses of Wahhabism into the frail social and economic fabric of the island nation, where political coups are a dime a dozen.

The MDP has also expressed its concern about the rapidly increasing radicalisation in the Maldives. According to the party, over 200 Maldivians have travelled to Syria and other Middle-Eastern countries, supported by known terrorist groups, including ISIS.

It is evident that a Saudi Arabian atoll in India's backyard could be dangerous to India. It could create a new assembly line of radicals to the south west, as if the ones in the north and to the east in Bangladesh were not enough.

The danger to Kerala

An estimated two or three lakh Maldivian residents spend most of their time in Kerala for basic things like healthcare, education and trade and small businesses. Capital city Thiruvanathapuram, from where the first flight to Maldives' capital Male started about two decades ago, is the biggest beneficiary.

Herein lies the real danger: Kerala, with its 30% well-educated and largely liberal Muslim population, has been immune to the medievalist trends emanating from the Gulf, to which Kerala has close ties. But Kerala, too, has been experimenting with radicalism  what with bomb blasts and ISIS lovers. One among Kerala's ISIS supporters who had fled the state a year ago was reported killed in a drone attack last week in Afghanistan.

So, in terms of security risks, it is very easy to conjure up a radical bridge across the Indian Ocean that will funnel both Saudi money and ideology to Kerala, where temples, churches and mosques are the main industries upturning the Nehruvian vision of big industries being the temples of modern India, and also make it a communal tinder box. Many grand mosques built with Gulf money already exist in Kerala.

So, the danger and risks of a Saudi Arabian atoll in the Maldives is immediate.

India-Saudi alliance to check China?

There is a counter-argument as well.Could Saudi Arabia actually work as India's ally in the Indian Ocean, especially to counter the Chinese influence? This will take some time to take shape (provided the Maldives survive global warming).

However, in the short to medium term, the arrival of Saudi Arabia in India's backyard can only spell danger.
If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,...
Jamie Dornan might be best known for playing Christian Grey in "Fifty Shades Darker" but the Irish actor is getting ready to leave the role behind. Dornan is currently filming in Croatia for "Robin Hood Origins", where he will portray Will Scarlet. But is it possible that distance is making Dakota Johnson miss her sexy "Fifty Shades of Grey" costar? The "How To Be Single" actress has already admitted her love for Dornan and could be hoping to reunite with him soon.

Fans were surprised when Jamie Dornan was spotted with a buzz cut and a full beard. As it turns out, the new look would be a huge part of Dornan's new film "Robin Hood: Origins". Just Jared found photos of the "Fifty Shades Darker" star on the movie's set in Croatia, where Dakota Johnson's costar is seen covering up his beard. Dornan will portray Will Scarlet, one of Robin Hood's allies.

NEWS: Jamie was seen on the set of #RobinHood for the first time in Dubrovnik. Pictures and videos on the site: https://t.co/rydtRPDfmj pic.twitter.com/jLungbvhgP  Jamie Dornan Online (@JamieDornan_org) March 5, 2017

Jamie Dornan might be busy in Croatia filming for "Robin Hood: Origins" but that hasn't stopped Dakota Johnson from expressing her love for her "Fifty Shades Darker" costar. The actress recently opened up to OK! Magazine, admitting that Dornan is her "dream partner" (via Metro UK). Johnson even stated that she trusts her costar fully when it came to working on their sexy scenes in the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movies.

Dakota: "Jamie'll be my friend for the rest of my life. I adore him, I adore his wife and his gorgeous babies.Theyre the most perfect unit" pic.twitter.com/fGtdKMoBnO  Jamie Dornan Online (@JamieDornan_org) February 27, 2017

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson will reunite in the "Fifty Shades Darker" sequel titled "Fifty Shades Freed", which is scheduled for release in 2018. In the meantime, Dornan is working on "Robin Hood: Origins" with Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx and Eve Hewson. According to Deadline, the Otto Bathurst film will premiere on March 23, 2018.
Vietnam cement sales fall 0.4% YoY in Jan-Feb 2017

ICR Newsroom By 06 March 2017

Vietnam sold 9.4Mt of cement in the first two months of 2017, representing a 0.4 per cent decrease when compared with January-February 2016, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction.



The total included 6.8Mt of domestic sales, down 2.7 per cent YoY, and 2.6Mt of clinker and cement exports, a rise of 20.9 per cent YoY.



The country has 76 cement production lines and a total capacity of 81.6Mta. The country is expected to face a supply glut between 25-35Mta by 2020 as output outpaces domestic demand and Vietnamese producers are experiencing a challenging export environment.

Published under
Pakistan: export revenue rise MoM but fall YoY

06 March 2017

Pakistan cement exporters earned revenues of US$22.26m on exports of 411,257t cement in January 2017, compared to US$16.36m on 309,868t of exports in the previous month. These figures represent a MoM surge in dollar value and volumes of 36.05 per cent and 32.72 per cent, respectively.



When compared annually with January 2016 (393,994t with a value of US$21.10m), volumes rose by 4.38 per cent and the value by 5.51 per cent, according to the country's Federal Bureau of Statistics.



However, the first seven months of FY2016-17 (July-January, 2017), Pakistani cement producers exported 3.21Mt of cement at a total value of US$167.92m compared with 3.49Mt at US$191.54m in the equivalent period of the previous year. This represents a YoY retrenchment both in terms of value (-12.33 per cent) and volume (-8.22 per cent).



All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) has expressed concerns over falling exports to Afghanistan that have declined in the first seven months of this fiscal by 10.88 per cent. It said cement exports to India registered an increase of 79.34 per cent during July 2016 to January 2017. Exports by sea also declined by 19.23 per cent during 7MFY16-17.



Among the factors contributing to a decline in exports, APCMA highlights an increase in fuel prices and other input costs as well as the barriers erected by receiving countries  eg anti-dumping duties imposed by South Africa to protect its local industry.

Moreover, in India, the tariff is around 19 per cent, including a three per cent education tax to promote education in the country. This makes it difficult to compete with India's local manufacturers and other exporting countries which have lower input cost, said APCMA.

Published under
STEELTON  It doesnt matter if youre black, white, Jewish or gay, all are welcome at the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church.

I think its a beautiful thing because we need to have more unity in our communities so people can see, hey, we can be of different faiths and still come together for one purpose, said Jennifer Harmon-Norfleet, a member of Goodwin Memorial Baptist Church.

The church planned the service after bomb threats were made against Jewish community centers in York and Harrisburg early last week.

We are here for the Jewish brothers and sisters, and we are saying that we are all in this together, and if you attack one of us, you have to deal with all of us, said Aaysha Noor, a member of the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg.

But organizers said the service is also in response to the rising number of assaults and threats against people based on their religion, race, sexual orientation and other demographics. These acts of hatred are not dividing them, rather bringing them together.

We may call God by different names, but we are all following a path that leads us to the same place, said Rev. Victoria Larson, pastor of the church.

They come together in prayer, song and dance to transform hate into love.

Love is a very powerful word, said Nyeema Roberson of Goodwin Memorial Baptist Church. Its not a noun, its actually an action. God gives us action, so we have to give our actions to others by not just saying it but actually believing it and doing it.

Most importantly, they say hate will not go unanswered.

I would hope that people who leave here and people who hear about it are reminded that they are the answer to the hate. You are the answer and you are needed, said Rabbi Carl Choper, president of the Interfaith Alliance of Pennsylvania.
The winter months heading into budget season are a critical time when school boards and district staff focus more attention on current and projected enrollment.

The number of students expected per grade level from each attendance area is important to figuring out how many teachers will be needed for each building in the coming fiscal year.

Personnel costs will make up the bulk of every general fund budget local school boards approve by June 30 for 2017-2018. Most of that money will go toward paying the salaries and benefits of the hundreds of teachers employed by each district.

We are trying to constantly look at the changing enrollment and get the resources to where the need is, said Fred Withum III, superintendent of the Cumberland Valley School District. Thats a hard thing to do. You have to remain nimble.

Shifting staff

One way districts are nimble is in their ability to transfer teachers from one school to the next as student enrollment fluctuates from year-to-year and among the attendance areas  the geography from which each building draws its population.

Local superintendents agree it is easier to shift around elementary school teachers than middle school or high school teachers. This is because all elementary school teachers are certified to teach students across a K-5 grade spectrum while secondary school teachers are certified to teach in a particular subject area that may or may not be in demand elsewhere within a school district.

Every year we report to the board the number of teachers we hire and the number of teachers we transfer, Withum said. Our teachers have been very flexible and supportive in helping us address student need. They have been a constant ally in doing what is in the best interest of the kids.

Cumberland Valley had a situation in recent years where high school teachers were transferred to one of the two middle schools. The high school had a low student-per-teacher ratio while the middle school had a high student-per-teacher ratio.

This ratio often enters the picture as a target goal set by district staff and school board members on the ideal number of students per classroom. The tendency is to keep the ratio smaller in the primary grades to allow for more personalized instruction at a time when a child is developing basic learning skills.

How a district views this ratio is important to setting its budget since the projected or average class size determines the number of sections per grade level a building would need to accommodate.

Cumberland Valley has some of its enrollment data on computer charts that track daily attendance by building and grade level and warn district staff when a classroom is nearing the maximum target number of students.

Summer months

All the district surveyed for this story receive daily attendance reports and review enrollment trends, at least internally, on a monthly basis. Aside from budget season, district staff and school board members tend to follow the numbers more closely over the summer months to track additional students registering for the upcoming school year.

There have been times when Cumberland Valley School District has delayed hiring new teachers over the summer to get a more accurate read on enrollment trends, Withum said.

Enrollment over the summer can exceed projections, causing the student-to-teacher ratio to skew out of line with what had been the expectations. As much as you put information out there, sometimes parents register kids on the first day of school, said Al Moyer, superintendent of South Middleton School District. It can be overwhelming.

There have been cases in recent years where Carlisle Area School District has hired additional teachers coming into a school year in response to reports of large class sizes and parental concerns.

The district itself does not have a cut-and-dry policy on student-to-teacher ratios in the classrooms, Superintendent John Friend said. He said class size criteria can be subject to rigid interpretations that add to personnel costs without improving the overall quality of education.

Instead, Carlisle has policies in place that address class size when appropriate by providing additional aides and support services and by allowing teachers with specialized skills in math and reading to work between classrooms, drawing out groups of students for certain periods of instruction. We try to be creative, Friend said. I dont believe that students have suffered because of class size. They receive an appropriate and strong education program.

Enrollment trends are also closely monitored at the end of one school year and the beginning of the next school year, Withum said. We look at that point in time to see how good our projections are.

Withum said Cumberland Valley also takes a close look at enrollment in late fall when faculty and staff members work on making adjustments to curriculum and programming to meet the needs of students in the upcoming school year.

Every school district in Cumberland County is limited in its ability to tax property owners beyond the Act 1 Index. Often the revenue generated by this limit is only enough to offset the projected increase in health care benefits and in the local contribution the school district has to make to the Pennsylvania School Employees Retirement System.

Perception vs. reality

School districts tend to favor commercial over residential development because it generates tax revenue without increasing student enrollment, Withum said. He added, however, there is common misconception that enrollment growth in Cumberland Valley is being driven by construction of new housing when the reality is quite different.

Our growth is because the existing inventory is coming on the market constantly, Withum said. People are in bidding wars over homes that were built in the 1970s and 1980s.

As older residents become empty-nesters and downsize to retirement communities, young couples are moving in to buy housing at a cheaper rate per square foot than new construction to either start or raise a family in established neighborhoods with mature trees, nice streets and beautiful lots, Withum said. Were attracting that kind of clientele.

He said demand is so great a home posted for sale on a Sunday could draw a bidding war over the work week and be sold by Saturday when the open house was scheduled.
Mechanicsburg Area School Board could take another vote March 14 on a proposal to reconfigure its elementary school grade levels, Superintendent Mark Leidy said last week.

A tie vote Feb. 14 prompted district administrators to take a piece-by-piece approach to enacting an overall plan to facilitate enrollment growth and keep the education program current. The board voted 4-4 on the proposal to reconfigure the grade structure starting in 2018-2019. The tie vote was because one member of the nine-member board was absent.

Two weeks later, on Feb. 28, Leidy asked board members to consider as separate issues the grade reconfiguration, changes in secondary/extra-curricularprograms and the proposed renovation and expansion of the Kindergarten Academy on Filbert Street.

The initial vote looked at the recommendations from a 2016 feasibility study as an overall package not as separate components.

It was a strategic mistake on my part, Leidy wrote in a March 2 email to The Sentinel.

Initially, from my perspective, it made the most sense to present the recommendations of the facility study committee to the Board of School Directors as one package, Leidy wrote. Approval of the recommendations would set the direction of the district for the next several years. In retrospect, the complexity and scope of those recommendations was more than several members of the board was willing to accept.

On Feb. 28, Leidy said the most urgent part of the plan is the addition of classroom space at the Kindergarten Academy which is running at 106-percent capacity.

The academy library is in the hallway of a modular unit and students receive special instruction in the same areas, Leidy said. We need more classroom space as soon as possible.

That said, Leidy asked the board on Feb. 28 for its consensus to have the architectural firm of Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates begin the design work on modifications to the academy.

Crabtree Rohrbaugh was the firm the board hired to do the feasibility study. The board then formed an 18-member committee of principals, teachers, administrators, parents and school board members to review the recommendations outlined in the study and to report back their findings.

We are hoping for a vote on the elementary grade level configuration at the March 14 meeting, Leidy said. Ideally we need an answer as soon as possible.

Growth pattern

The board authorized the feasibility study in June 2015 in response to growing enrollment, which numbered 4,023 students this year  a jump of nearly 330 students since 2005-2006 and nearly 170 since 2015-2016. District enrollment is expected to reach 4,143 students by 2025, according to projections.

We have known for several years our increasing enrollment and the existing space in our facilities was creating a capacity issue, Leidy told The Sentinel. Four of the six elementary buildings have modular classrooms which have been reactions to our growing enrollment.

The enrollment growth is most significant at the elementary level, Leidy said. We have exceeded our target class size in kindergarten because there is no more space in the building for additional classes. Our class targets are 23 [students] in [grades] K-2 and 28 in 3rd to 5th grade.

Aside from the Kindergarten Academy, the Upper Allen Elementary School is running at 102-percent capacity. In fact, the greatest amount of growth in the district is expected in the Upper Allen Elementary School attendance area, which saw 1,450 housing permits issued and new dwellings come online during 2015-2016 thanks to development at Winding Hills.

While the academy and Upper Allen buildings are over capacity, the remaining elementary schools, the high school and middle school are beneath full capacity. However, there is a push to renovate those buildings because theyre not fully adapted to the needs of 21st century teaching practices.

There is a balancing act whenever school districts weigh student enrollment, building capacity and program needs against the long-term costs of building projects to taxpayers.

We base the need to build on projections in enrollment and educational program needs, Leidy said. Projecting enrollment is not an exact science given the fact that any household may enroll a different number of children than predicted. Components of the economy such as housing and job markets all play a role in predicting what needs to be built.

If school districts overbuild, they end up with empty building space. If they under-build, it can cost additional money to bring back contractors to address a capacity shortfall.

You often hear frustrations from those in the community when it appears a district has under-built, Leidy said. But the impact on the taxpayer must be considered with all expenditures, especially with the cost of construction.

For Mechanicsburg, a decision on the elementary grade reconfiguration proposal is a key for the district to move forward.

Our goal is to begin the process by adding additional classroom space at the elementary level, Leidy said. How we do that is yet to be determined. We need to add additional classroom space as soon as possible. Most scenarios require us to do renovations and additions on several buildings. This will take many years to accomplish.

Recommendations

The feasibility study review committee recommended the Kindergarten Academy configuration remain the same while district students in grades 1-3 would be spread out between the Broad Street, Northside and Upper Allen elementary schools.

Very preliminary cost estimates from August 2016 have modifications to the schools costing the district $10.6 million for the Broad Street building, $12.4 million for Northside and $11.5 million for Upper Allen, Leidy said.

Under the reconfiguration proposal, all students in grades 4 and 5 would attend Elmwood Elementary School while the district offices will be relocated from the second floor of the Elmwood building to the Shepherdstown Elementary School building.

The conversion of Elmwood from a grade 1-5 school to a grade 4-5 academy could cost about $4.5 million while the conversion of the Shepherdstown building from a school to an administrative center would cost $5.7 million.

Cost estimates are contingent upon the scope of each project as determined and approved by the school board, Leidy told The Sentinel. The construction schedule would need to be finalized working with the architect.

Transportation

A key issue still undecided is how relocated students will be transported. Prior to the Feb. 14 vote, school board members heard from local residents concerned about how the changes could affect their children. Board Vice President John Rupp said in February that he struggles with making any decision on reconfiguration before information is known about transportation.

In response, Leidy said a transportation study determining the best and most efficient bus routes would be part of the district reconfiguration. But it was implied the board needed to commit to the reconfiguration plan before staff could seek out a transportation consultant.

The board had previously decided to relocate all kindergarten students to the academy on Filbert Street before all the transportation arrangements were fully in place, Board President Dawn Merris said in February. Thats not a reason to stop moving forward, she said.

The mistake I made was in asking the board to consider all the recommendations of the feasibility study in one vote, Leidy said in email to The Sentinel sent after the Feb. 28 meeting.

The committee chose to make a recommendation about grade level configuration first because the education of our students is our primary reason for existing as an institution, Leidy added. Additionally, there is an ongoing desire to address the transportation issue for the entire district K-12. We need to know the configuration of our buildings in order to address those transportation concerns.

5 buildings for all

An attendance area is the territory where each building draws its enrollment. Under the reconfiguration proposal, there will be one attendance area (the whole school district) for the Kindergarten Academy, the grade 4-5 academy, the middle school and the high school, but three attendance areas (Broad Street, Northside and Upper Allen) for grades 1-3.

Under the current grade configuration, over 40 percent of Mechanicsburg school district students transition through five buildings over the course of their public education career. Students in the current Shepherdstown and Upper Allen attendance area begin at the Kindergarten Academy, attend Shepherdstown Elementary School for the first and second grade, then proceed to Upper Allen before going over to the middle school and high school buildings.

If the reconfiguration is approved, every Mechanicsburg school district student will transition through five buildings. This would change the four-building set-up currently in place for students outside the Shepherdstown and Upper Allen attendance areas.

The Sentinel asked Leidy to explain the benefits of switching the district elementary grade configuration to the K/1-3/4-5 that is now being proposed.

We have found tremendous success with our entire kindergarten program being in one school, Leidy said. The equity of the program options for students, opportunities for collaboration between staff and the distribution of resources are just a few of the reasons why having all our students in a grade level gathered in one building is a positive.

None of the building project options that were recommended by the review committee called for the construction of new school buildings. Instead, the emphasis was on how to improve each existing building through additions and renovations so that it could accommodate growth in enrollment but also focus on 21st century education adaptations.

Youre already doing 21st century learning in your district, but you need more open spaces and more spaces for technology, Tracy Rohrbaugh, director of interior design for Crabtree Rohrbaugh, told school board members in April 2016.
Diane Frances Witman, 48, of Shippensburg, was found at her home Monday, according to a news release issued by Pennsylvania State Police early Tuesday morning.

Reported earlier on Cumberlink

State Police at Carlisle are searching for a missing Shippensburg woman after she was last seen with friends on March 5.

Police said Diane Frances Witman, 48, was last seen drinking with friends from work, at the Sierra Madre Saloon on Market Street in Camp Hill on March 5. She told them she was going to Harrisburg for an errand and would return shortly.

Police said she has not been seen or heard from since.

Witman was last seen wearing a black Red Lobster employee shirt, black pants, black shoes and a black coat. She may be driving a silver 2005 Dodge Durango, bearing Pennsylvania registration JLJ2369. There is a yellow "Watch for Motorcyclists" sticker in the back window and a USMC plate on the front of the vehicle.

Police ask anyone with information to contact them at 717-249-2121.
India to attend Lahore meet on Indus Waters Treaty World Bank

Published: March 3, 2017

India has accepted an invitation to attend the next meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), to be held in Lahore in March 2017. The last round of the PIC was held in July 2016.

This development came after two months of diplomatic negotiations, with World Bank officials playing mediator in encouraging Pakistan to extend the invitation and for India to accept.

Comment

It signals a major shift in Indias position on talks with Pakistan on IWT as it had announced suspending talks after the Uri terror attacks in September 2016.

This decision was taken by meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, Water Resources Secretary and senior PMO officials.

Decision taken in the meeting: Utilise water from Indus River under Indias share to fullest. It also suspended talks on the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), the dispute redressal mechanism until terrorism stops. It decided to build more run-of-the-river hydropower projects on western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to exploit full potential.

Utilise water from Indus River under Indias share to fullest. It also suspended talks on the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), the dispute redressal mechanism until terrorism stops. It decided to build more run-of-the-river hydropower projects on western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to exploit full potential. In November 2016, India also rejected World Banks decision to constitute a Court of Arbitration to look into complaints from Pakistan over Indias construction of Kishenganga and Ratle river water projects. India had clearly mentioned that WBs decision was biased in Pakistans favour.





About Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)

IWT is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan. It was brokered by the World Bank (then the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development). It deals with sharing of water of six rivers  Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum between the two countries. It was signed by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President of Pakistan Ayub Khan in Karachi on September 19, 1960. As per treaty, control over three eastern rivers Ravi, Beas and Sutlej was given to India. While control over three western rivers  Indus, Jhelum and Chenab was given to Pakistan. It allows India to use only 20% of the water of Indus river, which flows through it first, for irrigation, power generation and transport. Most disagreements and disputes have been settled via legal procedures, provided for within the framework of the treaty. Under it, a Permanent Indus Commission was set up as a bilateral commission to implement and manage the Treaty. The Commission maintains and exchanges data and co-operates and solves disputes arising over water sharing between the two countries. The Treaty also provides arbitration mechanism to solve disputes amicably. The treaty has survived India-Pakistan wars of 1965, 1971 and the 1999 Kargil standoff besides Kashmir insurgency since 1990. It is most successful water treaty in world.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2017

Topics: India- Pakistan  Indus Water Treaty  National  Permanent Indus Commission  World Bank

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Sometimes, the best lesson is not found in a book, a lecture or a classroom, but on a cold day in a farmers field miles from home.

Instead of holding classes on Friday, students and teachers from St. Paul Lutheran High School traveled to Perryville to assist in the cleanup efforts following the EF-4 tornado that struck the Missouri town last week.

I feel St. Paul was called to be the hands and feet of Christ, said Andy Sherrill, the principal of St. Paul. I think there is a lot of things that can be learned in the classroom and there are things that need to be learned, like sentence structure, public speaking and mathematics, but there are things these kids learned on Friday that will have much more of an impact on their future. They will understand what it is like to help people in need. People whose lives were perfectly good one day and gone the next. I dont think they would have been able to understand that lesson until they saw it for themselves.

Sherrill spent some time in Joplin after the storm hit that city several years ago.

When Sherrill heard of the destruction left behind after the recent tornado, he didnt think twice to reach out to the Lutheran school in Perryville to ask how he and the St. Paul could help out.

When I heard about the tornado, I reached out to the principal at Immanuel Lutheran Grade School and Saxony Lutheran High School, he said. I heard they had families that had been affected by the storm. So my heart naturally went out to these families ...

In buses borrowed from Hubs Pub and the Farmington Church of the Nazarene, 48 students, out of a student body of 62, and a half a dozen faculty members headed toward ground zero where they saw massive destruction left behind.

I was expecting to see a few torn down houses and trees, said Chase Carlyon, a senior at the school. I was not expecting it to be so bad.

Echoing Carlyons reaction was his junior classmate Julie Royer who was also on the mission trip. I wasnt sure I knew how much damage the tornado left behind. I was expecting the worst, but never saw anything that bad before.

Although there were several houses that were left in total ruin and debris was spread across several miles, St. Pauls students were needed to help a local farmer clear about 150 acres of farmland so he could begin planting in just a couple of weeks.

I had calls this week from several organizations saying they would be here this week, and no one showed up. said Ryann Dean, the owner of the farm where the students worked. So you can imagine how skeptical I was when I heard the school was coming and bringing a bunch of people with them. You cant imagine how happy I was when I saw you coming down the county road.

The debris left in his field could cripple his chances to put seeds in the field and have working machinery.

If we didnt clean up the fields, it could cost me a lot of money, Dean said If a piece of debris would puncture a tire on my tractor, its $1,800 to replace the tire and some of the large pieces of debris we have been picking up could easily destroy a $250,000 piece of machinery.

At the end of the day, the students, with help from employees of Lee Mechanical Contractors, had worked together to help a family and a community in need.

I thought it was a fantastic day. Carlyon said. We came together to help those in need and we were able to see what it would be like if it happened to us.
Mary Frances York, 83, of Cleveland, Tennessee, unexpectedly passed away early Sunday, morning, March 5, 2017 after spending time in a regional rehabilitative hospital.

She was born in Bradley County to the late Sumpter and Sarah Lawson Colley; and was also preceded in death by her siblings, Veheda Ledford and Mildred Drake; and her husband, Ralph A. York.

She was a beloved mother and retired school teacher, having taught in Bradley County Schools for 34 years. She was often greeted in public by her many former students who often proclaimed her the best teacher they ever had.

Mary Frances married her childhood sweetheart, Ralph A. York, who was her husband for 46 years until the time of his death.

She was valedictorian of her graduating class at Charleston High School. Even though she married Ralph at age 18, she obtained a two-year degree at Lee College that, at that time, allowed her to begin teaching in public schools. She easily found a position at Michigan Avenue Elementary School, where she taught for 33 years. In addition, she held a supervisory position for the school system for one year. During that time she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens.

As a child she played piano for the popular child quartet, consisting of her brother, Hershel and sister, Mildred, and two of their friends. The group sang at many church homecomings and on WBAC radio, and they won a coveted award in a talent show at Arnold School.

Mary Frances also played piano for the Chestuee Quartet led by her husband, Ralph, for many years.

Mary Frances grew up in the Chilcutt and Chestuee areas of Bradley County and she attended simultaneously Chilcutt Methodist Church and Chestuee Methodist Church during her childhood and young adult years.

At Christmas, she was known for the well-produced plays she directed for Chestuee Methodist Church. She once famously convinced Sterichis Furniture Store in downtown Cleveland to loan her showroom furniture for the setting of one of her plays.

In the 1960s, she began attending North Cleveland Church of God, where she was a faithful member until the day of her death. At North Cleveland she was active in the Ladies Prayer and Praise Group and Unity Sunday School Class.

She also donated quietly, but generously, to other area churches, especially smaller churches, throughout her life.

Mary Frances was well known for her elegant attire and her lady like mannerisms.

She was treasurer for 10 years of the Chestuee Memorial Association, which owns and maintains the Chestuee Cemetery.

She is survived by two children, Roger L. York and Sandra York Bentonl a son-in-law, David M. Benton, who she considered her third child; and one brother, Hershel Colley.

The funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8, in Dixon Chapel at North Cleveland Church of God with Dr. Mark Williams and the Reverend Arris Cavender officiating. The interment will follow in Chestuee Cemetery. A white dove release ceremony will conclude the service.

Members of the Ladies Prayer and Praise Group and the Unity Sunday School Class who attend the funeral are asked to sit as a group in memory of Mary Francess contribution to the groups.

Her family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7 at Fike-Randolph & Son Funeral Home, who has charge of the arrangements.

Memorial donations can be made to the North Cleveland Church of God Ladies Prayer and Praise Group, 335 11th Street NE, Cleveland TN 37311 or to the Chestuee Memorial Association, c/o David M. Benton, Treasurer, 2446 Valley Hills Drive NW, Cleveland, TN 37311.
Cleveland High School celebrates Cultural Week. O

On Friday the displays will be moved to the Raider Arena track for students to look at during long lunch. Students are also bringing food which will be served at the concession stand. rganized by the foreign language department, there will be displays in the library all week featuring different countries.the displays will be moved to the Raider Arena track for students to look at during long lunch. Students are also bringing food which will be served at the concession stand.

For more information contact Whitney Harden, wharden@clevelandschools.org

Chili's Give Back Day on Monday . Bring in E. L. Ross Elementary hosts. Bring in this flyer and Chili's will give 10% of proceeds to E. L. Ross. For more information, contact Lisa Earby, 423-479-7274 learby@clevelandschools.org

Board of Education will meet on Monday , 5:30 pm at Cleveland Middle School. abyerly@clevelandschools.org. Cleveland City Schoolswill meetat Cleveland Middle School. Click here to view the agenda. For more information contact Andrea Byerly, 423-472-9571

Parent Conferences and EPSO Night on Tuesday , 4:00-7:00 pm . EPSO is Early Post Secondary Options; there will be displays in the commons featuring all the AP and Dual Enrollment courses as well as the TVEC program. Registration begins this month, so parents can talk to the different teachers of the higher level classes offered. For more information contact Whitney Harden, Cleveland High School hosts. EPSO is Early Post Secondary Options; there will be displays in the commons featuring all the AP and Dual Enrollment courses as well as the TVEC program. Registration begins this month, so parents can talk to the different teachers of the higher level classes offered. For more information contact Whitney Harden, wharden@clevelandschools.org

Boys Night In on Tuesday , 5:30-7:00 pm . All Arnold boys and their dads, granddads, uncles, or brothers are invited to attend this night of games and fun! For more information contact Marsha Wallace, Arnold Memorial hosts. All Arnold boys and their dads, granddads, uncles, or brothers are invited to attend this night of games and fun! For more information contact Marsha Wallace, mwallace@clevelandschools.org

Science Night with Dr. Jason Robinson on Tuesday , 6:00 pm . Third and Fourth Grade students and their families will enjoy science stations including a planetarium. For more information contact Randall Stephens, rstephens@clevelandschools.org . Mayfield Elementary hosts. Third and Fourth Grade students and their families will enjoy science stations including a planetarium. For more information contact Randall Stephens, 423-472-4541

Spirit Night at Dos Bros on Tuesday . Mention Yates Primary all day and the school will receive 30% of purchases. For more information contact Mike Collier, mcollier@clevelandschools.org. Yates Primary PTO will hostat Dos Bros. Mention Yates Primary all day and the school will receive 30% of purchases. For more information contact Mike Collier, 423-479-1723

Character Ed Breakfast will be Wednesday . Representatives demonstrating Friendship will be honored at the breakfast. For more information contact Richelle Shelton, rshelton@clevelandschools.org. Stuart Elementarywill be. Representatives demonstrating Friendship will be honored at the breakfast. For more information contact Richelle Shelton, 423-476-8246

Board of Education will meet on Thursday , 9:00 am at the Administrative Office Building for a Special Called Budget Meeting. abyerly@clevelandschools.org. Cleveland City Schoolswill meetat the Administrative Office Building for a Special Called Budget Meeting. Click here to view the agenda. For more information contact Andrea Byerly, 423-472-9571

The 2017 Cleveland City Schools Honor Chorus will perform on Thursday , 6:30 pm at Westmore Church of God. Directed by Mrs. Siema Swartzel with representatives from all the elementary schools, this program is made possible by the support of Cleveland City Schools and a generous grant from the Allied Arts Commission of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce! The public is invited to attend!

House Breakfast on Friday , 8:15-8:45 am . Students will grab breakfast to go from the cafeteria and join their House friends for fellowship, games, and House chants. For more information contact Lisa Earby, learby@clevelandschools.org. E.L. Ross Elementary students will gather for. Students will grab breakfast to go from the cafeteria and join their House friends for fellowship, games, and House chants. For more information contact Lisa Earby, 423-479-7274

Career Day on Friday . Every grade will host speakers from different occupations in our community including Tennessee State Representative Kevin Brooks. Outside in the parking lot, we will have different "Careers on Wheels" such as Dr. Bain's mobile vet. Come join the fun this Friday 8:30-11:00 ! For more information contact Kathleen Wilson, Arnold Memorial celebrates. Every grade will host speakers from different occupations in our community including Tennessee State Representative Kevin Brooks. Outside in the parking lot, we will have different "Careers on Wheels" such as Dr. Bain's mobile vet. Come join the fun! For more information contact Kathleen Wilson, kwilson@clevelandschools.org

On Friday , the winning House will be treated to the House Reward Party - movie on the Ross big screen, complete with popcorn, treats, and drinks. For more information contact Lisa Earby, learby@clevelandschools.org. The E. L. Ross Elementary students and staff have been working hard to earn House points to win the 9 weeks challenge., the winning House will be treated to the- movie on the Ross big screen, complete with popcorn, treats, and drinks. For more information contact Lisa Earby, 423-479-7274

PTO Meetings:

Blythe-Bower - Tuesday , 4:00 pm

Ross/Yates - Thursday , 12:00

Arnold - Thursday , 5:30 pm

Mayfield - Thursday , 6:30 pm
About 120 college advisors from across Tennessee gathered last week to review and explore strategies for keeping students moving toward completing their degrees.The 2017 Spring Advising Academy is the first in what is hoped will be a series of conferences to boost the key role that advising plays in student success, officials said. The academy is conducted by a partnership of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the University of Tennessee, and the Tennessee Business Roundtable. Student advisors from all 19 TBR universities and community colleges, and from UT Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Martin participated.In the last few years we have worked with campus leaders at a series of Completion Academies to craft plans to implement large-scale initiatives to help more of our students succeed in college, said Dr.Tristan Denley, the TBR vice chancellor for academic affairs, who delivered opening remarks on both days of the conference. This work, at each campus, has already resulted in significant increases in graduation rates, and has distinguished TBR as a model that other states are seeking to emulate.The Advising Academy is the first of a series of events involving the faculty and staff who work every day with our students, and marrying their work to these large-scale initiatives at a system scale. I am excited to see how these events will further our quest to enable Tennesseans to achieve their college dreams."The inaugural Advising Academy was held March 2-3 in Nashville. The conferences theme was Momentum Year  an effort to bring several academic initiatives pioneered in Tennessee together in a students freshman year to help them stay in school and proceed toward graduation."The 'Momentum Year' initiative pulls several student success 'ingredients' into a coherent whole," Dr. Denley said. "They include: students making a 'purposeful choice' in their programs of study and understanding what their plans are and what they can do with their degree; creating a productive 'academic mindset' in which students understand themselves as learners and realizing that they can be successful; attempting nine credit hours in their academic program area, which ensures that they get an immediate immersion in their degree program and are studying what they intended to study from the start; and completing their freshman English and math requirements.The intention is to create a first-year experience in which every student is exposed to every ingredient, and then to continue the momentum experience through their college careers."The Advising Academy builds on a series of student success academies that began in 2011, all undergirding the states commitment to improving college completion rates as articulated by the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010 and Governor Bill Haslams Drive to 55 initiative to equip at least 55 percent of working age Tennesseans with a post-high-school degree or credential by 2025.At the Advising Academy, participants learned in more detail about the various academic initiatives underway and broke into concentrated work sessions to explore new ideas. Panel discussions on best practices and approaches were also held.
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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
Wacker Chemie AG is expanding its silicone production at its Jandira site near Sao Paulo, Brazil. WACKER is currently building a multi-purpose facility to manufacture antifoam compounds and functional silicone fluids. The expansion is WACKERs response to growing regional demand for specialty silicones needed in the textile, paper, household and personal care and cosmetics industry. Investments for the expansion will total around 7 million. While the reactor for silicone fluids is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2017, the plant for antifoam compounds is expected to come on stream by the end of the year. The new production facility will help the company to solidify its position as one of the worlds leading suppliers of high-quality silicones. In Jandira, WACKER already manufactures silicone products for the construction, textile and pulp and paper industries.

In South and Middle America, the market for our silicone solutions is growing, especially in the personal care, household and textile sectors. In order to meet this increasing demand over the long term, we will extend our production in Jandira, noted WACKER Executive Board member Auguste Willems. After the completion of the polysilicon production site in Tennessee, the Group has concluded its major investments and is now focusing on plants for intermediates, sales products and specialty products, he explained. In this way, we intend to secure and further expand our position as a leading silicones manufacturer in the region, and provide a basis for future growth, Willems added.

The new production complex is a key addition to the Jandira sites supply chain. With the two new reactors for silicones fluids and antifoam compounds, WACKER is able to produce important precursors and starting materials for specialized antifoam, impregnating and release agents and for additives for the pulp and paper, cosmetics and household care industries.

With the expanded silicones production in the year of WACKERs 40th anniversary in Brazil, we can offer considerable added value to our local customers and partners, said Adriano Magalhaes, managing director of Wacker Quimica do Brasil. The new facility makes it possible to enlarge our portfolio and adapt our products even better to customer needs and local industry requirements.
The Snuggie  the fluffy blanket with sleeves that is designed not to slip off no matter how aggressively you reach for the potato chips  received a big win recently.

A U.S. trade court ruled that the product, a break-away star of TV shopping that has appeared on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," "The Today Show" and "Oprah," should be classified as a blanket, rather than clothing, as government lawyers had been trying to claim.

The case might seem strange  why does the government care about classifying Snuggies anyway? But due to variations in tariffs  the taxes that governments place on imports to make foreign products more expensive, and help make domestic manufacturers more competitive  the decision is likely to end up costing the government big and saving the company a bundle.

Every item that moves across the border has a set tariff. That includes the Snuggie, which is made in China.

These tariffs have been hammered out through decades of negotiation between governments and industry lobbies, and often vary for each product category. In the United States, the tariff on imported blankets is 8.5 percent, whereas the tariff on imported "pullover apparel" is significantly higher at 14.9 percent.

That was enough to convince the Hawthorne, N.Y.-based Allstar Marketing Group, which makes the Snuggie, to take the U.S. government to the United States Court of International Trade for categorizing the Snuggie as apparel, similar to a "priestly garment." The judge sided with Snuggie last month, saying that the product was a blanket, not clothing, in part due to its lack of closures in the back. Allstar Marketing declined to comment on the case.

The Snuggie case and others like it show how companies may go to great lengths to avoid the barriers governments impose on imported products. President Donald Trump has argued for even stiffer tariffs on products from countries that refuse to negotiate better terms of trade with the United States, like Mexico and China. He has also backed away from free trade deals that would slash tariffs among many countries, and expressed a desire for negotiating deals with countries one-on-one.

America's current system for taxing imported goods is complicated. There are tariffs, which vary by each product category, often for "reasons which may be lost to history," says Lawrence Friedman, a trade lawyer at Barnes Richardson. In addition, the Commerce Department sometimes imposes temporary duties on products as punishment when companies or countries do something that violates international trade laws.

Republicans are also weighing something called a "border adjustment tax," which would tax imports and subsidize exports. This is not the same as a tariff  it's a different way of taxing companies that could replace the corporate income tax.

Companies have to grapple with this patchwork of tariff and tax systems as they ship their products around the world. Typically, they try everything in their power to avoid them. If the Trump administration chooses to introduce more tariffs and duties on imported products, it might give U.S. companies an edge in their domestic market. But as other examples show, it's also likely to encourage firms around the world to engage in wasteful spending that doesn't end up helping consumers or the economy.

Bryan Riley, a senior policy analyst and advocate for free trade at the Heritage Foundation, says that trade barriers have a few less obvious costs. They make Americans pay more for imported goods, and they encourage companies to invest in lobbying the government for special protection from competition. They can encourage companies to revamp their supply chains to, for example, buy a part from Vietnam rather than from China.

Sometimes, the potential savings from avoiding a tariff can encourage companies to redesign their products to get around them  a practice that is known as "tariff engineering."

"Companies will employ tariff engineers to make sure products come in at a lower tariff rate, and you can't tell me there is not a better use for their talent," said Riley. "It would be a lot easier if companies could just focus on producing what American consumers want, instead of trying to design products to get around the most harmful aspects of U.S. trade barriers."

For example, America's high tariffs on sugar have encouraged companies to shift to importing cake mixes and other sugar-rich products instead, says Doug Irwin, an economist at Dartmouth. And when the U.S. imposed a tariff on motorcycles with 700-cc engines and larger in the early 1980s in a bid to protect motorcycle company Harley Davidson, Japanese competitors simply started making a 699-cc version instead, Irwin says.

Halloween costumes walk a similarly thin line, as NPR's Planet Money has reported. By using a Velcro closure instead of a zipper or button, some products are more likely to be counted as "festive articles" than clothing, which is subject to much higher tariffs.

"Firms are very clever at doing this," Irwin says. "If you put a tariff on a particular product category, they can with a small adjustment get classified as a different product and get around the tariff."

Friedman says he has tracked the practice of tariff engineering as far back as 1882, when the Supreme Court ruled on a case involving a sugar importer. Duties on sugar were based on the product's color, so an enterprising company colored its sugar with molasses to get around the tax.

The Supreme Court ruled that the company had the right to do so, as long as it was properly disclosing to customs what its merchandise was and not trying to deceive border agents, Friedman says. Yet the line between redesigning your product and fraudulently misrepresenting it has sometimes proved to be a tricky one, for both companies and courts.

In one 1991 case, a court ruled against a company that had circumvented high duties on feathers by importing them as feather dusters instead. After the dusters arrived in the country, the company took them apart to make them into boas or put them on hats. Because the articles weren't sold in the condition they were imported, the court decided this was "artifice."

Another controversial case involving Ford is working its way through the Court of International Trade.

For years, Ford has imported its Transit Connect van as a passenger van  imports which the U.S. taxes at a rate of only 2.5 percent. But once the vehicles enter the United States, Ford sends some of the vehicles to a nearby facility, where workers rip out the rear bench seats and replace the rear windows with solid panels to make the vehicle into a cargo van. In the process, Ford circumvents a hefty tariff of 25 percent on imported cargo vans.

The court is still deciding whether this constitutes "artifice." But Ford is hardly the first carmaker to employ these kinds of tactics. In the late 1970s, Subaru tried to get around high tariffs on imported pickup trucks by installing plastic seats in truck beds. Other companies have gone so far as to assemble cars abroad, disassemble them into parts to be shipped across the U.S. border, and then reassemble them again once they're inside the country.

Even when these policies are legal, for economists they can still be troubling. They mean that companies are spending valuable time and money on circumventing trade policy that they could be spending on more useful activities, like innovating or improving customer service.

Trade barriers "definitely force companies to think about undertaking actions that they wouldn't have otherwise done," says Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute of International Economics. "And the question is, well, is that beneficial for the country in some way? I suppose there are instances where it's possible, but in most instances, no."
Some of the better egg rolls this purebred Asian sampled happened at, of all places, a Senegalese restaurant in Bronzeville called Yassa. What's more beguiling is that when I dipped those thin, lacy packages into the accompanying amber condiment, it tasted of the funky, full frontal umami richness that could only be nuoc mam: It was Vietnamese fish sauce!



Cultural crossbreeding via geopolitics can produce unexpected culinary mutts (see Japanese-Peruvian, Portuguese-Indian). During the 1930s, a number of Senegalese served with the French army in Vietnam (both are former colonies of France). Some soldiers returned with new Vietnamese brides. All these years later that hybrid culture endures, and in its most recognizable form, an African take on the nem ran egg roll.



The Vietnamese name nem stuck around in Senegalese kitchens. Awa Gueye, the genial chef and co-owner of Yassa, told me nem is quintessential party food, as ubiquitous in her homeland as Buffalo wings in America. Yassa's egg rolls are stuffed with ground beef, chicken, shrimp and noodles, and there are proprietary spices within  definitely non-Southeast Asian  that elevate the egg rolls beyond the familiar. Then you realize you're tasting this through the filter of the surroundings  a ceiling-height mural of Africa, snatches of Senegalese-accented merci beaucoups in the air, a soundtrack of propulsive get-up-and-dance music.



When it comes to altering expectations, Yassa is the poster child. This newspaper first wrote about the restaurant eight years ago, when it operated on 79th Street in Greater Grand Crossing. There it lasted a decade, which in restaurant years, is a holy miracle. At the beginning of 2015, Gueye and her husband, Madieye, moved the restaurant to Bronzeville, steps from the Victory Monument sculpture.



"Everything here is fast food, fried chicken, Subway," she said. "We need to create a village in Bronzeville. We want Bronzeville to be the next Hyde Park."



Of all the African cuisines, Senegalese is one of the more easily identifiable to Western palates. Nearly the entire menu consists of meat and seafood that's grilled or stewed, paired with rice or other starches. There's overlap with Jamaican, perhaps Puerto Rico, for sure Vietnam, or some other tropical nation with bountiful coastlines.



The Yassa red snapper is scored and fried whole, and it emerges from the hot oil in crispy curls you can peel back like primordial fish fingers. This, plus the Yassa chicken/lamb/shrimp, feature identical preparations, served with a savory heap of soft onions braised with lemon juice, mustard and Maggi seasoning sauce.



The dish called Dibi lamb, as wide in circumference as Porterhouse pork chops, is one of the finer versions around  Bronzeville, Lincoln Park, anywhere  with that magical union of charcoal grill + lamb fat. Shish-kabobed cubes of chicken breast (called brochette here, as is the French way) also benefit from the char grill. The chef appears to have a knack for timing the moment to remove meats from fire. Those dishes call for couscous, or djolof rice, the side dish of perfectly granular jasmine rice tinted with tomato paste.



Peanuts, an important cash crop in Senegal, show up in an indigenous stew called maffe: Collapsible-ly tender lamb is braised in a peanut butter-tomato sauce, alongside similar tine-soft potatoes and yam. Saka saka might be the most adventurous of the menu offerings. Bone-in lamb, shrimp and shards of crab meat come in a sauce of ground cassava leaves  it tastes of sweet wheatgrass, and it feels like a dish a grandmother says will get rid of the bad spirits.



Speaking of medicinal, a housemade drink of ground ginger, pineapple and lime juice will warm your stomach by 20 degrees. There's also juice extracted from baobab pods, mixed with milk and vanilla extract, and it arrives tasting of a passionfruit and pineapple smoothie.



With service, diners used to a certain River North rhythm should dial down expectations. While the Gueyes make their rounds in the dining room playing amiable "My home is your home" hosts, service can be maddeningly languid. Each time a server popped through the kitchen door with a plate of food, our dining neighbors would whip their heads to see if they'd be the lucky recipients. After a while, one of those customers said, "Five more minutes, and we're out of here." (Awa Gueye said she has hired additional cooks since their move to Bronzeville.)



Nevertheless, Yassa feels like (and I hate the old trope) comfort food, even if you might not be that familiar with it. I use that term because whether it's warm stews over rice, familial backyard grill flavors, quantity of meat or the concept of one-plate-meals, all those comfort boxes get checkmarked.



But beyond the merits of what appears on a plate, it would behoove the city to root for a Bronzeville restaurant revival. Why not start here?



kpang@tribpub.com

Twitter @pang





Yassa

3511 S. Martin Luther King Drive

773-488-5599

yassaafricanrestaurant.com

Open: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Recommended dishes: Nem, Dibi lamb, maffe, Yassa chicken, brochette chicken, baobab juice, ginger juice

Check average for two: $45




The Bourbon County Stout lineup for 2015 doesn't go on sale until November, but you can read about how they taste today. (Josh Noel / Chicago Tribune)

I once had the first taste of Bourbon County beers all to myself.

Usually it came in the following manner:

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Me, to Goose Island: "Hey, those Bourbon County beers are coming out soon! How about I come by and we taste them and I write about them before they're released?"

Goose Island, to me: "Sure, come on by!"

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Anheuser-Busch ownership or no Anheuser-Busch ownership, the Goose Island folks have always been quite pleasant and accommodating. And believe it or not, those unassuming Midwestern ways continued well after the 2011 sale that kicked craft beer in the pants.

But now that craft beer is very much a thing and Goose Island has a major chip in the form of its annual release of the Bourbon County family of beers, they have begun media events to promote the release of those beers. It's hard to blame them.

There was one such event in Chicago on Thursday night in their West Side barrel warehouse on candlelit tables surrounded by whiskey barrels. And there are events coming up in Los Angles and New York because Goose Island is a big deal now, and Bourbon County is an even bigger deal as one of the nation's most celebrated annual beer releases. So like I said -- who can blame them?

During the course of a couple of hours Thursday, Goose debuted the beers for me and several fellow writers and podcasters. What follows are notes and thoughts about this year's crop of BCS beers, which will be on sale the day after Thanksgiving. Alone among them, Rare will be released earlier, Nov. 13 to those drawn in a lottery, as well as on Black Friday. (The lottery ends Friday (Oct. 9) at 11:59. To enter, go here: gooseisland.com/rareday)

Ranked in order of greatness:



1. Bourbon County Brand Stout

I'm surprised that the simplest incarnation of the Bourbon County family was my favorite, but here we are -- the beer that started it all is simply outstanding this year. A very strong chocolate nose is followed up with heavy dark chocolate on the palate with wisps of vanilla and dried fruit -- cherry, mostly -- at the edges. Some versions of BCBS need to age a bit, but this is ready to drink, whether on its own or beside a weighty dish that's not too fussy (like, say, a steak). If you can, buy a few bottles and adopt the three-month rule: drink one now, one in three months, another in six months, and so on, until you run out of bottles. Hopefully you don't run out of bottles for a while.

2. Rare Bourbon County

Hype surrounds this beer, as it is the second Bourbon County to get the designation of "Rare." This incarnation is "rare" based on being aged in 35-year-old Heaven Hill whiskey barrels that Goose Island apparently never expected to get. So what did they do with them? Age some BCS for two years, naturally. There's no way a beer can live up to that hype, however this is a wonderful beer. It has a vague tart-dried fruitiness with an incredibly deep and lingering finish that's something like sipping cognac, Dutch tobacco and chocolate all at once. Drinking Rare is an event, and the epitome of something to be treasured by the fire this winter.

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3. Bourbon County Brand Regal Rye Stout

Made with blackberry juice, cocktail cherries and sea salt, this beer is tasty, but also a bet on the future. I'm guessing that like last year's Bourbon County Vanilla Rye, which graduated from intriguing to a perfect, silky web of chocolate, vanilla, caramel and even cotton candy after about eight months of aging in the bottle, Regal will peak within the next six to 12 months. This mostly amounts to Chocolate Cherry BCS with a salty finish. I'd gladly buy this beer with curiosity about how it unfolds.

4. Proprietor's Bourbon County Brand Stout

A Chicago-only release with a recipe that changes annually, this year's version features maple syrup aged in bourbon barrels, toasted pecans and guajillo peppers. Perhaps best described with the word "interesting" -- and that's not pejorative. Proprietor's is quite interesting as an amalgam of flavors -- cinnamon, brown sugar, a wisp of coconut and an increasing amount of maple as it warms, with a bit of a spicy pepper finish. I probably prefer the previous two Proprietor's to this -- the finish here is a bit one-dimensional -- but this is still better than most things on the shelf and would work beside any rich dish.

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5. Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

I'm usually a huge fan of this beer, but this year's version tastes off to me. The first word that came to mind was "peppery" which was the exact same word that came to the gentleman sitting across from me. And I can be wrong, but there's no way we could both be wrong. Right? Made with Intelligentsia's Los Delirios Nicaraguan coffee bean, Bourbon County Coffee is relatively balanced, mild and easy to drink -- none of which I'm particularly looking for in a coffee stout.

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6. Bourbon County Brand Barleywine

Disappointing, because I was a champion of this beer during its first two years. Its long brown sugar sweetness has been replaced by a ton of dried fruit -- think raisin and cherries. With a thinner body than years past, Barleywine lacks the long vanilla finish of previous years, which I miss. Yet this would also be ideal with a hamburger. It's that sweet-savory thing.

7. Bourbon Country Stout



The jokers around me poured all six beers in one glass to see what it would taste like and named the experiment Bourbon Country. Funny, and a worthy experiment. But bleh. Apparently those Goose Island folks know what they're doing.

jbnoel@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @joshbnoel
David Letterman has been off the "Late Show" for nearly two years, and during that time he has apparently been bursting to offer his opinion on a few topics, especially his old friend "Trumpy."

He got the chance with a wide-ranging New York magazine interview, during which Letterman talked -- and talked and talked -- about everything from the president's Twitter habits to Jimmy Fallon's infamous hair-mussing interview to the line of questioning he would use on President Donald Trump if he had the chance.

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The former late-night host, who's still sporting that impressively bushy retirement beard, had a lot to say.

"I'm afraid something has happened to me hormonally," he explained. "I can't stop talking."

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Letterman and the president have some history, given that Trump was on Letterman's show a number of times, and the late-night host loved to needle the businessman.

During one interview in 2012, Letterman put Trump in the hot seat by pointing out that a lot of Trump brand clothing is made in China -- a country Trump had just been complaining about, saying it would inevitably surpass the United States as the world economic leader. The clip made it into a Hillary Clinton campaign ad.

In the New York interview, Letterman talked about how he shied away from politics during his early years. He was taking a cue from Johnny Carson, the "Tonight Show" host who vowed never to talk about Vietnam, he explained. But then Jon Stewart came along.

"He made it so that not doing political stuff got to be the elephant in the room," Letterman said. Around the same time, politics were becoming low-hanging fruit for comedians, especially with the revelations about Monica Lewinsky and President Bill Clinton.

These days, Letterman thinks late-night hosts have an obligation to take on Trump, though he didn't go so far as to throw the current "Tonight Show" host under the bus.

"I don't want to criticize Jimmy Fallon, but I can only tell you what I would have done in that situation: I would have gone to work on Trump," Letterman said.

How so?

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"I would just start with a list," he said. "'You did this. You did that. Don't you feel stupid for having done that, Don? And who's this goon Steve Bannon, and why do you want a white supremacist as one of your advisers? Come on, Don, we both know you're lying. Now, stop it.'"

Added Letterman: "I think I would be in the position to give him a bit of a scolding and he would have to sit there and take it. Yeah, I would like an hour with Donald Trump; an hour and a half."

The comedian was particularly irked by the way the president attacked civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis on Twitter.

"In addition to every other thing that's wrong with Trump, he's ignorant in a way that's insulting to the office, insulting to America, insulting to human rights, insulting to civil rights, insulting to John Lewis," Letterman rattled off. "Trump saying that broke my heart. I thought, 'You stupid son of a b---. You ought to have known better than that.' "

Letterman may be fired up, but fans shouldn't get their hopes up for a return to television. The former host insists he doesn't have any interest in returning to late night. Besides, Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert are doing the work of speaking truth to power. Not that Letterman would know. He doesn't even watch any of the shows.

After 30 years in the business, he's just over it. Plus, he admitted, "the truth is I can't stay up that late."

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Yuri Temirkanov, artistic director and chief conductor of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, observes the 50th anniversary of his debut with the orchestra this year.

If any ensemble is justified in playing on tour Dmitri Shostakovich's overplayed Fifth Symphony, it is the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. It gave the work its first performance in 1937, made its first recording in 1938, and for nearly 40 years thereafter had the closest relationship to the composer of any orchestra.

Should that not be reason enough, the premiere of the Shostakovich Fifth took place 80 years ago this November, and Yuri Temirkanov, artistic director and chief conductor of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, also observes the 50th anniversary of his debut with the orchestra this year.

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So on Sunday night the Shostakovich Fifth again came to Orchestra Hall, in a celebratory performance that not only redeemed an overly conservative program but was as affecting an account of the symphony as any by its greatest interpreters.

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The young Temirkanov was assistant conductor to Yevgeny Mravinsky, the Fifth's first champion who brought it to life as almost no other conductor. Doubtless something about the symphony was communicated in that early association. But the electric intensity that Mravinsky contributed to the work was on Sunday largely replaced by Temirkanov with a patient, even reverent unfolding. Within a few bars of the opening movement, he suggested that no matter how many times the orchestra had played the work its response remained keen, with no detail being glossed over or expressive shading overlooked.

This was not just a faithful translation of the printed score. It conveyed the atmosphere behind the notes. In that sense it was a vivid recollection of the days when you heard musicians put their whole heart and soul into performances. Articulation, intonation, blend and balance were spot-on. But there also was poetic characterization, especially in wind solos and massed strings. The gray, ghostly tone achieved in certain soft violin passages, for example, was imaginative, telling and even shiver-producing, as if a phenomenon such as moving fog had been given an aural equivalent.

Brashness, sarcasm, tragedy and an ambiguous, grinding triumph were present without exaggeration. Moreover, you did not need to know the famous circumstances surrounding the symphony's creation or Shostakovich's fraught relationship with Josef Stalin. What you did need to feel was in the sound. And that communicated irresistibly.

The opening work was Johannes Brahms' First Piano Concerto, played by Nikolai Lugansky and the orchestra with gentleness and a refusal to rush. There was no artificial excitement. In fact, there was little excitement of any kind, as though Lugansky were holding great power in check. Everything was colorful, steady and varied as to touch. More than once you hoped for more tension or, in the finale, playfulness. Nonetheless, Lugansky was recalled by the audience, which received an encore, a requisitely flowing Intermezzo from Robert Schumann's "Carnival from Vienna."

The orchestra's encore was the final number from Sergei Prokofiev's ballet "Cinderella," so ravishingly played that a female listener shouted "thank you" in Russian.

Alan Artner is a freelance critic.

ctc-arts@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @chitribent

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Matthew Yee, from left, Lindsey Noel Whiting (on stilts), Audrey Edwards and Samantha Jenkins play a traveling family troupe in "The Year I Didn't Go to School: A Homemade Circus." (Charles Osgood photo)

Having never had a year when I didn't go to school and subsequently paid the price, the premise for the latest show for the ages 6-11 set at the Chicago Children's Theatre struck me as devoutly to be wished.

In "The Year I Didn't Go to School," a show based on the autobiographical picture book by Giselle Potter, a 7-year-old American girl (played by Samantha Rae Jenkins) gets to bag cold mornings, math classes and inedible lunches for a yearlong trip to Italy, no less, taking part in the family business of touring street theater. Along with her little sister Chloe (Audrey Edwards), Giselle gets to be part of the Mystic Paper Beasts and truck around the highways and byways of Italia  Roma, Spoleto, you name it, she goes there, permit or no permit. Chloe, a flexible young person who can pack herself up like a paperback book, even gets to sleep inside a trunk.

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Not only is this an occasion for the girls to bond with their loving parents (played by Lindsey Noel Whiting and Matthew Yee) and each other, but Giselle gets to learn some of the lessons that the arts best teach.

"We persevere," her dad tells her, after some small crisis, "we improvise and find our way through."

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At another moment, Giselle makes an observation after one of the performances of her family's little circus-loving company.

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"The whole world went away," she says, with a sigh. "That's what art does," says her dad. "It makes me feel bigger," agrees Giselle.

And there you have as cogent an argument as any for arts education.

Heidi Stillman, artistic director of the Lookingglass Theatre, has imbued this dramatization of Potter's picture book with an unusually high degree of emotional resonance  it's a story of a very happy year for all concerned and the piece also feels like a celebration of parents who dare to bring along their kids while they pursue something unusual or nontraditional. It also plays out as a reminder of the joy of some family businesses, and of the dedication of circus and theater people.

I suspect the show's beating heart also owes something to the history of some of the actual people on stage: young Samantha grew in the Midnight Circus, a small-scale circus troupe based in Chicago, about which I've written many times. Her mom, Julie Greenberg, appears in this show as Giselle's grandmother (she also plays a variety of other roles). And the rest of Stillman's cast, which also includes Adrian Danzig, is every bit as nurturing.

This is a moving hour of theater  ideal if you have someone close to you who is close in age to the young Giselle, and who might harbor dreams of running away to the circus, or at least away from school for a year.

One final note. In Potter's book, she notes that her parents divorced when she was 18, and the family theater came to an end. That postscript isn't part of the show, and understandably so, but the adaptation by Stillman and Caroline Macon does talk about how families change, living arrangements are altered and people move on to different moments of their lives. All of that is true, and surely intensifies one girl's memory of an idyllic year, on stage, in Italy, surrounded by the most loving chaos imaginable.

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Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @ChrisJonesTrib

"The Year I Didn't Go to School" - 3 stars



When: Through March 19

Where: Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St.

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Running time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Tickets: $10-$39 at 872-222-9555 or www.chicagochildrenstheatre.org

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Reproduction of a Helmut Jahn drawing for a proposed new Tribune Tower, published in "Chicago Tribune Tower Competition and Late Entries" from 1980. (Courtesy of Helmut Jahn)

With the newspaper business booming 95 years ago, the Chicago Tribune immodestly announced an international design contest for "the most beautiful and distinctive office building in the world." Its bragging proved justified. The 1922 contest drew 263 entries from 23 countries and led to the construction of a landmark neo-Gothic skyscraper.

In 1980, Chicago architects Stanley Tigerman and Stuart Cohen organized a "Late Entries" version of the legendary contest, attracting spectacular drawings by such stars as Helmut Jahn and half-hearted doodles by the likes of Frank Gehry.

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Now, the curators of this year's Chicago Architecture Biennial are putting together what might be called the "Late Late Entries" to the Tribune Tower competition. They're asking 16 young architects from around the world to design new versions of the skyscraper that will be displayed as a series of 16-foot-tall architectural models in the Chicago Cultural Center.

The big idea is to explore the latest technologies, materials and trends in skyscraper design. If the display comes off as planned, it will give visitors a richly immersive, Instagram-ready experience. The architectural models will be arranged in a grid pattern that harks back to an ancient architectural prototype, the "hypostyle hall," a monumental, multicolumned space favored by Egyptian pharaohs.

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"We're looking for new ideas. We're looking to see how these ideas build upon the intelligence of the past," said Los Angeles architect Mark Lee, who is co-curating the exhibition with his wife and architectural partner, Sharon Johnston.

The ambitious plans suggest that the biennial's backers are striving to top the first edition of the event, which was held in 2015 and drew big crowds and mostly favorable notices from critics.

In a Monday news conference at New York's Museum of Modern Art, the curators are expected to announce about 100 designers from around the world who will participate in this year's privately funded, $6.5 million event. Billed as North America's largest survey of global contemporary architecture, it is scheduled to run from Sept. 16 to Jan. 7.

The Tribune Tower designs are "fitting to the headline of the whole second biennial  history and modernity," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in an interview on Friday.

Titled "Make New History," the biennial will also feature 24 miniature versions of architecturally distinguished interior spaces, the curators said. Architects will reinterpret the rooms in displays, complete with tiny chairs, that measure roughly 2 feet by 3 feet. The displays, which may bring to mind the Art Institute of Chicago's Thorne Miniature Rooms, will be exhibited on pedestals. They'll be shown in a setting, the curators said, that evokes Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's 1940s master plan for the Illinois Institute of Technology  a horizontal counterpoint to the verticality of the Tribune skyscraper display.

Ironically, the planned Tribune exhibition comes at a time when the Chicago Tribune is anticipating an exit from its namesake skyscraper to a location that has yet to be disclosed. A partnership of Los Angeles and Chicago developers purchased the tower for $240 million last year and is expected to convert the skyscraper and adjacent properties into a mixed-use complex that could include a hotel, apartments, offices and shops.

A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles-based CIM Group said the firm is still "evaluating options for our consultant teams to advance our planning and development process."

The tower, which opened in 1925, was declared an official Chicago landmark in 1989.

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As in its original iteration, the biennial will be headquartered at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., and will be free to the public. Racine-based S.C. Johnson is the main sponsor of the event, which is being planned in cooperation with the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. To create a one-two publicity punch for the city, Emanuel announced last year that the opening of the 2017 event would coincide with Expo Chicago, the Navy Pier art fair.

"It's going to make Chicago a beehive of activity," the mayor said Friday.

Unlike the first edition of the biennial, the 2017 version will not have a room devoted solely to exhibits on Chicago-themed subjects. "We have Chicago participants, but they're scattered all over. It just wasn't a relevant distinction for us in the show," said Johnston, the co-curator.

The Chicago participants in the biennial include: Ania Jaworska, Design With Company, Inigo Manglano-Ovalle, Marshall Brown, Robert Somol, Tigerman McCurry Architects (where Stanley Tigerman is a partner) and UrbanLab.

The track record of the first biennial suggests the need for caution about the curators' ambitious plans for the 2017 event.

Seeking a physical legacy for the biennial, organizers and the Chicago Park District touted plans for four lakefront kiosks designed by up-and-coming architects that would house food vendors or bike rental shops.

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Yet only one of the kiosks, a low-slung wood structure near the Shedd Aquarium, was installed at its permanent location. Hyde Park residents rejected one that was planned for their neighborhood, and it remains at a temporary location in Millennium Park. The structure for another kiosk was built at IIT, then put in storage. Another never materialized, apparently because it exceeded the budget.

"That's two more than we had before," Emanuel said. "Before it was zero."

To avoid a repeat of such an outcome, Lee said he was already asking architects of some of the planned Tribune Tower models to cut costs, a process referred to as "value engineering."

"We're working with them right now," he said. "Some of them are overly ambitious."

In addition to the 16 new versions of Tribune Tower, the curators are commissioning two other 16-foot-tall models of designs for the skyscraper from early in the last century. One is a famous, columnlike version by the Austrian architect Adolf Loos that was part of the 1922 competition. The other, which was not officially entered, is a gridded modernist design by the German architect and urban planner Ludwig Hilberseimer.

bkamin@chicagotribune.com

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The bridge at Lawrence Avenue and Lake Shore Drive in Chicago on March 2, 2017, is one of the many bridges classified as structurally deficient. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

Under Lake Shore Drive at Lawrence and Wilson avenues, the sky is falling.

Chunks of concrete have broken off the two 1933-vintage bridges, posing a threat to drivers, pedestrians and the dozens of homeless people who camp underneath. Pieces more than 6 inches wide litter the sidewalks. Lattices of rusty rebar are exposed where parts of the wall have broken away.

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"The bridge is falling apart real bad," said Thomas Gordon, 58, who lives in a tent on Lawrence. He said he thinks this winter's heavy rains have sped up the deterioration, and people are moving their tents from the worst spots. "We don't want no one to get hurt down here."

The bridges at Lawrence and Wilson are among the most-traveled structurally deficient bridges in Illinois, according to a recent study by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, a Washington-based trade group which used Federal Highway Administration figures. Nine of the top 10 are in the Chicago area.

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Bridge safety came into the national spotlight in August 2007 with the deadly collapse of a Minneapolis bridge that sent cars into the Mississippi River.

The term "structurally deficient" does not mean a bridge is about to fall down, but indicates one in need of repair or rebuilding, said Alison Black, chief economist for the Builders Association. Further deterioration could mean a bridge must be limited to certain load levels or closed.

Most of the state-controlled, structurally deficient bridges on the most-traveled list are in the planning stages for repair or replacement over the next six years, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. The city of Chicago's transportation department plans to repair three Lake Shore Drive bridges on the list later this year.

But IDOT secretary Randy Blankenhorn and other transportation officials say long-term funding is needed to prevent future problems. The state has been without a capital plan since 2009, and future cash from the federal government is uncertain.

"The secretary has said repeatedly that it would be beneficial for Illinois to have long-term, sustainable funding to protect an asset that separates Illinois from other states  our infrastructure," said transportation department spokesman Guy Tridgell.

The association's study found that 8.4 percent of Illinois' 26,704 bridges are structurally deficient, which means that one or more key elements  such as the bridge deck or its foundation  is in "poor" or worse condition, according to federal standards. Illinois, which has the third-highest number of bridges in the country after Texas and Ohio, ranks sixth in number of structurally deficient bridges and 26th for percentage of such bridges, the report found. Illinois' percentage is below the national average of 9.1 percent.

A bridge on the north side of Chicago at Lawrence Avenue over Lake Shore Drive is crumbling and structurally deficient. (Mary Wisniewski/Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune)

Uptown residents have sounded alarms about the bridges at Wilson and Lawrence for a decade, but little has been done, said resident Valarie Attah.

"I personally don't drive or walk under them unless it's unavoidable," Attah said.

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Repairs planned

For Chicago bridges on Illinois' top 10 list, the city's transportation department plans repairs to the bridges at Wilson and Lawrence this summer, including structural repair of the concrete, said spokesman Mike Claffey. He said work would take about six to eight months, and the tent community would have to move before it starts.

The city also plans repair of the Lake Shore Drive bridge over the main branch of the Chicago River this summer as part of the Navy Pier Flyover project. This is expected to take about 18 months. The bridge also was on the top10 list for structural deficiency.

Among the state bridges on the list, repairs are being planned and construction could begin on I-290 over Salt Creek in Addison as early as 2018; on I-55 at Lemont and Joliet roads in Will County in 2019; and on I-53 over Kirchoff Road in Rolling Meadows in 2021. The repairs will be paid for with expected state and federal funds, though the funding amounts are not yet known because planning is still ongoing, Tridgell said. Mike Sturino, CEO of the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association, said he thought the state had a "good handle" on which bridges needed the most attention. The association is the state chapter of the group that did the bridge report and had been a proponent of the "lockbox amendment" passed last fall that requires all transportation taxes and fees to be spent exclusively on transportation projects.

"If there is a true emergency, they'll shut the bridge down  and they've done that," Sturino said.

Structurally deficient bridges in Chicago area Deficient Total bridges 160 Cook 1,678 62 Will 634 33 Lake 249 27 Kane 302 20 McHenry 226 18 DuPage 297 Source: American Road and Transportation Builders Association @ChiTribGraphics Structurally deficient bridges in Chicago area Deficient Total bridges 160 Cook 1,678 62 Will 634 33 Lake 249 27 Kane 302 20 226 McHenry 18 DuPage 297 Source: American Road and Transportation Builders Association @ChiTribGraphics CLICK: See the data on Chicago-area bridges TAP HERE: See the data

He said that more bridges have load limits downstate, which can affect prices, since heavy vehicles must find other routes.

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"We have a greater cost ultimately to consumers when they can't use a bridge," he said.

President Donald Trump last week called on Congress to pass legislation for a $1 trillion infrastructure project financed by both public and private capital.

"Crumbling infrastructure will be replaced with new roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and railways, gleaming across our very, very beautiful land," Trump said to a joint session of Congress.

The administration has offered few details on how this would be done, so it's unknown how soon and how much more money could come from Washington. It is also unknown how much could be in the form of direct grants or low-interest loans, as opposed to tax credits for private investors who finance projects.

Democratic legislators have cautioned that private investors are unlikely to be interested in projects like rural roads and untolled bridges, which do not provide a revenue stream. Republican legislators are reluctant to support spending increases not offset by cuts.

Meanwhile, environmentalists warn that climate change can accelerate the problem of decaying infrastructure, since new weather conditions can put added stresses on structures not designed to handle those.

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Locally, Illinois has gone 20 months without an operating budget, a problem that must be solved before it can get a new capital program, said Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation, a nonpartisan watchdog group. He said the bridge report provides "another reminder for why the state needs a balanced budget enacted as soon as possible."

Ride-share lawsuit

Chicago's Uber and Lyft drivers last week asked to join in a federal lawsuit challenging the city's ban on ride-share advertising.

City ordinance forbids commercial ads inside or outside ride-share vehicles, but allows them in and on taxis. The drivers, who hope to make extra cash from ads, claim the law violates their constitutional rights to free speech and equal protection, according to their motion to intervene.

Vugo, a Minneapolis technology company, had sued the city over the ban last month. Vugo wants to expand its digital advertising business to ride-sharing vehicles here.

The drivers seek the right to sue, an injunction on the ban and a $1 award, said their lawyer, Bryant Greening. The motion will be heard in court next Monday.

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Metra survey on fare options

Metra likes surveys.

In January, the commuter rail service was asking about bad customer behavior.

Last week, Metra launched a new survey to ask both customers and nonriders what they think about a variety of potential fare and ticket options, including off-peak and reverse-commute pricing, one-day and seven-day passes, loyalty programs and other ideas.

The survey is part of a study that Metra commissioned last year to evaluate the agency's distance-based fare structure and fare products and to recommend changes, the agency said.

The survey is available at metrarail.com and will be online through March 31. The study should be completed by this summer.

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mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @marywizchicago
A police evidence technician places an evidence marker next to a bullet casing at the corner of 16th Street and Homan Avenue Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, in Chicago. A 14-year-old boy was shot in the knee and transported to Mount Sinai Hospital. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago hit a milestone last week  six days without a fatal shooting. But we can hardly celebrate when there were two-dozen nonfatal shootings reported in the city.

More than likely, these reckless gunmen intended to kill. The fact that they didn't succeed means one or two things  their aim was off or the victims were just lucky.

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Either way, it says nothing about curbing the city's out-of-control violence. If anything, it points to how we have normalized violence in Chicago.

In a city where we have come to expect one or two murders every day, it is understandable that Chicagoans might be overly optimistic about six days without any. It's something we don't see very often. The last time it happened was in late 2012.

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Chicago's brief homicide hiatus made the national news over the weekend and was shared widely on social media. But for some reason, it seemed like outsiders were poking fun at us for being so pathetic rather than sharing in our joy.

Others have no idea what it's like to wake up day after day to news of yet another killing. They don't share the anguish of getting up on Monday morning and reading that the past weekend was the deadliest in a decade.

Give Chicagoans a break for wanting to look at the bright side, if only for a moment. Soon enough, the reality of our city's violence will smack us in the face.

The startling homicide numbers  a total of 785 last year and 104 so far this year  only tell part of the story. We have to look at the number of shootings to get a clearer picture of what's going on in Chicago.

In 2016, 4,368 people were shot in the city, according to data compiled by the Chicago Tribune. Since the start of this year, there have been at least 555 shooting victims.

According to a report published last year by the Cook County Gun Violence Task Force, approximately 900 shooting victims are treated at Stroger Hospital every year.

Taxpayers cover the cost of that treatment  ranging between $35,000 and $50,000 per victim. In cases of serious, debilitating nonfatal injuries, the report found, the costs can go as high as $250,000 for the first year and $200,000 each year thereafter.

Let's take a look at some of the shootings that occurred during the recent homicide break, Feb. 26 through March 4. The victims ranged from a 14-year-old boy to a 71-year-old man. The injuries were to the legs, back, abdomen, chest, buttocks and other areas. Some of the shootings resulted in serious injuries that could have long-term repercussions.

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Most of the incidents were drive-by shootings. That 71-year-old was standing on a street in Gage Park along with a 33-year-old when people inside a vehicle opened fire on them. Both were shot in the foot. The 14-year-old boy was shot in the arm when someone opened fire from a vehicle in South Shore.

According to the Tribune's shootings database, the last time we've had a day without any shootings was in February 2015. It happened five times that month  on Feb. 2, 5, 18, 24 and 28. To find a multiple-day stretch without any shootings, we have to go back to February 2012, when there was a three-day period Feb. 13, 14 and 15.

February seems to be a good month for Chicago when it comes to curbing violence. Maybe someone should take a closer look and figure out why. In the past, it might have been easily attributed to the cold weather. But this year, with unseasonably warm temperatures, weather likely was not a factor.

When asked the reason for the recent brief reprieve, Chicago police attributed it to the community. The residents and business owners are the ones who drive safety in the neighborhoods, police said. The officers are there to support them.

That was a smart answer. And it was exactly correct.

It is likely that someone in the neighborhood, possibly even some of the victims, know who the gunmen were and why they were shooting. They would do themselves, and the rest of Chicago, a great service if they shared that information with the police.

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dglanton@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @dahleeng
A few months after voters approved a $47.3 million bond issue to build a new school, the tiny East Prairie School District 73 in Skokie faces a roadblock: It can't access the money it needs for the project.

The one-school district has nearly maxed out its borrowing limit for major projects, so by law it can't issue all the bonds needed for construction, finance records show.

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Now the district is trying to get a special deal in Springfield, with state House Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang, D-Skokie, filing legislation in January to help the district get around state law so it can issue more bonds.

The district's request to Lang comes at a time when debt has been piling up in districts across Illinois, though state law is supposed to limit how much long-term debt districts can accumulate.

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A Tribune investigation last spring showed districts statewide were about $20 billion in debt, in part with the help of lawmakers who push through exceptions in the debt-limit law. The Tribune found that several dozen districts over the years have gotten permission to borrow more than their debt limit.

Fewer than 600 students are enrolled in East Prairie, the smallest of five grade-school districts in Skokie, and the limit on long-term debt is $11.9 million. But the bond issue for the new school is four times higher than that, spurring the request for legislative help.

"We are also aware that many schools have received legislation exemptions (in the debt-limit law) and we have no reason to believe we will be treated differently than others," said East Prairie Superintendent Theresa Alberico-Madl, who declined to speak to the Tribune but answered questions by email.

School board President Richard Evonitz did not respond to phone calls or email.

State Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, is critical of all the exceptions in the law, saying the debt limitation for school districts "has been run over by legislators."

In an attempt to draw attention to the issue, Ives distributed copies of the Tribune's investigation into school debt to her colleagues during a recent legislative meeting.

The debt limits are based on districts' property wealth and type, and are calculated by multiplying the value of taxable property in elementary school and high school districts by 6.9 percent, or 13.8 percent for K-12 unit districts. The borrowing limit will change as a district's property values rise or fall. Taxpayers are on the hook to repay the debt.

Ives filed legislation in January in hopes of reining in school debt. Under the proposal, districts that exceed their limit would not be allowed to incur any new debt until the amount falls below the limitation. When Lang's bill for East Prairie came up for a vote in a key education committee last month, Ives voted no.

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Still, the practice of making debt exceptions for school districts continues in the General Assembly, though it's not always transparent. The Tribune has found that some districts get exceptions but aren't named in the law, and in the quirky world of lawmaking, debt-limit exceptions sometimes show up in legislation that appears to have nothing to do with school debt.

In 2015 and 2016, several districts exceeded their debt limits with lawmaker approval, including North Shore School District 112 in Lake County, which got permission to issue up to $150 million in bonds for construction, though voters ultimately rejected the referendum for those bonds. That exception morphed out of a bill related to school-related dental exams.

State Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, speaks at a press conference regarding the pension reform at the Thompson Center in Chicago on Monday, June 17, 2013. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Three Downstate districts also got debt exceptions ranging between $25 million and $34.5 million in bonds that wouldn't count against their debt limits. Those exceptions arose from a bill about a state global scholar certification program to recognize certain high school graduates.

This year, State Rep. Michael J. Zalewski, D-Riverside, filed straightforward legislation in February to provide a debt-limit exception for Brookfield LaGrange Park School District 95, allowing the district to issue up to $20 million in bonds for a school construction project but not count that amount against its legal debt limit. Conditions are attached, including that district taxpayers approve the $20 million bond issue, which is on the ballot April 4.

Zalewski said he filed the bill because the district has a space problem, with young families moving in, and it needed to borrow to expand its facilities. "At heart, we are legislators who want to help our communities," Zalewski said.

In East Prairie School District 73, school officials held numerous public meetings and engaged with the community about the condition of the current school, which the district says needs various repairs. The building dates back some 60 years and includes several additions.

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Residents considered several options, from making repairs and renovations to building a new school. The group settled on a new building, and about 65 percent of the 1,827 voters said yes in November. Construction was expected to launch some nine months later, and the school would be completed in 2019, according to district records.

The ballot language didn't mention the district's debt limit. Alberico-Madl said the district wasn't permitted to include a statement about the district's debt limit and the need for debt-limit-related legislation.

However, she said, "The District has always been very open and transparent about the district's debt limit and that legislation would be required to exceed it."

Other districts across the state have received debt-limit exceptions prior to voters going to the polls.

Alberico-Madl said in a written response that school officials "did not seek formal legislative help until after the election because we were advised that legislators are more inclined to support such legislation with voter support. Representative Lang is our local legislator with an office in our district so it was important to keep him informed and to seek his legislative assistance. The (school) Board, the administration, and the community, were aware that a debt limitation exemption would be necessary to finance the project."

Lang did not return phone calls, but public minutes from the December school board meeting stated that during a meeting with school officials, Lang said "he would be happy to draft a debt exception" to bring before lawmakers this spring. He indicated that more districts could be included and that a diversity of districts can help get the legislation approved.

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School board Vice President Nicholas Hankes said, "If the legislature doesn't pass this that we should go hard on the state," according to the minutes. Hankes could not be reached for comment.

Alberico-Madl said nothing was guaranteed and the process would be a long one. "We need to be patient and keep moving forward," Alberico-Madl said, according to the minutes.

Lang's legislation on behalf of East Prairie School District 73 would allow the district to issue $47.3 million in bonds that would not be counted against its debt limit. The bill also would stretch out the timetable for taxpayers to repay the debt to 25 years, rather than the usual 20.

Lang's bill is now headed for a vote in the full state House. The legislation still would need approval from the state Senate and Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has approved similar bills in the past related to debt-limit exceptions for school districts.

East Prairie was able to issue $9.26 million in bonds last month, the first of the bonds authorized by the November referendum. That amount did not cause the district to exceed its current debt limit  but those bonds, and other debt, now consume about 80 percent of the district's debt limit, finance records show.

Bond documents noted that though voters approved the $47.3 million in bonds, "the district's current debt limitation will not allow the district to avail itself of the full bonding capacity authorized by the Referendum."

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As to the legislation filed in Springfield, the bond documents stated, "The District cannot predict whether the General Assembly will approve such legislation, or if approved, whether the Governor will sign such legislation into law. The failure of the District to receive such approval may affect the timing and scope of the project."

Some districts have enough savings to cover large construction projects. Others use an alternative bond that doesn't count against the debt limit, but it has other drawbacks.

District 73 doesn't appear to have the large savings necessary to build a new school without borrowing.

Alberico-Madl acknowledged to the Tribune that "a delay might occur in our construction schedule," and the school board "will determine a course of action should the (debt) exception be denied."

drado@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @diane_rado
Othman Al Ani, 32, takes a break at the Iraqi Mutual Aid Society on Chicago's North Side after meeting with clients and explaining the revised travel ban March 6, 2017. Al Ani's 34-year-old brother, Abdullah Al Ani, is waiting in Egypt to obtain refugee status and join his family in the U.S. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune) (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

While President Donald Trump's revised executive order banning travel from six majority-Muslim countries and barring refugees from entering the U.S. is a small improvement over his earlier order, it remains an unacceptable ban on Muslims, Chicago immigration activists said Monday.

About a month after federal judges blocked Trump's temporary ban on citizens of seven Middle Eastern and African countries, a move that Chicago advocates called "a backdoor ban on Muslims," the president on Monday signed a revised version of the executive order, barring immigrants from six of those nations, taking out Iraq.

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"Make no mistake that this is still very much a Muslim ban," said Ahlam Jbara, a board member of the Arab American Action Network. Starting March 16, foreign nationals from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen who are outside the U.S. and did not have a valid visa when the original ban went into effect Jan. 27 may not enter the U.S. during a 90-day suspension.

The new order maintains a 120-day suspension on refugee admissions and still reduces the total number of refugees to be accepted before Sept. 30 from 110,000 to 50,000  a cap that quickly could be met after the suspension ends. Syrian refugees, who were barred indefinitely in the previous order, are now part of the four-month moratorium.

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Mary Meg McCarthy, executive director of the National Immigrant Justice Center, acknowledged that the administration eliminated the "egregious illegalities" of the previous executive order but said the revised order is still rooted in discrimination based on national origin and puts people in danger.

"The new order is simply a modified refugee and Muslim ban, and a continuation of the Trump administration's smear campaign against refugees and asylum seekers," McCarthy said in a statement.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the travel ban "nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing."

"It is a betrayal of our nation's values that our government would slam the door on refugees fleeing war, death and unimaginable conditions, that our government would divide families and that our government would attempt to exclude people based on their religion," Emanuel said in a statement.

Some Chicagoans are concerned the most recent executive order from President Donald Trump creates a contentious relationship among Muslims, immigrants and Americans. March 6, 2017. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

To avoid confusion at airports on the day the ban goes into effect, the executive order clarifies categories of travelers that will not be admitted to the U.S. and gives federal agents more than a week to address questions about implementation. A day after Trump signed the January executive order, passengers who had been in the air were detained at airports across the nation, including at O'Hare International Airport, causing relatives to panic and drawing crowds of protesters.

Still uncertain that the new order will be enforced consistently, the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced Monday that it had launched the Travelers Assistance Project, an opportunity for people heading to Chicago to register their itineraries for tailored legal support.

Using travel plans and personal histories, project coordinators will match travelers with interpreters and more than 1,400 volunteer lawyers on the ground who will track their flights and provide immediate pro bono legal assistance when they arrive in Chicago. Since late January, more than 1,000 travelers have registered with the project and volunteer lawyers have maintained a daily presence at O'Hare from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Hatem Abudayyeh, director of the Arab American Action Network, urged more protests at airports.

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"It was the people in the streets, it was the people in the airports across the country that defeated (the initial executive order)," he said at a news conference in front of the Chicago office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "We will continue to be out in the streets, we will continue to organize. We will continue to protest, and we will defeat this one as well. James Carafano, who oversaw national security planning during Trump's transition, said the executive order is an attempt to keep up with terrorists' traffic patterns. The six noted countries are likely destinations for thousands of foreign fighters coming out of conflict zones, he said. Not only do al-Qaida and ISIS already have footprints there, he said, those countries also don't have adequate procedures to keep members of the organization in the country.

"This is the U.S. administration fine-tuning concerns we already have about terrorist outflow from these countries," said Carafano, vice president of foreign and defense policy studies for the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based conservative think tank. "It's a dynamic threat. People say that's not a problem today. The terrorist global footprint has been evolving over the last year and a half. You have to evolve to keep up with it."

He rejected the suggestion that the order equated to a Muslim ban, pointing out that many other countries, including Iraq, are predominantly Muslim and aren't included in the order.

"That's a ludicrous argument," he said. "How is it a Muslim ban? Those countries are predominantly Muslim. So are a lot of other countries and they weren't banned. "It's very difficult to make a case that it's punitive against Muslims. It's designed to stop terrorists from coming to the U.S."

But Ed Yohnka, a spokesman for the Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the ban has nothing to do with national security. It's based on politics, he said.

"It is reckless. It is dangerous. It will be found to be unconstitutional," he said.

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Douglas Kmiec, a constitutional legal scholar at Pepperdine University who drafted executive orders as President Ronald Reagan's chief legal counsel, said the revised ban appears to pass constitutional muster on its face. But that doesn't mean the changes erased all the red flags.

"It's very clear that the president is following the road map of concerns raised by the 9th Circuit," he said, referring to three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that blocked the earlier order. "Something constitutional on its face can always be subject to challenge if it's applied unevenly or applied in a manner that raises constitutional concerns or exceeds statutory authority."

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Othman Al Ani, 32, a legal permanent resident of the U.S. who arrived as a refugee from Iraq four years ago, said the removal of Iraq from the executive order doesn't make his family any happier. His older brother has been waiting to join his parents and siblings in the U.S. as a refugee. The temporary ban to strengthen vetting procedures could add years to that wait, he said.

"There's no glimpse of hope," said Al Ani, who now works for the immigration legal clinic of the Iraqi Mutual Aid Society. "Don't let me talk about the security check for everybody arriving in the U.S. I spent four years and three months waiting for security checks. You can't work. You can't do anything but wait for a phone call that you are coming to the United States."

Al Ani's mother, a green card holder, was detained in February on her way back from visiting his older brother in Egypt. Now, he said, she's too scared to leave the country again for fear she won't be able to see her other children and grandchildren. She's distraught now that it's unclear when she will see her oldest son again, he said.

"This is not a relief for us," Al Ani said.

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Chicago Tribune's Nereida Moreno contributed.

mbrachear@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @TriBeCa
Updated 4:50 a.m. March 9, 2017  A 23-year-old man was heading to work late Monday when he got caught in a shooting that left another 23-year-old man dead.

About 11:45 p.m., Rafael Reyes was driving a Honda Civic and exiting Interstate 55 in the 3300 block of South California Avenue when a vehicle drove past a red light and crashed into his car. He felt disoriented and remembers hearing two gunshots. He then saw people running out of a vehicle.

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"Someone's dead over there," he said standing at the southern edge of the crime scene. "I feel sad that a life was lost but, I don't know, it happens."

A 23-year-old man was shot multiple times in the back and body. He collapsed on the road as he tried to get out of a vehicle, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. He was later identified as Kamari Belmont, of the 4500 block of South Drexel Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office, which determined he died from multiple gunshot wounds.

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He had been a passenger in a vehicle that was traveling south on California when a white SUV pulled up and someone inside opened fire.

The shooting and crash took place in an industrial area that borders the Brighton Park and Little Village neighborhoods. Officers blocked off California between 31st Avenue and 35th Street as they searched for evidence.

Veronica Romo walked at the edge of the crime scene with her hand over her mouth. Her 25-year-old son had been in one of the vehicles that got caught in the shooting and crash.

Her son told her that he was getting off I-55 when he got caught in the middle of the shooting and crash. One of the drivers was at one point driving in the wrong direction. Her son walked away unharmed.

"He's all right," Romo said in Spanish. "He was hit but nothing serious. Rather, he's scared because of the gunshots."

As thunderstorms passed through the area, four carloads of people arrived and huddled at the edge of the crime scene.

The 23-year-old man was one of nine people who were wounded, four fatally, in shootings from Monday to Tuesday morning.

Most recently, a 22-year-old man was killed when he was shot multiple times on the South Side about 3:10 a.m. in the 1100 block of West 76th Street, police said.

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Officers responded to a call of a person down in the Gresham neighborhood and found the man on a sidewalk next to a large brick apartment building. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A woman who lived nearby walked out of her home in her pajamas to get a closer look at the crime scene. She had slept with her window cracked open and thought she heard three gunshots, but she didn't get out of her home until later.

"That poor baby," she said as she looked at the man's body.

About two hours earlier and less than half a mile away, a 24-year-old woman was killed and a 35-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in the 1300 block of West 76th in the Gresham neighborhood, police said. About 1:20 a.m., the two were in a vehicle in a parking lot when two people approached and one of them opened fire.

The woman was shot in the head, and she was pronounced dead at Little Company of Mary Hospital. The 35-year-old man was shot three times in the abdomen, once in the chin and once in the hand. He was taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

The woman was identified as Daryn Beach of suburban Calumet City, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

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The Gresham homicides appear to be part of the same ongoing conflict between two rival gangs in the area, according to a law enforcement source.

Earlier Monday on the South Side, a man was shot dead in the West Englewood neighborhood about 6:30 p.m. He was identified as Clarence T. Hart, 29, of the 6500 block of South Claremont Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Hart was in a car in the 6400 block of South Claremont Avenue when someone shot him multiple times in the chest, according to police. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition and pronounced dead at 7:03 p.m.

Other shootings:

About 11:30 p.m. on the South Side, a 31-year-old man was shot in the neck and face while he was a passenger in a vehicle that was in the 7600 block of South Coles Avenue in the South Shore neighborhood, police said. The shooter got out of a dark-colored sedan and started shooting. The 31-year-old man was taken to Jackson Park Hospital, and he was later transferred in serious condition to Stroger Hospital.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

About 8 p.m. on the South Side, someone shot a 21-year-old man in the 8100 block of South Blackstone Avenue in the Avalon Park neighborhood. He was walking when the shooter emerged from a gangway and shot him in the arm. He was taken in good condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

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On the Far South Side about 1:45 p.m., a man was critically wounded in a shooting in the Rosemoor neighborhood, police said. The 33-year-old man was shot in the 10100 block of South Indiana Avenue. Police had previously reported that the shooting took place in the 10000 block of South Calumet Avenue. The shooter was in a silver vehicle and fired at the 33-year-old man, shooting him multiple times. He drove himself to the 10100 block of South Vernon Avenue, where he was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital. He was later transferred to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized.

About 12:30 p.m. on the West Side, a 53-year-old man was shot in the leg in the Austin neighborhood, according to police. The man told police he was in the block north of Madison Street on Cicero Avenue when two or three men approached him from a gangway and fired toward him. They might have fled in a black minivan waiting in the alley, according to police. The man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

No one was in custody for any of the shootings, and detectives were investigating.

Check back for updates.

Earlier versions of this story gave an incorrect spelling for Clarence Hart's last name.

This story was updated March 9 to include the identity of Daryn Beach.
In their own words: Quotes from public figures, experts and others about the Austin liquor store, Da Icehouse, and its late-night liquor license. (Jonathon Berlin, David Heinzmann, Kori Rumore, Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

As Mayor Rahm Emanuel faced a 2012 spike in homicides a year after he took office, he called problem liquor stores magnets for crime and a "cancer on the community," vowing to find new ways to shut them down.

A few months later, however, his administration approved a special late-night liquor license for a dilapidated liquor store in Austin known as "Da Icehouse," allowing it to extend its closing time from 2 a.m. to as late as 5 a.m. in one of the city's poorest, most violence-plagued neighborhoods.

Out of hundreds of liquor retailers in the city of Chicago, Da Icehouse is the only stand-alone liquor store that holds a late-night license, according to city officials.

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Although the store near the corner of Lake Street and Cicero Avenue had been the scene of violence and liquor license violations in the past  usually red flags for such applications  City Hall received scant resistance to the extended license from the then-local police commander, or the neighborhood's alderman, Jason Ervin .

In fact, the freshman alderman was beginning to receive campaign contributions from the store's owners.

Since 2011, Lake & Cicero Inc., which operates Da Icehouse, has poured at least $27,000 into Ervin's various campaign funds, placing the store among his biggest contributors, according to state campaign finance records.

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And the flow of money to Ervin's campaign funds has increased in recent years during a period in which gun violence associated with Da Icehouse also escalated.

Exterior of Da Icehouse liquor store, 356 N. Cicero Ave. in Chicago, on Saturday, February 25, 2017. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Since August 2015, Da Icehouse has been the scene of three shootings  including a homicide  that took place after its former closing time of 2 a.m., police records show. In each incident, the store's own armed security guards were involved in parking-lot shootouts with gang members.

While it is rare for Chicago to revoke a liquor license, in recent years the city has used various means to force the closing of several late-night bars and clubs because of public safety risks. For example, the city used the summary closure ordinance, created in 2015, to shut down Koncrete and The Shrine in late 2015 and early 2016 because of shootings related to the businesses. City officials said summary closure has been used 17 times.

But Da Icehouse remains.

Austin District police officers, under a new commander, have cited the store multiple times for liquor license violations  including for failing to call 911  yet City Hall has not made any moves to revoke the license. In fact, administration officials allowed the store to keep its license even after discovering in 2016 that nearly two years had passed without new owners disclosing the sale of the business. City officials said such a failure is grounds for revocation, but they decided to fine the store $750 instead.

In July 2016, city inspectors visited Da Icehouse after a shooting and temporarily closed it for building and fire code violations. No challenges were made to the liquor license, though, and the store was allowed to reopen in November.

Despite the problems, Ervin remains unabashedly supportive of the store, calling it a "community asset."

"We have to have places for people to go and activities for them," Ervin said. "Just because there's liquor doesn't mean there's a problem."

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Any time you make alcohol more accessible, the rates of various kinds of harm increases  child abuse, underage drinking, violence.  Kathryn Stewart, research director for the Prevention Research Center

In 2016, as shooting incidents accumulated at the store, Lake & Cicero made its biggest donations to Ervin  $15,000 over the course of a single year. Ervin said that the donations had no influence over his actions as an alderman.

The Emanuel administration defends its oversight of Da Icehouse.

The task force that inspected the store, and temporarily closed it, was created with cases like Da Icehouse in mind, a spokeswoman said. After the July 2016 shooting, city officials decided "there was not a nexus between the shooting and the operation of the business" because the shooting happened in the business's parking lot, Angel Hawthorne, spokeswoman for the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, wrote in reply to the Tribune's questions.

As for the owners not notifying the city that the store had changed hands, officials said that a financial penalty was enough.

"The new owners paid a fine for not notifying the city in a timely fashion of the change, and since then they have been proactive in making the necessary changes to address problems occurring on the property," Hawthorne said.

Also, while Emanuel talked tough about liquor stores in 2012, his license regulators reviewing Lake & Cicero's late-night license application missed another red flag  a question about the true identity of the store's owner.

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Multiple people, including Ervin, acknowledged to the Tribune that the store's true owner when the license was granted was Anwar Owaynat, a 47-year-old Oak Brook businessman who is a convicted felon. He served a four-year prison sentence in the early 1990s after being arrested by Chicago police with 275 grams of cocaine and a loaded gun on the West Side. State law prohibits felons from holding liquor licenses.

Owaynat acknowledged to the Tribune that the store was his, although he used other people to shield his ownership because of his conviction.

"I operated that store; I managed that store," he said. "I built that store."

He also acknowledged that he was the source of Lake & Cicero's campaign contributions to Ervin while he owned the store, but said he had not been involved since he completed the sale of the store to an Oak Lawn businessman in 2015.

Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th, center, stands prior to the start of a Chicago City Council meeting held at City Hall on Feb. 22, 2017. Da Icehouse is in his ward, and he has received multiple campaign contributions from the store's owners. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

"I became religious and I didn't want to have anything to do with selling alcohol," he said. "I was happy to make a couple of dollars and walk away."

Neighborhood trouble spots

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Politicians and police leaders have long blamed liquor stores for exacerbating social problems in impoverished, high-crime neighborhoods. In the zip code surrounding the store, census figures show that nearly 34 percent of people are living under the poverty line. Of children under 18, the poverty rate is 44 percent.

As Chicago's homicide rate spiked in early 2012 after several years of remaining flat, Emanuel, the city's new mayor, turned his public criticism toward liquor stores, repeatedly citing them as a cancer on the community.

Experts say the concern about liquor stores is well placed.

"Any time you make alcohol more accessible, the rates of various kinds of harm increases  child abuse, underage drinking, violence," said Kathryn Stewart, research director for the Prevention Research Center, a government-funded organization that researches the social effects of alcohol abuse.

And violence directly connected to the store became a significant problem in the years since the extended license was granted.

On Aug. 21, 2015, according to police records, gang members opened fire in the parking lot, prompting the store's armed security guards to return fire, killing a woman riding in the back seat of the gang members' car.

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Adriana Reyes, 20, was a passenger in the SUV as it fled the parking lot, said her mother, Linda Lugo. Reyes, who worked at a pizzeria and had no criminal record, went out with a girlfriend that night and ended up in a car with two gang members the friend knew, her mother said.

After gunfire erupted between Reyes' car and another, Da Icehouse's security guards opened fire, striking Reyes in the head and killing her.

"She was so full of life, very independent," her mother said. "A very free spirit."

The two men in Reyes' vehicle were charged with murder. The security guards who fired the fatal shots were not charged.

Lugo is now suing Lake & Cicero Inc., as well as the security firm, Reliance Security and Consulting Corp.

Just a few months later, on Jan. 23, 2016, the security guards got into another shootout with gang members in the parking lot and a woman walking out of the store was critically wounded, according to police records.

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On July 27, 2016, guards once again exchanged gunfire with customers in the parking lot, though no one was hit.

All three incidents happened after the store's old closing time of 2 a.m.

Ervin, though, was unfazed by the violence connected to the store.

"That could have happened anywhere," he said.

But the 37-year-old woman who was shot in the abdomen and chest in the January 2016 shooting has a different view.

She was just leaving the store at 3:32 a.m. when she walked into the crossfire between security guards and gang members, police said. She was hit twice and then stumbled back into the store and collapsed, police said.

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"They did not help me, and they continued to serve customers while I was laying on the floor. My friend called 911," said the woman, who asked not to be identified.

Raed Bisharat, the current owner, did not respond to a request for comment on the woman's allegation.

"I think they should be closed," said the woman, who has taken no legal action against the store but said she continues to suffer the long-term effects of a double gunshot wound.

"My breathing's not the same. I still have pain. And I can't perform any tasks," she said. "I haven't worked since this happened."

After the January shooting, police cited the store for failing to call 911 to report the gunfight between gang members and guards before the woman was shot, police said.

But administration officials, in responses to Tribune questions, backed up Ervin's contention that the liquor store had nothing to do with the shootings in its parking lot involving its security guards.

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"The crime committed in the area has not been shown to have a nexus to the establishment," Hawthorne said.

It was not the first time the store had been cited for failing to call 911. In 2009, police records show, two men were shot, both in the hand, as they were entering the store just before midnight. Police cited the store for failing to call 911 after the shooting.

A police spokesman would not directly address problems at Da Icehouse, but said businesses that attract violence do present a problem.

Exterior of Da Icehouse liquor store, 356 N. Cicero Ave. in Chicago, on Saturday, February 25, 2017. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

"When these plans are not adhered to by the business operators, it can place a greater burden on district stations and their available resources that respond to incidents in these locations," police spokesman Frank Giancamilli said in a statement.

An alderman's role

As alderman, Ervin has broad sway over businesses in his ward. Negative words from him would have undermined Lake & Cicero's late-night application. But he made no comment on the application.

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He wasn't the only local leader to take such an approach. The Austin District police commander at the time, Barbara West, was obliged by city policy to say whether she objected to the license.

Her response did not take an explicit stance:

"The Public Safety concern is the parking lot adjacent to the store. Many of the customers who make purchases from the store remain on this private property and begin to drink, play loud music and cause disturbances which become police problems, DUI's, verbal and physical altercations. These issues are usually predominant during the weekend late night. Other liquor stores conducting this volume of business hire security for traffic control and order maintenance to avoid people congregating in the lot and keep the traffic flowing in and out."

She left it at that. West did not directly respond to questions from the Tribune. Through a spokesman, she said that, despite not stating any objection, she did not intend for her response to be taken as neutral or tacit support.

In several cases reviewed by the Tribune, police commanders cited crime statistics in their explicit objections.

West's comments did not mention the crime that already existed around the store, which is flanked by vacant lots and the Cicero station of the L's Green Line. But city records suggest the block is a magnet for crime. In the five years before the issue of the license in September 2012, there were 161 recorded criminal incidents in the 300 block of North Cicero Avenue, according to city records. Among those, there had been 17 robberies, 38 drug arrests, 36 assaults and batteries and one homicide.

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West has not always taken such an ambiguous stance toward liquor licenses on the West Side. In 2015, as commander of the neighboring Harrison District, she lodged a firm objection to a tavern license sought for an existing restaurant in the 4200 block of West Madison Street.

She cited crime statistics and calls for service in the surrounding area as justification for denying the license, according to the city's License Appeal Commission, which noted West's objections in a ruling on the matter.

But no one from City Hall sought to revoke Da Icehouse's license when they discovered in 2016 that the store had been purchased by Raed Bisharat of Oak Lawn. A private sale document reviewed by the Tribune showed that Bisharat signed a purchase agreement for Lake & Cicero in May 2014.

Although the inspections resulted in closing of the store for building and fire code violations, it wouldn't stay shuttered for long. As the owners worked to fix the code violations, they began negotiating with city officials about how they might reopen. Around that time, on Oct. 26, the store donated another $5,000 to Ervin's campaign fund, according to state records.

Then, on Nov. 18, the city agreed to allow the store to reopen. The agreement required Lake & Cicero to replace its security contractor.

Ervin said the timing of the latest donation had nothing to do with the store reopening soon after.

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"My fundraising has nothing to do with my actions as a member of the council," he said.

A thriving business

For the owners, there was a strong incentive to have Da Icehouse reopen. Videos on social media show a bustling late-night business that has developed a loyal following. The store, which boasts cognac stored in a deep freezer, has an active, often ribald, following on Facebook.

And by all appearances, Da Icehouse was good to Anwar Owaynat.

Owaynat, whose hulking white-brick house sits on an acre and a half of creekside land in Oak Brook, still drives a $90,000 Mercedes-Benz with the vanity plate "ICE BOX."

He reiterated Ervin's statement that the liquor store was an asset to the community, claiming that his high volume of alcohol sales replaced narcotics on the streets of Austin, one of the city's most troublesome illegal drug markets.

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"The good point is it took a lot of drugs off the street  people stopped using drugs and turned to alcohol," Owaynat said.

But his control of the store raises further questions about its liquor license.

As a felon, Owaynat, who signed the late-night license application under the title "vice president," is prohibited by Illinois law from holding a liquor license.

Ervin said he had known Owaynat for years but was unaware he was a felon. The alderman placed responsibility for uncovering such facts on city regulators.

"I wasn't aware of any of that type of information," Ervin said. "I've just known him from around the community ... He's been active in the community for several years."

Owaynat's older brother, Ayman Owaynat, was listed on the application, as well as corporate records filed with the state, as the owner of the store. But Ayman Owaynat said he had little to do with running the store and had no contact with city officials during the application process. Ervin acknowledged that he did not know whether he had ever met Ayman Owaynat, who appears to live much more modestly than his brother, dwelling in a simple one-story house in Lincolnwood.

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"My brother actually was the one running the whole liquor store," said Ayman Owaynat, who noted that between 2001 to 2014 he was living abroad part-time in Jordan.

"I was out of the country," he added. "My brother and the alderman, they are good friends."

Ayman Owaynat said he was listed as the owner of the store because his brother could not legally hold a liquor license.

"He couldn't because he did have a conviction in his past," Ayman Owaynat said. He added that he objected to the late-night license because he believed it to be harmful to the community, and demanded removal of his name from the company in 2013.

In Lake & Cicero Inc.'s corporate annual reports filed with the state in 2013, Ayman Owaynat was no longer listed as a corporate officer. That year, Anwar Owaynat appeared as president, secretary and treasurer of the company. But in the 2014 filings, Ayman Owaynat's name returned as the corporate officer. But he said that by that time he had nothing to do with the business.

In May 2014, Anwar Owaynat's wife, Kefaia Owaynat, entered into a transaction to sell Lake & Cicero Inc. to Bisharat, according to a private sale document reviewed by the Tribune. Anwar Owaynat acknowledged that his wife did not technically own the store when he sold it to Bisharat. In a phone interview, Bisharat confirmed that he bought the store from Anwar Owaynat and his wife, closing on the transaction in 2015.

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"Anwar  we bought him out. He's not here anymore," Bisharat said. "We bought the business from him."

Bisharat would not answer questions about whether the $15,000 in 2016 contributions to Ervin came from him or Anwar Owaynat.

"Call my lawyer," he said. The attorney Bisharat identified, Harlan Powell, did not return calls for comment.

In the end, Ayman Owaynat sees Da Icehouse as a bad dream.

He said he did not understand why the city gives out late-night licenses at all. In his view, people should not be shopping for liquor in the middle of the night.

"After 2 a.m., already they are drunk," he said. "It creates a lot of violence."

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dheinzmann@chicagotribune.com

@davidheinzmann
A 23-year-old man was injured early Monday in the Jefferson Park neighborhood after crashing into a parked vehicle, Chicago police said.

Just before 12:10 a.m. on the Northwest Side, the 23-year-old man was driving a Chevrolet Cavalier and he was heading north in the 5000 block of North Long Avenue when he hit a parked vehicle, police said. That caused the Cavalier to flip and land on its roof.

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He was taken to Presence St. Francis Hospital in Evanston to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. There weren't any other reported injuries.

Police suspect alcohol could have been involved in the crash.
Despite a six-day stretch without a homicide in Chicago, the number of people shot in the city is still higher than it was a year ago, according to data compiled by the Tribune.



At least 23 people were shot in the city over the weekend, bringing the total this year to 550, 25 more than last year at this time, according to Tribune data. Last year saw the most gun violence in the city in two decades.



There has been a shooting in Chicago every day for more than two years. The last day the city went without a shooting was Feb. 28, 2015, the data show.



The number of homicides had been running ahead of last year until last week, when none were recorded between Feb. 26 and this past Saturday, when Antoine Watkins, 22, was found shot to death in the West Side's South Austin neighborhood, according to police.



Watkins' death came six days after James Morris, 23, was killed about 11 a.m. Feb. 26 while sitting in a vehicle in Lawndale on the West Side, police said.



There have been at least 104 homicides in the city this year, a slight decrease from the 109 logged this time last year.



The decrease is a change from last week when homicides were outpacing last year after the city experienced its deadliest day so far this year.

Among those wounded this weekend were two men in their 50s who were shot during a robbery in Englewood on Sunday morning.

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On Saturday, a 14-year-old boy was shot in the arm, police said. The shooter was in a vehicle and opened fire in the 1500 block of East 70th Street in the Grand Crossing neighborhood.

Early Saturday, there were two double shootings within a three-hour period.
Students hold up a check for $1 million dollars from Chance the Rapper, right, who holds a press conference at Westcott Elementary School in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood on March 6, 2017. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

SPRINGFIELD  Gov. Bruce Rauner's office says there are two ways to find $215 million to help the cash-strapped Chicago Public Schools, but both paths require action from lawmakers at a time when he's spent nearly two years deadlocked with Democrats who control the General Assembly.

Rauner's administration floated the proposals in a memo that landed shortly after Chance the Rapper announced an afternoon news conference at a South Side elementary school. The Grammy-winning artist had met with Rauner late last week to talk about help for CPS but said the governor provided "a lot of vague answers."

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The rapper tweeted he's presenting a plan for the struggling school system Monday but provided no immediate details on what his plan would entail. He promised to live-stream the event on Instagram. CPS officials have quietly celebrated Chance's use of his celebrity status to discuss the district's financial plight, with help from savvy social media posts that have rocketed across the internet. Born Chancellor Bennett, the rapper has a history of criticizing government and speaking out against politicians, even Mayor Rahm Emanuel, whom his father worked for at City Hall.

The first option presented by Rauner on Monday includes passing legislation that would allow Emanuel to tap into the city's tax increment financing funds to cover the cost. The other once again ties the money to passage of a larger overhaul of the state's pension retirement program.

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"However, given the extraordinary mismanagement of both the city and CPS budgets, legislation could be enacted to authorize a one-time mayoral transfer of $215 million from Chicago TIF funds to CPS," wrote Michael Mahoney, Rauner's deputy chief of staff for policy and legislative affairs.

For Rauner, the two options are a way to respond to public pressure from Chance the Rapper while also putting the onus elsewhere. The TIF district idea makes coming up with the money the problem of state lawmakers, Emanuel and potentially aldermen. The pension idea, if executed, would get Rauner a long-sought item from his legislative and economic wish list while requiring Democrats who control the General Assembly to go against their union allies who oppose the changes to the retirement system.

The governor has said the city must take responsibility for what he says is decades of mismanagement at CPS, hence the suggestion that the city tap into TIF funds that are currently earmarked to promote investment and economic development.

Mahoney said the city should revise its policy and allow TIF districts to collect dollars for education funding, saying the idea "represents a compromise that both attracts business investment and supports public schools."

Alternatively, the administration wants to tie broader statewide pension changes to the $215 million pension pick-up for CPS.

The school district immediately rejected the governor's plan.

"Yet again, Gov. Rauner is perpetuating a racially discriminatory state funding system and his so-called plan actually demands that Chicago students do more to get the same funding that every other student in the state of Illinois is entitled to receive  a gross disparity that has no place in 2017," CPS spokeswoman Emily Bittner said in a statement. "Chicago residents stepped up and are paying $342 million more in taxes this year alone to support schools, and it's past time for the state of Illinois to end the racial discrimination that is creating a separate and unequal funding system."

Mayoral spokesman Adam Collins weighed in, too, characterizing Rauner's latest proposals as "no solution at all."

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"His plan to fix the fact that Chicago taxpayers pay twice for teacher pensions is to have them pay three times instead," Collins said in the statement. "It's past time for the governor to step up, as Chicago's taxpayers already have, and end the state's separate and unequal funding for Chicago students."

Emanuel is in New York on Monday making an announcement about participants in this year's Chicago Architecture Biennial.

The governor's pension plan Monday is one he first pushed last year, but he ultimately vetoed a plan to send money to CPS after Democratic Senate President John Cullerton publicly suggested there had never been a deal linking the two concepts.

Rauner later acknowledged he was "a little emotional" when he vetoed the legislation not long after Cullerton made his comments. Without the $215 million, CPS has made moves to cut costs, furloughing employees and freezing school budgets. Last week, the district announced it may make cuts to summer school and shorten the school year by about three weeks  for a savings of about $96 million  if the state or the courts don't intervene.

While Senate lawmakers are already weighing the pension changes, they are tied to a larger effort to pass sweeping legislation to end the state's unprecedented budget impasse. Those efforts hit a road block last week amid lagging support from Republicans, which Cullerton blamed on interference from Rauner.

Rauner's office now says said the pension changes should be considered apart from the broader budget deal, a move that could be seen as him acknowledging those efforts won't go anywhere.

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Chicago Tribune's John Byrne contributed.

mcgarcia@chicagotribune.com

jjperez@chicagotribune.com
Chance the Rapper makes a ceremonial donation of $1 million to Chicago Public Schools on March 6, 2017, at Westcott Elementary School in Chicago's West Chatham neighborhood. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Hours after Gov. Bruce Rauner offered two options to provide $215 million to Chicago Public Schools, Chance the Rapper cut the district a $1 million check that the Grammy-winning musician described as a "call to action" for the city's business and philanthropic community.

Chance was critical of the Republican governor's efforts to fix the city's schools during a news conference in West Chatham on the South Side, not far from the musician's old neighborhood.

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"Gov. Rauner still won't commit to give Chicago's kids a chance without caveats or ultimatums," Chance told students and reporters at Westcott Elementary School. "Gov. Rauner, do your job."

Chance's comments quickly spread among his millions of social media followers and brought a dash of celebrity to a long-running fight over education funding. But they did little to resolve differences between politicians and school officials over how to dig the district out of a budget hole that could bring an early end to the school year for some 400,000 students.

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The rapper had promised via Twitter to present a plan for CPS. But at an afternoon news conference, Chance said it wasn't his job to propose policy and instead promoted a fundraising campaign while urging Rauner to act.

"Gov. Rauner can use his executive power to give Chicago's children the resources they need to fulfill their God-given right to learn," the artist said.

The $1 million donation, which Chance presented in a novelty-sized check, will come from ticket sales from an upcoming tour and will go to CPS' fundraising arm. The musician also announced a series of $10,000 donations to 10 individual city schools.

Getting CPS the $215 million it had banked on to help balance this year's budget will be more complicated. The two proposals pitched by Rauner's office Monday require action from lawmakers, but the governor has spent nearly two years deadlocked with Democrats who control the General Assembly.

One option includes passing legislation that would allow Mayor Rahm Emanuel to tap into the city's tax increment financing funds. The other once again ties the money to a larger overhaul of the state's pension retirement program.

Both proposals were rejected by city and CPS officials.

Rauner's office did not respond to specific criticisms from the hip-hop star, instead noting the governor and wife Diana have long supported CPS with donations of $7 million through either personal contributions or the Rauner Family Foundation in the last few decades. But it's not possible to dig CPS out of its financial hole through that kind of philanthropy, Rauner's office said.

"While the Rauners are passionate donors to our schools, individual contributions will never be enough to address the financial challenges facing CPS," said Rauner spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis. "It would be helpful if CPS officials came to Springfield and joined in serious, good-faith discussions about the long-term stability of all of our schools."

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CPS officials have quietly welcomed Chance's recent use of his celebrity and a savvy social media strategy to highlight the district's financial plight. Born Chancelor Bennett, the musician has a history of criticizing government and speaking out against politicians including Emanuel. Chance's father has worked for Emanuel at City Hall.

The artist's comments on Monday at times resembled talking points used by Emanuel and school officials in their long-running battle with Rauner. The governor in December vetoed legislation that would've sent the district $215 million to ease its enormous pension burden.

"Gov. Rauner broke his promise to Chicago's children a few months ago as a result of an admitted emotional reaction, when he vetoed the $215 million in funding that Chicago schools were counting on to close out the school year," Chance said. "Our kids should not be held hostage because of political positioning."

Chance and Rauner met in Chicago on Friday to discuss CPS funding, a session the musician on Monday described as "unsuccessful."

The options presented by Rauner on Monday were both a response to public pressure from Chance and an opportunity to place the onus on CPS' financial ills elsewhere.

The TIF district idea mimics proposals promoted by the Chicago Teachers Union and makes coming up with the money the problem of state lawmakers, Emanuel and potentially aldermen. The pension idea, if executed, would get Rauner a long-sought item from his legislative and economic wish list while requiring Democrats who control the General Assembly to go against union allies who oppose the changes to the retirement system.

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Michael Mahoney, Rauner's deputy chief of staff for policy and legislative affairs, wrote in a memo that "given the extraordinary mismanagement of both the city and CPS budgets, legislation could be enacted to authorize a one-time mayoral transfer of $215 million from Chicago TIF funds to CPS."

Mahoney said the city should revise its policy and allow TIF districts to collect dollars for education funding, saying the idea "represents a compromise that both attracts business investment and supports public schools."

Alternatively, the administration wants to tie broader statewide pension changes to the $215 million pension pick-up for CPS.

The school district, which has sued the state over its education funding system, quickly rejected the governor's plan.

"Yet again, Gov. Rauner is perpetuating a racially discriminatory state funding system and his so-called plan actually demands that Chicago students do more to get the same funding that every other student in the state of Illinois is entitled to receive  a gross disparity that has no place in 2017," CPS spokeswoman Emily Bittner said in a statement.

Mayoral spokesman Adam Collins characterized Rauner's latest proposals as "no solution at all."

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"His plan to fix the fact that Chicago taxpayers pay twice for teacher pensions is to have them pay three times instead," Collins said in a statement. "It's past time for the governor to step up, as Chicago's taxpayers already have, and end the state's separate and unequal funding for Chicago students."

Emanuel was in New York on Monday making an announcement about participants in this year's Chicago Architecture Biennial.

Monday's pension plan from the governor is one he first pushed last year, but ultimately vetoed after Democratic Senate President John Cullerton publicly suggested there had never been a deal linking the $215 million in CPS aid to pension reform.

Rauner later acknowledged he was "a little emotional" when he vetoed the legislation not long after Cullerton made his comments. CPS moved to cut costs after the veto, furloughing employees and freezing school budgets.

Last week, the district announced it may make cuts to summer school and shorten the school year by about three weeks  for a savings of about $96 million  if the state or the courts don't intervene.

While Senate lawmakers are already weighing the pension changes, they are tied to a larger effort to pass sweeping legislation to end the state's unprecedented budget impasse. Those efforts hit a roadblock last week amid lagging support from Republicans, which Cullerton blamed on interference from Rauner.

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Rauner's office now says the pension changes should be considered separately from the broader budget deal, a move that could be seen as him acknowledging those efforts won't go anywhere.

Schools waiting for an outcome include Westcott, the site of the musician's news conference and a highly rated campus in the West Chatham neighborhood that educates students who are almost exclusively black and poor. In addition to the $1 million donation, Chance presented a $10,000 check to Westcott.

"This isn't about politics, this isn't about posturing. This is about taking care of the kids. Everybody and their momma knows about what's going on in Chicago, it's constantly talked about. But we're about to enhance the conversation," the rapper said.

Westcott, with roughly 400 students, was set to lose $96,840 in funding this year, part of a $46 million budget freeze that hit hundreds of buildings but landed hard on schools with mostly poor and minority students.

CPS reversed course last month and refunded some $15 million of the frozen funds. Westcott now stands to lose about $75,000, according to the district.

Westcott's principal, Monique Dockery, said that cut means the school will have to drop a variety of after-school programs, math and reading tutoring as well as professional development.

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"I don't have a lot of nickel and dime kind of people working," Dockery told reporters. "They love the children. That's first and foremost within Westcott, you have to love the children here in order to do the work that we do."

Chicago Tribune's John Byrne contributed.

jjperez@chicagotribune.com

mcgarcia@chicagotribune.com
Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam on Monday said the suburbanites he represents long for "civility" in politics, and he blamed President Donald Trump, the recent presidential campaign and social media for the lack of polite and rational discourse.

During appearances before the City Club of Chicago and later the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, the six-term congressman also warned that without the president's engagement toward changing the tax code, efforts to enact tax reform will come to a halt.

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Roskam also said the Trump administration's latest travel ban executive order  including the addition of a time period for implementation  is an example of how the new president needs to work with his Cabinet and Congress.

"The 'ready, fire, aim element' of the first travel ban has been recognized that it didn't work and this is an example of the baptism by fire of the Trump administration," the congressman said.

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A faux memorial service for Rep. Peter Roskams career was held at Maggianos Banquets during a City Club of Chicago luncheon. Voters are upset about Roskam's alleged recent absence. March 6, 2017. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune) (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Roskam said he's never met Trump and has only been in a room with him "so I don't have any particular insight." Yet the Wheaton congressman, whose district includes portions the west and northwest suburbs, described a tale of two presidents  one who delivered a measured speech to a joint session of Congress last Tuesday and one who sent out a tweet storm Saturday alleging without proof that his campaign telephones were tapped by the outgoing Obama administration.

"My instinct is that the type of feedback Donald Trump got for Tuesday night is going to eclipse the feedback that he got over the weekend. It's a hope. It's speculative. If that's true, then I think his presidency becomes easier and, if it's not, then it becomes rockier," said Roskam after the editorial board meeting.

During a nearly 50-minute speech at the City Club, Roskam said, "I think I represent a constituency that is longing for civility in public life. I mean, longing for it," he said. "They don't want to hear judgments. They want to hear solutions and that's how I've tried to present myself."

Later, Roskam said he viewed lack of civility in politics an outgrowth of "one of the toughest (presidential) campaigns that we've seen in a long time," one that left Trump with low approval ratings entering office and likely would have done the same to Democrat Hillary Clinton if she had won. Roskam also said part of the reason "it seems particularly ungracious right now" is due to social media.

Still, Roskam said, Trump has made a series of "missteps and foibles" and is "the commander in chief and he's the leader and he's got the capacity to set a different tone."

Roskam also alluded to Trump's use of Twitter as giving him a better appreciation for the "unexpressed thought."

Speaking on a wide range of subjects during both appearances, Roskam said there was a "national inflection point" on enacting comprehensive tax reform, including simplifying the tax code and working to help encourage business growth.

Roskam, the tax policy chairman on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, called the current tax code an "island disappearing" beneath the public and said taxpayers should "jump (on tax reform) while there's an opportunity to jump."

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Later, Roskam said Trump's engagement on tax changes was essential, including a controversial provision backed by some House Republicans to enact a border tax adjustment to help encourage domestic manufacturing over imports.

"But if the president chooses not to engage, I think that's where it stops. If the president engages, then I think the dynamic shifts and, if he works the Senate significantly, then that could be one of his signature accomplishments," Roskam said.

Roskam also said that in repealing Obamacare, there should be a "type of transition that makes sense" to the program Republicans are proposing, particularly in states like Illinois that have increased health care coverage through federally paid for expansion of Medicaid.

Protesters gather outside Maggiano's Banquets on March 6, 2017, where Rep. Peter Roskam was the guest speaker for the City Club of Chicago. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)

"I think we need a lot more discussion" on the Affordable Care Act, instead of just jamming through a GOP-backed plan, the congressman said. But he also said merely tinkering with Obamacare would be "insincere" since it was a promise Republicans made to voters.

Across the street from the City Club, about 50 protesters waved signs and shouted chants, including, "Where's Peter? What do we want? A town hall. When do we want it? Now."

Roskam told the nearly 300 people who attended his speech that the idea that he has a lack of accountability to his constituents was a "false narrative," and said as an alternative to a public meeting he recently held a telephone town hall that involved 18,000 people. Critics have contended telephone town halls are more controlled than a public meeting.

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"The House of Representatives is actually the entity in the United States Congress that is the flattest and easiest to get to," he said, likening event town halls to "participating in big circuses and other things."

"I didn't run for office to be a ringleader of that kind of circus. I'm interested in trying to get solutions," he later told the editorial board, adding he was holding another telephone town hall on Tuesday.

rap30@aol.com

Twitter @rap30
WASHINGTON  North Korea's latest volley of missile tests put new pressure on a preoccupied Trump administration Monday to identify how it will counter leader Kim Jong Un's weapons development.



North Korea's march toward having a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the U.S. mainland is among the pressing national security priorities President Donald Trump faces. He has vowed it "won't happen" but has yet to articulate a strategy to stop it.



Trump spoke Monday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean Acting President Hwang Kyo-Ahn. The White House said the three leaders agreed "to continue close bilateral and trilateral cooperation to demonstrate to North Korea that there are very dire consequences for its provocative and threatening actions."



A wide array of options are on the table, but aggressive behavior by Pyongyang in response to U.S.-South Korean military drills that began last week could further shrink chances for diplomatic engagement.



Upheaval in the administration has added to uncertainty in foreign capitals about how Trump's "America First" mantra will translate into foreign policy, and how a new president with no prior experience in government might handle a security crisis.



An administration official told The Associated Press Monday that tougher sanctions, military action and resumption of long-stalled negotiations with North Korea are all under consideration as part of a policy review to provide options for the president within weeks.



The official, who demanded anonymity to discuss the private deliberations, did not anticipate an immediate U.S. response to the North's test-firing of four banned ballistic missiles Monday that South Korean and Japanese officials said flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). Three of the missiles landed in waters that Japan, a close U.S. ally, claims as its exclusive economic zone.



North Korea typically reacts during the annual military drills that it considers an invasion rehearsal, although Washington and Seoul say they are routine.



This year's response could be more heated than usual. Victor Cha, a former White House adviser on Asia, said North Korea tends to up the tempo of missile tests during the drills when relations with the U.S. are bad. And next week, the drills shift from table-top exercises to military maneuvers.



"I think there are more tests coming," Cha said.

The U.S. and Japan have requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the latest missile launches. The meeting is likely to take place Wednesday, a U.N. diplomat said, demanding anonymity to speak before the official announcement.



North Korea, meanwhile, urged the council to discuss the U.S.-South Korea exercises, asserting the drills are driving the region toward "nuclear disaster."



Ri Song Chol, counsellor at North Korea's U.N. mission, told AP that supreme leader Kim Jong Un has said as long as there are "military exercises in front of the gate of my country," the North will continue to strengthen its military forces and "pre-emptive attack capabilities."



Over the seven weeks of last year's exercises, North Korea conducted nine missile tests, including of submarine-based and intermediate range missiles, but never more than two missiles at once. Five of the tests failed.



Cha said that Trump's hand could be forced by North Korea's provocative actions. The Obama administration relied heavily on sanctions, but the moves failed to stop Pyongyang.



"Right now they don't have any choice. I mean they've already had two sets of missile tests and then the use of a chemical weapon in an airport," Cha said.



North Korea is the prime suspect in the assassination last month of Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother in Malaysia, using what authorities say was VX nerve agent.



David Wright at the Union of Concern Scientists said the missiles launched Monday were likely either extended-range Scuds or medium-range Nodong ballistic missiles that have been tested numerous times before  not an intercontinental missile that threatens America.

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"But the tests naturally will increase political pressure on Trump to take a tough stand," said Mark Fitzpatrick at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank. "He has a political imperative to show attention to the North Korean security threat, so as to counter the impression of a White House in disarray."

Trump's new national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, spoke by phone Monday with his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin, and they agreed to boost cooperation to get the North to face more effective sanctions and pressure, according to South Korea's presidential office.



"The United States stands with our allies in the face of this very serious threat," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in Washington.



He said the Trump administration is taking steps to enhance its ability to defend against North Korea's ballistic missiles, such as through the deployment of a missile defense system. Seoul agreed with the Obama administration to place that system on its soil against the objections of China, which is concerned the system's radar will range inside its territory.



The New York Times reported over the weekend that the Obama administration also tried to conduct cyber and electronic strikes against North Korea's missile program.

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Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, who chairs a Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Asia, told AP he has called for the administration to provide a closed briefing to senators. He said he wants clarity on what has been done and under what authorities, and what the U.S. posture toward North Korea will be in the months ahead.



He also stressed a need to clamp down on Kim's sources of foreign revenue and for China to follow through on its promise to suspend imports of North Korean coal.

Associated Press writers Catherine Lucey in Washington and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), left, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) are promising swift legislative action over the next month to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. (Associated Press)

Reporting from Washington  House Republicans, despite stiff political headwinds, are readying an ambitious push this week to begin moving legislation to replace major parts of the Affordable Care Act, a crucial test of their ability to fulfill one of their party's main campaign promises.

The plan marks the first time GOP lawmakers will do this since Obamacare was enacted seven years ago and will provide an early indication of whether President Trump can rally his party's members of Congress, many of whom are anxious about how to repeal and replace the healthcare law.

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The legislation could affect health insurance for tens of millions of Americans  not only those with Obamacare coverage, but also people with employer-provided insurance and Medicaid.

The House legislation  which was being finalized over the weekend, according to GOP officials  aims to fundamentally restructure the system that Obamacare created, which has extended health coverage to more than 20 million previously uninsured Americans.

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GOP plans call for scrapping insurance marketplaces that require insurers to offer a basic set of benefits and that provide government subsidies to help low- and moderate-income Americans who don't get health benefits at work to buy health plans.

Republican legislation would lift many requirements for benefits that plans must cover. And it would create a new system of subsidies that are linked to consumers' age, rather than their income, according to leaked drafts. That would make insurance harder to buy for millions of Americans, especially low-income working people, outside analyses suggest.

GOP leaders would eliminate taxes that have helped offset the cost of Obamacare's coverage expansion, including taxes on medical device makers and insurance companies and on households making more than $250,000 a year.

Instead, Republicans are proposing to tax the health insurance that employers provide their workers. Employer-provided benefits are currently tax-free. The change could cause the price of insurance that many Americans get on the job to go up.

The House plan would phase out hundreds of billions of dollars in federal aid that has allowed many states to expand their Medicaid programs to millions more poor Americans.

House Republicans also want to give states more flexibility to reshape their Medicaid programs, allowing states to potentially limit benefits or require poor patients to pay more for their medical care.

The GOP plan would eliminate Obamacare's unpopular insurance mandate, which requires Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty.

In its place, House Republicans have proposed to allow insurers to charge higher premiums to Americans who let their insurance lapse.

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Most of these proposals are deeply controversial, even within Republican ranks. That is a big reason why Republicans have not previously moved forward with a plan to replace Obamacare.

"There is not a consensus at this point," Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Sunday on CBS News' "Face the Nation."

White House officials and senior GOP lawmakers nevertheless are sounding upbeat.

"We're putting the finishing touches on our plan," Vice President Mike Pence said in Wisconsin on Friday on a trip with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to visit House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) in his district.

And House Ways and Means Committee chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas), whose committee could hold a hearing on proposed legislation as soon as this week, said he's confident the president is behind the House plan. "There was no mistaking he is exactly on the same page as House Republicans," Brady said.

Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have suggested Congress could send President Trump legislation as soon as this month, even though Republican leaders as of Sunday had still not released the text of their healthcare legislation.

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[ Obamacare 101: A periodic primer on the Affordable Care Act  ]

While the Republican-led Congress did pass a bill to repeal large parts of Obamacare, which President Obama vetoed last year, this marks the first time the party will offer a replacement bill and subject it to the scrutiny of congressional hearings and the legislative process.

But the GOP faces mounting opposition from major advocacy groups representing patients, doctors, hospitals and now even businesses, a traditional Republican ally.

At the same time, internal GOP divisions threaten to derail the legislative campaign before it even gets off the ground.

Leading conservatives in the House and Senate have said they will oppose any legislation that does not fully repeal Obamacare, while many Republican senators and governors representing states with major coverage gains have voiced serious reservations about rolling back too much of the existing law.

Conservatives have criticized the House GOP plan as "Obamacare-lite," accusing party leaders of replacing one tax-funded government entitlement with another.

"They're going to have a new tax, a new government subsidy program and a new [insurance] mandate," charged Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has rallied against the plan with the conservative House Freedom Caucus and influential outside groups such as Heritage Action and the Club for Growth.

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"Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell need to stand up to those in the Republican Party who are fighting to retain and repair Obamacare, rather than repeal and replace it," said David McIntosh, president of the free market advocacy group Club for Growth, which is known for backing primary election challenges to wayward Republicans.

Together, the conservatives have the votes to potentially tank the House GOP plan because to pass any healthcare legislation, Republican leaders cannot afford to lose more than 18 votes in the House.

"Their margins, especially in the Senate, but also in the House, are thin," warned National Retail Federation vice president Neil Trautwein, a former aid to McConnell.

"They have a better chance of getting this out of the House, but it's not automatic, even though they are taking draconian steps to get their caucus in line.  And what they are doing with this secrecy and locked rooms isn't helping."

House Republican leaders came under fire last week for only allowing committee members to view drafts of proposed healthcare legislation in a first-floor room of the Capitol that was off limits to Democrats and even Senate Republicans.

Many advocacy organizations are urging House Republicans to slow down and allow more time for independent assessments of the legislation.

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To date, the independent Congressional Budget Office, which lawmakers rely on to calculate the effect of proposed bills, has not released an estimate of how much Republicans' plans would cost and how many people could lose health coverage.

"Making substantial changes to our healthcare system by changing current law would impact tens of millions of our patients," Dr. Nitin S. Damle, president of the American College of Physicians, said in a letter to House committee leaders last week.

"Congress therefore must avoid any unintended adverse consequences," the letter said, calling for "an open and transparent legislative process."

Under the current GOP plan, the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees are expected to hold hearings on different pieces of the legislation as soon as this week.

That could allow the full House to vote on an Obamacare repeal bill by as early as the end of the month and send it to the Senate, where a much longer debate is expected.

John Desser, a former health official in the George W. Bush administration and former aide to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), predicted Ryan would rally his caucus and get the 218 votes he'll need.

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"The speaker has lived and breathed health policy for over two decades, and may just be perfectly positioned  to bring together his conference and explain the opportunity they have to get this right to reluctant or recalcitrant members," he said.

But Desser, now a vice president for eHealth, an online insurance marketplace, cautioned that other challenges await.

"Getting it through the Senate after that may require the gravity-defying leadership of Mr. Trump and his team," he said.

noam.levey@latimes.com

@noamlevey

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WASHINGTON  Donald Trump's presidency has veered onto a road with no centerlines or guardrails.

The president's accusation Saturday that his predecessor, Barack Obama, had tapped his phone "during the very sacred election process" escalated on Sunday into the White House's call for a congressional investigation of that evidence-free claim.

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The audacious tactic was a familiar one for Trump, who has little regard for norms and conventions. When he wants to change a subject, he often does it by touching a match to the dry tinder of a sketchy conspiracy theory.

But the stakes have gotten higher, and the consequences more real and serious, as questions mount over Moscow's reported attempts to interfere with last year's presidential election.

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Trump's response also has deepened doubts about his own judgment, not just in the face of the first crisis to confront his young presidency but in dealing with the challenges that lie ahead for the chief executive of the world's most powerful nation.

His tweets may have been an effort to distract from revelations that his aides and associates had contact with Russian officials during the election and transition, as well as to deflect criticism onto Obama.

But instead, the president has invited more scrutiny to the larger controversy over Russian interference. The issue shows no signs of fading.

So explosive was Trump's unsubstantiated wiretap accusation that FBI Director James Comey asked the Justice Department to take the extraordinary step of issuing a statement rebutting it, a U.S. official said, confirming a report Sunday in the New York Times.

The process of obtaining permission to conduct a wiretap on an American in a foreign intelligence investigation is an arduous one. If it turns out that a government agency put one on Trump or individuals around him, an obvious question would be what evidence was used to justify the action.

Trump's tweetstorm early Saturday made his disciplined, well-received speech to Congress four days before seem less a turning point than an aberration.

"Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!" Trump fired out, in the first of four tweets on the subject.

The charge was reminiscent of the early days of his political ascendancy, when he built a political base by pandering to the fringes with false stories about Obama's birthplace. After he was elected with less than a popular majority, Trump made the groundless claim that millions of people had voted illegally.

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But the voice of a U.S. commander in chief carries far greater weight than that of just about anyone else on the planet. Trump's detractors say the way he uses that platform has worrisome implications that go far beyond the sensation he creates on social media and his ability to dominate the news.

"We have as president a man who is erratic, vindictive, volatile, obsessive, a chronic liar, and prone to believe in conspiracy theories," said conservative commentator Peter Wehner, who was the top policy strategist in George W. Bush's White House. "And you can count on the fact that there will be more to come, since when people like Donald Trump gain power they become less, not more, restrained."

Nor does Trump appear to have a governing apparatus around him that can temper and channel his impulses.

"When the president goes off and does what he did within the last few days, of just going ahead and tweeting without checking on things, there's something wrong. There's something wrong in terms of the discipline within the White House and how you operate," Leon Panetta, a White House chief of staff for Bill Clinton and CIA director during the Obama administration, said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Trump and his allies, however, say that the criticism is misdirected.

In their view, the concern over Russian interference in the election has been overblown by Democrats looking for an excuse for Hillary Clinton's defeat last November.

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They also say that more focus should be concentrated on the people within the government who are leaking sensitive information to the news media.

Within a government bureaucracy that tilts Democratic, "there is an active 'deep state' opposition to a populist disruptive reformer. Many believe it is their duty to break the law and lie," said former House speaker Newt Gingrich. "For Trump to succeed, there will have to be profound overhaul of the bureaucracy. To be normal in this environment is to fail."

Still, Republicans on Capitol Hill have been unsettled by Trump's latest claims, which come amid investigations by the House and Senate intelligence committees and calls by some for more drastic measures, including a select committee, independent commission or special prosecutor.

"It would be more helpful if he turned over to the Intelligence Committee any evidence that he has," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a member of that panel, said on "Face the Nation." "It would probably be helpful if he gave more information, but it also might be helpful if he just didn't comment further and allowed us to do our work."

Some note that Trump now sits in the Oval Office in large part because voters did not want another conventional politician in the job.

"A lot of this outrage that's out there is because Donald Trump is doing what Donald Trump said he was going to do if he was elected," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who ran against Trump for the GOP presidential nomination, said on "Meet the Press."

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Yet Trump's accusations may well inflame - rather than calm - another sentiment that abounds in the country.

"This is exceedingly problematic. We were already in a huge deficit as to what the country trusted out of Washington and our leaders," said Matthew Dowd, who has been a strategist for both Democratic and Republican politicians.

"This only adds to it," Dowd said. "We're in a surreal world."
White House Press secretary Sean Spicer listens to questions while speaking to members of the media outside the West Wing of the White House, Monday, March 6, 2017. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP)

WASHINGTON  The White House on Monday attempted to defend President Donald Trump's unfounded claim that former president Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower near the end of the presidential campaign, sending out several administration officials - both on and off camera - to reiterate the assertion without providing supporting evidence.

In tweets over the weekend, Trump claimed he had "just learned" that Obama wiretapped his midtown Manhattan skyscraper, where he lives and which housed his presidential campaign - accusing the former president of a potentially illegal act and writing that Obama was a "bad (or sick) guy."

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Trump has since provided no proof to back up his assertion, which has been refuted by Obama, FBI Director James Comey and former director of national intelligence James Clapper Jr. On Monday, senior administration officials contorted themselves trying to defend the president's claims, which seemed to emanate largely in response to a rant on conservative talk radio and in an article on Breitbart News, the conservative website that Stephen Bannon, Trump's chief strategist, used to lead.

Speaking to reporters from the White House briefing room without cameras present, White House press secretary Sean Spicer referred reporters to his weekend statement calling on the House and Senate intelligence committees to investigate the wiretapping charges as part of their broader probe of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. He refused to add clarity or context to Trump's Twitter missives, saying neither the president nor the White House would comment further until the congressional investigations are completed.

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"I'm just going to let the tweet speak for itself," Spicer said. "I think the president speaks very candidly."

Spicer, citing news reports, said there was sufficient evidence to warrant further investigation at the congressional level.

"I think that there's no question that something happened. The question is, is it surveillance, is it a wiretap or whatever?" Spicer said. "But there's been enough reporting that strongly suggests that something occurred."

Asked whether he could unequivocally say that Trump's tweet was based on more than a talk radio report and the Breitbart article, Spicer declined, again referring to his calls for the intelligence panels to take the lead.

Asked about the specific sourcing behind the president's tweets, Spicer said there were several options: "It could be FISA, it could be surveillance," he said, referring to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, under which a secret court can issue warrants for electronic surveillance on potential spies or terrorists. If there was a FISA wiretap of Trump during the campaign, it would mean that the court had found there was probable cause to believe he was acting as an "agent of a foreign power," as the law requires.

In perhaps the clearest sign of the uncomfortable situation the president's tweets created for his aides, the normally media-hungry White House went largely dark Monday. Although several top officials did defend Trump in TV interviews, Spicer did not allow cameras into the briefing room for his news conference Monday, and Trump signed an executive order for his revamped travel ban in private.

Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Clapper did provide the White House with a bit of cover, saying there was "no evidence" of collusion between Trump and Russia during the campaign. But he also undercut the president's assertion that Obama had wiretapped him, saying, "There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time as a candidate or against his campaign."

Spicer urged reporters to note Clapper's comments about an apparent lack of collusion, but gave less weight to his remarks refuting Trump's claims of wiretapping. Asked about the difference, Spicer said, "He said that he wasn't aware of anything. I take him at his word that he wasn't aware, but that doesn't mean that it didn't exist."

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This reverse-engineering of evidence has happened before, as when the president declared erroneously that his inauguration crowd was the largest in history and when he claimed without evidence that at least 3 million undocumented immigrants illegally voted for Hillary Clinton in the general election.

The public face of this latest effort has mostly been deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was dispatched to a Sunday news show - even though Spicer and chief of staff Reince Priebus usually take that task - and to two Monday morning talk shows.

Sanders admitted that she had not discussed the matter with the president, and she lacked answers to questions. When asked Monday by ABC News' George Stephanopoulos whether the president accepted that Comey had refuted his tweets, Sanders responded: "You know, I don't think he does."

Like Spicer, Sanders claimed Trump's accusations are supported by news media reports, even though a list of such articles provided by the White House contained no such evidence. She also attempted to recast the president's words with a softer tone.

"Look, the president firmly believes that the Obama administration may have tapped into the phones at Trump Tower," Sanders said on NBC's "Today Show" on Monday. "This is something that we should look into. We'd like to know for sure."

Sanders repeatedly urged that the press and others give the president the same benefit of the doubt that they seemed to be giving to those accusing the Trump campaign of coordinating with the Russian government.

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"Look," Sanders said on the "Today Show," "I haven't had the chance to have the conversation directly with the president, and he's at a much higher classification than I am, so he may have access to documents that I don't know about, but I do know that we take this very seriously."

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway followed a similar script Monday on Fox News' "Fox and Friends," saying there have been numerous media reports that there was "politically motivated activity all during the campaign and suggesting that there may be more there."

"He's the president of the United States," Conway said. "He has information and intelligence that the rest of us do not. And that's the way it should be for presidents."

At times, it seemed that even West Wing officials had not coordinated their responses with one another. Asked about Conway's comment Monday, Spicer said he hadn't talked with her about what she meant.

"I can't specifically respond to you in terms of what she was referring to, whether she was referring to the exact nature of this charge or whether generally speaking he is given information," Spicer said.

Ultimately, the White House all but stated that the best person to explain or defend the president's claims was the president himself. Asked by a reporter how it was appropriate for Trump to make an explosive statement and then send out his aides to "clean it up," Spicer again referred back to Trump's social media feed.

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"The president's tweets," he said, "speak for themselves."
Mary McKeown retired as executive vice president and education director of the American School of Correspondence. (Family photo)

Mary McKeown was about to graduate from the University of Chicago in the 1940s when she learned that job applications were being accepted at the nearby American School of Correspondence.

She applied for a teaching position and was hired at the school, now located in south suburban Lansing and one of the oldest and largest "distance education" institutions in the world. She remained at the school until 2002, when she retired as executive vice president and education director.

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At a ceremony in January, the school renamed its library to honor McKeown, and she was given a duplicate of the plaque that now hangs in the library that bears her name.

"In one capacity or another, she was affiliated with our institution for 75 years," said Jeff Cox, a former instructor who now is the school's public relations coordinator. "It's quite possible that no other employee has helped, or will ever help, as many students as Mary did.

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"Her positive influence will be felt for years to come."

McKeown, 95, died of congestive heart failure Feb. 16, in her Oak Lawn home.

"The American School and its extended community was a second family for my aunt," said her niece Janet Carroll. "She was completely dedicated to its purpose and to the success of its students."

The school was started in Boston in 1897 by a group of graduates and faculty members from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. It relocated to Chicago in 1912 before moving to Lansing in 1996.

During her tenure, McKeown also served as an instructor, study guide author and principal. After retiring, she was a member of the school's board of trustees for many years.

"She was smart, and witty and engaging, and she exuded a presence everywhere she went," Carroll said. "When she met my friends, afterward they'd always ask, 'What does your aunt do and where does she work?'"

Born Mary McNamara in Chicago, McKeown grew up in Hyde Park, the oldest of five children.

"She was always a good student and considered the bookworm of her family," Carroll said.

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After graduating with a bachelor's degree in education from U. of C., McKeown went on to earn a master's degree in both math and psychology from DePaul University

In 1955, she married James McKeown, a sociology professor at U. of C. He died in 1981.

She is survived by two brothers, Raymond and John McNamara.

Services were held.

Giangrasse Kates is a freelance reporter.
WASHINGTON  Here is what Attorney General Jeff Sessions should have said when he stepped up to the podium and addressed reporters last week at the Justice Department: "At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"

Sessions is the victim of the type of McCarthyite character assassination that the left used to condemn. Remember when accusing people without evidence of coordinating with the Kremlin was frowned upon? No longer, apparently.

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In fact, what Sessions faced may be worse than McCarthyism. At least McCarthy was right when he claimed that there were Russian spies in the State Department (see Hiss, Alger, among others). On "Meet the Press" this weekend, former Obama director of national intelligence James Clapper declared that the U.S. intelligence community he headed until a few weeks ago had found "no evidence" of any collusion between members of the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence. No evidence.

The suggestion that Sessions was colluding with the Russians and tried to cover it up is preposterous. Sessions was asked during his confirmation hearings by Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., about allegations contained in an unsubstantiated dossier that "there was a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trump surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian government." Sessions replied, "Senator Franken, I'm not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians, and I'm unable to comment on it."

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He was clearly referring to the allegations Franken had just cited of "a continuing exchange of information" between the Russians and Team Trump. His answer was truthful. He was later asked in a written question from Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.: "Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day?" Sessions answered "No"  which, again, was truthful.

In hindsight, he could have clarified that he had met Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in his Senate office in his official capacity as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. But why would he? A host of Democratic lawmakers  including then-Sen. Mary Landrieu, La., and Sens. Maria Cantwell, Wash., Bob Casey, Pa., Amy Klobuchar, Minn., Jack Reed, R.I., Sheldon Whitehouse, R.I., and Claire McCaskill, Mo.  have also met with Kislyak. That's not surprising. It's their job. Sessions was not asked about official meetings.

Then the Wall Street Journal breathlessly reported that Sessions had in fact met with the Russian ambassador at the GOP convention. "The Trump administration says Attorney General Jeff Sessions was acting as a then-U.S. senator when he talked to Russia's ambassador at an event during last year's Republican National Convention in Cleveland," the Journal reported, "but Mr. Sessions paid for convention travel expenses out of his own political funds and he spoke about Donald Trump's campaign at the event, according to a person at the event and campaign-finance records."

This could be the biggest non-story of a year. To clarify: Then-Sen. Sessions traveled to a political event  the Republican National Convention  using campaign money, not taxpayer money, as the law requires. The Russian ambassador was there as one of about 80 ambassadors participating in an official diplomatic program, coordinated with the Obama State Department. He and Sessions met at a public event where Sessions spoke.

How, exactly, is this a scandal? Answer: It's not.

But that has not stopped leading Democrats from calling for Sessions' resignation or leading news organizations to report on the "a parade of new revelations linking the Trump campaign to Russia." Please. And is it really just pure coincidence that the Sessions story broke just after Trump delivered a widely acclaimed address to Congress? The stench of politics runs high.

Sessions has recused himself from any official investigation of the Trump campaign, as he should. As a former Trump campaign official, he rightly concluded he should not be involved in any investigation of the Trump campaign to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. The Senate Intelligence Committee has launched an investigation into whether there was any collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence, as it should. Americans deserve a careful and dispassionate inquiry so that we can get all the facts. And if any actual evidence emerges of some sort of wrongdoing, those facts should be exposed and those responsible held to account.

But if not, then it is entirely possible that Donald Trump's embrace of Vladimir Putin during the 2016 campaign is nothing more than an example of bad policy judgment (much like his embrace of Syria's murderous president, Bashar Assad). Embracing dictators is wrongheaded, but it is not a crime.

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As for the witch hunts, some in the media need to take a long, hard look in the mirror. If they do, they may see old "Tailgunner Joe" staring back at them.

Washington Post

Marc A. Thiessen is a fellow with the American Enterprise Institute and former chief speechwriter to President George W. Bush.

Related articles:

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Mike Pence is a huge hypocrite on emails

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Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, the world's most forgettable man

Trump's Russian connections: What if it were Obama?
Rasmieh Yousef Odeh leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago in 2013. Odeh was arrested on charges she concealed her criminal background while seeking U.S. citizenship. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

If there were any doubts about the true face of Jewish Voice for Peace, the organization that has been named by the Anti-Defamation League as one of the top 10 anti-Israel groups in the nation, this settles it.

JVP will give a platform to Rasmieh Yousef Odeh, convicted in Israel for her involvement in two 1969 bombing plots that killed two people, at its national conference March 31-April 2 in Chicago. Extremist groups like JVP have transformed Odeh, who also was found guilty of omitting information about her criminal background on her U.S. citizenship application, into a martyr. In the process, the real victims have been forgotten.

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In 1969, Odeh was involved in the bombing of a supermarket in Israel that killed two college students, Edward Joffe and Leon Kanner, and wounded nine other shoppers. She confessed in a detailed account. Odeh also admitted her involvement in a bombing at the British Consulate in Tel Aviv, which took place four days after the supermarket attack.

Odeh was found guilty in both cases as well as for her involvement with a designated terrorist organization, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Although she was sentenced to life in prison, she was freed after 10 years in a large-scale prisoner swap for an Israeli soldier captured in Lebanon.

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That trial was not her final brush with the law. In 2014, a federal jury in Detroit returned a guilty verdict against Odeh for illegally procuring naturalization by falsely answering questions on whether she had ever been convicted or imprisoned.

Odeh's transformation to victim began when her lawyers argued in that case that post-traumatic stress disorder could have prevented Odeh from recalling the traumatic torture and imprisonment she endured in 1969. They claimed she had confessed after weeks of rape and duress in an Israeli prison, and that her lies on her immigration application resulted from PTSD. The Detroit jury deliberated for only two hours before issuing a guilty verdict on fraud. She appealed and is currently awaiting a new trial, scheduled for May.

Aided and abetted by anti-Israel voices, Odeh became the cause celebre as a victim of "Zionist oppression." She became, in the words of one supporter, "a Palestinian woman who embodies the Palestinian history of dispossession, struggle and resilience."

While anti-Israel groups honor and feature Odeh, the real victims are forgotten. Hebrew University students Kanner, who was 21, and Joffe, 22, had been shopping for canned food for a botanical field trip when they were killed in the 1969 bombing. They were not the only victims. Their parents were deprived of attending their sons' college graduations, dancing at their weddings or holding grandchildren and great-grandchildren in their arms.

To understand why a group that calls itself "Jewish" and a "Voice for Peace" would celebrate someone involved in killing Jews, one must know more about the organization. JVP works to steer public support away from Israel and to convince the American public that opposition to the Jewish state is not anti-Semitic. It promotes the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign, which has become the American anti-Zionist movement's top tactic in recent years.

The group exploits its "Jewish" title to mislead its own supporters that opposition to Israel not only doesn't contradict, but is actually consistent with, Jewish values. While it co-sponsors anti-Israel rallies, JVP cloaks its Israel animus behind its "Jewish" identity to shield anti-Israel elements from allegations of anti-Semitism.

Odeh's story is one of torture, but not in the way JVP promotes it. It is a case of tortured logic and language. A group that provides a platform for the most extreme and virulent voices against Israel, that lends legitimacy to terror, that justifies past crimes and incites new ones, demonstrates beyond all doubt that it is neither Jewish nor peaceful.

Peggy Shapiro is a Deerfield resident and retired professor from the Chicago City Colleges.
The role and influence of the vice president, not enshrined in any law, is determined in any administration by three things: his direct relationship with the president, his building of a personal portfolio of issues, and the effectiveness of his team. When it comes to foreign policy, Vice President Mike Pence is quietly succeeding on all three fronts.

Inside an administration that is characterized by several power centers, Pence must navigate complex internal politics while serving a president who has anunconventional view of foreign policy and the United States' role in the world. Pence, a traditional hawk influenced heavily by his Christian faith, is carefully and deliberately assuming a stance that fits within the president's agenda while respecting the prerogatives of other senior White House aides who also want to play large foreign policy roles, according to White House officials, lawmakers and experts.

But Pence's growing influence on foreign policy is increasingly evident. The vice president was deployed to Europe last month to reassure allies that the United States will stay committed to alliances such as NATO, despite President Donald Trump's calls for Europeans to pay more for common defense. During Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent visit, Trump announced that Pence and his Japanese counterpart would lead a new dialogue on U.S.-Japan economic cooperation.

"The vice president seems to be building on his foreign affairs experience, finding a niche in that arena," said House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who served with Pence in Congress. "He brings a level-headed steady hand to the foreign policy of the administration. He's also building up his own team."

Inside the White House, Pence is in the room during most of the president's interactions with world leaders. He receives the presidential daily brief. As head of the transition, he was instrumental in bringing several traditionally hawkish Republicans into the top levels of the administration's national security team, including Director of National Intelligence-designate Dan Coats, CIA Director Mike Pompeo and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Trump and Pence met with Haley last week just before the United States decided to confront Russia and the Syrian regime at the U.N. Security Council about Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's use of chemical weapons. The move seems to run counter to the White House's drive to warm relations with Moscow, but Trump decided, with Pence's support, that it was important and necessary, officials said.

Pence's national security team is also in place and humming. Just days after the inauguration, Pence announced that he had brought on Andrea Thompson as his national security adviser. A former military intelligence officer with extensive combat zone experience, she also worked for the House Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees. Most recently, she worked for the firm run by retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

"I wouldn't say there's an ideological bent to her, she's a professional, an excellent briefer with command of the intelligence world," said McCaul.

Thompson's deputy is Joan O'Hara, former general counsel for McCaul's committee. They lead a team of senior advisers who manage issue areas delineated by region or function, similar in organization to the National Security Council staff but on a smaller scale. Pence's national security team is mostly professionals detailed from other agencies.

Pence is seen by many in Washington as a figure who might stand up for the traditionally hawkish views he espoused while in Congress, a proxy of sorts for the GOP national security establishment. But those close to Pence say his stance is more nuanced. Pence is committed to advocating Trump's foreign policy objectives, not his own, and endeavors to stay above the fray of most internal disputes.

"He definitely brings a different perspective, but he's nuanced and subtle in how he engages," one White House official said. "He's adapted somewhat, at least in terms of not putting his views above those of the president."

Pence preserves his credibility with the president so it can be most effective when deployed. The chief example was when Pence personally spoke to Trump about removing national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had lied to him about conversations with Russian officials during the transition.

"When Flynn was in the NSA role, there was no center of gravity where traditional Republicans could come together on policy," said Bruce Jones, vice president at the Brookings Institution. "In the days since Flynn exited, Pence has occupied more of that space."

It's a tricky balancing act, but if Pence can keep the president's trust, stay above the internal politics and build out his portfolio, he will be able to continue to increase his influence on foreign policy inside the White House and on the world stage.

Washington Post
President Donald Trump has accused his predecessor, President Barack Obama, of an act that could have gotten the past president impeached. That's not your ordinary exercise of free speech. If the accusation were true, and Obama did order a warrantless wiretap of Trump during the campaign, the scandal would be of Watergate-level proportions.

But if the allegation is not true and is unsupported by evidence, that too should be a scandal on a major scale. This is the kind of accusation that, taken as part of a broader course of conduct, could get the current president impeached. We shouldn't care that the allegation was made early on a Saturday morning on Twitter. That's when Trump wrote: "How low has President Obama gone to tapp [sic] my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!"

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The basic premise of the First Amendment is that truth should defeat her opposite number. "Let her and Falsehood grapple," wrote the poet and politician John Milton, "who ever knew Truth put to the worse in a free and open encounter?"

But this rather optimistic adage accounts only for speech and debate between citizens. It doesn't apply to accusations made by the government. Those are something altogether different.

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In a rule-of-law society, government allegations of criminal activity must be followed by proof and prosecution. If not, the government is ruling by innuendo.

Shadowy dictatorships can do that because there is no need for proof. Democracies can't.

Thus, an accusation by a president isn't like an accusation leveled by one private citizen against another. It's about more than factual truth or carelessness.

The government's special responsibility has two bases. One is that you can't sue the government for false and defamatory speech. If I accused Obama of wiretapping my phone, he could sue me for libel. If my statement was knowingly false, I'd have to pay up. On the other hand, if the president makes the same statement, he can't be sued in his official capacity. And a private libel suit mostly likely wouldn't go anywhere against a sitting president  for good reason, because the president shouldn't be encumbered by lawsuits while in office.

The second reason the government has to be careful about making unprovable allegations is that its bully pulpit is greater than any other. True, as an ex-president, Obama can defend himself publicly and has plenty of access to the news media. But even he doesn't have the audience that Trump now has. And essentially any other citizen would have far less capacity to mount a defense than Obama.

For these reasons, it's a mistake to say simply that Trump's accusation against Obama is protected by the First Amendment.

False and defamatory speech isn't protected by the First Amendment.

And an allegation of potentially criminal misconduct made without evidence is itself a form of serious misconduct by the government official who makes it.

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When candidate Trump said Hillary Clinton was a criminal who belonged in prison, he was exposing himself to a libel suit. And the suit might not have succeeded, because Trump could have said he was making a political argument rather than an allegation of fact.

But when President Trump accuses Obama of an act that would have been impeachable and possibly criminal, that's something much more serious than libel. If it isn't true or provable, it's misconduct by the highest official of the executive branch.

How is such misconduct by an official to be addressed? There's a common-law tort of malicious prosecution, but that probably doesn't apply when the government official has no intention to prosecute.

The answer is that the constitutional remedy for presidential misconduct is impeachment.

President Donald Trump waves as he walks across the South Lawn towards the White House on March 5, 2017, in Washington, D.C. (Erik S. Lesser / Getty Images)

That would have been the correct remedy if Obama had "ordered" a wiretap of the Republican presidential candidate's phones. The president has no such legal authority. Only a court can order a domestic wiretap, and that only after a showing of probable cause by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Breaking the law by tapping Trump's phones would have been an abuse of executive power that implicated the democratic process itself. Impeachment is the remedy for such a serious abuse of the executive office.

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That includes abuse of office in the form of serious accusations against political opponents if they turn out to be false and made without evidence. These, too, deform the democratic process.

The Constitution speaks of impeachment for "high crimes and misdemeanors." A lot of ink has been spilled over these words, which date back at least to impeachment proceedings in the 14th century. This isn't the place for a detailed analysis.

Suffice it to say that what makes crimes "high" is that they pertain to the exercise of government office. That's exactly what accusations by the executive are: actions that take on their distinctive meaning because they are made by government officials.

What's more, government acts that distort and undercut the democratic process are especially serious and worthy of impeachment. The Watergate break-in to the Democratic National Committee headquarters was part of an effort to steal the 1972 election. A wiretap of Trump's campaign would've had political implications.

And accusing the past Democratic president of an impeachable offense is every bit as harmful to democracy, assuming it isn't true. Obama is the best-known and most popular Democrat in the country. The effect of attacking him isn't just to weaken him personally, but to weaken the political opposition to Trump's administration.

Given how great the executive's power is, accusations by the president can't be treated asymmetrically. If the alleged action would be impeachable if true, so must be the allegation if false. Anything else would give the president the power to distort democracy by calling his opponents criminals without ever having to prove it.

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Bloomberg View

Noah Feldman is a Bloomberg View columnist. He is a professor of constitutional and international law at Harvard University and was a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter. His books include "Cool War: The Future of Global Competition" and "Divided by God: America's Church-State Problem  and What We Should Do About It."

Related articles:

Presidents shouldn't behave like conspiracy theorists

Republicans are becoming Russia's accomplices

3 explanations for Trump's Twitter tirade about wiretapping, all of them bad

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Jeff Sessions is a victim of the new McCarthyism
Donald Trump's political career was born amid the fever swamps of the far right. He seized on a favorite conspiracy theory bubbling there  that then-President Barack Obama was not, in fact, born in the United States and, therefore, was an illegitimate president  to boost his profile in national politics.

That boost eventually led to his 2016 candidacy. That candidacy led to President Trump. But what never changed is Trump's willingness to actively engage the world of conspiracy theorists.

The latest example came Saturday morning when Trump took to Twitter  where else!  to allege that he was the target of a wiretapping campaign authorized by Obama during the 2016 race.

Typed Trump: "Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!"

How did he know this, you might ask. When and what government agency told him about the wiretapping, you might ask.

The answer appears to be that Trump made the allegations after reading a Breitbart News article on Friday. That article, based heavily on conservative talk radio host Mark Levin's views, suggested that the Obama administration had conducted a "silent coup" to keep Trump from the presidency. Here's the key paragraph:

"In summary: the Obama administration sought, and eventually obtained, authorization to eavesdrop on the Trump campaign; continued monitoring the Trump team even when no evidence of wrongdoing was found; then relaxed the NSA rules to allow evidence to be shared widely within the government, virtually ensuring that the information, including the conversations of private citizens, would be leaked to the media."

That's not to say that these events couldn't be related somehow. But it is to say that zero factual evidence has been offered that ties them together.

The White House didn't offer that proof on Sunday, demanding instead that Congress add a search for it to its ongoing investigations into Russia's apparent meddling in the 2016 election. "Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said.

The problem for Trump and his White House is that while they were dodging direct requests for proof of his allegations, people in a position to know were flatly denying the claims.

"A cardinal rule of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice," said Kevin Lewis, a spokesman for Obama. "As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false."

Former director of national intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. told NBC's Chuck Todd on Sunday that "there was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time as a candidate or against his campaign," adding that he would "absolutely" have been aware if there had been.

Here's the thing: If you are going to say there is a grand conspiracy that only you and a handful of others see, you need to offer a step-by-step explanation to the broader public to show why you're right.

And that goes double when you have shown a penchant for embracing conspiracy theories  Obama wasn't born in the United States, Sen. Ted Cruz's father was involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Muslims were cheering on rooftops in New Jersey after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and so on and so forth.

The ball is in Trump's court. Short of convincing evidence to back up the wiretapping claims, the conspiracy-theory candidate will have transformed into the conspiracy-theory president.

Washington Post
On Tuesday, members of the Illinois Senate will get a chance, yet again, to reassemble a compromise budget package that spun off course like a mis-thrown Olympics discus last week. This time, it will be up to Gov. Bruce Rauner and Republican senators who opposed the deal to repair or replace it.

We look forward to reading drafts of their legislation  the package they rejected included 12 bills  that address their concerns, and quickly. The state digs itself deeper into debt by roughly $11 million a day.

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What will Rauner and the GOP members of the Senate propose that will hit the sweet spot of satisfying recalcitrant Republicans and bringing Democrats back to the table? Because try as some in the GOP might, they cannot solve the budget impasse, or any of the state's severe problems, without Democratic support.

Republicans derailed the package last week. This is theirs to fix.

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A recap: The fragile budget compromise in the Senate, which includes a dozen bills strung together and an income tax hike, collapsed when Republican senators backed away. They abandoned their leader, Sen. Christine Radogno, who had negotiated the compromise with Senate President John Cullerton.

Rauner, along with the right-leaning Illinois Policy Institute and its allies who want more pro-business, pro-growth reforms in the deal, began pressing to stall it. Senate Republicans who supported the compromise were threatened with potential primary opponents in 2018, a strong-arm tactic not unlike those employed by House Speaker Michael Madigan. Republicans routinely accuse Madigan of using his clout and war chest to leverage cooperation from incumbents. Cross him and there's a price to pay.

It's the circular dysfunction of a small-D democratic government in Illinois: The self-serving calculus of re-election always seems to eclipse attempts at problem-solving. This time, it was Republicans playing on clout, threats and leverage.

So let's get one thing straight about this compromise package: There are lawmakers on both sides who have no intention of moving it forward. There are Democrats who will not work with the governor and will not vote for any of his agenda items. There are Republicans who will not work with the Democrats and will not support a tax hike under any circumstances. Those committed to voting "no" are free to stand their ground. But it behooves them to get out of the way. Senators: If you're firmly opposed and just can't vote yes, then grab some bench. Don't obstruct the efforts of your colleagues who are trying to end the impasse.

For those willing to keep working to find the sweet spot, don't give up. Senators: Don't let personalities get in the way of moving the state forward. Continue refining the bills that have been introduced, and be willing to take heat from some voters.

It's this approach or, as we have said previously, wait for Madigan to send his plans and budget to the Senate on May 31  the scheduled last night of the session.

We've seen how that works out: Not well for the citizens of Illinois.
It may turn out the Weekly World News was right all along.

You remember that black and white tabloid, don't you? You'd see it in grocery store checkout lines, easily outgunning other reputable news sources like the National Enquirer and The Globe with its outlandish headlines: "Civil War Babies Found Alive at Gettysburg"; "I Married Bigfoot"; "12 U.S. Senators are Space Aliens!"

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And now we have this, not from the now-online-only Weekly World News, but from the president of the United States: "How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!"

That's the "Baby Born with Tattoo of Solar System!" of presidential statements. It was, like your average Weekly World News headline, offered with no evidence.

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The basis for Trump's weekend accusation that then-President Barack Obama tapped his phones seems to be an article on the website Breitbart, a conservative and slightly more substantive version of a grocery store tabloid. That article cited conservative radio host Mark Levin  who strikes me as someone who would read the Weekly World News and say, "You know, they may be onto something"  as its primary source.

As the Weekly World News might say: "Muslim Former President Wiretapped Trump From Secret Alien Madrasa!"

The bucket of bonkers that Trump cracked open over the weekend  which, according to the New York Times and Washington Post, led FBI Director James Comey to take the remarkable step of asking the Justice Department to issue a statement refuting a sitting president's comments  did have one happy outcome. It led to this paragraph in a story on the ABC News website, the most staggeringly crazy and entirely accurate paragraph ever written:

"Because the sitting president offered no evidence to back up his claim, it wasn't clear whether the tweet  which was followed by four others taking on his predecessor, including one misspelling the word 'tap'  was based on classified knowledge he received in his capacity as president, or on an article posted yesterday to the conservative Breitbart website."

Let that one roll around in your head a few times. No evidence. Misspelled "tap." Not clear if it was based on classified information (that the president was sharing on Twitter) or on a crackpot website report.

Yowza. (And I don't use that term lightly.)

We are in uncharted territory. This is "Farmer Shoots 23-Lb. Grasshopper"-level stuff.

Or, as any devoted Trump supporter or Russian Twitter bot would say: Is it?

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There have been media reports of warrants from the secret FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) Court being issued to monitor certain contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia. If those reports are correct  and James Clapper, former national intelligence director under Obama, flatly denied it Sunday  it's possible that phones in Trump Tower or elsewhere were under surveillance.

But if that was the case, there would have been substantial evidence of a threat to national security, as FISA warrants don't come easily.

So just as I'd like to see the person who married Bigfoot, meet the Civil War babies found alive and eyeball the corpse of a 23-pound grasshopper, I'd also like to see the evidence that Obama tapped Trump's phones.

A statement from the White House in the wake of Trump's Weekly World News-style tweet storm called for a congressional investigation.

I completely agree. Let a congressional intelligence committee see the evidence to support the president's claims. Let the public see all the facts and, if there was surveillance, let's see why. Shine a light on those FISA warrants, if they exist.

If Obama did something wrong or illegal, as Trump claims, we have a right to know and he should be held accountable.

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And while we're at it, let's see the evidence that Obama's birth certificate was fake  a claim Trump made repeatedly  and that 3 million to 5 million people voted illegally in the November election, as Trump has also claimed.

Let's see the evidence that Sen. Ted Cruz's father was with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy. Trump cited that information during the campaign, referring to reporting in another supermarket tabloid, the National Enquirer.

Let's see Trump's tax returns, which would clear up many of the suspicions regarding the president's connections to Russia. (Those suspicious have been reported on in dodgy newspapers like the New York Times, but not in any of the more reputable grocery store tabloids.)

And let's finally, after many years, get Congress to look into two bombshell Weekly World News reports regarding Hillary Clinton: "Hillary Clinton Adopts Alien Baby" and "Bill Catches Hillary with Space Alien!"

Where is this alien baby now? It could be threatening our national security as we speak.

And does Clinton still have her "NY love nest" where she spent "romantic nights" with the alien Bill caught her embracing? She served as secretary of state and could have become president. It's in the nation's interest to know if these intergalactic dalliances have compromised American interests.

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If so, that would be bad (or sick). Congress must investigate.

Because at the moment, there's as much evidence of a Clinton/alien connection as there is of Obama-ordered wire taps.

Or, as President Trump prefers, "tapps."

Listen to Rex Huppke and WGN radio host Amy Guth discuss presidential politics each week on the "Guth and Huppke on Politics" podcast at chicagotribune.com/guthhuppkepodcast.

rhuppke@chicagotribune.com
On March 3, the Tribune published the article "Hundreds of NEIU students to lose jobs as all employees take required furlough days" online. We should also consider the broader effects of furloughs at NEIU and at the state's other regional universities, which are now facing a second year without adequate funding.

Last year's furloughs at NEIU resulted in a 20 percent income drop  one workday per week  for faculty and staff who already live close to the bone. More important, it reduced instructional time for students by about one-sixth.

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Students have contracted with the university to provide a service that the state is preventing the university from providing, encouraging students to look elsewhere for quality education. Enrollment at Chicago State University has dropped 50 percent over the last few years; this fall, the university enrolled only 86 freshman.

Higher education is one of the state's most important engines of economic opportunity. One cannot "turn around" Illinois by wrecking the state's public universities.

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 Zachary Schiffman, Chicago
Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging think tanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, Speedboat, proudly banned from Twitter so officially more dangerous than the Taliban, eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
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Pueblo state Senate candidates dispute claims made in 'dark money' ads

Incumbent Nick Hinrichsen and GOP challenger Stephen Varela have denied claims made by outside groups spending big money on competitive races
With the scope and penalties of Chinas social credit system being further clarified in 2021, legal and regulatory compliance has become more important than...
These days, giant Chinese-built cranes briskly unload shipping containers from cargo ships at Cuba's deep-water port of Mariel, a fledgling special economic zone the country hopes will drive development over the coming years.

With 2015 bilateral trade surpassing $2 billion, China is Cuba's second largest trading partner behind Venezuela. It is now playing a key role in helping the Caribbean island country to make Mariel live up to its promise.

The Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co, a global leader in port equipment, has provided the Mariel Container Terminal with four ship-to-shore gantry cranes, 12 rubber-tiered gantry cranes and two rail-mounted gantry cranes.

As business picks up at Mariel, the company will increase the number of state-of-the-art cranes to 24 STS and 72 RTGs, increasing the unloading capacity from 800,000 containers to 3 million.

As global trade grows, Cuba is betting on its strategically located port to become a hub for companies doing business with the Caribbean, Central America and other parts of Latin America.

The deep-water port is part of Mariel, which also features a duty-free zone and an industrial park with modern facilities and business-friendly tax breaks.

The Cuban government has pledged to guarantee an average investment of $300 million a year in Mariel, Oscar Perez-Oliva, Mariel's business assessment director, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The 702-meter-long and 14.3-meter-deep port can accommodate today's super-sized cargo ships, which transit from Asia through the Panama Canal, and expects to become a major container loading and unloading center for other destinations in the region.

The cranes, as well as the technological support provided by Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, make the Mariel Container Terminal one of the world's most modern and efficient container terminals.

Each container is identified with a number, and is weighed and scanned with a state-of-the-art system to determine its contents, as part of a so-called "non-intrusive inspection" procedure done at most leading terminals around the globe.

While these Chinese companies have been key contributors to the construction of Cuba's landmark project, other Chinese companies are also expected to enter Mariel, producing goods or providing services.

"There are interested companies that we are working with on different projects and we hope this year we will see a Chinese company present in our zone as a user," said Perez-Oliva.

"Various delegations from our special economic zone and other institutions have made promotional visits to China to meet representatives of different companies and jointly assess the possibility of establishing Chinese investment in the area as soon as possible."

Mariel officials are working with the Chinese investors in "maturing" projects in the areas of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and industrial production, according to the director.
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Suspected al-Qaida militants launched an armed attack on a pro-government military checkpoint in Yemen's southern province of Abyan on Sunday, leaving four soldiers killed and a number of others injured, a security official told Xinhua.

Armed confrontations between the soldiers and the al-Qaida attackers lasted about half an hour at the checkpoint in the coastal city of Shuqra in the eastern outskirts of Abyan province, the security source said.

Elsewhere in the war-torn Arab country, suspected U.S. warplanes launched a series of airstrikes against al-Qaida-held positions in the southeastern province of Shabwa and in neighboring province of al-Bayda on Saturday night.

Residents confirmed to Xinhua that U.S. drones and apache choppers fired missiles on a house in Yakla village in al-Bayda province, leaving unknown number killed and injured at the scene.

The mountainous areas in Shabwa an Abyan provinces have been the scene of U.S. drone attacks and clashes between Yemeni security forces and militants of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch since the emergence of the group in country eight years ago.

The militant group has yet to make comments about the latest U.S. airstrikes that targeted its positions for the fifth consecutive day.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known locally as "Ansar al-Sharia," emerged in January 2009, has claimed responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks against Yemen's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked militants took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

Security in Yemen has deteriorated since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Over 10,000 people have been killed in ground battles and airstrikes since then, many of them civilians.
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Iraqi forces on Monday pushed further inside the western side of Mosul and freed a new neighborhood as they advance toward the old city center amid fierce clashes with Islamic State (IS) militants, the Iraqi military said.

Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) commandos liberated Sumoud neighborhood in the southwestern part of the city after heavy clashes with IS militants, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Amir Yarallah, from the Joint Operations Command, said in a statement.

CTS special forces have initiated a new push at the edges of the adjacent neighborhood of Mansour, Yarallah said.

Meanwhile, federal police and interior ministry special forces, known as Rapid Response, are engaged in street-to-street fighting against IS militants in the neighborhoods of Dandan and Dawassa, in the southern part of Mosul's old city center.

The battles in the old neighborhoods of downtown Mosul bring the troops closer to some main government buildings in Dawassa neighborhood.

The recapture of Sumoud neighborhood came a day after Yarallah announced a new push in the western side of Mosul, locally known as the right bank of Tigris. The advance came after a two-day pause due to bad weather that had limited air support by Iraqi and international coalition aircraft.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, announced the start of an offensive on Feb. 19 to drive extremist militants out of the western side of Mosul, locally known as the right bank of Tigris River, which bisects the city.

Late in January, Abadi declared the liberation of the eastern side of Mosul, or the left bank of Tigris, after more than 100 days of fighting against IS militants.

However, the western part of Mosul, with its narrow streets and a population of between 750,000 and 800,000, appears to be a bigger challenge to the Iraqi forces.

Mosul, 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel took a narrow lead of 1 percent compared with her rival Martin Schulz in the federal elections in September, according to a poll of the opinion research institute Emnid released on Sunday.

The result, published in the German newspaper Bild, came after a Infratest dimap's poll put the chance of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SPD) ahead of Merkel's Christian Democratic Party (CDU) on Feb. 23.

This marked the first time in a decade that an opposition party has led the governing party in a poll.

"SCHULZ-FACTOR"

Both polling institutes asked at least 1,000 eligible voters "if there is a general election next Sunday, which party would you vote for?"

The 61-year-old SPD candidate Schulz, president of the European Parliament from 2012 till this year, has been hopeful to become the first German chancellor from his party in 15 years.

Since his nomination on Jan. 24 as the SPD candidate in the federal elections, the party's nominal share of the vote has seen a 12-percent rise up from 20 percent, which the German media said should attribute to the "Schulz-factor."

The SPD, in a governing coalition with Merkel's CDU since 2013, has struggled to regain popularity following the unpopularity of the labor market reforms among voters. Its introduction of an 8.5-euro minimum wage in 2015 has not helped improve its electorial performance either.

The current party leader Sigmar Gabriel agreed in January to step down before September elections considering the growing support for Schulz.

However, Reinhard Schlinkert, founder and president of Infratest dimap, told Xinhua that "elections will be in September. At the moment, 36 percent of voters are still undecided. Let's wait and see."

MERKEL'S "ACHILLES' HEEL"

For her part, Merkel has been facing the most severe electoral challenge since taking office in November 2005. Her refugee policy has sparked stern criticism in particular from the anti-EU and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Since 2015, the female leader has permitted the entrance of 1.5 million refugees, the majority of whom had fled the conflict in Syria.

The consequence of the decision, reinforced by the escalating terrorism-related attacks and mounting public fear, has gained the AfD significant popular support by attacking Merkel's policy.

Nevertheless, the Schulz-factor has helped shift support from the AfD to the SPD, as the former's 15 percent vote share in January has fallen to 11 percent in the Feb. 23 poll and 10 percent in the March 5 poll.

CHALLENGE AHEAD FOR NEW CHANCELLOR

The new German chancellor must deal with the new U.S. administration which has accused Germany of taking advantage of a "grossly undervalued euro" to boost its exports. U.S. President Donald Trump also threatened to retaliate with tariffs on German goods.

Merkel said she will seek common ground with Trump "wherever possible," but someone would be reminded not to resort to protectionism, without specifically mentioning Trump.

Whereas Schulz, before the U.S. election, told the German news magazine Spiegel that "Donald Trump is a problem for the entire world." He also called the AfD "a disgrace to the Federal Republic."

With regard to Brexit, both Merkel and Schulz have made it clear that there can be no question of free access to the single market without the free movement of people, in contradiction to the claims of British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Schultz's supporters have adopted the campaign slogan "Jetzt ist Schulz," which literally means "it's time for Schulz."

But there is a pun on the German word schluss, so the slogan could also mean "stop that now," which the German media said has delivered a stern message to his long-serving female rival for the chancellorship.
Chinese tourists celebrate Lantern Festival at a hotel in Los Angeles. [Photo/Xinhua]

More Chinese than ever are traveling to the United States and other foreign destinationsand hotels in China are going with them.

In 2015, more than 2.5 million Chinese came to the US, and that figure was expected to rise significantly last year, which was designated "2016 China-US Tourism Year".

One hotel group seeking to capture those tourists is Shanghai-based Green Tree Hospitality Group. It has five hotels in Arizona and California in the US.

Kevin Brooks, a co-managing director, said the company operates more than 2,000 hotels in China that range from budget or limited-service options to five-star designations. He said that a Green Tree budget or limited-service hotel in China is similar to a Holiday Inn Express in the US.

"About 18 months ago, the company decided to expand in the US; and last year, we converted five hotels to our brand," Chris Petroff, co-managing director said in an interview. "In 2017, we have embarked on franchising."

Petroff said the company is hoping that existing franchise operators in China will consider a US location to help spread the brand.

Brooks said Green Tree intends to build on its familiarity in China to spur growth in the US. "We currently have a loyalty program in China that has 12 million paying members," Brooks said. "We are seeing strong demand for US travel from that group."

Driven by a rapidly growing middle class, Chinese outbound tourists are expected to reach 150 million in 2020 from 122 million in 2016, with an estimated average annual growth rate of 5.09 percent, according to the China National Tourism Administration.

Travelers have many incentives for visiting other countries. In addition to a vacation, business or family considerations may require a trip from the Chinese mainland.

"There have been several articles on the growth of what is called the 'beliesure' group," said Petroff. "That is a fast-growing segment that combines business and leisure travel by taking a week before or after a business trip to visit prominent places."

Another growing segment of overseas travelers from China are parents sending children to study in the US, said Petroff.

Brooks said Alex Xu, the founder and chairman of Green Tree, envisions the company as a global brand. "We are also exploring other countries in Asia and Europe for expansion," he said.

In addition to traditional inns, online marketplaces like Airbnb, which enables homeowners, renters and others to offer accommodation to travelers, are also expected to benefit from rising Chinese outbound tourism.

"To date, there have been more than 3.5 million guest arrivals by Chinese travelers at Airbnb listings all over the world," company spokesman Nick Papas said in an email. "While we have not focused on building our community in China, we've seen more and more Chinese hosts organically sign up to share their space. There have been nearly 1 million guest arrivals at Airbnb listings in China to date."

Many of those are young people, especially the group referred to as millennials. According to a study for Airbnb conducted by the research concern GfK last fall, millennials surveyed in China, the US and the United Kingdom say that when they think about the next five years, traveling is as important as (or more important than) purchasing a home, paying off debt, or purchasing a car.
Young consumers shop in the popular Sanlitun area of Beijing on Feb 14. [Photo/China Daily]

Low price is no longer an incentive to entice Chinese consumers, especially the millennials, and merchants should forge personal ties to retain customer loyalty, according to a latest study by consultancy Accenture.

Three-fourths of the 1,303 consumers surveyed have switched providers when they shopped in the past year, said the US-headquartered firm. Almost a quarter of the respondents said their expectations of brands have changed radically.

While organizations spend billions of yuan each year on customer loyalty programs like membership campaigns, the fact is, they are not effective. So, new forms of retail sales have emerged, mainly driven by creative digital experiences, said Yu Jin, managing director of Accenture Strategy Greater China.

"The traditional 'low price' and 'reliable service' mechanics are no longer as effective at driving loyalty. Organizations that stick to traditional approaches and don't explore the new drivers influencing loyalty risk draining profitability and pushing customers away," Yu said.

Vendors are encouraged to add a human touch during interaction with millennials. The survey showed 62 percent of customers like to be connected by merchants with small tokens of affection, including personalized discounts and gift cards.

Almost two-thirds of respondents expressed loyalty to brands that offer them the opportunity to personalize products and create something that is bespoke to them.

And 69 percent said they prefer brands to interact with them through appropriate channels of communication like the company's official social media accounts and microblog site Weibo. Partnership with social influencers, such as famous bloggers, are also key in maintaining customer relationships.

Millennials are also thrill-seekers, the survey found. About 63 percent said they are loyal to brands that engage them with co-creation of products and services. Another 64 percent said they are intrigued by "multi-sensory" experiences using new technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality.

The results are in line with what e-commerce companies are doing today to become popular among buyers who are tech-savvy, spend-happy, and pursue unique shopping experiences.

For instance, social commerce took the center stage at the annual sales gala last December on Alibaba's customer-to-customer site Taobao, where consumers shared and recommended products via virtual communities and webcasts. Endorsed by a popular comedian on social media, a Chinese herbal skincare toner saw its daily sales surge to four times that of offline stores.

In the run-up to the Nov 11 shopping festival, Alibaba offered the world's first end-to-end virtual reality shopping experience in which the entire transaction, from browsing, order to payment, was completed within the VR environment. It also live-streamed an eight-hour fashion show, with brands from Burberry to UGG taking part, allowing viewers to order in real time everything they saw on the catwalk.

Similarly, Red, or Xiaohongshu, a Chinese e-commerce site featuring direct shipping of foreign goods, forged an online virtual community. It works by letting its users65 percent or more are young and well-educated womenpost pictures of their favorite products online. It then connects them with sellers abroad. From anti-aging masks to Folli Follie watches, products get sold this way.

By encouraging users to share their favorite products on the online forum, it analyzes user data to determine what will be sold on its website, said its co-founder Qu Fang.

Kaola, an e-commerce site, has also found unique ways to pamper customers. For instance, it has teamed up with Japanese cosmetics information portal Cosme, which publishes a guide for women across China seeking skincare solutions. Kaola identifies and offers these products to tens of thousands of its users.

According to Kaola spokesperson Wang Zheng, the firm collaborates with brands to organize afternoon tea gatherings and outbound trips, in a bid to win the hearts of the young and growing middle class.

"Every consumer has a natural instinct around what makes them 'stick' to a brand. An appetite for the extraordinary, multi-sensory experiences, hyper-personalization and co-creation ... are changing consumer dynamics around loyalty, and forcing brands and organizations to review and improve their approach and programs," said Yu.
Workers inspect the Mariel port on the outskirts of Havana. [Photo/Agencies]

MARIEL, CUBAThese days, giant Chinese-built cranes briskly unload shipping containers from cargo ships at Cuba's deep-water port of Mariel, a fledgling special economic zone the country hopes will drive development over the coming years.

With 2015 bilateral trade surpassing $2 billion, China is Cuba's second largest trading partner behind Venezuela. It is now playing a key role in helping the Caribbean island country to make Mariel live up to its promise.

The Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co, a global leader in port equipment, has provided the Mariel Container Terminal with four ship-to-shore gantry cranes, 12 rubber-tiered gantry cranes and two rail-mounted gantry cranes.

As business picks up at Mariel, the company will increase the number of state-of-the-art cranes to 24 STS and 72 RTGs, increasing the unloading capacity from 800,000 containers to 3 million.

As global trade grows, Cuba is betting on its strategically located port to become a hub for companies doing business with the Caribbean, Central America and other parts of Latin America.

The deep-water port is part of Mariel, which also features a duty-free zone and an industrial park with modern facilities and business-friendly tax breaks.

The Cuban government has pledged to guarantee an average investment of $300 million a year in Mariel, Oscar Perez-Oliva, Mariel's business assessment director, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The 702-meter-long and 14.3-meter-deep port can accommodate today's super-sized cargo ships, which transit from Asia through the Panama Canal, and expects to become a major container loading and unloading center for other destinations in the region.

The cranes, as well as the technological support provided by Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, make the Mariel Container Terminal one of the world's most modern and efficient container terminals.

Each container is identified with a number, and is weighed and scanned with a state-of-the-art system to determine its contents, as part of a so-called "non-intrusive inspection" procedure done at most leading terminals around the globe.

While these Chinese companies have been key contributors to the construction of Cuba's landmark project, other Chinese companies are also expected to enter Mariel, producing goods or providing services.

"There are interested companies that we are working with on different projects and we hope this year we will see a Chinese company present in our zone as a user," said Perez-Oliva.

"Various delegations from our special economic zone and other institutions have made promotional visits to China to meet representatives of different companies and jointly assess the possibility of establishing Chinese investment in the area as soon as possible."

Mariel officials are working with the Chinese investors in "maturing" projects in the areas of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and industrial production, according to the director.
Potential homebuyers browse a real estate expo in Huai'an, Jiangsu province. [Photo by Zhou Changguo/China Daily]

Govt planning to cut excess housing, increase land supply in smaller cities

China will continue to cut excess property inventory in smaller cities while increasing land supply to rein in surging housing prices, Premier Li Keqiang said on Sunday.

The central government will implement tailored policies to address issues in the property market, Li said as he delivered the Government Work Report to the annual plenary session of the National People's Congress, the top legislature.

"There is still excess inventory in third- and fourth-tier cities, and the government will make efforts to support the residents' housing demands as well as the purchasing demands of people who move into the cities," Li said.

To ease the pressure of soaring home prices in some cities, Li pledged that the government will "reasonably increase" the land supply for housing in those cities while stepping up regulation on property developers and brokerages.

Sticking to the principle that "houses are for habitation, not speculation", the premier said the government will seek to establish a long-term mechanism to ensure the steady and healthy development of the real estate industry.

Setting up such a long-term mechanism will require the coordination of various policies, including financial, land, fiscal, tax and investment policies, as well as legislation, according to analysts.

Jia Kang, director of the China Academy of New Supply-side Economics, said property tax would be an important component to a sound long-term system for the property market, as it would help curb speculation and sharp price fluctuations.

Li Daokui, an economics professor at Tsinghua University, added that local authorities should use funds raised through land sales to balance supply and demand in the property market.

"A government should use a portion of its revenue from land sales to buy a certain amount of residential properties and offer them for rent, so that it can have the ability to adjust an unbalanced market," the professor said.

On Sunday, the premier said the central government will continue to renovate rundown urban areas, as there are still tens of millions of people living in poor conditions, and will provide 6 million housing units in such areas this year.

According to the 2017 draft plan for national economic and social development, the government will also make further efforts to provide direct financial housing compensation and move faster to implement a plan to grant urban residency to 100 million people living in urban areas.
Deputies respond during the fifth plenary session of the 12th National People's Congress in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday.[Photo by Xu Jingxing/China Daily]

He tells NPC deputies country will continue to open its markets to the world

China will further open up its markets to the world through robust engines - including the Belt and Road Initiative and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership - and deepen the outbound investment drive that began a few years ago, Premier Li Keqiang said on Sunday.

Addressing deputies to the National People's Congress during his presentation of the annual Government Work Report, Li said China will accelerate the creation of overland economic corridors and maritime cooperation hubs, and will establish cooperative mechanisms for streamlining customs clearance procedures.

The country will deepen international cooperation in industrial capacity, promoting exports of Chinese equipment, technology, standards and services so that China and its partners can draw on each other's strengths, he said.

"China will uphold multilateral trade as the main channel of international trade and will play an active part in multilateral trade negotiations," Li said.

He said China is ready to join hands with other countries to fully implement the Protocol to Amend the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and to conclude talks as soon as possible for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement.

To prevent illegal and reckless outbound direct-investment activities in overseas markets, the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planner, will draw up a blacklist to ensure the authenticity of outbound investments and fend off risks brought by excessive capital outflows.

Li said China will ensure that foreign trade continues to register steady growth. The country will also have 11 high-standard pilot free trade zones, from which successful approaches can be expanded to the rest of the country.

Eager to enhance its earning ability, China will improve its import and export policies, expand the coverage of export credit insurance and provide export financing insurance for all insurable large equipment, he said. It will also establish a seed fund to encourage innovative development in the services sector.

Li said China will revise the catalog of industries open to foreign investment, and make service industries, manufacturing and mining more accessible.

Wang Zhile, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said that structural reform, industrial upgrades and efficient global governance "are practical ways to get Chinese economy on a stable growth track".

"In the context of globalization, Chinese and foreign companies are all confronted with similar challenges, and require readjustment and transformation in pursuit of new opportunities," Wang said.

The Chinese government will encourage foreign-invested companies to be listed, as well as to issue bonds in China, Li told the NPC deputies. And it will allow such companies to take part in national science and technology projects.

Foreign companies will be treated the same as domestic ones when it comes to license applications, standards and government procurement. They will enjoy the same preferential policies under the Made in China 2025 initiative, Li said.
Taxation of companies will be further reduced this year as China aims to maintain the same budget deficit as in 2016, Premier Li Keqiang said as he delivered the Government Work Report on Sunday.

The target for the budget deficit has again been set at 3 percent, he said, providing room to cut the corporate tax burden by about 350 billion yuan ($50.75 billion) and cut local government fees by about 200 billion yuan.

The premier also pledged to improve the taxation system by expanding coverage of preferential policies and reducing the number of tax bands from four to three, making the value-added tax system more efficient and transparent.

"We have to make sure that market players can feel the tax cuts," Li said, adding that the central government should take the lead in reducing unnecessary government spending and inefficient projects.

VAT reform, which began in 2012 and has seen business tax replaced with VAT, resulted in companies making total tax savings of 570 billion yuan last year, well above the 500 billion yuan target, according to data from the report.

The reform was rolled out in the last four sectors - finance, construction, property and consumer services - in May, which means it is now being implemented nationwide in all industries.

Ma Xingrui, the governor of Guangdong province, said improving the VAT system will help boost nonfinancial sectors on a large scale.

Corporate tax rates came under the spotlight late last year when Cao Dewang, founder and chairman of Fuyao Glass Industry Group, complained that the tax rate in China is too high com-pared with the United States.

Cao, also a deputy to the National People's Congress, said on Friday that he appreciated the government's attention to lowering corporate tax. He said he believes the tax burden will be reduced, although it could take a while to see a major improvement.

Data from the State Administration of Taxation showed that only 1.5 percent of corporate taxpayers faced higher taxes after implementation of the VAT reform.
Meiko Group CEO Dr Scheringer. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Germany-based washing technology producer Meiko opened the doors to its factory in Zhongshan, South China's Guangdong province on Feb 21, a key event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the company's foothold in China.

The ceremony at the facility, one of Meiko's three international production sites outside of Germany and the United States, offered nearly 100 customers from Southeast Asian, India, Middle East and Australia, a first-hand experience of the production facility and the products "Made by Meiko".

The label stands for high-class engineering, quality and design, and guarantees the cleanest solutions and the most innovative technology for warewashing, cleaning and disinfection.

For 20 years now, Meiko has been manufacturing machines for the entire Meiko warewashing machine product range in China.

MEIKO China Managing Director Mr. Heiko Vogel. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

All of the production locations share the same strict quality standards, which are at the core of the "Made by Meiko" promise.

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Meiko in China, the company is introducing the latest addition to its successful UPster machine range - the rack type machine UPster K.

The UPster K will be produced and rolled out to customers in Asia directly from Meiko China as of May 2017.

The modular format of the UPster K rack type machine has two key advantages: It can easily be tailored to existing kitchen layouts and allows for a fast manufacturing process, a quick delivery to customers and a rapid installation.

Meiko offers the solutions of warewashing, cleaning and disinfection technology. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In addition to being one of three major manufacturing facilities on the planet, Meiko China in Zhongshan also serves as the company's logistics hub for the entire Asia region. But its importance does not end here: Zhongshan is also the company's regional competence center and training facility, securing the high quality of services offered for all Meiko products in Asia.

The service center at Meiko China allows the company to respond quickly and flexibly to the needs of their regional customers.

In the future, the company plans to concentrate their efforts on bringing its services even more closely in line with the individual requirements of regional customers.

Heiko Vogel, managing director of Meiko China, said, "While Meiko as a global player is setting standards in terms of quality, service and innovation around the world, the requirements, regulations and individual needs concerning hygiene and services are often different, varying for each location and business.

"Meiko will further improve their services to reflect this, in order to be able to offer the best support for each individual customer."
A trading model for regulating and facilitating export deals valued at $150,000 or less has been launched in Guangzhou.

The trial, called the market purchasing trade, gives companies registered in Huadu district in Guangzhou a tax exemption if the export deal is worth $150,000 or less.

One-stop services, including quarantine and customs services, are also available for such trades.

Guangzhou is home to a large number of wholesale markets selling various commodities, with many foreign purchasers buying relatively small batches of different goods.

Previously, export deals worth $50,000 or less were categorized as tourist purchases. They amounted to $20 billion in Guangzhou last year.

Under the tourist purchases category, deals are conducted in cash, making the money flow unclear and commodities hard to trace, according to Guangzhou's Commission of Commerce.

With the limit lifted to $150,000 in the new model, the practice of exporting as tourist purchases will be phased out.

The Huadu district government hopes more than $10 billion of exports will go through under the trial model this year, district chief Ye Zhiliang said.

The new trade model is of high importance to Guangdong province, exports from which accounted for 27.3 percent of the national total last year, Li Yiwei, deputy secretary-general of Guangdong, said.

Guangzhou is one of five cities in the third round to trial the new model.
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A doctor in Chengdu, Sichuan province, has been honored for his work over the past decade helping almost 1,000 scoliosis patients to walk tall again.

Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a patient's spine has a sideways curve. It can damage the heart and lungs if the curvature exceeds 100 degrees.

Liang Yijian, head of the orthopedics department at the Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, developed a treatment method in 2008 that involves inserting four metal rods into a patent's torso that form a brace to help straighten the back.

He was recently honored for his contribution to society at China Central Television's annual "Touching China" awards.

The 53-year-old, who obtained his doctorate from the State University of New York in the United States, has even used his technique to help patients with a 360-degree curvature of the spine.

He described the operations as akin to driving along "the dangerous Sichuan-Tibet highway".

"But if nobody takes the risk, there will be no cure or hope for the country's 5 million patients with scoliosis," he said.

In addition to treating those who visit his department, Liang also makes the effort to take his methods to patients living in remote areas who lack the wherewithal to search him out.

In February 2008, he visited Yanyuan county, in Sichuan's Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, and found Wu Cailin, who stood less than 1.3 meters tall because he spine was curved by nearly 120 degrees. Wu's chest almost touched his thighs and he could only look down while walking.

Liang brought Wu to Chengdu to treat him, operating on him for 13 hours three months later. Today, Wu is 1.78 meters tall and owns a rural resort in his home county.

Following media reports on Wu's life-changing story, more patients from rural areas went to Chengdu to seek out Liang.

Born into a family that relied solely on his coal miner father's salary, Liang has great sympathy for people in need. After meeting Wu, he began to raise money for the patients he treats.

When drinking at local teahouses, he will sometimes show customers pictures of his patients or put photos on the walls to raise funds.

To help Liu Renfu, a resident of Muli county in Liangshan with a spinal curvature of 153 degrees, Liang raised 10,000 yuan ($1,455).

As word of the doctor's good deeds have spread, a number of donors have come forward to help, donating several million yuan a year. One foundation donated more than 5 million yuan, enough to fund treatment for 171 patients in Liang's hospital.

"I didn't want attention when I went out to help them. All I hoped for was that I could bring them hope and pass the love around," Liang said.
On Oct 8, 2016, the day before Chinas traditional Double Ninth Festival when people show respect to the elderly, resident troops made dumplings and watched shows with senior citizens at a nursing home in Qingdao, Shandong province.[Photo/People's Daily]

By further streamlining administration and delegating power, strengthening supervision and improving the service level, China will mobilize social forces to participate in the development of elderly care industry, lower the institutional cost for entrepreneurship and create a fair development environment, according to a policy paper released by relevant Chinese authorities recently.

The Notice on Accelerating the Reform on the Entry, Supervision and Service Level of the Senior Service Industry was released by thirteen departments, including Ministry of Civil Affairs, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Land and Resources and National Elderly Work Committee Office.

Now entering into an aging society, China has huge demands for the elderly nursing industry. In 2015, the number of senior aged over 60 in China reached 220 million, accounting for 16.1 percent of the total population.

The quality of the industry concerns over 200 million senior citizens, especially the over 40 million incapacitated or semi- incapacitated elderly.

However, the sheer quantity and quality of Chinas senior service supply still fall short of the increasing demand for the industry. China is now still headache with inaccessibility of urban and rural public facilities, as well as insufficient supply of senior products.

Other than a livelihood project involving the welfare of billions of people, the senior service industry is also a rising business with great potential.

At the end of last year, the Chinese State Council released a guideline on widening the access of the senior service market and improving the quality of senior service, requiring the service to orient towards community, rural areas as well as incapacitated and semi-incapacitated senior citizens.

Nursing care resources should be further expanded and the development of small-sized and professional chain service agencies should be vigorously supported, read the guideline.

To address the short boards in senior service, the guideline also pointed out that for community senior service, China will speed up the construction of a comprehensive service information platform and provide such home service as meal assistance, cleaning assistance, walking aid, bathing assistance and medical assistance.

Small-sized community nursing homes are encouraged to meet the needs of senior citizens within close proximity as well.
Children at a kindergarten in Dingwei county, Guizhou province are having their nutritional meals. A total of 181 pre-school children in the county, which is among the 20 poorest in the province, have been offered nutritional meals each day since the fall semester of last year.[Photo/People's Daily Online]

More than 36 million students from 134,000 primary and junior high schools in impoverished rural regions have benefited from China's nutrition improvement program since its implementation in 2011, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said recently.

The program was initially launched by the MOE, the Ministry of Finance, and 13 other departments on a pilot basis in a bid to address malnutrition of rural students receiving compulsory education.

It has so far reached 1,590 counties in 29 provinces, according to the progress report released by the MOE. Thanks to five years of efforts, the students have been freed from hunger malnutrition.

The Chinese Center For Disease Control And Prevention, after tracking the students in piloted areas, found that children who benefited from the program are taller amd heavier than the rural average.

Data shows that from 2012 to 2015, male students on average increased in height and weight by 1.2 cm and 0.7 kg respectively while female students increased by 1.4 cm and 0.8 kg.

In the given period, anaemia rates dropped to 7.8 percent from 17 percent. Better nutrition has also aided their efficiency and enthusiasm for their studies.

Since the plan was launched in 2011, nearly 160 billion yuan in subsidies were allocated to support the national plan, reward piloted areas, improve students' meals and subsidize impoverished children.
China's National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) issued a new guideline on March 2 allowing patients in poor rural areas to receive medical treatment without paying the treatment fees upfront. Provincial health and family planning administrative departments are required to finish the official plan by the end of March, and the program will be implemented before the end of April.

According to the program's description, only poor, rural patients who have basic medical insurance can take advantage of the favorable policy. Patients who do utilize the policy will receive their medical treatment in designated medical institutions around the county.

Hospitalized patients must meet strict requirements. They have to provide documents including a health insurance card, valid ID card and proof of their economic status before being admitted to any hospital. Patients can receive treatment after signing a "pay after treatment" agreement.

The program also offers flexible payment methods. When a patient is discharged from the hospital, the designated medical institution immediately subtracts the portion of the treatment fee covered by insurance from the patient's bill. The patient is only expected to pay for individual expenses, and the medical institution then returns the patient's documents in a timely manner. For those who cannot pay their treatment fees all at once, there is an option to pay in installments.

Another facet of the program requires the establishment of a county-level payment system for impoverished patients, which is intended to gradually promote the development of provincial and cross-provincial settlement systems.

The program will punish malicious debtors through a credit system. A blacklist of offenders will be maintained, and designated medical institutions have the right to stop favorable policy coverage for people on the list. They can also report the offenders to medical insurance departments.
China plans to have 74 more civil transport airports to bring the total number in the country to around 260 by 2020, said the latest report released by civil aviation regulator.

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), by then, number of air passengers in China will grow to 720 million. It means that China will complete its construction of a traffic network in air in the near future after the convenient high-speed railway network takes shape.

Civil airlines have constituted China's most important transportation tools together with railways and roads. Latest data from the CAAC revealed that during the week-long 2017 Spring Festival holiday, over 80,000 flights were operated by domestic airlines and 9.84 million passengers were transported by them, up by 11.9 percent and 15.1 percent over the previous year respectively.

In addition, 12.83 million seats were available, with an average load factor of 83 percent.

But the country's aviation industry needs a more balanced structure. To this end, the plan, by putting more emphasis on short-distance transport, would make passenger trips easier to those remoter areas that regional aircraft hard to cover.

By 2020, six airport clusters encompassing China's northern part, northeast, central and southern part, southwestern area as well as northwest region will be completed, read the report, adding that new airports for cargo transportation will be deployed as well.

Of the 74 civil transport airports, 30 ones are under construction and 40 ones will be new. Upon completion, the total number would reach about 260.

The airports located in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are requested to improve their competitive edges to build themselves into international hubs after complementing their advantages with neighbors but differentiating their positioning.

These airports will be upgraded to world-class airport clusters that meet the development demands of the cities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta.

The country's airline on-time arrival rate was 67 percent in 2015, but the regulator asked the carriers to increase that figure to 80 percent by 2020, as an effort to reduce the customer complaints resulted from flight delay.
Suffice to say, 2020 was a strange year, and 2021 hasn't had time to return to normal. We're still dealing with a pandemic, but at least we aren't seeing any tech delays  yet.

Last year, Google delayed the release of its Pixel 4a models until August, 10 months after the Pixel 4 hit shelves. The previous "a" iteration  the Pixel 3a  came out in May, or seven months after the Pixel 3 flagship. Even though the Pixel 5 released on time in October, there's a chance the delay of the 4a models could make Google put off the release of the 5a, as well.

SEE ALSO: What Does Refurbished Mean?

Apple wasn't immune to later-than-expected releases, either  the iPhone 12 was released in October 2020. Apple usually hosts a September event, with products launching roughly a week later, but last year the iPhone 12 lineup was delayed by about a month.

This year is already shaping up to be a little different, though. For instance, Samsung announced its Galaxy S21 lineup on January 14; that usually doesn't happen until February. And the phones will be officially released on January 29.

To learn what we know about the latest smartphones, as well as what we're expecting, check out our guide below on the best time to buy a new phone.

The Best Time to Buy a Smartphone

Apple iPhone 12

Release Date: October 2020

Best Time to Buy: September, October, or November

Apple is known for its predictable schedules, with its September iPhone launch being one of the tech highlights of every year. However, last year it released the iPhone 12 in October.

As for pricing? The iPhone 11 lineup arrived in September 2019, and we saw our first drop two months later in November, when the 128GB iPhone 11 was discounted to the same price as the 64GB model. Similarly, the first deal we saw for an iPhone 12 didn't show up until December, two months after its release. That's when Verizon offered the iPhone 12 Pro Max as part of a "buy one, get one free" deal.

For the iPhone 12 mini, prices begin at $699, while the regular iPhone 12 starts at $799. If you want the iPhone 12 Pro version, prices begin at $999, or $1,099 for the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G / S21+ 5G / S21 Ultra 5G

Release Date: January 29, 2021

Best Time to Buy: May, July, or November

Samsung released its Galaxy S20 lineup in March 2020, and it didn't take long for the discounts to appear. With the Galaxy S20  priced from $999.99  we saw the first discount two months after release in May; that's when the phone cost as little as $390 with an eligible trade-in. The Galaxy S20+ started at $1,199.99, but we saw unlocked models dip down to $650 back in July.

The base price for each phone in the Samsung Galaxy S21 lineup is already $200 cheaper than the previous generation.

And then there was the premium Galaxy S20 Ultra. Samsung positioned it as its topmost tier of devices, and it started at $1,399.99, but we saw unlocked models drop to $875 in July.

Samsung is bringing back the same tiers for the Galaxy S21 lineup. The Galaxy S21 5G starts at $799.99, the Galaxy S21+ 5G is priced from $999.99, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G starts at $1,199.99. With a $200 decrease in the base price of each tier, the S21 lineup is already more affordable than the previous generation.

Additionally, the phones are being released earlier this year than the S20 devices were in 2020, so there's a slight possibility we could see discounts appear a month earlier, in April or June. However, November will still likely be a strong time for deals.

Samsung Galaxy Note21 5G / Note21 Ultra 5G

Release Date: August 2021 (expected)

Best Time to Buy: December

Samsung released its latest flagship phablets  the Galaxy Note20 line  on August 21, 2020. That was on trend with previous models' release dates. In 2019, the Galaxy Note10 lineup hit shelves on August 23, with prices from $949.99, and we saw our first significant price drop that December; shoppers could snag these devices from around $700 that month.

We saw a $250 discount on the Samsung Galaxy Note20 around Black Friday.

But when is the best time to buy a cell phone from Samsung's latest Galaxy Note lineup? If you're hoping for an excellent deal on the yet-to-be-released Galaxy Note21 or Galaxy Note21 Ultra, we still encourage you to check for deals around Black Friday. If you don't see any great offers then, know that we should see more notable discounts in December.

Google Pixel 5a / 5a With 5G

Release Date: TBD

Best Time to Buy: November or February

The Google Pixel 4a was released on August 20, 2020, and had a starting price of $349. Despite the already-affordable price, we still saw modest discounts on unlocked models. For instance, in December it dropped to $319, but you could save more over time by opting for a carrier-locked version. Verizon offered the phone for $5 per month for 24 months, which equates to $120.

The Google Pixel 3a, meanwhile, was released in May 2019 with a starting price of $399, and by November of that year, we saw deals that put it as low as $250.

It remains to be seen when the Pixel 5a will come out. Since the 4a arrived so late in 2020, there's a chance the 5a could be delayed, as well. Whether it's released in May or August, November should still be a solid month to watch for discounts.

Google Pixel 5

Release Date: October 15, 2020

Best Time to Buy: April

Google released the Pixel 5 in October 2020. In 2019, the Pixel 4 debuted with a starting price of $799, and by November of the same year, we saw deals for the phone starting at just $599.

The Pixel 5 has a smaller starting price of $699, already more affordable than other flagship brands. We saw a lack of deals around Black Friday, though, save for a $200-off deal at Best Buy that required qualified activation through Verizon. And we haven't seen many discounts as of this writing. They've been particularly modest, with a $50 drop the most common savings. However, we do expect to see some better offers pop up in April.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip / Z Flip 5G

Release Date: February 14 / August 7, 2020

Best Time to Buy: November or January

Samsung released its Galaxy Z Flip in February 2020, and we didn't see the first price drop on it until July. The phone had a starting price of $1,380, but the discount dropped it to $600 when users opted for a 30-month installment plan. That's still the only deal we've seen for the Galaxy Z Flip, which now costs from $1,299.99. However, now that it's been out for close to a year, we'll hopefully see more discounts.

Samsung also released a 5G version of the Galaxy Z Flip on August 7, 2020. The starting price is a hefty $1,449.99, but we've seen a few deals  more than we have for the regular Z Flip, in fact.

As soon as September 2020, we saw an offer for up to $650 off with a valid trade-in. Alternatively, another deal for the Z Flip 5G dropped its starting price to $800 with a valid trade-in. Then in November, we saw the same phone drop to a starting price of $450 with a valid trade-in.

It's important to note that these offers were all through Samsung itself, so that may be your best bet for finding a solid deal.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G

Release Date: September 18, 2020

Best Time to Buy: November

Samsung had a troublesome initial release for its Galaxy Fold phone in early 2019, with outlets like The Verge reporting screens breaking after only one day. Industry reviewers were cautiously optimistic about the next iteration of Samsung's foldable smartphone.

SEE ALSO: When Is the Best Time to Buy a TV?

Don't be confused: It's called the Galaxy Z Fold2, but it's the successor to the Galaxy Fold  Samsung has simply decided to brand its foldable smartphones line with the "Z" moniker. The phone has a starting price of $1,999.99, which is a premium price tag for sure.

Fortunately, we've seen a few deals since its release. In November last year, Samsung itself offered up to $1,000 off with a valid trade-in. We also saw an offer for a preorder, but that one only let you get up to $800 off with an eligible trade-in.

If you're still hoping to get this premium device, keep an eye out in November again this year  it's the most likely time we'll see any deals for the handset.

Readers, what new phone release are you looking forward to? And what do you consider the best time to buy a phone? Let us know in the comments below!
Netizens have criticized a teacher at a high school in Sichuan province for trying to motivate his students by asking them to deposit money  promising to give a refund to students with top scores, but less than a full refund to those with low marks.

The teacher at Fuxing High School in Jintang county, surnamed Xiao, asked his 46 students to deposit money. Those Xiao judged as good students would deposit 100 yuan ($14.5); troublemakers had to deposit twice that.

Under the rule, Xiao would return money to students based on their scores.

A netizen known as "Jin Doubeng" commented that the threat of losing money was flawed because it will never turn a lazy student who is rich into a top performer.

Xiao's program was short-lived, as the school told him to give all the money back.

Soon after the new term started following Spring Festival, a netizen spread the news online that his younger sister, a first-grader, and her classmates had been asked to pay the deposits.

Xiao said that some students thought the deposits would be an effective way to push themselves to study harder and get higher test scores after posing low scores in January.

They suggested the money plan as motivational tool, Xiao said, so he decided to try it when the new term started earlier this month, when they raised the idea again.

When the news hit the internet, the school intervened and told Xiao to refund all the money, even though some students said their parents knew what was going on and were not opposed.

The Jintang county Bureau of Education is investigating the case, saying it is improper to use a threat of financial penalties to push students to improve their schoolwork.
Deng Hui of Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, who's also a NPC deputy. [Photo by Jiang Xingguang/chinadaily.com.cn]

The essence of building double first-class universities is innovation, said Deng Hui, vice president of Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, who is also a NPC deputy in an exclusive interview with chinadaily.com.cn on March 4.

The term "double first-class university" refers to the terms "world-class university" and "first-class discipline", which were approved by China's national deepening reform lead group in 2016 as a new impetus for the development of China's higher education sector.

"Innovation can lead to entrepreneurship," said professor Deng. "A school without distinctive characteristics can never become an authentic double first-class university," he said.

The two sessions -- the annual gatherings of the nation's top legislature and its top political advisory body-- start in early March. The NPC session opens on March 5, 2017, two days after the CPPCC National Committee session gets underway. Some 5,000 participants from the NPC and the CPPCC National Committee will attend the event.

As a scholar in law, professor Deng pays high attention to college innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2016, as the NPC deputy, he proposed a motion to explore the diversity in entrepreneurship education in college.

Interdisciplinary development is a key way to foster innovation, added Deng, saying that as a leading university in economics and management nationwide, his school is mixing traditional disciplines with newly-added ones.

In Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, newly opened faculties, such as the School of Information Management, the School of Tourism and Urban Management and the School of Law, are special because they blend majors, explained Deng.

Foreign talents can also help to boost the scientific research capacity of a university, and thus its innovation ability.

"We have employed scholars from Australia and improves the international financial research center," said Deng.

Distinguished scholars from Singapore also joined the university and enhanced its School of Information Management.

According to its website, the university is committed to a future as a distinctive high-level university of finance and economics, and has established intercollegiate relationships with more than 85 higher institutions in 18 countries and regions.
Gao Ling of Xi'an Polytechnic University, who's also a NPC deputy.[Photo by Jiang Xingguang/chinadaily.com.cn]

"Colleges and universities should always maintain and strengthen their traditional advantages and brand," said Gao Ling, president of Xi'an Polytechnic University, who's also a NPC deputy, when talking about how to build double first-class universities in an exclusive interview with chinadaily.com.cn on March 4.

The term "double first-class university" refers to the terms "world-class university" and "first-class discipline", which were approved by China's national deepening reform lead group in 2016 as a new impetus for the development of China's higher education sector.

The two sessions -- the annual gatherings of the nation's top legislature and its top political advisory body-- start in early March. The NPC session opens on March 5, 2017, two days after the CPPCC National Committee session gets underway. Some 5,000 participants from the NPC and the CPPCC National Committee will attend the event.

Gao said that universities, especially the typical industry-based ones, should always retain their distinctive features at each stage of development.

For example, Xi'an Polytechnic University, formerly known as the Northwest Textile Science and Technology University, has a traditional advantage in the textile engineering discipline, said Gao.

In today's innovative economy, the textile industry is no longer just common clothes, but includes new materials, such as high polymers, which are widely used in the modern space industry.

New textile materials can be light, soft, heat-resistant and environmentally-friendly, and can be part of a complete industrial chain, according the Gao.

"We should also keep in mind that the demand for tailor-made clothes is on the rise," said Gao. "So we must develop the textile discipline in our schools in an innovative way to satisfy the market."

As for regional universities located in Central and Western China, their development mode in building the double first-class universities should be different from those famous research-oriented universities in relatively developed areas, Gao explained.

When asked how to improve the students in building first-class disciplines, Gao said that his school is reforming its English language teaching program to offer students more international vision and to strengthen the foundation of various majors.

"We are doing an experiment in teaching specialized courses to senior students in English," said Gao. "I hope that more students will improve their English ability when learning about their major, and thus have a competitive advantage in the talent market."

Compared with the method of choosing a few students for the international exchange program, which usually costs a lot, the experimental method -- which relies on hiring qualified foreign teachers -- saves money and brings real benefits to more students, added Gao.

"We are always open to international professionals to upgrade and diversify the talent pool of our school," said Gao.

According to its website, over the past few years, the school has established a long-standing cooperative relationship with more than 50 universities and organizations around the world, including those from the US, the UK, Australia and Canada.
We must forget pride to map global course

As I checked in at a Beijing hotel the other day, my attention was caught by a massive world map on the wall behind the reception desk. What struck me was not its size, but the fact it was different from the maps I'd seen displayed in Europe.

In this map, the central point was the Pacific Ocean rather than Western Europe. This naturally placed China much closer to the "center of the world" than European maps.

Drawing a world map is an egocentric business, and it is not unusual for a country to place itself in the middle of the canvas.

The United Kingdom has featured at the center of most world maps since 1884, when 22 countries voted to recognize the prime meridian, which runs through Greenwich in London. This was decided based on historical, economic and cultural factors.

However, France abstained and its cartographers continued to use the Paris meridian as zero degrees longitude until the early 1900s.

In maps from 1,000 years ago, Jerusalem took center stage, as it was the center of the Christian world. More recently, you will find some world maps made in the United States in which North America is central, with Eurasia split in two, one half at each side of the canvas.

It's not too hard to understand such behavior. Every nation has its pride, while some states have a sense of manifest global destiny.

The UK, once a global power, has struggled to adjust to its more regional status since the mid-20th century, although British Prime Minister Theresa May has promised that the UK will re-emerge as a "truly global nation" after it leaves the European Union.

Meanwhile, political pundits have suggested that US President Donald Trump's pledge to "make America great again" points to a renaissance in the country's sense of manifest destiny, a rebirth in its pursuit for exceptionalism and the belief that it has been divinely appointed to redeem mankind.

China, too, has long considered itself the center of the world, as suggested by its name in Mandarin: Zhongguo, which literally translates as Middle Kingdom.

A belief in greatness may help a nation stay strong and bring its citizens closer, especially in times of turbulence, but it may not be what's best for today's world, when globalism is giving way to rising nationalism. State leaders should be calling for multilateralism, not looking to stress their countries' global influence.

China has been a staunch supporter and beneficiary of multilateralism. President Xi Jinping has repeatedly called for multilateral cooperation to address the common challenges facing the world.

Prospects for the international community may look bleak, with the aftershocks of Brexit and Trump's victory still being felt, yet there are signs of hope for a revival in multilateralism, such as the Paris Climate Accord.

At the annual two sessions in Beijing, China's top foreign affairs advisers will come together to discuss their views on foreign relations and global governance. We can expect to hear more calls for multilateralism, and I hope more great powers will join this trend and leave their national pride behind, at least for now.

A map is just a map. The globe will not change its shape, no matter how you draw it.

Contact the writer at zhanghaizhou@chinadaily.com.cn
Xi calls on Shanghai to lead way

Chinese President Xi Jinping joins a panel discussion with deputies to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) from Shanghai Municipality at the annual session of the NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping said China will continue to open up in all respects, particularly in further liberalizing and facilitating trade and investment, while calling on Sunday for Shanghai to take a leading role in deepening reform and boosting innovation.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during a panel discussion with Shanghai lawmakers at the National People's Congress annual plenary session.

"The door of China's opening-up will not close," Xi said, mentioning that creating the pilot free trade zone in Shanghai was a strategic move by the CPC Central Committee.

The zone, inaugurated in 2013, has seen about 40,000 new enterprises emerge.

Shanghai also should make a difference in deepening free trade zone reforms, advancing the construction of scientific innovation centers and social governance innovation, and strengthening CPC discipline, Xi said.

The president said the city should be bold in its pilot projects, expanding its role as a testing ground for further reform and opening-up. He also urged the city to push forward with free trade and facilitation of investment. Its free trade zone should become a bridgehead for the country's Belt and Road Initiative and help market entities go global, he said. That way, Shanghai can achieve innovative results that can be adopted by other regions.

China faced a complex global situation and downward pressure on its domestic economy in the past year, but the nation kept "seeking progress while maintaining stability", pushed forward on supply-side structural reform, and achieved its goals of economic and social development, Xi said.

The president recognized the achievements of Shanghai authorities in the past year in areas such as boosting innovation, optimizing economic structures and deepening reform.

The key to the supply-side structural reform is innovation, Xi said. He urged breakthroughs in key technology areas. He also advocated educational reform to create the talent needed for the country's development.

Xi said Shanghai should explore new ways of social governance that fit a super municipality. He suggested use of information technology, including the internet and big data, to enhance intelligent city management to make the city more orderly, safer and cleaner.

The president also vowed to strengthen the discipline of the Communist Party of China. Party leaders must shoulder their responsibility in clean-governance supervision, he said.


Li to lawmakers: Time to 'make skies blue again'

Reporters broadcast news of the opening of the fifth plenary session of the 12th National People's Congress in Tian'anmen Square, east of the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing on Sunday.[Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

China will take effective steps to strengthen environmental protectionespecially in controlling air pollutionin 2017 to markedly reduce major airborne pollutants and "make our skies blue again", Premier Li Keqiang said on Sunday.

Li delivered the Government Work Report to lawmakers in the morning at the opening of the annual plenary session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

"Faster progress in the work of improving the environment, particularly air quality, is what people are desperately hoping for, and it's critical to sustainable development," he said.

The government is calling for both sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions to be cut by 3 percent year-on-year, accompanied by a sharp reduction in the density of fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, in key areas. The particles, which are less than 2.5 microns in diameter, are especially harmful to human health.

In order to achieve air quality improvements, the government will work faster to address the primary causecoal burning. More than 3 million households will shift to electricity or natural gas as a replacement for coal in 2017, and all small coal-fired furnaces in cities will be shut down.

In addition, China will upgrade its coal-fired power plants to achieve ultralow emissions, Li said, while giving priority to the integration of renewable energy sources into the electrical grid.

Additional measures will include tighter controls on the emissions of other polluting industries, as well. Such industries will be monitored continuously, according to the report.

Huang Shouhong, director of the State Council Research Office, who helped draft the report, said on Sunday: "The detailed efforts send a signal that the government intends to take harsher measures to curb air pollution."

It is determined to reduce air pollution through measures aimed at the major pollution sources, Huang said, adding that decisions have been made based on scientific research and stricter monitoring.

These efforts "will help us make greater progress this year", he said.

Zhang Qingwei, governor of Hebei province, which has suffered from severe air pollution over the years, voiced strong support for the moves on Sunday.

In 2017, iron and steel production capacity in Hebei will be cut by another 30 million metric tons, accounting for more than 60 percent of the country's total, Zhang said, adding that provincial and city governments will move strongly to reach the goals.

The renewed push has received plaudits from experts.

Xue Tao, deputy head of the Institute of E20, which is partnering with Peking University's Environmental Sciences and Engineering College in a joint research platform that includes businesses in the environmental sector, said tighter reins on industrial emissionseven the shutdown of small polluting companiesare necessary.

"High-level inspections like those headed by the environmental minister have worked, but there should be a mechanism to make the inspections regular and to conduct them over the long term," he said.

Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs, voiced his support for stricter monitoring of companies, saying this would help environmental authorities get a clear picture of emissions, which in turn will help to better regulate behavior.

He added that making it easier for the public to see the monitoring data could help the authorities in supervising polluters.
More support for families required

A mother with her two children in front of her family business in Guiyang, Guizhou province.PENG NIAN/CHINA DAILY

A top health and population expert has dismissed the suggestion of government subsidies for families raising a second-child, saying systematic policies targeting family development would work better.

Wang Guoqiang, vice-minister of the Health and Family Planning Commission and also a member of the CPPCC National Committee, said on Sunday that China still lacks family-oriented policies that support harmonious development.

"Families are the country's smallest economic units, so government policies targeting them will be better in the long run, improving family and social harmony as well," he said.

Yuan Xin, a professor at Nankai University in Tianjin, agreed: "Such policies are urgently needed, particularly with the advent of the new second-child policy, which aims to boost the fertility rate and reverse existing demographic challenges such as a rapidly aging and dwindling workforce," he said.

After the country's top decision-makers endorsed the universal second-child policy, introduced in January last year, the affordability of having a larger family has become a major concern for many couples, regional surveys have found. This has sparked suggestions, from some deputies and members of the two sessions, that the government should offer parents a financial incentive.

In thisway, the government could reward couples for expanding their family, He Youlin, former principal of the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Secondary School in Zhongshan, Guangdong province and also an NPC deputy, told Beijing News.

For Yuan, however, "money alone cannot solve all the problems that will keep emerging as the child grows up".

Instead, he suggested a series of systematic family development policies, covering aspects such as financial support, the supply of caregivers, the provision of healthcare and education resources, employment rights protection for women having a second child and favorable taxation policies for families with more than one child.

Currently, the majority of public policies and social security programs in China, including public health insurance and taxation, are based on individual, rather than family unit. To counter this, He suggested the government could exempt eligible couples from income tax or cover the fees for maternal checkups, while increasing education and other subsidies.

Ma Xu, head of the National Health and Family Planning Commission's Scientific and Technological Research Institute and also an NPC deputy, told Beijing News the government is considering addressing the financial concerns of parents who want to have a second-child, through the provision of insurance.

Couples who have two children can face even greater pressure if they also have to support aging parents, according to Zhu Yuzi, who works at Muruai, a voluntary group that promotes breast feeding in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. "If the government does not provide more support for these families, such as through preferential tax policies or care for seniors, many people may think twice and choose not to have a second child," she said.

Contact the writers at shanjuan@chinadaily.com.cn
Top nine major work priorities for 2017

The annual government work report, delivered by Premier Li Keqiang at the opening meeting of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, set the GDP growth target at around 6.5 percent, or higher if possible.

According to the report, the government must keep in mind the big picture and adopt a holistic approach, have clear priorities and focus on key tasks, and properly handle interactions among various sectors.

Let's take a look at the nine major work priorities for 2017.

1. Pushing ahead with five priority tasks through reform

This year, the government will take solid and effective steps to cut overcapacity, implement targeted policies to cut excess urban real estate inventory and carry out deleveraging actively and prudently. The government vows to take multiple measures to cut costs and use targeted and powerful measures to strengthen areas of weakness.

In 2017, China will further reduce steel production capacity by around 50 million metric tons and shut down at least 150 million metric tons of coal production facilities. At the same time, the government will suspend or postpone construction on or eliminate no less than 50 million kilowatts of coal-fired power generation capacity.
Government raises residents' income via loans, training

HARBINQi Jinming, a farmer in Suiling county in Heilongjiang province, was happy to see his family reunited this year, as his wife no longer needs to work far from home to earn money to pay off debts.

Qi, 57, signed a contract for 18.7 hectares of paddy fields in 2010, but they were hit by a severe drought and he lost more than 200,000 yuan ($29,000).

Qi fell sick worrying about the debt.

"Creditors flocked to our home, especially during Spring Festival, which drove us crazy," recalled You Jinhua, Qi's wife.

In 2012, You left home to work in Jinan, Shandong province, while Qi stayed behind and earned a living doing odd jobs.

Qi's luck changed at the end of 2015 when the county carried out a census of its poor people.

His family was identified as being in poverty as a result of a natural disaster or illness, and the county offered him an 80,000 yuan loan to help him grow black fungus.

"We sent advisers to teach people about the latest cultivation technologies," said Dong Min, Party chief of Qi's village.

Qi obtained the loan and started to plant the fungus. He told his wife to return home in May to help with the farm work.

"I saw hope of a new life, so I decided to come home," You said.

After a year's hard work, Qi had a bumper harvest last year, making a net profit of 40,000 yuan.

"It was a real pleasure to see my wife return home, and I paid back part of my debt," Qi said.

Qi also built a new house with an extra government subsidy of 40,000 yuan last year.

"If I planted more fungus last year, I would have earned enough money to build the house by myself," Qi said.

Pointing at a homestead near his new house, Qi said he bought it to expand the area used for growing fungus.

By last year, more than 18,900 people from Suiling's 6,883 households had been lifted out of poverty, but about 2,800 others remain below the poverty line.

The local government plans to eradicate poverty in the county this year by providing more fiscal support, upgrading agricultural infrastructure and improving medical treatment services.
My first time to cover two sessions

Each year, China's most-experienced reporters, armed with the best broadcasting equipment and latest multimedia technologies, cover the annual sessions of the top legislature and advisory body in Beijing.

After five years' working as a business reporter for China Daily, I finally got the chance to cover this great occasion this time aroundan opportunity that filled me with nervous excitement.

Chen Yingqun/China Daily

For years, I have watched Chinese and foreign media use all the skills at their disposal to find out the most important and valuable information about China. This year, it's my turn to help report on the meetings of the National People's Congress, the highest organ of State power, for the first time.

More than 3,200 Chinese and foreign journalists have registered to cover the gatherings of the NPC and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, according to the two sessions media center.

The two sessions, which usually offer details of the country's policy stance for the year ahead, attracts great attention not only in China, but also from the rest of the world. In recent years, the country has made "seeking progress while maintaining stability" its main guiding principle. Carrying out supply-side reform, preventing financial risks, boosting the real economy and attracting foreign investmentall these topics will be in the spotlight.

I have seen with my own eyes the months of preparation that some Chinese and foreign organizations and individuals have put into their own work for the two sessions.

One business group said they will launch a report on China's manufacturing sector to coincide with the event, as they hope reporters will read their results and take their insights to the legislators and political advisers.

The two sessions are the place where reporters can find answers to important issues that relate to all aspects of China. That is why I began my preparation for the two sessions the moment I learned I was to report on it.

For starters, there is so much to learnit took me hours just to grasp the basics, such as the functions, schedules and topics that will be discussed. I then had to learn the best way of explaining it all in English in a way that can easily be understood.

Next, I studied the long list of names of legislators from Fujian and Guangdong provinces, which I'm reporting on, and the specific issues related to these two provinces that might be worthy of international attention.

As for how I was to approach these deputies, I've lost count of the number of times I've asked colleagues for hints and tips. There are so many different ways of getting to the people that I'm interested in talking to, from knocking on the hotel doors of their press officers to stopping them in the street.

Already, I have seen many of my colleagues showcase their best reporting skills. I have also done my part, and I'm ready to do more.

Contact the writer at chenyingqun@chinadaily.com.cn
Labeling China a currency manipulator 'stupid': economist

A prominent economist has predicted the United States won't follow through on President Donald Trump's strong rhetoric and label China as a currency manipulator.

Yu Yongding, a former member of the Chinese Central Bank's monetary policy committee, said such a "stupid" action would go against Washington's own interests.

He said the renminbi would depreciate if China stops its "intervention" and the result would be bad for the US.

If the value of the renminbi falls, it will boost China's exports, which may lead to a widening of Washington's trade deficit with Beijing.

Trump declared China "grand champions" of currency manipulation late last month. He had pledged to declare China a currency manipulator on his first day in the White House, but he has not carried out the threat.

"It would be really good if he did," Yu joked. "But he didn't, showing people in the US government have told him that doing so would be stupid."

He said he believed that the US Treasury Department would not announce China as a currency manipulator in its April report.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) holds a press conference for the fifth session of the 12th National People's Congress in Beijing on Monday. He Lifeng, director of the NDRC, vice directors of the NDRC Zhang Yong and Ning Jizhe, take questions on China's economic and social development and macro-economic control.[Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]
NDRC: China's investment to Belt and Road countries exceeds $50b

He Lifeng, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, attends a news conference of the two sessions in Beijing on Monday.[Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]

BEIJING - China has invested more than $50 billion in countries along the Belt and Road since the nation proposed the initiative in 2013, a senior economic official said on Monday.

The Belt and Road Initiative has won support from over 100 countries and international organizations, with nearly 50 cooperation agreements signed between governments, said He Lifeng, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual parliamentary session.

He said progress under the initiative was "better than expected."

The initiative was proposed by China in the hope of creating a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes.

In the spirit of regional connectivity, China is working in aviation, power, rail, road and telecommunications projects with participating countries.

To further strengthen cooperation, China will host a high-level forum on the Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing in May.
Former bank chief urges regulators to be vigilant

Regulators should strengthen supervision of investment products and trading activities that exist in a regulatory void, a former bank chief said on Monday.

Yang Kaisheng, former president of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, said that the regulators should be vigilant against financial risks and increase the penetration of regulations.

As China deepens the reform and development of its financial industry, many investment products and trading activities exist across several financial sectors and require coordinated regulation by different government agencies, Yang said.

"We should be cautious about the potential risks, especially those that are not on the radar of the regulators," Yang told reporters.

The Chinese central government has made financial risk prevention a key task this year.

Premier Li Keqiang said in the Government Work Report on Sunday that China should be cautious about the accumulation of financial risks and should "build a strong firewall" against the risks.

Yang said the Chinese banking industry is capable of guarding against the potential risks and losses from the non-performing loans as the industry has maintained a NPL provision coverage ratio of more than 170 percent.
NPC deputy calls for national strategy to develop AI

Lei Jun, deputy to the National People's Congress, speaks to media, on March 6, 2017 during a press conference held in Beijing. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/ chinadaily.com.cn]

The feverish development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the country needs government guidance.

Lei Jun, deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), called on the government to lay down top-down structures and special planning on the development of AI at a news conference held on Monday during the country's annual legislative and political advisory meetings.

"The success of AlphaGo, powered by Deep Learning technology, had drawn the attention of the general public on AI and it may drive a new technological revolution," said Lei, also founder and CEO of Xiaomi Corp.

Lei said in the coming 10 years, AI-driven technologies would surpass the abilities of human beings in a lot of fields.

Xiaomi announced decision to build an AI research and development lab last year. Some commercialized products are expected to be launched in the next six months.

According to Lei, "Internet Plus", the national strategy on Big Data development and "Made in China 2025" are some of the highlights in the Government Work Report that promote new technologies to boost the upgrade and development of the nation's traditional industries.

He believes that if the AI development is formulated as a national strategy, many industries and even the society will benefit from the move.

"By transforming the solid technological reserves in Big Data and cloud computing services, the superiorities achieved during the mobile internet development in the past few years will give China more opportunities to stand out from the crowds," Lei added.

This year, Lei submitted three proposals. Apart from the AI promotion one, he also appealed to stimulate the "real economy" by vigorously developing "new retail" and seizes the opportunities provided by the "Belt and Road Initiative" to push forward Chinese tech companies going global.

Li Yanhong, CEO of Baidu Inc, a member of the CPPCC National Committee, also submitted proposals to implement AI technology to find missing children and ease traffic.
Overcapacity cuts called crucial job

He Lifeng, minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, talks with reporters on the sidelines of the NPC session in Beijing on Monday.[Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]

Reductions this year's 'major task' in supply-side reform

China will further reduce excessive steel and coal production capacity and extend capacity cutting efforts to energy sectors this year, a senior official with the nation's top economic planning body said on Monday.

"Cutting overcapacity remains the major task this year while implementing supply-side reform," said Ning Jizhe, vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, at a news conference on the sidelines of the ongoing national legislative and political advisory sessions.

"Strengthened efforts in cutting overcapacity will continue in 2018."

China plans to slash 50 million tons of steel capacity and 150 million tons of coal capacity, and eliminate or postpone the building of 50 million kilowatts of coal-fired power generation capacity this year.

After completing the closure of 65 million tons of steel capacity last year, ahead of schedule, plans for another 50 million tons comprise an ambitious target, according to Ning.

After meeting the target this year, the utilization rate, or the proportion of steel capacity used for production, will be about 80 percent, a level that is normal in a market economy, Ning added.

The global average utilization rate is 68 percent, according to the World Steel Association.

He Lifeng, minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, said the economic growth target of around 6.5 percent set for 2017 is both necessary and attainable. The target is necessary because job creation is an important task, he said.

"According to our experience, each percentage point of GDP growth will help create about 1.7 million jobs," he said.

Without quality growth at a reasonable level, the country will find it hard to meet the job creation target of over 11 million, unveiled in the Government Work Report that Premier Li Keqiang delivered on Sunday, He said.

Zhang Lin, a senior analyst with dz18.com, an e-commerce platform for the steel industry, said cutting 50 million tons of steel production capacity is not an easy objective to achieve.

"More capacity cuts this year will leave no room for local governments to cheat," said Zhang.

As more factories shut down, Zhang added, relocating laid-off workers might put more pressure on the government this year.

Compared with cutting industrial capacity in the steel sector, tasks set for coal production and coal-fired power generation capacities might be easier to achieve on time, according to Yang Fuqiang, a senior adviser at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a nonprofit environmental organization.

"The binding target for coal consumption in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) for the energy sector will help China better control the supply side of coal production," Yang said.

The 13th Five-Year Plan for the energy sector, released in February, set a coal consumption ceiling for the first time, limiting the percentage of coal consumption among major energy sources to 58 percent.

Yang said that as China moves to a greener growth model and toward use of more renewable energy resources to generate electricity, the burden for capacity cuts in coal-fired power plants will lessen.

More than 20 percent of electricity in China was produced by renewable resources as of 2016, according to the National Energy Administration.

China plans to generate 27 percent of electricity from renewable resources by the end of 2020, according to the administration.

Contact the writers at xinzhiming@chinadaily.com.cn
Rural workshops manufacture a route out of poverty

China Daily

Women make camping stools in a workshop in Juancheng county, Shandong province.[Photo by Ju ChuanJiang/China Daily]

Local governments are providing jobs for impoverished rural residents by establishing a number of small businesses in villages. Ju Chuanjiang and Zhao Ruixue report from Juancheng county, Shandong province.

The 300-square-meter building with the words "Targeted Poverty-Alleviation Workshop" emblazoned on the white, exterior walls stands in sharp contrast to the brick-built farmers' houses surrounding it.

Inside the building, in Xijie, a village in Juancheng county, Heze, Shandong province, dozens of farmers were sorting hair ready for distribution to wig manufacturers.

Sun Zhangcun was one of them. The 60-year-old's employment options are limited because his left leg was amputated after a traffic accident 17 years ago. Moreover, his wife has advanced rheumatism.

"We can't escape poverty: I'm disabled, so I can't leave the village for work, but I can't shoulder heavy farmwork either," he said, as he skillfully sorted a clump of hair.

In an attempt to solve his problems, Sun took a job at the workshop, which was founded last year by the local government to provide work for underemployed laborers. He earns about 1,000 yuan ($145) a month.

"Now I am useful to my family. I earn my own money, which gives me a sense of dignity," Sun said. Last year, he managed to save more than 3,000 yuan after covering daily necessities and medical expenses for him and his wife.

His workshop is one of 536 that have been established in villages across the county as part of a national campaign to lift farmers out of poverty.

Raising living standards

In 2015, Shandong recorded the third-highest GDP in the country, and the provincial government set the annual poverty level at 3,372 yuan per person.

Last year, 1.5 million people in the eastern, coastal province were lifted out of poverty, and the authorities aim to raise the living standards of a further 2.42 million by 2018.

By 2020, China plans to have eradicated poverty, as defined in 2011 by annual earnings of less than 2,300 yuan per person. On Sunday, at the two sessions, the government announced that it aims to lift a further 10 million rural people out of poverty by the end of this year.

To win the war against poverty, local governments have turned to specific sectors, such as e-commerce, finance, tourism development, relocation and infrastructure improvement.

The workshops in Juancheng provide jobs for the elderly, the disabled, women who need to take care of their parents and children, and others who are unable to leave the village for long periods.

At the end of 2015, Juancheng, located in the mudflats area of the Yellow River, was a designated national-level poverty-stricken county, with 89,600 of its population of 890,000 living below the subsistence line.

"Nearly one-in-10 was living in poverty, which put me under huge pressure," said Gu Ruiling, Party chief of Juancheng, who is responsible for poverty-alleviation in the county.

Gu didn't feel a sense of relief until last year, when a number of workshops had been built in villages across the county, providing an effective way of fighting poverty.

Inspiration

County officials conceived the "workshops model" in November 2015, when they conducted research into poverty-alleviation work in Daitang, a village in the county's Dongkou town.

"We saw several elderly women sorting hair in a shabby 10-square-meter shack made from plastic sheeting and simple wooden boards in a farmer's yard.

An 82-year-old woman told us she enjoyed working in the shack because she could earn hundreds of yuan a month. However, she had to stop working if it rained and the workshop was cold in winter," Gu said.

The sight was a revelation to Gu, who found himself asking: "Why don't we build large, well-equipped workshops in villages to provide more jobs for villagers?"

About six months later, more than 160 workshops had been constructed in villages across the county. Each cost an average of 150,000 yuan to build, so the county finance department provided a subsidy of 100 yuan per sq m and the rest of the money was provided by public organizations and businesses.

The workshops are equipped with modern amenities, including water and electricity, and the operatorsmainly businesspeople from large cities, introduced by local governmentscan use them as soon as the formalities have been completed.

"We chose to build workshops in places that are easily accessible and convenient for the disabled and the elderly. Locations near kindergartens and schools are best because that makes it convenient for farmers who need to send their kids to school before going to work at the workshops," Gu said.

Daitang resident Li Aiyun is employed in the workshop in her village. She goes to work after sending her grandson to school.

"I can earn some money while taking care of my family," she said, adding that she can earn about 500 yuan a month.

According to Gu, workshop operators are required to obey a stipulation that at least 40 percent of the employees in every workshop are unskilled laborers living below the poverty line. The policy is facilitated by financial support from local governments, such as subsidized loans, to encourage the employment of the worst-off in society.

Training sessions

To provide the new employees with the requisite skills, the local government held 320 training sessions to teach them about industries such as furniture manufacture, hair products, clothing and electrical parts.

To date, 536 workshops have been built in Juancheng, and the initiative has prompted similar programs in other counties. More than 1,800 workshops have been built in villages across Heze, which administers Juancheng, providing jobs for 200,000 farmers, who are able to work near their homes. The move resulted in 57,000 rural laborers being lifted out of poverty last year.

Juancheng is known for hair products and furniture making. For the past three years, the output of the county's hair-product outfits has registered an annual increase of 25 percent.

"Hair-processing enterprises usually need huge workforces. This is the type of work that farmers can easily do and their availability means the employers' labor costs are reduced," Gu said.

According to Fan Jifu, manager of Hongjuyuan Craftwork Co, a hair-processing company, sales hit 220 million yuan last year, a rise of 30 percent from 2015.

He said the business operates nine village workshops and employs more than 700 poverty-stricken farmers at competitive rates: "The workshop model has reduced our labor costs by 20 percent."

So far, 225 companies have been attracted to four industrial parks built by the county to lure hair-processing enterprises.

Meanwhile, the county is encouraging young people who have moved away to return and set up their own businesses.

Li Zhichao, who worked in South China for six years, learned about the workshop model when he returned to Juancheng at the end of 2015 to prepare for the upcoming Spring Festival. Impressed by the initiative, he rented a workshop for 15,000 yuan a year and started manufacturing cables for cellphones.

The workshop was quickly inundated with orders, so Li rented three more. He now employs about 400 people, half of them living below the poverty line.

In addition to providing jobs, the workshops are also generating tax revenue for the local government. Statistics supplied by the Juancheng government show that tax revenue from the furniture making businesses rose by more than 73 percent last year, compared with 2015, while the tax take from hair-processing operations rose by nearly 41.5 percent.

"The workshops provide places where poor farmers can work close to home and make a better living with their own hands, rather than relying on benefits. This year, we will encourage some operators to register as businesses and expand their sales networks through e-commerce channels," Gu said.

Contact the writer at zhaoruixue@chinadaily.com.cn
Nuclear power exec calls for massive expansion of sector

A top nuclear industry executive has called for the mass production of Hualong One reactors and priority to be given to China's third-generation nuclear technology in future nuclear power projects.

He Yu, chairman of China General Nuclear Power Corp.

He Yu, chairman of China General Nuclear Power Corp, said China should build four to six nuclear reactors annually using the domestically developed third-generation reactor Hualong One to 2020, to ensure the installed capacity of nuclear power in China reaches at least 150 giggawatts by 2030.

"China needs to build at least 10 million-kilowatt nuclear power units each year to achieve the emission reduction plan mentioned in the Government Work Report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang," said He, who is attending the annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

"The pace of nuclear power projects in recent years is not in accordance with this target, and it's necessary to make sure the nuclear industry is back on track."

China's nuclear power development was put on hold after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011, with approval for new nuclear plants suspended and a nationwide safety review launched after the incident.

According to He, nuclear energy plays an irreplaceable role in China's energy security and energy structure optimization, while it will also help reduce air pollution caused by coal-fired power generation.

China added about 8 GW of nuclear power capacity last year, boosting its installed capacity to about 34 GW, according to BMI Research, which provides macroeconomic, industry and financial market analysis.

The Hualong One reactor is not only safe and technically mature, but also economically competitive, he said.

China's energy sector is dominated by coal, which accounts for 64 percent of primary energy use, way above the global average of around 30 percent, he said.

The government has pledged that renewable energy will play an integral role in the push for greener growth, boosting the share of non-fossil energy to 15 percent by 2020 and 20 percent by 2030, with coal consumption reduced to 62 percent of energy use by 2020.

China published a nuclear industry white paper earlier this year, detailing policies regarding nuclear emergency preparedness, highlighting a "rational, coordinated and balanced" approach to nuclear security.

China had "the most advanced technology and most stringent standards" to ensure the safe and efficient development of nuclear power, it said.

While developing nuclear power projects in the domestic market, China is actively exploring overseas markets to export its advanced equipment in the sector.

The United Kingdom government has started an assessment of CGN's plan to build a nuclear power plant at Bradwell in southeastern England. The chances are high that the Hualong One reactor will pass the UK's approval.

"CGN has vast experience building nuclear power facilities in China and there should be a reasonable chance that the parameters are met," said Joseph Jacobelli, a senior analyst with Asia utilities and infrastructure research at Bloomberg Intelligence.
Ningxia a leader in Arab economic links

The Belt and Road Initiative has made the landlocked Ningxia Hui autonomous region the frontier for opening-up and taking the lead in economic cooperation with Arab and other majority-Muslim countries, the region's top official said.

"Businesses from Arab countries have shown increasing interest in seeking cooperation opportunities with us after the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative," Li Jianhua, Party chief of Ningxia, said in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

The initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, aims to revive the ancient Silk Road with a focus on trade and infrastructure.

"Although Ningxia has no land or seaports, the initiative has put us on the main stage of opening-up," Li said. The region will become a strategic transit point on the economic belt, he said.

Ningxia is the home of more than 20 percent of China's Hui people, the majority of whom are Muslim. The regional government believes that a resulting mutual understanding in religion and culture has given the region advantages in working with Arab and other Muslim countries in the sectors of halal food and energy.

The region has deepened cooperation with those countries and others covered by the Belt and Road Initiative with the central government's backing. In May 2016, Ningxia built an industrial park in Oman that has attracted 14 investment projects. Chinese companies will soon occupy space in the industrial park it built in Saudi Arabia. Ningxia also plans to build an industrial park in Mauritania. Those facilities will serve as platforms, providing services for Chinese companies.

Ningxia also will step up the process of setting up support centers in the region to better help Chinese and Arab companies in technology exchanges and solving disputes, Li said.

To improve connectivity, Ningxia has started the construction of three high-speed railways and launched 11 international air routes.

"The popularity of the flight between the regional capital of Yinchuan and Dubai, a city in the United Arab Emirates, has gone beyond our expectations," he said. Dubai-based Emirates airline launched its first direct flight between the two cities in May 2016.

Ningxia this year will host the third China-Arab States Expo, a trade and cultural event meant to deepen cooperation with Arab countries.

Li promised to provide better services and reduce barriers for companies to settle in Ningxia and its overseas industrial parks.
Vigilance for financial risks urged

CPPCC National Committee members Li Yining (from right), Chen Xiwen, Yang Kaisheng, Chang Zhenming and Qian Yingyi attend a news conference on Monday.[Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

China's regulators should be vigilant for financial risks and continue to push deleveraging to ensure healthy and steady economic growth, members of the country's top political advisory body said on Monday.

Yang Kaisheng, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said regulators should strengthen supervision of investment products and trading activities that exist in the regulatory void.

Yang, former president of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, said the risks in China's financial industry are under control, but regulators should increase the penetration of regulation.

Yang said the Chinese banking industry is capable of guarding against the potential risks and losses from non-performing loans, since the industry has maintained an NPL provision coverage ratio of more than 170 percent.

Qian Yingyi, dean of the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management and a member of the CPPCC National Committee, said the government should strike a fine balance between maintaining stable growth and pushing financial deleveraging.

"Growth stability should be the first and foremost issue. Pushing the financial deleveraging too hard could run the risk of causing sharp volatilities in the short term," he said.

The government has set the growth target for this year at around 6.5 percent, which is interpreted by economists as an indication that the growth-reform trade-off has tilted toward reform.

Li Yining, a leading economist at Peking University and a member of the CPPCC National Committee, said, "Whether we can achieve a growth rate higher than 6.5 percent this year depends on the efficiency of the economy."
The U.S. Army is dispatching two specially modified Stryker vehicles designed to combat unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS). Developed as C-UAS Mobile Integrated Capability (CMIC) demonstrators the vehicles were evaluated during the recent Army Warfighting Assessment exercise at Fort Sill in October. The vehicles were flown to Germany last month to be tested with operational units in Europe. The deployment was requested by officials from US Army Europe.

We know our enemy is using these capabilities, said Maj. Russell Micho, who works for the Capabilities Development Integration Directorate at Fort Sill, OK. This threat exists. ISIS is using drones. The enemy is attaching bombs to drones and dropping them on friendly forces and civilians. This threat didnt exist five years ago.

In response to the growing threat, developers worked to create a prototype to help detect, identify, and defeat these unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), said Scott McClellan, Fires Support Branch chief at Fort Sill. The result was the development of two counter UAS mobile integrated capabilities, better known as CMIC.

Taking two existing Stryker vehicles (a tactical armored vehicle) McClellan and the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center Science and Technology team took various systems that traditionally have little to do with one another, and created software to integrate them. We made some changes such as adding a larger optic, said McClellan. The standard size of targets are changing. Tank size was the normal size in the past, but now with new technology and with new threats we have to find small objects that are oftentimes impossible to see with the naked eye.

McClellan called the CMICs a rapid prototype, but in truth, the two Europe-bound CMIC vehicles took two years to develop. The initial experimentation began in 2014 at Fort Sills Maneuver Fires Integrated Experiment (MFIX). During MFIX all the capabilities were spread across a hill and tested individually. Then, during the 2015 MFIX, they combined all the capabilities onto the two Strykers, creating the first CMIC prototypes. In the end, the two CMIC vehicles were used in two exercises at Fort Sill and two more at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Now, as they head to Europe, this will be the first time CMIC vehicles work with an operational unit, said Micho. The CMICs are joining a Stryker unit, making the transition smooth because the Soldiers are already familiar with the Stryker vehicle. However, the CMICs take with them new radios, computers, 3-D mapping, and full-motion video receivers, along with advanced electronic capabilities.

With all the new systems and equipment, Micho said the receiving unit will train for three weeks to understand how to use CMIC. Then two weeks will be spent incorporating them into the unit for them to use as their organic fire-support vehicles for the duration of the loan, which is about 180 days.

A total of nine people will go with the vehicles, said Micho. They will help with equipment training and some will stay for the entire duration of the loan to help with issues as they arise. But the intent is for Soldiers to use the equipment and report back on how to improve on it.

The team at Fort Bliss, TX developed another CMIC application using two HMMWVs carrying several sensors dedicated for the C-UAS role. The systems used with these prototypes are mostly in use by the Army, thus enabling rapid deployment and integration with the active force, if required. The systems on board include the Q-50 Counterfire Radar System, Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder (LLDR) and mast mounted Venom target acquisition payload, providing visual identification of targets. The radar that was originally designed to detect mortar bombs in flight uses modified software to improve detection of small or hovering UAVs. When the radar detects a drone it sends the bearing and elevation data to the LLDR which slews on the target. If further action is required, the system can direct soft or hard kill against it.

Read more on Counter-UAS in these features: (to be published soon)
Quality, efficiency should be growth focus, Li says

Premier Li Keqiang listens to an introduction by Haier Group President Zhou Yunjie, deputy of the 12th National People's Congress from Shandong province, of Haier's technology and management innovation and his proposal for building clean drinking water stations in rural areas, during the fifth plenary session of the 12th NPC, China's legislature, in Beijing on Monday. WU ZHIYI/CHINA DAILY

Services such as employment, education, healthcare will benefit





The country's economic agenda should prioritize quality and efficiency to achieve this year's growth target, and also ensure improving public services such as education and healthcare, Premier Li Keqiang told lawmakers on Monday.

The Government Work Report set a target of around 6.5 percent, which is a medium high-speed growth in line with economic laws for the country's $11 trillion economy, Li told deputies of the National People's Congress from the Shandong delegation during a panel discussion on Monday morning.

The economic growth will shore up employment, and the focus of this year's work should be on improving quality and efficiency by further reform and opening-up to strengthen intrinsic vitality, Li added.

Shandong reported GDP of 6.7 trillion yuan ($972 billion) last year, or nearly 10 percent of China's GDP.

The premier said that ensuring medium high-speed economic growth must take supply-side structural reform as its central work while industrial transformation and economic upgrading are promoted.

The premier also called for continued administrative streamlining, lower institutional costs for enterprises and creating an inclusive and fair environment. Meanwhile, entrepreneurship and innovation should be encouraged to boost the transformation of traditional industries and cultivate new growth momentum, he said.

Li said economic achievements will be embodied in boosting employment, education, healthcare, social security, housing and environmental protection.

On Monday, another four members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee joined discussions of NPC deputies and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said during discussions with deputies from Macao and Hong Kong that the country has made enormous progressincluding new achievements while implementing the One Country, Two Systems policy since the 18th Party Congress in 2012.

At a meeting of sectors of the China Democratic League and public figures without party affiliation, Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, said that General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping's speech on Sunday should be heeded regarding care and respect for intellectuals.

Wang Qishan, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, called for protecting the sources of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, while meeting with deputies from Qinghai province.

While talking to deputies from Tianjin, Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli called for steady economic development and social harmony to usher in the 19th Party Congress.
SOEs blamed for Yunnan tourism woes

Visiting seagulls near Dianchi Lake has become increasingly popular with tourists in Yunnan's capital city Kunming, nicknamed "Spring City". [Photo by Li Ming/China Daily]

The dominance of State-owned companies is a key reason behind the large number of complaints about Yunnan province's tourism industry, a top Yunnan official said.

Chen Hao, deputy to the National People's Congress and secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, made the comment on Monday in a meeting of the Yunnan delegation at the fifth session of China's 12th National People's Congress.

"Most of the tourism resources are controlled by SOEs in Yunnan. These companies, however, fail to invest enough money in upgrading the scenic spots.

They simply set up gates and charge an admission fee and fail to transform and upgrade the industry," said Chen.

He said this leads to repeated malpractices, including unreasonably cheap package trips with forced-shopping arrangements and tourists abused at scenic spots.

"Though we stepped up the efforts last year and gained some good results, it's still far from our goal (of eradicating the problem). "

These State-owned companies are "consuming tourism resources at low price" and their control of the resources has hindered the development of the industry, he said.

He said the tourism industry needs reform.

"In terms of reforming State-owned companies, Yunnan lags other provinces and is at least 10 years behind provinces in East China.

"We should promote the reforms of State-owned companies as called for in the annual work report of the State Council," he said. "If Yunnan doesn't reform, we will fail to reinvigorate the economy," he said.

Tourism is the backbone of Yunnan's economy, which attracts tourists from all over the world with its pristine nature and cultural attractions.

However, the reputation of the province has been mired in a slew of complaints, as well as videos that went viral showing tour guides forcing tourists to spend more.

In 2015, a tour guide was caught on tape verbally abusing her clients for not spending enough during a shopping stop. She questioned the tourists' "morals" and "conscience".
Wang Yuja performs with the London Symphony Orchestra in Guangzhou in 2014.[Photo provided to China Daily]

LONDON - The London Symphony Orchestra has begun an intensive period of cultural bridge-building with China aimed at promoting East-West ties and mutual understanding. LSO has completed its sixth China tour.

"We are really building the connections between East and West," says LSO managing director Kathryn McDowell.

The orchestra, whose London home is at the Barbican Concert Hall, first toured China in 2004, a special honor for the orchestra because it was also the centenary year of the LSO, says McDowell.

"We have been going every two or three years since. We have been building our relationships and profile," she adds.

This year's tour marks an increased intensity of engagement.

"We are looking to be in China every year for the next few years. It is about stepping up the commitment. This is the first of our annual tours for the next three years through to 2019," she says.

McDowell has been managing director of the LSO since 2005, and it was under her stewardship that the orchestra began to step up its China focus.

She says she has seen a positive change in British-Chinese cultural relations.

The enhancement of cultural ties between the two nations has come at the same time as a growth in the number of concert halls in China, and a related growth in interest in Western classical music.

The LSO played at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the Shanghai Symphony Hall, and in Wuhan, the capital of Central China's Hubei province.

"Chinese audiences have changed very much. There are new concert halls in so many places," says McDowell.

She praises the relatively new Qintai Concert Hall in Wuhan, where the LSO was the first foreign orchestra to play.

"It is very exciting to be in at the point where new audiences are being developed and where a whole interest in orchestral music is building. We are looking for ways in which we can help that grow and develop," she says.

McDowell says the touring program of two different but well-respected pieces from the Western tradition - Rachmaninoff's 2nd Symphony and Mahler's 4th - were chosen because of their appeal for an audience keen for the best of the Western classical music tradition.

Xinhua
[Photo provided to China Daily]

A meeting to revitalize Chinese time-honored brands was held in Beijing on March 1.

Officials from the China Council for Brand Development, China Association for the Promotion of Development Financing, China Asset Management Association, and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and representatives of many time-honored brands attended the meeting.

The plan to revitalize those brands was initiated in September and aimed to help the Chinese enterprises to better fit into the modern market.

To date, there are 1,128 time-honored enterprises in China that have been accredited by the Ministry of Commerce.

Only 20 to 30 percent of them have fared well.

Old systems and ideas in the other enterprises are keeping them from reform and renovation, says Yin Jie, director of the expert committee for the revitalization plan.

The plan will gather media, capital and those brands together and offer publicity, investment and marketing support.

It will also have time-honored brands stage road shows across the country in 2017 to attract market attention.
People look at images on display at the China Culture Center in Berlin.[Photo/Chinaculture.org]

The China Cultural Center in the German capital of Berlin has hosted a series of activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of ties between China and Germany.

The three-day Changzhou Culture Week, held from Feb 24-26, featured cultural elements from China's Jiangnan - the Southern reaches of the Yangtze River - including folk music, opera, and exhibitions of paintings, calligraphy and traditional Chinese handicrafts.

"The Changzhou Culture Week is part of the culture series of 'China Today - Cooperation, Friendship and Win-Win' to celebrate the 45th anniversary of China-Germany diplomatic relations," Zhang Junhui, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, said.

"Cultural exchanges are an important part of the all-round strategic partnership between the two nations, and enhancing such exchanges will promote understanding between the two peoples and help achieve win-win cooperation."

In the coming months, more than 80 cultural activities including music, drama, dance, creative design, literature and film will be staged in both China and Germany under the China Today project, according to the Chinese Culture Ministry.

Related:

Celebrating 45 years of China-Germany ties
Chinese power plant becomes world's largest fossil fuel power plant

(People's Daily Online)

Updated: 2017-02-28

Togtoh Power Plant in China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region officially became the world's largest operating fossil fuel power plant after two of its 660MW ultra-supercritical units were put into service, said China Datang Corporation, parent company of the power plant.

Currently, the plant has a total capacity of 6,720MW.

Located near a major coal field, the plant is able to convert about 17 million tons of coal into clean energy each year. The plant generated 339 billion kWH during 2016, or 30 percent of the total energy demand in Beijing.

Thanks to an increased focus on environmental protection, the company has successfully achieved ultra-low emissions. Ten of the plant's generating units had been denitrated by July 2014, cutting 40,200 tons of nitrogen dioxide emissions. In addition, the plant plans to perform denitration on 10 more units in the future.
A teacher teaches two children at the Bowang Liuyou Kindergarten in Urumqi city, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. [Photo/uetd.gov.cn]

MA GUANGYU, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, recently called for more investment in pre-school education and extending free compulsory education so it includes kindergarten. Guangzhou Daily comments:

Kindergarten is an essential part of a child's education. However, it is not included in the free compulsory education system, and many parents complain kindergartens are expensive and lack proper regulation.

That's why, over the past several years, there have been calls for compulsory education to be extended so it includes the kindergarten period.

The biggest obstacle, of course, is money. Some poor regions can barely support primary and secondary schools, never mind kindergartens.

But it is feasible for more prosperous regions. As early as 2011, the official investment in education per capita in Beijing and Tianjin exceeded 3,000 yuan ($435). That's enough to support kindergarten education as well as primary and secondary education.

Of course, in order to realize this more kindergartens will have to be built, more teaching staff trained, and the law amended. But developed regions such as Beijing and Tianjin could pioneer the move first and see whether the advice proves beneficial in practice.

If yes, the practice could be extended to cover the whole nation. In 2015, the government invested 2.9 trillion yuan in all education, 10.6 percent more than in 2014.

That increased spending trend continued in 2016, and is expected to continue in 2017. The government is also working hard to equalize the distribution of education resources nationwide.
Express-delivery tricycles with eight-digit registration numbers are seen in Beijing on Dec 2, 2016. [Photo/China Daily]

OF THE MORE THAN 1 MILLION EXPRESS DELIVERY WORKERS NATIONWIDE, 90 percent work without a formal contract with their employers; some of them only sleep four hours a day. The bad working conditions and low pay of express delivery workers have aroused nationwide attention. And if their situation does not improve, that might hurt the nation's burgeoning e-commerce industry. National Business Daily comments:

The domestic express delivery industry is prospering. Statistics show that the number of express deliveries reached 30 billion last year. The number is expected to reach 70 billion this year, which will generate an estimated 800 billion yuan in revenue.

It will be the tireless toiling of more than 1 million delivery workers that will ensure those deliveries are made; yet their payment is rather low and their labor rights not well protected.

Low pay and lack of labor rights protection have already caused serious problems. Many express delivery workers are quitting their jobs due to the low pay and bad working conditions.

If that trend continues, the prosperity of the e-commerce industry, which relies heavily on their efforts, will be unsustainable.

In order to reverse the trend, the rights of delivery workers must be better protected. There are many things that can be done: standard labor contracts can be drawn up and made mandatory for the industry, companies that violate the rights of their employees can be punished, and the industry as a whole can be better regulated.

Ordinary residents can also play a role. Many express delivery workers complain that customers don't show them any courtesy and treat them like servants. They should be encouraged to change their attitude.

More important, a long-term plan is needed for the express delivery industry. Currently the industry relies on cheap, not quality, labor. The government needs to improve the quality of the labor force through training and education, so as to make the industry sustainable.
A boy with his younger brother. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

THE LOW BIRTH RATE has been a focus for discussions at the ongoing annual sessions of the National People's Congress, the nation's top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body. Liu Dajun, a CPPCC National Committee member, has suggested offering subsidies to encourage couples to have a second child. Beijing News comments:

One year has passed since China revised its family planning policy to, in principle, allow every couple to have two children. However, that move has not raised the birth rate as expected.

Other policies are needed to encourage people to have more children. There are many couples hesitating to have a second child because of the cost of raising children.

A survey of dozens of families in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, found that it costs at least 200,000 yuan ($29,000) to raise a child over the first six years. However, the average wage in the city was just 6,911 yuan a month last year.

That is why many couples complain they "cannot afford to" have a second child, it's just too expensive.

The best solution to the problem lies in easing the economic burden of parents by subsidizing them. It has long been common practice in many developed countries to offer better social welfare to families so that they are willing to have more children.

In fact, providing government subsidies to encourage couples to have a second child is already being considered, as Wang Pei'an, deputy head of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said recently. We hope such measures are introduced as soon as possible.
Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) march during the military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, in Beijing, Sept 3, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

China is willing to join hands with other countries to build a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation at the core, Premier Li Keqiang said in the Government Work Report he delivered on Sunday.

This embodies the Chinese leadership's vision for China's interaction with the outside world and its desire to help build a peaceful and stable world featuring fairness and justice.

The world is undergoing profound changes in both the political and economic arenas. It is facing multifaceted challenges ranging from terrorism to climate change, and injustice and unfairness still haunt international relations, with unilateralism and double standards continuing to raise their ugly heads from time to time.

However, headway has been made in resolving some global issues, including progress in the fight against the Islamic State terrorists in the Middle East, which shows the willingness of countries to accommodate each other's core interests and the spirit of cooperation are growing.

Under such a backdrop, China's stance of shoring up win-win cooperation is indispensible, as is its commitment to shoulder more international responsibilities, which will help build world peace, contribute to global development and safeguard the world order.

In this regard, its decision to expand its 2017 defense budget by about 7 percent is both appropriate and necessary, since building its military capacity is not only a necessary requirement for it to safeguard its own national sovereignty and security but also for it to better play its role as a responsible world power.

From Northeast Asia to the South and East China seas, China sees its security concerns being neglected and its maritime territorial sovereignty being encroached upon. It also feels an obligation to protect its rising interests overseas and participate in global peacekeeping missions.

All this indicates China is justified in building a modern military commensurate with its comprehensive national strength.
LEBANON  The Lebanon School Board will consider proposed calendars for 2017-18 at their meeting Thursday, one of which would change early release days at Lebanon High School.

For the past few years, except for extended days needed to make up time lost to bad weather, the Lebanon Community School District has sent home all students about two hours early each Wednesday. The time is used for teacher planning.

This coming year, however, the district is considering whether to have early release at Lebanon High School only every other Wednesday, while keeping early release days every week at all other schools.

The benefit would be increased instructional minutes for high school classes, but a drawback would be less time for teachers to meet on academic intervention strategies, Principal Brad Shreve said.

The district also noted other potential issues, such as inconveniences for families with students in more than one school and conflicts with after-school tutoring programs.

The proposed change also would affect the district's transportation division. On full Wednesdays for the high school, the district found, a minimum of 16 drivers would have to wait at least an hour between routes. Other routes would end up traveling the same area three times.

The district has proposed two calendars, both of which start classes on Aug. 28, take a two-week break from Dec. 18-29 and end school for the summer on June 8. Both also would hold parent conferences over Halloween, with no school scheduled Oct. 27-31.

The two calendars differ slightly on other teacher preparation days, with one closing on Jan. 26 and 29 and the other on Jan. 25 and 26. One calendar calls for April 6 and 9 to be preparation and conference days, the other would use that time on April 2 and 3.

Board members are expected to vote on a calendar at Wednesday's meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. at Seven Oak Middle School.
Premier Li Keqiang delivers the Government Work Report during the opening meeting of the fifth session of the 12th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 5, 2017. [Photo by Xu Jingxing/China Daily]

For those who monitor the Chinese economy, it is not surprising that its growth rate has slowed in recent years, given its restructuring and reform efforts, and the difficult external economic environment.

Yet, despite this, they will be aware that it has remained one of the main engines for the global economy.

The Government Work Report, delivered by Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday, summed up the hard-won achievements China made last year and the role the country has played in boosting global growth, which, despit its own slower whole-year GDP growth of 6.7 percent, was still more than 30 percent. To put that in perspective, by comparison, the contribution of the United States was about 16 percent last year.

However, China's contribution to the world economy is not only its own reasonably high economic growth rate, but also its restructuring and reform efforts.

For example, its current account surplus to GDP ratio has fallen from 10 percent to 3 percent over the past decade, indicating important headway has been made in rebalancing its foreign trade and domestic economic activities.

And, last year, China's consumption contributed 64.6 percent to its GDP growth, an unmistakable sign of the progress it is making in restructuring its economy, a task which Li described as being like the "struggle from chrysalis to butterfly".

China cut 65 million tons of excessive steel production capacity last year and 290 million tons of coal production capacity, boosting efforts to cut the global production glut. Li vowed on Sunday to further cut the country's excessive steel and coal production capacity this year while maintaining GDP growth at around 6.5 percent.

As well as helping to achieve the nation's goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020, the target will help steer and steady expectations while the country continues to press ahead with reform. For despite facing a more complicated and graver external situation, China will continue to work toward a deeper and higher level of opening-up.

In this spirit, Li said the country will further open up its economy to foreign investors and join hands with other countries to promote free trade. In particular, it will resolutely oppose protectionism in its different forms and push ahead with the Belt and Road Initiative by accelerating the building of overland economic corridors and maritime cooperation hubs along the ancient Silk Road routes.

In reaffirming the Chinese economy remains resilient and on the right track, the Government Work Report was good news not only for China but also the world.
On Wednesday, the State Council, China's Cabinet, published a plan on equalizing basic public services during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20). The plan aims to improve the provision of basic public services in eight sectors, including education, employment, medical services and public cultural services.

In China, it is local governments that are in charge of providing basic public services. As a result, the gaps between the services they provide can be quite large due to their different financial capabilities.

The gaps are a drag on the social development of the whole nation as they are the short boards in the bucket of nationwide public services.

The central government has been trying to balance the provision of public services by making an overall arrangement for some of them. Since 2013, it has been adjusting the powers and responsibilities of governments at local levels. In 2016, official documents clearly stated that "the central government will be given more responsibility for providing basic public services".

The latest plan takes a step further by guiding local governments to invest more in social welfare and public services.
Editor's note: During the annual sessions, China Daily has collected questions foreign netizens care most about and solicited answers from experts, CPPCC National Committee members and NPC deputies.

With the increase in job opportunities and improvement of environment in China, more and more foreigners around me choose to settle down in China. Currently, foreign employees only pay an income tax. Will foreign employees pay the insurance contribution and enjoy the same social security rights as their Chinese counterparts do?

File photo of Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization, China's largest independent think tank. [Zou Hong/China Daily]

The social security in China is far below the international levels. Many foreigners come to China and pay social security, but if they leave China, they can neither enjoy the benefits nor withdraw all their pension. In some cases, they can get the pension funds they have been contributing every month, but not the part covered by the government and employers.

China should make clear regulations on the application services, payment standards, security content and transitional pension upon departure for foreign employees, speed up the mechanism of signing social insurance agreements with other countries and establish a flexible social security payment ratio.

At present, South Korea and Germany have signed bilateral social insurance agreements with China. And the list of agreements needs to be extended to more countries.

Meanwhile, with reference to the provisions of other countries in the world, China should relax the requirements for overseas talents to receiving social security payments. If they pay insurance for a certain length of time and return to their native countries before retirement age, they should be allowed to withdraw all the money from the pension, instead of just their own pension contributions.
An employee counts yuan banknotes at a bank in Huaibei, Anhui province, June 22, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

China has so far successfully managed a gradual slowdown. The next question is how to achieve sustainable growth in the long run. Looking at the demand side of growth, investment has long been a major driver. Even though the per capita capital stock in China is still lower than in more advanced economies, a gradual rebalancing from investment to consumption is needed to avoid further misallocation of capital and its negative consequences, such as overcapacity in several industries and real estate. While this rebalancing started a couple of years ago, the most recent Government Work Report and the 2017 Draft Plan for National Economic and Social Development reiterate the emphasis on boosting consumption.

Consumption tends to be a more stable driver of growth than investment, less prone to boom-and-bust cycles than investment. In recent years, consumption has become the major driver of growth, overtaking investment. Nevertheless, when looking at the contribution of consumption to growth, which more reflects the role of consumption per se in driving growth, one discovers that it has been relatively stable across the past couple of decades. That is, the increasing role for consumption stems mainly from a decreasing role for investment.

The question therefore, is, how to realise the consumption potential? An important prerequisite is high employment rates and rapidly growing incomes. While the unemployment rate (available only for urban areas) has long been very low in China, there is less information about under-employment, particularly in rural areas, where, by definition, all people are employed. Income growth has been strong in past years, though last year it was relatively weaker, especially in the case of urban incomes. The good news, however, is that rural incomes have continuously been growing faster than urban ones, thereby reducing the urban-rural divide.

Although re-balancing is under way, its pace is relatively slow. This, to a large extent, is attributable to very high household savings. The saving rate has only marginally declined since its peak in 2010. This may relate to still very strong motives to save money related to less-than-full social security coverage and the varying quality of public goods and services provided across the country. These force people to save for their old age, in case of illness or for their childrens education, which results in lower consumption. Recent government plans including the 13th Five Year Plan on Equalisation of Basic Public Services as well as measures to increase social security coverage will likely reduce motives to save.

Urbanisation can also become a key driver of consumption growth. For the 13thFive Year Plan period, the government envisages 100 million rural residents moving to cities, extending the provision of public services to another 100 million migrant workers, who already live in cities but are excluded from the public services that urban hukou holders benefit from, as well as, improving the living conditions of another 100 million urbanites living in shanty towns. Recent OECD research focusing on the first two groups shows that rural households migrating to cities for work and granting urban hukous to migrants who already reside in cities will likely result in increased consumption and, thus, contribute to rebalancing the economy. Furthermore, increased income and more time at school, which are part of the urbanisation package, will contribute to rebalancing. However, a higher number of children in the family encourages saving instead of consumption. Urban lifestyles change consumption patterns, not only because urbanites have higher spending capacity, but also enjoy greater social security benefits and access to higher quality public services.

The author is Head of China Desk, Economics Department of OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development).
Mother looks after her new foal in the first few minutes of its new life. [Photo by Zhang Shu/ts.cn]

Xinjiang Ancient Ecological Park, located in the Urumqi High-tech Industrial Development Zone, a park famed for rearing the much-coveted Akhal-Teke breed of horse welcomed the birth of a beautiful black foal on Feb 27.

The park is the Chinas largest exhibit base for Akhal-Teke horses and it boasts some 50 Akhal-Teke horses, prized horses that are renowned for their speed and endurance and can fetch around one million yuan ($145,000) at auction.

The birth of the foal caused a tremendous amount of excitement at the park and after the 40 minutes of assistance from the onsite veterinarians the Akhal-Teke horse was on its feet.

The baby Akhal-Teke horse stands up with the help of two veterinarians. [Photo by Zhang Shu/ts.cn]

The foal can certainly be considered an international horse with a Russian mother, in China since March 2013, and a Kazak father, in China since January 2008.

The Akhal-Teke originates from Turkmenistan where it is considered a national symbol. There are about 3,000 purebred Akhal-Teke horses in the world, with some 100 in China.

One veterinarian, who works at the park, checks the foals health conditions. [Photo by Zhang Shu/ts.cn]

By Sun Hui and edited by Richard Whiddington
Passes built on the cliffs and a glass suspension bridge are among the highlights of Zhusha ancient town in Guizhou, which has turned from mercury mine site to a tourist hot spot.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The Zhusha ancient town in Guizhou province once produced mercury and vermilion, accounting for more than 80 percent of the nation's total output. Now, it plays host to tourists. Yang Feiyue and Yang Jun report.

An abandoned mercury mine is shaping up to be a tourism hot spot. The Zhusha ancient town in Wanshan district, Tongren city, in Guizhou province, which covers an area of 5 square kilometers, produced 33,000 tons of mercury and vermilion from 1950 to 2001, accounting for more than 80 percent of the nation's total output then.

But the local government, which shut the mine, is now focused on green development.

"Giving priority to the environment and pushing forward green development is the best way to transform," says Chen Changxu, a member of the National People's Congress and the Party secretary for Tongren.

The local government has made it a point to develop green spaces, and Zhusha has benefited from this policy.

While the local mines have long been shut, the area's natural environment and heritage are being used to develop tourism, says Liu Xianlu, a local official.

The area is now using its mining history to interest tourists.

It has a rare 970 km underground mining tunnel and a mass of natural vermilion.

The local government invested 2 billion yuan ($291 million) in 2015 when it started to develop tourism. Its goal was to build Zhusha into a resort featuring elements from the mining industry and leisure facilities, within three to five years. The refurbished town opened to the public in May 2016.

Now, a cliffside swimming pool and a glass suspension bridge have been built in the area, and attractions like a bar street and high-end hotels will be developed to improve the tourist experience, according to Liu.
Dajue Mountains boasts an expanse of virgin forest and a diversity of wild animals and plants. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Representatives from the Dajue Mountains Scenic Area in Fuzhou city, in Jiangxi province, recently held a news conference in Beijing to promote the area's tourism resources.

The area, located along the border of the Jiangxi and Fujian provinces, boasts an expanse of virgin forest and a wide variety of wild animals and plants.

Visitors can see valleys, streams and ancient temples in the area, besides walking across a glass bridge and doing some white-water rafting.

In February, the National Tourism Administration designated the scenic area as an AAAAA attraction, China's highest rating. The area is the first privately run scenic spot in China to win this accolade.

Ouyang Quanhua, the Party secretary of the Jiangxi Province Tourism Development Commission, said at the news conference that the Dajue Mountains rating will encourage Fuzhou city to boost its tourism promotion activities.

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US President Donald Trump walks from Marine One as he returns to the White House in Washington, US, March 5, 2017.[Photo/Agencies]

PALM BEACH, Florida  President Donald Trump turned to Congress on Sunday for help finding evidence to support his unsubstantiated claim that former President Barack Obama had Trump's telephones tapped during the election. Obama's intelligence chief said no such action was ever carried out, and a US official said the FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute the allegation.

Republican leaders of Congress appeared willing to honor the president's request, but the move has potential risks for the president, particularly if the House and Senate intelligence committees unearth damaging information about Trump, his aides or his associates.

Trump claimed in a series of tweets without evidence Saturday that his predecessor had tried to undermine him by tapping the telephones at Trump Tower, the New York skyscraper where Trump based his campaign and transition operations, and maintains a home.

Obama's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said nothing matching Trump's claims had taken place.

"Absolutely, I can deny it," said Clapper, who left government when Trump took office in January. Other representatives for the former president also denied Trump's allegation.

The FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute Trump's allegations, a US official told The Associated Press on Sunday. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the request by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.

No such statement has been issued by the Justice Department. DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores declined to comment Sunday, and an FBI spokesman also did not comment.

The New York Times reported that senior American officials say FBI Director James Comey has argued that the claim must be corrected by the Justice Department because it falsely insinuates that the FBI broke the law.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said without elaborating Sunday that Trump's instruction to Congress was based on "very troubling" reports "concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election." Spicer did not respond to inquiries about the reports he cited in announcing the request.

Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to "exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016." He said there would be no further comment until the investigations are completed, a statement that House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi took offense to and likened to autocratic behavior.

"It's called a wrap-up smear. You make up something. Then you have the press write about it. And then you say, everybody is writing about this charge. It's a tool of an authoritarian," Pelosi said.
Francois Fillon, former French Prime Minister, member of the Republicans political party and 2017 presidential election candidate of the French centre-right delivers a speech at a campaign rally in Aubervilliers, Paris suburb, March 4, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

PARIS  France's conservatives appeared to be at war with themselves less than 50 days from the presidential election as Francois Fillon clung on to his struggling, scandal-tainted campaign and senior party members fought to oust him as their candidate.

In a drama-filled day, Fillon delivered a defiant speech to thousands of grassroots supporters in central Paris on Sunday, telling them that they would not be robbed of victory.

But pressure mounted for him to stand aside, and yet another poll showed him on course to be knocked out of the election in the April 23 first round, leaving centrist Emmanuel Macron favourite to win a May 7 run-off against far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

Once the frontrunner, Fillon is mired in a scandal over hundreds of thousands of euros of public money he paid his wife to be his parliamentary assistant. He denies allegations she did little work for the money, but suffered a serious blow last week when he learned he could be placed under formal investigation for misuse of public funds.

Speaking on France 2 television's evening news, Fillon was asked directly whether he would stand down.

"The answer is no," he said. "I see no reason to do that. It would lead to a dead end for my political family."

He added, though, that he was open to discussions. "I am not autistic. I want to convince my friends that my programme is the only one that can bring about recovery for the country."

Leaders of his party, The Republicans, are preparing for a meeting on Monday evening to discuss the crisis ahead of a March 17 deadline when all candidates must be formally endorsed by at least 500 elected officials. Fillon said he would be present.

After a string of resignations among advisers and backers, the 63-year-old had been banking on a big turnout at the Paris rally to show his detractors that he remains their best hope to win the presidency.

While hailing the support of thousands of tricolour-waving backers who braved pouring rain and chanted for him to stay, he also acknowledged the obstacles facing him.

"I am attacked from all sides and with all consciousness I must listen to you, listen to this massive crowd that pushes me forward, but I must also ask myself about those who doubt me and jump ship," he said.

His party appears divided, with some heavyweights attending the rally and others looking for an alternative.

Christian Estrosi, Valerie Pecresse and Xavier Bertrand, who run three of the country's largest regions, will meet Fillon on Monday to try to find solutions, Estrosi said, naming ex prime minister Alain Juppe as the best replacement.

Jean-Christophe Lagarde, head of the centre-right UDI party, which has an alliance with The Republicans, said Fillon would lead to "certain failure" and called for Juppe to take over.

Minutes after Fillon's TV appearance, Juppe said on Twitter he would make a statement to the press on Monday morning. He has previously said he would not run against Fillon's will.

L'Obs magazine, citing sources close to Juppe, said he planned to say that he would not stand for president, irrespective of what Fillon decided.

It was not possible to confirm the report.

A Kantar Sofres-OnePoint opinion poll published on Sunday showed Fillon down to 17 percent, well behind Macron and Le Pen in first-round voting intentions, and therefore out of the contest at that stage.

But it also showed that if Juppe replaced Fillon, he would go through and face Le Pen in the run-off, with Macron eliminated in the first round.

Reuters
1952  2017

The life of a wonderful woman was cut short when Sandy Pena, 64, of Stockton Springs, Maine, died on Thursday at age 64 due to head injuries sustained during a fall the previous day.

Sandy met her husband, Dennis Eric Pena, in 1973 while he was a student at Oregon State University and she was employed in the OSU Microbiology Department. They married on March 17, 1974, at the First Baptist Church in Corvallis. On St. Patricks Day they would have celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary.

Sandy and Eric moved to California one month after the wedding when he got a job at Pacific Gas & Electric Company in San Francisco. They raised a wonderful family and lived in various locations throughout the state over the next 36 years. She loved the majesty of the redwood trees as well as strolling along the beach on stormy days when the waves were at their largest.

She was always a very good student, graduating from Corvallis High School near the top of her class and the College of the Redwoods, Eureka, California, where she excelled and was selected as class valedictorian but declined because she was too shy.

As somewhat of an adventure, she and Eric moved cross-country after he retired in 2010. They picked mid-coast Maine as a retirement spot because of the combination of forest, ocean and, yes, cold. She absolutely loved the wintertime.

Sandy and Eric also enjoyed travel and they visited numerous countries in Europe. She also played a mean game of trivia, read voraciously, and watched at least one vintage movie a day. She also had an adventurous side. In her younger years she took flying lessons, and two bucket list items she never got to were sky-diving and bungee jumping.

She was predeceased by her father, Wes Harms; mother Dorothy (Fast) Harms who died in 2015 at the age of 99; and infant granddaughter, Nicole Pettijohn.

Sandy is survived by her husband, Eric of Stockton Springs, Maine; children Craig Pena and wife Jenn of Eagle Point, and Erica Pettijohn and partner Chris Wilson of Eureka, California; grandchildren Nathan Pena-OMeara, and Joshua and Nicholas Pettijohn; siblings Wanette Richards and husband Gary of Monmouth, and Darryl Harms and wife Pat of Corvallis; sisters-in-law Bernice Lindseth of Lebanon and Diane Earl of San Francisco; long-time friends from childhood Marie Haindel from Gresham and Cathy Haffner-Bender from Seattle, Washington; and numerous cousins, nephews and nieces.

Services will be held privately at the convenience of the family.

Arrangements are under the care of Riposta Funeral Home, 182 Waldo Ave., Belfast, Maine. Memories and condolences may be shared at www.ripostafh.com.
NEW YORK - Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been caught intently looking at a newspaper story about Vice President Pence's email issues, according to local media reports.

While sitting in a Boston-to-New York flight, Clinton was caught by a passenger to be glancing at a front-page story in USA Today "Pence used personal email in office."

The photo posted on the passenger's Twitter acount was quickly and widely circulated.

Clinton's 2016 Democratic presidential bid was mired in her use of private email server to send and receive official State Department information.

An FBI investigation concluded that Clinton's actions were "extremely careless" but not criminal.

Pence used his email account, which was hacked last summer, at times to discuss sensitive matters and homeland security issues when he was governor of Indiana, the Indianapolis Star reported on Thursday.

"I am very confident our email practices were in compliance with Indiana's laws," Pence told reporter Friday in Wisconsin.

He also said there is "no comparison whatsoever" between his situation and Clinton's, considering she "mishandled classified information" and "destroyed" email requested by members of Congress and other officials.
Children from both schools share ideas as part of collaboration between Shenzhen and Norfolk. (CHINA DAILY)

A new education program means Chinese schoolchildren are learning alongside British students at a school in the heart of the Norfolk countryside.

After scouring the UK for candidates, the Shenzhen Education Bureau selected the East Anglian state-funded academy Reepham High School and College as its partner for an educational exchange.

Thirty-two students, aged between 10 and 14, from Qiaoxiang Foreign Language School in Shenzhen recently completed a two-week visit to Reepham, where they were partnered with local students and attended daily lessons. The latest group was the second to travel from China to the school. In September, students and teachers from Guangming School also attended Reepham.

Teachers from Reepham have also visited schools in Shenzhen, where they have learned about the Chinese education system. The Shenzhen Education Bureau has also supplied Reepham with a full-time Mandarin teacher.

Reepham's principal, Mark Farrar, told China Daily: "It's giving our children wonderful opportunities that they would not have had. It's much more than a regular exchange. Financially, this is worth thousands of pounds, because we are getting an excellent teacher paid for by Shenzhen."

Farrar said Chinese teachers were particularly interested in the emphasis on practical skills at Reepham, where food technology, woodwork and metalwork classes are taught weekly. He said British teachers also picked up new techniques, especially in the teaching of mathematics.

"After their visit last year, the Guangming School has now built a kitchen for cooking lessons," Farrar said. "They are interested in moving beyond textbook-based learning. And we are learning from them. They do interesting activities at the start of lessons that reduce the fear of making mistakes. One of the things that impinges on children in this country is the fear of making a mistake. They seem to have got over that a bit more in China, allowing them to develop their expertise without the fear of getting things wrong."

Thea Li has taught Mandarin to Reepham students aged 14 to 17 for the past year and hopes to prepare them for their GCSE exam in the language and for visits to Shenzhen schools.

"Originally, they knew nothing about Chinese language or culture," Li said. "Now, they are doing very well. They can master around 200 characters and express themselves through key sentences. We also teach them about Chinese food and culture."

Wendy Young, whose 16-year-old daughter Alannah has been studying Mandarin at Reepham since September, says the program will provide the students with opportunities that are rare in British schools.

"My daughter is finding it challenging, but she likes a challenge. They have moved on to Chinese characters from pinyin, and, every night, she comes home and practices," Young said. "It's a fantastic opportunity, I'm really pleased it's been taken on. It will open so many doors for them."
PARIS  General Motors is selling its unprofitable European car business to the French maker of Peugeot, marking the American company's retreat from a major market and raising concerns of job cuts in the region.

Carlos Tavares (R), Chairman of the Managing Board of French carmaker PSA Group, and Mary Barra, chairwoman and CEO of General Motors, attend a news conference in Paris, France, March 6, 2017. PSA Group has agreed to buy Opel from General Motors in a deal valuing the business at 2.2 billion euros ($2.3 billion) creating a new regional car giant. [Photo/Agencies]

With the 2.2 billion euro ($2.33 billion) deal announced Monday, GM is giving up brands  Opel in Germany and Vauxhall in Britain  that have given it a foothold in the world's third-largest auto market since the 1920s. They have not, however, made a combined profit in the past 18 years despite multiple turnaround efforts.For the once-struggling PSA Group, which makes Peugeot and Citroen cars and has just recently reshaped its own business, the acquisition will turn it into Europe's No. 2 automaker after Volkswagen.Carlos Tavares, the CEO of the French company, said the deal was "a game-changer for PSA."GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra told reporters in Paris: "This was a difficult decision for General Motors but we are united in belief that it is the right one."Britain's vote to leave the European Union, which caused a plunge in the pound, weighed on the decision. "Without Brexit, we would have reached the breakeven goal" at last in 2016 for the European business, Barra said.PSA will join with French bank BNP Paribas in the purchase, which foresees taking over 12 manufacturing facilities that employ about 40,000 people, according to a joint statement by the companies.Executives insisted that no job cuts are currently foreseen, but analysts say they're inevitable over the long term.GM will keep its manufacturing center in Turin, Italy. GM and PSA will continue to collaborate on electric car technologies and maintain existing supply agreements on some Buick models.Shares in General Motors Co. were down 1.9 percent in premarket trading at $37.49, while PSA's were up 3.4 percent at 19.46 euros, suggesting investors find the terms of the deal broadly advantageous for the French company.The purchase marks a major turnaround for PSA, bailed out just three years ago by Chinese investors and the French state. CEO Tavares, recalling PSA's "near-death experience," said he hopes to parlay his success to similar savings at Opel, cutting costs through scale and better use of factory capacity.For GM, the agreement indicates that Barra decided to focus on profits over market share.Asked whether the arrival of the Trump administration played a role in GM's decision to sell, Barra said GM looked at "the changing landscape from a regulatory, a geopolitical and customer preference standpoint" before making a decision.GM could redirect the money it has been spending in Europe toward new products and services, such as self-driving cars and ride-hailing services, as well as pension obligations and an ongoing share buyback program.Western Europe is the No. 3 auto sales market, behind China and the US Opel and Vauxhall last year sold just under 1.2 million vehicles, amounting to only 5.6 percent of the market, according to GM. GM has recently shown a willingness to pull out of unprofitable regions  it abandoned Russia in 2015 as that country's economy fell into recession."Opel/Vauxhall was a profit-losing puzzle no one at GM could solve for decades, and outside forces such as Brexit and an increasingly complex regulatory environment did not help," said Rebecca Lindland of Kelley Blue Book."Unloading Opel-Vauxhall and the European part of the financing greatly improves GM's balance sheet, allowing investments in growing markets such as China and India."The deal, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to be completed at the end of this year. The companies expect annual savings of 1.7 billion euros by 2026.Amid uncertainty over Brexit, Vauxhall  and its 4,500 jobs  appears most vulnerable.The leader of the Unite union in Britain said in a statement Monday it will focus on trying to persuade the new management that it makes sense to continue "building in Britain."In a sign of the importance of the deal to Britain's government, the chief executives of both GM and PSA discussed it with British Prime Minister Theresa May. In talks Sunday with Barra, May insisted on the importance of keeping Vauxhall jobs.Factory closures are a concern in Germany as well, especially in an election year.German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries and the governors of three German states said in a statement Monday that PSA made commitments regarding "locations, employment and investments."PSA executives also held talks with unions before finalizing the deal.However, Christian Stadler of Warwick Business School warned: "I would expect job cuts. PSA has done it before and there is no other way to realistically achieve the cost savings they have in mind."

"The UK is definitely in a bad position as Brexit makes it less competitive than Germany and the unions are stronger in Germany," he said.

The price for Opel is relatively small because of a big pension contribution for Opel's underfunded plan. GM, which may take a 4.5 billion euro writedown on the deal, will keep most pension plans.



Krisher reported from Detroit. Danica Kirka in London and Kristen Grieshaber in Berlin contributed.



AP
Albany Police officer Aaron Davis approached a jumble of cars in a lot in the midday sun on Friday. He was on a "shots fired" call, so his gun was drawn. He keyed in on the open driver door on a truck. When a man emerged from the truck, Davis raised his weapon and shouted, "Albany Police! Hands in the air now!"

The man instead darted behind a car and crouched. Davis shifted to the left and fired three shots, dropping the suspect as he raised a pistol.

It all happened in the meeting room at the Albany Police department, on a giant screen. Davis was demonstrating an interactive simulator that lets officers practice assessing and reacting to various situations.

The simulator, called a Multiple Interactive Learning Objectives, or Milo range, puts officers in live action scenarios, requiring them to make decisions whether to shoot, not shoot, or use nonlethal options to neutralize a suspect. After each simulation, they discuss with firearms instructors what they saw and why they reacted the way they did. The goal is to fine tune the reaction time, situational awareness, and split-second decision making that defines almost every call for service to which an officer responds.

The officers at APD get to use the Milo range twice a year.

When Davis dropped the suspect in his simulation, the 21-year veteran instantly radioed in his unit number and a "suspect down" report and his location with a calm and concise voice. Davis might as well have been operating in a real life scenario, and that's the point.

"Scenario-based training with a judgement aspect is invaluable," said Davis, who also serves as a firearms instructor.

The Milo range was also used on Saturday, to let the students in the department's Youth Academy experience it as well. For them, it was used as a tool to give them a glimpse into the complex and extremely stressful environments cops navigate, which too often, officers say, get boiled down to a simple news headline about an officer shooting someone.

And that's why we're here: To experience the Milo range through the eyes of a civilian.

Albany Police Detective Jason Camillo runs the range, choosing the scenarios and selecting whether the subject on the screen will comply or not, based in large part on how the officer, or in this case, the reporter, handles the scenario. Camillo talks about important elements of police training, such as understanding the "totality of circumstances" in any given situation, and how to identify the "intent, means, and opportunity," that define a suspect's ability to do harm.

Here's the separation: Where Davis executed his scenario with clarity and decision, this reporter had what could only be called a duty shift filled with total failure. Over the course of five simulations, I got too aggressive with a guy in a parking lot, let a woman shoot an infant because I was too rattled to get my gun out of its holster, watched a woman get shot in a domestic disturbance call because I did not see her boyfriend's gun and managed to shoot my own partner while shooting a man with an ax.

The experience was of course cause for laughter, but more important than my poor performance was the discussion afterward. Camillo walked me back through each scenario and showed me all the clues I missed, the details I failed to process and the ways in which I either hesitated or went to hard. That is the value of the simulator, that it creates opportunities to learn, and to develop skills that are critical to success in police work.

The Milo range also serves to illustrate the source of frustration among officers when it comes to that simple news headline we'd mentioned earlier. What in the military is called the "fog of war" exists in police work as well, but when an officer makes the call to shoot someone, the shooter will be debriefed and will have to explain the action to a grand jury.

"That's a pretty stressful thing for a line officer," said Davis. Of course, also, making a wrong decision that leads to outcomes such as the ones I caused is not an option for an officer. Albany Police Crime Prevention Officer Brad Connors put it another way:

"Make the wrong decision and you end up on CNN," he said.
(Photo : PLAN) CNS Liaoning escorted by her J-15 fighters.

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Lost in the headlines trumpeting the lowest annual increase in its defense budget for seven years is China's resolute announcement it will continue building manmade islands in the South China Sea in defiance of international law, and despite an international court in 2016 declaring illegal China's claim to own most of the South China Sea.



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While the year-on-year rise in China's defense budget has tapered, the actual amount China has set aside for defense this year will be the highest in its history: 1.044 trillion yuan ($151 billion), the first time the defense outlay has topped one trillion yuan, said the Ministry of Finance.



The announcement China's defense budget for 2017 will only be seven percent larger than 2016 was made March 4 by Fu Ying, a spokeswoman for the National People's Congress. China claims this seven percent rise is the smallest percentage annual growth rate in defense spending this century.



Fu, however, didn't reveal the exact amount set aside for defense spending in a widely covered press event in Beijing.



That task was left to the Ministry of Finance, which on March 5 issued a statement revealing the true figure as 1.044 trillion yuan ($151 billion), the highest in China's history.



Oddly, this amount is nowhere to be found in the government's budget report but was revealed to the 3,000 delegates attending the ongoing National People's Congress in Beijing. The ministry had no explanation for this unusual discrepancy.



The smoke and mirrors game China played to deceive international media is a ploy meant to illustrate the stark difference between "peaceful" China, which is allegedly slowing down defense spending, and the "bullying" United States, whose president wants a 10% boost to its defense budget.



And in announcing this year-on-year drop, Fu also said China will keep building its manmade islands. She noted the U.S. "probably still worries China's capabilities might catch up to or exceed its own."



She said China as a developing country still has a great gap with the U.S. in its military capabilities "but China's military's development and construction is to continue."



"This is a requirement for the defense of our national sovereignty and security."



Fu also said China had no intention of being drawn into an arms race with the U.S., probably mindful that it was an ill-advised attempt to match massive U.S. defense spending that helped lead to the downfall of the communist Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991.



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Tagschina, military budget, Fu Ying, Ministry of Finance, manmade islands, South China Sea
(Photo : Getty Images) USS Carl Vinson.

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Anti-American Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was reported to have been invited to visit the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) currently on patrol in the South China Sea but turned down the invitation and instead sent three members of his Cabinet perceived to be not rabidly anti-American.



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Flown by a U.S. Navy helicopter to the 101,000 ton Nimitz-class aircraft carrier were Secretary of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana; Secretary of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Secretary of Justice Vitaliano Aguirre II.



They wereaccompanied to the carrier by U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim and met the carrier's officers led by its Commanding Officer, Captain Doug "V8" Verissimo.



Philippine media was abuzz with news Duterte had been invited but had declined for unknown reasons. Speculation as to why ranged from Duterte's fear of angering China to his being an emotional wreck.



This ahead of the testimony in the Senate by the police officer who once led the Davao Death Squad organized by Duterte, and which slaughtered over 2,000 persons in a drug war gone mad.



That star witness against Duterte, former police officer Arturo Lascanas, will testify before the Senate on March 6 and confirm statements he previously made that Duterte had personally ordered him and the Davao Death Squad to murder people while mayor of Davao City.



Duterte and Lascanas were the best of friends before Lascanas decided to reveal Duterte's direct hand in thousands of killings. Duterte was never brought to trial for these murders.



Aboard the USS Carl Vinson, Lorenzana praised the "strong relationship" with the United States despite the pro-communist Duterte's pivot towards communist China and the formerly communist Russia.



"We have a strong relationship with the U.S. on account of our Mutual Defense Treaty," said Lorenzana, referring to the 1951 agreement where the U.S. pledged to militarily support the Philippines should the latter be attacked by another nation.



Lorenzana also said he and his fellow Cabinet members had a "very interesting and informative" visit to the aircraft carrier.



Lorenzana is a retired Major General in the Philippine Army and was once commander of the Army's Special Forces Command. The U.S. awarded him the Legion of Merit (Degree of Officer).



A video of the visit can be viewed here.



A major reason for the strained ties between the Philippines and the U.S. is Duterte's refusal to appoint a Philippine Ambassador to the United States. The Philippines has not had an ambassador since July 2016.



The Philippines' Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Perfecto Yasay, who's an American citizen as proven by documents, said it's unnecessary at this time for the Philippines to appoint an ambassador since the consular staff in Washington D.C. is doing that job.



Yasay's U.S. citizenship disqualifies him for holding any position in the Philippine government. This fact, and Yasay's lying about it under oath and in official documents, should lead to Yasay being stripped of his position.



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TagsPhilippines, Rodrigo Duterte, USS Carl Vinson, CVN-70, South China Sea, Secretary of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Captain Doug "V8" Verissimo
(Photo : YouTube) China reveals details of first space cargo aircraft Tianzhou-1.

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China released more details of its upcoming Tianzhou-1 mission launch in April. The first cargo spacecraft is expected to dock with the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab three times, sources said on Saturday.



The Tianzhou-1 will be launched from the Wenchang launch center and will board a Long March 7 rocket. As soon as it settles in orbit, it will have a solo space travel before docking with the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab. Then, Tianzhou-1 will remain along the Tiangong-2 space lab for another two months to complete the second phase of China's manned space program, the Global Times reported.



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The spacecraft will dock with the Tiangong-2 three separate times, and during which, it will conduct refueling test procedures and supplying goods. The mission will also test a six-hour fast automated rendezvous and docking procedure.



After the mission has been completed, the Tianzhou-1 will be de-orbited and burn up in the atmosphere, while Tiangong-2 will continue to orbit and conduct experiments.



The details were divulged during China's annual parliamentary session in Beijing, which was attended by several officials involved in the space sector.



Tianzhou-1 arrived at Wenchang last month, while its carrier rocket Long March 7 is currently en route to Qinglan port on Hainan Island. It will be used to keep the China Space Station (CSS) fuelled and supply its astronauts.



The final phase of the mission, which is the construction of the CSS, will start next year. China is slated to launch the newly completed space station core module called the Tianhe-1



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TagsTianzhou-1, Tiangong-2, Space mission, china, china space station
(Photo : Getty Images) Tencent's proposal of 'Bay Area' includes Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, and Macau.

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Tencent Holdings Chairman Pony Ma Huateng plans to create Chinas own Bay Area or Silicon Valley, which is a large technology hub linking innovation, manufacturing and finance.



Chinas own Bay area would comprise technology zone from southern China (Guangdong Province), including financial center of Hong Kong and gambling city of Macau. There will be a cross-border supervisory body that would help in developing innovative technology across the three currently independent administrative regions: Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macau.



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It would set up a Guangdong-H.K.-Macau technology area that would maintain stability in the two former colonies. The proposal is also conducive to the long-term prosperity of the region especially for Hong Kong and Macau, which have untapped potential to deepen economic interdependence with the mainland.



According to Ma, the countrys own Bay area is home to Chinas leading tech industries and financial services. It is also a manufacturing hub, perfectly positioning it to become a global innovation center. Ma announced this plan at a press conference two days before the National Peoples Congress convenes in Beijing.



Hong Kong will take the lead among these cities in international transportation, as well as in accounting and financial, legal and other commercial services. Dongguan specializes in manufacturing. And Shenzhen hosts Chinas tech giants, such as Tencent and Huawei, as well as drone maker DJI, he said.



Included in the proposal is the construction of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. It will be the worlds longest cross-sea bridge that connects Guangdongs Zhuhai to Hong Kong and Macau. The bridge will provide further integration among the three regions in the proposed hub.



The Bay Area is one of Chinas most prosperous regions. In 2016, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong each either have reached or closed to 2 trillion yuan ($290 billion) in gross domestic product.



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TagsTencent, WeChat, bay area, Silicon Valler, china, Macau, Hong Kong, Guangdong, Zhuhai, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge
(Photo : Getty Images) Chinese Li Keqiang announced during the opening address at the National People's Congress on Sunday that China would be cutting down on steel and coal production in 2017 in a bid to reduce air pollution.

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China seems to be serious about getting rid of those dark clouds swirling across its skies, which are embarrassingly the symbol of the growing menace of air pollution in the world's most populous country.



Speaking at the 12th National People's Congress on Sunday, Chinese premier Li Keqiang vowed to reduce the steel production by 50 million metric tons and coal production by 150 million metric tons in 2017. This is the second year in a row that China is consciously trying to cut down on its steel and coal production as the Asian giant ups the ante in its fight against air pollution.



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Li raised the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) report at the parliament to outline some of the goals in the country's ongoing fight against air pollution. Citing the report, he said that authorities would halt the construction of coal-fired power plants with a capacity of more than 50 million kilowatts. He further added that they would reduce the energy consumption per capita by 3.4 percent and bring down carbon intensity by 4 percent in the current year.



The Chinese government will continue to bring down the production till 2020; setting an ambitious target of reducing 100 million-150 million tonnes of steel capacity and nearly 800 million tonnes of outdated coal capacity.



The premier warned that if any officials are deemed to be working against these goals and prescribed laws, they would not be spared at any cost.



"Officials who do a poor job in enforcing the law, knowingly allow environmental violations, or respond inadequately to worsening air quality will be held accountable," Li said, adding that "We will make our skies blue again."



China is the world's largest coal and steel manufacturer. This has helped the Asian economy over the years to produce millions of jobs and swell its national treasure with millions of tax collection. However, the glut of coal and steel in the country have been equally responsible for giving China the ominous title of being one of the "most polluted countries in the world."



The infamous title has brought along with it the pressure from the global community on the Chinese government to curb the menace of air pollution. Resultantly, the government has taken several steps including last year's bold decision to close down several so-called zombie factories.



Although the decision to shut down the zombie factories may have been economically motivated, it is expected to bring down the level of green house gases across the country.



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Tagschina, China steel overcapacity, China Coal Production, air pollution in China
(Photo : Getty Images. ) The China's state owned tabloid has issued a fresh warning to Indian government over the planned visit of Dalai Lama to the disputed state of Arunachal Pradesh.

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China has once again stepped up the pressure on India over its decision to allow the controversial spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to visit the disputed state of Arunachal Pradesh next month. This time the warning has come from China's influential state owned tabloid, which is known for its nationalistic tenor and whose views are often seen as a reflection of the Chinese government.



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The Global Times in its latest op-ed particularly took a critical note of Indian minister's comment about the Dalai Lama being a highly revered spiritual leader. "The 14th Dalai Lama is by no means a spiritual leader but a Tibetan separatist, the op-ed said and categorically warned that "allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the disputed area will inevitably trigger confrontation."



The nationalistic tabloid openly accused the Indian government of using the Dalai Lama as a bargaining chip to "deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia."



"However, they overestimate the political value of the Dalai Lama and his group while miscalculating China's determination to safeguard its core interests," it added.



It urged that the recent good momentum built by both nations should not be disrupted by trivial issues and claimed that there exists a great potential for both the Asian countries to tap into cooperation.



"As the two biggest emerging economies, they have vast common interests on establishing a new global financial order, tackling climate change and other major issues," it said.



The Indian government cleared the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh in October last year, apparently in response to China's refusal to soften stance on the NSG and Masood Azhar issues. In fact, the Modi government recently has increased its engagement with the Tibetan leader on public platform, a stark departure from the previous Indian government.



The Indian minister Kiran Rijiju, who is slated to meet the Dalai Lama next month in Arunachal Pradesh, told Reuters that "It's a behavioural change you are seeing. India is more assertive."



The Dalai Lama and Arunachal Pradesh are highly contagious issues in Indo-Sino bilateral relationship. The 80 year old Tibetan leader is the lone symbol of Tibet's insurgency movement across the world, while Arunachal Pradesh represents animosity over the unresolved border issue between India and China.



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TagsDalai Lama, china, China and India, Arunachal Pradesh
(Photo : PLA) Female and male PLA soldiers at attention.

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The People's Liberation Army (PLA) -- the armed forces of the Communist Party of China (CPC) -- will be subjected to even greater control and communist indoctrination by the CPC this year and in the future, announced Chinese premier Li Keqiang to delegates at the ongoing fifth session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing.



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This tightening of conformity in an armed forces notorious for a glaring lack of professionalism and initiative in the ranks appears to be the CPC's answer to the strategic challenges posed by a resurgent United States military, and a dangerous slowdown in economic growth that will stoke civil instability.



Li's main message to the troops again is the Communist Party is god.



"The government will uphold the Party's absolute leadership over the armed forces and uphold and implement the system whereby the Chairman of the Central Military Commission assumes overall responsibility over military affairs," said Li.



Chinese president Xi Jinping is Chairman of the Central Military Commission that exercises absolute control over the PLA.



Li said the central government in Beijing will pursue the CPC's goal of strengthening the PLA "in a new era."



"The government will work to build them (the PLA) through political work, strengthen them through reform, and ensure they are run by law," according to Li.



On the more mundane business of protecting the Chinese state, which is only the secondary role of the PLA behind protecting the CPC and its members, the PLA will see its military training and preparedness boosted "so as to ensure that the sovereignty, security, and development interests of China are resolutely and effectively safeguarded."



"The government will continue to deepen reforms in national defense and the armed forces," noted Li.



"The government will strengthen maritime and air defense as well as border control and ensure that important operations related to countering terrorism, safeguarding stability, international peacekeeping, and providing escort in high seas are well organized."



Li pointed out the PLA achieved major breakthroughs in the reform of national defense in 2016, "and made fresh progress and new achievements in our work to make the military more revolutionary, modern, and well-structured."



The CPC apparently hasn't forgotten the dominant role of advanced technology in the future battlefield. It pledged to enhance the CPC's capacity for innovation in defense-related science and technology and to step up the development of advanced logistics and equipment.



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TagsPeople's Liberation Army, PLA, Communist Party of China, CPC, Li Keqiang, 12th National People's Congress, Xi Jinping, Central Military Commission
(Photo : Getty Images. ) The missiles were fired at approximately 07:36 a.m. local time on Monday (22:36 GMT Sunday) from the Tongchang-ri region, which is located very close to North Korea-China border.

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North Korea on Monday belligerently challenged the international community by firing four ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan. The latest series of missile tests comes barely a month after the reclusive communist state conducted the first ballistic missile test since U.S. President Donald Trump assumed office.



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According to South Korean military officials, the missiles were fired at approximately 07:36 a.m. local time on Monday (22:36 GMT Sunday) from the Tongchang-ri region, which is located very close to North Korea-China border.



Japan was expectedly among the first countries to condemn Pyongyang's latest missile test since all the missiles fell in its territory. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo told the parliament that "strong protests" have been lodged with North Korea as he described the latest test as "extremely dangerous action" for the entire region.



The three missiles reportedly fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where Tokyo enjoys sovereign rights.



North Korea's adversarial neighbor and territorial rival South Korea was also quick to condemn the latest missile tests. South Korea's acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn immediately called for A meeting of the National Security Council's Standing Committee. He said the test signaled "a real and imminent threat to the safety of our people."



China, North Korea's only ally, has so far not issued any statement but is expected to cautiously condemn the latest missile tests. The Asian giant will most certainly come under renewed pressure from the international community to make more efforts to convince its communist ally to give up its controversial nuclear missile program.



Last month, China announced the most severe economic sanction against its communist neighbor. It announced a ban on coal from North Korea that would last until the end of this year. The ban is expected to cause severe economic loss to Pyongyang as coal is its most valuable export commodity.



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TagsNorth Korea, North Korea nuclear tests, china, North Korea Missile Program
(Photo : US Navy) Carrier Strike Group One and the USS Carl Vinson.

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The U.S. Navy nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) will keep patrolling the South China Sea until the end of July while its fighter jets fly closer to islands illegally occupied by China in the disputed waters.



On March 3, the carrier sailed some 400 nautical miles east of China's Hainan Island and northeast of the Paracel Islands seized by China from Vietnam. Some 30 F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, helicopters and other aircraft took off from the Vinson that day to enforce the navy's freedom of navigation operation patrols (FONOPS) in the South China Sea.



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Rear Admiral James Kilby, Commander, Carrier Strike Group One (CSG-1), said the Vinson will continue to patrol the South China Sea to ensure freedom of navigation. He said the presence of the aircraft carrier shows America's "commitment" and not its power.



"We have operated here in the past. We're going to operate here in the future. We're going to continue to reassure our allies," he said.



Admiral Kilby pointed out that CSG-1 is "going to continue to demonstrate that international waters are waters where everyone can sail, where everyone can conduct commerce and merchant traffic and that's the message we want to leave with people."



The USS Carl Vinson is the flagship of CSG-1. Units assigned to CSG-1 are the USS Carl Vinson; Carrier Air Wing Seventeen; the Ticonderoga-class cruisers USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) and USS Lake Champlain (CG-57) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 1.



The offensive power off Carrier Air Wing Seventeen rests on its four squadrons of McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 strike fighters totaling over 40 jets.



The U.S. Navy deployed CSG-1 to the disputed waters of the South China Sea on Feb. 18, a month later than originally expected. The Vinson belongs to the United States Third Fleet with its garrison at Naval Base Point Loma in California.



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TagsU.S. Navy, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), South China Sea, Hainan Island, freedom of navigation operation patrols, FONOPS, Rear Admiral James Kilby
Tensions escalated over the weekend at an historic church in Selma, Alabama when Alabamas Secretary of State mentioned voter ID laws.

A number of elected officials and leaders gathered at the historic Brown Chapel in Selma on Sunday to commemorate Bloody Sunday, the day 52 years ago when African Americans marched to fight for voting rights and clashed with police who used tear gas to repel them and beat them with clubs.

Alabamas Secretary of State John Merrill drew criticism when, during his speech, he mentioned voter ID laws.

We want to make sure that every eligible U.S. citizen that is a resident of Alabama is registered to vote and has a photo ID so they can participate in the electoral process at [the] level that they want to participate, Merrill said, according to The Blaze.

Many gathered at the church responded to this statement with shouts of dissent and some even got up and left the church altogether.

Dr. William Barber, President of the North Carolina NAACP, who also spoke at the event, stated, We cannot be polite about this. We cant be casual or cavalier. We have more voter suppression in recent years than weve seen since Jim Crow.

Some, like Barber, argue that requiring voters to present a photo ID is discriminatory against African-Americans and other minorities.

Too much blood is on the pews of that church and in these walls for us to sit there and not at least say, excuse me, not a cursing, but, excuse me, Mr. Secretary of State, youre wrong,' Barber added.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: March 6, 2017
Last week the government in Somalia declared an emergency due to a worsening drought, and over the weekend announced that over 100 people died in a 48-hour period.

Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire reported on the death toll during a meeting of the Somali National Drought Committee, explaining that these numbers only represented the Bay region in the southwest portion of the country. He told them, "I can confirm that Bay region in the south and other parts of Somalia are deteriorating rapidly and my estimation is that half of the country's population has felt the impact of this drought."

International agencies are drawing attention to the crisis. The U.S. Agency for International Development's Famine Early Warning Systems Network believes 360,000 children in Somalia are currently suffering from acute malnutrition. Thousands of families have flooded the capital city of Mogadishu trying to find food and life-saving aid. Last week 7,000 people checked into one feeding center there.

The United Nations had already issued an $864 million appeal to provide assistance to almost four million people in the drought and conflict-ravaged nation. The latest crisis led them to request an additional $26 million.

In addition to hunger, U.N. experts believe cholera and other diseases will pose a problem as well because of a lack of access to clean drinking water.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: March 6, 2017
When it comes to Americas homeless, Christian organizations set out to do more than offer a hot meal and safe place to stay. They believe that in order to best serve their needy neighbors, they must get to know them.

Instead of being a kitchen cook, youd be out at the tables with the people, said Jim Reese, president and CEO of Atlanta Mission, which serves 1,000 homeless men, women, and children a day in its shelters, programs, and transitional homes. How do you change lives? It comes from creating a relationship with them and building trust.

Though religious nonprofits in some locales have faced escalating restrictions on homeless outreach in recent years, their efforts are working. Researchers discovered that faith-based organizations relational approach leads to a deeper understanding of the complexity of homelessness and better outcomes for their clients and cities.

Ministries provide 60 percent of emergency shelter spots available in 11 ...

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If you don't know the inner strength of an Indian woman with a divine call, you haven't met Pandita Ramabai.

Pandita Ramabai was just five feet tall, with short black hair and small bones. Yet wherever she went the presence of this Brahman Indian womancharacterized by her grey-green eyes, shapely lips, and light complexionseemed to cast a spell over all whom she met. She was adored as a goddess when she arrived in Calcutta at age 20. Years later, when she addressed the 2000 delegates of the National Social Congress in Bombay in 1889 (the first woman to do so), she took the assembly by storm.

As she was preparing to speak on two resolutions for gender reform, her audience took some time to settle down. She remained silent and still until you could have heard a pin drop and then began with the remarkable words: "It is not strange, my countrymen, that my voice is small, for you have never given a woman the chance to make her voice strong!" From that moment on, she carried her enraptured listeners in the palm of her hand, and the resolutions were passed by a huge majority.

And so it was throughout much of India and then America: Audiences were moved to laughter and tears before responding with resounding applause and standing ovations. She knew many of the sacred texts of the Hindu religion by heart and had an ear for the varied cadences of the written and spoken word. But she also knew from 20 years of wandering the hard realities of everyday life for Indian women. It was a brave person who ventured to contradict this combination of academic brilliance and personal experience. She was a born leader, held in awe by the rich and famous and trusted by the poor and oppressed.

The renowned Indian social reformer D. K. Karve wrote, "Pandita Ramabai was one of the greatest daughters of India." As an outstanding ...
A few years ago, a book debuted featuring short biographies of people who had made an impact on Christian history. The book spanned four centuries. Of the 50 people spotlighted over those 400 years, only four were women.

Womens voices have not been as public and powerful as those of men throughout much of history, but this does not mean they were not influential, says Karen Swallow Prior, author of Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More. Writing and reading about women in history helps us all (women and men) to better understand the past in order to better understand our present and, as a result, improve the future.

Womens stories matter, not only for the inspiration and encouragement they offer, but also because the preservation of these stories presents us with a fuller, richer, and more accurate history. From the era of the early churchwhen women gathered to pray with the disciples in the Upper Roomto today, when they teach, lead, and minister to multitudes, women have always been an integral part of Christian community. Preserving and celebrating womens history is a way for us to preserve our whole church history.

With that in mind, I offer here the stories of five historical figures that every Christian should know, celebrate, and emulate:

Katharina Luther (14991550) After reading some of Martin Luthers writings that had been smuggled into her cloistered convent, Katharina von Bora decided to risk punishment by death and flee monastic life. In the dark of night on Easter eve, Katharina and 11 of her fellow nuns crept past the cloister walls and into a waiting wagon that carried them into the unknown. Two years later, desperate ...

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home World Syrian Muslim refugees in Lebanon are turning to Christ despite threats

A considerable number of Syrian Muslim refugees who fled to Lebanon have converted to Christianity despite the attacks and threats from extremists.

Abu Radwan, who hails from the city of Homs in Syria, said that Jesus appeared to him in a dream two years ago. He and his family came to Lebanon at the beginning of the civil war, according to PRI.

Radwan said that he started attending church and became a Christian seven months later. "I believed that Jesus was coming to help us, to save us," he recounted.

He and his family were baptized by Bishop George Saliba at a church in Beirut. The bishop noted that he has baptized around 100 Muslim refugees since the civil war began in 2011.

"Because [of] the constitution of Lebanon, they have the right to change their religion [here]. But in Syria, Iraq, Egypt, it is impossible," he said.

At another church in Beirut, one pastor said that his church provides food and assistance to those in need, but it does not push anyone to convert. The pastor did not want to be identified because his church fears reprisal from extremist groups like ISIS.

"The ones that accept the Lord, we put them in groups," he says. "We teach them about the Bible and the Lord so they will grow in faith," he added.

Some Syrian Christian refugees, and even Christian leaders, raise questions about the motives of those seeking to convert to Christianity. Some believe that they are just looking for assistance and help to immigrate to Western countries.

Radwan said that he receives about $200 a month from his church, and he believes that being a Christian would make it easier for his family to resettle in a Western country.

Many refugees like Radwan believe that being a Christian would give them an advantage in resettling to other countries. However, the U.N. identifies refugees in need of resettlement based on vulnerability criteria. The U.S. has used the same criteria and has not given preference to Christians.

In 2016, fewer than one percent of the Syrian refugees accepted by the U.S. were Christians even though 10 percent of the Syrian population is Christian.

Radwan said that he has tried many ways to leave Lebanon. His decision to convert to Christianity has put him and his family at greater risk.

He narrated that he was stabbed recently as he was coming home from church. He contended that the attackers were Syrians from his tribe who do not accept his conversion. His wife still wears the hijab outside of the church for her safety.

Radwan said that his conversion has made it almost impossible to go back to Syria as his tribe has issued an order to have him killed. But despite the recent attack and the threat, he does not regret his conversion.

"I was relieved when I was baptized. If I die, now, here in front of the church, I will die in peace," he said.
5 UK Pilgrim Sites Christians Should Visit

Pilgrimage is a well established tradition in many Churches  though not so much in the evangelical tradition, which tends to downplay the importance of particular places for faith. But standing where the great saints and martyrs of the past have stood can be a deeply spiritual experience, helping us to see the world through their eyes and bringing us closer to the God they worshiped with all their hearts.

Some places, like Glastonbury or our great cathedrals, are very well known. But there are smaller sites that also have their stories to tell and that give us different glimpses into the faith of our nation.

Here are five locations in the UK that can feed our faith  or challenge it.

1. The Tyndale Monument: a great translator High on a Gloucestershire hillside near the village of North Nibley is a stone obelisk in memory of William Tyndale, who worked on his translation of the Bible into English not far away at Old Sodbury. The inscription on the base of the tower reads: 'Erected ad 1866 in grateful remembrance of William Tyndale translator of the English Bible who first caused the New Testament to be printed in the mother tongue of his countrymen. Born near this spot he suffered martyrdom at Vilvorden in Flanders on Oct 6 1536.'

2. Epworth Rectory: a great missionary One of the greatest figures in English Nonconformist history, John Wesley, was born at his father's rectory on June 28, 1703. Though he remained officially within the Church of England, he was the founder of the Methodist Church. He had a dramatic escape from death while still at child at the rectory when it caught fire; he was left stranded on an upper floor with the roof and stairs on fire, but was rescued. He referred to himself as 'a brand plucked from the burning' and believed he had been saved for a purpose.

3. Tewkesbury Chapel: a great vision The Old Baptist Chapel at Tewkesbury is thought to be one of the oldest Baptist church buildings anywhere, having started life as a medieval house in the 15th century. It became a Baptist church in around 1620. It is small and primitive building a stone's throw from the town's beautiful abbey, and is a testimony to the convictions of those who were prepared to risk ruin and even death for their faith.

4. Eyam: a great sacrifice Eyam is known for the steadfastness of its inhabitants during the Plague of 1655, when under the leadership of the Rector, William Mompesson, and the Puritan pastor Thomas Stanley, they chose to quarantine themselves rather than flee when it struck the village. Huge numbers died including whole families, but the spread of the plague was halted.

5. Wigtown: A great crime The 1600s were a time of great religious turmoil in the British Isles, with Episcopalian factions backed by the Crown battling to control rising calls for reform in Church and state alike.

In Scotland the Covenanters wanted to bring in a Presbyterian form of religion, fiercely resisted by the Episcopalians. In 1685 two Covenanter women, Margaret McLachlan, an elderly woman, and Margaret Wilson, a teenager, were tied to stakes by the Episcopalians and drowned by the incoming tide. Their martyrdom stands as a terrible reminder of what happens when religion goes wrong, and their memorial is a place for penitence and regret.

Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
Actor Matthew Mcconaughey Forgot About God In His Rise To Fame, But Fatherhood Restores His Faith

God sent Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey three special gifts to make him come back to Him.

Before he became a Hollywood star, McConaughey used to go to church, saying he considered it important, "even if it was just for the ritual of giving an hour and a half on Sunday to yourself, to pray and to think about others," he was quoted as saying in God Reports.

But things changed when he was cast as the lead in the John Grisham-based movie "A Time to Kill" in 1996. It was his breakthrough movie that launched his Hollywood stardom.

McConaughey soon found himself starring in highly acclaimed films such as Steven Spielberg's historical drama "Amistad" (1997), the science fiction drama "Contact" (1997), the war film "U-571" (2000), "The Wedding Planner" (2001), "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" (2003), and "The Lincoln Lawyer" (2011).

McConaughey's portrayal of a cowboy diagnosed with AIDS in "Dallas Buyers Club" won him the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award among other awards and nominations in 2014.

As he rose to fame, the actor found himself moving away from God and he stopped going to church.

But then another personal transformation came when he met Camila Alves, a Brazilian supermodel who was a devout Catholic. He fell in love and, to cut a long story short, they got married in 2012.

Just before the couple said "I do," they made a vow. "Let's go make a covenant, with you, me and God," McConaughey told his soon-to-be wife.

McConaughey even had his wedding band engraved with the words in Matthew 6:22: "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light."

The 47-year-old actor and his 35-year-old wife now have three children: Vida, 7; Levi, 6; and Livingston, 4. Those were God's special gifts to McConaughey that led him to fully embrace Jesus once again.

The actor said fatherhood made him "more compassionate" and made him instinctively know what's important in life.

Having children brought McConaughey back to church, and he now attends a non-denominational church in Texas.

He caused a stir in Hollywood in March 2014 when he made his thank-you-to-God acceptance speech after winning the Oscars for Best Actor. What he said then is now considered as one of the most exceptional and inspiring speeches ever spoken in the history of the Academy Awards.

"First off I want to thank God, because He's the one I look up to," McConaughey said then. "He's graced my life with opportunities which I know are not of my hand or any other human kind. He has shown me that it's a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates. In the words of the late Charlie Laughton, who said, 'When you got God you got a friend and that friend is you.'"

McConaughey said God to him is someone who could answer all his questions and "who has a hand in all of this miracle we call life, which I believe is a miracle."

Here is the link to the full text of McConaughey's acceptance speech at the 86th Oscars on March 2, 2014.
Christians Face More Threats As ISIS Forms Alliance With Al-Qaeda In Libya; More Terror Attacks Feared

Christians living under the yoke of Islamist extremism in Libya face even greater danger following reports that the Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda have formed an unholy alliance in the southern part of the country.

"[ISIS] and al-Qaeda have never attacked each other here and now we have evidence that they are actively cooperating," Libyan Defence Minister Mahdi Barghathi told the Daily Telegraph.

"Al-Qaeda is providing logistics and support to help [ISIS] re-group and launch attacks," Barghathi added.

The Libyan defence chief further revealed that Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the former military commander of al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, is leading ISIS fighters who survived the attacks of Libyan forces on the ISIS bastion in Sirte last year.

Belmokhtar was previously thought to have been killed in an airstrike last year. However, his body was not recovered. The al-Qaeda leader is known to have led an attack on a gas plant in Algeria in 2013 in which 37 Western hostages were killed.

The alliance between the two terrorist groups could signal an even more worrisome persecution of Christians still holding out in Libya.

Last January, dozens of Egyptian Christian workers were reportedly trapped in Libya with all roads leading to Egypt blocked by ISIS, which has been waging a campaign of genocide on Christians.

The information came from the persecution watchdog group International Christian Concern (ICC), saying that the more than 30 stranded Coptic Christian workers had traveled to Libya for work to support their families in Egypt.

Egyptian authorities were urged "to intervene and find safe ways to return these men to their homes."

There has been no word yet on whether the stranded Christian workers were able to return home.

Based on their previous pronouncements, ISIS intends to wipe out or drive away all Christians from territories it controls. The terrorist group showed it means what it says when it beheaded 21 Coptic Christians kidnapped in Libya in February 2015. The ISIS even released a video of their gruesome act in what is now considered as one of the biggest mass executions of Christians filmed on camera.

Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Tawadros II officially named the 21 Copts as martyrs of the Church last year.

"These men paid the ultimate price, but gave us a cause to advocate for all those persecuted; they also showed us that there was a level of evil that we must all stand in solidarity against, and a level of courage, faithfulness and defiance that we must all aspire to," said Bishop Amba Angaelos, general bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church, during the one year anniversary of the massacre last month.
Churches Should Be 'More Conscious' Of The Effects Of Christian Teachings On Lesbian And Gay People

At the start of February Steve Chalke's Oasis Foundation published a report entitled In the Name of Love: The Church, exclusion and LGB mental health issues. The report argues that the LGB community experiences significantly worse mental health than the straight community as a result of discrimination and 'a sense of social inferiority', known in psychological circles as 'minority stress'. Further the report argues that the church has been a significant contributor to this minority stress and therefore bears some responsibility for the outcomes that have resulted.

Conservative Christians did not take this well. In the pages of Ian Paul's blog, Rev Peter Ould responds to the report, arguing that whilst it is undeniable that mental health in the LGB community is worse than the straight community due to minority stress, there is no evidence that conservative teaching in the church has contributed to this.

This post was widely shared.

In support of his claim, Peter analyses the result of an academic study into LGB mental health and religious affiliation. This was a strange response, as the Oasis report was not a comment on the mental health of the LGB community within conservative churches, but within society at large and the Church's contribution to wider society with its debate on matters of sexuality.

Nevertheless, treating the response on its own terms, Mouse finds Peter's analysis strange, as it seems to contradict the conclusions of the study itself. So Mouse asked the study's authors what they thought and they were kind enough to provide the following response:

'Ould (2017) cites our research (Barnes & Meyer, 2012) to show that 'LGB people do not have worse mental health outcomes when in "non-affirming" church environments.' In summarising our results, Ould misrepresents them. While we did not find an effect of religious affiliation on either depression or well-being, we found that unlike what is commonly observed, LGB people in non-affirming churches do not receive mental health benefits from religious affiliation, compared with those who never attend religious services in any setting.

'In fact, we found that LGB people who attend non-affirming religious settings have worse internalised homophobia compared with LGB people who attend gay-affirming religious settings and those who are not religious at all.

'The findings regarding depression and well-being should not mask the damage to LGB people's self-regard, which is manifested as internalised homophobia. We further found that the higher levels of internalised homophobia we found in Black and Latino LGBs, compared with White LGBs, was explained by the former groups' greater participation in non-affirming religious settings.

'In another paper, not cited by Paul, Meyer, Teylan, and Schwartz (2014) found that the risk for LGB people is very real: LGB people who sought pastoral counseling, in their church presumably, had higher odds of later attempting suicide than LGB people who sought medical or psychological treatment and those who did not seek any treatment at all.'

That was what the study's authors told me.

To put it in simple terms, LGB people in 'non-affirming' church environments have worse mental health outcomes than those in 'affirming' church environments due to increased levels of internalised homophobia. And perhaps most devastating of all is that those who sought 'pastoral counselling' were at higher risk of attempting suicide.

This is not good news.

Peter Ould is entitled to challenge the conclusions of the study's authors and to reinterpret their data to come to other conclusions, but Mouse would advise that his opinions be considered within that context. Mouse puts greater weight on the argument of the study's authors themselves.

To argue that 'there is no evidence' to support the claims of the Oasis report is simply not true.

Numerous academic studies have confirmed this. For example, one study found a significantly increased suicide rate among LGB young adults who had grown up in religious households. Mouse pointed this out to Peter Ould on twitter, although he again disputed the conclusions of the authors based on his own analysis of the data. Numerous studies in the US and other countries studies have shown that increasing acceptance of same sex relationships, and most importantly the legalisation of same sex marriage, has improved mental health outcomes for the LGB community.

The importance of this should be clear to anyone reading. It defies logic to suggest that growing up gay in an environment where homosexuality is such a 'hot button issue' would not impact on mental health outcomes. It also defies the testimony of the vast majority of the LGB community and empirical evidence. The most important thing here, however, is not to attempt to deny the facts, but to work out the best response.

It does not follow from these facts that churches should become any more or less affirming of same sex relationships - they say nothing about theology. But it certainly does follow that churches should be more conscious of the impact that their teaching has and make new efforts to ensure that LGB young people in particular are cared for within church contexts. Much has been made of the 'new tone' that is being sought in this debate and Mouse can't think of anything that would focus our minds more on achieving that than concrete evidence that the 'old tone' has been driving young people to take their own lives.

The Church Mouse is an award winning blogger and tweeter on church and society. He writes occasionally for the Guardian and tweets @thechurchmouse.

Reference:

Barnes, D.M. & Meyer, I.H. (2012). "Religious Affiliation, Internalized Homophobia, and Mental Health in Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexuals." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 82, no. 4: doi:10.1111/j.1939-0025.2012.01185.x.

Meyer, I.H, Teylan, M., & Schwartz, S. (2014). "The Role of Help-Seeking in Preventing Suicide Attempts Among Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexuals." Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior: doi:10.1111/sltb.12104.
Does It Make Sense To Believe Saints Can Work Miracles?

The Catholic Church is looking into reports of a miracle performed by the martyred Archbishop Oscar Romero that would make him a candidate for canonisation as a saint. But can someone who has died, no matter how holy they were, still work miracles today?

It seems a little improbable.

That's pretty much what miracles are, isn't it?

Good point. But I thought Christians believed that when someone's dead, they just go to heaven?

It's that 'just' that is the tricky one. Protestants have tended to teach that someone's involvement in the affairs of this world ceases on death, certainly; not so Catholics.

Explain a little further.

Catholics have a much more developed idea of the 'communion of saints', an expression many Protestants are happy to use when saying the Apostles' Creed but haven't really though through. So for Catholics, Christians in heaven intercede with God the Father for those remaining on earth; it is the Church Triumphant helping the Church Militant. So St Therese of Lisieux said before she died, 'I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth.'

Is there any biblical warrant for this?

Revelation 5:8 speaks of 24 elders with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints, but Catholics are not as wedded to the text of Scripture as Protestants. It is a long tradition, that they would argue is not unbiblical, that deceased Christians pray for and can even, through the power of God, work miracles for, the living.

It doesn't seem that unreasonable, when you put it like that.

Quite. If you could ask a friend from your house group to pray for you, why not a friend in heaven? And James 5:16 says that the prayer of a righteous person as great power, so why not ask an actual saint? And if you believe God works through individuals to bring healing  as many do  why limit this to people who are alive, rather than those who are (as all Christians would say) even more alive?

This is getting uncomfortably un-Protestant.

Well, generally Protestants would say there's no point in praying to Christians who've gone before  why not just ask God directly? This was one of the points made by the Reformers, who exposed the corruption of the medieval Church and the greed of those who profited from pilgrims' devotion to particular saints. Protestants also point out the perils of someone's attachment to a particular saint overshadowing their devotion to Christ.

And what about the miracles?

The Catholic Church is very sceptical about miracles, unlike many evangelicals who arguably go the other way. Catholics have a rigorous process ensuring as far as possible that a claimed miracle couldn't have happened naturally or through medical intervention. So Archbishop Romero's 'miracle' will be tested to destruction before it's officially claimed; the Church has no wish to end up with egg on its face.

Should evangelicals be warier about claiming miracles?

In some strands of evangelicalism, miracles of healing are just normal. But many outsiders would look at them and see nothing out of the ordinary  if someone gets better after being prayed for it might be coincidence, or the effect might not last, indicating a psychological component. Critics argue that we see what we want to see, and there's not much medical evidence out there. But that's not the same as saying God does not heal today; it's just that perhaps evangelicals ought to be a bit more discerning about claiming healing miracles.

A bit more Catholic?

Hello?

Let me think about that one.

Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
Egyptian Authorities Fail To Protect Egypt's Coptic Christians, Says Amnesty

The Egyptian government has 'consistently failed' to protect Coptic Christians fleeing ISIS in the region, Amnesty International has said.

Hundreds have fled El-Arish in North Sinai, Egypt following 40 murders of Coptic Christians by ISIS in the last three months.

Amnesty International says in a statement that Egypt's authorities needed to offer 'urgent protection' to persecuted faith community and do more to provide for those who have been displaced.

'The government has failed to take action to protect Christians in North Sinai who have increasingly faced kidnapping and assassinations by armed groups over the past three years.

'The authorities have also failed to prosecute those responsible for sectarian attacks against Christians elsewhere in Egypt, resorting instead to state-sponsored reconciliation agreements which, at times, have involved the forced eviction of Christian families from their homes,' Amnesty says.

Bishop Angaelos, the head of the Coptic church in the UK said that Copts in the area were essentially told to 'leave or die'. Most of the displaced have found refuge in the governate of Ismailia, given ad hoc shelter and provisions courtesy of churches and other groups in the area.

Najia Bounaim, Amnesty's Deputy Director for Campaigns in Tunis, said: 'This terrifying wave of attacks has seen Coptic Christians in North Sinai hunted down and murdered by armed groups. No one should face discrimination - let alone violent and deadly attacks - because of their religious beliefs.'

In December, ISIS claimed responsibility for a Cairo Coptic church bombing that killed 27. In recent weeks the jihadist group released a video inciting violence against the 'infidel' Christian faith community. Since Jan 30, seven individuals have been murdered by militants in northern Egypt, with victims being burned alive, stabbed in their sleep and shot in the street.

'The government has a clear duty to ensure safe access to housing, food, water and medical and other essential services to all those who have been forced to leave their homes due to violence and persecution,' said Bounaim.

She added: 'The Egyptian authorities must ensure that those who have fled are resettled in secure housing, have adequate access to basic necessities and are granted opportunities to pursue education and employment.'

President al-Sisi said last week that the displaced would be given paid leave in lieu of the employment they have had to abandon.

Egypt's Christians mostly Orthodox Copts  represent about 10 per cent of the country's majority Muslim population.

Amnesty says that attacks on Orthodox Copts have increased since President Mohamed Morsi was ousted in July 2013, noting crimes of arson on homes and churches, looting and physical violence against the community.

The charity says: 'Successive Egyptian governments have failed to tackle a longstanding pattern of discrimination against Copts and rising incidences of sectarian violence, by bringing those responsible for sectarian crimes to justice.

'Instead of prosecuting those behind such violent attacks the Egyptian government of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has continued to rely on state-sponsored reconciliation agreements, which in some cases have involved forcibly evicting Coptic Christians from areas where they are under threat.'

Bounaim said that the government must cease its 'prevailing impunity for attacks against Egyptian Christians, and 'end its reliance on customary reconciliation deals which further fuel a cycle of violence against Christian communities.'
Egypt's Catholic Church Praises 'Ordinary Muslims' Helping Coptic Christians Fleeing ISIS

A spokesman for Egypt's Catholic Church has praised the efforts of local Muslims to support Coptic Christians fleeing the terror of ISIS in Sinai, Egypt.

Father Rafic Greiche told the Catholic News Service that Christians need to see the difference between radical, militant Islam and ordinary peace-loving Muslims, Crux reports.

'Ordinary Muslims are kind and try to help however they can - they're often first on the scene, rescuing the injured and taking them to hospitals,' Greiche said last week, as hundreds continue to flee persecution from ISIS militants in El-Arish, North Sinai.

The priest said ISIS forces were now 'strongly entrenched' in North Sinai, having used tunnels from the Gaza strip, with the help of Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood. He warned civilians to stay away from the military zone surrounding the region, which he said was now 'under attack all the time'. He said he believe Egyptian authorities were doing all they could to rebuff ISIS forces.

'You can never do enough against jihadist and terrorist attacks, which come, like any criminal acts, at a time no one can foresee,' the priest said. 'But while no country can be fully secure, I think there's will on government side to act decisively against these constant attempts to destabilize Egypt.'

Egypt's Orthodox Coptic Christians represent about 10 per cent of the country's 82.5 million population. The Catholic Coptic Church is significantly smaller, numbering about 200,000 across Egypt.

In December, ISIS claimed responsibility for a Cairo Coptic church bombing that killed 27. In recent weeks the jihadist group released a video inciting violence against the 'infidel' Christian faith community. Since Jan 30, seven individuals have been murdered by militants in northern Egypt, with victims being burned alive, stabbed in their sleep and shot in the street.

Last week several Egyptian Muslim groups condemned the jihadist violence, and said ISIS' actions 'go against the teaching of Islam'. The country's leading Christian and Muslim clerics gathered for the 'Freedom and Citizenship' conference in Cairo, to promote peaceful coexistence between the religious groups.

Coptic Christian Pope Tawadros II said that militant Islam represented a 'mistaken understanding of religion' and called for 'fighting extremist thought with enlightened thought'.
Five Evangelical Pastors Who Back Gay Marriage

The word 'evangelical' used to be a tightly defined description.

If you said someone was evangelical you knew pretty much what you were getting  inerrancy of the Bible, importance of preaching, a focus on evangelism, warnings of hell and most of all  opposition to gay marriage.

Being anti-same sex marriage and evangelicalism used to be synonymous, so much so that when Steve Chalke announced he backed the change in law his church Oasis was kicked out of the Evangelical Alliance.

But now it is not so clear.

While still far from the mainstream and the overwhelming majority of self-described evangelicals are still opposed to gay marriage, there are a growing list of pastors who describe themselves as evangelical and yet support same sex couples.

Tony Campolo

The famous evangelist and pastor announced his change of position in a statement last June.

'It has taken countless hours of prayer, study, conversation and emotional turmoil to bring me to the place where I am finally ready to call for the full acceptance of Christian gay couples into the Church,' he wrote.

'Through [my wife] Peggy, I have come to know so many gay Christian couples whose relationships work in much the same way as our own. Our friendships with these couples have helped me understand how important it is for the exclusion and disapproval of their unions by the Christian community to end. We in the Church should actively support such families. Furthermore, we should be doing all we can to reach, comfort and include all those precious children of God who have been wrongly led to believe that they are mistakes or just not good enough for God, simply because they are not straight.'

Rob Bell

In a debate at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral in 2013, the author and pastor Rob Bell, already discredited by many evangelicals for his book Love Wins, gave a blanket endorsement of gay marriage.

'I am for marriage. I am for fidelity. I am for love, whether it's a man and woman, a woman and a woman, a man and a man ... I think this is the world we are living in and we need to affirm people wherever they are.'

He went on to give a wholesale criticism of traditional evangelicalism and in particular its own subculture: 'I think we are witnessing the death of a particular subculture that doesn't work. I think there is a very narrow, politically intertwined, culturally ghettoised, Evangelical subculture that was told "we're gonna change the thing" and they haven't ... And we have supported policies and ways of viewing the world that are actually destructive. And we've done it in the name of God and we need to repent.'

Jim Wallis

An outspoken critic of the Religious Right and president of the Sojourners magazine, Jim Wallis reversed his stance on gay marriage in an interview with the Huffington Post in 2013.

'How do we commit liberals and conservatives to re-covenanting marriage, reestablishing, renewing marriage?,' he asked.

'I think we should include same-sex couples in that renewal of marriage, [but] I want to talk marriage first. Marriage needs some strengthening. Let's start with marriage, and then I think we have to talk about, now, how to include same-sex couples in that deeper understanding of marriage. I want a deeper commitment to marriage that is more and more inclusive, and that's where I think the country is going.'

Jen Hatmaker

One of the relatively few prominent female voices on the evangelical scene, Hatmaker received a fierce backlash when she said she thought God saw monogamous gay relationships as holy.

In an interview with Religion News Service she said: 'From a spiritual perspective, since gay marriage is legal in all 50 states, our communities have plenty of gay couples who, just like the rest of us, need marriage support and parenting help and Christian community. They are either going to find those resources in the church or they are not.

'Not only are these our neighbors and friends, but they are brothers and sisters in Christ. They are adopted into the same family as the rest of us, and the church hasn't treated the LGBT community like family. We have to do better.'

Asked if she would attend a gay friend's wedding she said it was an easy answer: 'I would attend that wedding with gladness, and I would drink champagne. I want the very best for my gay friends. I want love and happiness and faithfulness and commitment and community. Yes. That's an easy answer.'

Danny Cortez

The Southern Baptist church pastor from Los Angeles, California, announced in 2014 he is 'gay affirming' and had accepted his son's homosexuality.

'In August of 2013, on a sunny day at the beach, I realized I no longer believed in the traditional [church] teachings regarding homosexuality,' Cortez said in a letter published on Patheos blog.

'And it was especially the testimony of my gay friends that helped me to see how they have been marginalised that my eyes became open to the injustice that the church has wrought.'

He wrote that many had left his church after the announcement but those who remained decided to agree to disagree and not pass judgment.
Get Ready For 'Mail Order' Abortions, Campaign Group Warns Over Upcoming Bill

An upcoming bill would remove all restrictions on abortions, leaving the door open for sex selective, late-term and even 'mail-order' terminations, a campaign group is warning.

Labour MP Diana Johnson's ten minute rule bill, which would decriminalise abortion, was labelled an 'extreme position' by Not In Our Name, a group of midwives opposed to reducing restrictions on the procedure.

'There would be no grounds on which abortion could not take place and no "upper" gestational time limit,' a statement read.

'There would be nothing, legally speaking, to prohibit late term abortions, sex-selective abortions, nor anything to stop mail order abortions, or abortion pills being handed out by school nurse clinics.'

The statement comes after Ms Johnson explicitly denied her bill would open doors to abortion on demand.

She told Christian Today: 'The Bill does not seek to de-regulate abortion or change time limits. The provisions in The Abortion Act 1967 can continue but would be the responsibility of the professional bodies overseeing the medical profession rather than the Police and CPS.'

But Conservative MP for Lewes, Maria Caulfield, said she was 'surprised and deeply concerned' about 'such a radical proposal' from Ms Johnson.

'To remove all legal restrictions on terminations would allow abortion at any stage of pregnancy, for any reason. What would stop the serious potential abuses?,' she said.

'Already within our current legal framework we have seen doctors pre-signing forms, gender-selective abortions being offered, live babies being left to die following abortions that have gone wrong and children with minor disabilities, such as cleft palate, being aborted.

'It is alarming that in the midst of such abuse of the current law, it is being seriously proposed to parliament that we join a tiny handful of countries such as China and Vietnam where abortion is legal on demand until birth.'

Abortion is still technically illegal under an Act from 1861 and is punishable by prison sentence. The Abortion Act 1967 allowed for certain exemptions where two doctors are convinced the pregnancy would put the mother's physical or mental health at risk.

An investigation by the Daily Mail found women are being signed off to have an abortion after just a brief phone call with no contact with doctors.

Marie Stopes, the UK's second largest abortion provider, approves the procedure without having met the women and with the only reason given as 'I just don't want the baby', according to the paper.

Despite the reason given not being an exception under the Act, the case was filed as 'client is unable emotionally to continue with pregnancy', the investigation found.

Catholic Labour MP Rob Flello described his colleague's bill as 'dangerous and radical' because it gives the impression the idea has public support.

'This move is being pushed by the abortion industry who would profit from all legal restrictions being lifted from their practices. It is ironic that this bill comes at a time where the private abortion industry, who perform two-thirds of all NHS abortions, have been found wanting,' he said.

'If a rogue sector cannot be trusted at keeping within the current law, what makes us think they would be any more trustworthy when abortion is totally deregulated.

More than 11,000 have signed a petition against the bill that labels the move 'abhorrent'.

An accompanying letter to Ms Johnson reads: 'Your claim that the this bill will not amend the abortion time limit is untrue. You are either being duplicitous, or are unaware of the effects that this Bill will have.'

Christian Today have approached Ms Johnson for comment.
Is Romans 13:1 Skewing Evangelicals' View Of Trump?

Just when you thought it was safe to go back on to Twitter, Trump strikes again.

His allegation that his predecessor Barack Obama ordered a wiretap of his phone during the election campaign is the most bizarre moment yet in a presidency that, barely a month in, is already littered with them.

Any lingering hope among mainstream Republicans that Trump in the White House would be different from Trump on the stump has surely been exploded by his latest outburst. This is despite an appearance before Congress which saw him widely praised for behaving like a normal president; he simply can't help himself.

Neither Trump nor his team has provided any evidence to back up his claim, which if true would see both Obama and the guilty parties from the FBI behind bars. And the call by FBI director James Comey for the Justice Department to publicly reject Trump's allegation places the president in a potentially very awkward position. He has apparently libelled Obama and traduced the FBI, reducing his already poisonous relationship to the intelligence services to a new low. Neither can afford to let the allegations go unanswered, but Trump is not known for gracious apologies when he has been shown to be wrong.

How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

So this really matters. It's gone beyond the random abuse of people Trump thinks have done him or his family down. It indicates an indifference to the importance of evidence that's deeply worrying in a role where being able to weigh the evidence is of fundamental importance. He heard an unfounded allegation on a right-wing news site and swallowed it hook, line and sinker, without asking even the most basic questions about it (like, 'Really, how likely is this to be true?').

Trump's character flaws are very well known. They didn't stop large numbers of Americans, including very large numbers of evangelicals, voting for him. They thought he'd be competent, or that he'd surround himself with competent advisers who would restrain his worst excesses. But what's just happened is so serious that no one can honestly hold that view any more. The legal consequences of what he's done aside, his attack on Obama and the FBI is so bizarrely inappropriate that his unfitness for office can no longer be in doubt.

The trouble is that many evangelicals have backed themselves into a corner when it comes to their support for him. They believe God ordained the result of this election. Trump, they think, is God's man for the hour. Some of them think this because they have a warped understanding of the sovereignty of God and the application of Romans 13:1, 'Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.' Some of them continue to back him because they like what he's said he'll do  building a wall, increasing spending on the military, dismantling Obamacare.

The first reason is manifestly inadequate (ironically, a literal reading of that text would have forbidden the rebellion that established the US in the first place). It's a licence for tyranny and throws democracy itself into question. No protests, no petitions, no nothing: God ordained your ruler, and questioning him is questioning God. The second requires just the sort of competence and attention to detail which every day of Trump's presidency shows him to be lacking.

So when will the scales fall from evangelical eyes? When will high-profile backers like Franklin Graham start calling him out when he does things that are obviously wrong, as well as praising him for the things they think he's getting right? Because at the moment, US evangelicals are in the horrible position of identifying themselves with a man America is realising cannot do the job it elected him to do. When he falls  and that's looking increasingly likely  the consequences for those who've hitched their wagon to him will be grim.

Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
Married Church Minister Found Hanged After Being Accused Of Seven Affairs With Different Women

A church minister's legacy has been thrown into turmoil after his widow allegedly accused him of seven separate affairs with different women in his church.

Rev Iain D Campbell, 53, was said to have died in unexplained circumstances.

His funeral took place in January and shops near his church on an island off the north-west coast of Scotland closed to commemorate his passing.

But it has since emerged the Free Church of Scotland minister hanged himself after his 54-year-old wife Anne confronted him over alleged affairs, according to the Daily Mail.

Often known as the 'Wee Frees' the Church, which has strict teaching on both suicide and the importance of marriage, is investigating the incident.

Dr Campbell, a minister of Point Free Church in Lewis, was said to have been unhappy with one source saying he hanged himself in hospital after taking an overdose, according to the Daily Mail.

'He's accused  posthumously  of up to seven affairs. All of them full church members.

'Anne is wanting all this to go in front of a church court and for them to throw them out of the church for adultery.

'It will cause havoc with their marriages and the entire Free Church.

'Even though she's a widow people are saying Iain had a difficult home life and there's a lot of anger towards her.'

Another source close to senior church figures said according to the paper: 'There was never a whisper of a rumour about affairs until after he died  on such a close-knit island they would have been very difficult to keep secret.

'Yet Anne has supplied names of these alleged mistresses to the church. If she is right, he had been leading an extraordinary double life for years.

'This is a widow talking about her own late husband.

'It's now in the hands of senior Free Church ministers on the island  James Maciver, who conducted the funeral, and Callum Macleod.

'This is a terrible human tragedy it is difficult to resolve.

'A dead man can't be disciplined and can't defend himself.

Christian Today has contacted the church for comment.

For confidential help and support call the Samaritans free on 116 123.
Martyred Oscar Romero Considered For Canonisation, Church Says

Assassinated cleric Oscar Romero is being considered for canonisation with the Vatican looking into a possible miracle.

Local church officials in El Salvador are convinced the alleged miracle is real, Archbishop of San Salvador Jose Luis Escobar Alas told reporters on Sunday, according to CBS News.

But he warned it could take a long time for the decision making body, the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, to look over the matter.

Having a miracle attributed to you is the one step along the road to being declared a saint.

It comes after Pope Francis said Romero, who was shot by a sniper in 1980, had been killed out of hatred for his faith so approving his status as a martyr in February 2015. He was beatified later that year.

Typically one miracle is needed to reach the stage of beatification and then a second must be attributed to the person before they can be canonised  the final process stage in being made a saint.

But if someone is declared a martyr they only need one miracle attributed to them to be canonised.

This can be waived by the Pope if he wishes.

Already known as 'Saint Romero of the Americas', the former archbishop was a controversial figure in his lifetime with many conservatives seeing him as aligned to left-wing causes ahead of El Salvador's 1980-1992 civil war.

Before fighting broke out between the right-wing government and leftist rebels, Romero had spoken out against oppression by the military.

He was shot dead while celebrating mass at a hospital chapel at the start of the civil war that went on to see 75,000 killed.
Pastor Tells Prince Harry, 'It Is Your Turn Next, Sir,' After Officiating Wedding Of Harry's Best Friend In Jamaica

Could Prince Harry and his girlfriend actress Meghan Markle be heading to the altar soon?

If Pastor Conrad Thomas of the Jamaica Baptist Union were to have his way, then the answer could be "yes."

Thomas officiated the wedding of one of Prince Harry's closest friends, Tom Inskip, over the weekend in the Caribbean island nation of Jamaica. Harry, 32, and Meghan, 35, attended the wedding.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Thomas said during the wedding he told Harry, "It is your turn next, Sir."

The pastor observed that Harry and Meghan "looked so very much in love" as they sat in the third pew of his church.

"I have no doubt that they are very much in love. They sat next to each other and held hands as they walked out," he told the Daily Mail. "I will never forget their radiant smiles and they looked so happy together. Bless them in their future together."

Thomas said it would seem to him that it's a question not of "if" but "when" they will get married, adding that he "would be elated to conduct their ceremony."

If Harry does marry Meghan, it will be the second time around for her. Meghan, the star of the U.S. legal drama series "Suits," was previously married to Trevor Engelson. Coincidentally, they were also married in Jamaica in September 2011 but their union ended in divorce in August 2013.

But the question that begged to be answered is: Could Prince Harry marry a divorcee?

According to the Express, "historically, royals have not been allowed to marry divorcees."

For instance in 1955 Princess Margaret, the Queen Elizabeth's younger sister, was forced to end her relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend, her late father's equerry, after it was revealed that he had been previously married.

Margaret was told that she would have to renounce her rights of succession if she insisted on marrying Townsend. The princess ultimately decided to break off with Townsend.

In 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated after just 326 days on the throne to be able to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. The move triggered a constitutional crisis since it violated the Church of England's teaching that remarriage is not allowed if the former spouse is still alive.

However in recent years, the Church and the Royal Family have "modernised" their views on marriage.

In 2005, the Queen permitted Prince Charles to marry fellow divorcee Camilla Parker Bowles, now the Duchess of Cornwall.

Constitutionally, Harry would still need the Queen's blessing before he could get married, the Express said.
Persecuted Christians Choose Forgiveness Over Revenge After Hearing Jesus' Words, Bible Translators Group Says

There's something about Jesus' Words that calm down persecuted Christians, providing them comfort and healing and making them choose forgiveness over revenge.

This was attested to by Bob Creson, the president of Wycliffe Bible Translators, in a recent interview with The Christian Post.

Creson said the effect on people is particularly strong when they hear the Gospel in their own native language.

He recounted an incident that happened in the town of Bambalang in the African nation of Cameroon when a team from the organisation came to dedicate the Gospel of Luke translated in the townspeople's own indigenous language. A week before that, 300 homes in one village were burned down by people from a neighbouring village.

"In the midst of the devastation, many were angry and wanted to seek revenge. But the words of Jesus in the Chrambo language about loving enemies has brought comfort, healing and forgiveness to the people of Bambalang," Creson told The Christian Post.

"There's nothing like the joy of reading or hearing God's Word in the language that speaks to your heart," Creson said. "Reading God's Word in your own language demonstrates in a very real and direct way His love for you."

Local Pastor Pius Mbahlegue said the villagers were particularly touched by these lines from the Gospel: "Hating your enemy back cannot solve the problem. But loving your enemy will disarm your enemy and make him powerless."

Last year, Wycliffe Bible Translators launched a campaign called #WhyBible that sought to counteract efforts to downplay the Bible's role in people's lives today and to encourage discussion on the Gospel, according to The Christian Post.

This was in response in response to research findings, such as Barna's 2016 "State of the Bible" survey, showing that one in five teens and one in three millennials believe that the Bible is not divinely inspired. That survey also showed that only 16 percent of millennials believe that the Bible contains the actual Word of God.

Scott Everhart, senior director of marketing at Wycliffe Bible Translators, said the campaign sought "to create a forum for testimonies and stories shared about the Bible's incredible impact on individuals, communities and the world."

He said while his organisation's mission is to provide access to Scripture for every language group in the world, there is a big problem if those who already have the Bible fail to see its importance in people's lives.
Trump To Sign New Travel Ban For Muslim Countries

Donald Trump will sign a new travel ban on six Muslim-majority countries on Monday after federal courts blocked his last order.

The President's revised list leaves off Iraq but will reinstate a 90-day ban on citizens from Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, according to senior aide Kellyanne Conway.

The suspension of the entire US refugee programme for 120-days would be kept under the new order, according to Reuters, with the indefinite bar on refugees from Syria removed.

Conway told Fox News the new executive order would not take effect until March 16 to avoid the havoc caused at airports after the last immigration ban was signed on January 27.

It comes after more than two dozen lawsuits were filed against the previous order with it eventually overturned for violating US constitutional protections against religious discrimination.

Iraq was taken off the list because it had imposed new vetting procedures, such as heightened visa screening and data sharing, and because of its work fighting ISIS alongside the United States, a White House official said according to Reuters.

Tens of thousands of legal permanent residents in the United States - or green card holders - from the banned listed countries would not be affected by the travel order, the official added.

During the presidential election campaign last year, Trump called for a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the United States. He justified his initial executive order issued just a week after he took office saying it was needed to head off attacks by Islamist militants.

However, the White House official said the new order was based on national security considerations and had nothing to do with religion.

"It is substantially different from the first order yet it will do the same thing in this important way: It will protect the country and keep us safe," the official said. The administration also would reset the clock on the 90-day travel ban.

The official said US government agencies would determine whether Syria or other nations had made sufficient security improvements to be taken back into the refugee admissions program.

The new order launches a 90-day period for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to define a new series of requirements for countries to have full participation in U.S. entry programs.

For countries that do not comply, the US State Department, the DHS and intelligence agencies can make recommendations on what, if any, restrictions should be imposed.

"It's not an all-or-nothing scenario," the official said.

The new order spells out detailed categories of people eligible to enter the United States, such as for business or medical travel, or people with family connections or who support the United States.

"There are a lot of explicit carve-outs for waivers and given on a case-by-case basis," the official said.

Many of Trump's supporters approved of the initial ban but critics said it was unjustified and discriminatory.

US technology firms who had employees affected by the executive order also complained, and some members of Trump's Cabinet urged him to remove Iraqis and green card holders from the list of those affected.

The White House was widely criticised for not working with the State Department, the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security and allies in Congress in drawing up the initial ban.

The confusion that caused led to a weekend of chaos, legal wrangling and protests in cities and at major airports across the United States.

Additional reporting by Reuters.
U.N. Taken To Task For Its Failure To Address 'Historical Atrocities' Being Committed By ISIS On Christians

The United Nations is once again being questioned for virtually turning a blind eye on the "historical atrocities" being carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS) against Christians in the Middle East.

In a letter recently sent to Nikki Haley, the permanent representative of the United States to the U.N., the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) slammed the U.N. for refusing to address and take action against the ISIS for its beheadings, sex slavery, and crucifixion of Christians, which it said constituted war crimes.

"We must act to stop ... the evil actions taken by ISIS to intimidate and eliminate Christians and other religious minorities from the face of the Earth," the conservative law group said in the letter.

"The United Nations must lead the world in meeting our international legal and moral obligations," it added.

The ACLJ also called on the U.S. government to press its allies to take action to stop the ISIS campaign of genocide.

The U.N. has reportedly acknowledged that ISIS is committing genocide against Yazidis, but it has not included Christians as among the genocide victims.

Last month, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International also blasted the U.N. for its failure to uphold human rights, saying it has failed to fulfil its obligations to uphold religious freedom, thus exacerbating the suffering of persecuted Christians worldwide.

In a report bluntly titled "The UN's Failure to Promote and Protect Religious Freedom," the ADF found it particularly "glaring" that the U.N. Security Council held a special meeting in 2015 on ISIS' crimes against approximately 30 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. And yet the world body did not even bother to discuss the more than 10,000 Christians and others who had been slaughtered by ISIS.

The ADF report also questioned the membership of the U.N.'s Human Rights Council, which includes Saudi Arabia and China  "states that perpetuate human rights abuses, including abuses of the right to freedom of religion," according to World Watch Monitor.

In fact, of the U.N. rights body's 47 members, 13 are included in this year's World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution, as compiled by the Christian persecution watchdog Open Doors USA.
When is Mother's Day this year? And what is it really about?

When Is Mother's Day?

In the UK this year it is on Sunday March 26, three weeks before Easter Day. In the United States it is on Sunday May 14.

Why Is Mother's Day On Different Days In The US And UK?

In the United States, Mother's Day is on the second Sunday in May. It was set on this day by Woodrow Wilson in 1914 after a campaign by social activist Anna Jarvis to commemorate her mother, who had 13 children. It is a national holiday that celebrates the amazing work that mothers do.

In the UK, Mother's Day was until recently more usually known as Mothering Sunday. It is on the fourth Sunday in Lent. In the Church, Mothering Sunday officially celebrates the 'Mother Church', not mothers at all. It has also been known as 'Refreshment Sunday' as it is the traditional day for the Gospel reading of the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

How Did Mothering Sunday Become Mother's Day In The UK?

It hasn't really, not officially. From the 16th century, Mothering Sunday was the day that people returned to their 'mother' church for worship. Domestic servants would be given the day off to visit their mums or be visited by their own children and it became a great family occasion in church, one of the few times in the year when families could be together. With Easter just around the corner, it became a time when the Lenten fast was broken for a day, allowing hungry families a tantalising taste of the joy and feasting to come when Christians celebrate the Resurrection. This association of Mothering Sunday with honouring mothers, and the growing recognition worldwide of the US holiday which was never a church festival, have all contributed to make it known by most people today as Mother's Day.

Why Is It Mother's Day And Not Mothers' Day?

It was felt by the original founders in the US that it should honour each mother individually, and not as a collective group.

How Did It Become So Commercialised?

In the US, there have been many protests against the commercialisation of Mother's Day on the grounds that it was meant to be about feelings, not profits, but every year the festival gets bigger. In the UK, children going to church on Mothering Sunday hundreds of years ago would be encouraged to pick the wild spring daffodils from the roadsides to give to their mothers, who were often getting a rare day off from domestic service or other labours. Churches to this day still provide baskets of daffodils for children to give to their mothers. This tradition of gift giving in church is now translated into an international festival of card and present giving. Giving mothers chocolates on Mother's Day has become a tradition that sons, daughters and husbands ignore at their great peril.
A Nevada woman has been on the run since she admitted to poisoning her husband's cereal two years ago.

In 2015 Andrea Heming pleaded guilty to putting boric acid, which is used to kill roaches, in her husband's Lucky Charms, energy drinks and whipped cream because she told police that she was tired of having sex with him, according to KSNV.
Members of Prince's '80s band the Revolution planned to reunite on April 21 for a show marking the one-year anniversary of the iconoclastic musician's death. Now Rolling Stone reports that the Revolution will take their tribute show around the country including a June 15 show in Houston.

Prince originally pulled together the musicians who would become the Revolution in 1979. The lineup underwent several changes before the 1984 smash "Purple Rain," which was credited to Prince & the Revolution, and featured Prince backed by guitarist Wendy Melvoin, bassist Brown Mark, keyboardist Lisa Coleman and Matt Fink and drummer Bobby Z.
Dear Abby:

I recently enrolled in an internet dating site and have been cyber-chatting with a very sweet gentleman. I am also 62 years young. My problem is I'm borderline obese, have gray hair, a few wrinkles and some dental problems. It's the reason I don't post photos of myself.

Someday, he may want to meet face to face, and I am more petrified than 2,000-year-old wood! He sounds and speaks so well - soft and gentle. My heart has butterfly-wing feelings, not the head-over-heels emotions I had when I first met my late husband. Should I keep texting this gentleman, or just fade away from him?

Is Beauty More Than Skin Deep?

Dear Skin Deep:

Keep texting him! Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And if your weight and dental problems are affecting your self-esteem, perhaps it's time you dealt with them rather than use them as an excuse to cut and run.

Dear Abby:

I have been in a relationship with a wonderful man for the past year and a half. He is good to me and good to my 11-year-old daughter.

Recently, a man I have known for 40 years appeared back in my life. He was my first kiss at 6, and there were many unresolved feelings that I felt needed exploring. My daughter caught on and told me if I gave up my current relationship she would never forgive me, so I ended the relationship with my old friend, which left him bitter. Did I do the right thing?

Bitter Feelings

Dear Bitter:

Because you felt it was appropriate to allow an 11-year-old to dictate your future, then yes, I suppose you did the right thing. In any case, it's a little late to second guess yourself now.

Dear Abby:

This year I have the opportunity to travel to Europe with some friends. One of them, however, has the tendency to burp loudly when we are in public. She often does it at restaurants or other sit-down areas. I have tried telling her it's disrespectful, but she doesn't care.

I don't want to go to Europe and have her burping. I don't want to be labeled as a disrespectful tourist because of her. Is there anything I can say? Or is this a problem that I shouldn't get involved with?

Embarrassed Friend

Dear Friend:

Could your friend have a medical problem that causes her to burp? If so, that may be why it happens, and you shouldn't criticize her for it. However, if that's not the case, because her behavior causes you embarrassment, either rethink traveling with her or make sure you sit far away from her in public places.

DearAbby.comDear AbbyP.O. Box 69440Los Angeles, CA 90069Universal Press Syndicate
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There's an elephant in the room.

At least, that's what most Tiger Ball attendees were thinking as they entered this year's "Magnificent India" soiree at the Asia Society Texas Center.

An elephant-shaped topiary  the ultimate photo-op  wowed arrivals eager to show off their festive national dress on the white tent's red carpet. Saris, Lehenga Cholis (blouse and skirt sets), and sherwanis (men's coats) in rainbow hues elicited "oohs" and "ahhs" at every turn. Divya Brown shared that her royal blue outfit was a repeat look from her sister's wedding.

A few guests admitted that despite studying sari-wrapping YouTube tutorials, they couldn't quite master the time-honored -- albeit tricky -- draping technique, and opted for standard black-tie instead.

Well, there's always next year.

Friday evening's theme garnered so much praise that the 2018 bash's motif will be "Celebrating the Diversity of Asia," a.k.a open (attire) season.

"I have a little present for everyone," President Bonna Kol announced before dinner service. "We've had rain three years in a row, and I've brought you clear weather tonight."

It's true, rain has become something of a Tiger Ball signature, though organizers like to joke that the annual downpour has been good luck. This year's fundraiser didn't need any extra good fortune; co-chairs Gina and Devinder Bhatia, Dr. Marie and Vijay Goradia, and Angela and Chowdary Yalamanchili raised more than $1 million.

Kol and Chevron public affairs officer Joni Baird presented honorees Sushila and Dr. Durga Agrawal with crystal awards for their longtime support, and then it was onto the party's other staple: CityKitchen's elaborate feast.

Following the eight hors d'oeuvres served during cocktail hour, the festive dinner menu featured roasted red and golden beets with goat cheese, saffron sea bass, lamb chops, basmati rice, cauliflower and naan.

Afterward, the crowd returned to the tented Chevron Pavilion for a drum circle performance and dessert. By then, the spiced rum banana flambe station was the topic on every tongue.
Harris County Constable Precinct 4

A man from the Cypress area has been charged with three counts of possession of child pornography after an investigation into trafficking of child porn images via the internet messaging site Skype.

William Fred Mendel, 73, was served a search warrant at his home in the 12600 block of Timbermeadow in Houston after investigators were alerted to the images.
Deer Park mayor Jerry Mouton Jr. will defend his seat from opponents Eddie Dove and Betty Lemley on May 6.

Mouton became mayor in 2013 after serving as councilman for the city for one term beginning in 2011.

He was the first new mayor the city had seen since 1999, following longtime mayor Wayne Riddle's decision to finish out his term and not seek re-election in 2013.

During his tenure with Deer Park, Mouton has been involved in several initiatives to improve departments and infrastructure within the city.

One that he said he was proud to be involved with was the sales tax initiative giving the fire and police departments funds for securing and continuing to purchase assets for public safety.

"That initiative was good when I was running for council, but it has been extremely beneficial and I was glad to be able to continue that and renew it as mayor," he said.

Mouton said when he became mayor in 2013, he wanted to focus on four things.

"I wanted to focus on Deer Park's rich heritage, attract new restaurants and businesses, invest in infrastructure while balancing the budget and focus on public safety," he said.

With new additions to the city like the H-E-B grocery and several restaurants along Center Street, tax initiatives for public safety and an AAA bond rating that is saving the city significant money in interest over the life of bonds issued, Mouton said he is keeping the campaign promises he made in 2013.

"Deer Park is in the best financial shape it's ever been in," he said. "I can't take all the credit for that. It's been a long tenure of good financial principals that were implemented and there has been a great partnership of leadership on the management and council side."

Mouton said Deer Park is one of 34 cities in Texas that have a AAA bond rating.

"There's 1,216 cities," he said, "so we're in the top 2.8 percent in the state of Texas."

Mouton said that the city has just broken ground on a new city hall and animal shelter, and he looks forward to revamping a few of the older facilities in the city if he were to be re-elected, such as the Jimmy Burke Activity Center and some of the older fire stations.

"We've accomplished so much in a short amount of time," he said, "and I give the credit to council who has worked very well together. I'm very proud of that as mayor. I've tried to set a pattern of everybody having a say and getting everybody to buy in to what we're doing and shaping these things so everybody can support it, and that's been a good win-win." Above all, Mouton said he wants to continue to serve his community.

"I wish to continue that forward momentum and to continue to serve Deer Park," he said.

Eddie Dove could not be reached for comment and Betty Lemley stated that she would not be ready to discuss her candidacy until a later date.

Dove has served as a real estate broker. He sought the office of mayor in 2003, losing to incumbent Wayne Riddle.

Lemley ran for council Position 2 in 2013 and was defeated by incumbent Thane Harrison.

She is currently an alternate member of the planning and zoning commission.

Council members Sherry Garrison, Position 1; Thane Harrison, Position 2; and Tommy Ginn, Position 3, have all filed for re-election and will run unopposed.

Information

You must be registered to vote by April 6 to vote in the May 6 election.

Voter registration cards are available at Deer Park City Hall,710 E. San Augustine; the Deer Park Public Library, 3009 Center St. and any Harris County Clerk's Office.

Early voting will be conducted in the City Secretary's Office at City Hall, 710 E. San Augustine as follows: 7 a.m.  7 p.m. April 24-25; 8 a.m.  5 p.m. April 26-28, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. May 1-May 2. Contact the City Secretary's Office at 281-478-7248 or visit www.deerparktx.gov for more information
If you've been living in the Houston area for any extended amount of time, then you know how quickly things can change.

We literally went down memory lane by driving around Houston on Google Street View, and took images of restaurants and bars that were photographed by Google a decade ago.
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Friendswood City Council seats 2 and 5 will be on the May 6 ballot.

Position 2

Sally Harris Branson and Omar Peck are running for Position 2, after councilman Billy Enochs announced in January he would be making a run for Galveston County Commissioner in 2018.

Branson is a financial advisor for Raymond James Financial Services. She serves as a branch manager for the corporation in Friendswood.

"My parents moved me to Friendswood when I was younger and it didn't take long for it to feel like home here," she said.

Branson also has worked on several city events, including the Texas Music Fest, an annual event bringing country music headliners and hundreds of visitors to the city.

"Sometimes you don't know it's the right time to do something until you're in the middle of it," Branson said. "That's what I'm experiencing now. I had always wanted to run for council because I very much want to give back to the community, but I wasn't sure when it would be the right time. I had several people ask me if I was running and I thought that was enough to show me that the right time was now."

Branson has also worked on the city's planning and zoning committee. She is also interested in the revitalization of downtown.

"It's so important to me that our residents have the best that we can give them," she said. "We also want visitors to Friendswood to know who we are - revitalizing downtown would go a long way in doing that."

Peck believes that the city is a wonderful example of the microcosm of America.

"Friendswood is a small community, and here, we respect God, family and country," he said.

Peck said that he wants to assure good stewardship of taxpayer's money in addition to being mindful of growth outside of Friendswood's city limits. He said that as areas like League City, Manvel and Alvin grow, it brings additional traffic through Friendswood.

"Our town is small, but the communities around us are growing," he said.

"That's bringing extra traffic and people through Friendswood every day. I think it's important that we look at what this could mean for Friendswood and try to mitigate any potential negative impact it could have before it happens."

These considerations, he said, should include traffic studies and potential upgrades on roadways and other infrastructure to mitigate traffic issues.

Peck said that the decisions he would make as a councilman are not decisions he would take lightly.

"Council has a responsibility to the community to do what's right for Friendswood as a whole," he said. "My whole family lives here  this is my home and I want to run because I love the city and the people in it."

Position 5

John Scott, who could not be reached for comment, will run for his Position 5 seat against challenger David O'Farrell.

O'Farrell, a Realtor, has been a commissioner on the planning and zoning commission. He said if he is elected, he wants to maintain the stability and momentum Friendswood has seen in recent years.

He also wants to make upgrades to current infrastructure.

O'Farrell wants to revitalize downtown Friendswood.

"I want to make sure that we plan not only for the future, but keep the assets that we already have in mind. Our downtown area could use some revitalization - cities all over the country are revitalizing their downtown areas and making them destinations. That's what I'd like to see happen in Friendswood," said O'Farrell.

O'Farrell said that there are many business owners in the area who drive out of the city every day for work.

He believes revitalizing downtown and the surrounding area might make Friendswood a more attractive location for some of those larger companies whose owners already are based within city limits.

"Not only would that benefit the business owners, but it would also benefit the city as far as bringing jobs and other positive economic impact to the area," he said.

proposed charter amendments

Residents also will be voting on some proposed amendments to the city charter.

Proposition 1 proposes that the charter be amended to state that no elected person will serve more than a total of four three-term years.

Proposition 2 suggests updating the listed year in which each city council position goes up for election.

Proposition 3 would allow for city council to appoint someone to fill a council vacancy if there is less than one year remaining in the office at the time the vacancy occurs.

Proposition 4 requires that all ordinances proposed for an agenda would need approval from a majority of all county council members before forwarding to the city attorney.

Proposition 5 would eliminate the requirement that proposed ordinances be posted at City Hall at least 72 hours before the first reading of that ordinance. Proposed ordinances would still need to be posted in a public place at least 72 hours before the first reading, however.

Proposition 6 would allow ordinances that require two readings to be carried at either a regular council meeting or special council session.

Proposition 7 clarifies that an ordinance which requires two readings and does not receive approval of the final reading within 90 days is rejected

Proposition 8 would make clear that removal or appointment of the city manager requires a positive vote from at least five council members.

For more information on the election, go to www.ci.friendswood.tx.us/Elections/
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A fisherman noticed a distinct fire-engine red color in the Red River, but wasn't sure what it was.

Moments later, he made a gruesome discovery: the body of a 28-year-old woman.

Police are still trying to sort out, 15 years later, how Jennifer Harris of Bonham, Texas, ended up dead in the waterway.

Harris was last seen May 15, 2002, as she left to go meet someone - her family doesn't know who - at Lake Bonham.

NEW REWARD: State ups rewards for help solving these terrifying mysteries

Six days passed without hearing from or seeing Harris as family members searched back roads, ditches and creeks looking for the marine biologist with flaming red hair.

The case took a bizarre twist after her remains were found. The medical examiner determined that Harris' uterus was missing. Officials determined that Harris was most likely strangled and ruled her death "violent and unnatural."

Over the years, the Fannin County Sheriff's Office has lost evidence in the case, including her car keys, clothes and computer. The Texas Department of Public Safety lists Harris among it's unsolved cases.

GRUESOME DISCOVERY: Buyers spend $400K on new house, find body inside

But, Harris' family continues to push through social media and their efforts to raise a $50,000 reward in the case.

"There's somebody that knows what happened," her uncle, Jeff Schneider, told KXAS-TV in Dallas. "I do not think this was a one-man deal. I think there was somebody who assisted in it and somebody knows."

>>>Scroll through the gallery to see details of other unsolved cases in Texas
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Authorities confirmed Monday the identity of a young girl who was allegedly killed as part of a satanic ritual and dumped on a side road in mid-February as that of a missing Jersey Village teen.

For weeks the girl's identity remained a mystery until a witness to the murder recently came forward, leading to the arrest of two men, according to police. At the time police released only the victim's first name  Genesis.

PREVIOUS STORY: MS-3 members charged with 'satanic' killing, kidnapping appear in court

Many on social media began speculating that "Genesis" was the same 15-year-old girl who disappeared from Jersey Village in January.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences on Monday confirmed that victim and missing girl were the same person  Genesis Cornejo-Alvarado.

The road to identifying Genesis began on a chilly February morning.

A man driving his children to school saw Genesis' body lying motionless against the curb at 8900 Sharpcrest in southwest Houston. He initially thought she had been struck by a car until he saw the multiple gun shot wounds.

VERDICT: Second defendant in satanic killing found guilty

Houston Police Department detectives said it was clear that Genesis was shot somewhere else and dumped because of the lack of blood in the area and because "she didn't appear dressed for the weather."

After discovering her body, authorities began asking for help identifying the young girl by releasing an image of the clothes she wore that day and images of her face with her eyes digitally added.

On Thursday, two men  both of whom are living in the U.S. illegally, Harris County prosecutors said  were charged with murder in Genesis' death and with kidnapping of another teenager, who was held and abused for weeks.

Genesis was killed in a satanic ritual by two members of the violent MS-13 Salvadoran gang after she disrespected their shrine to Satanism, Harris County prosecutors said Thursday in court.

Miguel Alvarez-Flores, 22, also known as "Diabolico," told police that he was the leader of a local set of the infamous Salvadoran gang MS-13, prosecutors said.

ABOUT THE GANG: Things to know about MS-13 after a bloody week

He is accused of directing another member, 18-year-old Diego Hernandez-Rivera, to kill Genesis.

The case is a part of a still-unfolding investigation that includes murder and kidnapping, cocaine dealing and sex trafficking by two members of a street gang that prides itself on violence.

Police said they were aided by a 14-year-old girl who apparently escaped from the gang after being held against her will.

Prosecutors and police said the 14-year-old was traded between men and used for sex for weeks.

The teen ran away from school around Feb. 2 to an apartment on Glenmont, where gang members were packaging large amounts of cocaine.

She eventually was taken to an apartment on Gessner with about six MS-13 gang members who assaulted her again. According to prosecutors, she was forced to ingest drugs and alcohol to keep her intoxicated.

She managed to escape after about two weeks. While she was there, though, she told police, she knew Genesis and told police what happened.

The two men appeared in court Thursday before state District Judge Maria Jackson and are being held in the Harris County Jail in lieu of $300,000 bail.

Jackson appointed lawyers for both men.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed an immigration hold on the two suspects, and they would be held by federal authorities if they make bail, according to Harris County prosecutor Lisa Collins.
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A decade and change after Six Flags Astroworld closed for good there is still ongoing litigation regarding the property it sat on for years.

According to Law360, the request of several developers to throw out a lawsuit regarding failed development plans brought against them has failed.

The law blog reports that last Friday U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy K. Johnson recommended that three summary judgment motions by developers Epicentre should be thrown out.

RIP FUN: AstroWorld took Houston on the ride of a lifetime

British real estate investment company B Choice alleges that Epicentre Development Associates LLC misrepresented its claims to the land where Astroworld once sat. B Choice has alleged that Epicentre violated the federal RICO act and breached its fiduciary duties.

Plaintiff has provided evidence to raise a genuine issue of material fact the representations that induced it to invest the $11 million, Law360 quoted Judge Johnson as writing in her denial.

Judge Johnson took issue with the defendants claim that its fraud allegations are protected by Texas statute of limitations. B Choice alleges that the $11 million it gave Epicentre was to be used to acquire the land and not just to pay for an ownership interest. In July a judge ruled that Epicentre still owes B Choice some $13 million on a promissory note.

Epicentres legal counsel Joseph M. Schreiber told Law360 that they are hopeful a trial will clear Epicentre of any wrongdoing.

HOUSTON ATTRACTIONS: Remembering Playland Park and other old Houston and Texas theme parks of yesteryear

While we respect the opinion of the magistrate judge, we also respectfully disagree. We are confident that our position will be validated in a trial on the merits, he wrote in an email.

An earlier Law360 report from 2014 announced the initial lawsuit filed by B Choice.

In total B Choice says it is out $25 million in regards to the project which never got off the ground. Epicentre said in previous statements in court that the deal was a victim of the 2008 recession. Epicentre has also filed a counterclaim in the past against B Choice for fraud and breach of contract.

Its a complicated case that appears will be occupying court rooms for some time to come.

Chron.com previously reported that the land where the Texas Cyclone and other heart-stopping icons entertained Houstonians for years was at one point slated to become residential, retail, and office space.

Forty-eight acres of green space where Astroworld once stood was sold to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in late 2012 for $42.8 million. This is just about half of the original theme park footprint.

HOUSTON LEGENDS: Some of Houston's most iconic images

The rodeo's acquisition abuts a Chevrolet dealership and generally runs north to south from Loop 610 to West Bellfort. It includes a pedestrian bridge that crosses over the loop to the NRG parking lot.

That bridge itself has a unique history which you can read about here. It was the first privately-owned bridge to go across a federal highway.

According to a Houston Business Journal report from April 2012, there was still some plan for Epicentre to build a $200 million mixed-use site on the Astroworld plot.
HARLINGEN, Texas (AP)  A South Texas woman who says she gave up beer for Lent then won a case of Budweiser delivered to her home by a team of Clydesdales.

The Valley Morning Star reports Leandra Ruiz received the beer Thursday in a special drop-off, via the huge horses, at her neighborhood in Harlingen.
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AUSTIN -- After buildup and hype, Texas' most controversial legislation will finally get a public hearing. And you won;t have to show your birth certificate to get in.

At 8 a.m. on Tuesday, the Senate State Affairs Committee will her testimony -- pro and con -- about Senate Bill 6, the so-called "bathroom bill" that has made headlines for months.

Despite weeks of speculation that the measure did not have enough votes for a vote by the full Senate, Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, a Brenham Republican who is the author, will push for a committee vote of support after a public hearing that is expected to be -- how shall we say? -- very lively.

The committee usually meets in the spacious Senate Chamber, but this 8 a.m. meeting has been moved to the smaller Senate Finance Committee Hearing Room for what is expected to be a raucous event, where witnesses will get two minutes each to say whey they love or hate the measure.

The Texas Privacy Act would allow Texans to use the restroom in government buildings and schools, only the one of the gender listed on their birth certificate, nut would not cover business and major venues.

Business groups and a long list of advocacy organizations hate it. Conservative Republicans and their allies love it. Everyone else may be trying to figure why it's such an issue. Check out the online action here to see how the first committee vote on this hot-topic bill comes out.

House vs. Senate

With a possible plot line more resembling the Jerry Springer Show than the Texas Legislature, a tense debate over school finance is scheduled to get rolling on Monday when House Public Education Committee Chairman Dan Huberty of Humble unveils his school finance plan.

While the House wants to fix the funding stream to public schools, the Senate likes school choice as an option and Huberty ticked off Senate leaders last week by declaring their choice bill DOA in the House.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other Senate leaders have pledged not to give up, and are pushing ahead to pass a school choice bill -- and hope to convince enough House members to go along to get it passed in the lower chamber, as well.

The action starts on Monday. Check back in here throughout the day to see how this important story unfolds.

Code blue

Also on Monday, watch for fast discussion and approval of two bills designed to better protect law enforcement officers in Texas, after the past year that saw police officers murdered in Houston and Dallas among other cities.

Senate Bill 12, authored by Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, and co-sponsored by most other senators, would create a new grant program to buy bulletproof vests for law enforcement agencies across the state. Even in a tight budget year, top state officials have endorsed this pl;an and its past passage into law can be expected.

A new statewide Blue Alert System to expedite the apprehension of suspects in the murder or serious injury to a law enforcement officer would be created by Senate Bill 1138 by Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston. Under the bill, Texas could connect to a national network already in operation.

Since Whitmire chairs the committee, its fast vote to the Senate floor can be counted on -- and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick plans to announce his support on Monday shortly before the hearing begins. Watch it here at 2:30 p.m. or upon adjournment of the Senate.

On being an adult

Texas is among a few states where you can be an adult, for purposes of facing a criminal charge, at age 17 instead of 18 -- a fact that child advocates have worked unsuccessfully for decades to change.

So far, lawmakers have decided to leave things the way they are.

On Wednesday, the House Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee will give the change another shot, in House Bill 122 by Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston. Watch the discussion here at 10:30 a.m. or upon adjournment of the House.

Even if the bill passes out of the committee, which it might considering that Dutton is the chair, look for a much rocker road in the full House, where reticence remains about changing what has been the status quo for many years, even if other states make young men adults at 18.

In the Senate, its chances for passage at present are even slimmer.

That money thang

Now that both the House and Senate budget-writers have mostly finished poring the spending requests of state agencies for the next two years, the consensus is there is not enough money for everything. So watch this week for the cutting to begin in earnest.

On Friday, as Senate and House leaders sparred over education funding, House leaders proposed tapping at least $1.4 billion in Rainy Day dollars to pay for recent emergency pay raises and new hires at Child Protective Services, fill a funding shortfall in Medicaid, lessen cuts to disabled children's therapy programs and cover unexpected costs in the current budget.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman John Zerwas, R-Richmond, warned that his appropriations subcommittee chairmen and their colleagues will begin identifying $4 billion in cuts to the chamber's starting point budget for 2018-19.

In the Senate, Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, said all areas of the budget are being scrubbed to make additional cuts and find new savings to avoid having to tap Rainy Day, the state's savings account.

Look for state agencies and advocacy groups to start howling before week's end.
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.
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Ridge View to keep on sharing The Galva-Holstein and Schaller-Crestland School Districts have reached a tentative agreement that will likely reflect Schaller-Crestlands consolidation to a single...

Pipeline company sought to limit required safeguards for soil Navigator CO2 Ventures wanted to reduce its obligations to sample and restore topsoil for the construction of its proposed carbon...
New Delhi, March 6:Indo-Canadian online personality Lilly Singh, also known by her YouTube username IISuperwomanII, will be returning to India in April with her book tour titled "How To Be A Bawse".

Event management firm Event Special will be hosting Lilly on her tour to promote her first book "How To Be a Bawse: A Guide to Surviving Conquering Life" -- which is inspired by hilarious and honest stories from Lilly's own life experiences and achievements.

The 28-year-old will be touring Mumbai, Hyderabad and New Delhi on April 19, 20 and 21 respectively, said the organisers in a statement.

"I am so thrilled to write my first book and share, all in one place, what I've learned about achieving success and happiness. This journey has taught me to always pick yourself up, not allow anything to stand in your way and that the only secret to achieving your dreams is hard work," Lilly said, according to the statement.

She also announced the tour dates on Twitter through an engaging over six-minute long video.

Event Speciale Managing Director and tour promoter Francis Coelho said: "The tour aspires to inspire the youth to be an achiever. From beginning to end, the tour is going to weave a personalized storyline."

The whirlwind tour also includes dates in the US, Canada, South East Asia, Dubai, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad & Tobago and Britain.

Lilly started making videos to help her fight depression, and is now one of the highest paid YouTube stars. She has appeared in videos with Michelle Obama, James Franco and Priyanka Chopra.

She has appeared in films like "Ice Age: Collision Course" and "Bad Moms". Lilly even made a film "A Trip To Unicorn Island" -- which her journey in planning and executing her tour from a behind-the-scenes perspective, and came out with her own signature lipstick called BAWSE with Smashbox.
GEICO Names Penry AVP of Claims

The GEICO board of directors announced the election of Troy Penry to assistant vice president of the companys national claims operations. He will take on responsibility for leading GEICOs auto damage operations across the country.

Penry joined GEICO in 1995 as a service counselor in the companys Dallas regional office and transferred to auto damage in 1998. In 2001 he was selected for the supervisor-in-training program in Dallas.

Later he serving as an analyst/auditor and went on to become a supervisor in the Killeen and Austin areas. He was promoted to manager in auto damage in 2010, with responsibilities for Dallas, northeast Texas and Kansas. He was named auto damage director for GEICOs Tucson regional office last year.

For his work and that of his teams efforts, Penry was among those who earned a Corporate Quality Award for their performance after Hurricane Sandy.

SUNZ Insurance Company Appoints Bryant EVP, Chief Legal Officer

SUNZ Holdings appointed Theodore Ted G. Bryant, Esq. to the position of executive vice president and chief legal officer. He will report directly to Steven F. Herrig, CEO and chairman of the Board.

In this newly created position, Bryant will be responsible for leading the law department across the company including having principle oversight over matters such as corporate governance as it relates to contracts, regulatory compliance and general corporate matters for SUNZ Holdings and its affiliates. He will also play an important part in the growth and development of the holding companys affiliates, capital raising activities, mergers and acquisitions, and supporting the business development efforts.

Before joining SUNZ, Bryant served as general counsel, secretary, and executive vice president at CountryWide HR where he was head of the legal department for the holding company and its staffing and PEO subsidiaries. Bryant also served as general counsel, secretary and senior vice president at a regional insurance company prior to his tenure at CountryWide HR. Throughout his 20-year legal career, Bryant has been responsible for corporate legal oversight, regulatory matters, compliance and litigation, and has been a consultant to numerous businesses.

Brentwood Services Administrators Inc. Promotes Perkins to Medical OnlyClaims Rep

Brentwood Services Administrators Inc. (BSA), headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., recently promoted Shelby Perkins to medical only-claims representative in the Tennessee Claims Department in the Brentwood office, according to Jeff Pettus, president and chief executive officer.

Perkins is responsible for reviewing, processing, and handling workers compensation claims as assigned by Lisa Whitten, claims supervisor for the Tennessee Claims team. Perkins determines the compensability of the claim and extent of liability and communicates directly with clients, employers, injured workers, physicians and attorneys to manage claims in a timely and economic manner.

Perkins came to BSA in June 2007 as a claim assistant.

In a separate announcement, BSA hired David Sanchez in February 2017 as a senior claim representative for the Charlotte, N.C., claims team. He will work out of the Raleigh, N.C., office, according to Jeff Pettus, president and chief executive officer.

In his position as senior claim representative, Sanchez is responsible for reviewing, processing and handling medical workers compensation claims as assigned by Shirley Girard, claims supervisor in the BSA Raleigh, N.C., office. Sanchez determines the compensability of the claim and extent of liability. He also communicates directly with clients, employers, injured workers, physicians and attorneys, and manages claims in a timely and economic manner.

Sanchez has over 15 years of experience working with large, nationally recognized insurance companies in both permanent and contractor positions. His previous employer was Ascendant Claims Services out of Coral Gables, Fla., where he held the position of workers compensation litigation adjuster.

Currently, Sanchez holds a Florida All-lines Adjuster License.
The Kentucky House voted Wednesday to shake up the medical malpractice system by passing a bill to create panels of medical providers to review claims of medical error or neglect.

The panels would scrutinize the merits of lawsuits against health care professionals or institutions before cases would proceed to court. In a key change made by the House, judges could be asked to admit a panels opinions as evidence at trial.

House members voted 51-45 to pass SB 4, sending it back to the Senate. If the Senate accepts the Houses changes, the legislation would advance to Gov. Matt Bevin.

Rep. Robert Benvenuti III, R-Lexington, said the panels would bring a balanced, unbiased and thoughtful approach without infringing on anyones right to take malpractice claims to court.

We have to start bringing some liability reform to our commonwealth, he said. We are a target-rich environment for lawyers.

Opponents said the bill would create barriers, delaying plaintiffs access to courts. They predicted it would face a court challenge if it becomes law.

Were getting ready to pass something thats unconstitutional, said Rep. Chad McCoy, a Bardstown Republican.

McCoy, an attorney, predicted the creation of panels would have the unintended result of more malpractice claims being pursued. Plaintiffs attorneys would see it as an opportunity to take a case, regardless of merit, and run it up the flagpole to the panels, he said.

McCoy also objected to creating a new layer of review for malpractice lawsuits filed in Kentucky against doctors, hospitals, nursing homes or their executives.

Were getting ready to create a new government agency and more red tape, he said. Im a Republican. I dont like that  To me, that is ridiculous that were doing it.

Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, responded that changes made by the House would help the bill withstand any court challenge.

For every fear youve heard today, if you read the bill you will understand that theres no need to fear whats in this bill, he said. Its a fair, balanced process.

Those changes include requiring review panels to issue opinions in nine months or lawsuits could proceed in court. Under the original bill, the panels opinions would automatically be admitted into court as evidence. Trial judges would be asked to decide in the Houses version.

Similar measures were introduced for years but died when Kentuckys legislature was politically divided. The push to create review panels gained strength when Republicans took control of the House after last years election. The Senate is also solidly controlled by the GOP.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Federal inspectors have closed more than 100 bridges in the past week, the chairman of the state Senate Highways and Transportation Committee said Friday.

All are on local roads, a state engineer said.

Sen. Willie Simmons announcement of the closures Friday came four days after Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves announced the death of a bill to raise transportation money through an Internet sales tax, The Clarion-Ledger reported.

The Senate Finance Committee killed the bill by inaction when it didnt bring the bill up for a vote before a Tuesday deadline for the bill to move forward. Reeves said he was concerned that the proposal was unconstitutional, and noted that other states including Alabama have been sued over such legislation.

A House bond bill that would let the state borrow $50 million for repairs is still alive.

The transportation departments Office of State Aid Road Construction is working on a list of the closures, engineer Carey Webb said. His office, among other things, tells counties which bridges must be closed.

Webb said two teams went with federal inspectors to bridges with a substructure rating of two on a scale of zero to nine. Some were closed on the spot, he said.

Simmons, D-Cleveland, told reporters after adjournment that Mississippis 3,000-plus deficient bridges could cost the state federal money if theyre not fixed.

On Wednesday prominent members of the states business community gathered in the Capitols rotunda to call for increased funding. The Mississippi Economic Council citing findings from a study conducted by the University of Southern Mississippi and Mississippi State University says that an additional $375 million a year is needed for highways and bridges.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The new home base for the U.S. governments hurricane hunter aircraft is on schedule to open before the Atlantic hurricane season begins, Lakeland Linder Regional Airport officials said. The city was awarded a 10 year lease to house the planes.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations planes are specially equipped to collect forecasting data as they fly in and around tropical storms and hurricanes. NOAAs Aircraft Operation Center serves as the main base for NOAAs fleet of nine specialized environmental data-gathering aircraft, including the agencys three hurricane hunter planes. The agencys aircraft are scheduled to move May 1 to Lakeland from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

Since December, up to 80 workers have been on site each day rebuilding a hanger to accommodate the large aircraft, Airport Manager Gene Conrad told The Ledger.

Its moving at light speed, Conrad said.

The $17.5 million project also includes a science lab, an operational hub and a maintenance shop. NOAA is covering about $4.5 million of the cost, the state is taking on $6.5 million, and the airport is covering another $6.5 million.

Airport Business Manager John Von Preysing said NOAAs move to the Lakeland airport brings 110 highly technical jobs to the city.

Two of the hurricane hunters got major upgrades to their engines, wings and radar over the last two years in their cavernous hanger at MacDill. The Air Force told NOAA last year that it needed the hangar space, and NOAA had to move its aircraft by July 1, 2017.

The six-month Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
SummaCare-east-end.jpg

SummaCare, in downtown Akron for the past 17 years, will move its corporate offices to Akron's East End neighborhood into the space that formerly housed the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company headquarters. The move is expected to begin in late summer, with all employees in their new offices in November.

(Industrial Realty Group)

AKRON, Ohio - SummaCare will move its corporate offices to Akron's East End neighborhood into the space that formerly housed the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company headquarters.

The move is expected to begin in late summer, with all 300 employees in their new offices in November.

SummaCare, whose first client 30 years ago was Goodyear, signed the lease March 2. The insurer had been located in downtown Akron on North Main Street for the past 17 years.

Akron's East End has seen major improvements in the past few years, with redevelopment of the Goodyear campus by the Industrial Realty Group, renovation of Goodyear Hall into apartments with retail space, and a $5.5 million streetscape.

"SummaCare is clearly demonstrating its commitment to Akron by keeping its headquarters in the city," said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan, in a news release. "The East End neighborhood, with its blend of residences and new companies moving in, is a perfect example of the progress we are making throughout our city. I commend SummaCare for becoming the first tenant."

Securing SummaCare as its first tenant on Market Street is a key to future development of the East End area.

"What's happening in this area is really amazing," said Carol Smith, IRG vice president. "We expect to have additional exciting developments to announce over the next few weeks and months."

SummaCare will lease 65,000-square-feet on one floor of the 1.5-acre complex.

According to Kathy Geier, chair of SummaCare's board of directors, the move will enable SummaCare to become more efficient in its operations, as the existing site was too large.

"In our current location, it was a challenge to all meet together as a team," said Bob Paskowski, SummaCare's interim president. "In the East End complex, we will have access to a large, 300 seat-community room as well as the Goodyear Theater."

The Goodyear Theater, directly across Market Street from SummaCare's new site, is a restored theater that seats about 1,500.

SummaCare's move to the East End coincides with Summa Health's plans to construct a new 300,000-square-foot patient tower and a medical office building on its Akron Campus. With Summa Health's Akron Campus and Summa Rehab Hospital on Market Street, Summa Care's move will create a medical corridor along that strip.

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.
Money

Ohio's largest counties, including Cuyahoga, send more state tax dollars to Columbus on a per capita basis than smaller counties.

(Associated Press file)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Imagine what Cuyahoga County's government could do with an extra $265 million.



It could pay the full cost of proposed renovations to Quicken Loans Arena up front and still have enough money left over cut the county sales tax by a half percentage point.

Why $265 million?

If taxes were generated evenly based on population, Cuyahoga County would send $265 million less a year to the state in sales and individual income taxes, cleveland.com found in analyzing tax and population data.



In other words, Cuyahoga is a donor county to the state tax pool because more money is made and spent in the county on a per capita basis than what is typical in counties across Ohio.



Ohio's other two big counties - Franklin and Hamilton - are also major donors.



The big three



Together, the three largest counties generate $1 billion more for the state in income and sales taxes than if their shares were based solely on their populations.



This is enough money to make up for 26 other counties that generate fewer tax dollars per capita.

Hamilton County, which includes Cincinnati, is the biggest "donor" at $410 million, followed by Franklin County with Columbus at $372 million and then Cuyahoga County.

By sending fewer tax dollars to the state - based on their populations - these three three northeast Ohio counties "save" the most - Trumbull ($77 million), Lorain ($59 million) and Columbiana ($57 million)



Why per capita?



Cleveland.com examined tax collections per capita, in part because of a proposal from Gov. John Kasich to change the way some state tax money is returned to local communities through what is called the Local Government Fund.



The ability to raise taxes - on a per capita basis - would be used under a portion of a new formula proposed by the governor, resulting in losses for many urban centers key to jobs and economic development. The state legislature has not yet decided whether to go along with the proposal.



Losing the most under this new formula would be cities, villages and townships in Hamilton County (down $883,000 countywide in 2019), Cuyahoga County ($507,000) and Franklin County ($141,000). Within each county, however, there would be gainers and losers. The losses and gains would double in later years.

(Related database at this link shows estimates for each city, village and township in Ohio.)

The total money distributed by the Local Government Fund is set at 1.67 percent of state revenues.

Income and sales taxes

Cleveland.com focused on the income and sales taxes for two reasons.

Income and sales taxes represent about 80 percent of state's general revenue tax collections.

The Ohio Department of Taxation was unable to provide county-level details for other significant taxes, including the Commercial Activity Tax and gasoline taxes.

Income taxes

Individual state tax returns from Cuyahoga County generated for the state $955.4 million, more than any other county in Ohio in 2014, the last year for which county-level details are available.

This amounted to 12.6 percent of the statewide total, while Cuyahoga County's population is 10.8 percent of the state.



Had Cuyahoga County instead contributed 10.8 percent of the income tax, county taxpayers would have sent $823.5 million to the state. This made Cuyahoga a "donor" on the income tax side by $131.9 million.



Sales taxes

State sales tax money generated from Cuyahoga County in 2016 was an estimated $1.28 billion, or 12.1 percent of the state total. This was second only to Franklin County.



But if sales taxes collections were the same as the population - 10.8 percent - Cuyahoga County would need to generate only $1.14 billion. The result, was a "donation" of $133 million to the state.

Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner.

County details

The chart below shows estimates by county of how much individuals and businesses contribute to the state in income and sales taxes, over or under what would be the case if each county's share equaled its share of the state's population.

County Over

or under

for income

taxes Over

or under

for sales

taxes Total over

or under Hamilton $209,117,424 $201,350,970 $410,468,394 Franklin $108,296,805 $264,096,132 $372,392,938 Cuyahoga $131,874,493 $133,027,962 $264,902,455 Delaware $154,155,893 $82,572,803 $236,728,696 Warren $82,084,977 $21,535,179 $103,620,156 Summit $48,161,946 $42,603,481 $90,765,428 Geauga $57,806,428 -$2,256,452 $55,549,976 Medina $40,566,169 -$12,313,254 $28,252,915 Hancock $3,560,273 $17,573,523 $21,133,796 Lake $14,620,493 $4,789,936 $19,410,429 Union $6,889,188 $10,454,138 $17,343,326 Erie -$7,022,940 $23,710,602 $16,687,662 Greene $5,239,240 $6,297,602 $11,536,842 Wood $2,570,338 $2,499,462 $5,069,800 Monroe $3,438,360 -$763,537 $2,674,823 Fayette -$8,306,213 $9,546,022 $1,239,808 Harrison -$2,423,552 $1,096,173 -$1,327,379 Belmont -$3,919,945 $2,561,622 -$1,358,323 Ottawa -$1,903,519 $472,135 -$1,431,383 Butler $176,257 -$3,941,209 -$3,764,952 Logan -$5,853,012 $19,196 -$5,833,816 Mercer -$347,434 -$5,889,573 -$6,237,007 Noble -$331,041 -$7,090,615 -$7,421,657 Defiance -$6,595,594 -$952,565 -$7,548,159 Allen -$13,053,659 $5,286,119 -$7,767,540 Wyandot -$3,998,466 -$5,048,735 -$9,047,201 Shelby -$3,971,119 -$5,452,801 -$9,423,920 Holmes -$13,150,900 $3,568,343 -$9,582,558 Putnam $419,952 -$11,163,923 -$10,743,971 Clinton -$8,100,139 -$3,308,724 -$11,408,863 Washington -$5,836,214 -$5,669,732 -$11,505,946 Guernsey -$7,894,660 -$3,688,312 -$11,582,972 Vinton -$5,208,103 -$6,532,139 -$11,740,243 Auglaize -$4,027,969 -$7,735,108 -$11,763,076 Gallia -$8,067,502 -$4,116,032 -$12,183,534 Morgan -$5,430,154 -$6,785,929 -$12,216,083 Carroll -$4,241,028 -$9,328,135 -$13,569,163 Madison -$4,545,375 -$9,099,000 -$13,644,375 Paulding -$4,484,038 -$9,176,330 -$13,660,367 Muskingum -$11,754,308 -$1,938,519 -$13,692,827 Clermont $9,449,073 -$23,190,305 -$13,741,232 Henry -$4,289,198 -$9,480,224 -$13,769,422 Fulton -$5,103,236 -$8,761,676 -$13,864,912 Hocking -$8,432,160 -$6,203,878 -$14,636,039 Van Wert -$6,208,080 -$8,773,152 -$14,981,232 Pike -$8,871,753 -$6,253,565 -$15,125,318 Jackson -$10,357,054 -$7,804,341 -$18,161,396 Miami -$6,297,828 -$11,893,943 -$18,191,771 Williams -$7,838,343 -$10,923,313 -$18,761,656 Meigs -$8,086,299 -$10,777,366 -$18,863,665 Adams -$9,855,348 -$9,039,699 -$18,895,047 Hardin -$9,621,172 -$11,814,444 -$21,435,616 Fairfield -$5,180,157 -$16,366,250 -$21,546,407 Coshocton -$10,435,781 -$11,280,799 -$21,716,580 Sandusky -$11,649,137 -$10,816,465 -$22,465,602 Ashland -$11,672,050 -$11,096,123 -$22,768,173 Champaign -$8,684,067 -$14,112,063 -$22,796,130 Tuscarawas -$13,021,292 -$10,325,004 -$23,346,296 Knox -$9,235,404 -$15,041,928 -$24,277,331 Darke -$11,050,352 -$13,293,626 -$24,343,979 Lucas -$38,487,648 $13,646,920 -$24,840,728 Morrow -$8,365,896 -$16,837,930 -$25,203,826 Preble -$10,384,725 -$15,206,564 -$25,591,288 Huron -$12,172,479 -$15,106,637 -$27,279,116 Jefferson -$14,429,563 -$13,274,819 -$27,704,382 Highland -$15,052,607 -$12,771,910 -$27,824,517 Perry -$10,936,886 -$17,119,720 -$28,056,606 Crawford -$12,561,286 -$15,748,135 -$28,309,421 Ross -$20,239,844 -$8,539,056 -$28,778,900 Licking -$10,249,432 -$18,989,975 -$29,239,407 Pickaway -$10,819,856 -$18,534,446 -$29,354,302 Marion -$18,286,378 -$12,155,987 -$30,442,365 Seneca -$13,906,177 -$17,431,587 -$31,337,765 Brown -$13,144,759 -$18,392,816 -$31,537,575 Wayne -$16,582,879 -$16,177,109 -$32,759,988 Stark -$31,249,094 -$2,783,841 -$34,032,935 Portage -$7,988,224 -$26,375,909 -$34,364,133 Lawrence -$16,720,859 -$20,429,972 -$37,150,830 Richland -$28,659,938 -$8,956,224 -$37,616,162 Mahoning -$29,221,484 -$9,219,200 -$38,440,684 Athens -$21,116,728 -$20,937,160 -$42,053,888 Scioto -$24,264,907 -$21,559,305 -$45,824,211 Ashtabula -$24,600,515 -$27,557,695 -$52,158,209 Montgomery -$52,526,788 -$2,738,455 -$55,265,243 Clark -$32,109,220 -$25,030,079 -$57,139,299 Columbiana -$24,955,209 -$32,447,980 -$57,403,189 Lorain -$8,470,473 -$50,272,032 -$58,742,505 Trumbull -$44,567,859 -$32,614,988 -$77,182,847

Cleveland.com analysis based on data from the Ohio Department of Taxation and the U.S. Census Bureau.
East Cleveland police

An East Cleveland police officer was fired for improper conduct during a February traffic stop, police officials said.

(File photo)

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An East Cleveland police officer was fired Friday after officials launched a criminal investigation into his conduct during a traffic stop, officials said.

Kenneth Bolton Jr. remains under investigation by the department and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, East Cleveland Commander Scott Gardner said.

East Cleveland police said Bolton was fired for "misconduct" but did not provide any details on what happened during the Feb. 23 traffic stop in question.

They also referred questions to the prosecutor's office, who said they would not provide any information on the case because it is on-going.

East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King and Police Chief Michael Cardilli did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Cleveland.com has requested all records relating to Bolton's firing.

Bolton, 39, is a 16-year veteran of the department.

Cardilli's letter of termination to Bolton says Bolton was fired after he made a statement to the county prosecutor's office "admitting to numerous misdemeanor and felony laws that you have recently violated."

Several East Cleveland officers have been charged with crimes in recent years. Three drug detectives were sentenced to federal prison in 2016 after investigators found they filed search warrants with false information and kept seized money from suspected drug dealers.

Former Sgt. Torris Moore and detectives Antonio Malone and Eric Jones were sentenced to between 46 months in prison to nine years, with the most severe penalty being reserved for Moore, a supervisor who masterminded the scheme.

Prosecutors have moved to drop charges in more than 40 cases that the detectives investigated.

Two other officers -- Denayne Davidson-Dixon and Gerald Spencer II-- were charged in September with kidnapping, felonious assault, conspiracy and other lesser offenses stemming from a July 24 incident.

The two are accused of driving Jesse Nickerson, 28, to Forest Hills Park, stripping him and attacking him. The officers arrested Nickerson on suspicion of possessing a stolen gun, but those charges were dropped.

Cardilli fired the officers. Both former officers pleaded not guilty. Their trial is scheduled to begin March 29.

In June, a jury awarded a Maple Heights man $22 million for a 2012 traffic stop during which he was punched by an East Cleveland police officer and locked in a storage closet for four days without food, water or access to a toilet. The Ohio Supreme Court in September declined to hear East Cleveland's appeal of the case.

An appeal on a procedural matter in the case is still pending in the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals.

To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A man accused of hitting and killing an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper on Interstate 90 is facing new charges, including a specification that could add a mandatory five years in prison on top of any sentence in the case.

Joshua Gaspar, 37, faces a five-year sentencing enhancement for causing the death of a police officer while driving recklessly or under the influence of drugs. That specification was added Monday by a Cuyahoga County grand jury.

He still faces charges of aggravated vehicular homicide and driving under the influence of drugs.

He was also charged Monday with driving without a valid license, which prosecutors said increases the felony level of each aggravated vehicular homicide count.

Gaspar will be arraigned March 20 on the new charges.

Gaspar previously pleaded not guilty in the case and his attorney, Jon Sinn, has vehemently denied the charges. Gaspar was released from the Cuyahoga County Jail last month after posting bond and getting a warrant cleared up in Alabama.

Gaspar on Sept. 15 was driving about 78 miles per hour on I-90 when he swerved to avoid a car stopped in his lane, according to prosecutors. He drove off the road and hit Trooper Kenneth Velez while he was shooting radar on the highway, investigators said.

Prosecutors have said Gaspar took a dose of methadone 14 minutes before the crash.

Sinn previously said Gaspar took a prescribed dose of the drug while battling an opioid addiction.

To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
mapohio.png

(Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Hundreds of Ohio high school graduates cannot go to college because state government has not stepped up to provide need-based aid, say education officials.

As legislators begin deliberating the state's two-year budget, advocates want them to understand how the state lags behind others in helping those who can't afford an education.

A coalition of school officials is calling on lawmakers and universities to make education more affordable, which includes increasing need-based aid.

A policy paper on college affordability released in February by the Higher Education Compact and Philanthropy Ohio says that while the state has become a national leader in controlling college costs by ordering tuition caps or tuition freezes, funding has lagged for the only program that provides need-based aid, the Ohio College Opportunity Grant.

In 2013-14 Ohio ranked last in the Midwest on the availability of need-based student financial aid ($165 per student).

Many Cleveland Metropolitan School students who qualify for federal and college financial aid and receive a $1,500 scholarship from College Now still have a funding gap of more than $5,600, College Now CEO Lee Friedman said March 1 at a meeting of cleveland.com editors and reporters.

"We have seen a precipitous gap," she said. Qualified students are opting not to go to college, she said.

College Now provides advising, financial aid counseling and scholarship and retention services to students.

Ohio currently provides about $100 million a year for the Ohio College Opportunity Grant program, the only money available for need-based aid.

Ohio used to offer the Ohio Instructional Grant for students attending public and private colleges. The two grants provided $224 million in aid in the 2007-08 school year. The instructional grant was phased out by 2009.

The state allocation for opportunity grants dropped to $69 million in the 2011 school year before slowly increasing each year. Gov. John Kasich has proposed an increase to $102 million a year in the upcoming budget.

According to annual surveys by the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, $80.8 million in need-based grant aid was distributed by Ohio in 2014 to 86,435 students.

That same year Pennsylvania distributed $450.5 million in aid to 181,528 students, Michigan distributed about $93 million in grant aid to about 70,000 students and Indiana distributed $140 million in grant aid to 52,400 students.

The Higher Education Compact, which includes Cleveland, the city school district, county government, 17 public and private colleges and universities, and an array of civic groups and foundations, has focused on college readiness, access and completion.

In the five years since the compact was formed, more high school graduates are ready for college and more colleges are making sure they stay in school, said Helen Williams, program director for education at the Cleveland Foundation.

"But what is not up is college enrollment," she said. The drop is not due to demographics or students choosing to enter the work force after high school, she said. It is due to a lack of funds to fill the gap between financial aid and the cost of college.

Friedman, Williams and Maggie McGrath, project director of the compact, said they plan to contact state officials and legislators.

"People say the budget is tight, but we have got to start the conversation," Williams said. "We are a small but determined group."

If higher education access and funding is not raised in the next gubernatorial election "we will be losing ground," she said.
Donald Trump

President Donald Trump salutes as he stands on the tarmac after disembarking Air Force One. On Monday, he issued a revised executive order to restrict visitors from six predominantly Muslim nations.

(Alex Brandon, Associated Press)

WASHINGTON, D. C. - President Donald Trump on Monday revised a controversial executive order he issued in January that restricted visitors from several predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States, removing Iraq from the list of affected countries and clarifying that existing visa holders would not be affected.

Trump administration officials who announced the changes said they'd protect the nation's security while addressing some of the legal questions that prompted federal courts to block the initial ban.

Here's what Ohio members of Congress had to say about the new policy:

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio Republican:

"When the first Executive Order on Foreign Terrorist Entry was released in January, I said this vetting proposal hadn't been properly vetted. I'm pleased that the administration has now reworked its original proposal with stakeholders at the Departments of State, Homeland Security, and Justice. It sets up a more carefully designed process to put in place better screening systems to protect our homeland."

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohio Democrat:

"We keep America safe by aggressively going after terrorism, not by shutting our doors to doctors, students and families who are fleeing the same terrorists we are fighting against."

(1) Dont be fooled. @realdonaldtrump is still trying to ban refugees due to their religion. I wont stand for it. #MuslimBan  Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (@RepMarciaFudge) March 6, 2017

(2) The law is clear. Discrimination based on religion is squarely against our nations founding principles.  Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (@RepMarciaFudge) March 6, 2017

(3) #OH11 is home to many Muslims. I fully support them & their right to worship. My position has not changed. I oppose the #MuslimBan.  Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (@RepMarciaFudge) March 6, 2017

U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs, Holmes County Republican:

"President Trump's executive order is welcome news for Americans concerned about the potential for Islamic extremists to slip in to the United States. It is important to note that the revised executive order further clarifies it does not apply to permanent legal residents or current visa holders. These nations are listed precisely because they either have unstable governments incapable of satisfactory vetting or are hostile to the United States. I commend the President for continuing his commitment to national security."

U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, Columbus-area Democrat:

"President Trump's latest executive order is little more than a repackaging and rebranding of the prior poorly-written, woefully implemented and unconstitutional executive order barring entry for refugees from several Muslim-majority countries. Like its predecessor, Muslim Ban 2.0 will not make America any safer and flies in the face of the very ideals and values that have always made America exceptional."
East Cleveland police

A 15-year-old girl missing from East Cleveland was found safe Sunday, police said.

(File photo)

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio - A 15-year-old girl missing from East Cleveland was found safe Sunday, police said.

Jasmine Conaway was found in Cleveland, East Cleveland police said. She is in Cleveland police custody, though it wasn't immediately clear if she was being detained for any reason or if she was being returned to her family.

Conaway went missing the evening of Feb. 23 from the Carrington Youth Academy, a treatment facility, according to police. The treatment center alerted the girl's father, Kevin Conaway, of her disappearance about 5 a.m. the next day, according to the girl's mother Melisa Fuentes.

The academy is an unlocked treatment facility, and staff is not allowed to forcefully keep anyone at the facility.

"If a youth makes the decision to walk off campus all we can do is redirect as much as we can," the academy's chief operating officer Robert Cassillo told cleveland.com Wednesday. A missing persons report is filed if someone does leave the facility.

Conaway had a history of running away, Fuentes said.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.
Rob Portman

Sen. Rob Portman, far right, told Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, far left, today that he "will not support a plan that does not include stability for Medicaid expansion populations or flexibility for states."

(Andrew Harnik, Associated Press)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As lawmakers awaited the release Monday evening of a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, four Senate Republicans warned they will fight to keep Medicaid patients from losing care.

Ohio's Rob Portman and three colleagues said they "will not support a plan that does not include stability for Medicaid expansion populations or flexibility for states."

That doesn't mean they will vote against an eventual replacement bill for the Affordable Care Act. The public release of a House of Representatives bill, following weeks of leaks as House members drafted their proposal, will merely start negotiations that determine what is in and out before final House and Senate votes, which are weeks away at best.

There could be trade-offs as Republicans try to eliminate Obamacare's financial subsidies, used to help bring down premiums for many people who buy private insurance policies.

The House draft bill proposed issuing tax credits to many more Americans, even if their incomes are fairly high. Some conservatives were aghast at the idea, and it appeared to be dead in the version released late Monday. Larry Levitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation tweeted that the refundable tax credits would phase out for those with incomes above $75,000.

Refundable tax credits for health insurance vary by age but not by local premiums. They phase out for individuals above $75,000.  Larry Levitt (@larry_levitt) March 6, 2017

Medicaid's expansion was a separate feature of the Affordable Care Act. A federal-state program, Medicaid already served those in poverty, particularly low-income women with dependent children. Obamacare let states expand Medicaid coverage to more people -- specifically to those whose incomes reached 138 percent of the poverty level, or $16,243 a year for an individual -- with the federal government paying the costs at first.

If the replacement bill rolls back that coverage or shifts more costs to the states, vulnerable people could lose care, the senators said in a letter this afternoon to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Those people must not be harmed while a successor set of policies and rules providing health care is phased in, says the letter. It was signed by Portman and fellow Republican Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, of West Virginia, Cory Gardner of Colorado and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Ohio's Medicaid expansion, championed by the Republican governor, John Kasich, amid criticism from conservatives, extended healthcare coverage to about 700,000 people. A large share of them have had mental health or addiction issues.

Kasich says it would be fine to bring the income threshold back down to the poverty line, but only if those who lose Medicaid coverage then can buy private insurance policies with government help. The tax credits that have been mentioned so far -- $2,000 for the youngest insurance buyers and $4,000 for those 60 and over -- would be inadequate, Kasich says.

Portman has not proposed a specific replacement plan. But he has said the replacement must be phased in to eliminate abrupt changes. The letter today goes a step further.

"The Department of Health and Human Services reports that nearly one-third of individuals covered under the Medicaid expansion have a mental health or substance use disorder," the letter says. "As the largest payer of mental health and substance use services in the United States, it is critical that any health care replacement provide states with a stable transition period and the opportunity to gradually phase-in their populations to any new Medicaid financing structure."

This doesn't mean the senators don't want to end Obamacare. They do, saying it "destabilized the private insurance market and created an unsustainable path for both the states and the federal government."

But "reform should not come at the cost of disruption in access to health care for our country's most vulnerable and sickest individuals," their letter says.

States will need "significant new flexibility" and a gradual transition "to ensure states have the time to successfully implement these new changes."
ReginalWalterBeckett.jpg

The World War I story of Reginald Walter Beckett, founder of R.W. Beckett Companies in North Ridgeville, was told by his son, chairman and CEO John D. Beckett, at the men's breakfast at the North Ridgeville senior center.

NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio - "As the Allied troops advanced, the German front went quiet..."

John Beckett was able to walk back in time when, among his mother's belongings, he discovered World War I letters from his father. He told his story at a recent men's breakfast at the North Ridgeville senior center.

John D. Beckett, son of Reginald Walter Beckett.

Beckett is the chairman and CEO of The Beckett Companies in North Ridgeville, which his father opened in 1937. Now an international company, The Beckett Companies manufacture residential and commercial oil and gas burners, as well as controls, parts and accessories, plus solar products and tank accessories.

In the early 1960s, Beckett was a young aerospace engineer after graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he designed components for aircraft and missiles. He decided to step up to his family's company leadership at the request of his father, Reginald Walter Beckett, who was called Reg. He was working for his father for only about a year when Reg died at age 67 of a heart attack in his car in 1965. Beckett was only 26.

The company clearly had a bad year when, in addition to the founder's death, the plant caught on fire.

"There were only 12 employees at the time," said Beckett, "and only a few customers. We fought the fire together with the firemen." Nearly the entire burner inventory was destroyed but, after an effort by both employees and suppliers, no orders were missed or delayed, noted Beckett.

At this time, believing he was at turning point, Beckett picked up on his wife's religious faith to keep going. "I turned to the Lord as I never had. That decision became the most pivotal of my life," he said. From there he began to build the business based on Biblical principles and noted, "That has been my life's journey."

Recently Beckett found a file folder full of more than 30 handwritten letters among his mother's possessions. They were letters his father had written home during 1917 and 1918 when he was a soldier with the Canadian army in World War I in Europe.

"They are a remarkable window into the challenges faced by a teenager who enlists, survives and returns a man, ultimately founding the company that bears his name, the RW Beckett Corporation," said Beckett. "No doubt his difficult experiences abroad, in his teens and into his early twenties, forged his character, competence, courage, passions and stamina. These, in turn, became an enduring legacy to his wife, Jean, his three children and countless others through his distinguished career in business and in the communities in which he lived over his sixty-seven years."

Uniform and memorabilia of Reginald Beckett in World War I displayed at The Beckett Companies in North Ridgeville.

The letters and Beckett's narrative take the reader from Reg's enlistment on July 4, 1916 in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force immediately after graduating from school to what Beckett describes as "Reg heading to England and then France, at best only dimly aware of the horrors that lay ahead."

Peppered with old family photos, photos of some memorabilia and even maps, the information is a family saga well worth reading.

Beckett's personal philosophy, as stated in his own book, Mastering Monday, is one of coordinating all facets of life with a spiritual perspective. In a description of his book, "Beckett brings all of life together: work, belief, value, character, relationship, truth, worship and joy," to result in employees "who feel valued, enjoy their work, work hard and are successful at what they do."

His journey, as well as his corporate philosophy, is highlighted in the book, as well as his other book, Loving Monday: Succeeding in Business without Selling Your Soul. It is clear his philosophy of life was heavily influenced by the father who went to war a teenager and came back a strong, principled man who was bound and determined to succeed.

An e-book of the fascinating letters, as well as a video, is available to download at no charge at www.beckettpress.com.
President Donald Trump's supporters assemble for their own weekend rallies. The top Republican prospects for governor have their first big test. And Nan Whaley gets a possible re-election challenger in Dayton. Read more in Ohio Politics Roundup.

Turnout blues: Weekend rallies to show support for President Donald Trump did not appear to draw the same numbers that anti-Trump protests have in recent weeks. In Cleveland, Tea Party organizer Ralph King "was disappointed" that an expected crowd of 500 didn't come close to materializing Saturday. King, who blamed the cold weather, counted 250 on hand. "A Cleveland police officer pegged it closer to 150," cleveland.com's Peter Krouse reports.

A pro-Trump rally in East Toledo drew "about 160," the Toledo Blade's Lauren Lindstrom writes. Meanwhile at the Statehouse, "clashes and confrontations ensued" between the president's supporters and protesters, the Columbus Dispatch's Holly Zachariah reports.

Elsewhere: In Boardman, crowd count estimates placed the number of Trump supporters somewhere between 70 and 200, including U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, a Marietta Republican, the Youngstown Vindicator's Bruce Walton reports. In Springfield, "more than a dozen people showed up at the corner of State Route 41 and North Bechtle Avenue ... to show support for President Donald Trump and his policies," the Dayton Daily News' Hasan Karim writes.

Something to keep in mind: Plans for these "Spirit of America" rallies began trickling out Feb. 20. An Indivisible and MoveOn.org town hall targeting Trump and Sen. Rob Portman last month in Cleveland drew more than any of the events mentioned above. Ditto a January protest at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport that came together in the hours after Trump signed an executive order banning travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

The Big Four step to the starting line: The Northeast Hamilton County Republican Club's pancake breakfast Saturday in Sharonville marked the first time that the GOP's top four gubernatorial prospects took the same stage. A few notes from my scouting report ...

Secretary of State Jon Husted

U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci

Attorney General Mike DeWine

Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor

Two other random observations from the breakfast: DeWine had an army of aides wearing T-shirts and working the room. And Portman, who also spoke, stayed for about an hour after the event to chat with some of his critics. (The senator has been accused of dodging angry constituents who want him to hear their grievances at a public town hall-style forum.)

More from Portman: A bipartisan effort "led by ... Portman and Michigan Sen. Gary Peters on Friday urged federal officials to prioritize investigations into recent acts of anti-Semitism reported in Ohio and across the country," cleveland.com's Jackie Borchardt writes.

As for the Democratic bench ... there is only one declared candidate for governor: Ohio Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni of the Youngstown area. There are between a half-dozen to a dozen other names of varying caliber in the mix. But there is no clear front-runner.

Whaley watch: One potential Democratic prospect for governor, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, is up for re-election this year and could have a November challenger, the Dayton Daily News' Cornelius Frolik reports. "Erric Devin Bailey submitted a petition to join the mayoral race at about 3:40 p.m. Friday, just 20 minutes before the filing deadline. ... Whaley has been building a war chest in preparation for re-election. In August, [the Daily News] reported that her campaign already had collected $141,000. Whaley recently said that she is considering running for governor. But she stressed that her top priority and focus was the mayor's race."

How gerrymandering makes it hard to find common ground: "During Statehouse debates, Republicans and Democrats often talk as if they're from different worlds. In many respects, they are," the Columbus Dispatch's Jim Siegel writes. "The difference in the demographics of Ohioans represented by Republican legislators versus those represented by Democratic legislators is stark. Almost all wealthier, whiter legislative districts are Republican. A poorer, more racially diverse district is very likely to have a Democratic legislator."

About all that 'pivot' punditry: In his latest entry at cleveland.com's E Pluribus, Baldwin Wallace political scientist Tom Sutton weighs in on Trump's joint address to Congress.

"For those thinking this would be a new page in presidential communications ... don't hold your breath," Sutton writes. "Trump continues to tweet facetious claims to distract from negative news about the administration. ... President Trump will continue to attack those who represent a threat, and seek to distract from his own negative news by making exaggerated or false claims."

H2NO? Ohio's members of Congress are pledging to "fight any effort by President Donald Trump to gut the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's budget for Great Lakes cleanup," cleveland.com's Sabrina Eaton reports. "A leaked draft of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2018 budget proposal indicates the Trump administration intends to suggest cutting the program from $300 million annually to $10 million. It would be part of an effort to slash $2 billion from the agency and reduce its workforce by 3,000 employees."

Republican Rep. Dave Joyce "said Congress is likely to restore funding for the Great Lakes programs even if the Trump administration forwards a budget that guts them dramatically."

Wright stuff: In the latest installment of cleveland.com's Ohio Matters series, Jeremy Pelzer reports on how business leaders in Greene County hope Trump preserves the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a major employment engine in the state. But Rep. Mike Turner, a Republican who represents the area in Congress, "is not as reassured about Trump's military budget proposal. In a statement released Monday, Turner [accused] the Trump administration of 'fake budgeting,' saying the White House's claim of a proposed 10-percent increase in military spending is really a 3-percent increase, well below the $640 billion Turner says is needed."

Get Battleground Briefing, our FREE politics newsletter, delivered to your inbox: Sign up here. Tips or links? Send here. Follow along on Twitter: @HenryJGomez.
Ireland Mass Grave

In this June 7, 2014 file photo members of the public at the site of a mass grave for children who died in the Tuam mother and baby home, in Tuam, County Galway. Forensics experts say they have found a mass grave for young children at a former Catholic orphanage in Ireland where suspicions of unrecorded, unmarked burials have lingered for decades. (Niall Carson/PA via AP, File)

Between 1925 and the 1960s, in a tiny town called Tuam in western Ireland's County Galway, thousands of "fallen women" and their "illegitimate" children passed through the Mother and Baby Home operated by the Congregation of the Sisters of Bon Secours.

After a period of involuntary service and penance, many of the women who came to the home left to resume their lives, as The Post's Terrence McCoy reported in 2014.



But some of the children did not leave. And what became of them remained a mystery into which few cared to inquire.



But after painstaking research, a local historian named Catherine Corless became convinced in 2014 that the infants and small children - perhaps 700 to 800 of them - died in the home and were buried without markers in mass graves beneath the property, perhaps in an underground structure such as a septic tank.



The story, which attracted worldwide publicity, was met with skepticism and even suggestions that it was a hoax. It wasn't.



A commission established by the Irish government in response to her research and the ensuing controversy has reported finding "significant quantities of human remains" in 17 "underground chambers" inside a buried structure.



That structure, the commission said Friday, "appears to be related" to the treatment and containment of sewage and/or wastewater, though it was uncertain whether the structure was ever used for that purpose.



There is no uncertainty about the remains.



A small number of them were recovered for analysis, the commission reported. "These remains," it said, "involved a number of individuals with age-at-death ranges" from approximately 35 fetal weeks to 2-to-3 years.



"Radiocarbon dating of the samples recovered suggest that the remains date from the time frame relevant to the operation of the Mother and Baby Home," the commission said. "A number of the samples are likely to date from the 1950s."



Further tests are being conducted.



The commission said it was "shocked" by the discovery and "is continuing its investigation into who was responsible for the disposal of human remains in this way."



The testing and excavation found another structure as well, which the commission said appeared to be "a large sewage containment system or septic tank that had been decommissioned and filled with rubble and debris and then covered with top soil." The report did not say whether researchers had yet looked for remains in that structure.



"This is very sad and disturbing news," Katherine Zappone, Ireland's minister for children and youth affairs, said in a statement. "It was not unexpected, as there were claims about human remains on the site over the last number of years."



But previously the claims amounted to mere rumors, Zappone said. "Now we have confirmation that the remains are there, and that they date back to the time of the Mother and Baby Home," she said.



"Today is about remembering and respecting the dignity of the children who lived their short lives in this Home," Zappone added. "We will honour their memory and make sure that we take the right actions now to treat their remains appropriately."



In a statement published in the Irish Times, the Bon Secours sisters said they were "fully committed to the work of the commission regarding the mother and baby home in Tuam. . . . On the closing of the home in 1961, all the records for the home were returned to Galway County Council, who are the owners and occupiers of the lands of the home. We can therefore make no comment on today's announcement, other than to confirm our continued cooperation with and support for the work of the commission in seeking the truth about the home."



Corless's original theory and now its confirmation "provide a glimpse into a particularly dark time for unmarried pregnant women in Ireland, where societal and religious mores stigmatized them," McCoy wrote in 2014 for The Post.



Without means to support themselves, women by the hundreds wound up at the Home, Corless told The Post in 2014. "Families would be afraid of neighbors finding out, because to get pregnant out of marriage was the worst thing on Earth. It was the worst crime a woman could commit, even though a lot of the time it had been because of a rape."



The government's placement of mothers in institutions such as the Tuam home was a form of social welfare outsourcing, accompanied by payments to the homes, albeit small ones.



Corless' research found that infant mortality at the home in Tuam was particularly high. Records for that home show that babies died at the rate of two per week from malnutrition and neglect, and from diseases such as measles and gastroenteritis, Corless told the Post in 2014.



Her interest in a subject others preferred to forget began when she was doing research for an annual local historical journal. She heard about a graveyard near what had been the Tuam home and wondered how many children might be buried there. In addition to looking at records of deaths at the home, Corless found that several boys had stumbled across a cracked piece of concrete "filled to the brim with human skulls and bones," she told The Post in 2014. "They said even to this day they still have nightmares of finding the bodies."



In the wake of the commission's report Friday, Corless told the Irish Times that it was "an enormous relief to have the truth come out about what I knew. I can only imagine what the survivors of those who died there must feel, and those who had family connections to the home. The Church and State owes them all an apology," she said.



The commission is already investigating how unmarried mothers and their babies were treated between 1922 and 1998 at 18 religious institutions used by the state.



"This could have gone either way," Corless told the Irish Mirror.



"It could have been covered up as it was in the 1970s when this investigation should have taken place," she said. "The county council knew at the time that there were remains there, the guards knew it, the religious [orders] knew it and it was just all nicely covered in and forgotten about.



"When I started this research," she told the Mirror, "I was asked, 'What are you doing? It's a long time ago. If there's bodies there just leave them.' "

This story was written by Fred Barbash of The Washington Post.
It seems that blogging is going out of fashion faster than I produce posts. I've had to prune the list of friends below to account for inactivity. But hope dies last, and maybe there will be a day that another of my friends starts blogging. It would help staying up to date.

Back in Utah, Sean and I were fellow graduate students and roommates for a while. Plus, we spent a lot of time riding mountain bikes and breaking parts.

Deidra, a purely virtual acquaintance, has kept me up to date with life in NYC for many years now.
Transcription

1 COUNTRY CHAPTER ICE ICELAND BY THE GOVERNMENT OF ICELAND

2 1. Resettlement Policy The Government of Iceland agreed, in 1996, to establish an annual resettlement quota as part of the UNHCR Resettlement Programme. The Icelandic Refugee Council is the consultative body on refugees. The Ministry of Social Affairs, through the Icelandic Refugee Council, is responsible for the selection, admission and integration of refugees in Iceland while working in close co-operation with the concerned ministries. 2. Criteria for Refugee Status Eligibility and Asylum Refugees eligible for resettlement in Iceland are recognised refugees according to the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Statute of Refugees and regional instruments, who for security reasons cannot remain in their first country of asylum or return to their country of origin. 3. Criteria for Resettlement Refugees eligible for resettlement in Iceland are refugees recognised under UNHCR s mandate who fall into one of the following categories: Legal or physical protection needs, when the refugee meets one of these conditions: Immediate or long-term threat of forced repatriation or expulsion. Threat of arbitrary arrest, detention or imprisonment. Threat to human rights or physical integrity/safety, analogous to that considered under the refugee definition and rendering asylum untenable. Refugees victims of violence and /or torture Refugees victims of violence and / or torture who require special medical attention. Their resettlement in Iceland is subject to the availability of appropriate medical services. Women at Risk Women facing serious physical and / or psychological threats (rape, sexual harassment, violence, exploitation, torture, etc ) lacking the traditional protection of their families or communities. JANUARY 2002 ICE/ 1

3 Refugees without local integration prospects in the first country of asylum Under specific circumstances, refugees who do not have an opportunity to establish themselves in their country of refuge in a manner appropriate to their cultural, social, religious or educational background. When refugees remain a certain period in a country of asylum without being able to integrate and there is no prospect for repatriation in near future, they can be considered for resettlement. 4. Resettlement Allocations The Government of Iceland decides the allocation of the quota in close consultation with the Ministry of Social Affairs. The Icelandic Refugee Council, reuniting representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as with the Icelandic Red Cross and the National Association of Local Authorities, makes a proposal on the basis of UNHCR assessment of overall resettlement needs. The Refugee Council meets once per month in average, and decides upon the allocation of sub-quotas by region and category. 5. Admissibility for Resettlement No special constraints on admissibility are given. 6. Submissions and Processing via Dossier Selection The processing of refugees in Iceland is mainly carried out through In-Country Selection. 7. Submissions and Processing via In-Country Selection The selection process is implemented through participation in selection missions to the countries of refuge by an Icelandic delegation. The delegation is composed of representatives from the Icelandic Red Cross, who heads the delegation, the Ministry of Social Affairs or/and the Local Community as well as an interpreter. JANUARY 2002 ICE/ 2

4 The selection of candidates is made through refugee status determination and resettlement eligibility interviews on the basis of the Resettlement Registration Forms submitted by UNHCR. The Icelandic delegation notifies UNHCR of its decisions immediately after the interviews are completed. Entry visas are issued by the nearest Danish Embassy to accepted refugees. 8. Emergency Cases No accelerated procedures for the processing of emergency cases are yet in place. 9. Special Categories Considering the positive results achieved by the Resettlement Programme thus far, there is potential for a progressive diversification of the Icelandic quota to also include refugees with special needs. 10. Family Reunification of Refugees The Government of Iceland acknowledges that family unity is an important factor that facilitates the integration of refugees in their country of resettlement. Cases of family reunification are dealt with under the general provisions of the immigration law, on a case-by-case basis. 11. Medical Requirements No specific medical requirements are provided for under the Icelandic programme. 12. Travel Travel will be arranged by IOM in close co-operation with UNHCR. Costs of travel are paid by the Icelandic Government, under the responsibility of UNHCR or of any sponsor. JANUARY 2002 ICE/ 3

5 13. Status on Arrival Refugees accepted for resettlement in Iceland are granted refugee status according to the 1951 Convention. The refugees will be subsequently granted an open residence and work permit. They will be eligible to apply for citizenship after 5 years of continued residence in Iceland. 14. Domestic Settlement and Community Services 14.1 Actors The reception and integration of refugees is co-ordinated by the Ministry of Social Affairs through the Icelandic Red Cross. A Steering Group, chaired by the Red Cross, is established in each of the local communities and is responsible, at a local level, for the assistance provided under the Icelandic Programme. Support families are an essential feature of Iceland s integration programme for resettled refugees. The support families scheme is based on the initiative of individual citizens who volunteer with the Icelandic Red Cross to assist a refugee to integrate in their respective local communities. Support families undergo specific training before being formally assigned to a refugee, including a psychological aid course and a full briefing on the refugee s cultural background Orientation and Language Training Language training is provided during the first year of residence, fours days per week. Icelandic teachers receive interpretation assistance, where required. Cultural orientation on Iceland is provided within the framework of language training. Information sessions on the background of resettled refugees are provided to the receiving communities in Iceland at the beginning of the programme. This contributes to the development of a good understanding between the refugees and the local community Reception Newly resettled refugees are met at the airport by representatives of the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Icelandic Refugee Council, as well as the local authorities, Red Cross representatives and support families. JANUARY 2002 ICE/ 4

6 14.4 Housing Upon arrival, refugees are provided with an apartment for one year including heat, electricity and the basic costs for telephone service. In addition, refugees are offered free health services for six months and allowances for their living expenses according to a standard fixed by the Social Services of the local receiving community. Refugees are also provided with new and/or second-hand furniture, a television, radio, vacuum cleaner, refrigerator and washing machine, as well as with clothing Health Upon arrival in Iceland, all refugees will receive a medical check-up. Medical and dental care is provided as required, free of charge, during the first six months of residence in Iceland. After six months, refugees have the same access to the health system as Icelandic citizens Education Iceland has a ten-year compulsory education term for children. Refugee children are entitled to education in their mother tongue for the first year at least. All refugees are expected to attend classes of Icelandic language for the initial 9 months, at least Employment and Vocational Training In each of the communities receiving resettled refugees, a project manager is appointed by the local authorities to mentor and monitor the integration of the refugee(s) concerned. The project manager is responsible for liasing with potential employers and arranging job interviews for the refugee. After an initial period of 4 to 6 weeks, the refugee is generally offered a part-time job. Due to a low unemployment rate in Iceland, most refugees are usually employed before the end of the first year Other assistance Psychological assistance, language instruction and cultural orientation are provided to refugees throughout their integration process. At the end of the one-year support programme, refugees are expected to become self-sufficient and receive the same level of social assistance as other Icelandic residents. 15. Reference Material Icelandic Nationality Act, No. 100 dated 23/12/1952 and amended in 1982 and Icelandic Immigration Law, JANUARY 2002 ICE/ 5
"Policymakers have faced a hard trade-off. On the one hand, they need short-term growth stability to focus on political power consolidation," said Macquarie analyst Larry Hu. "On the other hand, they also need long-term growth sustainability."

The tone of Li's speech toed the line, emphasizing some reforms while maintaining optimism and stability, which is a major government priority in the run-up to a major leadership shuffle this fall.

China, the world's second-largest economy, is in the spotlight as the government works to maneuver a difficult transition, moving away from growth led by manufacturing and exports, and toward the services sectors. It's easier said than done, especially in the face of a broadly sluggish global economy, as Li highlighted.

That magic number  "around 6.5 percent, or higher if possible"  was announced by Premier Li Keqiang, who delivered his version of a "state of the union" address on Sunday. If China delivers growth at that pace this year, it would be slower than the 6.7 percent expansion last year.

It's that time of year again: The parliamentary spectacle that is China's National People's Congress has kicked off with the government's annual economic growth target.

Li also announced a series of additional targets, including keeping the consumer price index around 3 percent, continuing to tackle overcapacity in the coal and steel sectors, and pledging to create 11 million new urban jobs.

"An important part of successful excess capacity reduction is the settlement of employees in affected locations," said UBS economist Wang Tao. Doing so will help "maintain social stability," she added.

China is expected to continue setting aside funds to offer unemployment relief, training and job placement services, as it started to do last year when the government announced it would shed 1.8 million coal and steel jobs.

Li emphasized that shoring up growth at around 6.5 percent would be key to job creation. But experts remain skeptical that the government will succeed in creating enough new jobs.

"There is not now, nor has there ever been, any magical connection between GDP and jobs," said Derek Scissors, chief economist of the China Beige Book. He noted that China had said it needed even higher GDP growth when its labor force was expanding at its peak pace, rather than the current contraction on jobs.

"This doesn't make any sense economically, but it's perfectly clear politically," Scissors said.

Still, NPC delegates are expected to rubber stamp their approval of the ruling Communist Party's proposals, which include a commitment to lower costs for roaming and Internet services  an idea that drew quite a bit of applause from the crowd.

Looking ahead, what the government didn't say was perhaps as telling as what it did. Beijing usually announces its defense budget at this time, but didn't do so this time around.

Officials haven't explained why, and the figure could still be announced later this week as parliamentary meetings continue. On Saturday, a government spokeswoman had indicated that military spending would increase around 7 percent. It's a move to help the country shore up national security, said NPC spokesperson Fu Ying.

China's economy may no longer be expanding with double-digit percentage growth, but the economy is still gigantic  worth about $11 trillion last year.

"Don't worry about good old China," wrote Carl Weinberg of High Frequency Economics in a note. "Its growth rate is still among the fastest in the G20, and China contributes more to global GDP growth than any other country by a quantum."



Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on Sunday denied any suggestion that Trump Tower communications were wiretapped before the election.



For the part of the national security apparatus that he oversaw, "there was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president, the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate, or against his campaign," Clapper told Chuck Todd in an exclusive interview on Sunday's "Meet The Press."

More from NBC News:

FBI Director Comey Asked the DoJ to Reject Trump's Wiretap Claims

Rubio: White House 'Will Have to Answer' to Trump's Wiretapping Accusations

Sen. Graham Feels the Heat at S.C. Town Hall as Crowd Jeers About Russia, Obamacare



When Todd asked him whether he could confirm or deny if a FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Act) order for this existed, Clapper declared, "I can deny it."

Asked again whether there was a FISA Court order to monitor Trump Tower, Clapper said, "Not to my knowledge."

Clapper said that if any wiretap like that occurred, he would "certainly hope" that he would be aware of it.

"I can't speak for other authorized entities in the government or a state or local entity," he added.

Clapper was responding to questions surrounding President Trump's accusation  without evidence  that former President Barack Obama personally ordered wiretap surveillance of Trump Tower before the November election. After tweeting the allegations in the early morning Saturday, Trump and his administration continued to offer no evidence to support the accusation. On Sunday, the Trump administration sought to spin Trump's unsubstantiated claim as a call for Congress to investigate if Obama "abused" his presidential powers.
North Korea fired four ballistic missiles early on Monday, three of which landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, the latest in a series of provocative tests by the reclusive state.



"Multiple ballistic missiles" were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the North's border with China and flew about 1,000 km (620 miles), South Korean military officials said, without providing the number of missiles.

"South Korea and the United States are conducting a close-up analysis, regarding further information," South Korea's Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. Acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn convened a national security meeting, South Korea's presidential office said in a text message.

Japanese officials described the launches as a grave threat and said they lodged "strong protests" with nuclear-armed North Korea.

"The launches are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action," Abe said during lawmaker questions in parliament.

No reports of damage to shipping or aircraft had been received since the launches, Japanese officials said.

The U.S. military did not immediately comment. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States also detected apparent launch activity in North Korea but declined to offer details.
Barkindo was speaking to reporters in Houston ahead of the CERAWeek by IHS Markit conference starting Monday. Oil ministers from Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iraq are among speakers at the annual gathering, as are major oil company CEOs.

OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo said it's "premature" to say whether OPEC and non-OPEC producers will extend their production cuts after May, but for now it's "so far, so good."

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers agreed late last year to cut 1.8 million barrels a day from production to stabilize prices. So far, oil has stabilized above $50 per barrel, even with increased U.S. production and continued stockpiling of supply.

In response to a question on whether the market was rebalancing in the face of large U.S. supply, Barkindo said: "It depends who you talk to and it depends on what inventories you are looking at."

"But overall, I think so far, so good. Inventories are responding if you look at both onshore and offshore inventories."

The oil industry has been hoping to get more insight from Barkindo and others this week about whether OPEC and Russia will continue to hold back production. U.S. shale drillers, meanwhile, have used the steady, higher price to bring production back on line, to a level of 9 million barrels a day, according to last week's U.S. government data.

Barkindo said the May OPEC meeting is too far away to be able to predict whether the producers would extend their deal. "That's a long time in this market," he said.

Before the May meeting, the monitoring committee, which includes Russia, will meet March 25 in Kuwait.

"When we meet in May, we'll be able to look at the numbers and see where they are. We are talking about stock levels and stock draw downs ... to what extent we achieved our [goal]," he said.
Transcription

1 CHARITABLE FOUNDATION EAST-SOS MISSING PERSONS PROBLEMS WITH REGULATION OF THE LEGAL STATUS OF PERSONS MISSING DURING THE ARMED CONFLICT IN UKRAINE HDIM WARSAW 2016

2 AUTHORS "JUSTICE FOR PEACE IN DONBAS" COALITION The Coalition was established in December 2014 and includes 17 NGOs, mainly from the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. The Coalition members are: Alchevsk Human Rights Analytical Centre, Centre for Civil Liberties / Euromaidan SOS, Civic Organization Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, Donbas SOS, Donetsk "Memorial," Eastern-Ukrainian Centre for Civic Initiatives, Ecological and Cultural Centre Bakhmat, Human Rights Centre Postup / Vostok SOS, Luhansk Regional Human Rights Centre Alternative, Luhansk Rights Defence Group, Public Committee for Protection of Constitutional Rights and Freedoms of Citizens, Public Movement Ochyshchennya, Public Organization Mirny bereg, Social Action Centre NGO, Starobilsk District Public Human Rights Women s Organization Victoria, Starobilsk Public Organization

3 CONTEXT According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, more than 1,000 people went missing during the armed conflict in Ukraine. The fourteenth report of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine OHCHR referred to 3,687 criminal proceedings ex post regarding missing persons in the Luhansk or Donetsk Oblasts. According to the data of East-SOS, collected in conjunction with the NGO Mirniy Bereg, information about the fate and whereabouts of 562 people is missing. According to official figures revealed by the First Vice-speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Gerashchenko, the number of missing persons is However, in the absence of a special mechanism of accounting for persons missing during the conflict, it is not possible to assess the actual extent as well as the efficiently of tracing the missing. Unfortunately, to date, the legislation has not defined a procedure for granting legal status to a missing person nor the content of such a status. Furthermore, it made no provisions for a mechanism of accounting for such persons and the exchange of information on missing persons between governmental and non-governmental organizations. There is no mechanism of state support for relatives of missing persons either. MONITORING METHODOLOGY East-SOS Charitable Foundation analysed subject legislation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, ICRC Model Law on Missing Persons, as well as the provisions of the draft law "On the prevention of disappearances and assistance in tracing missing persons" presented by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. MONITORING RESULTS In March 2016, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine presented the draft law "On the prevention of disappearances and assistance in tracing missing persons" which, according to its provisions, must resolve issues of preventing disappearances and providing legal assistance in locating missing persons. This includes persons missing in the conditions of armed conflict, riots or violence inside the country, during a natural disaster, accidents or other emergency situations. The draft law is also supposed to resolve issues of protecting the rights and interests of the missing persons and their relatives. This draft, in its form and content, is a transformation of the CIS Model Law on Missing Persons from It retains the model, descriptive character of the regulations. In this form, it cannot be used as a source of legal regulation and needs considerable refinement. According to the draft, the competent authority which is empowered to trace missing persons is the National Police and other public bodies that have powers in this sphere. However, this approach is not sufficiently justified. 1

4 Mothers of prisoners and missing picketing at the Presidential Administration, 29 September 2015 In the process of implementing the provisions of this law, if adopted, there may appear tasks the fulfilment of which goes beyond the criminal process. This would, for example, be the case with maintaining a register of missing persons, issuance of relevant documents to relatives, appointment and payment of financial assistance to relatives of the missing persons, etc., which obviously cannot be assigned to a broad and indefinite circle of competent authorities, including the National Police. The existing practice in the experience of Bosnia and Herzegovina or Kosovo, as well as the principles set forth in the Model Law on Missing Persons developed by the International Committee of the Red Cross shows the feasibility of establishing a separate entity entrusted with the task of facilitating the process of tracing missing persons during certain events. However, in these countries the relevant laws were adopted after the fighting ended and most of the information about persons who had gone missing had already been collected. The specificity of establishing such a body in Ukraine is that the military operations on the territory of Ukraine are ongoing. Unfortunately, this means that there continue to appear new cases of missing people. In addition, in the context of the current armed conflict, representatives of State bodies of Ukraine do not have access to the temporarily occupied territories of the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, as well as the Crimea and Sevastopol. At the same time, non-governmental organizations, including international ones, work in these areas, visit the places of unlawful deprivation of liberty, interview persons who were unlawfully deprived of their liberty or have become victims of enforced disappearance, their relatives, witnesses of these crimes, carry out investigation and the exhumation of remains. Thus, depending on the circumstances of the disappearance, various public bodies, non-governmental organizations and private individuals can have at their disposal the information on the whereabouts of the disappeared person or their remains.

5 Oleg - the search for him has been going on for 511 days. It would, therefore, be advisable to create a special coordinating body (a commission) composed of representatives of various institutions and organizations (both governmental and non-governmental) engaged in tracing missing persons. In particular, such commission should include representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Social Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Service for Emergency Situations, Anti-Terrorist Centre of the Security Service, Ministry of Defence, as well as the relatives of missing persons and/ or their associations, non-governmental organizations that are directly involved in tracing missing persons or in tracing and/or identifying bodies during the events that could lead to disappearances. In addition, it is necessary to create an executive body of this commission which would have to work directly with applicants and relatives of missing persons. To improve the effectiveness of such an executive body it would be useful to impose a duty on public bodies to provide information regarding missing persons or unidentified remains. We believe it necessary to establish an executive body as the one exercising control over the activities of other state bodies in the area of tracing missing persons. The draft law does not contain any provisions on the prevention of disappearances of persons. The draft needs to be supplemented by provisions concerning the prevention of enforced disappearances, guarantees of the rights of missing persons and their relatives, as well as the rights of arrested, detained or interned persons. Additionally, social protection of relatives of missing persons who are dependants of the latter should also be ensured. And the legal status of a missing person should be defined with an emphasis on the need to distinguish between the concepts of a "missing person" and a "permanently absent person".

6 RECOMMENDATIONS The authorities of Ukraine, namely a specialized ministry (e.g. the Ministry of the Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine) in cooperation with various national and international organizations, should make efforts to develop and adopt legislation concerning the issues associated with tracing persons gone missing during the military conflict in Ukraine. Such an act should create a real mechanism of accounting for missing persons, tracing them and organizing interaction between governmental and non-governmental bodies which are involved in the process of tracing missing persons and/or identifying their bodies To that end, taking the CIS Model Law as a basis will not be an adequate action relevant for the current situation in Ukraine.

7 PARTNER ORGANISATIONS MONITORING WAS POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF THIS PUBLICATION HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY This publication has been supported under the project European support for effective monitoring of human rights in Eastern Ukraine implemented by DRA (Berlin) and funded by the German Federal Foreign Office. The conclusions and recommendations of this report are given by the authors and editors of this publication and do not necessarily reflect the views of German Federal Foreign Office.

8
As my second semester rolled around in January, I was offered a promotion and an opportunity to work on a park bond campaign. In Texas.

My parents weren't thrilled that I was giving up my scholarship and dropping out of school. But I took the job and later worked on various campaigns in a number of roles for the next several years. And you know what? Working on campaigns taught me a lot about running a company.

Here are five things I learned from working on political campaigns:

1. How to sell

As a field canvasser, my job was to go door to door educating people on the issues and soliciting donations. I had a daily quota to hit, so I had to be direct when asking for money.

When the door opened, I had about a two-minute window to make a personal connection with someone. As a shy, introverted young guy, I was scared to talk to complete strangers.

The bad part: I'd have to talk to 40-60 people a day. The good part: I'd have to talk to 40-60 people a day. I had the chance to get better each time.

If I had an awkward exchange, I could tweak my approach with the next person who answered the door. I learned to overcome my nervousness and shaky knees by relying on my sense of humor  it's a disarming tool, sure, but it helped me relax, too! Plus, once I got someone to chuckle, I knew I had bought myself another 30 seconds.

I got better at reading people, relating to them and reframing my ask. I also assumed support  that the person on the other side of the door already cared about the issues and wanted to help.

It's never easy to ask people for money. But years of canvassing helped build my confidence when selling today.
Repsol has agreed a deal with Amazon that will allow people to pick up parcels at its filling stations in the latest signs of oil companies widening the range of services available through their retail networks.

Customers will be able to receive deliveries at many of Repsol's almost 4,000 outlets across Spain and Portugal, as the service is rolled out over the next two months. It follows a trial of the service in some of Repsol's 320 sites in Italy.

More from the Financial Times:

Peugeot owner: Hard Brexit 'could be opportunity' for supplier base

Uber employees lose faith and explore exit

Republican tax reform could shake up global economy

The deal is part of wider efforts by Amazon and other online retailers to provide convenient pick-up locations for parcels that avoid customers having to wait at home for deliveries.

It also highlights renewed focus by oil and gas companies on the consumer appeal of their retail networks, which have become a more important source of cash generation in an era of relatively low oil prices.

"We're adding new products and services to our forecourts to take advantage of the fact we have more face-to-face contact with consumers each day than almost any other brand in Spain," said Josu Jon Imaz, Repsol chief executive.

The Amazon Locker service to be introduced at Repsol outlets is already widely available in the US and at more than 1,300 locations in the UK, including some Jet filling stations operated by the US oil company Phillips 66.

However, Repsol's deal has the potential to be among the biggest click and collect partnerships with Amazon in Europe. Customers are sent a code by Amazon which opens the locker containing their parcel.







Repsol has also introduced car-sharing services and charging points for electric vehicles at some filling stations. This further diversifies the facilities' appeal at a time when falling car ownership among young people and the rise of electric vehicles threatens to curb long-term demand for fuel.

Until recently, retail operations were a neglected and sometimes unwanted part of the energy industry.

Many filling stations were sold off by energy groups during the era of $100 per barrel oil, as investors questioned the point of selling petrol and sandwiches to consumers when there was much more money to be made in exploration and production.

However, that thinking has changed since the crash in crude prices in 2014 and oil companies are once again investing in retail businesses and touting them as a strong and reliable source of income.

BP agreed to pay $1.3bn in December to buy 527 Australian filling stations and convenience stores from Woolworths, and it is expanding a food retailing partnership with Marks & Spencer in the UK.

Bob Dudley, BP chief executive, told investors last week that retail was an important part of the group's target to increase earnings from its downstream refining and marketing division by $3bn between 2014 and 2021.

He said: "We have people coming to our stations that are not buying petrol now. They come for the convenience offer."


For millions of women, getting pregnant can be a challenge. Breanna Johnson, 31, and her husband have been trying to conceive for seven months.



"Originally we were hoping the process was going to be easy, natural, organic," Johnson said. "But it's not an easy process and it's a lot more complicated than I ever thought it would be."

For Johnson, tracking her cycle and figuring out which days she was the most fertile was the first hurdle. Couples who time intercourse at the right time double their chances of conceiving. But for so many women with irregular menstrual cycles, knowing which day is prime for baby making can be tough.

Some use a basal thermometer every morning at the same time to look for temperature increases that indicate ovulation. Others use urine samples on pricey ovulation test strips to look for a surge in hormones. But now a new gadget called Ava aims to make this as easy as checking your email.

Ava is a Fitbit-like bracelet packed with sensors that is worn at night while the woman is sleeping. In the morning, she then connects the device to her phone via Bluetooth and an app tells her if she is ovulating or in her fertile window.

Ava is registered with the FDA as a medical class one device and has been clinically proven to be 89 percent accurate to detect 5.3 fertile days in a woman's menstrual cycle.
If keeping up with the announcements coming from the Oval Office about international visitors and refugees feels dizzying, that may be because President Donald Trump is still working out the details of his immigration policy. "I don't know that Trump totally understands his immigration policy yet," says Tilman Fertitta, the self-made billionaire and star of CNBC's "Billion Dollar Buyer." "I think they are trying to weed through it." Fertitta, whose food-and-casino empire is worth about $3 billion, got his start peeling shrimp in the back of his father's restaurant in Galveston, Texas. He now employees 60,000 people. President Donald Trump campaigned and was elected on a promise to crack down on illegal immigrants. He pledged to build a wall to stop Mexicans from crossing the border and, in his first month in office, he attempted to implement a travel ban targeting seven largely Muslim countries. He has since signed a second, revised order that targets six of the same nations.

Trump's aggressive moves on immigration have resulted in national protests and strikes, culminating in a "Day Without Immigrants" in February when businesses shuttered to demonstrate the importance of immigrants to the country's workforce. Also in February, Trump's administration softened its stance by announcing it would not attempt to deport "dreamers," or those children who entered the U.S. illegally (though some uncertainty and fears remain). Fertitta agrees with that choice. "I will be honest with you, I don't think we should break up families and send people back at this point unless somebody is a criminal," he tells CNBC. The CEO sees Trump's more measured policies as representative of the President's real preferences. To Fertitta, Trump's comments about immigration during the campaign and in his first days in office were designed to satisfy his core voters. "I don't know that they have been blundered," says Fertitta. "I think that he spoke more rhetoric to fire up his base. But Donald Trump is a smart man and he is not going to just start deporting people. He doesn't want to deport illegal people. I think he makes that clear when you read and really listen to his speeches and what he says. "I just think he thinks there should be a process to make everyone an American citizen."

Donald Trump is a smart man and he is not going to just start deporting people. Tilman Fertitta CEO of Landry's
watch now

German carmaker BMW is ready to "wait and see" before taking action over either a potential U.S. border tax or a "Hard Brexit," chief executive Harald Krueger told CNBC on Monday. "We have a big footprint in the United States, we are the biggest net exporter from the United States, it is worth $10 billion a year, so I think that is what BMW in the Unites States is all about," Krueger told CNBC at the Geneva Motor Show. When asked whether BMW would be prepared to move its planned car plant from Mexico to the U.S. in the event of a tariff being introduced by the new administration, Krueger told CNBC, "We are flexible."

'Wait and see'

U.S. President Donald Trump had warned BMW shortly before his inauguration in January that the automaker's plans to build a new plant in Mexico in 2019 would face a border tax of 35 percent if it attempted to export to the U.S. "There is no decision so far (regarding a border adjustment tax) so we need to wait and see what the future will bring," he added. Trump has frequently spoken about lowering tax rates for U.S. businesses. While, Republicans in the House of Representatives have proposed a reduction in domestic statutory corporate tax rates which could result in the introduction of the so-called border adjustment tax (BAT). An official plan has not yet been confirmed. Earlier on Monday, General Motors' chief executive told CNBC that the sale of its European Opel business had not been prompted by tax policies proposed by U.S. Republicans.

BMW 'definitely' needs free markets
Allen Lau, CEO of the fast-growing storytelling app Wattpad, believes running his company in Toronto gives him an unfair advantage over his entrepreneurial counterparts in Silicon Valley. In Silicon Valley, where he ran a previous company, he'd be vying for engineers against Google and Facebook . "To compete in that environment for the best talent would be very, very fierce," says Lau. "In a smaller pond we are the bigger fish. That helps us attract the best possible talent." That talent has helped him attract more than $66 million in venture capital and grow his digital community to 45 million users over the last 10 years. With 130 employees and revenue growing 30 percent year-over-year, Lau says, "we are very determined to build this company in Toronto. We have no plan to open up another office elsewhere, except salespeople." Lau is a well-known presence on Toronto's fast-growing start-up scene, where by all accounts excitement about entrepreneurship is percolating as it never has before. There are currently between 2,100 and 4,100 active tech start-ups in Toronto's ecosystem, according to a report by Tech Toronto, a community for entrepreneurs. Toronto and the cities immediately surrounding it had a population of 5.4 million people in 2015. A confluence of factors is shaping the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the fourth-largest city in North America. One driver is the city's engineering talent pool. There are 150,000 full-time students enrolled in universities throughout the Greater Toronto area. In addition, the federal and provincial governments offer strong support for technology innovation and financial assistance. Start-ups are also supported by a robust venture capital community.

Allen Lau, co-founder and CEO of Wattpad Getty Images

More than $2 billion in venture capital was disbursed in Canada in 2016  a 15 percent increase over 2016 and the most funding since 2002, when the number hit $2.7 billion, according to the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association. Toronto has benefited. It was home to Canada's biggest venture deal of 2016. Thalmic Labs, a maker of wearable technologies based in Kitchener, Ontario, near Toronto, corralled $120 million in a series B round in September from investors, including Intel Capital, The Amazon Alexa Fund and Fidelity Investments Canada.

With the action showing no signs of slowing and Toronto start-ups standing out in areas such as artificial intelligence, many local players say they're not interested in turning the city into the next Silicon Valley. "I think Toronto at some level really wants to be the first Toronto," says Ameet Shah, a partner at Golden Venture Partners, a seed-stage fund in Toronto whose start-up Five Mobile was acquired by Zynga in July 2011. "We hate being called Silicon Valley North."



Paying it forward

So why is entrepreneurship percolating in the city now? "It's a convergence of momentum," says Craig Morantz, an angel investor in the Toronto area who previously served as CEO of Kira Talent, a locally based start-up that offers a video admissions platform for colleges. One important catalyst has been the critical mass of successful Canadian tech firms, such as Shopify, Hootsuite, Kik and D2L, with offices in the city, alongside U.S. companies such as Facebook , Twitter and Google . "You build some anchor-tenant companies, they scale up, and the talent goes on to start other companies," says Mike McDerment, CEO of FreshBooks, an accounting software provider based in Toronto. When this seasoned talent starts companies, a growing number of angels are raring to help them get started. "More money is available at earlier stages  pre-seed, seed and series A," says Shah. With the Silicon Valley market increasingly frothy, deal-hungry venture capitalists, both from within Canada and in the United States, have also cast eyes on Toronto. "Motivated U.S. investors realize there are some really great companies up here  and are coming looking for them," says Mark MacLeod, founder of SurePath Capital Partners, a strategic advisory firm to the global small-business software market based in Toronto. He is often contacted by investors looking to check out interesting companies in the city over a day or two  which he says is easy to arrange.

Motivated U.S. investors realize there are some really great companies up here  and are coming looking for them. Mark MacLeod founder of SurePath Capital Partners

"Capital doesn't really care about borders," says McDerment. "It's a really good environment to make an investment." His firm raised $30 million in 2014 from Oak Investment Partners, a firm with offices in Palo Alto, California, and Greenwich, Connecticut, with participation from Atlas Ventures in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Georgian Partners, a Toronto firm. And as more area start-ups evolve into scale-ups and get acquired, local entrepreneurs have developed a greater sense of what is possible, say observers. McDerment points to Bump Technologies' acquisition by Google in 2013 and Rypple's acquisition by Salesforce in 2011. "The thing people don't know about Toronto is how many great exits have happened," he says. Fortunately for fast-growing start-ups, engineers are abundant, thanks to the presence of RIM (Blackberry) and schools such as University of Waterloo, known for its prestigious engineering school, and University of Toronto. And it costs less to hire them than comparable professionals from Silicon Valley. "I can hire a very senior Canadian engineer for $70,000 U.S. dollars," says Morantz. "You can't even get someone to return your call in New York or Boston unless it's $100,000 or $200,000."

Employees of Wattpad Technology meet in their company's kitchen space in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Kevin Van Paassen | Bloomberg | Getty Images

It helps that Toronto's cost of living is lower than that of New York's pricier tech hubs. "Although it's not a cheap city to live, it's still affordable," says Morantz. "It's not San Francisco. It's not New York." Toronto is also very diverse, with 49 percent of the population made up of immigrants, according to Tech Toronto. "Having that kind of diversity helps you build great companies," says Morantz. "When you've got someone who is maybe first or second generation, they are coming to the table with a unique perspective." The city also has a thriving infrastructure to nurture start-ups, with hubs including DMZ, a technology incubator at Ryerson University, and MaRS, which helps connect start-ups in information and communications technology, cleantech and health with funding and advice. "The communities in the last two to three years have really matured," says Kevin Kimsa, general partner at ScaleUP Ventures, a venture fund in Toronto. "It has really acted as a catalyst for more innovation to hit the ground running." More from iCONIC:

Baltimore is making a $5 billion bet that entrepreneurs can revive the city

Billionaire closer to mining the moon for trillions of dollars in riches

CEO who turned $345 into $30 million: Stop drooling over Silicon Valley and get to work

Toronto's entrepreneurial ecosystem still has some obstacles to cross. Other than OMERS Ventures, the venture capital arm of Canada's largest pension fund, and Georgian Capital, "there is not a ton of late-stage capital," says MacLeod. "Most of the companies that are really into expansion will need to raise that capital from the U.S." But at the moment, that doesn't seem to be deterring any start-up activity. "Something has really changed the last couple of years," says Ben Baldwin, founder of ScaleDriver, a Toronto management consultancy that advises executives on building innovation, and founder of the Founder City Project, a network of start-up and scale-up founders. "Canadians are kind of rubbing their hands together like evil scientists," he said. "They are going to make a major impact."  By Elaine Pofeldt, special to CNBC.com
Brexit may not deliver an overall reduction in the number of foreign nationals entering Britain, according to a House of Lords report published Monday.

Immigration is seen as the biggest factor behind last year's vote by the people of Britain to end its 43-year membership of the European Union.

The report, titled "Brexit: UK-EU movement of people", set out to examine the possible arrangements for EU citizens looking to move to Britain after the government ends the current free movement agreement.

One of four key findings highlighted is a suggestion that there is no guarantee of reduced inward migration after Brexit is finalized.

"The restoration of national control over EU migration may or may not deliver a reduction in overall net migration.

"We note that until June 2016, net migration to the UK from outside the EU was consistently higher than EU migration, even though the relevant policy levers are already under national control," the report reads.

The publication also concluded that employers and the public alike don't want EU nationals to face the UK's current non-EU work permit system. The respondents warned it could harm employers and lead to labor shortages across the country.

Commenting on the report, Baroness Prashar, Chairman of the Sub-Committee, said employers would need a gentle introduction to the post-Brexit landscape.

"Crucial sectors of the economy depend on EU migrant labor, so it is essential that any changes don't endanger the vibrancy of the UK economy.

"We, therefore, recommend a phased transition to avoid the short-term shocks to particular sectors," she said.


Security personnel march in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China.

China's ruling Communist Party kicked off its annual political showpiece over the weekend  the National People's Congress.

But the one person whose name was on every party official's lips is 7,000 miles away: President Donald Trump.

Trump's "America First" rhetoric has taken aim at China's trade practices and territorial claims in the South China Sea. Coupled with his initial refusal to accept the "One China" policy, the new administration has not laid the strongest foundation for an easygoing relationship with China.

More from NBC News:

Living in limbo: Lawyer navigates Trump stance on immigration

Donald Trump expected to sign new immigration order: a timeline

5 new power centers: a guide to the fractured Democrats

And all this comes at a time when Beijing is flexing its muscles regionally: building aircraft carriers, asserting its dominance over most of the disputed South China Sea and building military bases and sending troops abroad.

Experts suggest that Trump's combative stance toward Beijing could have a significant impact on relations between the two countries, which together have the world's biggest economies and largest militaries.

"If President Trump looks as if he is bullying or being unfair to President Xi, China will have to react in strong ways," Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie Center at Tsinghua University, told NBC News.

But a senior official expressed guarded confidence that the two countries could have a productive relationship moving forward.

"The belief is that the two countries understand that the collaboration is probably the best way even to solve problems," said Fu Ying, a spokeswoman for the annual session of the National People's Congress, in a rare interview granted to NBC News.

But a senior official expressed guarded confidence that the two countries could have a productive relationship moving forward.

"The belief is that the two countries understand that the collaboration is probably the best way even to solve problems," said Fu Ying, a spokeswoman for the annual session of the National People's Congress, in a rare interview granted to NBC News.

"If challenges arrive, I think China would have to counter them without hesitation," Fu added. "But I'm optimistic. If you  truly want peace and want to 'start the engine of the American economy,' as I quote from the speech by your President, there's lots of things the two countries can do together for those purposes."

The Trump administration's disdain for globalization, as evidenced by the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, presents China with an opportunity, according to some experts.

The TPP, which excluded China, was seen as a bid by Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, to counter Beijing's economic influence in the region. With the U.S. out of the picture  experts suggest that Beijing could profit.

"China is likely to play a much stronger lead role in the future Asia Pacific trade architecture," Rajiv Biswas, chief Asia economist for IHS Markit, wrote in a report quoted by The Associated Press.

Changes to how China sees itself, and to how it views U.S. influence could further strain ties between Trump and Xi.

"China treats every country as an equal partner, big or small," said Fu. "Small neighbors or big powers in the world. We think countries are equals. But I think the U.S. does not appear to have a habit of treating others as equals."

For China, with its history of invasion and perceived humiliation at the hands of the British and Japanese, its equality with other great nations on the world stage is of paramount importance

"For China we have our own beliefs about the world and about ourselves. We are a developing country and we believe in partnership and we never want to be imposed on and we will not impose on others," Fu said.

Whether that worldview, combined with Trump's "America First" policies are conducive to warming ties, or increased tension in the relationship between Washington and Beijing, remains to be seen.

"I think we'll take our own path," Fu says with a smile.
Following are excerpts from a CNBC interview with John Cryan, CEO of Deutsche Bank and Geoff Cutmore.

GC: John, let's just start off by asking you about the rational. Why do you need to raise the money now?

JC: Well I think there are a number of factors that went into the decision as to why to raise money now. First and foremost I think we were listening to some feedback from...from the market, where there were still concerns, which were to some extent shared by our clients and our counterparts. That we still didn't have enough capital. We ended last year with a big buffer. Over our minimum. But our cost of debt hasn't reflected strong capitalization yet.. yet! And our cost of equity seems still quite high. So for those reasons we thought we we probably should look at the opportunity to raise. And then we've been, as you know, we've been thinking about what to do with the Postbank. And we got ourselves into a position where, if we wanted to keep it we needed effectively to refinance the retention of it. And therefore I think the two came together and it seemed like the right time to go to the market.



GC: And the discount is a sizable discount to Friday's close. This puts you in sort of Unicredit ballpark capital raising and I don't think anybody in the past would have put Deutsche and Unicredit necessarily into the same sentence. But why, why such a significant discount. Is that what it takes to get it across the line?



JC: Well, I would actually disagree on the discount. It's actually not that wide in a range of discounts. The general the market approaches to look at the discount to what's called the theoretical extradites price and it's set it around 30 percent. And the range can go as high as 35. But having said that it is really it's quite a heavy rights issue. So it's one new share for every two held. And I think that pricing looks about right. Rights issues themselves are not dilutive from a value perspective if the nil paid rights trades efficiently. And so, we should be less concerned about the level of the discount. And more about the adequacy of the proceeds that we are raising.



GC: Obviously there's a question of credibility here in the market. Back in January you were saying to me 'Never say never' about rights. But I don't think anybody expected in such a short time period you would go go back to the market and this is what the third capital raising since 2013. I know they've not all been under you but 20 billion since the financial crisis. I mean how do you address the credibility question and the one about your future?



JC: Well, I think in the prior issues you're right. We they were, they were effectively used by the business and we've had a lot of legacy costs. And we're hoping that the vast majority of those are now behind us. And the the effect of this capital raising is to raise our capital ratios. There's no immediate deployment beyond retaining and integrating Postbank. And then there's a we're resuming dividends. Other than that it goes to improving the capital strength of the bank.



GC: Handelsbalatt were saying you were tired I think they were saying was a rumour running around Frankfurt that John may be getting a little weary of running the Deutsche Bank. Is that accurate at all?



JC: Well I'm allowed to be tired every now and again but I am not weary of Deutsche Bank as I said yesterday. I'm 150 percent in. And I'm around to see this type process through.



GC: What about the reversal when it comes to the investment banking business and the capital markets business that does look odd because you had a strategy laid out in 2015 that was very clear it seemed and you have now gone back on that previous strategy. What does that tell us about whether it was right or wrong in 2015?



JC: Well all we've done is slightly reorganized the way that the company's managed internally. We still have the constituent parts of that now. The broader corporate investment bank. And it just struck me that when you have two divisions representing your investment bank you build up two internal infrastructures. And that's wasteful. So we're putting them back together again it leads to some cost cutting. We actually think it's significant. We announced 700 million per-annum efficiency savings from just putting it all together and having one investment bank under one roof and common leadership is not unusual in the industry.



GC: But why is it different from the strategy that you outlined in 2015?



JC: It's not. I don't think that's a strategic change at all. We have slightly reemphasizing our coverage of corporate clients but we define corporate very broadly I mean includes governments for example and we just want to emphasize that. We're much more client focused than we were in the past to the banks not just creating products on its own balance sheet and then trying to sell them. We're responding to client requirements. And effectively we have a broad client coverage team, clients defined that very broad way. And then two very big product factories. One on the banking side would comprise our transaction banking business and our big financing business. And that's using the banks resources. And then on the other side we have the global markets business where they're inter-mediating between....



GC: When we spoke back in January you also said the asset management business is a key part of Deutsche Bank going forward. Today you're announcing that there's going to be a minority IPO of some of this business. Why are you doing that?



JC: Several reasons. I think first and foremost we don't believe that that division gets recognition when the bank is considered by the market. And there are plenty of research notes that hardly even referred to it. It's always an afterthought when the market looks at the bank. And it's been a very strong and consistently well performing business. So I think recognition is important. Second of all I think that there are two aspects to having a listed share which benefit that business. First, at some stage in the future, not for now, it provides that business with an acquisition currency. And I think Nicolas Moreau who leads the business would at some stage be interested in pursuing bolt on acquisitions for the business in order to build it out. Very broadly diversified today. But he wants to continue to reallocate capital within it. Next is, I think we can, although it will remain under the umbrella of the bank it's going to remain a very much a controlled subsidiary, so they're subject to banking rules in relation to compensation, I think we can produce compensation plans which are more attractive for people joining the company. But also retaining the talent within the company. Because we can give them direct drive against the performance of asset management and not just the broader group as a whole.



GC: Have you begun looking at targets for potential new positions?



JC: Not at this stage no. No. It's too early days. The group hasn't been on an acquisition spree for some time. No but Nicola wants that option within the business in the coming years.



GC: Can I ask you then are we done here. You're going to raise a billion.



JC: It's underwritten remember so.



GC: Absolutely. But does that mean that there will be no further capital raising as far as you can envisage at this stage?



JC: Well we should add that there are other measures that we're taking including the sale of a stake in the management business but we expect to raise at least two billion from a number of disposals - they're very small constituent parts of our group and will carry them out over the next 12 to 24 months and that should add another 2 billion at least I would have thought. With those measures taken into the round I think we think so far as what we know today that is enough.



GC: Is that a 'Never Say Never' line or is that, 'no we're done here while I'm running this business'?



JC: I would never want to run any business without an insurance policy. But we've have targeted this common equity tier 1 ratio which I think is the core one that people use to measure are our capital strength. And we said we want to be comfortably over 13 percent. And this capital raising measure takes us immediately proforma over 14 and then there's the additional 2 billion or so of capital released from the other measures. And, we obviously want to run a profitable and successful business that's accrediting its own capital. So we feel comfortable that we've done the right thing.



GC: How do you think the business environment has changed for the bank in terms of what the opportunity is going forward and why will this new structure suit that opportunity better?



JC: Well that's the big point that I actually wanted to make yesterday in relation to the measures we've taken. We're re-pivoting the bank to some extent towards growth. It's not, 'all the controls are off on our dashing for the for growth again' it's just controlled growth in a market environment that, to us, looks very favourable. The U.S. market is, you'll see from asset price,s it's almost booming. There's a lot of confidence there, a lot of confidence the government will deliver an environment that's positive for investment. And that's spilling over even into the Eurozone in recent purchasing managers indices and so forth are showing a real improvement in confidence in the business community in the European Union so I think in our main markets we're seeing some impetus towards growth and we want to share in that. So if we've told the company now the perimeter shrinkage is over, we still have some work in our controls but let's start to build the business again and start to grow and make a successful company with the capital resources to do that.



GC: And the mood music in the States appears to be that we might get some rolling back of the regulations post, the financial crisis. Do you think Deutsche Bank is interested in getting back into the Prop Desk business?



JC: No I don't think we would even if we could. I'm not sure it's ever been a good use for banks balance sheet is not a very efficient use of banks balance sheet. No but we would serve institutions that are obviously in investing. But no I don't think we would turn the bank back into an investment arm.



GC: Is it a good idea that some of the regulations get pushed back at this stage?



JC: Actually I think what we would like as a bank is some stability in the environment for rules so that we can plan with a little bit more confidence than not knowing when the rules are changing. So one of the things we announced yesterday is we have more confidence in raising money today because it seems that the changes from the Basel Committee actually now been pushed forward to such point that they're beyond our planning horizon. And so we're planning for the current rules set with the changes we know will be introduced. And although we're mindful of the fact that in maybe five to 10 years time there may be some new rules we have a little bit of stability for the time being. And it's that stability and knowledge of the rules that's helpful to us.



GC: And just on the management restructuring: What is that planning for the fact that Markus and Christian now get elevated to these Co-CEO roles?



JC: That was a request I actually made of our supervisory board to confirm these titles on Markus and Christian. And the point was really to share the tasks that I face as the CEO and as you know with a very large global bank operating in a big way in Germany obviously but also in the U.S. and in the London market and with plenty of presence in continental Europe. And Asia. So I get pulled in lots of directions and it's just helpful sometimes to have one or two others at the management board who can formally represent me, particularly in Germany because this is more of a German title as that publicly declared deputy. And Marcus and Christian can play tag on that. And just help out in the formal representation rules that we play. But I am. It doesn't mean that I'm turning down my appearances in Germany or my interest in Berlin at all. It's really adding two of my more senior German colleagues to assist me in that in that role.



GC: And just to wrap up there is a 2020 time frame for this restructuring process to be completed. Does the fact that we're now hearing about further capital raising further restructuring on top of the 2015 announcement suggests that there is some slippage now in that program.



JC: No it doesn't although on the Postbank integration which is actually the only new step the changes in the investment bank side are actually in train. On the costs, we actually found that the processes we have in place to make them to make the bank more efficient actually delivering lower costs than we'd originally planned. That's why we re-calibrated our cost targets and were making more disposals than we had sight of back in October 2015. We said that 22 billion target. Experts are saying we feel pretty confident now we can revert to a 22 billion target. With the Postbank. Which has a space of between two and a half three billion euros. So I think the visibility today is that we can actually take the costs further down. But the point of the rights issue was to put some impetus behind revenues to grow the profit so profit generations will come to some extent for further cost reductions. But it's really a revenue measure. But there will be. A difficult integration process in Germany but it's only in Germany that additional restructuring were applied.

GC: And the fact that you're hanging on to Postbank now if a buyer turned up tomorrow and said I'd take it would you still spin it out of the business or is it now a done deal it stays within the company?

JC: We're committed now to this integration process. I think what we what we should have placed more emphasis on was the huge potential that having 20 million customers, existing customers - 10 million of whom were using our digital systems - Germany is really starting to embrace e-commerce and the digital world - having those already in the house that's a third of the addressable market in retail banking in Germany and that's a tremendous asset that doesn't sit on the balance sheet. So we're very committed to combining the businesses but maintaining both brands and growing the bank from the base of an efficient, unified Bank in Germany.



GC: And just to be clear for my own mind here I didn't see any specific job related announcement in the release on the website. Are there any further jobs to go at this point beyond what's already been announced?



JC: There would be inevitably in the combination of Postbank and then our blueBank in Germany but will we'll do it in a manner that is sort of commensurate with the work that we've done so far. We have to retain flexibility but we will do it in a in a way that's traditional in Germany. There will be a lot of long discussion period, lots of compromise and we'll work together with the various stakeholders to achieve the right aim for the company.



GC: Have you put numbers on that yet?



JC: We haven't yet. No, we want to spend a lot of this year, remember that the Blue Bank, as we call it, the Deutsche Bank in Germany still in the process of the branch reductions and the headcount reductions and that runs its course for the next quarter or two. When that's over we should have a plan in place to meticulously plan that the integration of Postbank and the Blue Bank. But we didn't want to disrupt the process that was in place at the blue bank while it's still underway.






Transcription

1 Children and young people as transformative researchers in Nicaragua Harry Shier CESESMA, San Ramon, Matagalpa, Nicaragua and Queen s University Belfast 1

2 In this presentation: Children s Consultancy: Roots in the UK in the 1990s The thinking behind it Children s consultancy in Nicaragua, 2007 to the present A new version: Transformative Research by Children and Young People Based on all this experience, 10 guiding principles What have we learnt? And finally: The Four Transformations 2

3 Children s Consultancy: Roots in the UK in the 1990s Fashion for making programmes and institutions child-friendly, particularly in the arts, culture and recreation sectors. Awareness of Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC): The right to play, and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts. Expert advice sought on how to make things child-friendly. 3

4 So where do we find the experts? Children are experts on what is child-friendly and what isn t, what works for children and what doesn t, what s fun and what s boring, what makes them feel included and what makes them feel excluded. 4

5 1998 Child consultants advising the management of the new Manchester City Art Gallery on how to create a childfriendly gallery. 5

6 1998 Child consultants commissioned by British Waterways to research the educational and recreational potential of the English canal network. 6

7 1999 Child Consultants from the New- Age Traveller community in the South-West of England commissioned by The Children s Society to advise on play and recreation opportunities for traveller children. 7

8 2000 Child Consultants advise senior management at the Tower of London on how to make it less boring. 8

9 The thinking behind it (a) Principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Article 3: When adults make decisions that affect children, they must do so in the best interests of the child. Article 12: Children have the right to express their opinions on all matters that affect them, and adult decision-makers must give due weight to the opinions expressed. 9

10 Combine these two principles: Adults making decisions that affect children must listen to the children that are affected and give due weight to what the children tell them. This is a fundamental requirement to enable the making of decisions in the best interests of the child. 10

11 (b) Not so new childhood studies paradigm The Old Paradigm saw children as generally incapable, due to their relative lack of cognitive development. The New Paradigm argues that: from a young age children have specific capabilities which make them the driving force of their own development; children develop through their experience of action and agency in the world around them. 11

12 Children s consultancy in Nicaragua CESESMA: A local Nicaraguan NGO working with children and young people in the northern coffee-growing area where extreme poverty leads to extensive exploitation of child labour and related human rights violations. CESESMA supports the empowerment of children and young people, particularly those working on coffee plantations, helping them organise and participate to defend their rights. Starting in 2007, CESESMA adapted the UK Children s Consultancy model to work with child coffee workers in Nicaragua 12

13 Children s consultancy in Nicaragua: Some examples 2007: Children and young people from Santa Martha coffee plantation research the problem of violence on the plantation. Preparation 13

14 Field research 14

15 Data analysis Drawing up recommendations 15

16 Preparing a final report Rehearsing the formal presentation 16

17 Journey to the national conference in the capital city, Managua 17

18 A direct challenge to the Minister for the Family and to all the conference delegates. 18

19 The following year the children retold their experience in words and pictures in A Handbook of Children and Young People s Participation. 19

20 2009: Children and young people from the indigenous community of Guadalupe Arriba research the issue of violence against children Preparation 20

21 Analysis Preparing the final report 21

22 Presenting the findings and recommendations to a district forum of teachers and education ministry officials. Report published by CESESMA

23 2009: Children and Young People Defending our Right to Play campaign Action-research teams carry out an appraisal of play opportunities and limitations in their communities.

24 They present their findings and recommendations in both the local communities and the Municipal Children and Youth Committees. Community festival in Samulali Municipal Children and Youth Committee, San Ramon

25 Campaign banners Children and young people defending our right to play, For health, learning, development, happiness and a life without violence.

26 These children s research has had recognition nationally in Nicaragua: Article by the children s research team in Nicaragua s children s rights magazine Arco Iris (November 2009) National newspaper feature drawing on the children s findings. Title: What are we playing at?

27 and globally: As a contribution to the report Children s Right to Play published by the Bernard Van Leer Foundation which was influential in getting a UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment on Article 31. As a case study of good practice in Every Child s Right to be Heard, the resource guide on the UN Committee s General Comment No 12 (UNICEF / Save the Children UK, 2011).

28 2009: The Santa Martha coffee plantation Young Consultants team reforms to research the relationship between business and human rights on the plantation Field research Preparing the report and recommendations

29 Presentation of the findings and recommendations at a regional conference in Matagalpa Report published by CESESMA. This report is also available on the website of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as a contribution to the Committee on the Rights of the Child s forthcoming General Comment on Children s Rights and the Business Sector

30 2011: Young consultants produce a child-friendly version of the UN Committee s recommendations to the government of Nicaragua as part of a national campaign to push for compliance.

31 National launch of the child-friendly version, programmed and presented by children and young people in Managua, August 2012 (three weeks ago)

32 Two factors that limit empowerment 1. An adult tells the young consultants what topic they are going to research and they can t decide this for themselves. 2. Once they hand in their report, there is no commitment to follow-up or further action to support the young people in getting their recommendations implemented. 32

33 A new version: Transformative Research by Children and Young People Takes the Children s Consultancy model and adds two new features: 1. The teams of young researchers decide for themselves on the topics they want to research (though there may be boundaries set due to funding or other factors beyond the facilitators control). 2. Once they have completed their research reports, the teams are supported in developing an action plan to disseminate their findings and follow up their recommendations. The supporting organisation makes a commitment to support this process. 33

34 2011: Four teams of young researchers carry out their own self-chosen research projects El Plomo-La Garita-Siare team Research topic: Respect in the community, and how lack of respect leads to violence.

35 Yasica Sur team Research topic: The violence that children and young people suffer in the home.

36 Yucul team Research topic: Alcohol and violence in the community.

37 Samulali team Research topic: Parents who hit their children. Why do they do it and what are the alternatives?

38 The four research reports were published in book form by CESESMA in Nicaragua in March An English translation has been produced jointly by CESESMA and The Centre at UCLan, and will be launched on 6 September in Preston. 38

39 Based on all this experience, 10 guiding principles: 1. Founded on a human-rightsbased approach. 2. The foremost experts on children s everyday lives are children themselves. 3. Children readily take on board and identify with the idea of themselves as researchers, and understand what this role implies. 4. The role of the adult is to facilitate and accompany the research process. The adult facilitator is neither a teacher nor another researcher. 39

40 5. The children themselves decide on the topic they are going to research. 6. Children and young people already have knowledge based on their own life experience. However, through research they can learn more about a topic, expanding and deepening their existing knowledge. 7. The children and young people design and plan their own research. They decide what questions they are going to ask, who they are going to ask, how, when and how many. 8. Child researchers should have access to the same level and quality of technical support as would be provided to adult researchers provided in an appropriate way. 40

41 9. The children and young people produce their own research report in their own words. They can also design the report and select photographs and drawings to illustrate it. If a formal report prepared by adults is required this is presented separately and the two are not to be confused. 10.The organisation that supports the young researchers must make a commitment to continue to accompany and support them in drawing up and carrying out an action plan to disseminate their findings, and promote the implementation of their recommendations. 41

42 Four adult responsibilities 1. An approach to research methodology that is both effective in the field and suited to the experience and abilities of the young researchers. 2. Quality process facilitiation. 3. Technical support at least as good as what adult researchers would expect. 4. A responsible attitude to child protection, that recognises but doesn t exaggerate the risks. What have we learnt? If children are to be successful as researchers, it is the responsibility of the adults who support them to provide four things: 42

43 And finally: The Four Transformations First Transformation: Empowerment of the young researchers Just a moment: What do we mean by Empowerment? 43

44 Attitude Recognise your own ability. Feel capable of taking action and influencing the outcome. Recognise yourself as a human rights holder, able to defend your rights. Ready to join forces with others to achieve a goal. High self-esteem. Willing to face a challenge. EMPOWER- MENT Capability Ability to do things. Backed by knowledge, skills, information etc. Autonomy: Able to think and act for yourself as well as in a team. Quick to learn: from others and from your own experience. Our model of Empowernent (CESESMA / UNN 2010) Conditions y opportunities A context that favours my ability to do things, for example: Being part of an organisation or group with other children and young people. Having the support of my parents. 44

45 Our Transormative Research approach links and reinforces all three circles CONDITIONS: The act of a becoming a member of a team (which also needs their parents approval) establishes the conditions for the child or young person to start to make a difference to the problems that affect them. It affords their own space where conditions are created that will later enable them to influence decisions in adult-run spaces. 45

46 CAPABILITY: The research process provides new knowledge and skills, and strengthens existing ones. Young researchers acquire knowledge about their research topic, and develop skills in communication, selfexpression, research methods, data analysis and teamwork among others. 46

47 ATTITUDE: The children and young people s self-recognition and belief in themsleves as researchers, which in turn enables them to make a personal commitment to the team, has a powerful effect on their attitude towards themsleves, in other words, it raises their self-esteem. That s what we mean by Empowerment : Conditions, Capability and above all Attitude. 47

48 Second transformation: Transforming adult attitudes in the community and beyond Their parents and teachers, and the leaders of their communities, have seen what these children and young people are capable of achieving, and this has forced them to rethink old-fashioned ideas about what children can and cannot do, and recognise their potential role as drivers of change in the community. 48

49 Third transformation: Reciprocal learning transforms adult facilitators Facilitating and supporting the young researchers has been a learning experience for the adults of the CESESMA team, generating new knowledge and skills in relation to our facilitating role, and strengthening relationships based on mutual understanding, respect and solidarity with the children and young people we work with. 49

50 Fourth transformation: Transforming society through community action Currently the four research teams are at the stage of disseminating their findings and planning activities to promote the implementation of their recommendations, with the continuing support of CESESMA. The true impact of their work remains to be measured. But there can be no doubt that we will soon see real transformations that contribute to building a less violent society. 50

51
A float featuring British Premier Theresa May drives in the annual Rose Monday parade on Feb. 27, 2017 in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The data analytics firm employed by U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign team has hit back at allegations that it may have breached data protection rights during the U.K.'s EU referendum.

Cambridge Analytica came under fire over the weekend after it was cited at the center of a probe by the U.K.'s data privacy watchdog which seeks to examine the use of voters' personal information by data companies during political campaigns.



The U.K.'s Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) specifically referenced Cambridge Analytica, which compiles data on individuals from commercial and public sources to build behavioral profiles and assess political attitudes, noting that it may have breached privacy laws.

Under EU data protection law, it is illegal for companies to trade third-party data without consent.

"We have concerns about Cambridge Analytica's reported use of personal data and we are in contact with the organisation," an ICO spokesperson told CNBC via email.

During U.S. presidential campaigning last year, Cambridge Analytica was hired by President Trump's son-in-law and now senior adviser, Jared Kushner, to map voter behavior and identify the policies which mattered most, according to Forbes reports. White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is also a board member for Cambridge Analytica.

However, the firm has denied reports that it had any involvement with Leave.EU, the group which campaigned for Britain to leave the EU. Reports on the Leave.EU website previously suggested that the two parties would collaborate to assess and engage with the British electorate, using "psychographic methodology."

"Cambridge Analytica did not do any work (paid or unpaid) for the Leave.EU campaign. In 2015 the company was in discussions to potentially work with them. That work did not go ahead," a company spokesperson for Cambridge Analytica told CNBC.

"We are in touch with the ICO, and are happy to demonstrate that we are completely compliant with UK and EU data law.

The ICO's probe is set to continue and will assess the use of personal information by data firms in U.K. political campaigns to ensure it complies with EU law.

"Personal data can only be gathered legally under strict conditions, for a legitimate purpose. Furthermore, persons or organisations which collect and manage your personal information must protect it from misuse and must respect certain rights of the data owners which are guaranteed by EU law," a note states on the European Commission's website.

The findings are to be announced later this year.
A friend of Donald Trump's says the president was more angry this weekend than he had seen him "in a long time."



Christopher Ruddy, the CEO of right-wing magazine and website Newsmax and a member of Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, wrote that he spoke to Trump twice on Saturday. The conversations followed Trump's explosive and unsubstantiated Saturday claim that President Barack Obama had Trump Tower's "wires tapped" before the 2016 presidential election.

Trump has not given any evidence to back up the claim, while a spokesman for Obama has denied that he ordered wiretapping of Trump. Still, Trump believes his accusations will eventually be proven, Ruddy noted in a Newsmax post.

"I spoke with the president twice yesterday about the wiretap story. I haven't seen him this p----- off in a long time. When I mentioned Obama 'denials' about the wiretaps, he shot back: 'This will be investigated, it will all come out. I will be proven right," Ruddy wrote.



Ruddy told CNN that Trump did not go into detail about his sources for the claim. The network previously reported that Trump got the accusations from right-wing media reports, not government sources.

Trump's accusations followed the latest backlash about his top advisors' contacts with Russia. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a former senator who advised the Trump campaign, said last week he would recuse himself from all Trump campaign related investigations after he appeared to mislead senators during his January confirmation hearing about his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

The president argued that Sessions should not distance himself from any Russia-related probes.

Ruddy, a Florida resident and longtime Mar-a-Lago member, also donated the maximum $2,700 to Trump's campaign committee and $100,000 to a joint fundraising effort with the Republican Party.
A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

Snap  Analysts at Needham initiated coverage of the social media firm's stock with an "underperform" rating, noting the company's total addressable market is 80 percent smaller than Facebook . "Prospect Theory would label SNAP a 'lottery-like' stock," they said in a note. However, Snap's shares were up 2 percent before the bell.



Deutsche Bank  The German banking giant's U.S.-listed shares slipped before the bell after Deutsche announced an $8.5 billion capital increase. Deutsche Bank is Germany's biggest lender.



Netflix  UBS upgraded the streaming giant's stock to "buy" from "neutral" and raised its price target to $175 a share from $136, implying a 25.8 percent potential upside. "[W]e do see the potential for Netflix to exceed Street subscriber growth expectations and believe that concerns regarding competition and content costs are misplaced," UBS said in a note.



Xerox  Xerox's stock climbed 2 percent in the premarket after a Barron's article said the shares looked cheap, despite its 28 percent jump this year.



Amazon  The e-commerce giant agreed to a deal with Spanish energy firm Repsol that will let people pick up packages at its gas stations, according to the Financial Times.



HP Inc.  Analysts at Wells Fargo Securities upgraded HP Inc. shares to "outperform" from "market perform," noting that Wall Street may be underestimating its margin expansion and supplies growth.



Garmin The GPS device maker's stock was upgraded at Goldman Sachs to "neutral" from "sell," with analysts characterizing Garmin's valuation as "fair." Goldman also said it expects the company to return to growth next year and raised its price target to $52 from $48 a share.



FedEx  BMO Capital Markets upgraded FedEx's stock to "outperform" from "market perform" and raised its price target to $220 from $210, citing a "strong margin of safety in valuation" and an improving U.S. industrial outlook, among other factors.



Aberdeen Asset Management  The Scotland-based firm agreed to a $13.5 billion merger with Standard Life, a move that would create one of the largest fund managers in the United Kingdom.
The risks surrounding the several elections involving populist movements set to take place across Europe this year are being overstated, say investment experts. Investors are concerned about the continued rise of populism could upset the current political and economic system, but Andrew Parry, head of equities at Hermes Investment Management, expects Europe to react against populism this year. "There's the political risk that appears to be hanging over Europe. I think somewhat ironically, the more that people think that Trump is the embodiment through populism of the new economic model, the more you actually get a reaction against populism in Europe," he told CNBC's Street Signs. "The political fears with the forthcoming French election, and then Dutch and German later in the year, possibly could be overdone."

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European shares look cheap and are well placed, according to Parry. He added that the political risk is overstated in Europe, but is understated in the U.S. "I do look at the U.S. and it's definitely viewing all its prospects through rose-tinted glasses," he said. "The revelations over the weekend about Trump accusing Obama of wiretapping with no evidence, I think these are all quite worrying signals about the behavior of the leader of the Free World and actually there seems to be no discount whatsoever for any political risk in America, whereas there definitely is a discount in Europe for political risk." Parry's comment echoed earlier similar statements from Alex Dryden, global market strategist at JPMorgan, made last week. "It's the political risk that seems to put a lot of the investors off," he told CNBC's Squawk Box on Thursday. "They look at the busy political calendar. We've got French, we've got German, we've got Dutch, we might even have Italian elections by the end of the year, so people have to be able to stomach that political volatility when getting into European equities."

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European markets closed lower on Monday as investors contemplated a rate rise by the U.S. Federal Reserve and digested merger news.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down 0.52 percent at the close with basic resources stocks leading the losses on news of an expected slowing of growth in China.

The FTSE 100 in London was down 0.3 percent, Frankfurt's Dax slid 0.6 percent and the CAC 40 in Paros dipped 0.5 percent.

Banking stocks were also down by about 1.23 percent, with shares of German lender at the bottom of the European benchmark, down almost 8 percent. The lender announced it would raise 8 billion euros ($8.5 billion) to boost its capital position and has set new financial targets.



By contrast, Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management were at top of the regional index, up more than 6 percent and 4 percent respectively. Standard Life has agreed to a $13.5 billion merger with Aberdeen.



General Motors said it would sell its European operations to PSA Group, making the French company the second largest automaker in Europe. Shares of Peugeot Citroen were among the best performers, up by 2.7 percent.

Furthermore, British defense contractor Ultra Electronics jumped more than 6.4 percent after raising its dividend by 4 percent.



Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average and broader S&P 500 were trading lower midday Monday as geopolitical tensions appeared to weigh on investor sentiment.



Elsewhere, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Spain are gathering in Versailles Monday as they prepare for a European summit amid rising political uncertainty across the bloc. The euro moved lower against the dollar by about 0.3 percent on the news that the former prime minister of France, Alain Juppe, is not going to run for president.

In Greece, data showed the economy contracted 1.2 percent in the last quarter of 2016.




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Deutsche Bank Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Cryan has denied recent media reports that he is growing tired of leading the embattled German lender, in an interview with CNBC on Monday. The enthusiasm of Deutsche Bank's CEO to continue with what has been an arduous job since he took the reins, firstly in a joint role in June 2015 and as sole head as of last May, has been recently questioned by some elements of the media. "I am not weary of Deutsche Bank. I said yesterday I am 150 percent in and I am around to see this reversal," confirmed the CEO. German daily business newspaper Handelsblatt recently reported that it has been claimed by inside sources that the CEO has "grown tired of his post". Cryan was speaking the morning after Germany's biggest bank announced another strategic overhaul with aspects including an 8 billion euros ($8.5 billion) capital raise to be launched on March 21 and undertaken via the issuance of new shares with subscription rights for existing investors.



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The company chief disagreed with the notion that the discount being applied to shares in order to raise the 8 billion euros was wide, telling CNBC, "I think the pricing looks about right." Investors showed their skepticism over this stance, sending shares below 18 euros apiece on Monday morning. They had recovered slightly by lunchtime trade to hover around 5.5 percent lower than Friday's closing price. The beleaguered firm also estimates an additional 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion) could be raised through the disposal of non-core assets and the partial flotation of its minority stake in Deutsche Asset Management. The firm will be slimmed down into three divisions and will seek to retain and to reintegrate Postbank, a unit it had previously aimed to put on the auction block. Cryan deflected suggestions that this latest strategic reshuffle represented a significant switch in strategy from the restructuring announced less than a year and a half ago. He noted that the decision to reduce the company's four divisions  as announced in October 2015  to merely three was only a "slight reorganization" not a wholesale strategic change. However, Deutsche Bank 's decision to integrate Postbank into its private and commercial clients division will lead to a "difficult" period and will "inevitably" result in further job cuts, according to the company's chief. "There will be a difficult integration process in Germany but it's only in Germany that that applies," Cryan said from the company's London headquarters, referring to the bank's announcement Sunday to combine the units and create a "clear market leader". Cryan added that further headcount reductions would be unavoidable but that Germany's largest lender had not yet worked out exact numbers or developed a plan. He noted that a program of branch closures and headcount cuts within Deutsche Bank's German operations still had another quarter or two to play out, after which point the bank should have a plan in place to tackle this latest integration.

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' chief executive has refuted claims that the sale of its European Opel business was prompted by the Republican's proposed border tax policies.

The U.S. car manufacturer will continue to distribute its iconic Chevrolet and Cadillac brands in Europe and will be on the lookout for "future collaborations" in the region, Mary Barra told CNBC Monday.

Asked by CNBC if the deal was driven by the border tax, Barra responded: "This (deal) is really focused on the synergies that we found in Europe across the board and really the two companies fit together quite nicely."

Her comments come hours after the firm agreed to sell its European manufacturing arm Opel to rival PSA Group, maker of Peugeot and Citron. The announcement had prompted claims that GM has shied away from the region due to proposals by the new Trump administration to impose punitive tariffs on importers into the U.S.
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Ivanka Trump faces an uphill battle as she tries to build support for her signature issues of affordable child care and paid family leave, courting corporate executives and lawmakers in hopes of generating momentum amid a packed legislative agenda in Washington. Trump appears to be making headway with one important player, however: her father. In President Donald Trump's speech laying out his vision for America to Congress last week, he highlighted both issues as having bipartisan appeal, along with defense and infrastructure spending. "My administration wants to work with members of both parties to make child care accessible and affordable, to help ensure new parents that they have paid family leave," Trump said to applause. But the prospect of near-term action remains slim. The White House has set an aggressive timeline for making good on its core campaign promises: It hopes to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act by Easter and then tackle a massive overhaul of the nation's tax code by August. There are also routine tasks such as drafting the federal budget and raising the debt ceiling that have turned into flashpoints in the past.

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Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump's proposal has gotten pushback from several corners. Her plan would allow families to deduct child-care expenses from their taxable income. The amount is capped at the average cost of child care in their state and applies to children younger than 13. Stay-at-home parents would also be eligible for the deduction. Low-income families would be able to receive a refundable tax credit of 7.65 percent of their child-care costs, though stay-at-home parents are not eligible for this benefit. In addition, her plan would create savings accounts of up to $2,000 a year. Contributions would be tax-deductible and any earnings would be tax-free. "It's smart to use the tax system for child-care policy," Sheila Marcelo, chief executive of health care marketplace Care.com, told CNBC. But, she added, "a deduction is not necessarily the most effective way if we're trying to address the cost of care." Marcelo recently attended a dinner with Ivanka Trump and other female executives to solicit their perspectives on the broad issues of women in the workplace and family-friendly policies. Marcelo said they did not debate the details of Ivanka Trump's plan but said her preference is for a larger refundable credit to provide greater benefits for poor households.



Benefits go mostly to top earners: analysis

An analysis by the Tax Policy Center found that 70 percent of the benefits would go toward households making $100,000 or more. The estimated after-tax income of families making less than $40,000 would increase by just $20, the report found. Households earning $100,000 to $200,000 would enjoy a $360 boost. The Tax Policy Center projected the total cost of the tax breaks would be $116 billion over the next decade. "This is an example of a proposal that could spend less and help people more by targeting it properly," said Heidi Hartmann, president of the Institute for Women's Policy Research. Still, the proposal dovetails with Democrats' calls for child-care and family-leave policies that encourage women to enter and remain in the workforce. She surprised conservatives and liberals alike when she announced the plan in a speech at the Republican National Convention last summer and followed up with a roundtable with female GOP lawmakers while there.

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Sir Martin Sorrell is one of the biggest names in the advertising world.

As CEO of WPP, the world's largest advertising firm, Sorrell says finding a balance between career, family and contributions to society have become his ultimate tests in today's hyper-connected business world.

"I think our business is not brain surgery," Sorrell told CNBC's "Life Hacks Live" series at Four Years From Now, a startup program at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. "But it's increasing become more complex. Persistence, determination and speed are really important," he said.

"You have to be increasingly efficient in what you do," he said. "Do more for less ... that's the way of the world at the moment."

Sorrell said being available 24/7 in a professional services business is absolutely critical. "Things don't come up Monday through Friday," he said. "They come up on Saturday or on Christmas Day, or whatever it happens to be."

The need to stay connected through in-flight WiFi now even impacts his airline choices. "Things move so quickly that being disconnected for eight to ten hours on a plane is not helpful," he said.

But being constantly plugged in also makes it challenging to find time to simply think, which he emphasized as a critical activity for running a business.

"Getting time to think is really important, which is not necessarily quiet time in the sense of disengaging from the business," he said.

Sorrell said despite connecting during flights, trips also serve as the perfect time to think and find a balance between plugging in and disconnecting, which he said can ultimately help move business forward.

"You get time on those trips to think about priorities of what you're doing and implement them," he said.
Global oil supply may struggle to keep up with demand beyond 2020, which could prompt a surge in oil prices unless new investment projects are agreed, according to the latest report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The latest five-year oil market forecast, previously known as the medium-term oil market report projected a relatively upbeat outlook through until 2020 although supply growth is expected to plummet thereafter.

Oil supply in North America and Brazil in particular is growing and is expected to continue rising through the next three years. However, the Paris-based organization warned that investment levels must improve to support further growth beyond 2020.

"We are witnessing the start of a second wave of U.S. supply growth, and its size will depend on where prices go," Fatih Birol, the IEA's Executive Director, said in the report published Monday.

"But this is no time for complacency. We don't see a peak in oil demand any time soon. And unless investments globally rebound sharply, a new period of price volatility looms on the horizon," Birol added.
Transcription

1 Republic of Nicaragua Statement by H.E Samuel Santos Lopez, Minister of Foreign Affairs General debate. New York, 29 September 2009 (Check against delivery)

2 -2- Mr. President: Thirty years after the triumph of the Popular Sandinista Revolution and the start of a process of popular and participatory democracy, on behalf of the President of Nicaragua, Commander of the Revolution Daniel Ortega Saavedra, I salute and congratulate you on your appointment as President of this Assembly, and please allow me to address it. Nicaragua is a country impoverished by historical circumstances not alien to the history and circumstances of the countries of our Latin American and Caribbean region, and even other countries around the world; a history repeated over time and space as we will outline later. Despite that, Nicaragua remains a land rich in beauty and natural resources. It is a nation symbolic of reconciliation and national and international unity. Although it may be little known, our country is one of the safest in this continent. Nicaragua permanently and decisively combats organized crime and common crime in exemplary fashion, and with the recognition of international bodies and authorities. It does so, not only with coercive and punitive measures, but more significantly by building an alternative model of development that transforms the structures of poverty and marginalization that are the breeding ground of public safety problems. Our model is based on democratic reform, expressed in the popular will which we call "Citizen Power". By means of the campaign "From Marti to Fidel", illiteracy has been reduced to 3.16%. We have made progress in preventive medicine and have successfully controlled pandemics such as the AH1N1 virus. In our country, mortality from this disease is the lowest in America. These achievements have been made possible by the generous solidarity of the fraternal people and government of Cuba that has been consistent and has continued the internationalist calling of Comandante Fidel Castro Ruz. The government has opened the door to production credit. The FAO selected our school nutrition program as one of the top four in the world. In that spirit, President Daniel Ortega has proposed the adoption of a Central American Agriculture Policy to transform the region into a food production zone, and in that spirit we welcome and support the World Summit on Food Security set to take place in November of this year. Thanks to the solidarity of the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela implemented by its President, Comandante Hugo Chavez, today we have a reserve of electrical power of 42.6 percent, although two years ago it was negative by 3.29 percent. Meanwhile, we continue to make efforts to promote the use of alternative renewable energy sources such as wind, geothermal and solar sources, and more recently the use of biomass, and also support initiatives aimed at developing civilian nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

3 -3- Clean drinking water has been made available to 217,000 families. We have launched programs such as Zero Hunger and Zero Usury, which were highlighted in a report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Food Security. In order to address the everyday lies of certain media in Nicaragua, in a paid advertisement, the FAO recently had to publish the positive results of the programs against hunger and extreme poverty which it coordinates with the Nicaraguan Government. Food security cannot continue to be subjected to the greediness of a few, there is enough food to nourish double the world population, but every minute, around the world thousands die. While in some countries automobiles are fed, millions of boys and girls die with an empty stomach. This, Mr. President, is simple criminal. We also express our profound rejection of the discrimination and persecution of immigrants and support without reservations full respect of their human rights. Dear friends: Nicaragua is the enemy of terrorism in any of its forms, including state terrorism. It is for this and many other reasons that we oppose the criminal embargo against the heroic people of Cuba who have witnessed the birth of almost six generations during the existence of the embargo. How many more generations must survive it? How many more resolutions on this topic must this Assembly adopt? There are already seventeen, Mr. President. It is also of interest to this Assembly, or indeed should be, that while a criminal murderer of Cuban athletes enjoys total liberty, five antiterrorist Cubans are imprisoned under inhumane conditions for the sole crime of being none other than antiterrorists. Today's Nicaragua is an active militant in favor of solidarity, as well as a militant supporter of gratitude. Therefore, we appreciate the disinterested collaboration of sister nations that contribute to the economic and social development of our people. Therefore, we also embrace the just cause of Puerto Rico's independence, and support the return of the Malvinas Islands to the hands of its rightful owner, the Argentine people, and in the same manner we join the struggle of the Sahrawi people as well as the struggle of the Cypriot people's. We also make a call to Israel that it withdraw from the Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian territories. We stand unconditionally by the side of the Palestinian people in their daily fight for their own Sovereign State, which is why we advocate a peaceful, just and permanent solution that guarantees peace in that region. And one year after their independence we congratulate the peoples of Abkhasia and Southern Ossetia, and inform that we have already established diplomatic relations with Abkhasia. We support the new and positive focus Taiwan has adopted in its relations with the People's Republic of China, as well as its participation in United Nations specialized organs and agencies.

4 -4- We condemn the coup in Honduras and, from this moment we assert our definitive decision not to recognize the results of any electoral farce in that country. With this coup they sought to kill the democratic hopes and initiatives of the Honduran people, just as they sought to thwart the fraternal process that is the ALBA. Nonetheless, a change in Honduras that surpasses a formal and hypocritical democracy will be inevitable. The time has come, Mr. President, to make the General Assembly a harbinger where substantive decisions are taken, which cannot be substituted. We cannot continue to have a Security Council with an abusive veto privilege. The time has also come for cooperation without humiliating preconditions, for the construction of the most beautiful dream of Bolivar and Sandino, the dawn of a realistic and coherent solidarity. I speak of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of our Americas, integrated by the peoples of Antigua & Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Venezuela, as well as the Honduras of the resistance. The "ALBA" is the basis for the horizontal and inclusive cooperation between our peoples. Its membership increases day by day. Mr. President, I cannot but mention, with profound concern, that today we have met under the same or worse world economic circumstances as a year ago, when the worse world economic depression ever suffered was added to the existing food, energy and environmental crises. Unfortunately, these world crises come up against decreased official development assistance, which is still made conditional by the international financial institutions, and also against the reluctance of the developed countries to replace the present model with one that is more just and more respectful of Mother Nature. The United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development announced that the G-192, as it was baptized by my brother Father Miguel d'escoto, does have something to say regarding world economic matters. It is within the most representative institution that economic policies affecting millions should be decided, and not within groups, such as the G-8 and the G-20, that are promoters of the model of domination by the few over the majority, a model which is characterized by exclusion. In that regard, we welcome the Special Open-ended Working Group which will follow up on the outcome of this Conference. For some years now, climate change has become not a threat to the future, but a present that is threatening. We believe that the Conference on Climate Change which will take place in Copenhagen on 7 to 18 December 2009, should no longer be a debate on the need to act, but rather that the developed countries

5 -5- should fulfill their historic responsibility, under the Kyoto Protocol, and cease their attempts to break down the principle of common but differentiated responsibility. It is time for attitudes and actions to reflect a true commitment to counteracting the harmful effects of global warming. We firmly believe that it is the exclusive responsibility of the General Assembly - and in no case, the responsibility of the Security Council - to seek the necessary consensus and commitments in order that we. move forward in this struggle, which is a struggle for the survival of ALL humanity. Dear friends, it is not possible to democratize selfishness, exclusion, and the manipulation of the truth. It is not possible to put a kind face on perversion, on arrogance. That is the essence of the prevailing economic system: the exploitation of one human by another, the subjugation of nations, the hoarding of wealth by the few. This is why we are in crisis, not due to a lack of resources, but because of the concentration of resources in a few hands, because of the disdain for our environment, because of the replacement of values, because of human arrogance toward other species and worst of all, disdain toward human life itself. Friends: we are optimistic. It becomes necessary to replace and find alternatives to the current socio-economic and political model which leads to unjustified interventions such as that in Iraq and Afghanistan and the one now being committed against our region with the establishment of military bases in Colombia under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking. It draws our attention intensely that despite the 7 billion 558 million dollars invested, drug-trafficking from Colombia increases evermore. In 1999, at the beginning stage of "Plan Colombia" the amount of drug-trafficking to the United States and Europe was an annual 600 metric tons. In 2009, this trafficking has doubled to 1,450 metric tons. In other words, the strategy of militarizing Colombia has failed, and the numbers I have cited are absolute proof of this. The true objective of installing these "seven daggers in Latin America", as they are called by Comandante Fidel Castro, is to salvage the death-bound economic and political system with which capitalism flaunts its power, through hemispheric control of water, oil and biodiversity. We trust in the strengthening of energetic and progressive positions in the defense of peace and respect for the sovereignty of the countries of our region. We are sure that this will ultimately serve to further advance the Latin American unity dreamt by Bolivar, Morazan, Marti and Sandino. Today, Fidel Castro and revolutionary Cuba's solidarity has been greatly multiplied and is more prevalent than ever. The wide world of Latin America has ceased to be foreign, and as Miguel d'escoto would say during his particularly outstanding Presidency of the General Assembly, "The current scenario is not

6 -6- that of a tragedy but of a crisis. A crisis purifies, present pain is not a death omen, but the omen of a new birth." Finally, I wish to inform the General Assembly that Nicaragua, which is respectful of international law, has abided by the ruling of the International Court of Justice in its decision of 13 July 2009, and has issued a Presidential Decree to regulate navigation in the Rio San Juan (San Juan River), whose full, absolute and unquestionable sovereignty belongs to Nicaragua as was recognized by the ruling. Greetings to all of you on behalf of our President Daniel Ortega Saavedra and all Nicaraguans who sing to Dario and who proudly carry on Sandino's legacy, in order to defend ourselves with peace and dignity. Nicaragua, Mr. President and dear friends, feels proud of its devotion to peace, honor, solidarity, and the relentless struggle against injustice. Thank you very much.
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Republicans will introduce their much-awaited bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act this week, a senior House Republican aide told NBC News on Sunday. "We are in a very good place right now," said the aide, who asked not to be identified. AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, told NBC News: "We are now at the culmination of a years-long process to keep our promise to the American people." A draft bill obtained by NBC News would repeal much of the current law, also known as Obamacare, within the next few years and set in place a Republican vision of health care.

Pedro Rojas holds a sign directing people to an insurance company where they can sign up for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, before the February 15th deadline on February 5, 2015 Joe Raedle | Getty Images News | Getty Images

The draft legislation would provide expanded tax credits and health savings accounts for individuals while reducing federal spending on tax subsidies and Medicaid and practically eliminating the employer and individual mandates to provide and carry health insurance. It wasn't clear Sunday night to what extent the draft legislation, dated Feb. 10, may have changed in the last three weeks, but at the time, an aide to a House Republican said: "This is the bones of what's going to happen." President Donald Trump met with health insurance chief executives at the White House last week to try to win their support for the Republican revamp. More from NBC News

Donald Trump Expected to Sign New Immigration Order: A Timeline

FBI Director Comey Asked Justice Department to Reject Trump's Wiretap Claims

Analysis: The Quiet Response to President Trump's Explosive Claim

Only 12 percent of Americans said they had a "great deal" or "quite a bit" of confidence in health insurance companies in a NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in December. In contrast, 54 percent said they had "very little" or "none at all." Under the draft bill, Americans who need assistance to buy health care would receive a tax credit  with an option to receive it in advance on a monthly basis  based on age. A person under 30 would be eligible for a $2,000 tax credit, while a person over 60 would be eligible for a $4,000 credit. The measure would also create state-based high-risk pools for people who don't have access to insurance. The federal government would start providing $15 billion to help fund the high-risk pools next year, but the funding would decrease to $10 billion by 2020 and beyond. And the legislation would greatly expand the use of health savings accounts, a tax-deductible way to buy health insurance, which has become a top Republican priority. The largest funding mechanism would be a tax on the most expensive employer-provided health insurance plans.

Outside Trump Tower in New York, health care justice advocates and other grassroots groups gathered to demand that Trump not agree to repeal the Affordable Care Act or attempt to refund Medicare or Medicaid and that he advocate for single-payer healthcare which is the best solution to our current healthcare crisis. Erik McGregor | Pacific Press | LightRocket | Getty Images
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said the production deal with OPEC has led to a steadier oil price and less volatility, but Russia has no intention of joining the cartel.

"Prices are staying at the same level, giving us a sense of stability," Novak said in a session at the CERAWeek by IHS Markit energy conference. Russia joined with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in December to trim 1.8 million barrels a day from global production. A recent survey by Platts shows compliance in the deal at 98 percent.

Novak says one of the factors driving the world's energy producers together to forge the deal was the lack of investment in future oil projects. He said as oil prices collapsed, the industry failed to invest in the future and was short $500 billion over three years. Novak said the market could have rebalanced on its own, but it would have taken longer and resulted in "chaos." He said by 2040, there will be 30 percent more energy required in the world and the industry needs to keep investing.

Cooperation with OPEC resulted in a $50 to $60 per barrel oil price and investment is also beginning to return. While Russia is cooperating with OPEC, Novak said in response to a question that Russia has no intention of joining OPEC.

Even with sanctions from the U.S. and Europe, Russia's oil sector has grown, adding 400,000 barrels per day in the past two years, the Russian Energy minister said.

More from CERAWeek:

India on way to becoming world's No. 1 oil market

IEA outlook on oil prices: Volatility may return

OPEC Secretary: 'So far, so good' on cuts
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Volkswagen is struggling to plot a course for the future as the German carmaker battles an emissions scandal and attempts to hold off European competition, the company's CEO told CNBC on Monday. "I would love to tell the investors they should indeed stay calm and can stay calm we are very confident that we are in good shape as a company," Matthias Mueller, chief executive of Volkswagen, told CNBC via a translator on Monday. "But indeed the Volkswagen brand is struggling to find its way in the future," he conceded.

VW's new reality

New cars of several brands of German carmaker Volkswagen AG are covered with protective covers before they are loaded for export on a transport ship at the harbour of the Volkswagen plant in Emden, Germany. Christian Charisius | Reuters

France's PSA Group agreed on Monday to buy Opel from General Motors in a deal worth 2.2 billion euros ($2.3 billion), which effectively creates a European car giant able to challenge Volkswagen. PSA, which makes Peugeot and Citroen cars, is now poised to supersede French rivals Renault to become Europe's second-ranked automaker by sales and close the gap on Volkswagen. In terms of European market share, PSA Group now has around 16 percent with VW estimated to be around 24 percent. "We are actually quite confident when it comes to the future despite this new reality (of a merger between PSA Group and General Motors' Opel)," Mueller said.

Legal burdens will linger for many years
Wind turbines in Scotland sent more than 1.3 million megawatt hours of electricity to the National Grid in February, a 43 percent increase compared to the same month last year, according to new analysis from WWF Scotland.

This, the group said on Monday, was enough to supply, on average, the "electrical needs" of some 162 percent of Scottish households and "the equivalent of 67 percent of Scotland's entire electricity needs" for February.

"Thanks to a combination of increased capacity and stronger winds, output from turbines was up more than two-fifths compared to the same period last year," Lang Banks, WWF Scotland's director, said in a statement on Monday.



"This was enough power to provide the equivalent of the electrical needs of almost four million homes," Banks added. "As well as helping to power our homes and businesses, wind power supports thousands of jobs and helps Scotland to avoid over a million tonnes of polluting carbon emissions every month."

February saw the U.K. battered by Storm Doris, with strong winds and gusts striking large parts of the country. In north Wales, for example, a maximum gust speed of 94 miles per hour was recorded, according to the Met Office.



Scotland is home to 25 percent of Europe's offshore wind resources, according to the Scottish government. Authorities there want renewable sources of energy to produce all its gross annual electricity consumption by 2020.

"Compared to last year, some very powerful winds across the month helped increase the total electricity supplied to the National Grid from Scotland's wind turbines," WeatherEnergy's Karen Robinson said.



"As we began to witness for the first time last year, this February has also seen a few days where the power output from wind farms exceeded the total electricity demand for an entire day," Robinson added. "This is quite an achievement."
Contrary to what a handful of market watchers believe, White House policy won't cause the next market correction, strategist Brian Belski told CNBC on Monday.

"I believe the correction has nothing and will have nothing to do with Trump," Belski told "Squawk on the Street." "This is going to be fundamental-led, a surprise."

Belski, BMO Capital Markets' chief investment strategist, said that an oncoming correction would stem from "something we're not accounting for" like China's GDP number coming in lower than expected.

The strategist also knocked the widespread tendency to tie the market's moves to President Donald Trump's policies.

"We examine this president more than any other president. We are incensed with it. Stop doing that and start investing, and then I think the market can do its thing," Belski said.

With earnings seeing slower growth than expected in the early months of 2017, it is no surprise to Belski that numerous analysts predict a correction every time they see a 30- or 40-basis-point drop.

"This is a 'Chicken Little' market, right? Everyone's calling for a market correction every day," the strategist said. "Listen, markets go down for fundamental reasons, and if earnings don't come through, that's when the market will most likely see a deeper correction."

But Belski acknowledged that the market has gone up on policy expectations and could continue to rise higher if some of Trump's plans are implemented.

"I think stocks have gone up in anticipation of a tax cut and infrastructure and Affordable Care Act [reform]," he said. "We think the longer term secular positive ... is less regulation across the board."

And aside from the obvious benefactors  for example, industrial stocks if an infrastructure bill is passed  the Trump agenda could seed some broader benefits as well, Belski said.

"Across the board, less regulation, [from] the FDA, the FCC, the SEC, the EPA, it affects almost every company," Belski said. "That's why stocks are up in our view."
Transcription

1 2013/SOM1/CTTF/017 Agenda Item: 8 Counter-Terrorism Action Plan Thailand Purpose: Information Submitted by: Thailand 28 th Counter Terrorism Task Force Meeting Jakarta, Indonesia January 2013

2 2012 APEC COUNTER-TERRORISM ACTION PLAN ECONOMY: THAILAND CALENDAR YEAR: 2012 LAST UPDATED: 2011 Objective: Where appropriate, to self-assess progress against APEC Leaders and Ministers counter-terrorism commitments, and to identify capacity building needs to assist the CTTF to identify priority areas for future cooperation. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Summary of main achievements/progress in implementing Leaders and Ministers commitments since last update. Following the meeting of Counter Terrorism Task Force (CTTF) during in the United States and Russia, in which APEC members emphasized the need to advance cooperation in four majors areas (Secure Supply Chains, Secure Travel, Secure Finance, Secure Infrastructure) as listed out in the APEC Counter Terrorism and Secure Trade Strategy, Thailand conducted several activities as follow : 1. Secure Supply Chains During April - June 2012, Royal Thai Navy s Counter - Piracy Task Unit (RTN CPTU) was dispatched to operate under the banner of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), an international joint patrol, to protect commercial fleet from piracy attacks off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, two major sea routes connecting Asia to Europe and the Middle East. 2. Secure Travel As a measure to prevent terrorist acts on board an airplane, THAI Airways International provided further training for its staff on cyber threats and launched the public awareness campaign in cyber threats in its website. 3. Secure Finance Anti Money Laundering Office signed an MOU on the exchange of financial intelligence with Financial Unit of Fiji and Norway. AMLO also pushed for the issuance of a KYC/CDD Ministerial Regulation requiring identification of beneficial owners. 4. Secure Infrastructure Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) established CSOC (Cyber Security Operation Center) to investigate and analyze irregular internet activities such as SPAM, Phishing and Hacking as well as to receive reports and complaints about cyber crimes and the misuse of cyber space that may post a threat to national security. 5. Others Activities 5.1 During September 2012, Thailand hosted the 12th ASEAN Senior Official Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) with a view to promote greater coordination and exchange of information on counter terrorism among ASEAN member states and its dialogue partner. 5.2 National Security Council (NSC) of Thailand, with a view to ensure that our counter-terrorism policy responses effectively to and reflect truly the ongoing situation, is revising the Counter-Terrorism Strategy to incorporate new elements and dimensions of counter terrorism work into the new draft. 2. Summary of forward work program to implement Leaders and Ministers commitments. 1

3 3. Summary of capacity building needs and opportunities that would accelerate/strengthen the implementation of APEC Leaders and Ministers commitments by your economy and in the region. 3.1 Training for criminal investigators, prosecutors, and judges to provide a better understanding of up-to-date information technology, laws, and computer forensic science, all of which are relevant and significant to a successful arrest and prosecution of cyber criminals. 3.2 Support of computer forensic equipments especially mobile computer forensic that can analyze the latest version of mobile phone. 3.3 Support of financial analytical ability and supervisory capability improvement 2

4 A. ENHANCING THE SECURE FLOW OF TRADE AND PEOPLE IN THE APEC REGION A.1 Protect Cargo: Contact Point: Name: Capt. Pongpeera Paisarnkulwong Title: Vice President of Aviation Safety, Security & Standards Department Telephone Number: (+66) Fax Number: (+66) Address: LEADERS AND MINISTERS COMMITMENTS Implement the common standards for electronic customs reporting developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO) that provide data to target high-risk shipments and facilitate trade (2002). Implement as practicable as possible a container security regime that facilitates the smooth flow of trade while enhancing the integrity of containers (2002). Promote private-sector adoption of high standards of supply chain security, as developed by the private sector and law enforcement officials (2002). Implement the APEC Framework for Secure Trade (2005). Continue cooperation between APEC member economies to facilitate trade recovery after a terrorist attack (2006, 2007, 2011). Work towards more consistent security measures that reduce transaction costs, and to enhance cooperation with the private sector (2007, 2011). Complete the APEC Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Best Practices Guidelines Document (2011) Continue work on the Trade Recovery Program to work toward an operational system for ensuring trade recovery and resilience across the region in the wake of natural disasters and other major disruptions, such as terrorist attacks. (2011) MEASURES UNDERTAKEN SINCE LAST UPDATE TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS THAI Airways International - THAI Airways International has been certified as ACC3 Carrier by the member of EU, for transporting cargo from Bangkok, Thailand into EU Countries, since 2012 until FURTHER MEASURES PLANNED TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS (indicate timeframe) PLEASE DESCRIBE THE APEC CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN WHICH YOUR ECONOMY PARTICIPATED DURING THE LAST YEAR. WHAT BENEFITS DID YOUR ECONOMY DERIVE FROM THESE ACTIVITIES? WHAT FOLLOW-ON ACTIVITIES WOULD BE USEFUL? 3

5 WHAT SPECIFIC CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS DOES YOUR ECONOMY HAVE THAT HINDER YOUR ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS, AND WHAT CAPACITY BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES COULD BE PROVIDED THROUGH APEC TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD BENEFIT YOUR ECONOMY (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) WHAT KIND OF EXPERTISE AND/OR ASSISTANCE COULD YOUR ECONOMY PROVIDE TO OTHER APEC MEMBERS THAT COULD HELP ADDRESS THEIR CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT YOUR ECONOMY COULD PROVIDE (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) 4

6 A.2 Protect Port Facilities and Ships Engaged in International Voyages: Contact Point: Name: Title: Telephone Number: Fax Number: Address: LEADERS AND MINISTERS COMMITMENTS Cooperation between APEC member economies on training to enhance ship and port security in the region (2002). Support international efforts to fight piracy (2002, 2008). Review ship and port facility security plans; automatic identification systems (AIS) installed on certain ships (2004). Support the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (2004). Cooperate with the International Maritime Organisation on its efforts to undertake an analysis of small boats as potential threats to maritime security (2009). Enhance ability to identify, assess, and share information on threats to transportation facilities, vehicles, people and cargo, to prevent and combat acts of unlawful interference (2011) MEASURES UNDERTAKEN SINCE LAST UPDATE TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS Royal Thai Navy (RTN) - The RTN constantly develops its capacities in patrols and prevention of violations of maritime national interest by conducting exercises for the Naval Area Command s fleet as well as increase airborne capabilities to prevent and suppress maritime terrorism and piracy. The areas covered include territorial sea, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and high sea. - The RTN, the main agency responsible for maritime security, has close collaboration and regular exchanges of information with the Marine Department (MD) and the Maritime Police. - The RTN has engaged in joint patrol with India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam, and participated in bilateral exercises with friendly countries, such as Australia, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and United States. In particular, RTN has conducted the naval patrols with Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in the Malacca Strait Patrols since September The result is increased safety in Thai territorial waters as evidenced by no report of piracy since the joint patrols commenced. - The RTN will implement deterrent and preventive measures against piracy with naval forwarding defence and coordinated patrol with Maritime Police on a daily basis. - The RTN is working towards the implementation of the SOP for the Malacca Strait Information Sharing System with the three littoral states to combat maritime terrorist and piracy, as well as armed robbery against ships. - The RTN intensified security operation training between Naval Specials Operation Force and Thai Shipping liners. - The Royal Thai government still attaches great importance to the rise of piracy incidents off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, which is the major route connecting Asia to Europe and the Middle East. Given the success of the second operation, during July - November 2011, the naval ships of Royal Thai Navy s Counter - Piracy Task Unit (RTN CPTU), and Given the success of the first operation, Royal Thai Navy assumed command Combined Task Force 151, during April - June 2012 have been dispatched to operate with Combined Maritime Force (CMF). FURTHER MEASURES PLANNED TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS (indicate timeframe) 5

7 PLEASE DESCRIBE THE APEC CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN WHICH YOUR ECONOMY PARTICIPATED DURING THE LAST YEAR. WHAT BENEFITS DID YOUR ECONOMY DERIVE FROM THESE ACTIVITIES? WHAT FOLLOW-ON ACTIVITIES WOULD BE USEFUL? WHAT SPECIFIC CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS DOES YOUR ECONOMY HAVE THAT HINDER YOUR ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS, AND WHAT CAPACITY BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES COULD BE PROVIDED THROUGH APEC TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD BENEFIT YOUR ECONOMY (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) WHAT KIND OF EXPERTISE AND/OR ASSISTANCE COULD YOUR ECONOMY PROVIDE TO OTHER APEC MEMBERS THAT COULD HELP ADDRESS THEIR CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT YOUR ECONOMY COULD PROVIDE (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) 6

8 A.3 Protect International Aviation: Contact Point: Name: Capt. Pongpeera Paisarnkulwong Title: Vice President of Aviation Safety, Security & Standards Department Telephone Number: (+66) Fax Number: (+66) Address: Emergency Aviation Security Point of Contact: Name: Title: Telephone Number: Fax Number: Address: LEADERS AND MINISTERS COMMITMENTS Introduce highly effective baggage screening procedures and equipment in all APEC international airports as soon as possible; and accelerate implementation of standards for reinforced flight deck doors for passenger aircraft wherever possible (2002). Enhance air cargo security by promoting adoption of the guidelines developed by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) (2002). Support ICAO mandatory aviation security audits (2002, 2009). Adopt strict domestic export controls on Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS); secure stockpiles; regulate production, transfer, and brokering; ban transfers to nonstate end-users; and exchange information in support of these efforts (2003). APEC economies which did not do so before 2007 to conduct one MANPADS assessment of a major international airport using the MANPADS Vulnerability Assessment (MVA) guide established by the ICAO or similar international guidelines (2005). Work towards continuous improvement of aviation security oversight and quality control (2009). Examine emerging approaches to air cargo security; share information on efficient screening technologies and training; and harmonise aviation security measures (2009). Implement effective capacity building programs for air cargo and air traveller protection, which help develop institutions and mobilize expertise and resources efficiently (2010). MEASURES UNDERTAKEN SINCE LAST UPDATE TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS THAI Airways International - THAI Airways International has achieved the official certification for 8 main areas of; Organisation, Flight Operation, Safety, Dispatch, In-flight services, Technical, Cargo and Security, for the fifth time by IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) since May THAI Airways International has participated with AAPA (Association of Asia Pacific Airlines) s Security Committee (SC) as Vice Chairman in 2012 and will be a chairman of AAPP SC meeting next year (2013) FURTHER MEASURES PLANNED TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS (indicate timeframe) 7

9 PLEASE DESCRIBE THE APEC CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN WHICH YOUR ECONOMY PARTICIPATED DURING THE LAST YEAR. WHAT BENEFITS DID YOUR ECONOMY DERIVE FROM THESE ACTIVITIES? WHAT FOLLOW-ON ACTIVITIES WOULD BE USEFUL? WHAT SPECIFIC CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS DOES YOUR ECONOMY HAVE THAT HINDER YOUR ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS, AND WHAT CAPACITY BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES COULD BE PROVIDED THROUGH APEC TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD BENEFIT YOUR ECONOMY (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) WHAT KIND OF EXPERTISE AND/OR ASSISTANCE COULD YOUR ECONOMY PROVIDE TO OTHER APEC MEMBERS THAT COULD HELP ADDRESS THEIR CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT YOUR ECONOMY COULD PROVIDE (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) 8

10 A.4 Protect People in Transit: Contact Point: Name: Title: Telephone Number: Fax Number: Address: LEADERS AND MINISTERS COMMITMENTS Implement as expeditiously as possible an Advance Passenger Information system for the collection and transmission of advance passenger information (2002). Adopt and implement agreed standards for machine readable travel documents, and application of biometrics in entry and (where applicable) exit procedures and travel documents consistent with ICAO and the International Standards Organization (2002). Assure the highest possible integrity of all government officials who are involved in border operations (2002). Develop a standardized strategic safety and security master plan for tourists, a crisis management model, and promote the development by industry of simple-to-use safety and security measures for tourism businesses (2002). Voluntarily provide information on lost and stolen travel documents to the existing database of the International Criminal and Police Organization (ICPO-Interpol) on a best endeavours basis (2005). Consider joining the Regional Movement Alert System (RMAS) (2006). Implement APEC Travel Facilitation Initiative to facilitate regional international travel, while ensuring the security of the overall travel system. (2011) MEASURES UNDERTAKEN SINCE LAST UPDATE TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS THAI Airways International - THAI Airways International has been joining with Department of Civil Aviation of Thailand as a member of working group of APP/API System Thailand, for which the implementation of the system is targeted tentatively around the end of FURTHER MEASURES PLANNED TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS (indicate timeframe) PLEASE DESCRIBE THE APEC CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN WHICH YOUR ECONOMY PARTICIPATED DURING THE LAST YEAR. WHAT BENEFITS DID YOUR ECONOMY DERIVE FROM THESE ACTIVITIES? WHAT FOLLOW-ON ACTIVITIES WOULD BE USEFUL? 9

11 WHAT SPECIFIC CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS DOES YOUR ECONOMY HAVE THAT HINDER YOUR ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS, AND WHAT CAPACITY BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES COULD BE PROVIDED THROUGH APEC TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD BENEFIT YOUR ECONOMY (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) WHAT KIND OF EXPERTISE AND/OR ASSISTANCE COULD YOUR ECONOMY PROVIDE TO OTHER APEC MEMBERS THAT COULD HELP ADDRESS THEIR CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT YOUR ECONOMY COULD PROVIDE (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) 10

12 A.5 Combat Threats to Security: Contact point:name:pol. Col. Pitthaya Karakate Title: Superintendent, Sub Division 4, Special Branch 2, Special Branch,Royal Thai Police Telephone Number: (+66) Fax Number: (+66) Address: LEADERS AND MINISTERS COMMITMENTS Increase and better coordinate counter-terrorism activities, where appropriate, through effective collaboration, technical assistance and capacity building, and cooperation between APEC s Counter-Terrorism Task Force with relevant international, regional and functional organizations (2003) in accordance with the relevant APEC rules and practices. Eliminate the severe and growing danger posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery by strengthened non-proliferation regimes and adopting and enforcing effective export controls (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) as well as take appropriate individual and joint actions to protect legitimate financial and commercial system from abuse (2006). Review progress on commitments to dismantle trans-national terrorist groups (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008). Relevant economies to take steps towards the ratification and implementation of, or the commitment to ratify all basic universal antiterrorist conventions (2004, 2008) Ensure that any measures taken to combat terrorism comply with all relevant obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law (2005).. Relevant economies to implement the International Atomic Energy Agency Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources as well as the Guidance on the Import and Export of Radioactive Sources (2005). Continue efforts and cooperation on food defense to mitigate the terrorist threat to the food supply following the voluntary APEC Food Defence Principles (2007). Implement the APEC Consolidated Counter-Terrorism and Secure Trade Strategy to make regional commerce and travel more secure, efficient, and resilient (2011). MEASURES UNDERTAKEN SINCE LAST UPDATE TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS Special Branch, Royal Thai Police - Special Branch, Royal Thai Police will continue to - exchange information on a request and bilateral basis as well as best practices to develop better mechanisms in countering terrorism and, if deemed necessary, will conduct a joint operation with relevant agencies. - strengthen the central role of the UN in coordinating efforts to countering terrorism - cooperate in providing safety and security for intergovernmental visit, international conference, and sport events - establish and maintain role as a focal point for regional and international information exchange related to the prevention of nuclear, chemical, biological and radiological terrorism FURTHER MEASURES PLANNED TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS (indicate timeframe) 11

13 PLEASE DESCRIBE THE APEC CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN WHICH YOUR ECONOMY PARTICIPATED DURING THE LAST YEAR. WHAT BENEFITS DID YOUR ECONOMY DERIVE FROM THESE ACTIVITIES? WHAT FOLLOW-ON ACTIVITIES WOULD BE USEFUL? WHAT SPECIFIC CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS DOES YOUR ECONOMY HAVE THAT HINDER YOUR ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS, AND WHAT CAPACITY BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES COULD BE PROVIDED THROUGH APEC TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD BENEFIT YOUR ECONOMY (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) WHAT KIND OF EXPERTISE AND/OR ASSISTANCE COULD YOUR ECONOMY PROVIDE TO OTHER APEC MEMBERS THAT COULD HELP ADDRESS THEIR CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT YOUR ECONOMY COULD PROVIDE (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) 12

14 B. HALTING TERRORIST FINANCING: Contact Point: Name:Pol. Col. Seehanat Prayoonrat Title: Secretary-General, Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) Telephone Number: Fax Number: LEADERS AND MINISTERS COMMITMENTS Enhance law enforcement and regulatory capabilities by establishing or identifying a financial intelligence unit (FIU) in each member economy, and enhancing information sharing with other FIUs (2002). Relevant economies to implement UN and other international instruments (2002). Implement, where applicable, the FATF s Special Recommendations on terrorist financing, including those relating to non-profit organizations, alternative remittance systems and illicit cash couriers (2002, 2008). Cut off terrorists access to the international financial and commercial system, including by implementing standards and agreements on combating terrorist financing and money laundering (2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009). MEASURES UNDERTAKEN SINCE LAST UPDATE TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS AMLO - AMLO signed an MOU on the exchange of financial intelligence with Fiji FIU and Norway FIU towards the end of last year. Now it has such MOUs with 43 agencies (41 jurisdictions) - AMLO has successfully pushed for the issuance of a KYC/CDD Ministerial Regulation requiring identification of beneficial owners. FURTHER MEASURES PLANNED TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS (indicate timeframe) AMLO - AMLO is pushing for the enactment of an amended AMLA (No.4) to comply fully with FATF standards such as to extend the list of predicate offences and to require reporting of attempted transactions and an FOT Act to designate TF as a predicate offence and provide for freezing of terrorist assets without delay. - AMLO is pushing for a restructuring to function more effectively as an FIU. PLEASE DESCRIBE THE APEC CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN WHICH YOUR ECONOMY PARTICIPATED DURING THE LAST YEAR. WHAT BENEFITS DID YOUR ECONOMY DERIVE FROM THESE ACTIVITIES? WHAT FOLLOW-ON ACTIVITIES WOULD BE USEFUL? 13

15 WHAT SPECIFIC CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS DOES YOUR ECONOMY HAVE THAT HINDER YOUR ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS, AND WHAT CAPACITY BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES COULD BE PROVIDED THROUGH APEC TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD BENEFIT YOUR ECONOMY (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) AMLO - AMLO needs an assistance to improve financial analytical ability and supervisory capability. WHAT KIND OF EXPERTISE AND/OR ASSISTANCE COULD YOUR ECONOMY PROVIDE TO OTHER APEC MEMBERS THAT COULD HELP ADDRESS THEIR CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT YOUR ECONOMY COULD PROVIDE (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) 14

16 C. PROMOTING CYBER SECURITY: Contact Point: Name Mr.Nut Payongsri Title: Computer Technical Officer and Competent Official of Computer Crime Act B.E.2550 Telephone Number: Fax Number: Address: Name: Mr.Narongdej Watcharapasorn Title: Computer Technical Officer and Competent Official of Computer Crime Act B.E.2550 Telephone Number: Fax Number: Address: LEADERS AND MINISTERS COMMITMENTS Countering terrorism by implementing and enhancing critical information infrastructure protection and cyber security to ensure a trusted, secure and sustainable online environment (2002). Enhance mutual cooperation on countering malicious online activities and engage in efforts to increase cybersecurity awareness (2010). Establish CSOC (Cyber Security Operation Center) to investigate and analyze unusual internet activities such as SPAM, Phishing and Hacking (2011) Good Co-operation between MICT and other relevant well-known websites to prevent cyber crime (2012) MEASURES UNDERTAKEN SINCE LAST UPDATE TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS. Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) - MICT puts CSOC in place to receive reports and complaints about cyber crimes and the misuse of cyber space that may post a threat to national security. THAI Airways International - THAI Airways International inserts articles about cyber threats to aviation security in company s corporate Web Page for public awareness and in airline staff training. FURTHER MEASURES PLANNED TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS (indicate timeframe) PLEASE DESCRIBE THE APEC CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN WHICH YOUR ECONOMY PARTICIPATED DURING THE LAST YEAR. WHAT BENEFITS DID YOUR ECONOMY DERIVE FROM THESE ACTIVITIES? WHAT FOLLOW-ON ACTIVITIES WOULD BE USEFUL? 15

17 WHAT SPECIFIC CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS DOES YOUR ECONOMY HAVE THAT HINDER YOUR ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT COMMITMENTS, AND WHAT CAPACITY BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES COULD BE PROVIDED THROUGH APEC TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD BENEFIT YOUR ECONOMY (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) - Thailand still needs to train and equip cyber-criminal investigators, prosecutors, and judges to provide a better understanding of up-to-date information technology, laws, and computer forensic science, all of which are relevant and significant to a successful arrest and prosecution of cyber criminals. - Thailand needs a support of computer forensic equipments especially mobile computer forensic that can analyze the latest version of mobile phone (Early 2012) WHAT KIND OF EXPERTISE AND/OR ASSISTANCE COULD YOUR ECONOMY PROVIDE TO OTHER APEC MEMBERS THAT COULD HELP ADDRESS THEIR CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE REGARDING THE TYPES OF CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT YOUR ECONOMY COULD PROVIDE (E.G., SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, INFORMATION SHARING, BEST PRACTICES, SPECIALIZED TRAINING, ETC.) 16

18 POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE AND EXPERTISE TO OFFER Contact Point for Assistance and Expertise not included above: Name: Title: Telephone Number: Fax Number: Address: Economies with particular expertise and resources to offer could indicate this here and/or refer members to relevant websites. 17
"Hey guys, I'm just going downstairs for my paleo pear and banana bread, would you like to join me?" is not a line you'd expect to hear from a video for a graduate recruitment program. Yet this is one of the unusual phrases featuring in a video campaign from the Australian Department of Finance for its Graduate Development Program, showing current graduates going about their day ahead of a presentation to the finance secretary. The "Game Changers" video has attracted headlines such as "Australia: Is this the worst recruitment ad ever?" and has been parodied online, including a response from the Liberal Democrats (Australia) as well as comedian Simon Kennedy.

If the Australian finance department campaign has tickled readers' fancy, then a salary of AU$60,825 ($46,179) is on offer, according to its website, and successful candidates can also join SNOG, or the Social Network of Graduates, where they can meet people from other departments. (In the U.K., "snogging" is an alternative term for making out.) CNBC takes a look at other recruitment adverts that attracted attention online. Heineken  The Candidate Heineken's The Candidate video showed an interviewer taking potential interns by the hand and pretending to faint, and culminated with candidates having to intervene when someone threatens to jump off a building. Finally, the winning intern was told he'd got the job live at a Juventus-Chelsea Champions League match. The ad won a Cannes Lion in 2013.

New Zealand Police - #runningman challenge This 2016 video features police doing a "running man" dance routine in a car park, and was watched 11 million times on the New Zealand Police recruitment Facebook page in 24 hours, according to the New Zealand police department's website. "It's about showing Police having fun and building trust and confidence," said media adviser Shelley Nahr.

Twitter  At Twitter, The Future is You! In 2012, Twitter made a spoof serious recruitment ad, featuring people reading from scripts, flapping their arms like birds and enthusing: "Boy, I wish I didn't already work here, so I could apply for a job." Join the flock today, it ends.

Queensland  Best Job in the World In 2009, Queensland advertised for a wildlife caretaker for the Great Barrier Reef islands, attracting more than 35,000 applications from 200 countries, according to the Tourism and Events Queensland website. Although a caretaker was found  Brit Ben Southall  the campaign was actually about tourism, rather than recruitment, and resulted in news coverage around the world as well as 8.6 million website hits over the course of the campaign, the government department claims. Tourism Australia  Best Jobs in the World The rest of Australia was so impressed by Queensland's results that it ran a similar campaign in 2013, recruiting for roles including "chief funster", park ranger and taste master, to work in different territories in the country.

Shopify  Draw the Owl One Shopify staffer took his boss's demand to see whether candidates could "draw the owl" literally, by ordering a stuffed version online and having co-workers reproduce it in this 2013 recruitment video.

Ikea  Career Instructions When Ikea in Australia was expanding in 2011, it decided to use its packaging to find new hires. The "Career Instructions" campaign saw leaflets enclosed with Ikea flat packs instructing people on how to assemble their futures, and resulted in more than 4,000 job applications.

Cardstore.com  World's Toughest Job The world's toughest job is one with no vacations, long periods of standing up  and no pay, according to a 2014 ad campaign "recruiting" for a "director of operations." Candidates were interviewed on camera, before it was revealed the job was really that of a mother, and the campaign was actually one inviting people to buy a Mother's Day card from Cardstore.com. It has been watched more than 26 million times.
Trump has argued that the restrictions, which follow on a key campaign pledge for "extreme vetting," are necessary to prevent attacks on U.S. soil. Critics have contended the measures constitute a religious ban, based on Trump's campaign rhetoric against Muslims, and could prove counterproductive in fighting terrorism.

The president has berated the judges who suspended the initial order, and the White House crafted Monday's measure to better stand up to legal scrutiny. It is not yet entirely clear how well the changes will help it do so.

Monday's order states that the version signed in January "was not motivated by animus toward any religion." It also did not include an earlier provision prioritizing refugees from religious minority groups.



The new order halts all refugee admissions for 120 days. It does not indefinitely suspend the entry of Syrian refugees specifically, as the first measure did.

Trump signed the measure Monday without news organizations present, and the White House did not explain why. He signed most of his previous executive orders with significant media present. Press secretary Sean Spicer tweeted a photo of him signing the order.

The DHS said it will carry out a "global, country-by-country review" of "identity and security information" that each country provides to the U.S. for visa programs. The U.S. will give those countries 50 days to improve their standards. The order leaves the door open for "additional countries" for which the U.S. may require more restrictions.

"Unregulated, unvetted travel is not a universal privilege, especially when national security is at stake," DHS Secretary John Kelly told reporters.

Regardless of the changes, the travel restrictions will likely spark immediate controversy. After the initial order was signed in late January, Democrats, civil rights groups and some Republicans criticized Trump for the measure and its swift implementation.

Protests broke out at airports across the country. Many visa holders were detained in airports.

Kelly said in February that he should have "delayed it just a bit" after lawmakers raised concerns that they were left in the dark.

On Monday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions defended the president's authority to issue the new order, as well as the original measure.

Key Democrats started to criticize the travel restrictions shortly after Trump signed the order. In a statement, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the measure "mean-spirited and un-American."

"A watered-down ban is still a ban," he said, adding that he believes it makes the U.S. less safe.

Schumer contended that, because the White House delayed the order's signing following a well-received speech, "this has absolutely nothing to do with national security."

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California also said the move damages security, calling it "the same ban with the same purpose."

Washington state sued the Trump administration over the first version of the measure, prompting its blockage. In a statement Monday, the state's attorney general Bob Ferguson said it is "carefully reviewing the new executive order to determine its impacts on Washington state and our next legal steps."

The American Civil Liberties Union, which also fought the original executive order, slammed the new measure on Monday. Omar Jadwat, director of the organization's Immigrants' Rights Project, called it "a scaled-back version that shares the same fatal flaws."

 NBC News contributed to this report
When the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down President Trump's original executive order banning immigration and travel to the U.S. from a list of seven countries early last month, the president's opponents on the left cheered what looked like a victory for their side.

But what it really did was force the most liberal federal court in America and a bevy of advocacy groups to show their cards and give the White House all the information it needed on how to elude the most serious legal and political barriers to this immigration policy going forward.

On Monday, the Trump team used that information and cashed in.

When the new revised travel ban was rolled out by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, the announcement clearly had the parameters set by the 9th Circuit in mind.

First and foremost, the court's objection to banning entry to people who already had visas to be in the United States was addressed by the fact that the new travel ban excludes those visa holders.

Even though conservative Constitutional scholars have argued that the federal government has the right to rescind those visas, the Trump administration didn't choose to assert that right. And in so doing, the most potent legal aspect in the appeal decision has been defused.

But the case has also been fought in the court of public opinion. And the anti-immigration ban forces wisely latched on to the plight of many Iraqi citizens and ex-soldiers who had fought alongside U.S. forces in the recent past.

The sheer number of those Iraqis is large compared to most other groups seeking asylum, and their stories garner a lot of justified sympathy in and out of the courts. And so, with that card revealed, the Trump team decided to exclude Iraqis from the new ban and thus eluding another problem.

None of this means there won't be new protests against the revised ban in and out of the courts. But the White House has an upper hand now. Its legal opponents will now have to come up with new objections that even the uber-liberal 9th Circuit didn't consider last month.

And its activist opponents will be extremely hard-pressed to conjure a more sympathetic case than former Iraqi soldiers who fought for the U.S. In a game of moves and counter-moves, the anti-Trump forces showed their hand and are now in a tight corner.

A lot of the harshest Trump critics have been doubling down lately on the old argument that the president and his administration are unhinged and unable to function logically. Today's repurposed travel ban, and the clever card sharp-like strategy that went into it weakens that argument considerably.

Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.



For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
President Donald Trump's claims that former President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower on the eve of the election are "destructive to our democracy," former U.S. diplomat Nicholas Burns said on Monday.

"I think you have to worry about a president who cast these wild accusations that I think will be a threat to our democracy, the way people feel, [and] the trust they have in their government or the former president," Burns said on CNBC's "Squawk Box."

The former U.S. ambassador to NATO, who also served as undersecretary of State for political affairs during President George W. Bush's administration, said the accusations are "not grounded in fact." He said they pointed to the fact that Trump did not consult intelligence officials before posting the allegations on Twitter.



"If you read the press, The [New York] Times, The Wall Street Journal this morning, the FBI director doesn't agree with that, the former director of national intelligence doesn't agree with that," Burns said.

Instead, the president appears to have sourced the information from right-wing media reports, Burns said. Trump did not reveal his sources, and the White House says there will be no further comment.

"These are among the most incendiary charges ever made in the history of our country by one president against one of his predecessors, and I think they're destructive to our democracy," said Burns.

Burns, who is now a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School, predicted that Trump's charges would be quickly dismissed if investigated because they don't seem to be true.
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Ben Carson won Senate approval last Thursday to assume the post of secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He becomes the sole African-American member of President Donald Trump's cabinet.

 Reuters contributed to this story.
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Top Trump administration officials are expected to talk Monday about the new executive order barring travel from predominantly Muslim countries the White House says pose a high terrorism risk.

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Attorney General Jeff Sessions are slated to discuss the measure that Trump signed Monday.

The White House has crafted a new version of the order, after the original measure was suspended in federal court. Officials hope the changes will help it better stand up to legal scrutiny.

Trump has defended the restrictions on travel as necessary to prevent terrorist attacks in the United States. Critics have said the order targets Muslims, based on Trump's campaign trail rhetoric about the religion, and could prove counterproductive in combating terrorism.
In 2004 Juppe was sentenced to an 18-month suspended sentence and banned from public office for 10 years after he was found guilty of corruption in a case concerning Paris city funds being used to pay political allies.

However, at a press conference Monday morning Juppe clarified he would not run for the presidential seat.

There had been rumors Fillon would be replaced given that his position in the race has been significantly weakened by investigations into misuse of public funds.

Meanwhile, the euro has dropped against the U.S. dollar by nearly 0.4 percent to about 1.0581 following news that the former French Prime Minister Alain Juppe has said he has no intention of replacing the beleaguered presidential hopeful Francois Fillon on the Les Republicains ticket.

The gap between the 10-year French and German government bond yields widened to 65 basis points  a five-day high  on Monday, as political uncertainty returned to France.

Juppe "is also more of a risk than the polls would suggest, not least because he has a criminal conviction for a similar offence to that which Fillon is now being charged," Rainbow Murray, Associate Professor, Queen Mary University of London told CNBC on Monday.

"He also lost the primary by a significant margin last November. So within his own party he is not that popular and there's also the problem that Fillon has been quite insistent that he won't stand down.

"So it's going to be difficult to bring any new candidate while the current one is tenuously holding on."

Recent polls had shown that if Juppe would replace Fillon, the conservative party would win the election.

"The public is quick to forget and if he becomes the candidate again they will be quick to remember, because it will be the new big story," Murray said.

She added that there would also be additional hurdles for Juppe, not only technical issues related to party's funds, but also to come up with a manifesto able to build enough momentum with only six weeks to go until the first round of the election.

Polling numbers released by Opinionway on Monday showed that the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen remains on track to win the first round of the election with about 27 percent of support, compared to 24 percent given to the centrist Emmanuel Macron and 19 percent to Francois Fillon.

But in the second and final round of the election, when only two candidates try to win the presidential seat, Emmanuel Macron would beat Marine Le Pen with 60 percent of the votes, the same survey suggested.

Macron, who is running as an independent, said on Monday that he wanted bank and insurance capital rules to be established by European Union finance ministers instead of regulators. Macron, a former investment banker, who served as economy minister for the socialist party, believes that regulators are too focused on reducing risks, which is preventing further financing into the economy.

The first round for the French presidential election happens on April 23. The second runoff takes place on May 7.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.






Minutes ago CNN released a new poll showing 45% of Americans approve of the way Trump is handling his job and 52% disapprove. 65% of Americans feel there is a need for an independent special prosecutor to be appointed to get to the bottom of Putin-Gate and 32% feel the Republican-controlled is capable of handling it. There is no state or even regional breakdown, so we don't know how people feel about Trump and Putin-Gate in either up-country South Carolina or in the Atlanta suburbs. Clemson, South Carolina is a small up-country South Carolina city (population is around 15,000) where Pickens, Anderson and Oconee counties meet in the deeply red northwest corner of the state. When Lindsey Graham did his town hall there Saturday morning, over a thousand people turned up, presumably from all three counties. In 2012, Romney swept all three counties-- Anderson with 67% of the vote, Oconee with 70% and Pickens with 73%. Trump did even better:

 Anderson- 70%

 Oconee- 72%

 Pickens- 74%

This is Graham's home district. His first public office was as a state Rep. from Oconee County. Two years later, the longtime Democratic congressman from the area, Butler Derrick, retired and Graham won the seat, the first Republican to represent the district since 1877. He left the House and was elected to the Senate when Strom Thurmond retired in 2002. In 2014, he faced Democrat Brad Hutto and beat him 54.5-38.9%. But in the Clemson area counties he ran up tremendous margins-- 73.4% in Oconee, 67.1% in Anderson and 71.1% in Pickens. But, as you can see in the CNN video above, he didn't get the friendliest of welcomes when he started talking about supporting Trump.





The town hall didn't get off to a bad start for Graham though. In the clip below it kind of looks and sounds like a Saturday Night Live skit, and the audience was into being entertained by the subtle inferences that the president is a crackpot and/or a criminal. Had Graham read the room better, he would have stuck with that kind of attitude and not wandered into territory at odds with most Americans, earning hoots cat-calls and loud boos. People keep asking me if Jon Ossoff really has a shot in the suburban Atlanta district that Tom Price abandoned to be Trump's point person for dismantling the American health care system.





People make a big deal out of the fact that though Mitt Romney cleaned Obama's clock in GA-06-- 61-37%-- Trump barely managed to win the district at all, scraping through 48.3% to 46.8%. Although Trump won Georgia in the Republican primary,he lost all 3 of the counties that make up GA-06. Republican voters there went for Rubio-- by a lot. These are the Rubio vs Trump margins in those 3 counties:

 Fulton Co.- 41.6-21.6%

 Cobb Co.- 34.6-31.0%

 DeKalb Co.- 41.2-25.2%

Takeaway is obvious; traditionally Republican voters-- this is Newt Gingrich's old district-- aren't impressed by Senor Trumpanzee and have been willing to express that at the polls. Does that mean a progressive Democrat-- backed by John Lewis-- can win against a traditional Georgia Republican? Maybe. Polling shows Ossoff ahead in the April 18 jungle primary which will lead to a June 20 runoff with whichever Republican come sin second. Almost a dozen Republicans are running, including 2 former state Senators (Dan Moody and Judson Hill, who has been endorsed by Gingrich), a very well-know and very controversial former Secretary of State (anti-Choice fanatic Karen Handel) and a close Trump associate (businessman Bruce LeVell). Were LeVell to win the primary-- a very unlikely outcome-- Ossoff would have almost no problem winning the runoff. Two weeks ago a Republican polling firm, Clout Research showed Ossoff ahead with 32% but had Handel coming in second with 25%. LeVell was in margin-of-error territory with just 1%.




Round Pounds like these will lose their legal tender status in the UK on Oct. 15. But there's a different place where they won't be losing legal tender status.

On March 28, the Royal Mints new 12-sided 1 coin will be launched into circulation, and pound users will have to spend or exchange all of their Round Pounds by Oct. 15, when the old pound coins will lose legal tender status.

Well, not all pound users.

The Round Pound will continue to be used on the Isle of Man, a small self-governing British crown dependency in the Irish Sea that has fewer than 100,000 residents.

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The Isle of Man will not be following suit this year when the United Kingdom introduces a new 12-sided one pound coin and phases out the round version, a press release from the Isle of Man government reads. The Manx round pound will continue to be legal tender here, alongside the new and old UK pound coins.

The Manx pound is the circulating coinage issued for use on the Isle of Man. (Manx is also the name of one of the islands official languages.)

Long partnership ending: private Pobjoy Mint and Isle of Man to part ways in 2017: The Pobjoy Mints longest partnership is ending. The private mint announced July 19 that its relationship with the Isle of Man would end in 2017.

As the release explains, the United Kingdoms new 12-sided coin, which is being implemented to reduce the number of counterfeit 1 coins being produced and circulated, will be accepted on Isle of Man, as will old U.K. pound coins, with the latter being gradually repatriated to the UK.

The Isle of Mans treasury department will consider a 12-sided Manx pound coin in the future.

Why can the Isle of Man opt not to eliminate the round pound?

In short, because the Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom. It is a British crown dependency, but it issues its own official coinage, the Manx pound.

The United Kingdom pound is generally accepted as legal tender on the Isle of Man. However, the Isle of Mans Manx pounds are not generally accepted in the United Kingdom.

So the Isle of Mans release confirms that United Kingdom pounds, round and 12-sided, will continue to be generally accepted on the island along with the round Manx pounds.

Why is the UKs 1 coin changing from round to 12-sided?

As many as 3 percent of the current round 1 coins (about 45 million) are fake, according to the Royal Mint.

To strike back against counterfeiters, the Royal Mint designed a larger, ringed-bimetallic, 12-sided 1 coin that they first announced in March 2014, just about three years before it would be put into circulation.

Who should protect the coin hobby from predatory sellers?: Inside Coin World: Should the numismatic community police the sellers of coins, medals, and related objects, even those dealers who fall outside of the mainstream dealer network?

The coin incorporates the latest in security features, namely the Royal Mints patented iSIS technology, which is a revolutionary new high security coinage currency system, according to the Royal Mint. iSIS  Integrated Secure Identification Systems  enables not just coins, but the whole cash cycle to be more secure, protecting the public, vending machine operators, retailers, and the wider banking system.

The United Kingdoms new 12-sided 1 coin will begin circulating on March 28. The Royal Mint got out in front of the major change to change by launching www.TheNewPoundCoin.com on Oct. 31, 2016.

The site is dedicated to providing U.K. residents and businesses with information about the switch, and tips on how to prepare for it.

What will the UKs new 1 coin look like?

The latest portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which was designed by Royal Mint engraver Jody Clark and has been in use since 2015, will be on the obverse of the ringed-bimetallic coin.

To design the reverse of the new 12-sided coin, the Royal Mint held a public competition. The winning designer, among the more than 6,000 entries, was 15-year-old student David Pearce.

The winning entry was announced in March 2015.

Pearces design features a rose, leek, thistle and shamrock  four well-known symbols of the United Kingdom  all emerging from a royal coronet.
Slovakia honors the 550th anniversary of the University Istropolitana in Bratislava on a 2017 circulating commemorative 2 coin.

Slovakia has issued a circulating commemorative 2 coin marking the 550th anniversary of the University Istropolitana.

Slovakia has issued a circulating commemorative 2 coin marking the 550th anniversary of the University Istropolitana.

One million examples were released in early February.

The obverse design shows a teacher and two students positioned before the facade of the building of the former Universitas Istropolitana in Bratislava. In the upper left of the design is a medallion of King Matthias Corvinus, the founder of the university. Above the medallion is inscribed 1467, the year the university was opened.

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The name of the issuing country, SLOVENSKO appears at the base of the inner circle, above the year of issuance, 2017. Along the left edge of the inner circle is the inscription UNIVERZITA and along the right edge ISTROPOLITANA.

In the lower left of the design is the MK Mint mark of the Kremnica Mint (Mincovna Kremnica), placed between two dies. Below the mint mark are the stylized letters MP, initials of designer Maria Poldaufova.

The reverse carries the common European map design.

The 12 stars of the European flag appear on both sides of the ringed-bimetallic coin.

The 2 coin weighs 8.5 grams and measures 25.75 millimeters in diameter.

Each nation is allowed to issue up to two different circulating commemorative designs annually, with designs of their choosing, though few nations have issued the maximum number of designs.

Who should protect the coin hobby from predatory sellers?: Inside Coin World: Should the numismatic community police the sellers of coins, medals, and related objects, even those dealers who fall outside of the mainstream dealer network?

Joint euro programs like the 2015 coins honoring the 30th anniversary of flag of the European Union do not count toward this limit.

All 2 coins are legal tender throughout the eurozone.
Just over two years ago, Russian opposition politician and former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov was shot and killed as he walked across a bridge within sight of the Kremlin. A long-time advocate for democracy and transparency in government, Mr. Nemtsov had also been a vocal critic of Russian political and military interference in Ukraine.

Although five people from Chechnya were arrested for his murder, some observers believe the governments investigation into the crime was flawed and that the person or persons who organized the assassination have not been identified or apprehended.

On the eve of the second anniversary of his death, thousands of Russians took to the streets of Moscow and other cities, as they did last year, to pay tribute to Mr. Nemtsov. On February 27, U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Tefft visited the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge where Mr. Nemtsov was killed and read a message there.

I am here today with my Deputy and my staff along with my diplomatic colleagues representing the President and people of the United States to honor the memory of Boris Nemtsov, a man whom we knew as a government official, a politician, and for many Americans a friend, said Ambassador Tefft. His family, loved ones, and his friends remain in our thoughts. We are here today to honor his memory, the values for which he stood, and to express our hope for the future.

U.S. State Department Acting Spokesperson Mark Toner also issued a statement on the anniversary. Though Boris Nemtsov is gone, his spirit lives on in Russians young and old who seek to build a more democratic and prosperous society, Mr. Toner wrote. We call once more on the Russian Government to ensure that those responsible for Boris Nemtsovs killing are brought to justice.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a change in the UNs structure to help prevent terrorist acts directed or inspired by ISIS, al-Qaida, and other organizations. As a first step, he proposes establishing a new office headed by an Under-Secretary-General that would coordinate and strengthen UN counter-terrorism efforts of the UN General Assembly which are dispersed among dozens of UN entities.

The United States supports the UN Secretary- Generals reform plan and the appointment of an Under-Secretary-General to oversee UN counter-terrorism efforts. Speaking at an informal consultation of the UN General Assembly, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley noted that the new Under-Secretary-General will need to set clear priorities to implement the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. But, she said, there is room for the UN to do still more:

It can expand the assistance it provides to Member States. It can help states stop the flow of foreign terrorist fighters. It can work with states to build more robust systems to check who is coming across a border.

Ambassador Haley said the UN can also contribute to stopping terrorist recruitment by amplifying anti-violent extremist voices in its programs and by partnering with civil society organizations that speak out against violent extremism.

She highlighted the UNs work in promoting respect for human rights, including freedom of expression, and the rule of law as an essential component in preventing radicalization to violence.

Ambassador Haley said, however, that defeating the most dangerous terrorist organizations cannot fully succeed until UN Member States stop their own support of terrorist activity.

Proposals on paper will have limited impact as long as there are states that choose to arm, shelter, and finance terrorist organizations.

Ambassador Haley commended Secretary-General Guterres reform proposals and for the seriousness with which he considers the issue, adding, We have much work to do to rid the world of the threat of terrorism.
Christian Fellowship students fill shoeboxes with Christmas gifts

"After they get it, we can be friends," Lucy said.
President Donald Trump called on the Venezuelan government to release opposition leader and political prisoner Leopoldo Lopez. In a February 15 tweet, President Trump said: "Venezuela should allow Leopoldo Lopez, a political prisoner [and] husband of Lilian Tintori out of prison immediately."

Ms. Tintori thanked President Trump, in a series of tweets, for standing with the Venezuelan people [and] our aspirations to restore democracy to our country.

Lopez was sentenced in 2015 to nearly 14 years in prison on a series of specious charges including arson, inciting damage to a building, instigation to commit crimes, and belonging to an organized crime group during anti-government protests in 2014. Lopez has been a leader of the opposition to Venezuela's socialist government and founded the Popular Will party. Lopez's trial and sentence were condemned by the United States as well as the United Nations. The Venezuelan Supreme Court denied his appeals on February 16.

The Venezuelan government continues to arrest and imprison citizens from across Venezuelan society for their political beliefs. Currently, more than 100 such individuals are in prison. These include: Leopoldo Lopez, who completed his third year in prison February 18; Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma, who completed his second year under house arrest February 19; former Mayor Daniel Ceballos; and many other students, activists, journalists, and peaceful protestors.

The United States condemns these arrests and other actions taken by the Venezuelan government to criminalize dissent and deny its citizens the benefits of democracy.

Acting U.S. State Department Spokesman Mark Toner said, "We call for the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience, respect for the rule of law, the freedom of the press, the separation of constitutional powers within the government, and the restoration of a democratic process that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people."
[T]here is no way to effectively limit or muzzle the actions of a Constitutional Convention. The Convention could make its own rules and set its own agenda. Congress might try to limit the convention to one amendment or one issue, but there is no way to assure that the Convention would obey.  Warren Burger, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1969-1986)

I certainly would not want a constitutional convention. Whoa! Who knows what would come out of it?  Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1986-2016)

There is no enforceable mechanism to prevent a convention from reporting out wholesale changes to our Constitution and Bill of Rights.  Arthur Goldberg, Associate Justice of the US. Supreme Court (1962-1965)

Questions about such a convention have been debated for years by legal scholars and political commentators, without resolution. Who would serve as delegates? What authority would they be given? Who would establish the procedures under which the convention would be governed? What limits would prevent a runaway convention from proposing radical changes affecting basic liberties?With these thorny issues unsettled, it should come as no surprise that warning flags are being raised about a constitutional convention.  Archibald Cox, Solicitor General of the United States (1961-1965) and special prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice (1973)

Any new constitutional convention must have the authority to study, debate, and submit to the states for ratification whatever amendments it considers appropriateIf the legislatures of thirty-four states request Congress to call a general constitutional convention, Congress has a constitutional duty to summon such a convention. If those thirty -four states recommend in their applications that the convention consider only a particular subject, Congress still must call a convention and leave to the convention the ultimate determination of the agenda and the nature of the amendments it may choose to propose.  Walter E. Dellinger, Solicitor General of the United States (1996-1997) and the Douglas B. Maggs Professor Emeritus of Law at Duke University

First of all, we have developed orderly procedures over the past couple of centuries for resolving [some of the many] ambiguities [in the Constitution], but no comparable procedures for resolving [questions surrounding a convention]. Second, difficult interpretive questions about the Bill of Rights or the scope of the taxing power or the commerce power tend to arise one at a time, while questions surrounding the convention process would more or less need to be resolved all at once. And third, the stakes in this case in this instance are vastly greater, because what youre doing is putting the whole Constitution up for grabs. Laurence Tribe, professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School

The bigger threat is that a constitutional convention, once unleashed on the nation, would be free to rewrite or scrap any parts of the U.S. Constitution. Do we really want to open up our nations core defining values to debate at a time when a serious candidate for the White House brags about his enthusiasm for torture and the surveillance state, wants to open up reporters to lawsuits, scoffs at the separation of powers and holds ideas about freedom of religion that are selective at best?  David Super, professor of law at Georgetown University

Note what [Article V] does not say. It says not a word expressly authorizing the states, Congress, or some combination of the two to confine the subject matter of a convention. It says not a word about whether Congress, in calculating whether the requisite 34 states have called for a convention, must (or must not) aggregate calls for a convention on, say, a balanced budget, with differently worded calls arising from related or perhaps even unrelated topics. It says not a word prescribing that the make-up of a convention, as many conservatives imagine, will be one-state-one-vote (as Alaska and Wyoming might hope) or whether states with larger populations should be given larger delegations (as California and New York would surely argue).- Walter Olson, senior fellow at the Cato Institutes Center for Constitutional Studies

Danger lies ahead. Setting aside the long odds, if California and 33 more states invoke Article V, theres a risk that wed end up with a runaway convention, during which delegates would propose amendments on issues including abortion, gun rights and immigration.  Rick Hasen, Chancellors Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine

Holding a Constitutional convention when the U.S. is embroiled in extremely toxic, uninformed and polarized politics is a really, really bad idea.  Shelia Kennedy, professor of law and policy at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis

But no rule or law limits the scope of a state-called constitutional convention. Without established legal procedures, the entire document would be laid bare for wholesale revision. Article V itself sheds no light on the most basic procedures for such a convention. How many delegates does each state get at the convention? Is it one state, one vote, or do states with larger populations, like California, get a larger share of the votes? The Supreme Court has made at least one thing clear  it will not intervene in the process or the result of a constitutional convention. The game has neither rules nor referees.  McKay Cunningham, professor of law at Concordia University

The result will be a disaster. I hate to think of the worst-case scenario. At best, the fight over every step along the way would consume our countrys political oxygen for years.  David Marcus, professor of law at the University of Arizona

At present, there are no rules regarding who can participate, give money, lobby or have a voice in a constitutional convention. There are no rules about conflicts of interest, disclosure of who is giving or expending money. No rules exist that address political action committees, corporate or labor union involvement or how any other groups can or should participate. Not only might legitimate voices of the people be silenced by convention rules, but special interests may be given privilege to speak and affect the deliberationsthere are no rules limiting what can be debated at a constitutional convention. Given the potential domination by special interests, who knows the result?  David Schultz, political science and election law professor at Hamline University

An Article V convention might propose an amendment to restore or expand the liberties of the American people, but it also could propose an amendment that diminishes the liberties of the American people, or of some of the people.   John Malcolm, director of the Heritage Foundations Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies

But nothing in the Constitution limits such a convention to the issue or issues for which it was called. In other words, anything and everything could be on the table, including fundamental constitutional rights. Nor are there any guarantees about who would participate or under what rules. Indeed, for these reasons, no constitutional convention has been called since the first in 1787.  Helen Norton, professor and Ira C. Rothgerber, Jr. Chair in Constitutional Law at the University of Colorado

The lack of clear rules of the road, either in the text of the Constitution itself or in historical or legal precedent, makes the selection of the convention mechanism a choice whose risks dramatically outweigh any potential benefits.  Richard Boldt, professor of law at the University of Maryland

We live in deeply partisan times. There are no certainties about how a constitutional convention would play out, but the most likely outcome is that it would deepen our partisan divisions. Because there are no clear constitutional rules defining a conventions procedures, a conventions losers may deem illegitimate any resulting changes. Regardless of the ultimate outcome, the process itself would likely worsen our already vicious national politics.  Eric Berger, associate dean professor of law at the University of Nebraska College of Law

There are no such guarantees. This is uncharted territoryWe should not now abandon the very document that has held us together as a nation for over two and one quarter centuries. Rewriting the Constitution is a dangerous errand that would not only unravel the legal ties that have kept us together for so long but would also undermine our sense of national identity and the way that view ourselves as a people.  William Marshall, professor of law at University of North Carolina

Terrible ideaTodays politicians dont have the timeless brilliance of our framers. If we were to rewrite our constitution today, we wouldnt get a particularly good one.  Adam Winkler, professor of constitutional law and history at the University of California, Los Angeles

I believe its a time for constitutional sobriety. Its a time to keep our powder dry and not to move on an uncharted course. We are not the founding fathers. This would be disastrous.  Toni Massaro, constitutional law professor at the University of Arizona

Having taught constitutional law for almost 40 years, and having studied constitutions from around the globe, I have difficulty imagining anything worse.  Bill Rich, professor of law at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas

There are no constitutional limits on what the convention could do, no matter what the states say going into it.  David Schwartz, professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School

The Constitution allows for the calling of conventions on a petition of enough states, but not limited conventions of enough states. If the delegates decide they dont want to be bound by the (state) resolution, they are right that they cant be bound.  Richard H. Fallon Jr., constitutional law professor at Harvard University

Once you open the door to a constitutional convention, there are no sure guidelines left. This is the constitutional equivalent of opening a can of worms.  Miguel Schor, constitutional law professor at Drake University School of Law

Thus, neither the states nor Congress may limit the convention to specific subjects. While the goal to propose a balanced budget amendment may provide guidance to the convention, it would not have the force of lawPut simply, the rewards of any constitutional change is not worth the risks of a convention.   Sam Marcosson, professor of law at the University of Louisville

Even more frightening is that the entire Constitution will be in play during a convention. The First Amendment could disappear, so could gun rights. There is no guarantee that any of our current constitutionally protected rights would be included in a new constitution. The only guarantee is that all of those rights would be imperiled.  Mark Rush, the Waxberg Professor of Politics and Law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington

Most significantly, we advise the Legislature that a federal constitutional convention called with this resolution could potentially open up each and every provision of the United States Constitution to amendment or repeal. In other words, a federal constitutional convention could propose amendments to eliminate the protections of free speech; the protections against racial discrimination; the protections of freedom of religion; or any of the other myriad provisions that presently provide the backbone of American law.  March 2018 legislative testimony of Russell Suzuki, Acting Attorney General, and Deirdre Marie-Iha, Deputy Attorney General, of the state of Hawaii

Whatever one thinks about these proposed amendments, trying to pass them through an Article V convention is a risky business. The Constitution does not specify how the delegates for such a convention would be chosen, how many delegates each state would have, what rules would apply at the convention or whether there would be any limits on what amendments the convention could consider. A convention that was called to address a specific issue, such as budget deficits, might propose changes to freedom of speech, the right to keep and bear arms, the Electoral College or anything else in the Constitution. There is no rule or precedent saying what the proper scope of the conventions work would be.  Allen Rostron, associate dean for students, the William R. Jacques Constitutional Law Scholar, and a professor at the University of Missouri

Whether I like or dislike the specific proposal is not the point  the point is that a constitutional convention is a risky and potentially dangerous way to propose amendments.  Hugh Spitzer, professor of law at the University of Washington School of Law

A Constitutional Convention could be dangerous and destructive to our country, and citizens should approach the idea with the same wariness the founders didDo we really want to tinker with this nations fundamental rights  especially at a time when our country is deeply divided politically? Lets not risk opening what could be a Pandoras box of chaos and an existential crisis for the country.  Dewey M. Clayton, professor of political science at the University of Louisville

If a national constitutional convention were held, all of our rights under the current Constitution, and all of the governments reciprocal obligations, would be up for grabs. Nothing in the Constitution constrains the process that would apply if a convention is actually called. Anything could go, including the process for ratification itself, and there would be no Constitution cop on the block to ensure that things dont go seriously haywire.  Kim Wehle, professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law and a former assistant U.S. attorney and associate independent counsel in the Whitewater investigation

Amendment by convention has never been attempted and little is certain about the powers and prerogatives of such a convention. The basic problem is that there appears to be no effective way to limit the conventions scope once it is called.  Stephen H. Sach, Attorney General of Maryland (1979-1987)

It is unclear, for instance, what the agenda of the convention that the states would call would be. Some people even think that the scope of the convention would be unlimited, and that makes a lot of very rational people wary of making the whole Constitution up for grabs.  John O. McGinnis, the George C. Dix Professor in Constitutional Law at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law

The dangers stem largely from the fact that it is an uncharted courseThe alternative route in Article V is one that has never been taken. This route is obviously legitimate, but it is an unknownMoreover, the convention would have a plausible case for taking an even broader view of its agenda. Convention delegates could claim that they represent the people who elected them, and that they are entitled to deal with any constitutional issue of major concern to their constituency. The states, quite unthinkingly and without consideration of the implications, have started a process that may eventually produce a shock to them and to the country. It is a process of undeliberate constitution making that would make James Madison turn over in his grave.  Gerald Gunther, constitutional law scholar and professor of law at Stanford Law School

In these contentious times, democratic institutions, norms, and views are under unprecedented stress. When debating whether to adopt a resolution to apply to Congress to call for an Article V Convention, Maryland legislators should keep in mind the possibility that the call could add to a widespread perception of national disarray and push the American Republic closer to a breaking point. The perils of an Article V Convention running amok and altering the core framework of the American Republic are high. This method of reform should therefore be used only as a last resort.  Miguel Gonzalez-Marcos, professor of law at the University of Maryland

There is a risk of a runaway convention.  Michael Gerhardt, constitutional law professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law

So the fear among some people is that if we were to have such a constitutional convention that the whole Constitution would be up in the air again. It might be possible that the whole thing would be undermined, and no one would know going in what might replace it.  Daniel Ortiz, constitutional law professor at the University of Virginia

First, the national convention method may not result in any amendment, because it generates many uncertainties that can defeat the passage of an amendment. These uncertainties include what the legal rules are that govern the amendment process, what actions the other states will take, what role the Congress will play, and what amendment the convention will propose. Second, this method may result in a different amendment than the one that the state legislature desired through a runaway convention. Even if the state legislature specifically provided that the convention should only address a particular amendment, it is quite possible that the convention could propose an entirely different amendment and that amendment would then be ratified by the states.  Michael B. Rappaport, professor of law at the University of San Diego

Given that Article V contains no safeguards to restrain delegates, or instructions for choosing delegates, no part of the Constitution would be off limits. While some advocating for a convention may claim to care only about one issue, invoking Article V in this way would put the most basic parts of our democracy at risk. Extremists would have free rein to everything from our systems of checks and balances, to our most cherished rights, such as freedom of speech and voting for our leaders.  Wilfred Codrington, fellow and counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice

I want to raise the alarm on a dangerous and little-known campaign organized by a small, powerful group of wealthy special interests who seek to call an Article V convention to rewrite this foundational document. Such a convention poses a grave danger to the rights and freedoms we all hold dear, but it also puts at grave risk the body of national environmental laws and the expert institutions that implement themThere are no rules outlined in the Constitution for how the process of a convention would unfold. We must consider the agenda of those who are lobbying so hard for this convention and how they would seek to gain influence.  Patrick Parenteau, professor of law at Vermont Law School

In this politically fractured time, some state legislatures have called for a convention to rewrite the U.S. Constitution. Article V of the Constitution provides for such a process, but a convention has never before been convened and, and if it occurred, would have no set rules, no predictable outcome.  Justin Pidot, professor of law at the University of Arizona
President Donald Trump's revised travel ban, released Monday, ensures that H-1B visa workers from banned countries won't have problems as long as they stay in the U.S. But if they take a trip abroad, they could have trouble returning.

The changes unveiled today are technical, and immigration attorneys will be waiting for the U.S. State Department to clarify the rules. In the meantime, what may be a greater issue is how the move by Trump affects immigration and travel.

[ Discuss this story. Join our H-1B/Outsourcing group on Facebook. ]

"The real impact will be global in terms of how people perceive the U.S.," said William Stock, an immigration attorney and president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Stock said he is already aware of academic conferences that are being scheduled outside the U.S., and he believes the ban will prompt foreign students to think twice about applying to U.S. schools.

Trump removed Iraq from the list of banned countries in the new executive order. Affected countries are Iran, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Somalia and Sudan. The ban begins March 16, will be in effect for 90 days and can be extended. It does not apply to individuals who are already in the U.S. lawfully before it goes into effect.

The tech industry broadly opposed the administration's first attempt at a ban, unveiled in January. Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson was among those who filed a lawsuit against that initial effort and won a stay in appeals court. His pushback had support from tech firms.

In a tweet a few hours after Trump issued his latest order, Ferguson said: "It will take a few days to gauge how new order may harm Washington businesses, universities, etc."

The ban may still lead to a court fight. The initial order was largely seen as a Muslim ban because it prioritized, on the basis of religious persecution, Christians over Muslims.

Stock said it will be harder, but not impossible, for a court "to take shots at" the latest restrictions. The courts will look at the previous record and may conclude this is "Muslim ban 3.0," he said.

Andrew Greenfield, an immigration attorney and managing partner of Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy's Washington office, said the new ban is less vague than the first one, but it still raises questions.

Permanent residents from banned countries can enter the U.S., and individuals who are in the green card process and need to travel can do so under a document called an advanced parole.

But people who are exempt from the ban -- but need a new visa to return to the United States -- might face problems while it is in effect. It's unclear how the U.S. consulate will adjudicate a visa in these cases, said Greenfield.

"I am advising clients conservatively that if you have someone in the United States on an H-1B from Syria, or any one of these countries, and their visa has expired, they should not travel abroad," said Greenfield.

They need to first see whether the State Department clarifies their status, he said.
Indian-American man found dead in New Jersey

Close on the heels of on-going hate-crime, an Indian-American man has been found dead in New Jersey, US. The family of the 29-year-old dead described the incident as a personal issue.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Photo courtesy: india.com

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Sunday that the Indian Consulate in the US has spoken to the father of the deceased in Massachusetts. He says this is a personal family tragedy.

Our Consulate in New York has spoken to the father of the deceased in Massachusetts. He says this is a personal family tragedy. https://t.co/6XVXcGMZTX  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 5, 2017

Consulate officials reached out to the dead mans family in Massachusetts and said that the family has requested for privacy and saying it is a personal family matter.

The medical examiners office was investigating the incident and sources said that the cause of the death still remained unknown.

As per the sources, the incident should not be seen as linked to a possible hate crime going on these days since all details are still not available and the family too has termed it as a personal issue.

Several attacks on Indian-origin men have been noticed in the last few days. Three men have been attacked in different cities of the country raising concerns for safety among the Indian-American community. India too has raised concerns over the crimes with authorities in the US following these attacks.

Navtej Sarna, India's Ambassador to the US reached out to the State Department to convey his "deep concerns" to US government on recent tragic incidents involving Harnish Patel, Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Deep Rai.



The US government in response assured India of working with all agencies to ensure "speedy justice" to the victims in the incidents.
James Brokenshires role was always going to be a challenging one this Parliament, with Anglo-Irish relations and the Northern Irish border set to be some of the most sensitive aspects of the Brexit negotiations.

But the mounting political crisis in the province  essentially a self-inflicted wound by the Democratic Unionist leadership  adds an extra, unexpected layer of complication.

Now the Northern Ireland Assembly wanders up to the brink of collapse on a too-regular basis, for such is the nature of the brinkmanship around which it is built. This site spent several years covering the rolling crisis caused by Sinn Feins refusal to implement the Coalitions welfare reforms.

Stormont normally stays on its feet because the politicians involved derive their power, prestige, and pay from its doing so. They may have no sufficiently powerful incentive to make it actually work, but they have a very powerful motivation to keep it going.

This self-defence mechanism tried to kick in this time  its easy to forget now that Martin McGuinness and Sinn Fein initially tried to circle the wagons around their Executive partners when the Cash for Ash scandal broke.

It was Arlene Fosters refusal to step aside for an investigation, even temporarily, that finally pushed the republicans out of the Executive. It was her conduct during the election campaign that likely went a long way towards motivating nationalist voters to give the DUP a kicking. And its her apparent determination to stay on as leader that puts the Assembly at risk.

It suits each to monsterise the other during elections, but the DUP and Sinn Fein can do business. Theyve been doing business for ten years. The current crisis is much more about Foster than it is about any wider explanation, be it Brexit or inter-communal enmity.

Brokenshire is already lining up a series of bilateral meetings with the five main Ulster parties. He may be able to find issues on which he can entice them into forming a government  or threaten, as Peter Hain did with water rates  before the three-week time limit runs out. The Northern Irish Office is also likely looking for ways to fudge that deadline.

But if the chief sticking point is personality rather than policy his options are limited, and thats before factoring in pressure from other Conservatives to make sure protection for ex-servicemen who served in Northern Ireland arent sacrificed to Sinn Fein.

The fate of the devolved institutions hinges on the power struggle within the DUP. If they insist on nominating Foster for First Minister, there may be no Executive at all.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Late in the afternoon on Monday, March 6, the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry sent a letter to the City of Cornwall and local media expressing their frustrations with the state of shared services.

Specifically, the United Counties are expressing frustration over the Citys refusal to ratify a new shared services agreement. The reason for this they claim is the Citys objection to an clause in the draft agreement which allows for third party arbitration in case of disagreements.

"We understand the reason that the City has not ratified the agreement is because it is not in agreement with the inclusion of a dispute resolution clause which includes the right of either party to arbitrate if necessary," the letter reads. "This is frustrating and disappointing to the County, as the right of parties to arbitrate is a universally accepted concept designed to protect the interests of each party in the event that a dispute cannot be settled directly or through mediation. The Citys position is contrary to many other shared services arrangements in place between Ontario Counties and the separated cities with whom they share services."

The letter goes into the history of shared services between the municipalities and how they were forced into this situation by the province in the late 1990s.

According to the letter, as it stands now, the City provides ambulance services, social services and child care services to residents of SD&G and the Counties in turn provide provincial offenses administration. The Counties say that in 2016 they transferred $7 million to the city to cover their share.

The Counties claim that they are surprised to hear the City Council recently directed its senior staff to draft a report on further co-operation.

"The County would only consider participating in such discussions in the event that a new agreement is reached regarding the services currently shared," the letter reads. "We believe that a modernized shared services agreement will allow the City and County, via the Shared Services or Joint Liaison Committee, to more actively and transparently work together as true partners in the delivery of essential services to residents of our region. We believe there is currently an imbalance which must be addressed."

The letter was signed by 11 Councillors and the United Counties Warden Jim Bancroft.

Cornwall city Councillor Andre Rivette who sits on the Liaison Committee said that he did not see the Counties reasoning behind wanting arbitration.

"We are willing to sit down with them and listen to them any time they have issues," he said. "Ive been sitting on that committee for almost ten years and the only time theres been an issue was with the land ambulance services and when that came up we worked with them. We told them at the committee level that we are not prepared to give them that (arbitration). If they gave us a solid reasoning for it, but I just dont see it."

The City Council of Cornwall will be drafting a letter of its own which will serve as the official response to the Counties concerns.
SOUTH NATION, Ontario  South Nation Conservation cautions that watercourses are expected to rise this week due to above-freezing temperatures and rainfall.

Environment and Climate Change Canada forecasts above-freezing temperatures and rain for this week. The forecasted weather will cause snow to melt and runoff to watercourses, which will increase river levels and flows throughout the South Nation jurisdiction.

Residents are advised to stay away from rivers as the forecasted weather may rapidly increase river flows and cause slippery river banks. Parents are encouraged to explain these dangers to their children.

As temperatures are forecasted to return to freezing by end of the week, severe flooding is not a concern at this time; however, nuisance flooding in low-lying areas may be observed.

SNC staff will continue to monitor the water levels and weather forecasts as part of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Program and will provide updates in the event conditions change.

SNC encourages the public to visit www.nation.on.ca and to also provide feedback with respect to changes in water related conditions in their local areas. All feedback can be sent to waterwatch@nation.on.ca; posted on our Facebook (/SouthNationConservation), or Tweet us your photos (@SouthNationCA).

For more information, please contact Geoff Owens at 1-877-984-2948 ext. 240.

This statement is in effect until Friday, March 10, 2017.
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Kelly Incandela discovered that her 5-year-old son's photo was being used to ask donations for the child's funeral by a woman who is going around Brooklyn in New York City. Her son, Gianni is battling brain cancer. They have discovered the fraudulent activities involving her son's picture after Incandela's mother, Dee Tirado received an e-mail from a stranger asking if Gianni had already passed away.

The message was sent to Incandela's mother through the e-mail address on Gianni's GoFundMe page, which was officially set up by Gianni's grandmother, Tirado, CNN reports. The e-mail informed Tirado that a woman went to her store asking for donations for Gianni's funeral. The sender informed her about the incident because the GoFundMe page did not say anything about Gianni dying, which happens to be the truth.

After that unsolicited email, Tirado received another one from a man detailing a similar encounter together with a picture used while asking for donations, a picture of Gianni that is believed to be from a flyer posted at the store where Gianni's grandmother works.

The family is sickened by the idea that despite Gianni's conditions and how people are helping them through donations for Gianni, other people are using such opportunity to profit from Gianni's situation. Eventually, the woman who was using Gianni's picture to ask for donations went to Tirado's store, asking for donations for a different cause.

Tirado decided to call the police. However, after questioning the woman, the police let her go because it was not considered as a serious crime.

In other news, the book The Little Book of Big Heroes is now available for download on the Cancer Research UK Kids and Teens' website from March 2 onwards. Sales of the book as well as donations will go towards vital research to find a new and kinder treatment for young people fighting cancer.

Now, Gianni's family launched a new campaign in informing the public about these scammers. They have been using social media warning people not to give any form of donation and money to the woman who had wrongly taken advantage of her grandson's condition.

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A woman was sued for fraud, deceit and fraudulent misrepresentation by the father of the child. The lawsuit is based on the man's claims that the woman lied about taking birth control.

The case involves a doctor from Toronto who filed a case for $4 million against his former sexual partner. In 2014, the two consenting adults hooked up a few times without a condom. The man alleged that the woman said she is using birth control.

When the woman told him that she is pregnant, the man filed a suit against her. However, he lost in the lower courts. The judge of the case threw out his statement claim and gave him no chance to amend it.

Not discouraged, the man appealed to Ontario's Court of Appeal. However, he lost again according to the ruling of Judge Paul Rouleau and other justices William Hourigan and Grant Huscroft.

According to The Star, the child's father said that he wants to meet a woman, fall in love, get married, and enjoy life as husband and wife. He and his wife should decide when the time is right to have a baby.

Apparently, the man is not ready to have a baby just yet. He pleaded that he consented to hook up with the woman believing that she is using an effective birth control.

The judges are firm that the father cannot recover damages from his former sexual partner for involuntary parenthood. Instead, Rouleau hopes that the child's father will contribute to the child's upbringing in a positive way. He also hopes that he will see his contribution as pleasurable and positive.

Though the man is already paying child support and wants to have a relationship with the child, he still wants the woman to compensate him for the emotional, professional and financial impact of the birth. His request was denied; instead, he ordered to pay $8,000 in costs for the appeal.

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As more and more people are shifting to living a more organic and healthy lifestyle, the practice of yoga has experienced a renewed popularity in the modern society. In fact, the practice of yoga goes beyond how it can help achieve physical fitness of an individual and into alternative medicine. A recent study has shown that doing yoga twice a week and continuing to practice at home helps lessen the symptoms of depression.

The study, conducted by researchers from Boston University School of Medicine, was able to show the effectivity of practicing yoga to significantly reduce the symptoms of depression. What's more, the researchers are seeing the potential of using yoga-based interventions not only as an alternative medical practice but also as an effective supplement to pharmacological treatments of depression.

According to the data collected by the researchers, depression has affected more people in a year globally compared to any other diseases or disorders. Specifically, more people are reported to be suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD).

Major depressive disorder is a type of depression that is not only common but also chronic, recurrent, and disabling. Around 40 percent of individuals diagnosed with MDD are reporting the failure of anti-depressant medicines to achieve a full remission from MDD.

In order to assess the potential benefits and effectivity of practicing yoga to curb the symptoms of depression, the study had participants randomly assigned to two types of yoga practices. The first group was assigned to a high-dose yoga class wherein the participants are required to do three 90-minute yoga sessions plus home practice per week. The second group was assigned to a low-dose yoga class where the participants are required to do two 90-minute yoga sessions plus home practice per week.

The results of the study, reported in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, found that doing yoga, in this case, Iyengar yoga, help reduce the symptoms of depression in the participants. Specifically, the researchers found that regardless whether how intense the dose of the yoga sessions per week, it helped curb the symptoms of depression.

The researchers do suggest that instead of doing the high-dose yoga classes, it is more practical for people, even those not suffering from depression, to practice two 90-minute yoga sessions plus home practice weekly. Not only will it help people achieve physical fitness but also reap effective mood benefits thanks to the yoga practices.

The study was able to demonstrate the effectivity of the practice of yoga and other breathing interventions as an alternative and/or supplemental treatment to people suffering from depression. As doing yoga help reduce the symptoms of depression, the researchers are seeing the reduction of the number of doses of anti-depressant medicines people are taking thereby also reducing the possible side effects of such medicines.

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The California Department of Public Health has finally released a report about the link between cell phones and brain cancer. The document was kept hidden from the public for many years and was only revealed recently after the California court ordered them to do so.

The draft document titled "Cell Phones and Health" outlined the concerns of health officials over cell phone radiation exposure. It was based on several scientific studies done for the past years. It suggests risks for the human body due to prolonged use of cell phone; one of them was brain cancer.

The document was originally prepared seven years ago, dated April 2014 and has been updated several times. It was stamped as "draft and not for public release" according to The Deccan Chronicle.

The Racing Junky reported that Joel Moskowitz, director of the Center for Family and Community Health at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health, filed a lawsuit against the state in 2016. Under the California Public Records Act, Moskowitz demanded the release of the document. It was only after the order of the court that the department first emailed the two-page document to the San Francisco Chronicle on Thursday.

It showed that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are emitted from cell phones, just like other electronic devices. It's a type of radiation that can harm cells and tissues. Cell phones being closest to our head and body can cause severe damage including a high chance of brain cancer.

The report also mentioned that EMFs can pass deeper into a child's brain that those of adult's. Children should be kept at bay from the cell phones. The draft also mentioned precautions such as not sleeping with phones by your side, avoid carrying it in your pocket, basically it should never be too close to your body when powered on.

Texting over calling is highly recommended and if a call is necessary, use a headset or speaker phone. Limit usage when signal is weak as cell phone emits stronger EMFs when having one or two signal bars. Using a wired phone for longer talks is advised.

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Lesley Kane, 35, nearly died after she collapsed while she was on holiday in the Netherlands. She was rushed to the hospital after suffering flu-like symptoms for a few days. Doctors diagnosed her with sepsis and a bacterial infection called Necrotising fasciitis that is caused by a small graze on her left breast that she suffered while playing dodge ball.

It all began August 3rd last year when Lesley was playing dodge ball with her colleagues, she said the impact caused a tiny graze on her left chest. At first she felt groggy, but decided to just sleep it off and even went on a holiday on August 6 to the Netherlands with her husband Stephen, 40, and daughters, aged 7 and 9. Four days later she was rushed to the hospital with only a 12-hour window to save her life.

The Mirror reported that the young mom's condition deteriorated so fast that surgeons had no choice but to remove her breast, torso and part of her back in order to save her life. Her husband said she had four operations over 24 hours just to remove the bacteria. After the surgery she underwent months of skin grafts and various treatments.

Lesley is now recovering at her home in Stonehaven, Scotland, she is a mother of two and was thankful that she battled the deadly flesh-eating bug. She said she is still struggling to recover six months on. Her mind is in it 100 percent, but her body just couldn't keep up.

As part of her recovery she has returned to getting fit with her physiologist and trying to build up more strenght for years of surgeries ahead. Surgeries would be necessary to reconstruct and improve her scars.

Lesley wanted to share her story to warn others that even slight health issues can develop into serious conditions. "People should always get themselves checked if they have health issues - no matter how little they are," she said according to Metro.

Lesley has set up a fundraising to pay for her treatment, to support her visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/LesleyKane.

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An NHS worker was so stressed with parking fees amounting to $984 that he is forced to quit his job. He has incurred 28 tickets in four months.

Robert O'Brien, a health care assistant at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, has contested the parking fees from six tickets issued to him. He has 22 more tickets with outstanding fines.

The NHS worker is so stressed by the action of Indigo Park Services that he is forced to quit his job taking care of vulnerable patients. "I quit my job with the NHS because of the stress of being hit with parking fees," he said. He said he loves his job; however, he cannot take stress any more according to The Sun.

As a hospital night shift worker, O'Brien blamed the hospital chiefs for his parking fees problem. "I don't think it's too much to ask when you are working nights to be able to park at your place of work," he said. The hospital chief could have had issued him a parking permit to park for free at night to avoid causing him stress..

O'Brien's wife feels that her husband should not be penalized while he is on duty all night helping the patients. However, the hospital spokesman said that 98 percent of users pay $1.30 every day for their parking fees according to Mirror.

O'Brien is fighting the court's judgement regarding the parking ticket. He claims that he did not receive any notification of the court action against him. The NHS worker said he had moved from Whitchurch, Cardiff.

Stress has taken its toll on O'Brien who has taken his case up to Cardiff Civil Justice Center hoping that his judgement will be struck out. His lawyer, John Wilkie, wants the case to be squashed and adjourned. Hospital night shift workers in Britain are reportedly targeted by private parking firms employed by health boards according to reports.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
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"... lightning bolt?"

People there take on a large variety of roles, from doctors and shop owners right down to one guy who has to torture other citizens before being killed in a final showdown with the soldiers. They even carry two sets of ID and have their own currency, with an exchange rate and everything. They don't stop their normal jobs, either -- the guy whose job it is to pretend to be a torturer is also a volunteer firefighter in his spare time.

Everyone who takes part does it for no more than the cost of the gas they use during the month the exercise takes place. One such citizen, when he dies, is set to receive a full military funeral for his services to his country and his selfless actions during the Robin Sage exercises, complete with a Pineland liberation flag draped over his grave. When asked why he was willing to do so much for so little reward, he simply said, "This may help save a life one day."

Gerry Broome / The Associated Press

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Not to mention that having this in his wallet gets him a considerable amount of action.

But hey, at least the citizens were in on it. That's not how they used to do it in Australia, baby ...
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has ruled out the possibility of MotoGP returning to Spa Francorchamps in the future, describing the 4.3-mile track's ferociously high-speed layout as too dangerous for grand prix racing motorcycles.

Nathalie Maillet, the circuit director of the iconic venue, made contact with Dorna in recent months in a bid to resurrect the Belgian Grand Prix, telling local media that hosting a MotoGP event was among her long-term goals.

However, Ezpeleta poured cold water on these hopes, and acknowledged that while the circuit had been in contact with Dorna mid-way through 2016, its layout and lack of run off in certain areas made the project 'almost impossible'.

"They contacted us last summer," said the Spaniard. "But the main problem is the safety. For us it's almost impossible to homologate the circuit for MotoGP."

With the chances of a grand prix return measuring in at close to zero, Ezpeleta did refuse to rule out the possibility of the World Superbike series visiting the venue in the future.

"We were discussing a little bit for Superbike they proposed to do some works [modifications]. But for sure, for the moment 'no' for MotoGP and Superbike, we need to talk about it."

Spa was struck off the grand prix calendar ahead of the 1991 season after the circuit's final section - the infamous ribbon of tarmac that features the hair-raising Blanchemont left, taken in sixth-gear, with limited run off - was one of stretches deemed too dangerous for grand prix-spec motorcycles.

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Pier Francesco Chili was extremely fortunate to survive a high-side at this very corner during practice for the 1990 event, and although the Italian made a full recovery, he was unable to race again that year.

That incident was not without precedent. The running of the 1988 premier class race was in some doubt due to a horrific collision between Martin Wimmer and Loris Reggiani four laps into the 250cc event.

Addressing other potential new additions to the calendar, Ezpeleta asserted that talks are still ongoing with circuits in Indonesia and Thailand, as Dorna seeks to expand the series further in South East Asia, a current hotbed for motorcycle sales.

Meanwhile the Finnish GP, which is to be held at the KymiRing, situated 150km from Helsinki, is more than likely to join the calendar in 2019 - not 2018, as Dorna had announced in July last year .

"We are still talking," said Ezpeleta. "The Indonesian project is continuing. They are working. We are talking also with Thailand. Buriam is another project also. We are talking with both.

"[Finland] Will most probably be 2019. They are continuing to work. We continue a relationship with them, yes. It's up to them. If they finish on time to be homologated before '18 it will be '18. If not, it will be '19."
Today, Puerto Rico and its municipalities are mired in debt--over $100 billion counting pension obligations. A bizarre exception to the bankruptcy laws prevented it from restructuring much of this debt, although no one seems to know exactly why the exception exists (aside, perhaps, from the fact that Puerto Rico has no representation in Congress).

March 2 was the hundredth anniversary of the Jones Act , which gave United States citizenship to many inhabitants of Puerto Rico. An act of benevolence? Hardly. The U.S. needed soldiers. The infamous insular cases ensured that, while tens of thousands from Puerto Rico could fight in the U.S. military, they would remain " foreign in a domestic sense ."

So what will happen? Puerto Rico tried to put its own municipal bankruptcy regime in place, but the U.S. Supreme Court rejected this attempt. Congress has now put in place a control board, which is prescribing austerity while considering whether and how to restructure Puerto Rico's byzantine stock of debt. There is Puerto Rican representation on the board, and its members include fine and thoughtful people. But such oversight does not remotely resemble democratic control.

Puerto Rico and its people have gotten a raw deal from the United States, and the legal history underlying this "caste system" is an ugly one. Others, including eminent federal judges, have written extensively on the topic. Perhaps representation in Congress for Puerto Rico will arrive some day, although the current President and Congress hardly seem like the ones to remedy the situation. For now, it may be that the best that can be hoped for is a rational resolution to Puerto Rico's debt crisis. If you have not seen it yet, John Oliver's terrific explication remains the best introduction to the debt debacle. It is well worth watching, and the best part is at the end.
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Dell EMC's Wilson Lays Out Path To Partner Profitability, Spotlighting $150M Channel Investment

Mark Haranas

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Dell EMC channel partners looking for new ways to grow profitability in 2017 should focus on four areas: selling more of the company's broad portfolio, making inroads into new business, driving more services sales and tapping into Dell EMC training, tools and expertise and tools, said Mary Catherine Wilson, director of global channel marketing for Dell EMC.

The most profitable Dell EMC partners are selling across the company's entire portfolio, Wilson said, which consists of seven brands: Dell, EMC, VMware, RSA, SecureWorks, Pivotal and Virtustream, she said. "Our channel vision is we want your customers, through you, to be able to have this broad portfolio," said Wilson during her keynote presentation at CRN's XChange Solution Provider 2017 conference in Washington D.C. this week.

Wilson said Dell EMC's new unified channel program --which launched a month ago, nearly doubling the storage rebates from the legacy EMC program and rewarding partners handsomely for selling hyper-converged and converged infrastructure solutions -- is lucrative for partners winning new business. "[Its] very lucrative when your selling to new customers [and] also lucrative when your selling services."

[Related: XChange: Channel Can Be Disruptive By Turning Best Practices On Their Heads]

All the while, partners can take advantage of the $150 million channel investment Dell EMC is making into channel businesses in the form of rebates and other incentives, Wilson said during a keynote address at the XChange Solution Provider 2017 conference, which is being hosted this week in National Harbor, Md., by CRN parent The Channel Company.

"This year we committed $150 million incremental dollars into the business. We have done so in rebates  an 8 percent increase in marketing developing funds. A 3-[times increase] in our proposal-based marketing funds -- we want you to bring proposals forward to us. We want to understand how we can jointing generate demand in the market," said Wilson.

"There's a huge investment in tools. These are education tools for your sales makers," she added. "There are sales tools from configuration to cost savings, then marketing tools that your marketers can use to scale their businesses as well."

Louis Ardolino, director of operations for TBNG Consulting, a Milford, Conn.-based solution provider and Dell EMC partner, said the company is "stepping up their channel engagement for sure."

"We're going to keep leveraging more [of their portfolio] to make us become more lucrative," Ardolino said, in an interview with CRN after listening to Wilson speak at XChange. "This is a good sign for the channel."

TBNG is already selling several areas of Dell's vast portfolio including converged infrastructure and around VMware, and is now planning to expand more into Dell security, Ardolino said.

"We're going to take their security angle now for sure with customers," he said.

Wilson said Dell has grown its channel by 33 percent since the company went private about three years ago.

"We've reached the tipping point at Dell EMC. We're 50 percent channel," she said. "The channel is a $35 billion business."

One key focus that has helped boost channel sales and engagement is Dell's commitment to simplicity, she said.

"We now have one program globally around the world. We have one partner portal for you to use. We have one mechanism to register deals. So we're trying to keep that as simple as possible," said Wilson.

Ardolino is bullish about his company's ability to increase profitability with Dell EMC in 2017 thanks to its increased channel investment. "We already leverage [Dell EMC] a lot in our company ... We're going to keep leveraging them more to help us be more lucrative," he said.
Since December of 2015, electric utilities in the United States and Canada have been wrestling with the postmortem reports and data findings from two significant grid hacking events in Ukraine. The subject of these attacks have been addressed by those on Capitol Hill, trade associations, regulators, and the E-ISAC.

The hackers who struck utilities in Ukraine, which is the first confirmed hack to degrade a power grid, werent opportunists who just stumbled across the networks and launched an attack to test their abilities. The attackers were highly skilled and planned their assault over many months, first doing reconnaissance to study the networks and steal operator credentials, then launching a synchronized attack against operating systems.

The perpetrators of a cyberattack on Ukraine's electric grid gained access to energy distribution company systems more than six months before causing the Dec. 23, 2015 outage that temporarily left about 225,000 customers without power. The attackers staged a well-coordinated attack that relied on deep reconnaissance over a six-month period.

This unprecedented attack is a wake-up call for North American utilities. The attack took part in two phases. In the first stage, the adversaries "weaponized" Microsoft Office documents by embedding malware called BlackEnergy 3. The attackers delivered a targeted email with a malicious attachment that appeared to come from a trusted source to specific individuals within the organizations. Those individuals were asked to enable macros in order to open the attachments  thus installing the malware on their systems and allowing the attackers to access the company system(s). The adversaries then stole credentials that allowed them to "pivot" into supervisory control and data acquisition, or SCADA, and dispatch workstations and servers.

In stage two, the attackers learned how to interact with the utilities' distribution management systems, which monitor and control the distribution of power. The perpetrators also developed malicious firmware to attack serial-to-ethernet devices at substations. They installed modified KillDisk software, which erases the record of impacted organization systems and delete logs, and then took control of operator workstations and locked the operators out. To complete the attack, the adversaries used part of the SCADA system to open breakers at several substations, preventing power from flowing across the lines. At least 27 substations were taken offline across three Ukrainian energy companies (Prykarpattyaoblenergo, Kyivoblenergo and Chernivtsioblenergo) for several hours, affecting about 225,000 customers.

A second event took place on Dec. 17, 2016 (around midnight) at Ukrenergo, a Ukranian energy firm in the northern side of Kiev. The attack focused on transmission facilities and shut down the remote terminal units (RTU) that control circuit breakers, causing a power outage for about an hour.

Who did it?

Based off of the known details about the attack, the finger has been pointed at Russia. They are assuming a more assertive cyber posture based on their willingness to target critical infrastructure systems and conduct espionage operations. It has been widely assumed that the Ukraine attack is attributed to Sandworm, a Russian cyber espionage group known to have been harassing Ukrainian officials and their allies as early as 2007. Honestly, the who-did-it piece of this puzzle is unimportant. Direct attribution is unnecessary to learn from this attack and to consider future mitigations.

Information sharing will be crucial to helping the U.S. stave off similar potential attacks. NERC and the E-ISAC are communicating with utilities about indicators of compromise, malicious IP addresses found by members, and how to best mitigate cyber and physical threats. Information sharing is the key, not only between NERC and industry, but also federal partners and intelligence agencies.

The U.S. has never experienced a massive cyber-attack related power outage, but there have been direct cyber events in recent years against energy infrastructure, including intrusions into energy management systems, targeted malware and advanced persistent threats, or APTs, left behind on computers by phishing attacks. The perception that cyber risks are low because only a few and limited attacks have occurred on industrial control systems is not just ignorant, but highly dangerous.

It is vital that the public and private sectors work together to share relevant threat information. Over the past few years, DHS, the FBI, and the Department of Energy have made considerable strides in improving information sharing and giving classified access to intelligence products such as bulletins, alerts, and secret-level briefings. These data points have been used to mitigate threats, reduce risk, and update internal security policies.

This data flow has enhanced communications between security teams, management, and board members by providing authoritative threat warnings. Ultimately, information sharing is a two-way street. Private sector entities must remove the words compliance risk from their lexicon and readily share timely information as it happens. Nobody knows their systems better than they do. Cybersecurity alerts coming from industry professionals are imperative to the collaborative exchange process. Simultaneously, federal intelligence partners must alert those within the private sector who actually have the ability to mitigate threats. This partnership can become stronger and timelier with additional security clearances given to the private sector.

The power industrys Achilles' heel

There are very few differences between U.S. and Ukrainian vulnerabilities at the power distribution level. Many recognize distribution as the potential enemy avenue of approach for the electricity sector. From a government and policy perspective, the NERC CIP standards do not apply to distribution. The fact that a major attack has caused an outage like this should be alarming to critical infrastructure operators. This type of cyber-attack is a real scenario and the threat of it must be further examined by utilities as they consider target hardening measures for distribution facilities below 100 kV.

Is NERC CIP the answer? Maybe, but implementing such a mandate would currently need to come from individual State Public Utility Commissions, and not NERC due to federal law (Section 215 Federal Power Act). Would additional standards for distribution entities be useful? It would bring cyber-consistency to utilities at the lower voltage levels. It should be pointed out that a lot of great work is being done in this area, including the recently released Cybersecurity Primer for State Utility Regulators.

NERC and the industry have gone through multiple iterations of mandatory Critical Infrastructure Protection Standards that focus on security protections. These reliability standards are the only mandatory cyber standards enforced on critical infrastructure owners and operators. So, standards have their place. Its important to remember, these are minimum standards, and should be looked at as a baseline from which to improve. Security cannot be static; threats evolve and so must we. Utilities should constantly be assessing their systems, patching their software, and testing their recovery procedures.

Raise an alarm with your comments on our Facebook page.
Kaspersky Labs announced new research this morning that shows some links between the massive Shamoon attack that took down 35,000 computers in Saudi Arabia to a new attack against a target in Europe.

The Shamoon attack, which occurred in 2012, was followed by a series of related against against Gulf States earlier this year. The attacks were widely attributed to Iran.

The new malware, called StoneDrill, is, like Shamoon, a wiper -- it destroys all the data on a computer.

And there are also other elements in common, said Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade, senior security researcher at Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab ZAO.

"It shares enough similarities that allows us to discover it by the same means we use to find Shamoon," he said.

In addition, there are Persian-language indicators inside the malware.

However, that does not mean that Iran was actually behind the new attack, he said.

"We'd rather not go so far as to make a claim on attribution," he said. "Either Shamoon and StoneDrill are the same group, that's one possibility, or they're totally unrelated, which is also a possibly, Or the third possibility is that they're separate groups with aligned interests. The last one is the one we would espouse at this time."

He pointed out that its easy for attackers to add clues to their malware that point researchers in a particular direction.

"These attributed artifacts are very easy to manipulate and are often manipulated by attackers," he said.

He also declined to say which country or industry the new European victim was in, or provide any other information it, other than to say that no computers were hurt at the organization.

"It was protected by our product, so there was no damage," he said. "We have yet to hear of a case which has done damage in the wild."

StoneDrill is more advanced than Shamoon, he said, with better evasion abilities. In addition, the wiping mechanism takes advantage of a user's preferred browser.

"The idea is that in this way, the attackers can bypass some security measures by doing their wiping operations directly from a trusted process," he said.

Wipers are a relatively rare malware type, Guerroro-Sade added.

Criminals prefer malware that, say, requires the victim to pay a ransom, or steals credit cards and other valuable information. And state-sponsored actors prefer malware that remains undetected, so that they can spy on their targets for as long as possible.

Meanwhile, the original Shamoon malware from 2012 has evolved, as well. for example, Shamoon 2.0 now supports a ransomware function so that the attackers can switch from wipers to ransomware at will.

Late last month, Saudi Arabian officials told a regional security conference that Iranian hackers were going after a broader array of targets in both Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, including financial organizations and government agencies.

Other researchers studying Shamoon confirmed that other countries in the Middle East have been hit, but that they haven't seen any evidence yet of attacks in Europe.

"The attackers behind the Shamoon and Shamoon 2 malware variants are currently targeting Middle Eastern petrochemical companies and other networks within Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Gulf Cooperation Council states," said Steve Stone, global lead of intelligence services at IBM's X-Force IRIS.

But going after other targets would be straight forward, he said.

"Little effort would be required to do this beyond establishing targets," he said. Most likely target would be commercial organizations that work within the oil and gas industry, or that work closely with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.

He recommends that companies keep an eye out for the dropper malware that installs Shamoon, which relies on macros.

"We'd recommend either disabling macros or filtering for macro enabled documents coming in from external sources," he said.

If Iran does begin to launch cyberattacks against targets outside the Middle East, it would be a major game changer, said Neal Dennis, cyber threat intelligence analyst at Burlington, Mass.-based Arbor Networks, Inc.

"When they go against their local perceived adversaries, there wasn't a lot of push back outside of just Saudi Arabia, because nobody cared," he said. "You got some publicity, insights, researchers doings, but overall the international community didn't get into too much of an uproar."

If that changes, however, the European Union will have to take action, he said -- and the U.S., might, as well.

According to Dennis, it's pretty definite that Iran was behind the original Shamoon attacks.

"Most researchers are pretty positive that this is state-sponsored stuff in Iran," he said. "And I am more than happy to jump on board."

So far, however, he hasn't seen any evidence that Iran has been looking at targets in Europe -- and there isn't much reason for it to do so.

"Trump has stated that he'd like to take a more hard-line stance against Iran, but that really isn't big news," he said. Europe has been quiet as well. "Iran has had it good for the last eight to nine months. To provoke that bear doesn't seem that smart. It wouldn't make much sense to me in the current political landscape."

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This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Patrick Semansky / Associated Press Show More Show Less 2 of 3 J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press Show More Show Less 3 of 3





U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal says he will use every possible tool to block the nomination of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein until he commits to appointing a special prosecutor to investigate ties between the Trump administration and Russia.

Following Attorney General Jeff Sessions recusal from involvement in the Russian investigation, it is now the responsibility of the Deputy Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor.
NEW MILFORD  Teachers who worked an extra 20 hours without pay during the 2015-16 school year should be compensated for their time, the court has found.

Judge Trial Referee John W. Pickard upheld an arbitrators decision to pay the teachers for their after-school meetings, despite an appeal by the towns Board of Education.

Judge Trial Referee John W. Pickard ruled last Thursday that the school board couldnt vacate the arbitrators decision, although school officials argued the issue could not be arbitrated in the first place.

The Board has not made any substantive arguments as to how the award did not conform to the issues, Pickard wrote in his decision. But has instead attempted to re-litigate the facts of the case as found by the arbitrator.

The Connecticut Education Association, which represented the teachers in the complaint, argued that the school board violated the collective bargaining agreement by refusing to pay the teachers.

School board chairman David Lawson and Superintendent of Schools Joshua Smith declined comment Monday.

The dispute between teachers and school officials arose from an approved school calendar that cut teacher-only hours during school days and added 10 after-school meetings, said Connecticut Education Association representative Tom Kennedy.

All told, the calendar called for an extra 20 hours of work a year without pay, said Kennedy, adding he didnt know how much money the arbitrator awarded the teachers.

After the grievance was filed, arbitrators sided with the teachers last July and said teachers should be paid for those hours at their respective hourly rates. Later that month, the school board asked the state Superior Court in Litchfield to vacate the award.

Kennedy, in an interview, urged the school board not to appeal the courts decision.

We are hoping they dont waste any more of New Milford taxpayers money on this, he said.

blytton@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3411; @bglytton
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Jeff Sessions isnt the only star in Washingtons remake of Gorky Park.

It turns out that Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy met with the same Russian ambassador as Donald Trumps beleaguered attorney general, whom Murphy is demanding resign.

Murphys office confirmed Monday that the Democrat was part of a bipartisan group of senators who huddled with Sergey Kislyak in March 2014 to air their concerns over Russias annexation of Crimea.

But it spurned comparisons between the formal conclave and a pair of pre-election meetings between Kislyak and Sessions when Sessions was a senator from Alabama and a Trump campaign confidante on national security matters.

As a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and member of the bipartisan Senate Ukraine Caucus, Senator Murphy has met with Ambassador Kislyak to express serious concerns with Russias violation of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, and discuss ways to prevent Iran from developing the capability to produce nuclear weapons, Murphys spokeswoman Laura Maloney told Hearst Connecticut Media.

Sessions failure to disclose his contact with Kislyak when asked during his confirmation hearings in January has fueled calls for his resignation by former Senate colleagues on the other side of the aisle. It follows the revelations by U.S intelligence officials that Russia attempted to interfere in the presidential election, including hacking the emails of Hillary Clintons campaign and Democratic National Committee.

State GOP Chairman J.R. Romano accused Democrats Monday of a witch hunt.

Theyre bringing back McCarthyism, basically, Romano said. Heres the question for Chris Murphy and the Democrats. Is their intention to go into another Cold War? Whats their end game here?

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Sessions needs to explain the discrepancy between his confirmation hearing testimony and subsequent disclosure that he met with Kislyak.

When you think about it, what would we be discussing with the Russian ambassador? said Blumenthal, who said he has never met with Kislyak. Why theyre violating the missile treaty, or attacking Ukraine through expanding aggression or building more submarines to challenge ours?

$20K haul for Herbst

Tim Herbst is loading up on the carbs.

The Republican first selectman of Trumbull reported raising $20,000 for his exploratory committee for statewide office  governor being the object of his affection  from a dinner at Bridgeports Circolo Sportivo Italian American Club Thursday night.

Herbsts campaign touted that 200 people contributed to the haul.

It is abundantly clear that voters want candidates for state office who have a record of success on the local level and who can take the fight directly to Gov. Malloy and his insider allies under the Golden Dome, Herbst said. People in Connecticut want to rally behind someone who has been through the meat grinder, won tough races and who is ready to offer our state a real path to prosperity -- not gimmicks, cuts and higher taxes.

At least half a dozen Republicans are laying the foundation for a 2018 run for governor, including Herbst, who narrowly lost a 2014 bid for state treasurer. He is playing catch-up in fundraising to Peter Lumaj, the GOPs 2014 nominee for secretary of the state, who has raised more than $127,000.

Psaki lands at CNN

The Trump conspiracy theories about CNN are about to go into overdrive.

Jen Psaki, the White House communications director for President Barack Obama and Greenwich native, last month joined the network as a paid commentator. The former State Department spokeswoman has become part of nightly news show panels on CNN.

nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
Archdiocese of Hartford / Contributed photo

FAIRFIELD  The Office for Catholic Social Justice Ministry of the Archdiocese of Hartford will host a day of shared Lenten reflection at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield in which Kevin Johnson, an adjunct professor of philosophy, religion, and theology at Sacred Heart University will be the keynote speaker.

The presentation, Encounter Creation: A Day of Reflection on Pope Francis Call to Care for our Common Home, will take place Saturday, March 18.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Contributed Photo / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 5 of 5









BRIDGEPORT  Two of Fairchild Wheelers three science-based high schools have been recognized as Schools of Distinction by Magnet Schools of America.

The Information Technology and Software Engineering School and the Aerospace/Hydrospace Engineering and Physical Science School were judged and scored on their demonstrated ability to raise student academic achievement, promote racial and socioeconomic diversity, provide integrated curricula and instruction, and create strong family and community partnerships that enhance the schools magnet theme.
Not sure if content marketing is right for your business? As one of the few marketing strategies with very little up front cost and the potential for high ROI, I highly encourage you to rethink your stance.

Seth Godin famously said, Content marketing is the only marketing left," and for good reason. Creating your own content provides your business with a variety of untapped opportunities to increase sales. Whether you publish a few blog posts a week, record a podcast, or film original video, any form of original content helps in turning information-seeking consumers into customers. Here's four reasons why...

1. Content marketing will supplement your current marketing strategy.

For a lot of businesses, content marketing seems far off from what they are currently doing. In actuality, it probably fits right in. Are you already running a PPC campaign? Focusing on SEO? Growing your social media marketing campaign? You probably answered "yes" at least once.

Content marketing complements all three of these marketing strategies. How so? For PPC, it gives you more landing page opportunities. Sometimes a customer may not be in the buying stage of the sales funnel, but they are actively seeking more information. Publishing blog posts that dive into different industry topics can serve as the perfect place to direct these customers to the answers they are seeking--and to your business. Once potential customer lands on your blog post, you can show them advertisements once they leave your site via Adwords Remarketing.

If youve already implemented SEO on your website, you know the importance keywords play in boosting your search rankings. Through a blog, you are able to incorporate more keywords in a search-engine friendly manner that will continue to improve your rankings in an organic and inexpensive way.

Social media is a staple for most businesses, but finding relevant material to share with your audience can be a struggle. By creating your own content, you are able to enhance your social media presence and direct an already interested customer right to your website.

2. Drive targeted traffic to your website.

Content marketing can help you increase visitors to your site through all of the aforementioned channels. Even better, that traffic is high-quality traffic. Studies have shown that content marketing is more effective at obtaining leads than traditional interruption-based messaging. It also proves to have a better rate of converting traffic to leads, actually doubling the average website conversion rate from 6% to 12%. Why? It is because you are connecting with customers at a time when they need information about what you have to offer. Rather than pushing an advertisement on them, you give them helpful content, which creates trust. That trust builds a relationship between your business and the customer. In fact, it could be said that content marketing is the only scalable form of relationship-based marketing.

3. There is very little risk involved.

Whether you run ads on Facebook, launch a PPC campaign, or invest in display ads, its going to cost you money. There is usually a lot of upfront costs with all of those marketing strategies. Sometimes it takes trial and error until you find the right marketing mix that brings quality traffic to your site through paid ads.

On the flip side, content marketing has very little upfront costs and since you will likely be publishing it on your own website, there is no cost to keep it up and running. Even if one attempt fails or you learn your audience responds to one content marketing channel versus another (e.g. blogs rather than videos) you can make the necessary changes, publish new content, and not lose much in the process.

4. Everyone else is doing it.

Not to go against everything you were taught growing up, but if all of your competitors are leveraging content marketing and youre not you will fall behind. Recent research even backs this up. It has been shown that 88 percent of B2B organizations and 76 percent of B2C companies are leveraging content marketing, in some form or another, to grow their business. Roughly 50 percent of businesses plan to expand their content marketing in the future. If you havent started yet, how long will it take you to catch up? Don't get left in the dust when it comes to growing your content marketing strategy. Use some of these simple tips to get started.

Related:

4 Reasons Why Your Business Should Invest in Content Marketing

5 Content Marketing Lessons From SNL in the Age of Trump

5 Reasons Why Nobody Cares About Your Big Idea



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Since the induction of the the new administration, brands have quickly realized that a single tweet from the commander-in-chief can impact their stock. General Motors, Lockheed Martin and now Nordstrom have all been subject to criticism and for better or worse, their share value fell for a time.

Weve watched several companies over the last few months learn this lesson the hard way. When the new immigration restrictions were announced, Uber learned its lesson through a series of missteps and communication lags, whereas main competitor Lyft donated $100 million to the ACLU and became a media darling. There is bad publicity in not taking action fast enough. In Ubers case, it led to a loss of customers and its CEOs leave from the presidents advisory council.

Uber made efforts to tell the public and its customers that it would support employees who were potentially subject to the travel ban, but it was too late.

Related: What Businesses Can Learn from #DeleteUber

Our point? Silence or poor communication timing can cost your brand more than just customers; it can cost you your reputation and image.

Leaders (thats you) must prepare for a new kind of market, where your brand will be scrutinized on everything, including your associations. This is why brands and their leaders must have a go-to strategy prepared in their back pockets in the event that customers and the community raise any concerns.

Luckily, there are two cornerstones of your business that can play an integral part here: public relations and social media marketing. While distinctions between the two are far reaching, they are also complementary. These combined platforms play a major supporting role in the time of a crisis.

Related: 7 Steps for Maintaining Your Composure in Times of Crisis

First rule of thumb, crisis management begins before there is an issue.

With activism burgeoning at the forefront of company priorities, consumers are looking to brands to ensure they follow a similar set of ethos. As of late, organizations are stepping forward and stating where they stand on divisive issues, putting a stake in the ground around topics of company policy and corporate responsibility. Why? Because customers base their buying behavior on what a company supports or doesnt support -- not on silence.

This is where social media helps companies tap into those vital conversations and connect with their existing and potential customers in a meaningful way. Since social media interactions typically occur in a public forum, your followers are the first to know about what you are backing and how exactly this is done. Whether its through an announcement to support a cause, a donation to a particular charity or a campaign to raise awareness for a particular organization, your audience will respect your brands active stance on key issues.

However, while this kind of goodwill is welcome, its not enough for a PR team to work with. Saying, Hey! We are doing this fantastic thing, appears self-serving, tacky and can backfire. Instead, work with your PR team to iron out specific messaging and a narrative on the topic. Should questions come up, both teams will have aligned answers for their customers and for the media.

Related: 4 Hallmarks of Leadership in a Time of Crisis

It is also important to be aware of and eliminate blind spots. If your company has vulnerabilities, inform PR so they can support you by determining how to discuss the issue. If your PR team has been working hard on maintaining your relationship with reporters then those reporters will be your lifeline when you need to manage public perception. On the other hand, if they are working in the dark, unaware of your vulnerabilities, then when a problem comes up they may not be able to react as quickly as you need, which will only hurt your company.

When a problem hits, the first place you may hear about it is via social media.

Once your messaging is in place, you can use social media to help your customers better understand your position. By leveraging the ability to have real-time conversations with your community, you can mitigate issues early on by addressing it through individual interactions (e.g. comments and DMs) and through posted public announcements on your social platforms. This way, you maintain control of your message, address customer concerns as they come in and foster vital conversations among your community that will enable them to advocate for your brand.

If the issue can potentially move beyond your customer universe and into mainstream media, it is time to consider PR and decide the next step. You will need to be agile and switch directions as fast as the news cycle. Public relations will serve as a lifeline, to clarify or explain things to your customers and the public. For instance, if you messed up, acknowledge it and disclose how you are working to solve the issue.

Business leaders should always be prepared to manage a crisis, so when it emerges there is a swift and deliberate action plan in place. During a crisis, reaction speed and tactics can run as the principal decision-makers for patrons.

Related: Why Big Businesses Must Proactively Manage Their Online Reputations

Of course, speed shouldnt replace overall strategy.

A companys reaction time increases when you have a proactive PR plan working to establish your message with customers and the public.

In order for brands to mitigate potential negative public sentiment and sooth any push back from customers, it is vital to have a well-balanced, collaborative crisis communications strategy. PR and social media must work in tandem in order to cultivate a 360-degree plan of action thatll help insulate your brand and maintain control over your brand message. By combining forces across all of your media channels, you will ensure that your business will ready to tackle anything that may arise.

Related:

In a Brand Crisis, Should You Turn to Social Media Marketing or PR?

This Company Accidentally Deleted Its Clients' Data. Here's How It Won Them Back.

Fake News and the Threat to Your Brand: 4 Things You Can Do About It Now



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
FAIRFIELD - Police are asking for the publics help to catch a masked man who tried to rob the Peoples United Bank on Feb. 22.

The would-be bank robber didnt get away with any cash because the bank had just closed.

Fairfield police say the suspect described as a male 510 in his twenties, approached the main door to Peoples United Bank on Old Post Road in Southport, which was locked. The male yelled to an employee who had just locked the door and the employee told him that they were closed. The male, who was wearing a face mask with gloves and carrying a duffel bag, fled the scene southbound in Connecticut Registration 477ZVD, a 1996 Honda Accord 4 Door color green.

An investigation revealed the suspect purchased the old Honda in Stratford on Feb. 21 for $380 after responding to an ad on the Internet site Letgo.

Fairfield Police Department

After interviewing the seller of the Honda, it was determined that the male who purchased the vehicle is a black male, thin build, in his twenties and has braids in his hair. This individual arrived to purchase the Honda in a newer model Nissan Maxima ,color black with tinted windows. During their interaction, the seller of the Honda said that one of the men texted that he was coming from Wilton, had a young son whose grandmother was supposedly asked to watch him during that period, and wrote down a Stamford address on the bill of sale, Fairfield police said.

Two days after the Fairfield bank robbery attempt, the Fairfield County Bank, 941 Danbury Road in Wilton was robbed by the same individual who again used CT Registration 477ZVD during the robbery, police said.

That vehicle was recovered a short distance away after arriving and fleeing the parking lot through a rear access road.

There is a reward for information that helps to identify the individuals who are responsible for the robberies.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Bernie Kelley of the Fairfield Police Department at (203) 254-4840 (bkelley@fairfieldct.org) or Detective Kip Tarrant of the Wilton Police Department at (203) 834-6260 (Kip.Tarrant@wiltonct.org). All callers may remain anonymous.
Canadian company Sherrit to keep working with Cuba

Submitted by: Juana

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03 / 06 / 2017



Canadian company Sherritt International Corporation criticized the US economic, financial and trade blockade on Cuba, praised its large nickel reserves and ratified that it will keep its investments in the country.

These are outdated and ineffective policies, which would be very positive to eliminate, said David Pathe, President and CEO of the entity, to a question from the ACN at a meeting with journalists, conducted at the Miramar Trade Center.

We always assumed that investing in Cuba was a good idea and our management has been successful since we started it more than 20 years ago, added Pathe who holds the highest position of his company since 2012.

We are never going to make a decision about our presence in Cuba, based on the assumption that they lift the blockade or not, said Pathe, who complained that his executives or his own family cannot visit the United States due to the impact of that measure.

He mentioned that the potential of lateritic minerals in the municipality of Moa, in the eastern province of Holguin, is among the four largest in the world, so we still have a very long future in the nickel-metal business with this nation, he noted.

Pathe referred to the start-up, last July, of the sulfuric acid plant, an important work induced in the nickel industry in that locality, where there is one of the largest investments undertaken by the Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines.

The new facility is part of the extensive investing program in the nickel industry in Moa, where this type of open-pit mining in the Cuban economy is concentrated.

Sherritt International Corporation has been the largest direct investor in Cuba for over two decades and actively operates in its mining and energy sectors and even has a payroll of 2,500 Cubans. (acn)
Honouring veterans, CBRM council meeting highlight this week in Cape Breton

SYDNEY  During this Remembrance Week, we honour our veterans  those who died in battle, those who are still with us, and those who have passed away in the intervening years. Ceremonies to mark the end of the First and Second world wars, the Korean ...
Pedro Farres job was once to fight digital piracy and handle corporate relations for the SGAE , Spains biggest copyright collection society. As part of that job he also regularly frequented brothels with clients and potentially useful contacts. His company credit card covered the costs: around 39,552 between November 2008 and May 2009.

Former SGAE official Pedro Farre. Bernardo Perez

In January 2016, Farre began a 30-month prison term for misappropriation of funds and document forgery. But between sentencing in 2014 and reporting to jail, Farre wrote a book about his experiences at SGAE in which he asks a number of questions, among them: why is he the only senior official of the scandal-hit organization to have spent time behind bars?

Some of the answers to that question are to be found in Cazado (Hunted), which has just been published two months ahead of Farres conditional release: That is, if the book doesnt make matters worse, he jokes.

Farre refuses to point the finger at others in the organization

Farre found himself in trouble after several board members of the SGAE, including chairman Teddy Bautista, were arrested in 2011 following a Civil Guard investigation into a scheme to divert tens of thousands of euros through companies that provided non-existent services.

The former head of corporate relations at SGAE describes his decision to write the book as a catharsis.

I needed to write it to put everything in order. I promised myself I would be sincere, self-critical and humble. It is also a thriller, about the atmosphere within the organization and in Spain: there are spies, dossiers, leaks and corruption, says Farre.

There is also a cast of characters that include a detective on his trail and a journalist who is threatening him. Also mentioned are four Spanish prime ministers, along with former Popular Party treasurer Luis Barcenas, who is at the center of sprawling corruption case involving six regional governments and nearly 200 official suspects. Inaki Urdangarin, the Spanish kings brother-in-law, who has just been found guilty of corruption, also features. At the same time, there are plenty of stories about what goes on behind the scenes in the higher echelons of power.

The SGAE has yet to recover from the scandal

At the heart of Cazado there is a contradiction. On the one hand, Farre talks about a new Inquisition, suggesting the existence of a conspiracy and insisting that only the small fry end up in jail, describing himself as a small piece on the board.

He accepts responsibility and is sorry for what he did, but also points out: Going to brothels after dinner was normal. Those places were full of people wearing ties. It didnt look normal to me until I joined the SGAE. He mentions evenings, and not just in Spain, that involved prostitutes and meals at pornographic prices, adding that being part of the establishment gave him a certain feeling of impunity and that he could get away with anything.

The SGAE has yet to recover from the scandal, and Farre says that while it has done a lot of good in previous years, it made three main mistakes: in the fight against piracy, in defense of the digital canon, a tax levied on all electronic recording devices to compensate authors and creators from the money they lose as a result of private copying, and from which the SGAE received millions of euros; and through Arteria, a property portfolio begun under Bautista.

We didnt realize what we were getting into. Television networks, hotels and restaurants, technology giants: having so many enemies at the same time is not sustainable.

While Farre says he heard rumors during his time at SGAE of possible wrongdoing, hes not going to name any names. Asked if he saw members of the body politic, police or judiciary in brothels, he insists that he did not. Similarly, although he says he is not the best example of corruption in the SGAE, he refuses to point the finger at others in the organization.

There were other credit cards. I dont have to reveal the names of the people I was with in those places. If I didnt stick up for myself at the time by causing trouble for others, Im not going to do so now, he says, adding: This isnt a book of scoops.

English version by Nick Lyne.
The mastermind behind Gurtel, a corrupt business network that operated across six Spanish regions between 1999 and 2005, is ready to return around 22 million stashed in Swiss bank accounts, according to legal sources familiar with the situation.

Francisco Correa, head of the Gurtel network.

Francisco Correa has already authorized the Audiencia Nacional, Spains central high court, to transfer 2.2 million. This court is currently trying him for crimes ranging from embezzlement to bribery of public officials.

Correa has also authorized a Valencia court to repatriate 272,000 after judges there recently sentenced him to 13 years in prison in a regional offshoot of Gurtel.

Correa will be standing trial on and off for the next four years at the very least

Correa still has at least six more trials to go as the sprawling Gurtel case finally reaches the courts after a five-year investigation. With nearly 200 official suspects, it became the largest pre-trial probe in modern Spanish history and was broken up into sections to facilitate the investigation. The main trial began on October 4 at the Audiencia Nacional, with 37 people on the dock.

The Gurtel network was allegedly run by Correa (whose surname translates as belt, or Gurtel in German), a businessman who cultivated relationships with PP officials, offering them gifts in exchange for government contracts in public works and event organization. At the height of his power, Correa went by the nickname of Don Vito, after the character in The Godfather.

Correas decision to unblock his millions at Credit Suisse means that the money can be returned as soon as the courts request it. Otherwise, these transfers would have had to wait until all the rulings against Correa become final and unappealable, a process that could take years.

Correa at one of his recent hearings. Pool

Correa will be standing trial on and off for the next four years at the very least. His goal now is to secure sentence reductions by cooperating with prosecutors and returning his concealed fortune  even though 22 million may not cover the entire amount of civil liability that will be ultimately demanded of him as the convictions add up.

The Gurtel mastermind was arrested in 2009 and served nearly four years in preventive detention. Following his recent conviction in Valencia, Correa was remanded in custody after being declared a flight risk, although that sentence can still be appealed. All the ongoing cases against him make for a combined jail term of over 200 years.

English version by Susana Urra.
Despite the Donald Trump effect, the number of foreign visitors to Mexico grew 9% in 2016 to hit a record 35 million, while total tourist spending was up 10%  great news for an industry which accounts for 8.5% of the countrys GDP and is a key part of its jobs market.

Tourists in Isla Holbox. CUARTOSCURO

More information La industria turistica mexicana vive el mejor momento de su historia

Experts put the growth down to the weakness of the peso against other currencies, the strength of the US economy and the growth in air connections with the United States, Europe and the rest of Latin America.

Also playing a role is the political instability of competitors, including Turkey and Egypt, lowering the appeal of those destinations for European travelers.

The Mexican tourism sector is enjoying a very good moment, even surpassing our expectations in 2016, says Francisco Madrid Flores, Director of the Tourism and Gastronomy Faculty at the countrys Anahuac University.

Meanwhile former tourism minister Gloria Guevara is optimistic about the sectors future, highlighting the excellence of the countrys tourism product, and noting many Mexicans will choose to stay at home rather travel to the United States in the coming years given the hostile stance taken by US president Donald Trump toward Mexico on issues including immigration and trade.

Mexican are starting not to go [to the United States] to avoid being mistreated or having a bad experience and to support their country under these new circumstances. This will help spur on internal tourism says Guevara.

There is no need to abandon mass tourism but we have to explore new niches Francisco Madrid Flores, tourism expert

To further demonstrate the rude health of the industry, the former tourism chief also cites World Tourism Organization figures showing that 2016 marked the first time since 1998 that Mexicos tourism revenue outstripped income from oil sales.

Despite the optimism of tourism experts, however, challenges remain. In an exhaustive report published in January, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said Mexico needed to diversify, moving away from a form of mass tourism which contributes little to local and regional economies and toward more individualized products.

Im not sure I agree: of course I would like to see small-scale, traditional destinations, but that wont solve the poverty problem across much of the country. Mass tourism is overly demonized, says Madrid of the rise of all-inclusive tourism packages in a lot of resorts on the Pacific Coast and in the Mexican Caribbean.

Mexico continues to battle with the eternal problem of insecurity

The tourism expert also highlights the growth of higher-end tourism in locations like Los Cabos in Baja California on the Pacific coast, where the average cost is double that of the rest of the country.

There is no need to abandon the mass tourism model but we have to explore new niches, says Madrid.

The second challenge for Mexico is the eternal problem of insecurity, with violence related to the drugs trade a major concern. While most tourists find their preconceptions shattered when they visit the country, Mexicos reputation is worsening each year, according to the Good Country Index, which measures how much countries contribute to the greater good of humanity.

But recent violent incidents including two shootouts that left nine people dead in January in Cancun have not impacted on tourism, according to Gerardo Corona, Mexicos Vice-Secretary for Innovation and Tourism Development.

These events usually have less an impact than you might think, says Madrid.

Last but not least, Mexico needs to diversify its visitor base, but without ignoring the importance of the US market, according to Corona. Some 88% of the countrys tourism income comes from Mexicans visiting other parts of Mexico, but depending on this revenue stream is a risk given the fragile state of the countrys economy.

English version by George Mills.
Giving birth is complicated enough, but new mothers are sometimes loath to learn they've hit yet another hurdle when it comes to breastfeeding.

Cheryl Denyer, wife of Family Feud's Grant Denyer and mother to the couple's two daughters, Sailor and Scout, revealed her own struggles with breastfeeding and mastitis.

Taking to her blog The Chezzi Diaries last month, the television producer wrote about her initial struggles to breastfeed, which she said left her feeling 'embarrassed and ashamed'.

Despite feeling more than prepared for the process, having grown breasts that she said were 'each larger than my head' during pregnancy, Mrs Denyer said her first experience was a disaster.

Struggling: Cheryl Denyer wrote about her experience in breastfeeding her eldest daughter Sailor in her blog

'In the privacy of my own hospital room, I put this fragile, purple, crinkled little thing that I loved so very much it scared me, on my chest near my ginormous boob and waited,' she wrote.

'Nothing. She just looked up at me and stared.'

Such a negative experience following what she referred to as a 'traumatic' birth left her feeling inadequate as a mother, and she told readers she began to use her ability to breastfeed as a measuring stick for the quality of her mothering.

After some time, Mrs Denyer discovered a nipple shield, which helped her daughter, now five, latch on and breastfeed normally.

Nothing: While Mrs Denyer was hoping to enjoy an easy breastfeeding experience with daughter Sailor (pictured) after what she called a 'traumatic' birth, she discovered this would not be the case

When Sailor was three months old, her mother developed mastitis, a painful condition caused by a blocked milk duct.

Over the next three months, Cheryl had mastitis 11 more times, making it 12 in total.

Her daughter had begun to enjoy solids, and the mother-of-two said she dreaded breastfeeding.

'It wasnt the natural, bonding, loving experience I felt it was supposed to be,' she wrote.

She sought help from doctors, who diagnosed her with Post Natal Depression and put her on anti-depressants, and from counsellors. After feeling unhappy with her progress, the Bathurst-based woman sought another opinion.

Difference: While Mrs Denyer struggled to breastfeed daughter Sailor, her experience was different with youngest daughter Scout. She says it is because she did not put as much pressure on herself

Happy families: Now much older, the Denyer family is a strong unit, their dramatic rocky start a distant memory

It was after speaking to another counsellor, a mother-of-three herself, that she finally reconciled with the idea of using formula to feed her child.

'Breastfeeding was so incredibly important, I believed. It was the be-and end-all of mothering, in a sense,' she explained.

'I needed to hear that it was ok to try formulas. My baby could actually thrive on formula as many have, as many babies do.'

When her second child, Scout, came along in 2015, Mrs Denyer vowed to put less pressure on herself to have a picture-perfect experience.

She says this allowed her to feed much more easily, and be okay with the idea of stopping at six months.

Accepting: While Mrs Denyer tied her ability to breastfeed to her ability to mother with Sailor, she was more relaxed with Scout (pictured) and found things came easier

Despite their turbulent introduction to family life, Mrs Denyer and her husband Grant's social media accounts show pictures of the smiling foursome holidaying and spending quality time together.

Last year, the blonde beauty revealed she had lost 15 kilograms, with her main motivation being her children.

'I really want to feel healthy and I want more energy to play with my kids', she wrote in an Instagram post.
Any parent will attest to the fact that raising kids doesn't come cheap.

Between school fees, family holidays and signing up for weekend sporting activities it'd be easy to think having kids costs you millions.

And at the rate the Tooth Fairy's prices are inflating it's no surprise.

Australian oral health brand Jack N' Jill conducted a study of 1000 parents that found some mums and dads were spending up to $43 on a single tooth.

And we thought mortgages were expensive... Some Aussie parents are giving their kids as much as $43 for a lost tooth

That's almost a 289 per cent increase on what they themselves were getting back when the Tooth Fairy was dolling out a measly 91 cents.

The company was trying to figure out how big to make the 'Fairy pocket' they'd created as part of their Toothkeeper range, but instead uncovered the shocking statistic.

And not all parents were thrilled by the new normal, Essential Kids reported.

Mum-of-four Mim told the publication: 'First tooth was their age in money and every tooth thereafter, a gold coin! $43 per tooth? That's $862 per child! Times that by 4 and I'd be up for $3450!'

Parents themselves were getting as little as 91 cents just a few decades before

However, the survey also found the current average per tooth is a fair $2.62 or a 'gold coin donation'.

Children in Canberra have Australias most cost-effective gnashers, with first teeth being traded for an average of $1, followed by South Australia at $1.93.

On the other side of the spectrum, kids in New South Wales and Western Australia boast an average of $4.50.

Victorian, Queensland and Tasmanian kids fall in the middle range.

Unlucky one: According the the survey the middle child will likely receive less per tooth than their older and younger siblings

The survey found there are other factors that influence how much the Tooth Fairy will splurge, including birth order, location and gender.

Middle children notoriously receive less per tooth than their older and younger siblings, the survey found.

$43 per tooth? That's $862 per child! Times that by 4 and I'd be up for $3450!'

And if the youngest child happens to be a girl she will get more than her older siblings, particularly if they're male.

Separate research from McCrindle revealed that more than 96 per cent of Australian families spend more than $100 on toys per child each year.

Social Researcher Mark McCrindle said this practice makes our children the most 'materially supplied generation ever' and profoundly richer than their predecessors

In fact to raise the average family, which has 2.7 kids in it, to 'independence', which is calculated at age 24, will cost parents $1,028,000 today.

Social Researcher Mark McCrindle said this makes our children the most 'materially supplied generation ever' and profoundly richer than their predecessors.

Jack N' Jill co-founder Rachel Bernhaut said she was surprised by the findings, not just because of the money but because parents were reporting their children didn't really understand the purpose of the Tooth Fairy and just looked forward to the financial gain.

It begs the question, should we say goodbye to the Tooth Fairy?
After touching the world with his heartbreaking story, little Jack Sparrow took his final breath laying peacefully on his mother's chest.

Jack Riley Sadgrove passed away after he was born more than 15 weeks premature and weighing just 693 grams at birth in January.

His parents Amy and Brendan revealed their six-week-old son's condition had suddenly taken a turn for the worse on Friday afternoon.

Jack Riley Sadgrove, nicknamed Jack Sparrow by his parents Amy (pictured) and Brendan due to his tiny size, was born more than 15 weeks premature and weighed just 693g at birth

They received a call from doctors at the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney that Jack's condition was deteriorating.

It became clear early on that the day would be little Jack's last.

'Jack got to a point where we all thought he wouldn't come back from, so we decided to put him on Amy's chest and say our goodbyes,' Brendan wrote in a heartbreaking Facebook post.

The contact with his mother's skin was a huge boost for Jack, whose heart rate and oxygenation levels immediately went back to normal.

Now his parents are helping the little one fight for his life, and raising thousands of dollars for the hospital taking care of him in the process

Brendan and Amy were able to give Jack his first bath, put him in clothes for the first time and swaddle him like they had never been able to before in the NICU.

'We had a whole hour of the most amazing time with just the three of us, which was nothing short of incredible,' Brendan wrote.

'It was the happiest time in our lives.'

They tucked Jack in on Amy's chest, where he passed away at 3.30pm on Friday.

Although Amy and Brendan had come to terms with the fact that Jack wouldn't survive the day, they said it hasn't made their loss much easier.

But Brendan assured friends that, even though they only had a short amount of time with Jack, they still had a 'squillion stories' to share about their son.

'The little bloke changed the world,' Brendan wrote. 'He has given us so much in such a short amount of time.'

'I can't tell you the love that we have for our son. Love is what Jack gave us and we gave every bit of our love to him. I am so thankful for that.'

Jack had just hit the 24-week mark when Amy went to the bathroom in the middle of the night and saw spots of blood. The doctors then informed her she was in labour

Jack first made headlines when Amy and Brendan started an incredible GoFundMe campaign in his honour to help the hospital taking care of him.

The couple have raised more than $50,000 for the NICU at the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney, where Jack was born on January 21.

Amy had known something wasn't right that week when she went to the bathroom and saw a few drops of blood in the middle of the night.

She and Brendan decided to play it safe and go to the hospital, where a doctor informed them that the mum-to-be was already 6cm dilated.

'I am so sorry,' the doctor said. 'But you are probably going to deliver your baby tonight.'

One of the first questions the doctors asked Amy and Brendan were if they wanted to keep the baby, or terminate due to his low chance of survival

Suddenly a 'dream' pregnancy had turned into a nightmare in just 24 weeks.

The next few hours became a swirl of doctors with scary statistics detailing the chances their little boy would survive and what disabilities he could face if he did.

One of the first questions the doctors asked Amy and Brendan was if they wanted to keep the baby, or terminate.

But 24 weeks was the first point of viability where a baby has any chance of survival if delivered prematurely. Little Jack had hit the 24-week mark that very night.

For Amy and Brendan, termination was out of the question. They wanted to give Jack a chance to fight.

The doctors advised the couple to stay calm in an effort to try and keep Jack in as long as possible.

Although it seemed like an impossible task, Amy utilised her yoga and meditation practice to relax and try and focus on the task at hand.

But 24 weeks was the first point of viability where a baby has any chance of survival if delivered prematurely. After five more days in hospital, Amy gave birth to little Jack

Brendan said that, for the next five days, Amy was in a 'state of calm' that he had never seen before.

On the fifth day, the doctors realised little Jack had to come out - whether they were ready or not.

An ultrasound revealed that Jack had turned, and the umbilical cord was dangerously below him.

They feared that if Amy's water broke in the middle of the night, the minimal staff and doctors on hand would not be able to handle a dangerous delivery.

It may have been less than a week, but those five days were still huge for little Jack.

Two courses of steroids and magnesium had given his lungs and brain a super boost of growth. Doctors said it raised his chances of survival by 10 per cent.

Two courses of steroids and magnesium had given his lungs and brain a super boost of growth during those five days. Doctors said it raised his chances of survival by 10 per cent

'Being the parent of any baby, let alone a preemie baby, is such a rollercoaster,' Brendan told Daily Mail Australia last week before Jack's death.

'It has been the kindness of friends, family and strangers and the incredible dedication of the hospital staff that have kept our feet on the ground.'

Brendan and Amy's friends decided to rally around the couple and set up the GoFundMe campaign to help raise money while they were away from work.

But the couple were adamant that all funds go to the NICU helped keep Jack alive for so long.

Brendan had been speaking with the nurses during the first few days after Jack's birth, and learned how desperately they needed money for the simplest of things.

There were cushions they wanted to put in the parents' room and blankets for the humidicribs that were necessary, along with lifesaving medical equipment.

Brendan said he is extremely proud of the boy who has 'already changed the world'. The family has raised more than $40,000 for the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney since his birth

The GoFundMe has already raised enough money to outfit the NICU with reclining chairs for mum's to breastfeed and cuddle their newborns.

New parts for vital breathing equipment can now also be purchased, and some of the raised funds will also be used to refurbish the parents' room.

It has been an incredible achievement that all began thanks to one tiny baby.

'In such a short time, this little bloke already changed the world,' Brendan said.

'I am so bloody proud of the little guy, I think I might explode.'
It's been 15 years since Mary Donaldson left Tasmania for Amelienborg Palace in Copenhagen with Prince Frederik, and a decade and a half since she became Crown Princess Mary.

Over the course of this time, Princess Mary has made countless friends, many of whom play important roles in the Danish Royal's life.

Here, FEMAIL rounds up the key members of Princess Mary's tight-knit girl squad, as listed by Woman's Day.

It's been 15 years since Mary Donaldson left Tasmania for Amelienborg Palace in Copenhagen with Prince Frederik, and a decade and a half since she became Princess Mary (pictured)

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at some of Crown Princess Mary's (pictured with Prince Frederik) tight-knit friendship circle

CAROLINE FLEMING

With a starring role in reality TV programme, Ladies of London, and a position as the former host of Denmark's Next Top Model, entrepreneur, model and TV personality, Caroline Fleming, is one of Princess Mary's glossiest friends.

But the pair have more in common than first meets the eye.

Born Baroness Caroline Elizabeth Ada luel-Brockdorff into one of Denmark's oldest families, Caroline was married to Rory Fleming, the nephew of James Bond creator, Ian Fleming.

The pair have two children together, one of whom counts Princess Mary as her godmother.

Caroline Fleming (pictured) from Ladies of London is another close confidante of Princess Mary; she once presented Denmark's Next Top Model

Princess Mary is godmother to one of her two children with Rory Fleming (pictured: Caroline Fleming's children with Princess Mary)

SOFIE KIRK KRISTIANSEN

She's a member of the esteemed Kristiansen family who own Lego, and is hugely prominent in Danish society, so it's no surprise that Princess Mary and Sofie Kirk Kristiansen are close gal pals.

Sofie also has a degree in ethnography and anthropology, as well as a role in various conservation organisations.

Sofie and Princess Mary's friendship goes way back, with the pair holidaying with their families in Klosters as far back as 2009.

Sofie is married to the lawyer, Christopher Thomsen. She also has a daughter, who is the same age as Princess Isabella.

Caroline Heering (pictured right with Princess Mary) is another good friend of the princess - she once served as Mary's private secretary and lady-in-waiting

In 2010, Caroline started to dedicate herself to The Mary Foundation, where she occupied the position of official adviser (pictured with Princess Mary)

CAROLINE HEERING

Since the Princess married Prince Frederik, Caroline Heering has been one of her closest friends and confidantes.

She even served as Mary's lady-in-waiting and private secretary.

In 2010, Caroline started to dedicate herself to The Mary Foundation, where she occupied the position of official adviser.

Caroline is married to one of Prince Frederik's childhood friends, Peter. The pair have two daughter, Emilie and Rosemarie.

Peter is godfather to Princess Isabella, while Caroline is godmother to Prince Vincent.

Tanja Doky is another former lady-in-waiting and private secretary (pictured with Princess Mary)

As Princess Mary's former lady-in-waiting and private secretary, Tanja Doky and the Princess also have a firm friendship

Tanja worked with the Princess for seven years, eventually leaving Princess Mary to take up a position as communications manager at Maersk Container Industry in 2015 (both pictured)

TANJA DOKY

As Princess Mary's former lady-in-waiting and private secretary, Tanja Doky and the Princess also have a firm friendship.

Tanja worked with the Princess for seven years, eventually leaving Princess Mary to take up a position as communications manager at Maersk Container Industry in 2015.

Tanja was married to the famous jazz musician, Chris Minh Doky, and the pair have two children, Frida and Milo.

They have since separated, however.

One of the Danish Royal's best friends is Birgitte Handwerk - she is a godmother to Princess Josephine

BIRGITTE HANDWERK

As the partner of one of Prince Frederik's best friends, Jeppe, Birgitte Handwerk was one of Princess Mary's first friends in Denmark.

Not only was their friendship formed early on, but they have also shared key experiences over the past decade, insofar as they've both raised young families at the same time.

While Birgitte is godmother to Princess Mary's daughter, Josephine, Jeppe is a godfather to her son, Christian.

The 44-year-old Australian-born Royal also attended Jeppe and Birgitte's wedding in 2002.
As any mother of a toddler will know, that tricky transitional stage from baby to child is busy, exhausting and at times rather difficult.

So spare a thought for a young mother-of-twins, such as Millie Di Maio.

The Sydney-based mum and blogger has written a hilarious post titled: 'You know you've got twin toddlers when...', and it's sure to resonate with plenty of parents.

Sydney-based mum and blogger, Millie Di Maio (pictured with her two sons), has written a hilarious post titled: 'You know you've got twin toddlers when...'

In it, she discusses everything her two boys, Leo and Luca (pictured), have done - she said even 'eating Weetbix' has become an 'extreme sport'

The mother-of-two started her no-holds-barred blog, Two No More, in order to 'take the p*ss' a bit out of parenting (pictured)

According to Ms Di Maio - whose boys, Luca and Leo, are currently two - there are countless things she has noticed while raising toddlers.

Not only has her bath become a 'work of art', but she said she has also discovered her underwear hidden in her lamp and a sanitary pad moonlighting as a kippah on her son's head.

The 27-year-old mum-of-two even said she no longer flinches when she sees a plastic bug on the kitchen surface.

She said being a mum to two toddlers means that your bath quickly becomes a 'work of art' (pictured)

She has discovered all sorts of unusual things - including a sanitary pad on her son's head (left) and her underwear hidden in a bedroom lamp (right)

'We've had some hilarious experiences,' Ms Di Maio told Daily Mail Australia.

One of her favourites was 'the time we had to take a trip to the emergency department because Leo decided to smell the daisies a little two hard and ended up with two flowers stuck up each nostril and requiring a doctor to remove them!'.

Ms Di Maio also spoke fondly of the time when she 'spent an hour trying to figure out how to help Luca get something out of his eye (an eyelash got stuck and he wouldn't stop crying).

'I tried everything under the sun and last resort, I offered some chocolate and magically his eye was "all better mummy". Who knew chocolate was a cure for a sore eye? Next time that'll be my first option.'

The mother of twins also said she no longer flinches when she sees plastic bugs (pictured)

'Babies may have more than one neck roll. Only after a week of smelling cottage cheese every time I kissed my twins did I realise this delightful fact,' is one anecdote on Ms Di Maio's blog

Elsewhere on her popular no-holds-barred blog, Two No More, Millie Di Maio has spoken about everything from breastfeeding to finding cottage cheese in one of her boys' neck rolls.

'If you pump 300ml of milk with an electric breast pump every three hours, chances are your supply won't meet babies' demand. The consequence? Dolly Parton boobs and raging mastitis,' is just one such line you can expect from her honest posts.

'Babies may have more than one neck roll. Only after a week of smelling cottage cheese every time I kissed my twins did I realise this delightful fact,' is another of her witty anecdotes.

'For me, my blog isn't about perpetuating the myth that life is so chaotic; it's to give other mums a chance to grab 30 seconds to themselves and read something funny,' she said

'In the past, I felt alienated by some mother's blogs. I wanted to make one where I could take the p*ss out of it all and have fun'

'For me, my blog isn't about perpetuating the myth that life is so chaotic - even though it can be - it's to give other mums a chance to grab 30 seconds to themselves and read something funny,' Ms Di Maio previously told Daily Mail Australia.

'In the past, I felt alienated by some mother's blogs. I wanted to make one where I could take the p*ss out of it all and have fun.'

Ms Di Maio's blog certainly holds true to this attitude.

In the post about parenting twin toddlers, Ms Di Maio said she has also discovered 'eating Weetbix is considered an extreme sport'.

'So long as the kids keep doing funny things - which is pretty much every single day - I will keep posting. I'm creating memories for the future and it's totally a labour of love. I think I learn something from the boys every day,' she said.

To read more from Millie Di Maio, you can visit her blog here.
Rachel Grantham was a high-flying general manager who had been working in the corporate sector for 13 years.

The Australian woman had held a strategic role at the Commonwealth Bank, but no amount of strategic thinking could help the mother-of-two prepare quick and nutritious meals for her fussy first-born, Ava, before she grew tired and frustrated.

'I just kept thinking how on earth do I cook her healthy meals before bed while still trying to relax and have fun with her?' Ms Grantham told Daily Mail Australia.

'She would be hanging off my leg screaming for food and it was just too stressful.'

The enterprising mother turned her frustration into action - her business Little Bud was born in 2013 out of a need to spend less time cooking and more time enjoying time with her kids.

Rachel Grantham, 40, with her daughter Ava, 6, and son Jack, 3, at the beach that started their business

Every day after work Ms Grantham would pick her daughter up from daycare at 5.30pm and have to feed, wash and get her to bed by 7pm.

The 40-year-old started meal prepping on the weekends to try and make things run smoothly.

But trying to create new and varied ideas for every night of the week took hours to prepare - keeping Ms Grantham away from her daughter anyway.

'We as mums already have this innate sense of guilt. Because the meal prepping stopped me from playing with Ava that feeling of guilt just doubled.' Ms Grantham said.

'I was extremely overwhelmed.'

Quitting the corporate life to enhance her private life: Rachel's biggest desire was to spend time with her husband and two children

Friends of Ms Grantham's expressed similar concerns about balancing playtime with making nutritious snacks. This sparked an idea.

'I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I've always wanted to run my own business. So when I realised ready-made-meals for kids under the age of five were non existent in the supermarket I jumped on it.

'I kept thinking if I don't do it now someone else will!'

In December 2013 Ms Grantham hired a chef and a nutritionist to help create the ready-made-meals - all of which were taste tested by her own kids.

The following year in April the mum-of-two quit her job at the bank and launched a pop up stall at the Bondi Beach markets. But not everything started off so successfully.

'I'll never forget the first weekend at the markets. It was a total disaster.

'My chef and I spent all night cooking the food - literally still putting stickers on the packaging at 6am - and were due at the markets by 9am.

'We weren't sure how popular the meals would be so we'd made a lot. As soon as arrived a thunderstorm hit the beach and the whole market was called off.

'That left us with tonnes of fresh food due to go off in five days time! Absolute nightmare.'

The 'sneaky mac n' cheese' dish contains hidden cauliflower and potato for fussy eaters who won't look at a vegetable

'Mighty meatballs' was a fan favourite from the beginning containing onion, tomatoes, carrot and zucchini

Fpor just $6 you can enjoy home cooked meals you didn't have to make yourself

The following week they prepared the food - meatballs, fish pie and Moroccan lamb - and everything went off without a hitch.

They sold out on that Sunday and were in Norton St Grocer, Bondi Junction, two weeks later.

Ms Grantham said the name Little Bud came about for two reasons.

'Sure it means little kids, who are our target audience, but it's about a plant flourishing. We are growing our buds, or kids, with nutritious food.'

The company now produces five different ready meals for kids aged between one and five. They are all designed with nutritionist Kim Holmes, and former sous-chef at Bondi Icebergs, Katrina Hollis.

'We're so excited that in May we will also be stocked in Coles. Our goal for 2017 is ultimately expansion - particularly by creating a few new meals to choose from'

Every meal has a sneaky amount of fruit and veg for even the fussiest of children.

'My Ava was particularly picky when she was younger. So we've incorporated carrot, onions and zucchini in the meatball dish and cauliflower and potato in the mac and cheese.

'The fish pie has pumpkin puree and leek in it - but I swear you'd never know it!'

Ms Grantham's daughter Ava, 6, loves the fish pie and her son Jack, 3, enjoys the cottage pie but there is also Moroccan lamb, mac and cheese and meatball dishes made to order on the website for $5.99.

They are currently stocked in NSW and VIC's Woolworths and IGA stores but the ultimate plan is to stock nationwide.

Home and Away star, Ada Nicodemou's son is a fan of his Little Bud meals - with the star posting a snap to Instagram

Sally Obermeder was gifted the meals by Rachel and said she was impressed by the quality of the dishes

Ms Grantham said: 'We're so excited that in May we will also be stocked in Coles. Our goal for 2017 is ultimately expansion - particularly by creating a few new meals to choose from.'

Little Bud, which is now a multi-million dollar enterprise, was the first ready-made meal for kids under five on the market.

But since that time a few frozen varieties have surfaced.

'The biggest difference is that we don't have any preservatives or additives in the food to help it keep that long. You're sacrificing nutrition for longevity and parents often aren't willing to do that,' Mrs Grantham said.

'So at the moment we're the only ones out there fitting the bill.'
The reality television couple got off to a rocky start, with nurse Alene revealing she wasn't attracted to her groom Simon at their wedding.

But weeks on, she convinced him to undergo a dramatic makeover and the couple appeared to be making progress, with just one hurdle left to jump - their living arrangement.

With Alene living in the bustling streets of Sydney and her beau based in country Queensland, one of them will be forced to pack up their lives and move to be with the other if the relationship is to continue.

Luckily for the fiery couple, both appear willing to give the others' hometown a try - though a dinner date between Simon, his friends and Alene, her sister and her brother in law suggests Alene will be the first to try it.

Happy: During their lunch with family and friends, Alene dropped some strong hints she would move to country Queensland to stay with Simon

The 31-year-old appeared to have come to terms with the move herself, noting: 'Simon's whole life is in the country, it's where he wants to be'.

'I can cut his hair but I cannot really change his whole lifestyle,' she added.

When asked if she would accept the idea of Alene moving to Simon's farm, her sister reluctantly said the family would.

'Alene is the joy of our family,' she told the group, adding: 'It will be hard for us, but we will accept it, as long as she wants to do it.'

Simon's friend Hamish quickly jumped in to welcome the reality bride, telling her to 'give it a go... you can be the joy of ours'.

Blessing: Her sister said it would be hard without her, but her family would accept her decision

With just weeks left of the experiment, the topic of moving was hot on everyone's lips.

Sean and Susan used their group lunch as a way to share their problems with Sean's family and Susan's friends.

The couple lead very different lives, with Sean heavily invested in his farm, located three hours north of Brisbane, and Susan happy with the life she's built for herself in Perth.

Spilling: Sean and Susan used their lunch to see if anyone had suggestions on how they could stay together

The mining truck driver shared her feelings with the table, explaining she and Sean 'completely' loved each other, but were stopping themselves from falling in love.

'We feel like we don't know how it can work,' she said.

The couple's friends and family were not overly helpful with practical suggestions, but all shared their confidence in the couple making it through the seemingly impossible situation.

Put it to the panel: While everyone supported the union, nobody really had any concrete ideas

Nadia and Anthony were also busy thinking about the future, with Anthony's parents and Nadia's sister in attendance for their lunch.

The racing broadcaster told the group they had not reached a decision on who would move, but both he and his television wife seemed to prefer the idea of a move over a long distance relationship.

'After we've finished the experiment, I will miss her if we've spent an extended period of time apart, definitely,' he said.

As usual, Anthony couldn't help but put his foot in it, telling his guests his arranged marriage was 'like asking Santa Claus for a bicycle and getting a skateboard instead'.

'It's an upgrade!' Anthony likened his union with Nadia to asking Santa for a bike but getting a skateboard instead

Oh dear: Flight attendant Nadia was once again left embarrassed by her television groom's big mouth

It took a moment for the looks of shock and outrage to register with the 33-year-old, who quickly backtracked and explained he skated more than he biked as a child, adding: 'the skateboard is the upgrade, Nadia'.

Twins Michelle and Sharon both enjoyed their own dinner parties, though the end result was quite different.

Michelle, who has struggled to make her relationship with Jesse work, was subject to some very pointed questioning from her beau's stepfather, Pete.

After questioning the couple on their thoughts on children, Pete asked Michelle how she felt about her reality husband.

Asking the hard questions: Jesse's stepfather Pete had a lot of hard hitting questions for Michelle

'I'm not going to say I love you, because I don't,' she said to Jesse as the others listened in.

'I love you as a person, but right now it's been five weeks.'

Unhappy with the answer, Pete reminded the 31-year-old she said she wanted kids, telling her 'you've got a window, and it's closing fast'.

Speaking to the camera later, Pete said it appeared his stepson and his bride would eventuate to no more than 'good friends'.

Window's closing: As Michelle struggled to answer his questions, he continued to remind her she was running out of time to have kids

While one daughter was struggling to make things work, Michelle's parents were more assured by her twin Sharon's relationship with Nick.

Mother Lorraine tried to interrogate the carpenter, but his father stepped in with an even trickier question.

Looking her dead in the eye, he asked what she thought of his son.

Shocked at being interrupted, she took a moment, before responding Nick was 'ticking the boxes'.

Getting along: Nick and Michelle's families appeared to enjoy each other's company, to the couple's delight

Watching the couple happily interact left the woman feeling 'so much more settled about everything to do with this experiment,' she told the camera after their meal.

29-year-old Nick was equally as happy with the way things had gone.

'Our families are getting along, I met the woman of my dreams, and I'm kind of excited for the future,' he told producers with a sheepish grin on his face.

Andrew and Vanessa were both met with fiery questions from his mother, who wanted to know if they were considering children.

When she was met with uncomfortable laughter, she snapped: 'I'm just trying to plan'.

Are things not on schedule? When the table laughed at Andy's mum for asking about children, she snapped: 'I'm just trying to plan'

Winner winner: Later, she said Vanessa was 'the one' for her son

Despite her direct and seemingly aggressive questioning during their meal, Andy's mother later admitted she thought Vanessa was 'the one' for her son.

Cheryl and Andrew were the only couple not to enjoy a meal with their family and friends.

After Anthony's explosive comments during the dinner party, where he implied he looked at her chest more than her face when she spoke and derided her intelligence, the couple were sent to see expert John Aiken.

Trouble in paradise: After Andrew's outburst on Sunday, he and Cheryl attended counselling with expert John Aiken

The firefighter said he had drunk too much that night and did not recall what he'd said.

Both Andrew and Cheryl agreed to relationship boot camp, and for Andrew to move back in to the couple's apartment.

Cheryl seemed happy to try and salvage her relationship, but revealed to the camera she was not impressed by his flimsy defence.

Unhappy: The pair both appeared unhappy with their decision to stay in the competition

'Andrew needs to take responsibility,' she told producers.

'If nothing really changes, I can't keep doing this.'

It was a theme which continued well into their solo date in Cronulla, south of Sydney.

As they ate lunch, a waitress brought over a photo album of the pair looking happy together and they reminisced on happier times, before dissolving back in to their fight.

Andrew, feeling like he was putting more effort in, told the 25-year-old he was 'still waiting to see that you're interested', and said he didn't know what else he could do.
A super-fit bikini model has revealed how an undiagnosed brain tumour caused her to gain 40 pounds.

Vicki Perez, from Florida, went from flaunting her figure in competitions to being too self-consicious to leave the house after her face became bloated and her feet became so swollen she had to wear men's shoes. In less than a year, the mother-of-one saw her weight jump from 130lbs to 172lbs, despite working out every day.

She was told the swelling was a symptom of Cushing's syndrome - a condition caused by high cortisol levels - and doctors later discovered this was caused by a tumour on the pituitary gland in her brain.

Bloated: Vicki Perez went from flaunting her figure in bikini competitions, left in 2013, to being too self-conscious to leave the house after gaining 40lbs. Right, Vicki in June last year

Ms Perez said: 'The gym and fitness has always been my passion. I train every day.

'So I was shocked when I noticed my face was getting puffy and my hands and feet were swelling like water retention.

'They were so swollen I had to wear men's shoes and my clothes didn't fit. I felt bloated all the time and I didn't want to leave the house.'

Ms Perez, who is training to be a dental hygienist, first noticed she was gaining weight in October 2015.

In February 2016, she noticed strange rashes on her hands and body and was rushed to hospital in anaphylactic shock.

Vicki said: 'When I saw the rashes I thought it was an allergy but the next day I work up and I couldn't breathe.'

Super-fit: Mother-of-one Vicki, left and right in 2015, stayed in shape by working out every day

Despite numerous tests, medics continue to deny there was anything wrong.

She later went to see a Cushing's syndrome specialist at The University of Alabama, who discovered the brain tumour.

Ms Perez said: 'I'm not sure how long I had the tumour. I thought I was going to die.'

Ms Perez underwent a surgery in June last year and could immediately see a change in her body.

Bloating: Vicki, pictured left before Cushing's and right last year, first noticed her face swelling

'Two days after the first surgery and my feet were normal,' she said.

'I was excited, I felt great, I felt amazing but a month later I was back in hospital for the second surgery.

'The recovery was hard, it hurt to move. I had to learn to walk again and how to run again. I was angry and I was crying all the time. It messes with your hormones and makes you think you are crazy.'

Dramatic change: Vicki after the first operation to remove the tumour in June last year

Recovery: Miss Perez said she noticed an immediate difference after the first surgery, pictured

Ms Perez is still recovering but her weight is now down to 150lbs.

She added: 'It's a slow process. I am not 100 per cent back to normal and any emotional stress can be dangerous for me and cause me to go into shock.

'But I am starting to see improvements and I'm just focusing on my son and school.

'My son really struggled with seeing me so sick but now I am able to spend time with him, he is so much better and not acting out at school. He's the most important thing, I couldn't have got through this without him.'
A woman has befriended the man who killed her best friend and stabbed her multiple times, revealing how she found the strength to forgive him.

Lynette Grace, 56, from Ohio has now released heart-wrenching letters between her and killer Johnny Bell, who stabbed her five times in the face and killed her friend and his mother Eddie Bell.

In the letter, Johnny  serving a jail sentence  writes: 'I owe you overall above else my 'sincerest apologies' for the pain and suffering I have caused you.

Lynette Grace was stabbed five times by Johnny Bell at the same time that he murdered her best friend and mother but now the pair have formed an unlikely friendship (pictured together)

'I cannot erase nor remove the mental or physical scars that I caused you, but if you will allow me the chance to express to you my deepest sorrow I would greatly appreciate the opportunity.'

He went onto to describe how hard the letter was to write, however his words resonated with Lynette and after meeting, she now considers him a friend.

Lynette was stabbed five times in the face and torso, while visiting her best friend Eddie, who was fatally stabbed.

Johnny murdered his mother Eddie Bell (pictured) in 1991 before attacking Lynette

For years after the August 12, 1991 attack, Lynette, 31 at the time of the stabbing, buried what happened to her and Eddie, who she'd viewed as a mother figure, deep in her psyche.

Frightened of the dark and of places she could not see an easy escape route from, she tried to forget the trauma, inflicted by Eddie's son, Johnny Bell.

But in late 2011, after telling a workmate about what happened, she discovered Johnny on Google  and decided to write to him in jail.

The killer responded to her brief note and now, against all odds, the pair are great friends.

She's visited Johnny seven times in jail where she aims to raise his spirits by telling him jokes and this year wrote to the parole board, pressing for his release.

In her letter, she described him as a great barber, who loved playing chess.

'Johnny told me that because of the nature of the crime, I was the last person he expected to visit him in prison,' she said.

'I learned something even more important during our conversation. I found out that Johnny was not the monster I thought he was.'

But years after the attack Lynette reached out to Johnny after finding him on Google and received a letter of apology from him (pictured)

Johnny was just 16 when he attacked his mother and he has now revealed to Lynette that he did so because he had been grounded. Pictured: A newspaper clipping ahead of his trial.

Johnny pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault at Franklin County Court House in Ohio and was jailed for 40 years

His next parole hearing is likely to happen in 2019, and  despite what he put her through  Lynette is adamant he should be freed.

Most importantly, she has been able to ask him the question that has tormented her for years: 'Why did you do it?'

Johnny revealed that he attacked Lynette and his mother, because he'd been grounded by Eddie  and was caught using the phone.

Lynette (pictured age 27) described her friend Eddie as her 'spiritual mother' and said that she was left 'sad and angry' following her death

But after hearing from Johnny Lynette now visits him in prison and she is now campaigning for his release after she found she was able to forgive him

'I have come from a place of pain to one of forgiveness,' divorcee Lynette explained. 'Not everyone understands. People say, "but you nearly died."'

Lynette was working as a customer service assistant at a newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, when she was stabbed.

After her mum, Allie Grace, 57, died suddenly in her sleep of a heart attack, she travelled home to Toledo, Ohio, for the funeral  going on to Columbus, Ohio, to see Eddie, 56, who she knew from church, a few days later.

'She was like a mother to me,' Lynette recalled. 'I called her my spiritual mother because we were so close.

Lynette says that being able to forgive Johnny was like a 'burden being lifted' off her

'We were in her kitchen eating her famous red velvet cake and chatting about cute guys, who were husband material, when I went upstairs for a sleep.'

At around 6am the next day, Lynette was woken by her friend screaming: 'No, Johnny.'

'I went downstairs and asked Johnny, who was then 16, what the noise was,' she said. 'I asked if his mother had suffered a bad dream. He said yes.'

Then, in the basement, Lynette saw something she'd never forget.

'Eddie was there, lying in a pool of blood,' she remembered. 'I turned to Johnny and he stabbed me five times, in the face and body.' Terrified, she ran from the house in to the street, frantically banging on neighbours' doors.

'I was weirdly calm,' she said. 'I felt like God was with me. He was protecting me. He was there. I could actually hear his voice.'

Taken to Grant Medical Center in Columbus, she underwent hours of surgery. Afterwards she was told her friend had died.

'At first I didn't believe it,' she said. 'But gradually it sank in. I was so sad. I missed her. I was angry.'

Around a year later, at Franklin County Court House in Ohio, Johnny pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault. Jailed for 40 years, Lynette came face-to-face with him.

'He was crying in the court room,' Lynette recalled, explaining how she had to read a statement to the court.

'I wondered why he was so afraid then. He'd not been so afraid when he was running around the house stabbing people.'

Still, her nightmares continued, but in the following years she moved back to Ohio and obtained a degree in legal studies from the state's Columbus University.

'In the back of my mind I always wondered what happened to him,' she continued. 'But I never pursued it.' Then, at work in 2011, she found him  via Google.

'I wrote to him and a month later I received a response,' she said. 'He'd written a page, an entire letter. He said how sorry he was.'

Their first meeting took place in Ross Jail, Ohio, a few months later.

'He was crying, so I told him a joke I'd heard in church,' she explained. 'He laughed.

'Then he asked if I could forgive him. I realised in that instant that I could.

'It was like a burden had been lifted off me. I'd changed a life.'
Prince Oscar celebrated turning one with his first-ever slice of birthday cake - and he certainly appeared to be enjoying the sweet treat.

The adorable baby had icing around his mouth as he posed for photoshoot to celebrate his coming of age.

The sweet images, released by the Swedish Royal Family, were taken during his birthday celebrations last week at the Haga Palace.

Prince Oscar celebrated turning one in an adorable photoshoot and enjoyed his first-ever slice of birthday cake

In one of the three shots, the little boy proves he's growing up fast as he attempts to walk with the aid of his parents, Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.

In the third shot, he giggles with glee as he sits in his high chair at his birthday party in the palace.

The new images come after Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden shared her own adorable snap of her son Prince Oscar on his first birthday, seemingly taking a leaf out of the Duchess of Cambridge's book.

The royal, 39, shared the adorable black and white image of the youngster grinning and proudly showing off his four front teeth.

The little one appeared to be enjoying his first slice of birthday cake as he ate the sweet treat with his hands and was left with icing all around his mouth

The little boy proves he's growing up fast as he attempts to walk with the aid of his parents, Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel

She also released two new official portraits of his big sister Princess Estelle who turned five on 23 February, beaming cheekily for the camera as she clambers over the back of the sofa.

Fans of the Swedish royals will no doubt be delighted with the photos from the Princess who has been notably absent from public life since before Christmas.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden took a leaf out of Kate's book by releasing her own photo of Price Oscar to celebrate his first birthday

Princess Estelle, who turned five on 23 February, gives the camera a cheeky grin as she clambers over the sofa

Her last public engagement was on 20 December and she has not made any public appearances since, even missing her aunt Princess Brigitta's birthday celebrations in January.

In February, the Swedish court informed the press that Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel were taking a private holiday abroad.

The long-planned trip is set to continue into this month, and was organised to give the Crown Princess to spend quality time with her children while they're still young and neither is in school.

She is not expected back on royal duties until later this month.

The young royal, who bears a remarkable resemblance to her mother Crown Princess Victoria, recently celebrated her fifth birthday

Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel are currently enjoying an extended family break to have quality time with their children while they're still young

Oscar Carl Olaf was born weighing just over 8lbs at the Karolinska University Hospital in the Swedish capital of Stockholm last February and is third in line to the Swedish throne after his sister.

His proud father Prince Daniel was seen crying tears of joy as he announced his son's birth to the press, adding that they had kept the sex of their new arrival a surprise until he was born.

He then added: Estelle is of course really enthusiastic and happy about being a big sister.'

Doting big sister Estelle does some colouring with her younger brother who has just turned one

Crown Princess Victoria, 38, married Daniel, a former gym teacher on June 19, 2010 at a wedding that brought together the elite of European royalty in Stockholm.

When Victoria accedes to the throne, she will be the first queen of the Bernadotte dynasty, which has reigned over Sweden for two centuries.

The current royal family has experienced renewed popularity in recent years due in part to the fairytale marriage of children of the sovereign couple, who have all married commoners, and the arrival of grandchildren.
NICOLAS AZNAREZ

Politics as governance of the public space we share is trapped between technocratic arrogance and the audacity of ignorance. Between the brilliant postgraduates who believe that the complexity of social problems can be resolved with infallible laboratory algorithms; and the dunces, those who dont know, and dont even know they dont know, and who offer arbitrary answers that simplify and distort reality.

Neither harbor any doubts when they stray into the public space as messengers of the truth or the post-truth. And although my thoughts today are dedicated to the latter, I am nevertheless worried about the distant arrogance of those supposed wise men who never explain their mistakes, because for them, it is reality that is out of step.

Dunces are, in and of themselves, relatively harmless, and even positive when they are aware of their ignorance and look for help to cover it. Dangerous dunces are those with power over others, and as they dont recognize their ignorance, they disparage the opinion of others. They try to impose their simplifying post-truth, they look for enemies to blame for the reality that they invent, although they use some elements of truth and the fear that this always generates.

He will obviously cut social spending (on health and other areas), thus breaking the bonds of social cohesion

Trumps most dangerous walls are already built and petrified in his head. They are the ones that should cause the most concern in the United States, Mexico, Latin America, the European Union and the rest of the world, because this character is at the helm of the still number one power in the world. There was never a project in his head to govern the diversity that makes his country strong, nothing similar to a program of government in his campaign, and less so in his investiture speech: because this gentleman only trusts his own psychopathic instincts and those who adulate his insulting and deceitful manners.

If any world leader had described the American reality in the way that Trump did in his acceptance speech, we would have dismissed him as sectarian and a fanatical hater of the United States. It is worth analyzing this oratory, worthy of an autocrat who believes himself to be above all institutions, who looks down on his own people, who looks for enemies and scapegoats among those who are not like him, whether they are immigrants, women, or minorities of all types. In this inaugural piece it can be understood what type of walls reside in his head and orient his many presidential decrees and constant tweets.

More information Trump: los muros de su cerebro

We will have to hope that some of the appeasers who affirmed (there are still many) that he wouldnt do the things he promised during his campaign, or during these weeks of effective exercise of the presidency, are now fully appraised of what he really intends to do. Because he shows an audacious ignorance of the internal and external reality that he is trying to project his power over.

The first society that will pay the price of Trumps mental walls will be America

It is also logical to expect that his imitators will grow and multiply, making it harder to exercise democratic representative governance, the only one that protects our liberties, in the places in the world where it exists. And it matters little that these imitators present themselves under the umbrella, more imaginary than real, of left- or right-wing ideologies. What unites them, or brings them together in packs, is their etymologically reactionary position in the face of the vertigo produced by the changes brought about by the technological revolution, and the fraudulent way in which they take advantage of understandable fears among sensitive social groups.

Because we are living through a transition at the global level, which, as was the case with the industrial revolution, cannot be reversed, which is generating a growing interdependence, and which is questioning the nation state as the stage where sovereignty, democracy and identity are carried out. The difference with the industrial revolution is the rapid speed at which the current revolution is taking hold.

Reactionaries take advantage of this fear of change; they close borders; they reject the other, those who are different; they hunker down behind a nationalism without memory of the destruction it wrought in the 20th century. They return to the protectionism of trade wars, and revolt against the technological revolution, using the latters own means the better to negate it and to confront its consequences defensively.

The function of progressive politics is not to reject or deny technological change

But there is something behind the electoral triumphs of people like Trump that reveals the need to introduce elements of governance in globalization so as to make it more predictable, and above all, to make it fairer in terms of redistribution, to rethink the way we work and the time we spend doing it. The function of progressive politics is not to reject or deny technological change, nor to use the fears it generates to go back in time in search of regressive utopias, but instead to prepare us to face up to this change by taking advantage of its good aspects and minimizing the risks therein so as not to leave anybody behind.

The first society that will pay the price of Trumps mental walls is America. The good news is that this society is reacting immediately, mobilizing to fight from within against these reactionary and discriminatory instincts installed in the White House since January 20. They are aware that these policies deny the diversity of American society, a diversity that makes it complex but also gives it strength. They are aware that the United States is a society of interconnected minorities in which the imposition of one group over another will only lead to a new witch hunt, to an increase in hate crimes toward those seen as different and for that reason to blame. They are aware that hard-won civil rights are in danger. A society built on immigration cannot demonize it.

Reactionaries take advantage of fear of change, they close borders, reject the other

Perhaps they still dont realize the economic and social effects of these isolationist and threatening policies. In the walled mind of Trump there is no awareness of what global business means, yet the United States is home to the worlds leading global businesses. These are businesses that produce in the world, looking to reduce costs and looking to find talent where they can. They are companies that sell in the world and prefer free trade. It is obvious that the obligation of politics is to limit abuse through reasonable regulatory frameworks, but not to close borders and spark trade wars.

As it is not possible to be a global power without global businesses, the United States will begin its decline as first power in the Trump era. It cannot expect that its businesses will manufacture in the United States, that Americans will consume what is produced there and that other countries will continue to consume what its global companies sell.

How is he going to apply high import tariffs and return manufacturing to the United States, where it is more expensive, without raising prices for consumers and effectively impoverishing them? How can he lower taxes and increase spending (on infrastructure and defense) without unbalancing the public accounts? He will obviously cut social spending (on health and other areas), thus breaking the bonds of social cohesion.

Democracy doesnt guarantee good government, but it does allow us to change the people who do things badly. Which is why, in the long run, it is always better. Let us keep hope alive!

Felipe Gonzalez was prime minister of Spain between 1982 and 1996.

English version by Nick Lyne.
A domestic abuse survivor has recounted the horrific week of torture she had endured at the hands of her jealous boyfriend who was convinced that she had cheated on him when he was in prison.

In 2013, Gabbe Rowland, 28, from East Falmouth, Massachusetts, was picked up from a friend's house by her then-boyfriend Justin Mustafa before he injected her with heroin against her will, raped her, and forced her to perform a sex act on his dog over the course of a week.

After Rowland managed to escape and report Mustafa to the police, he was given a six-year prison sentence, and she waved her right to anonymity, so she could share her story with others.

Survivor: Gabbe Rowland, 28, from East Falmouth, Massachusetts, has recalled how she was tortured by her boyfriend Justin Mustafa for a week

Horrific torture: Rowland said Musafa (pictured) injected her with heroin against her will, beat her, raped her, and filmed her performing a sex act on his pit bull

Rowland told The Sun that she had first reconnected with Mustafa on Facebook in 2010 and they began dating a year later.

At the start of their relationship, Mustafa revealed that he had to appear in court because he had been accused of filming his ex-girlfriend naked without her consent.

However, he denied the allegations and told Rowland that he and his ex had made a sex tape together, but she was so angry after they had broken up that she had made up the story.

'I dont know if I was blinded by my feelings, but I was impressed with such honesty. I vowed to support him because I believed him,' she said.

Mustafa was give a one year prison sentence, and Rowland continued their relationship by writing him daily letters and visiting him in jail twice a week.

Helping others: The domestic abuse survivor waved her right to anonymity after Mustafa was arrested, so she could share her story with others.

Honesty: Rowland said she was enamored with Mustafa when they started dating in 2011

Shortly after she was released in January 2013, Rowland learned she was pregnant with this child. Although Mustafa was happy at first, she said he began accusing her being unfaithful  even asking her to have an abortion.

During one story argument, Mustafa called her a 'little whore', and she packed her bags and left him to stay with a friend at 4am.

Mustafa reached out to her to apologize, but she ended up miscarrying the baby. The two ended up getting back together despite their tumultuous relationship; however, Rowland said he remained jealous, and they frequently fought.

They broke up for a second time in May 2013, but they ended up back together because she thought she was pregnant again.

After they were reunited, Rowland said Mustafa had gone back to being the guy she fell in love with, but that all changed when they learned that she wasn't actually pregnant.

Warning signs: At the start of their relationship, Mustafa was jailed for one year after he was convicted of filming his ex-girlfriend naked without her knowledge

Blinded by love: Rowland said Mustafa told her that his ex had made up the story after they broke up, and she had believed that he was wrongly convicted

One night in June 2013, he picked her up at a friend's house and drove her to a quiet area before demanding that she make a fist and give him her arm.

'He quickly pushed a vial of heroin into my arm and I was powerless  it happened so quickly and I was so afraid of what he might do if I pulled away,' she recalled.

Rowland, who had never done drugs before, said the heroin made her ill, and over the next six days, he injected her at least once or twice a day from what she can remember.

Mustafa left her clothes in the car, so she would throw up on them, and one day he drove her to the woods and forced her to pull down her pants and bend over before he beat her with a belt and raped her.

On another occasion, Mustafa had Rowland take off her clothes and brought him his pit bull, telling her to 'give the dog oral sex' while he filmed her.

'That was one of the most degrading things he made me do,' she said. 'I felt so physically sick after and so horrified in myself. 'After that he told me to go into the bathroom, clean my teeth and go back to give him oral sex.'

Next chapter: Rowland now works at a doctor's office and speaks publicly about her experience with Mustafa to help other victims of domestic violence

Advocate: Earlier this month, Rowland celebrated Massachusetts White Ribbon Day

Rowland managed to escape returned to work on July 5, confessing what happened to her after her concerned boss asked her about the bruises on her body. She went to the police to press charges before seeking refuge at a shelter.

Mustafa was given a six-year-sentence in March 2014 after he was found guilty of of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, malicious destruction of property and witness intimidation.

Although Rowland felt relieved after he was convicted, she believes the sentence should be longer.

'He tortured me for a week. He could easily have killed me with the heroin or he could have beaten me to death as he promised he would,' she explained.

Rowland now works at a doctor's office and speaks publicly about her experience with Mustafa to help other victims of domestic violence.

On March 2, Rowland shared a Facebook photo of herself wearing a white ribbon in honor of the 10th annual Massachusetts White Ribbon Day.

'Today I wear my white ribbon proudly to honor those men who stand up for women like myself who have been abused by men who are supposed to love us,' she wrote.
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A mermaid-obsessed bride is so passionate about the mythical underwater creatures that she decided to get married in the sea.

Susana Zamos, 49 - who is a scuba diver and believes she is actually a mermaid - and her husband Jovany Garzon, 45, exchanged rings and kissed under water and the bride arrived on a surfboard.

The couple, who live in Boston, got married in the Caribbean Sea by the island of Cozumel, Mexico.

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Water lovers: Mermaid-obsessed bride Susana Zamos, 49, and husband Jovany Garzon, 45, pictured, had a water-soaked wedding in the Caribbean

Sea legs: Zamos, pictured on a surfboard, is so passionate about the mythical underwater creature that she wanted to get married in the sea

Alter ego: The bride said she believes that she is actually a mermaid

Submerged: The couple, who live in Boston, exchanged rings and kissed underwater

They were accompanied by the vicar, their friends, family and bridesmaids for the November ceremony who surrounded them waist-deep in water.

Their 70 guests were transported by boat to the location, on a sandbank, while some people swam part of the way.

Zamos, who is originally from Newton, New Jersey, said her affinity with water started at a young age and that she feels happier underwater than on land.

She said: 'Ever since I first got in the water, at the age of three or four years old, I loved the water and felt like I could breathe under water, thus the love of mermaids.

'I use one tank on a two-tank dive, the scuba instructors say I must have a gill, or weird lungs.'

She added: 'I do think I'm a mermaid. I'm happy in the water than on land, a true "fish out of sea". You might not have seen it in the shoot, but I was uncomfortable in the dress.

Remote: They got married by the island of Cozumel, Mexico

Natural: Zamos, who is originally from Newton, New Jersey, said her affinity with water started at a young age and that she feels happier underwater than on land

Unusual: Their 70 guests were transported by boat to the location, on a sandbank, while some people swam part of the way

Committed: They were accompanied by the vicar, their friends, family and bridesmaids for the November ceremony who surrounded them waist-deep in water

'I love to be underwater and must sit in the tub for extended periods of time to be right. That's very true.'

Zamos said her husband complains about her spending long periods of time in the bath when she said she likes to 'soak her tail'.

She added: 'I have always loved the water. Im a scuba diver and was fortunate enough to grow up with a pool in the backyard and the sea not far away. My happiest days were always in the water.'

The couple were told by a wedding planner that performing the ceremony in the water would be too complicated so they thought they would have to settle for the beach.

But photographer Sol Tamargo, of Del Sol Photography, said she relished the logistical challenges of the shoot.

Hydrated: Zamos said her husband complains about her spending long periods of time in the bath when she said she likes to 'soak her tail'

Logistical challenge: The couple were told by a wedding planner that performing the ceremony in water would be too complicated

Doable: But photographer Sol Tamargo, of Del Sol Photography, said she relished the logistical challenges of the shoot

Big operation: It took a team of eight - including photographers, videographers and drone operators who had to battle high winds - to capture the ceremony

It took a team of eight - including photographers, videographers and drone operators who had to battle high winds - to capture the ceremony.

The drone was operated from a moving boat and two cameras shot from underwater.

The bride had six different wedding dresses - five traditional, including two for 'trash the dress' pictures, and one Yucatan traditional 'terno' - and wore a specially-made shell crown.

Tamargo said: 'Susana's vision was a dream come true for her, Jovany and me. When do you get to photograph a wedding in the ocean, with a surfboard and an altar?

'A wedding in the middle of the ocean is difficult for many reasons. I understand why Susana had been told it was impossible.

'Moving her 70 guests to the ceremony location using two boats and a catamaran was one challenge. Managing the camera gear in the water was another.'

Multiple angles: The drone was operated from a moving boat and two cameras shot from underwater

Prepared: Zamos had six different wedding dresses - five traditional, including two for 'trash the dress' pictures, and one Yucatan traditional 'terno'

Water baby: Zamos said she is so good at breathing under water that her scuba divers joke that she has gills

Exciting job: Photographer Tamargo said the wedding was a 'dream come true' for her as well
Tiffany Trump is letting her hair down in Belize with her longtime boyfriend Ross Mechanic while her father Donald continues to battle controversy just two months into his presidency.

The 23-year-old First Daughter took to Instagram on Monday to share a playful video of herself zip-lining in Central America.

The clip, which she captioned with a monkey emoji, sees her happily sailing through the trees while smiling for the camera.

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Having a blast: Tiffany Trump took to Instagram on Monday to share a video of herself zip-lining

Tiffany traded her elegant dresses for a hot pink tank top and leggings for the adventurous outing in Belize.

The day before, the University of Pennsylvania graduate shared footage of herself being lowered into a cave in the stories section of her Instagram account.

The video sees Tiffany descending into the darkness before heading out a tunnel in a boat, saying: 'Goodbye cave.'

All smiles: The First Daughter is in Belize with her longtime boyfriend Ross Mechanic

Sporty new look: Tiffany traded her designer duds for a hot pink tank top and black leggings

In the next clip, she is filming the stunning greenery surrounding her as she sails down the river.

Meanwhile, Ross, 22, shared an Instagram photo of a woodland stream at sunset, and Tiffany had posted a similar image in her Instagram stories.

While Tiffany and Ross were living it up on their tropical getaway, President Trump removed Iraq from a list of countries targeted in a U.S. travel ban, signing a new executive order after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts.

So beautiful: Tiffany added scenic pictures and videos to her Instagram stories on Sunday

Scenic view: The 23-year-old filmed herself boating down a river, and she and Ross both shared photos of the same sunset

Feeling adventurous: Tiffany also posted a video of herself being lowered into a cave

The order will keep a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of six Muslim-majority nations  Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

It was also reported on Monday that the president does not believe FBI director James Comey's denial, through senior officials, that Barack Obama ordered a wiretap on Trump Tower prior to the election.

On Saturday, Donald fired out a series of tweets alleging  without providing any evidence that the previous president had Trump Tower wiretapped during the 2016 campaign.

Fashionable couple: Tiffany and Ross are pictured at the Taoray Wang show during New York Fashion Week last month

Family fun: Tiffany joined her half-brothers Donald Jr. and Eric and their respective wives Vanessa and Lara in Canada for the opening of the Trump Hotel & Tower Vancouver last week

Blonde beauties: Tiffany is pictured laughing next to her sisters-in-law Vanessa and Lara (from left to right)

Meanwhile, a new CNN/ORC poll reveals that 65 per cent of Americans support the appointment of an independent special prosecutor who would look into contacts between President Trump's associates amid new calls for an independent Russia probe.

Last week, Tiffany joined her half-brothers Donald Jr. and Eric and their respective wives Vanessa and Lara in Canada for the opening of the Trump Hotel & Tower Vancouver.

Photos show the group smiling and laughing at the big opening, then later gathering for the ribbon cutting, during which Tiffany was kept separated from the other two couples and placed on the opposite end of the ceremonial tape.

Strike a pose: Tiffany donned an elegant black and gold dress to the Vivienne Tam show last month

Proud moment: Tiffany is pictured with her father Donald and stepmother Melania at his inauguration in January

Popular location:Tiffany's older half-sister Ivanka Trump traveled to Belize two years ago with her husband Jared Kushner for a babymoon while she was pregnant with her son Theodore

Meanwhile, outside the property protesters raged about the new addition to the city while carrying signs that read 'Humanity Against Trump,' 'Dump Trump,' and one that simply said 'sad.'

Despite the controversy that shrouds her father, Tiffany appears to be having a great time in Belize  a travel destination that is also beloved by her older half-sister Ivanka Trump.

Two years ago, Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner enjoyed a babymoon at the Cayo Espanto resort. At the time, the mother-of-three was pregnant with her now-11-month-old son Theodore.
Orion Withrow looks different from other children.

He has incredibly pale skin and hair, thin bones that make walking difficult and is unable to speak.

This is because the six-year-old, from Austin, Texas, has been diagnosed with a newly identified genetic disorder known as COMMAD.

It leaves Orion deaf and blind, along with a range of problems that affect eye formation and pigmentation in the eyes, skin and hair.

It is estimated that fewer than one in a million is affected with COMMAD and, because of how recently it was identified, there is no treatment in sight.

Tragic: Orion Withrow, six, (pictured with his mother, Heather) has a rare genetic condition known as COMMAD that leaves him with a number of symptoms, but primarily deaf and blind

Sad: Orion's parents, Heather and Thomas, are both genetically-deaf, which raised Orion's risk of inheriting the condition. However, fewer than one in a million is affected

Orion was born to genetically-deaf parents, Heather and Thomas, who relocated to Austin from Maryland.

When Heather was pregnant with Orion, she and her husband suspected that he might be born deaf.

Although their 11-year-old daughter, Anastasia, has normal hearing, their older son, Skyler, 12, is deaf.

Initial imaging warned Orion's parents that he likely would be born blind.

The MRI that followed suggested their son had Patau syndrome, a chromosomal condition that causes devastating physical abnormalities.

Heather's doctor recommended the pregnancy be terminated.

'We just closed that discussion quick,' Heather told The Washington Post through an interpreter.

'It is sad when people think, "Oh well, he is going to be disabled so go ahead and end his life". It's in God's hands. It was not my decision to make, and it wasn't my husband's decision to make.'

On her blog, A Mom's Musings, Heather wrote that Orion was born 'long and lean with snowy white hair and lashes, ice-melting smile, and rich laughter'.

Although deaf, Orion's right eye has some light perception. He wears scleral cover shells - lenses that are inserted over his eyeballs to allow the sockets to grow proportionally with his face.

He also wears bilateral cochlear implants and attends physical therapy to improve his motor functions due to mild osteopetrosis, or dense bones.

Children born to two deaf parents are at a higher risk for getting COMMAD, according to a recently published study.

Senior author Dr Brian Brooks, clinical director and chief of the Pediatric, Developmental and Genetic Ophthalmology Section at the National Eye Institute, said these findings are significant.

Devastating: The condition causes Orion to be unable to walk due to his thin bones, unable to see or hear, and suffer from albinism

'It is relatively common for folks in the deaf community to marry each other,' he said.

WHAT IS COMMAD? COMMAD stands for Coloboma Osteopetrosis Microphthalmia Macrocephaly Albinism Deafness. Coloboma - missing pieces of tissue in structures that form the eye

Osteopetrosis - abnormally dense bones prone to fracture

Microphthalmia - small or abnormally formed eyes

Macrocephaly - abnormal enlargement of the head

Albinism - lack of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes Many deaf people have a specific genetic 'misspelling' that causes a syndrome called Waardenburg 2A. If each person in a deaf couple has this condition, there's the likelihood of a child inheriting the mutation. The result is COMMAD. Only recently identified, it is estimated that fewer than one in a million is affected. There is no known cure or treatment. Advertisement

Many deaf people have a specific genetic 'misspelling' that causes a syndrome called Waardenburg 2A.

If each person in a deaf couple has this condition, there's the likelihood of a child inheriting the mutation. The result, researchers found, is COMMAD.

It stands for coloboma (missing pieces of tissue in structures that form the eye), osteopetrosis (abnormally dense bones prone to fracture), microphthalmia (small or abnormally formed eyes), macrocephaly (abnormal enlargement of the head), albinism (lack of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes) and deafness.

Because the disorder was only recently identified, there is still a great deal to learn about its impact over a lifetime.

Dr Brooks, who estimates that fewer than one person in a million is affected, has seen only two cases - one of them being Orion's.

COMMAD can affect the six-year-old in strange ways.

Orion's body is unable to distinguish between morning and evening, making him often stay awake at night.

Heather said: 'He would think it's morning outside at 2am, and he would want to play at a time when we want to go to sleep.'

Hope: While there is no known cure or treatment, Heather shares updates on her son's journey on her blog in hopes of further educating people and spreading awareness about COMMAD

On her blog, Heather works to educate people about COMMAD and deaf-blind children.

At home, she and the rest of the family use a touch-based version of American Sign Language, using objects such as a baby bottle or a spoon, to communicate with Orion.

And although knowledge about caring for the condition is minimal, Heather hopes that her son gives people a greater understanding.

'Orion's life is just as important as everyone else's and we hope he has the same opportunities as others,' she said.
A 12-year-old boy was left in intense pain after a caterpillar flicked its hairs into one of his eyes.

He had suffered from redness and increased sensitivity to light for around five days before seeing his GP.

Doctors discovered he had been playing on a field plagued by the furry animals at roughly the same time when his symptoms began.

And upon optical examination, they discovered tiny fibres from the animal buried in his cornea.

A 12-year-old boy was left in pain after a caterpillar flicked its hairs into his eyes (stock)

The ends of some hair were seen penetrating further into the eye and into the anterior chamber - just in front of the lens.

Writing in the BMJ Case Reports, opticians revealed how his vision was still 20/20 despite the issue.

The boy, from India, was prescribed a range of topical steroids up to six times a day to lessen the damage caused to the eye.

There was never any need for surgery - which wouldn't have worked because they were buried too deep - as his response to the medication was proving successful.

Upon optical examination, doctors discovered tiny fibres from the animal buried in his cornea

Doctors said there were no vision-threatening complications, despite the hairs burrowing into his eye.

After two weeks of therapy, the amount of hair decreased quickly, but damage to the posterior segment rose, the medics said.

This may be due to the migration of hair from the anterior chamber to posterior segment, which is known to occur.

Caterpillar hairs are sharp and have unidirectional barbs, allowing them to move towards the base.

However, even after two months of treatment, the patient is not totally free of inflammation from the incident.

The boy's case comes after scientists in November warned that certain caterpillars can cause blindness.

Those of the brown-tail moth variety may only grow to 38 millimetres in length but can also cause respiratory problems.
You may think the key to a promotion is working late, schmoozing with the boss, or wearing the right thing.

But a new study suggests something more personal could be the secret.

According to new research, people who orgasm at least once a day are far more likely to enjoy their jobs, work hard, and move up the career ladder.

They also have a healthier work-life balance.

'We make jokes about people having a "spring in their step," but it turns out this is actually a real thing and we should pay attention to it,' said Keith Leavitt, an associate professor at Oregon State University.

A study documented the mood of 159 married employees for two weeks. They found men and women were far more productive and engaged if they'd had sex the night before

'Maintaining a healthy relationship that includes a healthy sex life will help employees stay happy and engaged in their work, which benefits the employees and the organizations they work for.'

Professor Leavitt, an expert in organizational behavior and management at the school's College of Business, insists the findings have never been more relevant, in an era when we are all expected to respond to emails after-hours.

He warns the study showed that people who left their work-related stress at home, and allowed themselves a window of intimacy every day, had better work and sex lives.

Sexual intercourse triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with the reward centers in the brain.

It also lets off oxytocin, a neuropeptide associated with social bonding and attachment.

That makes sex a natural and relatively automatic mood elevator and the benefits extend well into the next day, Professor Leavitt said.

To understand the impact of sex on work, the researchers documented 159 married employees over the course of two weeks, asking them to complete two surveys a day.

Overwhelmingly, employees who had sex were in more positive moods the next day.

And the elevated mood levels in the morning led to more sustained work engagement and job satisfaction throughout the workday.

The effect, which appears to linger for at least 24 hours, was equally strong for both men and women.

It was present even after researchers took into account marital satisfaction and sleep quality, which are two common predictors of daily mood.

'This is a reminder that sex has social, emotional and physiological benefits, and it's important to make it a priority,' Professor Leavitt said. 'Just make time for it.'

Twenty years ago, monitoring sleep or daily step counts or actively practicing mindful meditation might've seemed odd but now they are all things people practice as part of efforts to lead healthier, more productive lives.

It may be time to rethink sex and its benefits as well, he said.

'Making a more intentional effort to maintain a healthy sex life should be considered an issue of human sustainability, and as a result, a potential career advantage,' he said.

U.S. employers probably won't follow the lead of a town councilman in Sweden who recently proposed that local municipal employees be allowed to use an hour of their work week for sex. The councilman's hope is to boost the town's declining population as well as improve employee moods and productivity.

However, employers here can steer their employee engagement efforts more broadly toward work-life balance policies that encourage workers to disconnect from the office, Leavitt said.

The French recently enacted a law that bars after-hours email and gives employees a 'right to disconnect.'

'Technology offers a temptation to stay plugged in, but it's probably better to unplug if you can,' he said. 'And employers should encourage their employees to completely disengage from work after hours.'
The number of children dying from undiagnosed cancers has risen despite advances in pediatric cancer care.

A new study has found that the rates were four times higher than standard figures, which stem from clinical trials.

Researchers say this suggests that early death is under-reported in medical literature, and that more effort needs to be placed on identifying those at risk and developing interventions.

This is despite huge gains made in pediatric care, with five-year survival rates up 80 percent and plummeting rates of children diagnosed with second cancers.

The rate of children dying from undiagnosed cancers is up to four times higher than what was reported in clinical trials, a new study says

The study, conducted between the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and the University of Colorado, used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, finding over 36,000 pediatric cancer cases between 1992 and 2011.

Of those young patients, 555 - 1.5 percent - died within one month of cancer diagnosis. Overall, the strongest predictor of patients who would die soon after diagnosis was if they were below one year old.

'Babies can be more challenging and it's really multifactorial,' senior author Dr Adam Green, a professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, told Daily Mail Online.

'They're at a higher risk for congenital cancers when they're born. Some parents might even choose not treat them at that point.

'And then babies are hard to diagnose when they're one year old or younger and, when they are diagnosed, they have very aggressive cancers. For example, we know it's harder to treat leukemia in an infant than in an older child.'

The study also found that those who were black or Hispanic had a greater risk of early death, even beyond socioeconomic status.

Dr Green said he hopes future studies will discover whether biologic or cultural factors are responsible for these disparities, or if the higher rates are due to factors built into insurance and health care systems.

He added that the rate of early deaths due to pediatric cancers is higher than what was previously reported.

'Most of what we know about outcomes for cancer patients come from clinical trials, which have much more thorough reporting rules than cancer treated outside trials,' he said.

Babies tend to get aggressive cancers. It's hard to tell when they're getting sick, and some are even born with cancers that have already progressed Dr Adam Green, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

'But many of these patients die before they become enrolled in clinical trials and those are the ones who aren't being counted.'

In one example, the authors discussed a clinical trial against childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Early death was reported in 16 of just over 1,000 young patients, or 1.6 percent of these cases.

But the SEER database, which collects about 15 percent of all cancer outcomes across the United States, showed 106 early deaths in 1,700 cases, or 6.2 percent of all cases - almost four times as high as previously reported.

When comparing the rates of early deaths seen in the SEER database to rates of early deaths reported in clinical trial data, early death was higher for all cancer subtypes.

Dr Green says he would like to work with colleagues at the University of Colorado Cancer Center to design a national study that would look more closely at factors associated with this outcome.

He said: 'So that whenever a family has a child who dies of cancer within a month of diagnosis, we could contact the family to gather information about timing of symptoms and their experience accessing care.

'But we hope this study builds awareness for this population of patients and, if we can identify a specific scope of risk factors for early death, hopefully we can design an early intervention too.'
When John Spalding woke up with a temperature and nausea, he reluctantly decided to stay in bed rather than going in to the surgery where he worked as a GP.

His wife, Di, a physiotherapist, called the practice manager to say John was ill  only for John to call out from under the duvet: 'Don't worry, I'll be in later.'

John and Di assumed he had a virus or maybe the flu.

But just ten hours after he had begun to feel unwell, John was dead.

The 56-year-old had contracted a particularly virulent form of meningitis, the ST-11 strain of meningitis W, otherwise known as MenW.

John Spalding (pictured) from Worcestershire died from the ST-11 strain of meningitis W at the age of 56

Two years on from her husband's death on December 23, 2014, Di is still reeling. 'The shock was overwhelming,' says Di, 56, who met John at university.

'One minute he was there, cheerful and excited about Christmas, and the next, he was gone.'

MenW first arrived in the UK in 2008 and there's since been a fivefold increase in cases. It is highly dangerous, even for perfectly healthy people.

There are six different strains of meningococcal meningitis, the most common type of bacterial meningitis.

The death rate for most is 5 per cent, but it's around 13 per cent for MenW, says the Meningitis Research Foundation, rising to 40 per cent among teenagers.

Meningitis is typically associated with babies, but more than half of MenW cases occur in people over the age of 45.

However, it is usually spread by teenagers and younger people  those aged between 14 and 25 are more likely to carry meningococcal bacteria as they mix more and are in closer proximity to new people (one in four in this age group carries the bacteria, compared to one in ten in the rest of the population).

Concerns about the rising incidence of MenW led to the introduction, two years ago, of a vaccine against it (and three other strains, A, C and Y): this ACWY jab is now given to school-age children in Year 9 and upwards.

The free jab is also available to students up to the age of 25 and Di is urging all young people to have the vaccine, not only to keep them safe from the disease, but to protect everyone else.

The night before he died, John had come home from work as usual at 7.30pm.

There was nothing to suggest anything was wrong with the energetic father of three, who was a keen squash player.

Dianne Spalding (left), said her husband John (right) had none of the obvious signs of MenW the morning before he died, such as a rash or aversion to light

After a meal, he and Di spent a 'pleasant evening' wrapping their sons' Christmas presents, recalls Di.

When John awoke at 3am with a temperature, Di gave him some paracetamol and he went back to sleep.

By the morning, he still had a fever and was feeling nauseous. Di called the practice to say he wouldn't be in first thing, but John insisted he would go in that afternoon, 'which was typical of him, as he hated to let anyone down,' she says.

Di gave John more paracetamol and then went out to buy some vegetables for the family's Christmas dinner.

When she returned to their home in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, at 10.30am, John was fast asleep.

Two hours later, Di heard movement upstairs and went to check on him.

The couple's youngest son Tim, now 22, who was home from university for the holidays, followed her into the bedroom.

The night before he died, John (left) and Dianne spent a 'pleasant evening' wrapping their sons' Christmas presents

They found John swaying at the end of the bed, struggling to breathe. 'He was an awful colour and was gasping,' says Di.

'He said: 'Call an ambulance,' which I did. A paramedic instructed Tim and me to get John on the floor and he talked us through CPR, but John quickly became delirious, and we knew we'd lost him after about three minutes.'

The air ambulance service was called to assist, but John was pronounced dead two hours later at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

The couple's eldest son Phil, 28, who worked locally, managed to get to the hospital to meet his family, but Di had to break the news to her middle son Richard, 26, who was away working in Doncaster, over the phone.

'As a mother, that was the hardest thing I have ever had to do,' she says.

Although the family was told at the time that the cause of John's death was likely to be meningitis, it was another ten days before a post-mortem revealed that his internal organs had been covered in a rash.

On the evening of December 23rd, Dianne and the couple's youngest son Tim found John swaying at the end of his bed, struggling to breathe

He had died from MenW, something Di admits she hadn't ever heard of. No one knew how John had contracted the illness.

'I still struggle with the fact there was no time to say goodbye,' says Di. 'John died only hours after becoming ill, and there were no obvious warning signs.'

MenW can be notoriously difficult to spot because it doesn't always present with a rash or other typical symptoms.

This was certainly true for John, because even as a GP with 30 years of experience, he did not recognise his fever and nausea as meningitis.

'Well, how could he?' says Di. 'There was no rash or aversion to the light. He didn't have cold hands or feet, and we both assumed he was just coming down with flu.'

Cases of MenW with no obvious symptoms like John's are not uncommon, explains Dr Shamez Ladhani, an infectious disease consultant from Public Health England.

'Often there is extreme sickness or diarrhoea, or it could even present in a similar way to a chest infection or pneumonia, but the meningococcal rash doesn't appear until much later, if at all,' he says.

After her husband's death, Dianne and her three sons are trying to encourage students to get immunised as they are the most likely to pass on the dangerous strain of meningitis

'It is easy to confuse these symptoms with sickness bugs, food poisoning or excessive alcohol consumption, particularly in younger people.

'If caught early enough, it can be treated successfully with intravenous antibiotics, but it tends to work through the body very quickly, with most deaths occurring within 24 hours.'

Despite the availability of a free meningitis vaccine, the take-up among university students has been worryingly low  at less than 30 per cent.

'It is a question of herd immunity,' explains Linda Glennie, head of research and medical information at the Meningitis Research Foundation.

'If we immunise people aged between 14 and 25, it will help to protect everyone else.

The school programme has been a real success with more than 70 per cent take-up.

Ideally, we'd like 100 per cent, but we are not doing so well with young people who have left school, as only around 30 per cent of them have gone to get their vaccine.

'The minute a student sets foot on campus, their exposure to the bacteria rockets as they mix so closely with other young people, for example, in university accommodation and crowded pubs.'

Dianne (pictured) and two of her sons have now been immunised privately. She believes the jab is a small price to pay

Students can have the jab either at their college medical centre or at their GP surgery at home.

'Ideally, they should be immunised before they start university or college, and if they haven't had the jab already, we would encourage them to do so as soon as possible,' stresses Linda Glennie.

At the moment, younger children are not offered the MenW vaccine, although all babies under the age of one are offered the MenB vaccination, Bexsero, which is believed to offer some protection against MenW, as the strains are similar (MenB is more prevalent among the under-fives).

The ACWY vaccination is available privately, but as Dr Ladhani points out, with reported cases of MenW still relatively low, it is not viable to offer a free vaccination to everyone.

Di is now working with the Meningitis Research Foundation to raise awareness of MenW.

She and two of her sons have now been immunised privately. She believes the jab is a small price for young people to pay to protect themselves and others.

'I completely understand that the NHS can't afford to vaccinate everyone,' she says. 'But if students and teenagers are immunised it could make a real difference  it will save lives.

'Our life is not the same without John, and he has missed out on so much. Phil has started a master's degree, Richard has a new job and Tim got a first-class degree.

'John was a devoted dad who was passionate about medicine, and he had this incredible sense of fun and adventure. His life was cruelly cut short by this illness.

'I would hate to see another family suffer as we have done, which is why I want young people to understand the importance of having the vaccine.'

'John was technically a low risk, but he still died from MenW, and even as a doctor he didn't see the signs.

'If it can happen to him, it could happen to anyone. We need to stop this illness spreading.'

For more information, go to meningitis.org or call 080 8800 3344
More than 35,000 Britons are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year.

Robert Holt, 71, a deputy manager for Oxfam from North London, has been treated with a new form of 'heated' chemotherapy given during surgery, as he tells SOPHIE GOODCHILD.

THE PATIENT

Early in 2010, I started to feel exhausted without reason. Even after a good night's sleep, I'd be so tired in the day that I'd doze off at work.

After a few months, I went to my GP, who gave me a blood test, which showed I was anaemic, so he prescribed iron pills.

Thanks to a new, dramatic treatment, Robert will live to see his daughter's wedding (stock image, not pictured)

But I continued to feel tired. I went back multiple times for more tests over the following few months, but all came back normal.

Then, in early 2011, after other possibilities were ruled out, I was referred to hospital for tests.

A doctor used a thin tube with a camera on the end to examine my bowel and I also had a CT scan.

Ten days later, I went in with my wife Mary to discuss the results and the doctor said I had bowel cancer  the tumour was bleeding, which had led to anaemia and tiredness.

The diagnosis was certainly a shock, but I felt the only option was to get on with it and remain positive.

The tumour was in part of the bowel called the colon and was small, but it had spread to the lymph nodes, which meant that it could spread through the lymph system throughout my body  so I needed surgery and chemotherapy.

For the next three and a half years after this treatment, I felt fine and scans were clear.

But, in January 2016, a routine CT scan showed a new tumour in my colon.

I needed surgery again and different chemotherapy drugs. This was more punishing than the first round: my hair fell out and I had to stop work because of the side-effects.

Symptoms of bowel cancer include stomach pain and anaemia. The first time around, Robert beat the cancer through chemotherapy treatment

But a scan after the 12-week treatment showed the tumour was the same size as before surgery, meaning chemo hadn't worked and, again, there was a risk the cancer would spread.

Then my consultant said he wanted to try a new approach, where they remove the tumour with surgery and then fill your abdomen with hot chemotherapy liquid to kill remaining cancer cells  this is known as a 'chemo bath'.

My consultant said that this made the chemo more effective, as a higher dose reaches remaining tumour cells, and there are fewer side-effects because the chemo doesn't make contact with other organs.

Though I'd be one of the first patients in Britain to be treated with it, I trusted my consultant and felt I had to try it. It was my only option.

I had the chemo bath last July under general anaesthetic. Afterwards, there was no pain, but I had the usual post-chemo feeling of having been knocked out.

I spent three weeks in hospital, but, by the time I was discharged, the tiredness had disappeared.

His second chemotherapy treatment showed no results. Robert was instead offered a more dramatic treatment, called a 'chemo bath'

I returned to work in October and, so far, the scans and blood tests show there's no cancer left, which is a relief.

I feel well and don't have any symptoms. Our daughter is getting married this year, so we're very much looking forward to that.

THE SURGEON

Jamie Murphy is a colorectal consultant at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Symptoms of bowel cancer can include bleeding and changes in bowel habits, as well as weight loss.

But another potential sign is extreme fatigue triggered by anaemia, which is the result of the tumour bleeding.

Robert had cancer in the colon  this is a tube about two metres long that runs from the small intestine to the rectum.

Illustration of a healthy human bowel. The colon is a tube about two metres long that runs from the small intestine to the rectum

The normal way to treat colon cancer is surgery, but, if it has spread, the patient will also need chemotherapy.

However, for patients such as Robert, whose cancer has returned, it is considered incurable.

We can remove any visible tumours surgically, but we know from experience that there will be clumps of cancer cells on the surface of abdominal organs that we haven't removed.

These cancer cells are invisible and conventional chemotherapy is not very effective at killing cancer on the surface of abdominal organs as it travels in the general bloodstream and doesn't reach these areas.

The patient may be offered additional chemo to extend their life as it can stop the cancer growing, but it cannot kill it.

But now we can offer surgery followed by a form of chemotherapy called hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), which can kill off the cancer cells more effectively and stop them returning.

Essentially, after we cut out the bulk of the tumour, a chemotherapy drug is pumped, in a highly concentrated and heated form, directly into the abdominal cavity, so that it makes direct contact with the cancer cells.

This differs from conventional chemotherapy, which is delivered into a vein and enters the bloodstream, meaning it reaches other organs and causes unwanted side-effects.

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), where the cancer drug is heated up, can kill off the cancer cells more effectively and stop them returning

Because HIPEC, also known as a chemo bath, is delivered directly to the tumour, higher doses can be given and this makes it more effective.

The chemotherapy liquid is heated to 42c  roughly the temperature of a warm bath  and the heat is thought to improve the way tumours absorb the drug.

We don't know exactly why; we just know it works because of results from clinical trials.

First, we remove the visibly cancerous tissue.

Then, with the patient still on the operating table, we connect a special pump to push heated chemotherapy fluid in and out of the abdomen on a continuous cycle for 60 minutes.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS? Potential complications from major surgery include bleeding and infection. 'Chemo bath is used increasingly for patients with bowel cancer that's spread across the peritoneum, which is the membrane lining the abdomen and covering the abdominal organs,' says John Jenkins, a consultant colo-rectal surgeon St Mark's Hospital, London. 'Successful results can be achieved in those who otherwise have little hope of surviving. 'We need HIPEC to be offered more widely, but it's best delivered in centres with experience in surgery for advanced cancer.' Advertisement

The fluid washes through the cavity and over the bowel  it's not pumped directly into the bowel. It's pumped in and out via two tubes, which are the width of a thumb.

The tubes are connected to a machine that sucks the liquid in and out: the used liquid is removed to a chamber to be re-heated and passed into the abdomen again.

This treatment has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) since February 2010 for bowel cancer.

One study of 30 bowel cancer patients showed that 63 per cent were alive three years following chemo bath  while all those treated with palliative care died within 12 months.

In theory, HIPEC could provide an alternative to conventional chemotherapy for cancers such as ovarian, stomach and appendix, which also originate in or spread to the abdominal cavity.

In my opinion, it offers hope to patients who would have been deemed untreatable before.

Treatment costs 30,000 to the NHS and 75,000 privately.
There's an old saying in sleep medicine: bedrooms are for slumber, sex and nothing else.

Nowadays, though, that idea is all but obsolete  thanks to the all-invading domination of smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Yet a wealth of research demonstrates why everyone should banish screens from the bedroom  even if they're switched off. And it's not just because of the light they generate.

Experts fear the havoc they wreak on our sleep is sentencing us  and our children  to lives dogged by obesity, diabetes and even Alzheimer's.

There's an old saying in sleep medicine: bedrooms are for slumber, sex and nothing else. Nowadays, though, that idea is all but obsolete

The Mail reported yesterday on the latest evidence, with NHS data showing that in the past decade, hospital attendances in England for children under 14 with sleep disorders have tripled.

And it's their use of mobile technology that is being blamed. Phone and tablet screens are now a mainstay of teenagers' bedrooms.

Studies show that seven in ten British children and nine in ten teenagers have at least one device in their bedrooms.

Almost half of teenaged schoolchildren check their mobile phones after they have gone to bed, according to a survey undertaken last year by educational organisation the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

The blue light that electronic screens emit is a major source of insomnia and sleep problems.

Numerous studies, such as a report in the journal Current Biology in 2013, warn that the blue wavelength suppresses production of the sleep-inducing brain chemical, melatonin  making it harder to fall asleep and to enjoy good quality sleep.

The thrill of social media also puts a stop to unbroken slumber.

'Children are taking electronic devices to bed and continuing to use them through the night,' Dr Simon Archer, a reader in sleep genetics at the University of Surrey, told Good Health.

'The excitement of rapid communication has a stimulating effect that prevents sound sleep.'

A sense of unprecedented excitement may explain why the mere presence of screens in bedrooms  even if smartphones and tablets are switched off  disrupts children's sleep.

This was the finding of a study of 125,000 children by researchers at King's College London, published in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics last November.

Almost half of teenaged schoolchildren check their mobile phones after they have gone to bed, according to a survey undertaken last year

Dr Archer warns: 'If children grow up with a lifetime of sleep disruption, then there is an increased risk of weight-related problems such as diabetes.'

A report from 2014 in the Canadian Journal of Public Health found that the more screens children aged nine to 11 had in their bedrooms, the more likely they were to be both sleep-deprived and overweight.

Poor sleep is thought to upset the balance of appetite-controlling hormones such as ghrelin, which tells our brains when we are hungry.

When tired, we are more prone to crave foods high in sugar and fat.

Dr Archer fears that lack of sleep may severely harm teens'  and adults'  brains in later life.

'The risk of cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's may be increased,' he says. 'Research on this is in its early days, but the danger is there.'

Dr Guy Meadows, clinical director of the Sleep School in London, is particularly worried by the effect of screen-induced insomnia on intelligence.

Last week, Public Health England announced plans to introduce lessons in schools to help teenagers to become resistant to the phenomenon of FOMO  fear of missing out

'Our brains are still forming right up to the age of 21,' he says. 'Most of the development occurs when we are sleeping.

If this is not allowed to happen, we see children developing attention issues and hyperactivity, challenging behaviour and poor memory.'

Last week, Public Health England announced plans to introduce lessons in schools to help teenagers to become resistant to the phenomenon of FOMO  fear of missing out  and thus better able to switch their mobiles off before bedtime.

The problem is that parents are setting a bad example.

A study by Bristol University, reported in the British Medical Journal in 2013, found the more time parents spent looking at screens, the more their children watched screens in their bedrooms.

Even a Kindle in the bedroom can cause insomnia, thanks to the light it emits, according to a 2015 study

It is not just children who are affected by tech in bedrooms. Adults run similar health risks.

Even a Kindle in the bedroom can cause insomnia, thanks to the light it emits, according to a 2015 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Relationships suffer, as well.Research by Relate in 2011 found that couples were spending more time looking at their laptops than they were looking at each other.

Sleep doctor Guy Meadows long ago banished all mobile devices from his bedroom.

'Years ago, I found myself checking Facebook in bed and thought it ridiculous,' he says. 'I realised I needed to give my brain respite in order to relax and go to sleep.'

But many parents fear that banning children from having mobile devices in their bedrooms makes them look like killjoys.

Dr Neil Stanley, former chair of the British Sleep Society, has a robust answer: 'Our parents had no problem with being miserable old gits.

'We have to stop being scared to tell children that these technologies can be bad for them.'
Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

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

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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".

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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

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

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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
Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to his supporters during his second road show ahead of 7th phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the saviour of an eight-day-old girl from Assam when a nail-biting medical rescue drama played out in the national Capital on Saturday evening.

The infant, suffering from a grave medical condition affecting her lungs, was airlifted from Dibrugarh to Delhi's Gangaram Hospital for life-saving treatment.

The Prime Minister's intervention in the nick of time ensured a traffic-free passage for the rescue team who later revealed that the battery to the child's respiratory machine had just seven minutes left before going flat

The child's parents say that they owe the life of their daughter to the Prime Minister and Delhi Police.

'He is our God today,' Dhrubajyoti Kalita, father of the newborn told Mail Today. 'We sought help from several influential people, including a top IPS officer from northeast working with Delhi police.

'Nobody did anything. We did not know what would happen to our daughter.'

Making good progress: The parents of the baby said they owe the life of their daughter to the Prime Minister and the Delhi Police

Doctors on Sunday said the baby is out of danger and making good progress.

According to the parents, the infant was initially diagnosed with meconium aspiration syndrome - a rare medical condition whereby the baby's stool enters its lungs.

When the child inhales the contaminated fluid, it causes respiratory disorders that can become fatal.

The Prime Minister's intervention in the nick of time ensured a traffic-free passage for the rescue team

However, doctors at Gangaram said that she has persistent pulmonary hypertension.

To save the child, doctors at Aditya Hospital in Dibrugarh, arranged an air ambulance which was scheduled to land at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport around 7 pm, a time when traffic on Delhi roads is at its peak.

'The way we were received at the airport was beyond our imagination,' Kalita told Mail Today.

'Delhi police was extremely cordial and professional. We cannot thank enough the Prime Minister and Delhi police,' Kalita Dhrubajyoti works in Bhramaputra Cracker and Polymer, a Central government enterprise in Dibrugarh.

The mother of the infant, Himakshi Saharia is a primary school teacher.
Bitcoin is a digital crypto-currency that is computer generated and not printed or minted physically like a country's currency

As more and more investors take to digital currencies like bitcoin in post-demonetisation India, so too are cyber criminals exploring increasingly innovative ways to empty people's virtual wallets.

Last week, a Delhi-based businessman lost Rs 8.5 lakh to an alleged 'bitcoin miner', the term used for an agent who generates digital currency, who promised him 10 bitcoins with an assurance that the investment will rise two-fold within next six months.

The businessman chose not to file a complaint with police as digital currencies are not recognised by the RBI, even though there are varied views on its transactional legality.

'Cases of fraud related to bitcoins are becoming more frequent,' a senior crime branch officer told Mail Today.

This is partly because many global companies have started accepting digital currency.

'This has attracted many new investors. However, cashing on its rising popularity, some scamsters are also running fraud set-ups,' said the officer, requesting anonymity.

'After demonetisation in November 2016, demands of bitcoins have gone up in the country and what gold was to the previous generation, bitcoin is to today's tech-savvy investor,' he said, adding that it will be a big nuisance to crack such case as these currencies are not tangible.

Scroll down for video...

The Bitcoin user base in India has risen by 250 per cent post-demonetisation

Bitcoin is a digital crypto-currency that is computer generated and not printed or minted physically like a country's currency.

The denomination is created and held electronically in a decentralised system which means no single person, bank or authority has any regulatory control over it.

It works as conventional forms of currency and is traded worldwide. According to leading Bitcoin trading exchanges in India, there has been an increase in its user base by 250 per cent in last one year.

Scamsters are also reaching out to new investors for dealing into other crypto-currency than bitcoin which includes TimeKoin, OneCoin, LitecoinNuBits, Tether.

'It is a popular currency on the internet where anything can be bought using bitcoins such as drugs, arms, pornography.

'Even hackers demand digital currency in ransomware attacks carried in India. But, tracking crypto-currency is difficult on the web and beyond a country's boundaries is impossible,' said Triveni Singh additional Superintendent of Police (Uttar Pradesh STF).

Indian Money Rs 100 = 1.19 1 Lakh = 100,000 (hundred thousand) 10 Lakh = 1,000,000 (a million) 1 Crore = 10,000,000 (ten million) Advertisement

'Apart from Bitcoin, there are other 2,000 plus lesser-known virtual currencies and there are several cases of fraud related to virtual currencies these days,' said Hitesh Malviya, a bitcoin expert.

Experts also claim that people in India are mostly interested in buying bitcoins and not selling them in the market in order to increase its valuation.

Cops also claim that after the demonetisation announcement, many traders exchanged 'black money' for bitcoins.




Delhi Police personnel living in police barracks have been made homeless for at least a couple of days in an effort to impress top cops with their cleanliness.

Mail Today has learnt that the central district has been conducting inspections in almost all the barracks falling under its jurisdiction.

The inspection was allegedly carried out after it was revealed that Delhi Police chief Amulya Patnaik is planning to pay surprise visits at police stations, and in the case any of them fails to meet certain criteria, the SHO and deputy commissioner of that district will be punished.

Mail Today has learnt that the central district has been conducting inspections in almost all the barracks falling under their jurisdiction

'Recently, Mandeep Singh Randhawa, deputy commissioner of police (central) went to Paharganj police station for a surprise check and found the barracks untidy.

Immediately he called the SHO and rebuked him. He instructed him to get it clean as soon as possible,' a source said.

The source added that following the DCP's visit, SHO has instructed all the policemen living in those barracks to vacant them immediately.

Delhi's top cop Amulya Patnaik (centre) is likely to pay surprise visits at police stations

'They have also been instructed to take their belongings with them. Soon after the barracks were vacant, the cleanliness drive was started without making alternative arrangements for the cops who were staying there,' an official, on condition of anonymity said.

Some of the police personnel of Paharganj police station are forced to stay on the terrace now. After the inspection at Paharganj police station, SHOs of other police stations have started a cleanliness drive on their own accord.

Mail Today has found that the conditions of other police stations in the central district are similar.

Police personnel are finding it quite difficult to spend days outside barracks. Mail Today visited some of the barracks and found the conditions were miserable.

Members of Indian Police Forces march during the 67th Republic Day Parade in New Delhi

Be it infrastructure or cleanliness, the barracks do not stand up to any scrutiny.

The barrack in North Avenue where the President's security team are posted, also suffers the same misery.

Senior cops blamed it on the unavailabilty of residential facilities for the policemen as a large number of them stay in these barracks.

'If there are 8 single beds in a barrack, as many as 20 to 24 cops share it on rotation basis. And if many of them come to rest at the same time, they would join all the beds to create more space,' a head-constable living in one such barrack said.

Another policeman, requesting anonymity said: 'At times, it feels like a punishment to spend time in a barrack, due to lack of basic facilities. After returning from work, we feel stressed.

I have spent eight years in barracks and now planning to shift to rented accommodation.'

'There are no lamp shades in the barrack, so most nights lights remain turned on,'he said.

However, it was found that even after their transfer, policemen continue to stay in old barracks, whereas there are only 8-10 barracks in each police station.
Seeking to further strengthen the Navy's capabilities, the defence ministry has cleared a proposal worth Rs 20,000 crore to buy four state-of-the-art warships equipped with the deadly BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.

Two would be built in Russia and the other two in India, in a project crucial for the Navy which has been asking for additional warships to maintain its 'blue water' capabilities - the ability to carry out operations in high seas, far away from its waters.

GSL chief rear admiral Shekhar Mittal said they have already started working in this direction and are ready for construction of such big warships.

The vessels would be the follow-on warships of the Talwar class frigates (pictured), six of which are already in the Navy and are known as project 11356 in the Russian Navy

'We are already working on the project as our shipyard was recently modified to undertake the construction and integration of such weapon intensive platforms,' Mittal told Mail Today over phone.

After approval by the defence acquisition council (DAC) headed by defence minister Manohar Parrikar, the Navy will now move towards preparing a commercial note for the project after getting price quotes from the Russian side and other vendors to be involved in the programme.

Once the commercial and other related negotiations are done, the project will be sent across to the cabinet committee on security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for final approval, sources said.

The vessels will be equipped with the deadly BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles , built in partnership with Russia

The vessels would be the follow-on warships of the Talwar class frigates, six of which are already in the Navy and are known as project 11356 in the Russian Navy.

Once the project starts, the GSL would take four years to start delivering the ships.

The six previous warships of the Talwar class are already serving in the Navy and equipped with potent anti-ship missiles including the Russian Klub and BrahMos.

They are Talwar, Trishul, Tabar, Teg, Tarkash and Trikand.

Built fully in Russia, the first three have the Klub as their main weapon, while the rest have BrahMos as its major anti-ship arsenal.

The locally-built warships will be manufactured by Goa Shipyard Ltd. (GSL) at its Vasco Da Gama facility, while the Yantar shipyard, which has delivered similar vessels for the Indian Navy in the past too, will build the other two warships, defence sources said.

India's Navy already has Stealth Talwar frigates which were supplied by Russia

The Yantar shipyard has faced some problems in manufacturing the warships as the engines are built in Ukraine, which is not in good terms with Moscow at the moment.

Sources in the GSL said the major portion of the weapon-intensive platforms would be made in India and more than 50 per cent of it would be built here.

'Surface-to-air missiles, including Shtil-1, would be from Russia, but we are going to involve a lot of equipments such as electronic warfare components from India,' they said.

The Navy has also given its mine counter-measure vessels (MCMVs) project worth Rs 32,000 crore to GSL. It has tied up with South Korean shipyard Kangnam to build 12 such boats.

Senior defence ministry sources said Parrikar was a bit hesitant to nominate GSL for the project, but it was the only public sector shipyard available for completing the project.

Others, such as Mazagon Dockyards Limited and GRSE, are busy with other important projects and almost working on full capacity
The Delhi Police Commissioner has initiated a fresh inquiry into the Ramjas College violence and directed his team to submit a report within four weeks.

The scope of investigation will also involve probing allegations levelled by Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur, who said she received rape and death threats after speaking out amid the clashes on campus.

The high-level inquiry team will comprise senior Delhi Police officials, including JCP (Crime), DCP (Vigilance) and officers of the Special Police Unit for Women and Children.

DU campus witnessed violence on February 22 over inviting Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid at a seminar in Ramjas College

After the incident, Delhi Police admitted to police excesses while controlling the unrest at Ramjas College. The inquiry team will look into every aspect of the incident, including assaults on students and journalists.

It will also study police conduct during and after the incident.

The police, on the complaint of the station house officer of Maurice Nagar police station, had registered a case of rioting and assaulting police officers on duty against unknown persons after clashes between Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and All India Students' Association (AISA).

ABVP activists during a protest against Delhi Police at Police headquarters in New Delhi

Both the organisations had lodged separate complaints with police.

The genesis of the clash was an invite to JNU students Umar Khalid, who is facing sedition charges, and Shehla Rashid, to address a seminar on 'Culture of Protests' in the college.

Other than some 25 students and journalists, seven police personnel had also sustained injuries in the subsequent violence.

Kaur, the daughter of Captain Mandeep Singh, and a student of BA first year of Lady Sri Ram college has deactivated her Facebook account after being targeted by trolls

The scuffle broke on out on February 22 during a protest march by college students and teachers demanding stringent action against ABVP for disrupting the seminar.

Police will also inquire into the allegations of 20-year-old student of Lady Sri Ram College Gurmehar Kaur, who had initiated a social media campaign against ABVP after the clashes.

Kaur had alleged that she received threatening messages in response to her 'Fightback DU' campaign.

Democracy over Nationalism: AISA and Jawaharlal Nehru University students hold a protest demanding the arrest of Akhil ABVP members

Some of the messages also warned her of rape, she had complained, before withdrawing herself from the campaign and leaving Delhi.

Delhi Police had also suspended three of its personnel for 'mishandling' the situation and had transferred the investigation to its crime branch.

Last week, students and teachers of both JNU and DU had staged protests outside the Delhi Police headquarters alleging police inaction against the 'guilty' ABVP activists.

On its part, the ABVP had also carried out protest marches vowing not to allow Khalid on the DU campus and against alleged anti-national slogans by Left activists.
For anyone who has been harassed or conned by touts at the airports across the country, here is why the menace has multiplied unchecked, according to CISF.

It's claimed that a lack of coordination between the CISF and the police has allowed the touts to have a free run at airports, including at IGI airport, and fleece both domestic passengers and foreigners, bringing a bad name to the country.

CISF officials say that even though they nab the touts and maintain a strict vigil, lack of action by policemen due to no formal complaints means they are again turned loose and return to dupe passengers.

CISF officials have said they nab the touts but there is a lack of action by police

Delhi Police, on the other hand, claims that cops have been deployed outside the airport, which is their jurisdiction.

Officials said that touts mostly target foreigners as they know little about the country and have more spending power.

According to CISF records, as many as 475 touts were apprehended at airports last year, out of which 425 were handed over to the local police while the rest were turned over to the airport's operator.

The pace of detentions has not slowed this year with 54 touts already being caught by the CISF in January this year.

Police said formal complaints are often low as they mostly 'fleece' foreign passengers (photo for representation only)

But a top CISF official, requesting anonymity, said that without a concerted multi-agency effort to check the menace, their action would be of no use.

The official said: 'As no formal arrests are shown, they come back again to dupe foreign travelers.

'Foreigners landing at airport get their first interface with these touts. Most of them pose as drivers or travels agents and approach with 'attractive deals', only to later fleece them.

'We get such complaints, but no formal complaint is received...so can't arrest these touts formally. We simply hand them over to the local police for further action.'

At IGI airport, CISF officials said they are keeping a close eye on the suspicious activities of the drivers and agents.

Sources in CISF told Mail Today that in most of the cases, no action has been initiated against these touts as the police have not registered the cases.

Non-availability of the complainant and weak law related to anti-touting are the prime reasons that are attributed to non-registration of FIRs.

The source further claimed that even police lets them go free as they do not want cases to get piled up and increase the rate of registration of cases.

But Delhi Police refuted allegations of a lax attitude.

Sanjay Bhatia, DCP (Airport) told Mail Today that CISF has not handed over even a single tout.

'The jurisdiction outside the airport falls under the police and the cops are already deployed there to keep an eye on the touts. In the last few months, touting at IGI airport has gone down,' Bhatia said.

Police officials said that at IGI airport, only registered cab services such as Easy, Mega and Meru, and Delhi Police prepaid taxis are allowed to park, but the touts used to pose as family of travelers landing at the airport.

If they are caught by the officials, they used to tell them that they are scheduled to pick up clients or relatives.
Twenty-five years after the watershed development which altered the Indian political scene, the ghost of the Babri Masjid demolition is back to haunt top BJP and RSS leaders.

The Supreme Court on Monday considered a petition asking why the CBI conspiracy charges cannot be restored against L K Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh, Vinay Katiyar and 15 other leaders.

The court will pass a formal order in this regard on March 22.

SC said it will not accept the discharge of L K Advani and others in the Babri Masjid demolition case merely on technical grounds

The CBI had charge-sheeted Advani and 20 others under sections 153A (promoting enmity between classes), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505 (false statements, rumours etc. circulated with the intent to cause mutiny or disturb public peace) of the Indian Penal Code.

It had subsequently added charges under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC which was quashed by the special court, a decision which was upheld by the Allahabad High Court.

The special court dropped framing of charges by the Lucknow court on a technical ground that the court was not set up as per a proper notification by the government.

The CBI had on May 21, 2010 challenged in the SC the order of the HC dropping the conspiracy charges.

L K Advani was among the leaders initially issued with a charge sheet by the CBI but the case was later dropped

A bench comprising Justice P C Ghose and Justice Rohinton Nariman told CBI while hearing its petition challenging the dropping of conspiracy charges against the 20 accused: 'Something very peculiar is going on in this case. See people cannot be discharged like this on technical grounds. Why don't you file a supplementary chargesheet?

'We prima facie do not approve of the way these people have been discharged. Anyway, we will decide on March 22. We propose to club both the cases and we may also direct you to file a supplementary chargesheet.'

The bench said it also proposed to club the two trials going on in Raebareli and Lucknow courts to expedite the judicial proceedings.

Murli Manohar Joshi was also named, along with 18 other BJP and RSS leaders

While upholding the special court's order, the High Court had allowed CBI to proceed with other charges against Advani and others in a Raebareli court, under whose jurisdiction the case falls.

The court was also hearing a separate petition filed by one Haji Mahboob Ahmad, president of Mahafiz-Masjid-Wa-Maqabir, and Muddai Babri Masjid which claimed that with the BJP regime and a 'participant', Rajnath Singh as Home Minister, CBI - the original petitioner against dropping of criminal conspiracy charges - may not press for its restoration.

The SC notice is also a big test for the independence of the CBI as it will be keenly watched if the agency continues to be a 'caged parrot' or will stick to its original stand of pressing criminal conspiracy charges against the BJP and RSS leaders with the Narendra Modi government at the helm of affairs.

L.K. Advani addresses a rally on the day of demolition in 1992. Advani is among those who have been issued notices by Supreme Court

'One accused of the said criminal trial, Shri Rajnath Singh, is a cabinet minister and the leader against whom there is a charge of serious omission. One other accused (Kalyan Singh) is governor of a state.

'Although CBI is technically under the office of Prime Minister, but for all practical purposes, the home minister is also an important authority,' stated Mehboob's petition. Mehboob alleged that due to the change in political scenario, the litigation policy of the Centre and various statutory authorities has changed their stand.

The others against whom conspiracy charge was dropped included Satish Pradhan, C R Bansal, Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Sadhvi Ritambhara, V H Dalmia, Mahant Avaidhynath, R V Vedanti, Param Hans Ram Chandra Das, Jagdish Muni Maharaj, B L Sharma, Nritya Gopal Das, Dharam Das, Satish Nagar and Moreshwar Save.

Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray's name was removed from the list of accused persons after his death.
As a matter of course, partners in nil premium mergers such as that of Standard Life and Aberdeen seek to sell the deal to investors by promising cost cutting.

This was one of the big justifications for the London Stock Exchange-Deutsche Boerse deal, and is playing heavily in the Peugeot-Vauxhall narrative.

Cost cutting is not a victimless crime. Normally it is shorthand for people losing their jobs when central functions such as IT platforms and distribution systems are brought together.

Standard Life and Aberdeen were predictably shy about this as their bosses toured Scotland seeking to put the brightest gloss on a deal which could cost hundreds of jobs over time.

Done deal: Standard Life boss Keith Skeoch (right) and shakes hands with his Aberdeen Asset Management's Martin Gilbert after the two companies agreed terms

The shyness is understandable. At first blush this ought to be a great deal for Scotland, struggling to prosper during an oil glut which makes the North Sea uncompetitive.

The idea of a new Scottish 660billion financial powerhouse to erase bad memories of Royal Bank of Scotland and the Bank of Scotland (now buried deep within Lloyds) should be as welcome as a Burns Night feast.

That is until one considers that most of the cost savings are likely to be north of the border. Moreover, Standard Life was among those institutions which had planned to move to London should Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish nationalists get their wish of independence.

If Standard Life, Aberdeen and the advisers really wanted to demonstrate their commitment to cut costs, they should have started at the top.

Martin Gilbert of Aberdeen and Keith Skeoch are both in their own right fine leaders who have done wonders for their companies. But no firm requires two chief executives, even if they do enjoy fishing holidays together.

As ridiculous is the doubling up at the very top, with Sir Gerry Grimstone of Standard Life taking the chairman's seat and Aberdeen's Simon Troughton the deputy chairman slot.

Aside from the fact this all looks like jobs for the boys, such arrangements, in the past, have been more disruptive than taking hard decisions at the onset.

Few City veterans will forget the ill-fated merger of Royal Insurance and Sun Alliance two decades ago when the partners ended up fighting like rats in a sack while the merger proved a huge disappointment.

It may be that both companies felt they had little choice. Aberdeen has been pummelled by the emerging markets slowdown and suffered 15 consecutive quarters of outflows.

Standard Life has turned itself into a fund management champion but, like its proposed partner, is suffering from the current trend away from active management to far cheaper passive funds.

There is still a possibility an outsider could crash the party, but it seems unlikely given that Aberdeen's strategic shareholders Mitsubishi, with 17 per cent, and Lloyds, with nearly 10 per cent, apparently favour the deal.

It may be a case of two whisky-soaked Scottish drunks holding each other up in stressful times, but it is far better than letting them fall into a ditch or, even worse, overseas hands, as the positive share price reaction would suggest.

Cash call

Deutsche Bank shares predictably plummeted 8 per cent after British chief executive John Cryan reversed course and plumped for a 7billion rights issue.

That may make Germany's largest bank safer after last year's scare about survival, but the task of rebuilding its investment bank business, in competition with the Wall Street giants, Barclays and others, will be considerable.

Cryan has decided to hedge his bets by retaining an interest in retail banking through Postbank.

The German lender has raised 17.2billion in new capital since the euro crisis in 2010 yet its market value is just 22.4billion.

At least it stands on its own feet, unlike the UK's most sickly child RBS.

The wire

One tends to regard Western Union as a downmarket money transfer service, often to be found in the least-smart neighbourhoods. Not any longer.

As banks have been forced by money laundering and terrorism regulations and fines to close down accounts in the Middle East and other developing regions, Western Union has come into its own.

Remittances from foreign nations to families back home stand at more than $500billion a year and far outstrip overseas development assistance at close to $135billion.

The new order has been a huge revival opportunity for Western Union, which is rolling out 31 currency outlets and transfer services in John Lewis stores across the country.

How upwardly mobile.
No expert: Scotland's former first minister, Alex Salmond

Aberdeen Asset Management's proposed 11billion merger with Standard Life is welcomed by Scotland's former first minister, Alex Salmond, who predicts the deal 'will have the key benefit of creating a world class Scottish investment house'.

Wee Alex, 62, is by no means an authority on such matters. He cheered Royal Bank of Scotland chief Fred Goodwin's disastrous bid for ABN Amro, which ended up sinking the bank. In a note signed, 'Yours for Scotland', Salmond fawningly offered Goodwin 'any assistance my office can provide'.

Re Aberdeen/Standard Life merger, Martin Gilbert's decision to split the chief executive job with his counterpart Keith Skeoch raises eyebrows.

Such power-sharing arrangements usually spell disaster. Gilbert, 61, and Skeoch, 60, have been fishing companions for 30 years. But what price on them still casting a line together by Christmas?

Bouffant-haired ex-Axa boss Henri de Castries is reportedly back in the running for the chairmanship of HSBC.

The Parisian Count, 62, had hoped to enter politics if scandal-hit Francois Fillon became president, but that prospect looks increasingly remote.

Last I heard, outgoing HSBC chairman Douglas Flint, 61, was in no mood to extend a bony hand across the Channel, but it is possible things are now getting desperate.

Former partners from City law firm King & Wood Mallesons, whose European arm collapsed in January amid debts of 35million, have launched a support fund for former colleagues facing financial woe.

Raising money for lawyers, however hard-up, must be a tough gig. Bit like rattling a tin for injured paparazzi.

Goldman Sachs has imposed new regulations on its bankers' use of mobile phones abroad.

The bank will offer a flat 10 fee towards monthly data charges and only reimburse work calls, which have to be itemised and claimed on expenses.

It's the latest drive to cut costs, apparently. Incidentally, Goldman posted profits of just over 6billion last year.
Mexico has opened legal aid centers at its 50 consulates across the US to defend its citizens' human rights amid Trump's promised immigration crackdown.

Foreign minister Luis Videgaray insisted the move was not meant to promote illegal migration but called on the US to support Mexican citizens who want to obtain legal status.

The move comes after Trump issued orders to initiate tougher deportation procedures during his first month in office, following up on campaign vows to fight illegal immigration and build a wall on the border with Mexico.

Mexico has opened legal aid centers in its 50 USme consulates. Luis Videgaray, left, said that they are to make sure its citizens' human rights are protected

'We are not promoting illegality,' Videgaray said in a video at an event at the Mexican consulate in New York, but added that that means respecting human rights.

He said: 'Today we are facing a situation that can paradoxically represent an opportunity, when suddenly a government wants to apply the law more severely.

'It is becoming more than evident that to apply the law, which is the obligation of any state, would also imply a real economic damage to this country which highlights the need for immigration reform, an immigration reform that resolves once and for all the legal status of the people.'

The Pew Research Center estimates there are nearly 6million undocumented Mexicans living in the United States, many of whom could now face costly battles against deportation.

The steel wall separating the US from Mexico, which Trump wants to strengthen and extend across new land

The Mexican consulate centers will provide advice to those who feel that their human rights are being threatened.

The news comes as US-Mexican relations are at their lowest point in decades, with tension heightened by the new President's anti-immigration rhetoric.

After being sworn in in January, he re-affirmed his pledge to build a 2,000-mile wall at the southern border, and he has signed an executive order to implement the policy.

He insists that Mexico will have to bare the cost of the wall, which it is estimated will cost in excess of $20billion - although the president disputes that figure, claiming it will be less.

After the announcement about the wall, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto cancelled a visit to Washington on January 31 and to announce extra funding to protect the rights of Mexican citizens in the US.

Late last month, Videgaray expressed 'worry and irritation' about Trump's new policies to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security chief John Kelly when they visited Mexico.
Trade between EAEU Member Countries Continues to Decline

Recently the Eurasian Economic Commission published statistical data summarizing the annual results of foreign and mutual trade of EAEU member countries for the year 2016. According to the data, the mutual trade between the member countries decreased by around 3 billion USD or 6.7% in 2016. In parallel, the foreign trade of EAEU member states with third countries has also decreased. In this respect, it would be interesting to study the dynamics of foreign trade during the second year of EAEUs activity. EAEU Countries in International Trade According to data published by the Eurasian Economic Commission, EAEUs foreign trade turnover with third countries made up 509 billion USD in 2016. In particular, exports formed 308.4 billion USD, and imports  201.3 billion USD. Thus, compared to 2015, the foreign trade of EAEU countries decreased by around 12% or about 69.6 billion USD. In particular, overall exports reduced by 17.5% or 65.4 billion USD, and imports reduced by 2% or 4.2 billion USD. As a result, the foreign trade balance has reduced by 61 billion USD. In terms of exports, only Armenia and Kyrgyzstan have managed to register progress. Thus, in 2015, exports from Armenia to third countries increased by 13.3%, and imports decreased by 2.2%. In case of Kyrgyzstan, exports increased by 5.2% and imports increased by 15.3%. The largest decline was registered in the exports of Belarusian goods, namely 22.3%. In case of Russia and Kazakhstan, exports reduced by 17.2% and 19.5% respectively. The aforementioned data show that the role of EAEU member countries in international economy continues to decline. In case of Armenia, the substitution of third country products by Eurasian ones is quite obvious since import of goods from third countries to Armenia reduced by 2.2% in 2016, and imports from EAEU member countries increased by 8.7%. This, of course, is the result of high EEU customs tariffs and application of non-tariff regulation instruments. Eurasian Economic Union and Deintegration A similar decline has been registered in the mutual trade between EAEU member countries. In 2016, EAEU internal trade turnover amounted to 42.5 billion USD, which is 6% smaller compared to the indicator in 2015. In particular, trade in mineral products has decreased by around 3.6 million USD, different equipment and transport means  114.2 million USD, metal goods  65.4 million USD. In 2016, increase in imports from EAEU member countries has been registered only in case of Armenia (8.7%) and Russia (1%). In contrast, imports from EAEU countries to Kyrgyzstan have decreased by 23.2%, to Belarus  10.7%, and to Kazakhstan  13.8%. Another troubling circumstance is that 2 years after the formation of a common economic area, the integration level of the countries continues to remain extremely low. For all the EAEU member states, economic relations with the EAEU are identical with economic relations with Russia. Thus, in 2016, Russia had a 94.6% share in Armenia-EAEU trade turnover, while Belarus had a 3.6% share, Kazakhstan  1.5%, and Kyrgyzstan  only 0.3%. Similarly, Russia had a 96.2% share in Belarus-EAEU trade turnover, while Kazakhstan had a 3.2% share, Kyrgyzstan  0.4%, and Armenia  0.2%. In these circumstances, it remains unclear what economic background the economic union between these five countries was based on and what economic benefits it can bring to the member states. Andranik Manukyan "Union of Informed Citizens
Small talk won't be a problem for some top administration officials when President Trump convenes his cabinet  as some of the president's top advisors are regular guests at his Washington, D.C. luxury hotel.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a New Yorker who made millions as a Hollywood producer, stays at the hotel when he is in Washington during the work week.

Small Business administrator Linda McMahon, who gave $6 million to a pro-Trump super PAC during the campaign, also stays at the hotel.

White House economic adviser Gary Cohn also stays there.

The White House says all the officials pay fair market rate  which shouldn't be a problem for any of them.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stays at the Trump hotel when he is in Washington to help steer the economy. President Donald Trump (C) looks as Steve Mnuchin (R) is congratulated by his fiancee Louise Linton after being sworn in as Treasury Secretary in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington February 13, 2017

Cohn got expedited access to cash and stock payments valued at $300 million when he departed Goldman Sachs, the New York Times reported. Mnuchin's holdings could be worth $500 million, Fortune found, and McMahon's worth is estimated to be over $1 billion.

Rooms at the hotel for each night of a five-night stay starting Monday ranged from $516 per night for a 'deluxe' room to $591 for an executive room, to $2,766 for an executive one bedroom suite.

The White House and Treasury Department didn't immediately respond to requests for details about how the administration official pay fair market value when they are staying at the Trump property.

The hotel, located in the historic Old Post Office building leased from the federal government, is nearby the Treasury Department and the White House.

At a circular booth in the middle of the Trump International Hotel's balcony restaurant last month, President Donald Trump dined on his steak - well-done, with ketchup - while chatting with British Brexit politician Nigel Farage.

A few days later, major Republican donors Doug Deason and Doug Manchester, in town for the president's address to Congress, sipped coffee at the hotel with Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.

After Trump's speech, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin returned to his Washington residence - the hotel - and strode past the gigantic American flag in the soaring lobby. With his tiny terrier tucked under an arm, Mnuchin stepped into an elevator with reality TV star and hotel guest Dog the Bounty Hunter, who particularly enjoyed the Trump-stamped chocolates in his room.

In this Oct. 26, 2016 file photo, then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, together with his family, from left, Eric Trump, Melania Trump, Tiffany Trump and Ivanka Trump, waves part of a ribbon after cutting the ribbon during the grand opening of Trump International Hotel in Washington. Trump's $200 million hotel inside the federally owned Old Post Office building has become the place to see, be seen, drink, network, even live, for the still-emerging Trump set.

Former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment Linda McMahon, who now heads the Small Business Adminstration, is among those official who stay at the Trump hotel in D.C.

VACANCY: Top administration officials have been staying at the Trump hotel in Washington, D.C.

It's just another week at the new political capital of the nation's capital.

The $200 million hotel inside the federally owned Old Post Office building has become the place to see, be seen, drink, network - even live - for the still-emerging Trump set. It's a rich environment for lobbyists and anyone hoping to rub elbows with Trump-related politicos - despite a veil of ethics questions that hangs overhead.

"I've never come through this lobby and not seen someone I know," says Deason, a Dallas-based fundraiser for Trump's election campaign.

For Republican Party players, it's the only place to stay.

"I can tell you this hotel will be the most successful hotel in Washington, D.C.," says Manchester, adding that he would know because he has developed the second-largest Marriott and second-largest Hyatt in the world. Manchester says Trump's hotel will attract people based on its location near the White House and Congress, the quality renovation and the management team.

Then there's also the access.

President Donald Trump (L) and his then-partner, developer Phil Ruffin, share a champagne toast during an opening ceremony for the Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas April 11, 2008 in Las Vegas. Ruffin says he paid $18,000 per night to stay at the Trump hotel during the inauguration

Although Trump says he is not involved in the day-to-day operations of his businesses, he retains a financial interest in them. A stay at the hotel gives someone trying to win over Trump on a policy issue or political decision a potential chit.

That's what concerns ethics lawyers who had wanted Trump to sell off his companies as previous presidents have done.

"President Trump is in effect inviting people and companies and countries to channel money to him through the hotel," said Kathleen Clark, a former ethics lawyer for the District of Columbia and a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis.

She said the "pay to play" danger is even greater than it would be if people wanted to donate to a campaign to influence a politician's thinking. Spending money at a Trump property "is about personally enriching Donald Trump, who happens to be the president of the United States."

The White House strongly disputes there's any ethical danger in Trump's business arrangements.

Trump can see his hotel from the White House. When a Fox News interviewer mentioned that to him recently, Trump responded, "Isn't that beautiful?" But while the interviewer pointed out that he can see the property from his desk in the Oval Office, Trump said, "I'm so focused on what I'm doing here that I don't even think about it."

Still, Trump couldn't resist the short trip over there for dinner on his only weekend night out in Washington since becoming president.

A reporter for the website Independent Journal Review was tipped off about Trump's dining plans and sat at a table near him. He noted the president's dinner fare and companions, who also included daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Trump adviser Jared Kushner.

On other nights, the posh hotel is the kind of place where on a mid-February evening, you could bump into Trump television personality Katrina Pierson having cocktails with Lynne Patton, a former Trump Organization executive who's now working at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Trump campaign and inauguration hands Tom Barrack, Boris Epshteyn, Nick Ayers and Rick Gates are among the many who have stayed there in recent weeks.

Rooms start at above $500 most nights, according to the hotel's website and a receptionist. That's up hundreds of dollars from when the hotel first opened, not long before Election Day. Patricia Tang, the hotel's director of sales and marketing, declined to answer questions about how business is going.

The hotel has become a staging area for big political events.

Eric and Donald Trump Jr. posed for dozens of selfies with admirers at the hotel that bears their name before attending their father's White House ceremony in late January to announce Judge Neil Gorsuch as the president's pick for the Supreme Court.

Deason ran into the Trumps and fellow Texas donor Gentry Beach while at a meeting at the hotel that day with Trump's campaign adviser Rudy Giuliani. During inauguration week, when Trump himself repeatedly visited, the hotel was "literally the center of the universe," Deason said.

Last Tuesday, as Trump gave his first address to Congress, lobbyists and politicos watched the four large flat-screens above the bar, two tuned to Fox news and two to CNN. In what hotel staff said was an effort to avoid some of the obvious politics of the place, the TVs were muted, so people followed along on their own devices.

As Trump wrapped up, applause rose through the lobby and bar. Mnuchin waved to admirers gathered in the bar as he strolled through after Trump's speech.

Mnuchin is one of the New Yorkers working in Washington who call it home during the week. White House economic adviser Gary Cohn is another. Linda McMahon, who heads the Small Business Administration, also has been staying there.

Administration officials "have been personally paying a fair market rate" for their accommodations, White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said.

Even Trump's closest friends pay to stay.

Billionaire Phil Ruffin, Trump's partner for his Las Vegas residential tower, said he shelled out $18,000 per night while he was in town for the inauguration, which he said surprised him since he'd given $1 million to Trump's inauguration committee. Ruffin says he lightly complained about the high rate to the president.

"He said, 'Well, I'm kind of out of it.' So I didn't get anywhere, didn't get my discount," Ruffin recalled.

Trump's continued ownership of his hotel and other businesses has spawned lawsuits and ethics complaints, but so far no action on any of them. One accommodation Trump says he is making on the ethics front is to donate profits from foreign governments that spend money at his hotels.

Last week, Kuwait's ambassador, Salem Al-Sabah, and his wife hosted a reception in the hotel's presidential ballroom, in what was one of the first known instances of foreign money changing hands with the hotel division of the Trump Organization since he became president. A spokeswoman for the Trump Organization did not respond to questions about whether the money from the Kuwait Embassy has been or will be donated.

Mnuchin attended.

In this Sept. 12, 2016 file photo, the main lobby of the Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington
An Oklahoma lawmaker's office asked Muslim students visiting the representative in the state capitol to fill out a form asking if they beat their wives and other questions that offended them, an Islamic advocacy group said.

The two-page form from Republican state Representative John Bennett's office, which was shared by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), also asked whether they believed an adherent to Islam should be punished for leaving the faith and if Muslims should rule over non-Muslims.

A staff member at Bennett's handed the form to Muslim students who visited his office on Thursday seeking to meet with him, said Adam Soltani, the executive director of the Oklahoma chapter of CAIR. It was presented as a requirement before they could meet Bennett, Soltani said.

The students were at the capitol in Oklahoma City for an annual Muslim Day event organized by CAIR to introduce members of the community to their state lawmakers and encourage democratic engagement, Soltani said by phone on Saturday.

A staff member handed the two-page questionnaire to students visiting Representative John Bennett (pictured in a file photo) in the state capitol Thursday on Oklahoma City

'(The prophet) Mohammed was a killer of pagans, Christians and Jews that did not agree with him,' read one of 18 questions on the form. 'Do you agree with his example?'

The questions asked Muslims whether they would denounce terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah and whether they believed former Muslims should be punished for leaving Islam. One question asked Muslims if they agreed that Islamic law, known as Sharia, should rule over non-Muslims.

Bennett confirmed to the Tulsa World newspaper in an email that three Muslim students visiting his office on Thursday as part of Muslim Day activities at the state capitol were handed tracts that, among other things, asked 'Do you beat your wife?'

The lawmaker said that Islamic law and the Koran permit Muslims to beat their wives, though 'this certainly does not mean that all Muslim men beat their wives,' he wrote in the email, according to the newspaper.

The students who visited the office of the former US Marine were told he was away and they never did talk to the lawmaker, according to Soltani.

'What's most inflammatory is the questions itself, the fact that Muslims have to pass a religious test in order to see a representative of our state, surely he does not do this to Christian constituents or Jewish constituents,' Soltani said.

This is not the first time Bennett has faced criticism for his statements against Islam.

Bennett (file picture) confirmed in an email to the Tulsa World newspaper that three Muslim students visiting his office on Thursday as part of Muslim Day activities

In a speech in 2014, the lawmaker said he had read the Koran and the Prophet Mohammad's sayings and that '90 per cent of it is violence.'

He acknowledged facing rebukes over his positions on the religion and being called an Islamophobe.

'If I'm an Islamophobe speaking the truth about Islam then you're absolutely right,' he said at the speech, according to video from the Tulsa World newspaper.

The heading on the questionnaire said it was from an Oklahoma chapter of ACT for America, a national organization which the Southern Poverty Law Center calls the largest grassroots anti-Muslim group in the United States.

Recently, Bennett came under fire when he posted a news story on Facebook critical of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and added the comment, '2 words ... firing squad.'

'It's frustrating that Representative Bennett keeps pressing the issue in the way he does,' said Anna Facci, the government affairs director for CAIR-OK. 'It certainly is frustrating but it's not surprising.'
A 14-year-old Honduran boy has been locked up in a Northern California juvenile hall for nearly a year, even though he has no criminal record and has been granted asylum, attorneys seeking his release have said.

The teen, who has been identified only by his initials, GE, was apprehended last March trying to enter the United States alone at a Texas border crossing. His asylum case documented severe abuse by his parents and caregivers in Honduras.

The boy is being held at the Yolo County Juvenile Detention Facility in Woodland, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

He receives little treatment for the trauma he's suffered and should be in foster care, said Cecilia Candia, a staff attorney with San Francisco's Legal Services for Children who visits the teen weekly.

A 14-year-old Honduran boy is being held at the Yolo County Juvenile Detention Facility in Woodland, California (pictured) even though he has legal immigrant status, lawyers said

The boy's trauma has only been worsened by his indefinite detention, Candia said, adding that he spends most of his time alone in his cell and has repeatedly tried to harm himself.

He has lashed out at times, she added, causing staff to douse him with pepper spray or bind his wrists and ankles.

'He has behavioral issues in this jail which are directly related to his mental health,' Candia said. 'He's hypervigilant, he reacts very strongly to perceived threats, he's always in that fight-or-flight response.'

Candia, who is building the case for the teen's release, said she's filing a petition challenging his detention as unlawful in federal court in the coming weeks.

Officials involved in the boy's case, including the federal Administration for Children and Families and its Office of Refugee Resettlement, declined to comment, citing confidentiality protections for minors.

Attorney Cecilia Candia (left) and social worker Erin Maxwell (right) are working to help the teenager, who according to his asylum case suffered severe abuse

Yolo County spokeswoman Beth Gabor said the county's contract with the federal government prohibits local officials from discussing specific cases.

But, she said federal law requires the refugee agency 'to continue to detain a child even after he or she is granted asylum,' until they can find a safe placement that takes into consideration 'all of his or her social, behavioral and mental health needs'.

Candia said the boy was ecstatic when he was granted asylum in January after being told it would mean his imminent release. Now, she said he's in despair.

'On the outside, myself and others have been working really hard. But he doesn't see any results, so it's really difficult,' Candia said. 'He's feeling really hopeless.'

About 155,000 children have crossed the nation's southern border alone in the last three years, the majority fleeing violent gangs, poverty and domestic abuse in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, according to the US Department of Homeland Security.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement looks for 'the least-restrictive settings' for the minors, and 98 per cent are placed within a network of 100 shelters in 11 states and typically released to relatives within about a month.
Pauline Hanson has Malcolm Turnbull on speed dial, proving it by calling him directly and handing him around to chat with cane farmers she was meeting in Queensland.

The One Nation leader was meeting workers south of Townsville in December when she boasted that she had the prime minister's phone number, before ringing him up.

And perhaps in a sign of the influence Ms Hanson has over the Coalition, Mr Turnbull picked up first time and stayed on the line as he was handed around to chat with farmers.

Mr Turnbull's decision to take the call is said to have angered Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who is understood to be concerned farmers who would usually vote for the Nationals may switch their allegiance to One Nation.

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Pauline Hanson has Malcolm Turnbull on speed dial, proving it by calling him directly and handing him around to chat with cane farmers she was meeting in Queensland

At one point Ms Hanson handed her phone to one of the farmers and said: 'The PM wants to talk to you.'

Peter Hall, who works in Burdekin, told The Australian he had a prolonged chat with the Prime Minister.

'She spoke for a moment or two and then handed me the phone and said "the PM wants to talk to you", and I hopped on and had a real healthy conversation with him about the issues,' he said.

The revelation comes after Ms Hanson clashed with ABC presenter Barrie Cassidy over whether he would be happy to live in a Muslim society.

'They hate western society. They want to change us. Do you want to be changed? Would you be happy to live under Islam?' the Queensland senator claimed, referring to Muslims, on Sunday.

Mr Cassidy defended Islamic migrants, saying: 'They all say that they're prepared to obey Australian law and operate under that basis.'

Ms Hanson clashed with ABC presenter Barrie Cassidy over whether he would be happy to live in a Muslim society

Ms Hanson, who campaigned during last year's election to ban Muslim migration to Australia, reiterated her belief that Islam is not a religion.

'It is purporting to be a religion but I believe it is a political ideology who want to impose their sharia law and impose their way of life and their thoughts, processes on the rest of our society,' she said.

Ms Hanson was embroiled in another spat during the same interview as she criticised Mr Turnbull and claimed Australia needed a 'strong man' leader like Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The One Nation leader said she respected the Russian leader.

Her comments were met with disapproval from Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull who says Mr Putin's stronghold over his country should not be admired.

The revelation comes after Ms Hanson criticised Mr Turnbull and claimed Australia needed a 'strong man' leader like Russian President Vladimir Putin

Pushed on how that view tallied with Russia's involvement in shooting down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine, killing 298 people including 38 Australians, Hanson said the downing of the flight was disgusting

However, she questioned to what extent Putin was involved in the tragedy.

'Did he push the button?' she asked.

'I do not like to see any lives lost by any crash or that, but can you tell me honestly, do you know for sure that you know he was actually the one who did it? There's been speculation.

'What I have said is the man stands up for his country, for his people. He's a proud leader of his nation and he has the support of his people.

'I would dearly love to see one of our two leaders stand up and deliver a speech like he has done on the floor of his parliament. I wish some of our leaders here would have some of that backbone.

'Because that's what people want, to be proud that people are Australians, that those who come here will be Australians and integrate and assimilate into this country.'

The remains of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 near Ukrainian town of Donetsk in July 2014

Mr Turnbull pointed out that Russia was subject to international sanctions over its role in shooting down the plane, as well as its annexation of Crimea.

'Vladimir Putin's Russia is not and should not be an object of admiration in any respect,' Mr Turnbull said.

'It should withdraw from the territory it's occupied in the Ukraine and it should provide the information that we know they have on the identity of the people who shot down the MH17 airliner and in doing so murdered 38 Australians.'

Labour frontbencher Brendan O'Connor found Senator Hanson's comments offensive and contemptible.

'It's quite extraordinary that someone so undemocratic, someone who it would appear has been involved in the deaths of so many Australians would be a hero of Senator Hanson,' he said.
Pauline Hanson's One Nation is in a position to grab the balance of power in the upper house at the upcoming Western Australia election, despite candidates suddenly quitting and an onslaught of negative press.

After securing a controversial preference deal with the Liberal Party, One Nation is polling at 8.5 per cent, a drop of over four per cent since the campaign began.

But One Nation could still secure the balance of power even after Ray Gould, Candidate for Kalamunda, made a shock exit from the party, saying he'd 'had enough' as Senator Hanson 'can't be trusted'.

Pauline Hanson's (pictured on Sunday) One Nation is in a position to grab the balance of power in the upper house at the upcoming Western Australia election

He quit after Senator Hanson made the preference deal with the Liberal Party and said she is 'messing with the voters' heads'.

One Nation could still secure the balance of power even after Ray Gould, Candidate for Kalamunda, made a shock exit from the party

Last month geologist running for One Nation, David Archibald, came under fire for suggesting Africans have a lower IQ and government welfare is preventing human evolution.

Mr Archibald made the comments in an opinion piece for the niche, right-wing American Thinker website, in May 2015.

He was also slammed for saying single mothers were producing 'lazy and ugly' children.

'To all the fat lazy politicians and fat lazy journalists in the fat lazy media playing fat lazy political correctness, identity politics - the answer is no,' the Queensland senator wrote on Twitter.

Despite this, One Nation is polling at 8.5 per cent, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

On Sunday, Senator Hanson was slammed by a mother whose child died from whooping cough for her 'uneducated' comments.

Catherine Hughes took to Twitter to label Senator Hanson a 'disgrace' for likening the 'no jab, no play' policy to a dictatorship.

Last month geologist running for One Nation, David Archibald, came under fire for suggesting Africans have a lower IQ

Labor is looking for a swing of 10 per cent or more to unseat Premier Colin Barnett's (pictured) government

Senator Hanson jetted into Perth on Sunday night and is expected to spend time in the city's south on Monday before switching her focus to the regions.

She will stay for the election, manning various polling booths during the day and attending the party's function in the city's southern suburbs during the count.

Last time Senator Hanson came west in January, shoppers gave her a rock-star reception and she massed her candidates on the steps of parliament.

She now has fewer, with three candidates quitting One Nation over the party's preference deal with the Liberals, while a fourth has made negative comments about it.

Senator Hanson said on arrival on Sunday night that people were sick of Premier Colin Barnett, but didn't particularly want Labor either.

'I'm not here to shore up Colin Barnett's premiership of the state. I'm here to actually give people an opportunity to vote for someone other than the major political parties,' she said.

West Australian Labor says it still has a tough battle to win government despite an 'arrogant and out of touch' coalition, its leader says.

Senator Hanson said on arrival on Sunday night that people were sick of Premier Colin Barnett, but didn't particularly want Labor either

West Australian Labor says it still has a tough battle to win government despite an 'arrogant and out of touch' coalition, Mark McGowan (pictured) says

ABOUT THE WA ELECTION The Western Australian election will be held on Saturday, March 11 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly and 36 seats in the Legislative Council will be up for election A Galaxy poll commissioned by Seven West Media shows Labor has a 54 to 46 per cent lead over the Liberal-National alliance on a two-party preferred basis One Nation leader Pauline Hanson flew in on Sunday night for a full week of campaigning in WA, mainly in the regions The poll shows One Nation on 8.5 per cent Advertisement

Mark McGowan was responding to a Seven West Galaxy poll showing Labor leads the Liberal-National alliance 54 per cent to 46 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

'I'm still of the view that we are the underdogs,' Mr McGowan told ABC radio on Monday ahead of Saturday's election.

Labor is looking for a swing of 10 per cent or more to unseat Premier Colin Barnett's government.

'The government is arrogant and out of touch but I still have to win 10 seats, and the hardest seat I need to win has a 10 per cent buffer, and that is very difficult to do,' he said.

'I'm not taking anything for granted.'

Asked about the preference swap deal between Pauline Hanson's One Nation's and the Liberals, Mr McGowan said voters had to decide whether or not they wanted a 'Liberal Party, One Nation, National' government.

'I just urge every West Australian to consider very carefully,' he said.
Two meth addicts have been 'cooked from the inside' after taking fatal overdoses of a mystery synthetic drug.

The two men died in Newcastle, New South Wales, after taking an unknown drug that caused their body temperatures to skyrocket.

One of the men's internal temperature reached 42C shortly after he was tackled to ground while running through moving traffic in Maryville on Tuesday.

Two meth addicts have been 'cooked from the inside' after taking fatal overdoses of a mystery synthetic drug (file picture)

The 27-year-old, from Corlette, was taken to hospital, where he fell into a coma.

He died on Thursday and had not regained consciousness, the Newcastle Herald reported.

The drug addict is believed to have taken the same bad batch of a synthetic drug that a 21-year-old man took before his death - also on Thursday.

He was found inside a home in Raymond Terrace with cuts and bruises all over his body.

The man is believed to have had a potentially days-long psychotic episode that saw him flail around in a baby bath in an attempt to stay cool as his body temperature soared.

Officers believe he took ecstasy the weekend before and methamphetamine in the days leading up to his death.

The two deaths come just over a year since the death of Dean Shield, a 17-year-old boy found in a drain in Rutherford, in the Hunter Valley, after taking a form of synthetic cannabis

While police acknowledge both men were meth users, they believe another synthetic drug is linked to their deaths.

Autopsies and toxicology reports are being carried out on both men.

'I know it's the old message, but this really shows that people have absolutely no idea what they are taking; and it could well be killing them,' a detective told the Newcastle Herald.

'Whether it's a bad batch of ice, some form of synthetic drug, a bad cocktail of drugs or something thrown into pills, does it really matter.

'These deaths are horrible ways to go.'

The two deaths come just over a year since the death of Dean Shield, a 17-year-old boy found in a drain in Rutherford, in the Hunter Valley, after taking a form of synthetic cannabis.

Dean's death triggered a major crackdown on synthetic drugs but the latest deaths have sparked fears of a new wave of dangerous narcotics.
A petition has been launched to save a pitbull who is believed to have dragged a nine-year-old boy out of a river after his mother allegedly tried to drown him.

The owners of the pitbull named Buddy created the GoPetition on Friday after the dog was seized by the Murray River Council, according to the Riverine Herald.

Buddy is believed to have intervened when a 27-year-old woman allegedly tried to drown her sons, aged nine and five, in the Murray River at Moama in New South Wales on Thursday.

A petition has been launched to save a pitbull named Buddy (pictured) who is believed to have dragged a nine-year-old boy out of the Murray River after his mother allegedly tried to drown him

Buddy is believed to have intervened when a 27-year-old woman allegedly held her sons, aged nine and five, under water at Moama in New South Wales on Thursday (pictured)

Emergency crews carry the body of a five-year-old boy out of the Murray River on Saturday

The five-year-old's body was found in the river on Saturday and the nine-year-old is being treated for dog bites at the Royal Children's Hospital.

Their mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with attempted murder, but could face more charges after the discovery of her youngest son's body.

'Buddy the dog has reacted and attempted to save the boys in doing so he has bit the eldest boy in his rescue attempts, unfortunately, he was unable to save the youngest boy and has also bit the mother,' the dog's owners wrote on the petition, which has garnered more than 36,000 signatures.

'Buddy is a member of our family and has grown up around children his whole life and has been the most gentlest dog, he has clearly seen a child in distress and attempted to help.'

The maternal grandfather of the two young boys has come out in support of the petition.

'I own a similar dog, and I know he was trying to save the boys, it's their nature when they are raised with kids,' he told The Courier Mail.

'Let the ones who his actions affected decide. I have one grandson left, because this brave dog took action as required.'

The nine-year-old boy is in hospital with serious dog bite injuries and police discovered the five-year-old's body over the weekend (search for boy pictured)

The five-year-old boy was missing since Thursday afternoon

The body of a five-year-old boy has been found in the Murray River

Moama is a town in the Riverina district of southern New South Wales, close to the Victorian boarder

It comes after it was announced an inquiry will be held into how authorities handled the case and investigation, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The 27-year-old woman is alleged to have taken her children from their grandparents home on Wednesday, a day before the tragic incident.

Family lawyer Dale Brooks told The Daily Telegraph the grandparents had full-time care of the two boys for close to 18 months before their mother was released from jail last month for an array of offences, including assault.

Mr Brooks claimed the woman suffers from ice addiction and her parents had contacted Family and Children's Services and Corrective Services for help repeatedly before the incident.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the full-scale inquiry would look into if authorities could have done more to prevent the alleged attack on the two boys.

'We've asked for all of our agencies to give urgent reports on what they knew and ... we'll be instigating investigations but also co-operating with all the authorities to make sure we get to the bottom of this,' Ms Berejiklian said.

The boys' mother, 27, (pictured) has been charged with attempted murder

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the full-scale inquiry will look into if authorities could have done more to prevent the alleged attack on the two boys

Victorian Emergency services personnel search the Murray River at Moama

'This is a human tragedy of the highest proportion. I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family. I can't imagine what they'd be going through ... and I want to give them an assurance that we will make sure all of our agencies look into the matter as appropriately and as quickly as possible.'

The father of the boys was the subject of backlash over the weekend after he started a GoFundMe account requesting money for him to fly from Queensland and see the children.

The Brisbane man said all money raised from the charity page would 'go toward getting me to my older son' and all remaining funds would go to 'burying my little boy'.

The father revealed on Facebook on Friday he never met the five-year-old and had not seen the nine-year-old boy for a number of years.

He arrived in Melbourne on Sunday to see his eldest child, according to the Daily Telegraph.
U.S. agents detained an Afghan family of five with valid entry visas at Los Angeles International Airport and have been holding them for several days in California, according to legal papers filed in federal court in California by human rights lawyers.

The father, mother and three small children were granted Special Immigrant Visas because family members risked their lives to defend the U.S. government overseas, said the filing from lawyers with the International Refugee Assistance Project, a legal aid group for refugees and displaced persons.

'Yet despite this record of service on behalf of our country, CBP has detained this brave family and denied them access to counsel,' said the petition, filed on Saturday with the U.S. District Court Central District of California, referring to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

CBP declined to comment on the matter.

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An Afghan family of five with special immigration visas was detained at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday

Immigrant advocates are increasingly concerned about tougher scrutiny of visitors, even those with the proper documentation and visas, as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration on national security grounds.

'The betrayal of this family by the U.S. government shocks the conscience,' the petition said, adding the father, who was not named, was employed by the U.S. government in Afghanistan. The wife and children, aged seven years, six years, and eight months, were also not named.

The lawsuit did not state the nature of his employment but the visas are often granted after careful vetting of people who serve in jobs such as translators for the U.S. military.

'It is extremely unusual if not entirely unique' for someone with this type of visa to be detained upon arrival. The visas require extreme vetting to get,' said Talia Inlender, a lawyer with Public Counsel who is part of the family's defense team.

The family arrived in the United States on Thursday and was almost immediately taken into custody by CBP agents at the Los Angeles airport, the filing said.

The mother was being detained in downtown Los Angeles with her children, while the father was in a maximum-security detention facility in Orange County, California, Inlender told Reuters.

The family's lawyers said the government intended to transfer the mother and children to Texas, but they persuaded a U.S. district court judge on Saturday night to intervene and stop the move.

Online court filings related to the stay were not immediately located.

When asked to comment about the judge's order, Carl Rusnok, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in an email: 'ICE will fully comply with the March 4 judicial order and all other legal requirements.'

The government may explain its reasons for detaining the family at a hearing on Monday in federal court in Orange County, Inlender said.

'We think it is going to be hard if not impossible to justify keeping a family in custody for days on end without access to their lawyers,' she said.

Trump issued a directive in January suspending travel to the United States by citizens of seven mostly Muslim countries. Afghanistan was not on the list and a federal court suspended the order.

The January 27 order caused chaos at airports around the world in the following days as visa holders heading to the United States were pulled off planes or turned around on arrival at U.S. airports.
This is the bizarre moment an Asian woman praised Pauline Hanson by comparing her to both Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler.

The woman's gushing praise of the controversial One Nation leader was captured in an interview with ABC's The Link presenter Stan Grant.

He spoke to residents of New South Wales in a segment that aired on Friday night asking them what they think of Ms Hanson.

While one man dismissed her as 'too anti-everything,' an Asian woman  who was not named  was filmed in a shopping centre as she heaped praise on Senator Hanson.

This woman heaped praise Pauline Hanson in an interview with The Link - comparing her to Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler

'Pauline Hanson is straightforward,' she said.

'She's sincere, she's not a hypocrite. If she doesn't like you, I don't like you.'

The woman continued to compliment Ms Hanson by comparing her qualities with two other nationalistic politicians she admires - the current President of the United States and the leader of Nazi Germany.

Speaking about why she likes Ms Hanson, the woman continued: 'Just like Trump. I like Trump. Donald Trump is sincere.

'He's sincere, straightforward. If he tells you you're not okay, you're not okay  not okay for America. You're destroying our country.'

The unnamed woman described the One Nation leader as 'sincere' and 'straightforward'

While some called Ms Hanson (pictured) 'too anti-everything', the woman continued to compliment her

Asked if she would like to hear more Trump-inspired rhetoric in Australia, she replied: 'Yes, yes.'

She added: 'See like that speech he had yesterday, that was great. Yes, it sounded like Hitler, but you know, Hitler loved Germany.'

Later on the programme, American political analyst and author Thomas Frank said the woman's comments were 'alarming'.

'Oh my goodness, well, it sounds like you're going to get your own Donald Trump here soon,' he told Mr Grant.

'That's a little bit alarming.

'Everything those people said, you take out the accent and some of the slang and that's exactly the kind of thing you heard from Americans during the last election cycle.'

The woman compared Ms Hanson to other nationalistic politicians Donald Trump (pictured left) and Adolf Hitler (right)

Ms Hanson has said that Australians are calling out for a 'strong leader' like Vladimir Putin

Meanwhile, Ms Hanson herself recently praised a controversial leader  Russian President Vladimir Putin.

She insisted that Australians are calling out for a 'strong leader' like Putin in an interview on Insiders.

'I listened to a speech he gave in Parliament,' she told Insiders host Barrie Cassidy.

'Even the people here in Australia were saying, 'I wish we had a leader like that here, I wish someone would stand up and fight for this country.'

'That's what people expect.'
West Palm Beach businesses claim they are going broke from Trump's weekend visits to Mar-a-Lago and the county seeks $1.7million in reimbursement for the extra security costs.

Less than 50 days into his presidency, Trump has made four visits to his Palm Beach, Florida, estate and local businesses complained the trips are costing them thousands.

In addition to the county racking up extra security costs totaling $1.7million, a local aviation company said it was losing $30,000 per presidential trip in business due to a restricted fly zone.

Trump's weekend visits to Mar-a-Lago are causing some West Palm Beach to claim they are going broke from his frequent trips. The county is seeking $1.7million in reimbursement for the extra security costs

Johnathan Miller, CEO of Stellar Aviation Group, said his South Palm Beach location was losing $30,000 in profits because of the restricted fly zone while Trump was in town, he told NBC News.

Miller mentioned to a hanger full of planes, all grounded for the weekend, and said: 'I don't know if my business can sustain heavy losses like that'.

The owner of Southern Helicopters said to the news outlet that his choppers were also grounded when Trump was in the area and it was hurting his business.

He said: 'We are basically going broke. We were not expecting him to come down almost every weekend.'

Trump's weekend getaways to his 'southern White House' are not just hurting local businesses but also Palm Beach taxpayers.

Owner of a helicopter business (pictured) said he was 'going broke' because of Trump and another aviation official said it was costing his business $30,000 per visit

Trump has made four visits in his presidency to his Mar-a-Lago estate in southern Florida

Overtime for police officials and other extra security costs have cost taxpayers $1.7million so far.

Paulette Burdick, mayor of Palm Beach, said: 'We've written a letter to the federal government, asking for the reimbursement for the sheriff for the impacts but as of today, we haven't heard back.'

The conservative budget watchdog group Judicial Watch estimate Trump's four visits since his inauguration have cost $3milllion in Secret Service and Air Force One alone, NBC News reported.
Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

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Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

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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

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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

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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

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

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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
The Tromp family are back working on the family farm outside Melbourne - seven months after they embarked on a paranoia-fuelled road trip that saw the youngest daughter charged with stealing a car.

Victoria Police have withdrawn charges against Ella Tromp, 22, for stealing a car and the proceeds of crime ahead of her scheduled court appearance on April 19th, the Daily Mail can confirm.

The bizarre road trip began on August 29, 2016, when the Jacoba, 53, and Mark, 51, Tromp convinced their three adult children they had to flee from their family home immediately.

The extraordinary trip ended when the tight-knit farming family split up when the three children realised the parents, in particular the father, 'was not well'.

Ella Tromp, pictured, posted this photo of herself alongside her father Mark just days after charges were dropped by police last week

The family's ill-fated paranoia-fuelled trip sparked a state wide manhunt - after the Tromp children split from their 'delusional' parents

Ella, pictured here in the months after the trip, was charged with the theft of a motor vehicle from Jenolan Caves - where she and her sister Riana left their parents

The Tromp family's farm house stands alongside rows of red current plants - the whole family works on the farm

The Tromp family run a farm - they work together to grow and sell their red berries and used to run a 'pick your own fruit' tour from the grounds.

Sergeant Mark Knight from Monbulk Police Station told Daily Mail Australia the whole family is 'back at work' and confirmed Ella's charges had been withdrawn 'with the understanding of the car owner'.

'The family is relieved,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'Ella can move on with her life now.

'I spoke with her brother Mitchell last week and he said the whole family is back to work and doing really well.'

Police from NSW and Victoria were involved in a manhunt for Mark and Jacoba Tromp in early September after their children left them after realising they were 'delusional' and their father 'was not in a good state of mind.'

Mitchell Tromp, 25, was the first of the children to flee and revealed his father thought 'people were after him' which is why they had to leave their home.

Mitchell got out of the car in Kelso, near Bathurst on Monday where he took public transport back to Melbourne, after his family told him to throw his phone from his car over fears 'someone was tracking them'.

The Silvan farm where the family run a red current business was left with doors unlocked as the family fled in August, 2016

Riana, pictured, told friends she was 'happy and well' following the trip which left her huddled in the back of a stranger's ute in a catatonic state

Ella and Mitchell looked concerned as they addressed the media after leaving their parents mid-trip

Ella Tromp left her parents and went back to the farm to feed her horses following the trip

THE TROMP FAMILY'S OFF-GRID VACATION Monday, August 29, 2016 The Tromp family abandon their redcurrant farm in Victoria and flee the town in their family station wagon without any bank cards or mobile phones. Son Mitchell, 25, is found to have a mobile phone and it is thrown from the vehicle east of Melbourne. Tuesday, August 30 Mitchell becomes concerned with his parent's 'delusional' behaviour and leaves the family trip at Bathurst before boarding public transport home. Mark, 51, his wife Jacoba, 53, and their two daughters Ella, 22, and Riana, 29, continue travelling to the Jenolan Caves. Ella and Riana allegedly steal a utility truck and leave their parents in Goulburn. The sisters become separated in the regional town and Riana is found in a catatonic state hiding in the back of a local man's utility truck. The 29-year-old was taken to hospital and treated for a stress-related illness. Ella started travelling back to the family home in the stolen vehicle. Police visit the family farm after the couple are reported missing. Wednesday, August 31 Ella and Mitchell arrive home separately and are met by police. Officers spot the family station wagon in Victoria's north-east and a man, believed to be Mark, flees the vehicle and runs into a nearby park but is not found. Thursday, September 1 Jacoba is found 'dazed and confused' in Yass after separating from her husband. She was taken to a local hospital to be treated for a stress-related illness. Mitchell reveals his parents were paranoid and afraid when he abandoned the trip. Friday, September 2 Jacoba was transferred to Goulburn hospital where Riana is undergoing treatment. Saturday, September 3 Mark was found wandering the streets near the Wangaratta airport in 'good health' and was taken into police custody. Monday, September 5 Ella Tromp charged with theft of a motor vehicle and possessing the proceeds of a crime. Riana Tromp's charges dismissed under the Mental Health Act. Tuesday, September 6 Mark released a statement apologising for the drain on resources caused by the family's week. He did not reveal what caused them to become distressed. Wednesday, September 7 Investigators reveal they will ask for charges against Ella Tromp to be dropped. Monday, March 6, 2017 Police confirm to Daily Mail Australia that all charges against Ella Tromp have been dropped. Advertisement

Riana and Ella left their parents at Jenolan Caves. Ella allegedly took a ute and drove towards Melbourne with her sister just one day into the trip  but the girls became separated in Goulburn.

Before they split up the girls called police with concerns for their parents.

Ella made it back to the family farm 'to feed her horses' while her older sister was found 'in a catatonic state' in the back of a man's ute in Goulburn.

Following the family's bizarre road trip it was reported Riana was receiving care at a mental health facility with her mother.

She has since posted smiling photos online and claims she is 'really happy and doing well'.

Jacoba  the mother of the three children  turned up on the side of a road in Yass, country NSW after she too split up from the 'delusional' head of the family.

Mark Tromp, pictured with Ella, was picked up by police six days after he lead his family on the trip

Jacoba Tromp was found in Yass after she split from her husband during the family's paranoia-fuelled trip

The family members left their passports and credit cards when they fled their home

Mitchell told the media at the time he had '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.'

Accoroding to police at the time the family went on the trip without passports, credit cards, phone (except Mitchell who later threw it out the window), or locking the front door of their family home.

Mark Tromp was found in Wangaratta six days after the family's ordeal began. He was put in to the care of his brother Ken, a policeman, but appeared to be upset with the media attention and 'flipped the bird' at photographers outside the station.

The Tromp's have been quiet since Mark told the media he wanted his family to be able to return to normal following the incident.

They are all back working on their farm near Silvan, but have removed the company website and all contact details since returning from their off grid adventure.

Riana Tromp smiling in the months after she was found in a stranger's ute in a catatonic state
Chinese buyers are circling another Australian rural icon as the birthplace of merino wool goes up for sale with a $330 million price tag.

Among leading potential buyers for Australia Food & Agriculture is Shanghai Pengxin, which has tried to buy huge Australian farms before.

The 226,000-hectare, 18-farm empire includes the legendary Wanganella, Peppinella and Boonoke stations in southern NSW with 13,000 stud merino sheep.

Its five shareholders are shopping the coveted group because they are all over 70, but want to sell it all at once to the right buyer, owner Colin Bell told The Australian.

Chinese buyers are circling iconic Australian farms where merino wool production began as the huge Australia Food & Agriculture group goes up for sale with a $330 million price tag

'They have to be high-value individuals or companies both here or overseas with an interest in Australian agriculture  and what we are selling here is a profitable business, not just individual farms,' he said.

'We don't have to sell, and we are in no rush to sell; we will only be selling it as a [combined] business  these are all scale and trophy properties.'

AFA's latest financial results show sales of $55 million with a $25 million profit. It turned a profit in 13 of the past 16 financial years.

Mr Bell said he didn't understand why overseas buyers were so 'obsessed' with buying cattle stations to secure 'clean, green and safe' beef for rich customers back in China.

Any overseas sale would have to be approved by the Foreign Investment Review Board, and chairman Brian Wilson last week warned Chinese bidders to stay away from 'icon' properties, or political outcry might see it rejected.

Its five owners, including Colin Bell (L) and Alastair Provan (R) are shopping the coveted group because they are all over 70, but want to sell it all at once to the right buyer

AFA's 226,000-hectare, 18-farm empire includes 11,000 hectares of high-value irrigated land used for rice and cotton, 22,000 hectares of dryland for gran crops

The group was put on the block only months after Australia's biggest cattle station, the 10 million hectare Kidman group, was sold to mining magnate Gina Rinehart and Chinese partners for $380 million.

Shanghai Pengxin was twice blocked by the FIRB from buying Kidman, leaving the door open for Ms Rinehart to step in.

Another Chinese company, Shenzhen Kondarl, is close to buying Australia's biggest avocado farm in Busselton, WA, for as much as $190 million.

The birthplace of merino wool is up for sale for $330 million (Stock Image)

AFA includes 11,000 hectares of high-value irrigated land used for rice and cotton, 22,000 hectares of dryland for gran crops.

It also comes with 60,000 megalitres of water rights from the Murrumbidgee and Murray rivers, and 100,000 merino wool sheep.

AFA added the five iconic properties, known as FSF Falkiner since the 1880s, to its portfolio in 2000. Their heyday was the 1950s when wool sold for $3.56 a kilogram.
Two millionaire brothers ran a care home where the rooms resembled 'prison cells', there was no hot water and staff with criminal records were hired.

Amer and Amjad Latif have admitted to putting elderly residents at risk following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection and will be fined by a court today.

They ran the Mossley Manor care home in Liverpool where residents were put to bed at 6pm each night and sometimes were not bathed or showered for more than a month.

Staff were hired with previous criminal convictions, but the home, in Mossley Hill, still charged 330 a week for a room and 360 for an en suite.

Amer, pictured above left, and Amjad, pictured above right, Latif have admitted to putting elderly residents at risk at the Mossley Manor care home in Liverpool

One employee admitted to CQC inspectors that the bedrooms were more 'like a prison cell'.

In one room the window had broken and was jammed open  the elderly resident had then resorted to stuffing socks into the gap to stop the draught.

The CQC shut the home down immediately after an inspection in June 2015, where it was rated inadequate.

The watchdog had been alerted to failings by a concerned family member who was worried that residents were being neglected and left unwashed.

Both brothers pleaded guilty in January to a string of charges relating to neglect and failing in their duties at the home.

Court documents stated that the pair failed to provide 'safe care and treatment to service users by inadequately managing risks of infection, burn injuries, choking, falls from height and falls during attempts to mobilise, fire and explosion and unsafe medicines management'.

Their sentencing was adjourned until today and they are now expected to be fined more than 100,000 by Liverpool magistrates.

The CQC was given new powers to prosecute the owners of failing care homes in April 2015 and since then three others have been fined.

The former Mossley Manor Care Home in Liverpool which was closed down by CQC inspectors

But the watchdog and the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt now want to make an example of the brothers to send a clear message to those guilty of harm and neglect.

It is one of the most shocking cases so far and the watchdog accused the brothers of causing a 'serious risk' to the 'lives, health and wellbeing' of elderly residents.

Amjad Latif, 56, lives with his wife Catherine, 63, and their three children in a house worth 1million in Bowdon, near Manchester.

His brother Amer, 47, owns a 1.2million home in Woolton, Liverpool with his wife Hana, 38, and mother Chand, 79.

Both brothers  who are originally from Pakistan  will make even more money when they sell the care home which is worth more than 1million.

Mr Hunt said: 'I am appalled by the level of harm and neglect uncovered at Mossley Manor and it is right that the owners face the full force of the law.

'I commend the Care Quality Commission for taking immediate and decisive action to not only shut the home down but also prosecute.

'Families must have confidence that those in charge can be held responsible if they allow these sorts of abuses to happen.

That's why we changed the law from April last year to make sure that managers and company directors who allow poor care to happen can be prosecuted.'

Andrea Sutcliffe, of the CQC, said: 'Responsibility for the appalling care that my inspectors found ...rests squarely with the two brothers who were in charge of running this home.'

She added: 'When poor care happens, the public rightly expects there to be real consequences for those who are accountable.

'I hope today's case sends a clear message that, as the regulator, CQC will always listen when people share their concerns with us  and when people are exposed to harm and neglect we will use the criminal prosecution powers available to us to hold individuals to account.'

Concerns are increasing about the care home sector as a whole  which is struggling due to the social care crisis.

Many councils can no longer afford the fees for residential care and some homes are closing as they are no longer making a profit.

The Daily Mail tried to contact the brothers but they both declined to comment.
North Korea has fired four banned ballistic missiles over 620 miles, with three of them landing in waters which Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone, officials said.

Military sources said the missiles flew some 1,000 km (539 nautical miles), and were launched from the area of Tongchang-ri - where a missile base is located - in a possible retaliation by North Korea to joint US and South Korean drills that began last week.

According to local news sites, an unnamed ministry official warned the projectiles could be intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.

However, Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said on Monday that the United States saw no indications of an intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

The U.S. military did, however, leave open the possibility of additional North Korean ballistic missile launch attempts beyond the four that landed in the sea off northwest Japan.

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province, for the testing of a new engine for an intercontinental ballistic missile

The Defense Ministry said the missiles flew about 539 nautical miles after being launched from Tongchang-ri (Sohae Satellite Launching Station). Three of the missiles fell within Japan's exclusive economic zone (pictured in light blue), 188 miles to 215 miles west of the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture

'There were four that landed. There may be a higher number of launches that we're not commenting on. But four landed and splashed in the Sea of Japan,' Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told a news briefing.

The four missiles were fired from North Pyongan province around 7:36 am South Korean time, the South Korean ministry said in a statement, adding they landed in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tokyo lodged a 'strong protest' to North Korea after the reclusive state launched the four ballistic missiles, three of which fell into Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

'The latest launches of ballistic missiles clearly demonstrate evidence of a new threat from North Korea,' Abe told reporters at his residence.

Moscow is seriously worried about North Korea's latest missile drills, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

'Definitely, we are seriously worried - these are the sort of actions that lead to a rise in tension in the region and of course in this situation, traditionally, Moscow calls for restraint from all sides,' Peskov told a conference call with reporters.

The European Union has also condemned North Korea for firing the four banned ballistic missiles and said it would consult with Japan and international partners on how to react.

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said launches were 'in utter disregard' of several U.N. resolutions and further raised tension in the region.

A PAC-3 surface-to-air missile launcher is seen in position on the grounds of the defence ministry in Tokyo on March 6, 2017.Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said three of the four missiles North Korea launched landed in Japanese-controlled waters

A member of Japan Self-Defense Force stands by a PAC-3 Patriot missile unit deployed against the North Korea's missile firing, at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, Monday, March 6, 2017

She says North Korea needs to return to a dialogue with the international community and immediately halt plans for more such missile launches.

The missile launches came as Seoul and Washington launch annual joint military exercises, infuriating Pyongyang which condemns them as provocative rehearsals for invasion.

Visiting a North Korean army headquarters unit, leader Kim Jong-Un ordered the troops to 'set up thorough countermeasures of a merciless strike against the enemy's sudden air assault', the state-run Korean Central News Agency said on the day the Foal Eagle exercises started last week.

North Korea fired a ballistic missile last month - its first such launch since October - which Seoul had said was aimed at drawing 'global attention' to its nuclear and missile programme and 'testing the response from the new US administration' of President Donald Trump.

U.S. Army soldiers prepare their military exercise in Paju, near the border with North Korea, South Korea, Monday, March 6, 2017. North Korea fired missiles in an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal

A television displays news broadcast's infographics reporting on North Korea test-firing ballistic missiles, at a station in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday

North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology.

But six sets of UN sanctions since Pyongyang's first nuclear test in 2006 have failed to halt its drive for what it insists are defensive weapons.

The South's Joint Chief of Staff said in a statement that Monday's launch was made in the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province.

The area is the home of the North's Seohae Satellite Station, where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.

While it was not immediately clear what was fired, Pyongyang has staged a series of missile test-launches of various range in recent months.

Last year the country conducted two nuclear tests and numerous missile launches in its quest to develop a nuclear weapons system capable of hitting the continental US.

Leader Kim Jong Un is pushing for a nuclear and missile program that can deter what he calls U.S. and South Korean hostility toward the North.

Pictured is a satellite image take in 2013 of the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province

North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology
A six-year-old girl has died after after a quad bike carrying three children crashed into trees.

The girl, who has not been named, died at the scene after the vehicle crashed into two trees on a rural property near Pilliga, in northern New South Wales, on Sunday.

A 13-year-old girl suffered head injuries and was flown to Sydney Children's Hospital, while a second 13-year-old girl on the bike was not injured.

A six-year-old girl has died after after a quad bike carrying three girls crashed into trees (file picture)

Two other children were riding on another quad bike at the time of the horror smash, police said, with the five youngsters aged between six and 13.

Daily Mail Australia understands that four of girls involved were year 8 boarders at Calrossy Anglican School, in Tamworth, who were on leave for the weekend.

The girl with serious head injuries is still in intensive care but was taken off of a ventilator last night.

She has a blood clot between her skull and her brain, a source who knows the girls said.

None of the three girls live at the property.

The horror smash took place at about 12.15pm on Sunday.

Daily Mail Australia understands that four of girls involved were year 8 boarders at Calrossy Anglican School (pictured), in Tamworth

The girl's death comes less than two months after seven-year-old Connor Irvin (pictured) died in a quad bike accident in the NSW Riverina

Officers are investigating whether the children were wearing helmets.

No arrests have been made.

The girl's death comes less than two months after seven-year-old Connor Irvin died in a quad bike accident in the NSW Riverina.

Connor was riding the bike with a nine-year-old family friend on his parent's property when he became trapped under the vehicle.
Leaders of the Seattle area Sikh community near Seattle say they are shocked by the shooting of a Sikh man in his own driveway by a stocky white man who screamed 'go back to your country' before firing his gun.

The victim, Deep Rai, a US national of Indian origin, told police that a gunman approached him as he worked on his car in his driveway in Kent, Washington on Friday.

Rai, 39, said they got into an argument before the gunman shot him in the arm. Rai was injured.

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Leaders of the Seattle area Sikh community near Seattle say they are shocked by the shooting of a Sikh man in his own driveway, pictured, by a stocky white man who screamed 'go back to your country' before firing his gun

Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas gave a media conference on Saturday saying a member of the Sikh community had been shot. Hira Singh, a Sikh community leader in Kent, said that there have been more complaints recently from Sikhs saying they've been subject to harassment

Hira Singh, a Sikh community leader in the city of Kent, said Sunday that there have been increasing complaints recently from Sikhs who say they have been the target of foul language or other comments.

He says about 50,000 Sikhs live in Washington state, and Friday night's shooting has shaken the community.

Jaswinder Singh, of the Gurudwara Sikh Center of Seattle, told the Seattle Times: 'It's kind of scary to hear about things like this, but we definitely have been getting tremendous support from the community.'

The US ambassador to India, MaryKay Loss Carlson, and India's external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, expressed her sorrow over the incident.

Carlson tweeted: 'Saddened by shooting in WA. Wishes for quick and full recovery. As @POTUS said we condemn "hate and evil in all its forms."'

In a tweet Swaraj said: 'I am sorry to know about attack on Deep Rai a US national of Indian origin. I have spoken to Sardar Harpal Singh father of the victim.'

FBI officers are assisting the Kent Police Department in their investigation.

An FBI statement read that the Seattle bureau is 'committed to investigating crimes that are potentially hate-motivated.'

A 39-year-old Sikh man, Deep Rai, was shot in the arm while working on a car in his driveway in Kent, Washington on Friday night by a white gunman in what appears to have been a random attack

Chelsea Clinton weighed in on the incident when she tweeted that the U.S. was his country

The suspect was described as a 6-foot tall white male with a stocky build. He was wearing a mask that covered the lower part of his face and was dressed in dark clothing.

Rai has since been released from hospital and is recovering, a Sikh leader from the area told the Seattle Times.

'He is just very shaken up, both him and his family,' Jasmit Singh said.

'We're all kind of at a loss in terms of what's going on right now, this is just bringing it home. The climate of hate that has been created doesn't distinguish between anyone.'

Police are continuing their investigation but said they have no reason to believe that there is an imminent threat to the community.
Regulators should be given new powers to block takeovers and mergers that fail to produce positive advantages to consumers, Michael Howard has said.

The former Conservative leader urged ministers to introduce a vigorous competition policy after Brexit in order to help restore public faith in globalisation.

His plea came as the PSA Group, the French company that makes Peugoet and Citroen cars, is expected to confirm today a deal to buy car manufacturer Vauxhall  sparking fresh fears about the future of thousands of British jobs.

Former Conservative leader Michael Howard has urged ministers to introduce a 'vigorous competition policy' after Brexit

Vauxhall employs 1,830 staff at its factory in Ellesmere Port in Cheshire and a further 1,530 at a plant in Luton. Last week PSA boss Carlos Tavares, who built a reputation as a ruthless cost-cutter after he slashed thousands of jobs at Peugeot and Citroen, said he would make savings of around 1.5billion in quite a speedy way.

Existing competition policy in the UK is governed largely by the European Union. But ministers will be free to set their own rules when Britain leaves the EU.

Speaking at the Conservative Progress Conference on Saturday, Lord Howard said the UK would soon become masters in their own house in this as in so many other respects.

He said it was wrong that the UKs competition authority can currently only intervene in mergers that are against the public interest and likely to result in a substantial lessening of competition. And he said the change would help small and medium-sized firms that can easily fall prey to big multinational predators.

Lord Howard said the UK would soon become 'masters in their own house'

I think this should be toughened up, he said. I would go as far as to argue that prospective partners ... should be required to show, in addition, that their merger would result in positive advantages to consumers.

I believe this is a measure which could ... have a significant impact in mitigating some of the worst features of globalisation without depriving us of its undoubted and considerable benefits.

Lord Howard said that while globalisation had brought huge benefits to the world, it was undeniably true that not everyone has benefited.

He said those who had lost their manufacturing jobs to cheap competition from China find it no comfort to be told by their political leaders, in effect, that the benefits of globalisation are such that they just have to grin and bear it.

He added: That is, I believe, the reason why so many people in the developed world have become alienated and resentful and have concluded that the liberal elites who, for the most part, form the governments of their countries, have no interest in them or their future.
Spectators watched in horror as a runner died metres from the finish line of a 10k race in front of his wife and daughter.

Czeslaw Dudek was being cheered on by his wife Sylwia, 32, and their seven-year-old daughter when he collapsed during the Weybridge 10k on Sunday.

The 37-year-old carpenter from Feltham in west London was given CPR at the scene before being rushed to hospital, where he later died.

Runner, 37, dies just metres from the finish line of the Weybridge 10k in front of his wife and daughter

The father-of-one was competing in his first ever timed running event and collapsed just 400m before the finish line.

Mr Dudek's friend Marzena Bujak told the Mirror his family had been left 'shattered' by his death.

She said: 'They were waiting at the finishing line for him to finish the race.

'His family were incredibly important to him. I miss him already. He was the best friend to me.'

Sharing a link to a Go Fund Me page hoping to raise money for Mr Dudek's family, Nicola Tait wrote on Facebook: 'It is with great sadness that whilst I crossed the line and received my medal at the Weybridge 10k a wife and daughter witnessed the worst thing ever.

'I need to remind everyone, though it is fantastic keeping fit, if you have an unknown heart condition it is incredibly dangerous.'

The father-of-one (pictured with his wife), was competing in his first ever timed running event and collapsed just 400m before the finish line

His grief-stricken friends and family described Mr Dudek as 'a loving and caring dad and husband.'

Writing on his fundraising page, Ilo Bienkowska added: 'His sudden death has left his wife and 7 year old daughter in tragic situation and shatter their lives.'

Nigel McHugh wrote online: 'we walked past the paramedics resuscitating this poor man on the way home.

'Most leave with a medal and aching legs but its so heartbreaking that someone doesn't make it home at all.

'If you are able to help in any way to support the family (he leaves a wife and 7 year old daughter behind) please do.'

To donate to Mr Dudek's GoFundMe page, click here.
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Shocking footage shows homeless people being turned into the 'walking dead' after taking the drug Spice.

The video, shot in Manchester city centre, captures disturbing scenes of people frozen like statues as the substance takes hold of their whole body.

The city has experienced a surge in ambulance call outs after users have fallen victim to the drug's lethal side effects, with some left keeling over and smashing up their faces.

Meanwhile in Wrexham, north Wales, pictures have emerged of bloody needles and other drug paraphernalia discarded on a bus station floor, alongside images of people 'slumped' against walls and even a flower pot.

Bus driver Gavin Rodda, 35, took the photos to raise awareness of what he calls a 'growing problem' in the Welsh town, particularly with heroin.

Pictured: A new strain of Spice leaves users paralysed as the effects of the drug take hold of their senses on the streets of Manchester

Spice, pictured, is a synthetic drug that is supposed to mimic the affects of cannabis but has been known to cause seizures, psychosis, kidney failure and strokes

Meanwhile pictures have also emerged in Wrexham of people 'slumped up against a flower pot' near the bus station. Bus driver Gavin Rodda said he snapped the images to raise awareness of a drug problem in the town, although there is no suggestion anyone in these pictures has taken drugs

Some people were pictured 'looking like zombies' as they sat up against walls in Wrexham

Meanwhile, charity figures estimate that 95 per cent of Manchester's young homeless are believed to be on Spice.

WHAT IS SPICE? Spice is a synthetic drug that is supposed to mimic the effects of cannabis on the brain. It was banned in the UK last April and is also outlawed in many European countries as its actual composition is different to the real thing and some experts believe it can be 100 times as potent as cannabis. Harmful side effects include increased heart rate, seizures, psychosis, kidney failure and strokes. It has been linked to deaths in Australia and Russia, while in 2015 it was blamed for five university students being taken to hospital, with two from Lancaster University left in critical condition. An investigation by the Mail found that some of the drugs most prolific users are secondary school pupils as young as 13, who smoke it before school and during their lunch break. Advertisement

One user said: 'I have used it for about two years. It's cheap in bundles and they are going for daft prices.

'Heroin users are saying it's the worst stuff going. It's dangerous.'

Julie Boyle, support worker at youth homeless charity Lifeshare, said the new Spice on the streets had terrifying effects on people.

Last Thursday she found a woman collapsed at a tram stop, having taken a drag of what she thought was cannabis but turned out to be Spice.

When an ambulance arrived the paramedic told her they had been called to 26 similar incidents that day alone.

Ms Boyle said: 'In the city centre there are people who just look like they are frozen, like the walking dead, sat in a catatonic state not moving.

'You wouldn't even know they were alive  it's like when you press pause on the telly. They don't know where they are.

'I first noticed it probably the beginning of last week but then it's intensified more as the week's gone on.'

Spice is a general term for a synthetic drug originally classed as a legal high but outlawed last April. It is now being dealt on the streets instead of being bought in shops.

The drug has already been causing chaos, with Lifeshare warning of youngsters being trafficked, gang raped, contracting HIV and even dying as a result.

Another man was pictured lying face down on the floor of the bus station in Wrexham

Another man was snapped in the bus station toilets appearing to be taking drugs

However, Ms Boyle said the latest strain  which she is hoping to get tested for its contents  is even worse.

She explained: 'Whatever's going round the city centre at the moment is causing this.

'Every corner where there are beggars or homeless people hanging about, out of every six or so at least two will be catatonic.

'People are falling without even putting out their hands, which would be your natural instinct.

Others were seen 'drooping' against walls near the bus station in north Wales, left and right

Mr Rodda also shared pictures of needles found on the bus station floor, pictured, covered in blood

He said a colleague had been injured and required medical attention after cutting himself on a scalpel, pictured, while cleaning the station

'They're just falling face down, injuring their face or the back of their head. It's horrible. It was bad enough before but this is another level.'

Lewis Morris, 37, who has been living on the streets since December 2016, knows all about this new strain of Spice.

He said: 'It's lethal. I was walking down Market Street the other day and 17 people went down on it. They hit the deck shaking out of control and I had to phone an ambulance.

'It's madness. It's so cheap. Whoever is selling it they are making a lot of money on it. It's unreal.

'The new stuff is mixed with the tranquilliser they use when transporting koi carp to calm them down.

'Somebody could offer me 1,000 of it now but I would just burn it. That's how against it I am.

Mr Rodda, pictured, has urged police to do more to tackle drug problems at the bus station

He also shared images of what appears to be drug paraphernalia wrapped in foil left in the toilets, pictured

'It's really cheap. People are getting it for 5 a gram and it will last you all day. It's taken over heroin and crack.'

Another homeless man Michael Cauchi, 37, said he accidentally took the new strain of Spice and thought he was going to die.

He said: 'Somebody passed me half a roll-up once and I didn't realise it was Spice. I thought I was dying.'

In Wrexham, Mr Rodda said he felt it was time 'the public saw what was going on' and shared a variety of pictures of drug paraphernalia.

Writing on Facebook, he said: Some of these pictures are shocking but it's the reality of everyday life for the addicts that use there and the mess that they leave for the public to see.

I want people to see this and come together to find a solution to the major drug problem that Wrexham currently has. Is it really going to take a death of an addict inside the bus station to make a change? I hope not!

He added: People of all ages use Wrexham Bus Station and a lot of children pass through it on a daily basis. 

Other drug-related items were pictured left on a toilet seat at the Wrexham bus station

Blood-stained foil has also been found in the toilets at the bus station, with police urged to take more action

No one should be subjected to seeing people high on legal highs like Mamba or high on heroin which is being smoked in the toilet cubicles and injected too.

'As you can see in some of these pictures, there are needles being left in the toilets with blood by them.

'There are the remnants of Heroin that has been smoked using Tin Foil. There are empty Methadone bottles that were left on the back of toilets.

'All of the paraphernalia pictured was within reach for a child.

There is no evidence to suggest the people pictured are drug-users.

Mr Rodda said a friend is responsible for clearing away paraphernalia from the station and does not get paid enough for it.

He added: Elderly passengers who use the Bus Station are increasingly saying that they no longer feel safe in there and they are intimidated by the groups of addicts who ask them for money.

Even with two security guards now present in the Bus Station, it is not enough to deter the addicts and their behaviour.

It is understood North Wales Police have stepped up patrols in the area but Mr Rodda is calling for the police to set up a base near to or in the bus station.

He added: For a lot people, myself included, Wrexham Bus Station is our workplace and we feel that it is no longer safe to work in, even with the attempts that have been made to control the drug problems.

We work in a place knowing that there are people walking around carrying syringes on them which could be used as a weapon at any given moment.

Pictured: The new strain of Spice has also caused users to keel over, with many smashing up their faces as a result

I personally feel that if a person is not using a bus service or a shop inside the Bus Station then they shouldn't be allowed inside there. We need stricter controls to make it a safer place for everyone.

District Inspector Paul Wycherley, of North Wales Police said: 'We understand the concerns of local people which have been brought to the fore again today by the publication of photographs which were taken some time ago.

'Since they were taken much partnership working has gone on to improve the situation in and around Wrexham town centre and we are continuing to work with others to address these issues.

'Where we can we will use legislation in terms of the Misuse of Drugs Act to cover possession and usage of controlled substances and ASB legislation to combat nuisance.

'This is not however something that is for the police alone to deal which is why we are working closely with the local council and others.

'We have joint plans in place and we will all continue to play a part in making Wrexham a safer place.'
Tony Blair was yesterday forced to deny claims he had pitched himself to be Donald Trumps Middle East envoy on a trip to Washington.

But the former prime minister did meet the presidents son-in-law and key adviser Jared Kushner at the White House last week, in what was their third meeting since September.

Claims that the secret meeting was held to discuss Blair working for President Trump were an invention, a spokesman for Blairs office said.

He insisted that the meetings were private, and that suggestions that Blair had been pitching for a job are wrong.

Tony Blair has denied he had pitched himself to be Donald Trump's Middle East envoy

A spokesman said: Mr Blair has made no such pitch to be the presidents Middle East envoy ... Neither has he had any discussions about taking such a role or any role working for the new president.

He said Blair had been working on the peace process for ten years, and added: He continues to do so. He does so in a private capacity.

The pair first met at an event in Aspen, Colorado, to discuss political issues.

They met again days after Trumps election victory at the 150-a-head Harry Cipriani restaurant in New York.

Mr Kushner, pictured with his wife, Ivanka Trump, did meet Mr Blair at the White House last week

Blair dismissed claims he was being lined up as an advisor to Trump as beyond speculation, after he was spotted at the restaurant.

Kushner is championed by his father-in-law as the man to bring peace to the Middle East.

Trump has said Kushner would be able to secure an Israel deal which no one else has managed to get, but doubts have been raised over his lack of diplomatic experience.
People are dying needlessly from heart attacks because bystanders are unwilling to step in to carry out life-saving techniques.

Just four out of ten members of the public are prepared to attempt to keep someone alive undergoing a cardiac arrest using first aid.

This compares to more than seven out of ten people (73 per cent) in Norway, where survival rates from cardiac arrest are three times higher than in the UK.

By the time ambulance staff arrive to treat a patient, valuable minutes may have been lost which will increase the risk of death.

Just four out of ten members of the public are prepared to attempt to keep someone alive undergoing a cardiac arrest using first aid, pictured above

A new report from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) estimated a further 1,000 lives could be saved each year if members of the public attempted to resuscitate heart attack victims.

The two main lifesaving methods for someone undergoing a heart attack are cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and defibrillation.

CPR involves giving regular chest compressions to make the heart pump blood around the body.

Defibrillators are portable machines that give electric shocks to jolt the heart into beating in a regular rhythm.

The machines are designed to be used by untrained members of the public and are stationed in many busy places like shopping centres or supermarkets.

A British Heart Foundation (BHF) report estimates a further 1,000 lives could be saved each year if members of the public attempted to resuscitate heart attack victims, pictured above

The chances of someone who has had a cardiac arrest drops by around 10 per cent for every minute that they do not get either CPR or defibrillation.

After ten minutes without either technique, the chances of survival are just 2 per cent at best.

If somebody has a cardiac arrest, an ambulance should be called and CPR attempted.

The BHF advise that if there are more than one person present when someone has had a heart attack, one person should stay with the victim and carry out CPR while the other goes to look for a defibrillator machine  asking emergency services if they are not sure.

Once the defibrillator box is opened, a recorded voice gives easy instructions on where to place pads on a person's chest.

The BHF advise looking for a defibrillator machine, pictured above, if there is more than one present

Users then simply press a large button to start electrical shocks to the person' s heart.

The defibrillator will not work unless the person is having a cardiac arrest - meaning people cannot make the situation worse by using one.

Previous research has found the survival rate in England for out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is 8.6 per cent, compared to 20 per cent in Seattle and 25 per cent in Norway.

A cardiac arrest is commonly caused when a person has a problem with their heart.

The person is unconscious and there are no other signs of life such as breathing or movement.

Ambulance services in England attempt resuscitation on nearly 30,000 people suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year.

Only 7 - 8 per cent of people on whom resuscitation is attempted manage to survive to leave hospital.

But the charity wants to raise awareness among the public that survival can be increased to up to 40 per cent through the early use of CPR and defibrillators.

Around 1,000 lives a year could be saved in England if more people were willing to undertake CPR, pictured above, the report said

The BHF report also calls for all pupils in secondary schools to learn CPR, pictured above

Its report, Resuscitation To Recovery, says that simply waiting for the emergency services to arrive means lives are lost that could be saved.

It also calls for all pupils in secondary schools to learn CPR.

Around 1,000 lives a year could be saved in England if more people were willing to undertake CPR, the report said.

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director at the BHF, said: 'Cardiac arrest survival rates in England are disappointingly low and have remained so for many years,

'There is potential to save thousands of lives but we urgently need to change how we think about cardiac arrest care.

'It's clear that we need a revolution in CPR by educating more people in simple lifesaving skills and the use of external defibrillators, and for the subsequent care of a resuscitated patient to be more consistent and streamlined.'

Professor Huon Gray, national clinical director for heart disease at NHS England, said: 'Thousands of deaths from cardiac arrests could be prevented every year, but we need to work with the public, the emergency services and hospitals in order to achieve this.

'Currently, there is significant variation in treatment around the country so it is vital that we provide all people with the best possible chances of survival, wherever they live.'
The Kremlin is building up its maritime arsenal in ways that could stop Natos free movement of the sea and pose an existential risk to the West, former chiefs warn.

Russia could send new submarines and ships to launch undersea attacks to paralyse Europe, they claim.

For example, Russia might cut vital undersea cables carrying commercial and military data between the US and Europe or target North Sea oil platforms, the Whitehall report says.

The Whitehall report says the introduction of new classes of submarines and long-range missiles on ships is a step-change by Russian President Vladimir Putin

It means Nato must prepare for how to deal with Russian hybrid warfare at sea before it is too late and it loses control of the seas, the most comprehensive paper of its kind says.

The warning comes after it was announced Boris Johnson is to be the first foreign secretary to visit Moscow in more than five years, later in 2017.

The report, produced by the Royal United Services Institute, includes chapters by two former Nato commanders  Admiral James Stavridis and General Philip Breedlove.

It says the introduction of new classes of submarines and long-range missiles on ships is a step-change by Vladimir Putin.

The paper reads: Subversion, disinformation and forgery, combined with Special Forces, constituted the heart of Soviet-style operations and have reappeared.

Boris Johnson will visit Moscow later in 2017. He will be the first foreign secretary to do so in more than five years

The former chiefs warn of deniable missions carried out by little blue sailors similar to the men that wore unmarked green uniforms in Crimea.

Russia could pretend the fighters were nationalists, rogue actors, terrorists or even vacationing sailors acting on their own volition.

The report said: Deniable undersea attacks on ocean-bed telecommunications cables or shore terminals would threaten global information flows and financial networks.

It warned of bomb attacks on North Sea oil platforms which would have a chilling effect on investment and said Russia could discharge floating homemade mines in strategic ports which could shut shipping lanes.
A former prison psychologist who converted to Islam and married a member of the notorious Skaf gang has been pictured wearing a burqa while out with their child in Sydney.

Joanne Natalie Senior married the member of the Skaf gang - notorious for raping teenagers across Sydney in 2000 - after he was released from prison in 2013.

The 36-year-old will be featured on A Current Affair this week and was seen in a preview for the show wheeling a pram and dodging reporters while wearing a full-length black burqa.

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Joanne Natalie Senior (pictured), a 36-year-old former prison psychologist who converted to Islam and married a member of the notorious Skaf gang, has been pictured wearing a burqa while out in Sydney

Her husband was one of nine men responsible for a string of gang rapes across Sydney led by Bilal Skaf (pictured)

Senior has had two relationships with me from the Skaf gang.

Her husband was one of nine men responsible for a string of gang rapes across Sydney led by Bilal Skaf, which a judge described as 'worse than murder'.

The 36-year-old married the gang rapist, changed her name to her husband's and is living with her partner and her parents in western Sydney.

The convicted rapist, who was serving time in Parklea prison, cannot be identified because he was 17 when he raped two girls in 2000.

One was a 13-year-old and another in a separate assault was a 14-year-old committed with one of nine men responsible for the gang rapes across Sydney in 2000.

The Skaf gang member was requested by parole officers to provide the name of his wife to work out if she was an 'appropriate person' as a partner for him.

Despite breaking his parole terms in refusing to give out information about his wife - Joanne Natalie Senior - his parole was never revoked, according to a Corrective Services spokeswoman.

The 36-year-old will be featured on A Current Affair this week and was seen in a preview for the show wheeling a pram and dodging reporters while wearing a full-length black burqa (pictured)

The Skaf gang were convicted over a series of rape attacks back in 2000

Joanne Natalie Senior was a psychologist at Parklea prison but was struck off in 2015

The publication claims Senior ran a sex offenders' program in Parklea prison back in 2010 and 2011.

She began her first relationship with a member of the gang, whose name was suppressed at the time of the Skaf trials because of his mental and intellectual disabilities.

She visited the prisoner 24 times in jail without authorities realising she was an employee, which included organising a special birthday surprise for him.

During this relationship she took his surname, moved in with his mother and engaged in phone sex where she allowed him to call her 'a sl**'.

Parklea prison where Joanne Natalie Senior is believed to have met her husband from the notorious Skaf gang

The relationship with the man, who is now on parole, came to an end in 2012, before she was suspended from Corrective Services.

Senior was subsequently disqualified from practising psychology in 2015 after admitting to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal that she entered into relationship with the man.

Forensic psychologist James Ogloff, said psychologists can become emotionally vulnerable when working with inmates.

He said the 'forbidden attraction' can play a role as the reason psychologists fall for an inmate often during time of stress divorce or a bad relationship.
A NSW mother accused of trying to drown her two sons in the Murray River has now been charged with murder as well as attempted murder.

The 27-year-old was last week charged with attempted murder after she allegedly took her two sons, aged five and nine, to the river on Thursday evening and tried to hold both boys underwater. The nine-year-old boy wriggled free.

A body believed to belong to the five-year-old was recovered on Saturday, and his older brother remains in a stable condition in the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne after suffering bites from a dog that intervened.

The mother who allegedly tried to drown her two sons in the Murray River has been charged with murder

The mother's matter was heard briefly in Deniliquin Local Court again on Monday morning and she was additionally charged with murder.

A psychiatric report has been requested, and the woman is due back in court in Deniliquin on May 2. It's been suggested the mother has struggled with an addiction to the drug ice for many years.

The boys' heartbroken grandmother has accused child protection services of 'miserably' failing the family.

The grandmother, through her lawyer, has said she holds police and corrective services responsible because the daughter was essentially 'off-loaded' on her after being released from prison.

The 27-year-old allegedly took her two sons, aged five and nine, to the river on Thursday evening and tried to hold both boys underwater. The nine-year-old boy wriggled free

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said agencies will urgently look into the family circumstances and make sure 'any response is appropriate'.

She said there would be a thorough investigation into what she called 'a human tragedy of the highest proportion'.

The dog involved in the incident was taken by the local council under a police order last week and its owners have started an online petition demanding its return.

The pitbull cross, named Buddy, had no history of biting anyone before the incident, the petition said.

'He has clearly seen a child in distress and attempted to help.'

A police spokeswoman on Monday said police no longer required the animal.

The Murray River Council is yet to comment on the matter.




Former President Barack Obama and ex-First Lady Michelle were all smiles as they stepped out for the first time since Donald Trump sensationally accused his predecessor of tapping his phones before the election.

The Obamas were spotted leaving the National Gallery Of Art in Washington, DC, Sunday, seemingly undisturbed by the unsubstantiated claims.

President Trump has yet to offer any evidence to support his claims that Obama wiretapped his phones at Trump Tower. He turned to Congress on the day of the Obamas' outing for help finding proof to bolster his allegations.

Obama's intelligence chief has denied any such action was ever carried out, while senior officials said FBI director James Comey asked the Justice Department to publicly reject the accusation.

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Former President Barack Obama and ex-First Lady Michelle were all smiles as they stepped out Sunday for the first time since President Trump's unsubstantiated phone tapping accusations

The Obamas were spotted leaving the National Gallery Of Art in Washington, DC, Sunday, seemingly undisturbed by the claims, which came under the form of a Twitter rant

The former first couple's visit to the National Gallery Of Art came as Republican leaders of Congress appeared willing to honor the president's request to help him find evidence.

But the move has potential risks for the president, particularly if the House and Senate intelligence committees unearth damaging information about Trump, his aides or his associates.

Trump claimed in a series of tweets without evidence Saturday that his predecessor had tried to undermine him by tapping the telephones at Trump Tower, the New York skyscraper where Trump based his campaign and transition operations, and maintains a home.

Obama's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said nothing matching Trump's claims had taken place.

'Absolutely, I can deny it,' said Clapper, who left government when Trump took office in January. Other representatives for the former president also denied Trump's allegation.

Obama (pictured Sunday), just like other presidents, did not have authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens, his former press secretary said

Senior American officials, meanwhile, told The New York Times that FBI Director Comey has asked the Justice Department to publicly reject Trump's assertion.

Comey argued that the claim must be corrected because it falsely insinuates that the FBI broke the law, the officials said. No such statement has been issued by the Justice Department.

Trump's claims appear to have echoed a radio show hosted by conservative host Mark Levin, who on Thursday evening claimed Obama used 'police state' tactics against Trump in the last months of his run for president.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said without elaborating Sunday that Trump's instruction to Congress was based on 'very troubling' reports 'concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election.' Spicer did not respond to inquiries about the reports he cited in announcing the request.

Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to 'exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016.'

He said there would be no further comment until the investigations are completed, a statement that House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi took offense to and likened to autocratic behavior.

'It's called a wrap-up smear. You make up something. Then you have the press write about it. And then you say, everybody is writing about this charge. It's a tool of an authoritarian,' Pelosi said.

Spicer's chief deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said she thinks Trump is 'going off of information that he's seen that has led him to believe that this is a very real potential.'

Josh Earnest, who was Obama's press secretary, said presidents do not have authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens, as Trump has alleged was done to him. FBI investigators and Justice Department officials must seek a federal judge's approval for such a step.

Trump (pictured coming back to the White House on Sunday after a weekend at Mar-A-Lago) has asked Congress for help finding proof to bolster his allegations

The president said in a series of tweets in the early hours of Saturday that he had 'just found out' about being wiretapped, though it was unclear where the information came from

Trump's claims appear to have echoed a radio show hosted by conservative host Mark Levin, who on Thursday evening claimed Obama used 'police state' tactics against Trump

The president in the past has tweeted about unsubstantiated and provocative reports he reads on blogs or conservative websites

'How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!' he tweeted, misspelling 'tap'

Earnest accused Trump of leveling the allegations to distract from the attention being given to campaign-season contacts by Trump aides with a Russian official, including campaign adviser Jeff Sessions before he resigned from the Senate to become attorney general. The FBI is investigating those contacts, as is Congress.

Trump said in the tweets that he had 'just found out' about being wiretapped, though it was unclear whether he was referring to having found out through a briefing, a conversation or a media report.

The president in the past has tweeted about unsubstantiated and provocative reports he reads on blogs or conservative websites.

The tweets stood out, given the gravity of the charge and the strikingly personal attack on the former president. Trump spoke as recently as last month about how much he likes Obama and how much they get along, despite their differences.

'How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!' he tweeted, misspelling 'tap.'

Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said Saturday that a 'cardinal rule' of the Obama administration was not to interfere in Justice Department investigations, which are supposed to be conducted free of outside or political influence.

Lewis said neither Obama nor any White House official had ever ordered surveillance on any US citizen. 'Any suggestion otherwise is simply false,' Lewis said.

Trump used a similar approach with his unsupported claims of massive voter fraud that he said caused him to lose the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton.

He eventually said he wanted to launch a 'major' investigation to find the 3 million to 5 million votes he claims were cast illegally. Congressional leaders were cool to the idea - a costly and time-consuming effort.

Trump has been trailed for months by questions about his campaign's ties to Russia. Compounding the situation is the US intelligence agencies' assessment that Russia interfered with the election to help Trump triumph over Hillary Clinton, along with disclosures about his aides' contacts with a Russian official.
Anthony Benesh, 44, was shot dead in 2006 in Texas after he tried to start a chapter of the motorcycle club Hell's Angels in Austin

Four members of the Bandidos motorcycle gang who murdered a rival Hell's Angel member with a sniper rifle in front of his two young children were arrested ten years after his assassination, according to court documents.

Jesse James Benavides, Robert Romo, Norberto Serna and Johnny Romo were arrested and faced a San Antonio judge on Thursday on charges for the murder of Anthony Benesh in 2006.

Benesh was shot dead by a sniper nearly a decade ago, after the Bandidos motorcycle gang warned the 44-year-old against launching a rival Hell's Angels biker group in Austin, Texas.

Members of the extremely territorial gang had threatened Benesh against starting the chapter over fears it would lessen its power and move in on its territory.

Four members of the Bandidos motorcycle gang were arrested on Thursday in connection to Benesh's murder, including Robert Romo (left) and Johnny Romo (right)

Also arrested were Norberto Serna (left) and Jesse James Benavidez (right). All four men were accused of conspiring to kill Benesh after he didn't listen to the threats the gang gave him against starting the rival biker club in the area

However Benesh, who wore Hell's Angels colors on his jacket, proceeded against warnings and attempted to recruit members.

A law enforcement officer familiar with the rules of motorcycle clubs said to The Austin Chronicle that Benesh didn't seek the approval of Bandidos leadership when starting to start the chapter in Texas.

Texas is the home state of the Bandidos so a rival club would not sit well. The officer added: 'Oh, no. That would not go over well.'

Benesh was killed in a sniper attack as he was walking back to his car with his girlfriend and two sons outside a pizza restaurant on March 18, 2016.

The Bandidos are based in Texas and extremely territorial. Benesh launching a Hell's Angel chapter would move in on its turf and also potentially weaken the club's power

This isn't the first time the Bandidos have been in a deadly dispute. The club was involved in a brawl with biker rivals the Cossacks at a restaurant in Waco, Texas, back in 2015

All four of the men are facing a 12-count indictment, including one count of discharging a firearm during a murder in aid of racketeering.

Both Johnny and Robert Romo are also being charged with murder in aid of racketeering.

This isn't the first time the Bandidos have killed in the name of territory against a rival motorcycle gang.

The court documents accuse the Texas club of being 'at war' with biker rivals the Cossacks, which erupted in a shootout at a restaurant in Waco, Texas, back in 2015.

The two clubs had drew weapons at the Twin Peaks restaurant, and nine people were killed and 20 were injured during the rival biker brawl.
A principal stood down from a Sydney public school converted to Islam the year before he took over, police allege.

Chris Griffiths was appointed to lead Punchbowl Boys High School in late 2015, taking over from Jihad Dib who became a NSW state MP. Mr Griffiths and his deputy, Joumana Dennaoui, were stood down after a series of allegations over his running of the school.

The Education Department has confirmed an investigation into the school was prompted by its refusal to participate in a government-funded anti-radicalisation program called School Community Working Together.

Police sources told the Daily Telegraph Mr Griffiths became a Muslim in 2014 - while he was deputy principal at the same school.

He had served as deputy principal since at least 2012 when he handled the administration of Year 8 to 10 alongside Joumana Dennaoui, who was responsible for engagement of Years 7 and 9.

Punchbowl Boys High School Principal Chris Griffiths (pictured), who was stood down last Thursday, converted to Islam in 2014, a year before he took over the school

He was appointed to lead Punchbowl Boys High School in late 2015, taking over from Jihad Dib who became a NSW state MP

Ms Dennaoui remained deputy when Mr Griffiths was promoted, and was stood down with him last week after an investigation by the NSW Education Department.

The pair were removed for allegedly stopping female teachers from participating in official events such as the Year 12 graduation ceremony, along with other issues.

The investigation was prompted by its refusal to participate in a government-funded anti-radicalisation program called School Community Working Together, Department boss Mark Scott confirmed.

Several also employees claimed non-Muslim staff were verbally attacked, including with threats of beheading, by Muslim students declaring themselves ISIS sympathisers, according to The Australian.

There was no suggestion either of the pair condoned the threats, but the incidents were not reported to police.

The 'actively hostile' relations were so bad police liaison officers couldn't access the government school for the past 2.5 years.

Islamic students allegedly threatened to behead non-Muslim staff and claimed to be ISIS sympathisers, staff claimed

He had served as deputy principal since at least 2013 when he handled the administration of Year 8 to 10

Mr Griffiths also allegedly planned to make Punchbowl a Muslim-only school and refused to let police monitor prayer session on school grounds.

Police were 'concerned about his rhetoric' and felt he was leading students down a 'dangerous path', after they had good relations when Mr Dib was in charge.

'Students were being told that if "the pigs" stop you, to film them and refuse their directions,' a senior constable told the Telegraph.

The Education Department said it conducted an 'extensive appraisal of the schools policies, procedures and management', prompted by a series of serious staff complaints in 2016, before removing the pair.

It said the investigation revealed 'a high level of staff disunity and disharmony' and 'increased disengagement' of the school from the community.

'The former principal and deputy principal are still employed by the department but are currently on leave and will not return to the school,' it said.

Scott later told 2GB: 'There was a significant lack of staff unity and there were a number of policies and procedures that were not being followed.'

Mr Dib, who is now the NSW state MP for Lakemba, said last week exclusion of any kind was wrong as public schools were there for everyone.

Under Mr Dib's leadership, the school was transformed from a campus controlled by Middle Eastern gangs where violence and drug dealing were rife, to a high performer with much better literacy and numeracy rates.

The Department told Daily Mail Australia new principal Robert Patruno, who previously ran the education unit inside Reiby Juvenile Justice Centre, and a deputy principal started work on Friday.

'Importantly there is no disruption to teaching and learning and the education opportunities provided to students,' it said.
Jacqueline Watts's car was found running with the emergency flashers on in Columbus, Indiana

A 33-year-old married Indianapolis woman who vanished on her way to meet her husband before being found dead was not murdered, police say.

Jacqueline Watts was reported missing on Friday night when she failed to meet her husband at their home before leaving for the airport.

She had dropped off her pet rabbit and dogs at her parents' house before the trip, and family grew worried when she didn't show up, reported the Indy Star.

Police are not classifying the death as a homicide, but speculators are saying that it may have been an accident, or may have been suicide.

One person even speculated that she may have been attempting to rescue a stray dog who fell into the river when she lost her balance and was unable to save herself.

An autopsy will take place on Monday that will determine cause of death. It will then be announced in a press conference later that day.

Police found Watts's car running with the passenger door open near a wooded area in Columbus, which is an hour drive outside Indianapolis.

Her purse and cellphone were inside the vehicle and the emergency flashers were on, according to The Republic.

Police could not disclose how far Jacqueline Watts's (pictured with her husband) body was found from her car

Officers found Watts's body (pictured right and left with her husband) less than 12 hours after she went missing

Officers looked over the area overnight and reached out to the Louisville Metropolitan police department to search with a helicopter.

At 8.30am, about an hour after the search resumed on Saturday, her body was found. They did not disclose where along the river her body was found.

Columbus Police held the first press conference Saturday morning after finding her body.

Watts's sister in law Jen Watts Barrie posted on Facebook the details about what Jacqueline was doing before she went missing. She wrote: 'My sister in law, Jackie, has been missing since this afternoon. She and my brother were flying to DC tonight for a visit, and she didn't come home to meet Michael and go to the airport.

'She dropped their dogs off at my parents' house and rabbit off at her parents' house and no one heard from her afterward. Her car has been located in Columbus, IN, running, with her cell phone and purse inside and the passenger side door open.'

'PLEASE PLEASE view her picture, jog your memories and ask others to take a look. Please pray and send good thoughts. We love her and need her home safe and sound.'

Jackie Watts was on the board of directors for Indyclaw Rescue who posted this photo of her caring for animals when her death was announced

Watts was an avid animal lover and was scheduled to scout a venue for an Indyclaw Rescue shelter event next week. She was on the board of directors for the charity and spent time nursing sick bunnies to health.

After her death was confirmed, the shelter posted a photo collage and wrote: 'Jackie was always taking home the really sick bunnies that she could nurture back to health, and if that wasn't possible, she would many times keep them to their end. Even adopting a pair post mortem that she so dearly loved and nursed until they died.'

'Just yesterday, Jackie was sitting on the floor of the Bunny Barn trying to help me give fluids to a long time bunny we believe to have cancer. Like me, Jackie discovered poor Laverne was like Swiss cheese and the fluids would just not stay with her. Jackie loved on Laverne and apologized to her for not taking her home this past week, so Laverne could see what it was like being in a real home.'

Watts was an animal lover and was out dropping her pets off to be cared for before a trip at the time of her death

Another animal rescue center, Kentuckiana Boxer Rescue, posted condolences on social media for the Boxer lover.

The investigation is ongoing and the police spokesman urged the public to not jump to conclusions or post rumors on social media.

The press officer referenced a false rumor about a bloodied woman walking out of the woods.

The investigation is ongoing and the police spokesperson urged the public to not jump to conclusions or post rumors on social media

This also may have been in reference to rumors surrounding the two teens who were found murdered along Deer Creek in Delphi, which is about an hour north of Indianapolis.

Police confirmed there have not been any arrests in this case.

Liberty German and Abigail Williams were found near Monon High Bridge Trail which is 121 miles away from where Watts's car was found on Riverside Drive in Columbus, according to Fox59.

Jacqueline Watts's car was found abandoned near a wooded area hours after she was set to fly to Washington, D.C.
Critics are scrutinising John Bercow's decision to help open his friend's Indian restaurant

The embattled Speaker John Bercow is facing new questions about his political judgment over his relationship with an Indian restaurant owner.

Bercow saw off a threat to his future from Tory MPs after unilaterally banning President Trump from addressing the Commons this year.

But now his critics are scrutinising his decision in January 2014 to open the Madhus restaurant at the Sheraton Skyline Hotel at Heathrow Airport. Keith Vaz, Labour MP for Leicester East, was also there.

The warm words of the Speaker, who has been friends with owner Sanjay Anand since they met at a cookery competition in 2009, generated positive press coverage for the restaurant.

Four weeks after the opening, Bercow accepted a 5,000 donation from Madhus for his 2015 re-election fund. Madhus has catered for at least four events at the Speakers apartment in Parliament during Bercows term of office, which began in 2009.

Bercow made the 16-mile journey from Parliament to the 130-seat restaurant in an official car. The cost of the return trip was 307. The Speaker has pledged he will use chauffeur-driven cars only in exceptional circumstances.

Andrew Bridgen, Tory MP for North West Leicestershire, said: It may not be wise for the Speaker to accept a donation for his election fund, however innocent it may be, if it does not pass some peoples smell test. Im not sure this one does.

Bercow accepted a 5,000 donation from Madhus restaurant for his 2015 re-election fund

A spokesman for Bercow said: Any catering provided by Madhus was paid for by Mr Bercow personally, not the Speakers Office. Secondly, there is absolutely no impropriety in Mr Bercow accepting a donation from an acquaintance as long as the donor is eligible and is registered properly.

Theres no conflict that I can see. He took the official car because he was there in his capacity as Speaker.

Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, said in the Commons debate to mark International Womens Day: It will surprise no one that the subject I will speak about today is violence against women and girls.

This is the Jess Phillips who said shed knife Comrade Corbyn in the front, not the back if it looked like he was damaging the partys chances of electoral success.

Tickets are selling at 20 a head for an audience at a London restaurant with Ed Balls, former Labour minister and Strictly star. His nemesis, ex-Chancellor George Osborne, doesnt get out of bed unless the fee is at least 40,000.

Tickets are selling at 20 a head for an audience at a London restaurant with Ed Balls, former Labour minister and Strictly star. His nemesis, ex-Chancellor George Osborne, doesnt get out of bed unless the fee is at least 40,000.

Remarking on the death of Sir Gerald Kaufman, who at 86 was the Father of the House, former Labour Cabinet minister Jack Straw said: He told me that he only wanted to leave the Commons in a box. He got his wish.

Appearing before a committee of MPs, deputy governor of the Bank of England Charlotte Hogg was taken on a trip down memory lane by Old Etonian Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, who recalled speaking Greek at Eton with Hoggs grandfather, Baron Boyd-Carpenter.

Jacob Rees-Mogg recalled speaking Greek at Eton with Baron Boyd-Carpenter, grandfather of deputy governor of the Bank of England Charlotte Hogg

Would Rees-Mogg have been so convivial if he had known that, a few hours later, Charlottes father Lord Hailsham, former minister Douglas Hogg, would be one of seven Tory peers to join Labour and Lib Dems in inflicting a defeat on the Government on the Brexit Bill.

Even so, Rees-Mogg delivered the best one liner after Sir John Major warned that Britains vote to leave the EU was an historic mistake. Rees-Mogg said: I can understand why the man who led the Conservatives to their worst defeat in the best part of a hundred years is upset with the electorate.
A former California mayor who was accused of spying on teenagers playing strip-poker, has now been charged with crimes including embezzlement and theft of public funds.

Anthony Silva, the former Mayor of Stockton, was yesterday arrested at San Francisco International Airport after returning from a vacation in Columbia, South America.

An arrest warrant was issued on Thursday after FBI agents raided his home and Stockton Kids Club, which Silva used to run when it was called the Boys and Girls Club.

Former Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva, who was accused of spying on teenagers playing strip-poker, has now been charged with crimes including embezzlement and theft of public funds

Silva, who had gone on holiday the day before, has been charged with profiteering, embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds and grand theft of a sum larger than $100,000.

His attorney, Allen Sawyer, confirmed the charges to Sacramento television station KCRA, and he is now in jail, with bail posted at at $1million as he faces the charges in San Joaquin County.

Silva was mayor of Stockton in 2013 when it became the first US city to declare bankruptcy after judges accepted it would be unable to restructure its debt with public service cuts alone.

Mr Sawyer added that the recent arrest is unrelated to charges Silva faces in Amador County, where he is accused last year of eavesdropping during a strip poker party at a youth camp he ran.

Elected to office in 2012, the single father also served as chief executive of the Boys and Girls Club of Stockton from 2005 to 2013, as well as a school board member and president.

Elected to office in 2012, the single father also served as chief executive of the Boys and Girls Club of Stockton from 2005 to 2013, as well as a school board member and president

Silva's government website described him as a Stockton native who 'has a passion for helping youth.'

But he was charged in Amador County with a felony of secretly recording confidential communications without consent.

He also faces misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, providing alcohol to people under 21 and child endangerment.

The charges stem from an FBI search of Silva's cellphone in 2015 after he was stopped at San Francisco International Airport by authorities who confiscated his laptop and phone as part of an unspecified investigation.

The FBI turned over contents of the cellphone to Amador County on July 26.

The contents included nearly two dozen photographs of people who appeared to be under 21 in possession of alcohol or near alcohol.

Amador County Attorney Todd Riebe said one of four video recordings found on Silva's cellphone was of a strip poker game that took place in the mayor's bedroom at the Stockton Silver Lake Camp in August 2015.

Silva (pictured) was last year accused of recording counsellors at a youth camp he ran playing strip poker and providing people under the age of 21 with alcohol in Amador County

The video contains mostly audio after players in the room said they didn't want to be video recorded, Riebe said. The mayor was in the room and participants indicated they were naked, the prosecutor said.

Witnesses also told the FBI that Silva had provided alcohol to the half-dozen male and female camp counselors, five of whom were at least 18 and under 21.

'It's strip poker with one minor and young adults and he's in charge of that camp,' said Riebe. 'These counselors are responsible for 75 kids.'

Before Silva was charged, the Stockton Police Officers Association endorsed his opponent Michael Tubbs, who beat him in the 2016 election.

The charges came a week after the Stockton Record reported that a gun stolen from his home during a burglary was linked to the killing of 13-year-old Rayshawn Harris in Stockton early 2015.

The former mayor was accused of not reporting the gun as missing until a month after the boy was killed.
An Army veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan is fighting deportation back to Mexico after he was convicted of delivering two pounds of cocaine.

Miguel Perez, Jr., 38, is facing being deported to Mexico, despite his permanent resident status, because of a non-violent drug conviction in Chicago in 2010.

Perez has lived in America since he was eight years old and served two tours in Afghanistan for the United States Army before he was put on the deportation list for his offense.

Now his family, community and other soldiers are pleading with government officials to keep Perez in 'the only country he has ever known'.

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Miguel Perez, Jr., 38, is facing deportation to Mexico, despite his permanent resident status and his service in the Army, after he was convicted in 2010 for delivering cocaine in Chicago

His family is pleading with government officials to keep Perez in 'the only country he has ever known.' His parents Miguel and Esperanza Perez (pictured) are U.S. citizens and are fighting to keep him in the country

Video courtesy of WBKO:

Speaking out for her son, Esperanza Perez, who is an American citizen, said: 'He's more American than most of us standing here, because he did pick up arms to defend this country.'

The decorated veteran joined the Army on his 23rd birthday on April 17, 2001, he told The Chicago Tribune.

He relayed to the paper that he told the recruiter he wanted to enlist because he was grateful for the life America had given his family, some of who were given political asylum during the Mexican Revolution, and now it was his turn to give back.

His first tour was in 2002 and then his second was in 2003. While serving in the Army, he was injured in an explosion and sustained a brain injury, according to ABC 7.

Perez also lost much of his hearing, suffers sever headaches and post traumatic stress after his time in the military.

He told the Chicago Tribune he enjoyed the rush he felt during combat and turned to cocaine to maintain that same high, which led to him failing a drug test and his early discharge.

While Perez was in prison he learned that his service in the military did not earn him citizenship status and he was put into Immigration and Customs Enforcement in September 2016

His PTSD led him to self medicate, turning to alcohol and drugs, a downward spiral that eventually led to his arrest when he handed a laptop case full of cocaine to an undercover police officer in 2008.

While in prison he learned that his service in the military did not earn him citizenship status.

After seven years in prison he was put into Immigration and Customs Enforcement in September 2016.

His lawyers are arguing that Perez should be allowed to remain in the United States because the danger he would face if he was returned to Mexico and because he served in the military.

Chris Bergin, Perez's attorney, said: 'Being removed to Mexico, where he would be at risk of being killed  being separated from his whole family and the only country he has ever known, seems to be a punishment that does not fit the crime.'
Two police officers will not be prosecuted for handing a dangerous farmer his guns before he used them to murder his partner and her daughter.

John Lowe, 84, had his shotguns seized by Surrey police in 2014 after his stepdaughter Stacy Banner, 42, told them he had threatened to kill her.

But two licensing officers gave them back when he complained he lost 80 hens because he wasn't able to defend them from hungry foxes.

Couple: Lowe (right) will spend the rest of his life behind bars for killing his partner Christine Lee (left) and her daughter

Murdered: John Lowe's partner's daughter Lucy Lee, 40, standing in her kitchen

Seven months later he murdered Christine Lee, 66, her daughter Lucy, 40, and four dogs in a bloody rampage at his ramshackle stud farm near Farnham.

Now, the Independent Police Complaints Commission has ruled after investigation that the officers were not criminally negligent.

A friend of the victims told The Mirror: 'We are dumbfounded by the decision.

'Police knew about Lowe and his threats to kill, yet decided the lives of chickens were more important than the lives of people.'

Speaking outside Guildford Crown Court after he was convicted of double murder, Mrs Banner said her violent step-father should never have been allowed to have a firearm.

'John Lowe pulled the trigger but it was the Surrey Police who put the gun in his hands.'

Victim: Lowe said he had not meant to shoot Ms Lee, 66, but was found guilty of her murder

Farm: Lowe shot the two women at his farm in Tilford, near Farnham, Surrey (pictured), on February 23, 2014

She said her sister and mother did not stand a chance when they were 'brutally and deliberately murdered' at close range with a shotgun.

'The shotgun was one of seven that had been returned to him by the police only months before he used it kill,' she added.

Dog breeder: John Lowe, 82, was been found guilty of murdering his partner and stepdaughter

'He held a shotgun licence despite the police being repeatedly warned by me and others about the danger he posed to society, allowing him to kill and kill again. Surrey Police should not be allowed to escape their responsibility for these deaths.'

The double murder took place on February 23 2014 off a quiet country lane in prime stockbroker belt, where homes fetch 1million.

Mrs Banner said she had repeatedly told police about the danger Lowe posed to her family, who were caring for the ageing pensioner.

She said Lowe had attempted to hire a hitman in 1997, asking a registered police informant to find someone to kill a previous partner who later died of cancer.

In 2013 he threatened Mrs Banner when he brandished a gun as she was washing up in his kitchen.

'He said he was going to blow my head off, so I ran  and I ran for my life,' she said.

Police confirmed they removed Lowe's guns from his farm in March 2013 after she reported the threats.

But his weapons  including the shotgun used in the murders  were then returned to him in July.
The first episode of the new FX miniseries Feud examined the history behind the making of the classic cult film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

The 1962 thriller starring Joan Crawford and Bette Davis became one of the most successful films of the decade and earned five Oscar nominations, winning the trophy for Best Costume Design (Black & White).

It also revived the film careers of stars Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, who were struggling to get quality roles due to the fact that both women were over the age of 50 at the time.

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Star recreation: Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon debuted as Joan Crawford (left) and Bette Davis (right) in the first episode of the new FX drama show Feud

And as the premiere episode reveals, even after finalizing all the details of the film, the studio heads tried to replace both women in the leading roles.

The idea for Baby Jane came from Crawford (played by Jessica Lange) ordering her maid Mamacita (played by Jackie Hoffman) to go out and bring her books featuring older female characters.

Once she found Baby Jane, written by Henry Farrell, Crawford reached out to director Robert Aldrich (played by Alfred Molina), sending him a copy of the book and a cooler of Pepsi with a note that read: 'Keep Cool.'

Crawford was a member of the Pepsi board at the time, a position she assumed in 1959 following the death of her fourth husband Alfred Steele, who was the CEO of the soft drink company.

Dramatic: Susan Sarandon (pictured) gets her teeth into playing Bette Davis during the filming of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, in which she plays the eponymous former child actress

Backstage: The filming process was hit by a series of rows between the two former idols of Hollywood's Golden Age - they argued over expense accounts and status on set. On the first day on set Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) handed out gifts to the crew to endear herself to them

Made up: A promotional still reveals Susan Sarandon (left) as Bette Davis and Jessica Lange (right) as Joan Crawford as they were during the making of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Aldrich had worked with Crawford on the 1956 film Autumn Leaves and agreed to do the movie, which left Crawford with just one more task - finding a co-star.

That is when Crawford flew from Los Angeles to New York City in order to offer the part to Davis (played by Susan Sarandon) in person.

Davis, considered by many to be the greatest living actress at the time, was starring in a production of Tennessee Williams's play The Night of the Iguana on Broadway, and eventually accepted the role.

The actress initially tried to dismiss Crawford, a scene which is depicted in the premiere episode, by saying she had plenty of film work lined up.

'I know the kind of offers you're getting and it's exactly none because the same is true for me. They's not making women's pictures any more, not the kind we used to make,' said Crawford, who left a copy of Baby Jane with Davis to read.

'No one is looking to cast women our age,' said Crawford on her way out the door.

After Davis said yes to the role of Baby Jane's sister Blanche, Aldrich went about trying to find a studio who would agree to make the film with him as the director and Davis and Crawford in the two leading parts.

Feud depicts the problems many of the studio heads had not with the story or Aldrich, but rather the casting of Davis and Crawford.

Aldridch was sold on the two ladies because of Crawford's star power and Davis' abilities, telling the later when convincing her to sign on to the production: 'I need [Crawford] to get the picture made but I need you to make the picture great.'

The studio heads had a number of other ideas however, many involving actresses who were far younger than Davis, who was 54, and Crawford, who was 58, at the time.

Fraught: The relationship between Crawford and Davis was tense throughout - neither giving the other an inch - leading to knockout performances in the groundbreaking Oscar winning movie

'We feel like Craford and Davis might be a little long in the tooth, how about Hepburn in the Blanche role,' one studio executive said to Aldrich.

When Aldrich responded by pointing out how Kathrine Hepburn was the same age as Davis, the executive clarified his statement by saying: 'Audrey Hepburn and Doris Day.'

Audrey Hepburn was 33 at the time and fresh off the success of Breakfast at Tiffany's, which had been released one year prior.

Doris Day was a bit older at 40 and had just been nominated for an Oscar for her work in the 1959 movie Pillow Talk.

'Are you kidding, we love Davis and Crawford in this. Now the character of the sexy neighbor girl, have you thought about that?' asked the next executive.

When Aldridch pointed out that it was a minor role in the story, the executive said that they would be looking to 'beef it up' and make it more of a focus in the film.

'We've been looking for something for Natalie Wood,' he explained, who was just 24 when the film went into production.

Aldridch finally got a green light from Jack Warner (played by Stanley Tucci), the head or Warner Brothers.

Warner resisted at first, asking Aldridch at one point about his two leads: 'Would you f*** them Bob?'

There was also bad blood between Warner and Davis, with the actress having sued the studio back in 1937 when she was under contract with Warner Brothers.

Machinations: Studio boss Jack Warner (played by Stanley Tucci, left) wanted to replace the two ageing stars

Wants a hit: Warner (Tucci) was convinced that casting slightly younger actresses would pay dividends

Plan: The studio attempted to replace them with (left) Audrey Hepburn, 33 and Doris Day, 40

Davis lost the case but ultimately succeeded in ending the studio system, giving actors more options when it came to the roles they could play.

'The entire studio contract system came crashing down! The whole thing! Because of her,' Warner reminded Aldridch during their meeting.

'She's the one who put the crack in the levee and you want me to work with her again? Never! Never again! That c***!'

Aldridch sold Warner on the picture by pointing out the success of Alfred Hitchcock's horror films and the fact that there were two stars attached to the movie, regardless of their age.

The film also had most of its financing at that point and just needed a studio to release the picture in its theaters, so Aldridch sealed the deal by promising to pay Warner first, guaranteeing that h would recoup his investment.

In all their faded glory: Better Davis starred in the eponymous role in What Ever Baby Jane ?- a movie about a about an aging child star who keeps her paraplegic sister captive

Psychological: Joan Crawford and Better Davis (right) were the first choices to star

There was a bit of a hiccup soon after when Crawford learned Davis was getting a larger weekly expense account, but Aldridch quickly fixed this issue.

'She's getting 600 more dollars a week in expenses that I am,' Crawford told Aldrich after not signing her contract for the film just before filming was set to begin.

'Now I can't go into this project feeling resentment for my costar. Not after it was my idea to throw this party in the first place.'

When Aldridch said it was just an oversight Crawford turned to him and said: 'I want 1500.'

The film began shooting soon after, and Crawford immediately tried to endear herself to the crew by handing out gifts on the first day.

Davis meanwhile wanted to make her character as extreme as possible, and showed up for hr first scene looking almost grotesque in her makeup.

That is where Feud left ended its first episode, with production underway and tensions growing between Davis and Crawford.

Crawford and Davis were still putting on happy faces in public however, joining gossip writer Hedda Hopper (played by Judy Davis) for lunch, and assuring her that all was well between the two women.
One battleground state YMCA decided to remove politics from their televisions to diffuse tension between gym members.

Members in the YMCA in Scranton, Pennsylvania, which was one of the most hotly-contested spots in the 2016 election, were on the verge of physically fighting one another.

As a solution, the branch has banished cable news such as CNN, Fox News and MSNBC from its television screens because political debated prompted by news coverage were on the verge of turning violent.

Members in the YMCA in Scranton, Pennsylvania (pictured), which was one of the most hotly-contested spots in the 2016 election, were on the verge of physically fighting one another

During the election, Hillary Clinton won Scranton by a narrow margin compared to President Trump.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is Scranton native, and campaigned for the runner-up in his hometown the week before the election.

Trish Fisher, the YMCA's chief executive, said in an interview that 'there was one (near fight) that was broken up by another member that was just about ready to go physical, and we've had members step forward saying they've felt a little uncomfortable about the arguments that were going on over politics'.

While many members said that they felt uncomfortable with politically-heated arguments, some members think that the ban is an overreaction.

The YMCA's board made the decision at a meeting on Thursday, saying that they wanted to take the most proactive approach they could.

Fisher further explained to WBRE-TV: 'What's interesting is, talking to several of my colleagues who are CEOs at other YMCAs since then, they said hey haven't allowed the channels for years.'

She also explained that the 'problem-causers' are a group of grown men who can't control themselves, and that safety is their first priority. Though Fisher did say she doesn't blame anyone, just that 'we had to make a decision for the safety of everybody.'
A man was stabbed to death on a Los Angeles Metro platform Sunday afternoon, authorities have said.

Officers responded to the Wilshire and Normandie station on the purple line around 5 pm and found a Hispanic man with a stab wound, KTLA reported.

The man, who wasn't immediately identified, was pronounced dead at the scene in the Koreatown neighborhood.

A man was stabbed to death on the platform of the Wilshire and Normandie station in Los Angeles (pictured) on Sunday afternoon, authorities have said

Authorities arrested a suspect in the area a short time later. They have not yet provided details about the suspect's identity.

The station was closed while officials completed their investigation. Buses shuttled riders out of Wilshire/Western and Wilshire/Vermont stations.

Officials are working to determine a possible motive in the killing.
Obama's former director of national intelligence has denied Donald Trump's wire-tapping claims saying nothing matching the allegations took place.

James Clapper told NBC's Chuck Todd that in his role as director he would have been aware of a secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court order for Trump and he denied such an order existed.

He was responding to claims made by Trump after he accused former President Barack Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower in the last stages of the 2016 presidential campaign.

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Obama's former director of national intelligence denied Donald Trump's wire-tapping claims telling NBC's Chuck Todd nothing matching the allegations took place

'I can't speak officially anymore,' said Clapper, who resigned after Trump's election.

'But I will say that, for the part of the national security apparatus that I oversaw as Director of National Intelligence, there was no such wiretap activity mounted against - the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate, or against his campaign.'

'Absolutely, I can deny it,' he said when asked by the Meet the Press host if the secret court order existed.

Trump has provided no basis for his allegations, which he laid bare in a Twitter tirade shortly after 3.30 am on Saturday.

He said he had 'just found out' about being wiretapped, though it was unclear whether he was referring to having found out through a briefing, a conversation or a media report.

The president in the past has tweeted about unsubstantiated and provocative reports he reads on blogs or conservative websites.

Donald Trump returned to Washington on Sunday amid the growing controversy surrounding his tweets accusing Barack Obama of tapping his phones prior to the election

Trump accused Obama of tapping his phones at Trump Tower in a flurry of tweets Saturday morning

Obama visited the National Gallery of Art in Washington on Sunday with his wife Michelle. A spokesman for the former president denied Trump's allegation as 'simply false'

The tweets stood out, given the gravity of the charge and the strikingly personal attack on the former president. Trump spoke as recently as last month about how much he likes Obama and how much they get along, despite their differences.

'How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!' he tweeted, misspelling 'tap.'

In another tweet Trump posed the question: 'Is it legal for a sitting President to be 'wire tapping' a race for president prior to an election?'

Obama's spokesman Kevin Lewis denied the claims.

'A cardinal rule of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice,' Lewis said.

'As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false.'

A U.S. official told The Associated Press that the FBI had asked the Justice Department to publicly dispute the allegations made on Twitter by Trump regarding Obama.

FBI Director James Comey sensationally asked the Justice Department to publicly deny President Trump's claims Barack Obama tapped his phones before the election

Trump fired off his tweets shortly after 3.30am ET Saturday morning

The Obama administration has denied President Donald Trump's claims that Barack Obama wire-tapped his phones at Trump Tower before the election

Trump's claims seem to have stemmed from a Thursday evening radio show hosted by Mark Levin that claimed Obama executed a 'silent coup' of Trump via 'police state' tactics

The official wasn't authorized to discuss the situation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores declined to comment on the matter, and an FBI spokesman also refused to comment.

The New York Times reports that FBI Director James Comey has argued that the claim is false and has to be corrected.

The Justice Department has not issued any statement in an effort to refute Trump's assertion.

The White House has shown no signs of backing down from Trump's claims and instead called on Congress to investigate the matter alongside the lawmakers' probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said on Sunday that the reports 'concerning potentially politically motivated investigations' before the election were 'very troubling.'

'President Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016,' he said.

Spicer said there would be no further comment until the investigations are completed.
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Finalists in the the 14th annual Smithsonian.com Photo Contest have been released.

The 70 images reflect the 10 finalists in seven categories: The American Experience, Natural World, Travel, Sustainable Travel, People, Altered Images and Mobile.

More than 48,000 photos were submitted from photographers in 146 countries and territories for the Smithsonian competition.

Finalists in the the 14th annual Smithsonian.com Photo Contest have been released. The 70 images reflect the 10 finalists in seven categories. Pictured: A photo in the Mobile category titled 'Surreal.' The caption for the photo taken by Alina Rudya of Berlin, Germany reads: 'A man bikes by an octopus statue at the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nevada'

The categories are The American Experience, Natural World, Travel, Sustainable Travel, People, Altered Images and Mobile. Pictured: A Travel photo called 'Beautiful But Fading Light,' which shows the nighttime landscape of the world's largest Buddhist academy in Sertar County, China. It was taken by Yuen Hung Neoh of Singapore

Natural World photo titled 'Look Me in the Eye' taken by Prelena Soma Owen of Johannesburg, SA. Owen wrote: 'A herd of elephants came down to the banks of the Chobe River in Botswana for an afternoon drink. The opportunity presented itself as the the trunk of the elephant in the foreground framed the eye of the elephant in the background'

More than 48,000 photos were submitted from photographers in 146 countries and territories for the Smithsonian competition. Pictured: Travel's 'Lighting the Old Man' by Garry Ridsdale of Cheshire, UK. Ridsdale wrote: 'On a stormy autumn day a fleeting shaft of light illuminates the Old Man of Storr and other pinnacles of the Trotternish Ridge on the Isle of Skye'

The American Experience photos detail aspects of American life and were taken in eight different states this year.

The photos range from a couple dancing in a Detroit backyard to a Native American family in Minnesota.

Two photos taken in New York reveal a woman resting her head on a New York City laundry machine and a drag performer drinking a Four Loko beverage in Rochester.

Two other photos were taken in Texas and one each in Michigan, Virginia, Idaho and South Carolina.

The organization's photo editors will reward a prize in each category and a Grand Prize for best photo overall. Pictured: A People photo from Javier Arcenillas of Madrid, Spain, titled 'Violence in El Salvador.' Arcenillas wrote: 'Crime can become, dangerously, a demonstration of power'

Altered Images's 'Shelter Pets Project - Peggy Sue,' by Tammy Swarek of Arkansas. Swarek photographs fine art and fashion photographs of dogs at her local animal shelter, Union County Animal Protection Society, in the hope that such images will increase adoption chances. Peggy Sue is a 5-year-old papillon. Swarek wrote: 'She deserved to be a queen in her photograph'

Web users can also vote for the Reader's Choice winner until March 27. Pictured: A photo in the People category by Alisson Gontijo in Aracuai, Brazil called 'TV School.' It shows a couple watching a television literacy program and explores 'the impact that media has on the lives of people in rural Brazil'

The Natural World photos are of a combination of animals and phenomena, such as an octopus riding the back of a sea turtle in Hawaii and a crashing California wave.

Others include intimate portraits of elephants along Botswana's Chobe River and an owl appearing to yawn in Argentina.

Photos from the Travel category transport armchair explorers to the hill stations of Kerala, India; the brooding Old Man of Storr on Scotland's Isle of Skye and Baker Street's tube station on the London Underground.

Those keen on religious travel can get lost in the photo of Indonesia's Istiqlal Mosque at Ramadan or the lights of the world's largest Buddhist academy in Sertar County, China.

In this Travel photo from Binh Duong titled 'Firewalking,' a man firewalks in Ha Giang, Vietnam. Duong wrote: 'The Pa Then ethnic group observes this practice to wish for prosperity in the new year'

Another photo from Javier Arcenillas, this one in the Natural World category, shows the 'Shearing of the Beasts' ceremony in Sabucedo, Spain. Photographer wrote that event 'involves cutting the manes of semi-feral horses that live in the mountains. Horses are rounded up into enclosures called curros, foals are branded and the adults groomed before being freed'

Alfonso Dominguez of Laguna De Duero, Spain, was visiting Cabarceno Natural Park in Spain with his wife when he noticed the bears. He describes the Altered Images titled 'The Bear Odd Couple': 'I saw this bear odd couple that seemed to be upset with each other but together. It reminded me of "The Odd Couple" movie with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau'

For Sustainable Travel, photographers reflected on what it means to travel lightly through and harmoniously in tune with the world around them.

Photos range from melting glaciers in Greenland to a portrait of a security dog protecting the Amboseli-Tsavo-Kilimanjaro ecosystem of East Africa from poachers.

The People photos profile or seek to capture little nuggets of truth about humanity.

A woman wearing popping red lipstick while hiding from the rain in a red phone booth in Edinburgh, Scotland is more playful, while a child weeping at a funeral in El Salvador hints at the extreme cost of gang violence in the Central American county.

The photos reveal the ways different people in different parts of the world live, from street performers in Peru to a commuter in the modern and polluted Chinese city of Shijiazhuang.

This People photo by Sharon Castellanos taken in Lima, Peru is titled 'Break Time.' Castellanos, of Cusco, wrote: 'Break time during a street theater festival known as FITECA.' FITECA stands for International Open Street Theater Festival

Kamil Nureev of Russia took this Travel photo, titled 'Take Me Away, Deer,' was taken in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Nureev wrote of the photo of a Nenets man pulled along in a reindeer sled: 'In severe conditions, such as a blinding snow storm, deer are not only loyal companions, but sometimes the only hope for survival'

This Altered Images photo titled 'Improvisation' was taken by Jim Mneymneh in Montreal, Canada, and shows a woman performing improv in a studio

The Altered Images collection reflects a variety of means - color correction, heightened contrast, complex layering techniques and double exposure, to name a few - of manipulating images to reveal, or disassociate from, reality.

Photos include a bear odd couple in Spain and a shelter dog, Ms. Peggy Sue, sporting a bold regal outfit.

The Mobile photos were shot on phone cameras but by the looks of it appear to have been shot professionally.

Photos include a man biking by an octopus statue at the Burning Man festival in Nevada and snowflakes on a car windshield.

Lee Levin-Friend of Pennsylvania took this Altered Images photo called 'Snow Geese at Bosque del Apache' in New Mexico's Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Levin-Friend wrote: 'Black and white seemed to suit the burst of snow geese in the landscape'

'Cadiz Streets' shows an aerial view of Cadiz, Spain at sunset. The Travel photo was taken from a plane by Aya Okawa of California

The organization's photo editors will reward a prize in each category and a Grand Prize for best photo overall.

Web users can also vote for the Reader's Choice winner until March 27.
The city of Chicago has just gone through six days without a homicide for the first time in four years, data has shown.

A 22-year-old man named Antoine Watkins was found lying face down on the street on Saturday around noon. Officials on Sunday found that he had died of multiple gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide.

Six days prior, 23-year-old James Morris was fatally shot while sitting in the driver's seat of a parked minivan, according to authorities. His death occurred on Sunday, February 26 around 11 am.

The six days between the two deaths marked the longest period of time without a homicide in the city since at least December 3 to December 9, 2012, according to data compiled and analyzed by the Chicago Tribune.

The city of Chicago has just gone through six days without a homicide for the first time in four years, data has shown (file picture)

Not a day has gone by without a shooting in Chicago since February 28, 2015, the newspaper reported.

There have been fewer homicides so far this year than for the same period in 2016, but more shootings have been compiled.

Last year, 109 homicides occurred by March 5. This year's number comes to 103. There were however 19 more shootings over the same period this year, according to the Chicago Tribune's data, which reports 539 occurrences by March 5 this year versus 520 last year.

It wasn't immediately clear how Watkins' fatal shooting unfolded Saturday on the West Side of the city, in the Austin neighborhood.

The 22-year-old, who lived a block away, was found dead at the scene, police told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Morris died six days earlier after someone drove by his parked minivan slowly and opened fire, officials told the newspaper.

Chicago's six-day homicide-free stretch also marks the first time since January 2013 that the city has gone at least four days without a fatal shooting. The last instance occurred between December 18 and December 22, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

A police spokesman couldn't pin down one specific reason for the absence of homicides in the recent six days, but credited the community and said officers had seen promising results in the city's 7th and 11th districts, where it has sent many officers and used technology to predict where gunshots are likely to happen.
Police are asking the owner of 34 garbage bags full of cannabis to step forward.

Cops tweeted a photo of one of the bags - which appeared to be stuffed with clippings of the sticky green plant - and captioned the photo 'Lost & found!'

'Do you own these 34 bags of cannabis found at Terrey Hills? Visit local police to claim. We'd love to hear from you,' officers tweeted from the NSW Police account.

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Police are asking the owner of 34 garbage bags full of cannabis to step forward

Police seized 34 bags of cannabis after a member of the public found them dumped in bushland between in the northern Sydney suburb of Terrey Hills

The discovery on Saturday evening led police to stage a media availability the next day and post the tongue-in-cheek tweet

Investigators will conduct a 'forensic examination' of the supposed narcotics, police said

Police seized the bags after a member of the public found them dumped in bushland between McCarrs Creek Road and Kanangra Avenue in the northern Sydney suburb of Terrey Hills.

The discovery on Saturday evening led police to stage a media availability the next day and post the tongue-in-cheek tweet.

Police would not say how much the product weighed.

Investigators will conduct a 'forensic examination' of the supposed narcotics, police said.
A man will serve just four more years in jail for the one-punch death of a Queensland grandfather.

Lindsay Ede was walking to his brother's house in the Ipswich suburb of Goodna when he was struck in the head by teenager Ariik Mayot in June 2015.

Mayot, now 20, was the first person charged under Queensland's so-called 'one-punch' laws after the 56-year-old died in hospital three weeks after the attack.

He was sentenced on Monday to four years in prison, in addition to the two years he has already spent in custody, which the sentencing judge chose not to take into account.

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Ariik Mayot, now 20, was the first person charged under Queensland's 'one-punch' laws after he struck 56-year-old Lindsay Ede from behind in June 2015

Mayot told the Brisbane Supreme Court in a statement on Monday that he apologised to Mr Ede's family but did not expect to be forgiven.

'No one deserves to lose their life like this,' Mayot said.

'Even if I get out I have to live with the fact I took someone's life, he didn't deserve to die.'

Mr Ede's friends and family shook their heads as Chief Justice Catherine Holmes said she accepted Mayot had perceived Mr Ede as a threat before he struck him.

Lindsay Ede, 56, died in hospital three weeks later, cutting short his life by about 30 years, according to doctors

The court had heard earlier that Mayot was walking to the police station to hand himself for breaching a bail condition when he thought Mr Ede called him a 'black bastard'.

He also believed the frail stranger had a knife, but it later turned out to be nothing more than a mobile phone cover.

Justice Holmes said while Mayot acted in 'fight or flight' manner, the fact remained Mr Ede never said or did anything that justified him as being a threat.

Mayot killed an Ipswich grandfather with a single, unprovoked punch

'It makes you a dangerous person unless you learn to control that impulse,' Justice Holmes said.

In a victim impact statement, Terry Bishop said life in prison would not be enough for his brother's killer.

'To my family you are a murderer,' Mr Bishop said.

Mayot will be eligible for parole in 2020.

Supporters of Ariik Mayot arrive at the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Monday

Supporters of Lindsay Ede wearing 'One Punch Kills' t-shirts arrive at the Supreme Court

Mr Ede's brother Terry Bishop (pictured) said life in prison wouldn't be enough for his brother's killer

Supporters of Ariik Mayot arrive at the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Monday

Mayot told the Brisbane Supreme Court in a statement on Monday that he apologised to Mr Ede's family but did not expect to be forgiven
Citizens are mainly concerned about electoral bribes and enrollment of voters (video)

Yelk (Way out) alliance started its pre-election campaign from Avan administrative district, presenting to the residents their vision of changes. We have come with news, with political news that there is a way out from crisis in Armenia and it is offered by Yelk alliance, stated Nikol Pashinyan. Candidates of Yelk alliance didnt ignore the headquarters of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), addressing a call to them. It doesnt matter in which headquarters you work, we hope that on April 2 you will elect Yelk, as both we and you know that together we can find way out from this situation. The way you have taken now is leading to deadlock, it isnt way out. Residents of Avan administrative district reacted differently to the candidates; some of them said that they will vote for Yelk. The others state that Yelk alliance is new for them. Karen Chilingaryan is one of precinct candidates of Yelk alliance in Avan administrative district. In order to achieve results he has decided to knock at everybodys door. The citizens are mainly concerned about electoral bribes and enrollment of voters. Yelk urged the citizens not to give a passport or a copy of passport to anyone, and the citizens demanded from the candidates that they must promise to be responsible for their votes and not to disappoint them.
Erectile dysfunction is a problem that has plagued men of the world for generations.

And the answer to male impotence could potentially lie in the humble Australian wichetty grub.

A team of scientists are studying the bush tucker for its possible link to curing erectile dysfunction after experts found they could combine the grubs with Chinese fungus to create a type of 'healing' Viagra.

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Nathan Ashley (pictured) farms and sells the wichetty grubs for food and hopes to study the larvae as a potential erectile dysfunction cure

Primary school friends Nathan Ashley and Ian Wilkinson had used the bush larvae as a fishing bait while living along the Murray River in Echuca, Victoria.

They soon discovered the wichetty grub could be farmed and sold as lucrative and authentic Australian cuisine.

The men built a backyard lab in Mr Ashley's garage where they used old Coke bottles and equipment from the local hardware store to breed the grubs.

But it didn't take long for their hard work to pay off when the duo locked in a patent and their work reached the ears of Chinese scientists.

The Chinese scientists believed they could pair one species of wichetty grub with a rare type of 'Chinese zombie-grub fungus' or 'dong chong xia cao' that could produce healing properties similar to Viagra.

The classic Australian bush tucker could be paired with a Chinese fungus to act as a type of Viagra

Mr Ashley and Mr Wilkinson's business GhostmothLabs breeds the wichetty grubs

'The fungus commands such a ridiculous price in traditional Chinese medicine because consumers believe it is very effective when used and potentially there could be a drug in it of interest to medicine,' Mr Ashley told Daily Mail Australia

'We are concentrating on infecting the grubs that we are researching with ophiocordyceps in an attempt to produce authentic dong chong xia cao for the traditional chinese medicine market.

'Whether or not it really has any medical efficacy I do not know.'

The pair have dedicated around a dozen grubs to be infected with the fungus to study if they can be eventually used as a 'healing' viagra

The small larvae may be tiny but they have huge potential as both a form of cuisine and as a healing power for male impotence

Mr Ashley and Mr Wilkinson have dedicated about a dozen wichetty grubs to the impotence experiment by infecting the larvae with the Chinese fungus.

While the impotence cure theory has not been proven, the pair still profit from farming and selling the grubs at their co-owned business GhostmothLabs.

'We're both keen fishermen and this was when we first considered the idea of farming witchetty grubs,' Mr Ashley told The Brisbane Times.

'Ian also saw the potential to sell the grubs to adventurous gourmets and Indigenous Australians as bush tucker as well. We estimated the market to be worth several million dollars per annum.'

They hope to soon create a new 'super species' of wichetty grubs which could eventually be used as an alternative medicine to Viagra to solve erectile dysfunction.

'We are very much at the experimental stage trying to farm the medicine and in no way are claiming to have found the next Viagra,' Mr Ashley said.
A NSW mother accused of trying to drown her two sons in the Murray River said she 'knows she has done something' but insists she wouldn't her hurt children, her lawyer claims.

The 27-year-old is 'very remorseful' and upset, her lawyer Peter Hebbard told the Herald Sun outside of the Deniliquin Local Court on Monday.

'The words she used to me was "I would never hurt my children, I do not know what happened",' Mr Hebbard said.

'She knows that something's happened and she knows she's done something.'

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A NSW mother (pictured during her arrest) accused of trying to drown her two sons in the Murray River said she 'knows she has done something' but insists she wouldn't her hurt children, her lawyer claims

The body of a five-year-old boy, believed to be her son, was found in the Murray River on Saturday (pictured)

The woman has been charged with murder and attempted murder after she allegedly took her two sons, aged five and nine, to the river on Thursday evening and tried to hold both boys underwater.

The nine-year-old boy wriggled free.

A body believed to belong to the five-year-old was recovered on Saturday, and his older brother remains in a stable condition in the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne after suffering bites from a dog that intervened.

The mother's matter was heard briefly in Deniliquin Local Court on Monday and she was additionally charged with murder after being charged with attempted murder upon her arrest last week.

A psychiatric report has been requested, and the woman is due back in court in Deniliquin on May 2.

It gas been suggested the mother has struggled with an addiction to the drug ice for many years.

The boys' heartbroken grandmother has accused child protection services of 'miserably' failing the family.

The 27-year-old is 'very remorseful' and upset, her lawyer, Peter Hebbard, said outside of the Deniliquin Local Court on Monday

The woman allegedly took her two sons, aged five and nine, to the river on Thursday evening and tried to hold both boys underwater (police are pictured at the scene)

Moama is a town in the Riverina district of southern New South Wales, close to the Victorian boarder

The grandmother, through her lawyer, has said she holds police and corrective services responsible because the daughter was essentially 'off-loaded' on her after being released from prison.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said agencies will urgently look into the family circumstances and make sure 'any response is appropriate'.

She said there would be a thorough investigation into what she called 'a human tragedy of the highest proportion'.

The dog involved in the incident was taken by the local council under a police order last week and its owners have started an online petition demanding its return.

The pitbull cross, named Buddy, had no history of biting anyone before the incident, the petition said.

'He has clearly seen a child in distress and attempted to help.'

A police spokeswoman on Monday said police no longer required the animal.

The Murray River Council is yet to comment on the matter.


A Southern California Chuck E. Cheese's saw two brawls among adults this week.

The establishment in Victorville, about 70 miles northeast of Los Angeles, saw one fight erupt over tickets and another over an accidental push.

Customer Sharon Cabrera shot footage of the first fight, which she uploaded to Facebook and YouTube.

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Customer Sharon Cabrera shot footage of the first fight, pictured, which she uploaded to Facebook and YouTube. Fellow patron Edwin Colon told CBS Los Angeles : 'Over tickets? That's pretty ridiculous. I mean most of these toys are pretty cheap. You can go buy them'

Fellow customer Edwin Colon told CBS Los Angeles: 'Over tickets? That's pretty ridiculous. I mean most of these toys are pretty cheap. You can go buy them.'

The next fight happened on Thursday afternoon and was the result of a 51-year-old grandmother accidentally bumping into another woman.

Second fight was the result of a 51-year-old grandmother accidentally bumping into another woman. The grandmother emerged with a bloodied face and bald patches from where the other woman tried to rip her hair out. She further alleged that her eyes were nearly gouged out

The Chuck E. Cheese's establishment in Victorville, California (pictured) saw two fights erupt between adults this week. One occurred over tickets while another happened following an accidental push

The grandmother emerged with a bloodied face and bald patches from where the other woman tried to rip her hair out.

She further alleged that her eyes were nearly gouged out. The other woman suffered hand injuries.

The children who observed this behavior were saddened and unimpressed.

One child told CBS: 'I thought it was pretty sad for them to be so embarrassing like that.'

The specific restaurant serves alcohol but has a two-beer limit.

A slogan of Chuck E. Cheese's is: 'Where a kid can be a kid.'
Pauline Hanson turned on the charm as she met adoring fans on the Perth campaign trail ahead of Saturday's WA election.

The One Nation leader pressed palms, sipped coffee, smiled for the cameras, took selfies and even leaned in for long hugs in the state's capital on Monday.

Senator Hanson also held a press conference in Mandurah, on Perth's southern outskirts, as she tried to drum up votes.

Pauline Hanson (R) turned on the charm as she met adoring fans on the Perth campaign trail ahead of Saturday's WA election

The One Nation leader pressed palms, sipped coffee, smiled for the cameras, took selfies and even leaned in for long hugs in the state's capital on Monday

Latest polls, which predict a crushing victory for the opposition Labor Party, have One Nation at nine per cent and a threat to take uppers house seats.

One Nation could even secure the balance of power even after Ray Gould, Candidate for Kalamunda, made a shock exit from the party, saying he'd 'had enough' as Senator Hanson 'can't be trusted'.

Ms Hanson will stay for the election, manning various polling booths during the day and attending the party's function in the city's southern suburbs during the count.

But she wasn't just there to meet and greet her party faithful, taking the opportunity to bash both major parties and the Federal Government.

Senator Hanson stopped for at a local cafe coffee, photos and a press conference in Mandurah, on Perth's southern outskirts as she tried to drum up votes

Latest polls, which predict a crushing victory for the opposition Labor Party, have One Nation at nine per cent and a threat to take uppers house seats

The 62-year-old said voters were fed up with the major parties and were looking for change her party could provide.

She described her candidates as down to earth, upfront and honest 'grassroots Australians' who had had enough.

Senator Hanson also reiterated her party's opposition to asset sales, which the WA Liberal Government was planning to help improve the state's finances.

The Queensland MP also took aim at Labor who had criticised Premier Colin Barnett's government for doing a preference deal with her party.

'Labor are putting out a scare campaign. Labor have put One Nation last on all the how-to-vote cards, so Labor's preferences will flow to the Libs before One Nation,' she said.

'They are liars, they are cheats, they are deceitful and they will do anything that they possibly can.'

The 62-year-old said voters were fed up with the major parties and were looking for change her party could provide, at a press conference on Monday

Senator sips coffee and chats with voters at a local cafe in Mandurah

She also found time to play to a hot-button issue for WA residents - the perception the state doesn't get its fair share of GST revenue.

Ms Hanson said she would investigate whether the Federal Government was breaching the constitution in the way it distributed the tax.

'The commonwealth shall not, by any law or regulation of trade, commerce, or revenue, give preference to one state or any part thereof over another state or any part thereof,' she said, quoting section 99 of the constitution.

'This is something I thought about investigating further - maybe the state, for the GST, is being treated unfairly under the constitution.'

The One Nation leader poses for a photograph with one of her adoring fans

She also found time to play to a hot-button issue for WA residents - the perception that the state doesn't get its fair share of GST revenue

But Senator Hanson also had to address questions about her controversial comments in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin and anti-vaccination.

She said on on Sunday that the Federal Government's 'no jab, no pay' policy was a 'dictatorship' and parents should 'do their research' into vaccines.

'I'm not saying don't get your kids vaccinated,' she told 6PR on Monday morning, saying parents should talk to their doctors about vaccination concerns.

'I've spoken to many parents over the years who have raised these concerns (about vaccinations) with me.'

Mr Barnett distanced himself from Senator Hanson despite the preference deal, insisting he had never met Senator Hanson and had no relationship with her whatsoever.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is greeted by Doug Shaw, One Nation candidate for Mandurah

But Senator Hanson also had to address questions about her controversial comments in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin and anti-vaccination

'I do not take Pauline Hanson's comments seriously, and can I tell you the vast, vast majority of Western Australians don't either,' he said.

Queensland's Labor Health Minister Cameron Dick was just as forceful, calling on One Nation's Queensland leader Steve Dickson to disavow his boss' views.

Mr Dickson told parliament in 2015 when he was a member of National Party that the community needed to have 'zero tolerance for misinformation about vaccinations'.

'I think his voice needs to be heard. If he wants to be the leader of One Nation in Queensland, he needs to make sure the Queensland voice of One Nation is heard on vaccinations,' Mr Dick said.

'The idea of entertaining any deal with One Nation opens the door to this sort of anti-science, anti-vax view being promoted in the community.'
Australia's youngest snake catcher took part in his first mission when he was just 24 hours old.

Jensen Harrison, who turns two in April, is the son of a pair of professional snake catchers and accompanied his mother on assignments well before he could walk and talk.

But now that he's able to speak, one of his favourite conversation topics is snakes.

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Jensen Harrison, one, the son of professional snake catchers, gets up close and personal with a diamond python

Jensen accompanied his mother on assignments well before he could walk and talk. Here he is pictured holding an olive phython

Jensen just loves his snakes, but he is only allowed to handle non-venomous snakes, and is constantly supervised

'He's very enthusiastic about it,' said Jensen's father, Gold Coast resident Tony Harrison.

He said Jensen has always been obsessed with reptiles. His snake of choice is a pet woma python named Derrick.

But Jensen is only allowed to handle non-venomous snakes, and is constantly supervised, Mr Harrison said.

'We have to be careful about it, because he's very keen. Give him half the chance and he'll grab the wrong snake.'

Too funny: Jensen has a laugh while a snake slithers up his head

Jensen proudly displays a burton's legless lizard

Teaching a child about snake safety is not unlike other forms of child-rearing, Mr Harrison said.

'I always put it like this: You're not going to avoid giving your son cordial, because he might then go and drink the colourful stuff that's under the sink.'

'You make sure the kid doesn't eat or drink the wrong stuff,' and the same principle goes for handling reptiles, he said.

For a self-employed couple in the snake-catching business, there wasn't a chance to get a lot of parental leave, Mr Harrison said.

His wife, Brooke, was back on the job the day after giving birth, and brought Jensen along, wrapped in a blanket.

Ssssmile: Jensen poses for a cheeky photo with a snake wrapped around his head

Here's looking at you kid: Jensen closely inspects a baby wild green tree snake

The couple catch about 10 snakes a day - right now is peak season - for people who have discovered unwanted, cold-blooded visitors in their homes and offices.

The snakes are released in the bush after capture, Mr Harrison said.

'Everything we do is about reptiles,' he said. 'We're snake catchers.'

Showing no fear, Jensen is pictured releasing a carpet python
The sister of a mother-of-five who ended up perishing along with four of her kids in a rural house fire has paid tribute to her sibling and her family.

Susan James's older sister Lucinda Seago was killed in Saturday morning's blaze in Warwick, Massachusetts.

'There are no words really, truly,' James said to The Boston Globe. 'She was a wonderful mother of five, including a younger child who was autistic. She was a devout Catholic and a darn good person.'

Congregants of the Warwick Trinitarian Congregational Church comfort one another Sunday, during a service that remembered Lucinda Seago and four children that were killed

The church was open for all to mourn the community's loss. Dozens gathered for the memorial service Sunday morning

Seago and four of her children died in the fire that reduced their home to rubble early Saturday. Two other family members, Lucinda's husband Scott and his 10-year-old daughter managed to escape with non-life threatening injuries.

The other children who died were an eight-year-old girl and three sons: a junior in high school, another around age 12, and the youngest around 6.

Laurence Pruyne told the Globe that the family were prominent members of the community and would often carry out volunteer work.

He said that Lucinda Seago had a self-deprecating sense of humor and that despite working full time, her children were 'at the center of her life,' he said.

Firemen stand at the scene following a deadly house fire on Saturday

The fire happened in the early hours of Saturday morning

'She always had a large cup of coffee with her because I think that helped her keep going a lot of days.'

Ms Seago had a nursing degree and recently transitioned from walking the rounds as a nurse to a desk job at a long-term facility.

Fire officials say the cause of the blaze is likely a wood stove in the kitchen and was accidental in nature. The five of them had no way of escaping as once the fire had engulfed the home, the roof caved in.

Mr Seago and his daughter were taken to a hospital in Keene, New Hampshire, with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.

Charred debris of a home lies on the ground following the deadly house fire

South Deerfield firemen walk among the charred remains of the deadly house fire

Two other family members escaped the fire, which broke in the single-family house

'They managed to get outside of the house and ran to a neighbor,' Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for the state fire marshal, said Sunday. She emphasized the importance of families having a fire safety plan. 'Different people will try to get out different ways, and parents need to have a plan.'

'We know the people were overcome by smoke,' she said. 'It happened so rapidly.'

Sixteen fire crews helped battle the blaze, but crews were hampered by bitter cold temperatures and the challenges of drawing water to battle fires in the rural town, which has no fire hydrants.

Upon their arrival to the remote home they found it engulfed in fire with members of the family trapped inside.

Warwick Fire Chief Ron Gates said there was nothing they could have done differently.

South Deerfield firemen remains on the scene following the fire. Up to 16 departments came to tackle the blaze

Fighting the fire was complicated by problems getting water to the remote location and by below-freezing temperatures, officials said

The mother and four other children had no way of escaping the fire that had engulfed the home, causing the roof to cave in

Over the weekend people gathered at the Town Hall where Gates held the press conference, and many brought food and comforted each other through the community-wide loss.

Dozens of churchgoers gathered at the Trinitarian Congregational Church in Warwick for an emotional Sunday service.

The Boston Globe reports how Rev. Dr. Gordon Ellis struggled to find the right words during Sunday's service.

'You can't live in a little town like Warwick without being moved by the shock, the grief, of it all,' Ellis said.

Stephen Ruggiero, also a resident of Richmond Road said: 'It's so upsetting, nothing like this happens like this around here. It's so completely rural and peaceful.'

One resident John Bradford said: 'It's horrific,'

'It's not something that's easy to wrap your head around.'

Officials have said the fire appears to have been accidental and apparently started near a wood stove in the kitchen of the two-story house
Republicans are set to start pushing their long-awaited replacement of Obamacare this week, but the disputes within the party may undermine the effort.

Unresolved disputes over taxes and Medicaid rage and conservatives complaining that Republican proposals don't go far enough could undermine the effort, or at least make GOP leaders' lives difficult.

Two House committees, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, plan to begin voting Wednesday on their portions of the legislation, barring late problems.

House Speaker Paul Ryan pictured with Mitch McConnell last week prosposed a plan to tax part of the value of expensive employer-provided coverage

Leaders want to push the package through the House this month and hope the Senate can consider it by Congress' early April recess.

It's an ambitious calendar for what could be the year's most momentous congressional battle.

Repealing President Barack Obama's 2010 health care overhaul has long been the GOP holy grail. It helped elect President Donald Trump and has driven the Republican agenda in Congress, given GOP office-seekers a rationale for their candidacies and fueled countless fundraising appeals.

Yet Republicans have never rallied behind an alternative and spent years settling for dozens of bills scuttling the law that went nowhere.

Now, with a GOP president and party control of the House and Senate, voters expect Republicans to deliver and party leaders are banking on it.

'If you're a Republican who votes against 'Obamacare' repeal, you're going to have a lot of explaining to do to your constituents,' said Doug Badger, a GOP health care adviser.

Although the GOP has continuously fought against Obamacare, Republicans have never rallied behind an alternative and spent years settling for dozens of bills scuttling the law that went nowhere

Rand Paul and Ted Cruz want the GOP to start with a bill Obama vetoed last year that annulled more of his statute than does the current Republican plan, a bill

There are few hard-line conservatives on the two committees poised to vote this week, so the panels will likely approve the legislation over unified Democratic opposition.

Rockier problems loom in the full House and Senate. If 22 House Republicans or three Senate Republicans join united Democrats and oppose health legislation, it would fail.

Highlighting an unabated push to influence the legislation, some GOP governors asked lawmakers last weekend to let states choose to continue receiving unlimited federal money to treat all who qualify for Medicaid, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Currently, the GOP bill would instead give states set amounts for each Medicaid recipient - a pathway to gradually cutting the federal-state health program for the poor.

It seems counter-intuitive that Congress' conservatives would derail such a major, early priority for Trump and GOP congressional leaders. But they have the numbers and anti-establishment temperament to do just that.

Many in the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, which claims around 40 members, oppose the GOP bill's proposal for tax credits to help pay medical expenses for people not covered at work or through the government.

They object that the credit, geared to age not income, would even go to people who owe no taxes.

They also oppose a proposal by House Speaker Paul Ryan, to tax part of the value of expensive employer-provided coverage. That's an abomination for many Republicans, aware that about half of Americans get health insurance at work.

'A new plan that actually taxes the very workers that voted for Donald Trump and voted for many of our members is not moving in the right direction,' said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., who chairs the caucus and says the bill lacks the votes to pass.

Across the Capitol, the magic number of three conservative GOP senators - Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Utah's Mike Lee - are causing headaches. They want the GOP to start with a bill Obama vetoed last year that annulled more of his statute than does the current Republican plan.

Cruz tweeted Friday: 'When you spend 6 yrs promising, 'If only we get elected, we'll repeal #Obamacare,' you can't renege.'

Conservatives want Republicans to quickly repeal Obama's expansion of Medicaid to more lower-income people, complaining that the GOP leaders' measure does that too slowly.

There's also a battle between GOP-run states that accepted federal money to expand Medicaid and Republican-dominated states that didn't expand but want extra funds anyway.

The legislation remained a work in progress over the weekend, but the plans would repeal the tax penalties Obama's statute impose on people who don't buy insurance and end the federal subsidies most get for purchasing policies on the online exchanges the law created. Taxes on higher-income people, the insurance industry and other health industries that pay for the overhaul's expansion of coverage to 20 million Americans would be voided.

The measure would expand tax-advantaged health savings accounts and end the overhaul's requirement that insurers cover 10 specific types of care, like maternity care.
The French owner of Peugoet and Citroen today confirmed a 1.9billion deal to buy Vauxhall  sparking fresh fears about the future of thousands of British jobs.

The Paris-based PSA Group has agreed to buy the European arm of American General Motors  which includes Vauxhall in the UK and German-based Opel.

The deal follows weeks of talks and fears of the potential loss of thousands of jobs in the UK, although PSA says it is 'committed' to both brands.

Vauxhall employs 1,830 staff at its factory in Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, home of the Astra, and a further 1,530 at the plant in Luton, where they make the Vivaro van.

Last week PSA boss Carlos Tavares, who built a reputation as a ruthless cost-cutter after he slashed thousands of jobs at Peugeot and Citroen, said he would make savings of around 1.5bn in 'quite a speedy way'.

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1.9m deal: The Paris-based PSA Group has agreed to buy the European arm of American General Motors  which includes Vauxhall in the UK (pictured in Ellesmere Port) and German-based Opel

Teresa Carway, 63, (left) and Robert O'Driscoll, 47, both work in the the Luton Vauxhall plant

The agreement will be officially announced at a press conference in Paris today.

It will create Europe's second-largest carmaker behind Volkswagen and bring brands including Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel and Vauxhall under the same roof.

But unions have urged the government to seek assurances for British workers. The row is shaping up to be the biggest industrial headache for Theresa May since she became Prime Minister.

Downing Street said Mrs May had been assured in a phone call with General Motors chief Mary Barra that Vauxhall would remain a 'British brand.

Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, said thousands of Vauxhall workers at Ellesmere Port and Luton had endured a 'nerve-racking' few weeks.

'While initial discussions with the PSA Group have been relatively positive, our priority now is to ensure a long-term future for our plants and the tens of thousands of workers depending on them,' he said.

Luton South's Labour MP Gavin Shuker said: 'Glad to see the uncertainty over the PSA/GM deal is now over.

'Our UK plants are among the most efficient of any in the new company. They deserve a bright future.

'Now Government needs to play its part, delivering a Brexit deal that keeps Vauxhall building in the UK.'

Labour MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston Justin Madders tweeted: 'We have a commitment from Peugeot until 2020/21, the work starts now on protecting jobs beyond that.'

Alison McGovern, Labour MP for Wirral South in Merseyside, said on Twitter: 'We need certainty asap. And we need to see Government commitment to automotive production in Brexit plans.

'Working with Justin Madders & the Unite union to get clarity on future. Brexit risk shouldn't threaten automotive work'

Factory: In Luton Vauxhall produces its popular Vivaro in Britain's only remaining van factory

GM's European business has a total of 38,000 staff, including more than 19,000 in Germany over 12 factories.

It is feared that PSA, which is 14 per cent owned by the French government, would rather shut Vauxhall's plants in Britain than Opel factories in Europe.

Former business secretary Sir Vince Cable warned Brexit could make it harder to save the Vauxhall jobs.

The Liberal Democrat, who backed the Remain cause, said there is a 'serious question mark' about the Vauxhall plants in the medium term.

He added that German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government will put pressure on the French to protect Vauxhall's sister company Opel's plants in her country.

Giant: The deal will create Europe's second-largest carmaker behind Volkswagen and bring brands including Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel and Vauxhall under the same roof

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'There is one big doubt, which is the future of the customs union, the single market arrangements. Car components have to go backwards and forwards across frontiers and they will require tariffs and checks.

'Vauxhall particularly is exposed to this, about 80% of its exports are to the European Union, most of its components are.

'If you are a hard-headed car executive looking at the competitiveness of Britain versus German plants, Britain I'm afraid is going to slip down the ranking in future.'

There will be a European 'political dimension' to the future of the businesses, he said.

'The Germans are going to lobby very hard to protect their own plants, the German government bringing pressure to bear on France - those two countries staying within the European Union - it tips the balance against the UK, regrettably.'

But Brexit could free the UK from state aid rules, allowing greater taxpayer-funded support for the plants, he acknowledged.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said: 'We are hopeful that this deal will provide a positive future for the plants at Luton and Ellesmere Port and the wider supply chain given their inherent advantages.

'The outlook for vehicle production remains positive with investment commitments made over the past few years still delivering growth.'

PSA chief executive Carlos Tavares  who has built a reputation as a ruthless cost-cutter having slashed thousands of jobs at Peugeot and Citroen

British ministers are now under pressure to offer PSA incentives to keep Ellesmere Port and Luton open - just as it did with Nissan to convince the Japanese car maker to increase its investment in Sunderland.

Following talks with the PSA boss last week, a Downing Street spokesman said: 'The prime minister and Mr Tavares discussed the importance the UK attaches to Vauxhall's plants at Ellesmere Port and Luton and their shared desire to protect and promote the jobs it supports and what Mr Tavares referred to as the 'iconic' Vauxhall brand within the wider group.'

The announcement said the transaction will allow 'substantial economies of scale and synergies' in purchasing, manufacturing and research and development.

A No10 spokesman said today that the PM had spoken to Ms Barra by telephone yesterday.

'The Prime Minister set out to Ms Barra the importance of the Vauxhall brand to the UK and reiterated her desire for the jobs at both plants to be secured for the long term,' he said.

'Ms Barra made clear that Vauxhall would remain a British brand and that the deal would recognise and respect all agreements regarding the workforce.

'Both the Prime Minister and Ms Barra expressed their confidence that the deal had the potential to strengthen the Vauxhall brand and allow for further growth, supported by the Government's Industrial Strategy and the continued strength of the automotive sector in the U.K.'

PSA, together with BNP Paribas, will also acquire all of GM Financial's European operations through a newly formed 50%-50% joint venture.

PSA will become the second-largest automotive company in Europe, with a 17% market share.

'We are proud to join forces with Opel/Vauxhall and are deeply committed to continuing to develop this great company and accelerating its turnaround,' said Carlos Tavares, chairman of the managing board of PSA.

'We respect all that Opel/Vauxhall's talented people have achieved as well as the company's fine brands and strong heritage. We intend to manage PSA and Opel/Vauxhall capitalising on their respective brand identities.

'Having already created together winning products for the European market, we know that Opel/Vauxhall is the right partner. We see this as a natural extension of our relationship and are eager to take it to the next level.

'We are confident that the Opel/Vauxhall turnaround will significantly accelerate with our support, while respecting the commitments made by GM to the Opel/Vauxhall employees.'

Peugeot deal puts success story at risk: ALEX BRUMMER explains how 1.9bn transaction leaves a black cloud over 4,500 jobs and threatens the revival of the motor industry

One of Britains greatest success stories of modern times is the revival of a motor industry which, in the latter part of the 20th century, had become a symbol of industrial decline.

In 2016, production reached its highest level since 1999, with more than 1.7million cars made in the UK, many of them in the luxury bracket and sporting some of the most innovative technology in the world.

Against this buoyant background, it is dispiriting that the American giant General Motors, a stalwart of car-making in Britain since 1925, is upping sticks and selling Vauxhall Motors and its other operations in the UK to French manufacturer Peugeot.

This follows a GM board decision in Detroit to cut itself loose from loss-making European operations.

The 1.9billion transaction is disturbing because of the black cloud it leaves over the longer-term job prospects for the 4,500 people working at the Ellesmere Port factory in Cheshire, and in Luton, at the historic heart of GM in Britain.

The job guarantees offered by Peugeot to the supine Business Secretary Greg Clark look less than robust.

There must be serious concerns about the still fuzzy arrangements to protect the rights of up to 15,000 members of the Vauxhall pension scheme.

The Governments wishy-washy response to the Peugeot takeover is in stark contrast to the still unknown but firmer promises that Theresa May made to Japanese car maker Nissan to keep it in Britain soon after she became Prime Minister.

Brummer says the deal puts longer-term job prospects for the 4,500 people working at the Ellesmere Port factory in Cheshire, and in Luton (pictured above), at the historic heart of GM in Britain, at risk

Producer: Cars sit in the distribution yard at the company's manufacturing plant on in Ellesmere Port, which is home of the Vauxhall Astra

The UK is thought to have offered Nissan up to 100million of tax breaks and other assistance to keep its European manufacturing in Sunderland.

Of course Peugeot are talking up the takeover, with chief executive Carlos Tavares very positive about the future of the UK operations. But we should treat what he says with a huge dose of scepticism.

Almost every foreign takeover that unfolds in Britain is accompanied by just such sugar-coated commitments. Some of those promises are abandoned within days, such as when Kraft took over Cadbury in 2010. But usually it is a slower process.

As a rule, if companies are forced into cost savings to please investors, or simply to survive, the first jobs to go are those not based in the firms home nation, where the political fall-out will be less marked.

In this case, there are already indications that GM and Peugeot have been more interested in offering guarantees to Chancellor Angela Merkel about the Opel factories in Germany. Peugeot has a mixed history as a British motor manufacturer. In 1978, it bought factories at Ryton in Coventry for one US dollar from Chrysler.

In the Eighties and Nineties Peugeot manufactured several successful models at Ryton, but by the early 2000s the only car being made there was its most compact offering, the 209, which celebrated production of one million cars in 2004.

Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, said thousands of Vauxhall workers at Ellesmere Port (pictured) and Luton had endured a 'nerve-racking' few weeks

By 2006, the honeymoon was over despite desperate efforts by the Labour government, and the factory was shut at the end of that year.

In 2008 Peugeot was saved from bankruptcy by a bail-out under which 14 per cent of shares were ceded to the French government, and a further 14 per cent to a Chinese investor.

Effectively Frances political leaders will now have a say in the future of GMs British operations, which cannot be a good thing if jobs are at stake. Peugeot owner PSA says its goal is return Opel and Vauxhall to profit. But to do that it will have to make big cost savings  estimated at 1.47billion a year  with no detail yet as to where they will come from.

Even though Vauxhalls UK jobs have been ring-fenced for three years, that cannot be guaranteed in the long term given the over-capacity in European carmaking and fears, stoked by French president Francois Hollande, that Britain will be punished for Brexit.

Former business secretary Vince Cable argues that Vauxhall will be particularly vulnerable to Brexit because an estimated 80 per cent of its cars are sold to the EU.

Paradoxically, the Peugeot boss has suggested the reverse, saying that his company will want to keep production in Britain to take advantage of future UK trade deals that could benefit exports.

For example, the United States is the biggest growth market for British-made cars  especially the Jaguar and Land Rover brands  with sales jumping by 47 per cent last year.

One of the most important aspects of this sale to Peugeot will be the arrangements made for Vauxhall pension scheme members. Under the agreement, GM says it will continue to honour pension obligations built up over decades.

The UKs Pensions Regulator and the trustees of the pension funds will need to be assured that support for the retirement fund is iron-clad.

There is a concerted effort by the British Government and Peugeot to put the best gloss on the Vauxhall and Ellesmere Port takeover, and the future of the British plants. The success stories of BMW (maker of the Mini), Nissan, Honda and Indian-owned Jaguar Land Rover in Britain ought to be a source of confidence.

But the past record of Peugeot in the UK, and the growing urge to cut costs, should give rise to great misgivings.
Top Gear was back for a new series last night - but all many viewers could talk about was the improvement without Chris Evans.

The BBC Two motoring show hit the screens on Sunday night with former Friends star Matt LeBlanc in the driving seat and Chris Harris and Rory Reid joining him as co-hosts.

The last series was savaged on social media, with much of the criticism levelled at Evans's hosting style, and many wondered whether Top Gear was finished.

The Radio 2 host was nicknamed 'Mr Shouty' and a 'poor man's Clarkson' as fans criticised his 'no banter' presenting style - he spent yesterday in his local park drinking from a flask.

Sunday's instalment, which featured a trip to Kazakhstan and an interview with Scottish actor James McAvoy, fared much better, with viewers saying on social media that it was a 'massive improvement' and it had made 'a promising start'.

But the new series debut brought in 2.8million viewers when Chris Evans' debut last year had 4.4million.

Fresh start: Top Gear presenters Matt Le Blanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid tackle the plummeting temperatures of Kazakhstan for their first foray into the 24th season of the much-loved motor show on Sunday

Moving on: On the day the new Top Gear started, Chris Evans was drinking from a flask i his local park

Critics: Viewers were in unison about the improvement without Chris Evans

One wrote: 'Hadn't laughed at an episode of Top Gear for three years. That changed tonight'. Another said that it only took seconds to see the improvement.

Top Gear struggles to attract viewers LeBlanc, 49, was called 'a natural' as a presenter and several people said the programme was better without Evans, pictured last week, who quit after the last series saying he gave it his best shot but that it was 'not enough' Despite largely positive reviews from fans, the return of Top Gear failed to impress in the ratings as it was seen by nearly two million fewer viewers than its series debut last year. However, the BBC Two motoring programme was up against the penultimate episode of BBC One's popular period drama Call The Midwife in the Sunday 8pm timeslot. Top Gear, which has been revamped with Matt Le Blanc at the helm alongside co-hosts Chris Harris and Rory Reid, was watched by an average of 2.8 million people, according to overnight data, while Call The Midwife was seen by an average of 8.9 million. These initial figures do not account for those watching on catch-up at a later time. Top Gear's series launch in 2016 - with Chris Evans and Le Blanc as new presenters following the departure of long-running hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May - had scored 4.4 million viewers overnight. Advertisement

'Top Gear is back how it should be!' enthused one viewer on Twitter.

'Top Gear is back and it was so sweet I could have licked it,' said another.

LeBlanc, 49, was called 'a natural' as a presenter and several people said the programme was better without Evans, who quit after the last series saying he gave it his best shot but that it was 'not enough'.

One person wrote: '5 Seconds in and new #TopGear without Chris Evans looks 9,999,999 times better already.'

Another said: 'Just watched new #TopGear. Sooo much more better now that Chris Evans isn't on it! Well done, good choice!'

'The new series of #TopGear is very watchable, well done lads!! More car focused, entertaining, funny and beautifully filmed,' wrote another pleased viewer.

But although there was plenty of good will for LeBlanc, the first non-British host in the programme's 40-year history, it seems there is no replacing the old trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May in the audience's hearts.

One person tweeted: 'Top Gear will never be the same without @JeremyClarkson & co but new series def better than last one.'

'Still doesn't compete with Jeremy et al, but #TopGear is heaps better without Chris Evans,' said another.

'Thought the new #TopGear was decent. Much better without the unbearable Chris Evans. Still not a patch on clarkson and co though,' said another.

Star-studded: Aside from mucking around in their dirt covered cars, actor James McAvoy will join the presenters on the coach

Luxurious: During the course of the new series, the trio will jet to a number of glamorous locations including United Arab Emirates, Cuba and Montenegro

Taxi! The breath-taking segment appears to pay tribute to the road trips of yesteryear as they travel in a trio of taxis  a proper London Black Cab, a Mercedes E-Class and a Volvo V70

Despit ethe promising start Le Blanc and the rest of his team are not free from criticism either

Viewing figures for Sunday night's Top Gear programme slumped to their lowest ever level during the last series, managing pull in just 2.4million viewers, down from 4.3million in the first episode of the last series.

Evans, in place of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, was heavily criticised as the show's presenter

Evans, in place of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, was heavily criticised as the show's presenter.

Evans, who also fronts BBC Radio 2's breakfast show, had defended the show's performance in recent weeks, calling the new Top Gear 'a hit'.

He added that the ratings did not include the number of views the show received on the catch up service, iPlayer.

But in July last year he quit saying he had given it 'my best shot, but sometimes that's not enough'.

He added: 'I feel like my standing aside is the single best thing I can now do to help the cause.'

Top Gear bosses hope that reverting to a line-up of three men will revive the beleaguered motoring show, following the hounding Chris Evans received last year.

But ahead of the new series, Matt LeBlanc has admitted it took a while for him and his co-hosts Chris Harris and Rory Reid to gel.

He said it had taken a little while to speed up the shorthand, but added that he thought original trio Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May had also needed time to click.

During an interview to promote the show, the Friends star, 49, said: What people forget is for the three guys that were on the show before us, it took them a while to build up a rapport. This is now the first season for the three of us and it does take a little while.

You take the three people, put them together in a room and say its in your interest to get along and everyone is open to getting along  but it takes a little while to speed up the shorthand.

But whats great is we are now getting to a point where we are really starting to click. We are having so much fun together!

Up a gear: Matt gets behind the wheel of a Mercedes E-Class for the endurance challenge

LeBlanc hosted last series alongside Evans, with YouTube star Harris, 42, and technology journalist Reid, 37, brought in for occasional features.

LeBlanc hosted last series alongside Evans, with YouTube star Harris, 42, and technology journalist Reid, 37, brought in for occasional features.

Following Evans decision to quit at the end of the series, the BBC is reported to have offered LeBlanc a 2million two-year contract to stay with the show.

It was thought at the time that he would present the show alone, but it was recently revealed that the BBC had reverted to the old formula of putting three middle-aged men at the helm.

The trio have sought to reassure fans that this series will be a success, with LeBlanc saying: I think its going to be a great series. We are all perfectionists and everyone who works on it is really pleased.

Features include a journey across Kazakhstan in cars with 500,000miles on the clock, a supercar race in America and an attempt to turn a South Korean people-carrier into a luxury yacht.

The presenters said that during filming they sampled strange delicacies, including half cooked sheeps ear and pigs brain.

F1 pundit Eddie Jordan and racing driver Sabine Schmitz will also be involved in the upcoming series, in addition to The Stig.
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This is the dramatic moment two Iraqi men were forced to take their clothes off to prove to government troops that they were not ISIS suicide bombers.

One terrified Mosul resident was ordered to strip to his underwear and hold his hands up as elite forces approached.

Pictures show another bare-chested man holding items of clothing as an Iraqi soldier yelled instructions at them.

The image was captured as heavy clashes broke out between the Iraq army and ISIS terrorists in the battle to reclaim the city.

It emerged as US-backed Iraqi forces today seized Mosul's al-Hurriya bridge, which leads to the ISIS-held old city centre from the south.

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Hands up: Two Iraqi men were forced to take their clothes off to prove to government troops that they were not ISIS suicide bombers

A man, who has taken his shirt off to make it clear he is not carrying a suicide bomb strapped to his chest, gestures as he walks towards Iraqi soldiers from an ISIS-held area

A woman, holding her child, sobs as she and her husband follow an Iraqi special forces soldier out of a devastated district of Mosul

Most people in Mosul are Sunni Muslims, while the Iraqi Army is dominated by Shias. ISIS has sought to portray itself as protecting the Sunnis but their brutal reign has not endeared them to the local populace

Government forces have taken more territory in the west of the city from the jihadists as the number of people fleeing the city reaches 45,000.

Since launching an offensive on February 19 Iraqi soldiers have seized much of western Mosul but their pace has slowed as bad weather has muddied streets and made air support more difficult.

If ISIS loses Mosul then the only city left in its grasp would be Raqqa in Syria, which is why it is fighting tooth and nail for the city.

Displaced Iraqis flee their homes, as Iraqi forces battle with ISIS, in western Mosul. Government forces have taken more territory in the west of the city from the jihadists as the number of people fleeing the city reaches 45,000

An elderly woman is pushed in a wheelbarrow as displaced Iraqis flee their homes in Al Mansour district

A man carries an elderly woman as they flee Al Mansour district, as Iraqi forces battle with Islamic State militants, in western Mosul

US-backed Iraqi forces today seized Mosul's al-Hurriya bridge, which leads to the ISIS-held old city centre from the south. Iraqis are pictured fleeing from western Mosul

Assistance: An elderly Iraqi man is helped to safety are fleeing from his home in the war-torn western area of Mosul

The fall of west Mosul would effectively mark the end of ISIS's dream of a 'caliphate' across the Iraq/Syria border, which its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced from a mosque in the city in 2014

An Iraqi man carries a young boy over his shoulders as families flee from the fierce fighting in western Mosul

A young girl sobs as she is comforted by two Iraqi soldiers. ISIS are reportedly using snipers, mortars and bombs planted in streets and houses

More than 40,000 people have been displaced in the last week from the Iraqi city of Mosul, it has been claimed

The fall of west Mosul would effectively mark the end of ISIS's dream of a 'caliphate' across the Iraq/Syria border, which its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced from a mosque in the city in 2014.

Black smoke billowed over west Mosul yesterday as Iraqi forces battled ISIS in a fight marked by explosions and continual automatic weapons fire.

In the course of the fighting, security forces targeted an approaching ISIS car bomb, detonating it and sending a fireball rising over the area, and also fired on a jihadist drone flying overhead.

Lieutenant Colonel Abdulamir al-Mohammedawi said: 'Rapid Response forces are moving toward important governmental buildings such as the governorate building and the police directorate.'

He said ISIS were using snipers, mortars and bombs planted in streets and houses.

A member of the Iraqi police prays as Iraqi forces clash with Islamic State (IS) group fighters in Mosul on March 5

Smoke billows into the air after Iraqi troops blew up an ISIS unit as they drove a car bomb towards their lines

The UN, which has been providing shelter, food and other assistance to Iraqis who have fled Mosul during the nearly five-month-long battle, said it is working as fast as possible to help those displaced by the fighting

A woman bursts into tears after crossing from an ISIS-held district of west Mosul into an area liberated by the Iraqi Army

Among the districts attacked by Iraqi forces today was al-Dawasa, which includes the Nineveh province governor's headquarters, and al-Dindan.

Other Iraqi units are moving into the neighbourhoods of al-Sumood and Tal al-Rumnan.

The Iraqi Army's 9th Armoured Division is advancing through the desert surrounding the city, aiming to cut if off from ISIS-held Tal Afar, to the west.

A man carries his son as he walks from an ISIS-held district of west Mosul during heavy fighting

A man weeps as he carries his daughter to safety from an ISIS-held district towards an area held by Iraqi state soldiers

An Iraqi special forces soldier fires at a drone operated by ISIS militants in Mosul over the weekend

A nine-year-old child is stretchered to safety after being injured in a mortar attack during fierce clashes over the weekend

More than 45,000 people have fled west Mosul since the push to retake it began, while over 200,000 are currently displaced as a result of the battle to retake the city, which was launched on October 17, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The UN, which has been providing shelter, food and other assistance to Iraqis who have fled Mosul during the nearly five-month-long battle, said it is working as fast as possible to help those displaced.

'The top priority for humanitarians is to make sure that there is sufficient capacity at emergency sites to deal with the number of civilians who are fleeing western Mosul,' said Lise Grande, the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Iraq.

An Iraqi federal policeman prepares to fire a mortar at ISIS positions in west Mosul

Mosul is Iraq's second biggest city and the battle for it has been going on since October
Cocaine is making a comeback in the United States, with increasing numbers of young people trying the drug for the first time.

In recent years drug charities have been focusing on the heroin and fentanyl epidemic, especially in Appalachia, but new figures from the State Department suggest cocaine is a growing concern.

The State Department's annual report said Colombia's production of coca leaf - the raw material for cocaine - has jumped since 2013 but it is unclear if the supply is boosting demand or vice versa.

Counter narcotics police officers guard boxes containing cocaine in the Colombian port of Buenaventura. Cocaine production has risen in Colombia in recent years (file photo)

The most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health found the number of young Americans who admitted to trying cocaine for the first time had jumped by 61 per cent between 2013 and 2015.

The rate varied wildly between states with more than 10 percent of young people in New Hampshire having tried it, compared with only one in 100 in Mississippi.

The Washington Post reported the State Department report said: 'There are troubling early signs that cocaine use and availability is on the rise in the United States for the first time in nearly a decade.'

At the height of the drugs popularity in the 1980s more than 10million Americans were using it, many of them in the form of crack.

After the fall of the Medellin and Cali cartels in the 1990s, cocaine production in Colombia fell significantly but it has started creeping up again and there has been a significant jump since 2013.

The number of people using cocaine for the first time has risen but it is not clear if the increasing supply of the drug from Colombia is to blame

The rates for young people trying cocaine vary wildly, with one in 10 people in New Hampshire having tried it, but less than two percent of young Mississippians

The report found that tests on cocaine seized on the streets of America found that 90 per cent originated in Colombia.

The number of cocaine overdose deaths in 2015 rose to the highest level since 2006 and the second highest since 1999, according to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report in December.

Cocaine claims lives in all areas of society.

In December Brian Loncar, 56, a personal injury lawyer in Texas, died inside his new Rolls-Royce Wraith after an accidental cocaine overdose. His death came two days after the funeral of his 16-year-old daughter, Grace.

Brian Loncar (pictured, left) died of an accidental cocaine overdose in Dallas, Texas, in December, two days after the funeral of his youngest daughter, Grace (right)

The State Department report said cocaine trafficking from Colombia is at 'record levels' and 'the preliminary estimated coca cultivation and cocaine production figures for 2016 indicate a dramatic increase in cultivation and cocaine production,' the report said.

'Due to the lag time between coca cultivation and cocaine distribution, the full impact of this surge in coca cultivation likely remains to materialize,' the report added.

Since 2000 the US has given Colombia $10billion in security assistance through Plan Colombia.
The $200 million Trump International Hotel inside the federally owned Old Post Office building has become the place to see, be seen, drink, network - even live - for the still-emerging Trump set.

It's a rich environment for lobbyists and anyone hoping to rub elbows with Trump-related politicos - despite a veil of ethics questions that hangs overhead.

At a circular booth in the middle of the Trump International Hotel's balcony restaurant, President Donald Trump dined on his steak - well-done, with ketchup - while chatting with British Brexit politician Nigel Farage.

A few days later, major Republican donors Doug Deason and Doug Manchester, in town for the president's address to Congress, sipped coffee at the hotel with Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.

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Trump, together with, from left, Eric Trump, Melania Trump, Tiffany Trump and Ivanka Trump, is seen after cutting the ribbon at the grand opening of Trump International Hotel in October

Hotspot: The Trump International Hotel, pictured, has become a hub in the center of Washington since Trump

Big meeting: British Brexit politician Nigel Farage tweeted this photo showing him at dinner with Trump in the hotel's balcony restaurant

After Trump's speech, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin returned to his Washington residence - the hotel - and strode past the gigantic American flag in the soaring lobby.

With his tiny terrier tucked under an arm, Mnuchin stepped into an elevator with reality TV star and hotel guest Dog the Bounty Hunter, who particularly enjoyed the Trump-stamped chocolates in his room.

It was just another week at the new political capital of the nation's capital.

'I've never come through this lobby and not seen someone I know,' says Deason, a Dallas-based fundraiser for Trump's election campaign.

For Republican Party players, it's the only place to stay.

Big occasion: Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich posted this photo showing him at the hotel's opening with his wife, Cally Gingrich

Unwind: Rooms at the hotel start at above $500 on most nights, which is an increase from when it opened before Election Day

'I can tell you this hotel will be the most successful hotel in Washington, D.C.,' says Manchester, adding that he would know because he has developed the second-largest Marriott and second-largest Hyatt in the world.

Manchester says Trump's hotel will attract people based on its location near the White House and Congress, the quality renovation and the management team.

Then there's also the access.

Although Trump says he is not involved in the day-to-day operations of his businesses, he retains a financial interest in them. A stay at the hotel gives someone trying to win over Trump on a policy issue or political decision a potential chit.

That's what concerns ethics lawyers who had wanted Trump to sell off his companies as previous presidents have done.

Welcome: The hotel's 11th street lobby entrance is seen here. It's a rich environment for anyone hoping to rub elbows with Trump-related politicos

Luxury: Republican donor Doug Manchester says Trump's hotel will attract people based on its location near the White House and Congress

'President Trump is in effect inviting people and companies and countries to channel money to him through the hotel,' said Kathleen Clark, a former ethics lawyer for the District of Columbia and a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis.

She said the 'pay to play' danger is even greater than it would be if people wanted to donate to a campaign to influence a politician's thinking.

Spending money at a Trump property 'is about personally enriching Donald Trump, who happens to be the president of the United States'.

The White House strongly disputes there's any ethical danger in Trump's business arrangements.

Trump can see his hotel from the White House. When a Fox News interviewer mentioned that to him recently, Trump responded, 'Isn't that beautiful?'

But while the interviewer pointed out that he can see the property from his desk in the Oval Office, Trump said, 'I'm so focused on what I'm doing here that I don't even think about it.'

Dramatic: The lobby of the hotel is seen decorated with chandeliers. Trump is able to see the hotel from the White House, which is located nearby

Still, Trump couldn't resist the short trip over there for dinner on his only weekend night out in Washington since becoming president.

A reporter for the website Independent Journal Review was tipped off about Trump's dining plans and sat at a table near him.

He noted the president's dinner fare and companions, who included daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Trump adviser Jared Kushner.

On other nights, the posh hotel is the kind of place where on a mid-February evening, you could bump into Trump television personality Katrina Pierson having cocktails with Lynne Patton, a former Trump Organization executive who's now working at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Trump campaign and inauguration hands Tom Barrack, Boris Epshteyn, Nick Ayers and Rick Gates are among the many who have stayed there in recent weeks.

Rooms start at above $500 most nights, according to the hotel's website and a receptionist. That's up hundreds of dollars from when the hotel first opened, not long before Election Day.

Patricia Tang, the hotel's director of sales and marketing, declined to answer questions about how business is going.

The hotel has become a staging area for big political events.

Eric and Donald Trump Jr. posed for dozens of selfies with admirers at the hotel that bears their name before attending their father's White House ceremony in late January to announce Judge Neil Gorsuch as the president's pick for the Supreme Court.

Design: The $200million has become a staging area for big political events, including a reception hosted by Kuwait's ambassador in the hotel's presidential ballroom

Deason ran into the Trumps and fellow Texas donor Gentry Beach while at a meeting at the hotel that day with Trump's campaign adviser Rudy Giuliani.

During inauguration week, when Trump himself repeatedly visited, the hotel was 'literally the center of the universe,' Deason said.

Last Tuesday, as Trump gave his first address to Congress, lobbyists and politicos watched the four large flat screens above the bar, two tuned to Fox news and two to CNN.

In what hotel staff said was an effort to avoid some of the obvious politics of the place, the TVs were muted, so people followed along on their own devices.

As Trump wrapped up, applause rose through the lobby and bar. Mnuchin waved to admirers gathered in the bar as he strolled through after Trump's speech.

Mnuchin is one of the New Yorkers working in Washington who call it home during the week. White House economic adviser Gary Cohn is another. Linda McMahon, who heads the Small Business Administration, also has been staying there.

Administration officials 'have been personally paying a fair market rate' for their accommodations, White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said.

Even Trump's closest friends pay to stay.

Billionaire Phil Ruffin, Trump's partner for his Las Vegas residential tower, said he shelled out $18,000 per night while he was in town for the inauguration, which he said surprised him since he'd given $1million to Trump's inauguration committee.

Ruffin said he lightly complained about the high rate to the president.

'He said, "Well, I'm kind of out of it." So I didn't get anywhere, didn't get my discount,' Ruffin recalled.

Trump's continued ownership of his hotel and other businesses has spawned lawsuits and ethics complaints, but so far no action on any of them.

One accommodation Trump says he is making on the ethics front is to donate profits from foreign governments that spend money at his hotels.

Last week, Kuwait's ambassador, Salem Al-Sabah, and his wife hosted a reception in the hotel's presidential ballroom, in what was one of the first known instances of foreign money changing hands with the hotel division of the Trump Organization since he became president.

A spokeswoman for the Trump Organization did not respond to questions about whether the money from the Kuwait Embassy has been or will be donated.
A police officer who tragically took his own life in front of hospital workers is claimed to have posted 'F*** you SA Police' on Facebook on Sunday.

The South Australian officer is reported to have travelled to Cowell, 500km west of Adelaide, before entering Cowell District Hospital at 9.45pm before taking his life.

South Australia Police released a statement claiming 'Police are preparing a report for the coroner following the death of a man at Cowell this evening (5 March),' it read.

A South Australian police officer took his own life in front of hospital staff at Cowell District Hospital on Sunday (Stock Image)

'No other persons are being sought at this time.'

The officer was described as 'a well respected officer, and former ADF member, who will be missed by many,' on social media, according to News Corp.

One of the police officer's colleagues told the publication the man had posted an angry message directed towards the South Australian Police force before he tragically died.

The man took his own life at Cowell District Hospital, 500 km from Adelaide

'The messages said F**k SAPOL and some other comments,' the source told the publication.

Blue Hope foundation director Mark Kelly said more than 30 police officers had reached out for help since Christmas.

An unidentified police officer told the publication police officer's were hesitant to speak out because they were 'crucified' by management.

Daily Mail Australia reached out to Cowell District Hospital for comment.

If you or someone you know needs help, phone Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the 24-hour Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

Or visit lifeline.com.au




Daniel Whyte was just 24 when he was jailed for the murder of Giuseppina Martorana, who was shot at her home in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, for her luxury Rolex watch

An armed robber who was jailed for life for his part in the murder of a millionaire housewife has allegedly been allowed to enjoy sex sessions in prison with a visitor.

Daniel Whyte was just 24 when he was jailed for the murder of Giuseppina Martorana, who was shot at her home in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, for her luxury Rolex watch. She died a month later.

Now the convicted killer, 39, who is being held at the category c The Mount jail near Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, has allegedly been spotted enjoying several illicit trysts with a female visitor to the prison.

A source told The Sun that he was spotted by two other inmates.

Mrs Martorana's husband Guiseppe, 63, told the newspaper: 'It makes a mockery of the system. If he's been allowed to get away with having sex with his girlfriend it's an absolute shambles.

'There needs to be a full investigation because either there are corrupt officers or the system is just useless.

'He's destroyed my family, he's destroyed us, and this sort of thing just brings it all back.'

A Prison Service spokeswoman said: 'We take allegations of inappropriate behaviour extremely seriously, and will not hesitate to take action where there is evidence of misconduct.

'A full investigation is now underway and it would be inappropriate to comment further.'

Mrs Martorana's husband Guiseppe, 63,(both pictured) said: 'If he's been allowed to get away with having sex with his girlfriend it's an absolute shambles'

The Martoranas had gone shopping in Knightsbridge in August 2000 to find a pair of rings to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

They were spotted wearing matching Rolex watches as they ate ice cream at a branch of McDonald's and were followed home by Whyte and his associate Jason James.

At the time the London Evening Standard reported thar businessman Mr Martorana was attacked outside his home as he went to retrieve shopping from the boot of his BMW.

As he wrestled with Whyte he felt his 13,000 Rolex being clipped from his wrist. He then heard screaming and saw his 47-year-old wife try to run away before she was shot.
A teenager who killed one woman and injured two more in a planned chainsaw massacre has been sentenced to a maximum 15 years in jail.

Vladislav Kazakevich, then 17, went on the rampage at a shopping centre in Minsk, Belarus, attacking four women.

He killed Elena Aleksandronets, 43, with a chainsaw and an axe and seriously wounded another woman Oksana Mikhailovna, 46.

Vladislave Kazakevich, then 17, went on a rampage at a shopping centre in Minsk, Belarus, killing one woman and injuring two more. Pictured, the teenager in Minsk City Court

The law student killed Elena Aleksandronets, 43, with a chainsaw and an axe. Pictured, Kazakevich walking through the shopping centre with the chainsaw

His toll would have been higher had his chainsaw not malfunctioned.

As he was sent to the cells, the law student said: 'I didn't manage my planned mass murder, so I'll be back to finish the job.'

If he were ten weeks older during the October 2016 attack, Kazakevich could have been sentenced to death by a shot to the back of the head.

The student said he would 'be back to finish the job' as he was taken to the cells. Pictured, Kazakevich being taken away by the police in October 2016

If the teenager was ten weeks older when he attacked the women, he would be facing the death penalty. Belarus is the only country in Europe that executes murderers over 18

Kazakevich's death toll would be higher had his chainsaw not malfunctioned

Belarus is the only European country which still executes murderers aged 18 and over.

The court rejected his family's plea that his mind had been thrown off balance by new acne treatment he was undergoing.

His 'shocked' father Valentin wept as the teenager was found guilty of murder, attempted murder and malicious hooliganism by the Minsk City Court.

Victim Anna Rozentova, who narrowly escaped death, said: 'The sentence is too short.

'It's especially scary after his vow to continue to kill. Who knows what will happen in 15 years?

'He may want to kill those he attacked before. So should I live in fear now?'

Oksana Mikhailovna, 46, was seriously injured in the attack in the shopping centre. The victims and family of Ms Aleksandronets said the sentence was too lenient

Pictured, the axe used by Kazakevich in the attack. His family argued that the teen's state of mind had been thrown off by acne medication

He told investigators he went on the rampage 'just for fun'. Father Valentin cried as he was sentenced to 15 years in jail

Widower Alexandr Aleksandronets also claimed the sentence was too light.

'People should be punished more severely for such crimes,' he said.

Kazakevich told investigators he went on the rampage 'just for fun'.

Pictured, the funeral of victim Elena Aleksandronets. Kazakevich was found to be of sound mind in court

Ms Aleksandronets's widower Alexander said: 'People should be punished more severely for such crimes'

Elena Aleksandronets's daughter attends her mother's funeral. Kazakevich's mother Olga said he had been put on the drug Roaccutane to cure his acne, which affected his mental state

His mother Olga said that at the age 14 he had developed acne which made him feel 'nervous' and 'ugly'.

He was put on the drug Roaccutane, she said.

'It affected his psychic state,' said his father.

According to his mother, Olga, Kazakevich developed acne at 14, which made him feel 'nervous' and 'ugly'. Pictured, Ms Aleksandronets's mother Maria Nalivaiko

Kazakevich had tried to commit suicide twice and had spent time in a psychiatric hospital due to a personality disorder

'He hated the acne on his face, and his spots did not clear fast enough.'

The killer had tried to commit suicide twice and had spent time in a psychiatric hospital due to a personality disorder, the judge was told.

The court however found him in sound mind at the time of the crime.
Pauline Hanson has revealed she is suspicious of all Muslims and has urged women who wear the burqa to leave the country.

The One Nation leader once again criticised Islam and challenged A Current Affair reporter Tracy Grimshaw to point out a 'good Muslim'.

'I believe there are some (Muslims) that want to live a good life and a quiet life,' Senator Hanson said.

'But you tell me - you line up a number of Muslims, who's the good one?'

Pauline Hanson has revealed she is suspicious of all Muslims and has urged women who wear the burqa to leave the country

The One Nation leader once again criticised Islam and challenged A Current Affair reporter Tracy Grimshaw to point out a 'good Muslim'

The outspoken politician reiterated her well-known view on the burqa in the explosive interview with the Channel Nine program.

'The burqa should absolutely go. This is Australia,' she said.

'The full face covering I think is wrong. If they want to live that way and have their Sharia law, then I suggest they go to a Muslim country.'

The Senator also revealed she believes Muslim immigration has changed suburban Australia for the worse.

She reiterated her well-known stance on the burqa in the explosive interview with the Channel Nine program

'I hear Australians that have lived nice quiet lives in the suburbs and then they've had Muslims come in there who have changed their suburbs.

'They've built these mosques and they have their cars parked across the driveway or they have rubbish thrown over their fences... It's having an impact on our educational system, in our schools, in swimming baths.

'If these people want to come and live here - respect our laws. Even in court rooms they have no respect for the judges - won't even stand up.'

The Senator said her party's views are resonating with the Australian public.

Senator Hanson believe's her party's views are resonating with the Australian public

She revealed she believes Muslim immigration has changed suburban Australia for the worse. Above, she is pictured holding press conference Western Australia on Monday

'People actually want to see One Nation in power. And that's what I'm picking up all the time,' she said.

'The grumbling from the people - they're actually fed up with both sides of politics, whether it be Liberal, Labor or the Nationals, and they certainly don't want the Greens.

'So they've just had a gutful of the whole lot of them. They feel they're not being listened to.

'Australia is going to slide into a third world country if we do not get our act together. That's my opinion.'
Two ISIS fighters have been killed, while attempting to rig-up explosives in a house in Mosul.

The house, in Tal Afar, Nineveh Province, was once lived in by a man who was executed by the extremist group.

The explosion also wounded two other member of ISIS.

Two ISIS fighters were killed while attempting to rig-up explosives in a house in Mosul (file photo)

A source said: 'Two members of the Islamic State were killed and two others were wounded, while planting explosives inside a house in the eastern neighborhoods of Tal Afar, west of Mosul.

'The house belongs to a security member, who was executed two years ago by the Islamic State group.'

The house, in Tal Afar, Nineveh Province, was once lived in by a man who was executed by the extremist group. 45,000 people are fleeing the city

Earlier today, it was reported that two Iraqis had to strip down to their underwear to prove they were not carrying explosives.

US-backed Iraqi forces today took al-Hurriya bridge in the city, as the battle for Mosul wears on.

The number of people fleeing the city has reached 45,000.
Graham Ollis was snared by Guardians Of The North after he began speaking to some of their decoy profiles on Facebook

A pervert has been jailed after he was snared by a vigilante group of paedophile hunters who caught his stunned reaction on camera when they confronted him.

Graham Ollis, 47, looks shocked as he is shown proof that he had been having sexually explicit conversations with a teen, who he believed was just 15.

The group - named The Guardians of the North - travelled 200 miles from Sunderland to challenge Ollis outside his property in Rugby, Warkwickshire.

The dramatic footage starts with a visibly shaken Ollis attempting to deny that he has engaged in explicit conversations with underage girls.

He recoils as one of the group's members says: 'Yes you have, we've got all of your screenshots here. We're going to be ringing the police.

'You've been disgusting to each and every one of them children. OK?'

When asked if he knew how old they were, Ollis, responded: 'They said they were 18.'

A member of the vigilante group replies: 'No they didn't. It's in the chat logs here. They both told you they were 14 and 15. Ok?'

He then calls on a colleague to ring the police at which point Ollis is shown that chat logs.

He is then asked: 'Have you been telling the girls that black men destroy white girls and that you're going to punish her?.'

The footage shows Ollis being shown the chat logs while police are called by another team member

'Do you want to read this? This is each and every thing you've said to these children.

'You're a paedophile, do you know that?

'Do you now understand why we've travelled up from Sunderland to come up and get you?

'You haven't been speaking to an actual girl. You've been speaking to us'.

After being confronted, Ollis went on to admit attempting to cause or incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage sexual activity at Warwick Crown Court on February 6.

He was handed an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years and was ordered to sign the sexual offences register for 10 years.

Ollis was also given a five-year sexual harm prevented order and told to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work.

The vigilante team of six go up and down the country to confront alleged paedophiles who have contacted their 'decoys'.

Since starting up in April 2016, the Guardians have carried out 70 stings.

Rob Hunter, one of the members of the group, said: 'This guy was pretty graphic. He was speaking to various girls - we have a few accounts.

Ollis was handed an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years and was ordered to sign the sexual offences register for 10 years

'We put fake profiles online and never send a friend request. We always wait for them to contact us.

'Graham Ollis sent a friend request to one of our decoys and also liked other girls in the friends list, and that's how he ended up speaking to all of our decoys.

'Our aim is to make the public aware of what type of people they are living around.

'One of my family members said someone was trying to groom her online and although police wanted to look in to it, they weren't able to due to cuts from the Government.

'So I decided to give it a go and we've been pretty successful.

'I'm pretty shocked at how much of it goes on online.

'The sentences are very, very poor. The guidelines for sentences for an offence of grooming run up to two years in prison and if they plead guilty the judge will take some time off.

'And if you go to prison for two years you only serve half of that in prison anyway.

'A lot of parents need to be aware of what is going on and check their children's devices on a regular basis.'

Warwickshire Police said they do not condone vigilante groups and they can put investigations at risk.

Guardians Of The North had travelled 200 miles from Sunderland to challenge the 47-year-old, who lives in Rugby

Rob added: 'They say they don't want you to do it, but once that uniform comes off we've had them come over and say 'we think you are doing a great job'.

'They've been over the moon up here in my home town - we've basically cleaned up Grindr in Sunderland.'

Detective Inspector Jon Belcher, from Warwickshire Police, said: 'We are committed to taking action against anyone who uses the internet to incite children to engage in sexual activity and we are keen to hear from anyone who has concerns around someone's online activities or their behaviour towards children.

'However, we do not condone the actions of vigilante groups.

'We understand that people want to protect children, however, their actions can have the opposite effect.

'Child protection is a complex issue and should be left to the police and other law enforcement agencies.

'The actions of these groups can put ongoing investigations at risk, can lead to suspects destroying evidence and expose suspects and their families to the risk of reprisals.'
Theresa May, pictured attending church yesterday, is refusing to issue her tax return

Theresa May is refusing to publish her tax return despite having done so last year, it was revealed today.

Downing Street made clear the Prime Minister would not be issuing details of her income and how much she paid into public coffers.

Mrs May's tough stance is in sharp contrast to her openness during the Tory leadership election last year, and predecessor David Cameron's decision to release his information.

Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have already published their own details - although the Labour leader has found himself in a mess after the document presented a confused picture of his finances.

No10 today echoed Chancellor Philip Hammond's combative response when he was asked about the issue - saying he had 'no intention' of releasing his tax information and dismissing the idea as 'demonstration politics'.

The PM's spokeswoman said: 'The PM published her tax return in July as part of the Conservative Party leadership contest.

There was no commitment then, there is no long standing convention to publish and no current plans to do so.

Mr Corbyn published details of his income and tax - totalling 114,000 and 35,000 respectively - in a bid to embarrass Philip Hammond and Theresa May yesterday.

But the move quickly backfired because the figures did not appear to add up.

After telling journalists last night that they did not know why his published income was lower than expected, aides to the Labour leader confirmed this morning that he had claimed his salary as Opposition leader.

That payment had amounted to 27,192 in 2015-16 as he only took the top job in the September, they said.

However, the official government accounts suggest he was actually paid 30,587.

The document published by Mr Corbyn had recorded the sum under the heading public office.

However, it was bizarrely listed as a 'pension or state benefit', and had been thought to refer to his pension income from serving in the Commons.

The spokesman insisted this afternoon that 67-year-old Mr Corbyn was not yet taking his MP pension.

'We are confident the total income of 114,342 in the tax return is correct, as is the income tax charge of 35,298. Nearly all the tax was paid at source.'

Mr Corbyn would have received a base salary of 74,962 for being an MP in 2015-16.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, pictured leaving home today, published his tax returns on his website in order to compel Philip Hammond to do the same. But the move descended into farce amid confusion over whether all his income had been included

Chancellor Philip Hammond, pictured on today's Andrew Marr programme, has said he has 'no intention' of publishing his own tax details

The 67-year-old then pocketed his state pension and income from his role at Unison.

It is the second year running that Mr Corbyn has caused confusion over his return - after he forgot to include any of his pension income last time.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said yesterday: The published returns were prepared by a professional firm of accountants who were supplied with the relevant information.

This was in order to avoid the errors last year when Mr Corbyn completed his own tax returns, he said.

It is not the first time the publication of Mr Corbyns tax returns have been shambolic.

Last night his aides admitted they did not know why his published salary was lower than expected and blamed Mr Corbyns accountants for the embarrassing error

He was subjected to ridicule last year when he failed to list thousands of pounds of pension income on his return and he received a 100 fine for filing the document late.

According to the summary of his tax affairs, he earned 114,342, and paid 35,298 in tax last year.

He donated 5,000 to Freedom from Torture, 300 to Oxfam, and 120 to War on Want, a charity fighting poverty.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: The fact this man aspires to be a future Prime Minister is beyond parody.

Mr Corbyn accepted the pay rise when he became leader of the party, a spokesman confirmed

It would appear his incompetence and the incompetence of those around him knows no bounds.

You would thought after last years shambles that he would make sure it is correct this year but he cant even manage that.

Labour believes anyone earning more than 1million should make details of their earnings available to help combat tax avoidance.

His shadow chancellor John McDonnell has already made public his return.

But Mr Hammond ruled out publishing his tax return, saying he had no truck with demonstration politics.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has already made public his return. But Mr Hammond ruled out publishing his tax return, saying he had no truck with demonstration politics

The Chancellor, who is one of the wealthiest figures in the Cabinet after a successful career in business, made it clear he has no intention of following the precedent set by George Osborne and David Cameron who both published summaries of their tax returns last year.

Asked about the issue yesterday, Mr Hammond told the BBCs Andrew Marr show: I have no intention of doing so.

Just for the record my tax affairs are all perfectly regular and up to date.

But this demonstration politics isnt helping to create a better atmosphere in British politics.

The Chancellor also rounded on Labour over its pledge to force anyone earning over 1 million a year to publish their tax return.

Asked about the issue yesterday, Mr Hammond told the BBCs Andrew Marr show: I have no intention of doing so. Just for the record my tax affairs are all perfectly regular and up to date'

Mr McDonnell claimed last week that the move would be one way of re-establishing some element of openness and transparency in the tax system.

But Mr Hammond was scathing about the idea, saying: That is likely to drive away talent and investors that Britain needs to create the global future were trying to build.

Mr McDonnell yesterday accused Mr Hammond of running scared over the issue.

But there is little historical precedent for senior politicians publishing their tax returns in this country, which has a longstanding principle of taxpayer confidentiality.

Mr Cameron floated the idea of publishing his own accounts in 2012 following speculation that he and Mr Osborne may have benefited from their decision to cut the top rate of tax from 50p to 45p.

But the plans were shelved ahead of the 2015 election, with Mr Osborne saying there were genuine issues around taxpayer confidentiality and how it would work.

The plan was dramatically revived last year after Mr Camerons later father was named in the Panama Papers tax scandal last year.

The then prime minister became the first in history to publish details of his tax affairs in a bid to end speculation that he had benefited from tax avoidance.

Mr Osborne then followed suit, with Mr Corbyn and Mr McDonnell also releasing details of their financial affairs.
A millionaire zoo boss whose park has seen almost 500 animals die in four years has had an application for a new licence rejected.

Barrow Borough Council's regulatory committee met this morning to determine the future of South Lakes Safari Zoo, in Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, which has been hit by a string of recent controversies including the death of a keeper in 2013 after she was mauled by a tiger.

Government inspectors had previously criticised animal accommodation at the attraction after a site visit in January, claiming the site was 'overcrowded' with a 'lack of proper welfare and husbandry'.

They also said the amount of animal deaths 'showed a clear picture of poor management' while it was also slammed over its 'uncontrolled breeding' and poor medicine programmes.

Rejecting the application from founder David Gill, chairman of the committee Tony Callister said the decision had been unanimous and was made because councillors were not satisfied improvements would be implemented.

Councillors also issued a zoo closure direction, based on the zoo failing to comply with a licence condition related to the management and staffing structure.

Councillors have rejected a new licence application for South Lakes Safari Zoo in Cumbria - where 500 animals have died in four years - from founder David Gill, pictured

Councillors were unanimous in rejecting the licence for the zoo, pictured, and said they were not confident improvements would be implemented

Staff at the attraction were recently accused of covering up the death of a Sumatran tiger cub (pictured) who was killed by its parents

Mr Gill, 55, had applied for a fresh licence and said he was 'committed to exiting the zoo' and handing over management to the recently formed Cumbria Zoo Company Limited (CZCL) under its chief executive Karen Brewer.

Council officers had recommended the panel reject the licence due to a 'lack of supervision' and 'failures' at the zoo.

Their report said: 'The lack of senior supervision and management is evident throughout the zoo, including the failures of the local veterinary service, leading to deplorable standards, compromised welfare and deaths.'

The tigers 'sponsors' were told she had been transferred but keeper Sarah McClay told her boyfriend Kadi had been 'eaten'. Miss McClay was later killed by a tiger in 2013

The licence condition that was breached stated the staffing structure must include a 'competent, suitably qualified and experienced' full-time director.

The zoo will remain open during a 28-day appeal period following the order and, if an appeal is lodged, it will stay open until it has been decided by the courts.

In a statement on its Facebook page, Cumbria Zoo Company Limited, which now runs the zoo, said it was making a separate licence application.

It said although Mr Gill had been the licence holder, he had no role in the operation of the zoo.

The statement said: 'Cumbria Zoo Company's application to hold a zoo licence has been submitted and we will have our licencing inspection later this month and the licencing process will then continue.

'We are aware of the decision to refuse Mr Gill's application. Safari Zoo remains open and CZCL need your support.'

In June 2016, the zoo - opened in 1994 by Mr Gill - was fined 255,000 at Preston Crown Court after one of its employees, Sarah McClay, 24, was killed by a Sumatran tiger in May 2013.

It received an additional 42,500 fine after it also pleaded guilty to other health and safety law breaches when a zoo keeper fell from a ladder while preparing to feed big cats in July 2014.

Barrow Borough Council's regulatory committee met on Monday morning to determine the future of South Lakes Safari Zoo, in Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria

Gill's solicitor, Steve Walker called for the meeting to be adjourned as his client was out of the country

Councillors refused the application for adjournment and said Mr Gill had been given 'every opportunity' to attend the meeting. Pictured above, Nicola O'Brien from The Captive Animals Protection Society speaks during the meeting at Barrow Town Hall. She called the zoo 'one of the worst cases we have ever seen'

Superintendent Rob O'Connor (left) from Cumbria Constabulary also told the meeting he had 'serious concerns' about the zoo's ability to fulfill its firearms responsibilities. Katie Richards (right), from charity Born Free, said she felt 'unsafe' when she visited the zoo

Mr Gill (pictured at an inquest into the death of zoo keeper Sarah McClay in 2014) did not attend the meeting on Monday because he is out of the country

Lawyers for Mr Gill had written to the council to say that although he remained the licence holder, he had stepped away from all trading and management activities connected with the zoo.

Mr Gill did not attend the hearing at Barrow Town Hall and his solicitor Steve Walker called for the meeting to be adjourned as his client was out of the country. The details of Mr Gill's whereabouts are unknown.

But councillors refused the application for adjournment and said Mr Gill had been given 'every opportunity' to attend the meeting.

Mr Walker said the numbers of animals who died should be taken in context and said the mortality rate at Chester Zoo was worse.

Veterinary adviser Dr Matthew Brash said: 'The inspectors throughout were very strongly of the opinion that it's a mistake to concentrate on numbers per se.

SOUTH LAKES SAFARI ZOO: A TIMELINE 1994: The zoo is opened by David Gill on farmland and officially opened in May 1997: A three-tonne white rhino escapes its pen and has to be shot dead by Mr Gill. He is later fined 10,000 for failing to keep animal enclosed. 2006: The park is criticised after lemurs escape an enclosure 2007: Mr Gill is attacked in his home by Richard Creary, the estranged husband of his then partner, who was jailed for five years for stabbing him in the neck 2008: A fire destroys three wooden huts housing lemurs, killing 31. It was believed to have been started by a faulty heater 2013: Keeper Sarah McClay, 24, is mauled by a tiger during a public feeding time and dies of her wounds. A defective bolt on a door between the den and keepers' corridor is found to have been the reason the animal escaped. In 2016 the zoo admitted health and safety breaches and was fined 255,000 at Preston Crown Court 2014: A keeper falls from a ladder while preparing to feed big cats. The zoo is later fined 42,000 after admitting more health and safety breaches Two ibis also escape that year, leading to Barrow Borough Council giving Mr Gill an official warning 2016: Application for a new licence by Mr Gill is turned down. He announces his intention to pass control over to Cumbria Zoo Company Limited. Mr Gill reapplied for a licence in November 2017: A report in February reveals almost 500 animals have died at the zoo in four years, including snow leopards being found partially eaten and lions and baboons being 'euthanised' due to lack of space. Council officers raise concerns over animal welfare, accommodation and medicine. Regulatory committee refuses Mr Gill's new licence application and issues a closure order. What happens next: CZCL has a separate licence application due to be heard this month. The firm is currently running the zoo, with Mr Gill still licence holder. He will cease to be should the company gain a licence. Mr Gill has 28 days to appeal closure order, and zoo can stay open for that time. If he appeals then the zoo can stay open until the case is heard at court. Should CZCL gain a licence, the zoo will not close. Advertisement

'Our concern throughout has been the cause of death or lack of action to prevent or lack of action occurred after those deaths to prevent them reoccurring.'

The committee heard the animals which had died included a jaguar called Saka who had a bite wound to its paw and injuries which indicated 'chronic, ongoing self-traumatisation'.

Superintendent Rob O'Connor from Cumbria Constabulary also told the meeting he had 'serious concerns' about the zoo's ability to fulfill its firearms responsibilities after learning only three of the staff currently held firearms certificates.

He said a staff rota showed on six days in February only one staff member with the correct certification had been on site.

Nicola O'Brien, campaigns director for Captive Animals' Protection Society (Caps), said: 'In our 60 years of campaigning against the zoo industry and in my short time at the charity this is one of the worst cases we have ever seen.'

She said 182 of the animals which had died were of threatened species.

Katie Richards, from charity Born Free, said she had visited the zoo on Sunday and had been able to take part in feeding a jaguar using a pair of tongs through a cage.

She said: 'I was absolutely gobsmacked by how close you could get to those animals with a pair of tongs.

'The problem here and the issue is both animal welfare and public safety and I felt very unsafe in that situation.'

Mr Walker, appearing on behalf of Mr Gill, said his client no longer wanted to run the zoo but did not want to see it close before new company, Cumbria Zoo Company Limited, had a licence approved.

David Shaw, the boyfriend of Miss McClay, attended the meeting.

Speaking after councillors voted to refuse the application, he said: 'I'm satisfied that the council has come to the right decision, it's a shame it's taken quite so long, it's probably several years overdue, but it's happened now.

'Hopefully if Gill does as he says he is and divests himself of all relations and links to the zoo then the new company should be able to prove that they can operate in a safe way.'

Councillors previously refused to grant Mr Gill's licence renewal application last July.

On January 12 this year, CZCL became the operator of the zoo under Mr Gill's licence.

Less than a fortnight later, CZCL submitted its own application for a licence to run the zoo which will be considered at a later date.

In the report to committee members on Mr Gill's application, the inspectors referred to the 'poor management' of the zoo.

They stated that Mr Gill was 'desperate to keep the zoo open and is also desperate to continue to maintain control over the zoo in one form or another'.

They noted that nine different management teams had been been proposed between November 2015 and July 2016 to the local authority.

Former beauty queen Frieda Rivera-Schreiber (left) is allegedly not qualified to treat animals in the UK. She is married to David Gill (right)

But there was 'always a single common denominator behind all these changes - David Gill continued to run this zoo, either directly or indirectly with Karen Brewer being presented as the manager or CEO'.

In a statement on the zoo's website, Ms Brewer said CZCL had a 'continuing commitment to animal welfare'.

She said: 'Our commitment is to strive to achieve high welfare standards for the animals in our care, be animal welfare leaders and advocates, and provide environments that focus on the animals' physical and behavioural needs'.

It comes after the zoo was accused of covering up the death of a tiger, who was killed by its parents.

Sumatran tiger, Kadi, was bottle-fed when she was rejected at birth in 2010.

According to Miss McClay, killed in 2013 by a tiger, Kadi was 'eaten' in 2012 when she was put in the same cage as her parents.

She told her boyfriend David Shaw that millionaire owner David Gill, 55, moved the cub out of her cage to make room for other animals.

In 2012, the star attraction disappeared from the zoo and her sponsors were told she had been transferred.

Miss Peru finalist Frieda Rivera-Schreiber took up her post at South Lakes Zoo Safari in Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, in 2014 when she married millionaire zoo owner David Gill

Mr Gill told the Sunday Times to 'f*** off', before confirming that Kadi had been killed by its father.

He told the paper: 'I don't know anything about that. I delegate things, I had lots of people working for me.'

Zoos do not have to publicise animal deaths, but 'sponsors' were upset that they weren't told what had happened to the cub.

One Amazon customer named Martin wrote a review of Mr Gill's autobiography in 2013, asking 'Where has Kadi the tiger cub gone?'

He wrote: 'This is highly deceptive especially to people like myself who donated our hard earned cash to adopt the poor little creature.'

It has also been reported by the Times that Mr Gill's wife and zoo vet, Frieda Rivera-Schreiber, is not qualified to practice in the UK.

The Miss Peru finalist took the job in 2014 when she married Mr Gill.

But according to the Royal Society of Veterinary Surgeons, she is not registered with them.

Even though she is unqualified, Ms Rivera-Schreiber is not breaking the law in her role at the zoo.

Mr Gill, who could lose his licence for the zoo next week.

He has come under fire after outraged visitors claimed his animals were living in shocking conditions.

A badly injured giraffe is among the animals being kept in 'appalling' conditions at the zoo

The Captive Animals' Protection Society which took pictures of an emaciated-looking kangaroo

Ms Rivera-Schreiber is described as a vet co-ordinator on Companies House.

Even though she made the final of Miss Peru, her mother, Frieda Holler, won the competition in 1965.

Two years before she married Mr Gill, the former beauty queen's fiance died in a suspected suicide.

Kite-surfing champion, Fernando Garrigue, 43, was killed by a gunshot wound.

She has carried out more than 150 post-mortems on animals who have died at the controversial zoo.

Campaigners have called for the zoo to be shut down after the number of recent animal deaths was revealed.

Among them were a jaguar that had to be put down after it chewed off its own paw, two snow leopards found partially eaten in their enclosure and a monkey's body found stuck behind a radiator.

Hospitality worker Laura Ainsworth, 21, photographed a bleeding giraffe on a previous visit.

'There seemed to be no regard for animal welfare at all,' she said.

Penguins without any water to swim in: Campaigners are now calling for South Lakes Safari Zoo to be closed down

Mr Gill was criticised for blaming 'keeper error' after employee Sarah McClay, 24, was mauled to death by a Sumatran tiger in 2013. He is pictured here at the inquest into her death in 2014

'The giraffe enclosure, which housed three giraffes, was barely big enough for three horses. One had badly cut its ear bending down to get food.'

Sara Dunbar, 25, also visited with her children and claims she witnessed penguins left in an empty tank without water.

'The animals just looked depressed,' she said.

Another mother witnessed a vulture that had fallen off its perch.

The accounts tally with an inspection last year by the Captive Animals' Protection Society which took pictures of an emaciated-looking kangaroo and a mongoose with a painful skin condition.

Inspectors have been particularly critical of how giraffes are housed at the zoo, saying the 'Africa House' has a slippery floor which resulted in one adult animal falling over and having to be shot.

Blame for the catalogue of horrors has been directed at the zoo's millionaire owner.

The park was refused a new licence by Barrow Council last summer after inspectors said Mr Gill was not 'fit and suitable' to manage a zoo.

Seven healthy lion cubs were put down aged just five days old at a zoo where almost 500 animals have died in just five years, it emerged yesterday

Mr Gill was criticised for blaming 'keeper error' after employee Sarah McClay, 24, was mauled to death by a Sumatran tiger in 2013  the zoo was last year fined 255,000 for health and safety breaches leading to her death.

Despite its poor welfare record, the zoo remains popular with visitors, with 2,193 out of 2,624 reviewers on TripAdvisor rating it 'very good' or 'excellent'.

The Captive Animals' Protection Society and Born Free Foundation have both said if a licence is renewed, the zoo will have to pay 110,000 to cover the cost of regular welfare checks.

South Lakes Safari Zoo said it had brought in a number of zoo experts to 'ensure we are going in the right direction'.

Chief executive Karen Brewer said: 'It's been an upsetting week for the whole team because I know how dedicated they are to the animals.'

Cowboy hat-wearing Gill's love life is as colourful as many of the animals at his zoo.

In 1997 he started an affair with a 16-year-old zoo hand, prompting his wife to leave him.

The pair later wed, but the marriage was short-lived and in 2008 he hit the headlines when an ex-rugby league player found him in bed with his wife and knifed him.
A man has been charged with the murder of a 55-year-old woman, after her body was found inside an apartment block in Sydney's west on Sunday night.

The 44-year-old man was arrested by police at the premises of the alleged murder in Bankstown, the day after the woman's body was found.

The man - who is understood to have known the woman - hid under the balcony of an elderly couple for half an hour before police arrested him, neighbours say.

Man, 44, was charged with the murder of a 55-year-old woman, after her body was found dead inside an apartment block in Sydney's west on Sunday night

Police made the arrest at the premises of the alleged murder the day after a woman's body was discovered

Leon Sofilas told 9 News that he heard 'smashing, yelling and screaming' and called for police before the woman was found dead.

'There was a loud scream, a woman's scream and silence after that.

'She was the nicest lady, said hello to everyone, was happy to help.'

The woman's body was discovered in a property on De Witt Street in Bankstown on Sunday night after emergency services were called just after 7.30pm.

The man was taken to Bankstown Police Station where he was later charged with murder.

He was refused bail and is scheduled to appear in Bankstown Local Court on Tuesday.
A terminally ill father has died just hours after giving his son a final hug.

Jay Clark, 42, died on February 26 after a 16 month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Jay and partner Caroline had their miracle son Maxie in January 2016, having believed they were infertile.

The plasterer had one last cuddle with his son before he died at the end of last month.

Jay with his son Maxie, who was their miracle baby, as they both believed they could not have children

Jay and Caroline with their son Maxie on Christmas Day. They had celebrated the day early but then he was with them on December 25 as well,

Posting on a tribute page to the father-of-one, partner Caroline Donoghue, 37, wrote: 'It's with a heavy and broken heart that I have to let you know that my handsome one - the simply amazing Jay Clark aka "de dad dad man" - lost his epic Pancreatic cancer battle this evening.

'He fought so hard to stay here as long as possible for Maxie and I, and for his much loved family and friends.

'He's inspired so many others along the way and did all he could to raise awareness of this terrible disease.

'Thank you so much for all of your love and support over the last 16 months - we couldn't have done it without you. RIP my amazing Jay. Thank you for our miracle Maxie and thank you for blessing our lives with so much love and laughter.

'You'll always be my perfect weirdo and forever my brave C.H.'

Jay was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October 2015 when his partner Caroline was 30 weeks pregnant. He made it to Maxie's first birthday although they thought he'd only survive three to six months

Jay and Caroline also celebrated Christmas early at the end of last year when they feared he would not see his son's first festive season

She added: 'Jay had fought to stay with us for as long as possible but he was so unwell at the end.

'His body had given up but he couldnt let go. He needed that one last cuddle with Maxie and he needed to hear that it was ok to leave us and not to worry because we were going to be ok.

'Its like he was waiting for permission from us. He was the most incredible father.'

Jay was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October 2015, when Caroline was 30 weeks pregnant with their son.

He remained optimistic and positive throughout the 16 months of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, multiple medications and procedures.

Jay and Caroline set up a blog called 'Be More Jay' to encourage awareness of the symptoms and warning signs of pancreatic cancer.

Friend Daryl Wicks-Randy, who set up a charity fundraising page in Jay's name, wrote: 'During his illness he continued to be as involved as possible with the son he never thought he'd have.

Caroline, left, had set up a blog to help raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer, and wrote it through the eyes of their son Maxie

Friends and family have said how Jay remained positive throughout his treatment and it inspired the name of the blog as 'Be More Jay'

'Even during his final five weeks of life when staying at the amazing St Wilfrid's hospice in Eastbourne, Jays partner Caroline brought Maxie in to see Jay most days. Against the odds Jay saw many of Maxie's key early milestones - sitting, crawling, saying "dada" & "mama" & Jay even saw some of his first steps.

'The thing that most upset Jay about his diagnosis was that he wouldn't be there for Maxie - saying many times that he "didn't want to leave him".

'Growing up without a father himself, Jay had always vowed to look after, and be there for any child he was blessed with. This opportunity has been cruelly taken away from him.'

The money donated will be given to Maxie to help fulfill Jay's wish he have a 'normal' life.

Caroline said she felt as though Jay had waited for their approval before he died, and that he had fought bravely until the end

According to the Sun, the family had believed he would not make it to see his son's first Christmas and celebrated early last year at their home in East Sussex.

But he continued to fight the cancer and saw his son's first birthday and proposed to Caroline before he died.

Tributes have been paid to him on the Facebook page for Be More Jay.

His sister Lorraine Fisher wrote: 'He fought an epic battle to the end and I am very proud of him. Jay was very inspirational and very much loved all over the world he raised a lot of awareness for his illness in the hope that one day there will be a cure or new treatments to help others who may suffer from pancreatic cancer.'

St Wilfrid's Hospice wrote: 'The love of this family has made a lasting impression on all of us and the hearts of our hospice team go out to Caroline and Maxie at a tough time.'

Family members and friends marked his death with a purple ribbon on Facebook and the words: 'It's Jay's day'.
A ten-year-old boy celebrating his birthday with his little sister started coughing up blood at a restaurant in Pennsylvania after drinking apple juice which had apparently become contaminated with chemicals.

Richie Zaragoza and his four-year-old half-sister Ginaya Mendoza were rushed to hospital after the incident at the Star Buffet & Grill in Lancaster and he spent a night in the intensive care unit.

His mother Virginia Davis, 32, told Lancaster Online: 'When he drank the apple juice he'd been served he just started screaming "It burns, it burns".'

Richie Mendoza (pictured, right) and his little sister Ginaya (left) were rushed to hospital after coughing up blood after drinking apple juice in the restaurant

She said Ginaya had drunk some before Richie. She had vomited and said her stomach hurt but Ms Davis thought she had just got sick.

It was only when Richie started coughing up blood that she realized the drink, served in foam cups, had been contaminated.

The restaurant manager, Steve Weng, told the local paper he had no idea how the chemicals - some form of acid - had got into the children's drink.

The children were rushed to hospital after going for a birthday celebration at the Star Buffet & Grill in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (pictured)

The children were hospitalized on Friday after Richie's birthday celebrations went horribly wrong.

Ginaya was released from Hershey Medical Center yesterday but Richie remains in hospital with severe mouth and throat burns.

East Lampeter Township police commissioned tests on the apple juice in the foam cup over the weekend but the results are not known yet.

Richie is pictured in hospital at the weekend. Today a hospital spokesman said he was in a 'fair' condition, meaning that he had regained consciousness

Ms Davis said: 'How do you take your kids out and expect this to happen? We were supposed to be celebrating his birthday.'

She said Richie already has cystic fibrosis and diabetes.

His father, Richard Zaragoza Sr, said: 'He's been through a lot.'

The restaurant serves all-you-can-eat Chinese and Japanese food, as well as Italian and American dishes.

Mr Weng said the apple juice was bought at a local supermarket and he had no idea how it had become contaminated.

Ms Davis was at the restaurant with her brother-in-law, Luis Mercado, and two of her other children, Miguel Mercado, six, and seven-month-old Anthony Mercado.

A spokesman for Penn State Children's Hospital in nearby Hershey told Mail Online Richie was in a 'fair' condition today. He is thought to have regained consciousness.
Fatima Festus, 22, of Burnage, Manchester, went berserk at Amilia Luby despite her 'cutting up' the victim at a junction - and then blaming her for nearly causing an accident.

A driver beat up another young mother in a road rage attack as their babies looked on from the rear seats of their cars.

Fatima Festus, 22, of Burnage, Manchester, attacked Amilia Luby despite her 'cutting up' the victim at a junction - and then blaming her for nearly causing an accident.

As their young children aged six months and a year watched, foul mouthed Festus jumped out of her vehicle shouting: 'My f****** child is in the back of my car.'

She then stormed up to Miss Luby's blue BMW, dragged her out of the driver's seat then repeatedly punched her in the head.

A friend of Miss Luby's who was in the passenger seat tried to intervene but was punched in the stomach.

Miss Luby suffered a black eye, cuts to her lip and bruises to her elbow as well as swelling to the right temple of her head. She now says she is too scared to leave the house.

Festus later claimed the incident was a 'bit of a blur' and said at the time she was 'scared something might have happened to her young baby.'

She has since become pregnant with her second child.

A court heard Festus stormed up to Miss Luby's blue BMW, dragged her out of the driver's seat then repeatedly punched her in the head. (Miss Luby is pictured with her partner and child)

At Manchester Magistrates' Court Festus admitted common assault but escaped jail after JPs said it was a 'spontaneous attack.'

The incident occurred at 2.50pm on June 16 last year when Miss Luby was driving through Didsbury.

Festus was sentenced to a 12-month community order and was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work

Prosecutor Miss Marion Nolan said: 'She was travelling with her friend Laurelle Dale in the passenger seat and her 12 month old son in the backseat.

'As Amilia pulled out to turn left the defendant overtook her and cut in front of her.

'Amilia had to slam on the brakes as not to go into her and as both cars stopped the defendant got out of her car.

'As she approached Amilia she shouted: 'My f****** child is in the back of my car!' She then opened Amilia's car door and grabbed the top of her head and dragged her out of the car.

'She then punched Amilia to the head and face. She says it happened so quickly that the complainant can't remember if she retaliated.

'Amilia sustained swelling to her right temple, swelling and bruising to her right eye, a lump on her head, a small cut to the lip, a bruise on her elbow and a cut to her other elbow.

'She has been suffering since the attack and says she is too scared to leave the house.

'During the attack, her friend Laurelle who was in the passenger seat had to step out of the car and try to help her friend and in doing so received a blow to the stomach.'

But in mitigation defence lawyer Robert Moussalli said: 'This is extremely out of character for this defendant. Clearly none of what I say excuses this and Fatima knows that and deeply regrets everything that happened that day.

Miss Luby (pictured with her partner) suffered a black eye, cuts to her lip and bruises to her elbow as well as swelling to the right temple of her head and was left scared to leave the house

'She says she was driving along with her six month-old child in the back when Miss Luby pulled out in front of her. It was her first born and she felt very protective over the safety of her young child.

'She says she didn't really think about what she was going to do and had no idea what she was thinking of. She remembers opening the car door and shouting and after that it became a bit of a blur.

'She can't explain why she did it just that she was scared something might have happened to her young baby. She has been very upset about the whole thing and is currently four months pregnant.

'She understands that this shouldn't have happened and she wishes she had acted in a different way.'

Festus was sentenced to a 12-month community order and was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work.

She was also ordered to pay Miss Luby 200 and pay 235 in costs and surcharges.

Chairman of the bench Simon Morrell told her: 'This was a road rage incident, plain and simple and it was super dangerous. Not only was there a child in the other car but there was also a young child in your car.

'You subjected this woman to a sustained attack and the ordeal must have been scary for her. The only mitigating factor is your remorse and the fact that this was a spontaneous attack. '
Would-be French president Francois Fillon was at the centre of a macabre fake news scandal today after evoking the suicide of his British-born wife.

Mr Fillon, 63, appeared on live television on Sunday night and said that TV news channels had reported that Penelope Fillon, 62, had killed herself.

Both the Fillons face prison sentences of up to 10 years over accusations that they pretended Ms Fillon was a high-powered parliamentary aide and literary consultant so as to steal hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Mr Fillon, 63, appeared on France 2 on Sunday night and falesly said that TV news channels had reported that Penelope Fillon, 62, (left) had killed herself. Pictured at a rally in November 2016

Despite the corruption scandal  and an enormous amount of criticism  Mr Fillon is carrying on with his campaign to become president as the Republicans party candidate.

It was on France 2s main news programme on Sunday night that Mr Fillon said that broadcast journalists announced the suicide of my wife on Wednesday morning on the television channels.

This was completely false  leading to claims that Mr Fillon was so desperate to hang on to his position that he was prepared to mislead people with false information.

The couple face prison sentences of up to 10 years for pretending that Ms Fillon was a high-powered parliamentary aide and literary consultant so as to steal hundreds of thousands of pounds

Donald Trump, Americas Republican Party president, has been accused of using exactly the same kind of fake news tactics.

Mathieu Sicard, the director of Frances LCI news channel, said: In fact, the only person who had the indignity to speak about the suicide of Penelope Fillon was Francois Fillon.

Hugo Clement, a leading investigative journalist, said: Good, after checks by the whole world, its false: no channel announced the suicide of his wife. The Trump method, its gross, it goes.

And the Liberation newspaper said on its website: A rumour of the suicide of Penelope Fillon evoked on TV channels? Fillon is in alternative fact mode, like Trump.

On Sunday, Ms Fillon, who was born and brought up near Abergavenny, Wales, and went to Bristol University spoke for the first time about the scandal, which broke on January 24th.

It really is the opposite of who I think I am, she said. I felt like Id be hit by lightening. It was the worst moment of my life.

After the statement was proved to be false, his critics said he was prepared to mislead the people in order to cling on to power

Ms Fillon said Welsh stubbornness and her immense faith in God could still see her become First Lady of France in May.

Marine Le Pen, the far-right National Front candidate, is currently expected to win the first round of the presidential election in April, despite facing a fake jobs fraud scandal of her own.

Then Emmanuel Macron, the independent candidate who used to be financial minister, will win in the second round in May, according to polls.

Ms Fillon said Welsh stubbornness and her immense faith in God could still see her become First Lady of France in May

Alain Juppe, the former prime minister and a leading figure in the Republicains, today confirmed that he would not be standing for the presidency  but described his rival Mr Fillon as a mess.

Mr Juppe attacked Mr Fillons obstinacy and his reliance on conspiracy theories and fake news to win public sympathy while facing criminal charges.

But Mr Juppe, 71, said he would not be standing, leaving the way open for younger party members to challenge Mr Fillon.

Mr Fillon has yet to respond to the fake news allegations.
A jealous brother-in-law who admitted to beating his family to death with a crowbar over the inheritance of gold coins has been named as 46-year-old Hubert Caouissin.

Pascal Troadec and his wife Brigitte, both 49, went missing along with their son Sebastien, 21, and 18-year-old daughter Charlotte on February 16, sparking a mystery that gripped France.

Caouissin, previously identified only as Hubert C, has admitted to killing the family of four, telling investigators he thought Pascal had kept the gold coins for himself.

A jealous brother-in-law who admitted to beating his family to death with a crowbar over the inheritance of gold coins has been named as 46-year-old Hubert Caouissin. Pictured: A police car parked outside the house belonging to the missing Troadec family in Orvault, near Nantes

Sebastien Troadec (left) and Charlotte Troadec (right), the son and daughter of the Troadec family, of whom all four members have not been seen since February 16, 2017

Mother Brigitte Soliveres (left) and father Pascal Troadec (right) have also vanished from the home

The post box and front door of the family home where the family are said to have been murdered

French gendarme block the access to a road, where a healthcare card in the name of Charlotte Troadec had been discovered

He is to be charged with murder, while his partner Lydie - Pascal's sister - faces charges of tampering with evidence and abetting the crime by helping him dispose of the bodies, Mr Sennes said.

Caouissin told investigators he sneaked into the home in the Nantes suburb of Orvault on the evening of February 16, hiding in the garage until the four went to bed with the original intention of 'obtaining information'.

Pascal and Brigitte came downstairs upon hearing noise on the ground floor, with Pascal wielding a crowbar.

'A scene of great violence' ensued, with Caouissin wresting the crowbar from Pascal and using it to kill both him and Brigitte.

He then killed Sebastien and Charlotte, both students who were visiting during school holidays, Mr Sennes said.

Caouissin stayed until dawn before returning to his home in Brittany some 300 kilometres (180 miles) away, where he told Lydie that he had killed her brother and the other three Troadecs.

He returned on February 17 to clean up the house and remove the bodies, which he loaded into Sebastien's car the following day.

Caouissin and Lydie Troadec spent the next two or three days trying to dispose of the bodies.

A murder mystery probe has gripped France after a family of four including a 'psychologically disturbed' son vanished leaving behind a home 'frozen in time' (file picture)

'It appears the bodies were dismembered, some buried and others burned,' Mr Sennes said.

They cleaned Sebastien's car, 'trying to get rid of the blood' and then left it in a church car park in the port of Saint Nazaire, about an hour's drive away, 'as a sort of diversion', Mr Sennes said.

Police searches at the suburban family home in the western city of Nantes found traces of blood from Sebastien and the parents, but not Charlotte, as well as signs of efforts to clean them up.

The finger had initially been pointed at Sebastien in the the murder, abduction and illegal confinement case having been convicted of making death threats in a blog back in 2013.

Caouissin was taken into custody on Sunday along with Lydie Troadec - Hubert C's ex-wife and Pascal's sister.

The Troadec family - Pascal and Brigitte, both aged around 50, their son Sebastien, 21, and his sister Charlotte, 18 - have not been seen since February 16 (file picture)

'The male suspect has admitted killing the entire family in an argument over inheritance,' said a source close to the case.

'He remains in custody and faces trial for the murders.'

An investigation into murder, abduction and illegal confinement was opened last Monday after the authorities were alerted to the disappearance.

'Much more work remains to be done,' Mr Sennes said, noting that investigators still do not know where the body parts are buried.

Initial suspicion fell on the son, Sebastien, as he was suspected of 'formulating a macabre plan aimed at snuffing out members of his family and maybe himself.'

Sebastien had psychological problems, and in the past had been convicted of making death threats on his blog.

Bloodstains were found at the Troadec home in Orvault, including on Sebastien's abandoned smart phone, and his abandoned car was later found more than 100 miles away.

Mr Sennes said toothbrushes and hairbrushes had all been removed from the house, and the beds had been stripped.

'Food was going off in the fridge and there were dishes in the sink', said Mr Sennes, said it was as if 'the life of the house had been frozen in time'.

French gendarmes search near the site where Charlotte Troadec's national health card in the was discovered by a runner on March 1, 2017, in Dirinon

Both Sebastien and Charlotte had been at the family home during the just-ended school holidays.

Mr Sennes said investigators had been unable to find Sebastien's car.

The parents' car was parked outside the house.

Bloodstains were found throughout the two-storey house, including on Sebastien's cellphone and on Brigitte's watch, as well as efforts to wipe some of them away.

On March 1, a jogger has found a pair of trousers with Charlotte Troadec's national health card in a pocket.

The items belonging to the 18-year-old were found in a town some 175 miles northwest of the family home in Orvault, a suburb of the western city of Nantes, a source said.

Investigators were sealing off the area in Dirinon where the discovery was made, 13 days after the disappearance.

Police continue their search of the area on Wednesday evening some 20km east of Brest

Several local reports recalled a similar murder in 2011 when five members of the same family, also in the Nantes area, were killed, noting that Sebastien attended the same high school as one of the victims.

The father, Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes, remains at large and is the suspect of an international arrest warrant.

Neighbours and a source close to the probe said Sebastien had had psychological problems and Pascal had suffered from depression in the past.

Mr Sennes noted that Sebastien had been sentenced to carry out community service after being convicted in 2013, when he was a minor, for making death threats on his blog.

But classmates of Sebastien's interviewed by French media described a quiet, friendly youth, with one saying he was 'always ready to help out'.
Chinese authorities have shut down activist Ye Haiyan's blogs and forced her to move from one city to another. Left with few options, she now produces socially conscious paintings to make a living and advocate for the rights of sex workers and people with HIV or AIDS.

Using calligraphy brushes, Ye creates images of naked women and sex workers alongside symbols such as the Chinese characters for equality, or paints roosters, a Chinese homonym for prostitute.

'I've started to understand that painting is also a form of expression and the natural reflection of my thoughts,' said Ye, who is in her early 40s. She was recently evicted from her last home in an artists' enclave on Beijing's outskirts ahead of the annual meeting of China's ceremonial parliament that opened Sunday.

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Ye Haiyan paints a watercolor painting in her studio on the outskirts of Beijing. Ye has resorted to advocating for the rights of sex workers and people with HIV/AIDS through painting

Far from the pomp of the 10-day gathering at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Ye is among those caught up in an annual roundup of people the ruling Communist Party considers threats to the state, all to ensure the session passes without incident.

Known critics are placed under tightened restrictions and ordinary people coming to Beijing with grievances are prevented from traveling or snatched off the streets of the capital.

This year's meetings also come amid China's broadest and most intense assault on civil society since nongovernmental groups were grudgingly allowed more freedom to operate more than a decade ago.

Since coming to power in 2012, President Xi Jinping has shown little tolerance for dissent, and a sustained crackdown launched in July 2015 has seen hundreds of activists and independent legal professionals detained. More than a year and a half later, eight are still in detention or prison.

The environment for civil society 'has been worsening every year since Xi Jinping came to power and this past year has been no different,' said Frances Eve, researcher at the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders.

Activists estimate that police arrested more than 100 people last year for exercising their right to freedom of expression, including Huang Qi and Liu Feiyue, who ran websites reporting on human rights abuses and critiquing government policies. A series of trials saw some activists convicted under vague laws against subversion and leaking state secrets, with prosecutors blaming unidentified troublemakers abroad for inciting anti-government activity.

Ye Haiyan moved from city to city following harassment from authorities, and police told her to leave her latest home ahead of the annual meeting of China's ceremonial parliament that opened Sunday

China last year also passed a law tightening controls over foreign nongovernmental organizations by subjecting them to close police supervision.

'Promoting and protecting human rights is now considered a crime,' said Eve. Many of those convicted confess under duress, including torture by police, she said. While China's high court forbids such practices, they are believed to remain common within a police force with broad powers to arrest, question and detain.

China routinely rejects accusations of human rights abuses, pointing to vast improvements in quality of life wrought by three decades of economic development.

The U.S. State Department said in its annual human rights report published Friday that repression and coercion of organizations and individuals involved in civil rights advocacy remained 'severe' last year.

Family members of rights defenders and lawyers are harassed and intimidated in retaliation for their work, the report said. Authorities generally fail to respect the Chinese constitution's protection of free speech, particularly when it clashes with the interests of the Communist Party, it said.

China has protested to the U.S. over the report, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Monday, calling it 'filled with prejudice.'

'We urge the U.S. to stop interfering in China's internal affairs on the pretext of human rights,' Geng added.

Ye Haiyan paints a watercolor painting in her studio on the outskirts of Beijing

The authorities rarely comment on activists such as Ye, who used to have thousands of followers online and her own nongovernmental organization advocating for legalized prostitution and offering advice on sexual health.

Her efforts, including protests against light sentences given to the abusers of schoolgirls, got her noticed by the public and, more ominously, the police, who she says pressured her to close her NGO and move several times. Worried about the impact on her 17-year-old daughter, she sent her to the U.S. last month to study with help from a U.S.-based filmmaker.

Ye says she's gotten a boost from internationally famous artist and activist Ai Weiwei, who bought one of her paintings 'depicting a fat woman, a sex worker wishing to earn a lot of money and go home to build a house.' Ai previously bought up her belongings when she was evicted from an apartment in 2014 and exhibited the household items - an old refrigerator, a washing machine, cardboard boxes - at one of his shows at the Brooklyn Museum.

Ye reluctantly left her studio in the village of Songzhuang last week on the orders of police. An officer reached at the local Public Security Bureau on Monday declined to comment on the case. Ye said she went to stay with friends in the nearby village of Beisi and within days again ran into pressure to leave.

'The Communist Party secretary of the village told local residents not to rent to me because I've long been on the blacklist,' Ye said.

Beisi party secretary Liu Wenbiao referred a request for comment to the Songzhuang police.

'They think that a person like me should be the target for 'social stabilization,'' Ye said, using government shorthand for suppressing dissent.
A devoted husband who painstakingly put together an old fashioned living room to help his Alzheimer's-suffering wife cope with her condition is now working on his fourth creation.

DIY fan George Drummond, 70, decorated the 1960s-style room with period wallpapers, black-and-white photographs and racks for vinyl LP records to set her mind back to a more familiar period.

He told how sitting down in front of a fire on a vintage sofa with old-fashioned wooden TV set helped wife Elaine stay 'calm and happy'.

George Drummond constructed a 'Alzheimer's lounge' while his wife Elaine was suffering from the condition

The room was decorated with period wallpapers, black-and-white photographs and racks for vinyl LP records

Elaine tragically died five months after being admitted to hospital in her five-year battle with Alzheimer's - but George pledged to carry on with his dementia DIY rooms.

He has now kitted out a period kitchen and a seaside cafe, and is now working on his fourth room in period features to help other patients cope with the disease.

George was inspired to tile and decorate the rooms on the dementia wards at Llandough Hospital, near Cardiff, after seeing the care Elaine received from staff.

George said: 'I heard the nurses talking about the plans for the rooms and I said if they needed someone to help with some decorating and some tiling then I was happy to lend a hand.

'I did the first room and took Elaine in there a few times - it had a great effect on her just to sit in a chair and listen to some old records.'

He decided to name the first sitting room he designed Cwtch - which mean cuddle in Welsh

An old-style wooden television and and a rotary dial telephone helped cast Elaine's mind back to happier times

Despite Elaine's death in April last year, George continued with his volunteer shifts and has helped build three more rooms at the hospital along with other relatives.

Retired IT consultant George said: 'The effect this room has on the patients far outweighs the work that has gone into it.

'There is a really calming atmosphere. I was often able to take Elaine into the room, and particularly if she was agitated, she could let me know what she wanted to listen to, and we'd play one of the records from the large collection of 33's which we had amassed.

'This always had a calming effect on her, and I have witnessed a similar effect with other patients.'

The four rooms at the hospital that George has worked on are a 1950s sitting room, a 50s/60s style kitchen, a 60s quiet room and a 60s-style seaside cafe.

An old wireless radio sits between numerous vinyl LPs, which Elaine found less confusing than modern CDs

An antique clock sits on a table as part of the dedication to using older furniture in the room

'Two pictures on the wall are of my wife's family from 1905 and I managed to get the pictures onto the computer and printed them off. They are lovely and make a nice touch in the sitting room.

'The old bibles are from my stepmother from Scotland. They belonged to her grandmother and one has a date of 1794 on it and they both have hand painted pictures inside.

'Since the room has been finished and open to patients I have never seen the room empty and I used to come in here every day to visit Elaine.

Mr Drummond's wife, Elaine, for whom the first room was designed

'People are making a lot of use of it and you don't feel like you are in a hospital environment at all.'

George, of Penylan, Cardiff, described the heartbreaking effect that Alzheimer's had on mum-of-one Elaine.

The couple met at work for BT and married in 2007 but just four years later she was diagnosed with the disease.

He said: 'For the first three years she wouldn't let me tell the rest of the family and she was being nursed at home.

'Initially the symptoms were mild, and could, for the most part be ignored. At this stage, both Elaine and myself talked about, and tried to learn how we might expect the symptoms to develop.

'Emotions were: why her, anger, fear, denial, worry.

'At first we would go shopping and she would leave her bag in places but it then got to the point we would go out to eat and she couldn't understand the menu and I would have to tell her 'have this, you like this'.

'As the symptoms became more significant, it became apparent that we were approaching the time for Elaine to be admitted to a medical facility.

Another of the rooms that Mr Drummond has been working on as he continues his commitment to the Alzheimer's rooms

The four rooms at the hospital that George has worked on are a 1950s sitting room, a 50s/60s style kitchen, a 60s quiet room and a 60s-style seaside cafe

Mr and Mrs Drummond pictured together in happier times while on a boat

'It got to the point where she was admitted here and the nurses took fantastic care of her. They were all brilliant.'

The sitting room called Cwtch - meaning cuddle in Welsh - was the idea of Ward Manager Ben Ford and refocusing nurse Katherine Martinson.

Cardiff and Vale University Hospital Board and Cardiff University developed a 'Dementia Challenge' - and are hailing George's DIY rooms as a positive step for treatment.

Nurse Katherine Martinson said: 'It is such a simple thing to do and has worked really well.

'There is a lot of emotion in this room. To have something else to think about other than a hospital visit means a lot to them.'
A disabled former Army engineer who was told by the NHS that he had cancer spent his life savings on treatment in the US, where doctors discovered he didn't even have the disease.

Father-of-one David West, 70, was told by British doctors that he had just weeks to live, but insists no biopsy was carried out to confirm he had liver cancer.

Unsatisfied with the NHS diagnosis, he travelled to the US for a second opinion, and was told by medics there that he actually had a serious but survivable heart condition.

He paid for treatment in the US, but has returned to Britain behind on his rent and has been refused help because he is no longer deemed a permanent UK resident.

David West was told he had cancer by the NHS, but travelled to the US for a second opinion and discovered he had a treatable heart problem. He is now struggling to make ends meet

Mr West, who has paid taxes in England for 50 years, said: 'Being diagnosed with cancer was a huge emotional challenge.

'When somebody looks you in the face and says, "You are going to die" you feel bad about it. You think, "Strewth, what am I going to do now?"

'I wrote my will four or five times and changed it and so when I got to America and they told me I wasn't going to die. I felt quite happy about it.

'But I felt angry that I had been misdiagnosed. Doctors are people I trusted implicitly and it completely shattered my faith in the NHS.'

Mr West said he would never have gone to the US if he hadn't been misdiagnosed in the UK

Mr West, of Warminster, Wiltshire, spent 250,000 on travel and treatment in the US and resorted to selling his Mercedes and beloved collection of vintage motorbikes.

He was advised against flying home for free NHS care and had to undergo urgent, complex surgery to replace two heart valves at a medical centre in San Francisco.

It was successful, but post-op complications and aftercare needs meant he stayed in the States for almost three years before returning to the UK.

The pensioner, who suffers from mobility problems, is now struggling on his 380-a-month pension and has fallen 1,700 behind on his rent.

He has been warned that bailiffs could be instructed to evict him if he doesn't settle the balance or vacate the property by March 16.

He said: 'When I came back to the UK I was put to the back of the queue.

'I am a citizen and I have paid whatever tax was demanded of me since I was 17 but I can't afford to have the heating on or pay for my telephone or the internet or rent. It is very difficult to afford anything.'

'If they had never made the mistake of misdiagnosing me then I would never have flown to the States for treatment and I wouldn't be in this situation.

'They are treating me like I have never lived in this country. I am totally disillusioned with the system.'

He insists he has paid taxes all of his life and worked as an engineer in the Middle East

Mr West used to work as an engineer in the NHS until 1977 when he worked with the military and was posted to the Middle East in Oman.

His expertise meant he was seconded to the US military and worked in Lebanon, Iran, Malaysia, Germany, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Mr West's health deteriorated in mid-2012. He put on weight, became short of breath, suffered lower-body swelling and 'fell apart all of a sudden'.

He was given a diagnosis of terminal liver cancer at Salisbury District Hospital, Wiltshire in October 2012 and told he had weeks to live.

Thinking he had nothing to lose, he flew to the US in January 2013 where doctors said he didn't have cancer at all.

Waiting times for the procedures he needed were between four and nine months on the NHS, and American doctors told him it was a risk to wait that long.

Mr West, pictured during his time working abroad, has been threatened with eviction

During his three-year stay he had 30 blood tests, routine examinations of his heart and tests on his liver, which was in a deteriorated state but was not cancerous.

He had been due a reassessment by the DWP in late 2015 but couldn't attend as he was receiving treatment in the States.

His benefits have all been stopped and he faces being thrown out of his rented flat of 14 years later this month.

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust apologised for the misdiagnosis.

A spokesman said: 'We recognize that clinicians should avoid giving life expectancy estimates to patients where the diagnosis is not confirmed.

'We are sorry for the anxiety that this has caused Mr West and have ensured that lessons learned from this have been shared with our clinical teams.'

He was given a diagnosis of terminal liver cancer at Salisbury District Hospital, Wiltshire

Wiltshire Council said: 'The Government sets the rules around being habitually resident in the UK in order to access public funds.

'We will always work to explain the rules to individuals and have already contacted Mr West to see if there is any update on his previous situation which may change his status.'

The Department for Work and Pensions said: 'There are rules in place to protect the benefit system from abuse.

'People claiming benefits need to inform us if they are going abroad for any length of time as this may affect their claim.'
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Fascinating photographs taken by a German officer through the First World War have lifted the lid on what life was like behind enemy lines.

The collection belonged to medical officer Robert Lichte, who filled nine albums with snaps from the German trenches and the operating table.

They fell into the lap of PhD student Marius Moneth, 33, from Dusseldorf, who considers the pictures a 'real historical treasure' capturing a unique insight to the war from a German soldier's point of view.

A group of soldiers in front of a well-fortified light bunker. One soldier is getting his face groomed by a comrade in what became known as the morning shave as an officer sits barefoot in the foreground in the image titled 'Life in the Trench'

A medical team work on a patient who appears to have a wound on his chest in a rare photograph taken in a restricted area. Marius Moneth, who inherited the photographs, believe this picture was staged as access to the operating theatre is usually prohibited for photographers and there are no gloves being worn nor any blood as you would expect to see during an operation

A soldier sits in the debris of destroyed buildings at the edge of a huge crater. The walls of the buildings have crumbled and roofs fallen down in a scene synonymous with The Great War which ravaged Europe between July 28, 1914 to November 11, 1918

Topless German soldiers hunt through their belonging for fleas in the infested trenches during the First World War. Fleas were a huge pest during the war and left troops with red and blotchy bite marks all over their bodies. The most effective way to get rid of them was burning the pests with a candle, but this usually resulted in soldiers burning their clothes, which is why many resorted to picking them out like this by hand

A dog faces the camera and sits on top of bags of clothes as soldiers toil away in the laundry room which is overflowing. The First World War was the first major conflict where sanitation and hygiene was taken seriously amid fears of disease and illness spreading away from the battlefield. It was the first time an effort was made on both sides to provide soldiers with clean clothes

'The convolute of Robert Lichte is special because he left behind eight photo albums and a postcard album,' said Mr Moneth, who studies at Heinrich Heine University of Dusseldorf.

'Normally a soldier leaves behind one or two of those albums, but he created nine of them.

'I guess he created several of them to share with each family member.

'You can discover tanks from the later course of the war, aircraft, guns and you can get an impression of the area behind enemy lines in his photos.'

A soldier poses stern-faced with a walking stick in the trenches (foreground) while a comrade smiles behind him, both standing next to a Char d'Assault Schneider (Schneider CA) Assault Tank which has been knocked onto its side

An eerie photograph of soldiers and officers nursing their wounds in a crowded sick bay as medics stand over them. As well as treating injuries from shrapnel, falling debris and physical combat, sick bay would also have to keep an eye out for spreading disease. The flu was widespread among the troops fighting in Europe during The Great War

Soldiers in the trenches in Keyem, Belgium, during the First World War as two gunmen point their weapons over their comrades' heads towards their enemies over the barren no man's land which has been ravaged by the battle. There is now a military cemetery at Keyem, where 590 soldiers have been laid to rest - 364 of them were never identified

The incredible set of photographs belonged to Robert Lichte (centre), pictured here with two other soldiers and their dogs. Lichte was a medical officer in The Great War. He and his comrades treated around 27million injured and sick soldiers during the battle. Of the 27million, only 5.7million were treated for wounds, the other 21.5million were treated for illnesses

Lichte's photos not only show life in the trenches and the destructive nature of the war, they also share his personal experiences.

One of the photos Mr Moneth uncovered from the collection was taken during an operation, which is rare as photographers were not permitted in medical areas.

This has led him to believe that the photograph could have been staged.

Mr Moneth said: 'While my family has a huge archive of private photographs from the War, I never encountered a picture showing an actual medical procedure.

'I was astonished, but then it deemed to me that the scene was staged to bring relatives closer to his everyday life as medical staff.

'Photographers were usually not allowed in the medical area.'

The albums also has photo showing an area in Lille after an explosion destroyed a German ammunition camp on January 11, 1916, at 3.30am.

The incident killed 134 people, 104 of which were civilians and 30 were German soldiers, with about 290 being left injured.

Lichte's identity was uncovered from postcards in one of the albums, which included ones he both sent and received.

A picture of the aftermath of a bombing in an area of Lille on January 11, 1916, which hit at 3.30am. The huge explosion destroyed the German ammunition camp in Lille as well as 21 factories and 738 houses. The blast killed 134 people, of which 104 were civilians and 30 were German soldiers

A huge procession of German soldiers walk into a town battered by bombings. The location of the town is unknown. In Britain, more than 5,000 bombs were dropped on towns, destroying homes and businesses and causing 1.5million in damage - around 156million in today's money

German plane with a pilot (left) who is believed to be with a prisoner of war. The aircraft number has since revealed the pilot was Hellmuth Riensberg. He flew a Pfalz D.III in Jasta 10 (Jagdstaffel). He died on January 18, 1918, at 10.30am in a crash right after a dogfight

The medical team pose with their patient following a seemingly successful operation as one soldier (left) holds up a copy of a newspaper from Dusseldorf

British prisoners of war marching with German guards after being captured in battle during the First World War. During the fierce battle, 10million people, servicemen or civilians, were captured and sent to detention camps

Seven soldiers stand in front of a downed plane as huge swathes of troops gather around the aircraft on in Lechin on August 24, 1915

A solider is seen to by medical staff as he lies on a stretcher (bottom right) while two of his comrades are already loaded into the back of a cart

Mr Moneth said: 'Out of his photos and postcards, you can deduct that Robert Lichte survived the war. During the war he climbed the ranks from a corporal to non-commissioned medical officer.

'The information revealed Lichte held the rank of a non-commissioned medical officer in the 1st Company of the Infantry Regiment of Sparr No. 16, deployed on the 3rd West Front.

'His division was stationed at the major Battlezones like Reuve Chapelle and Verdun. In these battles, he got the Iron Cross II, which he embedded on one of his albums.'

Mr Moneth is now planning to turn Lichte's nine albums into a scientifically annotated photo book in both German and in English.

Aerial view taken from a reconnaissance aircraft where a castle and its grounds can be seen at an unknown location

Robert Lichte, who amassed the incredible set of photographs from the First World War, sits with the Iron Cross II

Air reconnaissance photo of a train station taken during the First World War which claimed 17million deaths over four years

A postcard featuring the owner of the set of images Robert Lichte. It reads 'With god for Emperor and Empire'

He recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project, which involves digitising the images, translating the postcards and his own research.

Mr Moneth said: 'I'm in a position that I have a big archive of private photographs behind me. Those pictures are unique, and I have always searched for a way to share this treasure with other interested people. Kickstarter seems to be a very good first step for this endeavour.

'The photo book is planned in German and English as one of my main motivations was to give an insight into the trenches of German soldiers.

'I hope the English audience is interested into the point of view of those men who fought against their great grandfathers in the great battles of the First World War.'

Mr Moneth wanted to create this picture book in order to bring the public closer to the private view on the Great War.

He added: 'I've designed the campaign so that people with a small budget can get an insight into the history of the First World War, so a publication as an e-book is planned, too.'
Chinese hardliners have parts of their brains missing according the Dalai Lama.

In an interview with talk show host John Oliver, the Tibetan spiritual leader made the comments which are likely to infuriate the country's Communist leaders - who view him as a dangerous separatist.

The Dalai Lama, who fled to India after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, denies encouraging violence, claiming he only wants autonomy for Tibet.

In an interview with US talk show host and comedian John Oliver, the Dalai Lama claimed that China's Communist leaders have parts of their brains missing - specifically referring to them lacking common sense

The wide-ranging interview touched on the Dalai Lama's life as well as his conflicts with the Chinese government - the atheist regime he fled in 1959 following a failed uprising

Speaking in India's northern town of Dharamsala, where the exiled Tibetan government is based, he also said he might be the last Dalai Lama.

'Very possible,' he said. 'If I become the last Dalai Lama, I feel very happy.'

The animosity between the two sides centres on control over Tibetan Buddhism - with reincarnation at the heart of the debate.

Tibetan Buddhism holds that the soul of a senior lama is reincarnated in the body of a child on his death.

The person who appoints the re-birthed Dalai Lama is the Panchen Lama - while the reincarnated Panchen Lama is appointed by the Dalai Lama.

The revolving cycle of successors has continues to ensure leadership within the religion.

However the reincarnated Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was last seen 20 years ago when he was a six year old boy.

Shortly after vanishing, the Chinese government named their own Panchen Lama.

Meaning there is a fear among Tibetan monks that the Chinese government could appoint their own obedient Dalai Lama when the current one dies.

Tibetans fear Communist leaders will appoint their own obedient spiritual leader following the death of the current Dalai Lama - ending hopes of autonomy in Tibet. This prompted the Dalai Lama to claim he could be the last of his line, or that one could be born outside of China

The Chinese government 'abducted' the six-year-old Panchen Lama, the sole person capable of choosing the spiritual successor, some 20 years ago - and appointed their own potentially in his place giving Communist leaders control in selecting who the next Dalai Lama might be

The Dalai Lama has claimed that he could be the last living Dalai Lama, or one could be born outside China, in order to avoid the Tibetans Monks coming under control of China's Communist leaders.

China says the tradition must continue and its officially atheist Communist leaders have the right to approve the Dalai Lama's successor, as a legacy inherited from China's emperors.

Communist leaders accuse him of betraying the Tibetan religion by saying there might be no future reincarnations.

One Chinese official called him a 'wolf in monks robes' while photos of the Dalai Lama are forbidden in parts of China.

Elsewhere in the interview the Dalai Lama also claimed to have cured Mongolia of alcoholism by advocating the replacement of vodka with horses milk, while John Oliver jokingly presented the spiritual leader with a calculator watch as a gift following their interview

A Chinese official also referred to the Dalai Lama as 'a wolf in Monk's robes' while photos of the Tibetan spiritual leader are forbidden in parts of China

Asked if he was worried China might appoint its own Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader said it would be foolish.

'Our brain usually, you see, has the ability to create common sense,' he said. 'The Chinese hardliners, in their brain, that part of the brain, is missing.'

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tibet's delegation to the annual meeting of China's parliament, which opened on Sunday, is likely to hold a news conference some time this week. Such meetings tend to be dominated by the issue of the Dalai Lama.
Gerry Adams has warned Theresa May and Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire are 'part of the problem' in striking a deal to save devolution in the province.

The Sinn Fein president warned the Conservatives were not seen as impartial brokers with the DUP in the process. In Westminster, the Tories often reliant on DUP votes.

Republican Sinn Fein surged in last week's snap election, bringing them within one seat of the DUP in the Northern Ireland Assembly and ending a unionist majority in Stormont.

The Good Friday Agreement requires both parties to find a way to share power.

Mr Brokenshire is due to convene a first round of talks today. Failing to strike a deal in three weeks could see new elections or the return of direct rule to London.

Sinn Fein leader Michelle O'Neill (left) is in line to be deputy first minister if a deal can be struck. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams led the group back into Stormont today, pictured

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire will begin crunch talks with the DUP and Sinn Fein to try and save devolution today

Mr Adams said: 'The approach of this Secretary of State, like his predecessors, and of the British Government's general approach, illustrates perfectly that they are part of the problem.

'Without fundamental change on their part there cannot be the type of progress that people want.

'We are very clear about our view that if recent statements by James Brokenshire and Theresa May are to be taken at face value then the British Government is going to make all the mistakes that it made in the past.'

Sinn Fein leader Michelle O'Neill has insisted she will not enter power sharing with DUP leader Arlene Foster, who was First Minister until the snap election.

Sinn Fein believe she must stand aside for a public inquiry into a renewable energy scandal scheme dubbed 'cash for ash'.

The DUP has insisted Sinn Fein cannot dictate who they nominate to lead the party in any restored Stormont Executive.

Sinn Fein's delegation, led by party president Gerry Adams and Ms O'Neill, returned to Stormont today for the first time since Thursday's election

The full results of the election revealed the DUP clung on as the largest party with 28 seats but a Sinn Fein surge to 27 seats has left the Stormont assembly on a knife edge

On Sunday, Prime Minister Theresa May and Taoiseach Enda Kenny ordered ministers to open urgent negotiations with the parties after the poll radically altered the face of the Stormont Assembly, ending for the first time the overall unionist majority.

The two leaders agreed to discuss the issue again at the EU council summit in Brussels on Thursday.

It is understood Mr Brokenshire will meet all five main party leaders today 'on a bilateral basis', ahead of talks including Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan on Wednesday.

In separate co-ordinated statements on Sunday, Mr Brokenshire and Mr Flanagan warned there was a 'limited window' to resolve differences and get a functioning parliament back up and running.

Mr Brokenshire said responsibility lies on the shoulders of the DUP and Sinn Fein.

He added that 'confidential' talks would start immediately to resolve other outstanding issues over the full implementation of peace agreements and how the legacy of the Troubles is addressed.

Mr Flanagan said it was of the utmost importance for the people of Northern Ireland that the political institutions, established under the Good Friday Agreement, promptly resume, 'not least so that they can effectively engage with the issues raised by Brexit'.

DUP leader Arlene Foster has refused to step aside during an inquiry into a botched renewable energy scheme but Sinn Fein leader Michelle O'Neill has said her party will not share power with the DUP until she does. Both are pictured during the count on Friday

Mr Adams has questioned the impartiality of Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire in the forthcoming talks

However, on Sunday Sinn Fein's John O'Dowd, education minister in a previous executive, said Sinn Fein would not support Ms Foster's nomination.

The DUP's Simon Hamilton, economy minister until the Assembly's collapse, said Ms Foster has a mandate to lead her party.

Former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness collapsed the last Assembly by resigning over Ms Foster's refusal to step aside pending an inquiry into the renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme.

The botched green energy initiative has been embroiled in controversy and could cost Northern Ireland taxpayers 490 million.

An inquiry into its operation is not expected to make any findings for at least six months.

Prime Minister Theresa May and Taoiseach Enda Kenny will discuss the election results at the European Council on Thursday

The pro-Brexit DUP narrowly remained the region's largest party by one seat as a Sinn Fein surge saw the republican party make major gains on the DUP.

For the first time, unionists will not have an overall majority at Stormont.

Amid the fallout, Mike Nesbitt said he would resign as Ulster Unionist leader.

On Sunday, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams took aim at the Conservative Government in London, saying it is 'part of the problem' of the political crisis in Northern Ireland, accusing No 10 of seeking to impose Brexit and refusing to implement agreements on the legacy of the Troubles.

But the Sinn Fein leader said his party will be at Stormont on Monday to 'engage positively with all the other parties' to find a way forward.
Donald Trump has removed Iraq from a list of countries targeted in a U.S. travel ban, signing a new executive order after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters on Monday that the revised order 'is part of our efforts to eliminate vulnerabilities that radical Islamist terrorists can and will exploit for destructive ends.'

He said it 'will bolster the security of the united states and her allies.'

The president quietly signed the papers Monday morning out of view of cameras and journalists. His action also revokes the first version, signed in late January.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions defended Trump's immigration policies, saying the U.S. Constitution gives him the power 'to make national security judgments and to enforce our immigration policies in order to safeguard the American public.'

Sessions said 'this executive order is a proper exercise of that power.'

Trump's chief counselor Kellyanne Conway said on 'Fox & Friends' that the new order 'has an effective date of March 16th'  despite Trump's repeated insistence that the measure is a response to urgent national security threats.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (left) and Attorney General Jeff Sessions (right) discussed the new version of President Donald Trump's controversial travel-ban executive order on Monday

Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly (left) said his only job is to enforce federal law 'humanely, respectfully, and with professionalism, but we will enforce the law'

President Donald Trump signed a new travel ban executive order Monday that no longer targets Iraq and clarifies an exemption for green card holders  but since reporters and news photographers weren't allowed to witness it, his press secretary Sean Spicer tweeted a photo

The new executive order will keep a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of six Muslim-majority nations  Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

It immediately received an endorsement from House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Conway defended shrinking the list of impacted countries by one, saying on the Fox Business Network that 'Iraq is a very important ally in our fight against ISIS, but also Iraq has improved its screening and reporting procedures in consultation with this administration.'

Iraq was also taken off the list of countries in the original order, issued on Jan. 27, because, Tillerson explained, 'Iraq is an important ally in the fight to defeat ISIS.'

Thousands of Iraqis have fought alongside U.S. troops for years or worked as translators since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Many have resettled in the United States following threats for working with U.S. troops.

The new executive order also ensures that tens of thousands of legal permanent residents in the United States  or green card holders  from the listed countries would not now be affected by the travel ban.

Protesters chant during a rally against the travel ban at San Diego International Airport on March 6

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez speaks at a protest against President Donald Trump's new travel ban order in Lafayette Square outside the White House

'There are the legal permanent residents who were always excluded from it, but that's made much more clear now,' Conway said on 'Fox & Friends.'

'If you have travel docs, if you actually have a visa, if you are a legal permanent resident, you are not covered under this particular executive action,' she said.

Conway also said that 'Syrian refugees are treated the way all refugees are.'

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Monday that 'nothing in this executive order affects current lawful permanent residents.'

But he insisted that it will clarify the mission of his department  to enforce existing federal laws that have been treated as guidelines rather than bright lines in the past.

'We do not make the law, but are sworn to enforce it,' he said of immigration and border control officers and officials. 'We have no other option.'

'We are going to work closely to enforce it humanely, respectfully, and with professionalism, but we will enforce the law.'

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway confirmed that the new order would be signed on Monday, and said it won't take effect for ten days

Trump (R) salutes as he disembarks Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on Sunday after returning from a weekend at his Palm Beach. Florida, Mar-a-Lago club

The new order was accompanied by a memorandum offering details about how Monday's reboot will be enforced.

More than two dozen lawsuits were filed in U.S. courts against the original travel ban, and the state of Washington succeeded in having it suspended by the 9th Circuit court of Appeals by arguing that it violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination.

Trump publicly criticized judges who ruled against him and vowed to fight the case in the Supreme Court, but then decided to draw up a new order with changes aimed at making it easier to defend in the courts.

While the first order imposed restrictions immediately, the new directive would have an as-yet undefined implementation delay to limit the disruptions that created havoc for some travelers.

Refugees who are 'in transit' and have already been approved would be able to travel to the United States.

Trump's original order barred travelers from the seven nations from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days. Refugees from Syria were to be banned indefinitely, but under the new order they are not given separate treatment.

'This executive order has scrapped that division and the indefinite suspension, and has collapsed them into a single category of a 120-day suspension,' a White House official told Reuters.

Conway said Iraq 'has improved its screening and reporting procedures in consultation with this administration,' so it's no longer covered by the travel ban

During the presidential election campaign last year, Trump called for a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the United States. He said his initial executive order issued just a week after he took office was needed to head off attacks by Islamist militants.

The White House has said the intent of Trump's orders are not to keep out Muslims. Still, a prominent Islamic group has dubbed the new executive order Trump's 'Muslim Ban 2.0.'

'This executive order, like the last order, is at its core a Muslim ban, which is discriminatory and unconstitutional,' Council on American-Islamic Relations Executive Director Nihad Awad.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi had a similar reaction.

'The Trump Administrations repackaging has done nothing to change the immoral, unconstitutional and dangerous goals of their Muslim and refugee ban,' she said. 'This is the same ban, with the same purpose, driven by the same dangerous discrimination that weakens our ability to fight terror.'

However, the White House official said the new order was based on national security considerations and had nothing to do with religion.

'It is substantially different from the first order yet it will do the same thing in this important way: It will protect the country and keep us safe,' the official said. The administration would also reset the clock on the 90-day travel ban.

The official said government agencies would determine whether Syria or other nations had made sufficient security improvements to be taken back into the refugee admissions program.

Thousands protested Trump's original travel ban order in late January at U.S. airports where incoming travelers from affected countries were detained upon arrival

It was immediately praised by House Speaker Paul Ryan.

'This revised executive order advances our shared goal of protecting the homeland. I commend the administration and Secretary Kelly in particular for their hard work on this measure to improve our vetting standards,' he said. 'We will continue to work with President Trump to keep our country safe.'

The new order launches a 90-day period for the Department of Homeland Security to define a new series of requirements for countries to have full participation in U.S. entry programs.

For countries that do not comply, the U.S. State Department, the DHS and intelligence agencies can make recommendations on what, if any, restrictions should be imposed.

'It's not an all-or-nothing scenario,' the official said.

The new order spells out detailed categories of people eligible to enter the United States, such as for business or medical travel, or people with family connections or who support the United States.

'There are a lot of explicit carve-outs for waivers and given on a case-by-case basis,' the official said.

Many of Trump's supporters approved of the initial ban but critics said it was unjustified and discriminatory.

U.S. technology firms who had employees affected by the executive order also complained, and some members of Trump's Cabinet urged him to remove Iraqis and green card holders from the list of those affected.

The White House was widely criticized for not working with the State Department, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and allies in Congress in drawing up the initial ban.

The confusion that caused led to a weekend of chaos, legal wrangling and protests in cities and at major airports across the United States.
A New Zealand man holidaying in Bali was fleeced out of $2,000 after he was forced to play a card game in a scam targeting tourists.

His wife has opened up about the terrifying ordeal after the father was left 'too traumatised' to speak, NZ Herald reported.

The tourist, who was on a family trip on the resort island, was sitting alone on a bench when he was approached by a Balinese man.

The local man asked the Kiwi tourist if he could speak to his sister about his life in New Zealand because she was moving to Auckland to work as a nurse.

But the friendly conversation quickly escalated when the tourist was kidnapped for more than four hours after he agreed to meet the woman.

A New Zealand man holidaying in Bali was fleeced out of $2,000 after he was forced to play a card game in a scam targeting tourists (stock image of Indonesia's Nusa Lembongan Island)

'They drove him into a property where they locked the gate. They took him inside and they sat [him] down, they wouldn't let him leave,' his wife told the publication.

When the tourist arrived, the New Zealander was forced to play a round and then 'up the stakes' by placing bets with another Balinese man and woman.

'They kept saying "Oh you're winning, you're winning. You'll just have to keep playing for a little bit longer",' the wife claimed.

After he lost all his cash, the tourist was driven to an ATM so he could withdraw more money for the scammers.

The wife said her husband couldn't escape because another person was left to guard the front door of the shop.

'He just tried to do everything to get out of it at this stage because he was really terrified. He swiped his card and they just took out every last bit of money,' she said.

The scammers swindled the tourist out of more than NZD $2,000, his wife claimed.

She said her husband eventually returned to the hotel after he was placed in a taxi.

The tourist was kidnapped for more than four hours and he was swindled out of NZD $2,000 (stock image of Balian Beach)

The family decided to cut their holiday short because they felt unsafe after they reported the incident to local police.

'The Ministry was contacted by the family of a New Zealander, and consular assistance was provided by the New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta,' a New Zealands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Daily Mail Australia.

'For privacy reasons we do not discuss details of cases.'

The latest scam bares a striking resemblance to a 2011 incident where an Australian couple was fleeced out of AUD $18,000, The West Australian reported.

Delys Langford and her husband Norm were on a holiday in Bali when a local man asked them if they could speak to his sister who was moving to Perth for a nursing job.

The pair were then driven to a property where they were forced to play blackjack with a 'rich businessman'.
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Hundreds of alligators packed tightly together as they gathered to sunbathe at a watering hole.

The extraordinary gathering was caught on camera by wildlife photographer Lee Dalton at the Myakka River State Park in Florida.

Mr Dalton said there are often so many alligators at the sinkhole they can even be seen on Google Earth satellite photos.

The photographer, who lives in Ardingly, West Sussex, had to hike two miles through the national park in order to reach the 'Deep Hole' sinkhole, which is believed to have formed due to water erosion thousands of years ago.

These are the amazing scenes as almost 200 alligators lurked at the edge of a watering hole at the Myakka River state Park

The alligators are drawn the the watering hole by the abundance of food making it an ideal hunting ground

The amazing images were taken by photographer Lee Dalton during a trip to the popular park in Florida

He saw the remarkable group of nearly 200 American alligators and photographed them from the bank opposite where they were lying.

Mr Dalton, 38, said: 'When I first reached the sinkhole, I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing.

'I'd only ever seen alligators individually or in small groups of three or four at most, so to see so many in one place was pretty incredible.

'The combination of wetlands, wildlife and the unspoiled wilderness made for an unforgettable experience.'

The sinkhole's unique ecosystem makes it a great habitat for fish, which in turn draw predators including bald eagles, coyotes, pelicans and vultures, as well as the alligators.

According to Mr Dalton humans are too large to be considered prey by alligators but it still is necessary to protect yroie

Mr Dalton said it was wonderful to see such a large number of alligators in the wild as they were facing extinction in the 1960s

Mr Dalton said the alligators he was photographing were not as dangerous as their Nile or saltwater cousins

The wetlands and grasslands surrounding the watering hole play host to grazing animals, including deer and wild boar.

Mr Dalton said that, although the sight of so many alligators was 'intimidating', he was able to relax and get the best possible shots.

He said: 'There is always an element of danger when photographing large predators, but wild alligators are generally not as dangerous or aggressive as larger species of crocodilian like saltwater and Nile crocodiles.

'On the whole, humans are too large to be considered suitable prey for your average alligator, however on very rare occasions there are fatalities in Florida.

'I kept my distance and put any thoughts of taking a cooling dip in the sink hole out of my mind.'

Mr Dalton said he felt 'privileged' to be able to witness such a huge gathering of animals in one place.

He added: 'It's a pretty special sight, especially considering that, at one point in the 1960s, the American alligator was close to becoming extinct due to excessive hunting.

'Thankfully, local and federal protection has helped their numbers to bounce back to such an extent that one can see them in abundant numbers at this sink hole.'
A dramatic video has emerged of two leopards entering a battle to the death with a huge rock python in South Africa.

The footage, shot in Kruger National Park last summer, shows a leopard cub reaching out for a snake with its paw before the python launches at him.

The cub's mother then tries to dislodge the snake from a hole in the ground resulting in her getting bitten.

The nonvenomous African rock python kills its prey by constriction and eats animals up to the size of antelope and crocodiles.

According to the video uploader, the leopard eventually killed the snake and fed on its carcass.

'Kind of comical but also incredibly intriguing to see a real live lesson in surviving the dangers in the bush,' uploader exRanger7 wrote online.

'Our guide Khimbini, one of the best we have used, commented that the leopard was killing an endangered animal in the form of the Python,' she added.

The video uploader said: 'While on safari in South Africa we witnessed a rare and unusual event.

A dramatic video has emerged of two leopards entering a battle to the death with a huge rock python in South Africa

The footage, shot in Kruger National Park last summer, shows a leopard cub reaching out for a snake with its paw before the python launches at him

'The morning started out with a bang - finding a female leopard (Metsi) in a tree, one of my favorite sightings.

'After a short while she climbed out of the tree and climbed upon a termite mound and began calling.

'Soon her cub came out of the brush to join her for a little bonding and motherly love.

'However, before long the cub was off exploring again and noticed something in the bush and curiously approached to see what it was.

The cub's mother then tries to dislodge the snake from a hole in the ground resulting in her getting bitten

'Kind of comical but also incredible intriguing to see a real live lesson in surviving the dangers in the bush,' uploader exRanger7 wrote online

'It turned out to be a huge Rock Python that began hissing at the cub.

'This is where the video begins and all bedlam breaks out with vehicles backing out of the way, the cub sitting on the sidelines, and the mother leopard and python squaring off in a battle to the death.

'The leopards fed on the carcass and then we were told a clan of hyena came in later in the day and ate the majority of it.'
The judge who locked away members of a notorious gang of rapists has told of his inner turmoil while presiding over their trials.

Michael Finnane opened up about his role in the Skaf gang trials in an interview with A Current Affair, describing what the rapists did as 'worse than murder'.

'I was very troubled by it,' he said.

'I found it extremely confronting. And it was I suppose crushing almost in a way.'

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Judge Michael Finnane presided over the Skaf gang trials

Mr Finnane was responsible for sending notorious gang rapist Bilal Skaf to jail for 55 years

Mr Finnane was responsible for sending ringleader rapist Bilal Skaf to jail for a record 55 years.

He also sent the other eight members of the Skaf gang - notorious for raping teenagers across Sydney in 2000 - to prison.

'People sometimes, they walk into court, they see a judge and they go, he's just sitting up there dozing away. He doesn't have to do a thing, just sit and look and listen,' Mr Finnane said.

'But they don't know the inner turmoil; that I found it hard to sleep at times. [It] obviously affected my mood with other people.

'It was a very great strain, there's no doubt about it.'

Mr Finnane detailed the horrific nature of the gang rapes, which took place in various locations in Sydney.

'I thought what they did was worse than murder,' he said.

'It had all the hallmarks of a military exercise.

'I think they were evil. It was extraordinarily callous.

'They were involved in organised gang rape, something that I'd never seen before - organised gang rape using mobile phone technology to coordinate attacks.

'It was really quite astonishing.

'And each of those girls in effect has lost their life as the result of these attacks, that's the way I saw it.

'Particularly the girl in the third trial, I think, she was raped 44 times by 14 men in four hours. Now I can't imagine she would have very much left after that.'

Joanne Natalie Senior (pictured), a 36-year-old former prison psychologist who converted to Islam and married a member of the notorious Skaf gang, has been pictured wearing a burqa while out in Sydney

Her husband was one of nine men responsible for a string of gang rapes across Sydney led by Bilal Skaf (pictured)

A Current Affair also showed a former prison psychologist who converted to Islam and married a member of the Skaf gang wearing a burqa while out with their child in Sydney.

'It's a gross abuse of position. A psychologist is supposed to keep at arm's lengths from anyone they're attempting to assist,' Mr Finnane said.

'They should not engage in physical contact with them. They shouldn't become their friends.'

Joanne Natalie Senior married the member of the Skaf gang after he was released from prison in 2013.

The 36-year-old was seen in a preview wheeling a pram and dodging reporters while wearing a full-length black burqa.

Senior has had two relationships with men from the Skaf gang.

Her husband was one of nine men responsible for a string of gang rapes across Sydney led by Bilal Skaf.

The 36-year-old married the gang rapist, changed her name to her husband's and is living with her partner and her parents in western Sydney.

The convicted rapist, who was serving time in Parklea prison, cannot be identified because he was 17 when he raped two girls in 2000.

One was a 13-year-old and another in a separate assault was a 14-year-old committed with one of nine men responsible for the gang rapes across Sydney in 2000.

The Skaf gang member was requested by parole officers to provide the name of his wife to work out if she was an 'appropriate person' as a partner for him.

Despite breaking his parole terms in refusing to give out information about his wife - Joanne Natalie Senior - his parole was never revoked, according to a Corrective Services spokeswoman.

The 36-year-old will be featured on A Current Affair this week and was seen in a preview for the show wheeling a pram and dodging reporters while wearing a full-length black burqa (pictured)

The Skaf gang were convicted over a series of rape attacks back in 2000

Joanne Natalie Senior was a psychologist at Parklea prison but was struck off in 2015

The publication claims Senior ran a sex offenders' program in Parklea prison back in 2010 and 2011.

She began her first relationship with a member of the gang, whose name was suppressed at the time of the Skaf trials because of his mental and intellectual disabilities.

She visited the prisoner 24 times in jail without authorities realising she was an employee, which included organising a special birthday surprise for him.

During this relationship she took his surname, moved in with his mother and engaged in phone sex where she allowed him to call her 'a sl**'.

Parklea prison where Joanne Natalie Senior is believed to have met her husband from the notorious Skaf gang

The relationship with the man, who is now on parole, came to an end in 2012, before she was suspended from Corrective Services.

Senior was subsequently disqualified from practising psychology in 2015 after admitting to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal that she entered into relationship with the man.

Forensic psychologist James Ogloff, said psychologists can become emotionally vulnerable when working with inmates.

He said the 'forbidden attraction' can play a role as the reason psychologists fall for an inmate often during time of stress divorce or a bad relationship.
Peaches Golding has been made the Lord Lieutenant for Bristol

The daughter of an American D-Day hero and civil rights campaigner has made made history by becoming the first black female in the country to become a Lord Lieutenant.

Peaches Golding OBE, 64, will represent the Queen at ceremonial events in her adopted hometown of Bristol.

The daughter of an American D-Day hero and civil rights campaigner, she was born in South Carolina and formerly served as a High Sheriff in the city she made her home 35 years ago.

She was thought to have been the only black person to take on the 1,000 year old High Sheriff of Bristol role, and will become the first black woman in the country to become a Lord Lieutenant.

Ms Golding, who is married to retired zoologist, said: 'I came from an ordinary background and if I can inspire people to do extraordinary things, then that makes me very happy.'

Before her birth, her civil rights campaigner father, Charles Hauser, challenged Greyhound buses after being ordered to move to the back of the bus and refusing to do so - much like Rosa Parks eight years later.

His actions in 1947 challenged racial segregation laws and a judge ordered a $2,000 payout to the war veteran, who bought a car with the cash and told of his delight at no longer having to travel by bus.

She will now represent the Queen at ceremonial events in her adopted home city, where she has lived for 35 years

Ms Golding with her husband, Bob, who she met while he was running a zoo in Nigeria

Mr Hauser also fought for the Allies during the D-Day landings of the Second World War.

Her great, great grandmother Bethania was a slave who was purchased by the wealthy mill owner to work on a plantation in North Carolina who went on to have three children with him.

Ms Golding was witness to some of the discrimination in the US when she was young, but was one of the first black children to attend Brunson Elementary when it became all-inclusive.

She met her husband, Bob, while he was running a zoo in Nigeria, and the couple eventually decided to settle in his home city.

From there, she began getting involved in community projects and has had a number of honours bestowed on her.

Her civil rights campaigner father, Charles Hauser (pictured in his army uniform), challenged Greyhound buses after being ordered to move to the back of the bus and refusing to do so - much like Rosa Parks eight years later

Eight years ago she was given an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to minority ethnic people in the south west, and

Ms Golding added: 'I think in terms of where I came from to get this is just amazing.

'I've lived and worked in Bristol for 35 years and very much taken Bristol to my heart so this means an enormous amount to me.'

Her great, great grandmother Bethania (left) was a slave who was purchased by wealthy mill owner Theophilus Hauser (right) to work on a plantation in North Carolina who went on to have three children with him

She said it was for other people to decide whether she was a role model, and in her new post as Lord Lieutenant of Bristol will be representing the Queen at major events and functions in the city.

Ms Golding added: 'I would really like to see Bristol proud of what we have achieved and what we do.

'I hope a light can be shone on the tremendous work in Bristol, both in the voluntary and business sectors.'
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The remarkable story of an epic battle between British soldiers and a vastly outnumbered African tribe which brought a definitive end to the Zulu War has been revealed in a new book.

The little known Battle at Fighting Kopke was overshadowed by the story of the British defence of Rorke's Drift which took place 11 months earlier and was later immortalised in the film Zulu.

Following the British annexation of land north of the Vaal River in South Africa in 1877, the native Bapedi tribe had been at loggerheads for two years with the British.

The conflict came to a head in a fierce four day battle at Fighting Kopke where the Bapedi were finally defeated by British troops and their Swazi allies under the command of Sir Garnet Wolseley in November 1879.

The little known Battle at Fighting Kopke was overshadowed by the story of the British defence of Rorke's Drift which took place 11 months earlier and was later immortalised in the film Zulu. But the battle with the Bapedi tribe, led by Sekhukhune (seated second from left) who was king of the Bapedi of Sekukuniland, brought a definitive end to the Zulu War

Pictured: An artists's impression of the Battle at Fighting Kopke. The Bapedi tribe occupied the Lulu Mountains, which were unique for their cone peaks, steep gorges and numerous cave systems which provided a great challenge for an invading force

The Bapedi had already fought off two other white armies - the Boers in 1876 and the British in 1878 - before they were vanquished.

During the battle at Fighting Kopke the Bapedi, outnumbered at over three to one, held the superior-armed British force at bay for seven hours, refused to surrender and carried on fighting in dribs and drabs literally to their last bullets, four days later.

It was a bloody battle with both sides sustaining heavy casualties but the British eventually won and captured the Bepali leader Sekhukune.

Historian William Wright has spent the last five years researching this little-known final phase of the Zulu War and Wolseley's role in it for a new book which has now been published.

A guide listens for sounds of the enemy. Following the British annexation of land north of the Vaal River in South Africa in 1877, the native Bapedi tribe had been at loggerheads for two years with the British. The British and Swazi combined force of 12,000 men outnumbered the 4,000 Bapedi three to one, but the Bapedi were resourceful and on familiar terrain

The British and their Swazi allies launched the Kopke offensive in the early hours of November 28 against the Bapedi stronghold of Tsate, a heavily fortified settlement of 3,000 huts at the bottom of the Lulu Mountains.

The British and Swazi combined force of 12,000 men outnumbered the 4,000 Bapedi three to one, but the Bapedi were resourceful and on familiar terrain.

The Bapedi occupied the Lulu Mountains unique for their cone peaks, steep gorges and numerous cave systems which provided a great challenge for any invading force.

Each hut was surrounded by a fence of prickly pear or thorny wood, while in front of Tsate were a series of rifle pits.

The town itself could only be entered by two steep and narrow paths, which were heavily defended.

Sekhukune had even ordered a 15 feet high and 15 feet wide fence be built around the settlement to provide an extra obstacle for the British.

The conflict came to a head in a fierce four day battle at Fighting Kopke where the Bapedi were finally defeated by British troops and their Swazi allies under the command of Sir Garnet Wolseley (right) in November 1879. Cetshwayo kaMpande (left) was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1872 to 1879 and its leader during the Anglo-Zulu War. He famously led the Zulu nation to victory against the British in the Battle of Isandlwana

At 4.15am the battle started with a shell being fired into the Fighting Kopke.

Immediately the Bapedi responded with war cries and blasts from their war horns.

The British and Swazi attacked from both left and right, dodging gun fire from Bapedi marksmen concealed in the mountains.

Gradually the Bapedi fire slackened allowing attacking forces to work their way above the town into the Lulu Mountains where the Bapedi had retreated.

However, under the cover of darkness, large groups of Bapedi boldly charged out of the caves in a defiant attempt to stab and shoot their way to freedom.

A newspaper's impression of the morning after the Battle of Isandlwana - but the reality was far worse. It erupted on January 22 1879, 11 days after the British started their invasion. 20,000 Zulu warriors attacked 1,800 British, colonial and native troops and 400 civilians. The Zulus, who had more numbers, overwhelmed the British, killing over 1,300 troops, while around 1,000 Zulu soldiers were killed

Hundreds of Swazi were killed in hand to hand fighting near cave entrances while the British, on the whole, hung back.

Fierce fighting continued with the British soldiers not hesitant to fire down holes in rocks into caves where the Bapedi women and children were hidden away.

Over the course of the four days, under the strain of constant bombardment, women and children gradually left the caves and the final defenders surrendered on December 1.

That night, Wolseley wrote a letter home to his wife Louisa in which he expressed his relief at having defeated the 'strong' enemy and turned his attention to tracking down Sekhukune.

He wrote: 'My dearest little Sandpiper I have cracked the nut thank God and Sikuni's Town (Tsate) is a thing of the past, everything destroyed, his people killed, prisoners or dispersed as wanderers and his property falling into our hands daily.

Wolseley on horseback, a bearded Chelsmford on his left, presents Lieutenant Chard with his Rorke's Drift Victoria Cross. Following the battle at Fighting Kopke Wolseley wrote a letter home to his wife Louisa in which he expressed his relief at having defeated the 'strong' enemy and turned his attention to tracking down Sekhukune

'If we can only kill or catch the chief himself the thing will be the most competent affair possible.

'He is hiding away in a cave somewhere and as the Lulu Mountains are a mass of caves and rocky crannies where fugitives can conceal themselves it will be no easy task matter catching the villain.

'I am very glad I came here with a large force; with a small one I should have failed, for the position occupied by the enemy was strong and easily defended.'

A search party was gathered to find Sekhukune and he was eventually located the next day in a cave 15 miles away from Tsate.

He was offered the chance to hand himself in but a little girl ran out of the cave to say he was prepared to fight.

A tense stand-off ensued. However, the following morning, he had a change of heart and surrendered before leaving the cave with some of his wives by his side.

Charles Commeline, a member of the British forces who was present at the scene, said: 'Sekhukhune was carried out on a stretcher with some of his wives by his side.

'He then squatted with a dozen chiefs around him and shook hands with all the officers as we came up to see him.

Lancers return from burning kraals.Much has been written about the famous British rearguard of Rorke's Drift in January 1879 but there was another significant battle 11 months later - at Fighting Kopke - which has been completely overlooked until now

'After a good strong tot of rum began to get quite chirpy having at first been rather nervous for his personal safety.'

Both sides paid a heavy price in the battle. One thousand Bapedi were killed, one quarter of their force. On the British side, 56 white officers and 600 Swazi were killed.

Sekhukhune was held in Pretoria until 1881. The following year he was assassinated by a rival Bapedi notable.

Mr Wright, 65, who now lives in Budapest, said: 'The importance of this battle is that the Bapedi were the last of three major rivals to British power in South Africa.

'They had destroyed the Xhosa people and wiped them out after nine wars, destroyed the Zulus in 1879 and finally Sir Garnet Wolseley vanquished the Bapedi.

Sir Garnet shown cheering on the Swazis in the final assault on Ntswaneng. At Rorke's Drift, on January 22 and 23 1879, just over 150 British and colonial troops successfully defended the garrison against an intense assault by 4,000 Zulu warriors

'It could be said this battle against the Bapedi was the culmination of British supremacy against the native people in Africa.

'The Bapedi had amazingly fought off two other white armies (the Boers in 1876 and the British in 1878) before they were vanquished.

'While the British won a decisive victory it must be said that their opponents had fought magnificently.

'The Bapedi, outnumbered over three to one, had held the superior-armed British force at bay for seven hours, refused to surrender and carried on fighting in dribs and drabs literally to their last bullets, four days later.'

At Rorke's Drift, on January 22 and 23 1879, just over 150 British and colonial troops successfully defended the garrison against an intense assault by 4,000 Zulu warriors.

It was the sole British bright spot in the devastating Battle of Isandlwana which resulted in the British taking a much more aggressive approach in the Zulu War.

A British Lion in Zululand, Sir Garnet Wolseley in South Africa, by William Wright, is published by Amberley Books and costs 25.

An artist's impression of the last stand at the Battle of Isandlwana. Rorke's Drift was the sole British bright spot in the devastating Battle of Isandlwana which resulted in the British taking a much more aggressive approach in the Zulu War
The parents of a desperately ill baby have spoken about their bid to keep him alive as they try to raise 1.2million to fund his care in America.

Charlie Gard suffers with a genetic condition so rare it is believed he is one of only 16 people to have ever been diagnosed with it.

Parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard were given just 31 days by a High Court judge to make their case to keep him alive and try to raise vital funds to take him to the USA for treatment.

As they appealed on This Morning today, viewers were left in tears at their story.

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Connie Yates and Chris Gard with their baby son Charlie, who has a genetic condition so rare it's believed he's only the 16th person to have been diagnosed with it

Charlie is on life support at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the doctors believe he should be allowed to die

Viewers said they were left crying their eyes out as they watched the couple speaking about their son on This Morning

They were devastated when his doctors in Britain said his life support should be withdrawn so he could die with 'dignity'.

Speaking on This Morning today, father Chris said: 'We've been living in a bubble.

'We don't know what's going on in the outside world. We wake up in the morning and go there at 10am.

'She leaves at 4am, and then we just wake up and for the first five seconds you're just coming to, before boom it hits you again.'

They agreed it had consumed their lives before Dan said: 'He's worth it.

'We are very biased because he's our son, but Charlie is a special child.

'We will never give up on him.'

The couple on This Morning, who explained the daily routine of going to the hospital first thing and staying with their son until 4am

Connie and Chris have set up a fundraising page for Charlie's treatment in America, and the seven month old baby has been accepted as a patient if they can get enough money

On Twitter, This Morning viewers said they were in tears as they listened to the plight of the first time parents.

Casey O'Neill wrote: 'Heartbreaking story on This Morning. 'Give up on your child' is the worst you could ever hear.'

Rebecca Miller said: 'Desperately sad story. They must do what they feel is best for their child.'

Louise Lovelock wrote: 'Sat here crying my eyes out.'

Many viewers agreed the family should be able fight for their son's life and disagreed with the judges ruling on life support

Charlie, who was born on August 4, 2016, has a form of mitochondrial disease  a condition that causes progressive muscle weakness.

There is no known cure, but Charlies parents have found a US doctor trialling a pioneering treatment.

They are trying to raise money to take their son abroad  a huge cost, as he would need a private plane with paediatric intensive care facilities and staff.

Speaking earlier this month to the Mail, Miss Yates said: Charlie literally has nothing to lose but potentially a healthier, happier life to gain.

'So we were shocked and horrified to find we are being taken to court and them asking for Charlies life support to be switched off.

In the High Court at the beginning of March, Katie Gollop QC said Charlie could not cry and was deaf. She said doctors thought that withdrawal of life-support treatment would be in Charlie's best interests and told the judge: 'The hospital's position is that every day that passes is a day that is not in the child's best interests.'

A preliminary hearing was held at the High Court and the judge gave the family 31 days before the full case on Charlie's future is heard

The couple say they cannot give up on their baby son and need to raise 1.2million to pay for the treatment and the costs of going to America

Ms Gollop said Great Ormond Street specialists had considered the type of treatment Charlie's parents wanted him to have in America and decided against it.

Barrister Sophia Roper, who represents Charlie's parents, told the judge: 'His parents believe that he is in much better shape than the hospital does.'

Mr Justice Francis heard that a US hospital had agreed to accept Charlie as a patient if treatment could be paid for.

Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where Charlie is in intensive care, is asking the High Court to sanction withdrawing his life support.

A hospital spokesman told the Mail: 'Charlie has a very rare and complex disease, for which there is no accepted cure.

'We have tried to strengthen Charlie and give him the best possible chance of survival. But his condition has continued to deteriorate and we now feel we have exhausted all available proven treatment options.

'We appreciate how hugely distressing this is for his family and we continue to support them in every way we can, while advocating, what we believe, is best for Charlie.'
Travis Kalanick (pictured) accepted last week, after the row with an Uber driver, that he needed 'leadership help'

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is considering appointing a right-hand man as he battles against a series of damaging controversies, according to reports.

Kalanick, who has long run the company on his own, was caught on camera on Super Bowl Sunday shouting 'bulls***' at Uber driver Fawzi Kamel who confronted him at the end of a ride in San Francisco for lowering prices.

The footage added to the company's growing list of woes.

It is already facing horrific allegations that sexism, racism and homophobia are commonplace throughout its offices from former female employees who say they were routinely harassed.

Kalanick, 40, has brought in former US Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate the accusations.

The Information reported that Kalanick plans to appoint a number two executive to serve alongside him and make key decisions - comparable to the role played by Sheryl Sandberg at Facebook.

An Uber investor told The Information: 'You can't ignore the sheer scale of what he's built and the strategy. Can he be radically changed? I think so. Can you bring in a Sheryl Sandberg? Yeah, absolutely. I'd go there before looking for a major change. Let things play out a little bit.'

Kalanick, co-founder Garrett Camp, and VP Operations, Ryan Graves, between them control a majority of the shares in the company.

But the California-born Kalanick has bowed to pressure and accepted the need for a new number two who will offer him 'leadership help'.

The footage showed Kalanick yelling at driver Fawzi Kamel who said he'd 'bankrupted' him

Kalanick was forced to issue a groveling apology to staff last week after a video of his heated exchange with Mr Kamel emerged.

In a memo to staff, which DailyMail.com obtained, Kalanick said: 'Its clear this video is a reflection of me - and the criticism weve received is a stark reminder that I must fundamentally change as a leader and grow up.

'This is the first time Ive been willing to admit that I need leadership help and I intend to get it.'

The footage, which was obtained by Bloomberg, shows Kalanick yelling at Mr Kamel, who accused him for 'bankrupting' him by lowering the 'prices' of black car rides, the company's high end chauffeur service.

'You know what, some people don't like to take responsibility for their own s***.

'They blame everything in their life on somebody else. Good luck,' he barked at the driver before jumping out of the car.

He had been trying to explain to the driver that the price of rides in the more luxurious cars hadn't fallen but that they simply weren't as popular as the cheaper alternative, Uber X.

He said the company, which launched with a focus on the higher end service, had no choice but to start offering more affordable rides when competitors like Lyft sprung up.

KALANICK'S APOLOGY TO STAFF Team, To say that I am ashamed is an extreme understatement. My job as your leader is to lead...and that starts with behaving in a way that makes us all proud. That is not what I did, and it cannot be explained away. Its clear this video is a reflection of meand the criticism weve received is a stark reminder that I must fundamentally change as a leader and grow up. This is the first time Ive been willing to admit that I need leadership help and I intend to get it. I want to profoundly apologize to Fawzi, as well as the driver and rider community, and to the Uber team. Advertisement

'You're misunderstanding. We started high end. We didn't go low end because we wanted to, we went low end because we had to,' he said.

The driver, dissatisfied with his reasoning, said 'no one' trusted him because of the changing agenda.

'People aren't trusting you anymore? Do you think people will buy cars anymore? Nobody wants to buy a car. I lost $97,000 because of you. I'm bankrupt because of you,' he said, suggesting buying his vehicle to drive for Uber was pointless now that he is making less money.

Earlier in the journey Kalanick laughed to two female companions sitting on either side of him that 'every year is hard' and if it's not, he's not 'pushing hard enough'.

'I make sure every year is a hard year. That's kind of how I roll. If it's easy I'm not pushing hard enough,' he said with a smile.

The unidentified women told him how one 'only dated older men' and said they were trying to 'loosen' him out of his 'shell'.

Kalanick was traveling in the back of the car with two unidentified women before the fight. They giggled as they told them how they wanted to break him out of his 'shell'

Allegations of sexual harassment were shared by former engineer Susan Fowler (left) earlier this month. Later it was revealed senior executive Amit Singhal had been accused of sexual assault at his previous job at Google. Kalanick asked for his resignation

The company is also under fire from its Silicon Valley competitors. Google's self-driving car entity Waymo is suing Otto, Uber's version, for stealing its technology.

In a lawsuit obtained by DailyMail.com, lawyers allege that Uber engineers stole 14,000 documents which map out Waymo's lidar technologies.

Lidar is the network of lasers which map out the world around self-driving cars, allowing them to navigate themselves without drivers.

Kalanick also bore the brunt of a user boycott earlier in the year. Thousands deleted the app en masse in protest of its response to demonstrations against Trump's immigration ban at New York's JFK Airport.

While New York taxis stopped running as a show of solidarity to the protesters, Uber carried on operating but lifted the surcharge it normally applies when demand is high.

Many viewed the move as an attempt to capitalize on the gap despite Uber's intention to do exactly the opposite.

Kalanick later stepped down from Trump's economic advisory council as a result of the row.
Advertisement

A Sydney deckhand has captured amazing images of the Manly ferry being swamped by monster waves.

Horrendous conditions on Sydney Harbour over the weekend gave ferry worker Haig Gilchrist the chance to hone his photography skills.

A stunning image he managed to snap amongst the chaos shows a huge wall of water about to crash into the side of the ferry.

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A Sydney deckhand has captured amazing images of the Manly ferry being swamped by monster waves. One snap shows a huge wall of water about to crash into the side of the ferry

'East Coast Low intensifying,' Mr Gilchrist captioned the photo he shared on Instagram, later commenting: 'Great day to be working.'

The image has taken the internet by storm, with hundreds of commenters praising his talents as a photographer.

Others were more interested in the damage the monster wave had caused.

'Amazing, so what happened next?' one commented.

Another snap taken over the weekend shows the bow of the ferry almost completely disappearing as it travelled through Sydney Heads.

Another image shows the bow of the ferry almost completely disappearing as it travelled through Sydney Heads

The Queenscliff ferry makes the trip across Sydney Harbour from Manly in heavy surf

The monster waves were a result of a developing weather system rolling through the state.

While the Sydney ferries could struggle with more dangerous swell, surfers will embrace 'Big Wednesday,' with massive offshore waves.

The swell is set to peak at three to four metres in some areas, with even larger and stronger conditions further offshore.

The warning comes just days after two men drowned in separate incidents at Bondi and Bellinger, near Coffs Harbour.

'The best advice we can give people is to be aware of their environment and the changing conditions,' Surf Life Saving NSW operations manager Andy Kent said in a statement on Sunday.

The weekend footage is not the first time Mr Gilchrist has shared photos of a treacherous journey on the Manly Ferry (pictured is massive swell smashing the ferry in January)

In January, Mr Gilchrist also captured the moment the boat was thrown around on the rough surf

The Sydney ferries often battle through massive swells and are rarely cancelled (stock image)

The weekend footage is not the first time Mr Gilchrist has shared photos of a treacherous journey on the Manly Ferry.

In January, Mr Gilchrist captured the moment the boat was thrown around on the rough surf.

'I would have spent that trip in the ladies throwing up. It used to really scare me when it was like this between the heads! (sic)' one Instagram commenter wrote.

'Strong stomach required! This really captures how ferocious the sea can get,' said another.

Mr Gilchrist often captures treacherous ferry rides across Sydney Harbour and shares them to his Instagram page

The Manly Ferry takes the 30 minute trip from Circular Quay every half an hour, cutting the time it takes on a bus by half

There are eight Sydney Ferry lines, including Manly, Taronga Zoo, Parramatta River, Darling Harbour, Neutral Bay, Mosman Bay, Eastern Suburbs and Newcastle
Madeleine McCann's parents are planning to sue Karen Danczuk over cruel tweets accusing them of having 'guilt' over their daughter's disappearance.

Ms Danczuk, the estranged wife of Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, has come under fire after her explosive tweets regarding Kate and Gerry McCann yesterday.

She tweeted: 'Anyone who says McCanns are innocent, just remember they left 3 children under the age of 4 alone to go out. Either Way they have guilt! KD'

Sources close to the family have revealed that the couple, who face the 10th anniversary of their daughter's disappearance in a matter of weeks, are aware of the comments as are their lawyers.

Karen Danczuk has launched an extraordinary attack on the parents of Madeleine McCann

The estranged wife of MP Simon Danczuk said the pair 'have guilt' over the disappearance

The McCann's friend said: 'People need to remember that the family's lawyers are kept fully informed of all social media and broadcast remarks which are malicious and libellous.

'Their representative is fully aware of what Karen Danczuk and others are posting.

'If anything is believed to libel them it is immediately brought to the attention of their top lawyers Carter-Ruck.

'Kate and Gerry still get angry and upset by some of the wicked things said about them. And they worry their 12-year-old twins Sean and Amelie who use the internet may see them too.'

The friend added: 'Any posts that are really offensive or a lie are prima facie defamatory and will be flagged up to lawyers so they can take action if necessary.

'These minor celebrities think they can say what they want without a shred of evidence and simply rehash all the old rumours. They seem to believe talking about Madeleine's case helps raise their profile.'

Ms Danczuk posted a series of tweets about the McCanns after seeing a report that they had nearly been tricked into giving 25,000 from the Maddie Fund to Karen Matthews, who faked her daughter's kidnap.

The mother, who found fame by posting selfies of herself online, claimed that 'someone on a council estate' would have been treated differently.

Ms Danczuk's followers criticised her over the comments, branding her 'insensitive'

But the 33-year-old was criticised by some of her 72,000 followers, with many pointing out there was no evidence for her claims.

Ryan Lamb tweeted: 'They've lost their child and experienced more pain than anyone could imagine. Doubt they need your insensitive judgement now.'

Karen Bleakley wrote: 'Aww Karen really sad you have taken such a harsh view they made a mistake and will have to live with that for rest of lives.'

And another Twitter user added: 'Are you telling me they haven't been punished. They live every day suffering. Stop judging!'

The McCanns were having tapas with friends close to their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal on the night in 2007 when Maddie disappeared.

Madeleine went missing from the room of a Portuguese holiday apartment in May 2007

Maddie and twins Sean and Amelie had been left asleep at 8.30pm in the ground-floor apartment, while Kate and Gerry dined in a restaurant 180ft away.

The parents checked on the children throughout the evening, until Madeleine's mother discovered she was missing at 10pm.

Local police and a 13million Scotland Yard inquiry failed to unearth any significant clues as to where she went.

The McCanns, who are said to get around 150 abusive messages every day, have not commented on Ms Danczuk's tweets.

Following a similar attack on them by model Jodie Marsh recently, a source close to the couple said: 'Kate and Gerry won't be saying anything to fuel this whirlwind of nonsense. They don't want to give these peoples' egos even more exposure.'

Kate and Gerry's spokesman Clarence Mitchell said today: 'We are aware of Ms Danczuk's comments and we are simply not going to fuel this nonsense by talking about it.'
A Melbourne father-of-two has been remembered by his multinational tech company employers as a leader with 'sharp wit' after he died on Mount Everest.

Matthew Jones became ill on Thursday night after reaching base camp - 5300 metres above sea level - and reportedly died the next day during his descent.

Mr Jones was a successful employee for tech giants Intel, where he worked for 16 years, according to The Age.

Matthew Jones has been remembered as a leader with 'sharp wit' after he died on Mount Everest

The Victorian father-of-two became ill on Thursday night after reaching Mount Everest base camp (stock image) - 5300 metres above sea level - and reportedly died the next day during his descent

Intel Australia managing director Kate Burleigh said Mr Jones was a unique character with many passions and a 'great work ethic.'

'Matt was truly one-of-a-kind who will be greatly missed,' she said.

'The Intel team is mourning the loss of our friend and colleague.'

Intel said in a statement that it is providing support to Mr Jones' wife and family.

It is believed he was with three other Victorians when they started their descent back down the mountain on Friday morning, but Mr Jones developed breathing difficulties before he died.

The father-of-two was one of the thousands of hikers who trek to the Nepal base camp every year.

The man's family have decided to stay with the body until they can arrange to bring him home, according to The Herald Sun.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the publication they were only aware a male had died in Nepal.

'We stand ready to offer consular assistance in accordance with the consular services charter,' a DFAT said in a statement.
Former chancellor Norman Lamont today claimed Brexit is 'under attack' on several fronts as he urged peers to 'see sense' over their threats to change laws starting exit talks

Former chancellor Norman Lamont today claimed Brexit is 'under attack' on several fronts as he demanded peers drop plans to defeat ministers over the Article 50 Bill.

Theresa May is braced for defeat on a cross party amendment in the Lords that would require her to get consent from Parliament on the terms of her deal or to walk away from a bad one.

No 10 today warned the amendment would only 'incentivise' the EU to offer a bad deal if they felt Mrs May was unable to quit the talks.

Lord Lamont used a speech today to demand his colleagues in the Lords 'see sense'.

He warned adding conditions to the Bill is 'not the same as scrutiny' and warned 'common sense must prevail'.

'Amendments should not be used as a cover by those who are seeking to oppose the results of the referendum,' he said.

'I hope that my colleagues in the House of Lords will see sense and I look forward to Article 50 being triggered as soon as possible,' he said.

He added: 'The result was clear, the question was simple and unambiguous and yet Brexit is under attack on several fronts.

'Some say maybe in the future the British people will change their minds.

'By that they mean they would like to change their minds for them.'

No 10 issued the warning as 'official - sensitive' papers on implementing the final deal were photographed in Downing Street.

Theresa May, pictured attending church yesterday, has warned Brexit rebels not to give the EU an 'incentive' to offer a bad deal

Mrs May has insisted no deal is better than a bad deal and believes a threat to quit the EU without agreeing free trade is essential to getting the best future arrangements.

The Government is braced for defeat on the amendment in the House of Lords tomorrow night but hopes to overturn the amendment in the Commons a week later.

Rebel Tory MPs hope to join forces with the Opposition to defend the amendment in what would be a humiliating defeat for Mrs May on the eve of the Brexit talks starting.

Mrs May's spokesman said: 'We have been clear on a number of occasions the PM wants to see the Bill passed unamended. It's a Bill with a simple purpose which is giving the Government power trigger Article 50.

'The PM believes we should not commit to any process that would incentivise the EU to offer us a bad deal.'

He added: 'If we are in a position where anything negotiated by the PM could be rejected by MPs then obviously that gives strength to the other parties in this negotiation.

'Our view has been this should be a simple in relation to Article 50 power.'

No 10 issued the warning to rebel peers and MPs as 'official - sensitive' papers on implementing the final deal were photographed in Downing Street.

Mrs May continues to believe no deal - which would see Britain crashing out of the EU on World Trade Organisation rules - is better than a bad deal.

MPs will get a vote on the final deal but will only be asked to accept or reject it. They will not have the power to send Mrs May back to the negotiating table.

Rebel peers and MPs believe the right to send Mrs May back to Brussels is crucial to the negotiating process.

A memo to Brexit Secretary David Davis photographed in Downing Street today gave a glimpse at how the Government plans to implement the final deal.

The document, marked 'official - sensitive', suggests Mr Davis plans to take powers to implement the deal as part of the Great Repeal Bill.

This is a huge piece of legislation intended to transfer existing EU law into British law to smooth the transition out of EU membership.

The memo, apparently written to Brexit Secretary David Davis, photographed in Downing Street today gave a glimpse at how the Government plans to implement the final deal

But it is intended to be law before the final deal is struck which means MPs will be asked to give Mr Davis power over implementation of a deal they have not seen.

The memo says 'important changes' should be implemented via a separate new law once the agreement is struck.

It also indicates Mr Davis has queried with officials whether there 'needed to be a legal distinction between the withdrawal and new relationship agreement'.

A hand-written note makes reference to Lord Keen, the Advocate General for Scotland - Mrs May's top adviser on Scottish law.

It makes further reference to 'Article 45', which could mean EU free movement rules.

The exposure of the memo is embarrassing to ministers and is the latest example of the Brexit plans being accidentally shown off.

A scribbled memo revealing the UK wanted to 'have cake and eat it' was revealed in November, causing acute embarrassment to senior Tory MP Mark Field.
Male radio and television presenters have been ordered off air at the ABC with females taking over their roles to highlight 'change and gender equality'.

No male presenters will be heard or seen on the ABC on Wednesday as the public broadcaster stacks the deck with females for International Women's Day.

Presenters such as Michael Rowland and Mark Colvin will be replaced with women, including Yassmin Abdel-Magied, who recently caused outrage on ABC's Q&A program for her views on Sharia Law, who will feature heavily.

Dr Susan Carland, wife of The Project host Waleed Aly, will also make an appearance, because of her expertise in areas such as 'the modern Muslim experience'.

Other male stars off air on Wednesday include Richard Fidler, Richard Glover, Jeremy Fernandez and Joe O'Brien.

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OFF AIR: Mark Colvin, Michael Rowland and Richard Fidler (left to right) have all been ordered off air on Wednesday

OFF AIR: Richard Glover, Jeremy Fernandez and Joe O'Brien are also off the airwaves today

Yassim Abdel-Magied will feature heavily on the ABC on Wednesday as the public broadcaster replaces their male presenters with females for International Women's Day

Dr Susan Carland, wife of The Project host Waleed Aly, will feature on the ABC on International Women's Day

'Commencing at 6am with an all-female line-up will lead the major radio and TV news bulletins and current affairs programs and present across the day on NewsRadio and News 24,' a statement from ABC said.

'ABC Radio will also showcase the extraordinary breadth of female broadcasting and creative talent with all-women presenters on all networks, while special content through the day explores the need for change and gender equality.

'Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery features Dr Susan Carland, an academic, author and social commentator whose expertise in gender, sociology and the modern Muslim experience have made her an important voice in the Australian cultural landscape.'

The ABC said a campaign to support the initiative will run across radio, online, digital and social channels, featuring 'deeply respected broadcasters', including Ms Abdel-Magied.

ABC radio host Mark Colvin will be off-air on Wednesday

ABC News Breakfast hosts Michael Rowland and Virginia Trioli. Mr Rowland will be absent from presenting duties on Wednesday, as the public broadcaster will have 'an all-female line-up' for International Women's Day

International audiences will also be catered for.

'Australia Plus Learn English will conduct a Facebook live lesson about using gendered language,' the ABC statement said.

Sky News presenter Peta Credlin, who worked as Tony Abbott's chief-of-staff when he was prime minister, slammed the initiative as a token gesture, the Daily Telegraph reported.

'Where's their commitment to women over the other 364 days of the year? Surely we want the best in the media all day every day, be it men or women,' she said.

Angus Taylor, a Turnbull government minister, said: 'In a day and age when white working-class men are at risk of becoming a new underclass in developed countries like Australia, I'm looking forward to a focus on their plight as well'.

The ABC said male presenters will still have to show up for work and will do 'other tasks'.
Jailed: Jon Andrewes, 63, admitted fraud and gaining a financial advantage when he appeared at Exeter Crown Court, where he was sentenced to two years in prison

A builder who built his life on 'staggering lies' has been jailed for two years after making more than 1 million over the course of a decade by pretending to have a PhD to become chairman of two NHS Trusts.

Jon Andrewes, 63, admitted fraud and gaining a financial advantage when he appeared at Exeter Crown Court, where he was sentenced to two years in prison.

The Walter Mitty style health chief fudged his CV in 2004, adding a doctorate which he did not have, and became the chief executive of St Margaret's Hospice in Taunton, earning nearly 100,000 a year.

He chaired the Torbay NHS Care Trust for nearly ten years, from 2007 to 2015, before becoming the chairman of the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust in April 2015.

On CVs Andrewes claimed to have a management PhD from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, as well as a 'first degree in PPE' and an MBA 'with a financial specialism' from Bristol University. All these claims are untrue.

He also claimed to have been a partner in a technology firm before retiring early.

Andrewes only had a higher education diploma in social work obtained in 1980 from Bristol University but claimed he had a PhD, Masters and other degrees.

Checks were eventually made with universities in Edinburgh, Bristol and Plymouth and their records proved his qualification claims were fake.

Andrewes, from Totnes, Devon, had worked as a social worker, probation officer and builder before using his fake CV to start his healthcare career in 2004.

He beat off dozens off candidates to land the roles, including 117 rivals to become chair of Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust.

Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, Cornwall. Andrewes lied about his qualifications in order to gain a role as chairman here. File photo

His lies were finally unravelled in 2016 when bosses finally interviewed him and discovered his impressive credentials was fabricated.

Judge Geoffrey Mercer QC sentenced Andrewes to two years in jail.

He told him: 'For a period of over ten years you outwardly prestigious life was based upon a lie, a series of staggering lies, repeated lies about your education, and employment background and your experience. Lies by which you obtained responsible positions.'

ANDREWES' WEB OF LIES 1980: Jon Andrewes gains his higher education diploma in social work from Bristol University 1980-84: Worked as a probation officer. 2004: He decides to doctor his CV to give himself a PhD from Herriot Watt University. Later that year he becomes the chief executive of St Margaret's Hospice in Taunton. Also claimed he was an executive officer in the Home Office and a taxman in 1969 when he would have been 16. 2007: He becomes the chairman of Torbay NHS Care Trust. April 2015: He moves to the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust as its chairman. July 2015: He resigns citing ill health. 2016: He is interviewed and his lies begin to unravel. Advertisement

He said Andrewes would not have held those roles if he had told the truth.

The judge said the court did not have the ambit to see how successful he had been in those jobs.

But defending, Ros Collins said: 'None of the organisations have suffered any loss.

'These things happen where people inflate their CV out of desperation to get work.'

The judge accepted that Andrewes worked hard and did achieve success in those posts.

But he said: 'Quite simply on the basis that is right, it does not in my judgement take away the seriousness of these offences.'

He said his dishonesty meant other candidates did not get the 'responsible roles you should have not been performing'.

He said the defendant had 'caused real damage to public confidence' to the organisations involved.

A financial inquiry will be held later.

Andrewes pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false representation over his qualifications to make a gain as chairman of Torbay NHS Care Trust in July 2007.

He admitted a second charge of false representation over his qualifications to make a gain as chairman of the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust in Truro, Cornwall, in April 2015.

He also admitted making a financial gain for his role as chief executive of St Margaret's Hospice in Taunton, Somerset, by deception in 2004.

He pleaded not guilty to a fourth charge of having a false degree certificate from the University of London which he is accused of using in connection with a fraud.

Torbay NHS Care Trust where Andrewes was chairman between 2007 and 2015, having moved there from a hospice

Prosecutor Cameron Brown told Exeter Crown Court that between 1980-84 he was a probation officer.

But he said he was an executive officer with the Home Office, and with the HMRC taxman in 1969 when he would have only been 16 years old.

There were no records of these work claims. He also claimed he was a managing director at a time when he was working for Somerset County Council.

When interviewed by investigators in April last year he still lied that he had a PhD from Herriot Watt University and Mr Brown said: 'He continued to lie to officers. In later interviews he refused to comment.'

Mr Brown said the Crown did not accept Andrewes claim that he performed excellently during his time at various NHS bodies saying he was rated as 'unsatisfactory' in some of his jobs.

ANDREWES' FALSE QUALIFICATIONS A diploma from the Chartered Institute of Management Accounts

A PhD in ethics management from Plymouth University

A PhD in business administration from Heriot-Watt University

A masters from the University of Edinburgh

A degree from the University of Bristol Advertisement

Mr Brown said Andrewes applied for roles which required 'integrity and honesty' and which required experience which he again lied about.

He also wrongly referred to himself as Dr Jon Andrewes after he claimed he had earned a PhD.

His own human resource records were not found in one post he held - where he been in charge of human resources.

Miss Collins, defending, said Andrewes was 'extremely regretful and remorseful at his sheer stupidity in fabricating his educational qualifications'.

She added: 'They were false without a shadow of a doubt.'

She said he did have a social work qualification from Bristol University which was a diploma, plus a post graduate teaching qualification.

She added: 'He has every respect for his former employers. He is very distressed for causing them any embarrassment. He has been loyal to the caring profession for many, many years.'

She said he did work for HMRC as a customs officer when he left school.

Judge Mercer said when people tell lies it 'is not surprising people don't believe anything'.

Friends made statements saying Andrewes 'was a realist with both feet on the ground' and helped voluntarily with development work in Torbay.

Miss Collins said the sham qualifications gave him a 'foot in the door and the rest was down to him'.

The court was told there is an 'ongoing NHS investigation' into how Andrewes was able to hoodwink his way into these senior roles.

Andrewes enters court in Exeter on Monday afternoon to be sentenced. He was jailed for two years

Andrewes became a temporary chairman of the Torbay NHS Trust with a 20,000 a year salary. He also had a 6,000 salary as a non executive director of another Devon trust.

He also became chairman of the Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust in 2015.

The court heard the roles were for people to 'demonstrate honesty and integrity and probity of the public purse'.

In one role he was reminded about not jeopardising confidence and Andrewes said there were 'no issues to mention'.

Mr Brown said: 'He has caused embarrassment to the NHS and partner agencies. He was meant to improve and foster confidence but he had the opposite impact.'

Andrewes claimed he had a PhD and could call himself a doctor

The prosecution said universities in Plymouth, Edinburgh, had no record of his degrees.

Alex Johnson, from the CPS, said: 'Jon Andrewes repeatedly lied on his CV in order to better his chances of securing lucrative senior roles across the health service.

'The investigation team built a case which clearly outlined the scale of the deception and faced with the evidence against him, Andrewes pleaded guilty.'

An NHS Improvement spokesperson said: 'NHS Improvement will not tolerate fraud of any sort within the NHS and takes any allegations of fraudulent behaviour extremely seriously.

'Jon Andrewes was appointed as Chair of Royal Cornwall NHS Hospital Trust having held a similar non-executive role elsewhere in the NHS for more than eight years. During that time no concerns of this nature were raised with NHS Improvement or the NHS Trust Development Authority previously. While a number of checks were undertaken to confirm Mr Andrewes suitability for this role, they did not include checking his qualifications.

'The NHS Fit and Proper Persons test has been introduced expanding the range of checks necessary for these type of appointments, helping to mitigate against this type of fraud.'

A Department of Health spokesperson said: 'Mr Andrewes held a significant position of responsibility and trust, and this sentence sends a clear message that fraud of any kind will not be tolerated in the NHS.'

In January, a senior NHS source said: 'It took investigators a couple of days to discover the truth about Andrewes. Once they started looking at his claims closely everything started to unravel.

'During one court appearance, the prosecutor called him a Walter Mitty. That is exactly what he was. It is amazing he managed to reach such top jobs built on a CV made up of lies.

'It beggars belief that no due diligence was carried out when he was appointed to these NHS trust roles.'

Citing ill health when he left in 2015, he said: 'I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the trust and hope that I have played some part in establishing a stable trust board and recruiting an outstanding new chief executive in Kathy Byrne.

'Obviously I would not have wished to leave in such circumstances but my deputy Mairi Mclean will stand in as chairman from August 1 and I know she will be excellent in the role while a new permanent chairman is appointed.

'I wish everyone at the trust all the very best for the future and I am proud to have served here at Royal Cornwall Hospitals.'
A Maryland teen is charged with fatally shooting his father at their home, police said.

Baltimore County police responded to a shooting inside a home in the 8100 block of Kirkwall Court in Towson, Maryland, around 10pm Sunday night after a 911 caller reported that the son shot his father, said Corporal Shawn Vinson.

When officers arrived, police said they found 46-year-old Devin Vallade on the second floor of the house with a gunshot wound to the upper body.

Police found Iraqi War veteran Devin Vallade, 46, (pictured) on the second floor of the house with a gunshot wound to the upper body

Vallade's son, 19-year-old Devin Vallade II, (pictured) has been charged with fatally shooting his father at their Towson, Maryland, home around 10pm on Sunday night

The shooting took place inside the Vallades' home in the 8100 block of Kirkwall Court (above)

A local media outlet reported that Devin Vallade was an Iraq War veteran with a family

He died at the scene.

Neighbors told ABC2 that Vallade was an Iraqi War veteran.

Vallade's son was taken into custody, Vinson said.

Online court records show that 19-year-old Devin Vallade II has been charged with first- and second-degree murder.

He's being held without bond.

Vinson didn't know what led up to the shooting. He said two other family members who were at the home in Towson when the shooting occurred were not injured.
Sky News presenter Janine Perrett has been caught rolling her eyes at her co-host as he tried to talk up a possible link between autism and vaccination.

Former Liberal MP Ross Cameron weighed in on vaccinations after Pauline Hanson described the 'no jab, no pay' policy as a 'dictatorship' and suggested parents should do their own research into immunisation.

On Monday night, Perrett was far from impressed when the political commentator suggested a link could be found 'between a small group of people in 25 years'.

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Sky News presenter Janine Perrett has been caught rolling her eyes at her co-host Ross Cameron (left) as he tried to talk up Pauline Hanson's vaccination claims

'They say the autism link has been described as "discredited", except the fact on the data that the autism has rapidly increased, co-efficient with the increase in vaccination,' Cameron said on Monday night.

But Perrett appeared to have struggled to hide her feelings, as she was caught taking deep breaths at his comment.

He continued: 'I don't say there's a cause or link, I'm not qualified but I just say that I'm not prepared... I'm happy for "no jab, no pay".

'I'm happy for that but I just don't think we know. We've only just resolved the human genome. We're at our infancy of our understanding of the human body...'

Unleashing the eye roll, Perrett shook her head in disagreement as she hit back at her co-host's claims.

Unleashing the eye roll, Perrett shook her head in disagreement as she hit back at her co-host

The latest discussion comes amid the One Nation leader causing controversy after she described the 'no jab, no pay' policy as a 'dictatorship' and that parents should 'do their research' into vaccines.

'What I don't like about it is the blackmailing that's happening with the government - don't do that to people,' the Queensland senator told the ABC's Insiders on Sunday.

'That's a dictatorship and I think people have a right to investigate themselves,'

Not a stranger to controversy, Ms Hanson told Daily Mail Australia last year that vaccination could be to blame for the rising rates of autism.

'I have had so many people who have brought it to my attention, that's why their kids are autistic,' Ms Hanson told Daily Mail Australia.

'We haven't done the research enough, what is causing these kids to have autism, what is having all the cancer in our community, have we had enough answers into the cancer?'

However, a 2014 study by the University of Sydney found no evidence of a link between autism and vaccination.
New details of one of President Trump's most controversial business deals have emerged and paint a worrying picture of a hotel project steeped in allegations of corruption in the Middle East.

Trump Tower Baku in Azerbaijan was one of a handful of deals scrapped by the president as he prepared to take office in December. At the time, Trump Organization said the cancellation was part of 'housecleaning' and that its only setbacks were economic.

But a New Yorker investigation has mapped out an alleged web of corruption in the Azerbaijani family behind it.

The $35 million project began in 2008 and was originally due to be a tower of apartments.

The Trump Organization joined in 2012, agreeing to a licensing deal which allowed the building to bear its name and brand.

In 2014, it was announced that the building would also contain a Trump hotel. Despite being part of the franchise, the Trump Organization was never formally in charge of the project and made no financial investment in it.

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Trump Tower Baku in Azerbaijan (above) has never opened despite being almost completed. The president's company pulled out of its licensing deal with its owners before he took office

Ivanka Trump visited the hotel in 2014 for a site visit and said she was excited for it to open the following year

Instead, the building is owned by Baku XXI Century which was in charge of operations. That company is controlled by members of the Mammadov family including Elton and Anar Mammadov, the brother and son of the country's transport minister Ziya.

The Mammadov family wields significant influence in Azerbaijan. Transportation Minister Ziya is close to President Iham Aliyev and was described in leaked diplomatic cables in 2009 as 'corrupt even for Azerbaijan'.

His son, Anar, is the founder of The Azerbaijan American Alliance and describes himself as an 'independent businessman and entrepreneur on its website.

Between 2011 and 2015, he spent almost $13 million lobbying US officials on behalf of the organization, Bloomberg reports.

The Mammadov family was included in a 2014 Foreign Policy expose of alleged corruption in the region titled The Corleones of the Caspian.

Ziya also has worrying connections to the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard - a branch of the country's Armed Forces which the Trump administration was reportedly considering outlawing as a terrorist organization last month.

The ties are centered around his relationship with Keyumars Davishi, an Iraq-Iran war veteran who is now the chairman of a company which Mammadov awarded transportation contracts to in 2008.

Ziya Mammadov (left) is Anar's father and the Minister for Transportation. He was named prominently in a Foreign Policy investigation titled The Corleones of the Caspian which alleged widespread corruption. His brother Elton (right) signed the contracts for Trump Tower Baku

Ziya has troubling links to Iran's Revolutionary Guard - a branch of Iran's Armed Forces which the White House was reportedly close to designating a terrorist organization this year

There is no suggestion that Davishi or the Revolutionary Guard funded the project in any way but legal experts told The New Yorker the Trump Organization should have been aware of the Mammadovs' ties to it and steered clear of doing business with them as a result.

It suggests the Trump Organization may have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 by making a profit off of any corrupt conduct carried out by the Mammadovs - an allegation Trump's organization denies.

Chief Legal Officer Alan Garten said the company performed due diligence before signing the licensing agreement but that it didn't turf up any 'red flags'.

Anar Mammadov, who lives in London and is the founder of Garant Holding, considers Ivanka Trump a 'dear friend'.

He shared a photograph of the pair laughing on social media after her father's inauguration, writing alongside it: 'Congratulations my dear friend to you and to your family on this historic day!'

Anar Mammadov, an Azerbaijan businessman who helped construct the deal, considers Ivanka a 'dear friend'. His family holds seats in parliament and is suspected of corruption

Despite the Trump Organization's later claim that it was not in charge of the product, Ivanka said she had 'overseen' it from inception. She paired her hard hat with a pair of Ivanka Trump stilettos. The brand has faced consumer backlash since her father's inauguration

While the Trump logo remains at the tip of the building, it is empty and work has stopped

Ivanka visited the site in 2014 for a tour and to give advice on its progress. On her website, she said she'd 'overseen' the project.

'Ivanka has overseen the development of Trump International Hotel & Tower Baku since its inception, and she recently returned from a trip to the fascinating city in Azerbaijan to check in on the projects progress.

Plans for the hotel were scrapped in December and all mention of it was removed from the Trump Organization website in December

'The ultra-luxury property, which will open in 2015, will have thirty-three floors of expansive suites, guest rooms and residences with stunning views of the Caspian Sea,' a post said.

She also shared a video with fans from the balcony of another hotel while in her robe.

The project appeared to moving along nicely until December when the Trump Organization announced it was withdrawing from the deal. It also pulled out of a deal in Rio de Janeiro.

A Trump Organization spokesman reiterated Garten's claims that it had always operated above board when contacted by DailyMail.com on Monday.

'The company has, at all times, acted in strict conformity with all applicable legal requirements, including the FCPA, and any suggestion to the contrary is completely unfounded.'

Now the hotel stands empty with all work stopped, towering over the city.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps is Iran's most powerful military. It is a branch of the country's Armed Forces.

In February, defense and intelligence officials warned the White House not to act on a proposal which would designate it a foreign terrorist organization.

The Guard also controls several businesses across Iran.
I really dont know what my t*ts have to do with it, exclaimed an exasperated Emma Watson this week.

Its very confusing. Im quietly stunned.

The Harry Potter star was responding to widespread criticism of her decision, as Hollywoods most vocal young feminist, to pose topless for Vanity Fair magazine.

Feminism is about giving women choice, she explained. It is not a stick with which to beat other women. Its about freedom, its about liberation, its about equality. They were saying I couldnt be a feminist and have boobs.

Well, Emma, that would indeed be very confusing, I agree.

I really dont know what my t*ts have to do with it, exclaimed an exasperated Emma Watson this week

But that wasnt what the critics were actually saying.

Its probably a given that the vast majority of feminists, unless they are men identifying as feminists, have boobs.

No, Emma, it wasnt you flashing your boobs as a feminist that caused all the raised eyebrows.

The problem is that you havent always had this attitude to feminism and boob-flashing.

In 2013, Beyonce released her self-titled album which included a spoken word recording from the novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, taken from her TED speech We Should All Be Feminists.

The album was accompanied by provocative videos showing Beyonce in various states of undress.

Many lauded it as fierce feminism at its ferocious best.

Others were less impressed.

As I was watching, I felt very conflicted, said one female critic. I felt her (Beyonces) message felt very conflicted in the sense that on the one hand she is putting herself in a category of feminist, but then the camera, it felt very male, such a voyeuristic experience of her.

Wow.

That sounds like precisely the kind of feminist that Emma Watson would deplore: a woman using feminism as as stick with which to beat other women.

Only, it WAS Emma Watson, in an interview for Wonderland magazine.

Yes, the self-styled global standard-bearer for feminism had decided that Beyonces brand of feminism was not the right brand of feminism.

Why?

Because, to deploy the parlance of Donald Trumps notorious locker room, Emma felt it was incompatible for Beyonce to claim to be a feminist when she was effectively getting her t*ts out for the lads.

Hmmm.

This brings us back to Emmas new photo shoot for Vanity Fair.

It was no accident that she chose to take off her clothes and parade topless under a skimpy white crocheted bolero jacket.

Emma knew exactly what she was doing with this Vanity Fair shoot - she's been posing since she was 14 and removing her bra for a shoot the first time is of course deliberate

She knew exactly what she was doing.

After all, shes a woman whos been posing for magazine cover shoots since she was 14 years old.

So when Emma removed her bra for the first time like this, she was doing it very deliberately.

It felt incredibly artistic, she said this week, and Im thrilled with how interesting and beautiful the photographs were.

Of course she was, thats what all actresses say when they strip naked to promote themselves and their movies.

Though they tend to take a much dimmer view of women who pose as topless Page 3 girls in British tabloids. That, they sneer, is demeaning to women.

Under normal circumstances, I wouldnt disagree with Emmas assessment; the photos are inarguably interesting and beautiful.

But how does exposing her breasts to the world fit with Emmas condemnation of Beyonce doing the same?

A generous observer might say uneasily.

A less generous observer would brand it flaming hypocrisy.

I dont want to be too harsh on Emma Watson, not least because she is still young and should be allowed to evolve her views as she ages.

Shes also in many ways a very impressive young lady  an excellent actress who conducts admirable work as a United Nations ambassador.

By posing for Vanity Fair, Emma exposed herself to some as a feminist fraud

In interviews, she comes across as intelligent and thoughtful, and she clearly cares passionately about this issue.

But by posing for this Vanity Fair photo, she exposed not just her breasts.

She also exposed herself to some as a feminist fraud; someone who professes to want other women to have the freedom and liberation to decide how they behave as feminists, but who actually wants to dictate to them how they behave as feminists.

Beyonce flashing her flesh to sell an album in the name of feminism dismayed Emma, because she feared it would simply serve to titillate men.

Yet she sees no conflict in doing the same thing herself, while promoting, with almost comical inappropriateness, the new Disney kids movie Beauty And The Beast.

We live in an age when the debate about feminism, womens rights and sexism rightly rages hard, and men, as I know only too well, tip their toe into the fire at their peril.

But on the general principle, it shouldnt be difficult to find consensus.

For instance, I agree whole-heartedly with Emma Watsons own overview: Fighting for womens rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. This has to stop. For the record, feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes.

Shes absolutely right. But other female celebrities dont seem to have got the memo.

Every time Madonna rants and raves at a womens march about blowing up Donald Trump, the cause of feminism is damaged.

Just as it is when Kim Kardashian posts another bird-flipping topless selfie, supposedly in the name of female empowerment.

Or, as happened at a Welsh university in Britain this week, when students are told that they cant use words like mankind or sportsmanship any more because they are gender-offensive.

None of this nonsense helps anyone, particularly when there are far more important battles to fight.

This weekend, a Polish politician actually said in the European parliament during a debate on the gender pay gap, that women must earn less than men, because they are weaker, they are smaller, they are less intelligent.

Now THAT is outrageous sexism and if theres a march to get this despicable misogynist dinosaur sacked, count me in.

But lets also have some rational perspective to counter the more rabid, headline-grabbing brand of feminism.

Right now, the five most powerful people in Emma Watsons home country are all women: Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II; Prime Minister, Theresa May; Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon; Home Secretary, Amber Rudd; and Metropolitan Police Commander, Cressida Dick.

With the exception of the Queen  who has turned out to be arguably the most successful Monarch of all time - they all got there strictly on merit.

As Oprah Winfrey put it so perfectly: Excellence is the best deterrent to racism and sexism.
Diane Abbott has slapped down a left-wing colleague tipped to succeed Jeremy Corbyn for dismissing the electoral dangers of promising higher taxes.

Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey claimed there was widespread support for a dedicated NHS tax on top of the money already taken by the Treasury.

But Ms Abbott, the shadow health secretary, said voters would punish Labour at the ballot box for promising higher taxes - pointing to the party's surprise loss in 1992.

Ms Long-Bailey was first elected in 2015 and is little known outside of Labour circles but she has nevertheless been tipped as a possible left-wing successor to Mr Corbyn.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott has warned Labour against heading into an election promising higher taxes

Her name emerged amid speculation Mr Corbyn could hand over his project to shift Labour to the left to someone more electorally attractive.

Ms Long-Bailey said: 'I don't think many people would argue with paying an extra 1 or however much to ensure that we actually have an NHS.'

Ms Abbott told the BBC Westminster Hour: 'I can remember knocking on doors during the 1992 election campaign.

'I remember when we announced our big taxation proposals, literally the atmosphere on the doorstep changed, and I had people who I knew for a fact didn't pay tax complaining to me about proposed tax rises'.

She added: 'Those of us that remember the 1992 campaign, and a number of us in the leadership do remember it, are cautious about the question of putting up tax.

'It's important that we consider all the options but I just say that if you went through 1992 knocking on doors for the Labour Party, you are cautious.

'We have to explore all the options but also have to draw on our historic memory as well'

Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey said most people would support higher taxes to pay for the NHS

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell yesterday demanded the Government find another 12billion for the health service.

He said: 'The independent estimate now on [how much is needed for the] NHS and social care is between 8bn and 12bn.

'We believe that the Government now put aside, as is reported, 60bn - increased tax receipts have contributed to this as well - for a crisis in case there's Brexit.

'The crisis is here now in our social care and NHS. We should prepare for Brexit but some of that money now needs to deal with the crisis in the NHS and social care, it is a crisis.'
Broadcaster John Humphrys sparked fury among BBC listeners today after he said it 'muddies the water' to call the neo-Nazi killer of MP Jo Cox a terrorist.

The Radio 4 presenter made the comments as he grilled Britain's top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley, of Scotland Yard, over his campaign urging people to report suspicions of terrorist activity to the police.

Thomas Mair, who stabbed and shot Mrs Cox as she arrived at her constituency office in Batley, on June 16, 2016, was treated by the courts under 'terrorism protocol' and the prosecutor in the case said the murder was a terrorist act.

But he was never tried for terrorism offences and a jury took just 85 minutes to find him guilty of murder, causing grievous bodily harm and weapons possession.

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Row: Broadcaster John Humphrys sparked fury among BBC listeners today after he said it 'muddies the water' to call the neo-Nazi killer of MP Jo Cox, Thomas Mair, a terrorist

Assistant Commissioner Rowley was keen to say that people should be aware of ISIS-linked terrorists as well as far-right extremists, adding: 'We know that extreme right-wing related issues led to the tragic murder of Jo Cox not that long ago'.

Mr Humphrys responded: 'In that case wasn't it that he was a very deeply disturbed man, mentally ill wasn't he?'

'It slightly muddies the water doesn't it when we talk about that as terrorism? That was a murder wasn't it?'.

Mr Rowley responded: 'That's not my classification, it was the view of the court and the sentencing'.

Victim: Mrs Cox was stabbed and shot as she arrived at her constituency office in Batley, on June 16, 2016

Some listeners have called on the veteran Today presenter to apologise.

Former Labour Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: 'Ignorance from Humphries @BBCr4today Mair was not "just mentally ill" when he murdered Jo Cox. It was a right wing terror attack'.

Paul Gannon wrote: 'Hello @BBCr4today can you please announce tomorrow morning that you regret dismissing the murder of Jo Cox MP as not a terrorist attack'.

Jake Max said: 'Hearing that John Humphreys said the murder of Jo Cox wasn't terrorism is sickening. The fact is that it was. He should apologise'.

The CPS had said that Mair was 'motivated by hate, his pre-meditated crimes were nothing less than acts of terrorism designed to advance his twisted ideology'.

Police search teams recovered fascist mementoes and literature from his council home in Birstall, West Yorkshire.

These included texts on how to build homemade guns and explosives from materials available in DIY stores and an 'Improvised Munitions Handbook'.

Police said Mair may have been plotting a second 'spectacular' attack as he walked calmly away from his dying victim. He was still clutching the specially-adapted .22 rifle, which they believe he only bought a few weeks earlier.

Speaking after he was jailed Mrs Cox's husband Brendan, who had two children with his wife, said he had 'nothing but pity' for Mair.

Police chief: Britain's top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley, left, says he believe Thomas Mair's murder was a terrorist act

Fury: Some listeners have called on the veteran Today presenter to apologise for his remarks

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Wilkie said Mrs Cox was a 'passionate, open-hearted, inclusive and generous member of parliament'.

Referring to the gunman's shouts of 'Britain First, this is for Britain' as he committed the murder, the judge said that he was in fact a coward.

'In the true meaning of the word she was a patriot. You affect to be a patriot. The words you uttered repeatedly when you killed her give lip service to that concept,' he said.

'You are no patriot. By your actions you have betrayed the quintessence of our country, its adherence to parliamentary democracy.'

Moving: Today Kim Leadbeater, sister of murdered MP Jo Cox has released some touching pictures of the pair growing up in her first major interview since the politician's death

Close: The siblings, pictured together as children, spent long periods together even in the weeks before she died

Impact: Kim Leadbeater says her murder has had a devastating impact on her family, especially her husband Brendan

Today murdered MP's sister released some touching pictures of the pair growing up in her first major interview since the politician's death.

Kim Leadbeater shared the photographs which show her and Jo as schoolgirls and well as young adults as the family plan a number of memorial events over the next year.

Kim said one of the last time she saw Jo was two weeks before her violent death and the pair snuggled up in pyjamas and chatted over a cup of tea.

Growing up: Mrs Cox (left) with her sister as children, in a poignant photo released by Ms Leadbeater today

Memories: Ms Leadbeater said that she was 'lucky' to only have positive memories of her sister

Kim said: 'The week before she was killed she came round here, Jo walked through the door, normal exhausted Jo, and took her smart clothes off, and said, 'can I borrow some clothes?'.

'So I got her one of my hoodies, and some pyjama bottoms, and I made her some tea, and she snuggled up in that chair.

'She was a tiny little thing, and we chatted, and we had a lovely time actually.

'That would have been happening more and more regularly, and that's what is really sad. It's a lovely memory, and I am so lucky because I don't have anything but positive memories.'

'That would have been happening more and more regularly, and that's what is really sad.

'It's a lovely memory, and I am so lucky because I don't have anything but positive memories.'

Referring to Mr Humphreys's comments, a BBC spokesman said: 'Listeners expect robust and challenging questioning and John was establishing whether the murder of Jo Cox should be equated to other recent terrorist acts.

'Mark Rowley made it clear that the view of the court and sentencing was that Jo Coxs murder was an act of terrorism.'
A group of 29 monks and monastery staff in the Big Sur are learning what it means to be too isolated after monstrous storms have blocked off their access road for almost two months.

Father Robert Hale said on Saturday the monks at New Camaldoli Hermitage are having to ration food and fuel since it is extremely difficult to get up their single entry road.

When he saw the storm he said: 'It was kind of like Apocalyse now.'

He added to CBS News: 'We're not dying of hunger yet or anything like that.'

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The monks were able to talk to CBS via Skype since their access road is unusable. Father Robert Hale is seen center

A President's Day storm left Highway 1 and the monks' access road damaged making it nearly impossible for visitors to come through

Hospitality is the monastery's main source of income. The damaged road means the monks have not been able to welcome guests for almost two months

The torrential downpours have left sections of Highway 1 badly damaged and left the Hermitage's access road practically unusable. The access road alone may cost up to $250,000 to repair.

One of the trapped monks is in poor health and another had to be airlifted to the hospital after breaking his hip from a fall according to SFGate.

The damage has cost the monastery an estimated $300,000 since hospitality is their main source of income.

They haven't been able to take in guests for almost two months according to their GoFundMe and they had to cancel reservations through March.

A single night stay costs guests $135 to $291 according to the Hermitage website.

The monks are now relying on the GoFundMe to sustain them for now and raised $180,000 as of Monday morning.

Instead of having food flown in by helicopter, they are going into town when there are breaks in road construction and have to use a car with a four wheel drive.

The monks at New Camaldoli Hermitage are having to ration food and fuel after their access road was damaged from heavy storms in Big Sur

The Hermitage wrote on the donation page: 'Our property is right in the middle of the most fragile part of the highway and so we are totally cut off at several points from all comings and goings.'

'Ours was one of the first areas to be severely impacted by the storms. This is part of living in a beautiful and wild place like Big Sur, and what being a place apart entails. This ruggedness is also part of the special beauty that people love about the Hermitage, and why guests and retreatants are so grateful to be here.'

California's rainy season spans from October to March.
MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski ratcheted up her criticism of Donald Trump on Monday, saying the president has brought the U.S. to 'a low point in American history' and hinting that he may not last a full term in office.

'I don't know how anybody can defend this president  even if it's their job,' the 'Morning Joe' co-host blared at Trump's spokesmen and spokeswomen.

'You've got to have a job after this. You've got to look in the mirror after this. Sarah Huckabee, or whoever is going to speak out next: You have to look in the mirror and think about this country after this is over. You need to think of the endgame here, because there is one at the rate we are going.'

'Morning Joe' co-host Mika Brzezinski (left) unleashed a new round of complaints against the Trump administration on Monday, saying: 'I don't know how anybody can defend this president  even if it's their job'

Brzezinski complained that Trump's inner circle is 'pushing a strange far-right agenda that is going to threaten everything that this president might want to do, if he has any positive intentions.'

Brzezinski has gone from Trump defender during the campaign to vicious attack dog since the inauguration

'The people around him are so poorly serving him,' she said, singling out chief White House strategist Steve Bannon for ridicule and insisting the president's advisers aren't briefing him before he makes pronouncements on Twitter and elsewhere.

'The people who are closest to him, who are always there, are not teaching him anything about what is going to happen if you do A, B, or C,' Brzezinski huffed.

'They are pushing a strange far-right agenda that is going to threaten everything that this president might want to do  if he has any positive intentions.'

Bannon, she said, 'has him reading Breitbart articles.'

Co-host Joe Scarborough jumped in to disagree, saying that 'Steve Bannon is not a conservative. Cozying up to Russia is not conservative. Putting out a budget that will blow an absolute hole in the national debt, another $10 trillion, is not conservative.'

Brzezinski rephrased her complaint, alleging that the White House is 'pushing a very dangerous agenda, an extremely dangerous one.'

She also speculated that Trump's weekend tweet storm accusing the Obama administration of wiretapping him during the presidential campaign 'looks like he is trying to deflect from something much bigger, probably pertaining to Russia at this point.'

After months of advocating for Trump during the campaign season, and weeks of attempts to secure an interview with the president during his transition period, the 'Morning Joe' hosts have become full-throated White House opponents since the January 20 inauguration.

'We need a serious, credible President,' Brzezinski wrote Saturday on Twitter.

'The presidency is being lowered, diminished, and undermined by the President #sadtowatch Sad 4 USA.'

Scarborough has reserved his harshest criticism for Trump domestic policy adviser Stephen Miller, 31, whom he calls a 'little Napoleon.'
A new mother has filed a lawsuit against retail giant Nicole Miller, and its president of the same name, for allegedly discriminating against her because she was pregnant.

Wendy Simchi-Levy, 34, claims that when Nicole Miller found out that Levy was pregnant with twins, it began a tirade of discriminatory behavior.

The lawsuit states that Miller spewed obscenities at the woman, who was allegedly coerced to take unpaid medical leave, and was then fired a month after giving birth.

Wendy Simchi-Levy, right, claims that when Nicole Miller, left, found out that Levy was pregnant with twins, it began a tirade of discriminatory behavior

When Simchi-Levy informed the retailers president that she was 20 weeks pregnant at a New York City meeting in September 2016, the announcement was met with 'disdain' by the businesswoman.

'Oh, so you knew you were pregnant when you interviewed?' Miller said, according to the NY Daily News.

'You won't want to come back to work after having twins,' she continued.

It seems Miller took that statement seriously, as Simchi-Levy received a letter informing her that she was fired due to 'performance issues' a month after she gave birth on New Year's Day.

When Simchi-Levy informed the retailers president that she was 20 weeks pregnant at a meeting in September 2016, the announcement was met with 'disdain' by the businesswoman

The letter acknowledged that it was likely 'inconvenient on a personal level' for her.

Simchi-Levy claims to have been an employee in good standing who worked directly with Miller, who then made her job impossible after learning she was pregnant.

The lawsuit states that Miller spewed obscenities at Levy, who was allegedly coerced to take unpaid medical leave, and was then fired a month after giving birth

Miller reportedly ostracized her, refused to refer to her directly in meetings, and moved her office to make direct communication more difficult.

Other employees told Simchi-Levy that Miller hated her.

During one confrontation about a late order of sweaters, Miller reportedly called her a f*****g a**hole over the phone and hung up on her.

A month later, Simchi-Levy was forced to take a prolonged hospital stay due to complications in her pregnancy.

She claims that the company then coerced her into taking the time as unpaid medical leave, despite the fact that she wanted to continue working.

Simchi Levy's attorney Douglas Wigler said: 'As a successful fashion designer and businesswoman herself, it is disgraceful that Ms. Miller would treat a dedicated and loyal employee who was pregnant with such disdain.'

Miller herself is a mother to Trinity College student Palmer Taipale, the son from her marriage with financier Kim Taipale.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from any Justice Department investigations following disclosures of his own contacts with Russia's ambassador

Amid new calls for an independent Russia probe, two-thirds of Americans support the appointment of an independent special prosecutor who would look into contacts between President Trump's associates, a new poll reveals.

Asked to evaluate potential means of looking into Trump associates' Russia ties, 65 per cent selected the special prosecutor option, according to a new CNN / ORC poll. Just 32 per cent said Congress was capable of handling an investigation.

The House and Senate Intelligence Committee's are undertaking their own probes.

Fifty-five per cent said they were very or somewhat concerned that Trump's associates had contact with Russia.

Attorney Jeff Sessions announced Friday he was recusing himself from any investigations of presidential campaigns. But there are still calls for the appointment of an independent special prosecutor who would pursue contacts between Trump associates and Russia

The results follow a flurry of reports that top Trump advisors, including son-in-law Jared Kushner, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and former national security advisor Mike Flynn, met with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. during the campaign or the transition.

Seventy per cent agreed with intelligence assessments that the Russian government sought to influence the U.S. elections. Thirty-two per cent said it was extremely likely, 17 per cent said very likely, and 21 percent said somewhat likely.

The public backing for a special prosecutor comes as Democrats and even some senior Republicans are calling for an outside investigation.

Sessions announced Friday that he would step back from any investigation involving a campaign following a Washington Post report on his own meetings with the Russian ambassador.

His appointed deputy, Rod Rosenstein, would oversee any probe, and is preparing to get grilled on the issue during his confirmation hearing Tuesday.

President Trump sent out a flurry of unproven allegations on Saturday that President Obama ordered a wiretap of Trump Tower.

A nearly two-thirds majority favors the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate Trump associates' Russia ties

Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the U.S. speaks with reporters at the Center for the National Interest in Washington. Attorney General Jeff Sessions had two conversations with Kislyak during the presidential campaign season last year, as it was revealed before Sessions recused himself from any investigation

Rep. Devin Nunes said the House Intelligence committee 'will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates' prompting unproven charges by President Trump. He is seen above on February 14

Not quitting: Jeff Sessions said he would sit out any decision on prosecutions which could arise from current investigations into whether Russia meddled in the election - but that he had not lied to the Senate

'Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!' the president wrote on Twitter.

Trump is now demanding a congressional investigation of his claims  something former Hillary Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon used to justify a special prosecutor to probe Russia.

Such a prosecutor would get appointed by a top Justice Department official but remain outside the chain of command.

Senate Intelligence Committee member, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Sunday suggested his committee would look Trump's allegations.

'We've already begun an inquiry on the intelligence committee into Russia's efforts to undermine confidence in our political system,' Cotton said on Fox News Sunday.

'That inquiry is going to be thorough, and we're going to follow the facts wherever they lead us. And I'm sure that this matter will be a part of that inquiry.'

House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) provided cover for Trump Sunday by saying his panel would look into the president's allegations.
A convicted sex offender from North Carolina has been charged with murder for allegedly killing an infant and injuring his older brother.

Ryan Hicks, 24, was arrested last week in Boone in connection to an incident that took place Wednesday morning and resulted in the death of a 10-month-old boy, identified by relatives on social media as Caius Bruner.

Hicks was initially charged with negligent child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury and failure to register as a sex offender, and booked into jail on $75,000 bond.

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Brutal crime: Ryan Hicks, 24 (left), has been charged with murder and other counts in the death of 10-month-old Caius Bruner (right) in North Carolina

Baby Caius was found not breathing at his mother's trailer on Ray Brown Road in Boone (pictured) on the morning of March 1

Then on Saturday, a day after Caius Bruner succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, Hicks was brought up on additional charges of second-degree murder and sex offender using social website.

According to the Watauga County Sheriff's Office, they received a 911 call just before 11.50am on Wednesday about an infant not breathing at 375 Ray Brown Road in Boone.

Responding officers and paramedic from the Meat Camp Fire Department transported the boy to Watauga Medical Center Emergency Department, and he was later transferred to Brenner's Children's Hospital in Winston Salem, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly before 9pm on Friday.

While officials have not disclosed how Ryan Hicks might have harmed the 10-month-old, the boy's mother posted a message on Facebook on Thursday that read, in part: 'I can't believe someone has the ball [sic] to hit a child and not feel no remorse of it.'

The status update was accompanied by a heart-rending photo purportedly showing her son laying in the hospital bed hooked up to what appears to be a ventilator.

The woman wrote that Caius, known to his loved ones as 'Bean,' was on life support but had no brain activity and could not breathe on his own.

Hicks, who is a convicted sex offender, is also suspected of injuring Caius' 3-year-old brother, pictured above hugging his sibling, with his face obscured to protect his privacy

The boy's mother has shared this image of Caius as a newborn baby on Facebook

The results of Caius Bruners autopsy were still pending Monday morning.

The boys 3-year-old brother was also hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to the sheriff's office. It is unknown at this time how the toddler was harmed.

Hicks was not related to the victim but was sharing the mobile home in Boone with the boy and his family.

After being charged with the two additional criminal counts, Hicks was booked into Watauga County Detention Center on $1.1million bond. He is due back in court on April 6.

Records cited by the station WSOC-TV indicate that Hicks was convicted of a sex crime against a 14-year-old in 2012 and was required to register as a sex offender.

Caius' mother, Nicole (pictured left), has posted several photos of the infant, including from the hospital (right)

Caius' mom wrote last week that her infant son was on life support but had no brain activity and could not breathe on his own

A funeral for 10-month-old Caius Bruner will be held on March 12 at Hamptons Funeral Home in Boone.

According to an obituary posted on the mortuary's website, the infant is survived by his parents, who are separated, and his older brother.

A family friend has launched a GoFundMe page to help defray the boys funeral costs, calling the young victim a 'perfect little angel.'
The State Department has released its latest 'Worldwide Caution' today  its first under the Trump administration  renewing its global terrorism warning for American citizens abroad.

The Caution makes no substantial changes to the one it replaces which was issued last September, under the Obama administration, and continues to urge Americans to stay vigilant in public places and boost their security awareness.

The routine renewal notes that terrorists 'are increasingly using less sophisticated methods of attack to more effectively target crowds,' including edged weapons, pistols and vehicles.

Renewed global terrorism warning for Americans abroad urges vigilance in public places

The Caution specifically names terrorist groups ISIS and al-Qaida (along with groups inspired by them) as being 'intent on attacking U.S. citizens wherever they are' and notes that 'Extremists increasingly aim to assault soft targets.'

Among the list of soft targets are sporting contests, political rallies, demonstrations, holiday events, hotels, clubs, places of worship, schools, parks, shopping malls, public transportation systems and airports.

US citizens are also advised that terrorists, guerrilla groups and criminals in multiple regions around the world look to kidnap American citizens as a way to finance their operations or for political purposes.

Wreckage from Russian Metrojet Flight 9268, an attack that ISIS claimed responsibility for

The US Department of State expressed concern that terrorists might continue to look to use concealed explosives on airplanes or hijack commercial flights. As examples, it cited attacks against passenger planes in Egypt by ISIS (Russian Metrojet Flight 9268) and Somalia by al-Shabaab (Daallo Airlines Flight 159).

The Worldwide Caution also highlights specific areas of dangers in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East as well as in the western hemisphere.

For the complete text of the Worldwide Caution, visit https://travel.state.gov/
Iraq's ambassador to Australia has warned of 'sleeping colonies' of teenage terrorists in Sydney and Melbourne.

Top diplomat Hussain Al-Ameri said he believes radical preachers are 'brainwashing' Muslim teenagers and paying them to attend meetings encouraging extremism.

He claimed that mosques following the same hardline Islamist ideology as ISIS were operating in Australia - despite being watched closely by the authorities.

Dr Hussain Al-Ameri has warned of potential terrorists in Australia that believe in Salafi Wahhabi, - that is the ideological background of ISIS (Stock Image)

Speaking to The Australian, Dr Al-Ameri warned that the internet had allowed the beliefs of terrorists like ISIS to spread from the Middle East to the rest of the world - Australia included.

The ambassador said: 'For example, when anyone with Australian citizen(ship) - when he's coming to Iraq we will say 'welcome' - we are not expecting that he's a terrorist.

'But maybe he's a member of a 'sleeping colony'. And maybe he was brainwashed already because the people who practise brainwashing are already present in Australia, and they are active.'

Dr Al-Ameri warned Muslim youths were being approached by radical preachers and offered financial incentives.

The former director of the press and human rights department at Iraq's foreign affairs ministry said some of these incentives included rewards for wearing Islamic clothing and encouragement for young people to attend meetings.

Dr Hussain Al-Ameri is a prominent Iraq diplomat to Australia

Dr Al-Ameri said he had heard the youth were targeted because they were easily brainwashed.

The ambassador for Iraq said the Iraqi community had expressed their concerns and Australian mosques associated with the extreme 'Wahhabi Salafi ideology' were being watched by authorities.

'They are active here (in Australia) and they believe in this Salafi Wahhabi. This is the ideological background of ISIS,' he said.

Sheik Wesam Charkawi, founder of the Abuhanifa Institute that teaches the essential sciences of Islam to young Muslims, works in a Sydney based school as a preacher mentoring the young.

The chaplain told the publication he was not aware of the youth being recruited.

New Labor MP for Cowan and a leading counter-radicalisation expert Dr Anne Aly said she had heard of practices where recruiters would approach the youth in Indonesia, but not in Australia.
Russian citizen Ekaterina B, 33, was arrested for alleged links to Andrey Karlov's assassin, Mevlut Mert Altinas, 22, who shot the ambassador in December

This is the 33-year-old woman arrested in Turkey for alleged links to the assassin of Vladimir Putin's ambassador in Ankara, brutally gunned down in December.

Russian citizen Ekaterina B, 33, was in touch with Andrey Karlov's killer on social media and web phone, it is reported in Turkey.

The woman is believed have worked in the sex industry in Turkey, supplying call girls to businessmen in five star hotels in Ankara, according to Sabah daily.

Her full identity is not disclosed.

Karlov, 62, was gunned down in Ankara by 22 year old police recruit Mevlut Mert Altintas who shouted 'Allahu Akbar' and 'Don't forget Aleppo' as he murdered the respected diplomat.

The killer was himself shot dead by Turkish police at the scene of the assassination.

Russia is seeking to clarify the reasons for the woman's detention.

Evidence from her phone records is being studied by Turkish law enforcement, it is reported.

Police recruit Mevlut Mert Altinas (pictured after shooting Mr Karlov) was gunned down by Turkish police at the scene of the assassination. Ekaterina is believed to have kept in contact with him through social media and web phone

The Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov is pictured speaking at a gallery in Ankara Monday. Mevlut Mert Altintas (left), opened fire moments later

She is alleged to have maintained messenger and WhatsApp links to Altintas until late November.

She is being held in an Ankara detention centre.

The Russian embassy in Turkey has forwarded an official request demanding details of the Russian citizen's arrest in connection with the Karlov murder case, said spokeswoman Irina Kasimova.

'Taking into account recent media reports, the embassy has forwarded an official request to the Turkish officials demanding that the reason for the arrest of this Russian citizens, as well as its circumstances be clarified.

'We have not received any response from Turkish officials yet.'

Kasimova added that 'right after the ambassador's murder, a joint investigation was launched involving Russian and Turkish investigative teams.'

There were earlier claims that a Russian lover or other associate may have brainwashed Altintas into committing the murderous act on 19 December.

His sister Seher Ozerogluis reported to have said it was as if her younger brother 'was guided by someone' when he killed the ambassador.

Mevlut Mert Altintas's sister Seher Ozerogluis (pictured) is reported to have said he looked like he was 'guided by someone' when he killed Mr Karlov. She believes it is a man known as 'S', who met her brother in Ankara

Mr Karlov was shot by the policeman at the opening of an art gallery exhibition on December 19. Moscow regards the act as a terrorist attack

Pictured, Mr Karlov on a visit with Russian premier Vladimir Putin. When he was shot, gunman Mr Altintas shouted, 'Don't forget Aleppo'

She implies this was a shadowy man known only as 'S' who her brother met in Ankara after he left the family's provincial home.

Earlier there were unconfirmed claims a Russian woman who was possibly the killer's lover - whose name, age and picture were not identified - was undergoing questioning by Vladimir Putin's security services.

'She went to Moscow long before the assassination', having left Ankara, reported Turkish newspaper Hurriyet in December.

'The woman has admitted they had a relationship.'

Altintas shot Karlov at the opening of an art gallery exhibition on December 19, an act Moscow regards as a terrorist attack, and was killed by police at the scene.

Kasimova said both Turkish and Russian citizens have been taken into custody and questioned in the course of a joint investigation following Karlov's killing.
CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota, 50, is writing a fictional novel titled, 'Amanda Wakes Up'

Jake Tapper isn't the only CNN anchor writing novels these days.

The cable news network's Alisyn Camerota is writing a fictional novel titled, 'Amanda Wakes Up'.

Viking told The Associated Press on Monday that it has acquired Camerota's debut work of fiction.

The book is scheduled to be released July 25 and has a plot Camerota may well relate to: A 'bootstrapping' young reporter becomes an anchor at a major cable news station and tries to balance work with her romantic life.

'If there's one subject I know through and through, it's the challenges and behind-the-scenes fun of cable news,' Camerota, who is an anchor on CNN's 'New Day', told AdWeek.

Camerota's upcoming novel is scheduled for release on July 25. She is pictured above anchoring CNN's 'New Day' with Chris Cuomo (right)

Camerota, who is a married mother-of-three, said that she started writing this book 'years ago'. She is pictured above in 2011 with her husband, Tim Lewis, and their three children - twins Alessandra and Francesca and son Nate

'Being able to assign real-life dilemmas to a fictional character was strangely comforting and instructive.

'I started this book years ago and am grateful that Viking has been on board the whole way for this crazy ride.'

The 50-year-old's novel is set at a fictional station called FAIR News.

Last month, Little, Brown and Co. announced that Tapper's political thriller, 'The Hellfire Club,' was scheduled for the summer of 2018.

Before joining CNN, in 2014, she worked 16 years for Fox News, and prior to that she was on air at WHDH-TV in Boston.

Camerota, who earned a degree in broadcast journalism from American University, is a married mother-of three.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, says he hasn't seen evidence to support President Donald Trump's bold wiretapping claim, but that doesn't mean it's not there.

'Look, it's a very serious allegation,' the Republican congressman said today on CBS This Morning. 'The president has at his fingertips tens of billions of dollars in intelligence apparatus. I've got to believe  I think he might have something there, but if not, we're going to find out.'

Chaffetz, echoing House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, said he was open to Congress investigating Trump's claim, which the president first tweeted on Saturday morning.

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House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R- Utah, has yet to see evidence supporting President Trump's bold wiretapping claim, but said Congress will find out

'Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!' Trump wrote on Saturday, offering no proof.

A spokesman for President Obama, along with former Direction of National Intelligence head James Clapper, denied the actions.

In a follow-up Sunday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer cited 'reports' and said that 'potentially politically motivated investigations' prior to the 2016 election were 'very troubling.'

'President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016,'

'Neither the White House nor the President will comment further until such oversight is conducted,' Spicer added.

Nunes said his commitee 'will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates.'

Today, Chaffetz said his House Oversight Committee 'will play a supporting role,' while Nunes' committee will take the lead.

He also noted that if Trump's allegation is true, 'the paper trial should be there.'

The Utah Republican also spoke about the allegation today on Fox & Friends.

'We're going to look hard at this,' he pledged. 'I'm going to go into it eyes wide open.'

'We've had experience that the Obama administration has been notorious on this type of stuff.'

Chaffetz mentioned the case of Fox News Channel reporter James Rosen. Rosen wasn't wiretapped, per say, but he was intensely monitored by the U.S. government as part of an investigation into leaks of classified information about North Korea in 2009.

Jason Chaffetz also visited the set of Fox & Friends this morning and talked about how the Obama administration, in various capacities, targeted journalists, conservatives and himself

The lawmaker also brought up the 2013 IRS scandal, in which Tea Party and other conservative groups were intensely scrutinized when applying for tax-exempt status, more so than their liberal peers.

More recently, Chaffetz reminded the Fox News hosts that he had been a target of leaks coming from the Secret Service during the Obama era, after he publicly berated the director over recent misconduct in March of 2015.

'In my case I had more than 40, 40 illegally tap into my records and dive into my background and that's according to the inspector general,' Chaffetz said.

According to the Washington Post about 45 agents looked at Chaffetz's file, stored in a secret database, sharing some of the details with colleagues.

An assistant director of the Secret Service had also urged that unflattering information about Chaffetz be made public, the inspector general's report found.

Chaffetz had applied and been rejected by the Secret Service back in 2003.

'So this stuff does happen and it doesn't necessarily happen the legal, lawful way,' Chaffetz said today.
Yves Saint Laurent have been accused of 'degrading' models and 'inciting rape' with a new French advertising campaign.

One image shows a reclining woman in a fur coat and fishnet tights opening her legs while another shows a model in a leotard and roller skate stilettos bending over a stool.

The French fashion house's new poster campaign across Paris, featuring painfully thin models, has sparked outrage with calls for it to be banned.

France's advertising authority said most of the complaints it received were from people who saw the images as an 'incitement to rape'.

Yves Saint Laurent have been accused of 'degrading' models and 'inciting rape' with a new French advertising campaign. One image (above) shows a model in a leotard and roller skate stilettos bending over a stool

Another controversial poster (pictured) shows a reclining woman in a fur coat and fishnet tights opening her legs

Its director Stephane Martin said the brand appeared to have 'uncontestably breached' the rules.

'I am not sure that (Saint Laurent's) female clients would like to be associated with these images,' he said.

'We had a similar type of porno chic (in fashion advertising) a decade ago, and here we have it coming back again which isn't acceptable,' Martin added.

He said they would decide on what action to take after meeting the label on Friday.

The authority bars all 'degrading and humiliating representations of people', and can demand that advertisers withdraw or change their campaigns.

France's leading women's group, Osez le feminisme ('Dare to be Feminist'), called for the campaign to be pulled, saying this was not the first time Saint Laurent has crossed the line.

In his latest show last Tuesday he gift-wrapped his models in tight shiny leather mini dresses while his debut collection featured a dress that exposed one breast

It had previously raised hackles with another campaign that used 'a very young hypersexualised woman', said spokeswoman Raphaelle Remy-Leleu.

But she said this time the subtext of the images was 'extremely violent'.

'It ticks all the sexist boxes. The women are objectified, hypersexualised and put in submissive positions,' she told AFP.

'How do they think they will sell anything today (to women) with that?

'But you have to ask if that wasn't intentional, that this was all about creating a scandal so we would talk about them,' Remy-Leleu added.

Saint Laurent was not available for comment.

Britain's advertising watchdog banned a Saint Laurent advert two years ago that featured an overly thin model whose ribcage was showing.

The French advertising authority said the latest campaign had been created by Saint Laurent's in-house team, and questioned if its new young designer Anthony Vaccarello (left, with Kate Moss) had not gone too far

Britain's advertising watchdog banned a Saint Laurent advert two years ago that featured an overly thin model whose rib cage was showing

Martin said the latest campaign had been created by Saint Laurent's in-house team, and questioned if its new young designer Anthony Vaccarello had not gone too far.

The Belgian creator has flirted with bad taste in his first two shows for the brand in which he radically ramped up the sex factor.

In his latest show last Tuesday he gift-wrapped his models in tight shiny leather mini dresses while his debut collection featured a dress that exposed one breast.

'We have a rather young designer known for his rather 'specific' looks,' Martin said.

It is possible that 'in this rather closed world, with its specific codes, that they did not realise' the effect the adverts would have, the regulator added.
The world-famous Iditarod dog sled race finally starts today - but only after the organizers moved the route 350 miles further north in order to find enough snow.

The 1,000-mile race across the Alaskan wilderness is one of the world's most celebrated tests of endurance.

But the 'Last Great Race' was in danger this year because mild weather had meant there was insufficient snow along the usual route from Willow, near Anchorage, to Nome.

Kristy Berington's dog team stops at a trailgate party along the ceremonial start trail in Anchorage on Saturday

Dallas Seavey (pictured) has won four of the last five Iditarods. Seavey is pictured last year after winning the race

The Iditarod race has been shifted further north because there was not enough on the normal course, especially through the Alaska Range of mountains

The organizers had to move the start to Fairbanks, 350 miles north of the Alaskan capital because several trails in the Alaskan Range were potentially unsafe to race because of an absence of snow.

It was only the third time in the race's 44-year history that the start line has been moved. The first was in 2003 and the second in 2015.

This year 72 teams of mushers are competing in the event and GPS technology and a website allows people to follow the progress of the teams, as they endure gale-force winds, whiteout conditions and temperatures as low as -40F.

At the ceremonial start to the race, in Anchorage on Saturday, several dogs wore green boots

Alaska's Governor Bill Walker shared this photo of people outside for the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race at the weekend

Competitor: Walker shared this photo, writing: 'Everyone know's DeeDee Jonrowe's dogs with those famous pink boots! Go DeeDee go! #Iditarod'

This year's competitors include teams from Canada, the Czech Republic, England, France, Hungary, Norway, Sweden and four other US states as well as Alaskans.

The field includes Dallas Seavey, the 2016 winner, and four other former Iditarod champions.

It will take between eight and 17 days for racers to complete the course.

Seavey, a four-time Iditarod winner, set a race record last year with his time of eight days, 11 hours, 20 minutes and 16 seconds. Seavey, 30, the son of two-time Iditarod winner Mitch Seavey, took home a $75,000 purse last year.

Fashion statement: The adorable dogs are seen wearing their pink boots on Saturday while out in the snow

Off they go! A team of dogs is seen trekking through the snow in Alaska on Saturday

The race is a tribute to a life line of mushers and dogs who carried essential supplies to remote outposts in the early days of Alaska's non-aboriginal settlement.

The most famous of those missions took place in 1925, when a relay of teams completed the legendary Serum Run, delivering a crucial supply of antitoxin to Nome for children stricken by a deadly diphtheria epidemic.

Seavey, a four-time Iditarod winner, set a race record last year with his time of eight days, 11 hours, 20 minutes and 16 seconds. Seavey, 30, the son of two-time Iditarod winner Mitch Seavey, took home a $75,000 purse last year.
French president Francois Hollande has admitted that far-right politician Marine Le Pen could win the French election.

The unpopular Socialist warned against the rise of the right in France

Mr Hollande told Le Monde: 'The far-right has never been so high in more than 30 years. But France won't cave in.'

French president Francois Hollande has admitted that far-right politician Marine Le Pen could win the French election and has warned against the rise of the right wing

National Front leader Marine Le Pen is tipped to win the first round of voting on April 23, along with centrist independent Emmanuel Macron. The top two from the first round will battle it out until the election on May 7

Mr Sarkozy said the party's current divisions are only adding to support for the far-right.

'Our divisions will pave the way for the far-right,' he said, adding this situation 'can't last and is creating deep unease among French people'.

Polls are now suggesting that far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist independent candidate Emmanuel Macron will come out on top in the first-round presidential vote on April 23.

Conservative candidate Francois Fillon was once the favourite in the presidential race. But now, he has become mired after accusations of a fake jobs scandal, which could see him go to jail

If Mr Fillon withdraws, Alain Juppe said he will not run in his place. He told reporters: 'It's too late'. The former prime minister said there will not be a 'Plan B' for voters

The top two will then go on to compete in the May 7 presidential run-off.

Former prime minister Alain Juppe will not step into the country's presidential race to rescue his party's chances if embattled candidate Francois Fillon withdraw.

Mr Fillon was once the front-runner in France's presidential race, but his prospects are imploding as he faces possible corruption charges for arranging government-paid jobs for his wife and two of his children.

Top allies have fled his campaign, and the situation has created a deepening crisis for French conservatives.

Moments after former president Nicolas Sarkozy called for a meeting with both Mr Fillon and Mr Juppe, the Bordeaux mayor, who was defeated by Mr Fillon in the conservative primary, said he would not amount to a 'Plan B' for The Republicans party.

Mr Fillon is accused of creating parliamentary jobs for his wife, Penelope, (pictured) and their two children. The couple both face jail sentences of up to 10 years

'It's too late,' he told reporters, accusing Mr Fillon of leading the French right into a political 'dead end' with his stubbornness in claiming he is the victim of a political plot.

Mr Juppe said: 'What a waste. Last week I received many calls asking me to take over. They made me hesitate, I thought about it. Today, uniting everyone has become even more difficult.'

Republicans members have become even more anxious after a poll suggested Mr Juppe would have a better chance at reaching the presidential run-off than Mr Fillon.

Mr Fillon's image of honesty, which helped him secure The Republicans' nomination, has been severely dented since the scandal broke.

'I don't intent to engage in partisan bargaining for positions,' Mr Juppe said.

'I'm not in a position today to achieve the required unity behind a unifying project. I confirm, once and for all, that I will not bid for French president.'

Mr Juppe agreed to meet Mr Sarkozy and Mr Fillon but their encounter is not expected to bear fruit now that Mr Juppe has ruled himself out.

Mr Juppe's decision, however, does not end the political negotiations within the divided party, with its political committee holding an urgent meeting later.

Mr Sarkozy said the Conservative party's current divisions are only adding to support for the far-right. Pictured, Marine Le Pen earlier this week

Another right-wing former prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, added his voice to the critics, telling BFM TV station that he would not vote for Mr Fillon.

Mr Fillon said last week he was summoned to appear before judges on March 15 for allegedly using taxpayers' money to pay family members for jobs that may not have existed.

He denies any wrongdoing and claims to be the victim of a conspiracy orchestrated by his rivals.

In her first interview since the scandal broke, Penelope told French media: 'Unlike the others, I will not abandon him'

He initially said he would step down if charged, but backpedalled on his pledge after being summoned to face charges.

In her first interview since the scandal broke, his Welsh wife Penelope urged her husband to stay in the race.

'Unlike the others, I will not abandon him,' Penelope Fillon was quoted as saying in the Journal du dimanche newspaper.

'I told him to continue to the end.'
Carole Radziwill is opening up about the death of her cousin-in-law John F. Kennedy Jr. and best friend Carolyn Bessette in a rare interview.

The author and Real Housewives of New York star will appear on the HLN docu-series 'How It Really Happened with Hill Harped' in an episode entitled 'JFK Jr.'s Tragic Final Flight' that will premiere on Friday.

In the two-hour retrospective, set to air at 9pm, Radziwill details her final conversation with Bessette as well as how she went about trying to locate the couple when she learned their plane had never made it to Martha's Vineyard from New York City.

'I spent 15 years as a journalist and producer at ABC News, and I thought, "OK, I need to figure out this story and solve it somehow. I need to figure out where they are, because they're somewhere,"' says Radziwill in a clip exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com.

It was unfortunately a lost cause by that point, with the couple having crashed as they tried to land on the island hours prior.

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Rare interview: Carole Radziwill (above) is opening up about the plane crash that killed her cousin-in-law John F. Kennedy Jr back in 1999

Golden couple: Radziwill says she spoke to Carolyn Bessette (above in November 1997) before and and John Jr. took off from Essex County Airport in Fairfield, New Jersey

Radziwill had been incredibly close to John and Carolyn, having been married to his cousin and good friend Anthony Radziwill.

This is why she was one of the last to speak to the couple, who she planned on seeing the evening of the crash.

Radziwill was in his final days after a decade-long battle with cancer, and the trip was expected to be one of the last times the cousins would be able to see one another.

'Carolyn called me from the plane right before they were taking off. And I think it was probably a little bit after 8 o'clock,' says Radziwill of her conversation with Bessette earlier that evening.

'I don't remember anything really important from that conversation, I didn't certainly think it would be the last time I would speak to my friend.'

She then adds: 'I remember at the end she said, you know, "I love you." And, I don't know, for some reason I didn't say I love you back and that always stuck with me. And she said 'I'll call you when I land.' And then that was the last I ever heard from her or anyone.'

The two were there with friends and other members of the Kennedy family ahead of Rory Kennedy's wedding that weekend.

With the festivities set to get underway on Saturday, Radziwill got a call the night before when John and his wife failed to make an appearance on the island.

'The phone rang at midnight, and I got just this sick feeling in my stomach, and it was John's friend Pinky, and he said, you know, 'Are they there with you? I'm at the airport and they're not here,'' recalls Radziwill.

'And then, and then I thought, 'Oh. Oh s***.' And I just bolted out of bed.'

Radziwill explains how she then got to work trying to find the couple, who had just been married three years prior in a ceremony off the coast of Georgia attended by only 30 guests, including Carole and her husband.

Anthony was his cousin's best man.

First love: Radziwill was with her husband Anthony (above) awaiting the arrival of the couple on Martha's Vineyard for the wedding of Rory Kennedy

Bad news: Radzwill (above with John Jr. in 1997) received a call just after midnight from one of John's friends saying that he had not arrived on the island

'One call led to another to another to another, and I called the Hyannis Airport many times, because I assumed that they had made a mistake,' says Radziwill.

'And the whole time I'm calling John's friend and screaming into the phone, 'Please, you have to find somebody in John's family, to tell, tell them what's going on.''

Radziwill's calls were not getting her anywhere however, and she soon started to realize that authorities would have to be notified about the two, who had been flying with Bessette's sister Lauren.

'It was probably between 2 or 3 when I realized I had to call the Coast Guard and report John's plane missing,' reveals Radziwill.

'I said, 'My cousin's missing.' And, and then he took the name, and I think there was a little bit of a, like, a gasp on the other end of the phone.'

John had taken off from Essex County Airport in Fairfield, New Jersey, at 8:39pm on July 16, 1999 bound for the airfield in Martha's Vineyard.

The air traffic controller at the island airport alerted the regional FAA office in Connecticut just after 10pm when the plane had failed to arrive.

In the end, it was the conditions that evening which are believed to have caused the tragedy which took three lives.

Gone too soon: Radziwill eventually notified the Coast Guard, who found the plane three days later on July 19, 1999 (Carolyn and Lauren Bessette above in 1998)

Saying goodbye: Radziwill and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. scattering the ashes of John Jr. at sea on July 22, 1999 (above)

'The basic discrepancy was this: There were two different systems. There was an automatic system, which misgauged the weather, and led forecasters to say nine miles visibility,' explains Dr. Bob Arnot.

'In aviation terms, the weather forecast that JFK Jr. got was just plain wrong, and it's that forecast that accounted for his death.'

Three days later, parts of the plane were detected on the ocean floor.

On July 21, five days after the plane went missing, the three bodies were found and removed from the underwater wreckage.

The ashes of John, 38, his wife Carolyn, 33, and his sister-in-law Lauren, 34, were scattered at sea on July 22 just off of Martha's Vineyard by friends and family, including Radziwill.

John Jr. made the decision prior to his death to have his ashes be scattered at sea rather than be buried alongside his father, mother, sister Arabella and brother Patrick at Arlington National Cemetery.

One month after the crash, Anthony died of cancer. He passed away just two weeks shy of his five-year anniversary.

Tragedy: A month after the crash, Radzwill's husband Anthony passed away after a decade-long battle with cancer (Carole and Lee Radziwill at Anthony's funeral on August 13, 1999)

Birthday girl: Carole and Lee remain close, and the two were out celebrating Lee's birthday just this past weekend (Lee above)

Radziwill remains close to her mother-in-law Lee though, and just this past weekend celebrated her birthday.

She posted a photo of Lee out to dinner, at Cipriani in New York City writing: 'Happy Birthday to the most interesting woman in NYC.'

When asked to describe her mother-in-law during a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Radziwill said; 'She has that feminine quality that's hard to put your finger on. Men just fell at her feet. There is an elegant casualness that I don't think I've seen since.'

She also said that when she first married Anthony, many asked if she was a Kennedy.

'I have to correct people when they say, 'Oh, you're married into the Kennedy family,'' she said.

''No, I married into the Radziwill family.' It was a point of honor for me.'
A 17-year-old girl has been killed in a road traffic accident after shopping for prom when her boyfriend lost control of the vehicle on a wet road.

Tabatha Romaker was in the car with driver Frankie Santos, also 17, who is now in a critical condition at the Medical Center of Arlington, Texas.

She was a senior at the L. D. Bell High School in Hurt and had spent the day shopping and trying spray tans with her mother for the upcoming prom.

Tabatha Romaker, 17, died in a car crash while in the vehicle with her boyfriend Frankie Santos, also 17, who is now in a critical condition (pictured together)

Tabatha was a senior at the L. D. Bell High School in Hurt and had spent the day shopping and trying spray tans with her mother for the upcoming prom

Her mother Rita Romaker told told Fox 4 News that she and Tabatha's sister Nikki Dalby are now grieving but are still hoping that Frankie survives.

She also revealed that her daughter, president of the choir and a regular volunteer at the local animal shelter, had recently been accepted to two colleges.

She said: 'We lost our baby, but he still has a fighting chance, so we want everyone to lift him in prayer also, and his family, because they're going through uncertainty and fear the way we were last night. We just pray that the outcome is better.'

The pair were on their way home from a dinner date when the car hydroplaned, spinning out of control and coming to rest in the center of an intersection.

Her mother Rita Romaker told told Fox 4 News that she and Tabatha's sister Nikki Dalby are now grieving but are still hoping that Santos (pictured together) survives

A driver travelling eastbound then collided with the car, t-boning it at the junction at around 9.45pm on Saturday night, police said.

The woman who was driving was also taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Tabatha was taken to hospital and survived surgery but died after losing too much blood at around 4am on Sunday.
This is the terrifying moment a group of tourists screamed and ran when a volcano erupted below them.

Holidaymakers were filming their trip to the top of Villarrica in Chile - one of the most active volcanoes in the country - when it started spewing flames and lava.

Dramatic footage taken from the top of the crater shows the moment the mouth of the volcano opened up and a jet of magma and toxic smoke shot up into the air.

Dramatic footage captured the terrifying moment tourists screamed and ran when a volcano erupted below them

Holidaymakers were filming their trip to the top of Villarrica in Chile - one of the most active volcanoes in the country - when it started spewing flames and lava

A man filming the volcano turned and fled as the eruption unfolded in front of him while someone in the background can be heard saying 'something's happening. Go go go!'

Other tourists can be heard panicking and scrambling to safety.

The group, who were equipped with walking gear and trekking poles, were on an expedition with a tour company.

They had reached the top of Villarrica when flames began to appear around the crater.

The group were left shocked by the minor eruption but no-one in the expedition was hurt.

The last significant eruption of the volcano, which is around 450 miles south of Santiago, was on March 3, 2015.

Villarrica, which rises above a lake and town of the same name, has been on 'early preventative alert' since May 2016.

The panicked mobile phone footage caught showed the tourists running away from the volcano

Dramatic footage taken from the top of the crater shows the moment the mouth of the volcano opened up and a jet of magma and toxic smoke shot up into the air

It is one of a small number of volcanoes worldwide, known to have an active lava lake within its crater.

According to a monitoring service, 'superficial activity,' in the volcano is caused by this lake of lava.

This can cause low-powered gas explosions inside the hole like the one seen by the tourists.

The only real threat from such explosions is the risk of those nearby being hit by falling debris.

The volcano intermittently generates eruptions with ejections of incandescent lava flows.

Villarrica is also known as Rucapillan, a Mapuche word meaning 'Pillan's house'.

Pillan is a powerful and respected male spirit in Mapuche mythology, according to legend, the Pillan are good spirits, but they can also cause disasters.
A Delaware woman has revisited her traumatic three-hour torture at the hands of her child's father in the hope that she can persuade other abused women to escape their torment.

Emily Hill, 26, had already been beaten by partner Wayne E Carter Jr, 25, during their rocky and tumultuous relationship, but had kept returning to him in the belief it would be better for their son.

But on the night of February 12, 2016 Carter pushed her beyond her limits with a brutal and sustained act of violence that almost claimed her life - and ended up getting him 25 years in jail.

Now the Newark woman is speaking out about the terror she endured, in the hopes that she can persuade other women to escape while they still can, Delaware Online reported.

Abused: Emily Hill (left) was almost killed by Wayne Carter Jr (right) in Feb 2016. She had tolerated his abuse before but decided to call police; he has been jailed for 25 years

Son: Hill had avoided prosecuting Carter because she wanted their son Harlem (pictured) to have his father. But she changed her mind after her terrifying three-hour ordeal

Carter, then 24, had been haunting Hill, then 25, in the months before his three-hour reign of terror, as their relationship deteriorated.

He would appear behind her in her rearview mirror as she picked up their four-year-old son, Harlem, from daycare.

He would stop her in stairwells and send her tumbling down.

At one point he sneaked up on her as she sat in her car, then reached in and slammed her head into the steering wheel, then hit her car as she rolled up the window and called 911.

I'm going to make you so ugly that no one ever wants you again Wayne Carter Jr

But by the time police turned up, Carter would be gone and so would Hill's desire to see him behind bars.

'At that point, I was just trying to have a relationship with him for our child and that was it,' she said.

'But it got to the point that I would stop going home because I didn't want him to show up at my house.'

That's exactly what happened to Hill on February 12, however - as she climbed into bed she saw Carter stood in her bedroom doorway.

She had almost persuaded him to leave when her cellphone went off. Carter immediately became infuriated with jealousy, demanding to know who was calling her and wanting her password.

Then the beating began.

He threw Hill to the floor and began to pound her face, then strangle her until she blacked out.

She said she 'never imagined that strangulation would actually be as peaceful as it was. And it was almost like an answered prayer at that point because I thought it was over.'

But this was only the beginning.

Over the next three hours, Carter choked, whipped, beat and stabbed Hill, telling her: 'I'm going to make you so ugly that no one ever wants you again.'

'I'll never forget his face at that moment and the rage and the anger that I saw in his eyes,' she said.

'It didn't feel like that was the same person I had loved for a year and a half. At that point, I felt like a stranger had come into the house and was doing this all to me.'

I felt like a stranger had come into the house and was doing this all to me Emily Hill

He choked her repeatedly with a tote bag strap and a gold chain from a light fixture, then tried to smother her with a pillow.

She fought back, struggling free and running for the door, only to be dragged back into Carter's sadistic grasp.

He whipped her with a cable, beat her until her eardrums ruptured, and stabbed her in the arm with a kitchen knife, before using its bloody blade to shear off her hair.

Finally, Hill was able to persuade him to leave her alone, promising him that she would blame an unknown robber for the bruises, welts and cuts all over her body.

Carter kissed her and told her he loved her. Then he wiped the blood from the kitchen knife on his trousers, put it back in the knife block and left.

But Hill had finally been pushed too far, and knew she could never forgive the man who brought her so close to death.

Healing: Hill has now forgiven Carter, who was mentally ill, but doesn't accept the violence he visited on her. She wants other women to know they can escape

She did what so many abused women are afraid to do: Co-operate with the police, testify against their abusers and let the law give them the protection they need.

'Initially, everything is heated but shortly thereafter, it all falls apart,' said Detective Michael Watson, the Newark cop who investigated Hill's case, of most abuse cases.

'The victim goes back to the abuser or you're not getting the cooperation you need for a prosecution.'

That can be fatal. In 2015, six people died from domestic violence in Delaware alone. Nationally, 1,300 women die every year due to violence by partners, according to the CDC.

Hill stayed the course, even as Carter tried to use friends to relay messages to her before his trial.

That strength was paid off when Carter finally went to court.

Prosecutors had hoped he might get 15-20 years in prison, at best. But the judge handed down a heftier sentence.

'On the best day, I never thought we would get 25,' Watson said. 'But I believe the judge saw through him ... how cold and calculated he was, and that any act that he would put on in the courtroom was just that - an act.'

Given that a sentence of 25 years is rarely seen outside of a murder case, the result astounded prosecutors. And Hill has also been granted a protection from abuse order that will last her entire lifetime.

When you choose to forgive those who hurt you, you forever take away their power... Forgiveness is also a sign of letting go. and that's what I'm doing today. Emily Hill, in court statement

Hill says that she has now forgiven Carter, who was suffering from mental health issues that he never got treatment for.

And she allows him to see their son once a month in visits to Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington, saying the boy should be allowed to decide for himself if he no longer wants to see his father.

But Carter's parents take Harlem to see the felon, as Hill doesn't want to see her abuser again - and she admits that the going is tough.

'It definitely is hard looking at my son every day,' Hill said. 'I see the face of the same man that almost killed me.'

Forgiving Carter has helped her move on with her own life, she said, although she doesn't accept the abuse he inflicted on her.

In a statement she read at Carter's sentencing last month she said: 'When you choose to forgive those who hurt you, you forever take away their power.

She added: 'Forgiveness is also a sign of letting go,' she said, 'and that's what I'm doing today.'

If you are suffering from abuse at the hands of a partner - male or female - contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline on (800) 799-7233.
Multiple fast-attack vessels from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps came close to a U.S. Navy ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, as the country was reportedly conducting missile tests in the area.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to Reuters on Monday, said the Revolutionary Guard boats came within 600 yards of the USNS Invincible, a surveillance vessel, and stopped.

The Invincible was being accompanied by three ships from the British Royal Navy and forced the formation to change course.

The official said attempts were made to communicate over radio, but there was no response and the interaction was 'unsafe and unprofessional'.

The U.S. Navy surveillance ship Invincible was approached by several vessels from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on Saturday while sailing in the Strait of Hormuz. Above, a stock image of the Invincible

This marked the second time in three days that the Invincible was approached by Revolutionary Guard boats.

A similar incident happened on Thursday, in the Gulf of Oman, which is just south of the Strait of Hormuz That time, Iranian boats got within 150 years of the Invincible.

The Invincible is outfitted with sonar that tracks submarines and radar that monitors missile tests.

And it appears it was in the right area, since U.S. officials say Iran conducted missile tests in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday and Sunday.

Two officials told Fox News that Iran test-fired a pair of ballistic missiles into the Gulf of Oman. One of the so-called 'Fateh-110 Mod 3' missiles destroyed a floating barge from a range of 155 miles.

One of the officials said that this was the first test of the missile in two years. It's unclear if this is the first successful sea test of the missile.

Iran reportedly launched the two short-range missiles from the Revolutionary Guard base in Bandar-e-Jask, in southeastern Iran. The first missile was fired Saturday and missed it's target, but the missile fired Sunday was successful.

This new type of Iranian missile is an 'active seeker' missile that helps locate and lock in on ships at sea.

One of the officials said the test was 'concerning' because of the range the missile was launched from and the fact that one of them worked.

Relations between the U.S. and Iran were warming under President Obama, thanks to his nuclear agreement, but they have begun to chill again since President Trump, a strong Israel supporter, took office.

Iran was among the nine countries on the original travel ban list, which caused the country to stop letting in Americans. President Trump announced a new travel ban on Monday, and Iran remained on the list - but Iranians who already have American visas will still be allowed to enter the country.

During the campaign, Trump also threatened to 'rip up' the Iran nuclear deal, but he has yet to take action on that promise - and many experts believe he won't actually follow through.
Culture Secretary Karen Bradley has been urged to refer Rupert Murdoch's controversial 11.7billion Sky bid to regulators.

Labour insisted the mogul's media empire could not be allowed to get 'even bigger'.

The call came as Ms Bradley confirmed to MPs that she is 'minded' to refer the merger between Sky and 21st Century Fox. She also suggested that Ofcom will be able to take the phone-hacking scandal into account if it does examine the situation.

Karen Bradley confirmed to MPs that she is 'minded' to refer the merger betweenSky and 21st Century Fox

The deal, first announced in December, was formally notified to the European Commission on Friday.

Ms Bradley insisted she had not taken a final decision on whether to approve the huge deal and will use the 10 day review period allowed by law to review the details.

She told MPs she was 'presently minded' to refer the issue to Ofcom, citing concerns about competition and media standards.

But she stressed that she was exercising 'quasi-judicial' powers and could not be drawn any further on how the process would develop.

FOX BUYS SKY: WHAT HAPPENS NOW? The Culture Secretary has 10 days from Friday to decide whether to refer the bid to Ofcom by issuing a public interest intervention notice (PIIN). Karen Bradley confirmed today that she is minded to do so. The media regulator will then spend up to 40 days carrying out a public interest test on the proposed deal, including a review of whether the holder of the broadcast licence is a 'fit and proper person'. If it has concerns, Ms Bradley will have to ask Fox to address any issues, and decide whether to accept what they suggest. A rejected compromise would send the bid to the Competition and Markets Authority for full review, which could take up to six months. After their scrutiny, Ms Bradley will have 30 days to block, approve or approve the deal with conditions. The European Commission could also take a look at the deal on competition grounds. Assuming the deal passes again, it will eventually be put to a vote of Sky shareholders. Advertisement

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson told the Commons he hoped Ms Bradley would 'listen carefully' to concerns.

He said assurances were needed to ensure the planned merger would not allow Mr Murdoch or his family to promote their own political views and interests.

The deal is opposed by critics of Mr Murdoch's domination of the news media and Ms Bradley is under intense pressure to send it to media and competition watchdogs.

'The company names may have changed since the previous bid for Sky was withdrawn in 2011 but we are still dealing with media plurality, misconduct and the Murdochs,' Mr Watson said.

'(Ms Bradley) has said she is minded to intervene, first, on media plurality grounds.

'The bid would put an even greater amount of media power in the UK in the hands of the Murdoch family.

'It makes the Murdoch empire even bigger. We might call it Empire 2.0.

'Ofcom should look at the whole group of Murdoch-owned and controlled companies in assessing whether the Sky takeover would threaten media plurality.'

Urging the government to defend broadcasting standards, Mr Watson added: 'We do need to be satisfied that the merged company would comply with the broadcasting code, just as we need to be confident that it would not be used by Rupert Murdoch or his family to promote their political views and interests.

'But the most troubling issues raised by the proposed merger are not about the content of James Murdoch's programming, they are about the content of his character.'

Ms Bradley responded that she had not intention of making Ofcom work 'with one hand tied behind its back'.

Rupert Murdoch's planned merger between 21st Century Fox and Sky has been officially notified to Culture Secretary Karen Bradley

She added: 'Ofcom has sufficient powers and can investigate anything they think is appropriate. I thank you for the points you have raised and I'm sure they will be part of what Ofcom does consider.

'Ofcom does have a fit and proper test for broadcasting licences, that is a different test to the one which will be considered on this merger but the same evidence may be relevant to both.'

In an apparent reference to the phone-hacking scandal that led to the closure of the News of the World, Ms Bradley added: 'It will be open to Ofcom to look at all relevant areas and I am not ruling out any areas if I decide to intervene.'

Mr Murdoch tried to buy Sky in 2010 but the deal collapsed at the height of the phone hacking scandal. MPs symbolically voted against the deal in 2011.

WHAT WILL MURDOCH AND FOX OWN? In 2013, following the closure of the News of the World, the media mogul split his businesses and Fox then acquired the Sky stake. The New York-based company now owns a 39 per cent stake in Sky. Sky has 22million customers across five countries - the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy and Austria. It has annual revenues of more than 11billion and is Europe's leading investment of television content. The company has a programming budget of 4.9billion. It paid 4.2billion for the rights to show Premier League football for three years from the 2016/17 season. The company regularly shows Super Sunday - where up to three matches can be viewed from 12 noon to around 6pm. It also has a deal with HBO - a huge network in the US - to exclusively show a number of television series, including Game of Thrones. The fantasy drama is Sky's most popular show, pulling in more than five million viewers for each episode. Sky's revenues rose by seven per cent to nearly 12bn earlier this year. Advertisement

His son James Murdoch defended the bid at a conference last week warning that Britain's TV and film industry was at stake.

Fox already owns a 39 per cent stake in Sky and said last week it was confident the deal would be approved by regulators.

Fox and Sky have until 5pm on March 8 to hand Ms Bradley any information they feel relevant to the deal and she must reveal her decision by March 13.

If Ms Bradley does intervene, the bid would be sent to Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority.

Following their reports, she would then have to decide whether to give the merger a green light.

Shadow culture secretary Mr Watson wrote to Ms Bradley today voicing concern that wider corporate governance issue should be considered in the process.

They included 'many of the failings identified by the report of part one of the Leveson inquiry and which have come to light since then', he said.

The Labour MP delivered a stark warning that the grounds for referral were 'not a sufficient legal basis for Ofcom to fully explore what needs to be covered in relation to the conduct of the Murdochs because it ultimately judges matters considered under this ground only against a genuine commitment to broadcasting standards'.

Watson, who campaigned against phone-hacking, said he wanted Ms Bradley to 'publish  or failing that, share with me in confidence  the legal advice which you have sought and received on any and all of these points from external sources or from government lawyers, and respond to the concerns'.

James Murdoch, chief executive of 21st Century Fox and chairman of Sky, told a conference in London last week that the future of Britain's television and film export industry was at stake, amid questions over whether regulators should allow the deal to proceed.

'The UK's creative economy stands tall on the world stage with films and TV stamped made in the UK having a global resonance . . . But past performance is no guarantee of future results. Every day we see new entrants armed with fresh capital and a predisposition for disruption,' Mr Murdoch said.

He claimed that the UK's creative output out-punched many larger markets and 'Sky is an important part of this rapidly evolving sector'.
A refugee worker in charge of the eight Iraqis who gang-raped a German woman in Austria has blamed the victim for the horrifying attack.

A family of eight Iraqi asylum-seekers were convicted and jailed over the rape in Vienna on New Year's Eve 2015.

The Iraqis found the 28-year-old woman, identified only as Sabine K, in a bar and took her back to an apartment where they raped her.

The refugee aid worker, who has not been named, was supposedly helping the Iraqis integrate into Austrian society. Interviewed by Austrian media on camera, he said the men's sentences were too high.

But off camera the man - who works as a refugee guardian - went further and said the woman was to blame for giving 'false signals' to the group said the excessive alcohol consumption on all sides should have counted as mitigation.

Eight asylum seekers from the same family were found guilty of gang-raping a German tourist in Austria. Ringleader Alaa Al-J (right) and Mustafa Al-J (covering his face) are led into court during the trial. The only man to admit to his guilt was Mohammed Al-A (in the red t-shirt)

At the opening of the trial in February the court heard how she was 'blind drunk' when she went with the men to an apartment.

But prosecutors claimed she had been drugged.

Only one man, Mohamed Al-A, 31, admitted his role in the rapes and he sobbed in court as he said he was 'really drunk' on vodka at the time.

His Muslim faith may forbid him to drink alcoholic beverages, but on New Year's Eve he said he made an exception and drank vodka. 'I was really drunk,' he said, and he further admitted; 'this act is a crime in Iraq.'

Sabine was heavily traumatised by the incident and had to quit her job. She has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and depression.

The eight were jailed for between nine and 13 years but could not be deported to their native Iraq because it carries the death penalty for rape.

Austria is adamantly opposed to the death penalty and heavily criticised Austrian-born Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005 when the then Governor of California executed gang leader Stanley 'Tookie' Williams.

Marwan Al-J was one of nine Iraqi men charged over the gang-rape of a German woman. Eight of the men were convicted

Another refugee guardian, Ahmed Salam, who helps newcomers to settle in the city of Innsbruck, said he was shocked by the man's remarks and said: 'The refugee guardians play a big role. They are like the teachers in a school.'

He said: 'There are lots of people who have never experienced living in an open society. They come with questions - if the women here are totally open and if they can go out and drink coffee with women.'

Mr Salam said he always told them they can go out and drink a coffee to get to know a woman but must 'show respect and keep their distance'.

One of the accused, Mohammed Al-T, arrived in court covering his face and looked to the ground as he was led in to court for an earlier appearance

The victim has been awarded 25,000 euros in damages.

Most of the men had denied the charges but DNA from six of them was found in or on the victim's body.

The court heard how the victim arrived in Vienna on December 28, 2015 to spend the New Year with a female friend in the city.

Shortly before midnight on December 31 they wandered into the city centre to join crowds celebrating the arrival of 2016 and at 2am were seen drinking in a bar-restaurant called Cactus.

Shortly before 3am Sabine's friend noticed she was no longer there and was told by another patron that the men she had been talking with had 'taken her away.'

Mohamed Al-A, co-defendants Nazar Al-J, Mohammed Al-T and Alaa Al-J were in the Cactus bar and took the victim back to the apartment, where the other defendants - Hader Al-A, Mustafa Al-J, Nael Al-J and Marwan Al-J lay in wait.

The defendants, aged between 22 and 45, all arrived in Austria between May and December 2015 via the Balkan route.

At the time of the attack, five of them had cemented their right to stay, the applications of the other four were still pending.

Judge Petra Poschalko heard how the woman was taken by four of them to an apartment in Vienna's Rustenschacher Allee, where more men were waiting.

Sabine later said she found herself naked on a double bed being assaulted by the men one after the other.

The Iraqi nationals had gone on trial in the Austrian capital Vienna (file picture) accused of the New Year's Eve 2015 attack on the 28-year-old teacher

Her lawyer Karina Fehringer told the court her client was assaulted in the dark so she could not identify the men.

After the attacks, which went on for several hours, the victim needed in-patient treatment at a trauma clinic and now is under psychiatric care for post traumatic stress disorder.

She had a breakdown before the trial and was too fragile to be in court to face her attackers.

Another defendant, Sabah Al-J, was acquitted after claiming his diabetes made him impotent.

Medical experts testified the woman was raped multiple times and sodomised. The victim said she yelled at them, in German: 'No, I don't want this.' Then in English: 'Listen to me, just a little bit.'

Alaa Al-J. was said to be the ringleader. After it was over Mohammed Al-A escorted her to a toilet in the flat where he took a selfie with her on his mobile phone.

Later he and Alaa Al-J escorted her to a nearby tram stop where they tried to stem her sobbing by saying in English: 'Don't cry.'

After she went to police, a tracking app on her mobile phone led officers to the rape scene. The app showed her ordeal lasted from 4.20am to 6.20am on January 1 2016.

The court heard that with the exception of the man who confessed, none of the others had shown remorse.

Several denied rape even in the face of the DNA evidence. One man claimed the woman had been 'offered' to them by relatives: another that she was a willing participant in whatever took place.
Katherine Gonzalez was arrested and charged with one count of first degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13

A 24-year-old elementary school teacher is accused of sexually assaulting one of her 11-year-old male students and told police that she wanted to make the boy 'happy.'

Katherine Gonzalez was arrested and charged with one count of first degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 on Sunday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Prosecutors said the fifth grade teacher at Atlas Preparatory Academy, a Choice school, had been messaging one of her male students on SnapChat, WISN reported.

According to the criminal complaint, Gonzalez had contact with the student in her car and at her home.

The two touched each other's 'private parts through their clothing,' prosecutors said.

The teacher allegedly told the student not to tell anyone about their relationship because she could lose her job and go to jail.

Gonzalez told authorities that the victim is 'chronically depressed' and admitted to saying things to make the 11-year-old boy happy.

The 24-year-old elementary school teacher is accused of sexually assaulting one of her 11-year-old male students at Atlas Preparatory Academy, a Choice school (file above)

According to her interview with police, she told authorities that she wanted to child to see that someone cared.

Gonzalez appeared in court for the charge and a judge set her cash bond at $15,000 while ordering her to have no contact with the victim.

She is prohibited from using social media, a cell phone or a computer.

Officials with the school sent a letter home to parents on March 3 announcing that one of the teacher's had been placed on administrative leave.

The letter, which was signed by Atlas Preparatory Academy executive director Michelle Lukacs, stated that the Milwaukee Police Department is investigating a report that accuses a teacher at the school of having inappropriate conduct with an underage student outside of school grounds.
A conwoman who is suspected of scamming 200,000 from at least one victim she met on a dating app is being hunted by police.

The woman met her victim through Match.com and they started an online relationship for about a year.

The woman claimed she lived in the Bahamas and worked in South Africa, and convinced her victim, a 43-year-old from Manchester, to hand over huge amounts of cash.

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The blogger started talking with her when he spotted her profile on Match.com and believed she lived in Teddington

The woman, who goes by several aliases, claimed to be from the Bahamas and said she worked in South Africa

The 43-year-old believed from the long hours of video calls and messages, that the money would be returned one day.

Communicating via Skype and internet messaging apps the brunette uses three different names - Christy Dunn, Martha Cameron and Miranda Stinson.

Police are clueless as to the woman's true identity and do not even know how old she is.

Officers suspect she is connected to Botswana and London and could be part of an organised crime syndicate operating across the UK.

Avon and Somerset Police are hunting the true identity of the woman and launching a Crimewatch appeal later

Pictured: A grab of the alleged conwoman during a Skype conversation and snap a she sent her victim

On a page set up to warn others, an apparent victim opens up about the string of lies she told him in order to get money.

According to the page, the woman claimed to be from Teddington, south west London, and opened other accounts saying they were from Milton Keynes, Kingswinford, London and Loughton.

Police have released this image of the woman they say duped a victim out of 200,000

He said he gave her money for an art exhibition, to have some of her work framed, for import duty at an airport and for her food and hotel.

The blogger also claimed to have given her money while she was in hospital in Nassau, which he later said did not exist.

In a chat conversation he shared, she tells him her friend was not able to raise the money for her exhibition and she wishes she had known earlier.

Avon and Somerset Police have issued a photograph of the woman and will launch a Crimewatch appeal.

Detective constable Simon Da Costa said: 'Within ten months of them meeting online, the offender made multiple requests to the victim for money.

'The victim was manipulated into giving this money firstly by the promise of a relationship, then emotional blackmail and the promise of the return of his money, and finally by threats.

Pictured: The blog started by the conwoman's victim where he warns others of her scam

SKYPE CALL WITH A CON ARTIST Below is a chat log detailing the first time the conwoman asked her victim for cash during a conversation on Skype. Martha Cameron: 'I received very disappointing news from my friend in Nassau.' **********: 'Oh dear?' Martha Cameron: 'Told you Ive been trying to reach her right? Well, she was supposed to help me with the registration fee of the exhibition.' Martha Cameron: 'Ive been working several weeks towards this and I was hoping she would lend me some money as im skint now. Martha Cameron: 'I saw her email this morning that she couldnt raise the money.' **********: 'Oh dear thats terrible.' Martha Cameron: 'I know she has her own responsibilities but I just wish she had told me earlier.' Martha Cameron: 'It made me cry this morning, because Ive been waiting a while for her on this.' **********: 'How much is the fee?' Martha Cameron: 'Feels like my dream got crushed.' Martha Cameron: 'It's $1000 and the deadline is near.' **********: 'What if I raised the cash for you?' Martha Cameron: '$1000 for regular and $1500 for VIP stands and accommodation.' Martha Cameron: 'I would really appreciate it darling, it would mean a lot to me if you could do that' Martha Cameron: 'You have no idea how much it would mean to me.' **********: 'I can appreciate how much it would as its the thing you do in your life.' **********: 'So it will be helping you life to achieve new goals' Martha Cameron: 'Yes, it's a big step for my career' Martha Cameron: 'I dont know if you can raise me the $1500 because i would have preferred the VIP stands as we are the first stop for clients. itll boost my chances of making sales and also better services.' Martha Cameron: 'I think its 980.' **********: 'So the 1500 gets you a better place and then sorts out accommodation too.' Martha Cameron: 'Yes darling.'

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'Some of this money was paid into accounts with links to Bristol.

'We believe this scam is likely to be part of a wider criminal operation targeting lonely and vulnerable people online.

'We really need to find this woman, so if you have information about where she may be, or if you have also been a victim, please call us.'
Ivanka Trump failed to raise a smile as she was driven out of her Washington D.C. home on Monday after a weekend with her family in Palm Beach.

The First Daughter wore a steely expression as she chatted on her phone in the backseat of a chauffeured SUV.

Earlier, her cheerier husband Jared Kushner emerged from the house ready for another day at work.

Kushner, who is an unpaid, senior adviser to the president, smiled as he made his way to a waiting car.

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Ivanka Trump was stony-faced as she spoke on her phone in the back of an SUV Monday morning

She was being taken from her home in DC after returning Sunday night from Florida

Ivanka returned to the home lunchtime and emerged again around an hour later, this time with a different Secret Service detail.

She was joined by a companion for the second outing and appeared to have changed into a grey coat.

The pair chatted as they were driven out of the house at around 1.30pm.

Ivanka and Jared returned to Joint Base Andrews on Sunday on board Air Force One after spending the weekend with the president.

They made a stylish descent down the stairs of Air Force One as a family before splitting up briefly.

Ivanka returned to the house at lunchtime and spent around an hour inside before leaving again with a different Secret Service detail

Ivanka (dressed in a grey coat) was joined by a companion for the second outing. The pair chatted in the back seat as they were driven out of the house

Jared was shuttled back to the White House on board Marine One for an evening meeting with the president and Chief Strategist Steve Bannon. Ivanka headed home with the kids.

Earlier in the day, she shared an Instagram photograph of their brood relaxing on a croquet lawn.

'Sunday in Palm Beach!' she wrote alongside the image of children Arabella, Joseph and Theodore posing on the green in pink and white outfits.

Ivanka and Jared jetted to Palm Beach with the president on Friday after witnessing an explosive row in the Oval Office.

Trump erupted into a 'ballistic' rage directed at White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus over the decision by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from investigations into the administration's ties with Russia.

Jared Kushner was cheerier as he emerged from the cavernous home for another day of work

Kushner smiled as he made his way towards his waiting SUV before his wife emerged

Kushner and Chief Strategist Steve Bannon were seen entering the White House at dusk on Sunday

The pair entered the Oval Office moments after Kushner returned from Mar-a-Lago

Trump was angry the announcement caused such a stir after a good start to the week with his congressional address, sources told several networks including CNN.

Both Ivanka and Jared peered out of a West Wing window as Trump scolded his staff.

They emerged moments later holding hands with their two oldest children, Arabella and Joseph, who were taken on Marine One with the president to Joint Base Andrews.

Joseph, three, brought along a toy replica of the aircraft for the ride.

They made their way on to Palm Beach where he and Ivanka visited a religious school with Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

The president's oldest daughter posted a picture on Instagram of her three children dressed in matching patriotic outfits on a croquet course at the Mar-a-Lago estate

The First Family had to fly back to Washington to resume their weekday jobs on Sunday

They made a stylish descent down the stairs of Air Force One before going their separate ways

Ivanka watched worriedly from the a window in the West Wing as her father erupted in a 'ballistic' rage at senior staff on Friday

A peek through the oval office windows before @realDonaldTrump's departure from the WH today, w Ivanka, Jared, Bannon, Reince & Spicer... pic.twitter.com/CRHulkyt1f  Cassie Spodak (@CassieSpodak) March 3, 2017

The First Daughter looked out the window several times as the President scolded Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus

Jared Kushner was also present for the tongue-lashing. He looked out the window as Bannon pleaded his case

The visit was intended to promote the administration's school choice agenda. It was President Trump's first school visit since taking office.

He spent his time joking with students about avoiding a career in politics and complimented their work.

In the early hours of Saturday morning, Trump fired off a flurry of 3am tweets accusing his predecessor Barack Obama of tapping the phones at Trump Tower during his election campaign.

The sensational accusations triggered an onslaught of condemnation from Democrats and furious denials from the Obama administration.

Moments later the family was all smiles as they emerged with Ivanka's oldest children, Arabella and Joseph, to make their way to Florida

President Trump took his two grandchildren on Marine One to Joint Base Andrews where the whole family jumped aboard Air Force One

On Sunday, the president continued his crusade by returning to the social network to taunt Obama.

He reminded his followers of a 2012 promise made by the former president to the then outgoing Russian president Dmitry Medvedev he'd have 'more flexibility' to negotiate key issues including missile defense after the election.

Trump also suggested the DNC denied FBI investigators access to its servers to probe a Russian hack last year.
General Motors Co. is laying off 1,100 workers at an assembly plant in Michigan

General Motors Co. is laying off 1,100 workers at its assembly plant in Michigan.

GM says it's ending the third shift at its Lansing Delta Township plant because one of its products - the GMC Acadia SUV - is moving to Spring Hill, Tennessee.

The Lansing plant will still have two shifts building the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs.

Lansing's last day as a three-shift plant will be May 12. GM announced last spring that it would make the new Acadia in Tennessee. It has added a third shift and around 800 jobs to its plant in Spring Hill.

President Donald Trump has urged GM and other automakers to build more cars in the country as part of his pledge to boost U.S. manufacturing jobs and discourage the industry from investing in Mexico.

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Employee Debbie Holbrook, center right, works on a Cadillac CTS on the production line at the General Motors Co. (GM) Lansing Grand River Assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan, U.S in October 2015. The firm is laying off 1,100 workers at the plant

President Donald Trump has urged GM and other automakers to build more cars in the country as part of his pledge to boost U.S. manufacturing jobs and discourage the industry from investing in Mexico

GM has announced other U.S. factory cuts even after it said in January it would invest another $1billion in U.S. factories.

The company has said their $1billion investment would allow it to create or retain 1,500 U.S. jobs, but has not specified what jobs are impacted.

President Trump has repeatedly praised GM's January investment announcement. During a news conference in February, he touted his own role in bringing jobs with General Motors back to the United States.

President Trump has repeatedly praised GM's January investment announcement

Trump has urged GM and other automakers to build more cars in the country as part of his pledge to boost U.S. manufacturing jobs and discourage the industry from investing in Mexico

He said GM was 'committed to invest billions of dollars in its American manufacturing operation, keeping many jobs here that were going to leave.

'And if I didn't get elected, believe me, they would have left,' he said.

GM said in November it would cut about 2,000 jobs when it ended the third shift at its Lordstown, Ohio, and Lansing Grand River plants in January.

In December, it said it planned to cancel the second shift and cut nearly 1,300 jobs from its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant in March.

Those job cuts were sparked by lower demand for cars as Americans buy more SUVs and other larger vehicles.

GM has been adding a significant number of U.S. jobs in recent years.

It had 105,000 U.S. employees at the end of 2016, up from 97,000 at the end of 2015, according to a company filing in February.

GM on Monday declined to provide its current U.S. employment figure.
Three children playing hide and seek in the woods near their home were left shaken up after they say they were chased by two armed men dressed as clowns.

Police investigated the area in West Mifflin, Pittsburgh, around 5pm on Sunday after the petrified children ran home and told their father what had happened.

The children said one man had a pipe and the other carried a shotgun.

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Police investigated the area around 5pm on Sunday in West Mifflin, Pittsburgh, after the petrified children ran home and told their father what had happened

Three children playing hide and seek in the woods were shaken up after they were chased by two armed men dressed as clowns

Their father Michael Milkowski called police after his son came bursting through the front door screaming, he told CBS Pittsburgh.

'I said to my kids "are you lying or something?" and they were like "no we're being really serious," he said.

'I looked over and they showed me where they were and there's two guys running up a hillside.'

He said he spotted the clowns heading towards a large pile of stone waste near the wooded area behind their home.

Their father Michael Milkowski called police after his son came bursting through the front door screaming, he told CBS Pittsburgh

He said he spotted the clowns heading towards a large pile of stone waste near the wooded area behind their home

When police arrived they searched the area but found no trace of the men.

The incident mirrors numerous reports around the world of people dressing as clowns to scare and threaten children in September and October 2016.

Reports became so frequent that it caused a bit of a panic in the United States and schools began banning clown masks for Halloween costumes.

More than two dozen states were terrorized by clown sightings in which began in South Carolina when a gang of clowns tried to lure children into the woods.

In Alabama, at least seven people were arrested and faced felony charges of making threats of terrorism for their clownish behavior.
The European Union is said to be considering having its own nuclear arsenal following fears in Brussels Donald Trump will withdraw US support.

Talk of a military programme to beef up the continent's weapons of mass destruction comes with the union under pressure and suggestions of Russia and the US aligning.

The drastic move would only be triggered if it believed The White House would no longer be an ally, but discussions have already gathered pace in Germany.

US President Donald J. Trump (right) salutes as he disembarks Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC

HMS Trafalgar which was decommissioned in 2009 as a German lawmaker said his idea was to build on existing weapons in France and the UK

Jana Puglierin of the German Council on Foreign Relations told the New York Times some senior European officials had 'for sure triggered a public debate about this, taking place in newspapers and journals, radio interviews and TV documentaries.

'That in itself is remarkable. I am indeed very astonished that we discuss this at all.'

Her comments come after Poland's former prime minister Jaroslaw Zaczynski's calls for a nuclear programme in Europe when he was interviewed by a German paper.

And shortly after Trump took office, lawmaker and foreign policy spokesman for Germany's ruling party Roderich Kiesewetter also appeared to endorse the idea.

In an interview with eh German Bundestag, he said: 'My idea is to build on the existing weapons in Great Britain and France.'

President Donald Trump returns a salute upon his arrival on Air Force One at Langley Air Force Base

Mr Kieswetter said Europe's programme would counter the US' presence in Europe.

Trump has nuclear warheads based in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, in what is meant to be a guarantee from The White House that it will protect the continent.

Thought the inclusion of the UK in nuclear talks has raised eyebrows given that Brexit could end the nation's involvement in any future plans.

If it is to get the green light, it will require four key elements, according to the German lawmaker.

He told the New York Times it would take the French to commit its weapons to an all-European effort, it would need German financing a joint command and a readiness to place French weapons in other countries in the continent.

'These are political weapons. Their use must be unpredictable,' he said.

There are growing fears Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin could strike up a deal which would ostracize Europe.

The programme would only be triggered if the President of the US was seen to no longer have Europe's back.

For now, the only action is debate, and if Trump comes out in support of Europe, the programme would be redundant, according to Mr Kieswetter.

Europe is said to be discussing building up its nuclear arsenal (file photo of missile being fired)

It comes as EU foreign and defence ministers were expected to approve controversial plans for a military headquarters to coordinate the bloc's overseas security operations, officials said.

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said they would discuss ways 'to move forward, to make the European Union more credible and stronger in defence.'

'The immediate decision will be on the military planning and conduct capability,' Mogherini said, as she went into the ministers meeting in Brussels, referring to the new command centre.

'It is not a European army - I know this is the label going around - it is a more effective way of handling our military work,' the former Italian foreign minister said.

The EU has repeatedly issued reassurances that it is not going to undercut NATO as the primary defence for Europe.

Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission called for a common EU defence headquarters

Britain's vote to leave the EU, stripping the bloc of one of its most powerful and nuclear-armed countries, plus doubts about US President Donald Trump's NATO commitment have given fresh impetus to efforts to step up military cooperation.

The MPCC will oversee the European Union's 'non-executive' operations - those that do not use force - such as civil-military training missions in Mali, the Central African Republic and Somalia.

The EU also runs Operation Sophia in the central Mediterranean, which can use force to stop migrant smugglers, and Operation Atalanta, part of international anti-piracy forces off the Horn of Africa.

These operations have their own command centres which will remain separate, EU sources said last week.

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker called for a common EU defence headquarters in September after the Brexit vote, resurrecting an idea that had circulated in the EU for years.

The MPCC, based in Brussels, will have a small staff and be headed by a director rather than a commander, to avoid overt military connotations, EU sources said last week.
A shaggy black dog with an uncanny resemblance to Ronnie Wood has finally been adopted after struggling to find a new home.

Domino, who is also known by carers as 'Ronnie Woof', bears a striking resemblance to the guitarist - because they both sport jet-black mullets.

The energetic Saluki-cross will be 'rolling' his way to a new home after pulling on the heart-strings of a new owner, after Dogs Trust Shoreham, in West Sussex, launched an appeal for someone to 'gimme shelter.'

Energetic Saluki-cross Domino was nicknamed 'Ronnie Woof' because his jet-black mullet that bears a striking similarity to the Rolling Stone guitarist's

Found as a stray, Domino didn't have the best start in life - however staff are delighted that he has found his very own 'Honky Tonk woman'.

Rehoming centre manager Tracey Rae said: 'We couldn't believe how much Domino looked like Ronnie Wood, so we had to nickname him 'Ronnie Woof' in honour of his doppelganger.

'We're thrilled that Domino has found his special someone, who will soon be 'walking the dog' day and night.

'He's an affectionate boy so he will no doubt enjoy showering his new family with forty licks.

Unlike party animal Ronnie Wood, pooch Domino prefers a quiet snooze after a busy day

Ronnie Wood joined the Rolling Stones in 1975, replacing the departing Mick Taylor

'Unlike Ronnie, there haven't been too many late nights in the kennels for Domino as he loves a good snooze after a busy day.

'Instead of strutting his stuff on stage at Wembley stadium, Domino will be happy to soak up the limelight as the star of the show in his new home.'

Ronnie Wood, from Hillingdon, Middlesex, joined the Rolling Stones in 1975 after the departure of Mick Taylor.

Dogs Trust, formerly known as the National Canine Defence League, is the UK's largest dog welfare charity.
Death row murderer Patrick Leonard (above after his conviction in 2001) killed himself on Sunday

A death row inmate convicted of murdering his girlfriend killed himself on Sunday after losing his fourth appeal.

Patrick Leonard, 47, was sentenced to death in 2001 for murdering Dawn Flick, 23, the previous year at her home in Harrison, Ohio.

He followed her home in a rage after she tried to end their relationship and handcuffed her. Leonard tried to rape the woman before becoming startled by a group of her friends who came to save her.

He shot her in three different places in the head then fled. Flick's father, Leslie, killed himself within hours of her murder.

Leonard appealed his conviction four times in various courts, claiming the killing was not premeditated but that he 'went blank' before shooting her. He was unsuccessful each time.

The most recent court decision against him was filed on January 23. He had not yet been given an execution date.

Ohio's Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections refused to disclose how he took his own life or where in the prison his death occurred.

'All I can confirm is that death row inmate Patrick Leonard passed away from an apparent suicide last night and that the department is investigating,' spokeswoman Joellen Smith told DailyMail.com.

Court documents from his trial describe in horrifying detail how he rode Flick's car off the road twice on the night of her murder.

The couple had been briefly engaged but they called off their wedding when she learned he had fathered a child with another woman during their relationship.

Prosecutors told how Leonard carried on seeing the other woman and had another child with her but tried to keep the baby's paternity a secret.

Leonard died at the Chillicothe Correctional Institute in Ohio on Sunday night. The state's prison agency will not reveal how he died or where in the prison his death occurred

In July 29 2000, he followed Flick from her father's restaurant, where she had been working, to a bar where she planned to meet friends. He brought her to a stop and made her promise to call him when she got home.

When she emerged from the bar in the early hours of the morning, he appeared again and followed her home.

There, he made her phone a friend she'd planned on visiting to tell him she could no longer make it, handcuffed her and tried to rape her.

The male friend she called rushed to her house after receiving the call and startled Leonard when he arrived.

He shot Flick three times in the head and shot the man once in the chest.

Leonard murdered Dawn Flick, his 23-year-old girlfriend, on July 29, 2000

Leslie Flick, the 23-year-old's father, took his own life hours after learning his daughter had been murdered

Leonard was sentenced to death in 2001 but appealed his conviction in Ohio's Supreme Court, the Hamilton County court where he was convicted, Ohio's Court of Appeals and the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio but all were denied.

Throughout the trial he claimed her death was not premeditated and that he did not rape or kidnap her but that they'd agreed to have sex. He said he 'went blank' when he shot her.

He argued that he hadn't received a fair trial, claiming the court did not pay for enough experts for his private lawyers to call on as witnesses.

He claimed his police confession should not have been admitted because he was 'suicidal, heartbroken and exhausted' when he made it.

Flick's family did not respond to requests from DailyMail.com on Monday.

During Leonard's trial, Flick's mother Linda rained abuse on him for seven minutes as she gave a statement.

'I never said I hated anyone in my life, but I hate you, coward,' she said.
The son of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar has condemned the Netflix show Narcos for 'glorifying' his father's crimes.

Juan Pablo Escobar changed his name to Sebastian Marroquin after his infamous father's death.

'I am not against telling stories, but I am against glorifying criminals and showing drug trafficking as glamorous. This confuses youths,'

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Pablo Escobar, played by Wagner Moura, in the hit Netflix show Narcos based on the cocaine baron's life. Escobar's son has condenmed the show for 'glorifying' his father's exploits

'Series about narcos have turned my father into a hero and given young people the idea that it is cool to be a drug trafficker,' he told Spanish newspaper El Periodico.

'I receive tonnes of messages from youths asking for help to be like my dad. They want to be that criminal, they send me photos dressed up like him, with his moustache, his hairstyle,' Marroquin added.

The hit Netflix show is due to return with a third series set in the immediate aftermath of Pablo Escobar's death.

Marroquin, 39, was also in the news last year when he listed 28 inaccuracies in the popular show on Facebook, calling it 'insulting'.

Following his father's death at the hand's of Colombian police, Marroquin fled to Argentina aged 16 to start a new life.

He went on to become a public speaker voicing against the drug profligacy in Colombia.

Sebastian Marroquin, formerly Juan Pablo Escobar, son of Pablo Escobar said: 'Series about narcos have turned my father into a hero and given young people the idea that it is cool to be a drug trafficker' speaking to a Spanish newspaper

Pablo Escobar was the head of the world's leading cocain cartel - the Medellin cartel - named after the city in Colombia.

He oversaw a complex network of drug suppliers and smugglers and amassed hundreds of millions during his exploits.

Escobar fough extradition to the United State with a ruthless camapign of violence in Colombia where he ordered the assassination of judges, journalists and public servants.




Police in Colorado are hunting a middle-aged woman attacked checkout staff at a Walmart store with a noxious chemical.

The woman attacked the staff in Fountain at approximately 10pm according to local police.

Officers said the woman, who is described as heavy-set and white, took out a canister from her handbag and sprayed some form of chemical on the clerk and six other employees.

Police in Fountain, Colorado are seeking this woman in connection with an attack on seven members of staff at the town's Walmart supermarket after they complained they had been sprayed with a noxious liquid which caused skin irritation and nausea on Friday night

According to the police, the victims complained of 'skin irritation and nausea' after being sprayed with the liquid.

Fountain police department posted an alert on their Facebook page.

According to the release: 'Officers learned that a heavy-set white female was in one of the checkout lanes, purchased items and prior to leaving she pulled a small spray bottle out of her purse.

'The female suspect then sprayed the clerk with an unknown liquid substance in the spray bottle and the suspect also began spraying herself. The suspect then sprays an empty cart, then herself again before placing the spray bottle back in her purse.

Police said the woman took the spray from her purse after paying for her shopping (file photo)

'The unknown female then left the store. Some of the employees were transported to an area hospital for further evaluation. Hazmat did responded and a standard decontamination procedure was followed.'

Police said the woman is of heavy build, between 40 and 50 and between 5ft 4in and 5ft 7in with light brown or blonde hair.

Anyone with information on the woman is asked to contact Fountain Police Department on 719-382-4244.
A former straight-A student told an undercover officer he would blow himself up in Britain if he could not fight for Islamic State in Syria, a court heard.

Mubashir Jamil, 22, from Luton, allegedly offered to put on a suicide vest and 'press the button on the same day', before his arrest in April last year, the Old Bailey heard.

The avid computer gamer became obsessed with 'martyrdom' after surfing the web for ISIS propaganda, the court heard.

But counter-terrorist officers swooped to arrest him days before his flight to Turkey, allegedly en route to Syria.

Mubashir Jamil, 22, from Luton (pictured left and right) allegedly offered to put on a suicide vest and 'press the button on the same day', before his arrest

Jurors were told how he was snared in encrypted chat with an undercover officer, known as 'Abu Hasan'.

Jamil made contact with the man he thought was an ISIS agent through the Telegram app, the court heard.

He allegedly told him: 'If you or some brother you know can put an explosive belt on me and tell me how to press, as soon as possible for security reasons, I can do something in the UK even tomorrow after I find a good target.'

He goes on to say he would 'prefer hijrah (migration)'.

He also allegedly told the officer: 'I want them to feel another attack while they're still in mourning for Belgium.'

The court heard how Jamil shaved off his beard following guidance on an e-publication on how to be a 'secret agent' in a non-Muslim country.

In early April last year, Jamil bought a return flight from Luton to Turkey and stocked up on travel kit, including toiletries from Boots.

On April 14 he allegedly asked Abu Hasan: 'Will I have to buy my own guns in Sham?' The officer told him not to worry.

Just days before he was due to leave, counter-terrorist police burst into Jamil's home.

At the time, he was on his laptop sending Abu Hasan the message 'police alert'.

Jamil made contact with the man he thought was an ISIS agent through the Telegram app, the Old Bailey (pictured) heard

Prosecutor Barnaby Jameson said: 'What the defendant did not know at the time is that Abu Hasan was an undercover police officer.

'The man the defendant thought was from Islamic State had meticulously recorded screen captures of all his telephone conversations with the defendant.'

The prosecutor told how the former Challney High School for Boys pupil got A grades in his GCSEs and did work experience at an accountancy firm.

He worked in a local Amazon warehouse and listed his interests as reading fiction, surfing the internet and physical training.

Mr Jameson said: 'It was through the internet that the defendant was drawn into a world poles apart from that of a gifted schoolboy with A stars in both the arts and the sciences.

'Through the world wide web the defendant became an extreme jihadist radical and follower of Islamic State.

'He became a would-be IS recruit willing to sacrifice his life for IS and indeed the lives of others.

'He turned from a player of video games into someone willing to carry out suicide attacks in this country on behalf of IS.

'His preference, however, was to go to Syria and join IS as a jihadist fighter.'

Mr Jameson said Jamil had a 'fascination with violence', including the murder of Western hostages by ISIS.

'He also had something of an obsession with images of dead jihadi fighters or martyrs,' the prosecutor said.

A former pupil Challney High School for Boys in Luton (pictured), Jamil got A grades in his GCSEs, did work experience at an accountancy firm and worked in a local Amazon warehouse

The court heard how Jamil trawled Twitter for pro-ISIS feeds, including one which praised last year's Belgian bombings.

Jurors were shown extracts of 'upsetting and disturbing' images and documents taken from Jamil's computer.

Among them was a profile dedicated to a 23-year-old British fighter of Pakistani origin who was shot in the eye and 'martyred'.

Jamil, who was born in Pakistan but brought up in Britain, denies a charge of preparing for terrorist acts.

The trial was adjourned until Tuesday.
Philip Hammond is set to hike taxes and impose cuts in the Budget on Wednesday in order to fund boosts to social care and education reforms.

The Chancellor is expected to unveil 1.3billion in extra cash for social care, 500million for new vocation 'T-level qualifications' and other small giveaways.

But the measures will be funded by changes elsewhere, including higher duty on cigarettes and a potentially controversial increase to national insurance for the self employed.

Downing Street today played down suggestions that the level of tax on the economy could hit the highest for 30 years - insisting the PM was committed to 'fair taxes' and pointing out that the burden had been reduced for middle income workers.

Chancellor Philip Hammond, pictured on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme, has warned spending must be funded by cuts elsewhere

Setting out a cautious approach over the weekend, Mr Hammond said the gains from a better than expected economic performance would be used to ensure 'we've got enough gas in the tank' for a turbulent Brexit journey.

In an interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr, Mr Hammond warned there was still a deficit and gains were about borrowing being less than expected.

Economists estimate Mr Hammond could be 45billion better off because of better than expected tax receipts and robust economic growth.'

The Chancellor said: 'If your bank increases your overdraft limit you don't want to go and spend every penny in it.'

He added: 'We've got enough gas in the tank to see us through that journey ...that seems like a sensible approach.'

On social care, Mr Hammond said he recognised public services are 'under pressure' but warned it was not all about money.

WHY DOES HAMMOND HAVE MORE MONEY? Philip Hammond has praised the economy for 'performing well' and is thought likely to have more money in his Budget on Wednesday. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is likely to unveil a hefty hike to this year's growth outlook in its latest independent forecasts after the economy continued to show surprising resilience in the face of Brexit uncertainty. Experts also predict higher tax receipts will help Mr Hammond undershoot his borrowing target, with experts at PwC pencilling in a 45 billion windfall within the next five years. But Mr Hammond is unlikely to offer any Budget giveaways, as Britain's public finances remain fragile amid the uncertainty of Brexit negotiations. Advertisement

He said there would be money for 'dealing with short term disparities between areas that are coping well at present and areas that struggling' but said 'we have to look at the differences there'.

Signalling a wider review of care funding, Mr Hammond added: 'There is a case for taking a longer term view to fund a service that is linked to the ageing demographic of the population'.

The Budget is expected to see higher cigarette taxes, making the cheapest pack 8.68.

A 3p National Insurance rise for self employed workers could potentially hit five million people, with Tory MPs uncomfortable about the situation.

Online retailers face fines for tricking customers with complicated small print and automatic subscriptions.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has called for an extra 12bn a year to be pumped into the NHS and social care.

Mr McDonnell has also demanded the Government drop plans to overturn court rulings extending disability benefits.

A major Budget announcement on Wednesday will be boost skills training for 16 to 19-year-olds by 500 million a year.

Mr Hammond says the move is the most significant shake-up in post-16 education since the introduction of A-levels 70 years ago.

Mr McDonnell has committed the next Labour government to scrapping the cap op public sector pay rises

500m for electric cars and superfast phones Mr Hammond will this week announce plans to put Britain in the vanguard of super-fast mobile phone technology with multi-billion investments. He will spell out plans to make sure the UK does not miss the boat on the new 5G standard. Previous governments were accused of being too slow to exploit earlier developments in mobile infrastructure. The Chancellor is set to announce plans for 5G trials in universities. Treasury sources say the technology has huge potential, such as live monitoring of heart patients to ease pressure on hospitals. His 500million of technology investment will also include backing for a controversial march of the robots. He will unveil a 270 million fund to encourage trailblazers in artificial intelligence, robotics and electric cars plus 90million more to fund 1,000 PhD places in science, technology and engineering, and 200 million for university research in cutting-edge areas. Technology experts have warned that recent major advances could spark a march of the robots that could wipe out half of the nations jobs. But Mr Hammond will say that Britain can forge ahead and become a leading player in the technology if it invests now. A Treasury source said the initiative would help Britains innovators compete with the best, seize the opportunities and advance our position. The Chancellor wants to see the UK take a lead in developing electric car batteries. He is also urging British firms to boost mankinds ability to operate in the most extreme and hazardous environments, such as under the sea. Advertisement

A wide-ranging reform of technical education will see the current 13,000 separate qualifications replaced with '15 world-class routes' better suited to business needs, according to the Chancellor.

The 500 million a year investment from 2019 is also aimed at boosting Britain's productivity levels, and will see the amount of training for 16 to 19-year-olds on technical routes increase by more than 50 per cent to over 900 hours a year.

Students on higher technical education courses will also be eligible for maintenance loans under the reforms.

Mr Hammond will also announce the casualties of the D-Day landings are to be remembered by a special monument which the Government is contributing 20 million towards.

The memorial to those who died in the Normandy campaign will be erected at the site of fierce fighting which took place during and after the Allied landings in France in 1944.

The monument will be unveiled on the 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said the need to build a war chest showed the Chancellor knew Brexit would 'send a torpedo through Britain's finances'

It will carry the names of the estimated 21,000 members of the British armed forces and Merchant Navy, as well as those from other nations who fought alongside them, who lost their lives in the campaign.

A fundraising appeal will now be launched by the Normandy Memorial Trust, supported by the Royal British Legion, to add to the Government's contribution to the project which comes from LIBOR fines levied on the banking industry.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: 'This shows that Hammond knows Brexit is going to send a torpedo through Britain's finances.

'It is clear you can't have a strong economy and strong public services with a hard Brexit. It is ridiculous to see the Chancellor trying to fritter away money this week, at the same time as the Prime Minister continues to drag Britain towards a hard Brexit.

'The Liberal Democrats are the real opposition to this Conservative Brexit Government. We will fight for Britain's place in the single market to protect our economy and make the case for real investment in our health and social care services.'
The gunman who shot two Indian immigrants in a Kansas bar - one fatally - asked if his victims' immigration status was legal before shooting, a survivor has recalled.

Alok Madasani said in an affidavit that Adam Purinton, 51, asked if he and friend Srinivas Kuchibhotla were in the country legally prior to the February 22 shooting at Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe, Kansas.

He said Purinton was escorted from the bar after harassing the pair about their visas, but returned 30 minutes later with a gun and opened fire, killing Kuchibhotla and injuring Madasani and would-be hero Ian Grillot.

Jailed: Adam Purinton (seen in court on Feb 27) harassed two Indian men, asking them if their 'status was legal,' before injuring one and killing the other with a gun, an affidavit said

Victims: Srinivas Kuchibhotla (left, in leather jacket) died; Alok Madasani was injured. Both men were found on the patio of the bar by arriving police; Purinton had fled, cops say

Kuchibhotla and Madasani were both in the country legally and employed by GPS manufacturer Garmin.

They and a third, unidentified co-worker had been subjected to remarks from Purinton before Grillot and another person intervened on their behalf and ushered him away, the affidavit said.

Some of the affidavit has been redacted and it offered little information about what specifically was said.

Madasani told police from his hospital bed that he wasn't aware that Purinton had returned to the bar until he heard someone shout 'He's back and he has a gun!'

At that point, police say, Purinton opened fire, wounding Madasani in the leg and striking Kuchibhotla at least three times, killing him.

Grillot told police that he hid under a table and counted nine shots. He then rushed out, believing Purinton was out of ammo and tried to apprehend him, the affidavit said.

Hero: Ian Grillot told police he'd escorted Purinton from the bar, and later attempted to stop his gun rampage when he returned armed, but was shot in the hand and the chest

Unfortunately, he wasn't, and Grillot was shot - the bullet passing through his hand and into his chest.

Kuchibhotla and Madasani were found on the patio area of the restaurant by arriving officers.

The affidavit said Purinton, a Navy veteran of Olathe, was a regular customer at the bar and that employees were able to identify him through card receipts.

Witnesses described him as wearing a white T-shirt with military style medals on it, according to the affidavit.

Authorities arrested him hours later at an Applebee's restaurant some 70 miles away in Clinton, Missouri.

A bartender at the restaurant told a 911 dispatcher that the man had admitted to shooting two people, but that he described them as Iranian, according to a recording of that call.

The bartender had advised police to enter quietly, without sirens, in case Purinton became spooked and hurt his customers, it was reported at the time.

The case is being investigated by the FBI as a hate crime. Purinton is being held on $2 million bond and is expected to go back before court on March 9.
Donald Trump's popularity has increased since his speech to the joint session of Congress last Tuesday, new polls say.

The speech - which saw Trump trading in his ill-fitting suits and fiery off-the-cuff rhetoric for a sharp-cut tailored number and a more presidential tone - was roundly praised on both sides of the aisle.

Now polls show that Trump's popularity has swept up since he made the speech, AOL reported - but there are signs that his recent troubles might drag him down again.

Trouble ahead? Donald Trump enjoyed an uptick in popularity after his speech to Congress last week, but the good vibes may have stalled after a difficult weekend

Flatline: This graph from Gallup shows how his approval rose after his speech to Congress on February 28 - but also that it flatlined as rumors that John Sessions met Russians spread

Worries: A poll by Rasmussen suggested Trump's rising approval had stalled over the weekend - and that today had seen an uptick in his disapproval ratings

Trump's approval rating dropped to 38 per cent on February 16 - historically lower than other presidents at this point in their careers, according to the Pew Research Center.

But since then he's generally been trending up, and his February 28 speech saw him enjoying a boost in his popularity.

On the day of his speech, his approval rating climbed one point to 43 per cent and his disapproval dropped two points to 52 per cent, according to Gallup.

By Saturday - Gallup's most recent data point - his approval had held at 43 per cent and his disapproval had continued to drop to 50 per cent.

Meanwhile, Rasmussen Reports - which trends more favorably with Republicans - showed a slide in popularity stalled on the day of the address, leveling him out at 34 per cent.

He then began to climb last Thursday, and is now leveling off again with 37 per cent approval today.

The speech to Congress also coincided with a drop in his disapproval from 41 per cent to 36 per cent on Saturday.

But Rasmussen's data points for Monday suggested that there might be troubles ahead for the president.

His approval had stopped climbing and stabilized at 37 per cent, while his disapproval rating had begun to rise again, ticking up to 38 per cent.

That came after a difficult weekend that began on Friday when Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from a probe into Trump's associates' alleged ties with Russia.

Sessions himself had spoken with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak on two occasions last year prior to Trump's election, according to the Washington Post.

And on Saturday Trump announced on Twitter that ex-president Barack Obama had wiretapped his phones at Trump Tower.

Denial: FBI director James Comey (left) reportedly denied Trump's Saturday claim that Obama wiretapped him. The weekend was also marred for Trump by Jeff Sessions (right) recusing himself from a Russia probe on Friday

A Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) order was requested in June last year to monitor Trump and his advisers, but was rejected.

Some reports say that in October a second, more focused request was made to monitor a Trump computer server alleging possible links with Russian banks.

However, the notion that this would have been ordered directly by Obama has been dismissed by his former staff.

The claims have also been denied by ex-intelligence director James Clapper, and according to a New York Times report, FBI director James Comey privately asked the Justice Department to publicly refute the claims.

On Sunday Kellyanne Conway demanded Comey openly say what he knows about the claims.

Despite Trump's gains in the polls, he still remains substantially below Barack Obama's approval rating at the same point in his first 100 days.

By this point Obama was enjoying a 61.3 per cent approval rating, just under 20 points more than Trump's Gallup approval.

Trump has not managed more than a 46 per cent approval rating since his tenure began.
More than a dozen travellers have set up camp in the grounds of a posh Virgin Active health club just a day after being moved on from a Tesco car park.

Around six caravans pitched up on private land near the upmarket gym and spa in Blythe Park, Shirley, near Solihull, West Midlands, on Sunday afternoon.

They had moved on to the site from the Tesco, about a mile away, over the weekend, according to the Birmingham Mail.

Scroll down for video

Caravans at the camp set up by travellers in a Virgin Active health club in Shirley, West Midlands

Around six caravans have pitched up on the private land

It is believed the travellers are from a group that was ordered to leave the grounds of a separate Tesco in West Bromwich last week

It is believed the caravans were from the same group that had been told to pack up and leave a separate Tesco car park in West Bromwich last week.

The latest invasion comes after residents complained that they were intimidated by the travellers' camp as they attempted to do their weekend shopping at the Shirley supermarket.

Councillor Ken Hawkins for Blythe Ward, Solihull, said: 'Several (residents) told me that they avoided going shopping on Saturday due to the travellers.

'I believe the petrol station at the supermarket was closed for this reason.

'It is frustrating as a councillor that they are able to trespass on land in this way.

'My fear is that next time they may use force to gain entry to our parks, and cause damage.

The new camp comes a day after the travellers were moved on from a 24-hour Tesco car park just over a mile away

The Virgin Active health club. The gym and spa charges up to 72 a month for membership

'It's another incursion from travellers, and in the last couple of years we have seen a number of incidents, particularly in our park.

'There are some travellers that are good and who clear up and some that are nasty.

'Unfortunately, the vast majority of our experience of travellers has seen little respect for our community.

One councillor said residents had complained that they felt intimidated by the travellers

The travellers have been told they have until Tuesday to move off the site

'As it is on private land this time the law limits us. But council officers and police are working with the land owners to guide them through the process of getting them removed.'

A female member of staff working at Virgin Active, which charges up to 72 a month for membership, said: 'The gypsies moved on to the car park but the health club is still open.

'So far none of the travellers have tried to use the facilities. We are only open to members.

The council and police are working with the health club to assist them in the process of removing the camp

'The travellers have until Tuesday to leave but whether that happens remains to be seen.'

A spokeswoman from Solihull Council added: 'The council is aware of the unauthorised encampment at Blythe Valley Business Park.

'Council officers and colleagues from the police will work closely with the land owner to support with this incident wherever possible.'

This is the latest in a string of illegal camps to spring up in Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country in recent weeks.

A Virgin Active spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We have been working with local authorities and they have instructed the travellers to vacate the premises.

'We would like to reassure all our members that our Solihull club is open as normal. If they have any difficulties parking, the council has kindly opened up the local Blythe Valley Area car park for our members to use.

'We also have staff manning the car park during peak times to assist any members looking to access the club.'
Chancellor Angela Merkel has sought to calm an escalating row with Turkey

Chancellor Angela Merkel has sought to calm an escalating row with Turkey, a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan labelled a German ban on rallies by his ministers 'Nazi practices'.

But yet another event cancellation - of a speech Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had planned to give Tuesday in Hamburg, on fire safety grounds - only threatened to reignite the dispute.

Merkel's office, while firmly rejecting Erdogan's Nazi jibe as 'absurd and out of place,' sought to draw a line under the spat that is further fraying ties between the two countries.

Speaking in Istanbul, the Turkish President, 63, had fanned the flames with a stinging verbal attack.

He said: 'In Germany they are not allowing our friends to speak. Let them do so. Do you think that by not allowing them to speak the votes in Germany will come out 'no' instead of 'yes?'

'Germany, you don't have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past.'

Erdogan also told the rally in Istanbul: 'If I want to, I will come to Germany. If you don't let me in or if you don't let me speak, I will make the whole world rise up.'

But Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said: 'To our Turkish partners, let us talk openly and critically, but let us remember the special meaning of our close relationship and let cool heads prevail.

Sharply rejecting Erdogan's comments, he added: 'Nazi comparisons are always absurd and out of place, because they lead only to one thing - the trivialising of the crimes against humanity committed by the Nazis.'

The row erupted late last week after three local German authorities banned Turkish ministers' scheduled appearances ahead of an April referendum on a plan to scrap the prime minister post in Turkey, thereby boosting Erdogan's powers.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan salutes before addresses a meeting in Istanbul, Saturday, March 4, 2017

The German authorities cited capacity and security problems in hosting the events, which they said were likely to attract large crowds.

Merkel has said her government did not have a hand in the decisions, which fell under the jurisdiction of local officials.

But Ankara responded with fury to the cancellations, accusing Berlin of working against the referendum.

Erdogan's Nazi comments came days after a local authority prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally.

Meanwhile, at an election campaign event in Amsterdam, Dutch right-wing populist Geert Wilders also resorted to extreme-right comparisons, calling Erdogan an 'Islamo-fascist leader'.

A body guard watches over firebrand anti Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders, center, as he answers questions during an election campaign stop at De Telegraaf newspaper in Amsterdam

The diplomatic tension has been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers to address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of an upcoming constitutional referendum that would give Erdogan new powers.

On Thursday, Turkey's justice minister canceled a meeting with his German counterpart after local authorities in southwest Germany withdrew permission for him to use a venue to hold a rally near the French border that was part of a campaign to get Turks in Germany to vote 'yes' in the referendum.

Turkey's economy minister, Nihat Zeybekci, was due to speak at two events in western Germany on Sunday. There are about 1.4 million people in Germany who are eligible to vote in the Turkish referendum

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, in an interview with German weekly newspaper Welt am Sonntag, said it is time to pull the plug on long-stalled moves to bring Turkey into the EU.

'We shouldn't just temporarily suspend the accession talks with Turkey but end them,' Kern said. 'We can't continue to negotiate about membership with a country that has been steadily distancing itself for years, during ongoing access talks, from democratic standards and principles of the rule of law.'

The Dutch government is investigating whether it can halt a rally being planned for later in the week at which Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is reportedly due to speak.

Dutch Prime Minister and VVD party leader Mark Rutte, right, answers questions during an election campaign stop in Barendrecht, near Rotterdam

Prime Minister Mark Rutte told Dutch broadcaster NOS on Saturday that his government 'is looking at all legal avenues to prevent such a visit.' Rutte said the proposed constitutional changes take Turkey, an aspirant European Union member state, 'in a less democratic direction.'

'We believe that Dutch public space is not the place for political campaigns of other countries,' Rutte wrote earlier in a post on his Facebook page.

Kern said, 'A concerted approach by the EU to prevent such campaign appearances would make sense. So that individual countries such as Germany, where appearances have been banned, don't come under pressure from Turkey.'

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a meeting in Istanbul

Wilders, whose Party for Freedom is lagging only slightly behind Rutte's VVD party in polls before March 15 elections for Parliament's lower house, said he would go further if he were in power.

'I think that coming here to advocate a change of the Turkish constitution that will only strengthen the Islamo-fascist leader Erdogan of Turkey more than Parliament, Turkish parliament, is the worst thing that could happen to us,' Wilders told reporters at a campaign event.

Wilders said that if he were Dutch prime minister, '''I would call the whole Cabinet of Turkey 'persona non grata' for a month or two, not allowing them to come here.'

Kern, however, pointed out that totally cutting ties with Ankara wouldn't be in EU interests. An EU deal with Turkey, which also is a NATO member, has significantly cut the number of migrants crossing into Europe.

'We should realign the relationship, without the illusion of EU membership,' Kern said. 'Turkey is an important partner in security matters, on migration and on economic cooperation. Turkey has stuck to all of its commitments resulting from the refugee deal in any case. We should build upon that.'
A US citizen whose son died while serving in Iraq has been forced to cancel a speech in Toronto after being warned his 'travel privileges are being reviewed' for an unknown reason.

Khizr Khan, a vocal critic of President Trump, was notified on Sunday that he cannot travel to Canada, where he had planned to deliver a speech on 'tolerance, understanding, unity and the rule of law'.

Khan, whose son, 27-year-old US Army Captain Humayun Khan, was killed in 2004, gained international attention at last year's Democratic National Convention, where he argued Trump's proposed travel ban was immoral and unconstitutional.

RamsayTalks, the event where Khan was scheduled to speak, posted a statement on its Facebook page revealing that he was unable to attend.

It said: 'As a consequence, Mr. Khan will not be traveling to Toronto on March 7th to speak about tolerance, understanding, unity and the rule of law.

'Very regretfully, Ramsay Talks must cancel its luncheon with Mr. Khan. Guests will be given full refunds.'

Khizr Khan, 66, was forced to cancel a scheduled speech in Toronto after reportedly being warned that his 'travel privileges are being reviewed' for an unknown reason

The news was announced on the Facebook page of RamsayTalks, the event where Khan was scheduled to deliver a speech on 'tolerance, understanding, unity and the rule of law'

Khan declined to comment further in an email exchange with Dailymail.com.

Representatives with US Citizenship and Immigration Services told Dailymail.com that they were not aware of Khan's case or of any American citizen having their travel privileges put under review by the US government.

Calls and emails by the site to the Canada Border Services Agency were not answered.

US Customs & Border Protection officials said the agency does not contact travelers in advance of their travel out of the US, adding that any US citizen with a passport may travel out of the country.

The agency told Reuters that it would not comment specifically on the Khan case, citing privacy protections.

There is no US State Department procedure for reviewing 'travel privileges', an agency official told the New York Daily News. Anyone with a valid American passport can enter and leave the country, they added.

It is unclear who called for the review or the grounds for it.

Khan (right) holds gained international attention following a speech at last year's Democratic National Convention, where he argued that then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposed travel ban was immoral and unconstitutional

Khan's son, 27-year-old US Army Captain Humayun Khan, (above) was killed by a suicide bomber in 2004 during the Iraq War and was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart

Individual tickets to Khan's event were priced at C$89, or around $66.

Khan does not know why his 'travel privileges are under review', CTV's Rosa Hwang tweeted.

'This turn of events is not just of deep concern to me but to all my fellow Americans who cherish our freedom to travel abroad,' Khan said in a statement.

'I have not been given any reason as to why. I am grateful for your support and look forward to visiting Toronto in the near future.'

Khan gained international attention following a speech at last year's Democratic National Convention, where he argued that then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposed travel ban was immoral and unconstitutional.

News of Khan's travel restrictions followed the release of President Trump's executive order banning travel from six Muslim-majority countries

Khan's son, 27-year-old US Army Captain Humayun Khan, was killed by a suicide bomber in 2004 during the Iraq War and posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

'Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery?' Khan told the crowd in Philadelphia.

'Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one.'

On Monday, Trump released his revised executive order banning travel from six Muslim-majority countries, although it won't go into effect until March 16.

Khan, who was born in Pakistan, which is not one of the countries listed in Trumps travel ban order, graduated from Harvard Law School in 1986 and became a US citizen, The New York Times reports.
Former CIA boss Michael Hayden said that his first instinct when hearing President Trump's Twitter claim that Trump Tower was wiretapped by President Obama was 'no,' it didn't happen.

'And it looks as if the president, just for a moment, forgot that he was president,' Hayden quipped today during a segment on Fox & Friends.

Hayden,a retired four-star general who was also formerly the director of the National Security Agency questioned why Trump didn't simply 'use the powers of the presidency' to ask the Acting Director of National Intelligence of the FBI head to 'confirm or deny the story he apparently read from Breitbart from the evening before.'

Former CIA Director Michael Hayden said his first instinct upon hearing President Trump's wiretap claims was, 'no,' it didn't happen

Sitting down with the hosts of Fox & Friends, Michael Hayden explained why President Obama couldn't be behind a Trump Tower wiretapping

Hayden, who left his last government post, the CIA, as Obama was first taking office pointed to comments made yesterday by Obama's Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

'I can't speak officially anymore,' said Clapper, who resigned after Trump's election. 'But I will say that, for the part of the national security apparatus that I oversaw as DNI, there was no such wiretap activity mounted against  the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate, or against his campaign,' Clapper said on Meet the Press.

Hayden also pointed to reporting from the New York Times, which said FBI Director James Comey wanted the Justice Department to push back and publicly reject Trump's claim, which the president unleashed in a series of tweets this weekend.

The ex-top spook used those two examples to cast doubt on Trump's wiretapping claim.

As for Obama himself, Hayden said 'he wouldn't even have been involved.'

'You stay way back from this stuff because of the separation of powers,' he explained. 'After the mid-1970s that authority is taken away from the president,' Hayden said, referencing the post-Richard Nixon years after the Watergate scandal.

Echoing comments made by a number of government officials, Hayden said the only way surveillance would have been ordered would have been if the FBI or the CIA or the NSA went to a judge, who then found probable cause to green-light a FISA, or Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, order.

'Right now FISAs are in a very narrow chain of custody,' he added. 'Let's just say FBI goes out and gets a FISA. It's a 100 man shop. There may be only three or four folks who are allowed to see or even be aware of [it],' Hayden explained.

The ex-CIA director said that if the president wants to see it he believed the president would be able to see it, but 'it would be really unprecedented.'

It would also be unprecedented, Hayden said, for the order to be made public.

Trying to give Trump the benefit of the doubt, co-host Ainsley Earhardt asked Hayden if perhaps Trump had seen the order and then tweeted what he saw.

'Again, Ainsley, the way the plumbing works, the president wouldn't see these things,' Hayden replied. 'If the president, by exception, here I'm really talking about President Trump to clear this up, could he demand to see this? Again, it would be unprecedented, but we're in unprecedented circumstances.'

Hayden had a similar question and answer session over on MSNBC's Morning Joe, where host Mika Brzezinski asked the retired general to speculate why Trump made this bold claim.

'Now you're getting me out of my background lane, but if you're asking me why  he is trying to distract attention from what was a very, very bad news cycle,' Hayden said.

In the run-up to Trump's Twitter storm, his Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that he would recuse himself from any investigation into Trump's campaign and its connections to the Russians.

Sessions had been in contact with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak before the election, but didn't mention those meetings in his Senate sworn testimony.

Hayden suggested Trump used the wiretapping claim to quickly change the message.

'Let me go very, very dark on you,' Hayden told the Morning Joe hosts. 'The president of the United States put his own reputation, the reputation of his predecessor and the reputation of his nation at risk to get at least a draw out of the next 24 hours of news,' the ex-CIA head said.
The UK will be treated like an 'outsider' and prevented from agreeing a comprehensive trade deal with the EU in the aftermath of Brexit, Francois Hollande has threatened.

The beleaguered French president taunted British voters by stating that the choice to cut ties with Brussels was the 'wrong decision at the wrong time'.

In an attempt to derail negotiations shortly before Theresa May triggers the article 50 exit clause, the EU leader suggested the UK had been affected by 'national egotism'.

Mr Hollande issued the extraordinary attack despite being on the cusp of leaving office later this year after his dismal popularity ratings meant it was impossible to stand for re-election.

French President Francois Hollande, pictured greeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, suggested the UK had been affected by 'national egotism'

Mr Hollande said future co-operation was 'not possible' and criticised the UK's decision to begin trade talks with U.S. president Donald Trump. The French president hosted a Franco-German-Italian-Spanish summit on Monday

He hosted the leaders of Germany, Spain and Italy for talks about the EU's future in Versailles on Monday. Pictured from left to right, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni

Mr Hollande made his comments about Brexit as Theresa May prepares to trigger the article 50 exit clause

His decision to publicly criticise Brexit came just hours after Philip Hammond insisted the UK would 'fight back' if Brussels refused to agree a new trade deal.

The Chancellor insisted that Britain wants to maintain a close relationship with Europe and said that EU leaders had backed away from taking an aggressive approach.

But in a clear rebuke, Mr Hollande said future co-operation was 'not possible' and criticised the UK's decision to begin trade talks with U.S. president Donald Trump.

'The UK will become an outsider to the European Union,' he said.

'The UK's problem is this: it had thought that in leaving Europe it would tie up a strategic partnership with the US.

'But it now happens that the US is closing itself off from the world. The UK has made a bad choice at a bad moment. I regret that.'

Mr Hollande, pictured again with Ms Merkel, will stand down when the country takes to the polls in May after choosing not to seek re-election

Gentiloni, Merkel, Hollande and Rajoy held the informal summit in Versailles on Monday

Following the meeting on Monday, Merkel, Hollande, Rajoy and Gentiloni helt a joint press conference

In a further insult, the socialist leader suggested that Margaret Thatcher's renowned Euroscepticism was responsible for some of the EU's current woes which he warned is on the verge of 'exploding'.

He said: 'When a new policy is raised, I hear more and more often the line: "We don't want to pay more than we get back."

'It's the return of Mrs Thatcher's phrase: "I want my money back." Britain has left, but that bad attitude has remained.'

Mr Hollande, France's least popular leader since the Second World War, will stand down when the country takes to the polls in May after choosing not to seek re-election.

The decision has left the country in the grip of a tumultuous election race in which far-right leader Marine Le Pen has become one of the frontrunners.

In a wide-ranging interview, the French president said his 'ultimate duty' in his remaining months in office was to prevent the National Front leader from assuming power.

Mr Hollande's decision to publicly criticise Brexit came just hours after Philip Hammond (pictured) insisted the UK would 'fight back' if Brussels refused to agree a new trade deal

Hollande said said his 'ultimate duty' in his remaining months in office was to prevent National Front leader Marine Le Pen (pictured) from assuming power

The crisis engulfing France's conservatives intensified on Monday when leading republican candidate Francois Fillon (pictured) was accused of ruining his parties chances of success

Mr Hollande hosted the leaders of Germany, Spain and Italy for talks about the EU's future in Versailles on Monday.

The crisis engulfing France's conservatives intensified on Monday when leading republican candidate Francois Fillon was accused of ruining his parties chances of success.

Mr Fillon has seen a huge slump in his poll ratings after allegations that he used public money to employ his wife in a fictitious role.

Despite huge pressure to stand down from party colleagues, Mr Fillon has insisted that he will fight on and has challenged the claims.

But former Prime Minister Alain Juppe yesterday said Mr Fillon had led the party to a 'dead end' as he ruled himself out of joining the election race.

Mr Juppe had been tipped to replace Mr Fillon but yesterday said it was 'too late', with the first round of voting in April.
Jacqueline Watts's car was found running with the emergency flashers on in Columbus, Indiana

A 33-year-old married Indianapolis woman who was found dead in the woods was seen chasing a lost poodle with cataracts before she disappeared.

Jacqueline Watts was reported missing on Friday night when she failed to meet her husband at their home before leaving for the airport.

The animal lover was last seen chasing a 10-year-old poodle named Ringo who was reported missing by his family days before.

Police said Monday she went to the woods near Flat Rock River to try to help the dog.

Watts and Ringo were both found dead on Saturday.

Her cause of death has not yet been reported and foul play is not suspected.

She had dropped off her pet rabbit and dogs at her parents' house before the trip, and family grew worried when she didn't show up, reported the Indy Star.

One person even speculated that she may have been attempting to rescue a dog who fell into Flat Rock River when she lost her balance and was unable to save herself.

Police could not disclose how far Jacqueline Watts's (pictured with her husband) body was found from her car

An autopsy will take place on Monday that will determine cause of death. Police said it would be announced in a press conference.

Police found Watts's car running with the passenger door open near a wooded area in Columbus, which is an hour drive outside Indianapolis.

Her purse and cellphone were inside the vehicle and the emergency flashers were on, according to The Republic.

Officers found Watts's body (pictured right and left with her husband) less than 12 hours after she went missing

Officers looked over the area overnight and reached out to the Louisville Metropolitan police department to search with a helicopter.

At 8.30am, about an hour after the search resumed on Saturday, her body was found. They did not disclose where along the river her body was found.

Columbus Police held the first press conference Saturday morning after finding her body.

Jackie Watts was on the board of directors for Indyclaw Rescue who posted this photo of her caring for animals when her death was announced

Watts was an avid animal lover and was scheduled to scout a venue for an Indyclaw Rescue shelter event next week. She was on the board of directors for the charity and spent time nursing sick bunnies to health.

After her death was confirmed, the shelter posted a photo collage and wrote: 'Jackie was always taking home the really sick bunnies that she could nurture back to health, and if that wasn't possible, she would many times keep them to their end. Even adopting a pair post mortem that she so dearly loved and nursed until they died.'

'Just yesterday, Jackie was sitting on the floor of the Bunny Barn trying to help me give fluids to a long time bunny we believe to have cancer. Like me, Jackie discovered poor Laverne was like Swiss cheese and the fluids would just not stay with her. Jackie loved on Laverne and apologized to her for not taking her home this past week, so Laverne could see what it was like being in a real home.'

Watts was an animal lover and was out dropping her pets off to be cared for before a trip at the time of her death

Another animal rescue center, Kentuckiana Boxer Rescue, posted condolences on social media for the Boxer lover.

Her family spoke about how much she loved animals in a statement as well.

Part of the family's statement read: 'At a young age, Jackie developed a love for animals. To say that this was Jackies passion would be an understatement. Jackie volunteered with the Kentuckiana Boxer Rescue and Indy Claw Animal Rescue where she was a member of the board of directors.'

'She also fostered multiple dogs and rabbits. She cared deeply about the wellbeing of animals. If she believed she could help an animal in need, she was going to do so without hesitation. We know that Jackie gave her life for what she believed in.'

The investigation is ongoing and the police spokesman urged the public to not jump to conclusions or post rumors on social media.

The press officer referenced a false rumor about a bloodied woman walking out of the woods.

The investigation is ongoing and the police spokesperson urged the public to not jump to conclusions or post rumors on social media

This also may have been in reference to rumors surrounding the two teens who were found murdered along Deer Creek in Delphi, which is about an hour north of Indianapolis.

Police confirmed there have not been any arrests in this case.

Watts's sister in law Jen Watts Barrie posted on Facebook the details about what Jacqueline was doing before she went missing. She wrote: 'My sister in law, Jackie, has been missing since this afternoon. She and my brother were flying to DC tonight for a visit, and she didn't come home to meet Michael and go to the airport.

'She dropped their dogs off at my parents' house and rabbit off at her parents' house and no one heard from her afterward. Her car has been located in Columbus, IN, running, with her cell phone and purse inside and the passenger side door open.'

'PLEASE PLEASE view her picture, jog your memories and ask others to take a look. Please pray and send good thoughts. We love her and need her home safe and sound.'
Four first-year students at a prestigious Catholic college have been suspended for singing sexist songs about 'nailing' women.

The male students - who had been at Australian National University (ANU) for just two days - were overheard singing lewd chants that reportedly included euphemisms for oral sex.

The reputable college in Canberra, which counts former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Bob Hawke among its alumni and charges fees of about $16,000, confirmed the boys had been suspended.

ANU's head of college admitted the songs were 'definitely sexist' but insisted they were not 'pro-rape'.

Four first-year students at Australian National University (pictured) have been suspended for singing sexist songs about 'nailing' women

The young men were heard shouting the offensive rhymes inside accommodation at John XXIII College, The Daily Telegraph reported.

A source told the newspaper one of the songs went: 'I wish all the women were nails in my shed, then I'd grab my hammer and nail 'em in my bed.'

The students were on just their second day of orientation week when they were caught.

They were suspended for the remaining three days of the introductory week but were allowed to take part in classes the following week.

But college officials say the first-years could yet face further punishment, which could include being expelled or fined up to $150.

The four young men were heard shouting the offensive rhymes inside accommodation at John XXIII College (pictured)

'We had four first-year students who were here on their second night and they were in a room and they were singing a chant and I wouldn't necessarily call it pro-rape but it was definitely sexist,' ANU Head of College Geoff Johnston said.

'When you speak to the boys they admit they were stupid and shouldn't have done it.

'To be blunt they just didn't think and even so it's unacceptable and as a result they received a punishment.'

The ANU Student Association said the student's behaviour were a sign of the 'pervasive rape culture' on campus.

Last year five students were expelled from ANU for sharing photos of female students' breasts and rating them. Two others were suspended.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the college for further comment.
Derry McCann raped a stranger in a park hours before marrying Harry Kane's pregnant cousin

The police detective who arrested the rapist who went on to marry Harry Kane's cousin has said he should have been jailed for 20 years.

Derry McCann, 28, attacked a 30-year-old trainee lawyer in May 2006 as she was making her way home through an east London park.

McCann, then aged 17, was originally handed a life sentence with a minimum of nine years, but an appeal court overturned it in 2008, according to The Sun.

He was arrested by Detective Sergeant Paul Lofts, who has criticised the rapist's early release.

Speaking to The Sun Det Sgt Lofts, who has since retired, said McCann failed to show any remorse or guilt following his horrific crime.

He also said McCann should have been jailed for at least 20 years.

He added: 'Given that he subjected a person to the sort of attack that is most people's nightmare, a truly life-changing attack, then I think the absence of any sort of empathy with the victim really demonstrated how dangerous he was because he lacks the general sense of humanity that most people have.'

Det Sgt Lofts, who investigated McCanns first rape when he was just 17, said at the time: This young man is a serious danger to the public.

'He deserves to be behind bars for everyones safety.

McCann's lawyers argued he should be given a maximum sentence of 15 years, with parole being considered after seven years.

McCann's sentence was later reduced by Judges Lord Justice Pill, Mr Justice Blair and Sir Richard Curtis because 'progress had been made' while he was incarcerated and he was released in December 2015.

First dance: Derry Flynn McCann, 28, pictured with his new wife on their wedding day - the groom has since admitted rape, robbery and assault carried out that day

But hours before McCann married Kerry Hogg, 27, at The Vestry in Bromley-by-Bow in January, he attacked a 24-year-old woman in Victoria Park, Hackney, east London.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of rape, one count of assault by penetration and one count of robbery at Snaresbrook Crown Court earlier this week.

Detectives believe he planned to rape a different woman but 'lost track' of her so grabbed the eventual victim as she walked home after a night out with friends in the early hours of January 13.

After repeatedly raping her he also stole her phone and bra telling the victim: 'You're lucky I didn't video it'.

Kerry, who had no idea about the attack and has recently given birth to McCann's son, is a cousin of England and Spurs striker Harry Kane. Her father and his mother are siblings.

She was not at the hearing when her husband admitted rape.

Honorary Recorder Martyn Zeidman told the rapist he had carried out a 'terrible' crime and faced a 'very, very long time' in prison.

McCann played 'mind games' with his victim after dragging her into the undergrowth, taunting her by asking what she thought he would do next, Snaresbrook Crown Court was told.

Kate Bex, prosecuting, said: 'It was about midnight, just a little after, and the victim was walking a short distance home having been out to an art gallery, socialising with friends.

Kerry Hogg, McCann's wife, is cousins with Tottenham striker Harry Kane (pictured)

'She was almost within sight of her own front door when she skirted round the side of the park on her usual route home.

'She avoided walking through the middle of it because that was too dangerous, she walked around the side, but unfortunately when near the exit of the park the defendant grabbed her arm and pulled her to one side.

'He began a sustained and systematic attack, best described as mind games in an attempt to control her. Asking the victim what she thought he was going to do to her before actually carrying out the acts.

'He behaved oddly in other respects in interacting with the victim concerning the condom he used when he penetrated and ejaculated.'

McCann will be sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on April 28.

The attack took place in Victoria Park, Hackney, pictured, in which a 24-year-old woman was sexually assaulted

The attacked mirrored his earlier offence in 2006 when he dragged his victim down to the secluded banks of a pond in Mile End Park to inflict a string of disturbing sexual assaults.

McCann began his assault by biting her on the cheek before alternately beating and raping her.

During the prolonged assault he told her she was his girlfriend and he wanted her to have his child before saying he was going to chain her up in his basement where he kept other women.

A detective at the time said he put his victim through a 'life-changing trauma that will haunt her for the rest of her life'.

Judge Lindsay Burn had expressed deep concern over his 'clinical enactment of a catalogue of sexual desires', which amounted to 'torture'.

Snaresbrook Crown Court where McCann will return for sentencing on April 28 after admitting rape and assault

The judge said: 'Some of the most bizarre and worrying features of the evidence was your repeated threats to kill the complainant and your change of mood.

'On the one hand you were a sexual aggressor, then you almost completely switched to the role of boyfriend, talking to her in a normal way.'

Judge Burn was so concerned about him he ordered a transcript of his sentencing remarks to be sent to the governor of the prison.

He said: 'In my judgement there's a very substantial risk that you will commit further serious offences in the future and your conduct will cause serious harm to your victim or victims.'

As McCann was given a life sentence, with a minimum of nine years before he can be released on parole, he yelled out: 'B*******, you don't know me. F*** all you c****.'

He also warned the prison guards not to touch him as he was led away.

McCann's furious family were then escorted out of the building by 12 officers after shouting at the judge for jailing their 'innocent' son.

Crown Prosecution Service London reviewing lawyer Andrew Held said: 'This was a terrifying, violent and prolonged attack involving rapes committed by a man intent on inflicting fear and psychological suffering.

'The strong prosecution case which led to today's guilty pleas included victim testimony, an ID parade, CCTV footage, and bad character evidence based on a similar rape committed by McCann in 2006.

'I would like to thank McCann's victim for her courage in helping bring this prosecution and hope his conviction provides some sense of justice for her.'
A 200-year-old bank note stolen from a museum in the 1980s has been sent back to historians from the Caribbean.

The antique note was sent across the Atlantic from St Lucia to the Padstow Museum in Cornwall, in an envelope with no return address.

The currency, issued by the Padstow Bank of Thomas Rawlings in 1819, was donated to the museum before it went missing in 1984.

Pictured: Padstow Museum John Buckingham holding up the 220-year-old bank note sent to the museum from St Lucia

Curator John Buckingham now believes that it could have been sent back after the thief's guilty conscience got the better of them.

He said: 'I was very surprised. When I saw the envelope and the postmark I first thought, 'who is writing to me from St Lucia?'

'I just opened it and there was no covering letter or anything. There was a plastic sleeve, like the type a collector might use, and inside was this 1 note.

'The note was issued by the Padstow Bank of Thomas Rawlings in 1819 and I knew we had a note like that in the collection.

'So I got out my book and my magnifying glass and checked the note I had been sent with the one in he book about the museum which was published in the 1970s. It was the same note.

'I have no idea who sent us the note back.

Pictured: The envelope the note was sent in, which is covered with stamps from St Lucia

Pictured: The antique note, issued by the Padstow Bank of Thomas Rawlings in 1819

'There was no return address. I did wonder if the person who stole it sent it back and because there was no covering letter you can't help but think it, but that would be just speculation.'

The note would have been a substantial sum in 1819 and for some people it would have amounted to a few month's wages.

Housemaids earned around 7 a year and unskilled labourers and fishermen in the harbour earned far less.

Mr Buckingham said: 'I'm just very pleased that the note is back at the museum. It's important that it is back at the museum at last.'

Mr Buckingham now believes that it could have been sent back after the thief's guilty conscience got the better of them

The note also charts the rise and fall of what was then one of the most powerful families in north Cornwall.

Thomas Rawlings had moved to Padstow from St Columb with his father the previous century and became a wealthy merchant, setting up his own bank and selling everything from hemp, to iron and timber.

The note will be available to view when Padstow Museum reopens at Easter.
A five-year-old home-school student from Oklahoma has made history as the youngest person to ever qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Edith Fuller won the Scripps Green Country Regional Spelling Bee in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday - placing first above 50 other students in the area as old as 15.

The win means that little Edith will be travelling to Maryland in May to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The previous record for youngest competitor in the bee is held by two six-year-olds, last year's Akash Vukoti and 2012's Lori Anne Madison.

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Edith Fuller has made history as the youngest person to qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee

The five-year-old's mother Annie, left, said that the family first noticed Edith's knack for spelling last summer, when she spelled restaurant correctly on first try

Edith locked in her win by correctly spelling such words as sarsaparilla, zephyr and panglossian. Her final word was jnana, a Hindu term for knowledge.

Speaking to Tulsa World, Edith said she felt 'thankful' after the win.

Edith's mother Annie Fuller said the family first realized her daughter's knack for spelling last summer, when she correctly spelled the word restaurant without being taught it at a dinner.

'We knew there was something special there,' Fuller said.

In the lead-up to the competition, Edith studied words with her mom. Every time she spelled something incorrectly, she had to look it up in the dictionary.

'Learning the words was so educational. She was able to learn about different countries and cultures and different kinds of food,' her mother said.

While young competitors are usually the stars of the show at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, they have never won the contest. The youngest competitor to ever win was last year's co-winner Nihar Janga, age 11.

Following her big win this weekend, the competition issued a statement saying they were excited to see Edith in the spring.

'The Scripps National Spelling Bee is very proud of all of its spellers who advance and win their regional bee to qualify for the national final,' a Scripps spokesman told ABC News. 'We certainly look forward to welcoming Edith Fuller and all of our more than 280 national spellers who will come to National Harbor in May to compete and enjoy a memorable Bee week.'
One of the juvenile suspects arrested for the murder of a 15-year-old girl was apparently wearing a GPS tracking device at the time of the crime.

A search warrant of the tracker's records revealed that he was present at the locations where 'abduction and torture' of Damaris Alexandra Reyes Rivas took place in early February.

The teen gang member, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had a previous conviction in Fairfax County, Virginia, which required him to wear an ankle bracelet.

Damaris Alexandra Reyes Rivas, 15 was reportedly murdered on February 11 by MS-13

He has reportedly admitted his role in her abduction, and ten more people have been arrested and charged in connection with Damaris' murder.

The warrant which detailed the locations obtained by the GPS tracking device also described a number of videos, taken by the perpetrators, which recorded the young girl's murder after she was tortured and questioned by gang members

'Some of the videos depict the interrogators holding a knife, poking the victim with a knife and stabbing the victim with a large pointed log while the victim still exhibited signs of life,' the warrant says, according to NBC News 4.

'In one of the videos, the victim is lying supine on the ground surrounded by dead leaves and bleeding heavily from large wounds on different areas of her body.'

The MS-13 was started nearly 20 years ago in Los Angeles after millions of immigrants from El Salvador came to the United States after a violent civil war left over 100,000 dead

WHO ARE THE MS-13? The ultra-violent street gang MS-13 was the first to be designated as an international criminal group. With as many as 20,000 members in 46 states, the gang has expanded far beyond its initial roots. Members are accused of major crimes including murder, kidnapping, prostitution, drug smuggling and human trafficking. Major roundups of MS-13 members have taken place across the country since the early 2000s. In Charlotte, N.C., 53 gang members were arrested as part of Operation Fed Up, which targeted MS-13 members. In 2016, 58 members of MS-13 were rounded up as part of 'Operation Mean Streets'. Previously, two of their most notable killings include stabbing to death a federal witness in 2004 and chopping the hands off of a 16-year-old boy in 2005. Advertisement

Damaris's body was discovered in an industrial park in on the 7100 block of Wimsatt Road in Springfield, Virginia in Fairfax County on February 11.

The Fairfax County area is considered a 'hot-spot' for MS-13 activity. Police told DailyMail.com that they 'have not and will not name any specific gang. We do not want to give any of them more publicity.'

Damaris's mother said she left home in nearby Gaithersburg, Maryland in December and had been threatened by MS-13 members at her school. She told her mother that she couldn't return, and couldn't tell her why.

'My daughter was a good person - not because she was my daughter, but because she was truly good, sweet. She got along with everybody,' she said.

Authorities believe she was led to her death under the pretense of smoking marijuana. She was then removed from the car and reportedly shouted, 'I've been set up,' before being forced into the woods.

Police believe she was interrogated by gang members about her relationship with Christian Sosa Rivas, with whom one of the assailants previously had a relationship, and was also murdered in January.

The scene of Christian Sosa Rivas' murder is seen above in this photo shared to Twitter by Alexandra Limon

Angelica Maria Blanco, right, and Keyri Sujey Portillo Gonzalez, left, were charged as co-conspirators in the killing of Christian Sosa Rivas

Police suspect that her murder may have been 'in retaliation' for the killing of her rumored boyfriend, who was an alleged member of the gang. He reportedly fell into bad graces with MS-13 after claiming to be a leading member of the local chapter.

The 21-year-old washed ashore on the Potomac River near Dumfries, Virginia in January.

Angelica Maria Blanco, 19, and Keyri Sujey Portillo Gonzalez, 18, were charged as co-conspirators in his killing. Four more people have also been charged with murder in the case.

Damaris' cousin Angelica Ivania Barahona-Rivas, 18, was also reported missing last week after failing to return home from work. She was later found safe and unharmed.

The MS-13 gang has been linked to a number of high-profile murders across the country recently, including the deaths of two teen girls in Long Island, New York and the execution of one teen and abduction of another in Houston, Texas.
A Dallas couple who allegedly admitted to killing someone on Facebook have been arrested on suspicion of killing a teenager in broad daylight.

Hakeem Leprince Griffin-White, 17, and Ashley Ann Coleman, 27, were arrested in Dallas on Sunday for the murder of Drekeiston Alex, 19, who was shot dead on Thursday afternoon in the middle of a street.

Both allegedly admitted in a Facebook video to killing someone, and last week Coleman posted an Instagram picture in which she referred to them as 'Bonnie and Clyde.'

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'Bonnie and Clyde': Hakeem Leprince Griffin-White (pictured with pistol), 17, and Ashley Ann Coleman (with rifle), 27, were arrested on Sunday for the daylight murder of a 19-year-old

Killed: Drekeiston Alex (left), 19, was shot dead Thursday. The shooter then fled in a red Chrysler (right) being driven by an accomplice. Witnesses said the Chrysler is Coleman's

Social media: Both suspects frequently used social media. Griffin-White posted this image (left) of him counting money, while Coleman promoters herself as rapper 'Mamme Kash' (right)

Alex was walking on the 4800 block of Sunnyvale Street at around 2.40pm on Thursday when a man approached him and the pair began to argue, Dallas News reported.

The unidentified man then pulled out a handgun and shot Alex in the chest. The teen died in Dallas's Baylor University Medical Center.

Police released security camera footage of the events leading up to the shooting.

The gunman was driven from the scene by an accomplice in a red Chrysler PT Cruiser, police said.

That car was owned by Coleman, witnesses told police. A second witness also reportedly told cops that Griffin-White shot 'that boy' dead.

Coleman posted a photograph of herself and Griffin-White on her Instagram account carrying an assault rifle and a pistol, captioned 'KASH N KEEM. IM HIS BONNIE HE MY CLYDE.'

They also posted a Facebook Live video in which they held a gun and referred to killing someone, an affidavit said, although the video has since been deleted.

'Think': Griffin-White posted on his Facebook page that it was illogical for him to kill someone while 'girl's son was in the car'. Coleman's Instagram posts show her with a young son

Denial: Griffin-White also denied that he knew the victim, and asked what his Facebook Live video 'gotta do with that boy'

'All an image': Coleman posted on Facebook on Friday that she was 'far from a murderer' and that the gun-toting rapper 'Mamme Kash' was 'all an image'

Pleading: Coleman also posted 'Free me' early on Monday. She has been arrested on a charge of first-degree murder, as has Griffin-White

Suspects: Coleman (left) and Griffin-White (right) reportedly made a Facebook Live video in which they claimed to have killed someone. Both protested their innocence online later

Coleman - who raps under the name Mamme Kash - posted on Friday, 'Im Far From A Murderer. I Swear To God Its All An Image.'

A music video for her track 'Shots Fired (Asian Doll Diss)' shows her waving around a pistol and pointing it at the head of a young woman.

She also posted 'Free me.'

Griffin-White also proclaimed his innocence online, writing 'wtf [the Facebook Live video] gotta do with that boy thoo me n my gurr dnt even know dat n***a.'

'Why Would I Kill Somebody While My Gurr Son Inna Car Df #Think,' he also wrote.

Coleman has been arrested numerous times in Dallas County, and in 2010 pleaded guilty to assault.

Both Coleman and Griffin-White have been charged with first-degree murder. They have been jailed on $500,000 bond each.
A young British tourist held captive and repeatedly raped, bashed and choked during a nightmare two-month road trip through Queensland's outback has been saved by a routine traffic stop.

The 22-year-old was rescued on Sunday afternoon when police pulled over a four-wheel drive at Mitchell, about 600 kilometres west of Brisbane, and found the terrified and injured woman at the wheel.

She had facial fractures, bruises and cuts and when officers searched the vehicle, they found her alleged attacker hiding in a storage alcove in the back.

A 22-year-old woman had serious facial injuries and was extremely distressed when police pulled over a four-wheel drive on the Warrego Highway (pictured) at Mitchell

It's alleged the woman suffered a series of sustained attacks between on a journey that stretched at least 1360 kilometres from Cairns south to the outback town of Roma

The 22-year-old woman was rescued after a routine traffic stop in Queensland (Warrego Highway pictured)

A 22-year-old British backpacker who was repeatedly raped, bashed and choked has been saved by a routine traffic stop near Mitchell, 500 kilometres north-west of Brisbane (Mitchell train station pictured)

'We would certainly say that what's happened to this young lady is quite catastrophic,' Detective Inspector Paul Hart told the ABC.

'When located we will allege that the male person was secreted in the back section of the vehicle which made it quite difficult to find him.'

The 22-year-old man, from the Cairns suburb of Manunda, is facing more than 20 charges, including four counts of rape, eight counts of assault, four of strangulation, and two of deprivation of liberty. He's also facing drug charges.

He applied for bail but was refused when he faced a court in Roma on Monday. He is due to face court again on May 23.

Police say the pair met in Cairns and decided to embark on a road trip that quickly turned into a living nightmare for the backpacker.

'During the course of their travels throughout the state then a number of very serious offences have occurred,' Detective Inspector Hart said.

The alleged offender is from Manunda, a suburb in Cairns, Queensland (Manunda pictured)

The man, from the Cairns suburb of Manunda (pictured), has already faced court

The 22-year-old man, from the Cairns suburb of Manunda (pictured), has already faced a Roma court on charges including four counts of rape

He said the woman's 'very prolonged' ordeal had left her with physical and serious psychological injuries, and her mental health was a priority.

It's alleged she suffered a series of sustained attacks between January 2 and March 5 on a journey that stretched at least 1360 kilometres from Cairns south to the outback town of Roma.

At 5pm on Sunday, police pulled over a 4WD on the Warrego Highway at Mitchell, just west of Roma, and immediately realised something was very wrong.

'It appears she was terrified and not able to hide that (from officers),' police said on Tuesday.

Investigators are still trying to piece together the pair's movements, including where they might have stopped.

A British High Commission spokesperson said: 'We are supporting a British woman following an incident in Queensland and remain in contact with local authorities.'

Mitchell (pictured) is a rural town about 600 kilometres north-west of Brisbane, Queensland

Police will allege the woman met the Cairns man three months ago and they agreed to go on a road trip (Warrego Highway pictured)

Police found the woman in a four-wheel drive on the Warrego Highway at Mitchell
Junior firefighter Trucker Dukes with his mother, Shauna, while he was in NYC undergoing cancer treatment last spring

Three-year-old FDNY junior firefighter Trucker Dukes of Maui, Hawaii, passed away following his battle with cancer last Friday morning.

'At 10.10am on March 3, 2017, in his mamma's arms, Trucker took his last breath here and went home to be with Jesus,' read the Team Trucker Facebook post announcing the sad news.

'We prayed that his passing (and I say passing because we have hope of seeing him again in Heaven) would be peaceful, not painful and with ohana [family] there. Our God answered this prayer.'

Trucker died after having been in hospice care at his home, alongside his parents and three older siblings, reports The Maui News.

'Truckers passing has been the hardest experience you can imagine,' his mother Shauna Dukes said in a statement to ABC News. 'Now we get to celebrate his extraordinary life.'

Trucker suffered from Stage 4 neuroblastoma  a type of cancer that most commonly effects infants and young children  which he had been diagnosed with at the age of 1.

The toddler went through multiple rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and surgeries during the course of his treatment, including, at one point, the removal of a fast-growing tumor in his abdomen that spread through 50 per cent of his body when he was just 19 months old, reports The Maui News.

In an effort to give him the best medical care they could, the Dukes decided to send Tucker and his mom Shauna to New York City, so he could receive treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, last spring.

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Trucker Dukes pictured with his firefighter father, Joshua, during a healthier moment in time

Trucker, who was made an FDNY junior firefighter, pictured with some of his FDNY fans

Trucker surrounded by FDNY firefighters while he was in NYC undergoing cancer treatment

Video courtesy of Team Trucker:

During those months he was in New York, Trucker was sworn in as a New York City Fire Department as an honorary junior firefighter, an honor the department bestows upon brave young children fighting illness, a FDNY spokesperson told ABC News in May.

Tucker also celebrated his third birthday with a party hosted by firefighters from FDNY Engine 22, Ladder 13, Battalion 10.

It was a particularly meaningful gesture for Tucker, who had grown up surrounded by firefighters  his father, Joshua Dukes, is a firefighter in Maui  and he loved fire departments and fire trucks.

'He actually thinks he's a firefighter in New York. We've had unbelievable support from firefighters all across the world, actually,' Shauna Dukes said in a ABC News video shot before her son passed away.

After several months of flying back and forth from Maui to New York for treatment, Truckers parents opted to bring him back home to Maui permanently in the fall, hoping to give him a better quality of life, according to The Maui News.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson showing off his best tough face for the #TruckerToughChallenge

On January 31, the family started the #TruckerToughChallenge social media challenge, so friends and family could show the toddler their support by revealing their toughest face as he fought the cancer.

While firefighters were quick to take part, the challenge also made its way over to celebrities, including Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, 'Moana' actress Auli'i Cravalho, UFC fighter Yancy Medeiros, big wave surfer Kai Lenny and Atlanta Braves catcher Kurt Suzuki, who all contributed their best tough faces to inspire Trucker.

Still, the last month and a half of his life were the most difficult for Trucker and his family.

After the family returned from a happy Christmas snowboarding trip to Whistler, British Columbia, Trucker's legs began to swell, he was unable to walk and was in so much pain that he could not sleep peacefully.

'Hed wake up screaming at night from the pain,' Joshua Dukes told The Maui News. 'Hed literally wake up 30 to 40 times a night.

'It was really, really challenging,' he continued. 'I think towards the end we started praying that God would heal him or God would take him because we didnt want to see him suffer anymore.

'Honestly, when he died, he took his last breath and that was it. It wasnt violent, and he was in my wifes arms and he was home with his family. That was a miracle.'

Trucker's family will celebrate his life with a gathering at Hope Chapel in Kihei, Maui this Friday. After the funeral procession to Valley Isle Memorial Park, Trucker's family and friends intend to paddle out into the ocean in his memory on Saturday at Hookipa Beach Park, reports The Maui News.

Images of fire department riding lists honoring Tucker after he passed away last week

Fire departments are also remembering Trucker in their own special way. Departments in New York City and Maui have put Trucker's name on their riding list, posting photos of their assignment boards on social media using #TruckerRidesWithUs.

Given Trucker's diagnosis and treatment  which initially involved a treatment plan designed for adults because so few drugs have been developed specifically for children  the Dukes family has been advocating for more awareness of pediatric cancer and intends to continue their efforts.

'I dont know what the future looks like for us, but Ill never stop raising awareness,' Shauna Dukes told The Maui News. 'Hopefully, one day theres something less toxic and not as harsh for someone elses baby.'
Footage appearing to show the impact of an agitated Donald Trump dressing down top aides Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus on Friday actually depicted fallout from the president directing his ire at White House counsel Don McGahn, according to three sources familiar with the tense meeting.

'He was chewing out the White House counsel about Sessions,' a senior administration official told DailyMail.com on Monday, referring to Attorney General Jeff Sessions' move a day earlier to recuse himself from federal investigations linking Russian officials with Trump campaign personnel.

Sessions' move came hours after Trump said he had 'total' confidence in Sessions, and shortly after White House press secretary Sean Spicer pre-recorded a Fox news Channel interview for Friday broadcast in which he said there was no reason for Sessions to step away.

McGahn absorbed most of Hurricane Donald's force after the president found Wednesday's glowing media coverage  following his well-received speech to a Joint session of Congress  crowded out by the Sessions mini-scandal.

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White House Counsel Don McGahn, shown in January in the Trump Tower lobby, was the target of Donald Trump's ire  not senior aides Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon  during a rage-filled Friday dressing-down in the Oval Office

Footage emerged of chief White House strategist Steve Bannon during that shout-fest, as he appeared to drop an F-bomb at someone to the camera's left

The president's explosive lecture was originally thought to have been aimed at chief of staff Reince Priebus (left) and Bannon (right), but senior administration officials say that's not how it played out

While it is not clear what the discussion was about, Bannon was filmed in an animated conversation and at one point was spotted waving his arms around.

Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and Sean Spicer were spotted in the background of the footage.

Trump had accused his staff of fumbling the situations with Sessions after the attorney general recused himself from all FBI investigations regarding Russia on Thursday.

The president is said to have then taken it out on his senior staff the following day.

Sources said to CNN the Oval Office lecture had a 'lot of expletives' and that 'nobody has seen him that upset'.

Earlier reporting described Friday's shout-fest as a rebuke of Bannon and Priebus. But an official close to McGahn confirmed that the longtime Trump lawyer was one of the aides in the president's crosshairs.

'That's about right,' the McGahn associate said. 'He was mad at Don.'

Trump, that source said, complained that the White House counsel's office should have huddled with Sessions before his announcement to reassure him that the president would stand behind him if he resisted calls to recuse himself.

Instead the president was 'forced to play defense on Thursday instead of offense,' a third administration official said of the fallout from Sessions' announcement, 'and his mood Friday was about as bad as it gets.'

McGahan did not respond to a request for comment. He does not appear in the CNN video, which was shot through an Oval Office window.

McGahn, shown here (center) on Inauguration Day, caught the worst of Trump's tirade, according to senior White House officials

A furious Trump headed to Florida on Friday without Bannon and Priebus, but they were knee-deep in Justice Department and Obamacare business  not in the doghouse

Jared Kushner (right) was also present in the Oval Office when Steve Bannon was filmed in an animated conversation

Ivanka Trump (left with her back to the door) was in the room, too, along with Press Secretary Sean Spicer and Communications Director Mike Dubke

Bannon is shown in the CNN video yelling at someone and dropping an apparent F-bomb. He did not respond to a request to identify who he was reprimanding.

As the video unfolds, Trump adviser Jared Kushner  Ivanka's husband  takes up position in Bannon's line of fire, near his wife Ivanka Trump.

Bannon was there to calm the president down on Friday, the first official said.

'He was on blast mode,' that source said of the president's reaction to the attorney general's unexpected decision, and 'hitting the White House counsel for not explaining it better.'

The three administration officials were granted anonymity to speak freely about Friday's events.

All of them cast doubt on earlier reports that Bannon and Priebus were both left in the White House's doghouse when Trump left town for Florida on Friday afternoon.

The power pair did remain behind in Washington. But neither man, a second official said, was being put in a corner.

In particular, the first official said, 'this had nothing to do with Reince.'

Priebus, one official said, stayed in D.C. to work Friday night working with White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney and House Republicans, hammering out details of the coming Obamacare replacement bill.

Bannon remained behind along with McGahn to help Sessions connect his recusal decision with what he told the Senate Judiciary Committee during his January confirmation hearing.

That hearing saw then-Senator Sessions deny that he had met with Russian officials during the presidential campaign, even though he had at least one meeting with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

After the reported blowout, Trump left for his estate in Florida with his grandchildren on Friday; Bannon, McGahn and Jeff Sessions followed him on Saturday

Sessions said later that he took that meeting in his capacity as a senator, not as a campaign aide.

But his Justice Department aides later persuaded him to back away from any Russia-related probes that might involve the campaign, which he advised at immigration and homeland security matters.

Sessions, McGahn and Bannon flew to Florida together on Saturday afternoon, where they participated in dinnertime discussions related to Monday's rollout of a replacement travel-ban executive order.

Separately, Trump was also briefed Saturday about what one official called 'the fact pattern' behind Sessions' decision Thursday.

First daughter Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, press secretary Sean Spicer and newly minted communications director Mike Dubke were also in the Oval office when sparks flew on Friday.
Michael Derek Roberts, 58, pleaded guilty last week in Cobb County, Georgia to breaking into his neighbor's home and secretly placing a camera in her bedroom.

A tech CEO in the Atlanta suburbs is heading to jail for making deviant films inside his long-time neighbor's house.

Michael Derek Roberts, 58, pleaded guilty last week in Cobb County, Georgia to breaking into his neighbor of 12 years' home and secretly placing a camera in her bedroom. Roberts was sentenced to three years in jail, followed by 12 years of probation, during which he'll be banished from Cobb County, his longtime home in the affluent suburbs north of Atlanta.

Roberts had been close with his neighbors of over a decade, watching their pets when the family was out of town, and even knew the code to their garage door.

The Georgia man was the CEO of Activ Technologies, a supply-chain software firm with nearly $2 million in venture capital backing, according to state and federal records.

Secretly, though, Roberts would wait until his neighbors were out of town and sneak into their home, where he'd film himself nude in the master bedroom and closet, and sniff women's panties, prosecutors claimed in court, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Roberts would secretly wait until his neighbors were out of town and then film himself in their bedroom and closet. Prosecutors provided this still from the camera he used

But the twisted neighbor went even further last spring, say prosecutors, when he sneaked into his neighbors' empty home and planted a camera in the master bedroom.

The female neighbor found the camera though, took it out of the bedroom and left it on the kitchen counter before leaving the house, perhaps thinking it was a prank by her husband.

Likely seeing that his hidden camera had been discovered on the live feed, Roberts panicked. He texted the woman, claiming he'd been testing the camera in her home because his wi-fi didn't work.

Claiming the camera hadn't worked, he dashed next door to retrieve it before the neighbor could return.

Her suspicions were raised though, and she called police, who likewise didn't buy Roberts' story.

The sick invasion of privacy took place on this affluent cul-de-sac in the Atlanta suburbs

The suburban tech CEO was arrested on October 9, but bonded out the same day.

He was then arrested a second time on October 9, county records show, after trying to talk to the aggrieved neighbor in violation of a restraining order she'd placed against him.

Roberts on Wednesday pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary, invasion of privacy, criminal trespass, and aggravated stalking, the latter charge stemming from the restraining order violation.

In addition to jail time and probation, Cobb Superior Court Judge Lark Ingram ordered Roberts to compensate his neighbor for counseling she's needed in the wake of the twisted ordeal.

'This crime was such a personal invasion to the victim and her family - made worse by the fact that they have lived next-door to the defendant for 12 years,' said Cobb County assistant district attorney Katie Doyle, who prosecuted the case.

'We are glad that was recognized by Judge Ingram both in terms of the prison portion of the sentence and the banishment from Cobb County.'
President Donald Trump gushed about oil giant ExxonMobil Monday after the new company CEO announced plans to invest $20 billion in Gulf state refining and chemical facilities.

The president seized on the announcement as an affirmation of his campaign and governing agenda, after spending hours meeting with company CEOs at his private properties and at the White House to try to get them to goose investment.

'Buy American & hire American are the principals at the core of my agenda, which is: JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! Thank you,' Trump wrote, mistakenly using the wrong word to state his principles.

In another tweet, he wrote: '45,000 construction & manufacturing jobs in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. $20 billion investment. We are already winning again, America!'

Donald Trump said in a tweet: 'We are already winning again, America!'

Chairman and CEO Darren Woods said Monday that the company would create 12,000 permanent jobs and 35,000 in construction as the company invests in its chemical and refining plants.

The $20 billion would roughly equal the company's capital spending for the prior year, but would be spent over a decade, according to an official release.

The release also said some of the investments began in 2013, when Trump wasn't even in office, making it difficult to ascertain what impact if any the new administration had on the company's plans.

'Investments began in 2013 and are expected to continue through at least 2022,' according to a company release.

'Exxon Mobil is building a manufacturing powerhouse along the U.S. Gulf Coast," Woods said in a speech at the gathering of oil execs CERAWeek, Reuters reported. "These businesses are leveraging the shale revolution to manufacture cleaner fuels and more energy-efficient plastics."

President Trump (R) pictured along with former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, who is now secretary of state. Trump hailed Exxon's decision to invest $20 billion in its refinery operations

President Trump hailed Exxon's investments on Twitter

SCHOOLED ON PRINCIPALS: President Trump thanked the company on Twitter and invoked his 'principals'

Trump hailed the investment, which began in 2013, before he took office

Trump's secretary of state Rex Tillerson stepped down as the head of ExxonMobil to take the post.

Trump also praised the oil investments in an official White House statement.

'Many of the products that will be manufactured here in the United States by American workers will be exported to other countries, improving our balance of trade, Trump said. This is a true American success story.

'This is exactly the kind of investment, economic development and job creation that will help put Americans back to work,' Trump said.

US President Donald Trump greets Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin (center) and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (right) after delivering his address to Congress

An official company released noted the country's oil shale boom, and said the investment would pour into Texas and Louisiana, leading to jobs that in most cases pay $100,000 a year.

The United States is a leading producer of oil and natural gas, which is incentivizing U.S. manufacturing to invest and grow, said Woods.

We are using new, abundant domestic energy supplies to provide products to the world at a competitive advantage resulting from lower costs and abundant raw materials. In this way, an upstream technology breakthrough has led to a downstream manufacturing renaissance.

Trump's praise for Exxon goes alongside his cheerleading for a number companies that have announced new plans for investment following meetings with him.

In many cases, Trump has taken credit for the investment, though sometimes the plan had been in the works for years.

The White House release also quoted Woods, the Exxon CEO, as praising the administration.

'Private sector investment is enhanced by this Administrations support for smart regulations that support growth while protecting the environment.

Trump has stressed rolling back regulations, as his administration moves to slash funding for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Trump signed an early executive order to allow for construction of the Keysteone XL pipeline, which would bring oil from Canada's tar sands to the Gulf.
Shocking pictures has emerged of a man trampling on swan eggs while trying to steal them in a national park of eastern China.

The alleged theft took away four eggs from a pair of black swans on Saturday at the edge of the scenic Slender West Lake, reported People's Daily Online.

More than 50 onlookers saw the man kicking the swans and stepping on at least one of the eggs, but only two attempted to stop him.

Onlookers stood and watched the black swan being kicked by a young man in China

The two black swans cried after their unhatched eggs were trampled on

The heart-breaking moment happened on the afternoon of March 4, where dozens of visitors were at the tourist attraction, according to People's Daily Online, citing Beijing Youth Daily.

The set of pictures, which emerged on social media, show a man, who appeared to be in his 20s, wearing a face mask and a pink cap went across the fence to where the black were hatching eggs.

Mrs Jiang, who witnessed the incident, told a reporter that the man stole about four eggs from the swans.

'The swans were biting his legs, then he kicked its wings. Other witnesses told him it's illegal to do so and we called the police,' said Mrs Jiang.

The black swan attempted to bite him but that couldn't stop the man from stealing the eggs

Heart-breaking! The swans looking at their loss child hopelessly as the man stepped on it

One middle-aged woman attempted to stop him and the man put the eggs on the ground.

However, he stepped on it hard, breaking at least one egg.

The man was dragged out of the area by another man shortly afterwards.

A video posted by Pear show the heartbreaking moment the two swans mourned the loss of their unborn child.

A child says on camera that she also saw one of the swans bleeding before it went into the lake to wash.

Mrs Jiang also confirmed that she too saw blood on the wings of the swans.

Web users condemned the onlookers that they did not stop the man from stealing eggs

The black swans were hatching four eggs before the man came to take them away

Slender West Lake's management team issued a statement yesterday stating they were 'deeply angered and shocked' by the incident.

A spokesperson added: 'We have passed on all the evidence to the police in a bid to arrest the suspect at the earliest.'

However, web users on Chinese social media account were angry that no one stopped the man.

'There were over 30 people standing around him but no one to stop him?!' said web user 'xiari0101'.

'Do all the people around just watching it like a show? Or are they too busy to do live-stream and putting it online?' said another web user.

Solicitor Han Xiao, from Beijing KangDa Law Firm, stated the man breached article six of China's Wildlife Protection Law as swans are listed as grade II on the list of protected and endangered species.

Yangzhou Police Department posted an official statement on their social media account to call for any sightings of the suspect. A dedicated team has also been set up to investigate the details.
A sex education book published in China for second-grade students aged eight to nine, has sparked a lively debate with parents slamming it for being 'inappropriate' and 'embarrassing'.

Named Cherish Life - A Reader on Child Sex Education, the guide features standard illustrations of genitalia and matching descriptions.

However, People's Daily reports that dozens of parents have slammed the book for being lewd and one critic mused on Wiebo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter: 'I myself would blush looking at those erotic pictures.'

A sex education book published in China for second grade students aged eight to nine, has sparked a lively debate with parents slamming it for being 'inappropriate' and 'embarrassing'

one unidentified mother who described herself as 'liberal' explained that the book goes too far in explaining sex to young children, using words like 'penis' and 'vagina'

Others also branded the illustrations 'absolutely unacceptable' and the equivalent of 'cartoon pornography'.

The books publisher defended the material, stating that it had been vetted by experts.

Despite the bite back, more parents have taken to social media to voice their outrage.

One mother wrote that she wasn't comfortable with the book featuring a chapter on sexual harassment.

Named Cherish Life - A Reader on Child Sex Education, the guide features standard illustrations of genitalia and matching descriptions

Commenting on the book's illustrations, one enraged parent mused: 'I myself would blush looking at those erotic pictures'

Another parent criticized the book for addressing sexual orientation.

They added: 'The books preach that homosexuality is normal, and that people should respect different sexual orientations.

'I dont think such knowledge should be introduced to kids, as they are still too young to understand the issues.'

I dont think such knowledge should be introduced to kids, as they are still too young to understand the issues

Commenting on the book's content, one unidentified mother who described herself as 'liberal' explained to Beijing News , that the book goes too far in explaining sex to young children, using words like 'penis' and 'vagina'.

She added: 'I personally feel that having a teacher explain this content is best, after all, the child is only in the second grade. As a parent, wouldn't you be shocked at this?'

However, some parents spoke out in support of the book.

One Weibo user argued in favour of the school and the choice of the book.

'There are so many sexually ignorant people across the country. Instead of avoiding telling children about it, what we should do is to help improve their understanding about sex so that they can better protect themselves.'

One mother wrote on Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, that she wasn't comfortable with the book featuring a chapter on sexual harassment

An attempt to break down the taboo around sex ed in China came with the launch of Cherish Life in 2010

Apparently China's first sex education textbook appeared in Shenzhen back in 2003.

However, it was quickly ditched from school curriculum after it was deemed 'unsuitable' and some parents even attempted to sue the publisher.

An attempt to break down the taboo around sex ed in China came with the launch of Cherish Life in 2010.

While it has been in circulation for a number of years it appears the latest edition has triggered backlash.

In response to public concern, Beijing Normal University Publishing Group which printed the book, said in a official statement: 'We hope sexual knowledge, along with other scientific knowledge, can be naturally and accurately taught to our kids.

'Sexual crimes targeting children frequently take place in China, and they remind us of the importance of promoting sexual education among elementary school students'
Fictional character Tony Stark might have a real life competitor.

A journalist has been dubbed China's 'Iron Man' after using a cutting-edge machine to film and report on the country's annual Communist meeting.

The futuristic equipment allows the man to operate a dozen gadgets simultaneously and broadcast the event on 16 platforms, reported People's Daily Online.

The journalist from Guangming Online impressed his peers with his impressive equippment

He became a star while covering China's most important political meeting for his gadgets

The journalist from state-owned Guangming Online was spotted carrying the equipment on March 2 in Beijing as he covered China's Two Sessions, the largest annual political meeting in China.

With the help of the machine, the journalist was able to record and live broadcast the event on more than a dozen channels in different digital formats, including panoramic and virtual reality.

The journalist carries the equipment in front of his chest and all gadgets were attached to his backpack.

The reporter has been dubbed the real-life 'Iron Man' because of his reporting machine

After being interviewed by a Guangming Online reporter, Shen Jinjin, a representative attending the meetings, was impressed by the equipment.

Mr Shen said: 'I've never seen or heard of similar machines before.'

Lu Xiangao, the deputy editor-in-chief of Guangming Online, said the tool allows the reporters to work more easily as it frees up their hands.

Weighing 33 pounds (15kg), the multi-functional machine is much lighter than a set of traditional equipment required for the job.

The man was seen at China's Two Sessions, China's largest annual political event. Chinese security officers were seen guarding after the opening of the fifth session of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on March 3 in Beijing

The two sessions refer to National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)

This year, the NPC opened on March 5 and is set of close on March 15 while the CPPCC opened on March 3 and is set to close on March 13

Footage shot by the high-tech equipment can be watched via Guangming Online and Guangming apps as well as on various live-streaming sites, including Yizhibo and Moredoo.

The Two Sessions comprise two most important Chinese political sessions held every year in the Chinese capital.

This year, the fifth session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) opened on March 5 and is set to close on March 15; while the fifth session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) opened on March 3 and is set to close on March 13th.
Faced with the threat that Asian carp could enter the Great Lakes, Michigan is turning to the public for new ideas and plans to offer a prize to whoever comes up with a way to stop the voracious fish.

Michigan's global search challenge comes after the U.S. government and others have spent hundreds of millions searching for a solution to stop the carp from entering the world's largest freshwater system.

If they aren't stopped, officials fear the aggressive fish will crowd out prize native fish and hamper recreational boating in large sections of the lakes, which stretch from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan in the west to New York and Pennsylvania in the east and from Ontario, Canada, in the north to Illinois, Indiana and Ohio in the south.

Plant manager Peter Allen feeds Asian carp onto a conveyer belt at the American Heartland Fish Products carp-processing plant near Grafton, Ill. Faced with the threat that Asian carp could enter the Great Lakes, Michigan is turning to the public for new ideas and plans to offer a prize to whomever comes up with a way to stop the voracious fish.

HOW THEY ARRIVED Asian carp were imported to the U.S. in the 1970s to gobble scummy algae from Deep South fish farms and sewage ponds. They escaped into the Mississippi River and migrated north, reaching dozens of tributaries, including the Illinois River, which is linked to Lake Michigan by a man-made shipping canal near Chicago. Electric barriers are set up to keep them out of Lake Michigan, but skeptics fear young fish will slip through. Advertisement

'I think in the fight against Asian carp, there aren't really any bad ideas,' said Molly Flanagan, vice president of policy for the Alliance for the Great Lakes. 'We have to try a bunch of different things.'

Michigan alone has a $38 billion tourism industry, much of it focused on the outdoors, and the Great Lakes region has a $7 billion fishing industry.

Asian carp have been spotted 45 miles from Lake Michigan.

If the fish make it into that lake, they could make their way into the other Great Lakes.

Details on how much prize money will be offered are still being worked out. Officials also haven't determined how many winners might be chosen.

The Michigan Legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder allocated $1 million to develop the challenge. Most of the money will go toward a prize for an idea or ideas that are deemed feasible, Michigan Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Joanne Foreman said.

The rest will be used to create the challenge, which includes working with InnoCentive, a crowdsourcing company that will host the event online. The campaign is expected to go live this summer.

'Somebody out there possibly could have a really good idea,' Foreman said. 'Maybe they're not in fisheries or hydro-engineering.'

Asian carp were imported to the U.S. in the 1970s to gobble scummy algae from Deep South fish farms and sewage ponds.

They escaped into the Mississippi River and migrated north, reaching dozens of tributaries, including the Illinois River, which is linked to Lake Michigan by a man-made shipping canal near Chicago.

Electric barriers are set up to keep them out of Lake Michigan, but skeptics fear young fish will slip through.

THE ASIAN INVADERS REVEALED Invasive bighead, silver, and black carp are the issue. Silver carp and bighead carp are within 10 miles of the three electric barriers built to prevent invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan through the Chicago Area Waterways System. A 2015 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study shows the potential for small fish to be trapped and carried by barges through the system and existing electric barriers. These fish can grow to over 100 pounds. They jump out of the water to threaten boaters, out-compete native species for food, and can take over an entire river system. If that happens in Michigan, it will affect the core of who we are as Michiganders and what we love about our great state. Advertisement

Since 2010, more than $388 million has been spent to battle the invasive species - mostly by the federal government.

Many researchers have developed ideas to halt their advance. Some have shown promise in lab trials but are still in experimental phases; others have failed.

Leon Carl, Midwest regional director for the U.S. Geological Survey, said one idea called a 'carp cannon' shot pressurized water to scare the fish. The carp eventually adapted.

'They are highly evolved animals, pretty evolved fish,' Carl said. 'They are not a primitive fish by any means.'

Environmentalists favor putting physical barriers in the Chicago Area Waterways System, but shippers oppose that because they say it would slow the movement of millions of tons of cargo.

Michigan alone has a $38 billion tourism industry, much of it focused on the outdoors, and the Great Lakes region has a $7 billion fishing industry.

The Army Corps of Engineers had been developing a plan to strengthen defenses at a crucial lock and dam near Chicago, but President Donald Trump's administration recently put that on hold.

Asian carp are like a vacuum cleaner, gorging on plankton that native fish need, which can unravel the natural food chain. Silver carp have the added danger of jumping out of the water at the sounds of boat engines and hitting boaters and fishermen.

'They are ferocious eaters. They can get up to 60, 80, 100 pounds,' said David Hamilton, senior policy director for aquatic invasive species for The Nature Conservancy.

'They eat a huge percentage of their body mass; a big fish eating many, many pounds is going to wreak havoc at the base of the food chain.'
Science fiction has long been obsessed with the idea of alien life forms and how they may appear.

Over the years we have seen little green men, bug-eyed monsters and predatory killers take to the silver and smaller screens to represent our idea of life from outer space.

But scientific fact may hold the key to a more realistic depiction of creatures and plants which have adapted to meet the harsh challenges of alien worlds.

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Dr Brian Choo worked with graphic artist Steve Grice to come up with what they believe are more realistic portrayals of life adapted to the harsh alien environment of red dwarf worlds

RED DWARF STARS In the hunt for extra-terrestrial life, astronomers often try to find Earth-sized planets in what is called the 'habitable zone' of their host star. This means they are orbiting at the correct distance for liquid water to exist on the planet. Using computer simulations, a group of scientists discovered in 2016 that these planets are likely to be orbiting low-mass stars known as red dwarfs. Such stars are smaller and cooler than the sun and about one tenth of the mass. Because these small stars are considerably less luminous than the sun, planets can be much closer to their star before their surface temperature becomes too high for liquid water to exist. Advertisement

Rather than yellow stars like our own Sun, smaller red dwarf systems may hold the key to life beyond planet Earth.

Dr Brian Choo worked with graphic artist Steve Grice to come up with what he believes are more realistic portrayals of the flora and fauna which could be found on the planets orbiting these stars.

While red dwarf systems may be the most commonly habitable in the galaxy, they are also very challenging, according to the Sketchfab page where they have displayed their animations.

In the newly discovered Trappist-1 system which hit headlines in recent weeks, it's thought that at least three of the seven Earth-like planets which orbit the red dwarf at its centre could be habitable - although this number may be higher.

And if the worlds of Trappist-1 can sustain life it would be very different to our own, say the pair behind the stunning renderings of plant and animal life.

In the newly discovered Trappist-1 system, it's thought that three of the seven Earth-like planets could be habitable. At the centre is a red dwarf star which may hold the key to life beyond planet earth

Dr Choo specialises in the study of life on Earth and how environmental factors impact on the development of species.

Dr Choo, from the School of Biological Sciences at Flinders University in Australia, believes animal life would be mainly amphibious.

Armoured plates and thick skin would be necessary to protect any surface animal from a harsh sun, wind-blown debris - and predators.

The amphibious creature envisaged by the pair has armoured plates and thick skin, to protect any surface animal from a harsh sun, wind-blown debris and predators

With most of the world's plant life clinging close to the ground and in cracks between rocks, any animal would need a mouth well suited to gathering this up.

It would also need strong front legs to uncover food, as well as to burrow for protection from the elements and solar flares.

He also believes any such creature could have transparent skin, as red dwarf stars emit a smaller spectrum of radiation and animals are likely to have translucent flesh to capture as much light as possible.

The creature could have transparent skin and flesh due to the unique environment of red dwarf planets

About the animal life envisaged, he said: 'This odd creature grazes on low growing lichen-like vegetation and digs for buried tubers.

'The low-slung body and armoured carapace permit it to forage during the blistering windstorms that scour surface.

'The paddle-like tail and vestigial fins betray an aquatic larval stage in the cool lakes at the edge of the melting dark-zone glaciers.'

Plant life may need to seek shelter underground to protect root systems and water storage. It could function like a cactus, storing water in buds above ground or in underground roots

Dr Choo also worked to describe how plant life may have evolved, which he believes could involve a degree of self-awareness.

Navigating the winds could be a vital component in a plant's life-cycle, but the challenges of knowing where to go and when to drop may require awareness of the surrounding environment he says.

A spiral-shaped 'propeller', which could catch the wind and carry its seed on an intercontinental journey, would unfold like a flower from the centre of his plant.

Like a cactus, plants on harsh red dwarf planets would need to guarantee their supply of liquid water.

This could be stored in succulent-style buds above ground, or in underground roots.

It would however produces a surface 'bloom' as part of its life cycle in order to release a mobile seed

Harsh surface conditions could also drive the plants underground.

Like mushrooms, most of its anatomy may be out of sight - protected from the winds, heat and radiation.

It would however produce a surface 'bloom' as part of its life cycle in order to release a mobile seed.

Dr Choo added: 'The fleshy body of this "plant" is mostly underground, save for the spectacular rosette of petals that trap moisture and, with the aid of symbiotic microbes, harness sunlight.

'While the mature organism is immobile and unthinking, its wind-blown seeds possess the limited degree of self-awareness necessary to navigate it to a site suitable for germination.'

Because red dwarf stars are considerably less luminous than the sun, planets can be much closer to their star before their surface temperature becomes too high for liquid water to exist. The pair came up with their own model for such a world (pictured)

In the hunt for extra-terrestrial life, astronomers often try to find Earth-sized planets in what is called the 'habitable zone' of their host star.

This means they are orbiting at the correct distance for liquid water to exist on the planet, and this is considered the most important factor for the possibility of life as we know it existing on other planets.

Using computer simulations, a group of scientists discovered in 2016 that these planets are likely to be orbiting low-mass stars known as red dwarfs.

Such stars are smaller and cooler than the sun and about one tenth of the mass.

Because these small stars are considerably less luminous than the sun, planets can be much closer to their star before their surface temperature becomes too high for liquid water to exist.

Red dwarf stars represent the overwhelming majority of stars in the solar neighbourhood.
A solar flare that erupted from the sun in the early hours of Monday morning has been captured in a stunning new video.

The flare missed Earth on its flight path but could have knocked out communications and navigation systems had it reached the planet's magnetic field.

Large solar flares can knock out electrons from Earth's atmosphere and cause electromagnetic storms.

HOW SOLAR FLARES IMPACT EARTH Solar flares can damage satellites and have an enormous financial cost. Astronauts are not in immediate danger because of the relatively low orbit of this manned mission. They do have to be concerned about cumulative exposure during space walks. The charged particles can also threaten airlines by disturbing the Earth's magnetic field. Very large flares can even create currents within electricity grids and knock out energy supplies. A positive aspect, from an aesthetic point of view, is that the auroras are enhanced. Geomagnetic storms are more disruptive now than in the past because of our greater dependence on technical systems that can be affected by electric currents. Advertisement

But Monday's flare was emitted far enough from the Sun-Earth line that it will not affect our planet, according to space weather experts at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, based in Washington DC.

The organisation has released a video showing the flare as it blasts from the sun in an explosion known as a coronal mass ejection.

The Space Weather Prediction Centre footage also captured Mercury gliding across the Sun's surface.

Solar flares are behind the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis.

They can damage satellites and have an enormous financial cost.

Larger flares can knock out electrical grids and change Earth's magnetic field, confusing navigational and communications equipment.

The new video comes after Nasa announced plans last month that they are to send a probe to the sun to study dangerous solar activity.

The flare, pictured erupting from the bottom left side of the sun in this infrared imagery captured by weather experts based in Washington DC, missed Earth on its flight path but could have knocked out communications and navigation systems

The flare was captured by astronomers alongside Mercury as it glided past the sun on its orbit, pictured as a bright spec of white light just below the sun in this infrared image

The spacecraft will swoop to within 4million miles (6.4million km) of the sun's surface next year, facing extremes in heat and radiation.

The mission, known as the Solar Probe Plus (SPP), will go seven times closer to the sun's surface than any spacecraft before it.

Scientists have long wanted to send a probe through the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, to better understand the solar wind and the material it carries into our solar system.

Nasa is launching the Solar Probe Plus (SPP) (artist's impression pictured) which scientists hope will unlock secrets of the sun's corona - the hole at the heart of the star

WHY THIS MISSION? The coroner is the sun's outer atmosphere. It is unstable and produces solar wind and flares. Millions of tons of highly magnetised material can erupt from the sun at speeds of several million miles an hour. Scientists need to get closer to it in order to understand how it works. Advertisement

'This is going to be our first mission to fly to the sun,' said Eric Christian, a Nasa research scientist at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

'We can't get to the very surface of the sun,' but the mission will get close enough to answer three important questions, he said.

To survive its mission, the spacecraft will need to withstand temperatures outside the spacecraft of 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,377 degrees Celsius).

It will be made of a 4.5 inch-thick (11.43 cm) carbon-composite shield.

Until scientists can explain solar flares and storms, they will not be able to accurately predict space weather effects that cause havoc at Earth.

The latest mission could help predict a 'huge solar event', Nasa claims.

The SSP will need to withstand temperatures outside the spacecraft of 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,377 degrees Celsius)

Until scientists can explain what is going on up close to the sun they will not be able to accurately predict space weather effects that can cause havoc at Earth

The sun is the source of the solar wind; a flow of gases from the sun that streams past Earth at speeds of more than a million miles per hour (1.6million kph).

Disturbances in the solar wind shake Earth's magnetic field and pump energy into the radiation belts.

One recent study by the National Academy of Sciences estimated that without advance warning a huge solar event could cause two trillion dollars (1.6trillion) in damage in the US alone.

It could leave the eastern seaboard of the US without power for a year.

The SPP will be protected by the sun's heat by a 4.5 inch-thick (11.43 cm) carbon-composite shield

Millions of tons of highly magnetized material can erupt from the sun at speeds of several million miles an hour.

'This mission will provide insight on a critical link in the Sun-Earth connection. Data will be key to understanding and, perhaps, forecasting space weather,' said Nasa.

'Until we can explain what is going on up close to the sun, we will not be able to accurately predict space weather effects that can cause havoc at Earth.'

At its closest point, the SPP will be travelling at 450,000 miles per hour (720,000kph).
Want to get your hands on a phone fit for royalty?

If you've got 1,000 ($1,300) going spare, you could buy yourself a smartphone decorated with diamonds.

The Darling, which boasts a 360-degree camera for 'virtual reality' photos and video, was unveiled at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

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The ProTruly Darling costs 1,000 ($1,300) and is finished with a strip of gold and four diamonds beneath its front camera

THE DARLING 13-megapixel cameras on both sides capable of 360 video

5.5-inch (14cm) screen with 1080p display

In-built thermometer

4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage

MediaTek processor Advertisement

The decadent smartphone, which was designed by Chinese technology company ProTruly, has a 5.5-inch (14cm) screen, 13 megapixel cameras on both sides and a bizarre thermometer which can take your temperature without touching you.

Its in-built 360-camera takes photos in all directions and saves the results in globe-shaped image files.

These 360-degree globes can then be uploaded to YouTube and Facebook, according to the Verge.

The device boasts a 360-degree camera for 'virtual reality' photos and video that can be posted to YouTube and Facebook

The Android phone features a 1080p display, a MediaTek processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

It also has a finger sensor on its back, a USB-C port on its side and a 3,560mAh battery.

The phone's two cameras protrude outwards from its champagne-coloured cover, which is finished with a strip of gold and four diamonds.

The phones in-built cameras takes photos in all directions and saves the results in globe-shaped image files (pictured)

While the diamond-clad model costs around 1,000 ($1,300), a cheaper plastic-covered device is also available at close to 490 ($600).

Neo Zheng, a manager at the market research company International Data Cooperation, told China Daily that 'the device will probably not go mainstream at the moment'.

He predicted that 'duo camera smartphones equipped with augmented reality (AR) functions will hit the market first'.
The U.S. Air Force hopes to begin testing a radical new laser weapon within a year.

The head of Air Force Special Operations Command has revealed the plan will put a laser weapon on an AC-130 gunship.

The weapon would be mounted on the gunship and have its power gradually increased as tests progress.

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A US AC-130H Spectre gunship dropping flares during a training mission. The head of Air Force Special Operations Command has revealed plans to put a laser weapon on an AC-130 gunship within ayear for radical tests.

The laser-armed C-130 project is U.S. Special Operations Command's top unfunded priority, according to Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, the head of Air Force Special Operations Command.

'I'm pretty optimistic,' Webb said of the project Thursday at an Air Force Association-sponsored conference, according to Defence One.

'There are a lot of vendors that are really contributing to and continue to push that technology along.'

The command has money 'to do the first steps' of the project, Webb claimed.

He also said military bosses would need to work on the 'rules on engagement' for the futuristic weapons.

'At some point  a policy discussion is going to have to be had on where and how can you use a laser and where and where and how can you not,' he said.

THE AC-130 GUNSHIP The AC-130's primary missions are close air support and armed reconnaissance. They are often used to support troops in contact with enemy forces, convoy escort and point air defense. The AC-130 is armed with a fearsome array of weaponry, including a 105 mm cannon and 25 or 40 mm gatling guns. The AC-130 users a suite of sensors ot protect itself, and is armed with a fearsome array of weaponry, including a 105 mm cannon and 25 or 40 mm gatling guns It has a combat history dating to Vietnam, where gunships destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and were credited with many life-saving close air support missions. During Operation Desert Storm, AC-130s provided close air support and force protection (air base defense) for ground forces. Advertisement

'But I think that's a discussion to be had further down the road.'

Air Force bosses are also experimenting with fitting external laser pods to the giant B-52 bomber, allowing it to blast incoming missiles out of the sky or jam their navigation systems.

The Boeing-manufactured bomber (pictured) has been in use since 1952 and is expected to remain operating until 2040, when it'll be replaced by the Northrop Grumman's B-21. Air Force bosses are experimenting with fitting external laser pods to the giant plane, allowing it to blast incoming missiles out of the sky or jam their navigation systems.

LASER WEAPONS 'COMING SOON' Air Force bosses have boasted combat lasers will be fitted to fighters planes 'very soon' and have revealed a full scale prototype is being built. 'I believe we'll have a directed energy pod we can put on a fighter plane very soon,' Air Force General Hawk Carlisle claimed at the Air Force Association Air & Space conference last year in a presentation on what he called Fifth-Generation Warfare, according to Ars Technica. 'That day is a lot closer than I think a lot of people think it is.' Advertisement

The project is part of the Air Force Research Lab's five-year plan to create power, optics and lasers to help defend large bombers such as the B-52.

Air Force Chief Scientist Greg Zacharias told Scout Warrior: 'You can take out the target if you put the laser on the attacking weapon for a long enough period of time.'

The researchers say the older, larger plane cold be perfect for laser weapons, and attaching an external pod would not affect its capabilities.

Zacharias said the laser system would not be expected to work on stealthy aircraft such as F-15's or F-35's.

Lasers use extreme heat and light to burn targets without creating a large explosion.

They work at very high speeds so they have an almost instant ability to destroy rapid targets and defend against enemies.

Zacharias also said that if for some reason a pilot doesn't want to destroy an incoming missile but throw it off course, lasers could jam them.

Lasers use extreme heat and light to burn targets without creating a large explosion. They work at very high speeds so they have an almost instant ability to destroy rapid targets and defend against enemies. The lasers could even be synchronized with telescopes to make them more precise for tracking and destroying attackers

LASER WEAPON HISTORY The Pentagon has experimenting with laser weapons for decades. In 2009, the Advanced Tactical Laser  fired from a C-130  burned a hole in the hood of a truck. In 2014, the Navy deployed a laser on an amphibious transport dock in the Persian Gulf. The captain of the ship was given permission to use the laser as a defensive weapon. The Air Force and the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency spent billions of dollars putting a laser on the nose of the 747 jetliner that would be used to shoot down ballistic missiles. The project was canceled in 2012. Advertisement

The lasers can be synchronized with telescopes to make them more precise for tracking and destroying attackers.

Aircraft lasers for fighter jets such as the B-52 could eventually be applied to a wide range of uses such as air-to-air combat, air support, counter-drone, counter-boat and ground attacks.

The Air Force Research Laboratory has said that they aim to have a plan in place for a laser weapon program by 2023.

Aircraft lasers for fighter jets such as the B-52 could eventually be applied to a wide range of uses such as air-to-air combat, air support, counter-drone, counter-boat and ground attacks. The Air Force Research Laboratory has said that they aim to have a plan in place for a laser weapon program by 2023

Ground level testing for a weapon called the High Energy Laser has been taking place for the last few years at White Sand Missile Range in New Mexico, with the first airborne tests set to take place by 2021.

Air Force leaders told Scout Warrior that they plan to also integrate the lasers in large platforms such as C-17s and C-130s, and eventually on smaller jets such as the F-15.

But these laser weapons may not stick solely to aircraft platforms.

The US Navy has plans to incorporate these lasers on US naval ships to help defend ships from drones and missiles.

The lasers could also play a crucial role in defending against ballistic missiles.

According to Air Force experts, one of the clearest advantages of this laser technology is that instead of carrying a limited number of missiles on an aircraft, an energy based weapon such as a laser could fire thousand of shots using one gallon of jet fuel.
MIT researchers have developed a way for humans to control robots with their mind.

The new system can detect when a person notices a robot making a mistake, and classifies these brain waves almost instantly to provide feedback.

In tests with a robot named Baxter, the researchers found that the new technique helped the humanoid to make correct choices during an object-sorting task  and it could one day allow humans to wordlessly communicate with robots.

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MIT researchers have developed a way for humans to control robots with their mind. The new system can detect when a person notices a robot making a mistake, and classifies these brain waves almost instantly to provide feedback

HOW IT WORKS As the robot, Baxter, attempts to sort objects between Paint or Wire bins, the system looks for brain signals from the human observer known as error-related potentials. These occur when the brain notices a mistake. Once an error has been detected, machine-learning algorithms can sort these brain waves in just 10 to 30 milliseconds to provide feedback. If the system detects these signals, the robot will adjust its action accordingly  but, if it doesnt, it will carry on with the action it planned. Error-related potentials (ErrPs) are very faint, meaning the system must be extremely precise. And, the researchers also plan to detect secondary errors that occur when the system doesnt notice the original correction. While it cant yet recognize secondary errors in real time, the researchers say the model could improve to upwards of 90 percent accuracy when it can. Advertisement

The system developed by a team from MITs Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Boston University uses data from an electroencephalography (EEG) monitor to record a persons brain activity, according to MIT News.

Once an error has been detected, machine-learning algorithms can sort these brain waves in just 10 to 30 milliseconds to provide feedback.

Imagine being able to instantaneously tell a robot to do a certain action, without needing to type a command, push a button or even say a word, said CSAIL Director Daniela Rus.

A streamlined approach like that would improve our abilities to supervise factory robots, driverless cars, and other technologies we havent even invented yet.

Footage of the research from MIT CSAIL shows how a human, hooked up to the EEG, can influence the decisions of a robot during an object-sorting task.

As the robot, Baxter, attempts to sort objects between Paint or Wire bins, the system looks for brain signals from the human observer known as error-related potentials.

These occur when the brain notices a mistake.

In tests with a robot named Baxter, the researchers found that the new technique helped the humanoid to make correct choices during an object-sorting task  and it could one day allow humans to wordlessly communicate with robots

Courtesy of MIT CSAIL

If the system detects these signals, the robot will adjust its action accordingly  but, if it doesnt, it will carry on with the action it planned.

As you watch the robot, all you have to do is mentally agree or disagree with what it is doing, said Rus.

You dont have to train yourself to think in a certain way  the machine adapts to you, and not the other way around.

Error-related potentials (ErrPs) are very faint, meaning the system must be extremely precise.

s the robot, Baxter, attempts to sort objects between Paint or Wire bins, the system looks for brain signals from the human observer known as error-related potentials. If the system detects these signals, the robot will adjust its action accordingly

And, the researchers also plan to detect secondary errors that occur when the system doesnt notice the original correction, according to MIT News.

If the robots not sure about its decision, it can trigger a human response to get a more accurate answer, said CSAIL research scientist Stephanie Gil.

These signals can dramatically improve accuracy, creating a continuous dialogue between human and robot in communicating their choices.

While it cant yet recognize secondary errors in real time, the researchers say the model could improve to upwards of 90 percent accuracy when it can.

As you watch the robot, all you have to do is mentally agree or disagree with what it is doing, said Rus. You dont have to train yourself to think in a certain way  the machine adapts to you, and not the other way around

In the future, this form of communication could be used in more complex multiple-choice tasks.

Eventually, they say it could be helpful for people who are unable to communicate verbally.

This work brings us closer to developing effective tools for brain-controlled robots and prosthesis,' Wolfram Burgard, a professor of computer science at the University of Freiburg who was not involved in the research, told MIT News.

Given how difficult it can be to translate human language into a meaningful signal for robots, work in this area could have a truly profound impact on the future of human-robot collaboration.




The release of Samsungs upcoming flagship may still me a month away, but numerous leaks have provided users with an idea of what to expect.

The latest images claiming to be the Samsung Galaxy S8 has revealed a device with thin bezels and a missing home button - showing off what the firm is expected to call its 'infinity display'.

The fingerprint scanner has been relocated to the back of the handset, but the pictures have also suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S8 could be equipped with an iris scanner.

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The latest images claiming to be the Samsung Galaxy S8 has revealed a device with thin bezels and a missing home button

SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 The latest leaks claiming to be the Samsung Galaxy S8 were unearthed by Slashleaks. The images show a smartphone in a clear casing with a curved edge-to-edge screen. The bezels are also very thing bezels and the home button has been removed. However, the images suggest that the fingerprint scanner has been relocated to the back on the handset - and it could be designed with an iris scanner. Its also speculated that the Samsung Galaxy S8 will have a headphone jack and a USB-C connector. Advertisement

The latest leaks were unearthed by Slashleaks, which also shared a short video of what could be the Samsung Galaxy S8.

For many Samsung customers, the Galaxy S8 is not just the firms next phone, but a chance for the smartphone maker to redeem themselves for the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco - 2.5 million devices were recalled after reports that some were exploding.

And although other rumors speculate the handset wont be out until March 29, it has been one of the most talked about devices for the past few months.

The images from Slashleaks gives users a clear view of the handset, which is inside a clear case.

The front of the smartphone looks similar to other rumors, as it has a curved edge-to-edge display and the home button has been removed from the front.

And the S8 will have a few feature the iPhone 8 wont have  a headphone jack and USB-C connector.

Although we have seen numerous images claiming to be Samsung's upcoming flagship smartphone, a video surfaced last month that provides a quick look at how it could work.

A video claiming to show a gold Galaxy S8 revealed the keyboard setup and Contacts application.

The fingerprint scanner has been relocated to the back of the handset, but the pictures have also suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S8 could be equipped with an iris scanner

The clip also suggested that the handset will have a dual-edge curved display with minimal bezels and no physical home button  the same rumors unearthed by Slashleak on Monday.

The video was obtained by MobileFun, a British online retailer, which is known for detailed leaks.

'We were sent this from our china sourcing team for the Olixar brand who received the phone ahead of launch to test the following screen protectors which I'll attach in this email,' Mike Hart, who creates and runs the content on the MobileFun YouTube channel, told DailyMail.com in an email.

'We're 100% sure this is the S8 due to the teaser released by Samsung yesterday in which they reveal the new button-less front panel, allowing for a larger screen to body ratio, previously unseen in smartphones of this nature.'

The handset in the short video boasts a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge screen and because the display takes up a majority of the phone's face, it appears Samsung was not able to include their logo on the front.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 appears to have a think and sleek design and it will have a few feature the iPhone 8 wont have  a headphone jack and USB-C connector

MobileFun's leak also confirms that the smartphone will have tiny top and bottom bezels and will run on a new version of Samsung's TouchWiz UI.

'We can confirm that the S8 will come in two models, the S8 and the S8 Plus. Both featuring no home buttons in favor of digital buttons,' explained Hart.

'We also noticed that the on screen buttons will be switchable to allow for more customization.'

The smartphone shown in the video does look very similar to other images that have surfaced in the past.

Although we have seen numerous images claiming to be Samsung's upcoming flagship smartphone, a video surfaced last month that provides a quick look at how it could work

The smartphone shown in the video does look very similar to other images that have surfaced in the past. But this is the first leak that gives users a look at how the keyboard could look and at the Contacts application

MOBILEFUN LEAKS CASES A video from MobileFun gives users a glimpse at what could be the cases for the Samsung S8 and the S8 Plus. The leaks suggest that both smartphones will be similar in height to the Galaxy S7 family, but the S8 Plus could be the widest handset the firm has yet to make. There are three cutouts on the bottom that Hart believes is a speaker, a jack for the headphones and the stylus. The cases shows what could be dual speakers. It appears that both the S8 and the S8 Plus will be designed with wireless charging, as the charging port cutouts are missing, and will be come with the S Pen. The power button has been relocated to the same side as the volume buttons, leaving one side empty for a cleaner look. Advertisement

Samsung shared a teaser at the end of the press conference on Sunday, inviting customers to 'unbox their phones,' an apparent reference to handset's super-slim bezels.

The South Korean firm was forced to push back to launch of the handset, as they are still dealing with the Galaxy Note 7 recall.

The delay also gives Samsung more time to make sure it has done everything right, given that any minor bug will surely draw outsized attention.
The Rubik's cube was devised by Hungarian architect Erno Rubik more than 30 years ago, but he likely never envisioned his puzzle being cracked this quickly.

The machine, known as 'Sub1 Reloaded' and developed by German tech company Infineon, was aided by one of the world's most powerful microcomputers, solved a Rubik's cube in 0.637 seconds at the Electronica Trade Fair in Munich, Germany earlier this year.

Today, Guinness World Records confirmed the feat.

See below for video

The machine, known as 'Sub1 Reloaded' and developed by German tech company Infineon, was aided by one of the world's most powerful microcomputers

'Guinness World Records has spent some time carefully reviewing the evidence, including ensuring that the cube and the pre-scrambling met all WCA standards, before confirming the new record today,' the organisation said.

The robot took a fraction of a second to analyse the cube and make 21 moves to solve the puzzle.

Its time of 0.637 seconds beat the previous world record of 0.887 seconds, set by an earlier prototype of the same machine.

The complexity of the scrambled cube had to meet the standards of the World Cube Association.

Once set to solve the cube, shutters rapidly peel back from the robot's multiple senor cameras, revealing the layout of the cube to the awaiting eyes of the machine.

The robot then analyses how the cube has been scrambled.

A microchip, the 'brain' of the machine, then uses a complex algorithm to lay out instructions on how to solve the cube in less than 0.15 milliseconds.

The robot's power semiconductor muscles then activate six motors, one for each side of the cube, which speedily twist and turn the puzzle, solving it in a fraction of a second.

The robot smashed the previous record of 0.887 seconds set by an earlier prototype of the same machine. By contrast, the human record for solving a Rubik's cube is 4.904 seconds, set by 14 year-old Lucas Etter last year

A special 'speed cube' had to be used to reduce friction between the moving parts and keep the time to a minimum.

The human record for solving a Rubik's cube is 4.904 seconds, set by 14 year-old Lucas Etter last year.

'We realise that quickly solving a Rubik's cube is not the most urgent of the world's problems,' the German company's spokesman Gregor Rodehueser told MailOnline.

'The robot was developed as a metaphor to show how digital systems are constructed

'We wanted to show that microelectrics are a great and efficient solution to problems faced by technology.'

The robot was developed to showcase the speed and reliability of Infineon's Aurix microcontrollers, which were developed to help self-driving cars recognise and avoid obstacles in rapid time

The robot was developed to showcase the speed and reliability of Infineon's Aurix microcontrollers, which were developed to help self-driving cars recognise and avoid obstacles in rapid time.

Asked if the team would be attempting to beat their own record, Mr Rodehueser was coy.

'Officially, no, we will be looking for new challenges as a company, and the project was only ever intended as a nice metaphor for technological challenges,' he said.
Jeff Bezos has revealed his space firm Blue Origin has finished building its first 'megarocket' engine.

The BE-4 engine will be one of seven powering the firm's New Glenn 2- and 3-stage rocket.

Like its predecessor the New Shephard and SpaceX's Dragon, it will be a reusable space vehicle with a first stage capable of returning to the launch site and landing itself upright after each flight.

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The BE-4 engine will be one of seven powering the firm's New Glenn 2- and 3-stage rocket, which will have enough power to put heavy cargo payloads and astronauts into orbit around the Earth.

The engine is a major step forward for the fledgling space firm

'1st BE-4 engine fully assembled. 2nd and 3rd following close behind,' Bezos tweeted.

Unlike the smaller New Shepard, the Glenn will have enough power (using either configuration) to put heavy cargo payloads and astronauts into orbit around the Earth, putting it in direct competition with SpaceX's upcoming Dragon Heavy, which will also launch paying customers around the moon, it was revealed last week.

The BE-4 engines will now undergo rigorous certification at Blue Origin's West Texas-based test site until the rocket is ready for its first tests in 2019.

The New Glenn itself is still years away from its maiden voyage, and the factory where it will be built is still under construction in Cape Canaveral.

The BE-4 engines will undergo rigorous certification at Blue Origin's West Texas-based test site until then.

Last week Bezos revealed what its first missions could be.

The boss of Amazon, says he wants to start delivering equipment to the moon to help set up the first human settlement.

The Earth-to-Moon cargo delivery service would carry as much as 10,000 pounds of goods to the Moon's South Pole and could be lifting off in 2020.

BLUE ORIGIN'S NEW GLENN Blue Origin and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos unveiled the new rocket in October last year that will launch payloads and people into orbit. Called 'New Glenn', this launcher comes in two stages that make it larger than SpaceX's future Heavy rocket. 'New Glenn 3-stage' is 23 feet in diameter and stands 313 feet tall. And 'New Glenn 2-stage' is also 23 feet in diameter, but measures 270 feet tall. Each stage lifts off with 3.85 million pounds of thrust from seven BE-4 engines. Blue Origin has a range of rockets. As well as sending goods to the moon in 2020, the firm has also confirmed that it is still on schedule to send paying customers into orbit as soon as 2018 A single vacuum-optimized BE-3 engine, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, will power New Glenn's third stage. However, the booster and the second stage are identical in both variants. Blue Origin plans to fly New Glen by the end of the decade from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft come in two stages that are designed with half the power of Nasa's Saturn V launcher, and will bring Blue Origin one-step closer to its goal of 'millions of people living and working in space'. Bezos said the tests had validated the design. A second picture revealed the bottom of the rocket Advertisement

Bezos owns a private space company called Blue Origin and he hopes it will provide the lunar equivalent of Amazon Prime.

It will mainly be delivering equipment that early moon settlers would need, he wrote in a white paper outlining his ideas.

Bezos has already reserved his parking spot near the Shackleton Crater on the South Pole.

It's a prime spot because it has constant sunlight and water nearby could be used as a source of hydrogen for rocket fuel, according to The Verge.

Bezos, left and Musk, right are locked in a battle to create reusable rocket systems

Jeff Bezos owns a private space company called Blue Origin which he hopes to use to deliver equipment for early settlers on the moon - it could be the lunar equivalent of Amazon Prime

The sunny spots of the moon are quickly becoming valuable real estate.

Shackleton Crater could be turned into 'an oasis of warm sunlight surrounded by a desert of freezing cold darkness' Nasa said.

Some experts believe that that routinely parking a piece of equipment on one spot could mean they take ownership of that piece of land.

This cargo service would help to enable 'future human settlement' of the moon, Mr Bezos wrote in his white paper, which was obtained by the Washington Post.

Bezos (pictured) has already reserved his parking spot - near the Shackleton Crater on the south pole. It's a prime spot because it has constant sunlight and water nearby could be used as a source of hydrogen for rocket fuel

'It is time for America to return to the Moon  this time to stay,' Bezos told Washington Post.

'A permanently inhabited lunar settlement is a difficult and worthy objective. I sense a lot of people are excited about this', he said.

This proposal came just days after Elon Musk said his company would fly two citizens around the moon next year.

This cargo service would help to enable 'future human settlement' of the moon. 'It is time for America to return to the Moon  this time to stay,' Bezos said

The Earth-to-Moon cargo delivery service would carry as much as 10,000 pounds of goods to the Moon's South Pole and could be up and running by 2020

Rather than visiting and then leaving, Bezos' plans would mean actually leaving things on the moon for the first time.

He said the mission could only happen with partnership with Nasa.

'Our liquid hydrogen expertise and experience with precision vertical landing offer the fastest path to a lunar lander mission.

'I'm excited about this and am ready to invest my own money alongside NASA to make it happen', he wrote in the white paper.

With the help of Nasa, Bezos wants to develop 'incentives in the private sector to demonstrate a commercial lunar cargo delivery service'.

With the help of NASA, Bezos wants to develop a commercial lunar cargo delivery service

Just last month, Nasa's top staff were given instructions to assess the feasibility of sending humans to space with the first flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft.

The mission was originally designed to be uncrewed, and was set to launch in 2018.

In a press conference in February, officials leading the study revealed the evaluations are now well underway, and they've already created a 'hard, crisp list' of everything that will need to change 'from a hardware standpoint' in order to add crew.

THE RACE TO BUILD REUSABLE ROCKETS Reusable rockets would cut costs and waste in the space industry, which currently loses millions of dollars in jettisoned machinery after each launch. Russia, Japan and the European Space Agency are also developing similar technology and are in testing stages. Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com and owner of The Washington Post newspaper, said last month that Blue Origin expects to begin crewed test flights of the New Shepard, the company's flagship rocket, next year and begin flying paying passengers as early as 2018. SpaceX has managed to land four rockets from space back on Earth, three on sea and one on land, while Blue Origin's New Shepard successfully completed a third launch and vertical landing in April this year. The Indian space agency also hopes to develop its own frugal shuttle, as it seeks to cash in on a huge and lucrative demand from other countries to send up their satellites, after a successful test launch last month. Advertisement

Blue Origin space firm has confirmed that it is still on schedule to send paying customers into orbit as soon as 2018.

The company completed a crucial in-flight escape pod test on its New Shepard rocket in October last year.

'We're still on track for flying people  our test astronauts  by the end of 2017, and then starting commercial flights in 2018,' said Blue Origin President Rob Meyerson, speaking at the International Symposium on Commercial and Personal Spaceflight (ISPCS) in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The company expects to build six New Shepard vehicles, which are designed to autonomously fly six passengers to more than 62 miles (100 km) above Earth, high enough to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see the planet set against the blackness of space.
Apple could be the next big name in show business.

The tech giant has been rumored to be expanding its original content, but the lasted speculation has suggested that the firm 'is looking for a transformative acquisition'.

Sources have revealed to The New York Post that Apple executives met with Paramount Pictures and Sony TV in order to 'prepare something bigger' than purchasing shows - it could buy a studio.

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Apple wants to be seen as more than just an electronics maker. The tech giant has been rumored to be expanding its original content, but the lasted speculation has suggested that the firm 'is looking for a transformative acquisition'.

APPLE'S TV PLANS It has been rumored since last month that Apple was expanding its original content. The firm has made it known that it is working on episodes for 'Planet of the Apps' and 'Carpool Karaoke', which will be available to users who pay the monthly fee for Apple Music. Now, sources told The New York Post that Apple has held meetings with Paramount and Sony TV. Believe these meetings are to discuss a transformative acquisition - purchasing a studio. According sources, it is believed that numerous Apple senior executives, such as Eddy Cue and Jimmy Iovine have been attending these meetings as well. The sources were not clear about the reason for these meetings  some say it was to hire a seasoned executive to run a TV and/or movie venture. And the others speculated that Apple was looking to conduct an acquisition to get their original programming started. Advertisement

The latest move comes as Apple's iPhone sales have begun to slump and the firm is looking into other markets that could create an additional revenue stream for them.

News about Apple heading to Hollywood was first revealed in January when The Wall Street Journal revealed the firm was talking to 'veteran producers' about producing its own to take on amazon and Netflix as well as traditional studios.

It was also speculated in the same report that Apple will bundle the shows and movies with its music streaming service, Apple Music, and the first shows could hit screens by the end of 2017.

And the firm has made it known that it is working on episodes for 'Planet of the Apps' and 'Carpool Karaoke', which will be available to users who pay the monthly fee for Apple Music.

However, sources told The New York Post that Apple is looking beyond just buying shows.

'They talked to Sony and Paramount last week,' explained the anonymous source.

'They are preparing something big'.

According to sources, it is believed that numerous Apple senior executives, such as Eddy Cue and Jimmy Iovine have been attending these meetings as well.

The sources were not clear about the reason for these meetings  some say it was to hire a seasoned executive to run a TV and/or movie venture.

And the others speculated that Apple was looking to conduct an acquisition to get their original programming started.

'Robert Kondrk, Eddy Cue, Jimmy Iovine, everyone is trying to be the person,' one insider told The Post.

'They each want to be the guy, and they're telling people, don't deal with the other one.'

According sources, it is believed that numerous Apple senior executives, such as Eddy Cue (left) and Jimmy Iovine (right) have been attending these meetings as well. The sources were not clear about the reason for these meetings  some say it was to hire a seasoned executive to run a TV and/or movie venture and others say Apple was looking to conduct an acquisition

'Eddy is talking to some people. Jimmy is talking to others,' noted a second insider. 'They just haven't figured it out.'

A third Hollywood insider, familiar with Apple's thinking, told The Post he didn't know 'if Apple is fully committed  I don't see them doing this as a startup. It's too small. It's too hard. I see them buying something first.'

Apple seems to now understand that the public wants more than just short stories about musicians and could release content that is comparable to HBO's 'Westworld' or Netflix's 'Stranger Things', sources revealed to The Washington Post in January.

Netflix and Amazon Prime may be the two firms to beat in this industry, but The Journal reports Apple isn't looking compete with these streaming giant.

Instead, the Cupertino company has its sights set on Spotify.

CARPOOL KARAOKE ON APPLE James Corden announced in January that he will be appearing 'at some point this year' on the show, which has been sold to Apple as a 16 part standalone show. James Corden presides over his late-night show's 'Carpool Karaoke' segment, but the series spin-off will have a succession of hosts. It'S believed that the content will be available for users who pay a $10-a-month fee to stream music from Apple Music, according to people familiar with the matter. The firm already offers these users access to 'Carpool Karakoke', which it bought last year Celebrity pairs including Alicia Keys and John Legend, Ariana Grande and Seth MacFarlane, and Blake Shelton and Chelsea Handler will be featured on the 16-episode series to be released weekly on Apple Music. A debut date has yet to be announced, but E! has reported that it will be later this year. Corden, who will appear with Will Smith on one episode, said he was proud The Late Late Show has created a segment that works so well it will stand on its own. Advertisement

Apple, which revolutionized music consumption when it launched iTunes in 2001, in 2015 made a concerted push into the booming area of streaming through Apple Music.

The company says the service has drawn over 15 million subscribers but it still trails leader Spotify, which said it had 28 million paying subscribers at the end of 2015.

If the allegations are true, this move could put Apple in the lead, as it would offer much more content than Spotify.

Apple has already signed a deal with CBS Television Studios and Fulwell 73 in July 2016 that turned 'Carpool Karaoke' into a full-blown series.

Sources have revealed to The New York Post that Apple executives met with Paramount Pictures and Sony TV in order to 'prepare something bigger' than purchasing shows - it could buy a studio. Apple could release content that is comparable to HBO's 'Westworld' (pictured)

This new series will only available for subscribers to the iPhone maker's music streaming app and E! has reported fans will be able to watch it sometime later this year.

And just a few days before announcing the purchase of 'Carpool Karaoke', the firm revealed details of an original TV series called 'Planet of the Apps'.

TIMELINE: TEN YEARS OF IPHONES 2007: After being unveiled in January, the first iPhone goes on sale amid passionate Apple fan reaction and queues outside retail stores. 2008: On July 11 2008 the second generation iPhone 3G launches, including in a white colour option for the first time. 2009: The iPhone 3GS goes on sale in June, and sales for the year reach more than 25 million. 2010: The introduction of the iPhone 4 includes the first major redesign of the iPhone. The front and back casing are both made of glass for the first time, with a steel trim and edges. 2011: The iPhone 4s is introduced, including voice assistant Siri for the first time. 2012: The iPhone 5 ushers in another redesign, this time increasing the screen size to four inches for the first time. 2013: Another 's' model, this time the iPhone 5s, is launched. The first iPhone to include a fingerprint scanner integrated into the home button, known as Touch ID. 2014: In September the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are unveiled, offering the iPhone in two sizes for the first time  both of which have increased screen sizes on previous generations at 4.7 and 5.5 inches respectively. 2015: In September the 6s and 6s Plus are released, complete with a new pressure sensitive screen. 2016: In September the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are announced, with the Plus housing a dual rear camera for the first time that is designed to capture images to rival that of a digital camera. Advertisement

The show is being co-produced with Propagate, a newly launched production company co-owned by Ben Silverman, best known for The Biggest Loser, and Howard T. Owens of MasterChef Junior fame.

Will.i.am will also be involved, and contestant will compete for funding of up to $10m.

The casting call in July was looking for app creators who have a vision to 'shape the future, solve real problems, and inspire change within our daily lives.'

The firm is apparently in talks with producers, marketers and other networks about the content. Apple has tested the waters with original content and is still working on release its 'Planet of the Apps'

'Over 2 million apps are available on the App Store, with new apps published every day,' said Silverman and Owens, Co-CEOs of Propagate.

'Planet of the Apps will give app creators the chance to break through and share their ideas with the world.

'This is an exciting format that taps into what is driving culture today.

Developers who make it to the final round of the show will also meet with venture capitalists who will be investing up to $10 million, though Apple says developers are not required to take the money or give up any equity in their apps.

Apps featured in the show will also receive prime placement in the App Store.
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An 18ft giraffe has been spotted making the most of his natural assets by reaching up his long neck to grab snacks from the high window of a Kenyan manor.

Amazing images shows the tall - and greedy - animal being fed by a grinning female visitor as she leans out with a tub of food.

Photographer, Joe Witkowski, 66, from Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, was visiting the Giraffe Manor in Kenya last year when he photographed the world's tallest animals and their antics.

An 18ft giraffe has been spotted making the most of his natural assets by reaching up his long neck to grab snacks from the high window of an English manor

Photographer, Joe Witkowski, 66, from Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, was visiting the Giraffe Manor in Kenya last year when he photographed the world's tallest animals

Mr Witkowski, who specialises in travel and flight photography said: 'You think you have an idea of how large giraffes are but your truly don't understand it until you are next to them. They are wild animals but also habituated to humans that are willing to feed them'

Giraffe Manor, modelled on a Scottish hunting lodge, is a small hotel which is also home to a number of endangered giraffes.

The tall creatures, whose necks alone can measure more than two metres, are frequent guests at the table of the hotel throughout the day.

But as well as swinging by for food, the nosey giants also have a reputation for poking their heads through the hotel doors and even peeking through the windows of guest's bedrooms.

Mr Witkowski, who specialises in travel and flight photography said: 'You think you have an idea of how large giraffes are but your truly don't understand it until you are next to them.

'They are wild animals but also habituated to humans that are willing to feed them.

The tall creatures, whose necks alone can measure more than two metres, are frequent guests at the table of the hotel throughout the day

As well as swinging by for food, the nosey giants also have a reputation for poking their heads through the hotel doors and even peeking through the windows of guest's bedrooms. Mr Witkowski said: 'The giraffe's are fed specially formulated pellets. As long as you have the pellets they are friendly and will come to you. If you do not have the pellets they have no interest in you'

Giraffe Manor is a small hotel, modelled on a Scottish hunting lodge, which is also home to a number of endangered giraffes

Mr Witkowski said of his stay at the hotel: 'Having the giraffes walk around elevates the ambiance'

'The setting at Giraffe Manor is outstanding with their amazing staff, rooms, food and service. And you are here for the giraffes.'

He explained: 'The giraffe's are fed specially formulated pellets. As long as you have the pellets they are friendly and will come to you. If you do not have the pellets they have no interest in you.'

He added: 'Having the giraffes walk around elevates the ambiance.

'Every review we read prior to booking our stay said it is pricey but worth it. That is true.'
Employees of a Russian airline are to be taught self-defence to help protect them against aggressive passengers.

Low-cost carrier, Pobeda Airlines, has announced plans to teach its ground staff martial arts sambo and judo following a number of violent attacks on team members.

The move comes after shocking footage emerged last month of a man swinging punches at an airline manager when he was refused for boarding on a flight from Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, after arriving too late.

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Low-cost airline Pobeda Airlines is set to teach its staff martial arts sambo and judo following attacks on its employees

Originally Pobeda Airlines considered hiring a private security company to help protect airline staff, but this would reportedly increase the cost of plane tickets by up to two percent.

Instead they are offering self defence classes to their team meaning that ticket prices will not rise.

'We've found a better option (than a private security company) and will train employees [in]sambo and judo. In this case, we will not have to raise ticket prices,' the airline's general director Andrey Kalmykov told Vedomosti.

Last month Mail Online reported on video footage of a Pobeda Airlines customer at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow attacking a member of staff.

The employee was struck on his head and face before the man stormed out of the office.

He was later arrested by police officers at the airport.

The manager consequently required medical treatment for his injuries and filed an official complaint with police.

Following the brawl, a Pobeda Airlines spokesman called on the government to do more to protect airline staff from passengers who turn violent on flights and in airports.

Judo is an unarmed combat sport which is intended to train the body and mind. It involves using holds and leverage to unbalance the opponent (stock image)

Parent company Aeroflot has repeatedly argued for increased penalties for aggressive passengers, proposing a black list of passengers who can be denied boarding or restrained, for instance with plastic handcuffs, on board the flight.

Sambo is a Soviet martial art and combat sport and is an acronym of samooborona bez oruzhiya, which translates to self-defence without weapons.

Its arsenal of moves includes strikes, joint locks, chokes, throws and ground fighting.

Judo is also an unarmed combat sport which is intended to train the body and mind. It involves using holds and leverage to unbalance the opponent.

MailOnline Travel has contacted Pobeda Airlines for comment.
It is amazing what misconceptions people around the world can develop about other countries based on works of fiction or word of mouth.

But despite what people think, Americans don't all eat McDonald's every day nor do wild animals, such as lions, prowl the streets of Namibia.

Frustrated citizens and seasoned travellers have taken to a US-based online forum to share the strange - and sometimes humorous - stereotypes others believe about their homeland.

'Do people live in pyramids in Egypt?'

'No one lives in pyramids. Not one single person. No one ever did,' insists Sarah Lynn Johnson

Pyramids are undoubtedly synonymous with ancient Egypt but it appears some people get so carried away with the wonders they believe even modern Egyptians live in the structures.

Sarah Lynn Johnson, from Portland, Oregon, used to lived in Egypt and is married to an Egyptian man and was astounded at what she was asked.

She wrote on knowledge-sharing site Quora: 'Do people live in pyramids? (Yes, I am 100% serious. Multiple people have actually asked me this!) no, people do not live in pyramids.

No one lives in pyramids. Not one single person. No one ever did.

'Pyramids were tombs where kings and nobles were buried. Theyre like funeral mounds, but much, much bigger and full of treasure. No one lives in a funeral mound. No one lives in pyramids.'

'Are Greeks all loud and noisy?'

Films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding reiterate the Greek stereotypes, from the family-oriented culture to people becoming vociferous and animated when they get together in groups.

While some may dispute this, on Quora, members claimed it was based on truth.

Jack Bloomaert - a Greek man posting under a pseudonym said: ' The truth is that Greeks are indeed very noisy and loud. We are not very respectful to each other while having a discussion and we tend to interrupt the speaker by raising our voice on top of his voice.

'This, in turn causes a vicious circle where everyone tends to raise their voice so as to be heard and as a result, noise (and usually arguing) arises'.

'Are there wild animals everywhere in Namibia?'

'Wild animals are kept out of towns and cities by the lack of food, habitat and fences,' explained one Quora member

While the idea of befriending a wild animal on a trip to Namibia - just like in children's books - might appeal to some, this isn't what life in the country is like, one Quora user insists.

Usman Saeed, who has lived in Namibia, wrote online: 'I have been asked on so many occasions if I have a pet lion, or if there are antelope outside my house. Well let me ask you  do you have a pet bear??? Of course not, there are just as many wild animals walking through my city at the moment as there are in New York.

'Wild animals are kept out of towns and cities by the lack of food, habitat and fences. The animals outside the cities and towns are completely wild and even the select few people that have hand-reared a lion will tell you that a wild animal will always be wild.

'So no, there are no wild animals walking down the street The only wild animals that are everywhere in my town are the meerkats.'

Some Americans probably do eat McDonald's every day, but they are a tiny minority of the country!

'Do all Americans eat McDonald's every day?'

It's a well-known fact that obesity is a growing concern in the States, but that doesn't mean everyone is filling up on fast food all of the time.

Elisabeth Arian, who studied at the University of Oregon wrote: 'Some Americans probably do eat McDonald's every day, but they are a tiny minority of the country!

'It would be akin to Japanese eating sushi every day (but less healthy). What Americans do eat depends on the region and the persons specific heritage and preferences. Most people cook at least a little.'

'Doesn't everyone knows everyone in South Africa?'

Many of us love to discover mutual friends when we meet new people - but believing that someone will know your pal just because they're from the same country isn't wise.

Bernadette Hubbart, from Grahamstown, South Africa, is particularly aggrieved at how often this happens. 'You must know (insert name of random person from SA / Africa here)?' people ask her.

'No. Probably not,' she retorts. 'South Africa is big, really really big. Lots of wide open spaces, major cities that take three hours to drive from one end of to the other.

'No I don't even know all my neighbours in my small town never mind someone you met once who came from this country. And Africa is a continent. I almost definitely do not know that other person you met from another African country.'

It doesnt snow in Mexico

Several residents of countries with a reputation for being hot complained that people didn't realise they do actually have seasons and a variety of weather.

Medha Malaviya explained: ' If this is what you believe then you have either seen too much Hollywood or youre a Clint Eastwood fan.

'Truth be told, Mexico experiences enormous snowfall each year and only a part of Mexico is a desert. '
What do you do when the animated musical film you've devoted four years of your life to gets cancelled?

Well for Australian comedian Tim Minchin the answer is simple: get drunk and play ballads.

The Matilda lyricist will play an intimate show tonight at Feinsteins/54 Below in New York, just days after his film Larrikins was pulled by Dreamworks executives, according to a post on the actor's website.

Australian comedian Tim Minchin, pictured here at the Australians In Film awards gala last October, will play a show in New York tonight after his animated film was pulled by DreamWorks

Getting drunk and playing ballads: The lyrical genius will perform a special show at American club Feinsteins/54 Below, just days after his film Larrikans was cancelled

The announcement began by mentioning the WAAPA-trained musician's career highlights, including his composing credits for hit musicals Groundhog Day and Matilda, before taking a dig at the fact he was, until two days ago, also a director.

In the personal message, released yesterday, Minchin noted his 'impotent fury and sadness' at the studio's decision to shut down his feature film.

'Ive recently been working in 3 different continents, missing my kids a lot, sleeping too little and not playing piano enough,' the musician began.

'And then a couple of days ago, the animated film to which Ive dedicated the last four years of my life was shut down by the new studio execs.'

Minchin noted his 'impotent fury and sadness' at the studio's decision to shut down his feature film in a personal message on his website

The star tweeted about his upcoming performance, saying on his website that 'I suspect I wont be very funny, I wont be doing any stand-up, and I might act a bit bitter and spoilt'

The actor said the only way he knew how to deal with such frustration was 'to subject members of the public to the spectacle of me getting drunk and playing ballads.'

'I suspect I wont be very funny, I wont be doing any stand-up, and I might act a bit bitter and spoilt.'

He continued: 'On the upside, the tickets are as cheap as I could make them, and I might be tempted to buy a round.'

The show sold out within the day, with the actor tweeting: 'Ah man. Sorry to those who didn't get tickets for 54 below tomorrow night. I promise I'll do more in the next couple of months.'

The Groundhog Day composer's show sold out withing the day, with the Australian actor promising he would perform more in the coming months

Minchin began his rise to fame playing intimate solo shows and has since gone on to write the lyrics for two hit musicals - Matilda and Groundhog Day

The composer said the only way he knew how to deal with such frustration was 'to subject members of the public to the spectacle of me getting drunk and playing ballads.'

The animated film Larrikins is still listed as being in 'post-production' on the Internet Movie Database, and was going to tell the story of a precocious Bilby escaping his sheltered life by venturing across the Australian outback.

The musical adventure was set to star a bevy of Australian actors, including Margot Robbie, Hugh Jackman, Naomi Watts, Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn, Jacki Weaver and Josh Lawson.

The film was being produced by DreamWorks and was set to be distributed by Universal Pictures in 2018.

The Robin Hood star was set to direct and compose the DreamWorks animation Larrikins until studio executives pulled the plug a few days ago

Minchin missed his hometown premiere of Matilda at the Crown Theatre in Perth on Saturday due to filming commitments, according to Perth Now.

The musical, which began on the West End has since played in New York, Sydney and Melbourne, and will jump across the waters once more when it heads to New Zealand in August.

The actor has been busy filming scenes as Friar Tuck in Robin Hood, alongside Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelsohn and Jamie Dornan.
Kym Marsh is set to star in Coronation Street until summer 2018, according to reports, after impressing ITV bosses with her sensitive portrayal of her character's tragic miscarriage.

The 40-year-old actress drew on her own experience when she performed the heartbreaking miscarriage scenes.

Kym tragically lost her son Archie Jay Lomas in 2009, just moments after he was born.

Sensitive portrayal: Kym Marsh will star in Coronation Street until summer 2018 after she impressed ITV bosses with her sensitive handling of character Michelle Connor's miscarriage

TV insiders say that Kym's nuanced performance wowed her bosses and viewers alike, and now she's been rewarded with a new contract.

A source told The Sun that Corrie bosses are delighted with Kym.

'Over the past year she has been handed some really challenging storylines, and she has handled them all brilliantly,' the source said.

'But it was the miscarriage scenes that really blew them away.

'It might help someone somewhere': Kym said that she agreed to act in the miscarriage storyline in the hope that her performance might help couples going through the same thing

'Over the years Michelle has become a real Street favourite and everyone is pleased that Kym has signed for another year.'

Playing Michelle Connor on the beloved soap has been a roller coaster ride for Kym.

The character has not only suffered a miscarriage, she has endured husband Steve McDonald's cheating and now faces a fierce divorce.

Sources say the barmaid's divorce is about to get 'poisonous'.

Kym recently revealed that she had plumbed her own painful experience to bring Michelle's story to life.

'My reasons behind agreeing to go ahead with it were in the hopes that it might help someone somewhere,' she told Good Morning Britain.

'That someone might relate to it and it would help people to talk.'

The star also reiterated her desire for a change in the law for parents of stillborn babies to be given birth certificates while she appeared on the daytime show.

'That was one of the things for me when I lost Archie eight years ago which grated on me,' she admitted. 'Why is my son not registered?

A lot of parents who have lost children feel the same way.

A lost baby is considered a miscarriage up until 24 weeks, after which it is referred to as a stillbirth, with some hospitals having a policy not to intervene if a baby is born before that period without breathing.
Their white hot chemistry in video Pillowtalk was sizzling.

And so it is apt that Gigi Hadid popped up in boyfriend Zayn Malik's thank you clip after he received an iHeartRadio Award for the racy video.

In the 25-second clip posted to his Twitter account on Sunday, Zayn apologises that he is not at the US award show, explaining that he is in Paris with his model girlfriend who has been hitting the Fashion Week catwalks.

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Lovebirds: Gigi Hadid popped up in her boyfriend Zayn Malik's thank you clip on Sunday night after he received an iHeartRadio award for Pillowtalk

'I'm currently in Paris. Sorry I can't be there,' the heartthrob explains in the video he posted to Twitter.

'A little birdie told me that I've actually won an award, so thank you very much.

'I'm very honoured. To everyone that voted, it means a lot, and my co-star's actually sitting next to me right here, so she's gonna say hello as well.'

Supportive boyfriend: Zayn was in the French capital to support his supermodel girlfriend Gigi as she faces a hectic schedule of Paris Fashion Week catwalk shows

Affection: Gigi strokes Zayn's face as he says thank you for his award for video Pillowtalk

Suddenly Gigi pops into the frame, snuggling close to her pop star boyfriend.

'Hello guys. Thank so much.'

The Vogue cover girl finishes by blowing a kiss to the camera.

Rumours have been circulating that the happy couple are engaged after Gigi was spotted wearing a ring on her engagement finger yet Just Jared revealed the ring is not a gift from Zayn, but in fact a jewel designer Amanda Marmerand retails at $1,250.

Meanwhile Gigi was spotted in a glamorous outfit while dashing around Paris on Sunday.

Work and play: Zayn was seen the following day heading to Rouchon Studios in Paris clad in blue jeans and Hunter boots- proving he was embarking on some work in the city as well as spending time with his girlfriend

Pink lady: Gigi, 21, sported a stylish neon pink jacket and PVC leggings as she dashed around Paris on Sunday night

Biker chic: Gigi tied a thick studded belt around her waist and sported biker boots

Fashionista: She went fresh-faced and slicked her famous beachy waves back into a ponytail

The California-born supermodel donned a neon pink suede jacket and PVC leggings.

She wrapped a thick studded belt around her tiny waist, adding some edge to her ensemble.

Gigi also sported a pair of biker boots and a black and white bandana which she tied around her neck.

She wore a pair of sunglasses - despite heading out at night - and toted her belongings in an oversized black leather handbag.

Model of the moment: Gigi must have enjoyed having Zayn with her in the French capital

The beauty went fresh faced, showing off her blemish-free complexion and slicked her famous beachy waves back into a low ponytail.

The former One Direction star flew to the French capital to support his supermodel girlfriend as she faces a hectic schedule of catwalk shows.

On Thursday she put on a futuristic display at the Balmain runway show, going bra-less in a bondage-inspired caged sheer top, while Zayn watched from the front row.

Futuristic: The blonde beauty looked unrecognisable in the Balmain show on Thursday, wearing a bondage-style caged top and a gold lip ring

The versatile model stunned in the avant-garde show with her blonde locks styled into tight cornrows and her pillowy lips embellished with a gold lip ring.

She sported dramatic eye makeup at the show with streaks of eyeliner transforming the Tommy Hilfiger model into a Gothic vision.

Boyfriend Zayn watched as his supermodel girlfriend stormed the catwalk, donning a camouflage and black sheepskin jacket and letting his silky black locks fall across one eye.

Her biggest fan: Zayn watched from the front row as Gigi strutted her stuff on the runway

Catwalk superstar: Gigi stormed the Balmain catwalk in a brown-and-gold fringed ensemble

Hotel: Later that night, Zayn was spotted making his way back to his hotel in the French capital

Gigi's career reached new heights as she was unveiled as the first model to grace the cover of brand new magazine Vogue Arabia.

She looked stunning in the image, which she shared on Instagram, wearing a bejewelled hijab.

However the model, who is half-Palestinian and whose father is Muslim, was the focus of harsh criticism on social media as commentators accused her of 'cultural appropriation' and complained that the hijab was a religious garment which should not be used as a 'fashion statement'.
She's been fighting a heartbreaking and brutal battle with breast cancer since being diagnosed in February 2015.

But just days after undergoing her final chemotherapy session, Shannen Doherty stepped out to serve as host for the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation Gala Saturday night in Hollywood.

The 45-year-old star actress, who was accompanied by husband Kurt Iswarienko, told People: 'I feel great. I feel like lucky.'

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'I feel lucky': A healthy and happy looking Shannen Doherty hosted the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation Gala in Los Angeles on Saturday, where she told People she felt 'lucky' to be there

She explained: 'Lucky that Im here.... lucky that I get to be a part of this foundation, lucky that we get to be a voice tonight for the voiceless and just lucky.'

The former Beverly Hills, 90210 star posed for photos on the red carpet with Animal Hope And Wellness founder Marc Ching.

'Marc is a hero to me and I look up to him and I admire him. I dont know how many times I say to myself like, I wish I could be him. I wish I could do what he does,' the actress said.

Pretty: Her hair looks to be growing in very full as she accentuated her porcelain skin with a swipe of shiny pink lip

Dynamic duo: The 45-year-old actress opted to wear all black as she posed with animal activist Marc Ching, who she said was one of her personal heroes

During her evening out, the Dancing With The Stars alum took to Instagram and shared a stunning snapshot with her husband of five years.

She captioned the lovely photo of pair: 'Tonight @animalhopeandwellness full house and with my love @kurtiswarienko #ahwfgala.'

Shannen opted for a smokey matte eye with touch of black liner, rosy blush and glossy pink lip.

Hours earlier, the avid animal activist showed off her natural beauty as she posted a make-up free selfie.

Happy: She accessorized with a white Yves Saint Laurent clutch while posing with the foundation's founder

Tremendous trio: They were also joined by Linda Ching

Dynamic duo: Rosmarie DeWitt and Ron Livingston also made an appearance

'With my love': Shannen looked beautiful in a snapshot with husband Kurt Iswarienko

Kindhearted! The avid animal activist shared an Instagram Story as she prepped for her big night in order to spread the word for helpless pups

One week ago, she took to Instagram to share the good news that she had completed her chemo.

The 'exhausted' actress posted a selfie of herself looking pale and frail in bed, as she got some well-deserved rest.

She wrote: 'Last day of chemo. Exhausted. Now that I'm done with chemo and radiation, the waiting game is here.'

'Waiting for test. Waiting to see if I'm clear or not. Waiting for reconstruction. Waiting. I think when one gets cancer, they are always waiting to a certain extent. To those who know...I'm waiting with you. #cancerslayer.'

The star was diagnosed with the disease in February 2015 and within a year found out that it had spread to her lymphatic system.

She has bravely shared her journey with fans to help people better understand what those with cancer go through and support others who are fighting it.

Exhausted: One week ago, she took to Instagram to share the good news that she had completed her chemo
She's saying goodbye to her single years with quite the celebration.

On Sunday, bride-to-be Julianne Hough continued her weekend of bachelorette partying with famous pal Nina Dobrev and friends in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

The 28-year-old dancer and company continued to frolic on the beach, taking time for some morning yoga before enjoy cocktails and dancing on deck of a beautiful yacht.

Blushing bride-to-be! Julianne Hough and friends continued her bachelorette party celebration. Best friend Nina Dobrev was sure to share the day's best moments on Instagram

Cutest captain! It looked like the Footloose star was in charge, as she donned the captain's hat on board of a yacht with friends

Julianne and best friend Nina Dobrev started the day with some BFF selfies, both sharing pictures of themselves flipping their hair in a pool that overlooked a beautiful view.

The Bulgarian-Canadian actress also shared a photo of her and Julianne celebrating on deck of a luxury yacht, which she captioned sarcastically.

'Ugh. Get me out of here. These people are the worst,' wrote the Vampire Diaries star while adding the '#CaptainAndHerMates'

Dancing queens! Nina showed off her moves with Julianne's sister Sharee

Party people! The Dancing With The Stars pro was surrounded by girlfriends at her bachelorette. Nina Dobrev and Aaron Pauls wife Lauren Paul were just some of the attendees

Flipping out: Best friend Nina Dobrev posted this cute picture of her and the bride-to-be flipping their hair

Bright eyes! The Burlesque star and pals started their day with some yoga before getting the party started

Before their day of fun, the dancing queen and friends did some stretching, which the star was sure to share on social media.

After getting warmed up, they hit the beach where they showed off their flexibility by taking a Boomarang pic of everyone doing splits on the sand.

While on the sand, the Footloose lead flaunted her bathing suit collection, this time wearing a leafy two-piece with fringed front.

Fun in the sun! Julianne was joined by her sisters Sharee, Katherine and pal Milissa Sears

Flexible friends! It looked like every one of the star's friends could do the splits

Bling! While Julianne showed off her engagement rings, her friends flaunted their dazzling candy rings

The drinks continued to flow, as the Broadway talent and buddies took shots poolside.

The future Mrs. Brooks Laich showed off her engagement ice while her friends flaunted their own candy jewelry.

Then, the whole group threw back some celebratory shots.

Bottoms up! The drinks were flowing throughout the celebration

All aboard! Julianne seemed to be in charge, as she donned a captain's hat and white suit on the luxury yacht

After some frolicking in the sun, the happy party goers switched from the beach to boat, hopping aboard a luxury yacht to continue their fun.

It looked like Julianne was in charge as she donned a captain's hat.

Rhythm seems runs in the Hough family as the pro dancer's sister Sharee and Nina Dobrev showed off some dance moves on deck.

Beach babe: The Dirty Grandpa actress was happy to show off her collection of swimwear

Day in the sun: Julianne is saying goodbye to her single years with a bang. The triple threat is engaged to NHL player Brooks Liach

Julianne is overjoyed to be tying the knot with her boyfriend of nearly three years.

Rumor has it that the triple threat will soon be calling herself Mrs. Laitch.

On social media, the star was tagging her posts 'Hasta La Vista Hough,' seeming to imply she would be changing her name upon marriage.

Celebrating with friends: The Utah born talent took a cute beach pic with actress Milissa Sears

Jump for joy! The bride-to-be was happy to be surrounded by friends

The stunner broke the exciting news of her engagement to Brooks, 33, on Instagram, in August 2015, saying: 'We are overwhelmed with joy and excitement to share with you our recent engagement! #fiance #love.'

The star said when her wedding day arrives she will include 'mainly just friends and family.'

'Were keeping it pretty small and intimate,' she said. 'Most of them know each other, so its perfect.'
She watched on in adoration as her girlfriend Jessica Origliasso performed at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras After Party, over the weekend.

And Ruby Rose once again could not help but stare into the eyes of her ladylove as the pair enjoyed lunch in Sydney on Monday.

The happy couple also tenderly held hands as they attended the Rova drone launch together.

The look of love: Ruby Rose and girlfriend Jessica Origliasso put on affectionate display as they attended the Rova drone launch together

Sitting at a table inside the Hilton Hotel in the CBD, the pair could not keep their hands or eyes off each other.

While John Wick 2 star Ruby took a call, she placed her hand on Jess's knee as the brunette beauty singer placed her hand over hers.

For the event, Ruby rocked a checked short sleeve shirt, tight white jeans and Nike high-top sneakers.

Cute: While John Wick 2 star Ruby took a call she placed her hand on Jess's knee as the brunette beauty singer placed her hand over hers

Pulling her close: Jess appeared to be pulling her girl closer as she patiently waited for her to finish her phone call

Wearing her short dark cropped hair in cute braids to one side, she showed off her natural beauty by wearing very minimal makeup.

Meanwhile, Jess similarly went casual in a pair of tight dark jeans tucked into black leather combat boots and a colourful parka-style jacket.

Ruby is in town not only to support her girlfriend, but also to promote and celebrate the release of the new ROVA Flying Selfie Camera, designed and developed by Australian Stock Exchange listed company The IOT Group.

Tender touch: Ruby placed her hand on her girlfriend's knee as she chatted on the telephone while Jess looked longingly

She was the guest of honour at the launch on Monday, held at celebrity chef Luke Mangan's Glass Brassiere.

Over the weekend, The Veronicas' Jess and sister Lisa pulled out their favourite look for a dazzling show at the Mardi Gras after party.

Pop twins Jessica and Lisa Origliasso, 32, wore sparkly purple paint as they bared all for the show - as Ruby watched on.

The sisters completed their daring look with tight latex black pants, which showed off their slender pins.

Casual; Ruby rocked a checked short sleeve shirt, tight white jeans and Nike high-top sneakers for the event

Similar attire: Girlfriend Jess was dressed similarly to her ladylove in a pair of tight jeans, black combat boots and a colourful jacket

Ruby, who is based in the US for her Hollywood career, flew to Sydney on Friday ahead of the performance.

She had a hectic week in Los Angeles with Oscars events, photo shoots and filming for Pitch Perfect 3.

In November, Jessica and Ruby announced they were back together, after reportedly dating in 2008 in an on-and-off relationship.

Entourage: Ruby had quite the entourage with her, as well as controversial Australian PR figure Max Markson, far right

Hard to miss her: With her array of tattoos on show and her striking beauty, it was hard to miss Ruby as she walked through the crowd

Cute: The brunette beauty rocked some cute braid on the left hand side of her head

Down to business: Ruby was at the Hilton in Sydney to launch the Rova Flying Selfie Camera, which was designed and developed by Australian Stock Exchange listed company The IOT Group

Stellar performance: Ruby's girlfriend Jess and her sister Lisa performed topless and covered in glitter at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras After Party in Sydney over the weekend

They fell back in love after Ruby starred in The Veronicas music video, On Your Side.

Ruby recently gushed about Jessica on Valentine's Day, writing on Instagram: 'We have made some pretty bad decisions in our lives... mostly fashion related but one decision we have never regretted is loving each other..'

'Happy Valentine's Day my @jessicaveronica.'

Jessica also wrote: 'I've waited 10 years to kiss you on a Valentine's Day. And I would wait forever to do it again X I love you X @rubyrose.'
They haven't let go of each other's hands since becoming Instagram official in February.

And on Sunday evening, Paris Hilton and her new beau Chris Zylka, 31, were spotted clutching mitts again as they made their way through the Los Angeles airport.

Clearly head over heels for each other, the 36-year-old heiress and The Leftovers star coordinating leather for their jet-set outfits to New York City.

Lovebirds: Paris Hilton and her new beau Chris Zylka were spotted clutching mitts again as they made their way through the Los Angeles airport

The model-turned-DJ wore skin-tight leather jeans tucked into patent leather hidden-heel sneakers with embellished straps for the five-hour flight.

Continuing the all-black theme, Hilton rocked a strappy black long-sleeve under a black coat with fur trim and a black velvet choker.

The socialite hid her delicate features behind a pair of shades from her eponymously-named sunglass brand.

Fashionista: The model-turned-DJ wore skin-tight leather jeans tucked into patent leather hidden-heel sneakers with embellished straps for the five-hour flight

They look good together: Paris held onto a gray structured handbag and accessorized with large diamond stud earrings

Paris held onto a gray structured handbag and accessorized with large diamond stud earrings.

The 5ft8in beauty had her blonde tresses styled into natural-looking waves and tucked her bangs back neatly.

She appeared to be fresh-faced, wearing minimal makeup, and looked youthful and glowing - a byproduct of her company, perhaps.

Low-maintenance dude! Her handsome actor beau wore light blue distressed denim jeans, a black sweater rolled up to his elbows, and blue slip-on canvas shoes

Her handsome actor beau wore light blue distressed denim jeans, a black sweater rolled up to his elbows, and blue slip-on canvas shoes.

Chris accessorized with a black, large-faced watch, and opted to save his leather jacket for the plane as he led his leading lady into the airport.

The couple - who are heading to New York - first sent fans into a frenzy when Paris posted a photo of the two of them captioned: 'My #Valentine' on February 19.

It's love: The couple - who are heading to New York - first sent fans into a frenzy when Paris posted a photo of the two of them captioned: 'My #Valentine' on February 19

Later that week, she shared another intimate snap with her Instagram followers, hinting that their relationship was getting serious as she captioned a number of selfies with the pair: 'Home is where you are.'

Zylka's previously had a splintered engagement with DVF brand ambassador Hanna Beth Merjos. He also dated Pretty Little Liar's Lucy Hale in 2012.

Hilton's ex-fiances reportedly include model Jason Shaw and a fellow Paris, heir to the Latsis shipping family.

Paris and Chris have often been spotted walking their fur babies together and traveling as a duo in the past two weeks.
She's known for playing a werewolf on hit show The Originals and The Vampire Diaries.

But Australian actress Phoebe Tonkin showed off her bare-faced beauty as she arrived at Charles De Gaulle airport ahead of her Paris Fashion week appearance.

Looking refreshed after the long haul flight, it wasn't long before Phoebe was able to relax with a facial ahead of her appearance at the Chanel show.

Relaxed and refreshed: The Original's star arrived at Charles De Gaulle airport ahead of her appearance at the Chanel show for Paris fashion week

The Sydney-born star dressed down in blue jeans and a striped black and grey top, letting her long hazelnut locks fall down around her face

The H20: Just Add Water star cut a casual figure in blue jeans and a striped black and grey top, which was tucked loosely in at the waist.

She teamed her casual ensemble with a thick, dark coat, chunky leather-look belt and charcoal coloured flats.

The Sydney-born star let her long hazelnut locks fall down around her face, as she made her way through the airport, pulling a small suitcase behind her.

Opting to go make-up free the star let her natural beauty shine, with simple jewellery completing her look.

Stopping to smell the roses! Phoebe took to to Instagram after she landed in Paris to show she was relaxing with a facial ahead of her appearance at the Chanel Show

The actress attended the Charles Finch and Chanel Pre-Oscar Awards Dinner at Madeo Restaurant late last month,dressing up in a white dress with black twisted edging

The Hollywood actress is in France to attend the Chanel show at Paris Fashion Week, with fellow Australian beauty and friend Teresa Palmer also spotted at the Valentino show earlier today.

The brunette beauty took to Instagram last week to celebrate Palmer's birthday, posting a black and white picture of the two.

She captioned the photo: 'I don't think it's possible to adore you more @teresapalmer you are the strongest, coolest, wisest ray of sunshine and I am so lucky to have you in my life. I love ya guts'.

Chic in Chanel: The Australian actress cut a fine figure when attending a Chanel dinner last September, with the star in Paris for the line's show at the Paris fashion week

The 27-year-old was flying solo on the Paris trip, with boyfriend Paul Wesley notably absent.

The pair have been dating for three years after they met on the set of The Vampire Diaries.

The two enjoyed a romantic holiday in Australia last December, spending the Christmas break with Phoebe's family.
They went head-to-head against Melbourne's Caitie, 22, and Demi, 22, in group three's final restaurant elimination on Monday night.

And a disastrous main course of lamb cutlets with couscous and a mint puree, sent Adelaide's Lama, 34, and Sarah, 33, home packing.

Manu Feildel admitted to 'struggling' to understand the dish, during judging: 'I don't even know what cuisine we're talking about.'

'I don't even know what cuisine': MKR's Manu Feildel admitted he struggled to understand Lama and Sarah's main course of lamb cutlets on Monday's episode, eventually leading to the cousins being SENT HOME from the competition

Lama and Sarah were hoping to impress the judges with their main, promising to communicate with one another during cooking.

But things became heated quite quickly as Sarah begins to char grill the lamb, twenty minutes prior to plating, admitting that she might be 'cutting it too fine.'

'It's a harder task I thought, cooking these lamb cutlets,' Sarah says to camera.

Failing to realise she's yet to cook another large batch of meat, the cousins throw on the raw with cooked meat. 'It's really starting to get chaotic,' Lama is heard saying.

Not a winner: Manu was far from impressed by the cousin's dish of lamb cutlets with couscous and a mint puree

Success: Caitie and Demi's main course of moussaka with a candied lemon salad, was praised as a whole by the judging panel, despite three or four being burnt

But for besties Caitie and Demi, their main course of moussaka with a candied lemon salad, was praised as a whole by the judging panel, despite three or four being burnt.

Guest judge Guy Grossi shared that 'it's a lovely home-cooked meal,' Karen Martini described it as being 'luscious and moist enough.'

While Pete Evans labelled it as 'a decent main course.'

Lama and Sarah's disastrous main course signalled a turning point in the episode.

Both teams produced outstanding entrees, that originally had the teams at loggerheads.

Good start: Lama and Sarah's spicy prawns with a crusty bread were deemed a hit by all judges

Level playing field: Caitie and Demi's zucchini fritters with Tzatziki were also commended

Lama and Sarah's spicy prawns with a crusty bread were deemed a hit by all judges, while Caitie and Demi's zucchini fritters with Tzatziki were commended.

Colin Fassnidge described Lama and Sarah's entree as 'confident cooking,' while guest judge Liz Egan gushed over the sauce in the spicy prawns, labelling it 'as full of flavour' and 'gorgeous.'

Tensions came to a head however during Lama and Sarah's cooking of their entree, as they determined who would devein the prawns.

'The poop chute, make sure you get rid of that,' Sarah issued Lama.

Drama: Tensions came to a head however during Lama and Sarah's cooking of their entree, as they determined who would devein the prawns. 'The poop chute, make sure you get rid of that,' Sarah issued Lama

Catty: 'Seeing as you're so good at it....' interjects Lama, to which Sarah responds: 'You want me to do it?'

'Seeing as you're so good at it....' interjects Lama, to which Sarah responds: 'You want me to do it?'

'You've had so much practice at it,' adds Lama, before Sarah quips: 'Yeah I've been taking your s**t, huh?'

'Oh, someone's getting a bit catty,' says Lama.

Desserts however brought teams back to somewhat of a level playing field.

Lama and Sarah's caramelised figs with olive oil ice cream failed to hit the right note, with Lama forgetting to put the blade into the ice cream churner.

Not so sweet: Lama and Sarah's caramelised figs with olive oil ice cream failed to hit the right note

Making matters worse, Sarah forgot to add in the olive oil at the right time, having to infuse the mixture moments prior to plating.

Upon judging, the panel did not hold back.

While Colin mentioned that a 'freshness' was lacking, Guy commented:

Guy Grossi commented: 'The biggest disappointment is the ice cream. You can see the separation in there, it's not consistent.'

And Caitie and Demi's unique take on the Greek dessert, Galaktoboureko, did not produce the outcome they desired, after switching filo pastry for corn flakes.

Not so smooth: Guy Grossi slammed Lama and Sarah's olive oil ice cream: 'The biggest disappointment is the ice cream. You can see the separation in there, it's not consistent'

Not a hit: Caitie and Demi's unique take on the Greek dessert, Galaktoboureko, did not produce the outcome they desired, after switching filo pastry for corn flakes

Not impressed: 'It's just a lazy way of doing it,' Liz Egan shared to camera, adding: 'I just don't understand'

'It's just a lazy way of doing it,' Liz Egan shared to camera, adding: 'I just don't understand.'

However, their dessert must have not been as disastrous as Lama and Sarah's, with Caitie and Demi saved from elimination.

A total score of 34 out of a possible 60 points, outweighed Lama and Sarah's 25/60.

Eliminated: However, their dessert must have not been as disastrous as Lama and Sarah's, with Caitie and Demi saved from elimination
He won Song of the Year at Sunday's iHeartRadio Music Awards.

And while many take their allotted stage time to give thanks, Justin Timberlake selflessly made the moment about his young fans instead of about his win.

The 36-year-old seasoned Hollywood vet took the opportunity to explain what his award-winning song Can't Stop the Feeling! is about and to offer some empowering words to the world's youth.

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Role mode: While accepting the Song of the Year award, Justin Timberlake selflessly made the moment about his young fans instead of about his win

Looking dashing in a Tom Ford suit and shirt, Timberlake admitted: 'I feel old sometimes, and this makes me feel really young again!'

He continued: 'I wrote this song because I wanted it to be about inclusion, about being together.

'I want to take this opportunity to speak to young people right now, 'cause there's a lot of you looking at me... if you are black or you are brown or you are gay or you are lesbian or you are trans, or maybe you're just a sissy singing boy from Tennessee

Looking dashing in a Tom Ford suit and shirt, Timberlake admitted: 'I feel old sometimes, and this makes me feel really young again!'

'Anyone that is treating you unkindly, it's only because they are afraid, or they have been taught to be afraid of how important you are.

'Because being different means you make the difference, so...f**k 'em,' Justin said on stage while accepting the prize.

The husband of Jessica Biel and father-of-one was up against Sia's Cheap Thrills, The Chainsmokers' Closer, Drake's One Dance, and twenty one pilots' Stressed Out.

Rivals: The Chainsmokers and Halsey were also up for Song of the Year with their collaboration Closer, but the group won three other categories
They were on a mission to outdo Melbourne's Caitie, 22, and Demi, 22, on Monday night's episode of My Kitchen Rules.

But it appeared there was more tension between Adelaide cousins Lama, 34, and Sarah, 33, than their opponents, as they bickered over who would devein prawns in their entree.

'I've been taking your s**t, huh?' Sarah quipped to Lama.

'I've been taking your s**t': MKR's Sarah, 33, vented her frustration towards Lama, 34, as the sisters fought over who would devein the prawns in a tense elimination

Tensions came to a head during Lama and Sarah's cooking of their entree, spicy prawns with crusty bread, as they determined who would devein the prawns.

'The poop chute, make sure you get rid of that,' Sarah issued Lama.

'Seeing as you're so good at it....' interjects Lama, to which Sarah responds: 'You want me to do it?'

Tension: 'The poop chute, make sure you get rid of that,' Sarah issued Lama

Catty: 'Seeing as you're so good at it....' interjects Lama, to which Sarah responds: 'You want me to do it?'

'You've had so much practice at it,' adds Lama, before Sarah quips: 'Yeah I've been taking your s**t, huh?'

'Oh, someone's getting a bit catty,' says Lama.

However it was not their bickering that proved to be the most disastrous, but rather their main course of lamb cutlets with couscous and a mint puree.

Manu Feildel admitted to 'struggling' to understand the dish, during judging: 'I don't even know what cuisine we're talking about.'

Not impressed: However it was not their bickering that proved to be the most disastrous, but rather their main course of lamb cutlets with couscous and a mint puree. Judge Manu Feildel (pictured) admitted to 'struggling' to understand the dish

The said dish: 'I don't even know what cuisine we're talking about,' Manu provided in his comments on-air

Lama and Sarah were hoping to impress the judges with their main, promising to communicate with one another during cooking.

But things became heated quite quickly as Sarah begins to char grill the lamb, twenty minutes prior to plating, admitting that she might be 'cutting it too fine.'

'It's a harder task I thought, cooking these lamb cutlets,' Sarah says to camera.

Failing to realise she's yet to cook another large batch of meat, the cousins throw on the raw with cooked meat. 'It's really starting to get chaotic,' Lama is heard saying.

But for besties Caitie and Demi, their main course of moussaka with a candied lemon salad, was praised as a whole by the judging panel, despite three or four being burnt.

Success: Caitie and Demi's main course of moussaka with a candied lemon salad, was praised as a whole by the judging panel, despite three or four being burnt

Guest judge Guy Grossi shared that 'it's a lovely home-cooked meal,' and Karen Martini described it as being 'luscious and moist enough.'

While Pete Evans labelled it as 'a decent main course.'

Lama and Sarah's disastrous main course signalled a turning point in the episode.

Both teams produced outstanding entrees, that originally had the teams at loggerheads.

Good start: Lama and Sarah's spicy prawns with a crusty bread were deemed a hit by all judges

Level playing field: Caitie and Demi's zucchini fritters with Tzatziki were also commended

Lama and Sarah's spicy prawns with a crusty bread were deemed a hit by all judges, while Caitie and Demi's zucchini fritters with Tzatziki were commended.

Colin Fassnidge described Lama and Sarah's entree as 'confident cooking,' while guest judge Liz Egan gushed over the sauce in the spicy prawns, labelling it 'as full of flavour' and 'gorgeous.'

Desserts however brought teams back to somewhat of a level playing field.

Lama and Sarah's caramelised figs with olive oil ice cream failed to hit the right note, with Lama forgetting to put the blade into the ice cream churner.

Not so sweet: Lama and Sarah's caramelised figs with olive oil ice cream failed to hit the right note

Making matters worse, Sarah forgot to add in the olive oil at the right time, having to infuse the mixture moments prior to plating.

Upon judging, the panel did not hold back.

While Colin mentioned that a 'freshness' was lacking, Guy commented:

Guy Grossi commented: 'The biggest disappointment is the ice cream. You can see the separation in there, it's not consistent.'

And Caitie and Demi's unique take on the Greek dessert, Galaktoboureko, did not produce the outcome they desired, after switching filo pastry for corn flakes.

Not so smooth: Guy Grossi slammed Lama and Sarah's olive oil ice cream: 'The biggest disappointment is the ice cream. You can see the separation in there, it's not consistent'

Not a hit: Caitie and Demi's unique take on the Greek dessert, Galaktoboureko, did not produce the outcome they desired, after switching filo pastry for corn flakes

Not impressed: 'It's just a lazy way of doing it,' Liz Egan shared to camera, adding: 'I just don't understand'

'It's just a lazy way of doing it,' Liz Egan shared to camera, adding: 'I just don't understand.'

However, their dessert must have not been as disastrous as Lama and Sarah's, with Caitie and Demi saved from elimination.

A total score of 34 out of a possible 60 points, outweighed Lama and Sarah's 25/60.

Eliminated: However, their dessert must have not been as disastrous as Lama and Sarah's, with Caitie and Demi saved from elimination
Their friendship began in 2009 when they worked together on the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie.

But on Monday Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman took Twitter to embark on a hilarious feud between one another.

Hugh is currently touring the world to promote his new and last X-Men movie Logan, which was the innocent beginnings of the Twitter war between him and his famous friend.

Famous friends: Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds first met each other when working together on the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie in 2009

It started with a simple tweet from Hugh saying, 'Thanks for an amazing visit Beijing!' with a photo of him posing gleefully with some adoring fans.

And then, Ryan seized his moment for a witty comeback.

He replied to Hugh with a sarcastic comment saying: 'Pretty sure those are protesters.'

The comeback rendered Hugh speechless while he replied with a simple but effective 'Really?...Guy?...Really?!'

Hugh accidentally sparked the Twitter debate after posting this photo of him with fans at the Logan premiere in Beijing

Ryan couldn't resist the temptation of a witty comeback to Hugh, saying his fans were actually 'protesters'

Hugh was left speechless by Ryan's bold claim and left the debate simmer down

The banter between the two Hollywood stars continued after the trailer for Ryan's new movie Deadpool 2 dropped last weekend, just days before Hugh's Logan premiere.

The trailer shows the 'anti-hero' Deadpool trying to save a man but because it takes him over two minutes to change into his iconic red suit, the man inevitably dies.

Ryan then used this opportunity to take a dig at Hugh's Australian accent by saying 'how the other guys do it so quickly, you probably wouldn't be dead if it was Logan!'

Hugh Jackman is currently busy travelling the world promoting his new movie Logan, but still has time for a little harmless Twitter banter with his friend Ryan Reynolds

Last December when Ryan revealed he would be getting is own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hugh jumped at the opportunity to get his own back at Ryan.

Hugh posted a video to Twitter using a giant cardboard cutout of Ryan's head and mocked the American actor by saying: 'Ryan Reynolds here ... how could a guy, who failed his high school drama class be this talented? I have no answer for that.'

'But to quote my favourite actor, in the world, the great Australian Hugh Jackman, who, by the way, was People's sexiest man alive way before me, Americans are the most generous country on the planet.'
They met on the very first season of The Bachelor Australia.

And now four years later, Tim Robards and Anna Heinrich are still radiating with the lovebird glow.

On Monday, the couple were seen looking effortlessly elegant at the Myer Autumn Racing Collection Launch at the Centennial Hotel in Sydney.

Strike a pose: Tim Robards and Anna Heinrich looked like the perfect couple at the Myer Autumn Racing Collection Launch in Sydney on Monday

Happy in love: The pair, who met on The Bachelor, wowed with their chic style at Myer's event

Tim kept his look simple but very classy with white tailored dress pants and a buttoned up light grey suit jacket.

An unlikely match of his light blue patterned shirt teamed perfectly with his smart casual outfit.

He accessorised with dark blue-grey tie and brown boat shoes to tie his look together.

He kept his dark brown hair swept off his face and beamed from ear-to-ear for photos with his beautiful partner.

Model material: Anna Heinrich looked stunning in a monochrome outfit at the Myer Autumn Racing Collection Launch in Sydney

Anna Heinrich kept with more a monochrome theme, teaming blacks and whites of different patterns together.

She wore a black, long sleeved off-the-shoulder top that tied into bows at her wrists.

The classy top was paired with a mid-length black and white patterned skirt with a sliver zipper up the middle.

The skirt had a middle split to her thigh, showing off her tanned slender pins.

She accessories the outfit with black strappy high heels and a black leather clutch bag that was decorated with silver studs.

Beautiful blonde: Anna kept her hair and makeup simple and elegant, and let her classic chic outfit be the star of the show

The blonde bombshell swept her long hair into a messy bun and kept her makeup simple with a classic black smokey-eye look and a nude lipstick.

Her silver hoop earrings matched the subtle silver touches to her outfit, but her sun-kissed skin was the perfect accessory for the evening.

The couple posed for photos throughout the night and were seen smiling from ear to ear at each other after rumours that 2017 could be the year for their long awaited proposal.
TOWIE star James Lock put on a very passionate display with his new girlfriend Yazmin Oukhellou at his own restaurant in Essex on Sunday evening.

The 30-year-old could not stop kissing the pretty brunette outside the venue after he surprised her with a romantic meal of spaghetti bolognese and rose wine.

As James placed his arms around his girlfriend, they appeared very much in love as they indulged in a sensual evening at his eatery Lockie's Kitchen.

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Lock-ing lips: TOWIE star James Lock put on a very passionate display with his new girlfriend Yazmin Oukhellou at his own restaurant in Essex on Sunday evening

James' love Yazmin showcased her petite frame as she slipped on a slinky yellow printed midi dress which hugged her perky posterior while she puckered up to her man.

Her halterneck number was sure to accentuate her slender shoulders with it's black strap detailing that wrapped around her neck and continued in a panel down to her knees.

Reaching up to her strapping beau for a smooch, the TOWIE newbie injected inches to her diminutive height with a pair of leg lengthening platform peep-toed Christian Louboutins.

Keeping to her glamorous ways, she worked her brunette locks into a curly style as she enjoyed a steamy clinch with her new man - who ended his on/off relationship with ex Danielle Armstrong in August.

Loved-up: The 30-year-old could not get enough of his pretty brunette love outside the venue after they enjoyed some spaghetti bolognese and red wine

Look of love: As James placed his arms around his girlfriend, they appeared very much in love as they indulged in a sensual evening

Holding on: Her choice of halterneck piece was sure to accentuate her slender shoulders with it's black strap detailing that wrapped around her neck and continued in a panel down to her knees

Eyes Lock-ed: Keeping to her glamorous ways, she worked her brunette locks into a curly style as she enjoyed a steamy clinch with her new man

Not caring who witnessed their loved-up moment, James couldn't keep his eyes or hands of the petite beauty, while clad in his mariner brown knit jumper.

His adoring appearance comes after he was forced to apologise using his mobile phone at the wheel and posting a Snapchat video - confessing the action is 'not a good look'.

The reality star appeared on Good Morning Britain late last month to express his regret over the 'very silly' action - but insisted that he had been on private land with 'no one about' at the time.

In light of the new law that sees any driver using their phone at the wheel penalised with six points and a 200 fine, James was confronted on the chat show with a clip of him filming himself while driving.

Hand-in-hand: The TOWIE newbie injected inches to her diminutive height with a pair of leg lengthening platform peep-toed Christian Louboutins as they walked to filming hand-in-hand

Surprise: James decided to surprise his stunning other half with a romantic meal for two

Pasta the time away: The reality star gazed at Yazmin while he loaded his fork with a heap of spaghetti bolognese

He's got a pennechant for pasta: James at one point appeared to take on more than he could chew

Taken aback, the ITVBe star was then quick to issue an apology for his actions, stating regretfully: 'Using a mobile phone at the wheel is very silly.'

However in a bid to defend himself, the hunk went on to explain that he had been on empty, private land at the time - implying he had caused no risk to others.

He continued: 'In my defence, I was actually filming that on private land. It was in a safe area and there was no one about.'

Realising the implications of his behaviour as a TV star with a 550,000-strong social media following, he then added: 'Having said that, my position is obviously a very impressionable position and the fans of the show seeing that. It's very silly, it's not a good look.'

Beaming: He couldn't contain his happiness being in the company of his new girlfriend as they enjoyed a glass of rose

Angel hair: Yazmin brushed her brunette tresses out of her face

In awe: Not caring who witnessed their loved-up moment, James couldn't keep his hands off the petite beauty, while clad in his mariner brown knit jumper

When asked about whether he will think more about what he is posting to young followers in the future, Lockie, who recently opened his own healthy eatery in Essex, acknowledged : 'Everything we do is very influential.

'It just reminded me that I am in the public eye and you can't be seen to be doing that, can you? From now on I will be a lot more vigilant.'

Other TOWIE stars enjoying an evening of filming were power couple Georgia Kousoulou and boyfriend Tommy Mallett.

The 25-year-old beauty stunned in an all black look as she worked a pair of racy thigh high boots which she offset with a leg-skimming T-shirt dress.

Filming friends: Other TOWIE stars enjoying an evening of filming were power couple Georgia Kousoulou and boyfriend Tommy Mallett

Those boots were made for walking: The 25-year-old beauty stunned in an all black look as she worked a pair of racy thigh high boots which she offset with a leg-skimming T-shirt dress

Blonde bombshell Georgia completed her look with a simple frayed denim jacket as she walked hand-in-hand to set in Basildon.

Making the most of the wet weather, Chloe Sims was sure to lightened spirits in her eye-catching nude coloured shaggy knee-length coat.

Never afraid of pushing her personal boundaries of style, she teamed the head-turning look in a grey T-shirt dress and matching choker.

With a large umbrella clad in her hand, she stepped out in a pair of peep-toe denim over-the-knee boots as she left Unit 7 nightclub in Essex on Sunday.

Eye-catching: Making the most of the wet weather, Chloe Sims was sure to lightened spirits in her eye-catching nude coloured shaggy knee-length coat
She's usually seen side-by-side her partner Megan Marx who she met on The Bachelor.

But after they were rumoured to have split up last week, Tiffany Scanlon, 30, has been seen flying solo with a trip to Rottnest Island to soak up the sun.

The blonde bombshell has been keeping her social media following up-to-date on her exploits while posed for the perfect beach Instagram shot that she went topless for.

Freedom! Former Bachelor star Tiffany Scanlon bares all to her Instagram followers while on holiday at Rottnest Island following rumours of a relationship breakdown

The beauty posed with her back to the camera in her red Isidora Swim bikini bottoms but had no top on as she flaunted her svelte figure.

She was holding a beige Billabong hat to match her relaxed beach look.

Tiffany let her blonde hair flow down her back as she rocked the effortless beachy waves.

Suns out! After flying back to Western Australia from Bali, Tiffany went on a solo getaway to Rottnest Island to soak up the sun

Flying solo: Tiffany has been keeping her Instagram followers up-to-date with her tropical antics while her loyal fan base wait for official confirmation on her relationship status

Tiffany's sudden holiday comes after a rumoured split with her girlfriend Megan Marx who she met on The Bachelor Australia in 2016.

The pair moved to Bali together in January for the start of a new life together.

But rumours of a relationship breakdown came last week when Tiffany was seen flying into Western Australia solo and Megan flying in a week later.

Tiffany enjoyed her getaway in the picturesque Rottnest Island and constantly keeps her 150k followers updated on her antics as her fan base wait to hear confirmation on the breakup rumours.

Trouble in paradise? After being seen flying to Western Australia solo, there are rumours that Megan Marx and Tiffany Scanlon are breaking up

Tiffany's partner Megan has also alluded to a split from Tiffany as shared a snap a week ago to her Instagram, posing on a boat and claiming she needed 'solitude'.

While Tiffany is yet to comment on the rumoured split, Megan did reveal exclusively to Daily Mail Australia on Thursday that she's endured a tough time recently.

'I've had a pretty rough couple of weeks,' she said.




They were pictured filming the Love Actually reboot for Comic Relief special and Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon's characters, David and Natalie reveal they are now married.

In an interview with Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain on Monday, director Richard Curtis revealed Hugh has reprised his role as Prime Minister.

But Hugh reveals he is having a little trouble getting back into the role.

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They're married! Martine McCutcheon and Hugh Grant reveal they have got married as they reprised their Love Actually characters Natalie and David to film the Comic Relief sequel on Saturday

Love: Hugh played the Prime Minister and Martine his loved-up PA in the movie - pictured during the final scene

He told the camera: 'It's going very badly. I can't remember my lines or the character. Everyone hates me.

'I don't know how they monetise these things. It's bonkers.'

Curtis also revealed Hugh would be bringing back that famous dance, noting: 'He didn't like doing it the first time around.'

The good days: The pair had originally starred in Love Actually back in 2003, and have remained firm friends since

Giving away some spoilers, he continued: 'Someone has died. Someone has lots of kids. David has gone out of office and has got voted back into office.

'And there are a couple of nice surprises.'

It also becomes clear that Piers is mentioned in David's Prime Minister's speech, but it's all in the name of fun.

Curtis said: 'Piers is something of a Comic Relief hero. He won the Celebrity Apprentice and he's getting mellower and less contentious as he gets older.'

Hugh told the camera: 'It's going very badly. I can't remember my lines or the character. Everyone hates me'

Curtis revealed: 'There are a couple of nice surprises' - Martine pictured in the crowd (centre)

Richard Curtis told Susanna Reid: 'Someone has died. Someone has lots of kids. David has gone out of office and has got voted back into office'

Awkward: She had lamented the fact that she bumped into Hugh without her hair and make-up done

Meanwhile, Martine and Hugh looked thrilled to be back, as they cuddled up to creator Richard during their first stint of shooting in London.

Dressed in co-ordinating navy suit ensembles, the pair looked better than ever as they recreated their famous characters in the 10 Downing Street setting - with Hugh portraying the Prime Minister in the original flick.

Having embarked on a romance with the politician in the 2003 movie, Martine's character was seen watching him from the sidelines in the new scene - implying the pair were still united in the upcoming sketch.

Confirming the exciting fate however was the short's director Emma Freud - who shared a photo of Martine in front of the camera on her Twitter page with the caption: 'Our pm is still married. And she's still lovely. #rednosedayactually'

First look: The short's director Emma Freud shared images from shooting on her Twitter page on Sunday

Doing his bit: The broadcaster also emulated the view of beloved fans as she wrote beside an image of Hugh conducting a speech: 'And here he is. Our Prime Minister. Again. And still hot'

Also sharing an image of Hugh shooting his speech, the broadcaster then emulated the view of beloved fans as she wrote beside the image: 'And here he is. Our Prime Minister. Again. And still hot.'

Martine is reprising her character Natalie, who began as a junior member of the household staff at 10 Downing Street.

Having battled against their spark during the whole flick, the brunette went on to score a happy ending when she won the affections of the PM - with him visiting her home out in Wandsworth to declare his love.

The EastEnders actress had gushed about the exciting sequel on Loose Women earlier this month, and revealed that she and Hugh, 56, had formed a firm friendship since the original.

She said on the show: 'We just have the banter  were so different  were from such different backgrounds.

No holding back: The scene was jam-packed full of extra characters, proving the new clip to not be done half-heartedly

Excited: Some of the extras looked over the moon to be appearing as they embarked on the day of filming

We still text each other and see each other.'

Discussing her hopes for their famous characters, she had continued: Im hoping me and Hugh are still together because were filming together.

'I'd love for them to have a couple of kids and for him to still be doing the silly dancing.

Martine had been seen arriving on set with producers earlier that day, where she joined the film's famous cast for the first time since 2003.

Let's do this! Martine McCutcheon returned to her famous role of Natalie on Saturday, as she arrived in London to shoot her scenes for the Love Actually Comic Relief reboot

With her outfit concealed by a chunky winter coat, which she kept buttoned up in the cold, it was hard to tell what sort of scene Martine was set to shoot.

However heading to set with a beaming smile on her face, the star's excitement was clear to see as she geared up to reprise her 'common' girl role.

Managing to remain glamorous amidst the busy and chaotic day, the brunette carried a sleek Chanel handbag on her arm and left her hair in voluminous curls ahead of her stint in front of the cameras.

The Love Actually reboot has sent fans into a frenzy, with a host of stars confirming their return, including Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln, Lucia Moniz, Liam Neeson, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Olivia Olson, Bill Nighy, Marcus Brigstocke and Rowan Atkinson.

She's back! Martine's dressing room door could clear be seen labelled with her character's name 'Natalie'

Popular film: Love Actually follows the lives of eight very different couples dealing with their love lives in loosely interrelated tales, all set in the month before Christmas

However Emma Thompson made the decision to not take part in the film in light of fan favourite Alan Rickman's tragic passing last year.

The pair's storyline, one of the most hard-hitting in the film, saw Rickman's Harry cheat on his wife, Karen (Emma) with his secretary.

Discussing the choice on Loose Women, Martine explained: Emma Thompson said shed prefer not to as it wouldnt be the same without Alan Rickman.'

Several stars have been seen filming for the reboot of Love Actually so far - including Colin Firth, who looked in good spirits as he reprised his role of Jamie, who fell in love with his Portuguese housekeeper Aurelia.

The film follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London.

Director and screenwriter Richard Curtis revealed that he thoroughly enjoyed working on the script for the 10-minute sequel.

He said: 'Over the years, I've enjoyed doing Red Nose Day specials of TV things I've worked on - Blackadder, The Vicar Of Dibley and Mr Bean.

'It seemed like a fun idea this year to do a special sketch based on one of my films, since Red Nose Day is now in both the UK and America.

'It would'nt be the same': Emma Thompson (L) is not appearing however - due to fan favourite Alan Rickman (R) tragically passing away last year

'I would never have dreamt of writing a sequel to Love Actually, but I thought it might be fun to do 10 minutes to see what everyone is now up to.

'Who has aged best? I guess that's the big question... or is it so obviously Liam?'

Richard added that he was thrilled that so many of the big stars from the movie were available to shoot the mini-movie.

He added: 'We've been delighted and grateful that so many of the cast are around and able to take part - and it'll certainly be a nostalgic moment getting back together and recreating their characters 14 years later.

'We hope to make something that'll be fun...

'...Very much in the spirit of the original film and of Red Nose Day - and which we hope will help bring lots of viewers and cash to the Red Nose Day shows.'

Red Nose Day Actually will air as a part of BBC One's Red Nose Day coverage on March 24 and on March 25 in the US on NBC.
She shot to fame at the tender age of ten when she starred as wannabe pageant star Olive in the hit independent film Little Miss Sunshine.

And Abigail Breslin was pictured heading out with a friend in Manhattan on Friday - and the pair made a statement by wearing almost identical leopard print coats.

The 20-year-old blonde, who has successfully translated her childhood stardom into a steady Hollywood career, teamed her bold jacket with black skinny jeans and boots - as did her brunette pal.

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Spotted! Abigail Breslin (right) was pictured heading out with a friend in Manhattan on Friday and the pair made a statement by wearing almost identical leopard print coats

The Scream Queens star wore her blonde tresses in their natural slight waves and wore minimal makeup for her day out in the Big Apple.

Teaming her patterned black jeggings with chunky platform boots showed off Abigail's slim, toned legs.

And ensuring that her animal print coat did all the talking, the star added a simple black jumper with a coloured slogan.

The young star looked relaxed and happy to be out and about with her friend, who also paired her - slightly smaller and dampened in tone - jacket with dark trousers and silver-heeled boots.

Natural beauty: The Scream Queens star wore her blonde tresses in their natural slight waves and wore minimal makeup for her day out in the Big Apple

The pair looked to be deep in conversation as they crossed the street, where Abigail paused and used her phone.

The star had shunned accessories, not even bringing a bag, and carried her phone, a novel and a drink in her hands.

Smiling at her friend as she stood in the middle of the busy street, Abigail flashed the same grin that made millions fall in love with her in Little Miss Sunshine back in 2006.

Matching: Abigail looked relaxed and happy to be out and about with her friend, who also paired her - slightly smaller - jacket with dark trousers and silver-heeled boots

Classic: Smiling at her friend as she stood in the middle of the busy street, Abigail flashed the same grin that made millions fall in love with her in Little Miss Sunshine back in 2006

Abigail made regular appearances on millions of screens at the end of last year in the second series of Scream Queens.

And she is now often seen at star-studded events in Hollywood or out with friends in New York.

In January she responded to vocal criticism on social media of her posting a picture with Donald Trump's youngest daughter Tiffany, who Abigail has known for years.

The star stood up for herself on Twitter, writing: 'ALRIGHT Everyone commenting mean s**t on my last insta, I have known Tiff for years she's a beautiful soul and regardless of ur political views, do not take it out on her it is completely unfair.

'Also I would like to ask every single person on here how they'd feel if they were persecuted solely based on the actions of their parents. (sic)'

But the 'Scream Queens' actress silenced her critics in a follow-up post, writing that she hadn't voted for Donald Trump but has been friends with his youngest daughter for years
He attracted headlines when he quit Top Gear after just one season of co-hosting the show, following harsh reviews from fans and critics, as well as a slump in ratings.

And hours before the BBC Two show returned to screens without him on Sunday, Chris Evans was seen looking pensive as he stepped out for a family day at the park.

Accompanied by his wife Natasha Shishmanian and their two sons Noah, eight, and Eli, four, the glum-looking 50-year-old broadcaster sat on a bench between two bins in his local Berkshire park as he sipped from a flask while reading a magazine.

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Down in the dumps? Chris Evans cut a glum figure as he sat between two bins in his local Berkshire park on Sunday

Staving off the inclement weather in a full-length black wool coat, the radio and TV personality hid his eyes behind a pair of tinted sunglasses, while his wife kept an eye on their offspring, who wore blue bicycle helmets as they rode their scooters.

Hours later, motoring show Top Gear hit the screens with former Friends star Matt LeBlanc in the driving seat and Chris Harris and Rory Reid joining him as co-hosts.

And fans appeared to be elated to watch the show without Chris, who they'd dubbed 'Mr Shouty' and a 'poor man's [Jeremy] Clarkson' during his ill-fated tenure.

Family first: The broadcaster was joined by his wife Natasha Shishmanian and their two sons Noah, eight, and Eli, four

Pour it up: The star sipped from a flask as he lounged while chatting with his wife of 10 years

All things bright and beautiful: Natasha donned a colourful sweater with grey sweatpants

Sunday's instalment, which featured a trip to Kazakhstan and an interview with Scottish actor James McAvoy, prompted fans to take to social media as they praised the 'massive improvement', adding that it had 'a promising start'.

One wrote: 'Hadn't laughed at an episode of Top Gear for three years. That changed tonight'. Another said that it only took seconds to see the improvement.

'Top Gear is back how it should be!' enthused one viewer on Twitter, while another stated: 'Top Gear is back and it was so sweet I could have licked it.'

It's back! Hours after his excursion to the park, Top Gear returned to screens without him

In the driving seat: His former co-host Matt LeBlanc was in the driving seat, with Chris Harris and Rory Reid joining him as co-hosts

Slump: He attracted headlines when he quit Top Gear after just one season of co-hosting the show, following harsh reviews from fans and critics, as well as a slump in ratings

Matt, 49, was called 'a natural' as a presenter and several people said the programme was better without Chris, who quit after the last series saying he gave it his best shot but that it was 'not enough'.

One person wrote: '5 Seconds in and new #TopGear without Chris Evans looks 9,999,999 times better already.'

Another said: 'Just watched new #TopGear. Sooo much more better now that Chris Evans isn't on it! Well done, good choice!'

Keeping it under wraps: Chris staved off the inclement weather in a full-length black wool coat

Stylish shades: The radio and TV personality hid his eyes behind a pair of tinted sunglasses

Watchful eye: The 50-year-old's wife kept an eye on their offspring as they played together

'The new series of #TopGear is very watchable, well done lads!! More car focused, entertaining, funny and beautifully filmed,' wrote another pleased viewer.

In an interview with the Radio Times, which was published last week, Matt - who had co-presented with Chris last year - was frank about his relationship with the star.

'We got along fine,' he assured the magazine. 'We talked, you know, about creative processes, and pitched ideas Everything was going along smoothly.

Not embraced: Critics and fans failed to warm to Chris during his ill-fated tenure on Top Gear

Shouty: He was dubbed 'Mr Shouty' and a 'poor man's [Jeremy] Clarkson' while on the show

Harsh: To add insult to injury, fans appeared to enjoy the show more without Chris on Sunday

'And then all those stories in the press came out about him and he seemed a little stressed about it all. The next thing I knew he had resigned. I didnt know.'

Of former host Jeremy Clarkson - who now fronts The Grand Tour over on Amazon Prime, alongside James May and Richard Hammond (also of Top Gear fame), Matt insisted there is no 'friendship' to speak of.

He said: 'Im not friends with Jeremy. Ive met him once [as a guest on Top Gear] but I dont have his phone number.'

Reports of turmoil: There had also been rumours that he and Matt LeBlanc didn't get along - but those were quickly denied

Radio silence: Matt recently claimed that he hadn't even heard from his former co-host since his departure from the BBC show

In the bag: After his day out in the park, Chris placed his belongings into a Sainsbury's bag

Matt recently claimed that he hadn't even heard from his former co-host Chris since his departure from BBC's Top Gear last summer.

The Hollywood actor revealed the Radio 2 DJ has yet to reach out to him, after he found out about his departure in the press.

Speaking to The Sun, he said: 'I haven't heard from him since  which is his choice.'

The comment adds fuel to the fire that the pair kept their relationship simply professional on and off the set.

Going for a ride: His sons donned blue helmets as they rode their scooters through the park

Splash: Chris added a splash of colour to his ensemble with a pair of bright purple Nike trainers

Doting dad: The star held hands with one of his sons as they family made their exit

However, Matt refuted the claims and insisted the flame-haired presenter's busy schedule was to blame.

He added: 'I saw the stories that we weren't getting along and there was a row between us, but we were fine. I liked Chris Evans.'

Matt added: 'I certainly didnt mean to disrespect anything like that  a war memorial - and people did seem really upset by it and I apologise for that.'

The actor spoke exclusively to Daily Mail's Weekend Magazine last month and admitted that he found out about Evans's resignation like everyone else.

Fresh start: Top Gear presenters (l-r) Chris Harris, Matt LeBlanc and Rory Reid ventured to Kazakhstan for their first foray into the 24th season of the much-loved motor show on Sunday

Star-studded: Actor James McAvoy joined the presenters on the coach for an interview

Critics: Viewers were largely in unison about the improvement without Chris on Sunday's show

He said: 'I didn't even know he was quitting!' said Matt as he prepared to launch the first Top Gear of the post-Evans era, with himself in the driving seat.

As for the stormy waters that seem to surround the Top Gear production, Matt said it can be overwhelming.

'I don't know why there's such huge controversy about it, but boy, being on this show is like being in a fish bowl. Everybody's after you, waiting for you to put a foot wrong, and that can be tough.

'But I like cars, I know a little bit about cars, I can say some funny things about cars and hopefully people want to watch me. Hopefully.'

'I didn't know!' Matt recently admitted that Chris quit Top Gear without telling him first

Bygones: Jeremy Clarkson was famously not invited back to the show, following a showdown with a producer, while predecessor Chris quit after harsh critiques and a slump in ratings

Radio silence: Matt admitted he hadn't heard from Chris Evans since his departure

Like everyone else: The actor spoke exclusively to to Daily Mail's Weekend Magazine and admitted that he found out about Evans's resignation like everyone else
She's renowned for flashing the flesh across her social media accounts in a series of racy posts.

But Joanna Krupa kept things classic in a stylish military-inspired ensemble as she enjoyed a spot of breakfast in her native Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday morning.

The model, 37, used the streets as her own personal catwalk as she showed off her effortlessly chic look, pairing retro flare trousers with a scarlet jacket.

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Groovy baby! Joanna Krupa kept things classic in a stylish military-inspired ensemble as she enjoyed a spot of breakfast in her native Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday morning

The Real Housewives of Miami star paraded her model credentials in form-fitting flare pants while putting on an energetic display.

Joanna teased a glimpse of her taut tummy in an eye-catching red jacket, featuring ruffled hemlines and gold motifs.

Adding inches to her frame, the blonde teetered on sky-high black boots, while shielding her eyes with round-rimmed shades.

Dare to flare! The model, 37, used the streets as her own personal catwalk as she showed off her effortlessly chic look, pairing retro flare trousers with a scarlet jacket

Statuesque stunner: The reality star teased a glimpse of her taut tummy in an eye-catching red jacket, featuring ruffled hemlines and gold motifs

The reality star completed her chic look by styling her long golden locks in a loosely tousled manner.

Joanna later headed into a local shop to witness her first perfume in full display, which she gushed was in 'over 1000 stores in Poland'.

The beauty treated her one million Instagram followers to a sweet snap, captioned: 'Years in the making !!! My perfume line is finally available in @rossmannpl! (sic)'.

Joanna, who's married to Miami nightclub owner Romain Zago, is currently embroiled in a defamation lawsuit with her Real Housewives co-star Brandi Glanville.

'Years in the making': Joanna later headed into a local shop to witness her first perfume in full display, which she gushed was in 'over 1000 stores in Poland'

Krupa is seeking $2 million in punitive damages over Glanville's comments she made about the her 'smelly' lady parts, as well as an alleged affair with Yolanda Foster's ex-husband, Mohamed Hadid.

The women's legal battle first kicked off in January 2015 after comments Glanville made in a November 2013 interview on Andy Cohen's Bravo show, Watch What Happens Live.

Glanville told viewers that Krupa had an adulterous relationship with Yolanda Foster's then-husband, Mohamed Hadid, and also claimed her vagina smelled.
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Being married to billionaire Kerig CEO Francois-Henri Pinault, she's become a solid fixture at the most prestigious presentations at major Fashion Weeks around the world.

And true to form, Salma Hayek was among the VIP guests - including Pamela Anderson and Lily Donaldson - who attended Stella McCartney's highly anticipated autumn/winter 2017 unveiling at Paris Fashion Week on Monday.

The 50-year-old Mexican actress stepped out in breathtaking style, donning a figure-hugging black sleeveless dress, which was embellished with a series of silver hoops throughout, and matching leather boots.

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Passion for fashion: (L-R) Salma Hayek, Pamela Anderson and Lily Donaldson attended Stella McCartney's autumn/winter 2017 presentation during Paris Fashion Week on Monday

A pair of dazzling diamond rings added an extra touch of sparkle to her ensemble, which included a black star-patterned circular clutch bag, a sleek overcoat and fashionable oversized sunglasses.

Her raven tresses rested on her shoulders in lustrous waves as she made her way through the rainy streets of the French capital to attend the show with her husband Francois-Henri.

Like Stella McCartney, Pamela Anderson is one of many celebrities who has embraced a vegan lifestyle while actively being strong and enduring voices in the animal rights movement. So it was no surprise that she was front and centre for the esteemed designer's show.

Affectionate display: Actress Salma arrived on the arm of her billionaire businessmanhusband Francois-Henri Pinault

Embellished: Salma wowed as she arrived at the hot ticket presentation wearing a black embellished sleeveless dress

Wet: As rain soaked the streets of the French capital, Salma and her husband arrived under the protection of a large umbrella

Cat's the way to do it! Mother-of-one Salma shielded her eyes with a pair of fashionably oversized cat-eye sunglasses

Warming up: The 50-year-old wrapped up in a stylish black overcoat to stave off the stubborn wintry chill still gripping Paris

Hands-on: As they sat beside Charlotte Casiragh, Oscar-nominated actress Salma couldn't keep her hands of her husband

And, days after showing off the ample cleavage that helped propel her into stardom, 49-year-old Pamela opted for a more demure style, exuding Old Hollywood glamour as she stepped out in a classic black sleeveless dress.

And she appeared intent on letting her simple-yet-chic ensemble do all of the talking, as a textured black handbag and stylish sunglasses served as her only accessories for the excursion.

The mother-of-two - who rose to fame in the early 1990s on hit show Baywatch - added a bright pop of contrast to her outfit, as she stepped out in a pair of asymmetrical vertiginous heels.

Old Hollywood glamour: Pamela exuded Old Hollywood glamour as she stepped out in a classic black sleeveless dress

And the rain came tumbling down! As she posed for photographers assembled in the streets, she was caught in a downpour

Embracing the rain: Rather than get upset, she showed off her good sense of humour as she continued to pose in the rain

Out of the shade: Once she made her way into the venue, the former Baywatch star decided to ditch her sunglasses

Letting her outfit do the talking: A textured black handbag and sunglasses served as her only accessories for the excursion

FROW: As she settled into her coveted front row seat, she smoothed out her damp tresses while waiting for the presentation

Let's hug it out! Pamela shared a friendly greeting with Salma as they met up inside the grand venue ahead of the show

Miles of smiles: The pair chatted and laughed away as they waited for the highly-anticipated proceedings to kick off

Woman of the moment: She also posed for a shot with Stella McCartney, who's a much favoured designer among the stars

Her signature platinum blonde tresses were swept back into a high fashion style, while her makeup palette veered towards the subtle, save for a deep shade of pink giving her lips a colourful gloss.

However, her glamorous arrival was marred by Mother Nature, as she was trapped in a relentless downpour on her way to the show, leaving her with damp hair as she posed for snapshots inside the venue.

Not to be outdone, Lily looked sensational as she arrived at the show wearing a perfectly tailored black trouser suit with matching heels.

Eye-catching: Not to be outdone, Lily looked sensational in a perfectly tailored black trouser suit with matching heels

Ab fab! She donned the ensemble without a top, allowing her lacy black bra and enviably flat abs to take centre stage

Head-turning: Her blonde locks were swept back in a ponytail, while large gold hoop earrings and a smudge of pink lipstick further ramped up her head-turning look

Now hair this...: Pamela's signature platinum locks were swept back in a glamorous, high-fashion style for the big show

Hair we go! Salma's lustrous raven tresses rested on her shoulders in bouncy waves while she carried a circular clutch bag

Model behaviour: Model Natalia Vodianova was seen sitting next to Canadian-born Pamela in the highly coveted front row

Capturing the moment: (L-R) Marie Agnes Gillot and Charlotte Casiraghi whipped out their phones to take in all of the action

But it was what she didn't wear that turned heads, as she donned the ensemble without a top, allowing her lacy black bra and enviably flat abs to take centre stage as she posed for photographers at the event.

Her blonde locks were swept back in a ponytail, while large gold hoop earrings and a smudge of pink lipstick further ramped up her eye-catching look.

Meanwhile, it looks like whispers of Pamela dating Wikileaks founder Julian Assange could be much more than just speculation, with the blonde beauty all but confirming the relationship during an interview on The Kyle and Jackie O Show.

In great company: The VIPs posed for snapshots as they waited to see the fashionable results of Stella's latest work

Under wraps: (L-R) Natalia Vodianova,Miroslava Duma and Alexandra Golovanoff all arrived at the venue in warm layers

Proud husband: Stella McCartney's husband Alasdhair Willis, left, proudly applauded as he watched the show from his seat

Lady in red: Arizona Muse was also among the long list of special guests, and she arrived in a striking red ensemble

Natural: Her golden locks were styled in a wavy bob, while her makeup was taken from the more natural end of the palette

Dress: She later shed her coat to show off her dress - which featured a series of slits - and teamed it with white platforms

Striking a pose: As she settled into her seat, she posed for a snapshot with Spanish racecar driver Carmen Jorda

Cream of the crop: The Spanish beauty looked stunning a cream ensemble, which she wore under a burnt orange coat

'I've spent more time talking to Julian than all of my ex-husband combined!' exclaimed the star, who has been married four times to three different people.

When asked if she'd 'kissed' the Australian journalist, the blonde beauty burst into a coquettish giggle before composing herself.

'It was never the intention to become romantic,' she said diplomatically. 'It was just to join forces to do something important.'

High end: Francois is the CEO of Kering, which owns high end fashion brands Balenciaga, Brioni, Gucci, Puma, to name a few

Revealing attire: Anna Dello Russo, centre, caught the eye as she arrived in a comparatively revealing ensemble

Designer sandwich: The beauties were sure to take a snapshot with Stella, who was understandably the centre of attention

Snap happy: Lily snapped away on her phone beside Mary McCartney, who smiled as she perused her sister's designs

Hot-steppers: During the show, the models got the audience into the party spirit as they danced away on the catwalk

Paying their respects: The models danced as the late George Michael's 1980s hit Faith played. The singer died in December

The Baywatch beauty then added cryptically: 'Things happen, for sure.'

If that wasn't obvious enough, Pam then revealed a fantasy in which she would become First Lady to 'world leader' Julian.

'He's wonderful,' gushed the busty activist. 'I always thought I'd make a good First Lady. If I had to pick a world leader to stand beside it'd be Julian Assange. Wouldn't that be great?'

Grand designs: Stella's anticipated showcase featured a range of ensembles with loose-cut silhouettes and muted shades

Nearing the end: Stella's presentation took place two days before Paris Fashion Week draws to its conclusion

Humbled: Stella stepped out to thank the raucously applauding crowd as her glamorous show came to an end

There's no business like showbusiness: Stella is the daughter of former Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney

Patterns: A range of bold patterns and designs were also among the line-up of fashion pieces on display at the presentation
He offered his father a final chance to attend his same-sex wedding in America by offering him paid plane tickets.

And on Monday night's episode of Bride and Prejudice, a very anxious Chris still held out hope his Dad would arrive, just hours before his nuptials to partner Grant.

'Maybe he's had time to think about it,' Chris said after arriving in Palm Springs, California, the location of his wedding.

Holding out hope: After offering his Dad a paid plane ticket to Palm Springs to attend his wedding to boyfriend Grant, Bride and Prejudice star Chris still held out hope his father would make an appearance

Will he fly to Palm Springs? Chris's father has previously rejected his son's same-sex relationship and said he would not attend the wedding

'I guess we'll see.... It would be absolutely massive if my Dad turns up,' he continued, as he and Grant were joined by Grant's supportive parents, toasting to the couple.

Meanwhile, back in Australia, fellow Bride and Prejudice star Charity was also having a difficult time getting her parents to support her union to girlfriend, Phoebe.

Whilst Phoebe's mother was supportive of their wedding, Charity's religious parents stated they would not attend the nuptials, to be held in New Zealand.

Still celebrating: In Palm Springs Chris (right) and Grant (left) were joined by Grant's supportive parents

'My parents won't be there at the wedding. They're pastors of the church. They believe what it says in the Bible, and that is marriage between a man and a woman,' Charity said.

However, she added, 'There's always that element of hope.'

The couple went to a wedding dress fitting, where they were joined by Phoebe's mother, Marisa.

Beautiful bride: Charity stunned in a bridal gown as her future mother-in-law watched on, making her mother's absence all the more painful

The beaming mother remarked that her daughter Phoebe looked beautiful, and that she had never worn a gown before. However, the presence of Phoebe's mother made the absence of her own mother all the more noticeable for Charity.

'I don't like that she's not involved,' Charity said of her own mum, as she wiped away tears in one emotional scene. She added that she felt 'disconnected' and 'hurt.

The third couple in Monday night's episode, Melbourne-based Liz and Garrard, also came up against objections as they prepped for their wedding.

Devastated: Liz's sister Katerina declared she would not attend Liz's wedding to Garrard, who is sixteen years her juniour

40-year-old Liz and 24-year-old fiance Garrard went to visit with Liz's sister, Katerina.

When they arrived at Catarina's house, the sister asked to speak to Liz in private, delivering some devastating news.

'We've [the family] come to the decision that we can't come to the wedding,' Katerina said. 'We can't be there.'

'Why?' a shocked Liz asked.

Confrontation: Garrard was called in as Katerina made her objection known

'Me being worried for you still... I don't even know who Garrard is. It all feels so wrong to me.'

Katerina told the cameras that she was concerned as to why Garrard was interested in a woman who was so much older.

'At 24, why do you wanna get married? Is it a mummy thing? Like does he need someone to look after him coz he's missed out on something growing up?'

'I'm about to f**kin' blow-up' Garrard stormed out of the house

Liz then invited Garrard inside, repeating her claim that she would not attend the wedding.

'It's just not right. We know we want you guys to be happy, but we just can't make it,' Katerina declared.

Sister's advice: Katerina questioned why 24-year-old Garrard would want to get married to a 40-year-old woman

Garrard then abruptly left the house, stating 'I'm about to f**kin' blow up.'

Later, Liz also tried on wedding dresses, believing her sister wouldn't show up, after stating that she would.

When Katerina finally arrived, Liz was crying. However, Katerina repeated her confusion about the attraction between the pair.

Tears: Liz believed her sister would not come to her bridal fitting

'Are there not enough men in this world?... I don't understand!' she told the camera.

She also told Liz that she believed Garrard showed a lack of maturity storming out of her house after she told him she would not attend the wedding.

'There was no open communication,' Katerina told Liz.

Didn't change her mind: When she showed up at the fitting, Katerina repeated her claim that she would she would not attend her sister's wedding

She then bluntly told the camera, without Liz listening: 'I think Garrad's a bad thing for Liz and I don't see it working out'.

Meanwhile, as Phoebe and Charity prepared to fly to New Zealand for their wedding, Charity tried one last time to reach out to her mother, holding out hope she would attend.

Making a vide-recorded plea, Charity said, 'This is who I am. I can't change. We leave for New Zealand now. It would make me really happy if you came, and that door is always open.'

'This is who I am': In a video-recorded plea, Charity reached out to her mother for the final time

Back in Palm Springs, a hopeful Chris spent some downtime with his groomsmen Foxy and Shaun, where talk inevitably turned to whether or not his parents may have a last minute change of heart and show up.

'I have a sneaking suspicion that one or both might be there,' Chris stated.

'It'll be weird. I just hope they come and have a good time,' he also said, before adding, 'They've never seen me with any friends.'

New Zealand nuptials: Amid lush green countryside, Phoebe and Charity tied the knot

In New Zealand, Phoebe's and Charity's wedding day arrived, and the brides donned their beautiful white gowns.

In lieu of her father, Charity was walked down the aisle by her brother.

Sadly for the bride, her parents did not attend her stunning outdoor ceremony, performed among lush, green countryside.

Walking down the aisle: With her father not attending the wedding, Charity's brother filled in, walking his sister down the aisle

'I respect my parents, but I expected more from them,' Charity later stated.

She added, 'Moving forward Phoebe and I are coming together to form our own family, which I guess they won't be a part of because of their religious beliefs.'

The ceremony left both brides overjoyed with happiness, with Phoebe fighting back tears, as the celebrant pronounced the happy couple wives for life.

Not in attendance: Charity's parents did not attend their daughter's wedding

'I don't want my false eyelashes to fall off!' Phoebe stated, before later declaring the wedding 'awesome'.

Back in Melbourne, Garrard met with his future sister-in-law Katerina to talk through her qualms about the wedding.

'I don't want my eyelashes to fall of!' Phoebe was overjoyed to tie the knot

Katerina again expressed her concern about the age gap, wondering whether Garrard's eye would be drawn to women his own age in the future.

'When Liz is in her sixties, you're still going to be a relatively young man,' Katerina stated. She also added the pair had only been together for a year.

The fiery conversation ended with a stalemate, with Garrard repeatedly declaring he was sure about tying the knot with Liz.

Confrontation: Katerina explained that she didn't approve of the considerable age gap between Garrard and her sister

'Am I sure? Of course I'm f**kin' sure!' to which Katerina replied, 'I have nothing to say'.

Monday's dramatic episode concluded back in Palm Springs, with Chris waking upon his wedding day.

'Of course I'm f**kin' sure!' Garrard came to blows with his future sister-in-law

Ironing his shirt, and putting on his suit, the nervous groom's anxiety was compounded by the mystery of whether his parents would appear.

'Weighing heavily on my mind was whether my parents were going to come,' Chris says as he tells himself to shake his nerves off.

Bombshell: Family friends Alison and Barry arrived on the morning of Chris' wedding to deliver some news

A knock at the door reveals family friends Alison and Barry are at the door.

The pair deliver bombshell news to Chris, as they sit on the couch.

'I thought we should give you the news now, so you've got time to adjust,' Alison says, before the show ends on a shock cliffhanger.
She's loves to spend whatever free time she has at her beloved Australia Zoo.

But this time Bindi Irwin has shared a flashback video on her Instagram from stunning winter wonderland backdrop.

The 18-year-old posted a short clip of herself, recorded by 20-year-old boyfriend Chandler Powell, completely in awe of the stunning scenery of Klamath Falls, during a recent trip to her mother's home state of Oregon in the US.

We're not at Australia Zoo anymore! Bindi Irwin has shared a flashback video on her Instagram from stunning winter wonderland backdrop of Klamath Falls, in Oregon

Bindi was wrapped up in a puffer jacket and scarf as she excitedly jumped up and down in the a park surrounded by pine trees dusted with snow.

'Guess what?' the wildlife warrior said with her trademark enthusiasm, 'It snowed! Look at all of this fresh snow.'

'There is snow everywhere, we have the mountains behind us. There's so much snow and I'm so happy,' she said with joy.

'It snowed everywhere!' Bindi was wrapped up in a puffer jacket and scarf as she excitedly jumped up and down in the a park surrounded by pine trees dusted with snow.

'And it's really cold but its beautiful and we're about to go get some tea and breakfast. And its amazing,' she added.

The conservationist was also excited when she spotted bald eagles flying overhead.

'I love Oregon snow. I'm so happy, are you so happy?' she asked her boyfriend.

Stunning scenery: The wildlife warrior said, 'There is snow everywhere, we have the mountains behind us. There's so much snow and I'm so happy'

Chandler, who is a Florida native, also spoke on camera and concurred with her, saying he was happy to be in the stunning landscape with her.

'It's so cold. It's not Florida or Australia, but it is absolutely gorgeous,' he said.

The loved up couple ended their video with a warm hug.

Bindi, her mother Terri and brother Robert, along with her boyfriend, were recently in New York where the younger Irwin made his debut on Late night TV on the Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.

She also posted a family photo from Oregon on her Instagram account with the caption: 'Family hugs...One of my favourite days, with the human beings that mean everything to me.'
On Monday night's explosive episode of Bride and Prejudice, same-sex couple Charity and Phoebe tied the knot in New Zealand.

However, Charity was left devastated after her parents failed to front at her wedding ceremony.

'I respect my parents, but I expected more from them,' the bride candidly revealed.

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New Zealand nuptials: On Monday's episode of Bride and Prejudice Phoebe (left) and Charity (right) tied the knot, however Charity's parents did not attend despite her pleas for them to change their minds

Earlier in the episode, Charity was having a difficult time getting her parents to support her union to girlfriend, Phoebe.

Whilst Phoebe's mother was supportive of their wedding, Charity's religious parents stated they would not attend the nuptials.

'My parents won't be there at the wedding. They're pastors of the church. They believe what it says in the Bible, and that is marriage between a man and a woman,' Charity said.

'This is who I am': In a video-recorded plea, Charity reached out to her mother for the final time

However, she added, 'There's always that element of hope.'

The couple went to a wedding dress fitting, where they were joined by Phoebe's mother, Marisa.

The beaming mother remarked that her daughter Phoebe looked beautiful, and that she had never worn a gown before. However, the presence of Phoebe's mother made the absence of her own mother all the more noticeable for Charity.

Beautiful bride: Charity stunned in a bridal gown as her future mother-in-law watched on, making her mother's absence all the more painful

'I don't like that she's not involved,' Charity said of her own mum, as she wiped away tears in one emotional scene. She added that she felt 'disconnected' and 'hurt.

As Phoebe and Charity prepared to fly to New Zealand for their wedding, Charity tried one last time to reach out to her mother, holding out hope she would attend.

Making a vide-recorded plea, Charity said, 'This is who I am. I can't change. We leave for New Zealand now. It would make me really happy if you came, and that door is always open.'

Walking down the aisle: With her father not attending the wedding, Charity's brother filled in, walking his sister down the aisle

In New Zealand, Phoebe's and Charity's wedding day arrived, and the brides donned their beautiful white gowns.

In lieu of her father, Charity was walked down the aisle by her brother.

Sadly for the bride, her parents did not attend her stunning outdoor ceremony, performed among lush, green countryside.

Not in attendance: Charity's parents did not attend their daughter's wedding

Charity stated, 'Moving forward Phoebe and I are coming together to form our own family, which I guess they won't be a part of because of their religious beliefs.'

The ceremony left both brides overjoyed with happiness, with Phoebe fighting back tears, as the celebrant pronounced the happy couple wives for life.

'I don't want my false eyelashes to fall off!' Phoebe stated, before later declaring the wedding 'awesome'.

'I don't want my eyelashes to fall of!' Phoebe was overjoyed to tie the knot

Also on Monday night's episode of Bride and Prejudice, a very anxious Chris still held out hope his Dad would arrive, just hours before his nuptials to partner Grant.

'Maybe he's had time to think about it,' Chris said after arriving in Palm Springs, California, the location of his wedding.

Holding out hope: After offering his Dad a paid plane ticket to Palm Springs to attend his wedding to boyfriend Grant, Bride and Prejudice star Chris still held out hope his father would make an appearance

Will he fly to Palm Springs? Chris's father has previously rejected his son's same-sex relationship and said he would not attend the wedding

'I guess we'll see.... It would be absolutely massive if my Dad turns up,' he continued, as he and Grant were joined by Grant's supportive parents, toasting to the couple.

Still celebrating: In Palm Springs Chris (right) and Grant (left) were joined by Grant's supportive parents

The third couple in Monday night's episode, Melbourne-based Liz and Garrard, also came up against objections as they prepped for their wedding.

Devastated: Liz's sister Katerina declared she would not attend Liz's wedding to Garrard, who is sixteen years her juniour

40-year-old Liz and 24-year-old fiance Garrard went to visit with Liz's sister, Katerina.

When they arrived at Katerina's house, the sister asked to speak to Liz in private, delivering some devastating news.

'We've [the family] come to the decision that we can't come to the wedding,' Katerina said. 'We can't be there.'

'Why?' a shocked Liz asked.

Confrontation: Garrard was called in as Katerina made her objection known

'Me being worried for you still... I don't even know who Garrard is. It all feels so wrong to me.'

Katerina told the cameras that she was concerned as to why Garrard was interested in a woman who was so much older.

'At 24, why do you wanna get married? Is it a mummy thing? Like does he need someone to look after him coz he's missed out on something growing up?'

'I'm about to f**kin' blow-up' Garrard stormed out of the house

Liz then invited Garrard inside, repeating her claim that she would not attend the wedding.

'It's just not right. We know we want you guys to be happy, but we just can't make it,' Katerina declared.

Sister's advice: Katerina questioned why 24-year-old Garrard would want to get married to a 40-year-old woman

Garrard then abruptly left the house, stating 'I'm about to f**kin' blow up.'

Later, Liz also tried on wedding dresses, believing her sister wouldn't show up, after stating that she would.

When Katerina finally arrived, Liz was crying. However, Katerina repeated her confusion about the attraction between the pair.

Tears: Liz believed her sister would not come to her bridal fitting

'Are there not enough men in this world?... I don't understand!' she told the camera.

She also told Liz that she believed Garrard showed a lack of maturity storming out of her house after she told him she would not attend the wedding.

'There was no open communication,' Katerina told Liz.

Didn't change her mind: When she showed up at the fitting, Katerina repeated her claim that she would she would not attend her sister's wedding

She then bluntly told the camera, without Liz listening: 'I think Garrad's a bad thing for Liz and I don't see it working out'.

Back in Palm Springs, a hopeful Chris spent some downtime with his groomsmen Foxy and Shaun, where talk inevitably turned to whether or not his parents may have a last minute change of heart and show up.

'I have a sneaking suspicion that one or both might be there,' Chris stated.

'It'll be weird. I just hope they come and have a good time,' he also said, before adding, 'They've never seen me with any friends.'

Confrontation: Katerina explained that she didn't approve of the considerable age gap between Garrard and her sister

Back in Melbourne, Garrard met with his future sister-in-law Katerina to talk through her qualms about the wedding.

Katerina again expressed her concern about the age gap, wondering whether Garrard's eye would be drawn to women his own age in the future.

'When Liz is in her sixties, you're still going to be a relatively young man,' Katerina stated. She also added the pair had only been together for a year.

The fiery conversation ended with a stalemate, with Garrard repeatedly declaring he was sure about tying the knot with Liz.

'Am I sure? Of course I'm f**kin' sure!' to which Katerina replied, 'I have nothing to say'.

Monday's dramatic episode concluded back in Palm Springs, with Chris waking upon his wedding day.

'Of course I'm f**kin' sure!' Garrard came to blows with his future sister-in-law

Ironing his shirt, and putting on his suit, the nervous groom's anxiety was compounded by the mystery of whether his parents would appear.

'Weighing heavily on my mind was whether my parents were going to come,' Chris says as he tells himself to shake his nerves off.

Bombshell: Family friends Alison and Barry arrived on the morning of Chris' wedding to deliver some news

A knock at the door reveals family friends Alison and Barry are at the door.

The pair deliver bombshell news to Chris, as they sit on the couch.

'I thought we should give you the news now, so you've got time to adjust,' Alison says, before the show ends on a shock cliffhanger.
Nikki Phillips was just 26 when she was diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer and once worried she would never have children due to the disease.

Now 19 weeks pregnant, the 33-year-old tells The Daily Telegraph that she was worried about 'jinxing' her pregnancy and hid her baby books in the attic.

'Now, I'm pulling the baby books back down from the attic,' she told the newspaper, and calls her pregnancy 'surreal'.

Safe and sound: Now 19 weeks pregnant, the 33-year-old tells The Daily Telegraph that she was worried about 'jinxing' her pregnancy and hid her baby books in the attic

'I wanted a boy and my husband wanted a girl, he really wanted a daddy's girl,' the TV presenter tells the publication of hubby Dane Rumble's expectations.

She added that it was a joyful time after a 'really rough two years' during which she was attacked for speaking to Cleo magazine about her battle with cancer.

Speaking to The Brisbane Times, the New Zealand-born beauty called cervical cancer her 'biggest challenge'.

The star told the publication, 'I wanted to share my story to prove that I wasn't invincible... unfortunately people attacked [me] saying it was paid story.'

Announcement: The blogger had been keeping mum on the sex of the baby, but revealed on her blog this weekend, 'it's a boy and we couldn't be happier!'

Gender swap: 'I wanted a boy and my husband wanted a girl, he really wanted a daddy's girl,' the blonde, pictured with husband Dane Rumble, tells the publication

Saying of the criticism, 'That was probably the hardest [thing] because I had already gone through a hard time and it had taken me six years to even say that [out] loud'.

The blogger had been keeping mum on the sex of the baby, but revealed on her By Nikki Phillips blog this weekend, 'it's a boy and we couldn't be happier!'

The former New Zealand's Next Top Model guest judge hinted at the sex of the baby on social media in the lead-up to the announcement, saying: '#19weeks just starting to really show now and boy is it growing.'

Some good news: She added that it was a joyful time after a 'really rough two years' during which she was attacked for speaking to Cleo magazine about her battle with cancer

In her blog, the Kiwi beauty said she was originally going to reveal the baby's sex via her YouTube channel but couldn't 'contain my excitement about this pregnancy let alone the gender'.

The statuesque beauty married her 35-year-old husband Dane Rumble in 2014, five years after she was diagnosed with cancer.
She is known for her beautiful smile and happy-go-lucky demeanour on red carpets.

But Lily James looked a little miffed about the miserable London weather as she headed out for the day with her long-term beau and Dr Who star Matt Smith on Monday.

The 27-year-old Cinderella actress looked gorgeous in her relaxed ensemble, teaming fold up faded denim jeans and converse with a smart Burberry scarf for the rare public outing.

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Casual chic: Lily James looked a little miffed about the miserable London weather as she headed out for the day with her long-term beau and Dr Who star Matt Smith on Monday

Inseparable: Lily pointed out where they needed to head next to her handsome 34-year-old beau, who appeared to be carrying the loved up couple's groceries

The Downton Abbey star and her boyfriend of nearly three years huddled together in a corner shop to avoid the rain.

Lily pointed out where they needed to head next to her handsome 34-year-old beau, who appeared to be carrying the loved up couple's groceries.

The British actress brought her casual outfit together with a stylish floating white buttonless coat.

And her boyfriend, now an even bigger international sensation due to his role in The Crown, looked every inch the star.

Matt sported a peaked cap to guard from the rain and teamed it with a sheepskin-lined leather jacket, unbuttoned shirt and white vest.

Stylish star: Matt sported a peaked cap to guard from the rain and teamed it with a sheepskin-lined leather jacket, unbuttoned shirt and white vest

The loving couple are more often seen gracing a red carpet in their finery than shopping for supplies.

Lily has had a stellar few years as she has starred in successive period dramas where she has been cast to portray beautiful and intelligent central characters after her initial movie roles.

The Cinderella actress notably garnered critical praise for her turn as Natasha Rostova in the acclaimed BBC adaptation of Tolstoy's War and Peace.

And Matt has been at her side at many of her important events and commitments to lend a supporting arm and smile.

Doting boyfriend: Matt has been at Lily's side at many of her important events and commitments to lend a supporting arm and smile

Lasting love: The couple have been together since 2014 and appear to be very much in love

The 34-year-old BAFTA winner has been in the spotlight for longer than his girlfriend, so is more accustomed to fame.

He first became a household name in January 2009 when he replaced David Tennant to become the 11th Doctor Who.

And since he left the series in 2013 he has only hit further heights, as he is now being appreciated around the world for his depiction of Prince Philip in Netflix series The Crown.

Impressive: Lily has had a stellar few years, notably when she garnered critical praise for her turn as Natasha Rostova in the acclaimed BBC adaptation of Tolstoy's War and Peace

Ladylike: Lily is known for starring in period dramas and portraying beautiful and intelligent characters
She's a Hollywood film star with fans across the globe.

And Jessica Chastain, 39, visited the Dzien Dobry TVN studios in Warsaw, Poland, on Monday for a televised appearance to promote her latest film The Zookeeper's Wife.

The flame-haired beauty emerged from a luxury black car in a striking monochrome dress and bright pink heels.

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Globally famous: Jessica Chastain, 39, visited the Dzien Dobry TVN studios in Warsaw, Poland, on Monday for a televised appearance

The eye-popping outfit was balanced by a billowing taupe overcoat which took the edge off the other quirky garments.

Her distinctive red tresses fell freely in abundance from a middle parting, while in true Hollywood style she wore oversized black shades.

There was no chance of Jessica getting wet as two suited and booted minders both held umbrellas over her.

Sitting comfortably: Jessica looked great as she sat with her legs crossed

Musical: Host Marcin Prokop serenaded the star with a ukulele

Pearly whites: The stunner smiled brightly during the interview

Deep in thought: Jessica was snapped gazing pensively into the distance

Sitting pretty: The star emanated a radiant glow for the TV show

Jessica expertly made her way over the cobbled ground in her teetering heels and waved to fans as she made her way inside the studios.

In March's edition of American Way for American Airlines, the actress discussed the Hollywood gender pay gap.

She explained: 'I had one male director say to me that I talk too much about all of this "women stuff". This is a person I love, and maybe he was concerned I would hurt my career.'

'I'm not attacking anyone,' she added. 'I'm trying to create more inclusiveness, compassion and empathy - which in turn makes better movies, better art.'

Jessica, a twice Oscar nominated actress, tackled gender equality by launching the female-led production company, Freckle Films, last year.

On the promo trail: Jessica was promoting her latest film The Zookeeper's Wife

Glamorous: The flame-haired beauty emerged from a luxury black car in a striking monochrome dress and bright pink heels

Stylish: The eye-popping outfit was balanced by a billowing taupe overcoat which took the edge off the other quirky garments

Fiery: Her distinctive red tresses fell freely in abundance from a middle parting, while in true Hollywood style she wore oversized black shades

'I just don't know why it's not changing,' she told the publication. 'I'm doing my part to make the change, so why isn't everyone else?'

But even with a career as successful and demanding as her own, Jessica has managed to squeeze in time away from it all with loved ones, including her long-term boyfriend, Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo.

She added: 'Every August, for example, we do a big vacation, with all of my family and all of Gian Lucas family, and we all go away together.'

Rainy day: There was no chance of Jessica getting wet as someone was always on hand to hold a brolly over her head

'It's a tradition we've started,' she told the publication.

Jessica said starting a family was still up in the air.

'I haven't made any kind of decision about my life in terms of that,' the Zero Dark Thirty actress said after being inquired about slowing down her career to start a family.

'I would never prioritize my career over any of my loved ones.'
She's been blessed with killer curves and a great sense of style.

So it came as no surprise to see Iskra Lawrence looked sensational as she headed for dinner at Hamasaku Restaurant in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Looking effortlessly chic on the outing, the blonde bombshell, 26, oozed glamour in a figure-hugging midi dress before she offered a look at her incredible curves by stripping to her lingerie.

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Blonde bombshell: It came as no surprise to see Iskra Lawrence looked sensational as she headed for dinner at Hamasaku Restaurant in Los Angeles on Saturday

Clinging to her hourglass curves, the suede midi dress featured a low-cut neckline whilst the camel colour complemented her tanned complexion.

Layering up to retain her modesty, Iskra donned a mauve mesh top beneath the gown which sheathed her cleavage and decotellage.

Layering up, the model donned a pink suede jacket with tasseled sleeves and a studded hem whilst she added some height to her frame with gold heels.

Chest a glimpse! On Monday, she stripped down to just her lingerie and a checkered shirt as she performed a dance for an Instagram clip

Dressed to impress: Clinging to her hourglass curves, the suede midi dress featured a low-cut neckline whilst the camel colour complemented her tanned complexion

Iskra is an advocate of body confidence and passionately speaks out against body shaming.

On Monday, she stripped down to just her lingerie and a checkered shirt as she performed a dance for an Instagram clip.

She captioned the video: 'Some silly happy Monday morning vibes for ya'll. trust me when you give up worrying about what other ppl think life is much more fun.

'So I'm not sayin go dance in your undies but do you! unapologetically! Life is too short and everyday's a blessing to be enjoyed to the fullest [sic].'

Loving life: She captioned the video: 'Some silly happy Monday morning vibes for ya'll. trust me when you give up worrying about what other ppl think life is much more fun'

Having a ball: Iskra explained that life should not be lived apologetically as she stripped off

Tanned and toned: Iskra is an advocate of body confidence and passionately speaks out against body shaming. The star also often posts scantily clad social media snaps

The star, who often posts scantily clad social media snaps, recently spoke out about how she deals with comments made by critics and trolls.

'I do tend to read them,' she revealed. I've gotten a thick skin from being in the modelling industry about my appearance.'

She continued: 'Sometimes it's hard when people criticise what your about. People think: "You're a liar and you're doing this all for money" and I'm like: "Pardon".

'I just 100 percent be myself and the people that love me and know me know what I'm about so that's all that really matters.'

The star also famously stripped off on a New York subway train whilst delivering a passionate speech to commuters about body confidence.
She recently hit headlines - and attracted an avalanche of criticism on social media - when she shared a video of herself applying lipstick on her two-year-old daughter.

But Elena Perminova had all eyes on her for different reasons on Monday, when she attended Giambattista Valli's autumn/winter 2017 Paris Fashion Week show in the most daring of ensembles.

The Russian model and socialite, 30, made quite the memorable entrance, arriving in a black bralet worn over her plunging white crop top, while she shared a peek of her black underwear through her sheer black lace skirt, which featured a thigh-high slit.

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Passion for fashion: Elena Perminova attended Giambattista Valli's autumn/winter 2017 Paris Fashion Week show on Monday

Her unconventional ensemble gave the blonde beauty the opportunity to show off her enviably flat abs and long, shapely legs, which she tipped with white heels.

Elena's golden tresses fell beyond her shoulders in loose and lustrous waves, while a light application of makeup added an extra touch of glamour to her look.

On arriving at the event, she gave her ensemble some edge by throwing on a cropped black leather jacket.

Switch: The Russian model and socialite wore a black bralet over her plunging white crop top

The 30-year-old beauty also shared a peek of her black underwear through her sheer black lace skirt, which featured a thigh-high slit

Hell for leather: The mother-of-three arrived wearing a black leather cropped jacket

Glam: Inside the event, she posed for a snapshot with an equally glam Alexandra Kirienko

Late last year, the glamorous model and partner of media mogul Alexander Lebedev posted a video on Instagram that showed her applying powder-pink lipstick on her young daughter Arina, who appeared to shake her head at the idea.

Elena was then seen teaching the little girl how to open her mouth correctly for the lipstick to be applied.

At the time, the clip whipped up a storm of controversy, given her offspring's decidedly young age.

All black: Fashion Week regular Olivia Palermo arrived wearing a stylish all-black ensemble

Pattern: Jewellery designer Eugenie Niarchos turned heads in her heavily patterned ensemble

Colourful: The shopping heiress posed for a shot with equally colourful Charlotte Casiraghi

Purple reign: Princess Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz, editor in chief of Vogue Arabia, looked regal

Elena is in a relationship with media mogul Alexander Lebedev, 57, embarking on a romance with him in the early 2000s. They have three children together.

Alexander is part owner of the newspaper Novaya Gazeta in his native Russia and, along with his son Evgeny Lebedev owns UK publications the London Evening Standard and The Independent.

In March 2012, the former Soviet KGB spy was listed by Forbes magazine as one of Russia's richest businessmen, with an estimated fortune of $1.1 billion.

However, his ranking dropped by the following year, and he is no longer considered a billionaire by the financial publication.

Guests: Designer Peter Dundas and photographer Ellen von Unwerth also attended the event

Royalty: Charlotte Casiraghi, the daughter of Caroline, Princess of Hanover, also attended the glitzy Giambattista Valli PFW show. She donned a chic all-black ensemble

Fashion uniform: Charlotte wrapped up against the Parisian chill in a floor-length black coat and carried a structured handbag around her shoulder

Textures: The show included a mix of textures, featuring a range of dramattic silhouettes
She recently relocated to Bali to start a new life with girlfriend Tiffany Scanlon.

But Megan Marx may not be spending much longer on the Indonesian island if her latest Instagram snap is anything to go by.

Hinting that she and Tiffany are headed in different directions, the Bachelor alumnus uploaded a raunchy photo of herself on her bed as she detailed her plans to head to Europe.

Single? Megan Marx is soon to fly to Europe, just two months after relocating to Bali with girlfriend Tiffany Scanlon, continuing to fuel rumours the high-profile pair have split

Itinerary: Megan's Instagram caption made no mention of Tiffany and no immediate plan to return to her love nest in Bali

Seeming to hint that the future is undetermined, the blonde beauty wrote, 'This year so far has been pretty disordered when it was meant to be clear-cut and precise. I'm not minding it at all though- all hail'.

She continued, 'On Wednesday I'm off to Europe, Denmark. Timing for coming back to Aus is dependent on a few projects, so it's a wait-and-see situation.'

While she recently resettled in the Balinese town of Canggu, Megan's Instagram itinerary detailed no immediate plans to return there.

Over already? Megan and Tiffany have both left Bali amidst split rumours

And whilst she settled into a love nest, Tiffany has returned to Australia.

The blonde bombshell been seen flying solo with a trip to Rottnest Island to soak up the sun, going topless for a sizzling selfie.

Freedom! Former Bachelor star Tiffany Scanlon bares all to her Instagram followers while on holiday at Rottnest Island following rumours of a relationship breakdown

The beauty posed with her back to the camera in her red Isidora Swim bikini bottoms but had no top on as she flaunted her svelte figure.

She was holding a beige Billabong hat to match her relaxed beach look.

Tiffany let her blonde hair flow down her back as she rocked the effortless beachy waves.

Suns out! After flying back to Western Australia from Bali, Tiffany went on a solo getaway to Rottnest Island to soak up the sun

Flying solo: Tiffany has been keeping her Instagram followers up-to-date with her tropical antics while her loyal fan base wait for official confirmation on her relationship status

But rumours of a relationship breakdown came last week when Tiffany was seen flying into Western Australia solo and Megan flying in a week later.

Tiffany constantly keeps her 150k followers updated on her antics as her fan base wait to hear confirmation on the breakup rumours.

Trouble in paradise? After being seen flying to Western Australia solo, there are rumours that Megan Marx and Tiffany Scanlon are breaking up

While Tiffany is yet to comment on the rumoured split, Megan did reveal exclusively to Daily Mail Australia on Thursday that she's endured a tough time recently.

'I've had a pretty rough couple of weeks,' she said.




She has been taking the New York, London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks by storm as one of the hottest models of the moment.

And Kendall Jenner proved she was worthy of her top model status on Monday as she headed out in Paris in yet another stylish ensemble.

The brunette, 21, showed off her sensationally slender figure in a raunchy mesh leotard and low-cut boyfriend jeans as she left her hotel for a busy day.

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Sexy: Kendall Jenner proved she was worthy of her top model status on Monday as she headed out in Paris in yet another stylish ensemble

Show-stopping: The brunette, 21, showed off her sensationally slender figure in a raunchy mesh leotard and low-cut boyfriend jeans as she left her hotel for a busy day

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star displayed her enviably toned abs and flat stomach in a racy semi-sheer leotard, which featured a trendy denim panel across her bust.

Remaining demure as it pulled into a high neck, the one-piece then rose to a daring height at her hip - forming a saucy cut out above her jeans and elongating her already leggy frame.

Keeping the look more casual down below, the beauty teamed the leotard with a pair of low slung boyfriend jeans, with rugged ripped knees.

Sheer style: The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star displayed her enviably toned abs and flat stomach in a racy semi-sheer leotard

Model material: Remaining demure as it pulled into a high neck, the one-piece then rose to a daring height at her hip - forming a cut out above her jeans and elongating her leggy frame

Keeping warm in the chilly weather, the Victoria's Secret model then concealed her bared skin with a padded black coat, embossed with various geometric shapes.

She upped the glamour further with a studded Givenchy clutch, and added extra height to her statuesque frame with a pair of patent stiletto ankle boots.

Covering her face with dark square sunglasses, Kendall oozed confidence and style as she headed out for another day in Paris.

Cosy: Keeping warm in the chilly weather, the Victoria's Secret model then concealed her bared skin with a padded black coat, embossed with various geometric shapes

Kendall has walked for Balmain and attended numerous events since arriving in town for Paris Fashion Week.

Ensuring she enjoys her time in the capital among her busy schedule however, the brunette has been seen on a number of nights out with her model pals.

Last week, she was seen letting her hair down at a strip club in the heart of the city with fellow models Bella Hadid and Hailey Baldwin.

Finishing touches: She upped the glamour further with a studded Givenchy clutch, and added extra height to her statuesque frame with a pair of patent stiletto ankle boots

Despite her time away in Europe for the prestigious fashion events, it has been recently reported that Kendall's romance with rapper A$AP Rocky is hotting up.

The model is said to be 'spending more time' with the musician, and is allegedly 'open to seeing where it goes'.

A source told People magazine: 'Kendalls still not exclusive with anyone, but shes definitely been showing more interest in A$AP.'
She has remained tight-lipped over her new romance.

Yet Chloe Lewis proved actions speak louder than words on Saturday night as she hit London town with her boyfriend Danny Fisher, while appearing worse for wear as she draped herself over him before locking lips in very affectionate displays.

The 24-year-old TOWIE star looked sensational in a typically quirky look as slipped into a patterned crop top with ruffled trousers, while she climbed onto her boyfriend's back before tumbling into his arms on the street.

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Come here! Chloe Lewis proved actions speak louder than words on Saturday night as she hit London town with her boyfriend Danny Fisher, while appearing worse for wear as she draped herself over him before locking lips

Chloe caused tongues to wag when she shared a number of cryptic posts regarding her new relationship shortly after her ex-boyfriend Jake Hall made his romance with Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Misse Beqiri official.

She burst onto the TOWIE scene alongside Jake in 2015, where their on-off romance played out in dramatic storylines, after he was accused of cheating with Lauren Pope and Megan McKenna.

The brunette beauty has remained relatively quiet on the love front, yet recently hinted at a new love affair - although Valentine's saw her confirm a new romance with a then-mystery man - who has now been revealed as dashing hunk Danny.

She shared a selfie with Danny, with the caption: 'So bloody handsome... to this one making me feel so special everyday', although did not specify the identity of her new beau, until now.

Loved-up: The 24-year-old TOWIE star looked sensational in a typically quirky look as slipped into a patterned crop top with ruffled trousers, while she climbed onto her boyfriend's back before tumbling into his arms on the street

True love: The brunette beauty has remained relatively quiet on the love front, yet recently hinted at a new love affair - although Valentine's saw her confirm a new romance with a mystery man - who has now been revealed as dashing hunk Danny

On Sunday night's comeback episode of TOWIE, the stunner revealed she was 'getting serious' with her new man - with her night out proving how close they are.

Chloe could not resist cosying up to her hunky beau as she grabbed him for a kiss while they rubbed shoulders with the smoking area dwellers.

She later tumbled into his arms as they frolicked in the street before climbing onto his back and running around in giddy scenes.

Soon after Chloe and Jake joined TOWIE, he was quick to depart as he returned to focusing on his fashion brand, yet late last year he reappeared in the spotlight with his latest reality star girlfriend - mother-of-one Misse.

Draped over: Chloe could not resist cosying up to her hunky beau as she grabbed him for a kiss while they rubbed shoulders with the smoking area dwellers

Despite Chloe and Jake's once fractious romance, the couple appear to have truly healed and moved on, as Chloe revealed last month that she is dating a new man, while Jake and his girlfriend continue to flaunt their love.

Chloe's romance has flown further under the radar aside from recent cryptic hints regarding a 'special someone'.

Last month, she shared an image of a shirt adorned with the lettering: 'So happy with you', while adding the simple caption: 'D x' - alluding to her beau's initial.
She founded Skinnygirl Cocktails.

And it surely seems like drinking the product is paying off for Bethenny Frankel.

The 46-year-old entrepreneur is featured heavily in the The Real Housewives Of New York City season 9 trailer released on Monday morning as she could be seen skinny dipping in one of the scenes.

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Going wild: Bethenny Frankel is featured going skinny dipping in the Real Housewives Of New York City season 9 trailer released on Monday morning

Getting steamy: The 46-year-old entrepreneur could also be seen shaing a girl on girl kiss with castmate Sonja Morgan

Bethenny had quite the wide range in emotions throughout the two-minute clip as she could be seen sobbing over a friend's relationship to sharing a girl-on-girl kiss while on vacation.

As the cast took their annual trip to Mexico, the Skinnygirl founder certainly let loose as she was shown running and jumping into the pool while completely naked.

Bethenny was definitely in the party mood as she and castmate Sonja Morgan also shared a girl on girl kiss.

Wild and free: Bethenny shed her clothes while hopping in the pool during a girls trip to Mexico

Making a splash: She certainly seemed comfortable swimming around in the nude

Before the peck, the 53-year-old film producer could be heard saying: 'You're pretty f**ing hot!'

It would not be the Real Housewives without it's fair share of drama as one scene saw Bethenny crying uncontrollably while talking to Luann de Lesseps.

As the 51-year-old was getting read to marry Tom DAgostino Jr., Bethenny expressed concerns about his fidelity.

With tears in her eyes she said: 'In my heart I feel like you're making a big mistake, I think he's cheating on you.'

Aww: It would not be the Real Housewives without it's fair share of drama as one scene saw Bethenny crying uncontrollably

Honesty: She was pleading with gal pal Luann de Lesseps as there were questions raised about her fiance's fidelity

Looking out: With tears in her eyes she said: 'In my heart I feel like you're making a big mistake, I think he's cheating on you'

Earlier in the first look, Bethenny could be seen meeting the 50-year-old CEO of Smart Source for the first time as she said: 'Nice to meet you, sorry if I caused you any drama.'

Last season Bethenny showed Luann photos of Tom allegedly making out with another woman in a hotel.

The mother of six-year-old Bryn is at an interesting point in her life when coming to relationships as she was finalizing her divorce with husband of six years Jason Hoppy.

The video also gives a brief introduction to new castmember Tinsley Mortimer who is a houseguest of Sonja.

Cheeky: Earlier on in the clip she tells Sonja: 'You're like a curator of c***'

'Oh my God!': She could also be seen kicking around her feet excitedly as she looks at something on her mobile

Fresh: The video also gives a brief introduction to new castmember Tinsley Mortimer who is a houseguest of Sonja

'That is so obnoxious!': Original RHONY castmember Jill Zarin also makes a brief appearance as she is shown for the first time since the end of season 4

Original RHONY castmember Jill Zarin also makes a brief appearance as she is shown for the first time since the end of season 4.

Jill, who owns Zarin Fabrics with husband Bobby, could be seen stirring up the pot as she is shown saying: 'That is so obnoxious!'

The Real Housewives Of New York City premieres April 5 at 9pm on Bravo.

However those who can't wait can watch the best moments from the past two seasons with the special The Real Housewives Of New York City: How They Got Here which airs March 15 at 9pm on Bravo.
Jennifer Lopez welcomed season two of her cop drama Shades Of Blue with a bang.

On Sunday evening, the 47-year-old actress held a viewing party with some of her favorite people - Shades stars Drea de Matteo and Sarah Jeffery as well as bestie Leah Remini and Derek Hough, her co-star on the upcoming World Of Dance.

The next day it was revealed the drama got off to a nice start as it won its 10 pm time slot for the night, according to NBC.

Private party: Jennifer Lopez welcomed season two of her cop drama Shades Of Blue with a bango n Sunday evening as the actress held a viewing party with Shades stars Drea de Matteo and Sarah Jeffery (not pictured) as well as bestie Leah Remini and Derek Hough

Close: Here J-Lo is seen with Jeffery, who plays her daughter on the NBC show

The soiree was held in a posh screening room with overstuffed sofas and a large screen above a fireplace.

There were cupcakes and cookies everywhere with Shades Of Blue written on them by baker Baby Beas LA.

And there was an array of Mexican food. She said the stars 'were hungry.'

Lopez was seen sitting in the front of the room next to a mystery man who was texting. His face could not be seen.

Party gal: Lopez was seen sitting in the front of the room next to a mystery man who was texting

Sugar fix: There were cupcakes and cookies everywhere with Shades Of Blue written on them by baker Baby Beas LA

Tacos anyone? And there was an array of Mexican food. She said the stars 'were hungry'

Shades of Blue debuted last year to impressive numbers.

The series opened strong in January with a 1.8 same-day rating/6 share in adults 18-49 and 8.55 million viewers overall.

Lopez stars as Harlee Santos, a single mother and NYPD detective who runs with a crew of dirty cops willing to do anything to keep their precinct and each other safe.

After Harlee is caught taking a bribe by the FBI, she's asked to betray her cop family to save herself and her daughter.

The scene: The event was held inside a very pretty screening room with a fireplace and balloons as stars sat on big sofas

When she decides to play both sides, she finds herself at the center of a far-reaching corruption case and must toe a dangerous line between loyalty and self-preservation.

Ray Liotta also stars on the show.

This week she will appear on Watch What Happens Live, Trevor Noah and The Real to promote the show.

Last week, Lopez told The View playing Harlee was the most difficult acting job she has been handed.

In addition to her show, she will be kicking of World Of Dance this year. And she also has her Las Vegas All I Have show at Planet Hollywood and will star in the TV special Bye Bye Birdie.
Devastated Ed Sheeran was reduced to tears during a trip to Liberia when he met Peaches, a young girl who lost her father at the hands of Ebola.

The 26-year-old Thinking Out Loud hitmaker collaborated with Comic Relief to visit the stricken country for the forthcoming telethon, aired on March 24, where he was left an emotion wreck when the little girl revealed her plight.

After singing with Peaches, where she gave him a rendition of a track she sings in honour of her father, Ed admitted he could not believe how hard he was hit by her story and the effects the disease had on the country.

Ed joins a bevy of stars to visit third world countries in aid of Comic Relief, an annual telethon founded in 1985, in which he headed to Liberia to meet with those hit by the Ebola crisis, which swept the country in 2014 and 2015 killing nearly 5,000 sufferers.

While surrounded by Peaches and her peers, the hitmaker asked the little girl: 'When Ebola hit what was it like?' Clearly traumatised by the memory, she responded: 'My father was sick. He was very ill and started to vomit and go to the toilet a lot.'

She recalled the harrowing moment in which her family discovered their lives were to change forever at the hands of the cruel disease: 'They went to the Ebola treatment unit. Early the next day we were told he had died.'

Addressing the cost of schooling, Ed asked Peaches when she last went to school, as she explained: 'Since he passed away during the Ebola crisis I have not been to school. My mother doesn't have any money. I sing this song so I remember my dad.'

Sorrowful: Devastated Ed Sheeran was reduced to tears during a trip to Liberia when he met Peaches, a young girl who lost her father at the hands of Ebola

Hard hitting: The 26-year-old Thinking Out Loud hitmaker collaborated with Comic Relief to visit the stricken country for the forthcoming telethon, where he was left an emotion wreck when the little girl revealed her plight

After his meeting with the youngster, it seemed Ed was hit hard by what he had witnessed as he spoke to the camera about what he expected from the trip and what he was feeling since meeting the locals.

He said: 'The last thing I wanted this trip to be is the celebrity who comes over to Africa and cried on TV and says send youre money over.

'I wanted to be like everythings positive, everythings great but singing with that girl. Her dad taught her how to sing and she got really choked up.

'I watch Comic Relief every single year and this is always what celebrities do and I always think is it always that bad and I turn up and it really is... When we sang together they were in such high spirits despite everything theyd been through.

Listening in: Ed sat with the youngsters as they joined together in belting out hits

Tough: After his meeting with the youngster, it seemed Ed was hit hard by what he had witnessed as he spoke to the camera about what he expected from the trip and what he was feeling since meeting the locals

'It was an incredibly eye-opening experience and Im really proud to support Comic Relief and see what they are doing to help these children have a better future.'

The Ebola epidemic occurred in Liberia from 2014 to 2015, while also hitting neighbouring countries Guinea and Sierra Leone, with the first cases appearing in March 2014.

Throughout the epidemic there were 10,675 reported cases of the disease in results gathered in April last year while the death count as of April 2015 stood at 4,809.

Touched: 'It was an incredibly eye-opening experience and Im really proud to support Comic Relief and see what they are doing to help these children have a better future.'

Battled: Throughout the epidemic there were 10,675 reported cases of the disease in results gathered in April last year while the death count as of April 2015 stood at 4,809

Excitement for this year's Comic Relief is gaining fever pitch since the announcement that the Love Actually cast were reuniting 14 years after the original movie aired.

The Love Actually reboot has sent fans into a frenzy, with a host of stars confirming their return, including Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln, Lucia Moniz, Liam Neeson, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Olivia Olson, Bill Nighy, Marcus Brigstocke and Rowan Atkinson.

Several stars have been seen filming for the reboot of Love Actually so far - including Colin Firth, who looked in good spirits as he reprised his role of Jamie, who fell in love with his Portuguese housekeeper Aurelia.

Honest: Before the outbreak of the Ebola epidemic the country had 50 doctors for its population of 4.3 million. The country's health system was seriously weakened by a civil war that ended in 2003

Tough stuff: The Ebola epidemic occurred in Liberia from 2014 to 2015, while also hitting neighbouring countries Guinea and Sierra Leone, with the first cases appearing in March 2014

Hard hitting: Ed acts as an ambassador for EACH, the East Anglia's Children's Hospice, an organisation that counts the Duchess Of Cambridge as a patron

Belting it out: While his charitable efforts have hurtled him into prominence, his new album is not far behind as his new record  became one of the fastest-selling releases ever in the UK, shifting 432,000 copies in just three days after hitting shelves on Friday

The film follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London.

Director and screenwriter Richard Curtis revealed that he thoroughly enjoyed working on the script for the 10-minute sequel.

Ed's Comic Relief collaboration is yet another charitable endeavour by the world famous star who recently threw his support behind the #IAMWHOLE Mental Health Campaign, which aims to combat stigma and normalise mental health difficulties.

Ed acts as an ambassador for EACH, the East Anglia's Children's Hospice, an organisation that counts the Duchess Of Cambridge as a patron. He has also supported the Elton John AIDS Foundation, GRAMMY Foundation and Musicians on Call.

On air: Ed Sheeran speaks in an interview before his performance for SiriusXM's Secret Show Series at The Studio at Webster Hall

Going live: The performance is set to air on SiriusXM Hits 1 and The Pulse Channel

While his charitable efforts have hurtled him into prominence, his new album is not far behind as his new record  became one of the fastest-selling releases ever in the UK, shifting 432,000 copies in just three days after hitting shelves on Friday.

His third album is now sitting on the records for first-week sales alongside Adele's 2015 smash 25 and Be Here Now by Oasis in 1997 - both of which hit the top with an eye-popping 800,000 each.

He previously admitted he wants to challenge Adele's album sales, after explaining in an interview with GQ: 'Adele is the one person who's sold more records than me in the past 10 years. She's the only person I need to sell more records than.

'That's a big feat because her last album sold 20 million. But if I don't set her as the benchmark then I'm selling myself short.'

Red Nose Day Actually will air as a part of BBC One's Red Nose Day coverage on March 24 and on March 25 in the US on NBC
They are best pals in TOWIE and Megan McKenna and Amber Turner looked thrilled to enjoy a night on the tiles together.

The two reality TV stars were snapped at The Brick Yard in Essex on Monday with Megan even bringing along her mum Tanya.

Their meeting comes just a day after the latest episode of TOWIE was aired when Megan admitted she's only '20% happy' with boyfriend Pete Wicks and Amber confronted rumours that she had enjoyed a dalliance with Dan Edgar.

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Newbie: TOWIE newbie Amber Turner joined her best pal Megan McKenna at the Brick Yard on Monday night, after the new star was hit by rumours that she had cheated with Dan Edgar

Protective friend: Megan, who stuck up for her best pal in the latest TOWIE episode, looked chic in a white blazer with black piping and three quarter length trousers with a lace hem

Amber rocked up at the Essex hotspot in a beige minidress with a lace design on her bodice.

She went bare-legged and sported a pair of moss green open-toe suede booties.

The new kid on the TOWIE block, draped a denim jacket over her shoulders and carried a cream quilted leather handbag as she met up with best pal Megan McKenna.

Amber's make up was flawless with the 23-year-old sporting lots of mascara and a chic nude lipstick.

Her platinum blonde locks flowed over her shoulders and curled into ringlets.

Immaculate: Megan showcased her impeccable make up, wearing lashings of mascara and nude lipstick. She twisted her dark hair into a chic bun

Megan sported a chic look as she posed for pictures in a white blazer with a black trim which was secured at her waist with a matching sash.

The beauty sported the TOWIE perma tan and wore black three quarter length trousers with a lacy trim.

She added some polish to her look with a pair of studded t-bar high-heeled sandals and toted an oversized black leather handbag.

The beauty looked immaculate with her lashes loaded with mascara and a dramatic flick of liquid liner. She also sported a slick of peach-coloured lip gloss.

Mother and daughter: The TOWIE star brought along her mum Tanya for the catch up

Like mother, like daughter: Tanya looked chic in a burgundy overcoat with blow dried hair

Megan brought her mum, Tanya, with her for the catch up with best friend Amber.

It is clear where Megan gets her classy style from as her mother showed off her own chic dress sense in a maroon overcoat and matching clutch bag.

Tanya's make up was similarly impeccable and her blonde locks looked like they had been freshly blow dried for the outing.

New kid on the block: Amber has already created waves on TOWIE as Liam 'Gatsby' Blackwell spread rumours that the blonde had cheated on her four-year boyfriend Jamie Reed

Megan looked far more composed than she did in the first episode of TOWIE's 20th season where she was at the heart of the row about Amber's alleged cheating with Dan Edgar.

Megan stuck up for her best friend when Liam 'Gatsby' Blackwell accused Amber of enjoying a dalliance with Dan in Tenerife. Amber is in a four-year relationship with Jamie Reed.

Showing strong loyalty to her pal, Megan became furious with Liam, eventually uttering 'you're a fat c**t' at the wannabe-rapper.

Explosive row: Megan looked far more composed than her latest appearance in TOWIE where she shot obscenities at Liam in a fierce row about her best friend Amber

Clearly repentant, Megan discussed the evening's events with Amber, who revealed her side of the story, saying: 'What I said was a throw away comment, in my head I feel guilty if I think someone's good looking.

'Half of us went back to the hotel. I didn't even know it was Dan's room. I was there for five or 10 mins after the last person left but i finished my drink and left.'

An incensed Megan went on: 'What p**sed me off was he was revelling in your unhappiness. I called him a fat c**t, I didn't say it because I think he is fat.'

Bonding time: Over in Cheshire, Jess Wright and her mother Carol enjoyed a trip to a non-surgical Aesthetic clinic and were seen leaving with a host of goodies and treats
After months of laying low, this mixed martial arts fighter has found something to smile about.

On Monday, Ronda Rousey was spotted shooting for NBC's crime drama Blindspot in Brooklyn, New York looking ecstatic.

The 30-year-old UFC fighter donned her character's prison garb on set alongside the show's star Jaimie Alexander, Aubrey Esparza and Sullivan Stapleton.

Look at that smile! On Monday, Ronda Rousey was spotted shooting for NBC's crime drama Blindspot in Brooklyn, New York

Such a sweetie! Also on set on Monday was the show's star, Jaimie Alexander, who was all smiles as she offered a jovial wave to onlookers

Ronda - who took the role after taking a loss in her last two UFC fights - was seen in the distinctive uniform of U.S. detainees, a bright orange two-piece scrub and matching strappy sneakers.

She covered up from the freezing New York cold in an off-white puffer down jacket that hid her neck from the frost.

Rousey's honey-blonde tresses were not styled, left to dry natural to fit with the character - who likely would not have access to styling tools.

Looking the part: Ronda was seen in the distinctive uniform of U.S. detainees, a bright orange two-piece scrub and matching strappy sneakers

Fast friends! Posting a photo with Esparza in a car while on set, Ronda wrote: 'Had fun filming with @audreyesparza for @nbcblindspot today'

Ronda portrays a 'tough prison inmate who's serving time for transporting weapons across state lines,' according to TMZ.

The Blindspot episode with Ronda's guest role is set to air in early May, and she has hinted on her Instagram that she will appear in episode 20.

Posting a photo with Esparza in a car while on set, Ronda wrote: 'Had fun filming with @audreyesparza for @nbcblindspot today. Check out season 2 of #blindspot. I hear episode 20 is particular awesome.'

Rugged: Aubrey Esparza was also on set alongside Ronda

Also on set on Monday was the show's star, Jaimie Alexander, who was all smiles as she offered a jovial wave to onlookers.

The raven-haired beauty wore gray pants tucked into black combat boots , a dark shirt and a leather jacket, all hidden underneath a warm Canada Goose parka ($950).

Her dark tresses were styled into center-part waves that fell to chin-length, and a fake tattoo could be seen poking out beneath the parka.

Alexander plays the main character on the hit series called Alice 'Remi' Kruger or 'Jane Doe.' She is found naked and amnesiac in Times Square, and the FBI suspects she is a former Navy SEAL.

Cozy! The raven-haired beauty wore gray pants tucked into black combat boots , a dark shirt and a leather jacket, all hidden underneath a warm Canada Goose parka ($950)

Sullivan Stapleton, who plays FBI agent Kurt Weller on the show, was also in character on the cold Brooklyn morning.

After Ronda's first day of shooting, Stapleton complimented the UFC fighter's performance on set, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

'She fits right in,' he told TMZ, 'I want her to train me!'

Perhaps the second round of shooting and Sullivan's approval has scored Rousey a longer gig, which she may need, as it is rumoured she will quit the fighting world and pursue an acting career.

She has previously appeared in Entourage, The Expendables 3, and Furious 7.

He's a fan: After Ronda's first day of shooting, Stapleton complimented the UFC fighter's performance on set, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes

The show focuses on a mysterious tattooed woman who has lost her memory and does not know her own identity.

The FBI discovers that her tattoos contain clues to crimes they will have to solve.

NBC's Blindspot returns March 22 and airs Wednesdays.
She's playing a war photojournalist in the epic action adventure Kong: Skull Island.

And Brie Larson buckled up for the ride on Monday in NYC.

The 27-year-old actress put on a leggy display as she stepped out at the SiriusXM studios, in a vintage-look mini-dress which featured ten buckles along the front.

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Buckle up! Brie Larson stepped out on Monday in NYC

The Academy Award-winning Room star looked stylish as she channeled the 1960s in the lilac outfit.

She kept with the theme, adding platformed loafers.

The beauty kept it simple, wearing her tresses in an elegant up-do, with her bangs swept into a side part.

Sixties chic: The 27-year-old she stepped out at the SiriusXM studios, in a vintage-look mini-dress which featured ten buckles along the front

The 5ft 7in California-native had her pretty almond eyes emphasised with a soft brown hue.

A slick of pink lipgloss completed her beauty style.

Brie was joined by her Kong: Skull Island co-star Tom Hiddleston, as they walked the promotional trail for the reboot of the Kong franchise.

Retro: The actress put on a leggy display in the lilac A-line dress

The 36-year-old British actor - who recently dated Taylor Swift - looked exuberant as they were also joined by Samuel L Jackson.

Later, she added a pink overcoat, as she arrived at the AOL Build studios.

Tom recently told the Sunday People how the cast risked coming face to face with deadly critters in Queensland while filming the picture.

He said: 'Queensland has the highest concentration of dangerous animals in the world  knowing we were in these real jungles made it more atmospheric.

'We were taken around by a security officer who said, There are funnel-web spiders, brown snakes and there are plants, we called them a wait-a-while plants because if you come into contact with it with your bare skin, youll wait a while and need to be rushed to the emergency unit.'

Kong crew: Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston visit the SiriusXM Studios

Promotional trip: The 36-year-old British actor - who recently dated Taylor Swift - looked exuberant as they were also joined by Samuel L Jackson

Action: Brie's new action flick is centred around a team of explorers and soldiers who travel to an uncharted island in the pacific

Happy: Her body language was considerably more relaxed with Hiddleston and Jackson than her during recent presenting outing at the Oscars

Larson, who's engaged to musician Alex Greenwald, plays photojournalist Mason Weaver in the movie.

Her body language was considerably more relaxed with Hiddleston and Jackson than her during recent presenting outing at the Oscars.

She made headlines for not clapping after handing out the award to Casey Affleck following his Best Actor victory for his performance in Manchester By The Sea.

The apparent snub came amid controversy that's followed Affleck in connection with settlements he reached with a pair of women in 2010, linked to sexual harassment lawsuits tied to his alleged actions filming the Joaquin Phoenix mock documentary I'm Still Here.

Conversation: Brie sat between Samuel and Tom as they were interviewed

Chat: Brie looked to her co-star as he animatedly while he told a story on air

Star turn: Brie laughed with her co-stars as she flashed a lot of thigh in the mini-dress

While Affleck kept a lid on his remarks throughout the hustle and bustle of Hollywood's recent awards season, he condemned the behavior he was accused of in a post-Oscar chat with The Boston Globe.

He told the newspaper: 'I believe that any kind of mistreatment of anyone for any reason is unacceptable and abhorrent, and everyone deserves to be treated with respect in the workplace and anywhere else ... theres really nothing I can do about it.'

Brie's new action flick is centred around a team of explorers and soldiers who travel to an uncharted island in the pacific which happens to be the home of the mythic ape King Kong.

It also features an strong ensemble cast of Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly, John Goodman, Corey Hawkins and John Ortiz.

Kong: Skull Island opens in theaters March 10.

Bright splash: Brie later added a pink overcoat, as she arrived at the AOL Build studios
She has kept a relatively low profile since an alleged domestic violence incident with partner Jean-David Blanc.

But Melissa George was back on the social circuit on Monday, attending the Hermes show during Paris Fashion Week.

The former Home And Away star looked chic in an off-white silk pussy bow blouse teamed with ankle-length floral pencil skirt.

Back on the social scene: Melissa George attended the Hermes show during Paris Fashion Week on Monday

She teamed the ensemble with a pair of black leather Christian Louboutin pumps and a tan Hermes Kelly bag.

The savvy star carried an umbrella to protect herself from the rain outside and kept warm from the early Spring chill with a black wool coat.

The 40-year-old flaunted her flawless skin by wearing very minimal makeup and pulled her golden locks back into an up do.

Glowing: The 40-year-old flaunted her flawless skin by wearing very minimal makeup and pulled her golden locks back into an up do

Chic: Models were seen showing off Hermes Womenswear Fall/Winter 2017/2018 collection on the runway at the show

Melissa posed for photos at the event solo, no doubt meeting up with her fashionista friends inside the catwalk show.

In September, the actress was admitted to Cochin hospital after turning up to a local police station with bruises to her face and complaints of pain.

The Perth-born star was allegedly assaulted by her partner of four years - allegations Jean-David denies, according to a report in French newspaper Le Parisien.

The pair were seen separately outside a Parisian court back in October, where Jean-David Blanc appeared on charges of domestic assault against her. He denied the charges.

The couple first met in 2011 at a BAFTA after-party and welcomed their first son Raphael in February 2014 and their second son Solal the following year.

Jean David is a businessman, writer and film producer, famed for founding cinema service organization AlloCine.

When announcing Solal's birth on social media, Melissa publicly gushed over her longtime de facto.

'Thank you to my love, Jean David, for giving me the best gift in my life. I love you,' she wrote at the time.

Melissa was previously married to Chilean film director Caludio Dabed.

Melissa most recently starred as Dr. Alexandra Panttiere in the NBC medical drama, Heartbeat.

Unfortunately, the show flatlined and was canceled by the network back in May following poor ratings and a negative critical reception.

She rose to fame as Angel Parrish in Home And Away in the 90s, before landing recurring roles in Alias and Grey's Anatomy.

Drama: In September, the actress was admitted to Cochin hospital after turning up to a local police station with bruises to her face and complaints of pain
Things are about to change on Bravos Real Housewives Of New Jersey.

Original cast member Jacqueline Laurita and longtime star Kathy Wakile are both out, according to Page Six on Monday.

Insiders say that Jacqueline, who has been on the show since it bowed in 2009, is leaving after the network refused to pay as much per episode as she wanted.

She won't be back: Bravo has reportedly dropped Jacqueline Laurita from RHONJ after the star, who had been in the reality show since its bow in 2009, asked for a huge pay hike

'Shes really highly paid,' an insider told Page Six but there was no indication of what that amount was.

Kathy was a member of the main cast for three seasons before becoming a part-timer last season.

Sources say she was disappointed to learn that she's been dropped from season eight.

Shown the door: Kathy Wakile, who was a member of the main cast for three seasons before becoming a part-timer last season, is reportedly 'disappointed' to learn she's out

Teresa Giudice will be the only member of the RHONJ team to have appeared in all eight seasons of the hit show, which is quite an achievement considering she spent one of them in prison.

She and her husband Joe Giudice pleaded guilty in March 2014 to conspiracy and bankruptcy fraud charges for financing their high-flying lifestyle with $5 million in bogus mortgage and construction loans.

Teresa, who served 12 months of her 15-month term at the Federal Correctional Institute in Danbury, Connecticut, in 2015, is presently mourning the death of her mother Antonia Gorga, at age 66.

Hanging in there: That leaves Teresa Giudice, seen sparring with Jacqueline, as the only original member of the cast

Joe is serving his 41-month sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Meanwhile, it was recently reported that the series controversial star Danielle Staub, who appeared in the first two seasons, is to make a return.

Bravo declined to comment.
She's been mixing business with pleasure during Paris Fashion Week, seeing the shows and partying afterwards.

But Millie Macintosh, 27, was all about business on Monday as she was seen looking corporate with an edgy twist, heading to some meetings in the French capital.

The former Made In Chelsea star left her boyfriend Hugo Taylor, 30, to occupy himself as she strutted along the Parisian sidewalks in her eye-catching ensemble.

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Sweet like candy! Millie Mackintosh struts her way to a meeting in Paris in a bubblegum pink power suit with feathered cuffs

Looking like she meant business, the fahsionista marched along in a baby pink blazer, adorned with feathery candyfloss-coloured cuffs.

Her trousers were cropped in a three-quarter-length style and she sported a pale turtle-neck, with feature buttons on at the collar.

Millie strutted her slender pins as she sashayed down the pavement in her black pumps.

The style maven carried a small black bag handbag over her shoulder and clutched her must-have accessory - her phone - as she walked to her appointment.

Busy: Millie's been mixing business with pleasure during Paris Fashion Week, seeing the shows and partying afterwards

Work it! Her shin-grazing pants highlighted her slender pins as she sashayed down the path in her black pumps

Pretty in pink: Looking like she meant business, the fahsionista marched along in a baby pink blazer, adorned with feathery candyfloss-coloured cuffs

Millie worked her glossy caramel hued locks into a centre parting and allowed them to sway along behind her shoulders.

The fashion and beauty entrepreneur wore her trademark minimal make-up, letting her natural complexion do the talking, highlighting her cheeks with a dusting of rose blush.

Quick, march: Millie Macintosh, 27, was all about business on Monday as she was seen looking corporate with an edgy twist, heading to some meetings in the French capital

Fashion star: The former Made In Chelsea star left her boyfriend Hugo Taylor, 30, to occupy himself as she strutted along the Parisian sidewalks in her eye-catching ensemble

Millie's latest appearance comes after she and Hugo were turned away from LOVE magazine's star-studded London Fashion Week bash late last month.

The former Made In Chelsea stars arrived at Annabel's private members' club in the hope of partying alongside the likes of A-listers Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Jourdan Dunn.

But it's been confirmed to MailOnline that Millie and Hugo were turned away at the door of the LOVE and Burberry event because they did not have an invite to the exclusive soiree.

Corporate chic: The fashion and beauty entrepreneur offset her neatly blowdried tresses with minimal make-up, highlighting her flawless complexion with a dusting of rose blush across her cheeks

Necking it: She sported a pale turtle-neck, with feature buttons on at the collar

A spokesperson for LOVE magazine told MailOnline: 'Millie was not a guest at this event. She tried to get in and was turned away.'

While a source added: 'Millie and Hugo weren't invited. They were pictured outside Annabel's when they arrived to a flurry of flashbulbs, but they weren't let in.'

The star-studded event was a strictly A-list bash, with the likes of supermodel squad Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, Jourdan Dunn, Winnie Harlow and Lily Donaldson in attendance to toast the close of London Fashion Week.

And it's little surprise Millie was keen to gain access to the party as an aspiring fashion designer with a successful online brand.

Awkward! Millie's latest appearance comes after she and Hugo were turned away from LOVE magazine's star-studded London Fashion Week bash late last month
The Bachelorette's Georgia Love lost her mother Belinda to pancreatic cancer in October 2016.

And the reality star, 27, hasn't shied away from reflecting or expressing her feelings for her late mother to her 143k followers.

However, a touching Instagram post on Friday saw an online troll attack her for her public grieving and reflective process.

'You're one of life's greatest oxygen thieves': Lee Elliott has rushed to support Georgia Love after she was attacked by online troll over an Instagram post paying tribute to her late mother on Friday

Sharing touching lyrics from Ed Sheeran's new song Supermarket Flowers, Georgia wrote: 'Ed Sheeran's music always elicits emotions in me so I purposely haven't listened to his new album until today when I had enough time to sit down and take it in without interruption. But wow, I wasn't prepared for this one.'

She simple added the lyrics she most related to from new Divide album track: 'I'm in pieces, it's tearing me up, but I know a heart that's broken is a heart that's been loved, So I'll sing Hallelujah, You were an angel in the shape of my mum.'

While it was seen as a sweet tribute by many of her fans, one troll with the user name @ilovetrolldolls wrote: 'Yeah, yeah, we get it, your Mum died...'

Shock: While it was seen as a sweet tribute by many of her fans, one troll with the user name @ilovetrolldolls wrote: 'Yeah, yeah, we get it, your Mum died...'

Is that a threat? Lee tagged the troll in his message as he wrote 'I'd be intrigued to see if you're nearly as brave as you think you are'

The insensitive message was not received well by Georgia's loyal followers and beau Lee Elliott led the charge in hitting back at the faceless commenter.

The mechanical plumber turned the troll's words against them: 'Yeah, yeah, we get it, you're one of life's greatest oxygen thieves.'

He continued: 'I'd be intrigued to see if you're nearly as brave as you think you are if you were to come out from behind that keyboard you're cowering behind!?'

Supporters: The insensitive message was not received well by Georgia's loyal followers with fans joining forces with Lee to call out the troll on their 'heartless and rude' behaviour and 'totally insensitive comment'

Other fans joined forces with Lee and supported Georgia, who has yet to respond to the comment directly.

'Why so heartless and rude', 'What kind of person says something like that?', 'What a totally insensitive comment you have just posted!!!!!!!!' and 'Hope this sweet girl has blocked you already' were just some of the comments left by fans towards the troll.

When Georgia's mother Belinda died she took to Instagram to thank her fans for their overwhelming support in the wake of her family's heartbreak.

'I am so overwhelmed by the huge outpouring of love, support and condolences from all over the world since announcing the devastating news of my beautiful mum's passing,' she wrote.

Sad news: Describing the loss of her 60-year-old mother as 'gut wrenching', Belinda was too unwell to travel to the show's finale in Singapore, and instead sent her best wishes ahead of the final rose ceremony via a video (Pictured: Belinda sending a video message to Georgia on The Bachelorette)

Describing the loss of her 60-year-old mother as 'gut wrenching', Georgia said she hoped to raise awareness of the disease by supporting charities that raise funds and awareness for the illness.

'One thing my mum taught me was to believe in paying it forward and that from every negative can come even the slightest positive,' she wrote.

The TV journalist, who often spoke fondly of her mother on The Bachelorette, described Belinda as: 'My first friend and my best friend, my rock, the one who knew me better than anyone in the world.'

'I have no idea how to even begin to say goodbye': In October when her mother Belinda died of pancreatic cancer, she told her social media followers the former nurse has supported and backed 'every single thing' she did

'There is so much more I need and want to share with you,' she wrote. 'I have no idea how to even begin to say goodbye.'

Speaking to TV Week, Georgia spoke about the moment she introduced her Bachelorette winner boyfriend Lee to her mother.

'It was amazing to see how much he perked her up,' she said, adding: 'She was sitting up talking and laughing with him, which she hadn't been able to do all day.

'It was obviously an awful place and reason to be meeting.'

Tragic: Georgia, who often spoke fondly of her mother on the show, described her as: 'my first friend and my best friend, my rock, the one who knew me better than anyone in the world'

'It was amazing to see how much he perked her up': Speaking to TV Week, Georgia revealed the moment she introduced her Bachelorette winner boyfriend Lee to her mother

Georgia fell for hunk Lee after they met on Network Ten's The Bachelorette last year.

The finale saw Georgia fly to Singapore with her top two contestants - Lee and runner-up Matty Johnson - as well as Georgia's father and sister.

Belinda was too unwell to travel, and instead sent her best wishes ahead of the final rose ceremony via a video.
She's won an army of followers on social media thanks to her flesh-baring snaps.

But Real Housewives of Miami star Joanna Krupa revealed her caring side when she stepped out at a Mission Dog charity event in Warsaw, Poland, on Monday.

The Polish American model looked picture perfect in a racy white strapless dress with mesh panels to show off her lithe figure.

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Animal lover: Real Housewives of Miami star Joanna Krupa looked trim in a white strapless dress as she stepped out at a Mission Dog charity event in Warsaw on Monday

The 37-year-old looked trim in the dress which accentuated her tan.

She paired it with a casual cropped pale blue denim jacket and a pair of on-trend metallic blue high heels.

She wore her honey-coloured locks in a straight style and loaded up the mascara on her eye lashes.

Sun-kissed: The white dress, with mesh panels, accentuated Joanna's bronzed skin

Baby blue: The star rocked a cropped denim jacket and metallic blue stilettos

Furry friend: The Polish American model looked thrilled to meet a pooch at the event

Joanna is an animal rights activist and has modelled for PETA wearing just body paint as she urged people to boycott SeaWorld.

She was enjoying her time in Warsaw and was perhaps distracted from the $2 million law suit she has filed against Brandi Glanville.

The model is seeking punitive damages over Brandi's comments about her 'smelly' lady parts, as well as an alleged affair with Yolanda Foster's ex-husband, Mohamed Hadid.

Strike a pose: Joanna was animated at the event at one point sticking her arms out

Thigh's the limit! The mesh panels offered a glimpse of Joanna's toned legs

The legal battle first kicked off in January 2015 after comments Brandi made in a November 2013 interview on Andy Cohen's Bravo show, Watch What Happens Live.

Brandi told viewers that Joanna had an adulterous relationship with Yolanda Foster's then-husband, Mohamed Hadid, and also claimed her vagina smelled.

Joanna was clearly keen to forget the litigation as she enjoyed herself in Warsaw.

The model, 37, used the streets as her own personal catwalk as she showed off her effortlessly chic look earlier in the day, pairing retro flare trousers with a scarlet jacket.

Groovy baby! Joanna kept things classic in a stylish military-inspired ensemble as she enjoyed a spot of breakfast in her native Warsaw earlier that day

The Real Housewives of Miami star paraded her model credentials in form-fitting flare pants while putting on an energetic display.

Joanna teased a glimpse of her taut tummy in an eye-catching red jacket, featuring ruffled hemlines and gold motifs.

Adding inches to her frame, the blonde teetered on sky-high black boots, while shielding her eyes with round-rimmed shades.

Dare to flare! The model used the streets as her own personal catwalk as she showed off her effortlessly chic look, pairing retro flare trousers with a scarlet jacket

Statuesque stunner: The reality star teased a glimpse of her taut tummy in an eye-catching red jacket, featuring ruffled hemlines and gold motifs

The reality star completed her chic look by styling her long golden locks in a loosely tousled manner.

Joanna headed into a local shop to witness her first perfume in full display, which she gushed was in 'over 1000 stores in Poland'.

The beauty treated her one million Instagram followers to a sweet snap, captioned: 'Years in the making !!! My perfume line is finally available in @rossmannpl! (sic)'.

'Years in the making': Joanna later headed into a local shop to witness her first perfume in full display, which she gushed was in 'over 1000 stores in Poland'
Heather Locklear was looking happy and healthy as she sunned herself in Hawaii on Friday.

Dressed in a blue bikini, the 55-year-old soaked up the tropical sunshine as she sat on a lounger on a white sandy beach at the Four Seasons resort on Hawaii island.

She chatted with daughter Ava as they enjoyed their lazy morning, before taking a stroll along the sand, Instagramming pictures of one another.

The vacation comes weeks after the former Melrose Place star was rumored to have entered rehab for a fifth time after experiencing a meltdown.

And relax: Heather Locklear looks happy and healthy as she suns herself in Hawaii on Friday

Mother-daughter trip: Dressed in a blue bikini, the 55-year-old soaked up the tropical atmosphere as she strolled alongside her daughter Ava

While Heather didn't directly confirm reports she was seeking treatment at the Cliffside Malibu rehab center, she did release a statement admitting she was working to resolve her personal issues.

She said in a statement in January: 'I am feeling great and am taking steps to enrich and better my life. Currently I am working on tying up some loose ends regarding certain issues so I can hit 2017 full steam ahead.'

Heather has a long history or drug and alcohol addiction.

Soaking up the sun: Heather was pictured sitting alongside Ava on sun loungers

Me time: The vacation comes weeks after the former Melrose Place star was rumored to have entered rehab for a fifth time after experiencing a meltdown

In June 2008, the onetime Dynasty star was treated for anxiety and depression in an Arizona clinic, three months after her doctor called emergency services because she was suicidal. In September of that year, Heather was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of prescription drugs.

In April 2010, she was arrested again, and cited for misdemeanor hit-and-run, and later that year she checked into a 30-day rehab program.

Still working: The actress can be seen in TLC's new scripted series, Too Close to Home

'Hawaiian goodnight': Heather posted a picture of herself enjoying the sunset

Heather was hospitalized in January 2012 after a 911 call was made from her home amid reports she had mixed alcohol and prescription medication.

The actress can currently be seen in the second season of TLC's first ever scripted series, Too Close to Home.

She gave birth to actress daughter Ava, 19, during her 13-year marriage to now ex-husband Richie Sambora.

Heather was previously wed to rocker Tommy Lee for seven years.

'Back and sunburnt as ever!' Ava shared a snap as she sat in the clear ocean water after a swim
In the 1987 comedy Overboard, Goldie Hawn played a spoiled, selfish heiress opposite her real life partner Kurt Russell.

And Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez have been revealed as the stars in a remake - with a twist.

The amnesia-based romp will see a role reversal, reports E! News on Monday with 55-year-old actor Derbez filling the role originally played by Hawn.

Going overboard! Anna Faris (pictured Dec 2016) and Eugenio Derbez (pictured Jan 2017) have been revealed as the stars in a remake of the 80s comedy - with a twist

Japes: In the 1987 comedy Overboard, Goldie Hawn played a spoiled, selfish heiress opposite her real life partner Kurt Russell

The re-imagined Garry Marshall movie will see the Mexican star as a spoiled playboy - who falls from a yacht.

Anna, 40, plays a single mother who convinces him that they are married.

In a statement to E! News on Monday, MGM Motion Picture Group President Jonathan Glickman said: 'The original Overboard was beloved and the only way to bring it back is to reinvent the story in a whole new way.

'Anna and Eugenio are two of the most charismatic forces in comedy whose take on the material will modernize the story for a whole new generation of moviegoers.'

E! news also reports that Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg co-wrote and are co-directing the comedy.

Cute: The real-life couple starred together in the 80s movie

Rescue attempt: Goldie, as seen in the movie!

Production is schedule to begin in May in Vancouver; a release date has not been set.

It's the first big screen lead for Faris, who is married to Chris Pratt.

She currently stars in CBS comedy Mom.

Derbez is a massive star in the Latin America market, and was recognized by Variety in 2014 as the most influential Hispanic male in the world.

Goldie Hawn said, of a remake, that she is surprised there aren't fresh ideas being made for the big-screen.

She told Stylist in 2012: 'There are so many remakes today I often wonder why they're not thinking of new ideas. One thing I would say is that the film is relatively iconic; they still show it on TV.

'I mean, I can't believe how often they show that movie! So, I guess when they remake it they should have a different slant and different people. That's the challenge. Good luck to them.'




She was once famous for her chart-topping hits, but these days Iggy Azalea is better known for flaunting her flesh.

And on Tuesday, the bubblegum rapper was back at it again as she took to social media to show off her artifically-enhanced chest in an X-rated bodysuit.

The one-piece, from designer Supreme, was cut in a way to reveal a generous glimpse of the 26-year-old's underboob.

Plastic fantastic: Iggy Azalea flaunted some serious underboob in a Supreme bodysuit on social media this week

The Mullumbimby-born bombshell added another raunchy twist to the ensemble by pairing it with thigh-high snakeskin boots.

Iggy also shared two other images, which were more fashionable than the saucy Supreme bodysuit snaps.

It's unclear what the photos were for, with the plastic fantastic starlet simply captioning them all: '#MoBounce.'

Wardrobe malfunction? The one-piece, from designer Supreme, was cut in a way to reveal a generous glimpse of the 26-year-old's underboob

Style: Iggy also shared two other images, which were more fashionable than the saucy Supreme bodysuit

The provocative Twitter pictorial comes just days after the one-time hitmaker announced her music comeback.

'I know its been a long wait for my album - SORRY!' she explained on social media, referring to her serially-delayed sophomore album, Digital Distortion.

She continued: 'I hope my fans understand my life has been filled with so many personal changes.

Mystery: It's unclear what the photos were for, with the plastic fantastic starlet simply captioning them all '#MoBounce'

'I felt it was important I made some creative changes too - I needed my album to reflect where my head's at in 2017.'

The Australian stunner added: 'I really appreciate the patience & I'm so excited for all the new music, new visuals, album pre-order dates etc. I'll be releasing throughout the month of March.'

Fans were treated to the first taste of Iggy's new music last week when she released a free mixtape track, titled Can't Lose, on the internet.
Chance The Rapper has announced that he is donating $1 million to Chicago Public Schools.

The 23-year-old rapper - real name Chancellor Johnathan Bennett - made the declaration during a press conference on Monday at Wescott Elementary School in Chicago.

At the event he said: 'Our kids should not be held hostage because of political positions.'

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Taking a stand: Chance The Rapper announced that he is donating $1 million to Chicago Public Schools on Monday

Happy: The 23-year-old rapper - real name - presented kids with a large check at the event held in Wescott Elementary School in Chicago

This comes just days after a meeting with Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner where he said he was left 'flustered' after the politician gave him 'vague' answers leading the rapper to describe it as 'unsuccessful.'

At Monday's event Chance took direct aim at the Republican representative as he said: 'Governor Rauner can use his executive power to help get Chicago's children the resources they need to fulfill their God-given right to learn.

'Governor Rauner still won't commit to give Chicago's kids a chance without caveats or ultimatums.'

No Problem: At the event he said: 'Our kids should not be held hostage because of political positions'

The Republican first-term governor had vetoed $215 million in school pension help in December.

The independent artist labeled his contribution a 'call to action' and also asked for matching contributions from the Windy City's business community.

He said: 'Im challenging major companies across the U.S. to donate and take action.

'CPS (Chicago Public Schools) students have spoke, recently at one of our open mics, and would like corporations to invest in them the way weve invested in their businesses. As a private citizen, a parent, and a product of CPS, Im asking you to fight with me.'

Wide reach: He broadcasted the press conference around the world via Periscope

Philanthropic: The rapper said: 'I'm challenging major companies across the U.S. to donate and take action'

Grand gesture: On top of the $1 million donation, the No Problem hitmaker's non-profit organization, Social Works, will donate $10,000 to the school of its choice for every $100,00 raised in outside funds

On top of the $1 million donation, the No Problem hitmaker's non-profit organization, Social Works, will donate $10,000 to the school of its choice for every $100,00 raised in outside funds.

Chance is no stranger to politics as his father Ken Williams-Bennett was an aide to former Chicago mayor Harold Washington and also worked for then-Senator Barack Obama. He is currently a deputy chief to Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

His mother, Lisa Bennett, previously worked for Illinois' attorney general.

This all began after the proud Chicagoan took home three gongs a the Grammy Awards last month as Governor Rauner tweeted him congratulations leading to Chance asking for a meeting.

Not pleased: On Friday Chance met with Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner on Friday to press for immediate funding for cash-strapped Chicago Public Schools

Interesting: The Republican first-term governor (pictured after Friday's meeting) said he'd had a 'good exchange of views' with Chance - but the rapper said he was 'flustered' by 'vague answers'

However the Same Drugs hitmaker did not look pleased after leaving Chicago's Thompson Center on Friday after almost 40 minutes.

'That went a little different than it should have,' he told reporters. 'I'm here because I just want people to do their jobs.'

Rauner had a different take, calling it a 'good exchange of views.'

'Having a dialogue with someone who's passionate about a better future for the young people in Chicago and Illino$215 million in school pension helpis, I'm with him 100 percent,' Rauner said. 'We may not agree on everything, that's OK.'

Chance has also updated his website to add a link where fans can contribute to Chicago Public Schools.

Foreshadowing: On Friday Chance indicated later on Twitter that he'd keep defending Chicago's public schools and pledged to return on Monday morning with a plan

'The fight has just begun': He also made this declaration after the meeting
Josh Gad has branded Beauty and the Beast as a film about 'unity'.

The 36-year-old actor stars as LeFou in the live-action remake of the 1991 Disney animated classic, and has praised the movie for touching on the importance of 'inclusiveness' after it was revealed his character  who is the bumbling sidekick of antagonist Gaston, played by Luke Evans  would be the first openly gay character in Disney history.

Speaking to People magazine, Josh said: 'What I would say is that this film is one of inclusiveness. It's one that has something to offer everyone.

'This film is one of inclusiveness': Josh Gad praised Beauty And The Beast for embracing 'unity' as he prepares to play Disney's first gay character

'There is so much fear out there of that which we don't understand that which we don't know.

'And you have a character in Gaston who uses his charm offensive to whip other people into a frenzy to go and attack somebody they've never met. Somebody that's different. Somebody that only represents a danger because [Gaston] says that he represents a danger.

'I think that that theme is as relevant today as it was when Beauty and the Beast was first written 300 years ago. So that's what I hope people take from it.'

And Josh  who also stars alongside Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in the movie  hopes people will learn to be 'understanding' after watching the recently released feature.

Work it! The 36-year-old actor stars as LeFou in the live-action remake of the 1991 Disney animated classic

No-one's slick as him: he is the bumbling sidekick of antagonist Gaston, played by Luke Evans

He added: 'It's about unity, it's about never judging a book by its cover. But digging a little deeper and understanding to not be fearful of things you don't know or people who look a little different to you.

'Fear is not a good thing to fuel, and Gaston is responsible for that. But he fails  he fails miserably, and everybody finds love. Everyone!'

Meanwhile, Josh previously admitted that his character is able to be 'more human' and 'wonderfully complex' now that the plot has expanded to give LeFou more detail.

He said: '[Director] Bill Condon did an amazing job of giving us an opportunity to create a version of LeFou that isn't like the original, that expands on what the original did, but that makes him more human and makes him a wonderfully complex character to some extent. 'It's an incredible moment and it's subtle, but I think it's effective.'
The Bharatiya Janata Party's plans to modernise the ancient city of Varanasi are not universally popular

Varanasi boat owner Prabhu Sahani backed Narendra Modi as his MP in the 2014 general election. But the Indian prime minister will not be getting his vote when the ancient city on the Ganges goes to the polls again on Wednesday.

"He doesn't understand Varanasi," complained Sahani, 34, whose boats ferry tourists and pilgrims along the holy river.

"We run the oldest transportation in the city, going back generations, and he didn't consult us about his plans (to clean up the Ganges and modernise the city)."

Modi's decision to stand in the sacred Hindu city in Uttar Pradesh rather than his home state of Gujarat in 2014 paid off with an overwhelming victory that he celebrated with a prayer on the banks of the Ganges.

Now his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to consolidate its grip on power by seizing control of India's most populous state, which stretches from the high-rise outer edge of the national capital in the west to the city on the Ganges where Hindus go for salvation in the east.

It faces stiff competition from the locally ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in a state where caste, family and religious affiliations run deep.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to win control of Uttar Pradesh

Leader and current chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, has rejuvenated the SP's image since he toppled his ageing father this year, forging an alliance with the national opposition Congress Party, and campaigning alongside its equally youthful deputy leader Rahul Gandhi.

Wednesday's vote will be the final stage of a bitter weeks-long battle for the state that analysts say is too close to call.

It is a key test of Modi nearly three years after he came to office pledging inclusive government and a "shining India" that would provide jobs for a growing youth population.

- 'Smart heritage city' -

As voting day approached in Varanasi, one of the world's oldest cities, the once putrid banks of the Ganges were certainly shining brighter.

Locals said cleaners now came four times a day to sweep the ghats, where bodies are brought to be cremated according to centuries-old Hindu tradition.

Uttar Pradesh is a traditional stronghold for the Samajwadi Party, currently in an alliance with the national opposition Congress Party

Modern changing cabins have sprung up along the river, although most stood empty as ritual bathers stripped off next to them in the open, just as they have always done.

"You used to see dead bodies of animals and sometimes even people floating in the river. Now that has decreased," said boatman Suresh Sahani, who planned to vote BJP, as he touted for customers in the hot sun.

Away from the river, however, there were few signs of the "smart heritage city" that Modi promised.

Work has begun on underground cables to replace the tangle of electricity wires that hang precariously over the city's narrow streets.

But for now that only worsens the congestion, forcing honking cars, rickshaws and bicycles into an angry single lane of traffic that is often brought to a standstill by a stray cow.

Varanasi's BJP Mayor Ram Gopal Mohley blamed the state government for the pace of progress, saying hundreds of millions of dollars had been provided from federal coffers to develop the city's infrastructure.

"They have been creating all the hurdles, but not for long. We will form the government on March 11 and things will change," he told AFP.

"Whatever Modiji (ji is an Indian honorific) is doing for his constituency is good."

- Cash ban hits weavers -

With all to play for, party leaders flocked to Varanasi over the weekend to rally support.

Modi touted his party's investment in the city and said the weavers of its famous silk had been given "modern facilities".

But there was little sign of that in the impoverished Muslim neighbourhood where much of the silk is made.

"Water supply is a problem, power supply is a problem, and we have floods every monsoon," 75-year-old Abdul Azib told AFP as the clack-clack of automated silk looms resounded through the narrow alleys.

"All the candidates come to this area, they say a lot, but nothing happens," said Azib, who scrapes a meagre living making saris.

Master weaver Ramzan Ali Ansari said his sales had fallen by 50 percent since the government withdrew most bank notes from circulation last November in a shock move aimed at combatting widespread tax evasion.

"Retailers stopped buying saris overnight," he said.

No one in the community -- a bedrock of support for the secular Congress Party -- said they would back the BJP, which has fielded no Muslim candidates in UP. Nearly 20 percent of the state's population is Muslim.

"At least they (Congress) are not against Muslims," said Ansari.

Back in the teeming heart of the city, traffic officer S. Ahmed battled to channel the chaotic flow at a busy junction.

Asked about the prospect of Varanasi becoming a smart city, he smiled wryly.

"The outskirts are developing, proper roads are being built. But you can't demolish the alleys of the old city," he said.

"It will take a lot of time."
An Israeli soldier stands guard in a monitoring cabin near the West Bank city of Ramallah

A Palestinian was killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Israeli army said on Monday.

The man, whom Israeli police named as 31-year-old Bassel al-Aaraj, opened fire at soldiers who came to arrest him at his home Sunday night and was shot dead.

Two other Palestinians were wounded by gunfire in subsequent clashes with Israeli troops, Palestinian hospital sources said.

Two weapons were later found on the property, according to an army spokeswoman.

A police spokeswoman said al-Aaraj was "the head of a cell planning attacks against Israeli targets".

Since a wave of violence broke out in October 2015, 254 Palestinians, 40 Israelis, two Americans, one Jordanian, one Eritrean and one Sudanese have been killed, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians who lost their lives were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities, with others killed during protests, in clashes or during air raids on Gaza.

The Israeli army routinely carries out forays and arrests in Ramallah even though it is in principle entirely under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
Expelled North Korean ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol speaks to journalists outside the departure hall of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang on March 6, 2017

North Korea's expelled ambassador fired a final verbal salvo at Malaysia Monday over its investigation into the assassination of the half-brother of Pyongyang's leader, describing the probe as biased.

Speaking at Kuala Lumpur International Airport before his flight left, ambassador Kang Chol lashed what he called a "pretargeted investigation by the Malaysian police".

The murder of Kim Jong-Nam with VX nerve agent at the same airport last month sparked an acrimonious dispute between the two countries.

North Korea retaliated late Monday by ordering Malaysia's ambassador to Pyongyang to leave within 48 hours, the North's official media reported.

The diplomatic car transporting North Korean ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol is seen driving up to the departure hall of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang on March 6, 2017

The diplomat had already been withdrawn by Kuala Lumpur for consultations.

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's foreign ministry confirmed its ambassador to Pyongyang had been officially declared persona non grata.

"This reciprocal action is normal in diplomacy," said ministry director-general Raja Nurshirwan.

North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man's identity but has repeatedly criticised the murder investigation and autopsy, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.

"They have conducted the autopsy without the consent and attendance of the DPRK (North Korea) embassy and later arrested a DPRK citizen without any clear evidence showing his involvement in the incident," ambassador Kang said.

Kang Chol, North Korea's ambassador to Malaysia, has been declared persona non grata and expelled from the country

South Korea has blamed the North for the murder.

It cites what it says was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother, who may have been seen as a potential rival.

In a sign of the security tensions, police armed with assault rifles cordoned off the entrance to North Korea's embassy in Kuala Lumpur before the envoy left.

Kang departed in a black chauffeured Jaguar -- the North Korean flag which denotes an ambassador was removed from its bonnet.

He checked in a Philips TV, three suitcases and four boxes vacuum-wrapped and marked with the words "DPRK Pyongyang".

Senior government officials told AFP he left at 6.25 pm (1025 GMT) on flight MH360 for Beijing, shortly after the deadline for his expulsion at 6 pm.

This photo taken on March 7, 2017 of North Korean ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol leaving from the Beijing Airport, following his expulsion from Malaysia in a deepening diplomatic dispute over the assassination of the half brother of Kim Jong-Un

He landed in the Chinese capital in the early hours of Tuesday morning, leaving the airport via a VIP exit surrounded by security, AFP journalists at the scene said.

He was then whisked away in a North Korean diplomatic car to Pyongyang's vast embassy complex in central Beijing, where he was expected to spend the night before flying on to North Korea.

- 'Hostile forces -

Malaysia had declared Kang persona non grata on Saturday and gave him 48 hours to leave the country after he failed to apologise for his criticism of the investigation.

Malaysia and North Korea are enbroiled in an acrimonious dispute over the murder of Kim Jong-Nam (L), the estranged half-brother of Pyongyang's leader (R), at Kuala Lumpur International Airport last month

The diplomatic dispute erupted last month when police rejected North Korean diplomats' demands to hand over Kim's body.

Kang then claimed the investigation was politically motivated and said Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with "hostile forces" -- a reference to the North's arch-rival, Seoul.

Malaysia summoned Kang for a dressing-down, with Najib saying the ambassador's statement was "diplomatically rude".

Malaysia has also cancelled a rare visa-free travel deal with North Korea. It ordered the ambassador expelled after he failed to present himself at the foreign ministry when summoned on Saturday.

The foreign ministry has said the expulsion is "part of the process by the Malaysian government to review its relations" with North Korea.

Members of the media pictured outside the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur on March 5, 2017

The row also extended to sport, with Malaysian football authorities banning the national team from playing an Asian Cup qualifying match in Pyongyang -- citing security threats in the wake of the expulsion.

Police are seeking seven North Korean suspects in their probe, four of whom left Malaysia on the day of the murder. But on Friday they released the only North Korean they had arrested for lack of evidence.

Two women -- one Vietnamese and one Indonesian -- have been charged with the murder. Airport CCTV footage shows them approaching the heavyset 45-year-old and apparently smearing his face with a cloth.

Police say he suffered a seizure and died less than 20 minutes later. Swabs of the dead man's face revealed traces of the VX nerve agent.

S Selvam, Huong's lawyer, suggested Monday that Malaysia does not have the expertise to identify the VX nerve agent.

He added that he would write to Malaysia's police chief asking for another autopsy.

"How is (it) that my client is accused of using VX nerve agent in her hand and applying it to the face of the deceased and not suffering any illness herself?" he told AFP.
Annual South Korean and US joint military exercises always infuriate Pyongyang

North Korea launched four missiles on Monday, three of them landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone -- waters extending 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) from its coast -- drawing strong protests from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Here are five questions on the North's missile and nuclear weapons programme, which it insists are for defensive purposes.

-- Why launch a salvo of missiles now?

Analysts say the latest missile launch is likely an act of protest against annual joint military drills by Seoul and Washington, and a renewed challenge to the US news administration.

The two allies kicked off the Foal Eagle exercises last week that always infuriate Pyongyang -- last year it fired seven ballistic missiles during them.

The North may also be trying to send a message to US President Donald Trump -- who has described Pyongyang as a "big, big problem" -- ahead of a planned trip to the region by his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the end of the month.

-- What went up and is this progress?

Unlike most recent launches, Monday's took off from a location close to the Sohae long-range rocket facility in Tongchang county, but analysts say they are unlikely to be tests of a new device.

The missiles travelled 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) and reached an altitude of 260 kilometres before landing in the Sea of Japan/East Sea.

The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff did not identify the missile type but said they were unlikely to be intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) capable of reaching the US mainland -- a key goal of the North's missile programme.

As the North fired four missiles, analysts note the devices could be short-range Scud missiles with a range of 500 to 700 kilometres, or mid-range Rodong missiles with a range of 1,300 to 1,500 kilometres.

Pyongyang carried out two atomic tests last year and a series of missile launches, but Monday was only the second time its devices had entered Japan's EEZ.

-- What can the US do about it?

Trump has described the North as a "big, big problem" and vowed a strong response after its missile launch in February. But his administration is beset with domestic political controversies.

Six sets of US-led UN resolutions have been imposed on the North since its first nuclear test in 2006, and have failed to prevent the regime from making progress in its weapons programme.

China is the North's key diplomatic ally and main business partner, but has become increasingly frustrated with its nuclear ambitions. It announced a suspension of coal imports last month.

But Beijing has been infuriated by Seoul and Washington's plan to deploy a US missile defence system in the South this year to shield against North Korean threats.

-- How close is North Korea to developing a working ICBM?

In his New Year address, leader Kim Jong-Un said that Pyongyang was in the "final stages" of developing an ICBM.

Analysts are divided over how close Pyongyang is to realising its full nuclear ambitions, especially as it has never successfully test-fired an ICBM.

But all agree it has made enormous strides in that direction since Kim took over as leader from his father Kim Jong-Il, who died in December 2011.

Questions remain over its ability to master the re-entry technology needed to deliver a warhead to a target as far away as the United States, and whether it has managed to miniaturise a nuclear device to the extent that it would fit on the tip of a missile.

-- What does North Korea want to happen?

North Korea considers itself a victim of US imperialism and hopes that its nuclear tests and rocket launches will help bring Washington to the negotiating table, where Pyongyang would seek to extract concessions.

Under Barack Obama, the United States ruled out engaging the North until it made a tangible commitment to de-nuclearisation, hoping that internal stresses in the isolated country would bring about change.

Critics said the policy of "strategic patience" gave Pyongyang room to push ahead with its nuclear weapons programme.

Aside from a few brief Tweets, Trump has yet to articulate his policy towards the North.
Pakistani paramilitary soldiers stop a vehicle at a security check point in Peshawar on February 17, 2017

Five Pakistani soldiers and 10 militants were killed in a coordinated overnight raid at several border posts on the frontier with Afghanistan, the military said Monday.

The fighting took place in Mohmand, one of Pakistan's so-called tribal districts that form a buffer zone between the two countries, where the military has been battling Islamist militants for over a decade.

Pakistan's military issued a brief statement providing casualty figures, without mentioning which militant group was involved.

"Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed (the) terrorists' attempt," it said.

Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa "hailed the sacrifices" of the Pakistan soldiers and called for greater numbers to man the border, according to the statement.

The toll could not be immediately verified since the area is remote and journalists are denied access.

The raid came at a time of heightened tension between the two countries, with Islamabad blaming Kabul for a recent spate of militant assaults that killed 130 people in February, after a relatively long lull in violence.

Afghanistan for its part accuses Pakistan of fanning the flames of an insurgency that has gripped its country since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001.

Pakistan's foreign ministry later summoned the deputy head of the Afghan embassy in Islamabad to lodge a "strong protest".

"The Afghan government was urged to thoroughly investigate the incidents and take firm action against the terrorists operating from its soil," the ministry said in a statement.
Zimbabwe used to have one of Africa's best healthcare systems, but many health professionals have left as a result of the country's economic downturn over the last 15 years

State doctors in Zimbabwe called off a three-week strike that paralysed hospitals "on compassionate grounds", a union leader said Monday, after negotiations with the cash-strapped government stalled.

Hospitals in Zimbabwe have been at a standstill since the middle of February with admissions suspended, many wards cleared of patients and non-critical casualty cases turned away after nurses joined the action.

State hospitals cater for the majority of Zimbabweans who cannot afford private hospitals.

The country had one of Africa's best healthcare systems, but many health professionals have left during the country's economic crisis over the last 15 years.

"We have resumed our duties. All the doctors are back at work," Edgar Munatsi, president of the Hospital Doctors Association, told AFP.

"We came to the decision on compassionate grounds after our meeting with the government failed to address our grievances.

"We were moved by the plight of the suffering patients. The mortality rate in the hospitals was going up and it appeared the government was not concerned."

No mortality figures were available from the government or the doctors' union.

The strike centred on demands for higher allowances and job guarantees for junior doctors.

The state-owned Herald newspaper said some allowances had been increased for medical staff.

An AFP correspondent in Harare observed last week that most wards at Parirenyatwa, Zimbabwe's main state hospital, were empty.

At the Mpilo hospital in the second city of Bulawayo, a small number of senior doctors attended to patients.

President Robert Mugabe, 93, returned to Zimbabwe this weekend after one of his regular trips to Singapore for medical care.

His government has struggled to pay civil servants and soldiers on time, resorting to staggering pay dates as funds runs short.

A planned strike on Monday by public workers over pay and delayed bonuses was postponed by organisers.

Last year, Mugabe's security forces quelled a series of street protests in Harare against his regime and the country's dire economic plight.
Vietnamese suspect Doan Thi Huong (left) was charged with the murder of Kim Jong-Nam during a court appearance in Sepang, on March 1, 2017

The lawyer of a Vietnamese woman accused of murdering the half-brother of North Korea's leader questioned Malaysia's ability to assess the nerve agent used in the killing and called Monday for a second autopsy.

Kim Jong-Nam was poisoned with a lethal dose of VX, which is listed by the UN as a weapon of mass destruction, after he arrived to board a flight at Kuala Lumpur International Airport last month.

Airport CCTV footage shows two women approaching the 45-year-old and apparently smearing his face with a cloth. Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong, 28, from Vietnam, have been charged with the murder and face the death penalty if found guilty.

Kim Jong-Nam suffered an agonising death within 20 minutes of being attacked with the nerve agent

Huong's lawyer on Monday suggested that Malaysia does not have the necessary expertise in the VX nerve agent, adding that he planned to request a second post-mortem.

"How is (it) that my client is accused of using VX nerve agent in her hand and applying it to the face of the deceased and not suffering any illness herself?" lawyer S. Selvam told AFP.

He also called for VX experts from Japan and Iraq to be involved in the findings, as well as "pathologists from North Korea".

While North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man's identity, it has repeatedly disparaged the murder investigation and has accused Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (right) ordered the killing of his half-brother Kim Jong-Nam, according to South Korea

A diplomatic dispute erupted last month when Malaysian police rejected North Korean diplomats' demands to hand over Kim's body.

South Korea says North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un had ordered the killing of his estranged half-brother, who had lived overseas for years but had voiced criticism of the regime, and engaged two outsiders to carry it out.

Traces of the poison, which is banned around the world, were found on Kim's face and eyes, police said.

One of the suspects was said to have exhibited signs of VX poisoning -- vomiting and dizziness -- while in custody, but police did not say which woman had fallen ill.

Kim Jong-Nam (grey suit) speaks to Malaysian security guards after he was attacked in Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13

Four North Korean men wanted for the murder are still at large.

Police are also seeking the second secretary in Kuala Lumpur's North Korean embassy to assist in the murder, and have issued an arrest warrant for a North Korean airline employee.
Islamic State jihadists made Raqa their de-facto capital after seizing control of the northern Syrian city in 2014

The Islamic State group has imposed an "Afghan-style" dress code on men in its Syrian stronghold Raqa to help its fighters blend into the civilian population, a monitor and activists said Monday.

"For more than two weeks, Afghan-style clothing... has been imposed by Daesh," said Abu Mohamed, an activist with the "Raqa is Being Slaughtered Silently" group, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

"Anyone who does not comply faces prison and fine," he told AFP.

The new restriction comes as a Kurdish-Arab alliance of fighters nears Raqa, backed by the US-led coalition launching air strikes against IS.

The rule "is an attempt to make it harder for airplanes and the Kurdish forces... to distinguish between civilians and Daesh members," Abu Mohamed said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor of the war, also reported the new rule in Raqa.

"The Islamic State has imposed Afghan-style dress on residents of Raqa so that informants giving coordinates to the US-led coalition will not be able to distinguish between civilians and fighters," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

Abu Mohamed said there was a "state of alert" in Raqa, with new checkpoints springing up and IS arresting anyone who describes the situation as dire.

"Prices are skyrocketing and there is no electricity or water," he told AFP.

The Observatory also said civilians and the families of IS families were attempting to flee into Raqa province from neighbouring Aleppo, where IS is under assault in the east.

"Thousands of families in recent days have tried to reach the administrative borders of Raqa province, along with around 120 families of fighters and commanders of IS," the monitor said.

The Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces alliance advancing towards Raqa on Monday cut a key supply route between the city and IS-held territory in Deir Ezzor province to the east.

The alliance is now eight kilometres (five miles) from Raqa to the northeast, according to the Observatory.

It said IS was preventing civilians from entering the province "but granted families of its fighters" a document allowing "passage to Raqa city by boat as ground transportation is now impossible because the bridges across the Euphrates have been destroyed".
US President Donald Trump signed an order -- which temporarily freezes new visas for Syrians, Iranians, Libyans, Somalis, Yemenis and Sudanese citizens -- behind closed doors

US President Donald Trump signed a revised ban on refugees and on travelers from six Muslim-majority nations Monday, scaling back the order to exempt Iraqis and permanent US residents.

With his first attempt frozen by federal courts, Trump signed a second order suspending refugee admissions for 120 days and halting new visas for travelers from Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan.

The White House said Trump -- who is embroiled in controversy over his aides' links to Russia and his own Twitter outbursts -- signed the order behind closed doors Monday morning.

The new order comes into effect on March 16 and is meant to address legal problems. It explicitly exempts Iraqis, legal permanent residents and valid visa holders.

"The principles of the executive order remain the same," said White House spokesman Sean Spicer.

US President Donald Trump's revised ban on travellers

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, one of three cabinet members rolled out to present the order in Trump's absence, described it as "a vital measure" for strengthening national security.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions added that it "provides a needed pause" allowing a review of how America deals with travelers from "countries of concern."

"Three of these nations are state sponsors of terrorism," Sessions said, referring to Iran, Sudan and Syria.

He added that others had served as "safe havens" for terror operatives.

Critics questioned the composition of the list, which includes citizens from countries that have never been involved in terror attacks in the United States.

Non-governmental groups accused Trump of covertly pursuing his controversial and possibly illegal campaign promise of a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States."

The question of Trump's intent is likely to dominate new legal challenges that are already being flagged by organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union.

(From L) US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly arrive to deliver remarks on visa travel, on March 6, 2017

"President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people," said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU's Immigrant Rights Project.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the measure should be repealed, adding: "A watered down ban is still a ban."

Dozens of protesters rallied outside the White House on Monday night, holding signs with messages like "Fight ignorance, not immigrants."

Caroline Short, 29, rejected the idea that the ban would make America safer.

"Totally ridiculous... It will be used as a tool for people that want to say America hates Muslims," she said.

- Travel ban, take two -

Trump's first order had sparked a legal, political and logistical furor.

A man protests outside of Republican Rep. Mike Bishop's office on February 13, 2017 in Brighton, Michigan

There was chaos at major airports and mass protests while several district courts moved to block its implementation and lawmakers expressed opposition.

The troubled rollout also dominated the first weeks of the new administration, leaving many with the impression that it was badly planned and badly implemented.

Polls show American public opinion is deeply divided on the issue. Most indicate a slight majority of voters opposed, with strong support among Trump's political base.

The Republican president criticized a court order suspending the ban as "a very bad decision, very bad for the safety and security of our country. The rollout was perfect."

But he has now stepped away from a promise to challenge the matter in the courts. The second order repeals the first, spelling the end of any pending legal proceedings.

Whatever the legal outcome, Trump's new ban is likely to polarize opinion further and be immensely popular with his core supporters.

- Shoulder to shoulder -

Iraq's inclusion in the first order prompted outrage in that country, including from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

The US and Iraqi militaries are currently fighting side-by-side in northern Iraq, trying to wrest the city of Mosul from Islamic State control.

The Iraqi foreign ministry on Monday expressed its "deep satisfaction" with the new order, and described it as an "important step" in strengthening relations between Baghdad and Washington.

But the revised travel ban is also likely to sow further confusion about US immigration policies.

On Monday, Nigeria advised its citizens against all but essential travel to the United States, citing the lack of clarity on new immigration rules.

"In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to Nigeria," said special adviser to the president Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

According to a report released Monday by travel data firm Forwardkeys, travel from the United States to the Middle East has also fallen sharply, with bookings for departure in the next three months falling 25.4 percent behind the equivalent time last year.

- Roiled by Russia -

But the ban is likely to help Trump divert attention from rolling crises on his ties with Russia.

Since US intelligence publicly accused Russia of trying to swing the November election in Trump's favor, questions have swirled about whether some in Trump's campaign colluded with Moscow.

The last week has seen his attorney general recuse himself from election-related investigations, after it emerged he met the Russian ambassador in Washington twice during the campaign.

It has also seen Trump level unsubstantiated allegations that former president Barack Obama ordered a wiretap on the now president's phone.
Yasser Arafat led the Palestinian movement from 1967-2004

A top Arab Israeli politician on Monday defended naming a street in northern Israel after the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to remove it.

The small Arab Israeli town of Jatt recently inaugurated Yasser Arafat Street in honour of the former Palestinian president, a hero to Palestinians and many Arab Israelis but loathed by many Israeli Jews.

On Sunday, the Jatt counial street signs", including the Arafat sign, and rcil decided to remove "all the controversial street signs", including the Arafat sign, and replace them with different names, according to a report on Channel 10 television.

The local municipality did not comment on Monday, but Israeli media reported signage had been removed after Netanyahu's threat.

Ayman Odeh, head of the predominantly Arab Joint List coalition in the Israeli parliament, said Arafat was a "symbol".

"He is a leader of the national liberation movement and he chose peace and negotiations and he won the Nobel Peace Prize," Odeh told journalists.

"It is completely your right to say 'I am completely against this man'," he added, but said streets in Jewish neighbourhoods had sometimes been named after far-right politicians and even assailants.

"I cannot accept this is OK but calling a street after Yasser Arafat is not OK."

Arab Israelis are descendants of Palestinians who remained after Israel's creation in 1948, and account for about 17.5 percent of the country's eight million population.

Jatt has a population of some 11,000.

Speaking at the start of a Sunday cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said "no street in the state of Israel will be named after murderers of Israelis and Jews".

"We will make the arrangements, including new legislation if need be, so that this does not happen here."

Arafat rose to become the leader of the Palestinian movement after the creation of Israel, leading an armed struggle against it in which thousands died.

Decades later he disavowed violence and famously shook hands with Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin on the White House lawn, although the peace the Oslo accords were supposed to bring never materialised.
Google has vowed to fix a glitch with its new AI voice assistant after the device was caught reading out fake news.

The Google Home device, which is currently available in the US but not in the UK, has been filmed making wild claims about political figures including Barack Obama.

The voice-activated home device read out fake news from Google that claimed Barack Obama is planning a 'coup d'etat' and that four former US presidents were members of the Ku Klux Klan.

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Google Home (pictured) will go on sale in the UK by the end of June of this year. The voice-activated device was caught reading out fake news

GOOGLE HOME Google Home is an artificially intelligent speaker that responds to voice commands. It can answer queries as well as control other internet-enabled appliances around the home. Google's Home is the firm's latest AI move after introducing its smart assistant in the new Pixel handsets at the end of last year. The Google Home speaker costs 106 ($130) Advertisement

When asked 'is Obama planning a coup?', the home assistant responded with 'According to details exposed in Western Center for Journalism's exclusive video, not only could Obama be in bed with the communist Chinese, but Obama may be in fact be planning a communist coup d'etat at the end of his term in 2016.'

The off-the-wall response was read out from a conspiracy website called Secrets of the Fed.

The 'inappropriate glitch' was first highlighted by Search Engine Land editor Danny Sullivan.

He said the robot's glitch is caused by a problem with Google's smart search results.

In an attempt to speed up searches, the Google Home reads out the small passages of text that appear on the Google's search results page rather than clicking through different webpages.

And here's what happens if you ask Google Home "is Obama planning a coup?" pic.twitter.com/MzmZqGOOal  Rory Cellan-Jones (@ruskin147) March 5, 2017

'The problematic examples I review don't appear to have been deliberate attempts,' Sullivan wrote.

'Rather, they seem to be the result of Google's algorithms and machine learning making bad selections.'

Sullivan said when he asked the speaker if US Republicans were the same as Nazis, the robot said yes.

Similarly, he cited an example in which Google's search engine listed four former US presidents as 'active and known' KKK members, even though there has been no conclusive historical evidence supporting that.

A fault with the Google Home's algorithm led it to read out a fake report claiming Barack Obama, pictured with Michelle at the White House in September, 2015, was planning a coup

The news comes amid a growing controversy over 'fake news' circulating online via Google or Facebook, and efforts by the internet giants to weed out hoaxes and misinformation.

In a statement to AFP, Google said its boxed results at the top of a search query, known as 'featured snippets,' are based on an algorithmic formula.

'Unfortunately, there are instances when we feature a site with inappropriate or misleading content,' Google's statement said.

'When we are alerted to a featured snippet that violates our policies, we work quickly to remove them, which we have done in this instance. We apologize for any offense this may have caused.'

Google also noted it includes a 'feedback' link under these snippets that can allow the search giant to flag or remove inappropriate content.

The technology giant launched the voice-activated device in the US last October but is yet to extend its release outside of the country.

However, the company has now confirmed Home will go on sale in the UK during the 'second quarter' of this year, meaning it will be released before the end of June.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has been in office since 2015

A Nigerian former state governor was on Monday found guilty and sentenced to five years in jail for corruption, marking one of the first high-profile convictions in President Muhammadu Buhari's anti-graft war.

James Bala Ngilari was convicted of breaching due process in the award of a 167.8-million naira ($527,000, 497,000 euros) contract for the procurement of 25 cars.

The politician from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was governor of the northeastern state of Adamawa from October 2014 to May 2015.

He had stepped up from deputy governor after the impeachment of his boss, Murtala Nyako, on corruption allegations. He is still facing charges in a separate trial.

Judge Nathan Musa found Ngilari guilty of all but one of the charges against him and did not give him the option of paying a fine.

"It is my hope that his conviction and sentence will serve as a deterrent to serving governors," he added.

Nigeria's anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), charged Ngilari last September with 19 counts in connection with the "fraudulent award of contract".

Ngilari's lawyer Samuel Toni pleaded for leniency because of his client's "invaluable contribution when he was the governor of the state during the trying moment of (the Boko Haram) insurgency".

The Islamist group overran large parts of Adamawa state throughout 2014 as it captured swathes of territory in Nigeria's remote northeast.

Ngilari told reporters as he was taken to a prison van that the judgement was flawed and he would appeal.

Buhari was elected two years ago on a pledge to tackle endemic corruption and the plunder of state funds by corrupt politicians and public officials.

The main opposition PDP, however, has accused him of conducting a political witch-hunt because most of those arrested and charged were party members or served in the previous administration.
The raid by warplanes from the Saudi-led Arab coalition wounded 23 others, the sources in Hodeida said

At least 22 Shiite Huthi rebels were killed Monday in an air strike by pro-government Arab coalition warplanes as well as clashes in western Yemen, officials said.

The strike on a military base in the city of Bajil, northeast of provincial capital Hodeida on the Red Sea, killed 16 rebels, said a medical official and a military source.

The raid by warplanes from the Saudi-led Arab coalition wounded 23 others, the sources in Hodeida said.

To the south, clashes between the rebels and loyalists near the city of Mokha left six insurgents dead, according to the same sources who said their bodies were taken to a morgue in Hodeida.

Troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi took Mokha on February 10 and announced they aimed to push north and take the country's main Red Sea port of Hodeida next.

Allied with forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Iran-backed Huthis control most of Yemen's 450-kilometre (280-mile) Red Sea coast, the capital Sanaa and much of the northern highlands.

The Arab coalition mounted a military campaign against the rebels in March 2015 when insurgents closed in on Hadi in his refuge in the southern city of Aden.

More than 7,500 people have been killed in the conflict since then, according to the United Nations.
Syria's main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) leader Nasr al-Hariri (C) gives a press conference next to delegates during the Intra-Syrian peace talks at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, on March 3, 2017

The European Union will host a conference on the post-conflict future of Syria with the United Nations in Brussels on April 5, foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini said Monday.

The conference, following on from a similar meeting in London early last year, "will assess regional conditions and the conditions on which post-conflict assistance can be provided once a credible political transition is in place," Mogherini said.

The EU has consistently backed UN efforts to end the bloody conflict in Syria which has cost more than 310,000 lives and displaced millions since 2011 when protests against President Bashar al-Assad descended into all-out civil war.

Assad's future is the key question, with the various rebel groups backed by the United States and Turkey demanding that he step down in any settlement.

He insists he is going nowhere and backed by heavy Russian military support has re-established his position with the recapture of Aleppo, Syria's second city.

At the last round of UN-sponsored talks in Geneva on Friday, Damascus and the opposition agreed a "clear agenda" to end the war, according to UN envoy Staffan de Mistura.

He said there had been progress and he hoped to be able to invite both sides back to Geneva later this month for a new round of talks.

The Geneva peace talks run in parallel with negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan, brokered by Russia and Turkey, and which are focused on maintaining a fragile ceasefire reached in December after Assad recaptured Aleppo.

A new Astana meeting is expected to take place before the next Geneva talks.

The EU expects UN chief Antonio Guterres to attend the Brussels talks in April, along with senior officials from most of the countries that attended the original London conference in February 2016, European officials said.
"We can confirm the death of a former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Yasir al-Silmi," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said in a statement following US airstrikes in Yemen last week

A former Guantanamo Bay inmate was killed in a US air strike in Yemen last week, the Defense Department said Monday, as part of a stepped-up campaign against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

"We can confirm the death of a former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Yasir al-Silmi," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said.

Silmi, also known as Mohammed Tahar, had been incarcerated at the notorious US military prison in Cuba from 2002 to December 2009, when he was repatriated to Yemen.

Davis said he was not considered a "high-value" target.

His Guantanamo file said the 37-year-old Yemeni was an "Islamic extremist" who had wanted to conduct bomb attacks against US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Republican lawmakers repeatedly blocked then-president Barack Obama's efforts to shut Guantanamo and pointed to former detainees returning to the fight as proof inmates should remain locked up there.

Silmi died March 2 in the same strike that killed Usayd al-Adnani, a "long-time explosives expert who served as the organization's emir within the Abyan governorate," Davis said.

The United States has conducted more than 40 strikes against AQAP in Yemen since ramping up operations five nights ago.

None of the strikes have been conducted based on intelligence gathered in a botched US raid in January, the first authorized by President Donald Trump, in which multiple civilians and a Navy SEAL were killed.

Two years of civil war in Yemen have allowed AQAP, which the US regards as the extremists' most dangerous branch, to consolidate its grip on territory in southern and eastern Yemen.
Intensified protests over Israel's nearly 50-year occupation of the West Bank have led the country's parliament to bar entry to supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement

Israel's parliament on Monday evening said it had passed into law a bill barring entry into the country to those supporting a boycott of the Jewish state.

"The knesset (parliament) passed on its second and third readings the Entry into Israel bill," it said in a statement.

"A visa will not be granted nor a residence permit of any kind to any person who is not an Israeli citizen or permanent resident if he, or the organisation or body in which he is active, has knowingly issued a public call to boycott the state of Israel or pledged to take part in such a boycott," a statement said.

Israel has been faced with a boycott movement over its nearly 50-year occupation of the West Bank but it has lately intensified the diplomatic and legal fight against it.

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement campaigns for a global boycott of Israel until, among other demands, the country withdraws from all occupied Palestinian territories.

Israel sees the movement as a strategic threat and accuses it of anti-Semitism -- a claim BDS denies.

Haaretz newspaper said that the wording of the new law left open the possibility that it could be used against Palestinians living in Israel as temporary residents, while their applications for permanent residence were being considered.

Such a process is required by Palestinians seeking right of abode with their Israeli Arab spouses.

Last year Israeli authorities refused to renew the travel documents of prominent BDS campaigner Omar Barghouti.

His family are Palestinian but he was born in the Gulf state of Qatar.

He is married to an Israeli-Arab and as such has permanent resident status, although not full citizenship.

But Interior Minister Aryeh Deri has been considering revoking Barghouti's residence permit, the ministry has said.
International coalition forces and Iraqi soldiers install a floating bridge at the Taji camp, north of Baghdad, during a training session ahead of installing replacement bridges in Mosul, on March 6, 2017

Iraqi soldiers manoeuvre sections of floating bridge on a muddy, man-made lake as American trainers instruct them in skills that have played a key role in the war against jihadists.

Green metal boats churn a frothy wake as they propel the sections before the Iraqi forces connect them together during the training at the Taji military base, north of Baghdad.

Members of the Iraqi army's Bridging Battalion who have completed the training are deployed in the area of Mosul, where government-led forces are fighting to retake the Islamic State jihadist group's last urban stronghold in the country.

Iraqi forces have deployed floating bridges on a number of occasions as they waged war against the jihadists in the "Land of the Two Rivers".

And floating bridges have a long history in Iraq, where boats were used to connect the two banks of the Tigris River at Baghdad from Abbasid times into the 20th century.

The Bridging Battalion "took part in a number of battles to support Iraqi forces in fighting (IS)," said Captain Ali Raad, an officer in the unit.

They have been deployed "in Anbar and Salaheddin provinces, and now in the battle of Mosul," Raad said, referring to provinces where three of the battles to retake cities from IS took place.

This cropped image taken on February 19, 2017 by Pleiades Satellite shows the second bridge of Mosul's five damaged or destroyed bridges across the Tigris River where battles are raging between Iraqi forces and Islamic State group fighters

Iraqi forces in Mosul now face a major challenge: all of the bridges across the Tigris, which divides city into its eastern and western sides, have been damaged or destroyed.

When IS still controlled territory in east Mosul, having the bridges out of commission hampered jihadist activities.

But Iraqi forces have now retaken all of eastern Mosul, and have secured one bridgehead on the western side and are advancing toward another, meaning it is now in their interest to reconnect them.

- Providing 'essential' support -

In the course of the training, the soldiers learn to "drive the combat bridge transporters, operate the boats, as well as construct the assault float bridge," said Staff Sergeant Michael McConaughey, a US soldier.

This exercise is overseen by American soldiers, but British troops are also conducting similar training at another site.

"There are currently about 90 (Iraqi soldiers) that are already trained and proficient, and with the addition of these 25, (there will) be over 100 ready to go complete bridge missions," McConaughey said.

The bridge can hold "up to a tank on the back of a truck that's on a trailer -- it can cross the heaviest vehicle we have," he said.

"There are currently about 90 (Iraqi soldiers) that are already trained and proficient, and with the addition of these 25, (there will) be over 100 ready to go complete bridge missions," said a US soldier

The utility of bridges that can be quickly established by the military became apparent fairly early in the conflict with IS, which overran large areas north of west of Baghdad.

IS used a bus bomb and an explosives-rigged boat to destroy two bridges leading to Dhuluiyah, a town north of Baghdad where tribesmen held out against the jihadists in one neighbourhood for months that year.

Haider Kadhim, a soldier in the Bridging Battalion, was shot in the stomach during the operation to set up a floating bridge across the Tigris to Dhuluiyah.

The tribesmen held, and the siege was eventually broken.

The unit lost one soldier and had five more wounded while setting up a bridge in Salaheddin province, but was still able to complete their task, Kadhim said.

Such bridges "are essential to provide logistical support and backing for forces during the battles," he said.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Australia's prime minister said Monday that he was looking forward to discussing a free-trade deal with Indonesia while attending a regional forum in Jakarta.

Malcom Turnbull on Tuesday will attend the first Indian Ocean Rim Association leaders' summit in the 20-year history of the 21-nation organization.

Turnbull's one-day visit to Jakarta comes nine days after Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ended his first Australian visit as Indonesia's president.

The leaders used that Sydney visit to commit to finalizing a bilateral free-trade agreement this year after 17 years of negotiations. Jokowi said the deal must remove all Australian barriers to the importation of Indonesian palm oil and paper.

Turnbull has welcomed trade concessions that Indonesia has already made, including reduced tariffs on Australian sugar and fewer restrictions on Australian live cattle imports.

"We're making very good progress there and I look forward to discussing it further when I'm in Jakarta tomorrow," Turnbull told reporters in the Australian city of Melbourne.

Indonesian trade official Thomas Lembong, chairman of Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board, told Australia's Fairfax Media that his government wanted to see "concrete proof of unfettered and natural trade" in Indonesia palm oil, paper and wood products.

David Brewster, an Australian National University researcher on Indian Ocean security, said he expected Turnbull would be one of the few national leaders to attend the summit that will be chaired by Jokowi.

"His attendance at the meeting is probably primarily driven by the Jakarta relationship, wanting to show solidarity with Jokowi," Brewster said.

Turnbull later said in a statement that Australia had a fundamental interest in ensuring economic development in the Indian Ocean region and enhancing dialogue on shared security challenges.

The summit will agree to a statement on shared values and objectives, including a commitment to international law, and a declaration on countering violent extremism.

Australian interest in the grouping of predominantly developing states on the Indian Ocean fringe has deepened in the past five years, with the economic growth of India and China and a relative decline in influence in the region of the United States, Australia's most important strategic partner, Brewster said.

India is a member of the group while China has observer status.
Appearing calm and solemn, two young women accused of smearing VX nerve agent on the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were charged with murder last week. The women - one from Indonesia, the other from Vietnam - are at the center of a bizarre killing at a Kuala Lumpur airport terminal. Many speculate the attack was orchestrated by North Korea, but Pyongyang denies any role.

In other images from the Asia-Pacific region last week, Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko traveled to Vietnam for a visit to promote goodwill and soothe some of the wounds of World War II by meeting with the abandoned wives of former Japanese soldiers. Akihito and Michiko met with a wife and 15 children of former Japanese soldiers in Hanoi.

Saudi King Salman began a tour of Asian countries to advance the kingdom's economic and business interests. Saudi Arabia pledged $1 billion in development finance for Indonesia and expanded cooperation in other areas, deepening ties with Southeast Asia's biggest economy as the king and a huge entourage arrived in the world's most populous Muslim nation for a nine-day visit.

In this Wednesday, March 1, 2017, photo, Vietnamese suspect Doan Thi Huong, center, in the ongoing assassination investigation, is escorted by police officers out from Sepang court in Sepang, Malaysia. Appearing calm and solemn, two young women accused of smearing VX nerve agent on Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half brother of North Korea's leader, were charged with murder Wednesday. (AP Photo/Daniel Chan, File)

The families of those onboard missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 launched efforts to raise at least $15 million to fund a private search as they marked the third anniversary of the plane's disappearance.

The Philippine defense chief and two other Cabinet members toured a U.S. aircraft carrier patrolling the disputed South China Sea on the invitation of the Navy.

___

This gallery was curated by Associated Press photo editor Wally Santana in Bangkok.

In this Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, photo, Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko smile as they leave for Vietnam at the Haneda International Airport in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File)

In this Thursday, March 2, 2017, photo, Saudi King Salman, left, rides on a golf cart with Indonesian President Joko Widodo during their meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia. Salman is currently in the world's largest Muslim nation as a part of his multi-nation tour aimed at boosting economic ties with Asia. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, Pool)

In this Saturday, March 4, 2017, photo, a man with a painted face attend the Day of Remembrance for MH370 event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. After three years, the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 ended in futility and frustration on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, as crews completed their deep-sea search of a desolate stretch of the Indian Ocean without finding a single trace of the plane. (AP Photo/Daniel Chan, File)

In this Friday, March 3, 2017, photo, a U.S. Navy F18 fighter jet from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) for a patrol off the disputed South China Sea Friday, March 3, 2017. The U.S. military took journalists Friday to the carrier on routine patrol off the disputed South China Sea, sending a signal to China and American allies of its resolve to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight in one of the world's security hotspots. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)

In this Saturday, March 4, 2017, photo, a participant prepares for the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade in Sydney. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)

In this Friday, March 3, 2017, photo, bus ushers take selfies on an empty street adjacent to the Great Hall of the People during the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing. Thousands of delegates have gathered at the Chinese capital for the opening of the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which advises the rubberstamp parliament, whose annual session begins Sunday. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

In this Saturday, March 4, 2017, photo, bus ushers leap as they pose for a group photo at Tiananmen Square during a plenary session of the National People's Congress in Beijing. China will raise its defense budget by about 7 percent this year, a government spokeswoman said Saturday, continuing a trend of lowered growth amid a slowing economy. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

Saturday, March 4, 2017, photo, an employee advertising for a pachinko gaming parlor wears a President Donald Trump mask to attract customers in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File)

In this Thursday, March 2, 2017, photo, Germany's Denise Herrmann shoots as she warms up prior to the women's Biathlon 7.5 km sprint competition at the Alpensia Biathlon Centre in Pyeongchang, South Korea. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)

In this Friday, March 3, 2017, photo members of Student Federation of India shout anti government slogans during a protest march to the Indian parliament in New Delhi, India. The march was against the students wing of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party after the group was accused of attacking students and faculty members at Delhi university in New Delhi. Students also demanded to roll back Higher Education Financing Agency or HEFA proposed by the central government. Banners in local language read stop ranking funding in education institutions. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)

In this Thursday, March 2, 2017, photo, Ri Tong Il, former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations, center, speaks to reporters outside the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The North Korean envoy said a heart attack likely killed Kim Jong Nam, not VX nerve agent as a Malaysia autopsy showed. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File)

In this Thursday, March 2, 2017, photo, a farmer and her dog walk through a rice field in Naypytaw, Myanmar. Myanmar celebrates the national holiday Peasants' Day annually on March 2 to show the country's appreciation to its laborers. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo, File)
ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan will temporarily open two border crossings with Afghanistan that were closed after a string of militant attacks, officials said Monday.

The Torkham and Chaman crossings will be open Tuesday and Wednesday and Afghans with valid visas will be allowed to return home, as will Pakistanis who traveled to Afghanistan with valid visas, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said.

Pakistan shut the two main crossings with Afghanistan three weeks ago after a wave of suicide bombings that authorities said was linked to a group operating on the other side of the border.

The two countries have long accused each other of ignoring militants that operate along the porous frontier.

Islamic militants attacked several Pakistani military posts in tribal regions along the Afghan border on Monday, killing six soldiers, the army said.

Pakistani troops repulsed the attackers, who had crossed overnight from Afghanistan into the Mohmand tribal region where three military posts were ambushed, the army statement said. It added that 10 of the attackers were believed to have been killed before the militants retreated over the border.

A Pakistani Taliban breakaway faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility. Pakistan has long been home to both local and al-Qaida linked foreign militants.

Several Pakistani military offensives have targeted the bases and infrastructure used by the militants in the country's tribal regions, and Islamabad says some of the groups have shifted to sanctuaries across the Afghan border.

The militants have shown the ongoing capability to launch large-scale attacks, such as a string of suicide bombings last month that killed over 125. One single bombing killed 90 worshippers at a famed Sufi shrine in southern Pakistan.

The Pakistani Taliban, their allied local militants and the Islamic State group have claimed the brazen attacks.

Last month's string of militant attacks in Pakistan prompted fresh tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, with Islamabad claiming they were planned and executed by militants enjoying safe haven across the border. Afghanistan has repeatedly made similar accusations about Afghan militants hiding inside Pakistan.

A spokesman for the provincial governor in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, Attaullah Khogyani, termed the Pakistani allegation baseless.

The Pakistani government has shut two main border crossings with Afghanistan for the past three weeks and Pakistani artillery has fired across the border.

On Monday the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said that the Afghan deputy head of mission was summoned to lodge a formal protest with Kabul over the cross-border attack. It demanded Afghanistan to take firm action against the militants operating from its soil.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, one of the local groups, has surfaced as one of the deadliest militant factions. The group, which is based in the Mohmand tribal region, has claimed several major attacks over the past year.

___

Associated Press writers Asif Shahzad in Islamabad, Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan and Amir Shah in Kabul, Afghanistan contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Defense Department is investigating reports that some Marines shared naked photographs of female Marines, veterans and other women on a secret Facebook page, some of which were taken without their knowledge.

The photographs were shared on the Facebook page "Marines United," which had a membership of active-duty and retired male Marines, Navy corpsmen and British Royal Marines. Along with identified female military members were some unidentifiable women in various stages of undress, and the posts included obscene comments about some of the women, officials said.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is now investigating. The photographs have been taken down, officials said.

FILE- In this May 5, 2014, file photo, a U.S. Marine Corps Color Guard stands under a Marine Corps emblem in Jupiter, Fla. The Defense Department is investigating reports that some Marines shared naked photographs of female Marines, veterans and other women on a secret Facebook page, some of which were taken without their knowledge. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller on Sunday, March 5, 2017, called the online activity "distasteful" and says it shows an "absence of respect." (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

Marine Corps commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller on Sunday refused to comment directly about the ongoing investigation. "For anyone to target one of our Marines, online or otherwise, in an inappropriate manner, is distasteful and shows an absence of respect," Neller said in a statement.

It was not immediately known how many active-duty Marines and other service members were involved or are under investigation. A Marine Corps official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss personnel matters by name, said at least one government contractor had been removed from his job after he posted a link to the photographs.

In response to the report, Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Green, the top enlisted man in the Marine Corps, said: "These negative behaviors are absolutely contrary to what we represent."

The investigation was first reported by the Center for Investigative Reporting. The activity was revealed by The War Horse, a nonprofit news organization run by Marine veteran Thomas Brennan.

"We are thankful that Thomas Brennan, a Marine veteran, notified the Marine Corps and NCIS about what he witnessed on the 'Marines United' page," Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Ryan E. Alvis said. "It allowed us to take immediate action to have the explicit photos taken down and to prepare to support potential victims."

The CIR report said that more than two dozen active-duty women, officers and enlisted, were identified by their rank, full name and location in the photographs on the Facebook page. Other photographs of active duty and veteran women were also posted and linked through a Google Drive link.

The social media accounts behind the sharing have been deleted by Facebook and Google at the Marine Corps' request.

An internal Marine Corps document obtained by The Associated Press says a former Marine maintained the Google Drive and that it had a following of 30,000. The NCIS investigation is "in support of two individuals affected by postings," according to the document.

A Marine proven to have posted an explicit photo of another person could potentially be charged with violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the internal document asserted. A Marine who directly participates in, encourages or condones such actions could also be subjected to criminal proceedings or adverse administrative actions, according to the document.

"The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in a closed website," Alvis said. "This behavior destroys morale, erodes trust, and degrades the individual."

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, called the online behavior "degrading, dangerous and completely unacceptable."

"The military men and women who proudly volunteer to serve their country should not have to deal with this kind of reprehensible conduct," Smith said.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Pakistani leaders often wax lyrical about their "sweeter than honey" relations with all-weather friend China. There's no romance about their marriage of convenience with America.

As the Trump administration plots its policy toward a key partner, it will find Pakistan being drawn deeper into Beijing's embrace and its promise of $46 billion in energy, infrastructure and industry investments by 2030. The money could transform the Muslim nation's economy.

Washington, by contrast, is losing faith in how much its largesse can influence Pakistan. Many frustrated U.S. policymakers see Pakistan as a terrorist haven that some $30 billion in security and economic assistance since the 9/11 attacks has failed to fix. But an American retreat could have broad implications for its ability to maintain stability in a regional powder keg of extremism, weak governance and various potential conflicts.

FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2014 file-pool photo, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. Pakistani leaders often wax lyrical about their "sweeter than honey" relations with all-weather friend China. There's no romance about their marriage of convenience with America. As the Trump administration plots its policy toward a key partner, it will find Pakistan being drawn deeper into Beijing's embrace and its promise of $46 billion in energy, infrastructure and industry investments by 2030. The money could transform the Muslim nation's economy. (Parker Song, Pool, File via AP)

"I get the sense that we are the dispensable ally once again," Bilalwal Bhutto, a Pakistani opposition party leader and son of the slain former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, said during a recent visit to Washington.

U.S. assistance to Pakistan has been declining since 2011 when American commandos killed Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan, straining relations. And as the U.S. troop presence in neighboring Afghanistan has shrunk, Pakistan has become a lower priority. Aid could decline further as President Donald Trump proposes drastic cuts to diplomacy and foreign aid budgets.

Still, Trump's vow to protect America from violent extremism may make it difficult for him to turn his back on Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation where al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is suspected to be hiding and which could hold the key to an Afghan peace settlement. The 8,500 U.S. troops still deployed in Afghanistan means the U.S. retains a high interest in seeing Pakistan rein in cross-border attacks by Taliban militants, whatever Washington's larger regional objectives may be.

China is also concerned about militancy in Pakistan, particularly by ethnic Uighur groups that have reportedly sought refuge in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region and forged links with al-Qaida and the Taliban. But above all, China sees strategic and economic opportunities in Pakistan.

The unlikely alliance is a critical part of China's ambitious "One Belt, One Road" project to link markets in Asia and Europe. Pakistan's offer of access to the Indian Ocean could reduce China's reliance on the chokepoint of the Malacca Strait in Southeast Asia for oil imports from the Mideast, and help spur development in China's land-locked far west.

Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan's planning and development minister, called the investment a "blessing." The nation of 200 million people is blighted by power shortages and other failings, and has struggled to attract foreign firms because of persistent extremist violence.

Chinese private investors are planning $35 billion in energy generation and transmission projects, he said. Some 10,000 megawatts of power is slated to come online by 2018. That can hugely boost the country's generation capacity of just 22,000 megawatts, or a little more than the capacity of Switzerland, which has 1/25th of Pakistan's population.

Chinese loans also will fund more than $10 billion in roads, rail and facilities at a deep sea port.

"The story of Pakistan is changing," Iqbal told a Washington think tank last month. He asked, rhetorically, of the United States: "We are ready. Are you ready?"

Government spin aside, volatile, coup-prone Pakistan has enjoyed several years of relative political stability, allowing the economy to claw back from crisis. The Karachi stock market rose by 46 percent in 2016. GDP is set to grow by about 5 percent this year, helped by low oil prices.

Violence remains pervasive, however. The military has pressed offensives against the Pakistani Taliban, but a recent spate of suicide bombings killed 125 people. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility.

While Trump hasn't outlined any Pakistan approach, Congress is laying down markers.

Last year, lawmakers blocked U.S. funding for sales of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan and for this year are withholding $400 million in coalition support funds until the U.S. defense secretary certifies that Pakistan has taken action on a Taliban faction long favored by the nation's military and intelligence services.

Pakistan's archrival, India, is an increasingly close U.S. partner. It similarly accuses Pakistan of selectively fighting terror and is trying to isolate Islamabad diplomatically. Such maneuverings are having the effect of pushing Pakistan closer to China, which once fought its own border war with India.

"If everything goes to plan then Pakistan could enjoy a bonanza of benefits from easing its energy crisis to providing badly needed infrastructure," said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert at the Wilson Center in Washington. But he cautioned that Pakistan may overestimate how much China, which prioritizes its own interests, will ultimately commit.

To provide reassurance, Pakistan's government is guaranteeing payments to Chinese producers in case local electricity distribution companies fail to compensate them once power plants go online. To address security concerns, Pakistan is reportedly deploying 15,000 forces to protect workers on Chinese projects.

Critics say the Chinese deals are opaque, leaving uncertainty about how impoverished local communities will benefit. And India fears that an increasingly assertive Beijing wants to use Pakistan's deep sea port at Gwadar as a base for China's navy in the Indian Ocean.

Pakistan's military ties with China are deepening. Their joint production of the JF-17 Thunder fighter jet suggests that China could eclipse the U.S. as Pakistan's favored source of high-end defense equipment, said Jonah Blank, South Asia expert at the RAND Corp. China is already its main source of low-tech military gear.

On the economic front, U.S. assistance has failed to leave a "footprint" like China's investment, said Ishrat Hussain, a former Pakistani central bank governor.

Hussain said the benefits of China's investment will take at least a couple of years to be felt but could end power outages that have crippled industry and establish road and rail links to spur the nation's neglected western flank. He urged America to focus on fostering science and technology in Pakistan.
BERLIN (AP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday rejected remarks by Turkey's president accusing officials of "Nazi practices," days after a local authority in Germany prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally.

"One cannot seriously comment on such misplaced statements," Merkel said at an event in Berlin, the dpa news agency reported.

Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of a national referendum on constitutional reform that would give Erdogan more powers.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel waiting for the start of the Federal Board meeting of her Christian Democrats at Konrad Adenauer House in Berlin, Germany, Monday, March 6, 2017. ( Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP)

Last week, local authorities in southwestern Germany withdrew permission for Turkey's justice minister to use a venue to hold a "yes" rally aimed at Turks living in Germany. Responding to that, Erdogan on Sunday said that "Germany, you don't have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past."

Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said earlier Monday that the German government "strongly rejected" that, adding that such comparisons downplay the crimes of the Nazis.

Seibert noted that there are strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there are "far-reaching differences of opinion" between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

Seibert dismissed any notion that the federal government was involved in the decision to cancel events with Turkish officials, saying it was up to local officials to decide whether they could guarantee the necessary security.

The strife comes at a time when the European Union is relying on a migrant deal with Turkey that has significantly cut down the number of migrants crossing into Europe. However, Erdogan has several times threatened to quit the deal when expressing anger over European countries. Germany also has reconnaissance aircraft deployed at a NATO base in Turkey as part of the alliance's fight against the Islamic State group.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel sought to smooth stirred-up emotions on Monday and stressed the need to "normalize" what he calls a "highly strained" relationship with Turkey.

He also pointed out that EU countries have a common interest in not letting NATO partner Turkey "drift further to the east" and that German authorities back freedom of expression and that it's normal for Turkish politicians to want to address their compatriots in Germany, 1.4 million of whom are eligible to vote in the referendum.

Gabriel tried to iron things out with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in a phone conversation on Friday, and the two agreed to meet in Germany on Wednesday. But on Monday city officials in Hamburg canceled a Tuesday night rally at which Cavusoglu was to speak, citing fire safety concerns, dpa reported.

Other European nations with significant Turkish immigrant communities have expressed stronger opinions on the issue.

"Our Austrian solution should be clear: we will not accept any campaign appearances by Turkish politicians in Austria," Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said as he arrived at a meeting of European Union counterparts in Brussels.

He added that "we don't want campaigns from other states to be brought to Austria and conflicts from other countries imported ... that is always damaging for integration."

However, Gabriel sounded skeptical about calls from some other European Union ministers to consider EU-wide rules for campaign appearances by foreign politicians, pointing out that every country had its own opinion on the topic.

"I think the main thing is that everyone uses the possibilities they have to ensure that we get back to a somewhat normal relationship," he said.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said that "normally you would have to think that democracy is strong enough to cope with this."

___

Geir Moulson in Brussels, and Frank Jordans and David Rising in Berlin, contributed to this report.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - Ukraine's deputy foreign minister on Monday accused Russia of financing terrorism by shipping arms, ammunition and funds to separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine and of discriminating against non-Russians in the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

The charges came as a case between Kiev and Moscow opened at the U.N.'s highest judicial organ.

The International Court of Justice case, which also seeks reparations for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, opens a new legal front in the bitter, drawn-out conflict between Russia and its neighbor Ukraine.

Judges, right, enter the World Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, March 6, 2017., where Ukraine, left, is taking Russia, rear center, to the United Nations' highest judicial organ, accusing Moscow of financing separatist rebels and racially discriminating against ethnic Tartars and Ukrainians in the annexed Crimea peninsula. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

"This case will send a message about whether the international legal order can stand up to powerful countries that disregard law and disrespect human rights," Kiev's Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal told the 16-judge world court panel.

The Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur Flight MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014, by a Buk surface-to-air missile over conflict-torn eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. International investigators have concluded that the Buk missile that shot down MH17 was fired from Russia-backed rebel-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine by a mobile launcher trucked in from Russia and hastily returned there, a finding that Moscow rejects.

Calling the downing of MH17 "nothing less than an attack on humanity," Prof. Harold Koh, a lawyer representing Ukraine, warned that if the court did not take action, the missile launcher "could return again to Ukraine tomorrow."

The main case, in which Ukraine is asking the court to rule that Russia is breaching treaties on terrorist financing and racial discrimination, is likely to take months or years to resolve. But judges will likely take just weeks to rule on whether to grant the provisional measures sought by Kiev at the hearing Monday.

They include an order to halt financing to rebels in eastern Ukraine and to stop discriminating against non-Russians in Crimea.

Russia will present its legal arguments on Tuesday.

Koh said Ukraine wants the court "to invoke its legal authority to protect innocent Ukrainian civilians threatened by indiscriminate terrorism and cultural erasure."

Olena Zerkal, Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister, left, shakes hands with Roman Kolodkin, head of the legal department of the Russian Foreign Affairs ministry, at the World Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, March 6, 2017. Ukraine is taking Russia to the United Nations' highest judicial organ, accusing Moscow of financing separatist rebels and racially discriminating against ethnic Tartars and Ukrainians in the annexed Crimea peninsula. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Journalists take images at the World Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, March 6, 2017, where Ukraine is taking Russia to the United Nations' highest judicial organ, accusing Moscow of financing separatist rebels and racially discriminating against ethnic Tartars and Ukrainians in the annexed Crimea peninsula. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal arrives for the start of proceedings at the World Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, March 6, 2017, where Ukraine is taking Russia to the United Nations' highest judicial organ, accusing Moscow of financing separatist rebels and racially discriminating against ethnic Tartars and Ukrainians in the annexed Crimea peninsula. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Roman Kolodkin, head of the legal department of the Russian Foreign Affairs ministry, left, looks at the Ukraine delegation table at the World Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, March 6, 2017. Ukraine is taking Russia to the United Nations' highest judicial organ, accusing Moscow of financing separatist rebels and racially discriminating against ethnic Tartars and Ukrainians in the annexed Crimea peninsula. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
BERLIN (AP) - The Latest on diplomatic rift between Turkey and EU nations (all times local):

3:45 p.m.

Belgium's foreign minister is dismissing as "nonsense" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's comments accusing Germany of "Nazi practices" after a local authority prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally there.

A woman holding up signs against Turkish President Erdogan near hotel Senatshotel in Cologne, Germany, Sunday, March 5, 2017. This evening the Turkish Minister of Economic Affairs, Nihat Zeybekci, is supposed to speak there. ( Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)

Didier Reynders said Monday at a meeting of European Union counterparts that his own country hasn't received any requests for appearances by Turkish officials but, if it does, it would be for municipalities to decide what happens on the basis of security considerations.

Reynders said: "I condemn the reaction of Mr. Erdogan. It's nonsense to say that about Germany and to refer to an old period of time."

He added that "it's not the reality now in Germany and we are sure of that."

___

2:15 p.m.

Germany's foreign minister says European Union countries have a common interest in not letting NATO partner Turkey "drift further to the east."

Sigmar Gabriel, speaking after EU foreign and defense ministers met in Brussels, says that's one reason why de-escalation is necessary in a diplomatic spat over Turkish politicians' planned appearances in European countries to campaign for a new constitution.

Gabriel said Monday: "Even at the time when Turkey was a military dictatorship, no one wanted to question its NATO membership. That was for the same reasons there are today: that we don't want to let it drift in the wrong direction."

___

2:05 p.m.

Turkey's main opposition party says it strongly condemns the restrictions that some European nations have imposed on Turkish ministers' plans to campaign in Europe but says Turkey's ruling party is guilty of the same "free speech" violations inside Turkey.

Selin Sayek Boke, the spokeswoman for the Republican People's Party, told reporters in Ankara on Monday that the government itself was engaged in unfair practices in the run-up to the April 16 referendum on expanding the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Boke said among other things, opposition parties' campaign meetings have been canceled, supporters of the "no" vote have been declared "terrorists," and that some opponents face judicial investigations.

Boke said the opposition "knows best what it means not to have a right to freedom of speech. The (ruling party) knows best how to restrict one's freedom of speech."

___

1:10 p.m.

Germany's defense minister is calling for a de-escalation of tensions with Turkey that center on Turkish ministers' plans to campaign in Europe for a new constitution.

Ursula von der Leyen said after European Union foreign and defense ministers met in Brussels: "What is decisive for us is that we de-escalate now ... that we become more objective again in terms of tone."

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel noted that Germany has long been a target of Turkish parties' campaigning, and that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself has campaigned in Germany before. He said: "The events themselves must be held in such a way that everyone is sure they won't be used to whip up emotions so much that afterward we can't ensure security in our own country."

Gabriel added: "One thing is clear. We all have an interest in domestic political tensions in Turkey not being imported to Germany." But he stressed that authorities back freedom of expression and that it's normal for Turkish politicians to want to address their compatriots.

___

12:15 p.m.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman says the German government "strongly rejected" the equation of modern Germany with Nazi Germany, adding that such comparisons minimized the crimes of the Nazis.

Steffen Seibert's remarks came Monday, a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Germany of "Nazi practices" in response to local German authorities preventing a Turkish minister from speaking at a rally.

Seibert noted that there were strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there were "far-reaching differences of opinion" between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

He says Turkish officials had a right to the same freedom of speech and assembly as others do in Germany, but insisted that appearances needed to be transparent and permitted by (local) authorities.

Seibert added: "Let us keep a cool head."

___

11 a.m.

Austria's foreign minister says his country should make clear that it won't accept campaign appearances by Turkish officials rather than waiting for a European debate on how to handle such matters.

Sebastian Kurz said as he arrived at a meeting of European Union counterparts in Brussels that "our Austrian solution should be clear: we will not accept any campaign appearances by Turkish politicians in Austria."

He added that "we don't want campaigns from other states to be brought to Austria and conflicts from other countries imported ... that is always damaging for integration."

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said that "normally you would have to think that democracy is strong enough to cope with this." But he added: "it is also absurd that someone uses the opportunity here in Europe to defend a constitution in which the state of law is only a chimera."

Asselborn said that finding the right approach isn't easy and it can't be decreed from Brussels.

___

10:55 a.m.

Germany's foreign minister is stressing the need to "normalize" what he calls a "highly strained" relationship with Turkey.

Sigmar Gabriel sounded skeptical Monday about calls from some other European Union ministers to consider EU-wide rules for campaign appearances by foreign politicians. A central element in the current tensions is plans by Turkish ministers to campaign in Germany and elsewhere for a new constitution that would give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greater powers.

Gabriel said as he arrived at a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels: "Every country has its own opinion, and there is certainly a clear legal situation in Germany."

He added: "I think the main thing is that everyone uses the possibilities they have to ensure that we get back to a somewhat normal relationship."

___

10:40 a.m.

European Union foreign ministers arriving at a meeting in Brussels say that there may be lessons to be drawn from the spat between Turkey and Germany on campaigning by officials from outside the 28-nation bloc.

Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak says that the controversy highlights the lack of European rules and standards on allowing rallies by politicians from non-member countries.

He says that "it's about time to start discussing it. I think there should be rules. I would be rather restrictive, because as we can see it has a huge damaging potential."

Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers to address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of an upcoming constitutional referendum that would give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan new powers.

___

9:35 a.m.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff has condemned remarks by Turkey's president accusing Germany of "Nazi practices," days after a local authority prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally there.

Peter Altmaier on Monday called President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks "absolutely unacceptable."

He told German public Television ARD that "Germany cannot be outmatched regarding the rule of law, tolerance and liberality."

He said the government was in contact with Turkey's government and announced that "we will make sure the significance of the problems of what happened in recent days will be recognized and understood in Ankara as well."

Germany-Turkey diplomatic tensions have risen amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany in support of an upcoming constitutional referendum that would give Erdogan new powers.

CORRECTS THE SPELLING OF THE POLISH MINISTER'S FIRST NAME Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, center, arrives as Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, right, greets Poland's Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski during an EU Foreign and Defense ministers meeting at the EU Council building in Brussels, Monday, March 6, 2017. The European Union is set to give the greenlight to establish a headquarters for its military training missions in Somalia, Mali and the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Turkish Minister for Economic Affairs, Nihat Zeybekci, second right, waves as he arrives at the forum hall in Leverkusen, Germany, Sunday, March 5, 2017. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

Young supporters in old military uniforms greet Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as he arrives to address a meeting in Istanbul, Sunday, March 5, 2017. (Yasin Bulbul/Presidential Press Service, Pool Photo via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

7:55 p.m.

The White House is welcoming House Republicans' long-awaited plan for replacing former President Barack Obama's signature health care law.

White House Press secretary Sean Spicer speaks to members of the media outside the West Wing of the White House, Monday, March 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

But President Donald Trump is not voicing his support for the legislation yet.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer says in a statement that the plan's release is "an important step toward restoring healthcare choices and affordability back to the American people."

He says Trump looks forward to working with Congress to repeal and replace "Obamacare," but is not weighing in on the merits of the plan.

The House proposal would roll back the government's role in health care and likely leave more Americans uninsured.

It includes repealing fines on people who choose not to purchase insurance and overhauling the federal-state Medicaid program.

___

7 p.m.

The Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee says President Donald Trump needs to give more information to the American people and Congress about his wiretapping accusations against his predecessor, Barack Obama.

Sen. John McCain told reporters Monday: "The dimensions of this are huge. It's accusing a former president of the United States of violating the law. That's never happened before."

Without providing any evidence, Trump on Saturday made the explosive claim that Obama tapped his telephones during last year's election.

The White House said Sunday that Congress' intelligence committees should investigate but declined to say anything more.

FBI Director James Comey privately asked the Justice Department to dispute the claim because he believed the allegations were false.

___

2:50 p.m.

A White House spokesman says the United States "stands with our allies" after North Korea fired four banned ballistic missiles.

Sean Spicer said Monday that the launches "are consistent with North Korea's long history of provocative behavior." He also called them a "very serious threat."

Spicer said the administration "is taking steps to enhance our ability to defend against North Korea's ballistic missiles, such as through the deployment" of the U.S. missile defense system known as THAAD.

Officials say the North Korean missiles were fired early Monday with three landing in waters that Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone.

__

2 p.m.

The White House says that President Donald Trump spoke with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Monday.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer says Trump and Netanyahu discussed "regional security challenges" and the Israeli leader thanked the president "for his strong stance" on anti-Semitism during his address to Congress last week.

The call came after Israel's defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said in parliament that the U.S. has told Israel that annexing the West Bank would be unacceptable and cause a crisis in relations.

__

10:30 a.m.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, says he hasn't seen evidence of President Donald Trump's claim that Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower last year during the election.

Chaffetz tells "CBS This Morning" that "I have not seen anything directly that would support what the president has said."

But if the allegations are true, Chaffetz said, there would be a "paper trail" on such a wiretap because it would require a warrant. He said Trump has the power to declassify such a court order.

Chaffetz said Trump has "tens of billions of dollars in intelligence" at his fingertips. He says, "I got to believe, I think, he might have something there. But if not, we're going to find out."

___

7:50 a.m.

White House advisers aren't backing away from President Donald Trump's claim that President Barack Obama wiretapped his campaign.

They insisted that Trump believes the explosive allegations he made over the weekend, for which he provided no evidence. The allegations were swiftly denied by an Obama spokesman and by Obama's intelligence chief.

Kellyanne Conway told "Fox & Friends" Monday that "credible news sources" suggested there was politically motivated activity during the campaign. She added that as president, Trump "has information and intelligence that the rest of us do not."

Likewise, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, deputy White House press secretary, told NBC's "Today" show that the president "firmly believes that the Obama administration may have tapped into the phones at Trump Tower."

When asked whether Trump's assertions were based on media reports or U.S. intelligence, Sanders said "he may have access to documents that I don't know about."

___

5:30 a.m.

The spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin is distancing the Kremlin from President Donald Trump's claim that Barack Obama tapped his phones during the election campaign.

The claim comes amid the swirl of revelations about contacts between Trump aides and Russia's ambassador to the U.S., both during and after a presidential election Russia is believed to have meddled in.

When asked about the allegation, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday that the Kremlin "should not be in any way linked to U.S. domestic issues" and "doesn't have the slightest inclination or intention to be associated with these affairs."

Trump has been trailed for months by questions about his campaign's ties to Russia. Disclosures about his aides' contacts with the Russian ambassador cost Michael Flynn his job as national security adviser.

___

3:30 a.m.

Key members of Congress say they will honor President Donald Trump's request to investigate his unsubstantiated claim that Barack Obama overstepped his authority as president and had Trump's telephones tapped during the election campaign.

A U.S. official said the FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute Trump's allegation, though no such statement has been issued.

Obama's intelligence director also said no such action was taken.

Trump made his startling claim of presidential abuse of power in a series of tweets early Saturday. They capped a week in which the positive reaction to his address to Congress quickly evaporated amid the swirl of allegations and revelations about contacts between Trump aides and a Russian official, both during and after the presidential election that Russia is believed to have meddled in.

A man watches a TV news program reporting about North Korea's missile firing at Seoul Train Station in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, March 6, 2017. North Korea on Monday fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), with three of them landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone, South Korean and Japanese officials said, in an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal. The letters on the top read " North Korea, Fire missile." The letters on the top read " North Korea, Fire missile." (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

President Donald Trump salutes as he disembarks Marine One upon arrival at the White House in Washington, Sunday, March 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

FILE - In this Feb. 27, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Trump is accusing former President Barack Obama of having Trump's telephones ``wire tapped'' during last year's election, but Trump isn't offering any evidence or saying what prompted the allegation. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
NEW YORK (AP) - David Letterman says he would have handled President Donald Trump a bit differently than "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon.

In a wide-ranging interview with Vulture, the retired late night television icon discussed the playful moment when Fallon tousled Trump's hair during an appearance on his show during the presidential campaign.

Letterman says Fallon got a "fantastic viral clip" out of the moment, but he "would have gone to work on Trump." He says, "I think I would be in the position to give him a bit of a scolding and he would have to sit there and take it."

FILE - In this Sept. 18, 2016, file photo, David Letterman stands near victory lane and watches celebrations after the IndyCar auto race in Sonoma, Calif. Letterman tells Vulture in an interview published online on March 5, 2017, that says he would have handled President Donald Trump a bit differently than "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

Letterman says he doesn't watch late night television anymore and has not seen successor Stephen Colbert's show.

Letterman retired in 2015 after 33 years as a late night host.
LONDON (AP) - British lawmakers focused on footwear Monday, asking whether employers should be able to make women wear high heels as part of a corporate dress code.

Members of Parliament were to debate a ban on mandatory workplace high heels, in response to a petition started by a receptionist who was sent home without pay for wearing flat shoes.

Nicola Thorp was told in December 2015 that her shoes were unacceptable for a temporary assignment in London with finance firm PwC.

High heels are on display in a store in London, Monday March 6, 2017. British lawmakers are due to debate banning mandatory high heels in the workplace on Monday, in response to a petition started by a receptionist who was sent home for wearing flat shoes. The debate is non-binding, but a committee of lawmakers has found that "discriminatory dress codes" are commonplace and called for urgent action. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

Her employment agency, Portico, had a dress code specifying that female workers must wear non-opaque tights, have hair with "no visible roots," wear "regularly re-applied" makeup - and appear in shoes with a heel between 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) high.

For Thorp, that was a step too far.

She started an online petition, calling formal workplace dress codes "outdated and sexist." It has gathered more than 150,000 signatures, making it eligible for a debate in Parliament.

Thorp told the BBC that "dress codes should reflect society."

"Twenty years ago, women weren't allowed to wear trousers in the same role that I'm doing now," she said. "And it's only because some women spoke up about that and said, 'We feel like we have a right to wear trousers,' that that's changed."

Monday's debate is non-binding, but the political pressure for companies to scrap mandatory high heels is building. British law forbids companies from discriminating against women, but Parliament's Women and Equalities Committee said in a report sparked by Thorp's experience that "discriminatory dress codes" remain commonplace.

The lawmakers said they heard from hundreds of women "who told us about the pain and long-term damage caused by wearing high heels for long periods in the workplace, as well as from women who had been required to dye their hair blonde, to wear revealing outfits and to constantly reapply makeup."

The committee also heard from the College of Podiatry, which said women who wear high heels for long periods of time have "reduced balance, reduced ankle flexion and weaker muscle power in the calf." It also said they are prone to disabling pain.

The committee urged the government to enforce existing laws against discrimination and impose higher fines on companies that break the rules.

In London's financial district on Monday, many workers felt that companies were entitled to impose dress codes - but that mandatory high heels went too far.

"A lot of things are enforced, but high heels in particular - because that can also be a health issue for people - I think that's unnecessary," said company director Penelope Mantzaris.

Banker Dan Matthews said his company expected men to wear suits and ties "and I think that's a fair request."

"So I suppose it's fairly contradictory in a way, because in one respect I'm saying that we men should be required to wear a suit and tie but women shouldn't wear high heels," he said. "But I think that's just where the line happens to be at the moment."

In response to Thorp's petition, the government said the law already specifies that dress codes must be reasonable and "make equivalent requirements for men and women."

"Employers should not be discriminating against women in what they require them to wear," the government said.

Thorp's petition has already caused one change. Portico announced last year it was amending its policy to adopt a gender-neutral dress code and to allow workers to wear flat shoes if they prefer.

___

Jonathan Shenfield contributed to this story.

Equality activist Nicola Thorp poses for a picture outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Monday, March 6, 2017. Nicola Thorp was told in December 2015 that her shoes were unacceptable for a temporary assignment in London with finance firm PwC. Members of Parliament on Monday will debate banning mandatory workplace high heels, in response to a petition by a receptionist who was sent home for wearing flat shoes. Thorp's petition, which calls formal workplace dress codes "outdated and sexist," gathered more than 150,000 signatures, making it eligible for a non-binding debate in Parliament. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

High heels are on display in a store in London, Monday March 6, 2017. British lawmakers are due to debate banning mandatory high heels in the workplace on Monday, in response to a petition started by a receptionist who was sent home for wearing flat shoes. The debate is non-binding, but a committee of lawmakers has found that "discriminatory dress codes" are commonplace and called for urgent action. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

A person poses for a picture walking past high heels on display in the Pretty Small Shoes store in Bloomsbury, London, Monday, March 6, 2017. Members of Parliament on Monday will debate banning mandatory workplace high heels, in response to a petition by a receptionist who was sent home for wearing flat shoes. The petition, which calls formal workplace dress codes "outdated and sexist," gathered more than 150,000 signatures, making it eligible for a non-binding debate in Parliament. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

A person looks at high heels on display at the Pretty Small Shoes store in Bloomsbury, London, Monday, March 6, 2017. Members of Parliament on Monday will debate banning mandatory workplace high heels, in response to a petition by a receptionist who was sent home for wearing flat shoes. The petition, which calls formal workplace dress codes "outdated and sexist," gathered more than 150,000 signatures, making it eligible for a non-binding debate in Parliament. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

High heels on display in the Pretty Small Shoes store in Bloomsbury, London, Monday, March 6, 2017. Members of Parliament on Monday will debate banning mandatory workplace high heels, in response to a petition by a receptionist who was sent home for wearing flat shoes. The petition, which calls formal workplace dress codes "outdated and sexist," gathered more than 150,000 signatures, making it eligible for a non-binding debate in Parliament. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

People walk past high heels on display in a shoe store on Oxford Street, London, Monday, March 6, 2017. Members of Parliament on Monday will debate banning mandatory workplace high heels, in response to a petition by a receptionist who was sent home for wearing flat shoes. The petition, which calls formal workplace dress codes "outdated and sexist," gathered more than 150,000 signatures, making it eligible for a non-binding debate in Parliament. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

Equality activist Nicola Thorp poses for a picture outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Monday, March 6, 2017. Nicola Thorp was told in December 2015 that her shoes were unacceptable for a temporary assignment in London with finance firm PwC. Members of Parliament on Monday will debate banning mandatory workplace high heels, in response to a petition by a receptionist who was sent home for wearing flat shoes. Thorp's petition, which calls formal workplace dress codes "outdated and sexist," gathered more than 150,000 signatures, making it eligible for a non-binding debate in Parliament. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)
VIENNA (AP) - Austrian government officials are criticizing a recommendation by the country's Islamic leaders that Muslim women wear a headscarf with the onset of puberty.

Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, who also is the country's integration minister, says the stance is "an attack on the freedom and self-determination of women." State Secretary Maria Duzdar says such restrictions on the freedom of women are "unacceptable."

Austrian media reported their comments Monday in reaction to a recommendation by the Islamic Community. The organization says the final decision is a woman's to make and criticizes what it says is political interference into religious affairs.

The Austrian government has prohibited full-face veils in courts, schools and other "public places" and banned police officers, judges, magistrates and public prosecutors from wearing headscarves earlier this year.
PRAGUE (AP) - Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka says the country could start building a new nuclear reactor as soon as 2025.

Unlike some other European countries, the Czech Republic relies heavily on nuclear energy and Sobotka's government in 2015 approved a long-term plan to increase nuclear power production.

As part of the plan, the government wants to build at least one more reactor at the Dukovany plant, and later possibly another at the Temelin plant.

In this Sept.. 27, 2011, file photo, a man fishes in a scene dominated by the towering Dukovany nuclear power plant in Dukovany, Czech Republic. Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said Monday, March 6, 2017 the country could start building a new nuclear reactor as soon as in 2025. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Financing of the project is yet to be decided. Major players from the United States, Russia, Japan, France, China and South Korea are expected to bid for the lucrative Dukovany nuclear contract, worth over $4 billion.

Sobotka said Monday that a deal to build it could be signed in 2022.

The reactor could become operational around 2035.
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - A Serbian court has rejected a second extradition request by Montenegro for suspects in an alleged pro-Russia plot to overthrow the Balkan country's government.

The Special Court said Monday that Predrag Bogicevic cannot be handed over because Montenegro suspects him of committing a crime by acting from the territory of Serbia and not inside Montenegro.

The same court already has rejected Montenegro's request for the extradition of Nemanja Ristic, also wanted in the alleged foiled coup in October.

Montenegro has accused some 20 people - including two Russians - of the election-day plot to kill the then-prime minister and take power in order to derail the country's NATO bid.

Montenegro says the two Russians coordinated the operation from Serbia. Moscow has denied involvement.
JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Nigeria on Monday announced the imminent closure of the international airport at Abuja, the capital, for six weeks to repair the runway.

The airport closure likely could delay the return home of President Muhammadu Buhari, who left the country on vacation on Jan. 19 and who has remained in London for medical treatment of an undisclosed condition.

Information Minister Lai Mohammed told a news conference that Abuja International Airport will be closed from Wednesday until April 9 for repairs to the runway, which experts say is in shocking disrepair. A South African Airways jet was damaged on landing there in August.

The government has urged airlines to fly instead to the small airport in Kaduna, 250-kilometers (155-miles) north of Abuja accessible by a highway notorious for accidents, hijackings and kidnappings.

All international airlines except Ethiopian Airlines have temporarily cancelled flights and said that they will not fly to Kaduna, apparently fearing for their passengers' safety.

Airlines including British Airways, Air France and Delta will continue to fly to Nigeria's economic hub of Lagos, but the closure of the capital's airport means a major disruption for government and private business.

The government has said it will provide security for buses to shuttle passengers from Kaduna airport to Abuja. On Monday, police beefed up security on the road, Premium Times newspaper reported. It quoted police chief Ibrahim Idris as saying measures include explosives-sniffing dogs at the airport and 24-hour helicopter surveillance of the highway.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says he'd be willing to talk about possibly replacing the statues that represent the state in the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Currently, Mississippi is represented by statues of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Confederate politician J.Z. George.

Many would like to see other famous natives such as Elvis Presley, blues musician B.B. King or author William Faulkner representing the state at the Capitol.

Gov. Bryant told Jackson newspaper The Clarion-Ledger (http://on.thec-l.com/2msYo4K ) he'd be willing to have "a general discussion about the Mississippi statues, particularly J.Z. George." He added that "B.B. King and Elvis would both be good possibilities for a replacement."

On Wednesday, a panel at the University of Mississippi plans to debate whether one or both statues should be replaced.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio's top court has ruled that sentences for suspects caught with cocaine can be based on the weight of the entire amount, which could include filler material such as baking soda.

The Ohio Supreme Court's 5-2 decision Monday overturned its own decision late last year, which held that sentences must be based on how much pure cocaine the suspects had.

The rare reversal came after the Wood County Prosecutor's Office asked the court to reconsider its December ruling.

The 2012 case stemmed from a drug sting near Toledo that netted an 11-year sentence for a man convicted of buying more than 100 grams of cocaine from an undercover informant.

Prosecutors have said the earlier decision would have delayed and shortened sentences for suspects caught with cocaine.
The word "bills" used to be synonymous with "fixed expenses." But there's nothing fixed about many of the bills a typical household pays today.

Some bills have introductory rates that expire, shooting monthly costs skyward. Others offer secret discounts or upgrades to those in the know. Providers constantly tweak their plans and pricing, which means long-term customers can overpay by hundreds of dollars a year.

"It's like airline seating pricing," says Steven McKean, founder and CEO of BillShark, a bill negotiating service based in Boston. "I wouldn't say (people) are overcharged, but I would just say that the pricing is very opaque."

FILE - This file photo provided by NerdWallet shows Liz Weston, a columnist for personal finance website NerdWallet.com. (Dylan Entelis/NerdWallet via AP, File)

BillShark calculates Americans could save $50 billion a year by haggling over their bills for cell phone service, home security, internet and pay television. The company, like its competitors BillFixers of Nashville, Tennessee, and BillCutterz of Corpus Christi, Texas, offers to negotiate for consumers in exchange for 40 percent to 50 percent of the savings.

The savings can total hundreds or even thousands of dollars. McKean said his negotiators cut bills by an average of $320 each, with annual savings ranging from $250 for home security to $300 for TV, phone and Internet bundles to $360 for cell phone bills.

Some of the biggest savings right now can be found in cell phone plans as a price war roils the industry, says BillFixers founder Ben Kurland. "A lot of the cell phone providers have introduced multiple plans just this year," he says. "If you have a cell plan that's more than 6 months old, you may not be on the most efficient plan for you anymore."

In addition to cell phone plans, bill negotiators say the following services often have plenty of room for negotiation:

- Pay television (cable or satellite)

- Landline phones

- Internet

- Alarm systems

- Storage units

- Satellite radio

- Bottled water delivery

- Gym memberships

What these bills have in common is competition: In most areas, there's another provider that you can hire. You also can opt out, at least theoretically. It's typically much harder to tell your electric company that you can do without lights.

Most BillShark customers would rather stick with the service they have than deal with the sometimes considerable hassles of changing providers, McKean says.

"They don't want to rip out their DVR, and they don't want new equipment, and they don't want to sit around (waiting to) set up all this stuff," he says. "They just want a lower price."

Sometimes a competitor's deals are so much better that it's worth the switch, he says. That's particularly true for cell phone providers, who are paying customers' early termination fees and offering other bounties to switch.

"They're all desperate to steal each other's clients," Kurland says. "Switching providers a lot of times just comes with an instant payoff, and then over the long term, as long as you switch smart, you'll find that you can save money month after month."

Knowing you have that kind of leverage can help you negotiate better deals. Here are the steps:

- Gather competitors' offers. These may be touted on the providers' websites, or you may have to call and ask what the best deals are for new customers. Make sure you nail down the details, such as the speed of the internet service and which television channels are included, for example.

- Call your provider. Let the telephone representative know, right away, that you're thinking of switching to a competitor or canceling the service if you can't get a better deal. That typically means a transfer to the customer retention department, which often has more leeway to adjust your bill. Keep an open mind as you talk; there are many ways to cut the cost of cable, for example, not just negotiating the price.

- Tell them what you know. Companies have caught on to empty threats to cancel, Kurland says. "But if you call up and you say, 'Hey, this is the other provider on my street, and this is the new price that they're offering. I know that your new customer pricing is even lower than that. Why don't we strike a deal?'" Kurland says. "Then you're talking their language."

- Don't accept the first offer. If "Can't you do any better than that?" doesn't produce a deeper discount, tell them you'll sleep on it. That may produce another price break, or you may get a different agent the next day who's more eager to deal.

- Get clear on expiration dates. Any discounts you negotiate may expire in a few months. To help you keep getting the best deals, enter the expiration dates on your calendar with a reminder to restart negotiations before your bill jumps up again.

- Think bigger. Monthly bills such as mortgages and car insurance aren't negotiable in the same way, but you can and should revisit those rates at least annually. The savings could be bigger than all your smaller bills put together.

___________

This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet.

Liz Weston is a certified financial planner and columnist at NerdWallet. Email: lweston@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @lizweston.

RELATED LINKS

NerdWallet: 7 Ways to Lower Your Cable Bill

http://nerd.me/2m3kKKe
BEIRUT (AP) - The Latest on Syria developments (all times local):

5:10 p.m.

A newspaper says that a Russian general has been badly wounded in a militant attack in Syria.

The business daily Kommersant reported Monday that Maj. Gen. Pyotr Milyukhin lost both legs and an eye when militants blew up his vehicle with a remotely controlled land mine last month. It said the general has been evacuated to Moscow and is now in stable condition at a military hospital.

The Defense Ministry had earlier said that four of its servicemen were killed in the attack, but it hasn't reported that Milyukhin was wounded. The Feb. 16 attack came when a Russian vehicle carrying the general and his escort was traveling as part of a Syrian military convoy to the central city of Homs from the Tiyas air base.

___

12:25 p.m.

U.S.-backed Syrian fighters have cut the main road between the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, which is controlled by the Islamic State group, and the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, which is partially controlled by IS.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says fighters from the Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces cut the road linking the two cities in the area of Jazra near Raqqa, the de facto capital of the IS self-declared caliphate.

SDF said in a statement Monday that its fighters captured seven area villages, enabling them to blockade the road.

SDF fighters have been on the offensive under the cover of airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition since November as part of operation Euphrates Wrath, which aims to surround and capture Raqqa.
PARIS (AP) - The Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute previewed parts of its highly-anticipated exhibit Monday honoring Comme des Garcons designer Rei Kawakubo during Paris Fashion Week.

Kawakubo, 74, attended the sneak-peak session alongside Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

Wintour will co-chair the May 1 Met Gala that inaugurates the exhibit with Katy Perry, Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen and Pharrell Williams.

The preview showcased five dramatic, flame-red creations selected from Comme des Garcons collections across three decades - all framed in a neon-lit structure.

The Tokyo-based designer officially founded the cerebral design house in 1973 to critical acclaim - and was dubbed "anti-fashion" for challenging the notions of beauty with her innovative, austere aesthetic. Comme des Garcons has been showing collections in Paris each season since 1981.

Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton, who posed with the shades-wearing designer at the Pavillon Vendome, said Monday that Kawakubo is considered the world's "most important and influential designer" of the moment and "has consistently defined and re-defined the aesthetics of our time."

It's the first time the famed gala, and accompanying exhibit, will focus on one living designer since 1983, when it highlighted the work of Yves Saint Laurent.

___

"Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between" runs May 4-Sept. 4 in New York
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) - Slovenia's president said Monday his invitation to host a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin still stands despite the talk of the Kremlin's meddling in the American elections.

Borut Pahor told The Associated Press that a "tradition" of first meetings between U.S. and Russian presidents in the small Alpine state shouldn't be discarded - and Slovenia is also the U.S. first lady's native land.

In June 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush and Putin had their first face-to-face meeting in Slovenia to explore the possibility of compromise on U.S. missile defense plans that Moscow opposed.

Slovenia's president Borut Pahor talks during an interview with the Associated Press in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Monday, March 6, 2017. Slovenia's president says his invitation for a summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin stands. If nothing else, Slovenia is the first lady's home country. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

"Slovenia has officially expressed readiness ... it is ready to be the host of this meeting," said Pahor, whose country is a member of the EU but has traditional ties with Russia. "They would be welcome in fine atmosphere."

Melania Trump - born Melanija Knavs - left Slovenia in her 20s to pursue an international modeling career.

"Probably it would be attractive for the president of the United States because the first lady is from our country," Pahor said. "I wouldn't be surprised if they decide differently, it's their decision."

Putin has said Slovenia would be a good venue, but added that it's not only up to him.

Pahor said he had "briefly" discussed the issue with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

"He was polite, but his answer wasn't final," Pahor said.

Trump has been trailed for months by questions about his campaign's ties to Russia. Compounding the situation is the U.S. intelligence agencies' assessment that Russia interfered with the election to help Trump triumph over Hillary Clinton, along with disclosures about his aides' contacts with a Russian official.

Slovenia's president Borut Pahor gestures during an interview with the Associated Press in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Monday, March 6, 2017. Slovenia's president says his invitation for a summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin stands. Borut Pahor told The Associated Press on Monday that a "tradition" of first meetings between U.S. and Russian presidents in the small Alpine state shouldn't be discarded - and Slovenia is also the U.S. first lady's native land (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
WASHINGTON (AP) - A Louisiana congressman has apologized for making a crude joke about White House adviser Kellyanne Conway.

Democrat Cedric Richmond made the joke during a comedy routine at last week's annual Washington Press Club Foundation congressional dinner. Citing the picture of Conway kneeling on a couch in the Oval Office, Richmond said Conway looked "kind of familiar there in that position."

The joke fell flat as the room full of journalists, congressional staffers and politicians audibly groaned.

In this photo taken Feb. 27, 2017, Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, on couch, as President Donald Trump meets with leaders of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La. has apologized for making a crude joke about Conway. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Richmond initially defended the joke, saying his use of the word "familiar" simply meant that Conway looked too comfortable.

But Sunday night he issued a statement apologizing for the joke.

"After a discussion with people I know and trust I understand the way my remarks have been received by many," said Richmond. "I have consistently been a champion for women and women's issues, and because of that the last thing I would want to ever do is utter words that would hurt or demean them. I apologize to Kellyanne Conway and everyone who has found my comments to be offensive."

It was unclear whether Richmond reached out to Conway or simply issued a statement.

Richmond is in his fourth term representing New Orleans and Baton Rouge. He is also chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The congressional dinner is a light-hearted affair in which journalists and politicians mingle. Usually a Republican and a Democratic member of Congress take a stab at delivering a stand-up comedy routine. Some are funny while others bomb miserably.

The Republican comedian at this year's dinner was Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. He first mentioned Conway's picture during his stand-up routine.

"Has anyone seen the controversy around Kellyanne Conway and the couch in the Oval Office?" Scott said. "Come on, people. You remember the '90s. That couch has had a whole lot of worse things. Come on now."

Scott was apparently referring to President Bill Clinton's Oval Office affair with a White House intern.

Richmond's joke about Conway appeared to be off the cuff.

"Tim, you kind of opened the door. I really just want to know what was going on there, because, you know, I won't tell anybody," Richmond said. "And you can just explain to me that circumstance - because she really looked kind of familiar in that position there. Don't answer - and I don't want you to refer back to the 1990s."

___

Follow Stephen Ohlemacher on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephenatap
BOSTON (AP) - Boston Medical Center has received a $25 million gift that it will use to combat the growing public health crisis stemming from opioid drug addiction.

The Boston Globe (http://bit.ly/2m9Quet ) reports that the largest donation in hospital history will help establish the Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine, named after billionaire investor John Grayken and his wife, Eilene.

The couple says they prefer to donate anonymously, but are going public with their gift with hopes of destigmatizing addiction and encouraging others to follow their lead.

The hospital, which serves more low-income patients than any other medical facility in New England, is considered a national leader in addiction issues.

President and chief executive Kate Walsh called the donation a game changer "because it brings addiction medicine out of the philanthropic shadows."

___

Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.bostonglobe.com
Leslie Kurtz needed three plates, eight screws and a big assist from her insurer after breaking every bone in her ankle while white water rafting.

Coverage she purchased through a public insurance exchange established by the federal health care law paid $65,000 toward surgery and the care she needed after the 2015 accident. But that protection may not exist next year because insurers have abandoned the Knoxville, Tennessee resident's exchange. As of now, Kurtz has no future coverage options, and she is worried.

"I can't afford to have everything I've worked for taken away because I fell down the steps," Kurtz said.

In this Sunday, March 5, 2017, photo, Leslie Kurtz, right, poses for a picture with her husband, Bart Bartram, daughter Rainey, and son Rio as she holds a print of an X-ray of her ankle, in Knoxville, Tenn. Leslie Kurtz needed three plates, eight screws and a big assist from her insurer after breaking every bone in her ankle during a whitewater rafting accident in 2015. Coverage she purchased through a public insurance exchange established by the federal health care law helped with her medical expenses, but that protection may not exist next year because insurers have abandoned her exchange. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Her county is one of 16 in Tennessee that lack even a single insurance company committed to offering coverage for 2018 on the exchange, after Humana announced last month plans to exit.

Exchanges set up by the Affordable Care Act were designed to give customers a chance to shop for coverage and then buy a plan, most with help from tax credits. The idea was that such a marketplace would push insurers to offer affordable plans to compete for customers.

But insurers in many markets have been pulling back from the exchanges after losing money. According to an analysis by the Associated Press and the health care firm Avalere Health, more than 1,000 counties, where about 2.8 million people are insured through the exchanges, are down to their last insurance carrier, according to the most recent data.

With less competition, that could mean sharply higher rates. And with more insurers still considering leaving other markets, customers around the country could be stuck like Kurtz with no affordable coverage options in 2018.

Insurers still have a few more weeks to decide to stay in their exchanges, and other insurers may jump into new markets, though that can be expensive and risky for them. The government recently announced several short-term fixes for the exchanges, and insurers have welcomed the moves. But they want to see the final version of the improvements before deciding on 2018.

"No insurer wants the negative public backlash from dropping insurance for lots of people, but the companies need to feel like the market is stable and that there's a chance of making money," said Larry Levitt, a health insurance expert with the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.

Chief among undecided companies is the Blue Cross-Blue Shield carrier Anthem Inc. It is the lone insurer on exchanges in 300 counties in seven states, according to data compiled by the AP and Avalere.

Anthem CEO Joseph Swedish would not commit to participating on exchanges next year and said in a statement last month that the market is sliding toward "significant deterioration and requires changes to ensure future stability and affordability."

Anthem and the many other companies that sell coverage under the Blue Cross-Blue Shield brand will be crucial to the fate of the exchanges because they often specialize in insurance for individuals, and many have a long-standing presence in their markets. They also are the only remaining option on exchanges in nearly a third of the nation's 3,100 counties.

For instance, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is the lone exchange option in 95 counties, covering more than 500,000 people, according to the analysis by AP and Avalere. The North Carolina insurer, which is not owned by Anthem, declined to comment on its 2018 plans.

Insurers typically are still sorting out coverage plans at this time of year, so it's not unusual for them to be undecided about 2018. But never before have insurers bluntly stated that they can't commit until they see what the government does to improve the exchanges.

The Kaiser Family Foundation's Levitt says insurers are worried about losses, but they also may be using the leverage their indecision gives them.

"Insurers kind of want the threat that they may pull out to be taken seriously now, so that they get some of the changes they are looking for," he said.

Customers can buy coverage outside the exchanges, if insurers are selling individual plans in their market. But then they won't be able to use tax credits to help pay the bills, which may be particularly painful since many markets have seen prices soar.

Customers won't know for certain who is selling on their exchanges until next fall. While insurers have to apply to sell coverage on their exchanges generally by late spring or early summer, they can drop out later if claims turn out worse than expected, noted Dave Dillon, a fellow of the Society of Actuaries.

Last fall, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Nebraska announced a little more than a month before open enrollment started that it was shuttering its exchange business due to a loss of $140 million.

Insurance experts have said bigger metropolitan areas usually have more choice on their exchanges. But smaller cities or rural areas could be hurt most if more insurers pull back.

Customers who already lost exchange options for 2018 are concerned. Knoxville resident Melissa Nance bought her Humana plan on the exchange without a subsidy, but she's worried that she won't find an affordable replacement after that insurer leaves.

The 45-year-old is fighting an aggressive form of leukemia. She needs insurance to cover blood tests and CT scans to detect whether the cancer has returned.

"I'm a sick person now," she said. "I am constantly having to go to the doctor."

Fellow Knoxville resident Leslie Kurtz is thinking about moving. The self-employed television producer needs subsidies to afford coverage for her family of four.

Kurtz says she would have gone bankrupt if she had no insurance when she broke her ankle.

"I don't have $65,000, I would have had to sell the house," she said. "We need access to health care because (stuff) happens."

___

Follow Tom Murphy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thpmurphy .
Money & Markets modules for Tuesday March 7

TODAY

The Federal Reserve reports its monthly tally of consumer credit, and Urban Outfitters reports its quarterly results. The Commerce Department releases figures on the U.S. trade deficit for January.

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

Tyson Foods shares slipped Monday after tens of thousands of chickens at a supplier in Tennessee had to be destroyed because of a bird flu outbreak.

CENTERPIECE

Big payday?

Snap's blockbuster debut on the New York Stock Exchange last week recalled earlier technology IPOs like Facebook and Twitter, but how a stock trades on its first day has almost nothing to do with its long-term performance.

STORY STOCKS

Tyson Foods (TSN)

Southwestern Energy (SWN)

Deutsche Bank (DB)

Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Armstrong Flooring (AFI)

United States Steel (X)

TG Therapeutics (TGTX)

Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB)

FUND FOCUS

Columbia Contrarian Core (LCCAX)

An experienced manager has turned in an impressive record with a well-structured approach to buying out-of-favor stocks, but it could afford to make larger fee reductions, Morningstar says.

For questions about Money & Markets modules, please contact Greg Keller (212-621-7958). For technical support: contact Todd Balog (816-654-1096). After 6 p.m., contact the AP Business News desk (800-845-8450, ext. 1680) for content questions; 1-800-3AP-STOX for technical support and 212-621-1905 for graphics help. The Money & Markets digest can also be found at www.markets.ap.org.
PARIS (AP) - The brother-in-law of a missing French couple has confessed to killing them and their two adult children with a crowbar, then dismembering the corpses, over an old inheritance dispute, authorities said Monday.

The prosecutor in the western town of Nantes said at a news conference that Hubert Caouissin told investigators he slipped into the home of the Troadec family at night last month with the intention of retrieving a key, but found himself face to face with his brother-in-law, who the suspect said was holding a crowbar.

Caouissin told investigators he managed to wrest the iron bar away, and that he first killed Pascal Troadec and his wife, Brigitte, then their two children, aged 21 and 18.

FILE - This handout photo provided by the French Police Nationale sent to French police authorities on Feb. 24, 2017, shows portraits of the missing Troadec family. From left, father Pascal Troadec, mother Brigitte Troadec, son Sebastien Troadec, and daughter Charlotte Troadec. French media say the former brother-in-law of a missing French couple has confessed to killing them and their two adult children. (Police Nationale via AP, File)

"It seems that the bodies were dismembered, that one part was buried, the other part burnt," prosecutor Pierre Sennes said.

The prosecutor spoke of a "criminal scene of great violence." The bodies have not been found so far.

The motive behind the four killings allegedly was a family dispute over a poorly shared inheritance, including gold coins, Sennes said

Caouissin and his partner, Lydie Troadec - the sister of Pascal Troadec - are being questioned by investigating judges and are expected to be handed preliminary charges later Monday, the prosecutor said.

Traces of blood from Pascal and Brigitte Troadec, and from son Sebastien, were found on the staircase and ground floor during an initial search Feb. 23 of the home in Orvault, a suburb of Nantes. The national health card of their 18-year-old daughter, Charlotte, was found in a pair of trousers in a ditch more than 270 kilometers (170 miles) away.

The family phones have gone unused since Feb. 17.

FILE - This Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017 file photo shows a police car parked outside the house belonging to the missing Troadec family in Orvault, near Nantes, western France. French media say the former brother-in-law of a missing French couple has confessed to killing them and their two adult children. (AP Photo/Laetitia Notarianni, File)

FILE - This Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017 file photo shows the mailbox, sealed by police, of the house belonging to the missing Troadec family in Orvault, near Nantes, western France. French media say the former brother-in-law of a missing French couple has confessed to killing them and their two adult children. (AP Photo/Laetitia Notarianni, File)

FILE - This handout photo provided by the French Police Nationale and sent to French police authorities on Feb. 24, 2017, shows the portraits of a missing couple Pascal Troadec, left, and his wife Brigitte. French media say the former brother-in-law of a missing French couple has confessed to killing them and their two adult children. (Police Nationale via AP, File)
MOSCOW (AP) - Russia on Monday honored the world's first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, who recalled tense moments of her pioneering mission on her 80th birthday.

Soviet officials at the time said the 1963 mission went without a hitch, and only a few years ago Tereshkova first spoke about a technical glitch that could have left her stranded in space.

"When the spacecraft reached the orbit, I realized that I wouldn't be able to return to Earth because the ship was programmed to move to a higher orbit instead of deorbiting," Tereshkova said in remarks broadcast by Channel 1 television. "I reported the situation to the mission control, they told me how to change the parameters and everything went on without trouble."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, congratulates the first woman in space, cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, on her 80th birthday in Moscow, Russia, Monday, March 6, 2017. (Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Soviet space officials started planning for a space mission by a woman soon after Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly to space on April, 12 1961, seeing it as a way to cement the nation's lead in a race for space supremacy against the United States.

Tereshkova, a textile factory worker who liked parachute jumps, was chosen for the flight after a rigorous selection from hundreds of candidates. While heading to the launch pad, she told her relatives that she was going to attend a parachute competition - a reflection of deep secrecy that surrounded the Soviet space program.

The three-day mission made her an instant global celebrity and a poster figure for Soviet space glory. Tereshkova received a hero's welcome after the flight and was showered with awards and honorary titles.

"It was hard, but we realized that we were working to make the country's glory shine and prevent the competitors from thrusting ahead," Tereshkova said Monday. "It was a great happiness to be the first in space."

Her birthday led the news on national television.

President Vladimir Putin hosted Tereshkova at the Kremlin, praising her as "a role model for us and a symbol of service to the Fatherland."

He presented Tereshkova with a painting of seagulls over the Volga River, a reference to her call sign Chaika (Seagull) during her mission in June 1963.

"I often see my flight in my dreams," she said in televised remarks.

Tereshkova is still a member of the Russian parliament, serving as a deputy chair of committee for municipal issues. Fellow lawmakers greeted her at a photo exhibition about her flight in the lower house, the State Duma.
YOLA, Nigeria (AP) - A Nigerian High Court has convicted and jailed a former state governor for corruption.

Former Gov. Bala James Ngilari of northeastern Adamawa state was found guilty of improperly awarding a 167 million-naira ($1 billion) contract to buy vehicles during his seven-month stint as governor that ended in 2015. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment on Monday.

Ngilari is the first senior government figure to be successfully prosecuted since President Muhammadu Buhari took office in May 2015 and declared a war on the endemic corruption that has impoverished this oil-rich nation.

It was unclear how much Ngilari made on the deal. It occurred while his state was battling an Islamic uprising by Boko Haram extremists.

He's the first governor to be jailed in Nigeria since military rule ended in 1999.
PARIS (AP) - Leaders of France, Germany, Spain and Italy have called for a European Union which allows groups of member states to advance at their own pace, in a joint effort to cushion the impact of the Brexit.

French president Francois Hollande hosted his counterparts on Monday evening in Versailles, near Paris, to prepare for a larger EU meeting later this week.

"Europe must be able to draw the consequences of the Brexit", he said in a joint statement with the other leaders of the European Union's major economies.

From left, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France's President Francois Hollande arrive to make a joint statement at the Versailles castle, near Paris, France, Monday, March 6, 2017. Hollande is hosting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni in Versailles to prepare for a larger EU meeting later this week. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Hollande has pointed to the creation of a European defense that would operate in coordination with NATO as a priority.

In an interview published Monday in six European newspapers, he warned against the risk of implosion of the European Union.

"We must have the courage to accept that some countries can move forward a little more quickly than others," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. She insisted other member states should be able to join the more advanced ones when they are ready.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni joined their voices to call for steps toward further EU integration and to maintain Europe's common project.

The leaders also called on the EU to form new policies to protect its borders, handle the refugee crisis and improve the fight against terrorism.

Britain is expected to launch negotiations by the end the month on the terms of its exit from the bloc.

Last week the European Union's executive arm unveiled new ideas to keep the bloc unified.

The European Commission foresees five possible scenarios for Europe by 2025: to carry on as usual; function as a single market only; do less but be more efficient; allow groups of member states to advance at their own pace; or do far more together.
Ernie, a K-9 officer with the Covington Police Department

A man who shot a police dog twice, right in front of his officer-owner will never serve a day in prison for the crime.

Daleon Rice shot Ernie, the German shepherd police dog in April 2015, which is a crime that can carry felony charges if the dog is seriously injured.

Luckily for Rice and for Ernie, he made a full recovery and is back to work, making the crime just a misdemeanor.

That is because under Kentucky law, assaulting a police dog is only a felony if the dog dies or can't resume his duties. Otherwise, it's a misdemeanor that often carries no jail time.

Rice ended up being sentenced to 40 years in prison on other charges, but it irked Officer Mike Lusardi and Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders that Ernie's assault would not be punished.

They lobbied the state legislature to change the law, and though a bill did not pass last year, but a new one sponsored by Republican Representative Diane St. Onge sailed through the Kentucky legislature this year.

The state Senate gave the bill final approval Monday and sent it to Republican Governor Matt Bevin for his signature.

Rice shot Ernie twice right in front of Lusardi, pictured left, once in the front left leg and once in the back right leg

Kentucky is one of six states that consider it a misdemeanor to harm a police dog, according to the United States Police Canine Association.

Twelve states make it a felony to harm or kill a police dog regardless of the circumstances, while the penalties in 23 states depend on how bad the dog was harmed.

'Most of the states are falling in line with protections human beings would have as well,' Ferland said.

While police dogs have special bonds with their handlers, they also require a serious financial commitment from a police department.

When you combine the cost of purchasing, caring for and training the dog, it ends up costing more than a police car, according to Lt. Col. Brian Steffen of the Covington Police Department.

Daelon Rice, pictured in a mug shot, ended up receiving a sentence of 40 years for other crimes, but none related to injuring the canine

Covington Police were unfamiliar with Kentucky's law until Ernie was shot.

'I didn't understand it. To me, he's a partner, he's a police officer,' Lusardi said. 'He's saved my life several times.'

One of those times was April 2015. Police were looking for Rice after he stabbed his mother in the head several times with a knife.

Lusardi spotted him on a street in Covington and tried to arrest him. Ernie was there, too, and Lusardi released him to stop Rice from fleeing.

But when Rice turned around, he had a gun pointed at Lusardi. Rice fired, but Lusardi said he was distracted, mostly because Ernie was attacking him.

The delay gave Lusardi time to take cover and return fire. Rice then shot Ernie twice, once in the front left leg and once in the back right leg. Yet Ernie only stopped fighting when Lusardi called him back.

'I knew he was hurt because I heard the big yelp, but he was still fighting through it. It was amazing,' he said.

Lusardi rushed Ernie to a veterinarian, who performed surgery to remove the bullets. One bullet is still in Ernie's leg, resulting in a slight limp when he walks.

Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders (pictured0 lobbied state legislature with Officer Lusardi to change the law regarding sentencing for harming police dogs

Ernie isn't the only police dog to be wounded on the job. In 2014, a Kenton County Sheriff's Dog named Santo was sent into a trailer to try and resolve an eight-hour standoff, according to Sheriff Charles Korzenborn.

The man stabbed the dog, then choked it until it lost consciousness, resulting in another deputy entering the trailer to stop him.

'The dog woke up and the dog went back to work,' Korzenborn said. 'Between the two of them, they got him subdued.'

The suspect in that case also received no jail time for the assault, but was later arrested on other charges, according to Sanders.

'It makes no sense that a criminal's punishment is determined by whether or not the victim returns to work,' Sanders said.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - The Latest on the sentencing of former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey chairman David Samson (all times local):

2:50 p.m.

One of New Jersey's former political power players has been sentenced to four years of probation for a bribery scheme involving United Airlines.

FILE - In this July 14, 2016, file photo, David Samson, left, former chairman of The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, and one of his attorneys, Justin Walder, right, leave federal court after Samson pleaded guilty to bribery during a hearing in Newark, N.J. Samson, who resigned in March 2014, is scheduled to be sentenced Monday, March 6, 2017, for using his post to get United Airlines to run money-losing direct flights between Newark, N.J., and Columbia, S.C., saving him an hour's driving time to his weekend home. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File)

David Samson pleaded guilty last year for pressuring the airline to revive a money-losing flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to an airport near his weekend home in South Carolina in 2012.

Samson was chairman of the powerful Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and was negotiating with United over a hangar it wanted to build at Newark.

Samson is a former New Jersey attorney general who headed Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's transition team when Christie was elected in 2009.

The 77-year-old Samson apologized before sentencing. He had faced up to two years in prison, though his plea agreement allowed for the possibility of probation.

___

12:25 a.m.

A former New Jersey attorney general and mentor to Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie faces sentencing in federal court.

David Samson pleaded guilty last summer to bribery for using his position as chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 2012 to pressure United Airlines to revive a money-losing flight from Newark to South Carolina.

Samson wanted the flight so he could have easier access to a weekend home.

On Monday, he faces up to two years in prison. His attorneys have asked for probation, saying his actions were an aberration in a long and distinguished career.

Samson headed Christie's transition team and was rewarded with the Port Authority chairmanship in 2011.

FILE - In this Nov. 14, 2013, file photo, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, center, walks with David Samson, left, chairman of The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, after publicizing plans for new daily nonstop United Airlines flights to Atlantic City International Airport which began April 1, 2014, but were ended in December 2014, during a news conference at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. Samson, who resigned in March 2014, is scheduled to be sentenced Monday, March 6, 2017, after he pleaded guilty July 14, 2016, to bribery for using his post to get United Airlines to run money-losing direct flights between Newark, N.J., and Columbia, S.C., saving him an hour's driving time to his weekend home. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File)

FILE - In this March 19, 2014, file photo, David Samson, chairman of The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, walks out after excusing himself from a monthly meeting of the agency's board of commissioners, attended by protesters calling for Samson to resign, in Jersey City, N.J. Samson, who resigned later that month, is scheduled to be sentenced Monday, March 6, 2017, after he pleaded guilty July 14, 2016, to bribery for using his post to get United Airlines to run money-losing direct flights between Newark, N.J., and Columbia, S.C., saving him an hour's driving time to his weekend home. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

FILE - In this July 14, 2016, file photo, attorney and former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff leaves federal court after his client David Samson, former chairman of The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, pleaded guilty to bribery during a hearing in Newark, N.J. Samson, who resigned in March 2014, is scheduled to be sentenced Monday, March 6, 2017, for using his post to get United Airlines to run money-losing direct flights between Newark, N.J., and Columbia, S.C., saving him an hour's driving time to his weekend home. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Members of American Indian tribes from around the country are gathering in Washington for four days of protests against the Trump administration and the Dakota Access oil pipeline that will culminate with a Friday march on the White House.

Starting Tuesday, tribal members and supporters plan to camp each day on the National Mall, with teepees, a ceremonial fire, cultural workshops and speakers. Native American leaders also plan to lobby lawmakers to protect tribal rights.

On Friday, a march of about 2 miles is planned from the Army Corps of Engineers office to the White House, where a rally is scheduled. Organizers on Monday didn't immediately know how many people or tribes planned to take part.

FILE - In this Feb. 13, 2017, aerial file photo shows the site where the final phase of the Dakota Access Pipeline will take place with boring equipment routing the pipeline underground and across Lake Oahe to connect with the existing pipeline in Emmons County near Cannon Ball, N.D. An Associated Press analysis shows North Dakota stands to gain more than $110 million annually in tax revenue after oil begins coursing through the pipeline. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP, File)

"We are calling on all our Native relatives and allies to rise with us," said Dave Archambault, the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. "We must march against injustice. Native nations cannot continue to be pushed aside to benefit corporate interests and government whim."

The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

The protest comes as a federal judge in Washington is weighing a request by the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes to halt construction of the last section of the Dakota Access pipeline pending the outcomes of their lawsuit seeking to stop the project. The tribes say that section of the pipeline, which will pass under Lake Oahe, a large Missouri River reservoir, will threaten their water supply, sacred sites and religious rights. The judge is expected to rule this week.

The Friday march will begin at the Corps of Engineers office because the agency manages the Missouri River and last month gave the pipeline developer, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, permission to finish the project. The company expects to wrap up the work and have oil flowing this month.

The two tribes feel they weren't properly consulted about the pipeline route, which the government disputes. They also they maintain their treaty rights were violated when the government changed its mind about doing further environmental study of the Lake Oahe crossing after President Donald Trump took office in January.

"This fight against the Dakota Access pipeline has been the tip of the spear of a powerful global movement calling for the United States government and Donald Trump to respect indigenous nations and people in our right to water, land, sovereignty, and culture," said Dallas Goldtooth, an organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network.

___

Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/NicholsonBlake
WASHINGTON (AP) - Where immigrants are concerned, James Wright is OK with people who are here legally, as well as illegally - if they haven't committed crimes. But turn the talk specifically to the risks and benefits of admitting refugees to the U.S., and the New Jersey resident gives a fraught sigh.

"It's hard not to be conflicted," said Wright, 26, an independent who supports President Donald Trump's proposed travel ban on certain foreigners. "By no means do I want to be cruel and keep people out who need a safe place. But we have to have a better system of thoroughly finding out who they are."

Wright is part of a group of Americans a new survey suggests are making distinctions between legal immigrants who choose to be here and refugees - who are legal immigrants, too - fleeing persecution in their home countries. A new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reflects that divide, with two-thirds of the respondents saying the benefits of legal immigration generally outweigh the risks. But just over half - 52 percent - say refugees pose a great enough risk to further limit their entry into the United States.

Interviews with some of the poll's participants suggest the distinction may be one of perception in an age of religious and politically inspired violence and 4.8 million refugees fleeing war-scarred Syria.

"Sometimes the vetting might not be quality," said Randall Bagwell, 33, a Republican from of San Antonio, Texas, the state second to California in settling refugees between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31, according to the State Department. "Nobody can do quality control when they're just reacting immediately."

President Donald Trump has long linked tougher immigration limits to a safer country, and on Monday signed a new travel ban that, in part, will suspend refugee travel to the U.S. for four months except for those already on their way to the United States. The new order, which takes effect on March 16, will impose a 90-day ban on entry to the United States for people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen - all Muslim-majority nations - who are seeking new visas. It was Trump's second effort at a travel ban. The first was blocked by the courts.

Also reflecting his hard line, Trump last week announced to Congress a new office to aid Americans and their families who are victims of immigrant violence. That's despite years of studies that have shown that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born people.

Much of Trump's candidacy and young presidency has been powered by the idea that he will protect Americans from "bad dudes" who want to come here, issuing a mix of tough, if vague, policy - from "extreme vetting" to the travel ban, a border wall with Mexico and more.

Americans report conflicting feelings about immigrants just over six weeks into his presidency, the poll suggests. On the one hand, Americans see refugees as a risk apart from other legal immigrants, with a third of Democrats, and 8 in 10 Republicans, say the risks are great enough to place more limits on refugees admitted to the U.S. Despite those fears, Americans still see legal immigration generally as a boon, the poll shows. More than 6 in 10 say a major benefit of legal immigration is that it enhances the reputation of the United States as a land of opportunity.

The good and bad of immigration has long been a painful and intensifying national debate. Trump has shown some flexibility - or inconsistency, depending on one's viewpoint - on his approach. For example, Iraq is no longer on the list of countries whose people are banned. Officials from the Pentagon and State Department had urged the White House to reconsider given Iraq's key role in fighting the Islamic State group. Also, the new order does not subject Syrians to an indefinite travel ban, as did the original.

Trump also has minimized talk of deporting all of the estimated 11 million people in the U.S. illegally and suggested that he could be open to comprehensive immigration reform. That sparked both interest and skepticism on Capitol Hill, where a solution has stymied Congress for years.

But Trump's warnings about refugees in particular apparently have stuck in the American consciousness, according to the poll.

Refugees entering the U.S. undergo rigorous background checks, including a search of government databases that list people suspected of having ties to terrorist groups. Processing of refugees can take up to two years - and usually longer for those coming from Syria. After a year in the U.S., refugees are required to check in and obtain green cards. But U.S. officials have acknowledged that information on people coming from Syria, in particular, may be limited.

Mandy Gibson, 37, sees the benefits of admitting legal immigrants - but isn't so sure about refugees.

"Maybe it's the media. They are making refugees sound like they aren't legal immigrants and I don't necessarily understand, but they are different to me," said Gibson, who works in a Greensboro, North Carolina, grocery store. Either way, she said, "anybody who is coming from countries that have ISIS really should have a very thorough background check."

___

The AP-NORC poll of 1,004 adults was conducted Feb. 16-20, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

___

Online:

AP-NORC: http://www.apnorc.org/
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli media outlets reported Monday that parliament has approved a bill prohibiting entry to foreign activists calling for a boycott against the country.

The newspaper Haaretz said the ban applies to any activist "who knowingly issues a public call for boycotting Israel that, given the content of the call and the circumstances in which it was issued, has a reasonable possibility of leading to the imposition of a boycott - if the issuer was aware of this possibility."

It also applies to activists who call for boycotts of Israeli institutions in any "area under its control," meaning settlements, Haaretz said.

The interior ministry can make exceptions in some cases, it said.

The bill is aimed at combating an international movement known as BDS that seeks to ostracize Israel by lobbying corporations, artists and academic institutions to sever ties with the Jewish state. BDS supporters say they are using nonviolent means to promote the Palestinian struggle for independence. The movement has grown into a global network of thousands of volunteers, from campus activists to church groups as well as some Jews.

Israel says the campaign goes beyond fighting its occupation of territory Palestinians claim for a state and often masks a more far-reaching aim to delegitimize or destroy the Jewish state.

Some critics accuse the BDS movement of anti-Semitism because it singles out Israel for boycott while overlooking the Palestinian part in the conflict and ignoring countries with poor human rights records.

The bill was cheered by nationalist lawmakers. Bezalel Smotrich from the Jewish Home party was quoted by Haaretz as saying: "What does this law say, after all? A healthy person who loves those who love him and hates those who hate him doesn't turn the other cheek."

Opposition lawmaker Tamar Zandberg from Israel's dovish Meretz party criticized the bill, calling it a "law that is against freedom of expression, that constitutes political censorship and is meant to silence people." Haaretz quoted her as saying, "It's ostensibly against the boycotters of Israel but it doesn't make a distinction between Israel and the settlements and it thus serves the BDS movement."
ENGLEWOOD, Fla. (AP) - It took about three minutes for the majority of the crowd at Florida Congressman Tom Rooney's town hall meeting Monday to start booing about everything from the environment to health care.

"You are supporting an appropriations bill to help clean up the Everglades. You recently voted to repeal a rule that allows coal companies to dump toxic ash in waterways throughout the whole country. Would you care to explain?" one man asked.

"We don't live in a perfect world," said the Republican congressman, standing alone in front of a podium on stage at the Englewood Event Center.

FILE - In a Tuesday, June 18, 2013 file photo, Republican Congressman Tom Rooney, R-Fla., questions individuals regarding NSA surveillance in Washington. Rooney, who's in his fifth term in Congress, held a town hall meeting Monday, March 6, 2017, in Englewood, Fla., during which the majority of the crowd quickly started booing about everything from the environment to health care. Little more than a month into President Donald Trump's administration, Republican members of Congress are returning home to find crowds of concerned and, at times, raucous voters, pressing for explanations of the president's plans for health care, immigration policies and cabinet appointees, among other things. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

And that's when the shouting started.

"That was quick," quipped Rooney, who's in his fifth term in Congress and represents a swath of rural and suburban counties in the middle of Florida, roughly from Lake Okeechobee to the east and toward Venice on the Gulf Coast.

Little more than a month into President Donald Trump's administration, Republican members of Congress are returning home to encounter crowds of concerned and, at times, raucous voters, pressing for explanations of the president's plans for health care, immigration policies and cabinet appointees, among other things.

Those subjects came up repeatedly at Monday's two-hour event. At times, it devolved into a holler-fest between Rooney, anti-Trump voters and pro-Trump voters.

Said Rooney, throwing his hands in the air: "So you want Trump to fail?"

The crowd screamed and clapped. One person yelled, "Yes, he already is failing!"

A Trump supporter screamed a response from the back: "You people suck!"

It appeared that a majority of the 300-strong crowd were retired, white and opposed to Trump. People grilled Rooney on the Affordable Care Act, pleading with him not to vote for a plan that doesn't cover pre-existing medical conditions. Rooney replied that any health care revision ought to cover pre-existing medical conditions.

Another person asked what, if anything, Congress or the voters could do to prevent further erosion of the public's trust. Many who attended, Republicans and Democrats alike, said they'd like to see the country less polarized, but that didn't stop them from shouting their frustrations about the opposite party and politicians in general.

"A lot of people think that being a member of Congress is somehow us riding around in limos," Rooney said. "I'm not looking for sympathy. Our approval rating is below Fidel Castro's, and he's dead."

Several asked about Trump and Russia, and whether anyone on Trump's campaign team was influenced by Russian operatives.

Rooney, who's on the House Intelligence Committee, said "we have zero evidence that the Russian government and the Trump campaign coordinated in any way."

The 46-year-old congressman also offered some dire predictions about Social Security and said it must be fixed, otherwise younger generations will be out of luck.

"I don't care if you're Republican or Democrat, if you hate my guts or if you voted for me. I'm telling the truth. If we don't fix our retirement programs now, I'm not getting Social Security," he said. "Do you not want that for your kids and grandchildren?"

The room erupted in various shouts about "the cap."

Asked whether he wants to see Trump release his tax returns, Rooney said he believes presidents should do so.

He added, however, "The people didn't care. He's president."

"We care!" people chanted.

"We don't care!" A man in a Make America Great hat yelled.

In the end, everyone agreed on one thing: Rooney showed guts, standing up in front of a room full of angry voters. He said he was going to Washington on Tuesday to vote, and walked off stage to a smattering of applause.

___

Follow Tamara Lush on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tamaralush
A selection of AP offerings that are especially good reads, shareable, consumer-friendly, or likely to generate talk or buzz. Please see the News Digest and News Coverage Advisory 10:15 for top stories and other highlights. All times EST.

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AFGHAN FAMILY DETAINED - Lawyer says Afghan family detained in LA will be released. SENT: 210 words.

TRUMP UNIVERSITY - Woman seeks right to trial in Trump University case. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: Developing.

BRITAIN-HIGH HEELS - British lawmakers have put their foot down and urged employers to stop making women wear high heels as part of corporate dress codes. SENT: 740 words, photos.

SEVERE WEATHER - 22 million at risk for bad weather in central United States. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: Developing.

LGBT RIGHTS-TEXAS - Big hurdles face Texas' 'bathroom bill' ahead of first vote. SENT: 380 words, photos.

TYSON FOODS-BIRD FLU - Bird flu found at Tyson Foods chicken supplier. SENT: 460 words, photo.

IDITAROD - Iditarod mushers begin nearly 1,000-mile race across Alaska. SENT: 320 words, photo. UPCOMING: Developing.

OBIT-ROBERT OSBORNE - Robert Osborne, genial face of TCM, dead at 84. SENT: 680 words, photos.

CHARGING OVERDOSE SURVIVORS - Overdose survivors in this Ohio city face misdemeanor charge. SENT: 220 words.

PEOPLE-EMMA WATSON - Watson defends provocative photo shooting, telling AP that "Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women." SENT: 100 words, photo.

ELDERLY TWINS DIE - 97-year-old twins who died together remembered as inspiring SENT: 250 words, photos.

CAPITOL-MISSISSIPPI STATUES -Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says he'd be willing to talk about possibly replacing the statues that represent the state in the U.S. Capitol in Washington. SENT: 140 words.

RESTAURANT-KIDS' BURNED THROATS - Juice order at Chinese buffet causes children throat burns. SENT: 300 words.

-------------------------

HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Rob Jagodzinski can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, ext. 1900. For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com. For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 877-836-9477.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Officials from Mexico and Texas are urging the state's lawmakers to defend the North American Free Trade Agreement against Donald Trump's administration, which has been wary of it.

Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos and Carlos Gonzalez Gutierrez, Mexico's consul general in Austin, told the lawmakers on Monday that the state benefited from NAFTA more than any other.

Pablos says his state and Mexico account for nearly $200 billion in annual trade and "have a shared destiny."

Carlos Gonzalez Gutierrez, center left, Mexico's consul general in Austin, gives testimony to the Committee on International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Texas Capitol, Monday, March 6, 2017, in Austin, Texas. Officials from Mexico and Texas are urging the state's lawmakers to defend the North American Free Trade Agreement against President Donald Trump's administration, which has been wary of it. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Gutierrez says NAFTA has increased trade between both nations six-fold to $584 billion. He added: "Texas must be its No. 1 champion."

Some lawmakers expressed concerns about NAFTA and the potential "economic catastrophe" of a GOP plan slapping a 20 percent tax on all imported goods.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Texas-Mexico trade accounts for nearly $200 billion annually.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - King Zulu, the white Bengal tiger who mesmerized visitors to New Orleans' Audubon Zoo for almost two decades, has died.

Officials with the Audubon Nature Institute said the 20-year-old male tiger was euthanized Sunday after a "steep decline in health."

Zoo officials say King Zulu had been receiving hospice-style treatment. He was born at the Nashville Zoo in 1996 and had been with the Audubon since 1999. News of his death on Facebook drew more than 1,700 "sad" clicks.

In an undated photo provided by the Audubon Nature Institute, King Zulu, a white Bengal tiger, sits in his enclosure at the Audobon Zoo in New Orleans. Officials with the Audubon Nature Institute said that the 20-year-old male tiger was euthanized Sunday, March 5, 2017, after a "steep decline in health." (Audubon Nature Institute via AP)

Zoo curator Joe Forys says King Zulu loved interacting with staff and guests.

Experts say Bengal tigers in the wild can live up to 15 years; in human care, up to 20 years.

The Audubon Zoo is a popular tourist destination in New Orleans, with more than 800,000 visitors every year.
The Pentagon says Mohammed Tahar (above), a Yemeni who was held at Guantanamo detention center for seven years, was killed Thursday

US airstrikes against an Al Qaeda-linked militant group in Yemen killed a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who was released in 2009 despite earlier recommendations that he remain in custody because he was considered a 'high threat' to America and its allies.

The Pentagon says Mohammed Tahar, a Yemeni who was held at the detention center for seven years, was killed Thursday.

A March 2008 memo from the detention center commander warned that Tahar 'will engage in extremist activities upon release. He has threatened (Guantanamo) personnel and continues to support jihad.'

The 12-page memo, signed by Rear Adm. Mark Buzby, who was commander at the detention center at the time, raised Tahar's risk level from medium to high.

And it described him as a problem detainee involved in 65 disciplinary incidents, including assaults on the guard force and other disturbances.

It is not clear why Tahar was released in 2009.

That year, amid then-President Barack Obama's vows to close Guantanamo, the Defense Department revamped the military commissions involved in the prosecution of the detainees.

Some of the changes made statements resulting from torture or degrading treatment inadmissible as evidence in trials and also limited the use of hearsay in the cases.

A March 2008 memo warned that Tahar 'will engage in extremist activities upon release. He has threatened (Guantanamo) personnel and continues to support jihad.' The image above shows the entrance to the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

It is not clear why Tahar was released in 2009. That year, amid then-President Barack Obama's (above) vows to close Guantanamo, the Defense Department revamped the military commissions involved in the prosecution of the detainees

In 2010, the US stopped releasing Yemeni detainees because most countries were unwilling to take them, and it was difficult to ensure they would not return to the battlefield.

The US won't send Yemeni prisoners to their homeland because it is too unstable, so other countries must be found to take them.

It was four years before any Yemenis were transferred out of Guantanamo again.

Even now, a number of the roughly 55 detainees who remain at Guantanamo are Yemeni, including some who have been cleared for release.

Four were released in January, and were sent to Saudi Arabia.

Also killed in the Yemen airstrike was Usayd al-Adani, an explosives expert and district leader of the group, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said the latest strikes in Yemen's Abyan region bring the total number of attacks to more than 40 over the past five days.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hollywood dream team Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep are considering taking on some classified government documents in a feature film about the Pentagon Papers case.

A source close to the project who spoke only on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly said Monday that Spielberg has signed on to direct "The Post." The film will focus on The Washington Post's 1971 publication of the classified Vietnam War study after a federal judge barred the New York Times from covering it.

According to a report by the Hollywood trade publication Deadline, Hanks is in talks to play Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee and Streep is in negotiations for the part of publisher Katharine Graham. "The Post" would mark Hanks' fifth outing with Spielberg.
Former French prime minister Alain Juppe has declined to step into the countrys presidential race to rescue his partys chances should embattled candidate Francois Fillon withdraw.

Once the front-runner in Frances presidential race, conservative Mr Fillons prospects are imploding as he faces possible corruption charges for arranging government-paid jobs for his wife and two of his children.

Top allies have fled his campaign, and the situation has created a deepening crisis for French conservatives.

Moments after former president Nicolas Sarkozy called for a meeting with both Mr Fillon and Mr Juppe, the Bordeaux mayor, who was defeated by Mr Fillon in the conservative primary, said he would not amount to a Plan B for The Republicans party.

Francois Fillon's campaign has been dogged by allegations of corruption (Christophe Ena/AP)

Its too late, he told reporters, accusing Mr Fillon of leading the French right into a political dead end with his stubbornness in claiming he is the victim of a political plot.

Mr Juppe said: What a waste. Last week I received many calls asking me to take over. They made me hesitate, I thought about it. Today, uniting everyone has become even more difficult.

Republicans members have become even more anxious after a poll suggested Mr Juppe would have a better chance at reaching the presidential run-off than Mr Fillon.

Mr Fillons image of honesty, which helped him secure The Republicans nomination, has been severely dented since the scandal broke.

Polls are now suggesting that far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist independent candidate Emmanuel Macron will come out on top in the first-round presidential vote on April 23. The top two will then go on to compete in the May 7 presidential run-off.
The ships bell from the Herald of Free Enterprise has been returned to Dover to honour the 193 victims of the Zeebrugge ferry disaster on the 30th anniversary.

At about 6pm on March 6 1987, the Townsend Thoresen roll-on, roll-off ferry turned over on its side outside Zeebrugge, Belgium, as it set out for Dover, Kent.

A file photo of the capsized Townsend Thorensen ferry

The bell was presented at a memorial service at St Mary the Virgin Church in Dover attended by 400 people to remember those who died in what was the worst peacetime British maritime disaster in living memory.

Brian Gibbons, second from right, the last man rescued from the Zeebrugge ferry disaster, holds the ferry's bell

Rt Revd Bishop James Jones speaks during a service at St Mary's Church in Dover

Family and friends of those who died in the Zeebrugge ferry disaster, view a memorial board to those who died following a service at St Mary's Church in Dover

Staff from the Port of Zeebrugge at the time handed over the bell to Sailors Society chief executive Stuart Rivers and Brian Gibbons, the last survivor to be pulled out alive.

30 years on from the #Zeebrugge disaster Bill McCrea shares how he supported families affected by the tragedy: https://t.co/vtPNiRBtaa pic.twitter.com/7QWSWlUBI0  Sailors' Society (@SailorsSociety) March 6, 2017

Daniel Lamote, who was safety officer at the Port of Zeebrugge, said the bell had been kept in an attic and he had persuaded the owner to release it to him.

He said: Our only intention was to bring the ships bell where it belongs, St Marys Church Dover, in honour of all of the victims, survivors, family and friends.

Flowers are left on a memorial board to those who died in the Zeebrugge ferry disaster

The former bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones, told the service: The reliving and the remembrance, the quest and the questioning keep alive the love for the one who has died and give expression to their worth.

Rt Revd Bishop James Jones speaks during a service at St Mary's Church in Dover

The governor of West Flanders Carl Decaluwe and Mr Rivers exchanged video messages which were shown to the congregations in Dover and Zeebrugge.

Mr Decaluwe said: Neither in Belgium, nor in the UK, have we forgotten the victims and rescuers of the Herald. We are today united in our commemoration.

In his message, Mr Rivers said: Over the years we have been humbled to hear the most wonderful stories of heroism, tales of the most incredible courage from passengers and crew.

Among those attending was Kim Spooner, whose aunt and uncle Neil Billy Spooner, 37, and Mary Smith, 44, died after taking advantage of a cut-price day trip offer in a newspaper.

Ms Spooner, 38, from Essex, said: I have never recovered from it to be honest. I get quite angry when I hear it described as a freak accident because it wasnt. There were people and corporations to blame. Its as simple as that.

British Ambassador to Belgium Alison Rose, right, sets a wreath out to sea during the service

Two flower wreaths are set out to sea

A public inquiry severely criticised Townsend Thoresen, which later became P&O European Ferries, and confirmed the ferry had left Zeebrugge with its bow doors open, allowing water to flood the car deck, and the crew member responsible for closing them was asleep at the time.

In October 1987, an inquest jury returned verdicts of unlawful killing.

A manslaughter trial began at the Old Bailey in September 1990 but collapsed a month later after the judge directed the jury to acquit the eight defendants.

International ferry safety regulations were tightened after the disaster, but there were further changes when the ferry Estonia capsized in a severe storm in the north Baltic Sea in September 1994 with the loss of more than 900 lives.
The Prince of Wales was charmed by a tiny dog that helps people with dementia when he visited a hospital to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the British Geriatrics Society.

Charles met Little Dorrit, a six-year-old Miniature Pinscher who for the last four years has been one of the most welcome visitors to the wards of Guys and St Thomas Hospital in central London.

The prince scratched her ears and held her in the crook of an arm, impressed as he listened to Little Dorrits owner Diana Mukuma and matron Darlene Romero explain the huge benefits the therapy dog can have for patients.

One of the nurses showed the prince a ''dementia twiddle muff' that can help patients (Chris J Ratcliffe/PA)

Ms Romero said: They cuddle her and they touch her and it is very calming for them. We have a patient currently on the ward and she loves Little Dorrit. She used to be very restless, not able to breathe without oxygen.

But with Dorrit around she was able to calm down and come off the oxygen for more than an hour.

Ms Mukuma, who volunteers at the hospital, said it was wonderful to see the impact the dog has on people.

She said: You see patients who are not so sure and say, I used to have a dog but dont want her on my bed, but gradually they remember. It is very good for them and they recall a lot of things.

Ms Romero added: It is very overwhelming. Sometimes we cant do that with medical intervention or by engaging with them, but it is a different type of therapy a dog offers.
More than half a billion pounds is to be pumped into creating new free schools, including grammars, and refurbishing existing school buildings, the Government has said.

Chancellor Philip Hammonds Budget will include 320 million to help fund up to 140 new schools, creating more than 70,000 new places.

The investment is intended to build on the Governments commitment to open 500 new free schools by 2020, he will announce on Wednesday.

Preparing for my first Budget, which will help make the most of the opportunities ahead and build a country that works for everyone.  Philip Hammond (@PhilipHammondUK) March 6, 2017

The move follows on from Prime Minister Theresa Mays pledge last autumn to create a place at a good school for every child, in part through allowing selective schools to expand and new ones to open.

The controversial announcement attracted widespread criticism, with opponents arguing that expansion will lead to segregation and a two-tier education system.

It is understood that the Government has not set a target on the number of grammar schools it wants to open with this new funding, but is open to these selective institutions submitting proposals.

The money includes funding for more specialist maths colleges, such as the existing Exeter Mathematics School  which selects 16 to 19-year-olds based on their aptitude for the subject.

Of the 140 new free schools, 20 will open by 2020, and the majority of the rest will open over the course of the next parliament.

There are currently 431 open free schools  a key plan of Conservative education reform  and a further 243 in the process of opening.

The Budget will also include a further 216 million to rebuild and refurbish existing schools in England, to ensure that they are fit for purpose.

This money is on top of existing plans to spend more than 10 billion on school buildings over the course of this Parliament.

Philip Hammond will deliver his first Budget on Wednesday (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

And the current entitlement for children who access free home-to-school travel will be expanded to cover selective schools.

Mr Hammond said: Investing in education and skills is the single most important thing that we can do to equip our children for the future.

We are not starting from scratch; we have protected the core schools budget, which stands at over 40 billion this year, and these announcements take the next steps in giving parents greater choice in finding a good school for their child, whatever their background.
President Donald Trumps executive order temporarily barring all travellers from seven majority-Muslim nations was in place for just eight days before a federal judge blocked it.

Nearly a month later, Mr Trump has rolled out a new order aimed at overcoming the legal challenges but accomplishing the same stated goal: keeping would-be terrorists out of the United States.

Heres a look at how the new order compares with the previous one.

Banned foreigners

Volunteer law students at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Ted S Warren/AP)

Three-month ban on citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries, including those who had valid visas but were outside the United States when the ban was signed.

Three-month ban on issuing new visas for people from six Muslim-majority countries  Iraqi nationals are no longer banned  and exceptions for foreigners from the other six countries: Somalia, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya and Yemen. Citizens of those countries with valid visas will be admitted to the US.

Syrians

Lets call Trump's travel ban what it is: A racist and anti-Islamic attempt to divide us up.  Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 6, 2017

Trumps Muslim ban isnt about keeping us safe. A president intent on keeping us safe wouldn't give ideological ammunition to terrorists.  Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 6, 2017

Syrian visitors, immigrants and refugees were barred from the United States indefinitely.

Syrians will be treated the same as citizens of the other five countries singled out in the order.

Refugees

Protesters in London

Four-month halt to refugees entering the United States.

The refugee ban remains in place, though people already approved and on their way to the United States will be allowed in.

Timing

Statement by Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly on @POTUS #executiveorder signed today  https://t.co/0LJytbiYcH  Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 6, 2017

The January 27 order was immediately put into place, causing chaos and panic at airports as the Homeland Security Department scrambled to figure out who the order covered and how it was to be implemented.

The new order, signed Monday, will not be effective until March 16. It also revokes the previous edict.
DUBAI, March 5 (Reuters) - Iran has indicted a member of its nuclear negotiating team who was arrested last year on suspicion of spying, and detained an Iranian-American on charges of defrauding people under the guise of helping them emigrate, the Iranian judiciary said on Sunday.

Several Iranian dual nationals from the United States, Britain, Austria, Canada and France have been detained in the past year and are being kept behind bars on charges including espionage and collaborating with hostile governments.

Authorities have formally charged a dual national who had been a member of the negotiating team that reached a landmark nuclear deal with world powers before being arrested last year, said judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, quoted by the judiciary's website, Mizan.

Announcing the arrest in August, Mohseni Ejei said the unidentified individual was a "spy who had infiltrated the nuclear team".

Mohseni Ejei gave no further details about the defendant, but some news reports said he is Iranian-Canadian.

Mohseni Ejei also told reporters that an unnamed Iranian-American was arrested for defrauding people seeking U.S. residence of $2.6 million, Mizan reported.

"A dual national holding Iranian and American citizenship has been arrested recently, who had swindled many Iranians, taking (money) ... to fix their residence," Mohseni Ejei said.

The arrests of dual nationals have followed warnings about "Western infiltration", as Iran's potential opening up to the West after the 2015 nuclear deal alarmed Iranian hardliners.

Iran does not recognise dual nationality, which prevents relevant Western embassies from seeing individuals who have been detained.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Jane Merriman and Peter Cooney)
BAMAKO, March 5 (Reuters) - Militants attacked a Malian army post near the border of Burkina Faso on Sunday, killing 11 soldiers, a Mali defence ministry spokesman told Reuters.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack, but Islamist groups including al Qaeda affiliates have been resurgent in recent months in Mali, attacking army positions beyond their usual strongholds in the north.

"The post was attacked between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. in Boulkessi, and there were 11 killed and five wounded," said defence spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Sidibe.

He said a deployment of troops had been sent to the town as reinforcements, but did not say if the attackers had been caught by Sunday night.

Islamist groups such as Ansar Dine have stepped up their insurgency in Mali over the past year. In 2016, they carried out dozens of attacks on United Nations and other targets and spread south into areas previously deemed safe.

Al Qaeda's North African ally al Mourabitoun in January claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack on a military camp in northern Mali that killed up to 60 people and wounded more than 100 others, an attack it said was revenge against groups cooperating with French forces in the region.

France intervened in Mali in 2013 to drive back Islamist groups that seized the desert north a year earlier and maintains a regional operation aimed at stamping out insurgents. (Reporting By Tiemoko Diallo and Adama Diarra; Writing by Edward McAllister; editing by Diane Craft)
TOKYO, March 6 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tokyo lodged a "strong protest" to North Korea after the reclusive state launched four ballistic missiles early on Monday, three of which fell into Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

"The latest launches of ballistic missiles clearly demonstrate evidence of a new threat from North Korea," Abe told reporters at his residence.

The missiles were launched from the area of Tongchang-ri, where a missile base is located, the South Korean military said, in a possible retaliation by North Korea to joint U.S.-South Korean drills that began last week. (Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)
SHANGHAI, March 6 (Reuters) - China stocks rose on Monday morning as investors piled into technology shares after Premier Li Keqiang identified innovation as a key part of the economy's restructuring at the annual opening of the country's parliament.

Bullish sentiment spilled over into Hong Kong, where stocks were firm despite expectations of an increase in U.S. interest rates late next week and rising geopolitical tensions in Asia Pacific.

China's blue-chip CIS300 index rose 0.5 percent, to 3,443.48 points at the end of the morning session, while the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.4 percent, to 3,230.10 points. A flood of news from the opening of the National People's Congress (NPC) meeting over the weekend was interpreted by investors as positive.

China has cut its growth target in 2017 to around 6.5 percent, from a range of 6.5-7 percent last year, as Beijing pushes through painful reforms to address a rapid build-up in debt, and erects a "firewall" against financial risks.

Investors, who had already anticipated lower growth targets, chose to focus on Beijing's commitment to proactive fiscal policy, the priority on innovation, and plans to further cut excessive capacity in sectors such as coal and steel.

"Slower growth has already been priced in by the market. But the government's emphasis on innovation is sending a positive message," said Wu Kan, head of equity trading at investment firm Shanshan Finance.

He added that investors also cheered Beijing's apparent shift toward promoting healthy equity market to finance the corporate sector, in a move away from the troubled debt market.

China's tech-heavy ChiNext board rose 1.5 percent, while an index tracking technology related sectors jumped 1.2 percent.

Stocks related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) soared after the sector was identified by Li as key to upgrading the economy.

Coal stocks were also among the biggest gainers, as China vowed new cuts in steel and coal capacity.

HONG KONG

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index added 0.4 percent, to 23,640.03 points, while the Hong Kong China Enterprises Index gained 0.5 percent, to 10,198.39.

The tech sector gained 1.2 percent in the city, apparently getting a boost from China's NPC meeting.

Investors seem to have shrugged off a possible Federal Reserve rate hike this month, and rising geopolitical tensions in East Asia, as North Korea fired four ballistic missiles early in the day, while a spat between China and South Korea over missile defense deepened.

(Reporting by Samuel Shen and John Ruwtich; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
NAIROBI, March 6 (Reuters) - Britain on Monday urged Kenya to restore law and order in the north of the country after a British rancher was shot dead there.

Numerous attacks have taken place in drought-stricken Laikipia region in recent months as armed cattle herders searching for scarce grazing have driven tens of thousands of cattle onto private farms and ranches. At least a dozen people have been killed.

The most recent victim was Tristan Voorspuy, a British army veteran who held dual Kenyan and British citizenship and ran a company called Offbeat Safaris.

Nic Hailey, Britain's high commissioner (ambassador) to Kenya, said he had repeatedly conveyed to the Kenyan government Britain's concern over the situation in Laikipia.

"(I) continue to urge the Kenyan authorities to take all necessary steps urgently to restore law and order, and to protect life and property in the area," he said in a statement.

Sarah Korere, a member of parliament for Laikipia North, told Reuters on Sunday the violent land invasions are being stoked by politicians seeking votes from particular ethnic blocs in national elections scheduled for August.

Kenya has a history of ethnic clashes and political violence. The last election, in 2013, passed relatively peacefully but more than 1,200 people were killed following a disputed poll in 2007. (Reporting by Duncan Miriri, Editing by Elias Biryabarema, Writing by Angus MacSwan)
LONDON, March 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - British retailer Marks & Spencer apologised on Monday for a school uniform label criticised by men and women as sexist that boasted the clothing range would be "less work for mum".

Consumers posted photos on Twitter of the labels which read: "Reinforced hems stay up for longer, so that's less work for mum!", with many complaining that the label reinforced gender stereotypes that only women can sew.

Marks & Spencer, which has about 1,380 stores worldwide, apologised and said the label would be changed.

"It was never our intention to offend parents. In fact, we had already changed our packaging for the new range, which will be available from May," the retailer said in a statement.

Women's rights group, Fawcett Society, said the implication that only mothers can sew was old-fashioned.

"We slip into these lazy stereotypes as easily as a pair of their comfy slippers. It's 2017, time to recognise that dads can sew too," said Chief Executive Sam Smethers in a statement.

Campaigner Matt O'Connor from equal parenting rights campaign group Fathers 4 Justice said excluding fathers from retail branding was "unacceptable" and "casual sexism".

"Excluding dads from signage and labelling is 'prehistoric stereotyping' and unacceptable. It sends a damaging message to men, women and children and reinforces gender stereotypes," he said in a statement. (Reporting by Lin Taylor @linnytayls, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters that covers humanitarian issues, conflicts, global land and property rights, modern slavery and human trafficking, women's rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories)
By Anastasia Moloney

SAN JOSE DE ORIENTE, Colombia, March 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A rmed with an AK-47, Gladis was expected to fight on the frontline alongside her FARC guerrilla comrades, hoist heavy loads and stand guard, just as the men in rebel ranks did.

That's real gender equality, said 42-year-old Gladis who has fought with the Marxist rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), for more than two decades.

"We are all equal here. Everyone is treated the same," said Gladis, at a mountaintop demobilization zone in northern Colombia where around 160 FARC fighters have gathered to disarm.

"Men respect us here. There's no machismo," she said.

Ending half a century of war, the FARC are handing in their weapons after signing a peace deal with the government last year. Women make up about a third of the 7,000 FARC fighters set to demobilise over the coming months.

The government, former rebels who deserted and rights groups have said gender inequality played out in the jungle as it did elsewhere, and women suffered abuse in FARC ranks, including forced abortions and being commanders' sex slaves.

But guerrilla life as told by six FARC women and two commanders interviewed by the Thomson Reuters Foundation in Colombia's northern mountains offers a different view, and the chance, rebels say, to counter false propaganda spread by their enemies.

DEFYING GENDER ROLES

Women rebels say they are not victims or sex objects and were not discriminated against because of their gender or race.

"I think taking up arms was the best decision I ever made," said Gladis, wearing a sparkly silver top. "I'm proud to be a guerrilla."

The FARC says its women fighters were treated as equals.

Women held important jobs, were appointed as commanders, and the FARC brought several women to the negotiating table during four-year long peace talks with the government.

Women were particularly sought after for intelligence gathering and radio communications, forming the backbone of guerrilla operations.

"The participation of women has been indispensable," said Solis Almeyda, a veteran FARC commander, who still uses his nom de guerre. "Women could go undetected when carrying out intelligence gathering."

Yet demobilised women guerrillas may struggle to enjoy such equality once they reintegrate into civilian life in a society known for its patriarchal and macho culture.

In parts of mainly rural Colombia, women are often viewed as child-bearers and are expected to stay at home.

"We hear women are paid less than men and that it's difficult for women to hold top positions," said 37-year-old Sara Narvaez, who has spent two decades in the FARC.

Women rebels point out that camp chores were equally shared.

"The men cook too. Everyone washes their own clothes here," said rebel fighter Adriana.

Women say they were given opportunities to learn skills, such as nursing and dentistry, which would have been off-limits to them in the rural communities they came from.

"I've learnt things I would never have had the opportunity to do," said Kelly Martinez, a 42-year-old FARC nurse, who performed first aid and amputations on wounded rebels.

"I feel valued and useful here," she said, wearing silver hooped earrings.

ABUSE

But the perception of gender equality among the rebels is just a veneer, the government and rights groups have said.

In 2015, Colombia's attorney general said it was investigating 150 cases of former women guerrillas who had given testimonies saying they were forced to end their pregnancies.

The FARC deny forcing women and girls to undergo abortions and using women as sex slaves for commanders.

"Commanders don't choose women. Women are free to choose (their partners)," said Almeyda.

Still couples had to get prior approval from their commander before starting a relationship and be allowed to share a tent.

The government and rights groups have collected scores of testimonies from women, mostly from civilians living in areas once controlled by the FARC, that they were victims of sexual violence at the hands of rebel fighters - crimes FARC commander Almeyda denied.

As part of the peace accord, truth tribunals will begin later this year to uncover abuses committed by all sides in the war - likely to shed light on the extent to which rape was used as a weapon of war in Colombia.

Under the accord, women who have been raped by military forces or rebel fighters can expect to have the crimes against them investigated and the perpetrators punished.

"Rape was part of the propaganda used against us," Almeyda said. "Sexual violence was a crime (in the FARC)."

None of the women interviewed said they had heard of cases of sexual violence in rebel ranks.

MOTHERHOOD

With the fighting over, peace is allowing new freedoms and more women rebels are having children.

During the war, women had to use birth control, often contraceptive implants placed in the upper arm. Those who became pregnant, and who decided to go through with their pregnancy, had to leave their newborns with relatives.

Rebel fighter Margot became pregnant four years ago and gave birth to a son, Andres, in a guerrilla jungle camp.

"To hand over your child is very difficult. You cry for your child," said Margot, who left her son with her mother-in-law to look after when he was a month old.

Last month, she was reunited with her child, now aged three, and who lives in the demobilization zone with his parents.

"The commander sent for him a month ago and he's been here ever since. I'm teaching him how to read and write."

Camila Norma, who is four months pregnant, is also looking forward to raising her child in a new era of peace.

"My dream for my child is that he will have all the guarantees to an education," said Norma, 26, sporting red painted fingernails. "My dream is that he can become someone in his life." (Reporting by Anastasia Moloney @anastasiabogota, Editing by Ros Russell.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
By Katy Migiro

NAIROBI, March 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Millions of drought-stricken Ethiopians needing food, water and emergency medical care are not receiving it due to funding shortages, the United Nations said, warning the crisis will worsen if spring rains fail as predicted.

Some 5.6 million people need food aid in the Horn of Africa nation, which has been hit by a series of back-to-back droughts.

"The needs relating to the developing emergency exceed resources available to date," the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday.

"Each day without food assistance exponentially increases human suffering, lengthens the recovery period of affected people, puts increasing pressure on humanitarian and development systems, and the interventions become that much more expensive."

It is three times cheaper to treat children who are moderately, rather than severely, malnourished, it said.

But it takes at least four months to procure, ship and deliver emergency supplies to Ethiopia, it said.

The U.N. appealed for more than $900 million in aid for Ethiopia in January.

Almost 13 million people across the Horn of Africa need aid due to drought, including 2.7 million in Kenya, 2.9 million people in Somalia and 1.6 million people in Uganda, OCHA said.

The situation is expected to worsen across the region as the "belg" Spring rains are predicted to fail.

"The expected below normal rainfall will negatively impact belg land preparation and planting, as well as water and pasture availability; with a spiral effect on food and nutritional security of affected communities," OCHA said.

At least $2.7 million is required each week to provide water via more than 600 trucks to millions of people, mostly livestock herders in southern Ethiopia, but there is only funding for 300-odd trucks, OCHA said.

Humanitarians are already short of cooking oil to distribute to hungry Ethiopians, with pulses and cereals likely to run out in the next few months, OCHA added.

There is also no money to deploy emergency medical teams and health supplies to southern areas not covered by health facilities, it said.

Eastern and southern Africa were hard hit in 2016 by drought exacerbated by El Nino - a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean - that wilted crops, slowed economic growth and drove food prices higher. (Reporting by Katy Migiro @katymigiro; Editing by Astrid Zweynert. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories.)
By Ayman al-Warfalli

BENGHAZI, Libya, March 6 (Reuters) - East Libyan forces carried out fresh air strikes on Monday and said they were mobilising ground forces as they attempt to win back two of Libya's largest oil ports, military officials said.

Forces loyal to the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) lost control of the ports of Sider and Ras Lanuf on Friday to a rival faction known as the Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB), and have been unable to dislodge them with air strikes and ground operations since then.

The escalation risks reversing a recent recovery in Libya's oil production and reigniting conflict between military factions based in eastern and western Libya that have been fighting on and off for the past three years.

Libya's oil production has recently been around 700,000 barrels per day (bpd), but has dropped to 663,000 bpd after Waha Oil Company cut output by about 35,000 bpd as a precaution due to the unrest, said Jadalla Alaokali, a board member of the National Oil Corporation (NOC).

LNA forces are currently stationed at Al Uqaylah, about 70 km (45 miles) southeast of Ras Lanuf, military spokesman Akram Buhaliqa said. LNA war planes conducted strikes near Ras Lanuf and Es Sider early on Monday, he said.

The LNA took over the ports of Es Sider, Ras Lanuf, Brega and Zueitina in September, allowing the NOC to end a long blockade in the area and more than double national output.

BDB leader Mustafa al-Sharksi told reporters that the group controlled about 170 km of coast stretching either side of the oil ports.

LNA spokesman Ahmed Mismari urged citizens in the region to restrict movement and appealed to forces that captured Sirte, about 180 km east of Es Sider, from Islamic State last year, to stay within the coastal city to avoid being hit by air raids.

"There is a very large air and ground mobilisation of (LNA) forces to drive back the terrorist gangs in the Oil Crescent," he said in a statement.

Since clashes began on Friday, 18 of the LNA's forces have been killed and 15 wounded, a medical official in the nearby town of Ajdabiya said. Al-Sharksi said two BDB members had been killed and two wounded.

The BDB includes fighters who fled Benghazi as the LNA won ground there against Islamists and other opponents. They say they are trying to return to the city but want to secure the oil ports first.

Libya's oil production is more than double the OPEC member's output last year, but still far under the 1.6 million bpd it was producing before a 2011 uprising.

A tanker that had been due to dock at Es Sider on Tuesday, the Amalthea, will instead go to Brega to load a cargo for Austria's OMV, a Libyan shipping source said. A second tanker, the Overseas Redwood, is due to dock at Es Sider on Thursday to load another cargo for OMV, the source said. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Elumami in Tripoli, and by Ahmad Ghaddar and Julia Payne in London; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Julia Glover)
YOLA, Nigeria, March 6 (Reuters) - A former Nigerian state governor was jailed for five years on Monday after being found guilty of corruption related to procurement of cars while in office, a judge said.

James Bala Ngilari - who was governor of northeastern Adamawa state for seven months until May 2015 - was convicted of awarding a contract for the procurement of 25 vehicles at a cost of 167 million naira ($548,891) without following due process.

Convictions of serving and past government officials remain rare in Nigeria, despite President Muhammadu Buhari making a crackdown on corruption a central plank of his government's approach after taking office in May 2015.

"The only thing is to give you the minimum sentence of five years" Justice Nathan Musa said.

The judge said the conviction would be a warning to serving governors to respect the rule of law.

Ngilari's lawyers said their client would appeal against the sentence.

Ngilari was found guilty of five of the 17 charges levelled against him in September 2016 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the financial crime agency's spokesman Wilson Uwujaren said on Monday.

He originally took office as the state's deputy governor in 2012 but took over as governor two years later following the impeachment of his predecessor. He served for seven months until the current Adamawa state governor won an election in 2015. ($1 = 304.2500 naira) (Reporting by Emmanuel Ande and Percy Dabang; Additional reporting by Garba Muhammad and Alexis Akwagyiram, in London; Editing by Alison Williams)
DUBAI, March 6 (Reuters) - Bahrain's justice ministry took steps on Monday to dissolve a major opposition group it accuses of supporting terrorism, state news agency BNA reported, filing a lawsuit the group said was an attempt by the government to stamp out dissent.

The Western-allied kingdom, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based, has been a political flashpoint since "Arab Spring" protests in 2011 led by its Shi'ite majority were put down by the Sunni-led government with the help of Gulf Arab states.

The crackdown entered a new phase last year when authorities banned the main Shi'ite Muslim opposition group, al-Wefaq, and revoked the citizenship of the country's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric.

Monday's move targeted the secular National Democratic Action Society (Waad), which the ministry accused of "serious violations targeting the principle of respecting the rule of law, supporting terrorism and sanctioning violence".

Radhi al-Mooswai, a leader of the group, expressed shock, saying Waad was committed to peaceful political work and rejected violence. "This is another step to undermine political work by the opposition in Bahrain," he told Reuters.

Moosawi said Waad would use all its resources to fight the order in court. Arabic daily al-Ayyam, which is close to the government, said the first hearing was expected on March 20.

Al-Wefaq won 18 out of 40 seats in elections in 2010 but pulled out of parliament a year later during the Arab Spring crackdown. Both it and Waad boycotted elections in Nov. 2014 that were swept by pro-government and independent candidates.

Attacks on public targets have jumped this year after authorities carried out a death sentence on three men convicted of a deadly bombing of policemen in 2014. Bahrain accuses Shi'ite Iran of fomenting violence in the kingdom, a charge Tehran denies.

A government advisory body passed a constitutional amendment on Sunday authorising civilians suspected of attacking security forces to be tried in military courts. (Reporting By Noah Browning and Sami Aboudi,; Editing by Toby Chopra and Stonestreet)
LIMA, March 6 (Reuters) - Workers at Cerro Verde mine, one of the largest copper producers in Peru, plan to start a five-day strike on Friday to demand better labor conditions, a union representative said on Monday.

The representative and the mine's controlling owners said the strike could be indefinite.

Cerro Verde is controlled by Freeport-McMoRan Inc , which owns a 53.56 percent stake. Sumitomo Metal Mining Company Ltd controls a 21 percent stake and Buenaventura 19.58 percent.

News of the Cerro Verde strike comes as output at the world's two biggest copper mines has been interrupted. Some 2,500 unionized workers at BHP Billiton's Escondida copper mine in Chile began a strike on Feb. 9 while Freeport's Grasberg mine in Indonesia has stopped due to a dispute over export rights.

Supply disruptions pushed copper prices to 20-month highs of $6,204 a tonne on the London Metal Exchange last month. Prices have come off these peaks since and were last trading at $5,851.50 a tonne.

The Cerro Verde union's deputy secretary, Cesar Fernandez, said workers wanted family health benefits and other measures and had not ruled out an indefinite strike. He said the mine's standards for sharing conventional profits with workers were too high.

A representative of Cerro Verde said the mine would continue abiding by the collective agreement it had forged with workers.

Cerro Verde produced 1.1 billion pounds (498,951 tonnes) of copper in all of 2016, more than double output in 2015 thanks to a recent expansion.

Freeport McMoRan said in a statement to Reuters it had been notified on March 2 the miners intended to go on strike for an indefinite period starting on March 10.

The company said Cerro Verde strictly complies with its obligations by law and under its agreements with the union, paying out amounts owed for conventional profits as required, and providing competitive vacation and healthcare benefits. (Reporting by Ursula Scollo; Additional reporting by Nicole Mordant in Vancouver; Writing by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Matthew Lewis)
By Jibran Ahmed

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, March 6 (Reuters) - Pakistan said on Monday it would open border crossings for two days to allow through Afghans with valid visas after Islamabad shut the frontier because it said militants accused of a series of attacks were being sheltered in the neighbouring country.

Relations between the countries are tense, and each routinely accuses the other of doing too little to prevent Taliban fighters and other militants from operating in its territory.

Pakistan has blamed the attacks last month, in which more than 130 people were killed, on Pakistani militants taking shelter in Afghanistan. Afghanistan denies the charges.

In response, Islamabad shut down border crossings and asked Kabul to hand over wanted militants believed to be hiding on the Afghan side.

"In order to provide an opportunity to those nationals of Afghanistan who had come to Pakistan on valid visas, and wish to return to their country, the government of Pakistan has decided to open the border crossings at Torkham and Chaman on 7th & 8th March 2017," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

The border will also be opened for two days for Pakistanis who travelled to Afghanistan on valid visas and wish to return.

In one such attack, Pakistan's military said on Monday five Pakistani soldiers were killed in attacks on northwestern border checkpoints launched by militants based in Afghanistan.

Dozens of militants from across the border stormed security posts in Pakistan's Mohmand Agency district on Sunday night, said senior security officials based in the region.

Pakistan's military said 10 militants were killed in an exchange of fire and asked Afghan authorities to strengthen surveillance in border areas.

The Afghan government had no immediate response to the Pakistani statements.

Asad Mansoor, a spokesman for Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, a splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility, saying it was part of a campaign launched last month to target "enemies of Islam" across Pakistan.

Pakistan summoned the deputy head of the Afghan embassy in Islamabad to protest against the raid, the Foreign Office said on Monday, urging Afghanistan to crack down on militants operating on its side of the border.

The Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan - a grouping separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban - has been fighting for years to overthrow Pakistan's democratically elected government and impose strict Islamic law on the nation of 190 million. (Additional reporting by Haji Mujtaba in Miranshah; Writing by Saad Sayeed; Editing by Mehreen Zahra-Malik and Alison Williams)
PARIS, March 6 (Reuters) - Francois Fillon on Monday urged his conservative party to rally around his candidacy, saying it was the only legitimate one despite calls by many in his camp for him to pull out of the French presidential race over allegations of misuse of public funds.

"It is time for everybody to get their act together and come back to their senses," he told senior party members gathered to discuss the crisis, according to a text. (Reporting by Sophie Louet; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Adrian Croft)
OTTAWA, March 6 (Reuters) - The head of Canada's national police force will retire on June 30, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said on Monday, as the country faces potential security challenges from asylum seekers illegally crossing the U.S. border.

Commissioner Bob Paulson has served in the top spot for more than five years. A spokesman for the RCMP did not comment on Paulson's reasons for retiring.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale in a tweet thanked Paulson for his service and "dedication to protecting the safety of Canadians."

Hundreds of people have defied winter weather to walk across the border after the new Trump administration in the United States started tightening immigration policy. While the Liberal government has said it will not clamp down at the border, opposition politicians fear a heightened security risk.

The RCMP has also been in the spotlight in recent years for its treatment of female officers. Last October, Paulson gave a tearful apology as the RCMP reached a settlement agreement over harassment, discrimination and sexual abuse claims.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported Paulson said in a notice to staff he was stepping down to focus on his family, while also noting the RCMP has many challenges ahead, including tackling harassment in the workplace.

During Paulson's tenure, the RCMP had to deal with the challenge of Canadian citizens resorting to violent ideologies. In 2014 a Canadian citizen whom police said was driven by ideological and political motives, killed a Canadian soldier and then charged into Parliament. The gunman had planned to travel to Syria, where Islamic State militants control part of the country. (Reporting by Leah Schnurr; editing by Grant McCool)
ADEN, March 6 (Reuters) - Suspected U.S. drones killed two suspected al Qaeda militants in a missile strike in southern Yemen, tribal sources and residents said on Monday, keeping up pressure on the Islamist group after a push that began last week.

U.S. officials in Washington said the United States carried out at least one new air strike on Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) overnight on Monday and has waged several strikes since Saturday, but gave no further details.

Residents and tribal sources said a drone had fired a missile at a car travelling in Wadi Yashbum on Monday afternoon, destroying it completely. They said the bodies of two local men believed to be members of al Qaeda were found charred beyond recognition.

Residents earlier reported that an air strike hit the home of a suspected al Qaeda member in the village of Noufan in central al-Bayda province, while another struck a mountainous area believed to house a training camp for the group in al-Saeed in southern Shabwa province.

There were no immediate reports on casualties in the raids, which took place in areas controlled by al Qaeda fighters.

Since a January commando raid, the United States has shown a desire to both strike al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and to recover from what U.S. officials acknowledge has been an intelligence shortfall about the group since Yemen's civil war forced the closure of the U.S. embassy in 2015.

The U.S. attacks highlight rising U.S. concern over AQAP, which has gained ground amid the chaos of Yemen's two-year civil war.

The conflict, which pits the government backed by a Saudi-led military coalition against the Iran-allied Houthi movement, has allowed AQAP and Yemen's branch of Islamic State to gain territory and carry out attacks. (Reporting By Mohammed Mukhashaf, writing by Sami Aboudi and Aziz al-Yaakoubi; Editing by Toby Chopra)
By Tiemoko Diallo

BAMAKO, March 6 (Reuters) - Armed groups surrounded Timbuktu on Monday, the defence ministry said, preventing Malian interim authorities from being installed there under a peace pact meant to end years of lawlessness.

The return of state authority to the city was supposed to fill a vacuum that has turned northern Mali into a launch pad for jihadi attacks across the vast region bordering on the Sahara Desert.

Banks, schools and shops were shuttered and the city's streets nearly deserted, barring patrols by U.N. peacekeepers, and residents reported sporadic gunfire that had petered out by the afternoon.

"Armed groups opposed to the interim authorities, which should have been put in place today, are positioned around the city and are threatening to take it over," Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Sidibe said by telephone.

He said the arrival of the new authorities had been postponed and negotiations were under way.

A Reuters cameraman saw fighters standing on sandbags and wielding rocket launchers at an official checkpoint, their faces wrapped with turbans to protect them against the blowing sand.

Most government posts have been unfilled since ethnic Tuareg separatists and desert jihadists took over northern Mali in 2012, before French forces intervened to push them back. A peace deal signed in 2015 was meant to enable authorities to return.

But pro and anti-government Tuareg-dominated armed factions had been quarrelling for months over how the authorities should be constituted - until a breakthrough two weeks ago.

Last week, authorities were installed in the towns of Kidal - seen as the north's most recalcitrant bastion of Tuareg separatism - and Menaka.

But there were also difficulties in Gao, the region's most populous city where dozens of armed men briefly occupied the regional assembly until their demands for greater participation were met.

Sidibe said the main Tuareg faction involved in the resistance in Timbuktu was the Council for Justice in Azawad, as Tuaregs call their traditional homeland in Mali's north.

However, witnesses said other groups were also involved and had divided up checkpoints surrounding the iconic desert city.

"Are we building any kind of sustainable peace through this kind of process that gives the most resources to the guys with guns?," asked Jean-Herve Jezequel, deputy director of International Crisis Group's West Africa project.

Once installed, the interim authorities are supposed to remain in place until regional elections. They are also meant to oversee disarmament and the return of fighters to barracks.

Despite continued French troop deployments, a U.N. peacekeeping mission and years of peace talks, Mali remains beset by banditry, unrest and Islamist attacks.

Underscoring the dangers, at least four members of security forces were killed a village in southwestern Niger near the Malian border, residents and a security source said. Militants also attacked a central Malian army post near the border with Burkina Faso on Sunday, killing 11 soldiers. (Additional reporting by Souleymane Ag Anara in Gao and Boureima Balima in Niamey; Writing by Tim Cocks and Emma Farge; editing by John Stonestreet)
By Andreina Aponte and Teresa Cespedes

CARACAS/LIMA, March 6 (Reuters) - Venezuela's leftist government on Monday called Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski a "coward" and a "dog" servile to the United States, leading Peru to respond by sending a protest note and calling in its ambassador for consultations.

Kuczynski, a 78-year-old former Wall Street investment banker who won election last year, has been one of the most vocal critics in the region of Venezuela's ruling "Chavismo" movement named for late socialist leader Hugo Chavez.

He particularly irked President Nicolas Maduro's government with a recent speech in the United States where he said Latin America was in general like a well-behaved dog on the carpet except for Venezuela which was "a big problem."

Maduro called for an apology over the weekend, and his feisty Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez followed up on Monday with a blistering attack at an event in honor of Chavez.

"He goes round, poor thing, with my respect because he is an elderly man, (like) a good dog who wags its tail at the empire and asks for an intervention in Venezuela. He's alone, going round like a crazy man, with no one paying attention," she said.

Rodriguez also accused the Peruvian leader of insulting Chavez's memory during a recent summit in Colombia.

"I also rose and told him, 'look, mister, you are a coward, and I repeat it here, Mr. Kuczynski, you are a coward who dared to tarnish the memory of our commander Hugo Chavez."

Peru's foreign ministry said in a statement it was calling back its envoy in Caracas in response.

"Such expressions are unacceptable between two states that maintain diplomatic relations," the statement said.

Peruvian Foreign Minister Ricardo Luna said Kuczynski had employed "an idiomatic and metaphorical expression used in academic circles" meant to describe Latin America's lack of conflicts rather than "demonize" the region.

With recent moves to the right in Brazil and Argentina as well, Venezuela's government has lost support in Latin America, although it retains strong links with fellow leftist-led nations Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador and Nicaragua. (Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Alexandra Ulmer and James Dalgleish)
Parliamentarian Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, who recently said he would act independent of Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) as his party, speaks about the ideology of his new political movement and the plans for the future in politics. He played a pivotal role in the formation of the new government. He shared the following:

When I say a state of confusion, it does not mean an extremely bad situation. Had the previous rule existed up to now, the situation would have been even more complicated by now. It would have led to a revolt against the government then. Today, society is free. There is space for dialogue. However, there is confusion in the way the government is run today. That has to be corrected

Situation would have been even worse if the previous rule remained

All LTTE cadres, military personnel should be released forthwith

Police service should be structurally changed

Armed police service needed to combat crime

Civil police service should be decentralized to the provincial level

Most enjoy their perks today because of me

For one year within the party, I did not speak with Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka even for five minutes



Q: What is the way forward for your newly formed National Council?

I intervened in the installation of this government representing Pivithuru Hetak, an organization spearheaded by me. For that, I had a series of meetings. Its role became crucial in the establishment of this government. It was possible to elect President Maithripala Sirisena because of my involvement. Next, I believe I would be able to do active politics for another ten more years. During this period, I thought I should unite all national forces. There are civil society organizations, social services movements and, above all, religious organizations comprising Buddhist monks and the clergy of other religions  Christian, Hindu and Islam. I thought of a broad forum where all of them could stand together. Especially, there is intelligentsia concerned about the countrys future. Yet, there is no forum for them to speak. I wanted to fill that vacuum. Today, we see the country being run according to the whims of a few individuals. We have to stop it. We have to work out a broad, national programme to change the course of this government. More than a programme, it is a vision for the country to be worked out.



Q: Some people say the country is in a state of confusion today. You also said the country is run according to the whims of a few. Do you feel that you are also responsible for it because of your role in the installation of it?

When I say a state of confusion, it does not mean an extremely bad situation. Had the previous rule existed up to now, the situation would have been even more complicated by now. It would have led to a revolt against the government then. Today, society is free. There is space for dialogue. However, there is confusion in the way the government is run today. That has to be corrected.



Q: You are just one member in Parliament. How can you do it without the support of others?

At that time, there was a great deal of trumpeting that Mahinda Rajapaksa could not be unseated. We did it. An individual with dedicated commitment could do a lot of things with the backing of others. I have committed my life to a course.

"I signed the agreement along with Champika Ranawaka because we were together in the same party for a long time. The UNP also invited me. I declined to contest elections. I feel ashamed to contest election. Most enjoy their perks today because of me"



Q: Do you think some more MPs would join hands with you?

I cannot say it at this moment. Let alone the parliamentarians, it is clear to me that a large number of people would rally behind me.



Q: What is your opinion on President Sirisena and Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe?

You are asking very difficult questions. It is not nice for me to express my individual opinion regarding them. In general, there should be consensual approach between the parties they represent. That is to bring out a vision for the country. In the absence of it, we see them working separately. The government is not on a common agenda. The government does not stick to a common approach. Instead, small individual groups are at play.



Q: There is a perception that you formed this movement in view of the Presidential polls scheduled for 2020. What is your response?

At the beginning, I never had the idea of unseating MR and be replaced with President Sirisena. Even now, I have no idea of whats to be done in 2020. There is a long time left for it. It is difficult for us to say whether President Sirisena and PM Wickremesinghe will be contesting. Also, we do not know whether another one will come in their place. There is a duty cast upon us. That is to prevail upon the current government to deliver. We cannot get it done by quitting the government. Anybody can dream of becoming the next President. There is no ban on it. I have never uttered that so and so should become the next President. We believe in creating ideologies and then find the individuals who can drive them. If one focuses on Individual centric politics, it is nothing but political bankruptcy. We believe in the formation of ideologies, not individual figures. In politics, individual centric approach is pursued by one due to political bankruptcy

and imprudence.



Q: What is the national economic policy of your movement?

Today, there is no vision for development in the country. Some believe in industrialization of this country with foreign investment. We do not have foreign investors as such in the world today. Only China can pump in money for investment in the globe. The United States is now encouraging its companies for inbound investments. It is opting for national economy from free, liberalized economy. Britain is embracing the same model. Industrialization, as a model for growth, had a golden space after the World War II. Now, that era is gone. We had a chance between 1970 and 1990. Today, it is longer there. The energy crisis is looming, oil and coal resources would be exhausted completely in another 50 years. We feel the effect of environmental damage caused by the excessive use of these resources.



Q: You promote organic farming. What is the impact it has made so far in the economy?

With the use of organic fertilizer, we cultivated lands. Of that land extent, 90% was devoted to high yield paddy crops. Here, we have to consider the advantage of cultivating traditional paddy varieties. We promote high yield crops in organic agriculture. There is lamentation that crop yields less in organic agriculture. Also, it is lamented that it is difficult to find or produce organic fertilizer. We have rubbished all that.



Q: How many acres have you cultivated in this manner?

In the past, we had our land extent scattered throughout the country. It was around 20,000 acres of paddy cultivation, 3,000 acres with other crops. We had some 3,000 acres of tea cultivation. We cultivated less this time because rain failed in these areas. Leaving aside these lands, we planned to cultivate newly identified 50,000 acres yet in two identified locations this time . We strove to do it. It was an arduous task to encourage people to opt for it. We have trained around 2,000 farmers. It is a revolution. The result is high yields. In organic agriculture, the harvest improves. It is more climate-resilient. It is less water intensive. If we opt for organic agriculture, we can save Rs.80 billion to be spent otherwise for agro-chemical imports.

"Today, we see the country being run according to the whims of a few individuals. We have to stop it. We have to work out a broad, national programme to change the course of this government. More than a programme, it is a vision for the country to be worked out"



Q: What is your position on the Constitution making process amid allegations that plans are in place to do away with the foremost place accorded to Buddhism?

There are proposals in the documents worked out. There is stress on the removal of the foremost place to Buddhism. There are proposals to that effect. Also, there are proposals to do away with the unitary status of the constitution. It is a concept paper. If the executive presidency is abolished in full, the unitary status will automatically be abolished. As a result, we had a policy agreement with President Sirisena right at the beginning. We only wanted to reduce powers of it, that look draconian in nature. In this exercise, executive powers needed to uphold the unitary character should not be scrapped.



Q: Would you defeat that exercise through your movement?

There is nothing to defeat. A two-thirds is needed in Parliament to do it. The President has no mandate to do it. Both the PM and/or MR have no such mandate. Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has articulated clearly that it would not be abolished.



Q: Recently, you have advocated the devolution of police power. How should it be done?

I only talked about the structural changes of the police service. We have to bring about a change in its outlook. I am saying that even the dress code should be changed. We have to restore its image. We have to categorize the police service into two. We need an armed police service specifically trained to combat crimes- murders, drug trafficking, house-breaking and all. Armed police personnel are not needed to carry out civil functions such as traffic control, the conduct of state events etc. For that, a separate civil police service should remain. The civil police service can be decentralized even to the north. But, the armed police service should be vested with the centre. For people in Jaffna, there is no need to depend on police personnel from the south to conduct their events and all. Crime combatting should be solely with the police service coming under the purview of the central administration. Yet, the police power related to civil affairs should be decentralized as much as possible. For that purpose, a separate unit can be set up in the police. Its service can be decentralized to the level of Divisional Secretariats. It does not mean devolution of police power to the provincial councils.



Q: Where did you get such an idea from?

This is my idea. I spoke to the TNA as well. Its views also helped me in the formation of my opinion. In Costa Rica, there is no military. In Europe, the police personnel are clad in white. Ours is a civilized country. We have to depart from feudal thinking. Instead of colonial police service, we should think of our own police service. We have to amalgamate the military and police intelligence services.



Q: There is an allegation against this government about the victimization of intelligence officers. Could you share your views?

It is an endless exercise to identify those responsible for crimes committed in the war situation. We rehabilitated 11,000 LTTE combatants, and some of them were recruited to the Civil Defence Force. They may be the ones responsible for the massacre of Bhikkhus in Arantalawa; the bomb attacks on Dalada Maligawa or Jayasiri Maha Bodhi. Why is the TNA advocating punitive action actions against the members of the security forces only? Didnt the LTTE commit murders? So many Tamil political leaders were wiped out by the LTTE.

I am saying that all the LTTE cadres serving in jail at the moment should be released. Alongside, all inquiries against military personnel should be stopped forthwith. We have to resolve the matter in that way once and for all. Our leaders do not have the guts to say it. That is the Buddhist approach. A general amnesty should be advocated for all. Otherwise, it would be a futile, endless exercise.



Q: We encountered criticism against you in the social media. Your latest move is criticized as another gimmick to stay in politics after your earlier moves were rendered invalid in politics today. How do you respond to this?

I became a member of the clergy at the age of 14. It happened without my knowledge. After I knew, I sacrificed my life for a worthy cause in society. I never had an idea of becoming a parliamentarian. Yet, I had a political purpose to change the direction of the country. I gave my thought to it. There were duties cast upon us as the situations warranted in the past. All should look at it positively. We sacrificed our entire lives as youths to this cause. We were beaten by the police. We were jailed. We had a continual struggle based on ideologies.



Q: Recently, you said you would be independent in Parliament. At the same time, you said you would not leave the government. What is this contradiction?

I never said I would leave the government. For one year within the party, I did not speak with Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka even for five minutes. Then, how could I hold any responsibility there? There is no need to say that I am independent during the period. It is virtually there. The JHU never asked to say that MR would be defeated. The JHU never asked me to have the crucial public meeting at that time. I only voted against the Casino project first. The JHU also voted against it. But, I did it first. There is no ideological clash with the JHU.



Q: The JHU is asking you to resign from the MP seat. How do you react?

At that time, I could have secured an MPs slot with whatever the party I would have liked to. I could have signed the agreement for it with Premier Ranil. I had a political clout. With that clout I got it. I could have secured votes with that clout from whatever side. Both the UNP and the SLFP wanted to accommodate me. I signed the agreement along with Champika Ranawaka because we were together in the same party for a long time. The UNP also invited me. I declined to contest elections. I feel ashamed to contest election. Most enjoy their perks today because of me.
Sri Lanka cannot depend on apparel exports any-more and the time is ripe for the production of electronic items such as mobile phone accessories and even parts for robotic machines, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.

Mr. Wickremesinghe made this remark at a ceremony to mark the 150th anniversary of St Marys College, Kegalle yesterday.

We asked the University of Harvard to carry out a study on Sri Lankas economy. The university in turn informed us that Sri Lanka should not rely on importing apparels any more. This is a correct assessment as Sri Lanka cannot compete with countries such as Bangladesh, where the wages are lower. Therefore we need to concentrate on new export items such as electronics. We can even start manufacturing parts for mobile phones or robotic machines," the Prime Minister said.

He said there was a lot of potential for the manufacturing of robotics as china has decided to use around 4000 robotic machines for production. There is potential for producing parts of electronic and other modern equipment. Parts of electronic and electrical goods and other modern equipment which are needed by Japan are manufactured in countries such as Thailand today," he said citing an example.

He also said technology would be introduced in schools soon.

Meanwhile, Minster of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam announced that the government would have to assist schools on a priority basis though many schools have asked for financial assistance. As many as 30 ministers and MPs come to me during public days asking for assistance for schools around the country but I will have to assist them on a priority basis" he said.

Chief Minister Sabaragamuwa Maheepala Herath said government should assist schools such as St Mary's College and thanked the Prime Minister for assisting this school.

Caption-Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is seen inspecting a mini robotic machine at the science exhibition held to mark the 150th anniversary of St Mary's College Kegalle yesterday. Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and Principal of the school Hema Wickramaratne are also present.(Yohan Perera)

Pics by Pradeep Pathirana
I came to know the distinguished Hurulle family from my early days of schooling at S.Thomas College Mt Lavinia . Themiya Hurulle former MP & Subject Minister , is my very dear friend and classmate .

As classmates we used to visit Themiya at their Stanmore Crescent residence , where we met his family often . His father Hon E L B Hurulle , Uncle Edwin to us , was the Minister of Communications in the mid 1960s . A thorough , simple gentleman par excellence and a highly respected UNP political colossus .

Mrs Hurulle , Aunty Malinee to us , was always a very forthright, motherly personality , full of righteous advice and absolute dignity . She ran house and domestic affairs to sheer perfection , balancing visitors from all walks of life . She was undoubtedly the wind beneath the wings of Uncle Edwin . Their constituents from the North East and Horowapothana were personally well treated , quite contrary to the manner prevailing at present . Having seen it at the highest levels of respectability , I find it difficult to adjust otherwise.



Aunty Malinee was a very elite lady , a loving wife , a devoted mother and a gracious host , who never went overboard . There was much to learn and we were fortunate to see it as teenagers

Uncle Edwin has his family circle roots deeply embedded to ancient history associated with the arrival and guardianship of the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi Anuradhapura. The responsibilities and obligations in this regard for the entire district was full filled by him and Aunty without any glamour and publicity .

Aunty Malinee , a Miss Galagoda has her family roots deeply embedded in the historical Kandyan Kingdom reign and the very select nobles administering the Sacred Temple of the Tooth in Kandy in that period . I need not elaborate further as I am well aware that the Hurulle family circle born to maternal and paternal ancestral aristocracy , are not one bit carried away by High Office or Power .

The result of the matrimony of the Hurulle and Galagoda family , was a blessing . Their children Maya , Deepthi , Themiya , Vajira and Shanaka , stood out with equal dignity in their exemplary ways . Whether or not uncle Edwin was a Minister hardly made a change to the dignified Hurulle family domestic life style. The Hurulle residence was always quiet, well mannered - a serene home with nothing out of line . The unwanted loud fanfare was unheard of . We respected that culture at all times and were always affectionately received . There was never misuse of State assets by them . They never chased behind fame though fame came in search of them . I recall some buses carrying a slogan in North.East . Horowapotana ,



 E L B samaa wenna , nevatha aasanaya baaraganna



some months after he lost the Horowapothana seat for the only time , in the landslide of 1970 . His return to Parliament was with another thumping majority , retained till retirement .

I recall exemplary ways of Aunty Malinee worthy of grateful rememberance. When Uncle Edwin was the Minister of Communications with the CGR under his Ministry , Themiya and a few classmates went by train to Anuradhapura in the mid 1960s . To drop us at the Fort Railway Station , Aunty Malinee came to the station platform as any other normal citizen . We boarded the train as ordinary passengers . The word had gone around that Mrs Hurulle was present and many station officials came rushing to her . She most politely thanked and excused them with a view not to disturb them in their duties.

What a change from present climes ! When I was going to West Germany for my hotel management training , she invited me to their Paget Road residence for tea and gave me motherly advice for almost an hour of what is expected from children coming from well respected homes ( ref qualities, matrimony etc ) . They were pearls of wisdom . Uncle Edwin had stayed back to wish me . He listened very attentively and seconded the advice . My mothers advice to me with my father was also on similar lines . Regular visits to both our homes brought my parents and family very close to the Hurulle family.



We were well treated when we visited their home in Hantane Kandy , after they retired from active politics and diplomatic service . Aunty and Uncle were both full of affectionate advice to my two children , as they had done for me ~ very pleasant memories . When uncle Edwin was quite ill and warded in Kandy , I visited him a few times in Hospital . On one visit when asked by his family if he could recognize me , he promptly mentioned my name and asked about our family . Myself and family will continue to remember dear Aunty and Uncle most affectionately. .

Aunty Malinee being a conservative lady and a disciplinarian on principle , did not send her daughters or a niece alone by car with a driver . The brothers or their dear relative Saliya Ranawana had to take turns to accompany them and stay on. At times she requested us to accompany them with Themiya and Vajira , to learn family obligations early in life . My mother was very similar and I soon began to understand the similarities and the need . It was indeed a learning for a life time and beyond .

Themiya never forgot his exemplary parental upbringing.



My father was one of the 75 Founder Members of the UNP along with my maternal grandfather . When my father expired in 1994 ,Themiya as a Hon MP and a UNP Subject Minister gave the funeral motorcade a special escort from the southern province entrance at the Bentota Bridge right up to our Estate residence in Baddegama , to convey his respect . Our family is indeed deeply touched by it . On one of my parents visit to UK when I was also there , we were lovingly hosted by genial Themiya and versatile Shalini in their house in Swiss Cottage . I was glad to visit them a few times in UK . Themiya was a regular visitor in hospital , when I had undergone critical surgery few years back , continuing his esteemed sincerity . Aunty Malinee was very pleased when I informed her .

The Hurulle family was blessed with the marriages of their children to high respectability and acclaim . They all continue to be untarnished in their sincere ways , with a touch of permanent class , which is rather rare these days . I am glad that I did attend the funeral of Aunty Malinee , much against strict medical advice, as I was badly indisposed and confined to bed rest . Had I not gone to pay my final respect , I would have carried a guilt for a life time.



Aunty Malinee was like a mother to me - full of firm advice on important issues and personal matters . I enjoyed talking gentlemen politics pertaining to the Legislative Council , State Council and Parliament with uncle Edwin and Aunty . My family also has a political dynasty. from the South . Uncle Edwins kinsman Bulankulame Dissawe and my maternal grandfather Simon Abeywickrama were in the Colonial Legislative Council and contemporaries in the State Council and later in the Ceylon Parliament , as Paliamentary Secretaries . It is now a 4th generation family friendship . I could say that animosity, jealousy, dishonesty , hatred etc , does not exist in the Hurulle family circle.

The distinguished gathering at the funeral and the kind words spoken by the Buddhist Clergy , was a fitting farewell to the gracious , traditional Kandyan Lady, who led a very exemplary long life to the end . In my appreciation I affectionately referred to dear Uncle and family circle with admiration as a tribute to Aunty Malinee , because the high ethos portrayed , has arisen from exemplary parentage and many decades of solid upbringing . The family circle also has contributed very usefully to society in many ways, bringing credit to their parents and ancestry in return .

Deepest sympathies of our family here and abroad to the Hurulle family circle on their sad loss . May the merit gathered in life long generous acts of charity and great benevolence , bless Aunty Malinee and Hon Uncle Edwin to attain the eternal supreme bliss of Nibbana .

I bow with revered respect and eternal gratitude .



 Rupang jeerathi majjanang ~ Naama goththang najeerathi Milinda
Group Assets surpass Rs 900 Bn

Group PAT at Rs 15.67 Bn

Total Tax for the Group exceeds Rs 11.6 Bn

Bank NPA down to 1.8%

Bank Cost to Income improves to 42.5%

An outstanding performance throughout 2016 on every front culminated in the HNB Group posting the best financial results in its history. Group Profit Before VAT, NBT and Taxes grew by 41.3% to Rs 27.1 Bn while Profit Before Tax (PBT) reached Rs 22.5 Bn with a 39.2% growth. Group Profit After Tax (PAT) witnessed an exceptional growth of 41.2% to be recorded at Rs 15.7 Bn. Group assets grew by 19.0% to cross the Rs 900 Bn mark, representing yet another historical milestone for HNB.

The remarkable performance by the Bank was the main contributor towards this exceptional performance by the Group. The Profit Before VAT, NBT and corporate taxes of the Bank increased by 37.1% to Rs 24.5 Bn while the PBT improved to Rs 20.1 Bn by 33.9% from Rs 15.1 Bn recorded in 2015, amidst a 54.7% increase in VAT and NBT charge due to the increase in the rate of VAT from 11% to 15%. The PAT for the Bank also recorded an outstanding growth of 35.4% to Rs 14.1 Bn for the year.



Prudent Asset and Liability Management practices coupled with the timely repricing of the Banks loan book and a simultaneous healthy growth of 17.3% in net advances enabled a strong growth in income from Core Banking. Net Interest Income (NII) for the year grew by 30.5% to Rs 34.4 Bn, which is a substantial improvement over the 5.8% growth reported in 2015 while the Net Interest Margin for the Bank stood at 4.3%, compared to the industry average of 3.6%.



Growth in net interest income was well complemented by a strong performance in Fee and Commission income which grew by 22.0% to exceed Rs 7 Bn. Credit Cards along with Trade Finance, Guarantees and Remittances continued to be the main contributors towards this growth. HNBs strategic focus on offering ultimate convenience and new experience to its clientele through a comprehensive digital banking proposition proved to be successful as the Bank witnessed strong growth in fees from digital banking products and services.

The Bank reported a net trading loss of Rs 1.8 Bn due to higher swap cost incurred during the year on swaps taken to hedge foreign currency borrowings. The corresponding impact on on-balance sheet open positions as well as a significant growth in exchange income contributed to the other operating income of Rs 3.3 Bn recorded for the year.

Portfolio quality which has been considered a strategic imperative by the Bank, saw HNB adopting many initiatives such as the centralisation of Retail and SME credit evaluation, intense training on credit underwriting and rigorous focus on recoveries. The efforts have yielded rich dividends as the Banks NPA ratio has improved to 1.8%, well below the industry average of 2.6%. The ratio as at the end of 2016 represents a 63 bps improvement during the year and a quantum improvement of 186 bps over a four year period.

The Banks total operating expenses increased by 14.5% to Rs 18.3 Bn for the year. Containing of controllable expenses enabled through the lean transformation journey embarked upon by the Bank through initiatives such as the centralisation of credit and target operating model for branches, resulted in the cost to income ratio improving by 344 bps to 42.51% in 2016 and by more than 10 percentage points since 2012.

The Banks total tax allocation for the year amounted to Rs 10.4 Bn which is a significant increase of 39.5% from 2015 (excluding the one off super gains tax paid in 2015) and the highest among the private sector commercial banks.

The growth of PAT in excess of 35% to Rs 14.1 Bn enabled to record a Return on Assets (ROA) of 1.79% and Return on Equity (ROE) of 19.91% which is a significant improvement from 1.61% and 16.59% posted during 2015.

Growth of 18.4% in the Banks Balance Sheet to Rs 859.8 Bn easily eclipsed the industry growth of 12%. The instilling of a service culture universally while strengthening sales teams allowed HNB to rebound strongly from a subdued first few months to reach Rs 584.4 Bn in advances which is a growth of 17.3% yoy. HNB during the year has played a key role in driving the economys engine of growth through disbursing over Rs 105 Bn to SME and micro finance customers in addition to serving the grass-root micro customers through its subsidiary HNB Grameen.

Deposits growth of 18.3% during the year outperformed the 16.5% growth in the industry to achieve Rs 623.5 Bn. Despite the shift into higher yielding deposits seen across the industry HNB managed to grow its CASA base to Rs 225.5 Bn. A particularly spectacular achievement was the growth in the minor deposit base by Rs 900 Mn during the month of October alone.

During 2016 the Bank also raised Rs 13 Bn in Subordinated Debentures through two separate issues of Rs 7 Bn and Rs 6 Bn. Further, the Bank also raised US$ 100 Mn as long term debt from a foreign bank to support its balance sheet growth.

HNB Grameen yet again performed well to contribute strongly to Group results along with HNB Assurance and the Joint Venture Investment Bank, Acuity Partners, also reporting results far superior to those recorded in the previous year. Group ROA and ROE were recorded at 1.89% and 17.69% respectively and similar to the Bank represented a marked increase from the levels of 1.64% in ROA and 14.71% in ROE achieved in 2015.

Commenting on the exceptional performance, Mr Jonathan Alles, Managing Director / CEO of HNB PLC stated that we are extremely delighted with HNBs outstanding performance in 2016 on all fronts. The adoption of dynamic strategies, focusing on delivering an unparalleled customer experience, relentless focus on operational excellence and commitment to a high level of asset quality woven around a robust business model has been pivotal to HNBs remarkable performance in 2016. Our digital drive towards becoming the most future ready bank also contributed immensely towards this great success. He further added that the strong and dedicated HNB team are the owners of these achievements as it is their untiring commitment and shared passion towards realising the vision of the Bank that has enabled this ground breaking success. We at HNB continue to invest in our most valuable asset People through well designed talent development programmes. During the year we also went one step further by appointing an Employee Experience Officer to act as a liaison between employees and management, which would aid us in further developing and retaining the best talent in the market.

HNB continued to remain one of the best capitalized Banks in the country with tier I capital adequacy ratio at 11.40% and the total capital adequacy ratio improving to 15.45% against the regulatory minimum of 5% and 10% respectively.

The Bank declared a final dividend of Rs 7.00 per both ordinary voting share and ordinary non-voting share consisting of a cash dividend of Rs 3.50 per share and a scrip dividend of Rs 3.50 per share in addition to the interim dividend of Rs 1.50 per share declared in December 2016. Accordingly the total Dividends for the year 2016 amounted to Rs 3.5 Bn.

HNB was recognized by many renowned international and local institutions last year for excellence in diverse business and support functions. In early 2016 HNB was recognized by the prestigious Asian Banker Magazine as the Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka for the 8th time. HNB was also ranked third by the Business Today Magazine. The Banks Islamic Finance arm was bestowed upon the Deal of the Year Silver Award and the Entity of the Year Bronze Award at the Islamic Finance Forum of South Asia organized by UTO EDU Consult. HNB also won the Asias Best Employer Brand Award for Best HR Strategy in line with Business 2016 and the Asia Excellence in Training & Development Award 2016 for the 5th consecutive year. The Bank was also recognized as the Silver Award winner at the CFA Sri Lanka Capital Market Awards 2016 for Best Investor Relations. The National Productivity Secretariat adjudged HNB as the winner of the National Productivity Award 2015. The Bank was ranked third with first and second place not being awarded.

HNB is the first local Bank in Sri Lanka to receive an international rating on par with the sovereign from Moodys Investor Services while maintaining a national long term rating of AA - (lka) from Fitch Ratings Lanka Ltd.
REUTERS: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde, will not be visiting Sri Lanka this month as she had been tentatively scheduled to, the global lender said yesterday.

Unfortunately, due to an unforeseen change in her schedule, she will not be able to visit the country at that time. She is looking into the possibility of visiting Sri Lanka in the near future, IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said in a statement. A visiting IMF mission is in Colombo to review progress of a US $1.5 billion loan approved in the middle of last year.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake told Reuters that Lagardes visit would have been a courtesy call while she was en route to another country in the region.

Sri Lanka has been struggling with heavy debts and balance-of-payments pressure.

The government last week approved some tough reforms to make loss-making state firms more efficient and put them on a path towards autonomy, in line with IMF conditions for the loan.
A year after the formation of Microsoft Philanthropies, Microsoft Corp. and its employees have donated more than US$650 million in cash, cloud services and software to nonprofits around the world.

In a letter published recently, Mary Snapp, corporate vice president at Microsoft Philanthropies, detailed the organizations 2016 contributions. Highlights include US$ 465 million in cloud services donated to more than 71,000 organizations to benefit the public good. In addition, Microsoft employees raised US$142 million for 19,000 nonprofits, helping reach an important milestone:The companys giving program has now raised US$1.5 billion since1983.

Snapp also reports significant progress is areas such as aiding organizations that respond to human and manmade disasters and providing computer science education to those who otherwise would not have access.

Technology has the power to uplift, to connect, and perhaps most important, to save lives, Snapp said. Together with our grantees, partners and employees around the world, Microsoft Philanthropies is using the power of technology to help those impacted by some of the worlds biggest challenges, including economic disruption, inequality, disasters, war, and famine.

In January 2016, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the company would donate US$1 billion incloud services to nonprofit organizations and researchers working on the worlds most urgent needs, from health care to education to the environment.While the commitment was originally envisioned as a three-year initiative, Microsoft Philanthropies is nearly at the halfway point of the goal, with US$ 465 million donated in a year to 71,000 organizations.

For example, CONIN, a non profit in Argentina, now uses Microsoft cloud technology to identify and analyze causes of childhood malnutrition. CONIN is now able, along with local governments, to better direct resources to families in urgent need and even pinpoint interventions that can be taken before a crisis occurs.

CONIN works to prevent childhood malnutrition, and we attend to more than 400 children a week in Salta province alone, said Teresa Cornejo, president of a CONIN network in the city of Salta, Argentina.

We used to work with paper records, which makes it very difficult to have a clear picture. Technology makes us much faster and enables us to have every child in the system.

In Sri Lanka many NGOs have taken advantage of the software donations program and over USD 5 million of software has been donated to local NGOs. Arecentpartnership withSarvodayaFusion has directly trained 5,000 disadvantaged youth in computer science.

Through the YouthSpark cash grant program Microsoft has donated cash grants totaling to USD 4.5 million in Sri Lanka. Youth Spark Live brings together Microsoft employees, partners and NGOs in an effort to inspire the youth and show them the myriad opportunities available in the technology field.
New Zealand Food Safety Minister David Bennett is leading a business delegation of fourteen New Zealand companies to further strengthen business links between the two countries.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, with support from the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, is hosting the New Zealand business delegation from a range of industries such as aviation, technology, healthcare and construction.

Its an exciting time for New Zealand companies to be doing business with Sri Lanka as our relations with this island country go from strength to strength. Im pleased to be here alongside such an innovative and diverse range of New Zealand business leaders, says Tony Martin, Regional Director, India, Middle East and Africa for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. Its encouraging to see more New Zealand companies looking to explore business partnerships in Sri Lanka to build on the current US$308 million two-way trade between our two countries, added Martin.

Sri Lanka is New Zealands 23rd largest goods export market and is worth NZD$254million. New Zealand is Sri Lankas 54th largest goods export market worth NZD$55million.

New Zealands top exports to Sri Lanka are milk powder, butter and fruit. Sri Lankas top exports to New Zealand are tea, retreaded tyres and gloves.

The following New Zealand companies are visiting Sri Lanka as part of the business delegation: Staah, Tait Communications, Vista, Powershield, Aeroqual, Framecad, Pan Pac Forest Products Limited, Color Communications, Precision Medicine International Limited, Pictor, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, Syft Technologies, International Aviation Academy of New Zealand.
The Pope wants couples to have fewer children in order to lessen the environmental damage being done to the planet, a Vatican panel has been told.



Environmentalist Peter Raven made the comment at a workshop on biodiversity, which discussed Catholic Church attitudes toward environmental issues.



Pope Francis has previously said avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil, but the church remains unwavering in its opposition to artificial birth control.Dr Raven stated, LifeSiteNews reports: Pope Francis has urged us to have fewer children to make the world more sustainable.



But he continued: We do not endorse any of the artificial birth control [methods] that the Church does not endorse.



Dr Raven stated, according to the sites account of the workshop, that we need a more limited number of people in the world.



At the same Biological Extinction workshop, a paper was presented by Dr Paul Ehrlich, who argued that Catholic teachings had resulted in collective failure to reduce the worlds population.In a press conference onboard a flight last year, Pope Francis said abortion is a crime and absolutely evil, but he added: Paul VI, a great man, in a difficult situation in Africa, permitted nuns to use contraceptives in cases of rape.
President Maithripala Sirisena left for Indonesia this morning to attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Summit meeting to be held in Jakarta.

Indonesian President Jokowi invites the President Sirisena for State Visit and IORA Summit.

Among leaders of IORA member states who have confirmed their presence are President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, as well as a number of vice presidents and ministers of Foreign Affairs.

President Sirisena will attend the IORA Summit on March 6, 7 and pay a state visit on March 8.

The 21 member states and 7 dialogue partners of IORA are expected to attend the Leaders Summit, as well as a number of invited guests.
VISION 2020 representsthe global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness, a joint programme of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) launched in 1999.

The College of Ophthalmologists was the initial partners in Sri Lanka when its activities started in 2000. Eye surgeons as members of the college supported the programme and in the year 2007 at its annual conference the college signed an MOU with the Ministry of Health to support and strengthen the activities of the programme.

Five key areas in eye care service were identified as follows; cataract, child hood blindness, glaucoma, refractive errors, low vision and diabetic retinopathy.

Five eye surgeons were appointed as focal point [consultants] and to be in charge. The director general of the Ministry of Health was the national focal point playing a major role in planning, implementating and monitoring the process.

At a special general meeting of the college in 2006 it was proposed to have a steering committee consisting of consultant eye surgeons. Later on the donors were also invited to the steering committee.



A bank account for the Vision 2020 programme was opened with the initial deposit from the College of Ophthalmologists and is still under the preview of the college treasurer. The accounts are audited with the college accounts and the audit report is presented at the annual general meeting of the college for approval of the membership. Even at present the admin. staff of the secretariat is recruited by the College of Ophthalmologists and the main signatory to service agreements is also the college.

In May 2008 an MOU was signed between the College of Ophthalmologists of Sri Lanka, NGOS and the Ministry of Health.

In the same year, the council of the college requested for the appointment of two medical officers to the secretariat to coordinate the activities of the V 2020.

The many activities carried out under the five focal points with the participation of the peripheral consultant eye surgeons who were members of college were noteworthy. NGOs like Sight Savers, CBM, Iris and ICEE were main donors at the inception. Later on more organisations joined in support.

"The College of Ophthalmologists was the initial partners in Sri Lanka when its activities started in 2000. Eye surgeons as members of the college supported the programme and in the year 2007 at its annual conference the college signed an MOU with the Ministry of Health to support and strengthen the activities of the programme"

With the support of the donors thousands of cataract surgeries were performed. Glaucoma awareness was spread throughout the country and screening programmess were arranged. Diabetic retinopathy screening was also arranged and equipment provided to peripheral eye units while primary eye care workers were trained.

At a meeting held at the Ministry of Health presided over by Hon. Minister of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, and in the presence of the Secretary of the Minister of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine , Director General of Health Services and the Council of the College of Ophthalmologists Dr Jayasundara Bandara was appointed as the National Focal point. To coordinate the smooth functioning of the programme Dr Muditha Kulathunga a Senior Consultant Eye Surgeon was appointed as the national coordinator. Further it was decided to shift the office of the of the Vision 2020 Secretariat to the National Eye Hospital for better coordination.

At the same meeting Hon: Minister informed the decision of the government to provide good quality, intra-ocular lenses free of charge to all the patients seeking treatment from government hospitals. The Hon: Minister emphasised that the same good quality lenses should be given to patients undergoing cataract surgery through the Vision 2020 programme free of charge. The college welcomed this

The College of Ophthalmologists is willing to collaborate with other professional bodies, the government, NGOs, donors and the media to continue with the existing programme and to expand it further in keeping with objectives of the programme.

College of Ophthalmologists of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has met all targets set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for its US $ 1.5 billion loan, except the net internal reserves (NIR), Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said yesterday.

The global lender had a two-week-long review discussion on the island nations present economic and financial situation, ever since it disbursed the second tranche in November.

Fiscal and revenue targets have been met. Fourteen of 15 structural benchmarks are also met. However, the NIR target could not be met due to the huge bond outflow, Karunanayake said.

He said a US-based hedge fund had started the exit process from government securities in 2015, which coincides with the Federal Reserves rate hike. This led to many foreign investors, who held local rupee bonds, to leave the market.

Generally, the IMF delays the subsequent tranche if the respective member-country is able to drastically deviate from the original target. It was not immediately clear if the IMF would delay the third tranche of US $ 119.9 million, which is scheduled for April 20, after the completion of the second review.

The IMF stated on Sunday that Christine Lagarde, the IMFs Managing Director, will not be visiting Sri Lanka this month as she had been tentatively scheduled to.

One of the main targets of the IMF programme was to boost the foreign exchange reserves. The Central Bank had net purchased US $ 109.45 million from the market, the official data showed in the second half of 2016.

The Central Bank had expected strong inflows, including from a stake sale of a port to a Chinese firm, but opposition protests dragged the inflow.

In its first review in November, the IMF said it reached a deal with the government to modify the international reserves target, reflecting changes in capital flows environment.

The original 2016-end NIR target was set on an assumption of outflows from government securities of around US $ 450 million in the second-half of last year.The IMF officials were not immediately available for comment.

(REUTERS)
Sri Lanka Tourism is yet to create another hallmark in the international travel market by participating in the Internationale Tourismus  Borse (ITB) Berlin, that will be held from 8th -12 March at Messe, Berlin.

It is an annual event which takes place in March, where Sri Lanka has been a regular participant. ITB is also one of the most important events in the international tourism calendar, and also the worlds largest tourism trade fair.

There will be approximately 120 representatives consisting of top 60 travel agents and hoteliers, representing Sri Lanka at the event.This year,Sri Lanka Tourism has focused more on visibility and onsite branding opportunities. Many banners have been displayed throughout the venue. Sri Lanka Tourism has advertised in ITB Berlin news which has an online and print version.

The print version is distributed widely at many outlets, which sells around 15,000 copies per day. The content of ITB Berlin News is designedto be highly useful for trade visitors and press and advertising in the magazine enables to capture a wide audience.

In addition to that, TTG Show Daily is also another newspaper where Sri Lanka Tourism will be advertising and is distributed widely. It distributes 9,000 copies on site while 70,000 e-copies are circulated globally. TTG Show Daily is Asia  Pacific Travels Leading Publisher in Life Event Coverage and brings the latest news, developments and insights. All daily issues are circulated in digital format, ranging from the event grounds to industry leaders.

The Sri Lankan delegation to Berlin will be led by John Amarathunga, Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs, Paddy Withana, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. They will be joined by Karunathilaka Amunugama, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Germany. The opening ceremony will take place with the ceremonial lighting of the traditional oil lamp on March 8th. This will be followed by a press conference on 9th March, and over 60 foreign journalists are expected to attend the conference.

The ITB Berlin will be an excellent opportunity to promote Sri Lanka as a compact destination filled with cultural and historical values. Sri Lanka has achieved a positive growth in the tourism sector. Due to the peace and reconciliation process in Sri Lanka, there is a better and a safer environment for tourists to have a holiday experience of their choice. Im sure this will be a great experience to all travel and tourism industry officials who will want to proceed further and take their fields to greater heights, said Paddy Withana.

IMM is another mega media event where SLTPB will be participating to target high profile journalists from Europe. IMM is a media eventwhich brings together worlds leading media personnel. Sri Lanka Tourism will be showcasing its best at IMM, which is scheduled to be on 7th March, 2017. This is the first time that Sri Lanka will be participating at this event. IMM Germany 2017 is organized by TravMedia Germany Ltd. TravMedia .com is the worlds largest PR Portal connecting approximately 40,000 leading travel journalists around the world with more than 3,500 travel organizations globally. IMM events are organized in the US, UK and Asia and Australia since 2013. Germany will be hosting the IMM event for the first time and the headline sponsor of the event is Brand USA.

In 2016, total number of tourist arrivals stood at 2,050, where it marked a 14 percent increase. Tourist arrivals from Western Europe were reported as 643,333, which was a 16.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Germany recorded 133,275, tourist arrivals which was a 15 percent increase compared to the same period in the previous year.
A college student, Gurmehar Kaur, daughter of Kargil martyr Captain Mandeep Singh, has been in the news for over a week now after she joined a social media campaign #StudentsAgainstABVP.

Since then, a war has been waged against this 20-year-old by Indias ultra-nationalists forces and right-wing social media trolls. A year-old video in which she is seen advocating peace with Pakistan, particularly her statement that Pakistan did not kill my Dad, war killed him, is being used to paint her as "anti-national".

Not only sportspersons and a Bollywood actor, but Indias junior home minister and BJPs new King of Controversies Kiren Rijiju has taken part in "public shaming" her. This emboldened right-wing social media trolls to abuse and threaten Gurmehar to such an extent that she decided to leave the campus temporarily to go home and take a break from social media.

It is true that pseudo-patriotic forces have been able to silence a young and powerful voice in support of academic freedom for the time being. But, on the other hand, by digging up Gurmehars anti-war video of last year and facilitating its wide circulation, they have self-inflicted serious harm to their own cause.

India is fascinatingly puzzled how a girl whose father has been killed in war does not scream for revenge but pleads for peace.

Peace movements are not new to India, but the character substantially differs from the west. Indian peace movements are generally rooted into a fight for oppressed groups in the country's segmented society and sometimes against large "development" projects or nuclearisation.

However, India, the land of Gandhi, has not yet witnessed a powerful peace movement against Indias own wars. Over the decades, though a number of small groups have tried to build peace with Pakistan, they have never been able to make any particular impact.

Peace activists are usually branded as the "Wagah candle brigade" and often sneered at by politicians and commentators as woolly-headed cocktail circuit idealists. One of the main reasons for this has been that, unlike the west, India has not yet witnessed Army veterans and their families leading or taking part in anti-war activism.

In a recently published and widely discussed book, Fighting for Peace: Veterans and Military Families in the Anti-Iraq War Movement, Lisa Letiz has convincingly argued that, for former soldiers and military families, the relationship between the military and peace activism is not as dichotomous as we may imagine.

They can get powerful identities through the tactic of highlighting memories of their sacrifices and elicit emotional support from the wider public and increase support for the anti-war movement. The anti-war movement on the other hand makes use of "military" activists by making use of their sacrifice-based identities to demonstrate the scourge of violent conflict and to undermine pro-war rhetoric.

There are many stories of successful anti-war activism by military family members in the west. Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a US army soldier Casey, led an anti-war vigil near the ranch of George W Bush in Crawford, Texas, and became the rallying point for peace activism in the country.

Family members of British soldiers killed in Iraq even went on to set up a political party to electorally harm government ministers and contested against PM Tony Blair and his armed forces minister.

Sheila Fynes has taken the whole Canadian military establishment to task for several years now for the suicide of her Afghan veteran son, Stuart Langridge.

But India is yet to witness this trend of veterans and their families taking part in anti-war activism in the country. It is not that in India a large number of military personnel have not sacrificed their lives for the country and their families have not suffered.

Independent India in the last 70 years has fought four wars with Pakistan, one with China and one in Sri Lanka (in the name of peacemaking). Not only that, the country is continuously engaged in a low-intensity conflict with Pakistan. In 2016 alone, 23 Indian soldiers lost their lives due to ceasefire violations along the LoC in Kashmir.

Moreover, Indias armed forces have been fighting violent internal conflicts in the North East and also in Maoist areas for decades now. In the last 10 years, India has not fought a single war officially, but has lost 2,625 security forces in various proxy wars.

However, all those who have themselves and/or their families have suffered the worst in these violent conflicts are yet to get a powerful voice to counter pseudo-patriotic war-mongering narratives.

In spite of huge sufferings from the scourge of war and curse of violent conflicts, India is yet to witness powerful anti-war activism. Unlike the west, the military families have not come out openly expressing their support for peace.

Anti-war activists in India had no Cindy Sheehan to rally around. Gurmehar, the daughter of a war hero, with her remarkable sacrifice and powerful voice brings new hope for the emergence of a potent peace movement, which India needs badly at this time.

In recent months, the Narendra Modi regime has been engaged in open parade of patriotism in the country and war hysteria is being artificially generated for political dividends. The patriotic fervour has reached a crescendo after the regimes repeated overt politicisation of the Armys reported "surgical strikes" inside Pakistan.

Given internal instability in the Pakistani side, the way Modi and his party colleagues have stirred up ultra-nationalist passion in the country, the two old adversaries could even go through another war against each other anytime.

A war between India and Pakistan will be the first ever direct war between two nuclear-armed states and holds a devastating prospect.

Hyper-patriotism in India has become the language of Hindutva forces. Besides being socially divisive and politically devious, the super-surcharged patriotic emotion is becoming developmentally destructive for the country.

Instead of focusing on provision of basic needs and services, the Modi regime is using the patriotism bogey to justify higher spending on buying foreign arms.

Unfortunately, there is a not a single powerful and credible voice in the country to talk against this mindless preparation for war. Most of the Indian media has become intoxicated with pseudo-patriotism and at the same time, opposition parties are fearful of taking on the regime over its war-histrionics as they can be swiftly branded by it as anti-national.

At this critical juncture, India needs a powerful peace movement, which will have popular acceptance and moral superiority to face the ultra-nationalist regimes hyperbole. The support from war veterans and their close families will be an immense asset for anti-war activism by providing it the much needed credibility to raise their voice powerfully.

Though right-wing groups have viciously targeted Gurmehar for her anti-war voice, it is heartening to witness the almost unequivocal support and sympathy she has received from the ex-servicemen association and large number of war veterans.
As a journalist, I have covered Sikh reactions from India, the cradle of the faith, to a number of assaults on the male members of the American Sikh community in the United States since Balbir Singh Sodhi's murder in Arizona post-9/11.

The coverage, I admit, has always been usual  condemnation and appeals for safety from India's government and Sikh leadership, assuaging comments from US ambassadors and file shots of the Darbar Sahib (the Golden Temple) and protest marches if it's for TV.

In the United States, American Sikhs have since launched their own awareness campaign about the faith, which is identified by the emblematic turbans and beards that its men wear.

But Sikhs are no strangers to and in foreign lands. They have been living and working there for a century now.

Despite the reportage, publicity and prosecution, American Sikhs remain subject to attacks in what I believe are euphemistically and shrewdly downplayed as hate crimes stemming from mistaken identity.

What mistaken identity? What hate crimes?

Most of those who have assaulted Sikhs post 9/11, raided, defaced or desecrated their religious centres are not persons of colour. Photo: Reuters

Is it possible for anyone to shoot at someone because of some confusion over the victim's dress, headgear and beard?

On August 5, 2012, an armed supremacist stormed a Sikh house of worship in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and killed six people inside.

Did he not read the sign "Sikh Temple", which every gurdwara is identified with in Europe, the Americas and in the Australian continent?

When Deep Rai was shot on his arm in Kent by a six-foot white man  the latest in a series of so-called hate crimes  the attacker was casually referred to as a gunman by US media, perhaps in accordance with their style-sheets.

Why stick to style-sheets? Why not call him a terror suspect?

These assaults also shatter America's perception as a haven for human and religious rights. Photo: SikhCouncilUSA

Most of those who have assaulted Sikhs post 9/11, raided, defaced or desecrated their religious centres are not persons of colour.

If I connect the dots from news reports about such incidents, it appears the attacks on Sikhs, one of the most visible and identifiable brown-skinned communities overseas, are a manifestation of an aggressive homegrown far-Right ideology brewing in those parts of the world.

This radical dogma has taken a toll on the democratic values of American, European and Australian nations.

As a reporter, I would have wrapped up the Rai story with reactions and tweets from the Indian government and the US ambassador in general and the Sikhs in particular.

In Delhi alone, there are 46 elected representatives in the community's religious administration. In Punjab, where the faith was born, the size is bigger.

Getting a handful of sounbites and footage from here and there and turning them into visually-rich television packages will hardly serve any meaningful purpose.

It hasn't till now as Kent showed.

As a blogger in this digital age, I would like to move beyond. Human life is sacrosanct, no matter what the colour of your skin is, no matter which god or goddess you worship, no matter if you are an atheist, agnostic, monotheist or a polytheist.

From Sodhi's murder to the shooting attack on Rai, the American image has unfortunately taken quite a beating. Photo:

The Sikh Coalition protesting attacks on Sikhs post 9/11. Photo: The Sikh Coalition

If I am strolling around a US city and am shot at for wearing a turban, I would like prosecutors of my host nation to treat the attack as an act of terror.

And it's not an unreasonable demand because such assaults are indeed aimed at terrorising communities that do not physically, linguistically and culturally fit into the standard definition of Americanism.

These assaults also shatter America's perception as a haven for human and religious rights.

From Sodhi's murder to the shooting attack on Rai, the American image has unfortunately taken quite a beating.

Run-of-the-mill condemnations might be okay for average news consumption, but they don't hold promise.
Politics is often touted as a local game and in the absence of one single wave; local issues, aspirations and faces tend to take the centre-stage. At the grassroots, local issues usually dominate, even the demeanour and dialect of tall leaders change - they sail with the wind.

As the Uttar Pradesh election enters its last stage, the parochial touch of politics is set to overshadow the bigger issues. And East UP or Poorvanchal, possesses a distinct character in this giant state. Amid the high decibel campaign in East UP, especially by the BJP, there are strong political undercurrents that have gone unnoticed.

And these are big enough to dent the political fortunes of many. As you travel through the villages, the murmurs get stronger. As one of the villagers in rural Gorakhpur said to me: Gaon ki hawa mein thehrav hota hai, sabko mauka deti hai (the wind in villages is usually still, everyone is given a chance here).

The socialist surge in UP led to OBCisation of its politics. No longer were the higher castes at the focus of UP politics. Two towering personalities of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Kanshi Ram changed the way political rules were to be written in this politically vibrant state.

Almost three decades have passed and the socialist net is fading, smaller backward castes desire a piece of political lift for themselves. And as Kanshi Ram had once asserted "political power is the key to all solutions" - these numerically smaller castes have waged their political war.

Be it Apna Dal, the Kurmi faction or Rajbhar's Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) (both in alliance with BJP), or Jan Adhikar Manch of Babu Singh Kushwaha, or Peace Party seeking representation of Pasmanda (backward) Muslims or the newly formed Nishad party representing Nishads (boatmen caste), smaller parties are gaining strength, recognition and are set to play important roles. The Peace Party was able to win four Assembly seats and garner 2.35 per cent vote share in the 2012 elections.

Nishad party and Peace Party have come together

The larger Nishad community constitutes the Kewat, Mallah, Majhi, Rajbhar, Gond, Kashyap and Kahar and makes up some 17 per cent of the population of East UP. After the death of Jamuna Nishad (BSP MLA), the Nishads have not had a towering Nishad personality as their leader. Though the BJP currently has three Nishad MPs from the state, they have failed to provide credible leadership to the community, which alone could upset bigger parties in as many as 40 seats.

The community had come out hugely in favour of the Nishad party; the tone "apne hai" is ringing with the marginalised and financially impoverished communities. Apne hai, apni baat samjhenge (they are our own, they will understand us), said a mallah (boatman) when asked.

According to demographic statistics on most of these seats the coalition is fighting, the Nishads constitute between 30-50,000 voters. In 2012, Peace Party had lost almost a dozen of seats by a margin of 5-10,000 votes; the alliance makes the electoral prospects in these seats far better.

Jamuna Nishads entire life could be defined as a resistance to Yogi Adityanaths brand of politics.

The alliance is said to be getting good support from the backward castes, which for long had oscillated from BSP to BJP. The "Yadav" focused politics of SP casts suspicion among the community members and the Yogi factor of BJP puts the Nishads at unease.

Jamuna Nishads entire life could be defined as a resistance to Yogi Adityanaths brand of politics. For now, it seems certain that Nishad party will dent the poll prospects of many aspirants in the region. SP is banking on the likes of Amrendra Nishad, son of late Jamuna Nishad, to hold on to the community and the BJP is tirelessly campaigning in Nishad areas to pacify them.

But if you go by the numbers in the rallies held by members of Nishad party and Peace Party, you know many ships could wobble. Dr Sanjay Nishad, founder of the Nishad party and a protege of Kashi Ram, is confidently banking on the social coalition he has built for his election from the Gorakhpur Rural seat.

Battlefield Varanasi

In 2014, the Nishad community had en-masse voted for the BJP. In two of the Assembly seats of Varanasi, Varanasi Cantt and Varanasi South (both have sitting BJP MLAs), Nishads are numerically strong and can upset BJP equations.

The Nishads here are unhappy about the Centres decision to promote water taxis and cruises which would affect their livelihood, leaving many jobless, and the reluctance of both the central and state government in taking them into confidence while planning the Ganga rejuvenation scheme. Demonetisation also affected them badly and over the years, successive governments have failed to provide them decent alternative livelihood opportunities.

Krishna Patels Apna Dal and Jan Adhikar Party of Babu Singh Kushwaha, also part of the alliance, could split some Kurmi and Kushwaha voters - in at least some seats in eastern Uttar Pradesh. While Peace Party may not be able to lure many Muslims, who are seen to be shifting towards the SP-Congress alliance or BSP in some seats, it may add some votes in the kitty of its alliance partners.

Since formation, the party has shown potential. It hit the headlines when it organised massive rallies across the state to secure special quota in the SC category. It has also taken up smaller and more local issues on livelihood, rampant river erosion in the villages lining the Ami and Rapti rivers, chemical pollution in rivers and villages and local fisheries. Ever since its formation, it has been able to garner popular support of the Nishads and Kewats across villages.

One enthusiastic mallah in Gorakhpur sums up the entire calculation: Mallah naav savarta hai, use gussa kar diya to naav palta bhi sakta hai (boatman takes your boat to safety, but if he is enraged, he could topple the boat too).
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The French company Air Liquide, one of the global leaders on the market for industrial gases, has announced its decision to end operations in the breakaway areas of Ukraine's Donbas region, where it has a subsidiary, Air Liquide Yenakievo (Donetsk region).

The move was prompted by the decision of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) to introduce temporary administration at enterprises that are under Ukraine's jurisdiction.

"Following recent decisions of the DNR - self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic - establishing its administrative control over some Ukrainian companies (including Air Liquide Yenakievo) operating in the Donbass region, Air Liquide is no longer able to continue its remaining activities in that region," Air Liquide said in a statement.

"The security of our employees as well as compliance with applicable Ukrainian and international laws remain our priorities," it said.

According to its press release, Air Liquide is the world leader in the production of gases for industry, healthcare and environmental protection. It supplies oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and other gases. The group is present in 80 countries, its revenue in 2016 stood at 18.1 billion euros.

Air Liquide has been present in Ukraine since 1992, initially as a provider of engineering services. In 2011 Air Liquide started the production and sale of industrial gases.

Metinvest, the Ukrainian mining and metals holding company, signed a long-term contract with Air Liquide for the outsourcing of technical gases to its Yenakiyeve Iron and Steel Works. The cost of building a new air separating unit (ASU-1400) for the production of technical gases (oxygen, nitrogen and argon) was estimated at 130 million euros.

The DPR announced the introduction of temporary administration at 43 enterprises under Ukrainian jurisdiction, including Air Liquide Yenakievo, from March 1, 2017.
Investigators of Kyiv's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) jointly with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on March 2 synchronously raided 15 places related to the abuse of power at public joint-stock company Ukrzaliznytsia, the spokesperson for Kyiv's PGO Nadia Maksymets has said.

"Ukrzaliznytsia, places of resident of persons involved, offices of contractors and an insurance company have been raided," she wrote on her Facebook page.

Deputy Kyiv Prosecutor Andriy Andreyev told UNN that the raids are linked to the criminal case related to the abuse of office in cooperation of Ukrzaliznytsia with Inter-Policy insurance company (Ukrzaliznytsia is a key shareholder in the company).

Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan said on NewsOne late on Thursday that he submitted documents about abuse of office at Ukrzaliznytsia to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and confirmed the raids.

Ukrzaliznytsia Board Chairman Wojciech Balczun said that the work of law enforcers in some cases against officials at Ukrzaliznytsia is normal practice in a state governed by the rule of law.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reaches staff-level agreement with Ukraine on third review of the arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program, the Fund said in a press release.

"The IMF staff has reached agreement with the Ukrainian authorities on an updated Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies. This paves the way for consideration of the third review of the arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) by the IMF's Executive Board, together with the 2016 Article IV consultation (collecting economic and financial information), in the second half of March," the press release quoted IMF Mission Chief for Ukraine Ron van Rooden as saying.

The four-year EFF program for Ukraine totaling SDR 12.348 billion (about $17 billion at a current exchange rates), opened by the IMF in March 2015, originally foresaw quarterly revisions of the program, as well as the issue of four tranches to Kyiv in 2015, and reduction of quarterly tranches in 2016-2018.

However, Ukraine was able to get only the first two tranches and then there was a time gap due to the political crisis and the government change.

Negotiations on renewal of funding were resumed after the appearance of a new Cabinet headed by Volodymyr Groysman in April. Initially it was assumed that the third tranche would amount to about $1.7 billion, and the IMF Board of Directors will be able to take their decision in June. But due to non-fulfillment by Ukraine of a number of conditions, the terms have been constantly postponed. This is also the reason why the amount of the loan tranche was reduced to $1 billion. The IMF decided to provide the tranche only in the middle of September.

According to the revised schedule, it was planned to provide next tranches every quarter, in particular, the fourth tranche of $1.3 billion was to arrive in the middle of November 2016.

However, Ukraine lags behind the schedule to meet efficiency benchmarks outlined in the memorandum on the economic and financial policy revised when the country received the third tranche.

The management of the Finance Ministry and the National Bank believe the successful nationalization of PrivatBank and adoption of the state budget for 2017 give reason to expect that Ukraine will receive the fourth tranche from the International Monetary Fund soon.
Another five Ukrainian enterprises engaged in food production in 2017 received the right to export their goods to the European Union, the Ministry of Agricultural Policy and Food has said.

According to a report on its website, goods will be delivered to the European market by a company producing dairy goods, a company producing poultry and three companies producing honey.

Currently talks are being held with respect to supplies of Ukrainian goods to the world markets. In particular, Ukraine provided Japan, Singapore, Korea, the United States and Canada with the information on the system of state control with the aim of getting access to the market of poultry. Talks are also being held with China on expanding the list of exporters of dairy products, as well as with respect to applying for the opening of poultry and beef markets.

In addition, talks with Jordan are at the final stage. The parties are finalizing veterinary certificates for exports of chilled/frozen beef. Ukraine and Egypt have agreed the form of veterinary certificates for exports of chilled/frozen boneless beef.

In addition, Ukraine has agreed the form of veterinary certificates for exports of poultry to Serbia, and is holding talks with the European Union on the issue of extending the list of exporters of food and feed.
U.S. Committee on Appropriations proposes to halve security assistance initiative for Ukraine

The Committee on Appropriations of the U.S. House of Representatives has drawn up a bill foreseeing the transfer of $150 million as the security assistance initiative for Ukraine, 112.Ukraine TV Channel has reported.

"The funds to remain available until September 30, 2017. The funds will be available to provide assistance, including training, equipment and lethal weapons of a defensive nature," TV Channel said on Friday.

The funds could be sent to support, including support to the military and national security forces of Ukraine.

The sum of security assistance for Ukraine was halved compared to the sum outlined in the U.S. defense budget in 2016 when it was $300 million.

The bill is to be passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and eventually the U.S. president is to approve it.
Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, Konstiantyn Yeliseyev has said Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko intends to visit London, the United Kingdom, to attend the conference which will showcase the results of reforms in Ukraine.

"We have agreed that in the first half of this year, our president will make a visit to London, where hopefully he will open a large-scale conference on Ukraine, which will be dedicated to Ukraine's progress in carrying out reforms," the deputy head of the presidential administration said on the Inter TV channel on Sunday evening.

Earlier, during his visit to Kyiv, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said that the conference dedicated to the reforms in Ukraine will be held in London in July.
Court dismisses request for recusal of judge who is to choose pre-trial restriction for Nasirov

Solomiansky District Court of Kyiv on Monday dismissed a motion by the defense team of suspended head of the State Fiscal Service Roman Nasirov about the recusal of Solomiansky District Court Judge Oleksandr Bobrovnyk.

Solomiansky District Court Judge Olena Bukina announced this decision after considering the motion by the defense lawyers.

"The court sees no reason to grant the request ... the motion has been dismissed," the judge said.

Thus, Judge Oleksandr Bobrovnyk will continue the sitting to elect a pre-trial restriction for Nasirov.
U.S. point to need to establish independent anti-corruption court in Ukraine

The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine has stressed the need to establish an Anti-Corruption Court in the country as soon as possible.

"The need to establish independent anti-corruption #court is clear and growing more urgent," the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv wrote on Twitter on Monday.

In addition, the embassy welcomed the actions of Ukrainian activists who seek transparency of the judicial process: "Inspiring to see Ukrainian civil society in action calling for effective and transparent judicial process."
The airline said it had applied to Guinness World Records to validate the claim.

New Delhi: India's national airline claimed Monday to have set a new record with the first round-the-world flight staffed entirely by women.

Air India said its Boeing 777 travelled from Delhi to San Francisco and back again with an all-female crew last week, the first time such a flight has circumnavigated the globe.

The airline, which has faced criticism in the past for grounding dozens of female cabin crew over their weight, said it had applied to Guinness World Records to validate the claim.

"Everyone involved in the flight operation -- from pilots to check-in staff to cabin crew -- were from our female staff," spokesman G P Rao told AFP.

Rao said even the air traffic controllers at the Delhi end of the flight, which returned on March 3, were women.

The airline will operate more all-female flights this week to celebrate International Women's Day on Wednesday, Rao said.

Last year the state-owned carrier said it had flown a non-stop flight for 17 hours to set a record for the longest all-female crew trip.

In recent years Air India has taken several initiatives to improve its record on gender equality.

In January it announced designated female-only seats on its domestic flights after a spate of sexual harassment complaints by passengers.
Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday issued summons to former AirAsia India chief executive Mittu Chandliya for questioning in a case related to alleged violation of certain provisions of Foreign Exchange Management Act.

According to ET Now the agency that works under department of revenue of finance ministry has given two weeks time to Chandilya to appear before it and take questions.

It was alleged that back in 2013, AirAsia India with Chandilya at its helms signed deals with Singapore-based HNR Trading, Link Media. For the deal with HNR, Chandilya allegedly paid Rs 22 crore to fictitious entities in Singapore, in violation of FEMA rules.

Chandilya had joined AirAsia India back in 2013. The no-frills carrier was a joint venture between Malaysia-based AirAsia Berhad, Telestra and India's Tata Sons.

This comes close on the heels of a prolonged legal tussle between Rata Tata and Cyrus Mistry who was unceremoniously removed as Tata Sons chairman on October 24 last year.

After he was sacked from Tata Sons, Mistry had alleged a fraudulent transaction worth Rs 22 crore took place in AirAsia deal.

On March 6, the National Company Law Tribunal discarded plea filed by two Mistry family-owed companies alleging mismanagement and oppression at Tata Sons.
New York: Global tech giants are heading for a proxy war in India. Alibaba is leading a $200 million investment into Paytms marketplace, creating a new Indian unicorn.

It confirms the intention of the Chinese behemoth to take on Amazon, which is aggressively ramping up, investing $5 billion into its local operation as other homegrown rivals flail. Only one of the tech big boys will emerge victorious.

The $255 billion Chinese group and Paytm have already invested together to build a dominant mobile-wallet payment business, now worth around $5 billion. Their smaller e-commerce unit is now being separated out to meet Indian regulations.

After the latest fundraising, Jack Ma's Alibaba and its own payments affiliate Ant Financial will effectively control the e-commerce company and continue to own a large stake in the payments arm, which must be majority Indian-owned.

Local rivals Flipkart and Snapdeal, backed by New York investment firm Tiger Global and Japans SoftBank, respectively, helped to establish the domestic e-commerce industry. But their future roles look uncertain as these global tech giants, with deeper pockets, get stuck into the market.

Privately owned Flipkart is fighting hard to maintain a narrow lead; investors now reckon it is worth as little as one third of its $15 billion peak in 2015. Meanwhile, the founders of Snapdeal are cutting costs and headcount; an email to employees admits errors in executing its strategy.

Talk of a possible merger between Snapdeal and Paytm keeps surfacing in local media. That makes sense, given SoftBank already owns a near 30 percent stake in Alibaba and could lose a fortune fighting head-to-head to build market share.

For now, Indian e-commerce has become a free-for-all, and a stark contrast to China where foreign companies have struggled. But there isnt room for everyone to financially succeed.

Alibabas new commitment to Paytm E-commerce, following its success in building out a local mobile wallet business, puts it in a strong position. Fold in Snapdeal, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos would face a significant obstacle in the road to global domination.
Cyrus Mistry and his family companies received yet another NCLT blow.

Mumbai: National Company Law Tribunal on Monday turned down Cyrus Mistrys contempt plea against Tata Sons, according to ET Now. Mistry was ousted as Tata Sons chairman on October 24 last year at a hurriedly called board meeting.

Since his removal, Mistry was at loggerheads with Tata Group patriarch Ratan Tata who at the time of Mistrys ouster was chairman emeritus of Tata Group. He also dragged the dispute to the legal forum to seek a favourable order.

The $103 billion salt-to-steel conglomerate cited breach of confidentiality and overlooking of Group interests for personal gains as prime reason for pink slip handed out to Mistry.

Mistry had earlier alleged oppression and mismanagement at Tata Sons. He also charged the conglomerate did not heed interests of minority shareholders.

NCLT in its Mondays ruling that has come 130 days after Mistrys sacking from Tata Sons has observed that contempt petition by Cyrus Investments and Sterling Investments, two Mistry family-owned businesses, was not maintainable.

It also ruled that the two companies instrumental in bringing out the contempt petition were not eligible to allege mismanagement and shareholder oppression at Tata Sons.

The Tribunal will take up a waiver for Tata Group's petition on March 7.
Stock of South Indian Bank closed 0.25 per cent down at Rs 20.30 on BSE.

Mumbai: Foreign investors are permitted further purchases of equity shares in private sector South Indian Bank as the prescribed 49 per cent threshold caution limit stipulated under the extant FDI policy has come down.

Foreign shareholding by ADR/GDR/FIIs/RFPIs/NRIs/FDIs/PIOs in South Indian Bank has reached the trigger limit, a Reserve Bank notification said today.

"Hence further purchases of equity shares of this company would be allowed only after obtaining prior approval of the Reserve Bank of India," RBI added.

Foreign portfolio investors held 34.82 per cent of the paid-up capital in the bank, NRIs 2.46 per cent and DB International (Asia) 1.51 per cent as on December 31, 2016 as per data from BSE.

FIIs, NRIs and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origins) can invest in primary and secondary capital markets in India through PIS.

The RBI monitors ceilings on FII/NRI/PIO investments in Indian companies on a daily basis and has fixed the cut-off points two percentage points lower than the actual ceiling.

Stock of South Indian Bank closed 0.25 per cent down at Rs 20.30 on BSE.
The fund-raising will help the government inch towards Rs 56,500-crore disinvestment target for the current fiscal.

New Delhi: Reliance Mutual Fund has filed draft offer documents with capital markets watchdog Sebi to garner funds for the government through a fresh tranche of the CPSE Exchange Traded Fund.

CPSE ETF, which functions like a mutual fund scheme, comprises scrips of 10 PSUs ONGC, Coal India, IOC, GAIL (India), Oil India, PFC, Bharat Electronics, REC, Engineers India and Container Corporation of India. The fund-raising will help the government inch towards Rs 56,500-crore disinvestment target for the current fiscal.

As per draft documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), Reliance MF has applied for the second FFO (Further Fund offer) of the Central Public Sector Enterprises, Exchange Traded Fund or CPSE ETF.

The government had raised Rs 6,000 crore through the first FFO of the CPSE ETF in January. The government had launched the CPSE ETF in March 2014 under which retail investors could invest a minimum of Rs 5,000 to buy units.

CPSE ETF was originally managed by Goldman Sachs MF, which was acquired by Reliance MF in October 2015. Finance Ministry, in September, had given its nod for the transfer of management of CPSE ETF to Reliance Mutual Fund.

Apart from the existing CPSE ETF, the government is planning to create a new ETF comprising stocks of PSUs. It has already appointed ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund to manage the second CPSE ETF. As per the draft prospectus, the government intends to sell further CPSE shares to the CPSE ETG scheme and the fund house has therefore formulated the second FFO, which would be offered to the public for subscription.

As in the earlier FFO, it has proposed that the fund, out of the proceeds of the second FFO, would purchase the CPSE shares as represented in the constituent companies of the Nifty CPSE Index in similar composition and weightages as they appear in the Nifty CPSE Index.

The government will sell the shares at a discounted rate to the scheme for the benefit of the unit holders and the Mutual Fund will in turn create and allot the units. After closing of the second FFO, the units will be listed on the stock exchanges in the form of an ETF tracking the Nifty CPSE Index.
New Delhi: Startups continue to attract highest investment from private equity (PE) and venture capitalists (VC) in 2016, but the deals value declined by more

than 50 per cent this year, says a report.

According to the Grant Thornton in India's The Fourth Wheel 2017 report, produced in association with Indian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (IVCA), startups received the maximum investment of USD 2.5 billion and constitutes 70 per cent of the transaction volumes in 2016.

While startups remain the key focus for PE/VC investors, the report says the investment values in startups declined by more than 50 per cent this year, signifying rationalisation of investments and startup valuations.

However, the government's push on digitisation and initiatives under the Startup India plan are likely to lead a rebound in this segment, according to the report, launched at the IVCA Conclave held here today.

Apart from startups, other sectors that witnessed the maximum transactions were telecom, banking and financial services, real estate, IT/ITeS and manufacturing.

These sectors along with startups contributed around 78 per cent of the overall deal value in 2016. The report further said values and volumes of PE & VC

investments were lower in 2016 due to the lack of big-ticket investments that were made in the previous year.

PE and VC investors invested USD 14 billion in 971 deals in 2016 compared to USD 16 billion in 1045 deals in 2015, registering the first decline in the PE activity in the last four years.

"Although 2016 saw a decline in the PE activity, we are hopeful for 2017," Harish HV, Partner India Leadership team, Grant Thornton India LLP said, adding it could be the year of reckoning for the country where implementation of structuralpolicies and reforms such as the GST and the recently announced measures in the Union Budget 2017 will drive growth.

Moreover, expected improvements in the banking sector, pick up in the rural demand, post demonetisation, a robust primary market and improving capacity utilisations across industries are likely to drive domestic economic activity.

"Amidst global uncertainties arising due to Brexit, protectionist policies proposed by the US and a slowing Chinese economy, India continues to be the bright spot. India is likely to drive resilient growth in deal activity in 2017," he said.
Visakhapatnam: BJP National General Secretary P Muralidhara Rao today claimed that the economy has improved and government revenues increased after demonetisation.

"Country's economy did not experience a slow as predicted by economists following demonetisation. The economy has improved and government revenues increased after demonetisation," Rao told reporters here.

He said the BJP's victory in local body polls in Maharashtra and Gujarat indicate that people have accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to demonetise higher-value notes.
New Delhi: Traders association Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) today made a case for delaying the roll out of Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime to September 1 as small businesses are not yet prepared for it.

Nearly 70 per cent of small businesses in the country are yet to adopt digital technology in their business format and as such it is a big challenge for them to computerized themselves in the shortest period, CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said.

"Accordingly, the deadline of GST implementation from July 1, may be deferred for a reasonable time and meanwhile a nationwide campaign for mass awareness on GST may be conducted involving trade associations all over the country," he said.

Though CAIT favour early implementation of GST in the country yet it has urged the Government to give reasonable time to traders to understand the provisions of GST and prepare themselves for smooth transition from current VAT regime to GST, he said.

The GST, a technology-based taxation system, requires compliance through online system, he added. After the passage of model GST law in the second leg of Budget session, traders would be left with 60 days to adopt this technology-based system which requires training and education and awareness, he said, adding the timeframe is too short.

About two crore small businesses across the country would come under GST regime and 60 days would not be enough for spreading awareness and educating about the new taxation system, he said.

"Given the Constitutional obligation, we think that September 1 could be taken as roll out date for GST," he said. Besides, he urged that the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to consider traders concerns so that anomalies could be removed.

Since GST is a destination based taxation system and traders are the last mile connect with consumers, the views and comments of trade and commerce will go a long way in establishing GST as a best revenue model in the country, he said.

"The concept of e-permit in inter-state transactions will destroy One nation-One Tax concept. Since each activity will be linked through GST network enabling the Government to keep a close watch on each and every movement of goods and services, the provision of e-permit should be withdrawn," he said.
The government is learnt to have also urged SBI and other lenders, including private sector banks to reconsider the charges on cash transactions and ATM withdrawals above a certain limit.

New Delhi: After the public criticism, the Central government on Monday has reportedly asked state-owned State Bank of India (SBI) to reconsider its decision to levy penalty on non-maintenance of minimum balance in saving accounts from April 1 impacting over 31 crore account holders.

The government is learnt to have also urged SBI and other lenders, including private sector banks to reconsider the charges on cash transactions and ATM withdrawals above a certain limit.

HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank among others have started charging a minimum amount of Rs 150 per transaction for cash deposits and withdrawals beyond four free transactions in a month.

SBI was planning to reintroduce penalty for not maintaining minimum balance in saving accounts after a gap of five years. SBI had said that it will impose penalty ranging from Rs 20-Rs 100 on non-maintenance of Minimum Average Balance in savings bank accounts from April 1.

The penalty is as high as Rs 500 in case of current accounts. The bank has also increased the minimum balance requirement by many times, which is as high as `5,000 for accou-nt maintained with branches in six metros.
Kyiv Pechersky District Court has cancelled the arrest of $312.5 million in the International Investment Bank (IIB) belonging to businessman Oleksandr Yanukovych, son of ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych.

"To grant the motion by lawyer A.S. Salazsky, acting on behalf of another person. To cancel the arrest of the property, which is held on the account of another person in the public joint-stock company International Investment Bank, which was imposed by a ruling of investigating judge of Pechersky District Court of Kyiv K.E. Tarasiuk dated January 25, 2017 in case No. 757/4336/17-k," reads the court ruling dated March 2 in the case No. 757/4336/17-k registered in the State Court Rulings Register.

The accounts in question belong to Oleksandr Yanukovych and the ISS received these funds from the National Bank for Development.

As reported, the International Investment Bank (IIB) blocked UAH 312.5 million that came to the bank account belonging to the son of the former president, Oleksandr Yanukovych.

"Immediately after the transfer of funds to the account, PJSC IIB fulfilled the requirements of the law, the legal acts of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and informed the State Service for Financial Monitoring on financial operations of clients, containing the signs provided for by the law on prevention and counteraction to legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime, terrorist financing and financing proliferation of mass destruction weapons," the report says.

The bank said the receipt of these funds was not agreed with the administration of PJSC IIB and was a surprise to the bank.

According to the ruling of Pechersky District Court dated January 25, 2017, posted in the State Court Rulings Register, four persons in January this year transferred a total of UAH 312.5 million to accounts in the IIB. The actual owner of these funds is the owner of National Bank for Development.

National Bank for Development was registered in 2009. It is part of MAKO Group.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on a batch of petitions seeking a direction that old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 should be accepted in RBI branches upto March 31 as per the promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech on demonetisation made on November 8, 2016.

A Bench of Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Sanjay Kish-an Kaul issued notices returnable on Friday after hearing senior counsel Dhruv Mehta and others challenging the ordinance which makes retaining old notes beyond a limit as a punishable offence.

It was argued that they had genuine reasons for not depositing the old `500 and `1000 notes in banks before December 30, 2016. Both the Prime Minister and the RBI had clearly stated that such notes will be accepted by RBI upto March 31, 2017.

However, they were shocked to find that the Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Ordinance, 2016 provided that only the super rich (international travellers and NRIs) would avail of the so-called grace period up to March 31, 2017 and beyond.

This measure of the government and the RBI is a violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, as it arbitrarily discriminates between the classes of people and also provides for criminal penalties against those who continue to possess this currency.

It was alleged that the Prime Minister and RBI had assured the people at large that demonetised currency notes can be exchanged at banks, post offices and RBI branches and if people are unable to deposit them by that day then they can do so till March 31, 2017 at RBI branches.

Referring the final ordinance, the lawyer said that it had breac-hed the assurance. The Ordinance said that only those who were abroad, the armed forces personnel posted in remote areas or others, who can give valid reasons for not being able to deposit the cancelled notes at banks, can deposit the demonetised currency notes till March 31.

The Centre had come out with the Ordinance making possession of a large number of scrapped banknotes a penal offence that will attract monetary fine.

The Ordinance also provided for amending the RBI Act to provide legislative support for extinguishing the demonetised banknotes that are not returned.
Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday decided to increase the cap on cash withdrawals from savings bank accounts to Rs 50,000 per week from February 20. The withdrawal limit, the RBI said, would be completely lifted from March 13, 2017.

From February 20, the limits on cash withdrawals from the savings bank accounts will be enhanced to Rs 50,000 per week from the current limit of Rs 24,000 per week. From March 13, there will be no limits prescribed by the RBI on cash withdrawals from savings bank account, said R. Gandhi, deputy governor, RBI at the post-monetary policy press conference.

He also said Rs 9.29 lakh crore worth new currency notes have been put in circulation as against Rs 15.44 lakh crore in circulation on November 8, 2016.

On the amount of notes that had been returned, RBI deputy governor S.S. Mundra said it will take time as NRIs still have time till June 30 for submitting their old notes. The final figures after final verification will be published thereafter.
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee has tried to scotch the long-standing speculation about his aspiration to become interim Prime Minister after Indira Gandhis assassination in October 1984 and termed these stories as false and spiteful. He also said opening of the Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya was an error of judgment by then PM Rajiv Gandhi and the demolition of Babri Masjid an act of absolute perfidy that destroyed Indias image.

In the second volume of his memoirs, The Turbulent Years: 1980-96, that was released on Thursday by vice-president Hamid Ansari, Mr Mukherjee says: Many stories have been circulated that I aspired to be the interim Prime Minister, that I had staked claim and had to be persuaded otherwise.

And that this created misgivings in Rajiv Gandhis mind. These stories are completely false and spiteful. In the book published by Rupa Publications, the President has written in detail about the conversation he had with Rajiv Gandhi in a bathroom about the prime ministership on that fateful day of October 31, 1984.

Time was ticking away and I was very keen to talk to him. I went near the couple (Rajiv and Sonia) and gently touched Rajiv on the back of his shoulder to indicate that I had some very urgent work with him. He released himself from Sonias arms and turned around to talk to me, he wrote.

Knowing that I would not have disturbed him unless the matter was very urgent and confidential, he quickly led me to the bathroom attached to the room so that we could talk without being noticed by anyone else who may enter the room, Mr Mukherjee said.

The two had a discussion on the political situation and the views of partymen about appointing Rajiv Prime Minister, which he had agreed to become. Later, I came out of the bathroom and conveyed Rajivs decision to everyone.

On the Ram temple issue, he says: The opening of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple site on 1 February 1986 was perhaps another error of judgment. People felt these actions could have been avoided, the President wrote.

Elsewhere, he said: The demolition of the Babri Masjid was an act of absolute perfidy... It was the senseless, wanton destruction of a religious structure, purely to serve political ends. It deeply wounded the sentiments of the Muslim community in India and abroad. It destroyed Indias image as a tolerant, pluralistic nation.

Mr Mukherjee says implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations contributed to reducing social injustice in society, though it also divided and polarised different sections of our population. The 1989-91 period, Mr Mukherjee says, was a phase dominated by violence and bitter divisions within Indian society.

Insurgency and cross-border terrorism broke out in Jammu and Kashmir; the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue rocked the nation. Finally, a suicide bomber brought Rajivs life to an abrupt and tragic end on 21 May 1991, he says.

Talking of the circumstances that led to his ouster from Rajiv Gandhis Cabinet and then from the Congress Party, Mr Mukherjee admitted he had sensed Rajivs growing unhappiness and the hostility of those around him and taken pre-emptive action.

To the question of why he dropped me from the Cabinet and expelled me from the party, all I can say is that he made mistakes, and so did I. He let others influence him and listened to their calumnies against me. I let my frustration overtake my patience, he said.

Mr Mukherjee was forced to leave Congress in April 1986, after which he formed the Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress (RSC). However, Mr Mukherjee feels he could have avoided the RSC fiasco. I should have the wisdom to realise that I was (and am) not a mass leader. Those who left the Congress rarely succeeded. I could have been of some help to the Congress Party and the government during those crucial years of 1986 and 1987 when everything seemed to go wrong for Rajiv, said Mr Mukherjee, who then returned to Congress after two years.

Mr Mukherjee said Rajiv was a reluctant politician who was forced by circumstances to become Prime Minister at the age of 40. He was ahead of his times. He wanted rapid change and saw the old guard in the Congress as an obstacle to his vision. He was forward-looking, tech-savvy and welcomed foreign investment in India as well as enlargement of the market economy.

In contrast, I was a conservative, conventional political leader who favoured the public sector, a regulated economy and wanted foreign investment only from NRIs, the President writes. The unconscionable anti-Sikh riots, which broke out in the name of revenge for Indira Gandhis assassination, caught the Rajiv government unprepared, he writes.

The government was just not ready for an eventuality such as Mrs Gandhis assassination and the riots that followed. Every mature government has mechanisms to deal with a crisis such as this. Unfortunately, overwhelming grief overtook the nation and miscreants took advantage of the situation, causing loss of life and suffering, Mr Mukherjee says.

Recalling the Shah Bano case, the President says Rajiv Gandhis action eroded his image as a modern man. Rajivs actions on the Shah Bano judgment and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Bill drew criticism and eroded his modern image, the President said.

In the book, he also said imposition of Presidents Rule can be liable to misuse but procedural changes over the years have somewhat reduced that possibility. This assumes significance as the President had on Tuesday signed a proclamation bringing Arunachal Pradesh under Central rule on the grounds of a constitutional breakdown.

Known for his elephantine memory, Mr Mukherjee said that some facts from his years in governance will be buried with him. Many people in their memoirs, including Churchill (Winston Churchill, Britains famed wartime leader and PM) and many others have written (about) state facts, but I had a bit conservative approach ... As and when (these) facts will be released by the government, then people should come to know, not from somebodys account who was in the government, the President said.

Speaking at the launch of the book at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday afternoon, the President referred to his old habit of writing a page every day in a diary, which holds a lot of his secrets. That is why I have advised my daughter, who is the custodian of this diary, that (she should) never release this. You should digitise this, but never release it. If you digitise it, as and when the government will find it necessary, they (can) be released, the President added.
Mumbai: The birth of Karan Johar's twins, Yash and Roohi, is the most talked-about topic in the tinsel town now.

Where everyone is showering wishes and blessings on the tiny tots, KJo's good friend Farah Khan has an offer for him. She is ready to be the nanny for his kids.

"When we went to Sajid's show, they asked me, 'what do you want for Karan?' and I said, he should be a parent, either by adopting or surrogacy. I am thrilled it has happened to him. I told him, if he wants a nanny, then 'Main Hoon Na'," Farah said here, when asked on the same.

Sushmita also has a heart-felt message for the filmmaker, who is all set to take a new ride with his newly-embraced parenthood.

"Congratulations to Karan. He, in an interview once, said that he has the nurturing quality in him. He wants to start a family. He has always been a guy who is owned by his heart. I am very happy Karan Johar is now a parent and I am sure his children will grow up to be amazing people." Sushmita said.

Adding, "Every child is different, every parent is different. Just remember, you are here to nurture their talents and to give them the best possible life ever."

Kiran Rao, who also had her first-born, Azad, with husband Aamir Khan, via surrogacy, said, "That's just wonderful. He deserves every happiness that life can give him. I am so happy to hear this news."

"Congratulations to him. I think he will make a really nice parent. I love 'Koffee with Karan' and it seems like he is a really fun person. He will make a fab dad," said actress Amyra Dastur.

Karan took to Twitter on Sunday morning to share the news of birth of Roohi and Yash, with an official statement, "I am ecstatic to share with you all the two most wonderful additions to my life, my children and lifelines; Roohi and Yash."

"I feel enormously blessed to be a parent to these pieces of my heart who were welcomed into this world with the help of the marvels of medical science," he added.

The statement further read, "This was an emotional yet well thought out decision which I have taken after considering all the responsibilities and duties that come with being a parent. In order to arrive at this decision, I have prepared myself mentally, physically, emotionally and logistically to ensure that my children get all the unconditional love, care and attention from me and mine. I have submitted to the fact that my children are my world and priority."

"My work, travels and social commitments would have to take a back seat and I am prepared for that. By the grace of God, I have the most caring and supportive mother who will be an integral part in the up-bringing of her grandchildren and of course, friends who are family," the 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' director said.

He concluded, "I am eternally grateful to the surrogate who has fulfilled my lifelong dream and provided a warm, loving and nurturing environment to my children before bringing them into this world. She will always remain in my prayers. Finally, a big thank you to Dr. Jatin Shah for his guidance and support and for being like a family member through this wonderful and exciting journey."
Mumbai: As one of the most-awaited combinations of Telugu film industry  Ram Charan and Sukumar come together; anticipation surrounding this ambitious project is only going higher by the day. After delivering back-to-back blockbusters with films like Srimanthudu & Janatha Garage, Mythri Movie Makers are bankrolling this untitled film. And as the scion of the mega family teams up with the maverick director whose films are known to tread an untested path, here's a new update.

The film's pre-production work is on in full swing and now, the team is set to kickstart the shoot from March 20, 2017. Meanwhile, the film's music composer, Rockstar Devi Sri Prasad, has already completed work on the songs.

After completion of an elaborate recce of locations in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu makers have zeroed in on the suitable shoot locales too. Sukumar is personally taking care of the look that both Ram Charan and Samantha will don in the film.

The Shooting part of this film will start from March 20th with important star cast & Samantha will join the first schedule on March 22nd. Director Sukumar is planning to complete the shoot by July 2017. The producers have informed that the film will be made on an elaborate scale in an uncompromised fashion.
Mumbai: Several reports started doing the rounds on Sunday that made shocking claims that Rekha was secretly married to Sanjay Dutt and that it was the reason the actress always applies vermillion on her forehead. The reports claimed that these details were mentioned in a book on the actress, Rekha- The Untold Story, written by Yasser Usman.

The news obviously appeared shocking, also because the book was published last year and these stories should have made headlines at that time. Yasser Usman has finally spoken up regarding the story and has slammed it.

This is wrong. Nothing of this sort has been mentioned in my book. People dont read properly, he told Hindustan Times.

Elaborating on the story, he said, Rekha and Sanjay Dutt were working in a film together, probably Zameen Aasmaan (1984). The rumours of their affair surfaced at that time. In fact, some went on to say that they got married. These rumours became so strong that Sanjay Dutt had to deny the allegations in a magazine. It was an official denial.

He added, There wasnt any marriage. This became big only because Dutt had to deny it officially.

Incidentally, Sanjay Dutts name had also appeared in the recent biography on Rishi Kapoor in which he claims that Dutt once visited his house to beat him over his affair with Tina Munim, only to realise that he was engaged to Neetu Singh.
Mumbai: Rishi Kapoor is again in news for something that he does always- unabashed replies to trolls or online criticism. The actor has now abused a woman on Twitter, who was trolling him.

It all started when Senior Kapoor posted a quiz asking his followers to guess what is common between him and Karan Johar.

While some gave the right answer, others trolled him. Instead of ignoring them, the 64-year-old messaged them personally and abused them.

While many started criticising the actor, a woman claimed that this is not the first time he is using curse words. She posted the screenshot of the message received from Rishi Kapoor which she deleted later.

Here is Kapoors abusive message to the woman and her response to it:
Mumbai: Davis received the Harvard foundation 2017 'Artist of the Year' award, recently, at Harvard's Cultural Rhythms Festival in Cambridge.

According to Harvard Gazette, S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation said, "The students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation are delighted to present the acclaimed television and film artist Viola Davis with the 2017 Artist of the Year Award."

"Our student committee praised her outstanding contributions to American and international film and theater. She recently received the Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and British Academy of Films and Television Arts awards, as well as an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of August Wilson's play 'Fences'," Counter added.

The 51 year-old received 'Best Supporting Actress' award at this year's Oscars, for 'Fences' and also bagged Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA awards for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of ' Fences', an August Wilson play.

She also acted in the play's 2010 Broadway revival, with Denzel Washington, which earned her a Tony award.

Previous winners of this award includes, Quincy Jones, Shakira, Andy Garcia, Salma Hayek and Matt Damon.
Those who had their first period at age 11 or younger were 50 per cent more likely to develop gestational diabetes. (Photo: Pixabay)

Melbourne: Girls who start menstruating at a younger age are 50 per cent more likely to develop gestational diabetes, researchers including one of Indian origin have found.

Gestational diabetes is an increasingly common pregnancy complication and can have long-lasting health consequences for mothers and their children. Researchers from University of Queensland in Australia analysed data from more than 4,700 women and found a higher number of women who reported having their first period at a younger age had later developed gestational diabetes.

Those who had their first period at age 11 or younger were 50 per cent more likely to develop gestational diabetes than those who experienced their first period at age 13, said Danielle Schoenaker. "This finding could mean that health professionals will start asking women when they had their first period to

identify those at higher risk of gestational diabetes," Schoenaker added.

Early puberty in girls has now been shown to be a significant marker for several adverse health outcomes, including gestational diabetes, said Professor Gita Mishra, Director of Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. "A large proportion of women who develop diabetes during pregnancy are overweight or obese and encouraging those with an early start of puberty to control their weight before pregnancy may help to lower their risk of gestational diabetes," said Schoenaker. The was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Parsis in India were asked to "be responsible and not use a condom" as part of a campaign (Photo: Pixabay)

Sex is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle for people of any nationality in the world, but many countries have reported a drop in the number of people having sex and this has affected their birth rates, which in turn has effects on the economy and public welfare initiatives.

A study revealed that milennials are not having as much sex as previous generations and a hectic lifestyle taking toll on libido are causing issues like half the married couples in Japan not having enough sex and fertility rates following across the world.

This has led to several governments gearing up to introduce policies encouraging people to have more sex. While it might seem unthinkable in India, here are some administrations putting in real efforts for people to have more sex.

Japan

Japan has been facing a constantly falling fertility rates since 1975 which is odd for a country from where a lot of online porn is added. 50 percent married couples having sex less than once in a month is also alarming and for that couples are being given previews of parenthood using robots. This experience of parenthood is meant to motivate them emotionally to become parents.

Russia

A country not popular for its stance on people with a different sexual orientation, Russia has actually witnessed their president Vladimir Putin encourage people to have more sex. To addressed men dying young from alcohol and HIV, as well as women not having babies, Putin hired musicians Boys II Men ahead of Valentines Day.

In 2007 the country also adopted September 12 as their national day of conception as things seem to be going verse.

Romania

The country has been facing falling population as a crisis for decades now. In the 1960s it came to a point where a fine was imposed on childless couples as those not contributing with a future labour force had to contribute by money. The 80s saw a brutal policy of forced gynaecological exams which went away after the fall of the regime in 1989. But all policies failed to repair the fertility rate.

Denmark

Its understandable for a regime to be worried about a low fertility rate, but Denmark has seen the most absurdly hilarious campaigns encouraging people. While couples were previously told to make babies for Denmark if not for themselves, a travel company raised eyebrows by offering three years of free baby supplies to mothers who conceived on a vacation booked through them, and then introducing a campaign asking men to do it for mom.

Singapore

The country has the lowest fertility rate anywhere in the world, which explains why the government would host an event like National Night where it encouraged couples by asking them to let their patriotism explode. In addition to spending $1.6 billion on campaigns encouraging people to have sex, they also restricted number of small one bedroom apartments so people would stay together and make babies.

South Korea

Moving away from seemingly strange initiatives with absurd slogans, South Korea tries to solve its low fertility rate with offices being shut by 7 pm on the third Wednesday of a month. Its called family day as people are encouraged to get in action, and couples with more than one child are given cash rewards.

India

Now this may come as a surprise with rising population being the concern for India as a country, even as its ironically a sex shy nation. But theres more to it since the initiatives here are for the Parsi community who are facing a drastic fall in population. While one ad asks people to be responsible and not use a condom, another targets men staying with parents suggesting its high time you broke up with your mum.

Italy

Having fertility rate below the European average and is taking an approach for encouraging people to have sex that has run into controversy. It has called on people saying that time is running out and that even as beauty knows no age, fertility does.
Kyiv urges international community to take further measures to bring DPRK to justice for ballistic missile launch

Ukraine condemns the launch of ballistic missiles of North Korea (DPRK) and calls on the international community to take measures to bring the DPRK to justice.

"Repeating ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in particular outrageous launches of four such missiles on March 6, 2017 is not only a direct violation of the UN Security Council's resolutions, but is a deliberate provocation against existing system of international law. Ukraine strongly condemns such actions of Pyongyang, urges world community to take additional measures to bring the DPRK to justice and in this context expresses its full support to Japan and South Korea," the Foreign Ministry's press-service says in its statement.

The ministry says that current developments show that existing sanctions against North Korea have proven to be insufficient.

"Ukraine confirms its determination to use all possible leverages in its capacity of a non-permanent member of the Security Council in order to return North Korea to the international legal framework," a statement says.
Ryan Jacka and Hannah Dittrich's big moment was captured on video by commuters and even posted online by Metro Trains official Twitter handle. (Photo: Twitter/ @metrotrains)

A man in Australia decided to ask his lady love to marry him in the most unusual of places  a metro train  that too in front of 400 commuters. Ryan Jacka, 35, popped the question to his unsuspecting girlfriend Hannah Dittrich, 27, while the two were travelling together in a crowded metro train compartment in Melbourne, Australia.

These two lovebirds met on a train 10yrs ago & with a little help from our driver, Ryan popped Hannah a special question this morning... pic.twitter.com/2eYysokCHI  Metro Trains (@metrotrains) March 2, 2017

SHE SAID YES! Congrats from all of us at Metro & your fellow passengers on the marriage carriage from Frankston to Flinders Street. pic.twitter.com/J3yVcbs9DM  Metro Trains (@metrotrains) March 2, 2017

The reason why Ryan chose the metro train to propose to Hannah was because thats where the two had met for the first time ten years ago. Of course, she said yes. Their big moment was captured on video by commuters and even posted online by Metro Trains official Twitter handle.

Were thrilled that you choo choo choose each other. Wishing you a long life of happiness and love together. Next stop: the wedding!  Metro Trains (@metrotrains) March 2, 2017

The train driver was heard saying, "We have two of our regular commuters with us today, Hannah and Ryan. They met on the train about 10 years ago, they have been madly in love ever since - and today, Ryan has a special question he'd like to ask Hannah, before Ryan dropped on one knee to propose.
Kannur: The police in Kerala on Sunday intensified the search to trace seven accused, including five nuns and a doctor, who are on the run since the arrest of a Catholic priest accused of raping an underage girl.

The five nuns and the gynaecologist of the church-run hospital, where the 16-year-old girl delivered a boy, continued to evade arrest. The search conducted for the second day on Sunday failed to yield any result, investigating officer Sunil Kumar told Press Trust of India. A helper, Thangamma, is among the accused absconding, he said.

Police had on Saturday said eight persons had been charged for their alleged role in hiding facts related to the case relating to the rape and subsequent delivery of the baby by the Class 11 student on February 7. They were booked under non-bailable sections.

Father Robin alias Mathew Vadakkancheril, who was the vicar of the local church at Kottiyoor in Kannur district and the prime accused in the case, was arrested on February 28. The girl, who attended the church-run school where the priest was the manager, had attended classes till February 6, a day before giving birth to the boy.

Meanwhile, Mananthavady Bishop Mar Jose Porunnedom on Sunday said the church would always be with the girl and her family. The church leadership had never tried to protect the accused, he said in a statement.

The Bishop also announced the removal of Church spokesperson Father Thomas Joseph Therakam, chairman of the Wyanad Child Welfare Committee (CWC), who is also at the centre of the controversy over the shifting of the girl's baby from the hospital to a church orphanage.

Therakam, who has not yet been booked in the case, is also absconding.

"In this case, the church is with the victim and her family," the bishop said adding all the accused should be brought before law and the church would give its full support. However, those not guilty should not be punished, he said.

The bishop had on Saturday apologised to the girl and her family.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a request from Samajwadi Party leader Gayatri Prajapati, accused in a rape case, to protect him from arrest and asked him to opt for a legal remedy against the non-bailable warrant issued against him.

Our order is only the registration of FIR, nothing else. Let the police investigate and report to us. We never ordered arrest. If an NBW (Non-Bailable Warrant) is issued you have your remedies," NDTV quoted the apex court as saying to Prajapati's lawyer.

A non-bailable warrant was issued against Prajapati on Saturday after reports emerged that the absconding Uttar Pradesh minister may try to flee the country fearing arrest. His passport was also revoked for four weeks.

The Supreme Court also said that its order directing the Uttar Pradesh Police to file an FIR is being given a "political colour" and it is "unfortunate".

Prajapati had on February 20 moved the Supreme Court against its order of registering an FIR against him in connection with a gang rape and sexual harassment case.

Prajapati filed a plea in the apex court seeking protection from arrest and recall of the top court's earlier order.

The apex court had earlier directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to file a status report in the case within a period of eight weeks.

A 35-year-old woman had accused Prajapati of raping her when she met him three years ago.

He is also accused of taking obscene photos of the victim and threatening her to make the photos public and raping her for the past two years.

However, Prajapati claimed that it is a conspiracy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against him in order to distract people's attention from the assembly polls.

"It is a conspiracy against me. I don't even know who the lady is. Since the government has ordered such probe, I would accept it gladly," Prajapati told ANI.

The woman, who hails from Chitrakoot alleged that she was raped by Prajapati and others for two years on the pretext of getting a position within the Samajwadi Party.

Earlier, the woman had moved the apex court after the police in Uttar Pradesh did not register the FIR, following which the police were ordered to file a status report in the matter within eight weeks.
The seized gold buttons and the gas regulator in which they were hidden. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: Smugglers have found new methods to smuggle gold at the RGI Airport. The Air Intelligence Unit at the airport nabbed a Hyderabad-based passenger on Monday who concealed buttons made of gold in a gas cylinder regulator. Police seized the gold buttons weighing around 379 grams.

Customs officials said that based on credible information their teams intercepted the flyer who landed at RGIA from Dubai in Indigo Flight No: 6E 025.

On inquiry, he admitted that he was smuggling gold which was moulded in the form of buttons and were concealed in a gas cylinder regulator.

Officials recovered six buttons worth Rs 11.27 lakh weighing 379 grams. The flyer was detained and his passport seized.
Fire-brigade try to douse the fire at the Taj Hotel after completion of combing operation during the 26/11 terror strike in Mumbai. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Pakistans former National Security Adviser (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani on Monday said that the 26/11 Mumbai attack was carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan.

Durrani said that, "The 26/11 attack on Mumbai bore the marks of a classic trans-border terror event. I hate to admit this, but it's true".

"I felt very bad the moment this happened. I called Mr Narayanan, NSA (of India) and asked him if he allowed us we would send two-three investigators to help to reach the root cause, but mistrust prevailed," Durrani said in reference to 26/11 Mumbai attack while speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference held at the Institute of Defence and Studies and Analyses.

"Today, terrorism is a serious global threat, which needs to be defeated by a well-considered strategy both at the national and international levels," he added.

He said even the United Nations is unable to define what terrorism is even when it has become a household term.

Durrani said while people are blaming Pakistan of supporting terrorism but the country itself continues to suffer from terrorism the most.

"Terrorism in any form, irrespective of its objective, should be forcefully condemned," he said.

Durrani urged each country to ensure that its territory is not used to attack any other nation. He said Intelligence Agencies need to play a positive role in diffusing terrorism.

Durrani noted that resolving border disputes will help diffuse terrorism

On Hafiz Saeed, accused of masterminding the attacks, Durrani said that he had no utility for Pakistan, and the country should act against him.

Durrani, who had served as a Major General in the Pakistani army, was sacked in 2009 for having indicated that Ajmal Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist arrested for the Mumbai terror attack, may have been a Pakistani. Kasab was hanged by India.

Reacting to Durrani's remarks, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said, "India's stand is very well known. There is nothing new in this revelation".

But Durrani also sought to debunk India's assertion that it carried out surgical strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC), saying he did not see evidence of any such attack by the Indian forces.

However, he advocated cordial relations between New Delhi and Islamabad and said Pakistan cannot progress if there is no friendship with India.

India last week asked Pakistan to reinvestigate the 2008 Mumbai terror attack case and put on trial Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed who is currently under house arrest in Lahore under the anti-terrorism law.

India made a fresh demand in a reply to Pakistan's request to send 24 Indian witnesses to record their statements in the case, a Pakistan interior ministry official said on Wednesday.

"We have received a reply from Indian government in response to our letter regarding sending 24 Indian witnesses to Pakistan to record their statements in the Mumbai terror attack case.

"But instead of entertaining our request India has sought reinvestigation of the case and also demanded trial of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba operation commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in the light of evidence it had provided to Pakistan," the official said.
The move assumes significance in the backdrop of doubts being raised from different quarters over the former AIADMK chief's death on December 5. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Monday handed over the medical report by its doctors of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to the state government.

The report contains the analysis of Jayalalithaa's health condition by the doctors of the premier institute during their five visits to Chennai.

AIIMS Deputy Director (Administration) V Srinivas said that the state government had yesterday sought the visit notes of the delegation for its official records.

The move assumes significance in the backdrop of doubts being raised from different quarters over the former AIADMK chief's death on December 5.

Srinivas handed over the papers to the Principal Secretary of Health of Tamil Nadu, Dr J Radhakrishnan, here today.

"On the request of the Tamil Nadu government for expert medical advice, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had deployed a team of senior specialists to visit Chennai five times between October 5 and December 6, 2016.

"The team was led by Dr G C Khilnani, Professor in the department of pulmonology," Srinivas said.

The Tamil Nadu government had on Sunday rejected former CM and rebel AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam's claims of foul play in the treatment of Jayalalithaa, an allegation which has been dismissed by state Health Minister C Vijayabaskar.

The opposition DMK too has approached the Madras High Court seeking a comprehensive probe into the death of Jalalalithaa.

Twelve AIADMK MPs, belonging to the O Panneerselvam group, had met President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on February 28 and handed over a petition seeking a probe into the medical treatment provided to Jayalalithaa.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court said on Monday that conspiracy charges against senior BJP leader LK Advani and other leaders in the decades-old Babri mosque demolition case may be revived.

According to NDTV, the court said an order on March 22 will determine whether Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh and 9 other BJP leaders will face charges in the 25-year-old case.

Kalyan Singh, who is now the Governor of Rajasthan, was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh at the time of the demolition.

Some leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) also may face charges accordingly, said a report.

The court was hearing the CBI's appeal against the dropping of conspiracy charges against Advani and others.

The SC bench also suggested to the CBI to club two cases pending in Rae Bareli and Lucknow and added that the matter will be heard in Lucknow.

The Babri Masjid, a 16th century mosque, was brought down allegedly by 'karsevaks' in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, plunging the state and country into communal riots which killed hundreds.

The Sangh Parivar, which includes the BJP, the RSS and other organisations, has continuously called for the construction of a Ram Temple at the site of the demolition.
New Delhi: If trees were voters, they would not be hacked -- this was the reaction of the Delhi High Court, which on Monday suggested a CAG audit of timber generated by either encroachers or the authorities for various projects in the national capital.

"If trees were included in electoral roll as voters, then they would remain," a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Ashutosh Kumar said after being told that a huge number of trees have been felled by local authorities, like Delhi Metro, for projects and by encroachers, like in the Asola sanctuary.

The court was hearing a PIL initiated by it on the issue of air pollution and its causes, one of which was the decline in forest and green cover in Delhi and its surrounding areas.

The bench was also of the view that there should be an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) into the number of trees felled in Delhi and what was done with the timber generated.

"That is an income that has to be accounted for, hence the need for CAG audit," the bench said.

The court also noted that the Delhi government has not adhered to its timelines fixed early last year for identifying encroachments in the Asola-Bhati sanctuary and removing them.

"None of the timelines have been met," it said and told the government that wherever it has identified encroachments, the people have to be removed from there and relocated.

Amicus Curiae Kailash Vasdev said that in view of the government's inaction, forest cover has gone down.

This contention was opposed by Delhi government standing counsel Rahul Mehra who said that forest cover in the national capital has not gone down and even claimed that green cover has increased in the city.

After brief arguments, the bench listed the matter for further hearing on March 9.
The US state department assured India that all agencies are working to ensure speedy justice.

Washington: India has raised serious concerns with the US over recent attacks on Indian origin people in the country after another incident of hate crime occurred in Kent, Washington. A 39-year-old Sikh man was shot on his arm outside his home in Kent by a masked gunman who asked him to go back to your own country.

The US state department assured India that all agencies are working to ensure speedy justice.

The State Department, on behalf of US Govt, expressed condolences and assured they are working with all agencies concerned to ensure speedy justice, tweeted the official handle of the Indian Embassy in the US on Sunday night.

On Thursday, Harnish Patel, an Indian-origin store owner, was shot dead in Lancaster County in South Carolina. And in another incident, a US citizen Deep Rai was attacked on Friday by a six-foot-tall white man wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face.

Taking note of these latest attacks Indian Ambassador to US Navtej Sarna "conveyed deep concerns" to authorities in the US government.

The Indian Embassy in the US tweeted that Sarna had underlined need to prevent such incidents and protect Indian community to the US government.

Indian Embassy officials are in constant communication with local police officials in both the cases.

In the case of Patel, the County Sheriff has pointed out that this may not be a hate crime. "We will remain in touch with them," an Indian Embassy source said.

The Consulate General of India in Atlanta has deputed a consular official to meet the family and offer condolences and any required assistance.

"It is also in touch with the local community organisation of expat Indians, including those from Gujarat," sources said.

"I condemn this hateful act, the shooting of a local man because is a Sikh. We all must stand together," said Congressman Rick Larsen.

A series of troubling cases have reported where members of the Indian community have been targeted in apparent hate crimes.

It comes close on the heels of shooting in Kansas last month in which 32-year-old Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed when 51-year-old US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani, yelling "get out of my country".
New Delhi: Afghanistan's national security adviser Hanif Atmar said associating terrorism with Islam was inappropriate given the suffering Muslims have endured at the hands of terrorists and the sacrifices they have made to defeat such violence.

Atmar said the South Asian region, including Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, had the "highest concentration of organized terrorists anywhere in the world."

Atmar noted that Afghanistan had lost 10,500 people to terrorism over the last 14 months, with an average of 28 people dying each day. He was speaking Monday at the Asian Security Conference being held this year in New Delhi.

India's Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar said a global response to countering such security concerns must come from Asia as the region has suffered the most.
Klimkin to meet with U.S. secretary of state in U.S. on March 6-7

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin will visit the U.S. on a working visit on March 6-7 and is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mariana Betsa has said.

"On March 6-7, 2017 Klimkin is paying a working visit to Washington. The purpose of the trip is to provide further impetus for the intensive political dialogue between Ukraine and the U.S. in the debate on a wide range of practical issues on the agenda of the Ukrainian-American Strategic Partnership," she told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.

Betsa also noted that this level of dialogue will be held in the context of the restoration of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, as well as Washington's support for gradual promotion of internal reforms in Ukraine.

The spokesperson of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that the program of the visit includes Klimkin's meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Tillerson, representatives of the presidential administration and the U.S. Congress.
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Monday urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to include a Lokayukta in his state cabinet to ensure transparency and an end to corruption, rather than wasting his time targeting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (MBC).

"If the CM is so committed to transparency, we welcome that, but why doesn't he start from his Mantralaya. We have earlier said that they should put a 'Lokayukta' in their cabinet, then the truth will be clear," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI.

Slamming Fadnavis for corruption in the BJP-ruled Nagpur Municipal Corporation and the Maharashtra government, an editorial in the Saamana has asked Fadnavis to appoint a Deputy Lokayukta at Varsha, his official residence, to ensure transparency in governance.

"Is there corruption only in the BMC? Why don't you appoint a Deputy Lokayukta for the Pune Municipal Corporation and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation?" said Sanjay Raut.

Earlier in the week, the BJP withdrew from the race for the post of mayor of the BMC. Fadnavis had also announced that he would request the Maharashtra Lokayukta to appoint a Deputy Lokayukta exclusively for Mumbai to ensure a transparent city administration.

In the 227-member BMC House, the Shiv Sena secured 84 seats, the BJP got 82, the Congress 31, the NCP nine, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena seven, the Samajwadi Party six, the AIMIM two, the Akhil Bharatiya Sena one while five Independents also won. Four independents had extended support to the Shiv Sena, while the ABS had offered to support the BJP, which were yet still far away from the magic figure of 114 for electing their Mayor.
Students and teachers of Delhi University, JNU and Jamia during their protest march against ABVP at North Campus in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Delhi University (DU)s Ramjas College has asked its students and teachers to "voluntarily" come forward to submit to the inquiry committee evidence on the recent campus violence.

The college, which witnessed widespread violence on February 22, had last week ordered an inquiry into alleged involvement of its students in the clashes over a seminar while resolving to stand by its teachers and students who had planned the event.

The genesis of the clash was an invite to JNU students Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid to address a seminar on 'Culture of Protests' which was withdrawn by the college authorities following opposition by the ABVP.

"The investigation committee will submit its report in a time-bound manner. All those voluntarily willing to depose as witness or produce evidence in any form should submit it to the probe panel," PC Tulsian, the acting principal, said.

Following ABVP protests, the college had withdrawn the invite to Khalid, who has been charged with sedition, and Rashid, who was the face of the movement demanding JNU students' release in the sedition case registered last year.

Delhi University authorities had earlier said the proctor's office was also looking into the issue. The Union HRD ministry had also sought a report.
Former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa, who died on December 5 last year. (Photo: File)

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Monday said Apollo Hospitals and AIIMS reports on the treatment given to late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has clearly suggested that she passed away on December 5 after a massive cardiac arrest.

It said Jayalalithaa suffered a massive cardiac arrest on December 4 while an intensivist was present at the ICU in Apollo Hospitals in Chennai.

"The late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa passed away at 11.30 PM on December 5, 2016," the report said.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan told reporters in New Delhi after receiving the report by AIIMS doctors that there "is no basis to the speculation which has been circulated in the media" on Jayalalithaa's treatment.

To quash these kinds of speculations, the medical report by AIIMS doctors has been received "from the Government of India at our request", he said.

"It is a very self-explanatory report and we have not held back anything," Radhakrishnan added.

Jayalalithaa's medical report, (As tweeted by The Newsminute)The government had on Sunday accused dissident MLA and former CM O Panneerselvam of spreading lies about Amma.

Meanwhile, the press statement quoting the report said Jayalalithaa was administered resuscitation and provided ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrance Oxygenation) support within an hour.

"Every possible clinical attempt was made to sustain her revival as per prescribed medical protocols," the statement said, quoting Radhakrishnan.

He said a team of doctors, including experts from Apollo and AIIMS, assessed the situation. It was clinically concluded that there was no heart function and also no neurological improvement, denoting futility of life support.

Hence, after following all procedures, the position was conveyed to senior ministers and political leaders  O Panneerselvam (former Chief Minister), Health Minister Vijayabhaskar, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, and AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala.

It was also conveyed to the chief secretary, the health secretary and other top government officials, the statement quoted him as saying.

All of them understood the situation and asked the medical team to act as per the standard protocol. Radhakrishnan said medical practitioners are bound to not reveal details related to patients.

However, "given the need to put at rest needless speculation relating to the circumstances surrounding the hospitalisation, treatment and sad demise of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, the government decided to make public the discharge summary received from Apollo Hospitals and the medical report received from AIIMS, New Delhi."

Panneerselvam had claimed that he had not been allowed to visit Jayalalithaa in hospital for 24 days after she was admitted.

On Sunday, he also tweeted that his request for her to be flown abroad for treatment was rejected.

The Panneerselvam camp had earlier demanded that Sasikala pick E Palanisamys government institute a probe into Jayalalithaas death.

Jayalalithaa died at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai on December 5 last, after being hospitalised for 75 days.
The bench considered the argument that the RBI's last ordinance, which permits persons who were outside India during the stipulated period to deposit banned currency till March 31, is a breach of assurances given by the Prime Minister and the RBI. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on a plea alleging that people were not being allowed to deposit demonetised currency notes till March 31 as promised.

"Issue notice returnable by Friday," a bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said and asked petitioner Sharad Mishra to serve the copy of its notice to the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India during the course of the day.

The plea referred to the speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016 and subsequent notification of RBI spelling out that people may deposit demonetised currency notes even after December 31, 2016 at specific RBI branches up to March 31, 2017 after complying with certain procedural requirements.

The RBI also issued a notification directing five of its branches to accept the defunct notes.

The bench, also comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and SK Kaul considered the argument that the RBI's last ordinance, which permits only those persons who were outside India during the stipulated period to deposit the demonetised currency notes till March 31, is a breach of assurances given by the Prime Minister and the RBI.
New Delhi: Senior BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani, M.M. Joshi and Uma Bharti, may face a criminal trial in the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case as the Supreme Court indicated on Monday that it might revive conspiracy charges against them.

The court was hearing an appeal by the CBI in 2011 during against the dropping of conspiracy charges by lower courts on the ground that only the demolition case  and not the conspiracy one  had been transferred to the investigation agency.

Hindu mobs had demolished the 16th century mosque in UPs Ayodhya, claiming it was built on the birthplace of Lord Rama, triggering some of Indias worst riots, killing about 2,000 people.

The CBI under the NDAs dispensation on Monday supported the appeal and additional solicitor general Neeraj Kishan Kaul pressed for a joint trial in one court with conspiracy charges added. VHPs Vishnu Hari Dalmia, Vinay Katiyar Sadhvi Rithambara are some of the other accused.

At the outset, a bench of Justices Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Rohinton Nariman told the CBI counsel, We will not accept the discharge of Advani and others on technical grounds. We will allow you (CBI) to file a supplementary chargesheet against 13 persons by including the conspiracy charges. We will ask the trial court to conduct a joint trial in a Lucknow court. Mr Kaul said this is what we want.

Final hearing on Babri on March 22

However, even as the court was about to pass its order, Mr Advanis counsel K.K. Venugopal said that if conspiracy charges were added, all 186 witnesses who had deposed before a Rae Bareli court would have to be examined again. He also drew the attention of the court to a delay of 1,600 days in filing the appeal by the CBI and an intervener, Haji Mahmood Ahmed. But the court said it would condone the delay, and posted the matter for a final hearing on March 22.

There are two sets of cases - one against Mr Advani and 12 others who were on the dais at Ram Katha Kunj in Ayodhya when the mosque was demolished, while the other case was against unknown karsevaks who were in and around the disputed structure.

The sessions judge in 2001 dropped the conspiracy charges against Mr. Advani and others on the ground that the case which was transferred to the CBI related only to karsevaks. The high court in 2010 upheld the special courts order.

The high court had said it was open to the state government issuing a fresh notification for transfer of both FIRs to the CBI, but the then state government failed to do so. The CBI later filed an appeal in the top court.

Serious charges

The CBI had chargesheeted Advani under sections 153A (promoting enmity between classes) among others charges.
The line was to supply 1,000 MW, for which the state government had signed a memorandum of understanding with Chhattisgarh.

Hyderabad: The state will not be able to get power from Chhattisgarh as work on the Wardha-Hyderabad transmission line has not been completed. It is expected that the work will take three more months to complete, meaning that power from Chhattisgarh will flow to the state only in June.

The line was to supply 1,000 MW, for which the state government had signed a memorandum of understanding with Chhattisgarh.

The Power Grid Corporation of India had announced a week ago that it had completed construction of the Wardha-Hyderabad transmission line. However, work on three important towers, which are part of the line, have not been completed.

Transco director (projects and grid operation) G. Narasing Rao said officials had initially estimated power demand at 9,500 MW for 2017-18 year. That is being revised upwards by 500 MW in view of temperatures rising quickly, and a very hot summer being forecast

With power supply from Chhattisgarh now getting delayed, Transco is making alternative arrangements. Mr Rao said Transco was ready to purchase power from other states if necessary.

Mr Rao said said there would be no problem to meet the power demand despite the absence of the power from Chhattisgarh. He said there would be no power cuts during the summer.

Officials are expecting higher power demand from urban centres like Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam and Nalgonda. The household per capita consumption is also expected to increase.

Besides, major industrial projects such as Bayyaram Steel Plant and infrastructure additions like Hyderabad Metro Rail, Water Grid and lift irrigation schemes once they are complete will require greater quanta of power.

The installed capacity of power projects in the state is 2,882 MW of thermal, 2,352 MW of hydel and 5,693 MW of non-conventional power projects.

In addition, Central government owned power projects have an installed capacity of 4,099 MW in the state.
Since the supply of drinking water from Singur and Manjira has been stopped, the Water Board proposes to lay a 1,800-mm diameter main to divert Godavari water to Singur and Manjira systems at a cost of Rs 398 crore.

Hyderabad: Citizens of Greater Hyderabad should not be worried about drinking water this summer. Water in the reservoirs is at a comfortable level and the water board is confident of meeting the demand, Water and Sewerage Board managing director M. Dana Kishore said.

At this time last year, the Board could supply 355 million gallons of water, while at present it is supplying 372 MGD. Special officers are being appointed in divisions to monitor water supply during summer.

Under the summer action plan, Rs 5.81 crore has been sanctioned for 439 works. The water supply project for all the peripheral circles, costing Rs 1,900 crore, with Rs 1,700 crore assistance from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited, and Rs 200 crore from the state government budgetary support, is going on at a brisk pace, he said.

The proposed drinking water project for 190 villages situated within the Outer Ring Road by the Water Board will be taken up shortly.

Since the supply of drinking water from Singur and Manjira has been stopped, the Water Board proposes to lay a 1,800-mm diameter main to divert Godavari water to Singur and Manjira systems at a cost of Rs 398 crore.

This will feed the new reservoirs in the peripheral circles, particularly in Patencheru, Ramchandrapuram, and Quthbullapur.

Proposals have been submitted to the government for providing budgetary support and to accord administrative sanction.

In the summer contingency plan, Mr Dana Kishore said to aid water supply, pumpsets, borewells and sluice valves on pipelines were being repaired.

Almost all to face crisis

Almost all residential areas in the city will face a water crisis in summer. Areas like Kukatpally, Nacharam, Uppal, LB Nagar, Dilsukhnagar and JNTU which have more apartments will be the worst hit.

Dammaiguda has no groundwater and does not get drinking water supply. Gachibowli and Madhapur also have water supply issues.

A few areas which still have a good amount of groundwater in city are: Balajinagar, Kukkatpally; Suraram Colony; some areas in Vanasthalipuram and Sainikpuri.
New Delhi: In a major admission, Pakistans former national security adviser (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani has openly admitted that a Pakistan-based terror group had carried out the 26/11 attacks.

I hate to admit that the 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan on November 26, 2008 is a classic trans-border terrorist event, said Mr Durrani during a conference on combating terrorism on Monday.

However, Durrani, who was Pakistans NSA when ten Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists landed in Mumbai and attacked eight places killing people, maintained that the Pakistani government had no role in the attack. I have very good information that the government of Pakistan or the ISI (Pakistans spy agency) was not involved in the terror attack. I am 110 per cent sure.

India says Durranis remark is not new

Mr Durrani was removed from the NSAs post on January 9, 2009 after he confirmed to the media that Ajmal Kasab, the nabbed 26/11 terrorist, was indeed a Pakistani. The then Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had reportedly said that Mr Durrani was being removed for commenting on the issue of Kasabs nationality without taking him (Gilani) or the government into confidence. Mr Gilani had also said that Durranis irresponsible comments had affected Pakistans image.

The former Pak NSA also played down Indias claim of having carried out surgical strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC) in the intervening night of September 28-29, 2016, saying he did not see evidence of any such attack by the Indian forces.

Reacting to Mr Durranis assertion, junior home minister Kiren Rijiju said, Indias position is very well known and consistent. There is nothing new for us.

In the same conference on Monday, Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar called for an early adoption of the India-backed Comprehe-nsive Conve-ntion on International Terrorism (CCIT) by the UN.

Stating that India experienced almost 7% of the total global terror attacks, Mr Parrikar said, Terrorism remains the most pervasive and serious challenge to international security. Developing a serious and cognitive global response to it is very important but seemingly very difficult to achieve. While the threat is transnational, response does not appear to be coordinated.
New Delhi: Observing that a person who has taken crores of rupees as loans from banks is enjoying his life, but a person who stole five saris was held in preventive detention, the Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Telangana state government.

Chief Justice J.S. Khehar, presiding over a Bench including Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Sanjay Kishan Kaul, in an apparent reference to industrialist Vijay Mallya, told counsel for the Telangana state government, a person who has taken away crores of rupees is enjoying life. But here a person who took 5 saris is in jail for nearly a year.

The Chief Justice asked how the Telangana government could take a person into preventive detention for stealing saris. The court posted the matter for further hearing on March 8.

The Bench was hearing a petition filed by the wife of the accused Eliah challenging the preventive detention. His lawyer argued there was no witness to prove the offence.

State counsel told the court that Eliah had been detained from March 19, 2016, under a preventive detention law called the AP Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Dacoits, Drug Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic and Land Grabbers Act.

According to the Telangana state government, Eliah was involved in at least three instances of sari theft in six months. His preventive detention was affirmed by a state advisory board, headed by a retired judge of the High Court, the government said.

The state's counsel tried to justify the detention on the ground that the suspect was a habitual offender and was acting in collusion with a group that stole saris from different shops.
New Delhi: Expressing concern over delays in trial in the Babri Masjid case, the Supreme Court on Monday hinted at reviving conspiracy charge against senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani, Uma Bharti, Murli Manohar Joshi and nine others. This move has brought sharp political reactions. The Left parties said that evidence is in the public domain for all to see and hence the truth should come out.

Speaking to this newspaper, CPI Rajya Sabha MP D. Raja said It has been 25 years since the demolition of Babri Masjid so now the truth should come out as per evidence available with the investigating agencies. While the Congress was more circumspect in its response by just saying that as a policy, the Congress does not comment on judicial proceedings.

While legal experts feel that once a detailed order comes, then only finality in the case will come. Senior advocate K.T.S. Tulsi said We will first have to see whether the high court order on discharge is set aside or not. All this will be clear once the final order of the Supreme Court comes. He also added that if the high court order is set aside, then based on evidence, a case will go on against those named in the FIR.

Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde said,  The HC order giving relief to Mr Advani and others is likely to be set aside and a fresh case will start.
Transportation of Ukrainian prisoners from Crimea to mainland of Ukraine to take place in near future

In Geneva in the framework of the Annual Meeting of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights of Ukraine Valeriya Lutkovska and Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova has taken place.

"During the meeting the Ombudsmen focused on the issue of implementation of the previous agreements of the parties, in particular, the movement of the Ukrainian citizens, who are serving their sentences in the territory of Crimea, to other institutions for further punishment in the territory of the mainland of Ukraine," the press-service of the Ukrainian Ombudsman said on Monday.

The ministry reminded that during a meeting in June 2016 ombudsmen of Ukraine and Russia agreed to move 18 prisoners from detention facilities of Crimea to mainland Ukraine to further serve their sentences.

"Lutkovska and Moskalkova during their meeting discussed the ways of early technical implementation of previous agreements of such transfers. They reviewed the implementation of procedures for moving by the relevant government authorities of both countries, and the like. The Ombudsmen of Ukraine and the Russian Federation reported that the said movement will occur in the near future," a statement says.
The travel advisory by the External Affairs Ministry comes in the backdrop of police strike in some Brazilian states. (Photo: Representational/File)

New Delhi: India on Monday advised its nationals visiting Rio de Janerio in Brazil to monitor local media and follow the guidance of local authorities.

The travel advisory by the External Affairs Ministry comes in the backdrop of police strike in some Brazilian states and the consequent law-and-order situation.

According to some media reports, more than 100 people have been killed during the strike.

As a matter of abundant precaution, it is an advice to Indian citizens travelling to Rio de Janerio to be alert, a ministry source said, adding the ministry will monitor the situation and advise further as required.

"Indian citizens visiting Rio de Janerio, Brazil are requested to monitor local media and follow the guidance of local authorities. In case they need consular assistance, they are requested to contact the Embassy of India in Brasilia at +55-61-32484006," the MEA travel advisory said.

The ministry also gave email addresses in its advisory.
New Delhi: A class tenth student from Tamil Nadu has developed a new technique that can non-invasively detect the risk of a silent heart attack, an advance that may save many lives in rural areas. Akash Manoj is staying in Rashtrapati Bhavan as a guest of President Pranab Mukherjee under Innovation Scholars In-Residence Programme.

He is being honoured with this opportunity for his innovation called Non-invasive self diagnosis of silent heart attack. Silent heart attacks are extremely deadly and alarmingly common these days.

In these cases, almost no symptoms are evident and thus people look so healthy to us, Manoj told PTI at the Festival of Innovation organised in Rashtrapati Bhavan. My grandfather also looked healthy but one day he collapsed following a sudden heart attack, he said. The incident served as an impetus for Manoj to develop his prototype that was exhibited at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The technique involves frequently analysing the presence of FABP3  a blood biomarker of heart attack  without puncturing the skin. FABP3 is one of the smallest proteins that can be present in blood, and is charged negatively (so it attracts to positive charges). I used these properties in this technique, Manoj explained.

Manojs model consists of a silicone membrane that represents the skin capillaries, and a drop of a solution of proteins albumin and FABP3 to simulate blood.

When a small potential of positive charge is applied to the model, FABP3 accumulates on dermal capillaries, which can then be detected by ultra-violet (UV) quantification, he said.

In this process, UV light is passed through the thin skin in which FABP3 is accumulated and a sensor detects the amount of protein there, based on the how much of the light was absorbed.

The innovation may be helpful for at-risk people in rural areas to test their hearts health on their own, and consult a doctor in time. Manoj, who wishes to become a cardiologist, wants this technique to be available in rural areas so that people can keep track of their hearts health and seek timely medical help.

The In-Residence Programme was first launched by the President in 2013 to encourage the creative and innovative potential of citizens.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Outpatient and inpatient services are likely to be affected in government medical college hospitals on Tuesday following the one-day token strike called by Kerala Medical PG Association (KMPGA) in protest against three-year bond. However, casualty services have been exempted from the strike. The junior doctors in six government medical college hospitals will keep off inpatient and outpatient responsibilities. The emergency services will not be affected.

We have been forced to go on token strike. We will hold seminars and meetings in all medical colleges to create awareness among doctors about the adverse impact of three-year bond period. After token strike, campus campaign we are planning to have an indefinite strike from next week if the government fails to respond to our plea, said KMPGA state secretary Dr Rahul U.R.

According to him, other fraternal doctors organisations have expressed solidarity with their demands. Meanwhile, additional chief secretary health Rajeev Sadanandan said that the government would deal sternly with junior doctors strike. The government is committed to provide super speciality and speciality services in taluk and district hospitals under Ardram Mission. We need senior residents for putting in place these facilities in taluk and district hospitals. The strike is unjustified, he said.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Assembly on Monday passed a resolution condemning the bounty announced by an RSS leader in Madhya Pradesh for beheading Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Law Minister A.K. Balan moved the motion asking the Madhya Pradesh government to charge a case invoking stringent provisions against Kundan Chandrawat, the RSS's mahanagar sahprachar pramukh in Ujjain. Terming the call made by him in the presence of people's representatives as inhuman, the motion said that the House shared the grief and concern of Kerala society over the call.

"The House urges the people to unitedly resist the dangerous trend of opposing ideology with weapons and trying to torpedo peace, democracy and secularism," the motion said. Supporting the motion, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala said that the bounty call was a challenge against secularism. The Madhya Pradesh government's decision to frame lighter offences against him was condemnable. While Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran pointed out the absence of the lone BJP member O. Rajagopal in the House while the motion was being presented, Mr. Balan said he had informed Mr Rajagopal about the motion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to people during his road show in Varanasi. (Photo: PTI)

Varanasi: Varanasi boat owner Prabhu Sahani backed Narendra Modi as his MP in the 2014 general election. But the Prime Minister will not be getting his vote when the ancient city on the Ganges goes to polls again on Wednesday.

"He doesn't understand Varanasi," complained Sahani, 34, whose boats ferry tourists and pilgrims along the holy river.

"We run the oldest transportation in the city, going back generations, and he didn't consult us about his plans (to clean up the Ganges and modernise the city)."

Modi's decision to stand in the sacred city in Uttar Pradesh rather than his home state of Gujarat in 2014 paid off with an overwhelming victory that he celebrated with a prayer on the banks of the Ganges.

Now the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to consolidate its grip on power by seizing control of the most populous state, which stretches from the high-rise outer edge of the national capital in the west to the city on the Ganges.

It faces stiff competition from the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in a state where caste, family and religious affiliations run deep.

Current chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, has rejuvenated the SP's image since he toppled his ageing father this year, forging an alliance with the national opposition Congress Party, and campaigning alongside its equally youthful deputy leader Rahul Gandhi.

Wednesday's vote will be the final stage of a bitter weeks-long battle for the state that analysts say is too close to call.

It is a key test of Modi nearly three years after he came to office pledging inclusive government and a "shining India" that would provide jobs for a growing youth population.

'Smart heritage city'

As voting day approached in Varanasi, one of the world's oldest cities, the once putrid banks of the Ganges were certainly shining brighter.

Locals said cleaners now came four times a day to sweep the ghats, where bodies are brought to be cremated according to centuries-old tradition.

Modern changing cabins have sprung up along the river, although most stood empty as ritual bathers stripped off next to them in the open, just as they have always done.

"You used to see dead bodies of animals and sometimes even people floating in the river. Now that has decreased," said boatman Suresh Sahani, who planned to vote BJP, as he touted for customers in the hot sun.

Away from the river, however, there were few signs of the "smart heritage city" that Modi promised.

Work has begun on underground cables to replace the tangle of electricity wires that hang precariously over the city's narrow streets.

But for now that only worsens the congestion, forcing honking cars, rickshaws and bicycles into an angry single lane of traffic that is often brought to a standstill by a stray cow.

Varanasi's BJP Mayor Ram Gopal Mohley blamed the state government for the pace of progress, saying hundreds of millions of dollars had been provided from federal coffers to develop the city's infrastructure.

"They have been creating all the hurdles, but not for long. We will form the government on March 11 and things will change," he told AFP.

"Whatever Modiji is doing for his constituency is good."

Cash ban hits weavers

With all to play for, party leaders flocked to Varanasi over the weekend to rally support.

Modi touted his party's investment in the city and said the weavers of its famous silk had been given "modern facilities".

But there was little sign of that in the impoverished Muslim neighbourhood where much of the silk is made.

"Water supply is a problem, power supply is a problem, and we have floods every monsoon," 75-year-old Abdul Azib told AFP as the clack-clack of automated silk looms resounded through the narrow alleys.

"All the candidates come to this area, they say a lot, but nothing happens," said Azib, who scrapes a meagre living making saris.

Master weaver Ramzan Ali Ansari said his sales had fallen by 50 percent since the government withdrew most bank notes from circulation last November in a shock move aimed at combatting widespread tax evasion.

"Retailers stopped buying saris overnight," he said.

No one in the community -- a bedrock of support for the Congress Party -- said they would back the BJP, which has fielded no Muslim candidates in UP. Nearly 20 percent of the state's population is Muslim.

"At least they (Congress) are not against Muslims," said Ansari.

Back in the teeming heart of the city, traffic officer S. Ahmed battled to channel the chaotic flow at a busy junction.

Asked about the prospect of Varanasi becoming a smart city, he smiled wryly.

"The outskirts are developing, proper roads are being built. But you can't demolish the alleys of the old city," he said.

"It will take a lot of time."
Lucknow: BSP chief Mayawati on Monday took a swipe at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for his continued attack on the elephant statues set up by her government, saying he was indulging in "childish talk".

"Just as Mulayam Singh Yadav (a former defence minister) speaks of China at any given opportunity, his 'babua' (child), Akhilesh, has nothing to tell people except for patharwali sarkar," Mayawati told a press conference here.

"Everyone knows that the stone statue of elephant will remain in the same position...this is why I call him babua, as only a babua can say something like this. He is indulging in childish talk," Mayawati asserted.

"Even a small kid will be able to tell this. He (Akhilesh) is the father of kids and yet talking like this," she said.

Mayawati said people wanted to question the SP government on issues of "mafiaraj, gundaraj, jungleraj and anarchy" but instead he wanted to indulge in politics of stone.

She, however, thanked the "babua" for talking about the elephants as he was giving free publicity to her party's election symbol.

Mayawati also raked up SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav's invite to Modi and other BJP leaders to attend a family wedding function in Saifai, and alleged that SP and BJP had a tacit understanding.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar on Sunday accused former Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam of spreading false information among people regarding the health condition of AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa during her last days.

Rejecting all the allegations made by Panneerselvam, Vijayabaskar said they are open and transparent about her case.

"O. Panneerselvam has been continuously spreading false information among people regarding health conditions of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa. O. Panneerselvam stands as the first culprit in the suspicions that he is now raising about the medical treatment that Amma was being given," Vijayabaskar said.

"As long as Panneerselvam was in power, he had no doubts about the treatment given to Amma. But soon after deprivation of the power, he was disoriented and started raising doubts about the treatment," he added.

Earlier, Panneerselvam demanded a judicial enquiry into the 'mysterious' death of Jayalalithaa. He met President Pranab Mukherjee and demanded a "high-level" probe by the Union Government into the circumstances that led to her demise.
Hyderabad: The fight between the ruling CPM and the BJP in Kerala reached Hyderabad on Monday, with the Communist party daring the BJP to obstruct Kerala Chef Minister Pinarari Vijayan's public meeting in Nizam College Grounds on March 19.

Mr Vijayan, along with top CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, will be at the function to mark the culmination of CPM state leader Tammineni Veerabhadram's five-month padayatra. His call came days after an RSS leader put a `1 crore bounty on Kerala CMs head.

In a video message uploaded by the BJP MLA Raja Singh on his official Facebook page, he said, If the Kerala CM, who is a murderer of Hindus, is invited to the event, I will not allow it to happen. I will go to any extent to stop the meeting.

He warned the TS police to consider his appeal or warning, adding that the police should not grant permission to Mr Vijayan to come to Hyderabad for the event.

If he comes, I will also come with thousands of my supporters, and conduct a parallel meeting. Telangana state police and the government will be responsible for any law and order problem, he added.

He said he didnt have any problem with the Left holding the meeting but was opposed the presence of the CM.

CPM leader B.V. Raghavulu said, Our meeting has government and police permission. If Raja Singh has guts, let him obstruct the meeting. We know to deal with the BJP and its leaders like Raja Singh.
Varanasi: Campaigning for Uttar Pradesh's Assembly elections ended Monday as top leaders of all major political parties gave their final push to woo voters.

Forty seats in eastern UP, including five in PM Narendra Modi's Parliamentary constituency Varanasi, will go to the polls Wednesday, ending a two-month exercise across seven phases.

Mr Modi made an impassioned plea to voters to defeat the SP-Congress combine and the BSP, blaming the for UPs plight. He ended his three-day campaign in Varanasi with a visit to Garhwaghat Ashram where he fed cows. He could not address the gathering due to a short-circuit-caused power failure. He also visited the residence of late Lal Bahadur Shastri. He left Varanasi after a rally in Rohaniya.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed separate rallies in Jaunpur.

Claiming that PM Modi has grown old and must be feeling tired, Mr Gandhi said his party and ally SP would form a government of youth in Uttar Pradesh.

BSP president Mayawati returned to Lucknow after wrapping up her campaign. At a press conference in the state capital on Monday, she claimed that the BSP was all set to form the government with a comfortable majority. Most Union ministers camping in Varanasi left the holy city Monday evening.
Is US President Donald Trump a foreign agent or a puppet of Russia? Has Russian President Vladimir Putin taken over the American government through the greatest stealth manoeuvre in world history? Such is the lurid speculation about the Trump administrations secret connections to the Kremlin that not even an international spy thriller of the John le Carre mould could beat the plot. The Russian hand controversy has scalped its first victim  Mr Trumps initial appointee as national security adviser, Gen. Michael Flynn  and spawned multiple congressional as well as intelligence agency investigations of the American Presidents aides. Mr Trump has tried to hit back by alleging that his predecessor Barack Obama ordered illegal wiretapping of his communications last year in search of proof of his election campaigns collusion with Russian government officials. The most obvious explanation for what Mr Trump has labelled a Russia-related witch hunt against him is the liberal ideological prejudice of the US media, the permanent American bureaucracy and the Democratic Party. Pairing Mr Putin with Mr Trump is a way for liberals to lick their electoral wounds and wage ideological war.

Blaming Mr Putins cyber-hacking and disinformation tactics is an alibi for liberals who failed to win in the last election season. Russophobia is also ingrained among various quarters of the US body politic. Mr Putin is the ultimate bugbear and villain for Western liberals. He reminds them of the Cold War and irritates them no end with his stubborn defiance of liberal sacred cows like globalisation, secularism, human rights, environmentalism, easy migration and multi-party democracy. Mr Putins conservative, religious and nationalistic credentials have indeed inspired Mr Trumps right-wing populism and they do share a strong empathy. Mr Trumps chief strategist Stephen Bannon has exhorted that we, the Judeo-Christian West, really have to look at what Mr Putin is talking about as far as traditionalism goes, particularly the sense of where it supports the underpinnings of nationalism. The American alt-right movement that underpins Mr Trumps base finds in Mr Putin a perfect bedfellow because he has been negating what it considers effeminate and deracinated liberalism for nearly two decades.

Mr Trumps unconventional willingness to upturn entrenched bipartisan American foreign policy hostility towards Mr Putin and his skepticism about the anti-Russian European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) are driven by regard for Mr Putin as an international standard bearer against liberalism. Mr Trump wears admiration of Mr Putin on his sleeve and has praised the latter as an outstanding and talented personality who is so highly respected within his own country and beyond. On Fox News last month, the US President replied to a question about associating with a killer like Putin with the retort, you think our countrys so innocent? It was a remarkably candid public confession by an American President which punctured the carefully constructed liberal myth of the US as an exceptional country that promotes good around the world. While there are myriad obnoxious aspects to Mr Trumps worldview, he is not wrong in wondering aloud why repairing ties with Russia is so taboo when the US cultivates many authoritarian countries as its allies. He is shredding the liberal consensus that America is somehow morally superior in its international conduct.

Mr Trumps damaging self-criticism of the US (he has dissed the mainstream American news media as purveyors of fake news, smeared the US political system as corrupt and rigged, and pledged to respect the right of all nations to chart their own path) enrages liberals even more to blow a gasket about his suspected Russian affair. Apart from ideological camaraderie with Mr Putin, Mr Trump and Mr Bannon also believe that Russias stature as a bulwark against radical jihadist terrorism makes it an ideal partner. Crushing the Islamic State (ISIS) and other Islamist fundamentalists is high on Trumps agenda and he diagnoses that Western liberal revulsion for Mr Putin created fissures in the international community which were exploited by jihadists. Mr Bannon, who has been entrusted with a rare additional post inside the US National Security Council, is keen to present a united front with Russia against Islamist extremists in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. He is immune to liberal laments that cooperation with Russia would entrench dictatorial regimes and undermine democratisation globally.

To the cynical dispensation under Mr Trump and Mr Bannons radical traditionalists, democracy as it has been practised in the US and promoted globally is a liberal conspiracy against ordinary peoples cultural and economic rights. They would rather fight to save the Judeo-Christian civilisation in tandem with Mr Putin. Conspiracy theorists are circulating rumours of an ulterior reason why Mr Trump loves Mr Putin. The Russian President, painted as a scheming master of the old KGB art of kompromat, is supposed to have collected damaging information about Mr Trumps private life which is being used to blackmail the US President. This version of Mr Trumps attempted rapprochement with Russia is too salacious and as yet unverified to merit serious consideration.

Regardless of the motive, Mr Trump is daring to upend Americas identity as the democratic antithesis of a neo-Czarist Russia. He is challenging dogmas in the US foreign policy establishment that Russia is by default an inveterate foe. Americas national interests and how they relate to Russia are both being sought to be drastically altered. Hence the liberal ire and nonstop scuttlebutt about how Mr Putin became the de facto master of the White House. Canards and recriminations over Russias penetration of the highest echelons of the American government are abetting the institutional disarray and administrative paralysis since Mr Trump took office. And thanks to the Russia factor, the chaos, policy confusion and flip-flops which have marked his tumultuous first months in the White House threaten to become institutionalised as destabilising phenomena for the next four years. The Kremlin boss who adores orderliness must be chuckling at this largely self-inflicted American political mess.
On Monday, March 6, at 13.30, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press conference "Reforms in Medicine: Panacea or Destruction?" The participants will include Chair of Kyiv City Trade Union of Health Workers Larysa Kanarovska; Head of the Health Department of Dniprovsky district of Kyiv Daniel Karabayev; deputy of the Kyiv City Council, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Health and Social Protection Yulia Loban; PhD, Senior Researcher of the department of injury of the central nervous system of the Institute of Neurosurgery named after Romadanov of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, a neurosurgeon of the first category, social activist Andriy Huk; board member of the All-Ukrainian medical society and public figure Kostiantyn Naduty (8/5a Reitarska Street). Admission requires press accreditation.
The Centre now seems desperate to promote the Aadhaar card in every way possible, though the BJP had opposed the biometric verification system while it was in Opposition three years ago. While a change of thinking isnt wrong, what we see is a total reversal  with the executive trying to use Aadhaar as proof in many areas, including in registering property sales. The card has done wonders in detecting and stemming systemic leaks: using Aadhaar in the direct benefit transfer system has saved thousands of crores in welfare rupees. But where the government is going wrong in its overzealous approach, in trying to make the Aadhaar card mandatory in almost everything a citizen wishes to do. To insist on Aadhaar for rail bookings is ridiculous as a way to promote it as proof of identity.

One neednt be an Indian citizen to book travel tickets, just as Indians abroad need no national identity card to buy tickets for the same purpose. This idea flies in the face of logic and must be discontinued immediately, before the courts step in and take umbrage at the continuous attempts to defy its ruling that Aadhaar cant be the only proof of identity or citizenship. In fact, Aadhaar cant be used as ID to vote in any election. To its credit, the system has helped speed up the disbursement of funds from government schemes, particularly the subsidy on cooking gas. But here again, the executive cant insist that pensioners be compelled to produce the card as they may well choose to take their pensions by snail mail, if need be. Pension is a right, and not a dole from a welfare scheme. The point is that Aadhaar shouldnt be thrust upon the people until the Supreme Court is convinced the legality issue has been fully addressed.

The Supreme Court has made it clear that the Aadhaar card scheme is purely voluntary, and it cannot be made mandatory till the matter is finally decided by this court one way or the other. Concerns over privacy were paramount in the arguments against the Aadhaar card. However, the court has ruled that the database can be used in criminal investigations. The point is that the system has been so abused as to have brought about an instance in which a Pakistani spy was able to flaunt the card. Apart from such illegally-obtained identity documents, duplication has caused such a huge problem that the mandating of Aadhaar card for property deals and other such matters can be self-defeating. Until the system is completely cleansed of its glitches, there is little need for the government to promote Aadhaar as the defining ID. Make haste slowly would be our advice in this matter.
For anything to be launched in London, it first has to rain. And thats how we were caught in a drizzle, with a chill wind blowing on the day the Queen invited around 250 of us for a reception to mark the start of the India-UK Year of Culture. There were a number of Indians who had flown in specially for the occasion from all over the world  including actors like Kamal Haasan, and designers such as Manish Malhotra. To everyones relief, it was not turned in to a Bollywood affair  and if there were any stars lurking about, no one missed them.

We were told that Amitabh Bachchan had been invited but could not make it, but all in all it was still a glittering evening, given a dignified and sober touch since India was represented by finance minister Arun Jaitley. There were no songs and dances and the ubiquitous Jai ho! was missing. (Phew!) But there was good conversation and plenty of networking.

Anyway, so last week we briefly colonised Buckingham Palace, shook hands with the royals, and quaffed some delicious canapes  created by chefs from Veeraswamy  one of the oldest restaurants on Piccadilly. Its owners, Namita and Ranjit Mathrani, had carefully worked out a please-all Indian cuisine.

Prince Philip and the glamorous grandchildren  Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge  were also happily mingling with the crowds. Interestingly, Prince Philip is certainly not as forgetful as one might think  and even discussed with Ratan Tata (who was also there) about a visit long ago to Jamshedpur. Amazing!

The Queen, in fact, almost looked as glamorous as Kate in a shimmering purple gown  but of course all the cameras were focused on what Kate wore. The next day the papers ignored all of us  and only printed pictures of Kate in her sparkling, white dress and shoes. However, not missing a moment, I did tell her about the Partition Museum, and invited her to Amritsar!

The Palace had displayed material related to India, and included books on calligraphy, photographs et cetera  obviously care was taken to pull out only that which would not immediately attract a demand for restitution. And so  the Kohinoor was certainly not there!

On the previous day  we also attended an evening at the Lalit hotel, owned by Jyotsana Suri. The Lalit, near Tower Bridge, named after her late husband is a marvellous space  a real tribute to Indian art and craft  including some beautiful blue chandeliers, and sculptures  all sourced from India. In the discussion that followed  the most important point was made by Manoj Ladwa, who runs a think tank called India Inc. He felt strongly that these cultural exchanges should not leave out small towns and villages in India. And we seconded that!

And now to commemorate the 70th year of the Partition of India, we have the support of an old friend and acclaimed filmmaker, Gurinder Chadha. Apart from making a rare film on the Partition (Viceroys House), she has a deep personal link with Partition. Her own mother had been lost, as a child during the great migration, and later reunited with her family. Who could be a better champion for the Partition Museum? We have invited her for a discussion at the House of Lords this week, and are planning events with her in India to talk about some very interesting information she has revealed in the film. So book your tickets now in the UK, and later in August watch this space, when it is released in India!

Ms Chadha says: I am delighted to be joining the new Partition Museum in Amritsar for the launch of Viceroys House in India in August. As the film opens across the UK this weekend I am happy that we will be able to discover the real history of why Partition happened rather than the version of history we have been told to date. Like the film, the Partition Museum has been a long time coming, and I hope will be a befitting tribute to all who suffered in 1947 and are haunted still today by the tragedy of Partition.

Brexit still remains the flavour of the month  and new, often startling bits of information are constantly discussed. While a House of Lords committee (in which Meghnad is a member) has mentioned that perhaps there can be cost-less exit, Remainers are gearing up for another round of the battle. In fact more and more money is being poured into the stop Brexit campaign  and so it will not be, apparently, a very easy ride. Gina Miller (also with an Indian connection), who had forced Theresa May into consulting Parliament before pulling the plug, is now back in the fray. She is threatening to throw in the gauntlet one more time, if Parliament does not give, what she calls a meaningful vote.

This battle could go on and on, because Ms Miller insists that she has had a successful career  and she cannot think of anything better to do with her money than fight the good fight!

Good to see so many women take up difficult causes!
Sometimes I feel democracy needs a mourning wall, not just for those who suffer because of human rights violations, but because one is witnessing the death of institutions. The sadness of our democracy stems not just from the brutality and philistinism of a majoritarian regime but from its sheer indifference to institution building. Institutions like the university, the media and the trade unions anchor not only the world of information and work, but they create a normative framework critical for democracy. Yet, of late, one has watched the literal death throes of these institutions and our society has been indifferent or silent about it.

In a way, the first to go were the trade unions. The very crises of manufacture, the liberalisation policy of the regime, the massive retrenchments and the aspirational nature of the middle class, which sought social mobility rather than struggle, condemned the unions to be backbenchers of history. The trade unions have done little to anticipate the changing dynamics of technology and work. The fate of work, the future of work and the radical prospect of employment, stalks the unions. One of Indias outstanding activists, who has the commitment of an activist and the sensitivity of a social scientist, made a profound comment recently. In a conversation, Aruna Roy stated reflectively that our movements were defeated by theory. They failed to anticipate the future and corporations out-thought them. Trade unions, as institutions, should provide early warning signals of the threat to livelihood yet even they greet the epidemic of retrenchment, obsolescence with the helplessness of a silence that borders on indifference Ms Roy argued that research and theory must be brought back to political struggle or our movements, our trade unions would be outthought and outfought.

As trade unions lapse into a meek silence, one sees their fate catching up with the media, specially newspapers. The corporatisation of newspapers has not been subject to critical sociological scrutiny. In all these processes, it is the working journalist who suffers. One of the great paradoxes we face is that the media is supposed to create a critical scrutiny of institutions, serve as an early warning system to institutional or normative rot. Yet the media seems strangely silent to its own institutional decline.

Few people seem to look at the human problem of downsizing. In fact, it has become a corporate equivalent for sustainability. The very ritual is crude, rarely explained democratically attributed to some magical management consultant and shrugged off as inevitability. The worst irony is that the media as a storyteller greets this tragedy with silence. In fact, there is an eerie fascination with the Taylorism of downsizing, management rituals to cut down cost and streamline expenditure, but little concern with the feelings, emotions or even the fate of journalists dismissed. It is time firms like McKinsey, often invited to perform this expertise of downsizing, are subject to a social audit. There is no reference to the humiliation, the suffering that ordinary working journalists undergo. Strangely consulting firms possess a halo which claims an authenticity one needs to examine. One has, as a civil society member and as a sociologist working on human rights, wondered whether these so-called definitions of efficiency are human rights-centred. One also senses a deep conflation of accounting with more morally resonant words like accountability and responsibility. The rules of transparency in a democratic society demand that such management rituals be subjected to an ethical evaluation.

The third institution literally dying a prolonged death before our eyes is the university. The RSS, as obsessed with tampering with the syllabus as with our Constitution, is seeking to disempower the university as an autonomous body. It is using the logic of patriotism and the nation state to emasculate free thought, dissent and sedition. The CPI(M) should not feel pious because its track record has been equally marred. But the independent Left has a greater responsibility to keep intellectual tradition alive. One needs a theory of the university as a normative commons, committed to the sustenance and resurgence of plurality and diversity on campuses. Sadly, the battle of Left and Right has vitiated concern with the university as a normative institution.

There is a more important challenge here. Workers from these three institutions must see the affinity of their fates. It is time these institutions get together politically and institutionally to resist the destruction of these forms of life. In a tangible sense, the university must anchor the two other institutions while creating new forms of reciprocity and responsibility among them. More particularly, the university must create research centres, which will help trade unions confront the changing nature of work in society and understand the critical nature of the informal economy for the future. Second, the university must adopt harassed workers and journalists as prisoners of conscience. One need not wait for Amnestys selective list to do so. Finally, all three must support each other and with a sense of communitas and information, anticipating future threats to institutions and democracy. Unless civil society becomes more active and imaginative, Indian democracy will become a literal desert of abandoned institutions. This is a future we can ill afford.
Google recently published a blog post, celebrating the popularity of Chromebooks in Swedish schools. In the blog post, the search giant quietly announced a new Chrome OS laptop powered by HP  The Chromebook x360 11 G1 Education Edition. While full specifications of the device havent been revealed yet, according to the company, the device will be available for sale mid-April.

Described as a rugged 360-degree convertible, the laptop features a front-facing camera that can be used in a tablet mode, a USB-C charging port along with an optional stylus. These features are designed for the specific needs of schools, says Google.

The company further revealed in the post that Chromebook creative apps are now available in Europe and that admins can now approve Android apps libraries and install them on select devices.

Chromebooks are gaining immense popularity in the recent past. A new report by Futuresource shows Chromebooks were the top-selling device across laptops and tablets in Swedish schools in 2016. According to the analyst firms data, Chromebooks now account for 38 per cent of device sales in Swedish classrooms, up from 18 per cent in 2015. The same report suggests that more than 20 million teachers and students are using Chromebooks and Google Classroom, and more than 70 per cent million are using G Suite for Education.

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Google India and Telangana government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at supporting the digitisation efforts of the state.

Google India will provide Google Cloud credits and access to all cloud platform products to eligible startups engaged with Telangana government's T-Hub initiative and through its Developer Relations team provide technical mentorship and advisory support to various startups, a release issued by the government said in Hyderabad on Saturday.

The MoU was signed yesterday in the presence of Telangana Minister for IT and Industries K T Rama Rao and Google India representatives, it said.

Other initiatives as a part of the agreement include, making all government websites mobile friendly and introduce programmes to help local small and medium businesses go online and stay safe online.

Google India will introduce Android Fundamentals courses for students pursuing engineering and MCA to skill them on mobile app development.

"Additionally Google as part of Google Cultural Institute project will work with the Culture and Tourism Department of the state to create a digital repository of the architectural and cultural heritage of the state, its history and imagery and make it accessible globally," it said.

As part of the MoU, Google India and the Telangana government will also work on promoting digital literacy among rural women through programme 'Internet Saathi'.

Speaking after the meeting, Chetan Krishnaswamy, Director - Public Policy, Google India, said, "We are delighted to support the government of Telangana in its vision of a digitally empowered state. We look forward to work with the state government to create an enabling environment and ecosystem to help women, students, small and medium businesses and entrepreneurs."

"Google is a valuable partner of Telangana and we are excited to launch many initiatives with them that will benefit women, small businesses, youth, and others across the state.

Our mission is to Digitise Telangana and a partnership with Google will go a long way in ensuring our plans under the Digitise Telangana programme are achieved," Rao said.

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With top brands climbing the price chart, this gives other premium low-cost players such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, Vivo, Huawei and a few more a great chance to win the hearts of high-end smartphone hunters who seek performance on a budget price.

Upcoming flagship smartphones from top brands will be highly expensive, predict market researchers. The new entrants from Apple, Google and Samsung are said to retail at exorbitant prices citing heavy competition between the rivals in the race to be the best in hardware and features.

Earlier reports have revealed that Samsung is planning to match Apples planned price rise which means that the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 8 series will both cost upwards of $1,000. Unlike the previous years, the leaked pricing information obtained from Eastern European retailers shows an upward graph.

According to an earlier report by the famous Samsung-obsessed tech website SamMobile, a database leak revealed the Galaxy S8 (SM-G950) and the Galaxy S8 Plus (SM-G955) will retail at starting prices of $950 and $1,050 respectively after a currency conversion. The catch here is that electronics have different costs in different countries, but even factoring this equation the 2017 models carry a circa $100 premium over last years Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.

Samsung Galaxy S8 2017 concept by Benjamin Geskin

For users who are prepared to pay this astronomical premium, the listing also reveals Samsungs initial Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus colour options. Black, Gold or Orchid Gray will be available, though Samsung usually offers more finishes a few months after launch.

It should be noted that 2017 wont be a year of incremental upgrades like the last year. The iPhone 8 is touted to sport an entirely new design, and the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus will have massive 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch displays while being no larger than the previously released S7 and S7 Edge.

Apple iPhone 2017 concept by Benjamin Geskin

Coming to the iPhone area, Apple will be putting out a massive 5.8-incher OLED-based flagship this year. The news comes from one of the worlds largest financial newspapers, Nikkei. In order to obtain a larger display, whilst still keeping the overall handset size below the bulky tag, Apple will probably be getting rid of a larger forehead and chin on the iPhone flagships to obtain a larger display-to-body ratio with an almost bezelless handset. Apart from the display, the design and the internal hardware, the camera is also said to be upscaled, since the new race with most flagships today is a camera-centric handset.

Google Pixel 2017 concept by Benjamin Geskin

On the other hand, Google is also said to be going along the flow. With its first Pixel flagships last year, we did see Google positioning itself in the expensive handsets area. The major plus that Google received is the remarkable camera performance with its Pixel smartphones. Now that Pixel 2 is one of the most-awaited smartphones this year, reports state that Google is planning to compete with rivals Samsung and Apple again in the photography space, apart from the hardware front.

At a roundtable discussion with technology website Android Pit, Googles senior vice president of hardware Rick Osterloh alerted that we should not see a price cut after he confirmed that the Pixel will stay premium. The area that Google has to now look into for the 2017 models is a design lift, especially with the iPhone and Galaxy going down the same route. Google must do something to slim down the top and bottom parts of the bezel.

Citing this healthy competition between the top rivals for the premium handset market share, users should expect almost all the flagships from the three smartphone brands to put a price tag of $1,000 plus.

With top brands climbing the price chart, this gives other premium low-cost players such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, Vivo, Huawei and a few more a great chance to win the hearts of high-end smartphone hunters who seek performance on a budget price.

While Samsung will unveil its flagships end of this month, Apple and Google will have a fair amount of time in their hands to witness the new Galaxy and tweak their final flagships accordingly for the September launch.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Bamako: Suspected jihadists from Burkina Faso have attacked a Malian military post across the border, killing at least a dozen Malian soldiers. The attack was on a military base in Boulkessi, according to an announcement on Malian state television on late Sunday.

A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals said that Malian soldiers fled Boulkessi after the assault. While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, suspicion fell on a group from Burkina Faso known as Ansaroul Islam, which is linked to extremist groups in northern Mali.

The group claimed responsibility for a previous attack in January that killed 11 people including soldiers in Burkina Faso. Extremist violence has been mounting over the past year along the border between Mali and Burkina Faso.
Los Angeles Airport police guard a protest against the executive order by US President Donald Trump, banning immigrants from seven majority-Muslim countries at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: AFP)

Los Angeles: US agents detained an Afghan family of five with valid entry visas at Los Angeles International Airport and have been holding them for several days in California, according to legal papers filed in federal court by human rights lawyers.

The couple and their three small children were granted Special Immigrant Visas in return for work the father performed for the US government in Afghanistan that put the familys lives at risk, the International Refugee Assistance Project said in its court filing seeking their release.

However, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents detained the family shortly after their arrival at the airport on Tuesday and has held them in isolation, without access to legal counsel, according to the petition.

The petition, filed in US District Court in Santa Ana, California, south of Los Angeles, says the family was taken into custody with absolutely no justification whatsoever, a violation of due process rights under the US Constitution.

Despite repeated requests, the CBP has provided no information regarding why the family was detained, whether they have been questioned, and whether any reason at all exists to justify their continued detention, the petition states.

CBP declined to comment on the matter, which is set for a hearing on Monday before a federal court in Santa Ana that barred a move by the government to separate the family by sending the children and their mother, who cannot speak or read English, to Texas.

Immigrant advocates are increasingly concerned about tougher scrutiny of US residents and visitors from abroad, even those with the proper documentation, under moves by President Donald Trump to tighten immigration policies on grounds of national security.

The petition did not state the exact nature of the fathers employment with the US government in Afghanistan.

Proof of service and screening

But it said he qualified for a special visa under a program requiring proof of having worked for the US Armed Forces or American diplomatic for at least 12 months, as well as proof of completion of a background check and screening.

It is extremely unusual if not entirely unique for someone with this type of visa to be detained upon arrival. The visas require extreme vetting to get, said Talia Inlender, a lawyer with the legal aid group Public Counsel who is part of the familys defense team.

The mother was being detained in downtown Los Angeles with her children - who are 7 years, 6 years and 8 months of age - while the father was in a maximum-security detention facility in Orange County, California, Inlender told Reuters.

The government had intended to transfer the mother and children to Texas, but the familys lawyers persuaded a US district court judge on Saturday night to intervene and stop the move.

The petitioners have established at least a serious question going to the merits of their claims, Judge Josephine Staton ruled.

When asked to comment about the judges order, Carl Rusnok, a spokesman for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in an email: ICE will fully comply with the March 4 judicial order and all other legal requirements.

Trump issued a directive in January banning entry into the United States of citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries and suspending admission of all refugees for 120 days.

The Jan. 27 order caused chaos at airports around the world in the following days as visa holders heading to the United States were pulled off planes or turned around on arrival at US airports.

Afghanistan was not one of the countries whose citizens were explicitly excluded in the order, which a federal court has since barred from enforcement. The Trump administration has said it plans to issue a modified order that would pass court muster.
Washington: Senior US lawmakers on Sunday condemned the suspected distribution of nude photographs of female Marines to military personnel and veterans via a social media network that promotes sexual violence, and called on the Marine Corps to fully investigate.

The Marine Corps Times, an independent newspaper focusing on issues involving the service, published an internal Marine Corps communications document with talking points about the issue, describing the social media network as a closed Facebook group with about 30,000 members. The network solicited nude photos of female service members, some of whom had their name, rank and duty station listed, the newspaper reported.

A Marine Corps spokesman told the newspaper that military officials are uncertain how many military personnel could be involved.

The chairman of the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, Republican Mac Thornberry of Texas, and the panel's senior Democrat, Adam Smith of Washington state, separately called for a complete investigation.

"Degrading behavior of this kind is entirely unacceptable," Thornberry said in a statement. "I expect the Marine Corps to investigate this matter fully with appropriate consequences for those who willingly participated."

Smith also called for proper care to be provided to the victims, and said that, "This behavior by Marines and former Marines is degrading, dangerous, and completely unacceptable."

Officials from the Marine Corps Naval Criminal Investigative Service were not immediately available for comment.

The site talked of misogynist behavior, the Marine Corps document said, and the photos were on a secure drive in cloud storage, which has been removed.

The document advised a response along the lines of: "The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in a closed website. This behavior destroys morale, erodes trust, and degrades the individual."

According to an annual report that the Pentagon released in May 2016, the U.S. military received about 6,000 reports of sexual assault in 2015, similar to the number in 2014, but such crimes are still underreported.
Washington: An artificial intelligence (AI) system that predicts the relationship statuses of people, based on their social media habits, has said that US President Donald Trump is single. Developed by researchers at the ITMO University in St Petersburg and the National University of Singapore, the system uses and analyses data from Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare.

According to a report by The Independent, The algorithm made the guess by following President Trumps tweeting habits, which led them to conclude that he lives like a bachelor. The system is said to have an 86 percent accuracy rate. Parameters such as the length of tweets, kinds of image frequently posted and check-in distribution are analysed to predict the marital status of the user.

The experiment, presented at an artificial intelligence conference in San Francisco, used data from the social media accounts of Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Barack Obamas marital status was correctly guessed as married.

The developers are of the opinion that the inconsistency could be attributed to the Presidents bachelor-like habits such as late night tweeting and that his assistants update the account for him.

We all know about his wife Melania, said Andrey Filchenkov, associate professor of Computer Technology Department at ITMO. He continued that the AI attempted to guess the marital status of those who were running Trumps social media accounts.

The experiment was designed to predict future trends in making human psychological portraits.

Kseniya Buraya, a co-author of the presentation was quoted as saying that several scientific sources associate a person's psychological type with the marital status.

It has recently been suggested by a Zurich publication Das Magazin, that a company called Cambridge Analytica used highly sophisticated "data modelling and psychographic profiling" techniques for Trumps presidential campaign.
During the press-briefing in Interfax-Ukraine Oleksii CHUIEV, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Business Association (UBA), announced: As the final of our 4-year program is EXPO-2020 we have decided to symbolically support 20 Ukrainian companies, which apply to us before March 20, 2017. This implies medium enterprises, who seek their products featured at EXPO-2020 under the Made in Ukraine brand. They probably lack resources, partners, inspiration  all our team will help them present themselves to international investors by funding 50% of expenses. The grant program is a sign of a new trend of mutual support for the Ukrainian business. The companies taking the offer will receive official delegate of Ukraine status and participate in 4 investment platforms at once (Annual Investment Meeting, Future Cities Show, Dubai Government Excellence Program, International Property Show). They will meet investors in Ukraine Business Hub. Besides they will take part in the international investors evening at Armani Hotel and Ukrainian dinner with the investors at Fairmont Dubai. Alexander NIKOLAENKO, CEO of OKKO Agrotrade, said: The Emirates are a business hub of international scale in the Middle East. Our objective is to become UAEs partner in Ukraine: a reputable, fair, transparent (partner), who will provide financing for the future crops of our agriculture producers. Vitaliy ILCHENKO, CEO of the UKRAVIT company, added: I encourage Ukrainian agrarians not to be passive. One should become an active player of the global economy by creating products with a high added value. Many investors are ready to bring their money in Ukraine. Grab an opportunity to find partners for your projects. The program is an integral part of the Ukrainian Business Reputation Export projects, led by the UBA, and 100 Ukrainian Most Promising Companies with Export Potential, initiated by the Business magazine. Volodymyr CHEPOVY, the general director of Blitz-Inform, said: We make a bet on Ukrainian business representatives as a team. By joining our efforts we were able to defend the country in its hardest times. We have been doing business in our country for many years. Despite the decline in capitalization we are sure to secure the inflow of investments by joining efforts and making the right steps in business environment. Alexander GROMYKO, the founder of Saturn holding, said: De-shadowing of our economy means capitalization of the country in the first place. By uniting, we create the conditions that help businesses come out of the shadow faster. It is important to understand that the shadow is some kind of protection that helps free business from the complexities of the legal system. Besides the above mentioned entrepreneurs, Vitaliy ANTONOV (Concern Galnaftogaz), Yuriy KOSIUK (Mironovsky Hliboproduct), Vasily KHMELNYTSKY (K.Fund) and Evgeni UTKIN (KM Core, hi-tech cluster BORSCH) also joined the Ukrainian business-team. To register for the program please visit: http://www.aimcongress.uba.in.ua Or call: +380666716793. Please watch the full press-briefing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Pulv68gNg For detailed information please contact Dmitry HOPTA: +380677212228, hopta.dm@gmail.com
Washington: President Donald Trump is preparing to sign a revised executive order temporarily barring the entry of people from certain Muslim-majority countries and halting the nation's refugee programme.

A White House official says plans to roll out the order are on track for Monday. The official insisted on anonymity in order to discuss the order ahead of the official announcement.

The new order has been in the works since shortly after a federal court blocked Trump's initial effort, but the administration has repeatedly pushed back the signing as it has worked to better coordinate with the agencies that it will need to implement the ban.

Trump administration officials have said the new order aims to overcome the legal challenges to the first. Its goal will be the same: keep would-be terrorists out of the United States while the government reviews the vetting system for refugees and visa applicants from certain parts of the world.

Trump's original orders temporarily blocked citizens of Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Libya from coming to the United States and put on hold the US refugee programme.

The revised order is expected to remove Iraq from the list of countries whose citizens face a temporary US travel ban for 90 days. That follows pressure from the Pentagon and State Department, which had urged the White House to reconsider, given Iraq's key role in fighting the Islamic State group.

According to a draft version of the new order outlined to lawmakers late last week, citizens of the other six countries will face the 90-day suspension of visa processing as the administration continues to analyze how to enhance vetting procedures.

Other changes are also expected, including making clear that all existing visas will be honoured and no longer singling out Syrian refugees for an indefinite ban. Syrian refugees will now be treated like other refugees and be subjected to a 120-day suspension of the refugee programme.

The new version is also expected to remove language that would give priority for religious minorities. Critics had accused the administration of adding such language to help Christians get into the United States while excluding Muslims.

Trump signed his original executive order in late January, sparking confusion and anger as travellers were detained at US airports and barred from boarding flights at foreign airports. The signing is expected to spark a new round of lawsuits and controversy.
Towson: Police say a 19-year-old Towson man is charged with fatally shooting his father at their home.

Baltimore County police spokesman Cpl. Shawn Vinson said by telephone on Monday that officers were called to the home on Sunday night after a 911 caller reported that the son shot his father.

When officers arrived, police say they found 46-year-old Devin Vallade suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body and he died at the scene. Vinson says Vallade's son was taken into custody.

Online court records show that 19-year-old Devin Vallade II has been charged with first- and second-degree murder. He's being held without bond.

Vinson didn't know what led up to the shooting. He says two other family members who were at the home when the shooting occurred were not injured.
Friday night's shooting was on the minds of many who gathered at a Sikh Temple in nearby Renton Sunday morning for worship. (Photo: AFP)

Kent: Fear, hurt and disbelief weighed on the minds of those who gathered at a Sikh temple after the shooting of a Sikh man who said a gunman approached him in his suburban Seattle driveway and told him "go back to your own country."

"Everybody who is part of this community needs to be vigilant," Satwinder Kaur, a Sikh community leader, said as several hundred people poured into a temple in Renton for worship services about one mile from Friday night's shooting. "It is scary," she added. "The community has been shaken up."

Authorities said a gunman approached the 39-year-old Sikh man as he worked on his car in his driveway in the city of Kent, about 20 miles south of Seattle. The FBI will help investigate the shooting, authorities said.

Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas said on Sunday, that the department is investigating the shooting as a hate crime. He said no arrests have been made yet after the victim was shot in the arm but that he did not believe anyone was in imminent danger.

"This is a top priority investigation, and we are doing everything possible to identify and arrest the suspect," Thomas said in an email, adding that residents in the city of about 125,000 should "be vigilant" but also not let the shooting hurt their quality of life.

The FBI's Seattle office said in a statement yesterday that it is "committed to investigating crimes that are potentially hate-motivated," the Seattle Times reported.

The shooting comes after an Indian man was killed and another wounded in a recent shooting at a Kansas bar that federal agencies are investigating as a hate crime after witnesses say the suspect yelled "get out of my country."

Friday night's shooting was on the minds of many who gathered at a Sikh Temple in nearby Renton Sunday morning for worship. Women in colourful saris and headscarves and men wearing turbans sat on the floor on opposite sides inside the worship space.

As they entered and left the services, many expressed fear that one of their own was targeted and said they're scared to go to the store or other public places.

Some said they have noticed an uptick in name-calling and other racist incidents in recent months. Still others expressed hurt and disbelief at the lack of understanding and ignorance.

"Sikhism teaches about equality and peace," said Sandeep Singh, 24. "It's sad to see that's what it has come to," he said of the violence. "This is our country. This is everyone's country."

Gurjot Singh, 39, who served in the Marine Corps and is an Iraq war veteran, said he was dismayed that people think others who look different aren't equal or don't contribute equally to the community.
North Korean Ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol, second from right, arrives at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia. (Photo: AP)

Kuala Lumpur: North Korea's expelled ambassador fired a final salvo at Malaysia on Monday over its probe into the assassination of the half-brother of Pyongyang's leader, describing the investigation as biased.

Speaking at Kuala Lumpur International Airport before his flight was due, Ambassador Kang Chol disparaged what he called a "pretargeted investigation by the Malaysian police".

The murder of Kim Jong-Nam with VX nerve agent at the same airport last month sparked an acrimonious dispute between the two countries.

North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man's identity but has repeatedly criticised the murder investigation and autopsy, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.

"They have conducted the autopsy without the consent and attendance of the DPRK (North Korea) embassy and later arrested a DPRK citizen without any clear evidence showing his involvement in the incident," ambassador Kang said.

South Korea has blamed the North for the murder, citing what it says was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother who may have been seen as a potential rival.

Before the ambassador left for the airport, police armed with assault rifles had cordoned off the entrance to North Korea's embassy, with police vehicles and motorcycle outriders parked nearby.

Kang departed in a black chauffeured Jaguar - the North Korean flag denoting an ambassador now removed from its bonnet. He checked in a Philips TV, three suitcases and four boxes vacuum-wrapped and stamped with the words, DPRK Pyongyang.

Senior government officials told AFP he was expected to leave at 18.25 on flight MH360 for Beijing, shortly after the deadline for his expulsion at 1800.

Malaysia declared Kang persona non grata on Saturday and gave him 48 hours to leave the country after he failed to apologise for his criticism of the investigation.

The diplomatic dispute erupted last month when police rejected North Korean diplomats' demands to hand over Kim's body.

Kang then claimed the investigation was politically motivated and said Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with "hostile forces" - a reference to the North's arch-rival, Seoul.

Malaysia summoned Kang for a dressing-down, with Najib saying the ambassador's statement was "diplomatically rude". Malaysia has also recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and cancelled a rare visa-free travel deal with North Korea. It ordered the ambassador expelled after he failed to present himself at the foreign ministry when summoned on Saturday.
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia's prime minister Monday said he expects no apology from North Korea over its comments on the investigation into the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, as Pyongyang's ambassador faced a deadline to leave the country.

On Saturday Malaysia declared Ambassador Kang Chol persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave the country for failing to issue an apology for his criticism of Malaysia's investigation into the murder.

Kim Jong-Nam, the half-brother of Pyongyang's leader, was poisoned February 13 with the deadly nerve agent VX. North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man's identity but has repeatedly disparaged the murder investigation, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.

Asked by reporters whether he will demand an apology from Pyongyang, Prime Minister Najib Razak replied: "Right now we are not getting anything. I don't expect anything."

"They should have apologised based on principles, [so] we have declared him persona non grata," added Najib, speaking to reporters after a ceremonial opening of parliament in Kuala Lumpur.

South Korea has blamed the North for the murder, citing what they say was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother who may have been seen as a potential rival.

The diplomatic spat erupted last month when Malaysian police rejected North Korean diplomats' demands to hand over Kim's body. Kang then claimed the investigation was politically motivated and said Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with "hostile forces", referring to the North's arch-rival, Seoul.

Malaysia summoned Kang for a dressing-down, with Najib saying the ambassador's statement was "diplomatically rude". Malaysia has also recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and cancelled a rare visa-free travel deal with North Korea.

Malaysia issued a February 28 deadline for an apology, which passed and then expelled the ambassador when he failed to present himself at the foreign ministry when summoned on Saturday.

The foreign ministry has said the expulsion is "part of the process by the Malaysian government to review its relations" with North Korea. Kang is expected to leave on a flight to Beijing on Monday evening, officials told AFP.

With media camped for a third week outside the North Korean embassy, Kuala Lumpur Monday buzzed with speculation on would happen if Kang refused to leave.

"He will not be able to hide at the embassy forever. It is better that he surrenders voluntarily... so that he can be sent back," Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan was reported as saying by the New Straits Times newspaper.

A senior government official, who did not want to be named, told AFP: "If no action is taken by Pyongyang within a reasonable period of time, the government will cease to recognise Kang as a member of the embassy and will accordingly be stripped of his immunities."
Seoul: Nuclear-armed North Korea fired four ballistic missiles east of the peninsula on Sunday, with Japan saying three of them landed in its waters.

Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile in February  its first such launch since October - which Seoul said was aimed at testing the response from the new US administration of President Donald Trump.

Seoul said several missiles were fired into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, and that South Korea and the US were "closely analysing" tracking data for further details.

"In terms of the range, it is around 1,000 kilometres," the South's defence ministry said in a statement.

Seoul said its armed forces were "closely monitoring the North's military for further provocations and maintaining military readiness".

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said North Korea fired four missiles "almost simultaneously", three of which landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

In response to the launch, South Korea's acting president Hwang Kyo-Ahn convened an emergency National Security Council (NSC) meeting, the presidential office said in a statement.

Seoul and Washington launched annual joint military exercises last week that infuriate Pyongyang, which condemns them as provocative rehearsals for invasion.

A day after the Foal Eagle drills kicked off, the North's military warned of "merciless nuclear counter-action" against enemy forces.

"Now that the US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces again kicked off the dangerous nuclear war drills against the DPRK at its doorstep, our army will counter them with the toughest counteractions," a spokesman said in a statement carried by the KCNA news agency.

North Korea has regularly carried out actions in protest against the exercises, last year firing seven ballistic missiles during them.

That rocket -- said by the North to use solid fuel and to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead -- flew east for about 500 kilometres before falling into the Sea of Japan, South Korea said at the time.

North Korea is under heavy international sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes.

In February, China - the North's chief ally and diplomatic protector - announced a suspension of all coal imports from the North until the end of the year, depriving Pyongyang of a crucial source of foreign currency.

China's foreign ministry said Beijing and Pyongyang were still "friendly neighbours" but added it remained opposed to the North's nuclear ambitions.

North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology. But six sets of UN sanctions since Pyongyang's first nuclear test in 2006 have failed to halt its drive for what it insists are defensive weapons.

Last year the country conducted two nuclear tests and numerous missile launches in its quest to develop a nuclear weapons system capable of hitting the continental US.

Pyongyang has also been blamed by Seoul for the killing of Kim's half-brother Kim Jong-Nam by two women using VX nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur's international airport last month.
Tokyo: Hours after North Korea fired four ballistic missiles east of the peninsula on Sunday, it has emerged that one of the missiles could possibly land in US. South Korean military said it had spotted several projectiles landing in the sea between Japan and Korea.

North Korea's missile launch also coincided with US and South Korean military's annual exercise. It is believed that the missile launch could be Pyongyang's another way of showing its anger towards US.

Seoul said four missiles were fired from Tongchang County, North Pyongan province into the East Sea -- its name for the Sea of Japan -- and that South Korea and the US were "closely analysing" tracking data for further details.

The missiles travelled around 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) and reached an altitude of 260 kilometres, said a spokesman for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, adding they were unlikely to be ICBMs.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said three of the North Korean missiles came down in Tokyo's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) -- waters extending 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) from its coast.

"This clearly shows North Korea has entered a new stage of threat," Abe told parliament.

The North's repeated launches "clearly violate UN Security Council resolutions", he said. "We can never tolerate this."

Tokyo's chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga added that Japan was considering calling for an emergency Security Council meeting.

Pyongyang carried out two atomic tests last year and a series of missile launches, but Monday was only the second time its devices had entered Japan's EEZ.

In Washington, the State Department strongly condemned the launches, saying the US was ready to "use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against this growing threat".

"We remain prepared -- and will continue to take steps to increase our readiness -- to defend ourselves and our allies from attack," acting spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

After an emergency meeting of South Korea's National Security Council, acting president Hwang Kyo-Ahn called the North's nuclear and missile provocations "immediate and real threats" to his country.

"Considering the North Korean leadership's brutality and recklessness shown through the murder of Kim Jong-Nam, the results of the North having a nuclear weapon in its hands will be gruesome beyond imagination," he said.

Seoul has blamed Pyongyang for the killing of the half-brother of the North's leader by two women using VX nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur's international airport last month.

Hwang called for "swift deployment" of a US missile defence system, THAAD, a proposal which has infuriated neighbouring China, the North's key diplomatic protector and main provider of trade and aid.

Monday's launch came ahead of a trip to Japan, China and South Korea by new US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this month, pointed out Dongguk University professor Kim Yong-Hyun.

Pyongyang was "trying to send a message early on in Trump's term that North Korea will not be dragged around by his administration", he said.

'Big, big problem'

Pyongyang is barred under UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology.

Last month, China announced a suspension of all coal imports from the North until the end of the year, depriving Pyongyang of a crucial source of foreign currency.

But six sets of UN sanctions since Pyongyang's first nuclear test in 2006 have failed to halt its drive for what it insists are defensive weapons.

Trump has described the North as a "big, big problem" and vowed to deal with the issue "very strongly".

Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile last month -- said by the North to use solid fuel and to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead -- which Seoul said was aimed at testing the response from the new administration.

Kim Dong-Yup, an analyst at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, said the latest launches were unlikely to be testing a newly developed device.

"If they were testing a new missile, they wouldn't fire four of them at once," Kim said. "It is highly likely that they fired an existing missile during their winter training, as a countermeasure to the South Korea-US drills and for improvement purposes."

Seoul and Washington launched the annual Foal Eagle exercises last week, with the North's military warning a day later of "merciless nuclear counter-action" against enemy forces.

North Korea has regularly carried out actions in protest against the drills, last year firing seven ballistic missiles during them.

Yang Moo-Jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, warned more provocations could be expected from Pyongyang before the exercises end in April.

"Since this year's joint drills will be the 'largest-ever', North Korea could carry out the 'largest-ever' protest against it, including an ICBM launch or a nuclear test," he said.
The summit had called for dialogue with the Taliban and Moscow has already started backchannel contacts with them saying that they could be used to battle the ISIS.(Photo: Representational Image/AP)

Pakistans military has warned the US that they face a total mess in Afghanistan unless US and UK can halt the advance of ISIS and the Taliban, a Pakistani army source told the British newspaper Telegraph.

If ISIS and the Taliban continue to gain strength, it could tempt Russia to stage a Syrian-style intervention, this time on the pretext of protecting its backyard in Central Asia. He said the West was losing control since the collapse in security since the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

Last month, Russia held a conference on Afghanistan, along with China, India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. The United States was not invited to the talks. Some analysts said this signalled Russias intention to play a more active role in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The summit had called for dialogue with the Taliban and Moscow has already started backchannel contacts with them saying that they could be used to battle the ISIS.

The Pakistan army source told Telegraph that in a meeting last month with the Resolute Support Mission commander US General John Nicholson, the American admitted that Afghan forces were in a stalemate against the Taliban.

A stalemate is still a win for the Taliban, Pakistani army officials reportedly told Gen. Nicholson. The source added: We have told Gen. (James) Mattis that Afghanistan is slipping out of control, and that if things are not put right, US will have a huge crisis on its hands.

The Pakistan source also compared Afghan Generals to donkeys. There are 350,000 troops in the Afghan Army, but only about 20,000 are capable of combat missions. They also have about 1,000 Generals, most of whom are appointed because of their tribal affiliations rather than on merit. The problem is that you cant teach a donkey to gallop, the source told The Telegraph.

Pakistan has criticised the Afghan government for not doing enough to seal its side of the Afghan border.
Vienna: Austrian government officials are criticizing a recommendation by the country's Islamic leaders that Muslim women wear a headscarf with the onset of puberty.

Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, who also is the country's integration minister, says the stance is "an attack on the freedom and self-determination of women." State Secretary Maria Duzdar says such restrictions on the freedom of women are "unacceptable."

Austrian media reported their comments on Monday in reaction to a recommendation by the Islamic Community. The organization says the final decision is a woman's to make and criticizes what it says is political interference into religious affairs.

The Austrian government has prohibited full-face veils in courts, schools and other "public places" and banned police officers, judges, magistrates and public prosecutors from wearing headscarves earlier in 2017.
Berlin: German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff has condemned remarks by Turkey's president accusing Germany of "Nazi practices," days after a local authority prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally there.

Peter Altmaier on Monday called President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks "absolutely unacceptable."

He told German public Television ARD that "Germany cannot be outmatched regarding the rule of law, tolerance and liberality." He said the government was in contact with Turkey's government and announced that "we will make sure the significance of the problems of what happened in recent days will be recognized and understood in Ankara as well."

Germany-Turkey diplomatic tensions have risen amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany in support of an upcoming constitutional referendum that would give Erdogan new powers.
Brussels: Poland stuck to its guns on Monday over its last-minute proposal of a rival candidate to succeed Donald Tusk as European Council president at a summit this week.

The right-wing government in Warsaw announced on Saturday it wanted Polish Euro-MP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski instead of its bitter long-term foe Tusk, a former Polish premier.

"This (Saryusz-Wolski) is our candidate," Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told reporters as he arrived for a meeting with his counterparts in Brussels.

"This is the only Polish candidate in the race for the European Council president. There is no other Polish candidate."

He said he was not sure if Saryusz-Wolski would be at Thursday's summit meeting when the 28 EU leaders decide whether to give Tusk another two-and-a-half year mandate.

When asked which other countries would support Saryusz-Wolski, the Polish foreign minister said: "I'm not interested in who supports him, what interests me is that he is our candidate and that he is running."

The centre-right European People's Party group of Euro-MPs is set to decide early this week whether to expel Saryusz-Wolski, one of its vice-presidents, over the decision to stand against Tusk.

The EPP, the biggest group in the European Parliament, says it backs Tusk to stay on.

Meanwhile Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the hardline boss of Poland's governing Law and Justice party (PiS), said Tusk was the "German candidate".

Asked whose candidate Tusk would be after Warsaw backed a rival, Kaczynski said: "Angela Merkel's, he is the German candidate."

Tusk, a former centre-right Polish prime minister, became president of the European Council, gathering EU heads of state or government, in late 2014.

While EU leaders are almost certain to extend his tenure, Poland does not have the power to veto the decision and he has wide support, Warsaw's move threatens to create bad blood at a time when the crisis-hit EU can ill afford more internal strife.

Tusk has been sharply at odds with Poland's rightwing government, especially Kaczynski, over a range of issues including changes to state media and the constitution.

Kaczynski accuses him of bearing "moral responsibility" for the death of his twin brother Lech Kaczynski, who was then president, in an air disaster in 2010 that also killed 95 others.
The Hague: Ukraine is taking Russia to the United Nations' highest judicial body, accusing Moscow of financing separatist rebels and racially discriminating against ethnic Tartars and Ukrainians in the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Kiev also is asking the International Court of Justice to order Russia to pay compensation for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014. The Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur flight was shot down with a surface-to-air missile over conflict-torn eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.

Hearings started Monday before a 16-judge panel at the ornate Peace Palace in The Hague into Ukraine's request for the court to impose "provisional measures" while the case proceeds, including ordering Russia to prevent any financing or arming of pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine and to stop discriminating against Tartars in Crimea.
The Observatory also said civilians and the families of IS families were attempting to flee into Raqa province from neighbouring Aleppo (Photo: Representational Image)

Beirut: The Islamic State group has imposed an "Afghan-style" dress code on men in its Syrian stronghold Raqa to help its fighters blend into the civilian population, a monitor and activists said Monday.

"For more than two weeks, Afghan-style clothing... has been imposed by Daesh," said Abu Mohamed, an activist with the "Raqa is Being Slaughtered Silently" group, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

"Anyone who does not comply faces prison and fine," he told AFP. The new restriction comes as a Kurdish-Arab alliance of fighters nears Raqa, backed by the US-led coalition launching air strikes against IS.

The rule "is an attempt to make it harder for airplanes and the Kurdish forces... to distinguish between civilians and Daesh members," Abu Mohamed said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor of the war, also reported the new rule in Raqa.

"The Islamic State has imposed Afghan-style dress on residents of Raqa so that informants giving coordinates to the US-led coalition will not be able to distinguish between civilians and fighters," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

Abu Mohamed said there was a "state of alert" in Raqa, with new checkpoints springing up and IS arresting anyone who describes the situation as dire. "Prices are skyrocketing and there is no electricity or water," he told AFP.

The Observatory also said civilians and the families of IS families were attempting to flee into Raqa province from neighbouring Aleppo, where IS is under assault in the east.

"Thousands of families in recent days have tried to reach the administrative borders of Raqa province, along with around 120 families of fighters and commanders of IS," the monitor said.

The Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces alliance advancing towards Raqa on Monday cut a key supply route between the city and IS-held territory in Deir Ezzor province to the east.

The alliance is now eight kilometres (five miles) from Raqa to the northeast, according to the Observatory. It said IS was preventing civilians from entering the province "but granted families of its fighters" a document allowing "passage to Raqa city by boat as ground transportation is now impossible because the bridges across the Euphrates have been destroyed".
SDF said in a statement that its fighters captured seven area villages, enabling them to blockade the road. (Photo: AP/Representational)

Beirut: US-backed Syrian fighters have cut the main road between the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, which is controlled by the Islamic State group, and the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, which is partially controlled by IS.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says fighters from the Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces cut the road linking the two cities in the area of Jazra near Raqqa, the de facto capital of the IS self-declared caliphate.

SDF said in a statement on Monday that its fighters captured seven area villages, enabling them to blockade the road.

SDF fighters have been on the offensive under the cover of airstrikes by the US-led coalition since November as part of operation Euphrates Wrath, which aims to surround and capture Raqqa.
Yangon: At least 30 people were killed Monday in a day of intense fighting in a town on Myanmar's border with China, authorities said, after rebels dressed in police uniforms launched a surprise raid.

Artillery and small arms fire continued throughout the day in Laukkai, a main town in the Kokang region of the northeastern state of Shan. The clashes are some of the worst to break out in the Chinese-speaking Kokang region since fighting in 2015 left scores dead and forced tens of thousands to flee across the border into China.

Myanmar is already torn by various ethnic insurgencies. But the Kokang conflict has raised tensions with its giant neighbour. Aung San Suu Kyi's government is desperate to end the decades-long borderland conflicts, but intensifying fighting threatens peace efforts.

Rebels from the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) launched an attack early Monday against police and military posts, according to Suu Kyi's office.

A separate group of fighters later attacked locations in the main town. "According to initial information, many innocent civilians including a primary school teacher... were killed because of attacks by the MNDAA armed group," the State Counsellor's Office said in a statement, adding some attackers wore local police uniforms.

The statement, accompanied by grisly pictures of the dead and wounded, said at least five civilians and five local police were killed in the fighting. It added that a further 20 "burned bodies" had been found alongside weapons.

Government spokesman Zaw Htay told AFP those casualties were MNDAA fighters. Unverified video shared on social media appeared to show parts of the town still ablaze on Monday afternoon while civilians scurried to safety amid the rattle of small arms fire.

An army source told AFP fighting was continuing as darkness fell. "Residents in town are fleeing. We do not know exact figures yet," the officer said. The Northern Alliance, an umbrella group of rebels including the MNDAA which has yet to join national peace talks, confirmed its members were fighting in Laukkai.

But in a Facebook post it said they carried out the attack "to resist an enemy offensive in self-defence" and cited Myanmar military operations since December.

The latest fighting raises the spectre of a fresh refugee exodus into China. In early 2015 tens of thousands fled there when dozens of civilians, rebels and army troops died in months of fighting across the remote and mountainous region.

China said Myanmar warplanes dropped bombs on its side of the border during that bout of fighting. Kokang has strong bonds with China -- local people speak a Chinese dialect and China's yuan is the common currency.

Observers say Beijing holds considerable sway over the rebels. Skirmishes with the Northern Alliance have intensified across Shan state since late last year, claiming more than 160 lives across an arc of land in the long border region.
The project is an economic plan set to connect China and Pakistan and advance Pakistan's economy and improve the lives of its people. (Photo: Representational Image)

Beijing: India should be "more pragmatic and flexible" to support the multi-billion dollar CPEC project despite sovereignty issues linked to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as China backs business links between Taiwan and India, a state-run media said on Monday.

"The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) won't affect the status quo of Kashmir dispute" as China has stated that it should be resolved between India and Pakistan, an article in the state-run Global Times said.

The project is an economic plan set to connect China and Pakistan and advance Pakistan's economy and improve the lives of its people, the paper said, adding the investment from Chinese firms and their participation in some architectural construction won't affect the situation of Kashmir either.

"Just like the Taiwan question, Beijing doesn't object any economic links between Taiwan and other countries including India because economic activities won't alter China's sovereignty over the island," it said.

"Hence, India should be flexible and pragmatic, and be more open to economic activities in the Kashmir region conducted by Chinese companies," it said.

Clashes have impeded the economic development of both India and Pakistan as violence and terrorism led to underdevelopment and poverty in Kashmir, it claimed.

"The CPEC, however, will boost the economic development in the region, bringing jobs and improving the quality of life," the paper said, adding that the project can be extended to Jammu and Kashmir if India allows, and benefit the Indian people, as well as regional stability.

India has protested over the CPEC project as it passes through PoK.

China defends the project, saying it is a development oriented project aimed at improving lives of the local people and it makes no difference to Beijing's stand on the Kashmir issue.
The last meeting of the PIC was held in May 2015 here.

New Delhi: Parleys between India and Pakistan on various aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) will be in Lahore on March 20 and March 21. The meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) will take place nearly six months after New Delhi decided to suspend talks on the pact in the wake of the Uri terror attack by Pakistan-based outfits.

The meeting is being held "as the IWT, 1960 makes it mandatory" to hold parleys under the accord at least once in a fiscal. India's Indus water commissioner and MEA officials will be part of the Indian delegation for the annual meeting.

The last meeting of the PIC was held in May 2015 here. India had on Friday downplayed its participation in the upcoming meeting in Pakistan to discuss various aspects relating to sharing of Indus river water, saying it does not

amount to a resumption of government-level Indo-Pak talks.

The dialogue was stalled following the terror strikes by Pakistan-based terror groups. Declaring that "blood and water cannot flow together", Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held a meeting in September to review the treaty in the backdrop of the terror strikes, including the Uri attack.

After the meeting, officials had announced that the government has decided to suspend further talks and increase the utilisation of rivers flowing through Jammu and Kashmir to fully exercise India's rights under the pact.

The commission, which has officials from both the countries as its members, was set up under the treaty to discuss and resolve issues relating to its implementation. It is mandated to meet alternately in India and Pakistan.
India, with its high propensity for infections, has fallen prey to antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics are used, rather abused in needless situations, like common colds or diarrhea. While some efforts have been made by the government, academicians and professionals to stop its misuse, theres a long way to go. Antibiotics, the foundation of modern medical practice, may become ineffective such that even minor-infections and surgeries could prove fatal.





Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his concerns regarding the overuse of antibiotics in his monthly address to the nation on his radio programme Mann Ki Baat a few days ago. He has urged people not to take antibiotic medicines without a doctors prescription as it will lead to problems for the individual as well as society at large.



Public attitude towards proper use of antibiotics is a matter of concern  a 2011 WHO study reveals that 53% of Indians take antibiotics without a prescription. The sad part is that this behaviour is not restricted to rural or tier III regions, but is prevalent in urban and tier II cities as well. Except for narcotics, most other drugs are available over-the-counter in India without proper checks on their sale and usage. This rampant use of antibiotics, eventually contributes to resistance.



Patients habits play a role too, as instead of completing a course of antibiotics, they stop once the symptoms fade and therefore the remaining bacteria develops resistance. As per a 2011 report of the Indian Journal of Medicine, drugs are prescribed in incorrect doses and duration. Some prescriptions given are redundant while some have the potential to interact adversely with other drugs.



Its not just a question of a significant amount spent in the making of a new antibiotic drug. It is about the time spent in research, study and patterns so as to make it ready for human consumption and treatment. Developing new antibiotic may not be cost effective, therefore due to the lack of availability to the masses, it could result in a demand supply failure. The gap created is the beginning of an epidemic.



Given this scary scenario, digital prescriptions prove to be an apt solution to the menace. It removes obscurity from all levels by enabling right medicine for the right patient in the right amount. Prudent use of antibiotics is vital for preventing the emergence and spread of resistance, which the e-pharmacies do by creating a digital medical record of the patients medicine consumption. Following are the direct benefits by embracing the e-pharmacy model:

nIn the e-prescription model, every transaction is recorded and tracked. There is no possibility of medicines being sold without prescriptions, and this can easily be audited and verified.



nDispensation is done by a registered pharmacist and from licensed pharmacy premises.

nThe e- prescription that is a part of IIPA, does not even allow sales of Schedule X and habit forming medicines through the platform.



nThe e- prescription model is best suited to enable drug recalls as there are records of every transaction with the patients name, address, telephone number and email. They also ensure all sales are recorded by batch number, expiry with proper invoice and by a licensed Pharmacy.



According to a report E-Pharmacy in India: Last Mile Access to Medicines by Frost & Sullivan, e-pharmacy improves consumer convenience and access. This will most importantly benefit elderly patients with chronic medical conditions living in nuclear families, and patients who are not in a condition to go out to find a pharmacy. E-pharmacy also offers competitive pricing, which thereby enables less affluent people to afford medicines. There are a lot of technology advancements that are coming up in the form of applications, which help in bringing price transparency, create awareness, find an appropriate healthcare service provider, medicine reminders, and pregnancy alerts to the consumers.



In addition, e-pharmacy models are well aligned to address key known issues in pharmacy retail for tracking authenticity, traceability of medicine, abuse prevention, addressing consumption of drugs without prescription, tax loss and value added services for consumer empowerment in healthcare, which are all key areas of national development. This model also increases entrepreneurship and in turn accelerates wealth creation in the country.



E-pharmacy is one of the technology advancements that is about to create a huge demand in the upcoming days. In todays world, when most of the products and services are conveniently being delivered to the consumers doorstep, there is a huge demand for access models that help patients and consumers avail the convenience of medicine delivery without having to leave their homes.



With the use of technology and access to inventory of multiple stores at a time, e-pharmacies can aggregate supplies, making otherwise-hard-to-find medicines available to consumers across the country. This will significantly help patients who are old and sick, and not in a condition to go out to find a pharmacy, as well as the rural population where there is limited presence of retail pharmacy, said Jayant Singh, Director (Healthcare and Life Sciences), Frost & Sullivan.



The report noted that since e-pharmacy is only technology advancement, it is recommended that this model should be allowed and its benefits should be made available to the Indian consumers but with sufficient safeguards and under stringent regulatory control to protect the interest of the consumers.



The implementation of a fool-proof e-pharmacy model needs to be based on four guiding principles: Orderly growth of ecommerce in India, Model that best serves the following consumer interests, should be adopted:  patient safety; proper access to medicines; authenticity; business must operate on a level playing field with same rules without selective bias; positive business models / entrepreneurship should be enabled and encouraged, while players who try to take short cuts / violate the law should be brought to book.



(The author is Co-Founder, PharmEasy, an intermediary platform that helps users identify and connect with local pharmacies.)




In an obvious reference to Pakistan, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said India has been a victim of "proxy war" for several decades and that there was a need for developing an Asian approach to push the global fight against terror networks.





Calling for early adoption of India-backed Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) by the UN, Parrikar said terror remains the "most pervasive and serious challenge" to international security and an united approach to deal with it was very important.





He was speaking at a conference on combating terrorism at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis. Parrikar said there must be action against entities which fund terror groups, propagate their ideologies and provide safe havens to terror groups and added that India has been seeking inclusion of these provisions in the CCIT.





Talking about issues relating to global security, Parrikar also mentioned about challenges like global uncertainty, revival of populist movements, heightened nationalism, backlash against globalisation and possible closing of borders by several countries.





The Union Minister said Asia has been victim of some of the most dreaded terrorist networks and a strong regional push from Asia will exert more pressure on rest of the world to adapt a cohesive framework to combat terror.





Without giving specific details, he said India experienced almost seven per cent of the total terror attacks globally. "Terrorism remains the most pervasive and serious challenge to international security. Developing a serious and cognitive global response to it is very important but seemingly very difficult to achieve," he said.





Parrikar said India will continue to push for shutting down terror camps, imposing ban on all terror groups, prosecuting all terrorists under special law and making cross-border terror an extraditable offence under the CCIT.



"Terrorism is undoubtedly the single biggest threat to international peace and security. While the threat is transnational, response does not appear to be coordinated even though there is a broad consensus on what constitutes an act of terror," he said.



He said the arch of terrorism was expanding in Asia and there was a need for a regional approach to defeat terror. Quoting a global report, he said record number of countries have been experiencing a high level of terrorism which surged by 6 per cent in 2016 over the preceding year.



Four groups--ISIS, Boko Haram, Taliban and Al-Qaeda--were responsible for 74 per cent of all forms of terrorism, he added. Referring to a UN report, he said ISIS affiliated groups carried out attacks in 29 countries in 2016 which is almost double in comparison to 2014.



He said some 60 million people have been impacted by conflict and violence. Parrikar also emphasised on the need to combat "complicated webs of terror financing", noting that a holistic approach is needed to combat terror effectively. He said it is also important to counter the misuse of the Internet through social media by terrorist entities.





"The global response to terrorism will be effective if there is a regional consensus on issues affecting the countries involved. The role of Asia here is central," he said.

"Afghanistan and India have been victims of this proxy war for decades now," Parrikar said.



Speaking at the conference, National Security Adviser of Afghanistan Hanif Atmar, in an oblique reference to Pakistan, said there is a need to end state sponsored terrorism.



"Despite international investment in countering it, terrorism is growing its capabilities and presence in our region," he said. Atmar said Afghanistan considers terror outfits LeT and JeM as enemies and that Pakistan should never allow them sanctuary. "We share the region with Pakistan which has the highest concentration of terrorists anywhere," he said.





The Afghan NSA said as it was difficult to designate any country as a state sponsoring terror, individuals sponsoring terrorism should be designated. He said India is a very important partner for Afghanistan and compared its bilateral ties with that of its relationship with the US and the NATO.

India today renewed its pitch for early adoption of a global convention by the UN to effectively combat terrorism, terming the menace the single biggest threat to international peace and security.
China has hiked its military spending by seven per cent to USD 152 billion, about three times higher than that of India, as Beijing braced for countering America's push into the disputed South China Sea. After skipping the customary mention of the figures of defence spending in the work report submitted by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to lawmakers yesterday, state-run Xinhua news agency today announced that the military budget for this year stands at 1.04 trillion yuan (USD 152 billion).



China's defence budget for 2017 will grow seven per cent from the actual figure in 2016, Xinhua quoted an official with Ministry of Finance as saying today. "The country's military spending this year will stand at 1.04 trillion yuan (about US 152 billion) with 1.02 trillion yuan from the central budget," the Xinhua report said. This is the first time that China's military spending crossed a trillion yuan. Last year China's military spending was 954.35 billion yuan, a 7.6 per cent increase from 2015.



China's defence budget is about three times higher than India's USD 53.5 billion. There was no explanation about why the amount of the annual defence spending was not mentioned in Li's annual work report to the National People's Congress (NPC) yesterday.



On March 4, NPC spokesperson Fu Ying said China's defence budget will be increased by seven per cent accounting for 1.3 per cent of the country's GDP, compared with NATO members' pledge to dedicate at least two per cent of GDP to defence. "You should ask them what their intentions are," Fu told reporters, adding that China has "never inflicted harm on other countries."



Chinese officials defended the seven per cent hike this year, saying it is still smaller than the 10 per cent increase proposed by President Donald Trump to America's defence budget to take it to about USD 654 billion, the highest in the world. Much of China's budget this year is expected to go for the development of navy as Beijing looks to expand its influence beyond its shores.



China currently has one aircraft carrier and is building another with a third in the planning stage to match the growing strength of the US navy in hot-spots like the South China Sea. The China-US military tensions are on the rise since former American President Barack Obama adopted the 'US pivot to Asia', committing large number of US military forces to be deployed in the Asia Pacific to counter China's growing military might.



After his election, Trump has sent an aircraft carrier to the South China Sea to assert the freedom of navigation in the area claimed by China. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claim over the South China Sea. China's military experts say much of the defence expenditure will go for the navy to safeguard the country's fast expanding overseas interests and is a response to the unstable security situation in the Asia-Pacific region.



Chu Yin, associate professor at the University of International Relations, said, China's rapid military development is a recurrent trend with the country's rising economic power and is entirely legitimate and reasonable. "It doesn't need Trump as an excuse," he told state-run Global Times earlier.



"How can China protect millions of overseas Chinese and huge amounts of overseas investment and projects worth billions of US dollars without a powerful navy?" Chu asked. As per China National Tourism Administration figures, since 2015, Chinese citizens made more than 120 million overseas trips annually.



Additionally, China is currently the world's largest trading nation, so the country is heavily reliant on free trade, and the world also needs to trade with China, Chu said.

Additionally, China is currently the world's largest trading nation, so the country is heavily reliant on free trade and the world also needs to trade with China, Chu said. Quoting China National Radio, the Global Times report said China's overseas investment in 2016 has reached USD 221 billion, surging 246 per cent compared with 2015.



"So the Chinese navy has to gain enough ability to protect those key trade routes around the globe," Chu said. Song Zhongping, a military expert who used to serve in the Second Artillery Corps (now called the Rocket Force) said, "Honestly, the Chinese military hasn't met some of those standards yet, and that's why we have military reform and the budget for national defence will continue to rise."



"For example, the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, as part of the 'One Belt and One Road' initiative, requires a large and advanced navy, because this 'Road' covers the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean," Song said.



Yin Zhuo, a rear admiral and a senior researcher at the PLA Navy Equipment Research Centre told China Central Television that in order to protect China's sovereignty and national interests, the PLA navy at least needs five to six aircraft-carriers to maintain presence in specific regions.



An anonymous PLA air force officer told the Global Times, "due to 'the US pivot to Asia' strategy since the Obama era, the possibility of military conflict is increasing in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan Straits, and East and South China seas, so there is no reason for us not to increase the defence budget".


(Global Times) 08:19, March 06, 2017

South China's Sansha, which administers several island groups in the South China Sea, including some disputed islets, is pushing to preserve the ecology and is building another base in Hainan to provide logistics support, the city's mayor said.

The Philippines, in its arbitral case against China over the disputed waters which ended last year, accused China of harming the maritime ecological system and environment in the South China Sea.

"The central government has approved an outline to protect the environment in Sansha, Xisha, Nansha and Zhongsha islands. The plan stresses ecological preservation, and is the focus of six projects, including the restoration of islands and reefs, coastline restoration, providing surveillance for the marine environment and foresting the islands," Xiao Jie, mayor and Party chief of Sansha, Hainan Province, said after the Hainan delegates met on Saturday in Beijing.

Xiao said environmental preservation in Sansha is part of China's long-term national interests in the region and how China protects its rights.

Sansha has pushed for the use of solar power and electric motorbikes on the islands, and uses rooftops to collect rainwater, Xiao added.

The city planted 2 million trees on the islands in 2016, and Xiao told the Global Times that the city is considering planting 1 million more trees this year.

The city is also planning to integrate military and civilian facilities. Xiao noted that many resources, including civilian buildings on the island, can be used by the military.

Meanwhile, Sansha is building a base on Mulan Bay harbor in Wenchang, Hainan Province to provide logistical support, maritime emergency rescue facilities and resource development in the region.

Mulan Bay harbor is a deepwater port 40 kilometers from Hainan's capital Haikou, China Ocean News reported. The harbor, once completed, would be able to greatly boost Sansha's transportation capabilities and provide maintenance services to ships traveling to and from Sansha.

The Qinglan port in Sanya, Hainan currently provides logistic services to Sansha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today made an impassioned plea to voters to defeat SP-Congress combine and BSP, blaming these parties for the plight of Uttar Pradesh, as he wrapped up his hectic campaign for Assembly polls. Addressing a rally at Khushipur village in Rohaniya assembly segment, 25 kms from the city, Modi, who has been campaigning in his Lok Sabha constituency here for three days, repeated the promise of waiving farmers' loans and restoring professionalism of the police force if BJP comes to power in the state.





Describing himself as a person who "has experienced poverty and therefore wants to improve the lot of the poor", the PM said his government was aiming at providing houses to every single household in the country by 2022, when the country celebrates 75 years of Independence. Modi began his 45-minute-long speech with a special mention of Apna Dal and Bharatiya Samaj Party, which are fighting 20 of the 403 seats in UP in alliance with the BJP.



Apna Dal enjoys a following among Kurmis, the most dominant OBC group after the Yadavs, while Bharatiya Samaj Party is a breakaway group of Bahujan Samaj Party floated by Mayawati's erstwhile loyalist Om Prakash Rajbhar. Stressing that the country's economy heavily depended on the betterment of farmers and improvement in their purchasing power, Modi said his government was also bringing in measures to ensure that incomes of those involved in agriculture doubled by 2022.



He also spoke about a scheme whereby five crore poor families in the country were to be given free gas connections by 2019. Coming down heavily on the Akhilesh Yadav government, Modi said that in BJP-ruled states 50-60 per cent farmers were covered under his Pradhan Mantri Phasal Beema Yojana but in UP only 14 per cent agriculturists were benefiting from the crop insurance scheme.



Lambasting the SP government in the state for "nepotism and corruption" in competitive exams, the Prime Minister said, "I took the decision to do away with interviews for recruitments at lower levels. This was aimed at curbing malpractices. "But Akhilesh Yadav is not willing to take a cue as he wants jobbery to flourish."



Modi said the people of UP "should beware of both bua and bhateeja (aunt and nephew  terms used by Mayawati and Akhilesh to describe each other)". He asserted that only BJP could restore law and order in the state where "women are afraid to go out of their homes unless accompanied by a male member of the family".



The Prime Minister, who returned to New Delhi after the rally as the campaigning for the final phase culminated today, began his day with a visit to Garhwa Ghat ashram  a monastery run by a sect devoted to the Bhakti tradition.



Headed by Swami Sharanananda, the sect is said to have a significant following among Yadavs, who have traditionally been SP supporters. From Garhwa Ghat, Modi went to Ramghat, where he paid floral tributes at a statue of Lal Bahadur Shastri and also spent a few minutes at the house where the former Prime Minister had spent his early childhood. Voting for the seventh and final phase will take place on March 8 and declaration of results is on March 11.



Referring to the festival of Holi, which falls on March 13, Modi urged the people of Kashi to cast their votes judiciously so that "Holi may be celebrated in UP on March 11, two days ahead of schedule". The PM's speech was, on one occasion, interrupted for a couple of minutes when he was distracted by a number of youths who were heartily chanting "Modi! Modi!". The PM asked them to keep quiet and jocularly told camerapersons shooting the rally "do not focus your lenses on them".



Modi spoke at length about his government's pro-poor and pro-farmer initiatives, which included soil health cards which he compared to "pathological tests advised by physicians before prescribing medicines". "We are ensuring that certified, good quality seeds are made available to farmers so that they do not end up buying sub-standard ones from the black market and ruin their own fields.



"To those farmers whose water pumps have worn away, we are providing new ones free of cost," he said. "Adequate availability of water enables a hard-working farmer to convert his fields into a goldmine.



"Our irrigation schemes are aimed at building canals in large numbers, so that water does not remain collected in dams, but reaches the fields," Modi said. He also spoke about "neem-coated urea", which has ensured that fertiliser remained available to farmers adequately since it has "eradicated the possibility of misuse for any purpose other than farming".
Demonetisation impact on GDP may be seen in the current quarter in some segments, while the remonetisation excersise should be completed in 2-3 months, RBI Deputy Governor Viral V Acharya said today.





Asked if spillover of notes ban could extend to January-March quarter, Acharya said the impact could be felt in some segments.



"Ultimately, the cash shortage is like the liquidity shock and unless it had led to a substantial wealth destruction one would expect its effects to be quite temporary.



I'm not saying that the temporary impact is not hard on some parts of the economy, you would expect the effect to be temporary," he said.



"There may be a couple of sectors, like 2-wheeler sales, where there is slightly slower rebound," he said.



When asked about the GDP estimate, he said, "you can see our MPC resolution which is that our estimate was actually reasonably close to that (of CSO estimate)."

"Of course, the drivers may have been slightly different, but I think there are a couple of things that people have raised which would be interesting and worth thinking about, which is how much of the informal sector gets fully captured other than through its links to the formal sector," he said.



He further said that the impact of the notes ban would only be temporary and would help in bringing informal sector into the mainstream economy.



"I think everyone should keep in mind that the remonetisation is taking place at a very fast pace. We have some way to go, but I think we expect that within two to three months we will reach full currency in circulation. It will be slightly lower, but it is in that ballpark (number)," he said.



The demonetisation of high value currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 announced on November 8 led to scrapping of Rs 15.4 lakh crore from the system.



The newly appointed Deputy Governor also said that asset quality review (AQR) is on the track.



The RBI had set a deadline of March 2017 for completion of AQR exercise for the public sector banks.



It had embarked on the AQR exercise from December 2015 and asked banks to recognise some top defaulting accounts as NPAs. It has had a debilitating impact on banks' numbers and their stocks.



The move resulted in a spike in bad assets with lenders recognising over Rs 1 lakh crore of bad assets in the December quarter alone.


The Supreme Court today took note of the alleged tweaking of rules by the Centre and the RBI on exchanging demonetised currency notes and sought their responses on why old ones were not accepted till March 31 as was promised.





The Prime Minister's address to the nation on the evening of November 8 last year on demonetisation and subsequent notification of the federal bank that the devalued currency notes can be exchanged at RBI offices even up to March 31, 2017 were valid assurances which stood breached by the ordinance, the counsel for petitioner Sudha Mishra said.



"Issue notice, returnable by Friday (March 10)," a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul said.



It also asked the counsel to serve the copy of the petition to the Centre and the RBI during the day to ensure effective hearing on March 10.



It was alleged that the Prime Minister and RBI had assured the people at large that demonetised currency notes can be exchanged at banks, post offices and RBI branches and if people are unable to deposit them by that day then they can do so till March 31, 2017 at RBI branches after complying with some formalities.



The lawyer then referred to the Specified Bank Notes Cessation of Liabilities Ordinance and said it had breached the assurance.



The Ordinance said that only those who were abroad, the armed forces personnel posted in remote areas or others who can give valid reasons for not being able to deposit the cancelled notes at banks, can deposit the demonetised currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes till March 31.



The Centre had come out with the Ordinance making possession of a large number of scrapped banknotes a penal offence that will attract monetary fine.



The Ordinance also provided for amending the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act to provide legislative support for extinguishing the demonetised banknotes that are not returned.



While the high-denomination currency ceased to be a legal tender from midnight of November 8, 2016, a mere notification was thought to be not enough to end the central bank's liability and avoiding future litigations.



The deadline for the deposit of old currency in bank or post office accounts expired on December 30, 2016 and time till March 31 was made available to only those people who were abroad, armed forces personnel posted in remote areas or others who can give valid reasons for not being able to deposit the cancelled notes at banks.



Of the Rs 15.4 lakh crore worth of currency that was scrapped, about Rs 14 lakh crore has been deposited in banks or exchanged till December 28.


They found the first carcasses in late December, on the frozen steppes of Mongolias western Khovd province. By the end of January, officials in the region had recorded the deaths of 2,500 endangered saiga antelopes  about one-quarter of the countrys saiga population  and scientists had identified a culprit: a virus called peste des petits ruminants, or PPR, also known as goat plague. It was the first time the disease, usually seen in goats, sheep and other small livestock, had been found in free-ranging antelopes. For the saiga, an ancient animal that once roamed the grasslands of the world with the woolly mammoth and the saber-toothed tiger, the outbreak was potentially catastrophic.





The antelopes numbers, once in the millions, have been severely depleted by illegal hunting, habitat loss and competition for food. The species is described as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Natures Red List. In 2015, 211,000 saigas in Kazakhstan  more than half the entire antelope species  were wiped out by a bacterial infection in less than one month. Its just one thing on top of another, said Dr Richard Kock, a professor of wildlife health and emerging diseases at the Royal Veterinary College in London who, with colleagues, concluded that climate change had contributed to the Kazakhstan die-off. Once youre down to very low numbers, a species is vulnerable to extinction, Richard said.



Disastrous

Richard, who has studied both saigas and PPR in wildlife, recently returned from Mongolia, where he was part of a United Nations crisis team called in to investigate the mass deaths there. He and other scientists predicted that before the virus had run its course, thousands more saigas from the Mongolian population will die. And the appearance of PPR in the antelope, which probably contracted the virus from close contact with livestock that graze on the steppe, raised fears that it could spread to other threatened species, like Bactrian camels and Mongolian gazelles.



Potentially, this could be an 80% mortality, said Eleanor J Milner-Gulland, a zoology professor at Oxford and chairwoman of the Saiga Conservation Alliance. It could be completely disastrous. Eleanor noted that the spring, when the antelopes gather together to calve, could be an especially risky time for the spread of the virus, and there is concern that it could spread to antelopes remaining in Kazakhstan. The saigas are well adapted to the harsh conditions of the Mongolian steppe, their thick hair insulating them in the winter and their Bullwinkle noses warming frigid winter air before it reaches the lungs.



The Mongolian saiga is a subspecies, smaller and stockier than its Kazakhstan counterparts, with horns of a different shape and a slightly more refined proboscis. But both subspecies are valuable to wildlife traffickers, who poach the animals and market the horns for medicinal use in Asian countries.



Enkhtuvshin Shiilegdamba, an epidemiologist and the Wildlife Conservation Societys country director in Mongolia, said that scientists believe the virus travelled to Mongolia from China, one of 76 countries around the world where PPR is active.



Livestock in Khovd province began to fall ill in September, Enkhtuvshin said. She added that the number of deaths so far was probably an underestimate, because the antelope are smallish animals and this area is quite a large area and there is snow, so it makes it difficult to find them. Its likely that we already lost about 50% of the saiga population, she added. Even before the virus hit, a fiercely harsh winter in 2015 had reduced the population to approximately 10,000 saigas from about 15,000.



Richard said that many of the dead antelope they examined were in poor physical condition, probably contributing to their susceptibility to disease. The die-off, he said, came at the worst time of year, during the winter, when the animals resistance is lower. That is extremely bad luck and that will be reflected in the mortalities, he said. About 11 million sheep and goats in Khovd and in a second province where saigas live were vaccinated against PPR after the initial outbreak, but the vaccine was apparently not effective in preventing the virus from spreading to wildlife, suggesting that some animals were missed or that there were storage problems with the vaccines.



If the saiga does survive, it may be its capacity for rapid reproduction that finally saves it. Two-thirds of pregnant female antelopes give birth to twins, and although the species plummeted to a low of 50,000 saiga in the 1990s, it rebounded with conservation efforts, reaching several hundred thousand by the time of the Kazakhstan die-off. It has gone down to low levels before and then gone back up again, so were always hopeful, Eleanor said.


Renewable energy sources have been championed as the future of energy in the past decade owing to serious threats posed to the planets sustenance by climate change and contributing factors such as fossil fuels. In efforts to make the transition from conventional fossil fuels to renewable energy, innovative applications such as tandem solar cells, two-bladed wind turbines, hydrogen-based fuel cells etc are being developed. Space-based solar power (SBSP) is another such application that has been gaining traction now.



SBSP uses solar panels deployed in space to collect energy from sunlight, which is then transmitted wirelessly to Earth. This technology has the potential to solve our energy and greenhouse gas emission problems. The reason is the quantum of solar energy available in space is billion times more than that received on Earth.



Earth-based solar panels convert sunlight into energy during daytime. However, they cannot do so at night or under overcast conditions. Also, much of the Suns radiation is reflected back into space by Earths atmosphere. If the same solar panels are stationed in space, they will receive suitable solar radiation everyday.



Estimates show that one GW of Photovoltaics (PV) panels that generate 1,700 million units of electricity annually on Earth can generate more than five times when deployed in space. This is because light-to-energy conversion efficiency increases due to more wavelengths being captured, which also increases the Capacity Utilisation Factor (CUF) by about five times. For deployment in space, the PV panels can be installed on geosynchronous satellites and the power generated can be transmitted back to Earth in a safe, efficient and reliable manner using Wireless Power Transmission (WPT) technology. WPT consists of:



DC to microwave converter: To convert the DC power to microwave beams for transmission through antennas towards Earth-bound receiving station. Typically, DC to microwave conversion efficiency is 85-86%.



Transmitting antenna array to beam the microwave to Earth: The conversion efficiency of this process is 95%.



A mean to receive power on Earth: SBSP requires a receiving facility with a rectenna array and suitable power networks connected to the existing ground-based power grids. A rectenna converts the microwaves into electricity with conversion efficiencies of more than 95%.



Presently, China and Japan have aggressive R&D programmes to make SBSP viable. Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, for instance, wrote a report in 2010, suggesting that China should build an experimental space solar power station by 2030, and construct a commercially viable space power station by 2050. In 2008, Japan passed its Basic Space Law which established Space Solar Power as a national goal and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is also actively conducting research for deploying massive solar panels in space in the near future and also has a roadmap to commercialise SBSP. As of now, the researchers at JAXA are the first to successfully deliver a power output of 1.8 kW using microwave beams to a receiver 55 m away with pin-point accuracy.



Challenges ahead

In spite of the panoply of motivations to execute SBSP, there are some major challenges. At first, the launching cost with the Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLLV) and the building cost of the SBSP system are exorbitantly high. JAXA has predicted total costs to be around one trillion Chinese Yuan. Furthermore, space is a hostile environment which causes approximately eight times more degradation of solar panels than on Earth. In addition, the receiving station on Earth will require several hectares of land. NASA estimates that a transmitting antenna of one km diameter and a receiving rectenna of 10 km diameter on ground for microwave beams at 2.45 GHz are required.



For a successful implementation, the space programmes of various leading countries need to collaborate and share resources. This, as a result, can bring down the costs immensely. In the meantime, the research community needs to delve deeper into the physics of SBSP to make such systems a reality for sustainable communities. Achievements like the recent deployment of 104 satellites by ISRO show Indias space prowess and potential to contribute to SBSP programmes in the near future.

(The authors are with Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy, Bengaluru)
US President Donald Trump today signed a revised executive order, temporarily halting entry to the US for people from six Muslim-majority nations who are seeking new visas while dropping Iraq from the list, after worldwide outrage over the controversial immigration policy.





White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer confirmed President Trump signed the order behind closed doors "this morning".



The latest executive order specifies that a 90-day ban on people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen does not apply to those who already have valid visas.



Any individual who had a valid visa either on January 27, 2017 (prior to 5:00 PM) or holds a valid visa on the effective date of the Executive Order is not barred from entry into the US, according to the order.



"The 90-day period will allow for proper review and establishment of standards to prevent terrorist or criminal infiltration by foreign nationals," it says.



The new order drops Iraq's name from the list of targeted countries, saying Baghdad has agreed to increase cooperation with the US on the vetting of its citizens applying for a visa to travel to America.



"Iraqi citizens are not affected by the Executive Order," says the order which will come into force on March 16.



The Refugee Admissions Program will also be temporarily suspended for the next 120 days while Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and interagency partners review screening procedures to ensure refugees admitted in the future do not pose a security risk to the US, the new order says.



FBI is currently investigating 300 individuals admitted to the US as refugees for potential terrorism related activities.



Officials hope that this time it will be a very orderly process and there would be no chaos at port of entry. Those people who are travelling on valid visas and arrive at a US port of entry will still be permitted to seek entry into the United States.



President Trump has also directed the State Department and the DHS to make recommendation of any country that could be included in the future suspension of entry into the US.



Homeland Security Secretary John F Kelly Kelly said the executive order signed today will make America safer, and address long-overdue concerns about the security of our immigration system.



"We must undertake a rigorous review of our visa and refugee vetting programs to increase our confidence in the entry decisions we make for visitors and immigrants to the US. We cannot risk the prospect of malevolent actors using our immigration system to take American lives," he said.



In the first 20 days, the DHS will perform a global, country-by-country review of the identity and security information that each country provides to the US to support US visa and other immigration benefit determinations.



Countries will then have 50 days to comply with requests from the US Government to update or improve the quality of the information they provide.



Stating that the US immigration system has been repeatedly exploited by terrorists and other malicious actors, the executive order says it will ensure that the US can conduct a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the national security risks posed from its immigration system.



Trump had signed an executive order on January 27 imposing an indefinite travel ban on Syrian refugees and a temporary curb on people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia - from entering the US for at least 90 days.



The move triggered worldwide outrage and widespread protests at home and abroad. Protests broke out in several US cities and thousands of people demonstrated at many airports.



There were chaos in the first days of its implementation, as people arriving at US airports from targeted countries were detained and sometimes sent back to where they came from.



More than 100 academics from Texas colleges and universities signed a petition against the travel ban.



A federal judge in Seattle suspended the order, and a federal appeals court in San Francisco refused to reinstate it, leading Trump administration to come up with this revised version.



Trump had criticised the court order suspending the ban as "a very bad decision, very bad for the safety and security of our country. The rollout was perfect."



The new order is meant to address complaints raised by the federal judges that parts of the first version of the executive order were unconstitutional.



Iraq has agreed to timely return and repatriation of its nationals who are subject to removal.



Kelly said the executive order signed today is prospective in natureapplying only to foreign nationals outside of the United States who do not have a valid visa.



"It is important to note that nothing in this executive order affects current lawful permanent residents or persons with current authorisation to enter our country. If you have a current valid visa to travel, we welcome you. But unregulated, unvetted travel is not a universal privilege, especially when national security is at stake," he added.


If your tour to the Hyderabad-Karnataka region has to be complete, you have to see Bonhal Lake, declares Bhaskar Rao Mudbul, convener of Historical Research Centre at Bhimarayangudi in Kalaburagi district. For a while, I presumed Bonhal Lake as just like any other lake. But Bhaskar enlightens me, Bonhal lake is three times bigger than Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary. Like Ranganthittu, it is also a favourite place for birds.





So, one fine morning, we find ourselves standing on the banks of this lake. No matter where we looked, all we saw was water. Birds flying north dotted the sky while pigeons cooed below alongside the lake. Greenery enveloped us. To reach the lake, we had to trudge on a red muddy road and bear the foul smell of pesticides. But all our travel fatigue vanished the moment we stepped into this green abode.



Many stories

So, how did this place come into existence? Historical records reveal that in the olden times, there was once a lake nestled amidst hillocks north of Bonhal village in Surpur taluk. In 1845, a British officer, Philips Medos Taylor, fell in love with this lake. At that time, Surpur province was under the rule of Hyderabad Nizams. In 1848, Philips showed this lake to Frazer, a British citizen.



Then, on the instructions of Frazer, the Nizam took necessary steps to convert this lake into a bird sanctuary. The then chief engineer, Major Bucklery played a pivotal role in the development of this lake. A cottage along with a watch tower was constructed. Oral history indicates that the king of the Surpur province, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka, used to ride in a boat right in this lake.



With time, the lake faced new challenges. The farmers of Bonhal tell us about the challenge this lake faced in 1984-1985. Fuelled by vested interests, outside people started harming the ecosystem of the lake. They even demolished the southern spillway of this lake. But they faced stiff opposition from Bonhal residents, who protested the move and saved the lake from destruction.



Thereafter, the government entrusted the development of the lake to Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Ltd. But this led to a rise in the numbers of fishermen in the area, which meant less fish for the birds. Consequently, many birds stopped flocking to this lake. When this was brought to the notice of the district administration, the government ordered the Forest Department to take the necessary action to protect the bird sanctuary and the lake. While the fishermen protested this, the court of law declared that preserving the sanctuary is of utmost importance. After this ruling, the sanctuary slowly started to reverberate with the sounds of birds once again.



Today, ornithologists have identified several species of local birds in the area. During the winter season from November to February, the lake attracts migratory birds from Argentina, Nigeria, Siberia and Sri Lanka, says Bhaskar, who is also an avid bird watcher. Every January, birds like flamingo, wooly-necked stork, white ibis, bar-headed goose, black ibis, common tern, snakebird, little cormorant, kingfisher and many more visit this particular sanctuary for reproduction.



During this period, the grandeur of the lake is even more mesmerising. The lake has a depth of 15 feet. Hence, the Tourism Department has started pedal-boating

activity in those parts which are free from bird settlements. Tourists who come here feel that the department has to provide them with life jackets for a safer ride.



The district administration has taken special interest in this lake and has released Rs 1.5 crore for its development. In order to make this bird sanctuary the best one in the State, we are planning to construct guest houses, watch towers, childrens park, a canteen and many more facilities, says B C Satish, additional deputy commissioner. But all is not well with this beautiful waterbody.



Although the State government has banned fishing and bird hunting in this area, instances of the same have been reported in certain patches of the lake. Many birds have also fallen prey to the fishing nets. The sanctuary staff know about the illegal fishing activities that happen in the night, but turn a blind eye towards it, allege local residents.

(Translated by A Varsha Rao)
Uber has for years engaged in a worldwide programme to deceive authorities in markets where its low-cost ride-hailing service was resisted by law enforcement or, in some instances, had been banned.





The programme, involving a tool called Greyball, uses data collected from the Uber app and other techniques to identify and circumvent officials who were trying to clamp down on the ride-hailing service. Uber used these methods to evade the authorities in cities like Boston, Paris and Las Vegas, and in countries like Australia, China and South Korea.



Greyball was part of a programme called VTOS, short for violation of terms of service, which Uber created to root out people it thought were using or targeting its service improperly.



The programme, including Greyball, began as early as 2014 and remains in use, predominantly outside the United States. Greyball was approved by Ubers legal team.



Greyball and the VTOS programme were described to The New York Times by four current and former Uber employees, who also provided documents. The four spoke on the condition of anonymity because the tools and their use are confidential and because of fear of retaliation by Uber.



Ubers use of Greyball was recorded on video in late 2014, when Erich England, a code enforcement inspector in Portland, Oregon, tried to hail an Uber car downtown in a sting operation against the company.



At the time, Uber had just started its ride-hailing service in Portland without seeking permission from the city, which later declared the service illegal. To build a case against the company, officers like England posed as riders, opening the Uber app to hail a car and watching as miniature vehicles on the screen made their way toward the potential fares.



But unknown to England and other authorities, some of the digital cars they saw in the app did not represent actual vehicles. And the Uber drivers they were able to hail also quickly cancelled. That was because Uber had tagged England and his colleagues  essentially Greyballing them as city officials  based on data collected from the app and in other ways. The company then served up a fake version of the app populated with ghost cars, to evade capture.



In a statement, Uber said, This programme denies ride requests to users who are violating our terms of service  whether thats people aiming to physically harm drivers, competitors looking to disrupt our operations, or opponents who collude with officials on secret stings meant to entrap drivers.



Uber, which lets people hail rides using a smartphone app, operates multiple types of services, including a luxury Black Car offering in which drivers are commercially licenced. But an Uber service that many regulators have had problems with is the lower-cost version, known in the United States as UberX. UberX essentially lets people who have passed a background check and vehicle inspection become Uber drivers quickly. In the past, many cities have banned the service and declared it illegal.



That is because the ability to summon a noncommercial driver  which is how UberX drivers using private vehicles are typically categorised  was often unregulated. In barrelling into new markets, Uber capitalised on this lack of regulation to quickly enlist UberX drivers and put them to work before local regulators could stop them.



After authorities caught on to what was happening, Uber and local officials often clashed. Uber has encountered legal problems over UberX in cities including Austin, Texas, Philadelphia and Tampa, Florida, as well as internationally. Eventually, agreements were reached under which regulators developed a legal framework for the low-cost service.



That approach has been costly. Law enforcement officials in some cities have impounded vehicles or issued tickets to UberX drivers, with Uber generally picking up those costs on the drivers behalf. The company has estimated thousands of dollars in lost revenue for every vehicle impounded and ticket received.



This is where the VTOS programme and the use of the Greyball tool came in. When Uber moved into a new city, it appointed a general manager to lead the charge. This person, using various technologies and techniques, would try to spot enforcement officers.



One technique involved drawing a digital perimeter, or geofence, around the government offices on a digital map of a city that Uber was monitoring. The company watched which people were frequently opening and closing the app  a process known internally as eyeballing  near such locations as evidence that the users might be associated with city agencies.



In all, there were at least a dozen or so signifiers in the VTOS programme that Uber employees could use to assess whether users were regular new riders or probably city officials.



If such clues did not confirm a users identity, Uber employees would search social media profiles and other information available online. If users were identified as being linked to law enforcement, Uber Greyballed them by tagging them with a small piece of code that read Greyball followed by a string of numbers.



Ghost cars

When someone tagged this way called a car, Uber could scramble a set of ghost cars in a fake version of the app for that person to see, or show that no cars were available. Occasionally, if a driver accidentally picked up someone tagged as an officer, Uber called the driver with instructions to end the ride.



Uber employees said the practices and tools were born in part out of safety measures meant to protect drivers in some countries. In France, India and Kenya, for instance, taxi companies and workers targeted and attacked new Uber drivers. In those areas, Greyballing started as a way to scramble the locations of UberX drivers to prevent competitors from finding them. Uber said that was still the tools primary use.



But as Uber moved into new markets, its engineers saw that the same methods could be used to evade law enforcement. Once the Greyball tool was put in place and tested, Uber engineers created a playbook with a list of tactics and distributed it to general managers in more than a dozen countries on five continents.



At least 50 people inside Uber knew about Greyball, and some had qualms about whether it was ethical or legal. Greyball was approved by Ubers legal team, led by Salle Yoo, the companys general counsel. Ryan Graves, an early hire who became senior vice president of global operations and a board member, was also aware of the programme.



Outside legal specialists said they were uncertain about the legality of the programme. Greyball could be considered a violation of the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, or possibly intentional obstruction of justice, depending on local laws and jurisdictions, said Peter Henning, a law professor at Wayne State University, who also writes for The New York Times.


The main accused in the sex racket in Patna has threatened to upload video clips of the politicians and police officers involved in the case, if he is forced to surrender.





Nikhil Priyadarshi, son of a retired IAS officer, is absconding.



He came into limelight after a minor Dalit girl, who is the daughter of a senior Congress leader and former Bihar minister, lodged an FIR against Priyadarshi and some of his high-profile friends, including former Bihar Congress leader Brajesh Pandey.



She charged them with sexually exploiting her, and also accused Priyadarshi of running a sex racket.



The accused have been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.



However, the CIDs Special Investigation Team, which is probing the case, has so far failed to make any arrests. A special police team conducted raids at Shimla, but the main accused managed to flee.



Priyadarshi then called a local daily and threatened to upload video clippings of all those involved in the sex scandal.


(Global Times) 08:20, March 06, 2017

A textbook for second-grade students in primary schools that includes diagrams of reproductive organs and discussions about sexual abuse has sparked controversy, with the publisher explaining that it is simply serving the purpose for which it was written.

A mother from Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, said on Sina Weibo that she was shocked to find that her child's textbook includes pictures of male and female reproductive organs.

She posted a picture of a chapter that teaches children how to protect themselves from sexual abuse. The picture shows a woman asking to see a boy's genitals. The woman claimed the picture was too much for her to handle, let alone her child.

Her post sparked heated discussions online, with many agreeing that this textbook is "too much" for second graders, normally aged from 7 to 9.

Beijing Normal University Publishing Group told the China News Service that given its sensitive topic, the book was examined especially carefully and the content is in accordance with their intentions.

The group issued a series of textbooks named Zhen'ai Shengming, or "Cherish Life," which are used with students from grades one to five in primary school. Apart from teaching children how to protect themselves, the series also introduces sexual intercourse, the physical changes of puberty and tells children that homosexuality is normal.

Tong Xiaojun, a professor at the China Youth University for Political Sciences, said that children are curious about where they come from, but if their questions are not answered in a proper way they may seek answers from pornographic books or websites, which may mislead them.

Tong added that children should be informed about sex education as they get older.

"What matters is what kind of information they should be told about at different ages," Tong said.

Using these kinds of textbook is tricky, Zhang Meimei, a professor of sexual education at Capital Normal University, told CNS, adding that schools should discuss such courses with parents first and gain their support, because parents are also responsible for teaching their children.

An unnamed father of a second-grade student told the China News Service that though this kind of course is good, he still felt embarrassed when his son showed him the book.
People looting crores of rupees are enjoying life, but a man is in jail for stealing five sarees, the Supreme Court said on Monday, as it pulled up the Telangana government for keeping him under preventive custody.





A person who has taken away crores of rupees is enjoying his life. But here a person took five sarees and he is in jail, a bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said.

The apex court has listed the matter for further hearing on March 8.



During the hearing, the counsel representing the state argued that the arrest was made after many traders in Hyderabad had complained about a gang of saree thieves operating there, which had prompted the police to arrest him.



Earlier, the government had defended its move detaining Eliah from March 2016 under a preventive detention law called the Andhra Pradesh Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Dacoits, Drug Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Land Grabbers Act.


BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa on Monday met former chief minister S M Krishna at the latters residence in Bengaluru and invited him to join the saffron fold.





Krishna had resigned from the primary membership of the Congress in January this year stating that the party had neglected him, citing his old age.



Yeddyurappa told reporters, BJP today extended a formal invite to Krishna to join the party. I am confident he will oblige soon. Krishnas reaction could not be obtained as he did not speak to the media.



Former deputy chief minister R Ashoka, who accompanied Yeddyurappa, said the Congress had neglected Krishna though he had served the party for more than three decades. His entry will strengthen BJP, he said.



The Congress high command did not make any effort to convince Krishna to stay back. KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao had even ridiculed BJP for trying to woo Krishna.
In a shocking incident, as many as 19 aborted female foetuses were found dumped near a stream at Mhaisal village in Sangli district of Maharashtra.





The Maharashtra government has announced a probe into the incident even as the Sangli Police is investigating the matter.



So far we have found the remains of 19 female foetuses, Sangli Superintendent of Police, Dattatray Shinde, said, adding that the death of a 26-year-old pregnant woman, Swati Jamdade, on February 28 blew the lid off an illegal pregnancy termination racket.



The woman had died during an abortion at the Bharti Hospital owned by Dr Babasaheb Khidrapure in the village.



Dr Khidrapure holds a bachelors degree in homoeopathy and is on the run.

The womans husband, Praveen Jamdade, had taken her for the abortion. Her father, Sunil Jadhav, told the police that Praveen had called him and expressed his willingness to abort the female foetus.



Even though he objected, the womans husband took him to the hospital, where she died of complications during the abortion. The couple have two daughters.



When villagers and relatives of the woman found inconsistency in versions, they lodged a complaint with the police and during interrogation Praveen revealed that his wife died during the abortion.



In Mumbai, Women and Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde said that it is a heinous crime and the matter is extremely serious.



The issue of saving the girl child needs the support of parents...they should be motivated to support their children irrespective of the gender, she said, adding that the government has asked three officials from Sangli and two from

Pune to investigate the matter and submit a report on Monday.


A former national security advisor (NSA) to the Pakistan prime minister on Monday said in New Delhi that a terrorist organisation based in his country had carried out the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.



Maj Gen (retd) Mahmud Ali Durrani said the attack was a classic example of cross-border terror. Durrani was the NSA to the then prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani from May 2008 to January 2009.

He referred to the role of the Pakistani terror group while addressing the Asian Security Conference at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses.

The terror attack in Mumbai carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan on November 26, 2008, is a classic trans-border terror event...But the government of Pakistan or the Inter-Services Intelligence was not involved. I am 110% sure of it, said Durrani, who was also Pakistans ambassador to the United States from June 2006 to May 2008.

Former Pakistan army officers have in the past admitted the role of the terror group based in their country in planning, preparing and perpetrating the attacks on Mumbai.

A few weeks after the attack, Durrani admitted in an interview with an Indian TV channel that Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist caught alive in the incident, was a citizen of Pakistan.

His comment about Kasab, who was later hanged, was not liked by many in the Pakistan government. Gilani sacked him soon.

Ten LeT terrorists had sailed from Karachi to Mumbai and carried out the attacks killing over 170 people and maiming many others.

New Delhi has since been accusing Saeed of masterminding the attacks. But Islamabad acted against the radical cleric only recently and listed him as a terrorist under the Anti-Terrorism Act of Pakistan. Earlier, on January 30, Saeed was detained and placed under house arrest.

On Monday, Durrani also told journalists that Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed had no utility for Pakistan and he should be punished.

Every nation has its own definition and understanding of what constitutes terrorism. Despite the long ongoing war against terror, the world remains ambiguous regarding its definition, Durrani said, emphasising on the need to develop a common denominator to fight terrorism in Asia.
The longest serving warship of the world, INS Viraat, was decommissioned by the Indian Navy on Monday in a sombre yet grand ceremony at Mumbais naval dockyard.





The last post for INS Viraat was sounded at sunset on Monday in the presence of more than 4500 Viraatees, including 22 of its commanding officers, former chiefs of naval staff and guest of honour Chief of Royal Navy Admiral Philip Jones. The Seaking and Harpoon helicopters also rose to bid farewell as the Commissioning Pendent was lowered for the last time on board INS Viraat.



The Naval Ensign and Commissioning Pendent was later folded and handed over to the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba, signalling the end of the Viraat era. A Special Cover by Army Postal Service was also launched on the occasion.



Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Admiral Lanba said that it was a moment of pride and sorrow.
The Karnataka High Court on Monday passed an order reinstating Mangala Sridhar as member of the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) by quashing her suspension order.





A division bench comprising Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice R B Budihal, while hearing the appeal filed by Mangala, set aside the single-bench order.

Mangala had challenged her suspension contending that only the President had the authority to remove her as a member of the KPSC and that the governor does not have the power to suspend a KPSC member. She was suspended after her name figured in a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) report on alleged corruption in the KPSC cash-for-job scam of 2011.



She was alleged to have taken bribes during the recruitment of gazetted probationers. The single bench had dismissed her contentions, upholding her suspension by the governor on May 14, 2014. She appealed against the order in the division bench.



The division bench, passing an order in the appeal said, The order of suspension was issued under Article 317(2) of the Constitution of India (powers of suspension) on May 14, 2014. The governor admittedly did not have the benefit of the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers as recommended under Article 163...further as on that date, no reference had been made by the President of India to the Supreme Court of India as mentioned under Article 317(1). On these counts, we have no option but to hold that the order of suspension is unconstitutional. The bench, in the order, said that Mangala shall be entitled to all the emoluments and consequential benefits.



G category sites

The Karnataka High Court has permitted 29 more allottees of G category sites to go ahead with construction after Justice A M Farooq committee submitted its fourth report on allotment of 32 sites.



A bench comprising Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice R B Budihal directed the Bangalore Development Authority to execute sale deeds within one month, in respect of the 29 allottees, who were found to be eligible to retain the sites, according to the report. However, the court asked the BDA to execute the sale deeds in respect of such allottees whose lease-cum-sale agreement has completed 10 years.



In respect of other allottees, the sale deeds should be executed only after their lease-cum-sale-agreement completes 10 years. The court passed the orders in a public interest litigation alleging irregularities in allotment of G category sites.



Since the committee has not made any recommendation on retaining the sites in respect of the remaining three allottees, the court said that it would consider these cases subsequently. The matter was adjourned to April 6.

DH News Service
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on a batch of petitions, challenging the bar on depositing demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.





The bar went against Prime Minister Narendra Modis promise at the time of demonetisation on November 8, the petitioners contended. A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice J S Khehar sought a reply from the Union government and the RBI by Friday.



The bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and Sanjay Kishan Kaul, was initially not inclined to entertain the PILs by telling the petitioners counsel that they can approach the government with their plea. Later, the court preferred to admit the PILs and directed the counsel of Sudha Mishra and Sarla Shrivastav to hand over a copy of the petitions to the government counsel.



The petitioners counsel claimed that they trusted the prime ministers word and the subsequent notification by the RBI that those who could not deposit the scrapped notes by December 30, 2016 could do so at the RBI till March 31 this year.



Mishra, in her plea, submitted that she was pregnant and residing at her parental home in Ranchi at the time of demonetisation. She claimed that after her return to her matrimonial home in Delhi, she was shocked and surprised that an ordinance dated December 30 created a separate class of people under the Non-Resident Indian bracket, who alone could deposit demonetised notes till March 31.
The Karnataka High Court on Monday rejected a PIL which sought setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations and counter allegations by the Congress and BJP on pay-offs made to the parties Central leadership.





The petitioner, M Abdul Hameed, a journalist, had approached the court seeking a probe into the alleged diary found in the house of MLC Govindaraj during an I-T raid, which is said to have details of payments made to the Congress high command and to the media.



Rejecting the PIL, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice R B Budihal said the entries in the diary are not conclusive proof. The I-T department is already investigating the case. We are not inclined to entertain the petition, the bench said.



The petitioner has contended that the BJP revealing the contents of the diary, which is in custody of the I-T and the Enforcement Directorate, only shows that none of the authorities has proceeded to conduct any independent investigation. The petitioner said that members of the ruling party at the Centre seem to have exclusive access to the investigation material.



Hameed, in his petition, said that it was imperative that in an atmosphere vitiated by corruption in the state which is facing elections in about a year, the high court should pass necessary orders constituting an SIT. The SIT should investigate the allegations of corruption, especially in respect of pay-offs by state leaders to their top brass at the Centre across the political spectrum, he said in the petition.
The Transport Department has set up a committee to consider fixing a minimum fare for app-based cab aggregators, including Ola and Uber, whose drivers are protesting against their fare models.





Transport Commissioner M K Aiyappa said the department has fixed a maximum fare of Rs 14.50 for small cars and Rs 19.50 for sedans. Drivers have complained that cab aggregators offer rides at lower fares. We have formed a committee comprising the joint commissioner, regional commissioner and other officials to consider fixing a minimum fare, he said.



The decision comes after a week-long strike by drivers associated with Ola and Uber which was launched on February 23. The protesters complained that both companies lower the fare in competition to woo customers which has hit the drivers earnings.



We drive 25 kilometres and get Rs 300 from the rider. The company deducts 30% from the amount. So, we essentially earn about Rs 8 per kilometre. How can we earn lower than fare fixed by government? We have to pay for cancelling such rides, said Tanveer Pasha, leader of a drivers union.



He said the committee should not fix anything lower than the maximum fares. The autorickshaw fare is Rs 13 per kilometre. We cant offer rides cheaper than that, he added.


A CPPCC member denounced on March 6 a proposal to remove English from Chinas college entrance exam, stressing the benefits of studying English for students who live in an increasingly open world.

I think its reckless to exclude English from the [college entrance] exam. English education is no longer a call made by authorities, but has become a necessity for the countrys integration into the world, said Yu Minhong, a member of the central committee of the China Democratic League and owner of Chinas largest English education service.

Currently, English is a mandatory subject for all Chinese students, and it is a required component of the national college entrance exam. Yu believes that the removal of English from the exam would exacerbate existing inequities when it comes to accessing educational resources, as it is already difficult for students in poor and remote areas to receive proper English training.

I suggest lowering the proportion of English on the exam, as well as simplifying the curriculum and tests. But the complete removal of English is unacceptable, said Yu.

However, not everybody shares Yu's opinion. Li Guangyu, an NPC member who proposed the removal of English from the college entrance exam, noted that Chinese students spend 18.31 percent of their time studying English, while the annual expense of English education in China is over 163 billion RMB--an amount that could fund the launch of 204 Shenzhou spaceships.

Whether or not to reduce English classes and exams has become a hot topic around the country. The hashtag RemovalEnglishFromExams has garnered more than 16 million page views on Sina Weibo since it was first posted on March 5, with opponents emphasizing the importance of English as an international language. Supporters, meanwhile, have argued that studying English wastes time that Chinese students could use to develop other talents.

According to a poll conducted on Sina Weibo on March 5, over 41 percent of 1,400 respondents denounced the removal of English from the entrance exam, dismissing it as a proposal to seclude China from the outside world. Another 36.7 percent voiced the belief that exam-oriented English education is meaningless.
A man fired in the air to scare his relative travelling by another car near the Outer Ring Road in Marathahalli, east Bengaluru. Police believe it was a combination of road rage and financial dispute that led to the unsavoury incident.





Nishwanth Reddy and Amruth Reddy, both related to each other and residents of Thippasandra, were travelling by a Porsche when a Chevrolet Cruze brushed against their car around 12.30 am on Saturday. The Porsche driver didnt stop and steered ahead. He was none other than Karthik Reddy, one of their relatives who lives in Doddanekkundi. Amruth didnt take it lying down and decided to confront him. He accelerated to overtake Karthiks car and pulled right into the front, blocking its way.



Amruth quickly alighted from the car and started quarrelling with Karthik who responded in kind. Nishwanth, who was still in the car, got out, took out a revolver and fired in the air to frighten Karthik. Seeing the gun, Karthik retreated and drove off. Amruth and Nishwanth also decided to leave as the sound of the gunfire had drawn a crowd.



Passersby called the jurisdictional HAL police who arrived at the spot soon after. But the men had left by then. On Saturday morning, Karthik went to the HAL police station and filed a complaint. A senior police officer, who is part of the investigation, quoted eyewitnesses as saying that it was a case of road rage. The men are related to each and are into real estate business. They have a financial dispute, too. We will question them to figure out what transpired that night. We believe Nishwanth is Amruths bodyguard. Its not clear who was driving Porsche, officer said.



Pedestrian killed

A 48-year-old pedestrian died after he was knocked down by an autorickshaw while he was crossing a road in Pulakeshinagar on Monday morning. The deceased, identified as Kumar, was a resident of Fraser Town and was returning home after buying a can of water from a shop near his house when the accident occurred at around 6 am on St Johns Road, police said.



According to police, he was carrying the can of water on his shoulder and was crossing the road when the speeding autorickshaw knocked him down and sped away. A few passersby informed the police and shifted him to Bowring Hospital, from where he was taken to Nimhans, police said. He was then shifted to Victoria Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.



Pulakeshinagar traffic police have registered a case and are investigating.


Two children were injured after they stepped on a snapped live wire at a government primary school at Puttagudi Beedi in Devanahalli taluk, on the northern outskirts of Bengaluru, around 1.30 pm on Monday.





Nikhil (7), a class I student, and Mune Gowda (9), a fifth-grader, were playing near Gangammagudi temple after eating lunch at the school. They couldnt see a snapped live wire lying on the ground and stepped on it. They collapsed and lost consciousness.



Passersby took them to hospital and called the police. Doctors, who examined the children, said they were out of danger and would recover in two days. Except for bruises on hands and legs, they didnt suffer any external injuries.



Bescom officials later visited the school and fixed the live wire. They promised to foot the childrens medical bill. Local residents told the police that it was the callous attitude of Besom officials that led to the incident. They said they had drawn Bescoms attention to the live wire but nothing was done about it. A senior police officer said that no case had been registered as the childrens parents were yet to file a complaint. Once they file a complaint, we will book Bescom officials for negligence, he added.
REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT

Delivered at the Fifth Session of the 12th National Peoples Congress of the

Peoples Republic of China on March 5, 2017

Li Keqiang

Premier of the State Council

Esteemed Deputies,

On behalf of the State Council, I will now report to you on the work of the government and ask for your deliberation and approval. I also wish to have comments on my report from the members of the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Let me begin with a review of our work in 2016.

In the past year, Chinas development has facedgrave challenges posed by a great many problems and interwoven risks and dangers both at home and abroad.However, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we the Chinese people have risen to the challenge and worked hard to press ahead, driving forward sustained, healthy economic and social development.

At the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th Party Central Committee,the core position of General Secretary Xi Jinping was formally affirmed, which reflectsthe fundamental interests of the Party and the Chinese people, and is of crucial and far-reaching significance for ensuringthe flourishing and long-termstability of the Party and the country.All regions and all government departmentshave steadily strengthened their consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, uphold the leadership core, and keep in alignment.Pushing ahead with all-around efforts,we have achieved major progress in finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, made important stridesin deepening reform, continued to exercise law-based governance, and made further progress in practicing strict Partyself-governance; and wehave accomplishedthe years main tasks and targets for economic and social development, and got the 13th Five-Year Planoff to a great start.

 The economy has registered a slower but stable performance with good momentum for growth.

GDP reached 74.4 trillion yuan, representing 6.7-percent growth, and seeing China outpace most other economies.China contributed more than 30 percent of global growth. The CPI rose by 2 percent. With an 8.5-percent increase in profits, industrial enterprises reversed the previous years negative growth of 2.3 percent. Energy consumption per unit of GDP fell by 5 percent. Economic performanceimproved markedly in quality and returns.

Employment growth exceeded projections.

A total of 13.14 million new urban jobs were added over the course of the year. The number of college graduates finding employment or starting businessesreached another record high.The registered urban unemployment rate stood at 4.02 percent at year-end 2016, the lowest level in years.For China, a large developing country with a population of over 1.3 billion, attaining this level of employment is no easytask.

Continued advances were made in reform and opening up.

Breakthroughs were made in reforms in major sectors and key links, and initial success was achieved insupply-side structural reform. New measures were introduced for opening China up, rapid progress was madein pursuing the Belt and Road Initiative, and a number of major projects and industrial-capacity cooperation projects with other countries were launched.

Economic structural adjustment was stepped up.

Consumption was the main driver of economic growth. The value created by the service sector rose to 51.6 percent of GDP. High-tech industries and equipment manufacturing grew rapidly. In agriculture, production was stable and structural adjustmentswere made, and we had continued good grain harvests.

New drivers ofgrowth gained strength.

Further progress was made in pursuing the innovation-driven development strategy, and a number of world-leadingachievements were made in science and technology. Emerging industries were thriving, and the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries accelerated. People were busylaunching businesses or making innovations, with a 24.5-percent year-on-year increase in the number of new businesses registeredan average of 15,000 new businesses daily. Withself-employed traders and other market entities included we had an average of45,000new market entitieslaunched per day. New growth drivers are openingnew prospectsfor Chinas development.

 Infrastructure became ever-better able to sustain development.

Over 1,900 kilometers of new high-speed rail lines came into service, and more than 6,700 kilometers of expresswaysand 290,000 kilometers of rural roads were built or upgraded. Construction picked up pace on urban rail transit facilities and underground utility tunnels. Construction began on 21 major water conservancy projects. The number of 4G mobilecommunications subscribers grew by 340 million andover 5.5 million kilometers of optical fiber cables were added.

 Living standards were improved.

Personal per capita disposable income increased by 6.3 percent in real terms. The number of people living in poverty in rural areas was reduced by 12.4 million, including more than 2.4 million people relocated from inhospitable areas. More than 6 million homes in rundown urban areas and over 3.8 million dilapidated rural houses were renovated. In tourism, domestictrips showed rapid growth, and overseas trips exceeded 120 million. People in both urban and rural areas saw arise in living standards.

China successfully hosted the G20 2016 Hangzhou Summit, and helped to deliver a number of important pioneering, leading, and institutional outcomes, thus doing its part for global economic governance.

2016 was an unusual year in our countrys development. China was confronted with an external environmentin which the world saw the lowest economic and trade growthin seven years,growing volatility in global financial markets, and suddenand frequent regional and global challenges.Domestically, China faced multiple difficulties:major structural problems, prominent risks and dangers, and mounting downward pressure on the economy.Chinafound itself in a complex environment as reform entered a critical stage, profound changes took place affecting interests, and factors impacting social stability grew.

Given all these factors, it was not easy for us to maintain stable economic performance. And yet we succeeded,andeven managed to make progress on many fronts. Once again, this shows that we the Chinese people have the courage, ingenuity, and ability to overcome any difficultyor hardship. It also shows that the Chinese economy possesses potential, resilience, and strengths,sowe can be sure there is even better development ahead for China.

I will now move on to discuss our main work last year:

First, we continued to develop new and more effective ways of carrying out regulation at the macro level, thus keeping the economy performing within an appropriate range.

Last year, we faced difficult choices in conducting macro-level regulation, but we stood firm in not adopting strong stimulus policies that would have had an economy-wide impact,and strived instead to maintain steady growth, adjust the structure, and guard against risks through reform and innovation. We strengthened targeted and well-timed regulation on the basis of range-based regulation.

More proactive fiscal policy was pursued, and the increase in the fiscal deficit was used mainly to cover tax and fee cuts. Thetrial replacement of business tax with value added tax (VAT) was extended to cover all sectors, slashing the tax burden of businesses for the year by over 570 billion yuan and reducing tax burdens in every sector. A transitional plan for sharing VAT revenue between the central and local governments was formulated and implemented to ensure financial resources of local governments remained unchanged. More local government bonds were issued to replace outstanding debts, reducing interest payments by roughly 400 billion yuan.

A prudent monetary policy was pursued in a flexible and appropriate manner.The M2 money supply increased by 11.3 percent, below our projected target of around 13 percent. We used a range of monetary policy tools to support the development of the real economy.

Measures were taken to upgrade consumption. We unveiled policies to encourage private investment, and saw investment begin to stabilize. We strengthened efforts to manage financial risks.The RMB exchange rate regime continued to improve, and the exchange rate remained generally stable at an adaptive and equilibrium level. We also exercised category-based regulation over the real estate market.By doing this, we have safeguarded Chinas economic and financial security.

Second, we focused on five priority taskscutting overcapacity, reducing excessinventory, deleveraging, lowering costs, and strengthening areas of weaknessthereby improving the composition of supply.

Particular priority was given to cutting overcapacity in the steel and coal sectors. Over the year, steel production capacity was cut by more than 65 million metric tons and coal by over 290 million metric tons, going beyond annual targets. Effective assistance was provided tolaid-off employees.

We supported migrant workers in buying urban homes; and we increased the proportion of people affected by rebuilding in rundown urban areas receiving monetary compensation, making good progress in reducing real estate inventory.

Business acquisitions and reorganizations were encouraged, direct financing was promoted, and market- and law-based debt-to-equity swaps were carried out, lowering the debt-to-asset ratio of industrial enterprises.

To help enterprises lower operating costs, we introduced measures to cut taxes and fees, lower the share paid by enterprises for social security contributions, and cut the price of electricity.

We boosted efforts to strengthen areas of weakness and undertook major initiatives that both help tomeet urgent needstoday and promise long-term benefits.

Third, we worked hard to deepen reform and opening up, further strengthening the vitality of development.

Reform was deepened across the board, and a good number of landmark and pillar reform initiatives were undertaken.

To balancethe government-market relationshipthe pivotal issue in economic structural reformwe continued reforms to streamline administration, delegate powers, and improve regulation and services.My administrationsgoal of cutting the number of items requiring government review by a third had been achieved ahead of schedule. On that basis, last year we cancelled the requirement on a further 165 items for review by State Council departments and authorized local governments.We also overhauled and standardized 192 items of intermediary services for government review as well as220 items of approvals and accreditations for professional qualifications. We deepened institutional reforms in the business sector. We introduced an oversight model of random inspection and public release across the board, made operational and post-operational oversight more effective,and promoted the Internet Plus government services model.

We pushed ahead with reforms to restructure and reorganize state-owned enterprises (SOEs)and introduce into them mixed ownership structures. We established a review system to ensure fair competition. We deepened resource tax reforms.

We improved measures for separating rural land ownership rights, contract rights, and management rights, and established amechanism for determining whetherpeople have been lifted out of poverty. We made progress in reforming the science and technology management system, gave greater autonomy to colleges and research institutes, and adopted profit distribution policies oriented toward increasing the value of knowledge. We opened up the elderly services market. We expanded the trials of comprehensive reforms in public hospitals and deepened reform of the evaluation and approval systems for medicine and medical equipment.

We formulated unified measures to determine and register natural resource rights. We piloted reforms for conducting direct oversight by provincial-level environmental protection agencies over the environmental monitoring and inspectionwork of environmental protection agencies below the provincial level, as well as crop rotation and fallow land reforms. The river chief system was introduced for all lakes and rivers across the country, and the mechanisms for compensating for ecological conservation efforts were improved.Reform has given new impetus to economic and social development.

We opened China wider to the rest of the world. As we pushed ahead with the Belt and Road Initiative, we worked to increase complementarity between the development strategies of, and practical cooperation between, China and other countries along the routes.

The RMB was formally included in the IMFs Special Drawing Rights basket. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect was launched. We improved measures for promotingtrade, and built 12 new integrated experimental zones for cross-border e-commerce, bringing about a steady recovery in the volume of import and export.

The new practices ofpilot free trade zones in Shanghai and elsewhere were used to establish another seven pilot zones. The requirement for review and approval for setting up and making significant adjustmentsto foreign enterprises was replaced by a simple filing process, with the exception of a few areas where special market access requirement apply. In 2016, China utilized more thanUS$130 billion of overseas investment, continuing to rank first among developing countries.

Fourth, we strengthened innovations leading role, spurring the rapid development of new growth drivers.

We took further steps to implement the Internet Plus action plan and the national big data strategy, fully implemented the Made in China 2025 initiative, and implemented and improved policies and measures to encourage people to launch businesses and innovate. We developed and launched a plan for completing major science and technology programs by 2030, supported Beijing and Shanghai in building themselves into global R&D centers, and established another six national innovation demonstration zones.

The number of in-force Chinese patents issued in Chinapassed the million mark, and the value of technology transactions exceeded one trillion yuan. The contribution of scientific and technological progress to economic growth rose to 56.2 percent, and innovations role in powering development grew markedly.

Fifth, we promoted more balanced development between regions and between rural and urban areas, and saw faster emergence of new growth poles and growth belts.

We stepped up work to implement the three strategic initiatives (the Belt and Road, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration, and the Yangtze Economic Belt), and began constructionon a number of key projects. We formulated the plan for the 13th Five-Year Plan period for large-scale development in the western region, launched a new round of initiatives as part of the Northeast revitalization strategy,droveprogress in the rise of the central region, and supported the eastern region in leading the rest of the country in pursuing development. We sped up efforts to promote new types of urbanization, deepened reform of the household registration system, introduced the residence card system nationwide, and granted urban residency to another 16 million people from rural areas. The synergy building through coordinated development became more and more evident.

Sixth, we strengthened ecological conservation and made fresh progress in pursuing green development.

We formulated and introduced measures for assessing progress made in ecological improvement, and established national pilot zones for ecological conservation. We took stronger measures against air pollution and, as a result, saw a 5.6-percent decline in sulfur dioxide emissions, a 4-percent cut in nitrogen oxide emissions, and a 9.1-percent drop in the annual average density of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in 74 key cities. We continued to improve the energy mix, increasing the share of clean energy consumptionby 1.7 percentage points and cutting the share of coal consumption by 2 percentagepoints.

We continued efforts to prevent and control water pollution, and adopted an action plan for preventing and controllingsoil pollution. Central governmentinspections on environmental protection accountability were launched and violations of environmental protection laws were investigated and prosecuted, giving impetus to deeper efforts to protect the environment.

Seventh, we gave particular attention to ensuring and improving living standards, helping Chinese people gain a stronger sense of benefit.

Despite growing pressure from fiscal imbalance, we continued to increase inputs in areas related to living standards. We launched new policies on employment and business startups, and carried out solid work on increasing employment for key target groups and priority regions. We made all-around progress in key battles to eradicate poverty and earmarked over 100 billion yuan from government budgets for poverty relief. We increased subsistence allowances, benefits for entitled groups, basic pension payments, and other subsidies; and over 17 million people benefited through the provision of cost-of-living allowances for people with disabilities in financial difficulty and nursing care subsidies for people with severe disabilities.

Fiscal spending on education continued to be over 4 percent of GDP. The number of students from poor rural areas enrolled in key universities grew by 21.3 percent. We waived tuition and miscellaneous fees for students from poor rural familiesat regular senior high schools. Over the course of the year, more than 84 million grants were given to students from poor families studying in all types of schools.

Thebasic health insurance systems for rural and nonworking urban residents were merged and government subsidies for the system were increased. More funding was provided for basic public health services. Full coverage of the serious disease insurance scheme was achieved, and healthcare costs meeting relevant provisions can now be settled on the spot when incurred anywhere within the provincial-level administrative area where insurance is registered.

We increased public cultural services at the community level. The Fitness for All initiative was launched, and Chinese athletes gave an excellent performance at the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Last year, parts of the country, especially the Yangtze basin, were hit by severe flooding and other disasters. We acted quickly to provide effective rescue and relief, swiftly relocated over 9 million people, minimized damage and loss, and made systematic progress withrecovery and reconstruction efforts.

Eighth, we continued to enhance government performanceand improve governance, thus ensuring social harmony and stability.

The State Council submitted 13 legislative proposals to the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress (NPC) for approval and adopted or revised 8 sets of administrative regulations. We improved mechanisms for drawing on public opinions in decision making on public issues and worked with keen attention to handle the proposals and suggestions of NPC deputies and CPPCC National Committee members. We made progress in strengthening government transparency by releasing lists of the powers and responsibilities of all provincial-level government departments.

We intensified accountability inspections. The third State Council accountabilityinspection was carried out; special inspections and third-party evaluationswere conducted on the implementation of policies related to cutting overcapacity and encouraging private investment; and newsteel projects launched in breach of regulations and the production and sale of substandard steel products were strictly investigated and dealt with.

We strengthened workplace safety efforts and saw a continued decline in the total number of accidents and in the number of accidents of a serious nature.

We took comprehensive measures to maintain law and order and, in accordance with law, cracked down on crime and other violations, effectively safeguarding national and public security.

We carried out in earnest activities to enable Party members to gain a good understanding of the Party Constitution, Party regulations, and General Secretary Xi Jinpings major policy addresses and to meet Party standards. We worked scrupulously to ensure compliance with the Party Central Committees eight-point decision on improving Party and government conduct, took firm action to address formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance, and rigorously enforced the State Councils three-point decision on curbing government spending.We punished a number of corrupt officials in accordance with law, and the fight against corruption has built up irresistiblemomentum.

As a major country, China has made outstanding achievements in its diplomacy with distinctive featuresover the past year. President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders visited many countries. They attended major international events, including the 24th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, the BRICS Leaders Meeting, the Nuclear Security Summit, high-level meetings of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, the Asia-Europe Meeting, and the East Asian leaders meetings on cooperation. We hosted the first-ever Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders Meeting.

Chinas coordination and cooperation with other major countries were strengthened, its comprehensive cooperation with neighboring countries continued to be boosted, its friendship and cooperation with other developing countries were deepened, and its interactions with the UN and other international organizations became closer.

China was actively involved in reforming and improving the global governance system. We played our part in ensuring that the Paris Agreement was put into force. Economic diplomacy and personal and cultural exchanges yielded notable outcomes. We were resolute in upholding Chinas sovereignty, territorial integrity, and maritime rights and interests. As a responsible major country, China has been playing a constructive role in international and regional issues and has made significant contributions to world peace and development.

We celebrated the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers and Peasants Red Army, demonstrating our unshakeable willto remain true to the founding mission of the Party,to keep pressing ahead, and to overcome all difficulties, and showing the firm determination of all Chinese people to keep up our stride on the new Long March and continue striving for new victories.
ARJ21 regional jet (Photo/Chinanews.com)

The ARJ21-700, China's first independently developed regional jet, has successfully completed a high-altitude test flight, after completing 16 missions in seven days. The aircraft completed the test near Xining Airport, which is 2,184 meters above sea level. This milestone proves the plane capable of flying in a plateau environment, according to Wang Xiaotong, an official with the Qinghai branch of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Northwest Regional Administration.

The ARJ21 regional jet can seat up to 90 passengers, and boasts a flying range of between 2,225 and 3,700 kilometers. The aircraft will be used mainly for commercial flights from central cities to surrounding small and medium-sized cities.

According to Wang, there are only two ARJ21-700 aircraft currently in operation, both flying between Shanghai and Chengdu. However, the aircraft is designed to meet operation requirements at plateau airports in complicated environments. Most airports in Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia and Qinghai are built at altitudes of more than 1,500 kilometers above sea level.

The performance of an aircraft's engine is significantly reduced at high altitudes, and its driving force decreases sharply, necessitating stringent safety standards. The successful flight test over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau fully verified the high-altitude capability of of the ARJ21 after an operation system upgrade. The aircraft will be put into service at all airports in Qinghai province, said Wang.
Zhang Guozhong, a bus driver working in the Nanan region of Chongqing, has reached out to passengers who dont carry small change by essentially giving out a series of tiny loans, which passengers then repay electronically.

Zhangs daily route goes from Panlong Mountain to Shuangfeng Mountain Road, the latter of which is visited by many tourists on weekends. Most tourists dont have bus cards as locals do, so it can be inconvenient for them to take the bus if they aren't carrying small change.

Inspired by several passengers who inquired about e-payments, Zhang purchased a bus card for those without one. Passengers who use Zhang's card repay him after their rides via WeChat, a popular payment service in China.

Since December 2016, almost 100 passengers have utilized Zhang's shared bus card. He feels quite gratified that not a single person has failed to repay him in full after using the card.


Andreas Kronthaler presented his Fall Winter 2017.18 collection for VIVIENNE WESTWOOD during the fifth day of the ongoing Paris Fashion Week. Inspired by his Austrian roots, the designer pays an homage to Wiener Werkstatten, the production community of visual artists in Vienna

My life is guided by accidents and occurrences which I cant and I dont want to control. There are three circumstances which pointed me to make this collection. First, the Vienna Tourist Board is celebrating the centenary of the birth of Vienna Modernism. Second, I had to clear my family home and its possessions and my childhood bedroom was postered with reproductions of Klimt paintings. Center pride was Danae receiving the golden shower between her legs  which was the favorite for many years. Third, were two childrens outfits from the Wiener Werkstatten, The Vienna Workshops (1908-1932). One is a felt two-piece costume raw-cut, decorated with alpine flowers and the second, a glorious little Dirndl. We changed the cut but kept the childish proportions. I got very interested in the period after the First World War which began as a period of hope for peace.  And then the danger of things we once knew slipping away. History interests me because it throws light on the now.  Andreas Kronthaler

See more after the jump:
Millicom International Cellular S.A. and Bharti Airtel have agreed to combine their operations in Ghana.

As per the agreement, Millicom and Airtel would have equal ownership and governance rights in the combined entity, which would serve nearly 10 million customers, of which 5.6 million are data customers. It would cover more than 80% of Ghanas population with high speed data, providing the widest 3G coverage across the country, and would have revenues close to $300m, making it one of the largest communications companies in Ghana.

The transaction is subject to obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities in Ghana and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

By integrating the two networks, the combined business is expected to provide Ghanaian customers with a major boost in both rural and urban network coverage  in turn translating into better voice quality, high speed data services and reinforced network stability and resilience. With the combined fibre footprint and increased data centres, enterprise customers including both, large corporations and SMEs, would have access to a diverse portfolio of world class solutions. Mobile Financial Services is also expected to be greatly enhanced with combined agent networks and platforms.

Mohamed Dabbour, Executive Vice President, Millicom Africa, said: The combination of Tigo and Airtel will create an operator that will be able to offer Ghanaian consumers and businesses a state of the art network with high speed mobile data coverage. This transaction underlines confidence in the Ghanaian economy, and provides the opportunity to develop nationwide digital infrastructure and services in Ghana.

Raghunath Mandava, MD and CEO, Airtel Africa, said: The coming together of the two entities will benefit customers, who can now enjoy an extensive combined network and a wider range of affordable and innovative products and services. It will further strengthen our position in the market and offer huge benefits arising out of synergies in operations, resulting in better experience for the customers.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) has signed a cooperation agreement for a smart city consultancy project with Ericsson.

Under the umbrella of the Istanbul Informatics and Smart City Technologies (ISBAK AS) company, the IMM and Ericsson will work together to achieve Istanbul's smart city vision and 2024 targets.

In 2016 Istanbul improved its standing in the World Global Cities index, rising from 29th to 25th place. By improving the city's services and implementing integrated smart city management, the IMM and ISBAK AS aim to build on their momentum and accelerate their efforts to reach the top 5 of the rankings.

Charlotta Sund, Head of Customer Group Industry & Society at Ericsson, says: "IMM and ISBAK intend to achieve a fast, integrated, people-oriented transformation based on technology and innovation. Ericsson will work on key development areas in metropolitan Istanbul, as well as a number of identified targets related to urbanisation, population growth and resource utilisation. Assessments conducted together with IMM and ISBAK will guide our work as we aim to maximise this unique city's opportunities."

The IMM is guiding the project by reviewing global best practices, conducting literature searches and current situation analyses, and holding interviews and workshops with hundreds of chief information officers, public- and private-sector entities, universities, citizens, and stakeholders. The data obtained in these studies reveal the city's current scorecard and provide a benchmark from which to work toward achieving Istanbul's smart city vision.
Foreign media reports that police tortured a detained lawyer is FAKE NEWS, fabricated to tarnish Chinas image, Peoples Daily tweeted on March 3. The wording of the tweet, written to mimic the style of U.S. President Donald Trump, struck a nerve with some readers.

In February, Trump called the U.S. media the enemy of the American people. His language suggests that major U.S. media outlets, including The New York Times and CNN, are hostile and subversive organizations. If the leader of the worlds leading democratic government cant trust the Western media, why should the rest of the world?

Trump has given the world no reason to trust the Western media: FAKE NEWS media knowingly doesnt tell the truth. A great danger to our country, Trump tweeted. The failing [New York Times] does major FAKE NEWS China story saying [Chinese President Xi Jinping] has not spoken to [me] since Nov.14. We spoke at length yesterday! The FAKE NEWS mediais not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People! The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred.

China has long claimed that some Western media outlets have a bias against China, especially on issues of human rights. At the same time, the West remains committed to using the issue of human rights against China. For example, the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China held a hearing on March 1, calling for the Trump Administration to reprioritize human rights. The argument made at the hearing is that free trade has failed to transform China so more should be done.

Many Americans agree that media bias is a problem, and coverage about Trump is overwhelming negative. Likewise, coverage about China is generally more negative than positive. Western enthusiasm for protests or "Tibet independence" receive substantially more coverage than less dramatic news, such as the fact that Tibet is now one of Chinas fastest growing regions.

The true face of the Western media. In 2008, coverage of the March 14 riots in Lhasa was distorted by the West, according to a video uploaded to YouTube. The video, which has been viewed almost 1.5 million times, provides examples of how the Western media misjudged and modified photographs of the incident to smear China. A photo from the Washington Post showing a Nepal police officer cracking down on Tibetan protestors in Kathmandu, Nepal, is described as Chinas government cracking down on Tibetan protestors in Lhasa, Tibet; a photograph from the BBC showing rescue workers is used to show a heavy military presence in Lhasa; and a photograph from CNN is modified to leave out violence by local Tibetans.

More recently, Chinese students at the University of California San Diego in the U.S. protested an upcoming speech by the Dalai Lama. In the official announcement, there is a bias in favor of the Dalai Lama and his activities. The University describes the Dalai Lama as the exiled spiritual head and leader of the Tibetan people, but fails to mention that he is not a pure religious activist, but a political exile who has been engaging in secessionist activities for a long time.

According the above-mentioned Peoples Daily tweet, even the lawyer who made up the fake story of torture knew how to cater to the taste of the Western media, which is keen to report negative China stories. When he later confessed, he said he was fully aware that negative stories of torture would attract foreign media coverage.

In spite of controversy, Trump has challenged the claim that the Western media is objective and truthful. His claim does make sense given the fact that the mainstream media regularly casts Trump in an unfavorable light in an effort to delegitimize his presidency and to embarrass and undermine his administration. Likewise, China is frequently cast in an unfavorable light in an effort to delegitimize Communist Party rule. In particular, China is regularly criticized on issues of human rights.

Chinas human rights record has been criticized for years by the Western media, but Chinas tremendous human rights achievements are either downplayed or entirely ignored.

The right to development is a human right, recognized by the United Nations. Since initiating market reforms in 1978, The World Bank credits China with lifting more than 800 million people out of poverty. To put that in perspective, the U.S. population on July 4, 2016, was more than 323 million, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. In roughly 40 years, China lifted a population out of poverty roughly the size of the populations of the U.S., Indonesia, and Brazil combined. In 2016 alone, China lifted more people out of poverty than the entire population of Belgium. Chinas leaders have even vowed to eradicate poverty in the country by 2020. Without question, China is leading the way in creating conditions favorable to the realization of the right to development.

The fake news debate might be a relatively fresh debate in the West, but China has been battling fake news by the Western media for years. False narratives about China are frequently served up, positive facts are overlooked, and some information is even hyped up to serve their political agenda. Rather than slander Trump, or China for that matter, the Western media should look in the mirror and reflect on why a sitting U.S. President is lashing out at them.
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On DevonLive's recent visit to Barnstaple's Loyal Lodge Masonic Hall reporter Joe Bulmer sat down with Devon's top freemason Ian Kingsbury to talk secret handshakes and everyday life as a mason.

The provincial grand master of the Province of Devonshire, Ian Kingsbury, was keen to dispel some of the myths surrounding the group, its practises and its ceremonies.

Ian and his brothers across the UK are attempting to educate the public about freemasonry to counteract negative depictions of the group in popular culture.

Joe quizzed the grand master at Barnstaple's lodge with some frequently asked questions.

Why would someone join the masons?

"For many people it's the intrigue and perhaps looking us up on our website, it can even be knowing friends that belong to freemasonry.

"I want to break away from the myth of secrets, there are certain secrets within our order but I want to break away from that and tell you that we are more open.

Can you explain the day to day activities of the masons?

"The most important thing is initiating new candidates into our order. He will then progress through certain offices and degrees within our order to eventually reach a chair at the head of his lodge.

"He must also have a belief in god and he must be wanting to be charitable toward other people in life, not just freemasons but everybody in life."

What do you think of the depiction of freemasonry in popular culture?

"I don't always think it's a fair representation. Personally, and my wife thinks so to, I think it can be quite sensational. For example masons colluding.

"I can assure you that doesn't happen, there would be strong disciplinary matters which would be taken against that person.

"We have a disciplinary system in place to prevent people wanting to collude or use freemasonry in the outside world."

Can you explain freemasonry's secret handshakes?

"Within our ceremonies the secrets involved, what we would call tokens, are an exchange of secrets for the new initiate about freemasonry itself and we do is in an allegorical form, a drama or a story.

"Those, as it were, secrets between us are for the story within a lodge room, not to be used or taken outside into the open world or to be exchanged even with a brother from their own lodge.

"They should not be shaking hands and using the masonic handshake, which is representative of relaying a secret to a member, as it would have been done many years ago when they joined a guild of operative mason.

"They would be at a certain stage in their career and they would have to go for a new job and they would have to relay to their prospective employer the standard they had reached but there is no way a modern mason should ever try to do that in open society, especially if we were seeking employment or any other thing in life.

"We should not use our masonic secrets to do that and if I hear of it those people will be disciplined."

What do you hope to achieve by being more transparent?

"We want, nationally, to break down the myths on what free masonry is about.

"I want us to be more accepted in open society and seen for what we really are, seen for all the good charitable works we do and the good men who are out there to help the good people in society not just within our own brotherhood."
A new series of sex education textbooks for elementary school students has triggered a fierce debate in cyberspace and beyond, with supporters praising the books for promoting correct sexual knowledge, while opponents criticize them for barefaced eroticism.

The textbooks, titled Cherish Life, are designed for students between first and sixth grade. First published by Beijing Normal University Publishing Group in 2010, the books contain graphic illustrations of genitals and sexual intercourse, as well as introductions to sensitive topics including sexual orientation, sexual harassment and gender equity.

The books straightforward presentation has upset many parents, who believe that such erotic knowledge should not be taught to underaged students.

I myself would blush looking at those erotic pictures, wrote one parent on Sina Weibo.

In addition to the controversial illustrations, the book has also received criticism for its avant-garde attitude toward certain topics relating to sex. Many parents have stated that their children should not have access to such knowledge.

The books preach that homosexuality is normal, and that people should respect different sexual orientations. I dont think such knowledge should be introduced to kids, as they are still too young to understand the issues, another parent posted on Sina Weibo.

But many people have expressed support for the books as well, arguing that such texts can teach children proper sexual knowledge, allowing them to defend themselves against sex crimes.

China has long been considered a conservative country where talking about sex is taboo, especially among children. Such closed-minded and backward attitudes have led to a lack of sexual knowledge, leaving kids helpless when facing sexual crimes. Parents should stop interpreting the books with their adult perspectives, wrote another netizen.

In response to public concern over the books, Liu Wenli, editor-in-chief of Beijing Normal University Publishing Group, has released a statement defending the books. Liu argues that the illustrations and content posted by some netizens online have been taken out of context and do not accurately reflect the purpose of the books.

We hope sexual knowledge, along with other scientific knowledge, can be naturally and accurately taught to our kids... Sexual crimes targeting children frequently take place in China, and they remind us of the importance of promoting sexual education among elementary school students, the announcement read.

According to Thepaper.cn, the publisher spent nine years compiling the text, gathering opinions from both experts and parents. The books require teachers to receive professional training before delivering related lectures. Extra materials and resources designed for parents will be published soon.
A young Aussie researcher is using stem cells that emit a light signal in order to track their fate in real time once injected in the body.

Richard Ta, a PhD student from the Heart Research Institute, in Sydney, has developed these so called bioluminescent stem cells as a non-invasive way to give scientists immediate feedback on whether organ tissue regeneration is actually working.

In type 1 diabetes, stem cell-based therapies hold promise to regenerate cells of the pancreas. The goal is to have the stem cells transform into insulin-producing cells.

Stem cell therapies can fail if the stem cells dont make it to the site of damaged tissue or if they die prematurely.

Also, the artificial tracking methods that scientists currently use to track where stem cells go are ineffective. They either impair the normal function of stem cells or remain in the body long after a stem cell had died, which can be misleading.

Tan had the idea of injecting the bioluminescent stem cells into the patient alongside materials, known as biomaterial scaffolds, that ensure proper adhesion of stem cells to damaged tissue.

The activity and localisation of the stem cells can then be traced in the body from their emission of light through a chemical reaction.

The journey of the glowing cells reveals whether they were able to survive in the damaged tissue.

It can also give insights as to how different stem cells responds to different scaffold materials and therefore inform future, more advanced therapies.

The new technique, presented at the last Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society meeting, may boost the success rates of regenerative therapies aimed at treating type 1 diabetes, heart failure, heart disease, and Parkinsons.

The findings will soon be published in the journal Acta Biomaterialia and owed Tan a nomination for a student prize at the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.
GSM Association holds Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and Shanghai every year. The three day India World Congress will be held from September 27 in New Delhi

India will host its own Mobile World Congress in September with emphasis on reaching out to South East Asian markets. The event will be organised by GSM Association, which is also responsible for holding the event in Barcelona and Shanghai.

"There is Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and an edition in Shanghai. There is nothing in between for South East Asia. India is emerging as one of the global leaders in telecom which we will also showcase in the Indian Mobile Congress," COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews told PTI.

News Agency PTI reports the event will be held in Pragati Maidan starting September 27 and global tech giants Facebook, Huawei, Ericsson and Cisco are likely to take part. The Cellular Operators Association of India will help establish Indian Mobile Congress under the initiative laid down by Department of Telecom and the Ministry of Electronics and IT.

"We have asked other Indian business association to come together and be part of it. The event will focus on knowledge sharing, exhibition, startups, skill development and all pillars of Digital India including Make in India," Mathews said.

GSMA's annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is the largest gathering for the mobile industry. The event includes representatives from mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners. In 2015, GSMA introduced Mobile World Congress Shanghai to tap into Asia's growing mobile market.

GSMA's Mobile World Congress highlights technological developments in the world of mobile telephony. GSM Association will hold Mobile World Congress Americas from September 12.
OnePlus says, its association with Bachchan reiterates the company's pursuit of delivering a perfect device.

OnePlus has announced Amitabh Bachchan as the first-ever OnePlus Star, which marks a select group of distinguished OnePlus users. The company says that its association with Bachchan reiterates its pursuit of delivering a perfect device. OnePlus, the Chinese hardware startup, has become one of the most liked smartphone brands in India. The company's recent flagships - OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T - are rated as the best smartphones on Amazon India.

"We are delighted to welcome Mr. Amitabh Bachchan as our brand representative in India. As the brand grows to the next level, we aim to continue to bond with our community in a more meaningful and engaging way," said Pete Lau, CEO and Founder of OnePlus.

"It gives me immense pleasure to be working with the most exciting technology brand in India, OnePlus, a truly disruptive technology company known for its premium quality and craftsmanship," Amitabh Bachchan said about his association with OnePlus. "OnePlus has always strived to deliver nothing but the best to its community and the association with Mr. Bachchan is the natural extension of the brands promise," the company said in a release.

OnePlus recently launched its flagship store in Bengaluru. The move was the company's attempt to explore offline markets. With veteran actor Bachchan on board, the company can tap into new areas for its market expansion.
Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus on March 29, and the smartphones are expected to go on sale from April 21.

Samsung has sent out invites for its 'Unpacked' event, where the South Korean tech giant is expected to unveil the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus smartphones. The event is scheduled for March 29, and pre-orders for the smartphone is expected to commence from April 10.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ are expected to have 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch displays, respectively, along with 4GB RAM, 64GB storage and IP68 dust and water resistance. The Galaxy S8 will also feature a 12MP rear camera with Dual Pixel autofocus, and an 8MP front camera. The device will also sport an iris scanner and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Other features include Samsung Pay and support for wireless charging. It may also include earphones by AKG, an Austrian audio manufacturer.

At MWC 2017, it looked like HDR video playback was a big deal. LG announced that its G6 smartphone with a 2K 18:9 display will support HDR video playback from streaming services like Amazon Prime Videos. Sony also announced that its Xperia XZ Premium smartphone will house a 4K display and support HDR playback. With such devices in sight, Samsung would have to up its game to make the Galaxy S8 lineup a success.

Samsung will also be over-cautious with the batteries that power the S8 smartphones, following the Galaxy Note7 fiasco. The company has reportedly used a different design with the Galaxy S8, to ensure that such a mishap never happens.
Li Guangfu, a CPPCC member and chairman of the China Taoist Association. (Photo/Chinanews.com)

A worldwide Taoist federation is expected to be established this year, and preparation is already underway, according to Li Guangfu, a CPPCC member and chairman of the China Taoist Association (CTA). Li described the plans in Beijing on March 6, Chinanews.com reported.

China is home to multiple religions. Over the course of several centuries, five major religious doctrines have taken root in the country, namely Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and other sects of Christianity. These five religions are in addition to a variety of folk beliefs and ethnic minority faith doctrines.

Taoism, however, is the only major religion to originate in China. It is an ancient tradition rooted in Chinese customs and perspectives. According to Li, the new Taoist federation is expected to be established during the Fourth International Taoist Forum this year. The primary purpose of establishing an international Taoist organization is to promote traditional Chinese culture in every corner of the world, explained Li.

Taoism currently faces many problems in China. Some temples have been commercialized, and many followers have been cheated by fake temples and "Taoist" imposters. De-commercialization is crucial in Taoist circles, and some temples plan to implement formal religious policies.

Li also revealed that plans are in the works to develop a query system that would allow users to distinguish real Taoist organizations from fake ones through the use of big data.

At present, there are 10 Taoism schools in China. Fifteen syllabi and textbooks related to Taoism are now in the process of being compiled. In the future, Taoist practitioners with foreign language skills will be cultivated to promote Chinas Taoist culture.
Brazil-focussed nickel development company Horizonte Minerals announced on Monday that it completed the tender process, and was awarding the contracts for the feasibility study for its 100%-owned Araguaia nickel project.

The AIM-traded firm said the aim of the FS was to deliver the most economically robust production scenario to produce 14,500 tonnes per annum of nickel using the proven rotary kiln electric furnace technology.

Its strategy was to position itself as one of the lowest cost nickel producers globally, with the FS targeted for completion by the end of 2017 and the company being fully funded through to completion of the study.

The board confirmed the contracts were awarded to leading consultants, including WorleyParsons Group to undertake the process engineering, Snowden Mining Industry Consultants for the mine planning, mineral resource estimate and the reserve estimate, and Environmental Resources Management to undertake the hydrogeology and the environmental and social permitting.

Other specialised consulting groups had also been appointed for additional sections of the FS including groups involved in the pre-feasibility study, the board added.

The Araguaia feasibility study had now formally commenced, with the project kick-off meeting being held on site during the first week of March and a number of work streams already underway.

The company's aim is to build a best-in-class ferronickel operation and to achieve this we need to deliver a robust FS with capital and opex costs to +/-10% with a high level of engineering completed allowing direct flow into the implementation phase, said Horizonte CEO Jeremy Martin.

The tender and selection process has been an involved exercise as our aim was to contract leading consulting groups with a strong track record in ferronickel and also project delivery experience in Brazil.

Martin said the board was delighted with the strong FS team it had created for Araguaia.

In addition to our recent appointment of a FS Manager for Araguaia, we have strengthened our in-house team to ensure that we retain control over all FS deliverables and to facilitate effective communication between the multidisciplinary groups.

I am confident that we have built an excellent team structure and FS roadmap to deliver on our objectives by the end of the year so that we continue to create value for our shareholders.
Tanzania-focussed mineral exploration and development company Kibo Mining announced on Monday that its CEO had officially unveiled and handed over two newly built classrooms to the Regional Commissioner of Songwe, Tanzania, on 3 March.

The AIM-traded firm said the classrooms were part of an ongoing joint programme by Kibo and the towns of Meheza and Namkukwe, directly northeast of the Mbeya Coal to Power Project in the Songwe Region in South Western Tanzania, to extend and refurbish the local schools at the respective towns.

While addressing the assembled communities of Meheza and Namkukwe during the unveiling ceremony, [CEO Louis] Coetzee stressed the critical importance of education, which is the only foundation on which long term sustainable development can be based, Kibos board explained in a statement.

He further stressed the important role the MCPP should and can play as a major enabler in the development of the Tanzanian economy and more specifically of the Songwe region.

The MCPP would, during construction and later during production, provide a significant number of direct and indirect job opportunities and would primarily be looking at the Songwe region to provide those labour requirements, according to the board.

To ensure that this is achieved and sustained over the long term, significant investment in quality education and education infrastructure will be required.

To this effect, the Meheza and Namkukwe communities, of which Kibo is a proud member, has developed a long term education strategy that will improve and expand local education and education infrastructure, to ensure that future education is delivered at the qualitative and quantitative standards that will be required in a fast growing regional and national economy.

Building the classrooms at Meheza and Namkukwe was the first tangible delivery towards successful implementation of this education strategy, Kibo explained.

Whilst welcoming Kibo into the communities of Namkukwe and Meheza, Songwe Regional Commissioner Chiku Gallawa urged Meheza and Namkukwe to embrace and support the project as a unique opportunity to take responsibility and ownership of shaping their future.

She further stressed the importance of the project, not only for the development of the Songwe region but also for the national Tanzanian economy.
South Africa-based independent African oil and gas company SacOil has agreed to acquire 100% of Phembani Oil Proprietary Ltd for up to a maximum of R200m, or about $15.4m.

Phembani's sole asset was a 71% stake in Afric Oil Group, one of the largest independent fuel distributors in South Africa, distributing more than 30m litres of fuel product monthly.

The consideration would be split into an unconditional initial consideration of R147.3m and a conditional consideration of up to R52.7m, conditional upon Afric Oil attaining performance related targets for the year ending 31 December 2017.

The acquisition was from Gentacure Proprietary Ltd and holding company Moopong Investments Holdings Proprietary Ltd.

Following completion, SacOil would hold a 71% indirect interest in Afric Oil, with the remaining 29% interest held by The Compensation Fund, a fund managed by the Public Investment Corporation SOC Ltd, the largest fund manager on the African continent.

At 10:20 GMT, shares in AIM-quoted SacOil were flat at 0.82p each.
Broadband provider Satellite Solutions Worldwide Group is to buy BorderNET Internet in Australia and the customer bases of NextNet and AS Distriktsnett in Norway all for a combined 1.8m in cash and shares, bringing an additional 5,500 customers in total.

The acquisitions are part of the companys roll-up strategy as it will integrate BorderNET's operations into the existing Australian business Skymesh and NextNet and AS Distriktsnett will be integrated into its existing Norwegian hub, Breiband.

BorderNET is a specialist broadband provider to farming and remote communities and the Australian government, through NBN Co, will continue to invest in its SkyMuster satellites which will provide increased access to satellite broadband services.

The BorderNet acquisition is subject to consent from NBN Co, the Australian government's broadband provider, and the company will pay AU$1,85m (115m) in total comprising of an initial payment of AU$1.43m (894,577), including a retention amount of AU$200,000 (124,300) and the balance of AU$413,125 (256,759) will be paid in shares.

BorderNET recorded a loss of AU$26,804 (16,554) in 2015 although it has an annualised revenue run rate of over 1m and the company expects BorderNET to be profitable under ownership.

Meanhile, for NextNet the company will pay 5,04m Norwegian kroner (489,486) and a further 200,000 kroner (19,424) for stock and certain infrastructure assets.

NextNet also reported a loss of 1,53m kroner (148,215) in 2015 and has an annualised revenue run rate of about 800,000.

For AS Distriktsnett the company will pay 832,500 kroner in cash (80,852) for the customer base, and the overall consideration is subject to adjustment in cash in respect of final customer numbers at completion of the acquisition.

Chief executive Andrew Walwyn said: "These are the first three acquisitions of 2017, which significantly strengthen our position in these key regions. Having established strong hubs in Norway and Australia last year, we can now readily acquire sub-scale, local businesses and rapidly turn them into profitable assets by integrating them onto our global platform.

"We continue to grow user numbers and revenues in these territories and to actively pursue acquisition opportunities, in line with our global strategy, as we continue our consolidation of last mile broadband across Europe and Australasia."

Shares in Satellite Solutions were down 0.11% to 8.86p at 0857 GMT.
Acacia Mining was under the cosh as Jefferies downgraded the stock to hold from buy and cut the price target to 475p from 575p.

It said news flow on Friday of the ban on copper/gold concentrate exports from Tanzania has direct and indirect impacts, negatively affecting several points of its prior investment thesis.

With no clarity over a type or timing of a resolution, we fear Acacia shares will be suppressed and downgrade our recommendation.

On Friday, the company acknowledged a press release from the Tanzanian Ministry of Energy and Minerals regarding a ban of gold/copper concentrate exports, effective immediately.

It said it has has ceased exports of gold/copper concentrate and was urgently seeking further clarification from the Ministry of Energy and Minerals.

Jefferies said the direct impact on the group is clear as last year, this represented around 30% of group revenues.

While the direct impact is clear, it is more than just greater uncertainty driving today's downgrade. Our past investment case and bullish view on the shares rested on several factors including growing free cash flow, higher shareholder returns, strengthened in-country relations and catalysts for a lowering of the ABX stake.

All of which have now been negatively impacted, making the argument for a valuation re-rating much harder to justify.

At 0905 GMT, the shares were down 6.4% to 431.30p.
Ride-hailing service Hailo has been rebranded as MyTaxi after the merger with Daimler's service of the same name in August of last year.

Hailo will also roll out a new set of services via its app this week which will take one of Uber's main rivals to more than 50 cities across Europe.

Hailo merged with Mercedes Benz parent company Daimler last year in an all-share deal which saw 60% of the firm being controlled by the latter.

MyTaxi already has a presence in most major European cities, including the likes of London, Madrid, Dublin and Barcelona after launching in 2009.

Chief executive Andrew Pinnington said that Hailo customers would be encouraged to migrate over to the new MyTaxi app, and added that he was optimistic that the majority will have done so over the next few months.

"The joining of mytaxi and Hailo is another strategic step in making us a leader of mobility solutions and platforms," Pinnington said in a press release.

"By combining Hailo and mytaxi, we have created the largest European taxi e-Hailing company. We bring together world class technology, an iconic brand, high quality people and the financial backing of our shareholders," the Hailo CEO added.

Hailo was forced to withdraw its North American operations in 2014 when it admitted that it could no longer compete with competition from the likes of Uber and Lyft. Uber has firmly established itself as the principal force to be reckoned with in the "on-demand" driving market in recent years.

MyTaxi founder Niclaus Mewes said that rebranding could allow the company the ability to compete at the highest level of the market.

"Hailo and mytaxi are both market leaders in the countries we operate. Together we are even stronger and we look forward to further innovative transport and mobility solutions as we provide compelling offers for both drivers and passengers."
Donald Trump's claims that predecessor Barack Obama ordered the wiretapping of rooms in Trump Tower during the presidential election campaign have been firmly denied by the Federal Bureau of Investigation .

The FBI has asked the US Justice Department to refute the claims made by the president, saying that Obama did not have the power to eavesdrop in such a way and would require approval from the courts.

FBI director James Comey made the request during the weekend, according to a report from the New York Times.

The controversy surrounding President Trump's claims is the latest in a long line of spats between the Republican and intelligence agencies in the US, following several reports which concluded that Trump's team was aided by Russia in the months leading up to the election.

Trump tweeted on Saturday that he had been informed of the alleged wiretapping and criticised the former Democrat president.

"Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!"

"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" Trump added.

Congress was asked by Trump's aides to investigate whether Obama's administration abused its powers during the election campaign.

"President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement on Sunday.
French president Francois Hollande has maintained a tough stance on the UK's exit from the European Union, saying it would lose membership benefits once the Brexit process has been finalised.

In an interview with six different European newspapers, Hollande said that the UK will become an "outsider" to European whenever it leaves the bloc.

He also added that events in the US related to the rise to power of Donald Trump have complicated Britain's situation even further.

"The UK's problem is this: it had thought that in leaving Europe it would tie up a strategic partnership with the US," Hollande said. "But it now happens that the US is closing itself off from the world. The UK has made a bad choice at a bad moment. I regret that."

When asked about the potential of the UK to hang on to certain perks of the EU in the aftermath of Brexit, there was an unequivocal response from the French leader.

"That's not possible; the UK will become an outsider to the European Union," Hollande said.

Britain voted to leave the group of 28 member states last June in an unexpected result, and Theresa May has promised to deliver a so-called "Hard Brexit" at the end of the two year-process.

Hollande's term as president will come to an end in May as France faces a crucial election campaign in which National Front leader Marine Le Pen has pushed towards the top of the polls.

"The far right has never been this high for 30 years. But France will not give in," Hollande said. He added that the election would have ramifications "not only the destiny of our country but also the very future of the European construction."
European equity markets edged lower on Monday, with Deutsche Bank dragging the DAX down following news of its capital raising plans and as investors considered the prospect of a US rate hike.

By the closing bell, the benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 index was down 0.52% to 373.27, Germanys DAX fell 0.57% to 11,958.40 and Frances CAC 40 erased 0.46% to 4,972.19.

Meanwhile, Brent crude edged lower by 0.107% to $55.83 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate was 0.45% weaker at $53.09. Some observers of the market referenced reports that Russia's oil output was steady in February as stoking worries about the degree of compliance with a deal to cut production.

Rebecca O'Keeffe, head of investment at Interactive Investor, said: "Fed chair Janet Yellen confirmed that this week's US employment numbers are really the only factor that could possibly stand in the way of a March rate rise, so markets are in a wait and see mode and are likely to remain largely range bound until confirmation is delivered on Friday."

Geopolitical worries following North Korea's test firing of missiles at the weekend and ahead of next week's Dutch elections were also cited by traders as reasons behind Monday's dour sentiment.

German lender Deutsche Bank was down 6.19% after it said it will raise 8bn through a rights issue and list its asset management arm as part of a strategic overhaul.

That news saw the Stoxx 600 gauge of lenders' shares retreat 1.22% to 174.49.

The bank will raise funds from up to 687.5m new shares at 19.14, a 39% discount to Fridays close price, to boost its capital core ratio.

Elsewhere, the euro fell after former French prime minister Alain Juppe confirmed he will not run for the presidency, despite suggestions that he would replace embattled Les Republicains candidate Francois Fillon who is embroiled in a payroll scandal.

The euro was off 0.27% against the US dollar to 1.0587 on the back of his announcement.

In other corporate news, Peugeot SA was 2.73% higher after the carmaker said it would buy Opel and Vauxhall brands from US rival General Motors for about 2.2bn, leapfrogging Renault to become the second-largest manufacturer in Europe by sales.

Standard Life surged 5.68% and Aberdeen Asset Management rose 4.75% after agreeing terms for an 11bn merger, having revealed talks over the weekend.

Acacia Mining slid 10.00% after Tanzania's president decreed a ban on exports of mineral ores. Overall, miners were the worst performers, likely weighed down by news over the weekend that China is now targeting growth of 6.5% this year, down a touch from last years growth rate of 6.7% and from the governments target growth range of 6.5% to 7% in 2016.

On the data front, IHS Markits Eurozone retail purchasing managers' index fell to 49.9 in February, from 50.1 in January, showing little change in retail.

Meanwhile, IHS Markits purchasing managers' index for Germany rose to 54.1 in February from a five-month low of 52.0 in the earlier month. A reading above 50 indicates expansion.
Downing Street has ruled out Parliament having a final vote on the Brexit deal as it could affect negotiations with the European Union, a spokesperson said on Monday.

According to reports, Number 10 is opposed to including an amendment on the Article 50 bill that is currently being debated in the House of Lords, that includes a vote for MPs and peers on the final deal reached with Brussels as its could alter the outcome of negotiations and incentivise the EU to give Britain a bad deal.

A spokesperson said that the Prime Minister Theresa May would provide a vote that would effectively only rubber stamp the bill in Parliament.

This comes as the Lords is set to debate and vote on Tuesday on whether Parliament should have a meaningful vote on the final deal, Parliament is expected to back this vote with cross-party support, in another blow to the government.

Last week, the Lords voted to secure the rights of EU citizens resident in Britain within three months of Article 50, the clause that starts a two-year clock on formal negotiations with the EU, is triggered.

The government said they hope to overturn this amendment when the bill is passed back to the House of Commons in less than two weeks and that it has not derailed Prime Minister Theresa Mays timetable to activate it at the end of this month.

However, the bill could ping-pong between the two houses, delaying its passage into law by about a week until 14 March.
Photo taken on March 1, 2017 shows workers are checking the product quality of automotive control cable at a factory in Yantai, east Chinas Shandong Province. China's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) came in at 51.6 percent in February, 0.3 percentage points higher than that recorded in January, according to data released on March 1 by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing. (Photo by Peoples Daily)

Despite sluggish global economy, China posted GDP growth at 6.7 percent year-on-year to 74.41 trillion yuan in 2016, dwarfing other major economies of the world, Chinese official told a recent press conference. Economists stressed that with a 33.2 percent contribution, China remained a key engine of global economic growth.

"China's economy expanded by 6.7 percent last year, a good start for the country's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-220)," Wang Guoqing, spokesperson for the fifth session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said at a press conference Thursday.

The record low growth since 1991 sparked the legislators and policymakers debates on whether Chinese economy will hit a bottom, maintain a medium-to-high-speed growth or keep its driving forces.

These deputies will give their suggestions on Chinas economic and social agendas during the annual sessions of the National People's Congress and CPPCC that kicked off over the weekend.

Liu Zhibiao, member of the CPPCC National Committee and professor with Nanjing University, eased the market concerns, saying that China has no need to be anxious at all, because though the number was a dramatic fall compared with previous years, it far outnumbered other economies worldwide.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) previously slashed its estimate for growth in the US economy in 2016 to 1.6 percent, and predicted a 1.7 percent growth for Eurozone, 0.9 percent for Japan, 6.6 percent for India and 0.3 percent for South Africa.

Though the growth was the lowest one in 26 years, China maintained as a big driver to world economic growth by contributing 33.2 percent of the expansion. Its economic aggregate exceeded 70 trillion yuan for the first time.

Li Wei, director with the Development Research Center of the State Council, added that the growth trajectory of Chinese economy may well be already in the second phase of an L-shaped recovery, and there is now less risks for a sharp growth fall.

Despite of a slower growth, the economy now develops along a healthier track, which can be proved by a faster growth of resident income than GDP, as well as a more optimized, coordinated and sustainable structure.

Data showed that in 2016, China registered a 6.9 percent year-on-year increase in gross national income. The added value of the service sector increased 7.8 percent year on year to 38.4 trillion yuan last year, contributing 51.6 percent to GDP, 1.4 percentage points more than the previous year.

Costs have to be paid to restructure economy, it is inevitable but will be rewarding, Liu explained, encouraging the Chinese economy to take the bull by the horns.

Analysts believed that China can afford the prices to restructure the economy. The process may, in a short run, reduce local governments GDP and fiscal revenues, tighten the pocket of business, and expose their risks, but in a long term will add more fuels for sustainable growth.

Those structural adjustment will release more resources like idled land and credit, and then allocate them to those needed industries, they added.
Arcadia boss Philip Green has agreed to pay up to 50m a year into the fashion group's pension fund, UK media reported.

The fund reportedly has a deficit of around 200m. Arcadia has been contributing 25m a year, but the increase could see it clear the deficit in four years

However, unnamed sources cited by the Financial Times said the pension hole has deepened significantly since last years accounts, meaning a full recovery could take twice as long.

It is the second time in a week that Green has agreed to stump up cash for pensions. Last week he finally paid 363m to help bridge the 571m deficit at high street chain BHS which collapsed last year after after he sold it in 2015 to serial bankrupt Dominic Chappell for 1

The tycoon's reputation suffered serious damage after he stalled on helping the estimated 20,000 former BHS workers who faced reduced benefits. He also still faces calls to be stripped of his knighthood.

A parliamentary investigation concluded that BHS had been subject to systematic plunder by Green, Chappell and their coterie of advisers.

Sir Philip systematically extracted hundreds of millions of pounds from BHS, paying very little tax and fantastically enriching himself and his family, leaving the company and its pension fund weakened to the point of the inevitable collapse of both, the parliamentary committee said at the time.
Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management have agreed terms for an 11bn merger, having revealed talks over the weekend.

The nil-premium deal, which will create one of the largest active investment managers globally with 660bn of assets under management, will see Aberdeen shareholders own roughly a third of the enlarged company and Standard Life's the rest, with each Aberdeen share exchanged for 0.757 new shares.

Subject to shareholder approval, the merger is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, with analysts expecting the transaction to complete as advertised with no competition issues.

The two companies will initially have an equal number of seats on the SLAAM board, with Standard Life chairman Sir Gerry Grimstone becoming chairman and Aberdeen's Simon Troughton deputy chairman.

Current chief executives of both parties, Keith Skeoch and Martin Gilbert, will become co-CEOs, with Aberdeen's Bill Rattray becoming chief financial officer and SL's Rod Paris chief information officer.

With Standard Life based in Edinburgh, some miles south of its partner's eponymous home, the companies have not yet agreed where the combined group will be headquartered.

Standard Life shareholders will still receive the proposed final dividend of 13.35p in May and Aberdeen investors will be entitled to receive an interim dividend of up to 7.5p for the six month period ended 31 March 2017, to be paid in June.

With the two companies confirming rumours on Saturday evening, there were reports that the merger would result in up to 1,000 jobs cuts as a result of jobs overlaps from a merged workforce of 9,000 as the pair are targeting cost savings of at least 200m within three years post completion of the deal.

Setting out their rationale in seven bullet points, SLAAM stated that the deal is expected to harness their complementary investment and savings capabilities; establish one of the largest investment solutions offerings; reinforce both SL and AAM's commitment to active management; create a group with strong brands and distribution; increase diversification and drive 'material' earnings accretion for both sets of shareholders.

Lloyds has agreed to defer any decision on removal of assets managed by Aberdeen until six months after the merger completion date; if it decides to remove assets after that point it will give at least 12 months notice.

Reaction

SL shares were up 7% to 405.6p while Aberdeen, having already risen 10% over the previous four weeks, were up almost 6% to 303.8p in the first few minutes of trading on Monday.

Analysts at Citi were positive on the outcome of the deal for Aberdeen, noting that it has struggled with 18 consecutive quarters of net fund outflows, relative investment performance issues and a lack of significant new drivers for fund gathering.

"But, a merger with Standard Life would alleviate many of these headaches," the said, but adding that underperformance of Aberdeens Global and APAC equity strategies remains a concern amid an increasingly competitive environment for active managers and highlighted "significant risk" that Aberdeen revenue could shrink over coming years, "perhaps sufficient to offset the planned cost synergies".

Jefferies stated that in the first instance, a nil premium merger means Aberdeen shareholders are no better off than at last close.

"However, on the basis of our existing standalone forecasts and potential dividend uncertainty, we had a 221p price target. The merger underpins a current share price of 287p, removes dividend uncertainty and could benefit from cost synergies."

Looking at potential scale of cost-cutting, a target for savings of 10% of the combined group would equate to 32m of post-tax gain for ADN, which would boost its earnings by 13% compared to Jefferies' 2017 forecast.

Analyst Laith Khalaf at Hargreaves Lansdown observed that the merger was a marriage of the old and the new, both in terms of the companies heritage and their main areas of strength, and that Standard Life brings some stability to Aberdeen, which has seen 15 quarters of consecutive outflows.

"In particular, Aberdeens emerging markets focus dovetails well with Standard Lifes capabilities in developed markets, though there are considerable areas of overlap between the two fund groups, particularly in multi-asset, fixed income and property strategies," he said.

As well as offering a more stable base and offering opportunities for cost-cutting, the pair feel the clear need for scale in a market where active managers are feeling the pinch on fund charges from much cheaper passive funds.

"By targeting 200 million of annual cost savings, both companies will go some way to relieving some of that pressure on the bottom line," Khalaf said. "However that does unfortunately spell job losses for the combined group."

Analysts at Olivetree, while also noting the meaningful overlap between the two shareholder registers with the top 75% of Aberdeen holders own 25% of Standard Life, said the deal was very much a progression of Standard Lifes ongoing move from life assurance to asset management, and that it was a "transaction that it is hard to get excited about, either for positive or negative reasons".

"Aberdeens net outflows will probably be the key metric to watch throughout the life of the deal, although given the outflows are somewhat the underlying driver for the deal it is hard to argue that it presents a meaningful risk to Standard Lifes intentions to complete," Olivetree said, adding the 200m of cost cuts was "an achievable figure".

"Expect to see consolidation in the asset management industry continue, Henderson/Janus and Standard Life/Aberdeen are by no means unique in the pressures they are facing from passive management strategies currently. Rationalisation of costs across this space is entirely sensible and likely to see other transactions announced in the coming months."
China has cut its growth target to around 6.5 percent for 2017, as Beijing focuses on stability ahead of a sensitive political gathering later this year. The Chinese economy slowed to a growth rate of 6.7 per cent last year, the lowest since 1990 as Beijing acts to transform its export-driven economy to a more stable, consumer-led model. - Telegraph

As many as 1,000 jobs could be at risk as Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management pursue their 11 billion all-share mega-merger, prompting the Scottish government and local MPs to demand urgent clarity from both sides. With both companies running multiple offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and London, staff holding duplicate jobs in IT, marketing and administration are likely to be among the first to go as informed sources suggest that the merged group will target cost savings of at least 200 million. - The Times

ITV has scored a court victory over services that retransmit its broadcasts without permission, setting the scene for a battle this summer with its biggest shareholder, Liberty Global, the owner of Virgin Media. The broadcaster took TVCatchup.com to the European Court of Justice to stop it offering ITVs channels for free streaming online. Channel 4 and Channel 5 also backed the challenge. - Telegraph

Philip Hammond is expected to use Wednesdays budget to announce that tax revenues will be used to build up a reserve to deal with uncertainties arising from Brexit, rather than increase spending on the health service. The chancellor has indicated that some extra money will be allocated for social care. The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, has warned that 12bn should be immediately redirected to the NHS, warning that the crisis is happening now. - Guardian

More than 600 NHS quango chiefs are now on six-figure salaries, with a doubling in the number earning more than the Prime Minister, new figures show. Many of the highest earners have made repeated demands on Government to increase NHS funding as it battles against its worst financial deficit in history. - Telegraph

Germanys largest lender has announced plans to raise 8 billion through a share sale and selling part of its asset management business. Deutsche Banks fundraising plans come less than two years into a restructuring by John Cryan, the lenders chief executive who had said that he wanted to avoid selling shares in a fundraising that risked diluting existing shareholders. - The Times

Two financial watchdogs face the threat of a legal challenge over their handling of payment protection insurance amid claims that thousands of people are missing out on redress after the scandal. Claims management company We Fight Any Claim is preparing to ask the High Court for leave to bring judicial reviews against the Financial Conduct Authority and the Financial Ombudsman. - The Times

A former top City fund manager with a reputation for unearthing accounting problems at listed companies has criticised the regulator for failing to intervene in the bookkeeping practices at Mitie. In an outspoken opinion piece, Tim Steer claims that the Financial Reporting Council was aware of potentially significant problems with accounting at the troubled contractor as far back as May 2015 but failed to act. - The Times

A bank backed by a Cambridge college loaned out more than half a billion pounds to small firms, less than five years after it launched. Cambridge & Counties, which is jointly owned by Trinity Hall, part of the University of Cambridge, and Cambridgeshire Local Government Pension Fund, saw its loan book increase by 41pc last year, rising from 416m to 588m, while deposits at the bank increased by 45pc to 685m. - Telegraph
Tanzania-focussed mineral exploration and development company Kibo Mining announced on Monday that its CEO had officially unveiled and handed over two newly built classrooms to the Regional Commissioner of Songwe, Tanzania, on 3 March.

The AIM-traded firm said the classrooms were part of an ongoing joint programme by Kibo and the towns of Meheza and Namkukwe, directly northeast of the Mbeya Coal to Power Project in the Songwe Region in South Western Tanzania, to extend and refurbish the local schools at the respective towns.

-

Timber and panel products distributor James Latham said on Monday that it expects revenue for the year to the end of March 2017 to be broadly in line with market views, while pre-tax profit is likely to be higher.

In a trading update ahead of the companys preliminary results in June, James Latham said building work is continuing as planned and to budget at its new depot in Yate and the move to the site is anticipated during August 2017.

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Shares in All Asia Asset Capital were down on Monday as the investor announced it will sell Energy Central to Chakris Kajkumjohndej, an existing shareholder of Andaman Power & Utilities, for 34.88m Thai baht (about 810,000), subject to shareholder approval.

The sale of Energy Central, which its sole asset is a stake in Andaman, is conditional on approval of All Asias shareholders at the next general meeting on 24 March.

-

Versarien has raised 1.5m from an oversubscribed equity placing in order to scale up its graphene manufacturing and marketing capabilities.

The company initially aimed to to raise about 1.0m at 15p, but due to strong demand the company decided to increase the size of the placing to raise 1.5m from just over 10m shares.

-

Touchstone Innovations announced on Monday that it led a 12.0m funding round in GarrisonTechnology - a cyber security company based in London.

The AIM-traded firm said it committed 3.85m to the round alongside BGF Ventures, NM Capital and existing angel investors.

-

Shares in Victoria Oil & Gas are up more than 12% after it and Bowleven, whose stocks fell more than 5%, agreed a farm-out agreement relating to the Bomono production-sharing contract (PSC).

Integrated-energy company Victoria and Africa-focused oil and gas exploration company Bowleven said gas produced from the Bomono PSC would be fed into the customer distribution network owned and operated by Gaz du Cameroun S.A.

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Crop enhancement technology firm Plant Impact announced its results for the six months to 31 January on Monday, with revenue up 17% to 4.9m, which the board said was assisted by favourable foreign exchange.

The AIM-traded firm said gross profit increased 18% to 3.9m, and its cash balance at period end was 6.0m, up from 5.6m at the start of the period, but down from 8.6m at the same time in 2016.

-

Tidal power company Atlantis Resources MeyGen project in Scotland has gained accreditation by an industry watchdog.

Phase 1A of the MeyGen project in the Pentland Firth was granted full accreditation by Ofgem under the renewables obligations order, for the six megawatts tidal stream station at the Ness of Quoys in Caithness, which started operations in November 2016.

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Vast Resources has reported significantly higher grades of silver, copper, lead and zinc at the Faneata Tailings Dam, which is located near the Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine in Romania.

As a results of 33 drill holes, Vast said there was a 24% rise in silver to 9.15 g/t, a 12% gain in copper to 0.1%, a 84% surge in lead to 0.12% and a 14% gain in zinc to 0.16%.

-

Brazil-focussed nickel development company Horizonte Minerals announced on Monday that it completed the tender process, and was awarding the contracts for the feasibility study for its 100%-owned Araguaia nickel project.

The AIM-traded firm said the aim of the FS was to deliver the most economically robust production scenario to produce 14,500 tonnes per annum of nickel using the proven rotary kiln electric furnace technology.

-

Rose Petroleum has entered into a memorandum of understanding to potentially dispose of its mineral processing mill operation in San Dieguito de Arriba, Mexico, for $1.5m, including associated assets, licenses and agreements.

The memorandum was with Magellan Gold Corporation. The natural-resource business has operated the mill for 10 years and it was currently engaged in toll milling for third-party ore producers.
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SALEM, Ore. (AP)  An Oregon dairy has been fined more than $5,000 for violating its water quality permit.

The state Department of Agriculture said Thursday that Volbeda Farms violated discharge limitations, production area limitations, proper operation and maintenance, and monitoring and reporting requirements.





. . .
Visitors look at the new smartphones released by ZTE at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. (Photo by Wang Di from Peoples Daily)

Chinese companies are seeking a breakthrough and leading position in 5G technology, judging by the products they showcased at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The conference attracted nearly 100,000 visitors and more than 2,000 manufacturers from over 100 countries and regions.

The P10 launched by Huawei is the first smartphone in the world that supports the 4.5G network. With a double download rate of regular 4G cellphones, the P10 also delivers a sound signal performance.

Gigabit Phone, a concept phone unveiled by Chinas ZTE Corporation, can reach 1 gigabits per second download rate.

In an interview with the Peoples Daily, Zhang Jianguo, Senior Vice President of ZTE, said that Chinese enterprises were always catching during the 2G, 3G and 4G era, but now have some advantages in the 5G technology.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the advancement of 5G technology, he added, adding that relevant tests conducted since last year enable China to catch up with or lead the world in certain aspects.

It is hoped that Chinese companies and the global telecommunication industry canwork together on the 5G standard, Zhang noted.

Compared with other industries, one significant feature of the mobile telecommunications industry is that its standard is very much tied to its development. A say in formulating the standard would certainly drive up the industry. Deciding the 5G standard would depend not only on the technology and market but also national interests.

According to the 5G timetable released by the International Telecommunication Union, the solicitation of 5G technical protocols and standard formulation would be completed by 2020. The relatively complete technical standard proposals of all countries should be submitted before June 30, 2018.

Last year, the Huawei-led Polar Code was selected as the 5G standard. Its the first time a Chinese company entered into a basic telecommunication framework agreement. Business insiders believe the acceptance of the Polar Code lays the groundwork for Huawei in the 5G technology.

China has an ambitious roadmap for 5G technology. In 2016, 5G development was included in the Made in China 2025 strategy, Guideline of the 13th Five-Year plan (2016-2020) and Guideline on the 13th Five-Year Plan on China's National Informatization (2016-2020).

The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently announced the establishment of the largest 5G test field in the world in Beijings Huairou district. With the participation of leading domestic and global companies, the test field can provide a terminal-to-terminal test environment, which is helpful to the 5G standard formulation and the industrys development.

Zhang Feng, the chief engineer of Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that the 5G technology research experiment which began in 2016 has now entered its second stage. He said China could launch the commercial application of 5G technology in 2020.
India must continue its active cooperation with Japan and the US in order to counter China's increasing assertiveness in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean regions, say defence experts. At a day-long conference in Washington on Friday, a group of Indian and American scholars have opined that cooperation among India, the United States and Japan is necessary to face the Chinese assertiveness in the strategic Indian Ocean and Pacific regions. They were of the opinion that cooperation between India, US and Japan, ''will determine the parameters of security'' in the Indian Ocean and Pacific regions in the face of an assertive China. China has taken an increasingly hard-line stance in its territorial disputes in the East China Sea, the South China Sea and over Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own. The matter came up during a conference on the future of US-India relations under the Trump administration, organised by the Hudson Institute and the New Delhi-based Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF)  two conservative think-tanks having close ties with the Trump administration and the Modi government, respectively. The discussion, closed for the media, focused on India-US strategic ties in both the security and economic realms. In the security arena, participants discussed ways to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, including East Asia, South Asia and the Middle East. In the economic field, the deliberation focused on potential policies from both sides to boost trade and cooperation, a media release said. The conference was inaugurated by Kenneth Weinstein, president and CEO of the Hudson Institute, and former Indian Army chief Gen (retd) NC Vij, director of the Vivekananda International Foundation (CIF). In addition to Gen Vij, the VIF delegation comprised former foreign secretary and dean of the Centre for International Relations and Diplomacy, at the VIF, former Deputy Chief of the Army Staff Lt Gen (retd) Ravi Sawhney, Lt Gen (retd) Davinder Kumar and Harinder Sekhon. Hudson scholars included Michael Pillsbury, Husain Haqqani, Eric Brown, Douglas Feith and Aparna Pande. The report comes amidst widening differences between India and the US in trade policies and increasing racial attacks on Indians in the US in recent times. Indian Ambassador to US Navtej Sarna has conveyed his deep concerns to US government over the attacks. While the US State Department, on behalf of US Govt, expressed condolences and assured they are working on a solution, nothing concrete has been done to stem the surge in racial offences.










A common myth about long-term care has been shattered. Its not just for the elderly. Officials in the long-term care industry are discovering a surprising trend  their facilities populations are getting younger. So how do they meet the needs of this generation gap in their residential populations?

That topic will be the focus of an upcoming seminar hosted by the Southern Alabama Regional Council on Aging (SARCOA). Entitled The Generation Gap: Younger Residents in Long-Term Care, the seminar will be held Friday, March 17, from 7:30 a.m.-4:25 p.m., in the Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center. The keynote speaker is Dr. B.C. Farnham, a national award-winning lecturer and author who holds advanced degrees in social work, business, education and organizational leadership. He will discuss an effect caused by the rise in the number of younger residents in long-term care  compassion fatigue.

We are definitely seeing an increase in the younger population needing long-term care, said Alicia Anderson, LBWS, long-term care ombudsman with SARCOA and seminar coordinator. We are seeing residents in their 20s and 30s who need long-term care. We are also seeing those in their 40s and 50s needing long-term care. Some of the causes for that increase includes diabetes, strokes and automobile accidents.

Anderson says the seminar will be beneficial to a broad spectrum of attendees.

The seminar is geared toward the staff of long-term care facilities, she said. That includes nurses and administrators. Its also geared toward family caregivers of the elderly. We try to reach out to a broad range of people. In doing so, we will also have information on mandated reporters. Anyone in the community should want to reach out to appropriate agencies (in cases of suspected abuse, neglect, etc.). Debra Causey (LBSW), from the Department of Human Resources Adult Protective Services, will lead this part of the seminar.

Her presentation will include identifying two types of neglect. Passive neglect is not intentional. The caregiver is under stress, overworked and suffering from fatigue. Active neglect, on the other hand, is intentional neglect by the caregiver.

Anderson noted that attorney Clayton Davis will have two sections in the seminar. His first topic is Guardianship, Conservatorship, Power of Attorney and Alabama Family Trust. His second session is entitled Nursing Home Medicaid and Estate Recovery.

Clayton Davis is a great resource, Anderson said. He has so much knowledge on eldercare law.

Dr. Farnham, who is a faculty member with Troy University and also serves as Clinical Practicum director for the MSW Program, will close out the seminar with two presentations. The first is entitled Younger Residents in Long-Term Care, and his second topic is entitled Compassion Fatigue.

Anderson says compassion fatigue can be a growing problem for caregivers  professional and family.

Compassion fatigue is something that could impact caregivers and CNAs (certified nursing assistants), she said. They do the front line work. They get attached to the residents. Oftentimes, they dont realize they suffer from fatigue. They may be struggling from social isolation or just be tired. Another part of compassion fatigue is that the caregiver may feel guilty. But, they do need to take care of themselves. In his presentation, Dr. Farnham will bring information on coping skills.

We also have resources to help here at SARCOA. We help them find programs to help, such as respite care.

The first presentation of day will be made by Jessie Burris, RN, BSN, a member of the staff of the Alabama Department of Senior Services and the Alabama Medicaid Agency. She oversees the Medicaid Waiver Programs. Her topic is entitled Gateway to Community Living.

The Gateway program, which is relatively new, is done through Medicaid, Anderson said. Its a program that allows a person to transition back home. If the health situation of an individual has improved to the point where that person wants to go home, I go into the facility in response to the request. I will then contact Jenny Cornett, a coordinator here at SARCOA. She does the assessment to make sure the needs of the person can be met. She will help find housing, furniture, etc. That person will be put into the waiver program immediately and will be assigned a case manager. Its a great program. At times, peoples situations change. Their families may be able to step up and help them (to the point they can leave a long-term care facility).

The seminar is open to the general public. Registration is $45 for professional caregivers (nurses, social workers, nursing home administrators, assisted living administrators (for 6.5 CEUs) and those seeking general CEUs. Admission for general attendance (non-CEUs) is $10.

We invite professional as well as family caregivers to attend, Anderson said. Its a great opportunity to learn something that they can take with them. Compassion fatigue can even affect parents of small children. It can also impact educators in addition to caregivers.

Space is also available for vendors, Anderson noted.

We anticipate a big crowd, she said. It will be a wonderful opportunity for the vendors to showcase their services. They will also have the opportunity to network and get their message out to the public.

For more information or to register, visit www.SARCOA.org.
Home Four wheelers Hyundai's Hybrid Revolution Set To Hit India  Electrifying Times Ahead oi-Rajkamal

South Korean carmaker Hyundai is gearing up to launch hybrid vehicles in India by 2018. To make the best of the hybrid vehicle market, Hyundai will introduce the Ioniq in 2018, along with mild hybrid powertrains for some of its cars and SUVs in India.

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2016 Louth Rose, Megan Ferguson has just returned from an emotional volunteering trip to Belarus with Adi Roche and Chernobyl Children International.

The 19 year old from Carlingford, was accompanied by 17 of her fellow roses including the 2016 Rose of Tralee Maggie McEldowny.

The Roses stayed in the Vesnova Children's Mental Asylum where 170 of the young victims of the Chernobyl nuclear tragedy that happened 30 years ago have been institutionalized. Many of the children are still being born with horrific deformities and other illness's directly or indirectly linked to the radiation from the nuclear accident.

The roses spent their time working with the worst affected children giving them one to one care and attention which they don't get from one end of the day to the other.

Adi Roche, voluntary CEO of Chernobyl Children said, " This is the fifth year that the Rose of Tralee Festival have sent a delegation of volunteers over to Belarus and they bring such an energy and hearts full of love to the unfortunate children of Vesnova. They are such wonderful ambassadors for their families, their communities and to the Rose of Tralee Festival also".
A villager from Xiaohuang Dongzhai Village in Congjiang County, Guizhou Province walks along a street carrying betrothal gifts. (Photo by Liang Guangyuan from Peoples Daily)

Instead of asking for onerous cash gifts, Liu Kangs in-laws, who in the northwestern province of Gansu, decided to abandon the long-held convention. Netizens in China lauded the generous ges-ture afterit was reported by the media.

The example set by Lius in-laws embodies the changing mind-set in some rural regions, and is a victory for Chinas efforts to simplifymarriage affairs.

Before the wedding, Liu learned that the betrothal price in his hometown was around 130,000 yuan ($18,853), even though in 2016 the average annual per capita disposal income of rural residents in China was 12,363 yuan and 8,452 yuan in poverty-stricken areas. He managed to collect the money by borrowing from friends.

To his surprise, Lius future father-in-law did not give him a hard time about the money. You two will soon start a new life. We dont care about gifts, he said. So Liujust offered 8,888 yuan. However, on the wedding night, his mother-in-law found a way to give the money back.

In traditional Chinese nuptial customs, the groom should give the bride betrothal presents, which is a form of engagement with a moral obligation. Meanwhile, this culture also embodies the wishes for respect, a bright future and a lasting marriage.

This traditional customstill prevails, especially in some rural areas, and the cost has become a heavy burden in some places.

The presents have become onerous for many ordinary families, with young people in rural areas unable to afford to wed.

Analysts pointed out that other than the traditional concepts of demanding money to support par-ents and compensation for losing a source of free labor for the brides family, anxiety over future nursing costs and keeping up with their neighbors have contributed to rising betrothal prices in some rural areas.

In recent years, the Chinese government has strengthened guidance, advocated simplifying marriage affairs, and opposed arranged marriage, illegal early marriage and extortion of property through marriage, yielding sound results.

Chinas Shandong and Henan provinces, where families lay great emphasis on the wedding price, have founded non-governmental organizations on marriage and funeral affairs, to curb high-price gifts and undesirable customs.

It is this type of changes in ideas and conventions that make it easier for people like Liu to not worry too much about the money when proposing a marriage.
Louth social welfare recipients are going to see increases in their payments to the value of 5 per week, beginning this week.

Thats according to Louth TD, Fergus ODowd, who says that while the increases are modest, this is a step in the right direction.

In Louth approximately 95,000 social welfare payments are paid out, benefitting people and families right across the county. As promised in Budget 2017, the Minister for Social Protection, Leo Varadkar is introducing 5 increases to all payments, starting this week.

While its a modest increase, its a step in the right direction. For a lot of people it will be the first increase they have had in 8 years.

This is a really important part of Fine Gaels commitment to ensure that everyone benefits from our recent economic success, especially those people who need it most. Fine Gael is working hard to build a fair and compassionate society with thriving communities across every region of Ireland.

The introduction of the increases will be staggered as people receive payments on different days.

This week approximately 15,000 pensioners in Louth will receive the 5 increase. Over 10,000 job seekers in Louth will also benefit this week, through increases to both Job Seekers Benefit and Job Seekers Allowance.

Next week approximately 2,200 carers. Other groups that will benefit from the increase next week include lone parents, widows and widowers, those in receipt of the blind pension, amongst others.

Fine Gael is also continuing its focus on improving life for self-employed people. Many people who were used to a PAYE job in the past, moved towards self-employment during or after the recession.

We want to encourage and support those in self-employment. They are the people with the potential to create further employment in towns and villages throughout County Louth. We have already extended paternity benefit to the self-employed and restored benefits including the invalidity pension, which they can access without a means test if they become sick or injured and can no longer work as a result.

Minister Varadkar also recently announced changes to the qualification period for the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) to make it much easier for many one parent families, people with disabilities and farmers to participate. This scheme is designed to encourage people who are unemployed or claiming welfare to set up their own business and continue receiving State income supports for two years, while getting advice and support for running a new business.

Fine Gael is focused on equality of opportunity for all and we want to ensure that everyone who can work, is encouraged to do so. It is great to see that the unemployment rate is now down to 6.6% from a high of 15.1% during the economic crash.

However we are also using the fruits of our economic progress to benefit those who need it most, including those in receipt of social protection payments, starting this week.

That economic progress has been hard won over the last 6 years and we cannot afford to throw it all away on other parties who would risk our recovery.
Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) together with leading forklift manufacturing specialist, Combilift Ltd today announced the launch of an international work-integrated learning programme for DkIT marketing students.

The pioneering initiative brings together students from partner colleges in Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Finland, RMIT University, Australia and DkIT to work together on a 12-week global market research project aimed at increasing sales and market understanding for CombiLift products worldwide.

Participating students will have the opportunity to experience working as part of a diverse, global marketing team as they collaborate with colleagues across different time zones, geographies and cultures. Students will avail of digital facilities such as Skype, Google Hangout and Moodle to manage communications across the team and will use a wide spectrum of on-line project management software to ensure that tasks are completed according to schedule around the clock.

For the purposes of the programme, Combilift is treated as a client and the students will work as third-party marketing agents commissioned to deliver the commercially-focused research brief. Students are assessed at various stages throughout the programme and the quality of their overall report, performance in group work, client presentation and participation in the group study tour will all contribute to their overall grade. Students are also required to complete a reflective journal which is designed to encourage students to reflect on their learnings outcomes and to think about how their future career can benefit from this global programme.

At the end of the 12 weeks, teams from Finland and Ireland will have opportunity to assemble on RMIT University campus in Melbourne to present their final report to their client. This is an opportunity for team members to meet each other face-to face for the very first time. Having completed the professional formal aspect of the Global Programme in Australia, teams also have time to explore the depth of culture that is available in Australia, bringing back home fond memories of their entire experience, and a very valuable addition to their CV and career prospects.

Martin McVicar, CEO of Combilift has been actively involved in the development of the new work-integrated learning programme and visited to DkIT campus in February to launch the initiative. The launch was streamed live to Australia and Finland and included an interactive Q&A with students in RMIT and Satakunta University of Applied Sciences. Speaking at the launch Mr. McVickars said: We in Combilift are a globally focused business exporting to more than 75 markets worldwide, are enthusiastic about been involved with this Global programme with participations from Ireland, Finland & Australia to come up with effective global marketing suggestions for our business

Also speaking at the launch, John Sisk, Lecturer in Marketing and Programme Director for Marketing Studies at DkIT also said, We are delighted to partner with Combilift on this new truly international work-integrated learning programme. Combilift is one of the great global enterprise success stories to come from the North East and the company continues to expand its export operations worldwide.

The opportunity for our students to work alongside industry is critically important for the development of job-ready skills because it allows them to apply academic learning to real-life professional settings. Collaboration with colleagues in Finland and Australia means students are exposed to working in dynamic international teams  experience is sure to give them a competitive edge as they embark on their careers upon graduating from the Institute.
Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) make a significant contribution to the Australian economy. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, as at June 2015, there were 2,066,086 small businesses nationwide.*(1). In some states such as Western Australia, small businesses represent 97% of all businesses.*(2)

Cyber security is as important for these companies as it is for large multinationals. SMBs also have sensitive information from employees and customers, proprietary information about products, and they often are part of a global supply chain for other companies. Every business is a target, regardless of size, and none can afford to ignore the security of its IT infrastructure.

The SMB: lots of assets, limited resources

SMBs may assume they have little to interest hackers and therefore put cyber security on the back burner. We know this isnt true. Hospitals, for example, hold sensitive health information and have networked medical devices at risk. Unfortunately, some learned the hard way with episodes of ransomware disrupting business and damaging reputations.

It is not just a companys own information and systems that are at risk. SMBs have been the channel in high-profile breaches that compromised millions of records. The 2015 breach of a retail company in which data from 40 million customer credit card accounts were stolen and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management breach that exposed more than 20 million employee records are believed to have originated with credentials from third-party vendors. Last year, In Australia, more than half a million Red Cross donors had their personal details compromised following a security breach. The attackers use a weak link in the supply chain to breach a larger target; they use the compromised credentials to escalate IT privileges and use privileged accounts to compromise critical systems.

Businesses today run on IT. This makes cyber security a business necessity as well as a technology requirement. A strong security program can not only protect a businesss assets, it can also give it a competitive advantage.

Although SMBs face the same cyber security challenges as large businesses, they often have fewer resources and little in-house expertise to address these challenges. This makes it important that they get the best return on their security investments by prioritising the right things in their security programs.

The need to know

Cloud computing and hosted services can make advanced technology affordable, and SMBs often find it cost-effective to outsource many IT functions, including security. But at the end of the day, each business is still responsible for its own security. Owners and executives need to understand the basics of cyber security, know what their service providers are doing and what questions to ask of them.

Security needs will vary depending on circumstances. Each company must understand its attack surfacevulnerable areas in the IT environment that could breached to compromise systemsand the impact of each potential breach. By assessing the impact, vulnerabilities can be prioritised, so that the cyber security program focuses on the areas needed to manage risks.

The key to protecting an IT infrastructure is privileged accounts. These accounts, if compromised, can effectively turn an intruder into an insider, giving the attacker rights to move throughout the network, escalate privileges, change settings and configurations and access data. When allocating scarce cyber security resources, privileged accounts must be identified, assessed and prioritised.

A single standard for security

An SMB IT infrastructure may not be as complex as a global enterprise, but the benefits of a layered approach to cyber security applies to all. Additionally, there are documented best practices and basic cyber hygiene practices that should be followed.

About the author

Matthew Brazier is the ANZ Regional Director of CyberArk, a global cyber security company.

*1 Businesses classified as those non-employing business or a business employing fewer than 20 people.

*2 https://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/about/small-business-sector/facts-and-statistics
In some ways, running a small business is a lot like being a plate spinner, especially if youre overseeing several projects. Youll need excellent coordination and a watchful eye; otherwise youll end up with smashed chinaware. As you grow in confidence, you might seek to add more and more plates to the mix. At some point, youll require an extra pair of hands. Likewise, in business, there may come a time when you need additional help.

Depending on the objective, this additional help may take the form of a new employee. Where hiring someone full-time isnt cost-effective, you might consider hiring a consultant on a short- to medium-term basis. They can help you augment your staffing requirements without the oncosts associated with recruitment. Consultants are also incredible useful in circumstances where you need a critical friend and someone with the expertise necessary to take the heat away from you as the decision maker.

The right consultant for the right job

Getting the right consultant means checking out what projects or work they have undertaken in the last two financial years. They should pitch themselves to you in the same way you pitch goods and services to your clientele. Remember that they have the rare privilege of serving a number of masters across the same sector, as well as dealing with the same types of problems from outsourcing to expansion. They bring with them a number of networks you may not have been able to penetrate or have had time to work within.

Part of the brief you present them should include a presentation on how they will approach your particular needs and requirements before you decide whether or not to hire them. You can check out their references and get a recent testimonial or two to follow up on, as well as talk to their previous hirers to see if they got value for money and a solution to their problem.

A really good consultant will work hard to get your business and go the extra mile by ensuring you get an outline SMART action plan of what they can offer, with no hidden extras and a timeline of reporting so you can monitor what they do, when they do it.

Scenarios where consultants can help

Here are some scenarios where your business could benefit from engaging a consultant:

Youre unable to focus on business growth because youre too busy staying on top of general administrative tasks (e.g. completing taxes, managing payroll and handling website management). A consultant can support you with kick starting your outsourcing project or researching and resourcing new premises and staff, for example.

You find yourself in a situation where a job, while necessary, is either not your forte or youre not up to the task. For example, you want to approach a lender or investor to help fund growth plans but lack the know-how to map out the financial strategies necessary to secure a loan or investment. Other examples include restructures, contract management or procurement, or negotiations with unions. A consultant with employment law and negotiation skills can set up and chair Joint Consultative Committees, draw up and oversee a tendering process or put together a sound financial plan and risk management strategy.

You want to review your offering or your operational management procedures to ensure your business remains viable but lack objectivity, find it difficult to make tough decisions or dont know how to implement changes. Getting a consultant in to review operational strategy, implement a downsizing, or even look at redundancies means they can focus on getting this right and can take some of the heat away from you. They can also carry out a skills need analysis across the staffing structure, recommend relevant upskilling of staff you should be retaining, and identify those you can do without.

Youre launching a new line or service but dont have the time to focus on the marketing, the networking or a specific launch. By engaging a consultant who has the right contacts and network, you tap into their little black book of addresses to build and foster business relationships while you get on with the day job.

Your focus has been more on getting more contracts in, rather than how you are going to deliver. Rather than disappoint customers or not fulfill orders, a consultant can review the end process, looking at a holistic staff management approach to help you work your way around the increased flow of supply and demand. Consultants can also offer up what if scenarios so that you can be prepared for unexpected changes, and this will form part of your risk management process.

You require a sounding board or a second opinion but dont have anyone with business expertise to bounce ideas off. A consultant can serve as a critical friend whom you can talk through business decisions with, and who will pose intelligent and knowledgeable questions to get you thinking proactively.

So, do you need a business consultant?

Personally, I have found consultants to be very effective when it came to giving me a fresh outlook on my business. A different perspective is always welcome, particularly when you are in the same business every day and can sometimes be so stuck in a rut that you are unable to be view things objectively.

In the past, I have found consultants to be helpful when it came to cost cutting, business process streamlining and customer relationship management, but your business will have different needs. Make a list of what you want a business consultant to help you achieve, as that will be key in helping you to identify the right person to support you in the work you have in mind.

About the Author

Julie Pettett Numanoglu is the Managing Director of Brighton Panel Works in Melbourne, Australia, a company her father founded that specialises in the smash repair of prestige cars. Having literally grown up with the business, she has watched the company grow and understands all facets of it, from marketing to creditors and debtors, payroll, staff management and customer relations. More importantly, she has seen the changes that businesses undergo, and knows the importance of seeking help when she needs it.
Fu Ying, spokesperson for the fifth session of China's 12th National People's Congress (NPC), takes questions from Chinese and foreign journalists during a press conference on the session on March 4, 2017. (Photo by Weng Qiyu from Peoples Daily)

Chinas defense budget will increase by around 7 percent in 2017, Fu Ying, spokesperson for the two-week 12th National People's Congress (NPC) annual session told a press conference on Saturday in Beijing. The new increase is the country's slowest defense budget rise in recent years.

Chinas budget expense has always been a spotlight of foreign media. Before the start of this years NPC and Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, also known as the two sessions, foreign media conducted rounds of analysis and predictions in this subject.

Nikkei, in its article published on March 1, said that Donald Trumpsproposal to increase defense budget in his presidential campaign may set off Russia and China to raise spending.

At the end of February, the US-headquartered Time magazinepredicted that in the new defense budget drafted by China at the two sessions,China may devote more resource into strengthening navy power.

When Fu announced the specific number, most media responded calmly and rationally. As AFP reported on Saturday, the 7-percent-increase is the lowest rate in recent years and Chinas military expense is still much less than that of the US.

Deutsche Welle said on its website that it is a mild move for China torise the defense budget by 7 percent.

Though in regard of the absolute value, Chinas defense spending is only second to the US in the world, thenumber is only 24.6 percent of the latter. The per capita defense cost of China is only 1/18 of the US, 1/9 of the UK, 1/7 of France and 1/5 of Russia and Japan respectively.

Themilitary expenditure per capita of China is only 13.58 percent of the US, 22.98 percent of the UK, 22.8 percent of France and 14.3 percent of Germany.

Chinas defense expense, though presenting a long-term growing trend, only accounts for 1.3 of its GDP, and stayed at that level for years. Such percentage is lower than most of the countries in the world.

The defense spending of major countriesusually makes up 2 to 5 percent of their GDP. In the US, the figure is around 4 percent and Russia allocates 4 to 5 percent of its GDP for national defense.

Analysts stressed that as a major country with 9.6 million square kilometer of land territory, 3 million square kilometer of maritime territory and an almost 1.4 billion population, China has every reason to appropriately increase its military spending.

To meet the demands for economic development, it is reasonable to moderately increase military expenditure as long as it conforms the strategy of simultaneous development of national defense construction and economic construction, they added.

The average growth rate of Chinas defense expenditure stands at 12.43 percent in recent years, achieving simultaneous growth with fiscal revenue.

Against the background of profound changes in national strength, security environment and global strategic arena, Chinas defense budget increase is reasonable and sustainable, Chen Zhou, Deputy of the National Peoples Congress and researcher of Academy of Military Science of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army said in an interview on the sidelines of the two sessions.

A social media affiliated to Peoples Daily published an article on Saturday to analyze Chinas budget cost, said that the rising number is not high at all.

Chinese netizens commented with agreement. One netizen replied that what Fu said at the Munich Security Conference is right. It is wrong to ask US allies to keep their defense budget above 2 percent of the GDP while saying China is spending too much in military.

Double standard is not acceptable!  the web user stressed.
China is firm in its resolve to oppose the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and will never be hesitate in taking necessary actions to safeguard its own security interests, Peoples Daily stressed in a commentary published on Saturday, criticizing the ROK government and its businesss stubborn persistence in THAAD deployment.

The editorial under the pen name of Zhongsheng, which is usually used to voice Chinas stance on foreign affairs, came amid pouring anger and blames from Chinese government and media against the ROK government and Lotte Group, the countrys fifth-largest conglomerate.

Lotte put itself on fire after it agreed on a land swap deal to enable an early deployment of the US-backed missile shield system. The swap, which gives the ROK defense ministry the Lotte Skyhill Country Club in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, for the deployment of the THAAD system, paves way for a speedy installation of the system by late June at the earliest.

Lottes latest decision trapped itself into a complicated strategic game in Northeast Asia. The panicky local media, in recent days, have been busy with guessing whether the retail giant will be sanctioned by China.

It is true that the decision of Seoul and Washington to deploy the THAAD system last July has severely damaged the public foundation of China-ROK cooperation, the article pointed out, indicating that the political estrangement has been spilled to economic, trade and cultural exchanges.

It is predictable that bilateral cooperation will definitely meet more icebergs if the ROK is stubborn on its decision, the paper stressed.

China welcomes foreign companies investing in the country and will always protect their rights and interests, but their operation should be in compliance with laws and regulations, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a recent conference while responding a question regarding whether China would take punitive measures against Lotte.

Chinese market and consumers will determine whether a foreign company is successful in China, the paper reiterated the stance, refuting ROK medias groundless claims that China is sanctioning the retail giant.

Lottes agreement on the land swap deal is pushing ROK government towards a wrong path since the THAAD deployment will not only damage the strategic security interests of its neighbors, but also deteriorate regional crisis, the paper commented.

Chinese consumers resolute and voluntary fight back never crosses the line of law, and it is a natural outcome that the company should have predicted before it made the decision, it added.

Though some ROK public labeled what Lotte did with patriotism, the article noted that it is a kind of fake patriotism since the decision to pave way for THAAD installationwill surely endanger the country.

It cannot help with the process to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, but create more conflicts and confrontations, the article analyzed, warning that water on the whole peninsula will be meddled as a result.

Whats worse, if the ROK is kidnapped to a war chariot by the US, it would lose its rights to make a decision, the Peoples Daily said, concluding that the country will certainly suffer from heavy losses once clashes break out.
This past Saturday, over 700 progressives, both veteran organizers and newcomers to progressive activism, gathered at the Lansing Center in Lansing, Michigan for the Michigan Progressive Summit (although except for two brief mentions by Michigan Radio, youd never know it.) Organized by Progress Michigan, it was a day of inspiring speeches, well-organized breakout sessions, and networking for the progressive community.

The last Michigan Summit was in 2013 and the attendance at this years event was nearly double that of previous conferences. Its a sign that the progressive movement is alive and well and geared up to fight the agenda and policies of the Bannon/Trump presidency as well as that of our own Republican-controlled state legislature and executive branch in the months and years ahead of us.



Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha

The first speaker of the day was Flint pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha. She gave the attendees a brief history of Flint, a city, she said, Where the American Dream was born. She explained that, prior to the so-called Flint Water Crisis, the city was already facing higher than normal levels of lead in its residents environment. Work was being done to bring those levels down and it was working. Then, after Gov. Rick Snyders Emergency Managers switched the citys drinking water source to the Flint River, the levels started rising again. What happened in Flint, she said, is an environmental injustice and its a form of racial injustice.

Dr. Mona, as she is often called, is an immigrant. She was born in Iraq and came here when she was four. I wasnt born here and Ill gladly show you my birth certificate, she said to laughter. We were welcomed into the fabric of this society Im not sure that would happen today.

For my family the American Dream became a reality, Dr. Monay told the audience. I repaid that by taking a career in service.

There are two Americas, she explained, The America I was privileged to grow up in and the America I see everyday in my clinic.

This nightmare has to be OUR nightmare, she told the audience, referring to the Flint Water Crisis. To truly fix Flint and children everywhere, we need to rebuild the American dream. Its not just a labor issue or a childrens issue. Its a public health issue There are towns like Flint everywhere where children are waking up to a nightmare of poverty every day The American Dream that was born in Flint needs to be the dream for everyone, not just a select few.

She said that the Flint story is a precautionary tale.

When you hear Republicans talking about deregulation, I want you to think about Flint, she said. We need an active government, a responsive government, a strong governmentto help keep us safe. Government should NOT be run like a business.

Our choice to be activists is easy, she said. You need to be ready because we are ALL activists. We wont win every battle but we will fight every fight and we will fight every battle. We are the resistance and we will fight every fight.

Dr. Mona concluded, saying, You might not be hearing about Flint as much be we are still here. The children coming into my clinic still cannot drink water from the tap without a filter and we are going into our fourth year. But I also want to remind you that Flint is tough and has courage, and grit and determination.



Charlene Carruthers

Dr. Mona was followed by Charlene Carruthers. Carruthers is a 31-year old Black, queer feminist who is the National Director of Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100). During her speech, she acknowledged that some of what she was saying was likely to make people feel uncomfortable. But, if Im not making you uncomfortable, she said, Im not doing my job.

Carruthers talked about how to effect sustainable, meaningful change in American society. Ive learned we always have to center our fight on structural changes, she siad. Band-Aid solutions can work for awhile but when you lift them up later, you may find a scar or you may find the same old wound.

She pointed out the hypocrisy of those who denigrate Black people who rise up to take action. While pointing to the pathological Black people, the inherently violent Black people, people forget to mention the closing of over 50 public schools.

She also reminded progressives that President Bill Clintons crime bill didnt just impact the USA. Its been exported, she said. The machinery of the prison industrial complex werent built by [the Obama] administration. A lot of times when we get together, we seem to develop this sort of collective amnesia.

Her point was that we cant solve these problems unless we know our history. We have to be honest, she told the audience.

She pointed out how comments by Donald Trump during his speech to a joint session of Congress last week, Connected safety, jobs, and unity to law enforcement. The origins of law enforcement are slave patrols, protecting personal property.

But, she said, theres more to resistance than just tearing down whats in front of us. Burning shit down isnt the only solution, she said. Its not just enough to dismantle a system without imagining whats possible. We need to have something to replace it with.

She went on to say that reform is good but it cant entrench systems that harm us. We need something more, something big, she said. She used the example of private prisons: Being against private prisons is like the progressive cause du jour. But we need to think bigger. Lets question how were dealing with people, not just disposing of them or controlling them in a specific place.

She pointed out that, as progressives, we have to support solutions that work for everybody, even those we consider the least in society. If youre discussing how to solve problems and youre surrounded by people that look like you, have the same background as you, have the same experiences as you, thats a problem.

She also pointed out that, if youre talking about building bridges but dont talk about power, you guarantee that things will be uneven. You cant build a bridge to a group that has an uneven level of power, she said. When Dr. King talked about building bridges between groups, he didnt do it without recognizing the cracks in our society and the intentional efforts to create divides.

Carruthers explained that one of the things Detroit-based activist and organizer Grace Lee Boggs talked about when she talked about revolution and working with others who worked for revolution was the importance of a revolution within ourselves. The movement will transform you if you are doing it right, Carruthers said. Where Dr. King and Malcolm X and other movement leaders were when they were killed was not where they were when they started. We must do the same. And through organizing people and changing culture, she said, We must always work to make better leaders than ourselves.



U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow

Senator Debbie Stabenow also addressed the attendees of the conference. She encouraged people to keep stepping up, to keep calling their elected officials, and to keep being heard. Every time our voice mail crashes, I smile, she said. Because I know that people are waking up.

Sen. Stabenow encouraged people to speak out on the cuts to the Great Lakes clean up fund she helped create in partnership with the Obama administration.

She also talked about how Democrats are working to resist the Bannon/Trump administation. For example, they intentionally slowed down confirmations of his cabinet picks in order to allow people to organize and speak out. When the Republicans wouldnt allow regular people to testify at confirmation hearings, they held shadow hearings to give them a voice. It didnt work everywhere but it did in some instances.

She exhorted the gathered progressives to keep the pressure on with respect to the Affordable Care Act and especially with respect to funding Planned Parenthood and protecting Medicaid. 97% of the children in the USA have healthcare because of what we did with the ACA, she said.

She concluded by urging people to get involved at every level, even at the local level.



Dr. Abdul El-Sayed



Michigan Representative Darrin Camilleri

In addition to Progressive Soapbox talks given by gubernatorial candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and financial entrepreneur Joe Sanburg who co-founded the online financial services company Asprirations, the last major speaker of the day was Emilys List President Stephanie Schriock. She gave a very inspiring speech about their efforts to get more women into elected office.



Stephanie Schriock

She gave examples of some of their successes including the fact that there are now four new women U.S. Senators, three of whom are people of color. This is a huge accomplishment given that the most weve ever had in the Senate before was two.

People get tripped up by thinking they need to have a perfect resume and broad skill sets, she told the gathering. You can learn how to talk to the press and how to do public speaking and other skills, she said. These can be taught. What we actually need is broader diversity and backgrounds and candidates who have a series of specific values: Integrity, passion, energy, commitment, likes people, willingness to learn, willingness to ask for help, and skin that can thicken.

By the time she was finished, it was clear that a number of women in the room were ready to get involved and either run for office themselves or work to help other women get elected.



Progress Michigan Communications Director Hugh Madden

In addition to the speakers, there were breakout sessions throughout the day to allow folks to discuss specific issues. These included the following topics:

Islamophobia: A Threat to All

Achieving 100% Renewable Energy

Organizing in Economically and Racially Isolated Communities

How We Repair Michigans Broken Election System

No News is Bad News: A Dummies Guide to Organizing a Press Conference

Making Your Voice Heard: Civic Engagement with the Legislature

MI Budget & You

Getting ready to Run

Intentionality in the Movement: Recognizing and Combatting Oppression at Every Corner

The Corporate Take Over of Your Public School: Understanding the History and Future

Cutting Edge Civil Liberties Issues in Michigan: With the ACLU of Michigan

Introduction to Transparency and Accountability in Government

Voices for Womens Health

Skills for Resisting the Corporate Take Over of Your Public School

Economic Justice in Michigan

An Organizers Toolbox

Digital Tools Training

Backyard Civics 101

Late in the day regional caucus breakout sessions were held. The regions were composed of clustered counties and gave activists from these regions time to get to know one another and begin the process of networking to build coalitions among like-minded people from their areas. One thing that was abundantly clear from the regional caucus I attended is that there are large numbers of groups, many that have only formed in the past few months, and there is, as of this moment, no central way for them to interact with each other, coordinate events and activities, and to share best practices. In time and thanks to events like the Michigan Progressive Summit, that is very likely to change. And, if the energy and passion behind this new organizing and activism can be harnessed into a sustainable grassroots organizing, it could be a game-changer both here in Michigan and across the country.

The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring moderated by Detroit Free Press columnist Nancy Kaffer titled Journalism in Trumps America featuring Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza from the Center for American Progress and political columnist Michael Cohen from The Boston Globe. It was an eye-opening glimpse into what American journalists face with the Bannon/Trump administration in power. It made it clear to everyone who watched, listened, and asked questions that our news organizations are more important today than ever before and that we need to support them for the sake of our American democracy.

Kudos to Progress Michigan who organized this incredible and important event (with a special shout-out to New Media Specialist Marissa Luna who, as I understand, took a particularly large leadership role.) This is what we as progressives need to be doing on an ongoing basis to ensure that the new level of grassroots activism that were seeing all across the country is able to make substantial change. And in Michigan more than anywhere else, we NEED that change and we need it soon.
They have made us more risk averse and more set in our ways, more segregated, and they have sapped us of the pioneer spirit that made America the worlds most productive and innovative economy. Furthermore, all this has happened at a time when we may need American dynamism more than ever before.

Tyler Cowen, The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream

In his latest book, Tyler Cowen documents trends of increased risk aversion, resistance to change, and reluctance to interact with people outside of our familiar groups. He speculates on many plausible causes of these trends, but he does not focus on any single factor. Indeed, in the passage quoted above, They refers not to any group or institution, but instead to people making decisions, meaning everyone.

The Complacent Class is difficult to summarize. As I write this, over a half dozen reviews have appeared, and each stresses a completely different aspect of the book. This could reflect the great variety of interesting insights that are sprinkled throughout on various topics, or it could reflect a weakness in terms of central focus. Or both.

For me, the strongest chapter is called The reemergence of segregation. It hammers home the point that America has become highly segregated by income, educational attainment, and race.

The new segregation is superficially based on economics but more deeply rooted in a culture of matchingrich to rich and well educated to well educatedand a culture of stasis.

For example, Cowen writes,

 historically black neighborhoods within Vienna and Fairfax are gone. In the case of Fairfax, that old convenience store has been replaced by a shiny new mini-mall with a bright pizza restaurant, a Vietnamese pho restaurant, and a gourmet market and deli

I remember that in the 1960s, as the newly-created Department of Housing and Urban Development touted urban renewal, cynics charged that urban renewal equals black removal. This has turned out to be the case in many gentrified locations. As Cowen points out,

To be sure these black neighbors were not forced out. No KKK member burned a cross on these lawns, and non discriminatory laws were passed Blacks have not been pushed out, but many of them have been priced out.

Cowen finds the highest degree of class segregation in some surprising places.

Durham-Chapel Hill, Bloomington, and Ann Arborall college townsclimb into the top five for segregation of the working class away from the non-working class. That is again the somewhat incestuous self-clustering of the complacent class rearing its head.

In one of many powerful passages on this topic, Cowen writes,

 the so-called creative class is more clustered than the working class. Ironically, its these groupsthe wealthy, the well educated, the creative classwho often complain about inequality and American segregation with the greatest fervor. The self-selection process is running its course, and how people are voting with their feet often differs from what is coming out of their mouths.

Cowen lists a number of adverse consequences of the reemergence of segregation, including,

 more intense sorting along political lines, so that both Democrats and Republicans will be more likely to live in communities of politically like-minded individuals a disproportionate share of liberals have decided they wish to live in cities peer effects make cities more liberal and suburban and rural areas more conservative, and thus Americans are all the more tightly sorted.

This tight sorting was highlighted by Christopher Caldwell in an analysis of the 2016 Presidential election.

Washington, D.C., with its 93-to-4 partisan breakdown, is not that unusual. Hillary Clinton won Cambridge, Massachusetts, by 89 to 6 and San Francisco by 86 to 9. Here, where the future of the country is mapped out, the rest of the country has become invisible, indecipherable, foreign.

Cowen offers a number of indicators of reduced dynamism in the United States, including a reduced rate of new business formation and of long-distance moves by households. However, as he points out, there are many plausible causal factors at work in these phenomena, and not all of them reflect a culture of complacency.

Cowen offers a number of indicators of reduced dynamism in the United States, including a reduced rate of new business formation and of long-distance moves by households. However, as he points out, there are many plausible causal factors at work in these phenomena, and not all of them reflect a culture of complacency.

Concerning long-distance moves, for example, I think it is important to discuss collective moves and individual moves. Individual households move for idiosyncratic reasons, such as a new job. However, many of the largest migrations in history have involved collective moves. Many people from one village will over a short period of time move to a new location, where they cluster together again. We saw this happen historically with the first European settlers in America, with the Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrations, with the Mormon migration in the late 1800s, with the Okies in the 1930s, and with the African-American migration to the North in the 1940s and 1950s.

Collective migrations tend to be carried out by people who are near the bottom of the social order or otherwise are desperate to escape. Individual moves tend to be carried out by people who are higher up the scale. If the decline in overall moves in recent decades reflects a drop in the incidence of desperation, which does not indicate a lack of dynamism. And in fact, Cowen makes a point of suggesting that the U.S. is still highly mobile if one accounts for the behavior of Mexican immigrants, which would indicate that the desperation motive has not lost its power.

Concerning new business formation, Cowen points out that

Some of the larger declines in dynamism, as identified by the rate of business turnover, have come in the construction, mining, retail, wholesale, and services sectors the shops in the town square dont turn over as rapidly as they used to; some of this slowdown stems from the ongoing supplanting of mom-and-pop stores by major chains

Indeed, if you think of the type of business that someone might have started in, say, 1960, a drug store or small grocery in a small or mid-sized town comes to mind. If contemporary Americans are reluctant to attempt such businesses today, who can blame them for not wanting to take on Wal-Mart?

I have only alluded to some of the compelling statistics, interesting observations, and provocative hypotheses that can be found in The Complacent Class. But let me turn to a problem that I had with the book.

I was not satisfied with Cowens treatment of the key concept of complacency. He defines it only in a single offhand clause as a general sense of satisfaction with the status quo.

However, his use of the term often strays from this definition. I would argue that what he really means is something like risk aversion and resistance to change.

It is possible to be unsatisfied with the status quo and yet be averse to risk and resistant to change. Cowen himself says as much. He includes in his complacent class not just the upper crust of the wealthy but also two other categories, which he calls those who dig in and those who get stuck. The former have a lot of their wealth in the form of occupational licenses or real estate, which they seek to protect in ways that reduce dynamism. The latter are the dysfunctional poor, and Cowen himself says that they are not happy with their situations.

The conceptual imprecision gets Cowen really tangled up in his final chapter on current conditions in the United States and prospects for a sudden increase in instability. On the one hand, he offers poll results indicative of general dissatisfaction with the status quo, and he associates this public angst with the strong support given to Presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. Yet he writes,

 those who voted for Donald Trump in the Republican primaries had an average income of about $70,000 and also education levels higher than the American average Whether we like it or not, the rise of Trump is centered fundamentally on the complacent class.

Again, I think that this shows that there is an important category of people who are dissatisfied with the status quo and at the same time are averse to risk and to change. It is an interesting pathology, but I think it is misleading to term it complacency.
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China will never allow others to trample on its strategic security: Peoples Daily

Relevant countries should not go further down along the wrong path, or underestimate Chinas determination and capability to safeguard its national security, Peoples Daily warned in a commentary published after Lotte Group, ROK's fifth-largest conglomerate, agreed on a land swap dealto enable an early deployment of the US-backed missile shield system known asTerminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

The involved nations should handle international and regional affairs with a responsible attitude, added the article under the byline of Zhongsheng, pledging that China will never allow others to trample on its strategic security.

The article pointed out that the THAAD deployment means the ROK will put all regional nations in the surveillance under the US, and include itself into the missile shield system woven by the US.

The ROK government must be aware that its decision to forcibly deploy the system in the name of national security has put other countries interests and concerns in danger, the article stressed, adding that such move will not only further deteriorate the crisis on Korean Peninsula, but trigger a new round of armament race in Northeast Asia.

By then, relevant countries have to respond by strengthening strategic deterrence capability, the commentary explained.

The system deployment will not only turn the ROK into a tinderbox on the peninsula, but also trap its people in danger, the paper said, further explaining that what the THAAD will bring is not security, but sense of turbulence and anxiety.

What has to be mentioned is that some ROK businesses played a dishonorable part in this process, the article unmasked.

The history has proven that those attempting to damage others interests will finally trap themselves in trouble, while the arbitrary ones who trying to secure themselves at the cost of other nations security will finally taste the bitter fruits, and drag themselves to dead ends, the paper said.

A stubborn persistence to deploy the THAAD system, which goes against all stakeholders efforts to resolve the crisis by dialogues and consultation, will impede the process to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, threaten peace and stability on the peninsula, and severely undermine the national security and strategic balance of regional countries including China, the paper told the ROK side.
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In a week in which Attorney General Jeff Sessionss unremembered visit with the Russian ambassador dominated the news, the most interesting thing I read was a 13,000-word article in The New Yorker. It exemplified all the preconceptions typical of what I have come to think of as reporters of the Generation of 91.

David Remnick, b. 1958, was Moscow bureau chief 1988-1992 for The Washington Post, before he moved to the magazine. In 1998 he was named its editor. Lenins Tomb: The Last Days of the Soviet Empire won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993. Evan Osnos, b. 1976, joined the magazine from The Chicago Tribune in 2008 and covered China for five years. Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China appeared in 2014 and was a Pulitzer finalist. Joshua Yaffa is a journalist based in Moscow. He has written for The Economist and The New York Times Magazine.

Nothing in the article  Active Measures: What lay behind Russias interference in the 2016 election  and what lies ahead?  was quite as punchy as the art that accompanied it. The magazines traditional anniversary cover featured Vladimir Putin, as a dandy peering through a monocle at a raging butterfly Trump, instead of the customary rendering of Eustace Tilley. That was non-committal enough, though it reminded me of the magazines 2014 Sochi Olympics cover, a figure-skating Vladimir Putin leaps while five little Putin lookalikes feign disinterest from the judges stand.

More alarming was the art opposite the opening page, Saint Basils Cathedral, in Moscow, administering a jolt of light (a digital illumination ray?) to the White House from the skies above. The caption states, Democratic National Committee hacks, many analysts believe, were just a skirmish in a larger war against Western institutions and alliances.

The article was organized in five little chapters.

In Soft Targets, Putin orders an unprecedented effort to interfere in the US presidential election. It is a gesture of disrespect, ordered out of pique and resentment of perceived US finagling in the 2012 Soviet election, intended to be highly public. In Cold War 2.0, the Obama administration is caught flat-footed by the campaign and fails to respond effectively. The Russians have adopted a new and deeply troubling offensive posture that threatens the very international order, a former Obama official states. In Putins World, a capsule history of the decline of Russian pride during the 1990s is presented alongside an argument for the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Putins mistrust of democracy at home is described, as well as his recoiling from the US invasion of Iraq. Differences between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama after the annexation of Crimea are recounted: she sometimes favors the use of military force whereas he does not. In Hybrid War, Russia becomes technically adroit at cyberwarfare and experiments with a digital blitz on Estonian communications after a statue of a Soviet soldier is removed; meanwhile the US unleashes its Stuxnet computer virus on Irans uranium refinery operations. The Russian Army chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, is introduced, along with his 2013 article, The Value of Science Is in the Foresight, urging the adoption of a Western strategy, combining military, technological, media, political and intelligence tactics to destabilize a foe, the article having achieved the status of legend as the Gerasimov doctrine, following the invasion of Ukraine. An estimated thousand code warriors are said to be working for the Russian government on everything from tapping former Undersecretary of State Victoria Nulands cell phone in Kiev (a new low in Russian tradecraft) to the forthcoming French and German elections. Finally, the hacking campaign against the Democratic Party is rehashed, and Clinton campaign manager John Podesta says the interaction between Russian intervention and the FBI created a vortex that produced the result  a lost election. In Turbulence Theory, Trump is said to be a phenomenon of Americas own making, like the nationalist politicians of Europe, both the consequence of globalization and deindustrialization, but Russia likes the policies that are the result: leave Russia alone and dont talk about civil rights. Meanwhile, the hacking campaign may have backfired, and Trump may no longer have the freedom to accommodate Russian ambitions as might have been wished, but at least Russia has come up with a way to make up for its economic and geopolitical weakness, namely inflict turbulence on the rest of the world.

Three things about this assessment stand out.

Putins views of US foreign policy are not integral to the account: they are presented in two widely separate sections, one on the history of US active measures, the other on changes in his opinion wrought by the war in Iraq.

Putin is quick to accuse the West of hypocrisy, the authors write, but his opinions, and those of others, especially who compare the invasions of Crimea and Iraq (where the US immediately set out to build an embassy for 15,000 workers) are dismissed as whataboutism, exercises in false moral equivalence. NATO expansion is more or less taken for granted. The military alliances extension to the borders of Russia forms no part of the narrative.

Second, no attention is paid to Putins problems, aside from a nod to his suppression of oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the rock group Pussy Riot. His plans for a Eurasian Union, which were at the heart of the Ukraine crisis, go unmentioned. Theres nothing about the centuries-old struggle between Westernizers and Slavophiles who oppose policies that would tie Russia more closely to the West.

Third, the history of the Cold War itself gets short shrift. The genesis of the doctrine of hybrid war, ascribed to Gen. Gerasimov, is described at length in The Last Warrior: Andrew Marshall and the Shaping of Modern American Defense Strategy, by Andrew F. Krepinevich and, Barry D. Watts (Basic Books, 2015). Marshall founded the Pentagons Office of Net Assessment. In 1973 he described what would become a dramatic strategic shift:

In general we need to look for opportunities as well as problems; search for areas of comparative advantage and try to move the competition into these areas; [and] look for ways to complicate the Soviets problems.

Many factors led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Active measures, of the sort propounded by Marshall, were prominent among them. You can hardly be surprised that the Russians have sought to master new techniques. The underlying proposition of the New Yorkers article is that the world is, or at least it should be, unipolar, with the US in charge of its democratic values. After all these years, the Russians still dont agree.
By Suzanne Roy

America has two long-standing symbols for freedom: the bald eagle and the wild mustang.

Wild horses are protected by a special law, which was unanimously passed by Congress in 1971 and designates mustangs as living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West who enrich the lives of the American people. Youve seen these majestic wild horses in TV or magazine ads, running unbridled across the open range, dust in their wake. They evoke the boundless West and our nations pioneer spirit.

What you dont see is the helicopters chasing them.

[facebook https://facebook.com/EcoWatch/videos/1473385379341061/ expand=1]

Roundups sound romantic, but in the case of mustangs, the process is cruel and brutal. Despite federal protection, the horses are treated like pests on their native range because, it turns out, the West isnt that open after all.

Unlike eagles, who enjoy the advantage of an open sky, theres competition for the land on which mustangs roam. Mostly from ranchers, who view these wild horses as competition for cheap, taxpayer-subsidized grazing on public lands. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is in charge of managing wild horses on federal land. They do so with the notion, bolstered by private interests who have their own ideas for the real estate, that there are too many horses on the range. So they round them up.

The roundups start with the helicopters, which swoop down and terrorize the animals, chasing them to awaiting corrals. The pursuit is dangerous and terrifying. Many horses are injured and some die.

Here are some documented incidents from a recent BLM roundup in the Cedar Mountain Herd Management in Utah:

A pinto mare and her lookalike foal chased relentlessly by the helicopter, the foal roped, hogtied and separated from his mother, never to see her again.

An exhausted colt, limping into a trap after being chased for miles by a helicopter.

A helicopter coming dangerously close to a group of mustangs as it drives them into the trap.

A pregnant mare found down and in distress in a holding pen, killed due to foaling complications likely caused by the stress of helicopter stampede and capture.

A 22-year-old stallion, forced to run for miles with a shoulder injury and clubfoot only to be killed by the BLM after capture.

Its troubling to read about and even more disturbing to see. More than 350,000 people have viewed videos of the roundup posted by the American Wild Horse Campaign in February. This is one of them:

[facebook https://facebook.com/EcoWatch/videos/1485232274823038/ expand=1]

These roundups are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to wild horse suffering and death. Records obtained by the American Wild Horse Campaign through the Freedom of Information Act show dozens of horses dying after roundups in Nevada and Wyoming in the days, weeks and months after capture. Causes of death include traumatic injuries such as broken necks, sustained when terrified horses crash into fences and gates. Other horses are just found dead in their pens, some painfully perish from colic and others just fail to thrive. Pregnant mares stampeded by helicopters often abort their foals after capture and some die in the process.

The roundups deprive wild horses of the two things they value most: their freedom and their families. Wild horses live in tight-knit social groups, but once they hit the trap, they never see their families again. Mares are forcibly separated from their stallions; foals are torn from their mothers sides.

Bad Policy and Bad Science

But perhaps the cruelest part of the roundups is that they dont work. According to the 2013 report, Using Science to Improve the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program, by the National Academy of Sciences, removing horses from the range just encourages the remaining horses to breed more. So the BLM is actually creating the very problem it complains about.

Yet, the roundups continue even though the BLM doesnt know what to do with the horses it removes from the range. Some mustangs find new homes through a federal adoption program, but thousands more live out their lives in government holding corrals and pastures. The government now warehouses more than 46,000 wild horses in holding facilities.

The entire failing system costs U.S. taxpayers almost $80 million each year and that amount is growing. Entities from the National Academy of Sciences to the Government Accountability Office to the BLM itself warn that the status quo is unsustainable and yet it promises of reform fade away with each administration.

A Better Way

More humane and effective options exist. In its 2013 report, the National Academy of Sciences also noted that the appropriate management levels that BLM uses to justify roundups have no foundation in science. A federal court of appeals last year concurred, noting that the U.S. Wild Horse and Burro Act doesnt define these levels and theres no basis in statute for using them to remove mustangs from their homes.

Wild horses and burros are present on just 17 percent of BLM land grazed by livestock. Theres room on the range for these iconic animals and the majority of Americans support preserving them on federal land. Americans are also overwhelmingly opposed to horse slaughter, the preferred management option of the special interest livestock lobby.

We need to decide on fair and sustainable population levels for wild horses. Then they can be humanely managed with birth control vaccine known as PZP, as recommended in the National Academy of Sciences report. Science and the public support this option and its readily available. Best of all, it also preserves the animals natural behaviors, the very essence of what makes them wild and distinguish them from their domestic counterparts.

Currently, the BLM spends less than one percent of its $80 million annual budget on this option. It can do much more. Both wild horses and taxpayers will benefit.

Last year, the National Advisory Board for Wild Horses and Burros, which ironically is dominated by livestock interests, recommended slaughtering wild horses. The suggestion was met with immediate public outrage and the BLM backed down.

https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/776164923743301632

But with a new president and a new Secretary of the Interior on the way, the future of these cherished animals is far from certain.

Will the cruel and costly practice of roundups continue? Or will they be replaced with something worse? Possibilities include dangerous and invasive sterilization surgeries, killing off all the mustangs in federal holding to make room for more and even shipping wild horses to foreign slaughterhouses.

The Trump administration provided a clue to how it will answer those questions in response to an ABC investigative reporter, stating that it had no intention of following the advisory boards recommendation to slaughter 46,000 wild horses and burros.

Thats a positive sign.

But the threat of slaughter grows daily as states like Utah lobby to take over wild horse management by harvesting them as a protein source.

Speak Up to Save Our Mustangs

This administration and Congress will literally determine the fate of Americas wild horses and burros.

If we dont tell them now to choose the better way for horses, they may choose the worst way instead. Speak up by signing this petition and learn more about how to get involved.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

Three of the five Caspian states have a common position on the status of the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said.

He made the remarks Mar. 6 in Moscow at a press conference following the talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

There are good preconditions for moving forward in this issue, said Mammadyarov.

Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, in turn, said he and Mammadyarov widely discussed the Caspian Seas status.

We hope it will be possible to complete the work regarding the convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea at the forthcoming meeting of the Caspian states foreign ministers and to prepare a number of other documents for presidents, who plan to hold the next Caspian Summit in Kazakhstan, added Lavrov.

The Caspian littoral states  Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Iran  signed a Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea in November 2003. Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to exercise sovereign rights for subsoil use in July 1998. The two countries signed a protocol to the agreement in May 2002.

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the Caspian Sea and a protocol to it on Nov. 29, 2001 and Feb. 27, 2003, respectively. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement on the delimitation of adjacent sections of the Caspian Sea on May 14, 2003.

Summits of heads of the Caspian states were held in 2002 in Ashgabat, in 2007 in Tehran, in 2010 in Baku and in 2014 in Astrakhan.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

A number of key issues in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement still remain unresolved, said Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

He was addressing a press conference, held after the talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov in Moscow March 6.

Most issues can be quickly agreed on but the key points still remain unresolved and the sides are currently not yet close to resolving them, according to Lavrov.

Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov, in turn, said the main issue in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the presence of political will to resolve it.

For Azerbaijan, returning the occupied lands is of national interest, he explained.

Easing tension is very important for us. It should be understood that when there are negotiations, guns are silent, Mammadyarov said, adding that today, the negotiation process needs progress.

He also noted that Baku insists on substantive negotiations on the matter.

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.
President Donald Trumps selection of billionaire and school choice advocate Betsy DeVos as U.S. secretary of education has further politicized the federal role in education and is heating up the long-standing conflict over charter schools.

The rancorous opposition to DeVos nomination reflects how confusing the issue of school choice has become. As long as the debate is framed as charter schools vs. public schools, there will be no winners, and the big losers will be the nations students.

Our country needs a centrist solutiona strategy that addresses the concerns of both camps and recognizes that there is truth on both sides of the debate. That strategy should reinforce the original purpose of charter schools as expressed by dozens of state charter laws: To create schools that become vanguards, laboratories, and an expression of the ongoing and vital state interest in the improvement of public education. With the charter expansion of the 2000s, however, that worthy goal was often ignored.

Many of the roughly 6,900 current charter schools do not qualify as innovation laboratories . Most states have not limited charters to those that promise to be different from traditional public schools. As a result, many are basically traditional schools on steroids, with longer hours, student uniforms, and strict discipline.

Some authorizers, meanwhile, see charters as a way to avoid unions or regulations, and offer alternatives to parents unhappy with their neighborhood options. These are the charter schoolsmany of which are run by large for-profit or nonprofit organizationsthat can be reasonably viewed as competing with district schools. They give weight to the argument that the chartering movement is a concerted effort led by ultrawealthy conservatives to privatize public education.

DeVos home state makes the case. During the 2013-14 school year, Michigan had 296 charters operating about 370 schools61 percent of which were managed by a full-service, for-profit management company, according to a study by the Detroit Free Press. Another 17 percent relied on for-profit companies for other services, such as staffing and human resources.

Critics insist that charter school operations undermine public schools, draining scarce funds from school districts. Charter advocates argue, among other things, that traditional public schools do not have the expense of educating transfer students. But the money saved is of little consolation to principals who lose students but cannot reduce teacher-salary costs accordingly, because they must comply with state mandates and union contracts from which charters are generally exempt.

At their best, the most innovative charter schools provide convincing evidence that there are better ways to educate students (especially disadvantaged ones) than now prevail in most traditional district schools. Infact, these pioneering schools bring together most of the innovative policies and practices needed to transform the nations traditional schools into the most successful in the world.

Most traditional school districts either ignore or actively resist innovation."

And yet, most traditional school districts either ignore or actively resist innovation. And their processes are so ingrained that one significant alteration would inevitably lead to systemic change or even a total redesign. Few public educators can imagine, let alone undertake, such dramatic change.

So what would a centrist solution look like? It should be based on two essential premises:

First, states must recommit to the original purpose of charter schools as innovation laboratories that will collaborate with district schools to improve practice and student achievement. Going forward, charters should be granted only to schools that pledge to collaborate. This will not be easy because with more than a million students nationwide on charter waiting lists, the high demand for charters means there will be pressure from parents for these schools just to open their doors.

Second, the growing demand for more charters creates an even greater urgency for the improvement of traditional public schools. Experience suggests that traditional district schools, on their own, are probably incapable of adopting the structural and practice changes necessary to prepare the majority of students for the challenges of an uncertain future. The state must provide the authority and resources to motivate and help districts adopt successful innovative practices developed by pioneering charter and district schools.

The trade-off in a centrist compromise is clear: If districts do not want to lose students and funding to a growing charter school sector, then they must build rich interaction with existing innovative charters and embrace the practices and philosophy that make those schools attractive to parents and students.

And if advocates for chartering want to achieve their original goal of improving public education, they must agree that new charters be limited to schools that promise to be nontraditional. The nation does not need more charter schools that are little different from the traditional district schools with which they compete.

Only if both sides in the debate agree that the goal must be to substantially improve public education and raise achievement for all students can such a compromise work. And states, as the institutions constitutionally responsible for public education, have an obligation to make such improvements their highest priority.

Without a centrist solution, we will continue to waste resources, time, and the futures of millions of children.
Because education funding can account for up to half of states budgets, the debate over how much schools get tends to dominate legislative sessions, which are now in full swing.

The debate is especially heated in states looking to overhaul their education funding formulas, some in response to court rulings. And in some states, the picture is complicated by budget shortfalls that threaten deep cuts for K-12 education. Among the states to keep an eye on this year as they look to make fundamental changes to their funding formula are:

Connecticut

Amid a $1.7 billion budget deficit and after a damning district court ruling deemed the states funding formula inequitable and inadequate, Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat, this year proposed cutting overall education spending and shifting more money to the states impoverished districts. Last week, dozens of school leaders from poor and wealthier districts protested the changes, and lawmakers were scrambling to come up with a budget the entire state can agree on.

Delaware

The state has one of the nations oldestand by many measures, most complicatedK-12 funding formulas. Instead of distributing its money per pupil, it distributes it per teacher. Similarly, the formula is one of the few that do not provide more money to schools for educating impoverished students and those with disabilities. The state is also one of a few that have never been sued over school funding. This year, the state legislature is considering whether to provide more funding to districts that serve students with disabilities in K-3. But the state is facing an estimated $350 million budget deficit, and many supporters of the overhaul bill worry that it wont pass.

Kansas

A state supreme court decision March 2 increases the likelihood that Kansas politicians will revert to an old funding formula and contribute millions more dollars to its public schools. The court decided in its Gannon v. Kansas decision that the state has failed to pay enough money for the states black, Hispanic, and poor students to meet its own learning standards. The court order could annually cost the state more than $400 million. Moderate Republicans along with their Democratic counterparts have urged Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, to increase income taxes. A bill that would have raised income taxes by $1 billion over the next two years was vetoed by Brownback earlier this year before the supreme court decision. Brownback has instead pushed legislators to increase liquor and sales tax revenue and expand school choice.

Illinois

For the past two years, Illinois has dealt with a budget impasse thats left its higher education system and some civic services without any state aid. Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, and the states Democratic-controlled legislature have reached a stalemate over how to distribute the states shrinking pot of tax money. A bipartisan task force last month recommended ways to overhaul the K-12 funding formula. Republicans want to lower taxes. Democrats want to raise them. And competing advocates in Chicago, its suburbs, and downstate Illinois are all fighting one another for a bigger part of the funding pie. Last week, the Illinois state school board settled a nine-year school funding lawsuit filed by Chicagos Urban League by agreeing to cap cuts to its spending and come up with a different funding formula if some districts dont get an adequate amount.

Mississippi

The legislature last year commissioned a study on redesigning the education spending formula. At an average $8,263 per student, Mississippi has one of the lowest per-pupil spending levels in the country, and local superintendents have long complained that funding has a direct correlation to student outcomes. The commissioned study, conducted by EdBuild, a school finance consulting firm, proposes, among other things, to increase funding for districts with a disproportionate number of impoverished students and decrease funding for wealthy suburban districts. Lawmakers are at odds over what the local share should be, what the state share should be, and what the state can afford. GOP Gov. Phil Bryant said he will call a special session if lawmakers come to an agreement on how to change the funding formula this year. A special session will allow the public more time to vet any plan the legislature comes up with, he said.

New Jersey

Last year, Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, proposed replacing the states K-12 funding formula by more equally distributing state aid among the states wealthy, rural, and urban school districts. His proposal would have cost urban districts a large share of education aid and almost doubled the amount of state aid suburban districts get. But New Jerseys high court ruled that the governors proposal violated the long-standing Abbott v. Burke decision, which dictates how (and how much) the state spends on its public schools. Thatll make any dramatic changes this year difficult for the governor.

Washington

Similar to their counterparts in Kansas, Washington state legislators this year have to come up with an answer to a state supreme court ruling. Republicans have pushed back against raising taxes to satisfy the 2012 McCleary v. State of Washington ruling that the state pick up a greater share of education costs. Since that ruling, the state has altogether increased its education funding by $2 billion but has yet to address the most expensive part of the ruling, which is to increase teacher pay. Some officials estimate the teacher-pay portion would cost $2.75 billion over the next three years. In the meantime, the court is fining the legislature $100,000 for every day lawmakers are in session and dont come up with a new funding formula. That amounts to about $36.5 million per session. The court set a deadline of September 2018.

Wisconsin

GOP Gov. Scott Walker proposed in his budget this year to both increase the amount of money schools get and flatten that states funding formula so that property-rich districts get the same amount from the state as property-poor districts. Proponents say that would simplify a very complicated formula. But opponents say the state doesnt have money to increase state aid and it would leave districts struggling to support poor students and those who dont speak English as their native language. How to change the funding formula has become a central issue in the state superintendents race between incumbent Tony Evers and Lowell Holtz.

Wyoming

A budget crisis resulting from the fall in coal and oil prices is so severe that legislators late last year told school officials that the state would have to consider rewriting its funding formula. Budget officials predict the school system could lose $400 million annually in the coming years. The state Senate last month proposed a bill that would gradually cut school funding by 5 percent by 2020. But a long-standing court ruling requires that education remain the states top spending priority. The Senate has proposed legislation to block the court from dictating school finance.
Date: 06/03/2017 Analog semiconductor expert Maxim names new sales head for Greater China and rest of Asia Analog and interface chip expert Maxim has announced appointment of Ting Li as company's Vice President of Sales for Greater China and Rest of Asia including India. Before joining Maxim, Ting Li was Vice President of Sales, Greater China, for OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, based in Shanghai. Earlier to OSRAM, Ting Li worked as Executive Director, Asia Pacific Channel Business at Freescale Semiconductor where he was responsible for demand-creation in the Asia Pacific market including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, South Asia, and India . He also worked at Avago and ST.



Li is an experienced sales leader who understands the semiconductor industry, the Pan Asia region, large and broad-market customers, and the distribution channel, said David Loftus, Maxim's Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing. Lis proven success in each of these areas, plus his system-level sales experience and excellent communication skills, makes Li the right choice for Maxim.



Li has a Bachelors degree in Electronic Engineering from East China Normal University and an MBA from the Management School ofFudan University (MIT Sloan-Fudan international MBA program).

Tweet Follow @eeherald
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

Trend:

Iran calls on the sides of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to show restraint and resolve the conflict through political means, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said at a press conference, Mehr reports.

Answering a question about the US involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, Qasemi noted that it would be better for the United States to have a realistic point of view in the conflict.

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.
Beaver County preparing for robust Election Day turnout

As the Nov. 8 midterm election approaches, nearly 114,000 people are registered to vote in Beaver County.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

Regular meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, as well as other government officials of the two countries play a decisive role in development of strategic partnership, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

Lavrov made the remarks at a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov in Moscow March 6.

Interparliamentary ties are developing intensively and cooperation between the Azerbaijani and Russian foreign ministries is to ensure a harmonious development of relations in all spheres, Lavrov said.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov is visiting Moscow. The visit, dedicated to the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Russia, will last until March 7.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

Relations between Azerbaijan and Russia have seen no major difficulties over the past 25 years, Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow March 6.

Mammadyarov is on a visit to Moscow, which will last until March 7. The visit is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of establishment of the Azerbaijan-Russia diplomatic relations.

The Azerbaijani FM said that during his Moscow visit, it is planned to discuss regional and international agenda and sign a plan of measures and consultations between the two countries foreign ministries.

Mammadyarov also said trade turnover between the two countries is currently growing, adding it is necessary to work even more to increase the bilateral trade.

Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia amounted to almost $2.05 billion in 2016, which is 10.5 percent more than in 2015, according to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee.
3 March 2017  Following the reported use of chemical weapons agents in East Mosul, Iraq, WHO, partners and local health authorities have activated an emergency response plan to safely treat men, women and children who may be exposed to the highly toxic chemical.

Since 1 March, 12 patients including women and children with respiratory symptoms and blistering have been received for treatment by a referral hospital in Erbil according to local health authorities. Of these, 4 patients are showing severe signs associated with exposure to a blister agent. WHO and partners are working with health authorities in Erbil to provide support in managing these patients.

Since the beginning of the Mosul crisis, WHO has been taking concrete steps to ensure preparedness for the potential use of chemical weapons, together with local health authorities. As part of a chemical weapons contingency plan, WHO experts have trained more than 120 clinicians and provided them with equipment to safely decontaminate and stabilise patients before they are referred to pre-identified hospitals for further care. Field decontamination and contaminated patients stabilization are built into all field hospitals, and referral systems to pre-identified hospitals are in place.

WHO is extremely alarmed by the use of chemical weapons in Mosul, where innocent civilians are already facing unimaginable suffering as a result of the ongoing conflict.

The use of chemical weapons is a war crime and is prohibited in a series of international treaties. These include the Hague Declaration concerning Asphyxiating Gases, the 1925 Geneva Protocol, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Related links

Declaration (IV,2) concerning Asphyxiating Gases. The Hague, 29 July 1899

1925 Geneva Protocol

Chemical Weapons Convention

Statute of the International Criminal Court
Police help vets rescue injured dog

Police helped vets rescue a dog that sustained an injury while exploring one of the Island's glens.

Springer spaniel Spike became impailed on a metal spike while walking in Glen Helen last week.

Officers from the Western Neighbourhood Policing Team gave assistance to Milan Vets to get Spike to safety and removed the piece of fence, ensuring more animals won't be hurt in the future.

Fortunately Spike wasn't seriously injured and will make a full recovery.
Details added (first version posted on 12:18)

Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Simon McDonald, the United Kingdoms Permanent Under Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office March 6.

President Aliyev said McDonald`s visit to Azerbaijan created a good opportunity for discussing cooperation and regional issues between the two countries.

The president said the agenda of cooperation issues is very comprehensive, pointing out the expansion of the bilateral relations.

President Aliyev said the two countries enjoy very good relations in energy area, adding that Azerbaijan-BP cooperation spans over 25 years.

President Aliyev described BP as the main strategic partner of Azerbaijan in the field of energy, expressing confidence that this cooperation will successfully continue.

President Aliyev said British companies have become more interested in Azerbaijan`s non-oil sector recently, adding that this is in line with Azerbaijan`s economic diversification policy and will enhance business relations between the two countries.

McDonald said this is his first visit to Azerbaijan. He hailed Baku as a modern city, saying he is deeply impressed with the new architectural samples.

McDonald said he will familiarize himself with the world famous Heydar Aliyev Center. He said a lot of British companies invest in Azerbaijan under agreements signed between the two countries.

The reforms carried out in Azerbaijan in recent years, attention to education, measures to reduce unemployment and poverty and address social issues in Azerbaijan were highlighted at the meeting.

The sides discussed the impact of the fall in oil prices on the speed-up of diversification, Azerbaijan`s international standing and the country`s rating by international organizations.
Terra Jole of "Little Women LA" is terrified to hear the truth about her health as she waits for her doctor's diagnosis. Terra Jole revealed the possibility of having cancer is not far out, but she has to wait for the verdict.

Terra Jole was already undergoing treatment for her health issues since last season's "Dancing With The Stars." Her doctors are concerned that breast cancer could be a possibility since it is a question of genetics.

In a video clip for "Little Women's" upcoming season, as reported by Daily Mail, Terra Jole admitted her health concerns were so serious she could be leaving "Dancing With The Stars" soon. Terra Jole said it could be cancer, although they are still waiting for the final result from her doctor.

"It was one of those moments where I felt like if I gave up... I was like giving up on myself," Terra Jole said. "No matter how hurt you are you just keep going, I had multiple hernias, my diastasis was separated so all the hernias were coming out of the center of the stomach."

Terra Jole said cancer runs in her family and her health problems would have happened anyway whether or not she appeared at the "Dancing With The Stars." Dancing was, according to Terra Jole, very difficult and she was even told by dancing professional Sasha Farber to cancel if she did not feel good enough. They expect the result to come out within this week.

She had diastasis recti, a condition where there is a separation of the abdominal muscles, but Terra Jole said her hernias are now fine after surgery. A mild case of diastasis recti is common among pregnant women, but Terra Jole's case was severe.

Terra Jole confessed that while she was dancing her way into the hearts of American fans, she was also feeling physical pains during the competition, according to People. Terra Jole and husband Joe Gnoffo have two very young kids, and she is praying the test results will be negative.
The most recent episodes of "Counting On" has newlyweds Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo as the main focus. Still, there are rumors that there might be more romance in the air for the Duggar family.

There are whispers that not one but two of the Duggar brothers might be courting the Caldwell sisters. Recently, Valintine's Day was the interesting event when the entire Duggar family was seen together at a party in the Duggar estate in Tontitown, Arkansas. A Duggar fan had actually asked on their official blog when the family was going to announce the courtship of one Duggar boy or more. As Austin was pitching in to help with the "flower trip," the Caldwell girls too were involved in it, which made it interesting, said the fan.

It involved 22-year-old Joseph Duggar instead of 27-year-old John David, who is the eldest of all the brothers in the Duggar family and is not in a romance with anyone. Josiah Duggar was courting Marjorie Jackson till they decided to call it off, according to The Hollywood Gossip. The other Duggar brother involved with the other Caldwell sister might be either Jedidiah or Jeremiah. Both are aged 18 years.

The Caldwell sisters are both daughters of a preacher in Fayetteville, Arkansas. While it is not known how old they are, the Christian faith would be a strong support for the alliances. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are likely to be thrilled to link up with pastor's children. Tove rumors around the Duggars are pretty high at the moment. Right now, Joy-Anna Duggar is courting Austin Forsyth, which would lead to more wedding bells ringing at the Duggar family household. Meanwhile, the recent wedding of Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo was big news, especially as they enjoyed a cooking class during their honeymoon in Australia, according to US Magazine.

YouTube/Channel News
Apple iPad Pro 2 new models are being pushed in a new campaign that started last month. Four new commercials on the Apple iPad Pro 2 have been released just last month, focusing on the life-saving and problem-solving features of the gadget.

Each of the Apple iPad Pro 2 advertisement made use of real-life tweets that mentioned problems often encountered by real people. As expected, the Apple iPad Pro 2 has been offered as a solution for these problems.

The advertisements focused on the various features of the Apple iPad Pro 2 such as its tendency to ditch out any virus before it invades the unit, the gadget's support for Microsoft Word and its LTE connectivity, according to Apple Insider.

Students who could not keep up with their math lessons can benefit from the Apple Pencil feature offered by the Apple iPad Pro 2. Aside from its note-taking capabilities, the Apple iPad Pro 2 also allows students to record an entire lecture.

Even office workers can benefit from the Apple iPad Pro 2, thanks to the gadget's various business-friendly features. The Apple iPad Pro 2 promises to clear up a cluttered desk as it can replace a piece of paper, a laptop or even a scanner.

Apple's series of advertisement campaign for the Apple iPad Pro 2 signalled the company's thrust to focus on social media more than television. The advertisements were 15-second videos and ideally for sharing on consumers' social media pages.

The new Apple iPad Pro 2 models are reportedly a month away from being officially revealed, according to University Herald. Consumers who want to deliberate on which Apple iPad Pro 2 units to buy once the new models come out can choose from the 9.7-inch budget-friendly but still powerful device, the 10.5-inch tablet or the 12.9-inch updated model.

Apple iPad Pro 2 users who want a more affordable unit but with stellar quality can opt for the 9.7-inch model that will reportedly have a price tag of $299. The newest Apple iPad Pro 10.5-inch model may still be in the completion stage but will reportedly have a price tag of $599.

The market is anticipating the new Apple iPad Pro 2 models if only because this will be the first for Apple to offer the 10.5-inch size. The said model has almost the same size as the 9.7-inch model but the bezel-less model has a bigger display aspect ration at 1.50. It also has 2224x1668 pixels-per-inch resolution.

Apple has yet to confirm the exact specifications of the Apple iPad Pro 2 models. The launch is, however, only a month away.
"Call the Midwife Season 6" is guaranteed a space among social networking sites after its controversial episode on genital mutilation. This is indeed unchartered territory for the Nonnatus House sisters but the production handled it will.

The genital mutilation episode of 'Call the Midwife Season 6" showed midwives Barbara Gilbert played by Charlotte Ritchie, and Valerie Dyer played here by Jennifer Kirby, examining a pregnant Somalian woman named Nadifa who is played by Yusra Warsama. The examination showed that Nadifa had been cut, a procedure referred to as genital mutilation.

This episode of "Call the Midwife Season 6" puts into focus the cultural ritual of intentionally removing the external genitals of a woman without any medical reason at all. Female Gender Mutilation (FGM) is widely practiced among young girls in Africa and the Middle East even if it is considered a human rights violation.

"I have been interested in FGM for some time and it did seem to me that if we waited until 1962, the Somali community were beginning to settle and establish a foothold in the East End," "Call the Midwife" writer Heidi Thomas said. "I thought this would be a fascinating story, as it would be the first time our midwives would have seen this process. It would provide a very interesting crunch point between two cultures and of course it is now a very hot topic, quite rightly."

"Call the Midwife Season 6" got a lot of help from anti-FGM campaigner Nimco Ali for the episode on genital mutilation, according to The Guardian. Ali, who got her genitals mutilated at seven years old, said the "Call the Midwife Season 6" episode would probably ruffle some feathers even if it was written with immense knowledge.

The genital mutilation episode of "Call the Midwife Season 6" hopes to create widespread awareness on the ritual. It is unfortunate to note that around 6,000 new cases of genital mutilation were recorded in England last year even if it is considered illegal in the United Kingdom.

Thomas, however, said "Call the Midwives Season 6" would not judge the practice on moral grounds in its effort not to judge women by virtue of their cultural practices, according to Telegraph. After all, "Call the Midwife Season 6" is a medical and not a moral drama and it does not want to impose the mindset of the modern world on its characters.
It was a turtle that triggered off outrage against Dan Bilzerian. He posted the picture of a bikini-clad-woman on a 100-year-old endangered tortoise on Instagram. He used his latest social media platform to show off his getaway.

But immediately, Dan Bilzerian became endangered in Instagram! He had gone to the British Virgin Islands with friends, and halted at Richard Branson's private hideout, Necker Island, according to The Sun. Dan Bilzerian puts up an image of himself feeding a large, endangered, 100-year-old Galapagos tortoise, even as a "busty" woman friend is sitting on top of it and smiling at the camera. This species has been listed in the "protected and vulnerable" category by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

In most of his Instagram pictures, the super-rich professional poker player, Dan Bilzerian, is seen in beautiful beaches with gorgeous bikini-clad women and automatic weapons. That is only seen by most viewers. However, this one image got him blasted, with 3,200 comments. Many called him "cruel" according to WB News.

One commenter wrote on Dan Bilzerian's image that it is "Disgusting" and he should be ashamed of himself. Another friend wrote that it was disrespectful to straddle such a "magnificent" creature just to show a photo to others. Yet another friend said: "You have money but no class. You represent everything that is wrong with the world."

However, Dan Bilzerian refused to show any remorse or regret. He wrote: "Get off your soapbox, the people working there said it's fine to sit on them."

However, in case Dan Bilzerian does not know, the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador has told visitors not to touch or disturb reptiles. People are supposed to keep away, at a distance of at least 6 feet, and avoid touching them. People should also be "sensitive" about clicking pictures.

YouTube/News
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been making headlines since news about their relationship leaked. The unconventional pairing of Megan Markle and Prince Harry has elicited mixed reactions, some saying that it is like a modern-day fairy tale while some believe that the "Suits" actress is not the right girl for a British royalty.

Although Megan Markle and Prince Harry initially tried to keep a low profile and stay away from the press, two big celebrities like them just can't seem to hide from the spotlight. Eventually, Prince Harry had to release an official statement in an attempt to keep Megan Markle protected and respected by the media, especially the paparazzi.

Critics believed that Megan Markle and Prince Harry's relationship will not last long or work out because of many factors that include cultural differences, social class, and a highly sensationalized relationship that involves little to no privacy at all. However, it seems like Prince Harry and Megan Markle are defying all the obstacles in their relationship and are proud to be going stronger than ever.

According to Mirror, Megan Markle and Prince Harry recently attended a wedding in Jamaica. Prince Harry and Megan Markle were reportedly invited to the wedding of the royal's best friend, Tom Inskip. Their attendance in the said wedding has reportedly signified that their relationship is going down the serious path.

While it was supposed to be a romantic getaway for Megan Markle and Prince Harry, there seemed to be a glaring fact that made the trip slightly awkward for the relatively new couple. According to reports, the wedding location was situated about 60 miles away from where the "Suits" actress married her first husband, Trevor Engleson in 2011.

However, it seemed like Megan Markle and Prince Harry had a good time during the wedding that doubled as romantic getaway from their busy schedules. According to Mail Online, Prince Harry hardly left Megan Markle's side during the event.

Do you think Megan Markle and Prince Harry will be getting married soon? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Ever since the Nintendo Classic Mini NES has been released in November 2016, avid fans of the company wanted to have this retro console on their hands. Nevertheless, there has been scarcity on the stocks of the retro console starting the holiday season last year but now, Argos, Tesco and Amazon are offering the device online.

According to GQ Magazine has noted that video games are really generating a huge amount of income and the high demand for the Nintendo Classic Mini NES is really not surprising. But then, Nintendo underestimated the clamor of its fans for the console resulting to low supply and some frustrated clients who wanted to have the retro device.

The real price of the Nintendo Classic Mini NES is $59.99 but then a lot of buyers are shelling out $150 for the device. Despite the high cost, the consumers still have to keep an eye to spot the availability of the gadget.

Moreover, it seems that the scarcity of the stocks was solved as Daily Express has learned that the Nintendo Classic Mini NES units are now arriving at Argos, Tesco and Amazon. With this, it appears that the scarcity of Nintendo retro console's stocks might end soon.

The Nintendo Classic Mini NES stock at the aforementioned retailer stores seems to be still limited and the hunters of Nintendo's retro console should hurry to obtain a unit. Nevertheless, the Japanese tech giant is already keeping pace in to continue delivering the demands of the consumers who are looking for the device since holiday season last year.

As of now, Argos, Tesco and Amazon have stocks of Nintendo Classic Mini NES online and are ready for grabs. But then, the avid fans of Nintendo should keep in mind that these units can be sold out fast so they should hurry to be able to have one on their hands.
There have been a lot of speculation about the MacBook Pro 2017, but recent anticipations claimed that it might sport AMD Ryzen chipset. Apple was also challenged to deliver a redefined MacBook this time around.

According to PC Advisor, the MacBook Pro 2017 is previously speculated to feature Intel's processors but now fresh reports suggest that it will be engineered with AMD Ryzen chipset. It has been claimed that AMD's recently launched Ryzen 7 promises to deliver power efficiency with a better performance which really fit in with Apple's philosophy.

It was also noted that the current MacBook Pro isn't much faster than its predecessor; hence Apple is opting to provide its patrons good performance while conserving battery life. With this, reports are now suggesting that rather than manufacturing its own or incorporating Intel's chips to the upcoming MacBook 2017; it could use AMD's Ryzen CPUs as an alternative.

Furthermore, BGR has learned that Tim Cook has addressed the issue that Apple Inc. is no longer concerned in catering the needs of the professionals. In a question and answer Cook has stated that the Cupertino-based company doesn't have the plan to leave the Pro market.

"You will see us do more in the pro area," Tim Cook stated in during the shareholders conference when asked about the MacBook Pro 2017. He even clarified that the pro market is important to the company particularly the creative area.

These words from Tim Cook has been timely as Apple Inc. experienced some sort of backlash months after the company released the MacBook Pro equipped with Touch Bar. It can be remembered that even though it is a good thing that the Cupertino-based tech giant incorporated a new technology to the laptop, there have been negative comments with the device which indicated that the latest MacBook Pro was expensive but underpowered.

As of the moment, Apple hasn't confirmed if the company will be utilizing AMD Ryzen chips or Intel for the MacBook Pro 2017. But then, one thing is sure and that is Tim Cook will be doing his best to boost the tech giant's quarterly shares.
Vanessa Lachey is hoping she and her family can "bake some good" in the world.

Lachey just wrapped up her "BakeSomeGood" partnership with Nestle, a campaign in which bakers surprised various organizations with cookies, brownies and other delicious treats. The television personality spoke with Enstars recently to discuss how the campaign went, how husband Nick Lachey helps her with baking and the experience of raising their three children, Camden, 4, Brooklyn, 2, and 3-month-old Phoenix.

Enstars: How would you describe Nestle's "BakeSomeGood" campaign in your own words?

Vanessa: It was a fun partnership and I'm super proud of Nestle as well as the bakers who broke a world record and baked straight for 100 days. They did good for people who are under-appreciated and they just said "thank you." It was a simple act of just doing something kind and I think in this crazy time in everyone's life, it was nice to bring it back to something extremely simplistic and it just had such a great impact. The positive impact I got from everybody was so wonderful and it really, selfishly, forced me to make some more family time. As you can imagine with the newborn, things get extra crazy and you start juggling things differently, but this made it easy for me in mind to say "guys we're gonna do this today, there's a point behind this, it's gonna be for some good" and when we did it I was so grateful afterwards at the end result and to see the kids and how much they enjoyed it. And selfishly, I got some "mommy and me" time with the kiddos.

How did you get involved with the campaign?

I love cooking and baking. So when they approached me with the opportunity I of course jumped on board. I've been a Nestle fan my whole life because when you don't have the time to bake something from scratch they've got amazing refrigerated cookie dough that are literally foolproof. I also love that they do these seasonal ones, so around fall we did pumpkin and now they've got strawberry shortcake and summer's coming up, blueberry lemon. They don't just stop at the chocolate chip cookie. They always reinvent it some way that makes it more delicious and I love that.

These are certainly challenging and divisive times for a lot of people. How can the everyday person bake some good on their own even if this campaign is over?

The campaign is over but it doesn't mean that "baking some good" is over and it doesn't mean that we can't continue as people, as a mother, or you, as a journalist, to do good in our communities. This is just an easy way that I can give you an example to do that and that's baking something for someone. Have you ever gone into the office and someone had fresh-baked cookies or there's brownies or cupcakes and you're like ehh? No! You look and you're like "who baked today?!" And it's such a good feeling. There's dozens of examples, but this is an easy way that people can dive into it and for me it was great because I came to it with my kids and I can show them what it's like to give back and what it's like to put a smile on someone's face. Cam brought some cookies to teachers, and Brooklyn was in the kitchen with me, so it's just all these little lessons and all these little moments that hopefully resonate something bigger, moving forward.

You've gotten into creating your own recipes as well. Can you tell me about the chocolate chunk cookies recipe you developed?

The beauty of my husband is he doesn't discriminate in the kitchen! So I can try anything and Nick will try it, and I've had to make him get better at being honest 'cause he's such a good man, he'll say everything is good. So lately I'm like "babe, if you just tell me everything's good I'm not gonna get better so you have to be honest!" I like making mistakes, I like trying new things and I like finding something that just sticks because there's a little bit of pride in it but also I can see on his face that it's really good and I feel like I accomplished something because I don't have generations of recipes passed down in my family and I don't have a mother who bakes in the kitchen and I remember growing up really wanting that and instead of saying "oh well I don't have that for my daughter," I try to think how can we change that. So we do it together and we mess up together and then we find things that work together.

One of my favorites was this salted chocolate chip because when I was pregnant I was craving salty and sweet, so that one I'm super proud of, but that's the beauty of cooking and baking. Baking you have to be a little more specific with measurements and whatnot but what I found working with Nestle is there's so many amazing products that it's to an extent foolproof because you know you've got great products to work with that you can play around with and you're gonna have a fun result. It may not be what you envisioned but it's gonna be fun and then you perfect it.

Do Nick or the kids get involved with baking?

Nick does not get involved, he's the taste-tester. I love him and I know he would say the same thing, he does not get in the kitchen. He helps, if I have a big dish then he'll help me pour it in, but he's my taste-tester. But the kids, yeah, there's so many things you can do to have them help you, whether it's putting the morsels into the bowl or measuring out whatever ingredients you need or even placing it onto the pan, they love to help and I think it teaches them so many things that we can't even see on the surface. What's underlying these moments that they're creating and the confidence that they're getting and the imagination that they're using, it's a beautiful thing to watch, and also to let them see that it's okay to get dirty and have fun when you're in the kitchen. It's not always dinner time, eat, go clean up! Sometimes it is that, you sit down and you're like "eat your food!" and so it's nice to encourage them that the kitchen can also be fun, and baking does that, so I love it for that reason.

Are there specific examples of places people can go to give away baked goods?

Different organizations speak to people differently, obviously you can go on the website to contribute what you want. But for me, I was an Air Force brat, so it was really important for me to give back to military families so I try to do stuff that I can with the military and Air Force in particular. We "baked some good" one day for military families and I loved that because when a parent is away it's nice that someone else is thinking about you and saying "hey, we see you, we're here for you, and we appreciate what your parent is doing." It's all these little moments that just resonate and it might take a minute in your day but it can last forever in another child or another person. So I think everyone can just take a beat and think what means something to them because when it comes from an organic place then it's real, and it's beautiful.

You're obviously very busy now with raising three kids, but do you have any other special projects coming up?

My favorite project right now is "mommy." The beauty of this industry that I get to work in is that we are somewhat flexible and I just promised myself and my husband that when Phoenix came we would devote our time to him and to our kids and to being a family because it's only this short amount of time that he's this age, and then they grow up and they're gone, and I'm just an empty-nester! So it's nice to take a beat and have snuggle time and just remind ourselves what we're doing and why we're doing it. Everything we do is for our family so it's nice to just be here for our family when you have a newborn. And I think most moms and families do that and it's a beautiful thing, so our days are filled with fun activities and bonding time and lots of conversation, laughs, tears, the whole nine. It doesn't stop, because as you know, newborns eat all day long, so he pretty much needs this 24/7 and I in a weird way love it, 'cause I know that soon, he won't, so I'm relishing it.

***

Check out some of the best moments from the Nestle "BakeSomeGood" campaign and get inspired to bake some good on your own at VeryBestBaking.com/BakeSomeGood.
Angelina Jolie has been reported that she was spotted with a man despite her divorce from Brad Pitt. The actress was seen with the mystery man while she was out for shopping in Cambodia together with her kids.

Angelina Jolie did not waste any time in moving on when she was reportedly spotted with the man. This report from a particular magazine said that Jolie has already replaced Brad Pitt less than a year after she filed for the divorce last September.

The report further added that Angelina Jolie was seen cozying up to a mystery hunk while the six children also ride along with them. According to this report, Jolie was caught sharing an intimate moment with the rumored new man in her life while she was in Cambodia last month for her film as per Ace Showbiz.

Some people claimed that Angelina Jolie and the man sneaked out of her luxury hotel to shop. It even said that the actress even introduced her six children with the man which others considered as a further blow to Pitt.

Because of this, some even commented that Brad Pitt will surely hit the roof the moment he finds out about this. It can be recalled that the actor is barely allowed to communicate to his own children and now, Angelina Jolie is letting some stranger to buy them trinkets.

However, some reports also debunked this telling that the man was actually her security guard and the mystery guy was part of Angelina Jolie's security detail. That is the only reason the man was with her along with her six children.

Moreover, these reports added that Angelina Jolie does not have any romantic relationship with the man. It was just presumptuous to think and conclude that the actress and the man are in a relationship despite her divorce settlement with Brad Pitt.

Meanwhile, Brad Pitt is reportedly reconnecting with his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston as it has been reported by Elle that he had been texting Jen lately amidst his divorce from Angelina Jolie. If these reports are true after all, it looks like Brad and Angelina are going to have officially moved on.

At some point, it's still hard to believe that both Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have already moved on with their respective mystery dates. The soon-to-be ex-couple is currently preoccupied with their respective works.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

Azerbaijan is an important strategic partner of Russia, and the positions of the two countries coincide on the majority of key issues, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

He made the remarks Mar. 6 in Moscow at a press conference following the talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov.

The talks with my colleague and friend, Minister Mammadyarov were constructive, we discussed the schedule of the upcoming meetings, including those at the highest level, and we reviewed the situation in the economic sphere, Lavrov noted.

Russia will further work to find acceptable solutions to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement, he added.

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.
Media attack trump's terrorism expert Dr. Sebastian Gorka By Jim Kouri

In keeping with the news media's tradition of denigrating and maligning Republican appointees to key White House positions including those related to national security and counter-terrorism, famed military and law enforcement strategist Dr. Sebastian Gorka is being targeted and accused of being Islamophobic without any credible evidence. He's also being labeled anti-Semitic by left-wing Jews who display more hatred for President Donald Trump -- who has Jewish family members -- than for Islamic terrorists such as Hamas and Hezbollah who seek the total annihilation of the Israelis. According to political strategist Michael Baker, a former police official and prosecutor, the majority of news people aren't worried about being seen as biased leftists who believe their primary job is to circulate propaganda and Democratic Party talking points to the unwashed masses. "In an emotional outburst on MSNBC's morning show, co-host Mika Brzezinski declared that it was the job of the news media to 'control' what the American people think. I almost choked on my cocktail. I didn't know whether to be angry with her elitist mind set or happy that she admitted what conservatives have been saying for years," said Baker. It could be that while unemployment and the economy worsens, he could have undermined the messaging so much that he can actually control exactly what people think, Brzezinski boldly claimed. And that, that is our job. Meanwhile, in keeping with Barack Obama mentor Saul "Rules for Radicals" Alinsky's strategy -- "Pick the Target, Freeze It, Personalize It and Polarize It" -- the members of the press began this week to pile on Dr. Gorka with accusations of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, warmonger, and others.



Sebastian Gorka was born in London in 1970 and while attending university he joined the British Territorial Army, serving in the Intelligence Corps, a British counter-terrorism unit specializing in radical Islamic organizations. After returning to Hungary in 1998, Gorka served as an adviser to that nation's Prime Minister Viktor Orban. At that point he began his work on a doctorate in political science. His doctoral dissertation focused on the strategic differences between the politically motivated terrorism of the Cold War and the religiously motivated terrorists such as Al Qaeda. On Friday, Co-Chair of the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus and the International Religious Freedom Caucus, Congressman Trent Frank, R-Texas, released the following statement in support of Deputy Assistant to President Donald J. Trump Dr. Sebastian Gorka in response to press and social media attacks against him this week: "I have followed the recent press and social media attacks against Dr. Sebastian Gorka and am compelled to respond with disgust at the attempt to libel this American patriot. Most disturbing of all is the attempt to portray Dr. Gorka in any way as anti-Semitic. Having called upon his expertise on Counterterrorism repeatedly in Congress and used his analysis to inform our work, I can attest that Dr. Gorka is the staunchest friend of Israel and the Jewish people. He truly understands the existential threat that Global Jihadism poses to both America and Israel and has repeatedly stated that groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS share a totalitarian bond with the Fascists and Nazis who threatened us in the 20th century. To associate him an any way with such ideologies is repugnant and a prime example of what has been termed "Fake News. Sebastian Gorka's service to the nation, his reputation, and his national security credentials are all unimpeachable and I am thrilled he is now serving in the White House as Deputy Assistant to President Donald J. Trump." Jim Kouri, CPP, is founder and CEO of Kouri Associates, a homeland security, public safety and political consulting firm. He's formerly Fifth Vice-President, now a Board Member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, a columnist, and a contributor to the nationally syndicated talk-radio program, the Chuck Wilder Show. He's the author of two books: "Crime Talk: Conversations with America's Top Law Enforcement Officers" and "Assume the Position: Police Science for Journalists and Screenwriters." He also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty (Law & Order). He holds a bachelor of science in Criminal Justice from Southwest University and SCI Technical School in New York City and completed training at the NYC Police Academy, FBI Continuing Education Program, and the Certified Protection Professional (CPP) of the American Society for Industrial Security. To subscribe to Kouri's newsletter write to COPmagazine@aol.com and write "Subscription" on the subject line. Home
Future is cloudy with occasional Trump gusts at National Weather Service By Michael R. Shannon

How many weather people does it take to change a forecast? Evidently more than we currently possess. The National Weather Service Employees Organization is issuing a severe hiring freeze warning. The union is afraid if Donald Trumps freeze order is applied to the National Weather Service it will be a cold day in hell before it can add another employee. The union hopes it can slip through a loophole under cover of a rhetorical fog bank. Trumps order doesnt apply to agencies involved in the military, public safety or public health. The Washington Post says the NWS is hoping to reclassify itself as an integral part of the nations public safety apparatus: First responders when the precipitation hits the fan. If NWS brass has its way, soldiers fighting for our freedom, antiterror agents protecting the homeland and doctors battling dread disease will be joined by the guy who eyeballs the rain gauge at the airport. Each doing their small part in the vital effort to keep taxpayers alive and paying taxes. Normally you would call this sort of bureaucratic aggrandizement mission creep but in the case of the weather service well call it moisture creep. The real problem facing weather wizards is its difficult to make the case for 650 new hires before Hurricane Donald arrives, when the desks have been empty for years and no one, outside the cleaning crew that dusts the monitors, has noticed. A union functionary claims the vacant slots are Emergency Essential and its a big deal, meaning those employees are critical to the life-saving mission of the NWS, so they must report to work (in hurricanes, floods, blizzards, furloughs, etc.). That's a confusing explanation. Id have thought an employee who shows up at the office after being furloughed is a potential source of workplace violence, not a reason to consider NWS workers the equivalent of Marines with barometers. As for the rest of the examples, when the morgue is empty its easy enough to claim your agency was responsible, but wheres the evidence these vacant slots represent a lifesaving mission? When a city is short of cops or has a surplus of demonstrators crime goes up. With a shortage of doctors patients pile up. But it will take some convincing to persuade me a shortage of weather oracles encourages tornadoes. Making the case the NWS is a public safety necessity is difficult when the weather service has trouble coping with normal weather. Last week, while a blizzard was slamming into Maine and California was wondering if leftist sanctuaries would protect citizens and illegals from flood waters, the NWS system went offline. A case could be made the cat was out of the bag and Maine and California were already familiar with the weather, but knowing if the rain was expected to stop would have been helpful to the sandbag crew. Instead two core routers failed and the system was offline for three hours. The WaPosts weather blog reminds us NWS systems failed as Hurricane Matthew was bearing down on Florida last October and in July it experienced another network issue. Its almost as if Hillary is the IT consultant. Even if NWS bureaucrats can convince Trump a weather watcher wielding a weathervane is the public safety equal of a doctor brandishing a thermometer, there is the vetting problem. In a government that yawns over classified phone call transcripts being leaked to the opposition media theres a surprising amount of paranoia regarding the fiveday forecast. Higher level NWS employees are for some unknown reason required to have a security clearance. It's not like you can hide the weather, just go outside and you know as much as President Trump. The only forecasts that have any usefulness are next day predictions. Three and fiveday forecasts, which you can get from any weather poodle on TV, are about as reliable as a Republican Congressmans promise to repeal Obamacare. I suppose if your life is wrapped up in humidity the staffing shortfall is a big problem, but to me it looks like a good way to save money. It would be cheaper to let NWS focus on gathering weather data and let the private sector handle the forecasts. Using the same data the NWS employs, the Weather Channel is already more accurate and if you dont like those global warming fanatics theres always your local TV weather babe. Why fight it? The missing 650 employees are approximately 14 percent of total employment. Since Trump wants to cut the federal workforce by 20 percent, the NWS' head start puts it well on the way to meeting that goal. It's new motto could be: All the Weather at 80 Percent of the Cost! Michael R. Shannon is a public relations and advertising consultant with corporate, government and political experience around the globe. He is a dynamic and entertaining keynote speaker. He can be reached at mandate.mmpr (at) gmail.com. He is also the author of Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!). Home
Next oil rally? Futures say market is tightening



By Nick Cunningham

U.S. oil inventories are at record levels, but there are a few glimmers of hope that the glut could be starting to subside.



Storing crude oil for sale at a later date is no longer profitable, as the futures curve has flattened out in recent weeks, depriving traders of a strategy that has served them well over the past few years. The market contango, in which front-month oil contracts trade at a discount to oil futures six months or a year out, has all but vanished. The differential must be large enough to cover the cost of storage, and for many time spreads that is no longer the case. After three years of a steep contango, storing oil simply to take advantage of the time spreads is increasingly uneconomical.



One of the more expensive forms of storage is floating on tankers at sea, and because of the narrowing contango, floating storage is unprofitable today. Reuters reports that traders are beginning to unload crude from floating storage along the Gulf Coast. "Right now, traders aren't incentivized (to store)," Sandy Fielden, director of oil and products research at Morningstar, told Reuters in an interview. "It won't all stampede out of the gate, but inventory levels will come down. What will happen is that some of it will go to refineries, but a fair amount will be exported too."



Just as the rapid rise of floating storage in 2015 and 2016 was a sign of the deepening global supply imbalance, draining tankers of stored oil is an early sign that the supply glut is receding.



So far, it is only the most expensive storage facilities that are seeing drawdowns  the U.S. on the whole has seen crude stocks swell to record highs. But oil analysts argue that the surge in crude inventories is a symptom of stepped up imports booked at the end of 2016, when OPEC members pumped out huge volumes of crude just ahead of implementation of their deal to cut production. After a few weeks of transit time, the extra supply started showing up in U.S. storage data in January and February. In other words, the stock builds could be a temporary anomaly.



More recently, the time spreads for Brent futures also indicate increasing tightness in the market. John Kemp of Reuters notes that the spread between futures between April and May has sharply narrowed this month, meaning that the market is betting on a supply deficit as we move into the second quarter. The spreads for May-June and June-July are even smaller, trading at a few cents per barrel. This is a complicated way of saying that there isnt a way to make money by buying oil, paying for storage, and selling it at a later date.



In a separate report, Reuters notes that inventories are also starting to drawdown in Asia, adding further evidence that the glut is not as bad as feared. As OPEC has throttled back on production, Asia is starting to see the impact. Reuters says that unusually large drawdowns took place across key oil hubs in Asia  6.8 million barrels of oil were withdrawn from tanker storage off of Malaysias coast while Singapore saw a 4.1 million barrel decline and Indonesias storage fell by 1.2 million barrels.



"Dancing contango is now not a profitable thing to do, so we've sold out," an oil trading manager told Reuters. The trader no longer stores oil on tankers because of the disappearing contango.



The details of the contango and the oil futures market may seem complex and arcane, but the shift in time spreads is exactly what OPEC has been targeting with its supply cut. By cutting near-term supply, OPEC has succeeded in changing the economics of oil trading, forcing inventories to draw down. That could cause a short-term supply problem as oil is unloaded from storage, but in the long run OPEC needs to drain that excess supply from storage tanks around the world in order to spark higher prices.



Traders are more and more confident that the oil market will experience tighter conditions as we move into the second quarter, a bet that is reflected in both the time spreads and the exceptional buildup in bullish positions on crude oil. The oil price rally is not without its risks  very notable risks that have been covered in previous articles  but for now, the futures market is offering investors and traders some reasons for bullishness.



Nick Cunningham is a writer for Oilprice.com where this essay originally appeared.

Home
My Pilgrimage: Chapter Three By Michael Moriarty

While beginning a libretto for the second opera of my Lionhead Ring  the first opera being set in the present but with the ghosts of living and very famous poets and musicians haunting it  I felt obliged to set the second creation in the 30s and 40s. Why? World War II was the horrifyingly strange fruit born from the plentifully anti-Semitic tree of genius living within the 19th Century popularity of Richard Wagner. Suddenly, the Communist poet/agent provocateur, Bertolt Brecht, and his musical colleague, Kurt Weill, both wildly productive in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, became equally inevitable subjects for my second opera for The Lionhead Ring. Why? At the same time Nazism was being born by one of Richard Wagners greatest fans, Adolf Hitler, Communism was installing the sadistic principles of Joseph Stalin into Russia.

Brecht Stories out of Soviet Russia not only did not deter the ferocity of Bertolt Brechts commitment to Communism, Stalins heartless successes made Brecht all the more shamelessly Red and anti-American in his creativity. All of which eventually earned him the Stalin Peace Prize in 1954. Brecht and Marxism began their love affair in 1920. He eventually wrote, "When I read Marx's Kapital, I understood my plays" and described Marx as "The only spectator for my plays". At no time, however, did he pen a leading character that elicited any heroism. Not even his Mother Courage qualifies for ennobling attributes. Brechts Mankind, at best, was worthy of nothing better than Marxist tyranny. And America? Here are a few of the more hilarious moments to be found in James K. Lyons Bertolt Brecht in America. With the plots for nine operas to create for my Three Ring Secret?! Theres no telling how long this dueling pair of German geniuses, Wagner and Brecht, will survive within it. The titles for the Three Rings? The Lionhead Ring, The Pilgrimage Ring and The Secret Ring. With the recent and shocking rise in brazen anti-Semitism in America and the fading strengths of Western Democracy, the legacies of both Richard Wagner and Bertolt Brecht begin to take center stage. Two warring tyrannies threaten the human race in much the same way both the Nazi Third Reich and Communist Russia once imprisoned Poland. Meanwhile the simpler lives of families such as the one within my Three Ring Secret, the Dolans? Not even they begin to look simple anymore. No, George Dolan, of Irish and Norwegian descent, cant qualify as pure Aryan. However, Mr. Dolans sympathies for the aims of the Third Reich and its no-nonsense seriousness? Its everything that George Dolans wife, Polly, does not want to be associated with. Meanwhile, Peter Dolan, their son, has just been born. As the ghosts of Richard Wagner and Bertolt Brecht look down on the Dolans domestic conflicts, Helen of Troy, from the first opera, Wagner in Hell, was seen still hunting, longingly, for her true love, Paris. Homer, the ancient Greek legend, in that same first opera, has been wandering the landscape with Cosima, the embittered wife of Richard Wagner. It all somehow makes very clear sense to me. I also expect these varying and varied tales to inspire quite a compilation of operatic styles. We shall see. So far? Its all I could ever have hoped for as the central creation of my retirement! Michael Moriarty is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor who starred in the landmark television series Law and Order from 1990 to 1994. His recent film and TV credits include The Yellow Wallpaper, 12 Hours to Live, Santa Baby and Deadly Skies. Contact Michael at rainbowfamily2008@yahoo.com. He can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@MGMoriarty. Home
Is the GOP trying to undermine President Trump? By Dr. Lester Jackson

I have long maintained that the Republican Party is a greater threat to representative democracy than the Democrats. Although they seek to misrepresent themselves, it is no secret what to expect from Democrats. But when Republicans lie to voters with repeatedly broken promises to resist the Democrats, voters are stripped of any election choice on controversial issues. Although it is clearly the function  and obligation  of a second major party to provide opposition, Republicans repeatedly have lied to get elected and then joined forces with the Democrats. I previously have described this in detail (here, here and here). Suffice it to note here the shock and high dudgeon in establishment Republican circles that President Trump has had the effrontery to try to keep his promises. We now have a non-politician president for a very simple reason: voters are fed up with being lied to by Republican politicians. Having learned little, Republicans are still trying to betray the very people who voted for them. Just last week, Alfred S. Regnery declared that Senate Republicans are the Best Allies of obstructionist Democrats: the Senate has confirmed 14 of the 549 senior federal positions that President Trump needs to run the government and who need Senate confirmation. This organized Democrat effort to prevent the new president from governing with his own people  rather than being forced to rely upon leftover Obama saboteurs  is, of course, unprecedented. But it is the Republicans who should answer to those who either voted for Trump or believe he should have a fair chance. Dont the Republicans control the Senate? And didnt Harry Reid do them a great favor by lowering the bar for cloture on nominations? Regnery rightly says that the Senate Republicans are dragging their feet, taking time off and delaying even hearings on nominees. Regnery suggests that there ought to be a nonstop Senate session, every day and night until the Democrats get tired.

Mitch McConnell But this only scratches the surface of what Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could do if he did not want to sabotage Trump. If McConnell, praised by Politico, refuses to use available tools, the president should call for a new Majority Leader. McConnells tools are provided both by Senate Rules and by the very Constitution that all members of Congress swear to uphold. Democrats, who never hesitate to play hard ball, are outdoing themselves by blocking nominees, some for the duration of the presidents term in office, Regnery explains. Either Republican senators should play hard ball too, or President Trump should explain to the people exactly why his nominees are being blocked, the tools available to unblock them, and the Republican complicity in the blockage. The Republican Senate majority can respond to ruthless Democrats not only with nonstop round-the-clock sessions, but by applying Senate Rule VI, which provides that no senator may be absent without leave of the Senate. Like roaches who check into motels but cant check out, Democrats who insist on debating nominees should not be allowed to leave the Senate at all  until all Trump nominees are confirmed! Moreover, when no quorum is present, a minority of the Senate can forcibly compel the appearance of AWOL senators. Justice Ginsburg, a politican outspokenly anti-Trump, joined a 2014 liberal judicial activist opinion expanding the recess-appointment power of the president, an opinion strongly objected to by Justice Scalia and joined by Thomas, Roberts and Alito. According to Scalia, The Courts decision transforms the recess-appointment power  into a weapon to be wielded by future Presidents against future Senates. Well, isnt it well past the time, to hoist the liberal justices on their own petard and for President Trump to demand that the Senate Republicans recess for more than three days, as required by the Courts liberal majority? To any objection that the Constitution requires that the Senate cannot adjourn for more than three days without permission of the House, the answer is simple. The Republicans control the House too. Would Speaker Ryan dare to refuse? Finally, the Constitution contains this tasty little nugget for bypassing Schumer Democrats altogether: Congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments. Never done before? What is going on now has never been done before! Also, if obstructionist Democrats seek to filibuster passage of such a law, all that need be done is to apply Harry Reids nuclear option, which, after all, applies to presidential appointments. Lester Jackson, Ph.D., is a former college Political Science teacher, who has written about the Supreme Court, crime, capital punishment and American politics. He has detailed the suffering inflicted upon homicide victims and their survivors. His recent articles are collected here, here and here. He is currently completing a book explaining why capital punishment has been eviscerated and what can be done about it. Copyright  2017 Lester Jackson, Ph.D. Home
Trump's triumph is Demos' disaster By Mark Alexander

When a political novice who has never held an elected office at any level arrives in the swamp as the newly elected president of the United States, there is going to be an adjustment period. While that adjustment period is certainly not over, the speech Donald Trump delivered to Congress last Tuesday night outlining his vision for a unified nation and his agenda to "make America great" was outstanding. I didn't just fall off a turnip truck. I've watched more than 40 presidential addresses and this one ranks among the best first speeches delivered by a president in decades. Trump's remarks about support for middle American families and workers, especially those trapped on violent urban plantations, his advocacy for supporting law enforcement and our military, and his moving tribute to Ryan Owen's widow  this was very much like Ronald Reagan's first address to Congress 36 years ago. On November 9th last year, I was asked repeatedly by colleagues and friends across the nation if I was ecstatic about Donald Trump's election. My response was, "No, I am relieved." I was and remain, relieved for the prospects of moving our courts back toward constitutional Rule of Law with Trump's promised Supreme Court appointments. Second, as the father of a young Marine, I am relieved that my son and all our Patriots in uniform will again, after eight long years, have a commander in chief who respects them one and all. This tribute to Senior Chief Owens, the first warfighter to be killed under the new CINC, aptly demonstrates that respect. It was a rough night for Democrats, who came into the room expecting a thread of petulant tweets. The best indication of Trump's successful address was the shell-shocked expressions on their faces  they couldn't get out of that room fast enough  especially Pelosi and her white pantsuit caucus. The Wall Street Journal reported Pelosi's charade was a "gimmick, used by Democrats to suggest that Mr. Trump is a threat to our most basic freedoms." The editors added, "Pelosi and her colleagues obviously decided before the event that they would provide television cameras with reaction shots expressing their disapproval or even contempt for the President. He caught them off guard by delivering a big-hearted, moving and gracious address, but they seemed unable to react in real time. The pantsuit caucus and their equally grumpy male Democratic colleagues continued to sit, frown and offer tepid applause or none at all even for lines that would be objectionable to no one outside of ISIS." Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, in his Democratic Party response, asserted, "After eight years we left things a lot better than we found them." Seriously, he said that, and then went on to outline what really amounted to all his party's failures in the last eight years. The best The Washington Post could squeeze out fell flat under this headline: "Trumps speech to Congress highlights influence of Ivanka, Bannon." Really WashPo? That is the best you could do? I have to admit here that for most of my career I have held this left-of-center daily in some esteem, because, despite its editorial page delusions, it still fielded some good journalism. But in the last year, the Post devolved into nothing more than a tabloid shill for Hillary Clinton (you may recall, she was Trump's opponent). WashPo has yet to recover and may never do so. And a footnote: The next day, when we were reviewing images from the address, there was a notable dearth of photos available anywhere. Google searches produced fewer than five images of Trump at the podium. Compare this to the day after any one of Obama's national addresses, when 500 could be found. That veritable blackout is indicative of the MSM's coverage of anything that might make America great again... Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post. Home
Yemen has become Irans testing ground for new weapons By Lt. Col. (ret.) Michael Segall

The ongoing crisis in Yemen, whose end is not in sight, is giving Iran an opportunity to turn Yemen into a testing ground for various weapons it is developing for the maritime and military arenas. The Houthi rebels, who have taken over parts of northern Yemen including the capital, Sanaa, are getting ongoing assistance from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), mainly via Hizbullah trainers, in the use of missiles and rockets along with an ongoing supply of other weapons such as drones, explosive devices, and battlefield materiel.

Houthi political-military leadership standing behind Qasef-1 attack drone. Appearing in the photo: Saleh al-Sammad, Head of the Supreme Political Council, (third from the right) and to his left Mohamed Nasir al-Atifi, Minister of Defense At the end of February, the Houthi Supreme Political Council (SPS) announced a display of the Defense Ministrys ability to manufacture drones independently. Reports say that these drones can perform a wide variety of offensive and intelligence-gathering missions. Several drone models were included in the exhibition: Qasef-1 (Striker-1) attack drone. Range: 150 km; operational duration two hours. Specification: equipped with a smart system to detect, monitor, and hit the target with several types of warheads, subject to the target type.

Hudhud-1 (Hoopoe-1) reconnaissance drone. Range: 30 km; operational duration 90 minutes. Characterized by a small size and small radar cross-section (RCS), which is difficult to detect, track, and intercept, and minor thermal radiation, which reduces the probability of being detected by infrared-guided missiles.

Rased (Onlooker) reconnaissance and fire management drone. Range: 35 km; operational duration two hours.

Raqeeb (Sergeant) drone. Range: 15 km; operational duration 98 minutes. Equipped with a laser-based system for precise monitoring and tracking, multiple imaging techniques including thermal imaging. On February 10, 2017, Abd al-Malik al-Houthi, leader of the Houthis in Yemen, said that they were beginning to manufacture drones and other airborne weapons, including surface-to-air missiles that can intercept the Saudi-led coalition planes as well as missiles that can hit Saudi territory and beyond. Since the beginning of the year, the Houthis have increased their missile fire, including Scuds, from Yemeni territory at different targets in Saudi Arabia, including airports and civilian infrastructures, along with missile fire at coalition targets in Yemeni territory. Hizbullah advisers are taking part in some of the missile launches. Since the beginning of 2016, the Houthis have been using drones for intelligence-gathering missions, and also, according to some reports, to attack the Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen. Sheikh Abdulmalik Mikhlafi, deputy prime minister of the recognized Yemeni government, said that a Houthi drone intercepted by the Yemeni army had a missile-firing capability, a fact that points to Irans growing involvement in the crisis in Yemen. Notably, the Qasef attack drone is very similar to previous drone models manufactured by Iran in the Ababil series. The other models, too, have similar features to drones deployed by Iran. Along with the use of drones in the aerial domain, the Houthis have been increasingly active in the maritime domain in the Bab el-Mandab area. In addition to the occasional launch of Iranian-supplied anti-ship cruise missiles, the Houthis have begun to deploy, apparently with Iranian assistance, unmanned remote-controlled maritime craft. Sources in the U.S. Navy believe the January 30, 2017, attack on the Saudi frigate Al-Madinah near the Yemeni port of Hudeida was carried out by an unmanned and guided boat. Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan, U.S. Fifth Fleet commander, said, Our assessment is that it was an unmanned, remote-controlled boat of some kind. According to a report by the U.S. Naval Institute, the naval craft was provided by the navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (the IRGCN). At first, Saudi Arabia claimed the attack had been carried out by boats bearing suicide bombers, and the Houthis claimed they had fired a shore-to-sea missile (at the moment of the strike there were shouts in the background of a video of Allahu Akbar [Allah is the Greatest]! Death to America! Death to Israel! Curse upon the Jews! Victory to Islam!). It later turned out that it was an unmanned naval drone ship. Such vessels pose a new threat to civilian maritime traffic, open a new page in the clashes between Iran and Saudi Arabia in this sensitive arena, and could reach other Iranian-supported terror organizations in the world. Iran is constantly developing its capabilities for asymmetrical maritime warfare. The aim is to contend with the United States superior maritime capabilities, including by attacking U.S. ships with swarms of manned and unmanned speedboats. The attack on the Saudi frigate offers a good example of Irans offensive unmanned-warship capability. The attack reflects the Iranian combat doctrine of using asymmetrical means against enemies that have a technological advantage. In that way, the Houthis have managed to firmly hold their ground against Saudi Arabia and the Arab-coalition forces for several years. Recently, the fighting has also spread to the maritime sphere. During President Obamas tenure, small IRGC craft often flaunted their power very close to the U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf, threatening them; U.S. reactions were minimal for fear of a clash. Iran would also send drones over U.S. vessels and photograph their activity. The aim was both to prepare for a possible confrontation with these ships and to disrupt their ongoing activity in the area. In the naval maneuvers Iran conducts from time to time, like the recent one in which it revealed a new shore-to-sea missile, it practices the sinking of large U.S. vessels including aircraft carriers. The continuing conflict in Yemen, which is being waged both at sea and on land, gives Iran an opportunity to test some of its capabilities and military doctrines for real. Such activity poses a risk to the extensive maritime traffic in the area of Bab el-Mandab, which connects the Gulf of Aden to the Suez Canal. Developing a capability like an unmanned warship is a complex endeavor, and it appears that the Houthi rebels have not done so by themselves but with Iranian assistance or have received the boats ready for use. Another possibility is that the boats were deployed by the IRGCN or by Hizbullah trainers who also are assisting the Houthis missile units. Implications for Israel Irans active involvement in the conflict in Yemen, including the various weapons it is introducing and testing in the arena has implications for the Palestinian terror organizations and Hizbullahs future rounds of warfare against Israel. Hamas and Hizbullah are already deploying unmanned aerial and naval craft manufactured by Iran, or built with Iranian know-how, in the struggle against Israel. Unmanned warships like those the Houthis used in Yemen would pose a new kind of threat both to Israels navy and to its natural gas rigs in the Mediterranean. The longer the conflict in Yemen continues, the more experience Iran and Hizbullah will gain in using this weapon. Iran already has a record of testing weapons in different places and deploying them in different arenas. Explosive devices were used against the IDF in Lebanon and the U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq, and the Houthis are now deploying them in Yemen. IDF Lt.-Col. (ret.) Michael (Mickey) Segall, an expert on strategic issues with a focus on Iran, terrorism, and the Middle East, is a senior analyst at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and at Alcyon Risk Advisors. Home
Details added (first version posted on 14:48)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

Russia is making serious efforts for settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

Mammadyarov made the remarks at a press conference held after negotiations with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

He noted that everything depends not only on Azerbaijan or on mediators, but also on Armenia, which has to start moving towards a solution.

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.

Mammadyarov also said more than 200 bilateral documents have been signed between Russia and Azerbaijan over the past 25 years.

It is important that Russia and Azerbaijan cooperate not only on the state level, but also on the regional level, added the minister.
Since 2010 when it first began its bug bounty program, Google has been one of the most transparent companies when it comes to revealing how much it will pay security researchers for a given vulnerability. The Google Vulnerability Reward Program (VRP) has also consistently increased the amounts it pays out to researchers for different classes of vulnerabilities.

As of March 2, Google increased the amount it pays for Remote Code Execution (RCE) flaws from $20,000 up to a very leet $31,337. RCE flaws can include command injection, deserialization bugs and sandbox escapes.

RCE flaws arent the only class of vulnerability that Google will be paying more money for going foward. Google will now pay $13,337 for unrestricted file system or database access vulnerabilities, up from $10,000. Those types of vulnerabilities can include Unsandboxed XML eXternal Entinty (XXE) and SQL injection issues.

International Trends in the Google Vulnerability Reward Program

Overall in 2016, Google paid out just over $3 million in security awards to researchers that responsibly disclosed issues. An increasing number of flaws are being reported to Google by researchers outside of the U.S. China actually outpaced the U.S in 2016 in terms of the total number of researchers that were paid by Google for security reports.

Indian researchers also were big winners in 2016, with Google paying out 40 percent more rewards to Indian researchers in 2016 than it did in 2015.

We have noticed a 3x increase in reports from Asia, making up 70% of the Android Security Rewards for 2016, Josh Armour, Security Program Manager at Google, wrote in a blog post. We have seen increases in the number of researchers reporting valid bugs from Germany (27 percent) and France (44 percent).

France broke into our top 5 countries in 2016 for the first time, he added.

Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eSecurityPlanet and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.
Bangladesh will need an extraordinary turnaround in fortunes to compete and level the series on one of the more livelier surfaces in Sri Lanka

Match facts

March 15-19, 2017

Start time: 10am local (0430GMT)

Big picture

The bigshots of the Bangladesh Cricket Board are arriving to much fanfare, soaring rhetoric about South Asian "brotherhood" abounds. Mementos are being polished, showmen are practicing their lines for the presentation: the celebrations for Bangladesh's 100th Test are all set to go, but after the politically-minded have lavishly slapped each other on the back, there is some cricket to be played as well.

It is the plight of Mahmudullah that will have most Bangladesh fans aflutter. He has been dropped from the Test squad but will continue to stay in the country. So will he play in the limited-overs series? Has the board overridden a coaching decision? Has a senior batsman been dealt with too harshly here? Whatever unfolds over the next 48 hours, Mahmudullah will not play, which means Bangladesh will make changes to the batting order that misfired in Galle - bringing in Sabbir Rahman or uncapped 21-year-old Mosaddek Hossain. Imrul Kayes is likely to replace Mominul Haque as well.

Bangladesh will need a stronger top order, because they are about to play on perhaps the most reliable result pitch in Test cricket. It has been 11 Tests and almost 14 years since a Test at P Sara Oval was drawn. The seamers generally gain good bounce early in the match, and the spinners run riot late in the game. Generally, there are precious few sessions where batsmen can claim to have had favourable conditions.

If Sri Lanka field the same attack, they may pose varied questions to the opposition. Lakshan Sandakan was wayward, but turned the ball viciously at times, while Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera were agents of guile and control. In Lahiru Kumara, Sri Lanka also have a quick who will relish bowling on a track that has a bit of zip.

Their own top order, however, is not quite as formidable as a flattering Galle surface made it seem. If Bangladesh are to level the series, here is the weakness they must exploit.

Form guide

Sri Lanka WLLLW (completed matches, most recent first)

Bangladesh LLLLW

In the spotlight

Kusal Mendis is seemingly back for a long stint at first drop. In Galle he produced an innings that showcased why he is so highly rated by coaches, working his way through tough early spells, before opening his shoulders and setting the match up for Sri Lanka. He did, however, benefit from an early reprieve in that innings, and it is that looseness outside off stump that presently appears to be his greatest obstacle. On a Colombo track expected to be better for seam bowling than the previous pitch had been, Mendis may profit from a more discerning outlook at the start of his innings. Having batted largely at no. 4 through the Australia series last year,is seemingly back for a long stint at first drop. In Galle he produced an innings that showcased why he is so highly rated by coaches, working his way through tough early spells, before opening his shoulders and setting the match up for Sri Lanka. He did, however, benefit from an early reprieve in that innings, and it is that looseness outside off stump that presently appears to be his greatest obstacle. On a Colombo track expected to be better for seam bowling than the previous pitch had been, Mendis may profit from a more discerning outlook at the start of his innings.

Mushfiqur Rahim. So far he has two hundreds and a fifty in six innings in 2017. Among the times he didn't reach a half-century was his defiance of New Zealand on day five in Wellington, where he was battered with bouncers, while he batted with an injured hand. If there is to be more substance from the Bangladesh top order in this Test, they could do worse than follow the example their captain has set. His teammates keep throwing their wickets away, and there have been three last-day collapses in the last four Tests, but consistently providing the innings with a spine this year is. So far he has two hundreds and a fifty in six innings in 2017. Among the times he didn't reach a half-century was his defiance of New Zealand on day five in Wellington, where he was battered with bouncers, while he batted with an injured hand. If there is to be more substance from the Bangladesh top order in this Test, they could do worse than follow the example their captain has set.

Bangladesh should look to exploit Sri Lanka's batting weakness on a lively P Sara deck  AFP

Team news

Herath was tightlipped about Sri Lanka's combination before this match, but there may be little reason to change the winning XI. There is a chance Dimuth Karunaratne's is under pressure from Dhananjaya de Silva. It is also possible Sandakan is left out in favour of an extra batsman.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dimuth Karuanaratne, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Asela Gunaratne, 6 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 7 Dilruwan Perera, 8 Rangana Herath (capt.), 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Lahiru Kumara, 11 Lakshan Sandakan

Imrul and Sabbir are the likeliest batsmen to enter the XI, but there could also be a bowling change in the offing. Subashis Roy claimed only 1 for 137 in Galle, so it is possible Taijul Islam replaces him. Liton Das has been ruled out after suffering a fractured rib while batting in the nets on the eve of the game. That means Mushfiqur Rahim will take the gloves again.

Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Imrul Kayes, 4 Mosaddek Hossain, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mehedi Hasan, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Kamrul Islam Rabbi/Rubel Hossain

Pitch and conditions

This track may be a little more batting friendly than the usual P Sara surfaces, but expect regular breakthroughs nonetheless. Daily pre-monsoon thunderstorms in Colombo may also make an appearance - evening sessions are particularly vulnerable.

Stats and trivia

Each of the last 14 Tests in Sri Lanka have yielded a result

Rangana Herath is three wickets shy of a first-class tally of 1000

Bangladesh's three previous Tests at this venue have ended in innings defeats - their lowest Test total of 62 coming here in 2007
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

Trend:

Opening of Azerbaijans stand at the tourism exhibition ITB Berlin will take place March 8, press service of Azerbaijans Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported.

The exhibition opening ceremony will take place on March 7.

Azerbaijani Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Garayev visited Berlin to participate in the fair.

During the visit, the Azerbaijani minister will meet with Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization Taleb Rifai, member of Bundestag Karin Strenz, head of the exhibition David Ruetz and Chairman of the Tourism Committee of the German Bundestag Heike Brehmer.

Garayev is also expected to take part at the seventh meeting of tourism ministers of the Silk Road countries, to be held as part of ITB Berlin, as well as in an event dedicated to the 200th anniversary of creation of German settlements in the South Caucasus.
The European Unions Parliament last week proposed to cancel visa-free travel for US citizens within two months in a retaliatory move for Washington continuing to exclude five EU countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania) from its visa-free scheme. The EU requires, under its visa-reciprocity rules, that countries allowed visa-free travel to the bloc must replicate the non-visa regime to all EU countries. On the other hand, the American visa-free scheme  ESTA  is based on a country-by-country analysis of how many citizens overstay or are declined visas.

European Home-Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, who visited Washington in February, met US Secretary for Homeland Security John Kelly and explained the time constraints and the pressure from the European Parliament to move forward with this issue. A two-year deadline that ended in April last year and which obliged the EU Commission to lift visa-free travel for Americans has been pushed back as the outgoing Obama administration did not want to solve this issue before the presidential elections. However, with the new Trump administration, the EU does not expect that the issue will be resolved any time soon.

In contrast, Canada, which has recently ratified a free-trade deal with the EU, has agreed to scrap all remaining visa requirement for EU citizens by December 2017. The EUs visa-war comes only six weeks into Mr. Trumps presidency and follows the public condemnation of the ban on travellers from seven majority-Muslim countries. Moreover, EU leaders last month also urged EU institutions to reject the appointment of Ted Malloch as US ambassador to the EU. Analysts expect that imposing visas on Americans would have a negative impact on the European economy as only last year, more than 27 million US nationals visited the bloc  8% more than in 2015. Although the request is not binding, it will likely add fuel to the hostility between European leaders and the Trump administration.
Written by ACM

*Angelo Marcopolo/- At the Symbolic "Human Rights' parvis" of Paris' "Trocadero" square, between 50.000 or 200.000 People, according to various estimations, (except from the Police, which didn't say), mainstream Frontrunner Candidate of the Center-Right in the forthcoming French Presidential Elections of April/May 2017, Francois Fillon, strongly confirmed his "Determination to Fight against Islamic Terrorism", for a Real Change from the Out-Going "Socialist" Government, pointing out that his Project was the Only one Able to achieve that, while also Winning versus an EU-Sceptic Far Right currently Surfing at the Polls' Top, (including for the subsequent Parliamentary Elections of June 2017). That's why he launched a vibrant Call for the French People to "Revolt" and "Resist" to Last-minute Attempts for a "Hold Up against Democracy".



- "My dear compatriots: - They think that I am alone... Are We Alone ?", he asked from the outset the People, getting a Loud - "No !" in Reply from Many Thousands, tightly packed in that Huge Square, linked to several Large Avenues around it.



- "You have Inherited a Past with a Long History, which is always Present. You are the France of Farmers, Cathedrals, Castles and Poor People, which was Bright, and still is Bright in Arts, Science, Technology, a France Opposed to Terrorists and Tyrans with its Moral and Armed Forces. You are that Republic, which creates Brotherhood, ...Born through Centuries of Fights for the General Interest", the former Prime Minister of Nicolas Sarkozy (2007-2012) reminded to the People.



- This Republic " is a Revolt", "a Movement" : Even "If it Falls, it Stands Up, as Gavroche in his Barricade", Fillon referred to the 1789 French Revolution. "It Always Gets Up, and that's because of Voltaire and Rousseau (Revolutionary Philosophers), but also because of Victor Hugo (famous pro-European Writer), Clemenceau, (Historic Prime Minister at the 1st WW), and of the Heroes of 20 Years of Resistance", (including during the 2nd WW Invasion/Occupation, etc), Fillon spiced up his Popular Call, obviously in relation the controversial circumstances of nowadays, (See Infra).



- "Our 1st Value is Freedom", he referred to France's famous National Trilogy, ("Liberty, Equality, Solidarity"), in an "Address to those Brave" People, "that the System attempts to DisCourage, those who are Bold, and it Muzzles, those who Dare, and it Suspects, i.e. to those for whom Freedom is a Chance to Take their Destiny in their Hands", (an indirect but clear reference to his Earlier Call for the People Not to Let Anyone Steal them their Democratic Right to Freely and Consciously Choose the Political Representatives that they really Want, in the forthcoming Presidential and Legislative Elections of April - June 2017, Crucial also for All Europe).



- Calling for a "Renaissance" of France, against "5 Years of Decline" ( during the Out-Going "Socialist" Governement : 5/2012 - 5/2017), the Front-runner Candidate of the Center-Left main Opposition, Denounced "a Long Winter", during which the Country "Lost its Economic Rank" and "its Standing inside Europe", while its "Social Coherence was rapidly vanishing" : - "6 Millions of UnEmployed, 9 Millions of Poor, an Abandoned Youth, Divided People, Hate spreading around", added to "an Unsustaianable Debt, in the middle of the Ruins of our Industry and Economy", as he Criticized.



- "All Hard, but Important Decisions were Postponed. Pals were Appointed, instead of those who Deserved it", there was "Contempt for UnConfortable Truths", and "Upseting Realities were Forgotten", while "Inside" the Country "remained a Crisis", "Outside, emerged Wars", and "Europe was Dislocating", Fillon regretted, (particularly after the recent 2014 Ukraine Conflict and Syrian/Libyan Clashes, but also a growing EU-Scepticism, 2016 BREXIT, Uncertainties on Europe's Future, etc).



- It's mainly Because, in fact, France "was Not really Governed", but merely "Managed by the 1st Secretary of the Socialist Party" (i.e. the Outgoing President Hollande, who does Not participate in the New Elections), he criticized, denouncing what he named as "Hollandism".



+ And "during these Last Weeks", something "Disgusting" occured, with those "Fleeing, like Ducks, from one (Political) Side to anOther", running "for Constituencies, Money", etc, with "assumed Desertions, Shamelessly" : "But the People have Nothing to do with such kinds of Calculations and Carreers-chassing", "Betrayals", etc, Fillon denounced by obviously Fustigating Some former Allies, (particularly from the Center), who Abandoned him, pretexting of a recent Judicial and Mediatic Harassment, (See, f.ex. ; ... + ...).



- In front of "a Campaign of Denigration", "Excess, Disproportions, Hate", and "InJustice", he, however, Acknowledged some "Hesitations" from "a Honest Man, who spend his Life at the Service of the General Interest, Trying to take the Decisions that he believed to be Just", as he said.





------------------------



At this point, Fillon apparently might have Committed an Error now, (at least from "Eurofora"s point of view), by practicaly asking to be Excused for having "Asked my Wife to Work for me, because she knew that area, and it was practical", but "I shouldn't have done that", as he was pushed to say Today.



But, in fact, it could well be the Contrary : I.e., by Avoiding to Appoint one or two Mistresses as his Parliamentary Assistants, (as Some Other Politicians have notoriously done, while a former UK Labour/Socialist Prime Minister even Appointed his Secretary at the House of Lords !), but Prefering to Work Together with his Wife, as a kind of Family Enterprise or Team Work, (something that not only SMEs, Farmers, etc., but even Writers and Intellectuals, as, f.ex. the World Famous Science Fiction Writer Isaac Asimov, notoriously used to do all his life, closely cooperating with his Wife, who worked for his Books even After his Death at an Old Age !), Fillon might have attracted a lot of Sympathy by Many simple and Honest, Family-loving average People...





In this regard, by a Symbolic Coincidence, after initialy Braving the Rain Today, Bright Sunshine brought, Later-on, Smiles in the embattled faces of Francois and Penelope Fillon, (an Historic Name, notoriously steming from Ancient Greek Hero Odysseas' Wife, faithfuly Waiting for his Long and Difficult Return from the Troian War), waving herself a French Flag, among the People, (see relevant "Eurofora" shots).



----------------------



- "But I felt often Strengthened by Realizing that, When I would be found to be Innocent, ... those who Accuse me so Hastily, would feel Ashamed". However, "the Problem is that, this Day will come Too Late", because, in the meantime, the forthcoming, April 2017, crucial Presidential "Election, will have been Rigged !", he Warned.



- And "this would have Hindered" the People "to put a Stop to 2 Scandals", which Threaten to "Disfigure the Country, much more Profoundly" :



- (a) I.e., at First, "the insidious, but Terrible, by its Consequences, way in which (the Out-going President) Francois Hollande pushed our Country to Downgrade", f.ex., Delaying "Growth, and undermining our Childrens' Future" (by more Debt : Comp. Supra), while, now, it's "his Former Assistant, Mr. Macron (another Center-Left Candidate to the 2017 Presidential Elections, among the Frontruners, according to most Polls), who .. adopts his Program, as a Merchand of Illusions", he Criticized.



+ (b) "The 2nd Scandal is that of All our (Political) Competitors, who, regarless of Economic Realities, Disregarding all Challenges in the World, don't hesitate to Promisse (only) 32 Hours (of Work per Week), a Return Back to the Frank" Currency, "to Augment Public Expenditure", "without paying attention to the (Risks of) Bankruptcy !", Fillon Denounced, fustigating a "Demagogy" of "Illusionists" and "Extremists", (apparently pointing not only at his Left, but also towards the Rightists).



------------------------------



- All this "would be a Comedy", if, "during the Last 5 Years" (2012-2017), hadn't "Emerged one of the Most Terrible Dangers, that France faced since Decades", he Warned :



- Denouncing "the Islamic Totalitarianism", Fillon reminded the Horrible Massacres targetting Civilian People at "Toulouse (Merah), Charlie Hebdo (Magazine), HyperCacher (Jewish Shop), Bataclan and Paris' Caffees, Nice" city, etc...



- In this regard, (i.e., for the Fight against ISIS and other such Terrorists), "Contrary to those who Delay and Hesitate", or "Don't Speak about that", "I am Absolutely Determined", he stressed.



_ - F.ex., "any individual Guilty of Complicity with the Enemy, (ISIS, etc), Must be Condemned", and "France canNot Serve as Sanctuary", or Hinterland "Backing Islamo-Fascism !", Francois Fillon, (Writer of a recent Book Titled : "Win against Islamic Terrorism"), Urged, Denouncing also "Anti-Semitism" and the Abuse of "Women as 2nd Class Citizens", etc., by Islamistic Extremists.



-------------------------------------------------------------



- In such Circumstances, "to Legitimate Concerns, was (recently) Added also the Anger against that Witch-Hant targetting me, which ... Aims to Destroy the Right" side of the Political Spectrum, and "Steal its Vote" to the forthcoming, Crucial Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, Fillon strongly Criticized.



=> But, "Instead of Yielding to Anxiety or Anger", We have to "Change that into a huge Energy" to "Resolutely Redress the Country, Restore Cohesion and State Authority", feeling "Proud" for France's Historic role in "Spreading to the World the Spirit of Enlightnement" (18th Century), and for "having Always Found, even in the Middle of the Worst Moments of its History, the best ways for Courage ad Reconciliation", while also being "a Welcoming Land for all those who Understand its Richness", even if "coming from Various Horizons", but "Reinforce its Cohesion and Strength", by "Associating Diversity... with Our Traditions", as he said, speaking "Against those Prophets of Doom" and "Pessimism".



- "Many People are Ready to Face all the Challenges in front of us", and "France is pretty Inventive", several "Initiatives pop up throughout all the Country", f.ex. on how to "accompagny the Digital Revolution, or based on the Richness of our Industrial or Craftsmanship Heritage", thanks to which, "Businessmen Invent the World of the Future", showing that "there is No Fatality", but "Thousands of >Inventors and Volunteers seek to start a New Resistance", as he Named the Will to "Build a Better World", "withOut Risks to be Destroyed by Globalisation, strangled by Red Tape, Deprived of Dialogue", but "Stimulating the Desire to Create, to be an Actor of Redress, Each one in his role", since "our Citizens both Dare and are Talented", "Belonging to a Nation with Huge Potential".



- So, "Let's Create, Innovate, Work Together", "withOut Ridiculous Conflicts", "Never falling into Despair" ,"Neither Letting the Passions of a moment to bypass National Needs", "Nor Others to Dictate this Decisive Choice", but with "a Deep Desire for a Renewal", Fillon invited.



- "This Choice belongs to our People, to their Votes and Hopes", and "Will be that of France, if we Pull as all Together, in a Final Effort", he Urged in Conclusion, speaking almost 1 Month Before the crucial forthcoming Presidential Election.



------------------------------------



+ Speaking Later this Evening, to a TV Interview, in Reply to Press Questions, Fillon made it Clear that, despite some Pressure, and an "Unprecedented in History", Last-Minute Harassment at the Eve of a so Important Election, that he Denounced as "a Hold Up against Democracy", he does Not Intend at all to Withdraw from the Race, particularly Not after having been Massively Applauded, earlier Today at Trocadero, "by about 200.000 People", as he and others estimated, Strongly Believing that he presents "the Only Credible Project for a Real Political Change".



- Nobody from any particular Party has any Right to Block what was clearly Decided by More than 4 Millions of People who Voted at the 2016 Primaries, "Open" to various Political Groups, underlined the Winner of that race, Adding, nevertheless, that he was "Listening" to all his main Friends and Allies' various advise, always motivated by the "General Interest", and Agreeing that his "No 1 Competitor" was Marine Le Pen's Rightists of the "National Front" Party, as he said during a "Hot" Cross-Fire of Critical Queries.



- "At last", the Time has Come to seriously Debate about the Substance of Issues and Political Projects, f.ex. on UnEmployment, on how to Fight "Islamic Totalitarianism", and Build a Better "Future", Fillon urged.




Finance minister Mario Centeno has turned down Lone Stars rumoured requests

for state guarantees over legacy risks



Portugal made progress on securing desperately needed international investment in its banks in February, as the balance of power in Lisbons financial sector tipped definitively in favour of foreign control. To the regret of many in Lisbon, oversight of a sector only a few years ago dominated by local bankers and local regulators, has now turned to figures in Brussels, Frankfurt and Spain, and increasingly the US, Angola and China.

Barcelona-based CaixaBank concluded its tender offer earlier in the month for the remaining shares in Portugals fifth-biggest bank, BPI, raising its stake from 45.5% to 84.5%. Another Spanish group, Santander, already owns the countrys highest-rated and fourth-biggest bank, Santander Totta. Also in February, Banco Commercial Portugues (BCP) completed a 1.3 billion rights issue. Private Chinese conglomerate Fosun International raised its stake in BCP to 24% in the issue, and Angolas national oil company, Sonangol, slightly increased its stake to 15%.

Although there remains no majority shareholder in BCP, one Lisbon-based analyst notes Fosuns investments dramatically consolidate its shares. The Chinese firm initially acquired a 17% stake in a 175 million private placement in November. Theoretically, at least, it will now be easier for a small group of foreign investors (in this case, Fosun and Sonangol) to reach consensus and steer the bank, or even take formal control, if one or both were to buy more shares.

US money has also swooped in, as the Bank of Portugal said in late February it had accepted US private equity firm Lone Star to a concluding round of exclusive negotiations for the sale of Novo Banco. This is Portugals second biggest lender, housing the healthier assets of collapsed Banco Espirito Santo (BES).

Analysts say the Lone Star takeover remains uncertain, partly due to the possibility of additional losses, including those which might arise from legal disputes over the 2 billion transfer of senior bonds to BES in late 2015, after Novo Bancos 2014 creation. Finance minister Mario Centeno has turned down Lone Stars rumoured requests for state guarantees over legacy risks.

Alternatives

Yet Centeno has left open what analysts say is an alternative way for Lone Star to share potential losses, by allowing the countrys bank resolution fund to retain a minority stake. In addition, the central bank has reportedly written to local corporations, asking them to take smaller stakes in Novo Banco. That could further limit the banks impact on public accounts and reduce the possibility of the European Commission blocking the sale on state-aid rules.

Portugal cannot easily afford alternatives to ceding power of its banks to foreigners, as it has almost no budgetary or regulatory scope to recapitalize banks using taxpayer money. Far-left politicians allied with the government have pushed for the nationalization of Novo Banco. Last year, rumours suggested the vehicle for a nationalization could be the state-owned Caixa Geral de Depositos (CGD), the countrys biggest bank. The more likely alternative, however, given the need for approval from Brussels, would be a breakup and wind down of Novo Banco, however destabilizing that might be.

Lone Stars offer will almost certainly leave billions of euros of losses at the resolution fund, which must be borne by the other banks, principally CGD. But getting to a final round of negotiations on Novo Banco has surpassed the expectations of many in the local financial community.

Lone Star is reportedly prepared to pay 750 million to the resolution fund for control of the bank, in which it could inject a further 750 million. The successful conclusion of BCPs capital raising came as another positive surprise. It has already allowed BCP to pay back a remaining 700 million of contingent convertible bonds owed to the state.

Importance

These latest boosts to local banking stability and the loss of local financial control will increase the strategic importance to Portugal of CGD, notes Maria Almaca, Lisbon-based analyst at Axia.

Before, right-wing governments would try to privatize CGD; now that wont be possible, she says. Almaca says the increased strategic importance of CGD could be to the further detriment of its balance sheet, if it means it is more likely to be relied upon to prop up ailing corporate employers, should they find it harder to borrow from newly foreign-controlled banks.

CGD, however, already has its fair share of worries, not least negotiating an affordable coupon on the 1 billion additional tier-1 capital it needs to raise concurrently to a vital injection of 2.7 billion of new state money. In February, it mandated Barclays, Citi, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan and its own investment banking arm, CaixaBI, for an initial issuance of 500 million.

One financial institutions-focused investment banker in Madrid notes that Spanish banks  mostly in much better health than the Portuguese lenders  have steered clear of AT1 issuance, as uncertainty over AT1 bondholders rights has made the instrument not much cheaper than equity.

AT1s relative benefit in the eyes of the government, he notes, is that it allows the bank to stay in state hands.
At the time of writing this update, the British Pound to US Dollar exchange rate trended in the region of 1.2188. The pair looked to lose around -0.4% on the day due largely to UK retail sales concerns.

Tuesday afternoons US data had little to no influence on the US Dollars movement. The January update to the US trade deficit saw the print fall from US$-44.3b to US$-48.5b  a five year high deficit. However, as the figure was largely expected, the US Dollar was able to hold its gains.

Will the GBP/USD Rally Today?

The Pound could rally against the US Dollar if the budget sets out more spending than expected, though the general opinion is that talk of tax cuts and more austerity will weaken the Pound.

What little US data released on Monday was largely positive; factory orders in January grew 1.2% - twenty basis points above forecast - while the finalised durable goods orders figure for the same month was revised up from 1.8% to 2% against expectations of a drop to 1%.

Due on Wednesday, the March budget is expected to bring a cautious statement from Chancellor Philip Hammond, who must contend with great strain on national social care as well as the high uncertainty triggered by upcoming Brexit negotiations.

Broadly speaking, the budget is expected to bring more social care spending and the possibility of rising taxes for the self-employed. If austerity is the main theme, then the Pound could well slide against the US Dollar.

GBP/USD spent much of Fridays session on the decline, falling -0.3% to trade around 1.2237. The UK services and composite PMIs disappointed investors on Friday after showing a worse-than-expected slowdown in economic activity.

The services index was predicted to ease from 54.5 to 54, but instead dropped to 53.3; a five-month low and back to around the level it was at before the referendum and the surge in activity that followed.

This, along with Wednesdays below-forecast manufacturing PMI, dragged the composite down from 55.4 to 53.8 - the index was expected to tick higher to 55.6.

The Pounds losses versus the US Dollar were small compared to its performance elsewhere, because investors were awaiting a glut of speeches from Federal Reserve members.

With bets of monetary tightening during this months policy meeting already at 77.5%, traders held back from adjusting their USD positions on the potential for the days speeches to undermine hike odds if any policymakers sounded dovish.

The Feds Mester, Evans, Lacker, Powell, Fischer and Yellen all made public appearances, giving traders plenty to mull over.

Pound Sterling (GBP) to Extend Bearish Move This Week?

The Pound is facing a sparse week of data until Friday, which is likely to leave political concerns and the long-term outlook for the economy as the primary drivers of currency movement.

Speaking of the GBP/USD exchange rate, United Overseas Bank FX analysts stated on Friday that;

We just turned bearish GBP yesterday and there is no change to the view. As noted yesterday, 1.2200 is a key support and a break of this level could lead to a rapid drop towards the 1.1983 low seen in January.

Friday sees the release of data for industrial and manufacturing production, construction output and trade, as well as the NIESR GDP estimate for February.

ADP Employment Figure to Cause US Dollar (USD) Volatility Ahead of Friday Non-Farm Payrolls

The latest Fed hawkishness has helped to push expectations of a hike higher, with BNP Paribas noting;

We moved forward our forecast for the first hike to March from May. Data have generally met the Feds expectations, risks to growth are to the upside, and stock markets continue to reach new highs, easing financial conditions. The payroll bar for a March hike is low and we expect it to have been exceeded easily.

The weeks data is mostly low or medium-impact, although Wednesdays ADP employment change figure will cause some jitters as traders often believe it signals the performance of Fridays vital non-farm payrolls report.

GBP USD Data Releases

07/03/2017:

00:01 GBP BRC Sales Like-For-Like (YoY) (FEB)

08:30 GBP Halifax Plc House Prices s.a. (MoM) (FEB)

08:30 GBP Halifax House Price (3MoY) (FEB)

13:30 USD Trade Balance (JAN)

09/03/2017:

00:01 GBP RICS House Price Balance (FEB)

13:30 USD Initial Jobless Claims (MAR 04)

13:30 USD Continuing Claims (FEB 25)

10/03/2017:

09:30 GBP Industrial Production (YoY) (JAN)

09:30 GBP Manufacturing Production (YoY) (JAN)

09:30 GBP Construction Output SA (YoY) (JAN)

09:30 GBP Trade Balance Non EU (Pounds) (JAN)

13:30 USD Change in Non-farm Payrolls (FEB)

13:30 USD Unemployment Rate (FEB)

13:30 USD Average Hourly Earnings (YoY) (FEB)

15:00 GBP NIESR Gross Domestic Product Estimate (FEB)
People seeking visas for the United States and Americans seeking visas for European Union countries are set to face increased confusion.First of all American President Donald Trump is set to announce yet another executive order dealing with who can and cannot get a visa for the US later this week and secondly the European Parliament has voted to end visa free travel for Americans within the EU.  The situation with Europe is a result of the US not agreeing visa free travel for citizens of five EU countries; Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania. It was meant to do so as part of a reciprocity agreement and would normally mean that US citizens can normally travel to all countries in the EU without a visa.But with no agreement it looks likely that Americans will have to apply for extra documents for the next 12 months after the European Commission warned several times that the US was not meeting its obligations under the reciprocity agreement.Members of the European Parliament want the order to be upheld but it is currently not clear if the European Commission will act on the vote. There are concerns that enforcing it may have consequences including a potential retaliation from the Trump administration and a drop in visitor numbers which could hit tourism.Trump has indicated that he wants to introduce a merit based immigration system similar to the points system currently in use in Canada and Australia. It is a basic principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be able to support themselves financially. Yet, in America, we do not enforce this rule, straining the very public resources that our poorest citizens rely upon, he told Congress.Switching away from this current system of lower skilled immigration, and instead adopting a merit based system, will have many benefits: it will save countless dollars, raise workers wages, and help struggling families, he added.The programmes in Canada and Australia prioritise employability and skills over family ties with visa applicants awarded points according to their abilities and they also have to take an English test.A new order to replace the one that Trump had to withdraw due to a court challenge relating to the banning of people from seven mostly Muslim countries is expected within days. It is thought that Iraq will be taken off the travel ban list with Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen remaining.
Last November in Vienna, the 14 members of the OPEC cartel agreed upon a deal to cut production as of January 1 by about 1.2 million barrels per day, or about 4.5 percent of production, to 32.5 million barrels per day, Sputnik reported.

It is early to talk about this [extension of oil output cut deal]. When we meet in May, we will be able to look at all the data  and see what we have achieved, Barkindo told journalists during the CERAWeek energy conference in the US city of Houston.

According to a recent OPEC report, world oil supply fell by over one million barrels per day in January, averaging at 95.75 million barrels per day.

The 36th annual energy IHS CERAWeek conference will bring together at least 3,000 delegates from more than 60 countries from March 6 through 10 to address the most pressing industry issues, states strategies and policies in Houston, Texas.

This years sessions will be held under the banner Pace of Change: Building a New Energy Future, and will focus on the changing energy market at a time of turbulence and uncertainty.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project is the cornerstone of Europes energy security policy, Rikard Scoufias, country manager of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project for Greece, said in an interview with Energypress.

So our task in TAP is to play an important role in reaching this goal, he added.

Regarding the possibility of Russian gas flow through TAP, Scoufias noted that any country which wants to use the European infrastructure should abide by the EU legislation.

Earlier, deputy CEO of Russias Gazprom Alexander Medvedev said that the company is discussing the possibility of using Poseidon and TAP to export gas to Europe.

No one denies that Russia is a key partner for Europe in gas supply. In any case, security of energy supply is based on the principle of differentiation, he said.

As for the progress in the implementation of the TAP project, the country manager said that the work is on schedule. It is planned to complete the pipelines construction by late 2018, he said, adding that the pipeline will be tested with gas in 2019 and become fully operational in 2020.

TAP is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union.



TAP project envisages transportation of gas from the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas and condensate field to the EU countries.



The pipeline will be connected to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy's south.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
An influential conservative group backed by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch is questioning a plan to spend $1 trillion on the nations infrastructure and warning that one of President Donald Trumps signature policy initiatives could become a spending boondoggle.

In a memo released Friday, Freedom Partners cautions Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress against making the same mistakes that the group says were in the $787 billion federal stimulus bill in 2009. That legislation, passed at former President Barack Obamas urging, included tax cuts, benefits payments and other spending in addition to infrastructure. It was aimed at boosting the U.S. economy amid the worst recession since the Great Depression.

The stimulus added nearly a trillion dollars to the national debt and failed to create the so-called shovel ready infrastructure jobs that were promised, Nathan Nascimento, the groups vice president of policy, said in a statement.

There is a right way and a wrong way to repair and modernize our infrastructure, and its time Washington learned from its mistakes, Nascimento said. We shouldnt be asking taxpayers for hundreds of billions of dollars to fund stimulus 2.0 when there are common-sense steps we can take right now to address our infrastructure without spending another dime.

The White House declined to comment. In his speech Tuesday to a joint session of Congress, Trump said he wants legislation to support $1 trillion worth of investments in rebuilding roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and other crumbling infrastructure. Hes argued that the projects would put millions of Americans to work and boost the economy.

Trump hasnt detailed how his infrastructure plan would be funded or what types of projects it would include, but he has said he wants to tap private capital and public-private partnerships. Congressional leaders from both parties disagree about how much new federal money should be included, although Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he wants to avoid a trillion-dollar stimulus.

A 2011 report from the Government Accountability Office found that while the money for transportation work in the 2009 recovery act helped fund tens of thousands of jobs, its long-term benefits are unclear.

Freedom Partners stopped short of directly opposing Trumps plan. Spokesman Bill Riggs said the group was highlighting a more responsible, effective and accountable way to improve infrastructure. He declined to share any plans the group might have that go beyond the statement and educating lawmakers.

In its memo, Freedom Partners says additional ways to reduce the cost of infrastructure include the repeal of the Davis-Bacon Act, which requires federal contractors to pay workers a prevailing wage set by the Labor Department. The group also calls for giving state and local governments more control over public works spending and simplifying environmental rules.

Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Congressional Democrats and even some Republicans have argued that relying on the private sector alone wont generate $1 trillion of investment or allow projects in all parts of the U.S. Deals involving private investment require a revenue stream such as tolls, which arent popular or even practical in sparsely populated areas.

A senior White House official, speaking last week on condition of anonymity, said its premature to speculate on what the mix of private and public funding and financing might be.

The Trump administration convened a meeting Thursday with 15 Cabinet members and agency leaders to solicit feedback on what new and existing projects should be considered, how policies, regulations and statutes can be changed to speed up projects, and what funding and financing mechanisms to use.

All options, including an infrastructure bank, are on the table, and no decisions have been made, the official said. The administration plans to use the feedback from the agencies to develop a proposal, and the timing is uncertain, the official said.
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As a student, Jennifer Ellison felt people were discouraging her from pursuing a career in technology. Sometimes she was the only girl in her class.

Im not going to flunk out of this, because Im the only girl and I have to represent, she thought.

Ellison, now an information technology program manager at USAA, joined several other women in technology in promoting the new CAST Tech High School to middle-school girls last week at Girls Inc.

The high school, a partnership between H-E-B, the San Antonio Independent School District, local colleges and businesses, will open in the fall with a focus on technology and entrepreneurship.

Only about one-third of the applications submitted so far have come from girls, estimated Kelly Flieger, the school leader. Thats still higher than the percentage of technology-sector employees nationwide who are women.

Id love to be 50-50 in an ideal world, Flieger said. We havent really reached in and done a great job in elementary school of informing girls that these are career fields for them.

Motivating girls to study technology is not just a local problem. Although women make up about half of the countrys college-educated workforce, fewer than one-third work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The proportion is still lower for minority women, who make up just 5 percent of the computer science workforce, according to the National Science Foundation.

Two days before Girls Inc.s information session, President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan INSPIRE Women Act calling on NASA to encourage girls to pursue careers in aerospace.

South of SAISD, Harlandale ISDs STEM Early College High School has achieved a student body that is 50 percent female. Most of the schools teachers are female, and they make the rounds at district middle schools every year, encouraging students to apply to the STEM program.

About 25 girls and their families came to Thursdays CAST Tech information session, where they listened to professional women discuss the perks of studying and working in technology.

Kristin Mendoza, born and raised in San Antonio, thought she wanted to be a doctor but then discovered she hated biology. She ended up studying computer science and is now a software developer for H-E-B.

Through the degree I struggled a lot, she said. Had I had the opportunity to go to a school like CAST, I would have gone through that program so much quicker and so much easier than I did.

CAST Tech is the first in a network of career-themed high schools that H-E-B is establishing throughout San Antonio. It will open this fall to 150 freshmen in repurposed vocational buildings on the campus of Fox Tech High School. It will offer a hands-on curriculum and opportunities for students to participate in San Antonios emerging technology sector. They will earn a minimum of 30 college credits, equivalent to one year of college.

There are no academic admissions requirements and students will be chosen by lottery. The application can be found at castschools.com, and the deadline to submit it is Friday.

Some girls said they had considered applying for CAST Tech before the session and left fully convinced.

Although Jamella Newsom, 13, moved to San Antonio from Memphis, Tennessee, just two weeks ago, a counselor at Longfellow Middle School recognized her potential and recommended she attend the session. Jamella, an eighth-grader, said shell apply to the school because she likes to design things and wants to own a business someday. She could be helped by the schools promise to give students their own laptops, and provide internet access.

She could be great if I could afford a lot more, said her mother, Jameka Craine. Some months we go without internet because its another bill to pay.

Dan Freedman of the Hearst Washington Bureau contributed to this report.
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The Battle of the Alamo  source of legends, books, movies and now a debate over state funding for a multimillion-dollar makeover of the historic site  will be solemnly commemorated on its 181st anniversary today.

In a tight budget year, legislators are weighing the merits of a request for $75 million to support preservation and improvement of the site, including renovation of three buildings in Alamo Plaza to serve as a visitors center. While some legislators have said the site should be cherished by all Texans, others have warned that the Texas General Land Offices budget request will be treated the same as others competing for funding in the 2018-2019 biennium.

Todays commemorations, marked with somber ceremonies and remarks on freedom and sacrifice, begin with the annual Dawn at the Alamo, an event that has been staged at least since the battles 150th anniversary, in 1986, with a reading of eyewitness accounts, laying of wreaths, a Mexican bugle call and bagpipes playing Amazing Grace.

It was about 5:30 a.m. on March 6, 1836, when a force of Mexican troops that outnumbered the Texian and Tejano defenders of the Alamo by about 8 to 1 attacked the fortified former mission, penetrating its north wall and southwest corner after two failed attempts. The battle, which capped off a 13-day siege while delegates to the east declared Texas to be an independent republic, lasted about 90 minutes.

More Information Today's Alamo commemorations Dawn at the Alamo: 6 a.m. Annual ceremony hosted by the San Antonio Living History Association will be held in Alamo Plaza. After the Fall: 10 a.m. Yearly ceremony of the Sons of the Republic of Texas will feature remarks by Lee Spencer White, co-author of "Joe: The Slave Who Became an Alamo Legend." Annual Memorial Service: 2:30 p.m. Observance organized by the DRT Alamo Mission Chapter will pay tribute to the 189 known defenders on the anniversary of the battle. Dusk at the Alamo: 6 p.m. Alamo re-enactors will commemorate the lighting of funeral pyres with a brief ceremony in front of the Alamo church. A memorial address delivered by Col. Juan N. Seguin to honor his fallen comrades in a ceremony a year after the battle will be recited in English and Spanish. See More Collapse

ALAMO IMMORTAL: Relive the battle through 'live' coverage

About 300 to 500 Mexican troops are said to have been killed or wounded, many hit by friendly fire amid the chaos. But as news of the deaths of the 189 known Alamo defenders spread, support grew for the Texans, who later won independence at San Jacinto on April 21, 1836.

For years, many have said the Alamo site is long overdue for improvements to make it more reverent, better interpreted and historically accurate. The city has committed $17 million for projects in the area and has placed $22 million in a bond issue for pedestrian access and plaza improvements, subject to voter approval in May.

But the Legislature, faced with a downturn in oil and gas revenues, has sent mixed signals about the projects, which also would be supported by private fundraising. The Senate initially proposed $9.1 million in state funds for the operation, preservation and maintenance of the state-owned Alamo complex, while a House proposal is $83.5 million.

Regardless of the outcome, scholars say the Alamo has enjoyed the benefits in recent decades of more structural preservation and a deeper, more sophisticated narrative that covers its nearly 300 years of recorded history.

Linda K. Salvucci, associate professor of history at Trinity University, told a roomful of scholars at a session on the Alamo last week that her first visit to the shrine, in 1976, was underwhelming.

No one seemed interested in explaining much of anything. It was taken for granted that the point of visiting was to honor the brave defenders in this most sacred of locations. The narrative, as it were, was heroic, unspoken, one-dimensional and certainly uncontested, she said during the Texas State Historical Associations annual meeting in Houston.

Over time, Salvucci said, she pronounced Texas history impervious to revisionism, and at best at odds with mainstream historiography, as it related to the Alamo. But the 1990s were a turning point in which a broader American narrative of the battle flourished to include the role of Tejano defenders and their families; the sites history as a Spanish colonial mission and earlier occupation by Native Americans; and political causes of the battle, especially a constitutional struggle between government centralists and federalists who desired regional and local representation, she said.

Bruce Winders, the Alamos on-site historian and curator who has worked there since 1996, said he could often start a conversation with visitors about John Waynes 1960 film The Alamo to make an initial connection, despite the movies factual inaccuracies.

Now weve gotten to a point where (younger) people say, Whos John Wayne? Winders said.

While the Alamos famous figures such as David Crockett and Gen. Santa Anna are likely to continue to loom large, lesser-known players in the battle, as well as townspeople of San Antonio in supporting roles, are beginning to become more relevant in todays Alamo story, he said.

And youre going to see more of that in the future, he added.

shuddleston@express-news.net

Twitter: @shuddlestonSA
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Clusters of shoppers pushed grocery carts and lugged plastic bags outside a Walmart in Boerne one recent Sunday, when a familiar refrain rang out in their direction.

Girl Scout Cookies! shouted Girl Scout Terra Fiedler at the stores home and pharmacy entrance.

With her mother, Kami Fiedler, fellow Troop 545 member Bridget Land and Bridgets mom, Tiffany, 15-year-old Terra stood by a table with stacks of boxes of Tagalongs, Savannah Smiles and more. When a woman heading to the parking lot heard the call for cookies, she yelled out, I dont have cash.

Actually, Terra promptly replied, we take credit cards.

Within minutes, the woman returned. Terra swiped the womans card on a cellphone attachment and thanked her for buying several boxes.

She knows what to say and shes got it down, Kami Fiedler, 50, said of her daughter. The whole thing is to make girls leaders, stronger and independent.

Terra has more than her mom as a role model: Grandmother Adrienne King, 74, and great-grandmother Marcella Wille, 96, also have been involved with Girl Scouts, which started in 1912.

Fiedler noted that her daughter has many school and after-school activities competing for her attention, but Fiedler and King hope she will stick with Girl Scouts. Its a family affair, after all.

Retired Marine Maj. Gen. Angie Salinas, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, called the Girl Scouts a time-honored family organization.

Every day we meet alumnae who are ready to begin their daughters Girl Scout journey because they had such a great Girl Scouting experience, Salinas said. We see moms, grandmas and even great-grandmas working together to teach the next generation the traits they learned as Girl Scouts, to be girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

This year, Girl Scouts across the country are celebrating the 100-year tradition of cookie sales, which generate close to $800 million for girls and communities. In the 21-county area of the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, the cookies raise $5 million, with 1.3 million boxes sold. The tradition began in 1917 when the Girl Scouts of Mistletoe Troop sold their homemade cookies in Muskogee, Oklahoma, to raise money for projects.

Over the decades, the iconic fundraiser has changed. Wille became involved with Girl Scouts after her daughters joined. King recalls going door to door in Highland Park on the Southeast Side, selling cookies to neighbors for 50 cents a box. She said her mother became a troop leader when Kings younger sister became a Brownie.

For her part, Terras mom remembers stacking the boxes of cookies in her locker at Providence High School and selling them at lunchtime.

Things have changed even more dramatically during Terras time as a Girl Scout. When she first started, her mother helped her pull a small red wagon through their neighborhood to make deliveries. Now, in addition to selling in grocery stores, the cookies can be ordered via a free mobile app, girlscoutcookies.org and Girl Scouts can use Digital Cookie, an online hub, to track and manage their cookies and sales.

Kami Fiedler, like her mother, is a Girl Scout life member.

Another thing King and Fiedler share are their experiences of traveling to national and international Scouting centers.

Locally, King was director of a council sailing camp for 10 years at Medina Lake, where shes been involved with the summer camp since the mid-1990s.

To King, the camp represents Scouting. Girls in grades 7 and higher are eligible for the week-long outing, where they wash their hair with water hoses, clean dishes, learn to build campfires and how to right overturned sailboats.

She said her granddaughter barely weighed 70 pounds the first time she attended the camp. Last year, Terra was the skipper who took Salinas sailing on the lake.

Its a great joy to watch Terra, King said. She holds her own weight and shes a great Scout. Its really rewarding to see your granddaughter succeed as well as she is doing. Hopefully shell enjoy Scouting the rest of her life, as I have.

vtdavis@express-news.net
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Some 4,000 troops with an Army brigade combat team from Fort Hood deployed to Kuwait last month. Another unit stationed at the base will finish training exercises in the coming weeks before shipping out to a country as yet unannounced, and a third recently returned from a nine-month tour in Afghanistan.

The deployment treadmill has seldom slowed for units at the massive base outside Killeen since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, even as the size of the Army has dropped over the past five years.

The nonstop rotations are expected to continue under President Donald Trump, who has proposed a $54 billion increase in defense spending and vowed to totally obliterate the Islamic State.

Much less certain is the impact on a military taxed by 16 years of war if Trump fails to deliver on his budget plan while escalating the campaign against ISIS and ordering more units to Afghanistan, Europe and elsewhere.

The troops will keep doing what theyre asked to do, said retired Army Maj. Gen. Kendall Cox, a former deputy commander at Fort Hood and head of the Heart of Texas Defense Alliance based in Killeen. The concern is that theres going to be fatigue at all echelons.

The Armys active-duty force has fallen from 570,000 soldiers to 475,000 since 2012, with 36,500 now stationed at Fort Hood. The decrease has coincided with the militarys reduced presence in Iraq and Afghanistan and Congress placing budget caps on defense and non-military spending.

During his campaign, Trump called for enlarging the Army by 65,000 troops and the Marine Corps by 18,000, along with expanding the fleets of the Navy and Air Force.

His proposal to boost the defense budget to $603 billion would require federal lawmakers to repeal the spending limits known as sequestration that went into effect in 2013. In a joint address to Congress last week, he declared his intent to send lawmakers a budget that removes the caps.

Trump would need the support of all 52 Republicans and eight Democrats in the Senate to pull off that legislative feat. His chances appear small in light of Democrats preparing to oppose his plan to gut assorted nonmilitary programs to offset the surge in defense spending.

The looming budget scrum has prompted Pentagon officials to warn that adding to the ranks without providing adequate funding for training and equipment would create what Gen. Mark Milley, the Armys chief of staff, has described as a hollow force.

Sequestration puts the military in a downward spiral, said retired Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo, an associate vice chancellor with the University of Texas System, who commanded troops in Iraq and Afghanistan during his 35-year military career. As long as you have the budget caps, you will not be able to grow the Army and sustain or increase operations.

Perpetual wars, possible new conflicts

Gen. Daniel Allyn offered a stark appraisal of the Armys state of readiness to the House Armed Services Committee in January. The vice chief of staff testified that two-thirds of the forces 58 brigade combat teams lack enough troops, training and equipment to deploy within 30 days, and that only three could fight tonight.

The National Defense Authorization Act that Congress passed in December allocated funding for an Army of 476,000 soldiers. The legislation halted a drawdown that would have lowered the active-duty force to 450,000 by next year.

The change in course by lawmakers and former President Barack Obama reflected an awareness of the demands imposed on troops by the nations perpetual wars and the possibility of new conflicts.

The U.S. military has inserted about 6,000 troops into Iraq  including personnel from the 1st Cavalry Division based at Fort Hood  to aid that countrys army in driving out ISIS. Some 500 special operations forces fill a comparable role in Syria.

Defense Secretary James Mattis, fulfilling Trumps executive order to review the Pentagons strategy for defeating ISIS, revealed his plans to the president last week. Recent comments by the top U.S. commander in the Middle East have stirred speculation that more American troops could soon arrive in Syria.

An additional 8,400 U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan, among them 500 soldiers with the 1st Cavalry, a brigade combat team from Fort Bliss and a detachment of the Texas National Guard. The commander of U.S. forces there told Congress last month that he needs a few thousand more troops to assist the Afghan army in its fight against the Taliban.

The military has also bulked up its presence in Europe, where 70,000 troops are permanently stationed. An Army aviation battalion from Fort Bliss deployed to Germany three weeks ago, with its 400 soldiers joining 6,000 sent over since late last year in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

The NATO training and security mission, conducted with troops from seven Eastern European countries, seeks to bolster forces in the region amid Russias ongoing aggression in Ukraine that began with its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

The high likelihood of additional forces deploying to the Middle East, Afghanistan and Europe has sharpened questions about overextending the Army and weakening its ability to counter a prolonged, large-scale assault from Russia, North Korea or Iran.

The potential fear is that if something happened with one of those countries, then every soldier on Fort Hood would be deployed, said Cox, who commanded U.S. troops during three tours in Iraq. With the current level of readiness, that would put a very heavy strain on the force.

For soldiers at Fort Hood, one of the countrys largest bases, the frequency of overseas rotations  accelerated by the Armys smaller size  has compressed the time between tours. Senior commanders prefer an interval of two years to avoid grinding down troops; the typical gap is 14 to 16 months.

You can only do that for so long until you break the force, Cox said. And its very difficult to recover from that.

Former President George W. Bush ordered a surge of 20,000 troops into Iraq in 2007. Frederick Gellert, then chief of the Pentagons equipping plans division, recalled that the first two of five brigades to deploy had ample manpower and equipment.

But the amount of both dropped off with each brigade that followed, and the retired Army colonel asserted that the militarys supply-and-demand problem persists.

I have no doubt the next-to-deploy units have everything they need to do their mission, said Gellert, a professor of resource management at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. Its all the units after that  thats where the concern is.

Not if, but when

Mattis released a memo in January that outlined a defense spending plan to bolster readiness and remedy shortfalls in personnel, equipment and weapons programs.

The ultimate objective, the defense secretary wrote, is to build a larger, more capable and more lethal joint force, driven by a new national defense strategy.

The Army has resorted to cannibalizing its own units in response to the evolving nature of overseas operations and a reduced active-duty force. Senior commanders mix and match troops as missions and conditions on the ground dictate, a triage approach that disrupts cohesion and training across the ranks.

Cucolo recounted that in 2009, while preparing to deploy to Iraq, he received word that the Army would reassign almost one-third of his units 720 soldiers to another mission. He cautioned that the aggregate effect of the forces personnel shuffling after 16 years of war could diminish its operational capacity.

The Army knows what to do to accomplish the missions its given, he said. The issue is sufficient, predictable funding that allows the Army to come up for air. Without that, youll risk a slow decay of readiness in the areas of training and maintenance.

Trumps plan to add $54 billion to the defense budget falls short of the projected cost to expand the militarys ranks and its ship and aircraft fleets to the levels he laid out during his campaign.

An analysis by the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., found his proposals would require annual funding of $63 billion to $75 billion over the next four years.

A similar study by Mark Cancian, a defense budget analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan policy research group in Washington, estimated the cost at $80 billion a year.

All indications are that the Department of Defense will not get that kind of money, he said. So theres going to have to be some trade-offs.

Two years ago, Rand Corp., a nonprofit policy think tank based in Santa Monica, Calif., examined the impact of troop reductions. By sinking below an active-duty force of 490,000, the reports authors concluded, the Army is headed for potentially low levels of capabilities and will have difficulty in meeting foreseeable challenges.

Timothy Bonds, director of Rands Army research division and the studys co-author, called the existing force of 475,000 inadequate given the rise of ISIS, Russias provocations in Eastern Europe and North Koreas instability.

Even at 490,000, we would struggle to have sufficient numbers of forces to meet the current needs on the ground, he said.

Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has proposed a defense budget of $640 billion, a figure that, if sustained over the next four years, could fund the buildup Trump envisions.

Yet Andrew Bacevich, a military and foreign policy analyst and retired Army colonel, pointed out that even then change would occur slowly.

Theres a lag between getting the money and getting a larger Army, he said. Training takes time, and you cant form professional units overnight.

As Trump seeks to augment the armed forces, Bacevich, author of Americas War for the Greater Middle East, published last year, identified leadership rather than funding as the militarys most urgent crisis.

Older senior officers have yet to come to terms with the gap between the idea of easy victory and these long, protracted wars, he said. Theres a reluctance to confront the disappointing outcomes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and so not much has changed in the last 16 years.

The constant for troops at Fort Hood remains the prospect of another deployment. Cox, the bases former deputy commander, explained that theres only one question for experienced soldiers and recruits alike.

They all know theyre going somewhere, he said. Its not a matter of if; its a matter of when.
From the World Heritage San Antonio Missions to the Texas Hill Country and the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio Express-News photographers offer the best visual journalism of the region.
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HOUSTON  Two MS-13 gang members from El Salvador, both in the United States illegally, held three teenage girls against their will and killed one of them in a satanic ritual, authorities in Houston said Friday.

Miguel Alvarez-Flores, 22, and Diego Hernandez-Rivera, 18, were arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping and murder  both first-degree felonies punishable by up to life imprisonment. Bonds totaling $300,000 have been set for each, but immigration detainers will keep both behind bars.

The 15-year-old girls body was found Feb. 16 with gunshot wounds to the face and chest.

Homicide detective Sgt. Chris Sturdivant said the girls identity has not been officially determined but that investigators are confident they know who she is  a girl reported missing in January in nearby Jersey Village.

The captives were three young, impressionable women ranging in age from 14 to 16 who succumbed to the allure of gang life before being taken to an apartment and held there against their will, Sturdivant said. The 14-year-old girl told investigators that they were fed drugs and alcohol and forced to have sex.

The girl said the 15-year-old was killed in a satanic ritual because she had struck the gangs shrine to a satanic saint, according to investigators.

She told investigators that Alvarez-Flores made a peace offering to the figure in the form of a cigarette.

He returned from the statue and told the entire group that the beast did not want a material offering but wanted a soul, state District Judge Maria Jackson said during the mens initial court appearance Wednesday.

The 14-year-old said she later awoke to find the 15-year-old gone, according to investigators.

The case comes as President Donald Trump is promoting concerns over criminal immigrants in the United States illegally. He has announced that he plans to create an agency, called Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement or VOICE, to serve victims of immigrant crime and their relatives. It will be part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Attorneys for Alvarez-Flores and Hernandez-Rivera did not immediately return calls Friday night. Sturdivant said both men admitted their involvement in the abductions and killing after their arrests Monday. An FBI multi-jurisdictional anti-gang task force continues to investigate, and Sturdivant said authorities are seeking other gang members who were possibly involved in the crimes.

MS-13, also called Mara Salvatrucha, is believed to have been founded in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s by immigrants fleeing civil war in El Salvador. It is now a major international criminal enterprise.
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Deborah Bush was watching the news early in the morning on Feb 28, 2014 when she saw reports of a shooting the night before at the Chachos and Chaluccis on the Northeast side.

Another shooting at Chachos? she thought to herself. They need to shut that place down.

Within an hour, Bush got a call from her younger sister, Stephanie. Bush knew something was wrong. Her sister would never call at 5:30 a.m.

When Bush picked up the phone, Stephanie tearfully explained that their nephew Marquise Jones, a 23-year-old father of a baby girl named Kaelynne, had been shot and killed by an off-duty San Antonio police officer named Robert Encina, who claimed Jones pointed a gun at him. They rushed to the scene, where Jones body still lay on the ground under a tarp.

Bush begged police officers to let her see her nephew one last time. When they told her that wouldnt be possible, she reached over the tape and said one last goodbye to Marquise.

Auntie will never give up on you, Bush recalled saying, through tears. I will never stop. I will fight till my dying breath. I will get you justice and clear your name.

The incident, which occurred amid several high-profile police shootings nationwide, quickly captured the attention of the community, especially as additional details came to light: Jones was shot in the back, an autopsy concluded. Encina, who was not allowed to work private security, had exhibited animosity toward black customers before. Jones was African American.

In 2015, a Bexar County grand jury voted not to indict Encina, a six-year veteran of the force at the time of the shooting. Last year, after two new witnesses came forward, the district attorneys office considered submitting the case to a grand jury again, but said the two new witnesses did not constitute re-presenting the case, according to a spokeswoman.

Three years last week since Jones was fatally shot, questions continue to linger in the case. On March 27, a federal wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Jones family against the city of San Antonio and Encina is expected to go to trial.

MORE: Read some of the depositions in the case

A review of hundreds of court documents in the case shows:

One witness, who came forward in 2016 after a Bexar County grand jury chose not to indict Encina, recently recanted his story, claiming he didnt see the shooting as he originally claimed. In total, there are nine witnesses, six of whom challenge the police account that Jones had a gun. Additionally, several witnesses say Encina did not tell Jones to lower his weapon or stop running before he fired.

A Bexar County Criminal Investigation Laboratory report, cited by a defense expert, found gunshot residue on Jones left hand, indicating he may have discharged a firearm or been in close proximity of one.

The gun police claim Jones pointed at Encina was never tested for DNA and was found 15 feet from Jones. A search of the guns serial number did not identify an owner.

Three expert witnesses for the plaintiffs claim the internal SAPD investigation into the shooting was incomplete and that the actions of Encina could have been prevented through proper training; Three expert witnesses for the defendants  including one current SAPD deputy chief and one former SAPD chief  dispute those claims.

Chief William McManus admitted in a 2016 deposition that there are inconsistencies in the police narrative and that a report given to the District Attorneys office was missing key information. He also said that if Jones did not have a gun in his hand when he was running from the officer, Encina would not be justified in using deadly force. The San Antonio Express-News only reviewed a small portion of McManus deposition, because the whole interview wasnt provided in court documents.

The Jones family claims Chachos and Chaluccis is refusing to hand over outside video surveillance of the shooting and that the City of San Antonio is concealing it. The restaurant, which previously settled, has been re-added to the case as a defendant for allegedly committing fraud. Both defendants say the allegations are completely and wholly without merit.

In a statement for this story, Deputy City Attorney Debbie Klein said, The City will respect the judicial process and not release all the evidence before we have an opportunity to present it in court.

Bush said the last few years without her nephew have been difficult. Last Tuesday, the three year anniversary of Jones death, she gathered with dozens of friends, family members and supporters in a parking lot outside the restaurant where her nephew died. She lit a candle for Jones, approaching strangers and offering to light theirs, too.

The city will never forget what they did to our family, she said. We know Marquise did nothing wrong.

What happened?

In the early morning of Feb. 28, 2014, Jones, accompanied by his sister Whitney and two other friends, visited a billiards hall on the Northwest side of town. On their way home, Whitney Jones said she wanted to stop at Chachos and Challucis to pick up food.

As the friends waited for their order in the drive-thru areas, the driver of the vehicle, Fabian Garza, reversed the car, hitting the vehicle behind him. Encina, dressed in full SAPD uniform, came outside to examine the fender-bender when he approached Garza, asking him to step out of the vehicle.

Encina said he smelled alcohol on Garzas breath and handcuffed him.

Jones, who was on probation and had been arrested several times for theft and drug possession and once for assault, grew nervous as he watched Encina handcuff Garza. Whitney Jones told her brother not to worry, but he stepped out of the vehicle and began running, according to witnesses.

At that point, police say Jones turned toward Encina, pointing a handgun at him. Encina told investigators he fired because he feared for his life.

In written statements and oral depositions, three witnesses  including Jones sister, her friend and a customer  told investigators that Jones did not have a gun and Encina never told Jones to drop the gun he allegedly brandished or to stop running before he began firing six to eight rounds.

Another witness, Lemore Lamar English, reiterated that story, but later recanted his statement, saying he didnt witness the shooting at all.

Two other witnesses  both employees who were working inside the restaurant  said they saw Jones fiddle with his waistband as he sat in the car and reach for something near his seat, but they couldnt say if he had a gun or not. Later, in a deposition, one witness admitted he could have been unbuckling his seat belt.

Another witness said she saw Jones running, but she couldnt say if he had a gun or not.

The city claims that Garza, whose statement, affidavit or deposition provided in court files, testified that Jones had a gun and fired it. One witness, another employee at Chachos who had stepped outside to witness the incident, echoed that statement, telling investigators that Jones reach into his waistband area and look back at Encina as he ran.

I observe a grip of a gun in the passengers hand, the employee, Anthony Molina, wrote in a statement. It looked like a handgun.

A controversial investigation

A Bexar County Medical Examiners autopsy later concluded that Jones, who had cocaine and alcohol in his system, was shot in the back. They ruled the death a homicide.

The Bexar County Criminal Investigation Laboratory also conducted a forensic examination, according to an expert hired by the city, and found traces of gunpowder residue on Jones left hand. That does not necessarily mean he fired a firearm  gunshot reside can also indicate handling a discharged firearm or being in close proximity of one.

An internal SAPD investigation into the shooting later concluded Encina was justified in using force. Encina remains on the force.

Experts hired by the city reiterate the findings.

In my opinion, when Jones turned toward Encina while still holding the gun, any reasonable officer in the same or similar circumstances as Encina could reasonably believe the level of danger to his life and the lives of innocent bystanders increased dramatically, wrote Albert Ortiz, a former San Antonio police chief who now runs a consulting business.

Additionally, Ortiz said, there could be many reasons why the gun was found 15 feet from Jones. It could have tumbled forward from Jones hand when he fell, or he could have dropped it and continued running before falling to the ground.

But three experts hired by the Jones family  including a retired Austin police detective, a retired captain from the Oklahoma City Police Department, and a forensic toxicology expert from the North Texas Health Care System in Dallas  didnt draw the same conclusions.

Tom Bevel, the Oklahoma city captain who is now a board certified crime scene reconstructionist, said the positioning of Jones body on the ground suggests he could not have been looking back and pointing a gun at Encina as police claim.

Jerry Staton, a former Austin police detective, said there were many discrepancies in the evidence that the internal affairs report failed to mention. For example, Encina said he saw a silver or chrome handgun in Jones hand, but the gun found was blue-steel.

Additionally, Staton said, detectives on the scene failed to identify two witnesses who could have provided further insight into the incident. Those witnesses were the individuals who came forward in 2016.

The gross deviation from accepted police practices and procedures by the San Antonio Police officers and supervisors rises to the level of substantial, deliberate indifference for the rights and safety of Marquise Jones, Staton wrote.

In a 2016 deposition, SAPD Police Chief William McManus admitted that the main detective who investigated the shooting and provided a report to the district attorneys office did not include pertinent information in his summary, like the fact that several witnesses said Jones was running away from Encina. However, only a small portion of McManus 188-page deposition was provided in court documents.

And again, the district attorneys office count on the San Antonio Police Department to do a thorough investigation and to prepare a thorough report, correct? Daryl Washington, an attorney for the Jones family, asked McManus, according to the deposition.

Of course, the chief responded.

And this report was not thorough, correct?

Correct.

Is there video?

In late February, the Jones family filed an amended lawsuit, alleging that Chachos and Chaluccis, which previously settled, has committed fraud by refusing to hand over indoor surveillance video from the night of the shooting.

In 2014, according to court documents, the family made its original request asking the restaurant to provide any photographs, video or audio recordings from the night of the shooting.

An attorney for the restaurant replied, saying there was none, according to court documents.

But in 2016, according to Washington, Chachos provided surveillance video from the inside of the restaurant to the Bexar County District Attorneys Office. That video has been submitted as evidence in federal court.

Washington says the restaurant committed fraud by not bringing the evidence forward sooner. He believes the video only came to light in 2016 because the City of San Antonio needed the video to debunk testimony from one of the witnesses who came forward at the time.

He also accused the city of concealing the evidence and asked the judge to sanction the defendants. A judge denied that request.

After the indoor surveillance materialized, Washington also accused the restaurant of hiding outdoor surveillance video. He says police have been called to Chachos 220 times since the start of 2012, making it highly unlikely that the restaurants drive-thru was not under surveillance for the protection of employees and customers.

There are currently four surveillance cameras in the drive-thru area of Chachos, the Express-News confirmed, but it is not clear when they were installed.

The city has responded to the allegations, saying there is no actual evidence of such video and that the allegations are wholly without basis in fact and wholly without merit, according to court documents.

In a statement provided to the Express-News, lawyers for the restaurant said the same.

We just want justice

Bush said shes frustrated that its taken so long to for the trial to commence, but shes hopeful  and a bit nervous  that the proceedings will go well.

In the meantime, shes comforted by memories of her nephew, who she admits had his fair share of troubles with the law. But after his daughter Kaelynne was born, he turned his life around, she says. He was studying music at Northwest Vista College when he died, but he had committed himself to joining the military so he could support Kaelynne.

Kaelynne is three years old now, and she gets jealous when her cousins spend time at family gatherings playing with their fathers. Sometimes, she pushes them aside and says, He could be my daddy.

We havent told her what happened yet, because we dont think she would understand, Bush explained.

We just want justice, she added. Im not going anywhere, were not going anywhere until we get justice for Marquise.

eeaton@express-news.net

Twitter: @emilieeaton
AUSTIN  A key Texas lawmaker said that he plans to introduce legislation this week to begin reforming the states oft-criticized public school funding formula, but the proposal already could be in jeopardy as the House and Senate battle over a school choice bill.

House Public Education Committee Chairman Dan Huberty, R-Houston, said Friday that he planned to file a bill to start reworking the finance scheme that provides funding for 5.3 million students across the state, a year after the Texas Supreme Court declared the system constitutional but flawed.

His counterpart in the Senate said he could not promise the upper chamber would not hold Hubertys school finance bill hostage as part of an effort to pressure the House to OK a bill that would give parents taxpayer money to help pay for private school.

The potential standoff is an outgrowth of years of political wrangling over conservative Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks push to give parents state funds to remove their kids from public schools and subsidize their attendance at private ones. While generally favored in the Senate, the House has stood in the way of a voucher plan for years.

Huberty last week said this year will be no different and declared a Senate bill carried by Senate Education Committee Chairman Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, dead on arrival in the House.

Asked if the Senate would hold Hubertys school funding bill hostage unless the House passed a voucher bill, Taylor on Friday said at a Texas Tribune education symposium, thats above my paygrade.

The comment suggests Patricks fight for school vouchers is bleeding into an even longer-running battle to fix the states school funding formula, a system that dictates how much money more than 1,000 school district have to educate children, education experts across the political spectrum say.

If either house digs their feet in and doesnt want to try to work together because of one particular issue, then it holds up everything and it could mean that no school finance solution comes out of this session at all, said Ray Freeman, executive director of the Austin-based Equity Center, the largest school finance research and advocacy organization in the country.

The result: another two years of large class sizes and school districts clamoring for money after having to fork over tens of millions of dollars to the state to share with other underfunded districts.

The Equity Center and some 600 school districts have fought for years to get Texas leaders to fix its school funding formula, bringing lawsuits repeatedly against the state to fix various shortcomings. Via several court orders, the Legislature passed Band-Aid fixes for decades. In 2016, the Texas Supreme Court called the states school finance system constitutional but riddled with problems. While urging the Legislature to fix the system, the court left it up to lawmakers decide whether to make any changes.

Lawmakers say finding a fix to the school funding formula will take years, but Huberty said he wants to start chipping away at the formula this session. If Patrick holds up the school finance bill, and the House refuses to move on a voucher bill, both sides could be at a stalemate.

It just underscores that each side is pretty dug in where they stand on both issues, said Stephanie Matthews, senior policy adviser for the Center for Education Freedom at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, which supports expanding school choice for public school parents. Im not terrifically optimistic vouchers will pass this session, she said.

Matthews said she hopes a smaller voucher bill may have a chance, such as HB1335, which would create education savings accounts of taxpayer funds that parents can use to send children with special needs or other educational disadvantages to private schools.

Calls to Patrick and Hubertys offices for comment on whether passing a smaller voucher program would prevent a stalemate were not returned Friday.

The Senate leadership wants to ignore their constitutional responsibility to take care of the public schools and chase down pipe dreams like vouchers, said Clay Robison, a spokesman for the Texas State Teachers Association and longtime political observer in Austin.

While school vouchers is a conservative issue because it creates competition in the marketplace and offers parents an out from their public school, the idea does not sit well with many rural House Republicans whose school districts are their areas largest employers. Other Republicans say their constituents are more interested in investing in their public schools.

Most Democrats oppose vouchers, which they as siphoning money from public schools to pay for private ones.

Some Republicans, however, feel pressure to support or fight for vouchers out of a fear of getting a primary challenge, Robison said.

andrea.zelinski@chron.com

twitter.com/andreazelinski
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For more than two decades, San Antonios Latino literary community has advocated, sometimes with little support, for a public space that celebrates the citys deep Latino literary traditions.

Scholar Tomas Ybarra-Frausto rightly calls such a space a necessity in the social, cultural capital of Mexican America.

By this fall, that space will become reality when the Central Library opens the Latino Collection and Resource Center in a newly renovated space on its first floor.

The 6,000-square-foot area will house the librarys existing 10,000-volume collection and provide room to grow its holdings. The space will have research capacity, study rooms, a small gallery and spaces for programming. If the colorful plans are any indication, it will be a place of inspiration.

Established in 1995, the Latino Collection was sequestered on the sixth floor of the downtown library in what can only be described generously as an afterthought.

It was just to appease us, said Ellen Riojas Clark, a UTSA professor emerita, recalling a library board that was not supportive at all. It even attempted to evade Latino activists by switching the site of public meetings.

She recalled a remarkable meeting when a teen Marisa Bono, now Southwest regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, spoke before the board and advocated for the creation of a Latino Collection.

Its volumes were placed in a 2,000-square-foot area in a seldom-trafficked spot on the sixth floor. It has remained in solitude there while providing little to no space for readers to study, write or celebrate the word.

Yet when it hosted celebrations honoring authors Sandra Cisneros and Ybarra-Frausto, it was standing room only.

So the space, the new legitimate space, the new prominent space, the new more accessible space, has been long in coming.

It will showcase the collection and provide a venue for programs that will celebrate the Latino experience.

Renovations will begin this month and be completed by July. Sometime later, programming and festivities will begin.

The Latino Collection and Resource Center is supported by a public-private partnership. The city will contribute $190,000, and the library foundation has pledged $300,000.

Library director Ramiro Salazar hopes to have $25,000 annually for programming.

While there are many people behind the project, including champions such as Cisneros, Ybarra-Frausto and Riojas Clark, its safe to say that Salazar had a great deal to do with fashioning the space.

In part, it was born of frustration.

Salazar watched as members of the L3 Committee  the library foundations ambitious Latino Leadership for the Library Committee, L to the third power  dreamed of creating a wing.

They were so hopeful that renowned Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta was called on to design it. Tens of millions of dollars would have been needed. No funding materialized.

As Salazar pondered solutions, the teen areas move to the third floor cleared prime real estate on the first.

The goal is to make the collection a stronghold of U.S. Latino literature and history. The library will acquire anthologies, emerging Latino writers and early Latino writers with an emphasis on Texas and the Southwest and will grow from there.

Few library systems have such public collections and/or centers.

Salazar could name only a few: San Jose Public Librarys Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch, Tulsa City County Librarys Hispanic Resource Center, Miami-Dade Public Librarys Hispanic Branch and El Paso Public Librarys Raza Collection.

Salazar wasnt as locked into the idea of a wing as he was on a solution and on what the library could do now.

Its an important collection, Salazar says. San Antonio has a strong literary tradition that few know about. We bought this literary tradition from Mexico.

Ybarra-Frausto agrees, recalling that as a boy, his father read Charles Dickens Bleak House to the family from a Spanish-language serialization in La Prensa. For some time, he was sure Dickens was Mexican.

The point is that a lot of people dont understand that in San Antonio, we were getting a cosmopolitan education through La Prensa, which printed works by U.S., European and Latin American writers.

Ybarra-Frausto is certain that the space will help attract more personal collections like his, because donors will see that their gifts will be kept together, be made available to the public, and be maintained and reserved, all important criteria.

He gifted almost 900 volumes about Mexican and Mexican-American art, culture and social issues to the Latino Collection in 2014.

When he was a boy, he waited as bookmobiles traveled the dusty, unpaved streets of his West Side neighborhood and checked out as many books as allowed.

He remembers checking the card catalog in hopes that an Ybarra would appear. One day his prayers were answered. He found T. Ybarra, Young Man of Caracas, about a boy in Venezuela.

The scholar who taught at Stanford University and oversaw humanities and arts projects in Mexico and Latin America for the Rockefeller Foundation dreamed his library might have another Ybarra on its shelves someday.

Today, his nieces and nephews can look up a digital catalog and find one of their uncles own books  and in the Latino Collection and Resource Center someday soon, they will find much, much more.

eayala@express-news.net
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Azerbaijan submitted the daily oil production data for February 2017 to the OPEC Joint Technical Committee (JTC) as part of implementation of the Vienna agreement to cap oil output, Azerbaijans Energy Ministry told Trend.

In February, the daily oil production in Azerbaijan amounted to 776,400 barrels, 50,000 barrels of which accounted for condensate.

The Energy Ministry also said 604,100 barrels of oil, 50,000 barrels of condensate and 26,800 barrels of petroleum products were exported daily.

Azerbaijan completely fulfils its obligations to reduce oil production by 35,000 barrels per day, the ministry said, adding the country was producing 793,900 barrels of oil per day in January 2017.

A letter from the OPEC Monitoring Committee states that Azerbaijan complies with the terms of the Vienna agreement by 214 percent, according to the Energy Ministry.

The Committees letter said Azerbaijan is one of the countries playing a leading role in the process of oil production cut, the ministry said.

The Joint Technical Committee was created January 22 under the OPEC Monitoring Committee, designed to monitor the implementation of countries obligations to cut oil production.

In December 2016 in Vienna, 11 non-OPEC countries, including Azerbaijan, agreed to curtail oil output jointly by 558,000 barrels per day. The agreement was signed for the first half of 2017, with the possibility of extension.
(Updated with quotes from the new dean.)

COLUMBUS  Dr. Cathann Kress has been named vice president for agricultural administration and dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State University.

Kress, the first female to hold the top post at Ohio States ag college, is the current vice president for Extension and outreach at Iowa State University. In her role at Iowa State, she also serves as director of ISU Extension.

She will start her appointment May 1, pending approval of Ohio States board of trustees. Their next meeting is April 6-7.

Kress will succeed Dr. Bruce McPheron, who was named provost and executive vice president at Ohio State in June 2016.

Dr. Kress is an accomplished leader, said McPheron in making the announcement March 6. Her experience at Cornell and Iowa State, and in Washington D.C., have prepared her to help Ohio State and the college take up the many opportunities that lie ahead.

Its an honor to join the incredible community of faculty, staff, and volunteers dedicated to all of CFAES missions in education, research, outreach, and service, Kress said in an email to Farm and Dairy.

Throughout my career, Ive been dedicated to the intersection where agriculture, education, and communities meet, she added. Combine CFAES capacity with Ohios massive and diverse food and agricultural industry, the breadth of producers and products, and the possibilities are endless.

Background

Prior to joining Iowa State in 2011, Kress was a senior policy analyst and program lead for Military Community and Family Policy at the U.S. Department of Defense in Washington D.C.

She earned both doctorate and masters degrees in education from the University of Iowa, and a bachelors of science in social work from Iowa State University. Kress has taught undergraduate and graduate students at all levels. Her research and applied research efforts have focused on impacts on rural populations.

She is also incoming chair of the Administrative Heads Section of the Board on Agriculture Assembly for the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities.

Prior to joining the Department of Defense in 2008, Kress was director of youth development for the U.S. Department of Agricultures Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service for six years. There, she provided national leadership for youth programs administered through Cooperative Extension and land-grant universities, and also established the mission and role of the National 4-H headquarters.

From 2000 to 2002, Kress was assistant director of Cornell Universitys Cooperative Extension and the state program leader for 4-H Youth Development.

Kress serves as a trustee of the National 4-H Council, as a designee of the STEM Advisory Council on the Iowa Governors Stem Initiative, and also serves as a trustee to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

She has three adult children, two sons and a daughter.
Details added (first version posted at 18:30)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Azerbaijan submitted the daily oil production data for February 2017 to the OPEC Joint Technical Committee (JTC) as part of implementation of the Vienna agreement to cap oil output, Azerbaijans Energy Ministry told Trend.

In February, the daily oil production in Azerbaijan amounted to 776,400 barrels, 50,000 barrels of which accounted for condensate.

The Energy Ministry also said 604,100 barrels of oil, 50,000 barrels of condensate and 26,800 barrels of petroleum products were exported daily.

Azerbaijan completely fulfils its obligations to reduce oil production by 35,000 barrels per day, the ministry said, adding the country was producing 793,900 barrels of oil per day in January 2017.

A letter from the OPEC Monitoring Committee states that Azerbaijan complies with the terms of the Vienna agreement by 214 percent, according to the Energy Ministry.

The Committees letter said Azerbaijan is one of the countries playing a leading role in the process of oil production cut, the ministry said.

The Joint Technical Committee was created January 22 under the OPEC Monitoring Committee, designed to monitor the implementation of countries obligations to cut oil production.

In December 2016 in Vienna, 11 non-OPEC countries, including Azerbaijan, agreed to curtail oil output jointly by 558,000 barrels per day. The agreement was signed for the first half of 2017, with the possibility of extension.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Kazakh Parliament at a joint meeting of the both Chambers passed the law "On amendments and supplements to the Constitution," the press-service of Majilis (Kazakh Parliament lower chamber) said in a message March 6.

"Constitutional reform, above all, is the further development of democracy, strengthening the basis of democracy, increasing the responsibility of Parliament and the Government, while keeping a strong presidential power," - Majilis Speaker Nurlan Nigmatulin said.

The constitutional reform envisages transferring of some powers from president to parliament and government. It was proposed by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in January.

The president stressed that the reforms will create stability in the countrys political system for many years to come and an efficient mechanism to respond to modern challenges. Kazakhstan will stick to presidential republic, however, the amendments will make government system more flexible to meet the requirements of the time, according to the president. The idea was submitted to nationwide discussion and people supported the initiative.

According to Kazakh law, the constitution could be amended through referendum and by the parliament and the president makes the final decision which option to choose. Nazarbayev decided to pass amendments through the parliament.

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev supported the initiative to dissolve the Parliament, the presidential press service said Mar. 6.

The news comes after head of the Onuguu-Progress parliamentary faction, Bakyt Torobayev called on his colleagues last week to dissolve the Parliament if it is not capable of solving problems. Torobayev made the proposal at a Parliament meeting which discussed the issues of corruption and fraud.

According to the presidential press service, President Atambayev, speaking at a ceremony of presenting state awards, said some parliament members allege that the Boeing plane, which crashed near Bishkek in mid-January killing about 40, was carrying some cargo owned by him and that he has millions-worth of offshore property in Cyprus.

These are just rumors and attempts to blacken my name The parliament has evolved from a legislative body into a body which disseminates rumors Maybe, indeed, you will support Torobaev and dissolve [the parliament], otherwise respect the law and work for the peoples welfare, Atambayev said.

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Mar. 6

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will arrive in the city of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on a state visit Mar. 6, Turkmenistan State News Agency said in a message.

This will be the first foreign visit of Mirziyoyev as an Uzbek president, the message said.

The desire of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to bring the intergovernmental dialogue to a higher level gives confidence that the Ashgabat meeting will make it possible for the two countries to enter a new stage of the multifaceted cooperation, according to the agency.

It is planned to sign a package of documents following the Ashgabat meeting.
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Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Mar. 6

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

French President Francois Hollande assured of his countrys readiness to continue to strengthen relations with Turkmenistan, according to his letter to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Ashgabat and Paris.

Hollande in his letter said he is pleased to note the constant development of relations between France and Turkmenistan.

He added that many projects of the Turkmen-French partnership were implemented due to the Turkmen presidents active personal support.

During the visit to Ashgabat on Apr. 28, 1994, the then French President Francois Mitterrand noted the role of Turkmenistan in the peaceful resolution of conflicts and crisis situations, Hollande said in his letter.

Mitterrand also assured the readiness of France to cooperate with Turkmenistan in all fields, Hollands letter reads.
A former director of a Florida-based telecommunications company who allegedly bribed officials in Haiti was arrested in February and made an initial court appearance in Miami.

Amadeus Richer appeared in federal court on February 24. He had been considered a fugitive since his indictment in July 2011.

He faces one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and to commit wire fraud, six counts of FCPA violations, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and 19 counts of money laundering.

Richers, now 65, lived in Pembroke Pines, Florida and in Brazil, according to the indictment. He was formerly a director of Cinergy Telecommunications Inc. and its related company, Uniplex Telecommunications Inc.

The indictment alleged that Cinergy and Uniplex paid more than $1.4 million to shell companies to bribe officials at state-owned Telecommunications DHaiti.

Richer is set to be arraigned on March 8.

In October 2011, Joel Esquenazi was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in the Haiti Telco bribery case. Thats still the longest FCPA-related prison sentence.

His co-defendant Carlos Rodriguez was given an 84-month sentence.

They were also ordered to forfeit $3.09 million.

Esquenazi and Rodriguez were convicted by a jury in Miami of one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and wire fraud, seven substantive FCPA counts, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and 12 counts of money laundering.

Four other individuals pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in the Haiti Telco case.

In 2009, Antonio Perez and Juan Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and money laundering. Last year Perez was sentenced to 24 months in prison and Diaz to 57 months.

In 2010, Jean Fourcand pleaded guilty in the case to one count of money laundering for receiving and transmitting bribes. He was sentenced to six months in prison.

Also in 2010, Robert Antoine, a former director of international affairs for Haiti Telco, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He admitted taking more than $1 million in bribes from Miami-based telecommunications companies. He was sentenced to 48 months in prison.

_____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
A Texas-based sales agent for an aviation business was sentenced in February to a year and a day in federal prison for a plot to bribe Mexican officials in exchange for airplane maintenance contracts.

Victor Hugo Valdez Pinon, 54, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty on October 26 last year to conspiracy to violate the FCPA and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Judge Alfred Bennett in Houston also ordered Pinon to serve two years of supervised release after his prison term and to pay restitution of about $90,000.

The judge also signed a forfeiture order against Pinon for $250,000.

Three other businessmen in the case have admitted bribing Mexican officials to win work for Hunt Pan Am Aviation. The Brownsville, Texas-based company has operated under new ownership since 2010, according to its website.

Two of the businessmen  Daniel Perez, 69, and Kamta Ramnarine, 69  were sentenced to three years probation on February 2. Both had pleaded guilty in November last year to conspiracy to violate the FCPA.

And two former Mexican officials who took bribes have pleaded guilty to a money-laundering conspiracy. One of them  Ramiro Ascencio Nevarez, 58  was sentenced to 15 months in prison on May 27, 2016.

The other defendants are waiting to be sentenced.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
David Letterman schedules his life around his family.

David Letterman

The 69-year-old television personality - who stepped down as host of 'The Late Show with David Letterman' in 2015 - says his schedule is now "secondary" to that of his wife Regina Lasko and their 13-year-old son Harry.

Asked what a regular day is to him now, he said: "Right now, I'm missing 'The Price Is Right'; thanks a lot! A regular day is structured around my wife and son. I am secondary to their schedule.

"But my days - I was just in California with some people. It was business related. So I do a lot of that, and I do a lot of pro bono work, as they say in the legal industry. But mostly I sit on the edge of the bed and stare at the floor."

And whilst David is enjoying being out of the spotlight, he admits he is still adapting to his new life.

He told Vulture: "It's still hard. I have trouble operating the phone. That's the God's truth. I needed a pair of shoelaces. And I thought, Hell, where do you get shoelaces? And my friend said, there's a place over off I-84, it's the Designer Shoe Warehouse. So I go over there, and it's a building the size of the Pentagon. It's enormous. If you took somebody from - I don't know, pick a country where they don't have Designer Shoe Warehouses - blindfolded them and turned them loose in this place, they would just think, You people are insane. Who needs this many shoes? It's sinful.

"It's one of these places where there's no employees and every now and then there's just a scrum of shoe boxes. I'm not finding the damn shoelaces, and finally I think, maybe it's one of those items they've got at the counter. I go up there and I'm nosing around the counter and, by God, there's shoelaces. This is after about an hour. So now I'm waiting in line and the woman checking people out says in a big loud voice, 'May I help our next shoe lover, please?' I just started to tremble. Nobody else seems to have a problem with going to a store!"
Keith Duffy was reportedly "attacked" in a nightclub by six men.

Keith Duffy

The 42-year-old musician - who is known for being in the band Boyzone alongside Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating, Shane Lynch and the late Stephen Gately - is believed to have been assaulted by a group of males at a VIP area in Lillie's Bordello in Dublin, Ireland, in the early hours of last Sunday morning.

Speaking about the ordeal, a source told The Mirror Online: "He got a few digs - there were a few of them. There was six on one."

And it has been reported the brawl broke out after his wife, Lisa, was bombarded by verbal abuse, which led the 'No Matter What' hitmaker to intervene and defend his partner, with who he has 20-year-old son Jay and 16-year-old daughter Mia with.

The source explained: "Six guys surrounded him in the club after Lisa came running looking for him.

"She was upset by the behaviour of these guys."

It is believed security at the club eventually stepped in, but by which time the vocalist and his partner had already left to go home.

The incident is believed to have "really upset" Keith's wife, because it was "unprovoked" and came out of nowhere.

An onlooker said: "Lisa was really upset. They just set on Keith, there was no reason for it, it was unprovoked,' said an onlooker."

Earlier in the evening Keith and Lisa had enjoyed a family meal with their oldest child at Saba restaurant to celebrate his new acting role in 'Handsome Devil'.

And, prior to the attack, Keith had gushed about his brood and how impressed he was by his latest movie.

He previously tweeted: "Ok so, I had no idea what to expect @handsomefilm I'm blown away @Jay_Duffy96 Your Aunty Steo would be so proud as is your father ! #tears (sic)."

Meanwhile, neither Keith or Lisa have commented on the attack.
Christopher Bailey has never wanted his own fashion line.

Christopher Bailey

The Burberry chief creative officer - who recently stepped down as CEO to focus on the artistic aspects of the company - insists he has always been happy to be "number two" to the iconic brand and has no "ego" about his role.

He said: "You do have to leave your ego at the door.

"That was something that was very clear to me - and I've never aspired to have my own brand.

"I was always happier as a number two and when you're working for an iconic, heritage brand, you are a number two because the brand is number one and it always will be."

And Christopher admits he still feels a sense of "responsibility" to Thomas Burberry, who founded the British brand in 1856 and despite his high position within the company, he only feels like he is "looking after" it until someone else comes along.

He told Harper's Bazaar magazine: "[If I could speak to Burberry, I would say], 'I hope we've done OK by you.' And I think he'd probably say, 'You could have done better.'

"I definitely feel a sense of responsibility to him, because it takes great courage to build something that has your name on it and I don't wear that responsibility lightly.

"But I also have an innate sense that I'm only looking after this company until it's time to pass it on to somebody else - and that makes me want to do what's right for Burberry in the long term."

The 45-year-old designer is incredibly loyal to the fashion house and proud of its creations.

Asked what he is wearing, he replied: "Burberry, head to toe, down to my undies."
Angelina Jolie hopes the people of Cambodia are "proud" of her new film 'First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers'.

Angelina Jolie

The 'Maleficent' star stepped behind the camera to direct the movie, which is based on the story of human rights activist Loung Ung, who lived through the genocide that happened under the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s.

Speaking in a BBC special about the film, she said: "I hope this doesn't bring up hatred. I hope this doesn't bring up blame. I hope the people of this country are proud when they see it, because they see what they've survived.

"I thought, 'What story do I feel is really important to tell?' I felt this war that happened 40 years ago and what happened to these people was not properly understood. And not just for the world, but for the people of the country. I wanted them to be able to reflect on it in a way that they could absorb.

"I hope the people of this country are proud when they see it, because they see what they survived. And I hope it sheds light on what it is to be Cambodian, and the beauty and love of the family."

It comes after Angelina revealed the movie helped her understand her son Maddox's birth country of Cambodia much "deeper".

She shared: "This country means a great deal to me, this country has been through so much. This war affected every single individual here, and I wanted to understand myself. I don't know much of Maddox's birth parents, but I believe they would have gone through this war.

"I wanted to understand this country in a deeper way, and bring this story of Luong Ung who's a dear friend of mine."

And Angelina - who has Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox with her estranged husband Brad Pitt - was very nervous about screening the movie in front of the Cambodian royal family.

She added: "I was very, very nervous. It's an honour to be allowed to come into a country which is not your own country, and to tell its history."
Ryan Murphys new series Feud  which is chronicling the fallout between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in its first season, and is rumoured to be tackling the breakdown of Prince Charles and Princess Dianas marriage in its second  debuted in the US last night to great reviews. Showcasing just how rough times in Hollywood can be, Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange took the leading roles and gave some incredible performances, likely cementing their going up against one another at awards show later this year and into 2018.

Credit: FX

Though his second season is apparently already planned out, the idea of bringing some big celebrity feuds to the small screen is something thats got us thinking  just what famous spats would we love to see recreated? Here are just five that wed love to see Ryan Murphy use in the future

5. Taylor Swift and Kanye West (feat. Katy Perry)

Taylor Swift Kanye West

This one started all the way back in 2009 when Kanye stormed the MTV stage and grabbed the microphone from Taylor Swift, who was giving an acceptance speech after taking the prize for Music Video of the Year. Since that point, the pair have exchanged both angry and loving words, making up one minute and then reigniting their feud just moments later. Showing no signs of slowing down, Kanyes now-wife Kim Kardashian-West decided to get involved and leak audio files of Taylor approving lyrics on one of Kanyes songs, which she later publicly said she had never heard before they hit the radio. Awkward! We imagine that if Murphy ever does decide to take this one on, hell have a wealth of material to go over.

Then of course we have Taylors feud with Katy Perry! That could serve as a fantastic B-plot

4. Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj

Mariah Carey Nicki Minaj

Forced to work together on the 12th season of American Idol, Nicki and Mariahs disdain for one another was apparent from the first moments of filming. Leaked footage showed them arguing off screen, and when it came to the live shows they werent afraid of throwing shade at one another in front of the millions watching from home. Fighting over contestants, eye shadow and pretty much anything they could find an excuse to fight over, it would be great if Murphy could speak to his friends in high places and find out some of the drama that went on behind-the-scenes, bringing it to the show and letting us know more than ever exactly what went on, and why Nicki and Mariah just never got on.

3. Elton John and Madonna

Sir Elton John Madonna

Elton and Madonna are the perfect definition for frenemies. Though they seem to now have finally buried the hatchet, there was years of bickering the pair and those around them had to put up with. Elton was the one to extend an olive branch, he explained during an episode of The Graham Norton Show, offering her an apology which he says she accepted graciously. If were to see a season that has a happy ending, this could be the perfect relationship to delve into!

2. Julianna Margulies and Archie Panjabi

Credit: CBS

Working together for years on The Good Wife, sources revealed following the final season of the show that the pair didnt actually film their final scenes together, with special effects and body doubles instead being used to ensure the last few moments of the show could be brought to fans. Rumours constantly circled the pair and their apparent feuding on the set of the show, but details were always sparce. Again, if Murphy can get some of the behind-the-scenes gossip and shine a light on what went on here, wed likely be in for one heck of a ride.

1. Azealia Banks and her various sparring partners

Azealia Banks

Azealia Banks is one of the most interesting entities in celebrity culture. She has sparked rows with various other big names, including but not limited to; Zayn Malik, Iggy Azalea, Perez Hilton, Lily Allen, The Stone Roses, Rita Ora and Rihanna. Picking just one of these to look at would feel a little silly, so seeing an entire season based on Azealia Banks, allowing viewers to go behind the public persona and see exactly whats gone on in her life to make her such a volatile personality would be amazing viewing. Of course, Banks herself would have to own up to where shes gone wrong in the past and give some major details to Murphy if this was ever to happen  something we dont see her doing any time soon. So, for now, this one will have to remain just another idea

Feud continues Sundays in the US on FX, and is expected to come to the UK later this year.

by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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The Indian government is reviewing the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) after a recent report commissioned by the ministry of textiles found that the scheme has failed to achieve its objectives. The primary objective of the SITP is to provide the industry with worldclass state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities for setting up new textile units.

The Indian government is reviewing the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) after a recent report commissioned by the ministry of textiles found that the scheme has failed to achieve its objectives. The primary objective of the SITP is to provide the industry with worldclass state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities for setting up new textile units.#

The report by Wazir Advisors to the ministry has cited various reasons for the scheme failing to attain its objectives. The reasons include high rentals in some parks, changes in other government schemes or regulations, lack of marketing efforts, no special benefits available for investors in parks, poor accessibility and challenges for units in SEZ parks.

The Indian government is reviewing the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) after a recent report commissioned by the ministry of textiles found that the scheme has failed to achieve its objectives. The primary objective of the SITP is to provide the industry with worldclass state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities for setting up new textile units.#

We are reviewing the SITP as many special purpose vehicles (SPVs) were found violating its norms as non-textiles units were operating from inside the parks, a senior textiles ministry official told a news agency.

The Indian government is reviewing the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) after a recent report commissioned by the ministry of textiles found that the scheme has failed to achieve its objectives. The primary objective of the SITP is to provide the industry with worldclass state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities for setting up new textile units.#

The report on review of the SITP has suggested a new scheme  Mega Textile Parks  to be launched with parks having minimum land size of 1,000 acres, and infrastructure support in the form of readymade factory sheds, warehouse, incubation centres and testing labs, with express connectivity to seaports and airports.

The Indian government is reviewing the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) after a recent report commissioned by the ministry of textiles found that the scheme has failed to achieve its objectives. The primary objective of the SITP is to provide the industry with worldclass state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities for setting up new textile units.#

The new scheme should be implemented by entrepreneurs-led SPV, industry associations or state government either through their institutions or in PPP mode, the report said. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Mar. 6

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

Presidents of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, signed a strategic cooperation agreement on March 6 following the talks in Turkmenistans capital Ashgabat, the Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary state news service reported.

The countries also signed an agreement on economic cooperation for 2018-2020, a memorandum of further development of cooperation in railway transportation, an intergovernmental program of cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian spheres for 2017-2019, as well as a program of cooperation between the Turkmen and Uzbek foreign ministries for 2017-2018.

Besides, agreements on cooperation in trade, economy, in cultural and humanitarian spheres were signed between the Turkmen Dashoguz region and the Uzbek Khorezm region, as well as between Lebap region and Bukhara region.

Also, Turkmen Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources and Turkmenhimiya state concern signed agreements with Uzbek enterprises and organizations
The Indian Textile Exhibitions (INTEXPO) currently underway in Ethiopia, aims to develop exports of India man-made fibre (MMF) textiles to the country. Indian exhibitors are showcasing yarns, fabrics suiting, shirting, accessories, made-ups and more at the two-day expo. B2B meetings have also been scheduled between Ethiopian importers and Indian exporters.

The Synthetic and Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC) is organising the exhibition with the support of the ministry of commerce and ministry of textiles of India, the Embassy of India in Addis Ababa, local traders and various Ethiopian government wings. The trade fair is providing an opportunity to importers, buyers and agents in Ethiopia to source their requirements of various products from India.

Ethiopia does not have the infrastructure and expertise required for producing hand-made and blended textiles, thus there is a higher scope for India to increase its MMF textiles exports to the country, said the Indian Embassy in Addis Ababa in a press release.

The Indian Textile Exhibitions (INTEXPO) currently underway in Ethiopia, aims to develop exports of India man-made fibre (MMF) textiles to the country. Indian exhibitors are showcasing yarns, fabrics suiting, shirting, accessories, made-ups and more at the two-day expo. B2B meetings have also been scheduled between Ethiopian importers and Indian exporters.#

Ethiopia imported textile and clothing worth $1145 million in 2015 and India's share in the total exports stood at $112 million, that is, 10 per cent of the total imports. Ethiopia imports MMF textiles worth $458.84 million of which, India's share was $74.32 million. Imports of made-ups from the world reached over $142 million in Ethiopia. Hence, there is tremendous scope to increase Indias market share in Ethiopia. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Fiji and Norway have explored mutual cooperation in the renewable energy sector at a meeting in Suva between Prime Minster Voreqe Bainimarama and Norwegian Foreign Minister Hon. Tone Skogen.

Prime Minister Bainimarama noted Norways successful record in renewable energy, particularly with regards to vocational training offerings, and expressed Fijis interest in pursuing development cooperation and knowledge transfer in the renewables sector.The meeting also covered bilateral collaboration in aqua-agriculture development.At the meeting, Prime Minister Bainimarama outlined Fijis leadership agenda at the Conference of Parties (COP 23), and sought Norways commitment to assist with preparations in the lead-up to the COP 23 negotiations and to the United Nations Oceans Conference, which Fiji will co-host in June 2017.The Prime Minister concluded the meeting by thanking the Norwegian Government for their significant contributions to the peacekeeping efforts through NATO and the UN.-ENDS-
The Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has announced that public budget consultations leading up to the formulation of 2017-2018 National Budget will begin on 15 March and extend through 16 May 2017. This years consultations follow the unprecedented public participation seen in last years public budget consultations.



The Attorney-General called on all Fijians, including civil society and non-governmental organisations, senior citizens, women, youth, Fijians living with disabilities, other grassroots organisations and representatives from the private sector to participate in this years consultations.



The dates and venues for the public consultations are:



15 March 2017 - Disabled Persons Consultation Lautoka, 2.30pm-4.30pm at the Returned Service League Hall.



17 March 2017 - Disabled Persons Consultation Suva, 3pm - 5pm at the Fiji National Council for Disabled Persons Hall.



18 March 2017 - Public Consultation Lautoka, 9am-12pm at the Sugar City Mall.



18 March 2017 - Public Consultation Ba, 2pm-5pm at the Ba Civic Centre.



25 March 2017 - Public Consultation Suva, 9am-12pm at JJs on the Park.



25 March 2017 - Public Consultation Nausori, 3pm-5pm at Sila Central High School.



1 April 2017 - Public Consultation Nadi, 9am-12pm at the Nadi Civic Centre.



1 April 2017 - Public Consultation Sigatoka, 2pm-4pm at Sai Hall



29 April 2017 - Public Consultation Savusavu, 9am-12pm at the Hot Spring Hotel.



29 April 2017 - Public Consultation Labasa, 2pm-4.30pm at the Labasa Civic Centre



29 April 2017 - Private Sector Consultation Labasa, 6.30pm-8.30pm

at Labasa College



10 May 2017 - Private Sector Consultation Lautoka, 6.30pm-9.30pm

at Natabua High School



13 May 2017 - Public Consultation Korovou, 9am-11am at Tailevu North College.



16 May 2017 - Private Sector Consultation Suva, 6.30pm-9.30pm

at Level 9, Suvavou House.



The Attorney-General urged every Fijian to make their views and opinions on the upcoming budget heard to help Government meet its objective of driving broad-based and inclusive social and economic growth.



The 2017-2018 National Budget will build upon the tremendous progress the Fijian economy has achieved, despite the massive damage caused by Cyclone Winston, and continue to create and sustain employment opportunities for the Fijian people. Last years consultations were invaluable to the budget process and saw record public engagement, and we are hoping to see even greater levels of participation this year, he said.



The Attorney-General mentioned that consultations for students at high schools, as pioneered last year, will be expanded this year to cover additional school locations and that, for the first time, consultations will also be held at various university campuses. He assured that the details on these consultations would be announced shortly.



The Attorney-General also encouraged all Fijians to make written submissions to the Ministry of Economy.



Written submissions can be handed in on the day of the consultation or can be posted, hand delivered or e-mailed by 16 May 2017 to the following addresses:



Postal Delivery



Budget Consultations 2017-2018, Ministry of Economy, P. O. Box 2212, Government Buildings, Suva.





Hand Delivery



Budget Consultations 2017-2018, Ministry of Economy, Level 9, Ro Lalabalavu House, Victoria Parade, Suva.





E-mail



Subject: Budget Consultations 2017-2018

budgetconsultation@economy.gov.fj





All questions should be directed to Principal Economic Planning Officer Tuimasi Ulu at the Ministry of Economy on 3221318 or 9904770.





-END-


Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama today received the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Australia and New Zealand, Dr Kamir Kusen.

Prime Minister Bainimarama thanked Ambassador Kusen for visiting Fiji and sought support from the Republic of Croatia for Fijis presidential agenda at the 23rd Session of the Conference of Parties (COP 23) in November of this year.Climate change is a global issue that will require global engagement to confront, and I look forward to working alongside the Republic of Croatia and all EU member states as we drive implementation of the Paris Agreement in Bonn later this year, said the Prime Minister.The meeting also covered cooperation in education, trade and tourism between Fiji and Croatia. Prime Minister Bainimarama also raised the possibility of visa exemption arrangements between the two countries.-ENDS-
After having operated for his sixth basal cell carcinoma recently, the Logan actor Hugh Jackman wishes for a little bit of Logan's healing power.

Pointing towards his nose, the actor said, "You can see I am not healing as much as I wish I had. I wish I had a little bit of Logan's healing powers."

The Actor who played the role of Wolverine in X-Men franchise finally decided to step down from the role after his latest movie Logan. However, the actor said though it is tough to say goodbye, he is now happy and fine.

"I am happier in general. I am fine and happy. Yes, we become sad and regret in life but nothing to the degree that owns this man. He was a good man. I was always touched with the character. He had a good heart."

Hugh Jackman also shared some light moments and said, after his Wolverine retirement, the actor is free to eat whatever he likes and whenever he likes.

"Now I'm eating and loving it. Sometimes waking up at two in the morning just to have breakfast cereal, and then go back to bed. With it still in my lap," said Jackman.

"It's sort of unbelievable to me, what I did for 17 years. The first one, I thought you could get into shape in three weeks. The director pushed all the 'shirt off' scenes to the very end. You stop drinking water about 30 hours before you shoot. You lose ten pounds of water weight," he added.
Recently, Karan Johar, the host of Koffee With Karan, became father of twins through surrogacy. Now, the telly town's favourite couple Gurmeet Choudhary and Debina Bonnerjee have become proud parents. The couple has adopted two girls from Gurmeet's hometown in Bihar - Jarampur.

According to Mumbai Mirror report, the couple met the girls three years ago in 2014, when they had been to Jarampur to attend a family wedding. Gurmeet's mother who is close to the girls (and lives in vicinity) got to know that the children had to work as domestic help to attain a livelihood. It is then Gurmeet discussed with Debina, who agreed to give home to the kids! Read on to know more...

Gurmeet Gurmeet was quoted by the leading daily as saying "After hearing about their plight from my mother I discussed them with my wife. Debina agreed with me that it was time to give the kids a home, a deserving education and my last name." Paperwork Done... The actor further added, "All the paperwork is done. We will be going to Jarampur for the final signatures after Holi. It is a two-day process." It's Official Now Says Gurmeet! "Everybody, including my parents, keeps asking me when I'm planning a baby. Well, it's official now, I'm bringing home two daughters and we couldn't be more excited." Are The Girls Moving With Debina & Gurmeet? The girls will not be moving Debina and Gurmeet right away. Gurmeet had taken advice from his friends, family and counsellors, who advised them not to shift the girls immediately as it will be difficult for them to adapt to the bustling and fast-paced city. Gurmeet Shares His Experience He added, "I remember when I moved to Mumbai 13 years ago, life was a struggle for me till Ramayan came along in 2008 and I found my real life Sita in Debina." When The Kids Will Shift With Gurmeet & Debina? Apparently, his daughters will first move to Patna and will be enrolled to the school. Gurmeet said, "After one academic year, they will shift in with us in our Andheri home by 2018."

He further added, "My brother and his family live in Patna and they will be around to see that they are well cared for. Debina and I will travel to Patna three-four times in the year and stay there through their summer vacation too."

When asked how the girls reacted to a new daddy and mummy, Gurmeet said that Pooja is (six-years-old) too young to to understand what is happening. He and Debina have discussed the adoption process with Lata (nine-years-old) and have her consent on everything.

Gurmeet added that even after the girls move to Mumbai, they will continue to visit Jarampur during holidays and keep in touch with their relatives.

The couple tied the knot in February 2011. They love kids and are planning to have kids of their own. He further added that their kids will be siblings for Pooja and Lata and all 'Choudharys' will happily live together under one roof!
The Ishqbaaz Gang

The entire starcast of Ishqbaaz attened Navina and Karan's wedding reception on March 4. This picture was posted by Krissann Baretto, who plays the role of Rumi in the show.

Ishqbaaz Girls With The Newly-weds

Ishqbaaz actors Surbhi Chandna, Krissann Baretto and Reyhna Malhotra posing for a photograph along with the newly-weds.

Nakuul, Nehalaxmi & Krissann

Nakuul posted this image on his facebook account and captioned it as "Do Phool Ek Maali."

Awesome Threesome!

This is one of the candid shots taken during the reception wherein the trio Nakuul, Krissann and Subha are posing for a selfie.

The Perfect Couple

The newly-weds Navina and Karan pose for a picture at their reception. As per the reports, Nakuul and Surbhi walked in with a lot of gifts for the newly-weds. Navina is looking gorgeous in a golden lace saree, while Karan is looking dapper in a blue suit.

The After Party

Post the reception, the Ishqbaaz gang had a blast at the after party, as the entire team of Ishqbaaz headed out for dinner. Nakuul's wife Jankee also joined the gang. Subha Rajput, who plays the role of Priyanka in the show posted this image and captioned it as, "After party madness!"

A Night To Remember

Needless to say, they had a blast! After all, it was a mini break from all of them from their hectic shooting schedule. This image was posted by Siraj Mustafa Khan who plays the role of Shakti and he captioned it as, "Party n after party."

Arjun Bijlani & Neha

Also seen at the reception were Arjun Bijlani with his wife, Neha. Arjun and Navina have previously worked together in Miley Jab Hum Tum.
Foreign brokers in Malaysia have just been let off a huge problem. The Securities Commission in that country dictated that the 63 registered brokerages must merge into 15 groups. Jardine Fleming, Merrill Lynch, WI Carr and Deutsche Bank were the foreigners affected, given that they have local joint ventures.

I have calculated that it would cost around $100 million for each of the four to stay independent, because each would have to buy four other brokerages. The deadline for doing so was to be the end of the year.

Not any more. The Securities Commission has now backtracked on its plan, which it only launched in April. Malaysia's brokerages are now being given more time to consolidate and everything has become tremendously vague again.

There may be some sense in going slow - quite a lot of sense, in fact - but the decision to scrap the deadline only serves to reinforce the perception that the Malaysian authorities are quick to map out grand plans, and just as quick to scuttle them.

Only six banks?

Last year, you will recall, Bank Negara came out with its grand vision for six banking groups. There was no shortage of politics in this decision with the likes of Tan Sri Rashid Hussain one of several figures set to be marginalized. More politics intervened - there was an election - andaother interests came to the fore. The plan was torpedoed by the prime minister, who memorably asked why should there be just six banks, and why should Rashid not have a bank. More Malaysian-Chinese banks were included.

Bank Negara (and Finance Minister Tun Daim) then had to reform their grand vision, and a fast foxtrot followed. What the outside world had assumed was a done deal had simply unravelled.

Spot the similarity? Again, a seemingly done deal has been unwound. Can anyone take these plans seriously any more in the future? Has the boy cried wolf once too often?

As a final point, it is interesting that the Securities Commission has backtracked on one of the central planks of its policy. The watchdog had said that individuals who control banks (such as Rashid, Azman Hashim of Arab Malaysian, and Quek Leng Chan of Hong Leong) could not own more than one-fifth of a stock brokerage. This policy has now been cancelled, which means that Rashid, Azman and Quek will not have to make any difficult choices as to whether or not they sell their bank or their brokerage.

This, yet again, is an uncanny repeat of last year's bank fiasco, where these three men were initially going to be excluded from the big six and then, finally, made it into the new, revised big 10.

The most annoyed person in both cases is Daim, who had been the architect of financial sector reform. This reversal of policy is yet another signal that PM Mahathir is using a divide and conquer approach to check Daim's power - a power which has grown exponentially since the financial crisis, but may now be tapering off.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, March 6

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Turkmenistans President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev have demonstrated the similarity of approaches to ensuring stability in the region during their negotiations in Ashgabat, the Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary state news service reported.

This is Mirziyoyevs first official visit abroad as the Uzbek president. During the statements for the press, the two presidents noted that during the negotiations, special attention was paid to the issues of strengthening peace, stability and security.

The report also says that the two sides agreed to closely cooperate in bilateral format within international organizations in addressing such issues as the fight against international terrorism, extremism, transnational organized crime, drug trafficking.

The parties also noted the similarity of approaches to the Afghan problem. The sides concurred that the settlement in the neighboring country is possible only by peaceful, political means based on a wide nationwide dialogue.

Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan support the provision of active international support for the Afghan government, assistance in Afghanistans integration to regional and international economic processes, says the report.


FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - Deutsche Bank (DBDB) said it plans to increase its capital from the issuance of new shares with subscription rights for existing shareholders with proceeds expected to be around 8 billion euros. Additionally, the Bank plans to take a number of additional measures and is announcing new financial targets.



Deutsche Bank said it expects to issue up to 687.5 million new shares with subscription rights to existing shareholders and with the same dividend rights as all other outstanding shares. The volume of around EUR 8 billion in proceeds is underwritten by a syndicate of banks including Credit Suisse, Barclays, Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas, Commerzbank, HSBC, Morgan Stanley, and UniCredit. Deutsche Bank will act as global coordinator and joint bookrunner.



Subject to approval by the BaFin, a securities prospectus is expected to be published on March 20 2017. The subscription period of the rights is expected to run through April 6 2017.



Upon completion of the proposed capital raise, the Bank's fully loaded December 31 2016 pro forma CET1 ratio would be 14.1%, and its pro forma leverage ratio 4.1%.



The Bank plans a series of additional actions and sets new financial targets that replace the existing targets originally announced in October 2015.



The planned measures are retention of Postbank and over time integration with the Bank's existing German private and commercial banking and wealth management businesses; reconfiguration of the existing Global Markets, Corporate Finance and Transaction Banking businesses into a single division, Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB), a corporate client led investment bank.



The Bank plans to dispose and run off of an identified pool of legacy assets within Global Markets (approximately 20 billion euros of Risk Weighted Assets or RWA excluding operational risk and 60 billion euros of leverage exposure), that is currently estimated to represent a negative impact on the new CIB's current post-tax return on tangible equity or RoTE of approximately 200 basis points per annum.



The legacy assets pool will be managed separately and is targeted to be reduced to approximately 12 billion euros of RWA excluding operational risk and EUR 31 billion of CRD4 leverage exposure by 2020; the reduction will be accelerated whenever economically feasible.



The company plans to sell a minority stake in Deutsche Asset Management or Deutsche AM via an initial public offering over the next 24 months.



The company plans to dispose of businesses with identified RWA of about 10 billion euros, excluding related operational risk, and about 30 billion euros in leverage exposure, with a majority of the disposals expected to be completed in the next 18 months.



The business disposals and the proposed minority IPO in Deutsche AM are expected to create up to 2 billion euros of additional capital accretion.



Severance and restructuring costs resulting from the planned measures are estimated to be approximately 2 billion euros over the period 2017-2021 with approximately 70% to be incurred over the next two years; all other spending related to these measures will be included in Adjusted Costs.



It aims to reduce adjusted Costs of about 22 billion euros by 2018, and further reduce to about 21 billion euros by 2021, both include Postbank's Adjusted Costs. The adjusted costs was 24.1 billion euros last year.



It targets a competitive dividend payout ratio for fiscal year 2018 and thereafter; Fully loaded CET1 ratio to be comfortably above 13%; leverage ratio of 4.5%.



Additionally, the Management Board has approved payment of the AT1 interest coupons coming due in 2017 and intends to propose at the Annual General Meeting in May 2017 to pay a dividend of 0.19 euros per share, including the shares to be issued in the announced capital raise. The dividend to be paid out of Deutsche Bank AG's distributable profit for 2016 contains a component reflecting the distributable profit carried forward from 2015 of about 165 euros million, and 0.11 euros per share out of the distributable profit for 2016. The aggregate amount of these proposed dividends is about EUR 400 million. Additionally, the Bank would expect to recommend at least the payment of a minimum dividend of 0.11 euros per share for 2017.



Deutsche Bank said it has made a positive start in the first two trading months of 2017. Deutsche Asset Management had a modest improvement in revenues as well as the reversal of negative asset flows seen in 2016.



John Cryan, Deutsche Bank CEO, said, 'We are firmly convinced that we are building a strong Deutsche Bank which can restore growth in all three business areas. That is the task of the new leadership team which the Supervisory Board confirmed today:'



The new Private & Commercial Bank will prospectively be led by Christian Sewing and Frank Strauss; Deutsche Asset Management will continue to be led by Nicolas Moreau; Marcus Schenck is planned to join Garth Ritchie in leading the new Corporate & Investment Bank in the course of the year.



The Supervisory Board will decide on successor as CFO in due course.



Jeff Urwin will retire from the Management Board after a transition period. He will continue to support the bank, especially regarding regulatory topics in the US. The roles of my Management Board colleagues Kim Hammonds, Stuart Lewis, Sylvie Matherat, Karl von Rohr and Werner Steinmueller remain unchanged.



John Cryan said, 'Going forward I will personally oversee the bank's US business on the Management Board. Also for that reason I am pleased that the Supervisory Board has agreed to my request to appoint two Deputy CEOs. Together with Marcus Schenck and Christian Sewing, I will do everything to make sure that we fulfil Deutsche Bank's prominent role in its home market even better and reach our ambitious goals faster.'



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Thales will integrate Aireon(SM) data with TopSky-ATC to advance space-based ADS-B deployment

MADRID, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Aireon announced today that Thales has officially begun the testing and validation of the Aireon space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) data.Initially signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in June of 2015, the start of data validation marks a major milestone for Aireon and Thales' efforts to ensure the successful integration of space-based ADS-B into the TopSky-ATC automation platform.The MOU was also designed to pave the way for Aireon data to be efficiently and effectively distributed to TopSky-ATC end-users.

With the Aireon system now receiving initial air traffic information from its first orbiting satellites, Thales will independently validate the space-based ADS-B air traffic surveillance data. This collaboration will include an assessment of technical performance, defining requirements associated with utilization of the data safely and reliably, as well as determining the impact the service will have on existing maintenance and operational processes. The MOU was the first agreement signed between Aireon and an air traffic management automation platform provider.

"We have been working strategically with Thales for over two years to implement a robust third party data validation set of processes and procedures. Thales is a leading air traffic management automation platform provider and we want to ensure that space-based ADS-B will be incorporated seamlessly into the system," said Don Thoma, CEO, Aireon. "Thales will have a direct connection to our service delivery point and will be ready to go live with the Aireon data when we are operational in 2018. In the meantime, our teams will work hand-in-hand to ensure that the data's update rate, availability, stability, coverage, latency and position accuracy meet the gold standard for air traffic surveillance."

"We are pleased to be working with Aireon on the integration of ADS-B data into TopSky-ATC and also serving as a third-party expert in the validation of the space-based ADS-B data," said Jean-Marc Alias, vice president, air traffic management, Thales. "This agreement was executed with our customers in mind. TopSky-ATC is the world's most widely deployed ATC system, and our world-wide customer base should have best-in-class data for operational efficiency and safety. Aireon is breaking new ground in this area, and we want to ensure our customers are ready when they are."

The Aireon service will be operational in 2018, shortly after the completion of the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation. On January 14, 2017, the first ten Iridium NEXT satellites carrying the Aireon ADS-B hosted payload were successfully launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. In total, the constellation will consist of 66 operational low-Earth-orbit satellites providing global coverage. The service will also provide Air Navigation Service Providers with global aircraft surveillance capability, and is expected to help reduce fuel costs, increase safety and enable more efficient flight paths.

About Aireon LLC

Aireon is deploying a global, space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system capable of surveilling and tracking ADS-B equipped aircraft around the globe in real-time. The system will be used to provide ADS-B coverage that will span oceanic, polar and remote regions, where current surveillance systems are limited to line-of-site and densely populated areas. Aireon will harness the best of aviation surveillance advancements already underway and extend them globally in order to significantly improve efficiency, expand safety, reduce emissions and provide cost savings to aviation stakeholders. In partnership with leading ANSPs from around the world, NAV CANADA, ENAV, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Naviair, as well as Iridium Communications, Aireon is developing an operational, global, space-based air traffic surveillance system expected to be available by 2018. For more information about Aireon, visit: www.aireon.com.

About Thales

Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and Security markets. With 62,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of 14 billion in 2015. With over 22,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its exceptional international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world.

PRESS CONTACTS:

Jessie Hillenbrand

Aireon

+1 (703) 287-7452

Jessie.Hillenbrand@Aireon.com

Beth Larson

Thales

+1 (315) 459-1896

Beth.Larson@us.thalesgroup.com

Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474621/Aireon_Logo.jpg
KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/17 -- Fission 3.0 Corp. (TSX VENTURE: FUU) ("Fission 3") is pleased to announce that, subject to the completion of formal documentation, it has entered into an agreement with Azincourt Resources Inc. whereby Azincourt may earn an additional 10% in the Company's PLN (Paterson Lake North) property by incurring exploration expenditures of not less than one million dollars within one year. A drill program is currently being prepared and will include five holes in 2000m, focusing on high-priority targets within a 700m mineralized corridor, identified during the previous drill program. This new drill program follows success at Fission 3.0's Macusani project in Peru, with 13 of 16 holes intercepting uranium and lithium at shallow depth (see NRs dated 06/21/16, 10/17/16 and 12/21/16) and where, at its large and proximal area portfolio, Plateau Uranium announced on March 2nd, 2017, heap-leach test results showing uranium and lithium recoveries of 98-99% and 61 to 73% respectively.

News Highlights

-- $1M Budget, to be funded by Azincourt Resources -- 5 drill holes, 2000m of drilling. Targets include: -- 2 x A1 Conductor (drilling in Mar 2017) -- 2 x Broach Lake Conductor (drilling in summer of 2017) -- 1 x N Grid -- 6 line-km of ground EM survey (Small Moving Loop Electromagnetic) survey

PLN Highlights

-- Prospective for high-grade uranium at shallow depth -- Significant mineralization and pathfinder elements showing large-scale potential -- Adjacent to, and part of the same structural corridor, as Fission Uranium's PLS project, host to the world's only major, high-grade uranium deposit that is near-surface -- Previous drill program identified a mineralized corridor approximately 700m in length -- Hole PLN-019 intercepted 0.5m at 0.047% U3O8 within 6.0m @ 0.012% U3O8

Ross McElroy, COO, and Chief Geologist for Fission 3, commented,

"This drill program and renewed partnership with Azincourt is the latest, exciting step for Fission. It comes soon after hitting near-surface uranium and lithium mineralization in multiple holes at our Macusani project, in Peru, which is adjacent to Plateau Uranium's Macusani projects that host large, shallow uranium and lithium deposits. Thanks to the prior drill programs we have conducted at PLN, we have already identified a 700m mineralized corridor and will be focusing all five holes on this area."

About PLN

The Patterson Lake North ("PLN") property was acquired by staking in 2004 and became part of the Fission 3.0 Corp. portfolio as part of the Fission Uranium/Alpha Minerals agreement in December 2013. The property comprises 27,408 ha and is located immediately adjacent and to the north of Fission Uranium's PLS high-grade uranium discovery.

A 2013 summer/fall geophysical program budgeted at $0.53 million consisted of a VTEM Max airborne electromagnetic survey conducted over the northern half of the property, time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) and magnetotellurics (MT) ground geophysical surveying, prospecting, rock and soil sampling, and relogging and historical drill core. The airborne EM survey successfully discovered and outlined an eight-km long north-south trending package of conductive basement rocks.

A 2014 winter exploration program budgeted at $1.0 million consisted of 7 drill holes totalling 1988 metres, ground geophysical surveying and radon sampling. Drilling encountered a lithological setting with structural complexity similar to that of the primary conductor at Fission Uranium's PLS project.

A subsequent 2014 summer exploration program comprised 2,130m of drilling in 6 holes, along with 95.2 km of DC Resistivity surveying. Drill hole PLN14-019, targeting the A1 conductor, returned 0.047% U3O8 over 0.5m. During Nov 2014 a borehole EM survey confirmed an EM conductor off-hole of drill hole PLN14-020.

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of the company by Ross McElroy, P.Geol., COO and Chief Geologist for Fission 3.0, a qualified person.

About Fission 3.0 Corp.

Fission 3.0 Corp. is a Canadian based resource company specializing in the strategic acquisition, exploration and development of uranium properties and is headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia. Common Shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "FUU."

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,

Ross McElroy, COO

Fission 3.0 Corp.

Cautionary Statement: Fission 3.0 Corp.

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology 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 state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding the future operating or financial performance of Fission 3.0 Corp. which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and Fission 3.0 Corp. disclaim 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 expressly required by applicable securities legislation.

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:

Fission 3.0 Corp.

Rich Matthews

Investor Relations

TF: 778-484-8030

rich@fission3corp.com

www.fission3corp.com




SAN FRANCISCO, 2017-03-06 09:00 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Globally-acclaimed scientist Dr. Michael Merzenich will deliver the seventh annual Raymond and Beverly Sackler Distinguished Lecture in Neuroscience at Cardiff University at 6:30pm on Thursday, March 16, 2017. Dr. Merzenich is Chief Scientific Officer at Posit Science and Professor Emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco.



Dr. Merzenich will speak about the revolution in scientific thinking caused by the discovery of lifelong brain plasticity, and how it now enables continuous monitoring and managing of brain health, with simple and affordable mobile apps.



Three decades ago, Dr. Merzenich forever changed the way scientists look at the brain with his seminal experiments showing that the adult brain remains plastic - capable of changing chemically, physically and functionally, throughout life, based on sensory and other inputs. Previously, scientists believed that the brain was plastic only in childhood.



Dr. Merzenich realized that plasticity could be harnessed to create tools to benefit humanity. He first applied plasticity in the co-invention of the cochlear implant, which has restored hearing to hundreds of thousand of people living with deafness.



With the wide adoption of personal computers and, then, mobile devices, Dr. Merzenich focused on how to create online (and in app) assessments and exercises that continuously adapt and personalize to monitor and improve individual health and performance.



The exercises in the BrainHQ brain-training platform from Posit Science have been shown to improve performance across a wide range of populations in more than 140 peer-reviewed journal articles.



Studies in healthy mature adults have shown gains in standard and real world measures of cognition (eg, brain speed, attention, memory and executive function); quality of life (mood, confidence, self-rated health, functional independence); and everyday activities (balance, movement, driving).



In January, academic researchers, who completed the first systematic review of commercially-available brain training programs, found that BrainHQ is the only program shown to improve cognition in older adults in multiple high quality studies.



The reviewers observed that studies of BrainHQ exercises and assessments "have fulfilled the gold standard for clinical trials." They concluded that it was the leader among the small number of programs that have shown they "can assist in promoting healthy brain aging."



Last year, Dr. Merzenich was awarded the Kavli Prize, the highest honor in neuroscience. The prior year, he was awarded the Russ Prize, the highest honor in bio-engineering. He has been elected by his peers to both the National Academy of Sciences and to the National Academy of Medicine in the USA. He also is a member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters.



Dr. Merzenich is the author of several books, including Soft-wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life.



Dr. Merzenich frequently appears on television and in the press. In the past year, his work has been featured in The Daily Mail, The Sun, The Times, The Mirror, The Financial Times, Science Magazine and hundreds of other news outlets.



For more information about Dr. Merzenich, contact pr@positscience.com

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Regulatory News:

Veolia (Paris:VIE) announced that its Nuclear Solutions entity, through its subsidiary Kurion Inc., will deploy effluent treatment systems at four Magnox sites in the United Kingdom under a new contract between the two firms. Under the agreement with Magnox Limited, the company will design, build and install the new systems at the four sites, enabling the removal of contaminated waste from the sites' active effluent water treatment, ponds water filtration, and cesium removal plants.

The company will provide Modular Active Effluent Treatment Plants (MAETPs), similar to those used to assist in the response at Fukushima Daiichi, at the Chapelcross, Hinkley Point A, Oldbury and Dungeness A sites. The technologies to be deployed will use multiple innovative water treatment technologies to remove the radioactive substances from the effluent water before it is discharged to the sea.

The experience and technical capabilities housed under the Veolia's Nuclear Solutions' umbrella have enabled the company to develop a unique modular design that allows the equipment for treatment systems to be pre-fabricated and tested offsite, reducing the cost and the amount of on-site assembly required. The Magnox project is scheduled to run through 2020, with the delivery of the first two MAETP systems scheduled for 2018.

The design phase of the contract will be completed at Veolia's Richland, WA offices, with subsequent fabrication of the units to be completed by U.K.-based firms under the supervision of the Veolia team.

"This agreement underscores Veolia Nuclear Solutions' ability to provide an innovative and comprehensive range of technologies, expertise and best-in-class operational capabilities to clients around the world," said Bill Gallo, Veolia's Nuclear Solutions CEO. "By bringing to bear the technology and operational know-how from Fukushima, one of the most significant environmental challenges in recent memory, Veolia Nuclear Solutions support Magnox and allow for treated water to be discharged under industry best practices."

Allen Neiling, Magnox Ponds Program Manager, said: "This project is of strategic importance to Magnox, our agreement with Veolia emphasizes our desire to draw on worldwide nuclear learning, and utilize innovative delivery solutions which provide best value."

The agreement with Magnox highlight's Veolia's broader mission of "Resourcing the World" by helping to preserve resources trough addressing pollution in its most complex form, decommissioning nuclear facilities, and containing health hazards and unwanted environmental impact. As the world leader in optimized resource management, Veolia is committed to developing, preserving and replenishing the world's resources.

Veolia Group is the global leader in optimized resource management. With over 174 000 employees worldwide, the Group designs and provides water, waste and energy management solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and to replenish them.

In 2015, the Veolia group supplied 100 million people with drinking water and 63 million people with wastewater service, produced 63 million megawatt hours of energy and converted 42.9 million metric tons of waste into new materials and energy. Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of 24,39 billion in 2016. www.veolia.com

Veolia's Nuclear Solutions, which unites the best-in-class operations of Veolia's Kurion, Alaron and Asteralis businesses, is a leading world-class player in nuclear facility clean-up and treatment of low-and intermediate-level radioactive waste. It provides the most comprehensive range of technologies, expertise and services to develop the activity of facility restoration, decommissioning and treatment of low-and intermediate-level radioactive waste. www.nuclearsolutions.veolia.com

Magnox, owned by Cavendish Fluor Partnership, is the management and operations contractor responsible for 12 nuclear sites and one hydroelectric plant in the UK. Under contract to the site owner, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the company is responsible for electricity generation at Maentwrog, defuelling at Wylfa, and the decommissioning of Berkeley, Bradwell, Chapelcross, Dungeness A, Harwell, Hinkley Point A, Hunterston A, Oldbury, Sizewell A, Trawsfynydd and Winfrith.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306005517/en/

Contacts:

Veolia Group Media Relations

Laurent Obadia Sandrine Guendoul

Stephane Galfre Marie Bouvet

Tel.+ 33 1 85 57 42 16

sandrine.guendoul@veolia.com

or

Veolia's Nuclear Solutions

Claire Billon-Galland

claire.billon-galland@veolia.com

Michael Crittenden

Tel. +1 202.261.4000

mcrittenden@mercuryllc.com

or

Analysts & Investor Relations

Ronald Wasylec Ariane de Lamaze, Tel. 33 1 85 57 84 76 84 80

Terri Anne Powers (USA), Tel. +1 630 218 1627
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/17 -- Radius Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE: RDU) is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Bald Peak gold property from Ely Gold & Minerals Inc. (TSX VENTURE: ELY) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Nevada Select Royalty Inc. ("Nevada Select"), adding to Radius's portfolio of epithermal gold prospects in the Aurora gold camp, Nevada.

The Bald Peak Property consists of 38 unpatented mining claims in Mineral County, Nevada and one mineral prospecting licence in Mono County, California. The Property overlies a 6 km long, NE-trending zone of gold-bearing quartz-chalcedony veins, stockworks and hot spring silica sinters that has seen minimal historical exploration work.

Bald Peak Mountain is a rhyolite dome complex located 7 km WNW of the historic Aurora Gold mine that was recently acquired by Klondex Mines Inc. The high level gold bearing veins/stockworks and sinters discovered on the Property occur in a rhyolitic sedimentary unit intermittently exposed beneath more recent volcanic flows along a NE-trending depression, potentially a graben structure. Previous explorers in the area collected rock chip samples along this trend. Historical exploration documentation shows that within the Property boundaries, 201 rock chip samples from exposed outcrops returned assay values ranging from trace to 7 g/t Au, with 40 samples returning assay values above 1 g/t Au. Rock chip samples also contain highly anomalous levels of Hg, Sb, and As, elements typical of shallowly-exposed epithermal systems. The historical geochemical data suggest that these outcrops may represent the upper portions of a productive hydrothermal system.

Radius intends to leverage its prior experience in these high level environments to advance the Bald Peak Property, exploring for bonanza epithermal gold-silver veins similar to those seen within the Bodie-Aurora-Borealis district.

The historical results given here are from previous explorers' exploration summary documents, and have not been independently verified by a Qualified Person. The exploration work summarized appears to have been done to an appropriate technical standard, however, and Radius's Qualified Person believes them to be reliable. Radius will be selectively resampling surface outcrop as part of its due diligence exploration work.

Acquisition Terms

Radius has acquired a 100% interest in the Bald Peak Property in consideration of the payment to Nevada Select of US$35,115, the granting to Nevada Select and/or a former property owner, of a total 3% NSR royalty, and making annual advance royalty payments to Nevada Select of US$25,000. Radius has the right to reduce either royalty by 1% by paying US$1.0 million to Nevada Select, and/or US$500,000 to the former owner.

Tlacolula Sale

Radius has reached an agreement, subject to regulatory approval if required, with Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. ("Fortuna") for the sale of Radius's Tlacolula property.

In 2009 Radius signed an option agreement with Fortuna whereby Fortuna could earn a 60% interest in the property by making certain cash and share payments to Radius, as well as work expenditures. Fortuna advanced the property with sampling and trenching but has been unsuccessful to date in obtaining social licence to conduct a drill testing program. As the deadline for meeting the required expenditures has lapsed, Radius and Fortuna have agreed to amend the option so that Fortuna will acquire a 100% interest in the property by issuing to Radius 250,000 shares of Fortuna and granting Radius a 2% NSR royalty. Fortuna will retain the right to purchase 1% of the royalty by paying Radius US$1.5 million.

Qualified Person

David Clark, M.Sc., P.Geo., is Radius's Qualified Person under the terms of National Instrument 43-101, "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" and has approved the technical information in this news release.

About Radius

Radius has been exploring for gold in Latin America for over a decade. The Company has a strong treasury and is looking for investment and project acquisition opportunities across the globe. Please call toll free 1-888-627-9378 or visit our web site (www.radiusgold.com) for more information.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Simon Ridgway, President and CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements which include, without limitation, statements about the Company's plans for the Bald Peak Property; the intended sale of the Tlacolula Property to Fortuna; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlook; the merit of the Company's investments and properties; timelines; the future financial performance of the Company; expenditures; approvals and other matters. Often, but not always, these forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "estimate", "estimates", "estimated", "potential", "open", "future", "assumed", "projected", "used", "detailed", "has been", "gain", "upgraded", "offset", "limited", "contained", "reflecting", "containing", "remaining", "to be", "periodically", or statements that events, "could" or "should" occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, the Company's plans for exploring the Bald Peak Property; the completion of the sale of the Tlacolula Property to Fortuna; changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; the Company or any joint venture partner not having the financial ability to meet its exploration and development goals; risks associated with the results of exploration and development activities, estimation of mineral resources and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; unanticipated costs and expenses; and such other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's quarterly and annual filings with securities regulators and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to: that the Company's exploration activities at the Bald Peak Property will proceed as planned; that the intended sale of the Tlacolula Property to Fortuna will be completed as planned; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with its public statements and stated goals; that all required approvals will be obtained; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its investments or properties; and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Contacts:

Radius Gold Inc.

Simon Ridgway

604-801-5432

Toll free: 1-888-627-9378

604-662-8829 (FAX)

info@goldgroup.com

www.radiusgold.com




BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS and AUSTIN, TEXAS -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/17 -- AdmitHub, an edtech startup which builds conversational artificial intelligence (AI) to guide students on the path to and through college, together with Georgia State University, has released the results of a study that examined the efficacy of 'smart text messaging' in reducing their summer melt rate. Summer melt refers to students who accept offers of admission but who subsequently do not show up for fall enrollment. Georgia State experienced its best enrollment results in school history thanks in large part to AdmitHub's text-based intervention. In particular, the experimental group using AdmitHub experienced a 21.4% lower summer melt rate and a 3.9% higher enrollment rate when compared to the control group.

In April, Georgia State University launched the first university virtual assistant in the U.S. using AdmitHub's conversational AI technology. Named after the school's mascot, "Pounce" was introduced to half of all admitted students with a U.S. mobile phone number as part of a Randomized Control Trial (RCT). The treatment group received timely reminders, relevant information, surveys, and answers to their questions from Pounce. The remaining admitted or confirmed students made up the control group, and received GSU's standard email and snail mail communication.

"Over the course of four months, Pounce exchanged nearly 200,000 messages with 3,100 students in response to questions ranging from 'When is my tuition due?' to 'Can I bring my salamander to Piedmont dorm?' Every interaction was tailored to the specific student's enrollment task," says Scott Burke, Assistant Vice President of Undergraduate Admissions at Georgia State University. "We would have had to hire 10 full-time staff members to handle that volume of messaging without Pounce. As a result of the success of last season's trial, we are not only continuing our use of Pounce this year, but also expanding its role to include several new initiatives focused on enrollment and student success."

Key Outcomes

"We observed positive results in nearly every area of focus, notably a 3.9% increase in enrollment as compared with the control group," said Lindsay C. Page, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who oversaw the trial together with Hunter Gehlbach, a professor at UC Santa Barbara. "This is a significant contribution to the overall reduction in summer melt experienced by Georgia State last year." In recent years prior to the study, Georgia State had seen its summer melt rate increase to more than 18%.

Additional Metrics and Findings

-- 3,114 students in the treatment group with a valid phone number capable of sending/receiving texts accepted help from Pounce, representing a 90% opt-in rate. -- By the end of the trial period, 63% of all students in the treatment group had engaged with Pounce on at least three separate days throughout the enrollment process, and had exchanged an average of 60 messages. -- Of the more-than 50,000 student messages received, only 0.9% required the attention of Georgia State staff. The rest were handled by Pounce or AdmitHub staff overseeing the virtual assistant's learning process. -- First-generation college students (those that are the first in their family to attend college) and students receiving Federal Pell Grants sent on average 9.4% and 31.7% more messages to Pounce than the average student user, respectively. -- 80% of students in the treatment group rated Pounce as a 4 or 5 out of 5 stars, and 94% recommended that Georgia State introduce Pounce to next year's incoming class.

"The college application process is already stressful, so it makes sense that innovative institutions like Georgia State are looking for ways to both improve and streamline the approach to interacting with incoming students. The idea is to ensure students have a positive experience with the college from first inquiry to enrollment," says Andrew Magliozzi, CEO of AdmitHub. "Our technology has proven to be an affordable and extremely effective way to provide students with the near real-time feedback they expect today, while yielding positive results for the university."

The trial and results are the focus of a SXSWedu panel featuring Magliozzi, Page, and Burke taking place today at 12:30pm CT at the JW Marriott, Salon A. Information on this panel can be found here: http://schedule.sxswedu.com/events/event_PP62260.

Additional Resources

-- Full research results will be published here the morning of March 6th -- SXSWedu presentation -- Road to Higher Ed talk, featuring AdmitHub's Kirk Daulerio -- Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT): "Well-designed and implemented RCTs are considered the "gold standard" for evaluating an intervention's effectiveness, in fields such as medicine, welfare and employment policy, and psychology." Additional information on RCTs is available online.

About AdmitHub

Founded in 2014, AdmitHub is an edtech company committed to fostering college success with conversational artificial intelligence. AdmitHub's virtual assistants provide on-demand support via chat by gathering data, sending reminders, answering questions, surveying students, and connecting students to appropriate advisors. Using Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML), AdmitHub can calibrate a virtual assistant for any campus community. Currently, AdmitHub has various university partnerships focusing on recruiting prospects, yielding admits, and retaining enrolled students. AdmitHub's co-founders, Andrew Magliozzi and Kirk Daulerio, have a combined thirty-three years' experience in higher education and software development. Additional information is available at AdmitHub.com.

Contacts:

Media Contact:

Jodi Echakowitz

Boulevard Public Relations

905-709-9600

Jodi@boulevarpr.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/17 -- Coro Mining Corp. ("Coro" or the "Company") (TSX: COP) is pleased to provide an update for its 65% owned SCM Berta leachable copper operations, located in the III Region of the Republic of Chile.

Following the completion of the financing announced in December 2016, the installation of heap leaching and crushing facilities at the Berta mine site is nearing completion. The crusher has been commissioned and loading of the heap leach pads is expected to start around the middle of this month. Leaching of copper is anticipated to commence by month end, with trucking of concentrated Pregnant Leach Solution to the Nora processing plant thereafter. The plant is being expanded from 3,000t/yr (6.6m lb/yr) to 4,800t/yr (10.6m lb/yr) copper cathode capacity. Photographs of the development of the Berta site will be posted on the Coro website as available.

Alan Stephens, President and CEO of Coro commented, "We are pleased that the build out of the SCM Berta facilities is proceeding apace and look forward to ramping up production in a positive copper price environment."

About Coro Mining Corp.:

Coro's strategy is to grow a mining business through the discovery, development and operation of "Coro type" deposits. These are defined as projects at any stage of development, which are well located with respect to infrastructure and water, have low permitting risk, and have the potential to achieve a short and cost effective timeline to production. The Company's preference is for open pit heap leach copper projects, where minimizing capital investment takes priority over maximizing NPV, where profitability is prioritized over production rate, and finally, where the likely capital cost is financeable relative to the Company's market capitalization. The Company's assets include the Marimaca development project; its 65% interest in the SCM Berta company, which includes the Berta and Nora operations; the Planta Prat project; the Llancahue prospect; and a royalty on the San Jorge copper-gold project located in Argentina.

Visit our website site at www.coromining.com.

Email us at investor.info@coromining.com.

Follow us on Twitter @coromining1.

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements or information, include but are not limited to production estimates. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are beyond Coro's ability to predict or control and may cause Coro's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any of its future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, the operation of the Nora Plant, copper price volatility, and changes in debt and equity markets. Such forward-looking statements are also based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time with the securities regulators in the Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Coro undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements contained herein whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Contacts:

Coro Mining Corp.

Naomi Nemeth

VP Communications/IR

+1 (647) 556 1023, +1 (604) 682 5546

Toll free +1 877 702 2676

nnemeth@coromining.com




CAMBRIDGE (MASSACHUSETTS) (dpa-AFX) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) said that it has signed a definitive asset purchase agreement to acquire CTP-656 from Concert Pharmaceuticals (CNCE). CTP-656 is an investigational cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) potentiator that has the potential to be used as part of future once-daily combination regimens of CFTR modulators that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis or CF. As part of the agreement, Vertex will pay Concert $160 million in cash for all worldwide development and commercialization rights to CTP-656. If CTP-656 is approved as part of a combination regimen to treat CF, Concert could receive up to an additional $90 million in milestones based on regulatory approval in the U.S. and reimbursement in the UK, Germany or France. The agreement is subject to approval by Concert's shareholders and the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. Concert's Board of Directors unanimously supports the transaction and recommends that Concert's shareholders vote in favor of it. 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.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, March 6

By Demir Azizov  Trend:

Uzbekistan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed loan agreements worth $573 million, Uzbekistan National News Agency (UzA) reported.

In particular, the ADB allocated a $100-million loan for a project on financing small businesses in rural areas and for businesses of women entrepreneurs. Also, a $121-million loan was allocated to develop water supply systems in Uzbekistans Tashkent region.

The agreements were signed during the three-day visit of ADB President Takehiko Nakao to Uzbekistan. Nakao visited the countrys Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent regions and got acquainted with the results of implementation of the investment projects co-financed by the ADB.

Nakao has earlier met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

During the meeting, Mirziyoyev noted strengthening of the mutually beneficial partnership between Uzbekistan and the ADB in the implementation of programs and projects aimed at modernization of Uzbekistans economic sectors and infrastructure.

Uzbekistan joined the Asian Development Bank in 1995.
The European Commission (EC) has announced it will provide the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) with 300 million in funding. The EC said that the funds will be used to leverage approximately 4.8 million ($5.0 billion) in new investments and to help finance 19 renewable energy projects totaling about 1.8 GW. The EC has not specified how much of these funds will be devoted to solar projects. The funds will be provided through existing financial mechanisms such as the Africa Investment Facility (AfIF) ...

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.
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.
CENTENNIAL, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/17 -- AlumiFuel Power Corporation (OTC PINK: AFPW) ("AlumiFuel" or the "Company") is pleased to provide the following highlights from a livestream Q & A session held on March 3, 2017.

On March 3, 2017, AlumiFuel Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Schadel, held a livestream Q & A session via Periscope.tv. During the live event, Mr. Schadel covered a variety of topics and fielded questions from viewers.

Mr. Schadel discussed the Company's continuing review of options to monetize its Novofuel subsidiary, including its previously announced line of lithium-ion batteries and its patented hydrogen generation technology. Mr. Schadel discussed building value for shareholders by acquiring businesses that generate cash flow and restructuring the Company's debt as it transitions to a diversified holding company.

The Company is exploring several acquisitions, including a marijuana dispensary in California and a digital media company. Mr. Schadel feels that acquisition of a digital media company would offer customer acquisition synergies for the three existing staffing brands operated by AlumiFuel.

No shares of common stock have been issued since Mr. Schadel became CEO in early February 2017 and one of his primary areas of focus is to prevent dilution of common shareholders. The Company is expected to actively and aggressively engage in investor outreach over the coming weeks and months. Mr. Schadel is exploring options to approve and fund a Company share buyback program.

An archive of the open livestream Q & A can be viewed at https://www.periscope.tv/w/1rmGPnRwVWYxN

Safe Harbor for Forward-looking Statements:

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these statements are made to convey to the public the company's progress, business opportunities and growth prospects, they are based on management's current beliefs and assumptions as to future events. However, since the company's operations and business prospects are always subject to risk and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this news release might not occur, and actual results could differ materially from those described, anticipated or implied. For a more complete discussion of such risks and uncertainties, please refer to the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

AlumiFuel Power Corporation

641-715-3900 x385402




MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/17 -- Transcontinental Inc. (TSX: TCL.A)(TSX: TCL.B) announces the appointment of Mr. Jean Raymond to the Corporation's Board of Directors. Since 2010, Mr. Raymond has served as Vice-Chairman and Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets - Quebec of CIBC World Markets Inc., a business offering products and services aimed at capital markets, securities, brokerage and asset management. With his extensive professional background spanning more than 30 years, Mr. Raymond has solid financial expertise as well as proven experience in mergers and acquisitions.

"I am very pleased to welcome Mr. Jean Raymond to the Board of Directors of Transcontinental Inc.," said Ms. Isabelle Marcoux, Chair of the Board. "In the context of our organization's transformation, it is a privilege to be able to rely on the strategic contribution and wealth of expertise of this seasoned manager. Given the quality and relevance of his career, I am convinced that Mr. Raymond will contribute to TC Transcontinental's long-term growth by creating value for our shareholders. Together with the other directors of the Board, we will continue to guide the organization's strategic shift through the diversification of our assets into packaging."

Mr. Jean Raymond joined CIBC World Markets Inc. in 1996 as Managing Director, Investment Banking before taking on his current position in 2010. Throughout his career, he also worked with other leading institutions, notably as Senior Vice-President and Director in the Mergers and Acquisitions Department of Levesque Beaubien Geoffrion Inc. (now National Bank Financial Ltd.) from 1988 to 1996, and as a Senior Manager at Thorne Ernst & Whinney (now KPMG LLP) from 1981 to 1987. Mr. Raymond is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and a Chartered Business Valuator (CBV). He is a member of the Board of the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation and a member of its Investment Committee. He is also a member of the cabinet of the 2016-2020 Major Fundraising Campaign of the Institut Pacifique, the Healing More Better Major Fundraising Campaign of the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation, and the 2014-2020 Major Fundraising Campaign of the Old Brewery Mission.

About TC Transcontinental

Canada's largest printer with operations in print, flexible packaging, publishing and digital media, TC Transcontinental's mission is to create products and services that allow businesses to attract, reach and retain their target customers.

Respect, teamwork, performance and innovation are strong values held by the Corporation and its employees. The Corporation's commitment to its stakeholders is to pursue its business and philanthropic activities in a responsible manner.

Transcontinental Inc. (TSX: TCL.A)(TSX: TCL.B), known as TC Transcontinental, has close to 8,000 employees in Canada and the United States, and revenues of C$2.0 billion in 2016. Website www.tc.tc

Contacts:

Media

Nathalie St-Jean, Senior Advisor, Communications

TC Transcontinental

514 954-3581

nathalie.st-jean@tc.tc

www.tc.tc



Financial Community

Shirley Chenny, Advisor, Investor Relations

TC Transcontinental

514 954-4166

shirley.chenny@tc.tc

www.tc.tc




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/17 -- Metallic Minerals Corp. (TSX VENTURE: MMG)(OTC PINK: MMNGF) (the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the Company's ongoing compilation and exploration target definition program along with initial surface sampling results from three of the twelve priority target areas identified at the Keno-Lightning property; a brownfields exploration project, located in the historic Keno Hill silver district of Canada's Yukon Territory.

In the fall of 2016, Metallic Minerals completed a preliminary surface sampling program, gathering material from three primary target regions across the greater Keno-Lightning property, namely the Caribou, Gold Hill and Homestake Targets. Though these select surface samples may not be representative of the entire target areas they show the style and grade of mineralization that is found elsewhere in the Keno Hill silver district and support follow up exploration activity to be conducted commencing in Q2 2017.

Highlights:

Caribou Vein

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample Ag (g/t) Au (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) Ag Eq. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501201 6,284 1.07 57.49 0.71 8,490 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501202 5,015 0.53 71.33 1.38 7,698 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501209 8,807 1.58 58.51 0.04 11,063 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gold Hill Vein

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample Ag g/t Au g/t Pb % Zn % Ag Eq. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501153 1,922 0.04 18.14 2.47 2,687 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Homestake Vein

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample Ag (g/t) Au (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) Ag Eq. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501203 6,562 1.30 3.30 17.83 7,534 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501210 370 10.62 12.13 0.06 1,551 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ag Eq. calculated using the following metals prices in USD: Ag $18.00; Au $1250; Zn $1.00; Pb $0.95; Cu $2.75 and 100% recovery.

Greg Johnson, CEO & Chairman stated, "Metallic Minerals has made a number of key advancements over the last six months, including the appointment of our experienced management team in September, an institution-led flow-through financing in November, and property acquisitions announced in January, which nearly doubled the size of our Keno Hill silver district land position to 112.5 square kilometres."

"Throughout this period, the Company has been undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the geological structures and conditions present at Keno Hill in order to determine priority targets on our ground with the highest potential to host high-grade silver mineralization similar to that which is present in Alexco Resource Corp's adjacent property. These encouraging, recent surface sampling results support our understanding of the geology and settings for these high-grade Keno Hill type deposits(1). Additional follow up exploration will be designed to allow us to further refine and prioritize the best targets for drilling in 2017 among at least twelve target areas that have already been identified. Exploration expenditures are anticipated to be a minimum of $1.1 million in 2017 including, additional geophysics, stratigraphic mapping, rock and soil sampling and drill testing of the highest priority targets."

Keno Hill Silver District Geology and Deposits

Keno Hill type silver deposits consist of high-grade silver veins typically 1-5 metres in width grading from 200 g/t to greater than 5,000 g/t silver, with associated lead and zinc sulphides. The largest individual deposits in the district, which range from 10 million to 100 million ounces of contained silver(1), are associated with northeast trending, southeast dipping fault/vein structures which form major ore shoots in the main quartzite and greenstone host rocks. To date, there are twelve known mineralized trends in the Keno Hill silver district, eight of which continue through the eastern portion of the district, which hosts Metallic Minerals' Keno Lightning property (see Figure 1 below).

(1)CATHRO, R. J. (Bob). Great Mining Camps of Canada 1. The History and Geology of the Keno Hill Silver Camp, Yukon Territory. Geoscience Canada, (S.l.), Sept. 2006. ISSN 1911-4850

Keno-Lightning Project and Prospectivity

The Keno-Lightning project is a district scale, brownfields exploration property with multiple historic mines, four of which had average production grades above 5,000 g/t silver.(1) The property is adjacent to and on-trend with, Alexco Resource Corp's operations, which hosts one of the world's highest-grade silver resources with an estimated production grade exceeding 750 g/t Ag.(2) Keno-lightning covers the eastern portion of the district and is a continuation of the same geological structures and host rock associated with the demonstrated mineralization occurring to the west. However, this area has seen little modern exploration due to the longstanding, fragmented, private land ownership structure, which has now been largely consolidated by Metallic Minerals.

To view Figure 1 - Keno Hill Silver District Geological Trends and Deposits, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Keno-Hill.jpg.

The schematic cross sections shown below (Figure 2,3, and 4) show the geology and deposits from 3 of the 12 known mineralized trends in the Keno Hill silver district. Figure 2 highlights the major producers and recent discoveries along the Bermingham - Calumet Trend. Historic production figures described therein are detailed in CATHRO, R. J. (Bob). Great Mining Camps of Canada 1. The History and Geology of the Keno Hill Silver Camp, Yukon Territory. Geoscience Canada, (S.l.), Sept. 2006. ISSN 1911-4850. Further historic production specifics are available in the Technical Report on the Keno-Lightning Project dated July 31, 2010 and available under the Company's profile at Sedar.com.

Bermingham is a major new high-grade silver discovery by Alexco in the Keno Hill silver district. The deposit remains open to expansion at depth and along trend, and has been the focus of an intensive drill campaign by the Alexco exploration team. The Bermingham discovery demonstrates the potential for major new finds along trend and down dip from past producing mines in this prolific, historic district. Lesser explored parts of the district, particularly to the east on Metallic Minerals ground, have similar geologic settings for potential new discoveries with some of these target settings highlighted in sections 2 and 3 below.

(2)Alexco Resource Inc., December 10, 2014; Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Keno Hill Silver District Project - Phase 2, Yukon, Canada; Alexco News Release: January 3, 2017: Alexco Expands Bermingham Indicated Resource to 17 Million Ounces Silver, Remains Open.

To view Figure 2 - Bermingham - Calumet Trends, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Bermingham.jpg.

The cross sections below (Figures 3 and 4) depict the continuity of these structural trends across to the eastern portion of the Keno Hill silver district and host historic producing mines and mineralized prospects in similar settings to some of the largest producers in the district.

To view Figure 3 - Bellekeno - Keno Summit Trend, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Bellekeno.jpg.

To view Figure 4 - Homestake - Keno Summit Trends, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Homestake.jpg.

Bellekeno - Keno Summit Mineralized Trend

Figure 3, above, looking to the northwest, outlines significant historic production from the Bellekeno and Keno Hill deposits hosted in both Keno Hill Quartzite and Triassic Greenstones, respectively. Mineralization continues at surface along this proven productive trend in similar host settings. Past producing mines on Metallic Minerals' ground includes the Vanguard, Duncan and Caribou mines which had average grades exceeding 5,000 g/t silver(1) and are hosted in Keno Hill Quartzite along with the Gold Hill target. The Avenue and Beauvette targets (discussed below on the Homestake Trend) are hosted in greenstones in similar settings to the Keno Hill 12.6 Moz and Sadie Ladue mines 12.7 Moz, which were two of the largest producers in the district. Collectively, these target areas all coincide with the Bellekeno-Keno Summit mineralized trend and present themselves as immediate targets for field investigation to define priority drill targets for testing in 2017. Key target areas along these trends are described in further detail below from west to east, along with results from 2016 surface sampling where applicable.

Vanguard Target Area

The Vanguard area (see Figure 3) was first staked in 1920 and saw production exceeding 8,000 g/t silver(1) starting in 1934 with 4 shafts excavated until 1949, with no known subsequent modern exploration. Mineralization at Vanguard is hosted in the Keno Hill quartzite and is thought to be associated with secondary cross structure as is commonly seen in the district. Additional work is planned at Vanguard in 2017.

Gold Hill Target Area

The Gold Hill target (see Figure 3) is defined by an intense vein system referred to as the Porcupine vein, thought to be one of the longest and most continuous vein systems in the district. This mineralized zone continues east from the main Keno Hill deposit, which historically produced 12.6 million ounces of silver. Archival reports of the Porcupine vein from underground workings indicate the vein averaged more than 2,000 g/t silver over more than 2 metres width, with the best grades existing where the vein was hosted by shattered greenstones. Select surface sampling in 2016 at Gold Hill returned 1,921.5 g/t silver, 0.043 g/t gold, 18.14% lead and 2.47% zinc(1). These select samples are not necessarily representative of the mineralization on the entire target area but show the presence of Keno style mineralization. The Gold Hill target has potential to host both quartzite and greenstone hosted targets and additional exploration is planned at this highly prospective target in 2017.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- AgEq Sample no. Location Ag g/t Au g/t Pb % Cu % Zn % (g/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501151 Gold Hill #2 228 0.06 2.47 0.04 1.49 383 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501152 Gold Hill #2 333 0.05 3.47 0.04 1.17 511 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501153 Gold Hill #2 1,921 0.04 18.14 0.11 2.47 2,687 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duncan Target Area

The Duncan area (see Figure 3) had historic production of 11.8 tons grading 25,462 g/t silver and 22.4% lead(1). A highly prospective target at the Duncan area exists where the vein, hosted in quartzite, intersects an overlying schist contact. The schists can act as a fluid cap to the vein and ore shoots are known to occur across the district in this setting. The Duncan target is thought to be a continuation of the Porcupine vein system that hosts the Keno Hill and Gold Hill systems. Selective sampling from surface exposures at the Duncan prospect in 2009 returned silver values ranging from 66.9 g/t to 3,964 g/t, including up to 5.13 g/t. gold (see Technical Report on the Keno-Lightning Project dated July 31, 2010 available under the Company's profile at Sedar.com). These samples may not necessarily be representative of all the mineralization hosted in the entire area but are similar to other areas in the district. The historic Duncan mine was the host of the highest-grade production in the Keno Hill silver district with only very limited exploration since making it highly prospective for follow up exploration in 2017.

Caribou Target Area

The Caribou target area (see Figure 3) includes the Caribou veins and cross-cutting Alice veins. The showing was first discovered in the early 1920s and opened up by shafts, an adit, prospect cuts and hand trenches. The vein consists of silver rich galena in a gangue of carbonates, oxides and quartz hosted in the Keno Hill Quartzite. About 120 tons of ore form the Caribou adit was shipped in between 1925 and 1927 grading more than 6,000 g/t silver(1).

In 2008, six shallow diamond drill holes tested the Caribou and Alice vein systems, following trenching and RAB drilling programs. Follow-up drilling in 2011 targeted strike and depth extensions of the Caribou vein system. Eleven of the fourteen holes drilled at Caribou intersected mineralization, and three of the eleven returned results in excess of 1,000 g/t Ag. Results of the program defined 300 m of continuous silver mineralization at greater than 100 g/t between 11m and 35m down-hole that remains open at depth and along trend. The most significant results are highlighted below:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interval Ag Au Hole From To (m) (g/t) (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) AgEq (g/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CH11-07 15.9 17.2 1.3 770 3.40 893 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CH11-08 13.4 14.8 1.4 493 10.50 4.93 875 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CH11-09 15.5 16.9 1.4 1,696 0.457 9.40 0.94 2,068 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CH11-17 22.9 23.4 0.5 1,787 1.394 18.70 1.29 2,610 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CH11-18 24.1 25 0.9 1,151 7.20 1.03 1,451 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CH11-18 34.7 36.3 1.6 1,183 12.50 0.08 1,638 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the fall of 2016, select grab samples were collected along the Caribou vein. The results of this sampling program show high grades of silver and elevated gold values occur at surface in this area and additional work will focus on refining potential targets for follow up drilling in 2017. These samples are not necessarily representative of all the mineralization hosted in the area.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample no. Location Ag g/t Au g/t Pb % Cu % Zn % AgEq g/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501201 Caribou Vein 6,284 1.07 57.49 0.23 0.71 8,490 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501202 Caribou Vein 5,015 0.53 71.33 0.12 1.33 7,696 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501205 Caribou Vein 604 0.20 6.69 0.03 2.29 950 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501206 Caribou Vein 640 0.16 0.99 0.08 2.22 780 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501207 Caribou Vein 886 0.27 8.12 0.04 0.62 1,226 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501208 Caribou Vein 1,314 0.26 6.83 0.15 0.44 1,612 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501209 Caribou Vein 8,807 1.58 58.51 0.26 0.04 11,063 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Homestake Trend

Two kilometers southeast and parallel to the Bellekeno-Keno Summit trend, the Homestake trend (see Figure 4) shows several similar features that are recognized between the two distinct mineralized trends, including the continuation of the Keno Hill Quartzites and Triassic Greenstones known to host mineralization across the district. This mineralized trend is primarily controlled by Metallic Minerals and is defined by several highly-prospective areas, namely the Homestake, Divide, Faith, Segworth and Beauvette mineralized showings. Two prominent target areas in the Homestake trend are discussed below. Three additional parallel trends are identified further east of the Homestake trend as defined by the Cobalt, Gram, Gustavus and McMillan showings.

Homestake Target Area

The Homestake target area (see Figure 4) represents one of the primary exploration targets on the Keno-Lightning property. The Homestake prospective area, originally staked in 1920, is underlain by Keno Hill Quartzite and phyllitic schists of the Earn group, and locally intruded by greenstone sills. Significant grades have been returned from each of the four Homestake veins, known separately as the Homestake #1, 2, 2a veins and the Shaft vein. Between 1928 and 1931, the area was explored by a 26.8 m shaft and 38.4 m of drifting, from which a few tons of high-grade direct shipping ore were sent to a smelter. Open-pit excavation and trenching on the showing were conducted through the 1960s and '70s. Previous trenching at the Homestake No.1 vein (trench H-TR4) intersected 2,844 g/t Ag, 0.30 g/t Au, 25.9% Pb and 6.1% Zn across 4m. Highlighted samples are not necessarily representative of all mineralization hosted in the area. See Technical Report on the Keno-Lightning Project dated July 31, 2010 available under the Company's profile at Sedar.com for detailed exploration data.

The Homestake Area was an area of focus for more recent work in 2007 and 2011 including trenching, soil grid sampling, structural mapping and drilling. This work returned encouraging results with Keno style mineralization encountered from drilling in 2011 with grades of 1,696 g/t Ag over 1.4 m, 1,787 g/t Ag over 0.5 m and 1,183 g/t Ag over 1.6 m in three different holes. In total, 9 holes from the 2011 drilling campaign at Homestake returned grades of over 300 g/t Ag.

The predominate mineralization style at Homestake is typical of the Keno Hill district but with significantly higher gold content in some areas including the Homestake #2 vein. Trench sampling of the Homestake #2 vein in 2011 returned channel samples up to 11.5 g/t Au over 0.35 m. Surface sampling in 2016 also returned grades of 10.62 g/t gold, 370 g/t Ag, 12.13% lead and 0.062% Zn. Selective surface sampling along the Homestake #1 vein during the fall of 2016, returned the following positive results:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample_no Location Ag g/t Au g/t Pb % Cu % Zn % AgEq (g/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501203 Homestake #1 6,562 1.3 3.30 0.79 17.834 7,534 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501210 Homestake #1 370 10.62 12.13 0.02 0.062 1,551 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1501211 Homestake #1 340 0.08 0.28 0.02 1.413 412 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Divide and Faith Target Areas

The Divide and Faith target areas (see Figure 4) show at least four veins and cover the projected southern extensions of the Caribou and Avenue Veins. The presence of multiple veins that intersect each other and are offset by faults sets up favourable conditions for Keno Hill oreshoots. The Divide and Faith targets have received little modern exploration outside of prospecting and soil sampling and have more cover than other target areas on the property.

A soil geochemical survey over the area in 2011 returned an 800 x 900 m gold, silver and pathfinder element anomaly. The area is a priority for further soil sampling, detailed geological mapping and trenching.

Avenue and Beauvette Target Areas

Beauvette Hill, the location of the Avenue and Beauvette targets (see Figures 3 and 4), has seen little historic work but is directly on-trend with several productive mineralized structures from the Keno Summit area and appears to be underlain by what may be a significant array of greenstone bodies. In addition to the Keno Hill deposit, the Sadie Ladue mine, which produced 12.7 Moz of silver, is an example of a greenstone hosted deposit in a similar structural setting located on the north side of the Keno Summit area.(1)

Avenue is an area of quartzite and greenstones that is intermittently exposed over a strike length of 1.2 kilometres which has a coincident lead, zinc and silver soil anomaly in areas typified by shallow cover. The Avenue target is on-trend with several highly-mineralized veins where they continue into what is believed to be an array of significant parallel greenstone bodies, masked under shallow cover.

Surface sampling in 2016 at Beauvette Hill area resulted in the discovery of a new sulphide-rich vein showing at a quartzite and greenstone contact.

Next Steps

The eastern part of the Keno Hill silver district had seen little modern exploration due to the previously longstanding fragmented, private land ownership structure, which has now been largely consolidated by Metallic Minerals. This presents a district scale, brownfields exploration opportunity and the potential for new discoveries in this proven prolific district. The Metallic Minerals technical team is currently implementing the 2017 work program which is expected to consist of:

-- Continuation of compilation and interpretation of historic exploration data from drilling, trenching, and channel sampling along with existing soil and rock sampling. -- Refinement and prioritization of targets using additional geophysical and geochemical surveys, stratigraphic mapping, and trenching. -- Drill testing of highest priority targets to test down-dip and along- strike extensions of previously identified mineralization along the known mineralized trends, including at the historic producing mines on the property, and in areas that show significant potential to host Keno type deposits but that may not have seen historic focus due to soil and vegetation cover.

The Company will provide updates to this proposed exploration program as they develop, including potential commencement dates and specific targeting.

About Metallic Minerals Corp.

Metallic Minerals Corp. is a growth stage exploration company, focused on the acquisition & development of high-grade silver resources in under-explored districts of mining-friendly jurisdictions proven to produce top-tier assets. Our objective is to create value through a disciplined, entrepreneurial approach to exploration, reducing investment risk and increasing the probability for long-term success. Our core Keno-Lightning property is located in the historic Keno Hill silver district of Canada's Yukon Territory, a region which has produced over 200 million ounces of high-grade silver over the past 100 years(1) and has excellent existing infrastructure, including grid power, highway & road access, and two nearby communities with services. Metallic Minerals is led by a team with a track record of discovery and exploration success, including large scale development, permitting and project financing.

References

Boyle, R.W., 1965. "Geology, Geochemistry, and Origin of the Lead-Zinc-Silver Deposits of the Keno Hill -- Galena Hill Area, Yukon Territory". Bulletin 111, Geological Survey of Canada.

Cathro, R.J., 2006. "The History and Geology of the Keno Hill Silver Camp Yukon Territory." Geoscience Canada, Volume 33, Number 3.

Alexco Resource Inc., December 10th, 2014; Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Keno Hill Silver District Project - Phase 2, Yukon, Canada

Alexco News Release: January 3, 2017: Alexco Expands Bermingham Indicated Resource to 17 Million Ounces Silver, Remains Open.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Analytical work was done by Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada Ltd. with sample prep and geochemical analysis in Vancouver, British Columbia. Each rock (grab) sample was analyzed for silver using a 30-gram fire assay fusion with a gravimetric finish (FA530-Ag). Gold was assayed using a 30-gram fire assay fusion with atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish (FA430). In addition, 34 other elements were analyzed using an Aqua Regia digestion with inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled Plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) (AQ-270). Over-limit lead and zinc samples have been analyzed by ICP MA410. All results have passed the QAQC screening by the lab.

Qualified Person

Scott Petsel, P.Geo, Vice President, Exploration and an employee of Metallic Minerals Corp., is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Petsel has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this news release and approves the disclosure contained herein. Mr. Petsel has reviewed the results of the sampling program and confirmed that all procedures, protocols and methodologies used in the drill program conform to industry standards.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward Looking Statements: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, historic production, estimation of mineral resources, the realization of mineral resource estimates, interpretation of prior exploration and potential exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, the timing and results of future resource estimates, permitting time lines, metal prices and currency exchange rates, availability of capital, government regulation of exploration operations, environmental risks, reclamation, title, and future plans and objectives of the company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Metallic Minerals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the companies with securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Metallic Minerals and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review their annual filings that 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 adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Metallic Minerals Corp.

604-629-7800

Toll Free: 1-888-570-4420

chris.ackerman@metallic-minerals.com

www.metallic-minerals.com




First paragraph, second sentence of release, the date should be 9th March 2017 instead of 8th March 2017.

The corrected release reads:

THE GENEVA ASSOCIATION: HOW WILL RISK MODELLING SHAPE THE FUTURE OF RISK TRANSFER? GLOBAL EXPERTS LEAD THE WAY

Leading think tank of the international insurance industry, The Geneva Association, welcomes top international experts to discuss and explore the issue "How Will Risk Modelling Shape the Future of Risk Transfer?" This scientific seminar is co-organised with the SCOR Foundation and hosted at the SCOR Paris headquarters on 9th March 2017. It will inform a ground-breaking research report by The Geneva Association's Extreme Events and Climate Risk Research Programme, publishing in June 2017.

The last three and a half decades have witnessed a general trend of rising economic losses associated with extreme events. This is due to multiple factors, including increased concentration of people and assets in exposed areas such as coastal regions, poor development planning and related practices, highly sophisticated but vulnerable global production processes and the increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather-related events linked to a changing climate.

Risk analysis is the foundation for informed decision-making, increasing the understanding of the characteristics of risk, supporting risk pricing, and evaluating cost-benefits of various risk management strategies. In the mid-1980s and early 1990s, a number of major catastrophes in North America and Europe led to unprecedented high losses, resulting in insolvencies and/or bankruptcies in the insurance sector, and pointing to the need for a more rigorous and quantifiable approach to assessing and underwriting risks.

The development and utilization of catastrophe risk models (cat models) over the last 25 years has revolutionized the (re)insurance industry's approach to pricing, underwriting and managing their complex risk portfolios. Beyond the insurance sector, the international development community has also adopted these models to help governments better understand risk and make risk-based decisions, helping improve disaster and climate risk management decisions.

The seminar brings together leading international experts from the (re)insurance industry, risk modelling community, international organizations, international donors, governments and the scientific community to share experiences and explore opportunities for strengthened cooperation and partnerships. The programme will examine the following critical issues:

(i) Enhancing current cat models building on lessons learned from their development and utilization over the last 25 years;

(ii) Finding effective pathways to expand risk information and cat risk modelling tools to support public-sector decisions; and,

(iii) Harnessing the latest scientific and technological developments for a new generation of forward-looking risk models.

Dr. Maryam Golnaraghi, Director of the Extreme Events and Climate Risks Research Programme at The Geneva Association, said: "As one of its top priorities, The Geneva Association is convening a diverse group of leading experts in the industry, cat modelling, and various areas of science and technology to explore how risk modelling can shape the future of risk transfer around the world. Specifically, we are not only exploring opportunities to enhance current cat modelling approaches, but also opportunities for harnessing scientific and technological advancements in areas such as environmental surveillance, climate monitoring and forecasting, engineering, big data, and artificial intelligence for development of the new generation of systems-based risk models that can innovate risk transfer."

Anna Maria D'Hulster, Secretary General of the Geneva Association said, "The insurance industry has deep risk knowledge and is working at the forefront of risk assessment, risk pricing and risk transfer. Public-private partnerships could be instrumental in helping the public sector in developing risk-informed preventive measures and risk transfer programmes that help government, businesses and individuals with managing their risks."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The Geneva Association is the leading international insurance think tank for strategically important insurance and risk management issues. It is a unique platform for dialogue between leaders of the insurance industry and key decision-makers at the international and national levels to evidence the important social and economic role of the insurance industry.

The Geneva Association identifies fundamental trends and strategic issues where insurance plays a substantial role or which influence the insurance sector. Through the development of research programmes, regular publications and the organisation of international meetings, The Geneva Association serves as a catalyst for progress in the understanding of risk and insurance matters and acts as an information creator and disseminator.

The Geneva Association membership comprises a statutory maximum of 90 chief executive officers (CEOs) from the world's top insurance and reinsurance companies. It organises international expert networks and manages discussion platforms for senior insurance executives and specialists as well as policy-makers, regulators and multilateral organisations.

Established in 1973, The Geneva Association, officially the "International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics", is based in Zurich, Switzerland and is a non-profit organisation funded by its membership.

www.genevaassociation.org

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306005789/en/

Contacts:

The Geneva Association

Isabel Barratt

Communications Manager

+41 44 200 49 96

isabel_barratt@genevaassociation.org
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/17 -- Pelangio Exploration Inc. (TSX VENTURE: PX)(OTC PINK: PGXPF) ("Pelangio" or the "Company") announces that Roscan Minerals Corporation ("Roscan") has provided the initial payment of $150,000 to fund exploration expenditures pursuant to the option and joint venture agreement (the "Option Agreement"), dated November 7, 2016, and amended February 14, 2017, pursuant to which the parties established an earn-in arrangement to jointly advance the Dormaa Project in Ghana, West Africa.

To earn its 50% interest, Roscan shall:

(a) Fund an aggregate of $2,000,000 in exploration expenditures as follows:

Amount Due Date $150,000 by March 5, 2017; (received) $150,000 by May 4, 2017; $700,000 by December 5, 2017; and, $1,000,000 by December 5, 2018

(b) pay to Pelangio an aggregate of $160,000, as follows:

Amount Due Date $10,000 on November 7, 2016 (paid) $50,000 on December 5, 2017; and, $100,000 by December 5, 2018

"We are very pleased to resume exploration on the Dormaa property with receipt of this $150,000 payment. These funds, along with the second payment due May 4, 2017, will provide for expanded gold-in-soil geochemical surveys, prospecting, and approximately 3,000 metres of reverse circulation and air core or rotary air blast drilling to be completed by Pelangio," stated Ingrid Hibbard, President and CEO. "This program was designed to follow up on the large gold-in soil anomalies on the property which appear to be the source of substantial, unregulated artisanal and mechanized alluvial operations carried out around the property during 2014 and 2015."

About the Dormaa Project

The Dormaa Project is an 86.44 square kilometer ("km2") concession governed by a Prospecting License in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana, West Africa. Pelangio, through its indirectly held, wholly-owned subsidiary Pelangio Ahafo (G) Limited ("Pelangio Ghana"), owns a 100% interest in the Dormaa Project.

The Dormaa Project was originally acquired based on primary regional stream sediment data. Subsequently, Pelangio completed stream sediment surveys into the secondary and tertiary drainages, followed by soil sampling on an 800 meter by 100 meter (800m x 100m) grid and assayed using the Bulk Leach Extractable Gold (BLEG) method.

Follow up closer-spaced soil surveys of 400m x 50m and 100m x 25m spacing were completed on the northern portion of the Dormaa Project, covering some 33% and 7% respectively (by area), of the property area. These soil surveys identified 13 significant gold-in-soil anomalies (95th percentile gold contours, 70 parts per billion ("ppb") threshold), which range in size from 300m x 50m to 1200m x 100m.

In the southern 60% of the property, 800m x 100m soil sampling revealed eight significant anomalies (95th percentile gold contours, greater than 70 ppb gold), which range in size from 800m x 100m up to 4000m x 500m. Three of these anomalies, including the largest, are contourable at the 98th percentile, at approximately 175 ppb. A 20 km2 follow-up geochemical program of 200m x 50m soil sampling is recommended for this area.

The soil sampling program was carried out between 2011 and 2013 under the supervision of Warren Bates, P.Geo. Assaying was carried out by Chemex Labs Inc. at their Kumasi, Ghana location. All certificates and results are available. 1 to 2 kilogram ("kg") samples were supplied, and in all cases the entire sample was subjected to the leaching process. Internal blanks and sample duplicates were included in the sample stream. Standards were not included in the sample stream because of the difficulty of obtaining such a large (1 to 2 kg) reliable standard at the time.

Newly released satellite imagery indicates that substantial, unregulated artisanal and mechanized alluvial operations surrounding the property were carried out during 2014-2015. These alluvial operations appear to be sourced by large gold-in-soil anomalies on the Dormaa Project.

Based on a preliminary work plan approved by the parties for the first year following the Effective Date, expenditures of approximately $300,000 are planned to be made for expanded gold-in-soil geochemical surveys, prospecting, and approximately 3,000 metres of reverse circulation and air core or rotary air blast drilling, to be completed by Pelangio Ghana at the Dormaa Project.

Mr. Warren Bates, P.Geo., (APGO #0211) is a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this press release.

About Pelangio

Pelangio successfully acquires and explores camp-sized land packages in world-class gold belts. The Company primarily operates in Ghana, West Africa, an English-speaking, common law jurisdiction that is consistently ranked amongst the most favourable mining jurisdictions in Africa. The Company is exploring three 100%-owned camp-sized properties: the 100 km2 Manfo Property, the site of seven recent near-surface gold discoveries, the 264 km2 Obuasi Property, located 4 km on strike and adjacent to AngloGold Ashanti's prolific high-grade Obuasi Mine, and the early-stage 159 km2 Akroma Properties, which includes the Dormaa and Wamfie concessions.

In addition, the Company has several gold exploration projects in Ontario, Canada. These include the properties known as the Birch Lake Property, the Poirier Gold Property and the Lorna Lake Property.

For additional information, please visit our website at www.pelangio.com, follow us on Twitter @PelangioEx.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements herein may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements or information appear in a number of places and 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. Forward-looking statements and information include statements regarding the Option Agreement, Roscan's ability to exercise the option pursuant to the Option Agreement, Roscan and the Company's exploration plans for the Dormaa Project, and the termination of the option agreements between Pelangio and Minatura. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, we have made numerous assumptions, including assumptions about the state of the equity markets. Such forward-looking statements and information are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Such risks include, but are not limited to: Roscan's inability to obtain financing to exercise the option, changes in equity markets, share price volatility, volatility of global and local economic climate, gold price volatility, political developments in Ghana, increases in costs, exchange rate fluctuations, speculative nature of gold exploration and other risks involved in the gold exploration industry. See the Company's annual and quarterly financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statement and information. There can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information referenced herein will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Also, many of the factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. We undertake no obligation to reissue or update any forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. All forward-looking statements and information herein are qualified by this cautionary statement.

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:

Pelangio Exploration Inc.

Ingrid Hibbard

President & CEO

Tel: 905-336-3828 / Toll-free: 1-877-746-1632



Pelangio Exploration Inc.

Warren Bates

Vice President Exploration

Tel: 905-336-3828 / Toll-free: 1-877-746-1632

info@pelangio.com

www.pelangio.com




MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/17 -- UpGuard (www.upguard.com), the world's first cyber resilience platform, today announced a partnership with ACA Pacific as its exclusive distributor in Australia and South East Asia.

UpGuard, an Australian-born company based in Silicon Valley, enables organizations to see the complete ongoing state of complex IT infrastructures and provides visibility into their cybersecurity postures. Earlier this month, the company announced the opening of their APAC office in Sydney, with plans to reinvest significantly in the region.

The appointment of ACA Pacific, a leading value-added supplier of IT solutions, is a key step toward expanding its business in the Asia Pacific. UpGuard's products and services will now be available to more than 15,000 resellers across Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.

"UpGuard is committed to a two-tier channel model in the Asia Pacific. Given ACA's history and pedigree, we're honored to partner with an organization that will support our growth in the region," said Gerry Sillars, VP, APAC. "ACA's extensive reach and strong reputation in South East Asia and Australia will enable UpGuard to scale its business rapidly as we deepen our roots in the region."

Back in 2012, co-CEOs Mike Baukes and Alan Sharp-Paul founded UpGuard through StartMate, an Australian accelerator program, before moving to Silicon Valley later that year. Over the past five years, business has continued to grow more than 300% annually; the company now counts Rackspace, Ulta, Citrix, Amadeus, PGI and ADP among its customers. UpGuard has grown a large customer base in the Asia Pacific region already and is looking to expand its presence.

"UpGuard's Cyber Resilience Platform will offer significant opportunity for ACA's partners and their customers across Australia and Southeast Asia," said Craig Gledhill, ACA Pacific's APAC General Manager. "UpGuard has already enjoyed a long history of success in the region, and we look forward to continuing these ventures together."

About UpGuard

Businesses depend on trust, but breaches and outages erode that trust. UpGuard is the world's first cyber resilience platform, designed to proactively assess and manage the business risks posed by technology. UpGuard gathers complete information across every digital surface, stores it in a single, searchable repository, and provides continuous validation and insightful visualizations so companies can make informed decisions. UpGuard is headquartered in Mountain View, CA with offices in Portland, OR and Sydney, Australia. To see how UpGuard works, or to get your CSTAR rating, visit www.upguard.com

About ACA Pacific

ACA Pacific is an established IT marketing and value-added distribution company serving the Asia-Pacific region. Solutions offerings include selecting and integrating only the "Best-of-Breed" software and hardware to meet customers' requirements. Being associated with the world's top ICT product manufacturers and developers, ACA Pacific is constantly upgrading its distribution portfolios to bring the latest technology to the market, with offices in Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand and an extensive network of trained and certified channel partners. Supported with comprehensive tangible facilities and unparalleled levels of pre-sales support and customer service, ACA Pacific is deemed one of the leading IT suppliers in Asia. For more information please visit http://www.acapacific.com.au

Press Contact:

Rachel Shepheard

upguard[at]launchsquad[dot]com

415-625-8555




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/17 -- GoviEx Uranium Inc. (TSX VENTURE: GXU) ("GoviEx") is pleased to announce the execution of a definitive agreement (the "Purchase Agreement") with African Energy Resources Ltd. (ASX: AFR) ("African Energy") to acquire African Energy's uranium mineral interests in Zambia (the "Transaction"). The Transaction is intended to unify prospective uranium properties adjacent to, and contiguous with, GoviEx's Mutanga Mine Permits in Zambia.

Govind Friedland, Executive Chairman of GoviEx, commented: "The combination of African Energy's Chirundu and Kiraba Valley tenements with GoviEx's Mutanga Project will allow us to unitize these neighbouring properties, significantly enlarging and improving the potential economies of scale. This acquisition complements our strategy to be the consolidator of compelling African uranium projects while the uranium price remains low."

The Chirundu and Kariba Valley properties to be acquired as part of the Transaction include a mining licence and two prospecting licences. The Chirundu mining licence covers two uranium deposits, Gwabe and Njame, containing JORC compliant mineral resources of 7.4Mlb U3O8 in the Measured and Indicated categories, plus 3.8Mlb U3O8 in the Inferred category (see tables below for detailed breakdown).

GoviEx's acquisition of the Chirundu and Kariba Valley properties, combined with the Mutanga, will represent a regional consolidation and will result in contiguous tenements of approximately 140km in strike length, including three mine licences, containing combined mineral resources of 15.2Mlb U3O8 in the Measured and Indicated categories and 45.2Mlb U3O8 the Inferred category. Sections between the known deposits remain under-explored with a number of high-priority drill targets.

Under the terms of the Transaction, GoviEx will acquire African Energy's wholly owned Zambian subsidiaries, Muchinga Energy Resources Limited, which holds the Kariba Valley tenement, and Chirundu Joint Ventures Zambia Ltd., which holds the Chirundu tenements. In exchange, GoviEx will issue African Energy 3.0 million common shares of GoviEx (the "Consideration Shares") and 1.6 million common share purchase warrants of GoviEx (the "Consideration Warrants").

Each Consideration Warrant will be convertible, for a period of three (3) years from the closing date of the Transaction, into one common share of GoviEx at a price per share equal to the United States dollar equivalent of 160% of the ten (10) day VWAP of GoviEx's common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V") calculated from the last trading day before the closing date of the Transaction. The Consideration Warrants shall include an acceleration clause which will provide that, if the closing price of GoviEx common shares on the TSX-V is equal to or greater than 190% of the closing market price of GoviEx common shares on the TSX-V on the closing date of the Transaction, for a period of fifteen (15) consecutive trading days, GoviEx may accelerate the expiry date of the Consideration Warrants to a date that is sixty (60) days from the date of delivery of the written acceleration notice to African Energy, failing which the Consideration Warrants will expire unexercised.

Expected Closing Date

The Transaction is expected to close by the second half of July 2017, subject to the receipt of required consents and approvals, including but not limited to TSX-V approval and Zambian regulatory approval, as well as the satisfaction of other conditions customary for a transaction of this nature.

Figure 1: Regional Geology and key Uranium Deposits in the Karoo Basin: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1087898-F1.pdf

Figure 2: Mutanga, Chirundu and Kariba Valley licences: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1087898-F2.pdf

Njame and Gwabe Mineral Resources

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Deposit (Mt) U3O8 (ppm) U3O8 (Mlbs) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Njame Mineral Resource ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 2.7 350 2.1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 3.7 252 2.1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 6,6 240 3.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gwabe Mineral Resource ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 1.3 237 0.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 3.6 313 2.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 0.8 178 0.3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Njame mineral resource is as of January 2010; Gwabe mineral resource is as of March 2009. The updated resource estimates are completed using the Ordinary Kriging method, and classified with reference to the criteria set out in the Australasian Code For Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code, December 2004).

Mutanga Uranium Project

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deposit U3O8 Measured Indicated ---------------------------------------------------------- lower Tonnes U3O8 U3O8 Tonnes U3O8 U3O8 cut-off (Mt) (ppm) (Mlbs) (Mt) (ppm) (Mlbs) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mutanga 100 1.88 481 2.0 8.4 314 5.8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mutanga Exts 200 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mutanga East 200 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mutanga West 200 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dibwe 100 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dibwe East 100 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 1.88 481 2.0 8.4 314 5.8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- Deposit Inferred ------------------------------------ Tonnes U3O8 U3O8 (Mt) (ppm) (Mlbs) -------------------------------------------- Mutanga 7.20 206 3.3 -------------------------------------------- Mutanga Exts 0.50 340 0.4 -------------------------------------------- Mutanga East 0.20 320 0.1 -------------------------------------------- Mutanga West 0.50 340 0.4 -------------------------------------------- Dibwe 17.00 234 9 -------------------------------------------- Dibwe East 39.80 322 28.2 -------------------------------------------- Total 65.20 287 41.4 --------------------------------------------

In order to comply with the requirement that a mineral resource must have reasonable prospects for economic extraction, a third party (Roscoe Postle and Associates, "RPA") prepared a preliminary conceptual Whittle pit optimization for reporting of mineral resources within the conceptual pit shell, based on a uranium price of $70/lb U3O8.

Mutanga's mineral resources as at September 12, 2013 are classified in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum's "CIM Definition Standards - For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves" in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" (the Instrument). Mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates reflect the company's reasonable expectation that all necessary permits and approvals will be obtained and maintained.

The Mineral Resource Statement was prepared Mr. Malcom Titley as the Qualified Person (QP) as defined by the CIM Definition Standards and Section 5.1 of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Form 43- 101F1 and Companion Policy 43-101CP).

Source: Technical Report filed "NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimates for the Mutanga Uranium Project, Denison Mines Corp Zambia Africa", dated September 12, 2013. Prepared by CSA Global (UK) Ltd for Denison Mines Corp.

Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have to demonstrate economic viability. Mineral resources are subject to infill drilling, permitting, mine planning, mining dilution and recovery losses, among other things, to be converted into mineral reserves. Due to the uncertainty associated with inferred mineral resources, it cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to indicated or measured mineral resources, including as a result of continued exploration.

Qualified persons

For GoviEx, the scientific and technical information disclosed in this release has been reviewed, verified and approved by Dr. Rob Bowell, a chartered chemist of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a chartered geologist of the Geological Society of London and Fellow of the Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Materials, who is an independent Qualified Person under the terms of National Instrument 43-101 for uranium deposits.

For African Energy, the scientific and technical information disclosed in this release has been reviewed Dr. Frazer Tabeart (an employee and the Managing Director of African Energy), who is a member of The Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Dr Tabeart has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person under the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Dr. Tabeart consents to the inclusion of the data in the form and context in which it appears.

About GoviEx Uraninum

GoviEx is a mineral resource company focused on the exploration and development of uranium properties. GoviEx's principal objective is to become a significant uranium producer through the continued exploration and development of its Mine Permitted Madaouela Project and its other uranium properties in Africa.

About African Energy

The company is focused on the development of multiple integrated power projects in Botswana to meet the increasing demand for power in the southern African region.

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All information and statements other than statements of current or historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in GoviEx's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will", "could", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "potential", "should," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. Information provided in this document is necessarily summarized and may not contain all available material information.

Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding completion and expected benefits of the Transaction, satisfaction of certain conditions precedent to the Transaction and other statements that are not facts. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management based on the business and markets in which GoviEx operates, are inherently subject to significant operational, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies.

Assumptions upon which forward-looking statements relating to the transaction have been made include that GoviEx and African Energy will be able to satisfy the conditions in the Purchase Agreement; that all required third party, regulatory, stock exchange, and government approvals will be obtained; and that the Transaction will be successfully concluded. In addition, the factors described or referred to in the section entitled "Financial Risks and Management Objectives" in the MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2015, of GoviEx, which is available on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com, should be reviewed in conjunction with the information found in this news release.

Although GoviEx has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including if the parties are unable to obtain regulatory approval for the Transaction and the inability or unwillingness of the parties to the Transaction to complete it for any reason, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the Transaction could be modified, restricted or not completed, and the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and GoviEx disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and GoviEx assumes no any liability for disclosure relating to the other company herein.

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:

GoviEx Uranium Inc.

Govind Friedland

Executive Chairman

+1 604-681-5529



GoviEx Uranium Inc.

Daniel Major

Chief Executive Officer

+1 604-681-5529

info@goviex.com

www.goviex.com




MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/17 -- Osisko Mining Inc. (TSX: OSK) ("Osisko" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has acquired though staking a significant land position in the Lebel-sur Quevillon area of the Abibiti Greenstone Belt of Quebec, located approximately 110 kilometers west of the Windfall Lake project. Map staking of 2942 claims was recently completed and resulted in the acquisition of a large land package covering 157,000 hectares (157 sq. km).

The land position of the Quevillon area covers volcano-sedimentary Archean greenstones that host a number of know gold showings and porphyry igneous intrusions that are of strong exploration interest to the company.

"The acquisition of the Quevillon land package to the west of Windfall strengthens our position in this region and is consistent with our strategy of controlling significant land positions in the Abitibi where we believe Osisko will unlock the exploration potential and develop the next generation of Canadian gold mines." said John Burzynski, Osisko's President and Chief Executive Officer.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical content of this press release has been reviewed by Mr. Mathieu Savard, P.Geo. Vice President Exploration for Osisko Mining Inc. in Quebec, Qualified Person as defined by National Instruments 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Osisko Mining Inc.

Osisko is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal resource properties in Canada. Osisko holds a 100% in the high-grade Windfall Lake gold deposit located between Val-d'Or and Chibougamau in Quebec and holds a 100% undivided interest in a large area of claims in the surrounding Urban Barry area (82,400 hectares), a 100% interest in the Marban project located in the heart of Quebec's prolific Abitibi gold mining district, and properties in the Larder Lake Mining Division in northeast Ontario, including the Jonpol and Garrcon deposits on the Garrison property, the Buffonta past producing mine and the Gold Pike mine property. The Corporation also holds interests and options in a number of additional properties in northern Ontario. Osisko continues to be well financed with approximately $200 million in cash and investments.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Technical Information

Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issues. In particular, the quantity and grade of reported inferred mineral resources in the estimates referenced in this press release are uncertain in nature and there is insufficient exploration to define these inferred mineral resources as an indicated or measured mineral resource in all cases. It is uncertain in all cases whether further exploration will result in upgrading the inferred mineral resources to an indicated or measured mineral resource category.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates, projections and interpretations as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "interpreted", "management's view", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information and are intended to identify forward-looking information. This forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Corporation, at the time it was made, involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Osisko to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, risks relating to the ability of exploration activities (including drill results) to accurately predict mineralization; errors in management's geological modelling; the ability of Osisko to complete further exploration activities, including drilling; property interests in Quebec and Ontario; the ability of the Corporation to obtain required approvals and complete transactions on terms announced; the results of exploration activities; risks relating to mining activities; the global economic climate; metal prices; dilution; environmental risks; and community and non-governmental actions. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, Osisko cannot assure shareholders and prospective purchasers of securities of the Corporation that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither Osisko nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. Osisko does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law.

Contacts:

John Burzynski

President & Chief Executive Officer

(416) 363-8653




Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Mar. 6

By Demir Azizov  Trend:

Sukhrob Kholmuradov has been appointed as chairman of Board of Uzbekistans National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity, the banks press service told Trend.

Prior to this appointment, Kholmuradov worked as the first deputy chairman of the Board. He succeeded Saidakhmat Rakhimov on the new position.

Sukhrob Kholmuradov has been working in the banking sphere since 1993.

The National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity is Uzbekistans biggest bank. The bank was established in September 1991 as an agent of the government in international financial markets and currently operates as a universal commercial bank.

The bank is fully owned by the Uzbek state and has 14 regional departments, 90 branches and a subsidiary in Moscow.

Assets of the National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity amounted to $5.719 billion and capital totaled $550 million in 2015.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/17 -- Alianza Minerals Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: ANZ) ("Alianza" or the "Company") has oversubscribed the offering to raise $550,000 and the offering is now closed at $625,000, or 5 million units.

The funds will be used to advance exploration projects in Nevada and Peru. In keeping with the Company's business model, projects in its portfolio will be upgraded to attract partners to fund further exploration. Management is planning first pass programs on newly acquired concessions prospective for zinc in central Peru and further work, including drill target definition, on its gold projects in Nevada.

Jason Weber, President and CEO, noted "We are eager to follow up very encouraging results from our 2017 programs, particularly in Nevada where we are starting to identify compelling drill targets at properties such as Horsethief. We can now continue to build shareholder value by advancing those projects towards drilling this year as well as assessing our newly acquired zinc targets in Peru. We anticipate a busy and productive 2017."

The financing was comprised of 5 million units with each unit consisting of one common share and one half of a common share purchase warrant valid for a period of three years at an exercise price of $0.20 until March 6, 2020. $21,700 cash finder's fee and 173,600 finders' warrants were granted. Each finder's warrant is exercisable into a unit at $0.125 for a period of 18 months. All securities have a four-month hold period until July 6, 2017. The financing has received the TSX Venture Exchange final approval.

About Alianza Minerals Ltd.

Alianza increases the chances of success in mineral exploration by using the "Prospect Generator" business model, focussing on gold and copper exploration in Latin America and Nevada.

The Company has 33.3 million shares issued and outstanding, and is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX VENTURE: ANZ). Mr. Jason Weber, BSc, P.Geo., Alianza's President and CEO is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Weber supervised the preparation of the technical information contained in this release.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. STATEMENTS IN THIS NEWS RELEASE, OTHER THAN PURELY HISTORICAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING STATEMENTS RELATING TO THE COMPANY'S FUTURE PLANS AND OBJECTIVES OR EXPECTED RESULTS, MAY INCLUDE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON NUMEROUS ASSUMPTIONS AND ARE SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES INHERENT IN RESOURCE EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT. AS A RESULT, ACTUAL RESULTS MAY VARY MATERIALLY FROM THOSE DESCRIBED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS.

Contacts:

Jason Weber

President and CEO

(604) 687-3520

(888) 889-4874 (FAX)



Sandrine Lam

Shareholder Communications

(604) 687-3520

(888) 889-4874 (FAX)

www.alianzaminerals.com




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Facebook (FB) is reportedly testing a Dislike button. However, instead of the much-asked ability to 'dislike' posts on Facebook's News Feed, the social networking giant is testing the 'thumbs down' emoji on its Messenger app, Tech Crunch reported. According to the report, some users can now use a Reactions option. When users hover over messages friends have sent in a chat thread, they can select emojis such as Like, Dislike, Heart-Eyes, LOL, WOW, Sad and Angry to show their reaction to that message. Everyone in the thread will then see that reaction counted below the specific message. The feature will also have a reaction counter, which would list the number of reactions on any given line. Facebook confirmed the feature to TechCrunch and said, 'We're always testing ways to make Messenger more fun and engaging. This is a small test where we enable people to share an emoji that best represents their feelings on a message.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
BERLIN, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Approximately 900 million -- or just over one in four -- people living in 16 countries in Asia Pacific, including some of its biggest economies are estimated to have paid a bribe to access public services, according to a new public opinion poll from the anti-corruption movement Transparency International.

Transparency International spoke to nearly 22,000 people about their recent experiences with corruption for People and Corruption: Asia Pacific, part of the Global Corruption Barometer series.

The results show lawmakers across the region need to do much more to support whistleblowers; governments must keep promises to combat corruption, including their commitments to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.

In China, nearly three-quarters of the people surveyed said corruption has increased over the last three years, suggesting people do not see the major offensive on corruption is working.

Only one in five people surveyed thought the level of corruption had decreased, while half of people polled said their government was doing a bad job fighting corruption.

"Governments must do more to deliver on their anti-corruption commitments. It's time to stop talking and act. Millions of people are forced to pay bribes for public services and it is the poor who are most vulnerable," said Jose Ugaz, chair of Transparency International.

Thirty-eight percent of the poorest people surveyed said they paid a bribe, the highest proportion of any income group.

"Without proper law enforcement corruption thrives. Bribery is not a small crime, it takes food off the table, it prevents education, it impedes proper healthcare and ultimately it can kill," Ugaz said.

Police top the list of public services most often demanding a bribe; just under a third of people who had come into contact with a police officer in the last 12 months saying they paid a bribe.

People said that the most important action to stop corruption is speaking out or refusing to pay bribes. But more than one in five said they felt powerless to help fight corruption.



Transparency International recommends:

Governments integrate anti-corruption targets into all Sustainable Development Goals including hunger, poverty, education, health, gender equality and climate action, and develop mechanisms to reduce corruption risks.



Legislatures adopt and enforce comprehensive legislation to protect whistleblowers, based on prevailing international standards, including those developed by Transparency International.



Authorities prevent and sanction bribe paying/taking to end impunity related to bribery



Anti-corruption agencies engage with and encourage large numbers of citizens who are willing to refuse paying bribes and report corruption.

Editors' note: Click here to see full report.

The surveys were carried out face-to-face or by telephone between July 2015 and January 2017. They were sampled and weighted to be nationally representative of all adults. Go to http://www.transparency.org to see the methodology note.
Monroe Capital LLC provided a $100m senior credit facility to support the acquisition of Echelon Group (a d/b/a of MedLien Manager, LLC) and future growth of its successor Echelon Medical Capital, LLC, a portfolio company of DRB Financial Solutions, LLC.

In addition, the credit facility also supports the continued growth of its affiliated company US Claims.

Based in South Florida, DRB is a diversified, multi-asset specialty finance company providing liquidity solutions to individuals and businesses across several niche areas including structured settlements, litigation finance, bankruptcy trade claims, and commission advances.

This transaction supports the addition of Echelon, a specialty finance company engaged in purchasing accounts receivable related to medical liens and insurance receivables from medical providers.

FinSMEs

06/03/2017
TravelTriangle, a Gurgaon, Haryana, India-based marketplace for travelers, recently closed $10m Series B funding round.

The round was led by RB Investments with participation from existing investors SAIF Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners.

The company intends to use the funds to continue to expand operations.

Co-founded in 2011 by Sankalp Agarwal, Sanchit Garg and Prabhat Gupta, TravelTriangle is a marketplace for travelers to get and compare best quotes from multiple verified agents with a single request. Travelers enter a request for the trip basis his/her requirements which are collected through a pre-defined form of questions. The details collected are then shared with the local/expert travel agents, who revert with their best quotes. A traveler gets multiple quotes from multiple agents to choose from. The selected itinerary with quotes is then customized by the selected travel agent and traveler. Once itinerary is fixed, traveler makes payment through TravelTriangle and is assured of the trip with TravelTriangle Money Safe Guarantee.

Once the trip is complete, the traveler reviews the travel Agent on the platform, thus, providing the travel agents the opportunity to know and/or improve their services.

The company, which has a team of 300+ people, has a network of 650+ expert agents across the globe we have helped travellers reach out to 65+ destinations.

FinSMEs

05/03/2017
New Delhi: Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus on Monday welcomed superstar Amitabh Bachchan as the first-ever "OnePlus Star" -- a select group of distinguished OnePlus users.

"It gives me immense pleasure to be working with the most exciting technology brand in India, OnePlus, a truly disruptive technology company known for its premium quality and craftsmanship," Bachchan said in a statement.

"Being a OnePlus user myself, I am thrilled to represent the brand in India and become a part of the passionate community of OnePlus fans to take the brand legacy ahead," he added.

In January, the company opened its first 'Experience Store' in Bengaluru that will be a one-stop destination to experience the complete range of OnePlus products.

"Our association with Bachchan will further strengthen this bond, give our users a greater sense of purpose and help the brand scale to new heights," added Pete Lau, CEO and Founder of OnePlus.

The company's latest flagship OnePlus 3T is rated as the best smartphone based on consumer ratings on Amazon India.

"We are delighted to welcome Mr. Bachchan as our brand representative in India. As the brand grows to the next level, we aim to continue to bond with our community in a more meaningful and engaging way," Lau added.
New Delhi: Capital markets watchdog SEBI may be among India's most powerful regulators today but there was a time when people used to introduce its former chief U K Sinha as Chairman of SBI -- a similar sounding acronym but of State Bank of India.

"At the start of my tenure at SEBI, people would introduce me as the chairperson of SBI, the State Bank of India (the countrys largest bank with a far flung branch network). Today, you go to a small village in India and they know SEBI," says Sinha, who retired as SEBI Chairman last week after a six-year tenure -- the second largest in nearly three decades of existence of the regulatory body.

Sinha's remarks are part of a detailed case study on the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) done by Professor Suraj Srinivasan of the Harvard Business School.

The study titled 'Securities Exchange Board of India:

Developing and Regulating Indias Capital Markets' has been done by Suraj along with research associate Radhika Kak.

According to the study, Sinha was reflecting on his past five years as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) when he made these remarks.

"It was February 2016 and he had just been appointed by the Government of India to a second term as the Chairman of SEBI," it noted.

While SEBI as a regulator has made significant strides over the past decade, it was during Sinha's tenure that its powers increased manifold including for bringing to book entities guilty of insider trading and fraudulent investment activities such as illicit collective investment schemes.

SEBI's tough actions against several large corporates even prompted some in recent years to call the regulator a 'dragon' and of acting like an activist.

Days before demitting office, Sinha told a press conference that SEBI was justly "harsh" with those threatening the integrity of markets and he was not "shy" to say so.

Regulators seem to have faced dilemma of being addressed differently mostly on account of lack of awareness about their roles.

Some time back, officials had reminisced that there were occasions when people used to ask whether Competition Commission of India (CCI) was into conducting some kind of competitive examinations.

"As of end-March 2015, more than 900 resource persons had conducted a total of 24,000 workshops across the country.

Partly due to this program, SEBI came to be better recognised nationally," the study said.

Sinha, a former IAS officer, also had the second longest tenure as SEBI Chairman after D R Mehta who served at the helm from 1995-2002.

Sinha's last three predecessors had three-year tenures each and another senior officer Ajay Tyagi has taken over from him as the new SEBI Chairman with a three-year tenure.
After last year's fiasco over taxing of provident fund, the government seems to be working overtime to make changes to the retirement scheme. The government has introduced a slew of measures to make the Employee provident Fund Organsiation or EPFO more subscriber-friendly, while it is reportedly proposing more steps.

Here are the steps the government has taken or has proposed to take and what they mean to you:

1) The EPFO recently simplified the norms for provident fund claims by coming out with a single one-page form for all types of claims. This means you won't need to fill forms like Form 19, Form 10C, and Form 31 anymore to make the claims. These forms were being accepted for PF Final Settlement, EPS Pension withdrawal and PF Partial withdrawal respectively in the past.

The new form called the new Composite Claim Form (CFF) are of two types called CCF (Aadhaar) and CCF (non aadhaar). Even the process has now been made simple where the form can be submitted to EPFO which bypasses the employer completely if you are Aadhaar complaint and the account is seeded with your bank details. Here you will need to fill the CCF (AAdhaar) form and for those who are not Aadhaar compliant, they will have to fill the CCF (non aadhaar), and include the employer in the process.

Even taking advances from your PF corpus has been made easy, as going forward you dont need to provide any kind of document as proof. The recent order by the government says, submission aadhar compliant and non-Aadhar compliant form duly signed by the EPF subscriber shall be construed as self-certification for the above partial withdrawals for which no documents would be required to be submitted to the EPFO offices. In short, less amount of paper work for employees as well as faster resolution of claims will be set in place.

2) By May this year EPFO is planning to launch an online facility which will simplify the claim process, EPFO Central Provident Fund Commissioner VP Joy told recently. Under the proposed scheme, the claims are expected to be settled within 20 days of submitting the form. It usually take 4-5 months for the process to get done and money to credit into your bank account. The institution is working to make the entire process computerised.

3) In another move the government is considering decreasing the employers liability towards Employees Provident Fund (EPF) in the construction sector to 10 percent of the basic pay as against the current 12 percent, as reported by The Financial Express. Reducing the amount of employers contribution, will possibly nudge more building/construction units to extend the EPF benefits to workers. Last year, the Delhi High Court had passed an order stating that all construction workers need to be mandatorily enrolled under the EPF scheme. The Hindu Business Line had reported, Builders had expressed concerns over ambiguity in the eligibility of workers, many of whom were employed on a casual or short-term basis. And enrollment of construction workers in PF was below expectations.

4) EPFO is expected to launch a special housing scheme this month, which will make life of crores of members easier if they have or plan to avail a home loan. This scheme will enable members to make down payments or pay EMIs from their EPF account to buy houses.

According to PTI, the subscribers as well as their employers would be required to form a group housing society which would further tie up with banks and builders or sellers of homes so that EPFO members can buy homes. The scheme is likely to be launched anytime after 8 March.

Explainer: The granular details are yet to be out, only time will tell if this scheme is good.

Do keep tracking this space as we bring you more information when the scheme is launched.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6



By Fatih Karimov  Trend:



National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC) and Russian Tatneft signed a memorandum of understanding based on which the latter will conduct a study over Irans Shadegan oilfield.



Under the MoU, the Russian side will prepare a development plan for two reserves of Asmari and Bangestan in Shadegan field, based on NISOC contract framework confirmed by Iran's Oil Ministry, the NISOC said in message.



Tatneft should submit its proposal for the fields development to the NISOC within 6 months.



The NISOC, Iran's largest oil company, produces about 83 percent of crude oil and 16 percent of natural gas in the country. The company has earlier signed deals with Schlumberger, Tenco (affiliated to IRGC), Pergas (a consortium of international companies), MAPNA Group and Persia Oil & Gas Industry Development Co. for carrying out development studies of four fields of Parsi, Karanj, Rag Sefid and Shadegan, including nine oil reserves.



The nine reserves include Asmari, Pabdeh and Khami in Karanj field, three reserves in Asmari, Bangestan and Khami in Rag Sefid field, Asmari field in Parsi field and two reserves of Asmari and Bangestan in Shadegan field.
New Delhi: Industry body Nasscom on Sunday said that US' decision to temporarily suspend the expedited premium processing of H-1B visas will lead to process delays for Indian IT firms too. However, Nasscom feels that the move will not be a "significant impediment" for the over $110 billion outsourcing industry.

The US has announced that from April 3, it would temporarily suspend the 'premium processing' of H-1B visas that allowed some companies to jump the queue, as part of overall efforts to clear the backlog.

The suspension came even as New Delhi pressed for a fair and rational approach on the matter from a trade and business perspective.

"The current issue of the temporary suspension of premium H-1B processing will create some process delays for the companies - Indian and American -- but is not a significant impediment," Nasscom said in an emailed statement.

By paying an additional premium of $1,225, companies could get an H-1B application processed within 15 days, whereas a standard process takes 3-6 months. The temporary suspension of the fast-track processing of the H-1B visas - widely used by the Indian IT industry - may last six months.

The decision was announced just hours after top Indian officials  foreign secretary S Jaishankar and commerce secretary Rita Teotia  held meetings with officials and lawmakers in the US to view the H1-B visa issue as a trade and services matter, and not an immigration one.

It also puts pressure on Indian IT companies as any changes in visa regime may result in higher operational costs and shortage of skilled workers for the Indian outsourcing industry.

In the past few weeks, there have been proposals to overhaul the popular H-1B visa regime through various legislations which have added to the worries of the Indian IT sector that is battling slower growth, currency fluctuation and cautious client spending. The US accounts for over 60 per cent of the Indian IT export revenues.

Nasscom said it will work with the US embassy in India to ensure that movement of professionals is not hit by such process issues.

"This has happened in the past for a couple of months to clear the backlog and we will work with the US embassy in India to enable mobility of skilled talent is not impacted due to process issues," Nasscom added.

Gartner Research Director DD Mishra, however, said the move will have an immediate impact on the capability of Indian IT companies to respond to urgency, thereby impacting some agility and speed.

"There are many projects which often require IT companies to address the requirement immediately and some of them are often planned or unplanned or due to a certain situation very specific to the account or project. Sometimes to address this requirement, Indian IT companies may have to hire expensive resources onsite or it can delay certain time sensitive initiatives driven by urgency," Mishra said.

He added that uncertainties surrounding visas is emerging as a risk and may gradually become an inhibitor of growth for US-based customers who look at this as more of a threat and tend to move their business to US-based IT companies.

Greyhound Research chief analyst and CEO Sanchit Vir Gogia said that while the change by the Trump administration has taken most by surprise, it shouldn't be viewed as a "conclusive outcome" from their end. "While the loss on the back of this change will be felt maximum by US companies in need for skills in urgent projects, it will also rightfully be a step in stopping abuse of the H-1B visa programme that is currently rampant," he said.

Gogia added that while the Trump administration has taken the right approach to talk about a merit-based system overall, the next step ideally should be to hold an open dialogue with both those who use skills and others who supply them.

Nasscom had recently taken a delegation to Washington DC in a bid to engage with members of the new US administration on issues like clampdown on work visas and flow of skilled manpower between the two nations.

Concerns around a proposed overhaul of the visa regime by the US has prompted Nasscom to postpone its annual forecast  for the first time  till May.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would start accepting the H-1B visa applications for the FY18 beginning 1 October, 2017, from April 3. It also announced the temporary suspension of the premium processing of H-1B visas beginning April 3. "This temporary suspension will help us to reduce overall H-1B processing time," the USCIS said.

By temporarily suspending premium processing, the USCIS has said it will be able to process long-pending petitions, which they have currently been unable to do due to high volume of petitions and a significant surge in premium processing requests. It will also help prioritise adjudication of H-1B extension of status cases that are nearing the 240-day mark.
New Delhi: Contrary to market perception, India's unemployment rate halved from 9.5 percent in August 2016 to 4.8 percent in February this year and among major states, a sharp decline was registered in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the SBI Ecoflash, during August 2016 to February 2017, unemployment rate in Uttar Pradesh registered the maximum decline from 17.1 percent to 2.9 percent, followed by Madhya Pradesh (10 percent to 2.7 percent), Jharkhand (9.5 percent to 3.1 percent), Odisha (10.2 percent to 2.9 percent) and Bihar (13 percent to 3.7 percent).

"We believe this decline is primarily due to the government's efforts in providing new employment opportunities in rural areas," said the report compiled by State Bank of India research team led by Group Chief Economic Advisor Soumya Kanti Ghosh.

The report further noted that the decline was also explained by household demanded/allocated work under MGNREGA, which increased from 83 lakh households in October 2016 to 167 lakh households in February 2017.

Moreover, the number of works completed under MGNREGA increased by a whopping 40 percent to 50.5 lakh in 2016-17 compared to 36.0 lakh in 2015-16.

Notable increase was registered in the works of anganwadi, drought proofing, rural drinking water, and water conservation and harvesting.

"This is a welcome trend and will contribute greatly for developing rural infrastructure a sine qua non for sustained agri growth," the report said.

In the Union Budget FY18, MGNREGA scheme has been allocated a budgetary resource of Rs 48,000 crore. During FY2017-18, another 5 lakh farm ponds will be taken

up, compared to expected 10 lakh during FY2016-17. This single measure will contribute greatly to drought proofing of gram panchayats.

The unemployment rate was estimated by BSE and CMIE from data collected regarding the employment/unemployment status of all members of 15 years and more of a sample of randomly selected households.
Chennai: Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on Saturday said that talks between India and top companies in the world to introduce trains that can speed over 350 km per hour have reached an advanced stage.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here, Prabhu said talks are being held with six global companies with necessary technology.

Earlier addressing the Tamil Nadu State Annual Meeting and Tamil Nadu Business Leaders' Conference organised by CII on 'Decoding Tamil Nadu - The way forward', he said Railways is planning to save around Rs 41,000 crore through energy savings.

Besides being committed to raise Rs 66,000 crore to meet the developmental works, Prabhu said the railways sector will earn a revenue of Rs 17,000 crore through non-traditional sources over the next decade.

The ministry is working to find funds for development through joint ventures and also has drawn a business plan for 2017-18 to increase its revenues, the minister said.

Huge investments are focused on ensuring safety, upgrading technology, and enhancing speed and comfort of rail users, he added.
The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Centre and the RBI on a plea alleging that people were not being allowed to deposit demonetised currency notes till March 31 as promised.

"Issue notice returnable by Friday," a bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said and asked petitioner Sharad Mishra to serve the copy of its notice to the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India during the course of the day. Several petitions were also filed by companies and individuals over the government going back on its decision to extend the date of depositing demonetised notes till 31 March.

The plea referred to the speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016, when he said that citizens would be allowed to deposit the demonetised notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 beyond the cut-off date of 31 December, 2016 till 31 March, 2017.

There may be some who for some reason, are not able to deposit their old 500 or 1,000 rupee notes by December 30, 2016. They can go to specified offices of the Reserve Bank of India up to March 31, 2017 and deposit the notes after submitting a declaration form," Prime Minister Narendra Modi told in his address to the nation on 8 November.

Subsequently, a notification was issued by RBI spelling out that people may deposit demonetised currency notes even after December 31, 2016 at specific RBI branches up to March 31, 2017 after complying with certain procedural requirements.

The central bank on 31 December designated its five offices  Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Nagpur to exchange defunct currency notes post 50-day demonetisation period that ended on 30 December.

The bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul considered the argument that the RBI's last ordinance, which permits only those persons who were outside India during the stipulated period to deposit the demonetised currency notes till March 31, is a breach of assurances given by the Prime Minister and the RBI.

Further, a women in her petition filed had argued that the government and the RBI said the grace period until 30 March for depositing old notes with the Central Bank was restricted to only NRIs and for Indians who were out of the country in November and December. As a result, the women petitioner said she was robbed off the opportunity of depositing old notes with the RBI.

The bench, however, did not prima facie accept the womans contention.

"Who did not know of this (demonetisation)? There was a big hungama over it. You could have issued a power of attorney," The Economic Times said quoting Chief Justice J S Kehar.

With PTI inputs
After a gap of five years, State Bank of India has decided to reintroduce penalty on non-maintenance of minimum balance in accounts from April 1, and revised charges on other services, including ATMs.

The country's largest bank will permit savings bank account holders to deposit cash three times a month free of charges and levy Rs 50 plus service tax on every transaction beyond that.

In case of current account, the levy could go as high as Rs 20,000.

As per the list of revised charges of SBI, failure to maintain Monthly Average Balance (MAB) in accounts will attract penalty of up to Rs 100 plus service tax.

In metropolitan areas, there will be a charge of Rs 100 plus service tax, if the balance falls below 75 percent of the MAB of Rs 5,000. If the shortfall is 50 percent or less of the MAB, then the bank will charge Rs 50 plus service tax.

The charges and MAB varies according to the location of bank. It is minimum in case of rural branches.

A senior SBI official said the bank had suspended levying charges on breach of minimum balance requirements in 2012 to acquire new customers.

The charges are now being reintroduced from April 1.

The Reserve Bank has permitted banks to levy charges for breaching minimum balance limit.

Withdrawal of cash from ATMs will attract a charge of up to Rs 20 if the number of transactions exceeds three from other bank's ATMs in a month and Rs 10 for more than five withdrawals from SBI ATMs.

However, SBI will not levy any charge on withdrawals from its own ATMs if the balance exceeds Rs 25,000. In case of other banks' ATM there will be no charge if the balance exceeds Rs 1 lakh.

SBI will charge Rs 15 for SMS alerts per quarter from debit card holders who maintain average quarterly balance of up to Rs 25,000 during the three months period.

There will be no charge for UPI/ USSD transactions of up to Rs 1000.
Russian politician and Minister of State Duma Vitaly Minolov has reportedly asked for Disney's fantasy musical film Beauty and the Beast to be banned in Russia, citing its homosexual content. He has written to Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky asking that the release of the film be cancelled.

In a letter, Minolov describes this particular part of the film a "blatant, shameless propaganda of sin and perverted sexual relationships". He is of the opinion that the film is offering up a "obvious, barefaced, unscrupulous propoganda of sin and perverted sexual relations," under the guise of being a children's film, and has been reported saying that he has received letters from concerned Russian parents.

Minolov has also called for a screening of the film for ministers ahead of its official release so that they may decide whether Beauty and the Beast should be given a release at all.

Beauty and the Beast will have Disney's first ever gay character and love scene. LeFou, who is the sidekick of Beast's antagonist Gasto, develops feelings for him. LeFou is being played by actor Josh Gad. Director Bill Condon has said that LeFou's introspection about his sexuality is a way to increase LGBT visibility on screen.

Earlier this week, another cinema in Alabama, US, has declared that it will not screen this Disney movie, adding that its patrons are "free to come watch wholesome movies without worrying about sex, nudity, homosexuality and foul language".

Beauty and the Beast is directed by Bill Condon and has Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans and Kevin Klein in lead roles. It will release in the US on 17 March, 2017.

Watch the official trailer here:
If you thought Karan Johar would let Kangana Ranaut get away with calling him the "flag-bearer of nepotism" on his own show, you couldnt be more wrong! At the LSE SU India Forum over the weekend in London, the Ae Dil Hai Mukhil director minced no words while talking about the episode of Koffee With Karan with Rangoon stars Kangana and Saif Ali Khan.

In a rant that continued for over two minutes, Karan says, She was my guest and I had to hear what she had to say. She has a right to have an opinion. When she says flag-bearer of nepotism, I just want to say her, I am glad she knows what it all means. I dont think she has understood the entire meaning of the term. What is nepotism am I working with my nieces, nephews, daughters, cousins? And what about those 15 filmmakers, who are not from the film industry, who I have launched and who did the movies. That were not going to talk about! Tarun Mansukhani, Puneet Malhotra, Shakun Batra, Shashank Khaitan they all come from no film background. You give these people film careers and they have a platform to stand on and thats the reverse of nepotism.

Karan goes on to say that he was gracious enough to not edit things that Kangana said on the show. I appreciate that she had a great perspective and point of view and everyone lauded her because she came on my show and gave it off to Karan according to what everyone said. I cut none of it. I could have edited so much out because its my show. But I said, let the world see that this is her opinion. I gave her the platform.

For Karan to say that he gave Kangana the platform to air her grievances reeks of patriarchy and condescension. Heaven forbid if a strong independent woman doesnt toe the line! She doesnt need his platform to make her voice heard. Kangana is a three-time National Award-winning actress who has helmed films that have made crores at the box-office.

In the rapid fire round of Koffee with Karan, Kangana had pointed at Karan as the celebrity who gave her the most unnecessary attitude. In my biopic, if ever its made, you will play the stereotypical Bollywood biggie, who is snooty and completely intolerant to outsider. A flag-bearer of nepostim. The movie mafia. Karan went on to make a sweeping apology and gave Kangana the much-coveted hamper to sweeten the apology.

But clearly, that apology meant nothing. At LSE, Karan lashed out, What does she mean by movie mafia? Does it mean that we dont give her work? No, we do that by choice. I am done with Kangana playing the woman and victim card. I am DONE! You cannot be this victim at every given point of time who has a sad story to tell about how youve been terrorised by the bad world of the industry leave it. Interestingly, during this rant Karan seems to have forgotten that Kangana starred in Renzil DSilva's Ungli that was produced by his Dharma productions.

Instead of hitting out at Kangana for being candid on his show, Karan should be thanking her for making Koffee With Karan relevant again. In its fifth season, the show had lost its mojo. What made Koffee With Karan a guilty pleasure was watching Bollywood stars throw shade at each other. Who can forget the episode when Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor ganged up against Ranbir Kapoor. Or when Kareena Kapoor wondered where Priyanka Chopra gets her accent. This season, the snark quotient on the chat show was at an all-time low. Koffee With Karan has turned into yet other publicity vehicle for actors to hawk their latest release.

Kangana and her candor made the show fun again. And, Karan knew that during the taping. At one point in the episode, Karan said, Kangana has really attacked me on this show and I love that darling. I wonder what changed his mind and prompted this very public attack from the gracious Karan Johar? Maybe he couldnt handle everyone saying that Kangana gave it off to Karan.
Filmmaker Karan Johar expressed his desire to parent, in his autobiography An Unsuitable Boy. Last week, he became father to two newborns, Yash and Roohi, through surrogacy.

News 18 reports that Johar approached IVR specialist Dr Jatin Shah, who was also instrumental in the birth of AbRam, the son of Johar's good friends Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan four years ago. Johar tweeted a heartfelt note, announcing his new parenthood on 5 March.

"This was an emotional yet well thought out decision which I have taken after considering all the responsibilities and duties that come with being a parent. In order to arrive at this decision, I have prepared myself mentally, physically, emotionally and logistically to ensure that my children get all the unconditional love, care and attention from me and mine. I have submitted to the fact that my children are my world and priority," said Johar.

The filmmaker seems to have followed in the shoes of actor Tusshar Kapoor, the brother of film producer and Johar's friend Ekta Kapoor, who also became a single parent to a baby girl last year. Along with Tusshar, a host of celebrities from the Hindi film fraternity congratulated the filmmaker on becoming a father.

As per TV reports, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi has fired an insensitive comment at Johar by questioning the need to resort to surrogacy. "If he has some illness, why can't he adopt? Why the need to surrogate?"

#WATCH: Itne bade ho gaye, shaadi nhi kar skte?Koi beemari hai toh adopt kar lo. Surrogacy ka kya naatak hai ye?: Abu Azmi,SP on Karan Johar pic.twitter.com/bOK4ccHQzk  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

The Indian Express quotes Shah Rukh as saying, "We wish him happiness. But its still very personal. So, dont think that I am being cagey by not answering about it. I have had this moment in my life so I know how personal it is. So, lets respect it and leave it to that. We will have love, celebrations, happiness and health later."

Hindustan Times quotes actor Sushmita Sen as saying, "Congratulations to Karan. He, in an interview once, said that he has the nurturing quality in him. He wants to start a family. He has always been a guy who is owned by his heart. I am very happy Karan Johar is now a parent and I am sure his children will grow up to be amazing people.

Filmmaker Kiran Rao and her husband actor Aamir Khan had also become parents to Azad Khan through surrogacy. The same report quotes Rao, extending her greetings to Johar, "Thats just wonderful. He deserves every happiness that life can give him. I am so happy to hear this news."

Here's what Bollywood celebs said on Twitter:

Congratulations @karanjohar so happy for you. May Yash and Roohi always have a beautiful healthy life. Much love always  PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) March 5, 2017

Finally I can say I have a younger brother AND sister!!!!!! So so so happy soo much love to give uff bursting with joy!!!!! https://t.co/HCMkoR5JWL  Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) March 5, 2017

So happy you took this decision karan ! It's a full house now You will be an amazing father, love to your new big family !  https://t.co/Du52UsjMcT  Sidharth Malhotra (@S1dharthM) March 5, 2017

Karan your the best human being I know and Im sure you will make the best dad.Can't wait to meet these lil munchkins https://t.co/iDl4XswvRG  Varun Badri Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) March 5, 2017

Karan you will be a terrific father to the twin joys, you deserve these little blessings!  many congrats!! https://t.co/A4SHSHxDJ4  Tusshar (@TusshKapoor) March 5, 2017

Many, many congratulations @karanjohar. Welcome to fatherhood!  Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) March 5, 2017

Glad u took my advice seriously @karanjohar Best thing to happen to you.. n theyll b the youngest people you hang out with so all's good   Farah Khan (@TheFarahKhan) March 5, 2017
Filmmaker Karan Johar becoming a father to two newborns through surrogacy has invited applause and greetings from multiple quarters. Now, television couple Gurmeet and Debina Choudhary have also become parents to two Bihar girls, but through adoption.

The Statesman reports that the couple met the two girls back in 2013 when they were in Jampur, a small town in Bihar, to attend a family wedding. Gurmeet's mother introduced him to the two girls who earn their livelihood in the capacity of domestic help. While one of them, Pooja, is an orphan, her first cousin Lata also lost her father a few years ago.

After giving it a lot of thought, the couple mutually decided to adopt the two girls to ensure a secure home and much-deserved education. India.com reports that the couple will visit Jarampur after Holi to execute the final formalities of the adoption process. "It is a two-day process. Everybody, including my parents, keep asking me when Im planning a baby. Well, its official now, Im bringing home two daughters and we couldnt be more excited," said Gurmeet.

Bollywood Life reports that the couple has decided against moving the two girls to Mumbai at once as it may cause a cultural shock. Initially, they will study in a Patna school since the capital city would offer better exposure and infrastructure. After a year, they will move along with the couple in their Andheri residence and will subsequently study in a Mumbai school.

After one academic year, they will shift in with us in our Andheri home by 2018. My brother and his family live in Patna and they will be around to see that they are well cared for. Debina and I will travel to Patna three-four times in the year and stay there through their summer vacation too," says Gurmeet as per the same report.
It seems Nicky Minaj paid a tribute to Lil Kim's 1999 MTV VMAs look, in which he wore a revealing jacket, with one of her breasts fully exposed, covered only by a paste-on.

Minaj wore a balck version of Kim's dress, complete with the pasty for the New York Fashion Week. She uploaded the looks on her instagram account:

#NickiInPARIS Top: Mugler Shorts: Givenchy Shoes: Alexandre Vauthier Pasties: Agent Provocateur Rings: Pristine Shades: Veronique Leroy Photo by: @grizzleemusic A post shared by Nicki Minaj (@nickiminaj) on Mar 4, 2017 at 3:04am PST

However, she also shared a post claiming her inspiration for her dress is actually a Picasso painting.

#RP @carolinedemaigret #Picasso 1907 #NickiInPARIS A post shared by Nicki Minaj (@nickiminaj) on Mar 5, 2017 at 8:01am PST

There has been repeated news of Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj having a little bit of a cold war, but neither have spoken about it explicitly. In a 2010 interview, Kim had said, "I never had a problem with her, I was always nice with her  always. She was a very obnoxious person She was always throwing shots Every single record she made, she was coming at me."
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6



By Fatih Karimov  Trend:



Iran has temporary blocked access to Waze, a GPS-based geographical navigation application due to its Israeli background.



Access to the app was blocked in recent days and the Iranian Committee for Determining Offensive Contents will make the final decision about the ban, an informed source told semi-official Fars news agency.



The committee will hold a meeting on March 8 to discuss the permanent ban of the access to Waze, the source added.



The current ban is implemented after receiving approval from the majority of the committee members, according to the source.



The Israeli background of Waze has raised concerns about the consequences of its usage in Iran, the source added.



Last week, Irans Judiciary ordered the local Android marketplace Cafe Bazaar to remove Waze from its website.



Waze, formerly FreeMap Israel was first developed and popularized by the Israeli company Waze Mobile.



Waze Mobile was founded in Israel by Ehud Shabtai, Amir Shinar and Uri Levine, funded by 2 Israeli venture capital firms, Magma and Vertex and an early-stage American venture capital firm Bluerun Ventures, and eventually acquired by Google in 2013.
By Ju-min Park and Kaori Kaneko

| SEOUL/TOKYO

SEOUL/TOKYO North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japan's northwest on Monday, angering South Korea and Japan, days after it promised retaliation over U.S.-South Korea military drills it sees as preparation for war.South Korea's military said the missiles were unlikely to have been intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), which can reach the United States. They flew on average 1,000 km (620 miles) and reached an altitude of 260 km (160 miles).Graphic - North Korea's nuclear and missile threats: here Some landed as close as 300 km (190 miles) from Japan's northwest coast, Japan's Defence Minister Tomomi Inada said in Tokyo.The United States and Japan have requested a United Nations Security Council meeting on the launches, which will likely be scheduled for Wednesday, diplomats said. The U.S. military on Monday left open the possibility of additional launch attempts."There were four that landed. There may be a higher number of launches that we're not commenting on. But four landed and splashed in the Sea of Japan," Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told a news briefing.White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters the United States was taking steps to enhance "our ability to defend against ballistic missiles" such as a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea."The launches are consistent with North Koreas long history of provocative behaviour," Spicer said.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said "strong protests" had been lodged with nuclear-armed North Korea, which has carried out a series of nuclear and missile tests in defiance of U.N. resolutions."The launches are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action," Abe told parliament.

South Korea's acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn condemned the launches as a direct challenge to the international community and said Seoul would swiftly deploy a U.S. anti-missile defence system despite angry objections from China.The missiles were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the reclusive North's border with China, South Korean military spokesman Roh Jae-cheon told a briefing, but said it was too early to say what their relatively low altitude indicated.Joshua Pollack, editor of the U.S.-based Non-Proliferation Review, said it did not appear the North had launched an ICBM."It sounds like a field exercise involving deployed missiles, probably ones we've seen before," Pollack said.U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, also told Reuters there were no indications so far that North Korea had tested an ICBM.We deplore the continued violation of Security Council resolutions by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, including the most recent launches of ballistic missiles. The DPRK leadership should refrain from further provocations and return to full compliance with its international obligations, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said on Monday.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily news briefing that China, which is holding its annual meeting of the National People's Congress, had noted North Korea's action.

"All sides should exercise restraint and not do anything to irritate each other to worsen regional tensions," Geng said, referring to both the missile launches and U.S.-South Korean military exercises.JOINT DRILLS

North Korea had threatened to take "strong retaliatory measures" after South Korea and the United States began annual joint military drills on Wednesday that test their defensive readiness against possible aggression from the North.North Korea criticises the drills and has previously conducted missile launches to coincide with them.Last year, North Korea fired a long-range rocket from Tongchang-ri that put an object into orbit. The United Nations condemned that launch for violating resolutions banning the use of ballistic missile technology.

North Korea test-fired a new type of missile into the sea last month and has said it would continue to launch new strategic weapons.Last month's test was the first since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has vowed to rein in North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong Un. Trump's national security deputies have reviewed options to counter the missile threat, the New York Times reported, including missile strikes on launch sites and the possibility of reintroducing nuclear weapons to the South, the Times said.Those options would soon be presented to Trump and national security aides, it said, quoting U.S. administration officials.The United States withdrew nuclear weapons from South Korea in 1991 before the rival Koreas signed a declaration on denuclearisation of the peninsula. North Korea walked away from the agreement, citing the threat of invasion by the United States."The claim that we should redeploy nuclear weapons here, 20 years after they were withdrawn, is total nonsense," said Woo Sang-ho, floor leader of South Koreas main opposition Democratic Party."I am formally asking the United States not to bring this issue up for consideration," Woo told a party meeting. North Korea conducted its fifth and most powerful nuclear test last September, following what the United States said was an "unprecedented" level of activity in its banned nuclear and missile programmes.State media said after that test Pyongyang had used a nuclear warhead small enough to mount on a ballistic missile.The United States has about 28,500 troops and equipment stationed in the South, and plans to roll out the THAAD system there by the end of the year.Japan plans to reinforce its ballistic missile defences and is considering buying either THAAD or building a ground-based version of the Aegis system deployed on ships in the Sea of Japan. (Additional reporting by Christine Kim and James Pearson in Seoul, Tim Kelly in Tokyo, Ben Blanchard in Beijing, Phil Stewart in Washington and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Writing by Jack Kim; Editing by Paul Tait and James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By John Whitesides and James Oliphant

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON The White House asked the U.S. Congress on Sunday to examine whether the Obama administration abused its investigative authority during the 2016 campaign, as part of an ongoing congressional probe into Russia's influence on the election.The request came a day after President Donald Trump alleged, without supporting evidence, that then-President Obama ordered a wiretap of the phones at Trump's campaign headquarters in Trump Tower in New York.White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump and administration officials would have no further comment on the issue until Congress has completed its probe, potentially heading off attempts to get Trump to explain his accusations."Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling," Spicer said in a statement.U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, head of the House Intelligence Committee examining possible links between Russia and Trump's campaign, said in a statement on Sunday that any possible surveillance on campaign officials would be part of the probe.Trump made the wiretapping accusation in a series of early morning tweets on Saturday amid expanding scrutiny of his campaign's ties to Russia. An Obama spokesman denied the charge, saying it was "a cardinal rule" that no White House official interfered with independent Justice Department investigations.Under U.S. law, a federal court would have to have found probable cause that the target of the surveillance is an "agent of a foreign power" in order to approve a warrant authorizing electronic surveillance of Trump Tower."There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate or against his campaign," former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who left the office at the end of Obama's term, said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

The White House offered no evidence on Sunday to back up Trump's accusation and did not say it was true.Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders, appearing on ABC's "This Week," said Trump has "made very clear what he believes, and he's asking that we get down to the bottom of this. Let's get the truth here."Democrats accused Trump of trying to distract from the rising controversy about possible ties to Russia. His administration has come under pressure from Federal Bureau of Investigation and House and Senate congressional investigations into contacts between members of his campaign team and Russian officials.'EARLY STAGES OF INVESTIGATION'

Trump, who is spending the weekend at his Florida resort, said in his tweets on Saturday that the alleged wiretapping took place in his Trump Tower office and apartment building in New York, but there was "nothing found."Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Trump had either made a false accusation, or a judge had found probable cause to authorize a wiretap."Either way, the president's in trouble," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press," adding that if Trump was spreading misinformation, "it shows this president doesn't know how to conduct himself."Clapper said "there was no evidence" of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in a January intelligence report concluding Russian interference in the 2016 election, but "this could have unfolded or become available in the time since I left government."

Trump should immediately turn over any evidence he has to support his allegation, said U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee."What we need to deal with is evidence, not just statements," she said on CBS's "Face the Nation," adding she also had not seen evidence of collaboration "but we are in the very early stages of our investigation."Attorney General Jeff Sessions bowed out last week of any probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election after it emerged he met last year with Russia's ambassador, although he maintained he did nothing wrong by failing to disclose the meeting.Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned in February after revelations that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office.Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary under President Obama, said the president did not have the authority to unilaterally order a wiretap of a U.S. citizen."The president was not giving marching orders to the FBI about how to conduct its investigation," he said on ABC. (Additional reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Mary Milliken)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
The Supreme Court of India has expressed its concern over the pace of the proceedings of Babri Masjid demolition case and is going to take a decision on those accused on 22 March. The apex court has called for a joint trial and is likely to club the Raebareli and Lucknow cases. The cases pending in the two cities will be heard in Lucknow.

According to The Financial Express, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders LK Advani, Uma Bharti and Murli Manohar Joshi are likely to face conspiracy charges in the case. In 2010, Allahabad high court had discharged Advani and other senior leaders of the party and Hindu outfits on charges of criminal conspiracy in the 1992 demolition of the 16th Century mosque. Hindustan Times reported, the decision was taken after a bench of justices RS Nariman and PC Ghosh heard a CBI petition challenging the Allahabad High Court's dropping of conspiracy charges against these leaders.

"We will not accept the discharge on technical grounds and we will allow supplementary charge sheet," the bench said. These observations were made orally during a brief hearing by the bench.

According to The Times of India, The CBI had moved the apex court on 18 February, 2011 against the Allahabad court's verdict. The CBI had issued a charge sheet against Advani and 20 others under sections 153A IPC (promoting enmity between classes), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505 (false statements, rumours etc circulated with the intent to cause mutiny or disturb public peace).

However, it subsequently invoked charges of criminal conspiracy which were quashed by the special court with the decision being upheld by the high court. The court order of May 2010 had said that there was no merit in the petition by the CBI.

The demolition was historically one of the biggest events in post-partition era.The RSS-led organisations have been trying to push for pushing the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site as they believe Ram was born there. NDTV reports say, the apex court told CBI that they will not accept the discharge of Advani and others on technical grounds. The court will allow CBI to file a supplementary charge sheet against 13 persons by including the conspiracy charges. The Supreme Court will ask the trial court to conduct a joint trial. The decision comes just days before the last phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and the results of five Assembly elections.

Advani's lawyer had opposed this and told the court that if charges are added, then 183 witnesses who had deposed at the Raebareli lower court would have to be called again. Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's name was also there on the list of accused but it was removed after his death.

During the hearing, the bench also said that supplementary charge sheet was filed against eight persons but not against the 13 who were discharged. Besides, BJP leaders Advani, Joshi and Bharti, conspiracy charges were dropped against Kalyan Singh (presently Governor of Rajasthan), Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and VHP leader Acharya Giriraj Kishore (both have since died). The others against whom the conspiracy charge was dropped include Vinay Katiyar, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, Satish Pradhan, C R Bansal, Ashok Singhal (now deceased), Sadhvi Ritambhara, Mahant Avaidhynath (now deceased), R V Vedanti, Paramhans Ram Chandra Das (now deceased), Jagdish Muni Maharaj, B L Sharma, Nritya Gopal Das, Dharam Das, Satish Nagar and Moreshwar Save

(now deceased). In September 2015, the CBI had told the apex court that

In September 2015, the CBI had told the apex court that its decision-making was not influenced by anyone and the dropping of criminal conspiracy charge against senior BJP leaders in the case was not at its instance. "The decision-making process of the CBI is completely independent. All decisions are taken based on correct facts in the light of the extant law. There is no question of any person, body or institution influencing the decision-making process of CBI or the manner in which it pursues its cases in courts," the agency had said in an affidavit.

The agency had said its decision-making process was carried out strictly in accordance with the provisions of CBI Crime Manual and there was a "hierarchic" mechanism that allowed officers at each level to take decisions and make reasoned recommendations in an independent manner. (with inputs from PTI)
Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina is all set to visit New Delhi in April. The latest development comes days after India's foreign secretary S Jaishankar met the Awami League leader in Dhaka on 23 February. However, The Hindu added that the meeting was supposed to take place in December 2016, but had to be postponed.

While Jaishankar has said that the meeting will focus on "issues of connectivity and development initiatives", the real reason may well be to do with defence and security.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, India is expected to offer Bangladesh a defence pact comprising the sale of military hardware and a credit line of over $500 million for military purchases.

The credit line offered by India will be the highest if the pact is signed by both countries.

According to reports in the Indian media, the growing closeness between Bangladesh and China will encourage India to seal a defence deal with Dhaka. It is to be noted that from 2009 onwards, Beijing has been Bangladesh's biggest arms supplier, accounting for over 80 percent of the total arms delivered to the country in that period.

As recently as in November 2016, Dhaka had purchased two submarines from China which raised many eyebrows in New Delhi.

According to a report in the South China Morning Post, many Bangladeshi military officials are not keen on purchasing Indian military equipment, which are themselves imported from other nations.

Hasina has been considered a pro-India leader compared to her arch-rival and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who has been controversial due to the support she enjoys among the Islamic hardliners.

Nevertheless, Dhaka's hobnobbing with Beijing ever since her return to power in 2009 has worried New Delhi.

Take for example, when Xi Jinping pledged to invest $24 billion in Bangladesh, India expressed concerns of a growing Chinese influence in the country. Notably, India too had promised to invest in Bangladesh, but the quantum of investment was around 12 times lower  $2 billion.

Bangladesh has been a key part of China's 'String of Pearls' strategy, a purported plan to dominate the Indian Ocean by strategically placing its military installations across the countries that straddle the ocean.

China's plan of developing the Chittagong port can be viewed through the prism of this strategy. The port handles over 90 percent of Bangladesh's cargo and is an economic lifeline for the country.

However, in a geopolitical boost to India, Bangladesh allowed India to utilise the port after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with his counterpart Hasina in June 2015.

In a setback to China, the Hasina government also scrapped the Sonadia port plan  one of the four projects in the country. This decision, according to The Times of India's Indrani Bagchi, was strategic and was taken with India in consideration.

However, despite the two Pyrrhic victories, another major deal has been a bone of contention between the two countries. The Teesta deal has been lingering on ever since Modi stormed to power in 2014.

As noted in the Hindustan Times report, water being a state subject in India, the deal is opposed by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Dhaka, on its part, is also complaining of less water being released by India.

On one issue however, India and Bangladesh seem to be on the same page  terrorism. Dhaka has been facing an resurgence in Islamist terror in Hasina's regime. Bangladesh has accused Pakistan of being a major instigator of trouble in the country. So it came as no surprise that Dhaka was among the countries to pull out of the 2016 Saarc Summit condemning Islamabad.

Immediately after the Uri attack on 19 September, Bangladesh sided with India while slamming Pakistan. In a bid to curb growing terrorism in their backyard, India and Bangladesh had also mooted a joint regional anti-terror meeting, The Economic Times noted.

However, only the April meeting between Modi and Hasina will tell us whether India will be able to wean Bangladesh away from the perceived Chinese economic and military influence and maintain its strong ties with its traditional ally.
Should slogans of azadi be termed seditious in law, and be dealt with by imposing a life sentence ? Should slogans, which in the minds of some, create "divisive" tendencies among a section of the population, be prohibited and proscribed by law? And, in a nation which is already sharply polarised on the questions of who are patriots and who are "anti-nationals", what is likely to happen if the law of sedition was tightened to further restrict the freedom of expression?

These questions assume importance because of the statements of Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu in an interview to India Today. In that interview, Naidu stated that the Centre was mulling upon bringing slogans for azadi within the ambit of sedition (defined under Section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code) because they create a "divisive mindset" and "were always followed by violence".

Twisting words?

Going by the definition of sedition, as stated by law and clarified by the Supreme Court in the Kedarnath Singh case of 1962, how should Naidus statement about violence be read and interpreted?

Section 124A makes it an offence to bring hatred or contempt, or excite disaffection towards the government established by law in India and seeks to punish it with imprisonment for three years or for life and with a fine. The provision qualifies the rigour of the law by adding three explanations. The first explanation worsens the rigour by stating that the expression "disaffection" includes disloyalty and all feelings of enmity. Explanations 2 and 3 exempt from the purview of the law mere criticism of the government or the administration without exciting hatred, contempt or disaffection.

In the Kedarnath Singh case, the apex court, while narrowing the scope of the sedition law, held that words, writings, or actions would cause offence only if they had "the tendency or intention to disturb public tranquility, create public disturbance, or to promote public disorder." Thus , the court was categorically stating that there had to be a clear correlation  a cause and effect relationship  between the words or actions and the ensuing violence that took place in the aftermath.

Even after the incidents at Jawaharlal Nehru University last year, the Supreme Court cautioned the lower courts to adhere by its decision in the Kedar Nath Singh case and not to willy-nilly drag Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya within the scope of the penalising provision.

In this context, and given the present circumstances of violence erupting across college campuses in New Delhi, Naidu's assertion are clear, and deliberate, mangling of what the law actually states.

This is because nowhere does he substantiate his stance by pointing out even a single instance where the demands for secession of Kashmir or Chhattisgarh from India were intended to, or have caused the violence which followed. Rather, it is an indisputable fact that the violence was caused not by those who raised the slogans, but by elements who took umbrage at cries for freedom and the right to self-determination.

Naidu himself is in the best position to clarify whether his assertion was designed to cater to the those self-proclaimed guardians and purveyors of nationalism whose sentiments are hurt the moment a person pumps his fist in the air and screams "azadi" at a seminar or gathering in a university campus.

Ironically, his stance in favour of imposing a colonial-era law goes against the grain of a judgment given before independence. In the case of Niharendu Dutt Majumdar versus King Emperor (1942), the Federal Court (now the Supreme Court of India) held that "sedition is not made an offence in order to minister to the wounded vanity of governments, but because governments and law cease to be obeyed (and then) only anarchy can follow.

Azadi is Not Seditious

There is another way of proving Naidu wrong and pointing out why the government would be on thin ground were it to broaden the sedition law and further curb the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.

This is because the Indian Supreme Court has imported the relevant rulings of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) which govern treason and free speech. In the Schenck case (1919), SCOTUS, while dealing with speech critical of the government and its policies, held that in order to be regarded as treasonous, the words used 'should be such that they would pose a clear and present danger of immediate evil or an intent to bring it about.  (emphasis added).

Then in 1927, in the case of Whitney v California, Justice Louis Brandeis, writing for the majority, drew a prominent line of difference between advocacy and incitement. The wide difference between advocacy and incitement, between preparation and attempt, between assembling and conspiracy, must be borne in mind. In order to support a finding of clear and present danger, it must be shown that immediate serious violence was to be expected or was advocated, or that past conduct furnished reason to believe that such advocacy was contemplated.

And, in 1987, Indias Supreme Court, in the case of S Rangarajan versus P Jagjivan Ram held that the words or actions, in order to constitute sedition, must have the effect of being like a spark in a powder keg.

Were it to go ahead with widening the sedition law, and if the new laws constitutionality is challenged in court, the State would be hard-pressed to prove the existence of a single instance where calls for azadi in campuses or elsewhere has caused people to take up arms for the purpose of overthrowing the government or for the purpose of securing the independence of a particular region from India and thus putting its sovereignty and territorial integrity into jeopardy.

In the tumultuous times that we are living in, there has been a surge in the number of instances where the self-designed guardians of patriotism have resorted to vicious name-calling and rampant acts of violence against those they believe are advocating the break-up of India. In such a climate of hostility, Naidus comments and the governments purported action would only galvanise those who believe in violence, not those who are firm-believers in exercising their freedom of speech through peaceful means of campaigning.

Thus, the fundamental question arises  wouldnt the government itself be providing sparks of violence by criminalising freedom of expression and encouraging belligerent elements ?
China has started threatening India again over the Dalai Lama. To tell the truth, Beijing's bullying is becoming a little tiring. While it may build roads and pathways over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to extend its commercial-strategic influence, construct relentless military and civil infrastructure in Tibet, allow its Red Army to violate the McMahon Line at will, lay territorial claim over 90000 sq km of Arunachal Pradesh, India apparently does not have the liberty to allow a monk to visit the world's second-largest monastery in Tawang.

New Delhi has rightly refused to be a victim of China's strong-arm tactics. The foreign office has maintained that Dalai Lama is free to travel to any part of the country and the NDA government's senior ministers have reiterated that the Tibetan monk's visit is religious and nothing more. There are reports that Union Minister for State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, who is from Arunachal, will meet the Tibetan spiritual leader during the week-long visit.

It is important that India gives out a polite but firm message that we will not be intimidated. There is no need for provocative comments but equally, we must not give in to Beijing's blatant blackmail.

This seems to be an attempt by Xi Jinping-led China to gauge the limits of Narendra Modi's resolve and test the durability of India's pressure points. If New Delhi buckles under Chinese pressure and prevents the Dalai Lama from visiting Arunachal Pradesh, this will send an unmistakable message that our border dispute can be held hostage to similar pressure tactics. Whereas ignoring China's threats will send a message that we will honour Beijing's One-China policy as long as it honours our One-India stand.

Note the calibrated way in which China is ramping up the noise. It first pressed Dai Bingguo, a former negotiator on Sino-Indian border talks, to float the idea that China is ready to renegotiate the border dispute with India and may even consider making allowances in Aksai Chin if India is ready to let go of Tawang, which it considers a part of 'South Tibet'. This is a red herring if ever there was one.

When India did not fall into the trap, it issued an angry riposte through its foreign office saying "if India invites Dalai to visit the mentioned territory, it will cause serious damage to peace and stability of the border region and China-India relations."

When that, too, was met with Manohar Parrikar's defiant response, it took a more threatening posture via the state-run Global Times, warning us of "severe consequences". This is no longer a veiled threat but direct intimidation, seeking to put the onus of its actions on India.

"Indian officials apparently didn't realize, or deliberately ignored, the severe consequences the Dalai Lama's trip would bring. The 14th Dalai Lama is by no means a spiritual leader but a Tibetan separatist. Allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the disputed area will inevitably trigger confrontation, undermine the stability of the region and sour Sino-Indian relations For a long time, some Indians have considered the Dalai Lama as a strategic asset. For instance, making an issue of the Dalai Lama could serve as a diplomatic tool to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia. However, they overestimate the political value of the Dalai Lama and his group while miscalculating China's determination to safeguard its core interests."



Why is Beijing bullying India?

China's actions seem to be based on the altered global geopolitical reality that Donald Trump's election to White House has ushered in. If the Trump administration goes for 'deal making' with China with an 'America First' strategy and seeks a solution to the trade imbalance in exchange for a blank cheque to Beijing on its Asia-Pacific hegemony, this may impede India's larger plan to stand up to Chinese domineering.

The new incumbent at White House is adamant that America will no longer play the global cop and will adopt a narrower foreign policy focused on bringing back jobs, a much stricter immigration strategy, minimise US role in universal conflict zones and focus on mutual deals instead of multilateral engagements. In short, a Trump-led America will let go of its exceptionalism and give up the captain's armband of a Uni-polar world.

If America does walk the talk and relinquish all claims to be the world's moral guardian, this alters terminally the global power-sharing calculus. Inescapably, Asia-Pacific too must face up to the reality that the US won't be around to neutralize blatant bullying by a revisionist China.

What does this imply for India? And what does America's 'inward policy' have to do with Beijing's intimidation?



To understand the larger question, we have to analyse the tilt in India's foreign policy that started with a landmark civil nuclear deal with George Bush-led US and gathered momentum under Barack Obama's 'Asia Pivot'. As Narendra Modi-led India grew closer to the US-Japan-Australia axis, the move caused severe consternation in China which pressed its various arms into service to make this threat quite explicit.

In April last year, shortly after India agreed in principle to sign the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) with the US  which makes it possible for militaries of both countries to use each other's bases for logistical repairs and reloading  following the visit of Obama regime defense secretary Ashton Carter, a prominent member of an influential Chinese think tank expressed "alarm".

Hu Shisheng, the Director of the Institute of South and Southeast Asian and Oceanian Studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), told IANS in an interview that this "renewal of defence and technological cooperation (between India and the US) for another 10 years, enhancing the cooperation under the framework of Defence Technology and Trade Initiative is an alarming signal to China. It is a concern for China."

If that wasn't blatant enough, Hu added helpfully that India must "resist pressure" exerted by the US and Japan. "We also know that the US and Japan, as well as Australia, are very keen on getting India in their camp. They are also exerting pressure They are also luring India by giving high-technology deals and advanced military weapons. It is up to India whether India can resist this kind of temptation."

We saw similar threats being issued by China when it came to India's Act East Policy. Modi became the first Prime Minister since Atal Bihari Vajpayee to visit Vietnam and strengthen ties in areas such as commerce, defence cooperation, security and counter-terrorism. In Modi's move to seal a 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership'  a status Hanoi has previously accorded to only Moscow and Beijing  China saw further provocation.

No sooner did India promise Vietnam a $500 million line of credit and agreed to transfer shipbuilding technologies, Beijing's Global Times ran another one of its confrontational op-eds, stating that: "If the Indian government genuinely treats its enhancement of military relations with Vietnam as a strategic arrangement or even revenge against Beijing, it will only create disturbances in the region and China will hardly sit with its arms crossed."

These warnings should not be seen in isolation. China, which frequently uses state media and diplomatic back channels to deliver messages that can't be disseminated through official sources, is clearly telling India to stay true to its historic 'non-aligned' foreign policy instead tilting West or East. The question is, why?

As this writer has argued several times in the past, staying non-aligned is a geostrategic luxury India can no longer afford. India's movement towards a more pro-US foreign policy was a natural counterbalance to increased hostility from China which has been rapidly changing its economic heft into hard military power. The goal? To extend its political, economic and social influence over Asia and restore its 'Middle Kingdom' hegemony.

This project, of Making China Great Again, has gathered unprecedented steam under president Xi Jinping who has sought to rebalance power equations in Asia based on its natural trajectory towards becoming world's largest economy by 2020.

China, it is clear, now reckons that with US in retreat mode and Obama's Asia Pivot up in smoke, it is in a good position to arm-twist India and gather concessions through coercion. Now, more than ever, we should stand up to Chinese bullying. We should not accept the asymmetry in power equation that Beijing is forcing down our throat. Much of this asymmetry is illusory, not real, but actions based on such perceptions may result in tangible changes in power equation. That is an eventuality we cannot afford.
Amritsar: A 360-foot-high (110 metres) flag post, said to be the country's tallest, was inaugurated on Sunday at the Indo-Pak Attari Border.

Punjab state minister Anil Joshi inaugurated the flag post, atop which a Tricolour was hoisted. The post is 24 metres wide, and weighs 55 tonnes.

Built at an approximate cost of Rs 3.50 crore, the post was a project by the Amritsar Improvement Trust Authority, part of the Punjab government.

"With the model code of conduct for the Assembly elections being in place in the state, the minister got special permission from Election Commission for the inauguration," officials said.

The flag post, installed at the border, became an attraction for thousands of tourists who had reached there to watch the daily beating retreat ceremony at sunset.

Even visitors from the Pakistan side of the border were seen watching the Indian flag with keen interest. The pole is said to be tall enough to be visible from Lahore, almost 24 kms away.

Before the Attari flag post came up, the country's tallest was in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Amritsar already has a 170-foot high flag post, in the Ranjit Avenue Public Park. The original plan was to hoist the Tricolour at the new Attari post on Republic Day on 26 January, but it was delayed due to technical reasons. Speaking to media persons, Joshi called it his "dream project" and was happy to have it become reality.

However, not everybody is happy with this installation. Pakistan has already raised concerns on the issue. Deccan Herald on Saturday reported that the Pakistan Rangers, during a recent meeting with the Border Security Force (BSF), expressed concerns over such a tall structure being installed just 200 metres from such a critical international border.

Islamabad's concerns are regarding security and surveillance issues. The BSF, however, is learnt to have discounted the apprehensions as unfounded, according to the report.

However, according to India Today, Indian authorities had made it clear that the flat was being installed 200 metres before the zero line and thus was not a violation in any manner. "Not to my knowledge. It is our national flag and nobody can stop us from hoisting it on our soil," Joshi was quoted by the report as saying.

With inputs from PTI
New Delhi: The AIIMS on Monday handed over the medical report by its doctors of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa to the state government. The report contains the analysis of Jayalalithaa's health condition by the doctors of the premier institute during their five visits to Chennai. AIIMS deputy director (Administration) V Srinivas said that the state government had yesterday sought the visit notes of the delegation for its official records.

The move assumes significance in the backdrop of doubts being raised from different quarters over the former AIADMK chief's death on 5 December. Srinivas handed over the papers to the Principal Secretary of Health of Tamil Nadu, Dr J Radhakrishnan, here on Monday. "On the request of the Tamil Nadu government for expert medical advise, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had deployed a team of senior specialists to visit Chennai five times between 5 October and 6 December, 2016.

"The team was led by Dr G C Khilnani, professor in the department of pulmonology," Srinivas said. The Tamil Nadu government had on Sunday rejected former chief minister and rebel AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam's claims of foul play in the treatment of Jayalalithaa, an allegation which has been dismissed by state Health Minister C Vijayabaskar. The opposition DMK too has approached the Madras High Court seeking a comprehensive probe into the death of Jayalalithaa.

Twelve AIADMK MPs, belonging to the O Panneerselvam group, had met President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on 28 February and handed over a petition seeking a probe into the medical treatment provided to Jayalalithaa.
The Kashmir Valley may be staring at another tumultuous summer if rumors mongers on social and mainstream media are not prevented from circulating fictitious and provocative fake news. In several of these instances, in fact, the "news" is even supplemented with quotes from officials.

Media scholars inside and outside the Valley say this is an alarming situation, and given the unchecked proliferation of fake news in a place as sensitive as Kashmir, even small rumours can potentially snowball into major controversies and even claim lives.

"Since the spread of internet and social media usage in Kashmir, many people have assumed the role of journalists. They post fake news on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook without caring about the repercussions of their action. Many others take social media posts at face value and distribute it as gospel," said Mohammad Waseem, a Kashmiri media scholar.

For example, during a shootout at Hafoo Nazneenpora village in South Kashmir's Tral last week  the hometown of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani  rumours circulated on WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook. These said the internet has been disconnected in South Kashmir; they said curfew is imposed in Tral; that 50,000-1,00,000 are marching towards the encounter site; they claimed three Pakistani militants have been killed; that Sabzar Ahmad Bhat was trapped in the house; that militants carried a heavy cache of arms with them  they were all untrue.

"When I heard about the encounter, I logged on to my Twitter feed to check for news. I was surprised to see dozens of bogus news items making the rounds. I read about eight militants being trapped in the area and internet being snapped. They were all false," said Zahid Ali, a resident of Tral, who lives a few hundred metres from Nazneedpora village.

SJM Gilani, inspector general of police, Kashmir, said reports of the imposition of curfew in South Kashmir are baseless. "Such reports are baseless and could be the handiwork of rumor mongers. People must not pay any attention to rumors," Gilani told a news agency.

A press release issued by Jammu and Kashmir police on Sunday evening said only one AK-47 rifle was found with the militant whose body was recovered. When the last police handout was issued to the press, the body and weapon of another militant was yet to be recovered. "The operation is almost over, as security forces are clearing out the debris. One AK-47 has been recovered so far," said SP Vaid, director general of police.

Some news agencies even went on to say the reason behind the elongation of the encounter was the militants carrying heavy arms. Again, the reality is that just one AK-47 was recovered from the site when the last reports came in.

Two militants and one policeman were killed in Nazneenpora on Sunday. Around 20 locals were injuries in clashes. During the encounter, an army major, two soldiers, two Jammu and Kashmir police officers, and one CRPF man sustained injuries.

A New Delhi-based English news channel jumped the gun and announced the killing of three Pakistani militants in Tral on Saturday. The channel even tweeted photos of the mutilated bodies of three militants, but later deleted these tweets.

"You cannot expect a news channel of repute to tweet fake photos about an encounter. In the rat race of breaking news, even news channels with established networks fall for fake news on social media," said Arif Ahmad, a media scholar based in Kashmir, adding that he'd like to see cops initiate action against the channel. "I didn't see this channel tweet out a corrigendum. They just deleted their tweets. Police should initiate action against them."

In April 2016, the district magistrate of Kupwara had issued an order asking for registration of WhatsApp groups operating out of the district. This was to curb the dissemination of fake news. Government employees were also discouraged from being part of any WhatsApp group, and were threatened of strict action if they were caught. SPs, SSPs and tehsildars of the district were given the responsibility of monitoring the WhatsApp groups and to report any activity that calls for legal action. However, the move drew flak from people and online activists.

During the encounter in Tral, a WhatsApp voice message appealed to people of adjoining villages to come out of their homes at night and help militants escape. On Sunday, the police said they have arrested a youth from South Kashmir's Kulgam district for allegedly spreading fake news on social media.

"Police have started action against people spreading fake news on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, etc. These people are trying to vitiate peace and create disturbance in the state," a police official was quoted by a local newspaper as saying.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

By Dalga Khatinoglu, Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Social and cultural backgrounds have helped the ties between Iran and Azerbaijan to rise to strategic levels, a senior Iranian official told Trend.

Commenting on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs recent visit to Tehran, Parviz Esmaeili, deputy chief of Iranian presidential office for communication and information, said unique opportunities have been created for boosting ties between the two countries.

In addition to friendly ties, Tehran and Baku are capable of turning into a hub of regional and trans-regional links.

Esmaeili said unique opportunities for cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan have been created over the past three years following adoption of policies by President Hassan Rouhanis administration to expand cooperation and establish friendly ties with neighboring and Islamic countries.

Over the recent years, the presidents of Iran and Azerbaijan have met eight times. President Rouhani has visited Baku two times and President Aliyev has visited Tehran three times paving the ground for inking significant and unprecedented documents, he added.

Speaking about joint projects between the two countries for investment and development of rail and transportation corridors, Esmaeili said the inauguration of Astara (Iran)-Astara (Azerbaijan) railway and other considerable capacities for cooperation on the areas of energy, trade, transportation, tourism and environmental issues will lead Tehran and Baku to becoming a hub of regional and trans-regional ties.

Parviz Esmaeili further touched upon the Iran-Azerbaijan-Russia and Iran-Azerbaijan-Turkey trilateral cooperation formats, describing them as successful examples of cooperation in protecting stability, security, regional development as well as combating terrorist threats.

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev, leading a large delegation, arrived in Tehran on March 5 to discuss regional and international issues with senior Iranian officials.

According to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, Irans exports to Azerbaijan in 2016 boomed by 78 percent posting $161 million.

In the meantime, Azerbaijans exports to Iran indicated 45 percent surge reaching $50 million.

This is while Irans exports to Azerbaijan in January 2017 doubled compared to the same month of last year surpassing $14 million with Azerbaijan exporting $14 million worth of goods to Iran, indicating a 64-percent growth.
New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Monday said there was "nothing new" in former Pakistan National Security Advisor (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani's public admission that a terrorist group from his country carried out the 2008 Mumbai attack.

"India's stand is very well known. There is nothing new in this revelation," Rijiju told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Durrani said the Mumbai terror attack was carried out by a terror outfit based in Pakistan and added that it was a "classic trans-border terrorist event".

"I hate to admit that the 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan on 26 November, 2008, is a classic trans-border terrorist event," Durrani said at the 19th Asian Security Conference held at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA).

He was the National Security Adviser when 10 Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai by a fishing boat and committed mayhem over three days.

Durrani, however, insisted that the Pakistan government had no role in the mayhem masterminded by Lashkar-e-Taiba supremo Hafiz Saeed and operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who got bail in 2016 after years of alleged sluggish trial in Pakistan.

Pakistan's failure to conclude the trial in the case has been one of the major strains in bilateral relations with India.
Geneva: The Smart City scheme of Government of India might broaden the gap between the rich and poorer cities with an overreliance on technology possibly resulting in an unaffordable housing for the poor, a United Nations expert says in a report to the current UN Human Rights Council (HRC) session.

"Concern was also expressed that modernising only parts of cities, or that a particular focus on technological responses, would result in the construction of unaffordable housing or infrastructure that is not targeted at the poorest," Leilani Farha, a UN special rapporteur for adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, says in her report to the 34th session of the HRC.

"Substantive resources would thus be spent on assisting only a small proportion of the population, while residents of informal settlements would be evicted from their homes to make way for new developments," she adds.

An analysis of shortlisted Smart City proposals further revealed a predominant focus on technological solutions and a lack of priority for the affordable housing aspects of the scheme, the report says.

Farha was on a 12-day tour to New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru in April 2016.

In a general sense, both state and central governments make the very visible homeless population as relatively invisible and show insufficient interest in addressing their immediate needs.

Homeless people are never considered candidates for long-term housing options, such as through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme. However, she added that one of the most progressive elements of the programme is that it is based on the recognition that, as far as possible, slum rehabilitation should occur in situ.

There are barriers to accessing PMAY and similar state-sponsored in situ rehabilitation programmes, including the requirement to provide proof of residency that can be difficult to meet.

"The special rapporteur was told by developers that the barriers coupled with affordability issues have resulted in approximately 20 percent of informal settlement residents being unable to access the scheme," the report says.

Between 2001 and 2011, the number of informal settlements in India increased by over 37 percent.

The UN expert was surprised that many government officials and members of the judiciary consider residents of informal settlements to be living there illegally stigmatising them as "encroachers" or "occupiers" without recognising the important services they provide.

"Forced evictions, displacement and demolitions are not uncommon practices, used by the central Government in some states to advance the economic development agenda of the country," the report says.

Genuine consultation with those affected is seldom carried out while access to forced evictions "appears to be scant" in India  all of this is contrary to international human rights law.

"In most cases, forced evictions occur without a hearing and with impunity. In other cases, the community may have only a few hours to secure a stay of the eviction," Farha writes.

Access to justice in this context "also appears to be limited". There is no clear national policy or legislation on due process requirements prior to eviction, which is required under international human rights law.

Though the Delhi government has issued a moratorium on forced evictions there are no relevant legislation or orders that exist at the national level, she said. "In addition, the special rapporteur was recently made aware of evictions in Delhi, carried out by the central Government, which were not in line with the Delhi moratorium and guidance," the UN expert observed.

Her report to the UN also focuses on displacement caused by mega projects and dams resulting in crores of displaced and landless people, the disproportionate number of such displaced people being tribals.

The housing rights expert supports a high-level committee report to severely limit the use of "eminent domain" and the definition of "public purpose" in tribal areas  this would play a key role addressing forced evictions and addressing land acquisitions, including by private companies.

Considering that 78 crore rural inhabitants are landless in India, there is an urgent need to address their housing situation in a "more comprehensive way" and also to mainstream the links between domestic violence and the right to adequate housing at all levels of government.

Deeply-rooted caste and gender-based discrimination means that there are still women and men from scheduled castes cleaning public and private toilets, collecting excrement in pits, latrines and open drains, who, as a result of their activities, suffer from deplorable housing and living conditions.

Being a Muslim or a Dalit can at times be a barrier to access to housing, she observed.

India is at a "tipping point" as a result of to the country's accelerated urbanisation, population growth and resultant growing inequality, Farha warns. Over 5.86 crore households do not have access to adequate housing in urban and rural India.

Among her recommendations, the UN special rapporteur emphasises the urgent need for India to adopt "a national legislation with explicit recognition of the right to adequate housing without discrimination on any ground". It also urged the government to enact legislation to guide forced evictions that will stipulate that forced evictions can only occur in the most exceptional of circumstances, once all other alternatives have been pursued.

She praised the Indian and state governments for providing her with exemplary support and facilitating her visit without constraint.

The Permanent Representative of India to the UN office at Geneva Ajit Kumar told the HRC on 1 March that the provision of housing especially for the underprivileged section of the society is one of the core priority areas of the government.

Additionally, he emphasised that the Smart Cities mission intends to provide core infrastructure and a decent quality of life to its citizens and application of smart solutions with 15 percent of the greenfield investments stipulated to be in the affordable housing category.

The global residential real estate is now valued at a $163 trillion which is more than half the value of all global assets and more than twice the worlds total GDP.
Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat starting on Tuesday, during which he will attend a number of events and meetings.

During the visit, Modi will inaugurate a national convention of women sarpanch, address an industry meet of OPAL project of ONGC and inaugurate a four-lane bridge over Narmada river in Bharuch.

The Prime Minister will also visit Somnath temple and attend a meeting of the Somnath Temple Trust.

Modi will arrive at Surat Airport on Tuesday evening, from where he will go to Dahej to address an industry meet at ONGC Petro Additions Limited (OPAL) petrochemical complex.

Thereafter, he will head to Bharuch, where he will inaugurate a new bridge constructed on river Narmada to ease the traffic woes on Ahmedabad-Mumbai National Highway.

The Prime Minister will also address a public gathering in Bharuch and lay a foundation stone for a bus port in the town.

After that event, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani will host a dinner for Modi at his residence in Gandhinagar, where state ministers and MPs are expected to remain present.

Thereafter, the prime minister will head to the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar, where he will stay the night.

On Wednesday, Modi will be flown to Somnath temple, where he will offer special prayers and attend the meeting of the Somnath Temple Trust.

Modi is the trustee of temple trust, of which former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel is the president.

BJP president Amit Shah and senior party leader LK Advani will also attend the meeting of the temple trust. Both of them are also its trustees.

On Wednesday afternoon, Modi will address the national convention of women sarpanch in Gandhinagar on the occasion of International Women's Day.

Women sarpanch from different parts of the country will attend the event, which has been jointly organised by the Centre and the Rural Development Department of Gujarat government.

In the last few months, Modi has paid a number of visits to his home state where the assembly elections are scheduled to be held by the end of this year.
New Delhi: The Ramjas College violence issue on Monday echoed in the Delhi Assembly with Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra raking it up along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "shamshan and kabristan" remarks to hit out at the Centre. Mishra apposed these "models of development" to the AAP government's work in the areas of education and health, saying its focus was on ensuring that people do not have to be "taken for cremation". "Many talk of ram rajya, but in reality it has come to Delhi," he said.

There was violence on North Campus of Delhi University on 22 February after members of ABVP allegedly attacked AISA supporters when they were protesting against the cancellation of an event at Ramjas College that was to be addressed by JNU leaders Shehla Rashid and Umar Khalid. In his reply to the motion of thanks on the Lt Governor's speech, Mishra also had words of praise for Anil Baijal, referring to how pending proposals on mohalla clinics and minimum wages among others have recently been cleared.

"I do not know what the future has in store but I think the city has breathed a sigh of relief in light of the recent developments," he said. Referring to the Modi's remarks made during a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh, Mishra said while the Arvind Kejriwal government's focus was on fundamental necessities like education, health and water, the BJP government had its eyes on "shamshan and kabristan".

"We have seen another model in Ramjas. I think it is for the first time that we have people in power who are experts in certifying their own countrymen on who is a patriot and who is an anti-national," he said. Mishra, who holds the water and tourism portfolios, also took a jibe at the RSS over the issue, saying people who are questioning the patriotism of a martyr's daughter should stop going where they go "in the morning".

These were apparent references to Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur who had opposed the ABVP in a social media campaign and RSS 'shakhas', which are the daily morning meetings of the saffron outfit's members.
The Supreme Court will hear a plea filed by Massimiliano Latorre, the Italian marine accused of killing two Indian fishermen in 2012, seeking an extension of his stay in Italy until July 2017. The other accused in the case, Salvatore Girone, is permanently back in Italy after being allowed by the apex court to return in September 2014. The court had considered his application and allowed him to return on "humanitarian grounds".

In September last year, the Supreme Court had decided that Latorre be allowed to stay in Italy till the issue of his jurisdiction can be decided. Latorre had said he'd like to remain in Italy till an international arbitration tribunal decides which country has the legal right to try his case.

A report in The New Indian Express said that the case is presently pending in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague to adjudicate on whether India or Italy has the jurisdiction to extradite the accused marines. Italy had approached the international tribunal in December 2015, asking it to prescribe that "India shall take such measures as are necessary to relax the bail conditions on Girone in order to enable him to return to Italy under the responsibility of the Italian authorities, pending the final determination of the Tribunal".

However, the Centre had also told the court that international arbitration matters in the case will take a long time, and it may be upto December 2018 before the proceedings are completed. "End of 2018 is when the award will come," Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar had told the bench, saying that India had not agreed for the conclusion of proceedings in 2019.

Girone was allowed to go home by the Supreme Court in May 2016 by the apex court. His request to leave India was supported by the government on "humanitarian grounds".

He was, however, asked to file an affidavit "accepting and recognising that he remains and shall, even upon his departure from India, continue to remain under the authority of the Supreme Court of India".

There were four conditions imposed on him, which included reporting to a police station in Italy on the first Wednesday of every month, and the Italian authorities have to inform the Indian Embassy in Rome about it.

The second condition was that he will not tamper with any evidence, nor influence any witnesses in the case. The third condition was that Girone will give an undertaking that he will remain under the jurisdiction of Supreme Court, and lastly, if found violating any of the conditions, his bail will be cancelled, the court had said.

Latorre and Girone are facing a trial in India for allegedly killing two fishermen off the coast of Kerala in February 2012. In their defence, Italy said that the marines were guarding an oil tanker and mistook the fishermen for pirates.

The complaint against the marines was lodged by Freddy, the owner of the fishing boat St Antony in which the two Indian fishermen were killed when the marines opened fire on them allegedly under the misconception that they were pirates.

With inputs from agencies
The dramatic 16-hour encounter in Tral on Saturday night, where two militants were killed by the Indian Army, came as the culmination of an increased focus on operations in South Kashmir, said senior army officials. They said the army had launched several operations against militants over the last couple of days in several areas of South Kashmir, which has emerged as a major hub of protests in the last three-four years.

The officials said the fact that large, stone-pelting crowds had converged in these areas, followed by militants firing at the armed forces. This made it very difficult for the army to defend itself without causing casualties among the crowds.

On Saturday afternoon as well, large crowds had gathered at the picturesque Shikargarh hills east of Tral, when the army tried to cordon off a house where the militants were believed to have been holed up. From around 4 pm onwards, the crowds began gathering here.

The congregation was blocked by effective deployment of police and paramilitary troops in the area. They fired in the air, forcing the people back. Curfew was then announced, and the CRPF set up roadblocks, while the army began to engage the militants.

If the crowds had succeeded in gathering, it could have posed a major problem for the army, since the militants kept firing for about 12 hours  right through the night  after they were surrounded and cornered.

Saturday's encounter came following a week where the army had suffered two terrible reverses. In one of them, eight soldiers, including two officers, were gunned down at close range by militants who slipped out of an adjacent lane just as the open jeep carrying the army men was about to pass.

In fact, the militants were so well positioned that they could have caused higher casualties. But apparently, they were convinced that they had killed six soldiers and so decided there was no point in risking casualties from among their number.

On another couple of occasions in the recent past, the army was forced to pull back from encounters or from cordons in the face of fierce stone-pelting by local people from neighbouring areas.

This has been a tough call on each occasion, as the army has to consider the consquences of mowing down unarmed civilians.

This could potentially have a three-fold effect. One, it would cause an international uproar and pose a huge diplomatic challenge. Two, it would anger more Kashmiris and spur more youth to take up arms. Three, it could lead to another ferocious uprising, like the one witnessed last year after Hizbul militant commander Burhan Wani was killed in July.

The police and CRPF did injure 21 and kill one person, when they fired at a crowd from neighbouring villages during an encounter in Parisal near Kulgam.
When you click on the website of Kaur Project, a storytelling platform with a motive to change mindsets, you will be welcomed by black and white pictures of Sikh women, who look happy, confident and in their element.

The aim of this project is encapsulated in its subtitle Every Kaur Has A Story. We Want To Hear Yours.

As the founders express on their website, this project is documenting women of the Kaur community, who were hitherto forgotten due to the patriarchal nature of society or known only by their associations with their male counterparts.

It includes the stories of women who are young and old, homemakers and working women, Indians and NRIs. Each story, which is part of the Kaur narrative, has a photograph of the woman and a quote explaining what being a Kaur means to her.

For example, peacemaker Rupinder Kaur, said this: For me, being a Kaur represents a sense of fearlessness. Its partly being maternal, but not in the normal meaning of the word, just someone who fights for equality and justice.

Several of these women have also expressed what Sikhism means to them. Jessica Kaur, a DJ, talked about how religion shaped her formative years.

At the age of eight years old, I was focused on learning as much about Sikhi through attending Khalsa camps. I embraced religion, partly by looking up to my older sisters and channeled my curiosity of religion by doing kirtan and playing the tabla, she said in her quote.

The women behind Kaur Project are Saji Kaur Sahota, who takes the photographs of these women, and Jessie Kaur Lehail, who puts the stories into words. Both actively engage with South Asian cultures and issues. They say that the Kaur identity is a complex one and that this project looks to celebrate its diversity and expansiveness.

...Kaur Project aims to create an approachable and yet densely layered dialogue about Kaurs, ready to be unpacked, says the website.

Kaur Project sheds light on the significance of the name Kaur, which allows women to drop their surnames and thus liberates them from the labels of class and caste. This also challenges this age-old norm that women must take their husbands surnames. Furthermore, it allows them to adopt a name that is a collective one  a sentiment that seems to be at the heart of Kaur Project.

Here is one of the stories from the project:

Being a Kaur is essential to me and my identity. It has aligned with who I am since I was born. I dont know anything beyond this. For the last twenty years I have taken Amrit and my connection has become even stronger. Because of my surgery, I cant wear my Kirpan, but my relationship with Babaji has developed and grown as I have gotten older. I thank my Dad for building the foundation of who I am because he didnt eat meat or drink alcohol.

Months before the Partition there were constant rumblings. There was unrest and things went from rumblings to a sudden whirlwind. We left everything in a moments notice. I remember it was noon and there was a government call out to evacuate our lives, our homes, and our Desh. We were told our Partharpar village, in what is now Pakistan, was no longer home and we had to go to the same named village in what is present day India.

Overall, Ive had a good life. Its been easy, relative to other women. My childhood was a breeze compared to other people. I was treated like royalty. Never asked to do work, I had so much love and comfort. I was twelve years old when the Partition happened and our family walked all the way to India. It took us slightly over a month and we were scared for our lives. We had to stop every night and we would create a fire and set up. We didnt want to be separated so we stayed together. It was a matter of survival and if you think about it, how could we eat roti without one another?

We made a pact that when we arrived safely in our new Partharpar we would do a khand paat. When we arrived, I lived with my Masi because I had gotten sick. We received some land and a house, and started to do farming. It was a hard adjustment. It never felt like our home.

In those times, school was not an option for girls, so I didnt even go to school. I sometimes think, rarely, but the thought has come across my mind of what life would be like with schooling. I learned everything at home.

I was married when I was 20 years old, but I didnt leave to live with my in-laws until I was 23 years old. I know this was not that common, I was lucky that I had a longer time with my parents. My mom and dad were close and I learned what love was from them. My brother bought us a cow as a marriage gift, it added to the many we already had.

I learned to make roti and milk the cows when I got married. It was hard, daily work. The cows though had so much milk, it was a metaphor for my life, everything was plentiful. It was written in my kismet and that plentifulness poured into my in-laws. Waheguru has given me good graces my whole life.

When my mother-in-law past away, it was a bit lonely, but my sister-in-laws would come visit. The bond of women is so important...like with me and my sister in law. We became inseparable, we have had a lifetime of experiences and connection. We have an understanding of our stories and we cant be without one another, especially as we have gotten older

I was 50 years old when my husband and I moved to Canada to be with our youngest son. Its a big country and as a woman who has been uprooted in her life so many times, everything else is relative. But I have to say, Baba ji determines when things will happen. I was 75 years old when my brother and husband passed away. Their deaths were a mere few days apart. Its those sudden things in life that keep everything in perspective. It was jarring and difficult for me, but I have to say again the bond of women, especially with my sister-in-law has helped.

Check out Kaur Project here
When votes are counted and victors and losers in the five state Assembly elections are announced on 11 March, a new chapter will start for five leaders  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati.

Among them, the primary focus of political pundits will be on Modi. They will analyse the results of the five state Assembly elections to determine the degree to which the popularity of Modi remains intact or has diminished. Regardless of their determination, the Prime Minister will still tower over all his political rivals. He will remain the man to vanquish in 2019, not least because Indias electoral politics will remain polarised between him and the rest, as is so true even today.

From this perspective, the 11 March results will have greater salience for Opposition politics than the ruling dispensation. Who among the clutch of Opposition leaders will lead the charge against Modi and seek to supplant him? As of now, none of the Opposition parties, including the Congress, can overpower the BJP on its own. A segment of them will have to forge an alliance to offer to people an alternative to the BJP-dominated NDA at the Centre.

Given that Indian elections have become presidential in nature, an anti-BJP alliance will have to search for a leader who matches Modi, if not in popularity, then at least in style and vim. The results on 11 March will, therefore, decide the seeding of Opposition leaders or who among them will most likely occupy pole position as the most credible challenger to Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

On paper at least, Rahul Gandhi is the top seed among Opposition leaders, not because of his talent to lead or capacity to match Modi, but because the Congress, despite being at its weakest, still remains a national formation. It is because of its countrywide spread Rahul, unlike regional satraps, can justifiably claim the leadership slot of an anti-BJP alliance for himself.

However, to retain his top seeding, it is vital for Rahul that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance bags more seats than the BJP and the BSP in Uttar Pradesh and, at the same time, his party must win Punjab. Should the alliance fail to win Uttar Pradesh, and the Congress performs disastrously, the defeat will be blamed on Rahul, for cornering 105 seats that is decidedly disproportionate to his partys strength in Uttar Pradesh and not offering a slice in its share to Ajit Singhs Rashtriya Lok Dal.

But even if the SP-Congress alliance forges ahead of others in Uttar Pradesh, Rahul's Congress must bag Punjab. It is almost a foregone conclusion that the Akali Dal-BJP will be swept out of power there. The tussle for power there is between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. Should AAP overtake the Congress, Rahul will be afflicted with a chronic headache from which he will be hard pressed to find relief.

This is because AAP, though confined to the state of Delhi, nurses national ambitions, has veered left-of-centre in its policies and pronouncements, even though its leaders are chary of defining their position on Indias ideological spectrum, and has reveled in throwing punches at Modi. In both ideas and style, AAP provides an option to Congress voters, apart from promising to provide clean governance, which few in India think the Congress can. This is precisely why AAP has hijacked the traditional support base of the Congress in Delhi.

A victory for AAP in Punjab would mean that for the first time in Indias electoral history, a party confined to one state would have expanded into another. This will spawn a narrative that a new national party is emerging on Indias electoral horizon. Arvind Kejriwal will then start to threaten the top seeding that Rahul enjoys among Opposition leaders.

As such, AAP has already declared its intention of contesting the Gujarat Assembly election later this year. It may or may not manage to dislodge the BJP from there, but a triangular contest will certainly make it tougher for Rahul to overthrow Modi in his lair. AAP also plans to enter Rajasthan and is expected to choose between Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to contest. All these three states will have their Assembly polls in November-December 2018, a few months before the Lok Sabha elections of 2019.

To appear as a national winner, the Congress should win Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, as they send a greater numbers of MPs than Chhattisgarh does. But these states might become tougher for the Congress to win if their electoral contests become triangular from being bipolar. In fact, the bipolar nature of electoral contests in certain states is an important factor why the Congress still remains a national force.

On 11 March, therefore, it is possible that Rahul might come to rue his decision of expending energy and time on Uttar Pradesh instead of Punjab. After all, what did he expect a veritable moribund Congress to achieve in UP? He has gone for broke: in seeking to craft a narrative of Congress revival, he runs the risk of losing his predominant position in Opposition politics. But this will remain his if the Congress wins Punjab.

Conversely, a win for the Congress in Punjab will clip AAPs wings. For one, its hope of emerging as a national entity will be dashed. For the other, it will have to fight for survival in Delhi, which is expected to have its civic polls in April. With a defeat in Punjab, the odds against AAP will get stacked up and its voters  the urban poor and the minorities  might decide to return to the Congress. Undaunted by a defeat in Punjab, even if AAP goes to Gujarat, it wont have the advantage of a strong tailwind behind it.

Should the SP-Congress form the next government or even take the number one slot in Uttar Pradesh, Rahuls media machinery will spin it as a shining example of his political sagacity and growing maturity. However, it is unlikely that this line will have much purchase. Political pundits will credit the victory to Akhilesh Yadav, who accommodated the unjustifiable demand of Congress for over 100 seats.

After all, it is Akhilesh who dominated UPs consciousness for four months, not only re-inventing the slogan of development, but also rebelling against his family elders. It demonstrates that he boasts a streak of independence lacking in other dynasts, including Rahul. It would be taken as a testament of Akhileshs political maturity and daring, qualities which impress the Indian electorate no end.

A victory for the SP-Congress would mean the junior partner tacitly accepting the Tamil Nadu model, which is often defined thus, You (Akhilesh) rule the state, I (Rahul) the Centre. But this model marginalised the Congress in Tamil Nadu for all times to come. Might this not happen to the Congress in UP as well? More significantly, might the SP rule acquire a kind of durability not seen in UP since 1989? Will this spur Akhilesh to play a bigger national role?

But these questions will not be asked if the SP-Congress is relegated to Number Two. We will have anonymous sources tell the media as to who between Rahul and Akhilesh was responsible for the poor showing of the alliance. There will be acrimony and bad blood, all of which will make the task of Congress forging a broad anti-BJP alliance cumbersome.

However, the loss will be more Rahuls than Akhileshs. The latter already has the party under his control, which is unlikely to get weakened even with a defeat. SP MLAs will remain beholden to him for fielding them. No doubt, his uncle, Shivpal Yadav, will seek to stoke rebellion, but he is quintessentially a backroom man who cannot succeed on his own.

But a loss will certainly make Akhilesh feel betrayed. His attempt to craft a cross-caste appeal through the development slogan will be seen to have come a cropper only because the upper castes decided not to vote him. As such, many in UP had been warning Akhilesh that those who praise his development plank and rooted for him in his rebellion against his family elders were upper castes who would anyway vote the BJP. So you might see a chastened Akhilesh recalibrate his politics.

For Mayawati, UP provides a chance to reverse the slide in her partys fortunes witnessed since 2012. It has created the impression that her formidable Dalit vote base is ripe for picking by others. But this possibility receded in the months before the Assembly elections as the suicide of Rohith Vemula, a student of Hyderabad Central University, and the flogging of Dalits in Una, Gujarat, brought about a Dalit solidarity which Mayawati has consolidated. She has also tried assiduously to create, through rhetoric and ticket distribution, a Dalit-Muslim unity.

Should the BSP win UP, the possibility of Dalit-Muslim unity, theoretically at least, will receive a fillip countrywide. Though the BSP has been weakened to irrelevance in most states where it once held tremendous potential  for instance, Punjab  the Dalit solidarity and assertion might enter a new phase and the BSP could witness a resurrection. Otherwise too, Mayawati will become a player whom most political parties will want on its side.

What could trip the BSP is a situation in which it is relegated to third position and either the SP-Congress or the BJP gets majority in the UP Assembly. No doubt, the BSPs credo is social transformation, for which the party is structured to work round the year, regardless of whether an election is 60 or five months away.

However, another five years out of power would demoralize its cadres, and even prompt its extremely loyal supporters, with the exception of Jatavs perhaps, to mull other options. It will also have the Dalit movement rethink ways of rejuvenating itself.

Since the BSP cant afford to stay out of power for another five years, a hung Assembly suits its fine. Because of the sharpening conflict between the OBCs and Dalits, the BSP will be inclined to form a government with the support of the upper caste-dominated BJP, which will be keen to keep the SP-Congress out of power to check the revival of Indias grand old party

Such an arrangement will also give a big talking point to Modi that he assisted a Dalit to become Chief Minister. Yet, by the same token, he wont be able to pull the rug from under Mayawatis feet should she seek to widen the BSPs base to the detriment of the BJP. History tells us that the BJP-supported BSP governments in UP were inherently unstable and weakened the former.

No doubt, Modi will remain the man to trounce in 2019. Yet how formidable that task would be will, to an extent, depend on the UP election results. For him, the worst-case scenario is to see either the SP-Congress alliance or the BSP win a clear majority in the Assembly. It will become a testament to his declining popularity. The risk-taker that he is, he will opt for populism, of which Hindutva will become the sharp edge.

But this is the path he will take even if the BJP just about crosses the majority-mark. Given that the BJP is said to have stolen a march over others only after his incendiary comments about qabristan and shamshan ghaat, Modi is likely to conclude that his best bet to win 2019 is to dress his campaign and governance in a flashy Hindutva wrap-around, of which we will see a trailer in the Gujarat Assembly elections later this year.

It is another matter that Assembly election results do not necessarily get reflected in the national election. But that is an analysis best done after 11 March.

(The author is a journalist in Delhi. His novel, The Hour Before Dawn, has as its backdrop the demolition of the Babri Masjid. It is available in bookstores.)
A troop of 25 Assam Rifles apprehended four Kuki National Front (P) militants at Churachandpur on early Sunday morning. The militants were nabbed at 5.30 am.

Two AK-56 rifles, two pistols, four cell phones and 148 rounds were recovered during the counter-insurgency operation. The arrested were handed over to the Churachandpur police.

On Saturday, police heaved a sigh of relief as over 80 percent polling was recorded in the first phase of elections to the Manipur Assembly with no major law and order problem being reported from anywhere.

It was widely feared that there could be violence, since there were minor clashes, bomb blasts, gun attacks and torching of at least four vehicles in the pre-election violence. The final phase of Assembly polls is scheduled to take place on 8 March.

In January, as India was celebrating its 68th Republic Day, two blasts took place in Manipur in Imphal East and West district.

According to PTI, the bombs were blasted simultaneously by suspected militants. There was no report of any casualty due to the blasts, police said, adding that only a brick wall was damaged.

In December last year, three blasts took place within an hour in Imphal West district.

In October, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh escaped unhurt after suspected militants opened gunfire as he was getting out of his helicopter at the Ukhrul helipad.

Ironically, the attack came only days after Ibobi claimed that the law and order situation in Manipur had improved dramatically.
Imphal: The full bench of Manipur High Court has declared the over four-month-old economic blockade of the state as "illegal", an official confirmed on Monday.

The full bench, comprising Chief Justice Rakesh Ranjan Prasad, and Justices N Koteswor and K Nobin, passed the order in this regard on 3 March.

The high court has been hearing a Public Interest Litigation, filed by RK Joysana, expressing concern over the situation arising as a result of the blockade.

Gaidon Kamei, president, and Stephen Lamkang, publicity secretary, of the United Naga Council (UNC) which is imposing the indefinite economic blockade appeared before the high court.

Six other office bearers of the United Naga Council who failed to appear before the court were given a last chance to do so on 23 March. Both Kamei and Lamkang were remanded in judicial custody till then.

The high court ruling said that the persons and organisation imposing the economic blockade are "violating the fundamental rights of the citizens".

"This is done to achieve some political wishes at the misery of the people," it said adding that the state works are obstructed.

"The blockade imposed by the UNC is hereby declared illegal as per directives of the honourable Supreme Court," the bench ruled.

Tension has been simmering in Manipur due to an economic blockade called by the UNC in the state starting from 1 November. National Highways (NH) 37 and NH 2 have been badly affected due to the blockade.

Although the blockade started on 1 November when the state government was planning to create new districts by bifurcating the existing Naga-dominated areas, it intensified after the government ignored the agitation and went ahead to declare Jirbam as a full-fledged district.

The state government also created new districts of Kangpokpi, Tengoupal, Pharzol, Kakching, Noney and Kamjongin.

According to the UNC, the creation of new districts out of Naga territory without their consent is a deliberate act to suppress the rights of Nagas in the state.
Tehran, Iran, March 6

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is traveling to Indonesia late March 6 to attend the heads of state meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

The announcement was made by Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi at a press conference in Tehran, Trends correspondent reported from the event.

The meeting, to be held March 7 in Jakarta, Indonesia, is the first heads of states summit of the IORA and is to be held in honor of the 20th anniversary of the formation of the association.
On the last day of campaigning for the second phase of Manipur polls, anti-AFSPA activist Irom Sharmila went door-to-door seeking votes in Thoubal Assembly constituency.

Sharmila, contesting the election as a candidate of her People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA), is taking on Congress nominee Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi and BJP nominee Th Jadumani in Thoubal Assembly constituency.

Sharmila formed the party to continue her struggle against Afspa after ending her 16-year long fast in 2016. The second phase of polls in Manipur will be held on 8 March.Sharmila began her campaign in the constituency by meeting people in marketplaces and homes.

The party is fielding five candidates including two women. Sharmila will contest against chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh in Thoubal, Erendro in Thangmeibandh, rights activist Najima Bibi in Wabagai constituency in Thoubal district, Bowang Kho, a former student leader, in Karong constituency of the Naga-dominated district of Senapati, and Md Ilyash, a municipal councillor, in Lilong constituency in Thoubal district.

The party's poll plank is based on three pillars - incorruptibility, people's voice and hope for change. The party's campaign style is different from the conventional big rallies, fanfare and flags. It's a door-to-door campaign, where party members visit houses and spend 10-15 minutes talking to available family members about Manipur's issues, the family's problems and the party's objectives.

Unlike other parties, which distribute cash during election campaigns, Sharmila's team seeks donations from the people. Help has also come from the Manipuri diaspora and people from other parts of the country. For instance, Bollywood actress Renuka Shahane has donated Rs 50,000 to the PRJA fund. Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had donated Rs 50,000 to Sharmilas party PRJA.

She said that she was confident of winning against Manipur chief minister in the election. To those who said that she does not have a chance against Ibobi Singh, Sharmila said, "He (Ibobi Singh) has been the symbol of looting for 15 years. I have been the symbol of justice for 15 years. I am only asking you to choose between the two symbols."
Launching a scathing attack on the Centre, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president TN Haokip alleged that the government has done nothing since it came to power in 2014.

"Most of the so-called developmental works which are now carried out by the BJP government are the projects and policies introduced by UPA government. The BJP is just changing the names of the UPA programmes, Haokip said.

Exuding confidence of a Congress victory in the Manipur Assembly polls, Haokip predicted that his party would win 40 out of 60 seats and said communal and divisive elements such as the BJP would not win even 10 seats.

Rebutting the BJP's claim of forming government in Manipur after Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, Haokip said, After deceiving the people of Assam, BJP has been trying to bluff the people of Manipur. But Manipur and Assam are different and BJP will realise this after the election.

The Congress leader said that Prime Minister Narendra Modis assurance that the economic blockade would be lifted within three days if BJP comes to power clearly showed who was behind the blockade and who instigated it. He said that BJP and UNC are two sides of a coin.

Stating that the Congress would return to power as the people were with them, Haokip said the party had been working hard for the development of Manipur under tremendous pressure and obstacles for 15 years. In the past 15 years, we have gone through so many sunny days, so many cloudy days and rainy days, yet we have been doing everything for the development of the state, Haokip said.

The MPCC president further added that BJP has been bringing hardship to the people and tears to the eyes of many with its policies such as demonetization and economic blockades.

He said that the Congress stand to protect the territorial integrity of Manipur was clear. He added that the party would urge the Centre to enact a constitutional safeguard to protect the integrity of Manipur, which has been listed foremost in the party's manifesto.

Taking a dig at the BJP's promise to provide a job to each household and provide piped water to all the people, Haokip asked whether BJP has done any research on the matter. "Imphal alone faces potable water shortage of 20,000 to 30,000 million litres in a day. Replacement of the old water pipes laid underground in Imphal area would cost Rs 1400 crore," he said.

"If BJP is sincere enough, they should disclose the contents of the framework agreement," TN Haokip said. BJP is claiming they will win 40 seats. Everything will be clear after 11 March."
The term GDP (gross domestic product) would have, perhaps, never got such attention among the aam aadmi as is the case today. This is particularly so in the ongoing political battle field of Uttar Pradesh, where the fight in political rallies is essentially between PM Modi and the rest (Congress, SP and BSP). Even a layman on the street now will have a better understanding about what does the GDP figure mean and what is its political and economic significance.

This newfound stardom of GDP, otherwise a mundane economic data release which normally evokes interest only from economists and journalists, rose further post the 8 November demonetisation announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government had packaged the note ban and replacement exercise as a war on black money and a measure to broaden the tax base that would ultimately boost the GDP.

Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister then used his own GDP estimates (1-2 percent down) as the warhead of his attack in Parliament speech to denounce demonetisation terming the currency ban as a mammoth tragedy, monumental mistake by Modi and "organised loot and legalised plunder.

Finally, when the third quarter GDP numbers came at a surprising 7 percent much higher than what most economists predicted, Modi retaliated, flashing the GDP number as evidence to write off demonetisation critics.

Remember his jibe hard work matters not Harvard, targeting his political rivals such as P Chidambaram and hardcore demonetisation-critics such as Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. GDP, thus continued to dominate the stage largely for political reason. The demonetisation critics and Modis political rivals yet again launched a counter attack questioning the GDP figures.

Forget the political mudslinging, it is good to see political debates centered around economic issues in a democracy because that essentially brings more public attention and policy focus on critical economic issues.

But, the problem is this. Excessive focus on GDP numbers alone wouldnt serve any purpose and if debating economic progress is the purpose, the political debates should have more room to accommodate the core problems on the ground that, sometimes, arent adequately getting reflected or represented in the GDP numbers due to inadequacy of the existing data infrastructure.

These figures arent really presentable because all political parties are equally responsible for the problems indicated by these numbers, mainly unemployment, poverty and lack of rural development. For the Modi government, which is nearing three years of its term, speaking on the specific solutions of these issues are even more critical since its mantra itself is sabka sath, sabka vikas.

Instead of blaming the Congress-led UPA governments for inaction and dwelling on the past mistakes of the political opponent, it should look at areas that need attention. Even the Congress party is no different. It too seems to be oblivious of the real economic issues on the ground. The economic subjects in the political speeches of Congress Vice President, Rahul Gandhi seems to be confined to promises of farm loan waivers, freebies and anti-demonetisation rant. Asking the right questions is important. In this context there are far more critical questions.

The most important is the big disconnect between the developments in the informal sector and the GDP data. This is an area that isnt really captured in the GDP figures. Post-demonetisation, the maximum impact in the form of job losses and hit on small businesses, services have been in the informal economy, which constitutes 40-45 percent of the GDP and about 80 percent of the total employment in the country.

By CSOs own admission, trends in the informal sector are inadequately captured in the GDP figures. The informal sector is vast consisting of a good chunk of the farm sector, construction and small businesses. Majority of the informal economy operated in cash and hence it isnt difficult to understand that the impact of demonetisation induced cash crunch is maximum here. The GDP data is a disappointment to represent the informal economy. This is why the political debates arent addressing the question of the demonetisation impact in this segment and continue debating only the GDP numbers, which are largely a product of organised sector data -- an irony.

Then comes the question of job losses. In an economy that is doing well, as claimed by the CSO numbers and the Modi government, is the job growth happening in a corresponding manner? Going by a report by SBI (read a report here) during August, 2016 and February, 2017, India's unemployment rate nearly halved to 4.8 percent from 9.5 percent. Among the states, Uttar Pradesh saw the sharpest fall in unemployment from 17.1 percent to 2.9 percent, while Bihar saw decline from 13 percent decline in unemployment rate to 3.7 percent, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.

This is ideally good news, but there is problem with the report. The primary reason the report suggests for the sharp decline in the unemployment is on account of the implementation of the MGNREGA in the rural areas, which is also a signal that more people are moving away from factory jobs to daily wage labour in the informal economy. Work under MGNREGA increased from 83 lakh households in October 2016 to 167 lakh households in Februrary 2017, the report said.

Is this good news for an aspiring economy? Interestingly, this is a scheme PM Modi had once described as the living monument of UPAs failure, referring to the inability of previous UPA governments to eradicate poverty and thus necessitating the continuation of the employment guarantee scheme. But, the counter question here is if even after three years he scheme continues to be the major driver for unemployment decline, what is the signal it gives on job creation in the organised sector?

Are enough opportunities being created for the young workforce?

Thirdly, a host of high frequency macroeconomic indicators have been giving a puzzling picture. For instance, what is the signal the banking sector gives to the economy? Bank credit for industries have been giving contradictory signals on the economy that is in contrast with what the GDP numbers show. Similarly, the data on two-wheeler sales, bad loan figures, factory output numbers and private investment figures show isnt really encouraging so far.

But again, this set of data does not normally find mention in the political debates since it lacks the stardom commanded by the GDP number. The CSO has admitted that it might have to relook at the GDP figures as it gets more information on a wider set of numbers. The message here, both for demonetisation critics and supporters, is that do not commit the mistake of taking GDP figures as the final word on demonetisation impact. It isnt.

The bottom line is this: GDP has become a political tool, perhaps more than ever in the past. A political debate on economic issues are indeed good but, it is time politicians went beyond merely the GDP numbers and looked at the core issues on the ground that arent adequately reflected in the GDP data, but often show us the true picture.

(Data support from Kishor Kadam)
During a recent TV interview, the anchor asked Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav what would he do after the votes are counted.

"In 2007, your father said he would go to Maleehabad and eat mangoes after the results. Will you do the same?" the anchor quizzed. If fruit is really on the young chief minister's mind, he better think of grapes, particularly the sour variety. Just like the proverbial fox that went for the grapes, Yadav too might find the chief minister's chair out of his reach on 11 March. Just a few days ago, around the first phase of polling, Yadav seemed destined to win Uttar Pradesh with a comfortable majority. But now, even his most staunch loyalists believe the BJP has the momentum and the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance is trying hard to hold on to its base that is wilting under the BJP onslaught.

Within Samajwadi Party-Congress circles, the consensus is that the alliance will win around 160 to 180 seats, down from the initial estimates of around 220. Remember, this is the best-case scenario according to party insiders and comes with a natural upward bias. Obviously, the downside could be a much lower number. And if reports from the ground are any indication, the alliance's total haul may fall below 100.

The alliance appeared to be on track around the first phase of polling. The buzz then was that the Jats were deserting the BJP and the minority-OBC vote was favouring the alliance. But, the narrative changed around the third phase of polling when it seemed voters were being polarised on communal lines, setting aside the caste divisions that usually decide the outcome in Uttar Pradesh and giving the BJP major momentum.

So, what went wrong for the Samajwadi Party?

Too many seats for the Congress

Even hardcore Congress supporters believe they are not even in the reckoning in around 30 to 40 seats. The Congress is in the contest only in 60 to 70 seats and for the alliance to do well, it needs a strike rate of over 70 percent in these constituencies in order to win half the seats it is contesting. This looks like a daunting task for a party that has no presence on the ground and has been losing its vote share with every election.

In fact, in many places, the Congress voter is not even voting for the Samajwadi Party. Its upper caste base  even though almost negligible  has shifted to the BJP. According to many Samajwadi Party leaders, the party now rues aligning with the Congress. And the reason for this is that in a quadrangular contest, it would have taken away a small portion of the BJP vote. But now this is not happening.

BJP not fielding Muslim candidates

Whatever the perception in Delhi, the reality on the ground is traders were not happy with demonetisation. Stung by its impact on their business, they had decided to vote against the BJP. But, the BSP and Samajwadi Party focus on Muslim votes pushed them back into the BJP fold. The talk within upper caste voters in Uttar Pradesh now is that the BJP is the only party that doesn't care about minority voters and thus it is their "moral responsibility" to support it. To add to the woes of the Samajwadi Party alliance, the propaganda around Kabristan, Eid and 'Kuchh ka vikaas, kuchh ka saath' has worked among voters, creating a wave of support for the BJP because of its Hindutva line.

Massive shift of non-Yadav voters towards BJP

The Samajwadi Party was counting on the support of the majority of 38 percent OBC and Muslim voters in the election. But except for the Yadavs, almost every segment is either divided or voting en masse for the rival parties. The BJP has the undivided support of Rajbhars, Mauryas, Lunias and Kurmis  castes that had voted the BSP and Samajwadi Party to power in the two previous elections  and the support of Thakurs, Banias and Brahmins. In the reserved constituencies, the upper castes have thrown their weight behind the BJP. Since Scheduled Caste votes are being divided, the BJP is likely to sweep most of the reserved constituencies.

The alliance, on the other hand, is watching helplessly as Muslim voters are divided between its candidates and the BSP. In the end, it may be left with just around 10 percent of the OBCs, mostly Yadavs, and voters from the minority community, bringing its vote share down by at least five percent compared to 2012.

Anti-incumbency and infighting

By the time Akhilesh hit the campaign trail after his war with uncle Shivpal Yadav and father Mulayam Singh Yadav, the BJP had already adjusted its caste arithmetic. To counter that, the chief minister needed an extended campaign throughout Uttar Pradesh. But, with very little time available, he could barely find time to visit even half the constituencies, leaving the field open to the BJP.

To complicate matters, some of his MLAs are facing an undercurrent of anti-incumbency, turning them into liabilities instead of assets. Many of his ministers are likely to lose by huge margins, indicating the extent of dissatisfaction with their performance.

In the final analysis, the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance appears to be headed for a massive setback. The BJP seems set to sweep all the phases from the third phase onwards.

It is for these reasons that on 11 March, Akhilesh is unlikely to think of mangoes. His could be a story of sour grapes.
Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday charged the Akhilesh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh of being anti-farmer and having failed to implement the central government's schemes meant for the farming community.

"There is a government in Uttar Pradesh which has nothing to do with development. This government is anti-farmer. Why is it that farmers don't benefit from the Fasal Bima Yojana? Why they don't help farmers in distress," Modi said addressing an election rally at Rohaniya, on the outskirts of his parliamentary constituency Varanasi.

He also accused the Samajwadi Party-ruled state government of discriminating when it comes to employment or implementation of schemes.

"Does any honest youth get employment in Uttar Pradesh?" Modi asked the crowd, saying "There is discrimination by the government. They see who is their own and who is not. In employment, the state government is cheating the youth of the state."

The Prime Minister also highlighted central government schemes, especially those for farmers, youth and women and said there was need to change the future of farmers.

He urged the people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party for a better future for the state and to "rid it of misrule" of SP, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress.

"It is time to think about welfare of our youth so they prosper," the prime minister said.
Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attacked the ruling Samajwadi Party and its ally Congress, saying they believed in the development of "a few" and saw everything from the prism of votes.

Targeting his rivals, specifically Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, he said like people suffered from 'motiabind' (cataract), the SP and Congress suffered from 'votebind' as "they can't see anything unless they see them in the context of votes."

"As people suffering from cataract can see only after undergoing a surgery, these leaders can see things only when they see votes," Modi said at a public meeting in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi after a roadshow here.

Accusing the SP government of "bias" in its welfare programmes, he said it believed in 'kuchh ka saath, kuchh ka vikas' (support of a few, development of a few) while he believed in everybody's development as in 'sabka saath, sabka vikas'.

"The SP and the BSP are two sides of the same coin, the former being A (Akhilesh) SP and B (Bahujan) SP," Modi said.

He also said that Akhilesh and Rahul were "delicate" people incapable of taking hard decisions, while pitching himself as a grassroots leader who can develop the state.

Taking potshots at the Congress over its run of losses in the recent polls, he said one day, research would be done to find out if it once existed, as it is "disappearing from everywhere."

While Akhilesh has inherited his political powers from his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rahul has got it from "so many of his forefathers", Modi said while using a local term, 'ghelua' (what comes free of cost) for the two leaders.

"They are such delicate people who cannot take hard decisions. They think what if they lose what they got. I have not got anything in inheritance. Whatever I have got is due to the blessings of the people of Kashi. I can take hard decisions to rid the country of its problems. I have the courage to do so," the Prime Minister said.

Demonetisation, he said, has brought the SP, BSP and the Congress on the same side in its opposition while the entire country had supported it.

Reaching out to small traders who are in significant numbers here, he said they would not be touched by his government's drive against corruption as the politicians and 'babus' have looted the country all these years.

Forty seats will go to the polls on 8 March, bringing an end to an almost a month long seven-phase elections. Counting of votes is scheduled on 11 March.

Projecting himself as a "son of the soil" who has seen difficult days, Modi said he has the capability to take hard decisions. He spoke at length about demonetisation and surgical strikes as he hit out at opposition parties for seeking proof of the army's action.

His rivals, he said, take decisions in power keeping the interests of some sections of society in mind to win elections while he was working for everybody's development.

He also referred to his road show earlier in the day which he said broke previous day's record and the support he received was something he had never seen in his life.

Modi as well Yadav and Gandhi had led road shows on Sunday, both of which had drawn a massive response.

Attacking the Congress, he said during the UPA government media reports were full of scams and how much of money was lost, while now his rivals were asking how much of money he has brought back.

"Those who have looted the country for the last 70 years will have to return the poor's money. I will do that," Modi said.

The Prime Minister also cited a number of developmental works he had undertaken to develop the holy city, where the BJP is locked in a keen fight the SP-Congress and the BSP candidates.

If the eastern UP is developed properly, the state can lead India's development, which is not possible without its progress, he said in his hour-long speech.
Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an impassioned plea to voters in Uttar Pradesh to defeat the Samajwadi Party-Congress combine and BSP, blaming these parties for the plight of the state, as he wrapped up his hectic campaign for Assembly polls.

Addressing a rally at Khushipur village in Rohaniya Assembly segment, 25 kms from Varanasi, Modi, who has been campaigning in his Lok Sabha constituency for three days, repeated the promise of waiving farmers' loans and restoring professionalism of the police force if BJP comes to power in the state.

Describing himself as a person who "has experienced poverty and therefore wants to improve the lot of the poor", he said his government will provide houses to every single household in the country by 2022, when the country celebrates 75 years of Independence.

Modi began his 45-minute-long speech with a special mention of Apna Dal and Bharatiya Samaj Party, which are fighting 20 of the 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh in an alliance with the BJP. Apna Dal enjoys a following among Kurmis, the most dominant OBC group after the Yadavs, while Bharatiya Samaj Party is a breakaway group of Bahujan Samaj Party floated by Mayawati's erstwhile loyalist Om Prakash Rajbhar.

Stressing that the country's economy heavily depended on the betterment of farmers and improvement in their purchasing

power, Modi said his government will bringing in measures to ensure that incomes of those involved in agriculture doubled by 2022.

He also spoke about a scheme where five crore poor families in the country were to be given free gas connections by 2019. Coming down heavily on the Akhilesh Yadav government, Modi said that in BJP-ruled states, 50-60 per cent farmers were covered under his Pradhan Mantri Phasal Beema Yojana but in UP only 14 percent agriculturists were benefiting from the crop

insurance scheme.

Blasting the SP government in the state for "nepotism and corruption" in competitive exams, the prime minister said, "I took the decision to do away with interviews for recruitments at lower levels. This was aimed at curbing malpractices. But Akhilesh Yadav is not willing to take a cue as he wants jobbery to flourish."

Modi said the people of UP "should beware of both bua and bhateeja (aunt and nephew  terms used by Mayawati and Akhilesh to describe each other)". He asserted that only BJP could restore law and order in the state where "women are afraid to go out of their homes unless accompanied by a male member of the family".

The prime minister, who returned to New Delhi after the rally as the campaigning for the final phase culminated, began his day with a visit to Garhwa Ghat ashram  a monastery run by a sect devoted to the Bhakti tradition. Headed by Swami Sharanananda, the sect is said to have a significant following among Yadavs, who have traditionally been SP supporters.

From Garhwa Ghat, Modi went to Ramghat, where he paid floral tributes at a statue of Lal Bahadur Shastri and also spent a few minutes at the house where the former prime minister had spent his early childhood.

Voting for the seventh and final phase will take place on 8 March and results will be declared on 11 March. Referring to the festival of Holi, which falls on March 13, Modi urged the people of Kashi to cast their votes judiciously so that "Holi may be celebrated in UP on 11 March, two days ahead of schedule".

The PM's speech was, on one occasion, interrupted for a couple of minutes when he was distracted by a number of youths who were heartily chanting "Modi! Modi!". The PM asked them to keep quiet and jocularly told camerapersons shooting the rally

"do not focus your lenses on them".

Modi spoke at length about his government's pro-poor and pro-farmer initiatives, which included soil health cards which he compared to "pathological tests advised by physicians before prescribing medicines".

"We are ensuring that certified, good quality seeds are made available to farmers so that they do not end up buying sub-standard ones from the black market and ruin their own fields. To those farmers whose water pumps have worn away, we are providing new ones free of cost," he said.

"Adequate availability of water enables a hard-working farmer to convert his fields into a goldmine. Our irrigation schemes are aimed at building canals in large numbers, so that water does not remain collected in dams, but reaches the fields," Modi said.

He also spoke about "neem-coated urea", which has ensured that fertiliser remained available to farmers adequately since

it has "eradicated the possibility of misuse for any purpose other than farming".
The nationalism debate, or more infamously dubbed the intolerance debate, has been the favourite topic of discussion among the media, politicians, leading ideologues of various parties, and even politically-inclined students of the country. Recently, the topic found new grounds to restart a dialogue (not so much as open disdain for the other person's view) in the light of the fracas which took place at Delhi University last week.

The clash, which happened at Ramjas College, raised questions similar to those which arose after the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) incident in 2016: A debate over who is a nationalist and who is anti-national dominated a majority of the prime-time news shows. Among the senior politicians who spoke on the issue was BJP leader and Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu. Apart from condemning students of Ramjas College and Delhi University for holding protest marches against ABVP, Naidu accused the Congress and the Left of trying to give a "different colour" to the happenings on some campuses.

However, Naidu's most recent comment during an interview with India Today is what is most alarming. Naidu said freedom of expression does not mean liberty to advocate disintegration of the country. "I am surprised about the efforts made by the Congress and the Left to give a different colour to issues that are happening in a few universities, saying it is an assault on freedom of expression. Where is the question of not having the freedom of expression? It is guaranteed under the Constitution," Naidu said.

Lambasting students who raised azadi slogans, Naidu said, "If raising azadi slogans is not treason, then I don't know what is."

He further added that the central government is mulling changing the existing sedition law to make it more stringent. Naidu was referring to those "who seek to disturb the integrity and peace in the country through anti-national propaganda". Former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and his azadi speech upon being released from jail in March last year may have been on Naidu's mind. Kanhaiya was labelled an "anti-national" and was arrested on sedition charges.

Referring to the Supreme Court's ruling that only speech that's followed by immediate and proximate violence can be considered seditious, Naidu said, "The slogan of azadi is always followed by violence. These people, whether in Bastar or Jammu and Kashmir, always take to the gun. That is the next course. Their slogans will be followed by violence."

Section 124-A in the Indian Penal Code explains sedition in wide terms. "Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law in India shall be punished with life imprisonment."

The law, its implementation, its use and misuse have come under severe criticism, since it is vaguely worded and gives ample opportunity for those who intend to misuse it. The explanations which the law gives are that the expression "disaffection" includes disloyalty and all feelings of hate.

In fact, Amnesty International in its annual human rights report had criticised the Indian government for using the "crude, colonial-era" sedition law to "silence" its critics.

Human rights activists and journalists (in India) faced intimidation and attacks from both state and non-state actors. The crude, colonial-era sedition law was unleashed to silence government critics. Caste-based violence and vigilante cow protection groups harassing and attacking people in states including Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka in the name of upholding laws prohibiting the killing of cows were also highlighted as areas of concern, the report said.

On a global level, the report covering 159 countries condemns the growth of "politics of demonisation" which was breeding division and fear around the world.

Former Supreme Court justice Markandey Katju, was himself booked under the sedition law for his remarks on Bihar.

Explaining what does or does not come under the purview of the law, Katju had said, "Mere demands and slogans for azadi etc will not be crimes unless one goes further and (1) commits violence, or (2) organises violence, or (3) incites imminent violence."

In 1962, in a case Kedarnath Singh versus state of Bihar, the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court had said, "What has been contended is that a person who makes a very strong speech or uses very vigorous words in a writing directed to a very strong criticism of measures of government, might also come within the ambit of 'sedition'. But, in our opinion, such words written or spoken would be outside the scope of the section. A citizen has a right to say or write whatever he likes about the government, or its measures, by way of criticism or comment, so long as he does not incite people to violence."

The law, which is dubbed as outdated and vaguely-worded, has been criticised for its lack of clarity. The State can use it as a tool against anyone if it so wishes.

Senior BJP leaders, including Arun Jaitley, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Kiren Rijiju, who have not hidden their displeasure of the campus skirmishes in Delhi and who have openly admitted that any remark for a separate Kashmir is an act of a gaddar are now rooting for a stringent sedition law.

"Nationalism is a bad word only in India. We must take part in any debate related to disputes over nationalism. The reason is clear. The BJP is committed to its fundamental ideology of love for this country. We will certainly present our side if somebody talks about breaking the country," Jaitley had said.

As this Firstpost article argues, Naidu, or for that matter everyone who demands arrest of the students under sedition law, do not know what treason is according to India's Constitution. We can only imagine that if with a 'lenient' sedition law, this is the case in our country (Kanhaiya Kumar is not the only example of sedition law being 'loosely' slapped on an Indian national), we can only be scared of the repercussions if the government seriously decides to make it stringent.

With inputs from agencies
New Delhi: Former Pakistan National Security Advisor (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani on Monday admitted that a terrorist group based in his country carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

This is the first admission by any high-ranking Pakistani official that confirms India's stand that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) plotted and executed the carnage nine years ago.

"I hate to admit that the 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group in Pakistan is a classic trans-border terrorist event," said Durrani, who was the NSA when 10 Pakistani terrorists sailed into Mumbai on 26 November, 2008 and killed 166 Indians and foreigners.

Durrani was speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference held at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses.

ANI posted a video of Durrani on Monday.

#WATCH: Former Pakistan NSA Mahmud Ali Durrani says 26/11 attack was carried out by terror group based in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/cBmzSFnbK2  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

With inputs from IANS
The Indian media has predictably lapped up the remarks made by former Pakistani National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani that the 2008 Mumbai attacks were carried out by a Pakistan-based terrorist group. He also said that the amir of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafiz Saeed has no utility and Pakistan should act against him.

Durranis remarks came during the Asian Security Conference, an annual flagship conference of the Indian Ministry of Defence funded think tank, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi. Therefore, these remarks make for a good sound bite and a headline. But given our persistent obsession with such statements, there is a danger that if overplayed Pakistan may use these remarks to showcase to the world that, in fact, Islamabad should be rewarded for addressing Indias concerns on "cross-border terrorism".

And nothing could be farther from the truth.

In reality, Durranis remarks on the 2008 attacks or the Hafiz Saeed issue don't change anything for India on the ground: the 42 terrorist training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir continue to work with terrorists, plotting the next attack against India. Pakistan's attempts to stir a hornet's nest in the Kashmir Valley continue too. While Hafiz Saeed may have been put under a "house arrest", his operational commanders including the elusive Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi and LeTs front organisations carry on their activities as business as usual. Nothing has changed and nothing is unlikely to change given Pakistani Army's obsession to address Indias "conventional superiority".

It is pertinent to note that Durrani was sacked from his post after he acknowledged Ajmal Kasab's  one of the Mumbai attackers  Pakistani nationality. But having said that Durrani's current remarks were like "preaching to the converted".

While our media has lapped up his remarks and sort of asked him leading questions on Hafiz Saeed, no one actually asked him the other lie that he continues to peddle: that Pakistani government had no role to play in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. And that is the crux of the issue. Pakistan has time and again sought to escape international scrutiny by putting forward the lie of "non-state actors" indulging in anti-India activities with no involvement of the Pakistani state. If one looks at Pakistan's record, it becomes clear that Pakistan has been actively promoting only non-state actors to commit acts of terror in India and elsewhere against Indian interests.

Durrani has overlooked a key issue about the Mumbai attacks while saying something which was already a public secret. India can overlook this aspect but at its own peril.
Tehran, Iran, March 6

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

In a recent meeting between the presidents of Iran and Turkey, the two sides spoke frankly about the latest regional developments, Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said at a press conference.

The issues that existed between the two countries were discussed in that meeting and some agreements were made, Qassemi said, but did not explain any further, Trends correspondent reported from the presser March 6.

The spokesman said that the meeting had been convened upon a request by the Turkish side.

We think it was a timely meeting and with positive results, he said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on the sidelines of the Economic Cooperation Organization session in Pakistans capital Islamabad on March 1.

The meeting took place just a few days after Tehran and Ankara engaged in some political row over their regional policies, their approaches to Syria in particular.

Irans Foreign Ministry on February 20 summoned Turkish Ambassador to Tehran Riza Hakan Tekin over accusations by Turkish officials about Iran.

During a recent visit to Bahrain, Erdogan reportedly accused Iran of seeking to destabilize Iraq and Syria.

Iran is a staunch supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Turkey used to work with the anti-Assad camp until mid-2016, when in a total turnabout it approached Russia which backs the Syrian government.

Syria found itself in a civil strife in 2011. The country soon grew into a venue for terrorist groups to make Syria a puddle of terror in the Middle East.
Karachi: Former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari on Monday said he was not opposed to the reopening of the country's military courts, but the government should follow his party's nine recommendations which call for transparency. The controversial military courts were formed after the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014 to quickly dispose off cases against terrorists. Main opposition party, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Zardari said they support an extension to the military courts and have submitted nine recommendations to the government.

The military courts were disbanded in January after a clause in the Constitution, under which they were established, expired. Since then, political parties and government have been unable to reach a consensus to extend the courts' tenure and revive the clause. On 28 February, majority of the parties consented to an extension for another two years. The meeting was, however, boycotted by the PPP.

"Our party has been in the forefront of fight against terrorism and we have made sacrifices, but we want a law that defines terrorists, that will become a definition for terrorism," Zardari said, adding that the PPP had no intention to dishearten the armed forces.

The recommendations say that military courts shall be presided over by one sessions judge or additional sessions judge with a military officer and that the sessions/additional sessions judge will be nominated by Pakistan's chief justice. The extension period will be for one year and not two years. Cases will be subject to judicial review by high courts under Article 199 of the Constitution and High court shall decide case within 60 days.

All accused to be produced within 24 hours before the concerned court and explanation within 24 hours for their arrest. Accused shall have the right to engage counsel of their choice. Zardari said his party is open to dialogue, whether with the government or the army. Since February 2015, a total of 274 individuals were convicted in 11 military courts. As many as 161 individuals were handed down death sentence out of whom 12 were executed.
By Luke Baker

| JERUSALEM

JERUSALEM A phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump interrupted a police inquiry into Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was on Monday being questioned for a fourth time over suspicions of corruption.Not long after sitting down with police investigators at his residence in Jerusalem, one aide said, Netanyahu briefly excused himself to speak with Trump."The two leaders spoke at length about the dangers posed by the nuclear deal with Iran... and about the need to work together to counter those dangers," Netanyahu's office said in a statement issued just before details of the police probe led prime time news.Netanyahu, 67, is a suspect in two cases, one involving the receipt of gifts from businessmen and the other related to conversations he held with an Israeli newspaper publisher about limiting competition in the news sector in exchange for more positive coverage.No charges have been brought against Netanyahu, who has been in power since 2009 and has denied wrongdoing.A police spokeswoman said a statement would be released after the session. "We are in the final stages," Police chief Roni Elsheich told reporters earlier about the investigation.Once it is complete, police will decide whether to drop the case or recommend the attorney general bring charges. As speculation bubbles, politicians from across the spectrum have begun manoeuvring, believing early elections will probably have to be called if Netanyahu is indicted.

Such a move would most likely lead to his resignation - in 1993 the Supreme Court set a precedent for ministers to step down if they are charged with corruption.It is possible someone from his Likud party could replace Netanyahu without a new vote, but many analysts think it unlikely, predicting an election would have to be called for September or November, depending on developments.The opposition Labour party will hold primaries in July, former defence minister Moshe Yaalon has launched his own party and Avi Dichter, the former head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency and a senior member of Likud, said on Saturday he would consider running for the party leadership."I am here to lead and will undoubtedly run for Likud leadership and the premiership," Dichter was quoted as saying, comments his spokesman said were not a challenge to Netanyahu and referred to future primaries.

SHAKE-UP?

To analysts, the rumblings are clear and foreshadow change after 20 years of Netanyahu dominating the landscape."Active politicians and those on the benches waiting to enter, all of them have concluded that early elections are coming because of the investigation," Menachem Klein, a politics professor at Bar-Ilan University, told Reuters.

"They are starting to prepare themselves."Opinion polls show Yair Lapid, the head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, as the strongest candidate for prime minister if Netanyahu goes, but there are a host of others nipping at his heels. Other polls show Netanyahu remains the most popular politician.In recent weeks, Netanyahu has visited Britain, the United States and Australia. Trips are planned to Russia, China and India. Some critics suggest the travel is a way of delaying questioning. Others say it is about appearing statesman-like."His junkets to far-flung places and visits with the leaders of world powers are intended to persuade Israelis that he's the be-all and end-all," columnist Yossi Verter wrote in Haaretz. "The deeper the investigations, the more he'll be in the air."Netanyahu's opponents name a number of party rivals bidding to replace him, including Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, Culture Minister Miri Regev and Transport Minister Yisrael Katz. Naftali Bennett of the far-right Jewish Home is seen as someone who could switch to Likud to try to lead. (Additional reporting by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and John Stonestreet)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Chinese hardliners have parts of their brains missing, exiled Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama said in an interview aired this week, comments likely to infuriate Beijing, which views the Nobel Peace laureate as a dangerous separatist.

The Dalai Lama, who fled to India to seek refuge after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, denies espousing violence and says he only wants genuine autonomy for Tibet.

The animosity between the two sides, and their rivalry for control over Tibetan Buddhism, is at the heart of the debate about reincarnation.

Speaking to US comedian John Oliver in India's northern town of Dharamsala, where the exiled Tibetan government is based, he also said he might be the last Dalai Lama. "Very possible," he said. "If I become the last Dalai Lama, I feel very happy."

Tibetan Buddhism holds that the soul of a senior lama is reincarnated in the body of a child on his death. China says the tradition must continue and its officially atheist Communist leaders have the right to approve the Dalai Lama's successor, as a legacy inherited from China's emperors.

The Dalai Lama has suggested previously the title could end with him, when he dies. China accuses him of betraying, and being disrespectful of the Tibetan religion, by saying there might be no future reincarnations.

Asked if he was worried China might appoint its own Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader said it would be foolish. "Our brain usually, you see, has the ability to create common sense," he said. "The Chinese hardliners, in their brain, that part of the brain, is missing."

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tibet's delegation to the annual meeting of China's parliament, which opened on Sunday, is likely to hold a news conference some time this week. Such meetings tend to be dominated by the issue of the Dalai Lama.
Florida: President Donald Trump turned to Congress on Sunday for help finding evidence to support his unsubstantiated claim that former President Barack Obama had Trump's telephones tapped during the election. Obama's intelligence chief said no such action was ever carried out, and a US official said the FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute the allegation.

Republican leaders of Congress appeared willing to honor the president's request, but the move has potential risks for the president, particularly if the House and Senate intelligence committees unearth damaging information about Trump, his aides or his associates.

Trump claimed in a series of tweets without evidence on Saturday that his predecessor had tried to undermine him by tapping the telephones at Trump Tower, the New York skyscraper where Trump based his campaign and transition operations, and maintains a home.

Obama's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said nothing matching Trump's claims had taken place.

"Absolutely, I can deny it," said Clapper, who left government when Trump took office in January. Other representatives for the former president also denied Trump's allegation.

The FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute Trump's allegations, a US official told The Associated Press on Sunday. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the request by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.

No such statement has been issued by the Justice Department. DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores declined to comment Sunday, and an FBI spokesman also did not comment.

The New York Times reported that senior American officials say FBI Director James Comey has argued that the claim must be corrected by the Justice Department because it falsely insinuates that the FBI broke the law.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said without elaborating on Sunday that Trump's instruction to Congress was based on "very troubling" reports "concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election." Spicer did not respond to inquiries about the reports he cited in announcing the request.

Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to "exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016." He said there would be no further comment until the investigations are completed, a statement that House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi took offense to and likened to autocratic behavior.

"It's called a wrap-up smear. You make up something. Then you have the press write about it. And then you say, everybody is writing about this charge. It's a tool of an authoritarian," Pelosi said.

Spicer's chief deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said she thinks Trump is "going off of information that he's seen that has led him to believe that this is a very real potential."

Josh Earnest, who was Obama's press secretary, said presidents do not have authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens, as Trump has alleged was done to him. FBI investigators and Justice Department officials must seek a federal judge's approval for such a step.

Earnest accused Trump of leveling the allegations to distract from the attention being given to campaign-season contacts by Trump aides with a Russian official, including campaign adviser Jeff Sessions before he resigned from the Senate to become attorney general. The FBI is investigating those contacts, as is Congress.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, RNC, said in a statement that the panel "will follow the evidence where it leads, and we will continue to be guided by the intelligence and facts as we compile our findings."

Representative Devin Nunes, R-California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the committee "will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates."

The committee's top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, said Trump was following "a deeply disturbing pattern of distraction, distortion and downright fabrication."

The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, referred questions to Nunes, while a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said McConnell would not tell the Senate committee how to do its work.

Trump said in the tweets that he had "just found out" about being wiretapped, though it was unclear whether he was referring to having found out through a briefing, a conversation or a media report. The president in the past has tweeted about unsubstantiated and provocative reports he reads on blogs or conservative websites.

The tweets stood out, given the gravity of the charge and the strikingly personal attack on the former president. Trump spoke as recently as last month about how much he likes Obama and how much they get along, despite their differences.

"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" he tweeted, misspelling 'tap.'

Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said Saturday that a "cardinal rule" of the Obama administration was not to interfere in Justice Department investigations, which are supposed to be conducted free of outside or political influence.

Lewis said neither Obama nor any White House official had ever ordered surveillance on any US citizen. "Any suggestion otherwise is simply false," Lewis said.

Trump used a similar approach with his unsupported claims of massive voter fraud that he said caused him to lose the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton. He eventually said he wanted to launch a "major" investigation to find the 3 million to 5 million votes he claims were cast illegally. Congressional leaders were cool to the idea  a costly and time-consuming effort.

Trump has been trailed for months by questions about his campaign's ties to Russia. Compounding the situation is the US intelligence agencies' assessment that Russia interfered with the election to help Trump triumph over Hillary Clinton, along with disclosures about his aides' contacts with a Russian official.

Clapper appeared on NBC's Meet the Press, Sanders and Earnest were on ABC's This Week, Pelosi commented on CNN's State of the Union and Cotton was on Fox News Sunday.
By Ralph Boulton and Andrea Shalal

| ISTANBUL/BERLIN

ISTANBUL/BERLIN Tayyip Erdogan's portrayal of a Germany mired in its Nazi past was calculated to infuriate Berlin while swaying Turks at home and abroad to vote "yes" to sweeping new presidential powers he seeks. Erdogan certainly achieved the first aim, with one German politician dubbing him the "despot on the Bosphorus" and Chancellor Angela Merkel declaring that the remarks only trivialised Nazi crimes against humanity.With his foolish and absurd Nazi comparison, Erdogan has left the realm of rational discussion," Juergen Hardt, a lawmaker from Merkel's conservative CDU party, said of Erdogan."While Germany sticks to democratic standards...President Erdogan is trying to disempower the Turkish parliament through a constitutional change."Erdogan's fury was triggered by decisions to cancel planned rallies in support of his referendum in several German towns.Events have so far been cancelled in the cities of Gaggenau, Cologne and Frechen, with local authorities or venue operators citing concerns about safety or the size of the crowd. Turkish officials said a fourth event in the town of Kelsterbach was cancelled on Monday.Merkel has said her federal government played no part in the decisions. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Germany would allow Turkish politicians to speak, as long as they were open about their intentions, announced them in a timely manner and did not import Turkish conflicts to Germany. The faithful at Erdogan's Istanbul rally registered their support for Erdogan's blustering speech with familiar chants of "Stand up straight! Don't bow down! The nation is with you!" But his portrayal of "fascist" German officials banning rallies to discourage a "yes" vote may alienate some of the 1.5 million Turkish voters in Germany whose support he badly needs. He could scarcely have used a more poisonous arrow against his NATO partner.Gokay Sofuoglu, chairman of the Turkish community in Germany, told Reuters Erdogans rhetoric was increasing tension in an already divided Turkish community.

"Erdogan went a step too far," he said. "Germany should not sink to this level."Sofuoglu appealed to members of Germany's Turkish community to stay calm despite what he called a constant barrage of anti-German and anti-European messages on Turkish media. THE EMIGRE VOTE

A leader with no rival who consistently wins close to 50 percent in elections, Erdogan is well placed to win powers he says are essential to secure a country threatened by Islamist and Kurdish militants and still recovering from a military attempt to topple him that killed 248 people.

Opponents say the new system, allowing him to enforce decrees, dissolve parliament and declare emergency rule, would abolish checks already eroded during his 15 years in power.The almost 4 million Turkish voters living in the European Union are an important bloc that could be sceptical of Erdogan's desire for more authority, said Abdulkadir Selvi, a commentator with close links to the ruling AK Party."Is the AK Party front uneasy about a 'no' wave across Europe and particularly in Germany? They are definitely uneasy, because votes overseas have begun to create a significant weight on the election results."Germany is not alone in worrying about Turkish rallies. The Dutch government has opposed a rally in Rotterdam, while the Austrian chancellor proposed an EU-wide ban on Turkish rallies, which would deflect some of the pressure from Berlin. "We now see a wave of fascism is being resurrected through Germany and Austria," Turkish pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak said in an editorial. "A racist trend is spreading across the whole of Europe preparing for open war against the two 'enemies', the Turkey enemy and the Islamic enemy."There was room for humour amid the bluster, albeit with a sarcastic edge: "Don't be scared, we are not planning to besiege Vienna again," the editorial said, referring to 16th and 17th century battles that halted Ottoman expansion in Europe.

Erdogan has chafed at German criticism of a widespread purge he is conducting including arrests and dismissals of people in almost all walks of society suspected of links to the failed July coup. He has also accused Berlin of giving succour to Turkey's enemies, from Kurdish militants to leftist radicals.Dozens of Turkish diplomats and military figures accused by Erdogan of links to the coup have claimed political asylum in Germany. The German justice ministry says it has received 136 asylum applications.Erdogan has also bristled at German condemnation of the arrest of a German-Turkish journalist, whom he calls a spy.Merkel's response is constrained in part by her reliance on Erdogan's cooperation in a deal that stopped the flow of migrants into Europe from Turkey last year, after a million reached Germany the year before. Erdogan agreed to take back migrants who reach the EU from Turkey by boat. In return, the EU agreed to easier visas for Turks and progress on Turkey's long-delayed bid to join the bloc.The lead article in German news magazine Der Spiegel urged Merkel to free herself from the handcuffs of the migrant deal.Erdogan has made no hint so far that he might pull out of the deal, but Turkish officials grumble that Europe is not living up to its side of it.While we're expecting full support from Germany on issues such as the migrant deal, visa liberalization and Turkeys full EU membership, the exact opposite is happening," a senior government official said."There is a great disappointment in that sense. (additional reporting by Tuvan Gumrucku, Orhan Coskun, Daren Butler, Tulay Karadeniz; editing by Peter Graff)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.


The US on Sunday assured India of "speedy justice" to the Indian-American victims of suspected hate-crimes as the Indian envoy reached out to the State Department to convey his "deep concerns" over such tragic incidents.

"State Department, on behalf of US government, expressed condolences and assured they are working with all agencies concerned to ensure speedy justice," the Indian Embassy in the US said in a series of tweets.

Amb @NavtejSarna convyd r deep concerns to US Gov on recent tragic incidents involving Hardish Patel & Deep Rai1/4 @MEAIndia @SushmaSwaraj  India in USA (@IndianEmbassyUS) March 5, 2017

Amb @NavtejSarna underlined need to prevent such incidents and protect Indian community 2/4 @MEAIndia @SushmaSwaraj  India in USA (@IndianEmbassyUS) March 5, 2017

State Department, on behalf of US Govt, expressed condolences and assured they are working 3/4 @NavtejSarna @MEAIndia @SushmaSwaraj  India in USA (@IndianEmbassyUS) March 5, 2017

India's Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna reached out to the State Department to convey his "deep concerns" to the US government on the recent tragic incidents involving Harnish Patel and Deep Rai. Sarna also "underlined" the need to prevent such incidents and protect the Indian community.

Indian embassy officials are in constant communication with local police officials in both cases. "We will remain in touch with them," an Indian Embassy source said.

There has been a slew of race-related incidents in the US, raising concerns over the safety of the members of the Indian-American community.

Last month, 32-year-old Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed when 51-year-old US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani, yelling "get out of my country".

The Indian Consulate in San Francisco is in touch with local authorities after an attack on a Sikh man in the US state of Washington by a masked gunman who told him "go back to your country", an official source said on Sunday.

The victim was identified as Deep Rai by the Indian Embassy in Washington. Rai, a 39-year-old Sikh, was shot outside his house on Friday, but survived the attack, unlike the two others  Harnish Patel of Lancaster, South Carolina, who was killed on Thursday, and Srinivas Kuchibhotla, who was murdered on 22 February in Olathe, Kansas. Another Indian, Alok Madasani was also shot in the Olathe incident, but survived.

Patel, 43, the owner of a convenience store in Lancaster County, South Carolina, was found dead of gunshot wounds in the front yard of his home on Thursday. In the case of Patel, the county sheriff had pointed out that this may not be a hate crime.

Authorities said a gunman approached the Sikh man as he worked on his car in his driveway in the city of Kent, about 20 miles south of Seattle. The FBI will help investigate the shooting, authorities said.

Kent police chief Ken Thomas said the department is investigating the shooting as a hate crime. He said no arrests have been made yet after the victim was shot in the arm but that he did not believe anyone was in imminent danger.

"This is a top priority investigation, and we are doing everything possible to identify and arrest the suspect," Thomas said in an email, adding that residents in the city of about 125,000 should "be vigilant" but also not let the shooting hurt their quality of life.

The FBI's Seattle office said in a statement Sunday that it is "committed to investigating crimes that are potentially hate-motivated," The Seattle Times reported.

The Kent police have not identified the suspect or released other information. But India Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj acknowledged the incident on Twitter early Sunday, saying, "I am sorry to know about the attack on Deep Rai, a US national of Indian origin."

I am sorry to know about the attack on Deep Rai a US national of Indian origin. I have spoken to Sardar Harpal Singh father of the victim./1  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 5, 2017

He told me that his son had a bullet injury on his arm. He is out of danger and is recovering in a private hospital. /2  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 5, 2017

She said she had spoken to Rai's father, who told her Rai is out of danger and recovering in a hospital. Rai told the police that a man he didn't know came up to him on Friday night and they got into an argument, with the suspect telling Rai to go back to his homeland. He described the shooter as six-feet tall and white with a stocky build, police said. He said the man was wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face.

"All of the information that I have available at this time suggests that the information provided by the victim is credible," Thomas, the police chief, wrote.

Meanwhile, Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera has condemned the shooting of Rai, saying crimes motivated by hate are on the rise. "This disturbing crime is an outrage that goes against everything we stand for as a nation of immigrants," Bera said. "On the heels of the Kansas shooting, crimes motivated by hate are on the rise," Bera said. "Xenophobia and racism have no place in America, and we as a nation need to stand up to these hate crimes  starting with the President (Donald Trump). Thankfully, the victim is recovering and my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family," said Bera, the three-term Indian American Congressman from California.

Kent mayor Suzette Cooke has also reached out to the victim. The Sikh Coalition, a national civil rights group, on Sunday said everything must be done "to confront this growing epidemic of hate violence." "We are all accountable for what happened in Kent, Washington on Friday night," Jasmit Singh, a Seattle-area community leader, said in a statement.

The Sikh Coalition praised Kent Police for swiftly moving to investigate the incident as a hate crime. "We applaud the decision by the Kent Police Department to pursue a hate crime investigation," said Sikh Coalition interim program manager, Rajdeep Singh.

Kent is about 30 km from Seattle and is near the Congressional constituency of Pramila Jayapal, an Indian-origin member of the House of Representatives. Jayapal tweeted, "Thoughts and prayers to family and the entire Sikh community in wake of the horrific shooting. This must be investigated as hate crime."

Thoughts & prayers to family & entire Sikh community in wake of horrific shooting. This must be investigated as #HateCrime. #NoToHate https://t.co/frovK8cK4U  Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) March 4, 2017

Thank you to @sikh_coalition for leading efforts on tragic shooting. America, we are better than this. @POTUS, yr words have consequences. https://t.co/VOQCGmDncE  Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) March 4, 2017

On the attack on Rai, MaryKay L Carlson, Charge d'Affaires, American Embassy in New Delhi, said she was saddened by the shooting in Washington state. She tweeted:

Saddened by shooting in WA. Wishes for quick and full recovery. As @POTUS said we condemn "hate and evil in all its forms"  MaryKay Loss Carlson (@USAmbIndia) March 5, 2017

Sikhs have previously been the target of assaults in the US. After the 11 September attacks, the backlash that hit Muslims around the country expanded to include those of the Sikh faith. In 2012, a man shot and killed six Sikh worshippers and wounded four others at a temple near Milwaukee before killing himself.

With inputs from agencies
Islamabad: The Pakistan military has warned US President Donald Trump's new Generals that they face a "total mess" in Afghanistan unless the US and Britain halt the advance of the Islamic State and the Taliban in the strife-torn country.

According to a senior Pakistan Army official, the collapse in security since the draw-down of Western troops from Afghanistan meant the West now faced "losing control", The Telegraph reported on Monday.

If the IS and the Taliban continued to gain strength, it could tempt Russia to stage a Syrian-style intervention, this time on the pretext of protecting its "backyard" in central Asia, he said.

The comments by the Pakistan Army official, who The Telegraph did not identify, will add to growing concern in Washington and London about the reversal of the hard-won gains made by coalition troops during the 16-year-long Afghan campaign.

According to him, high-level discussions had taken place last month with both Resolute Support Mission commander General John Nicholson and US Defense Secretary James Mattis, in which Nicholson admitted that Afghan forces were in a stalemate against the Taliban.

"A stalemate is still a win for the Taliban," he said. "We have told General Mattis that Afghanistan is slipping out of control, and that if things are not put right, America will have a huge crisis on its hands.

"(The IS) Daish is also developing there, and if they leave Syria and Iraq, the next place for them to gather in is Afghanistan."

Pakistan has criticised the Kabul government for not doing enough to seal its side of the border, from where, Islamabad says, militants launch attacks on both Pakistani and Afghan soil.

However, Islamabad admits that Kabul is limited by the capabilities of the Afghan National Army.

"There are 3,50,000 troops in the Afghan Army, but only about 20,000 are capable of combat missions," the official said.

"They also have about 1,000 Generals, most of whom are appointed because of their tribal affiliations rather than on merit. The problem is that you can't teach a donkey to gallop."

He said Russia feared that the West was using the IS as a "plot to destabilise its backyard", and could use it as an excuse to extend military operations into Afghanistan.

Last month, Russia held a conference for regional powers on Afghanistan, signalling what could be the opening stages of such a strategy.
In the span of under a month, three Indians have been attacked  two of them fatally  in different parts of the US. Two days after Srinivas Kuchibhotla, a technology worker from Hyderabad, was shot dead in Kansas city, Harnish Patel, a convenience store owner of Indian origin, was found dead outside his residence in South Carolina. "Lancaster County police received calls from people saying they had heard screaming and gunshots near White Oak Manor, a nursing centre... When the police arrived at the spot, they found Patel dead," reported AP.

Much has been made of the fact that US president Donald Trump, in his first address to a joint session of Congress last Tuesday, condemned the attack on Kuchibhotla. But given that Trump himself had ratcheted up politics of hate during his presidential campaign, his words are devoid of any serious intent. Regardless of the presidential condemnation, attacks on non-white communities, are continuing across America.

In the latest case, a 39-year-old Sikh man Deep Rai has been shot this Friday by a white gunman, telling the Indian "go back to your own country". According to The Seattle Times, the gunman shot the victim in the arm. "We're early on in our investigation," said the police chief Ken Thomas on Saturday. He told a local television station that the attack was being considered a possible hate crime. Recall that before shooting him dead, Kuchibhotlas assailant, too, screamed: "Get out of my country". The shooter, a US Navy veteran, was harassing the techie and his friend Alok Reddy Madasani (who survived a gunshot) over their immigration status while both were having a drink in a bar.

There is a common thread binding the these attacks. The sentiment behind such renewed aggression seems to draw sustenance from the US presidents deeply controversial immigration policies, his relentless rhetoric that builds on public fear of 'others'. Its important here to contextualise the recent attacks on Indians within a broader framework of similar attacks on other communities.

Citing police statistics, a report in the UKbased Independent has said, hate crimes in New York City have shot up by 55 percent compared to the same time last year . "The New York Police Department (NYPD) said the spike was driven by a 94 percent surge in anti-Semitic hate crimes." Images of swastikas have surfaced on subways while bomb threats have been issued at the Manhattan Anti-Defamation League. "A total of 56 hate crimes were reported in the city as of 12 February this year, up from 31 over the same period last year," stated the report. Topping the list of hate crimes are 28 cases of anti-Semitic attacks. Paradoxically, such attacks have escalated even when there has been an overall decline in crimes across New York.

The recent surge in hate crimes can best be explained by Trumps intemperate rhetoric levelled against communities that he and his followers perceive as being 'outsiders'. The genie of hatred that was let out during the presidential campaign has now moved into autopilot mode. What Trump has achieved with his 'Make America Great Again' campaign is to tap into the reservoir of popular resentment against the immigrant. That subterranean resentment is now articulating itself in a cultural projection of hate.

The swaggering and publicly vocal white supremacists as well as silently resentful have been emboldened with the installation of a friendly government in power. Trump no longer needs to publicly issue a rallying call to such forces, all this while biding their time. He has achieved that objective during the course of his campaign. The White House administration is fully aware of unleashing and renewing a politics of hate, lying somewhat dormant till now; but something that has always been at the core of the Republican Partys ideology.

Its difficult to overlook the analogy marking the trend of hate presently characterising US and Indian politics.

The series of violent attacks by the different Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on dissidents of all hues, declaring their intention to eliminate the 'enemy' (the recent announcement of a bounty on the Kerala chief ministers head by a RSS leader, for instance), are a fallout of the overt and covert politics of hate, practiced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for so long.

Like Trump, Narendra Modis delayed and tepid condemnation of attacks launched by the hate brigades, are part of the same sleight-of-hand political design, which is to promote a brand of nationalism stemming from a culture of hate of minority communities across the line.
Saudi Arabia's reigning monarch Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud is scheduled to visit tiny Maldives next month amid strong rumours that he will sign an important agreement wherein the island nation is expected to lease out its Faafu atoll for up to 99 years to develop a Special Economic Zone.

The initial reaction among the security and geopolitical experts on this move was an uncomfortable one as any Saudi-Maldives collaboration leads to suspicion that Islamic forces may see a visible reinforcement or there may be a renewed radicalisation within the Maldives. As it is, according to intelligence sources, hundreds of radicalised Maldivians had reached Syria and joined the rank and file of the Islamic State in their pursuit of jihad. Which is why this reaction wasn't surprising.

On its part, Saudi Arabia has assured the Maldives that the atoll under consideration, will be developed into a world class city with state-of-the-art facilities including sophisticated medical infrastructure, educational institutions and tourism-related centres. In addition to this, in case the project fructifies  which in all likelihood will  it will draw thousands of tourists from the Gulf thus boosting its tourism potential. Crucially, the anti-graft organisation Transparency International has called upon the government to divulge explicitly its plan for the deal on Faafu atoll. Casting a doubt on the upcoming project throws up the political angle to the entire project.

Going quickly over recent history, we find that former president Maumoon Gayoom had set up the Maldivian Embassy in Riyadh in May 2014  becoming the first Maldivian diplomatic mission in West Asia. His brother President Abdulla Yameen, had allowed the reopening of the Saudi embassy in 2015. Analysts perceive that Yameen is anti-Indian in the sense that he continues to pinprick India by warming up to Saudi Arabia, China or Pakistan to signal that Maldives too is not isolated and has affluent and powerful well-wishers upon whom it can fall back.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Gayoom have always been strong and by cementing this upcoming deal, ties will be further reinforced. Maldives-watchers also believe that former president Mohamed Nasheed is the only pro-India leader who can scuttle such deals and keep Indian interests paramount, but chances of his coming back to the political arena look remote. And till such time, such political rigmarole appears to continue with hiccups causing irritation to India.

To underscore the political content in such atoll-related issues, it would be germane to highlight that before 2008, hype was created amid propaganda that Marao island was being handed over to the Chinese for a military base. This move was apparently intended to needle India but the hype soon evaporated after Nasheed returned to power .

Maldives is a Muslim country and is prone to being easily prevailed upon by any rhetoric of radical Islam. I happened to be in the island nation between 2009 and 2010 and it coincided with the much-publicised visit by Zakir Naik, who mesmerised his audience with his magical oration, which was essentially Islam-centric and cast a theocratic spell on the Maldivians. With the Saudi presence on the 'to-be-acquired' atoll, there will be opportunities for Wahhabis to increase their presence on the island. That perhaps calls for caution and it's no wonder that as per news reports, India looks worried lest the Maldives-Saudi nexus abets the breeding of terrorists. It might seem far-fetched, but with the IS shutting down, it's cadres are likely to return to their respective countries to activate their sleeping cadres.

The Indian mission in the Maldives has representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and from other Government Of India agencies. They are expected to closely watch the developments and read them with security concerns. There is an Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) too, which can play a meaningful role in calming passions and designs detrimental to India's security interests. Each arm of the embassy must work in tandem keeping foremost India's interests. Insiders disclose in anonymity that it's not the best lot of the foreign or other services who find themselves posted in the Maldives. Perhaps the policy of posting officials merits a review. The best of the lot manipulate postings in the West and as a consequence, this Maldives is compromised, thereby making the island more vulnerable.

Mauritius, another Indian Ocean country, has an Indian national security advisor with an intelligence background. Perhaps a time has come for Maldives to accept one who can oversee the issues and whose advice comes handy to address matters of security. Specifically, the atoll issue makes such a case stronger.

One should not forget the geostrategic importance of the Maldives and its proximity to India. It never escaped the notice of Muslim scholars and explorers  the most important of these being the Moroccan traveller, scholar and explorer Ibn Batuta (1304-1368). He visited the Maldives in the 14th Century and chronicled his impressions comprehensibly touching upon its polity, society, religion, trade, commerce and people. It remains an interesting island well worth exploring even 700 years after Ibn Batuta paid a visit. If the exploration of the island is of academic and exploratory interest, it's alright, but any hidden agenda must come to light and deserves exposure.

The author is a retired IPS officer and security analyst. He is also a senior fellow with the India Police Foundation. Views are personal.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Iran says Saudi officials have briefed Tehran on a judiciary decision sentencing two Jeddah airport police officers to four years in prison and 1000 lashes for sexually abusing two Iranian teenagers.

Qazi Asgar, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis representative in charge of Hajj Affairs, has said the two convicts are currently serving their sentences, IRNA news agency reported.

In April 2015, two airport police officers performing body search on passengers at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah reportedly sounded off the alarm at the gate and took the Iranian teenagers away and subjected them to indecent acts.

According to Iranian sources, the country stopped sending pilgrims to Hajj over security concerns after two deadly incidents claimed the lives of more than 470 Iranian pilgrims during the 2015 Hajj rituals.

Tehran and Riyadh are currently in talks to resume sending Iranian pilgrims to Hajj rituals.
By Steve Holland and Julia Edwards Ainsley

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump signed a revised executive order on Monday banning citizens from six Muslim-majority nations from travelling to the United States but removing Iraq from the list, after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts.The new order, which takes effect on March 16, keeps a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It applies only to new visa applicants, meaning some 60,000 people whose visas were revoked under the previous order will now be permitted to enter.Immigration advocates said the new ban still discriminated against Muslims and failed to address some of their concerns with the previous order. Legal experts said it would, however, be harder to challenge because it affects fewer people living in the United States and allows more exemptions to protect them.Trump, who first proposed a temporary travel ban on Muslims during his presidential campaign last year, had said his original Jan. 27 executive order was a national security measure meant to head off attacks by Islamist militants. It sparked chaos and protests at airports, where visa holders were detained and later deported back to their home countries. It also drew criticism from targeted countries, Western allies and some of America's leading corporations before a U.S. judge suspended it on Feb. 3. "As threats to our security continue to evolve and change, common sense dictates that we continually re-evaluate and reassess the systems we rely upon to protect our country," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters after Trump signed the new order. PELOSI SAYS BAN STILL 'IMMORAL'

Democrats, a minority in Congress, quickly signalled fierce opposition to what they called a discriminatory ban."The Trump administrations repackaging has done nothing to change the immoral, unconstitutional and dangerous goals of their Muslim and refugee ban," House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, a civil rights group in Washington, said the Trump administration had "doubled down on anti-Muslim bigotry."

She told reporters on a conference call: "Its crystal clear this is a Muslim ban." But some Republicans who had been critical of Trump's original order were more positive on the new one.Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was "very encouraged" by the approach and pleased that Iraq was removed from the list.Iraq was taken off the banned list because the Iraqi government has imposed new vetting procedures, such as heightened visa screening and data sharing, and because of its work with the United States in countering Islamic State militants, a senior White House official said.Trump's original ban resulted in more than two dozen lawsuits in U.S. courts. The Justice Department estimated 60,000 people had their visas revoked by the first order but senior administration officials said on Monday those visas were now valid again for entry into the United States.

"By rescinding his earlier executive order, President Trump makes one thing perfectly clear: his original travel ban was indefensible - legally, constitutionally and morally," said Attorney General Bob Ferguson of Washington state, which succeeded in having the previous ban suspended.His office will likely decide this week on whether to proceed with litigation over the new order, he said.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he expected the revised order to have the same uphill battle in the courts as the original version."A watered down ban is still a ban," he said in a statement. "Despite the administration's changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited, and un-American. It must be repealed."HARDER TO CHALLENGE

The fact the ban affects fewer people already in the United States means it will be more difficult for opponents to find plaintiffs who have been harmed by the order and thus have legal standing to challenge it, legal experts said. The revised order expressly makes waivers possible for a foreign national seeking to enter the United States to visit a spouse, child or parent who is a U.S. citizen, or for "significant business or professional obligations." "They dotted their i's and crossed their t's in trying to anticipate what litigation might result," said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a Cornell Law School professor.The revised order means that tens of thousands of legal permanent U.S. residents - or green card holders - from the listed countries will no longer be affected.The original order barred travellers from the seven nations from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days. Refugees from Syria were to be banned indefinitely but under the new order they are not given separate treatment.Refugees "in transit" and already approved would be able to travel to the United States under the new order.Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who along with several other senior Cabinet members had lobbied for Iraq's removal from the list of banned countries, was consulted on the new order and the updated version "does reflect his inputs," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said. Thousands of Iraqis have fought alongside U.S. troops for years or worked as translators since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Many have resettled in the United States after being threatened for working with U.S. troops. (Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Doina Chiacu, Tim Ahmann and Idrees Ali in Washington, Mica Rosenberg in New York and Dan Levine in San Francisco; Editing by Bill Trott, Nick Tattersall and Bill Rigby)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Washington DC: Senior US lawmakers on Sunday condemned the suspected distribution of nude photographs of female Marines to military personnel and veterans via a social media network that promotes sexual violence, and called on the Marine Corps to fully investigate.

The Marine Corps Times, an independent newspaper focusing on issues involving the service, published an internal Marine Corps communications document with talking points about the issue, describing the social media network as a closed Facebook group with about 30,000 members. The network solicited nude photos of female service members, some of whom had their name, rank and duty station listed, the newspaper reported.

A Marine Corps spokesman told the newspaper that military officials are uncertain how many military personnel could be involved.

The chairman of the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, Republican Mac Thornberry of Texas, and the panel's senior Democrat, Adam Smith of Washington state, separately called for a complete investigation.

"Degrading behavior of this kind is entirely unacceptable," Thornberry said in a statement. "I expect the Marine Corps to investigate this matter fully with appropriate consequences for those who willingly participated."

Smith also called for proper care to be provided to the victims, and said that, "This behavior by Marines and former Marines is degrading, dangerous, and completely unacceptable."

Officials from the Marine Corps Naval Criminal Investigative Service were not immediately available for comment.

The site talked of misogynist behavior, the Marine Corps document said, and the photos were on a secure drive in cloud storage, which has been removed.

The document advised a response along the lines of: "The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in a closed website. This behavior destroys morale, erodes trust, and degrades the individual."

According to an annual report that the Pentagon released in May 2016, the US military received about 6,000 reports of sexual assault in 2015, similar to the number in 2014, but such crimes are still under-reported.
Whats the big surprise of Kong: Skull Island? No, its not a secret sequel to Peter Jacksons 2005 film King Kong; the two movies are not connected in any way. And no, in fact, this Kong is not a sequel to 2014s Godzilla, either, though the two are both part of the shared universe thats being called the MonsterVerse; coming soon: Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 2019 and Godzilla vs. Kong in 2020 2021.

Surprise! This isnt a sequel to 2014s Godzilla.

No, the big surprise  and its not a spoiler because this fact is instantly obvious from the opening moments of Kong: Skull Island  is that this is actually a prequel to Godzilla. After a brief introductory sequence set in 1944, the action jumps to 1973 and stays there. Which lends a delicious retro analog vibe to the goings-on, despite all the the CGI. (The FX are pretty seamless, and suspending disbelief is not at all an issue here, but to the great disappointment of our geeky little hearts, our heads know that monsters arent real.) There are really good practical storytelling reasons to keep our latest high-tech toys out of the hands of the people here, and good reasons that create suspense and intrigue and that aid character development. But mostly it simply allows the film to harness a feeling that isnt quite nostalgia; to these people, all their gadgets are supermodern and you know they think they are the shit hoisting field phones the size of bricks up to their ears, and lugging around portable turntables for their traveling vinyl. Maybe its that their sense of their own coolness infects us even as we snort a little at their tech. (Also worth mentioning with the 70s setting: this movie bears no resemblance to the deeply terrible 1976 King Kong. Thank goodness.)

A good reason to set this tale in 1973: It allows for mysterious Skull Island to have been recently discovered in the South Pacific by the first Earth-mapping satellites, even though it is hidden by a perpetual storm system. Scientist Bill Randa (John Goodman: Patriots Day, Ratchet & Clank) finally gets permission to take his team (Tian Jing [The Great Wall] and Corey Hawkins [Straight Outta Compton, Non-Stop]) on a mission to the island to find out whats there and he has a pretty good idea whats there via his top-secret government project, Monarch (referenced in Godzilla), which is trying to document the existence of massive unidentified terrestrial organisms. (Its like an X-Files for monsters.) So off they go accompanied by tracker and black-ops vet James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston: Crimson Peak, High-Rise), photojournalist Mason Weaver (Brie Larson: Room, Trainwreck), and an escort of US military who are about to be demobilized from Vietnam. Once on the island, they meet Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly: Sing, Guardians of the Galaxy), who was shot down over the island in 1944 (thats the opening sequence) and has been stuck there since.

Boiled down to its bonkers essence, Skull Island is a Vietnam war movie with monsters. (Kong is far from the only one.) Its Ape-ocalypse Now, with a war-addicted, possibly insane Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson: Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children, The Legend of Tarzan), who is quite upset about the whole not-winning in Vietnam thing, going full Ahab and fixating on Kong as a war he can win. (He might be overestimating the capabilities of his squad.) So while Skull Island has ironic fun with a running motif about how war can make a man see enemies everywhere, including in a giant ape that was just minding his own business until you started dropping bombs on him, theres also a man-versus-nature thing running alongside it: mess with nature, and nature will mess right back, ferociously. (Sample dialogue, almost verbatim: What the hell is that?! I dont know! Lets kill it!) Its like Jurassic Park with a lot less wonder and a lot more horror. Oh, the gruesome, intense ickiness here! This movie is really pushing the boundaries of a PG-13 rating or maybe it only feels that way when youre watching in 3D IMAX and it feels like the jungle bug slime and the gore and the monster vomit is all over you. (Thats right: I said monster vomit.) This is a rare instance of 3D being put to actual use onscreen rather than just serving as an excuse to hike ticket prices: there is real depth in the jungle, real dizziness to be found looking down from a high cliff. Jordan Vogt-Roberts, whose only previous feature film is the unpleasantly snide ultra-low-budget coming-of-age dramedy The Kings of Summer, has acquitted himself well with his first massive FX movie. (The screenplay is by Dan Gilroy [Nightcrawler, The Bourne Legacy], Max Borenstein [Godzilla], Derek Connolly [Monster Trucks, Jurassic World], and John Gatins [Need for Speed, Flight].)

Sample dialogue, almost verbatim: What the hell is that?! I dont know! Lets kill it!
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

One of main issues on the agenda of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs visit to Iran, which ended on March 5, became, as expected, the project of the International North-South Transport Corridor, which is jointly implemented by Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran, and is important not only for the countries, involved in its implementation, but also for the entire region.

There is no coincidence that while making statements for the press after the ceremony of signing documents with Irans President Hassan Rouhani, Ilham Aliyev called this project as a historical event.

Azerbaijan is particularly interested in the projects implementation, because the country is located at the intersection of two major international transport corridors  from north to south and from east to west and strategically plays the role of a bridge between the two civilizations.

Meanwhile, this corridor, the creation idea of which exists for more than 15 years, is becoming more tangible and building muscles.

Thus, an 8.3-kilometer section of the railway from Astara (Azerbaijan) to the border with Iran and a border railway bridge over the Astarachay River were built only during 2016.

President Aliyevs visit took place just a day after that the first test train was launched on the border railway bridge over the Astarachay River which marked the successful commissioning of this facility.

The 82.5-meter long and 11.8-meter wide bridge was built and commissioned in less than a year. This fact is a vivid evidence of how implementation of this project, which finally connected the Azerbaijani, Iranian and Russian railways, was accelerated.

A 600-meter long section has already been laid on the Iranian side. Work is now being carried out at accelerated pace there. In particular, a railway station and a terminal for transshipment of cargo are being constructed in an area of 35 hectares. Earthwork is being carried out and drainage systems are being built in the area.

Ilham Aliyev also noted the fact that the North-South project makes a significant contribution to the regional cooperation, as the number of trilateral formats is now increasing in the region.

The project will also provide an important impulse for effective development of the economies of not only the three main participating countries. Other countries will also join the project as participants, which will allow establishing considerable trade turnover between the Northern Europe and Southeast Asia. In particular, Ukraine and Estonia have already expressed interest in joining the corridor.

The forecasts are that in case the North-South corridor operates at full capacity, it will create opportunities for Russia, European, Caucasian and Central Asian countries to access the Persian Gulf and India, as well as intensify trade relations between the Caspian littoral countries and Black Sea ports.

---

Maksim Tsurkov is Trend Agencys staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
[Update]  The GSMA has dismissed media reports about scheduling the India Mobile Congress in September. Contrary to media reports, the GSMA is not collaborating with COAI in the development of the India Mobile Congress scheduled to take place in September

India is all set to organize its own mobile congress this year. According to a latest report from PTI, India will organise its first mobile congress in September with a special focus on reaching out to the South East Asian markets.

The GSM Association, which organises annual global event of Mobile World Congress (MWC), has agreed to associate with the three-day event that will be held at Pragati Maidan in Delhi starting September 27. All Indian mobile operators, Facebook, Huawei, Ericsson, Cisco etc are expected to participate in the mobile congress.

COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews told PTI,

There is Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and an edition in Shanghai. There is nothing in between for South East Asia. India is emerging as one of the global leaders in telecom which we will also showcase in the Indian Mobile Congress. We have asked other Indian business association to come together and be part of it. The event will focus on knowledge sharing, exhibition, start ups, skill development and all pillars of Digital India including Make in India.

He said that the Department of Telecom and the Ministry of Electronics and IT have laid their emphasis on Indian Mobile Congress and Cellular Operators Association of India will drive it. Mathews said he along with Indian government delegation had held discussion with British and Swedish Trade Ministers for their engagement in IMC. He added that they have held meeting with official representatives of other governments as well.

Source


It was reported in December that Samsung is planning to bring Samsung Pay, its mobile payment service in India in first half of 2017. Now the company has started accepting early access registration for Samsung Pay in the country.



Currently Samsung Pay is compatible with  Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, the Galaxy S6 edge+, and the Galaxy A5 (2016) smartphones. Last month, Galaxy Note 5 was updated that added a Samsung Pay app to the phone. Samsung Pay is currently supporting banks including  Axis, HDFC, ICICI, SBI, and Standard Chartered while American Express and CitiBank will be added soon.

In order to sign up for Samsung Pay, you will need to head to the official Samsung Pay page and click on Register for Early Access. Next up, you will need to add your Samsung user ID, mobile number and pin code. After completing the registration, Samsung will send you an email confirming your registration. The email also says, The Early Access Program will be available shortly, details of which will be shared subsequently,

[HTML1]

Launched in August 2015, Samsung Pay comes equipped with Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) and Near Field Communication (NFC) technologies that lets users makes contactless payments at PoS terminals. Samsung Pays foray in India will come at a time where digital wallets are paving the way for citizens following demonetization in India. It must be noted that Android Pay and Apple Pay are still not live in the India.
Samsung just launched Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) smartphones in India. These were unveiled earlier this year ahead of CES 2017, come with IP68 ratings for water and dust resistance, allowing it to withstand rain, sweat, sand and dust. The phones sport a metal frame and 3D glass back which offers them a premium look.

These have a USB Type-C port, Fast Charging, Always on Display and 16MP front and rear cameras. These also have support for Samsung Pay that will launch in India soon.

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) specifications

5.2-inch (19201080 pixels) Full HD Super AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection

1.9GHz Octa-Core Exynos 7880 processor with Mali-T830 GPU

3GB RAM, 32GB Internal Storage, expandable upto 256GB via micro SD card

Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

Dual SIM (nano + nano)

16MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.9 aperture

16MP front camera, f/1.9 aperture

Fingerprint Scanner, Water and dust resistant body (IP68)

Dimension:146.1 x 71.4 x 7.9mm

4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v4.2, NFC, USB Type-C

3000mAh battery with adaptive fast charging

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) specifications

5.7-inch (19201080 pixels) Full HD Super AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection

1.9GHz Octa-Core Exynos 7880 processor with Mali-T830 GPU

3GB RAM, 32GB Internal Storage, expandable upto 256GB via micro SD card

Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

Dual SIM (nano + nano)

16MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.9 aperture

16MP front camera, f/1.9 aperture

Fingerprint Scanner, Water and dust resistant body (IP68)

Dimensions:156.8 x 77.6 x 7.9mm

4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v4.2, NFC, USB Type-C

3600mAh battery with adaptive fast charging

The Galaxy A5 (2017) and A7 (2017) come in Black Sky and Gold Sand colors, are priced at Rs. 28,990 and Rs. 33,490, respectively and will be available across India from March 15th.

Commenting on the launch, Asim Warsi, Senior Vice President, Samsung India said:

At Samsung, we are always committed to innovate as per the need of our consumers to ensure that they have the most advanced and modern products in the market today. The latest Galaxy A (2017) series is a testament to our commitment. We have integrated our consumers feedback on our previous models along with our unique design approach and features, to give an added performance and premium experience to the users.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 6

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

California, one of the largest states in the US, is famous not only for its Hollywood and Silicon Valley, and not even for its wonderful climate, but also for the fact that the state often lives by its own laws, which fundamentally contradict the national interests of the US.

The case is that the state is densely populated by US citizens of Armenian origin, and the Armenian lobby has taken over California, especially its politicians as well.

According to information obtained from various sources, California is a home to about one million ethnic Armenians with 500,000 of them living in the Greater Los Angeles Area. At the same time, the ubiquitous members of the Armenian community work in political, economic, cultural, social and other spheres, as well as hold positions in various public and private structures of California, including the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the government.

Given all the above mentioned, it is obvious that today California is one of the main ideological and financial centers of the Armenian lobby. A lot of money circulating between the representatives of one of the biggest Armenian diasporas and corrupt Californian politicians bear fruit. Yet another decision contrary to Washingtons policy has been bought for the Armenian money.

On Mar. 2, 2017, the California State Senates Rules Committee, led by Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de Leon, passed a fast-tracked decision to establish a Select Committee on California, Armenia and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art and Cultural Exchange.

Artsakh is the name used by Armenians for Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has been under the occupation of Armenia since early 1990s.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

The establishment of the Select Committee on California, Armenia and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art and Cultural Exchange was proudly announced by the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR), which paid for this initiative.

Following the establishment of this committee, Californias Armenian lobby has issued statements, expressing gratitude to Kevin de Leon and other senators, apparently, not only in words, but also in especially large amounts of money.

However, ANCA representatives forgot to mention that this so-called committees creation strongly contradicts the US federal foreign policy as it relates to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The US has stated many times that it supports Azerbaijans territorial integrity and does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakhs independence.

The committee members are Kevin de Leon, Anthony Portantino and Scott Wilk. A meticulous analysis of these three legislators political career and of their longtime interactions with Californias Armenian lobby are indicative of the fact that the establishment of this Select Committee was not free of charge, but was a result of pure pay-for-play politics.

So, lets see who is who in this committee.

Senator Kevin De Leon is the president pro tempore of the California State Senate, a member of the Democratic Party. He started his political career at the California State Assembly in 2006, being elected to the Senate in 2010, and was elected president pro tempore of the Senate in 2014.

De Leon is considered one of the most pro-Armenian legislators in the US. He represents largely Armenian-populated areas of Los Angeles, including Little Armenia. He is surrounded by Armenians. Many Armenians are his staff members.

De Leon is the major force behind all pro-Armenian attempts at the California State Legislature. He doesnt do this service for free. The Armenian lobby has generously supported his election campaigns over the years.

According to open sources monitoring American campaign contributions, De Leon has received $119,500 from Armenians and Armenian organizations since 2006. For his services in support of the illegal regime in Karabakh, he was awarded a medal of gratitude in 2015 by the illegal regimes head Bako Sahakyan. He was also awarded in 2014 the Legislator of the Year award by the ANCA-WR.

De Leons dubious political activities do not end with this. In 2013, he was investigated by FBI within a corruption investigation against his colleague Senator Ron Calderon, who was eventually sentenced to three years of prison.

Furthermore, in 2015 FBI questioned Kevin de Leon about a corruption scheme around an environmental bill at the California Senate.

Senator Anthony Portantino is the second member of the recently established committee, who was awarded by the Armenians. He was elected to the California State Senate in 2016. Before that he served at the California State Assembly from 2006 to 2012. He is a member of the Democratic Party and represents densely Armenian-populated areas of the Los Angeles County. His staff includes many Armenians.

Portantino has actively participated in all anti-Azerbaijani and anti-Turkish actions held by the Armenian lobby in California.

His services for the Armenian lobby did not go unappreciated. According to open sources monitoring American campaign contributions, just for his election to the California Senate, Armenians donated $47,300 to his campaign.

In June 2016 he illegally visited the occupied regions of Azerbaijan  Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts where he was very well wined and dined. The visit was financed and arranged by the Armenian lobby.

Senator Scot Wilk, the third member of the Select Committee on California, Armenia and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art and Cultural Exchange, was elected to the California Senate in 2016.

Before that he served at the California State Assembly in 2012-2016. He is married to Vanessa Safoyan, an Armenian. Wilk was behind all pro-Armenian, anti-Azerbaijani and anti-Turkish initiatives at the California State Legislature.

Like his other two colleagues, Wilk has also financially profited from serving pro-Armenian interests. According to open sources monitoring American campaign contributions, since 2012, Senator Wilk has received $87,250 in political donations from Armenians and Armenian organizations.

In 2013, he also paid an illegal visit to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The visit was financed by the ANCA-WR, the Armenian lobbys largest organization.

Well, lets hope that US President Donald Trump will find time to deal with the lawlessness taking place in the California State Legislature, and will be able to break the corruption schemes of individual representatives of California authorities, who think not of the national interests of the US, but only of their personal profit.

---

Elmira Tariverdiyeva is the head of Trend Agency's Russian News Service, follow her on Twitter @EmmaTariver
General Motors (NYSE:GM) said Monday it has agreed to sell European brands Opel and Vauxhall to the maker of Frances Peugeot, and CEO Mary Barra left the door open to future deals in car markets that are struggling to turn around.

The Detroit-based automaker had been working on a deal with PSA Group to relinquish its money-losing European division, which last booked a profit in 1999. The companies expect to complete the $2.33 billion deal by the end of the year.

Barra, who has driven GM to focus on profitability over size, said the company must work on improving its businesses in other international markets. GM isnt actively seeking out more deals like the sale of German brand Opel and the U.K.s Vauxhall, Barra said. But executives are keeping their options open if underperforming regions show no signs of bouncing back.

There are parts of the core business that were going to make sure are earning their way into the General Motors portfolio, Barra said during a conference call with analysts.

In a separate call Monday morning, Barra clarified that GM continuously looks at every country and product line to ensure they provide a great return.

I didnt say wed be looking for more deals, Barra added.

CFRA Research analyst Efraim Levy said GM seems to be evaluating some smaller international markets that contribute little to GMs overall business.

I dont expect major transformative transactions, Levy said in an email.

Europe, despite being the third-largest automobile market in the world, weighed on GMs bottom line.

The region posted a loss of $300 million in 2016, although GM would have broken even there if not for a negative currency impact following the U.K.s vote for Brexit.

Elsewhere, GM reported pre-tax profits in North America and its International segment, which includes China. International markets were softer last year, while results in China remained strong, GM said. The company logged a $400 million loss in South America.

GM toppled its previous record in North America, where pre-tax earnings jumped to $12 billion amid robust demand for lucrative SUVs and trucks.

The sale of Opel and Vauxhall marks GMs effective withdrawal from Europe, where GM has sold vehicles for nearly a century. GM pulled Chevrolet out of the region last year, limiting sales to a limited number of high-performance models, such as the Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette. The companys near- to medium-term plans in Europe will remain the same, GM President Dan Ammann said. In the future, GM has the ability to re-enter Europe with new mobility services from Lyft or Maven, GMs car-sharing service, according to Barra.

Under the agreement with PSA Group, GM included billions of euros to cover pension costs. Executives cited market conditions and regulatory hurdles as reasons behind the European exit. Brexit, which sparked a decline in the British pound, also contributed to the decision.
IBM and Danish transport company Maersk said they were working together to digitize, manage, and track shipping transactions using blockchain technology.

The technology, which powers the digital currency bitcoin, enables data sharing across a network of individual computers. It has gained worldwide popularity due to its usefulness in recording and keeping track of assets or transactions across all industries.

The blockchain solution being built by the two companies is expected to be made available to the ocean shipping industry later this year, according to a joint statement from International Business Machines Corp and the container unit of A.P. Moller-Maersk. It would help manage and track the paper trail of tens of millions of shipping containers globally by digitizing the supply chain process from end to end.

This will enhance transparency and make the sharing of information among trading partners more secure.

When adopted at scale, the solution based on the Linux Foundation's open source Hyperledger platform has the potential to save the industry billions of dollars, the companies said.

"Working closely with Maersk for years, we've long understood the challenges facing the supply chain and logistics industry and quickly recognized the opportunity for blockchain to provide massive savings when used broadly across the ocean shipping industry ecosystem," said Bridget van Kralingen, senior vice president, industry platforms, at IBM.

IBM and Maersk intend to work with a network of shippers, freight forwarders, ocean carriers, ports and customs authorities to build the new global trade digitization product, the companies said.

The product is also designed to help reduce or eliminate fraud and errors and minimize the time products spend in the transit and shipping process.

For instance, Maersk found that in 2014, just a simple shipment of refrigerated goods from East Africa to Europe can go through nearly 30 people and organizations, including more than 200 different communications among them.

The new blockchain solution would enable the real-time exchange of original supply chain transactions and documents through a digital infrastructure that connects the participants within the network, according to IBM and Maersk.

(Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Editing by Andrew Hay)
Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) will spend $20 billion by 2022 to expand its footprint along the U.S. Gulf Coast, creating more than 45,000 jobs.

The worlds largest publicly traded oil company said Monday it will invest in refining and chemical-manufacturing projects at 11 proposed and existing sites, located in Texas and Louisiana. Speaking at the CERAWeek conference in Houston, Exxon's new CEO Darren Woods noted that 35,000 temporary construction jobs will be needed. The investments will also create 12,000 permanent jobs.

Many of the new positions will be for high-skilled, high-paying jobs with an average salary of about $100,000 a year, Woods said in Exxons announcement.

The United States is a leading producer of oil and natural gas, which is incentivizing U.S. manufacturing to invest and grow, Woods said.

President Donald Trump applauded the news, calling Exxons plans ambitious.

This is exactly the kind of investment, economic development and job creation that will help put Americans back to work, Trump said in a statement released by the White House. Many of the products that will be manufactured here in the United States by American workers will be exported to other countries, improving our balance of trade.

Buy American & hire American are the principals at the core of my agenda, which is: JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! Thank you @exxonmobil.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 6, 2017

Exxon said its investments will spur $20 billion in new economic activity and increase the companys manufacturing and export capacity. Related investments on the Gulf Coast began in 2013.

The projects include the companys chemical, refining, lubricant and liquefied natural gas businesses.

Woods became CEO of Irving, Texas-based Exxon this year after Rex Tillerson was tapped by Trump as the presidents nominee for Secretary of State.
Frank Bullitt couldnt have done a better job cracking this case.

Nearly 50 years after it was last seen, a 1968 Ford Mustang found in a Mexican junkyard has been confirmed to be one of two known to have been used in the filming of the Steve McQueen movie Bullitt.

Im 100 percent sure its authentic, classic Ford expert Kevin Marti told Fox News after travelling across the border to Mexicali to inspect the car last week.

The car was discovered last year in Baja California Sur by a man named Hugo Sanchez, its then-white body rotting away and its original drivetrain long gone. Hollywood legend had it that the car, which was the film's primary stunt car, had been sent to the junkyard shortly after filming was complete, but a couple of layers of paint sprayed on top of its iconic Highland Green suggest that it had lived several lives before finally ending up in one.

FOLLOW FOX NEWS LIFESTYLE FOR MORE CAR STORIES

Sanchez brought it to a Mexicali custom car shop owned by his friend, Ralph Garcia, Jr., to have it turned into a clone of the similarly-famous Eleanor Mustang from the film Gone in 60 Seconds, but after the pair learned of its amazing history, their plans changed.

Marti Auto Works maintains the production database for every Ford built from 1967-2012. Its Marti Reports are a staple of the classic car world. They can tell you when a car was ordered, the color it was first painted, what options it came from the factory with, and the exact date it rolled off the assembly line. If you want make sure that Shelby Mustang youre about to pay six figures for didnt start its life as a straight-six stripper, one of these Marti Reports is the best way to find out.

Garcia was shocked when he got his.

Marti was familiar with the vehicle identification numbers (VINs) for the two Mustangs ordered by Warner Bros. for the making of the film. The other is privately owned today and hasnt been shown publically in a quarter-century, while the one found in Mexico was long thought lost to history.

Its not the first time one of these old movie cars showed up in a junkyard, but its rare, Marti says.

Marti is certain that the VIN plate is original, and he should know. His company produces replacement data tags and parts for classic Fords, so he can spot a fake as well as anyone. He also cross-checked the dates stamped onto the cars original body panels, some of which were beyond easy repair and had been removed. A few of the modifications made to the car for filming have been preserved, including strut tower reinforcements and holes drilled into the trunk for auxiliary power cables. The rear axle, however, is from a 1967 Mustang.

OFFICIAL: 2018 FORD MUSTANG GETS MORE POWER AND TECH

Garcia had already started repairing the car, which now wears a fresh coat of green paint and a replica license plate like the one in the film for effect. He and Sanchez, who co-own it, rolled it out to the sound of a mariachi band at the Mexicali Ford dealership before they shipped it to California, where Garcia lives. He tells Fox News that hes going to start a full restoration with input from experts at Ford at a new shop hes opening in Paramount, Calif., and has begun sourcing the parts hell need to do it.

Unsurprisingly, Garcia says theyve been contacted with offers to buy the car as-is, but theyre keeping it for now. Its hard to pin down the cars value at this early stage, but McQueen-connected vehicles often sell for millions at auction, and a frenzy for all things Bullitt should be in full swing by next year, the 50th anniversary of the films debut.

CLASSIC: FIRST FORD BRONCO SURFACES AFTER SALE

Ford is rumored to be working on a new special edition Mustang Bullitt like those it introduced in 2001 and 2008, and theres also the mystery of the whereabouts of the other movie car, and whether or not it will surface to celebrate. That is assuming theres only one.

A stuntman who worked on the films epic chase scene, Loren Janes, has been quoted as saying that there were actually three identical cars used during production. The 85-year-old could not be reached for this story, but his claim remains undocumented. Marti has scoured his records for another car that might fit the bill, but has come up empty.

Thats not to say ones not out there sitting in a garage, or a dusty Mexican lot waiting to be rediscovered, but if it is, itll probably take a lot of detective work and even more luck to find it.

----------

2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt Test Drive:
New York state will soon launch a rebate intended to make electric vehicles more price competitive with traditional cars.

Officials said Friday they'll launch the initiative by April 1. The rebate of up to $2,000 will be available for zero-emission and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles. It's part of an effort to reduce automotive carbon emissions, the state's largest climate change contributor.

"We want to make electric vehicles a mainstream option," said state Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, a Westchester County Democrat who leads the Assembly energy committee. "They are becoming more affordable and we need to encourage them."

Environmentalists supported the rebate when it was approved by lawmakers in 2016 and have been eagerly awaiting the launch. Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of Environmental Advocates of New York, said he's disappointed it's taken Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration so long to act.

More than three-quarters of states already offer incentives intended to drive down the cost of electric vehicles, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

"Consumers want to buy these vehicles," Iwanowicz said, adding that April 1 was the deadline for the state to launch the rebates. "It's just unfortunate the agency decided to slow walk it."

Officials at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority are now putting the finishing touches on the rebate program and reaching out to car dealers to ensure they're aware of the program, according to agency spokeswoman Kate Muller.

She noted the state has already rolled out a rebate for municipalities buying electric vehicles for their government fleets.
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Robert Osborne, a film historian who was known for his work as the familiar host on Turner Classic Movies, has died, Fox News confirms. He was 84.

A rep for Osborne said he died in his New York home Monday following a long illness.

"All of us at Turner Classic Movies are deeply saddened by the death of Robert Osborne," said Turner Classic Movies General Manager Jennifer Dorian. "Robert was a beloved member of the Turner family for more than 23 years. He joined us as an expert on classic films and grew to be our cherished colleague and esteemed ambassador for TCM.

"Robert was embraced by devoted fans who saw him as a trusted expert and friend. His calming presence, gentlemanly style, encycolpedic knowledge of film history, fervent support for film preservation and highly personal interviewing style all combined to make him a truly world-class host. Robert's contributions were fundamental in shaping TCM into what it is today and we owe him a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid."

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Originally from the small town of Colfax, Wash., Osborne began his career in Hollywood as an actor, signing a contract with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnazs Desilu Studios during his early days in Los Angeles. He appeared in shows like The Beverly Hillbillies and The Whirlybirds and films like The Man with Bogart's Face.

Ball encouraged Osborne to stick to journalism "after she saw me act," according to his website. He had studied journalism at the University of Washington and decided to pursue writing as his primary career, working as a columnist for The Hollywood Reporter and eventually as an author, who became known as the official biographer of the Academy Awards thanks to his film knowlege.

In 1994, when Turner Classic Movies came on the air, Osborne became the network's host. He also worked for a time as a host for The Movie Channel.

For TCM viewers, Osborne was a constant and calming presence. He introduced films with bits of history and trivia, and conducted interviews with stars about their favorite old films.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ukrainian actress Irina Dvorovenko almost didn't land a role in "The Americans" because she was "too sexy" for the part.

"I auditioned three times for this. I wanted a part that had nothing to do with dancing," the former American Ballet Theatre principal told the New York Post.

After weeks went by, the ballerina said she was told her good looks were holding her back.

"I was finally told, 'They think you are too hot, too sexy, for this part.'"

KERI RUSSELL AND MATTHEW RHYS GUSH OVER EACH OTHER AHEAD OF 'THE AMERICANS' SEASON 5

Dvorovenko then decided to take off all of her makeup, jewelry and keep her hair unkempt for an audition video she sent to producers. It worked.

"They saw a different side of me," Dvorovenko said.

The 43-year-old has a special connection to the FX show starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as undercover Soveit spies living in the Virginia suburbs in the early '80s. Dvorovenko said her parents, both Russian dancers, were "constantly under KGB eyes" when they traveled abroad to perform.

"All the time, the KGB was following them," she said.

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Arbys doesn't beat around the bush when it comes to mighty meat offerings.

It's sky-high Meat Mountain sandwich, which debuted in 2014, comes loaded with two chicken tenders, turkey, ham, corned beef, brisket, Angus steak, roast beef and pepper bacon.

Now, guests can add fish to the mix.

The original sandwich, which clocks in at 1030 calories before piling on the seafood, now comes with the option to include a wild-caught Alaskan Pollock filet. Customers can get the fish-topped version by asking for the sandwich "Denali-style," which references the mountain in Alaska where the fish originates.

ARBY'S SURPRISING DEER MEAT BURGER SELLS OUT

The original Meat Mountain was first served after customers reportedly viewed a promotional poster showing the chain's wide variety of meats available and wondered if they could get them all together.

People started coming in and asking, can I have that? Christopher Fuller, Arbys vice president of brand and corporate communications told the Washington Post in 2014 when the Meat Mountain first hit the market. Shortly after, the sandwich thats too big to fit into the clamshell packaging, started to become a viral hit.

But some fast food fans aren't sure that proteins from the land, sky and sea all belong in the same meal.

The Arbys menu isnt just getting fishy. The chain also recently added a Chicago-style beef dip to its Big City Sandwiches selection, which offers regionally styled meals like a Fire-Roasted Philly and New York Reuben.

The Meat Mountain (with fish) is available now through the end of March.
More than a dozen people have been killed and several others injured after members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group carried out two separate bomb attacks in Syria's northern province of Aleppo, PressTV reported.

A Daesh assailant detonated an explosive-laden car near the town of Dayr Hafir, located about 50 kilometers east of the provincial capital city of Aleppo, late on Saturday, leaving eight army soldiers and fighters from pro-government popular forces dead, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday.

The London-based monitoring group added that several others were also injured in the attack.

Daesh later claimed responsibility for the act of violence, saying it was carried out by a terrorist identified as Abu Abdullah al-Shami.

In the second attack, a Daesh terrorist "detonated his belt" in the militant-held city of Azaz, roughly 32 kilometers northwest of Aleppo.

The observatory said the bomb attack killed seven pro-government fighters and wounded several others. The death toll is expected to rise as some of the victims are in a critical condition.

At least 48 people were killed and dozens wounded on January 7, when a rigged fuel tanker exploded near a bustling market in front of a courthouse in Azaz. About 14 of the dead were members of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) militant group.

Over the past few months, Syrian government troops have made sweeping gains against Takfiri elements, who have lately increased their acts of violence across the country following a series of defeats in Aleppo and elsewhere.

Syria has been plagued by militancy since March 2011.
New York is getting its fair share of delicious displays of culinary arts.

First the Museum of Food and Drink opened in Brooklyn last year, and now Manhattan has welcomed its first chocolate museum. The permanent ode to cocoa is headed by  who else?  Jacques Torres, one of New Yorks most beloved chocolatiers.

Besides the where (West Manhattan) and the when (there will be a press preview this week with an official opening to follow soon), not much is known about the exhibits at Choco-Story New York, The Chocolate Museum and Experience with Jacques Torres.

Were hoping, however, that it will be a delightful modernization of an edible, hands-on Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory experience, with more informative exhibits-- and fewer Oompa Loompas.

A representative from Jacques Torres team was not immediately available for comment.

12 Delicious Chocolate Factory Tours and Tastings (Slideshow)
Chaos descended on a U.K. supermarket after cheap fruit and vegetables were wheeled out by staff in New Malden, Surrey, on Sunday.

In a video posted a bystander, desperate shoppers appear to scramble over each other to grab the discounted food on the shelves.

Some ended up with an armful of products after jostling other bargain hunters out of the way during the frenzy.

WHY UK SUPERMARKETS ARE RUNNING LOW ON PRODUCE

But a few elderly women appeared to be struggling to get their hands on the cheap vegetables as they tried to reach the shelves.

One shopper looked pleased with himself as he walks away with his arms full of food, while another appeared to be handing out the bargain produce to other people.

Ryan Anthony posted the short video on Twitter yesterday after watching the in store craziness at around 5 p.m.

He wrote, Casual day in Tesco @TheLADbibleGrp @Tesco #chaos #mental #reduced #crazy #cheap #bargainhunter @ebargainhunter."

In November, Tesco customers put Black Friday shoppers to shame when they battled over 20-pence (about 25-cents) fruits and vegies in a store in Luton, Bedfordshire, England.

The footage showed shoppers grabbing from trays of food  without even looking at what they were picking up.

Staff reportedly told one shopper that some people wait for hours to see the cut-price produce brought out.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

A Tesco spokesperson said, "To make sure no good food goes to waste we reduce the price of some fresh products towards the end of the day.

We are investigating if more could have been done on this occasion to manage our reductions and help our customers shop safely.

This article originally appeared on The Sun.
Two Pennsylvania children are listed as critical but stable after they each drank an unknown caustic substance in their apple juice at an all-you-can-eat buffet on Friday. Richie Zaragoza, 10, and his 4-year-old half-sister Ginaya Mendoza, are being treated at Hershey Medical Center for severe burns of the mouth and throat, LancasterOnline.com reported.

The scene unfolded at Star Buffet & Grill where the family had been celebrating Richies birthday. Shortly after Ginaya drank the juice and began vomiting, Richie started throwing up blood and yelling that his throat was burning, Virginia Davis, his mother, told LancasterOnline.com.

The pair were rushed to Hershey Medical Center where they spent Saturday night in the intensive care unit. Richies father, Richard Zaragoza Sr., told the news outlet that his son has cystic fibrosis and diabetes, and has been sedated with an intubation device. Doctors are still investigating blood in his urine, LancasterOnline.com reported.

I had to try to talk to him last night through his fingers, Zaragoza told the news outlet. I told him I loved him  and he squeezed my hand twice so he was responsive.

According to reports from the family, Ginaya is no longer sedated.

Preliminary tests have revealed that methanol was identified as at least one of the substances present in the tainted juice, but the investigation is still ongoing. The restaurants manager told LancasterOnline.com that the juice came from a local supermarket.
The science on sugar is settled: It's bad for you. Really bad.

It's bad enough that some city governments are trying to ban, tax, or otherwise impose inconveniences on those who drink large sodas.

But the common-sense, freedom-loving position has always been to let people drink what they want. Only, don't make the taxpayer underwrite bad habits.

That's what Maine is trying to do right now, asking for federal permission to change its food stamp program so that those on government benefits are being helped toward health, not toward an early death or diabetes, which taxpayers will in turn be called upon yet again to treat at great expense.

Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew says the nutritional value of candy and soda doesn't require further debate and that Maine faces rising obesity.

A recent U.S. Department of Agriculture study found soft drinks accounted for 5 percent of food stamp purchases.

Read more on WashingtonExaminer.com
A Democratic congressman apologized Sunday for a joke he made about a controversial photo featuring Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway.

Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana Democrat and chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, made the remark at the Washington Press Club Foundation's congressional dinner Wednesday evening. During his speech, Richmond referenced a controversial photo showing Conway kneeling on an Oval Office couch during a gathering.

But I really just want to know what was going on there, because, I won't tell anybody, Richmond said. And you can just explain to me that  that circumstance, because she really looked kind of familiar there in that position there. But don't answer. And I don't want you to refer back to the '90s.

GOP CHAIRWOMAN HITS BACK AT DEMOCRAT'S 'DEMEANING COMMENTS' ON CONWAY

Richmond initially denied he said anything inappropriate, but to others the remark recalled the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which had briefly been mentioned by the prior speaker, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.

On Thursday, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel urged Richmond to apologize for the comments, which she called "disgusting" and "offensive."

"A snarky joke for you is just a reminder of the demeaning comments women hear every single day," Romney McDaniel said. "And trust me, it happens to all women."

Richmond said he decided to apologize "after a discussion with people I know and trust" and said he understood "the way my remarks have been received by many."

"I have consistently been a champion for women and womens issues, and because of that the last thing I would want to ever do is utter words that would hurt or demean them," his statement said. "I apologize to Kellyanne Conway and everyone who has found my comments to be offensive."
Top Republican lawmakers plan to release the text of their bill to replace ObamaCare this week, a GOP aide told Fox News late Sunday.

The aide said staffers met with Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney on Friday to resolve outstanding issues with the bill. Health care committees from both houses of Congress worked with the White House to tie up any loose ends.

The aide added that House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Health and Human Services secretary Tom Price and Mulvaney took part in a conference call Saturday to help "close out open issues."

"We are now at the culmination of a years-long process to keep our promise to the American people," said Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong.

Earlier Sunday, House Republicans tried to staunch criticism about a secretive and stalled process by revealing some specifics and vowing the full bill would soon be available for review.

This plan will be out next week, and everybody will have a chance to see it, Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter, a pharmacy owner and Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, told Fox News Americas News Headquarters.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a physician with his own ObamaCare replacement plan, last week staged a media event in the Capitol building -- complete with a portable copy machine -- to find a draft of what he called House Republican leaderships secret bill.

Ryan has dismissed such allegations by Paul and congressional Democrats, vowing last week that the bill would go through an open committee process.

The Wisconsin lawmaker and other top House Republicans have also insisted that the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, which associates costs with the bill, knows the details of the measure and claimed that revealing too much information could give critics an opportunity to defeat the bill before its even made public.

Essentially every elected Washington Republican, including President Trump, campaigned on a promise to repeal and replace ObamaCare amid increasing consumer costs and dwindling options.

However, Americans are concerned that repeal efforts will result in roughly 11 million people losing their health care coverage without a replacement.

Carter said that under the new plan, Americans with pre-existing medical conditions will qualify for coverage, like they did under President Obamas 2010 Affordable Care Act.

He also said the replacement plan will still allow young adults to stay on their parents plans and include health saving accounts, which he described as stalwarts features.

Carter, whose Commerce committee will be a key House panel in reviewing the ObamaCare draft bill, also said insurance plans wont be limited to the states in which they were bought and that ObamaCares so-called individual mandate, or penalty for not buying insurance, will not be included.

We've said we're trying to get a plan that is more accessible, more affordable and that's patient centered, Carter said. That's the key.

Fox News' Lauren Blanchard and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump's allegation on Twitter that former President Barack Obama ordered wiretaps of his phones during the election caught senior federal law enforcement officials completely off-guard, sources close to the matter have told Fox News.

Those sources said that the officials in question had no idea what Trump was talking about when the president made the allegation on social media Saturday morning. The sources also told Fox that Trump did not consult with senior officials who would have been advised of any such wiretapping operations before posting the messages.

Trump claimed in a series of tweets without evidence Saturday that his predecessor had tried to undermine him by tapping the telephones at Trump Tower, the New York skyscraper where Trump based his campaign and transition operations, and maintains a home.



"How low has President Obama gone to tapp [sic] my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" he tweeted.

Trump's charge also left many in the White House and Justice Department confused and scrambling over the weekend to find any kind of factual backup for the president's accusations.

Also Sunday, the New York Times reported that FBI Director James Comey asked the Justice Department to publicly reject Trump's assertion. According to the Times, Comey argued that Trump's claim falsely implied that the FBI had broken the law. The Justice Department had not issued any such statement as of Sunday evening.

Earlier Sunday, Obama's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, told NBC's "Meet the Press" that nothing matching Trump's claims had taken place.

"Absolutely, I can deny it," said Clapper, who also said that he had no knowledge of a request for a FISA, or Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Act, order for a wiretap, which requires at least some evidence of illegal activity.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said without elaborating Sunday that Trump's instruction to Congress was based on "very troubling" reports "concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election." Spicer did not respond to inquiries about the reports he cited in announcing the request.

Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to "exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016." He said there would be no further comment until the investigations are completed, a statement that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., took offense to and likened to autocratic behavior.

"It's called a wrap-up smear. You make up something. Then you have the press write about it. And then you say, everybody is writing about this charge. It's a tool of an authoritarian," Pelosi said.

Spicer's chief deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said she thinks Trump is "going off of information that he's seen that has led him to believe that this is a very real potential."

Josh Earnest, who was Obama's press secretary, said presidents do not have authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens, as Trump has alleged was done to him. FBI investigators and Justice Department officials must seek a federal judge's approval for such a step.

Earnest accused Trump of leveling the allegations to distract from the attention being given to campaign-season contacts by Trump aides with a Russian official, including campaign adviser Jeff Sessions before he resigned from the Senate to become attorney general. The FBI is investigating those contacts, as is Congress.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., said in a statement that the panel "will follow the evidence where it leads, and we will continue to be guided by the intelligence and facts as we compile our findings."

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the committee "will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates."

The committee's top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, said Trump was following "a deeply disturbing pattern of distraction, distortion and downright fabrication."

The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., referred questions to Nunes, while a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said McConnell would not tell the Senate committee how to do its work.

Trump said in the tweets that he had "just found out" about being wiretapped, though it was unclear whether he was referring to having found out through a briefing, a conversation or a media report. The president in the past has tweeted about unsubstantiated and provocative reports he reads on blogs or conservative websites.

Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said Saturday that a "cardinal rule" of the Obama administration was not to interfere in Justice Department investigations, which are supposed to be conducted free of outside or political influence.

Lewis said neither Obama nor any White House official had ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. "Any suggestion otherwise is simply false," Lewis said.

Trump used a similar approach with his unsupported claims of massive voter fraud that he said caused him to lose the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton. He eventually said he wanted to launch a "major" investigation to find the 3 million to 5 million votes he claims were cast illegally. Congressional leaders were cool to the idea  a costly and time-consuming effort.

Trump has been trailed for months by questions about his campaign's ties to Russia. Compounding the situation is the U.S. intelligence agencies' assessment that Russia interfered with the election to help Trump triumph over Hillary Clinton, along with disclosures about his aides' contacts with a Russian official.

Fox News' Matt Dean and Serafin Gomez contributed to this report. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
A California Republican state senator removed from the chamber floor during a recent speech critical of anti-Vietnam War activist Tom Hayden is calling for a public apology from the leader of the Democrat-controlled Senate.

My voice is my constituents voices. And when I cannot speak, they are the ones who are silenced, state Sen. Janet Nguyen told Fox News on Monday. They deserve the apology.

Her late-February floor remarks were delivered two days after the Senate held a celebratory memorial for Hayden, a student radical in the 1960s who helped organize protests against the war. He later was elected to the state legislature and married actress Jane Fonda, becoming an elder statesman of the country's left. Hayden died in October.

Democrats said Nguyen was told to stop speaking and escorted from the Senate floor by several officers because she violated chamber rules. They said she could have spoken had she made the appropriate motion later in the session.

However, the Feb. 23 incident has become a rallying cry for fellow Republican lawmakers and their supporters, many of whom said it was an example of liberals shutting down speakers with whom they disagree. The controversy was similar -- with the party roles reversed -- to the furor in Washington over Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren being shut down on the floor of the U.S. Senate last month.

On Saturday, hundreds of people, including Vietnam veterans and Vietnamese-Americans from Nguyens Orange County district, held a rally demanding a public apology to them and the lawmaker -- though she apparently has received a private apology from Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon.

Were getting support from around the world, Nguyen said. People are saying that I have a right to speak even though they dont agree with me.

She also argued that she was merely presenting a different historical perspective to Haydens active support of North Vietnams communist regime during the Vietnam War.

Nguyen lived in South Vietnam as a child and fled with her family after its U.S.-backed government fell. Her Senate district includes the largest concentration of Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam. She lost an uncle in the Vietnam War.

Many fled South Vietnam and blame the U.S. anti-war movement for undermining American forces and contributing to the victory by the communist North.

De Leon, a Los Angeles Democrat, has said he takes full responsibility for the Nguyen incident and that the legislature should always err on the side of more free speech and not less.

De Leon spokesman Anthony Reyes says the senator has apologized personally to Nguyen. The chambers Rules Committee also is investigating the matter.

Nguyen's staff says de Leon has never apologized.

The committee on Monday referred questions to Reyes, who declined further comment but pledged to provide updates on the committees progress.

Nguyen initially said she was swayed by the support she received from fellow senators, saying it reaffirms her faith in America's deep belief in the democratic process of freedom of speech."

However, she later said Democrats have failed to acknowledge wrongdoing.

You still see this all of the time in Vietnam, she said. But you never expect to see it under a dome in the United States.

Nguyen also said that hundreds of backers have arrived this week at the state capitol, in Sacramento, to show their support and that she was inspired as a child by Ronald Reagan to become a Republican.

I was one of the boat people, and Ronald Reagan was the one who opened the doors to the refugees, she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway challenged FBI Director James Comey Sunday to reveal any information he might have about President Trumps allegations that former President Obama ordered the wiretapping of Trump Tower during the 2016 presidential campaign.

If Mr. Comey has something hed like to say Im sure were all willing to hear it, Conway told Fox News Jeanine Pirro in an interview on Justice with Judge Jeanine. All I saw was a published news report. I didnt see a statement from him. I dont know what Mr. Comey knows.

If he knows, of course he can issue a statement, Conway said. We know hes not shy.

Conway said Trump may know whether he was wiretapped because he receives different intelligence reports than other White House officials. However, she did not provide specific details.

Conways challenge of Comey came after the New York Times reported that the FBI director asked the Justice Department to publicly reject Trumps assertion that he had been wiretapped. According to the paper, Comey argued that Trumps claim falsely implied that the FBI had broken the law.

Earlier Sunday, Obama's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, told NBC's "Meet the Press" that nothing matching Trump's claims had taken place.

"Absolutely, I can deny it," said Clapper, who also said that he had no knowledge of a request for a FISA, or Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Act, order for a wiretap, which requires at least some evidence of illegal activity.

Josh Earnest, who was Obamas press secretary, took it a step further, saying that Trumps accusations were an attempt to deflect the attention given to contacts between then-Sen. Jeff Sessions and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the campaign season. The FBI is investigating those contacts, as is Congress.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said without elaborating Sunday that Trump's instruction to Congress was based on "very troubling" reports "concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election." Spicer did not respond to inquiries about the reports he cited in announcing the request.

Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to "exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016." He said there would be no further comment until the investigations are completed, a statement that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., took offense to and likened to autocratic behavior.

"It's called a wrap-up smear. You make up something. Then you have the press write about it. And then you say, everybody is writing about this charge. It's a tool of an authoritarian," Pelosi said.

Spicer's chief deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said she thinks Trump is "going off of information that he's seen that has led him to believe that this is a very real potential."

Sources told Fox News that Trumps allegations caught senior federal law enforcement officials by surprise.

Those sources said that the officials in question had no idea what Trump was talking about when the president made the allegation on social media Saturday morning. The sources also told Fox that Trump did not consult with senior officials who would have been advised of any such wiretapping operations before posting the messages.
A former California mayor was arrested Sunday at the San Francisco International Airport, where he arrived from a vacation in South America, his attorney said.

Anthony Silva, the former mayor of Stockton, was arrested while he was returning from a trip to Colombia, his attorney, Allen Sawyer, told KCRA-TV.

An arrest warrant was issued for Silva on Thursday on charges of profiteering, embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds and grand theft, among other charges. He will face the charges in San Joaquin County.

Silva left for his vacation on Wednesday, a day before FBI agents and investigators from the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office served search warrants at Silva's home and the Stockton Kids Club, which Silva used to run when it was known as the Boys and Girls Club.

The former mayor posted an image on Facebook indicating he was flying to Panama, and referencing a song by John Denver.

EMBATTLED EX-CALIFORNIA MAYOR FACES CRIMINAL CHARGES

"Apparently Stockton can manage without me for a while so I decided to go explore the world. I am leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again," he wrote.

A second post was a video in which Silva indicated he was in Colombia. Both posts have since been removed.

Sawyer said Silva's arrest is not related to the charges he faced in Amador County last year for allegedly eavesdropping during a strip poker party at a youth camp he ran.

This is a completely unrelated case, a new case, and its financial in nature," Sawyer told the station Thursday. "It illuminates that it has anything to do with a type of personal crime or anything crime of violence or any crime against a person."

Silva was charged with four misdemeanor counts for secretly recording portions of a teen counselor strip poker game and providing alcohol to minors. He denied the charges.

Silva also had a run-in with the law in 2015, when he failed to immediately report that two guns had been stolen from his house at separate times. Only after one of his weapons was used in the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy did Silva notify police.

As for the latest search warrants, the district attorney's office would only say they are part of an on-going investigation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Pyongyang launched an "unidentified projectile" into the East Sea on Monday, Sputnik reported.

A projectile was shot from a site located near the country's Dongchang-ri long-range missile launch center at around 7:36 AM and fell into the East Sea after flying over the country, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said as cited by the Yonhap news agency.

The launch occurred amid the joint drills between South Korean and American militaries, indicating an "apparent" protest from Pyongyang, Yonhap noted.

Ongoing military training exercises between the US and South Korea have reportedly been called a provocation by Pyongyang, and are scheduled to continue through April.

North Korea's nuclear program has been a source for concern for its closest neighbor, South Korea, as well as for the international community. On February 12, Pyongyang launched a medium-range ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan and declared the test successful. This and a number of previous launches were considered to be in violation of the UNSC resolutions by the United Nations.

On February 27, the US informed South Korea and Japan that North Korea may be reinstated to a list of state sponsors of terrorism, after being removed in 2008. The decision was said to be connected to the recent killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns half-brother, Kim Jong Nam. On Saturday, Pyongyang vowed the US will "pay dearly" for the decision.
In the final days of 2016, Republican Gov. John Kasich vetoed legislation that would have delayed the states renewable energy mandates from going into effect for two years. Instead, they are set to resume this year.

Now state Rep. Bill Seitz is pushing to get rid of these costly regulations altogether.

Ohios renewable portfolio standards require utility companies to derive an increasing share of their electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar. By 2025, 12.5 percent of utility power must be generated from renewable energy. Financial penalties are imposed for failure to meet the mandate. Ohio utilities currently derive 2.5 percent of their electricity from renewables.

The Ohio Legislature imposed a two-year pause on these mandates in 2014 while a newly established Energy Mandates Study Committee examined whether Ohio should revive them. After the committee recommended legislators indefinitely suspend Ohios portfolio standards, the Legislature sent to Kasichs desk a measure that would have delayed implementation until 2019.

Kasich vetoed the bill two days after Christmas. In a statement released with the veto, the governor said Ohio cannot afford to take a step backward on the economic gains that we have made in recent years  and arbitrarily limiting Ohios energy generation options amounts to self-inflicted damage to both our states near and long-term economic competitiveness.

In response, Seitz plans to introduce legislation this session that would extend Ohios renewable energy target deadline to 2027 and turn it into a voluntary goal instead of a state mandate. These changes would effectively abolish Ohios renewable portfolio standards.

Click for more from Watchdog.org
Republican lawmakers largely endorsed President Trumps revised immigration executive order on Monday and suggested it addressed concerns they had about the original measure, even as a coalition of Democratic attorneys general and civil rights groups prepared for a new round of legal action.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, who had voiced reservations about the original travel ban rollout, said the new version advances our shared goal of protecting the United States.

Another Republican critical of the original version, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, said he believes the revised order will pass legal muster.

I congratulate the administration for modifying the original order to ensure that it is prospective in application, protective of those with valid visas and legal status, and exempts Iraqis, as five thousand Americans are currently fighting alongside them against ISIL, Graham said in a statement.

Trumps revised executive order, signed Monday, suspends the refugee program and entry to the U.S. for travelers from six mostly Muslim countries, curtailing what was a broadly worded directive in a bid to withstand court scrutiny.

As before, the order will suspend refugee entries for 120 days. But it no longer will suspend Syrian refugee admissions indefinitely.

The new order also will ban travelers from six countries who did not obtain a visa before Jan. 27 from entering the United States for 90 days. The directive no longer includes Iraq, as the original order did, but covers travelers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Iraq, a key U.S. ally in the fight against terror group ISIS, was removed from the travel ban list after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he spoke with the Iraqi government about its vetting process and felt that the screening system was thorough enough to stand on its own.

As Republican lawmakers threw their political weight behind the revised version, Democratic officials in Washington, Virginia and Massachusetts said they were considering their next legal steps.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who took the Trump administration to court over the constitutionality of the original order, said Monday he still has legal concerns about the updated language.

At a news conference, he said he and his office will review the policy and will decide on a course of action later this week.

I do not take lightly suing the president of the United States, he said.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said shes also considering legal options in response to the reworked travel ban. Healy called the newest language misguided and said it is a clear attempt to resurrect a discredited order and fulfill a discriminatory and unconstitutional campaign promise.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, who also led a legal challenge to Trumps first ban, said the new directive still sends a horrible message to the world.

"Our goal has always been to protect the commonwealth of Virginia and our residents who were harmed by President Trump's ill-conceived, poorly-implemented, and un-American ban, particularly green card holders and those at our businesses and colleges with valid work and student visas, he said. It is significant that after we won the nation's first preliminary injunction against the ban, President Trump has now revoked his original order and apparently exempted all those persons from his revised order."

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel calling the revision a betrayal of the countrys core values.

The legal grounds of the first travel ban were questionable at best, and todays iteration is nothing more than a wolf in sheeps clothing  different packaging intended to achieve the same result, Emanuel said in a statement, adding that the order would slam the door on refugees fleeing war-torn countries.

Unlike the first rocky rollout of the executive order, Trump privately signed the new directive while Tillerson, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly formally unveiled it. The Trump-free event was in contrast to the first version of the order that the president signed in a high-profile ceremony at the Pentagons Hall of Heroes.

Tillerson defended the new order on Monday, saying Trump is using his rightful authority to keep people safe with the new directive.

This order is part of our ongoing efforts to eliminate vulnerabilities that radical Islamic terrorists can and will exploit, he added.

Kelly said the new executive order will make America more secure.

Unvetted travel isnt a privilege especially when national security is at stake, he said.

Among other things, the revised order also makes clear that green card holders are not affected.

If you have travel documents, if you actually have a visa, if you are a legal permanent resident, you are not covered under this particular executive action, White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News on Monday. I think people will see six or seven major points about this executive order that do clarify who is covered.

The Trump administration also plans to cap the number of refugees it accepts to 50,000 a year  down sharply from the 110,000 accepted by the Obama administration.

According to the new executive order, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will have 20 days to perform a global, country-by-country review of the identity and security information that each country provides to the U.S. government to support U.S. visa and other immigration benefit determinations.

Countries will then have 50 days to comply with requests to update or improve the quality of the information they provide to U.S. officials.

For countries that dont comply, the State Department, DHS and intelligence agencies can make additional recommendations on what, if any, restrictions should be imposed.

The new order also details categories of people eligible to enter the United States for business or medical travel purposes.

Almost immediately, there was pushback from Democratic lawmakers and human rights groups.

A watered down ban is still a ban, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said. Despite the administrations changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited, and un-American. It must be repealed.

Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLUs Immigrants Rights Project, agreed.

President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people, he said in a statement.

More than two dozen lawsuits were filed in response to the original travel ban. The suit filed in Washington state succeeded in having the order suspended by arguing that it violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination.

The White House was criticized the first time around for its rocky rollout of the travel ban. Trump has expressed frustration both in person and on social media over the stalled ban, at times targeting the courts and federal judges who he claimed put the country at risk by holding up the order.

Last week, Trump told reporters at the White House that the new order is going to be very much tailored to what I consider to be a very bad decision.

Despite widespread belief the first order was done in haste, Trump and other White House officials have repeatedly called it a success.
The Trump administration unveiled a revised executive order that will halt Americas refugee program and temporarily ban the entry of people seeking to come to the United States from several countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Watch below for FoxNews.com's live blog coverage as it happened.
The family of the late Justice Antonin Scalia will donate his personal papers to Harvard Law School's library, the school announced Monday, but it could be years before the public can see documents that offer a glimpse into high court deliberations.

The school said that the collection would include Scalia's writings from his tenure on the Supreme Court as well as his time as a federal appeals court judge, law professor and government official.

A statement from the school says the collection will be available for research on a schedule agreed upon by the Scalia family and the library. Papers from Scalia's work as a justice and appeals court judge will start being accessible in 2020, but material related to specific cases won't be opened during the lifetime of other justices or judges involved in the case, the school said.

That means it could be years or decades before researchers can view documents that might shed light on the secretive deliberations behind many of the court's landmark cases. For example, a scholar looking for insight on the Supreme Court's 1992 decision upholding abortion rights would have to wait until the deaths of five other current and former justices who were part of the decision.

There is no law governing what happens to the personal papers of Supreme Court justices after they leave the court or when they can be made public. The papers of former Justice Thurgood Marshall, for example, were released immediately after his death in 1993. Marshall had left those instructions two years earlier when he designated the Library of Congress to handle his papers.

But that didn't sit well with some of Marshall's former colleagues on the high court. Then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist wrote a sharply worded letter to the Library of Congress saying it should have consulted with other justices before releasing the papers.

On the other hand, former Justice William Brennan said some of his papers should not be made public until 20 years after his death.

Scalia served on the court for nearly three decades before he died last year during a hunting trip in Texas. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1960 and met his wife, Maureen, while he was a law student there and she was an undergraduate at Radcliffe College.
The Supreme Court on Monday sent a dispute over a Virginia transgender student's bathroom access back to a lower court, without reaching a decision.

The court vacated the current dispute after the Trump administration withdrew support for an Obama administration order supporting transgender students. In returning the case, the justices opted not to decide whether a federal anti-discrimination law gives high school senior Gavin Grimm the right to use the boys' bathroom in his school.

The case had been scheduled for argument in late March. Instead, the lower court in Virginia must now evaluate the federal law known as Title IX and the extent to which it applies to transgender students. The law bars sex discrimination in schools.

The case came from a federal appeals court and was brought by Virginias Gloucester County school board, which wanted to prevent a Grimm from using the boys' bathrooms.

The appeals court had ordered the school board to accommodate Grimm. But the justices in August put that order on hold while they considered whether to hear the appeal.

Grimm, a 17-year-old high school senior, was born female but identifies as male.

"I never thought that my restroom use would ever turn into any kind of national debate," said Grimm, who had urged the courts not to take up his case.

He was allowed to use the boys' restroom for several weeks in 2014. But after some parents complained, the school board adopted a policy requiring students to use either the restroom that corresponds with their biological gender or a private, single-stall restroom.

The high court action follows the Trump administration's recent decision to withdraw a directive issued during Barack Obama's presidency that advised schools to allow students to use the bathroom of their chosen gender, not biological birth.

Similar lawsuits have played out across the country.

The Obama administration had sued North Carolina over a state law aimed at restricting transgender students to bathrooms that correspond to their biological genders.

And a federal judge in Texas has sided with the state and 12 other states in issuing a nationwide hold on the administration's directive to public schools, issued in May. The directive told schools to allow transgender students to use the bathroom and locker room consistent with their gender identity.

Though Grimm had urged the court not to take up his case, the school board had asked the court to settle the matter now. It said that allowing Grimm to use the boys restroom raises privacy concerns and may cause some parents to pull their children out of school.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond sided with Grimm in April, saying the federal judge who previously dismissed Grimm's Title IX discrimination claim ignored the Education Department's guidance on bathroom use.

The appeals court reinstated Grimm's Title IX claim and sent it back to the district court for further consideration. The judge then issued the order in favor of Grimm.

The Supreme Court justices did not comment on the case beyond their one-sentence order returning it to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Fox News' Bill Mears and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
There are numerous reasons why President Trumps weekend tweetstorm against Barack Obama was not such a hot idea.

For one thing, Trump personalized his unsubstantiated charge that Obama had ordered him wiretapped by likening the former president to Nixon during Watergate, to McCarthyism, and saying he is a bad or sick guy. If there was some kind of surveillance related to an FBI probe, its extremely unlikely that Obama ordered it (and his office has flatly denied that).

If the president wanted to level a serious charge that Trump Tower was bugged, the media would have taken the story more seriously if he had offered evidence rather than reel off five tweets.

If past news reports were right that the FBI applied to the FISA national security court for surveillance related to a Trump company server suspected of communicating with a Russian bank, that would have required a probable cause finding of a crime or acting as a foreign agent.

But the most important point is that while Trump may have changed the subject from Jeff Sessions, he directed the media back to the investigation of any ties his campaign may have had with Russia.

There may turn out to be nothing at the end of this chase. But it moves the headlines away from the presidents efforts on immigration, health care, tax cuts and infrastructure.

Even before those tweets, when you strip away all the details about who in the Trump camp spoke to which Russian at which time, there are two powerful forces driving the coverage of this constantly changing story.

One is clearly partisan: Democrats are hoping there is something sinister in all these past contacts with Moscow folks that would cast doubt on his election and undermine his presidency.

But the other is shock and horror within Washingtons foreign policy establishment that Trump is shattering the longtime consensus for treating Russia as a bitter enemy. Since the president has said nice things about Vladimir Putin, the thinking goes, there must be a nefarious reason involving some web of secret deals.

After all, in this view, why was Trump so unconcerned with Russian attempts to hack the election, even if he was the beneficiary?

Thats the bigger picture here. The bipartisan expertsremember, Republicans were strongly anti-Russia in the pre-Trump eradont like the way the new guy is messing with their geopolitical alliances.

Of course, a new administration not exactly steeped in traditional damage control is inadvertently fueling the story. The coverup becomes worse than the non-crime. In other words, Jeff Sessions, Michael Flynn and former campaign aide Carter Page all initially denied the past contacts with Sergey Kislyak, only to acknowledge them after press reports. Now it may have been perfectly appropriate to have those conversations while working for either the Republican nominee or president-elect. But the incomplete responses havent helped, though Sessions, as a veteran senator, was savvy enough to recuse himself from any investigation.

But would the story have as much fuel if Trump was engaging in the typically adversarial stance against the Putin regime?

Politicos Susan Glasser, a former Moscow correspondent, describes the revulsion among the foreign relations crowd. She says Trump finally united Democrats and many Republicans, hawks and doves, neocons and Obamians, in a frenzy of worry.

Whether left or right, fierce advocates of soft power or proponents of the bomb, bomb, bomb school of international relations, most of the U.S. foreign policy establishment had spent the hours since noon on January 20 in alternating states of fear, rage, dismay, bewilderment and mental exhaustion

They were all asking the same questions: Would he destroy the liberal international order? Hand our secrets to the Russians? Ruin NATO? Blunder into another war in the Middle East after he was done firing all the State Department bosses and sending uncooperative national security bureaucrats into exile? Did he have any idea what he was doing?



We should absolutely have a serious debate American policy toward Russia. But the media are mesmerized by the FBI investigation of Trump associates. Journalists smell blood when they see shifting explanations and unanswered questions. But the trail may ultimately lead nowhere.

To those who say this is fake news, the controversy just prompted the attorney general to recuse himself from a federal investigation. And would those same people be so dismissive if we were talking about Hillary Clintons attorney general and whether her people had secret ties to Russia?

But to the extent that Trumps more cooperative approach to Russia is the elephant in the room here, remember this: The president was elected after making no secret of his attitude toward Putin.
President Trump on Monday signed a revised executive order suspending the refugee program as well as entry to the U.S. for travelers from six mostly Muslim countries, curtailing what was a broadly worded directive in a bid to withstand court scrutiny.

As before, the order will suspend refugee entries for 120 days. But it no longer will suspend Syrian refugee admissions indefinitely.

The new order also will ban travelers from six countries who did not obtain a visa before Jan. 27 from entering the United States for 90 days. The directive no longer includes Iraq, as the original order did, but covers immigration and travel from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Iraq, a key U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS, was removed from the travel ban list after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he spoke with the Iraqi government about its vetting process and felt that the screening system was thorough enough to stand on its own.

Trump privately signed the new order Monday while Tillerson, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly formally unveiled the new order in an event with reporters. They took no questions. The first version of the order, by contrast, was unveiled during a presidential signing ceremony at the Pentagons Hall of Heroes.

Tillerson defended the new order on Monday, saying Trump is using his rightful authority to keep people safe.

This order is part of our ongoing efforts to eliminate vulnerabilities that radical Islamic terrorists can and will exploit, he added.

Kelly said the new executive order will make America more secure.

Unvetted travel isnt a privilege especially when national security is at stake, he said.

Among other things, the revised order also makes clear that green card holders are not affected.

If you have travel documents, if you actually have a visa, if you are a legal permanent resident, you are not covered under this particular executive action, White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News earlier Monday. I think people will see six or seven major points about this executive order that do clarify who is covered.

The Trump administration also plans to cap the number of refugees it accepts to 50,000 a year  down sharply from the 110,000 accepted by the Obama administration.

According to the new executive order, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will have 20 days to perform a global, country-by-country review of the identity and security information that each country provides to the U.S. government to support U.S. visa and other immigration benefit determinations.

Countries will then have 50 days to comply with requests to update or improve the quality of the information they provide to U.S. officials.

For countries that dont comply, the State Department, DHS and intelligence agencies can make additional recommendations on what, if any, restrictions should be imposed.

The new order also details categories of people eligible to enter the United States for business or medical travel purposes.

Almost immediately, there was pushback from Democratic lawmakers and human rights groups.

A watered down ban is still a ban, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a written statement. Despite the administrations changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited, and un-American. It must be repealed.

Despite the changes, its unclear whether the new version can withstand judicial challenges.

I fully expect this executive order to have the same uphill climb in the courts that the previous version had, Schumer said.

Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLUs Immigrants Rights Project, agreed.

President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people, he said in a statement.

More than two dozen lawsuits were filed in response to the original travel ban. One suit filed in Washington state succeeded in having the order suspended by arguing that it violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination.

Trumps original order prohibited travelers from seven nations including Iraq from entering the U.S. for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days. Refugees from Syria were banned indefinitely, but under the new order they are not given separate treatment.

The White House was criticized the first time around for its rocky rollout of the travel ban. Trump has expressed frustration both in person and on social media over the stalled ban, at times targeting the courts and federal judges who he claimed put the country at risk by holding up the order.

Last week, Trump told reporters at the White House that the new order is going to be very much tailored to what I consider to be a very bad decision.

Despite widespread belief the first order was done in haste, Trump and other White House officials have repeatedly called it a success.

Under the new order, the original order is revoked.
President Trump on Monday is set to sign a revised executive order that will halt Americas refugee program and temporarily ban the entry of people seeking to come to the United States from several countries in the Middle East and Africa, Counselor Kellyanne Conway confirmed to Fox & Friends.

Amid confusion over the original measure, Conway said the new version includes "six or seven" points that will clarify those areas. Among other changes, she said the new order will clearly exclude legal permanent residents and leave Iraq off a list of countries whose residents would be subject to a temporary travel ban. She also indicated the new version would no longer indefinitely bar Syrian refugees.

The administration has repeatedly pushed back the signing of the new executive order as it has worked to better coordinate with agencies that it will need to implement the ban. The new order has been in the works since shortly after a federal court blocked Trumps initial effort.

Trump was elected in November in large part on a national security platform that included stronger U.S. borders and putting an end to ISIS and other radical Islamic terror groups.

One of his first official acts after taking office in late-January was to sign executive orders that temporarily halted the U.S. refugee program and travel from seven mostly-Muslim, Middle Eastern and African countries.

The orders have been held up in a federal appeals court since early-February, with Trump weighing his options but making clear as recently as last week that he fully intends to fulfill his campaign pledge.

The vast majority of individuals convicted of terrorism and terrorism-related offenses since 9/11 came here from outside of our country, Trump said during his address to a joint session of Congress last week.

It is not compassionate, but reckless to allow uncontrolled entry from places where proper vetting cannot occur, he said. We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside America. And we cannot allow our nation to become a sanctuary for extremists  That is why my administration has been working on improved vetting procedures, and we will shortly take new steps to keep our nation safe.

The federal appeals court temporarily blocked parts of Trumps executive orders and halted the travel ban, then denied the administrations request to immediately lift the ban. Critics of the ban argue it was hastily crafted with parts lacking adequate constitutional authority.

To be sure, uncertainty about the status of green card holders caused confusion and sparked major protests at international airports across the country on the Saturday after Trump signed the executive order, which was followed by administration officials promptly issuing guidance on legal permanent U.S. residents, or green card holders, to exempt them from the ban.

According to a draft version of the new order outlined to lawmakers late last week, citizens of Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Libya will face a 90-day suspension of visa processing as the administration continues to analyze how to enhance vetting procedures.

The revised order is expected to remove Iraq from the list of countries that would be subject to a 90-day travel ban. That follows pressure from the Pentagon and State Department, which had urged the White House to reconsider, given Iraq's key role in fighting ISIS.

Other changes are also expected, including making clear that all existing visas will be honored and no longer singling out Syrian refugees for an indefinite ban. Syrian refugees will now be treated like other refugees and be subjected to a 120-day suspension of the refugee program.

The new version is also expected to remove language that would give priority to religious minorities. Critics had accused the administration of adding such language to help Christians get into the United States while excluding Muslims.

Fox News Joseph Weber and Serafin Gomez contributed to this report. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
President Trump's revised executive order suspending the U.S. refugee program and entry to the U.S. from several mostly Muslim countries included a number of changes compared with the original.

Heres what you need to know:

Iraq removed from list. The executive order still imposes a 90-day suspension of entry to the United States for nationals of several mostly Muslim countries. Iraq, however, has been removed from the original list. The new list covers six countries: Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Iran. According to the administration, the Iraqi government agreed to increase cooperation with the U.S. government with regard to vetting travelers to the U.S.

Valid visas stand. The order clarifies that foreign nationals from the six countries who already had valid visas as of Jan. 27 will not be affected.

Syria treated the same. The new order still calls for a temporary suspension of all refugees from any country while measures are put into place to vet. But the new order drops language regarding an "indefinite suspension" of Syrian refugees. They will no longer be singled out, addressing an issue the courts had with targeting Syrian refugees. According to the revised order, returning refugees are an exception.

Green card holders exempt. The new order makes clear that legal permanent residents are not affected.

Security review. In the first 20 days, DHS will perform a global, country-by-country review of identity and security information that each of the six countries provides to support U.S. visa and immigration determinations  countries then have 50 days to comply with U.S. requests to update or improve the quality of that information, prior to issuing a travel visa.

Rollout in public. The last time, the president signed the document without much media fanfare. This time, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions introduced the revised executive order in a media briefing.

New effective date. The Trump administration said the new Executive Order is effective at 12:01 a.m. EST on March 16.

Fox News' John Roberts contributed to this report.
On a voyage to the remote settlements on Alaskas southeast coast, the ill-fated Russian ship The Neva ran aground during the brutally cold winter of 1813. More than 30 people aboard the vessel died and another 28 limped ashore where two more died of hypothermia in the harsh Alaskan wilderness before the remaining survivors were rescued three weeks later.

While the story of The Neva is well known throughout Alaska, the location of the shipwreck and how the survivors endured in that rugged landscape with little more than what was in their pockets has remained a mystery for over two centuries.

But the recent discovery by an international team of researchers funded by the National Science Foundation of a campsite used by the survivors has shed new light on what life was like for the survivors and pointed the archeologists to the Nevas final resting place.

The Neva is almost legendary in Southeast Alaska, Dave McMahan, an archaeologist and the expeditions chief investigator, told Fox News. The Neva was one of the first Russian ships to make an around-the-world voyage and participated in the Battle of Sitka in 1802, where the Russian navy bombarded the Tlingit indigenous people.

ON ARCTIC ISLAND, LAST WOOLY MAMMOTHS HAD 'GENETIC MELTDOWN'

McMahan and his fellow researchers first began finding clues about the survivors of the Neva back 2012 when they unearthed the remains of cooking fires and axes on Kruzof Island at the mouth of the Sitka Sound. Underwater exploration for the Neva, however, proved unsuccessful as the iron in the volcanic rocks off the island rendered the researchers marine magnetometer and sonar useless.

The iron in the rock may have been one of the reasons the Neva ran aground in the first place, McMahan said. Even when I was diving in the water my compass was off.

McMahan added that huge amounts of kelp also cloud the water and that a drastic rising of the sea bed over the last 200 years means that remains of the Neva were more likely in the islands interior than in the water.

We were looking on the beach when we should have been looking in the trees, he added.

TREASURE HUNTERS STRIKE GOLD WITH ANCIENT JEWELRY FIND

In 2016  after years of searching led to smattering of axes, fire pits and other discoveries  the team made one of its most important finds to date when they uncovered a grave believed to belong to Tertii Stepanovich Bornovolokov.

Bornovolokov, the highest ranking member on The Neva, was set to take over as chief manager of the Russian American Co. in the North American settlements and is believed to be one of the wrecks two survivors to die from hypothermia. The Russian American Co. was a state-sponsored chartered company tasked with establishing new settlements in Russian America and carrying out an expanded colonization program.

The sinking of The Neva was the last in a long line of misfortunes to befall the Russian merchant ship. Before it even left port in Siberia, the ships captain drowned during inspection and harsh weather and lack of fresh water led to the death of 15 passengers and crew members even before the ship ran aground.

Local legend states that a Tlingit shaman cursed the ship for its role in the Battle of Sitka and the spot where the ship ran aground is considered sacred ground to the Tlingit people.

FOR THE LATEST SCIENCE FEATURES FOLLOW FOX SCITECH ON FACEBOOK

Because of the Battle of Sitka, the Neva is still thought of with a lot of animosity from some people in Alaska, McMahan said.

With the discovery of the survivor camps, McMahan hopes to not only shed light on what happened in the past but also highlight how this discovery could help shape current events.

With our country's poor relationship with Russia right now, and all the negativity in the news, the NEVA project is a good example of positive cooperation to study a little known shared history, he said. In 2014 as we were trying to get off the ground, the planned NEVA Project was adopted by the U.S. - Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission as a worthwhile cooperative endeavor."

He added: It was truly an international project in that we had participating scientists from the U.S., Russia, and Canada.
The Russian presidents spokesman Dmitry Peskov says that claims by US officials and media that Russia meddled in the US affairs have damaged the US-Russian relations, Sputnik reported.

Claims by US officials and media that Russia meddled in the US affairs have damaged the US-Russian relations, the Russian presidents spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

Peskov denied the allegations of Russians hacking Democratic Party servers, in a comment to the US broadcaster CNN, saying "hysteria in official Washington and in the American media" was harmful to their bilateral ties.
Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke was apparently suspended from Twitter for a brief period on Monday.

Engadget reports that the former Louisiana state representative was suspended from Twitter Monday morning. Twitter then restored the account, albeit with a reset follower count, according to Engadget.

TWITTER SUSPENDS SEVERAL ACCOUNTS IN ALT-RIGHT 'PURGE'

I'm back. Though I have no idea why I was suspended, Duke tweeted Monday afternoon.

I'm back. Though I have no idea why I was suspended. Thank you to all of the wonderful people who offered support. #FreeDavidDuke  David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) March 6, 2017

Dukes account had over 32,000 followers by late afternoon Monday.

Twitter has not yet responded to a request for comment from Fox News on the circumstances surrounding Dukes apparent suspension and the restoration of his account.

FOR THE LATEST TECH FEATURES FOLLOW FOX SCITECH ON FACEBOOK

Last year Twitter suspended a number of prominent accounts associated with the so-called alt-right movement, including the account of Richard Spencer, head of the National Policy Institute, a white nationalist think tank. Spencers account was subsequently restored.

Last year Twitter also launched new user tools designed to curb hate speech.
In the 1850s, while on safari in Africa searching for the source of the Nile, the British explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton was lying in his tent when 200 Somali warriors attacked his camp. One of them speared Burton through the face. He escaped with the javelin still lodged in his head.

The story stuck in the publics mind: Safaris at the time meant hunting exotic game or exploring the continent. They were dangerous. They were the domain of men.

And they still are. From Tanzania in east Africa to Botswana in the south and particularly in South Africa, the 180-year-old safari business has evolved into a tourist attraction that has little to do with killing trophy animals or exploring an unknown continent.

Most of the money comes from guests of all ages who are taken out two or three times a day, safely ensconced in a vehicle, to view the Big Five: the lion, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros and leopard.

Nonetheless, it remains a business dominated by men.

But that is changing. An increasing number of women are choosing careers in the business, and theyre doing it without compromising its integrity and safety. It turns out theyre just as good as men  even better, in some ways when it comes to tracking down the Big Five.

Nadia Schoeman, a young, petite mother of two, belongs to a new generation of rangers who have entered the safari business. Attracted to a lifestyle of adventure, she has not let her gender hold her back.

Shes a safari guide at the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve in South Africa, one of the premier luxury safari resorts in the world, and she says the only thing thats ever held her back are the perceptions some safari guests, male and female, have about her.

I dont think its that women cant do the job, but I think its men thinking we are not able to do what they can, she said.

To give you an idea, said Schoeman, who became one of the first female guides in the industry when she started in 2002, we were only three female ladies against 20 male guides and 20 male trackers, going through a very tough selection course, walking during the hottest time of the day, shooting, sleeping out on top of a rocky outcrop and in riverbeds with animals all around.

On my selection course, we were three ladies and seven guys, and I made it through and started my career as a female guide.

In 2005, in Botswana, there were 101 safari tour operators, each of which typically had 3-5 vehicles that went out twice a day. Yet they had only 10 female guides.

Today the Chobe Game Lodge, one of Botswanas flagship safari properties, has an all-female safari guide team, the only one in the business. But management says it has nothing to do with gender promotion. It says it went from two to 12 female guides because the women were better drivers.

It became apparent in 2005 that the ladies were far more sensitive to what the guests were looking for in their experience at Chobe, the tour operator says on its website.

Not only that, but dare we say it  they actually found they were better drivers! Well, thats a whole other topic but the fact of the matter is that women drive sensibly and listen to the vehicle. So as a consequence vehicle maintenance costs went down by about a third over a five-year period, fuel consumption dropped and they emit less carbon emissions. So happy guests plus happy vehicles equals a happy lodge.

But this business decision is also a litmus test. The skill set for a good guide is the same, regardless of gender: A great guide must keep guests safe, find Big Game and point out interesting facts about the ecological system supporting a safari. And at luxury safari properties like Sabi Sabi, they want guests to feel a frisson of danger without actually being in danger. For those reasons, Schoeman says, women have to do everything men have traditionally done on safari  but with a different mindset.

Yes, women are much more sensitive and feminine, Schoeman said. Thats how we were made. But we were also made in a way to be able to do anything we put our minds to and doing it better than any man can ever dream of.

If she has to take a bathroom break, Schoeman said, she walks behind a tree, just like the men. If her all-terrain vehicle has a flat tire, she gets out and changes it.

I think the most important part is not to try to be stronger than the guys, but to earn respect for doing the same work as the male guides and doing it better. The first time you shoot a rifle, though, everybody holds their breaths thinking you are going to land on your bum. And then when you shoot better than them, the tables turn."

Schoeman says the low number of female guides has nothing to do with lack of opportunity. But if thats the case, why are there so few of them? Jane Broughton, a guide for &Beyond, thinks the gender ratio reflects a difference in personalities.

Most women dont have that competitive streak that men have, Broughton said. So we dont behave like cowboys. I can also put flowers behind my guests ears, wear bright pink nail polish on my toes and scream when spiders fall down my shirt.

Id say about 70 percent of guests are surprised when they meet me. They always say: Are you a ranger?

I dont mind. I like knowing I am part of a revolution. I have only had five guests refuse to get on my vehicle because I am a woman, and most of them were women.

Nearly 10 percent of &Beyonds safari guides are women, so parity is still a long way off. Nonetheless, women have come a long way.

The company employs hardworking, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and strong-minded individuals, says CEO Joss Kent. Whether they are male or female is immaterial.
The Defense Department is investigating reports that some Marines shared naked photographs of female Marines, veterans and other women on a secret Facebook page, some of which were taken without their knowledge.



The photographs were shared on the Facebook page "Marines United," which had a membership of active-duty and retired male Marines, Navy Corpsman and British Royal Marines. Along with identified female military members were photographs of unidentifiable women in various stages of undress, and included obscene comments about some of the women, officials said.



The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is now investigating. The photographs have been taken down, officials said.



Marine Corps commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller on Sunday refused to comment directly about the ongoing investigation. "For anyone to target one of our Marines, online or otherwise, in an inappropriate manner, is distasteful and shows an absence of respect," Neller said in a statement.



It was not immediately known how many active-duty Marines and other service members were involved or are under investigation. A Marine Corps official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss personnel matters by name, said at least one government contractor had been removed from his job after he posted a link to the photographs.



In response to the report, Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Green, the top enlisted man in the Marine Corps, said: "These negative behaviors are absolutely contrary to what we represent."



The investigation was first reported by the Center for Investigative Reporting. The activity was revealed by The War Horse, a nonprofit news organization run by Marine veteran Thomas Brennan.



"We are thankful that Thomas Brennan, a Marine veteran, notified the Marine Corps and NCIS about what he witnessed on the `Marines United' page," Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Ryan E. Alvis said. "It allowed us to take immediate action to have the explicit photos taken down and to prepare to support potential victims."



The CIR report said that more than two dozen active-duty women, officers and enlisted, were identified by their rank, full name and location in the photographs on the Facebook page. Other photographs of active duty and veteran women were also posted and linked through a Google Drive link.



The social media accounts behind the sharing have been deleted by Facebook and Google at the Marine Corps' request.



An internal Marine Corps document obtained by The Associated Press says a former Marine maintained the Google Drive and that it had a following of 30,000. The NCIS investigation is "in support of two individuals affected by postings," according to the document.



A Marine proven to have posted an explicit photo of another person could potentially be charged with violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the internal document asserted. A Marine who directly participates in, encourages or condones such actions could also be subjected to criminal proceedings or adverse administrative actions, according to the document.



"The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in a closed website," Alvis said. "This behavior destroys morale, erodes trust, and degrades the individual."

Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said such revelations are troubling and that he expects a full investigation by the Marine Corps.



"Degrading behavior of this kind is entirely unacceptable. They and the nation deserve better," Thornberry said.



Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the ranking Democrat on the committee, called the online behavior "degrading, dangerous and completely unacceptable."



"The military men and women who proudly volunteer to serve their country should not have to deal with this kind of reprehensible conduct," Smith said.
Hundreds of people admitted to the United States as refugees are the subjects of FBI counterterrorism investigations involving ISIS  including some individuals from countries cited on President Trumps revised travel ban.

Trumps order, which was announced late Monday morning, temporarily bans travel to those without valid visas from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Nearly a third of the 1,000 FBI domestic terrorism cases  300  involve those admitted to the U.S. as refugees, a Department of Homeland Security official said Monday. That number was confirmed later in the day by Attorney General Jeff Sessions during a news conference. Officials said some of those 300 came to infiltrate the U.S., while others were radicalized once they were in the country.

"Like every nation, the United States has a right to control who enters our country and to keep out those who would do us harm," Sessions said.

The officials who spoke Monday morning didnt detail the current immigration status of those 300 people who were subjects of government terror probes, Reuters reported, citing a source.

One official also sought to clarify the apparent conflict with a leaked DHS report that appeared to show no connection between refugees and terrorism. The official said the draft document, which was reported by The Associated Press on Feb. 24, was not complete, had not been vetted through the interagency process and did not reflect classified information.

FBI Director James Comey said in late 2015 that some 900 terror investigations were going on, and probes were active in every state. But Monday's development marked the first official concrete linkage between the refugee program and terrorism.

At the time, Comey indicated the bureau was stretched thin by the sheer volume of investigations.

"If that becomes the new normal," Comey said, "that would be hard to keep up."

Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly said the travel ban announced Monday was a key to ansuring the refugee program is conducted safely.

"We must undertake a rigorous review of our visa and refugee vetting programs to increase our confidence in the entry decisions we make for visitors and immigrants to the United States," Kelly said. "We cannot risk the prospect of malevolent actors using our immigration system to take American lives."

Several refugees have already participated in mass attacks in recent years motivated by apparent Islamic radicalism.

Somali refugee Abdul Razak Ali Artan rammed his car into a crowd at The Ohio State University in November after posting a message on Facebook warning America not to interfere with Muslim communities. Somali refugee Dahir Adan reportedly yelled Allahu Akbar and asked one victim if they were Muslim during a September rampage in which he stabbed and injured nine people at a Minnesota mall. Seddique Mateen, the father of Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, is an Afghan refugee. Countless other refugees have been convicted of plotting attacks or planning to join ISIS abroad.

Though they didnt enter the nation as refugees, several other terrorists have benefited from inadequate vetting to come to the U.S.

Tashfeen Malik, who was born in Pakistan, came to the U.S. on a K-1 fiancee visa prior to engaging in a deadly shooting spree with husband Syed Rizwan Farook that killed 14 and injured 22 others in December 2015. Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the brothers who orchestrated the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, were born in Kyrgyzstan and entered the U.S. when their family filed for asylum.
Nine Chicago children were hospitalized on Sunday afternoon after they were found in a filthy Englewood home with no heat or food.

The children were found in an apartment in the 900 block of West 59th.

Chicago police said the children ranged in age from a baby to a 17-year-old.

A police spokesperson described the conditions in the apartment as "filthy and unlivable."

All nine children were taken to Comer Children's Hospital. Fire officials said there were no signs of trauma, but wanted the children to get checked out.

A church, God's Divine Glory Ministry, sits as the end of the block which is lined with boarded-up homes.

The church's congregation regularly reaches out to their neighbors who live in the impoverished area.

We do outreach all the time we give food, we give clothing, we have a pantry and people come in for food, said co-pastor Hope Howard. Nobody has ever come from that building.

Read more from FOX32Chicago.com.
Sunday was the first day in several weeks that surfers, swimmers and kids wanting to play in the the wet sand had a green light to touch the Pacific Ocean in Coronado, but miles of beach south of there remained closed due to the huge sewage spill in Tijuana.

Beaches from Avenida Lunar, one block south of the Hotel del Coronado, north to the Navy Base were declared safe Saturday evening by the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health. Testing confirmed that the water quality met state health standards.

But the beaches of Silver Strand, Imperial Beach and the border area remained off limits to water contact due to sewage flows from the Tijuana River.

TSUNAMI OF SEWAGE SPILLS AT MEXICAN BORDER DELIBERATE, SAYS CALIFORNIA MAYOR

The ocean shoreline from the International Border to the north end of Silver Strand at Avenida Lunar will remain closed until sampling confirms these areas are safe for water contact, the department said in a statement.

International water quality experts were blindsided last month, when a major sewage transmission line in Tijuana was closed for repairs and millions of gallons of raw sewage diverted to the Tijuana River, which flows into the United States at San Ysidro.

South Bay Clean Water Movement hosted an event Sunday called Letters at the Pier involving kids and adults writing dozens of letters after U.S. officials estimate 143 million gallons of sewage spilled from Tijuana last month.

Read more from FOX5SanDiego.com.
A Manhattan jury Monday convicted a career thug of fatally shooting an NYPD cop in the head during a foot chase in East Harlem as many officers and the victims family wept in the gallery.

Tyrone Howard, 32, was found guilty of first-degree murder, robbery and a slew of other charges for the tragic slaying of Officer Randolph Holder in October 2015.

It took the panel four days to reach the unanimous verdict. Three jurors sobbed as the foreman read the decision. Howard faces life in prison.

FLSAHBACK: SUSPECT IN MURDER OF NYPD OFFICER HAD BEEN ARRESTED 28 TIMES

At trial, Assistant District Attorney Linda Ford told jurors that Holder, 33, and his partner confronted Howard on the ramp of an E. 120th St footbridge minutes after he fled from a drug-related shootout.

He knows theyre looking for him and he knows why, she said of Howard in Manhattan Supreme Court. He took out the gun, the .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, he aimed at the officers and pulled the trigger. He fired one shot and he struck Officer Holder in the front of his head.

The bullet pierced Holders brain and exited the back of his skull, leaving him crumpled on the asphalt.

Twenty minutes earlier, Howard was in a gunfight on E. 102nd St and fled north, snatching a mans bicycle on the way, according to trial testimony.

Click for more from the New York Post.
Elderly twins reportedly died Friday night after falling within steps of each other in the bitter cold outside a Rhode Island house.

Barrington police said they do not suspect foul play was involved in the deaths of the 97-year-old twins, Jean Haley and Martha Williams, the Providence Journal reported.

Police believe the women spent hours exposed to the frigid weather before they died of hypothermia. They were not found until Saturday when Haleys neighbor saw something odd outside his window. The neighbor found Williams face down in the driveway of her sisters home and Haley was found in the garage.

The sisters were taken to Rhode Island Hospital and pronounced dead shortly later, the Journal reported.

Barrington Police Chief John LaCross said it appears the twins were returning to the home at around 8:30 p.m. Friday after going to dinner with their 89-year-old sister, who also lives in Barrington.

"At this time investigators believe that foul play was not involved and Ms. Williams may have fallen in the driveway walking to her car. Ms. Haley may have tripped on a rug on the floor of the garage as she attempted to enter her house to call for assistance,'' LaCross said in a statement.

The younger sister was not with her older siblings at the time.

The official cause of death has yet to be determined, but police believe the extreme cold temperatures played a factor.

Click for more from the Providence Journal.
On a fall afternoon in 1980, police found the dismembered remains of a young mother near a bridge in rural Illinois, marking the beginning of a murder mystery that would baffleinvestigators for decades.

On Thursday, 37 years after the crime, police arrested the woman's former husband, Thomas Small, in connection with her murder. Police believe Small, 70, killed Diane Small, dismembered her body and then disposed of the remains near the Air Tight Bridge in rural Coles County.

Small was 26 years old when she disappeared in 1980. Authorities found her badly decomposed body on Oct. 19 of that year, four days after she had left her Bradley home on the 400 block of North Michigan Avenue.

Her head was never found. It took authorities 12 years to identify her remains through DNA testing.

"Nobody knew who it was because there wasn't any head, feet and hands," Judy Whiteside, a Coles County resident, told FoxIllinois.com.

The Smalls had a 2-year-old daughter at the time Diane Small disappeared.

"This is great news, especially for her daughter," retired Bradley Chief Steve Coy told the Daily Journal. "She has always wanted to know what happened."

Sources close to the case told the newspaper that Small -- who lives in Kankakee County -- confessed to killing his wife.

A spokesman for the Bradley Police Department could not be reached when contacted Monday.

Small reportedly told police at the time that his wife voluntarily left the couple's home on OCt. 15 and never returned.

In a statement released last week, the Coles County Sheriff's Department said Small is currently in custody in connection with his wife's murder and that "charges are pending."

Small is currently in custody at the Kankakee County Jail and is due in court this week.

Click for more from FoxIllinois.com
Ankara, Turkey, Mar. 6

By Atilla Caner  Trend:

A 33-year-old female, citizen of Russia, has been detained in Turkey in connection with the assassination of Andrey Karlov, Russias ambassador to Turkey, the Sabah newspaper reported Mar. 6.

The detained woman, named Ekaterina, had close contact with the killer of the Russian ambassador, according to the newspaper.

Previously three suspects, including two police officers, were arrested in connection with the assassination of Andrey Karlov.

Andrey Karlov died after being fatally wounded in an armed assault in an art gallery in Ankara late Dec. 19, 2016. Three other people were injured in the attack.

The killer, Mevlut Mert Altintas, was eliminated. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the incident an act of terrorism.
The FBI and Oregon authorities were asking the public for help in locating a missing girl Sunday.

Federal authorities and the Warm Springs Police Department believe 11-year-old Kaitlyn Stofiel is with her father, 44-year-old Thomas Clarence Stofiel, but could be endangered, The Oregonian reported. The pair was recently seen in Portland.

Stofiels truck was found parked on the Warm Springs Reservation late last month. Neither Stofiel nor his daughter was known to have any connection to the reservation. There have not been any confirmed sightings of Stofiel or the girl in the last week.

Authorities said Stofiel is known to be armed and have survival skills. Authorities also believe he might be distraught.

"At this time, officers and agents simply want to locate Kaitlyn to ensure that she is safe," the FBI said in a statement Friday.

The girl is described as white, with long, dark hair and blue eyes. Thomas Stofiel is a white man who is 5-feet 5-inchces tall, weighing approximately 125 pounds with brown hair and green eyes.

Anyone with information about the pairs whereabouts is urged to call 911. Any other information can be provided to the FBIs field office in Portland at 503-224-4281, the FBI in Bend at 541-389-1202 or the Warm Springs Police Department at 541-553-1171.

Click for more from Fox 12 Oregon.
TRUMP TO POSSIBLY SIGN REVISED TRAVEL BAN ORDER

A White House official told the Associated Press that President Trump will sign a revised executive order temporarily banning the entry of people from several Middle Eastern and African countries and halting the nations refugee program Monday. This will come after the administration has repeatedly pushed back the signing to make sure the necessary agencies are prepared to implement the order.

TRUMP WIRETAP CLAIM FLUMMOXES LAW ENFORCMENT OFFICIALS; COMEY REPORTEDLY ASKS DOJ TO REJECT TRUMP CLAIM

President Trumps shocking allegation that former President Obama ordered wiretaps of his phones and Trump Tower during the election has sent shockwaves through Washington. Sources told Fox News on Sunday that law enforcement officials were thrown off-guard by the allegation. The sources also said officials had no idea what Trump was talking about. Meanwhile, FBI Director James Comey asked the Justice Department to reject Trumps allegation, according to a published report.

VIDEO: SEN. COTTON ON SENATES RUSSIA INVESTIGATION, WIRETAPPING CLAIMS

VIDEO: WHITEWATER INVESTIGATOR TALKS RUSSIA, WIRETAPPING CLAIMS

CONWAY CHALLENGES COMEY ON TRUMP WIRETAP CLAIM

Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway said in an interview on Justice with Judge Jeanine Sunday that Comey should reveal any information he might have about President Trumps wiretapping allegation. If Mr. Comey has something hed like to say Im sure were all willing to hear it, Conway told Fox News Jeanine Pirro.  We know hes not shy. (WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE)

ICYMI: WATCH COREY LEWANDOWSKI DISCUSS THE TRUMP WIRETAP ALLEGATION

FOX NEWS OPINION: AN ANGRY DOCTORS PLEA TO FIX THE OBAMACARE MESS

As a physician, I am fed up and angry. ... I have seen my patients go without medicines, miss important preventative care milestones and struggle to find access to high quality care. I am tired of watching and waiting for the Washington elite to do their jobs.

WATTERS WORLD: WATTERS CONFRONTS CRITIC OF STANDING OVATION FOR NAVY SEALS WIDOW

GREG GUTFELD: TRUMP HAD HIS MOST PRESIDENTIAL WEEK YET

NORTH KOREA FIRES FOUR BANNED BALLISTIC MISSILES, SOUTH KOREA SAYS

North Korea fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew 620 miles into the ocean off its eastern coast, South Korean officials said Monday, in an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal. Its unclear what type of missiles were fired, but it comes as leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile program that can deter what he calls U.S. and South Korean hostility toward the North.

COMING UP ON FNC

7:00 a.m. ET: White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway will join "Fox & Friends."

9:10 a.m. ET: Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., will join Americas Newsroom.

9:30 a.m. ET: The Supreme Court will issue orders on the following cases: Masterpiece Cakeshop, LTD vs. CO Civil Rights Commission, Salazar-Limon vs. City of Houston and Baston vs. US.

10:10 a.m. ET: Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., will join Americas Newsroom.

2:00 p.m. ET: The State Department will hold the first press briefing of the new administration.
An Oregon judge is being investigated for allegedly helping an illegal immigrant evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in January, by letting the DWI suspect slip out through her own private entrance.

The Jan. 27 incident could land Judge Monica Herranz in serious trouble if she is shown to have helped Diddier Pacheco, 22, escape her Multnomah County courtroom as federal agents waited outside to deport him.

This individual was allowed to leave that courtroom through a doorway that is not a public doorway, and which ultimately led to his ability to leave the courthouse undetected by ICE, said U.S. Attorney Billy Williams.

I found my client, told him that Id seen ICE agents outside, that I had no way to know if they were there for him or not, but it was possible.  John Schlosser, attorney for Diddier Pacheco

Herranz is now under internal investigation by the Multnomah County Court Administration. She is cooperating with the probe, which is expected to be completed within a week.

The options for how Pacheco exited Herranz courtroom are limited, as there are only three doors. One is used by the Sheriffs Department to bring inmates in and out. Another is used by the public and the last for the judge and courtroom staff to get back to their offices. It also leads to a staircase which goes to a first floor exit.

Pachecos attorney John Schlosser says he doesnt know how his client left the courtroom. But he acknowledged both knew there were ICE agents inside the courthouse who might be there to arrest Pacheco. He had passed several agents on his way into the courtroom.

I found my client, told him that Id seen ICE agents outside, that I had no way to know if they were there for him or not, but it was possible, said Schlosser.

Federal law makes it a crime to conceal, harbor or shield from detection illegal immigrants. The U.S. Attorney in Portland decided not to prosecute after ICE officials told him they were opposed to an investigation of the judge. Instead, Williams met with most of the judges in the county and made it clear similar actions in the future would not be tolerated.

Herranz, a board member of the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association, is still working in the Multnomah County courts, but she could face internal discipline once the investigation is finished.

I dont want anything that in the eyes of the public undermines the integrity and the neutrality of the justice system being done, said Presiding Judge Nan Waller.

Lars Larson, a nationally syndicated conservative talk show host based in Portland thinks Herranz should be finished on the bench and even lose her license to practice law.

I think the judge broke the law, said Larson, I think as a lawyer, her ticket should probably be punched. I think she helped a criminal escape.

Herranz declined a request by Fox News for a comment. Pacheco was caught by ICE agents outside the same courthouse two weeks later following another hearing. Hes been taken to an ICE detention facility in New Mexico where hes awaiting deportation.
Women and children crossing together illegally into the United States could be separated by U.S. authorities under a proposal being considered by the Department of Homeland Security, according to three government officials.

Part of the reason for the proposal is to deter mothers from migrating to the United States with their children, said the officials, who have been briefed on the proposal.

The policy shift would allow the government to keep parents in custody while they contest deportation or wait for asylum hearings. Children would be put into protective custody with the Department of Health and Human Services, in the "least restrictive setting" until they can be taken into the care of a U.S. relative or state-sponsored guardian.

BIG DROP IN NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ENTERING US THROUGH ITS SOUTHERN BORDER

Currently, families contesting deportation or applying for asylum are generally released from detention quickly and allowed to remain in the United States until their cases are resolved. A federal appeals court ruling bars prolonged child detention.

President Donald Trump has called for ending "catch and release," in which migrants who cross illegally are freed to live in the United States while awaiting legal proceedings.

Two of the officials were briefed on the proposal at a Feb. 2 town hall for asylum officers by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum chief John Lafferty.

A third DHS official said the department is actively considering separating women from their children but has not made a decision.

HHS and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.

In a statement to Reuters, DHS said: "The journey north is a dangerous one with too many situations where children - brought by parents, relatives or smugglers - are often exploited, abused or may even lose their lives.

PRO-TRUMP TOWN RILED UP AFTER IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS ARREST POPULAR RESTAURANT MANAGER

"With safety in mind, the Department of Homeland Security continually explores options that may discourage those from even beginning the journey," the statement said.

U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat whose district includes about 200 miles (320 km) of the border with Mexico, slammed the proposal. "Bottom line: separating mothers and children is wrong," he said in a statement.

"That type of thing is where we depart from border security and get into violating human rights," he said.

About 54,000 children and their guardians were apprehended between Oct. 1, 2016, and Jan. 31, 2017, more than double the number caught over the same time period a year earlier.

Republicans in Congress have argued women are willing to risk the dangerous journey with their children because they are assured they will be quickly released from detention and given court dates set years into the future.

ARGENTINIAN 'DREAMER' WITH EXPIRED DACA TO BE DEPORTED WITHOUT A HEARING

Immigrant rights advocates have argued that Central America's violent and impoverished conditions force mothers to immigrate to the United States and that they should be given asylum status.

Implementing the new policy proposal "could create lifelong psychological trauma," said Marielena Hincapie, executive director at the National Immigration Law Center. "Especially for children that have just completed a perilous journey from Central America."

Hincapie said the U.S. government is likely to face legal challenges based on immigration and family law if they decide to implement the policy.

The policy would allow DHS to detain parents while complying with a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals order from July 2016 that immigrant children should be released from detention as quickly as possible. That order said their parents were not required to be freed.

To comply with that order, the Obama administration implemented a policy of holding women and children at family detention centers for no more than 21 days before releasing them.

Holding mothers in prolonged detention could also strain government resources, said Randy Capps of the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington-based non-profit.

You are talking about a pretty rapid increase in the detention population if you are going to do this," Capps said. "The question is really how much detention can they afford."

Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly last week ordered immigration agents to deport or criminally prosecute parents who facilitate the illegal smuggling of their children.

Many parents who arrive on the U.S.-Mexico border with their children have paid smugglers to guide them across the dangerous terrain.
North Korea fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew 620 miles into the ocean off its eastern coast, South Korean officials said Monday, in an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.



It was not immediately clear the exact type of missile fired; Pyongyang has staged a series of missile test-launches of various ranges in recent months, including a new intermediate-range missile in February. The ramped-up tests come as leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile program that can deter what he calls U.S. and South Korean hostility toward the North.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday's firing shows that North Korea has become "a new kind of threat." Japanese officials said three of the four missiles landed in the 200-nautical-mile offshore area where Tokyo has sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting resources.

South Korea's Joint Chief of Staff said in a statement that Monday's launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province. The area is the home of the North's Seohae Satellite Station where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.

Seoul and Washington call their military drills on the Korean Peninsula, which remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty, defensive and routine.

The North hates the military drills, which will run until April 30 this year and which analysts say force its impoverished military to respond with expensive deployments and drills of their own. An unidentified spokesman for the North's General Staff of the Korean People's Army said last week that Pyongyang's reaction to the southern drills would be the toughest ever but didn't elaborate.

North Korea conducted 24 missile tests and two nuclear tests last year. There have been widespread worries that the North will conduct an ICBM test that, when perfected, could in theory reach U.S. shores. Washington would consider such a capability a major threat.

The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, and 50,000 in Japan, as a deterrent against a potential aggression from the North. Another 3,600 U.S. soldiers arrived in South Korea earlier this month to take part in the annual drills.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.


A former Guantanamo Bay detainee was among those killed in recent U.S. airstrikes on terror targets in Yemen, Capt. Jeff Davis said on Monday.

Yasir al-Silmi, who was held at Guantanamo Bay from 2002-2009, was killed in airstrikes on March 2, Davis said.

Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, would not get into specifics about why al-Silmi was released in 2009, but confirmed he was counted among those who had returned to terrorism.

Al-Silmi also operated under the alias Mohammed Tahar.

There have been more than 40 airstrikes in Yemen in the past five nights.

As the Obama administration wound down, officials stepped up efforts to shrink the prison population at Guantanamo Bay, though former President Barack Obama was never able to realize his campaign pledge of closing the U.S. detention facility.

While Obama assured the U.S. in December that only "low-level" terrorist operatives had been released from Guantanamo Bay, the emergence of former detainees taking on high-level roles in terror groups has undermined that message. One, Ibrahim al Qosi, became the face of Al Qaeda in Yemen.

The Pentagon has estimated that at least 30 percent of transferred Guantanamo Bay detainees had returned to the battlefield, killing Americans and U.S. allies. Critics contend the number is far higher than 30 percent.

During its peak, Guantanamo Bay held 778 suspected terror operatives.
EXCLUSIVE: Ignoring a United Nations report that decried the use in Syria of chemical weapons, targeted air attacks on civilians and forced deportations, Russian and Assad regime air forces are steadily continuing the same illegal tactics while U.N.-sponsored peace talks founder in Geneva.

The regime forces also seem to be refining new forms of their illegal chemical weapons. Syria researchers in London have pointed to the strong possibility that pro-regime forces have put warheads containing chlorine gas on short-range, ground-to-ground rockets as a supplement to poison gas canisters and bombs dropped out of helicopters and other aircraft.

In the view of experts consulted by Fox News, the ugly methods are basic elements in a war-fighting strategy that is only affected in terms of tempo by the ineffectual peace process.

This is a sequential campaign, notes Valerie Szybala, executive director of The Syria Institute, a non-partisan, non-profit research institution in Washington. They aim to destroy the opposition, one place at a time.

They are re-engineering Syria, she said.

They have doubled down to close down the last pockets of resistance near Damascus, said Genevieve Casagrande, an analyst who specializes in the Syrian opposition at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), an independent think tank specializing in Middle East military operations. Its part of the regimes siege-and-starve campaign.

The Russians and the regime may draw down their attacks before negotiations begin, then ramp them back up again, she said. But they are leveraging violence.

Casagrande notes that her institute has never been able to assess the Russian use of chlorine gas in the Syrian civil war, but notes that Russian air forces use incendiary weapons, including equally illegal cluster bombs and other specialized munitions against Syrian civilian targets.

Due to their greater sophistication, she said, Russian warplanes are more frequently used to target critical civilian infrastructure -- hospitals, schools and marketplaces -- to drive people away from civil centers and the front lines of conflict.

They have been used recently in continuous attacks in Syrias north-western Idlib province and the southern province of Daraa, she noted.

Humanitarian organizations told Fox News of multiple instances where chemical weapons were used in the last month alone in the area of East Ghouta, an opposition stronghold on the east of Assads capital of Damascus; at least two times in the town of Erbin, in that area. At least two persons died as a result.

The experts also agree that the ugly tactics are working.

The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and militias supported by Iran are slowly gaining ground in the countryside, while the air forces focus increasing punishment on civilian infrastructure --hospitals and schools -- in an effort to drive desperate civilian populations out of opposition strongholds.

An ISW report on March 2 noted that Russian airstrikes also have enabled the radical Islamists of ISIS to win ground from more moderate opposition forces and likely emboldened the local affiliate of Al Qaeda to do the same.

The ambit of Russias anti-ISIS effort extends only so far as it aligns with its goal to preserve the Syrian regime, the reports author, Jonathan Mountner, observed.

While Russian warplanes may not be dropping chemical weapons themselves, the Putin government is doing its best to shield Assads regime from any additional sanctions for doing so.

Last week, Russia, along with China, vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that would have banned the sale of helicopters to Assad -- favored vehicles for dropping chlorine gas barrel bombs on civilians.

The Trump administrations new Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley lambasted both nations for a bizarre and indefensible choice in defending Assad, but the resulting impasse has become par for the course in the Security Council: the Putin regime has exercised its protective veto seven times since the civil war began.

The latest stonewalling came after the U.N.s most sustained -- and yet, ineffectual -- effort to amass the war crimes case in Syria. It came in the form of a 37-page report by a three-member Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, made public last week.

The trio were tasked to identify all those for whom there were reasonable grounds to believe that they were responsible for alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law in connection with the siege and conquest of opposition-held eastern Aleppo, which surrendered to Assad last December.

The human rights violations on the regime side were massive and relentless: hundreds of air attacks, many against schools, hospitals and market places, in which hundreds if not thousands of besieged civilians died. (Other reports have noted that the exact number may never be known.)

The weapons involved included aerial bombs, air-to-surface rockets, cluster munitions, incendiary bombs and improvised air-delivered munitions (barrel bombs), and weapons delivering toxic industrial chemicals, including chlorine.

On one day alone, the report notes, Russian aircraft conducted 42 air sorties, making at least 28 confirmed air strikes in eastern Aleppo city. Syrian air forces launched air strikes using chlorine bombs throughout 2016, the document adds.

Fully besieged by mid-July, eastern Aleppos civilian infrastructure was pummeled, the report says, with disastrous consequences. Day after day, hospitals, markets, water stations, schools and residential buildings were razed to the ground. Women and children were disproportionately affected.

The report documents numerous reports of chemical weapons attacks affecting hundreds of people, and notes a one week period where there were reports of toxic chemical drops daily in one neighborhood.

The report records repeated attacks on health care facilities that are afforded special protection under international law, with witness accounts of the destruction.

Food and medical supplies for East Aleppo -- including medicines that the U.N. was supposed to deliver impartially -- were blocked by the Syrian regime. (The report does not say it, but those medical supplies were stockpiled on the regimes side for the divided city. So were vital medical equipment and blood supplies, which the U.N. was still supplying to Assad.

The report also summarized evidence that once east Aleppo had surrendered, summary executions, disappearances and forced deportations of at least 1,000 people added to the war crimes tally.

Most notoriously, the report documented an air attack against a United Nations-sponsored aid convoy that was headed into western Aleppo province, destroying 17 trucks full of food, clothing and medical supplies, and killing at least 14 civilian aid workers. The convoy was travelling with one of the rare permissions granted by Assads regime.

The attack began more than five hours after aid workers from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent -- an aid organization authorized by Assad -- had begun unloading supplies. Survivors described the highly organized attack as lasting more than 30 minutes. A subsequent examination of the munitions used included Russian-made cluster bombs, though the report also notes that no Russian strike aircraft were nearby during the attack.

The overall conclusion: the facts strongly suggest that the attack was meticulously planned and ruthlessly carried out by the Syrian Air Force to purposefully hinder the delivery of humanitarian aid and target aid workers, constituting the war crimes of deliberately attacking humanitarian relief personnel, denial of humanitarian aid and targeting civilians.

On the other side, the report documented random rocket attacks by radical opposition groups on parts of the city that remained loyal to Assad -- which amounted to a drop in the bucket compared to what the Russians and Assad were unleashing against their foes. Similarly, armed groups sometimes took away food intended for civilians and kidnapped and executed others, in unspecified numbers that clearly bore little relation to the impact of violence from the regime side.

Nonetheless, in its recommendations, the Commission report recommended weakly that all warring parties -- only two of whom, Russia and Syria, are U.N. member states and human rights law signatories -- comply with their obligations under international human rights and international humanitarian law -- making them, in effect, equivalent violators.

It did call on the Syrian regime to provide evacuees from east Aleppo with adequate and safe living conditions and end all attacks against aid workers and humanitarian facilities -- but made no mention of Russia by name.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REPORT

The Commission of Inquiry report also called on the international community to promote efforts to ensure accountability for the crimes it described.

At the moment, in typical U.N. fashion, that exhortation focuses on creation of yet another U.N. body, the ponderously named International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011.

The Independent Mechanism, created by the U.N. General Assembly to circumvent Russias Security Council veto, is supposed to gather and archive for future prosecution further evidence and information on the crimes documented by the commission in the present report.

A head for the Mechanism was supposed to be appointed by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres by the end of February. So far that hasnt happened.

Meantime, however, U.N.-facilitated peace talks are moving in the right direction, according to the U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura. Having ended last week with little or no progress on anything, they will resume in late March.

George Russell is Editor-at-Large of Fox News. He is reachable on Twitter at @GeorgeRussell and on Facebook at Facebook.com/George.Russell
Continuing a pattern of provocative actions, Iran this weekend test-fired a pair of ballistic missiles and sent fast-attack vessels close to a U.S. Navy ship in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News.

One of Iran's ballistic missile tests were successful, destroying a floating barge approximately 155 miles away, two U.S. officials with knowledge of the launch told Fox News. The launches of the Fateh-110 short-range ballistic missiles were the first tests of the missile in two years, one official said.

It was not immediately clear if this was the first successful test at sea -- raising concerns for the U.S. Navy, which operates warships in the area, one of which had an "unsafe and unprofessional" interaction with Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. boats on Saturday.

The IRGC boats approached to within 600 yard of the tracking ship USNS Invincible and then stopped, officials confirmed to Fox News. The Invincible was accompanied by three ships from the British Royal Navy and all four ships were forced to change course, Reuters reported.

The Iranian provocations were partially obscured by a worldwide focus on North Korea's own ballistic missile tests.

Between North Koreas saber-rattling and Irans willful defiance, we certainly dont lack for evidence of these rogue regimes intentions," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said in a Monday statement. "This is why we need to develop a strong missile-defense system and to take a harder line toward these regimes. No amount of words, however clear or forceful, will prevent this kind of aggression; only firm action to defend America and our allies will stop them in their tracks."



SOUTH KOREA: NORTH KOREA FIRES FOUR BANNED BALLISTIC MISSILES

According to one official, Iran launched its two short-range ballistic missiles from an IRGC base in Bandar-e-Jask, in southeastern Iran. The first missile was fired on Saturday, but missed its target, though it landed in the vicinity, one official said. A day later, Iran made another attempt and was successful.

The Iranian Fateh-110 Mod 3 has a new active seeker, helping the missile locate ships at sea, according to one official.

"It's a concern based on the range and that one of the missiles worked," said one official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the launch.

Two years ago, Iranian cruise missiles destroyed a large barge designed to look like an American aircraft carrier. Iranian state-television broadcast the images publicly at the time.

The new Iranian short-range ballistic missile launches come a week after Iran successfully test-fired Russian surface-to-air missiles, part of the S-300 air defense system Russia sent to Iran recently.

According to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Iran has conducted as many as 14 ballistic missile launches since the landmark nuclear agreement in July 2015.

A senior U.S. military official told Fox News that Iran had made great advances in its ballistic missile program over the past decade.

Late last month, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford said Irans behavior had not changed since the White House put the Islamic Republic on notice following Irans successful intermediate-range ballistic missile test-launch in late January.


The Coptic Christian community of Egypts Sinai Peninsula is under siege from a growing number of militant Islamists, including ISIS members, who target them for death because of their faith.

The Sinai Peninsula --where northeastern Egypt shares its borders with Gaza and Israel-- has been the center of an ongoing conflict between Islamists and Egyptian forces for years, but in recent times the Islamic State and their local affiliates known as the Sinai Province, have been attempting to drive the Coptic population out of the northern Mediterranean city of Al Arish.

While the Christian population of this city has had to flee from threats before, their plight has taken a dark turn in 2017. With a recent call from ISIS for the Copts on the peninsula to be killed; over 100 families had to flee amid attacks and even the executions of their loved ones.

I was born in Al Arish. It is my home. I hope that they [ISIS] do not take over the city.  Monica

My whole life is in Al Arish, said Monica, a college student whose family is from Al Arish. My friends. My church. Everything. All of my life is there.

Monica, who asked that that her surname not be published, was forced to flee Al Arish along with her family after ISIS fighters threatened to kill her brothersimply because he was Christian.

We were frightened. We thought some people had tried to enter our home to kill my brother, she said. I have no words to describe the feeling.

Egypt's Coptic Christians, who make up around 10 percent of the population, have long been a target of Islamic extremists. Attacks on churches by Muslim mobs increased since the 2013 military coup that ousted an Islamist preisdient, Mohamed Morsi. Christians overwhelmingly supported the army chief-turned-president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, and extremists have used such support as a pretext to increase attacks against them.

Christians in northern Sinai have been fleeing in droves in recent years because of the militant threats, and the community that before 2011 numbered up to 5,000 has now dwindled to fewer than 1,000, according to The Associated Press. There are no official statistics on the number of Christians in cities or across the country.

The displacement underscores what many human rights activists have said about the failure of the Egyptian government in providing the minimum level of security to the Christians in this volatile region of northern Sinai, where the military has been battling for years against militants.

But this recent wave of threats against the Copts of the northern Peninsula has proven to be the most deadly.

ISIS recently released a video in which they call for fellow jihadists to murder the Coptic Christians of Al Arish which they refer to as their favorite prey.

In the 20-minute video, ISIS claims responsibility for the January bombing of the central Coptic church in Cairo that killed nearly 30 people, saying that it was only the beginning.

The video shows footage of Egypts Coptic Christian pope, Christian businessmen, judges and priests who either speak of the need to protect the minority or use derogatory terms to refer to Egypts Muslim majority. The narrator says Christians were no longer dhimmis, a reference to non-Muslims in Islam who enjoy a degree of state protection. Instead, the group describes the Christians as infidels who are empowering the West against Muslim nations.

God gave orders to kill every infidel, one of the militants carrying an AK-47 assault rifle says in the video.

In February, a Coptic man and his son were found killed after their bodies were found dumped behind a state-run language school in Al Arish.

Saied Hakim, 65, and his 45-year-old son Medhat Saied were believed to have been kidnapped by members of the Sinai Province, according to Daily News Egypt.

Saied was shot in the head while his son was burned alive.

One week earlier, a veterinarian was assassinated by militants as he was leaving private clinic in a suburb of Al-Arish. He was met with a hail of gunfire as he was leaving work for the day.

In January, a full-scale attack by militants killed 30 soldiers and injured at least 15 residents. A suicide bomber apparently drove a water tanker truck filled with explosives in a military camp in Al- Arish, killing dozens of soldiers and injuring civilians in the area that were hit with shrapnel.

Monica and her familylike many others in the community-- fled the city after the violent incidents increased. She says that seven people were executed by militants just last month, including her friends father. She says that they were senselessly killed for their faith.

Monicas family and many others from Al Arish have sought refuge in the city of Ismailia, about six hours from Al Arish. She is hopeful that they will all be able to return home.

I was born in Al Arish. It is my home, she said. I hope that they [ISIS] do not take over the city.
Outgoing French President Francois Hollande said in an interview published in several newspapers that his ultimate duty is to prevent far-right candidate Marine Le Pen from winning the upcoming election.

"My ultimate duty is to make sure that France is not won over by such a program, and that France does not bear such a heavy responsibility," Hollande said of the risk of the National Front leaders victory.

Hollandes interview was published in multiple European media outlets, including Le Monde, La Stampa, The Guardian, La Vanguardia, Suddeutsche Zeitung and Gazeta Wyborcza, according to Reuters.

Le Pen, seen by some as the French Donald Trump, is considered as one of the two candidates who will move onto the second round in Frances presidential elections. She has maintained her popularity despite being the center of investigations along with her anti-immigration National Front party.

Polls suggest Le Pen and centrist independent candidate Emmanuel Macron will come out on top in the first round of voting on April 23. The top two vote-getters go on to compete in the May 7 presidential runoff. However, the polls says she will not win the runoff unless large numbers break with past voting habits and abandon tradition, even life-long, allegiances.

Le Pens campaign speaks of a new landscape pitting "patriots" against "globalists"  the Paris political elite she accuses of surrendering France's power and sovereignty to European bureaucrats and opening it to culture-destroying mass immigration.

"We enlist all patriots from the right or left to join us," Le Pen thundered at the congress where she launched her 144-point platform in February. "Elected officials or simple citizens, wherever you come from, whatever commitments you made, you have a place at our side."

Recently, the European Parliament lifted Le Pens immunity from prosecution after she tweeted pictures of three graphic images of Islamic State killings, including the beheading of American journalist James Foley.

The lifting only covers her immunity in this particular case and will not cover a separate probe into whether the National Front misused EU Parliament funds, BBC reported.

Le Pen said the effort to lift her immunity was part of the system that wants to stop the French peoples candidate that I am.

Le Pen has also voted to request all people with dual citizenship in France and other countries to choose only one nationality, except for Europeans and Russians.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from Reuters.
Ankara, Turkey, Mar. 6

By Atilla Caner  Trend:

A pilot of the Syrian jet fighter, which crashed in southern Turkey Mar. 4, may be extradited to Syria in the coming days, a military source in Ankara told Trend Mar. 6.

Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that the pilot of the crashed Syrian jet fighter ejected and landed in the Turkish territory.

Currently, the Syrian jet fighter pilot is being treated in one of the border hospitals of Turkey, the military source in Ankara noted.
As the U.S. looks back over one of the most divisive presidential elections in recent memory, Mexicos own leadership battle is getting underway. As candidates for the top job come forward, the countrys main concern comes to the forefront: who can handle Donald Trump?

Enrique Pena Nieto will step aside on June 4, 2018. The most unpopular leader since records began, his replacements are already campaigning in the presidents heartlands, with man-of-the-people Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador leading the pack.

"Our politicians have betrayed us, lying and stealing, and allowing the United States to punish the poorest for their mistakes.  Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexican politician

Known as AMLO, the firebrand populist has already been defeated in two presidential elections, yet, undeterred by ejection from his party and protesting fraud by political opponents at every turn, his anti-graft cause is building a head of steam as he tours marginalized Mexico.

We will bring down the Mafia of Power that has destroyed this country, he shouted to the crowd in Ecatepec, the most murderous town in Mexico, in a rally last week. Our politicians have betrayed us, lying and stealing, and allowing the United States to punish the poorest for their mistakes.

Being a career politician hasnt stopped AMLO from tearing a few pages out of Donald Trumps playbook. He has used his high-profile defeats to personify the thorn in the governments side, a role which resounds with the growing number of Mexicans (and was effective with a great number of Americans) who feel betrayed by their politicians.

The candidate is highly active on social media, releasing YouTube videos and tweets that highlight national issues to his millions of followers and strengthen an outsider image that has been carefully constructed since his ejection from his own party.

Unwilling to be put out to pasture following the 2012 defeat to Pena Nieto, he founded his own National Regeneration Movement party, MORENA, and won a small number of congressional seats. His was the only party to vote against the New Year gas price hikes that resulted in riots and looting across Mexico, and he has used this stance to highlight his Trump-tackling credentials.

We have invited foreigners into Mexico, to our gold mines, oil wells and rich jungles, and we have handed our countrys resources over without question, resources that belong to you and me, he shouted, touching at Mexicos wounded nationalism, an injured pride rubbed raw by the insults that Mexicans see as having swept Donald Trump into the White House.

Our ancestors taught us to respect authority, but I have a better idea: we will only respect those who show us respect in return. I will break down the barriers that lie in Mexicos path.

President Pena Nietos current approval ratings, which languish below 17 percent, have been a godsend for Lopez Obrador. The invitation of Donald Trump, who Lopez Obrador speaks of as a petulant bigot, during last years presidential campaign was disastrous for Pena Nieto, while crime and violence have worsened in the countrys poorest areas, where AMLOs natural voters predominate.

MEXICAN CATHOLIC CHURCH CALLS US IMMIGRATION POLICIES AN 'ACT OF TERROR'

I dont know who runs this town, he said with his tongue lodged firmly in his cheek (Ecatepec is governed by the PRI, the Lopez Obradors fiercest opponents), but whoever they are, theyve done a terrible job. Cue boos and whistles from an impassioned crowd, directed at the speakers red-faced police escort.

The populist now campaigns on two principles: putting President Trump in his place and tackling the corruption that has been allowed to seep into all corners of Mexican society.

You clean corruption like you clean a set of stairs: from the top down, he tells a community living with rates of murder, kidnap, extortion and femicide that are all four times the national average, and where the police are seen as apathetic, if not involved.

MEXICAN CONGRESSMAN CLIMBS BORDER FENCE TO PROVE A POINT

Telling people what they already know is working out well for AMLO. He leads in the polls, is gathering endorsements from political heavyweights, and strengthens his anti-establishment credentials with every rally.

He tells it like it is, Fernando Vilchis, the local waste management union leader told Fox News during the rally. He represents honesty, dignity and moral authority, values we see as badly lacking in Mexican politics today.

Andres understands us, says mother-of-two Maura Morales, 32, who battles daily with the fear of armed robbery on the public buses, as she commutes to clean the houses of the capitals upper-middle class, the same voters who baulk at Obradors pledges to eradicate the monstrous inequality of Mexican society. Other candidates have come through Ecatepec, but they have no idea of the daily struggle of living here.

He can unite Mexico, because he doesnt give up, says Vilchis, who believes that if change is going to come in Ecatepec, that it must be an effort on the part of the entire community. We need a leader who speaks for the angry and marginalized, just like the United States has with President Trump.
Bought used Vehicle with gear box problems

|

Preis: ***,00  | Kaufrecht

Beantwortet von

Rechtsanwaltin Wibke Turk

| 6. Marz 2017 16:41Preis:Beantwortet von

Zusammenfassung:



Checking the car papers in details I have found out another serious issue. The car has more owners than the Dealer announced on mobile. Because the car is standstill in front of my house, is it a good practice to repair it on my own costs and later to recover the money from the Dealer? Since I still keep the hope to find justice I address my problem here.

Dear Ms. and Mr. Lawyer



I am writing you in English since my German is not good enough to express my problem. I have checked with "Frag-einen-Anwalt" help desk and questions and answers in English are accepted by lawyers registered here.



In 08.2015 I have bought an used Subaru car from a Dealer / Handler.

After about 3 months the gear box got a problem confirmed by three different Auto Services. One of them the official Subaru Auto Service and another one a specialist company in gear boxes. They highly recommended to not use the car anymore because the gear box can be severe damaged.

After informing the Dealer, he denied his responsibility to repair the gear box. Even the law is saying he is for 6 months responsible for such problems.



Moreover, checking the car papers in details I have found out another serious issue. The car has more owners than the Dealer announced on mobile.de. Also, when I first contacted the dealer I have got an automatic answer with an attachment which describes the car. Document available. Here it is written that the car has one owner. I have to say that I was looking for used cars with one previous owners. I am not interested in cars with more then one owners. This was on important criteria for me to choose the car.



Now I want to give back the car. I have paid for a car I can't use and for a car with more owners than he mentioned. I already proposed him to give back the car and to pay him a fee for the km I already used the car. He refused it.



I was looking for help to a lawyer. Unfortunately, the lawyer waisted my time for more then 6 months and got no help at all in the end.

Because the car is standstill in front of my house, is it a good practice to repair it on my own costs and later to recover the money from the Dealer?



Since I still keep the hope to find justice I address my problem here.



Best regards,


Texas Chicken to Accelerate Growth Throughout Middle East and Asia Pacific

Brand announces new leadership structure aimed at innovation, satisfaction and more.

March 06, 2017 // Franchising.com // ATLANTA - In a move to unite two highly successful regions and leverage their combined strength for better efficiency, profitability and further expansion, Texas Chicken announced today that its Middle East/Black Sea Basin and Asia Pacific business units will now report to a single management team. In doing so, Texas Chicken will be bolstering the brand's ability to operate more seamlessly across 14 countries by sharing talent, resources, best practices and advancements in culinary innovation.

"The power unleashed by bringing both regions under one umbrella allows us to fully support continued expansion with field-based leadership and quicker decision making on behalf of our franchise affiliates," explained Tony Moralejo, executive vice president, International Business and Global Development for Texas Chicken.

Leading up the new organizational group will be Amar Sandhu, who will take on the title of Vice President, Texas Chicken Business. In the newly created role, Sandhu will be responsible for managing the Texas Chicken brand across all Middle East/Black Sea Basin and Asia Pacific markets  with an eye toward consistently elevating and enhancing brand experience. Sandhu brings diverse expertise to the position that includes operations, development, marketing, strategy, and a results-based approach for working with emerging and developing markets. Amar holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Western Ontario  Richard Ivey School of Business.

Sandhu has been a vital member of the Texas Chicken team for more than five years, and played a pivotal role in the successful launch of the brand in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, New Zealand, Thailand, Pakistan, and most recently, Laos. Under his leadership, the brand has seen unprecedented growth in Asia, solidifying its position as the No.2 quick-service chicken brand in the entire region.

"I'm eager and motivated to lead our Texas Chicken teams toward reaching ever-higher benchmarks in guest satisfaction, innovation and best-in-class service for our franchisees," Sandhu said. "Together, we will see many achievements in expanding the global footprint of Texas Chicken."

About Texas Chicken / Church's Chicken

Founded in San Antonio, TX in 1952 by George W. Church, Church's Chicken, along with its sister brand Texas Chicken outside of the Americas, is one of the largest quick service chicken restaurant chains in the world. The brands specialize in Original and Spicy Chicken freshly prepared throughout the day in small batches that are hand-battered and double-breaded, Tender Strips, sandwiches, honey-butter biscuits made from scratch and freshly baked, and classic, home-style sides all for a great value. Church's Chicken and Texas Chicken have more than 1,600 locations in 27 countries and global markets and system-wide sales of more than $1 billion. For more information, visit www.churchs.com. Follow Church's on Facebook at www.facebook.com/churchschicken and Twitter at www.twitter.com/churchschicken.

Contact:

Daniella Delgado

866.571.3449

Daniella@inklinkmarketing.com

SOURCE Texas Chicken

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New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone.
The Fredericksburg Livestock Exchanges manager wanted to try some new things before the local institution closed last year.

Now Rob Heyl is getting his chance.

The exchange, where farmers bought and sold livestock for 75 years, will switch to evening auctions earlier in the week when it reopens March 28 under new ownership. It will also hold poultry, horse and farm equipment auctions on the second Saturday of each month beginning in April. And its getting its first-ever website and a computer program for invoices.

I think this will broaden the appeal, said Heyl.

Weekly auctions will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays instead of during the day on Thursdays, although farmers can truck their animals in as early as 7 a.m. That change puts the exchange near the beginning of the weekly buying and selling cycle, and is more convenient for farmers who have other full-time jobs.

Usually, most buyers get their shipments out on Wednesdays or Thursdays, Heyl said. They slow up until the weekends, so it was always difficult for us to market cattle. Were just trying to better the market to benefit the producer in the end.

He said that the decision was made to add the Saturday auctions because hes noticed that more and more people are raising chickens and rabbits to sell, and he often got questions about having horse, tack and farm equipment sales when he managed the old Exchange.

We figured wed try them together to make a day out of it, he said. Theres a demand, and its a sure market for us.

Work was underway last week to get the old building in the Fredericksburg Industrial Park ready for its relaunch. Workers were replacing sagging boards in the ceiling over the auction arena, doing some painting and replacing a few posts in the holding pens. The kitchen and bathrooms have gotten minor updates, and the old, well-used sofas and chairs that used to ring the auction arena will be replaced with new folding chairs.

The Exchange will serve free hot dogs, chips and sodas on opening day; and Sheila Burns will return to run the small cafe that was always packed with farmers on auction days.

The 90 stockholders who used to own the Exchange voted a year ago to close the operation after watching attendance and sales fall steadily as the area became more urban. The last auction was held May 19.

Asad Yosufzai, who owns a halal slaughterhouse and grocery next to the exchange, purchased the property in October for $350,000.

Were hoping that the updates and changes that Asad has made will make it more inviting, and were going to do more marketing, said office manager Stephanie Trainor.

She said that she and Heyl will be visiting with customers of the old Exchange to let them know that its reopening, and will reach out to farmers in the Tappahannock area.

I got a phone call this morning from a prior customer, Trainor said Wednesday. He was excited that we were opening back up.
Culpeper County will argue its motion to dismiss the federal lawsuit alleging religious discrimination against local Muslims at a hearing March 22 in the federal courthouse in Charlottesville before U.S. District Court Judge Norman Moon.

The U.S. Dept. of Justice filed the civil suit against the county in December, claiming the board of supervisors bowed to public pressure when it denied a utility permit requested by the Islamic Center of Culpeper to serve a planned mosque site on State Route 229.

The county vehemently denies the claim and argues that it denied the sewer permit for procedural reasons and issues of public health.

The ACLU has since joined the suit and will help the Feds argue the case against the county.

In a 29-page brief filed Feb. 17 responding to the federal response opposing the countys original motion to dismiss, Culpeper County Attorney Bobbi Jo Alexis furthered laid out the countys defense.

The DOJ submitted a lengthy brief in opposition containing much innuendo but it cannot bolster its deficient complaint, she wrote. Upon a close examination of the facts alleged in the complaint, try as they might with conclusory or speculative statements, the DOJ simply has no case supporting its claim of violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.

The permit that was denied does not fall under the Acts purview, Alexis argued, claiming the matter at hand relates to health and sanitation laws.

Instead of seeking information on alternative sewage methods or providing a current study of the property, the Islamic Center of Culpeper went immediately to the last resort of the pump and haul, she wrote.

The land in question will not support a traditional drainfield, according to the local health department, and is out of reach of public utilities. Islamic center representatives said they were willing to connect to public sewer when available and opted for the pump and haul method to serve a bathroom in the prayer house.

The county argued that the Islamic Center should have investigated alternative systemssome of which can be very costlyand said it could have resubmitted its application. The federal contention that denying the pump-and-haul permit creates a hardship because it delays mosque construction would be hard to argue, Alexis said, when the DOJ claims that it cannot be ready for trial until next year.

In addition, she said, if the Islamic Center waits for a trial instead of exercising one of the foregoing options, it will miss an entire construction year.

A bench trial in the matter has been set for Jan. 9-12, 2018 in Charlottesville.

The Islamic Center of Culpeper issued a response to Star-Exponent shortly after the federal lawsuit was filed saying the dispute was between the United States of America and Culpeper County. Its board declined to comment on specifics of the case.

We have faith in the judicial system of our country and complete confidence that the laws of the United States and the constitutional rights of its citizens will be upheld, said Dr. Nabeel Babar, an imam for the Islamic Center in the statement. Freedom of religion, freedom of speech and peaceful assembly are basic and inalienable rights of all Americans. We as patriotic citizens of this country should vigorously defend these freedoms and never take them for granted.

In her recent brief, Alexis said the county did not force the Islamic Center of Culpeper to modify its ability to build a mosque or sell its property.

She added, This matter involves the denial of a permit, for a now antiquated sewage system to be only use in emergency situations, which required an applicant to qualify for the permit by presenting objective information. As stated, the (Islamic Center of Culpeper) did not meet those requirements.

Alexis argued that transcripts from the meeting last April at which the permit was deniedthat are part of the court recordprove that the action was not religiously motivated.

One highlighted transcript section quotes Stevensburg Supervisor Bill Chase, a Vietnam veteran: But Im dead-set against it, not because of religion or anything. In the service, I served with all nationalities, all religions and never had a problem with anybody. But its because of the use that says that has it to be used basically and generally on a temporary basis. That and for emergencies.

Three of seven members of the board voted against denying the permit; according to the then board chairman, many constituent calls and messages were received protesting the proposed mosque.

Alexis argued in her recent brief, Further alleged discriminatory actions of private citizens cannot be imputed to the board, and in another section, It is pure speculation that alleged discriminatory private persons emails or that people clapped in the audience, caused the county to discriminateIn reality, the county has no control over the statements of private citizens. (Incendiary comments seem to proliferate in this day and time). Any attempt to shut down public comment to government other to avoid meeting disruption would likely to place the board in jeopardy of illegally impinging on the freedom of speech.

And in a footnote, Alexis writes, This is a concept which the champion of free speech, good or bad, the ACLU, conveniently ignores in its amicus, despite its past participation in other cases addressing this very issue.
A young man who is still facing accusations that he posed as a doctor in Florida pleaded guilty to two charges Monday in Stafford County Circuit Court.

Malachi A. LoveRobinson, 19, of West Palm Beach, Fla., was convicted of making false statements to obtain credit and passing a forged document. In exchange for his guilty pleas, prosecutor Michael Hardiman dropped two other charges.

LoveRobinson was arrested in Stafford on Sept. 9 when he tried to use the credit of a 73-year-old Emporia woman to purchase a Jaguar. LoveRobinson, who was free on bond on the Florida charges at the time, showed up at Kargar Motors at 3316 Jefferson Davis Highway with the woman, a relative who was unaware that she was being duped.

LoveRobinson will be sentenced on the Stafford convictions on May 22. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, but LoveRobinson isnt expected to get anywhere near that kind of time.

The Florida teenager made national news in February of last year when he was accused of operating a fake medical practice in West Palm Beach. An undercover agent visited his facility, New Birth Life Medical Center and Urgent Care, and received a physical exam and medical advice, court records state.

He was arrested a second time about a month later in Florida and accused of stealing $35,000 from an 86-year-old woman after making a house call to treat her for stomach pain.

LoveRobinson was supposed to remain in Florida until his trial, but ended up getting arrested in Stafford. Hardiman Monday said LoveRobinson had used the Emporia womans information to purchase a car in Florida that he drove to Virginia. He then picked up the woman in Emporia and drove her to Stafford.

A dealership employee eventually recognized LoveRobinson from the Florida case and called the police. The woman said she knew nothing about being a cosigner for the Jaguar LoveRobinson was trying to purchase.

Hardiman said LoveRobinsons financial records included making up a fake company in Florida that he claimed paid him $140,000 a year. He used the same information in purchasing the car in Florida. Stafford investigators checked and learned that the company did not exist.

LoveRobinson was set for a March 15 trial in Stafford, but Hardiman said he requested to move the date up for a plea because he wants to get back to Florida as soon as possible.

Attorney George Marzloff represented LoveRobinson on the Stafford charges.
A trial for a Stafford County man accused of killing his mother with a hammer in late 2015 has been delayed once again.

Christopher Michael Ellis, 39, is accused of killing 67-year-old Elizabeth Ellis early Dec. 11, 2015, at her home on Fagan Drive in southern Stafford. Elizabeth Ellis was found in her bedroom covered with blood after deputies responded to a neighbors complaint about noise.

Her son was in the backyard when police arrived and, according to testimony at a prior hearing, told deputies, I killed my mother. I killed my mother with a hammer.

Defense attorney Joshua Parrett has entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. A trial had been set for June 2627 in Stafford Circuit Court, but Parrett asked for a continuance Monday because a key witness was not available at that time.

Parrett said the Dr. Elizabeth Wheeler, who examined Ellis at Central State Psychiatric Hospital in Petersburg, has been subpoenaed to another trial on the same days the Stafford trial was scheduled. Judge Michael Levy set July 2526 as the new dates for the scheduled two-day trial.

Levy also granted Parretts request to appoint attorney Sharon Fitzgerald as co-counsel for the defense. Prosecutors Tara Mooney and Sandra Park are handling the case against Ellis.

Elizabeth Ellis taught for 17 years in the Stafford school system before retiring in 2003. Her cause of death is listed as blunt force trauma; it remains unclear what led to the attack.

Christopher Ellis court process has already been delayed by months he spent in Central State being tested and receiving treatment. He is now back in the Rappahannock Regional Jail awaiting trial.

Ellis is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated malicious wounding and assault on a law enforcement officer.
How does a Christian reverend come to deliver the funeral service for a Hindu?

When it was a last wish of the deceased.

Relating the story Sunday during the last talk of a Lenten Weekend program, Being Passionately Christian and Becoming Compassionately Interfaith, at St. Georges Episcopal Church, the Rev. Sathianathan Clarke spoke on ways to think about religion in a climate of nationalism and religious hostility.

The reverend teaches on Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and other topics as the Bishop Sundo Kim Chair for World Christianity at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

I think the context that we are all in is a celebration of borders, of boundaries, of walls and fences  because of whats happening around the Muslim community, and our own putting up of fences in the name of our security as Christians as well, Clarke said after his talk. I can understand why people want security as citizens of a country.

But rather than guarding religion against some kind of attack, he said, I am convinced that for the citizens of the kingdom of God, risk is the first step, security the second.

Clarke called his acquaintance with the Hindu man who asked that he give the funeral service an interfaith border crossing.

A little over 20 years ago, a congregant of his in Cambridge, Mass. was a home nurse for a gentleman from South India who was dying.

She mentioned Clarke, who is also from South India. The reverend was invited to visit the patient, and returned many times.

I showed up, sometimes Id wear a collar, you know, to show that I was a Christian priest, thinking he might  say Pray for me, Father. It never happened, Clarke said, smiling.

But when the man died, his children called Clarke. They told him their fathers last wish was for Clarke to deliver his funeral service.

When he prayed before the service, Clarke said, he made an odd decision.

 Jesus, for once, just dont be mean about these things. I want to pray from God,  Clarke said he prayed.

His talks this weekend circled this topicthe largeness, or spaciousness, of God, beyond Christianity.

Quoting Desmond Tutu, Clarke said, God is bigger than Christianity and cares for more than Christians. He has to, if only for the simple reason that Christians are very late arrivals on the world scene. God has been around since even before the creation, and that is a very long time.

After delivering a talk on prayer on Saturday, leading a discussion of aspects of peacemaking in Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity on Sunday morning, and preaching the late morning Sunday service, Clarke spoke Sunday afternoon about a close reading of a well-known chapter of the Gospel of John.

He focused on the beginning of the 14th chapter, which includes the verse No one comes to the Father except through me. The verse is often interpreted as restrictive, Clarke said.

But before that, the chapter also includes the verse, In my Fathers house there are many mansions, or dwelling-places. Clarke believes the latter means there is space for others.

Recognizing that fullness, he said, allows him to share his faith passionately, but with humility. It allows him to take the risk of crossing the borders between religions, without devaluing the religion of those to whom he speaks.

Herbert Green, a retired professor attending the talk, said he found the idea of peace powerful.

I think words matter. This notion about peace becomes a bridge. And to the extent that we can find words that build bridges, it will help us, Green said.

Another attendee, Fredericksburg resident Meghan OConnor, referred to statements Gandhi made to the effect that each of the faithful should be the truest to that faith they could be.

In the Jan. 19, 1928 edition of his weekly journal, Young India Gandhi wrote, I came to the conclusion long ago that all religions were true and also that all had some error in them, and whilst I hold by my own, I should hold others as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, if we are Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu. But our innermost prayer should be a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian.

Clarke responded that Gandhi was in general opposed to, or did not believe in, conversion, and Clarke does. But Clarke agrees with the need for humility and the recognition of beauty and peace, he said.

That is, in some ways, the mission he feels Christian leaders have in a nation that seems to be seeking security, and at times to be stoked towards fear, he said after the talk.

I can understand the need for ways of holding oneself secure as a nation-state, as a community, as a people, Clarke said. [But] Im also very aware that much of this is rhetoric that is built up where we need not fear, and yet we fear. I think that ministers of Christianity, I think our job is constantly to try and remind people of their own truthful calling.
When the Profiles of Honor History Mobile rolled into Stafford County over the weekend, veterans and their loved ones crowded into the museum on wheels with treasured items from World War I and World War IIincluding photos, letters and journal entriesto be scanned on site and added to the archives of the Library of Virginia.

The mobile museum from the Virginia World War I and World War II Commemoration Commission offers a glimpse into the history of both wars through the stories and artifacts contained within its walls. The exhibits were provided by museums across the state.

Several people brought items to scan on Saturday. Frank White, a Stafford resident and Air Force veteran, showed up with a large collection of photographs, enlistment records and other documents from several family members, including his father, Frank White Sr., who served in World War II.

Basil Moncrief, a Navy veteran, brought a page from a yearbook titled Young American Patriots, which featured photos of two of his uncles, Arden and Ernest Moncrief, and his father, Basil Moncriefall of whom served in World War II.

Robert Rulapaugh, a World War II veteran, didnt bring an item to scan, but he did enjoy visiting the history mobile.

Those interested in having an item scanned and added to the archives can call the Library of Virginia for more information or visit the mobile museum at another event. There are 50 tour stops and counting across the state planned for this year alone.

Stafford is the first official stop of the mobile museums three-year tour. It was present for a special milestone in the countythe groundbreaking for the Stafford Armed Services Memorial, which honors all those who served or are serving in the military and their families.

Stafford Board of Supervisors Chairman Paul Milde said the idea behind the memorial was born from a tragedythe loss of a young marine from Staffordabout five years ago. After Sgt. Donald Lamar died in Afghanistan, his parents asked the board if they could come up with a way to honor their son.

The supervisors decided to create an armed services memorial that would honor not only Lamar, but all of the men and women who served or are serving in the military, and their families.

The memorial honors all those who have signed a blank checkmeaning those who signed away everything, including their lives, said Dan Chichester, chairman of the Armed Services Memorial Working Group.

The memorial came together very quickly. Chichester explained that fundraising started in May, and the county reached its minimum goal of $675,000 within a matter of months. After exceeding the goal, the county set a new one$838,000to fund additional improvements to safety and aesthetics. Stafford is now just $100,000 short of their new goal.

I dont think anyone thought wed be here in just nine months for the groundbreaking, Chichester said. But Im not surprised. There is a tradition of kindness and generosity in Stafford County.

The memorial will feature markers recognizing nine major conflicts, beginning with the Revolutionary War and ending with the Global War on Terror. The dedication is scheduled for July 15.
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President Donald Trumps revised travel ban announced Monday did not win over Virginias U.S. senators.

But Rep. Dave Brat, a Republican whose 7th District includes most of Spotsylvania County and all of Louisa, Orange and Culpeper counties, expressed support for the order.

When unstable countries cannot provide the necessary documentation to vet individuals desiring entry, I believe it is prudent for us to take a temporary step back and evaluate the effectiveness of our current policies, he said in a statement to the media.

Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats, released statements critical of the Republican presidents latest executive order, which includes a 90-day ban on new visas from six Muslim-majority countries and a 120-day suspension of the entire U.S. refugee program.

Discriminating against people from certain countries with no evidence that they pose any greater risk than those from other countries not affected is more about politics than about safety, Kaine said in a statement. And perpetrating the stereotype that refugees fleeing humanitarian disasters are suspicious is cruel.

Warner said the order may avoid some of the administrative and procedural issues from Trumps initial travel ban, which federal courts halted, but added, improving the implementation of a poor policy still results in poor policy.

Warner said serious people with the Department of Homeland Security have been considering the issue for years and that it might be best to let them recommend a policy.

There is no evidence that immigrants from the countries listed in the EO pose a heightened threat to our security, Warner said in his statement.

Rep. Rob Wittman, a Republican whose 1st District includes Fredericksburg and Stafford, King George and Caroline counties, could not be reached for comment. But he supported the previous ban.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, released a statement calling the new order an incredible concession  that all but concedes the significant constitutional and practical flaws that the courts and I saw in his original ban, he said. Herring joined a federal lawsuit challenging Trumps first travel ban.

Still, he said, the new order remains a solution in search of a problem. Herring said his office will try to determine how it may affect the ongoing lawsuit and whether any other steps can be taken to protect Virginia and our residents.

Although the new order appears to be significantly scaled back, it still sends a horrible message to the world, to MuslimAmericans, and to minority communities across the country, without any demonstrable benefit to national security, he stated.
Columbia Bureau Chief

Shain is Columbia Bureau Chief for The Post and Courier. He was editor of Free Times and was a reporter and editor at The State, The Charlotte Observer and The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News.
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What do Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, David Gilmour, Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Paul Personne have in common? As well as being exceptional guitarists, they have all, at one time or another, played the legendary Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, which exists in dozens of versions. Led Zeppelins lead guitarist was even chosen by Gibson to have his own dedicated signature model: the Les Paul Jimmy Page Signature.



While many people have heard the name Les Paul, there are not many who know that the inventor of the solid body electric guitar was actually called Lester William Polsfuss. The guitarist, composer and inventor, who lived from 1915 to 2009, designed the guitar as a solution to the feedback problems often found in semi-acoustics. The first Les Paul left the Gibson workshop in 1952. Over the years, it would become the most iconic model the Nashville firm ever made, and a rock guitar classic. The Les Paul sound has become part of rock history, and is the signature of some of the most recognisable guitar solos.



In 2015, Raymond Weil signed a partnership with Gibson Brands, and introduced the nabucco Gibson, a special edition limited to 200 pieces, inspired by the Gibson SG Standard. Today, the Gibson Les Paul freelancer chronograph, which has a more rebellious rock n roll vibe, has been launched under the impetus of Raymond Weils CEO as a tribute to the influence of rock music on his youth. When I was a kid, my mother introduced me to the world of music, firstly piano and then string instruments, explains Elie Bernheim. I discovered rock n roll and the riffs of electric guitars during performances by Slash alongside Lenny Kravitz and Guns N Roses. Music has the ultimate power of making an impression on people. It doesnt matter what kind of music catches our fancy, nobody can remain unmoved by a virtuosos skill.





The Gibson Les Paul freelancer has a number of aesthetic details borrowed from the fabled guitar: six guilloche grooves around the perimeter of the black dial represent guitar strings, with fret-shaped hour markers to complete the resemblance to a guitar neck, as seen on the 2015 Nabucco Gibson; the 43.5 mm steel case, water resistant to 100 m, is topped with a tachymetric bezel with black PVD accents, inspired by the black lacquer finish of the legendary Black Beauty Les Paul; and the gold split-diamond inlay alongside the date between 4 and 5 oclock is taken from the Les Paul Custom models, top of the Les Paul range, which had a headstock inlaid with the motif in mother-of-pearl. The gold colour is also found on the chronograph counters, the Les Paul signature at 12 oclock and the top-stitching of the perforated ebony calfskin strap.



The timepiece is driven by the automatic chronograph calibre RW5010, with a 46-hour power reserve. The chronograph functions  seconds in the centre, 30-minute counter at 3 oclock and 12 hours at 6 oclock  are accessed via two push-pieces at 2 and 4 oclock. The date is adjusted via a corrector button at 10 oclock. The sapphire crystal caseback is signed with the Gibson logo, and bears the number of the edition, limited to 300. Each watch comes in an aged brown leather presentation case inspired by Gibson guitar cases.
A visitor tries out an Apple iPhone 7 on the first day of sales of the new phone at the Berlin Apple store on Sept. 16, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo : Getty Images)

Apple Inc. might tap a Chinese company to supply displays for iPhones, a move that could snatch a huge business opportunity that has long been enjoyed by Samsung Electronics Co.



The Cupertino, California-based tech giant is in talks with BOE Technology Group Co. to supply screens for future iPhones, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.



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Apple has been testing the Chinese company's active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) screens for several months, Bloomberg said. It is still undecided whether or not Apple would hire BOE as one of its suppliers.



It was reported that the screen maker has already splurged nearly 100 billion yuan on two AMOLED plants in China in preparation for more business opportunities. One of BOE's AMOLED plants in Chengdu can produce about 48,000 glass substrates, while the second plant in Mianyang is poised to start production in the next two years.



The company, however, is looking at the 2018 iteration of Apple's famed handset and not this year's much-anticipated September release.



Once granted with the deal, BOE is poised to become Apple's first supplier of next-generation screens outside South Korea and Japan. BOE is one of the largest screen manufacturers in China, and is the world's top producer of LCD panels by market value.



"It's an opportunity for BOE as Apple is known to seek multiple suppliers for one component," James Yan, research director for Counterpoint Research in Beijing, told Bloomberg. "But it's unlikely to challenge Samsung because it is able to roll out high-quality screens at a steady capacity."



With limited supply of OLED screens, Apple is scrambling to find a supplier as it tries to compete with Huawei Technologies and Samsung for sharper and more powerful displays.



Speculations have surrounded the upcoming iPhone 8, with some industry watchers saying that the model will finally have an OLED screen. According to MacRumors, Apple ordered 60 million OLED panels from Samsung for the iPhone 8 on top of the 100 million units previously placed by the handset maker last year.


NOTE: this is an archived page and the content is likely to be out of date.

Fujitsu today announced that it has received RIKEN's order for the "Deep learning system," which in terms of operations will be one of the largest-scale supercomputers in Japan specializing in AI research. The RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project will use the new system, scheduled to go online in April 2017, as a platform to accelerate R&D into AI technology.

The system's total theoretical processing performance will reach 4 petaflops(1). The system will be comprised of two server architectures, with 24 of NVIDIA DGX-1 servers and 32 FUJITSU Server PRIMERGY RX2530 M2 servers, along with a high-reliability, high-performance storage system.

Fujitsu is leveraging the extensive know-how that it and Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. have in high-performance computing development and AI research to build and operate one of Japan's most advanced AI research systems. The company will also provide support for R&D that utilizes the system, thereby contributing to the creation of a future society in which AI is used to find solutions to a variety of social issues.

Deep learning system

About the Deep learning system

The new system will be used at the Center for Advanced Intelligence Project to accelerate R&D into base technologies for innovative AI and the development of technologies that work to support such fields as regenerative medicine and manufacturing, and that into the future enable real-world implementation of solutions to social issues, including healthcare for the elderly, management of aging infrastructure, and response to natural disasters. The Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, which has an integrated R&D system for everything from basic research to public implementation, advances joint research with researchers in a variety of universities, research institutes, clinical medical organizations, and in the world of industry. The new system will support AI researchers in Japan, and will become a core system that spurs on breathtaking advances in research that realizes innovative AI for the world.

Overview of the Deep learning system

The system is comprised of two server architectures specialized for deep learning using the latest CPUs and GPUs, and a storage system; it is being installed in Fujitsu's Yokohama datacenter, a robust facility with cutting-edge security. Along with the standard DGX-1 deep learning software environment which NVIDIA provides in a public cloud, Fujitsu integrated a customized software environment for use in a secure on-site network. The system has operations management functions for easily and flexibly creating and reproducing calculation execution environments and the security and reliability for processing data of high importance, such as personal and intellectual property data.

Configuration of Deep learning system

1. Computation server

With 24 NVIDIA DGX-1 servers, each including eight of the latest NVIDIA Tesla P100 accelerators and integrated deep learning software, and 32 FUJITSU Server PRIMERGY RX2530 M2 servers, the system has a total theoretical performance of more than 4 petaflops (when performing half-precision floating-point calculations).

In building the system, an early deployment and evaluation of DGX-1 was performed at Fujitsu laboratories.

2. Storage system

The file system runs FUJITSU Software FEFS, high-performance scalable file system software, on six FUJITSU Server PRIMERGY RX2540 M2 PC servers, eight FUJITSU Storage ETERNUS DX200 S3 storage systems, and one FUJITSU Storage ETERNUS DX100 S3 storage system to provide the IO processing demanded by deep learning analysis.

Endorsement

Comments from Jim McHugh, VP and General Manager at NVIDIA

"NVIDIA DGX-1, the worlds first all-in-one AI supercomputer, is designed to meet the enormous computational needs of AI researchers. Powered by 24 DGX-1s, the RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Projects system will be the most powerful DGX-1 customer installation in the world. Its breakthrough performance will dramatically speed up deep learning research in Japan, and become a platform for solving complex problems in healthcare, manufacturing and public safety."
The 200 wealthiest members of the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Congress (CPPCC) have an accumulated wealth of around $507 billion. (Photo : Getty Images)

According to Hurun Report 2017, the 200 richest lawmakers in China have an accumulated wealth of over $500 billion, Financial Times stated in an article.



With combined fortunes of 3.5 trillion yuan ($507 billion), the 200 wealthiest members of the National People's Congress (NPC) and advisory body, Chinese People's Political Consultative Congress (CPPCC) obtained significant jump in terms of their worth.



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Particularly, the list's top 100 lawmakers have tallied a 1.64-trillion-yuan growth from 2013 to the current figure, which is at around 3 trillion yuan.



The roster includes first-generation Chinese billionaires such as Robin Li, founder of Internet firm Baidu, and Pony Ma, founder of another tech giant, Tencent.



Though the government has launched an anti-corruption campaign, a move that made affluent people "adopt a lower profile," many executives still covet either an NPC or a CPPCC membership because of the opportunity it gives in letting one profess his or her party loyalty.



NPC 2017, which runs in parallel with the CPPCC, has kicked off on Sunday. The article stated that over 5,000 delegates were in attendance during the said two sessions. Both NPC and CPPCC convene every March.



This year's sessions will mainly focus on the bodies' recently launched drive against financial speculation, a practice that has helped Chinese businessmen multiply their fortunes.



For instance, property and insurance luminary Yao Zhenhua saw a ninefold increase in his wealth at the back of his bid to control one of the largest property firms in the country. The government's insurance regulator has since banned him for a decade from the sector.



Apart from the campaign, Chinese officials have also intensified their efforts to convict or detain investors that have suspiciously amassed a huge amount of money. For example, authorities have already gone after Xu Xiang, an investor "who led a group of hedge funds," Financial Times wrote.



China is also tracing "crocodiles" in the stock market who reportedly manipulate firms and benefit from insider trading. Officials are also adamant in carrying out their investigation in the 2015 stock market crash.



Last week, Wang Wei, the founder of logistics firm SF Express, became an overnight billionaire after he "reversed the business into a shell company on the Shenzhen stock market," the article said.


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Story Highlights 72% want U.S. to play leading or major role in global affairs

Strong, consistent support for leading or major U.S. role since 2001

Young people more skeptical about U.S. global role

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- At the outset of the Trump administration, Americans' desire for a strong U.S. role in solving international problems is about the same as when President Barack Obama first took office. Nearly one in four Americans (23%) currently think the U.S. should play the leading role in world affairs, while 49% believe the country should play a major role. Support for the U.S. playing the leading role was slightly lower at the beginning of the George W. Bush administration, but support for a major role was higher.

In addition to inauguration years, Americans' opinions about how active the U.S. should be in global affairs have been relatively stable throughout this century. Support for the leading role peaked at 26% in the two years after the 9/11 attacks. Combined support for the leading or a major role has generally been consistent since 2001 at about three-quarters of Americans.

Young Adults and Independents Most Skeptical About U.S. Role

The desire for the U.S. to play only a limited role in world affairs is highest among young adults. Nearly four in 10 of those aged 18 to 34 (38%) want the U.S. to play a minor role or no role in international affairs. Among those aged 35 and older, the figure is 22%. While this general age pattern was also evident at the outset of the G.W. Bush and Obama administrations, skepticism about the country's global role among younger adults is higher today than in the past. Support for a limited role was 25% among younger adults when Obama became president and 31% when G.W. Bush took office.

American Adults' Support for U.S. Playing a Minor Role or No Role in International Affairs By age and party ID 18 to 34 35+ Republican Independent Democrat % % % % % Trump (Feb 1-5, 2017) 38 22 23 32 21 Obama (Feb 9-12, 2009) 25 22 18 31 18 G.W. Bush (Feb 1-4, 2001) 31 23 23 31 22 Gallup

The views of younger adults, who are more likely than older Americans to identify as independents, likely contribute to greater skepticism among independents regarding the U.S. role in global affairs. A third of independents (32%) support a minor role or no role for the country in world affairs, compared with 23% of Republicans and 21% of Democrats. That pattern was about the same at the beginning of the Obama and G.W. Bush administrations. More broadly, in a highly polarized and partisan environment, this measure continues to be one of the few that Gallup tracks to show only minor differences in outlook between Republicans and Democrats.

Bottom Line

In his inaugural address, Donald Trump argued that his "America First" approach offered a new vision for the nation's foreign policy. He vowed that his policies on trade, immigration and foreign affairs would prioritize benefits to American families and workers above all else. While this stance does not necessarily preclude the U.S. from playing a strong role in global affairs, the change in tone from the new administration has not had much effect on how Americans view the country's place on the global stage. Throughout this century, the view that the U.S. should either lead or play a major role in international affairs has remained solid.

The latest data suggest greater skepticism about U.S. prominence in international affairs among younger adults. Their heightened desire for the U.S. to move more into the background on global issues may reflect that this group came of age in a post-9/11 era of protracted U.S. military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Given ongoing conflict and violence in the Middle East, younger adults may be questioning the utility of more interventionist U.S. policies in helping to solve the world's problems.

Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics.
In the first part of this series, we've learned about the general architectural design of online games in the cloud. We created a new project with a single actor and deployed it to a local cluster for testing. Then, we added the web service that acts as interface between the frontend and the actual backend services.

Clearly, we want to do something useful with these services, such as granting our players a daily bonus for logging in. Now, we are going to learn how to persist state to a scalable database.

If you've missed the previous part and/or are just interested in how to setup the database, you can catch up by grabbing the source code that we've written so far from GitHub.

Local Database Setup

As always, it is very important to be able to setup and test everything locally first. Download and install the DocumentDB Emulator. After successful installation, the dashboard should open up in your browser. You can also open it by right-clicking the icon in the system tray and selecting Open Data Explorer...

Now that our local database is up and running, we need to teach our lobby actor to talk to it.

Right-click the LobbyActor project in the Solution Explorer and select Manage NuGet Packages... Make sure the Browse tab is active (not the Installed tab) and search for Microsoft.Azure.DocumentDB. Click Install and confirm all following prompts.

Our lobby actor is now able to act as DocumentDB client. If we expand the References node below the LobbyActor project, it should show a reference to Microsoft.Azure.Douments.Client.

Now, we're ready to write some actual code!

Creating the Database Connection

Open LobbyActor.cs in the LobbyActor project, and add a field for the database connection:

private Microsoft.Azure.Documents.Client.DocumentClient client;

Azure Service Fabric makes use of the concept of virtual actors. We may interact with virtual actors without worrying about creating or destroying them explicitly. Whenever any message is sent to an actor in Azure Service Fabric for the first time, i.e. any method of that actor is invoked, that actor will be activated. Actors may automatically be deactivated again to free up resources.

We want to open the database connection as soon as our lobby actor is activated. Add the following code to the method OnActivateAsync:

this.client = new Microsoft.Azure.Documents.Client.DocumentClient( new Uri("https://localhost:8081"), "C2y6yDjf5/R+ob0N8A7Cgv30VRDJIWEHLM+4QDU5DE2nQ9nDuVTqobD4b8mGGyPMbIZnqyMsEcaGQy67XIw/Jw==");

For creating the client, we are passing the local connection URL, as well as the only well-known authentication key that is accepted by the DocumentDB Emulator.

Creating the Database

As we have learned before, we need to add the async keyword to the declaration of the OnActivateAsync method if we're going to run asynchronous operations from that method.

Then, we can ensure the database is created as follows:

// Verify the database exists. const string DatabaseName = "GameDatabase"; try { var uri = Microsoft.Azure.Documents.Client.UriFactory.CreateDatabaseUri(DatabaseName); await this.client.ReadDatabaseAsync(uri); } catch (Microsoft.Azure.Documents.DocumentClientException e) { // If the database does not exist, create a new database. if (e.StatusCode == System.Net.HttpStatusCode.NotFound) { var database = new Microsoft.Azure.Documents.Database { Id = DatabaseName }; await this.client.CreateDatabaseAsync(database); } else { throw; } }

Because we'll be using DocumentDB to store data from now on, the following line can be removed from the method:

return this.StateManager.TryAddStateAsync("count", 0);

Creating the Collection

In DocumentDB, we are not working with database tables and rows as we would with traditional relational databases. Instead, we need to create a collection before we can insert documents into it.

Add the following code to OnActivateAsync as well:

// Verify player collection exists. const string CollectionName = "Players"; try { var uri = Microsoft.Azure.Documents.Client.UriFactory.CreateDocumentCollectionUri(DatabaseName, CollectionName); await this.client.ReadDocumentCollectionAsync(uri); } catch (Microsoft.Azure.Documents.DocumentClientException e) { // If the document collection does not exist, create a new collection. if (e.StatusCode == System.Net.HttpStatusCode.NotFound) { var databaseUri = Microsoft.Azure.Documents.Client.UriFactory.CreateDatabaseUri(DatabaseName); var collection = new Microsoft.Azure.Documents.DocumentCollection() { Id = CollectionName }; await this.client.CreateDocumentCollectionAsync(databaseUri, collection); } else { throw; } }

Logging In Players

We're finally ready to add a login counter for our players. First, let's change the interface of our lobby actor, so we've got a method to call for logging in players. In the LobbyActor.Interfaces project (not LobbyActor), add a new class LoginResponse. We'll be using that class for defining the data to return whenever a player successfully logs in.

namespace LobbyActor.Interfaces { using System.Runtime.Serialization; [DataContract] public class LoginResponse { [DataMember] public string Id { get; set; } [DataMember] public int LoginCount { get; set; } public override string ToString() { return string.Format("Id: {0}, LoginCount: {1}", this.Id, this.LoginCount); } } }

The DataContract and DataMember attributes tell the runtime which properties to serialize and send over the network.

Now, we can change the ILobbyActor interface to provide a way for logging players in. Remove the GetCountAsync and SetCountAsync methods and add a method called LoginAsync as follows:

namespace LobbyActor.Interfaces { public interface ILobbyActor : IActor { Task<LoginResponse> LoginAsync(string playerId, CancellationToken cancellationToken); } }

Now that we've changed the interface, we need to change the actual implementation as well. In the LobbyActor class, remove the methods GetCountAsync and SetCountAsync.

The next step is to implement LoginAsync. Whenever a player tries to log in, we want to get his or her player document from the database, and increase the login counter. If no document can be found, we just create a new one.

Create a class called PlayerDocument in the LobbyActor project (not LobbyActor.Interfaces). This class looks quite similar to the LoginResponse for now:

namespace LobbyActor { using Newtonsoft.Json; public class PlayerDocument { [JsonProperty(PropertyName = "id")] public string Id { get; set; } [JsonProperty(PropertyName = "login_count")] public int LoginCount { get; set; } public override string ToString() { return JsonConvert.SerializeObject(this); } } }

The JsonProperty attributes tell DocumentDB how to serialize this document.

Next, we move the database and collection string constants out of the OnActivateAsync method, and implement LoginAsync.

private const string DatabaseName = "GameDatabase"; private const string CollectionName = "Players"; public async Task<LoginResponse> LoginAsync(string playerId, CancellationToken cancellationToken) { PlayerDocument playerDocument = null; try { // Ensure player document exists. var documentUri = Microsoft.Azure.Documents.Client.UriFactory.CreateDocumentUri (DatabaseName, CollectionName, playerId); await this.client.ReadDocumentAsync(documentUri); // Get player document. var feedOptions = new Microsoft.Azure.Documents.Client.FeedOptions { MaxItemCount = 1 }; var collectionUri = Microsoft.Azure.Documents.Client.UriFactory.CreateDocumentCollectionUri(DatabaseName, CollectionName); var playerQuery = client.CreateDocumentQuery<PlayerDocument>(collectionUri, feedOptions) .Where(p => p.Id == playerId); // Execute query. foreach (PlayerDocument player in playerQuery) { playerDocument = player; // Increase login count. ++player.LoginCount; await client.ReplaceDocumentAsync(documentUri, player); } } catch (Microsoft.Azure.Documents.DocumentClientException e) { if (e.StatusCode == System.Net.HttpStatusCode.NotFound) { // Create new player document. var collectionUri = Microsoft.Azure.Documents.Client.UriFactory.CreateDocumentCollectionUri (DatabaseName, CollectionName); playerDocument = new PlayerDocument { Id = playerId, LoginCount = 1 }; await this.client.CreateDocumentAsync(collectionUri, playerDocument); } else { throw; } } // Return response. var loginReponse = new LoginResponse { Id = playerDocument.Id, LoginCount = playerDocument.LoginCount }; return loginReponse; }

Finally, we need to have our LoginController from the previous part of this series call our new login method. Open the LoginController class in our WebService project, and change its Get method, replacing the call to GetCountAsync by calling LoginAsync:

var response = await lobbyActor.LoginAsync(id, new System.Threading.CancellationToken()); return response.ToString();

Hit F5 to build and run our application. If you should run into any compile errors for the web service, make sure you are building the AnyCPU configuration for the LobbyActor.Interfaces project.

If we call any login URL for our application now, such as http://localhost:8557/api/login/npruehs, we can happily see the results:

We can also verify the result in the DocumentDB Emulator Explorer that opened up earlier, by refreshing its view:

Congratulations! You've successfully connected the service to a scalable document-based database!

As always, the full source code of this part is available at GitHub.

In the next part of this series, we'll finally create an UWP client and have it connect to our backend.

References
China's Electronics Retailer Suning (Photo : Getty Images)

Merging both online and offline retail, not dividing retail into smaller channels, could be the key to the future growth in retail business, an Alibaba executive said, according to an article by wwd.com.



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Alibaba vice president and general manager of North America Lee McCabe made the remarks during a presentation at the Etail West conference in Palm Desert on Thursday, March 2.



"We're very good online, but we think commerce should be one thing," the Alibaba executive said. "Offline [retail] is not having a good time, especially the big box retailers. Pretty much the same is happening in China but we're looking to arrest that."



McCabe said that Alibaba made a large investment with the acquisition of electronics and appliances retailer Suning Commerce Group Co., to enable to make the link between online and brick-and-mortar shopping and make services easier such as product pick-ups or in-store returns.



He added that Intime, a mall operating firm, has similar opportunity. Alibaba bought the company for $2.6 billion in January.



"We're looking to do the same there, merge online and offline and improve the experience completely and make it fun again," McCabe said. He cited Alibaba's popular Singles Day annual sale, which happens every Nov. 11, as an example of "fun". The event came to be known as the equivalent of Black Friday in the U.S.



Last year, about 98,000 merchants participated in the Singles Day event, more than double the 40,000 merchants in 2015. About 82 percent of the bulk of the sales at last year's event, may be attributed to some 657 million orders, which came from mobile users during the 24-hour period, the report said.



Alibaba's first Singles Day, which was held in 2009, earned about $8 million while the gross volume of merchandise in last year's event was worth a total of $17.8 billion, up from $14.4 billion in 2015.



McCabe said, "This will get bigger next year".



Alibaba also experimented on using virtual reality such as in Macy's store, where a shopper can pick an item, find product information and transact.



The company is also working on augmented reality by creating an AR game similar to Pokemon Go, in its TMall app, in which customers can play with the TMall cat and get discount rewards.



To maximize efficiencies, Alibaba has created an ecosystem of companies built into an overall group, which enable it to do business not only on TMall but also in its payment platform Alipay, logistics company Cainiao and Alibaba Cloud.



"We're building scale fast and they all complement each other, and it helps," McCabe added.


Ron Larson has decades of experience in engineering and construction. And the Corvallis resident is giving away his advice for free to help entrepreneurs and company owners.

Larson is part of the local chapter of SCORE, a national business counseling organization that relies on retired volunteers.

The group has six active members in Linn and Benton counties, and theyre willing to meet with residents face-to-face, over the telephone or via email.

People are not aware the resource is available, said Larson, who built the last seven buildings at the Hewlett-Packard campus before retiring from the tech firm.

The local SCORE volunteers have a wide range of knowledge, but the organization also has experts in specific fields across the United States.

Bob Platt of Corvallis, for example, worked as an investment manager for Bank of America, among other companies.

Peter Burke of Corvallis worked in the high tech industry, which is beneficial for scientific-based entrepreneurs or those working with intellectual properties.

Bob Bernhard of Lewisburg is an expert on restaurants and bars, and he estimated hes helped roughly 500 people across the nation.

Larson said he has provided counseling to more than 300 clients in construction and related fields who wanted to improve their company or start a new business.

Part of my success is that I have helped people not waste money, he said. Sometimes, the best business decision is not to start a business.

The most common problem for budding entrepreneurs is they dont have enough funding, Bernhard said.

In 2008, some mid-Willamette Valley residents who were laid off wanted to cash in their retirements to start businesses, Larson said, but he cautioned against their plans.

I could see the writing on the wall. Their ideas werent sound or they had no experience, he added.

Platt said that he wanted people to be realistic. Sometimes sitting down with people and doing projections is a real eye-opener, he said.

Creating a business plan is a good first step, such as assessing competition and the need for the product or service.

SCORE, which was created in 1964, is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the organization gets part of its overhead funding from the agency. The rest of our budget is all donations, Larson said.

The local SCORE group is officially the Salem chapter, and it covers seven counties, including Marion, Polk, Lincoln, Yamhill, Tillamook and part of Clackamas. About 15 volunteers are spread throughout the region.

Were really looking for qualified people to become mentors, said Joseph Hlebichuk of Albany, a former business professor at Oregon State University and Willamette Industries training manager. Hes also a part-owner of the Montana Distillery in Missoula, Montana.

For more information on SCORE, starting a business or improving a current business, call 503-370-2896 or go to www.salem.score.org.
Chinas ZTE Closer to Settlement with US over Charges of Selling Technology to Iran

ZTE Corp Manufacturing (Photo : Getty Images)

A settlement deal is about to be signed by Chinese telecom maker ZTE Corp with the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Treasury, over charges that the Chinese firm sold technology to Iran, which is restricted by U.S. laws.



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Citing unnamed sources, Reuters said that Shenzhen-based ZTE may plead guilty to the charges and could pay hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties.



But some people said that the final deal may be delayed or even canceled under the new administration due to changes in personnel in some departments.



The source said that ZTE is likely to plead guilty to conspiracy for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and other charges that also include penalties that amount to millions.



In 2012, an investigation by the U.S. Commerce Department revealed that ZTE had shipped hardware and software information from some of U.S. tech companies to Iran's telecom carrier.



In March 2016, ZTE was placed by the U.S. on the list of entities required to obtain a license first to be able to work with U.S. suppliers. The Commerce Department claimed at that time that ZTE acted contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.



ZTE is one of the world's biggest telecom makers and the fourth largest smartphone vendor in the U.S. it also supplies handset devices to U.S. mobile carriers such as AT&T Inc, T-Mobile U.S. Inc and Sprint Corp. ZTE uses components from Qualcomm, Intel and Microsoft.



As ZTE cooperated during the investigation, the Commerce Department granted it a temporary license to allow it to do business with U.S. companies. The temporary licenses were extended several times and the latest is set to expire on March 29.



A ZTE spokesman said that the company is working with the U.S. government "toward permanent removal from the Entity List," and it is doing business in a way that "meets and exceeds export compliance standards."



The comments were made after ZTE made its filing to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on Feb.14, although the case may still affect the company's financial situation. ZTE earns more than $15 billion annually.



Experts said that the implications of a guilty plea are still unclear but it can result in denial order that can completely prevent the companies from receiving goods and technology that came from the U.S.



However, as part of the settlement, the U.S. can suspend the order.



Washington attorney Douglas Jacobson, an export controls and sanctions expert, said that a guilty plea can only affect U.S. suppliers or customers for a limited time.



"In fact, a company that has faced the type of scrutiny that ZTE has . . . actually gives U.S. suppliers and customers a greater degree of comfort that they will be a compliant company in the future," Jacobson said. He also represents some U.S. suppliers to ZTE.



Experts added that the settlement may also possibly require ZTE to impose compliance monitoring.


Protesters in Front of Jilin's Lotte Supermarket Went Viral; Protest Gets Mixed Reactions from Netizens

Residents hold posters of late communist leader Mao Zedong during a protest calling for a boycott of South Korean goods in Jilin, in China's northeast Jilin Province on March 5, 2017. (Photo : Getty Images)

The South Korean conglomerate is facing patriotic outrage after the Lotte Group's division gave up land so that Seoul can set up its THAAD missile defense system.



A group of 20 men and women protested in front of Lotte's supermarket located in Jilin. They held a banner that states: "South Korea's Lotte Group has declared war on China. Lotte supports THAAD. They must immediately GET OUT of China."



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Photos from the protest went viral on Chinese social media. Top commenters ridiculed and accused the men and women who protested for being "brainwashed boxers" or wondering how much they had been paid to protest.



One Weibo user commented: "After Lotte starts offering storewide discounts, the protesters will throw down their banners one by one and rush inside to go shopping."



"And yet, all the workers inside the Lotte supermarket are their fellow countrymen," another Weibo user pointed out.



Another netizen wondered and posted: "North Korean missile tests endanger Jilin as well, why have I not seen any Jilin aunties protesting at the North Korean consulate or restaurants?"



Not all social media users ridiculed the protesters. Others applauded in support for them. According to the poll that was done by the nationalistic Global Times before the land swap took place, 95 percent of respondents said they would boycott Lotte if they agreed to the deal.



One former loyal Lotte shopper said: I used to buy some daily commodities at the Lotte Mart, which is near my home. But after the THAAD incident, I will go there less often.



Lotte, who has over 100 supermarkets and five department stores in China, admitted that it is concerned about the outrage, as it could cripple its business. The company already suspended the construction on a $2.6 billion theme park that it was building in Shenyang due to a series of regulatory probes it faced.


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.
Chinese visitors attend samgyetang tasting in South Korea. (Photo : Getty Images)

The China National Tourism Administration, the country's top tourism authority, has warned tourists of the risks in the entry policy changes that South Korea has implemented for Chinese citizens.



The China tourism authority stated on its website: "The number of incidents involving Chinese citizens' entry to Jeju Island of South Korea has risen sharply recently. Some of them were denied entry and waited a long time at airports before they were repatriated, which has attracted wide public attention."



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The administration "lodged serious representations" after it met with officials from the South Korean embassy in Beijing and officials from the country's cultural organizations.



They have warned Chinese citizens to be aware of the risks of going to trips overseas and to be careful with choosing their destinations. They have advised tourists planning a South Korea travel to know the entry policy of the country and prepare documents as required.



"If you are caught in an emergency or unfairly treated or involved in a dispute, contact the local Chinese embassy or consulates immediately. Evidence of the matter should be gathered and saved in case complaints or legal suits are lodged in the future," the administration said.



Some of China's tourism agencies have stopped providing South Korea tours over the past week due to the administration's advice.



Wanzhong Tourism Travel Service cancelled all South Korean tourism products and issued a statement last Friday.



Guo Jinming, the head of online sales of Wanzhong, said: "The company thought it was the right decision to cancel recent trips to South Korea and regarded it as a patriotic move by a tourist company, as South Korea has provided land to the U.S. forces stationed to deploy the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense."



According to Guo, Wanzhong is busy refunding clients. The company will cover all their customers' losses from canceling the trips.


Government to launch several safety and anti-troll apps for women News oi -Samden Sherpa The Government of India in a bid to protect women is introducing two new apps called "I am Trolled" and "Shouting App".

With the rising crime rate in the country against women, the Government of India in a bid to protect women is introducing a new app called "I am Trolled" app.

Thus, women who are being threatened with physical violence or women internet users who are being trolled on social media will now be able to seek help in real time through the app.

"The app will be launched soon to counter physical violence threats and trolls on social media," said Maneka Gandhi, Minister for Women and Child Development while attending an event "Wellness Rules-Proactive Well-Being," organized by FICCI Ladies Organization in Delhi.

Take a Look at the Must-have Apps that Ensure Women Safety

During the event, she further added, "The much-delayed 'panic button' for women with an additional feature of 'Shouting App' will also become operational by March-end as most mobile hardware companies are working to add the feature on their products."

Apart from these apps she also revealed that the government is also planning to add 600 new one-stop help centers "Sakhi" in two years wherein women will be able to seek help on domestic violence, health, and legal issues etc.

Nubia phones will now come with a panic button

Additionally, the Minister's agenda for women safety might just not be limited to the apps that will be launched soon. "We are also going to set up 'Women Entrepreneurship Council' to support and empower small-scale women entrepreneurs in urban and rural India. As such the government will be collaborating with Amazon, a leading e-commerce portal, to launch 'Mahila-e-Haat' a dedicated online platform for women to market their homemade merchandise.

Best Mobiles in India

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Apple iPhone 6 Space Grey 32GB Variant Vs smartphones Rs 30,000 Features oi -Harish Kumar The 32GB variant of iPhone 6 is available at Rs. 28,999.

Apple has announced the 32GB variant of the iPhone 6 in select Asian markets and India is also one of them. So long, the company did not release this storage variant and the phone was available only in 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB storage capacities.

In India, Amazon has listed the 32GB iPhone for sale in the Space Grey variant. The device is priced at Rs. 28,999 units Tuesday. What's more interesting is the exchange offer that lets buyers save up to Rs. 8,500. Notably, the 16GB iPhone 6 is itself priced at Rs. 30,399.

Apple iPhones available on EMI starting at Rs 1,500 in India

It looks like the 32GB variant of iPhone 6 is exclusive to Amazon, but there is no official information on the same. Having said that, here we have a list of alternative smartphones that you can purchase below Rs. 30,000 right now.

Do check out these options from below.

Huawei P9 Buy At price of Rs 34,990

Click Here To Buy

Key Features

5.2-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD AMOLED 2.5D curved glass display

Octa-Core Kirin 955 (4x 2.5GHz A72, A53 4 x 1.8 GHz) processor with Mali T880-MP4 GPU

3GB RAM with 32GB storage

4GB RAM with 64GB storage

expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) with EMUI 4.1

Hybrid Dual SIM (nano+nano/microSD)

12MP dual rear cameras

8MP front-facing camera

Fingerprint sensor, Infrared sensor

4G LTE

3,000mAh battery with fast charging Lenovo Phab 2 Pro Buy At price of Rs 33,990

Click Here To Buy

Key Features

6.4-inch (2560  1440 pixels) Quad HD 2.5D Curved Gorilla Glass display

Octa-Core Snapdragon 652 processor with Adreno 510 GPU

4GB RAM

64GB internal memory

expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano/microSD)

16MP camera with PDAF

8MP front-facing camera

Fingerprint sensor

4G VoLTE

4050mAh battery with fast charging ZTE Nubia Z11 Buy At price of Rs 29,999

Click Here To Buy

Key Features

5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD 2.5D borderless display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection

2.15GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 64-bit Quad-Core 14nm processor with Adreno 530 GPU

4GB RAM with 64GB storage / 6GB RAM with 128GB storage

expandable memory up to 200GB with microSD

Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) with nubia UI 4.0

Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano/microSD)

16MP rear camera

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Best Mobiles in India
Budget Google smartphone without Pixel branding to be launched with Pixel 2 News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu Google Pixel 2 to be accompanied by a budget phone.

Google released the Pixel smartphones last year and has confirmed that the second generation phones are in the making. Being the flagship phone, the Pixel 2 will fall in the premium market segment as the original one. But, it looks like the expensive one is not the only one that Google is working on.

Going by a recent report, the Google Pixel 2 will be accompanied by a budget smartphone. The catch is this phone will not have the Pixel branding. If this turns out to be true, then it makes sense as Google seems to have started focusing on a majority of the users. We say this as the premium market segment has a very small set of buyers in comparison to the mid-range and entry-level market.

Last week, at the MWC 2017, Rick Osterloh, Google's head of hardware, confirmed that the Pixel 2 will fall in the premium market segment and go official sometime in October 2017. Following suit, a report has surfaced online claiming that the Google is testing a few models of a smartphone internally called Pixel 2B. This smartphone is expected to be unveiled alongside the Pixel 2 or soon afterward.

Google Pixel 2 likely to be launched in October

Detailing about the Pixel 2B, it is likely to arrive with less powerful innards. Speculated to be a low-end device, this smartphone is believed to be an Android One smartphone. Though the Android One lineup failed to become a hit in markets such as India, at the MWC 2017, a Turkish company announced one such smartphone called GM6. The Pixel 2B is likely to be aimed at the emerging markets such as India and China where there are more buyers for affordable and feature-rich phones.

Source

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India will host its first Mobile World Congress in September 2017 News oi -Rohit The three-day event will focus on reaching out to the South East Asian markets.

India is all set to host its first ever Mobile World Congress in September 2017 with a special focus on reaching out to the South East Asian markets.

As per a PTI report, the GSM Association, which organizes annual global event of Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, has agreed to associate for the three-day event that will be held at Pragati Maidan starting September 27, 2017.

"There is Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and an edition in Shanghai. There is nothing in between for South East Asia. India is emerging as one of the global leaders in telecom which we will also showcase in the Indian Mobile Congress," COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews told PTI.

SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone 8 to feature 5.8-inch OLED screen: Report

He also mentioned that the Department of Telecom and the Ministry of Electronics and IT have laid their emphasis on Indian Mobile Congress and Cellular Operators Association of India will drive it. The Indian government delegation had held discussion with British and Swedish Trade Ministers for their engagement in Indian Mobile Congress.

As per the report, all Indian mobile operators, Facebook, Huawei, Ericsson, Cisco etc are likely to participate in the mobile congress.

Besides, COAI Director has also asked other Indian business association to come together and be part of the three-day event. The Indian Mobile Congress will focus on knowledge sharing, exhibition, start ups, skill development and all pillars of Digital India including Make in India.

Let us know in comments what you think about India hosting its very own version of 'Mobile World Congress'.

Source: PTI

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President Xi Jinping at the National People's Congress. (Photo : Getty Images)

The Communist Party of China (CPC) will be holding its 19th Congress and over 3,000 delegates will be reassigned to more than 40 posts nationwide. President Xi Jinping, the Party's Secretary-General, wants to affirm unity among the Party's cadres.



Xi is faced with many issues, specifically the unresolved tension between China and the U.S.



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Zhao Suisheng, director of the University of Denver's Center for China-U.S. Cooperation, concurs that the congress is happening at a time when the two greatest world leaders are in an unstable relationship.



"Xi is under pressure to further consolidate personal power ahead of the 19th Party Congress. He wants to be first, not first among equals. There's still a lot of work to do," said Zheng.



Xi shook the bureaucracy with the appointment of He Lifeng, a long-time ally, as director of the National Development and Reform Commission.



However, Xi is still facing challenges in his anti-corruption campaign from within the Party ranks. Despite China's great economic growth and promotion of key economic leaders, the Party is still plagued with corruption.



In his last statement to the Party, Xi wrote that there are "a handful of senior Party officials overcome by their political cravings and lust for power and formed cliques to pursue selfish interests."



Xi is also nearing the end of his term in 2022. He will be facing the challenge of choosing a successor in the next few years.



Wang Yukai, a government adviser and professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said, "The biggest challenge Xi faces this year is to ensure the smooth transition of power."



He added, "There will be resistance in the run-up to the leadership reshuffle from various interests groups who will put up a fight."



At the CPC annual meeting, 11 out of 25 cadres will be giving up their posts in the Politburo. A new Central Committee will be put in place.


Zuri U28 feature phone can charge your smartphone; can it replace a power bank News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu This feature can actually charge your smartphone.

The feature phones aren't dead. Lately, HMD proved it with the launch of the Nokia 3310 (2017). Reliance Jio is all set to announce two Jio feature phones with 4G support at disruptive price tags in India. Now, there seems to be another feature phone launch, which reminds us that such handsets aren't unsmart.

A Hong Kong-based manufacturer Zuri has come up with a feature phone dubbed Zuri Power Bank U28. As the name suggests, this phone can double as a power bank. This way, you can use this phone to charge your smartphone.

Specs wise, the Zuri U28 bestows a TFT color display and comes with 32MB of RAM as well as 32MB of internal storage. There is a VGA main snapper and dual SIM support too in the feature phone. The other features of this phone include a flashlight, web browser, SMS support, GPRS, Wi-Fi, and FM radio. Talking about the highlight, the Zuri phone is powered by a 4,000mAh battery that can be used for reverse charging (charging smartphones) just like a power bank.

These Nokia 9 concept images can make you dribble

Undoubtedly, this idea is surely interesting and can attract buyers look out for a unique phone. But, the main question is the other components needed to do the reverse charging. The phone isn't a straightforward device. You need a dongle and a cable in order to use it to charge a smartphone.

There is no word on the price tag of this Zuri U28 feature phone as yet. Also, it's availability outside the company's home market Hong Kong remains unclear.

Best Mobiles in India
Fresh Saudi air raids leave four civilians dead in northwestern Yemen

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 4, 2017 2:19PM

At least four Yemeni civilians have been killed and nearly a dozen others wounded in a fresh wave of Saudi aerial attacks against its impoverished and conflict-plagued neighbor.

Local sources told Arabic-language al-Masirah television network that four people lost their lives and ten others sustained injuries, when Saudi fighter jets carried out two airstrikes against a residential area in the Jabal al-Marhab mountainous region of Yemen's northwestern province of Amran on Saturday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, Saudi warplanes launched six air raids against Harad and Midi districts in the northwestern province of Hajjah, located approximately 130 kilometers northwest of the capital Sana'a. There were no immediate reports of casualties available though.

Three separate Saudi airstrikes were also carried out against al-Aqabah Asfal Maran area in the Haydan district of Yemen's northwestern mountainous region of Sa'ada.

Yemeni army forces, allies hit back

Meanwhile, Yemeni army forces and fighters from allied Popular Committees have responded to Riyadh's air raids, firing a barrage of artillery shells at Jahfan military camp in Saudi Arabia's southwestern border region of Jizan.

Yemeni soldiers and their allies also targeted Hajer camp in the Asir region in southwestern Saudi Arabia, but no casualties were reported.

Additionally, scores of Saudi troopers were injured after Yemeni soldiers and fighters from Popular Committees hit al-Moqran military base in Jizan.

Nearly two dozen Saudi mercenaries killed in Ta'izz

Separately, at least 20 Saudi-backed militiamen loyal to resigned Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi were killed on Saturday after Yemeni soldiers and their allies mounted an offensive in the al-Omari region of Dhubab district, which lies in the southwestern Yemeni province of Ta'izz.

The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, says the Saudi military campaign has claimed the lives of 10,000 Yemenis and left 40,000 others wounded.

McGoldrick told reporters in Sana'a earlier this year that the figure was based on casualty counts given by health facilities and that the actual number might be higher.

On February 23, Yemen's Legal Center for Rights and Development, an independent monitoring group, put the civilian death toll in the war-torn Arab country at 12,041.

The fatalities, it said, comprise 2,568 children and 1,870 women.

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Counter-ISIS Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, March 5, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Coalition military forces conducted eight strikes consisting of eight engagements in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed a weapons storage facility.

-- Near Raqqah, two strikes engaged an ISIS staging area and damaged a supply route.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes destroyed five oil well heads and an oil inlet manifold.

Strikes in Iraq

Coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of 49 engagements in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Mosul, three strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and a rocket-propelled grenade team; destroyed nine fighting positions, a heavy machine gun, an ISIS-held building and a mortar system; damaged 26 supply routes; and suppressed 15 mortar teams.

-- Near Rawah, two strikes destroyed a fuel storage tank and an ISIS-held building.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect. For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does 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.

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Bonhomme Richard Arrives in Okinawa, Japan

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170305-10

Release Date: 3/5/2017 1:38:00 PM

By USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) Public Affairs

OKINAWA, Japan (NNS) -- During the visit, the ship will embark Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), along with their vehicles and cargo, prior to departing for a routine patrol.

"We are going to be very busy while in port receiving a variety of equipment and assets," said Gunnery Sgt. Matthew Armour, a combat cargo senior non-commissioned officer in charge. "There will be a lot of moving parts that have to be properly secured for sea."

Armour explained that the primary focus will be preparing for Amphibious Integration Training (AIT) and certification exercise (CERTEX).

"We want to make sure that 31st MEU is able to accomplish any mission they are called for," said Armour.

Since departing Sasebo, Japan, the Bonhomme Richard crew has run numerous drills preparing for an engineering certification and conducted a night-time replenishment at sea. Also, deck department embarked landing craft air cushions (LCACs) of Naval Beach Unit Seven and air department embarked aircraft from three squadrons. The MV-22B Ospreys and CH-53E Super Stallions of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262, AV-8B Harriers of Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 311 and MH-60S Sea Hawks of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 all joined the crew in preparation for patrol.

"I couldn't be more impressed with the crew's performance in just one week," said Capt. Jeffrey Ward, Bonhomme Richard's commanding officer. "To accomplish as much as they have in such a short amount of time takes real teamwork and professionalism."

Bonhomme Richard and 31st MEU are scheduled to conduct a routine patrol, operating in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region to enhance warfighting readiness and posture forward as a ready-response force for any type of contingency.

Bonhomme Richard is accompanied by amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD 20) and the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48).

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Carl Vinson Welcomes U.S. Ambassador and Republic of the Philippines Guests

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170305-12

Release Date: 3/5/2017 1:44:00 PM

By ENS Stuart Phillips

SOUTH CHINA SEA (NNS) -- U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines Sung Kim and his guests visited the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), March 4.

The ambassador's guests included senior leaders from the Republic of the Philippines: Secretary of National Defense retired Brig. Gen. Delfin Negrillo Lorenzana, Secretary of Finance Carlos Garcia Dominguez III, and Secretary of Justice Vitaliano Aguirre II.

"I am grateful to the USS Carl Vinson for hosting us and for giving us the opportunity to bring some of our friends from the Philippines to see what we do out here," said Kim. "To see how it strengthens our alliance as well as how it reinforces our interest and engagement in the Asia-Pacific region."

During the visit, Kim and his guests met with Rear Adm. James W. Kilby, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1.

"It is a privilege to have you come aboard to see us," said Kilby. "We are conducting routine operations here to reassure our regional allies, and I can't think of a better way to showcase our abilities, than to bring our partners out to see for themselves how we operate."

While the visitors were only aboard for a short visit, they were able to experience the ship firsthand and observe launch and recovery flight operations on the flight deck before boarding a C-2A Greyhound and flying back to Manila.

Distinguished visitor embarks provide an opportunity to show that CSGs are forward, ready and engaged as the centerpiece of visible maritime deterrence for the U.S. command authority and continue to be decisive in peace, natural disasters and war.

For more than 70 years, the U.S. Navy has maintained a persistent naval presence in the Indo-Asia Pacific. The U.S. Navy is committed to continuing this forward presence, which is focused on stability, regional cooperation and economic prosperity for all nations.

Carl Vinson has deployed to the region several times, starting with a deployment to the Western Pacific in 1983 a year after commissioning. Most recently in 2015, Carl Vinson conducted port visits and exercises with regional navies in the South China Sea.

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Obama spokesman says Trump's wire-tapping claims "simply false"

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 15:52, March 05, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump's accusation that his predecessor Barack Obama had his "wires tapped" in Trump Tower before Election Day is "simply false," Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said Saturday.

"A cardinal rule of the Obama Administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice," Lewis said in a statement.

"As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false," said Lewis.

Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security adviser to Obama, tweeted that presidents can't simply order wiretaps as Trump suggests.

Earlier Saturday, Trump claimed in a tweet storm that Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower before his election victory. It remains unclear whether Trump had any proof or was referencing a report.

"Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!" Trump tweeted in a series of five tweets on Saturday morning.

"Is it legal for a sitting President to be "wire tapping" a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW!" he added in subsequent tweets. "I'd bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election!"

"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad( or sick) guy!" Trump said on Twitter, spelling "tap" as "tapp."

Breitbart News on Friday reported on conservative radio host Mark Levin's claim that Obama executed a "silent coup" of Trump via "police state" tactics.

White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon had been Breitbart CEO before joining Trump's campaign team in general elections last year.

Trump's "wire-tapping" accusation came after days of media reports about his campaign team's contacts with Russian Ambassador to Washington Sergei Kislyak.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Thursday he will recuse himself from any current or future investigations into Russia's possible link with Trump's presidential campaign, after admitting he met with Kislyak twice last year but didn't reveal it at the Senate hearings for his confirmation.

There have been suggestions that contacts between Trump campaign team and Russia were picked up by intelligence agencies as part of routine surveillance of the Russians. Trump and his aides have denied there were any improper contacts.

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Sudanese rebels release 127 prisoners

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 5, 2017 3:59PM

Rebels fighting the government in the southern parts of Sudan have freed some 127 captives with the army welcoming the move amid a renewed ceasefire.

The military said on Sunday that the freed prisoners included 109 soldiers and 18 civilians who had been captured by rebels of Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

In a statement, army spokesman Brigadier Ahmed Khalifa al-Shami hailed the release as a major step toward reaching permanent peace in Sudan's volatile southern states.

"The Sudanese army recognizes this as a positive step toward achieving peace in the country," he said.

Fighting erupted in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states in 2011 after rebels said they had become fed up with the discriminatory policies of the government in the two states. They say President Omar al-Bashir and his Arab-dominated government have marginalized the two regions both economically and politically. Tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the fighting in the two states and in Darfur. The United Nations has regretted the halt of humanitarian aid delivery to the Blue Nile and South Kordofan, saying the states have become no-go areas for aid officials for years.

In January, the government in Khartoum extended for six months a unilateral ceasefire that it had announced in the three conflict zones in June last year. Bashir has repeatedly said that reaching permanent peace in the volatile border regions is a cornerstone of reform policies he has embarked on.

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US embassy move to Quds ruins whole Middle East, Fatah warns

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 5, 2017 2:7PM

The Palestinian Fatah political faction has warned against the potential relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds, stressing that any such move will "explode the situation" in the Middle East and North Africa.

Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad, the spokesman for the Ramallah-based movement, stated on Saturday that the US Congress "should understand that moving the US embassy to Jerusalem (al-Quds) will not only explode the situation in Palestine but the whole MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region."

The Fatah spokesman's remarks came as a US congressional delegation, led by Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis, is currently paying a visit to the occupied territories to study the possibility of the move.

Since taking office in late January, US President Donald Trump has been exploring avenues to fulfill his campaign pledge and move the US diplomatic mission in Israel to Jerusalem al-Quds.

Speaking in a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on February 2, Jordanian King Abdullah II stated that such a move would wreck the prospects for the so-called two-state solution, and could worsen the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On January 5, Jordanian Information Minister Mohammed Momani said moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds would be a "red line" for Jordan and would "inflame the Islamic and Arab streets."

He noted that the transfer of the US diplomatic mission could disrupt relations between the US and regional allies, including Jordan, stressing that Amman will make use of all available political and diplomatic avenues to prevent the relocation.

Jordan administers the holy al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem al-Quds.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has also warned the US against the relocation of its diplomatic mission in Israel, saying all American embassies in the Arab world would have to close in the face of popular Arab outrage that would follow such an action.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has cautioned all foreign countries against relocating their respective embassies in Israel from Tel Aviv to East Jerusalem al-Quds.

In an address to the 34th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva on February 27, PA President Mahmoud Abbas said, "We call for the establishment of a system, which would guarantee the independence of the Palestinian state with East al-Quds as its capital, within the boundaries of the 4th of June, 1967."

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Xi Jinping arrives during the opening of the fifth session of the 12th CPPCC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Friday, March 3, 2017. (Photo : Getty Images)

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the countrys intellectuals to take the initiative to play a bigger role in contributing to a better nation. His remarks came after authorities announced on the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference their move to tighten ideological grip on academics.



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The remarks of President Xi were made at a joint panel meeting of the Jiu San Society, Chinese Peasants' and Worker's Democratic Party, and the China Association for Promoting Democracy. The panel meeting was attended by mostly intellectuals who are involved in culture, education, medicine, science and technology.



China is currently in a crucial year to meet the objectives of the 13th Five-Year Plan to keep the economy running smoothly. Xi said: "Intellectuals must waste no time and make it their top responsibility to build an affluent society and make China a great scientific power."



Government officials were encouraged to become "good friends" with the intellectuals and share candid insights to each other. They were told to have full confidence in them and consult them in major projects.



We should warmly welcome opinions and criticism from intellectuals as long as they mean well. We will embrace the right ones and be more tolerant of some which are biased or even wrong, Xi said.



The remarks were the complete opposite to the earlier demands from authorities on imposing stricter ideological controls to the curricula in the academies.



Xi stated in a seminar last year addressed to 150 teachers that the ruling Communist Party must be in charge to lead and manage the development of both philosophy and social science, unequivocally upholding Marxist principles. He said: "Intellectuals in the field should be loyal and resolute supporters of Party governance.



Last year, authorities urged universities to increase ideological guidance for students by firmly upholding the correct political direction.


Bahrain approves military trials for civilians

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 5, 2017 11:26AM

Bahrain has approved trial of civilians at military tribunals in a measure blasted by human rights campaigners as being tantamount to imposition of an undeclared martial law countrywide.

The Consultative Council, the upper house of the Bahraini parliament, voted for the measure Sunday, less than two weeks after it was approved by the Council of Representatives, the lower house.

The move saw Manama manipulating part of its constitution, which defines the identities of those who can stand trial at such courts.

Neighboring Saudi Arabia, whose influence radically sways Bahrain, has likewise redefined its anti-terror laws to expand the powers of its security forces in the face of political dissent.

Bahrain has been witnessing peaceful anti-regime protests since 2011. High-handed suppression of the rallies has led to widespread imprisonments and scores of deaths.

Hundreds of the detainees have already faced summary proceedings at military courts.

The country has already dissolved its biggest opposition party al-Wefaq and taken legal proceedings against its leader Sheikh Ali Salman and spiritual leader Sheikh Isa Qassem.

Reacting to the Sunday decision, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy advocacy group said, "This came from the Bahraini king and for him to sign off on this amendment means that he is personally approving the new repressive measure and all the consequences it will have."

"The responsibility for this de facto martial law lies at his feet," it added.

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Trump may shelve plan for major deal with Russia: Report

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 5, 2017 10:23AM

US President Donald Trump has reportedly told advisers he might temporarily put aside a plan to reach an agreement with Russia on how to deal with Daesh terrorists and other national security issues.

Trump and his aides have made the decision following the recent provocations by Russia, including the deployment of a cruise missile which, according to the White House, violated a Cold War-era arms control treaty, administration officials and Western diplomats told the Associated Press on Saturday.

Some cabinet members, including Defense Secretary James Mattis and new national security adviser H.R. McMaster, and European allies have put Trump under pressure not to compromise with Russia.

According to an administration official, McMaster has described Russia as a country that seeks to reverse the current world order.

Trump has reportedly sent a letter to Eastern European leaders, who are concerned about possible border disputes with Russia, stressing Washington's commitment to their security.

Trump is said to have considered a comprehensive agreement with Russia that could include cooperation in countering Daesh, nuclear arms control and Moscow's role in Ukraine.

However, the Trump administration has changed its tone over the past few days, indicating that it may not be an appropriate time for such a deal, as the FBI is probing Trump's campaign associates for their possible links to Russia and congressional committees are conducting inquiries into the alleged Russian meddling in the US 2016 election.

Trump has been under pressure for his possible ties with Russia, as he has taken an unusually friendly position towards Moscow and repeatedly called for stronger relations particularly in fighting terrorism.

The US president has rejected having any connections or financial ties with Russia and stressed that he has not been aware of any contacts between his campaign advisers and Russia during the 2016 campaign, a period in which the US intelligence apparatus assumes Russia was interfering in the election in favor of Trump.

On Saturday, former acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John McLaughlin rejected recent mainstream media claims that the Russian envoy to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, is a spy and warned against a new Cold War with Moscow.

McLaughlin warned against recent revelations that Attorney General Jeff Sessions held talks with the Russian diplomat when he was a senator and adviser to Trump's presidential campaign before his election into office in November 2016.

Kislyak has emerged as the centerpiece of a controversy which has so far led to forced resignation of the Trump administration's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, less than a month after the new president was sworn into office.

Sessions is the second senior administration official caught in the controversy of meeting with Kislyak as lawmakers from the rival Democratic Party, which suffered heavy electoral defeats in the November elections, demand the attorney general's resignation for failing to reveal his contacts with Kislyak prior to Trump's inauguration.

Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Ministry strongly denied allegations that its envoy to Washington is engaged in spying activities with spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, slamming the press rumors about Kislyak as "media vandalism."

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Firefight leaves three dead, several injured in Kashmir

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 5, 2017 9:46AM

A police officer and two militants have been killed during a fierce gun battle at a southern village in the Indian-controlled Kashmir.

The 15-hour firefight erupted late on Saturday after Indian government forces, acting on a tip-off, encircled a civilian home believed to be occupied by militants in Nazneenpora Village in the town of Tral, located in the restive southern district of Pulwama.

Shesh Paul Vaid, the regional police chief, said the fatalities occurred when the Indian soldiers detonated explosives during the siege and the militants hurled grenades and fired automatic rifles to break the security cordon.

At least three other security officials, including an army officer, sustained injuries in the heavy gunfire exchange.

An anonymous police source said that alongside the fighting, hundreds of villagers also clashed with government forces in an attempt to aid the besieged militants, prompting soldiers to fire shotgun pellets and tear gas to stop the rock-throwing protesters. No injuries were reported from that standoff.

Thousands of soldiers are deployed in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where militant groups have for decades been fighting for independence or a merger with Pakistan.

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both since the two partitioned and gained independence from Britain in 1947. The two countries have fought three wars over the disputed territory.

While an escalation in the dispute was underway in the disputed region after a terrorist attack on the Indian parliament in December 2001, gradual diplomatic efforts led to an agreement by the two countries to maintain a ceasefire in Kashmir in November 2003.

Since then, there have been sporadic clashes  with the two sides trading accusations of violating the ceasefire  but no major armed conflict between the militaries of the two countries.

The region has also been the scene of protests and tighter security since early July last year, when Indian forces killed a leading pro-independence fighter. The protests have left nearly 90 civilians and two policemen dead and thousands of others injured.

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Pentagon proposes increased military engagement in Syria

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 5, 2017 6:14AM

In a proposal presented to the White House, the Pentagon has called for a significant increase in US military engagement in Syria including more Special Operations forces, attack helicopters and artillery, US officials say.

The favored option, among several recommendations currently under review by the White House, would ease a number of restrictions on US military activities imposed during the administration of former president Barack Obama, officials told The Washington Post.

Military planners have also proposed lifting a cap on military force level in Syria, which currently numbers around 500 Special Operations troops, who US officials say are training and advising allied militants on the ground.

While officials say American troops would not be directly involved in ground combat, the proposal would allow them to operate closer to the front line and would delegate broader authority down the military line from the White House before an operation is launched.

President Donald Trump, who has promised a tougher military action against Daesh terrorists in Iraq, Syria and beyond, received the plan Monday after giving the Pentagon 30 days to complete it.

The recommendations came ahead of an anticipated assault on the northern city of Raqqah, the de facto capital of Daesh in Syria.

Preparations are ongoing for the upcoming offensive, but they are not going smoothly.

In just the past two days, US troops intended for the Raqqah operation have been forced to make a detour to a town in northern Syria to head off a confrontation between Turkish and Syrian Kurdish fighters - both US allies.

The proposal for Raqqah, if approved by the White House, would effectively deal a blow to Turkey's demands that military equipment be denied from Syrian Kurds, considered terrorists by Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the participation of Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in the Raqqah operation is unacceptable.

US Army Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, the Baghdad-based commander of a coalition purportedly fighting Daesh, said Wednesday that talks were underway with Turkey on the role the NATO ally might play in the operation.

The commander, however, insisted that there was "zero evidence" that the YPG was a threat to Turkey.

Turkey launched its incursion into Syria in August 2016, sending tanks and warplanes across the border in what was condemned by Damascus as an act of aggression.

Turkish-backed militants have in recent days seized two Kurdish-held villages in Syria, inching closer to Manbij, a city near the Turkish border which Erdogan has promised to capture.

On Saturday, the US military said it had "increased force presence in and around Manbij to deter hostile acts, enhance governance and ensure there's no persistent YPG presence."

Turkey has long threatened to forcibly eject the Kurds from the area.

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Obama spokesman rejects Trump's wiretap claim as 'simply false'

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 5, 2017 1:49AM

Former US President Barack Obama has rejected the latest allegations by his successor Donald Trump that he had ordered electronic surveillance of the then Republican presidential nominee just before the November election.

"A cardinal rule of the Obama Administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice," said Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis in a Saturday statement.

"As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any US citizen," he added. "Any suggestion otherwise is simply false."

Earlier on Saturday, Trump fired off tweet messages claiming that Obama had his "wires tapped" in Trump Tower before Election Day, without citing any evidence.

"Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!" "How low has President Obama gone to tapp [sic] my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" Trump further wrote in another tweet message.

It was not immediately clear whether Trump had any proof or was referencing a report.

Trump's accusation against his predecessor came after Breitbart News reported on Friday about the claims made by right-wing radio host Mark Levin that Obama had executed a "silent coup" on Trump through "police state" tactics.

White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon used to be the executive chair of Breitbart prior to joining Trump's campaign team in 2016.

Democrats slammed Trump for making the accusations without offering evidence, describing his early morning outburst as a bid to distract from renewed scrutiny of his senior aides and allies' alleged ties to Russia.

Top Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, California Congressman Adam Schiff, blasted Trump on Saturday over his allegation against Obama, issuing a statement saying, "If there is something bad or sick going on, it is the willingness of the nation's chief executive to make the most outlandish and destructive claims without providing a scintilla of evidence to support them."

Schiff further underlined that Trump's recent tweets showed he would never be a man who understands the Constitution or regards the truth.

"No matter how much we hope and pray that this president will grow into one who respects and understands the Constitution, separation of powers, role of a free press, responsibilities as the leader of the free world, or demonstrates even the most basic regard for the truth, we must now accept that President Trump will never become that man," he said.

Another California Representative, Ted Lieu, insisted that if Trump Tower had been bugged, then it would mean Trump is in trouble. "Mr. President, if there was a wiretap at Trump Tower, that means a fed judge found probable cause of crime which means you are in deep sh--," Lieu wrote in response to Trump.

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Former US Intel Chief Clapper Rejects Trump's Wire-Tap Claims

Sputnik News

20:42 05.03.2017(updated 20:45 05.03.2017)

Former US Director of National Intelligence denied that President Donald Trump's was wire-tapped during his presidential campaign, in an interview with NBC.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Former US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper denied on Sunday President Donald Trump's claim he was wire-tapped during last year's presidential campaign, in an interview with NBC.

"There was no such wire-tap activity mounted against the president elect at the time, or as a candidate, or against his campaign," Clapper said on NBC's Meet The Press show.

Trump accused then President Barack Obama of ordering to have him wire-tapped, in a tweet on Saturday, although he did not back up this claim.

Clapper, who stood down as the national intelligence chief the day Trump took office, said he could only speak for the part of the national security apparatus that he oversaw, but not for other authorized entities in the government.

Clapper admitted, however, there was no evidence that members of the Trump campaign team had colluded with the Russian government. He added it was in everyone's interests to get to the bottom of this subject.

 Sputnik

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Taliban Kills 6 Afghan Security Forces Near Kunduz

By Ayaz Gul March 05, 2017

Officials in Afghanistan's troubled northern Kunduz province say an overnight insurgent attack has left at least six national security force personnel dead.

Provincial police chief General Abdul Hamid Hamid told media Sunday a large group of insurgents stormed a security outpost near the provincial capital, also called Kunduz, causing the fatalities.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed its fighters also overran the outpost and seized weapons and other equipment there.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Interior Ministry said airstrikes in the province's Imam Sahib district late Saturday killed at least 18 Taliban insurgents, including three key commanders.

The dead militants "were involved in planning and implementing several terrorist attacks in Kunduz province," according to a statement issued in Kabul.

The insurgents have stepped up attacks on government forces around the country as springtime is arriving in Afghanistan amid fears of more violence this year.

Chief Afghan presidential advisor Homayun Qayoumi has acknowledged unprecedented losses insurgents inflicted last year in Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, or ANDSF.

"It (the Taliban) looks more of an organized army fighting Afghanistan, and actually that is why the level of casualties in 2016 ended up to be much higher than the prior decade," the advisor said at a public talk in Washington last Friday while highlighting challenges facing the Afghan government.

ANDSF lost nearly 7,000 personnel while battling the Taliban last year.

The insurgent group controls or influences several districts in Kunduz and in neighboring northern provinces that border Central Asian states.

Last month, an American airstrike killed the Taliban's commander for Kunduz, Mullah Abdul Salam, dealing a major blow to the insurgency.

Under Salam's leadership, the Taliban briefly capturedKunduz in late 2015 in an embarrassing setback to the U.S.-trained Afghan security forces.

In another development, officials in northern Faryab province have confirmed Taliban insurgents assassinated a district police chief late Saturday.

A provincial police spokesman said a bomb attached to the slain police officer's vehicle also seriously wounded another security officer.

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Lake Chad Basin Countries: Security Needs Are Hurting Development

By Margaret Besheer March 05, 2017

A U.N Security Council delegation visiting Chad and Niger expressed support Saturday for countries in West Africa that are battling Boko Haram and coping with the humanitarian fallout from the war on terror.

Boko Haram terrorists are threatening territory in both Chad and Niger and are launching attacks on their populations and militaries. Just two weeks ago, Niger lost 16 soldiers in an attack by the group in the north of the country.

Chad's Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke told VOA that terrorism could not be defeated solely by military means. Development is necessary, he said, so that the people will not listen only to the extremists.

This strategy was echoed by Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou, who said his country needed better infrastructure, education, health care and jobs for its youth. He told the visiting Security Council ambassadors that "social and economic development promote democracy."

Chad and Niger are both at the very bottom of the U.N. Development Index. In addition to struggling with extreme poverty, they are coping with severe humanitarian crises, trying to feed and shelter hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and refugees who have fled Boko Haram's reign of terror, as well violence in Libya, Mali and the Central African Republic.

British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, who is co-leading the Security Council's visit, acknowledged the need for a holistic approach in dealing with the effects of the crisis.

"We have come to understand more deeply the root causes of all of these crises," Rycroft said. "You cannot tackle terrorism without also tackling poverty; you cannot tackle terrorism without thinking about education, employment, social development, agriculture, human rights, the role of women and children in society, refugees and so much more."

A Multinational Joint Task Force made up of countries from the Lake Chad Basin  Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Benin  has about 10,000 troops on the ground working to end the threat of Boko Haram.

The council visited the task force headquarters in N'Djamena on Saturday, where they were told the terrorist group had been "substantially degraded" and pushed out of many of its strongholds to the hundreds of islands that dot Lake Chad.

The task force said it had killed about 828 Boko Haram fighters since January 2016 and had arrested more than 600 others. The force has also destroyed 32 Boko Haram camps.

But as these two countries continue to spend heavily on containing security threats, development continues to suffer.

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Reports: FBI Chief to Publicly Reject Trump Allegations of Obama Wiretapping

By VOA News March 05, 2017

U.S. news media reports say FBI Director James Comey will ask the Justice Department to publicly reject President Donald Trump's charges that former President Barack Obama wiretapped his telephones at Trump Tower in New York.

The New York Times and NBC News report Comey believes the Trump claims are false and that the charges insinuate the FBI was involved in an illegal wiretap.

The FBI and the Justice Department have yet to comment on the media reports.

The publisher of the Newsmax Media website, Christopher Ruddy - a friend of Trump - wrote Sunday the president told him "This will be investigated. It will all come out. I will be proven right."

Ruddy said he has never seen Trump this angry in a long time.

The president accused Obama Saturday of bugging his phones a month before the November vote as part of the Obama administration's probe into alleged Russian meddling in the election.

Trump has not shown any evidence to back up his claim.

Under U.S. law, a president cannot order a someone's phone to be wiretapped. He would need approval by a federal judge and would also have to show reasonable grounds to suspect why a citizen's telephone calls should be monitored.

Obama's Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, calls the charge simply false.

"There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate or against his campaign," Clapper told NBC's Meet the Press.

Democrats are dismissing the Trump charges of spying as absurd and desperate.

"The president is in trouble," Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Meet the Press. "If he falsely spread this kind of misinformation, that is so wrong. It's beneath the dignity of the presidency...it shows this president doesn't know how to conduct himself."

The top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Warner, told CBS's Face the Nation he was "surprised" by Trump's accusation. "To make that type of claim without any evidence is, I think, very reckless."

Some Republicans were not as quick to blast the president, but are still skeptical. Senator Marco Rubio said on NBC that Trump "will have to answer as to what exactly" he was referring to in making the claim that his phones were tapped.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton of the Intelligence Committee told Fox News the wiretap charges will be a part of the Senate investigation into alleged Russian election interference and Trump campaign contacts with Russian officials.

U.S. intelligence has concluded Russia hacked into the computer of Clinton campaign chief John Podesta, with the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks then releasing thousands of his emails in the weeks before the election. It was apparently part of a Russian effort to help Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the presidential election.

Ken Bredemeier contributed to this report.

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FBI Director Asks Department of Justice to Refute Trump's Wiretap Claims

Sputnik News

01:58 06.03.2017(updated 03:31 06.03.2017)

FBI Director James Comey has asked the US Department of Justice to publicly deny the president's assertion that his predecessor ordered his phones tapped - and so far, the Justice Department has not.

Comey says President Donald Trump's claim that Trump Towers was put under surveillance on the orders of former President Barack Obama is false and must be corrected, sources told the New York Times. He is said to have made the request on March 4.

The FBI and the Department of Justice refused to comment on the story, and Comey has not made an official statement.

J. Christian Adams, a lawyer employed by the Department of Justice under the George W. Bush administration, told Fox and Friends the next day that a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court request, which theoretically could have allowed the Obama administration to put surveillance on Trump in order to collect information about foreign powers and agents of foreign powers, would have to have gone through both the US attorney general and the head of the FBI.

"The attorney general of the United Sates has to certify FISA applications. They're done by the FBI. So you're going to have [former US Attorney General] Loretta Lynch, you're going to have James Comey with intimate knowledge about this in the fall," he said.

"So there are documents, there are people who know."

Trump has not backed down from his allegations, and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer issued a statement early Sunday on Twitter saying the president had called for Congressional intelligence committees, which are investigating alleged Russian involvement in last year's presidential election, to investigate whether the previous administration abused executive branch power.

The New York Times says Comey is pushing for the Department of Justice to reject Trump's allegations because they suggest the FBI broke the law. It also says high-level FBI officials are worried that the idea of a court-ordered wiretap would give the public the sense that the government does indeed have real evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to interfere in the election. Though there have been many accusations, so far, little to no actionable evidence has been shown to the public of either Russian influence on the election or cooperation with the Trump campaign.

A flat statement that the president is lying by a government agency would be remarkable  but perhaps this is now to be par for the course, mired as the country seems to be in what Republican Congressman Ben Sasse on Saturday called "a civilization-warping crisis of public trust."

Through spokesmen, Obama has denied ordering surveillance on Trump during the campaign, as has former FBI Director James Clapper.

Trump has habit of making claims without offering evidence. He recently alluded to a migrant crisis in Sweden that left many scratching their heads, and he has frequently referred to massive voter fraud in the United States, though no one on his staff has pointed to proof.

Comey is blamed by some in the Democratic party for dashing the chances of Hillary Clinton in her race against Trump when he announced that the bureau was reopening their case into her use of a private email server for state business only days before the election. He apparently decided to go public against the wishes of the Department of Justice.

 Sputnik

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The new Ocean Skin commercial recently became one of the most talked about topics in Chinese social media. (Photo : YouTube Screenshot)

A new three-minute ad for Thai skincare brand Ocean Skin, essentially a short story skit focusing on the steadfastness of a young woman willing to do anything for youthful skin, underlines the popularity of viral Thai ads among Chinese netizens.



Advertisements from Thailand, many of which come in two to three-minute short-movie formats, have long been the subject of international acclaim, given the sheer depth of their storytelling. From tearjerkers to comedies, viral Thai ads are proven hits online.



Advertisement

That explains the reason why the new Ocean Skin commercial recently became one of the most talked-about topics in Chinese social media. What's on Weibo reported that users shared a Chinese-subtitled version of the hit ad for around 14,000 times just hours after it was uploaded.



What's noticeable about the Ocean Skin ad is that it has an essential element of several successful Thai commercials: a plot centered on a specific challenge, with the protagonist endeavoring to overcome it through a series of events that often involve emotional misadventures.



Moreover, Chinese viewers can relate to cultural references shown in Thai commercials. In the case of the Ocean Skin ad, the young woman's quest for beautiful skin resonates well with that of the Chinese, many of which are reputedly conscious of the way they look like.



Since physical appearance matters so much in contemporary Chinese culture, the Ocean Skin ad instantly gained a massive following in Chinese social media, with its classic challenge-centered plot adding further to its viral appeal. Said success is comparable to past hits that have endeared to Chinese netizens.



Examples of older Thai commercials that gained positive reception in China is "Unsung Hero" (2014), which tells the story of a man well-rewarded for his invaluable altruism, and "Failure is Part of Success" (2016), which was a smash hit among Chinese netizens last year.



Watch the hit Ocean Skin ad from YouTube below:






Xi calls on intellectuals to better contribute to nation

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:24, March 05, 2017

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday called on intellectuals to make greater contribution to the nation's development.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when joining a panel discussion with political advisors from three Chinese non-Communist parties.

During the discussion, nine political advisors from the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, the China Association for Promoting Democracy, and the Jiu San Society shared their insights on soil pollution prevention, basic education, poverty relief and other topics.

Xi said, after hearing their reports, that China now needs its intellectuals more than ever to contribute to its prosperity, national rejuvenation and people's well-being as the country embarks on its great course.

Intellectuals across the country should take on a sense of urgency and responsibility, and work hard to build China into a moderately prosperous society in all aspects and a major sci-tech power, he said.

Xi said the CPC has always valued the importance of intellectuals, who are "elites of the society, pillars of the nation, pride of the people and treasure of the country."

The whole society should care for and respect intellectuals and cultivate a favorable environment that honors knowledge and intellectuals, Xi said, adding that authorities must fully trust intellectuals and seek their advice on key work and policies.

Xi hoped the intellectuals can consciously take the lead in practicing socialist core values and stick to the principle of putting the interests of the nation and the people before everything else.

In this regard, intellectuals should keep in mind the overall situation of the nation and always pursue truth and righteousness, Xi said.

They should "start with themselves, start with their daily lives and start now," taking the lead in practicing socialist core values, Xi said.

2017 is an important year for the implementation of the country's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) and the deepening of supply-side structural reform, Xi said.

He called on them conduct thorough study and research, and raise practical and useful suggestions on how to maintain stable and healthy economic development, as well as social harmony and stability.

Yu Zhengsheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, also joined the discussion.

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Report: Obama ordered cyber attacks against North Korea

Saudi Press Agency

Sunday 1438/6/6 - 2017/03/05

Washington, Jumada II 5, 1438, Mar 4, 2017, SPA -- Former US president Barack Obama undertook a series of cyberattacks against North Korea's missile programme, the New York Times reported Saturday according to dpa.

Obama warned his successor Donald Trump that the North Korean nuclear programme would be his biggest international challenge, and Trump's advisors are now weighing options that include continuing the cyberattacks.

Obama began the attacks in 2014 after concluding anti-missile systems were not enough to protect the United States and chose instead to target missiles before test launches, the report said. Details of the programme were not released at the request of national security officials, the newspaper said.

After the US implemented the strategy, several missile launches failed or veered off course.

The UN tightened sanctions on North Korea in November, two months after it carried out its fifth nuclear test, in a bid to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.

--SPA

01:53 LOCAL TIME 22:53 GMT

spa.gov.sa/1598580

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North Korean Missiles Land in Japanese Waters

By VOA News March 05, 2017

North Korea fired four ballistic missiles Monday, three of which landed in Japanese waters, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.

"North Korea today fired four ballistic missiles almost simultaneously and they flew some 1,000 kilometers," Abe said in parliament. "Three of them landed in our country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)."

Japanese officials described the launches as a grave threat and said they lodged "strong protests" with nuclear-armed North Korea.

"The launches are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action," Abe said during lawmaker questions in parliament.

The South Korean military officials said "multiple ballistic missiles" were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the North's border with China. They did not specify the number of missiles.

The move comes as South Korea and the United States are holding their joint military exercises, which Pyongyang sees as preparations for an invasion. The exercises usually draw condemnation and retribution from Pyongyang.

During last year's drills, North Korea fired multiple short to medium range missiles and announced it could place nuclear warheads on its weapons.

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North Korea Fires 'Unidentified Projectile' Into East Sea - Reports

Sputnik News

02:14 06.03.2017(updated 03:31 06.03.2017)

Pyongyang has launched several "unidentified projectiles" into the East Sea on Monday, South Korean media reported.

A projectile was shot from a site located near the country's Dongchang-ri long-range missile launch center at around 7:36 AM and fell into the East Sea after flying over the country, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said as cited by the Yonhap news agency.

"We are conducting an analysis on the projectile to determine its type and flight range. It will take a while before we come up with a final analysis," the JCS stated, suggesting that the projectile could be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) KN-08 or KN-14.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga stated that the DPRK has launched a total of four projectiles in direction of the Sea of Japan, stressing that three of them landed in Tokyo's exclusive economic zone.

Both Tokyo and Seoul convened urgent security meetings on the launch.

The launches occurred amid the joint drills between South Korean and American militaries, indicating an "apparent" protest from Pyongyang, Yonhap noted.

Ongoing military training exercises between the US and South Korea have reportedly been called a provocation by Pyongyang, and are scheduled to continue through April.

The DPRK's major newspaper Rodong Sinmun released a news piece on Monday, stating that Pyongyang will boost its military capabilities and develop the means of self-defense in accordance with the country's nuclear status.

North Korea's nuclear program has been a source for concern for its closest neighbor, South Korea, as well as for the international community. On February 12, Pyongyang launched a medium-range ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan and declared the test successful. This and a number of previous launches were considered to be in violation of the UNSC resolutions by the United Nations.

 Sputnik

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Mosul chemical attack believed to be carried out by Daesh amounts to war crime: UN

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 4, 2017 6:3PM

The UN says the recent chemical attack in Mosul, believed to be the first by the Daesh terrorist group in the northern Iraqi city, could amount to a war crime.

"This is horrible. If the alleged use of chemical weapons is confirmed, this is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime, regardless of who the targets or the victims of the attacks are," the UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, Lise Grande, said in a statement, demanding an investigation.

The World Health Organization said on Saturday that 12 people were receiving treatment in the city of Erbil, located approximately 350 kilometers north of the capital Baghdad, for possible exposure to chemical weapons agents in Mosul, adding that four of them showed "severe signs associated with exposure to a blister agent."

The UN body said that it was working with medical authorities in Iraq's semi-autonomous northern region of Kurdistan, and has activated "an emergency response plan to safely treat men, women and children who may be exposed to the highly toxic chemical."

It is not immediately clear who launched the attack, but media reports suggest that mortar shells came from the western part of Mosul, which is still under Daesh control.

The report came a day after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced that five children and two women were receiving treatment for exposure to chemical agents in Mosul.

The ICRC, however, did not disclose which side used the chemical agents that resulted in blisters, redness in the eyes, irritation, vomiting and coughing.

The commander of the Iraqi rapid response forces, Captain Sa'adon Khaled al-Ramadani, said on Thursday that the extremists lobbed a barrage of Katyusha rockets containing chlorine gas on al-Maliyah, Nabi Yunus and al-Faisaliyah neighborhoods of Mosul.

A number of people were reportedly transferred to medical centers and hospitals after suffering severe poisoning with the toxic gas.

Noureddin Qablan, the deputy chief of the Nineveh Provincial Council, also announced that a woman and her two children suffered skin burns and dyspnea after rockets laced with mustard gas slammed into Mosul's al-Samah and Northern Karaj neighborhoods.

Daesh has launched several chemical attacks in Iraq and neighboring Syria.

On February 19, Iraqi government troops and fighters from Popular Mobilization Units  commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha'abi  mounted a new offensive to liberate western Mosul.

Iraqi forces took full control of Mosul's eastern part on January 23.

Mosul is considered the last urban stronghold of the Daesh terror group in Iraq.

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14 civilians killed in US-led coalition airstrikes in Mosul

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 4, 2017 11:43AM

More than a dozen Iraqi civilians have lost their lives in the US-led coalition airstrikes in the eastern part of Mosul, which was cleared of Daesh terrorists by Iraq's armed forces in January.

Iraq's Shafaq News website said the fatalities occurred on Saturday after US-led warplanes targeted a car loaded with explosives in al-Nabi Shiet district of eastern Mosul, killing at least 14 members of three families in the area.

Iraqi also said the coalition strikes had also bombed a base near Mosul and killed seven senior Daesh commanders, among them four Saudi Arabian nationals.

The developments come as Iraqi forces are engaged in military operation aimed at liberating the western sector of Mosul from Daesh.

On the western front, Abu Hamza Maghrebi, a terrorist responsible for a recent bomb attack in northwestern Nineveh Province, was confirmed dead in an airstrike on the al-Islah al-Zeraei neighborhood in western Mosul.

Commander of Federal Police Forces Lieutenant General Raed Shaker Jawdat also announced that security forces had launched a series of surprise attacks against Daesh fortifications, killing 16 members of the Takfiri group.

Daesh militants overran Mosul in June 2014 shortly after launching a campaign of terror and destruction in the western and northern parts of Iraq.

In January, Iraqi government forces, backed by fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units - better known in Arabic as Hashd al-Sha'abi -- managed to liberate the eastern quarter of Mosul from the clutches of Daesh terrorists, three months after launching the operation to regain control of the country's second-largest city.

On February 19, Iraqi soldiers and Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters mounted a new offensive to liberate western Mosul.

The United States and some its allies have been carrying out airstrikes in Iraq since June 2014 allegedly targeting Daesh terrorists. The raids, which have done little to dislodge the terror group, have on numerous occasions claimed many civilian lives and inflicted damage on the country's infrastructure.

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Iraqi forces launch fresh push in western Mosul battle

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 5, 2017 11:34AM

Iraqi forces have started a new push toward Mosul's old city center as they press ahead with their operation to purge the western bank of the Tigris River of Daesh terrorists.

Brigadier-General Yahya Rasool, spokesman for the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC), told state-run television on Sunday that the Iraqi forces were advancing from the south and the southwest toward the city center.

Members of the Counter Terrorism Service were also pushing through Mosul's Tal al-Ruman and Somood districts, he added.

An unnamed media officer with the Rapid Response Division said the forces were progressing from the south through the neighborhood of Dawasa and Danadan and had reached within a few hundred meters from the government buildings near Mosul's old city.

Retaking Dawasa is said to be of strategic importance as it hosts the Nineveh governor's headquarters and other government buildings.

Separately, the JOC confirmed that an offensive was underway against terrorists in the four aforesaid Mosul districts, adding, "the advance is still ongoing."

Mosul fell to Daesh in 2014, when the terror outfit began its campaign of death and destruction in the Arab country.

Iraqi army soldiers and allied fighters launched the offensive to retake Mosul, Daesh's last major city stronghold in the country, last October and since then they have made sweeping gains against Takfiri elements.

Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January after 100 days of fighting and launched the battle in the west on February 19.

More than 45,000 people have fled western Mosul since the start of the campaign there, according to the latest figures released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

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Iraqi Forces Launch New Push Toward Mosul Old City Center

RFE/RL March 05, 2017

Iraqi forces have attacked four Islamic State-held areas in Mosul, the latest push in a battle that has displaced more than 45,000 people since it began in October last year.

Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC) said on March 5 that the Federal Police and Rapid Response Division forces were attacking the Al-Dindan and Al-Dawasa neighbourhoods, while Counterterrorism Service forces were attacking the Al-Sumood and Tal al-Ruman neighbourhoods.

An Iraqi commander said troops were moving toward the local government complex in Mosul's western side, held by Islamic State (IS) militants, amid the "heaviest" clashes since the start of the new offensive more than two weeks ago.

Major-General Haider al-Maturi told the Associated Press news agency that IS militants dispatched at least six suicide car bombs, which were all destroyed before reaching the troops. He added that militants are moving from house to house and deploying snipers.

Iraqi troops launched a fresh offensive early on March 5 in the Al-Dawasa neighborhood. They are now about 500 meters away from the government complex, al-Maturi said.

The Nineveh governor's headquarters and other government buildings are located in Al-Dawasa. Mosul is the capital of Nineveh province.

West Mosul is the largest urban population center still held by IS militants, followed by Raqqa in Syria and Tal Afar, which is located between Mosul and the Syrian border.

The Iraqi Army is also advancing through the desert surrounding the city, in an attempt to cut it off from Tal Afar, farther west.

The Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV televised live footage showing thick black smoke covering the sky during a heavy exchange of fire.

Thousands Displaced

U.S.-backed Iraqi forces began a major offensive on February 19 to remove Islamic State militants from the western section of Mosul, almost a month after they forced militants out of the eastern part of the city.

Iraqi forces launched the operation to recapture Mosul on October 17, retaking its eastern side in January before moving on to the smaller but more densely-populated west.

They paused their advance over the past 48 hours because of bad weather.

Most of western Mosul is still under IS control despite recent gains on the city's southwestern edge by Iraqi forces.

The fall of west Mosul, which was captured by IS fighters in the summer of 2014, would mark the fall of the self-declared capital of IS militants' "caliphate" in Iraq, announced by leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from a mosque in the city in 2014.

Meanwhile, at least 45,000 people have been displaced from western Mosul during recent fighting there, the International Organization for Migration said on March 5.

The UN organization said that 45,714 individuals or around 7,619 families have been displaced from western Mosul since February 25, days after U.S.-backed Iraqi forces started a major offensive.

More than 200,000 people are currently displaced as a result of the operation to recapture Mosul, while more fled but later returned to their homes.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, dpa, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/iraq-mosul-new -push-city-center/28351330.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Military Operation in West Mosul Displaces Over 45,000 in More Than Week

Sputnik News

12:14 05.03.2017(updated 12:43 05.03.2017)

Over 45,000 people have fled western Mosul in Iraq in past few days as the coalition-backed government campaign to retake the Iraqi city gains momentum, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Iraqi forces backed by the US-led coalition began the operation to liberate East Mosul from the Daesh group on February 17. The western part of the city was freed from the militants in January after a four-month battle.

"Number of people displaced [from] West Mosul are increasingly rapidly. In the last 9 days alone 7,619 families (45,714 individuals) displaced," Hala Jaber, an IOM consultant in Iraq, was quoted by the watchdog as saying on social media networks.

The IOM displacement monitoring service, DTM, released its estimates on Sunday, saying a total of 206,520 people had been displaced in Mosul since October 17 of last year.

The operation to liberate Mosul from Daesh terrorists began on October 17, 2016.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the assault on the more densely-populated western districts on February 13. The UN estimates western Mosul is home to some 750,000 people. It warned there could be enormous humanitarian implications for trapped civilians.

 Sputnik

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15 Hospitalized as Details of Alleged Mosul Chemical Attack Emerge

By Heather Murdock March 05, 2017

"We can't sleep at night because it's hard to breath and our eyes are watering," says Yunis Mohammad Hassan, a father of three, outside his Mosul home in the Noor area.

On Tuesday, a bomb hit his neighbor's house releasing rancid-smelling white smoke, sickening the family and people in the surrounding area.

It was one of at least four similar attacks in the past 10 days, prompting international organizations to warn that Islamic State militants could be using chemical weapons against civilians in eastern Mosul.

Police confirm the bomb and another that hit a home in the nearby Mishraq neighborhood the same day contained homemade chemical poisons. Victims among the 15 people treated in the West Emergency hospital in Irbil say they are from Garage Shmel and Zahoor, two other east Mosul neighborhoods.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says testing is not yet conclusive, but symptoms of the hospitalized patients suggest the weapon was mustard gas. Two victims are in critical condition and at least five are children.

The United Nations says if these attacks are confirmed they would constitute war crimes. Local police play down the incidents, stressing most of the injuries were minor.

"If IS had powerful chemical weapons they would be using them to attack soldiers," says Brig. Gen. Watheq al-Hamdani of the Ninewa Police, the provincial police authority in Mosul. IS is currently defending its last stronghold in Mosul's western side fiercely, unleashing barrages of car bombs, sniper fire and mortars on Iraqi forces.

The bombs police investigated, adds al-Hamdani, contained chlorine gas, a poison that, like mustard gas, can cause respiratory problems, blistering burns, and other symptoms.

Families

At the hospital, Natham Hamad's wife and five children are being treated for some of the most severe injuries the attacks caused.

"The doctors say they may get better, then again get worse," says Hamad of his two sons, 11 and 12 years old. His two-month-old baby is in stable condition. "We don't yet know if they will ever recover entirely."

Locals say conflicting information and constant coughing, watering eyes and other health problems have families worried about their long-term health.

"We all have the same problems from the poison," says Hassan's wife, Abeer Ahmed Ibrahim.

A small crowd gathers under an awning near a bombed house, taped off with an orange plastic strip that reads: "Danger, do not enter" in English and Arabic. The neighbors complain bitterly about the lack of comprehensive local health care in Mosul.

"We are suffering so much from this gas," says Hassan. "I go to the clinic every day, but there is no medicine."

Symptoms Delayed

Many people that came in contact with the bombsites say their symptoms developed later.

"It's not necessarily something that will affect you right away," says Dr. Johannes Schad of the ICRC, explaining some victims escaped the initial release of poison fast enough to protect themselves, but days after returned to clean their houses, developing symptoms hours or days later, consistent with mustard gas poisoning.

Amid the chaos of the war with IS that has displaced more than 200,000 people in less than five months, identifying patients is difficult for Iraq's already strained health care system, according to Schad.

Residents in Mishraq, where a bomb exploded Tuesday and set a house on fire in addition to emitting foul-smelling gas, say after two-and-a-half years of Islamic State rule followed by months of war, fearing more poison bombs is almost unbearable.

Five days after the house was destroyed, standing near the bomb still induces a metallic taste in the mouth.

"I could see the fire from my room where I was studying," says Ahmed Dorite, 19, a student with a glass eye from a mortar attack on his area in December. Two other young men in the neighborhood, also named Ahmed, died in that attack. "And you could smell it immediately."

Islamic State Threat

Primary school teacher Wissam Araf Rashid says, "About three weeks ago Islamic State threatened to attack us with chemical weapons." In a hospital room with his wife, Zaina, he adds, "At first we didn't believe it."

"And then they did it," says Zaina.

And despite the relative weakness of the alleged chemical weapons, analysts say they could complicate Iraqi and coalition forces' battle for the remainder of western Mosul in the coming weeks and months.

"ISIS has entrenched itself it west Mosul, using cellars and caches, as well as rounding up population to be used as human shields," says Yan St-Pierre of the Berlin-based security firm MOSECON. "In such an instance, chemical weapons don't need to be extremely developed or used via highly technical means, but simply used as part of traps and ambushes."

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Sex Education Book (Photo : Weibo)

Chinese netizens are debating on Sina Weibo over the graphic illustrations of new elementary school textbook on sex education. The textbook discusses sexual intercourse, menstruation, homosexuality and gender equality.



Among the illustrations on the book, published by Beijing Normal University, are the male and female reproductive organs and two people making love, Whats on Weibo reported. The books graphic content alarmed a Chinese mother who took a photo of the book, particularly when the woman asks a man, Can you show me your penis?



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Mothers Complaint



The mother from Hanzhou, Zhejiang Province who user name in Weibo is @Xinnianggenzhuangnyingzi asked, Is it reasonable for a textbook to be compiled like this? I myself would blush looking at it, ECNS reported.



Some netizens oppose the explicit way sex is taught to Chinese elementary pupils, while others favor it because China has often lagged when it comes to sex education of students. But the Beijing Normal University Publishing Group defended the book, saying all its contents went through rigorous scrutiny before the book was published. Some netizens described the book as vulgar and tasteless.



Controversial Topics



Besides the graphic illustrations, among the topics on the book that were debated by Chinese netizens were on homosexuality, the warning to children on sexual harassment, promotion of the single life as personal choice and men running a household is normal. In the teaching on homosexuality, the textbook describes it as a natural thing.



Ancient China was actually not prudish since recent excavations in Jiangsu of artifacts from the Han Dynasty yielded bronze and jade sex toys.



Those who favor the book said it is long overdue. One netizen pointed out that if the textbook was not update, Chinese teenagers would use improper methods such as watch porn to learn more about sex. But one netizen complained, "The picture showing the mating process of men and women is absolutely unacceptable!



A similar controversy hit a sex education book for children in Indonesia because of its graphic illustration about masturbation.


Armed groups fighting over Libya's 'oil crescent'

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 5, 2017 11:23AM

Armed forces based in Libya's east have deployed extra troops in preparation for a counterattack to regain control of the oil-rich areas recently lost to militias.

Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's forces, known as the Libyan National Army (LNA), lost control of the "oil crescent" in central Libya to militias on Friday.

Haftar's forces had gained control of oil-rich region  where the four terminals of Zuitina, Brega, Ras Lanuf and Sidra are located  six months ago.

A spokesman for the LNA, Colonel Ahmed Mosmary, said they had carried out airstrikes against the militias, known as the Benghazi Defense Brigade (BDB), on Saturday.

"This is a war against a whole region," he said, referring to the attacks earlier by the militia on Libya's eastern region, which is controlled by the government in Tobruk. "They will not win."

The occupation of the terminals by the militia has stoked fears of a stoppage of oil production, which would paralyze the already-ailing Libyan economy; and the facilities could sustain serious damage if clashes escalate.

Libya has been split between opposing forces since a NATO military intervention that followed the 2011 uprising and that led to the overthrow and death of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Rival governments, set up in Tripoli in the west and the eastern city of Tobruk back in 2014, have been competing ever since.

The LNA is linked to the government based in the east.

Each of the governments is backed by a set of armed forces, militias, tribes, and political factions. Haftar has refused to profess allegiance to the government in Tripoli, which has been recognized by the United Nations (UN).

Mosmary, the spokesman for the LNA, accused the rival government in the west of having launched the attack on the oil facilities. The Tripoli government, however, has condemned the fighting and said it had no role in it.

The Benghazi-based Takfiri militants, linked to Daesh and opposed to both the Tripoli and Tobruk governments, could be behind the attack on the oil facilities.

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South Korea Quadruples Cash Rewards for North Korean Defectors

Sputnik News

21:59 05.03.2017(updated 03:32 06.03.2017)

South Korea is going to increase the rewards it offers North Korean defectors arriving with valuable information or technology by fourfold, fivefold and more, with some reaching more than $850,000.

The changes come via a bill submitted by South Korea's Ministry of Unification. The increase is the first in 20 years, the Yonhap news agency reports. Considering the dangers of defecting, both to the defector and to family and friends left behind, the current amount is "woefully inadequate," a ministry source told the agency.

The bill would increase the prize for those with useful classified information from about $217,000 to $860,000. Those arriving with a military plane or vessel will now get about $868,000, up from $130,000. Turning in a North Korean tank, armored vehicle or guided weapon will net defectors more than $260,000, up from a paltry $43,400. Troops with small arms and service weapons will get up to $43,400, a fourfold increase from the previous reward of about $8,700.

South Korea also has resettlement programs in place that provide initial housing, education, counseling and healthcare, but support is phased out after a few years.

The ministry source told Yonhap the increase reflects consumer price changes since the amounts were set way back in 1997. A North Korean defector apparently told southern officials that increasing the reward could encourage his countrymen to betray their leader.

"One of the biggest reasons why North Koreans are hesitant about defecting is because they are fearful of making a living after they come to South Korea," the ministry official told Yonhap. "The planned changes can alleviate such worries to a certain extent."

Tensions are high between the two nations: North Korea recently tested a ballistic missile and may be preparing for a new nuclear test and South Korea is getting ready to deploy the THAAD anti-missile system North Korea calls a provocation.

North Korea has also come into the spotlight again with the bizarre murder of leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother in Malaysia. South Korea has already accused the North of being behind the murder, incensing the leadership of the pariah state.

Last August, Thae Yong-ho, North Korea's deputy ambassador in London, fled to Seoul with his wife and family. He said at a press conference late last year that he welcomed the regime of Kim Jong-un because he thought the leader's international education would help him make wise decisions. But instead, Kim's "obsession" with nuclear weapons began to scare him.

"I came to the decision to defect to South Korea in order to do something to save the Korean people from nuclear disaster," Thae said. He believes getting information to the isolated North Korean people will help end the "system of slavery" that exists in the north.

Defecting from North Korea is not easy, especially as many routes defectors may take eventually pass through China, which has a policy of returning undocumented North Koreans to their country.

 Sputnik

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Syria loses contact with reconnaissance jet near Turkey

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 4, 2017 9:4PM

A Syrian fighter jet has gone missing during a reconnaissance mission close to the border with Turkey.

On Saturday evening, the Syrian army announced that it had lost contact with one of its reconnaissance planes, adding that search parties are currently trying to locate its pilot, who is thought to have ejected.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has confirmed that a Syrian MiG-23 warplane crashed in the town of Samandag in Turkey's border province of Hatay.

He added that the reasons behind the plane's crash was still not clear but "it may be due to weather conditions."

The governor of Hatay, Erdal Ata, said that rescue teams had found the plane's cockpit empty when they arrived at the scene.

The Ahrar al-Sham Takfiri militant group, which is active in the region, claims to have downed the plane.

For nearly six years, Syria has been fighting foreign-sponsored militancy. The UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated in August last year that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the crisis until then. The world body stopped its official casualty count in the war-torn country, citing its inability to verify the figures it received from various sources.



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Syrian government seeks talks with unified national opposition: Chief negotiator

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 4, 2017 3:57PM

The main condition for the Syrian government to continue peace talks is to negotiate with a "unified" national opposition which is not linked to any foreign countries, says Syria's ambassador to the UN and chief negotiator.

In his first remarks following the latest round of UN-led Syria peace talks in the Swiss city of Geneva, Bashar al-Ja'afari told reporters on Saturday that Damascus sought a unified Syrian opposition in the negotiations, "not a Saudi partner nor a Qatari, Turkish or French partner."

He noted that such an opposition should not seek assistance from Israel and "does not work according to Qatari, Saudi, Jordanian, Israeli intelligence agendas."

The High Negotiations Committee (HNC), which serves as an umbrella group for militants and opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the peace talks, was the main Syrian opposition at the negotiations along with two smaller groups that attended the negotiations under the auspices of Russia.

Referring to the results of the talks which ended on Friday, Ja'afari said, "Nothing has been adopted so far, there is nothing final at all except for the agreement on an agenda. This is the only final thing that we achieved in this round."

The Syrian chief negotiator said Damascus was currently examining whether to return for the next round of Geneva talks later in March.

Meanwhile, Russia's Ambassador to the UN Alexei Borodavkin hailed the "certain progress" achieved at the Geneva talks, saying the negotiations proved "ill-wishing" predictions wrong.

He said that the Geneva talks had outlined a way forward, which focused on four issues, including the fight on terrorism.

UN mediator Staffan de Mistura says he plans to continue separate negotiations with the Damascus government and the opposition on key issues after his next week meeting with the UN Security Council.

Speaking at a press conference after the Geneva talks on Friday, De Mistura said the strategy for battling terrorism would be at the core of another round of peace negotiations between representatives of the Syrian government and those of the armed opposition groups later this month.

This round of the UN-brokered negotiations -- the first since last April -- came shortly after the conclusion of the second round of the Syria peace talks, facilitated by Russia, Turkey and Iran, in the Kazakh capital Astana on February 15 and 16. The negotiations, which were held in a closed-door setting, sought to pave the way for the latest Geneva talks.

For the past six years, Syria has been fighting terrorism. De Mistura estimated in August last year that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the crisis until then. The world body stopped its official casualty count in the war-torn country, citing its inability to verify the figures it received from various sources.

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Russia says US, France, UK sought to 'poison' Syria talks

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 4, 2017 6:43AM

Russia has accused Britain, France, and the United States of having attempted to "poison" the atmosphere of the latest round of the intra-Syrian negotiations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that the three countries, which together recently drafted and put to a vote an anti-Syria resolution at the United Nations Security Council, sought to undermine the peace talks by "hurriedly" submitting the draft text at the 15-member Council.

Lavrov said that the measure was taken without any prior discussions and with the knowledge that it would be blocked.

Russia and China, two of the five permanent members of the Council, vetoed the resolution on February 28, when it was put to a vote.

Lavrov said the authors of the motion "wanted the Security Council to split up" at a critical moment when the long-stalled, UN-backed peace talks were being re-launched.

The latest round of the UN-mediated intra-Syrian talks was held in the Swiss city of Geneva between February 23 and March 3. The talks, meant to find a solution to the conflict in Syria, had been stalled for a year.

"The aim was not just divide the UN Security Council but to poison the atmosphere of intra-Syrian talks," the top Russian diplomat emphasized.

The draft resolution would have blacklisted 11 Syrians, mainly military commanders, and 10 entities allegedly linked to at least three attacks involving chlorine gas in 2014 and 2015. It would also have banned the supply of helicopters to Damascus.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Lavrov said that any suspicion about the use of chemicals in Syria should be probed "thoroughly and impartially," expressing Moscow's readiness to cooperate with the Organization of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in that regard.

The Syrian government has denied using banned weapons in the conflict. In fact, under a deal brokered by Russia and the US back in late 2013, Damascus turned its arsenal of chemical weapons over to international experts, who shipped them out of Syria.

On Friday, after the conclusion of the UN-backed talks in Geneva, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said Syria's warring sides had agreed on a "clear agenda" for the future.

The UN envoy said he was planning a new round of Syria peace talks in March.

A separate series of peace talks for Syria have been held by guarantor states Iran, Russia, and Turkey in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana. The Astana talks complement the UN negotiations, and, most recently, they were hailed for helping end the one-year hiatus in the talks brokered by the world body.

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Turkish PM Says Syrian MIG-23 Warplane Fell on Syria-Turkey Border

Sputnik News

20:42 04.03.2017(updated 20:54 04.03.2017)

A Syrian military jet has crashed in south Turkey's Hatay province, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Saturday.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik)  Earlier in the day, fighters from Syria's Ahrar ash-Sham Islamist extremist group claimed to have shot down a Syrian government MiG-21 fighter jet over the Syrian province of Idlib.

Syrian government sources later reportedly confirmed that contact had been lost with a low-flying plane over Idlib, but said this was due to technical difficulties.

"The military plane that fell in the Hatay province was a Syrian one," Yildirim said, as quoted by the Sky News Arabia channel.

The jet was a MiG-23 fighter rather than a MiG-21, the channel said, citing Turkish sources.

Later in the day, the Daily Sabah newspaper reported citing the governor of the Hatay province in southern Turkey that debris of the Syrian fighter jet were found near the Turkish border with Syria.

The pilot apparently had ejected, the governor added.

The news comes amid the nationwide ceasefire in Syria between Damascus and Syrian rebels that came into force on December 30, and has been holding up in general, despite continued reports of violations. The UN Security Council passed a resolution in December supporting the effort.

 Sputnik

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66,000 displaced in fresh fighting in northern Syria: UN body

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 5, 2017 9:35AM

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says a total of 66,000 people have been displaced due to fresh fighting in northern Syria, where Turkey has been carrying out operations.

The agency said on Sunday that 39,766 people have been forced out of their homes in the Syrian city of al-Bab and the nearby town of Tadif which Turkish forces are trying to control.

Displaced people have fled north to militant-controlled areas where "high contamination" of unexploded bombs and booby traps planted by retreating terrorists is further complicating the situation, it added.

Turkey launched a major military incursion into Syria in August 2016 in a move denounced by Damascus as a breach of its sovereignty.

Ankara claimed at the time that its military campaign was aimed at stopping Kurdish advances and driving away Daesh from the Turkish-Syrian border but since then it has occupied at least two major Syrian cities.

Turkey has lately announced plans to advance into the Syrian city of Manbij after seizing al-Bab. Manbij is currently held by the so-called Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed outfit of mostly Kurdish militants.

Additionally, OCHA estimated that 26,000 people have left their homes east of al-Bab, where Syrian government forces are engaged in an offensive against Daesh.

The Syrian army troops and allied fighters have been fighting against different foreign-backed terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the Arab country since 2011.

More than half of Syria's population have been displaced over the past six years.

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Syrian forces liberate 15 villages from Daesh in Aleppo

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 5, 2017 3:8AM

Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air support, have retaken 15 villages from Daesh terrorists in the country's northern regions.

According to a military source quoted by the SANA news agency on Saturday, Syrian forces have freed around 90 villages from the hands of Daesh since mid-January.

He added the troops are "expanding control in northeast parts of Aleppo province."

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the government soldiers had reached areas only 14 kilometers to the Daesh-held town of Khafsah, where Aleppo's main water pumping station is located.

The head of the UK-based monitoring group, Rami Abdel-Rahman, said that clashes with the terrorists had displaced around 30,000 people.

Abdel-Rahman noted that most of the displaced people have fled towards Manbij, which is under the control of Kurdish forces.

Kurdish forces, mainly the Democratic Union Party (PYD), and its military wing, the YPG, liberated the northern Syrian city of Manbij from Daesh last year.

"The numbers of displaced people here are still rising because of the clashes between the Syrian government and Daesh," said Ibrahim al-Quftan, the co-chair of Manbij's civil administration.

The observatory stressed that Manbij is already the host of thousands of displaced people. "This will make it difficult (for local authorities) to welcome a new wave of displaced people, given their inability to tend to their pressing needs," added Abdel-Rahman.

For nearly six years, Syria has been fighting foreign-sponsored militancy. The UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated in August last year that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the crisis until then. The world body stopped its official casualty count in the war-torn country, citing its inability to verify the figures it received from various sources.

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Syrian Government Forces Gain Ground In Aleppo Province

RFE/RL March 05, 2017

Syrian state media say government troops have gained ground and widened their control over villages formerly held by Islamic State (IS) militants in the northern part of the country.

State-owned Ikhbariyah TV on March 4 quoted a military source as saying troops are making steady progress in pushing IS fighters out of cutoff areas in Aleppo province and are moving toward the Euphrates River.

Government forces, supported by Russian air strikes, have recaptured about 90 villages since mid-January from the IS fighters.

State news agency SANA quoted a military source as saying the army took 15 villages on March 4 alone.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces have advanced to 13 kilometers away from IS-held Khafsah, the water-pumping station for Aleppo, where residents have been without mains water for 47 days.

The Observatory said on March 4 that "more than 30,000 civilians, most of them women and children," have been forced to flee the fighting during the past week.

Government forces report they are advancing to the south and east of the strategically important town of al-Bab, which was captured from IS by Turkish-backed rebels on February 23.

Experts say one of the goals of the government offensive is to prevent the Turkish-backed fighters from extending their gains southward.

An estimated 300,000 people have been killed and millions of others have been displaced since the Syrian civil war started in 2011 between government forces and rebels opposed to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, leading to a massive migrant crisis across Europe.

The conflict was later joined by the Islamic State fighters -- opposed by both sides -- which has served to complicate matters further.

Turkey and the United States support the main opposition forces, while Russia backs Assad's government.

Government troops, U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters and Turkey-supported rebels have separately made grounds against IS in recent weeks, steadily driving them out of areas they have held for more than two years.

IS seized large portions of Syria and northern Iraq in an offensive in 2014.

The militant group is accused of numerous atrocities, and has claimed responsibility for major terrorist attacks in Europe and elsewhere.

U.S.-backed forces have made major gains against IS fighters in Iraq as well, and are currently battling to liberate all of Mosul from IS fighters.

With reporting from Reuters and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/syria-aleppo-islamic-state -turkey-kurdish-rebels/28351151.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russian General Reveals Details of Palmyra's Liberation

Sputnik News

20:24 05.03.2017

The success of the operation for the liberation of Syria's Palmyra was made possible thanks to the actions of the Russian Air Force and the dedication of the Syrian military, Col. Gen. Andrei Kartapolov, the commander of the Russian military contingent in Syria, said Sunday.

"I would particularly like to comment on the actions of our Air and Space Forces of Russia, which deprived the enemy of the ability to maneuver and promptly deliver reserves. Also the actions of the units of Special Operations Forces of the Russian Armed Forces that conducted reconnaissance and hit the most important targets," Kartapolov told reporters on Russia 24 channel.

He went on to praise the Syrian troops that fought Daesh in the ground operation.

"I cannot help but note the bravery and self-sacrifice of the Syrian soldiers, officers and militia fighters who went in without sparing their lives to accomplish this task and reclaim this city for the Syrian people and for the whole of humanity I think the most important thing is that the Syrian soldiers and officers believed in themselves, they believed that they can return what they had lost," Kartapolov said.

The commander further said that the second retaking of Syria's Palmyra from Daesh went according to plan and with minimal losses.

"The operation to liberate Palmyra was carried out according to plan. We spent a lot of time in preparations and we considered all the factors that came up during last retaking of Palmyra, which allowed us to carry out the task within a short time with minimal losses," he said.

Daesh first captured Palmyra in May 2015. In the ten months that followed, the brutal group, notorious for destroying pre-Islamic cultural heritage sites, leveled the Temple of Bel, the Temple of Baalshamin, the Monumental Arch and several tomb towers.

Some of the priceless artifacts on display at a local museum were smashed or defaced.

The Syrian Arab Army, assisted by Russian warplanes and its allies took Palmyra under control on March 27, 2016, but lost it on December 11. Daesh then destroyed a tetrapylon and part of a Roman theater in the ancient city, using it to carry out mass executions. Damascus-led forces retook Palmyra on March 2.

 Sputnik

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W Magazine 5 (Photo : Instagram/Song Hye Kyo)

While Descendants of the Sun actress Song Hye Kyo admits that at 35 she also thinks she should get married, she acknowledges that it is becoming harder because of the limited number of people she could date. To worsen the prospect of marrying, she hears horror stories of married people around her, causing her fantasies about marriage to fade away little by little.



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The actress shared her thoughts about marriage the March issue of W Korea where she appeared in a fashion spread with Korean actor Yoo Ah In. Although her role is Descendants of the Sun catapulted her further to fame in South Korea and China a year ago, she seems to be keeping some distance now from co-star Song Joong-ki whose a few weeks ago was even rumored to be planning to seek her hand in marriage.



Bromance Interrupts Romance



However, lately, all the news about Song Joong-ki is his bromance with Park Bo Gum. First, there was his frequent guesting in the recent Asian fan meets of Park Bo Gum. In one of the fan meets, Park Bo Gum openly told Song Joong-ki in front of thousands of fans God Bless You and I Love You.



Korea Portal also reported that besides appearing in a cameo role in an upcoming drama Man to Man, starring Park Hae Jin, Song Joong-ki is rumored to appear in a movie with Park Bo Gum with the film speculated to have a gay theme. If the speculations are true, it would elevate the bromance of Park Bo Gum and Song Joong-ki into a gay partnership.



Gay Roles



As an actor, Song Joong-ki would likely not shy away from a gay role as he had done in Sungkyunkwan Scandal. However, it is a different matter if he would be partnered with Park Bo Gum now that there are again questions if they are gay.


Syrian Army Liberates Almost 100 Populated Areas From Daesh

Sputnik News

19:04 05.03.2017(updated 19:05 05.03.2017)

The Syrian government forces have freed almost 100 populated areas from Daesh terrorist group after liberating two more settlements since Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Saturday, the number came to 97. Government troops have also taken over nearly 9 square miles of land since Saturday, according to the statement. This brings the total area of land regained to over 2,690 square kilometers (1,038 square miles).

"The number of inhabited areas, which had been liberated by the Syrian troops from Daesh armed formations has reached 99," the ministry, center for Syrian reconciliation said in a statement.

Additionally, two local ceasefire agreements had been singed over the past day, bringing the total number of locations with such agreements in place to 1,294.

The total number of armed faction upholding the ceasefire remained at 115, while ceasefire negotiations proceeded with opposition commanders in the provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Homs, Hama, and Quneitra, the statement said.

The nationwide Syrian ceasefire regime was introduced on December 30, 2016, with Russia and Turkey being its guarantors.

 Sputnik

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Air Force base commander apologizes over drug scandal

ROC Central News Agency

2017/03/05 20:37:25

Taipei, March 5 (CNA) The commander at the Ching Chuan Kang (CCK) air base in Taichung apologized Sunday for a scandal in which drugs were found on the base last month and some servicemen tested positive for drug use.

At a press conference on the air base, Major General Wang Te-yang () said that as commanding officer he was taking full responsibility for the matter and had sent a letter of apology to the Air Force Command.

Wang said he also wished to apologize to the public for allowing drugs to tarnish the military's code of honor.

The issue arose from the discovery of 53 small packets of drugs at different locations on the base on Feb. 27. In subsequent tests of the 2,303 servicemen on the base, eight people tested positive for drug use.

However, some 250 personnel who are either on leave or on training missions at other bases have not yet been tested, Wang said, adding that the testing will be completed by Wednesday.

On the question of whether those who tested positive were also drug suppliers, Wang said the Taichung District Prosecutors Office was still investigating the case.

(By Lu Kang-chun and Ko Lin)

Enditem/pc

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Turkey Deploys Cobra 2 Armored Vehicles at Syrian Border

Sputnik News

18:07 05.03.2017

Turkey deployed its domestically produced, next-generation Cobra 2 armored vehicles to ensure security on the Turkish-Syrian border, Turkish Hurriyet newspaper reported.

The vehicles have recently entered into the Turkish Armed Forces and are said to have several advanced technical features.

The vehicles are equipped with radar, a target detection system and a thermal camera which significantly improve their monitoring capabilities and help them to keep track of the slightest activity in the border area.

Cobra 2 is capable of detecting movements on the other side of the concrete wall built on the Turkish-Syrian border using its high-precision cameras, which can rise to a height of up to 12 meters.

According to the newspaper, the advanced technical and tactical characteristics of Cobra 2 armored vehicles play a major role in ensuring security on the border.

The vehicles are used for early warning as well as for patrolling the border area.

 Sputnik

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DPR Declares Blockade on Kiev as Donbass Republics 'Run Out of Patience'

Sputnik News

10:24 05.03.2017(updated 14:46 05.03.2017)

The self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in the Ukrainian region of Donbass has declared a trade blockade on Kiev, in response to a previously imposed economic blockade on the part of Ukraine.

The announcement was made on Friday by the leader of the DPR Alexander Zakharchenko. He said that Donbass residents have learned how live under a blockade on the part of Ukrainian security officials, and now the self-proclaimed republic is declaring a blockade on Kiev.

"We are cutting all ties with Ukraine, with which we are at war. Yes, we were selling coal to get money and pay wages here. But due to the fact that we have learned to live in the blockade, we are declaring a blockade on Ukraine," Zakharchenko told reporters.

In late December 2016, a so-called Ukrainian volunteer fighters group declared a trade and economic blockade of the self-proclaimed DPR and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). According to the group, any trade operations with the self-proclaimed republics are illegal.

The blockade resulted in disruptions in anthracite coal shipments from Donbass territories which are not controlled by Kiev and forced the government to introduce a state of emergency in the energy sector.

On March 1, the self-proclaimed republics decided to impose a receivership regime on Ukrainian enterprises in the area in response to the transport blockade.

According to Dmitry Galochkin, a member of the Russian Civic Chamber, in the current situation the Donbass self-proclaimed republic had no alternative but to respond with symmetric measures.

"I think that soon the LPR will do the same. Of course, this is sad because there was one economy but now there are borders and barriers. But the DPR didn't start this. It was Kiev," Galochkin told Radio Sputnik.

The expert noted that by blockading transportation routes to Donbass, Kiev violates international law norms.

"What the DPR is doing is a tit-for-tat response. The self-proclaimed republic has run out of patience. People are dying, but Kiev is building barriers and imposing a blockade," he pointed out.

Galochkin suggested that the current state of affairs is likely to have a negative effect on the Ukrainian economy.

"Ukrainian factories need coal from Donbass. They cannot work with other types of coal. The blockade is likely to be negative for the economy, including disruptions in the power-generating sector," he said.

Furthermore, Galochkin noted that Kiev may impose even stricter measures against the DPR and the LPR.

"The Ukrainian government may impose sanctions against certain individuals or simply harden its rhetoric. It's clear that Kiev wants to portray not only the self-proclaimed republics as aggressors, but also Russia. It may also call for sanctions against Moscow. But all of Ukraine's previous actions have only backfired on its economy," he concluded.

The conflict in Donbass broke out in April 2014 as a reaction to the Maidan coup in Kiev that had toppled President Viktor Yanukovych. Residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions held independence referendums and proclaimed the People's Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Kiev has since been conducting a military operation, facing stiff local resistance.

 Sputnik

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Edge data centres will account for most of the telecom server market growth and is projected to reach US$14 billion by 2026 according to a new report from DellOro Group.
South Korean K-9 self-propelled guns firing during a drill. (Photo : ROKA)

South Korea and the United States have replied to China's increasingly rabid responses to the deployment of the U.S.-made Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system by staging a two-month long military exercise intended to "increase readiness to defend South Korea."



The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (ROKAF) and United States Force Korea (USFK) on March 1 launched "Foal Eagle 2017," a combined arms exercise on the Korean Peninsula slated to end on April 30.



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China immediately criticized the exercise, which is one of the largest of its kind in the world. It expressed its "serious concern to parties involved in the joint military drill" by South Korea and the U.S., "which brought the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and other U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula."



The exercise will see the deployment of 3,600 more personnel of the U.S. armed forces to South Korea to reinforce the 28,000 troops already under the command of USFK. Observers noted the large and dramatic increase in U.S. troop numbers might also be intended to send the message the U.S. will defend against any Chinese military response targeting THAAD.



Foal Eagle 2017 is a series of joint and combined ground, air, naval and special operations field exercises, designed in the spirit of the U.S.-South Korean mutual defense treaty of 1953. These exercises are defensive in nature, and have been carried out regularly, openly and transparently for nearly 40 years, according to USFK.



Foal Eagle 2017 is designed to "increase readiness to defend South Korea, to protect the region, and to maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula," said Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis.



Foal is described by the Pentagon as a combined Field Training Exercise (FTX) conducted annually by the ROKAF and USFK under the control of the Combined Forces Command. It's one of the largest military exercises conducted annually in the world.



The primary purpose of Foal Eagle is to demonstrate South Korean-U.S. military resolve to deter war on the Korean peninsula and to improve the combined and joint operational posture of those forceSouth Korean and U.S. Forces.


Employers looking to hire for open positions are invited to participate in a community-wide job fair April 12 at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research.

There is no cost for employers to participate, but registration is required. Space is limited, and registrations will be accepted in the order they are received.

Employers who would like to participate in the job fair should contact Allison Moore, business services manager for the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, at (434) 836-6990 or by email at amoore@dpchamber.org.

The job fair is coordinated by the Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Workforce Center, American National University, Averett University, Danville Community College and the Dan River Region Collaborative.

Funding for the job fair has been provided by the West Piedmont Workforce Investment Board. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

The job fair will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Institute, located at 150 Slayton Ave., Danville.
MEADOWS OF DAN -- After expanding Dry Fork Fruit Distillery products into ABC stores across Virginia during 2016, Dry Fork co-owner Vincent Puccio has his sights set on a bright future for the business.

Puccio and co-owner William T. Willis established the distillery in 2015. It is located at 195 Light Ridge Road in Meadows of Dan, in the former Mountain Made Ice plant just off U.S. Route 58.

The distillery currently has six approved products: An 80-proof corn whiskey and an 80-proof fruit-infused corn whiskey flavored with blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, plums or mixed fruit.

When the products were initially approved by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Product Management Committee in late 2015, they were only approved to go on the shelves at a small handful of Virginia stores. Even then, only two varieties  the straight whiskey and the strawberry-infused whiskey  could be placed on store shelves, while the other varieties had to be special ordered.

Since then, Puccio said, Dry Fork products have become far more widely available. They can be purchased at more than 30 ABC stores in Virginia  including all ABC stores in Martinsville and Henry County  seven private liquor stores in West Virginia, and can be special ordered in North and South Carolina.

Later this year, Puccio is hopeful that the Virginia ABC will approve Dry Forks new apple brandy. If that product is approved, he said, a peach brandy is a given. At some point down the road, he would even like to introduce an aged whiskey similar to a bourbon.

One of the distillerys biggest goals, however, is to open an on-site distillery store, an idea that has been in the works since the business opened.

The store did not get approved last year, Puccio said. This year, the Patrick County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution stating that they want us there in Patrick County. They believe we would help tourism, and they want to see our distillery store open. So I gave that to our Senator Bill Stanley, whos sponsoring a bill for us this year.

While most of Dry Forks products remain special order items in Virginia, all of their products could be sold on-site at their distillery store if it is approved, he said.

We could have different events there, too, such as tastings, he said. Were only half a mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway. We would be an anchor for tourism there. Theres an entrance and exit right there for the parkway. Its a good location  and it would be a perfect complement for that area.

Puccio and Willis are committed to the distillerys future, Puccio said, but its not exactly a get-rich-quick scheme.

It aint profitable, Puccio said, laughing. Anybody who gets into this distillery business is not going to start making money immediately. Its a long process for approvals, permits and licensing. Its highly regulated.  Everything is always up in the air. You just dont know. You spend a lot of money, you spend a lot of effort, and (from the ABC board) its always, Well, well see.

However, Puccio said, hes been heartened to see his products availability increase over the last year, a trend he expects to continue. Last year, he said, Dry Fork joined the Virginia Distillers Association, which has proved helpful in communicating with the Virginia ABC. Dry Fork is also a regular fixture at spirits trade shows, which Puccio said is a good way to build the business and add sales.

Growing the distillery has been a slow process, he said, but he and Willis are in it for the long haul.

Once we have enough sales to stabilize us, well keep adding products, he said. Youve always got to keep adding.

For more information, visit dryforkdistillery.com.
The Tech Cube is an open-planned facility for TAS STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) program. (Photo : Getty Images)

The ground has been broken for Taiwans Tech Cube as Taipei American School (TAS) broke ground for its construction last Thursday, March 2.



According to The China Post, the breaking ground ceremony was attended by numerous spectators, which included TAS board members and administrators, faculty, donors, staff, and the students and their parents.



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One of the jobs of the board is to look into the future. We are to never settle for what is, but to always concentrate on what could be, Tina Koo, TAS board chairperson, told The China Post. Koo is also part of the Tech Cubes so-called task force.



The Tech Cube is an open-planned facility for TAS STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) program.



The five-storey building will have dedicated areas for design, technology, and robotics. Age-appropriate learning spaces will be created, and space for collaboration and teamwork will also be fitted into each level.



Inspired by a facility in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Tech Cube will offer STEAM students approximately 4,380 square meters of usable space.



High school students will have access to the electrical engineering lab and fabrication hub, where they can design their projects. Meanwhile, middle school students get to play with a VEX arena and a robotic design lab.



Lastly, the floor for lower-school students will feature an amphitheater, as well as so-called tinker and maker spaces.



Students and teachers can work, collaborate, and participate in design-thinking challenges in the Tech Cube. In addition, the facility will also host an array of projects, although it is unclear whether it take place in the course of a class or even a whole school year, The China Post reported.



Once finished, the Tech Cube is expected to be an environmentally compliant building and achieve the Bronze Level of Environmental Certification in Taiwan. It is slated to open in Dec. 2018.


THUNDER BAY, ON, March 6, 2017 /CNW/ - Wolfden Resources Corp. (WLF:TSX-V) ("Wolfden" or the "Company) is pleased to announce favourable initial results from the ongoing winter drilling program, on the Company's 100%-owned Rice Island property (the "Property"). The 26 square-kilometre Property is located 10 kilometres south-southeast of the Town of Snow Lake, in west-central Manitoba.

RICE ISLAND DRILL RESULTS:

The current drilling program on the Property has successfully extended nickel-copper-cobalt mineralization within a recently discovered feeder structure, proximal to the historic Rice Island deposit. Specifically, the first four (4) drill holes tested a prominent electromagnetic conductor at shallow depth, believed to be reflecting mineralization located to the southwest of the known deposit, in an area where there had been no historical drilling. All four of the drill holes intersected significant nickel-copper-cobalt mineralization highlighted by hole RI-17-30, yielding an intercept of 2.24% Ni, 1.42% Cu & 0.10% Co over 8.30 metres. Full assay results for the first 4 drill holes are summarized in the table below.

Hole No. Coordinates Dip Azimuth

(degrees) From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Ni (%) Cu (%) Co (%) Pt+Pd+Au (ppb) RI-17-27 440786E, 6074642N -55 302 80.20 82.70 2.50 3.08 1.13 0.16 201 RI-17-28 440786E, 6074642N -73 302 107.60 109.70 2.10 1.12 1.14 0.05 165 RI-17-29 440768E, 6074603N -55 302 83.00 85.20 2.20 1.67 0.63 0.16 753 RI-17-30 440768E, 6074603N -76 302 169.70 178.00 8.30 2.24 1.42 0.10 181







Inc. 169.70 172.30 2.60 3.57 1.67 0.19 393

Note 1: True widths are estimated at 70% of core width

Note 2: Sample analyses performed by Actlabs Ltd. of Thunder Bay, Ontario utilizing the 4 Acid ICP-OES method; a 0.25 g sample is digested with hydrofluoric acid followed by a mixture of nitric and perchloric acid; the sample is then dried and brought back into solution using aqua regia; the sample is then analyzed using Agilent 735 ICP instrumentation

This new zone of mineralization known as the Boundary Zone (BZ), is interpreted to be a feeder dike or conduit, comprising fine-grained gabbro containing stringer, semi-massive and massive sulphides (pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite & pentlandite), enveloped by sedimentary rocks. Conduits are an important component within magmatic Ni-Cu-Co mineralizing systems and on their own, can be hosts to economic deposits. The BZ remains completely open along strike to the southwest and to depth.

The remainder of the winter drilling program will test a series of conductors believed to be related to the BZ that continue for at least 700 metres to the southwest of drilling completed to date (see Figure 1 attached). Additional drilling will be completed on a series of strong conductors underlying the New Lower Zone (NLZ) on Rice Island. Previous drilling completed by Wolfden on the NLZ, returned intercepts of up to 2.32% Ni, 1/29% Cu and 0.16% Co over 21.1 metres as well as 3.97% Ni, 0.95% Cu and 0.18% Co over 4.60 metres; it also remains open at depth. Additional drill results will be reported as they become available.

Rice Island is well situated proximal to the established mining communities of Flin Flon and Snow Lake and approximately 5 kilometres from HudBay Minerals' Snow Lake concentrator. The area offers access to power, labour force, supplies and mineral processing facilities. Proximity to such infrastructure will enable the Company to explore the Property year-round.

ABOUT WOLFDEN RESOURCES:

Wolfden is a mineral exploration company that recently acquired the Rice Island and Nickel Island properties in Manitoba. Manitoba is ranked #2 in Canada and #2 in the world as the most favourable jurisdiction to conduct mining and exploration (Fraser Institute Survey 2016). The Company also holds a dominant, 24,000 hectare land position in the heart of the Bathurst Mining Camp in New Brunswick.

The technical information in this news release has been prepared and approved by Donald Hoy, P. Geo., President, CEO and a director of the Company. Mr. Hoy is also a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101.

This press release contains forward-looking information (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation) that involves various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information includes statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance of the Company, and include, without limitation, statements relating to plans and results of exploration and the magnitude and quality of the property. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information in this news release, including without limitation, the following risks and uncertainties; (i) risks inherent in the mining industry; (ii) regulatory and environmental risks; (iii) results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties; (iv) risks relating to the estimation of mineral resources; (v) stock market volatility and capital market fluctuations; and (vi) general market and industry conditions. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. This forward-looking information is based on estimates and opinions of management on the date hereof and is expressly qualified by this notice. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada at www.sedar.com. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward looking information or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such information unless required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) has reviewed or accepts responsibility for the accuracy and adequacy of this news release.

SOURCE Wolfden Resources Corp.
Results Include 30.2 Metres Grading 15.3 Grams Per Tonne of Gold

TORONTO, March 6, 2017 /CNW/ - Golden Star Resources Ltd. (NYSE MKT: GSS; TSX: GSC; GSE: GSR) ("Golden Star" or the "Company") is pleased to report the remaining results from the in-fill drilling program at its Wassa Underground Gold Mine ("Wassa Underground") in Ghana.

The program targeted the high grade B Shoot zone of Wassa Underground, focusing on the areas that are expected to be mined with transverse stoping (the "2016 B Shoot transverse stope drilling program").

HIGHLIGHTS:

Assay results for the remaining 15 diamond drill ("DD") holes from the 2016 B Shoot transverse stope drilling program have been received

Significant intercepts included: 30.2 metres ("m") grading 15.3 grams per tonne ("g/t") of gold ("Au") from 270.0m in hole BS16DD013, including: 4.6m grading 41.2g/t Au from 276.2m 10.1m grading 21.8g/t Au from 286.2m 24.5m grading 12.1g/t Au from 280.0m in hole BS16DD021, including: 5.5m grading 30.0g/t Au from 300.0m 25.2m grading 6.4g/t Au from 245.7m in hole BS16DD023, including: 3.6m grading 10.5 g/t Au from 249.7m 0.9m grading 65.5 g/t Au from 262.5m

These results confirm the high grade nature and continuity of gold mineralization within the B Shoot transverse stoping areas

Exploration strategy update is expected to be released later in the first quarter of 2017

Sam Coetzer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Golden Star, commented:

"This drilling program was designed to test the first B Shoot transverse stopes, which we expect to begin mining in the third quarter of this year. As well as confirming the high grade nature and continuity of the B Shoot, the results from the most Northern holes of this program suggest that the high grade zones continue up plunge to the North. As part of the design update work, which will be conducted with this new drilling data, we will assess the viability of adding additional stopes to the North of the current mine plan with the intention of increasing Wassa Underground's Mineral Reserves."

Drilling Results

During the second half of 2016 Golden Star conducted an in-fill drilling program to further delineate the first planned transverse stoping areas of the B Shoot zone. In December 2016, Golden Star reported the first nine holes of this program and the results of the remaining 15 holes have now been received. They continue to confirm the wide zones of high grade gold mineralization in this area. This program has also defined the contacts and geometry of the high grade zones so that detailed mining plans and schedules can be assembled in advance of mining.

In addition, the drilling targeted gaps in the existing planned stopes to determine whether continuity between areas of higher grade mineralization exists. The results of the most Northern holes from this program indicated that the ore body is open to the North and, therefore, Golden Star will be evaluating the viability of adding additional stopes to the mine plan in this area.

The full set of results is listed in Appendix A and includes several compelling intercepts, as set out below. A long section showing the location of the drill holes is available at: http://www.gsr.com/operations/wassa/wassa-main/

Significant intercepts from Wassa Underground

















HOLE ID Azimuth

() Dip () From

(m) To (m) Drilled

Width

(m) True

Width

(m) Grade

(Au g/t) BS16DD013 78.0 -79.0 270.0 303.1 33.1 30.2 15.3

Including

276.2 281.2 5.0 4.6 41.2

Including

286.2 297.3 11.1 10.1 21.8 BS16DD014 74.0 -82.5 281.0 325.3 44.3 39.3 3.1 BS16DD015A 94.8 -83.4 238.0 263.0 25.0 22.0 4.4 BS16DD015A 76.5 -84.6 305.0 317.0 12.0 10.4 12.2

Including

309.0 316.0 7.0 6.1 18.6 BS16DD021 84.9 -79.6 280.0 307.0 27.0 24.5 12.1

Including

300.0 306.0 6.0 5.5 30.0 BS16DD023 86.5 -79.5 192.2 210.8 18.6 16.9 3.5

Including

207.2 208.2 1.0 0.9 24.1 BS16DD023 79.4 -80.2 245.7 273.6 27.9 25.2 6.4

Including

249.7 253.7 4.0 3.6 10.5

Including

262.5 263.5 1.0 0.9 65.5

Next Key Milestones

Golden Star expects to announce its exploration strategy for 2017 later in the first quarter of 2017.

APPENDIX A

Full set of remaining 15 DD results from Wassa Underground

















HOLE ID Azimuth

() Dip () From

(m) To (m) Drilled

Width

(m) True

Width

(m) Grade

(Au g/t) BS16DD001E 83.6 -70.5 59.0 62.0 3.0 2.9 1.9 BS16DD001E 84.0 -71.3 174.0 178.0 4.0 3.8 5.5 BS16DD001E 85.5 -71.5 193.0 196.0 3.0 2.9 24.9 BS16DD001E 85.5 -71.5 214.2 231.6 17.4 16.7 2.1 BS16DD002 88.5 -66.2 57.0 65.0 8.0 7.8 13.9 BS16DD003 85.8 -62.8 179.5 184.5 5.0 5.0 15.0 BS16DD004 85.9 -77.7 235.4 245.4 10.0 9.2 4.7 BS16DD004 82.8 -77.8 278.8 280.8 2.0 1.8 4.7 BS16DD004 85.5 -77.7 322.6 341.3 18.7 17.3 4.3 BS16DD004 Including

333.0 341.3 8.3 7.7 8.3 BS16DD005A 82.0 -78.8 238.0 248.5 10.5 9.6 3.6 BS16DD005A 81.2 -78.0 282.3 288.3 6.0 5.5 4.0 BS16DD006 90.5 -74.2 275.0 280.0 5.0 4.7 3.3 BS16DD006 89.5 -74.2 309.0 315.0 6.0 5.7 2.0 BS16DD007 359.0 -87.1 230.0 248.0 18.0 15.2 3.2 BS16DD007 349.0 -85.7 279.0 285.0 6.0 5.2 1.0 BS16DD007 346.2 -85.2 315.7 318.7 3.0 2.6 6.8 BS16DD007 348.8 -85.0 352.0 357.0 5.0 4.3 2.5 BS16DD008 76.7 -78.0 264.0 271.0 7.0 6.4 5.3 BS16DD008 75.0 -78.1 278.0 304.0 26.0 23.9 3.5 BS16DD008 Including

286.0 295.0 9.0 8.3 5.3 BS16DD009 77.9 -83.1 275.6 280.8 5.2 4.6 1.9 BS16DD009 68.8 -83.1 296.8 328.5 31.7 28.0 23.8 BS16DD009 Including

296.8 302.8 6.0 5.3 6.7 BS16DD009 Including

306.1 317.9 11.8 10.4 40.1 BS16DD009 Including

322.5 328.5 6.0 5.3 39.5 BS16DD009 75.0 -83.1 337.5 344.5 7.0 6.2 4.2 BS16DD010A 68.2 -85.4 196.0 210.0 14.0 12.1 3.9 BS16DD010A 62.8 -85.0 233.2 235.2 2.0 1.7 6.6 BS16DD010A 58.5 -85.1 252.0 272.0 20.0 17.3 2.6 BS16DD010A 49.4 -85.0 316.6 328.8 12.2 10.6 5.7

Including

316.6 321.6 5.0 4.3 9.3 BS16DD010A 49.4 -84.9 334.4 344.4 10.0 8.7 4.3 BS16DD011 13.2 -87.5 195.0 204.0 9.0 7.6 4.0 BS16DD011 349.4 -85.2 277.0 288.2 11.2 9.7 2.6 BS16DD011 347.8 -84.5 329.0 339.0 10.0 8.7 9.9

Including

335.0 337.0 2.0 1.7 41.5 BS16DD012A 90.8 -77.3 275.0 278.0 3.0 2.8 4.9 BS16DD012A 92.6 -77.6 308.8 313.0 4.2 3.9 3.9 BS16DD012A 92.6 -78.0 335.0 345.1 10.1 9.3 6.2

Including

338.0 341.0 3.0 2.8 17.4 BS16DD013 80.2 -79.5 194.0 198.0 4.0 3.6 3.7 BS16DD013 78.0 -79.0 270.0 303.1 33.1 30.2 15.3

Including

276.2 281.2 5.0 4.6 41.2

Including

286.2 297.3 11.1 10.1 21.8 BS16DD014 83.4 -82.1 235.9 241.0 5.1 4.5 3.7 BS16DD014 74.0 -82.5 281.0 325.3 44.3 39.3 3.1 BS16DD015A 92.4 -83.2 184.6 189.6 5.0 4.4 2.8 BS16DD015A 94.8 -83.4 238.0 263.0 25.0 22.0 4.4 BS16DD015A 76.5 -84.6 305.0 317.0 12.0 10.4 12.2

Including

309.0 316.0 7.0 6.1 18.6 BS16DD016 81.6 -76.2 228.9 233.9 5.0 4.7 9.3

Including

229.9 231.9 2.0 1.9 20.5 BS16DD016 77.2 -76.3 244.0 245.0 1.0 0.9 38.7 BS16DD016 81.1 -80.6 341.0 353.0 12.0 10.8 1.7 BS16DD017 93.2 -81.1 251.0 261.0 10.0 9.0 8.7 BS16DD017 93.2 -81.2 274.5 280.4 5.9 5.3 4.3 BS16DD017 88.8 -81.2 284.3 287.3 3.0 2.7 4.7 BS16DD018 86.4 -78.8 284.8 286.8 2.0 1.8 10.6 BS16DD018 84.0 -78.8 333.8 342.8 9.0 8.2 4.2 BS16DD019 98.2 -69.9 233.2 235.0 1.8 1.7 3.0 BS16DD020 88.3 -77.8 274.7 279.7 5.0 4.6 5.0 BS16DD021 84.9 -79.6 280.0 307.0 27.0 24.5 12.1

Including

300.0 306.0 6.0 5.5 30.0 BS16DD022 80.1 -79.1 280.4 285.3 4.9 4.5 5.3 BS16DD022 80.2 -79.0 331.0 338.0 7.0 6.4 2.8 BS16DD023 86.5 -79.5 192.2 210.8 18.6 16.9 3.5

Including

207.2 208.2 1.0 0.9 24.1 BS16DD023 79.4 -80.2 245.7 273.6 27.9 25.2 6.4

Including

249.7 253.7 4.0 3.6 10.5

Including

262.5 263.5 1.0 0.9 65.5 BS16DD024 84.4 -83.8 230.5 237.5 7.0 6.1 8.5 BS16DD024 81.5 -83.8 282.5 285.5 3.0 2.6 6.9

Company Profile

Golden Star is an established gold mining company that owns and operates the Wassa and Prestea mines situated on the prolific Ashanti Gold Belt in Ghana, West Africa. Listed on the NYSE MKT, the TSX, and the GSE, Golden Star is strategically focused on increasing operating margins and cash flow through the development of its two high grade, low cost underground mines both in conjunction with existing open pit operations. The Wassa Underground Gold Mine commenced commercial production in January 2017 and the Prestea Underground Gold Mine is expected to achieve commercial production in mid-2017. Gold production in 2017 is expected to be 255,000-280,000 ounces with cash operating costs of $780-860 per ounce.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking information

Some statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable securities laws. Such statements include; the timing for releasing the exploration strategy for 2017; the timing of the commencement of transverse stoping of the B Shoot; the impact of future B Shoot drilling programs on Wassa Underground planned stopes; the ability to increase Wassa Underground's Mineral Resources; the wide, high grade zones of gold mineralization at Wassa Underground; the viability of adding additional stopes to the mine plan; 2017 gold production and cash operating costs; and the ability to mine and access B Shoot zone grades and thicknesses by way of underground mining. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and involve risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include timing of and unexpected events during exploration; variations in ore grade; variations in relative amounts of refractory, non-refractory and transition ores; technical or permitting issues; fluctuations in gold price and costs; availability of capital and/or external financing on acceptable terms; changes in U.S. and Canadian securities markets; and general economic conditions. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management. Please refer to the discussion of these risks and other factors in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2015 and other filings of the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The forecasts contained in this press release constitute management's current estimates, as of the date of this press release, with respect to the matters covered thereby. We expect that these estimates will change as new information is received. While we may elect to update these estimates at any time, we do not undertake to update any estimate at any particular time or in response to any particular event.

Technical Information

The technical contents of this press release have been reviewed and approved by S. Mitchel Wasel, BSc Geology, a Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Wasel is Vice President of Exploration for Golden Star and an active member and Registered Chartered Professional of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

The results for Wassa Underground stated herein are based on the analysis of saw-split HQ/NQ diamond half core or a three kilogram single stage riffle split of a nominal 25 to 30 kg Reverse Circulation chip sample which has been sampled over nominal one meter intervals (adjusted where necessary for mineralized structures). Sample preparation and analyses have been carried out at SGS Laboratories in Tarkwa using a 1,000 gram slurry of sample and tap water which is prepared and subjected to an accelerated cyanide leach (LEACHWELL). The sample is then rolled for twelve hours before being allowed to settle. An aliquot of solution is then taken, gold extracted into Di-iso Butyl Keytone (DiBK), and determined by flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Detection Limit is 0.01 ppm.

All analytical work is subject to a systematic and rigorous Quality Assurance-Quality Control (QA-QC). At least 5% of samples are certified standards and the accuracy of the analysis is confirmed to be acceptable from comparison of the recommended and actual "standards" results. The remaining half core is stored on site for future inspection and detailed logging, to provide valuable information on mineralogy, structure, alteration patterns and the controls on gold mineralization.

SOURCE Golden Star Resources Ltd.
TSX, NYSE-MKT

Symbol: TMQ

VANCOUVER, March 6, 2017 /CNW/ - Trilogy Metals Inc. (TSX, NYSE-MKT: TMQ) ("Trilogy Metals" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that the permitting process is advancing on the Ambler Mining District Industrial Access Project ("AMDIAP"). The Notice of Intent ("NOI") initiating the permitting process under the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA") for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS") on the AMDIAP was published on February 28, 2017 by the Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") in the U.S. Federal Register. The BLM is the lead Federal agency for the EIS. This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS with comments due by May 30, 2017.

The Notice of Intent states that the various federal and state agencies intend to prepare an EIS for Federal authorization to construct and operate an approximately 211-mile long industrial access road in the southern Brooks Range foothills of Alaska, originating at the Dalton Highway and ending at the Ambler River and providing access to the Ambler Mining District. The BLM has announced the beginning of the EIS scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues. The BLM intends to coordinate the development of the EIS with the National Park Service ("NPS"), which is in accordance with the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act ("ANILCA"). The NPS is developing a separate environmental and economic analysis ("EEA") solely for the purpose of determining the most desirable route for that portion of the proposed road right-of-way that would cross the Gates of the Arctic National Preserve.

The AMDIAP is anticipated to provide surface access to the Ambler Mining District, long known to contain significant deposits of copper, lead, zinc, gold and silver and specifically including the Company's Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects  Arctic and Bornite. Through an Exploration and Option to Lease Agreement with NANA Regional Corporation, Inc. ("NANA"), Trilogy has the exclusive rights to enter and explore their Bornite Lands and ANSCA Lands. Further NANA and Trilogy have agreed to certain matters relating to the exploration and possible development, construction and operation of a mine on the Bornite Lands, the ANCSA Lands and the Ambler Lands contributed by the Company. In exchange for these rights, NANA receives a net smelter royalty, a net profits share, and the option to participate as an equity owner in a mining operation. This partnership also provides, among other things, scholarship funding, contracting preferences for NANA companies and a focus on local workforce development.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") the Company has been working with the Alaska Industrial Development Export Authority ("AIDEA") over the past several years to identify and select a preferred access route into the Ambler Mining District and support engineering and environmental studies as well as community outreach for the AMDIAP. Now that AMDIAP is in the permitting phase, the Company intends to sign a new MOU with AIDEA that sets the foundation to work together during this next permitting phase.

The AMDIAP is modeled on AIDEA's successful DeLong Mountain Transportation System ("DMTS"), which includes an industrial access road from the Red Dog Mine to the DMTS port. AIDEA worked with private investors to finance construction of the DMTS industrial access road, and the costs of road construction were paid back through tolls paid by the mine for use of the road. No State of Alaska general funds were used to construct the DMTS and that is exactly what is anticipated for the AMDIAP.

Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, President and CEO of Trilogy Metals commented, "Having the BLM initiate the permitting process is a major accomplishment and milestone for developing the Ambler Mining District. Permitting in the United States under NEPA is a prescribed process involving five recognized stages: Public Scoping to identify concerns; Preliminary Draft EIS (draft permitting document); Draft EIS and Public Comment; Final EIS and Public Notice; and finally a Record of Decision ("ROD"). This process has typically taken two to three years to complete. However, with the issuance of Executive Order # 13766 (entitled: "Expediting Environmental Reviews and Approvals for High Priority Infrastructure Projects") under the new Trump Administration which directs the federal agencies to coordinate an effort to streamline the permitting process, particularly with respect to important infrastructure projects, we are hopeful that the permitting timeline could be shortened. The Company plans to work closely with AIDEA to accomplish this important objective."

About Trilogy Metals

Trilogy Metals Inc., formerly NovaCopper Inc., is a metals exploration company focused on exploring and developing the Ambler mining district located in northwestern Alaska. It is one of the richest and most-prospective known copper-dominant districts located in one of the safest geopolitical jurisdictions in the world. It hosts world-class polymetallic VMS deposits that contain copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver, and carbonate replacement deposits which have been found to host high grade copper mineralization. Exploration efforts have been focused on two deposits in the Ambler mining district - the Arctic VMS deposit and the Bornite carbonate replacement deposit. Both deposits are located within the Company's land package that spans approximately 143,000 hectares. The Company has an agreement with NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., a Regional Alaska Native Corporation that provides a framework for the exploration and potential development of the Ambler mining district in cooperation with local communities. Our vision is to develop the Ambler mining district into a premier North American copper producer.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, statements relating to the future operating or financial performance of the Company, planned expenditures and the anticipated activity at the UKMP Projects, the potential timing and preparation of a PFS on the Arctic deposit, and anticipated activity with respect to the AMDIAP, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties; exploration plans and budgets; mineral reserves and resource estimates; work programs; capital expenditures; timelines; strategic plans; market prices for precious and base metals; or other statements that are not statements of fact. Forward-looking statements 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 expectations include the uncertainties involving the need for additional financing to explore and develop properties and availability of financing in the debt and capital markets; uncertainties involved in the interpretation of drilling results and geological tests and the estimation of reserves and resources; the need for cooperation of government agencies and native groups in the development and operation of properties as well as the construction of the access road; the need to obtain permits and governmental approvals; risks of construction and mining projects such as accidents, equipment breakdowns, bad weather, non-compliance with environmental and permit requirements, unanticipated variation in geological structures, metal grades or recovery rates; unexpected cost increases, which could include significant increases in estimated capital and operating costs; fluctuations in metal prices and currency exchange rates; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2016 filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and in other Company reports and documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The Company's forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors

The Arctic Preliminary Economic Assessment and the Bornite Technical Report have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve estimates included in this press release have been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and resource and reserve information contained therein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term "resource" does not equate to the term "reserves". Under U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. The SEC's disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources" or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves" by U.S. standards in documents filed with the SEC. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. U.S. investors should also understand that "inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimated "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. The requirements of NI 43-101 for identification of "reserves" are also not the same as those of the SEC, and reserves reported by the Company in compliance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as "reserves" under SEC standards. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth in this press release or the Bornite Technical Report may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards.

SOURCE Trilogy Metals Inc.
Vancouver, March 6, 2017 - Austral Gold Ltd. (ASX: AGD) (TSXV: AGLD) ('Austral' or 'the Company') is pleased to announce that the Company has paid US$1 million to Troy Resources Ltd. ('Troy') (ASX: TRY) to acquire an additional 19% interest in the Casposo silver-gold mine located in San Juan, Argentina ('Casposo').

Highlights:

Austral has paid US$1 million to increase its stake in Casposo silver-gold mine by 19%, bringing total ownership to 70% as per the agreement with Troy.

A further US$1 million was also paid from Casposo to Troy as part of the agreement related to the collection of VAT credits outstanding at the time of Austral acquisition (the "Deferred Payment").



Austral has markedly improved Casposo's operations since assuming management of the mine.

Following Austral acquiring operatorship through an agreement entered into with Troy in March 2016, Austral recommissioned the mine and plant and commenced full operations in November 2016.

Since it started operating Casposo, Austral has made significant progress in a number of areas including changes to the workforce, key changes to the equipment used in underground production, economies of scale, amongst others. Operational benefits have also been realised from implementing processes used in Austral's other producing mine, Guanaco Mine, and though improvements in the processing plant.

"The Casposo mine is a key piece of our growth strategy, with a large resource and significant potential for growth in the resource and new discoveries through brownfield and regional exploration", stated Stabro Kasaneva, CEO of Austral. "We are working towards our targeted production rates as we adapt the mine and workforce to narrow vein mining methodology. This has brought its challenges, but we are confident we are now on the path to meet our targets".

To date, Austral has invested US$5.8 million on developing Casposo and recommissioning operations, US$4.3 million from internal cash reserves and US$1.5 million through external financing.

Casposo agreement

Under the agreement between Austral and Troy signed in March 2016, Austral paid US$1 million for 51% operatorship and undertook to fund up to US$10 million in studies and CAPEX to recommission the mine. Austral was entitled to acquire a further 19% of Casposo by paying US$1 million.

Troy was also entitled to receive US$2 million in deferred payments, with US$1 million paid in September 2016 and the remaining US$1 million being the Deferred Payment.

Austral still has options to acquire the remaining 30% as follows:

10% for US$1,500,000 in December 2018;

10% for US$2,500,000 in December 2019; and

10% for US$3,000,000 in December 2020.

The exercise price of each option is subject to adjustment if the price of silver is at US$16/oz Ag or greater.

Qualified Persons

The scientific and technical content of this news release has been prepared by, or under the supervision of Michael Brown, MAIG, and has been reviewed and approved by him. Mr Brown is a Geologist and Member of Australian Institute of GeoScientists and an employee of Austral Gold Ltd.. Mr Brown is a "qualified person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Austral Gold

Austral Gold Ltd. is a growing precious metals mining, development and exploration company building a portfolio of quality assets in Chile and Argentina. The Company's flagship Guanaco mine in Chile is a low-cost gold and silver producing mine with further exploration upside. The Company is also operator of the underground silver-gold Casposo mine in San Juan, Argentina. With an experienced local technical team and highly regarded major shareholder, Austral's goal is to continue to strengthen its asset base through acquisition and discovery. Austral Gold Ltd. is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV:AGLD), and the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: AGD). For more information, please consult the company's website www.australgold.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

On behalf of Austral Gold Ltd.:

"Stabro Kasaneva"

CEO

For additional information please contact:

Alison Crealy (Australia)

info@australgold.com.au

61 (2) 9380 7233

Mike Brown (Canada)

mike.brown@australgold.com

1 604 568 2496 ext 21

Jose Bordogna (South America)

jose.bordogna@australgold.com

54 11 4323 7558

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical, and consist primarily of projections - statements regarding future plans, expectations and developments. Words such as "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "could", "potential", "should", "anticipates", "likely", "believes" and words of similar import tend to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include the Company's expectation that it could be in a position to make a production decision on Casposo very shortly; its anticipation that the new mining methods being adopted at Casposo will impact operations positively going forward; the Company's production projection for Guanaco for calendar 2017 of 45,500-51,000 ounces of Gold (AuEq oz); its expectation that construction of the new agitation leach plant (Merrill-Crowe circuit) will be completed by the end of March 2017 and that the pre-feasibility study from Roscoe Postle & Associates should be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2017; and its expectation that production for the calendar year 2017 will be 50,000 gold equivalent ounces with a goal of reaching an AISC of US$957 per ounce, and expectation that it will pay $1 million to Troy Resources in March 2017 to earn an additional 19% of Casposo. All of these forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied, including, without limitation, business integration risks; uncertainty of production, development plans and cost estimates, commodity price fluctuations; political or economic instability and regulatory changes; currency fluctuations, the state of the capital markets, uncertainty in the measurement of mineral reserves and resource estimates, Austral's ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and management, potential labour unrest, reclamation and closure requirements for mineral properties; unpredictable risks and hazards related to the development and operation of a mine or mineral property that are beyond the Company's control, the availability of capital to fund all of the Company's projects and other risks and uncertainties identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed on SEDAR. You are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. Austral cannot assure you that actual events, performance or results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements, and management's assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Austral's forward-looking statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof and Austral does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.


VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Mar 6, 2017) - Metallic Minerals Corp. (TSX VENTURE:MMG)(OTC PINK:MMNGF) (the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the Company's ongoing compilation and exploration target definition program along with initial surface sampling results from three of the twelve priority target areas identified at the Keno-Lightning property; a brownfields exploration project, located in the historic Keno Hill silver district of Canada's Yukon Territory.

In the fall of 2016, Metallic Minerals completed a preliminary surface sampling program, gathering material from three primary target regions across the greater Keno-Lightning property, namely the Caribou, Gold Hill and Homestake Targets. Though these select surface samples may not be representative of the entire target areas they show the style and grade of mineralization that is found elsewhere in the Keno Hill silver district and support follow up exploration activity to be conducted commencing in Q2 2017.

Highlights:

Caribou Vein

Sample Ag (g/t) Au (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) Ag Eq. 1501201 6,284 1.07 57.49 0.71 8,490 1501202 5,015 0.53 71.33 1.38 7,698 1501209 8,807 1.58 58.51 0.04 11,063

Gold Hill Vein

Sample Ag g/t Au g/t Pb % Zn % Ag Eq. 1501153 1,922 0.04 18.14 2.47 2,687

Homestake Vein

Sample Ag (g/t) Au (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) Ag Eq. 1501203 6,562 1.30 3.30 17.83 7,534 1501210 370 10.62 12.13 0.06 1,551

Ag Eq. calculated using the following metals prices in USD: Ag $18.00; Au $1250; Zn $1.00; Pb $0.95; Cu $2.75 and 100% recovery.

Greg Johnson, CEO & Chairman stated, "Metallic Minerals has made a number of key advancements over the last six months, including the appointment of our experienced management team in September, an institution-led flow-through financing in November, and property acquisitions announced in January, which nearly doubled the size of our Keno Hill silver district land position to 112.5 square kilometres."

"Throughout this period, the Company has been undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the geological structures and conditions present at Keno Hill in order to determine priority targets on our ground with the highest potential to host high-grade silver mineralization similar to that which is present in Alexco Resource Corp.'s adjacent property. These encouraging, recent surface sampling results support our understanding of the geology and settings for these high-grade Keno Hill type deposits1. Additional follow up exploration will be designed to allow us to further refine and prioritize the best targets for drilling in 2017 among at least twelve target areas that have already been identified. Exploration expenditures are anticipated to be a minimum of $1.1 million in 2017 including, additional geophysics, stratigraphic mapping, rock and soil sampling and drill testing of the highest priority targets."

Keno Hill Silver District Geology and Deposits

Keno Hill type silver deposits consist of high-grade silver veins typically 1-5 metres in width grading from 200 g/t to >5,000 g/t silver, with associated lead and zinc sulphides. The largest individual deposits in the district, which range from 10 million to 100 million ounces of contained silver1, are associated with northeast trending, southeast dipping fault/vein structures which form major ore shoots in the main quartzite and greenstone host rocks. To date, there are twelve known mineralized trends in the Keno Hill silver district, eight of which continue through the eastern portion of the district, which hosts Metallic Minerals' Keno Lightning property (see Figure 1 below).

1CATHRO, R. J. (Bob). Great Mining Camps of Canada 1. The History and Geology of the Keno Hill Silver Camp, Yukon Territory. Geoscience Canada, [S.l.], Sept. 2006. ISSN 1911-4850

Keno-Lightning Project and Prospectivity

The Keno-Lightning project is a district scale, brownfields exploration property with multiple historic mines, four of which had average production grades above 5,000 g/t silver.1 The property is adjacent to and on-trend with, Alexco Resource Corp.'s operations, which hosts one of the world's highest-grade silver resources with an estimated production grade exceeding 750 g/t Ag.2 Keno-lightning covers the eastern portion of the district and is a continuation of the same geological structures and host rock associated with the demonstrated mineralization occurring to the west. However, this area has seen little modern exploration due to the longstanding, fragmented, private land ownership structure, which has now been largely consolidated by Metallic Minerals.

To view Figure 1 - Keno Hill Silver District Geological Trends and Deposits, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Keno-Hill.jpg.

The schematic cross sections shown below (Figure 2,3, and 4) show the geology and deposits from 3 of the 12 known mineralized trends in the Keno Hill silver district. Figure 2 highlights the major producers and recent discoveries along the Bermingham - Calumet Trend. Historic production figures described therein are detailed in CATHRO, R. J. (Bob). Great Mining Camps of Canada 1. The History and Geology of the Keno Hill Silver Camp, Yukon Territory. Geoscience Canada, [S.l.], Sept. 2006. ISSN 1911-4850. Further historic production specifics are available in the Technical Report on the Keno-Lightning Project dated July 31, 2010 and available under the Company's profile at Sedar.com.

Bermingham is a major new high-grade silver discovery by Alexco in the Keno Hill silver district. The deposit remains open to expansion at depth and along trend, and has been the focus of an intensive drill campaign by the Alexco exploration team. The Bermingham discovery demonstrates the potential for major new finds along trend and down dip from past producing mines in this prolific, historic district. Lesser explored parts of the district, particularly to the east on Metallic Minerals ground, have similar geologic settings for potential new discoveries with some of these target settings highlighted in sections 2 and 3 below.

2Alexco Resource Inc., December 10, 2014; Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Keno Hill Silver District Project - Phase 2, Yukon, Canada; Alexco News Release: January 3, 2017: Alexco Expands Bermingham Indicated Resource to 17 Million Ounces Silver, Remains Open.

To view Figure 2 - Bermingham - Calumet Trends, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Bermingham.jpg.

The cross sections below (Figures 3 and 4) depict the continuity of these structural trends across to the eastern portion of the Keno Hill silver district and host historic producing mines and mineralized prospects in similar settings to some of the largest producers in the district.

To view Figure 3 - Bellekeno - Keno Summit Trend, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Bellekeno.jpg.

To view Figure 4 - Homestake - Keno Summit Trends, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Homestake.jpg.

Bellekeno - Keno Summit Mineralized Trend

Figure 3, above, looking to the northwest, outlines significant historic production from the Bellekeno and Keno Hill deposits hosted in both Keno Hill Quartzite and Triassic Greenstones, respectively. Mineralization continues at surface along this proven productive trend in similar host settings. Past producing mines on Metallic Minerals' ground includes the Vanguard, Duncan and Caribou mines which had average grades exceeding 5,000 g/t silver1 and are hosted in Keno Hill Quartzite along with the Gold Hill target. The Avenue and Beauvette targets (discussed below on the Homestake Trend) are hosted in greenstones in similar settings to the Keno Hill 12.6 Moz and Sadie Ladue mines 12.7 Moz, which were two of the largest producers in the district. Collectively, these target areas all coincide with the Bellekeno-Keno Summit mineralized trend and present themselves as immediate targets for field investigation to define priority drill targets for testing in 2017. Key target areas along these trends are described in further detail below from west to east, along with results from 2016 surface sampling where applicable.

Vanguard Target Area

The Vanguard area (see Figure 3) was first staked in 1920 and saw production exceeding 8,000 g/t silver1 starting in 1934 with 4 shafts excavated until 1949, with no known subsequent modern exploration. Mineralization at Vanguard is hosted in the Keno Hill quartzite and is thought to be associated with secondary cross structure as is commonly seen in the district. Additional work is planned at Vanguard in 2017.

Gold Hill Target Area

The Gold Hill target (see Figure 3) is defined by an intense vein system referred to as the Porcupine vein, thought to be one of the longest and most continuous vein systems in the district. This mineralized zone continues east from the main Keno Hill deposit, which historically produced 12.6 million ounces of silver. Archival reports of the Porcupine vein from underground workings indicate the vein averaged more than 2,000 g/t silver over more than 2 metres width, with the best grades existing where the vein was hosted by shattered greenstones. Select surface sampling in 2016 at Gold Hill returned 1,921.5 g/t silver, 0.043 g/t gold, 18.14% lead and 2.47% zinc1. These select samples are not necessarily representative of the mineralization on the entire target area but show the presence of Keno style mineralization. The Gold Hill target has potential to host both quartzite and greenstone hosted targets and additional exploration is planned at this highly prospective target in 2017.

Sample no. Location Ag g/t Au g/t Pb % Cu % Zn % AgEq (g/t) 1501151 Gold Hill #2 228 0.06 2.47 0.04 1.49 383 1501152 Gold Hill #2 333 0.05 3.47 0.04 1.17 511 1501153 Gold Hill #2 1,921 0.04 18.14 0.11 2.47 2,687

Duncan Target Area

The Duncan area (see Figure 3) had historic production of 11.8 tons grading 25,462 g/t silver and 22.4% lead1. A highly prospective target at the Duncan area exists where the vein, hosted in quartzite, intersects an overlying schist contact. The schists can act as a fluid cap to the vein and ore shoots are known to occur across the district in this setting. The Duncan target is thought to be a continuation of the Porcupine vein system that hosts the Keno Hill and Gold Hill systems. Selective sampling from surface exposures at the Duncan prospect in 2009 returned silver values ranging from 66.9 g/t to 3,964 g/t, including up to 5.13 g/t. gold (see Technical Report on the Keno-Lightning Project dated July 31, 2010 available under the Company's profile at Sedar.com). These samples may not necessarily be representative of all the mineralization hosted in the entire area but are similar to other areas in the district. The historic Duncan mine was the host of the highest-grade production in the Keno Hill silver district with only very limited exploration since making it highly prospective for follow up exploration in 2017.

Caribou Target Area

The Caribou target area (see Figure 3) includes the Caribou veins and cross-cutting Alice veins. The showing was first discovered in the early 1920s and opened up by shafts, an adit, prospect cuts and hand trenches. The vein consists of silver rich galena in a gangue of carbonates, oxides and quartz hosted in the Keno Hill Quartzite. About 120 tons of ore form the Caribou adit was shipped in between 1925 and 1927 grading more than 6,000 g/t silver1.

In 2008, six shallow diamond drill holes tested the Caribou and Alice vein systems, following trenching and RAB drilling programs. Follow-up drilling in 2011 targeted strike and depth extensions of the Caribou vein system. Eleven of the fourteen holes drilled at Caribou intersected mineralization, and three of the eleven returned results in excess of 1,000 g/t Ag. Results of the program defined 300 m of continuous silver mineralization at >100 g/t between 11m and 35m down-hole that remains open at depth and along trend. The most significant results are highlighted below:

Hole From To Interval (m) Ag (g/t) Au (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) AgEq (g/t) CH11-07 15.9 17.2 1.3 770 3.40 893 CH11-08 13.4 14.8 1.4 493 10.50 4.93 875 CH11-09 15.5 16.9 1.4 1,696 0.457 9.40 0.94 2,068 CH11-17 22.9 23.4 0.5 1,787 1.394 18.70 1.29 2,610 CH11-18 24.1 25 0.9 1,151 7.20 1.03 1,451 CH11-18 34.7 36.3 1.6 1,183 12.50 0.08 1,638

In the fall of 2016, select grab samples were collected along the Caribou vein. The results of this sampling program show high grades of silver and elevated gold values occur at surface in this area and additional work will focus on refining potential targets for follow up drilling in 2017. These samples are not necessarily representative of all the mineralization hosted in the area.

Sample no. Location Ag g/t Au g/t Pb % Cu % Zn % AgEq g/t 1501201 Caribou Vein 6,284 1.07 57.49 0.23 0.71 8,490 1501202 Caribou Vein 5,015 0.53 71.33 0.12 1.33 7,696 1501205 Caribou Vein 604 0.20 6.69 0.03 2.29 950 1501206 Caribou Vein 640 0.16 0.99 0.08 2.22 780 1501207 Caribou Vein 886 0.27 8.12 0.04 0.62 1,226 1501208 Caribou Vein 1,314 0.26 6.83 0.15 0.44 1,612 1501209 Caribou Vein 8,807 1.58 58.51 0.26 0.04 11,063

Homestake Trend

Two kilometers southeast and parallel to the Bellekeno-Keno Summit trend, the Homestake trend (see Figure 4) shows several similar features that are recognized between the two distinct mineralized trends, including the continuation of the Keno Hill Quartzites and Triassic Greenstones known to host mineralization across the district. This mineralized trend is primarily controlled by Metallic Minerals and is defined by several highly-prospective areas, namely the Homestake, Divide, Faith, Segworth and Beauvette mineralized showings. Two prominent target areas in the Homestake trend are discussed below. Three additional parallel trends are identified further east of the Homestake trend as defined by the Cobalt, Gram, Gustavus and McMillan showings.

Homestake Target Area

The Homestake target area (see Figure 4) represents one of the primary exploration targets on the Keno-Lightning property. The Homestake prospective area, originally staked in 1920, is underlain by Keno Hill Quartzite and phyllitic schists of the Earn group, and locally intruded by greenstone sills. Significant grades have been returned from each of the four Homestake veins, known separately as the Homestake #1, 2, 2a veins and the Shaft vein. Between 1928 and 1931, the area was explored by a 26.8 m shaft and 38.4 m of drifting, from which a few tons of high-grade direct shipping ore were sent to a smelter. Open-pit excavation and trenching on the showing were conducted through the 1960s and '70s. Previous trenching at the Homestake No.1 vein (trench H-TR4) intersected 2,844 g/t Ag, 0.30 g/t Au, 25.9% Pb and 6.1% Zn across 4m. Highlighted samples are not necessarily representative of all mineralization hosted in the area. See Technical Report on the Keno-Lightning Project dated July 31, 2010 available under the Company's profile at Sedar.com for detailed exploration data.

The Homestake Area was an area of focus for more recent work in 2007 and 2011 including trenching, soil grid sampling, structural mapping and drilling. This work returned encouraging results with Keno style mineralization encountered from drilling in 2011 with grades of 1,696 g/t Ag over 1.4 m, 1,787 g/t Ag over 0.5 m and 1,183 g/t Ag over 1.6 m in three different holes. In total, 9 holes from the 2011 drilling campaign at Homestake returned grades of over 300 g/t Ag.

The predominate mineralization style at Homestake is typical of the Keno Hill district but with significantly higher gold content in some areas including the Homestake #2 vein. Trench sampling of the Homestake #2 vein in 2011 returned channel samples up to 11.5 g/t Au over 0.35 m. Surface sampling in 2016 also returned grades of 10.62 g/t gold, 370 g/t Ag, 12.13% lead and 0.062% Zn. Selective surface sampling along the Homestake #1 vein during the fall of 2016, returned the following positive results:

Sample_no Location Ag g/t Au g/t Pb % Cu % Zn % AgEq (g/t) 1501203 Homestake #1 6,562 1.3 3.30 0.79 17.834 7,534 1501210 Homestake #1 370 10.62 12.13 0.02 0.062 1,551 1501211 Homestake #1 340 0.08 0.28 0.02 1.413 412

Divide and Faith Target Areas

The Divide and Faith target areas (see Figure 4) show at least four veins and cover the projected southern extensions of the Caribou and Avenue Veins. The presence of multiple veins that intersect each other and are offset by faults sets up favourable conditions for Keno Hill oreshoots. The Divide and Faith targets have received little modern exploration outside of prospecting and soil sampling and have more cover than other target areas on the property.

A soil geochemical survey over the area in 2011 returned an 800 x 900 m gold, silver and pathfinder element anomaly. The area is a priority for further soil sampling, detailed geological mapping and trenching.

Avenue and Beauvette Target Areas

Beauvette Hill, the location of the Avenue and Beauvette targets (see Figures 3 and 4), has seen little historic work but is directly on-trend with several productive mineralized structures from the Keno Summit area and appears to be underlain by what may be a significant array of greenstone bodies. In addition to the Keno Hill deposit, the Sadie Ladue mine, which produced 12.7 Moz of silver, is an example of a greenstone hosted deposit in a similar structural setting located on the north side of the Keno Summit area.1

Avenue is an area of quartzite and greenstones that is intermittently exposed over a strike length of 1.2 kilometres which has a coincident lead, zinc and silver soil anomaly in areas typified by shallow cover. The Avenue target is on-trend with several highly-mineralized veins where they continue into what is believed to be an array of significant parallel greenstone bodies, masked under shallow cover.

Surface sampling in 2016 at Beauvette Hill area resulted in the discovery of a new sulphide-rich vein showing at a quartzite and greenstone contact.

Next Steps

The eastern part of the Keno Hill silver district had seen little modern exploration due to the previously longstanding fragmented, private land ownership structure, which has now been largely consolidated by Metallic Minerals. This presents a district scale, brownfields exploration opportunity and the potential for new discoveries in this proven prolific district. The Metallic Minerals technical team is currently implementing the 2017 work program which is expected to consist of:

Continuation of compilation and interpretation of historic exploration data from drilling, trenching, and channel sampling along with existing soil and rock sampling.





Refinement and prioritization of targets using additional geophysical and geochemical surveys, stratigraphic mapping, and trenching.





Drill testing of highest priority targets to test down-dip and along-strike extensions of previously identified mineralization along the known mineralized trends, including at the historic producing mines on the property, and in areas that show significant potential to host Keno type deposits but that may not have seen historic focus due to soil and vegetation cover.





The Company will provide updates to this proposed exploration program as they develop, including potential commencement dates and specific targeting.

About Metallic Minerals Corp.

Metallic Minerals Corp. is a growth stage exploration company, focused on the acquisition & development of high-grade silver resources in under-explored districts of mining-friendly jurisdictions proven to produce top-tier assets. Our objective is to create value through a disciplined, entrepreneurial approach to exploration, reducing investment risk and increasing the probability for long-term success. Our core Keno-Lightning property is located in the historic Keno Hill silver district of Canada's Yukon Territory, a region which has produced over 200 million ounces of high-grade silver over the past 100 years1 and has excellent existing infrastructure, including grid power, highway & road access, and two nearby communities with services. Metallic Minerals is led by a team with a track record of discovery and exploration success, including large scale development, permitting and project financing.

References

Boyle, R.W., 1965. "Geology, Geochemistry, and Origin of the Lead-Zinc-Silver Deposits of the Keno Hill -- Galena Hill Area, Yukon Territory". Bulletin 111, Geological Survey of Canada.

Cathro, R.J., 2006. "The History and Geology of the Keno Hill Silver Camp Yukon Territory." Geoscience Canada, Volume 33, Number 3.

Alexco Resource Inc., December 10th, 2014; Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Keno Hill Silver District Project - Phase 2, Yukon, Canada

Alexco News Release: January 3, 2017: Alexco Expands Bermingham Indicated Resource to 17 Million Ounces Silver, Remains Open.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Analytical work was done by Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada Ltd. with sample prep and geochemical analysis in Vancouver, British Columbia. Each rock (grab) sample was analyzed for silver using a 30-gram fire assay fusion with a gravimetric finish (FA530-Ag). Gold was assayed using a 30-gram fire assay fusion with atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish (FA430). In addition, 34 other elements were analyzed using an Aqua Regia digestion with inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled Plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) (AQ-270). Over-limit lead and zinc samples have been analyzed by ICP MA410. All results have passed the QAQC screening by the lab.

Qualified Person

Scott Petsel, P.Geo, Vice President, Exploration and an employee of Metallic Minerals Corp., is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Petsel has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this news release and approves the disclosure contained herein. Mr. Petsel has reviewed the results of the sampling program and confirmed that all procedures, protocols and methodologies used in the drill program conform to industry standards.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward Looking Statements: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, historic production, estimation of mineral resources, the realization of mineral resource estimates, interpretation of prior exploration and potential exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, the timing and results of future resource estimates, permitting time lines, metal prices and currency exchange rates, availability of capital, government regulation of exploration operations, environmental risks, reclamation, title, and future plans and objectives of the company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Metallic Minerals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the companies with securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Metallic Minerals and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review their annual filings that 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 adequacy or accuracy of this release.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Mar 6, 2017) - Mundoro Capital Inc. (TSX VENTURE:MUN) (www.mundoro.com) ("Mundoro" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a drill rig has been mobilized to the Angel Vyvoda ("Angel") gold target on the Company's Zvezda license ("Zvezda"). Zvezda is one of two large and contiguous exploration licenses located in south-eastern Bulgaria in the Rhodopean Region and is part of the Tethyan metallogenic belt.

HIGHLIGHTS

The drill program at Zvezda will focus on the Angel gold target generated by systematic exploration completed by Mundoro in 2015 and 2016.

This drill program aims to test a gold-in-soil geochemical anomaly coincident with mapped structural trends and covering an area of 2.7 km by 1.5 km.

Mundoro holds approximately $5 mln in cash as of December 31, 2016 and is debt free

Teo Dechev, CEO & President of Mundoro commented, "We are looking forward to drill test the Angel gold target which our geological team discovered through soil geochemistry, mapping and structural analysis. Based on the data compiled to date, we believe the Angel gold target may be geologically analogous to the nearby Ada Tepe deposit at the Krumovgrad Project currently under construction by Dundee. We expect to complete drilling by the end of April 2017 and to release assay results around the end of May 2017."

Overview of Angel Gold Target

The current drill program will test the gold-in-soil geochemical anomalies in the Zvezda license. A soil geochemical survey highlights a 2.7 km x 1.5 km area anomalous in Au-Ag-Sb-As-Mo suit of elements (epithermal) and delineating at least three sets of E-W to NW-SE structures (Figure 1: Angel Target Gold-in-Soils Geochem Anomaly: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/7991m.jpg).

The targeted mineralised zone is hosted in Eocene sediments and expressed on surface as discrete fault controlled breccia and veinlets. Gold mineralisation appears to be of low-sulphidation style hosted in Eocene sediments. Rock and soil sampling results returned 1 to 3.3 g/t Au in rock outcrops along three gold bearing structures delineated by soil Au anomalies trending NW from 1.5 km to 2.7 km long.

The apparent trend of the anomalies is coincident with the known structural trend in the region. Follow-up fieldwork and interpretation suggests that the broad nature of the anomaly is a result of steep structures which have transported gold and the associated epithermal suite of elements from a deeper source at the unconformity contact of the Tertiary sediments and host metamorphic basement unit.

Stratigraphy analysis of the area suggests that the Angel gold target is located at the contact zone of a basal conglomerate unit with the exhumed metamorphic complex. This is analogous to the nearby Ada Tepe deposit at the Krumovgrad Project owned by Dundee Precious Metals. The Krumovgrad Project is approximately 60 km away and hosts 478,900 ozs in Measured and 381,000 ozs in Indicated categories (NI 43-101 compliant).

The targeted contact between the eocene rocks and basement is projected to be relatively flat-lying and at approximately 150 to 250 meters depth. This geometry prompted the Company to use RC drilling to rapidly test a broad area cost effectively. The Company has budgeted approximately 1,700 metres for this drill program.

Next Steps

The Company expects to complete the drilling on the Angel gold target in April 2017 and to release the results in May 2017.

On behalf of the Company,

Teo Dechev, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director

About Mundoro Capital Inc.

Mundoro is a Canadian mineral exploration and development public company focused on building value for its shareholders through directly investing in mineral projects that have the ability to generate future returns for shareholders. The Company currently holds a diverse portfolio of projects in two European countries as well as an investment in a producing gold mine in Bulgaria and a feasibility stage gold project in China. The Company holds eight 100% owned projects in Serbia, the four Timok North Projects are in option to JOGMEC, and the four Timok South Projects are being advanced by Mundoro. Mundoro's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "MUN".

Qualified Person

Technical information contained in this Press Release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. G. Magaranov, P. Geo., Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

Sampling and Analysis

All rock samples are assayed using 50-gram fire assay with atomic absorption finish and ME-MS61 by ALS Romania. Quality Assurance and quality control procedures include the systematic insertion of standards and duplicates into the sample streams. Field duplicate samples are taken every 25 samples and standards and blanks are inserted after every 20th sample. All data collected in the field and assay results from the laboratories are routinely verified and entered in an Access database.

Soil samples were collected from "B" horizon of the soil media by hand digging a hole from 0.1 to 0.5m. Material of ~500 grams was collected, sealed and send directly to the ALS laboratory in Bor. Samples were dried at <60C/140F, sieve sample to -180 micron (80 mesh) and assayed using 30gram fire assay with atomic absorption finish and ME-MS41L - 51 elements by aqua regia acid digestion and a combination of ICP-MS and ICP-AES.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This News Release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe" or "continue" or similar words or the negative thereof, and include the following: completion of the earn-in expenditures and options by JOGMEC; and completion of a definitive joint venture agreement by the parties. The material assumptions that were applied in making the forward looking statements in this News Release include expectations as to the mineral potential of the Timok North Properties, the Company's future strategy and business plan and execution of the Company's existing plans. We caution readers of this News Release not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements contained in this News Release, as there can be no assurance that they will occur and they are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include general economic and market conditions, exploration results, commodity prices, changes in law, regulatory processes, the status of Mundoro's assets and financial condition, actions of competitors and the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities. The forward-looking statements contained in this News Release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this News Release are made as of the date of this News Release and the Board undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Shareholders are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and for a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
China's People's Armed Police strike fear in Xinjiang. (Photo : PAP)

The Hotan Prefecture government in the violence wracked and Muslim-majority Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in southwestern China is offering a reward of over $720,000 (RMB5 million) to informants for information about Muslim Uyghur militants fighting to declare independence from China.



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The bounty is part of a ramped-up effort by Beijing to crack down on Muslim Uyghur militants that began two weeks ago, and was boldly challenged last week by Uyghur militants allied with ISIL. The Uyghurs from ISIL released a chilling video threatening to "shed blood like rivers" in China when they returned home from fighting in Syria.



"We will come to you to clarify to you with the tongues of our weapons, to shed blood like rivers and avenging the oppressed," said an Uyghur in the video



The video is ISIL's first threat against China. The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is dominated by Muslim Uyghurs that comprise 46 percent of the region's population of 24 million.



Two weeks ago, China's People's Armed Police (PAP) and soldiers of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) staged a huge military parade at Urumqi, Xinjiang's capital, in another attempt to cow Muslim Uyghurs into submission.



The parade showcased black clad PAP policemen armed with assault rifles; black painted armored cars mounting machine guns and armed PLA infantry in camouflage uniforms. This noisy show of force also showed these armed police shouting anti-terror slogans and promising to defeat terror while police armored cars rumbled through the streets.



Hundreds of ethnic Muslim Uyghurs have been killed by PAP over the past years in anti-terror operations.



And on Feb. 27, both the PAP and the PLA staged a large joint counter-terrorism drill around the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang Uyghur.



Planes and helicopters were used to transport thousands of PAP and PLA soldiers, which then conducted patrols in the prefectures of Kashgar, Hotan and Aksu, the centers of Uyghur resistance to Chinese domination. The newly arrived soldiers are part of a new counter-terrorism force deployed to Xinjiang.



The three prefectures in southern Xinjiang are mainly populated by the ethnic Uyghurs and are described by the PLA as areas Muslim terrorists frequently attack.


Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed a part of his legislative agenda into law Thursday, a measure aimed at helping students pursuing college degrees in high-demand fields.House Bill 1426 by Rep. Jana Della Rosa, R-Rogers, established the Arkansas Future Grant Program. It is now Act 316.It will use $9 million a year in general revenue that now goes toward two existing grant programs -- the Workforce Improvement Grant and the Higher Education Opportunities Grant.The new grant program will pay tuition and mandatory fees for a student to attend any Arkansas public two-year college or technical school. It will be available to students studying in high-demand fields -- like computer coding, nursing or welding.
Work Requirements

Charging Premiums

Promoting Private Coverage

Healthy Behavior Incentives

Single-Payer

All-Payer

Delivery System Reform

From the very first days of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), states have been trying to tweak their Medicaid programs. Now those tweaks -- the ones that succeeded and the ones that failed -- offer insight into the future of health care as President Donald Trump aims to give states more power to decide what their plans offer and how they function.The ACA provided federal funding to states that agreed to expand the number of low-income people eligible for Medicaid. While nearly every Democratic-controlled state took the money, many Republican governors and legislatures refused it. To date, 19 states haven't expanded Medicaid. Some GOP states did -- but largely on their own terms.Six states -- Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Montana and New Hampshire -- received waivers from the federal government that let them customize their state's Medicaid program. There were some waiver requests, though, that the Obama administration rejected, concluding that they violated a law or would drastically limit poor people's ability to afford health insurance.But during Trumps first address to Congress on Tuesday, he pledged to give states more flexibility with Medicaid when he repeals and replaces Obamacare. This means that red states may finally be able to follow through with their goals that the Obama administration rejected or made more difficult to achieve. In addition, blue states may also use the added authority to enact more left-leaning policies without having to get federal approval.Its important to note that even though Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress want to replace Obamacare, they're struggling to agree on how. Handing more control over to states, though, appears certain to be part of any final plan. It's one factor in the replacement plan that House Republicans released on Monday. So heres a look at what to expect if that promise becomes a reality.Requiring people to have a job before they can be eligible for Medicaid has long been the darling for conservative states. The Obama administration, however, rejected every such request they got.Arizona and Kentucky are the most recent examples of states trying their luck with work requirements. Kentuckys waiver request is still pending, so its chance of approval has risen under Trump. A handful of other states tried to institute work requirements over the years, and even more have voiced support for them.In a 2015 interview with, Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he supported work requirements because its supposed to be an incentive and encouragement for people to work versus an incentive for people to just receive the government benefit and not be part of a working culture of Arkansas."(The state, however, ultimately didn't ask the Obama administration for a work requirement but Hutchinson announced on Monday his intent to ask the Trump administration to approve one.)Its worth noting a 2016 report from the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities that found work requirements did not get people out of poverty. Instead, voluntary work and education programs proved to be more effective.Vice President Mike Pences home state of Indiana is one of seven states granted permission to charge Medicaid beneficiaries a premium. Since then, the architect of Indianas Medicaid expansion, Seema Verma, has been tapped by Trump to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).Verma is a vocal advocate for charging premiums and other cost-sharing initiatives, so they would likely become more common, particularly in GOP states.Health-care academics, however, warn that charging premiums is counterintuitive to Medicaid's mission.These are low-income populations by definition, so they are going to face challenges by paying a premium," says Joan Alker, director of Georgetowns Center on Children and Families. "And if youre unable to pay that premium, its likely because something is going wrong in their life."There are differentiations between the states that charge premiums. In Indiana, for example, Medicaid patients can be denied insurance benefits if they miss payments -- but that's not the case everywhere.Arkansas is a model of bipartisanship surrounding Obamacare. In 2013, the state's Democratic governor and GOP legislature got approval to use federal Medicaid funds to help people buy private insurance plans. The compromise makes health care more affordable for many without increasing Medicaid rolls.Iowa and New Hampshire (where the Republican legislature was blocking the Democratic governor from expanding Medicaid) followed Arkansas' lead The "private option" has largely been seen as a success. Arkansas had one of the biggest drops in its uninsured rate when the ACA first went into effect, and in Iowa, only 5 percent of the population is still uninsured -- down from 8percent when the law took effect.Five states currently have some form of a healthy behavior program, which typically offers lower premiums or copayments for keeping up with wellness exams and immunizations. In the past, some states also extended vouchers or premium assistance for people who sign up for gym memberships, smoking cessation programs or nutrition classes.There's one problem: No research backs up the effectiveness of health incentives. Both states and private insurers have tried them, and findings show that its a difficult incentive to pull off, and they often arent well-planned, says Alker. Four states, for example, eventually phased out their incentives when health outcomes weren't met.Still, health incentives could be more attractive to some conservative lawmakers who aren't as keen on the more hardline approaches like charging premiums and instituting work requirements.Championed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the concept of single-payer health care is pretty simple: Its a state-run health system that covers everyone, generally by raising taxes. The idea has been floated for years but has yet to take off.Most recently, Colorado had a single-payer option on the ballot last November, but it was resoundly defeated : 80 percent of residents opposed it. And in 2011, Vermont passed a law to become the first single-payer state -- only to abandon the effort in 2014 out of cost concerns.Despite the uphill battle, lawmakers in California and New York have introduced single-payer legislation this year. This is neither of their first single-payer rodeos.In 2006 and 2008, single-payer bills passed the California legislature but were vetoed by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. And in New York, single-payer legislation has been debated during three different sessions but never made it to the governor's desk.Not to be confused with the single-payer system, all-payer is meant to cut health costs and could see a revival if states are given more Medicaid power.Instead of doctors billing an insurance company for every procedure, insurers give providers a lump monthly sum. The practice had a surge of popularity in the 1970s, but Maryland was the only state to hold onto it -- and it only applies to the states hospitals. Vermont, however, was granted a waiver last year to bring it back, and the state is currently piloting the program with 30,000 Medicaid patients.While the effectiveness of a truly comprehensive all-payer system remains to be seen, some health policy experts worry about the future of innovations in health care. Dylan Roby, an assistant health professor at the University of Maryland, notes that the Trump administration has spoken negatively about the CMS Innovation Center, which negotiated the all-payer waivers.The center's role is to spur innovation," says Roby, "so if they lose that power, I dont know where ... these types of waivers will be negotiated."This may be one policy pushed by red and blue states alike. Health care is expensive for every state, and theres been a resounding call from both sides of the aisle to revamp how it's paid for and delivered. Thats where Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) programs come in.Six politically diverse states -- California, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Texas -- have undertaken some form of a DSRIP program in the past several years. They vary in size and scope, but the ultimate goal is to get health-care costs down while making populations healthier.
Texts and emails sent by public employees on their personal devices or accounts are a matter of public record if they deal with official business, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a unanimous decision hailed by open-government advocates.But the court provided only general guidance on where the line would be drawn, posing a challenge for cities and counties forced to balance employees' privacy against the public's right to know.The court said that communications sent on personal cell phones and computers must be disclosed to the public if they "relate in some substantive way to the conduct of the public's business.""A city employee's communications related to the conduct of public business do not cease to be public records just because they were sent or received using a personal account," Justice Carol A. Corrigan wrote for the court.Karl Olson, who represented the news media, including the Los Angeles Times, called the decision "a resounding victory for the public."He said the ruling sent "a strong message that public officials and employees should not try to evade public scrutiny by using personal accounts."Local governments throughout the state have expressed concerns that broad requests for information would be costly and might invade the privacy rights of workers.The court acknowledged those concerns, saying it would not always be clear whether a communication had to be disclosed.An email to a spouse complaining that a co-worker was an "idiot" would likely not be a public record, the court said, but an email to a supervisor reporting a co-worker's mismanagement of a project probably would have to be disclosed.Deciding whether something written in a personal account is public record will require an examination of the content, the purpose for which it was sent, the person to whom it was sent and whether the communication was prepared within the scope of the worker's job, the court said.Although the standard set by the court broadly favored public disclosure, "it is not so elastic as to include every piece of information the public may find interesting," Corrigan wrote.If the communication is primarily personal and contains only an incidental mention of an agency, it is not covered, she said.The court ruled in a case brought by Ted Smith, a community activist who filed a public records request eight years ago for the communications of San Jose City Council members and staff about a proposed downtown development.San Jose supplied some records in response to the request but said communications on private devices were not covered by the public records act. Smith sued, winning in a trial court but losing in a court of appeal.Smith, 71, a former attorney who has been fighting for public access to government information for decades, called Thursday's decision "the most important victory so far."He said it showed that California was a beacon for the rest of the country and expressed hope that the federal government and the Trump administration might take note.Cities, counties and other local governments in California had urged the court to side with San Jose, arguing they lacked the funds to ensure communications on private devices were disclosed and feared liability if some information on personal devices was not found and produced.Patrick Whitnell, general counsel for the League of California Cities, said the ruling was unclear about whether cities could be held responsible for employees who fail to make required disclosures."I would have liked the court to have provided more concrete guidance," he said.He also expressed concern about how cities could ensure that text messages were preserved. Preserving voicemails, which the decision did not directly address, would even be more problematic, he said.The ruling does not require government to search the private devices of employees, but only to make "reasonable efforts" to obtain the information.The court cited a policy developed by the Washington state Supreme Court, which said employees could be required to write declarations explaining how they searched their accounts, what they found and why they decided certain communications were not public records.Olson, the news media attorney, argued in the case that the intent of the California Public Records Act to was to make government business public, even though the law was written before the advent of the internet and cellphones.He cited a host of cases involving public officials who used private email accounts for government business in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento.On the national level, Hillary Clinton used a personal email account for work while she was secretary of State, and staff members of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie used emails in the Bridgegate scandal.David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, said the decision closed what had become a loophole in the public records act."If employees are conducting written business about the people's business on email, that ought to be available to the public," said Snyder, whose group promotes free speech and government transparency. "It shouldn't matter if the email is privately owned or owned by the government."
In dozens of one-on-one meetings every week, a lawyer retained by the city of Philadelphia summons parents whose children have just been jailed, pulls out his calculator and hands them more bad news: a bill for their kids incarceration.Even if a child is later proved innocent, the parents still must pay a nightly rate for the detention. Bills run up to $1,000 a month, and many of the parents of Philadelphias roughly 730 detained children are so poor they can afford monthly installments of only $5.The lawyer, Steven Kaplan  who according to his city contract is paid up to $316,000 a year in salary and bonuses, more than any city employee, including the mayor  is one agent of a deeply entrenched social policy that took root across the country in the 1970s and 80s. The guiding principle was simple: States, counties and cities believed that parents were shedding responsibility for their delinquent children and expecting the government to pick up the tab.If parents shared the financial cost of incarceration, this thinking went, they would be more involved in keeping their children out of trouble.I mean, do we think the taxpayers should be supporting these bad kids? Kaplan said in an interview.Today, mothers and fathers are billed for their childrens incarceration  in jails, detention centers, court-ordered treatment facilities, training schools or disciplinary camps  by 19 state juvenile-justice agencies, while in at least 28 other states, individual counties can legally do the same, a survey by the Marshall Project shows.Groups of law students, juvenile defense lawyers and others have begun to challenge this payment system, arguing that it is akin to taxing parents for their childs loss of liberty  and punishing them with debt. In Philadelphia, the City Council is meeting Friday to consider abolishing the practice. In California  which incarcerates more children than any other state, at a typical cost to parents of $30 a night  activists have succeeded in getting the practice banned in three counties. Two senators have introduced a bill to ban it statewide.
Now You See Me 3 cast: Benedict Cumberbatch cast for a guest role?; Now You See Me Chinese spinoff in the works

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch (L) and actor/writer/producer Mark Gatiss attend the 'Sherlock' panel during Comic-Con International 2016 at San Diego Convention Center on July 24, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo : Getty Images/ Kevin Winter)

"Now You See Me 3" is reportedly adding another big name to its already star-studded ensemble. Lionsgate is confirmed to have picked up the film for a third outing and bringing back its core cast members. One of the names frequently associated with the film is "Doctor Strange" actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who is rumored to be on board for a guest role in the sequel.



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Cumberbatch's rumored involvement in "Now You See Me 3" was not discussed in detail, but it is likely that his role will not be as expansive, since he is reportedly billed for a guest role. However, the main cast members will be back to reprise their roles.



According to Variety, Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine will return in "Now You See Me 3." Lizzy Caplan, who replaced Isla Fisher's character as one of the Four Horsemen, is also expected to return.



Moreover, Jon M. Chu will be back in the director's seat for "Now You See Me 3." Chu directed "Now You See Me 2" with a script by Ed Solomon and Peter Chiarelli. In the sequel, the Four Horsemen, portrayed by Eisenberg, Harrelson, Franco and Caplan, orchestrated a plan to expose Caine's Arthur Tressler. However, trouble arises when they meet Arthur's son, Walter Mabry (Daniel Radclifffe).



Deadline reported that "Now You See Me 3" has tapped Neil Widener and Gavin James to write the script. The two screenwriters are currently a hot property in the Hollywood community, having recently been hired to write the script for "San Andreas 2."



It is likely "Now You See Me 3" will explore the history behind "The Eye," the mysterious society of magicians, and how the Four Horsemen and their adventures connect to the society. Of course, the Four Horsemen's performances and tricks to steal large amounts of money will also factor into the movie.



"Now You See Me" has been a popular franchise for Lionsgate so far. There has even a Chinese spinoff in the works that is being produced by Beijing's Leomus Pictures. The spinoff will be filmed in China and will feature a mostly Chinese cast.



Watch the best stealing scene in "Now You See Me 2" below:






Miami-Dade County _ faced with threats by President Donald Trump to cut off federal funding _ violated the U.S. Constitution when it agreed to jail people slated for deportation, a judge ruled on Friday.The judge's ruling was a rebuke of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez's much-criticized decision to allow county jails to hold immigrants awaiting deportation by federal agents, a measure that has sparked protests and anger by many immigration advocates in South Florida.Circuit Judge Milton Hirsch wrote that the policy violated the 10th Amendment, which limits the reach of the federal government over states."Of course we must protect our country from the problems associated with unregulated immigration," Hirsch wrote. "We must protect our country from a great many things; but from nothing so much as from the loss of our historic rights and liberties."The immediate impact of the ruling was unclear. For one thing, the judge did not explicitly order Miami-Dade jailers to stop honoring requests by the federal government to hold people marked for deportation or suspected of violating immigration laws. Hirsch's ruling also could be delayed by more litigation.The county immediately filed a notice of appeal with the Third District Court of Appeal."It is Miami-Dade County's position that immigration is a federal issue which should be handled in federal court," according to a mayor's spokesman.Since 2013, Miami-Dade County had stopped honoring most requests by federal authorities to hold undocumented or deportable jail inmates, even though their sentences were up or their cases closed. County officials expressed concern because the feds were not reimbursing the cost of detaining.But when Trump took office in January, he threatened to cut federal funding from so-called "sanctuary" cities that did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities; Miami-Dade's political leaders had long resisted labeling itself that."Miami is not, and has never been, a sanctuary city," Hirsch wrote. "But America is, and has always been, a sanctuary country."Gimenez, citing concerns about losing federal money, ordered the county jail system to honor all requests by immigration authorities, a decision that contrasted with some big-city mayors who vowed to resist Trump's efforts."Coercion achieved by financial starvation is no less effective than coercion achieved at sword's point," Hirsch wrote.Federal agents have up to 48 hours to pick up someone being held in a county jail.The county's controversial policy was challenged by James Lacroix, a Haitian national who had been living legally in Miami under what is known as "temporary protected status," which was afforded to the island nation in 2010 after a series of natural disaster. But Lacroix, at some point, was ordered deported after he continued to rack up felony arrests for driving without a valid license.Lacroix was jailed in late January. Two days after Gimenez changed his stance on the detentions, federal authorities filed an official request asking that Lacroix be held for them if his case were to conclude.On Tuesday, Lacroix pleaded guilty to two felony cases of driving with a suspended license. His sentence: credit for the several weeks he spent in jail. But Lacroix was not released, spurring his lawyers to ask that Judge Hirsch review the legality of the county's Trump-friendly policy.Federal agents went to the jail on Wednesday to pick up Lacroix, who spent 28 hours in Miami-Dade jail custody after his state sentence was officially up."Forty-eight hours is a long time. We don't hold people in this country for 48 hours while police do their investigation," Lacroix's attorney, Philip Reizenstein, told the judge during a hearing on Thursday. "Or 24 hours. Or one hour."Miami-Dade Commissioner Sally Heyman, a lawyer and sponsor of legislation that backed Gimenez's detention policy, said, "I have not seen the Judge's order but I am pleased that these complex legal issues are being reviewed in courts of law."Juan Cuba, chair of Miami-Dade's Democratic Party, said the ruling should send a signal to the county commission, which approved the policy in a 9-3 vote on Feb. 17. "The Mayor and the Gimenez Nine can ignore the community but they can't ignore the constitution and the courts," he said.
The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will put off a ruling on the rights of transgender students.Instead, the justices asked an appeals court in Virginia to reconsider the case of Gavin Grimm, a transgender boy who was denied the right to use the boys' restroom in his high school.Lawyers for the Obama administration had weighed in on his behalf and said transgender students had a right to be treated based on their "gender identity," not their gender at birth.Based on that guidance, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled in favor of the student.But last month, the Trump administration said it had withdrawn that guidance, leaving the law in doubt.In a brief order issued Monday in the case of Gloucester County v. G.G., the court said the lower court's decision is "vacated and the case is remanded to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit for further consideration in light of the guidance document" issued by the new administration.The action will put off indefinitely a final ruling from the high court on the rights of transgender students.
On Friday, in the morning, overnight guests departed Government House.

Following, at Parliament House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey attended the 2017 Queensland Overseas Foundation Award Ceremony where the Governor addressed guests.

In the afternoon, at Government House, the Governor received Mr Neil Laurie, Clerk of the Parliament, for the presentation of a bill for Assent.

Following, at Government House, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey hosted an afternoon tea for the presentation of 2016 Winston Churchill Fellowship Awards where His Excellency addressed guests.
On Saturday, in the morning, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey departed Brisbane for an official visit to the Fraser Coast region.

Following, at the Urangan Pier, Hervey Bay, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey attended the Fraser Coast Regional Council Urangan Pier Centenary Celebrations where His Excellency addressed guests and unveiled a commemorative plaque.

In the afternoon, at Nikenbah, Hervey Bay, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey visited the Hervey Bay Mens Shed and toured operations before returning to Brisbane.
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GIS - 06 March, 2017: Mauritius and Belgium will further collaborate to strengthen both diplomatic and economic relations and reinforce bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Mauritius and Belgium will further collaborate to strengthen both diplomatic and economic relations and reinforce bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

This was at the fore of discussions during a courtesy call by the Ambassador of Belgium to Mauritius, Mr Paul Cartier, on the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, this afternoon at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis.

In a statement, Mr Paul Cartier underpinned the longstanding relation of kinship between the two countries since the establishment of diplomatic relations in November 1968 which he said is a relationship that must be nurtured.

He also expressed interest to collaborate with the Mauritian Government and share the Belgian expertise in the fields of bio-technology; renewable energy and sustainable development; management of the Port; water treatment; ocean economy; as well as in the education sector with focus on University exchange programmes.

Mr Paul Cartier also spoke of encouraging more Belgian investors to tap investment opportunities in Mauritius and vice-versa in addition to using Mauritius as platform to tap the African continent.

Discussions also focused on an economic and commercial Belgian mission currently in Mauritius; the Post-Cotonou ACP-EU relationship; the forthcoming Europe-Africa Dialogue Summit 2017 to be held this year; the possibility of introducing a High-end medical care-cancer treatment (Proton Therapy) in Mauritius; and various similarities between Belgium and Mauritius in different spheres.

Mr. Paul Cartier was appointed Ambassador of Belgium to Mauritius since July 2016.

It will be recalled that Mauritius has concluded an Interim Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU, and it was implemented in May 2012, allowing duty free / quota free access to the EU including the Belgium market.
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GIS - 06 March, 2017: A Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between Mauritius and Jersey was signed on 3 March 2017 in London. The Agreement provides for double taxation which is an impediment to cross-border activities to be eliminated. A Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between Mauritius and Jersey was signed on 3 March 2017 in London. The Agreement provides for double taxation which is an impediment to cross-border activities to be eliminated. The signatories were the High Commissioner of Mauritius to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Mr Girish Nunkoo, and the Minister for External Relations for the Government of Jersey, Senator Sir Philip Bailhache.

The DTAA makes provision for a reduced taxation at source or exemption on various sources of income which is an added incentive for an increase in cross-border activities.

Another essential component of the agreement pertains to the considerable importance in supporting business links in addition to serving as a powerful inducement for entrepreneurs of both countries to explore the possibilities for mutually profitable ventures.

Mauritius has to date signed and ratified 43 DTAAs with leading developed and emerging economies across the world thus offering a wide range of fiscal benefits and enabling efficient tax planning.
Description

GIS - 06 March, 2017: A Passing out Parade for 24 newly recruited Fisheries Protection Officers (FPO) was held on 4 March 2017 at the Police Training School in Beau Bassin. These new recruits have joined the ranks of the Fisheries Protection Service (FPS). A Passing out Parade for 24 newly recruited Fisheries Protection Officers (FPO) was held on 4 March 2017 at the Police Training School in Beau Bassin. These new recruits have joined the ranks of the Fisheries Protection Service (FPS).

Recruited in July last year, the FPOs have been trained over a period of five weeks at the Police Training School in subjects such as officer safety, arrest, ethical and legal conduct, use of force, human rights, team building, Public Officers Protection Act, trafficking in persons, court procedures, awareness of illicit drugs, fisheries and marine resources laws, offences under the Fisheries Act, and drill, among others.

Present at the ceremony, the Minister of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries, and Shipping, Mr Premdut Koonjoo, stressed that the FPS is a disciplined service and appealed to the new FPOs to display loyalty, honesty and impartiality at all times.

He recalled that the Ministry has embarked into a reengineering exercise in which the FPS has to play a crucial role especially in view of the development of the ocean economy. Our exclusive economic zone which covers some 2.3 million square km and which makes Mauritius the 20th country in the world with the largest EEZ needs to be exploited sustainably and protected. This 2.3 million square Km of exploitable marine resources does not only provide Mauritius with a huge maritime zone to manage but also holds a massive potential for development for our economy, he added.

Training of the newly recruited FPOs

The 24 FPOs have already completed a two-week training programme last year at the Fisheries Training and Extension Center in Pointe aux Sables in order to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their duties effectively.

The training was conducted by officials from the Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping; the Independent Commission against Corruption; the Mauritius Meteorological Services; the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Center; and the Albion Fisheries and Research Center. The new FPOs also visited the Port State Control where they familiarised themselves with the various stages of control and embarkation of fishing vessels.

After this two-week training, the FPOs were posted for one month in Fisheries Posts across the country. They then worked on a rotation system for their enforcement functions. Five recruits were posted at the Statistics Division of the Albion Fisheries Research Centre for the collection of scientific data.

Duties of the FPOs

Fisheries Protection officers are deployed around the island in the 14 Fisheries posts and marine parks as well as in Agalega. They have to enforce the Fisheries laws and Regulations. They also perform day and night coast and afloat patrols and supervise fish landing stations. O ff lagoon fishing activities have to be monitored and controlled. To this end, the FPS and the National Coast Guard jointly conduct surveillance missions of the EEZ to track illegal fishing. Other areas of responsibility of the FPS are: monitoring of closed season activities for octopus, clearance of fishing vessels, surveillance of illegal fishing activities such as underwater fishing, illegal nets and artificial lights.
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GIS  06 March 2017: The Clean up Mauritius and Embellishment Campaign was launched yesterday at Floreal by the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Jugnauth. The Clean up Mauritius and Embellishment Campaign

The Clean Up Mauritius and Embellishment Campaign which aims to sensitise citizens on the need to keep their surrounding and the country clean, is being organised in the wake of the heavy rainfall and cyclonic seasons . This campaign covering the whole island is a matter of concern for and an issue which relates to all Ministries, Departments, the p rivate sector and NGOs, and thus, all stakeholders have been involved.

Government has set up a multi-sectoral committee to initiate actions for a Clean up Mauritius and Embellishment Campaign. A first meeting was chaired by the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Housing and Lands, Mr Showkutally Soodhun on 14 February 2017.

During the meeting , emphasis was laid on two main components of the Clean Up Mauritius Campaign Strategy, namely multi- sector collaboration and c ommunity participation . Multi-sector collaboration relates to the setting up of a multi-sectoral task force and identifying the roles of the task force and of each stakeholder.

The roles of the task force are to identify and monitor measures to be implemented by each sector; meet on a weekly basis up to the 11th of March 2017 to review progress; and advise Government on measures being taken and thereafter meet on a monthly basis.

Several dedicated committees, each one being responsible for a specific assignment have also been set up. Each Committee will work on an Action Plan including a situation analysis and the way forward, including short term, medium term and long term objectives.

A workshop will be held to coordinate the plan of each committee. The overall plan will be launched in due course and will be implemented, evaluated and monitored on a regular basis.
National Governors Association Chairman, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, center, waits for the arrival of President Donald Trump to a meeting of the NGA, Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the White House in Washington. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is at right. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
SECURITY NEEDS

OLD SOFTWARE

SUPPORT IN LEGISLATURE FOR UPGRADES  BUT HOW MUCH?

(TNS) -- Many of the state of Minnesotas data centers are vulnerable to both intruders and water damage. The states crack cybersecurity team doesnt have a night shift. And the only people who know how to maintain code handling billions of dollars in state transactions are near retirement  or long past it.Things havent changed that much, said Mike Arlett, a retired 79-year-old programmer who still comes into work periodically because hes one of the few people left who can update the venerable COBOL code hes worked on for decades. Its basically the same as it was many, many years ago. Its just running on a bigger, faster platform.These cybersecurity risks and antiquated technology are front and center at the Legislature this spring, where lawmakers are considering whether to spend more than $100 million bringing the states software into the current decade.Members of both parties agree its a priority to provide secure and modern technology for a state government that does just about all of its work on computers. But its not the only priority as lawmakers decide how to split up a projected $1.65 billion surplus between tax cuts, schools, roads and bridges, technology, and a range of other popular programs.Thats not a new issue, which is part of why the need has gotten so big.With the politically driven budget process, it gets very hard to schedule (technology upgrades) on a proper basis, said Steven Bellovin, a professor of computer science at Columbia University who has researched cybersecurity. About the time when you say it really should be done, its rarely urgent to do it right then. It makes perfect sense to postpone it once  but that keeps happening.Gov. Mark Dayton and the department of Minnesota IT Services have requested more than $125 million for technology upgrades in the next two-year budget. Lawmakers are likely to approve at least some of it  but how much remains an open question.The requests primarily fall into two areas:$74 million to improve the states cybersecurity$51 million to upgrade antiquated hardware and softwareThe most urgent tech problem facing Minnesota is cybersecurity.Recent events from Targets massive data breach to the hacking and leaking of Hillary Clintons campaign chairman John Podestas emails to an attack last year that knocked out the internet for much of the East Coast highlight the potential risks from lax cybersecurity.And Minnesotas computer systems present plenty of targets for criminals. State computers process billions of dollars of transactions each year and store data on students, vendors and benefit recipients.A major breach would require our state to cover millions of dollars in identity theft costs and lead to millions of dollars in consumer fraud losses, Thomas Baden, Minnesotas chief information officer, said earlier this year. It would also diminish the trust Minnesota has in government.Cyberattacks today are much faster than a decade ago, said Christopher Buse, the states chief information security officer. Theyre certainly more sophisticated. Theyre more targeted, and theyre more frequent.The state responds to these attacks from a dimly lit operations center tucked inside an office building near the Capitol. From there, a core team of nine cybersecurity workers monitors a feed of network data and responds to attacks  pre-emptively if possible, reactively if necessary.But Buse said he feels he could do a much better job protecting the states data with more resources.Dayton has proposed $74 million to bolster Minnesotas cybersecurity. That includes adding more staff, consolidating data centers that a recent audit found werent secure from potential intrusion or damage, and making general upgrades to the states software.A very high percentage of successful attacks exploit flaws for which a fix is available but hasnt been deployed, Bellovin said.Another shortcoming that more money could fix: the team has no night shift. Computer attacks can come at all hours of the day and from anywhere in the world. But Minnesotas Security Operations Center is only fully staffed during day hours.Skimping on security is foolish, warns Bellovin.Your best touchstone for this is what the private sector is doing, because theyve got a bottom line, theyve got profit and loss, and they are spending more and more on security because they have to, Bellovin said.Minnesota has fewer than 60 total cybersecurity staff working for all of state government. Minneapolis-based U.S. Bank, whose annual revenue is roughly on par with Minnesotas annual general fund revenue, has more than 550 cybersecurity staff.Arletts experience coming in from retirement to maintain decades-old code is far from unusual. Many of the states computer systems are really old.A couple of these systems predate the internet, Baden said. Several of these systems predate the mouse.There are 123 state government applications running on old, outdated or dead computer languages, said a representative for MN.IT, the state information technology agency.Theres the Medicaid claims system running code that dates to the 1970s, an equally old Department of Education mainframe, and the statewide accounting system scheduled to go out of date in January 2018.This poses less-dramatic problems for the state than cybersecurity vulnerabilities. In fact, by virtue of being obsolete, some of these systems may actually be safer than more modern software  since no one targets them.Theres not a lot of hackers who understand 1970s-era COBOL at this point, Bellovin said, referring to the computer programming language.But old systems pose other problems. The same obscurity that makes them hard for hackers to breach also makes them hard for state workers to maintain, because students dont learn old computer languages like COBOL anymore.Personnel wanted to know, how come we didnt have any entry-level people? Arlett said. Well, nobody trains them. All we have are, basically, senior people with 10, 20, 30 years experience.These senior-level staff are more expensive. And around 90 percent of them will be eligible for retirement within five years. Its a similar story at many other state projects.If a systems hardware is old, that can cause problems when parts break that arent made any more. Bellovin mentioned an example of how the FBI was once reduced to buying spare parts on eBay.The upgrades of these obsolete systems is going to save money, Bellovin said. You are going to spend a little bit of money now  youre going to save money going forward.In Minnesotas case, though, its more than a little bit of money. Dayton is requesting $51 million in upgrades to the states computer systems.But Bellovin warned that these upgrades, while a good idea, would likely take more time and money than projected.The conversion is likely to be a disaster, he said. Software development is very hard to manage. If you contract it out, its harder unless you have very good management of the whole process.Minnesota has seen several troubled technology rollouts in recent years, most notably the debut of MNsure.org . In a statement, MN.IT Deputy Commissioner Jesse Oman acknowledged that tech upgrades can be challenging but said Minnesota needs to step up to the challenge. Making upgrades now, Oman adds, would also make future conversion projects easier.Daytons $125 million request is expensive, both in its own right and as a share of the projected $1.65 billion budget surplus . And there will be lots of rivals for the cash.Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka say they want as much as possible of the surplus for tax cuts  while also funding education and transportation. Daytons pushing hard for money for conservation, preschool, higher education, rural broadband and other topics.But in Minnesotas divided government, tech upgrades are a matter that has support in both parties  even if people dont always agree on exactly how much to spend. Even as Dayton pushes for more tech funding, Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt of Crown is pushing an technology initiative aimed at modernizing state government.Complicating matters is that it isnt just one decision about how much to spend on IT. Each part of the budget  education, health and human services, public safety, environment and natural resources and more  goes through a different committee. And each committee gets to decide how much of its budget share goes to technology.Some key lawmakers are looking skeptically at putting more money into IT. Rep. Sarah Anderson, R-Plymouth, said shes not convinced MN.IT has achieved all the efficiencies it should have by consolidating state IT functions into a single agency. That makes it more challenging for her to support millions of dollars in additional funding for cybersecurity even though she agrees that improving the states cybersecurity is a key goal.Were not getting the full information, and we need to have that to make sure were not making bad decisions, said Anderson, whose budget committee is considering a $22 million cybersecurity request from MN.IT.Oman said MN.IT is saving around $15 million per year through consolidation.We agree with Chair Anderson on the importance of making Minnesota more efficient, he said. This proposal will help get the state there faster.Sen. Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, said the key to securing funding is a champion for it on legislative budget committees. She oversees the Senates health and human services budget committee and said shed try to be that champion  but can do only so much.I have a big budget I have to manage, Benson said. I will try to make room for IT and security priorities within that budget. I hope that other chairs look at it similarly.
'The Monster' collaborators Eminem and Rihanna perform onstage at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Frederick M. Brown)

Music producer Jeff Bass has nothing but good words about "Rap God" rapper. The two worked together in several projects and one of their most successful collaborations is the Academy Award winner "Lose Yourself."



In an interview with Billboard, Bass said Eminem is "the top." Having worked with the "Rap God" raper, the producer has a high standard with every artist that he has worked.



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"They have to actually know who they are and what they want to do, as far as the artist that they want to be," Bass said. "The only thing that's changed for me is that I get to see that now."



In 2002, Bass and Eminem worked on the song "Lose Yourself," which went on to become the first number-one hit of the latter in the United States, where it sold more than 6 million copies. Still, it failed to beat "Love the Way You Lie" and "Not Afraid" as Eminem's best-selling song.



"Lose Yourself" was a success not only in the U.S. but also in many other countries including the United Kingdom and Australia. Having stayed on top of the charts for 23 weeks, it was declared by the Guinness Book of World Records as the Longest Running Single at Number One for a Rap Song.



In 2002, Eminem starred in "8 Mile." "Lose Yourself" was one of the songs in the film's soundtrack album.



Eminem wrote the lyrics of the song and created the music with Bass and Luis Resto. In 2003, it became the first rap song to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.



Both Eminem and Bass did not attend the awarding ceremony. Present during the event was Resto, who gave the acceptance speech.



"He's creative," Resto said of Eminem at the time. "He has symphonies in his head."



Watch the music video of "Lose Yourself" here:






The Struggle to Modernize UI In the past 10 years, nearly half the states have launched efforts to modernize their unemployment insurance systems. Nobody questions the need for the upgrades. Most of the systems in the country still run on mainframes, a computer technology that is not only out-of-date, but also has become increasingly expensive to maintain as parts become harder to find and as workers with mainframe skills head for retirement.



But what has raised questions is the number of projects that have run into trouble. Pick any state that has launched a UI modernization project and you are bound to find headlines about delays, budget over-runs and, perhaps most damaging to governments reputation, angry citizens who didnt receive benefits, either on time or at all.



One possible reason for so many problems: A large number of states launched modernization efforts at roughly the same time, yet there are only a handful of IT vendors that have experience building the systems. Historically, this has been a problem with other federal-state computer systems. In the 1990s, the feds pushed states to modernize their child support systems, and offered funds for modernization with the requirement that states work from a small number of pre-approved designs, rather than customize each one. Too many states ended up chasing too few vendors that knew how to build the new systems. The result: delays and cost over-runs.



In 1997, California terminated the modernization of its statewide automated child support system rather than try to fix the $345 million project. Reports showed the project was riddled with problems, including the fact that just one vendor had the capacity and scope to build the system, but was also working on similar projects at the same time, forcing the company to shuffle skilled workers among the many projects on its books.



Another hurdle is complexity. Some states have unemployment insurance laws that are more complicated than medical insurance laws, said Scott Sanders, executive director of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies. As long as complexity is part of the program, building a new system will remain a challenge, along with finding a vendor that understands how to make one. States know they need to work on this, said Sanders.







Detecting Fraud a lot Faster

The Struggle to Upgrade

Cook County is Illinois economic powerhouse. Millions of people live and work there, generating billions of dollars in wages. So it was easy to miss the modest operations of about 80 employers registered in the county with the Department of Employment Securitys unemployment insurance services. Between 2009 and 2011, these companies filed at least 900 unemployment insurance claims with Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota worth $8.7 million. All the claims were bogus; the identities of the employees either fictitious or stolen, according to newspaper reports.The fraud ring, which included at least 14 people, is just one of many examples of what has been a nagging problem with the nations unemployment insurance program, a federal-state system that provides temporary income support for unemployed workers. The system is funded by taxes collected from employers and held in trust funds administered by individual states.Unemployment insurance (UI) is one of governments bigger benefits programs, paying out nearly $33 billion in 2016 (at the height of the Great Recession, UI pumped nearly $155 billion into the pockets of laid-off workers). But the system also has one of the highest error rates among state benefits programs, worse than Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly known as food stamps) or rental housing assistance. In 2015, the system made $3.5 billion in improper payments, an error rate of 10.7 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.Not all of those improper payments were the result of fraud rings, like the one that authorities shut down in Cook County. In fact, the vast majority of improper payments stem from everyday people not always understanding the obligations of the system, said Scott Malm, public-sector workforce and employment leader for Deloitte. Instead, people often continue to claim benefits after they return to work up until they receive their first paycheck. The reality is that as soon as you start working, you have to stop claiming benefits, said Malm. Those kinds of overpayments have to be identified and collected.For years, this kind of benefits leakage, whether fraudulent or due to human error, has been a drain on the UI system and the trust funds that provide the benefits. But states have begun to tackle the problem with better technology on two fronts. First, states are modernizing their UI computer systems, some of which are decades old and still run on mainframes. Roughly half the states have launched modernized system upgrades, said Scott Sanders, executive director of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies. The new systems make it easier to operate online reporting services for the unemployed and to collect more data that can be analyzed rapidly.Second, states are starting to use data analytics to ferret out fraud and to help predict overpayment problems before they occur. There are approximately 20 states doing predictive modeling or using analytics, said Sanders. Analytics software can sift through reams of historical data, find patterns and help analysts predict the kinds of mistakes that lead to payment errors. It can also give investigators an edge in spotting the bad guys. Thats important because registering for UI benefits takes place online these days, so states rarely see who is applying.A few years ago, maybe 70 percent of our claimant population filed their weekly certifications online, said Michelle Beebe, UI director for Utahs Department of Workforce Services. Today, its close to 99 percent filing online. When you have near-universal online participation, data analytics plays a key role in making sure UI is collecting all the right elements to catch fraud.Utah should know the power of data analytics . Back in 2006, it became one of the first states to modernize its UI system at a cost of $14 million. It created a data warehouse that has allowed the agency to amass data to monitor and evaluate possible fraudulent activity. In 2015, the state paid out $200 million in unemployment benefits, with a fraud rate of 1.3 percent, well below the national average. The vast majority of the fraud  87 percent  is related to reporting errors: unreported earnings and unreported job separations, said Beebe.To tackle the majority of overpayments, such as unreported job earnings, the Department of Workforce Services works with a third-party vendor to cross-match what wages an individual reports while filing on a weekly basis, rather than wait for when the employer reports to the state on a quarterly basis. With cross-matching, we are able to detect those unreported earnings, sometimes 16 weeks sooner, said Beebe. Utah is one of only a handful of states that uses third-party data to verify wages.The department uses analytics for the trickier fraud cases, such as identity theft and fictitious employers. Starting two years ago and working with an in-house, custom-built system, investigators have used analytics to find suspicious patterns of activity and then assign prioritization scores to the results, which allows them to focus on the worst cases.Some of the trends we look for might be individuals filing from particular locations, with particular contact information, said Beebe. Sometimes its a number of filings that have the same or similar information in particular data fields.Overall, analytics has helped the department detect fraud a lot faster than in the past. By keeping the profiling model constantly up to date, they have been able to focus on the most suspicious accounts and shut them down quickly. In the past few years, we havent had any cases go for more than a few months, Beebe said.While Utah has kept a firm lid on fraud problems, the story in Florida is quite different. For years, it has been ground zero for identity fraud. In 2015, Florida had the highest rate of identity theft in the country, said Cissy Proctor, executive director of Floridas Department of Economic Opportunity. Much of that theft is tied to the siphoning of government benefits, such as UI, according to the Federal Trade Commission.In 2013, the state began to tackle the problem by upgrading its UI computer system and developing a front-end fraud detection system known as the Fraud Initiative Rules and Rating Engine, aimed primarily at detecting identity issues. While the initial effort was modest, involving Excel spreadsheets and Google Analytics, the state has since built a sophisticated data analytics operation using open source tools, such as Apache Cassandra and Python.The new UI system, built at a cost of $77.9 million, has sped up the process for using analytics to fight fraud in real time. Our IT team is constantly doing data analytics to determine which factors are pulling a lot of fraud out of the system and which factors maybe arent working, said Proctor.For example, the state knows it takes 30 to 40 minutes to fill out a claim, so if someone does it in seconds, the system will flag what appears to be a computer-driven claim. By identifying patterns like that, the state has caught enough fraud to start putting a dent in the problem. Since 2013, we have stopped 115,000 fraudulent claims from being filed, said Proctor. If all of those individuals received full payments, it would have been almost $500 million in funds stolen from the trust fund.Other Florida state agencies that handle government benefits have noticed the results. The department has begun to assist several with identifying the characteristics of fraud so they can tighten up their criteria. Last year, the state dropped down to the third-worst fraud rate in the country. When states start closing the door, they can keep identity thieves from entering their system, said Proctor. We are not going to completely stop identity theft, but we are taking steps to protect the trust fund.Unlike Utah and Florida, which have used analytics primarily as an investigative tool, New Mexico took a different approach to how it has applied technology to reduce improper UI payments. Initial steps were similar, including a modernization effort in 2011-2012 that gave the Department of Workforce Solutions the ability to cross-match data in the UI system with other information, such as birth and death records, and even names of individuals held by the Department of Corrections, to uncover improper payments to ineligible individuals. These efforts helped New Mexico reduce UI fraud by 60 percent by 2013.But as savings from cross-matching began to level off, the department looked for new ways to get better results. One problem stood out: the amount of work needed to conduct the cross-matching. It was a large workload. The system was very data rich, but senior management felt that we were information poor, said Joy Forehand, deputy cabinet secretary for the Department of Workforce Solutions.The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions Improper Payment Prevention Initiative TeamWorking with a team of lawyers, labor economists, IT specialists and communications professionals, along with its partner Deloitte, the department created the Improper Payments Prevention Initiative at a cost of $1.3 million, and began to uncover trends and patterns in claimant behavior, using data analytics to find the points in the process when an individual was more likely to make a decision that would lead to improper payments.We wanted to focus on truly preventing incorrect and inaccurate information from getting into the system and generating an improper payment, said Forehand. On the predictive side, we had data on which individuals were at a higher risk of submitting incorrect or inaccurate information.By creating (and testing repeatedly) certain types of pop-up messages based on behavioral economics, the department began nudging individual claimants, who were considered at high risk, to provide more accurate information. For example, rather than caution individuals about the laws and penalties related to inaccurate information, the message would say that 9 out of 10 people from the county report their earnings accurately.Combining predictive analytics and behavioral economics is not new, but its the first time the technique has been used in a state government benefits program, such as UI. Pew Charitable Trusts, which has been looking at how states use data and analytics, singled out New Mexicos work for trying to prevent the overpayment problem rather than just react to it. It also said the states work has paid off in terms of accuracy and effectiveness and for breaking down silos, while establishing the right kind of partnerships, both internally and externally.This project demonstrates a thoughtful way of using predictive analytics to save money and make a state program more effective, said Jennifer Thornton, Pews manager of data as a strategic asset.From 2015 to 2016, the state has reduced one type of overpayment from 5 percent to 2.9 percent, while the national average dropped less than 1 percent. The department expects to see a 35 percent annual reduction in this type of fraud. The system has also led to better self-reporting about the reason why a person left a job, which has helped identify individuals who were not eligible for unemployment benefits, resulting in savings on average of about eight weeks of overpayments.The initial success that states have had with reducing improper UI payments has led to plans to expand the use of analytics. For example, several states are using analytics to deal with problems on the employer side of UI. Theres a lot of misunderstanding of the federal and state laws that govern how a person can be classified as either a contractor or an employee, said Forehand. Her department is developing a messaging strategy using behavioral analytics to educate employers.New Mexico is also using the same techniques to steer the unemployed back to work faster (and reduce the time they are receiving benefits). By using analytics, states such as New Mexico hope to identify and reach out to those who could be doing more to seek a new job. We can connect those individuals who are not returning to work quickly and have the employment side of the department help them boost their job-seeking activities, Forehand said.But if states expect analytics to put a bigger dent in the UI error rate, they will have to speed up modernization efforts. While half the states have launched some kind of computer upgrade, not all those efforts are complete or going well (see The Struggle to Modernize UI on page 39). The rest of the states are in some stage of planning, pre-development testing or doing something else, said Sanders.Having a modern IT system isnt a requirement for conducting analytics, according to Malm. We have a clear vision of how we can deploy [analytics] even in states where the back-end systems are legacy. But Forehand said that having a modernized UI system eased the challenge of adding in analytics. It would have been a lot more difficult to add the analytics engine to the system if we hadnt modernized the system first, she said.The universal problem, however, is the lack of funding. It continues to be a struggle, said Sanders. Modernizing UI is not a top priority based on what states want to get done when it comes to technology.Modern technology isnt the only requirement. Data quality is essential to a successful analytics operation. Another problem that can crop up is the number of false positives that analytics can trigger. This can occur when an agency doesnt have enough data to use advanced analytical tools to lower false positive rates to acceptable levels, according to a 2016 report on benefits payment integrity by the MITRE Corp. Skilled analysts also are still critical to the process, and these skill sets are expensive and often hard to come by for government, according to the report.When it all comes together, as it is in New Mexico, the improvements from a well designed analytics operation can be a game-changer. If all 50 states did what New Mexico is doing, the savings would be in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually, Malm said.
School-zone safety

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(TNS) -- The Rockets are still flying low.Tallies from Toledos 43 fixed-location traffic cameras show the camera on northbound Douglas at University Hills Boulevard, on the northeastern edge of the University of Toledos main campus, yielded by far the most tickets during 2016, and its count went up by 15 percent.Overall, the cameras last year nabbed 29,610 vehicles traveling substantially over the posted speed limit  the city gives about an 11-mile forgiveness  and pinched 14,674 vehicles for red-light violations.The speeder count marked an increase of 310 over the year before, meaning that excluding the Douglas location, the number of speeding tickets was down by nearly 900.The number of red-light citations issued, meanwhile, increased by just two over 2015.So why is Douglas Road, which accounted for more than 31 percent of camera-issued speeding tickets last year, such a lead-foot hot spot?Lt. Jeff Sulewski, head of the Toledo Police Departments traffic section, said hes hard-pressed for an answer.Everybody knows [the camera]s there, he said. I dont know if its because of turnover  you have new university students every year.The Douglas camera is at an intersection with a 40-mph speed limit. Lieutenant Sulewski said a year ago, when 2015s count also showed Douglas to have by far the most speeders, that the wide-open street and higher speed limit simply seem to encourage drivers to hit the gas.Five-year camera data points to another significant factor: Speeding on Douglas, already high, more than tripled in 2015, the year after the city resurfaced what had been a pothole-plagued 1 miles of street between Kenwood Boulevard and Dorr Street.The Douglas/?University Hills camera also tagged 315 red-light violators during 2016, 36 more than the year before. There is no southbound camera at that location.Before the Douglas site moved into the top spot, the most active speed cameras were on Alexis Road at Whitmer Drive, just west of Whitmer High School, and those have held second and third place for the last two years.Lieutenant Sulewski said patrol officers observations are consistent with the camera reports: A lot of drivers still speed past Whitmer, although not as much as they did five years ago.The fixed cameras are set up to enforce the 20-mph school zone for 80 minutes in the morning and 70 minutes in the afternoon. Lieutenant Sulewski said those times are shorter than the duration of flashing lights on nearby school-zone signs, so theres really no excuse for drivers not knowing what the limit is.The Whitmer school zone also became a regular target for officers using hand-held laser speed cameras after Toledo began using those last March, the lieutenant said.Well sit at Clegg Drive, at the east end of the Whitmer campus, and we will clock them right in front of the school, he said. We have people accelerating in there during school-zone hours. I wish I could understand it.While automated tickets are civil violations, any driver caught at 35 mph or above by a camera-wielding patrolman at 35 mph in a school zone is required to appear in court, the lieutenant said.Officers using the hand-held speed cameras overall generated 42,873 speeding tickets, or nearly as many as the 44,284 combined speed and red-light tickets yielded by the automated cameras, the first of which Toledo installed in 2001.The police departments mobile speed van also ticketed 320 drivers last year, down from 649 in 2015. In 2012, the police department wrote up 1,620 tickets from the speed van.Overall speeds are not documented, but Lieutenant Sulewski said the highest violation captured on a hand-held device was for 113 mph on a freeway.Lieutenant Sulewski said the hand-held cameras are used mostly in school zones and construction zones.We get quite a few single-finger waves, he quipped.Toledo began using the hand-held cameras as a response to a controversial state law requiring an officer to be present when all camera-based violations are cited. The city continues to issue tickets based on its automated cameras pending the outcome of Daytons court challenge to the state law.Janet Schroeder, the citys spokesman, said that $2,795,501 in fines based on tickets from the hand-held cameras had been paid so far. Revenue from the stationary cameras in 2016 was $2,304,319, while speed-van ticket payments totaled $23,284.Ms. Schroeder said she had no information readily available about what percentage of tickets had been collected. At this time last year, only about half of the camera-based tickets from 2015 had been paid, producing $2.21 million in revenue.Having outstanding tickets does not impact a persons ability to renew a drivers license, as often is the case with local parking tickets.The top locations for red-light violations are all spots with lots of right-on-red traffic, Lieutenant Sulewski said.Officers who review the camera tickets throw out ones involving motorists that trigger the camera by slightly overshooting the stop line but still come to a complete stop before turning, the lieutenant said. But drivers who dont make a full stop  and many dont even come close  get those tickets, he said.One location with a big increase in red-light violations last year was Cherry Street at Delaware Avenue, where the number of northbound drivers running the light more than doubled and southbound violations rose by 73 percent.Thats one of the intersections with the most straight-through violations  people just drive right through when that lights solid red, Lieutenant Sulewski said.Many such violations occur at night, when traffic is light, so crashes are relatively few  but when they happen, theyre often serious, he said.Traffic safety is routinely cited as justification for photo enforcement, but the city has not analyzed traffic-crash data more recent than 2014s to assess the cameras effectiveness.Between 2000, the year before the first cameras installation, and 2014, total crashes at camera-equipped intersections trended downward, from near 1,000 in 2000, 2001, and 2002 to fewer than 900 in 2012, 2013, and 2014.At Douglas and University Hills, where the speed/?red-light camera was installed in February, 2005, crashes declined that year but then spiked in 2006 and remained above the long-term trend for two more years before tailing off again. In 2014, the year the street was under construction, the crash total of 12 was third-highest for the 15-year period, but only two of them caused injuries.While the cameras at Cherry and Delaware are equipped for speed as well as red lights, the speed aspect was turned off in 2015 after a motorist challenged the citys failure to have Cherrys 35-mph speed limit approved by the Ohio Department of Transportation, as is required for city streets that are part of state routes.Toledo recently obtained state approval for, and then posted, a 40-mph limit in that area and reactivated those cameras speed function in mid-February. Cherry is part of State Rt. 120 between Central Avenue and Summit Street.Several other cameras remain out of service at various city locations because of street construction.Those nine include two at the Anthony Wayne Trail and South Avenue; one at the Trail and Western Avenue, and two at Airport Highway and Reynolds Road that were completely removed, and Lieutenant Sulewski said they may not all be reinstalled because of changes to the street layouts at those intersections.In that case, he said, the police department will study other candidate locations, although new cameras are unlikely to go in before Daytons lawsuit is resolved.The end last summer of Trail reconstruction near Western and South may also be why speeding on the outbound Trail jumped in 2016 after being very low in 2015.The construction zone kept people from taking off past the speed-only camera between South Avenue and the Toledo Zoo, Lieutenant Sulewski surmised.
(TNS) - Nearly two years after a rash of earthquakes rattled the sensibilities of North Texas residents and state lawmakers, a meticulously designed network of seismographs is being rolled out to determine if the tremors are occurring naturally or can be linked to oil and gas industry production.Researchers at the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology have installed 14 of 22 permanent seismographs and another 15 portable stations as part of the $4.5 million TexNet system approved by state lawmakers two years ago. The number of permanent seismograph stations has doubled in the last two months, officials said.It has taken some time, but to our thinking it is better to do this slower and more methodically and the state will greatly benefit, rather than us rushing in and picking sites that are not very good, said Michael Young, associate director of the bureau. We want to get the sensors in the ground, but in the right way.There are two permanent and 13 portable TexNet seismograph stations in the Fort Worth/Dallas area. That brings to 31 the number of stations in North Texas, including the equipment being monitored by geologists at Southern Methodist University, Young said.The bureaus work comes as the U. S. Geological Survey is forecasting fewer damaging earthquakes this year in the central and eastern United States, areas where in recent years there have been numerous tremors linked to wastewater disposal wells used in oil and gas production.In 2015, state lawmakers approved $4.5 million for a comprehensive earthquake study after a string of temblors plagued North Texas, the largest one a 4.0 magnitude event near Venus and Mansfield that May.Lawmakers were also reacting to a peer-reviewed article by researchers from SMU, the University of Texas at Austin and the U.S. Geological Survey stating that 27 earthquakes near Reno and Azle from November 2013 to January 2014 were likely caused by drilling-related operations.Of the $4.5 million, $2.47 million was set aside to buy equipment and $2 million to study the results.While the geology bureau had hoped to have the TexNet system up earlier, Young said they also wanted to make sure that the data is the highest quality possible. First, researchers analyzed data from 2010 and 2012 to find the best quiet sites, or places away from roads, railways and other industrial activity.Then they looked at the site geology. Seismometers work best when measuring seismic activity reverberating through solid rock. Each site also had to have a solid cellphone connection for data streaming 24 hours a day, seven days a week, he said.Once a site was selected, for a permanent or temporary seismometer, the state had to negotiate with the landowner for the right to be on their property, Young said. The portable seismometers go down a few feet, while the permanent sites involve 20-foot-deep holes with steel and cement casings.I would say it was more time-intensive than we anticipated  Were going as fast and as methodically as we can, Young said.Besides the 14 permanent seismometer sites already installed, the bureau has two other locations under contract and four others scouted, he said.Mark Petersen, chief of the USGS National Seismic Hazard Mapping Project, said the kind of information provided by the TexNet seismometers is crucial when predicting possible earthquakes. Petersen was one of the authors of the recent report predicting less seismic activity in the coming year.I do think that its wonderful that the state of Texas has formed TexNet so we can see where (earthquakes) are occurring and how the ground is shaking, Petersen said. We depend on earthquake location and magnitude in making these predictions.In the USGS report, about 3.5 million people live and work in areas with significant potential for damaging quakes from induced seismicity in 2017, with the majority in Oklahoma and southern Kansas. Include the possibility of natural earthquakes, the number at high risk rises to about 4 million.The forecast is lower than last year, when it was estimated that 7 million people were at risk. This report is the second time the agency has forecast the likelihood of earthquakes.The study also suggests that, by using the best available science, policy makers and the energy industry can make rational and prudent decisions to reduce the hazard of earthquakes.In North Texas and North Arkansas, no earthquakes larger than 2.7 magnitude occurred in 2016. USGS considers a magnitude 2.7 earthquake to be the level at which ground shaking can be felt, according to the agency. An earthquake of 4.0 or more can cause minor or more significant damage.Petersen said he was a little taken aback by their findings.I was very surprised. We didnt have any indication that rates would decline like that, Petersen said. The rates do go up and down, and we dont often see them go to zero like that. It made me think that there are other things going on.The agency said the decrease in earthquakes may be due to a drop in wastewater injection resulting from regulatory actions or a slowdown in oil and gas production due to lower prices. The one-year study was published Wednesday in Seismological Research Letters.Petersen stressed that there is still more seismic activity than there was10 years ago, when rates climbed rapidly, probably because of the increased use of wastewater injection wells used in the drilling process. There also were three 5.0 magnitude earthquakes in Oklahoma, one the largest ever recorded, he said.The hydraulic fracturing process, or fracking  which injects water, sand and chemicals deep into rock formations to free oil and gas  can cause small quakes along natural faults that are rarely strong enough to register on monitoring equipment. But fracking also generates vast amounts of brackish, or salty, water which is then pumped into injection wells that send the fluid thousands of feet underground.We have a large amount of research that links the injection of wastewater and seismic activity and we can see, in places like Oklahoma, when the pumping goes up the earthquakes increase and when the pumping goes down the earthquakes decrease, Petersen said.But the study also suggests that, by using the best available science, policy makers and the energy industry can make rational and prudent decisions to reduce the hazard of earthquakes, he said.The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry, has shied away from linking wastewater injection and earthquakes. But it has been more proactive as research suggested a connection.Since its new seismicity-related disposal well rules went into effect in 2014, the agency has received 75 disposal well applications in areas of historic seismicity. Of those, 39 permits were issued with special conditions such as reducing maximum daily injection volumes, and 11 were approved without limitations. Twelve of the requests were withdrawn while the other applications are pending or under protest.The Commissions highest priority is protection of public safety and the environment, spokeswoman Ramona Nye said in a prepared statement. The data and research developed through the TexNet program will be critical in the Commissions science-based decision-making on issues related to seismicity.Industry spokesman Steve Everley said the report shows, more than anything, that there is a clear sign that the ongoing and collaborative work between scientists, the industry, and state regulators is reducing risks.The scientific community has always emphasized that this is a manageable issue, and that the risk of induced seismicity is low. States have also been updating their regulations on wastewater injection in recent years, including here in Texas, said Everley, a spokesman for Texans for Natural Gas.This story contains material from the Star-Telegram archives.Max B. Baker: 817-390-7714, @MaxbakerBB2017 the Fort Worth Star-TelegramVisit the Fort Worth Star-Telegram at www.star-telegram.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS) - On a still, foggy morning, SWAT vehicles rolled into a quiet Greeley, Colo., neighborhood and prepared for a shooting.A tactical emergency medical team was right behind waiting to help anyone who'd been injured.They spilled onto the lawn, many clad in Kevlar vests, and followed the officers into the murky danger.On this day, there was no real danger. It was a drill set up and run by Troy Osborn, division chief for North Colorado Medical Center's Paramedic Services, and Greeley Police Sgt. Fred Meyer.Osborn sets up the drills because his tactical EMS team of eight gets called out to offer medical support along with SWAT. Training together regularly helps real situations run more smoothly between the two organizations.Osborne said Colorado has had some of the biggest active shooter events in the nation's history, such as Columbine and the Aurora theater shooting. Though Greeley hasn't experienced a tragedy of that caliber, Osborne doesn't want to wait until something happens to prepare for it.After the Aurora theater shooting in July 2012, EMS and law enforcement changed how they approached active shooter situations.Instead of waiting for the building to be cleared by law enforcement before treating folks with life-threatening injuries, EMS and firefighters can go into a building right away  as long as they have two police officers covering them."It's been a huge game-changer having tactical EMS medics with us," Meyer said. "If one of our guys gets hurt, they can help right away. If we hurt a suspect  we try not to  we have people who can render aid."On the first of every month, members of SWAT and NCMC's tactical paramedic team run through a training drill. Meyer said they choose locations that simulate real life. Since most of the time SWAT gets called to houses, that's where they do the training. Usually they use rental properties. The team makes sure to knock on neighbors' doors to explain they are going through a drill.The team trains for 20 hours a month, often participating in active-shooter drills with Greeley law enforcement agencies.The way EMS approaches treatment changed too, Osborne said.In an active shooter situation, EMS goes in with a more tactical mindset. That means paramedics focus on different treatment priorities than a typical 9-1-1 call."EMS guys have to be comfortable with doing minimal stuff to keep people alive," Osborne said.For the most part, that means making sure people don't bleed to death.In active killing situations, chest injuries are the leading cause of death, followed by head wounds and massive hemorrhaging, Osborne said. So paramedics practice applying chest seals and tourniquets.It's a lot more like combat medicine, Osborne said.After Columbine and the Aurora theater shooting, agencies began to set policies so everyone would know their role in an emergency, Meyer said.It's better to have a plan established so everyone involved can fall back on their training when the adrenaline kicks in, Osborne said. In an emergency, figuring out protocol between different agencies wastes time. If they have systems in place and already know how to work together, they can do it to save lives.Osborne likes training together and getting to know law enforcement officers and firefighters."On the big one, we're all going to be there," Osborne said. "We can get to know each other now." Kelly Ragan covers features and health for The Greeley Tribune. Have a tip? Want to share your story? Call (970) 392-4424 or email kragan@greeleytribune.com.2017 the Greeley Tribune (Greeley, Colo.)Visit the Greeley Tribune (Greeley, Colo.) at www.greeleytribune.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met the newly appointed US National Security Advisor Herbert Raymond McMaster on Tuesday in Washington, MENA agency reported.

HR McMaster, an army lieutenant general, was appointed by President Donald Trump last week after previous national security advisor Michael Flynn resigned.

The pair discussed bilateral issues according to MENA, and McMaster expressed Washington's keenness on enhancing cooperation with Egypt at all levels, affirming that the new administration of Donald Trump is determined to work on mutual priorities and protecting the interests of both countries.

The Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman, Ahmed Abu Zeid, said in a statement that Shoukry had vowed there would be more cooperation between Egypt and the United States under the new administration of President Donald Trump.

Shoukry arrived in Washington on Sunday and met with newly appointed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday.

Tillerson promised more aid for Cairo's counter-terrorism efforts and economic development plan.

Shoukry updated the US officials on the latest economic and security developments in Egypt, as well as the country's counter-terrorism efforts, according to the spokesman.

During his visit, Shoukry also discussed preparations for Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's upcoming visit to the US to meet with Trump, which will be the first meeting between an Egyptian and an American president in years, MENA reported.

Rhetoric from both sides since Trump's election late last year has been warm, in contrast with relations under the administration of Barack Obama, which grew strained after the ouster of Egypt's Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Shortly after the ouster of Morsi, which the Obama administration described as a military coup, Washington temporarily suspended the $1.3 billion in annual military aid to Egypt.

However, aid to Cairo was resumed in 2015.

El-Sisi was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump on his election as president in November 2016.

The Egyptian president met with then-presidential candidate Trump in September last year on the sidelines of the 71st UN General Assembly in New York.

Trump described his meeting with El-Sisi as "productive and great."

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Russia and Egypt held joint military drills on Egyptian soil in 2015 for the first time

Egypt's Defence Minister Sedky Sobhi discussed with Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin means of bolstering military cooperation during talks in Cairo on Tuesday, Egypt's army said in a statement.

The two leaders looked at efforts to "boost cooperationand exchanged views on the regional and international developments and effects on security and stability in the Middle East," said the statement, published on the army's official Facebook page.

In October 2015, Egypt and Russia held military exercises on Egyptian soil for the first time.

Egypt is in talks with Russia to resume flights to its popular Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, over a year since the bombing of a Russian passenger jet that killed all 224 on board and prompted a suspension of air traffic.

Egypt is struggling to revive tourism, a key source of hard currency, which has been hard hit since the 2011 uprising ushered in a period of political turmoil.

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Parliamentary and diplomatic sources said Al-Jubeir's visit to Egypt comes after a period of strained relations between the two countries

Two Egyptian MPs told reporters Wednesday that foreign minister of Saudi Arabia Adel Al-Jubeir will visit Cairo next week.

Mostafa Bakri, an independent MP and journalist, said there has been much preparation in recent weeks for Al-Jubeir's visit, which will be the first after a period of cold relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

"A number of Egyptian diplomats have visited Saudi Arabia and vice versa in past weeks to prepare the ground for Al-Jubeir's visit," said Bakri.

Abdel-Reheim Ali, an independent MP and journalist, also said he knew from diplomatic sources that Al-Jubeir will visit Cairo next week to prepare the ground for a successful Arab summit scheduled to be held in Amman, Jordan at the end of March.

Ali said the last few weeks saw attempts on both sides to end disagreements on a number of issues related to Syria and the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir, which a final Egyptian court ruling has stated are not part of a Saudi territory.

Saudi Arabia has also complained that its policies face a lot of attacks in Egyptian media.

Ali said Saudi Arabia's decision that Egypt be the guest of the Gulf country's Al-Janadriyah's National Festival for Heritage and Culture last month sent a very positive message about the relations between the two countries.

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met on 15 February with the Speaker of the Arab parliament Meshaal Bin Fahd El-Salami, a Saudi official.

Al-Jubeir's announced visit to Cairo comes after he made a surprise trip to Iraq on 25 February, as well as Saudi Arabia's decision to name an ambassador in Iraq, which comes after years of tension between the two countries.

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The XPAND battery pack will be offered in two versions: the 7.1 kWh XMP71P and the 11.4 kWh XMP114E. Both versions are easily scalable, able to support EV applications from 7.1 kWh up to 1.5 MWh of capacity, in a wide variety of voltages.

Kokam Co., Ltd, has introduced the XPAND battery pack, delivering electric vehicle manufacturers a safe, high-performance, cost-effective battery solution for electric bus, tram, truck, ground support equipment (GSE), military, marine, special-purpose and other commercial and industrial electric vehicle (EV) applications.

The result of four years of extensive R&D and product development efforts, the new XPAND battery pack features advanced battery technologies that meet or exceed practically all existing standards for EV battery safety. For example, the battery cells ceramic separator and other battery pack thermal containment technologies prevent thermal runaway propagation.

These and other advanced battery technologies enabled the XPAND battery pack to secure an IP67 rating, confirming that it is fully protected from dust and can be submerged in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. In addition, the XPAND battery pack has been developed according to ISO 12405, ECE R100, J2929, and ISO 26262 standards and is UN38.3 certified.

The XPAND pack also provides a high-level of cost-effective performance to the EV market. The XPANDs advanced liquid cooling system offers direct cooling to the battery cells face, maximizing volumetric efficiency by reducing the mass of the system by up to 75% compared to air-cooled systems. These and other advanced battery technologies allow the XPAND battery pack to achieve an energy density of up to 150 watt hours per kilogram (Wh/kg).

The XMP71P battery packs 40Ah Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) Oxide cells have a long lifespan with cycle lives of more than 6,000 cycles. XPANDs modular plug-and-play design, with all external connections on the front panel, makes it easy to engineer XPAND into a wide variety of EV applications and service the battery pack in the field.

XPANDs battery management system (BMS) features diagnostics, battery state estimate and a flexible system architecture, providing more accurate State of Charge (SOC) and State of Health (SOH) data, helping EV operators more accurately estimate how long they can continue to drive their EV before recharging.

The battery system has been tested to meet the strict electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements of international marine and transportation customers in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Manufactured in the United States in a fully automated, 700 megawatt hour (MWh) cell manufacturing and pack assembly facility, XPAND addresses the rapidly growing market for electric bus, tram and other commercial and industrial EV battery solutions.

Research firm Technavio recently predicted that the global electric bus market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 27% between 2016 and 2020.

As the world continues to accelerate its transition to a cleaner, more efficient electricity-based economy, the demand for electric buses, trams and other commercial and industrial EVs is growing at a rapid pace, as is the competition in this market. Several major EV manufacturers who have started using XPAND believe it will provide them with a competitive advantage in this growing market, enabling them to easily engineer into their EVs a cost-effective, high performance battery solution that not only meets, but exceeds, their safety requirements. Ike Hong, vice president of Kokams Power Solutions Division

Kokam Co., Ltd has provided a wide range of lithium ion/polymer battery solutions to customers in over 50 countries and many different industries, including the military, aerospace, marine, Electric Vehicle (EV), Energy Storage System (ESS) and industrial markets. Kokam has more than 150 battery-related patents and a total of 650-megawatt hours of field performance.
Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry said Egypt has made progress in the field of human rights but warned the UNs rights council against applying double standards and politicisation" in its judgements.

The minister addressed the UNs Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday, during the bodys 34th session.

According to a foreign ministry statement, Shoukry said that the council should raise its work to meet the hopes for international cooperation and constructive dialogue between countries.

He also added that the work of the council should respect the law as well the differences between societies, and stay away from "politicisation" and "cultural snobbery" as well the "selective targeting" of specific countries to criticise their human rights record, which constitute "double standards".

The minister highlighted the latest improvements in human rights in Egypt including amendments to the controversial protest law, under which many peaceful demonstrators have been jailed, and the presidential pardon committee assigned to review the status of young detainees.

He also stated that the country had achieved much in its democratic transition despite the increase in security challenges and the spread of terrorism in the region and the world.

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In February, Russian newspaper Izvestia reported that chairwoman Matviyenko and her delegation will mainly discuss resuming air flights between Russia and Egypt

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is scheduled to meet with chairwoman of the Russian Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko Saturday in Cairos Ittihadiya presidential palace, state news agency MENA reported.

Matviyenko arrived in Egypt Friday along with a delegation from the Russian Federation Council, the upper house of Russias Federal Assembly.

The meeting will discuss ways to boost cooperation between Egypt and Russia in various fields in the upcoming period, MENA added.

It will also include touch on the latest developments in regional crises, as well as possible solutions.

In February, Russian newspaper Izvestia reported that Matviyenko and her delegation would mainly discuss resuming air flights between Russia and Egypt.

Egypt is in talks with Russia to resume flights to its popular Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, over a year since the bombing of a Russian passenger jet that killed all 224 on board and prompted a suspension of Russian air traffic.

Nearly three million Russians, out of 9.6 million tourists of all nationalities, visited Egypt in 2014, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism.

Egyptian tourism, a pillar of the country's economy and a key source of hard currency, has taken a blow since the passenger plane crash. The economy of Sinai's Sharm El-Sheikh is believed to have suffered the most.

Egypts revenues from tourism dropped from $6.1 billion in 2015 to $3.4 billion in 2016, according to statements made by Central Bank Governor Tarek Amer.

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Two years after states around the country passed an unprecedented number of police reforms after the killing of George Floyd, some are struggling to make the new policies stick. The momentum for change has slowed from its earlier frenetic pace. Some of the reforms have been rolled back or at least tweaked after police complained that the new policies were hindering their ability to catch criminals. Legal experts say police killings of Black people over the last decade  epitomized by Floyds killing  have altered the trajectory of policing. But change has come about unevenly in thousands of police departments across the U.S.
When it comes to matters of law enforcement, the Justice Department should be free of political interference from the White House.

FBI Director James Comey has presented the Justice Department with a test of its independence.

He's asked it to publicly dispute President Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was "wiretapped" before the election on orders from former President Obama.

Trump offered no evidence to support his allegation of what would be a criminal action by Obama.

The White House lamely called for a congressional investigation to find out whether the assertion is true.

Think about that for a moment. Imagine that, say, the mayor accused you of committing a serious crime, and then her office asked the police to investigate whether a crime had been committed. That's how the White House now operates.

In this case, an investigation shouldn't take very long. Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has already said, in a live televised interview, that no wiretapping happened as far as he knows ... and he would know a lot.

Later, The New York Times reported, and many other news organizations were able to confirm, that Comey says Trump's allegation is untrue.

Untrue? Trump? The man who claimed Obama faked his birth certificate to pass himself off as a real American? Who saw thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating the fall of the Twin Towers? Who said climate change is a Chinese hoax? Who said Ted Cruz's father had something to do with the JFK assassination? Who said 3-5 million illegal votes were cast for Hillary Clinton? Who said the U.S. murder rate is the highest it's been in 47 years? Who said 1.5 million people attended his inauguration? Who said he won the most electoral votes since Ronald Reagan? Who said thousands of people were bused from Massachusetts to vote illegally in New Hampshire? Who said the media don't report terrorist attacks? Who claimed he was in Scotland the day before last year's Brexit vote and predicted it would happen, when he was really there the day after the vote when predictions were much easier? Who said vaccinations cause autism? Who said Obama founded ISIS? Who said he had a plan to defeat and destroy ISIS very quickly? Who promised to immediately repeal and replace Obamacare right away before learning that health care is complicated?

So Comey wants the Justice Department to formally fact-check the president. It should. After all, Trump's statement also would implicate the FBI in wrongdoing.

So, just tell the truth, Justice Department. That's supposed to be your job.

Yet, who at Justice would do it? Attorney General Jess Sessions has "recused" himself from all matters relating to the Trump-Russians investigation, and this allegation likely falls in that category. Besides, he's 100 percent loyal to Trump, no matter what.

Anyone else at Justice probably would be fired for disputing this president.

Americans should hope that Justice does the right thing, but that can't be taken for granted. This is not an easy test in this administration.
WINSTON-SALEM  Anna Maria Horsford and Obba Babatunde, actors who have appeared on stage, TV and in films, will co-chair the 2017 National Black Theatre Festival, festival officials announced Monday.

The festival, set for July 31 through Aug. 5 in venues throughout Winston-Salem, is produced by the North Carolina Black Repertory Co., which presents live theater events year-round and the festival every two years.

Horsford has made guest appearances on sitcoms including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Greys Anatomy, Sparks, Moesha, The Bernie Mac Show, The Shield, Girlfriends and Everybody Hates Chris. Her film credits include Tyler Perrys A Medea Christmas, Our Family Wedding, Gridiron Gang, Broken Bridges, Street Smart, Minority Report, Along Came a Spider, Kiss the Girls, Set it Off, Presumed Innocent, St. Elmos Fire and Friday.

Babatunde was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in original Dreamgirls on Broadway. He has appeared in more than 17 stage productions, 30 theatrical films, 60 made-for-television movies and starred in TV specials and prime-time series. This season, he has two new series: Dear White People for Netflix and Im Dying Up Here on Showtime. Babatunde just completed principal photography alongside Forest Whitaker and Johnny Depp in the feature film Labyrinth.

The two are most likely best known for their daytime TV roles as Julius and Viviene Avant on The Bold and the Beautiful.

I (watch) that show every day, said Cleo Kimbrough, a member of the Marvtastic Society and a volunteer with the festival.

Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin, president of the board of N.C. Black Rep and executive producer of the festival, and other officials spoke at a press conference where the announcement was made.

The celebrity co-chairs job is to promote the festival to their colleagues and make sure that the public knows about it, Hamlin said. They participate in the daily press conferences at the festival.

Both have participated in past festivals.

Horsford said that she is looking forward to being co-chairwoman.

Im going to see a lot of stuff that I dont see anywhere else, she said. Theater is the foundation for all the other acting genres. If you can make a play, you can make a movie of your play. Theater lets you take a peek into a world that you might not otherwise know about.

Mayor Allen Joines and Nigel Alston, N.C. Black Reps executive director, are once again the fundraising co-chairs of the festival.

We are just five months away from turning the city purple, Joines said. Purple and black are the festivals theme colors. Joines said that the city is giving the festival $125,000.

The festival is the only national black theater festival in the country that provides six consecutive days of professional theater, film, poetry, workshops, seminars and shopping.

The festival is the international outreach program of the North Carolina Black Repertory Co., founded in 1979. The festival has been held biennially since 1989 and attracts thousands of national and international patrons, theater professionals and scholars. The festival was named A Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society.
GREENSBORO  Police are trying to determine why a man who was fatally shot was in a parking lot late Sunday night and if his death may be connected to a 2016 slaying.

Frank Lashaw Sheard, 30, of 879 Burbank St., was shot in a parking lot of Smith Homes, at 707 W. Florida St. about 12:20 a.m. and died at the scene.

Investigators want to know if the shooting might be drug-related or connected to the slaying of Michael Antonio Womack, 33, of 706 Devon Drive. Womack was found shot in the Smith Homes development on Dec. 24, in the 1700 block of Luray Drive. The two shootings are around the corner from each other.

Were looking to see if its related to the (Womack) homicide because its in close proximity, Lt. Chris Schultheis said Monday.

Womack was shot over a dispute that was possibly drug-related, said Capt. Nathaniel Davis.

According to the N.C. Department of Public Safety, Womack was a gang member. He had not been validated by Greensboro police, Davis said.

According to a recently released autopsy report, Womack was shot once in the chest, with the bullet hitting his lung and spine. He also had lacerations on his forehead.

Womack and Sheard didnt know each other, police said.

On Sunday morning, Sheard drove to the parking lot, got out of his car and talked to a second man about 15 feet from his vehicle before he was shot, Schultheis said.

He was shot at least once, police said, but the exact number wont be known until an autopsy is conducted at the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Monday.

Sheard wasnt armed at the time that he was shot, Schultheis said. It wasnt immediately known if he had a gun in his car. Police have seized the vehicle and have not yet examined it and its contents.

Sheard was scheduled to appear in Guilford County Superior Court today on pending drug charges of felony possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, felony possession of a firearm by a felon, felony maintain a dwelling or a vehicle for a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police are investigating why Sheard was in the Florida Street parking lot Sunday morning, and if someone else was with him, Schultheis said.

The male shooter fled on foot, according to police. Police dont have a detailed description of the shooter.
ELON  An Elon University freshman is in critical condition after being struck by a car this morning.

Molly Offstein, 19, of Frostburg, Md., was running on North O'Kelly Avenue about 7:30 a.m. when she tried to cross University Drive, said Lt. Mark Sweat with the Elon Police Department. She was struck by a 45-year-old Burlington man who had a green light at the intersection and was driving east on University Drive.

According to Elon University's website, Offstein is on the cross country team and the track and field team as a distance runner.

The speed limit on that portion of the road is 55 mph, but based on witness information police don't think the driver was going that fast, Sweat said.

Offstein was airlifted to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill in critical condition, Sweat said.

It's unclear if Offstein was wearing headphones at the time of the crash, Sweat said. The sun was up at the time of the crash.

The wreck is still under investigation, but based on preliminary information, charges are not pending at this time, Sweat said.
Treason: any attempt to overthrow the government or to impair the well-being of a state to which one owes allegiance.

Sedition: disloyalty or treachery to ones country or government.

Both terms describe approximately half the country, including most elected Democrats, Congressional Black Caucus members and, as weve now discovered, Barack Obama.

Barack Obama, through his Organizing For (the destruction of) America, is doing exactly the things that comprise, at best, sedition and, at worst, treason.

Does anyone still remember that, prior to the 2008 election, he said, In five days we begin the fundamental transformation of the United States of America? We now know exactly what he meant. Many of us knew long ago!

Seventeen days before leaving office, Obama granted the National Security Agency expanded authority to share intercepted personal communications with 16 other intelligence agencies before applying privacy protections.

If this was so important to our safety, why did he wait eight years to do it? There seems only one logical answer: to make it extremely difficult to track down the criminal leakers of classified information to their partners in the corrupt, biased, seditious national media.

Finally, the national media are, per Trump, the enemy of patriotic Americans, which includes a tiny number of Democrats.

Tony Moschetti

High Point
This report, which was first published in February 2017, examines the roots of the two terrorist organizations which carried out deadly attacks against the Egyptian security forces in the last four years

Last February, an Egyptian court of urgent matters designated the militant group Hasm a terrorist organisation, banning its activity in the country.

In January, Egypt's High State Security Prosecution referred 304 people to military prosecution for membership in Hasm, which committed 14 attacks on security forces and public figures over the past six months.

The case, one of the largest terrorism-related cases referred to the military prosecution, includes top Muslim Brotherhood figures.

Days earlier, the little-known terror group released an eight-minute clip online showing its "military training" in a desert location, as well as graphic footage of its attacks on security forces.

Egypt's interior ministry announced in December that security forces killed two men in the Nile Delta who were involved in the murder of a high-ranking army officer several months earlier.

According to the statement, the two men, aged 36 and 24, were members of Lewaa Al-Thawra (The Revolution Brigade), the militant group that claimed responsibility for the murder of the army officer.

However, the organisation issued a statement shortly after the killing of the two suspects denying they were ever among its members.

A week prior to the Menoufiya raid, the interior ministry announced that a terrorist was killed in a Giza police raid, though that time authorities said the suspect was a leading member of another militant group; Hasm.

Hasm, which has claimed responsibility for several attacks against security forces and public figures, vowed vengeance in an online statement for the killing of its member in the Giza raid.

So who are these two relative newcomers to the jihadist scene?

The tale of two terror sisters

Hasm (Determination) first appeared in July 2016, when it claimed responsibility for the assassination of a high-ranking police officer in Fayoum in a statement on its website.

According to the 'Whois' online tracking service, the militant group registered the website one day prior to the murder, submitting a false telephone number, fax number and postal code. The registered address merely stated Cairo and the group used an email account with an encrypted email service.

Since then, the group has targeted not only security forces, as has become customary with the country's other militant groups, but also public figures.

In early August, Hasm declared responsibility for attempting to assassinate former Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa outside a Mosque in October city before Friday prayers.

The group posted images online allegedly showing the attack, including photos of Gomaas house, as a way to prove they could "reach anyone."

In the same month, Hasm congratulated another militant group, referring to its members as resistance heroes, for killing two policemen in an attack on a checkpoint on Menoufiya governorate.

Two days later, another statement introduced Lewaa Al-Thawra as being responsible for the Menoufiya attack.

In September, Hasm claimed responsibility for two failed attempts to bomb a police club in Damietta governorate and to assassinate the assistant to the prosecutor-general outside his house in New Cairo.

Also in September, the militant group managed to kill a low-ranking policeman outside his house in 6 October City.

In October, the group killed another low-ranking policeman outside his house on the outskirts of Giza governorate.

Despite this rise in activity, however, the two groups were still relatively unknown among the public and in the media.

This would soon change, however.

On 22 October, Egypt woke up to the news that a high-ranking army officer was assassinated outside his house on the outskirts of Qalyoubia governorate.

Adel Rajaei, a brigadier general, was shot dead in front of his house as he was on his way to his station as an armoured division commander in Dahshur, south of Cairo.

He had previously held a post as a commander in North Sinai, where he oversaw the destruction of smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Egypt until 2013.

The North Sinai-based Islamic State-affiliate Ansar Beit Al-Maqdas was the primary suspect in Rafaei's murder, particularly since it came in the same week that witnessed deadly attacks against security forces in North Sinai.

However, it was the lesser known Lewaa Al-Thawra that claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement issued on the groups twitter account hours after the attack.

The statement was accompanied by photos allegedly showing Rajaeis army cap and the weapon of his guard.

The Twitter account associated with the group was suspended by Twitter soon after for violating the site's policies, though another account was later created.

The day after the murder, Hasm congratulated Lewaa Al-Thawra on its website, republishing the photos released by the other militant group.

The assassination of Rajaei put both militant groups in the spotlight, leading many to ask whether they were connected to each other.

It is interesting that Hasm and Lewaa Al-Thawra appeared at nearly the same time and used the same terms in their statements, political researcher Ahmed El-Behairy told Ahram Online, pointing to the fact that Hasm was the first miliant group to congratulate Lewaa Al-Thawra after Rejaei's murder.

El-Behairy, an expert on Islamist militant groups, believes that both Hasm and Lewaa Al-Thawra -- as well other short-lived militant groups that appeared after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 -- are operating "under one control room that followed late Muslim Brother leading figure Mohamed Kamel.

Kamal was killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in early October in Cairo, according to a statement released by the interior ministry.

In its statement claiming responsibility for Rejaei's killing, the militant group announced that the murder was primarily in retaliation for the killing of Kamal.

According to the interior ministry, Kamal oversaw the Muslim Brotherhood's armed wings and their cells.

In its latest statement about Lewaa Al-Thawra issued in December, the ministry also said that its members hideout was at a farm owned by a fugitive Muslim Brotherhood member.

Ahmed Ban, a former Brotherhood member and researcher into Islamist movements, told Ahram Online that starting February 2014, we began to see a radical militant branch emerging from the Muslim Brotherhood, as Kamal started founding what is known in the media as 'the special cells'.

According to Ban, these special cells began a series of operations, starting with the targeting of infrastructure, blocking highways, mixing peaceful and violent protests, and moving up to assassinating police personnel and bombing checkpoints.

Starting February 2014, nearly six distinct groups appeared and claimed responsibility for the attacks before completely disappearing, after which Hasm and Lewa Al-Thawra emerged.

However, this militant branch [of the Brotherhood] was divided into two lesser branches, one that stuck with Brotherhood teaching and another that went rogue and became closer to the Salafist jihadists in their militancy, said Ban, adding that he believed Lewaa Al-Thawra and Hasm are part of this second branch.

They are no longer considered part of the Muslim Brotherhood, he said, adding that a distinction should be made between the different groups and their evolution in order to better understand them.

The High State Prosecution says that according to its investigations, Hasm and Lewaa Al-Thawra were formed by leading figures in the Brotherhood in an attempt to revive its militant wing.

In November 2013, the Egyptian government designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation.

Not your usual Jihadist group

Ban and El-Behairy believe that the two groups, especially Lewaa El-Thawra, are distinct from jihadist like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

The use of secular slogans and concepts in [Lewaa El-Thawras] statements like the nation is the source directly contradicts strict conservative jihadist ideologies, which call for [the establishing of a trans-national] Islamic caliphate, Ban told Ahram Online, referring to an online statement released by Lewaa Al-Thawra in September.

They do not share that same Salafist Jihadist ideology because they still have that Muslim Brotherhood ideological background, Ban said, adding that the group merely employs the same methods of militant Salafist jihadists.

The Moderate Front to Fight Violent Radicalism, a group made up of former members of the Islamic Jihad and Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiyaa groups, share Ban's belief.

The group was founded in 2013 for its members to distance themselves from pro-Morsi Islamist forces, and in October 2016 it released a statement denouncing Lewaa Al-Thawra.

The Moderate Front said in its October statement that Lewaa Al-Thawra's rhetoric "contradicts with mainstream jihadist discourse," and that even the group's name is secular and "non-Islamist."

Following the December bombing of the Cairo church, Hasm and Lewaa Al-Thawra both released statements denying involvement in the attack.

Lewaa El-Thawra even extended its condolences to the families of the victims, adding that it does not target civilians regardless of their religious beliefs or views.

Hasm, however, used more religious phrasing when denying involvement in the attack, saying that Islam prohibited the killing of women, children, the elderly and worshipers in temples. The group also echoed a claim made on a Muslim Brother-affiliated website that the Egyptian regime was behind the bombing.

"Unlike the usual jihadists, who have an excellent command of classical Arabic due to their religious knowledge, [Lewaa Al-Thawra's] statements are full of grammatical and spelling mistakes, researcher Ahmed El-Behairy told Ahram Online.

What Hasm and Lewaa Al-Thawraa do have in common with some jihadist groups, however, is their online propaganda campaigns.

For nearly six months, Hasm ran a website where it posted statements as well as photos and videos of their operations.

The site was taken down shortly after the group claimed responsibility for the bombing that killed six policemen at a Giza checkpoint in early December.

The group used social media networks like Facebook and YouTube before its own site was re-launched, this time hosted on encrypted servers.

"These groups' operations and how they market themselves show that some of their members received training somewhere [outside of Egypt]," says El-Behairy, who believes this training ground is likely Syria.

According to estimates by some experts, thousands of Egyptians have joined jihadist groups in Syria, including Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

"Some of those Egyptians have returned, and I think they joined those small militant groups in Egypt," he said.

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Jacey Wyatt doesnt conform to labels the way most politicians do.

She has run for local office in Branford, Conn. as a Republican and a third-party petitioning candidate.

Wyatt, who grew up as John Christian Pascarella before undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2003, is running for governor as a Democrat.

I dont care if people are wondering what I have under my pants, Wyatt told Hearst Connecticut Media on Monday. My body obviously does not look like a typical politician.

But Wyatt, 46, a former model who was born an intersex person, said she is not running to be the face of transgender rights. Nor is she looking to take sides in the ongoing clash between Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and President Donald Trumps administration over restroom laws, she said.

Im not just going to be the advocate, Wyatt said. Im running to be the solution for all people.

RELATED: Woman says she was harassed in Walmart bathroom after being mistaken for transgender

Making Connecticut more friendly to businesses so companies such as General Electric dont move their global headquarters to Boston is her primary objective, said Wyatt, who registered her candidate committee Friday with the State Elections Enforcement Commission.

This state deserves a lot better, said Wyatt, who has worked in retail and architecture, but is now the primary caregiver for her mother, who suffered a stroke,

Malloys office declined to comment Monday on Wyatt. Malloy, a Democrat, is undecided about making a 2018 re-election bid.

Malloy has been a strident critic of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on LGBT matters. Last month, he blasted the White House when it rescinded guidelines set by the Obama administration directing public schools to let transgender students use the bathroom of their choice.

The White House maintains policies like the North Carolina bathroom bill, which prohibits people from entering bathrooms that do not match the sex on their birth certificates, should be left up to states to determine. Malloy has called Trumps stance discriminatory.

Wyatt disagreed, saying she supports protections for the LGBT community, but Malloy shouldnt be meddling into the policies or cultural norms of other states.

Dont worry, me and Trump will be fine together, Wyatt said. Because Im transgender, Im not allowed to support Trump? They need to focus on this state. Theyre not the president. Theyre not running North Carolina. Theres different moral issues in the South.

In 2011, Wyatt ran unsuccessfully for tax collector in Branford, which is east of New Haven, as a Republican. In 2013 and 2015, she ran for first selectman as a third-party petitioning candidate, but did not get elected.

This time, Wyatt said she reached out to both state party chairmen, J.R. Romano of the Republicans and Nick Balletto of the Democrats, to inform them of her plans to run for governor. She will try to qualify for public funding under the states clean-elections program, which requires gubernatorial candidates to raise $250,000 in small contributions.

As someone whos dealing with multiple candidates, I can certainly understand why so many Democrats are unhappy with Dan Malloy as their standardbearer, Romano said. I said, Welcome to the race.

A state Democratic Party spokesman declined to comment.

Wyatt said she born with both sexes, but has always identified as a woman.

I grew up with Barbies, Wyatt said. I didnt go to the bathroom at the school. I went home.

Wyatt said she was fortunate to have the money and support to undergo gender reassignment surgery at the University of Connecticut, including breast augmentation and hormone therapy.

Im a legal female, Wyatt said. I will never, ever, ever have a situation that I cant go to the bathroom in North Carolina. (But) theres somebody that maybe cant afford what I had done.

nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
On March 3, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security, said that it will temporarily suspend the premium processing option for all petitions for H-1B visas. USCIS says that suspension may last up to six months.

As it stands now, individuals or companies who are filing for H-1B visas and want to expedite the process have to submit a specific form and pay a fee of $1,225, which is in addition to the several fees that are already required. If applicants do not get a response from USCIS within 15 days, the money is returned.

There is a limit of 65,000 H-1B visas issued every fiscal year, but the first 20,000 petitions filed for applicants that have earned a masters degree in the U.S. are exempt from that cap, putting it at 85,000 total.

Related: Entrepreneurs Are Being Deported -- And They Might Be at the Center of America's Coming Immigration Fight

Currently, those eligible for an H-1B visa are working in a specialty occupation and earning a wage. USCIS defines specialty occupation as a position that requires the employee to have earned a bachelors degree in a related field, noting that jobs in fields such as engineering, math, and business, as well as many technology fields often qualify as a specialty occupation. Equivalent work experience, which USCIS characterizes as three years of work for every one year of education, also qualifies for an H-1B visa.

The hiring practices of many in the tech industry stand to be affected by the suspension. Last year, companies such as IBM, Accenture, Deloitte and Google were among the top applicants for H-1B visas.

Companies who look abroad to staff up argue that there is a talent shortage in the United States, while those who are against H-1B visas argue that the program takes away jobs from American workers. In the announcement, the USCIS says that the suspension is intended to allow the department to focus on requests for extensions and process long-pending petitions.

It appears the move will continue to put President Donald Trump and his administration at odds with the tech community, following the swift and vehement response against the executive order issued in late January that barred citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the country for 90 days, banned U.S. admission of refugees from Syria indefinitely and suspended U.S. admission of refugees from any other country for 120 days.

Related: What Business Travelers Need to Know About Trump's Travel Ban

That order, following a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Los Angeles, has since been suspended.

Today, a new executive order was signed by the president to enact a 90-day ban on U.S. entry for new visa seekers from six majority-Muslim nations.  In addition, the nations refugee program will be suspended for 120 days, and it will not accept more than 50,000 refugees in a year, down from the 110,000 cap set by the Obama administration. The new guidelines name six of the seven countries included in the first executive order, but it leaves out Iraq, reports the Washington Post.

The order will go into effect on March 16.

Related:

What You Need to Know About the Temporary Hold on Expedited H-1B Visas

Why It's Time to Reform the H-1B Visa Program



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Six people were killed and 26 injured in a road accident early Monday morning, on the coastal road between Marsa Matrouh and Alexandria, outside of Dabaa. The accident occurred when a West Delta company bus crashed into a large transportation car, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

Most of those injured have been transferred to Alamein and Dabaa hospitals, while some in critical condition were transferred to Alexandria hospitals.

Governor of Matrouh Alaa Abou Zeid said he would personally compensate the injured and their families, with EGP 5,000 and 10,000 respectively.

Road accidents occur on a near-daily basis in Egypt, which is notorious for poorly maintained infrastructure and loosely enforced traffic regulations.

In 2015, a total 14,548 road accidents were recorded by Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics CAPMAS, tolling the human losses to 25.500 deaths and injuries in the same year.

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The spread. Photo: Miachel Breton

Before Ivan Orkin rose to fame running ramen shops  first in Japan, and then in New York  he was a kid from Long Island. The noted Japanophile has an affinity for regional American food, too, which is why Ivan Ramens menu has also featured riffs on Detroits Coney Island chili, and a Catskills roast-pork sandwich. Still, its a little surprising that, for his next act, he and partner David Poran have tapped former Ivan Ramen chef Michael Bergemann to open Corner Slice, a coffee shop, bakery, and pizzeria in the Gotham West Market, on Tuesday.



While Orkin has lent support to the venture, Bergemann, who worked on the pizza over the last year and is a partner in the business, is the man responsible for the slices. Hes riding the square-pizza wave here, serving tomato, cheese, and white pies with toppings like roasted onion, hot sopressata, pickled chilies, and meatballs. The pizza itself is also thinner, and not as dense as other square pies you may have had recently.

Despite the constraints of the snazzy 400-square-foot space, previously home to a Blue Bottle outlet, pizza is just the beginning of the varied and thoroughly Italian-American menu. There are meatball and porchetta sandwiches for lunch, a breakfast sandwich stuffed with peppers and egg, an antipasto style green salad, and classic desserts like root-beer floats or lemon ices.

Bergemann will also put his baking chops to good use with a robust selection of clever baked goods, including semolina chocolate cake, olive-oil-pistachio muffins, coffee cake, and  take note  individual-sized salami-and-cheese-lard bread rolls. Of course, theres coffee, too, with the usual roster of espresso drinks, rounded out by a malted cold brew. The shop is in soft-open mode until March 13, at which point it will expand its hours. In the meantime, take a look at some of what will be on offer.

Pizza will be sold by the slice or pie. Photo: Miachel Breton

Theres tomato pie! Photo: Miachel Breton

And sauceless white. Photo: Miachel Breton

The peppers-and-egg breakfast sandwich comes on a fine-looking semolina roll. Photo: Miachel Breton

Lunch sandwiches, like the meatball, come on focaccia. Photo: Miachel Breton

Can you resist the pastry case? Photo: Miachel Breton

Theres chocolate semolina cake, a.k.a. babka. Photo: Miachel Breton

For all your morning-coffee needs. Photo: Miachel Breton

Not a bad-looking spot. Photo: Miachel Breton

Corner Slice, in the Gotham West Market, 600 11th Ave., nr. W. 45th St.; 212-582-7940.
Pancake eaters should start praying to the weather gods. Photo: Liz Clayman

Februarys heat wave has tricked Americas crops into thinking its spring  there are confused blueberries growing in Michigan, and peaches surfacing in Kentucky. But not all crops cope so well with weird weather, and one of those at risk, thanks to the crazy temperatures, is the countrys maple syrup. Some farmers say production is down by as much as 75 percent this year because of 2017s unseasonably warm start, calling the reduced sap flow devastating to us.

In Pennsylvania, they say the sap in their trees started flowing a month early. Experts note that isnt a bad thing; in fact, the perfect Goldilocks temperature mix can make for a record-setting season like it did last year. Problems could arise, though, if temperatures stay above freezing from here on out. If that happens, maple-sap collection could end earlier than it ever has, the president of the Pennsylvania Maple Syrup Producers Council told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in late February, adding theres already a lot of concern among producers statewide.

The market for maple syrup has picked up in recent years, with imports from Canada doubling in the last decade, so any shortfall on the production side is also going to be exacerbated by the growing demand  meaning, at the very least, that the price of a pancake brunch, or that master cleanse, is probably going to climb this year.
Fitbit recently reduced the prices of its devices in the United States, including the stylish Fitbit Alta that went from $129.95 to $85. Today we understood why - the company introduced the new Fitbit Alta HR which adds a heart-rate monitor.



Sleep Duration  Sleep Stages  Exercise Summary  Resting Heart Rate

The fitness company threw in doubt investors and fans after it announced terrible financial results for Q4 2016 but apparently had something up the sleeve - the new Fitbit Alta HR. It is still stylish like its predecessor Fitbit Alta, but now has a heart-rate monitor on the back. It also has a tap-sensitive OLED display and five-day battery life. The device tracks steps, sleep cycles and shows notifications from the smartphone if constantly connected through Bluetooth.

Charge, Blaze and Surge fitness bands already had heart-rate monitors and now the Alta joins the family. Fitbit used to collect sleep info for a long time but now it can show light, deep and REM sleep stages in Sleep Insights. The same software will be rolled to the Charge 2 band and the Blaze watch next month when the Alta HR hits the shelves.

If you decide to go for Fitbit Alta HR, you have to pull $150 out of your pocket which is $20 more than the original Fitbit Alta when launched. The device will ship worldwide in early April.

Source | Via
Aside from the Barcelona chapter of the Mobile World Congress, there's a separate MWC edition that's held each year in China's Shanghai. Now, a new MWC event has been announced that will take place by India, the world's second-largest smartphone market.

The India edition of MWC will be focused on reaching out to the South East Asian markets. The GSMA Association, which organizes the yearly MWCs has agreed to associate with the three-day event that'll kick off in the country's capital city of New Delhi on September 27.

"There is Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and an edition in Shanghai," said COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) Director General Rajan S Mathews. "There is nothing in between for South East Asia. India is emerging as one of the global leaders in telecom which we will also showcase in the Indian Mobile Congress."

Mathews revealed that all local mobile operators, as well as companies like Facebook, Huawei, Ericsson, Cisco etc are likely to be in attendance.

Source | Via
The conference will run Saturday through Monday, attended by more than 30 delegations comprised of religious leaders

The conference will run Saturday through Monday, attended by more than 30 delegations comprised of religious leaders and representatives from Islamic institutions worldwide, announced Egypt's minister of religious endowments and head of the country's Islamic Affairs Council Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa.

Titled "the role of political, religious, and media leaders and decision makers in spreading peace in the face of terrorism," the conference will include six sessions and conclude with a declaration of recommendations, as well as an international press conference.

Four hundred Islamic scholars from Egypt's Al-Azhar are set to attend, in addition to intellectuals and pundits from different Arab countries.

Egypt has urged Arab and Muslim countries to unite in the face of terrorism and called for purging the religious discourse of extremism.

Last year, El-Sisi said that the "the Muslim world is going through a dangerous turning point and is facing unprecedented challenges targeting its existence and people. [Facing this] requires concerted effort from all of us, and putting all differences aside."

The president has more than once blamed outdated "religious discourse" for holding Egypt back and called for "a religious renewal" in Islam.

He has said that "radicalised" thinking has become a source of destruction for the rest of the world.

Cairo has hosted a number of international Islamic conferences in recent months.

Last month, Cairo hosted a conference on international freedom and citizenship, which was attended by religious representatives from 50 countries.

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The Huawei P10 is already up for pre-order in Spain

The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus were star attractions at this year's MWC and the Chinese manufacturer is wasting no time to release the new device family. We already heard that the P10 will be available across all major UK carriers soon and the subtle leak, suggesting a P10 Lite version is on its way as well.

Now we start to see the P10 pre-order pop up in stores. We spotted the handset ourselves, while in Barcelona. It even comes with a special deal - if you reserve yours before March 15, you also get a free Huawei Watch 2. Now, that is a good deal, if we ever saw one.

The company also offers financing for the purchase for up to 20 months.

For a more in-depth look at the P10 and its Watch companion, you can check our hands-on.
The LG G6 is yet to officially hit stores, but interest is already high. The rounded-display smartphone has been available for pre-order in its home market, since last Thursday (March 2) and interest looks nicely high.

The company boasts over 40,000 units, already pre-ordered. This figure trumps most initial sales predictions and there are at least a few factors that could have contributed to this. For one, LG's plan to move its launch ahead of Samsung's Galaxy S8 pair seems to be working great. Not only should initial units start going out to their eager owners in South Korea, as early as March 10, but there is also the matter of early hands-on possibility. Users in the country have been able to test the G6 at one of 3,000 retail stores since February 27.

LG is also luring buyers in with quite a few early-bird deals. Those pre-ordering the handset at a price of KRW 899,800 (around $800) will be getting benefits up to $390 in the form of one year screen replacement warranty, an original case, and an option to choose from several other accessories such as LG TonePlus Bluetooth headset and Raleigh keyboard 2.

You can check our hands-on review, for a more in-depth look at the handset.

Source (in Korean) | Via
Three out of four major US carriers already went through with the Nougat update for Samsung Galaxy S7. Verizon was trailing behind, but it's finally catching up - you can snatch Google's latest right away.





The official update follows a Galaxy Beta Program which let users try out the new version of the OS themselves on their Galaxy smartphone. Verizon dropped out after a month leaving its users in a dilemma - either stay in beta or get back to Marshmallow. Verizons updates are pretty much the same as others: It has the latest Android security patch from February 1, 2017; the UI stays the same. The only difference is Verizon got rid of the go90 app.

Now that all carrier-bought Galaxy S7/S7 Edge devices have the update to Nougat, only the US unlocked devices are stranded with Marshmallow. Theres no information when they will also taste the new sweet candy-named Android 7.0.

Source | Via
Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing with Palestine's Gaza strip on Monday for three days, state news agency MENA reported.

Based on the directives of President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi, the crossing will be open in both directions to allow humanitarian cases and students to cross, as well as to allow the passage of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza strip.

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula is the only way for 1.8 million Palestinians, who have been living under Israeli siege since 2006, to enter and exit the strip.

The crossing has been mostly closed by Egyptian authorities since October 2014 on security grounds.

Cairo periodically opens the border for short periods to allow civilians with foreign passports, Palestinian students, and those with medical needs to travel back and forth.

The crossing was last opened in mid-February for humanitarian cases and students.

It was also opened as an exception for some Palestinian social and political figures, as well as youth, to enter Egypt to take part in a conference at Ain El-Sokhna Saturday, in Suez governorate.

The two-day conference, which around 170 Palestinians attended, focused on Egypt and the Palestinian cause as well as the unification of the Palestinian factions.

The border opening comes amid signaled improvement between Cairo and the Palestinian movement Hamas, which rose to power in Gaza in 2006, with the group's leader Mahmoud El-Zahar saying Palestinian and Egyptian officials have reached a border control agreement.

No further details have been released on the deal, which was discussed during the visit of a Hamas senior delegation to Cairo in late January.

Relations between Cairo and the Palestinian Islamist group grew strained following the ouster of Egypt's Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, amid waves of popular outcry against his rule.

Cairo has repeatedly accused Hamas of backing Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood organisation and smuggling through illegal tunnels in the Gaza-Sinai border.

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Haiti - FLASH : Rene Preval, 6 days of national mourning





Yves Germain Joseph, Secretary General of the Presidency announces to the Nation that the national funeral of President Rene Preval will be celebrated on Saturday, March 11, 2017. The exhibition will take place at the Museum of the Haitian National Pantheon (MUPANAH) on Friday, March 10th.



Pending publication of the Official Protocol of the State funeral of the late President Rene Preval, the President of the Republic, Jovenel Moise decrees 6 days of national mourning worked in memory of this illustrious fighter from Monday, March 6 to Saturday, March 11, 2017.



During this period, the national flag already at half-mast since Saturday 4 March at the Presidency, will also be on all public buildings.



Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11, radio and television stations will broadcast music of circumstance interspersed with testimonies on the life and the work of this eminent statesman.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - USA : Money laundering, Haiti targeted by State Department





In Volume II, "Money Laundering and Financial Crime" of the report "2017 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report", the US Department of State indicates "Haitian criminal gangs are engaged in international drug trafficking and other criminal and fraudulent activity. While Haiti itself is not a major financial center, regional narcotics and money laundering enterprises utilize Haitian couriers, primarily via maritime routes. Much of the drug trafficking in Haiti, as well as the related money laundering, is connected to the United States. Important legislation was adopted over the past several years, in particular anti-corruption and AML laws, but the weakness of the Haitian judicial system leaves the country vulnerable to corruption and money laundering.



On June 8, 2016, the CFATF issued a public statement asking its members to consider the risks arising from the deficiencies in Haitis AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism ) regime. The statement follows CFATFs acknowledgement that, although Haiti had made improvements in non-legislative areas, it had not made sufficient progress in fulfilling its action plan to address its serious AML deficiencies including legislative reforms. On November 9, 2016, the CFATF reaffirmed its stance, although noting Haitis recent progress and efforts to introduce new legislation, including a new law designed to grant administrative autonomy to the Central Financial Intelligence Information Unit (UCREF), Haitis FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit).



Most of the identified money laundering schemes involve significant amounts of U.S. currency held in financial institutions outside of Haiti or non-financial entities in Haiti, such as restaurants and other small businesses. Foreign currencies represent 63 percent of Haitis bank deposits as of October 2016. A great majority of property confiscations to date have involved significant drug traffickers convicted in the United States [...]



Haiti has seven operational FTZs. There are also 157 licensed casinos and many other unlicensed casinos. Online gaming is illegal.



The AML legislation passed in 2013 was further strengthened by amendments in 2016. In 2014, the Executive signed a long-delayed anti-corruption bill. Banks and financial companies, wire transfer agencies, credit unions, insurance companies, cooperatives, casinos, lawyers, accountants, notaries, and real estate agents must comply with KYC rules and report suspicious transactions to the UCREF.



Haiti is a member of the CFATF, a FATF-style regional body.



The weakness of the Haitian judicial system and prosecutorial mechanisms as well as judges and prosecutors lack of knowledge of the recently adopted legislative amendments continue to leave the country vulnerable to corruption and money laundering. Haiti is not a member of the Egmont Group, but is currently applying for membership.



The government remains hampered by ineffective and outdated criminal codes and criminal procedural codes, and by the inability or unwillingness of judges and courts to address cases referred for prosecution. Draft criminal codes and criminal procedural codes that would address these deficiencies are expected to be considered by parliament over the next few months.



The government should continue to devote resources to building an effective AML regime, to include continued support to units charged with investigating financial crimes and the development of an information technology system. The 2013 AML/CFT law and its 2016 amendments, despite strengthening the regulatory framework to combat financial crimes, undermine the independence and effectiveness of Haitis FIU.



Haiti also should take steps to establish a program to identify and report the cross-border movement of currency and financial instruments. Casinos and other forms of gaming should be better regulated and monitored. The Government of Haiti should take steps to combat pervasive corruption at all levels of Haitian government and commerce.



The Government of Haiti continues to take steps, such as training staff and coordinating with the nations banks, to implement a better AML regime. In September 2016, the National Assembly added missing elements to the 2013 AML/CFT law to bring it up to international standards, although deficiencies still remain. In order for Haiti to fully comply, however, the criminal code will have to be updated.



After years of delay, passage of the 2014 anti-corruption law constituted a positive step to try to address public corruption, but implementation issues remain. Frequent changes in leadership, fear of reprisal at the working level, rumored intervention from the Executive, and a lack of judicial follow-through (prosecutions) make implementation particularly difficult. Frequent changes in the judiciary also make it difficult for cases to be followed by prosecutors.



The UCREF has continued to build its internal capabilities and to do effective casework. The UCREF forwarded six cases to the judiciary in 2016. Continued issues in the judicial sector mean the UCREFs progress is not yet reflected in conviction rates. Once a case is received, an investigating judge has two months from the arrest date to compile evidence, but there is no limit to the timeframe to schedule court dates, communicate with investigating agencies and prosecutors, and track financial data. There were no convictions or prosecutions for money laundering in 2016."



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19237-haiti-economy-haiti-temporarily-escapes-financial-sanctions.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18760-haiti-flash-the-laws-on-money-laundering-and-ucref-passed-in-the-senate.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18688-haiti-economy-the-fbi-and-the-world-bank-come-to-help-haiti.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-18528-icihaiti-economy-financial-threat-on-the-country-an-international-affair-not-american.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18514-haiti-notice-towards-the-cancellation-of-the-international-financial-centre-of-la-gonave.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18482-haiti-politic-two-important-bills-passed-in-urgency.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18491-haiti-economy-gloomy-financial-perspective-for-haiti-if.html

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



SL/ HaitiLibre
























Haiti - Rene Preval : Special Statement of the countries of the Bolivarian Alliance





"The countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America - Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) deeply regret the death of former President of the Republic of Haiti Rene Preval.



They recognize that former President Preval was a fervent fighter for the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean and in particular for reintegrating the country into the international context, through the joining to a mechanism like PetroCaribe, seeking to eliminate social inequalities and promote quality of life with the effective participation of the Haitian people.



The ALBA-TCP countries remembers the participation of former President Preval as a special guest at the 5th Summit of Heads of State and Government, held on 27 and 28 April in the city of Tintorero, Venezuela, where he left the imprint of his integrationist spirit and his commitment to the values and principles of international law for the benefit of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.



Rene Preval was an eminent figure of the Republic of Haiti, who served honorably as President for two terms, in which he led with determination, passion and strength, under the responsibilities entrusted to him through the free and sovereign vote of his people.



Many are the merits and achievements that can be distinguished from the political life of Preval and the management of the Government of Haiti, in which he undertook economic reforms, he carried out a strong work of international recognition of the institutions of the Government and the capture of aid following the earthquake of January 2010.



The ALBA-TCP countries wish to transmit their sincere condolences to his family, friends and all the people of Haiti in general during this difficult period."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Education : Nesmy Manigat, re-elected at the head of the GPE Governance and Ethics Committee





The outgoing Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles welcomed with pride the re-election of Nesmy Manigat, former Minister of National Education, at the beginning of the month, to the Presidency of the Governance & Ethics Committee of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) for the next two years.



"At this particular moment in national life, the Jean-Charles Government is pleased to have officially supported this candidacy, which maintains the visibility of Haiti at the international level and its ability to influence the educational agenda at the level of international bodies."



While congratulating Nesmy Manigat for the trust placed in him at the highest governing body of this organization, Prime Minister Jean-Charles on behalf of the resigning Government, believes it is necessary to recall the country's commitment to continue playing its role as an active member of the Global Partnership for Education to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs).



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16734-icihaiti-education-tribute-evening-to-nesmy-manigat.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16651-haiti-education-nesmy-manigat-appointed-president-of-a-committee-of-global-partnership-for-education.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Rene Preval : Condolences of the Prime Minister of Quebec





The Prime Minister of Quebec, Philippe Couillard and Christine St-Pierre, Minister of International Relations and Francophonie, pay tribute to the former President of the Republic of Haiti, Rene Preval, who died at the age of 74 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20253-haiti-flash-rene-garcia-preval-passed-away-this-friday.html



"It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Rene Preval. A deep friendship unites the Quebec and Haitian peoples, and our relationship with Haiti is based on lasting ties. We will remember that it was under the presidency of Rene Preval that Quebec greatly intensified its collaboration with Haiti. It was at his side that Quebec undertook to help rebuild the country in the wake of the tragic earthquake that had plagued Haiti in January 2010. My thoughts go to his family, to the entire Haitian population, in particular the one established in Quebec, to whom I wish to express, on behalf of the Government of Quebec, my deepest sympathy," Philippe Couillard.



"I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the Haitian people and to the entire Haitian diaspora present in Quebec. Quebec and Haiti are bound by several agreements, but also and especially today by the heart. The solidarity and commitment of Quebec to Haiti express themselves with particular force in these days of mourning," Christine St-Pierre.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping politics...





Theft of a Dominican boat:

The Haitian authorities arrested several individuals in the community of Fort Liberte after they stole a boat used by the Dominican Navy for patrols in Manzanillo Bay, Montecristi province. According to the authorities' report the boat was stolen to the pier in front of the Navy Detachment by individuals who frequent the region in flagrant violation of Dominican territorial waters...



PM appointed seek a parliamentary majority :

Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant began negotiations with the various parliamentary groups with a view to securing a majority in Parliament for the ratification of his General Policy Statement. He is also working on the composition of his ministerial cabinet.



FUSION wants to start from scratch :

After the failure of the candidate Edmonde Suppice Beauzile (6th with 0.64% of the vote) and president of the Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats (Fusion), "the party wants to start from scratch," says its President stating "The Fusion of Social Democrats must turn to youth, by starting work at the base"



Rene Preval Messages of condolence



Petrocaribe / Caracas :

"The Executive Secretariat of Petrocaribe on behalf of its member countries presents its most respectful greetings to the brotherly people of the Republic of Haiti, the opportunity to express our sincere grief, following the disappearance of the Honorable Rene Preval [...] The physical disappearance of Rene Preval is a sad loss not only for Haiti but for the entire political community of the Caribbean region [...] The Executive Secretariat of Petrocaribe would like to express to parents, friends and all its sincere words of condolence for the irreparable loss of former President Rene Preval, who was a consistent fighter and defender of the social and political rights of his country."



President du Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega :

The Commandante President Daniel Ortega Saavedra, of the Republic of Nicaragua sent a message of condolence to President Jovenel Moise, following the died Friday of the former president of this nation, Comrade Rene Preval. "[...] This afternoon, we learned with great sadness of the death of Comrade Rene Preval, former President of the Republic of Haiti. I wish to express to you on behalf of the people, the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua, the Companera Vice-President Rosario Murillo, and in my name, our sincere condolences, asking you to transmit them to the family of Companero Preval, and to the brotherly people of Haiti."



Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles :

Prime Minister resigned Enex Jean-Charles salutes the memory of former President Rene Preval "[...] With the death of this patriot, it is a library in the political history of the country that caught fire andthe current generation has just been deprived of a good source. In this painful situation in which the Nation loses a worthy son, an eminent statesman, Prime Minister Jean-Charles presents the most saddened condolences of the resigning Government to the grieving family and the Haitian people as a whole."



Ambassade dHaiti (Vatican) :

The Embassy of Haiti to the Holy See (Vatican) bows to the remains of the former President of the Republic Rene Garcia Preval. While saluting the memory of this statesman who marked the national life by his culture of compromise, simplicity and humility, the Embassy ensures the family and loved ones of the departed of its most sincere compassion in this difficult ordeal.



Michel-Ange Gedeon (PNH) :

"The Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), Michel-Ange Gedeon, salute the memory of former President Rene Preval and sends his heartfelt condolences to his family and relatives."



Consulat dHaiti en RD :

"The Consulate General of Haiti in Higuey, very moved by the sudden departure of President Rene Garcia Preval presents his sympathies to the family Preval et allied his political family and all those grieved by this mourning," Jean Tholbert Alexis, Minister-Counselor.



Ministry of Culture :

"[...] By his disappearance, Haiti has lost a great figure in national political life, a simple, modest man, who during his two terms has marked the Haitian Presidency. The Ministry of Culture and Communication is bowing to the departure of this Great Man [Rene Preval] and conveys his sympathies to his family, friends and family, to his former collaborators, comrades and all those who are afflicted by this loss."



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20278-haiti-rene-preval-special-statement-of-the-countries-of-the-bolivarian-alliance.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20273-haiti-flash-rene-preval-6-days-of-national-mourning.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20272-haiti-news-zapping-politics.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20269-haiti-rene-preval-statement-by-the-prime-minister-of-canada-justin-trudeau.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20268-haiti-rene-preval-condolences-of-the-president-of-france-francois-hollande.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20264-haiti-rene-preval-ultimate-tribute-of-senator-latortue.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20262-haiti-rene-preval-messages-of-sympathy-arrive-from-everywhere.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20259-haiti-rene-preval-message-from-the-us-embassy.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20254-haiti-rene-preval-message-of-sympathy-of-president-moise.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20253-haiti-flash-rene-garcia-preval-passed-away-this-friday.html



Joe Damas : Sympathy Messages :

Following the death of Joseph Damas aka "Joe Damas" former music presenter at Radio Metropole died of cancer at the age of 65 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20272-haiti-news-zapping-politics.html Many people express their sadness https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20277-haiti-social-radio-loses-one-of-its-famous-radio-host.html



President Jovenel Moise :

"I salute the departure of an experienced promoter of Haitian culture. The death of the host Joe Damas is a great loss for Haiti"



Deputy Gary Bodeau :

"Joe, we'll miss you. That your soul rest in peace. My condolences to Radio Metropole, your family and your fans," Gary Bodeau



Senator Dieudonne Luma :

"I salute the departure of a valiant representative of culture. Joe, you will remain for eternity the cultural icon of the nation. Go in peace !"



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2017/03/05 | Source

Actor Gang Dong-won apologized for the issues about his pro-Japanese ancestor.

Advertisement

Gang Dong-won started with the words, "I apologize for my pro-Japanese great-grandfather who caused all this".

"I have been brought up hearing stories about my great-grandfather. My grandmother was the offspring of independence patriots so her stories were always natural to me. During the interview I had in 2007, I didn't recognize my great-grandfather's mistakes. I apologize again".

"I am embarrassed by this; the fact that I didn't understand what was wrong, the fact that my ancestor caused this issue and the fact that I couldn't deal with it in time. I will do what I can do to fix this and I apologize once again".
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Egypt's Foreign minister Sameh Shoukry reiterated Monday, at a meeting with EU Commissioner for Home and Migration Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos and the German and Austrian foreign ministers in Brussels, that Egypt will not establish refugee camps for migrants, saying "refugees and migrants live freely and enjoy the services provided to Egyptian citizens."

Shoukry said that what Egypt requires is support to provide a decent life and services to refugees, ministry spokesperson Said Ahmed Abou Zeid said in an official statement.

The officials met to discuss irregular migration, as the EU has said it considers Egypt a significant partner in both stemming the flow of irregular migrants to Europe through the Mediterranean, and preserving European security.

Avramopoulos expressed to Shoukry the EU's willingness to cooperate with Egypt in controlling borders.

Shoukry discussed Egypt's efforts to fight irregular migration, pointing to its success in preventing the illegal departure of migrant boats from the country since September 2016.

The foreign minister said illegal migration is not only an issue of security, but must also be seen in light of the social and economic reasons behind it.

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz proposed on Sunday the creation of EU reception centers for refugees outside the borders of the union, citing Georgia and Egypt as potential locations.

Kurz said in a press announcement "It is not that important where exactly [the centers] will be. The important thing is that [these countries] will ensure protection, and that people who illegally try to get to Europe, will be sent back there.

Last week, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel underscored the importance of cooperation in combating terrorism and irregular migration during a press conference in Cairo. El-Sisi spoke on the country's ongoing efforts to curb illegal immigration, a key concern for European countries facing a growing migrant crisis.

The president said that Egypt currently hosts 5 million immigrants from different nations who live their lives normally, receive the privileges enjoyed by Egyptian citizens and are not confined to refugee camps.

Egypt has repeatedly opposed proposals to build refugee camps to house illegal migrants on the African continent.

Last year, Egypt passed legislation to combat irregular migration to Europe from its shores.

Shoukry arrived in Brussels Sunday on a visit, during which he is scheduled to meet with the foreign ministers of 28 EU countries.

He has met already with Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, to discuss political and security challenges in the Middle East.

The foreign minister met earlier today with Belgian FM Didier Reynders, to discuss bilateral relations, especially economic and investment opportunities. The officials also tackled regional issues, including the crises in Libya, Syria, and Yemen, and the fight against the Islamic State militant group.

On Sunday Shoukry met with Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, to discuss Egypt's economic reform programme; ways to enhance its partnership with the European Union; and how to handle regional crises.

The Egyptian FM is scheduled to sign an EU-Egypt association agreement  under negotiation since February 2016  which would frame the countrys relationship with European institutions over the next three years.

During negotiations, Cairo assured the EU that the agreement would be based on Egypts 2030 development plan.

An EU delegation is set to visit Egypt mid-March to continue talks on how to implement the agreement.

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A ministry statement said that security investigations had revealed that the presence of criminal elements in the hilly area near Badr City on the eastern outskirts of the capital, who were dealing in heroin and using firearms to protect their criminal activity.

Suspects shot at police when they arrived, leading to an exchange of fire, the statement added.

The suspects had been involved in several attacks on civilians, including the killing of a citizen in late 2016, the ministry said.

A number of firearms were confiscated, as well as 3 kilograms of heroin and EGP 62,000 in cash.

Dealing in recreational drugs such as heroin and cocaine can be punished by the death penalty, according to the Egyptian penal code.

The total value of the illegal drug trade in Egypt reached $45 billion (EGP 751 billion) in 2016, according to the Baseera Center for Public Opinion Research.

According to the state's Addiction Treatment and Abuse Fund, Egypt registered a 2.4 percent drug addiction rate, and 10 percent abuse rate in the general population for 2016.

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by Andrew Walden

Fraud, bribery and 23 Hawaii archaeological sites? Yes, HCDA is at work in Kalaeloa again.

The Hawaii Community Development Authority board overseeing the Kalaeloa Community Development District March 1 voted to enter into negotiations with the Aloha Solar Energy Fund II for construction of a 5-megawatt solar farm on 44 acres of land across Coral Sea Road from Kalaeloa Beach Park.

A Group 70 survey prepared for HCDA in 2012 reports Parcel 13073-E contains 23 Hawaiian archaeological sites, encompassing 146 features.

In written testimony to the HCDA February 28, John Bond, president of the nonprofit Kanehili Cultural Hui says this site is one of the most culturally and historically rich sites KCH members have ever seen. By just walking a few yards in any direction off the bulldozed roads was massive evidence of an ancient Hawaiian cultural habitation of all kinds, including trails, heiaus, (and) burial sites.

Subcontractors for a previous solar developer, Aloha Solar Energy Fund I / Sunetric, were ordered to cease and desist (pgs 7-16) in 2012 after members of the Kapolei Hawaiian Civic Club caught them bulldozing nearly a kilometer of 20-30-foot wide pathways into the property. (pg 2)

Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire

The new developer, Aloha Solar Energy Fund II (ASEF2) hasnt even started yetbut they already have a record. ASEF2 is owned by the Environmental Chemical Corporation (ECC). The current editor of Maui Time, Anthony Pignataro, tells the story in a May 17, 2000 Orange County Weekly article:

ECC is part of a mini-corporate empire set up 20 years ago by Pritam Sabharwal in Lexington, Kentucky. Newspaper accounts chronicle a rich and colorful history of run-ins with federal environmental regulators. In 1980, Sabharwal formed his first company, Environmental Health Research and Testing (EHRT). Taking advantage of federal Small Business Administration (SBA) set-asides for minorities just starting out, Sabharwal was able to secure more than $31 million in government contracts before 1990. Everything seemed fine until 1993, when Sabharwal tried to give an $18,000 bribe to a federal Environmental Protection Agency official in exchange for information on his competitors' bids for a local contract. Sabharwal later entered into a plea agreement to pay a $1 million fine, and EHRT was barred from federal contracts. But Sabharwal himself wasn't out yet. Since the mid-1980s, he had been incorporating new companies on a regular basis and appointing family members to run them. In 1985, he formed ECC and turned it over to his son Paul. In 1989, he spun off Sab International Technology Enterprises (SITE) and tapped his son Shawn to run it. Sabharwal later secured SBA minority start-up grants for both ECC and SITE, even though the money from all the firms went into the same accounts, making them essentially one company. Federal auditors suspected something was amiss as early as 1993, but seven years passed before a federal grand jury indicted Sabharwal and five family members on May 30, 2000, on 12 counts of fraud, racketeering, bribery and conspiracy. The main charge: defrauding the federal government out of $150 million in SBA start-up funds. Pritam Sabharwal reacted by fleeing to his native India, while the rest of his family pleaded innocent of all charges, most of which were eventually thrown out. On March 9, 2001, the Sabharwal patriarch returned to the U.S. and pleaded guilty to hiding company records and lying about his billing practices to EPA auditors from 1993 to 1995. He agreed to pay a $2 million fine, serve six months in jail and pay the $1 million fine from 1993 that he had simply ignored.

With a history like that, it should come of little surprise that one of ECCs first moves was to pick up where ASEF1 left off--hire the Kapolei Hawaiian Civic Club as a consultant. (pg 3 and 52)

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Background:
The survey of workers included responses from more than 1,000 US professionals age 18 and over and employed in office environments. The CFO survey is based on telephone interviews with more than 2,200 CFOs from in more than 20 of the largest US metropolitan areas.

"When there are changes in management, employees often feel distressed by the unknown," said Paul McDonald, senior executive director at Robert Half. "To help ease the transition and allay any concerns, it's essential for employers to communicate openly and often with staff."

Decreased morale and motivation were the biggest reported causes of lost productivity among both groups, followed by concerns over increased workloads and fear about job security or relationships with the new boss, the survey said.

The firm suggested four ways that may help managers avoid a drop in productivity and help employees effectively navigate changes in leadership:

Cultivate succession and hiring pipelines. Know who in your department or company might be ready to move into a bigger role, and keep a trusted recruiter on speed dial.

Consider an interim boss. If you don't have someone who can step into a leadership position immediately, hire an interim manager to keep projects moving and workloads in check.

Move quickly. Minimize the time of uncertainty by filling the role swiftly yet smartly, making sure you check off all necessary steps.

Keep everyone informed. Updating your team about the progress of the search for a new manager can help improve staff morale and keep rumours to a minimum.

"If a senior manager leaves a company, the focus should be on keeping teams motivated and engaged while quickly staffing the opening," McDonald said. "Employers who don't address workers' concerns risk a decrease in employee performance and an increase in turnover."
ng productive has traditionally been viewed as working through a list of tasks quickly.The problem is we have a never ending list of tasks vying for our attention. Therefore, it is hard to ever switch off, get anything done or feel a sense of accomplishment, according to Angela Lockwood, occupational therapist and author of Switch Off. How to find calm in a noisy world.Productivity really comes down to two things, energy and focus. Having enough energy to get you through the week with reserves for weekend, while having the clarity of mind to determine what is important and what isnt, said Lockwood.Our weekends hold the key to our productivity and when we use our weekends (or our days not at work) for what they were designed for we will find renewed energy and focus in all areas of our lives.Lockwood said three actions will help employees maximise their week by using their weekends better.ReflectFriday afternoon before you leave work, on the way home or over Friday night dinner, use this time for reflection. In our right here, right now world we are quick to move on to the next thing not taking the time to reflect on what worked during our week and what didnt. Individuals and organisations that allocate time for reflection make good decisions again and again.They identify what they did right and what they did wrong, and use the experience to shape how they approach similar situations in the future. This also works on an individual level. Look back on your week to see what worked well for you and what you need to do differently. This will help you to switch off over the weekend, learn and move on.RestSleep and rest are often viewed as luxuries in our fast-paced world. With so much to do and so little time, sleep and rest are seen as obstacles to getting things done. We all know the importance of sleep and taking a break when we are starting to feel overtired or ill. The problem is, rest is typically what we do when it is too late  we rest when we are already overtired and/or sick. To rest means to cease work or movement in order to relax, sleep, or recover strength.So use your weekends to do just that. Intense activity and energy expenditure (your work week), needs to be balanced by rest and repair (your weekend). Your weekend rest schedule could be a morning walk to the local cafe, a surf, an afternoon read of the newspaper, a visit to a friend or even a Sunday morning long-breakfast. Take opportunities to rest when you can, it is the single most effective way for you to switch off and gain the energy boost you need.RefocusWe cant always be in a zoned-out, disconnected, chilled-out rest zone. We eventually have to go back to work! Rather than our return to work being a chore transition into the work week with renewed energy and focus and plug it in where its needed. How you do this is to use some time on your weekend to plan for the week ahead.Being organised is really the key to ensuring the week flows smoothly. By being organised we cease to be reactive and become proactive. Being proactive means we are in control rather than just responding as things pop up. When we are organised our day flows better, and if we do forget something it isnt that big a deal. Use a portion of your weekend to plan your meals for the coming week, shop for groceries (or have them delivered), plan your tasks for the week, and set a household routine.Related stories:
Egypt's army chief-of-staff, General Mahmoud Hegazy, met with General Petr Pavel, the chairman of NATO military committee, in Cairo on Monday to discuss the latest regional developments, the Egyptian armed forces announced.

According to the statement issued by the Egyptian military, Hegazy and Pavel discussed a number of regional issues, among them the situation in Libya.

The Egyptian chief-of-staff is currently on the Egyptian commission mediating between rival Libyan factions.

Last month, Cairo hosted a round of talks between rival political powers in the war-torn country.

The two military commanders also discussed the latest developments in the war on terrorism as well coordination and cooperation in that field.

General Pavel expressed his appreciation for the Egyptian role and efforts in fighting radicalism and terrorism, stressing NATO's complete support for those efforts to achieve security and stability in the Middle East, according to the statement.

The meeting between Pavel and Hegazy was attended by a number of Egyptian armed forces commanders.

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Immigrants in Finland have the right to take free language classes as part of their integration process. Usually in Helsinki, these classes involve learning Finnish, the more widely spoken of the countrys two national languages. It was only a few years ago that immigrants gained the right to choose to learn Finlands minority language, Swedish. As I learnt when my own husband immigrated here in 2015, however, this option is rarely presented, and few foreigners are aware of it themselves. I want to change this.

Election Talk gives candidates running in the municipal elections a chance to discuss their views on the increasingly international aspect of Finnish society, as well as how this will affect their work if they are elected. Voting will take place on 9 April 2017, with advance voting between 29 March and 4 April.

Integration in Swedish is available in Helsinki. Arbis, the Swedish-language adult education center, won the tender to officially organize Swedish-language integration for adults in the Helsinki region last year. This means their course is offered free of charge to participants in the same way Finnish courses are elsewhere. This is a positive step towards ensuring both languages are offered on equal terms to immigrants.

For children, integration in Swedish is available in Swedish-speaking local schools with extra support provided by specialized teachers that go between schools. This differs from the model in Finnish schools, where preparatory classes for immigrant children are organized. One of the reasons for the difference is size: there are only some 40 children of different ages that integrate in Swedish, while the number is ten times that on the Finnish side. Civil servants admit that the small number of children integrating in Swedish is partly due to lack of information among immigrant families.

Some might see little point in learning Finlands minority language. Why learn a language spoken by only 5.7% (2016) of Helsinki residents? Indeed, why learn a language which is already under threat from current government policies which seem to care little for Swedish-speaking Finns constitutional right to speak their own language?

Many immigrants that learn Swedish in Helsinki do so because their significant other is a Finnish Swede. Swedish can also be easier to learn, particularly for speakers of other Germanic languages, thus opening up opportunities faster than learning Finnish would do  from entering higher education to taking the language exam that is a prerequisite for applying for Finnish citizenship. It also opens opportunities across the Nordic countries, most obviously in Sweden, but also Norway and Denmark.

My hope is that more foreigners will learn Swedish in Finland. For one, youd be doing Swedish-speaking Finns a favor by boosting demand for services in Swedish and thereby helping to maintain Helsinki as a genuinely bilingual city. More than anything, however, I genuinely believe that learning Swedish in Helsinki offers immigrants good opportunities to integrate and put their skills and knowledge to use. Key to achieving this will be to ensure information about integration in Swedish, for both adults and children, is routinely provided to immigrants through a single contact point. The city will then have to ensure that supply meets demand.

Nora Lindstrom is a trilingual Green party candidate in the Helsinki municipal elections. She studied at the University of St Andrews (MA) and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in the UK, before embarking on a career in human rights. Recently shes been working on issues surrounding irregular migration at the Helsinki Deaconess Institute. Shes also a new mother and lives with her daughter, American husband, and Cambodian street cat in Munkkiniemi. www.noralindstrom.com, @NoraLindstroem
The transition from President Obama to President Trump has triggered fears that the new administration will overturn many of the policies, programs and successes of the last eight years. These fears are especially strong concerning the issue of climate change. While the policies of the new White House are still unclear, President Trump has appointed a number of people who have opposed the climate initiatives and, in some cases, expressed skepticism that the human induced climate threat even exists. The concern in many circles is that the administration will walk away from the Paris Agreement and repudiate the ambitious emission reduction targets set out in the US-China bilateral agreement signed by Presidents Obama and Xi Jinping in November 2014.

If the US withdraws from the climate arena, China could seize the opportunity to fill the vacuum and, in turn, exercise greater leadership in global affairs.

So will China, which emits more CO2 than the United States and the European Union combined, also withdraw from its commitments to stabilize emissions by 2030, and meet its non-fossil fuel targets?

The early indication is that China will not be influenced by the actions and rhetoric of a Trump White House. Counter to many perceptions, Chinas commitment to emission stabilization is not the result of pressure from the United States and Europe, but rather a deliberate choice based on Chinas domestic economic and its deteriorating environmental situation.

Two days before Trumps inauguration, President Xi Jinping addressed the United Nations Office in Geneva and reassured the international community that China will continue to take steps to tackle climate change and fully honor its obligations. Some of those obligations include: peaking its total greenhouse gas emissions around 2030; increasing the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy mix to 20 percent; and reducing CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 60 to 65 percent below 2005 levels by the same year.

So what benefits does China expect to achieve from its ambitious climate initiatives?

The first, and most urgent motivation, is to curb its unbearable air pollution in its urban areas. Burning fossil fuels emits various air pollutants. These pollutants are not only locally detrimental, but even worse, they trigger complex chemical reactions in the atmosphere and form secondary pollutants  such as fine particular matters called PM 2.5  which can be spread over long distances. Such pollutants create the dense blanket of smog that hangs over Chinas northern cities in the winter months.

Yet Chinas power sector and heavy industries still heavily rely on coal, the dirtiest of the fossil fuels. The country accounted for half of global coal consumption in 2015. As a result, a large part of northern China is plagued by periodical heavy air pollutions, with PM 2.5 concentrations more than 20 times higher than the healthy level recommended by the World Health Organization. Pollution levels this past winter have been especially bad, ratcheting up the political pressures to take stronger actions.

In order to ease the publics anger, one of the most effective approaches has been to reduce overall coal consumption. Over the past few years, China has been shutting down small coal mines and energy inefficient factories. In January 2017, Chinas the National Energy Administration cancelled construction of more than 100 planned coal-fired power plants. At the same time, China has become a global leader in renewable energy deployment. Solar and wind electricity generation capacities increased by 177 percent and 34.6 percent annually from 2010 to 2015, and the growth is likely to continue given the governments substantial programmatic and financial support. Reducing concentrations of PM2.5 has the benefit of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide. Over the next few years, China will re-double its efforts to reduce its emissions of conventional pollutants. In fact, the rate of Chinas reduction in carbon emissions may be faster than officials predicted two years ago due to the increased pressure to reduce conventional emissions.

An even more compelling motivation behind Chinas climate policy is the need for an economic structural transition. China needs to cut excessive capacity in heavy industries on the one hand, and find new sources of economic growth on the other. Promotion of low carbon development represents vast opportunities for new business models and technological innovations that can reinvigorate the economy. This commitment to a future low carbon economy is not only pervasive throughout Chinas central government, it is replicated at the provincial and local levels. The momentum has been growing and it would take an unprecedented economic collapse to reverse it. Ironically, in this unlikely situation, carbon emissions would fallnot because of government policy, but because of the collapse.

If the world is to reach the two-degree centigrade target set at the Paris conference in 2015, significant actions will be needed beyond those proposed in the programs and policies announced by national governments to date. Thus, there is a possibility that, in future international climate negotiations, the inaction of the US could discourage China and other countries from ratcheting up their mitigation efforts, leading to a much bleaker environmental future.

But we should also recognize the possibility that China will play a more proactive role in global climate governance as the US retreats. Beijing has long sought to break through the US dominated world order and exercise greater leadership in global affairs. If the US withdraws from the climate arena, China may seize the opportunity to fill in the vacuum left by the US Certainly the recent remarks on this subject by President Xi point in this direction.

Chinas commitment to stabilize and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions is not simply a short term political move to placate Western environmental interests. It represents a fundamentally historic transition from a carbon-based economy to a future decarbonized world. Chinas climate initiatives are based on their own interests, and are not likely to be derailed by a US retreat under President Trump.

Henry Lee is the Jassim M. Jaidah Family Director of the Environment and Natural Resources Program within the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Mr. Lee spent nine years in Massachusetts as Director of the State's Energy Office and Special Assistant to the Governor for environmental policy, and has worked with the US Departments of Energy and Interior, the National Research Council, the Intercontinental Energy Corporation, General Electric, and the US EPA. Pu Wang is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School. Mr. Wang received his PhD from Cornell University in the field of natural resources in 2014.
I will not seek another term at the party conference held in Jyvaskyla at the beginning of June, Soini wrote in his blog on Sunday. Something different lies in my future.

Timo Soini, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, has announced his decision not to seek re-election at the helm of the Finns Party, sparking speculation not only about his successor but also about the future of the three-party ruling coalition.

The 54-year-old Soini has held the reins of the populist party since two years after its founding in 1995, transforming it from a minority opposition party to one of the largest parties by representation in the Finnish Parliament. The Finns Party won no more than three seats in the parliamentary elections of 2003 but disrupted the countrys political status quo eight years later by receiving almost one-fifth of the ballot, winning 39 seats.

Soini on Sunday stated that regardless of who is appointed as his successor the party should remain part of the ruling coalition.

[The Government] is the place for making a difference and getting results, he reminded. I have plenty of experience of being in the opposition  I know the difference between the positions.

Soini also revealed that he has been honoured, and would like to continue, to serve as the Minister for Foreign Affairs despite his decision to relinquish the reins of the Finns Party.

I have performed the difficult responsibilities well. I would like to continue in the position until the end of the current electoral term [in 2019]. This will depend on a number of things, first and foremost on the party remaining part of the Government, he wrote.

The Finns Party will convene for its party conference to select a successor to its long-term leader in June. Soini said he is confident that the party is capable of making the right decision.

Uutissuomalainen, a newly-founded joint editorial office for eight regional newspapers, reported last week that Sampo Terho, the chairperson of the Finns Party Parliamentary Group, is the clear favourite to succeed Soini among the district directors of the Finns Party. Its survey reached all of the 16 district directors, eight of whom voiced their support for Terho and five of whom declined to reveal their position on the issue.

Two district directors voiced their support for Jussi Niinisto, the Minister of Defence, and one for Jussi Halla-aho, a Member of the European Parliament. Both Niinisto and Halla-aho are expected to announce whether or not they will enter the leadership race on Monday, according to Helsingin Sanomat.

The district directors were asked to name their favourite in the event that Soini opts not to seek re-election at the helm of the Finns Party.

CORRECTION: Soini announced his decision not to seek re-election in his blog early on Sunday, not on Saturday as the article previously stated.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Vesa Moilanen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
The leadership election wont lead to a government crisis. If political differences of opinion become polarised by the mid-term session, that can lead to a government crisis, he stated during a hastily organised press conference at Helsinki Airport on Sunday.

Timo Soini (PS), the Minister for Foreign Affairs, is confident that his decision to hand over the reins of the Finns Party in June will not spark a political crisis in Finland.

Such critical issues, he estimated, include taxation and family benefits.

Well have to take a look at tax policy. It also seems that some feel the need to profile themselves in the area of family policy, said Soini. But Im confident that the worst is behind us when it comes to the cost cuts and adjustment policy of the Government.

Kimmo Gronlund, a professor of political science at Abo Akademi University, was one of a number of political analysts to predict that the looming change in leadership will herald difficult times for the Government of Prime Minister Juha Sipila (Centre).

Soini underscored that the future of the ruling three-party coalition will depend primarily on policy issues.

Im not particularly concerned. Because of a number of big issues, the care reform and whatnot, the [Governments] capability doesnt depend only on the Finns Party  it depends on everyone. The election result obliges the Government to get things done. We havent had a majority government thats capable of making such decisions for a long time. Losing that capability would be very regrettable, as it would lead to months of idleness, he reminded.

The chairpersons of the other two ruling parties, Sipila (Centre) and Petteri Orpo (NCP), both drew attention to the importance of continuing co-operation with the Finns Party on Sunday.

Major issues are on the table: employment, the economy, the care reform, said Orpo.

Soini revealed that he did not make his final decision until late last week. The party is in good condition, financially independent, functional. The municipal elections will bring a two-digit vote haul, theres no reason for concern also in that respect. [The Finns Partys] men and women will take it from there.

He also refrained from voicing his support for any of the candidates expected to throw their hats in the leadership ring. I reckon its better to let people announce their candidacy first, stated Soini.

His successor, he estimated, will have to have a thick skin, a high tolerance for mental discomfort and the willingness to develop their expertise. The Finns Partys chairmanship, its quite the taxing job. Theres a bit of concern and grief, with the people being so colourful.

Soini also declined to shed light on his plans for the future.

Well see. Ive been doing this for a long time. I suppose theres a job for me somewhere. Ive been thinking that Id stay on as an MP and, if its so decided, as the Minister for Foreign Affairs until the end of the this term. I dont know what will happen then, he said.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Vesa Moilanen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Egypt condemned on Monday a terrorist attack on a military base in Mali that killed 12 soldiers, according to a statement bythe Egyptian foreign ministry.

The attack on Sunday targeted the base near the border with Burkina Faso.

No group has claimed its responsibility for the attack so far but suspicion fell on a group from Burkina Faso known as Ansaroul Islam, which is linked to extremist groups in northern Mali.

The Egyptian foreign ministry's spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid presented Egypt's condolences to the families of the victims, adding that Egypt's government and people stood with the government and people of Mali against terrorism.

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The mouth of the tunnel is hardly visible on a muddy hillside overlooking Mosul, where fighting now rages between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants.

In less turbulent times, trains ran through it on their way to or from Mosul, but when the militants overran the area in the summer of 2014, they barricaded both ends, ripped up the tracks and built an assault course inside, on which to train their recruits.

Iraqi forces discovered the underground training camp after regaining control of the hillside last month in the early stages of a campaign to dislodge Islamic State militants from Mosul's western half.

Locals tipped them off about the location of the camp, which reveals the extent of Islamic States determination, despite the overwhelming number and firepower of the forces arrayed against it, which are backed by a U.S.-led coalition.

Clambering down a bank of earth that concealed the entrance, two Iraqi soldiers went into the tunnel - about 7 m (yards) high by 5 m (yards) wide, lighting the way with their mobile phones.

They illuminated Islamic State slogans painted along the walls of the tunnel - around half a kilometre (0.3 mile) in length - and a series of obstacles, which one soldier tried out.

"Their training is similar to ours," said Kadhem al-Gharrawi, a member of the Rapid Response Division, an elite Interior Ministry Unit. "It's tough training for special forces."

It is not clear how many recruits passed through the camp or what became of them.

The physical drills complemented the group's ideological training, evidence of which is contained in booklets littering the floor of the tunnel, detailing its uncompromising doctrine.

A leaflet titled "Types of Idolatry", lies beside empty cartons of orange juice drunk by the recruits and packaging of the boots and balaclava headgear they wore.

CONQUERING ROME

The railway was built in the early 20th century, as part of the line connecting Berlin to Baghdad.

It was out of use when Islamic State overran Mosul in the summer of 2014 and declared a modern-day caliphate spanning Iraq and Syria, pledging to expand across the world.

"By the will of God, we will conquer Rome," reads one mural painted on the wall of the tunnel against the background of a blood red sun.

Near the start of the assault course lie several backpacks full of sand, which were worn by recruits to weigh them down as they went over the obstacles, to increase the difficulty.

After coming off the death slide, recruits would have swung along monkey bars and then thrown themselves flat to crawl under barbed wire, past the words "We will prevail despite the global Crusader alliance" painted on the wall.

Red arrows point to the direction in which they were supposed to scramble over a wall - still covered in scuff marks made by their boots.

The recruits appear to have slept there some of the time: bedding is strewn in two chambers dug into the sides of the tunnel, including a pink duvet cover decorated with cartoon character Mickey Mouse.

The militants also installed lighting in the tunnel, powered by a generator set in the hillside. There was a medical clinic in a portacabin, as well as four shower cubicles and a place to perform ablutions before prayer in a tunnel section labelled "mosque".

Another area was designated for washing dishes, not far from the slogan: "Heaven is jihad in the path of God".

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Owen Pardue claimed gardai had a vendetta against him

A Dublin man accused of threatening behaviour at the Criminal Courts of Justice has been ordered not to harass or take pictures of gardai.

Owen Pardue (52) claimed officers had a "vendetta" against him as he was remanded on bail.

Judge Bryan Smyth adjourned the case to a date later this month.

Mr Pardue, of Taylor's Lane, Rathfarnham, is charged with threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour at the courts on Parkgate Street.

He is also accused of resisting gardai in the same incident last February 23.

Gda Noel Gibbons gave evid- ence of Mr Pardue's arrest, charge and caution at Dublin District Court.

The judge granted him bail with a cash lodgement of 100 on condition that he "does not engage or harass members of An Garda Siochana, on or off duty, save in an emergency situation".

Internet

He must also not "record members of the gardai, on or off duty, by any electronic means".

He is further prohibited from uploading any personal details of members of the force on to the internet.

Defence barrister Karl Mon-ahan agreed to those terms.

In evidence, Mr Pardue alleged there was a garda "vendetta" against him, "which will come out".

He said he had always attended court and had been given a wrong date on one occasion.

Mr Pardue told the court he was "an ill man" with many physical problems.

He said he was currently homeless and did not have "anywhere to run".

Mr Pardue alleged he was "viciously attacked" and that gardai left him without food, drink or access to a doctor for 24 hours.

He also alleged the gardai made "very serious threats" against his life.

The judge said he did not have jurisdiction to deal with these issues and his solicitor could advise him.

Other conditions of bail are that he lives at the address given and is of good behaviour.
The men of Carrigstown will be able to put their feet up on Wednesday when Fair City airs its first all-female episode to mark International Women's Day.

Feuds will be laid to rest and others will reach new heights as several of the show's women end up in a lock-in at McCoy's pub.

One thing's for sure - viewers can expect plenty of drama as the cocktails flow and tensions rise.

The truth is exposed as Niamh finally draws a line under Paul's affair with Hayley.

Carol is left dumbfounded when she discovers Hayley has been the woman Paul has been romancing behind his wife's back.

Feud

Meanwhile, Jane and Orla come to blows as they battle it out over accountant Dermot's money, which has mysteriously gone missing.

Debbie and Rose finally end their feud and reach a truce.

As they reminisce on kidnapping victim Katy, they light a candle in her honour.

Fair City executive producer Brigie de Courcy said the special episode has been "months in the making", and she hopes fans respond well to it.

"We're so excited to air this very special all-female episode, which is a first for an Irish soap," she said.

"Strong women have always been at the heart of Fair City, so we decided what better way to celebrate International Women's Day than putting our Carrigstown ladies out front and centre in their very own episode?

"The programme has been months in the making. We've been planning well in advance to ensure that all these characters collide on the same day.

"I really hope the audience at home will enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed creating it."

To mark the episode, RTE Player will host a series of short behind-the-scenes features in which Clelia Murphy (Niamh), Aisling O'Neill (Carol) and Rebecca Grimes (Hayley) discuss their roles in the episode.
The body of Paddy Lyons is taken from Lismore to Ballysaggart ahead of todays funeral

A community gathered in silence last night to honour a 90-year-old farmer whose death shocked the country.

Hundreds gathered for the removal of Paddy Lyons (90) from Lismore, Co Waterford, to St Mary's Church, Ballysaggart, where he had worshipped for many years.

Friends, neighbours and relatives vowed he would be given "a dignified" funeral.

Shortly after 1pm, mourners gathered at St Carthage's Mortuary in Lismore to pay their last respects.

Mr Lyons was discovered dead at his Loughleagh home outside Ballysaggart, 10km from Lismore, two weeks ago.

Suspicious

A murder investigation was launched after a post-mortem at University Hospital Waterford by assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster.

The examination was ordered by gardai who were suspicious of marks on the face and head of Mr Lyons.

The pensioner was discovered slumped in a chair at his farmhouse home after locals became concerned when he did not attend a funeral in the village.

Mr Lyons' own funeral was delayed to allow distant relatives to attend from overseas, including the US.

Shortly before 6pm yesterday, Mr Lyons' body was carried from St Carthage's Mortuary and brought by funeral cortege to St Mary's Church.

Mr Lyons will be buried after 11am Requiem Mass today in a plot beside family members.

Funeral tributes will be paid by Ballysaggart community groups including the GAA, community alert, musical society and IFA.

The only child of John and Nora Lyons, Mr Lyons never married and lived alone at the 30-acre family homestead.

Ross Outram (26), of Ferryland, Waterford Road, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, was last week charged with the murder of Mr Lyons at Dungarvan District Court.

He was remanded in custody and will reappear before the court on Wednesday.
Ireland's Olympic heroine Annalise Murphy spoke of her delight at the "huge honour" of being selected as the Grand Marshal of Dublin's St Patrick's Day parade.

The silver medal-winning sailor was yesterday announced as the person who will lead the parade through the capital.

"It's such a huge honour. I'm really looking forward to it. I've spent so many Patrick's Days away competing or training, so it's going to be brilliant to be at home in Dublin," said Annalise.

"I am always extremely proud to represent Ireland but that is normally out on the water, so this will be a completely different experience for me.

"The parade is always a great day and I'm really looking forward to being part of it."

Success

The 27-year-old from Rathfarnham added that she has returned to intensive training in preparation for a competition in the Netherlands in May.

She enjoyed a rest period after her Rio Olympics success, which included meeting friends and enjoying lie-ins.

She said she will have to work as hard as ever to succeed, including facing the challenge of qualifying for the next Olympics and competing with younger female sailors for her place in the Irish team.

St Patrick's Festival chief executive Susan Kirby said the organisers were absolutely thrilled to announce Annalise as Grand Marshal.

"Annalise's achievements to date are an example of the ability of a strong will and determination and she is a great ambassador for Ireland," she said.

"We wish Annalise the best of luck in her role and we hope she enjoys every minute of the experience."

The theme of this year's festival is 'Ireland you are'. It is funded by Failte Ireland, Dublin City Council, and the Department of the Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

The festival will run from March 16 to 19. The parade will begin at Parnell Square on March 17 at noon.

Funfairs will take place at Merrion Square and on Custom House Quay for three days.
European Union foreign ministers arriving at a meeting in Brussels say that there may be lessons to be drawn from the spat between Turkey and Germany on campaigning by officials from outside the 28-nation bloc.

Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak says that the controversy highlights the lack of European rules and standards on allowing rallies by politicians from non-member countries.

He says that "it's about time to start discussing it. I think there should be rules. I would be rather restrictive, because as we can see it has a huge damaging potential."

Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers to address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of an upcoming constitutional referendum that would give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan new powers.

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Palestinian activist Basil Al-Araj was killed by Israeli occupation forces during a shootout on Monday, after soldiers raided his home in Ramallah, according to Palestinian and Israeli media reports.

The 31-year-old, who was born in Bethlehem and was known for his blogging about the struggle against the Israeli occupation, had been wanted for a year by Israeli forces.

An Israeli police spokeswoman claimed the Al-Araj was head of a squad that had planned to launch attacks on Israeli targets, Reuters reported.

Palestinian health ministry officials say that Israeli forces have retained the body, according to Reuters.

No Israeli troops were injured during the operation, Tel Aviv statements said.

Three other Palestinians were injured in the shootout, which lasted for two hours, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a Palestinian socialist organisation established in 1967, released a statement mourning Al-Arajs death.

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network saluted Al-Araj, saying in a statement on Monday that he struggled all his life for Palestine and its people, [and was] committed to a radical vision of justice and liberation.

We demand real justice for Basil Al-Araj, the prosecution and accountability of all those responsible for his execution, and the immediate release of his body, as well as his imprisoned comrades and all 7,000 Palestinian prisoners of freedom in the jails of the occupation, the statement read.

Since October 2015, Israeli occupation forces have killed at least 252 Palestinians.

Attacks by unarmed Palestinians have killed 41 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese national. The rate of attacks has declined sharply in recent months.

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Freedom of speech is a privilege. We need to treat it that way.

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A top Arab Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset on Monday defended naming a street in northern Israel after the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to remove it.

The small Palestinian town of Jatt recently inaugurated Yasser Arafat Street in honour of the former Palestinian president, a hero to Palestinians and many Arab Israelis but loathed by many Israelis.

On Sunday, the Jatt council decided to remove "all the controversial street signs", including the Arafat sign, and replace them with different names, according to a report on Channel 10 television.

The local municipality did not comment on Monday, but Israeli media reported signage had been removed after Netanyahu's threat.

Ayman Odeh, head of the predominantly Arab Joint List coalition in the Israeli parliament, said Arafat was a "symbol".

"He is a leader of the national liberation movement and he chose peace and negotiations and he won the Nobel Peace Prize," Odeh told journalists.

"It is completely your right to say 'I am completely against this man'," he added, but said streets in Jewish neighbourhoods had sometimes been named after far-right politicians and even assailants.

"I cannot accept this is OK but calling a street after Yasser Arafat is not OK."

Arab Palestinians in Israel, those who were not expelled by Zionist militias in the 1948, account for about 17.5 percent of the country's eight million population.

Jatt has a population of some 11,000.

Speaking at the start of a Sunday cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said "no street in the state of Israel will be named after murderers of Israelis and Jews".

"We will make the arrangements, including new legislation if need be, so that this does not happen here."

Arafat rose to become the leader of the Palestinian movement after the creation of Israel, leading an armed struggle against it.

Decades later he disavowed violence and famously shook hands with Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin on the White House lawn, although the peace the Oslo accords were supposed to bring never materialised as Israel continues to occupy Palestinian territories it captured in the June 1967 war.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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At least 22 Shia Houthi rebels were killed Monday in an air strike by pro-government Arab coalition warplanes as well as clashes in western Yemen, officials said.

The strike on a military base in the city of Bajil, northeast of provincial capital Hodeida on the Red Sea, killed 16 rebels, said a medical official and a military source.

The raid by warplanes from the Saudi-led Arab coalition wounded 23 others, the sources in Hodeida said.

To the south, clashes between the rebels and loyalists near the city of Mokha left six insurgents dead, according to the same sources who said their bodies were taken to a morgue in Hodeida.

Troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi took Mokha on February 10 and announced they aimed to push north and take the country's main Red Sea port of Hodeida next.

Allied with forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Iran-backed Houthis control most of Yemen's 450-kilometre (280-mile) Red Sea coast, the capital Sanaa and much of the northern highlands.

The Arab coalition mounted a military campaign against the rebels in March 2015 when insurgents closed in on Hadi in his refuge in the southern city of Aden.

More than 7,500 people have been killed in the conflict since then, according to the United Nations.

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The European Union will host a conference on the post-conflict future of Syria with the United Nations in Brussels on April 5, foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini said.

The conference, a follow-up to last year's London meeting, "will assess regional conditions and the conditions on which post-conflict assistance can be provided once a credible political transition is in place," Mogherini said.

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Leaders dont just give; they roll up their sleeves. For this reason, in 2013, with the help of Duke Energy, the Catawba County Chamber initiated the annual Community Leadership Award. Our desire was to recognize and celebrate the efforts of individuals in Catawba County who go above and beyond to make a positive impact toward community and economic development.

This is the highest honor the Catawba County Chamber bestows on any individual and is presented at our Annual Shareholders and Investors Luncheon in February. The award targets those who foster a culture of community leadership and service which inspires others to become involved in service to Catawba County.

We are proud to boast the names of the previous recipients of this award:

2013- Garrett Hinshaw

2014  Alan Jackson

2015- John Teeter

2016  Joe Lutz

This year, the names of many worthy individuals were presented for consideration. After much deliberation, the selection committee, made up of previous recipients, selected Paul Beatty Jr. to receive this honor for 2017. His lengthy list of accomplishments placing service before self and benefiting Catawbans for many decades had made him an obvious choice.

Paul Beatty Jr. is a native of Catawba County, residing here the majority of his life. He is a graduate of NC State University and is employed by Duke Energy. Commitment at a very early age has spurred a lifetime of involved community service. Paul was just 12 years old when he joined the Catawba County Historical Association!

As a strong advocate of the countys historic and cultural events, Beatty has served numerous terms since 1985 on the CCHA Board of Trustees in a variety of capacities such as secretary, finance chair, Property Committee chair, vice president and president. His term as president spanned the creation of the historic Harper House restoration in the city of Hickory and the continuous work to maintain the Murrays Mill site in eastern Catawba County. For 23 years he has been the co-chair for the Murrays Mill Harvest Folk Festival.

In addition, Paul continuously strives to develop educational venues in Catawba County through his involvement with the CCHA. He helped to establish an annual storytelling restival that hosts over 400 second graders across North Carolina.

In 2006, he petitioned the County Planning Department to include the historic Bunker Hill Covered Bridge in its parks and recreation greenway plan. He also undertook the task of rebuilding pedestrian bridges for access to the site. For those of you not familiar with this site, the Bunker Hill Covered Bridge, built in 1895, is the last original covered bridge in the state still standing on its original site.

Beyond his commitment to the historic activities of Catawba County, Paul maintains an impressive record of service with the Boy Scouts of America. Currently registered as an assistant scoutmaster in Troop 303, Mays Chapel United Methodist Church in Maiden and a registered Merit Badge counselor, he is a 1976 Eagle Scout honoree and has advised numerous Scouts on their Eagle Scout projects. In addition to his extensive service, he was awarded the Silver Beaver Award, a unique and prestigious adult scouting award that is presented to individuals who promote scouting and community service through hard work, self-sacrifice, dedication and many years of service and is given to individuals who do not actively seek this award.

In his spare time, his involvement also includes county-appointed positions on:

 Sherrills Ford Small Area Planning Committee

 Balls Creek Small Area Planning Committee

 Catawba County Board of Planning

 County Parks & Recreation Planning Committee

 Town of Maiden Planning Committee

Paul Beatty Jr., the Chamber congratulates you on this well-deserved honor and on behalf of our community, thank you for your leadership that will continue to positively impact generations to come.

Lindsay Keisler is president and CEO of the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce.
Five Pakistani soldiers and 10 militants were killed in a coordinated overnight raid at several border posts on the frontier with Afghanistan, the military said Monday.

The fighting took place in Mohmand, one of Pakistan's so-called tribal districts that form a buffer zone between the two countries, where the military has been battling Islamist militants for over a decade.

Pakistan's military issued a brief statement providing casualty figures, without mentioning which militant group was involved.

"Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed (the) terrorists' attempt," it said.

Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa "hailed the sacrifices" of the Pakistan soldiers and called for greater numbers to man the border, according to the statement.

The toll could not be immediately verified since the area is remote and journalists are denied access.

The raid came at a time of heightened tension between the two countries, with Islamabad blaming Kabul for a recent spate in militant assaults that killed 130 people in February, after a relatively long lull in violence.

Afghanistan for its part accuses Pakistan of fanning the flames of an insurgency that has gripped its country since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001.

Last year Pakistan's top foreign official Sartaj Aziz admitted the country hosted top Afghan Taliban leaders but said it used its position to wield influence over the group and was trying to bring them to peace talks.

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It seems to be almost built into the DNA of our politicians, this overwhelming urge to secure a place for their own family members. And yet, we thought at times, and in hindsight somewhat foolishly, that there are certain politicians that float above the fray. Only to be disappointed. One such was N Chandrababu Naidu, a politician with a difference we thought, one for whom development and business promotion were the defining mantras. But he too has proved to have feet of clay. The Andhra Pradesh chief minister is all set to induct his only son Nara Lokesh into the state cabinet . The son, has according to Naidu, been striving to strengthen the party ever since he took to active politics in 2013. Now this seems a remarkably short time compared to the innings of many others in the Telugu Desam party, but blood clearly is thicker than political experience.

Lokesh is at present general secretary of the TDP but is not a member of the state legislative assembly or council. Naidus track record as a man given to promoting merit is what is causing this disquiet because politicians inducting their own kith and kin into positions of power is par for the course in our politics. In neighbouring Telangana, KT Rama Rao, son of the chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is already in the cabinet and holds the key portfolios of IT and industries and is the clear successor to his father who seems increasingly given to pursuing vaastu and offerings to deities.

In Naidus earlier stint, he was seen as one politician who was so focused on his work that he gave no thought to the promotion of his family. His wife was rarely seen even though other members of his family were in politics. So we came to expect the rare meritocrat in politics who spoke so eloquently about his blueprint to make Andhra Pradesh a manufacturing and IT hub. But when it comes to the crunch, he too seems to feel the need to promote a close family member whom he can trust, hence his sons imminent induction into the cabinet. The normal excuse given for this sort of nepotism is that the `people want such relatives in politics as they are seen as a chip of the old block. In some cases, it is taken to extremes as we have seen. Sasikala feels entitled to the top slot by mere association with the late elected chief minister as do her myriad relatives. In some cases, an undeserving relative is chosen to keep the seat warm for a politician who may be facing charges and hence unable to occupy the position. And in many cases, the sycophants in the party seem unable to see beyond a particular family. Many in the Telugu Desam have hailed the proposed elevation as a great life-saver for the party. Chandrababu Naidu may have portrayed himself as a self-made politician but let us not forget that he too was not without dynastic connections. He is the son-in-law of late chief minister of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh NT Rama Rao and was able quite effectively to eclipse his stepmother-in-law to take over the party. So, in a way, he is running true to type with his sons elevation. So much for the politician with a difference.

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US President Donald Trump has ordered a review of all treaties the US has signed with more than a single nation and his advisers have to identify which the country ought to quit. This could lead to the US remaining with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, even as it pulls out of the Paris climate agreement of 2015, which former President Barack Obama helped to forge.

This has a precedent. President George W. Bush extricated the US from the UNs Kyoto protocol, which came into effect in 2005. It required all industrial countries to compulsorily reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5% below their 1990 levels and there were penalties for failing to do so, the only obligatory measure in climate negotiations to date.

Since the US was the worlds biggest emitter till 2007 when China replaced it and remains the second biggest, it bears a major responsibility for putting its house in order. A decade ago, the average American emitted 19.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, as against 5.1 tonnes by every Chinese and 1.8 tonnes by an Indian. While American exceptionalism touts the US as the worlds leader in establishing rights to environmental information and some related areas, its overall record, as Kyoto shows, leaves much to be desired. Ironically, Trump has imposed a gag order on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issuing any public information and the agency could also face cuts of up to 70% to its climate change programmes.

If the US pulls out of the Paris agreement, it will send the wrong signals. As it is, the agreement is voluntary, with each country specifying to what extent it will cut emissions and subject itself to international scrutiny. Every year beats the record for the highest temperatures and the world is well on course to cross the 2C increase above pre-industrial levels, beyond which there will be cataclysmic climate change.

At the protracted climate negotiations, the US leads the unofficial Umbrella group, which include Australia, Russia, Canada and Japan. At the very least, their will to combat global warming will be compromised; Japan  although the host country for the Kyoto protocol  pulled out of that treaty after the US did so.

As the Washington-based World Resources Institute observed, climate has come the centre of the agenda of both G7 and G20. Last year, US intelligence agencies found that climate change could case grave political and social instability worldwide, which is why G7 has commissioned a study on A New Climate for Peace and is stepping up its efforts to better coordinate strategies to contain climate security risks.

The bedrock of the Paris agreement is the action which countries take at home. In the US, it is Obamas Clean Power Plan, which is part of the larger Climate Action Plan and comes under the EPA. Trump has appointed former Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt to head the agency though Pruitt sued it 13 times in the past six years, in collusion with the very industries which the regulations were aimed at. Pruitt has admitted that climate change is occurring, adding worryingly that human ability to measure with precision the extent of that impact is subject to continuing debate and dialogue, as well they should be.

The Clean Power Plan seeks to curb coal-fired power plants, which might fell run foul of secretary of state Rex Tillersons assertion that he will support US membership in only those international agreements that advance our national interests and do not cause harm to the American people or our economic competitiveness. This is reminiscent of the senior George Bushs remarks at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992: The American way of life is not up for negotiation. However, even his sons EPA head, Christine Todd Whitman, has criticised Trump for appointing a person who is a climate change denier.

Trump may well be shooting himself in the foot because he is abandoning Americas plans to lead the worlds clean energy industries, the global market for which is estimated to touch $6 trillion by 2030. China is investing heavily in these and even India may get a toe in the door with its International Solar Alliance. Last month, 630 American top business leaders wrote an open letter to Trump and Congress, exhorting them to continue supporting renewables and not quit the Paris agreement.

Darryl DMonte is chairman emeritus, Forum of Environmental Journalists in India

The views expressed are personal
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav faces a paradox that none of his predecessors have experienced while aspiring for a re-election.

Though Akhilesh, 43, is considered a favourite candidate for the top job, his party  both before and after the Yadav family feud  was not poised for an easy romp home.

For a moment it appeared that it would be Akhilesh all the way when the Congress, a political rival, allied with the Samajwadi Party and the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi called for the crowning of Akhilesh as CM again.

The Congress may have curtailed anti-incumbency factor for the SP but the rivals, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi, started firing on all cylinders.

The BJP did not want to take a chance in UP as it had a bitter experience in Bihar assembly elections where the grand alliance, with Nitish Kumar as its face, had ruined its prospects.

Prof SK Dwivedi, a political analyst and former head of the department of political science at Lucknow University, said there was no anti-incumbency against Akhilesh, yet he faced it.

There is a strong anti-incumbency factor working against his (Akhileshs) party, he said.

For four years, Akhilesh fought the tag of three-and-a-half chief ministers that signified he was remote-controlled by his father and party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, uncle Shivpal Yadav, and senior cabinet colleague Azam Khan.

Now, when he has managed to shake off the image and turned experienced from inexperienced, he faces the enemies within.

Read more| UP election campaign: High-pitched Sunday in Varanasi sets tone for endgame

By the time Akhilesh took over as the national president of the Samajwadi Party, it was too late for him to control the inner contradictions of the party.

SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav has stayed away from Akhileshs poll campaign which has not gone down well with the voters, especially Muslims.

If Akhilesh made it his election, the BJP and the BSP also used the faces of Modi and Mayawati to take on the rivals.

The BSP is campaigning with the slogan  Behenji ko aane do.

Akhilesh is facing twin anti-incumbency. One from political rivals outside the SP and the other from within the Yadav family, said Dwivedi.

The observations of the political analyst reflect well in the unscholarly and unabashed opinion of a rural voter Ram Karan Gupta who runs a tea stall on the highway on the outskirts of Mahoba.

As of now it looks the BJP will win the elections. The Samajwadi Party has gone for a toss. Father, son and uncles in the Yadav family have fought it out among themselves. The fact, however, remains that there is no well meaning politician like Akhilesh in the country, he said while frying samosas and paneer pakoras for highway travellers.

The Yadav family feud which surfaced in August last year has left an impact in rural areas. Almost everyone has an opinion and no one has anything pleasant to say.

Displacement of the father by a son has not gone down well with the villagers, said Tara Yadav of Etawah.

The BSP and the BJP have being harping on the issue to paint Akhilesh as villain. Mayawati even tried to project Shivpal as a victim in the feud to consolidate her Dalit vote bank and walk away with SPs Muslim votes.

Muslims were certainly confused. The poll results will show if the divide between the father and the son has split the Muslims too, said an office-bearer of the Azamgarh unit of the Samajwadi Party.

Towards the end of his term, Akhilesh tried to consolidate his image of a leader with focus on development. Ahead of poll notification, he made a number of announcements and went on an inauguration spree.

In a day, Akhilesh launched 910 projects worth over 2,000 crore. Prior to this, he flagged off Lucknow metro train and inaugurated the Lucknow-Agra Expressway.

But as the poll campaign began, Modi lost no time is attempting to puncture Akhileshs slogan of Kaam bolta hai (work speaks) with Kaarnamey boltey hain (deeds are showing).

By this time, one of Akhileshs ministers and the partys candidate from Amethi, Gayatri Prasad Prajapati was accused of rape. This blunted Akhileshs stand against criminal elements in the party.

In the last three phases of UP elections, the BJP and the BSP used Prajapatis name to attack Akhilesh.

Akhilesh has peoples sympathies and has won the sobriquet of development man but he cannot win the election on his own. His young loyalists indulge in rabble rousing but cannot solve the caste and religion arithmetic. Election results will prove this, said a Samajwadi Party old guard who is also an Akhilesh sympathiser.

In the last four phases, Kannauj MP and Akhileshs wife, Dimple Yadav, has been lending a helping hand to the campaign. So much so that she joined the rath yatra of Akhilesh and Rahul in Varanasi on Saturday.

Their road show in Varanasi was as formidable as Modis event the same morning. Who emerges the winner  Akhilesh or Modi  will be clear on March 11. Or will it be Mayawati?

Read more: Akhilesh Yadav says my kids wish me luck for UP polls, I wish them for exams

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The blaring cacophony of political rallies and road shows that had taken over Banaras region for the last three days came to a grinding halt at 5pm on Monday. Political sovereigns and their generals had their say and now it was in the hands of their masters (common man) to decide their fate on March 8, the last phase of assembly elections.

Banaras witnessed high pitch campaigning in the last leg with all political bigwigs including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, BJP chief Amit Shah, BSP chief Mayawati and a host of Union ministers addressing rallies in favour of their party candidates across the region.

For instance, in the last three days  March 4, 5 and 6, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extensively campaigned in Varanasi. He addressed three election rallies and led two road shows that covered three assembly constituencies Varanasi North, Varanasi South and Cantonment in his parliamentary constituency.

Modi concluded the poll campaign after addressing a poll rally in Khusipur area of Rohania on Monday. Besides Modi, his ministers including home minister Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda, Manoj Sinha, Kalraj Mishra among others campaigned in Varanasi and surrounding areasGhazipur, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Jaunpur, Chandauli and Sonbhadra.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his alliance partner Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also held a joint road show in Varanasi and addressed an election rally at Girijaghar intersection here on March 4. He also addressed an election rally in Rohania on Saturday. The show received a huge response.

Not to be left behind, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati also addressed a rally in Rohania where she took a dig at the PM. Modi chahe jitni puja kar le, jeet to BSP ki hi hogi. (Modi can worship as much as he wants, only the BSP will win.), she said.

Meanwhile, addressing poll rallies in Sonbhadra, Jaunpur, and Ghazipur, BJP president Amit Shah said gundaraj in the state would come to an end on March 11.

Similarly, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav addressed poll rallies in Bhadohi and Chandauli where she flayed the BJP-led Union government of telling lies and fudging growth index figures. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav addressed seven poll rallies in Jaunpur. He sought an account of development works carried out by the Centre in the last three years. Rahul, who was in Jaunpur, said the PM was upset over the SP-Congress alliance.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui campaigned in Jaunpur. After whirlwind tours, the leaders concluded their poll campaigns from Banaras region.

The region is crucial for the BJP, SP and BSP equally. It is important for the BJP as three union ministers including Rajnath Singh, Union HRD Minister Dr Mahendra Nath Padey and Manoj Sinha belong to it. Sinha belongs to Ghazipur while both Rajnath Singh and Pandey belong to Chandauli. They camped in Varanasi and campaigned extensively.

The region has 40 seats, including Varanasi (8), Jaunpur (9), Ghazipur (7), Mirzapur (5), Bhadohi (3), Sonbhadra (4) and Chandauli (4). Ghazipur and Jaunpur are strongholds of the Samajwadi party. In the 2012 assembly election, the ruling party won six out seven seats in Ghazipur and seven out of nine seats in Jaunpur. It won two seats in Banaras, three out of four seats in Sonbhadra, three each in Bhadohi and Mirzapur and two in Chandauli.

Political analyst Kaushal Kishore Mishra, professor political science department, BHU, said, This time the scenario is different. In 2012, there was no Modi factor and demonetization. The two factors together are very crucial here. People are talking about them. So, there will be startling results.
BJP started with Vikas (development) as poll plank in Uttar Pradesh, but couldnt resist the temptation of exploiting the Hindu-Muslim fault-line for a consolidation of majority votes.

There is a method in BJPs Hindutva march in countrys most populous state, which is also home to all three major sites of dispute between Hindus and MuslimsKashi, Mathura and Ayodhya.

Here are the six steps how BJPs Hindutva discourse got sharper as election moved from Muslim-dominated western parts to Poorvanchal, which has significantly low population of the minority community.

Read | BJP will win the UP elections: Rajdeep Sardesai | Opinion

October 11, Lucknow: Narendra Modi became first Prime Minister to attend Dussehra celebrations outside New Delhi. He was presented a Sudarshan Chakra, a spinning disc-like weapon that is considered one of the most powerful weapons in Hindu mythology. Here, Modi also raised cries of Jai Shri Ram  a slogan that took prominence in political discourse during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

January 28, Lucknow: The focus on Hindutva got sharper in BJPs manifesto. It promised ban on mechanical slaughter houses, special department in each district to check exodus following communal tension and more, such as efforts for construction of a Ram Temple at Ayodhya. These promises came in the backdrop of instances like the killing of a Muslim man on accusation of beef eating and Kairana MP Hukum Singh alleging mass exodus of Hindu families in his area.

February 9, Lucknow: Power minister Piyush Goyal attacks Samajwadi Party government for discriminating between Hindus and Muslim in electricity distribution. Goyal claimed that PMO had received such complaints from an MP in Moradbad and the charges were found to be true in an investigation done by his ministry.

February 19, Fatehpur: PM Modi led the charge again with his shamshaan (cremation ground) versus kabaristan (graveyard) and Holi versus Ramzan debate. Union ministers and BJP leaders took a cue from him. Power minister Piyush Goyal, Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath, Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj and others too accused Akhilesh Yadav government of favouring a particular community and caste.

February 22, Gorakhpur: BJP president Amit Shah makes a Kasab out of his political opponent. He explained Ka stood Congress, Sa for Samajwadi Party and B for BSP. The strategy to refer to a Muslim name Kasabalso the convict of Mumbai 2011 terrorist attackwas loud and clear. The BJP has been accusing the three parties of Muslim appeasement and expects a split in the minority vote to its advantage.

March 4, Varanasi: PM Modi held a road show in Varanasi, driving through lanes of the holy city to Lord Vishwananth and Kal Bhairon Temples. Fortunate to visit the Baba Vishwanath temple. Har har Mahadev. Also lucky to pay obeisance at the Kaal Bhairav temple, he wrote on Twitter later.
The Bahujan Samaj Party will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh, leaving the BJP and the SP-Congress alliance in the second and third places, BSP chief Mayawati said on Monday.

They (BJP and SP-Congress alliance) have realised that the BSP will form the government and they have to fight each other for the second and third spot, she told the media in Lucknow.

The former chief minister said the Narendra Modi government had again increased the prices of cooking gas, knowing well that it was their first and last term in power.

Mayawati also took swipe at Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, saying the guru and chela had realised that their political career were coming to an end.

The guru and chela have even played the communal card as a last resort to win the UP election, she said, adding that Modi was doing road shows as if he was the undeclared chief ministerial candidate of the BJP.

Terming the November 8 demonetisation a half-cooked decision, she said it was undemocratic and exposed the anti-poor mindset of the central government.

Mayawati also slammed Modi for terming political rivals as corrupt.

He (Modi) has made it a fashion to call others corrupt, she said, adding if his governments intentions were honest, why had he not so far ensured a Lokpal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday visited Garhwa Ghat Ashram in Varanasi, which has considerable following among the backward castes, and later paid tributes to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at his ancestral home.

Modi, who has been canvassing for three days in the district which elected him to Lok Sabha, offered prayers and also fed the cows at the ashrams shelter. The visit came on the last day of campaigning in Uttar Pradesh.

The head guru at the Garhwa Ghat Ashram has traditionally come from the Yadav caste and has followers spread across the poll-bound region. Modis visit is seen as an attempt to reach out to the Yadav community, which has traditionally aligned with the Samajwadi Party.

Modi has held a roadshow here and attended a number of public events in the city along with several rallies in the region as part of BJPs last push for a good show, particularly in the holy city, in the final phase when polling will be held in 40 seats on March 8.

BJP sources believe that Modis visit and his public felicitation by the ashram will send out good signals to voters, especially the OBCs and the Dalits.

The Prime Minister later drove to Shastris ancestral home in Ramnagar to pay tributes to him.

Modi has often accused the Congress of not giving due respect to leaders who were not from the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Modis Lok Sabha constituency has five assembly seats three of which are presently held by the saffron party.

The BJP is engaged in a keen fight with SP-Congress candidates in all the seats with the BSP also putting up a strong contest in a couple of them.

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Germany's government on Monday condemned remarks by Turkey's president accusing officials of "Nazi practices," days after a local authority prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally there.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statements "absolutely unacceptable."

"Germany cannot be outmatched regarding the rule of law, tolerance and liberalism," he told German public Television ARD.

Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said the German government "strongly rejected" the equation of modern Germany with Nazi Germany, adding that such comparisons downplayed the crimes of the Nazis. Seibert noted that there were strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there were "far-reaching differences of opinion" between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of the referendum that would give Erdogan new powers.

Altmaier said the government was in contact with Turkey's government and announced that "we will make sure the significance of the problems of what happened in recent days will be recognized and understood in Ankara as well."

Erdogan had said Sunday in Istanbul that "Germany, you don't have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past."

His remarks followed a decision last week by local authorities in southwest Germany to withdraw permission for Turkey's justice minister to use a venue to hold a rally near the French border that was part of a campaign to get Turks in Germany to vote "yes" in an upcoming referendum on constitutional reform.

Seibert dismissed any notion that the federal government was involved in the decision to cancel events with Turkish officials.

"Ultimately it's those people who are responsible in the respective location who can best judge whether an event can be approved under the aspects of security and the expected crowd numbers."

EU officials have spoken out against totally cutting ties with Turkey wouldn't be in the bloc's interests. A European Union migrant deal with Turkey, which also is a NATO member, has significantly cut down the number of migrants crossing into Europe. However, Erdogan has several times threatened to quit the deal when expressing anger over European countries.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel sought to smooth stirred-up emotions on Monday and stressed the need to "normalize" what he calls a "highly strained" relationship with Turkey.

He also pointed out that EU countries have a common interest in not letting NATO partner Turkey "drift further to the east" and that German authorities back freedom of expression and that it's normal for Turkish politicians to want to address their compatriots, 1.4 million of whom are eligible to vote in the referendum.

Other European nations with significant Turkish immigrant communities have expressed different opinions on the issue.

"Our Austrian solution should be clear: we will not accept any campaign appearances by Turkish politicians in Austria," Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said as he arrived at a meeting of European Union counterparts in Brussels.

He added that "we don't want campaigns from other states to be brought to Austria and conflicts from other countries imported ... that is always damaging for integration."

However, Gabriel sounded skeptical about calls from some other European Union ministers to consider EU-wide rules for campaign appearances by foreign politicians pointing out that every country had its own opinion on the topic.

"I think the main thing is that everyone uses the possibilities they have to ensure that we get back to a somewhat normal relationship," he said.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said that "normally you would have to think that democracy is strong enough to cope with this."

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The long electoral battle in five states finally came to a close with the end of campaigning for the Uttar Pradesh polls on Monday evening.

With the next round of assembly elections  in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh  scheduled towards the year-end, the focus is likely to return to governance. Most of the Union ministers, and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were actively involved in canvassing for the BJP in these five states, especially in the countrys most populous state UP, at a time when the impact of demonetisation threatened to unravel Indias growth story.

The final phase of polling in UP on Wednesday covers 40 assembly seats across seven districts, but the focus is on Prime Minister Narendra Modis home turf Varanasi.

During these two months, the BJP, fighting against the Congress and SP alliance and Mayawatis BSP, shifted its focus from development issues to a Hindutva plank in the last rounds.

The results of all five states  UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur  will be out on March 11, and are expected to influence the future political line of the NDA government as well as the opposition parties.

The UP results may also alter the arithmetic in the upcoming presidential polls.

The elections in UP come in the backdrop of the Modi governments decision to ban high-value notes. The aggressive campaign of the BJP saw Modi staying put in Varanasi for an unprecedented three days and almost all Hindi-speaking ministers deployed in UP to ramp up the poll pitch.

The BJP went all out to campaign in these districts, the intensity more in five assembly segments of Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency that Modi represents. He ended his campaign with a road show in the Kurmi-dominated Rohaniya constituency on Monday.

The BJP is aware that Modis popularity would be measured by how the party performs in Varanasi and six other Lok Sabha seats in the final round.

Akhilesh Yadav, chief minister of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and Samajwadi Party (SP) President, waves to his supporters as he arrives for an election campaign rally in Jaunpur. (REUTERS)

The party had swept these parliamentary seats in the 2014 parliamentary polls. But it had won only four of the 40 assembly seats in the 2102 state polls.

Scoring the most here has thus become a prestige issue for the party that has allied with the Apna Dal and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party to gain support of the backward castes that could be a decisive factor.

Apart from Modi, more than 20 Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh, whose ancestral village is in Chandauli, and three ministers from region  Manoj Kumar Sinha, Mahendra Nath Pandey and Anupriya Patel  have concentrated on the final phase.

The ruling SP and ally Congress, besides the BSP, have focussed attention on this phase in a bid to pull the carpet from under Modis feet. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is facing the stiffest challenge as the SP had won 24 of the 40 seats in 2012.

He had addressed about 25 public meetings in the seven poll-bound districts, besides holding a joint road show with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

The final phase will also be a test for the Congress, which is keen on regaining lost ground in the states south-eastern region with SPs support. Gandhi had addressed several rallies in the region that used to be a Congress stronghold.

The Congress, which won only three seats in the region in 2012, has fielded candidates in 10 seats.

BSP chief Mayawati is relying on the Dalit-Muslim combination and alliance with the Quami Ekta Dal to stage a comeback. The BSP won only five seats in the region as SP had eaten into its vote base.

The political parties mobilised their strength to touch the finishing line of this assembly election. The party or alliance that does a Usain Bolt will form the government, KM Prasad, a political observer, said.

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The Congress has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi violated the Election Commissions model code of conduct by holding a roadshow in Varanasi on Sunday.

The Prime Minister did not have the permission for the road show; that was made clear by the local administration, Congress leader Salman Khurshid said.

They are trying to indicate that he (Prime Minister) was coming out of darshan of the temple and people just gathered and followed his cavalcade but thats not true. Its another matter if he doesnt want to admit the truth, he told ANI.

Modi held a roadshow in his constituency on Saturday ahead of the last phase of the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The roadshow garnered the attention of many political leaders, who accused him of violating the moral code of conduct.

The Congress even asked the Election Commission (EC) to register an FIR against Prime Minister Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for allegedly violating the model code of conduct for holding a roadshow in Varanasi without the required permit from the authorities.

In Uttar Pradesh, campaigning for seventh phase and last phase of elections is in full swing.

Leaders and star campaigners of all major political parties are engaged in canvassing for their party and alliance candidates.

A total of 535 candidates including 51 women are in the fray. BSP has fielded its nominees for all seats while BJP is in contest from 32 and has left eight seats to its allies Apana Dal and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party.

The Samajwadi Partys candidates are in fray in 31 segments and its ally congress is in contest from 10 seats.
Posters have sprung up across Allahabad offering Rs 50,000 to anyone with information leading to the arrest of Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati who is absconding after a woman accused him of rape.

Photographs of the posters are also being widely circulated on messaging app WhatsApp and social media, adding to the swirling rumours about the powerful Samajwadi Party minister in the middle of the assembly elections in the state.

Prajapati is the SPs candidate in Amethi.

The government revoked the passport of Prajapati for four weeks after the Supreme Court asked police to register an FIR against the minister.

The posters are also taunting the SP government, saying lost buffaloes of minister Azam Khan can be recovered by police who have, however, failed to trace a tainted minister.

Golu Sonkar, the leader of a social organisation, which has put up the posters said women are not safe under Samajwadi Party rule.

Chief minister (Akhilesh Yadav) is trying to save Gayatri Prajapati, he added.
Congress president Sonia Gandhis absence from canvassing has made son and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi emerge as the partys sole lead campaigner for Mandate 2017 in Uttar Pradesh.

Rahul addressed about 50 public meetings for Congress candidates, the last one in Jaunpur on Monday. He also had four joint roadshows and four public meetings with UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance.

Sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra worked behind the scenes to fine-tune the list of Congress candidates, the partys poll strategy and seal the alliance with SP. But this is the first time that Rahul has shouldered campaign responsibility, remaining the partys only lead face across UP.

Rahul teamed up with Akhilesh for the first roadshow and public meeting in Lucknow on January 29. Their joint appearance was in Varanasi on March 4. Rahul also addressed two press conferences with him to launch the joint campaign and the common minimum programme for the alliance.

While Rahul focused on farmers, youth and the poor, his main target of attack was Prime Minister Narendra Modi for demonetisation, taking recourse to politics of hatred and failure to keep promises of creating jobs.

Rahul had to, for the first time, lead the Congress poll campaign in the Nehru-Gandhi family bastions of Rae Bareli and Amethi where Priyanka used to take charge earlier.

This time, Priyanka addressed only one meeting in Bachhrawan (reserved for SC), an assembly segment of her mothers Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat. Rahul led the party from the front before announcement of elections too. He led the month-long Deoria-Delhi Kisan Yatra (September-October 2016) and went door to door asking farmers to fill up mang patras (forms) demanding waiver of their loans.

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Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati is back in the city after having completed electioneering though her rivals continued to toil on the trail a day before campaigning was to end for the final phase of UP assembly elections.

She monitored preparations for polling in 40 assembly constituencies on March 8 and gathered feedback from senior leaders from 363 assembly constituencies that have completed polling in six of the seven-phase election.

Confident of a comeback, Mayawati thanked the voters, party workers and office-bearers for their support.

The BSP chief launched her election campaign with a public meeting in Meerut on February 1 and concluded her campaign by addressing a rally in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday.

In these 32 days, she addressed 53 public meetings across the state, attacking both the PM and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Modi is trying to polarise the voters after he failed to fulfil the promise of achhe din (good days), she said at her rallies where she attacked the SP government of promoting jungle raj and lawlessness. Only the BSP government will free the state of goons and the mafiosi.

Being her partys star campaigner, she also addressed public meetings in Punjab and Uttarakhand where the BSP has fielded candidates on all the assembly seats.

As all the rallies drew large crowds, Mayawati, who sounded upbeat on Sunday, said in a statement, The turnout in the meetings is a good sign for the party. The BSP will form the next government. Cutting across castes and communities, people have supported BSP in all six phases and the seventh phase will be no different.

She claimed there was a tacit understanding between the SP and BJP. Whenever SP came to power, BJP expanded its base in UP. It was only under BSP rule that the BJPs support base has shrunk.

Modi is acting like Akhileshs uncle. Time has come for the people to get rid of the chacha-bhatija (uncle-nephew) government at the Centre as well as the state, she said.

Her attack on the Congress was, however, mild. Only on a few occasions did she target Rahul Gandhi. Fearing that the Congress alliance with the SP might cut into the Muslim vote bank, she had urged the Congress leadership to be cautious of going into a pre-poll alliance with the SP in January before Akhilesh and Rahul had joined hands.

When the Congress finalised its pact with the SP, she hit out at the grand old party, saying people will punish it for the tie-up.

Rahul Gandhi was also soft on the BSP chief. At a press conference in the city on January 29, he said he respected the BSP chief, but did not mince words about the party at public rallies.

Political analysts feel if the BSP emerges the single largest party, the Congress might rethink its alliance with the SP and extend support to Mayawati to stop the BJP.

Maywwati, who worked out the Dalit-Muslim formula in west and central UP, gave the largest chunk, 98 tickets, to Muslim candidates. In east UP, she focused on the upper castes and backward communities.

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On the final day of campaign for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Gadhwa Ghat Ashram in Varanasi on Monday before heading to Ramnagar where he paid floral tribute to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

The Prime Minister will hold a rally in predominantly rural Rohaniya constituency falling under his Lok Sabha constituency. This will be the third of electioneering by the Prime Minister here.

Forty seats spread across seven districts of Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Sonbhadra and Jaunpur will go to the polls for the last phase on March 8.

Since Friday, Modi has addressed as many as three public meetings and taken out two processions in open vehicles.

The Congress has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission that prior permission had not been sought for Fridays roadshow, taken out hours before a similar show of strength by Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav.

The BJP has maintained that these were not roadshows but Jan Sampark yatras and there was no breach of model code of conduct as the PM merely waved at the cheering crowds, without uttering a word, on his way to a temple on Friday and the venue of his rally on Sunday.

Todays rally appears strategically timed and placed as Modi will deliver his speech when less than a quarter of the day will be left before campaign comes to a close at 5pm.

Rohaniya houses Jayapur, the first village to be adopted by the PM under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.

The assembly segment had come into being after the delimitation of constituencies in 2008.It has stuck out like a sore thumb for the BJP in Varanasi, which is otherwise considered a party stronghold.

In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Murli Manohar Joshi won the seat for the BJP though the party trailed in Rohaniya behind the candidates of Samajwadi Party, BSP and Apna Dal, one of the reasons why his victory margin remained a slim 18,000 votes.

In the 2012 assembly polls, the BJP finished a distant fourth with its candidate securing a paltry 9.67 per cent of votes and forfeiting his deposit.

Wary of the tricky nature of this assembly segment, the party entered into a tie-up with Apna Dal (AD), just before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.The AD enjoys a following among the Kurmis, who form a major chunk of voters here.

ADs Anupriya Patel was the sitting MLA from the seat and she went on to win from Mirzapur in the Lok Sabha polls riding the Modi wave.

Her party, though lost Rohaniya in the ensuring by-poll as her mother Krishna was defeated by the SP candidate.
Filmmaker Karan Johar is the latest Bollywood celebrity after Tusshar Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan to opt for surrogacy.

The filmmaker has become a single father of twins - a baby boy and girl - who were born through surrogacy and says he is enormously blessed to be a parent. I am ecstatic to share with you all the two most wonderful additions to my life, my children and lifelines; Roohi and Yash. I feel enormously blessed to be a parent to these pieces of my heart who were welcomed into this world with the help of the marvels of medical science, Johar said in a statement .

In June last year, actor Tusshar Kapoor also became a single parent to a boy, born through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and surrogacy. I am thrilled to be a father! The paternal instincts in me have been overpowering my heart and mind for some time now, he had said.

Aamir and Shah Rukh too opted for surrogacy to extend their families. Aamir and wife Kiran Rao welcomed son Azad in December 2011.

Aamir poses with his little son Azad and wife Kiran Rao.

Shah Rukh and his wife Gauri Khan, opted for surrogacy for the birth of their third child AbRam.

Shah Rukh Khan has said his son AbRam loves waving to fans.

Actor Sohail Khan and his wife Seema were blessed with a baby boy-- their second child-- through surrogacy in June 2011.

Noted choreographer and filmmaker Farah Khan and her husband Shirish Kunder chose to become parents through IVF procedure. In February 2008, Farah, at the age of 43, gave birth to triplets - two daughters and a son.

However, for a single parent, to opt for the procedure may become difficult in future as a new bill introduced in Lok Sabha last year is seeking a ban on commercial surrogacy.

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Director Onirs debut documentary Raising The Bar, is the official selection (in the documentary film section) at the Maryland International Festival that will take place from March 31 to April 2, in the US. Onir is thrilled that a story of children and young adults with down syndrome is touching hearts across the globe.

When I was asked to make this documentary, the reason I agreed was because it touched me somewhere. My whole purpose was to ensure that this documentary has a wide reach. And in a way, it can help people change or perceive the way they look at differently abled people. Its not a film, which is preachy or boring; it talks of human stories across continents. The fact that it has been selected at the film festival makes me feel that the challenges and problems are beyond boundaries and how much people can relate to the film, says Onir.

The filmmaker, who has helmed films such as I Am (2011), Bas Ek Pal (2006) and My Brother Nikhil (2005), hopes that someday Indian feature films or television shows will also have a character (in their script) with down syndrome as part of their story. Its not easy in our industry, especially because getting the finances can be tough. I would love to someday write a script for a film on similar lines, he says.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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US President Donald Trump signed a revised ban on travelers from six Muslim-majority nations Monday -- one with a reduced scope so Iraqis and permanent US residents are exempt.

The White House said Trump signed the order -- which temporarily freezes new visas for Syrians, Iranians, Libyans, Somalis, Yemenis and Sudanese citizens -- behind closed doors "this morning".

The order places a 120 day freeze on all refugee arrivals.

The revised ban, which comes into effect on March 16, said the six countries were targeted because their screening and information capabilities could not meet US security requirements.

Officials said that, unlike in the initial January 27 executive order, all pre-existing, valid visas from the six countries would be honored.

"The motivating factor here is a desire for greater security," said a senior State Department official.

The Trump administration's wide-ranging initial travel restrictions were slapped down by the federal courts, after sparking a legal, political and logistical furor.

The State Department cancelled 60,000 visas under the original order, and hundreds of people were reportedly detained at US airports.

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The Enforcement Directorate has summoned former AirAsia India CEO and MD Mittu Chandilya in connection with a FEMA probe.

Officials said the agency has asked Chandilya to depose before the Investigating Officer (IO) of the case in Mumbai by the middle of this month, during which his statement is expected to be recorded under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

They said the former AirAsia India top executive has also been asked to submit certain documents related to his personal finances and others.

When contacted, an AirAsia India spokesperson said, In the interest of protecting the confidentiality of its employees and former employees, AirAsia India will not comment on the issue. If ED requests for some information the airline will cooperate.

Chandilya was at the helm of the airline between June 2013 and March 2016.

The ED is probing ousted Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistrys allegation that fraudulent transactions of Rs 22 crore, involving non-existent entities in India and Singapore, were carried out in an instance involving the airline.

It also questioned AirAsia Indias chief financial officer (CFO) Ankur Khanna in December last year in connection with the case.

The agency is also looking at a specific transaction of Rs 12 crore, out of Rs 22 crore, made to a Singapore firm as part of its investigation.

ED officials said the agency is also examining the documents and findings of an in-house forensic investigation, as claimed by Mistry.

In October last year, flagging ethical concerns in Tata Groups joint venture with AirAsia, Mistry had claimed a forensic investigation had revealed fraudulent transactions of Rs 22 crore involving non-existent entities in India and Singapore.

He had alleged that due to the latters passion for aviation, the Tata Sons Board increased capital infusion into the aviation sector at multiple levels of the initial commitment.

In a letter written to the board members of Tata Sons a day after he was ousted on October 24, Mistry said, Board members and trustees are also aware that in the case of AirAsia, ethical concerns have been raised with respect to certain transactions as well as overall prevailing culture within the organisation.

A recent forensic investigation revealed fraudulent transactions of Rs 22 crore involving non-existent parties in India and Singapore.

Mistry went on to allege that executive trustee Mr Venkataraman, who is on the board of AirAsia and also a shareholder in the company, considered these transactions as non-material and did not encourage further study.
After N Chandrasekaran took over as the chairman of salt-to-software-maker Tata Group, Tata Steels breaking of from the planned merger with German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp might be his first big move.

A UK media report said that discussions on calling off the merger are on.

The talks of merger between Tata Steel and ThyssenKrupp had surfaced when Cyrus Mistry, who was ousted in October 2016, was still the chairman of the group. The deal could have made the merged entity the largest steel company in Europe, with blast furnaces in Wales, Netherlands and Germany.

The Sunday Times reported that the deal, which has seen little progress, may be under threat due to German pension liabilities.

Tata Steel is trying to solve its own 15 billion pound British steel pensions scheme. In January, nearly 10,000 workers voted in voted in favour of a new pension deal to save their jobs -- moving from a final salary pension to a less generous scheme in return for job safety. The Tata Group has meanwhile promised nearly one billion pound worth of investment over the next 10 years.

Tata Steel has been a bone of contention in the high profile boardroom battle after the ouster of Mistry, who also wanted to sell off the UK assets of Tata Steel, calling it a financial burden on the Group. The idea didnt go well with Ratan Tata, who had spearheaded the ambitious acquisition of Corus as the then chairman before he was succeeded by Mistry.

Tata Steel has been trying to restructure its European steel business for a long while, after it acquisition of Corus didnt turn out to be what the company wanted.

Global steel demand tanked, and expensive steel manufactured by European steel makers were replaced by cheap Chinese steel.

So, is Chandrasekaran, fondly called Chandra, undoing everything that Mistry had done, under performance pressure?

Tata Consultancy Services, the IT company where Chandra spend all his life, brings in 60% of Tata Groups revenue and makes for 70% of its market capitalisation.

Chandra will have to get back some of Tata Groups other core business to prominence. For example, Tata Motors. The company has been surviving on the growth of Jaguar Land Rover, the British auto major that Ratan Tata had bought and turned around. Tata Motors profits were down by 96% in the October to December quarter.

Another group company Indian Hotels Company that owns luxury hotel chain Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, is also facing its own problems.

Moving away from the ThyssenKrupp deal might be Chandras first mark of success as the chairman, but he has a long way ahead to restructure the Group, and undo the changes that Mistry made.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Many of the protesting drivers at Ola and Uber in Delhi and Bengaluru may have called off their recent strike, but the flaws in these companies business model mean commuters should be prepared for more such disruptions in the future, analysts say.

While the asset-light model of these cab hailing services has merit, the strikes by drivers over falling incentives, their key attraction to list on such platforms, mean that these businesses cannot afford to rub the dissenters -- car and fleet owners -- the wrong way.

Thousands of cars affiliated to Ola (ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd) and Uber Technologies Inc. went off the roads for more than 10 days in Delhi and Bengaluru beginning 12 February. While Delhi has limped back to normalcy, protesters in Bengaluru are holding out.

The protesters major grouse was a drastic cut in incentives, which has impacted their monthly earnings, and the constantly changing incentive structure of the companies. While Ola pays incentives based on the number of rides per day, Ubers incentives depend on the total value of rides in a day.

The question here is who blinks first? But this has been the case across industries, where workers try to ensure they are not getting squeezed when the organisation is making money. The irony here is, Uber and Ola are not even making money and still they have to ensure that they have to pass on enough to the drivers to make themselves lucrative. It is not that this will not happen again but we have seen this across all labour intensive businesses, said Vinod Murali, managing director at InnoVen Capital India.

While Ola and Uber did not comment on the loss in business from the protests, RedSeer Management Consulting Pvt. Ltd estimates that Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai together account for about 60% of both firms overall business in the country. This implies that suspension of services for close to two weeks had significant impact on their businesses.

A small numbers of individuals, who do not represent the majority of the driver community, have been preventing drivers who want to work from doing so. Drivers individual concerns vary tremendously. We care deeply about their concerns and we can and will do better in our communications to reduce confusion, Uber India president Amit Jain said in a blog post on Friday.

Jain, who claimed that there has been a 60% year-on-year increase in driver sign ups in January this year, however, said that earnings are not one size fits all. About 80% of the drivers across India, who are online for more than six hours a day, make Rs. 1,500-2,500 after paying Ubers service fee, Jain said.

Uber is not new to such tirades from drivers. Over the years, the company has faced similar protests in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles and Qatar, among other cities.

According to experts, there is no way to immediately put an end to such strikes as both companies were forced to cut incentives in order to reduce cash burn and move towards profitability. On the other hand, increasing the supply of cars and ensuring a steady and loyal driver-base are of paramount importance to the rival companies.

To be sure, both Ola and Uber has set up car leasing businesses  Ola Fleet Technologies Pvt. Ltd and Xchange Leasing India Pvt. Ltd  over the past 18 months to ensure a supply of cars over which they have strict control.

The leasing business, however, has its own limitations.

It has limitations in terms of capital. You can get, say about Rs. 1,000 crore, but not Rs. 10,000 crore as investment into the leasing business. Ultimately, you would want the business to grow on its own pace to become massive, said InnoVens Murali.

Globally, a large chunk of Ubers business comes from the peer-to-peer (P2P) model, where any person who owns a car can sign up on Uber and ferry customers around either on a part-time or a full-time basis. In the US, Ubers biggest market, a majority of Ubers business comes from P2P. In China, too, P2P had been one of the companys main drivers of growth.

Uber tried out P2P in Punjab last year, but it hasnt launched the service nationally because of regulatory issues, though it is trying to convince regulators to allow it to launch P2P, Mint reported in September 2016.
The biggest names in the oil world come together this week for the largest industry gathering since the end of a two-year price war that pitted Middle East exporters against the firms that drove the shale energy revolution in the United States.

When OPEC in November joined with several non-OPEC producers to agree to a historic cut in output, the group called time on a fight for market share that drove oil prices to a 12-year low and many shale producers to the wall.

Oil prices are about 70% higher than they were the last time oil ministers and the chief executives of Big Oil met in Houston a year ago at CERAWeek, the largest annual industry meet in the Americas.

The ebullience as both sides enjoy higher revenues will be a welcome relief from the gloom of a year ago, near the depths of the price war.

The oil market has been rebalancing and the powerful forces of supply and demand have been working, said Dan Yergin, vice chairman of conference organizer IHS Markit and a Pulitzer Prize-winning oil historian.

The mood will be different this year.

The capital of the U.S. oil industry Houston is emerging from the price war sporting new downtown skyscrapers and the lingering glow from hosting last months Super Bowl.

OPECs November deal, the prospects for its continuation and rosier investment prospects for the industry will dominate the discussions, with state-run producers and Big Oil both positioning themselves for an upturn in the notoriously cyclical business.

Twice as many OPEC ministers as a year ago - plus Russia and Indias top energy officials - will be in the capital of the U.S. energy industry.

Saudi Arabias energy minister Khalid al-Falih, who assumed his role last spring and whose country has contributed the largest share of OPEC output curbs, addresses the meeting on Tuesday.

Russian Oil Minister Alexander Novak, who was key to bringing non-OPEC countries on board to cut in tandem with OPEC, will speak on Monday

Chief executives from five hard-hit international oil producers - BP, Chevron Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp, Royal Dutch Shell and Total - will be listening closely to the ministers comments to see if those production curbs will be extended past their June expiration.

The meeting wont be without simmering tension between U.S. oil producers and OPEC. One of the biggest questions in the oil market is how quickly and how much shale producers will boost output. A sharp rise from the U.S. shale patch could undo the Saudi-led deal to reduce the global oil glut.

Shale activity is humming in the hottest U.S. oilfield, the Permian Basin, a 75,000 square mile expanse in West Texas. The U.S. land drilling rig count is up 55% in the past 12 months, and many of them are in the Permian.

Its exciting now to see the rig count rising and business activity picking up again, said Peter Boylan, chief executive of Cypress Energy Partners LP, an oilfield service provider with operations in Texas and North Dakota.

MORE SPENDING

Oils resurgence isnt confined to America. Already this year, Total and BP have launched multi-billion dollar deals to expand in Brazil and Mauritania, respectively. Better prices could stir a new round of merger activity, according to some analysts.

Exxon, which is expected later this year be eclipsed by Saudi Aramco as the worlds largest publicly traded oil producer, recently pledged to boost this years spending by 16 percent to expand operations, especially in shale production.

That newfound investment vigor and projections for stronger shale production have kept a lid on the recovery. Oil prices may struggle to breach $60 per barrel, regardless of how much OPEC cuts, if the U.S. keeps increasing production, according to a Reuters poll.

U.S. crude futures closed on Friday at $53.33 per barrel.

BHP Billiton has boosted investment in its shale operations since last fall, forecasting the sector to become the single largest generator of cash flow for its petroleum business within five years.

We expect a balanced oil market in 2017 for the first time in nearly three years, said Steve Pastor, president of BHPs petroleum business.
The Gurgaon police detained a person on Sunday for allegedly carrying demonetised currency notes to the tune of Rs 14.36 lakh in his car.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of crime branch, Bilaspur, seized the scrapped notes from the man after he was stopped at a check point at Pachgaon Chowk on National Highway 8.

All 248 notes seized were in denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 that the Centre had declared invalid from November 9.

Police identified the driver as Deshraj, who lives in Kadarpur village in Gurgaon.

Police said Deshraj was caught while travelling with the demonetised notes in a Maruti Alto on Sunday night. Dheshraj told police that he was travelling from Kadarpur to Rewari.

On questioning, Dhesgraj could not give a satisfactory answer regarding the source of the banned currency, and was taken into custody, police said.

Police said they had received specific information about the suspect after which they activated a checkpoint at Panchgoan Chowk on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway.

Police said they informed the income tax department on the cash seized and requested them to join the probe as the amount of scrapped currency seized is large. Police said there is possibility that more such recoveries can be made.

A case has been registered at the Bilaspur police station and the IT department is also probing the matter, inspector Surender Singh, in-charge of the Bilaspur crime branch, said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an address to the nation through live TV on Novermber 8 announced the decision to withdraw Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes from circulation and replace them with new currency. The move was projected as an attempt to curb the flow of unaccounted money. However, the rationale for the decision was later highlighted as promoting digital modes of transaction and a shift towards a cashless economy. The government had set December 31 as the deadline to get the scrapped notes exchanged or deposited in banks.

Earlier, the Bilaspur crime branch had recovered scrapped notes twice, and there have also been a number of instances in which high sums of new notes were seized in Gurgaon.

On December 19, police recovered Rs 15.33 lakh from two cars near the old toll plaza in Bilaspur. As much as Rs 6 lakh was in denomination of Rs 2,000, being transported from Jaipur to Delhi. Police seized Rs 9.33 lakh in old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 from another car.

On December 17, Rs 2,000 currency notes to the tune of 9.72 lakh and scrapped Rs 500 notes worth Rs 20,000 were seized from two persons near Manesar bus stand.

On December 11, after a probe by the income tax department, police registered an FIR against a HDFC bank cashier at DLF Phase 2 for illegal activities related to currency exchange and issuance of new currency.

On December 9, police recovered Rs 10 lakh in new currency from two persons near Galleria market and seized Rs 3.16 from a canter driver at Pataudi.

On November 30, police had seized Rs 10.96 lakh in scrapped notes from a person who divulged that he had earlier exchanged Rs 10 lakh from a bank.

On November 28, police had recovered Rs 15 lakh in demonetised currency from a man at Palam Vihar.

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Police on Monday arrested an aide of rape-accused absconding Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati.

A Satish Ganesh, inspector general (IG) of police, Lucknow Zone, said head constable Chanderpal, who was deployed as shadow with the minister from security headquarters, was arrested from Alambagh area. The constable was one of the seven accused in the rape case.

Ganesh said the police had also recovered Chanderpals service revolver that he had taken along during his run to evade arrest for the last one week.

Sources however said Chanderpal was taken in custody when he turned up to deposit his service revolver at Reserve Police Lines of Lucknow and was later taken to Alambagh for further legal proceedings.

The IG said Chanderpal was being quizzed about the whereabouts of the minister and other accused and would be produced in the court on Tuesday.

He said the minister would be arrested soon and added that the investigating officer had been asked to prepare an action taken report to submit in the Supreme Court.

On Saturday, a city court had issued the non-bailable warrant against the minister and his aides in the case. The gang-rape case was lodged with Gautampalli police on February 18, in compliance with the apex court order to conduct an inquiry into the complainants allegations and submit an action taken report to the court within eight weeks.

The victim, who hails from Chitrakoot, had accused Prajapati and six of his aides of gang-raping her and attempting to rape her minor daughter. Six others named in the FIR are Vikas Verma, Ashok Tewari, Amrendra Singh alias Pintu Singh, Chanderpal, Rupeshwar alias Rupesh and Ashish Shukla.

Sources, meanwhile, said Prajapati was present in Lucknow when the police claimed to have carried out extensive raids to arrest him in connection with the case.

They said the minister was present at the tilak ceremony of co-accused Vikas Vermas young brother in Krishna Nagar on March 3.

Vikas is son of PCS officer TP Verma, who is posted as additional city magistrate (ACM) V in Lucknow. A source said the ministers location at some more places in the city was reportedly found but the police ignored it.

The IG admitted that the police had come to know about the ministers presence at Krishna Nagar function but it is still to be verified. He said the Verma family will be quizzed in the matter to know the truth.
Identity and issues have always played a decisive role in Uttar Pradesh elections but the 2017 polls are being clearly driven by personalities.

Apparently all political parties wanted it as issues were losing the potency to swing the votes and the vulnerable voters, smitten by personal aura of primarily Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and BSP national president Mayawati, played into their hands.

No more are they discussing policies, programmes and promises offered by the three major players, rendering the manifestoes redundant. Not many know that even the everyday issue of traffic management has found a place in the SP manifesto.

Thus public issues, that infuriated the voters for five years, are buried under a poll narrative that focuses on personalities, reminding many of the days when Indira Gandhi ruled India and won UP elections by her mere charisma. Or for that matter the recent US elections where Donald Trumps personality hogged the limelight.

As the election started from the communal zone of the state  West UP  some burning issues did lace the initial campaign. The SP-Congress alliance called for a referendum on demonetisation. While Akhilesh Yadav repeatedly said People punish those who make them suffer, Modi built a case for the rejection of the SP and the BSP for non-performance.

The principal thrust of Modis campaign against Akhileshs Kaam bolta hai was Kaam nahin karname bolte hai. But gradually it acquired an emotional overtone, UPs adopted son and the SP-Congress alliances slogan of UP ke ladke.

Apparently, by the time five of the seven phases of polling were over, the major players realised that anti-incumbency, demonetisation, law and order, and development were hardly potent enough to swing the pendulum in their favour. People were discussing issues which did not decide their voting behaviour.

The personalities were then pushed to an extent that they became larger than their parties. Modi campaigned hard in the state; Akhilesh Yadav, who has emerged as a brand in politics after he won an intense family feud, addressed seven to nine rallies a day; while Mayawati stuck to her old style of rallies at the district or division level.

The public thronged the rallies of all the three leaders, making it clear that crowds cannot be the barometer for judging the strength of the parties. The state is witnessing a triangular contest almost after two decades, but fierce combat for every seat is direct  it is BSP-BJP in some, SP-BJP in others. Pollsters were confused as while some felt its definitely advantage the BJP, others felt the SP-Congress alliance was fighting for every seat and the BSP silently manoeuvring its way.

The voters crowded rallies, driven by the magic of their leader of choice, others by their caste loyalties. Few could follow the speeches that moved from donkeys to KASAB. Any query on issues often got the same response, Its Modi this time, Akhilesh bhaiya has done good work and is bound to come back, and that law and order was better under Mayawati.

Interestingly, candidates, too, got dwarfed in the process as voters were clear they were electing Modi, Akhilesh or Mayawati  cult politics that is more a rage in south than in the north of India.

Generally, candidates do matter in assembly elections, except when there is a wave or undercurrent in favour of any party. In this election there is no such undercurrent.

The focus on personalities suited the BJP as it didnt have a chief ministerial face against the popular candidature of Akhilesh and Mayawati. Modi easily filled this vacuum for the BJP.

A professor in Rae Bareli summed up the advantages of three players, The SP has Akhileshs personal image, youth, caste and freebies; Modi has his image, a subtle caste calculation, lipstick development and a huge party paraphernalia; Mayawati has stuck to identity politics.

Apparently in this election, the people of Uttar Pradesh are directly electing the leader they want to rule the state. Should they then crib about the states backwardness?

saron@hindustantimes.com
Many Patanjali products, promoted by yoga guru Ramdev, are reportedly getting adverse feedback from consumers and retailers, denting the companys hope of doubling its revenue to Rs 10,000 crores in this fiscal.

The Haridwar-based Patanjali Ayurved formed two internal committees at the behest of Ramdev to assuage the dissatisfaction of the retailers to address the problem.

The idea is to keep retailers happy so that they take care of the interest of the company by retaining consumers.

Established by Ramdev in 2006, Patanjalis business journey so far has been impressive. From a humble beginning with Ayurveda products, the company now has array of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) on its portfolio.

Of late questions were, however, being raised over the quality of some of its products. Patanjali ghee, noodles, honey are few that faced lab tests, giving enough fodder to the competitors and reason to consumers to doubt.

The company also faced the ire of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for misbranding.

The company refuted the charges.

Babajis (Ramdev) brand image is associated with the Patanjali products. There is no question of our products being inferior in quality, claimed SK Tijarawala, spokesperson of the Patanjali.

He, however, did not divulge details of the new arrangements being planned.

Not every Patanjali product is a huge success. Moreover, it lacked damage and expiry policy that causes loss to us, said a Patanjali retailer.

A company functionary admitted that riding on the huge brand name of Ramdev, the corporate office at Haridwar earlier neglected the feedback from the partner channels.

But after Ramdevs intervention two committees have been formed.

One will look into the issues pertaining to the products that are nearing or have reached expiry dates. And the second committee will compensate retailers for those products that get damaged during the shipping. Besides, company is mulling to pass on certain amount of revenue to retailers across the country.

Patanjalis competitors like Dabur, Procter and Gamble, Nestle have strong distributor base. Off late the company realised this weakness. Despite the fact that Patanjali has got offers to expand business in Bangladesh, UAE, Iran, Azerbaijan etc  the company prefers to concentrate on domestic market. So far beyond India, Patanjali has entered only in Nepal, perhaps due to its managing director Balkrishnas connection with the Himalayan state.

We are expanding fast in India and gradually will move overseas. We have zeroed in Suriname (a former Dutch colony) to expand base Patanjali spokesperson Tijarawala added.

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A first year Jamia Millia Islamia student in Delhi was electrocuted to death by a high tension wire on Saturday evening. Mohammed Ayyub Sheikh, 18, had climbed atop a parked train tanker at the Nizamuddin railway lines when his body came in contact with the overhead high tension wire.

At around 3 pm on Saturday Sheikh and his elder brother Daud left their Chandni Chowk residence to take food to their sisters house as part of a ritual. A day earlier their sister got married in Nizamuddin. It is a tradition to take food to a newly married sibling and her in-laws after day after her wedding, Ayyubs father Jamaluddin said. After delivering the food, Ayyub went out for evening prayers with his three friends at Chilla Nizamuddin (Saint Hazrat Nizamuddins house) behind Humayuns Tomb.

Read: Two Delhi teenagers killed as video stunt on railway tracks goes wrong

Ayyub friends Sameer, Qutub and Shoaib told police that after prayers, on their way back they saw the train tanker. Though there were reports that Ayyub climbed atop the train to click a selfie, the three denied this and said that they got into a friendly argument over whether the tanker was carrying petrol or diesel. While he was atop the train, he stood up and was pulled by the current, said Qutub.

Daud, who was subsequently informed, said. When I reached the spot the ambulance had not come. We took him to the nearby Jeevan hospital on a scooter. He could not make it.

Disturbed with reports that Ayyub was clicking a selfie, Daud showed Ayyubs cellphone, an old Samsung Duos phone which does not have an internal camera. Additional DCP Railways Gyan Singh Meena denied Ayyub had died while clicking a selfie. The boy climbed to check the oil in the tanker.

Ayyub had recently got admission at JMI under its Distance Learning BCom programme. Ayyubs father Jamaluddin, who runs a business of immersion rods, blamed the railways for failing to barricade the danger zone.

Read: India tops ranking for selfie deaths, 76 lives lost since 2014

On Monday afternoon, police handed him his sons belongings  a Rs 10 note, a small scarf Ayyubs sister had gifted him the day before and an old Samsung phone with its sides burnt by the high voltage current that killed him.

I took a photo with him

Passing by India Gate on their way to their sisters house, Daud said while he was riding, something inside him told him to take a picture with his brother. The two were on a scooter. Ayyub wasnt wearing a helmet. The traffic police officers were watching but Daud felt he had to stop and take a photo together.

I was wearing Ayyubs shirt that day. Despite the traffic police watching us, I stopped the scooter at India Gate and asked a local to take our photograph. We hurriedly left. Two hours later, I got the call that he had died, Daud told HT showing the photograph.
The Supreme Court will hear the plea on Monday by the December 16 gang rape convicts challenging the Delhi high courts order.

The matter is being heard by the apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra and Justices R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan.

The convicts -- Akshay, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh -- have challenged the HC order that sentenced them to the gallows after noting it was a rarest of rare case.

Earlier, the trial court also had sentenced all the four convicts to death penalty.

On February 3, SC accepted amicus curiae Raju Ramachandrans submissions that there have been violation of procedure with regard to the sentencing of the four convicts. The accused were required to file their affidavits by February 23.

Six people gangraped a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus on December 16, 2012. The woman succumbed to her injuries at a Singapore hospital on thirteen days later.

One of the accused, Ram Singh hanged himself in prison, while another convict -- a juvenile at the time of the crime -- will serve the maximum sentence of three years at a reform home.

On December 3, amicus curiae Sanjay Hegde questioned the evidence produced by the prosecution in the gangrape case, and pointed out questions on the merit of evidence.

According to Hegde, one of the convicts, Mukesh, was not with the prime culprit Ram Singh when the offence was committed as their mobiles were tracked at different places that night.
As the world commemorates as World Hearing Day, Egypt celebrates its achievements and highlights further challenges

Each year countries across the globe dedicate 3 March to World Hearing Day to shed light on a medical condition that devastate the lives of many, although through awareness and early intervention it can be largely minimised.

In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the immediate need for action that would save many countries the cost of dealing with this problem if tackled in its early stages.

The WHO estimates that 32 million children across the globe suffer from disabling hearing loss. Not addressing the problem early on has cost the world 750 billion dollars.

According to the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, it is estimated that around 4.5 million people in Egypt (around 5% of the population) are living with partial or complete hearing loss.

Children make-up around 130,000 of the total estimate.

Hearing impairment in a child affects their skills of speaking, engaging in society and academic achievement and the ripple effect resonates in the child's family and the society at large immensely. Most of hearing impairment cases are in poorer governorates

The cochlear implant procedure is considered most effective when performed between the ages of one and five.

Recent endeavors to save children

The last five years saw intensive efforts from civil societies NGOs like Misr El Kheir, and Egyptian Medical Universities who collaborated with private sector's MED-El to launch campaigns of awareness and convoys to inspect the hearing abilities of kids in various governorates all over the country, including in Asyut, Qena and Aswan.

The Egyptian Medical Universities also signed a protocol with The Health Insurance to build rehabilitation centres and audiology units in such hospitals, including five rehabilitation centres to be built in the next three years. The role of rehabilitation for children and parents was brought to the forefront as well, highlighting its importance after cochlear implant procedures.

Many celebrities have taken a stand to help shed light on the importance of the cause and raise awareness regarding early detection. Among them are prominent actor Mohamed Sobhi and star Yousra Ellozy, who bravely shared the story of her daughter suffering from the ailment.

On World Hearing Loss Day, Professor Mohamed El-Shazly, the renowned cochlear implant surgeon, commented on the statistics published by private sector's hearing implants provider MED-EL  which includes specialised ENT doctors -- stating that 3000 children in Egypt require cochlear implants on yearly basis.

The numbers are still shockingly high but Egypt has come a long way, El Shazly explained.

"We went from zero knowledge about the hearing loss and rehabilitation process, to an active civil society, and engaged journalists working towards education and awareness. The study conveys that there is still more work for us to do together, to defeat the epidemic in the country," he concluded.

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The five-day Budget session of the Delhi Assembly began on Monday with the address of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, his first speech to the legislative House since assuming office in December last year.

Budget session start with the L-Gs address (the President does the same for Parliament sessions and governors in states). The speech, which is prepared by the state government and cleared by the Cabinet, is a window to the governments functioning and plans.

Baijals speech stayed away from raising controversial issues, especially those that led to repeated confrontations between the Delhi government and the Centre.

In the last years speech, then L-G Najeeb Jung had prominently mentioned the legislative Bills pending with the central government. My government seeks greater support from the Central government in order to cater better to needs of the people of national capital territory of Delhi, Najeeb Jung had said last year before ending his speech.

However, despite the fact that Centres approval is still awaited on almost all of those bills, the issue find no mention in Baijals speech.

Unlike the tumultuous relationship between Jung and the AAP government, Baijal has had a smooth run ever since he took over from Jung in December. Baijal has cleared some critical projects of the AAP government over the past one month.

While technically the L-G sticks to the script as it is the prerogative of the government to outline its priorities through the L-Gs speech, officials said objections could be raised by people holding the chair in terms of language and choice of words. Such small changes are fixed informally, an official said.

Besides enlisting governments achievement, the L-Gs speech also reflects upon the future plans of the government. Last year, Jung spoke about rolling out 1,000 buses, installation of CCTV cameras on buses and elsewhere, especially to ensure women safety, providing a health insurance scheme, opening Aam Aadmi canteen among others. However, the speech this year does not mention the fate of these projects.

Though the government described odd-even and car-free days as game-changing tools to curb pollution in the city, the measures did not find space in L-Gs speech.

In terms of length, Baijals speech was also printed in 32 pages, like Jungs address last year. However, the speech this time was shorter by about 1,500 words.

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Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned as an accused in a criminal defamation complaint filed by Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra by a Delhi court which said prima facie, the offence was committed.

Noting that the imputations were prima facie made against Chandras reputation, Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria asked Kejriwal to appear before the court on July 29.

Since the accused had made such imputations on the national television against the complainant, it has clearly established that such imputations intending to harm the reputation of the complainant or to defame him, were made, the court said.

Thus, clearly, there is sufficient material on record to summon accused Arvind Kejriwal for offences punishable under section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code, it said.

Chandra had on November 17 last year moved the court seeking prosecution of Kejriwal for allegedly defaming him by levelling false allegations in the wake of demonetisation.

Chandra, who filed the plea through lawyer Vijay Aggarwal, alleged that Kejriwal, while addressing a press conference on November 11, had made false, fabricated and defamatory allegations against him.

The chairman of the Essel group had also claimed that Kejriwal had defamed him by making inherently defamatory statements and caused serious harm to his reputation by imputing behaviour incompatible with proper conduct and suggestions of involvement in illegal activity.

The complaint claimed that Kejriwal, while addressing the press conference, without any lawful basis or justification, dragged the name of the complainant in the entire facade, which has defamed and lowered the reputation of complainant in the eyes of general public and thus accused person (Kejriwal) has committed the offence of criminal defamation.
Delhi Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal on Monday talked about AAP governments achievements over the past two years, especially in education and health, besides the work done to improve the life of the homeless and slum dwellers.

Delivering his inaugural address at the beginning of Delhi assemblys budget session, Baijal, also outlined the broader priorities of the state government and said that the state government was committed towards inclusive development in order to provide the basic needs of the life to every citizen in the city.

Read: Delhi Assembly Budget session begins Monday, to be live streamed on Facebook

For inclusive development, my government had identified education as one of the key sectors. As a result of the governments focused attention for improving the quality of education, students of Delhi have done exceedingly well, Baijal said, during his about 30-minute speech.

Continuing with the focused approach of the government on education and health, 14 pages of the 32-page speech were dedicated to achievements and reforms in these two sectors over the past two years.

The other achievements described in Baijals speech included revision of minimum wages, rehabilitation of eligible JJ cluster dwellers, upgradation of power transmission infrastructure, solar policy and approval of new phase of Delhi Metro expansion.

Read: Jung over: Delhi L-G Baijal clears third major AAP govt proposal in a month

Leader of the opposition Vijender Gupta, however, described the speech as disappointing and failure of the Arvind Kjeriwal government to provide any vision for future through L-Gs address.

It is nothing but a summary of the contents of the governments recent publicity campaign. It is a lost opportunity to outline action plan for 2017-18 and future, Gupta told reporters.

Lieutenant Governors speech for the occasion is prepared by the state government and duly cleared by the Cabinet. Sources said the L-G is duty bound to stick to the speech cleared by the government as it is the prerogative of the government to outline its priorities through the L-Gs speech.

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Having failed to earn favourable results in civic polls held recently in Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat, and Chandigarh, the Congress in Delhi has pitched in its national leadership for upcoming municipal elections in the national capital scheduled in April. To boost the morale of the party workers, the Congress has planned a convention at Ramlila Maidan on Tuesday, which is to be addressed by party vice-president, Rahul Gandhi.

On Monday, the party also brought former union finance minister P Chidamabaram and another leader Jyotiraditya Scindia who unveiled a draft blueprint to restructure the three cash-strapped civic bodies and make them financially self-sufficient.

Read|MCD polls: Delhi will be as clean as London, Kejriwal clarifies

In assembly elections, the party has drawn a blank. However, buoyed by the bye-elections held in 13 wards last year, the party is not in mood to leave any stone unturned. The Congress and AAP had won five seats while the BJP was restricted to only three wards.

Chhattar Singh, a senior party functionary said around 26, 000 workers are likely to attend the convention. We have asked two people from each polling booth. We have around 13, 500 booths in the city. Hence, we are expecting at least 26, 000 people in Ramlila Maidan on Tuesday. We have arranged 600 buses to ferry them. However, I am informed the workers have engaged 300 more buses for the function, he said.

Read|Delhi MCD polls: Yogender Yadavs Swaraj India releases vision document
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government inaugurated its ambitious pilot project to provide 24x7 potable water to residents of Navjivan Vihar in south Delhi on Sunday.

Quality potable water, which residents would be able to drink straight out of the tap and would require no additional filtering or decontamination, was described by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia as a dream that was being fulfilled while inaugurating the project.

Kapil Mishra, the water minister of Delhi who was also present at the event, said that soon all Delhiites would be able to drink water straight from their taps, as the ministers did on Sunday in Navjivan Vihar.

Entire Delhi has been divided into 1,010 units (where water supply networks can be isolated and fixed). All these areas will soon get 24x7 supply of direct from tap drinking water, said Mishra.

However, the project is to be handled by the same company that had failed to implement the supply improvement programme in Malviya Nagar earlier.

The new project in Navjivan Vihar is part of the larger project in the Malviya Nagar area, where the Delhi Jal Board had proposed their ambitious Water Service Improvement Scheme, a private-public partnership with a consortium of French company Suez and infrastructure company SPML Infra Ltd, in 2012.

Navjivan Vihar was not chosen per se for the pilot. It is part of the Malviya Nagar project area. It is always complicated to change an intermittent water supply system to a 24/7 network, especially because the water supply network was not scientifically laid, said Keshav Chandra, CEO of the Delhi Jal Board.

The affluent region in south Delhi was ideal because of multiple reasons according to Chandra, such as the network here could be isolated easily allowing easy calculations of the total water supplied to and consumed in the area, and it was easier to convince the educated residents to bypass their Underground Reservoir (UGR) to avoid secondary contamination.

Read more: Sanitary woes: Sewage in water, locals take to streets in east Delhis Swasthya Vihar

The isolated pipelines also helped fix any leakages detected using the technology provided by Suez India, a subsidiary of the French company Suez Environnement. Helium gas detection was used for for detecting leaks. This is high-end technology. Otherwise acoustic detection is used, he said.

This company had come under scrutiny, after reports surfaced alleging that Malviya Nagar was facing acute water shortage even two years after the implementation of the supply improvement scheme.

Mishra, however, said that though this is the same company as the one which was part of the initial PPP, this time greater involvement of the DJB would ensure better implementation.

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A 17-year-old boy riding a scooter died on the spot when he was allegedly knocked down by a speeding Mercedes in the Paschim Vihar area of Delhi, police said on Monday, the latest in a series of hit-and-run accidents in the national capital.

The driver of the Mercedes, who is yet to be identified, fled from the spot after the accident at around 11 pm on Sunday night, police quoted eyewitnesses as saying. The vehicle was yet to be traced and the accused has still not been nabbed.

The victim, identified as Atul Arora, was on his way back home on his scooter after dropping a friend when the Mercedes rammed the two-wheeler.

According to police, Atul was dragged around 50 metres by the Mercedes which was being driven at speed of over 100 kmph.

The incident took place around 11 pm. We have leads about the car from footage of the incident captured in CCTV installed at a shop in a nearby market, said a police official.

Sundays incident is the latest among several fatal accidents involving high-end vehicles in the national capital region (NCR).

In January, an overspeeding BMW had rammed into an Uber cab, killing its driver in South Delhis Munirka area.

The same month, four people including a woman techie were killed in Ghaziabad when a speeding Audi rammed head on into an autorickshaw they were travelling in.

In the Ghaziabad incident, police faced allegations of trying to protect the vehicles owner, a doctor. It also sparked public anger over alleged police inaction because of the car owners affluent background.

Official data show a sharp rise in road accidents in India  one every four minutes -- and road crashes are identified as number one killer of young men and women.

Almost 97% of the road accidents are caused by rash or negligent driving including drink driving, the data show.
Monday being the first day of the new academic year for Class 12 students of Bal Bharti Public School in Pitampura, Delhi, Saksham was among the early birds at the school. He waited excitedly to meet his best friend, Atul Arora, but the 17-year-old boy did not turn up for the assembly.

Saksham had barely settled down in his new classroom after the assembly when a teacher walked in to break the tragic news of Aroras death in a road accident allegedly involving a speeding Mercedes car. Atuls other friends had learnt of the accident during the assembly itself and left for his home.

Our excitement of first day in new class turned into a tragedy. I quickly left the school to see my friend for the last time, said Saksham. He recounted how happy Arora had sounded over phone on Saturday after learning that he had scored 54% marks in his Class 11 exams.

The news of Aroras death let everyone in a somber mood at his school. Everyone has been under great stress the entire day. He was a good boy and strong academically. Such a fine life has been wasted, said Meenu Goswami, the school principal.

Interested in exploring the world, Arora had chosen a combination of economics and geography in his Class 11. He saw Geography subject as an opportunity to pursue his interest, said Aroras sister Ruchi.

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She defended her brothers decision to ride a scooty despite not holding a licence. He was an obedient boy and never took the scooty without my mothers permission. We gave him the scooty keys on Sunday night only because he was to drop a friend just about a kilometre away from home, said Ruchi, a school teacher.

The family went to attend a religious programme, about a kilometer from their home, on Sunday evening. They decided to return home by 10 pm so that Arora could wake up on time to attend the first day of his new class. We were returning by car. Atul said he would be home before us. Now he will never return, Ruchi said.

She confirmed that Arora did not have a driving licence, but said she was not sure if he wore a helmet or not. Police have said he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. DCP (Outer), Rishi Pal, said that the boy was not wearing a helmet.

But that should not deter the police from conducting a thorough probe, she said. The Mercedes driver needs to be identified and arrested, otherwise our faith in the police will die. We hope the delay in identifying him does not give the real driver an opportunity to arrange for a dummy driver, said Ruchi.

There were so many eyewitnesses. They picked up broken parts of the Mercedes car involved in the accident. It is clear that my brother was killed by a Mercedes car. The driver should not be allowed to go scot-free just because he is wealthy, she said.

Arora lived with his father Ajay Kumar, mother Sangeeta and two sisters in GH-14 Block of Paschim Vihar in West Delhi. His father, who had suffered paralysis a few years ago and still struggles to walk, works as the personal assistant to a chief engineer with the Delhi Development Authority. His mother and eldest sister are teachers with private schools while a sister older to him is a second year DU student.
No matter what role actor Manoj Bajpayee takes up, he makes them memorable  be it Sardar Khan in Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) or Siras in Aligarh (2015). However, the actor, who is known for his impeccable acting skills was rejected by his alma mater National School of Drama (NSD) not once, not twice, but thrice!

Yes, everyone knows I got rejected thrice by NSD before I finally made the cut here. But, NSD is not the only place where I faced rejection, it happened in Mumbai, too. I have been rejected so many times by so many people in the film city, that I have lost the count. But with every rejection, my willpower gets stronger. I feel that dismissal should not become the determining point of your graph. In fact, it should become a motivating force that inspires one to work harder.

The Ramjas college graduate adds, My DNA is such that with rejections I only get stronger and my personality gets better. I dont look back and I never will.

Delhi has been home to Manoj, since his college days. My family has shifted here, its home to me, he says. On the changing dynamics of the city, he observes, Delhi has changed a lot in terms of development and infrastructure. But, its food and people are still the same.

Over the years, his love for theatre has remained intact and he keeps coming back to the Capital to work with the students and the directors of NSD. Theatre has always been relevant. There are so many creative people who dont know where to go and how to channelise their creativity. Institutions like NSD come handy in such cases.

His passion and respect for theatre can be inferred from his statement: Theatre is surviving for centuries because of passionate individuals across the world. Cinema may die, television may die but theatre will never die. Thats the power of theatre.

Follow @htshowbiz for more.

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Private unaided schools in the national capital released their first list for nursery admission on Tuesday.

Schools said they have released the first list and parents can come to school for document verification and admission.

Many parents, however, said they have not been able to make it to the list of any school. Parents, many of whom had applied to multiple schools, lamented the lack of uniform criteria.

Read: Nursery admissions: Delhi schools to release first list today

My childs name has not come in even a single school out of the 12 that I have checked today. Every school has a different set of criteria. While some are keeping neighbourhood at 0-1 kms, others have 0-6 kms. Schools have different points for sibling and alumni, said Sumit Malhotra, a resident of Dwarka.

Parents already know the details of the points their children have received since schools have uploaded the details on their websites. The Delhi government had directed the schools to upload the list of students who had applied and the points they got.

For admission to nursery classes, children are given points on the basis of criteria such as distance, sibling, alumni and others. In schools, where more than one child received the same score, draw of lots will be held.

Schools in which seats are left vacant after completing the process, a second list will be released on March 17.

Read: Nursery admission process begins in 150 Delhi govt Sarvodaya Vidyalayas

This is only for the general category seats and not for the 25% seats meant for the Economically Weaker Section/Disadvantaged (EWS/DG) category. The admission to this category is centralised and is conducted by the government. The application process for the students in this category is over.

Officials said the list for EWS admission will come out in the next week. Hopefully by next week we will conduct the draw of lots and list of students will be out, an official said.
A local court on Monday directed the Delhi Police to file an action taken report in the clashes at Delhi Universitys Ramjas College.

The Tees Hazari court in Delhi was hearing a plea filed by Vivek Garg, an advocate who demanded that FIRs be lodged against those who allegedly raised anti-national slogans on February 21 at Ramjas College over the cancellation of a literary event where JNU student Umar Khalid was invited.

Some ABVP members, objecting to the invitation to JNU students, disrupted the event. On February 22, when Ramjas students and members of some Left-leaning student outfits were taking out a march against the disruption, members of ABVP clashed with them.

Read:Need to challenge AVBPs impunity, says AISAs DU head Kawalpreet Kaur

The court reserved March 30 as the next date of hearing in the case where the police will have to submit the report .

In the last hearing on February 28, the court had chastised the petitioner Garg, saying: Its all between students. Why are you entering into it?

If you are so agitated with these words and slogans, why are you again saying them in the open court? Is it expected from you to reiterate such issues and saying these things in the open court, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Satish Kumar Arora had told Garg, a lawyer.

There are so many other pertinent issues to deal with. If you are so much concerned, come in my court as a legal aid counsel or do cases pro-bono (doing legal work without any charge). Already, there is so much of pendency in courts, the court had said.

Read: The nation hears me now, says Umar Khalid as forced peace descends on DU

When Garg made submissions by detailing the allegations of alleged anti-national slogans being raised on the campus, the court said it was not expected of him to reiterate such words in the open court. When the counsel said the complaint was in national interest, the court remarked, Delaying judicial process is also not in national interest.

During the hearing, Garg said it was a serious matter as anti-national slogans were raised at Ramjas College allegedly by members of students groups AISA and SFI and a similar incident had taken place in JNU last year which had a massive impact on the nation.

Gargs complaint states that massive anti-national slogans/ activities were being carried out by leaders/ students of All India Students Association(AISA)/ Students Federation of India (SFI) in Ramjas College, shamelessly and openly which supported Indias enemy i.e. Pakistan. The criminal acts of accused were also boosting morale of terrorists against our country.

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During the assembly elections of 2017, I have dedicated the last four series of my column Straightforward to the subjects of injustice with small states, the ferment in the Muslim mind, discrimination against women and the severe shortage of drinking water. These critical issues are unfortunately missing from our political discourse. As the final chapter of this train of thought, I want to shed light on those attitudes which are not just harmful for a democracy but are closely linked with the shattered dreams of three generations.

Let me begin on a personal note. When my father named his firstborn which is me, he desisted from expressing his caste identity. My siblings, who were born later, were also named like this. He had thought that by the time his children grow up, the concept of a caste-less society would have been well-entrenched in the country and his family would have made its own, humble contribution towards it. Along with him, his friends and contemporaries were also busy weaving such sentimental dreams.

In my endeavour to understand these assembly elections, as I roamed from village to village and town to town, I remembered my fathers commitment. Even today, he gets agitated over talk about casteism, but what can one do? One of my Muslim friends once said something very profound: What else do the fundamentalists expect from us? After coming to India, Muslims have adopted the caste system, learnt to sing and dance and some of them have even begun taking dowry. My friend was stating a reality. It is a bitter truth that every community living in India has adopted the caste system at one level or the other.

Recently, when I asked people in one of the many parched villages of Bundelkhand who was winning there, they aired their views without hesitation. The truth that unravelled was poignant. People said more than 50,000 voters were from a particular caste. They were faithful to a prominent political personality of the area. This candidate has estimated that if the voters from his caste align with this vote-bank, hell win the elections. For this he had no qualms about spending as much money as required.

Cutting across party lines, these assembly elections are also propagating the evil of dynastic politics. Even those parties which opposed it at one time have fallen victim to it. Families whose ancestral business is politics are flourishing in Uttarakhand and other states as well. Regional satraps have aligned with national parties such as the Congress and the BJP at the local level. What can one expect from those peoples representatives who are serious about the fortunes of their family members rather than their voters? The proliferation of dynastic politics has blocked the progress of non-pedigreed party workers and encouraged feudal politics.

One more thing, the kind of discourse the tallest leaders have stooped to win elections is not a happy omen for our democracy. From making divisive statements to personal remarks, every hateful tactic that can be adopted in order to win elections is being used. A saying in the Hindi belt goes that the water and dialect change every 10 kilometres. You may have noticed that the politicians statements are becoming bitter and more bitter with every advancing phase of the elections. Sensitive people have been driven to despair. They are praying that the elections should get over soon so that they get freedom from this mudslinging.

Another question that is being asked: Why are these politicians allowed to play with our sentiments for months together? If elections to the Uttarakhand, Goa and Punjab assemblies be completed in just one day, why couldnt Uttar Pradeshs polls be finished in three or four phases? Another major reason to raise this question is that from village panchayats to the Lok Sabha, we hold so many elections that we have to grapple with this public mud-slinging every few months. Clearly, we need to understand, analyse and improve our electoral mechanism once again.

Still, it wont be enough to just create a new law about elections. A few weeks ago, the honourable Supreme Court directed that religion and caste should not be exploited during elections. Is it happening? The answer to this question hides in its folds the secrets behind the rot in Indian democracy. We cannot stay oblivious to this.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan

The views expressed are personal
The wheels are in motion for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a state visit to Israel sometime later this year. Whatever the outcome of the visit, the very act of visiting Israel will be historic. No serving Indian prime minister has ever visited Israel. There are also increasing signals that Modi will break the traditional diplomatic hyphen New Delhi has maintained between Israel and Palestine and will not include a stopover in Palestine in his itinerary. Such a decision would fit in with Modis general attitude that Indian foreign policy should reflect the rising global profile of India, adhere strictly to the national interest and be less concerned about ideological and symbolic actions.

More fundamental is that such a trip would reflect the sea-change that has taken place between India and Israel since the former normalised diplomatic relations in 1992. Israel is now one of the three largest suppliers of arms and weapons to India, a major source of assistance in the countrys counterterrorism programmes and, uniquely in the world, a partner in the development of Indias nuclear arsenal. The last fact alone would indicate Israel has become strategically more trusted by India than any other country in the world.

That New Delhi should have continued to follow a path of diplomatic distance and security promiscuity with Israel has not made any sense for several years now. Modis visit will hopefully bring diplomacy into alignment with political reality. The arguments against such an act have proven demonstrably false. No Arab or West Asian government has diluted its relationship with India. Quite the opposite: New Delhis relations with many such countries have never been more intimate.

There remains, however, a strong humanitarian and weaker strategic reason for India to retain its support for Palestine. There can be no walking back from Indias recognition of the Palestinian state and, accordingly, its belief in a two-state solution to that problem. But given the depth and breadth of Indias relationship with Israel versus the residual and largely humanitarian one it has with Palestine, binding one strand to the other makes little sense. India, after all, makes exactly the same argument when it tries to get other countries to drop the hyphen between itself, the emerging power, and Pakistan, the failing rogue state. There is an additional problem that the original secular Palestinian nationalism has increasingly being supplanted by an Islamic identity that New Delhi finds unpalatable. The coming Modi visit will be seen as radical. In truth it will be realistic, introducing policy changes that should have been carried out many years ago.
The supreme leader of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has admitted his terrorist governments core territory in Iraq is lost. In what he dubbed his farewell address al-Baghdadi urged his local fighters to blow themselves up if they were defeated in battle and his foreign fighters to go home and wreak havoc. The latter threat will put almost all major countries, India included, on alert. But this will be more than balanced by the sense that the IS is on its last legs.

Few entities have lined up as many powerful enemies as the Islamic State. Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and every sensible world leader has called for their defeat. Even within the Islamic world, at least publicly, all governments have treated it as a political and theological heresy. The IS has acted deliberately as an outlier in the international system. It was the anti-nation state, driven by an apocalyptic version of Islam, using barbaric governance practices and openly promoting terrorism across the world. The surprise has been how long it has taken the international community to destroy this obvious threat. The deep divisions among West Asias regional powers  and the reluctance of the United States to take a leadership role  are among the main reasons for ISs survival these past few years.

Over the past year, the ISs fortunes have turned. On the military side, it faces two separate assaults: a Russia-backed offensive in Syria and a US-backed Iraqi assault on its east, with Iran providing ballast to both actions. Its finances have also suffered thanks to the fall in oil prices. The steady stream of foreign fighters has become intermittent as countries, most notably Turkey, have tightened their borders. But the drawn-out battle for the Iraqi city of Mosul is a reminder that the IS remains a formidable fighting force and it could be many months before its government will fall.

However, it is important to recognise that the sense of marginalisation among Sunni Arabs will remain, especially if non-Sunni and non-secular regimes come back to power in Iraq and Syria. The IS has already made plans to survive by disappearing into the Iraqi-Syrian hinterland. More importantly, the alienation and anger it represents will remain alive on the Internet and lone wolf terrorism will continue for the foreseeable future. Terror analysts have also noted that Al Qaeda, quietly but surely, has begun to reassert itself in the areas where the IS has been forced out of. Al-Baghdadis farewell address is welcome. But a new version of the IS leader will emerge if the broader problems afflicting West Asia are not addressed.
We have not conducted any poll but empirical evidence suggests that one of the most popular words in India these days is transparency. This is not surprising since corruption has been / still is a way of life in this country and everyone wants the State to do all that it can to clean up the mess. However, this desire to make systems transparent could sometimes have negative consequences. Take for example, the central governments notification to make Aadhaar mandatory for receiving benefits of programmes such as mid-day meals, supplementary nutrition (ICDS) and scholarships. According to a recent HRD ministry notification, students will now be required to have an Aadhaar number for getting their midday meals. Cook-cum-helpers working under the scheme will also have to furnish the same. The deadline for enrolling is June 30. This rule will be applicable across the country, except Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya and Assam. Of the total enrolment of 13.16 crore children, 10.03 crore children availed the midday meal on an average basis in 11.50 lakh schools during 2015-16.

The decision has been opposed by many, who say that it is in conflict with the Supreme Courts 2014 order. This is correct. The order said that no person shall be deprived of any service for want of Aadhaar number in case he/she is otherwise eligible/entitled. The court also requested that all national institutes and authorities must ensure that the Aadhaar card was mentioned in their forms as a document that is not compulsory. In 2015, the SC reiterated, the Aadhaar card scheme is purely voluntary and it cannot be made mandatory till the matter is finally decided by this Court one way or the other. Mid-day meal is a flagship central government scheme that aims to provide some amount of nutrition to students in government schools, special training centres and madrasas supported under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Central and state governments share the financial burden in the 60:40 ratio except that it is 90:10 for eight north-eastern states and three Himalayan statesHimachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir.

The government clearly wants to reach certain administrative goals such as enrolling a certain number of people in Aadhaar. But this is not a good enough reason to make young children guinea pigs? Nutritious food is an absolute necessity for children and not something that can be denied because someone forgot to enrol them in some scheme within a tight time frame. The quality of the food on offer cannot be ensured by linking it to the Aadhaar scheme. Denying food will also mean flouting the Right to Food Act. While using technology to cut corruption is desirable, it cannot happen at the cost of hungry children.
The Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIM-L) is set to increase the fee for two-year post-graduate programme in management by 15% for the academic year 2017-2019.

In an exclusive interview with HT, IIM-L director Dr Ajit Prasad said as per the proposal, the fee for the PG programme was likely to be increased to Rs 16 lakh from the present Rs 14 lakh.

The proposal is subject to approval of the board of governors, which will meet on March 20.

We want to be at par with the three league IIMs at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata. Recently, the IIM-Kozhikode raised the fee to Rs 16 lakh. We should also take the fee structure to that level, he said.

This is for the second consecutive year that the IIM-L will increase its fee. Last year, the fee was raised by almost 30% for the 2017-18 batch. The tuition fee for the course was Rs 10.80 lakh in the academic year 2013-2015.

Dr Prasad, however, has a different take. The IIM-L slashed its fee by 10% for the PGP in management in 2013. The fee was reduced from Rs 12 lakh to Rs 10.8 lakh. We revised the fee last year to its original position. This year we propose to raise it by 15%, he said.

On placement of graduating students

At the IIM-L, placement is a student drive and we do not interfere unless there is a major crisis. There is an obsession among students about the packages. What they should be concerned with is that it is their first job in management. They should be more bothered about the learning and the branding that is associated with it. Whether it is Rs 20 lakh or Rs 25 lakh per annum, it hardly makes a difference.

On not disclosing students package

A few years ago, the parents of a student at the IIM-Bengaluru received kidnapping threat call when the news of Rs 1 crore package for their son was reported in the media. Since then we have stopped disclosing the salary or package of the students.

Good news for new batch

The new batch of 2017-19 will enjoy international immersion module, which is designed to give all 450 students an opportunity to broaden learning and deepen knowledge about an increasingly globalised economic environment. The IIM-L has international exchange facility, but not all the students get access to the exchange programme because of the additional charges entailed with it over and above the tuition fee. The IIM-L has now tried to work out a system that will allow all the 450 students to go for an international immersion, a six-week programme abroad.

On MBA degree

The new batch of 450 students may hope to get an MBA degree when they complete two-year post-graduate programme in 2019. Of course this is subject to the passing of the IIM Bill in the parliament. It is not too much departure from the existing norms and it gives a lot of autonomy and legal teeth to premiere B-schools in the country.

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Hundreds of residents of Sector 78, beyond Kherki Daula in Gurgaon, are waiting for the government to construct a one-kilometre access road from the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway. Despite writing to the authorities several times, no action has bee taken, residents alleged.

The residents welfare association members of Monsoon Breeze condominium alleged that since they moved in three years ago, they have been fighting for basic amenities. Moonsoon Breeze is a private residential complex in Sector 78 that spreads across 12 acres.

The RWA said the roads are broken, the access road to the condominium from the NH-8 is potholed-riddled and there is inadequate lighting in the area.

The access road from NH-8 to Monsoon Breeze is pathetic. There is only a village road that we have been using for the last three years. It is also used by heavy vehicles and nearby industries and godowns. We dont feel safe riding on this road, and many accidents and head-on collisions have occurred because of the narrow road. No sector road has been developed to go to Sector 77 or towards Sohna Road. People have to commute using the highway, Deepak Bansal, vice-president, Monsson Breeze residents welfare association(MBRWA), said.

The RWA alleged residents bought flats in the sector on the developers word that it will develop the access road.

No streetlights have been installed despite raising the issue even through the CM window. The query was closed stating that the area does not come under the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) or the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda), Sandeep Jain of MBRWA.

Residents said the area is cut off from the expressway because of the condition of the road.

Our question is simple -- why were development charges taken from us? The condition of the area is a threat to the safety of people residing here. We have lodged complaints to the National Highways Authority of India, Huda, CM Window and PM Window, but there is no response, Manish Mittal, a resident, said.

The residents are now planning to hold a protest if things do not improve soon.

Children get delayed for school and back because of traffic jam at Kherki Daula toll plaza and situation becomes worse when they get stuck in jams at Rampura for another hour. All this is because no sector road is available from NH-8 to our complex. It is unsafe to drive home alone after sunset, Mamta Bansal, a resident, said.

The Huda said it will look into the problem and try to resolve it. It remains to be seen under whose jurisdiction this road falls and if it our responsibility, then the problem will be resolved soon, a Huda official said.

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The police arrested a teacher of a government school in Pataudi on charges of molesting four girl students. The accused was held from his home in Rewari on Sunday night and produced in a court on Monday from where he was sent to judicial custody, said a police officer at Bilaspur police station.

The villagers of Bhora Kalan near Pataudi had protested outside the government senior secondary school on Saturday and demanded arrest of Hindi teacher Shiv Kumar, 43, after four girls alleged that they have been molested by him repeatedly over the last 20 days.

According to the report lodged against Kumar, he molested the girls throughout February. He had also threatened the students with dire consequences if they spoke about the harassment to anyone.

The police had on Friday registered a case under section 506 (threatening for life) of the IPC, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, and the SC/ST Act at the Bilaspur police station.

The police recorded the statements of the girls under 164 CrPC before a magistrate on Saturday. The girls, who were earlier active in the class and cheerful at home, became serious and were reluctant to go to school, the police said.

When their family members noticed the changes, they enquired with the girls if anything was wrong. One of the minors told her family about the trauma she and her friends were facing after which the family members filed a police complaint. A preliminary probe found the allegations to be true. The students alleged that Shiv Kumar molested them a number of times, made lewd comments to them and touched them inappropriately.

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British actor Emma Watson hit back at critics who said she betrayed her feminist ideals by posing for a revealing picture in Vanity Fair magazine where parts of her breasts were exposed.

Watson, the Harry Potter movie series co-star and pioneer of the HeForShe campaign to make men advocate for feminism, talked about the photo shoot for the magazine while promoting her latest film, the Disney live action Beauty and the Beast.

It just always reveals to me how many misconceptions and what a misunderstanding there is about what feminism is, she said in an interview with Reuters.

Feminism is about giving women choice. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women with. Its about freedom, its about liberation, its about equality. I really dont know what my t**s have to do with it. Its very confusing.

Im confused. Most people are confused. No, Im just always just quietly stunned, she said.

A post shared by Vanity Fair (@vanityfair) on Feb 28, 2017 at 10:02am PST

The magazines photo shoot by acclaimed fashion photographer Tim Walker showed Watson in an open, white crocheted bolero jacket with no bra or shirt underneath.

Wed been doing so many crazy things on that shoot but it felt incredibly artistic and Ive been so creatively involved and engaged with Tim and Im so thrilled about how interesting and beautiful the photographs were, she said.

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Hugh Jackmans name is synonymous with The Wolverine, but the actor says his son Oscar thinks hes nothing like the films leading character.

The actor spoke about his son Oscar Maximilian Jackman, 16, during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, reports dailymail.co.uk.

This image released by Twentieth Century Fox shows Hugh Jackman from the film, Logan. (AP)

Recalling a past incident where a friend of his son was gushing over the 48-year-old, Jackman told the host Stephen Colbert: Dad is nothing like Wolverine. Hes not tough, hes not cool.

I remember my son having a friend come over. He was about 13 (at the time), Jackman recalled.

He added: The guy was peppering him with Wolverine questions and my son was like, nothing. Finally I hear this Listen, dad is nothing like Wolverine. Hes not tough, hes not cool. Dont ask me anything about it.



Jackman currently stars in Logan, the latest of the Wolverine spin-off series. It is his last appearance as Wolverine.

The show is aired in India on Star World Premiere HD.

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It was the fear of being beaten up by a girls family that forced two PoK teenagers, arrested on charges of aiding the Uri attack, to flee their homes and stray into India, an NIA official has said.

Classmates Faisal Husain Awan and Ahsan Khursheed fled their villages after they got to know that the parents of a girl they had harassed were looking for them.

In fact, they entered India two days after the September 18 attack on the Uri army base, the NIA official said on condition of anonymity. Nineteen soldiers were killed in the audacious strike carried out by suspected Pakistani militants.

They ran away but accidentally crossed the LoC (line of control) in Jammu and Kashmir where they were found loitering close to Uri on September 20 and picked up by locals, the official, who is investigating the attack, said.

The National Investigation Agency would on March 8 ask a Jammu court to close the case against the two, the officer said. The boys, who are Class 10 students, are lodged in Jammus Kot Bhalwal jail.

The villagers thrashed the boys and handed them over to the army, which questioned them.

Afraid that they would be beaten up again, the runaways claimed they were asked by the Pakistan-based militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad to help the four Uri attackers cross into India. The four were killed during the attack.

They were very scared. For initial seven days in the NIA custody, the boys kept saying they were the guides who brought the Uri attackers, said the official.

The countrys top anti-terror agency took over the investigation two days after the attack.

They told us about earlier instances when they had brought attackers. We video-recorded their statements also, the official said.

It was on the basis of these confessions that the NIA issued a statement about the boys being tasked by Jaish to help the Uri attackers cross the LoC, the de facto border between the two countries.

But somehow things were not adding up. There was something missing, said the official.

The doubts were proved true when after a week in NIA custody, Awan and Khursheed said they were not with Jaish.

They were residents of Pitha Jandgran and Khiyana Khurd villages in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and had strayed into India. The villages are an hours walk from the LoC.

The data collected from their mobile phone suggested they crossed the LoC two days after the Uri attack, the official said.

The agency, however, will not mention in its closure report the reason for the two fleeing their homes.

It was not our mandate. We had to see whether the boys were involved in the Uri attack and our probe says they were not, said the official.

They will get a reprieve only if the court accepts the findings of the agency. If that happens, they can hope to be home soon.

The investigation in the Uri attack, however, will continue.

The agency is yet to find evidence of Jaishs involvement. A comparison of the food items and arms recovered from the Uri attackers with that of recoveries made in the Valley point to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, NIA sources said.

Pakistan-based Lashkar carried out the 2008 Mumbai attack that left 166 people dead.

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Pakistans former national security adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani said on Monday the 26/11 Mumbai attacks was carried out by a terror-group based in Pakistan and called it a classic example of cross-border terrorism.

He, however, said the Pakistani government had no role in the attack. Durrani was speaking at a conference on combating terrorism at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis.

Durrani was sacked from the post of national security adviser for confirming Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasabs Pakistani nationality to the media.

More than 160 people, including many foreigners, were killed in the 2008 Mumbai attacks India says was carried out by 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba militants. Nine of the attackers were killed and lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was captured and later hanged in 2012.

#WATCH: Former Pakistan NSA Mahmud Ali Durrani says 26/11 attack was carried out by terror group based in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/cBmzSFnbK2  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

Prime suspect LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, believed to be the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, is in hiding after getting bail over a year ago.

American citizen David Headley, who admitted scouting targets for the 2008 assault on Mumbai by Pakistani militants, has testified that the plot was hatched with at least one Pakistani intelligence official and a navy frogman.

The attacks trials sluggish pace and lack of convictions has been a thorn in bilateral relations and India has maintained that crucial evidence was to be found in Pakistan, the site of training and plotting of the 26/11 strikes that killed 166 people.

Durrani also said Lashkar-e-Taiba Hafiz Saeed has no utility and Pakistan should act against him.

India has asked Pakistan to re-investigate the 2008 Mumbai attacks case and put on trial Saeed, who is currently under house arrest in Lahore under the anti-terrorism law.

India made the fresh demand in response to Pakistans request to send 24 Indian witnesses for recording their statements in the case.

With inputs from PTI
Out of 4,022 persons declared illegal immigrants since the BJP-led government came to power in Assam last year, only 30, who were Bangladeshis, have been deported, the Assembly was informed on Monday.

Replying to a query by Congress MLA Abdul Khaleque during Question Hour, parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said 30 Bangladeshis have been sent back to their country after May 2016.

From May 2016 to December 2016, a total of 4,022 people were declared as foreigners by the Foreigners Tribunal and the process is complete for another three persons, Patowary said.

The minister said that a total 79,771 persons have been detected in the state as foreigners since 1986, of which 29,729 have been deported so far.

Khaleque, citing examples, said that many genuine Indian citizens have been harassed by branding them as foreigners, but ultimately they are freed.

The government is equally concerned about this. We will instruct the deputy commissioners to provide voters list or other documents immediately to the Foreigners Tribunal if it asks, Patowary said.
Police on Monday arrested 31 persons for their alleged involvement in arson and violence following the custodial death of a mason at Barhara village of Bihars Bhojpur district, 55km west of Patna.

An angry mob had on Sunday partially burnt down Barhara police station, torched vehicles parked on its premises and looted firearms after Ram Sajjan Tatwa, a mason, who was picked by cops following his daughters complaint, died in police detention. Tatwas daughter had complained to the police that her father used to return home drunk and beat up her mother and her.

Bhojpur superintendent of police (SP) Kshatranil Singh said all the arrested persons were named as accused in the FIR lodged on the basis of the statement by Barhara station house officer S Kumar, who had since been suspended.

READ: Cop hurt in brickbatting as mob torches police station, vehicles in Ara over masons death

The arrested persons were mostly from Barhara as well as neighbouring Semariya and Padadiya villages, Singh said, adding that the FIR had been registered against 118 named and 500 unnamed persons.

Singh said the executive engineer of the building construction department had been asked to assess the damage caused to the police station building. Many valuable papers, including station diaries, carbon copy of FIRs and other documents had been destroyed in the arson, he added.

The SP said kerosene used in arson was seized a few days back from Nathmalpur village. One of the arrested persons, Sanjay Paswan, had admitted to having used kerosene stored in two drums at the police station to set the building on fire, the SP added.
At least seven teenage girls of an orphanage in North Keralas Wayanad district were being raped by five persons for the past two months, police said after arresting all the accused on Monday.

The incident came to the light in the districts Kalpetta town after a local alerted police after seeing a girl coming out of a shop in tears. The five-member gang used to lure the children to the shop and sexually assaulted them there.

The victims later told police they were facing the ordeal for the past two months.

All the victims are in the age group of 14-16, a senior police officer of the district said, adding all the accused are now in police custody.

It is a shocking incident. Police investigation is moving in the right direction, said Kalpetta MLA C K Saseendran.

Kalpetta incident comes close on the heels of the arrest of a priest in the district last Monday for raping a minor girl. The girl gave birth to a baby girl last month.

The main accused Father Robin Vadakkumcherry, vicar of St Sebastian church in Kottiyoor, was arrested while he was trying to flee the country. Seven others, including five nuns and two doctors, were also made accused in the case.

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Hyderabad Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday nominated his only son Nara Lokesh as party candidate for state legislative council, in an obvious move to induct him into the state cabinet.

Later in the day, Lokesh, general secretary of the TDP, filed his nomination papers for the MLC seat under MLAs quota in the newly-built state assembly complex at Velagapudi in Amaravati, the new state capital of Andhra Pradesh. The first assembly session at the new assembly building started with the address by Governor ESL Narasimhan at 11.06 am.

Senior legislators Kalwa Srinivasulu and Kala Venkat Rao proposed the name of Lokesh for the MLC seat. Filed my nomination papers for the MLC election. Humble thanks to all whove joined me & made the moment special, Lokesh tweeted within minutes of filing the papers.

Read | Even for Chandrababu Naidu, the son rises

The election of Lokesh as an MLC is just a formality, as the TDP has fielded five candidates under the MLAs quota since it has enough strength to get them elected without any opposition. The only opposition party  YSR Congress  has the strength to win the remaining two seats under the MLAs quota. Since there are no other contenders, all of them will get elected unanimously.

Naidu already indicated to his senior party leaders that he was taking his son into the cabinet and will entrust him with key portfolios.

Lokeshs father-in-law Nandamuri Balakrishna, who is an MLA from Hindupur assembly constituency in Anantapur district, said he was happy over nomination of Lokesh for the MLC seat. He fully deserves it. He has been striving hard to strengthen the party for over four years, Balakrishna said.

The YSR Congress party, however, pooh-poohed the move.

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Assam government on Monday said it has instructed all superintendents of police to remain alert and tighten security at all sensitive places in view of the possibility of ISIS recruiting youths from the state.

Replying to a discussion during the zero hour in the assembly, Assam parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said all the SPs have been ordered to keep a strict vigil and maintain a close watch on doubtful people.

Moreover, instruction has been given for tightening security at all sensitive places like railway stations, airports, historical places, temples, dargahs, refineries and shopping malls, he added.

Patowary was replying on behalf of chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also holds the home portfolio, during the zero hour debate raised by BJP MLA Ashok Singhal on possibility of recruitment drive by ISIS in Assam and other parts of the country.

We have also ordered to strengthen security along Indo-Bangla border and secure the river ways. Police have been strictly asked to maintain close coordination with various intelligence agencies, he said.

Besides, security and other agencies have been keeping a close watch on social media as these can be tools of influencing youths for joining the global terror outfit, he added.

The minister informed the house that two trained members of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were nabbed from Nalbari district.

Assam police, he said, has so far arrested 56 JMB extremists after the Burdwan blast in West Bengal in 2014.

Apart from them 10-12 JMB members are absconding at present, Patowary added without elaborating.
Breaking all negative perceptions, Bihar has been able to attract new investment proposals worth Rs 5,794 crore during 2016.

Statistics released by the department of industrial policy and promotion of the Union commerce ministry, suggest a massive 365% rise in investment proposals over Rs 1,247 crore in 2015.

In fact, 2016 was a bounce-back year for Bihar in terms of new investment proposals after witnessing a decline from Rs 1,449 crore in 2014 to Rs 1,247 crore in 2015.

The figures show that Bihar left its neighbour Jharkhand far behind in attracting new investment proposals in 2016. Jharkhand, during the year under review, attracted new investment proposals worth just Rs 1,329 crore despite the strategic advantage of having huge mineral reserves.

In fact, Jharkhand witnessed a decline in new investment proposals from Rs 1,540 crore recorded in 2015 to Rs 1,329 in 2016.

Bihars investment proposals worth Rs 5,794 crore, came from just 19 proposed new units. This accounts for 1.41% of the total proposals received nationally during 2016.

However, market observers doubt if the 2016 figures will be maintained this year, as many liquor giants have been forced to shelve their production and expansion plans in the state following the imposition of total prohibition on April 5, 2016.

The only silver lining for the state is the commitment on part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to partner with the Bihar government in promoting technology-friendly farming in the state. The national industry body has also promised to promote setting up farm-equipment manufacturing units in the state.

Bihar can be promoted as a model state in technology driven farming. In this process there will be an increase in demand for farm equipment, which in turn will promote setting up their manufacturing units in the state, a CII official said.

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The impact of demonetisation on Indias GDP maybe seen in the current quarter in some segments even as the remonetisation exercise should be completed in two-three months, RBI deputy governor Viral V Acharya said on Monday.

Asked if the spillover of the governments note ban move could extend to the January-March quarter, Acharya said the impact could be felt in some segments.

Ultimately, the cash shortage is like the liquidity shock and unless it had led to a substantial wealth destruction one would expect its effects to be quite temporary. Im not saying that the temporary impact is not hard on some parts of the economy, you would expect the effect to be temporary, he said.

There maybe a couple of sectors, like two-wheeler sales, where there is slightly slower rebound, he said.

The recently released GDP number of 7% for the October-December quarter had prompted analysts to question the growth rate at a time when the nation was reeling due to a cash crunch.

The demonetisation of high value currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 announced on November 8 led to scrapping of Rs 15.4 lakh crore from the system.

When asked about the GDP estimate, he said, You can see our MPC resolution which is that our estimate was actually reasonably close to that (of CSO estimate).

Of course, the drivers may have been slightly different, but I think there are a couple of things that people have raised which would be interesting and worth thinking about, which is how much of the informal sector gets fully captured other than through its links to the formal sector, he said.

He further said the impact of the note ban would only be temporary and would help in bringing informal sector into the mainstream economy.

I think everyone should keep in mind that the remonetisation is taking place at a very fast pace. We have some way to go, but I think we expect that within two to three months we will reach full currency in circulation. It will be slightly lower, but it is in that ballpark (number), he said.

The newly appointed deputy governor also said that asset quality review (AQR) is on the track.

The RBI had set a deadline of March 2017 for completion of AQR exercise for the public sector banks.

It had embarked on the AQR exercise from December 2015 and asked banks to recognise some top defaulting accounts as NPAs. It has had a debilitating impact on banks numbers and their stocks.

The move resulted in a spike in bad assets with lenders recognising over Rs 1 lakh crore of bad assets in the December quarter alone.
Union minister Giriraj Singh on Monday urged Hindus to take an oath to not cut cakes on birthdays, but offer prayers in a temple instead.

I urge you all to take an oath not to cut a cake to celebrate birthdays, instead offer prayers in the temple to celebrate it. In Indian culture, there is no tradition to cut a cake. It is unfortunate that we are moving towards western culture despite the fact that our own culture is strong and old, Singh said at a religious function in Bihars Aurangabad district.

Singh, who is minister of state for micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs), said Indian culture was ending fast in rural areas and it is a matter serious concern.

These days children are addressing their mother as mummy instead of maa or maiya and father as papa instead of babuji or pitaji. The words like maiya and babuji have an emotional connection, he said.

Singh said our ancient religion is declining in the society due to carelessness to save Sanatan Dharm Sanskriti. All Hindus should be united to protect our religion. Unless we are united, religion will not be saved.

Singh reiterated that Muslims in India were not minority and hence should not be given that status.

The minister said that the Muslim population in the country stands at 21 crore, adding it is not proper to treat such a large population as minority. There should be a debate over this issue in the country.

Singh, a BJP Lok Sabha member from Nawada constituency in Bihar, is known as a staunch supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a champion of Hinduvta politics.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences on Monday handed over the medical report of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa to the state government.

The report contains the analysis of Jayalalithaas health condition by the doctors of the premier institute during their five visits to Chennai.

AIIMS deputy director (administration) V Srinivas said that the state government had on Sunday sought the visit notes of the delegation for its official records.

The move assumes significance in the backdrop of doubts being raised from different quarters over the former AIADMK chiefs death on December 5.

Srinivas handed over the papers to Tamil Nadus principal secretary ( health), Dr J Radhakrishnan, in New Delhi on Monday.

On the request of the Tamil Nadu government for expert medical advise, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had deployed a team of senior specialists to visit Chennai five times between October 5 and December 6, 2016.

The team was led by Dr G C Khilnani, Professor in the department of pulmonology, Srinivas said.

The Tamil Nadu government had on Sunday rejected former chief minister and rebel AIADMK leader O Panneerselvams claims of foul play in the treatment of Jayalalithaa, an allegation which has been dismissed by state health minister C Vijayabaskar.

The opposition DMK too has approached the Madras high court seeking a comprehensive probe into the death of Jayalalithaa.

Twelve AIADMK MPs, belonging to the O Panneerselvam group, had met President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on February 28 and handed over a petition seeking a probe into the medical treatment provided to Jayalalithaa.
The Kerala assembly on Monday passed a resolution condemning the statement of the RSS leader from Madhya Pradesh who announced a bounty of Rs1 crore on the head of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The resolution was introduced by state culture minister AK Balan and the Congress-led Opposition supported it.

Condemning the remark made by RSS leader Kundan Chandrawat, the resolution urged the government to take action against him.

Addressing a rally in Ujjain last week, Chandrawat had raked up a big controversy announcing a reward of Rs1 crore to anyone who killed the CM.

He made a scathing attack on Vijayan saying he was responsible for the death of RSS activists in Kerala.

Cut off Vijayans head and bring it to me. I will transfer my house and all assets to you, he had said

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Pakistans former top security official Mahmud Ali Durrani said on Monday that the 2008 Mumbai attack was a classic example of cross-border terrorism carried out by a Pakistan-based group, prompting a quick reaction from India that said there was nothing new in the claim. Here are five things Durrani said and how India reacted.

* Durrani, who was the national security advisor when 10 Pakistani terrorists sailed into Mumbai and created mayhem over three days, said: I hate to admit that the 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan on November 26, 2008 is a classic trans-border terrorist event.

#WATCH: Former Pakistan NSA Mahmud Ali Durrani says 26/11 attack was carried out by terror group based in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/cBmzSFnbK2  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

* Addressing the 19th Asian Security Conference held at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, Durrani, however, maintained that his government had no role in the terror strike that claimed the lives of 166 people, including many foreigners. Later talking to reporters, he said: I know (this) for definite. I have very good information that the government of Pakistan or the ISI (Pakistans spy agency) was not involved in 26/11 (terror attack). I am 110% sure.

* Durrani declined to divulge details, saying he was sacked by the Pakistani government for certain statements he made regarding the Mumbai attack. Durrani, who had served as a major general in the Pakistani army, was sacked in 2009 for indicating that Ajmal Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist arrested for the Mumbai terror attack, may have been a Pakistani. Kasab was hanged by India in 2012 after a trial.

Hafiz Saeed is the founder of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group, which carried out the audacious 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. ((File Photo))

* In response to a question on Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeeds usefulness to Pakistan, Durrani said he had no utility for the country and that the Mumbai attack mastermind should be punished. India has maintained that Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the 2008 terror strikes, demanding action against Saeed. However, Pakistan has demanded more evidence to bring Saeed to book.

* Durrani also sought to debunk Indias assertion that it carried out surgical strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC), saying he did not see evidence of any such attack by the Indian forces. However, he advocated cordial relations between New Delhi and Islamabad, and said Pakistan could not progress if there was no friendship with India.

India reacts

* Hours after Durranis assertion, minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju said there was nothing new in this revelation. Indias stand is very well known. There is nothing new in this revelation, he said.

Boldness shown by Durrani,Pak Govt now cannot deny-Its an act of both state & non state actors: 26/11 Mumbai attack Special PP Ujjwal Nikam pic.twitter.com/5ZlFpAqQgc  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

* Congresss Shivraj Patil, who was the Union home minister during the Mumbai attacks, was quoted by ANI as saying: We knew,they (Pakistan) were saying it too.They said many times how do you hold us responsible for non-state actors.

* The Congress said strict action should be taken against the terrorists involved in the attack. Congress leader Shobha Oza said the Indian government had always claimed Pakistans involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, but Pakistan always denied it. Now, if Pakistan is accepting it, strong action should be taken against those terrorists involved in the act, Oza told ANI.
Manmohan Singh was not a weak Prime Minister but a diffident prime minister, former union minister and senior Congress leader Manish Tewari said here on Monday.

Tewari, who is the Congress spokesperson and the former Lok Sabha member from Ludhiana, was in conversation with the Tribunes editor-in-chief Harish Khare, at the launch of his book Decoding a Decade at Panjab University in Chandigarh.

The book is essentially a compilation of articles I wrote at various points in time between 2006 and 2016, he told HT. I have tried to put the columns together thematically so that it tells the story of the tumultuous decade.

In one chapter, he talks of politics of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC). When the bill was tabled, I wrote how flawed the entire NJAC process was and finally it was struck down by the Supreme Court, the lawyer-politician said.

Tewaris book also traverses international issues (like Indias relationship with the US and the problem called Pakistan) as also regional issues like how Punjab deteriorated due to lack of governance.

The author posed questions like, Why India as a state is a wimp when it comes to dealing with terrorism? Would the recent operations be able to deal with a problem called Pakistan? Was President Pratibha Patil who commuted the death sentence of 19 prisoners and rejected the mercy petitions of only three diffident about capital punishment for religious reasons?

Manish Tewaris mother Dr Amrit Tewari was present on the occasion along with senior officials from the Chandigarh administration.

Universities need to generate own revenue

Tewari, meanwhile, said universities should find their own ways to generate revenue, instead of depending entirely on the government, as they come with their own agenda.

In order to raise the level of discourse and functioning at universities, there was a need to reform the fee structure, he said.

It is uncomfortable, controversial. Sometimes universities have to find ways to raise the revenue. University cannot be 100% depended on the government and if you are, then the government has its own agenda and theres a tendency to push that political agenda, said Tewari.

He said universities do not want to talk about reform in its fee structure. It is absolutely a tragedy. I pay 100 times less fee for my daughter who studies in Delhi University than what I paid for her school fee, Tewari said.

In Delhi today, the rate of bus pass is the same as it was in 1971. Hence, these are difficult questions, which need to be addressed. We are striving for economic independence. A large part of independence comes out of universities generating their own revenue.
Beware of bua and bhateeja (aunt and nephew), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday cautioned voters in UP as he accused Samajwadi Party (SP) government in the state of encouraging corruption and discriminating among the people.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav refers the BSP chief Mayawati as bua.

As he wrapped up his hectic campaign for the seven-phase state assembly polls with a rally on the outskirts of the city, Modi alleged police stations in the state were functioning like the ruling SPs offices.

It is time to free Uttar Pradesh from the misrules of the SP, the BSP and the Congress. It is time to think about the welfare of our youths, he said urging the people to vote for the BJP for the development of the state.

Addressing the gathering at Khushipur in the Rohania assembly constituency of Varanasi, the PM said criminals were running their gangs from jails in Uttar Pradesh.

Women in UP do not feel safe. They are scared to come out of their homes alone even during the daytime. The law-and-order situation is terrible and the state government is not doing anything to improve it, he said.

He reiterated the promise of waiving farmers loans and restoring professionalism in the police force if a BJP government was installed in the state.

Describing himself as a person who has experienced poverty and therefore wants to improve the lot of the poor, the PM said his government was aiming at providing houses to every single household in the country by 2022, when the nation will celebrate 75 years of Independence.

Coming down heavily on the Akhilesh Yadav government, Modi said that in BJP-ruled states 50-60% farmers were covered under the Pradhan Mantri Phasal Beema Yojana but in UP only 14% agriculturists were benefiting from the crop insurance scheme.

He highlighted the soil health card, irrigation, neem-coating of urea and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana started by his government for farmers.

Lambasting the SP government in the state for nepotism and corruption in competitive exams, the Prime Minister said, I took the decision to do away with interviews for recruitment at lower levels. This was aimed at curbing malpractices. But the state government is not willing to take a cue.

Asserting his governments commitment to peoples welfare, he said: I am fortunate that I was raised on the land where Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel were born. Inspired by the ideals of Gandhiji and Sardar Patel, we are working for the welfare of people of this country.

Modi said his government wanted rural India to be smoke-free. We want them (villagers) to have access to clean fuel. We have provided 55 lakh LPG connections in UP so far. We aim to provide five crore families with LPG connections in three years.

Modi also made a special mention of Apna Dal and Bharatiya Samaj Party, which are fighting 20 of the 403 seats in the state in alliance with the BJP.

The Apna Dal enjoys a following among Kurmis, the most dominant OBC group after the Yadavs, while Bharatiya Samaj Party is a breakaway group of the Bahujan Samaj Party floated by Mayawatis erstwhile loyalist Om Prakash Rajbhar.

Earlier, he began his speech by paying tribute to Lal Bahadur Shastri and said he drew inspiration from the late prime ministers slogan of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan.

The prime minister returned to New Delhi after the rally.

(With PTI inputs)

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An air ambulance from India has crash-landed en route to Bangkok, killing the pilot and injuring two doctors of Gurgaons Medanta Hospital.

The plane was carrying five people and it caught fire before crash-landing near Bangkok, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Monday.

Swaraj said pilot Arunaksha Nandy died in the incident on Sunday even as two doctors were seriously injured and admitted to an intensive care unit in a Bangkok hospital.

A nurse and another pilot too were reportedly on the flight.

The Air Ambulance of Medanta Hospital with five member crew caught fire and crashlanded near Bangkok. /1  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) 6 March 2017

Our Mission has just informed me that we have lost pilot of the Air Ambulance Arunaksha Nandy. /3  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) 6 March 2017

The doctors injured in the accident are from the departments of emergency and anaesthesia.

Yes, they (the doctors) have had burn injuries in the accident, but fortunately the injuries are not life-threatening, said a hospital source, requesting anonymity.

A separate team of doctors from Medanta left for Thailand later on Sunday to ensure proper treatment for the injured.

They will help in transferring the injured from local hospital to a proper health facility, said the source.

The aircraft, Pilatus PC 12 (VT-AVG), belonged to Delhi-based charter company, Air Charter Services.

It had taken off from Delhi at 8.42am on Sunday. It then took a refuelling stop in Kolkata en route to Bangkok and crash-landed at Nakhon Pathom airport, about 730km from Bangkok, late Sunday afternoon.

The hospital had hired the charter plane to pick up a patient from Bangkok, who was reportedly suffering from a lung disease.
Indian police have raided brothels guarded by dogs in the southern state of Telangana, arresting 35 people on charges of sex trafficking girls as young as 13, investigators said on Monday.

Thirty women and girls were rescued in the overnight raids on March 1 and 2 in Medak district, in what police described as a breakthrough in cracking sex trafficking networks.

The brothels were guarded by big dogs, including Great Danes and Dobermans, making access very difficult, Soumya Mishra of the Telangana criminal investigations department.

It took us two months to set up the operations as the brothel keepers had hired young boys to patrol the neighbourhood on bikes and tip them off on police raids.

Of an estimated 20 million sex workers in India, 16 million women and girls are victims of sex trafficking, according to non-governmental organisations working in the country.

In Telangana, over 500 cases of sex trafficking were registered between 2015 and 2016, and nearly 600 traffickers arrested, Mishra told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Last weeks raids have raised concerns over the number of young girls from poor economic backgrounds and broken homes being trapped in the trade, campaigners said.

The illegal brothels were being run from 35 houses in the Japthi Shivnoor village, with the owners living on the premises and the trafficked women housed in cramped rooms and forced to take on up to 10 clients a day.

The traffickers charged around 500 rupees ($7) for 10 minutes, but did not pay the victims any money, police said.

During the raids we found lots of unused condoms hidden in rice sacks and also seized over 400,000 rupees ($6,000) in cash, Mishra said.

If we hadnt raided the brothels, one of the girls who was very sick when we found her would have died, she said.

The suspects, including a woman thought to be the kingpin of the operation, have been charged under anti-trafficking laws.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the arrest of Gayatri Prajapati -- a Minister in the Akhilesh Yadav government -- for allegedly raping and blackmailing a woman.

Its very unfortunate that its order for registration of FIR against Gayatri Prajapati is being given a political colour, said a bench of Justice AK Sikri and Justice RK Agrawal while refusing to allow his plea to recall the order on lodging of FIR in the sexual assault case.

The bench said Prajapati can approach the concerned court for seeking bail if he gets arrested. Whatever remedies the parties have they will have right to avail, said the bench.

The court made it clear that it was not monitoring the case against him and its order was confined to registration of FIR.

On February 17, the apex court had asked Uttar Pradesh Police to register an FIR against Prajapati.

A woman has alleged that Prajapati had raped her when she met him three years ago. She alleged that she was raped when she fell unconscious after taking tea laced with a sedative. Prajapati took some photos of the victim and then threatened to make them public and continued to rape her for two years.

A non-bailable warrant (NBW) has been issued against Prajapati, Uttar Pradeshs Transport Minister, who is absconding.
The Goa unit of the RSS may have contested the assembly election separately to protest against the ruling BJP, but the rebel group on Monday said it will merge with its Nagpur-based parent organisation to resume its work of spreading the RSS ideology.

Making a formal announcement at a press conference, Subhash Velingkar, chief of the RSS Goa Prant, said, After much discussion and debate, we have decided to join hands with the RSS and resume our work of spreading the RSS ideology in the state. From now on, we will be supporting all the issues which the RSS has nationwide.

The RSS Goa Prant contested the election under the banner of the Goa Suraksha Manch.

Velingkar said workers of the Goa RSS Prant will now be attending the Konkan Vibhag Shakha, the outfit of their parent organisation in Goa.

It does not matter to us who gets what when we join back into the Konkan Vibhag Shakha but we want people to know that nobody can take us -- the RSS -- for granted. Also if the BJP takes the RSS for granted, the RSS will not support the party, he said.

The announcement came after four meetings held between the core members of the organization, including Subhash Dessai, Krishnaraj Sukerkar, Ramdas Saraf, Pravin Neswankar, and Goa Suraksha Manch president Anand Shirodhkar.

The alliance of the Goa Suraksha Manch, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Shiv Sena had criticised the ruling BJP for funding English-medium schools instead of supporting those where the medium of instruction is Konkani.

Sources said that after the election, the RSS Goa Prant was uncertain about the results and was therefore in a rush to re-unite with its parent organisation.

Meanwhile, the RSS was reportedly happy with the merger as a lot of senior leaders of the organisation had joined the Goa Prant.

Sources said the RSS was worried about the split as it had weakened the organisations structure in the coastal state.

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The Supreme Court on Monday directed Delhis Tihar Jail superintendent to file a report on the conduct in prison of the four death row convicts of the December 16, 2012 gang rape and murder case.

In our considered opinion, the superintendent of jail should have filed the report with regard to the conduct of the accused persons since they are in custody for almost four years. That would have thrown light on their conduct.

Let the report with regard to their conduct be filed by the superintendent of jail in a sealed cover in the court on the next date of hearing, said a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra.

The bench, also comprising Justices R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan, noted that the counsel representing the four convicts -- Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh -- have filed their affidavits detailing the mitigating circumstances in their favour.

However, senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, who has been appointed amicus curiae to assist the court in the case, pointed out that the affidavit filed by Mukesh does not cover many aspects like socio-economic background, criminal antecedents, family particulars, personal habits, education, vocational skills, health and his conduct in the prison.

The counsel representing Mukesh told the bench that he would file an affidavit within a week detailing these aspects.

One of the defence counsel told the apex court that the jail superintendent was asked to file a report with regard to the conduct of these convicts while they were in custody, but it has not been filed by him.

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the state, contended that he has filed the affidavit and it contained the report of the jail superintendent.

The bench listed the matter for further hearing on March 20 and asked the jail superintendent to file the report before it on that day.

The apex court had on February 3 said it would hear afresh the aspect of awarding death penalty to the four convicts in the case.
New Delhi is deliberately risking confrontation with Beijing by allowing Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to visit Arunachal Pradesh in the coming weeks, Chinese state media warned on Monday, adding that there will be severe consequences in bilateral ties if the visit was allowed.

Lashing out at India, the state media comment piece said the 81-year-old was no spiritual leader but a separatist. The Chinese government has earlier called him wolf in sheeps clothing and blamed him for inciting self-immolations in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and neighbouring provinces.

The ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) last week said Beijing was gravely concerned about the planned visit of the Dalai Lama to the northeastern Indian state, which it claims is disputed and part of south Tibet, in the coming weeks.

It will cause serious damage to Sino-India ties, Geng Shuang, MFA spokesperson said at a press briefing on Friday. China is strongly opposed to Dalai visiting disputed areas, he said.

China is gravely concerned over such information. Chinas position on eastern section of China India border dispute is consistent and clear. The Dalai-clique has long been engaging in anti-China separatist activities and its record on the border question is not that good, he said.

The nationalistic tabloid, Global Times, picked up from where Geng had stopped last week.

These Indian officials apparently didnt realize, or deliberately ignored, the severe consequences the Dalai Lamas trip would bring. The 14th Dalai Lama is by no means a spiritual leader but a Tibetan separatist. Allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the disputed area will inevitably trigger confrontation, undermine the stability of the region and sour Sino-Indian relations, the newspaper said in the comment piece.

At the same time, the Indian government is mistaken about the how important the Dalai Lama is as a strategic asset  his importance in that context has diminished but China continues to be determined to safeguard its core interests.

For a long time, some Indians have considered the Dalai Lama as a strategic asset. They believe that India could gain many benefits by using the Dalai issue as leverage. For instance, making an issue of the Dalai Lama could serve as a diplomatic tool to deal with Chinas growing economic and political influence in South Asia, the article said.

However, they overestimate the political value of the Dalai Lama and his group while miscalculating Chinas determination to safeguard its core interests, it added. The visit will disrupt the momentum in good bilateral ties, which saw a boost during last months strategic dialogue, the article said.

The good momentum for the bilateral relationship in recent years shouldnt be disrupted. In future, there is great potential for the two countries to tap into cooperation, it said.

As the two biggest emerging economies, they have vast common interests on establishing a new global financial order, tackling climate change and other major issues. Now China and India have come to a critical period to further upgrade bilateral ties.
Fear, hurt and disbelief weighed on the minds of those who gathered at a Sikh temple Sunday after the shooting of a Sikh man who said a gunman approached him in his suburban Seattle driveway and told him go back to your own country.

Everybody who is part of this community needs to be vigilant, Satwinder Kaur, a Sikh community leader, said as several hundred people poured into a temple in Renton for worship services about one mile from Friday nights shooting.

It is scary, she added. The community has been shaken up.

Authorities said a gunman approached the 39-year-old Sikh man as he worked on his car in his driveway in the city of Kent, about 20 miles south of Seattle. The FBI will help investigate the shooting, authorities said.

Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas said the department is investigating the shooting as a hate crime. He said no arrests have been made yet after the victim was shot in the arm but that he did not believe anyone was in imminent danger.

This is a top priority investigation, and we are doing everything possible to identify and arrest the suspect, Thomas said in an email, adding that residents in the city of about 125,000 should be vigilant but also not let the shooting hurt their quality of life.

A Sikh boy listens during a vigil in honour of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an immigrant from India who was recently shot and killed in Kansas, at Crossroads Park in Bellevue, Washington. (Reuters)

The FBIs Seattle office said in a statement Sunday that it is committed to investigating crimes that are potentially hate-motivated, the Seattle Times reported.

The shooting comes after an Indian man was killed and another wounded in a recent shooting at a Kansas bar that federal agencies are investigating as a hate crime after witnesses say the suspect yelled get out of my country.

Friday nights shooting was on the minds of many who gathered at a Sikh Temple in nearby Renton Sunday morning for worship. Women in colorful saris and headscarves and men wearing turbans sat on the floor on opposite sides inside the worship space.

As they entered and left the services, many expressed fear that one of their own was targeted and said theyre scared to go to the store or other public places. Some said they have noticed an uptick in name-calling and other racist incidents in recent months. Still others expressed hurt and disbelief at the lack of understanding and ignorance.

Sikhism teaches about equality and peace, said Sandeep Singh, 24. Its sad to see thats what it has come to, he said of the violence. This is our country. This is everyones country.

Gurjot Singh, 39, who served in the Marine Corps and is an Iraq war veteran, said he was dismayed that people think others who look different arent equal or dont contribute equally to the community.

Satwinder Kaur, left, watches as people arrive for Sunday services at the Gurudwara Singh Sabha of Washington, a Sikh temple in Renton, Washington. (AP Photo)

This is equally my country as it is your country, he said. It doesnt anger me. It hurts me.

Hira Singh, a Sikh community leader, said there have been increasing complaints recently from Sikhs near Seattle who say they have been the target of foul language or other comments.

This kind of incident shakes up the whole community, he said, adding that about 50,000 members of the faith live in Washington state.

Kent Councilwoman Brenda Fincher went to the temple Sunday to show support for the community. When a hate crime happens, we have to stand up and make sure everyone knows its not acceptable, she said.

Kent police have not identified the man or released other information. But Indias foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, identified the victim on Twitter early Sunday, saying, I am sorry to know about the attack on Deep Rai, a U.S. national of Indian origin.

She said she had spoken to Rais father, who told her Rai is out of danger and recovering in a hospital.

Rai told police a man he didnt know came up to him Friday night and they got into an argument, with the suspect telling Rai to go back to his homeland. He described the shooter as 6 feet tall and white with a stocky build, police said. He said the man was wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face.

All of the information that I have available at this time suggests that the information provided by the victim is credible, Thomas, the police chief, wrote.

Sikhs have previously been the target of assaults in the U.S. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the backlash that hit Muslims around the country expanded to include those of the Sikh faith. Men often cover their heads with turbans, which are considered sacred, and refrain from shaving their beards.

In 2012, a man shot and killed six Sikh worshippers and wounded four others at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee before killing himself.

The Sikh Coalition, a national civil rights group, on Sunday said everything must be done to confront this growing epidemic of hate violence.

We are all accountable for what happened in Kent, Washington on Friday night, Jasmit Singh, a Seattle-area community leader, said in a statement.

Raj Singh Ajmani, who lives in Bellevue, said he was shocked by the shooting.

When it happens in your own community, you realize the danger and the times were living in, he said before heading to service. Some people worry that more such violence will occur because of President Trump.
Almost two years after the NDA governments flagship mission to develop 100 smart cities was launched, progress in the 60 cities selected so far is yet to pick up pace.

Of the 731 smart city projects worth Rs 46,366 crore approved so far, implementation has started in 49 (6.7%). And 24 projects (3.3%) have been completed as of January 2017.

According to figures on the Union urban development ministrys website, 49.5% projects are yet to be initiated. Of the 60 cities selected so far, projects have started on the ground in the first batch of 20 chosen by the ministry last January. Work is yet to take off in 40 cities that were selected last September.

India plans to have 100 such cities by 2022. While 60 have been chosen so far, the ministry plans to select the remaining 40 by June. Meant to change the way urban India lives, smart cities will enjoy uninterrupted power and water supplies, efficient public transport, internet connectivity, and e-governance along with quality infrastructure.

BJP-ruled states  Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra  are ahead in the race.

Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur have started implementing 20 of the 159 projects that were approved for these three cities and completed 12. Surat and Ahmedabad have started work on eight of the 49 projects and completed two while Udaipur and Jaipur have completed three of the 91 projects that were selected.

Among non-BJP states, the AAP-ruled New Delhi is ahead. The New Delhi Municipal Council, which was chosen to be developed as a model smart city, has started implementation in six of 40 projects. It has completed four projects so far.

Asked the reason for the slow implementation, Sameer Sharma, additional secretary incharge of the smart cities programme in the ministry, told HT, Its the tendering (to award projects) that takes time. We are following a complex tendering process unlike normal tendering where the lowest bidder is awarded projects. A lowest bidder might not have the requisite expertise to carry out a smart city project.

Sharma added that the implementation was on track and cities were confident they would be able to show results on the ground.

The ministry, however, claimed that all the 20 cities selected in the first batch had firmed up their investment plans, achieving an overall Investment Conversion Rate (ICR) of 49%. The ICR indicates the extent of conversion of approved smart city plans into investment through ground-level implementation.

Five cities, including Nagpur, Vadodara and Surat, have achieved an ICR of 90%.

Firming up investment, however, does not mean that work has started on the ground. It just paves the ground for expeditious award of projects, said a ministry official who did not wish to be named.

Under the smart city programme, each city will be given Rs 500 crore by the Centre over five years. The states will have to make a matching contribution.

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From PM Narendra Modis election rally in Varanasi to White House ordering Congress to examine whether the Barack Obama administration abused its investigative authority, heres a quick update of whats in the news:

1- Modi accuses SP, BSP of pursuing selective development

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday the SP and the BSP created a culture of kuch logo ka saath, kuch logo ka vikas in politics for the sake of votes. This will not work. We want development of one and all, Modi said adding, SP and BSP are birds of the same feather, he said at a rally in Varanasi.

Read the full story here.

2- India conveys deep concerns to US over recent killings of expatriates

Indias ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna conveyed Delhis deep concerns to the US government over the recent tragic incidents involving Indian-origin people, including Hardish Patel who was shot in South Carolina. The US state department expressed condolences and assured India it working with all agencies to ensure speedy justice.

Read the story here.

3- Constable, two militants killed in J&Ks Tral, stone-throwers target forces

A policeman and two militants were killed on Sunday in a fierce 18-hour gunfight in south Kashmirs Tral, as people from neighbouring villages threw stones at security personnel to disrupt the counter-insurgency operation.

Read the full story here.

4- White House asks Congress to examine if Obama abused investigative power

The White House asked the US Congress on Sunday to examine whether the Barack Obama administration abused its investigative authority during the 2016 campaign, as part of an ongoing congressional probe into Russias influence on the election. The request came a day after President Donald Trump alleged, without supporting evidence, that then President Obama ordered a wiretap of the phones at Trumps campaign headquarters in New York.

Read the full story here.

5- Chinas defence budget set to cross $150bn, three times that of India

Chinas annual defence budget is set to officially cross $150 billion for the first time in 2017, the finance ministry said on Sunday. That will be three times Indias defence spending proposed in the budget. An official from Chinas finance ministry pegged the defence budget at 1.044 trillion Yuan or $151 billion, a 7% increase from last years outlay.

Read the full story here.

6- International NGO calls for tourist boycott of Kaziranga based on BBC film

Survival International, a global NGO for tribal peoples rights, wrote to 131 tour operators in 10 countries last week urging them to boycott Kaziranga till the park stops shooting people on sight. The call came following a BBC documentary Killing for Conservation aired last month, which tried to portray that forest guards in the park had been given license to kill people who appear to be a threat to wildlife.

Read the full story here.

7- Mercedes recalls one million vehicles worldwide due to overheating, fire risk

Mercedes is recalling about one million cars and SUVs worldwide because a starter part can overheat and cause fires. The recall covers certain C-Class, E-Class and CLA cars and GLA and GLC SUVs, all from 2015 through 2017, including nearly 308,000 in the US.

Read the full story here.

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8- Class 10 student in Tamil Nadu develops technique to detect silent heart attacks

Akash Manoj, a class 10 student from Tamil Nadu has developed a new technique that can non-invasively detect the risk of a silent heart attack, an advance that may save many lives in rural areas. The technique involves frequently analysing the presence of FABP3 -- a blood biomarker of heart attack -- without puncturing the skin. Manoj is staying in Rashtrapati Bhavan as a guest of President Pranab Mukherjee under the Innovation Scholars In-Residence Programme.

Read the full story here.

9- New Delhi eyes big defence pact with Bangladesh during PM Hasinas April visit

India and Bangladesh are discussing scope to ink a comprehensive defence pact during the visit of Bangladeshs Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in April. India is eying is a comprehensive defence pact that encompasses training, sale of military hardware and military to military cooperation. New Delhi is also willing commit up to $ 500 million in line of credit for military cooperation with Dhaka.

Read the full story here.

10- Attacks on Indian-origin people in the US leaves Delhi in a tricky position

The recent attacks against people of Indian origin in the US poses a conundrum for India when it comes to consular services, since the latter are offered only after verification of nationality. The NDA government rushed consular officers to the spot though the victims of the last two attacks were American citizens, albeit of Indian origin.

Read the full story here.
Way back in April 2005, the then chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav laid the foundation of Ramnagar-Samane Ghat bridge but it is yet to see the light of the day.

The state has seen three chief ministers and four elections  general election in 2009 and 2014 and assembly polls in 2007 and 2012  but the construction of the bridge could not be completed in the last 12 years.

The Mulayam Singh Yadav government had allocated 84.70 crore for the project and assigned the task of construction to the UP State Bridge Corporation (UPSBC).

Initially, the construction went on in full swing but after Mayawati took over as chief minister in 2007, construction work continued in fits and starts.

At a glance Length: 922 metres Width: 9 metres Pillars: 24 Height above the water: 90 metres Estimated cost: 97.72 crore

People saw a ray of hope after the Samajwadi Party returned to power in 2012 under Akhilesh Yadav. Construction work resumed but its pace could not be maintained due to lack of funds.

Akhilesh visited the Reserve Police Lines in 2015 where local SP leaders complained of delay in construction of bridge. He directed the UPSBC authorities to complete the construction by June 2016.

Though UPSBC missed the deadline, it managed to complete concrete work of the bridge. UPSBC assigned the task of erection and elevation of steel truss to a Kolkata-based company which stopped work after a girder fell in the river damaging the bridge in August 2016.

The company was replaced by JCL which is presently carrying out steel work.

Project manager, UPSBC, Ayub Khan said, Concrete construction work has already been completed. Elevation and erection of steel truss is in progress. Construction work is likely to be completed in next two weeks.

Ramnagar is part of two assembly constituencies, Cant and Rohania, which are represented by the BJP and the SP respectively. The residents of Ramnagar have to travel around seven kilometres via Rajghat or Vishwasundari bridge to reach Varanasi.

After the bridge opens for the public, people will have to cover a distance of only one kilometre to reach Varanasi from Ramnagar.

Sanjay Kumar Upadhyay, a resident of Ramnagar, said, Mulayam Singh Yadav laid the foundation of the bridge about 12 years ago. After his son Akhilesh Yadav took over as chief minister, we hoped the construction of the bridge will be completed soon. Ironically, it is still under construction.

Aishwarya Singh, a BHU student, said the unfinished work exposed the tall claims of the SP government. If the bridge is completed, it would ease the problems of the locals and would attract more tourists to the historic Ramnagar Fort. It will facilitate students who have to travel 6 kilometres extra to reach Varanasi, he said.

Ramnagar is the birth place of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. According to residents, Shastri used to swim to Varanasi during his childhood days.

Read more: This village in Azamgarh awaits removal of decade-old terror hub stigma

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This Holi will not be a season of much cheer for farmers as the state faces a potato glut. Despite good crop yield, they are not even able to recover the input cost of their produce.

Uttar Pradesh witnessed an increase of about 20% this year in the areas under potato cultivation. There has been increased production as the weather too remained conducive, said Ram Saran Verma, a leading farmer of Barabanki who has introduced many innovations in potato farming.

Farmers are getting Rs 3-4 per kg in the wholesale market for potato that is being sold at Rs 8-10 in the market. The cost of production alone has been around Rs 4 per kg and thus farmers are running into losses, said Verma.

Kannauj, Barabanki, Farukkhabad, Firozabad and Agra are some big potato producing areas in UP.

The scenario is same in other potato producing states, including West Bengal, Gujarat and Bihar, where potato has been priced almost at the same rate in the wholesale markets.

The reason for low prices is very good yield this season. Last year, the potato market was really good. Farmers sold their yield for Rs 8-10 in the wholesale markets. This is what led to more farming of the crop this season. But that has brought us losses, lamented Ram Gopal, a farmer from Firozabad.

Farmers said there isnt any provision for food processing in the state. We need some chips factories where our harvest can be utilised. Else it will all go waste, said Surendra Kumar, a farmer from Sultanpur.

Farmers are queuing up at cold storages to get their potatoes stored. They are apprehensive that rising temperatures would lead to a lot of potato wastage.

According to farmers, there are over 700 cold storages in UP. But as production has been good this time, these storages are likely to be full to capacity and farmers would have to sell off their produce at low prices.

Farmers who manage to get their potatoes stored will be safe. But others are sure to incur huge losses. About 30% of the produce is likely to get either spoiled or farmers will be forced to sell it off for Rs 1-2 per kg, said Verma.

Read more: Prepare roadmap to prevent farmer suicides, SC tells government

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The blaze in a bicycle store near Hanuman temple in Aminabad on Saturday morning has raised the burning question again  are safety norms being thrown to the winds in this market place?

Had the incident taken place during daytime, there would have been loss of life too, said locals.

The area continues to be vulnerable to such incidents as violation of building norms and construction of basements in narrow lanes still remain unaddressed. Worse still, encroachments in lanes and bylanes have little or no room for fire brigades to pass through in case of an emergency.

Besides, networks of hanging wires in the lanes of this market area are potential deathtraps. In 2011, authorities had planned to rid Aminabad of such wires, but the area continues to face this problem.

CHOKED LANES, COURTESY ENCROACHMENTS Networks of hanging wires in the lanes of this market area are potential deathtraps. In 2011, authorities had planned to rid Aminabad of such wires, but the area continues to face this problem. Aminabad continues to be vulnerable to such incidents as violation of building norms and construction of basements in narrow lanes still remain unaddressed. Worse still, encroachments in lanes and bylanes virtually have no room for fire brigades to pass through in case of an emergency.

However, LESA general manager Ashutosh Kumar said that the area where the fire incident took place has underground wiring network  the only overhead wires are the ones that are connected with the box of LESA for connection to shops and other business establishments.

Its unfortunate that people start blaming LESA for any sort of fire incident, he said.

Local trader Suresh Chablani said, Traders are the main losers in case of fire. Besides safe wiring, they have been demanding a fire station in Aminabad for a long time. But both demands have not been met.

After the facelift of Hazratganj, the traders had demanded renovation of Aminabad on the same pattern, but very little was done. It seems only Hazratganj and Chowk are the priority areas for authorities, lamented locals.

A fire station can come up only if land is given to the fire department. However, a fire tender is always kept ready in Aminabad for such incidents, said AB Pandey, chief fire officer.

Authorities said traders are themselves to be blamed for incidents of fire. Nearly all shopkeepers in Mohan Market, Pratap Market and Mumtaz Market have made basements without caring for fire safety norms. Moreover, many still draw electricity through katia connections in Pratap Market, which is one of the busiest markets of the city, added officials.

The growing number of encroachments in Aminabad is also a big problem. The ultimate sufferer is the common trader as movement of vehicles during peak hours is badly affected due to encroached lanes.
Major Ramesh Upadhyay, one of the prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, has claimed that the investigating agencies did not follow due protocol to obtain voice samples of the accused. Upadhyay wants the court to discard the evidence of audio-video tapes.

The audio -video tapes are said to be crucial evidence in the case, as the same are proof of the alleged conspiracy meetings held in Bhopal (April 2008), Faridabad (June 2008) and Nashik (September 2008). Apart from this, the agency has also relied on the interceptions and transcripts of the conversations recorded between accused Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Upadhyay and other accused.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in its chargesheet, claimed that the voice samples have matched with the conversation recorded. The intercepted conversation between the other accused and Purohit shows their complicity in the instance case. The FSL report regarding voice samples of the accused person matches with the recorded conversation of the laptop and the lawfully intercepted telephonic conversation which establishes guilt and the participation in the crime. The FSL report was received with regard to data retrieved from the laptop of accused Sudhakar Dwivedi, the voice samples report of FSL with regards to Prasad Purohit, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Ramesh Upadhyay are also available which is positive, reads the chargehseet filed by NIA in 2016.

Upadhyay, however, alleged that the agencies had not collected the samples following due process of law. He alleged that agency cannot take samples without permission of the accused.

The collection of voice sample of the accused for the purpose of voice spectrograph test and further action by ATS and FSL are ab-initio illegal and without the sanctity of law. The entire evidence produced by the prosecution on the basis of voice spectrograph analysis reports needs to be declared having no sanctity of law, reads the handwritten plea filed by Upadhyay last week.

On receipt of the plea, the court has now asked the agency to file its reply on Upadhyays allegations.

Also read: 2008 Malegaon blast case: Taloja jail authorities ask court to shift Purohit back to anda cell

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Two days after the HSC Secretarial Practice and Physics papers were leaked on WhatsApp, the mathematics and statistics papers for all three streams  arts, science and commerce  went viral on the messaging application at least 30 minutes before the exam.

Also, a student was caught viewing the leaked images on her phone during the test at an exam centre in Mumbai.

The Mumbai division of the Maharashtra State Board has filed a complaint with the Vashi police station, adding to the case against HSC Marathi and the other two papers that were leaked back to back.

Shots of the papers were shared on a students group on the messaging application at 10.30 am, while the papers were handed out to examinees at 10.50 am and the exam began at 11 am.

Mathematics and statistics are a common subject for all three streams. Arts and science have the same question paper, while commerce students are given a different paper.

Both the question papers have come out on WhatsApp, we matched them to the original papers and found that they are the same, said Dattatray Jagtap, chairperson of the Mumbai divisional board, which includes Thane, Palghar and Raigad too.

Adding that a girl student was caught looking at the images in the exam room, Jagtap said, We immediately informed the centre to lodge a police complaint against her. The girl will be allowed to write the exam for now, and later on action will be taken against her depending on the investigation.

This is the fifth time in a row that the papers have been leaked on WhatsApp. On Saturday, Secretarial Practice and Physics leaked, after Marathi on Thursday. Book keeping and accountancy has been leaking for the last two years in a similar manner.

Meanwhile, the board has asked exam centres to make a separate note of students who enter the exam hall late. Late comers will be investigated to check if their reasons for not reaching on time are genuine, said Siddheshwar Chandekar, secretary of the division.

READ MORE



In Maharashtra: HSC Marathi paper out on social media

Maharashtra: Two college students arrested in HSC paper leak

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Five minutes after the Indian Flag was lowered at the naval dockyard, the commissioning pendant of the longest serving aircraft carrier in the world was also lowered marking the end of a naval vessels tenure that served for 56 years. It was commissioned in 1959 and had worked with the British Royal Navy and the Indian Navy.

British officials who had served onboard the vessel said that it was surreal to see the once again. Andy Trish, who had joined the Royal Navy as a Naval airman in 1981 and served on INS Viraat which was then HMS Hermes, termed the journey as memorable. I would like to take her with me, said Trish.

Steven Robertson who served on the ship as a naval airman during the Falkland war in 1982 said, I have seen her after a long time and its a tribute to see that she has been maintained so well.

Another British national, Mark Shepherd, who was posted on the ship during the Falkland war, said that the ship should be turned into a museum for future generations to see and admire her. I was a 16-year-old when I was posted on this ship, and I served for 103 days during the war. It is an absolute privilege to see the ship in such good condition, said Shepherd. It is necessary for the future generations to see and learn history. And I would like to see the ship to be turned into a museum, he added.

Here, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said, If the Andhra government refuses to turn it into a museum then the Navy will examine the option of turning into a marine museum.

Commissioned into the Royal Navy in November, 1959 as HMS Hermes, INS Viraat served the British for 27 years before being decommissioned in 1984. India then bought the vessel and christened it as INS Viraat to be commissioned into the Indian Navy on May 12, 1987. It then became the flagship of the Navy.

Soon after its commissioning its saw active operations in July 1989 as a part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka after the Indo-Sri Lankan accord broke down. But it was not the first time she had seen active operations. While with the Royal Navy, she had played a major role in the Falkland wars in 1982.

The last day of duty for the ageing INS Viraat arrived when she was deployed in the International Fleet Review in Viskhakapatnam in February 2016. The Navy had decided to decommission it primarily because of the increasing operational costs involved to keep her battle ready.

She sailed her last from Mumbai to Kochi in July 2016. In October 2016, she was towed out of Kochi and returned to Mumbai.

Read: INS Viraat: Old warships never die, theyre resurrected in another avatar
On the eve of the budget session, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said he was in favour of transparency in all municipal corporations and agreed to appoint a committee to act as watchdog for the district councils as well. Fadnavis also said his government was positive about the loan waiver to farmers but did not promise an Upa Lokayukta for Nagpur civic body.

The Shiv Sena and the opposition tried to corner the CM by demanding a loan waiver for farmers after the BJP made a similar announcement for the Uttar Pradesh farmers. If BJP leaders can promise loan waiver for farmers of UP then why cant the same be implemented in our state? Sena leader and environment minister Ramdas Kadam said adding that Fadnavis has assured them that he will meet the PM for this purpose.

Sena even asked for the appointment of deputy Lokayukta for Nagpur civic body and a committee of retired IAS officers to be formed to ensure transparency in district councils. The demand came in the wake of Fadnavis announcement of the appointment of a similar panel for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Saturday.

Fadnavis said he has agreed to appoint a committee for zilla parishads but why ask for an Upa Lokayukta when the Lokayukta is already in place for filing complaints against corrupt civic officials and corporators. I have agreed to appointing a committee for zilla parishads. However, the state already has Lokayukta in place where complaints can be filed against civic officials and corporators of all the municipal corporations, Fadnavis said.

Sena is clearly upset with the appointment of Upa Lokayukta for probing complaints pertaining to the Mumbai civic body where BJP was also sharing power for the last 22 years.

The party has earlier demanded transparency in cabinet meetings. Sena leaders believe that the BJP is trying to corner them on the issue of corruption and transparency while adopting similar strategy against its ally.

Reiterating his stand on loan waiver, Fadnavis said there cannot be any comparison between Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh as the situation and solutions of both the states are completely different. Maharashtra farmers also need loan waiver and we are all for it. The government is trying to find out solutions so that farmers can be benefitted. We will waive off loans of farmers but at an appropriate time and will also take Centres help for the same, Fadnavis told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

Fadnavis, however, claimed that his government was stable. He said the Sena and BJP are together in the state government and will continue to work. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray too has extended support to the government. We have never concealed our differences and now when we are together why are you bothered? he questioned.

READ MORE

BMC polls success: Is Maharashtra turning into a new BJP bastion?

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"Both the de-globalization trend and protectionism are growing," Li said. "There are many uncertainties about the direction of the major economies' policies and their spillover effects, and the factors that could cause instability and uncertainty are visibly increasing."

At a time of demands in the United States and Europe for trade controls, Li warned China faces "more complicated and graver situations" at home and abroad.

Li called for attention to the risks of China's surging debt levels, which economists see as a rising threat to growth. He announced no major initiatives, but that was widely expected as the ruling Communist Party tries to avoid shocks ahead of a congress late this year at which President Xi Jinping is due to be given a second five-year term as leader. Analysts expect Chinese leaders to use the legislative meeting to emphasize reducing financial risks and keeping growth stable.

Li's report set the growth target for the world's second-largest economy at "around 6.5 percent or higher, if possible." That's down from 6.7 percent expansion last year but, if achieved, would be among the strongest globally, reflecting confidence that efforts to create new industries are gaining traction.

In a speech to the national legislature, Premier Li Keqiang Li promised more steps to cut surplus steel production that is straining trade relations with Washington and Europe. He pledged equal treatment for foreign companies, apparently responding to complaints Beijing is trying to squeeze them out of technology and other promising markets.

China's top economic official trimmed its growth target and warned Sunday of dangers from global pressure for trade controls, as Beijing tries to build a consumer-driven economy and reduce reliance on exports and investment.

Chinese leaders have publicly defended free trade in response to President Donald Trump's promises to raise duties on Chinese goods, though Beijing's trading partners complain China is the most closed major economy.

China "may be adversely affected" if Trump goes ahead with "tough policies," but the impact should be limited, said economist Song Lifang at Renmin University in Beijing. "With China's domestic economy still in the phase of transformation, the tasks for China's economic growth are arduous but with great potential."

Growth has cooled steadily since 2010 as communist leaders try to develop a consumer-driven economy and reduce reliance on trade, heavy industry and investment. The latest growth target is in line with those reforms and efforts to create a "moderately prosperous society," Li said.

Chinese leaders have tried to downplay the significance of the growth target and shift focus to improvements in incomes, consumer spending and other factors. But the target is closely watched as a forecast of economic performance, which has repercussions throughout Asia, where China is the biggest trading partner for all its neighbors.

Li acknowledged concerns about the rising dangers of debt, though he said the financial system is stable. "We must be fully alert to the buildup of risks related to non-performing assets, bond defaults, shadow banking and Internet finance," said Li.

Banking and securities regulators already have said their priority this year is reducing risk and watching financial industries more closely following a 2015 stock price collapse and warnings investors are engaged in a dangerous new bout of speculative trading.

Beijing's reliance on repeated infusions of credit to prop up growth since the 2008 global crisis has driven up debt, prompting concern it could trigger a banking crisis or drag on the economy.

Total debt owed by local Chinese governments, companies and households has soared from the equivalent of 150 percent of annual economic output before 2008 to about 260 percent. Regulators have begun trying to hammer out deals to reduce debt loads at state companies but private sector economists say they need to move faster.

Economists have warned setting a growth target too high could force Beijing to resort to stimulus spending, setting back efforts to reduce reliance on investment and debt.

Sunday's report calls for creating 11 million new jobs, an increase from last year's target of 10 million in a possible sign of increased official optimism.

Li promised to eliminate 50 million metric tons of steel production capacity. That would help to reduce the flood of Chinese exports that is depressing global prices and prompting complaints by Washington and Europe that thousands of jobs are in danger.

Li also promised to eliminate 150 million tons of coal production capacity. He didn't mention other industries such as aluminum in which China's trading partners complain excess capacity supported by government subsidies is distorting global markets.

Li promised "equal opportunities" and "fair rules" to private companies in the state-dominated economy. He promised changes including cutting taxes for the smallest businesses and simplifying the process of registering up a private company.

Party leaders have pledged repeatedly to give entrepreneurs, who create most of China's new jobs and wealth, a bigger economic role. But reform advocates complain state companies still control industries from banking to telecoms to energy and benefit from monopolies, low-cost bank loans and other favors.

Li also promised foreign companies equal treatment with their Chinese counterparts under a government development strategy dubbed "China Manufacturing 2025."

That follows complaints by U.S. and European business groups that Beijing appears to be trying to squeeze foreign companies out of promising markets including software and other technology.

Turning to political affairs, Li warned Beijing would not tolerate any movement by self-ruled Taiwan's popularly elected government toward formal independence. "We will resolutely oppose and contain separatist activities for Taiwan independence," he said.
The Thane police, which recently arrested 24 people for their alleged involvement in the army recruitment exam scam, have freezed their bank accounts. Also, they have written to the Assam-based army regiment seeking custody of Dhaklu Patil  the prime accused in the case.

Besides, police teams have been formed to raid the same locations in Goa, Nagpur and Nashik, which were searched a few weeks ago. The police have also extended its search to Harayana, Karnataka and Gujarat.

Bank accounts of all those arrested have been freezed. Investigation revealed that transactions worth lakhs were carried out by some of the accused. Ravi Kumar, one of the accused, purchased a four-wheeler worth Rs4 lakh and gave Rs2 lakh to one his relatives. He had also kept Rs4 lakh in his account. Another accused, Santosh Shinde, purchased plots worth Rs2 lakh near his home town. All the bank accounts of the accused are being scrutinised simultaneously, said a senior inspector from Thane crime branch.

Besides questioning bank employees, cops are conducting searches at the homes of the accused.

Well speak to their family members and relatives, and record their statements, if required, to find out for how long they have been operating this scam, the officer said.

Also read: Army question papers were leaked from a printing press in Nagpur: Police

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College students with special needs will also get the concessions that are given to higher secondary students, the Maharashtra government announced on Saturday.

For years, Class 1 to Class 12 students with special needs have been given concessions such as writers and extra time during all examinations. Students with physical disabilities were also allotted exam centres close to home. A 2006 Supreme Court order had made similar concessions available for students with learning disabilities too.

However, this is the first time that the state has released a similar uniform policy for students pursuing higher education as well. Until now, colleges and universities permitted certain concessions at their own discretion. Henceforth, students from colleges and universities across the state can avail these concessions.

The state released a government resolution (GR), stating that there will be uniform rules for schools and colleges. From the beginning, we were clear that students with special needs should not be at a disadvantage. As concessions are available till the higher secondary level, the same should be extended to higher education too, said a statement released by the state education minister, Vinod Tawde.

The state government formed a special committee to put together these concessions.

Students with special needs will now be allowed to appear for an exam at a college or university close to home, they will be given 20 minutes extra to complete their paper. Depending on the subject, students will also be allowed to use magnifying glasses and calculators. Grace marks and writers will be given according to the students requirements.

Many colleges have gone out of their way to help college and university students in the state. Colleges used their discretionary powers to give such students writers and extra time to complete their exam, but never has there been a uniform rule. Such decisions from the government are a welcome move, said Sobhana Vasudevan, principal of R A Podar College in Matunga.

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The amount of gold seized at the Mumbai airport had plummeted at the end of 2016, owing to demonetisation. However, experts say the notes ban effect is wearing off and the there has been a rise in cases of gold smuggling this year.

An average of 5kg gold was seized each month from September to November last year. It come down to 2.5kg in December.  In January, we seized around 18kg gold. We seized 30kg gold in February  the largest haul across the country.We seized 4kg gold in the beginning of March, said a high-ranking AIU officer.

The cash crunch in the country had a direct impact on the smuggling module. AIU officers said passengers boarding at Dubai were carefully monitored upon their arrival.

The AIU found gold bars worth crores that were left unclaimed. In the past few years, the AIU has found unclaimed gold stuffed in cotton bags concealed inside the rear toilet of the aircraft, the life jacket pouch, the tissue paper holder in the aircrafts toilets, the immigration counter toilet, below aircraft seat and inside the rear toilets oxygen mask cavity. Officials said they have not been able to trace the masterminds. Smuggling is not always a means to earn easy money. It is also used to sponsor crime in India. Whats worse, it could sponsor terrorism. We are hence vigilant, said the officer.

Recent investigations revealed that several young people in one of Keralas cities have been roped into the racket. They were hired to deceive the authorities. The language barrier hampers investigations. Now, officers who are well-versed with the language are the ones who conduct the interrogation, said the officer.

A special watch is being kept on the departures counters after fliers were recently caught smuggling Indian and foreign currencies out of the country.

Also read: Two held at Mumbai airport for smuggling gold hooks worth Rs1.14 crore

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Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) director S Parsuraman has asked his students not to get involved in the kind of student politics being played on the Delhi University (DU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campuses.

In a letter to the students, Parsuraman said that disruptive forces within and outside the institute were trying to create trouble in the name of ideology. He asked the students to be aware of them to avoid difficulties.

The students at the institute are known for being vocal about socio-economic issues related to students rights. Since last year, the students have been raising their voice against fee hike, reduction of scholarships for other backward category (OBC) students and surveillance cameras in the institute. More recently, some students protested the alleged attempts by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad to curb free speech on the campuses.

In his letter, Parsuraman wrote, Almost every day, I get students complaining and crying bitterly over how they are being excluded because they are attached to a caste or religion. From what I hear, there may be elements feeding on all forms of discrimination, including reverse form.

While assuring students that the institute will ensure that all students are treated with dignity, he suggested that the institute cannot afford to get dragged into problems. DU and JNU are very powerful institutes... TISS is a simple institution that is very hard to stay afloat, read the letter.

Speaking to HT, Parasuraman said that student politics impacted his responsibility of providing education and placements to the students. Ninety-nine percent students are peaceful. Only a few with political inclinations create disturbance. The students job is to study. If you want to engage in political issues, get out of here, he said, adding that students can express their opinions through writing.

The directive has not gone down well with many students who criticised it on social media. A student from TISS said that more than the row, the director was worried by the students protest against issues of TISS internal issue. The students are struggling on the campuses across the country. The director is autocratically trying to hike the fees and not addressing the issues. He is worried that our protests will hit the funding of the institute, but I dont feel that they will, she said.

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The worlds oldest serving aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, will be withdrawn from service on Monday, ending a 56-year-long sea odyssey that saw the British-build ship serve two countries and sail a distance that would have taken it around the globe 27 times.

The decommissioning ceremony at the Mumbai dockyard will be attended by Indias chief of naval staff S Lamba and the British Royal Navys 1st Sea Lord, admiral Sir Phillip Jones.

The ship will be dismantled in four months if there are no buyers, NDTV quoted the navy chief as saying ahead of the decommissioning ceremony at 5.45 pm.

Reports said talks are on with the Andhra Pradesh government which has expressed interest in taking in the ship.

The gala event will see the lowering and wrap-up of the naval flag installed on the warship at sunset.

Referred to as the Grand Old Lady in the naval community, Viraat was completed and commissioned in 1959 in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom as HMS Hermes.

It was decommissioned in 1984 and subsequently commissioned in the Indian Navy on May 12, 1987.

Aircraft like Sea Harriers, White Tigers, Seaking 42B, Seaking 42C and Chetak helicopters have operated from the warship.

The Sea Harrier fleet was recently decommissioned in Goa in May 2016.

Under the Indian Navy, aircraft have clocked more than 22,034 hours of flying from INS Viraats decks.

The ship spent nearly 2,250 days at sea, sailing 5,88,288 nautical miles, thereby implying that Viraat has been at sea for over six years and sailed around the globe about 27 times.

Viraat has served the Indian Navy for 29 years and is the last of the British-built ship serving them.

INS Viraat sailed under her own power for the last time from Mumbai to Kochi in July 2016. In October 2016, she was towed out of Kochi and returned to Mumbai.

Soon after commissioning, it saw active operations when it became part of Operation Jupiter in July 1989 as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka, after the Indo-Sri Lankan accord broke down. But it was not the first time that she had seen active operations. While with the Royal Navy, she had played a major role in the Falkland wars.

See photos | INS Viraat through the ages

The last of operational duties for the ageing INS Viraat came when she was deployed in the International Fleet Review in Viskhakapatnam in February 2016. But then, the Navy had to decide on its fate, primarily due to the ever increasing operational costs involved to keep her battle ready.

The ships name is entered in the Guinness World Records.
The Maharashtra Legislative Council on Monday became Indias first legislative house to become paperless by introducing laptops for its members to be used during proceedings in the House.

Seventy eight members of the legislative council, including presiding officers, were given hybrid laptops fitted to their desks to be used during legislative proceedings. This was done as a pilot project and  if proved successful  will be expanded to the legislative assembly which has 288 members. All the documents related to the budget session, rules of the council and various other discussion documents will be provided to the members through the tabs. The Hindustan Times had reported about the initiative on March 3.

These hybrid computers, bought at a cost of Rs1.5 lakh each, are installed to the respective desks of the members. The screen of the laptops can also be used as a tablet since it is touchscreen.

The government has procured 88 laptops, 78 for legislators and the rest for officials of the council involved in the day to day business of the House. These hybrid laptops have a 15 inch display with a touch screen keyboard with 8 GB RAM (Random Access Memory) and one TB (TeraByte) storage capacity. It has dual camera, sim card slot and expandable memory slot.

Welcoming the initiative, chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar said it was a matter of pride that Maharashtra has taken a lead in the digitalisation drive. Maharashtra has become the first state in India to go for digitalisation in the legislative functioning, he said.

On the first day of its introduction, however, the members faced several technical glitches forcing many members to complain about the issue.

We are unable to connect to the data, said leader of the opposition Dhananjay Munde. Similarly transport minister Diwakar Raote complained of the entire data being in English. If we are not going to get information in Marathi then it is better to switch back to paper, he said.

Nimbalkar however assured the members that technical issues are being resolved. There will be trial and error for some time but these will be solved in a few days, he said.

A majority of the members seemed to have embraced the move. Even though not all of them are computer savvy, they are familiar with the touchscreen technology due to smartphones. Sources said that the legislature secretariat has arranged training for legislators who want to learn how to operate these hybrid laptops better.

State NCP President Sunil Tatkare called it a progressive move. Though I dont use computers, I will train myself as it is imperative in this era, said Tatkare.

Similarly, state minister Sadabhau Khot said it will result in greater transparency and accountability. Members do not need to go different departments in Mantralaya to get information as here one can get on click of the mouse, said Khot. Members have to adopt to newer technology to stay relevant, he added.

However, the real test of the new system will be on Tuesday since there wasnt much legislative business on day one. The usual proceedings of the House which includes Question Hour, discussions on urgent issues under calling attention notice and debates on bills, will be held from Tuesday.

Read: Maharashtra spent 8 crore on advertising projects launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

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Two college students were arrested from suburban Malad here on Sunday night by Navi Mumbai Police in connection with the leak of two question papers during the ongoing HSC Board exam.

Rahul Bachchelal Bhaskar (22) and Azharuddin Shaikh (20) --both students of TY (third year) and SY (second year) B.Com from a local college--were arrested from their residence at Malvani in Malad, said a senior police officer who did not wish to be identified.

According to police, photographs of three pages each of question papers of both Marathi and Secretarial Practice (SP) were circulated on a social media platform (WhatsApp) just before the commencement of exams on March 2 and March 4.

The examinations of Std 12th, conducted by Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (commonly called SSC and HSC Board) are being held at present.

After the first paper leak, Dattatray Jagtap, Chairman of Konkan division of the Board, filed a complaint with Vashi police in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

Subsequently, police initiated a probe into the case with the help of crime branch and as well as Cyber Cell and identified the WhatsApp group from where the leaks originated, the officer said.

Also, two separate offences have been registered against unidentified persons at Vashi Police Station in Navi Mumbai under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and other specified Exams Act -1982 and the IT Act.

During investigations, a team of Navi Mumbai Police zeroed in on two students from Malvani area and arrested them late last night, said Hemant Nagrale, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner.

On Saturday, Jagtap had appealed the students not to panic and had said that no re-examination of Marathi and Secretarial Practise subjects would be held.
The Andheri police have arrested a 24-year-old youth for allegedly misbehaving with a woman in Mumbai Metro rail and assaulting a security guard after being detained by him on Saturday morning. The accused was in an inebriated condition at the time of the incident, said the cops.

According to the police, at around 11.30 pm the arrested accused Ramsingh Dange who hails from Madhya Pradesh boarded a Metro train under the influence of alcohol. He misbehaved with a girl who was standing next to him, said a police official.

On getting down from Metro at Andheri she complained about Dange to 23-year-old Nyaneshwar Waghmode who works as a security guard in the Metro rail. Waghmode detained him and was about to alert the police when the accused got into a heated argument and manhandled him, added the police official.

The accused was taken to the Andheri police station where an FIR was registered against him under section 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the IPC and sections 59 (Drunkenness or nuisance on metro railway), 64 (Penalty for unlawfully entering or remaining upon metro railway or walking on metro track) and 68 (Obstructing metro railway official in his duties) of Delhi Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002.

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The last call made by Dalbir Singh, the 23-year-old Railway Protection Force constable who shot himself, was to his fiancee.

On Saturday night, Singh shot two rounds from his AK-47 service rifle into his chest at the Mumbai Central station.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) team probing the incident also found Singh had made 45 calls to his two older sisters earlier that day, and had last spoken to his fiancee at 8.31pm on Saturday. He was on night duty with other four constables on the Gujarat Mail, which departs from Mumbai Central around 10pm. He shot himself around 9.30pm. The GRP will now send a team to Singhs home in Haryana to speak to his family.

From the probe so far, officials have pieced together the events that led to Singh shooting himself.

On Saturday morning, Singh returned to his barrack after duty the previous night. In the afternoon, he called one of his sisters 28 times, but spoke only 10 of the times; the other 18 were found to be missed calls. Some of the times, the call lasted more than 20 minutes. After that, Singh called another older sister 16 times, spoke five times while 11 were missed calls, said a GRP official.

We have recorded the statement of four constables who were on duty with Singh on Saturday night. They were present at the spot when the incident took place, but their statements are all the same and we could find nothing that would help us figure out what exactly triggered Singh, said senior inspector Dattatray Pawar of the Mumbai central (GRP).

A police team of a sub inspector and two constables are going to Singhs native town to speak to his the family to find out what could have caused him to commit suicide, Pawar said.

We will also inquire with the officer who assigned duties, if there were any issues. As of now, we are not yet investigating issues related to getting leave added Pawar.

Singh, a Haryana native, had joined the RPF on August 1, 2015. He stayed at the RPF barracks in Bandra (East) with 34 constables. His father, Rajendra Singh, is a farmer. Singh is the only son.

The RPF has initiated departmental inquiry and an assistant commander-rank officer has been conducting the inquiry.

Another GRP official said, Singh reached the office at 9.30pm and wore his uniform and picked up his service rifle. He was a little upset, and he took service rifle and bullets and shot two rounds in his chest.

Constables inside the office rushed him to hospital, but he was declared dead.

Read: RPF constable shoots himself dead at Mumbai Central
Officers from Manpada police station are on the lookout for a 17-year-old boy, who stabbed his father to death with a kitchen knife following a heated argument between the two at their Dombivli residence on Sunday night. The boy has been booked under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

The incident occurred after the boys father, who had returned home drunk, taunted him for not doing a proper job and spending most of his time on his mobile phone.

Digamber Wankhede, 40, taunted his son for having two meals in the house without helping them financially after the boy asked his mother to serve him dinner. This enraged the boy and they both started arguing, said senior inspector Gajana Kabdule from Manpada police station.

Wankhede wife said that her efforts to clam them down failed, as neither of them was ready to back down.

Suddenly, my husband pointed a sharp thing at our son and asked him whether he wants to kill him. In a fit of rage, our son went into the kitchen and returned with a knife and attacked him. He stabbed him in the chest, stomach and back following which our son fled the spot, she said.

Though Wankhede was rushed to hospital with the help of neighbours, he was declared dead on arrival. His body was handed over to the family after post-mortem. Investigation revealed that Wankhede often taunted his son, a Class VII drop out, for not having a proper job and sleeping beyond 8 am.

Also read: Driven by revenge, man stabs ex-wifes new husband to death in Mumbai

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Four top European leaders hold talks Monday on the future of the European Union, at a time when it faces multiple crises that are sparking doubts about its very existence.

Hosted by French President Francois Hollande at the iconic Versailles palace outside Paris, the dinner meeting that brings together German, Italian and Spanish leaders comes amid heated discussion about how to move forward the deeply troubled European Union in the face of Brexit, rising nationalism and an EU-skeptic Trump administration in Washington.

Those issues will be hashed out during a broader EU summit March 25, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaty that lay the now-crumbling foundations for the future bloc.

"The EU is in a very dangerous situation.It could collapse," said analyst Philippe Moreau Defarges, of the French Institute for International Relations, in Paris, echoing the concerns of a number of other experts and politicians.

Last week, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker offered a framework for the broader European discussions, laying out five possible paths for the 28-member bloc, soon to be 27, with the departure of Britain. They range from even tighter integration, to the idea of a "multi-speed" Europe, with groups of "willing" countries moving ahead in specific areas like defense.

Yet like many other issues, EU members cannot agree on the options, and the limited-attendance Versailles meeting may not have much impact. All four leaders are in a weakened position, starting with host Hollande, who has only weeks left in his presidency.

"It's not a political meeting, it's a sentimental and emotional meeting to say, 'This European Union is very important and we must save it,'" Defarges said. "Even if they agree on something practical, they dont have the capacity to implement it."

In Brussels, the two EU leaders also are in a fragile position.European Council President Donald Tusk's bid for a second term this spring is opposed by his own Polish government, although many member states support it. Jean Claude Juncker, who heads the EU executive arm, says he will step down in 2019.

Speaking to the European Parliament last week, Juncker urged governments to "stop Brussels-bashing, stop EU-bashing." But doing so may prove challenging, and the bloc's problems may deepen depending on the outcome of key elections in several member states.
Mumbai University may introduce an on-screen assessment system for all answer booklets from the current semester itself. Three companies have already bid to install the system.

The bidding process is open till March 16.

Under the on-screen assessment, answer sheets will be scanned and made accessible to examiners and moderators. The papers will be corrected online, thus avoiding the possibility of answer booklets being tampered with after theyve been submitted.

In a meeting on Monday, it was decided that the first round of workshops to train teachers for on-screen assessment will begin soon after the agency is picked based on the bids received.

Workshops will be held in certain colleges.These people will then train other teachers from various colleges. Its a huge task ahead but we plan to implement the process fromthis semester itself, said an official, who is part of the committee working towards the implementation of this process.

Earlier this year, vice-chancellor Sanjay Deshmukh had announced that Mumbai University would go digital when it comes to assessment of all exams from April 2017, with the aim of cutting down malpractices. As of now, only the engineering faculty papers are checked via the on-screen process and by extending the format to all faculties, MU is looking at scanning and assessing more than 19.5 lakh answer booklets this April.

While manual assessment of answer booklets were conducted at the Central Assessment Program (CAP) section of the examination house in MUs Kalina campus, Deshmukh had added that on-screen assessment will be conducted in the new Examination House building, which is still under construction. Our aim is to get the infrastructure ready at Kalina campus itself in time to conduct this process. If not, well request lead colleges to provide us with sub-centers for the purpose, said MA Khan, registrar, MU.

He added that this will also help decentralise the process and since all colleges have been asked to be equipped with computers on campus, the on-screen assessment will be manageable.

As MU has not yet decided on all the sub-centers or decentralised CAP centres to conduct assessments this year, colleges are already not looking forward to the news. If I allow MU to assess from my IT or computer lab this semester, Ill have to cordon off that area completely for anybody else, at least for the next couple of months. How will my masters students use the IT facilities then? asked the principal of a suburban college. MU needs to start this process in phases, instead of forcing everyone into this new format in such little time, he added.

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In a move that will act as a respite to home buyers from the low income group after being duped by developers, the state has decided that it would exempt residents from paying penalty for living in structures that do not have occupancy certificates.

This means that people residing in illegal structures measuring up to 600 square feet, across the state, will not have to the pay annual penalty.

The state will have to make an amendment in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Maharashtra Municipal Corporation to implement the decision. This comes in a year after the Bombay high court rejected the governments policy for regularising illegal structures.

According to sources, the government has also decided to empower municipal corporations to decide the penalty amount for occupants residing in illegal structures above the area of 1,000 square feet. In January, the state had promulgated an ordinance for the decision which now will be converted in to the legislation in this assembly session.

The bill to convert the ordinance in to an Act will also have the provisions to exempt low income groups from paying penalty for residing in illegal structures, claimed the sources.

Confirming the development, Manisha Mhaiskar, principal secretary of the urban development department said that the government wants to help the people  especially those who come under lower income groups  who were duped by developers.

For home buyers who fall under the lower income groups, it is first a shock that their homes are not legal, the penalty acts as a double burden for them every year until they get an occupancy certificate from the civic body. Hence, it was decided to penalise people according to the size of the illegal structures that the live in, Mhaiskar told HT.

Considering that those living in structures bigger than 1000 square feet homes are financially sound, the government decided not to reduce their penalty amount, she added.

Ramesh Prabhu, housing activist and chairman for Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association (MSWA) has welcomed the move. Its a welcome development for the people who have already lost everything after being duped by builders, Prabhu said.

Read: Maharashtra spent 8 crore on advertising projects launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

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After the chief minister announced that he was planning to set up an Upa Lokayukta to oversee the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the Shiv Sena on Monday lashed out saying the Sena is completely capable of truly monitoring Mumbai, and the government should set up an Upa Lokayukta for Varsha, the chief ministers official residence, instead.

In an editorial in the partys mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena said the chief minister should set an ideal by bringing in transparency in the state cabinet meetings first, and leave Mumbais fate to the Shiv Sena.

It is a common all-party truth that Mumbais most capable watchdog is Shiv Sena. How are you to set up a watchdog here? The chief minister announced that he would set up a special Upa Lokayukta for the Mumbai civic body to prevent corruption and so on. In reality, it is necessary to appoint an independent Upa Lokayukta for the chief ministers Varsha bungalow, the Sena said in the editorial. The party added that while it does not fear any Upa Lokayukta in Mumbai, it is a signal that the BJP-led state government does not trust the municipal commissioner. Moreover, it demanded the setting up of similar watchdogs for other civic bodies too, especially the BJP-controlled Nagpur, where the Sena says there has been maximum corruption.

The party said that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis decided to drop out of the mayoral, deputy mayoral race in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and also not seek the chairmanship of any of the civic bodys committees, as somewhere even the BJP knew that only the Senas mayor was going to be elected.

They (the BJP) must be in a situation like despite juicing the fruit they could not even get their hands on the seeds. The Shiv Sena wanted to fight the mayoral election and win. That victory would have been like one of Chhatrapati Shivajis glorious victories, the Sena said in Saamana.

The party also criticised the BJPs transparency agenda and called it a facade, saying that it got votes in Mumbai not because of transparency, but because of the support of the Jain population here.

The Jains campaigned for the BJP like the partys agents. They went around saying if you want to shut down the abattoirs and non-vegetarianism in the city then vote for the BJP like a fatwa. If you (the BJP) are calling this transparency then it is a complete pretence, the Sena said.

The Sena and the BJP ended up neck-and-neck in the recent elections to the BMC with the former getting 84 of the 227 seats and the latter not far behind with 82. With this being the first civic elections in two decades that the two former allies contested independently, and ended up in a close contest, there was much uncertainty as to which party gets the highest numbers to seat the citys mayor. While both parties tried to bolster their strength with back-channel talks with independents and other smaller parties, the BJP dropped out of the race at the eleventh hour clearing the way for Senas victory, and promising to be a transparency watchdog in the civic body instead.

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Amid all the recent conservation success stories, there are voices of caution warning that not enough is being done by the policy makers.

Building and development control regulations have been framed in such a way that they act as a disincentive to the preservation of heritage. If you reconstruct a building, you get floor space index (FSI) of 3.9 and this is lucrative given the demand for land in Mumbai. So, it is more profitable to raze a building, said V Ranganathan, veteran bureaucrat who used to head the Maharashtra Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC). Old buildings owned by government agencies stand neglected as not much is done to preserve them, he points out.

Conservation architect Chetan Raikar, who was involved in the restoration of CST, said, You must conserve the past for a better future. But the city is still not doing enough for the protection of urban heritage as it should have.

Ranganathan said there were no incentives for private heritage conservation. There are no tax rebates or compensations for restoring or redeveloping old structures, which is the need of the hour for a city like Mumbai, said Ranganathan.

But its not all gloom and doom. Over the years, with people becoming more aware about these structures, we managed to get the funding through government policy changes. Many buildings like the Town Hall, Bombay High Court, Old Secretariat and other private ones came under the purview of the government. What started off as a citizen-led movement has been able to transcend to the government level, with separate allocations for the protection of heritage buildings, said Abha Lamba, conservation expert.

Vikas Dilawari, another conservation architect, has a different opinion. He said there was lack of encouragement when it comes to allocating funds. In the present set up, there are no matching grants or encouragement for repairs. Strange as it may sound, redevelopment gets incentive of FSI, but repair is completely neglected, which requires a fraction of FSI given for redevelopment, he said.

A senior official from the MHCC identified the pros and cons for the current scenario when it comes to conserving heritage structures in Mumbai. The primary issue that we face, especially in the Island city  from Colaba to Mahim  is that 99% of them are cessed properties (under the aegis of Rent Control). There is a tendency to neglect these properties if redevelopment permissions are not in place, which results in them slowly disintegrating. There is also the lack of compensations and incentives, hence there are no buyers, he said.

He added, After the new list was out, funds have been dispensed for their safe keeping and restoration, all over the city. So there is awareness and it is a good sign.

But the quality of restoration work needs improvement. While we are far more robust on a national level in terms of civic interaction and the governments engagement when it comes to heritage, we are nowhere near international standards. If we pitch Mumbai against a New York, Rome, London or Paris, we abysmally behind in terms of funding and a more holistic vision, said Lamba. But Mumbais heritage conservation is largely credited to citizens associations. The Oval Maidan, Kala Ghoda, Dadabhai Naroji Signage and others  these initiatives have been led by citizens, making them the champions.

READ MORE

Reconstructing Mumbais past for the future
The Thane mayoral polls became a mere formality when all the opposition parties took back their nominations, electing Shiv Senas Meenakshi Shinde as the new mayor and Ramakant Mhadvi, the deputy mayor. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, along with his son Aaditya and wife Rashmi, was present for the elections. The Thackerays also conducted a road show in the city following this victory.

Shinde was elected the 18th mayor while Mhaadvi became the 23rd deputy mayor of the city. The Sena went all the way to establish its hold on the city by painting the town saffron. Sena flags, festoons and huge installations were placed along the lanes of the city.

Shinde was supposed to contest the elections against Ashrin Raut of NCP and Ashadevi Singh of BJP. Both the parties had also fielded their deputy mayor candidates, though they took back the nominations just before the elections and let Sena win unopposed after the party won a majority in the city with 67 seats.

Maahendra Kalyankar, presiding officer, said, The two candidates contesting mayor elections opposite Shinde took the nomination back. Similarly, three candidates from NCP, BJP and Congress contesting deputy mayor elections took back the nominations. Both Sena candidates won the election unopposed.

Thackeray appreciated the oppositions move to accept the peoples mandate and give power to the Sena. He said, There might be any wave in the country, but Thaneites have stood by the Sena for the last 25 years. Thane is like our family, I promise not to break the trust of the people and fulfil the promises listed in the manifesto in the coming five years. It is important that the administration and the elected body work in tandem, and thus we will also lend our support to civic commissioner Sanjeev Jasiwal who has done some good work in the city, Thackeray said.

READ MORE

Maharashtra polls: Like Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, no clear winners in nine civic bodies, say experts

BMC polls: BJP bags the lions share in votes

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In January, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Mumbai Customs had to take a tough call on whether to break open a passengers car-washer based on only their intuition. They decided to compensate the passenger if they found nothing. However, their efforts were vindicated as they recovered gold worth Rs61 lakh concealed in the central part of the machine.

Since the beginning of this year, the authorities have been kept bus. Smugglers have resorted to hiring carriers to conceal gold in televisions, vacuum cleaners, mixer-grinders, pressure cookers and inner metal frames of trolley bags. Authorities have termed this deep concealment and said the technique had been detected at airports across the country.

Investigations revealed that Dubai-based smugglers lure carriers with the promise of easy money. The youth are attracted by the prospect of easy money and the lack of physical labour this activity involves. They fail to realise that this is a trap, said Pradnyasheel Jumle, deputy commissioner of customs, AIU.

He said offenders will face a jail term ranging from two to seven years. They should realise that they are throwing away their careers, said the officer.

AIU said the smugglers take advantage of those who need money urgently. In one case, a 28-year-old who had gone to Dubai seeking employment wanted to return to India as he was short of funds. Smugglers told him that they would give him only a small quantity of gold to conceal and carry. However, they gave him more than 2kg gold. We caught him at the Mumbai airport. Investigations revealed that he was to be paid Rs10, 000 for his efforts, said an officer.

Dubai-based smugglers often victimise those they hire as carriers, said officials.

Sources said they intercepted a woman passenger and inspected her phone. She had recorded conversations with another woman carrier, in which she was complaining that carriers are made to do a large amount of work for a small sum. We need a lot of time to crack open the appliances of suspected passengers. The large volume of passengers at the Mumbai International Airport makes our task difficult, said the officer.

Also read: Mumbai woman tries to smuggle 1kg of gold in pressure cooker, held

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With over 3.8 lakh students in Mumbai division appearing for Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams starting from today (Tuesday), the Maharashtra state education board which is on a high alert after five consecutive question paper leaks will be strict on latecomers.

The board has instructed supervisors to make a separate note of students walking into the exam rooms after 11.00 am, take down their details and interrogate them on why they were delayed.

During SSC and HSC exams, students are expected to gather in the exam rooms by 10. 30 am and question papers are handed out at 10: 50 am, so that they get 10 minutes extra-time to read the paper.

Although the exam begins at 11 am, students are allowed to enter the exam hall till 11. 30. But on Monday, the board instructed all the centres to keep track of such students.

According to Siddheshwar Chandekar, divisional secretary of the board, this step has been taken as during the last five papers, images of the question paper appeared on WhatsApp, 10 to 20 minutes before the exam. Discouraging latecomers, will help in curbing the numbers of students viewing the images.

Students who walk in late are suspected because they might have seen the leaked images, said Chandekar. This is the only thing we can do, since it is impossible to control technology.

Teachers said that this is a wise move, considering that it is not practical to ban latecomers altogether. Mumbai faces heavy traffic congestion so it is natural for students to get late, but we suggested that the board should at least keep an eye on these students, said Uday Nare, former board member, and teacher, Hansraj Morarji Public School, Andheri.

But the leak has worried exam takers, many said that they do not want re-exams.

Dharmit Dhanak, a student of Swami Vivekanand School in Kandivli, said"People had already started talking about the leak. But the paper was easy anyway. Even if the paper had not gotten leak, anyone could have cleared the exam," he said, adding, "We would definitely hate if there are re-exams just because of others' secrecy failures. Why should we suffer?

"The paper was very much to our favour. I just hope there are no re-exams for a paper like Mathematics. It takes a lot of practice to finish the paper on time," said Shikha Rawal, adding that re appearing for exams would deflate everyone's morale who had studied hard and also affect upcoming papers.

Read: Maharashtra board asks flying squads to keep an eye on exam centres
Officials from Cyber police station of the Mumbai crime branch detained a person in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly sending vulgar messages to Shaina NC, the national spokesperson of BJP. Police are verifying the involvement of the accused before arresting and framing charges against him.

I fought for my dignity by registering a police complaint. Many women in such situations get scared and hesitate. I want them to come out and file FIRs against such harassment, Shaina told HT.

According to an officer from Cyber police station, the BJP leader approached them last Wednesday and lodged a complaint against an unidentified person for sending her vulgar messages. Based on her complaint, an FIR was registered under Section 354 (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 67 (transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act.

In her statement, Shaina told the police that she had received several vulgar messages on WhatsApp. She even provided the police with the mobile number from which the messages were sent.

Commenting on the issue, BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said, We are unaware of any party worker indulging in such acts. The identity of the accused is yet to be revealed. But anyone indulging in such activities should be punished, irrespective of his political affiliations.

In a similar incident, the Vile Parle police arrested a man from Jalgaon for sending abusive SMSes to two women Member of Legislative Council (MLC), one from Shiv Sena and another from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) .

Also read: Ex-Miss India Sonu Walia gets lewd calls, files sexual harassment complaint
Though surrogacy is popular now, thanks to Bollywood celebrities such as Shah Rukh Khan and director and producer Karan Johar who parented children through it, there is still no clarity on whether regulations allow it.

The Surrogacy Bill, 2016, which is yet to be enforced will allow only heterosexual married couples, who cannot have children, to opt for the procedure. But a notification from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in 2015 says that only Indian married couples can opt for surrogacy. Many in-vitro and infertility centres refuse single men and women surrogacy after this notification. However, a number of doctors continue to follow the practice.

In a letter to over 40 IVF and infertility clinics across the country, Dr RS Sharma, scientist and head, division of reproductive biology and maternal health at ICMR, said, I have been directed to inform you that according to the stand of the department of health research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, surrogacy will be limited to Indian married couples only and not to foreigners.

Fertility experts said that the notification meant that single men and women, unmarried couples and foreigners cannot opt for surrogacy. Some clinics stopped the service after receiving the notification. Since the notification clearly mentioned that we are to allow only Indian married couples, we immediately informed our clients who were single. In the past 18 months, we got over 20 requests from men and women who wanted to opt for surrogacy and we have refused them all, said Dr Anjali Malpani, specialist in IVF and reproductive medicine from Malpani Infertility Clinic in Colaba.

Experts said that there was no clarity on the issue of a single parent from the central government. Health officials could not explain why the notification was not enforced. Our priority was to stop foreign couples from becoming commissioning surrogates. Since the Surrogacy Bill, 2016, which bars single men and women from opting for the procedure is not yet cleared, the letter didnt mention anything on it, said Dr Soumya Swaminathan, director-general of ICMR.

Experts also debated on the plan to bar single men and women from surrogacy . I believe that a child thrives in a positive environment, which can be ensured by a single parent as well as a couple. We have different family structures  matriarchal and patriarchal. The times call for a lot of social and familial adaptation. Science and technology only serve to fulfil these dreams, said Dr Firuza Parekh, Indias foremost fertility expert who has attended the cases of Aamir Khan, Farah Khan and Tusshar Kapoor.

Another expert from the city said that many follow the trend set by celebrities and decide to opt for surrogacy without understanding the responsibility. I am not against single parents going for surrogacy but they should have an idea about the responsibility that comes with it. Many just ape celebrities who opt for it. Most of these decisions are taken on the spur of the moment, said the expert.

READ MORE

Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan and more: When surrogacy helped celebs enjoy parenthood

With impending ban, surrogate mothers grab last chance to rent a womb
The lawyers appearing for court hearings related to a cheating and forgery case against former MD of Ringing Bells and its accountant have filed another bail plea for both with Sessions court in Ghaziabad on Monday. Both accused are presently lodged at Dasna jail under judicial custody since their arrest.

Companys former MD Mohit Goel and accountant were arrested by police after companys distributor Akshay Malhotra filed an FIR, alleging that the officials failed to return his pending amount of Rs 16 lakh. Following the FIR on February 22, the police arrested Mohit and also made a second arrest of accountant Sumit Kumar later on February 27.

After their bail pleas were dismissed by lower court, we have now filed bail applications with Sessions court. The applications will come up for hearing on March 8, said Gaurav Sharma, one of the lawyers appearing for the companys officials.

In Mohits case, the court sent him to judicial custody only under sections of cheating and criminal breach of trust. Sumit was also sent to judicial custody under similar sections but not forgery. During earlier hearings, the court had rapped the Ghaziabad police officials after they failed to produce evidence related to forgery in the case.

Apart from Mohit and Sumit, the FIR also names present managing director and Mohits brother, Anmol Goel, Mohits wife Dharna Garg who resigned eight months back as CEO of Ringing Bells and Mohits partner Ashok Chaddha. The latter and Mohit are now officials of a new firm.

However, during the last hearing on February 28, the defence lawyers produced documents of RTGS transaction in which they paid pending Rs 16 lakh in the account of the distributor. However, the prosecution opposed the settlement.
The Malaysian government on Saturday gave North Korean ambassador Kang Chol 48 hours to leave amid suspicions that Pyongyang was behind the assassination of Kim Jong-nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13.

In a statement, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman declared Kang persona non grata. He must leave Malaysia by 6 p.m. Monday.

The decision came two days after Malaysia scrapped visa-free entry for North Koreans and weeks after it recalled its own envoy to Pyongyang.

Kang infuriated Malaysian authorities by saying police findings in the killing were politically motivated, and denouncing his host country for colluding with South Korea.

Kang ignored a request to appear at the Malaysian Foreign Ministry and apologize, the ministry said.


A 27-year-old man who is allegedly involved in 29 criminal cases was arrested by the special task force of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday after a brief exchange of fire in Ilanwas village in Sector 86.

According to the police, the accused Avnesh, also known as Anni, had fled police custody on June 17, 2016, when he was being taken from a jail in Aligarh for a hearing in Surajpur. On his way, he was taken to a local dhaba for a meal and he escaped police custody after adding sedatives to the food of the personnel accompanying him.

A resident of Khanoda village in Bulandshahr, Avnesh is alleged to have killed Vijay Pandit in Dadri in 2014. Pandit was a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party and his wife Geeta is the Dadri Nagar Panchayat chairman.

The police said that on Monday, they received a tip-off that Avnesh would come to Ilanwas village to meet his friends. Following the information, a team of the Noida special task force, led by assistant superintendent of police, Rajkumar Mishra, swung into action.

The police team cordoned the area off to ensure that Avnesh could not evade the police. Avnesh opened fire on the STF team and the exchange of gunfire lasted for almost 15 minutes.

Five rounds were opened on our party, after which we also retaliated. The exchange of fire injured him in the right leg and we arrested him. We admitted him to the district hospital in Noida where he is undergoing treatment, Mishra said.

The police recovered a Russian manufactured star marked pistol, worth Rs10 lakh, and two live cartridges from the accused.

STF officials said that Avneshs friend, who works in a beauty parlour, often met him at the Aligarh jail. She allegedly provided him with sedatives, which he used to escape from police custody. The police said they will also question the woman.

The police said that Avnesh had murdered his cousin in 2007 and was given a life term sentence. He was lodged in a jail in Aurangabad, where he was acquainted with Sunday Bhati, a gangster.

In the 2007 murder case, he was given bail by the Allahabad high court. The police said that Avnesh started working for Bhati after his release.

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It has been nearly eight months since the Ghaziabad municipal corporation promised to redevelop the Central Park in Vaishali Sector 4 but failed to deliver on the promise. The residents have now taken the initiative of redeveloping their park to maintain the green and clean surroundings.

The Central Park is located in the heart of Vaishali and caters to residents from sectors 4, 5, 2 and 3 who come here for jogging, walks and other activities.

The residents said that last July, the corporation had floated a tender for the parks redevelopment at a cost of Rs 16 lakh, but the promised facilities are yet to be delivered.

Mayor Ashu Verma had inaugurated the park in July. But eight months later, the park is in a shambles. The contract was for installation of lights, huts, grass, plastering, repair of damaged boundary walls and jogging track and plantation of trees. However, the work is yet to start, said Jagdish Bisht, president of Central Park Lane residents welfare association.

There is no grass on the major stretches, the boundary wall is broken at places and only a couple of lights are functional. The work on two huts which were meant to provide shade and seating facilities has started, but the other works are yet to be completed. The park caters to nearly 3,000-4,000 residents who visit daily but find it tough in the absence of adequate facilities, said Rakesh Pandey, a Sector 4 resident.

A team of residents is planning to visit the municipal corporation office and apprise the mayor about the undelivered facilities and issues marring the major park.

Verma said he has asked the residents to come to his office and submit a written complaint.

I will check if the works under the contract are complete or not. I will take proper action against the contractor who has failed to deliver, he said.

The contract is scheduled to end by March 31 but most of the promised facilities are yet to be delivered. We have taken some initiatives on our own and will submit our representation to the mayor soon. It is a major park and, yet, it is left in such a deplorable condition, Bisht said.

Read: Ghaziabad: Four decades on, Sector 3, Rajendra Nagar has bagful of woes

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Ghaziabad-based insurance agent AK Jain, who had filed an FIR against Webwork Trade Links Pvt Ltd for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme, said he will file a petition in Allahabad high court, seeking security.

He said that the police failed to provide him security whereas he is continuing to receive threatening calls.

The 55-year-old will approach the court for its intervention next week and has been compiling all required details. Jain alleged that the Noida police is yet to seize the Audi car, worth over Rs1 crore, from the directors. He said that this shows the slow pace of the investigation.

More than three weeks have passed but the Audi car owned by the directors is yet to be seized. It shows that the local police are not serious about the investigation. In such circumstances, I do not see myself in a safe environment. I am being threatened continuously by various people, said Jain.

Jain had written to the director general of police (Uttar Pradesh), Javeed Ahmad, and the Union home ministry, over his need for security as he has been receiving threatening calls.

He said, I wrote to all senior officers of the state government but no one has responded. Only the court can ensure me justice and security. I will pray to the court for the formation of a special investigation team to investigate the fraud, said Jain.

On February 12, based on Jains complaint, the Sector 20 police had registered a case against the two directors of the company. Jain had alleged that the company duped him of Rs3.45 lakh and did not provide him profits as promised in an agreement.

Jain said he has given a 40-page complaint to the police, which includes the names of suspects involved in the fraud. He said the documents were confidential but came into the public domain due to the connivance of police, after which he started receiving threats.

However, the assistant superintendent of police, Gaurav Grover, said that the investigation into the matter is going on. He said, We had sought four-day custody of both the accused, during which we learnt many things. The server and computers of the company were seized. The investigation has not stopped in any manner.

Responding to Jains apprehensions, Grover said, If he feels a threat, he should report the matter to the local police station, where he lives. The police will definitely look into his complaints.

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Motorcycle-borne criminals looted Rs 60 lakh from the cash van of a public sector bank after killing two guards of a security agency and the driver in Patna district on Monday.

The incident took place at around 10.30 am on the busy Barh-Harnaut (national highway-30A) road in Belchhi police station area of the district. Police said the van was carrying Rs 60 lakh to Belchi branch of Punjab National Bank (PNB) from Barh.

Eyewitnesses told police that eight criminals, riding on four motorcycles, forced the van to stop near Bagha-Tila village, a stones throw away from the PNB branch. One of them whipped out a pistol and shot dead a guard accompanying the van. The other criminals broke the window panes of van, fired indiscriminately, killing another guard and the van driver, and fled with the cash, the eyewitnesses added.

Confirming the incident, Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj said those killed had been identified as Yogeshwar Das and Suresh Kumar Singh, both guards and Anant Kumar, the driver. The criminals had used 9mm firearms to commit the crime, he said. Prima-facie, it appeared that a gang from Biharsharif in Nalanda district could be involved in the incident, the SSP added.

We also suspect the role of an insider in the robbery. Raids are on to nab the criminals and recover the looted cash, said Maharaaj.

A case of murder and robbery had been registered against eight unidentified persons, the SSP said, adding that a team from the special cell and forensics experts had reached the place of occurrence to collect evidences.

Earlier on February 27, armed criminals had shot dead two employees of a security agency while trying to loot Rs 40 lakh from a private cash van in Sohsarai police station area of Nalanda district.

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A four-member team of the Bar Council of India (BCI) team has taken note of severe faculty shortage at the TNB Law College, a constituent unit of the Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University.

The BCI team was here on Saturday to inspect the college for grant of regular affiliation.

At least 10 of the 14 sanctioned posts of full-time faculty members and seven of the 10 part-time teachers position are vacant at the college. The BCI condonable limit on faculty deficiency was not immediately known.

The college is functioning on provisional affiliation after the BCI withdrew its regular affiliation, effective 2011-12.

College authorities reportedly told the BCI inspectors that the Bihar government had been apprised about the faculty vacancies and the ball was now in the government court.

The affiliation issue has led to uncertainty among the 700-odd students enrolled here. A student delegation met the BCI inspectors to air their concern.

However, TNB Law College principal Sudhanshu Pandey said there was no reason for the students to worry.

Expressing confidence of getting affiliation after Saturdays inspection, Pandey said though the BCI had withdrawn regular affiliation, it granted provisional affiliation to the institution in 2016 with retrospective effect. The provisional affiliation would continue till this year, he added.

Sourabh Jha, a second semester college student, said the students would be relieved only after the BCI granted the college regular affiliation and put it up on its website.

The BCI team comprised BN Pandey, dean school of law and justice, Adamas University, Kolkata, Kameshwar Pandey, vice-president of the state bar council, besides Rajeev Saran and PN Ojha, both members of the state bar council.

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In its campaign against use of mobile phones by inmates, the Amritsar jail authorities recovered 14 handsets during search on Saturday. With this, 42 mobile phones have been seized from the jail premises in the last one month in three search operations.

Three handsets were recovered from inmate Mohammad Shahid and from an undertrial, Manay Singh. Ten mobile phones were found unclaimed during the search.

Amritsar jail superintendent Ashish Kapoor said a case has been registered at the Gate Hakima police station in this regard.

Availability of mobile phones in jails gives a tough time to police in checking crime and solving cases. To break the link of hardcrore criminals with their gang members, the jail authorities here has tightened the noose, leading to such successes.

Jail superintendent Ashish Kapoor had said that the jail staff was committed to wipe out this menace and all inputs are taken seriously, resulting in seizures.

On February 25, 11 mobile phones were recovered from the jail. Prior to that on February 12, 17 mobile phones and two knives were recovered from the prison.
Seven years after a scam in recruitment of conductors in the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) came to light, the police have finally prepared its challan in the case. Of 144 candidates selected, the credentials of 70 were found to be doubtful.

Now, the UT police will submit a challan in court in two weeks against the 86 accused who were arrested for allegedly impersonating or cheating in the exam.

Our focus was to arrest the accused. We arrested 86 of 113 suspects. The other challenge was to record the statements of all photographers who videographed the candidates and this was a time-consuming process. Suspects would have escaped in case there was delay in arrests, said Pawan Kumar, DSP crime branch.

The challan was under scrutiny and now we are ready with it. All objections to challan prepared initially have been removed now, a senior police official said.

CAUSES OF DELAY

Sources said the delay resulted as several investigation officers were changed in the case. It is also claimed that the initial investigating officer SI Rakesh Kumar also took his time in handing over the case files to the new IO.

Kumar was repeatedly asked to submit the documents, but he took his time. He was even issued a notice for delaying the handing over, two years ago, a senior police officer said.

DGP Tajender Singh Luthra was requested to give a comment through a text messages. He replied that he was out of town and that the SSP was to be contacted for any query. SSP Eish Singhal could not be reached and did not respond to text messages.

THE CASE

CTU conducted recruitment exam for 144 posts of conductors. Over 19,000 candidates took the written exam on October 3, 2010. Results were announced on February 25, 2011.

Eventually it was a learnt that 139 of 144 selected candidates are natives of Haryana following which an enquiry was marked.

Signature specimens of the candidates were taken and they were video graphed. Those were sent to CFSL, Sector 36. Seventy candidates were found to be using unfair means

Following the instructions of Director Transport, Chandigarh police registered a case at Industrial area police station on September 2, 2011.The case was handed over to crime branch.

Police arrest 86 people, including candidates, impersonators and middle men

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A 120-foot-long and 80-foot-wide Tricolour was hoisted on Indias tallest 360-foot flag post at the border on Sunday. Till now, Ranchi had the tallest flag mast, at 300 feet.

The post stands near the retreat ceremony area on the Punjab government land and the Rs 4-crore project was completed by the Amritsar Improvement Trust.

The project was inaugurated by Punjab local bodies minister Anil Joshi at a ceremony attended by officers of the Border Security Force and BJP leaders, including former state chief Kamal Sharma. Officials of the district administration didnt attend the ceremony due to poll code of conduct during elections.

As the Tricolour was hoisted on the imposing iron mast, it became an instant attraction for the tourists, who took selfies and pictures to capture the flag in the background. Floodlights have been installed around the flag post that will make it visible during the night. The flag will be visible miles away from the border.

Facts Height of the pole: 360 feet Pole weight: 55 tonnes Flag weight:100 kg (approx) Flag dimension:120x80 feet

Terming this as his dream project, Joshi said he took special permission from the Election Commission for the inauguration. This is the right place to this project as thousands of people come here every day. This will inculcate a feeling of patriotism in their minds, he said.

BSF inspector general for Punjab Frontier, Mukul Goel, said, It is a matter of great honour that the Tricolour has been hoisted on the highest flag post here. We appreciate the effort of the Punjab government. On there was any objection to the project from Pakistan, he said no reservations were received from the neighbouring country. BSF DIG JS Oberoi was also present.

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Ex-servicemen held a protest march in support of Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur, a Kargil martyr's daughter, who recently stood up against campus violence. Over 150 people, under the banner of the State Ex-servicemen Welfare Association (SEWA), took out a march from the war memorial on the YPS Chowk and marched through Fountain Chowk and Lower Mmall.

SEWA president Colonel (retd) Kuldip Grewal said that the ideology of the RSS and its student wing Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parsidhad (ABVP) is being turned into an un-christened law of the land with its political wing, BJP, has long maintained silence over their wrongdoings.

The definition of nationalism, he said, was fiddled with to thrust upon a particular line of fundamentalism on the people of all castes and creeds. Educational institutions have become battlefields of affiliated political outfits of students. Atmosphere of fear is being created among peace-loving people, he added

Members said that the armed forces, which are apolitical to the core, are being politicised and their operations against the enemy are blown out of proportion to gain political mileage. By assuming sheer brute political power, the government started with the grant of truncated one rank one pension scheme and then using the same to garner public support in their bid to brighten their chances in the state assembly elections.

They said that Jawans from BSF, CRPF and army recorded their grievances in the videos and, with political connivance, ran in the social and sponsored media when strong in built system is in place to alleviate problems faced not only by the jawans but also their families.

Now a minister at the Centre has uploaded a video with the recorded public speech of a serving soldier laced with political leaning.

The association demanded that all operations against the enemy are classified as secret and should not be used as a political tool. Violence on the campus should end and offenders should be booked and thrown behind bars.

Showing solidarity with Gurmehar Kaur, they said that the prevailing trend is dangerous for the security of the country. It should be stopped forthwith and also Student Unions should be barred from provocating mobs creating wedge especially within the rank and file of troops.
In a letter received by various media houses in the region, the now-defunct Sikh Students Federation (SSF) has claimed responsibility for killing Dera Sacha Sauda followers Satpal, 65, and his son Ramesh, 35, at the Sirsa-based sects congregation centre in Jagera village near Khanna on February 25.

Sources in the police department said the letter, reportedly signed by one Jasmeet Singh, who calls himself the federations convener, seems to be fake. Police are trying to trace from where the letter originated.

In the letter, the organisation claims it had taken revenge for innocent Sikhs killed by dera followers in recent years. The senders also warn of taking revenge for desecration of Guru Granth Sahib in Punjab.

All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF), meanwhile, denied having any link with the letter.

AISSF president Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad said the letter was an attempt to create fear and panic among people. He said there was only one organisation by the name of Sikh Students Federation, headed by Daljit Singh Bittu, during militancy in Punjab, but it had been dissolved. There is no other organisation called Sikh Students Federation, he said. He also strongly condemned the dera double murder.

Khanna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Satinder Singh said the department was verifying the authenticity of the letter. Though the police have not received the letter directly, they are not taking the development lightly, he said.
The U.S. State Department in a damning report Friday called North Korea "an authoritarian state led by the Kim family for more than 60 years" and condemned the regime's reign of terror.

The State Department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016 says the North Korean regime "subjected citizens to rigid controls over many aspects of their lives, including denial of the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, religion, movement, and worker rights."

Female defectors crossing the border to China fall prey to trafficking, the report also says. "Domestic forced labor occurred... as a part of the re-education system" and "foreign contract workers also faced conditions of forced labor."

The report said the state "carried out 15 executions in the first four months of 2015 as part of a continuing purge of senior government officials."


A soldier hailing from Kal Banjara village near Lehragaga in Punjabs Sangrur allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service weapon in Lower Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district on Sunday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Sepoy Roshan Singh, 35, of the 68 Engineering Regiment, who was posted with 39 Rashtriya Rifles in Poonch. The army has ordered a court of inquiry into the incident.

Roshan joined the army 14 years ago. Army and police authorities informed the family about his death on Sunday. The body will reach his native village on Monday where his last rites will be performed.

Roshan is survived by his wife Saroj and three children. The family lives in a one-room accommodation. Roshans parents are living with his brother.

Not able to come to terms with the tragedy, Saroj said the authorities informed the family that he sacrificed his life in line of duty. I dont know what happened with him, she said.

We want clarity about his death. I know he couldnt commit suicide. We want a through probe, Saroj added.
Poll code: Joshis pet project puts officials in bind

Punjab minister Anil Joshi put the officers of the Amritsar district in a bind by announcing that he will inaugurate a 360-ft-high Tricolour at Attari border on Sunday. The district officers were unaware when the minister could do the inauguration with the model code of conduct in place.

I will have to check on this were all they were willing to say. However, the minister got special permission from the Election Commission, but that did not help. The officials were not sure if they could attend the function or not. When the minister did the inauguration on Sunday, the district officials were not present.

Akalis on cloud nine after DSGMC polls win

Overjoyed with the partys victory in Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections on March 1, Akali supporters, who are awaiting the poll results in Punjab, have coined a new slogan, Ek nu Dehli, 11 nu Punjab, meaning that they have been victorious in Delhi gurdwara polls and would also win the Punjab assembly polls where the results are due on March 11. The SAD (Badal) staged an impressive victory in Delhi where Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) backed out of the contest. The AAP gave a tough fight to AAP and Congress in Punjab, though.

Retd Punjab babu on green mission

Retired IAS officer Suresh Kumar is leading another campaign post-retirement, focusing on water-energy-agriculture nexus and crop residue in Punjab. While in service, he led the agriculture department. At a discussion held last week, the thinking heads from the state departments of agriculture, environment, irrigation and power, besides experts from the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), came together to discuss these issues. Kumar managed to involve the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) and Centre for International Projects Trust (CIPT). They have divergent views on some issues, but there was consensus that solutions need to be found before it is too late.

Netas of varied hues

The proceedings in the Haryana assembly remained dreary during the first week of the budget session. There were not any great speeches. Clever wordplay was also missing, barring occasional digs by leaders of the ruling and opposition parties at each other. And the most noticeable thing in the 90-member House was the sartorial sense of the legislators  their kurta-pyjamas and sleeveless jackets in pink, purple, red, mustard, green and blue hues. Leading the pack of MLAs sporting colourful clothes was none other than chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Like his mentor Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS pracharak-turned-politician has a penchant for wearing colourful jackets and kurtas with white churidaars. Their multi-coloured clothes of the MLAs have not remained unnoticed. They are a talking point among the mandarins and mediapersons.

Sulking Haryana BJP legislators

Upset over neglect, several BJP legislators in Haryana are publicly griping against the functioning of their own government. Though chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had tried to placate them on Thursday, his assurances do not seem to have worked. The 16 miffed MLAs, who have complaining against sautela vyavahar (step-motherly treatment), not only asked the ministers in the House on Friday about the fate of projects announced by the chief minister in their areas. They had another meeting to formulate a joint strategy. Kuch log goad mein baitha rakhe hain. Baki vidayakon ki koi sunwayi nahin hai (Some people are sitting in the lap. Other MLAs are not lent an ear). Officers keep objecting to everything. With what face we will go to the people, one of them grumbled after the meeting. They are now waiting to meet the central leaders after March 11, the day of the assembly results.

Envying the neighbour

The grass, they say, is always greener on the other side. Ask the MLAs in Haryana about their status. A number of them feel there is no place like neighbouring Uttar Pradesh where the assembly polls are currently underway. Vidhayak ka bahut roab aur rutba hota hai UP mein (MLA has major influence and status in UP), one of the miffed BJP legislator said. But its not the MLAs. A senior minister also feels this way. Main jab bhi UP jaata hoon toh feel hota hai main mantri hoon (When I go to UP, I get the feeling that I am a minister), an outspoken minister said while chatting with reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing budget session. He attributed the difference to size of the two states. Being a small state, the officers are in direct contact with the CM or his staff, and do not pay attention to legislators, he said.

Dhankars killer dialogue

Smiles were rife at a press conference held by agriculture minister OP Dhankar the other day on the forthcoming agri-leadership summit in Surajkund. Asked about absence of adequate marketing for farm produce from the state, he amused the newspersons and officials alike by quoting a dialogue of Bollywood film Raees. Us film mein Shah Rukh Khan kahta hai, Gujarat ki hawa mein vyapaar hai, mein chahata hoon Haryana ki hawa mein bhi vyapaar ho, he said while exhorting the state farmers to look at market demand prior to sowing. The smiles turned into laughter when the minister was elaborating upon inviting progressive farmers and a journalist suggested that officials supposed to invite them could have easily met them together at dharna spots where the Jats are holding protests. However, the joke did not amuse the minister.

Dharamshala as 2nd HP capital: BJP takes divergent stand

Chief minister Virbhadra Singhs move to give second capital status to Dharamshala has been hailed by his party colleagues from Kangra district, but the opposition has been giving confusing signals. Congress MLA from Jawalamukhi Sanjay Rattan recently not only heaped praise on the CM for the decision, but also urged Virbhadra to construct his private residence there. Before the CM even responded, Dehra legislator Ravinder Singh Ravi, who belongs to the BJP, warned urban development minister Sudhir Sharma that Rattans suggestion was aimed at displacing him from Dharamshala. However, Shimla MLA Suresh Bhardwaj, who is also from BJP, has openly criticised the decision. He is blaming the minister, seen as the CMs blue-eyed boy, for the move. Its not Virbhadras decision. Sharma has mesmerised him, Bhardwaj says.

Himachal CPS told to play it cool

Known as Congress loose cannon, chief parliamentary secretary Neeraj Bharti hurls accusations at not only members of the opposition BJP, but at his own party colleagues on social media. Those at the receiving end include transport minister GS Bali and his son Raghuvir Singh Bali. Raghuvir, who is secretary, Himachal Congress, had a word of advice for Bharti when the latter was abroad. People elected by popular vote should show restraint while speaking on public platforms, he said during a short visit to Bharti assembly constituency, Jawali.

(Contributed by Aseem Bassi, Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Navneet Sharma, Rajesh Moudgil, Gaurav Bisht, Naresh K Thakur)
Cabinet minister Saryu Rai has expressed dissatisfaction over the state governments decision of liquor sale in Jharkhand. He claimed that liquor sale by the government would be impractical for officials in districts.

Speaking to mediapersons in Jamshedpur, Rai said the Raghubar Das-led cabinet should reconsider its decision of liquor sale by the government.

After the call by Sri Sri Ravishankar of the Art of Living for a total liquor ban in Jharkhand, the government should take notice of it, he added.

The state cabinet, on February 21, had approved the proposal of selling liquor through its own outlets under the Jharkhand State Beverages Corporation Limited, to generate revenue from August 1.

The parliamentary affairs minister Rai said despite differences among ministers over the issue, the proposal was passed by the cabinet.

The government earns several crores of revenue through liquor sale, but the selling of the same by the state government would send a wrong message among the masses. General public, especially women from rural and slum areas, have been organising protest movements against liquor sale in their respective localities. The government should pay due respect to their opinions, the minister said.

During the recent visit to Jharkhand, Sri Sri Ravishankar had asked chief cinister Raghubar Das to impose a total ban on liquor sale.

Previously, during his Bihar visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appreciated chief minister Nitish Kumars step of total liquor ban in his state.

The state government should try to find out new sources of revenue instead of selling liquor directly. Officials in all the districts will face practical problems in completing ground work for starting liquor sale from government outlets, the minister said.

After a strong protest from opposition parties, legislators and within the Bharatiya Janata Party over the issue, Das had said the government would not open outlets in more than 12 out of 24 districts, having 50 percent tribal population.

Rai is in favour of a total ban on liquor in Jharkhand instead of a partial ban on National Highways and tribal populated districts.
Jharkhand, a tribal-dominated state in eastern India, has been ranked second in achieving targets set by NITI Aayog to register citizens and merchants for the Digital India drive since December, as per government statistics.

Chhattisgarh tops the list in signing up merchants, achieving 180.69% of the target set, followed by Jharkhand at 108.97%, Bihar 108.93%, Jammu and Kashmir 97.41%, Chandigarh 96.47% and Odisha 90.03%.

In bringing common man to the digital fold, Jharkhand recorded 27.8 lakh people, behind Madhya Pradesh with 31.7 lakh and is followed by Chhattisgarh 17.1 lakh, Karnataka 15.4 lakh, Maharashtra 15.2, Uttar Pradesh 14.9 lakh and Gujarat 10.2 lakh.

The rankings are done based on the total number of digital transactions, ratio of cash to digital transactions, and penetration and usage of different modes.

The figures are from December 5, 2016 to February 28, 2017, in which Jharkhand got 48,198 merchants on the drive, against a target of 44,230. This was, however, way below Chhattisgarhs 1,75,880, Uttar Pradeshs 1,07,370 and Bihars 96,858, whose targets were much higher.

Governments digital drive to further cashless transactions followed Prime Minister Narendra Modis announcement of demonetisation of Rs 500/1,000 notes, which left common man with little cash in hand.

Significantly, most of the states which have recorded a high turnout of citizens and merchants for the drive are ruled by BJPJharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Within Jharkhand, Ranchi topped the list of registered merchants (22,039), followed by Singhbhum (3,733) and Sahebganj (3,525).

While 2,28,506 citizens have been included in Dhanbad, only 486 merchants could be registered till February in the district. Similar is the situation in other districts such as Bokaro (2,08,873 citizens; 759 merchants), Chatra (17,466 citizens; 630 merchants), Deoghar (66,064 citizens; 1,500 merchants).

Jharkhand finance secretary Amit Khare said regular workshops are on and more merchants and people will be included under the digital mission by March end.

Jharkhands anchor of common services centre (CSC) under the special purpose vehicle of the IT ministry, Sambhu Kumar said they faced problems in the drive, as several merchants were unwilling as they were not used to smartphones, besides difficulties in downloading applications (mainly BHIM app) and other factors.

Kumar said workshops were held in 260 blocks, 24 district headquarters and nine VLEs (training the master trainers), besides HEC, CCL, Central University of Jharkhand and in Tata Steel.

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On a dusky evening at Ranchis Hatma slum, 55-year-old Mohammad Mustafa peeps into a thatched hut supported with bamboo sticks over a choked drain, covered with polythene sheets. He walks in, and hands over a textbook, a notebook, four pencils and an eraser to the three children playing inside the hut.

Do they go to school? he asks their mother, only to receive a blank look. She passes a helpless smile, but happily accepts the gifts.

He tries to convince her to send them to school, highlighting all the government policies for education of underprivileged children, and eventually leaves.

Cut to Friday afternoon, Mustafa is found writing slogans highlighting importance of education on a wall at a busy Ranchi locality.

It has been around 25 years that I go around the villages and slums writing slogans on walls encouraging education for all. I also go door to door and convince parents to send their children to school, not to work, said Mustafa, popularly known as Chun Chun Bhai in Ranchi and its suburbs.

Mustafa is yet to get any support of the government or any NGO in his crusade against illiteracy.

It gives me happiness when I manage to send even one child to school. I want education for every child. And if nobody supports me, I am ready to walk this road all alone, he said.

Mustafa busy with his wall writing. (Diwakar Prasad/ HT Photo)

His journey, however, hasnt been easy. He was chased out of many houses by families, which thought he was trying to instigate their children against financially helping their parents. The police too slapped a fine on him for writing slogans on walls, but he didnt give up.

Taking his crusade ahead, Mustafa has started constructing a school on his private land in Ranchis Gudri slum. The construction work, however, has come to a halt due to financial crunch. Despite his repeated pleas to the government, seeking help, he says, he is yet to get any support.

I have invested my own hard earned money to construct this school on my own plot. At least I can expect some support from the government, said Mustafa.

He was also felicitated by state urban development minister CP Singh in 2011 and handed over a certificate lauding his charitable work in promotion of education among educationally people in Jharkhand.

Some of his slogans written on the walls say Aadha Peat Khayenge Par School Zarur Jayenge (Will eat half stomach, but continue going to school) and Purane Kapde Pehnenge Par Kitab Ke Liye Paise Bachayenge (Will wear old clothes, but save money for books).

If you visit the Neori, Irba, Dhurwa, Gudri, Kutchehri and Islam Nagar areas of Ranchi, you are sure to find Mustafas slogans written on the walls.

A graduate from Doranda College, Ranchi in history honours, Mustafa has also requested the government to include him in promotion campaigns under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan.

It will be easier if I get governments support. Its a hand to mouth situation for me at present, and the work is getting difficult with every passing day, said Mustafa, who teaches for a living.

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British diva Amy Jackson who launched her official mobile app on Saturday gave a sneak peek into the sets of the Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar-starrer 2.o directed by ace filmmaker Shankar.

Around the corner, there is our beautiful, humongous set. But, I cant take you to it because I will get shouted at. So we will ponder around here, said Amy Jackson who went live from the sets on Saturday night through a video chat on her app.

The app, which is titled Amy Jackson Official App, has been created by New York-based startup, EscapeX Limited. The app has extensive features for fans to stay connected with the Madrasapattinam actor through various offerings like in-app social feed, push notifications, featured videos, superstar posts, contests, superfan badges, wallpapers, ringtones and live broadcast.

My OFFICIAL app is here! Come and be a part of my world with me http://smarturl.it/amyjackson - Going LIVE from the set of 2.0 on my app tonight! Download on Android now & available VERY soon on IOS. A post shared by Amy Jackson (@iamamyjackson) on Mar 4, 2017 at 1:07am PST

Jackson has finally wrapped up shooting her portions for the film, which is being bankrolled by Lyca Productions. 2.o marks Jacksons second consecutive collaboration with director Shankar after the big-budget thriller Ai where she played the love interest of Vikram.

AR Rahman has been roped in to compose music for the film, which is slated to hit the theaters on October 18th for the occasion of Diwali.

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RLV Ramakrishnan, brother of late actor Kalabhavan Mani, on Saturday began a three-day fast to protest against the fact that the police continue to grope in the dark to find out the cause of Manis death even after a year.

It was on March 4 in 2016, Mani was taken to a hospital in Kochi from his farm house near Chalakuddy and breathed his last two days later on March 6.

The scientific reports have come that two different poisonous substances were there in his body, but even as a year has passed since the probe began, the police are not able to crack the case, Ramakrishnan told the media at the protest venue.

Hugely popular 45-year-old Mani, who acted in 200 films in Malayalam and other languages, had an untimely death, leaving the film industry as well as those in his hometown in Chalakuddy, shocked.

A CBI probe into the death was sought soon after the new Pinarayi Vijayan-led government assumed office in May last year, but nothing has happened yet.

State Congress president VM Sudheeran told the media that his party also supports the need for a CBI probe into Manis death.

A few of the actors close aides who were present at his farmhouse when he collapsed, had undergone the lie-detector test earlier, but nothing has happened after that.

A public meeting is to be held here on the first death anniversary of the actor. Vijayan, as well as leading names from the film industry, will be taking part.

A statue of the late actor was also unveiled on Saturday in front of Kalagriham, the art and cultural institution set up by him in the name of his father at Chenathunadu in Thrissur district of Kerala.

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Days after filmmaker Karan Johar announced that he has turned a father to twins, TV actors Gurmeet Chaudhary and Debina Bonerjee have revealed that they plan to adopt two girls from Jarampur, Bihar.

Confirming the news, Debina told Hindustan Times, Yes, we have adopted these two girls in the sense that we are trying to give them a good lifestyle. There are many deprived people in this world and when we give money to NGOs and stuff, we really do not know where it is going. So, in order to ensure that the money is actually making a difference, we decided to do this.:

The couple will adopt Pooja and Lata, aged six and nine, soon. Debina and Gurmeet met the girls when they were in Jarampur to attend a family wedding in 2014. Gurmeets parents are settled there and thats where Pooja was living with her uncle and first cousin Lata.

Gurmeets mom, Anmol, is a Hindi school teacher and his father, Sitaram is a retired army officer.

After Latas father passed away last year, the two girls moved in with a distant relative and Gurmeets mother realised that the children would have to work in peoples homes as domestic help to sustain themselves.

We are currently try to get them to shift to Patna and give them better education and a better lifestyle, she added.

Gurmeet married Debina in 2011 and he describes his relationship with the actress as mature. Our relationship has matured into many more things, he had earlier said.

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US agents detained an Afghan family of five with valid entry visas at Los Angeles International Airport and have been holding them for several days in California, according to legal papers filed in federal court by human rights lawyers.

The couple and their three small children were granted Special Immigrant Visas in return for work the father performed for the US government in Afghanistan that put the familys lives at risk, the International Refugee Assistance Project said in its court filing seeking their release.

However, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents detained the family shortly after their arrival at the airport on Tuesday and has held them in isolation, without access to legal counsel, according to the petition.

The petition, filed in US District Court in Santa Ana, California, south of Los Angeles, says the family was taken into custody with absolutely no justification whatsoever, a violation of due process rights under the US Constitution.

Despite repeated requests, the CBP has provided no information regarding why the family was detained, whether they have been questioned, and whether any reason at all exists to justify their continued detention, the petition states.

CBP declined to comment on the matter, which is set for a hearing on Monday before a federal court in Santa Ana that barred a move by the government to separate the family by sending the children and their mother, who cannot speak or read English, to Texas.

Immigrant advocates are increasingly concerned about tougher scrutiny of US residents and visitors from abroad, even those with the proper documentation, under moves by President Donald Trump to tighten immigration policies on grounds of national security.

The petition did not state the exact nature of the fathers employment with the US government in Afghanistan.

Proof of service and screening

But it said he qualified for a special visa under a program requiring proof of having worked for the US Armed Forces or American diplomatic for at least 12 months, as well as proof of completion of a background check and screening.

It is extremely unusual if not entirely unique for someone with this type of visa to be detained upon arrival. The visas require extreme vetting to get, said Talia Inlender, a lawyer with the legal aid group Public Counsel who is part of the familys defense team.

The mother was being detained in downtown Los Angeles with her children - who are 7 years, 6 years and 8 months of age - while the father was in a maximum-security detention facility in Orange County, California, Inlender told Reuters.

The government had intended to transfer the mother and children to Texas, but the familys lawyers persuaded a US district court judge on Saturday night to intervene and stop the move.

The petitioners have established at least a serious question going to the merits of their claims, Judge Josephine Staton ruled.

When asked to comment about the judges order, Carl Rusnok, a spokesman for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in an email: ICE will fully comply with the March 4 judicial order and all other legal requirements.

Trump issued a directive in January banning entry into the United States of citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries and suspending admission of all refugees for 120 days.

The Jan. 27 order caused chaos at airports around the world in the following days as visa holders heading to the United States were pulled off planes or turned around on arrival at US airports.

Afghanistan was not one of the countries whose citizens were explicitly excluded in the order, which a federal court has since barred from enforcement. The Trump administration has said it plans to issue a modified order that would pass court muster.
Afghanistans national security adviser on Monday said that associating terrorism with Islam was inappropriate given the suffering Muslims have endured at the hands of terrorists and the sacrifices they have made to defeat such violence.

The South Asian region, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, had the highest concentration of organised terrorists anywhere in the world, said Hanif Atmar at the Asian Security Conference, being held this year in New Delhi.

He noted that 20 out of 98 groups designated by the US as terrorist organisations were operating in the region.

Afghanistan has lost 10,500 people to terrorism over the last 14 months, with an average of 28 people dying each day, he said.

It is inappropriate to associate terrorism with Islam, because it fails to understand, to appreciate, the sacrifices that the Muslims are making in order to defeat terrorism, and the suffering that the Muslims have had at the hands of the terrorists, he told participants.

Indias defence minister Manohar Parrikar said a global response to countering terrorism must come from Asia, since Asians being subjected to the terrorist violence carried out by four out of five deadliest terror outfits in the world.
A 19-year-old Taiwanese university student who was reported missing last month has turned up in Korean jail, where she awaits trial for her part in a telecom scam.

Chiang Yun-yi left Taiwan on Feb. 14, telling her parents that she had found work in Korea and later called to say she had arrived safely. But then she disappeared from the radar, prompting her parents to file a missing person's report with Taiwanese police on Feb. 25.

Two days later, the Taipei Mission in Korea asked Seoul to initiate a search. But her whereabouts proved elusive to police. After several more days, Chiang's family and voluntary organizations stepped in to help, posting an appeal on Facebook to track her down.

It was not until last Saturday that police found her safe and sound in jail in Uijeongbu north of Seoul.

According to police, Chiang was a member of a scam operation in the island nation and came to Korea to meet a contact here to collect money. She was arrested in a sting as she was withdrawing illicit money and was indicted on fraud charges Friday.

The reason it took police so long to track her down was that the English transliteration of her name in the arrest records was different than that given by the Taipei Mission.

Chiang was arrested with an accomplice, who had arrived in Korea the day before her. After her arrest, she pleaded with police not to tell her parents about her arrest and police obliged.

Also, Korea and Taiwan do not have official diplomatic relations, so police in both countries are not required to inform each other of crimes committed by their citizens in the other country.


China on Monday operationalised the second-largest airport terminal in Tibet, close to the Indian border, which will be able to handle 750,000 passengers and 3,000 tonnes of cargo annually by 2020.

The new terminal, the sixth to be opened in Tibet, is part of the Nyingchi Mainling Airport, which is located close to Arunachal Pradesh.

Chinas extensive development road, rail and air infrastructure in Tibet has sparked concerns in India as it also provides major advantage to the Chinese military.

India too has initiated border infrastructure development in the recent years.

The airport covers an area of 10,300 square metres and will be able to handle 750,000 passengers and 3,000 tonnes of cargo annually by 2020, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The Nyingchi airport will open new air routes to Xian, capital of northwest Chinas Shaanxi province, resume routes to Beijing and increase more round trip flights to Lhasa, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chongqing and Shenzhen after the new terminal comes into service, said Liu Wei, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China in Tibet.

The airport has seen year-on-year increases in passenger flow since it was put into service in 2006. Passenger volume hit 390,000 in 2016, bringing the total passenger numbers to two million in the past years, Liu said, adding that the new terminal will effectively alleviate pressure brought by the growing number of passengers.

Nyingchi is located in southeast Tibet at an average elevation of 2,950 metres above sea-level. The city has attracted more visitors in the recent years due to tourist attractions such as its peach blossom festival, the report said.
India should cooperate in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) despite it passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in the same way Beijing doesnt object to New Delhi having economic ties with Taipei, the state media argued on Monday.

Equating the status of the disputed region of PoK with Taiwan as a sovereignty issue, the comment piece in the state media argued that India should be pragmatic about the CPEC and participate in the $46 billion project for economic benefits.

The Communist country sees Taiwan as a breakaway region. Indias argument against the CPEC  part of the larger China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) connectivity project  has been that it violates Indias sovereignty.

China doesnt object to India-Taiwan trade ties. So, New Delhi should not only have no problem with China-Pakistan economic ties through the CPEC but it should actively join in them, the article argued.

Taiwan, an independent democracy with a free press, is officially known as the Republic of China and was the island where Kuomintang rebels fled after losing the civil war to the Communist Party of China in 1949.

Since then, Beijing claims Taiwan as a breakaway region to be reunited by force if necessary. A majority of countries, including India, follow the One-China policy or the policy of recognising Chinas authority, not Taiwans.

But many countries such as India also maintain trade and economic ties with Taiwan  so does China itself, while calling it one of its provinces.

India-Taiwan trade stands at around $5 billion while China-Taiwan trade, according to state media, was nearly $180 billion in 2016.

Long Xingchun from the Centre for Indian Studies at China West Normal University equated Taiwans status with the status of PoK, which India claims as its territory.

Beijing has reiterated its stance on the India-Pakistan disputes over Kashmir many times. Just like the Taiwan question, Beijing doesn't object to any economic links between Taiwan and other countries including India, because economic activities won't alter China's sovereignty over the island, Long wrote in the piece for the nationalistic tabloid Global Times.

Long said: The CPEC won't affect the status quo of Kashmir disputes. The project itself is an economic plan set to connect China and Pakistan and advance Pakistan's economy and improve the lives of its people.

The investment from Chinese companies and their participation in some architectural construction won't affect the situation of Kashmir either, he said. Hence, India should be flexible and pragmatic, and be more open to economic activities in the Kashmir region conducted by Chinese companies.

The CPEC, Long said, could be brought to Kashmir, which China and its media refer to as India-administered Kashmir, to alleviate poverty.

The CPEC, however, will boost the economic development in the region, bringing jobs and improving the quality of life. The project can be extended to the India-administered Kashmir area if India allows, and benefit the Indian people, as well as regional stability.
Teak chips from pulverized balconies and broken-up floors shower down on workers as they cart out an old TV, a bamboo sofa and a shattered mirror from a house dating back to the 1920s. Meters away, a man wielding a sledgehammer smashes down the frame of a rusting door as dozens of residents look on behind hastily erected barriers.

Its so sad, said Sudjit Sananwai, an architect and long-time visitor to Fort Mahakan, watching as dust rises from splintered wood beams of homes that once belonged to the guards of Thai kings. People dont understand the value of these houses. They let them demolish everything.

Fort Mahakan was built during the late 1700s in part to resist a French invasion, one of 14 strongpoints that ran along the perimeter of the island that defined the borders of old Bangkok. Only one other fort remains; the rest were victims of development.

Now just 30 houses within moldy white walls remain here, half the number of two decades ago. Above the houses worn but well-maintained wooden eaves looms the Golden Mount, with a shining temple perched atop a steep hill. Along one side runs an ancient royal moat, harkening back to an era when Bangkok was called the Venice of the East, with thousands living in houses stilted above canal waters.

The residents of Fort Mahakan have fought eviction for decades, even as city officials have knocked down homes one by one. On Monday morning, dozens of dump trucks and hundreds of officers stood by as city workers marched in to rip apart four more houses.

Officials want to level much of the neighbourhood and put in its place a grassy lawn  a park, they say, to spruce up the citys historic centre.

We want to return this area back to the public, said Jaroon Meethanataworn, deputy secretary of the Bangkok Municipal Authority. We understand that there are some people affected by this. Weve been very flexible so far, but this just cant go on forever.

A resident sits in front of her house at Fort Mahakan in Bangkok, Thailand. (AP Photo)

Pornthep Buranaburidet is one of the communitys residents trying to fight eviction who have been standing sentry 24 hours a day at the forts four entrances.

People say they want to make this area look like the Champs-Elysees, Pornthep said. But were not Paris; were Bangkok. Were unique. Why do we have to be like everyone else?

The city is setting siege not just to a fortress, but to one of the last communities in Bangkok to maintain a centuries-old way of life, preservationists say. There are few laws in place, however, to protect historic sites beyond temples and palaces.

Fort Mahakan was once home to palace guards and their families. Over the centuries, they left, family by family. Residents today come from mixed backgrounds  some have lived there three generations or longer, some are newer arrivals. Most eke out a living as street vendors.

Still, they remain a tight-knit community, proud of the forts royal roots. Fading photos of widely revered late King Bhumibol Adulyadej are pinned up everywhere. The last palace guard maintained an extensive collection of stamps, clocks and other memorabilia before he moved out a few years ago due to old age.

Tourists walks through the alleys of the fort that was built to host Thai soldiers and the their families. Over centuries, these families moved out, making way for a mixed group of residents that have become a close-knit community. (AP)

The city government contends the residents are squatters, living there illegally ever since authorities seized the land under expropriation laws in 1992. Some residents accepted compensation to move out, but more than 200 have refused to budge despite years of threats and deadlines.

Officials want to build the park as part of a 1978 master plan to conserve and develop the old city. But preservationists believe their plan glorifies monks and kings while ignoring the history of everyday people  sterilizing the past and purging it of any charm that might draw tourists.

A Thai architects association has proposed an alternative plan to renovate 24 houses and turn them into a tourist attraction while letting old residents stay, modeled after the preserved hutong alleyways of Beijing. Curators have already put up signs in Thai and English noting sites of interest - a gold melting house and a massage house, among others.

What Im afraid were looking at is a vision of Bangkok as a place largely devoid of real people, as simply a monument, said Michael Herzfeld, an anthropology professor at Harvard University and author of a book on the fort. Mahakan has become a test case. If the authorities go ahead with their current plan, then they will feel that its OK to do the same thing elsewhere.
Germanys government on Monday condemned remarks by Turkeys president accusing officials of Nazi practices, days after a local authority prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally there.

Chancellor Angela Merkels chief of staff called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans statements absolutely unacceptable.

Germany cannot be outmatched regarding the rule of law, tolerance and liberalism, he told German public Television ARD.

Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said the German government strongly rejected the equation of modern Germany with Nazi Germany, adding that such comparisons downplayed the crimes of the Nazis. Seibert noted that there were strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there were far-reaching differences of opinion between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of the referendum that would give Erdogan new powers.

Altmaier said the government was in contact with Turkeys government and announced that we will make sure the significance of the problems of what happened in recent days will be recognized and understood in Ankara as well.

Erdogan had said Sunday in Istanbul that Germany, you dont have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past.

His remarks followed a decision last week by local authorities in southwest Germany to withdraw permission for Turkeys justice minister to use a venue to hold a rally near the French border that was part of a campaign to get Turks in Germany to vote yes in an upcoming referendum on constitutional reform.

Seibert dismissed any notion that the federal government was involved in the decision to cancel events with Turkish officials.

Ultimately its those people who are responsible in the respective location who can best judge whether an event can be approved under the aspects of security and the expected crowd numbers.

EU officials have spoken out against totally cutting ties with Turkey wouldnt be in the blocs interests. A European Union migrant deal with Turkey, which also is a NATO member, has significantly cut down the number of migrants crossing into Europe. However, Erdogan has several times threatened to quit the deal when expressing anger over European countries.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel sought to smooth stirred-up emotions on Monday and stressed the need to normalize what he calls a highly strained relationship with Turkey.

He also pointed out that EU countries have a common interest in not letting NATO partner Turkey drift further to the east and that German authorities back freedom of expression and that its normal for Turkish politicians to want to address their compatriots, 1.4 million of whom are eligible to vote in the referendum.

Other European nations with significant Turkish immigrant communities have expressed different opinions on the issue.

Our Austrian solution should be clear: we will not accept any campaign appearances by Turkish politicians in Austria, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said as he arrived at a meeting of European Union counterparts in Brussels.

He added that we dont want campaigns from other states to be brought to Austria and conflicts from other countries imported ... that is always damaging for integration.

However, Gabriel sounded skeptical about calls from some other European Union ministers to consider EU-wide rules for campaign appearances by foreign politicians pointing out that every country had its own opinion on the topic.

I think the main thing is that everyone uses the possibilities they have to ensure that we get back to a somewhat normal relationship, he said.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said that normally you would have to think that democracy is strong enough to cope with this.
As the Theresa May government plans to launch a consultation to further curb the numbers of Indian and other non-EU students, new research published on Monday showed they contribute nearly 26 billion to Britains economy and support more than 200,000 jobs.

The scale of the international student economy in the study for Universities UK (UUK)  the umbrella body of all British universities  is considerably more than a previous estimate of their worth of 11 billion, putting pressure on the government to delay or cancel its plans.

Referring to the dwindling numbers of Indian students coming to Britain  from 39,090 in 2010-11 to 16,745 in 2015-16  a senior Indian functionary told Hindustan Times: It is Britain that loses out. Our students have many options in the US, Australia and Canada. We have stopped harping about student visas.

UUK ad other stakeholders have been demanding that the British government remove international students from official net migration statistics since the vast majority of them return home after completing studies. The demand has so far been rejected.

The UUK analysis showed that in 201415, on-and off-campus spending by international students and their visitors generated a knock-on impact of 25.8 billion in Britains gross output. They supported 206,600 jobs across the country.

Britain was estimated to be the second most popular destination for international students, after the US, in 2014-15 and attracted 437,000 international students. Their economic impact is noted at the regional and local levels.

UUK president Julia Goodfellow said: "The spending of international students and their visitors now provides a major export boost for the UK economy. This is not something limited to London or to one or two big cities, but to towns and cities across the UK.

"While this report focuses on economic impact, it is important to remember that international students also enrich our campuses and the experience of UK students, both academically and culturally. Many return home having built strong professional and personal links here that provide long-term soft power' benefits for the UK.

Goodfellow said the government must present a welcoming climate for genuine international students and ensure that visa and immigration rules are proportionate and communicated appropriately.

This will be even more important as the UK looks to enhance its place in the world post-Brexit," she said.

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North Korea said on Monday it would expel Malaysias ambassador after its own envoy was ordered out of the Southeast Asian nation, in an increasingly bitter row over the assassination of Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The Foreign Ministry of the DPRK (North Korea) notifies that the Malaysian ambassador to the DPRK is labeled as a persona non grata... and demanded that the ambassador leave the DPRK, state news agency KCNA said, giving a 48-hour deadline.

The KCNA report came shortly after the Norths ambassador Kang Chol flew home from Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysias ambassador to Pyongyang had already been recalled for consultations as the two countries traded barbs over an investigation into the killing of the North Korean leaders half-brother with VX nerve agent last month.

North Korea has not acknowledged the dead mans identity but has repeatedly attacked the murder investigation and demanded a second autopsy, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.

Airport CCTV footage shows two women approaching the 45-year-old victim and apparently smearing his face with a cloth. Police say he suffered a seizure and died less than 20 minutes later. Swabs of his face revealed traces of the VX nerve agent.

Two women -- one Vietnamese and one Indonesian -- are in custody and have been charged with the murder while police are seeking seven North Korean suspects, four of whom left Malaysia on February 13, the day of the assassination.

Police last week released the only North Korean they had arrested, citing a lack of evidence.

South Korea has blamed Pyongyang for the murder, citing what it says was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother.
A lawyer for one of the women accused of poisoning the estranged half brother of North Koreas leader says there are serious holes in the case.

In an interview published Sunday by Vietnams state-run online newspaper Zing, attorney Selvam Shanmugam, who represents Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam, said allegations that the North Korean man had existing health problems should be cause for a new autopsy.

Kim Yong Nam was fatally poisoned at Kuala Lumpur airport on February 13, and so far Doan Thi Huong and an Indonesian woman have been charged with murder. Malaysian authorities say the toxic VX nerve agent was used in the attack.

North Korea has not acknowledged that the man was Kim Yong Nam, but identified him as Kim Chol, the name in his diplomatic passport.

Shanmugams comments come after a North Korean official, the countrys former ambassador to the UN, said Kim Chol had heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure.

There were reasons for the North Korean ambassador to say so. I believe that there are issues that the Malaysian attorney general has to consider, Shanmugam was quoted as saying, adding they should have a new autopsy.

Shanmugam said that if the VX nerve agent was used, why were the two women not harmed, or anyone else at the airport.

Was it the toxic VX agent or Kim Chols illnesses? he said of the possible reasons for his death.

Shanmugam said he would meet Huong for the first time in prison on Monday.

Doan Van Thanh, Huongs father, told The Associated Press by telephone from his home village in northern Vietnam that he met Shanmugam on Saturday and agreed to have him represent his daughter.

I believe that my daughter is not guilty, Thanh said.

The death of Kim, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has unleashed a diplomatic battle between Malaysia and North Korea. Malaysian authorities said Kim died within 20 minutes after two women smeared his face with VX, a banned nerve agent considered a weapon of mass destruction.

North Korea has rejected Malaysias autopsy finding that VX killed Kim.

The Malaysian government on Saturday gave ambassador Kang Chol 48 hours to leave the country after he refused to apologise for his strong accusations over Malaysias handling of the investigation into the killing.
Eighty-six-year-old Min Bahadur Sherchan has a dream - to become the oldest person to conquer the worlds tallest peak, Mount Everest.

Sherchan reached the summit of Everest at the age of 78 in 2010 to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. But 80-year-old Japanese mountaineer Yuichiro Miura broke his record just three years later.

The Gurkha veteran abandoned an attempt to climb the 8,848-metre mountain in 2015 because of a massive earthquake that caused widespread devastation at the base camp of Mt Everest and in other parts of Nepal.

To support Sherchans new bid, his well-wishers from his native Myagdi district have created the Min Bahadur Everest Expedition campaign and started seeking national and international support. The supporters also organised a news conference in Kathmandu on Monday to announce his bid.

Sherchan spoke of his commitment to win back the world record. "I may be old in terms of age but I still have young courage. I will reach the peak of Everest come what may," he said.

Jeet Bahadur Gharti Magar, the campaign coordinator, said Sherchan will climb the Everest for world peace, to protect mother Earth and win back the record. The campaign has started collecting funds and there have been calls to waive the royalty for him because of his age.

The adverse impact of climate change has taken a toll on Everest, with experts saying that ice fall on the mountain has been decreasing.

Magar noted that Sherchan had made an attempt to scale Everest, locally known as Sagarmatha, in 2015 but had to turn back because of the earthquake and avalanches.

Such incidents never disturbed me. I am determined, the visibly healthy Sherchan said. At least 18 people were killed when an avalanche hit the base camp.

Sociologist Krishna Bhattachan underscored the need for the government to support Sherchan, arguing that his ascend would add to the glory of a Himalayan country such as Nepal.
Thousands of Nigerian women forced from their homes by Boko Haram militants held a protest on Sunday to demand better conditions as UN Security Council envoys visited their camp, an AFP journalist saw.

The demonstrators accused local authorities and aid agencies of exacerbating one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises, which the UN says has left northeastern Nigeria on the brink of famine.

They also accused local aid agencies of diverting assistance that should have gone to the 15,000 displaced people living in the Teachers Village camp near the flashpoint city of Maiduguri.

The women held their protest as 15 ambassadors from the UNs top decision-making body visited the camp in northeastern Nigeria, seeking to draw global attention to the emergency affecting 21 million people in the Lake Chad region.

The region straddles Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger. The UN envoys are visiting all four nations on their mission, which began Friday in Cameroon and will end Monday in Abuja.

The humanitarian emergency afflicting the area was triggered by the Boko Haram insurgency, which erupted in Nigeria in 2009. Poor governance and climate change have also been powerful contributors to the crisis.

We told the (UN) delegation about our long-standing grievances. Theres no food, there is nothing good here for us, said 28-year-old Hajja Falmata, after she and several other displaced women met the envoys for half an hour.

We were expelled from our homes by Boko Haram and we came to Maiduguri to seek refuge, but unfortunately we havent been well treated, she added.

Millions face food shortages

Britains envoy to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, had said at the start of the mission to the region that the ambassadors aim was to show that this will no longer be a neglected crisis.

You cant tackle terrorism effectively without also tackling poverty, without also thinking about education and employment and protection of civilians and human rights and the rights in particular of women and girls who are disproportionately affected, Rycroft said Sunday.

People forced by Boko Haram from their homes have frequently accused Nigerian authorities of corruption and poor aid management.

The government has responded by launching several enquiries.

In a statement Sunday, the UN said its visit to Nigeria was aimed at gathering first-hand information on the various issues affecting the country...

The delegation will use the mission to engage with Federal and State Authorities, (and) actors on the ground, it added.

The UN envoys visit began a week after UN secretary general Antonio Guterres set off alarm bells over the threat of famine in northeast Nigeria, the epicentre of Boko Harams insurgency.

The UN is seeking $1.5 billion in funding for 2017 for the Lake Chad region -- almost half of which is needed for northeast Nigeria, where 5.1 million people face acute food shortages.

Fourteen donor countries have pledged $672 million in emergency aid. While the sum is just a fraction of what is needed, the UN is optimistic its target will be met.
North Korea on Monday fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers, with three of them landing in Japans exclusive economic zone, South Korean and Japanese officials said, in an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.

It was not immediately clear the exact type of missile fired; Pyongyang has staged a series of missile test-launches of various ranges in recent months, including a new intermediate-range missile in February. The ramped-up tests come as leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile program that can deter what he calls US and South Korean hostility toward the North.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Mondays firing shows that North Korea has become a new kind of threat. Japanese officials said three of the four missiles landed in the 200-nautical-mile offshore area where Tokyo has sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting resources.

Pyongyang has staged a series of missile test-launches of various ranges in recent months. (AFP File Photo)

South Koreas joint Chief of Staff said in a statement that Mondays launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province. The area is the home of the Norths Seohae Satellite Station where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.

The US military said on Sunday it detected and tracked what it assessed was a North Korean missile launch at 4:34pm CST (2234 GMT), but added the launch did not pose a threat to North America.

US Strategic Command spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Martin ODonnell said US forces remain vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations and are fully committed to working closely with our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies to maintain security.

The US military did not provide further details about the launch

Seoul and Washington call their military drills on the Korean Peninsula, which remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty, defensive and routine.

The North hates the military drills, which run until late April and which analysts say force its impoverished military to respond with expensive deployments and drills of their own. An unidentified spokesperson for the Norths General Staff of the Korean Peoples Army said last week that Pyongyangs reaction to the southern drills would be the toughest ever but didnt elaborate.

Read | Obama launched cyberwar to sabotage North Korea missile programme: Report

North Korea conducted two nuclear tests last year. There have been widespread worries that the North will conduct an ICBM test that, when perfected, could in theory reach US shores. Washington would consider such a capability a major threat.

The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, and 50,000 in Japan, as a deterrent against a potential aggression from the North.
Economic retaliation from China against the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery from the U.S. here is unlikely to wreak lasting havoc on business between the two countries, analysis suggests.

Despite warning signs, the economies of Korea and China are too closely intertwined for any drastic action to be effective or make much sense.

 Tourism

According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, 4.4 million Koreans visited China in 2015, accounting for 17 percent of the total 26 million and easily the biggest group. Chinese also account for the largest group of tourists visiting Korea at 8.07 million, almost three times more than the 2.5 million Japanese tourists. The number of Koreans visiting China grew eight-fold since 1995.

If Beijing were to ban all Chinese tourists from visiting Korea, anti-Chinese sentiment here could result in a sharp decline in the number of Koreans visiting China.

In 2012, Beijing pressured citizens to avoid travel to Japan as their territorial spat over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku or Diaoyu islands flared up. But the impact was short-lived, and the number of Chinese visitors to Japan rose from 1.31 million in 2013 to 6.37 in 2016. In contrast, the number of Japanese visitors to China fell from 2.71 million in 2014 to 2.49 million in 2015.


China called for restraint Monday after North Korea test-launched four ballistic missiles, criticising the move but also suggesting that South Korea and the United States were partly to blame.

China is opposed to the DPRKs launches in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing, using the initials of the Norths formal name.

Under current circumstances, relevant parties should exercise restraint and avoid anything that would provoke each other or heighten regional tensions.

South Korea and the US last week began annual joint military exercises that always infuriate Pyongyang.

Geng said that last Friday Chinas top envoy on North Korea nuclear issues Wu Dawei had called his counterparts in Washington and Seoul.

Wu warned both countries that the large-scale joint military exercise between the US and South Korea is not helping with the settlement of the Korean peninsula issue. On the contrary, it may widen divisions and complicate the issue, Geng said.

The launch comes at a sensitive time as Chinas political elite gather in Beijing for the countrys annual legislative meeting.

China, North Koreas sole major ally and main trade partner, has come under pressure to do more to rein in Pyongyang.

Last month it announced a suspension of coal imports from the North following an earlier rocket launch and the assassination in Malaysia of the brother of the Norths leader Kim Jong-Un.

The halt infuriated Pyongyang and its state media carried unusual criticism of Beijing for dancing to the tune of the US.

Last week North Koreas vice foreign minister Ri Kil-Song visited Beijing for discussions.
A sex education text book for second graders has sparked controversy in China over illustrations showing reproductive organs and discussions about sexual abuse, with some parents arguing the content is too graphic for children in elementary school.

The books publisher countered the controversy by saying the material was included in the text book following careful scrutiny by experts.

Chinas attitude towards sex education is conservative and its only recently that the topics been introduced in schools.

For one Hangzhou-based parent, the book in the centre of the controversy has taken it too far.

The mother of a child identified by only her Weibo (Chinas Twitter) username posted her comments and photos from the text online, sparking the debate. Textbook featured not only illustrations of the reproductive organs and of two people having sex, but also portrayed discussions about sexual harassment, she said.

She posted a picture of a chapter that teaches children how to protect themselves from sexual abuse. The picture shows a woman asking to see a boy's genitals. The woman claimed the picture was too much for her to handle, let alone her child, the government-run China News Agency said in a report.

The picture showing the mating process of men and women is absolutely unacceptable!, another user @MaoerniuFnTamintr was quoted as saying.

The Beijing Normal University Publishing Group told CNS that given the topic, the content was examined carefully.

It said the group issued a series of textbooks named Zhen'ai Shengming, or Cherish Life, for students from grades one to five.

Apart from teaching children how to protect themselves, the series also introduces sexual intercourse, the physical changes of puberty and tells children that homosexuality is normal, the report said.

Some parents, however, spoke out in support of the book.

One Weibo user, @yuansuiyuewukehuitou, argued in favour of the school and the choice of the book.

There are so many sexually ignorant people across the country. Instead of avoiding telling children about it, what we should do is to help improve their understanding about sex so that they can better protect themselves.

Sex education divides opinion among the Chinese, especially between older and younger generations.

But many cases of sexual assault on minors have increased the demand among parents for sex education for their school-going children.

According to the China Social Assistance Foundation, over 500 child sex abuse cases were reported by the media in 2014, the CNS report said.

A textbook on sex education, the first of its kind in Shenzhen in south China's Guangzhou Province, was pulled after being tried out for months in 2003, after many schools rejected it.
Two Taliban terrorists, who were planning to target a Sufi shrine in Pakpattan district of Pakistans Punjab province, were shot dead in a shootout that also led to the death of an inspector of the counter-terrorism department.

According to the counter terrorism department, upon receiving information that some terrorists were hiding in Shade Ke Dulu at Harappa in Sahiwal district, some 250 km from Lahore, a CTD team along with police raided their hideout on Sunday.

When the team challenged the suspects they opened fire, killing inspector Fida Husain on the spot and injuring two other security personnel seriously, officials said.

In the exchange of fire, two terrorists were killed while four others were injured and arrested.

One of the dead terrorists was identified as Zeeshan alias Shani. He was allegedly involved in a murder attempt on the Sahiwal CTD chief in December 2016 and the killing of two men. Weapons and explosives were recovered from the suspects.

The CTD said the terrorists belonged to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and were planning to target a shrine in Pakpattan district.

Pakpattan is famous throughout South Asia for a number of Sufi shrines, of which the most renowned is that of Hazrat Baba Farid Shakarganj. An attack on Shakarganjs shrine had killed seven people in October 2010.

The Islamic State and the Taliban have frequently targeted Sufi shrines across Pakistan. More than 25 shrines across the country have been attacked since 2005, according to reports.

One of the deadliest suicide bombing targeting a Sufi shrine in Pakistan took place last month when a suicide bomber blew himself up in Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in Sehwan of Sindh province, killing nearly 90 people.

Meanwhile, in a joint search operation, Pakistan Rangers, CTD and police arrested 80 suspects in various parts of the province including Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Chakwal and Lahore.
The defence department is investigating reports that some Marines shared naked photographs of female Marines, veterans and other women on a secret Facebook page, some of which were taken without their knowledge.

The photographs were shared on the Facebook page Marines United, which had a membership of active-duty and retired male Marines, Navy Corpsman and British Royal Marines. Along with identified female military members were photographs of unidentifiable women in various stages of undress, and included obscene comments about some of the women, officials said.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is now investigating. The photographs have been taken down, officials said.

Marine Corps commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller on Sunday refused to comment directly about the ongoing investigation. For anyone to target one of our Marines, online or otherwise, in an inappropriate manner, is distasteful and shows an absence of respect, Neller said in a statement.

It was not immediately known how many active-duty Marines and other service members were involved or are under investigation. A Marine Corps official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss personnel matters by name, said at least one government contractor had been removed from his job after he posted a link to the photographs.

Highlights The US is investigating reports that some Marines shared naked photographs of female Marines The photographs were shared on the Facebook page Marines United The photographs have been taken down It was not immediately known how many active-duty Marines and other service members were involved

In response to the report, Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Green, the top enlisted man in the Marine Corps, said: These negative behaviors are absolutely contrary to what we represent.

The investigation was first reported by the Center for Investigative Reporting. The activity was revealed by The War Horse, a nonprofit news organization run by Marine veteran Thomas Brennan.

We are thankful that Thomas Brennan, a Marine veteran, notified the Marine Corps and NCIS about what he witnessed on the Marines United page, Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Ryan E. Alvis said. It allowed us to take immediate action to have the explicit photos taken down and to prepare to support potential victims.

The CIR report said that more than two dozen active-duty women, officers and enlisted, were identified by their rank, full name and location in the photographs on the Facebook page. Other photographs of active duty and veteran women were also posted and linked through a Google Drive link.

The social media accounts behind the sharing have been deleted by Facebook and Google at the Marine Corps request.

An internal Marine Corps document obtained by The Associated Press says a former Marine maintained the Google Drive and that it had a following of 30,000. The NCIS investigation is in support of two individuals affected by postings, according to the document.

We are thankful that Thomas Brennan, a Marine veteran, notified the Marine Corps and NCIS about what he witnessed on the Marines United page.

A Marine proven to have posted an explicit photo of another person could potentially be charged with violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the internal document asserted. A Marine who directly participates in, encourages or condones such actions could also be subjected to criminal proceedings or adverse administrative actions, according to the document.

The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in a closed website, Alvis said. This behavior destroys morale, erodes trust, and degrades the individual.

Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said such revelations are troubling and that he expects a full investigation by the Marine Corps.

Degrading behavior of this kind is entirely unacceptable. They and the nation deserve better, Thornberry said.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the ranking Democrat on the committee, called the online behavior degrading, dangerous and completely unacceptable.

The military men and women who proudly volunteer to serve their country should not have to deal with this kind of reprehensible conduct, Smith said.
Sudanese rebels on Sunday released at least 125 prisoners they had captured in fighting with government forces, most of them soldiers, an AFP journalist said.

Their release was secured thanks to mediation from Uganda, while the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) played a facilitating role.

The rebel Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) had captured the prisoners in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states, where the group has been fighting Sudanese government forces for years.

The longest-held prisoners had been captured in June 2009 and the most recent about six months ago.

Prisoners of war from the ruling Sudan's National Congress Party (NCP) board an airplane to travel home after they being released by the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) on March 5 in Entebbe. (AFP Photo)

While the ICRC said 125 people had been freed, Sudanese military spokesman Brigadier Ahmed Khalifa al-Shami put the number at 127 -- including 109 soldiers and 18 civilians.

The Sudanese army recognises this as a positive step towards achieving peace in the country, Shami said in a statement.

Ethnic minority rebels in Blue Nile and South Kordofan have been fighting government forces since 2011, accusing President Omar al-Bashirs Arab-dominated government of politically and economically marginalising the two regions.

Fighting in the two areas and in Darfur has left tens of thousands of people dead and displaced millions.

Khartoum announced a unilateral ceasefire in June 2016 in all three conflict zones, which it extended by six months in January.

UN officials say that for years Blue Nile and South Kordofan have been no-go areas for aid officials, leaving thousands of people without access to humanitarian relief.

A freed Sudanese prisoner, who had been captured by the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), reacts upon his arrival at Khartoum airport on March 5. (AFP Photo)

In a statement, the ICRC said it had facilitated the release and repatriation of 125 people.

The agency said it had transported the released prisoners from South Sudan to Entebbe in Uganda and onward to Sudan.

The entire transfer operation took place over four days, the ICRC said, adding that it had followed a request from Kampala, Khartoum, Juba and the SPLM-N.

We are very pleased that these people will finally return to their families, the ICRCs head of delegation in Sudan, Gerard Peytrignet, said.

No bad treatment

Speaking to AFP, SPLM-N Secretary General Yasir Arman described the prisoners release as a humanitarian gesture of goodwill, to bring happiness to their families.

A member of the Sudanese armed forces waves inside a bus as 130 members arrive at Khartoum Airport, after being released by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) rebel group in South Kordofan, Sudan March 5. (Reuters Photo)

Mohamed Saied Hassan of the Sudanese foreign ministry told a press conference that 19 of the men were civilian miners caught up in an internal SPLM-N dispute over control of gold mines in Blue Nile state.

However, Arman claimed that the 19 men were members of a militia allied to the government.

The prisoner release negotiations were chaired by officials from the Ugandan government and included direct talks between Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni and Bashir.

Thanking the Ugandan government for mediating the release, Hassan said: This operation paves the way for more cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking to AFP on the tarmac at Entebbe airport about 35 kilometres (22 miles) from Kampala as he and his men prepared to board the flight to Khartoum, Colonel Lirifat Abdala Ahmed, the most senior captive officer, said he had been treated well since his capture in May 2013.

There was no bad treatment, no bad behaviour. I have served 25 years in the Sudanese army and now I want to go home to rest, a smiling Ahmed said.
Three people died and dozens more were injured when police opened fire after a clash between Madhesi Morcha activists and security personnel in Saptari district of Nepal on Monday, authorities said.

The clash occurred when supporters of the Madhesi Morcha attempted to foil a mass gathering organised by the CPN-UML at Gajendra Narayan Singh Industrial Corridor in Saptari. The violence caused tension in several parts of the district.

Home ministry spokesperson Bal Krishna Panthi confirmed three deaths. He said two Madhesi Morcha cadres were in a critical condition in a local hospital.

Panthi said only one of the dead had been identified so far. Other sources said all the dead were Madhesi Morcha activists. They added that most of the wounded had been hit by bullets.

The Madhesi Morcha said one of its cadres, Ranjan Mehata of Saptari district, was hit in the head by a bullet and succumbed to his injuries soon after.

The home ministry said at least two dozen police personnel were injured in the clash.

The main opposition CPN-UML has launched the Mechi-Mahakali campaign in Nepals southern plains to boost its image ahead of polls to local government bodies.

Large contingents of security personnel were deployed in and around the site of the clash on Monday after the Madhesi Morcha declared it would obstruct the CPN-UMLs campaign.

The CPN-UML began its 15-day campaign in the Madhes region bordering India on Saturday. The Madhesi Morcha, an alliance of Madhes-based political parties, has had acrimonious ties with the CPN-UML since top CPN-UML leaders described the grouping as anti-national and a political force run by foreign powers.
Twin Islamic State group suicide attacks killed 15 people in Syrias northern province of Aleppo, where the jihadists have faced simultaneous assaults in recent weeks, a monitor said on Sunday.

One attacker detonated a car bomb near the IS-held town of Deir Hafer, killing eight fighters with regime forces late Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out by fighter Abu Abdullah al-Shami with an explosive-laden vehicle.

Deir Hafer lies on a key road linking Aleppo city to the IS-controlled town of Khafsah, which holds the main station to pump water into Aleppo, and further east to the jihadist groups de facto capital Raqa.

Residents of Aleppo city have been without mains water for 48 days after the jihadists cut the supply.

On Sunday, Russian and regime warplanes bombarded IS positions in support of Syrian troops, which had advanced to nine kilometres (less than six miles) from Khafsah, the Observatory said.

They were just six kilometres from the pumping station, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The United Nations on Sunday said 26,000 people had fled the fighting since late February, while the Observatory said as many as 30,000 had been displaced.

In a second attack, IS said a fighter detonated his suicide belt in the rebel-held town of Azaz, also in Aleppo province.

The Observatory said the suicide attack in the town killed seven fighters and wounded several others, some of them in critical condition.

In January, a massive tanker truck bomb ripped through a market in Azaz, killing 48 people and wounding dozens, the Observatory said.

It was suspected that IS was behind that attack.

Syrias conflict broke out in March 2011 with protests against President Bashar al-Assad, but has escalated into a complex conflict that has killed more than 310,000 people.

Air strikes on the northwestern province of Idlib on Sunday killed six people, including five members of the same family, the Observatory said.

The raids on the town of Kafranbel also wounded 21 people.
President Donald Trump turned to Congress on Sunday for help finding evidence to support his unsubstantiated claim that former President Barack Obama had Trumps telephones tapped during the election. Obamas intelligence chief said no such action was ever carried out, and a US official said the FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute the allegation.

Republican leaders of Congress appeared willing to honour the presidents request, but the move has potential risks for the president, particularly if the House and Senate intelligence committees unearth damaging information about Trump, his aides or his associates.

Trump claimed in a series of tweets without evidence Saturday that his predecessor had tried to undermine him by tapping the telephones at Trump Tower, the New York skyscraper where Trump based his campaign and transition operations, and maintains a home.

Obamas director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said nothing matching Trumps claims had taken place.

Absolutely, I can deny it, said Clapper, who left government when Trump took office in January. Other representatives for the former president also denied Trumps allegation.

The FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute Trumps allegations, a US official told The Associated Press on Sunday. The official wasnt authorized to discuss the request by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.

No such statement has been issued by the Justice Department. DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores declined to comment Sunday, and an FBI spokesman also did not comment.

The New York Times reported that senior American officials say FBI Director James Comey has argued that the claim must be corrected by the Justice Department because it falsely insinuates that the FBI broke the law.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said without elaborating Sunday that Trumps instruction to Congress was based on very troubling reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election. Spicer did not respond to inquiries about the reports he cited in announcing the request.

Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016. He said there would be no further comment until the investigations are completed, a statement that House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi took offence to and likened to autocratic behaviour.

Its called a wrap-up smear. You make up something. Then you have the press write about it. And then you say, everybody is writing about this charge. Its a tool of an authoritarian, Pelosi said.

Spicers chief deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said she thinks Trump is going off of information that hes seen that has led him to believe that this is a very real potential.

Josh Earnest, who was Obamas press secretary, said presidents do not have authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens, as Trump has alleged was done to him. FBI investigators and Justice Department officials must seek a federal judges approval for such a step.

Earnest accused Trump of leveling the allegations to distract from the attention being given to campaign-season contacts by Trump aides with a Russian official, including campaign adviser Jeff Sessions before he resigned from the Senate to become attorney general. The FBI is investigating those contacts, as is Congress.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-NC, said in a statement that the panel will follow the evidence where it leads, and we will continue to be guided by the intelligence and facts as we compile our findings.

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the committee will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political partys campaign officials or surrogates.

The committees top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, said Trump was following a deeply disturbing pattern of distraction, distortion and downright fabrication.

The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., referred questions to Nunes, while a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said McConnell would not tell the Senate committee how to do its work.

Trump said in the tweets that he had just found out about being wiretapped, though it was unclear whether he was referring to having found out through a briefing, a conversation or a media report. The president in the past has tweeted about unsubstantiated and provocative reports he reads on blogs or conservative websites.

The tweets stood out, given the gravity of the charge and the strikingly personal attack on the former president. Trump spoke as recently as last month about how much he likes Obama and how much they get along, despite their differences.

How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy! he tweeted, misspelling tap.

Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said Saturday that a cardinal rule of the Obama administration was not to interfere in Justice Department investigations, which are supposed to be conducted free of outside or political influence.

Lewis said neither Obama nor any White House official had ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false, Lewis said.

Trump used a similar approach with his unsupported claims of massive voter fraud that he said caused him to lose the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton. He eventually said he wanted to launch a major investigation to find the 3 million to 5 million votes he claims were cast illegally. Congressional leaders were cool to the idea  a costly and time-consuming effort.

Trump has been trailed for months by questions about his campaigns ties to Russia. Compounding the situation is the US intelligence agencies assessment that Russia interfered with the election to help Trump triumph over Hillary Clinton, along with disclosures about his aides contacts with a Russian official.

Clapper appeared on NBCs Meet the Press, Sanders and Earnest were on ABCs This Week, Pelosi commented on CNNs State of the Union and Cotton was on Fox News Sunday.
Tennessee-born mountain man Pauline Weaver worked for the Hudsons Bay Co. in Canada before heading to the Rocky Mountains in 1830. Born Powell Weaver in 1800 to a white father and Cherokee mother, he became known as Paulino/ Pauline during the years he spent in Taos. Serving as an Army scout between 1845 and 1865, Weaver explored much of New Mexico Territory and Arizona Territory, and in 1862 Indians led him to placer gold deposits near La Paz, Arizona Territory.

The following year Weaver guided a party of gold seekers under Abraham Harlow Peeples into the Hassayampa River country of central Arizona Territory. The party camped at the base of a mountain south of present-day Yarnell, and while searching for lost livestock in a shallow basin atop the mountain, a Mexican member of the group unearthed gold nuggets the size of potatoes. The party members pried them from the ground with knives. Prospectors dubbed the basin the Potato Patch, the mountain Rich Hill and the mining region Weaver District No. 2. The district became Arizonas richest producer of placer gold. Major claims included the Devils Nest, the Leviathan and the Upton.

Miners poured into the district, panning more than 25,000 ounces of gold in the first five years. They established three towns within a few miles of one another: Weaver, Stanton (originally Antelope Station) and Octave. In 1864 Arizonans held an election to determine whether Weaver or Prescott would become the territorial capitol, and legend has it Prescott won because Weaver residents were too busy carousing to vote.

As Weaver became a gathering point for desperadoes, dominated by the Francisco Vega gang, most respectable residents moved to nearby Antelope Station. But their new home also became notorious.

George Wilson and William Partridge ran competing business concerns in Antelope Station. When an Irish immigrant named Charles P. Stanton moved to town, he exploited the tension between the men. Working with the Vega gang, Stanton provoked a feud between Wilson and Partridge that led to Wilsons death and Partridges imprisonment for his murder. In the wake of that blowup Stanton took over the town, renaming it for himself, and the Vegas killed anyone who dared compete with him. In 1886, however, three brothers named Lucero, members of the Vega gang, killed Stanton, allegedly for molesting their sister, and the Vega gang fed to Mexico.

After prospectors had panned out more than $1 million in ore, production of placer gold diminished. By the 1880s miners began working hard rock lode claims. The most successful of these was the Octave, founded in the early 1890s by a group of eight men. With the coming of railroads to nearby towns, fuel became available, shipping of milled ore became possible, and the company town of Octave grew up around the mine. Stanton and Weaver became near ghosts, and in 1900 Weavers post office, which had opened in 1899, was moved to booming Octave. The Octave developed extensive underground workings and produced about 80,000 ounces of gold and 80,000 ounces of silver before its abandonment.

Other major lode mines included the Beehive, the Dixie-Rincon and the Yarnell. Production from Rich Hill rose and fell through the mid20th century, with a Depression-era boost in placer activity. After World War II gold production ground to a halt. The Octave mine and town were demolished in the 1950s.

Sparked by the rising price of gold and the refinement of metal detectors, prospectors once more sweep Rich Hill, finding world-class specimens. The entire area is under claim and is posted and monitored against mineral trespass. Stanton is owned by the Lost Dutchmans Mining Association, which operates the site as an RV park for members. The owners have preserved three of its historic buildings. Weaver retains only its post office building, cemetery and a rock corral. Virtually no structures remain standing in Octave.

Originally published in the February 2014 issue of Wild West. To subscribe, click here.
North Korea Monday fired at least four ballistic missiles into the East Sea in apparent protest against massive joint military drills by South Korea and the U.S.

The South Korean military says North Korea fired four missiles from a missile base in Tongchang-ri, North Pyongan Province around 7:30 a.m and they flew about 1,000 km before coming down in the sea.

"The missiles were an upgraded version of the Musudan which is an intermediate ballistic missile, but Seoul and Washington are still trying to figure out the exact type," a Defense Ministry official said.

Japan confirmed that three of the four missiles fell in its exclusive economic zone within 250 km of Japanese land.

North Korea on Friday threatened to launch more missiles as South Korea and the U.S. started their biggest-ever show of force, which is to last until April. South Korea's military says it is on high alert and maintaining readiness for any further provocations.


Even riding in the back seat, the view from an SBD as it plummets to earth is unforgettable.

One of World War IIs most significant airplanes, the Douglas SBD Dauntless was a major factor enabling the U.S. Navy to turn the tide of the war in the Pacific. In June 1942, after cryptographers broke Japans communications code, SBDs from the carriers York town, Enterprise and Hornet intercepted the Japanese fleet approaching Midway Atoll. The dive-bomber squadrons sank four enemy carriers and a heavy cruiser, though Yorktown was also hit and later sank. The lopsided victory enabled the U.S. to take the offensive in the Pacific.

The Dauntless, designed by self-taught engineer Ed Heinemann to fill the Navys requirement for a scout bomber, was a great example of his philosophy: Keep the airplane simple and build it around the most powerful engine available. Heinemann, who served as the firms chief engineer until 1960, went on to become a legend at Douglas, designing such notable naval aircraft as the A-1 Skyraider and A-4 Skyhawk.

Today the Planes of Fame Air Museums SBD-5 Dauntless, a combat veteran that entered service in 1943, still makes the rounds at West Coast airshows. The SBD-5 was the most numerous variant of the dive bomber produced, with almost 3,000 built. Powered by a 1,200-hp Wright R-1820-60 radial engine, it had a top speed of 255 mph and a range of 1,115 miles. It was armed with two .50-caliber Browning machine guns over the engine cowling and two flexible .30-caliber guns operated by a gunner behind the pilot, and could carry 2,250 pounds of bombs on racks under its wings and beneath the fuselage. The aircrafts huge Swiss cheese dive brakes on the wings trailing edge were split, permitting almost vertical dives. Since Dauntless pilots typically dropped the belly- mounted bomb in a near-vertical dive, Heinemann and his engineers had developed a sling yoke trapeze (displacing gear), so the bomb would swing down and away from the aircraft before it was released, thus clearing the propeller arc.

In late 1940, as the SBD entered Navy service, its replacement, the Curtiss SB2C-1 Helldiver, was already in the test phase. But while the Helldiver was faster and equipped with an internal bomb bay and advanced landing slats for slow-speed carrier landings, the new design failed to match the SBDs reliability and flying characteristics. Many crews still preferred the Dauntless, which remained operational until wars end.

A total of 5,936 SBDs were produced, some of which were flown by U.S. Marines as well as pilots from the U.K. and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The SBD served with distinction throughout the Guadalcanal campaign in 1942 and the Battle of the Philippine Sea in 1944. By the end of WWII, the Dauntless was credited with sinking 18 enemy ships, including six carriers and one battleship, and boasted the lowest loss ratio of any carrier aircraft in the Navy. It proved equally effective against ground targets. Captain Fred Loach, who flew with the famed Black Sheep Squadron, recalled witnessing the SBDs pinpoint accuracy in targeting gun emplacements.

The Planes of Fames aircraft, the last original SBD-5 still flying, served with the Navy at Pearl Harbor in 1943, then was transferred to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, based at Espiritu Santo in 1944. It flew 32 combat missions from Bougainville, in the Solomon Islands, before being re  turned to the Navy at Russell Island, and was later sent back to San Diego.

MGM Studios subsequently purchased the airplaneminus its wingsand used it as a wind machine on the movie lot. The cockpit was restored for its appearance in flying scenes in the film Midway. Further restoration, including a new set of wings from Guadalcanal, was done by the Planes of Fame museum in 1983 to make the dive bomber airworthy for the TV series Winds of War. Today the SBD-5 regularly thrills airshow crowds thanks to the flying skills of Ron Hackworth, who also helps maintain this venerable warbird.

Last fall I was lucky enough to take a short flight with Hackworth in the Dauntless. Fortunately it was a warm, sunny day, since I sat in the gunners seat with the canopy slid forward, an airy spot, to say the least. The aft seat swivels so the gunner can face forward or turn backward to fire the twin .30-caliber machine guns. Hackworth had installed the aft control stick to allow me to get the feel of the airplane, but that meant I couldnt swivel the seat toward the rear.

The rear cockpit has a stick and rudder pedals as well as a throttle, but no instruments. The seat itself is suspended in a rotating ring, with a small armor plate on each side. Though I had excellent visibility to the side and rear, when looking straight ahead I could only see the back of Hackworths helmet in front of the roll bar.

The Wright R-1820 came to life with a belch of blue smoke, and we taxied out to the runway accompanied by the satisfying rumble of the big radial. Once Hackworth completed the run-up and checklist, he lowered the flaps for takeoff. The lower half of the dive brakes extended to provide additional lift, which meant the Dauntless required very little runway to get airborne, necessary in a carrier aircraft. As soon as Hackworth lifted the tail, we were flying.

Two spring-loaded air deflectors on each side of the canopy helped keep my camera steady as we climbed out over a reservoir south of the Chino airport. I had asked Hackworth if we could climb high enough to deploy the dive brakes and get an idea of what it would have looked like diving on an enemy ship. It was noisy and windy in the back seat, and though I was tempted to lean out of the cockpit to get a better view, I felt sure I would lose my headset if I did. As we climbed up to 5,000 feet, Hackworth passed control to me. I tried a couple of turns left and right, noting that it required a bit of muscle to roll into a medium turn. I also noticed the Dauntless seemed very stable, another essential for carrier aircraft.

Once we reached 5,000 feet, Hackworth took back control and initiated a dive. I watched as the big speed brakes split open on the wings trailing edge. Although this was only a shallow dive, I sensed the SBD was poised and ready to push right over to almost straight down. As we head ed down, I thought about what combat must have been like for a gunner, nose-diving from over 20,000 feet. Of course his normal view at that point, facing aft, would have been of the planes tail pointing at the sky, as he kept an eye out for enemy aircraft.

Hackworth retracted the speed brakes after a brief plunge, then made a few turns over the reservoir before calling the tower and requesting an overhead break, to enter the traffic pattern. As we crossed the runway midpoint at pattern altitude, he banked sharply, and positive Gs pressed me into my seat. Then we rapidly slowed as he lowered the flaps and gear, making his base leg turn at around 80 knots. We touched down smoothly right on the numbersa lot smoother landing than this plane would typically have experienced, I realized, when slamming down on a carrier deck.

As Hackworth taxied toward a tug, to hitch a ride back to the museum hangar, I thanked him for taking me along. We left the Dauntless sitting next to a beautiful F4U Corsair and a TBM Avenger.

For anyone who appreciates Americas aviation heritage, the Planes of Fame museum is certainly worth a visit. Learn more about it at planesoffame.org.

Originally published in the November 2014 issue of Aviation History. To subscribe, click here.
Das Panorama, a woodsy-chic hotel located in mountains of Caldaro, Italy got a fresh contemporary spin, thanks to the design firm NOA. Matching its wooden facade, roof and balustrade, the NOA architects have created a wooden cabana on the terrace of room 701 at the hotel. It is an outdoor bedroom with a bed that can be used by guests for sleeping under the starry sky if they wish. Its pergola-like shape and hidden lighting make it an inviting place for visitors to enjoy the nightscape while lying sluggishly on the bed.

The people with a liking for star-gazing will find it a loving structure, as they will get the full chance of stepping out of the hustle and bustle of modern world. This cabana has been designed as an extendable structure from seven wooden frames that make up a pitched roof and a sliding inner wall for privacy. The white drapes and bedding suits spruce up space and make it a cozy outdoor cabin.

Also Read: Stunning infinity pool with a wonderful view at Hotel Hubertus by NOA

It is also an inspiring idea for people who want to add some modern sensation to their outdoor decks. It can be a reading place or a comfy bedroom with clean views of the surroundings and sky.

Via: Contemporist
T RAUMATA AT SOTHEBYS

Weve always enjoyed Sothebys S|2 space which puts on museum-quality exhibitions with free entry, behind the Mayfair auction house.

Its a direct selling space, so theres no bidding for the artworks, and theres currently a terrific show called Traumata, celebrating two of the greatest artists of their generation  the late Louise Bourgeois and Yayoi Kusama.

Both women emerged on to the famously macho Fifties NY art scene, the era of abstract expressionism, both laid bare their own psychological traumas, which continue to inspire artists.

Kusama has voluntarily lived in a psychiatric facility for 40 years but still journeys to her studio to continue her lifes work. Bourgeoiss Spider, 1994, pictured above, is among works on show.

*Traumata runs at Sothebys until April 13.

FIND YOUR EDEN IN THE CITY

How do we feel a city? What do we see and hear as we go about our lives?

Laura Oldfield Ford is interested in how people negotiate and experience the city space. She has created Alpha, Isis, Eden, an installation and audio work, pictured, at The Showroom, based on walks in the gallerys Edgware Road location, creating layers of personal and public experience and history.

This Saturday from 3.30pm-8pm theres a free discussion session attached to the show with artists, writers and activists participating in a listening event, with a drinks/DJ set towards the end.

*Alpha, Isis, Eden, at The Showroom until March 18. Free entry. Booking essential.

CLOSE TO THE EDGE WITH MAGGI

Maggi Hambling, pictured, is one of Britains most important artists. Edge, her eighth solo exhibition with the Marlborough Gallery, opens tomorrow.

The title gives a clue. Hambling has been quoted as saying: We are living on the edge all of the time. She wants us to consider the fragility of existence, both ours and that of the planet.

Hambling created the first public monument to Oscar Wilde, the green granite sarcophagus opposite Charing Cross station, with its quote from Lady Windermeres Fan: We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

*Maggi Hambling: Edge, at the Marlborough Gallery, March 2-April 13.

THE PAPER AVIARY: TWEETING THE SECRETS OF ST JAMESS MARKET

We knew about the three fashionable restaurants in St Jamess Market, and those hot Danish chefs whove launched Ole & Steen, the 2017 bakery of choice. But we didnt know about The Paper Aviary, a shop window installation in the new St Jamess Market Pavilion.

Argentine studio Guardabosques, working with design specialists dn&co, created paper birds out of traditional menswear patterns. The birds chirrup and tweet through speakers as you pass.

Its a homage to nearby Birdcage Walk where Charles II installed a birdcage full of exotic species.

Also at St Jamess Market, Smeg is soon to open a three-floor flagship store. Check out its Dolce & Gabbana-designed fridges.

*The Paper Aviary, at St Jamess Market, until May. Free.

AN ARCHITECTURAL DETECTIVE IN KINGS CROSS

If you are visiting Borough Market, take a detour to the Art Bermondsey Project Space for Minnie Weiszs new show, Time Present Time Future.

Weisz  sister of actress Rachel  has a studio in Kings Cross and for the past 15 years has been photographing abandoned buildings in the area.

Hidden chapel: from Minnie Weiszs new show, Time Present Time Future

She revisits the spaces before and during their development, and the photos have an ethereal, dreamlike quality.

Art Bermondsey Project Space is a not-for-profit platform. The artists sell directly to the viewer, and its a great place to find art, for first-time buyers in particular.

*Until March 12, Tuesday-Saturday 11am- 6pm, at Art Bermondsey Project Space.
C ommuter towns within 45 minutes of the capital are expected to register big price gains this year. Most families after a manageable commute and a good-value home also want a quick dash to the station and an easy school run.

De Montfort Place, above, in Bedford, ticks these boxes. The county town is 35 minutes by train from St Pancras, at the end of the Thameslink route through London, and has a number of highly rated state and independent schools, plus easy access to lovely countryside.

The development, by Storey Homes, is less than a mile from the station. The town centre is getting a makeover, with a new station quarter and shopping precinct overlooking the River Great Ouse, while a former university campus barely five minutes away is getting a revamp, and a park has been created.

What was a run-down neighbourhood, albeit a conservation area, dominated by student digs and lecture rooms, is now one of Bedfords best addresses with smart, good-value homes in new and refurbished buildings.

The area has the look and feel of a prosperous, tucked-away pocket in suburban Putney or Wimbledon  quiet and leafy, with aspirational, solid architecture  but the homes are far cheaper.

De Montfort Place includes three-storey, four-bedroom semis from 475,000 and flats from 185,000. Call 01582 742165.
Right as the weather in Canada starts to become actually palatable near the end of June, it is time once again for the annual pilgrimage to the best hospitality technology tradeshow in the world. Taking place this year down in sweaty New Orleans, I entered HITEC 2016 (standing for Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference for the neophytes among us) as a man on a mission.

A seasoned veteran of the convention, very little fazes me these days. Not to bloviate too much, but after six immersive years of new product launches, flashy booth designs, artfully worded press releases, an onslaught of collateral materials and enough espresso to make a turtle win the 100-meter dash at the Olympics, it all gets a bit blurry. Instead, the Big Easy was an opportunity for me to address the most important issues facing the hotel industry with the people best poised to make change.

There's not a doubt in my mind that technology will save your property from any problem it currently faces. But only if it is deployed strategically and used wisely.

The vendors at HITEC can be counted as some of the smartest people in the business, and each company presented some highly creative yet straightforward ways to enhance the guest experience, streamline operations, optimize revenues or all of the above. Tackling every exhibitor, though, would be too audacious for a single report. The show is just that large now. So, this year I focused on the top dogs  the property management system (PMS) exhibitors  to see how they were planning to lead us towards greener pasture.

As if I had a seat at the head table for some sprawling corporate meeting or wedding reception, I was honored to sit down with senior executives from Agilysys, Infor, Maestro, Oracle MICROS and Springer-Miller. If HITEC is a room full of brains, then these folks are the prefrontal cortex. My mission was to deduce how each individual was going to help with the high commissions and dilutive branding of the OTAs, the proliferation of alternate lodging websites such as Airbnb, and the vast evolution in travel behavior with millennials at the vanguard. Compiling my notes from all interviews, the following were the most salient topics broached.

Know Thy PMS

Whereas I may be a tad hellfire and brimstone in my prognostications, each of these executives calmly and diligently answered my questions and presented clear solutions for how their respective firms can guide hotels through this turbulent period. First and foremost, managers must make a constant and diligent effort to thoroughly learn all the functions of their PMS.

This was a shared belief amongst all the software gurus, and even though I'm wise enough to see through any tooting of one's own horn, the point is nonetheless valid. Every major PMS is a mature product, which means its core functions are stable and robust. Moreover, with each passing year and software iteration, new features are tested and added. Most of these are built to aid hotel executives in making sense of all the granular data  how are people finding your property, what channel are they booking in, where are corporate groups coming from, what does the revenue forecast look like, what are the margins on each channel, are labor expenses being managed efficiently, how do we capture more ancillary revenues from onsite guests, and so on.

Any question you might have, your PMS should be the first place to look for the answer. Aside from the issue of a manager's aptitude with the software  which can be ameliorated through continual retraining, monthly webinars or attending users' conferences hosted gratis by each provider  integration must next be tackled. As the PMS is the heart of any hotel's technological arrangement, you can increase vascularity by ensuring that all other systems feed data into this central repository.

After all, the business intelligence capabilities of any system are only as powerful as the quality and quantity of information that feed into it. If a peripheral piece of software doesn't push data to the PMS, the justification for its sustained usage better be good. As Bernard Ellis, Vice President of Hospitality Industry Strategy at Infor, demonstrated, via the generation of customized financial reports, a PMS can now precisely account for how much each revenue stream costs by factoring in all booking commissions as well as service and labor charges, and all on a single page that's easy to digest for harried managers. From there, you can analyze the opportunity cost of shifting laterally to focus on a different market segment and what the binary threshold is for when that changeover becomes fiscally prudent.

Such examinations will help with other top decisions such as whether you are allotting too much inventory to the OTAs or if your marketing efforts to a certain target audience are actually effective, all done internally and without any necessary comparisons to the competitive set. Additionally, with regard to changing traveler behavior, every PMS has diagnostic tools to show year-over-year evaluations of all business by demographic so that you can pivot to meet any future trend.

Lastly, if you are ever feeling overwhelmed by the purported omniscience of your PMS, pick up the phone and call your rep. Every provider has upped its customer service game. They are more than willing to give informed counsel on how to maximize your usage of the software or even assist with a specific business situation.

Guest Profiles Are The Future

Another compelling reason for total integration through the PMS is that this will merge all customer profile data and guest preferences into one dossier. While we pride ourselves on the human aspects of the hospitality, the future of our industry will increasingly rely on digital ones and zeros, as amassing and acting upon that guest data will help your hotel with all three of the abovementioned problems.

Otherwise known as customer relationship management (CRM), these systems are the biggest advantage of any property, as noted by Ray Carlin, Vice President of Hospitality Strategy and Solutions Management at Oracle MICROS. While the first two years of the MICROS acquisition were focused on developing seamless product integration, the company is now at an inflection point as it figures out how best to harness Oracle's omnipotence.

Mr. Carlin explained the OTAs will never be able to get as granular with their customer profile data as a hotel can because they simply aren't onsite. They won't be able to customize the guest experience by preselecting his or her favored bed type and room temperature, or to go fully microscopic, by preparing a welcome tray with one fruit that the guest loves most. Folding amenities like spa into the PMS will tell you what treatments a customer prefers so you can leverage that information for highly specific promotion offers targeting return guests. Other POS terminal incorporations, particularly F&B, can also be used to tell you if a guest likes craft beer or is a boring old Budweiser sort of guy (or is abstemious and won't take kindly to your happy hour e-blast).

The possibilities are endless, but only if you have the data. The more you can track guest preferences, the better you can tailor the onsite experience in order to build advocacy and capture as much revenue as possible.

In this sense, optimizing your CRM is a necessary step in modernizing your loyalty program because you can customize the perks to give faithful guests exactly what they want. Michael McCarthy, President & CEO of Springer-Miller, put it best, "Mercenaries will always sell to the highest bidder, but soldiers can only a part of one army." Right now, the average traveler is a member of multiple loyalty programs. They don't endorse any one brand in particular nor do they care to learn about what makes each product exceptional. Joining a loyalty program is purely transactional. But this trend can be effectively reserved if we incentivize guests based upon what they've already told us about them.

Not only can a pervasive CRM help level the playing field between large hotels and independents, but it is also your best defense against Airbnb and the overly picky demands of millennials. Hospitality is a service industry, and what better way to serve your guests than by giving them exactly what they want? Alternate lodging providers are able to provide consumers with a unique room and atmosphere, but they will never be able to match us when it comes to service delivery.

Take heed, though, while actualizing guest profile data is today a value-add, millennials are a smart bunch and as they become more accustomed to travel this will soon transition into an expectation. In other words, hop on the bandwagon, and do so before it leaves town for good.

The Mobile Of Things

Another vital activity that all the major PMS companies have completed behind the scenes over the past few years is to migrate their system to the cloud. Not an easy feat in the slightest, this grand movement has helped to unify the many disparate and fragmented onsite tech installations to allow for real-time guest tracking and a more refined 'service as a service' model of automatic update deployments that are immediately available to all legacy clients.

The next phase, however, revolves less around technological upgrades and requires more a mental shift. When we first clued in to the true power of the internet to record human behavior on an unprecedented scale, we called it Big Date because we expected the inferences to be earth-shatteringly big. Then when we discovered that most of these findings told us things we already knew about ourselves  that we are selfish, shortsighted and exceedingly lazy  we politely renamed it 'The Internet of Things' in some vain global PR stunt.

As smartphones continue to usurp laptops and desktops as the primary user device, it is time once more to reframe this as 'The Mobile of Things' so that we can properly comprehend what's needed to become a mobile-first industry that's in touch with where the mindsets of consumers are headed. As the eternally quotable Mr. McCarthy elaborated, "Mobile will only really arrive when we stop talking about mobile." Tossing this through the Mogelonsky translator, shut up and make mobile a reality because your guests are already one step ahead!

Despite all the hullaballoo, there's light at the end of the tunnel. Dr. Peter Agel, Global Segment Leader for Hotels at Oracle MICROS, introduced me to one of the first applications of this  the Hotel Mobile app which allows frontline staffers to update such back-of-house operations like housekeeping and maintenance information as well as check-in and checkout directly from their phones or tablets. It won't let a senior executive control all top-level functions like revenue management from his or her mobile device, but it's a huge step in the right direction. Even in its current iteration, Oracle's Hotel Mobile can be a game changer in terms of operational efficiency and enhancing guest satisfaction.

With every other major PMS following suit with their own native apps, the onus will soon fall on the everyday hotelier to curb the perception of mobile as secondary by deploying these wireless upgrades and encouraging all associates to maximize their usage. Picture a hotel without a physical front desk or any hardwired POS stations. Imagine a property where an app on your phone checks you in an hour before you are onsite, sets the guestroom environment to your liking and coordinates with the F&B team to have a bottle of Dom Perignon chilled and popped for the moment you open the door.

Mobile wallets, near field communication keycards, location analytics heat mapping  this is where hospitality is headed. It's only a matter of time and whether you are nimble enough to wield mobile-first to your advantage.

Reward Tech Fluency

Reiterating the previous point about zipping your mouth and getting your hands dirty with what your software is capable of, no more the tool it all boils down to people. The tech world is so vastly complex nowadays that no single manager has the time to keep track of it all. Instead, it is the responsibility of everyone to constantly refresh their knowledge in this area.

Mr. Ellis framed it rather eloquently. The millennials have grown up in a world of constant electronic change, so much so that they are thoroughly accustomed to it. The hotels that will survive are those that adopt a similar mindset, and it all starts with the people who are in charge.

With technology taking over nearly every aspect of our industry, it is becoming abundantly clear that we hoteliers no longer have the software wherewithal necessary for effective decision-making. To fix this, we must start promoting those individuals who are fluent in IT to senior roles as well as develop incentive programs for current team members to modernize their skillsets. Understanding technology is a primary trait of all future executives, not only to make processes every efficient and cost effective but also to discover new growth opportunities.

My closing notion for you is to kick off this process by reaching out to your PMS and asking what else they can do to help grow your business. Finally, be sure to attend HITEC 2017 taking place in Toronto next June, it's first time on Canadian soil.

(Article published by Larry Mogelonsky in Today's Hotelier on November 1, 2016)

Larry Mogelonsky

Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited

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AccorHotels announces it has signed an agreement with Brazil Hospitality Group (BHG) and its shareholders, funds managed by GP Investments and GTIS Partners, in order to take over the management of 26 hotels (c. 4,400 rooms) currently owned or managed by BHG, the third-largest hotel company in Brazil.

The portfolio includes economy, midscale and upper upscale hotels in Brazil's major markets, especially in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, complementing well AccorHotels' existing network in Brazil, and consolidating the Group's leadership across all segments. The hotels will undergo major renovation and repositioning works and shall progressively be reflagged until the end of 2019 under AccorHotels brands, including ibis, ibis Styles, ibis Budget, Mercure, Novotel, Mama Shelter, MGallery and Pullman, under long-term management agreements.

The management portfolio will be acquired by AccorHotels for a consideration of R$ 200m, or c. 60m at current exchange rate. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2017 and is subject to the approval of the Brazilian antitrust authority. It will be accretive to AccorHotels results as soon as 2018, notably thanks to significant synergies with the Group's existing operating platform in the country.

Sebastien Bazin, Chairman & CEO of AccorHotels said: "Today's Brazil is a land of major opportunities. This transaction is a new milestone in the history of AccorHotels in this country, where we have been a firm leader for decades. It will bring new landmark hotels as well as an increased brand awareness across all segments. It also anchors a strong and long-term relationship with BHG, one of the largest owners of hotel real estate in Brazil, which will bring incremental growth opportunities going forward."

Alexandre Solleiro, CEO of BHG said: "We are thrilled with the opportunities that this transaction creates for our company, our business partners and our teams. Because 100% of the capital generated from this transaction will be reinvested in our owned hotels, we will be able to accelerate the repositioning and performance of BHG as a leading owner of hotels in Brazil. At the same time, we will also be able to better focus our resources and management teams in the development of our business of managing third party hotels through our owned and licensed brands."

ABOUT BHG

BHG, third largest hotel chain in Brazil, has as its mission to host and make people feel good. The company owns and manages a portfolio of more than 50 hotels, of which 17 are prime locations in the economic, mid-scale, up-scale and luxury segments. The group, recognized for its multi-brand management / operator expertise, represents Royal Tulip, Golden Tulip and Tulip Inn brands in Brazil. BHG also has hotels with their own flags, such as Soft Inn, and hotels without flags, such as Marina Palace, in Leblon - Rio de Janeiro and The Capital, in Sao Paulo. The company focuses on the modernization of its hospitality and products, the implementation of most advanced methods and technology of management and distribution, as well as the evolution of the service provided to all those who travel for leisure or business. Headquartered in Brazil, BHG is committed to the development of the sector in the country and is looking for business opportunities.

ABOUT GP

GP Investments is a listed company since 2006 with USD 1 Billion in proprietary capital. Since its inception in 1992, the company has raised approximately US$5.0 billion from international investors and has acquired 54 companies in 16 sectors, including Telecom, Logistics, Retail, Real Estate, Consumer Goods, Education and Insurance Services. GP Investments has followed a consistent and disciplined Investment strategy targeting established companies that have the potential, through hands on approach and active management, to grow and to be more efficient and profitable, becoming the leaders in their respective industries. GP Investments currently has offices in Bermuda, US, UK and Brazil. For further information, please visit www.gpinvestments.com.

ABOUT GTIS PARTNERS

GTIS Partners is a global real estate investment firm headquartered in New York with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Atlanta, Sao Paulo, Paris, and Munich. GTIS Partners has 85 employees and had approximately $3.8 billion of assets under management as of September 2016. To date, the firm has committed capital to residential, retail, industrial, office, hotel and mixeduse projects in the U.S. and Brazil. In the U.S., GTIS has committed over $1.5 billion of equity and debt to 91 projects in 22 states. In Brazil, GTIS has invested in 91 assets comprised of approximately 13,000 planned or completed residential units, over 530,000 square meters of planned or completed office and industrial space, and over 9,800 hotel rooms owned, managed, or under development. By combining hands-on real estate expertise with a disciplined investment approach, GTIS Partners helps create value for its investors and partners. The firm pursues opportunistic real estate investments through direct equity investment and non-traditional lending activities and the firm relies on macro-research as well as the hands-on industry knowledge of its experienced investment and asset management teams. For further information, please visit www.gtispartners.com.

About Accor, a world-leading hospitality group

Accor is a world leading hospitality group consisting of 5,300 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries. The group has one of the industry's most diverse and fully-integrated hospitality ecosystems encompassing more than 40 luxury, premium, midscale and economy hotel brands, entertainment and nightlife venues, restaurants and bars, branded private residences, shared accommodation properties, concierge services, co-working spaces and more. Accor's unmatched position in lifestyle hospitality  one of the fastest growing categories in the industry  is led by Ennismore, a joint venture, which Accor holds a majority shareholding. Ennismore is a creative hospitality company with a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with purpose at their heart. Accor boasts an unrivalled portfolio of distinctive brands and more than 230,000 team members worldwide. Members benefit from the company's comprehensive loyalty program  ALL  Accor Live Limitless  a daily lifestyle companion that provides access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences. Through its global sustainability commitments (such as achieving Net Zero Carbon emissions by 2050, global elimination of single use plastics in its hotels' guest experience, etc.), Accor Solidarity, RiiSE and ALL Heartist Fund initiatives, the Group is focused on driving positive action through business ethics, responsible tourism, environmental sustainability, community engagement, diversity and inclusivity. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticket: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information visit group.accor.com or follow Accor on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Delphine Dumonceau

+33 1 45 38 84 95

Accor
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By 2016, numbers had soared to 6.37 million in Japan, compared to 8 million in Korea. The reason was that China eased travel regulations in 2014, and in 2015 the term "bakugai" became a popular buzzword in Japan, which means "explosive shopping sprees" by Chinese tourists. The most popular Japanese goods were pharmaceutical products, cosmetics -- and bidets.

But only four years ago, the lawmaker's concerns were the opposite -- there were not enough Chinese. The 1.31 million Chinese tourists who came that year were just 30 percent of the number who went to Korea.

A Japanese politician who represents a part of the island country famous for its sightseeing attractions complained recently that too many Chinese tourists come to his country. He said buses and subways are overflowing with Chinese tourists, while downtown areas are teeming with the visitors. "It's like Japan is only a shell that has been filled up entirely by Chinese people," he complained, adding that authorities are constantly getting complaints from locals.

The slump four years ago was due to the flare-up of a territorial spat with Beijing over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands, which China calls Diaoyu. China decided to block Chinese tour groups from visiting Japan. Over a three-month period, 52,000 flight reservations by Chinese tourists on Japanese carriers were canceled, just at the time when China's 1.3 billion population began seriously venturing out into global sightseeing. Instead, Korea saw a surge in Chinese visitors.

As the world was benefiting from Chinese tourist revenues, it looked as if Japan's tourism industry was losing out. In those days, Korean tourists were the main source of income for Japan's tourism industry, and their number grew 20 to 30 percent every year.

The weak yen played a huge part, but the cultural similarities between Korea and Japan also made the island country more attractive to Koreans. Japanese anime, sushi and rice wine are globally famous, and Japan developed new cultural content in order to attract tourists.

The Japanese government also streamlined duty free processes and increased the number of products eligible for VAT exemption for tourists, including goods from convenience stores. Japan revamped itself into a country that is very accessible to foreigners.

It is unclear why China finally eased the travel restrictions. The move came without fanfare ahead of a summit between the leaders of the two countries, but Japan had not yielded an inch in the territorial dispute and in fact upped the pressure by further strengthening its alliance with the U.S. and they moved closely in sync when it came to issues involving the South China Sea.

What is clear is that Japan's tourism industry distinguished itself in terms of service and quality. These attributes made Japan a sought-after tourist attraction for everyone. Now that Korea faces retaliation from China over the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery from the U.S. here, can it pull off the same feat?


She is using the son as an ATM card, said Raven Ramona Liberty, Kodak Blacks lawyer, of her clients baby mama, 19-year-old Jammiah Broomfield.

Speaking to Bossip, Liberty called Kodak a stand-up guy. Hes a 19-year-old man who is trying to be there for his son, and this woman is blocking that, said the attorney.

The lawyer of the 19-year-old rapper suggests Broomfield only lets Kodak see their son, King Khalid  who will turn 2 on March 13, when he gives her money.

Kodak is looking to build a case against Broomfield in order to gain joint custody of Khalid, which Liberty believes he is entitled to under Florida law.

However, the custody battle will likely have to wait until Kodak finishes his current prison stint, which began on Feb. 28. He was arrested for violating the conditions of his probation and house arrest. His lawyers are confident that he will be released shortly.

Keep in mind that the Pompano Beach rapper is also awaiting a sexual assault trial in South Carolina. If convicted, he could face 30 years in prison just for the sexual assault charges.

Kodak filed a lawsuit against Broomfield and her then-boyfriend, 21-year-old Tavon Jajuan Session, in order to establish paternity and a 50/50 custody arrangement last year, shortly after she had told him that he was King Khalids father. The judge dismissed Kodaks motion because both he and Broomfield were late to the hearing.

Kodak Black
Day 3 of our countdown to the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree, where we bring you some key tracks that didn't make it onto the final cut of the album.

This week, we'll be counting down the seven days to March 9  the date when The Joshua Tree was launched, all of 30 years ago, in 1987. It was the album that fired U2 into the stratosphere, reaching No.1 all over the world and going on to sell 25 million copies.

To mark the occasion, Hot Press has selected for your delectation seven of the less familiar tracks from the recording sessions that generated The Joshua Tree  one every day from now till March 9th. Some of our choices were never intended for a U2 record. Others might arguably have made the album even stronger. And more again just didnt fit the flow, in an era when artists were far more limited by a requirement to come in at or under the 40 minutes you could fit comfortably onto a vinyl record.

There are any of a dozen reasons why decisions can be made to include or exclude tracks. But what we can say is that herein is an even greater abundance of U2 gold. Here's our third installment, with your guide: Valentina Magli.

3) WALK TO THE WATER

Walk to the Water was originally entitled Present Tense. It is one of those b-sides that really should have made it to the album. It is a real jem! Very Patti Smith-esque in its narrative style, with hints too of Lou Reed in the delivery, it is a musical poem that, apparently, recalls the moment when Bonos parents first met in North Dublin, and develops in a carefully modulated, growing, psychedelic atmosphere.

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The track is introduced by a slightly discordant piano. Theres a basic but very effective bass line throughout, Edges sustained guitar is loaded with pathos, and underneath the drums seem to communicate an apparent calm.And Bonos voice moves from lower register story telling to high altitude pleading.

The Edge liked the song a lot, but reckoned that the band didnt have enough time to properly complete it for The Joshua Tree. Bono has revealed that in some ways the album felt almost incomplete. 'With or Without You' doesn't make much sense, he offered, without 'Walk To The Water' and 'I Trip Through Your Wires' doesn't make much sense without 'The Sweetest Thing'. Not that fans seemed to mind!

Bonos statement reflects the fact that during The Joshua Tree recordings, many of the songs were designed as "chapters" of the same story, which was in effect being read aloud. To these ears, 'Walk To The Water' is a little bit like a lost masterpiece. The song was never played live but was used twice as a snippet: the first time within the song 40 in 1987 and the second time during Bad in 1992.
Daniel Yergin has spent decades studying and thinking about the oil and gas industry, writing books chronicling an industry that first began with the ancient inhabitants of the Middle East using thick bitumen that oozed from the ground to build walls and roads and waterproof their ships.

But Yergin, author of the Pulitzer-winning "The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power," said the years ahead will go down in history as among the most pivotal for energy. Hydraulic fracturing, the surge of renewable energy, the global response to climate change, all have come together at the same time to revolutionize an industry that over the past two centuries has started wars and made and lost fortunes many times over.

"There's probably never been a time when there's this many different forces of change buffeting the energy industry," Yergin said. "It leads to questions of uncertainty about what the energy industry is going to look like in the future."

Click here for the CERAWeek schedule

More for you Saudi energy minister to give keynote at 2017 CERAWeek

These forces and their impact on ever-volatile commodities markets will be front and center as the 36th annual CERAWeek, hosted by the research firm IHS Markit, opens in downtown Houston on Monday. With Yergin, vice chairman of IHS Markit, as master of ceremonies and interviewer-in-chief, the conference has become a see-and-be-seen event for the world's energy executives - Davos for the oil set, attendees like to joke. This year's scheduled speakers include the likes of new Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods, Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid A. Al-Falih and recently confirmed Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt.

But despite the state of change in the industry, it's unlikely to dampen the atmosphere of an event that has long served as something of a celebration of the oil and gas industry - not to mention an opportunity for executives and oil ministers to make contacts for future deals.

"We still see a world of opportunity," said Marty Durbin, executive director for market development at the American Petroleum Institute. "The pace of change on the energy side has happened so quickly in relative terms - just 10 years - we've really just begun to understand how much opportunity there is."

This year, at the top of the ticket, as almost always, is the state of the world's oil market. Since the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries announced a production cut three months ago, crude prices have climbed above $53 a barrel - up more than 60 percent from a year ago.

'Not a flash in the pan'

More Information Who's who Some of the big names on CERAWeek speakers' list: Justin Trudeau: Canadian prime minister Khalid A. Al-Falih: Saudi Arabia's energy minister Scott Pruitt: Environmental Protection Agency chief Darren Woods: ExxonMobil chairman, CEO Alexander Novak: Russian energy minister Robert Dudley: BP's group chief executive Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo: Secretary General of OPEC Peter Thiel: Investor and co-founder PayPal See More Collapse

With drilling rebounding in West Texas and other shale fields across the United States, the question is how long will prices stay up, as U.S. production offsets cuts of 1.8 million barrels a day by OPEC, Russia and other major producers. IHS Markit projects that U.S. output will grow by more then 500,000 barrels a day this year.

OPEC "understands this is not a flash in the pan anymore," Yergin said. "This is a major new supply source, and it's still in its early phase."

Out in West Texas, the go-go spirit earlier in the decade is already returning, with investors again pouring money into shale companies that are producing oil and gas at a fraction of the cost they did before the downturn, said Larry Oldham, a financier in Midland. Oil companies also are investing heavily to acquire land and drilling rights in the Permian Basin, pouring $16 billion into the prolific oil field since the beginning of they year, according to IHS Markit.

"The economics at $50 oil are staggering," he said. "The traffic around the loop in Midland, it's not Dallas or Forth Worth, but it seems like it to me. And where you had service companies out of business, now they're back in business and the biggest issue is finding people."

How OPEC will respond to that supply increase will be one of the big questions for Al-Falih, along with OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo and Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, when he sits down with Yergin at CERAWeek.

Trump effect

Another big question: What will Donald Trump's presidency mean for the energy sector? Trump has promised to boost U.S. fossil fuel production and build out pipelines but at the same time threatened to raise tariffs on U.S. imports, setting up a potential trade war that has many in the industry nervous, Yergin said. Mexico, a particular target of Trump, could become a large market for Texas and U.S. oil, gas and refiners as Mexico liberalizes its energy markets.

"There's things (about Trump) seen as very positive," Yergin said. "But there's uncertainty about how the tax code will change. And we have a very integrated North American energy market, which has become more so with the growing gas exports to Mexico. So there will be a lot of questions about how the trading system is going to change."

Longer term, the conversation is likely to focus on energy companies adapting to the shift by world governments to combat climate change, enabled by a technology boom in renewables and advances in transportation that threaten to fundamentally change how the energy business operates.

With a climate change skeptic in the White House, the future of these policies has become uncertain, but Yergin said the feeling is the world is still heading toward a low-carbon economy.

One CERAWeek attendee, Torgrim Reitan, executive vice president of U.S. development and production at Norwegian oil company Statoil, agreed. He said he expects plenty of discussion around the dinner tables at CERAWeek about climate change, in particular a proposal by former secretary of state and oil industry attorney James Baker to create a carbon tax.

"More and more companies are joining forces behind this," Reitan said. "We see a very constructive debate around this and that discussion is gaining force."

Peak demand

One topic getting more time at CERAWeek this year than it has in the past is transportation, which, with the development of increasingly more fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as electric ones, threatens to upset the oil industry's largest source of demand, Yergin said.

Oil companies and analysts predict that oil demand could peak anywhere from the next decade to the mid-century; Yergin said that debate of peak demand shows how much the industry has changed.

"A decade ago," he said, "it was peak supply."
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Four Republican lawmakers have proposed legislation that would bring big changes to Texas eminent domain laws, providing greater protection for landowners, but driving up costs for consumers.

The value of the trade off is in the eye of the beholder. Will Texas be known for protecting private property rights, or for supporting the energy business?

Texans for Property Rights, a lobbying group representing landowners, is touting the legislation filed by Reps. DeWayne Burns of Cleburne, Trent Ashby of Lufkin, Kyle Kacal of Bryan and Justin Holland of Rockwall.

The group says the bills will fix the unfair advantage that pipeline and transmission companies have over landowners in eminent domain cases. Supporters include the Texas Farm Bureau, the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, the Texas Wildlife Association and 23 other organizations.

"This legislation is a tremendous step toward fixing a faulty process that places landowners at a huge disadvantage when navigating the eminent domain process," Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Richard Thorpe said.

RELATED: Magellan's eminent domain power comes with responsibilities

No one denies that eminent domain authority is necessary for economic development. Since 95 percent of Texas is privately owned, the government must condemn private property to install the infrastructure that makes modern life possible, such as roads, pipelines and transmission lines.

What irks Texas landowners is how the government delegates that authority to private, for-profit companies. A small landowner who wants to negotiate how his or her property is used, or how much compensation he or she receives, frequently feels powerless against a major corporation with a team of lawyers and governmental powers.

Meanwhile the companies that build these facilities are in many cases dealing with hundreds of landowners to piece together a complex right-of-way puzzle with little room to maneuver. One charismatic landowner with an activist ally can cause a lot of trouble, as seen in the demonstrations against the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.

RELATED: Pipelines are necessary for oil and gas

The first bill would make it easier for landowners to fight a company in court by allowing them to recover legal bills if they win significantly higher compensation from the judge than what the company had offered before the suit.

Under the second bill, a judge will be allowed to discover how much a company promised other landowners in private contracts to determine how much other a landowner fighting in court should get paid.

Another measure would require companies to spell out exactly what they will do with the land when they make a bona fide offer, so there will be no surprises later.

Additionally, companies using eminent domain authority would have to post a bond for the landowners' payment so it can't escape compensating the landowner later by declaring bankruptcy.

"As lawmakers, we have to ensure that private property owners are given a fair shot when they negotiate a deal for the use their land," Ashby said.

All of this seems like common sense, but then again, this is Texas, where the energy industry reigns supreme. All of these measures would likely increase the compensation for landowners, and higher costs are always passed on to consumers through higher energy bills.

Lawmakers have proposed similar measures in the past, and they've gotten nowhere. But we live in a new political climate, where individual rights count more. Many Republican leaders are now willing to demand that corporations give a little on social issues when making economic decisions.

The energy industry will lobby against these bill, and they will do it quietly to avoid attracting attention. It'll be fascinating to see if any these measures make it out of committee with at least a fighting chance of becoming law.
A United Nations court has referred Turkey to the Security Council for failing to release a judge imprisoned for suspected involvement in last year's failed coup.

The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) had given Turkey until February 14 to release Aydin Sefa Akay, a Turkish national who was due to hear a request for the case of a Rwandan genocide convict to be reopened.

"The government of Turkey has failed to comply with its obligations," Judge Theodor Meron said in a written ruling Monday. "This matter shall be reported to the United Nations Security Council."


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Houston's First Baptist Church, which for years expanded into the suburbs along with the region's booming population, is making a push back to downtown in pursuit of the millennials, college students and growing families inhabiting the urban core and the neighborhoods around it.

One of the city's most prominent megachurches, with a flagship campus that attracts 7,000 worshippers on Sundays, Houston's First Baptist is expected to close next week on the purchase of a 40,000-square-foot office building in the southeast corner of the central business district. It will transform what is now a union hall at 1730 Jefferson into a satellite worship center for up to 700 people.

Services at the new location are set to begin in April, and renovations are slated to begin within the next several months.

"We told the architects we want to reach out to millennials. We said, 'Let's make it architecturally inviting,'" senior pastor Gregg Matte said. "It's a pretty different-looking church building."

The church moved its main campus out of downtown decades ago. Its return was hailed by Bob Eury, who has worked to grow the population of the inner city though tax breaks for developers and other business-friendly incentives.

More for you Tiny, historic Missouri City church clings to life

"What's so great about it is they can see a future residential community, which is growing up in the area," said Eury, executive director of the Houston Downtown Management District.

'More work to be done'

Over the past two decades, more than $9 billion in public and private investments have been made toward making downtown a more vibrant place, according to district research. Downtown's residential population of 5,400 is more than double what it was in 2004.

Developers have built more than 1,400 residential units in the last two years, and they will add more than 2,000 more within the next year.

In addition, growth has been substantial in the slightly larger area encompassing a two-mile radius from the center of downtown.

This "Greater Downtown" region was home to 65,297 residents in 2014, up 33 percent from 2000, according to the District. More than 50 percent of households are made up of families, and more than 11,000 children call the area home.

Other churches have expanded their ministries to reach a younger population.

"Clearly, a lot of folks are moving in," said Steve Wells, pastor of South Main Baptist Church in Midtown, which is in the final stages of a $12 million sanctuary renovation.

Houston's First Baptist has retained a small presence downtown, currently meeting in the underground tunnel system. Wells said he welcomes the larger presence.

"There is more work to be done than any one church is going to do," he said.

Generous congregation

Some studies show church attendance is shrinking nationally, but First Baptist is increasing in both attendance and membership, said Steven Murray, the church's director of communications.

Financially, it is a church to be reckoned with.

Once the church identified the downtown building it hoped to buy, it was able to obtain almost 80 percent of the purchase price from donors. The rest will be covered from existing church coffers.

Then during a Sunday service in February, the church held a "day of giving" across all of its campuses and asked worshippers to give toward the downtown project to raise the renovation funds.

"We announced the total yesterday: $3.8 million," Murray said. "We are very happy with that."

Aside from its main campus at 7401 Katy Freeway, Houston's First Baptist has locations in Cypress, Sienna Plantation, as well as its downtown congregation. The church also has a Spanish-speaking campus that meets at its Katy Freeway home.

Like other downtown churches, Matte said the new First Baptist satellite will not just minister to the well-to-do young people renting expensive downtown apartments. He noted that a homeless couple who started going to services in the tunnel ended up getting married there.

"We're not looking past them to just reach the hip, urban, cool millennials. We want both," Matte said. "Downtown's a part of our heart and our history. We really want to reach downtown in the sense of making a difference."

Houston's First Baptist started downtown in 1841 and moved out in the 1970s to what was then considered a suburban location along Interstate 10 at the West Loop.

The church has held Bible study classes downtown since it moved, and it restarted Sunday services there in 2011.

Its congregation has been meeting on the tunnel level of 1010 Lamar, the building developed on the site where the church once stood. Sunday services in the tunnel location average about 150 people.

The church's downtown pastor, Lee Hsia, will continue to lead the downtown campus.

The church said it had been looking for a more permanent location for a while as downtown and the neighborhoods around it grew.

"When we started down there, we only had adult stuff, Bible study, worship study," Murray said. "Five years have passed and people have kids. Now we have people that provide classes for children and students."

The church's ministry for college students will move into the new building.

In addition to downtown residents, the church expects to attract worshippers from Midtown, the East End, the River Oaks area and the Heights.

"It's not terribly far from our main campus, but some people go to it for a variety of reasons. They go for the smaller setting and amazing, eclectic, diverse nature of it," Murray said. "At one point, over 20 different nations were represented in that mix down there."

Multipurpose building

The building on Jefferson has a central gathering space on the first floor that will be able to hold between 600 and 700 worshippers, Murray said.

The second and third floors house office space. The church plans to use some of it for Sunday school classes, children's ministries and possibly lease some out to other groups it affiliates with. The Kirksey architecture firm is designing the renovations.

A confidentiality agreement prevented the church from disclosing the purchase price, Murray said.

The building is on about 2 acres and it includes some 90 parking spaces. The church is investigating surface lots around it to see if any may be available for use on Sunday.

The building is owned and occupied by the Communications Workers of America/Local 6222.

Harris County appraised the building and land last year at $5.98 million.
Preservation Houston honored Gerald D. Hines at its annual Cornerstone Dinner for Hines' vision in creating the city's skyline and his impact not just locally, but also globally.

Hines said that early in his career he'd hired on with a company that gave him three options for his first assignment: Baltimore, Indianapolis or Houston. He chose Houston because a few of his fraternity brothers lived here.
As the oil and gas industry gathers in Houston for CERAWeek, a major annual event, geopolitical drivers to oil prices will be a focus.

U.S. shale producers will be particularly attuned to backroom discussions about how Saudi Arabia and Russia are viewing new indications of restored momentum in drilling in the U.S. tight oil patch. The bullish reports on U.S. drilling rates come against the backdrop of statements from close advisers to President Donald Trump that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will make room for U.S. shale.

Chances are OPEC will not abandon attempts to shore up the global oil market, regardless of the newfound staying power of U.S. production. That's because Saudi Arabia has bigger fish to fry when it comes to oil prices. Saudi Arabia's leaders are betting the farm that the sale of 5 percent of Saudi Aramco, the country's national oil company (NOC), in an initial public offering (IPO) can jumpstart a new era of economic reform that will transform the country and create new jobs for a restive and younger population.

To get the sale of Aramco shares on better footing, Saudi Arabia hopes to get oil prices back to the $60 to $70 a barrel range, analysts say. That's one reason the kingdom was willing to broker a deal between OPEC and Russia to cut production.

But the issuance of the IPO is not necessarily all good news for the U.S. oil industry. The first cracks in the plan appeared last week and might be more significant than the industry realizes.

Houston Chronicle: CERAWeek: 'Forces of change' expected to dominate conversation

At issue is how to value Aramco, the world's largest oil reserves holder. Recent reports that respected upstream consultant Wood MacKensie Ltd. was valuing Aramco's core business at $400 billion, far below the $2 trillion assessment suggested by the kingdom's dynamic deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, highlights the dangers now inherent at issuing an IPO for a giant NOC reserve holder. Saudi Arabia has stated proven reserves of 261 billion barrels, some of which scientific modelers say are likely to be stranded -- that is, unable to be monetized due to shrinking market opportunities beyond 2040.

The outcome of an offering of shares in Saudi Aramco could speak volumes about whether the market is ready to discount prolific reserves based on an eventual peaking of demand -- or at least what investors believe is the long term price of oil.

The Saudi idea to capture the future value of reserves in the present and use the money to supplement the national budget and develop new directions for the Saudi economy is not a new one. In the 2000s, as oil prices were climbing, many countries, including China, Russia, Norway, Brazil and India offered equity shares in their NOCs on domestic and international financial markets. Investors, believing oil would continue to appreciate, were enthusiastic to pay a healthy price for the shares that reflected the present discounted value of future revenue streams. Indeed, early buyers of Statoil and Petrobras shares did well.

But times have changed. The notion that oil reserves outside the Middle East and former Soviet Union are rapidly depleting has been turned on its head. Now, with transformational technology breakthroughs and the prospects that shale and other source rock can be produced not only in North America but eventually across the globe, the prospect of reserve depletion seems increasingly more distant.

This new reality has unglued the longstanding guiding principle of the oil industry that depletion in non-OPEC would create an appreciation in value for remaining reserves that would mainly be left in strong NOC hands.

Ben Nelms/Bloomberg

Confidence in the premise that oil under the ground will appreciate over time is also starting to lose its sheen in light of massive writedowns of Canadian oil sands reserves. In other words, players within OPEC and the largest multinational oil companies might no longer feel that they can afford to "warehouse" prolific reserves or reserves that are very expensive to extract and wait to produce them at a later time when they will be more valuable.

Adding to anxiety about long-run reserve valuation are new studies suggesting global oil demand could peak sooner than expected. Some investors now fear that reserve values might even depreciate, meaning that the context for the Saudi IPO might be more difficult than IPOs in the past.

The stakes, analysts say, are high. The possibility of ill fate for Aramco in foreign markets is already prompting criticism at home, opening the possibility that a failed IPO could open up the Saudi government to increased domestic political pressures. Saudi oil reserves are considered the patrimony of the entire country.

But there is also a lot more on the line that how much the kingdom might net from the deal. Internationally, a negative response to an offering of Aramco shares could prompt investors to wonder whether other large oil firms are valuated too high, producing a cascading effect. And what if markets estimate the value of Aramco's reserves based on a number that implies some percentage of reserves will not be produced? ExxonMobil shares have already been losing value lately in the wake of the de-booking of 3.5 billion barrels of high-cost Canadian oil sands reserves. The rejection by the market of lofty Saudi valuations for its large reserve base could cause investors to recalculate the value of other large NOCs with public shares and bring the question of stranded asset risk more front and center.

So as oil industry leaders gather in Houston this week to discuss the future of the industry, optimism about this year's oil prices may be front and center. But cheerfulness about how the Saudi IPO will tie the kingdom's hands to support continued production cuts may be misplaced, if the rest of the financial world doesn't go along with Riyadh's bullish estimate for the net present value of its oil company.

Amy Myers Jaffe is Executive Director, Energy and Sustainability, at the Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) at University of California Davis and a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C.





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Dr. Hossein Yazdani wakes up before sunrise each weekday to beat Houston rush hour. He passes through the Texas Medical Center and drives east another hour, until he reaches the small town of Anahuac, where he's one of just two primary care physicians.

The 72-year-old knows the commute well. He's been making it for 20 years.

In Texas, and across the country, foreign-trained doctors like the Iranian-born Yazdani fill a critical need in rural communities, which often struggle to attract physicians born and trained in the U.S. That reality has been highlighted in the weeks since President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily banning travel from several predominantly Muslim countries.

A revised version of the order issued Monday was intended to keep terrorists from entering the country, but it also threatens to block international medical graduates, who help fill a growing physician shortage.

Yazdani is a classic example. He came to Houston for a prestigious fellowship at Texas Heart Institute. When he completed the training in 1997, he was given two choices: Return to Iran, or apply for a J-1 visa waiver, which allows international doctors to stay in the U.S. in exchange for working as primary care physicians in medically underserved areas.

Yazdani went to work in Anahuac.

"I had to stay three years to meet my requirement," he said during a recent interview at his clinic. "But after that, I was interested to stay here in the community. A lot of doctors are in the big city. But there are poor people here who I like to help."

In Chambers County, where he practices, nearly 80 percent of residents voted for Trump. A few blocks from his tiny clinic, a huge "Trump-Pence" campaign sign is painted on the side of a barn.

But inside his office, he said, politics rarely comes up.

"Patients come to see me, and I help them. That is all," he said. "Patients don't ask where I come from."

Physicians who attended medical school in the six countries affected by Trump's new order  Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Sudan and Somalia  provide 14 million appointments to American patients each year, according to an analysis by Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology economists. That includes more than 2.3 million office visits in areas with doctor shortages.

The original travel ban had been blocked by a federal appeals court. The revised edict issued Monday, designed to appease any constitutional challenges, dropped Iraq from the list of affected countries.

The new order explicitly exempts legal U.S. residents, so it's unlikely to affect foreign-trained doctors already here. But it could prevent dozens of new international medical graduates from being accepted into hospital residency programs in the U.S. this spring, said Travis Singleton, senior vice president of Merritt Hawkins, a Dallas-based medical recruiting firm.

Singleton doesn't believe the ban will have a major impact on the nation's doctor shortage, at least not in the short term, but he worries about the message it sends worldwide. The United States, he said, can't afford to seem unwelcoming.

"We're already in a maxed-out health system that cannot meet demand," said Singleton, whose firm helps place foreign doctors in rural outposts across the country. "Should we not have that 25 percent of physicians who are international medical graduates, I can't imagine how much worse it would be."

The problem is bigger in Texas, Singleton said, where an additional 13,000 doctors are needed just to bring the state in line with the national average of physicians-per-resident. Thirty-five of Texas' 254 counties have no doctors at all. About 150 counties have no general surgeons, psychiatrists or gynecologists.

International doctors are helping fill the gap: A third of Texas' doctors were born abroad, including more than 1,000 from one of the six countries named in Trump's order, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of Texas Medical Board licensing data.

International doctors also fill needs in urban areas. Dr. Ruchdi Barakat, who was born and studied in Syria, completed his residency at UTHealth in Houston, then applied for an E-B1 visa, which allows international residents to stay if they can prove they have extraordinary abilities to contribute to society.

Barakat, 40, is an interventional nephrologist, a new and emerging subspecialty that qualifies him to perform complicated operations on dialysis patients. He runs his own practice, Humble Vascular Access, and sees patients from across the region.

"I'm here because there's a need for me to be here," Barakat said. "If these rules that Trump is proposing now were in effect when I was first coming over, I might not be here today."

Dr. Hassan Albeige also got his medical degree in Syria before coming to New York for a residency program. At the end of his training, he agreed to practice at a rural outpost in East Texas in exchange for a J-1 visa waiver  and never left.

Albeige works as an emergency physician at several rural hospitals outside Tyler, where he lives with his family. Patients who come into the emergency room don't usually ask where he's from, Albeige said, but some do.

"I usually tell them I'm from the Bronx," Albeige said.

He also avoids talking about religion, he said, and didn't wish to disclose his own beliefs for this story.

"I don't make assumptions about my patients, and I'd rather they don't make assumptions about me," he said. "If you've come to me for treatment, it doesn't matter what my religion is or where I'm from, so it's not worth discussing it."

Albeige, 53, doesn't look or sound like most of his neighbors, but after two decades in East Texas, he feels at home there. One thing he does have in common with the majority of his patients: He supports Trump.

Although he disagrees with the administration's policies on immigration and refugee resettlement, which he worries will block his brother in Damascus from getting out of war-torn Syria, he  like many U.S. physicians  considers himself a fiscal conservative.

He hopes Trump follows through on promises to reform the federal tax system.

"I feel like I'm not really a lot different from people here," Albeige said. "When I talk, I think I even sound like an East Texan."

Matt Dempsey contributed to this story.
Harris County officials expect new floodplain maps to show that a major Brays Bayou flood control project has reduced risks in recently inundated neighborhoods such as Meyerland and Bellaire.

The county Flood Control District's update is expected to reflect a considerable reduction of Brays Bayou's floodplain because of wider and deeper channels and detention ponds.

That does not mean homes removed from the floodplain will never flood. A significant amount of rain in the right place, and for the right amount of time, would put any of the county's roughly 4.4 million residents at risk.

The revised maps are part of a broader effort that began more than six years ago to better understand how many people face the most danger from floodwaters in different parts of a rapidly changing county.

"We produce the maps to see what the risks are," said Ataul Hannan, planning division director for the flood control district.

The Brays Bayou floodplain map update began in October and is expected to be finished by 2021.

While floodplain maps have existed since the late 1960s, Harris County's first comprehensive maps weren't developed until 2007. That's when a multi-year, $32 million overhaul of flood control data and practices concluded following the devastation of Tropical Storm Allison in 2001.

The effort showed that many earlier maps were not accurate. It prompted the flood control district to begin routinely reviewing floodplains.

Revised maps can provide a financial benefit to owners of homes along the county's bayous, said Matt Zeve, chief operating officer for the district. Living in a 100-year floodplain - an area that would be flooded if the bayou received a storm so severe that it occurs once every 100 years - requires homeowners to pay more for flood insurance; removing the floodplain designation lowers the premiums.

In May 2016, the district completed the remapping of Sims Bayou in southeast Harris County after a 25-year, nearly $400 million project widened and deepened parts of that bayou.

The new maps removed 4,400 homes and businesses from the floodplain, according to the district. Once the Brays Bayou project is completed, the district estimates that downstream of Beltway 8, 15,000 homes and business will be removed from the 100-year floodplain.

The district is also working on remapping White Oak Bayou's floodplain, an effort that began in October 2015 and is expected to be completed by 2020.

Tom Ballestero, director of the University of New Hampshire's Stormwater Center, said there are many benefits to remapping floodplains, especially in an area like Houston that is constantly changing due to private development and the construction of major flood control projects.

"The landscape isn't static," Ballestero said.

He said climate change has caused fluctuations in precipitation rates across the country, affecting how much water flows into bayous and creeks and how much would spill out in a severe storm.

Improved technology could refine how floodplains are measured. This is particularly important in the flat Houston region, where just inches of floodwaters can ruin homes.

Ballestero said understanding where floodplains begin and end could also help guide future development.

Across the country, he said, cities and counties discourage building homes or preserving homes in floodplains.

In Meyerland, where recent storms have repeatedly inundated hundreds of homes, people will feel more confident buying a house that's no longer in a floodplain, said Ed Wolff, president of Beth Wolff Realtors Real Living, who lives and markets homes in the area. For some prospective homebuyers, Wolff said, floodplains are deal-breakers.

Wolff said his home, which flooded during the Memorial Day 2015 floods, will likely be removed from the floodplain because of the project along Brays Bayou. But enough rain, he said, will cause floods anywhere.

"You're really looking at a difficult prospect to be in Houston anywhere and think that you don't have the potential for flooding," he said.
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An eaglet orphaned two weeks ago, allegedly at the hands of a Houston teenager with a pellet gun, is being hand-fed at a San Antonio wildlife refuge and could be ready for release by the fall.

To minimize its contact with humans and increase its chance of eventually surviving in the wild, rescuers are using a puppet that resembles the head of an adult bald eagle during feeding while searching for a surrogate eagle to teach the fledgling to fly and hunt. That effort appears to be succeeding so far, said John Karger, founder of Last Chance Forever, a conservancy for birds of prey.

"It's accepted the puppet pretty well," Karger said last week. "It's beginning to stand up."

He added that the eaglet, believed to be 5 or 6 weeks old when it was found abandoned in a tall tree overlooking White Oak Bayou, is doing well physically. "It was still a little dehydrated and it had some parasites," he said, "but that's not unusual."

The rehabilitation injects a bit of hope into what police and witnesses describe as an otherwise senseless story. On Feb. 21, an eagle considered "a neighborhood pet" was shot out of the sky while dining on fish entrails thrown out by an admiring resident who lives near the bayou in northwestern Harris County.

A 17-year-old was charged with a pair of state misdemeanors: hunting without landowner consent and shooting a species deemed to be threatened in Texas. He faces a civil restitution penalty that could be more than $10,000. Because of his age, the teen was not charged under federal statutes meant to protect the majestic national symbol.

Dale Jozwiak, who lives in the 9000 block of Vinetree, said the slain eagle had been around for about five years. He said it was the mate of another eagle that continues to fly in the area, to the awe of adults and children alike.

"It's pretty cool," said his 12-year-old son, Corbin Jozwiak. "You hardly see any eagles in Houston."

The elder Jozwiak was still upset last week.

"They just killed it," he said. "He didn't just shoot it once. He shot it several times."

An avid sportsman, Jozwiak often helped feed the family of eagles by tossing the entrails left over after cleaning a fish toward the nearby bayou.

"They'll just swoop right down and take them," he said.

That's what happened on the day the bald eagle was killed. It flew down, grabbed a piece of fish, then perched on a nearby tree.

Jozwiak said he heard a popping sound and assumed someone was shooting turtles nearby. He rushed outside and saw a young man armed with a pellet gun standing over the bald eagle, at that point mortally wounded but still alive.

"He stepped on its neck and shot it several times," Jozwiak said.

He said the shooter was preparing to take the dead eagle with him but fled when Jozwiak began taking photographs of the carcass and the license plate of the accused man's pickup.

"Without that" photograph, he said, "it would have been my word against theirs."

At Last Chance Forever, staffers say the next step is to match the orphaned eaglet with a surrogate eagle and keep human interaction to a minimum. That seems to be working, Karger said.

"It doesn't seem to want to be around us, and that is exactly what we want," he said. "We want to get it back into the wild."

The rehab could take about six months. Karger said the bird would not be released near its former territory in Houston because related eagles might consider it a threat or at least a competitor.

"The bird would be a stranger to them," he said.

Bald eagles are no longer on the endangered species list, though Karger couldn't say exactly how many call Texas home. But he said it's not unusual for some to nest in urban settings.

"As long as nobody harasses them," he said, "they have a pretty good tolerance of humans."
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As the elevator doors open on the fourth floor of Houston Museum of Natural Science, a giant hunk of metal rotates around a pipe, much like a wrench would tighten around a bolt. There's a "whoosh" as machinery turns.

The "iron roughneck," as it's known, is a state-of-the-art piece of machinery used on offshore drilling rigs, and it's the first thing visitors see when they arrive at the museum's fourth floor and step into the newly retooled Wiess Energy Hall.

The rig is a replica. But Paul Bernhardt wants visitors to see it and imagine they are hundreds of miles off the coast of Texas, standing on a platform anchored to the ocean floor.

"It was tricky, even with some of the connections we have in the energy industry, but we were able to get a couple of team members out on a real rig in the Gulf because we want to be able to recreate an experience for our visitors that few people get to have," said Bernhardt, the consultant hired by the museum to design and build the new space.

The rig is just one of several new exhibits in what museum staff have dubbed "Wiess Energy Hall 3.0," which is currently about 70 percent complete. Because the construction has occurred out of public view, not all museum visitors are aware the $40 million project is unfolding above them.

The hall is set to open to the public in November and will quadruple the space reserved for Wiess and represents an exciting - and rare - opportunity for the museum to design a permanent exhibit hall from the ground up.

Museum officials concede the former Wiess Hall had grown a bit tired in recent years. It was last updated in 2004, long before the shale boom and long before renewable energy obtained the foothold that it currently has in the market.

"We had given the former hall a couple tune-ups in the past, but the mandate from the board is not only does the scientific content within each exhibit have to be the latest and greatest, but the technology we use to present those exhibits has to be state of the art," said Joel Bartsch, the museum's president. "And that's what we've done with the new Wiess Hall."

'You better get it right'

The project was funded as part of a capital campaign launched in 2012 exclusively with the intent of updating Wiess Hall, which was one of the early anchors of the museum when it opened at its current location in 1969. Some of the early iterations of Wiess consisted largely of models of oil derricks, displays of geologic cross sections and pieces of equipment that were so old, many people forgot how they were once used.

Wiess 3.0 is a different story.

Not only will it explain the science behind various sources of energy, it will capitalize on new museum display technology, such as touch-screens, high-quality video resolution, and better LED lighting.

While the old hall told the story of energy from "Big Bang to burner tip," Wiess 3.0 will tell an even broader story, meticulously delving into geological processes, discovery, exploration and use of hydrocarbons and renewable forms of energy, such as wind, solar and geothermal.

"Renewables are front and center," said Jeff Poss, the museum's vice president of exhibits and facilities. "They're not hidden in the back."

The team of animators, designers and engineers has gone to great lengths to make sure every detail is painstakingly true to life, consulting with local experts so that everything is accurate, from the color of basalt to the way sedimentary rock is layered.

"Trust me, when you're trying to recreate a rock formation in a town that's full of geologists, you better get it right," Bartsch said.

'Incredibly cool'

While some of the Wiess exhibits got a makeover, others are brand new.

Such is the case with the "EFX 3000," otherwise known as the Eagle Ford Shale Experience.

The moving theater - don't call it a ride - will simulate a trip to the South Texas field and down into the bore hole of an oil well. It's a bit of a time machine and drilling adventure wrapped into one experience.

"We take the science and education piece of it very seriously, but we have to make it fun and find a way to spark people's imagination and hope that they want to learn more after they leave the museum," Bartsch said. "It's all incredibly cool."

Also new is "Energy City" a 2,500-square-foot, 3-D landscape representing Houston, the surrounding Gulf coastal waters, and the terrain of southeast Texas.

The milk-white model city is eye-catching. But the magic really happens when the museum staffers turn on a series of projectors that cast images on the models, simulating windows on buildings, turning day to night, and making cars and trains "move" throughout the city.

To come up with the concept, the museum's consultants visited the Minautur Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany, for inspiration, but the end result far exceeds similar museum exhibits because of the quality of the 3-D projection, Poss said.

In designing the new hall, Bernhardt and his team visited museums around the country, scouting other energy exhibits. There seems to be one key difference between those and Wiess 3.0., he said.

"This is bigger and better. There's no question about it."
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A Texas lawmaker has filed legislation aimed at expanding protections for minorities and the mentally ill during interactions with law enforcement.

House Bill 2702, the so-called Sandra Bland bill, comes more than a year and a half after Waller County jailers found the 28-year-old dead in her cell from what coroners ruled a suicide. Bland had been jailed after a controversial and heated traffic stop in July 2015 near Prairie View A&M University, her alma mater.

"Sandra Bland died in jail because our jails are not as safe as they could be," said State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, in a statement about the legislation that was filed Thursday. "And ... people who have yet to be proven guilty and even those proven guilty should not be subject to the dangers found in our jails."

Bland's arrest and death prompted a torrent of criticism aimed at the Texas Department of Public Safety and led to misdemeanor charges for the trooper, Brian Encinia, who pulled her over on July 10, 2015 after he said she failed to signal a lane change. The Waller County Sheriff's Office also came under substantial criticism after discoveries that jailers did not watch her closely enough and did not follow proper procedures classifying her as a potentially high-risk inmate.

The legislation would broaden what qualifies as racial and ethnic profiling; require treatment and diversion from jail for substance abusers or people deemed to be in having a mental health crisis; and create more training and reporting requirements for county jails and law enforcement.

Bland's advocates hailed the drafted legislation, which still must be referred to the committee and face a vote in both the House and Senate.

"To me, this is an example of America at her very best," said Cannon Lambert, a civil rights attorney who represented Bland's family in a $1.9 million lawsuit against DPS and Waller County. "It's an example of how to identify and acknowledge a problem  and how to fix it."

Anti-profiling effort

The bill requires officers to complete a de-escalation training program, including "techniques for limiting the use of force," and attend a 40-hour training on crisis intervention techniques for "interaction with persons with mental impairments."

Coleman's legislation would require law enforcement agencies to develop a written policy on racial discrimination and require departments to implement and provide a complaint process for anyone stopped for a traffic violation if they believe they are being racially profiled by the officer.

For the first profiling offense, the officer would be required to attend counseling and training; after that, they would receive a suspension "not less than six months."

The bill would also require agencies to collect data on the detainee's race or ethnicity, whether a search was conducted, whether physical force was used and if a disproportionate number of drivers were stopped compared to the racial makeup of the county.

Law enforcement advocates have expressed serious reservations about the legislation, which could hinder its passage.

A 'blanket measure'

Charley Wilkison, executive director of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, has said CLEAT opposes any effort to keep officers from questioning people they have stopped. He said follow-up questions and searches often lead to evidence of human trafficking or drugs and help track down criminals who may have acted suspiciously when approached by law enforcement officers.

"The things we're wary of is some sort of blanket punitive measure that is intended to prohibit an officer's ability to ask questions to do their jobs and stop crime," he told the Dallas Morning News last week.

Wilkison did not oppose measures in the bill aimed at devoting more resources for training officers or jailers who interact with the mentally ill, he said, particularly grant programs for smaller counties to meet those burdens.

The bill would bar officers from arresting an individual for a fine-only misdemeanor and from conducting a "roadside investigation" during a traffic stop without evidence that a crime beyond the traffic violation occurred.

The bill would also expand officer accountability in violent jail incidents. Sheriffs would have to report "serious incidents"  suicides, deaths, serious injuries, use of force incidents and sexual assaults  to the Commission on Jail Standards monthly, where the data would be made public and would establish a minimum standard for acts of force.

Law enforcement agencies would also be required to implement a system for inmates to file complaints against guards and compile data on those complaints.

In the case of an inmate's death, the agency operating the jail where the death occurred would be required to hand over all evidence to a Department of Public Safety-appointed third-party agency to investigate.

Mental illness resources

The bill also expands care for mentally ill inmates. Police would first be required to make an effort to send people to treatment before making an arrest if they are having a mental health crisis or experiencing substance abuse while committing a non-violent misdemeanor.

County jails would also be required to guarantee inmates the same medications they would be taking if not in jail and provide round-the-clock access to a mental health professional, as well as ensure regular cell checks enforced by an electronic clocking system.

The bill must be referred to committee and still faces floor votes in the House and Senate.
Backgrounder: World recorders created by construction equipment "made in China"

From:Xinhua | 2017-03-06 05:40

LAS VEGAS, March 5 (Xinhua) -- As the largest manufacturingcountry of construction equipment in the world, China has sent adream team to show in 2017 CONEXPO-CON/AGG, the largestinternational trade show for the construction industries all aroundworld that takes place every three years.

Chinese companies will prove they are all-round champion in theindustry to 130,000 professionals joined the event from March. 7 to11 as the country has created many world records in recent years.Here are some examples.

5200 tonne meters

Zoomlion developed the largest upper swivel horizontal boomtower crane with lifting torque of 5200 tonne meters in the worldin 2010, which played critical role in the construction of a numberof bridges over the Yangtze River.

4000 tonnes of crawler crane

In 2012 XCMG developed 4000 tonnes of crawler cranes, thelargest crawler crane in the world, for the construction of nuclearpower plants.

101 meters

In 2012, Zoomlion developed the carbon fiber boom concrete pumpwith highest boom of 101 meters in the world.

621 meters

On September 7, 2015, Sany created the world record of concretepumping height of 621 meters in Tianjin.

3640 tonne meters

Yongmao Building Machinery developed the largest topless towercrane with maximum lifting torque of 3640 tonne meters in the worldin 2016.

12 tonne wheel loader

The largest 12 tonne class wheel loader in China was developedby XCMG and Liugong.

400 tonne crawler excavator

The largest 400 tonne crawler excavator in China was developedby XCMG.

900 horsepower bulldozer

The largest 900 horsepower bulldozer in China was developed bySantui. Enditem
AUSTIN -- Texas' controversial "bathroom bill" picked up the support of a conservative Democrat on Monday, as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other Senate leaders predicted they now have the necessary votes to pass it through the upper chamber.

With the support of North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and a drive to get a million Texas churchgoers to voice their support to lawmakers, Patrick announced that state Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, will support the bill -- even as some Senate Republicans still are reported to be wavering.

Strongly opposed as discriminatory by transgender advocates and an economic disaster by business interests who say it will drive off investments and sporting events, Senate Bill 6 is slated for a public hearing on Tuesday before the Senate State Affairs Committee.

SEEKING SUPPORT: Backers of 'bathroom bill' seek to rally Christians

Patrick and other Texas supporters for weeks had insisted the Texas bill is not like a North Carolina law pushed through by Forest. Forest said Monday that the issues in his state and Texas are the same --privacy and public safety -- and that the bills are very similar.

"This is not about transgender rights, it is about preventing a free pass to sexual predators who are not transgender from walking into any bathroom at any time," Patrick told reporters at a Capitol press conference. "We make accommodations for those who need accommodations . . . This is the right thing to do."

Asked whether the votes are there in the Senate to pass the bill and send it to the House, Patrick said he feels "sure we will have a successful outcome." To get it through the Senate, Patrick needs 19 votes to get the measure debated.

FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT: Justice Department backs off request to halt 'bathroom bill'

Though Patrick did not discuss specific numbers, 15 Republican senators have signed on as co-sponsors out of 20 GOP lawmakers in the Senate. The other five have either not said publicly whether they support the measure, although most senators say they expect Patrick -- the Senate's presiding officer -- will convince enough to support it.

With the exception of Lucio, the chamber's other Democrats have said they oppose the bill. Lucio previously has disagreed with his party on other social issues, most noticeably as an abortion foe.

His announced support for the bill touched off scrambling among both supporters and opponents on the eve of the committee vote. With Lucio's support, Patrick now has at least 16 senators as confirmed supporters.

"Children, you and parents in these difficult situations deserve compassion, sensitivity and respect without infringing on legitimate concerns about privacy and security from other students and parents," Lucio said. He characterized the bill as "a just and compassionate approach."

Patrick said the new grass-roots initiative, "Operation One Million Voices," will rely on an outpouring of support for the bill to lawmakers in both the Senate and House, where the measure faces a rockier path to passage than in the Senate where Patrick has tagged its passage as a top priority.

OPPOSITION: Big investors warn Texas against 'bathroom bill'

Gov. Greg Abbott has not said publicly whether he supports the bill, though Patrick noted Monday that Abbott has voiced his support for the repeal of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance and the North Carolina law.

SB 6 would require people using restrooms in government buildings and public schools and universities to use the one that matches their birth gender. State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, a Brenham Republican who is the author, said transgender people would be offered an alternative.

Patrick said the grass-roots drive will involve more than 300 pastors and congregants in churches from Amarillo to the Rio Grande Valley, and from Texarkana to El Paso. Many of those pastors will be attending Tuesday's committee hearing, he said.

>>>Scroll through the gallery to see 10 things to know about the Texas 'bathroom bill' lawmakers are currently considering
Summer jobs were once a rite of passage, a way of figuring out what you did or didn't want to do with your life. But in 2014 only about a third of young people could find a summer job, according to Chronicle business columnist Chris Tomlinson.

For many Texas youth who live in economically disadvantaged households, the barriers to finding a summer job, especially a meaningful one, are formidable. Their families may lack a tradition of higher education or professional employment. Students may not know how to put together a resume, how to locate internships or how to apply.

Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Greater Houston Partnership have created a program that seeks to remedy this situation. The Hire Houston Youth Program encourages employers to post internship opportunities and trains students on the application process.

While accepting applications from all youth, the program focuses on students in some of the most disadvantaged parts of the city. To buttress interns' future employment success, the mayor and the partnership have recruited 40 community groups to train the new employees on how they should conduct themselves in a professional work environment before they start work in jobs many have never heard of.

The program aims to place around 5,000 interns this summer - five times more than it did last year. But the business and philanthropic communities should go even higher and adopt the goal that every young Houstonian who wants a job this summer and is willing to work hard should have that chance.

Summer jobs foster a sense of responsibility while allowing students to earn much-needed income and to help families struggling to get by. They give children of poverty hope, but also a life goal.

A robust youth job program broadens the horizons of the participants and meets workforce needs, as well. "If we fundamentally believe that the people of this region are our most important asset, then we should spend the time to make sure they are developed effectively," Peter Beard, the partnership's senior vice president of workforce development, told Tomlinson.

Private individuals can help with this effort, too. For a $2,500 tax-deductible donation, Hire Houston Youth will place a young person in a paid internship with a nonprofit organization that needs the extra hands.

The alternative is bleak. People who fail to find work early in their lives run a risk of being unemployed and underemployed into early adulthood and beyond, according to researchers. That's needless lost potential.

Let's don't let Houston's youth languish during summer's dog days. Put them to work.
Bigger issues

Regarding "Trump's fuss in transgender case is misplaced" (Page A32, Feb. 26), any data source you choose will show that the transgender population of the United States is less than 1 percent. Why are we spending so much emotional time, political capital, legal fees, etc. to work on a problem that affects fewer than 1 percent of our population?

We have a multitude of issues that are more pressing than transgender rights. For starters we have the lack of educational rights that are due for special-needs students; we have a state-wide educational system that is rated in the bottom third of the U.S.; we have a health-care dilemma that is unraveling before our eyes, and we have an immigration issue that seems to be in our face each day.

Why not force our congressional and state representatives to focus on the really tough issues that affect tens of millions of us instead of the emotional issue surrounding 1 percent of our citizens that arouse voters but do little to fix our pressing needs?

There are only so many days the Texas Legislature is in session. It is a lot easier for legislators to spend those days talking about transgenders than working an overall immigration bill that will stand the test of time..

Curt Anderson, Woodlands

Property taxes

Regarding "Montgomery County backs 'meaningful' tax relief, not SB2" (Feb. 24, Page A3), while some lawmakers in Austin are pushing the envelope on providing property tax relief to Texas residents and businesses, local municipalities are fighting tooth and nail to keep money in their pockets and keep with the status quo.

Senate Bill (SB) 2, The Texas Property Tax Reform and Relief Act of 2017, would require cities and counties to ask for voter approval for any property tax hike greater than 4 percent, the previous threshold was 8 percent, and would not affect school district taxes.

SB 2 provides much-needed relief to Texas home and business owners watching their property taxes increase year after year with little recourse. However, instead of advocating for a bill that would benefit all residents and businesses, local governments are lobbying state legislatures to vote down SB 2.

The Texas Municipal League and Texas Association of Counties are working diligently to keep Texans hard-earned money in the coffers of local governments, instead of giving them an avenue to fight increasing property taxes.

We urge state leaders to make true appraisal district reform, as well as mandatory tax rate rollbacks, a priority this legislative session.

Tammy K. Betancourt, board member, Texas Building Owners & Managers Association

Just imagine

I don't pay taxes to the Katy ISD so one could claim I have no standing to weigh in on this issue, but I had trouble keeping my blood from boiling when I read "Katy stadium name reflects district's 'Legacy'" (Page A5, Thursday). I did some back-of-the-envelope calculations and concluded that $72 million could:

Hire more than 1,000 teachers (full or part-time).

Purchase roughly 2,300,000 library books.

Buy 120,000 laptop computers.

Put 500 new school buses on the road.

Were I parent of a Katy ISD student, this is one "Legacy" I wouldn't be proud of.

Bill Wilson, Houston
Founded as a safe haven for the oppressed and built by generations of immigrants, the United States has a proud tradition of promoting diversity and compassion, which has made our country more prosperous and vibrant. All Americans benefit when we have policies that seek the highest level of health for all people. Our country's shared well-being is stronger with our immigrant and refugee communities who fuel innovation and contribute to our economic growth.

Recent executive actions on refugees and immigration contradict this healthier, stronger and more inclusive vision of America. The orders to withhold federal funding from "sanctuary" cities, begin construction of a wall on the Mexican border, pause the refugee program and ban entry from seven Muslim-majority countries are not only contrary to American values of diversity and compassion - but also pose a threat to our overall public health.

As a community leader working to provide health care to some of Houston's most diverse and underserved communities, I am concerned about the impact these orders will have on the health and wellbeing of America's families, children and workers. Along with other health-care providers across the country, I am concerned that these orders could harm America's health and resilience. Families thrive when they can live without fear of deportations and other discriminatory policies; they deteriorate when marginalized and are targeted.

As a first-generation immigrant, I am grateful for the opportunities this country has given me, including the opportunity to work at HOPE Clinic - a community health center that employs over 130 individuals from over 25 different countries, and provides much needed care to over 15,000 people in the Greater Houston area. America has given me the opportunity to build healthier communities for my children and for all future generations, including new immigrants, like me, who come to this country with a desire to contribute and build a better future.

These executive orders not only affect people from the targeted countries, it also affects you and me. We live in a world that is interconnected and inclusion makes us richer - hope and compassion build bridges not walls. Like me, so many in our health-care workforce are foreign-born and dedicate their lives to improving the health of all communities. Polices that segregate and discriminate will not make America healthier or stronger.

Internationally trained physicians often help address physician shortages in the United States, and meet the critical demands of providing care to underserved populations like those served by our clinic. Policies that block the immigration of these medical professionals will not only set our country back as a world leader in health care, but will also impact the health of Americans most in need.

With roots in the civil rights movement, community health centers like HOPE Clinic, serve anyone who walks through their doors. Serving nearly 25 million patients each year and providing $24 billion in annual health system savings, America's health centers serve as a leading model of quality health care. It is from this public health lens that I look at the impact of these executive orders.

We know that our health-care system benefits from the contributions of immigrants from around the world, and a diverse health workforce is necessary for our nations' health. As a health-care provider promoting a diverse and culturally competent workforce that supports innovations in health care and improved health for all of our patients, I reject discriminatory policies that target individuals based on ethnicity, religion, country of origin, or any other grounds. I stand committed to the Hippocratic oath to provide care to all those in need. I stand to defend the American Dream.

Caracostis, a medical doctor, is CEO of Hope Clinic in Houston.
My grandmother once told me, God gave you two ears and one mouth so that you would listen more than you speak. On Tuesday night I listened and followed along as President Trump delivered the most important speech of his new Presidency. What I heard was a message of strength, of unity, and of determination from a President committed to using his time in office to put the needs of the American worker, family, and farmer first above all else.

Laid out were plans to rebuild our military, invest in our nations infrastructure, and to take care of our veterans. I heard about investment in students, in those underemployed and unemployed as well as a plan to make life easier for working parents. Our President talked about his desire to work with Republicans and Democrats alike to remove the government intrusion between you and the doctor of your choice and to lower the costs of sky rocketing healthcare premiums for millions of Americans. He talked about reducing the regulatory and taxation burden which is suffocating so many middle class families, farmers, and small businesses. He laid out a vision for securing our border, properly vetting those trying to enter our country, and enhancing the safety and security of American families.

Maybe what struck me the most was the stark contrast of this speech compared to the empty rhetoric of the last eight years. Instead of a glorified vision of what change may one day come, I heard a man determined to actually take the steps now to improve the lives of Americans tomorrow. Just this week the President finally put an end to the dreaded Waters of the United States Rule which would have allowed the EPA to regulate every lake, pond, stream or flow of water on a farmers land. This is something I have authored language to defund and that over my last two annual farm tours I have heard consistent concerns, complaints and criticisms about  Washington regulators who have never step foot inside Missouri writing rules and orders impacting the very families and farmers back home who are charged with feeding the world.

The President was spot on, In 2016, the earth shifted beneath our feetthe chorus became an earthquake. He was speaking to you, to me, and to all of us who have had enough of the government knows best mentality. To us who want to shrink the size of a bloated federal government, who believe in personal liberties and freedoms and who believe our founders knew what they were doing when they wrote the United States Constitution.

For me, one of the most memorable moments occurred when the President was speaking about his role as Commander in Chief and a return of the United States to its rightful place as a world leader who stands with its allies and deters its enemies. The President recognized Carryn Owens, the widow of Senior Chief William Ryan Owens of the U.S. Navy. Ryan died giving his life to secure Americas place in the world. He went to those countries few will ever visit  those areas where coward terrorist networks live, plan, and hide. Ryans job was to gather intelligence on and help root out these hate filled individuals in order to keep American families safe thousands of miles away. Ryan gave his life so that your family, my family and our friends and families around Missouri are secure each and every day.

When I think about people like Ryan, it is easy for me to answer back  Yes, Mr. President, we are ready to lead again.

Jason Smith represents Missouris 8th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. Contact him at 573-335-0101 or visit https://jasonsmith.house.gov
The organization that is renovating the iconic Melba Theatre in downtown Houston is seeking financial help to restore the neon and marquee on the front of the Grand Avenue building.

Downtown Houston Inc. says the low bid among three firms making proposals is about $11,000. The organization is ready to authorize the work, but first must raise some money.

Bids were earlier reviewed for sound, lighting and curtains. Gentry Construction Co. of Houston is the general contractor for the project, which includes a complete renovation of the building, which was built in 1938. It has been idle since the early 1980s. Downtown Houston Inc. raised the funds for the work through the Missouri Neighborhood Assistance Program, which gives generous tax breaks to donors.

Those donating to the neon project are eligible for a federal tax-deduction.

The marquee will once again be lit and neon installed on the front of the building with the name of the theatre spelled out. Lighting also will be placed on the ceiling of the entrance near a ticket booth.

Persons wanting to help with the project can send a check to: Downtown Houston Inc., P.O. Box 170, Houston, Mo. 65483. Checks also can be dropped off at Family Dentistry, Houston Herald and the law offices of Brad Eidson or Bill Gladden.

Construction work on the Melba is slated to be completed by summer.

Persons wanting to help with the project can send a check to: Downtown Houston Inc., P.O. Box 170, Houston, Mo. 65483. Checks also can be dropped off at Family Dentistry, Houston Herald and the law offices of Brad Eidson or Bill Gladden.

PDF: Neon campaign begins
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Around 400 rebuild workers are expected to benefit from the free advice which will also cover how to ensure personal protective equipment  such as face masks and ear plugs  are fitted correctly.

Too many people become ill or die each year because of exposure to a health risk through their work, said Burt. This is just one initiative that aims to raise awareness about the importance of treating health like safety.

Terry Johnson, director of Simpson Griersons health and safety advisory services, said its becoming increasingly apparent that New Zealand must do more to protect employees health, rather than just their safety.

"There is a general acknowledgement amongst health and safety practitioners that we dont do enough in New Zealand workplaces on the effect of work on employees' long term health, he told HRM.

While Johnson praised the initiative, the also said it would only be truly effective of organisational leaders step in and offer support.
Disneys live-action Beauty and the Beast hasnt even been released yet and its already receiving a ton of backlash.

Last week, director Bill Condon revealed the film will feature Disneys first gay character. LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston, he said in an interview with Attitude magazine. Hes confused about what he wants.

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Unfortunately, LeFous change in sexuality sparked backlash online, with many encouraging people to boycott the film.

Boycott Disney's Beauty and the Beast. There is a character who is confused about his sexuality. Why are they teaching this to our youth?  John A Dodson (@johnnylovsjesus) March 1, 2017

One of the most vocal boycotters includes Christian evangelist Franklin Graham. Last Thursday, Graham criticized Disney in a Facebook post for normalizing the LGBTQ community.

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They're trying to push the LGBT agenda into the hearts and minds of your childrenwatch out! he wrote. Disney has the right to make their cartoons, it's a free country. But as Christians we also have the right not to support their company.

In addition to the boycott, an Alabama theatre announced it will not screen the film due to the homosexual character and Russia is currently debating whether or not they will ban the film, as it potentially violates their law against gay propaganda.

Despite the strong backlash, director Condon is standing by his decision to include a gay character in Beauty and the Beast.

At a press conference in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday, he said: I talked before about how we translate this into live-action. That means building out the characters. Its also a translation to 2017, you know? And what is the movie about? What has this story always been about for 300 years? Its about looking closer, going deeper, accepting people for who they really are.

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In a very Disney way, we are including everybody, he continued. I think this is for everybody, and on the screen well see everybody. And that was important to me.

A post shared by Josh Gad (@joshgad) on Feb 16, 2017 at 2:28pm PST





At the films world premiere, actor Josh Gad said he was really proud to play LeFou, but made it clear that there was nothing in the script that said LeFou is gay.

Bill Condon did an amazing job of giving us an opportunity to create a version of LeFou that isnt like the original, that expands on what the original did, but that makes him more human and that makes him a wonderfully complex character to some extent, he said.

Also on HuffPost

What Disney Princesses Would Look Like As Parents See Gallery
Having a female bestie is crucial in a womans life. Not only is this lady your confidant, but she is your ally, your cheerleader, your psychiatrist and your partner-in-crime.

Dr. Irene S. Levine, psychologist and author of The Friendship Doctor, describes female friendships as the most meaningful but complex relationships in womens lives. These unique bonds often run deeper than family ties and last longer than relationships with husbands and lovers.

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Since March is Womens History Month, were taking a look at what we can learn from our favourite female besties. Here are nine friendship lessons from celebrity BFFs.

2001/2016 I love that we almost always stand on the same side of each other. Also, can I just say-we aren't at a costume party in 2001. That's legit how we were dressed for a regular night out. I guess I really was my character from Cougartown? And thank God my eyebrows grew back. A post shared by Busy Philipps (@busyphilipps) on Dec 19, 2016 at 6:58am PST





We all know you dont need to get hitched to lead a happy life. Heck, you dont even need a significant other for that matter, just as long as youve got your BFF at your side. Michelle Williams and Busy Phillips are proof of that.

Williams recently opened up about how tough it is to date as a single mom. But despite this, she has always been adamant that she doesnt need a man in her life as long as she has her best friend.

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In December, the 36-year-old actress brought Phillips as her date to a screening of her film Manchester by the Sea.

Im here with my best friend, she told People magazine. Im so in love with her. Shes proof that the love of your life does not have to be a man! Thats the love of my life right there.

Taraji P. Henson greets Viola Davis at the 2012 NAACP Image Awards.

At award shows, BFFs Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson are always the first to congratulate each other, despite being direct competitors.

At the 2015 Emmys, both actresses were nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. When it was announced that Davis had won, Henson was the first to embrace her and give her a standing ovation.

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In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Henson spoke about her friend's win. I think the universe is happy, she said. Viola deserved that reward, and, honestly, I would have felt weird if I had gotten it over her. She's been doing it longer and you just have to give respect and know when your time is.

Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston at the 2010 Crystal + Lucy Awards in 2010.

Losing friends as you get older is an unfortunate fact of life. Luckily, one of the best places to form new friendships is at work.

In 1994, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox met on the set of Friends and have been BFFs ever since. Over the years, the two have been there for each other through all of lifes ups and downs, including the birth of Coxs daughter Coco, both of their divorces and Anistons second marriage.

In 2014, Aniston, who is the godmother of Coxs daughter, spoke of their friendship. There's absolutely no judgment in Court, she told More magazine. You'll never feel scolded. She's extremely fair, ridiculously loyal and fiercely loving.

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She also added: [Courteneys] been there for me through thick and thin.

Reese Witherspoon and Kate Winslet at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards.

Kate Winslet and Reese Witherspoon might seem like an odd pair, but the two actually became fast friends thanks to the suggestion of wine.

Recalling their first meeting in 2007, Witherspoon said, Imagine my good fortune when Kate Winslet moved into my neighbourhood, rang my doorbell, and said, Dahling, Sam [Mendes] is off shooting and I believe our children are the same age. Could they possibly have a playdate, and, oh, by the way, it's almost 9 o'clock and I've had nothing to drink  do you have any wine?

Good #friends are forever Los buenos #amigos son para siempre. #spain #mexico #penelopecruz A post shared by Salma Hayek Pinault (@salmahayek) on Jan 10, 2017 at 8:22am PST





Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz have been friends for over 20 years and have watched each other grow. During their years of friendship, they came up with a cute nickname for each other: huevos, which means eggs.

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She's one of my best friends, Cruz told Allure in 2014. We call each other huevos. It was because when we were working together, we didn't have children yet, so we used to sleep much more than now. So it was a way to call each other lazy. We slept in the same bed so many times, and it was like she was always trying to wake me up and call me huevos.

Rashida Jones and Natalie Portman at the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.

The best part about having a BFF is that they love you for who you are. While Natalie Portman and Rashida Jones have kept their friendship on the down low for years, Jones describes their relationship as being full of love.

[Natalie] would fight beasts 10 times her size to protect the people she loves, she told MTV back in 2009. She is the kind of friend who can sub in and love you through the times when you can't necessarily love yourself.

If thats not friendship, we dont know what is!

Hangin' with @reesewitherspoon ,@mindykaling the Mrs's from Wrinkle in Time, sending  your way Valentines. #happyvalentinesday A post shared by Oprah (@oprah) on Feb 14, 2017 at 8:04am PST

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Sure, everyone has their own group of friends who they know will stick by them no matter what. But that doesnt mean you cant make new ones every now and then. Mindy Kaling, Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoons friendship reminds us of that.

The trio was spotted in New Zealand last month having the time of their lives as they filmed Disneys A Wrinkle in Time. Clearly new friendships mean new adventures!

Couldn't be more excited to discover #NewZealand with this lady!!!  @mindykaling A post shared by Reese Witherspoon (@reesewitherspoon) on Feb 16, 2017 at 11:12am PST





Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning at the 23rd Annual ELLE Women In Hollywood Awards.

After filming the Twilight series, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning became friends. Since then, they have been very vocal about their friendship and we have to admit, its the cutest.

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Last year, Fanning got the chance to introduce Stewart at ELLE's Women in Hollywood Awards and she took the opportunity to gush about her bestie.

I can honestly say that my friendship with Kristen is one of the most special bonds in my life, Fanning said. She has held my hair back and talked me through heartbreak. She has always been there for me when I have needed her most and most of all she has taught me the power of being one hundred per cent yourself one hundred per cent of the time. I can't present an award to Kristen Stewart and not say fuck so, lastly, I love you so fucking much.

Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz at CinemaCon in Vegas on March 2011.

You know you are true friends when your bestie is willing to break you out of jail. At least, thats how Drew Barrymore measures her strong friendship with Cameron Diaz.

Not that any one of us are going to jail anytime soon, Barrymore said last year. But 100 per cent. She would, like, get in there and get you out.

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The Charlies Angels stars have been friends for 17 years and have always been there for each other. For instance, after Barrymore announced her split from Will Kopelman, Diaz revealed to People magazine that she was helping her friend cope.

Everybody pulls the wagons around, you know, our friends, whoever needs us at whatever point in time, even if its like something that the public doesnt know about, Diaz explains. Internally were all going like, OK, who needs us now?

Also on HuffPost
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canadians should be "prepared" for Russian attempts to destabilize the country's political system like those directed at the United States.

At a press conference with Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, where the government announced it is extending its training mission with Ukraine until 2019, Freeland was asked about a series of articles on pro-Russian websites alleging one of her grandparents was a Nazi sympathizer.

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The Globe and Mail's Robert Fife asked Freeland, who has been banned from entering Russia, if she saw this as a campaign by the Russians to "smear and discredit" her.

"Let me start, Rob, by saying that I don't think all Russians dislike me," Freeland said. "I have many close and good Russian friends and I very much enjoyed living and working in Moscow as a foreign correspondent.

"I think that it is also public knowledge that there have been efforts, as U.S. intelligence forces have said, by Russia to destabilize the U.S. political system. I think that Canadians and indeed other western countries should be prepared for similar efforts to be directed at us."

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Pleased to announce extension of Op UNIFIER, deploying 200 Cdn Armed Forces to #Ukraine to develop Ukrainian Armed Forces capacity #cdnpolipic.twitter.com/HeCzq5lUJZ  Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) March 6, 2017

Those attempts were highlighted in an intelligence report, prepared by the FBI, CIA and National Security Agency, that said Russian President Vladimir Putin directed efforts to intervene in the U.S. election.

Russian efforts to influence the 2016 US presidential election represent the most recent expression of Moscows longstanding desire to undermine the US-led liberal democratic order, but these activities demonstrated a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort compared to previous operations, the three agencies concluded in the January report.

Freeland said she is confident in Canada's democracy and that "we can stand up to and see through those efforts."

Ukraine mission a 'message of deterrence'

By extending its training mission, Sajjan said Canada is showing it stands by Ukraine and sending a 'very strong' message of deterrence to Russia.

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Conservative foreign affairs critic Peter Kent criticized the Liberals' "bare-bones" mission extension in question period Monday, saying it fell far short of what was needed, given the new surge in violence.

"Our worst concerns have been realized today with a bare-bones extension of Operation Unifier, which doesn't recognize the very changed situation in eastern Ukraine," he said. "We are disappointed."

Canada first deployed about 200 troops to Ukraine in the summer of 2015 to help train government forces after Russia annexed Crimea and began supporting separatist forces in Ukraine's Donbass region.

National Defence says 3,200 Ukrainian troops have been trained by the Canadians in the basics of soldiering since the mission began.

With files from Althia Raj and The Canadian Press

Also on HuffPost

Trudeau Cabinet's Order Of Precedence See Gallery
Sex makes you happy and the more sex you have the happier you are. You know it's true, but you probably didn't know why  until now.

According to a new study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, it's all about the cuddles.

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When engaging in sex, people not only seek an intimate connection, but indeed experience more affection, both when having sex and in the next several hours, University of Toronto postdoctoral researcher Anik Debrot wrote in her report.

For her study, Debrot looked at four different groups and monitored frequency of sex and touch. In one test group, Debrot looked at the diaries of 106 Swiss couples with children and found that the more sex a couple had in the span of 10 days, the more satisfaction the couple felt in their relationship up to six months later.

"Sex within romantic relationships provides a meaningful way for people to experience a strong connection with their partner," she explained.

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And the benefits of cuddle time go beyond creating a bond between couples.

Thanks to the release of oxytocin (a.k.a. the feel-good hormone) and endorphins, cuddling gives you the same great feeling you get after working out or indulging in chocolate.

Oxytocin can also help reduce stress, anxiety and blood pressure, which can also lower the risk of heart disease.

Also on HuffPost
For women in their late thirties, the ticking of the biological clock can become overwhelming. So much so, that more and more women are considering freezing their eggs to ensure having a family later in life is still a viable option.

But there are a lot of things to consider before undergoing this pricey procedure. In the video above, Glamour breaks it all down. From the $10,000 cost of retrieval and freezing, to the $3,000 bill you'll receive when you're ready for IVF, there are many costs associated with freezing your eggs.

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According to Canadian Living, storage fees for frozen eggs are a little cheaper than in the United States at approximately $200 a year. This cost of course varies depending on the clinic.

While egg freezing can take anywhere between four and six weeks, the retrieval process isn't quite as quick. But even if you spend the time and money on it, egg freezing isn't a sure thing. But some situations are better than others.

Jocelyn Smith, of LifeQuest Centre for Reproductive Medicine in Toronto, told Best Health magazine, "There is a higher success rate with fertilized eggs than unfertilized eggs." So if you've found Mr. Right but aren't ready for kids you might want to consider freezing embryos instead.

Watch the video above for facts on freezing your eggs.

Also on HuffPost

10 Things You May Not Know About Your Fertility See Gallery
On the same day that Kellie Leitch released the kind of questions she wants to ask newcomers, MP Deepak Obhrai says his Conservative leadership rival is creating an American-style environment that could get immigrants killed.

Obhrai, a Calgary MP since 1997, said in a news release that Leitchs plan to screen immigrants, refugees and visitors for so-called Canadian values will not only lead people to view the Conservative party as anti-immigrant, but could also endanger peoples lives.

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Ms. Leitch is playing divisive politics, and the consequences can be seen in America, where in the last two weeks three innocent people were shot or killed, because they were seen as immigrants, said Obhrai, who is of South Asian descent and immigrated to Canada from Tanzania in 1977.

This is a dangerous environment to create in Canada, and I am outraged by this.

Last week, Deep Rai, a 39-year-old U.S. citizen of Indian descent, was shot in the arm on his driveway in Kent, Wash., by an attacker who allegedly told him: Go back to your own country.

Two weeks ago in Kansas, a gunman shot two Indian men after harassing them with racial slurs, telling them: Get out of my country! Adam W. Purinton was later charged with murdering Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, and injuring Alok Madasani, also 32.

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Disguised as Canadian values

Obhrai told The Huffington Post Canada that the consequences of Leitchs campaign are being played out in the United States.

Ms. Leitchs proposal to screen every immigrant and visitor is nothing but Donald Trumps executive order, disguised as Canadian values, and crafted to keep Muslims out of Canada, he said in a statement Monday.

We cannot allow Canada to go down this road  treating Canadians as equals is not a social policy, it is a Canadian right, he told HuffPost. We need to stop playing identity politics.

Sample questions released by Leitch

Leitch provided examples Monday of the kind of questions she wants immigration officials to ask newcomers during the face-to-face interviews she plans to impose.

Among other things, she wants newcomers to Canada to know that they will have to work hard for a good life.

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In a "sponsored announcement" to Rebel Media supporters, Leitch said newcomers will be quizzed on whether they believe a man and woman are equal, and whether it is acceptable to "coerce or use violence against an individual or a group who disagrees with your views."

Leitch promised to compare and contrast newcomers answers to their "social media postings."

"To me this seems obvious, desirable and fair," she wrote in her email. "These are quintessential Canadian values, and we need to uphold them. But I know some people disagree."

Obhrai said the values championed by Leitch are universal values encompassed by our laws. He called the pointless questions an unnecessarily bureaucratic and costly policy.

This is a dangerous environment to create in Canada, and I am outraged by this.  Deepak Obhrai

Leitch has acknowledged her plan to impose face-to-face interviews will strain the immigration system and lead to fewer newcomers being accepted each year. She plans to have no quotas for immigration and refugee acceptance, if elected prime minister.

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Leitchs spokesman Michael Diamond did not specifically address Obhrais comments about his boss creating a climate of fear for immigrants. He provided a statement from Leitch that said: "Mr. Obhrai's refusal to accept a unifying Canadian identity is unfortunate, and puts him in the same category as Prime Minister Trudeau.

I am the only candidate for Conservative Party leader that will defend our deeply held values and implement face to face interviews for all refugees and immigrants."

Leitch and Obhrai are two of 14 candidates vying to take the Tory helm from interim leader Rona Ambrose. Conservative party members will chose a new leader through a preferential ballot, with the winner announced on May 27.

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A 7,000 sq.-ft. historic Nova Scotia mansion has sold for more than asking price  but still less than what you'd pay for an average condo in Toronto or Vancouver.

The Mounce Mansion, located on the shores of the Avon River in the Annapolis Valley, generated worldwide interest when it was listed in early February.

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Realtor Wanda Graves told The Huffington Post Canada she was surprised when the listing went viral.

In less than a week, views of the listing surpassed one million on the company's website and its Facebook post had been shared more than 36,000 times within days.

At the time, Graves said people from as far away as B.C. were flying in to see the property.

The home had an asking price of $434,900 and sold to a Canadian buyer for $455,000.

"It was a multiple-offer situation. Normally, we don't have that," Graves told CBC News. "We're lucky if we get within $5,000."

Take a tour of the Mounce Mansion. Story continues below:

Mounce Mansion For Sale In Nova Scotia See Gallery

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The seven-bedroom, three-bathroom house sits on three acres of land, and comes with ornate hand-carved woodwork, original decorative wall murals, and a butler's pantry.

And it's much more house-per-dollar than what you'd find in some big Canadian cities.

In Toronto, the average cost of a condo was $471,281 at the end of last year, according to the MLS Home Price Index.

In Vancouver, the average price for a condo was $603,737 in February.

Graves said much of the interest came people who were feeling shut out of Toronto and Vancouver's prohibitively expensive housing markets.

She also said the Mounce Mansion listing has drummed up some residual business from outside Nova Scotia.

She told the CBC she has a folder "three inches thick" of prospective buyers looking to buy older homes in Nova Scotia.

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designer491 via Getty Images Notepad with Personal Branding on office wooden table.

In business you hear the term personal brand thrown around a lot. Its a process by which you define how the world sees you. Its seemingly a straightforward task but often the most important thing a new business owner will do. But other than choosing your corporate name and registering a Canadian domain name, what other steps can you take to stand out from the crowd and show the world who you are?

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Choose a name that best reflects you and your business

This is easier said than done. Many names have already been taken and so finding one that accurately reflects what you do and is memorable will take time. But heres a tip for Canadian business owners: while many .com names may be claimed, their .CA counterpart could be available as the Canadian world wide web is not as cluttered. Many entrepreneurs name their business based on the availability of the domain name. See if your .CA domain is available.

Build an interesting and informative online presence

Its not enough to be knowledgeable in your field -- others need to know it too. Once you pick a name and register your domain, you need to expand your presence on social media. Make sure your accounts are routinely updated and closely monitored. Also be aware of the look and feel of those pages too -- they ought to be engaging and reflective of your brand. Dont forget to link back to your website by including your businesss domain name in your profiles.

Establish your professional credibility

If you want people to get to know who you are and what you do, you need to publish articles, network, attend conferences and commit to speaking engagements. All these actions cement your professional credibility and ensure that you become a reference in your field. Never miss an opportunity to share your professional expertise and learn from peers.

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Associate with other strong brands

When given the opportunity to work with and associate with those who have strong and established personal brands, do so. Its an ideal way to not only learn from them, but make your brand stronger in the process. Look around you and see how those connections can be made. They can be people in the same field, complementary fields, former colleagues, and even fellow alumni members who have gone on to do great things in other areas.

Be yourself

This may sound like a non-tip but its actually the most import. The best lesson in personal branding is being true to yourself. People want to engage with products or websites that are unique and the best way to accomplish that is to find the thing that sets you -- your ideas and personality -- apart. Naturally that authenticity will bleed into your work. In addition to registering a domain name for your business, be sure to register a personal domain name (i.e. johnsmith.ca). It will help you get found in a Google search and its a great way for you to build and your personal brand online.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story star Riz Ahmed addressed British Parliament over the weekend to discuss diversity. In his powerful speech for Channel 4's annual lecture, he not only proved why representation matters, but how the lack of visibility of minorities onscreen could have dangerous consequences.

Sometimes its very easy to look at the screen and go: Oh look, things are changing so much. Look, theres Riz [Ahmed], theres Idris [Elba], theres Michaela Coel doing 'Chewing Gum, Ahmed said.

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These examples are often prominent because they are the exception that proves the rule. Prominent successes can mask structural problems. Obama was in the White House and you still needed the Black Lives Matter movement. Im getting on a plane to L.A. to attend the Star Wars premiere and I still get that second search before I board the plane.

Every time you see yourself in a magazine, on a billboard, TV, film  its a message that you matter, youre part of the national story, that youre valued, he continued. You feel represented.

Ahmed then argued that the lack of diversity onscreen could cause people to switch off and even push young teens to join ISIS.

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If we fail to represent people in our mainstream narratives... theyll retreat to fringe narratives, to filter bubbles online, and, sometimes, even off to Syria, he said.

We are in danger of losing people to extremism. In the mind of the ISIS recruit, he's the next James Bond right? Have you seen some of those ISIS propaganda videos? They are cut like action movies. Where is the counter narrative? Where are we telling these kids they can be heroes in our stories, that they valued?

Riz Ahmed attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The 34-year-old British actor knows what its like not to be represented onscreen. In his speech, Ahmed  whose parents moved from Pakistan to England in the 1970s  revealed he was forced to move to the U.S. just to find acting roles.

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It takes American remakes of British shows to cast someone like me, he said. We end up going to America to find work. I meet with producers and directors here and they say, We dont have anything for you, all our stories are set in Cornwall in the 1600s.

Luckily, Ahmed found great success last year, landing major roles in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Jason Bourne and the HBO series The Night Of. Despite this, he knows he is the exception and warned what will happen if the media doesn't start to do better.

If we dont step up and tell a representative story... we are going to start losing British teenagers to the story that the next chapter in their lives is written with ISIS in Syria. We are going to see the murder of more MPs like Jo Cox because weve been mis-sold a story that is so narrow about who we are and who we should be.

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On January 26, the Quebec regulation abolishing medical user fees came into effect, bringing the province in line with federal legislation outlined in the Canada Health Act (CHA). According to the CHA, the money that flows from Ottawa to the provinces for health services, known as the Canada Health Transfer, is conditional on the provinces upholding a ban on user fees for publicly insured, medically necessary procedures.

Provinces that fail to act on user fees expose themselves to claw backs in the transfer by an amount equivalent to the user fees paid by patients in the province.

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Quebec was actually one of the first provinces to legally ban users fees in 1970. But decades of public underfunding and benign neglect by both provincial and federal governments to implement the ban led to routine reliance on these fees for many publicly insured health services, particularly in urban centers.

So with the decision to ban user fees, the Quebec government is finally doing the right thing -- not to mention the legal one, and other provinces should take notice.

Why now?

It all started a couple of years ago with the controversial proposal in Bill 20 to "regulate user fees." A critical report from the Auditor General of Quebec followed last spring stating that the province was not fulfilling its supervisory role in regard to user fees. Meanwhile, patients' rights lawyer, Jean-Pierre Menard launched legal action against the federal government requesting that it act decisively to uphold the CHA in Quebec in light of these overt violations.

What is most unfortunate is that much of this controversy often boils down to money and not patient care.

The message must have gotten through, because Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott then threatened Quebec with retroactive claw backs to the Canada Health Transfer if it failed to abolish user fees -- estimated to range between $50 million to $83 million annually.

After a shouting match with Ottawa, Quebec finally declared in September last year that all user fees would be abolished as of January 2017 -- where we find ourselves today.

It's a good news story in many ways.

Abolishing these user fees puts an end to an unfair and inefficient system where money or private health insurance allowed one to jump the queue and get in front of the line, regardless of whether they had more urgent medical needs.

It was also a confusing system for patients, who were confronted -- when at their most sick and vulnerable -- with fees to pay that they weren't sure were even legal. And fees sometimes varied wildly for the same procedure, as with the infamous case of ophtalmologists' eye drops ranging from $20 to $300.

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But it's not all smooth sailing from now on.

In the weeks leading up to the implementation of this regulation, physician unions balked at the abolition. There have been reports of physicians leaving the public system in protest, and testimonies of patients advised to find companies to act as private third-party payers on their behalf in order to circumvent the ban on user fees.

There is also something of a climate of fear and uncertainty in the population, with many concerned that they will ultimately be worse off after the ban on user fees takes effect. What is most unfortunate is that much of this controversy often boils down to money and not patient care.

Given that user fees had been allowed to proliferate in the Quebec system for so long, this change will obviously not happen overnight -- and not without some growing pains.

The stakes are high.

The Quebec government will now have to step up to the plate.

Not only will it need to put extra effort into clarifying matters for both patients and physicians and in monitoring compliance with the regulation, but it has also taken on new responsibilities, notably to sweeten the deal for physicians who stood to lose financially from the ban. For instance, Quebec will now provide physicians with medical materials that they had previously purchased themselves (and were billing patients for).

Still, many physicians have expressed concern that services may be negatively affected, as they have yet to receive the promised material.

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The stakes are high.

And there are many ways this ban could fail to produce the expected results of greater transparency and equity in access to health services. Not only is patient access to medically needed services in the balance here, but in the long run, the government could in fact end up pushing ever more physicians and patients toward a parallel private system if it fails to demonstrate a strong commitment to quality public care.

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Photo credit: Wicker Paradise

Six charming bungalows on a deserted Barbuda beach, villas perched upon the narrowest stretch of Santorini, and a beautified farmhouse nestled among the vineyards of wine country. These are just a few of the boutique hotels awaiting travellers willing to venture off the beaten path.

These five boutique-style establishments, from California's Sonoma Wine Country to Beijing, China, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, offer personalized services, authentic cultural experiences, and enamoring rooms, villas, and suites that simply can't be topped anywhere else in the world.

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The Barbuda Belle Luxury Beach Hotel -- Antigua and Barbuda

Photo credit: Barbuda Belle Luxury Beach Hotel

Many travellers who escape to the Caribbean for the warm temperatures, turquoise waters, and sugary beaches never venture away from the big-name resort they booked. The Barbuda Belle Luxury Beach Hotel offers an entirely different Caribbean experience, and it's one that will never be forgotten. Located inside Barbuda's Codrington Lagoon Park, this boutique beach oasis features six bungalows perched on a 25-kilometre-long stretch of untouched pink sand. In addition to unhindered views of the surrounding sea and mangroves, guests enjoy a nature-friendly gourmet restaurant, combining local Caribbean flavours with a French flair, an environmentally sustainable bungalow, and all of the makings of a barefoot luxury vacation.

Aenaon Villas -- Santorini, Greece

Santorini is known among avid travellers as one of the most scenic islands in the world, and there's no better way to experience the life-changing beauty of it than at the Aenaon Villas. Guests get a first-hand experience of the views they see in the guidebooks, perched atop the narrowest and highest part of the Greek island officially known as Thira. Just seven luxurious villas compose the entire boutique hotel, allowing visitors to live in harmony with the natural beauty of the legendary caldera, rugged cliffs, and the Aegean Sea.

Farmouse Inn -- Forestville, California

You don't have to travel to the far reaches of the world to experience one of the best boutique hotels in existence. The Farmhouse Inn is located in the picture-perfect rolling hills of Forestville, Calif., in the heart of Sonoma-Napa wine country. It's impossible not to forget about the stresses of daily life when nestled in the Farmhouse Inn's own tiny valley, surrounded by trees, and across from one of the area's top vineyards. Best of all, this rustic chic boutique hotel is owned and operated by fifth-generation locals who can direct you to the best sights, wineries, eateries, and attractions in the area.

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Hotel Eclat Beijing -- Beijing, China

Photo credit: Hotel Eclat Beijing

It's hard to image a boutique hotel in the heart of bustling Beijing, but travellers in search of art, culture, and luxury in an ever-moving city setting will fall in love with the Hotel Eclat Beijing. This one-of-a-kind boutique hotel combines the largest privately-owned collection of contemporary art in China with warm hospitality, award-winning cuisine, and opulent rooms to create an atmosphere that is unlike anywhere else in the capital city (and the world).

Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro -- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro combines the ultimate beach vacation with a boutique hotel experience to create an ideal mixture of high-end luxury and relaxation. Guests can lounge in the rooftop infinity pool, enjoying panoramic views of Ipanema Beach from above, and later find themselves down on the sand, using the hotel's exclusive stand, complete with lounge chairs, umbrellas, and bottled water. As the first building designed by Philippe Starck, exemplifying Brazil's Bossa Nova era, the Hotel Fasano Rio De Janeiro is currently the hippest place to stay on Ipanema's beachfront.
It's likely time most of us agreed that we collectively have no idea where democracy is going. And if numerous polls are correct, living in such a situation is creating increased insecurity and tensions among citizens around the world.

It's at times like the present when Vaclav Havel, former independence activist, playwright, and president of Czechoslovakia, might have something to offer us, despite the fact that he died some six years ago. It wasn't by accident that the New York Times called him the "global ambassador for conscience."

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He, too, lived in a world of turbulence. With the Soviet Union breaking apart, no one was quite sure what would arise to take its place. In such times voices of conscience can become signposts for leading us out of our collective confusion. Or as Canadian author Louise Penny put it: "Don't mistake dramatics for conscience." There is a difference between the frenetic actions of the present democracy and the gentle pull of conscience.

In our modern world everyone seems to have an answer for everything, and the more opinions there are the more confounding everything is becoming. That was happening in Havel's world as well, but he took a step back and urged his nation to consider what was happening around them: "We have to abandon the arrogant belief that the world is merely a puzzle to be solved." In recent years we have journeyed down a political path where policies were supported by evidence gathering, science, focus groups, and research. All these things made it seem like the answers to our problems were there, but that we just had to have the best policies to find and implement them.

It didn't work that way, of course, since all that looking at the world as some great puzzle got us increased unemployment, environmental catastrophe, a yawning gap between rich and poor, overt racism, terrorism, and costly regional conflicts. Whatever the problem, solutions, even researched ones, were never going to be enough. More important than all of these was the abiding need for a better understanding of humanity. That's why Havel reminded his own citizens: "None of us are just victims; we are also its co-creators." These were tough words, but then again, the times were tough, too. He would go on to add: "Freedom and democracy require participation and therefore responsible action from us all."

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And while it is true that we see emerging democratic participation at the grassroots level in most democratic countries, it frequently leads to more contention than compromise, to more heat than light. Somewhere in all the debate, protest, anger, confusion, participation and populism, we must find a way of bringing it all together in a way that can move us into a more equitable future. Havel watched political opinions ripping his country apart, so he cautioned:

"Can we find a new way of governing that allows us to move forward, to bring politics to a deeper level, to engage our whole beings, and to save our civilization from its collective hubris?"

His question was one for the ages, including our own. And it came from an honest place within his being as he watched anger dominating collaboration and absolutism among various factions replace tolerance and understanding. To counter that growing trend, Havel threw out a direct challenge: "There is no need at all for different people, religions and cultures to adapt or conform to one another ... I think we help one another best if we make no pretenses, remain ourselves, and simply respect and honour one another, just as we are." In a world of rigid ideologies that can only lead to autocracy and cultish bigotry, this call to a deeper respect for humanity couldn't come soon enough.

We need not fear the distinctions that exist within our citizenry if all are prepared to accept those differences while building on our far greater commonalities. And to the politicians among us comes one of Havel's final observations:

"A politician must become a person again -- one who can think and act outside of his party. He must learn to trust in the soul of humanity again. Without this, politics itself cannot be overcome.

All this is ours for the making, but only if we take the time to consider where we are headed, who we are electing to office, and what our own part could be in bridging those divides that are presently ripping us apart.

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The United Nations' weather agency says the state of Earth's climate is bad and getting worse faster than before, especially with sea level rise accelerating.
At one time, the mere mention of mumps could strike fear in the population. The viral infection was known for causing a variety of short term symptoms, such as swollen salivary glands and reproductive organs as well as inflammation of the pancreas and meningitis. But the real worry came in the form of long-term consequences, including a risk for diabetes and infertility. Thankfully, the introduction of vaccines to prevent the infection calmed people's nerves and led to a massive reduction in the number of cases.

Despite the success of vaccines, mumps wasn't eradicated. Small pockets of infection continued to appear. These small outbreaks were difficult to control but eventually burned out such that they disappeared. For the most part, these isolated events were considered part of the ongoing reality of an ever-present virus.

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But in the mid-2000s that all changed. Those pockets began to turn into mini-epidemics and countries all over the world began to see sharp increases in cases. At first, a lack of vaccination was considered to be the cause. Indeed, in many cases, those affected had not received the shot. But many of the patients had been vaccinated suggesting something more troublesome was happening.

Eventually, the answer was determined although it was rather disconcerting. The trouble wasn't due to the vaccine. Instead, it was virus. It had changed.

Although we may think of mumps as one virus, there are actually twelve different groups, known as genotypes. They are named alphabetically from A to L. Most are related to one another yet some are completely different suggesting one vaccine may not be enough to cover the spectrum.

The current mumps vaccine was developed in the mid-1960s from a virus isolated from a young girl, named Jeryl Lynn Hilleman. Her father, Maurice, was a vaccine maker and felt her infection could lead to protection for millions. At the time, there was no knowledge of the different genotypes. Only much later did the virus variety become known. Going back, researchers realized Jeryl Lynn's infection was caused by the A group.

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As for the more recent outbreaks, public health officials found the virus was from the G genotype. Rather than panic, however, researchers provided some perspective by noting there were enough similarities between the A and G types to suggest the vaccine may still offer some protection. By 2008, this theory was realized; the vaccine strain could help the immune system fight off the G genotype.

There was, however, a catch. The strength of the vaccinated immune response against the G type was only about a half as effective compared to the A variety. This meant the immune system had to be at its strongest to be able to fight off the invader. From a vaccination perspective, the best way to achieve this goal was to provide booster shots. Many countries, including Canada already had adopted a 2-dose policy (we did it in 1996). Yet, even this extra step at times was not enough to stop wider spread.

This inconvenient reality has plagued public health officials for over ten years and the answers are still elusive. One suggestion involves using vaccines containing strains other than the virus isolated from Jeryl Lynn. While this may appear to be an easy path forward, potential health complications are associated with these different virus types. Another option is to develop a new vaccine capable of providing protection against the G genotype Such efforts are underway but they won't be seen in the public anytime soon. in the meantime, the most feasible option according to many researchers is to seek out a third mumps vaccination.

The booster shot has proven to increase the effectiveness of immunity of an individual against the G type and may provide the protection needed. Indeed, this approach has shown to be worthwhile as in 2012. The addition of a third dose has significantly reduced the impact of previous outbreak, such as one in California. However, this option continues to be a hotly debated topic as it may only be useful once an outbreak initiates.

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Until we are able to sort out how to effectively reduce the chances for outbreaks, the best policy to stay safe is the same as one would have with colds and flu. Never share bodily fluids, including saliva, with others, even if you don't feel sick. It may take two weeks for symptoms to develop. Always keep those hands clean with soap and water or hand sanitizer.

Perhaps most importantly, make sure to know your vaccination record. If mumps does happen to appear in your area, you want to be aware of your immune's strength. If you have had a second dose of the MMR vaccine within the last few years, you are probably good to go. But if it's been ten or more years, you may want to talk with your doctor about getting a third booster.

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Recently, with rising Islamophobia, a Muslim child was threatened on school grounds by someone wearing a mask. Though schools may see themselves as "neutral," the sense of safety and well-being of many children continues to be hijacked with the ongoing rhetoric of political leaders and increasing hate incidents and crimes.

For students, schools are homes away from home. Each day they walk into schools ready to learn, to create, innovate and to be prepared as our future leaders and scholars. Students come to us rich with histories, lived experiences, community values, ways of knowing and of course their social identities. They do not come divorced of their local contexts.

For many -- ex. indigenous, immigrants, refugees, children of colour, various creeds, varied abilities, LGBTQ -- the current political context is a source of great stress and tension. Well-being is a necessary for achievement.

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The following are some considerations for teachers, principals and senior education leaders to think about as they work to create safe spaces for ALL students:

1. Identity matters - yours and your students.

Understand your own identity/privilege/power and ability/willingness to speak to complex issues and identify learning that you need. How does your identity play a role in helping you identify what you think is important or not? If you're not comfortable because you may not know enough, ask people to help you. Educators are some of the most resourceful people in the world. Speak to your principal/superintendent when necessary for guidance but do not assume that they will understand fully. Go to trusted online sites and people from within the community and engage in learning.

2. Name it and address it.

Do not gloss over issues or pretend they are not there. Across Canada we are seeing increasing Islamophobia, we need boards and schools to address this. If an incident happens -- name it, talk to kids, help them understand how power works. Be aware not to make inaccurate statements -- some include: "We are all immigrants" -- we are not. Indigenous peoples were always here. Many black people and refugees did not migrate here by "choice," they were transplanted here. If something happens between kids and it is racist or homophobic -- name it and then talk about why that's not OK. Then use it as an opportunity to infuse new narratives into the teaching happening.

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Another example when addressing power and privilege is talking about "Majority and Minority" as being about numbers instead of about power relations. An able bodied person does not become a "minority" because they are in a room full of people with varied abilities or disabilities. In society, able-bodied people have more power than those who are not.

3. This is not about guilt or shame

Your privilege (ex. class, gender, race, ability), does not make you a bad person. Privilege is unearned -- that's what makes it "privilege." What's more important is how you use your privilege to support those who do not share what you have. When you are comfortable with your own identity, you can teach children how to be comfortable about theirs. This requires a growth mindset and a willingness to unlearn. We all have elements of bias, problematic ways of thinking that we have to work on.

4. Choice is the hallmark of privilege.

What you may feel is unnecessary to discuss may be urgent for some children and families. Get to know and understand your students, their communities and the issues as identified by their families as being important. Many families are scared for their lives and safety. If you ignore that to focus on math, that is problematic. Instead think about how you might address their sense of safety and well-being in order to create the conditions necessary to support learning, ex. where you have many children who are refugees or immigrants, how might you change or challenge the narratives of immigrants currently in the media through the work happening in your school/district.

5. What kind of lessons and experiences are you creating?

Do they reflect your students and community? If not -- change them. Make the lessons authentic and reflect the stories and lives of ALL your students- even if it takes more time to search for resources. More importantly, if you have very little visible diversity, think about how you can expose students to diverse bodies, pictures, resources, stories and expertise. It is important to situate community members as experts for children to see. Principals should also think about how their hiring practices can help impact the kind of learning conditions they are creating in a school. Make sure books, stories, posters, guest speakers, announcements are reflective of diversity.

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6. Society does not stop at the school doors.

There is no such thing as a "neutral space." Attitudes and values continue past those doors. Because of the wider political climate, children may be feeling unsafe. As politicians continue to build platforms on Islamophobia and hate incidents continue to rise, Muslim, Sikh and children from a variety of places around the world may be feeling unsafe. It is important to note that if there is prevailing xenophobia, we have a responsibility to model how we can change structures and systems to support all students. Ex. is there a quiet space that allows for prayer or meditation? Provide one.

Help use positive examples that will help children see themselves reflected positively. Do NOT over promise ex. Everything will be OK -- especially if you do not share the same identity and/or are unaware of the realities they may navigate. However, you can say, "at school you are always welcome here -- everyone belongs and if you feel unsafe in anyway, I want you to tell me so we can try to fix it." Principals must be mindful of how this may be affecting staff members as well and check in. Offer flexibility when possible. Ask how they may want/need assistance. Remind them they are valued and if there are things happening that make them feel excluded to please let you know.

Almost all educators came to the profession with the goal and aspiration to make a difference in the world. We are in a very challenging time as a society. This is a chance for our schools to foster the type of democratic ideals we want our children to aspire towards. Ultimately, when we help our students feel safe and included, they will be able to rise to their highest potential. Our work in classrooms and schools will also shape the leaders who will rise and hopefully will become beacons of light for our society to rise towards.

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They say that into every life a little rain must fall... Sometimes, however, it pours. If you've had a less-than-fabulous time of it lately, here are 10 proven ways to improve your mood.

1. Breathe.

As adults, a lot of us can go all day without taking a proper breath. Sit somewhere quiet and put one hand on your chest and the other on your lower ribcage. Focus on feeling the air moving in and out of your lungs. Breathe in for a count of four and out for a count of four. Taking the time to really breathe helps calm the nervous system and will help you start to feel better right away.

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2. Make self-care a priority.

When the chips are down, it's hard to remember to eat well, exercise, get a good night's sleep, and do all of the other little things that keep people on an even keel. Taking care of yourself sends your brain the message that you are valuable, and feeling good about your health brings back a sense of control. Try a new fitness class or cook your way through a healthy cookbook. Make sure you get at least eight hours of sleep and drink some water. Life seems more manageable when you have enough energy and you can fit into your favourite jeans.

3. Do nothing.

When you are down, all you have to do is look after your dependents and go to work. Everything else is negotiable. Give yourself permission to do nothing for a while. Read magazines, watch bad TV (Real Housewives anyone?), and read a juicy novel with no educational value. Sometimes you just need to give your brain and body a week or two off. You always can be Type A next month.

4. Find someone who understands.

When bad things happen, there is often the desire to retreat inward and hide under the covers, but it's better to stay connected. Reach out to safe people with whom you can share your struggles. (Town gossips need not apply for the job!) If you don't have a close confidant, there are plenty of online discussion groups for people going through just about anything. There is comfort in finding people who understand what you're facing, and the empathetic reaction of others can help restore your faith in the universe.

5. Go pro.

There are so many talented people who are experts in helping people in times of crisis. Talk to your doctor, employee assistance program, or local college or high school guidance office to see if they can refer you to a good social worker or therapist. Many work on a sliding scale to make their work available to anyone who needs it.

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6. Help someone.

Smile at the store clerk. Put your change in the charity box at the checkout counter. Write a short online review of a book you enjoyed or local business you frequent. When you are down, it's hard to be wildly magnanimous but small acts of kindness go a long way towards making you feel better.

7. Try some yoga.

There's a reason why yogis are so calm. A lot of yoga poses help the body release feel-good hormones. One of the best positions is called Legs up the Wall, where you lay on your back and, using a pillow or block to support you, rest your legs on the wall (there are a million great illustrations of this online.) Better yet, call a yoga studio and ask if they have a small drop-in class you can try. Ask for a restorative or gentle yoga class to ensure you will not be flipping into headstands.

8. Set a goal for a year from now.

Set a small goal for a year from today. Maybe you want to read a three new books by the end of the year, or meet one new person, or learn to play pickleball. Set a goal that is a bit of a stretch but is achievable. The goal should focus on action (which you control) rather than results (where other people or luck can have an impact.) Having a goal gives you a reason to get out of bed and will rebuild some of your confidence.

9. Put it in perspective.

Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness and The Myths of Happiness, discovered that life circumstances such as health, financial stability, and relationships determine a slim 10% of our overall happiness. As tough as the tough times can be, they do not define us. A great mantra in tough times is "it's only ten percent." Even in the worst of times, you can be content.

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10. Engage in positive self-talk.

Make sure you are nice to yourself. Write a list of five things you are good at and five things that make you unique. Think about what you have rather than what you lack, as gratitude is a huge contributor to feeling good. And, finally, remember Christopher Robin's words of wisdom to Winnie the Pooh, "You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

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As bullets harvested the souls of the victims, one after another, on the night of the Jan. 29, 2017 at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre, a new era of terror was inaugurated, signed by the bloodshed of those who lost their lives and the tears that have been shed by the 17 orphans and six widows left behind.

The shock waves of that bloody night hit very hard across the country, creating fears, worries and uncertainties. The first few hours after the massacre, the main question that was uttered by the media, citizens and politicians was who had committed this crime. The picture came to be clearer when it was revealed that the shooter was a young student, from the same university where most of the victims either graduated from or worked at. Moreover, based on Facebook posts, comments and information from those who knew the shooter, it was revealed that his right-wing ideology was his instigator, leading him to murder innocent worshipers.

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The only "sin" those murdered in the mass shooting carried was that they were all Muslims, who happened to be praying in the Centre. And the only reason why the killer decided to end their lives was a hate doctrine, represented by the Islamophobia and bigotry that have plagued the environment in Quebec, and the rest of the country, for many years.

Following Quebec's tragedy, columnists, civic organizations, NGOs, politicians and the general public all agreed that xenophobia, Islamophobia and prejudice were the drive behind the violent incidents that have been targeting Muslim citizens. For years and years, warnings and public advice have been given to society's stakeholders and the political classes regarding Islamophobia as an extreme form of discrimination and radicalization, which has been leading to violence targeting Muslim community.

The Quebec City massacre is a clear demonstration of the tragic end-product of letting Islamophobia go unchecked.

For many years, besides some soft talk, the concrete political will to tackle Islamophobia and other sorts of hate speech was almost totally absent from the public scene. On the contrary, various political platforms embarked on divisive agendas that inflamed the extreme ideologies that implanted the concept of "us versus them."

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Furthermore, some mainstream and social media became unchecked podiums for all those who shared their animosity and hostility toward their fellow citizens of different skin colours or beliefs. This dangerous combination can, very expectedly, create a path of hatred that may lead to fatal incidents. The Quebec City massacre is a clear demonstration of the tragic end-product of letting Islamophobia go unchecked.

Following the cruel killing of the six worshipers in Quebec City, there was an outpouring of sympathy and solidarity coming from every corner in the county in support of the families of the victims. Words of condemnation came from almost all politicians and public figures, bringing together all Canadians in their denunciation of the terrorist attack. The unfortunate reality came after this short term of solidarity which was presumed to be genuine enough to cause change in the toxic and bigoted environment that preceded the attack.

During the burials of the six victims, a spike of hate-related incidents were reported in various areas throughout the country, from Mosques being fire bombed to Muslim citizens being exposed to various physical attacks. Furthermore, there was a sudden increase of xenophobic incidences in many areas around the country as a result of political statements and positions held by those who have placed themselves at the forefront of the divisive rhetoric, creating friction within the Canadian social fabric.

Day after day and incident after incident, it has become a necessity that all systemic, racial and religious discrimination, including Islamophobia, must be studied thoroughly to come up with policies that will cure these social diseases once and for all.

Samer Majzoub, president of the Canadian Muslim Forum (FMC-CMF)

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March 8 is International Women's Day, a time to reflect on milestones in women's rights and equality. It is also an opportunity to address continuing equity gaps and other challenges facing women today. This year, International Women's Day happens to be the day on which Parliament has an opportunity to pass Bill S-201 and, in so doing, enhance the health and well-being of countless women across Canada.

S-201 would institute a federal ban on genetic discrimination. Today, there is no law preventing anyone in Canada, including employers or insurance providers, from demanding genetic test results or discriminating based on genetic information. Canada lags behind in this regard as the only G7 country without specific protections against genetic discrimination. Consequently, fearing punitive abuse of the results, countless Canadians refuse testing.

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This is tragic and unacceptable, particularly for a country that places so much value on our universal health-care system. Thanks to advances in genetic research, testing now holds the key to preventing many major illnesses -- and these benefits are likely to grow exponentially in the coming years. This issue is a clear example of the law failing to keep pace with scientific progress.

Canadian women have a major stake in these developments and in the fight against genetic discrimination. Take, for example, the BRCA genetic markers linked to a heightened risk of breast and ovarian cancers. Women with these markers have as much as an 85 per cent chance of developing breast cancer and as much as a 60 per cent chance of developing ovarian cancer. Among the general population, these numbers are 11.7 per cent and 1.4 per cent, respectively. Early detection of the BRCA marker through genetic testing enables patients to monitor and manage their health, taking preventative action that can significantly diminish -- or virtually eliminate -- their cancer risk.

For a young woman taking her first steps in building a professional career, the "wrong" genetic test results can impose a new glass ceiling -- enabling employers to deny her advancement in the workplace because she is at risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer in the future. Compounding the issue, discovery of a genetic mutation might lead to exorbitant insurance premiums. And yet, should she avoid genetic testing, she will forgo the benefits of early detection, monitoring and intervention that could save her life. How can this be allowed to persist in 2017?

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Specific segments of society are particularly at risk. Jewish women of European descent are 10 times more likely than others to have the BRCA marker, which explains why the Jewish community has proactively engaged all parties on the Hill to urge passage of S-201. Other ethnic groups -- including some First Nations, French Canadian, African, South Asian and Scandinavian communities -- are also disproportionately likely to inherit genetic markers associated with serious illnesses.

In 2017, no Canadian would accept discrimination based on such genetically determined factors as sex or skin colour. As a matter of principle and common sense, MPs from all parties should unite to pass Bill S-201, which will make it illegal to discriminate on the basis of one's genes.

MPs would be wise to pass S-201 in its entirety to support women's health on International Women's Day.

This is not a partisan issue, as demonstrated by the unanimous support S-201 received in the Senate, the House at Second Reading and the House Justice Committee. In fact, during the last election, the Liberals, Conservatives and New Democrats all pledged to support legislation banning genetic discrimination. This consensus is laudable and all too rare in politics, but it is ultimately fruitless if MPs vote to defeat S-201 or amend it beyond recognition.

Alarmingly, several amendments have been put forward at the eleventh hour that seek to gut the bill. If adopted, these changes would result in a tiny minority of Canadians being protected from genetic discrimination, creating confusion and leaving most Canadians vulnerable. This is highly problematic, and undermines the fundamental purpose of S-201.

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MPs would be wise to reject these amendments and pass S-201 in its entirety, to prevent genetic discrimination for all Canadians, and to support women's health on International Women's Day.

Elisabeth Baugh is CEO of Ovarian Cancer Canada.

Sara Saber-Freedman is Executive Vice President of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).

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February 28 is considered Rare Disease Awareness Day. I watch most of social media pass without a blip. I am not surprised. I had no idea there was such a thing. I am aware now. Around this time last year, my world tilted upside down. My husband, the love of my life and anchor of my soul, was dying before my eyes.

It started with gastrointestinal symptoms, headaches, fatigue. Doctors figured he had an ulcer and was working too hard. He was suffering from stress. Then the mental symptoms progressed. He became groggy and withdrawn. He wouldn't communicate or move off the couch.

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He went to the hospital and it was clear something was really serious on Father's Day 2016. He had lost 50 pounds, wasn't eating and had develoepd abdominal pain as well. His appetite was non-existent and his skin looked tanned and darkened. He was sent home from hospital with a referral to a surgical team for a gall bladder removal.

I watched him crash within a week. He would vomit every day by 8 a.m. and had to crawl to the bathroom. He was down to 160 pounds from the 215 pounds he was at Christmas. I rushed him into the emergency room at the Ottawa Hospital's General Campus. He was now jerking and shivering. His sodium was measured and critically low. Had we waited even a few more hours, he would have been at risk for seizures and coma. This time he was admitted as an inpatient.

My family and friends started watching my kids and providing all of us food. I would sleep at his bedside until the nurses would kick me out and I'd go crash at a friend's house who lived close to the hospital. My daughter asked me if daddy was dying and I didn't even know the answer.

Addison's patients can have a normal life expectancy. It isn't easy, though.

After several days on intravenous, he perked up. The medical team didn't like that there wasn't a clear answer. He was going to be followed by internal medicine with a watch on his thyroid and electrolytes. They discharged with the plan to follow him as an outpatient with the Internal Medicine Department.

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Less than a week before his outpatient appointment, he crashed again and ended up back in the emergency room. This time his cortisol was really low and his joints were almost black. He would see internal medicine that week.

At this point my nerves were shot and we were both petrified. This was clearly more than a thyroid problem. We arrived for his appointment with me pushing him in a wheelchair. They had decided he needed an adrenal stimulation test to measure adrenal function, then placed on steroid treatment.

We had our answer! He was given the diagnosis of Primary Autoimmune Adrenal Insufficiency, also known as Addison's disease. He would be on life-saving steroids for life. He was at risk for other endocrine disorders, hence the secondary diagnosis of Hashimoto's disease as well. He would need an emergency kit of an injectable steroid in case he went back into a crash. He naturally craved salt and needed Florinef to replace his almost non-existent aldosterone level.

He would live.

The prognosis now is good. Addison's patients can have a normal life expectancy. It isn't easy, though. Steroid levels need to mock natural cortisol production. Cortisol rises and lowers both daily and based on external stresses, like a common cold. My husband is lucky. He can still work, be a husband and father. I am incredibly blessed to have him by my side for as long as fate permits.

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Spring 2009: the tulips were blooming, the birds were chirping, and Ottawa was buzzing about the prospects of Prime Minister Michael Ignatieff.

The polls looked good. The pundits were saying nice things. Stephen Harper's regime was slipping.

Liberals were accordingly feeling optimistic, so they threw a little party. Staff moved the long tables out of the boardroom in Centre Block's Room 409-S, and caucus and staff were invited to pop by for a drink. A smiling Ignatieff worked the room, clapping Liberal MPs on the back and listening attentively to Liberal staffers.

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He approached Yours Truly, positioned by one of the windows overlooking Centre Block's lawn. "You look unhappy!" Ignatieff said.

"Happiness is a trick," I said to the Liberal leader, which made him laugh. I paused. "The Tories have been too quiet about you. I don't like it."

"Stop worrying so much," Ignatieff said, smiling, and then moved away to chat with others.

It was his party, in more ways than one, so I didn't try to spoil it on that sunny day. I was a bit of an outsider, a hired gun, so I didn't then tell Ignatieff what I had been told by Conservative friends earlier: that they were getting ready to spend millions on an ad buy to define Ignatieff before he could define himself. They were going to say he was an interloper, a foreigner. They were going to say -- over and over, everywhere -- that he was "just visiting."

When I briefed Ignatieff later on -- with his worried Chief of Staff, Ian Davey, listening in -- he was dismissive. "A million Canadians live and work outside of Canada," he said, irritated.

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"None of them are running to be prime minister," I said, as Davey nodded. "Lots of people think that anyone who wants to run a country should live in that country, you know."

Ignatieff didn't buy it. It won't work, he said.

It did.

The Conservatives' anti-Ignatieff "Just Visiting" campaign was arguably the most effective political ad campaign in modern Canadian history. I can't think of another that has worked nearly as well. "Just Visiting" indelibly branded the acclaimed Harvard intellectual as an effete, out-of-touch tourist to Canada. It destroyed him and the once-great Liberal Party of Canada, reducing it to third place, a rump in the House of Commons.

You know where this is going, perhaps. It is astonishing -- it is beyond belief -- that the once-great Conservative Party of Canada is now embracing Kevin O'Leary, another Boston resident. Another interloper. Another guy "just visiting."

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The evidence that Kevin O'Leary is just visiting Canada, you see, is indisputable.

Forget about the fact that Kevin O'Leary -- like that other reality TV star, Donald Trump -- isn't really a conservative, and is all over the map ideologically. Forget about the fact that -- like Trump -- O'Leary is a vulgarian and a creep, grabbing women, mocking women, dismissing women.

Forget about the fact that he is -- as the National Post's Andrew Coyne called him -- "a clown," a caricature who has never held political office, and who doesn't have a single coherent policy. Forget about the fact that he doesn't speak a word of French. Forget about all that.

Kevin O'Leary is the Conservative Michael Ignatieff. If mass delusional psychosis continues to beset paid-up Conservative members, and if they actually select Kevin O'Leary to lead them, the attack ads practically write themselves. Just PhotoShop O'Leary's shining pate over Ignatieff's face and run those Conservative Party ads all over again. They'll work.

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Kevin O'Leary, like Michael Ignatieff, is just visiting Canada. As leader, Kevin O'Leary will lead the Conservatives to their greatest defeat since 1993 -- ironically, the very year he commenced his move to Boston, Mass.

Oh, and Team O'Leary? Michael Ignatieff at least had the intelligence to move back to Canada before offering himself as its leader.

Still didn't work.

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The five things you need to know on Monday, March 6

1 BUDGET MEANS BREXIT

In case you missed it, this week is Budget week. Its the last one of its kind, before the tax-and-spending statement moves to the Autumn and is replaced thereafter by a mere Spring Statement.

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This weekend, thanks to Philip Hammonds various media appearances, we learned some of the big picture and smaller detail. He wants to squirrel away 60bn on a Brexit warchest in case things go bumpy as we quit the EU. That this money could also be used for a 2020 election giveaway, if Brexit goes well, is obviously pure coincidence.

Both the Times and the FT put on their front pages that Hammond will fund extra payments for social care and business rate relief by putting up taxes for the self-employed (via National Insurance rises), drinkers and others. On the key issue of social care, a curiously precise figure of 1.3bn extra, plus a review, has been touted. The BMA has today urged Hammond to give the NHS 10bn a year more.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell suggested yesterday up to 12bn was needed for both, but how would that be paid for? Well, Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey suggested yesterday there would be widespread support for a tax rise, possibly a hypothecated one. Diane Abbott made plain her own unease at her younger colleagues idea, telling Radio 4s Westminster Hour last night that Tory tax bombshell posters were very effective: Those of us that remember the 1992 campaign, and a number of us in the leadership do remember it, are cautious about the question of putting up tax.

2) ON THE NEVER NEVER

Jeremy Corbyns and John McDonnells decision to publish their tax returns was an attempt to shame the PM and Hammond into following suit. No.10 and No.11 show no signs of doing so (and the Shadow Cabinet seem slightly uneasy too), but has the Labour leader caused more trouble for himself in the process?

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His own summary of his tax return appeared not to include the extra salary top-up he receives as Leader of the Opposition. The Telegraph was first to spot that there seemed to be a missing 40k. At 12.38am his communications team tweeted out that everyone should calm down as hed listed 27k under public office income, and it was taxed at source.

His office tell me this morning that he decided to list it as a benefit rather than salary. Ive asked whether that means he paid a different tax rate. The question remains why he didnt include that sum as part of his total income. Is it because he didnt spend the top-up on himself, but on staff for his expanded office team?

Meanwhile, former Shadow Business Secretary Clive Lewis said he could never say never about running for the Labour leadership (the exact phrase Ed Balls used on Peston about his own prospect of coming back as an MP). But just as interesting was Lewiss line that he was "75% hopeful" Corbyn could lead Labour to victory at the next general election. Diane Abbott said I am 100% confident that Corbyn will turn the polls around within 12 months.

Pollster Ian Warrens survey of Labour members makes for fascinating reading on the leadership. He found that if Jezza stood down, John McDonnell and Yvette Cooper are joint favourites (26% each) to replace him. That McDonnell figure will delight his supporters. Umunna, Starmer, Lewis and Benn follow in the pecking order. Lisa Nandy gets just 8%.

McDonnell is before the PLP tonight. He, along with many of the Shadow Cabinet, was not present last Monday, but is sure to face lots of questions.

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3) SMELLS LIKE MEAN SPIRIT

Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green is liked across the Commons and his arrival at DWP was seen as an attempt by his old friend Theresa May (theyve known each other since university) to combat the Cameron-Osborne perception that the Tories really were the nasty party on welfare. Yet as the row over disability benefits showed, even Green cannot escape the reality that he has to keep a lid on benefit bills.

And just as he got into trouble for smuggling out the personal independence payment (PIP) announcement, Green is facing claims he sneaked out cuts to housing benefit for under-22s on Friday. Although he tried to introduce new exemptions, charities felt let down that the policy was still going ahead, especially after hints that May wanted to kill off another Cameron-Osborne legacy (though it was in the Tory manifesto). It only saves three million quid but the political cost of looking mean-spirited is quite high among the floating, centrist voters May wants to attract.

Now, Tory MP David Burrowes (a force to be reckoned with after his tax credits and schools relationships education victories) has told HuffPost the consequences of the housing cut could be catastrophic for vulnerable young people. Burrowes wants ministers to wait for consultation. Labour is on the warpath, not least with Jeremy Corbyn and Debbie Abrahams lambasting the change. But will Labour commit to reversing the cut? Given the small cost, it might.

BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR

Watch Douglas Carswell say he wont be rejoining the Tories. Its now on the record.

4) OVER HERE

The Government is braced for an even bigger Lords defeat over its Brexit bill tomorrow, this time to write into the legislation ministers verbal pledge to give Parliament a vote on the final Brexit deal. But the ping-pong game will be swiftly suspended by the Budget, which takes up Commons and Lords time for several days, so we will have to wait to see if rebel Tory MPs rise to the challenge on this and on EU citizens rights.

Today, the Lords EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee has a report warning that ending the free movement of people from EU countries after Brexit may not result in lower overall migration. It points out that a points-based system could produce the worst of all worlds - and that immigration from outside the EU remains significantly higher than within it. Echoes of Blairs warning there about Leave voters may feel let down if they dont see all immigration drop.

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The Home Affairs Committee has its own emergency report criticising the Governments decisions on the Dubs amendment for rehousing child refugees. It says ministers decisions are not based on the evidence, which suggest closing the scheme would increase the risk of trafficking and exploitation.

5) MURDOCH MOMENT

Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Karen Bradley is expected to make a statement to the Commons today on the planned 18.5bn takeover of Sky by 21st Century Fox. Bradley said late last week she is minded to intervene and order an Ofcom investigation because of concerns over broadcasting standards as well as lack of plurality in the British media should the deal go ahead.

As it happens, Shadow CMS Secretary Tom Watson, no friend of Rupert Murdochs, has blogged that Sir Gerald Kaufman might have been responsible for the Australian tycoons switch from a youthful left-winger to joining the dark side of corporate capitalism.

Murdoch was a socialist when he ran for secretary of the Oxford University Labour Club in 1952. He won but was then prevented from taking up his post after Kaufman, then chairman of the club, ruled that Murdoch had breached rules which prevented candidates from canvassing for votes. In a biography, Murdoch later said: F****g Kaufman. He was the same then, a greasy know-all. Watson says when he discussed the issue with his fellow MP, He managed to portray contempt and pity for Murdoch in equal measure.

SUNDAY SHOWS ROUND-UP

Had a lie-in? Got a life? Read our regular Sunday political shows round-up HERE, complete with video clips.

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Channel 4

Last week, a programme called 'Extremely British Muslims' stirred up a storm on social media with its first episode as it delved into the problems faced by British Muslims in the world of romance, dating, and marriage. The documentary, though presented in a humorous and light-hearted fashion, was fundamentally disheartening and tragic.

The programme focused on the love lives of young Muslims living in Britain, yet the show can be seen as a commentary on the overarching internalised struggle that many 2nd generation British children are living with today. The conflicting attitudes towards dating and relationships made apparent in this documentary can be extrapolated to the larger perceived discord between 'Islamic' and British values.

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The older members of the community wish to enforce their own conservative views on the younger generation, with one mother even declaring that a child would be completely cut off from the family if they were found to have a boyfriend or girlfriend. This type of harsh disapproval of any sort of romantic relationship has its roots in the idea that dating is inherently a promiscuous act, that it is the result of Westernisation, and that ultimately, all Western ideas are in conflict with Islam. This retrograde belief is simply untrue and most definitely unhelpful. Such a view stems from the peculiar view that Islam is the inverse of the Western way of life. Dating as a Muslim, by no means without its own challenges (I could tell you stories), can be adapted in a variety of ways to suit various different moral codes.

The show explored how second generation Muslims are being pressured to take up a view of marriage based solely on economics, which appears to trump every other concern. Such a view is outdated and ultimately leads to unhappy marriages and people. When British Muslim communities, in particular Asian communities (as we witnessed in the programme), as a whole, fail to adapt to changing times, they do so at the expense of their young people who inevitably end up tangled in an unhappy identity crisis.

When it comes to conservative Islamic attitudes towards marriage, there is a tendency to focus on a very small part of marriage, namely, that the couple are aligned when it comes to their religious practises. The fact that a man prays five times a day or that a woman covers is seen as sufficient knowledge to judge his/her suitability. Sadly, for those who adhere to this practice, the whole notion of marriage is based upon a flawed premise. This simplistic view of marriage fails to consider the complexities and nuances that comprise a successful relationship.

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Compatible religious views are certainly an important consideration, yet compatibility among other matters is essential in order to sustain a long-term happy relationship. I recall my extremist/conservative days when the criterion for a suitable partner was simple; whether we found them physically attractive (of course), and whether she covered and prayed, as this would define her as a good Muslim. Other essential factors such as the compatibility of our personalities, whether we had the same goals and ambitions in life, were not even considered. Why? Because since the partner was a 'devout' Muslim, there simply could not be any conflicts or friction. Its assumed that non-Muslims don't share the same fundamental values as Muslims, and as a result, having a non-Muslim partner is simply out of the equation.

Yet we find that inter-faith marriages are slowly but surely on the rise. This is because, despite the conventional knowledge, it is completely possible for Muslims and non-Muslims to find affinity in terms of values. Kindness and compassion, qualities that are key to any relationship, are obviously not exclusive to Muslims. But the conservative view on dating tells us that this cohesion is simply impossible to attain.

And yet, we saw Muslims on the programme discussing the prospect of marriage after just two meetings. Two meetings to decide whether you spend your entire life with that person. I've seen recruitment processes more rigorous than that. Perhaps then it is no surprise that one of the community elders is seen complaining about the rising number of divorces among British Muslims. Setting religion as the sole condition for any relationship does gross injustice to both parties. Not to mention that the majority, if not all the marriages that I witnessed during my extremist/conservative days have ended in divorce.

It is important to state that arranged marriage is not the problem: the problem exists with the restrictive framework within which a marriage is arranged. While arranged marriage remains a prominent, and largely successful, feature in much of the Muslim world, it is employed within a more forgiving system that allows both parties involved the opportunity to get to know each other and subsequently make a decision.

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However, as is the case with most things when Muslims migrate to the West and find themselves in the minority, religious British Muslims have restricted themselves to an extreme, conservative view. The fact that there is a 'marriage bureau' operating within the mosque, with potential matches awkwardly meeting in prayer halls as their relatives watch on, says it all.

The strain between conservative Islamic practices and more progressive, broadminded approaches to dating and marriage are perhaps best demonstrated with the visible struggle of Extremely British Muslims' 28-year-old Ash. At the beginning of the programme, Ash says he's looking for a practising Muslim woman whose main role would be looking after the house, someone who would "bring tea" to his friends and then "walk back out with her head lowered."

By the end of the episode, Ash (who at this point shaves his beard) admits that his previous views were "on the extreme side." His parting thoughts are poignant and, quite honestly, sad.
The revelation last week that loopholes in Northern Ireland's party donation rules were used to anonymously channel hundreds of thousands of pounds into the Brexit campaign via the DUP is alarming, but unsurprising. Wherever political donation loopholes exist - and they do in abundance - individuals and companies are quick to exploit them. Political parties have shown themselves to be willing to accept donations that come through front organisations, in the form of a loan, or as smaller donations from numerous connected family members and friends - at least until they get caught out. The latest data from the Electoral Commission, published yesterday, has shown that far from Northern Ireland being an exception to the rule, wealthy individuals, corporate interests and trade unions dominate the political donors list. Donation rules need to be overhauled, or we risk a further corrosion of public trust in political integrity.

Although the identity of the anonymous donor has now been revealed as the Constitutional Research Council (CRC), this has only raised more questions. The CRC are not a registered company or an unincorporated association, nor are they a registered charity. They have no website, and virtually no information is available about the group online. The CRC's Chairman, Richard Cook, is the former vice-chairman of the Scottish Conservative party and holds a range of directorships. Who else is behind the CRC and their 425,000 donation that funded the DUP's Brexit campaign, remains a mystery.

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In Northern Ireland, unlike in the rest of UK, donations to political parties are anonymised under rules outlined in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA). For years, the government has pledged to bring Northern Ireland in line with the rest of the UK, which would require simple secondary legislation, and yet reform has never materialised.

Northern Ireland's donations loophole is hardly an exception to the rule. Dark money runs throughout our political system. Existing rules that are meant to promote transparency are simply not comprehensive enough, and so long as loopholes exist, they will continue to be exploited, exploit them and political parties will be happy to help them along.

Conscious of avoiding a potentially reputation-damaging activity, like offering cash for an honour, there are a plethora of avenues open only to the wealthiest, which facilitate stealthy donations to political parties. These are detailed in a satirical guide, 'How to be a Dodgy Donor,' published by Unlock Democracy recently. For example, individuals can pay 50,000 to become a member of the Conservative party's 'Leadership Group.' Alternatively, setting up an Unincorporated Association enables donations of up to 24,999 to be made to a dinner club which can be passed on to a political party of choice without your name being published by the Electoral Commission. If a dodgy donor wants to disguise their identity, there are many ways to funnel cash into a political party - no questions asked, no names revealed.

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To robustly scrutinise the decisions being made by the government, the public needs to know whether they are being subject to undue influence. Transparency measures around party donations are in place to make this scrutiny possible. However, the measures in place do not go far enough to eradicate opacity. Whether it's setting up a limited company through which to channel funding to a political party, or splitting up donations so that each individual transaction is small enough to avoid the Electoral Commission's registration requirements, what's clear is that if you have the money, the rules are easy to circumvent. Those seeking to leverage their wealth to influence a political party should be accountable to both Parliament and the public, and yet existing rules do not enable this scrutiny process to happen.

Existing political donation rules create a system that inclines parties towards pandering to wealthy donors. In a healthy democracy, every citizen should be able to equally participate, and yet the current system enables the wealthiest in society to purchase political influence. If we want to stop the influence of big money in our politics, we need to introduce a low level cap on donations. By capping donations at 5,000, single donations could no longer have an overwhelming influence on campaigns. Politicians would have to appeal to a broader and more diverse audience to source their campaign funds rather than simply pleasing a few multi-millionaires.

The cap would need to be the same for everyone: individuals, companies, unincorporated associations and members associations. The only exception being affiliation fees from membership organisations. This would diminish the opportunities for getting around the rules. The low cap would mean that using tricks, like splitting donations or setting up companies, require more effort than the potential benefits. (You would need to find a lot of people to donate on your behalf to accrue any significant donation). While banning corporate donations would open up new loopholes - individuals making donations and then being repaid by the company for example- the thresholds for company donations do need to be strengthened. The definition of "carrying on business" is as broad as to be virtually meaningless.

The Brexit vote was in part motivated by a deep-set distrust of the political establishment and a dissatisfaction with the way politics is conducted. A perception prevails amongst at least some voters that those in Westminster work on behalf of the interests of the establishment elite, and not their constituents. The way we fund political parties only works to reinforce the perception that politicians are working in the interests of the privileged few, and not the many.
I arrived into Quito, the capital of Ecuador, last week. It's a special place for me as it's where I first set foot in Latin America back in 2006. The Hispanic culture and language have now been a passion of mine for over half of my life and I continue to love it.

Between living in Spain, travelling in Latin America and years of reading and listening, noting down new words in my libreta, learning Castellano (Spanish) has been the most exciting, rewarding and proud achievement I have to-date.

It's all because of the people - Spanish and Latin Americans are famous worldwide for their awesomeness, for good reason - extremely welcoming, with an unbeatable rhythm and positivity.

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I would encourage anyone who is tempted to learn Spanish, to JUMP ON IT. RIGHT NOW. HERE'S HOW.

My 5 tips to start learning Spanish this week:

1. GO TO A BOOK STORE:

You can kickstart yourself by self-teaching. Go to a big book store with a language section tomorrow. Flick through their Spanish textbooks and buy one that suits your learning style, making sure it has an MP3 download and exercises to go with it.

Dedicate your Saturdays to Spanish.

2. HOMESTAY LANGUAGE COURSE:

Once you have taught yourself the basics, organise a trip to Spain/ your nearest Spanish speaking country to do a homestay language course there for a week. It's affordable and so much more effective than paying for lessons at home. As you have learnt the fundamentals through your text book, you'll be able to make the most of the lessons, and ideally not be in the ultimate beginners class so you can expedite your learning.

I did a good 1 week course in Valencia with International House, staying with a lady the school linked me up with.

Immersion is key. Don't hang out with English speaking people when you're there. Be strict and try every conversation in Spanish.

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3. BE BRAVE:

Don't stress over making mistakes - they'll be harmless and provide fun for whoever you're talking with! Use every chance to listen and speak Spanish.

On the tube, at the office, in a cafe...there are tens of Spanish speaking people in our everyday lives already.

4. CONTINUE BACK HOME:

Hopefully a week in a language course will give you the confidence to practice engaging in Spanish so once you're back home. Ideas include:

A) Seek out a Spanish exchange buddy. You can meet up once a week or more and chat in Spanish for an hour. I found someone on Gumtree, also check for Spanish exchange events on meetup.com. You can do this for free in exchange for your English or if time strapped, you can pay a nominal amount (8) to only speak Spanish.

B) Keep going with exercises from your textbook to develop the grammar.

C) Read a book in Spanish - I found reading super useful as you have time to soak up the sentence contracts, verb tense usage and note down new words. Start with whatever you feel comfortable with - maybe a short book you've already read in English. Don't go straight for Gabriel Garcia Marquez! Isabel Allende's Cuentos de Eva Luna is a beautiful book of short stories.

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D) Head to Latino hang outs to practice what you've learnt at home (google them: bars, restaurants, dance classes) and only speak Spanish!

E) Get into Latin music and look up the lyrics. They're often hilarious, normally a bit sexy (start with the 'me duele el corazon' by Enrique Iglesias). My Colombia playlist on Spotify will get you started.

5. START SAVING FOR A BIGGER TRIP to a Spanish speaking country.

Enjoy the fruits of your labour and take yourself off for the ultimate immersion - plan a big trip (2 weeks or longer) to a Spanish speaking country. They are some of the best in the world. Pick from Spain, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Cuba, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Puerto Rico...the list goes on.

This will give you the perfect incentive to keep learning. You can see, feel and be part of the Latino world - living the culture and speaking their language for 2 weeks or more! It's also a great way to make native Spanish friends - keeping in touch via whatsapp and skype will be great for your language skills.

An easy way to jump straight into a culture, and save $$ is to look for volunteering in exchange for accommodation and food. Good places to start are: workaway.com, wwoofinternational.org or even couchsurfing.com.

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If Colombia is on your hit list - and it should be - they speak Spanish with a clear accent, feel free to refer to my eXerK Colombia guides.
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It was recently announced by Natacha Bouchart, the current Mayor of Calais that they have banned the distribution of food to refugees.

Though the Refugee camp there was dismantled three months ago, there is still a large population of refugees in and around the city, only now without the infrastructure to house or support them.

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This move seems to be a method of keeping further refugees coming to the city or forming another refugee camp.

Indeed while the camp was in operation, there was a measure of concern (rightly or wrongly) for the security of not the refugees (who were targets of traffickers, but also residents of the city drivers on their way to the port. It is this fear or paranoia which may have created this policy which seems ultimately misguided.

In Calais, the food that is was given to refugees often comes from either two different sources.

-Unsold stock from Supermarkets (there is a French law ensuring unsold food stock be given to charity)

-Food donations.

This food is either given to refugees directly or is used in one of the kitchens which prepare meals for the refugees by volunteers.

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It is worth repeating that the food and ingredients used are cast-offs, it is unlikely a single resident of Calais has been, nor will be affected by the food given to refugees.

These volunteers now are being forced to give food to the hungry in secret. It is possible that this new policy in Calais contravenes French law and as such will not be put into place.

However, there have been reports of French police tear gassing volunteers trying to deliver food to refugee concentrations in the area. So it is possible that were this policy be outlawed, an unofficial version of it would continue.

Whilst it may contravene French law it unquestionably goes against article 25.1 of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights which secures food and shelter for all.

The heavy-handed acts of the French police is relatively understandable in view of the number of horrific and unconscionable acts of terror which has bloodied French Soil many times over the past few years.

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But greater understanding is needed, and a redirection of attention.

Those who preach terror ultimately want a division between refugee groups and European/western citizens. They want them to find no welcome, they want each European/western citizen to see refugees as potential threats.

It needs reiteration that many of the refugees are fleeing violence perpetrated by terrorist groups.

A welcoming hand not only proves our common decency but plays against evil intentions of terrorist groups who only aim for discord and disharmony.

I write as someone who has not suffered the exclusive agony of losing someone to terrorism. The world has seen its share and many have been forced to suffer the insanity of grief as loved ones have been snatched from them in psychopathic acts of violence and hate. I am thankfully incapable of even pretending I understand. When I hear stories of those who have survived terror attacks or lost people to them, it is difficult to reconcile with my privileged view of the world.

I've heard such stories from other Londoners, Americans, French people, Germans, Turkish people. I've heard such stories from Syrians, Afghans, and Iraqis too. If shared suffering can be a unifying force, we mustn't be separated due to any fear of Paranoia.

Now some complaining about the refugees in Europe have suggested population numbers as a reason for enacting laws against the refugees. This does not hold up to scrutiny.

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In France, the total number of people that applied for asylum in 2016 numbered 85,244.

Of this number, 28% are classed as refugees. Therefore, the total refugees that applied for Asylum in France in 2016 numbers 23,868. Expect a much smaller number for the UK.

Of course, this number represents 2016. There will be many others from previous years.

But the number of Refugees living in Lebanon (a nation small than Wales) is over one million.

You would have to wait 43 years for the number of refugees applying for asylum in France (this is making the assumption that all are accepted, which is patently not the case) to match that of Lebanon.

To continue, 4.8 million refugees live in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. Were France to have that number of refugees (which I would still argue to not mean France was over populated by refugees) you would have to wait over 200 years.

France has traditionally been welcoming to refugees and people seeking Asylum, far more so than the UK who has always been unwelcoming to refugees, asylum seekers (and immigrants in general) so these new anti-refugee policies seem surprising.

The fact remains, that even though this policy aims to make it difficult for the refugees to settle, it does not remove them or lead them to safety. All it seems to do is aim to make them unwelcome in Calais. The homeless refugees across the continent will remain unless helped, worse, becoming another anonymous member of the continent's homeless.

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Instead, the answer to resolving the refugee crisis is not with the heavy-handed treatment of the refugees themselves. This can only work to appease the reactionary anger of far-right voters and may cause a degree of radicalisation in some refugees.

I feel the resolution to this should ultimately be apolitical. Whether you want each and every refugee out of Europe or want them to be welcomed with the love and care which all people deserve by birthright.

The simple fact of the matter is, the refugees are already here. Cruelty will not change this, intimidation will not change this.

Instead, I feel the resolution to this refugee crisis, and all global crises is with kindness.

There ultimately needs to be infrastructure to provide for the care of the refugees. Whether this is with the full support of major NGOs or the UN, or simply local communities welcoming refugees in with arms open.
We need ovarian cancer screening for high-risk women - right now!

Eight years ago, I had a double mastectomy when I was just 35 years old. Four years later, I had my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. Yet I hadn't had a cancer diagnosis, or even signs or symptoms. This was purely an act of prevention.

Extreme? Absolutely not. My personal risk of cancer was so high that having these operations was the only way to reduce my risk to a normal level. When you've watched your family being ravaged by cancer, and find out it's been going on for generations, it feels like a very rational move.

I carry a BRCA gene mutation, which means I had up to a 60% chance of developing ovarian cancer, compared to just 2% for the general population. My risk is now that of a non-mutation carrier.

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I've had these operations because, currently, there is no regular screening programme for women at high risk of ovarian cancer available on the NHS. Once you know you have the gene mutation, you are faced with difficult choices. There is a breast screening programme for high-risk women over 30, which is great, and introducing regular ovarian screening might not have stopped me having my operations, but it would have bought me time, reassurance and choices.

We all carry BRCA1/2 genes and their function is tumour suppression. One in 800 of the general population (or in the case of the Ashkenazi Jewish population, one in 40) carry a mutation and this means that they are at higher risk of developing a number of cancers. BRCA mutations are often mistakenly thought of as something that only affects women, but men are also at risk of breast, prostate and pancreatic cancers if they carry a mutation. They can also pass the mutation onto their children.

Ovarian screening, or should I say the lack of it, is a touchy subject for the high-risk community. Those who haven't had risk-reducing surgery have to rely on knowing their bodies inside out and being aware of even slight changes. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done when it comes to the symptoms of ovarian cancer. The symptoms are so vague that they can easily be mistaken for something like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or pre-menstrual problems. Ovarian cancer is, thankfully, one of the rarer cancers, but this means GPs will see very few cases of it during their career, so they will often send women away with a reassuring nod that what they are experiencing is something else entirely and nothing to worry about. This is probably one of the reasons why so many women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer at such a late stage, when the options for treatment are limited and survival rates are low. Only 12.5% of women diagnosed at the most advanced stages will survive more than five years.

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Over the last 10 years, University College London, co-funded by Cancer Research UK, the UK Department of Health and The Eve Appeal, has carried out the world's largest screening trial of women at high risk of developing ovarian cancer. Women like me were offered a 4-monthly blood test to check CA125 levels - CA125 is a protein that if found in high levels can indicate that a tumour is present - and an annual transvaginal ultrasound. Being part of this screening programme made me feel safe, and that I didn't have to rely on my instincts alone when it came to detecting ovarian cancer.

The results of the UK FOCSS were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Over 4000 women with a family history of ovarian cancer, who at that point hadn't opted for risk reducing surgery, took part in the research. During the screening phase and in the year after their last test, 19 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer although none had any symptoms. The screening was estimated to be able to pick up nine out of every 10 ovarian cancers.

Dr Adam Rosenthal, Clinical Lead on the trial says "The screening appears to be very effective at detecting ovarian cancer before it causes symptoms. It is not going to prevent a woman from developing ovarian cancer - currently the only way to prevent it is to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes - but it does detect it at an earlier stage, when surgery to remove it is easier. Importantly, this would be expected to improve prognosis."

So, what does this mean to us, the mutation carriers and the members of the high risk community? It could buy us the time to decide what we want to do - the chance to have our families at a slightly less rushed pace, knowing that if ovarian cancer is found, it will hopefully be at an earlier stage and treatment may be more successful.

These results give me hope that the NHS will see fit to fund regular screening for all high-risk women, so that in future, my daughters will have more choices and won't have to rush through decisions.

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If you'd like to watch and share a short video which explains more about the research findings please click here
The media has been criticised for its reporting of the US presidential election campaign and the EU referendum. Several media outlets were accused of biased coverage and excessive focus on personalities rather than policies. Journalists working on these two campaigns have had to determine how to report on politicians' false claims.

These two political campaigns have led to a heightened focus on "post-truth" in the media. On BBC Radio 4's The New World, Professor Stephan Lewandowsky from the University of Bristol said the term "post-truth" has "come out of nowhere and exploded into the media scene." He argues that people have become more entrenched in false beliefs. "They're inclined to put feelings first and make facts fit."

One of the most serious problems of the post-truth age is the spread of fake news. Journalists are pressured to come up with new content at a fast pace. This can lead to 'churnalism' where false stories slip under the radar. For example, the story about the Corona founder making everyone in his hometown a millionaire. The false story was reported by the Independent, the BBC, and the Press Association.

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There are many other challenges that come with political reporting in a post-truth world. If media outlets do not cover candidates equally, there can be grave consequences. Providing accurate, fact-checked news is essential to quality reporting. However, it has been proven that bombarding audiences with facts and statistics is ineffective. Communicating how these figures affect real people provides a more successful alternative.

Collaborative journalism can help reporters overcome the challenges of the post-truth age. This could be through online platforms like Twitter, or by integrating with communities. Working collaboratively allows journalists to share stories with the public so they can be transparent about their evidence. To ensure these stories reflect the wider community, reporters must speak to a diverse range of people from different socio-economic backgrounds, races, ethnicities, religions, genders, and sexualities.

Journalism should be focused on the people behind stories, and the communities affected by government policies. Journalists should go into communities to see how political decisions affect the people living there, instead of simply talking to politicians and officials. In the South Wales Valleys, people predominantly voted to leave the EU. Following the election result, there were many reports on why they voted Leave when they received millions of pounds worth of investment from the EU.

In an interview with the Guardian, Remainer Deborah Basini, from Ebbw Vale, said that there are hardly any immigrants in the area. "It's just ... illogical. I just don't think people looked at the facts at all." If journalists embedded themselves into places like Ebbw Vale, perhaps they would have been more in touch with communities and, as a result, people would not have been as shocked with the referendum result. The same could be said for the presidential election.

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When reporting on politics, should journalists give equal weight to candidates when what they are saying is untrue?

Fact checking and accurate reporting is essential, but how we label statements as false is also important. The Executive Director of the American Press Institute, Tom Rosenstiel, argued "one of the many watersheds in the 2016 campaign came when The New York Times used the word "lie" in a front-page story about Donald Trump in September." Labeling Trump a liar further alienated his supporters.

NPR's Senior Vice President of News and Editorial Director, Michael Oreskes, explains in a column that if you want your reporting to reach as many people as possible, this kind of approach is counterintuitive. "It is a well-established piece of social science research that if you start out with an angry tone and say something a listener disagrees with, they will tune out the facts. But if you present the facts calmly and without a tone of editorializing, you substantially increase the chance that people will hear you out and weigh the facts."

Michael Goodwin, writing for The New York Post, accused The New York Times of demonizing Trump throughout the election campaign. Mr Goodwin argued "because the paper decided that Trump's supporters were a rabble of racist rednecks and homophobes, it didn't have a clue about what was happening in the lives of the Americans who elected the new president."

After the election result, The New York Times wrote a letter to its readers admitting it underestimated the level of support Trump had among voters.

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Donald Trump tweeted his interpretation of the letter to his 19 million followers.

The New York Times did not explicitly admit wrongdoing in their letter, but Mr. Trump's tweet makes it appear as though they did. The paper released a statement following their reporting of the presidential election saying "we aim to rededicate ourselves to the fundamental mission of Times journalism." Despite this statement, Mr. Trump's supporters may still trust his tweet. This would be an example of confirmation bias, the psychological tendency for people to accept information that affirms their pre-existing beliefs.

Donald Trump frequently labels the media as "dishonest" in his tweets, which has contributed to a climate of blurred lines between reality and falsehood.

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However, the media can, and does, use Twitter to its advantage. When researching a story on the whereabouts of a Trump portrait, David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post, reached out to his followers. He said "I had attracted a virtual army, ready to join the scavenger hunt." Through their help, Mr. Fahrenthold discovered a $10,000 portrait of Trump, bought illegally with charity money. Mr. Fahrenthold's use of Twitter resulted in a transparent investigation.
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Should porn be on the school curriculum?

This is the question now being asked following the Government's announcement that it is to make relationships and sex education compulsory in all English schools. And the answer should be an unequivocal yes.

This is not about showing pornography to young people, or about telling them not to view pornography. It's about providing a forum in which they can share their views and experiences, and learn about the realities of pornography. The online commercial pornography that is freely available, and easily accessible, is deeply racist and deeply sexist, and often glorifies sexual violence. It is sex from a very particular masculine view: online commercial pornography is not interested in women's sexual pleasure. Pornography, therefore, presents an unrealistic and distorted view of sex and sexual relationships. Yet, worryingly, when asked about what they think of porn, over half of young boys thought that it provided a realistic representation of sex.

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At the extreme, this leads to the situation described by Laura Bates in her evidence to the Women & Equalities Select Committee investigation into sexual harassment in schools. She reported an instance of rape in a school where the young boy was asked why he didn't stop when the girl was crying. He replied that it was 'normal for girls to cry during sex'. It may well be in pornography, but not in reality. This might be a rare case, but the evidence before the Women & Equalities Committee painted the picture of routine sexual harassment of young women in schools.

This is why relationships and sex education must be compulsory: it can play a vital role, as part of a broader strategy, in reducing the prevalence of sexual harassment and violence in schools. And this is why it must be compulsory for all young people, with no parental opt-out or exceptions for faith schools. All young people deserve to be educated on issues of sexual consent; to have the opportunity to discuss sex, sexual practices and relationships in an open and supportive environment. It is what young people, especially girls, are calling for. Indeed, they must be so educated if we are to begin to see a reduction in sexual harassment and violence.

But this is also about children and young people's rights, independent of the interests of their parents. It is the right of each child to receive education on relationships and sex, without their parents being able to control what they learn. This is what young people want, and indeed the vast majority of parents want.

So, including porn in the new curriculum for relationships and sex education is not some whacky idea. It has the cross-party support of Parliament's Women & Equalities Select Committee. Surveys suggest wide support amongst the public, including parents, and young people themselves are asking for help in navigating the online world of pornography, sexting and social media. Indeed, even the Catholic Church recommends schools discuss the 'negative effects of pornography' as part of their relationships and sex education guidance.

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The beginning of March saw Athens grudgingly welcome back the "Troika" inspectors. After months of haggling over Greece's progress towards the goals of its bailout programme and following non-stop negotiations since January 2015, we are back where we started, the creditor inspectors are allowed in to investigate. However, something is different this time. Greece's cash-for-reforms deal is coming apart while at the same time relationships between its creditors are breaking down. We now face a situation where Greece, the IMF and the Eurozone are operating at cross purposes. It is legitimate to ask therefore whether 2017 will be the year when this all stops. Is Greece still worth saving?

The Greece I grew up in was a very different place form the one you see today. I will not bore you with statistics that you can easily see elsewhere, but I can tell you this: It did not feel like Northern Europe. Things were basic, but progressing steadily during the 1980s, and despite the occasional hiccup, people got progressively richer and life was gradually becoming easier. Still, the best thing you could wish for your kids was a state job. Why? Because in a sluggish economy the steady salary and permanent employment offered by the state was the best insurance against poverty. Were Greeks opting for state jobs because they were lazy? No, they did so because permanence made up for boring bureaucracy and modest salaries. This is a common pattern explained by historical factors in states with weak institutions making the transition from agrarian to city economies.

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The political system both exploited and bred the desire for state jobs. Nepotism and clientist politics were the norm. There is nothing surprising about this, as a wide literature on emerging economies suggests. Local politicians based careers on finding jobs for their supporters and the state mechanism was closely connected with party political machines. While things were not exactly 'soviet', there was no such thing as an independent civil service. The 1990s brought with it some maturing of the political system, but also a deepening of corrupt relationships and backslapping cosy deals. PM Kostas Simitis embarked on a project of modernisation and Europeanisation of the country aiming to make Greece part of the 'core' European states, with the ultimate aim to join the Eurozone. Modernisation in this context (in the mid-1990s) meant a particular type of oligarchic neoliberalism that imported some semblance of modernity, yet entrenched elites and a deeply corrupt political establishment.

This brings us to Germany and her role in all of this. The South of Europe by joining the Euro could borrow at much cheaper rates than was previously possible. Who lent to them and what did they do with the money? Northern European Banks (many of them German) were happy to lend money to the new markets in the South. What did the Greeks do with the money? They spent it on goods produced in the North. Indebtedness in the European Periphery is the mirror image of industrial success and growth in the North. This is what people mean when they say that Germany benefited from the distortions of the Euro area, both when its banks raked in profits, and when its industrial production found willing buyers close-by.

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The Greek state for its part, masked the lack of real economic growth, modernisation and progress by borrowing cheaply and allowing tax evasion to mask stagnant real wages. Who would complain about their salary not being enough to buy that Volkswagen, when they could subsidise their earnings with the undeclared income of a few rent-a-rooms by the sea? Would this go wrong? Of course it would and we knew at the time of the 2004 Athens Olympics that something was up. Sudden wealth spread across the country, large infrastructure projects were being built everywhere, there was a consumer boom and a lot of conspicuous consumption. How could all these young men sit around drinking coffees in the middle of the day? And it did go wrong, it went badly wrong. It took a worldwide financial collapse to expose the rotten core of the Greek economy, but the party came finally to an end.
"Northern" and "Ireland" together are often seen as the most boring words in English. Completely unfairly given Northern Ireland's natural beauty and hospitality. But the shock results of their recent elections are far from dull. They could presage profound change in Northern Ireland, Ireland, and the UK in the chaotic age of Brexit.

In 1998 I joined MPs and union leaders at press conferences in Belfast and Dublin advocating a yes vote in the referendum on the Belfast Agreement, which ended the conflict in Northern Ireland. I urged voters to say yes, without illusions.

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The crux of the agreement was mandatory power-sharing between all parties and particularly the dominant nationalist and unionist blocs. It was a bad but necessary form of governance. It is always better to have a strong opposition rather than parties sharing out power and controlling fiefdoms without overarching ideological and political coherence. But peace was the priority and change could come later.

The two dominant parties were the moderate Ulster Unionist Party and the Social Democratic and Labour Party, mainly for Protestants and Catholics respectively. They were eventually shoved aside by their more radical versions - the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein. But the deal could probably only be anchored by the extremes.

There was an inherent instability in the partnership because neither had recanted on their favoured long-term settlement. One sought to protect the union with Great Britain and the other sought the dream, for which they had supported the nightmare of mass murder, of a (re)united Ireland. But power-sharing worked after a fashion.

The main parties were confirmed in their positions just nine months back and supplied the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister who, despite the titles, had to work in lockstep. But a scheme to incentivise renewable energy went badly wrong, costing hundreds of millions because it lacked sufficient controls, and blame was laid at the door of the DUP First Minister, Arlene Foster who refused to step aside as this would mean accepting culpability.

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At the same time, the iconic Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister and former IRA commander, Martin McGuinness succumbed to illness and his party handed the leadership to a young woman without IRA baggage, and forced a fresh election.

Many assumed the same balance between the parties would result. But there was a ten per cent increase in turnout and the two main parties are nearly even, with 28-27 seats respectively in a 90 seat assembly. They now have weeks to work out a deal to reinstate the DUP and Sinn Fein as number one and two respectively. But the DUP falling below thirty seats has a long term consequence as that is the level at which it can veto controversial laws such as extending gay marriage rights to Northern Ireland, or making Irish an official language.

If the two parties cannot establish a new devolved government, British ministers could reinstate direct rule over Northern Ireland until a new election or a new deal. That could be helpful as difficult economic and political solutions that have been fudged could be imposed. One such policy is boosting integrated education so Catholic and Protestant pupils learn together, while their parents meet each other at the school gates. This could undermine the benign apartheid of Northern Ireland where most Catholics and Protestants live separately.

But Brexit provides a major problem. If the UK leaves the EU, then the soft border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic might become a hard border with static customs and immigration posts, which would be targets for terrorists and obstruct millions of routine cross-border transactions. The disappearance of the frontier for all practical purposes also comforted Catholics that they would not be a beleaguered minority in a Protestant state.

If Sinn Fein beats the DUP next time, it could drive a new dynamic to unite Ireland in the EU. Another independence referendum in Scotland could take it out of the UK and, nationalists hope, into the EU, which could mean another hard border.

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The 1998 peace agreement was a triumph of statecraft by John Major and then Tony Blair. Its basis was a carefully crafted phrase by Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Brooke in 1990 that the UK had "no selfish strategic or economic interest" in keeping Northern Ireland. Words counted and so did punctuation. Careless commentators often put a comma between "selfish" and the rest of the sentence. But it was deliberately excluded. The correct version means the UK has strategic and economic interests that are selfless while the incorrect version would mean the UK has no interests.
The election of Donald Trump who campaigned for the presidency on an anti-immigration and anti-Muslim platform, is another warning to anti-racists across the world that we are losing the debate about key issues for the planet. The subsequent 'Muslim Ban', spate of deportations and commitment to build a wall on the border with Mexico has shown that Trump's rhetoric has been quickly turned into action.

President Trump has hit the ground running in terms of building 'fortress USA' and in doing so has failed to recognise the undeniably significant history of migration on which his beloved USA was founded and the contribution of migrants in helping to make America 'great'.

It isn't only in the USA that the language of the right has shaped policy responses to major issues. This is a world wide phenomenon and for too long the issue of immigration has been dominated by a hugely negative narrative. In the UK, Show Racism the Red Card's work in schools and among adults has confirmed that migrants are blamed for a whole variety of society's problems, from low wages to taking benefits, from high house prices to taking jobs.

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If, in a country like Poland, (which has a very low migrant population and a high dependency on money coming into the country from their citizens living and working abroad); the anti-immigration Party are in power, then it is time to make a stand. The media, politicians and campaigners must more consistently emphasise the positive contributions that immigration makes to societies.

Show Racism the Red Card has worked in partnership with a whole range of organisations over the years to try and reassert the benefits of free movement of labour as a basic human right. We must also support the right of refugees to asylum and end the scandal of thousands of refugees drowning at sea for because of the absence of a viable alternative to the problem that they are not safe in the country they are fleeing.

This debate is not going away anytime soon and combined with the growth of anti-Muslim prejudice, these are some of the key issues of the 21st century. It is really a choice of what kind of world do we want? A world of more walls, deportations, detention and race hatred? Or a world where you escape war and persecution and live without division by skin colour, religion, nationality or culture.

To this end we cannot let anti-Muslim and anti-immigration diatribes go unchallenged. Show Racism the Red Card is encouraging young people to enter our UK School Competitions and make a stand against racism. Schools can register for the England and Wales Competitions here.

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Who would have thought it was in India that the selfie game is most in point. The Indian selfie really is leading an industry tidal wave of vanity filled creativity.

While I'm not a huge selfie aficionado, the creative geniuses of Kim Kardashian and Miley Cyrus have helped boost the art of selfies to stratospheric levels. Their genre defining style has led to absolute domination and power, with Kim managing to become the first selfie career artist. An art form that had fallen a little by the way side has now become the absolute be all and end all of modernist social media art. The self portrait has been around for a long time, and was at one point seen as an absolute peak of artistic talent (not in terms of being sought after, but the actual skill involved). Being able to create a lifelike and believable rendition of yourself from a mirror that captured both emotion and life required both vanity and expertise with the artistic weapon of choice. It was also fairly common practice for artists to slip themselves into works in the background as a cheeky one finger salute to whoever was buying it. As art changed the poor selfie was left to rot and squander in its own vain filth.

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However, with the birth of the digital camera and the undeniable genius introduction of the front facing camera on phones the selfie has been resurrected like a self involved and omnipresent Jesus. For all those doubting Thomas' out there get on Instagram and check what's what. Selfie games be strong and the art of selfie is definitely the most produced art style around. The Leonardo's and Caravaggio's of our time are almost always celebrities, with the biggest popularity comes the ever increasingly creative desire to progress the art and give the fans what they want. Over time more radical splinter movements have formed such as the controversial belfie (butt selfie), and the oh so risque wilfie (willy selfie), but the original is arguably the best.

While the west might think they have the selfie style locked up, I believe that in India is where you can find the crucible of the selfie game being poured to forge the one selfie to rule them all. Here selfie is the only photo worth taking and it is here the art form will advance the most.

Coming off the plane I knew that selfies were going to be big, before leaving the airport we had seen stands just selling selfie sticks and some adverts for a phone that included a front facing flash as well. If that is genre pushing innovation then I don't know what is. However, it was when we got to some of the sights that the true extent of selfie domination was evident.

We arrived in India during Diwali which has meant that a lot of the country is on holiday and therefore visiting the sites too. When we arrived at the Taj Mahal almost 70% of the people there were Indian tourists. While I am sure there is a huge appreciation for the artistic skill, and the beauty of the building, the Indian tourists seemed to be far more interested getting a selfie near the site, or just somewhere in the vicinity. It was as if once they had collected the selfie and uploaded it to Instagram with a location tag, and classic hashtag such as #tajmahselfie or #selfiedomination, then that was the reason for coming to the site done. I know that everywhere takes selfie, but I had never seen it on this level. The number of selfie sticks looked as if everyone had come to fight in a strange medieval-style smartphone battle. The queues for the selfie on a bench, or the lack of caring if the site was really in the shot was a thing of beauty in itself.

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While a lot of my own photos were just of the building , maybe I've missed a trick. My photo could have been taken by anyone, obviously I know I took it and for me that's what gives me the memory. But, of I show it to someone else the fact I'm not in it may be detrimental. So perhaps going forward I should self indulge myself in a selfie and realise that Marc Francis, of Made in Chelsea fame, was talking for everyone when he said:
Many of us are still smarting from the losses we suffered in 2016 - from Brexit to the deaths of the likes of David Bowie and George Michael.

For music lovers like myself, I felt the latter even more keenly than the first - and the inauguration of Donald Trump almost did me in totally.

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It seems I'm in good company - Lily Allen was so incensed, she released a cover of Rufus Wainwright's 'Going to A Town' track in protest, with it's prescient opening lyrics: "I'm going to a town that has already been burnt down/I'm going to a place that has already been disgraced/I'm gonna see some folks who have already been let down" and it's refrain: "I'm so tired of America."

Coincidentally, Going to a Town was previously covered to much acclaim by the late former Wham! star George, who also tried his hand at other protest songs over his career - perhaps rather lamentably with his less than wonderful original composition Shoot the Dog, which attempted to lambast the 'poodle' relationship between British PM Tony and then US President George W Bush, whilst criticising UK foreign policy. At the very least however, it's thankfully some distance from Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.

Even Gorillaz came out of retirement to release a Trump-inspired video, their first in six years, just before the inauguration in January.

Hopefully, this means we'll see more artists coming out of ideological hibernation and getting political this year too - after all, some of the greatest popular musical movements have been inspired by social and political unrest - from punk and 2Tone through to Britpop. Many forget that the latter started many years before Tony Blair wrested the keys to Number 10 off the Tories.

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And many people felt - myself included - that the Brit Awards the other week were a good example of how moribund the British music scene has become in the past few years. (http://nypost.com/2017/02/23/british-music-really-sucks-right-now/)

If nothing else of course, as well as potentially being cathartic for exorcising our suffering under social and political ills, great new music can just make us feel good.

This list just released by BBC Radio 1 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/58KckT0wF0Fx77jqGFZ4yxl/9-upcoming-albums-that-will-inevitably-make-2017-a-better-year) is a tantalising taste of what we could be filling our ears with over the course of the rest of the year - I for one am very much looking forward to the new outing from Lorde, and not least Lana Del Rey, Zara Larsson, Dua Lipa and The Chainsmokers.

But even more intriguingly, could Katy Perry be about to be one of those to discover her political voice?

She's an outspoken critic of Donald J and was out on the campaign trail with Hillary Clinton in her sadly unsuccessful election campaign - and she's about to release her fifth album this year.

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This time last year, I would have never pictured that I would now be five months into an apprenticeship in Public Relations (PR). It has been the best decision that I could have made, but one that had never even entered my mind before, being so adamant that university was the right choice for me.

My whole life I had always planned on attending university; it seemed - and I had been taught - that it was the most natural and appropriate next step to a "successful" career, so I applied along with the rest of my peers during my last year of A-Levels and got an offer from a good university. However when I returned home from a gap year working and travelling in Australia, I finally realised that I didn't want to go back into full-time education.

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It was actually my Mum who thought an apprenticeship would be the right thing for me when she found the advert. PR has such a wide variety; from writing to events to liaising with journalists, so there is so much scope for me to try out new things and develop different skills.

Not one of my friends or family had ever done anything like an apprenticeship. The only apprenticeships I'd heard of were in things like hairdressing and car mechanics. Regardless, I made the decision to go for it and try something different and am now five months into my apprenticeship, it still being one of the best decisions I've made.

Working for such a huge organisation like the University of Sheffield, I am able to learn from lots of different professionals with different skills, expertise, experience and guidance. Everyday I am applying what I learn to the work I am doing and the career I am building. I experience real industry challenges, achievements and day-to-day roles that are preparing me for the rest of my career.

I've loved been able to work on big events and recently worked on the huge announcement of McLaren Automotive opening a new factory in partnership with the University's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. At the launch event, I got to meet national journalists and build my contacts, something I wouldn't have got to do studying for a degree.

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There is also a huge student element to apprenticeships, something I was worried I might miss out on by by not attending university. Once a week I have a study day, which brings a whole new dimension to my role, where I can be a student and learn why I am doing what I am doing everyday at work. For me, this is the best way to learn - by actually trying it out for myself. I'm also really lucky as I work at a university so get the full benefits of the Students' Union and student culture on campus. I get the best of both worlds!

The government is introducing a new apprenticeship levy next month which means big companies will have to pay to fund apprenticeship training. However, they can get some of this money back if they take on apprentices. Hopefully this will lead to more opportunities in varied industries like banking, engineering and even online security.

I think the perception of apprenticeships is changing, which is a great thing. More and more young people who had never considered one before, like me, are now becoming more open to these new possibilities and are challenging the traditional stereotypes of an apprenticeship.

Being paid to learn, gain experience, and ultimately receive a qualification, is one of the best things I've done. I've been able to grow in confidence and, at only 19, kick-start my career with 15 months of real industry experience as well as a qualification in PR.
Political debate in the UK now seems largely dominated by BREXIT and the travails of health and adult social care such that the overall position of government finances is hardly mentioned. Unfortunately, this fiscal situation looks rather grave and questions need to be asked about the governments overall strategy with regard to public spending and public finances.

The original projection for government borrowing in 2016/17 was 68.2bn but stronger tax receipts in recent months are expected to reduce this to 65bn for the year. While the public budget deficit and associated borrowing have reduced from the high point in 2009/10, this current deficit of 65bn is still a very large amount of money and, on current plans, the deficit is not planned to be eliminated until 2020/21 at the earliest. Furthermore, whatever one's opinion on the merits of otherwise of BREXIT, it does seem likely that the actual withdrawal of the UK from the European Union will create (at least in the short term) some financial and economic turbulence which will put back the date for eliminating the fiscal deficit still further.

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Surely, it is not a strategy to just keep borrowing tens of billions of pounds each year for a period, at least, well into the middle of the next decade while just hoping that something will turn up. If that something is thought to be greater economic growth then a failure to generate such growth will mean the burden of this excessive government borrowing will fall on our children and grandchildren.

The major problems at the current time appears to be that of health services and adult social care although there are other concerns around defence, policing, schools etc. I suggest that, on the assumption that we do not want a substantial decline in clinical outcomes or huge increases in waiting times, then, there are really just three policy options that can realistically be considered. All of them are difficult to do, politically contentious and all of them will probably need some form of up-front funding to lubricate the wheels of change. They are

Reduce demand for health and social care services

Reconfigure health and social care delivery

Reconsider the financing of health and social care

Reduce demand for health and social care services

Clearly, an obvious way to reduce the pressure on health and social care services is to reduce the demand for such services. This encompasses the field of health promotion, self-care etc and there are many different models and approaches that can be used in both health and social care. There are, however, a number of problems. The first is an inability to get individuals to change their lifestyles in order to improve their health (e.g. stop smoking, reduce alcohol consumption, reduce weight). Various approaches have been tried but with mixed degrees of success. Perhaps the key issue to consider here is the balance to be struck between providing incentives to individuals to change their lifestyles and the imposition of sanctions on people who do not make such changes. The second reason concerns funding mechanisms in that those preventative services often require up-front funding to kick-start them with the expectation of downstream savings which might not materialise. Lack of such investment-type funding mechanisms may inhibit preventative service development.

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Reconfigure health and social care delivery arrangements

In 2016, I wrote a report entitled Sustainable Healthcare Systems: An International Study (http://www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/acca/global/PDF-technical/public-sector/tech-tp-sustainable-healthcare-systems.pdf ). This report looked at the health systems of a number of countries and a common finding from many countries was that their existing health system was not "fit for purpose" and needed radical re-configuration. This finding also applies to the UK and this fact was reinforced yesterday by the comments of the Care Quality Commission's chief inspector of hospitals, Sir Mike Richards, who was quoted as saying that the NHS is standing on a "burning platform" because its current model is not fit to serve the public.

Now, it seems that there is a strong consensus that the NHS, as currently configured, is not fit for purpose. There is also, probably, a fair consensus about what needs to be done to make it fit for purpose. This will involve such things as greater integration with health and social care, improved use of IT, more out of hospital care etc. Hence, we might well ask what is the problem other than a lot of work to undertake the necessary changes? A finding from the Sustainable Healthcare Systems Report was that achieving such a service re-configuration was very difficult because of resistance from politicians, health professionals and the public and because there was a need for significant up-front investment to make the necessary changes. This would undoubtedly be the case in the UK as well.

Reconsider the financing of health and social care

The NHS is often described as being "free at the point of consumption". In practice this means that aside from a wide range of fairly limited charges, the services provided to patients are done so without charge and are paid for by the Government using taxpayers contributions. However, in the light of the large-scale government borrowing that has taken place over the last few years, it must be recognised that, in reality, at least a proportion of NHS expenditure is being financed through borrowing.

Adult social care is somewhat different in that funding comes from three main sources - central government funds, local government council tax revenues and a wide range of substantial charges which may be means-tested.

If we take as given that increases in funding as a consequence of economic growth are likely to be limited and that the electorate has no wish to pay higher basic rates of income tax, council tax or VAT then the options are limited. An extended range of charges seems likely to have little scope in either the NHS or adult social care while recent comments in the media suggest that the Treasury is looking to raise more revenue by a variety of stealth taxes. Whether that will be sufficient to deal with the funding problems remains to be seen.

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My suggestion, which I have advocated for over fifteen years, would be some form of hypothecated or earmarked tax whereby, the taxpayer knows that the proceeds of the tax will go to pay for a particular public service. Thus, it would be possible to have an NHS tax whereby the proceeds of the tax go to fund the NHS and the taxpayer is aware of this. Such taxes work well in other countries and poll evidence in the UK suggests it would be more acceptable to the electorate than an increase in general taxation. Such a development would be hated by Treasury and many politicians since it reduces their power to transfers public funding from one area to another. Also, it may also be seen as the thin end of the wedge since if we have an NHS tax today why not a schools tax or a police tax tomorrow.

One final point is that if the reconfiguration of health services and adult social care involved some sort of merger then presumably funding options could be considered in relation to a unified service.

Conclusion

Recent experience has led me to think that all of the options discussed above fall into the "too difficult" box. They either are too expensive at the outset, too politically contentious or will be strongly resisted by service professionals and the public. Personally I don't think it is possible for changes as big as this to be implemented, successfully, on a national basis by a top-down arrangement managed from offices somewhere in London. For those who doubt this I would refer them to the fiasco of the National programme for IT in the NHS (Npfit) which resulted in a write-off of 1.5bn.
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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May has stated that "Brexit means Brexit" but it has been unclear what that actually means. She clarified in a speech last month that Britain will completely leave the European Union but it would like to maintain a special relationship with the EU that will be based on a "new and equal partnership between an independent, self-governing, Global Britain...[and] friends and allies in the EU." Although Britain will not be staying in the Single Market it desires, "...the greatest possible access to it through a new, comprehensive, bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement."

A recent blog piece on the London School of Economics and Political Science titled "What Trading Outside the Single Market Looks Like," outlines some extracts from the LSE Commission Report which states the U.K. would have to return to its World Trade Organization (WTO) membership and would have the same relationship as other non EU countries unless it is successful in obtaining a deal with the EU. It may not be able to stay in the Customs union as it would curtail its ability to negotiate its own trade deals which along with border patrol is one of its priorities.

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Although there are benefits to being outside the Single Market, such as the fact that Britain can prioritize its own interests when dealing with countries outside of the EU and in the future open up new opportunities for itself to trade with China and India, it would have significantly weakened its position after leaving the "largest trading bloc in the world." Also if Britain is not looking for a "Soft Brexit" the piece argues there is a risk of a more complete "hard Brexit" referred to as a "cliff edge scenario" or disastrous exit that can prove costly for Britain both in the short term and in the long term. It needs a better deal brokered with the EU as opposed to simply re-joining the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) which would not result in free trade in services. And if new regulations are put in place by Britain that don't comply with WTO or EU standards Britain could face further market restrictions.

But May has also said that 'no deal would be better' for Britain than a bad deal. Analysts have pointed out that a new Free Trade Agreement would likely not be negotiated within the next two years but could even take dozens of years. Once Britain officially notifies the European Council of its decision to withdraw it invokes Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which gives any member state the legal right to withdraw, after which negotiations will begin, as May stated, no later than the end of March. In those negotiations Britain will need to keep tariffs low and restrict non tariff barriers to trade. High tariffs would result in more expensive imports and while it would be in Britain's interest to lower tariffs the report claims it risks "losing its bargaining power." The EU also carries a greater advantage in those negotiations and it may not accept a transitional phase and can also play tough in return.

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The May government has faced internal opposition to its call for leaving the Single Market. Former Conservative Prime Minister John Major called May's rhetoric "over-optimistic" and warned that it would hurt the most vulnerable to leave the Single Market and that the government was not being forthright about the real life consequences. But on Feb. 28 the Lords voted against an amendment to remain in the single market, granting victory to the government's stance.
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Views differ on what the length of a bachelor's degree should be: for example, it is four years in Scotland, but three years in England.

The Americans, along with a large section of the world, have decided on four years (albeit starting at a younger age); the 'Bologna' process which seeks to harmonise the European higher education system typically assumes three years for the first cycle.

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Now the UK government is also suggesting two year bachelor programmes (three years in Scotland) within state funded institutions. These 'fast track' programmes are already quite common in the private sector. Good idea?

The discussion is not just about the number of years, but also the number of teaching weeks per year and the number of teaching hours per week. Many UK universities teach 32 weeks a year, leaving the other 20 for assessments, writing dissertations, and of course holidays.

Older universities like Oxford and Cambridge typically teach three terms of eight weeks, so 24 weeks a year. Historically, education has had a long summer break, mainly because children had to help with the harvest and the journey home used to be time consuming.

Though few nowadays go home to help in the fields, this tradition is treated with considerable respect - especially at universities. It is easy to argue that times have moved on and that education is long overdue to catch up with the industrialised reality.

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In a place like Singapore, there are many more teaching weeks in the year; perhaps because there are no seasons, but more likely because of a very different attitude towards the importance of education. The week also has many more teaching hours than the UK (8-12 hours per week). In a competitive world, can we in the UK still afford such a relaxed attitude?

The issue here is not the answer; the problem is the question. Quite simply, there is no such thing as an ideal length for a degree programme. We should consider what the students want and need, rather than the perspective of the degree programme.

We all learn in different ways. In our knowledge-based economy we (rightly) are more and more inclined to study at different stages of life with different objectives. Contrary to past practice, it is not the students who should adjust to the programmes, but vice versa: different types of programmes should serve different needs.

Long, broad, and low intensity degree programmes have a clear function: they help young people to acquire knowledge and skills as well as develop their personalities. This relatively slow approach tends to lead to more senior, more rewarding, better paid positions (albeit with a delay factor).

Short, professionally focused, and intense degree programmes are likely to provide more immediate employability. They are also economically appealing in the short term.

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At the German business school of which I am also rector - GISMA Business School - we used to offer students the choice between a 12 month and an 18 month full time MBA. Interestingly, almost all international students opted for the longer version, which included German language and work experience with local companies.

As Germany is keen for high-flying international students to stay after they have completed their degree, and graduates of an AMBA-accredited programme fall into this category, the students understood the importance of studying for longer to be better prepared for employment.

For some students, especially those seeking not just graduation but also professional qualifications, a much longer study track can be a better choice. Studying whilst working means entering the labour market much faster whilst avoiding study debts.

At my previous university, most accountancy students would enter employment straight after secondary school, with the employer committing itself to funding part-time study. Typically, these student-employees would take seven to eight years to obtain their qualifications, and would then need to continue studying for the remainder of their working life to retain the right to practise. This slow track of work-integrated learning shifting into learning-integrated work is extremely sensible, especially in demanding professions.

So, longer degrees can be a smarter investment than shorter ones - but for other students, entering or re-entering the labour market as fast as possible may make much more sense.

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A fast track degree is not better or worse than a traditional degree programme or a work integrated programme: they all serve a purpose.

Some might say it is about horses for courses, but in education, it really should be about courses for horses. The ideal length of a degree course is about what you need it to be, not what the university or others feel it should be.

The issue is not what length or type of programme is better; the real issue is that the choice reflects the needs of the students and of society in general.
All childbirth is a trauma to some degree. I can't imagine it's ever "easy," but maybe some could be described as comparatively easy.

When I drove my wife to the hospital for the birth of our first, I was in a pretty chill mood. Our friends already had kids, and there was no reason to think it would be a problem for us. I was having a bit of a laugh with the midwives when we got there. I was excited. My wife was in a bit of discomfort but nothing terrible. Well, the night went on, and the pain got worse for my wife who never shows any pain if she feels it. I saw her face when the first real contractions came, and I knew she was in some real agony. Still, we expected this and I thought I was dutifully supportive and sympathetic. My wife asked eventually for an epidural at about 3 AM (we'd been in since 10 PM), and they performed it simply. I went off for a brew, came back, and my wife was looking blissed out and chill. "Well, this is just cool," I thought.

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We even got some sleep.

At about 7 AM I woke in the (hard) chair in the delivery suite to the midwife saying it was time to start pushing. We were on the home stretch. Well, the pushing started; I held one of my wife's legs up because she couldn't feel or move it herself. The pushing commenced and went on, and on, and on. At this point, I'm starting to realize that this is pretty hard for my wife.

You don't see people on a hard workout put in such an effort, even in the gym!

Three hours later and still no baby. It just wouldn't make the last "u-bend," so they called in the surgeons for a cesarean. I was just about to don my scrubs when somebody said, "I think we can do this here with forceps." This idea was agreeable for me. I was incredibly naive. So the bed lost its last third, and my wife had her legs in stirrups, and I'm thinking, "Wow, this is quite involved. It's not like what you see on TV."

More pushing. Some serious work is going on between my wife's legs. This petite French surgeon has the forceps around the baby's head, and she is pulling with all her strength, her arms showing the muscle as she leans back. Eventually, a baby's head appeared, and I felt that rush of bewilderment. It was finally real, and amazing. I kept telling my wife, "You've done it." I announced the gender when the baby came entirely out, except I got it wrong and said boy. My wife corrected me and said girl. We all laughed. That was the last laugh for awhile. The staff was asking if I wanted to cut the cord. Of course I did! Wouldn't any doting and proud father want to as well?

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I went to the doctor at the "business end" of my wife, and I snipped that rubbery bacon rind-like cord, and as it dropped from my view, my eyes fell on my wife's private parts.

Something had made a cut, and blood was literally gushing from her.

It reminded me of an overflowing bath. Suddenly, all joy was gone. I went to my newborn daughter, who was lying on my wife's chest, and I tried to talk, but my heart had started pumping ice around my body. I told everyone I was going to pass out and just as they sat me on the chair, I did exactly that.

You know when you wake in the morning, and you don't know what day it is, you don't know if it's Saturday or Monday? "Do I have to go to work?" This confusion was the exact feeling I had as they shook me awake in that chair; for one moment everything was fine, then I was back in a nightmare. There were twice as many staff now in the room. They were rushing quietly and professionally around my wife who I noticed was milk pale, her hand gripping the sheet, a mask on her face. A surgeon was working between her legs, and a midwife was massaging her stomach. They couldn't stop the bleeding. There was a poker face to most of them, but one of the student nurses looked visibly shaken. I was terrified. The head nurse knelt in front of me and told me they were trying to stop the bleeding, asked if I wanted to hold my daughter. I held her, she hadn't yet cried, and she just looked up at me with her deep, dark, and beautiful newborn eyes. She never made a sound. I told her it was going to be okay, I kept telling her, but I was telling myself as I'd never been so scared, and the actual truth was I just didn't know.

Okay, I've gone on enough. Sorry. Thank you for making it to the end if you did. Yes, births can be incredibly dramatic. My wife lost almost three liters of blood. About half of her entire blood supply. Lose that at the roadside in an accident, and you will die. She lost most of it in ten minutes. She was mostly unaware of the severity of the situation as it was happening. It only dawned on her after the doctors told her. I could smell blood for a week after. I couldn't talk to anyone about it for months without crying. I have tears in my eyes now as I write. We have a happy ending, of course, and I realize this and I'm so thankful for it. It's possible I have a mild PTSD due to it all.

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In the last six years, since I first started working for Dallaglio RugbyWorks in 2011, I have seen many examples of how a good apprenticeship scheme can be hugely beneficial to all types of businesses. Of course, the impact of a well-suited placement on an apprentice's future can be life-changing. But the gains for the business that runs the scheme can be just as big.

Through the charity's long-term skills development programme, RugbyWorks, I am part of a team that works with 14-17 year olds outside of mainstream education to help them achieve sustained education, employment or training. The programme has been rolled out in number of Alternative Provision (AP) schools across London, Newcastle, Bristol and South Wales. To meet our goals, we work with businesses to provide these young people with options they might not have otherwise, including access to quality apprenticeship placements. In fact, in 2016 we saw around 18% of the young people on our programme move into apprenticeships, versus 6% of mainstream pupils who apply; it's becoming increasingly apparent that this pathway feels achievable for this particular cohort of teenagers who, rightly or wrongly, can feel socially excluded by society.

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Halfords is a solid example of a company that has benefitted from providing apprenticeships, and even employment, to young people supported by the RugbyWorks programme. In January 2015, Halfords Autocentres made its first staff appointment as a result of its partnership with Dallaglio RugbyWorks. Of course, this has been life-changing for the young person involved but also, I hope, valuable to the company which now has a talented new addition to the team.

With the apprenticeship levy approaching in April, we are keen to spread a positive message about what the increase in investment could mean for both businesses and the British workforce. The levy will require all employers operating in the UK, with a pay bill over 3m each year, to invest in apprenticeships. We recognise that this is a big ask for some, especially smaller businesses. However, it will mean that businesses of all sizes have good reason to take advantage of the investment, embrace apprenticeship schemes and train new talent. This is particularly important following recent reports of a skills shortage in some industries. According to the latest Labour Market Outlook, from the CIPD and The Adecco Group, labour and skills shortages are starting to impact UK sectors that predominantly hire EU nationals. Apprenticeship schemes could be key to plugging the gap with well-trained UK nationals.

My hope is that the levy will encourage businesses to think more carefully about implementing their own apprenticeship schemes. Even if this means only taking on one or two apprentices per year. The fact is, the longer it takes to get the levy off the ground, and the less businesses recognise it as a positive legislation, the more the pathway we feel has the most potential is blocked. If apprenticeship schemes become tainted as an irritating expense, it could be a disaster for many young people and older workers looking to retrain or enter a new field.

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On the 1st of March, Vogue Arabia released their highly anticipated first cover, but it was a big disappointment. Vogue decided to put Gigi Hadid on their first cover. Hadid is known for disrespecting and appropriating a lot of cultures, so it wasn't a surprise when she appropriated the Islamic culture on Vogue Arabia's cover.

We present the first cover of Vogue Arabia photographed by @InezandVinoodh featuring Model of the Year @GigiHadid. Find out more via the link in our bio. #VogueArabiaIsMe                    .   . #___ A post shared by Vogue Arabia (@voguearabia) on Mar 1, 2017 at 9:05am PST

On the cover, Hadid was dressed in a veil which symbolises niqab (an Islamic wear, which requires being covered from head to toe except for the eyes) while her shoulders and arms were bare which really conflicts and disrespects the idea of niqab.

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Fun fact: not every Arabic woman wears hijab/niqab as they are only for Muslim women, even those who aren't Arab. Hadid is not a Muslim, which means she has no right to wear hijab/niqab, especially when hijabi models rarely land gigs because of their hijabs. Add to that fact that there are a lot of Muslim models in the industry who aren't veiled and a lot of Arabic models working both locally and internationally, which means Vogue had a lot of choices but decided to choose one of the worst ever. Not just that, Vogue Arabia had the guts to call her "All American" with her photo in hijab on their website.

Maybe, Vogue thought that Gigi was a good fit because she was born to a Palestinian father, but Gigi never mentions being a half Palestinian except in times when it will benefit her like when she posted about being on the cover of Vogue Arabia, or when she was attacked or criticised for using henna. She never talks about the struggles Palestinians or any Arabs face in their country or the struggles refugees and immigrants face on a daily basis.

Vogue didn't only disappoint by their choice of the problematic model, Hadid was shot by Inez and Vinoodh, two Dutch photographers who have no connection to neither Arabic culture nor Islamic culture, to give us the very cheap and stereotypical concept of the shoot that disrespects the Islamic culture. While there are millions of Muslim and Arabic photographers who could have been a better fit for the shoot, they also would have made it feel ethnic as it was initially intended.

Another big let down is the designer who custom designed the clothes Hadid wore: Brandon Maxwell. I, personally, am a very big fan of Brandon's work and brand, but like every other thing on this cover, Brandon has no connection to either culture. Furthermore, there are a lot of Muslim and Arabic designers out there, some of which have been dominating the fashion industry for years, while others are still struggling to make a breakthrough, and just imagine how life changing a Vogue cover would be for a person who is struggling to break into the fashion industry.

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The funniest part of the cover is that most Westerns always talk about how oppressing hijab must be and how we, Muslim women, need to be freed from such oppression, but the first thing they decide to put in a photo-shoot to look artistic and ethnic is our hijab.

Any model, photographer and designer are welcome to work on Vogue Arabia, as long as they don't misrepresent us or disrespect any of our cultures, considering the fact that the Arab world has a lot of diverse cultures.
In an administration in which racism has gone mainstream, it should be no surprise that Jewish minorities would be no exception. The last week of February saw 21 bomb threats to Jewish schools and community centres, alongside vandalism across the country, including the desecrations of Jewish cemeteries in St Louis, Philadelphia and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Whilst even one threat would be alarming, this unprecedented tsunami of anti-Semitism should be raising serious concern within a government elected to protect its citizens.

However, the tidal-wave of incompetence and scandal within the first month of this administration has led to an underwhelming recognition of this problem. Trump's response to a Jewish reporter stated "here's the story, folks. I am the least anti-Semitic person that you've ever seen". Despite not even being the least anti-Semitic person in that conversation, the exchange articulated a wider problem; by making himself the centre of the story, Trump is deliberately diminishing the growing threat towards the Jewish community.

A willingness, both from his critics and supporters, to use and excuse his support of the Israeli government similarly provides a smokescreen for a bubbling anti-Semitism beneath the surface. Whilst this is not the space to discuss the complexities between support of Israel and Jewish identity (especially in discussing a man who probably can't spell complexity), it is sadly still necessary to distinguish the difference. Trump supports, and is mutually embraced by, the Israeli government; most Jewish people are not members of the Israeli government. Some will support the Israeli government, some will support the state even if they disagree with its politics, some neither.

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This diversity means that support for the actions of a government for which the vast, vast majority of world Jewry cannot vote does not recuse a man who has facilitated the flourishing of anti-Semitism within his own borders. What should be unanimous within the community is concern for Trump's 'too little, too late' acknowledgement of anti-Semitism more close to home; both across the country, and literally within his own White House. This was his initial response;

One key-word is notable in its absence - can you spot it? Here's a clue; it was also missing from official statements for Holocaust Memorial Day - after being purposefully removed from earlier drafts of the speech. Despite an impression of Trump's general incompetence, this is no case of forgetfulness; but a purposeful and decisive dismissal of the plight of the Jewish community. This delayed skeleton of a condemnation was widely criticised, most notably from the lyrical masterpiece from the Anne Frank Center who called it "a pathetic asterisk of condescension" in which omission is no accident.

Trump referred to the incidents in discussion with Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, adding on three occasions that, whilst anti-Semitic violence would be "rephrensible", "sometimes it's the reverse, to make people - or to make others - look bad". The 'false flag' argument suggests that 'sometimes' these attacks might not be what they seem - that they may be coming from within the community itself to discredit Trump and his administration.

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Not only is the act of making anti-Semitic attacks about himself an act of unbelievable narcissism, within it lurks a sinister accusation of Jewish control and manipulation of the media that will be uncomfortably familiar. Again, the illusions implied within these statements are no accident; their sentiment echoes tweets from last month by David Duke, the former Imperial Wizard of the KKK (whose Twitter I won't give credence to by linking, but the tweets are still available for anyone interested). Before his reincarnation as a proud Trump supporter, Duke was most notable for his defiant Holocaust denial; an emerging pattern.

Duke is not Trump's only unsavoury bedfellow. Whilst of course not his only supporters, his campaign thrived upon a loose coalition of white nationalists. Rebranded as the "alt-right", they manifest within Egg Twitter accounts and anonymous comment sections on websites like Breitbart News, whose editor-in-chief is now 'chief strategist'. Emboldened by a campaign in which his Jewish sister did not stop Donald Trump Jnr stating that the media "would be warming up the gas chambers", or from her father tweeting memes that imposed a Star of David on top of a pile of money; the neo-Nazis are having their moment.

The voices shouting "Heil Trump" in clips that went viral after his victory may be as shocked as anyone to see their rhetoric filter into the mainstream. From explicit actions like the Muslim ban, to more subtle renaming of the centre for "Countering Violent Extremism" to 'Countering Islamic Extremism'; the Trump administration is sending a clear message as to what it considers a threat. Terrorism for Trump is a one-way street, and seemingly does not involve the white supremacists who make up the vast bulk of those who actually commit acts of domestic terrorism.
Justine Greening's proposals to make Relationships and Sex Education mandatory in schools have been enthusiastically welcomed by all but religious conservatives. But whilst the proposals are a step in the right direction, the decision to allow parental opt-outs and give faith schools leeway to teach the subject in accordance with their religion means some children will be left behind. This isn't acceptable.

The move towards statutory RSE comes amid increasing concerns around child sexual exploitation, sexual health and the growing risks associated with growing up in a digital age. There is a clear need for schools to tackle issues around sex, relationships, consent, gender equality and sexuality. If there is a compelling case to act in relation to pupil safety then surely the proposals should apply equally to all children and young people, irrespective of their religious or cultural background.

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Yet under the proposals, some of the children and young people most in need of this information, those denied it at home by socially or religiously conservative parents, will still be denied it.

The Government says it is important that we "ensure universal coverage for all pupils and improved quality" only to then undermine itself by granting opt-outs to religious schools.

All children deserve the same chances in life. Good quality comprehensive sex education should be every child's right. Instead, under these proposals, the subject will continue to be delivered according to the whims of religious authorities, rather than the needs of young people. These proposals risk reducing children in faith schools and from conservative religious backgrounds to second class status.

The limited scope of the subject also appears to be a sop to religion anxieties, fed by inaccurate tabloid 'scare' stories. Why, for example, why is the Government limiting primary school obligations to 'relationships education'? It is well established that the onset of puberty and sexual awareness, including of sexual orientation, occur for many children before they reach secondary school. Primary school children need age-appropriate education around the body, safe and unsafe touch, and puberty. What good reason is there to leave them in the dark?

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The Government will hold discussions on what should be taught to children, and at what age, and there will be a full public consultation later this year. But the lack of explicit reference to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the proposals is a concern.

The proposed legislation seems to fall short of the latest recommendation from the Committee of the Rights of the Child which called on the UK to "Ensure that meaningful sexual and reproductive health education is part of the mandatory school curriculum for all schools".

The human rights committee recommended:

"such education should provide age-appropriate information on: confidential sexual and reproductive health-care services; contraceptives; prevention of sexual abuse or exploitation, including sexual bullying; available support in cases of such abuse and exploitation; and sexuality, including that of LGBT children."

The Government argues that specifying the content of the subjects on the face of primary legislation would be "too prescriptive" and would run the risk of the legislation becoming "quickly out of date as the world changes".

This gives faith schools the wriggle room they want to avoid topics they don't like. The areas listed by the UN aren't going "out of date" anytime soon and should be explicitly included and without exception.

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There is a pressing need to promote inclusion and acceptance in education. A major Government survey of 15 year olds has shown that health indicators/outcomes and happiness levels are materially worse for gay adolescents/teenagers and very much worse still for bisexual adolescents/teenagers.

Extensive polling of British Muslim attitudes conducted by ICM found that 52% thought homosexuality should be illegal in Britain. 39% agreed that "wives should always obey their husbands".

A recent family court case in which a transgender woman was denied contact with her ultra-Orthodox Jewish children highlighted the corrosive effect of intolerant attitudes amongst ultraOrthodox Jewish communities - attitudes that are being perpetuated by religious schools, where homosexuality and transsexuality are unmentionable.

Even human biology is deemed beyond the pale for some faith schools. The publicly funded Yesodey Hatorah secondary girls' school in Hackney was rebuked by the exam regulator after a National Secular Society investigation revealed it was censoring exam paper questions on human reproduction - a common practice, it claimed, amongst charedi schools throughout England.

Organised religion's desire to control our collective sex lives is of course nothing new. In 1877 the National Secular Society's founder Charles Bradlaugh and Annie Besant, a secularist and campaigner for women's rights, were brought to trial for 'obscenity' after disseminating a pamphlet on birth control. We can't allow a 19th century mindset to dictate modern education policy.

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That's exactly what Justine Greening is doing by insisting that RSE needs to be "sensitive to the needs of the local community" and taught in accordance with the tenets of various religions in publicly funded faith schools - schools which are often attended by children from all religion and belief backgrounds.

The Government's "21st century relationships and sex education" will not be worthy of that billing if it allows young people's rights to be retarded by religion.
Channel 4

I wanted to like it. I really did.

But Channel 4's Extremely British Muslims, though created with good intentions, unfortunately missed the mark when it came to showcasing the lives of everyday British Muslims in the UK.

I understand the three-part docu-series, with the remaining two episodes still to air, aims to dispel ideas that British Muslims are intolerant to western ways of living and refuse to integrate. It's a valid concern with the news reporting on a large number of UK born Muslims flying to Syria to join the so-called Islamic state because they feel disenfranchised with Britain. Case in point: Mohammed Emwazi aka Jihadi John.

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However, I found it troubling that a show, dressed up as the first real view into British Muslims, was solely set in Birmingham. Of course the city has a large Pakistani Muslim population and is home to one of many UK Sharia courts in the country within Birmingham's Central Mosque, but this led to the entire first episode focusing more on the issues in Pakistani culture than being Muslim.

We saw fashion graduate Bella Nabi and aviation engineer Nayera struggle to find suitable men who they could potentially marry. For both women the struggle wasn't finding someone who was Muslim, if anything that was the easy part, it was finding someone who didn't subscribe to the idea that a woman should be at home cooking and cleaning while the man went out to work. I don't consider myself an expert on Islam but even I know these are fundamentally cultural issues, not religious ones.

Nayera sat through a truly awful date with a man who said he saw raising children as the woman's responsibility and he didn't think it was fair on him if his wife went out to work because then who would cook dinner? Fortunately for Nayera she challenged him relentlessly on his stoic idea of marriage. Realising she wasn't going to back down he suggested they call it a night and get the bill.

There was also 28-year-old Ash who initially said he wanted his wife to merely bring him and his friends tea and then fade into the background. Again, the idea of a wife being obedient and existing to wait on you is the influence of culture, not religion. But you began to see where this mentality stemmed from after his mother started getting involved in the process and suggested he marry this one particular girl because she's Pakistani and can speak English. Nothing more.

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For a show as groundbreaking as Extremely British Muslims, it seems to have fallen into the trap of focusing too much on the culture of said Muslim rather than their actual religion. Pakistan is a Muslim nation, but not all Muslims are Pakistani. It would've been far more insightful if viewers saw Muslims from all racial backgrounds express their thoughts and feelings on being a British Muslim. Where were the Somali Muslims? African Muslims? Or even those who have converted (or reverted - whichever way you want to put it) to Islam?

I could be wrong. There are still two more episodes to air and next week's offering could include a diverse range of Muslims that will give viewers a truer picture of Muslims in the UK. I don't know why the producers didn't think to travel across the country speaking to Muslims from Leeds, where GBBO winner Nadiya Hussein hails from or London where Sadiq Khan is the city's first Muslim mayor and campaigns for greater inclusivity and understanding when it comes to Muslims in the UK. It would have been fascinating to see if they, and other high profile British Muslims, had an impact on how ordinary Muslims in the UK see themselves.
Volunteer in Reno County

The Volunteer Center of Reno County, a United Way Agency, is a central clearinghouse for volunteer opportunities in Reno County.
#RIP Tommy Page [Bill Werde]

Thomas Alden "Tommy" Page (May 24, 1970  March 3, 2017) had experienced music industry from every angle. Page started his career with a 1990 hit single "I'll Be Your Everything," but when on to serve as the publisher of Billboard and as an executive at both Warner Music and Pandora. His cohort at Billboard, Bill Werde, remembers his friend.

_____________________________________

By Bill Werde, who shares his thoughts at Media. Music. Business. Life.

In its own unforgiving but meaningful way, life has taught that people I love or have loved, enjoy or have enjoyed, or even been people Ive been challenged by and only later realized how that challenge made me better these people leave my life, often unexpectedly. All I can find in these moments is acceptance. And some moments to reflect deeply on time shared.

Tommy Page left this world last night. Ill set aside the unresolved, and focus instead on what was. Because the latter was pretty entertaining.

Tommy and I shared an important chapter, I think, in both of our lives. Lisa Howard was the publisher of Billboard while I was Editorial Director, and Lisa hired this crazily high energy guy I had never met before to drive advertising sales and partnerships for the magazine. And when Lisa eventually moved on, Tommy took over as publisher of Billboard and became my partner in crime.

Tommy and I surely had our differences, mostly in style, as any professional partnership does. But he loved Billboard. Put Billboard before his own needs. Worked his damned hardest for Billboard. That was my bar for respecting a colleague, and Tommy flew past it. Anyone who knew him or worked with him will tell you that if Tommy Page lacked for anything, it wasnt enthusiasm for the task at hand.

I dont know how long Tommy and I ran Billboard; I went through 13 different bosses and 6 ownership structures in 8+ years there, so the dates and eras blur now, into a mostly happy continuum of music, talented people and surreal moments, mixed with a lot of long hours and travel. But I want to say it was a couple of years.

I have two memories I want to share in this moment. They are the first two that came to mind when I heard the news. And I think each says something about Tommy Id like to remember.

The first was connected to one of the very best memories of my time at Billboard. We relaunched Billboard magazine in January of 2013; this was part of our evolution from being a pure trade brand to one with elements for music fans to enjoy. We needed the perfect artist to grace the relaunch issuesomeone with a story that would intrigue fans and the industry alike. Someone who, on their own, had the gravitas and credibility to carry a relaunch issue. To say I was overjoyed when Prince agreed to do it is an understatement.

It will not surprise you, educated reader, that Prince had a lot to say about the music business. The man who once held out on his Warner contract and appeared in public with the word Slave on his face to protest his relationship to his record label showed little signs of mellowing as he aged, at least on this topic.

Billboards longtime R&B writer Gail Mitchell flew to Minneapolis and was granted access to Paisley Park. We knew Prince allowed no recordings, but Gail was caught off guard when Prince told her she also couldnt take written notes, because thats pretty much the same as recording. Gail eventually filed the story and we edited it and got it on page as time was expiring with our printer.

Now, we never published anything with the goal of making the subject happy, per se. But if you could print a great story and the subject liked it anyway, that was always a good feeling. And this was Prince, an idol of mine since childhood. His manager called after it ran to request a bunch of copies and to let me know that Prince loved it and may want to speak to me at some point about the music business and ways Billboard could help bring about more positive change. We shipped a bunch of issues to Minnesota, and I didnt give it another thought. It took us two months of phone calls and planning to almost not make the Prince cover story happen. I didnt expect anyone would ever take the time to make the logistics line up for a casual conversation.

Except that they did.

Two or three weeks later it was Grammy week. This was 2013 and Prince wore a hood and carried a cane and basically was peak Prince as he came out to present the Grammy for Record of the Year to Gotye and Kimbra. Tommy and I were in the audience. Billboard had a nice little afterparty that night,and I remember telling Tommy I was going to head to my hotel and take a nap, and would be by the Billboard party later. Grammy week was exhausting; I think Id gotten a few hours of sleep the previous couple of days.

No sooner had I dumped my suit on the floor and drifted off did my phone start blowing up. Tommy was texting me.

Bill

BILL

Where are you???

Need you here now!

Prince coming. Wants to talk to you.

This got me out of bed.

Fast forward 45 minutes and Im on the roof of some chi chi hotel rooftop. Pool, torchlights, cabana, the works. Our dear friend Marcie Allen, who throws the best parties, period, was organizing this one, and led me to a cabana in the back where we were instructed to wait until Prince arrived.

This story is already too long, so Ill save the details of what went down for another time. But suffice it to say, Prince showed up. He came straight to the cabana, still with his sparkly cane from the Grammy stage. And after a sliver of pleasantries, got straight into explaining why the record business was still unforgivably corrupt, and why Billboard needed to be doing more to stop it. I pushed back. I wanted Prince to consider the possibility that because of his actions and the actions of others who dared fight the system, that the balance of power had shifted and was continuing to shift to the artist. I wanted him to consider the possibility that his justified anger might be keeping him from taking some small amount of satisfaction or pride that his efforts were showing signs of paying off.

It was a respectful but certainly intense back-and-forth. At some point, about 20 or 30 minutes in, Prince started quoting scripture to make his points. As he and I went toe to toe, I could see Tommy watching, head swiveling as Prince and I parried, getting increasingly concerned with what it meant to be arguing with our iconic party guest.

Now, Tommy and I have never discussed this night, and I know from a post he made about it when Prince died that he remembers it a little bit differently than I do. But his account and mine agree on this point: Tommy hated to see anyone unhappy, and so Tommy, perhaps misreading intensity for anger, wanted to lighten the mood. And, after a few of his attempts to insert humor were only briefly acknowledged, Tommy seized his opportunity the next time there was a pause.

You have really incredible skin, Prince. What kind of lotion do you use?

Prince Rogers Nelson crooked his head at Tommy, stood up on his cane, and said With that and like a purple wisp of smoke, was gone as suddenly as he came.

Now to be honest, in that moment, I kinda wanted to pound Tommy. But the truth is, the conversation had run its course. And really, a back-and-forth that surreal deserved an ending equally so. And of course, in retrospect, Tommy just wanted everyone to be happy. To be enjoying the party. This was quintessential Tommy.

The other memory is much more personal and less Prince-like, though it does involve bright colors.

Billboard has a big Latin music conference and awards show each April in Miami. And setting aside all the very real strategic reasons why this was an important week for Billboard, it was also just about as much fun as a person can legally have and still call it work. Dancing to Latin music every night, and partying with the Latin music business and fans was always a real highlight of my year.

The thing about Miami, though, is that people treat formal differently down there. If you wear a grey suit, you stick out. Linens, pastels these were a requirement. And for those that know me, linens and pastels arent exactly a staple of my wardrobe. Tommy loved fashion, and loved to talk fashion with me. I think he got a kick out of a straight guy who had a POV. Tommy decided he and I were going shopping on our first day in Miami, and that he was going to Miami-fy me.

Theres not much more to share than that, although Im sure if you could have seen me and Tommy, bouncing around South Beach with all the muscle boys in Zara Man and Banana Republic, youd have smiled. Tommy running up to me with skinny ties. Tommy getting other sharp-looking men to gather and share opinions when I came out of a dressing room. Tommy just being genuinely blissful in that moment to shop, to share time with a friend to help me. I got some nice compliments when I wore the slightly-shiny, sky blue suit and the tie that Tommy picked out to the Latin Music Awards, and Tommy beamed like a proud parent. Wed laugh about that shopping trip for years to come.

Now the years have stopped coming for my relationship with Tommy. And Im sad, tearing up, really, selfishly thinking about things I didnt get to tell him, and then thinking, with broken heart, about those hes left behind who need him in more profound ways.

The older I get the more I see how life is exclusively about our experiences with other people and the world around us. Tommy and I shared a wild chapter full of parties and laughter, airplanes and restaurants, hard work and music, oh so much wonderful, blessed music, and a goddamned unparalleled team at Billboard that worked harder and better than anyone had a right to expect. I write this for those loved ones, and I write for Tommy. I accept that youre gone now. Im so appreciative we had the time we did. And I miss you, man.

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The Real Story Behind Japanese Lawsuit Guitars

In this edition of 6String Minutes, Elyadeen Anbar explores the true history of the fabled Japanese 'lawsuit' guitars, alleged knock-offs of popular American brands, the quality of which, however, at times rivaled that of their American counterparts.

______________________________

Guest Post by Elyadeen Anbar on Soundfly's Flypaper





Welcome to 6String Minutes. In this segment, well uncover the truth about Japanese lawsuit guitars imported to the United States from the mid-1970s on. Gear hunters and enthusiasts around the world all claim to have seen them, but the true story may shock you.*

(* If you happen to be plugged into an ungrounded amplifier and touch metal.)

Lets take a journey back to the 70s. Guitars and guitar-based rock n roll music had reached a level of popularity that would last well into the early 2000s.

While heavy riffs and searing solos dominated the airwaves, the quality manufacturing of the classic instruments synonymous with the culture  guitars like Gibsons Les Paul and SG, Fenders Stratocaster and Telecaster  was beginning to decline significantly from a production standpoint. The careful attention to detail, superior parts, and meticulous craftsmanship diminished, while price tags remained high.

Harry Rosenbloom, owner of Medley Music in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, made his living selling handmade instruments. Sensing the domestic guitar markets downturn, however, Rosenblooms company, Elger Guitars, became the sole North American distributor for Japanese guitar manufacturers, Hoshino Gakki Gen.

+ Read more on Flypaper: Did you know that guitar designer and electronics innovator Les Paul actually pioneered home-based pirate radio? Learn more in Les Paul: Pirate of the Airwaves.

Hoshino began importing classical guitars from a small, Spanish guitar maker named Salvador Ibanez in the 20s to sell in Japan, and went onto launch their own brand under the name Ibanez, inspired by the imported guitars in 1935. Rosenbloom, sensitive to the domestic hostility towards Japanese products still prevalent in the late 60s, used this as the brand name for his imported guitars. In 1971, Hoshino became profitable enough to purchase Elger Guitars from Rosenbloom and officially changed their name to Ibanez, USA.

Ibanez achieved US success when it began manufacturing copies of classic Fender, Gibson, and Rickenbacker guitars in the late 60s. While Gibson and Fender guitars declined in quality, Japanese copies were, at least visually, markedly on par with the American originals.

Although not built to the same specifications as their American counterparts  many of which sported bolt-on necks, inferior electronics, and multi-piece plywood tops  the Japanese instruments were utilitarian, had personality, and were faithful to the original designs.

They were quickly embraced by novice players and those who didnt want to shell out their hard-earned cash for a guitar of questionable quality. American guitar brands felt the hit.

+ Learn more on Soundfly: This is the year you score that national tour youve always talked about! Get some pointers on booking, managing, and promoting a DIY tour with our free course, Touring on a Shoestring.

In addition to Ibanez, other manufacturers started importing their own copies of the classics. Seventies Les Paul lookalikes featured names like Burny, Tokai, and Greco on their headstocks. (Notice that Grecos font is nearly identical to Gibsons.)

Fernandes created faithful recreations of Fender instruments; and Takamine and Suzuki both made acoustic guitars nearly identical to certain Martin models.

Interestingly, most Japanese copies of the time didnt have serial numbers  a great way to tell if an instrument is truly a lawsuit guitar, even today.

Speaking of which, in 1977, Gibsons parent company filed a lawsuit against Ibanez (essentially the Hoshino corporation) for copying their open-book-style headstock.

The lawsuit was settled out of court, and Ibanez replaced the headstock with a revised design.

Ibanez ramped up the quality of its own designs, including set-in-neck copies of solid body and archtop guitars. Soon after, it rolled out its own line of signature instruments like the Iceman and Destroyer, which set the tone for the company-defining instruments of the 80s and 90s. A tone befitting the international rise of heavy metal!

+ Read more on Flypaper: Dreamy, Shoegaze Chord Patterns for Alternate Guitar Tunings

So, whats the salacious true story we promised earlier? Most instruments that claim to be lawsuit-era guitars simply arent.

That isnt to say they arent cool, functional instruments with unique character  quite the contrary. The only technical lawsuit guitars are Ibanez models, or other branded guitars manufactured by Hoshino, that look nearly identical to Gibson or Fender guitars, save for the name on the headstock and some technical specifications. They mostly originated out of the FujiGen Gakki plant in Japan and were imported to the US.

At the same time that Japanese guitar factories were making copies of American designs, they were also tinkering with unique designs of their own. Its not uncommon to see guitars from this period sporting wild body designs, as many as four pickups, and some curiously organized pickup selectors and knobs.

Are these lawsuit guitars? Absolutely not. Are they still cool? Most definitely. The Greco 950 is one of the coolest non-copied designs to come from Japanese factories.

What about all those copies you see online? Sellers on third-party sites like eBay win on a technicality by billing these instruments as lawsuit-era guitars, both expanding the range of guitars included to anywhere between the late 60s to early 80s, and implying the guitars are made in Japan without saying it outright.

But, buyer beware. There are a lot of guitars falsely credited to Japanese manufacturers that were actually made in China and Korea.

Responding to the markets desire for lower priced instruments, Fender opened its own Japanese plant in 1982. The Japanese Fender guitars are not lawsuit guitars. But, they tend to be great, high-quality instruments.

In 1984, Fenders parent company sold it to new owners, and in the following years, production in the US slowed as management transitioned. Most of the instruments sold during this period were old-stock American guitars and imported Japanese guitars, which gave the market time to adjust to the presence of these new, low-cost instruments bearing the Fender name.

+ Read more on Flypaper: Learn more about how body style, pickups, and wood type affect your instruments sound in our Fundamentals of Guitar Anatomy series!

The results of lawsuit-era guitar making are still felt today. Most high-end guitar manufacturers have overseas plants that produce lower cost versions of their instruments for hobbyists, students, and professionals alike. Gibson bought Epiphone, and Fender created the Squier line, further proof of these lower cost instruments success.

For anyone in the market for a vintage instrument, the Japanese guitars from the 70s and 80s are great choices that dont command the outrageous price tags of their American counterparts.

Just be wary of sellers using the word lawsuit to drive up the asking price of their vintage Japanese instruments, and try to ask a lot of questions.

If youd like to learn more about the story of Ibanez, this book covers it, well, cover to cover!

For 6String Minutes, Im reporter Elyadeen Anbar, signing off.

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China on Wednesday released its strategy on cyberspace cooperation, with an aim to build a community of shared future in cyberspace around the globe. The roadmap offers the Chinese solution to difficulties the world is now facing in cyberspace governance.

The International Strategy of Cooperation on Cyberspace, issued by Foreign Ministry and State Internet Information Office, is the first document China has released regarding the virtual domain.

Themed with peaceful development, win-win cooperation, the strategic guideline illustrates Chinas approach to cyberspace cooperation. It is the first comprehensive and systematic policy paper China wrote about international cooperation on this subject.

The strategic document called for an international cyberspace collaboration based on peace, sovereignty, shared governance and shared benefits.

In the paper, China urged the international community to ensure peace and security in cyberspace by observing the purposes and principles enshrined in the UN Charter in real earnest, persist in equal-footed sovereignty, never pursue cyber hegemony or interfere in other countries internal affairs, and put in place a multilateral, democratic and transparent global governance system based on international cyber rules drafted by all stakeholders.

All countries should strive for complementarity of strengths and common development of all countries in cyberspace, in a bid to bridge the digital divide and ensure that people across the world can share the benefits of internet development, the guideline advised.

In order to realize the final common community, actions speak first. The document listed Chinas actions plans in terms of formulation of international rules, partnership, governance system, protection of human rights, security cooperation, cultural exchanges, and other three perspectives.

The remedies the guideline offered are based on Chinas experience in Internet security and informationization undertakings, as well as the worlds cooperation fruits.

International cyberspace cooperation has been high on Chinas agendas. Chinese President Xi Jinping, while addressing the second World Internet Conference in late 2015, proposed an accelerated reform of global Internet governance system as well as a cyberspace community of shared destiny.

Chinas first strategic document in the subject demonstrates its firm determination to push ahead international cooperation, Peoples Daily pointed out in its commentary under the byline of Zhongsheng.

The guideline not only declares Chinas cyber policies in an all-round manner, but also depicts a prosperous and secure future for world cyber security, the article added.

Source: https://mareeg.com/chinese-strategy-offers-solution-to-global-cyberspace-governance/
James Mullen, a New Marlborough Planning Board member, says the DLTA program is important to small towns working on planning.

BRPC Providing Technical Assistance For 25 Berkshire Projects

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  In a small town like New Marlborough, it can be financially difficult to bring in specialized expertise and attorneys for land use questions.

Now the town's Planning Board is hoping to craft a right-to-farm bylaw to protect its farmers. Through state funding, the town can now lean on the expertise of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. New Marlborough is one of 25 towns in the Berkshires to receive help with planning issues through the District Local Technical Assistance program.

"The DLTA funding has been imperative for us to move forward with any kind of up to date planning," said James Mullen, a New Marlborough Planning Board member and a delegate to BRPC. "We could grope along and struggle without it. But with it, it certainly gives us confidence that we're taking appropriate steps to get it done right."

The program was held up this year and BRPC grew concerned that the program would be part of mid-year cuts to the state budget. The state spends $2.8 million on the program, giving the Berkshires about $200,000 of that, but has been perpetually at risk. For small towns in the Berkshires, that money is important.

For example, Clarksburg wants to update its zoning to guide the development of remaining available land. Adams looks to create a 40R Smart Growth Overlay District to promote mixed-use development in certain areas. Dalton wants expertise in reviewing a report on redevelopment plans for the old Dalton High School. All of those will now receive funding.

But, there are bigger issues, too. The Berkshire County Educational Task Force is using the program for help with technical issues as it works to develop a plan for the future of the county's high schools. The Rest of the River Committee used BRPC as a facilitator as the towns along the Housatonic River negotiate with General Electric related to the cleanup of the river.

"I was very pleased to see that there was a significant project to try to figure out the next steps in broadband and internet service. It is such an important thing," said Williamstown delegate Roger Bolton.

Other projects include updating the open space and recreation plan in Dalton; creation of a commercial outdoor recreation bylaw in Egremont; a 40R overlay in Great Barrington; open space and recreation plan in Hinsdale, development of strategies to combat blight in Hinsdale; 40R growth overlay in Lee; zoning revisions in Mount Washington; zoning revisions in North Adams; creation of a Brownfields mapping tool for Pittsfield; a housing market student in Pittsfield; development of options to address land being taken off of tax rolls in Sheffield; the creation of an agricultural overlay zone in Williamstown; funding a shared economic development planner in Lanesborough; the creation of an economic development district in Berkshire County; supporting the brownfields program; presenting towns options related to address legalization of recreational marijuana; and shared services among many south county towns.

"I think it is fantastic that you were able to address all of the applications," Mullens said.

BRPC Executive Director Nathaniel Karns said staff roles in each of those efforts vary. BRPC typically helps with around 20 projects a year and was able to fit them all in this year with the help of additional funds from elsewhere  such as a Regionalization and Efficiency Grant Lt. Karyn Polito announced for Lanesborough to help with the shared economic planner  or BRPC's role became smaller than anticipated.

"Some of it was there were other ways to skin the cat or the cat got smaller," Karns said.

Mullen said the demand for expertise is "validation" for the program. The hope for BRPC is that the program is funded in the future as well, and at the full amount.

In other business, the state Department of Transportation is once again looking for input on its five-year capital planning. In late 2015, the state held a meeting in Pittsfield asking for input but upset many when it stifled conversation and instead ushered those who attended into providing comments on computers. As of now, the state has launched an online way to submit comments and is expected to hold public hearings later.

"This is a mechanism to push local priorities for state aid and federal eligible projects and try to get them funded," Karns said.
Williamstown Teachers' Salaries Put in Some Perspective

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Williamstown is not at the point where people are calling for the defeat of the school budget.

In fact, last spring, the loudest voices prior to annual town meeting were calling for more spending on public education.

But this winter, as town officials hear the budgets from Williamstown Elementary School and Mount Greylock Regional School  and in particular the elementary school  questions are being asked about the direction of those budgets.

Mount Greylock's budget is looking to be up by about 5 percent, but that increase is due entirely to the bond payment for the building project Williamstown voters OKed by a margin of 2,226 to 351 (84 percent).

Williamstown Elementary's assessment to the town is projected to be going up by about 3.5 percent  more than the 2.5 percent hoped for at Town Hall.

The increase is not because of any new programs or discretionary spending decisions made during this budget cycle. Rather, the hike is the result of previously negotiated contracts with the elementary school's three bargaining units  contracts that expire at the end of the 2017-18 academic year.

Members of the town's Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen have expressed concern about the cost of education. The Fin Comm decided at its most recent meeting to request a joint meeting with the school committees to discuss the issue, and a recent Wednesday morning budget planning session, one of the Selectmen noted that Williamstown's teachers are "in the top 10 to 15 percent wage wise in the state."

When another member of the Selectmen replied that means, "Some of them can actually afford Williamstown," alluding to the town's high cost of living, a third member said the town's cost of living is not in the top 10 percent of municipalities in the commonwealth, and that that honor belongs to towns in eastern Mass.

Those assertions are likely to be heard again in the current budget season and beyond, so iBerkshires.com took a look at some of the numbers.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reports average teacher salary by school district, and according to that list, Williamstown is not in the top 15 percent statewide, not even close. In fact, it ranks 198th on a list of 323 school districts, which puts it in the 61st percentile.

However, it is tough to make apples-to-apples comparisons across school districts because districts like Mount Greylock and McCann Technical School, which are 7-12 and 9-12, respectively, appear to be Berkshire County outliers because secondary school teachers tend to make more money.

The same goes for the highest paid teachers on the list, at Concord-Carlisle, a 9-12 district in the Boston suburbs.

Many of the state's districts are multi-school regional districts that report salaries for teachers pre-K through 12, like Lenox, the first multi-school Berkshire County district on the list, which checks in at 174th.

At the other end of the spectrum are elementary school-only districts, like Williamstown, Clarksburg, Lanesborough, Savoy, Hancock and Florida. All but Williamstown on that list rank near the bottom statewide with Florida checking in at 322nd of 323 school districts reporting. And the 323rd, Gosnold on Cape Cod, is a true outlier  a district with two teachers and a reported enrollment of two students in Grades 4 and 5 for the 2014-15 academic year.

The highest paid teachers in Berkshire County are at the pre-K-through-Grade 8 Richmond Consolidated School, the only Berkshire County district even close to the top 10.

Otherwise, the highest-paid districts are clustered in eastern Mass, as the recent Selectmen discussion hints they should be. Of the top 20 on the list, only Richmond and Whately (an elementary school with seven teachers in South Deerfield) are west of I-495.

As for the cost-of-living question, that is even trickier to assess on an apples-to-apples basis because cost of living measurements themselves are difficult to nail down and compare throughout the entire commonwealth.

One point of comparison is median household income, a figure reported by the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization for 351 municipalities based on 2010 U.S. Census data.

On the chart here, those median household incomes are reported in parentheses for the host community of each school district (i.e. Williamstown for the two-town Mount Greylock Regional School District, Dalton for Central Berkshire or Cheshire for Adams-Cheshire).

As noted in the chart, in at least one Berkshire County regional district, Adams-Cheshire, there is a wide disparity between the two towns of a district and, in fact, the larger of the two towns has a significantly lower median household income, but for consistency's sake, Cheshire, the district's home town, is listed in the chart.

The column at the right shows how the average teacher salary, as reported by DESE, compares with the median household income, as derived from the U.S. Census.
Chief Charles Burger, Lead American Red Cross Volunteer Sky Goodrich, Lt. Darrell Marks and American Red Cross Volunteer Dan Amuso prior to installing smoke and CO detectors throughout Great Barrington.

Berkshires Beat: Smoke Detectors Installed in Great Barrington Homes

Stay safe: The Great Barrington Fire Department partnered with the American Red Cross to provide free smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors to residents in February. On Wednesday, Feb. 22, Great Barrington firefighters installed smoke and CO detectors in 18 houses throughout town as part of the American Red Cross Home Fire Preparedness Campaign, which aims to reduce the number of deaths and injuries from fires by 25 percent by 2020.



Additionally, as part of the campaign, members of the American Red Cross worked with the Great Barrington Fire Department to educate residents about fire safety while firefighters installed the smoke and CO detectors. Since launching the campaign in 2014, the American Red Cross, working with fire departments throughout the country, has installed more than 700,000 smoke detectors.



According to the National Fire Protection Association, on average, seven people die in United States home fires per day, and three out of five home fire deaths happen in homes with no working smoke alarms.



The Great Barrington Fire Department will be installing more smoke and CO detectors throughout town in the near future. Residents who are interested in receiving a free device as part of the American Red Cross Home Fire Preparedness Campaign must have a house built prior to 1975 that does not have hard-wired detectors. Those who would like to set up an appointment should call the Great Barrington Fire Department at 413-528-0788.







Book it to the library: The clock is ticking for area residents who want to use their spring cleaning to support the Williamstown's library. The Friends of Milne Public Library are accepting donations through April 1 for the 2017 Friends Book Sale, which will be held Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22, at Williamstown Elementary School.



The Friends accept new or gently used book and media donations. Donations may be made during regular library hours through April 1. Go online for more information about donation guidelines. For more information or to volunteer to work at the event, email friends@milnelibrary.org. The annual book sale generates funds to support childrens programming, staff development and technology at Williamstowns public library.







Ready, aim, fire: The Western Massachusetts Police Academy will be conducting Firearms Training at the Pittsfield Police Department's Firing Range on Utility Drive for the next two weeks (March 6-10 and March 13-17). The training will take place Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. On the two Wednesdays (March 8 and 15), training will begin at 2 p.m. and end at 8 p.m.



This announcement is provided as a courtesy to residents of the area who may be impacted by the additional noise associated with the required training. The City of Pittsfield, Pittsfield Police Department, and Municipal Police Training Committee appreciate the community's support of this Recruit Officer Class, attended by Pittsfield's most recent police recruits.


Jennings Brook Farm in New Ashford is a maple producer.

Biz Briefs: March Is 'Massachusetts Maple Month'

How sweet it is: Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday declared March as "Massachusetts Maple Month" in an effort to support the commonwealth's many maple producers and encourage Massachusetts residents to purchase locally produced maple products. To kick off Maple Month, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Commissioner John Lebeaux joined local and agricultural officials at Steves Sugar Shack in Westhampton for a ceremonial sugar maple tree tapping.



Massachusetts is home to approximately 300 maple syrup producers, including many who are open to the public throughout the sugaring season. Last year more than 77,000 gallons of maple syrup was produced and Massachusetts maple producers' sales each year contribute more than $6 million to the commonwealth's economy. The maple industry employs more than 1,000 workers and Massachusetts sugar makers steward more than 15,000 acres of woodland.



"Recognizing March as Massachusetts Maple Month is a wonderful reason to get out and visit a local sugarhouse, farm stand, farmers market or buy local shop," said state Sen. Adam G. Hinds (D-Pittsfield), Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts & Cultural Development. "Agri-tourism is a growing, vibrant and important sector of our cultural and farm-based economies. There are almost 70 locations statewide open and available that carry local maple products. This recognition supports their efforts."



The Massachusetts Maple Producers Association (MMPA) will hold its fourth annual Maple Weekend March 18 and 19, and will feature open house events at sugarhouses throughout central and western Massachusetts. Here in Berkshire County, sugarhouses can be founds at Holiday Brook Farm in Dalton; Circle J Maple Syrup in Florida; Ioka Valley Farm in Hancock; Mission:Maple at Ramblewild in Lanesborough; Mill Brook Sugarhouse in Lenox; Jennings Brook Farm in New Ashford; Caproni Family Sugarbush in North Adams; Deer Run Maples, Middleton Maples and Moose Mountain Maples in Otis; Olde Remington Farm in Savoy; Sweet Brook Farm in Williamstown; and Windsor Hill Sugar House in Windsor. Find a complete list online.







What's the buzz: Art and nature have always been intertwined at the Clark Art Institute. Now, bees are entering the picture as the Clark plans to launch an active beekeeping program on its campus to help grow the native bee population in Berkshire County. A Kickstarter campaign, which runs March 120, seeks to raise $8,000 for the program. More information can be found online.





Nonprofit meeting: The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network will hold its annual Berkshire region meeting on Monday, March 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Saint James Place at 352 Main St. in Great Barrington. This event is sponsored in part by the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires and is open to all nonprofits.



There are a number of emerging public policy issues at the state and federal level that will have an immediate impact on Massachusetts nonprofits. These issues span across subsector, budget size, and region. It is more critical than ever that nonprofit leaders are informed, involved, and ready to advocate on behalf of their organizations and their colleagues. Berkshire nonprofits are encouraged to attend to learn about key legislative issues impacting nonprofits, share best practices for effective advocacy, and plan strategy to respond to important legislation. Register online.
Kaspersky Lab has raised the alarm on the escalating number of malicious attacks against Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and critical infrastructure. The global cybersecurity company warns that threats against these highly important facilities can catastrophically endanger both business networks and peoples lives.

Industrial and critical infrastructure serve as the backbones of a nation or a state. The major critical infrastructure sectors are energy, transportation, aerospace, oil and gas, chemical, automotive and manufacturing, food and beverage, government, financial and medical services.

When cybercriminals take over such ICS facilities in any of these sectors, they can use them to effectively undermine a nations economy, safety, peace, or all of the above.

As more critical and industrial facilities are being automated and connected to the internet, government and private sectors should also pay attention to the cybersecurity of these vital infrastructure. These networks require tougher defenses as successful attacks against them can result to virtual and physical harm, warns Sylvia Ng, General Manager Southeast Asia, Kaspersky Lab.

In 2015, Kaspersky Lab has unmasked the highly sophisticated Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor named the Equation Group which targeted diverse industrial and critical facilities.

The hacking group has been discovered to be infiltrating and spying into networks of infrastructures in sectors such as telecoms, aerospace, energy, nuclear research, oil and gas, military, nanotechnology and transportation from more than 30 countries worldwide since 2001.

In December of the same year, the successful malware attack using BlackEnergy malware resulted in the massive unscheduled power outage in Ukraine which left more than more than 230,000 residents without electricity for up to six hours.

Experts from Kaspersky Lab has found out that the BlackEnergy APT have been actively trying to control ICS, energy, government and media in Ukraine as well as ICS/SCADA companies and energy companies worldwide.

ICS Threats in the Philippines

Kaspersky Labs ICS-CERT Report revealed 30% or three in 10 ICS users in the Philippines were saved from malware attacks during the second half of 2016.

The report said removable media like USBs, CDs, disks and drives were the main sources of compromise for ICS networks in the country.

Kaspersky Labs Industrial CyberThreats Real Time Map also showed globally, the Philippines is the 46th most attacked country in terms of ICS and critical infrastructure.

Vikram Kalkat, Kaspersky Industrial CyberSecurity Global Business Development at Kaspersky Lab Asia Pacific, discusses the escalating cyberthreats against industrial and critical infrastructure in a recent media briefing at the Makati Diamond Residences, Makati City.

The threats against industrial and critical infrastructure are present in every country. No one is immune. The catastrophic impact of an attack against these vital facilities makes it necessary for governments and private sectors to seriously think about industrial cybersecurity. Recognizing that such threats are real is a fundamental step towards understanding how we can work to mitigate, if not completely avoid, the imminent dangers that these threats may bring about, said Vikram Kalkat, Senior Key Account Manager, Kaspersky Industrial CyberSecurity Global Business Development, Kaspersky Lab Asia Pacific.

Kaspersky Industrial CyberSecurity

Kaspersky Lab has developed a comprehensive portfolio of technologies, solutions and services to help customers tackle and manage many of these risks.

Operation technology of critical infrastructure should focus on infrastructure availability of automated systems rather than only data confidentiality. Kaspersky Lab has been improving its security portfolio and threat intelligence to secure these vital facilities. There is an urgent need for specialized solutions to combat these type of threats, said Kalkat.

Only cybersecurity companies that understand the differences between industrial systems and standard, business-oriented enterprises are able to deliver security solutions that meet the unique needs of industrial control systems and industrial infrastructure owners.

To secure ICS and critical infrastructure, Kaspersky has developed Kaspersky Industrial CyberSecurity, a specialized security solution designed to protect complex industrial environments that contain a diverse range of proprietary systems.

This solution provides effective security at all industrial layers  including SCADA servers, HMI panels, workstations, PLCs and network connections  from cyber-threats, without impacting on operational continuity and consistency of the technological process.

Kaspersky Industrial CyberSecurity delivers a combination of protection types. Its a highly flexible and unified security solution that can be tailored to each facilitys unique needs.

In addition to the technologies and services that support every stage of the security cycle, Kaspersky Industrial CyberSecurity delivers protection in support of integrity control, intrusion prevention and detection, anti-malware and anomaly detection, among others.

Kaspersky Lab also has its own non-commercial project called Industrial Systems Computer Emergency Response Team (known as Kaspersky Lab ICS-CERT). It is a global CERT entity that welcomes the collaboration of critical infrastructure operators, vendors and government institutions.

The Kaspersky Lab ICS-CERT is a special project that offers a wide range of information services, starting from the intelligence on the latest threats and security incidents with mitigation strategies and all the way up to incident response and investigation consultancy and services. It shares information and expertise to its members free of charge.
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Is it some kind of a joke? Can the new show at the British Museum, really be called The American Dream: Pop to the Present? What do a rabbit and a cabbage have in common? Surely pop art represents the triumph of superficiality, the death of profundity and careful looking. Rather than being some kind of coy critique of commodification as its bone-headed cheerleaders are often inclined to argue, it is in fact an acceptance that commodification is king. What, then, is the British Museum, that bastion of careful, scholarly scrutiny, doing warmly embracing and collecting such rubbish? Im aware that the show surveys more than pop art  but the fact is that the British Museum has chosen to draw attention to pop in this way as a selling point.

Or is it the crowd-pleasing, crowd-pulling title of the show that really matters? If that is the case, there's an even bigger question to be asked. Why do big art institutions stage ever larger and larger shows? The entire exercise is ridiculously self-defeating. Generally speaking, the bigger the blockbuster, the more unsatisfactory the viewing experience. Remember Van Gogh or Monet at the Royal Academy, or Gauguin at Tate Modern, how you got squeezed and pushed aside just as the painting you were most hoping to see hoved into view?

What exactly is at work here? Is it more than just money? Or, to put it slightly less surrealistically, can there ever be a notion of perfect fit when it comes to a great museum and the exhibitions it chooses to mount within its walls? Or ought a blockbusting crowd-puller  like someone too famous for his or her own good  be allowed to shoulder its way into anywhere it might choose to go? Would its swaggery, overbearing presence be that irresistible?

Edward Ruschas Made in California. Colour lithograph, 1971 (Ed Ruscha) ( Ed Ruscha. Reproduced by permission of the artist.)

There are two kinds of gallery in the world. The first is a glorified empty shed  or a kunsthalle  waiting to be filled. This kind of institution lacks a permanent collection. It needs things to hang on its walls in order it to breathe life into it. The Royal Academy belongs to this category. Needless to say, the exhibitions in such places have to change regularly because people don't keep coming back to look at the same thing.

The other kind  the British Museum belongs to this second category  is full to the brim with what it owns already. And its collections are of an unparalleled depth and richness. Think of the Louvre and the Hermitage. And then, slightly awkwardly, there is a third kind, which falls somewhere between those two categories, and it is an institution which most certainly owns a permanent collection, but that collection, while wishing to tell art's story to a greater or lesser degree, is full of embarrassing holes because of the lukewarm and inconsistent way it may in the past have gone about acquiring what it currently owns. That certainly was the case with Tate Modern when it first opened in 2000. (Less so now.) So you need to stage temporary shows in order to disguise the fact that you are not quite telling enough of the story of contemporary art in the rest of the building.

Andy Warhols Jackie II (Jacqueline Kennedy II), from '11 Pop Artists, vol. II', 1966, colour screenprint (The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts/Artists Rights Society) ( 2016 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York and DACS, London)

Is there really a place for a blockbuster in the British Museum though? The word itself grates on the ear, doesnt it? There is something unlovely about the word block. It hits you like a brick to the back of the head when you were least expecting it. Extend it a bit then, by a syllable or a few letters perhaps, into blockish, blockhead or blockbuster. Does that help? Not really. The malodorous galumphingness is still there. It still doesn't quite sound like a trusted family friend with coins in his pocket on a Friday night.

Perhaps a blockbuster is an undesirable thing in itself then. Several custodians of the world's greatest museums are of this opinion, as it happens. Two conversations spring to mind in particular, one which took place some years ago in the office of Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of the Hermitage in St Petersburg, on a winter's afternoon, when the sun was lighting up the gilded spire of the St Peter and St Paul Fortress on the far bank of the Neva. The other, with Dr James Bradburne, the Director General of the Brera in Milan, was more recent, and it happened on an autumn evening during Frieze Week at the Athenaeum in London in the autumn of last year.

Wayne Thiebauds Gumball Machine Colour linocut, 1970, (Wayne Thiebaud/DACS) ( Wayne Thiebaud/DACS, London/VAGA, New York 2016)

The issue under discussion was the same one: the suitability and the general desirability of blockbusters. Piotrovsky has never had time for them. Nor did his father before him (the Piotrovsky dynasty has been in charge at the Hermitage since the 1960s). He just does not see the point - and he has a very good point when he says that he does not see the point. To stage a blockbuster inside the walls of the Hermitage would be ridiculous for two quite separate reasons. First of all, it would needlessly distract attention from the museum's own great collections. Visitors come to St Petersburg to see the several million objects it is known to contain, and whose existence it exists to celebrate, from the eighteenth century onwards. The buildings themselves, that fantastical, high-baroque iced cake in green and gold, are a part of its allure. Why then stage a distracting side show by shipping in excrescences from elsewhere? Why waste money by drawing greedy eyes away from the main event?

James Bradburne looked bemused too when I asked him about temporary exhibitions at the Brera. We don't do exhibitions, he told me. We do inhibitions, which is a much more scholarly and interesting way of drawing attention to what we already have. He mentioned a loan of a single painting from elsewhere which threw interesting light on a painting by the same artist that the Brera already owned. The challenge, he went on, is to get the public to see the marvels that the Brera already possesses, but to have its eyesight cleansed by coming at them in a slightly different way; not to bring the outside in, but to enrich the experience of seeing what the public may thinks it knows all too well.

May Stevenss Big Daddy with Hats, Colour screenprint, 1971 (May Stevens) ( May Stevens. Reproduced by permission of the artist and Mary Ryan Gallery, New York)

So these are the questions that the British Museum needs to ask itself this week. What on earth is it doing staging a show which seems to run so counter to its strengths as one of the worlds great bastions of scholarship? Is not pop art the near perfect embodiment of everything that is most silly, most trivial and most dispensable? And if that is the case, why would the British Museum choose to demean itself by by regarding it as a subject worthy to take up valuable exhibition space in its galleries?

The problem with the British Museum is that it does not do enough to draw attention to the richness of its own great holdings. The gallery now regularly sponsored by Asahi Shimbun, that great Japanese daily, is a move in the right direction, in which a single object is the centre of scholarly attention. How could anyone forget the marvellous little show which recently contextualised the Meroe head of Augustus Caesar, with its extraordinary, all-seeing glass eyes? That piece has now, fittingly enough, melted back into the collections.

Edward Ruschas Standard Station, Colour screenprint, 1966. (The Museum of Modern Art) ( Ed Ruscha. Reproduced by permission of the artist)

How well do we know the magnificent Assyrian lion hunt frieze in those rooms which are so breathingly close to the Elgin Marbles? How is it that so few visit those friezes, so breathtakingly modern in their ancientness? Instead, we are being invited to the Sainsbury Galleries, where we can waste valuable time having our attention drawn to a second-rate print of a gas station in a desert. Mans folly is boundless.

'The American Dream: Pop to the Present' is at the British Museum from 9 March to 18 June 2017
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Brendan Cox, the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, has announced he will be releasing a memoir celebrating her life, set to be published on the eve of the first anniversary of her death.

The Guardian reports Cox wrote the book during the sleepless nights he suffered since his wife's passing; stating, "Since June my life had been more hectic than ever before. A combination of suddenly being a single parent, responding to the public interest and trying to keep working on the causes I have always cared about."

"I wanted to write about Jo," he added. "But felt doing so was probably impossible because of all the pressures on my time. What I hadnt factored in was lack of sleep. Sleeping used to be one of the things I was best at, but since June that is no longer true. I often wake at 4am or even 3am nowadays and am unable to get back to sleep. So this book is very much the product of sleep deprivation."

Recommended Murdered MP was working on report urging UK to take military action

Jo Cox: More in Common is set to include extracts from her diaries, alongside tributes and memories from her family, friends, and colleagues; it will cover both her childhood in Yorkshire and her charitable work ahead of her election in May 2015, alongside recollections of her home life, raising two small children in a houseboat moored near the Tower of London.

All royalties for the book will go to the Jo Cox Foundation, which was established in her memory, to continue fighting for the causes she cared deeply for; including the plight of Syrian refugees and issues of social isolation and loneliness in the UK.

Cox stated that the book had become, "part of my grieving process. Coming to terms with what happened but also remembering the adventures and love of life that our relationship was built upon. Jo packed a lifetime of excitement into her 41 years and the book touches on some of the highlights."

 Jo Cox's widower Brendan delivers an alternative Christmas message

"When I spoke in court during the trial [of Coxs killer, Thomas Mair], I told the jury that having heard so much about the manner of Jos death I wanted to tell them about her life. The objective of this book is the same. To tell people who didnt know Jo who she really was. In an era of growing hatred and division, I wanted to tell the story of someone who brought love and empathy to everyone she met."

Jo Cox was the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, murdered by right-wing terrorist Thomas Mair on 16 June last year; Mair was convicted of murder in November and sentenced to life imprisonment.
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Hugh Jackman has been living with Wolverine for almost seventeen years. Having first played the clawed mutant in 2000s X-Men, the Australian actor has since appeared as the character nine times, in six main-series instalments and three solo outings.

Thanks to Logan - the newly released, critically acclaimed superhero/western - Jackman has put the character to rest. While many fans (including Ryan Reynolds) want the character to appear in future X-Men related films (primarily Deadpool 2), his return would no doubt muddy Logans fantastic conclusion.

** Major spoilers for Logan ahead **

As you - who have hopefully seen the film - know, two of the series' most iconic characters - Wolverine and Professor X (played by the ever-wonderful Sir Patrick Stewart) - are now dead. More importantly, though, Logan concludes an important theme from throughout the X-Men series: being part of a family.

 Logan Clip - You Know The Drill

While X-Men was partly a social commentary on the civil rights movement, the film also explored the quasi father-daughter relationship between Rogue and Wolverine. Throughout the films, the two become closer, Logan showing his true colours as a personable and caring character despite the tough exterior. Meanwhile, Xavier takes in both mutants, looking after them and growing close to Wolverine as they explore his past (this narrative being central to X2).

Logan brings both relationships to a final conclusion. For Xavier and Wolverine, theres a role reversal, as Logan now takes care of Charles on the Mexican border. Their father-son story finishes in heartbreaking fashion as Charles tells 'Logan' how that final night at the family farm was 'perfect'.

What makes the scene terrifyingly tragic is, despite saying earlier in the film how he always recognises Logan, Charles fails to notice that its not Logan, but X-24, in his bedroom. Due to Alzheimer's, Charles still sees Logan as the young man from the first X-Men film, therefore not recognising the person walking towards him and leaving Logan rushing to tell Charles "it wasn't me".

 Logan - Trailer

Then, of course, theres Wolverine and Laura/X-23, who are a literal father-daughter duo. While Laura may be a new character, theres a direct parallel to Rogue in the way Logan immediately distances himself from her but comes to care for her, saving both Laura and Rogues lives. This time, though, Logan gives everything; his last words - So this is what it feels like - act as a double entendre for dying and having a daughter to die for.

Theres also a brief look at a comic-book - which was purposely made for the film - in which Rogue appears beside Wolverine as they reach Eden. When the sequence plays out, in reality, its Laura alongside Wolverine.

Films to get excited about in 2017 Show all 13 1 /13 Films to get excited about in 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Star Wars: The Last Jedi Director: Rian Johnson Rian Johnson Cast: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Lupita Nyong'o Plot: No details yet, but it will continue directly on from Rey coming face-to-face with Luke at the end of The Force Awakens. Release Date: 15 December 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Thor: Ragnarok Director: Taika Waititi Taika Waititi Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, and Mark Ruffalo Plot: Story details are minimal as of now, but Thor's third return to screen has already been teased to feature a loose adaptation of the famous 'Planet Hulk' storyline. Release Date: 27 October 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 You Were Never Really Here Director: Lynne Ramsay Lynne Ramsay Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Alessandro Nivola Plot: A war veteran's attempt to save a young girl from a sex trafficking ring goes horribly wrong. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Annihilation Director: Alex Garland Alex Garland Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, and Oscar Isaac Plot: A biologist's husband disappears. She thus puts her name forward for an expedition into an environmental disaster zone, but does not quite find what she's expecting. The expedition team is made up of the biologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist, and a surveyor. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Wonderstruck (image from Far From Heaven) Director: Todd Haynes Cast: Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, and Amy Hargreaves Plot: The story of a young boy in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Mother (image of Darren Aronofsky) Director: Darren Aronofsky Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson, and Ed Harris Plot: A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Killing of a Sacred Deer (image from The Lobster) Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Cast: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, and Alicia Silverstone Plot: A surgeon forms a familial bond with a sinister teenage boy, with disastrous results. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Blade Runner 2049 Director: Denis Villeneuve Denis Villeneuve Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, and Jared Leto Plot: Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years. Release Date: 6 October 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Lady Bird (image of director Greta Gerwig) Director: Greta Gerwig Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, and Lucas Hedges Plot: The adventures of a young woman living in Northern California for a year. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara (image of director Steven Spielberg and star Mark Rylance) Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Mark Rylance, Oscar Isaac Plot: The Kidnapping Of Edgardo Mortara recounts the story of a young Jewish boy in Bologna, Italy in 1858 who, having been secretly baptized, is forcibly taken from his family to be raised as a Christian. His parents' struggle to free their son becomes part of a larger political battle that pits the Papacy against forces of democracy and Italian unification. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 How to Talk to Girls at Parties Director: John Cameron Mitchell John Cameron Mitchell Cast: Elle Fanning, Ruth Wilson, and Nicole Kidman Plot: An alien touring the galaxy breaks away from her group and meets two young inhabitants of the most dangerous place in the universe: the London suburb of Croydon. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Dark Tower Director: Nikolaj Arcel Nikolaj Arcel Cast: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, and Tom Taylor Plot: Gunslinger Roland Deschain roams an Old West-like landscape in search of the dark tower, in the hopes that reaching it will preserve his dying world. Release Date: 28 July 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Suburbicon Director: George Clooney George Clooney Cast: Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Josh Brolin, and Oscar Isaac Plot: A crime mystery set in the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, where the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and betrayal. Release Date: 24 November

With Jackman and Stewarts long-running characters having almost perfect send-offs that conclude their arcs, its debatable whether the main series should continue immediately. Do we need the events that led to Charles killing several mutants depicted on-screen? Would that not ruin Logans wonderful ambiguity? Are there really any other characters we care about that need another send-off? Surely, the main X-Men series should be retired until Laura actress Dafne Keen - AKA the new Millie Bobby Brown - can hold her own film and take over the Wolverine name?

Considering the success of Deadpool, perhaps Fox could concentrate on spin-offs, carving a niche different to Marvel's cinematic universe. The New Mutants - which is currently being planned - could be an interesting instalment if Fox commits to exploring another angle in the same universe.

As we know, though, filming begins on the unnecessary upcoming seventh main-series film will start later this year. The disastrous X-Men: Apocalypse hinted at another Dark Phoenix Saga adaptation, while the post-credits sequence pointed to Mr. Sinister and further Weapon X experiments. And so, despite coming full circle from the first X-Men film in many respects, the series will continue. And continue. And continue.
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Kenneth Lonergan has defended Casey Affleck against scrutiny over his sexual harassment allegations.

The Manchester by the Sea director, who won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, has written a scathing rebuke of a column written about Affleck in a student newspaper.

Lonergan, a former student of Wesleyan University, argued The Wesleyan Argus article was a tangle of illogic, misinformation and flat-out slander.

The article Lonergan is referring to was titled How Wesleyan is complicit in Afflecks sexual misconduct by Endorsing Lonergan 84. Written by Connor Aberle, assistant opinion editor for the student paper, the piece suggested Afflecks Oscar win was severely problematic.

The column argued Affleck, who won the Oscar Best Actor for Manchester by the Sea, has been able to simply deny the allegations levelled against him and return to a successful film career with no consequences. It insisted the academys decision to bestow Lonergan with the most coveted accolade in the industry implicitly endorsed his moral character.

The journalist took aim at the university for heaping praise upon Lonergan, an alumni of the private liberal arts Connecticut institution, for his Oscar win without stopping to consider the allegations launched against the films star actor.

A famous actors connections enable them to continue their success, and we must be cautious about praising enablers, especially when they help sexual harasser, he wrote. Wesleyan University has an obligation to reject sexual violence of all kinds. Therefore, it cannot claim credit for Lonergans success without also recognising his role in promoting Casey Afflecks career.

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Incensed by the article, Lonergan decided to tear it apart in an open letter to the student paper. Appearing visibly angry in the piece, the acclaimed director suggested Aberles warped PC-fueled sense of indignation was the result of his youthfulness.

He condemned the student journalists random use of the terms 'sexual misconduct', 'sexual harassment', 'sexual abuse' and 'sexual violence' as if they were legally or physically interchangeable and criticised him for not using the word alleged in his Op-Ed.

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Lonergan argued the article had been penned as if Affleck was definitely guilty. Standing up for the actor, he emphasised the fact he had vigorously denied the allegations.

Somebody as interested in actual as opposed to merely vocalised social justice as Mr Aberle presumably is, should unwind his tangled, immoral chain of reasoning and start over at the fundamental precept that an allegation is not an indictment, he wrote.

Ironically, Lonergans scathing response is likely to have given the original comment piece more attention than it would have otherwise received.

Affleck faced two sexual assault harassment allegations in 2010. He has been confronted with fresh scrutiny over the historical allegations since his acclaimed portrayal of a grief-stricken divorcee father has brought him further into the limelight.

Producer Amanda White and cinematographer Magdalena Gorka sued for $2m and $2.25m respectively over alleged offences during the filming of the mockumentary I'm Still Here which stars Joaquin Phoenix.

In the original allegations, Ms White alleged that Affleck referred to women as cows, groped her when she rejected his sexual advances and instructed a camera operator to flash his genitals at her on several occasions. Ms Gorka claimed she was confronted with a near daily barrage of sexual comments, innuendo and unwelcome advances from fellow crew members who were encouraged by Affleck.

 Brie Larson refuses to applaud Casey Affleck's Oscar win

Affleck has repeatedly and vehemently denied the allegations and settled both claims out of court in 2010. While actual details of the deal remain secret, Ms Gorka and Ms Whites complaints continue to be online on the public record.

Media commentators have condemned the academy for bestowing Affleck with award upon award in recent months and suggested he has not been sufficiently scrutinised for the allegations due to his big Hollywood family name and privilege as a wealthy white man.

Brie Larson, an advocate for sexual assault survivors, looked visibly unimpressed and refused to clap when she presented Affleck with the gong for Best Actor at the 89th Academy Awards. Her apparent protest delighted many on Twitter who lambasted the academy for granting him the accolade.

Affleck, who is the younger brother of Hollywood star Ben, took home the BAFTA, Golden Globe, Gotham, Critics Choice, and National Board of Review awards for his performance in Manchester by the Sea.
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Monday 19th December 2016 was a day just like any other day for the guys and gals who worked on Metal Hammer, the prestigious, 30 year global institution that proudly styled itself the heavy metal bible. There was a sense that despite the long, illustrious history, a fresh core team of individuals were starting to bring the magazine kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Merlin Alderslade had steadily worked his way up the ranks over 5 years to become Editor and alongside Features Editor Eleanor Goodman, Online Editor Luke Morton, the rest of the core editorial team and a global roster of writers, photographers, artists and freelancers, they were beginning to take Metal Hammer into a glorious new future.

On that day, Alderslade recalls making plans with his team about The Golden Gods, the magazines prestigious annual awards ceremony, and discussions were made for features set to appear as late as September 2017. The atmosphere in the office was jovial, with an end-of-term vibe permeating the air. It was the most thrilling part of the holiday season, where anticipatory pre-Christmas jubilation had yet to be shattered by tipsy relatives and crap television. Work was just beginning to wind down and there was a palpable sense of excitement as to what 2017 had in store, not just for the magazine, but for metal as a genre.

Just before 5 oclock, a man and a woman walked into the office, neither of whom the staff recognised, and called everybody into the middle of the room. They were wearing suits, and as such, immediately stood out in an environment where standard uniform is ripped jeans and Megadeth T-Shirts. The two interlopers had with them a thick stack of envelopes; they were letters explaining that TeamRock had gone into administration and that 73 jobs were to be terminated, effective immediately. There was no money available for redundancy pay-outs and to add insult to injury, the staff would not be paid their December wage. As soon as we got called into the middle of the room, recalls Alderslade I thought were f**ked!

Throughout its history, Metal Hammer made every effort to be a conduit that unites metal fans from around the world; during its peak, the magazine was being published in 11 languages in countries as far-flung as Israel, Serbia, Japan, Hungary and Poland. Unlike a wealth of other music weeklies and monthlies that would seem to snidely patronise the reader, Metal Hammer was never condescending. Instead, it presented itself as the warm, friendly fount of metal know-how, desperate to tell you all the secrets about the mystical, mythical legend that was heavy metal.

Its unsurprising that TeamRock were so keen to buy the title, alongside sister publications Classic Rock and Prog, and hold them up as the central focus of their global digital radio network. The deal TeamRock struck in 2013 was unprecedented in music media; after a five day negotiation with previous owners Future Publishing, the company bought all three titles, their websites and staff for a cool 10.2million. The idea was to provide and create premium content to rock-music fans across the world via digital platforms to a large but un-served community. TeamRock CEO Billy Anderson summed the concept up neatly when he said, we bought the biggest and most respected magazine publishing group in rock in Europe and pushed that through with radio as the accelerator. In essence, they wanted to take an aging, traditional format  print media  and embolden it by squeezing it and selling it through a shiny, new digital filter.

It was an ambitious enterprise and in the halcyon days of 2013, one that the magazine staff broadly embraced, as Alderslade attests. The CEO gathered us all together and explained the vision behind TeamRock and why they wanted to bring the magazines in as a foundation of this new venture and honestly it felt quite exciting. It felt like a company that was run by rock fans who were trying to create a global Rock Empire! I thought investing 10.2million was a pretty solid sign that they had confidence in us and if they were willing to spend that amount of money, then they must've had a lot of ambition. It sounded like a brilliant idea and it was exciting to be treated like the crown jewel in all of that.

A selection of some of Metal Hammer most striking covers Show all 6 1 /6 A selection of some of Metal Hammer most striking covers A selection of some of Metal Hammer most striking covers A selection of some of Metal Hammer most striking covers A selection of some of Metal Hammer most striking covers A selection of some of Metal Hammer most striking covers A selection of some of Metal Hammer most striking covers A selection of some of Metal Hammer most striking covers

Its nigh-on-impossible to pinpoint the precise moment where TeamRocks empire began to crumble but the cause is much easier to identify. You could see there was a lot of money being spent on what felt like quite extravagant things says Alderslade of the situation today. During the first few months they sponsored a drag car and showed it off at The Golden Gods Awards. That car became a bit of a running joke amongst the staff.

Smart marketing strategy to get the TeamRock name established as a prominent force in rock and metal media? Or gaudy, excessive but ultimately hollow gestures that essentially amounted to a baby company waving its metaphorical bollocks around? Whatever your view, it was clear that the black was gradually diminishing into the red, as the money dwindled and the debt escalated. Rumours of the dire straits rumbled, mainly around the offices and private messages of rival publications, but those working for TeamRock were oblivious to just how improvident their paymasters were being. We knew the company was making a loss, but were assured that it was a normal part of working for a start-up' says Goodman 'I joined in 2015 and it felt like a pretty normal business - it's not like there was Champagne everywhere.

Unfortunately, for a print industry striving to remain relevant in a digital age, normal amounts to the majority of magazine media being in a constant state of flux. Its something all three Metal Hammer scribes acknowledge and most writers can attest to the unstable nature of the ever-evolving industry. We live in an age where treasured print institutions are under constant threat; Morton used to work for Front before it ceased publication in 2014 and Goodman was former deputy editor for the sadly defunct Bizarre before she joined Metal Hammer. I've been working on magazines for ten years she says and I've seen them collapse in every company I've worked for, so Ive always had the attitude that every day could be my last. But it's very different having that mentality and being confronted with the reality of someone walking in and saying its your last day, especially when theres been no indication from your employers that anything was amiss.

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As is common when adversity strikes, the staff gathered together to drown their sorrows at the pub; as Goodman recollects, what else were they to do? We all went and got some drinks and tried to process the news, just work out what the next steps were practically. Some people were worried about mortgages or rent and were calling their relatives in tears, asking for help. Beyond that, it was about working through the emotional turmoil. A job is obviously a big part of your life, especially one like this that takes up so much of your life and we all feel so passionate about. Wed joined this magazine that wed all read growing up and now it wasn't going to exist anymore. It was just mind-boggling!

Word spread fast and the metal community reacted almost instantaneously with condolences. The staffs phones buzzed and beeped constantly with hundreds of messages of support from industry folk, friends and family. Ben Ward, frontman with London-based stoner heavy metal outfit Orange Goblin, started a JustGiving crowd funding campaign to raise money for the staff. He set an initial goal of 20,000, which was smashed within hours. After 30 days, 3698 supporters pledged a total of 88,760. Mention of the crowd funder is the only time in our conversation where the three Metal Hammer writers are momentarily speechless, clearly still overwhelmed and touched by the support the global metal community offered them when they needed it most; one pledger summed it up succinctly. As we say in the pit  if someone falls, you pick them up.

The rock community is the best in the world and I don't say that just because we work in it, says Alderslade. I go to a lot of gigs and festivals all the time, I like to think I'm fairly well-versed in a lot of other fan bases and there's nothing like the rock and metal industry! If it didn't have that camaraderie, none of us would be here doing what we're doing now. But even saying that, to see that spirit directed towards Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Prog was still pretty mind-blowing, especially when were constantly hearing things like 'Print doesn't mean anything to people anymore. We're so used to seeing people have negative perceptions about metalheads and I think this just proves that, when the chips are down, we are all here for one another and we are a proper community.

Whilst its undeniable that print media has taken some major hits in the 21st century, the JustGiving campaign is proof that these magazines and the people that contribute to them still matter to thousands of readers around the world. Prints dilemma is not too dissimilar to the quandary the music industry itself found itself in with the rise of digital and the decline of physical formats, but Morton points out how it could potentially survive. I think print medias like vinyl; if you like music but you're not that bothered, you'll get a Spotify account and youll glean information from Blabbermouth. But if you consider yourself a music connoisseur, you'll buy as much as you can on record and wont think twice about shelling out a fiver a month to read more in-depth features about the music you love. I dont think having a place in the latter rather than the former is a bad place to be.

With sales of vinyl on the rise and, for the first time ever, actually eclipsing digital sales, its safe to say that no-one can really predict the constantly fluctuating ways that the public choose to consume media. In January 2017, Future Publishing bought back the rights for all three magazine titles, their events and the license for the TeamRock digital radio service for 800,000. That figure doesnt include staff salaries (the 10.2million TeamRock paid for the titles in 2013 did) but its undoubtedly a far more sensible deal in a business environment that's unpredictable. Something this is certain is the pedigree of a publication like Metal Hammer gives them access to bands that most websites and blogs could only dream of. For their comeback issue, Metal Hammer were able to set up an interview where Avenged Sevenfold frontman interviewed the inimitable Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. Thats something which had never been done before and probably won't ever be done again says Alderslade. That's the power of print! That's the kind of thing that we can make happen. It's the power of the name of Metal Hammer and again it shows that we can still make great things happen when people support and believe in us.

Now that Metal Hammer, along with Classic Rock and Prog, has been saved, the plan is to pick up from where they left off. Our job is to create an exciting vibrant metal magazine that can appeal to anyone that considers themselves a fan of heavy music says Alderslade. Whether your favourite band is Armoured Saint or Code Orange, we want people to find something they love about this magazine; as far as were concerned, if you like heavy music, we've got something for you. You might not like all the bands in there, and that's totally fine, but we will always have something there for you and we will never try to just recklessly go with trends or try and betray what Hammer's supposed to be all about. We will always have a mix of bands in there that represent the absolute amazing vibrant scene that is metal. Because there's so much to be excited about in the metal scene right now and it makes us excited for what we've got coming up in the year ahead.

Metal Hammer's 293rd issue, their comeback special, is available now
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The Dears made their return to the UK with an enthralling show at Londons Village Underground.

The band, led by husband-and-wife duo Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak, took to the stage to the sound of The Imperial Death March, its epic operatic sound setting the tone for the rest of the evening.

It took no time for the band to settle in, opening with We Lost Everything from their most recent studio album and clearly having fun with this form of psychedelic rock; complimented by an impressive light show creating an atmosphere befitting of the soundtrack.

Dipping into the archive, the Montreal natives played tracks spanning their 22-year career as a studio band. Lightburn called it a reward, punishment, reward, punishment set  old song, new song, old song, new song.

5 Chords, Disclaimer and Heres to the Death of Romance follow before the hopelessly romantic You and I are a Gang of Losers saw Lightburn turn from the crowd directing his passion, performance and words to his wife, Yanchuk.

An encore allowed for Lightburn to return to the stage solo, performing moving acoustic renditions of We Can Have It and There Goes My Outfit before being joined by the rest of the band for The Second Part and closing with 22: The Death of all Romance. This is a show that was shrouded in anticipation, and The Dears certainly dont disappoint.
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David Letterman has called President Donald Trump a "stupid son of a b***h" and said he "would have gone to work on Trump" if he had interviewed him.

The retired late night TV icon discussed the playful moment when Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon tousled Mr Trump's hair during an appearance on his show during the presidential campaign.

In an interview with Vulture, Letterman said Fallon got a "fantastic viral clip" out of the moment, but said he "would have gone to work on Trump."

He said: "I think I would be in the position to give him a bit of a scolding and he would have to sit there and take it."

"Trumpy," his pet name for the president, "broke" his heart during his feud with Representative John Lewis, he said.

"In addition to every other thing thats wrong with the Trump, hes ignorant in a way thats insulting to the office, insulting to America, insulting to human rights, insulting to civil rights, insulting to John Lewis. Trump saying that broke my heart.

"I thought, You stupid son of a b***h. You ought to have known better than that."

Mr Lewis received a skull fracture after marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965.

Letterman added: "John Lewis goes down there and gets a goddamned skull fracture. I mean, Trumpy will never have to worry about a skull fracture because of the hair.

"How do you know if Donald Trump is lying? His lips are moving."

David Letterman through the years Show all 10 1 /10 David Letterman through the years David Letterman through the years David Letterman Jay Leno, left, hosted by David Letterman on The Tonight Show in 1979 NBC Universal David Letterman through the years David Letterman David Letterman sits at his desk on the television series 'Late Night with David Letterman,' New York, 1986 David Letterman through the years David Letterman David Letterman holds an Emmy trophy after his win in 1987 David Letterman through the years David Letterman David Letterman will retire after 31 years as America's longest-standing late night TV show host AP David Letterman through the years David Letterman Madonna holds hands with television talks show host David Letterman at the 11th Annual MTV Video Music Awards in New York in 1994 David Letterman through the years David Letterman David Letterman and Harrison Ford ride horses named Chase and Shane outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, 2011 David Letterman through the years David Letterman David Letterman speaks onstage at the First Annual Comedy Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, 2011 David Letterman through the years David Letterman David Letterman and Oprah Winfrey attend 'A Conversation With David Letterman And Oprah Winfrey' at Ball State University in Muncie, 2012 David Letterman through the years David Letterman David Cameron was welcomed on to the Late Show by host David Letterman to the tune of the house band playing Rule Britannia and dry ice pumping into the studio to replicate a London fog Reuters David Letterman through the years David Letterman US President Barack Obama tapes an appearance on the 'Late Show with David Letterman' in New York, 2015

During the interview, he said senior Trumpe aide Kellyanne Conway was his "favourite for a long time" and described White House press secretary Sean Spicer as "a boob who just got out of a cab and now here he is."

When asked about Stephen Miller, he said: "Wow, that guy is creepy. He fell out of a truck."

He also mocked Steve Bannon, Mr Trump's chief strategist.

And he [Mr Trump] hires the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Steve Bannon, to be his little buddy.

"Bannon looks like a guy who goes to lunch, gets drunk, and comes back to the office: Steve, could you have just one drink? F**k you. How is a white supremacist the chief adviser to our president?

Letterman retired in 2015 after 33 years as a late night host.
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Donald Trump's alleged ties to Russia have been dubbed "Stupid Watergate" by comedian John Oliver, who described the links as a potential scandal with all of the intrigue of Watergate except everyone involved is really bad at everything.

The Last Week Tonight host has made a habit of lambasting President Trump  "two words that still simply do not belong together, like 'baby pubes' or 'haunted horse'," as he quipped in the introduction to his latest show.

First in his crosshairs was Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is suspected of lying under oath before Congress about his meetings with Russian ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak.

Oliver described the Attorney General's now-discredited claim that he "did not have communications with the Russians" as "an unforced error," made in response to a separate question.

He said: "If you ask someone how their weekend was and they say 'well, I definitely wasnt masturbating into the Slurpee machine at the 7-11', you check the f*cking security cameras at the 7-11 and you dont act surprised.

The British-born comedian repeatedly emphasised that "there is nothing inherently wrong" with meetings between American and Russian officials, but asked why members of Mr Trump's administration acted so suspiciously when interrogated about their relationship with Moscow.

"That was so unconvincing it probably set off an unplugged polygraph machine sitting in a closet somewhere," he said in response to a clip of President Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort denying his employer had links to any "Russian oligarchs".

This prompted Oliver to dub the whole affair "Stupid Watergate" - a reference to a major US political scandal in the 1970s that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

 John Oliver enlists a group of singing dancers to tell Donald Trump how ruthless Putin is

He said: "The relevant question isnt so much 'what did the president know and when did he know it?' as it is 'is the president physically capable of knowing anything at all?'

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The comedian also tackled a flurry of tweets from President Trump, which saw him accuse his predecessor Barack Obama of wiretapping his offices during the 2016 election.

A Last Week Tonight voiceover observed that the US leader had "misspelled the word tap". Mr Trump had used "tapp".

The claims were presented as fact by President Trump, who wrote: "Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! An investigation is ongoing."

But President Trump's spokespeople have been more cautious when discussing the accusations, and Mr Oliver asked why no proof had been presented to back up the incendiary claims.

This is how things are going to work now," he said. "The President once saw a banana with a bruise that looked like a picture in an article he read in a dream and that is why we are at f*cking war.
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The wind in Scotland was used to generate enough energy to power nearly four million homes in February, according to new figures. There are only about 2.5 million homes in Scotland, so the extra electricity would have been used in other parts of the UK.

The figures were revealed as a survey of Scottish renewable energy companies found the firms expected to shed more than 15 per cent of their current workforce.

An increase in the number of turbines and windier weather saw 43 per cent more electricity produced by windfarms last month, compared to February last year. In total, they provided more than 1,330,000 megawatt hours of electricity.

Karen Robinson, of WeatherEnergy, which compiled the figures, said: As we began to witness for the first time last year, this February has also seen a few days where the power output from wind farms exceeded the total electricity demand for an entire day. This is quite an achievement.

With the increasing occurrence of 100 per cent wind power days there can be little doubt that Scotland is well-placed to begin the next step of increasing the role that renewables could play in cutting carbon emissions from its transport and heating sectors.

Lang Banks, director of WWF Scotland, stressed the importance of wind energy to the Scottish economy and efforts to reduce the greenhouse gases that are causing climate change.

Recommended Renewables make up nearly 90 per cent of new power capacity in EU

As well as helping to power our homes and businesses, wind power supports thousands of jobs and helps Scotland to avoid over a million tonnes of polluting carbon emissions every month, he said.

He urged politicians to do more to help the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Every one of the main political parties supports the aim of generating half of all Scotland's energy needs from renewables by 2030  including heat, electricity and transport, Mr Banks said.

With this level of political backing, we call upon all of the parties to now bring forward policies that will help maximise the benefits to Scotland's economy, as we transition to a renewable future.

However, industry body Scottish Renewables warned its members were expecting their workforce to shrink by 16.9 per cent over the next 12 months.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

Jenny Hogan, Scottish Renewables policy director, said one of the main problems was the UK Government was refusing to allow onshore wind and solar energy to bid against fossil fuel companies for long-term contracts to supply electricity.

These results show that changes to and closures of support schemes are having an impact on our members and on the numbers of employees within their businesses, she said.

The UK Government is rightly excited about the economic opportunities presented by the impacts of the global shift to low-carbon energy, but it's really important we dont forget about the jobs in our renewable energy sector today.

Onshore wind and solar are the two cheapest forms of electricity, but ministers are refusing to allow them to access long-term contracts for power, which will result in a marked slowdown in investment and a decrease in employment, as our survey has suggested.
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In a rare runway moment Stella McCartney closed her autumn/winter show at Paris Fashion Week today with a heart-warming tribute to the late George Michael.

Instead of a traditional finale walk, the designer and Beatles daughter sent out an army of models singing and dancing to a remixed version of his song Faith.

The upbeat sing-a-long saw models raucously chanting the lyrics to George Michaels iconic hit with coordinated dance moves to match.

A collection which celebrated Britishness, McCartneys memorial was fitting for a figure that made such an impact on the fashion world and saw guests jumping to their feet and joining in.

A defining character in both the music and fashion industry, George Michael, who passed away at the age of 53 on Christmas Day last year, was well-known for his iconic style.

Not to mention his Freedom 1990 music video that lauded the likes of Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista and Tatjana Patitz joining Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell among its cast.
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Barack Obama is working with the communist Chinese government to plan a coup.

That's according to Google's Home assistant, the little cylinder that sits in people's houses and speaks to them, working similar to Amazon's Alexa. But there is absolutely no evidence for the claim and Mr Obama does not appear to be planning to overthrow Donald Trump.

That doesn't stop the box spewing out the fake news, if it's asked whether or not Mr Obama is planning a coup  a common conspiracy theory that has been suggested by Mr Trump in recent days.

The problem appears to be a consequence of Google's smart search results. In an attempt to make searches faster, the site pulls small snippets out from various websites that can be shown on the results page  or read out by the Google Home  rather than clicking through to the page and reading it from there.

But because Google is pulling its answer to "Is Obama planning a coup" from the website 'Secrets of the Fed', it answers with the same conspiracy theory. The message is not just read out on the Google Home but shown to anyone who searches for the same question.

"According to details exposed in Western Center for Journalism's exclusive video, not only could Obama be in bed with the communist Chinese, but Obama may be in fact be planning a communist coup d'etat at the end of his term in 2016!" anyone trying to find out whether or not Mr Obama is planning a coup will be told.

The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

The next result does come from ABC News and has the headilne "No, former President Obama isn't planning a coup against President Trump". But that isn't read out by the Google Home and isn't visible when searching on mobile.

It is far from the first embarrassing result that the snippets feature has shown or read out. The site offers an option to give "feedback" about specific instances, and tries to use its algorithm to pick out the ones that will be most useful and accurate.
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A sleeping but terrifying Komodo dragon is greeting everyone who heads to Google today. And for good reason.

While the animals have become known as perhaps the most fearsome creature that walks the Earth  inspiring legends and terror around the world  they have also become much loved.

That's in large part because they are under threat, and environmental activists have had to work hard to keep them around. They are in danger of being wiped out for a number of reasons, including volcanic activity and earthquakes as well as human behaviour like poaching, tourism and the destruction of their habitats.

It's that conservation work  which is ongoing at the Komodo National Park  that is commemorated in the Google Doodle.

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Sergei Diaghilev Google Doodle celebrating art critic Sergei Diaghilev Google The best Google Doodles George Boole Google marks mathematician George Boole's 200th birthday The best Google Doodles Sergei Eisenstein Google Doodle celebrating soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein Google The best Google Doodles 41st anniversary of the discovery of 'Lucy' Google marks the 41st anniversary of the discovery of 'Lucy', the name given to a collection of fossilised bones that once made up the skeleton of a hominid from the Australopithecus afarensis species, who lived in Ethiopia 3.2 million years ago The best Google Doodles Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Google celebrates physician and suffragist Elizabeth Garrett Anderson 180th birthday The best Google Doodles Sir William Henry Perkin Google Doodle celebrating chemist Sir William Henry Perkin Google The best Google Doodles Nelly Sachs Google Doodle celebrating poet and playwright Nelly Sachs Google The best Google Doodles Thanksgiving 2018 Google Doodle celebrating Thanksgiving 2018 Google The best Google Doodles Nigerian Independence Day Google Doodle celebrating Nigerian Independence Day Google The best Google Doodles Mary Prince Google Doodle celebrating abolitionist Mary Prince Google The best Google Doodles Father's Day 2016 Google celebrates Father's Day The best Google Doodles Ebenezer Cobb Morley Google Doodle celebrating "father of football" Ebenezer Cobb Morley Google The best Google Doodles Octavia E Butler Google Doodle celebrating science fiction author Octavia E Butler Google The best Google Doodles Tamara de Lempicka Google Doodle celebrating painter Tamara de Lempicka Google The best Google Doodles Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss Google Doodle celebrating mathematician and physicist Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss Google The best Google Doodles Fanny Blankers-Koen Google Doodle celebrating Dutch Olympic gold medalist Fanny Blankers-Koen Google The best Google Doodles John Harrison Google Doodle celebrating clockmaker 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Google celebrates Ladislao Jose Biro's 117th birthday The best Google Doodles Amalia Hernandez Google Doodle celebrating ballet choreographer Amalia Hernandez Google The best Google Doodles Dr Samuel Johnson Google Doodle celebrating lexicographer Dr Samuel Johnson Google The best Google Doodles British Sign Language Google Doodle celebrating British Sign Language Google The best Google Doodles Eduard Khil Google Doodle celebrating baritone singer Eduard Khil Google The best Google Doodles Fourth of July Google Doodle celebrating Fourth of July Google The best Google Doodles Victor Hugo Google Doodle celebrating author Victor Hugo Google The best Google Doodles Google Doodle celebrating Giro d'Italia's 100th Anniversary Google Doodle celebrating Giro d'Italia's 100th Anniversary Google The best Google Doodles Google Doodle celebrating St. Patrick's Day Google Doodle celebrating St. Patrick's Day Google The best Google Doodles Google Doodle celebrating St. David's Day Google Doodle celebrating St. David's Day Google The best Google Doodles Steve Biko Today's Google Doodle features anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko Google The best Google Doodles The history of tea in Britain Google celebrates the 385th anniversary of tea in the UK The best Google Doodles Nettie Stevens Google celebrates geneticist Nettie Stevens 155th birthday The best Google Doodles William Morris Google celebrates English polymath William Morris' 182 birthday with a doodle showcasing his most famous designs Google The best Google Doodles Professor Scoville Google marks Professor Scovilles 151st birthday The best Google Doodles Sophie Taeuber-Arp Google marks artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp's 127th birthday

Where is Komodo National Park?

The Komodo National Park is in Indonesia, taking up three big islands and 26 smaller ones. It was created in 1980 to help protect the habitat of the Komodo dragon  which doesn't live anywhere else, and came to be so strange because of the environment of the islands  but it doesn't just contain them, also taking up parts of the water that include a hugely diverse set of marine life.

The park is officially part of Indonesia and is part of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Those are located just north of Australia.

Tourists can visit there, and around 4,000 people live on the islands.

It is the conservation area's 37th birthday today, which is what led it to be featured on the Google Doodle.

Are they endangered?

The park was created precisely to help the dragons  and eventually a range of other animals  survive the threat that they are under. But despite that, they are still threatened, and are defined as "Vulnerable" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

On some of the islands on which they once lived, they have been completely wiped out. But on others their population is small but stable  while they appear to be safe for now on the bigger islands, the populations are still falling because of shrinking numbers on the smaller ones.

How heavy and fast are they?

The international and lingering obsession with the Kimodo dragon is in large part a result of their huge size and fearsome characteristics. They are huge, heavy and fast  and can put all of those to work in attacking and killing their prey.

An average male can weigh up to 200 lb, and a female will weigh up to 160 lb, and the animals can be as long as 2.6 metres. The biggest ever wild dragon found weighed 366 pounds, including the undigested food inside of it, and was 3.13 metres long.

That huge size makes them easily the biggest species of lizard. Their huge size is the result of where they live  on the islands that they continue to inhabit, they became huge, an effect known as "island giganticism" that also gave rise to a number of other huge species, like the famous tortoises that live on the Galapagos Islands.

Despite their huge bodies, they can run as fast as 11mph over short distances on land.
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A private drug company has developed an experimental cancer drug that has produced apparently extraordinary results, with a third of very ill lymphoma patients showing no signs of the disease after a single treatment.

However the company, Kite Pharma, cautioned that its version of CAT-T cell therapy may have also killed two of the 101 people in the study.

The patients had non-Hodgkin lymphoma and all other treatments had failed. Normally they could expect to live for about six months.

Nearly nine months later, more than a third showed no sign of the disease and more than half were still alive.

The treatment uses gene therapy to prompt the patients blood cells to attack cancer. In total 82 per cent of patients saw their tumours shrink by half or more at some point in the study.

One patient, Dimas Padilla, 43, of Orlando, credited the treatment with saving his life.

He had been told his cancer was getting worse and his treatment was failing. I was thinking how am I going to tell this to my mother, my wife, my children, he said.

But in August, he had CAR-T therapy and subsequently saw his tumours shrink like ice cubes. He is now in complete remission.

They were able to save my life, Mr Padilla said.

And independent expert, Dr Roy Herbst, cancer medicines chief at the Yale Cancer Centre, was taken aback by the treatments success.

This seems extraordinary  extremely encouraging, he said.

However Dr Herbst said further studies were needed to see if the benefit of the treatment was lasting or if the patients cancer returned.

This certainly is something I would want to have available [to patients], he said.

Martin Ledwick, Cancer Research UKs head cancer information nurse, also expressed caution.

These results are promising and suggest that one day CAR-T cells could become a treatment option for some patients with certain types of lymphoma, he said.

But, we need to know more about the side effects of the treatment and long-term benefits.

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Dr Fred Locke, a blood cancer expert at Moffitt Cancer Centre in Tampa, Florida, who co-led the study and was a paid adviser to Kite, stressed the patients in the study had had few other choices left.

The numbers are fantastic, he said. These are heavily treated patients who have no other options.

The drug was developed at the US National Cancer Institute and then licensed to Kite.

The results were released by the company and have not been published or reviewed by other experts. Full results will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research conference in April.

The company plans to seek approval from the US Food and Drug Administration by the end of March and in Europe later this year.

Experts have warned that the UK may have to wait for such new treatments after Brexit as companies will seek regulatory approval in the largest markets first.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
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A Conservative councillor and special needs teacher sparked a furious reaction after she asked why "unfit to work" disabled people were able to attend a protest march against NHS cuts and privatisation.

Implying disabled protesters were making false claims about their health to avoid work, Fiona Robson took to Twitter to ask: "How many people claiming to be unfit to work were fit enough to travel to & physically MARCH around London yesterday?!"

It prompted an angry response from disabled marchers, campaign groups and the relatives of the terminally ill.

Louise James, who has three chronic illnesses, two spinal injuries and borderline personality disorder, told The Independent: "I was there. I was dosed up to my eyeballs on painkillers and anti-sickness [medication], and I had to to rest for over an hour on the kerb until I had the energy to face the journey home.

"I knew I would pay dearly for going, but we have to stand up and say no more  or we will die if they sell the NHS."

Thought to be one of the biggest NHS rallies in history, the Our NHS march brought up to 250,000 people to the streets of London. It came amid warnings of an unprecedented crisis within health services, fuelled by 20 billion worth of cuts scheduled by 2020.

Katy Macquire, who has high functioning autism and Ehler-Danlos syndrome, also attended the march.

 Thousands gather in London for NHS rally to protest against cuts to services

"I am astounded at the ignorant and callous assumption that if someone if able to leave the house they are fit to work," she told The Independent. "I danced even though I knew I would be unable to move later in the day.

"Hidden disabilities are so misunderstood. This is in part because they tend to affect women more profoundly, and women's health concerns are still not taken as seriously, and [also] because we have become conditioned to putting up and shutting up. Being in a crowd of inspirational and courageous women was wonderful and is giving me the strength I need to fight the government."

Ms Macquire added: "I had to leave my last job as my disabilities were ignored and I was treated as if I didn't care about my job. I fought for 18 months to get the minimal support I needed to do and keep my job, but failed as hidden disabilities are so misunderstood."

Andy Greene of Disabled People Against Cuts was also angry about the tweet.

"This pretty much encapsulates the Conservative attitude towards their fellow human beings," he said. "This is a party which believes you're not terminally ill if you've got more than six months to live. What the Tories don't want is solidarity, people having a voice. Disabled people should not be put off by her comments, but come to sit and stand together in solidarity again and again."

On her website, Ms Robson, a councillor in Carlisle, describes herself as "a secondary school special needs teacher and a committed Christian."

One follower responded on Twitter: "I wonder how your disabled/unfit voters will judge this comment, Fiona? You call yourself Christian. Would Jesus say this?"

Another wrote: "My terminally ill sister, declared fit to work but given till April/May to live, managed 5 minutes [of marching]. Thanks for your interest."

 Jeremy Corbyn urges demonstrators to 'defend the NHS with all of your might'

Ms Robson initially stood by her comments, claiming she was not attacking those on benefits and writing : "We are not permitted to ask questions any more at all without being accused of all sorts of things!"

She then added: "Okay, I apologise for offending anyone. I asked a question."

The initial tweet has since been deleted, along with Ms Robson's entire Twitter profile.

Ms Robson did not respond to a request for comment.
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Peugeot-owner PSA Group has sought to play down fears that its 1.9bn deal with General Motors to buy the Opel and Vauxhall brands for 1.9bn, will result in job losses and factory closures in the UK.

The acquisition will create a manufacturer with about 17 per cent of the European car market and dramatically shake up the regions automative industry creating the second-biggest auto group in Europe after Volkswagen.

However, the plans have sparked intense fears about what it might mean for jobs in the UK.

Vauxhall employs 4,500 people at its Ellesmere Port and Luton plants, but the French government has a 14 per cent stake in PSA and there are concerns that political pressure could be applied to prioritise jobs in France.

Carlos Tavares, chairman of PSAs managing board promised to keep existing GM commitments to workers, but added that future investments would depend on performance.

GM Europe has not made an annual profit since 1999, something PSA said would change.

Both companies said the deal was expected to generate annual savings of 1.5bn by 2026, with Opel generating an operating profit margin of 2 per cent by 2020; and 6 per cent by 2026.

We are confident that the Opel/Vauxhall turnaround will significantly accelerate with our support, while respecting the commitments made by GM to the Opel/Vauxhall employees, Mr Tavares said in statement.

As long as we improve the performance and we become the best, there is no risk they should fear, he told the BBC.

GM chairman and chief executive officer Marry Barra, said: We believe this new chapter puts Opel and Vauxhall in an even stronger position for the long term and we look forward to our participation in the future success and strong value-creation potential of PSA through our economic interest and continued collaboration on current and exciting new projects.

It emerged that Prime Minister Theresa May told Ms Barra on Sunday that UK jobs need to be protected, as the US carmaker put the finishing touches to the sale of its European arm.

Ms Barra made clear that Vauxhall would remain a British brand and that the deal would recognise and respect all agreements regarding the workforce, Ms Mays office said in a statement.

However on Monday, Ms Mays official spokesman insisted that no specific assurances had been given to Peugeot to secure the future of the UK plants.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said the Government welcomed the assurance by PSA that they will respect the commitments made by GM to Vauxhalls employees and pensioners.

We will continue to engage and work with PSA in the weeks and months ahead to ensure these assurances are kept and will build on the success of both sites for the long term, Mr Clark added.

Later in the Commons, Mr Clark said the sale was linked to a wider restructuring of General Motors rather than Brexit.

Head of Unite union Len McCluskey said thousands of Vauxhall workers at Ellesmere Port and Luton had endured a nerve-racking few weeks and needed assurances over the future of the factories.

I am determined that we can convince the new boss, Mr Tavares, that it makes sense for him to continue to build in Britain. Our plants are the most productive in the European operation, the brand is strong here, the market for the products is here, so the cars must be made here, Mr McCluskey said.

But there is also a role for the government to play. The uncertainty caused by Brexit is harming the UK auto sector. Wednesdays Budget is a perfect opportunity for the government to make is clear that it will preserve our trading arrangements and that it will invest for our auto sectors future now, beginning with assistance for the reshoring of components, he added.

Shares in PSA rose as much as 5.25 per cent to 20.06 , the highest level since July 2011 and closed 2 per cent higher.

General Motors shares opened lower in early US trading, and were trading down 2 per cent at market closing time in the UK.

Additional reporting by PA
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Barack Obama did not wiretap Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election, according to the United States' previous top intelligence official.

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper spoke out as the White House urged Congress to investigate allegations made on Twitter by Mr Trump.

"There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate or against his campaign," Mr Clapper told NBC.

For any wiretap to be legal under US law, a federal court has to find "probable cause" that the target is an "agent of a foreign power". Asked if a federal court had issued such an order, Mr Clapper said: "I deny it".

He said he would "certainly hope" to be aware of any wiretap, but added: "I can't speak for other authorized entities in the government or a state or local entity."

But Mr Clapper has previously been accused of lying to Congress about the National Security Agency's surveillance of millions of Americans, as Trump supporters were quick to point out.

Early on Saturday morning, Mr Trump called Mr Obama a "bad, or sick, guy" and accused the then-President of wiretapping his New York office in 2016.

"Terrible!" the President tweeted. "Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!"

He added: "Is it legal for a sitting President to be 'wire tapping' a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A new low!"

The allegations were denied by Mr Obama's team, while FBI Director James Comey has reportedly called on the Justice Department to publicly refute the claim.

But the Justice Department has yet to issue a formal statement, while Mr Trump's Press Secretary Sean Spicer has doubled down on the accusation.

"President Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees... exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016," he said a statement similarly issued through Twitter.

The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Mr Spicer also described the alleged wiretap as "politically motivated".

President Trump's pick to take over the top intelligence role from Mr Clapper is former Senator Dan Coats, who has described re-authorising the government to spy on internet users' activity as his "top priority".
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European Union (EU) citizens who live in Britain will have to fill in an 85-page form if they want to remain in the UK after Brexit.

Described as hostile by immigrants who have lived in the UK for many years but fear losing their right to stay when Britain leaves, the lengthy application for permanent residence could cost families hundreds of pounds.

Theresa May has repeatedly refused to guarantee that the 3 million EU citizens living in the UK will be able to remain in the country after Brexit.

Ministers have insisted they will not make any such guarantees until other European countries promise to secure the residency rights of Britons living elsewhere in the bloc.

The Government has come under mounting pressure to reverse its position and guarantee the rights of EU citizens. It was defeated on the issue in the House of Lords last week.

In addition to the 85-page form, immigrants seeking permission to remain in the UK must also provide accompanying documents, including financial records, letters from employers and details of every time they have left the UK, even for a holiday, since first entering the country.

The processing fee is 65 for each application, meaning that people applying on behalf of several family members will rack up hundreds of pounds in charges, even before lawyers and accountants fees are included.

Immigration lawyers are charging fees of up to 1,000 to help applicants with the process  leading 26,000 people to sign a petition protesting against the amounts.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

But lawyers say each application can take them two weeks to finish once all the documents and supporting evidence have been filed and submitted.

"When someone asks me for help with this I dont even mention the price  I just say no because I know this is going to be a nightmare, Sebastian Derwisinski, a Pole who owns an accountancy firm in Northampton, told the Financial Times.

The rise in applications coupled with the complexity of the process means the Home Office is overwhelmed with requests and is operating with a four-month backlog.

The application for permanent residence, which is a prerequisite for gaining British citizenship, was only introduced in late 2015 as part of changes made by David Camerons government. Until then, EU citizens had automatically been given residency after living continuously in the UK for five years.

Applications have criticised the difficulty of securing permanent residency and the hostility they say it shows towards immigrants.

I come from a country that very much has its level of bureaucracy, but this is tops, said Marek, a Polish immigrant who did not want to use his real name for fear it would impact his immigration status.

You see a form like this, you see this list of documentation, and its nothing but hostile.

The issue of the rights of EU citizens living in the UK will be debated again when the Governments European Bill returns to the House of Commons later this month.
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Police in Durham will start giving free heroin to addicts in a bid to stifle the profiteering of criminal gangs and ease users off the drug.

The first force in the UK to write up detailed plans for the Class A drug to be given to users in a controlled environment, Durham Constabulary's Chief Constable Mike Barton told The Mail on Sunday that it will reduce crime.

Addicts will neither steal or go to dealers to feed their habit, he said.

We need to get over our moral panic about giving people heroin as part of a treatment plan, he added. Our primary concern is to prevent crime. If weve got people who are addicted to Class A drugs committing crime, it makes good sense to get that person off drugs.

"Addiction is a medical problem, not a criminal justice problem.

A similar plan to set up a "shooting gallery" in Scotland, to ease an estimated 500 heroin users in Glasgow off the drug, was agreed in principal by the local health board, city council and police in October.

Australia, Germany, France and Switzerland have also introduced comparable schemes.

A trial by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse in 2009 said programmes should be set up nationwide in the UK and would cost around 15,000 per head.

Alex Cavendish, a former inmate and author on prisons, said: At last, some common sense.

Methadone is currently prescribed by GPs to help stop addicts injecting themselves, but Chief Constable Barton said he believed it was highly addictive and pushes users towards legal highs.

What I would want is a facility for a small number of people to be provided with heroin rather than methadone, he added.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 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"Its not for everybody as I recognise that this is controversial. But there have been plenty of peer-reviewed experiments that have been reported in The Lancet that show this is an effective form of treatment.

Professor Neil McKeganey, director of the Centre for Substance Use Research, said there was a worry that these centres will only increase addiction.

David Burrowes, the MP for Enfield Southgate in North London, said the public will be dismayed.

Durham police has reduced officer numbers from 1,716 in 2006 to 1,115 in 2016, leaving one full time officer for every 561 residents, because of budget cuts.

Nationally an estimated 149,807 people are addicted to opiates, and at least 1,201 died from heroin-related deaths in 2015.

Possession of Class A drugs, including ecstasy and magic mushrooms, carries a maximum seven-year sentence, and supply and production carries a maximum life sentence.

Durham police have reportedly asked the public health department at the county council for a "costed options paper". The force does not need approval from the Home Office or Department of Health.

Durham police declined to comment, but Durham Police and Crime Victims Commissioner Ron Hogg said: I have asked our local public health departments to suggest a series of options which might lead to the introduction of a Heroin Assisted Treatment Clinic in the Durham area.

"The aim would be to enable people who have become addicted to heroin to follow a programme that would stabilise their addiction in a controlled environment, and reduce their dependency on heroin until they stop taking it. They would also follow a conventional drug addict support programme.

"The aim of the initiative is to save the lives of addicts, shut down drug dealers and reduce acquisitive crime. It would also reduce demand on police time, and the courts, and I believe it should also help lower the prison population."

A spokesman for Mr Hogg also said the force is expecting cost papers on the scheme within the next few weeks and that the treatment centres could be set up before the end of the year.

The Independent has contacted The Home Office for comment but none had arrived at the time of publication.
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Plans by government ministers to boost trade links with African Commonwealth countries are being internally branded empire 2.0 by sceptical officials who are worried about the importance being placed on such deals ahead of the UKs negotiations of leaving the European Union (EU).

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox is expected to promise to build better links with the whole of the 52 member countries of the Commonwealth when ministers from each country meet in London later this week.

But as the UK is prepares itself to leave the European Union, The Times reports that British ministers are planning to talk with the group's African nations about building a free trade zone on the continent.

Some sceptical officials have dubbed the proposals empire 2.0 as they are worried about the importance given to Commonwealth trade deals ahead of the UKs negotiations of leaving the EU, the newspaper reported.

During the meetings with leaders this week, Britain is expected to guarantee all developing nations that their trading relationships with the UK will not get worse after Brexit. Instead they will insist that these trade links could improve.

Formal negotiations to create an African free trade area covering 26 countries across the length of the continent, have already been rubber stamped by Commonwealth countries in 2011.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters 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. 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But it is hoped that a deal between Britain and the Commonwealth heads of government could be signed next year.

Whitehall sources have said they also hope to have an outline of the deal with Australia, New Zealand and Canada by then.

Trade specialists are however, less optimistic about the idea, not the least because of the diversity of countries inside the Commonwelath and their respective ties with the EU.

However, Lord Marland, chairman of the Commonwealth enterprise and investment council, told The Times that the meeting would explore ways to boost trade between the countries.

When the UK joined the EU it tore up its previous agreements with Commonwealth allies and it will now need to set about rebuilding these relationships for trade, he said. Luckily these are old friendships, but as with all relationships, they will require a lot of effort to make them work.
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Ending the free movement of people from EU countries after Brexit may not result in lower overall migration, a committee of peers has warned.

No details on a new immigration system for EU nationals has been released, but the House of Lords EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee says net migration to the UK from outside the EU remains significantly higher than within it, despite non-EU migration already being covered by restrictions.

The wide-ranging assessment says: Restoration of national control over EU migration may or may not, therefore, deliver a reduction in overall net migration.

The committee concluded that cutting EU immigration is unlikely to provide a quick fix for low wages.

The report makes the case for a two-way agreement with the EU on migration, which would involve offering preferential treatment to EU nationals in return for reciprocal approach to UK nationals in the EU.

Before the referendum, leading figures in the Leave campaign argued for an Australian-style points-based immigration system, though nothing of that nature has been formally proposed or suggested by the Government. The peers report warns that any immigration system hedged with exemptions for particular economic sectors or schemes could produce the worst of all worlds, failing to deliver a meaningful reduction in immigration while also proving more onerous and costly for employers, prospective applicants, and those charged with enforcement.

Baroness Prashar, chair of the committee, said: The precise manner in which the Government proposes to end free movement is a pivotal aspect of the United Kingdoms approach to negotiations with the European Union and could have far-reaching consequences for the UKs future trading relationship with the EU.

Crucial sectors of the economy depend on EU migrant labour, so it is essential that any changes don't endanger the vibrancy of the UK economy.

We therefore recommend a phased transition to avoid short-term shocks to particular sectors.

She added that the committee was struck by the weaknesses and gaps in the UKs migration statistics.

A Home Office spokesman said: Once we have left the European Union it will be the Government that sets our immigration rules.

We are currently considering the various options as to how EU migration might work once we have left and it would be wrong to set out further positions at this stage.
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Downing Street has warned Lords that an attempt to give Parliament the final say over Brexit will incentivise the EU to give Britain a bad deal.

The Prime Ministers spokesman argued that guaranteeing Parliament the power to reject Theresa Mays deal would give strength to EU negotiators during talks.

He made the claim ahead of a critical vote in the Lords tomorrow, where many peers are planning to defy the Prime Minister and demand it be written into law that Parliament must approve the deal she secures.

A group of Tory Lords, including Michael Heseltine, are also believed to be among those ready to vote against the Government on the matter, being addressed as part of the debate on Ms Mays Bill to trigger Article 50.

Asked for Ms May's message to peers preparing to vote, her spokesman said: She believes we should not commit to any process that would incentivise the EU to offer us a bad deal.

If we are in a position where any deal negotiated by the Prime Minister could be rejected by MPs, that gives strength potentially to other parties in the negotiation.

The House of Lords is expected to vote on Tuesday on an amendment calling for Westminster to be given a meaningful vote on the withdrawal agreement secured by the Prime Minister.

 Philip Hammond: Post-Brexit Britain won't 'slink off like a wounded animal'

Ms May has given verbal assurances that Parliament will have a vote on the deal she secures, but only on a take it or leave it basis which would still see the UK crash out of the EU without a deal if MPs reject her agreement.

Critics have claimed Ms Mays pledge is an attempt to push Parliament into backing her deal, by threatening to leave with no deal and trade on WTO rules if it is rejected, something which could harm the UK economy.

Instead, peers are insisting they should be given the option of telling Ms May and her ministers to go back to the EU and renegotiate a better deal if Parliament rejects her first effort.

Lord Heseltine has already said he would vote against the Government on the matter because he believes that public should have a chance to change their minds on Brexit.

 Government suffers defeat in Lords over plan to begin Brexit negotiations

Gina Miller, the campaigner who fought and beat the Government in the supreme Court Brexit case, has said the judgment she won and separate legal advice demand the Government would need a separate act of Parliament before taking the EUK out of the EU with no deal.

Peers have already given Ms May a bloody nose over guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens rights living in the UK before Brexit, voting last week for a unilateral guarantee to be included in the Article 50 Bill.

All changes proposed in the Lords, where the Tories are in a minority, must later be approved by the Commons, where Ms May has a slim majority, if they are to be written into statute.
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An MP who caused a storm after she said people should stop being so sentimental about child refugees has reignited the row after she poured scorn on a voter who discovered a lorry full of desperate children abandoned in a Kent carpark.

Daniel Grimwood, 40, wrote to Tory MP Pauline Latham after he heard her speech rejecting the need to give sanctuary to child refugees. He recounted a story of how he and his friends had heard banging coming from within a lorry while they were out jogging, leading them to alert the police.

The cargo comprised two very young screaming babies, several toddlers and two adults, he wrote to the MP in correspondence seen by The Independent.

Had we not been there some or all of these children would almost certainly have died in a parking lot on our shores.

Against this backdrop I find your speech callous and chilling in its inhumanity. It is not sentimental to hope vulnerable babies can be saved from suffocation and freezing in the back of a lorry on our shores, for shame! I am repulsed.

Ms Latham fired back a one-line message from her iPad in reply: Maybe you will be contacting your local authority and offering to foster or adopt these poor trafficked children. Sent from my iPad.

Speaking to The Independent after the event Mr Grimwood characterised the response as flippant, callous, and sort of sarcastic, which I just thought was in very, very poor taste.

He added: The first thing that shocked me about it really was the extreme rudeness of it.

When contacted about the correspondence Ms Latham said in a statement: I have spoken at great length about the desperate situation facing refugees. Families face a terrible situation and I have made it clear that other countries, alongside the UK, should play their part in helping people in such difficult circumstances.

The Mid-Derbyshire MP admitted to a poor choice of words last month and said she had been misconstrued by colleagues after she said it was best for Syrian child refugees to be kept in the Middle East and that those who wanted to offer them sanctuary were being sentimental.

She made the original comments while defending the Government in a House of Commons debate about ministers' early closing down on the Dubs Scheme. The scheme had been widely expected to take 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees but the Government cut it short at just 350 after bad publicity in right-wing newspapers.

On Tuesday the House of Commons is set to vote on an amendment that could potentially re-open the scheme, with a potential backbench Conservative rebellion on the cards.

Speaking to The Independent Mr Grimwood, who works as a concert pianist, recounted the episode, which he said happened just after the speech.

Some friends and I were running in an area where there were some lorries parked overnight. Its usually a very quiet area so theres nobody there, but we heard knocking inside coming from inside a lorry, he said.

One of us called the police, and the police came and we saw from afar that the first two things that loaded out of the back were two screaming babies followed by several young children, and I think somebody said there were two adults as well.

The correspondence was described as callous (The Independent)

I was left with a thought that had we not actually been there on that particular night its entirely possible that nobody would have been there and nobody would have heard them and you dont know  its two babies, clearly very young babies as well  you wonder whether they would have died.

In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea Show all 7 1 /7 In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A baby being taken on to MSF's Bourbon Argos ship from a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A refugee boat carrying 101 people being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A refugee boat carrying 101 people being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos all images by Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A baby among refugees on a boat carrying 185 people off the coast of Libya Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea Migrants and refugees sleeping after being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos ship Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A crew from MSF's Bourbon Argos ship rescuing a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees off the coast of Libya, at sunrise Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A woman in a stretcher being lifted onto MSF's Bourbon Argos ship from a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees off the coast of Libya Lizzie Dearden

He continued: The response to that struck me as being so incredibly callous.

The Conservative party press office directed The Independent to Ms Lathams office when approached for comment.
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Closing down the resettlement programme for unaccompanied child refugees will increase, not decrease, the risk of trafficking and exploitation, MPs have warned.

Politicians are also calling on the Government to address the big gap in the numbers it says local authorities can accept and what they have quoted themselves.

In an urgent report, the Home Affairs Select Committee, which is chaired by Yvette Cooper, has said the Governments evidence that re-housing child refugees would act as a pull factor to desperate parents and to people smugglers stands in contrast to warnings from charities that closing the route would actually increase the risk of child trafficking and exploitation.

When the Government made its surprise announcement last month that the numbers brought in under the scheme would be capped at 350, it claimed in a written ministerial statement that local authorities had suggested they did not have capacity for hundreds, if not thousands, more.

The Home Affairs Select Committee report claims that some local councils have said they have capacity for as many as 4,000 more lone children.

Labour MP Ms Cooper said: There is a big gap between what the Government has said, and the evidence we heard from local councils and from organisations like Unicef who are working with child refugees.

This is too important to get wrong when childrens lives and futures are at risk. Thats why we are making these urgent interim recommendations now.

Lily Caprani, deputy executive director of Unicef UK, said the danger to unaccompanied children does not pass when they enter Europe.

We also currently have the bizarre situation where children are forced to travel through unsafe routes into Europe before they can reach the safety of their family members in the UK, she added.

The Home Office rejected any suggestion that children have to use unsafe routes to make their way through Europe and join family members in the UK.

A spokesman said: This Government provided 8,000 vulnerable children with refuge or other forms of leave this year and by the end of this Parliament we will have resettled 23,000 people from Syria, the Middle East and north Africa  half of whom will be children.

Our strategy is clear. We believe the best way to help the most vulnerable children is by resettling refugees directly from the camps in and around Syria.

This stops traffickers ruthlessly exploiting vulnerable people and will prevent people from embarking on perilous journeys across the Mediterranean.

The Government welcomes all offers of extra places from local authorities, the spokesman said.
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Jeremy Corbyn has released his tax return for the second year running  but the publication of the document has prompted questions surrounding the extra salary he is entitled to as Labour leader.

Following Chancellor Philip Hammonds refusal to release his own tax return, the Labour leader published the documents on his constituency website saying he thinks it is right for party leaders to be open and transparent about their tax arrangements.

In it he declared his 74,962 MPs salary as well as the 36,045 in income from three separate pensions but the form appeared not to show a payment he was due as Leader of the Opposition for seven months during the 2015/16 tax year. Mr Corbyn is entitled to an extra 39,272 a year as leader of the opposition on top of the basic MP salary.

However, a Labour spokesman said: Claims in some media that Jeremy Corbyn failed to declare 40,000 of income to the taxman are untrue.

The extra payment following Jeremy's election as Labour leader of 27,192 is recorded in the tax return under the heading of 'public office'.

We are confident the total income of 114,342 in the tax return is correct, as is the income tax charge of 35,298. Nearly all the tax was paid at source.

Labour said it welcomed media and public scrutiny of the Labour leader's tax return as a matter of policy, not political point scoring.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn had said earlier that they were confident the tax paid is correct.

He added: The published return was prepared by a firm of accountants who were supplied with the relevant information.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, told BBC Radio Four's Westminster Hour: He couldn't possibly be intending to deceive anybody.

Asked if she would release her tax returns, Ms Abbott said: I think we are going to have to discuss this as a shadow cabinet if we all going to publish our tax receipts. If that's what we agree to do, certainly I'll do it.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters 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

The release of Mr Corbyn's tax return came after Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said individuals earning more than 1m should publish their tax returns in a bid to crack down on tax avoidance based on a similar scheme in Norway.

But Mr Hammond, who is said to be a multi-millionaire, said this proposal would discourage investment in the UK.

Speaking on the Andrew Marr programme on Sunday he said he would not release his own returns like his predecessor George Osborne had done last year but said his tax affairs were all perfectly regular and up to date.

Mr Hammond told the BBC: "No. I have no intention of doing so.

"Just for the record my tax affairs are all perfectly regular and up to date.

"But I think this demonstration politics isn't helping the atmosphere in British politics."
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Concern is growing for former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness as it emerged he has spent the last two weeks in hospital.

The former Sinn Fein leader retired from politics in January on health grounds and is reported to be suffering from a genetic condition.

He was admitted to Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry two weeks ago due to the side-effects of his treatment, the Irish News reported.

The 66-year-old played no part in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections that his resignation triggered when Sinn Fein refused to replace him.

He did not attend the count at the Foyle Arena in Derry when his party celebrated their surge to take 27 seats.

When the election results began to emerge on Friday Mr Guinness son Fiachra tweeted to say I know a man thats absolutely buzzing.

On polling day he said his father had voted in the election but it is not known whether this was done in person or by post or proxy.

Mr McGuinness resigned as Deputy First Minister on 9 January, saying Sinn Fein would not work with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as long as Arlene Foster remained party leader.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters 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

He announced he would retire from politics altogether a few days later.

Ms Foster is under increasing pressure to resign after it was revealed she oversaw an energy saving scheme which cost the Northern Ireland taxpayer 480m while she finance minister.

She said she had done nothing wrong and accused her critics of sexism.

Sinn Feins refusal to nominate a new Deputy First Minister meant the current session at Stormont collapsed, forcing Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire to call a snap election on 3 March.

Unionists lost their overall majority in the Stormont for the very first time as the DUP saw its number of seats fall from 38 to 28.

The defeat means the DUP will no longer be able to use the petition of concern mechanism within the Good Friday agreement to block legislation to legalise equal marriage and makes a return to the power sharing deal look less likely.

Mr Brokenshire will be meeting with all five Stormont party chiefs later on Monday for preliminary talks on finding a way to resolve the devolved government.

Leaders now have three weeks to come to a compromise or they risk the return of direct rule from London.

Additional reporting by PA
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Britain on Monday urged Kenya to restore law and order in the north of the country after a British rancher was shot dead there.

Numerous attacks have taken place in drought-stricken Laikipia region in recent months as armed cattle herders searching for scarce grazing have driven tens of thousands of cattle onto private farms and ranches from poor quality communal land. At least a dozen people have been killed.

The most recent victim was Tristan Voorspuy, a British army veteran who held dual Kenyan and British citizenship and ran a company called Offbeat Safaris.

Nic Hailey, Britain's high commissioner (ambassador) to Kenya, said he had repeatedly conveyed to the Kenyan government Britain's concern over the situation in Laikipia.

"(I) continue to urge the Kenyan authorities to take all necessary steps urgently to restore law and order, and to protect life and property in the area," he said in a statement.

Sarah Korere, a member of parliament for Laikipia North, told Reuters on Sunday the violent land invasions were being stoked by politicians seeking votes from particular ethnic blocs in a national election scheduled for August.

Kenya's interior minister, Joseph Nkaisserry, said the head of the country's criminal investigation directorate had been dispatched to the area to lead the investigation, adding 379 "illegal grazers" had already been arrested.

He said Voorspuy's body had been taken away from the crime scene by security personnel after the pastoralists had earlier prevented neighbours from retrieving it.

Kenya has a history of ethnic clashes and political violence. The last election, in 2013, passed relatively peacefully but more than 1,200 people were killed following a disputed poll in 2007.

Reuters
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The Nigerian presidency has warned its citizens not to travel to the US amid ongoing uncertainty over Donald Trump's executive order banning immigration from certain Muslim-majority countries.

Nigeria is not on the list of six countries affected by Mr Trump's so-called travel ban executive order, but the special assistant to the President on foreign affairs and the diaspora said in a statement that several Nigerians with valid visas have been refused entry to the US.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa said their visas were cancelled when they landed in the US and they were put on return flights.

She said: "Nigerians who have no compelling or urgent reason to travel to the US to postpone their travel plans until the new administration's policy on immigration is clear."

Earlier in February the US State Department warned US citizens to avoid travelling to Nigeria due to violence from extremist group Boko Haram, and said the security situation in northeast Nigeria remained "fluid and unpredictable".

The advisories come several weeks after Mr Trump's travel ban, affecting seven Muslim-majority countries, was knocked down by a federal court in Washington state. The President's emergency appeal via the Justice Department was denied.

Instead, the President said they would work with the federal judge's provisions to craft a new ban which leaves out Iraq, one of the seven countries.

New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Show all 27 1 /27 New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People gather for evening prayer at a rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 02: Yemeni business owner Musa closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty

The initial ban was signed in late January and prompted massive protests around the US.

The President said the order as signed to protect the country against terrorism, yet no individual from those countries had killed a single American on US soil in a terrorist attack since 2001.

 Foster and Miliband speak at rally opposing Trump's travel ban

Nearly all travellers were banned from coming to the US for 90 days, and refugees were suspended for 120 days. Syrian refugees were suspended indefinitely.

The President's chief adviser, Steve Bannon, reportedly crafted the ban to ensnare green card holders and dual national citizens.

House Speaker Paul Ryan and Department of Homeland Security chief John Kelly both said the confusion at the roll-out of the ban was "regrettable" but they both publicly supported the ban to defend the country.
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One of Kenyas last tusker elephants has been killed by poachers, conservationists have said.

Satao II's body was found during a routine aerial reconnaissance by the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) near the Voi river in Tsavo East National Park, according to the Tsavo Trust, a non profit conservation group which helps manage the park.

While the cause of death is unknown, the trust said it was "believed to be from poisoned arrow".

Named after a famous tusker elephant killed in the same area in 2014, it is thought Satao II was feeding near the boundary of the park when he died in January, but poachers had not had time to retrieve his ivory before he was found.

The trust said this is a known hotspot for poachers using poisoned arrows and three other freshly poached elephants were found in the same area in early January as well.

Tusker elephants, so-called because they have tusks weighing more than 45kg, are particularly desirable to poachers because they produce so much ivory meaning they are critically endangered.

There are approximately only 21 left in east, central and southern Africa and of these 10 live in parks controlled by the Tsavo Trust with a further 16 elephants set to potentially grow tusks long enough to qualify in the next years.

KWS agents worked with rangers from the trust to track the gang leading to a raid shortly after Satao II was found, when two poachers were arrested and an AK47, 12 poisoned arrows and three bows.

The most controversial animal killings Show all 6 1 /6 The most controversial animal killings The most controversial animal killings Cincinnati Zoo worker shots and kills Harambe, the 17-year-old gorilla Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla was shot and killed by a Cincinnati Zoo worker after a three-year-old boy climbed into a gorilla enclosure and was grabbed and dragged by Harambe. The incident was recorded on video and received broad international coverage and commentary, including controversy over the choice to kill Harambe. A number of primatologists and conservationists wrote later that the zoo had no other choice under the circumstances, and that it highlighted the danger of zoo animals in close proximity to humans and the need for better standards of care Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden The most controversial animal killings Walt Palmer (left), from Minnesota, who killed Cecil, the Zimbabwean lion (pictured here with another lion shot in Africa) Walter James Palmer has been named by Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force as the shooter of Cecil, a 13-year-old prized lion. He is now wanted by Zimbabwe officials on poaching charges. The lion was protected and the subject of a decade long study by the Wildlife Unit of Oxford University in the UK. He was outfitted with a GPS collar and was killed in Hwange National Park. The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association said that two men were charged with poaching in connection to Mr Palmer The most controversial animal killings Kendall Jones hunting images Kendall Jones, a 19-year-old Texas Tech university student, has provoked worldwide fury after posting pictures of herself smiling next to animals she hunted, including a lion, rhinoceros, antelope, leopard, elephant, zebra and hippopotamus The most controversial animal killings Rebecca Francis hunting images Rebecca Francis, a huntress who has killed dozens of wild animals has been sent death wishes by furious social media users after a picture showing her lying down next to a dead giraffe was circulated. Rebecca Francis has a website and Facebook page dedicated to the animals she has killed in hunts across Africa and America. Francis, a prolific hunter who has also co-hosted the television show Eye of the Hunter, regularly posts pictures of herself posing next to dead bears, giraffes, buffaloes and zebras, among other animals. She uses a bow and arrow to kill her prey The most controversial animal killings The slaughter of Marius, an 18-month-old healthy giraffe in Copenhagen Zoo Copenhagen Zoo made the controversial decision to euthanise a healthy giraffe named Marius, which was later dissected and fed to lions as visitors watched. The slaughter sparked a furious backlash from social media users and zoo staff have received death threats by phone and email. Soon after the incident, Copenhagen Zoo faced an international outcry once again after four healthy lions were put down The most controversial animal killings Swiss Dahlholzli zoo kills healthy brown bear cub A Switzerland zoo faced heavy criticism from animal rights groups, after keepers put down a healthy brown bear cub to spare it from being bullied by its dominant male father. The 360 kg male bear Misha had already killed one of his 11-week old cubs in public and was bullying the second, staff at the zoo said, because he was jealous of the attention the cubs were receiving from their mother, Masha. Both adult brown bears had been donated to Berns Dahlholzli zoo in 2009. Campaigners condemned staff there for not separating the cubs, who are being referred to as Baby Bear Two and Baby Bear Three, and their mother from Misha after their birth in January Facebook

In a statement on their website, the trust said: Although this is a very sad loss in every way, we can take some positive from this in that Satao IIs carcass was indeed found with the ivory intact and recovered before it could fall into the wrong hands and further fuel the illegal ivory market.

More importantly, this poaching gang that possibly tried to poach Satao II has been broken for ever. KWS acted swiftly and with support from Tsavo Trust and the informer networks in this area, the desired result was realised.
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Donald Trumps newly-reworded executive order to clamp down on immigrants from Muslim-majority countries has been declared equally discriminatory as the first ban and could still be challenged in the courts, according to lawyers.

The Presidents new order scraps certain provisions of the first one, such as banning people from Iraq, indefinitely suspending Syrian refugees and ensnaring people with valid visas and green cards, but the "intent remains the same", according to Karen Tumlin, legal director of the National Immigration Law Center.

"So, Muslim Ban 1.0 has been revoked and replaced with this, equally discriminatory & unlawful version 2.0," she wrote on Twitter.

The order has sent a signal that it is "open season" for denigrating civil rights, said Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg of the Legal Aid Justice Center. He fought to protect his clients from the first ban, including two Yemeni brothers who had been put on a return flight to Ethiopia as soon as they landed in the US last month.

He admitted that the scope of the new order has been widely reduced and would affect far fewer people than before - 60,000 visas were revoked the first time around - but it was still only being re-introduced to score political points, he said.

"The second ban is still totally based on anti-Muslim animus. The courts are not going to give Trump the benefit of the doubt the second time around," he said.

"We will be watching closely to see what happens at airports over the next few weeks, not because the ban does anything pursuant to its terms but more due to the message it sends to officers at airports who already did not have a stellar reputation, even before the Inauguration."

New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Show all 27 1 /27 New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People gather for evening prayer at a rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 02: Yemeni business owner Musa closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Mr Trump was not above the Constitution.

"While the White House may have made changes to the ban, the intent to discriminate against Muslims remains clear. This doesnt just harm the families caught in the chaos of President Trumps draconian policies - its diametrically opposed to our values, and makes us less safe."

He said he "stand[s] ready to litigate" and his office was closely reviewing the new order.

Also in New York, the CLEAR Project, which offers free legal services and support, said the new order presented the same problem as the first one - "singling out six Muslim-majority countries without clear rationale."

Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban Show all 20 1 /20 Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-1 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-2 Protestors rally during a protest against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump singed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-3 Protestors rally during a protest against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump singed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-4 SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 28: Demonstrators hold signs during a rally against a ban on Muslim immigration at San Francisco International Airport on January 28, 2017 in San Francisco, California. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday that suspends entry of all refugees for 120 days, indefinitely suspends the entries of all Syrian refugees, as well as barring entries from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering for 90 days. Stephen Lam/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-5 A crowd of protesters gathers outside of the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse as a judge hears a challenge against President Donald Trump's executive ban on immigration from several Muslim countries, on January 28, 2017 in Brooklyn. The judge issued an emergency stay on part of Trump's executive order, ruling that sending refugees stopped at U.S. airports back to their countries would be harmful. Yana Paskova/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-6 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the new immigration ban issued by President Donald Trump at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-7 NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 28: Protestors rally during a demonstration against the new immigration ban issued by President Donald Trump at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-8 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the new immigration ban issued by President Donald Trump at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-9 Getty Images Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-10 Getty Images Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-11 NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 28: Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-12 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-13 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-14 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-15 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-16 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-17 NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 28: Protestors rally during a protest against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump singed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-18 Protestors rally during a protest against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump singed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-19 Protestors rally during a protest against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump singed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-20 Passengers wait in line to check in at the American Airlines terminal at JFK International Airport August 10, 2006 in the Queens borough of New York City. British authorities arrested 21 people and halted a anallegedly terrorist plot to use liquid explosives concealed in carry-on luggage to blow up airliners traveling between Britain and the U.S. Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff said that the plot appeared to be directed at U.S. carriers flying out of Heathrow. such as United Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines. Stephen Chernin/Getty

Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who was key in striking down the first order in Washington State after his lawsuit was upheld by Judge James Robart, said that his office was carefully reviewing the new order and any impact it would have.

"By rescinding his earlier Executive Order, President Trump makes one thing perfectly clear: His original travel ban was indefensible  legally, constitutionally and morally," he said.

Mr Trump was angry that his appeal to overturn Mr Robarts decision was denied. The President read out the wording of his order at several events and said "even a bad high school student" could understand it, and attacked the decision of the "so-called judge".

The ban, first signed in late January, caused massive protests around the US as well as multiple lawsuits from civil rights advocacy groups including the American Civil Liberties Union.

Advocacy groups have expressed outrage and concern at the anti-Muslim sentiment which has gained traction around the US during the campaign trail and after the new administrations stepped into office.

"As Trump administration officials have stated, this 'Muslim Ban 2.0' - which has been debunked by the Department of Homeland Security - appears to be merely a retooled order aimed at the same long-stated goal of banning Muslims from entering the United States," said Lena Masri, the national litigation director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations.

Iraq was excluded from the new order, but immigrants from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen are still impacted.

President Trump has mandated various government agencies to submit a report to him within 180 days which detail the long-term costs of accepting and supporting refugees in the US and advise him how to curtail those costs.

He also said the new order would start to be phased in on 16 March, contrary to the first ban which was effective immediately, to prevent any bad dudes from using a time window to enter the US.
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A former soldier who served two tours in Afghanistan with the US military and where he suffered serious head injuries, is fighting an order to deport him to Mexico.

Military veteran Army Private 1st class Miguel Perez was born in Mexico and grew up in Chicago. He sustained a brain injury on his second tour of duty and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, his family said.

But now, Mr Perez faces being sent to Mexico. Four years he left the military, Mr Perez served prison time for a drug offence which sparked the deportation proceedings. Mr Perez, 38, was a legal permanent resident when he joined the army and said he thought he became a legal US citizen when he enlisted, but that was not the case.

Family, friends and supporters have urged the courts to allow Mr Perez to stay (Facebook)

Mr Perez is one of thousands of green card veterans who face deportation, according to the Ashleys Memory Project, which was started by the immigrant mother of a deceased veteran, and a local church. They said many enlist with the promise of citizenship.

Hes more American than most of us standing here, because he did pick up arms to defend this country, his mother, Esperanza Perez, told reporters at Lincoln United Methodist Church in the citys Pilsen neighbourhood.

 Trump spokesperson complains everyone believes Obama and no one believes Trump

Mr Perezs family has claimed that the former soldier did not did not get adequate medical attention when he returned home and turned to self medication with drugs and alcohol.

The Chicago Tribune said that a judge is weighing up the case and will issue a written response in weeks. Immigration judge Robin Rosche, is considering Mr Perezs claim under the United Nations Convention against Torture, a protection that resembles asylum.

Under that provision, the US agrees not to deport people who are not American citizens or nationals to another country where they could be tortured. Mr Perez told the judge that he fears for his life if he is sent back to Mexico.

His lawyer, Chris Bergin, said Mr Perez and other veterans who have been sent back to Mexico are targeted.

Those kind of people are immediately targeted upon entry to Mexico as people who can help criminal gangs, cartels, through their military experience, their weapons training, all that. They are targeted in the sense that, You either work for us or we kill you, Mr Bergin said.

Mr Perezs battle follows the issuing of an executive order by Donald Trump who told his administration to step the seizure and deportation of undocumented migrants. While Barack Obamas administration deported hundreds of thousands, they prioritised people with convictions for serious crimes.
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The city of Chicago - long plagued with a level of gun deaths that have garnered international headlines - has just marked six days without any gun-related killings.

From 26 February to 4 March there were no fatal shootings. The last time it enjoyed such a period free of gun deaths was between 3 and 9 December 2012 and the last single day without a homicide due to gun violence was 28 February 2015.

At this point in 2016 there were 520 shootings and 109 resulting homicides. In 2017 thus far, there have 539 shootings and 103 deaths, said the Chicago Tribune.

Recommended Trump slates Chicago for violent crime but ignores woes closer to home

Though the streak is seen as positive by police and community groups, Maria Moser, Senior Director of Teaching and Learning at the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil rights advocacy group, said it was somewhat of "a random fluke; its not like there werent any shootings at all in those six days."

Ms Moser, who lives in the Beverly neighborhood of south Chicago, said the underlying issue that gives her pause about celebrating the record is a real lack of trust in police in neighbourhoods where the highest concentration of gun homicides are taking place, the predominantly black and Latino areas of the south side.

In January 2017, the Department of Justice issued a report on the Chicago Police Department that outlines problems with community relations and recommendations for law enforcement officials to take.

The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

"I dont see any indication that the police are changing anything to improve lack of trust...or address any of the issues laid out in the [DOJ] report," she told The Independent.

She explained that politics and the state budget crisis were also to blame for the number of deaths and why six days without a gun homicide is a record in the first place.

Illinois has not had a state budget in nearly two years and as a result of prior budget problems in 2011 and newer cuts and uncertainty, several social service programmes, mental health facilities, and 50 schools have been closed.

Ms Moser cited one particularly successful program called CeaseFire. The organisation essentially treats gun violence as an infectious disease and goes about finding a cure for it as they would any other health-related problem. Founded by former World Health Organization director Dr Gary Slutkin, CeaseFire reduced shootings in the West Garfield Park neighbourhood by 67 per cent in the first year of implementing its model.

Chicago pushes for police transparency

However, CeaseFire relies in part on state funding for operations and because of budget cuts, the group is unable to be fully staffed in most of the southside neighbourhoods where they operate. The group also works around police efforts because of the high levels of distrust in violent areas and so Ms Moser noted that Mayor Rahm Emanuels political favour with the Chicago Police Department could have played a part in budget cuts to give police more influence in those communities.

The University of Chicagos Crime Lab also issued a report in January that tried to explain the spike in Chicago gun violence between 2015 and 2016 and could be looked to in order to explain the decrease in violence over the six day period.

Crime Lab Director Jens Ludwig told UChicagoNews that the report took into account factors often cited by the media for an explanation of high levels of gun violence in the city like lax gun laws in nearby states, how local courts handle gun cases, or social conditions in the city like poverty and racial segregation but that none of those really explain the rise because these factors did not change abruptly at the end of 2015. None of these factors seemed to have abruptly changed before the beginning of the six days either.

Though both the DOJ and University of Chicago reports point to a need for a change in police procedures to increase trust, community groups are doing their part. The University of Chicagos hospital has opened an adult trauma center, putting a Level 1 trauma center closer to the southside communities most affected by shootings.

Previously, victims would have to be taken across the entire city to hospitals in the northern part of the city to receive treatment for gunshot wounds. Mothers Against Senseless Killings is a group of women hold community cleanup events, sit ins taking over blocks to act as a neighbourhood patrol, and support groups for families of victims.
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Donald Trump's claim that his office was wire-tapped by Barack Obama during the 2016 presidential campaign has been met with scepticism by intelligence chiefs.

Ben Rhodes, the deputy national security adviser under the former US leader, was among a number of experts who pointed out legal restrictions prevent Presidents simply ordering a wire-tap.

Here's how that formal process works in practice  and what it means for the claims made by Mr Trump in a string of tweets about Mr Obama who he described as a "bad, or sick, guy".

There are two types of legal wiretap, criminal and foreign.

A criminal wiretap targets United States citizens suspected of unlawful actions.

The burden of proof is simple: Probable cause that criminal activity is happening, and probable cause wiretapping a specific target will uncover it.

If it was sought through the proper channels, a criminal wiretap on Trump Tower would therefore imply probable cause of criminal activity within its walls.

"Probable cause" is a legal term drawn from the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution, but essentially means reasonable grounds for suspicion.

 Trump spokesperson complains everyone believes Obama and no one believes Trump

Alternatively, the authorities can pursue a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) wiretap.

FISA wiretaps are used to gather intelligence on foreign affairs. To secure a warrant investigators must go to a secret court to prove their case.

The burden of proof here is more onerous and differs depending on the target. If they are foreign, investigators must prove they have probable cause to believe they will gather intelligence as a result.

But if the target is a US citizen, permanent resident, "protected person" or corporation, it must be proved they have engaged in espionage in collusion with a foreign power.

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has unequivocally stated: "There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate or against his campaign."

Asked if he could confirm or deny whether a federal court had issued a FISA order, Mr Clapper said: "I deny it".

 Former director of national intelligence denies there was a 'wiretap' at Trump Tower

Of course, secret and illegal wiretaps have existed throughout US political history.

Most notably, Richard Nixon oversaw the illegal wiretapping of reporters, government officials and the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel.

And there was some verbal sleight-of-hand going on from the Obama camp.

His spokesperson correctly stated that "neither Barack Obama nor any White house under Obama has ever ordered surveillance on any US citizen."

However, the wider Obama administration certainly did engage in ethically dubious wire-tapping, for example when investigating a story about a CIA-foiled terror plot in 2013.

The Department of Justice seized the phone records of Associated Press journalists, and named Fox News reporter James Rosen as a criminal in order to access his private phone records and emails.

At the time, media critics argued the unusual move was intended to boost Obama's reputation by showing he was tough on terror.

But there is a significant leap from here to what Mr Trump is suggesting.

The President is either admitting there was probable cause of domestic crimes or espionage in his office, accusing his predecessor of an outright illegal wire-tap on the scale of Watergate, or showing he has failed to understand the laws surrounding his incendiary accusation.
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Donald Trump has hired three former lobbyists to work in the highest echelons of the White House despite his campaign pledge to "drain the swamp" of Washington DC.

In January, the President issued an executive order to ban the White House appointment of lobbyists to work in the same policy area in which they specialised within the corporate world.

He has hired Shahira Knight, special assistant for tax and retirement policy, who lobbied the government on retirement and tax issues for financial services behemoth Fidelity. She also acted against a regulation for financial professionals to act in the best interests of their clients.

It is possible that Mr Trump has issued a waiver to exempt Ms Knight and other lobbyists from the executive order signed in January. There is little way of knowing that, however, as in the same order he removed Obama-era requirements to publish an annual report disclosing the waivers as well as providing a public interest justification for any such exemptions.

This means the President can circumvent his own rules and not disclose it to the public.

Laura Friedenbach, deputy communications director of pro-democracy group Every Voice, told The Independent that Mr Trump's anti-lobbying laws are weaker than that of his predecessor.

"If Trump is serious about draining Washington of big-money influence, he will drop the charade that his lobbying policies are major reforms and pursue bigger and more comprehensive campaign finance reforms to reduce the power of special interests and give everyday people a bigger voice in the process," she said.

His Ethics Pledge Waiver page on the White House website is blank, and it says the waivers "will be published as they become available".

Two other lobbyists hired by the White House recently are Michael Catanzaro and George David Banks, who have become senior staff to Gary Cohn, the former Goldman Sachs executive turned National Economic Council Director.

New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Show all 27 1 /27 New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People gather for evening prayer at a rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 02: Yemeni business owner Musa closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty

Mr Catanzaro has lobbied against energy industry regulations, and is now special assistant to the President for domestic energy and environmental policy. Mr Banks recently lobbied on similar issues for a corporate client, and he has become special assistant to the President for international energy and environment.

The White House could not be reached for comment.

 Donald Trump's controversial cabinet

Mr Banks told ProPublica that he was a registered lobbyist by mistake and his former employer is seeking to correct the filing. Only registered lobbyists - those who spend more than 20 per cent of their time lobbying - are affected by the executive order.

In October, Mr Trump wrote the following campaign pledge: "I am going to expand the definition of lobbyist so we close all the loopholes that former government officials use by labelling themselves consultants and advisors when we all know they are lobbyists."

During the administration of Barack Obama, a handful of former lobbyists were appointed by the White House. Their ethics waivers were released on the White House website.

The Trump administration cancelled a scheduled ethics and leadership training course for White House appointees.

Counsellor to the President Kellyanne Conway will also not face any sanctions for advising Fox News viewers to "go buy Ivanka [Trump]s stuff".
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Donald Trumps new executive order, banning immigrants and refugees from six Muslim-majority countries, still excludes countries which sent terrorists came to the US.

The newly-worded travel ban does not include Saudi Arabia, Egypt or the United Arab Emirates - all countries with which Mr Trump did business and from where the 9/11 plane hijackers came.

At a press conference on Monday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the six countries were chosen for exclusion on the grounds that their governments were "unable or unwilling to provide the information we need" to vet incoming people "responsibly".

Recommended Trump signs new travel ban executive order targeting six countries

The original ban, signed late January and knocked down by a federal judge eight days later, was proposed to defend the US from terrorist attacks, despite no individual from those countries having killed a single American in a terrorist attack on US soil since 2001.

Nearly all travellers were banned under the first order for 90 days and Syrian refugees were suspended indefinitely.

No Syrian refugee had even been charged with the intent to carry out an attack on US soil in more than four decades, according to a report by the Cato Institute.

In the new ban, Syrian refugees will only be barred for 120 days, the same as all other refugees. Iraq has also been taken off the list, and green card holders will no longer be ensnared by the ban.

The President has ignored a report from the Department of Homeland Security which said barring people from certain countries would not reduce the terrorist threat.

New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Show all 27 1 /27 New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People gather for evening prayer at a rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 02: Yemeni business owner Musa closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty

Many recent attacks were carried out by US-born citizens, and the ban does not address white extremism like the case of Dylann Roof who killed nine African American churchgoers in 2015 in Charleston.

The President has stated the new executive order will start to be phased in on 16 March. The last ban was declared to start immediately because the President said he did not want "bad dudes" to have a window to still get into the US.

He has also asked for a report from various government agencies to determine the long-term costs of admitting and supporting refugees in the US and how he can seek to curtail those costs.

The new ban does nothing to increase vetting of travellers from the countries which produced the dozen terrorists who came to the US more than 17 years ago, trained to fly planes at a US institution and crashed into the Twin Towers in New York, killing more than 2,000 people.
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President Donald Trump has signed a fresh order banning residents of six Muslim-majority countries and all refugees from entering the US after the courts ruled his previous travel ban was unlawful.

The latest executive order bans residents of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan and Syria from entering for the next 90 days but citizens from Iraq will be allowed in, unlike in the previous order.

Refugees from all nations will not be allowed into the US for the next 120 days.

Officials said that, unlike in the initial order signed in January, all pre-existing and valid visas from the six named countries would be honoured, meaning those with green cards who hail from one of the named countries will not be affected.

The first order sparked widespread protests in the US and around the world but Mr Trump insists the policy is intended to protect the country from the threat of terrorism.

The revised ban is set to come into effect on March 16.

The full text of the order reads as follows:

Executive Order Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States

EXECUTIVE ORDER

- - - - - - -

PROTECTING THE NATION FROM FOREIGN TERRORIST ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and to protect the Nation from terrorist activities by foreign nationals admitted to the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy and Purpose. (a) It is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks, including those committed by foreign nationals. The screening and vetting protocols and procedures associated with the visa-issuance process and the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) play a crucial role in detecting foreign nationals who may commit, aid, or support acts of terrorism and in preventing those individuals from entering the United States. It is therefore the policy of the United States to improve the screening and vetting protocols and procedures associated with the visa-issuance process and the USRAP.

(b) On January 27, 2017, to implement this policy, I issued Executive Order 13769 (Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States).

(i) Among other actions, Executive Order 13769 suspended for 90 days the entry of certain aliens from seven countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. These are countries that had already been identified as presenting heightened concerns about terrorism and travel to the United States. Specifically, the suspension applied to countries referred to in, or designated under, section 217(a)(12) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(12), in which Congress restricted use of the Visa Waiver Program for nationals of, and aliens recently present in, (A) Iraq or Syria, (B) any country designated by the Secretary of State as a state sponsor of terrorism (currently Iran, Syria, and Sudan), and (C) any other country designated as a country of concern by the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence. In 2016, the Secretary of Homeland Security designated Libya, Somalia, and Yemen as additional countries of concern for travel purposes, based on consideration of three statutory factors related to terrorism and national security: (I) whether the presence of an alien in the country or area increases the likelihood that the alien is a credible threat to the national security of the United States; (II) whether a foreign terrorist organization has a significant presence in the country or area; and (III) whether the country or area is a safe haven for terrorists. 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(12)(D)(ii). Additionally, Members of Congress have expressed concerns about screening and vetting procedures following recent terrorist attacks in this country and in Europe.

(ii) In ordering the temporary suspension of entry described in subsection (b)(i) of this section, I exercised my authority under Article II of the Constitution and under section 212(f) of the INA, which provides in relevant part: Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate. 8 U.S.C. 1182(f). Under these authorities, I determined that, for a brief period of 90 days, while existing screening and vetting procedures were under review, the entry into the United States of certain aliens from the seven identified countries  each afflicted by terrorism in a manner that compromised the ability of the United States to rely on normal decision-making procedures about travel to the United States  would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. Nonetheless, I permitted the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant case-by-case waivers when they determined that it was in the national interest to do so.

(iii) Executive Order 13769 also suspended the USRAP for 120 days. Terrorist groups have sought to infiltrate several nations through refugee programs. Accordingly, I temporarily suspended the USRAP pending a review of our procedures for screening and vetting refugees. Nonetheless, I permitted the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to jointly grant case-by-case waivers when they determined that it was in the national interest to do so.

(iv) Executive Order 13769 did not provide a basis for discriminating for or against members of any particular religion. While that order allowed for prioritization of refugee claims from members of persecuted religious minority groups, that priority applied to refugees from every nation, including those in which Islam is a minority religion, and it applied to minority sects within a religion. That order was not motivated by animus toward any religion, but was instead intended to protect the ability of religious minorities  whoever they are and wherever they reside  to avail themselves of the USRAP in light of their particular challenges and circumstances.

(c) The implementation of Executive Order 13769 has been delayed by litigation. Most significantly, enforcement of critical provisions of that order has been temporarily halted by court orders that apply nationwide and extend even to foreign nationals with no prior or substantial connection to the United States. On February 9, 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit declined to stay or narrow one such order pending the outcome of further judicial proceedings, while noting that the political branches are far better equipped to make appropriate distinctions about who should be covered by a suspension of entry or of refugee admissions.

(d) Nationals from the countries previously identified under section 217(a)(12) of the INA warrant additional scrutiny in connection with our immigration policies because the conditions in these countries present heightened threats. Each of these countries is a state sponsor of terrorism, has been significantly compromised by terrorist organizations, or contains active conflict zones. Any of these circumstances diminishes the foreign government's willingness or ability to share or validate important information about individuals seeking to travel to the United States. Moreover, the significant presence in each of these countries of terrorist organizations, their members, and others exposed to those organizations increases the chance that conditions will be exploited to enable terrorist operatives or sympathizers to travel to the United States. Finally, once foreign nationals from these countries are admitted to the United States, it is often difficult to remove them, because many of these countries typically delay issuing, or refuse to issue, travel documents.

(e) The following are brief descriptions, taken in part from the Department of State's Country Reports on Terrorism 2015 (June 2016), of some of the conditions in six of the previously designated countries that demonstrate why their nationals continue to present heightened risks to the security of the United States:

(i) Iran. Iran has been designated as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984 and continues to support various terrorist groups, including Hizballah, Hamas, and terrorist groups in Iraq. Iran has also been linked to support for al-Qa'ida and has permitted al-Qa'ida to transport funds and fighters through Iran to Syria and South Asia. Iran does not cooperate with the United States in counterterrorism efforts.

(ii) Libya. Libya is an active combat zone, with hostilities between the internationally recognized government and its rivals. In many parts of the country, security and law enforcement functions are provided by armed militias rather than state institutions. Violent extremist groups, including the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), have exploited these conditions to expand their presence in the country. The Libyan government provides some cooperation with the United States' counterterrorism efforts, but it is unable to secure thousands of miles of its land and maritime borders, enabling the illicit flow of weapons, migrants, and foreign terrorist fighters. The United States Embassy in Libya suspended its operations in 2014.

(iii) Somalia. Portions of Somalia have been terrorist safe havens. Al-Shabaab, an al-Qa'ida-affiliated terrorist group, has operated in the country for years and continues to plan and mount operations within Somalia and in neighboring countries. Somalia has porous borders, and most countries do not recognize Somali identity documents. The Somali government cooperates with the United States in some counterterrorism operations but does not have the capacity to sustain military pressure on or to investigate suspected terrorists.

(iv) Sudan. Sudan has been designated as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1993 because of its support for international terrorist groups, including Hizballah and Hamas. Historically, Sudan provided safe havens for al-Qa'ida and other terrorist groups to meet and train. Although Sudan's support to al-Qa'ida has ceased and it provides some cooperation with the United States' counterterrorism efforts, elements of core al-Qa'ida and ISIS-linked terrorist groups remain active in the country.

(v) Syria. Syria has been designated as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1979. The Syrian government is engaged in an ongoing military conflict against ISIS and others for control of portions of the country. At the same time, Syria continues to support other terrorist groups. It has allowed or encouraged extremists to pass through its territory to enter Iraq. ISIS continues to attract foreign fighters to Syria and to use its base in Syria to plot or encourage attacks around the globe, including in the United States. The United States Embassy in Syria suspended its operations in 2012. Syria does not cooperate with the United States' counterterrorism efforts.

(vi) Yemen. Yemen is the site of an ongoing conflict between the incumbent government and the Houthi-led opposition. Both ISIS and a second group, al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), have exploited this conflict to expand their presence in Yemen and to carry out hundreds of attacks. Weapons and other materials smuggled across Yemen's porous borders are used to finance AQAP and other terrorist activities. In 2015, the United States Embassy in Yemen suspended its operations, and embassy staff were relocated out of the country. Yemen has been supportive of, but has not been able to cooperate fully with, the United States in counterterrorism efforts.

(f) In light of the conditions in these six countries, until the assessment of current screening and vetting procedures required by section 2 of this order is completed, the risk of erroneously permitting entry of a national of one of these countries who intends to commit terrorist acts or otherwise harm the national security of the United States is unacceptably high. Accordingly, while that assessment is ongoing, I am imposing a temporary pause on the entry of nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, subject to categorical exceptions and case-by-case waivers, as described in section 3 of this order.

(g) Iraq presents a special case. Portions of Iraq remain active combat zones. Since 2014, ISIS has had dominant influence over significant territory in northern and central Iraq. Although that influence has been significantly reduced due to the efforts and sacrifices of the Iraqi government and armed forces, working along with a United States-led coalition, the ongoing conflict has impacted the Iraqi government's capacity to secure its borders and to identify fraudulent travel documents. Nevertheless, the close cooperative relationship between the United States and the democratically elected Iraqi government, the strong United States diplomatic presence in Iraq, the significant presence of United States forces in Iraq, and Iraq's commitment to combat ISIS justify different treatment for Iraq. In particular, those Iraqi government forces that have fought to regain more than half of the territory previously dominated by ISIS have shown steadfast determination and earned enduring respect as they battle an armed group that is the common enemy of Iraq and the United States. In addition, since Executive Order 13769 was issued, the Iraqi government has expressly undertaken steps to enhance travel documentation, information sharing, and the return of Iraqi nationals subject to final orders of removal. Decisions about issuance of visas or granting admission to Iraqi nationals should be subjected to additional scrutiny to determine if applicants have connections with ISIS or other terrorist organizations, or otherwise pose a risk to either national security or public safety.

(h) Recent history shows that some of those who have entered the United States through our immigration system have proved to be threats to our national security. Since 2001, hundreds of persons born abroad have been convicted of terrorism-related crimes in the United States. They have included not just persons who came here legally on visas but also individuals who first entered the country as refugees. For example, in January 2013, two Iraqi nationals admitted to the United States as refugees in 2009 were sentenced to 40 years and to life in prison, respectively, for multiple terrorism-related offenses. And in October 2014, a native of Somalia who had been brought to the United States as a child refugee and later became a naturalized United States citizen was sentenced to 30 years in prison for attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction as part of a plot to detonate a bomb at a crowded Christmas-tree-lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon. The Attorney General has reported to me that more than 300 persons who entered the United States as refugees are currently the subjects of counterterrorism investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(i) Given the foregoing, the entry into the United States of foreign nationals who may commit, aid, or support acts of terrorism remains a matter of grave concern. In light of the Ninth Circuit's observation that the political branches are better suited to determine the appropriate scope of any suspensions than are the courts, and in order to avoid spending additional time pursuing litigation, I am revoking Executive Order 13769 and replacing it with this order, which expressly excludes from the suspensions categories of aliens that have prompted judicial concerns and which clarifies or refines the approach to certain other issues or categories of affected aliens.

Sec. 2. Temporary Suspension of Entry for Nationals of Countries of Particular Concern During Review Period. (a) The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, shall conduct a worldwide review to identify whether, and if so what, additional information will be needed from each foreign country to adjudicate an application by a national of that country for a visa, admission, or other benefit under the INA (adjudications) in order to determine that the individual is not a security or public-safety threat. The Secretary of Homeland Security may conclude that certain information is needed from particular countries even if it is not needed from every country.

(b) The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the President a report on the results of the worldwide review described in subsection (a) of this section, including the Secretary of Homeland Security's determination of the information needed from each country for adjudications and a list of countries that do not provide adequate information, within 20 days of the effective date of this order. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide a copy of the report to the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Director of National Intelligence.

(c) To temporarily reduce investigative burdens on relevant agencies during the review period described in subsection (a) of this section, to ensure the proper review and maximum utilization of available resources for the screening and vetting of foreign nationals, to ensure that adequate standards are established to prevent infiltration by foreign terrorists, and in light of the national security concerns referenced in section 1 of this order, I hereby proclaim, pursuant to sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), that the unrestricted entry into the United States of nationals of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. I therefore direct that the entry into the United States of nationals of those six countries be suspended for 90 days from the effective date of this order, subject to the limitations, waivers, and exceptions set forth in sections 3 and 12 of this order.

(d) Upon submission of the report described in subsection (b) of this section regarding the information needed from each country for adjudications, the Secretary of State shall request that all foreign governments that do not supply such information regarding their nationals begin providing it within 50 days of notification.

(e) After the period described in subsection (d) of this section expires, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, shall submit to the President a list of countries recommended for inclusion in a Presidential proclamation that would prohibit the entry of appropriate categories of foreign nationals of countries that have not provided the information requested until they do so or until the Secretary of Homeland Security certifies that the country has an adequate plan to do so, or has adequately shared information through other means. The Secretary of State, the Attorney General, or the Secretary of Homeland Security may also submit to the President the names of additional countries for which any of them recommends other lawful restrictions or limitations deemed necessary for the security or welfare of the United States.

(f) At any point after the submission of the list described in subsection (e) of this section, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, may submit to the President the names of any additional countries recommended for similar treatment, as well as the names of any countries that they recommend should be removed from the scope of a proclamation described in subsection (e) of this section.

(g) The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the President a joint report on the progress in implementing this order within 60 days of the effective date of this order, a second report within 90 days of the effective date of this order, a third report within 120 days of the effective date of this order, and a fourth report within 150 days of the effective date of this order.

Sec. 3. Scope and Implementation of Suspension.

(a) Scope. Subject to the exceptions set forth in subsection (b) of this section and any waiver under subsection (c) of this section, the suspension of entry pursuant to section 2 of this order shall apply only to foreign nationals of the designated countries who:

(i) are outside the United States on the effective date of this order;

(ii) did not have a valid visa at 5:00 p.m., eastern standard time on January 27, 2017; and

(iii) do not have a valid visa on the effective date of this order.

(b) Exceptions. The suspension of entry pursuant to section 2 of this order shall not apply to:

(i) any lawful permanent resident of the United States;

(ii) any foreign national who is admitted to or paroled into the United States on or after the effective date of this order;

(iii) any foreign national who has a document other than a visa, valid on the effective date of this order or issued on any date thereafter, that permits him or her to travel to the United States and seek entry or admission, such as an advance parole document;

(iv) any dual national of a country designated under section 2 of this order when the individual is traveling on a passport issued by a non-designated country;

(v) any foreign national traveling on a diplomatic or diplomatic-type visa, North Atlantic Treaty Organization visa, C-2 visa for travel to the United Nations, or G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-4 visa; or

(vi) any foreign national who has been granted asylum; any refugee who has already been admitted to the United States; or any individual who has been granted withholding of removal, advance parole, or protection under the Convention Against Torture.

(c) Waivers. Notwithstanding the suspension of entry pursuant to section 2 of this order, a consular officer, or, as appropriate, the Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or the Commissioner's delegee, may, in the consular officer's or the CBP official's discretion, decide on a case-by-case basis to authorize the issuance of a visa to, or to permit the entry of, a foreign national for whom entry is otherwise suspended if the foreign national has demonstrated to the officer's satisfaction that denying entry during the suspension period would cause undue hardship, and that his or her entry would not pose a threat to national security and would be in the national interest. Unless otherwise specified by the Secretary of Homeland Security, any waiver issued by a consular officer as part of the visa issuance process will be effective both for the issuance of a visa and any subsequent entry on that visa, but will leave all other requirements for admission or entry unchanged. Case-by-case waivers could be appropriate in circumstances such as the following:

(i) the foreign national has previously been admitted to the United States for a continuous period of work, study, or other long-term activity, is outside the United States on the effective date of this order, seeks to reenter the United States to resume that activity, and the denial of reentry during the suspension period would impair that activity;

(ii) the foreign national has previously established significant contacts with the United States but is outside the United States on the effective date of this order for work, study, or other lawful activity;

(iii) the foreign national seeks to enter the United States for significant business or professional obligations and the denial of entry during the suspension period would impair those obligations;

(iv) the foreign national seeks to enter the United States to visit or reside with a close family member (e.g., a spouse, child, or parent) who is a United States citizen, lawful permanent resident, or alien lawfully admitted on a valid nonimmigrant visa, and the denial of entry during the suspension period would cause undue hardship;

(v) the foreign national is an infant, a young child or adoptee, an individual needing urgent medical care, or someone whose entry is otherwise justified by the special circumstances of the case;

(vi) the foreign national has been employed by, or on behalf of, the United States Government (or is an eligible dependent of such an employee) and the employee can document that he or she has provided faithful and valuable service to the United States Government;

(vii) the foreign national is traveling for purposes related to an international organization designated under the International Organizations Immunities Act (IOIA), 22 U.S.C. 288 et seq., traveling for purposes of conducting meetings or business with the United States Government, or traveling to conduct business on behalf of an international organization not designated under the IOIA;

(viii) the foreign national is a landed Canadian immigrant who applies for a visa at a location within Canada; or

(ix) the foreign national is traveling as a United States Government-sponsored exchange visitor.

Sec. 4. Additional Inquiries Related to Nationals of Iraq. An application by any Iraqi national for a visa, admission, or other immigration benefit should be subjected to thorough review, including, as appropriate, consultation with a designee of the Secretary of Defense and use of the additional information that has been obtained in the context of the close U.S.-Iraqi security partnership, since Executive Order 13769 was issued, concerning individuals suspected of ties to ISIS or other terrorist organizations and individuals coming from territories controlled or formerly controlled by ISIS. Such review shall include consideration of whether the applicant has connections with ISIS or other terrorist organizations or with territory that is or has been under the dominant influence of ISIS, as well as any other information bearing on whether the applicant may be a threat to commit acts of terrorism or otherwise threaten the national security or public safety of the United States.

Sec. 5. Implementing Uniform Screening and Vetting Standards for All Immigration Programs. (a) The Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence shall implement a program, as part of the process for adjudications, to identify individuals who seek to enter the United States on a fraudulent basis, who support terrorism, violent extremism, acts of violence toward any group or class of people within the United States, or who present a risk of causing harm subsequent to their entry. This program shall include the development of a uniform baseline for screening and vetting standards and procedures, such as in-person interviews; a database of identity documents proffered by applicants to ensure that duplicate documents are not used by multiple applicants; amended application forms that include questions aimed at identifying fraudulent answers and malicious intent; a mechanism to ensure that applicants are who they claim to be; a mechanism to assess whether applicants may commit, aid, or support any kind of violent, criminal, or terrorist acts after entering the United States; and any other appropriate means for ensuring the proper collection of all information necessary for a rigorous evaluation of all grounds of inadmissibility or grounds for the denial of other immigration benefits.

(b) The Secretary of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the President an initial report on the progress of the program described in subsection (a) of this section within 60 days of the effective date of this order, a second report within 100 days of the effective date of this order, and a third report within 200 days of the effective date of this order.

Sec. 6. Realignment of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for Fiscal Year 2017. (a) The Secretary of State shall suspend travel of refugees into the United States under the USRAP, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall suspend decisions on applications for refugee status, for 120 days after the effective date of this order, subject to waivers pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. During the 120-day period, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Secretary of Homeland Security and in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, shall review the USRAP application and adjudication processes to determine what additional procedures should be used to ensure that individuals seeking admission as refugees do not pose a threat to the security and welfare of the United States, and shall implement such additional procedures. The suspension described in this subsection shall not apply to refugee applicants who, before the effective date of this order, have been formally scheduled for transit by the Department of State. The Secretary of State shall resume travel of refugees into the United States under the USRAP 120 days after the effective date of this order, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall resume making decisions on applications for refugee status only for stateless persons and nationals of countries for which the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence have jointly determined that the additional procedures implemented pursuant to this subsection are adequate to ensure the security and welfare of the United States.

(b) Pursuant to section 212(f) of the INA, I hereby proclaim that the entry of more than 50,000 refugees in fiscal year 2017 would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and thus suspend any entries in excess of that number until such time as I determine that additional entries would be in the national interest.

(c) Notwithstanding the temporary suspension imposed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security may jointly determine to admit individuals to the United States as refugees on a case-by-case basis, in their discretion, but only so long as they determine that the entry of such individuals as refugees is in the national interest and does not pose a threat to the security or welfare of the United States, including in circumstances such as the following: the individual's entry would enable the United States to conform its conduct to a preexisting international agreement or arrangement, or the denial of entry would cause undue hardship.

(d) It is the policy of the executive branch that, to the extent permitted by law and as practicable, State and local jurisdictions be granted a role in the process of determining the placement or settlement in their jurisdictions of aliens eligible to be admitted to the United States as refugees. To that end, the Secretary of State shall examine existing law to determine the extent to which, consistent with applicable law, State and local jurisdictions may have greater involvement in the process of determining the placement or resettlement of refugees in their jurisdictions, and shall devise a proposal to lawfully promote such involvement.

Sec. 7. Rescission of Exercise of Authority Relating to the Terrorism Grounds of Inadmissibility. The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, in consultation with the Attorney General, consider rescinding the exercises of authority permitted by section 212(d)(3)(B) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(3)(B), relating to the terrorism grounds of inadmissibility, as well as any related implementing directives or guidance.

Sec. 8. Expedited Completion of the Biometric Entry-Exit Tracking System. (a) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall expedite the completion and implementation of a biometric entryexit tracking system for in-scope travelers to the United States, as recommended by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.

(b) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the President periodic reports on the progress of the directive set forth in subsection (a) of this section. The initial report shall be submitted within 100 days of the effective date of this order, a second report shall be submitted within 200 days of the effective date of this order, and a third report shall be submitted within 365 days of the effective date of this order. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit further reports every 180 days thereafter until the system is fully deployed and operational.

Sec. 9. Visa Interview Security. (a) The Secretary of State shall immediately suspend the Visa Interview Waiver Program and ensure compliance with section 222 of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1202, which requires that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions. This suspension shall not apply to any foreign national traveling on a diplomatic or diplomatic-type visa, North Atlantic Treaty Organization visa, C-2 visa for travel to the United Nations, or G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-4 visa; traveling for purposes related to an international organization designated under the IOIA; or traveling for purposes of conducting meetings or business with the United States Government.

(b) To the extent permitted by law and subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of State shall immediately expand the Consular Fellows Program, including by substantially increasing the number of Fellows, lengthening or making permanent the period of service, and making language training at the Foreign Service Institute available to Fellows for assignment to posts outside of their area of core linguistic ability, to ensure that nonimmigrant visa-interview wait times are not unduly affected.

Sec. 10. Visa Validity Reciprocity. The Secretary of State shall review all nonimmigrant visa reciprocity agreements and arrangements to ensure that they are, with respect to each visa classification, truly reciprocal insofar as practicable with respect to validity period and fees, as required by sections 221(c) and 281 of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1201(c) and 1351, and other treatment. If another country does not treat United States nationals seeking nonimmigrant visas in a truly reciprocal manner, the Secretary of State shall adjust the visa validity period, fee schedule, or other treatment to match the treatment of United States nationals by that foreign country, to the extent practicable.

Sec. 11. Transparency and Data Collection. (a) To be more transparent with the American people and to implement more effectively policies and practices that serve the national interest, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall, consistent with applicable law and national security, collect and make publicly available the following information:

(i) information regarding the number of foreign nationals in the United States who have been charged with terrorism-related offenses while in the United States; convicted of terrorism-related offenses while in the United States; or removed from the United States based on terrorism-related activity, affiliation with or provision of material support to a terrorism-related organization, or any other national-security-related reasons;

(ii) information regarding the number of foreign nationals in the United States who have been radicalized after entry into the United States and who have engaged in terrorism-related acts, or who have provided material support to terrorism-related organizations in countries that pose a threat to the United States;

(iii) information regarding the number and types of acts of gender-based violence against women, including so-called honor killings, in the United States by foreign nationals; and

(iv) any other information relevant to public safety and security as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General, including information on the immigration status of foreign nationals charged with major offenses.

(b) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall release the initial report under subsection (a) of this section within 180 days of the effective date of this order and shall include information for the period from September 11, 2001, until the date of the initial report. Subsequent reports shall be issued every 180 days thereafter and reflect the period since the previous report.

Sec. 12. Enforcement. (a) The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall consult with appropriate domestic and international partners, including countries and organizations, to ensure efficient, effective, and appropriate implementation of the actions directed in this order.

(b) In implementing this order, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including, as appropriate, those providing an opportunity for individuals to claim a fear of persecution or torture, such as the credible fear determination for aliens covered by section 235(b)(1)(A) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1225(b)(1)(A).

(c) No immigrant or nonimmigrant visa issued before the effective date of this order shall be revoked pursuant to this order.

(d) Any individual whose visa was marked revoked or marked canceled as a result of Executive Order 13769 shall be entitled to a travel document confirming that the individual is permitted to travel to the United States and seek entry. Any prior cancellation or revocation of a visa that was solely pursuant to Executive Order 13769 shall not be the basis of inadmissibility for any future determination about entry or admissibility.

(e) This order shall not apply to an individual who has been granted asylum, to a refugee who has already been admitted to the United States, or to an individual granted withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture. Nothing in this order shall be construed to limit the ability of an individual to seek asylum, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture, consistent with the laws of the United States.

Sec. 13. Revocation. Executive Order 13769 of January 27, 2017, is revoked as of the effective date of this order.

Sec. 14. Effective Date. This order is effective at 12:01 a.m., eastern daylight time on March 16, 2017.

Sec. 15. Severability. (a) If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of its other provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

(b) If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid because of the lack of certain procedural requirements, the relevant executive branch officials shall implement those procedural requirements.

Sec. 16. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,

March 6, 2017.
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Members of the Sikh community have called on police to open a hate crime investigation after a masked attacker shot a man on his driveway and told him to "go back to your own country".

The 39-year-old victim was working on his vehicle outside his home in Kent, Washington State, when a man, wearing a mask covering the lower part of his face, started arguing with him.

Described as 6ft-tall and stocky, the attacker said words to the effect of, "go back to your own country", before shooting the victim's arm.

His injuries are not life-threatening and he is recovering in hospital following the attack late last week at the home, which is just south of Seattle.

Police have launched a manhunt for the suspect but New York-based civil rights group, The Sikh Coalition are asking for authorities to brand it as a hate crime.

While we appreciate the efforts of state and local officials to respond to attacks like this, we need our national leaders to make hate crime prevention a top priority," said the group's interim programme manager, Rajdeep Singh.

Tone matters in our political discourse, because this is a matter of life or death for millions of Americans who are worried about losing loved ones to hate.

Jasmit Singh, leader of the Sikh community in Renton, near to the victim's home, also told The Seattle Times: The climate of hate that has been created doesnt distinguish between anyone.

The incident comes after an Indian engineer was gunned down in a Kansas bar and told get out of my country.

Srinivas Kuchibhotla died from his wounds, while another Indian man Alok Madasani was injured. A third man, Ian Grillot, attempted to chase the gunman, believing his weapons magazine was empty, before being shot himself.

Adam Purinton 51, was charged in Johnson County, Kansas, with one count of premeditated first degree murder and two counts of attempted premeditated first degree murder.

Ms Kuchibhotla's wife, Sunayana Dumala, has since called on Donald Trumps administration to fight hate crime.

The Southern Poverty Law Centre says there were more than 200 incidents of anti-Muslim hate crimes in the US in the three days following Mr Trumps election.

There were 257 anti-Islamic motivated crimes reported in 2015, compared to 296 in 2001 amid 9/11, according to FBI data.
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A senior Democratic politician has defended his demand for an independent investigation into possible links between the president and Moscow, saying: We dont know what the Russians have on Donald Trump.

Minnesota senator Al Franken, whose questioning of Jeff Sessions was the initial trigger that set in motion the decision by the Attorney General to recuse himself from overseeing an FBI probe, said Mr Trumps calls for Barack Obama to be investigated were nothing more than a distraction.

This is just a distraction, to distract from this very, very serious interference by a foreign power on our democracy and the question of whether Trump world - his campaign, his business associates - had anything to do with it and colluding with them, he told ABC News.

He spoke after Mr Trump set Twitter alight once again at the weekend with a claim - made without providing any evidence to support it - that Mr Obama had tapped his phones at Trump Tower ahead of the election. Mr Trump demanded that the Congress include this allegation as part of their probe, something they appear likely to do.

Mr Obama issued a statement saying he has not ordered such phone tapping. National security experts said that for the FBI to carry out such a move, it would require a warrant from a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) court and for a judge to believe there were grounds to believe a US location was being used to benefit a foreign power, or else commit a crime.

Reports as to whether such as warrant was issued are unclear. Most US media says officials believed Mr Trump made the claim not after receiving new intelligence but after reading a repot on the right wing Breitbart News site.

 John Oliver names Trump-Russia scandal Stupid Watergate

Mr Franken said he wanted an independent probe to look into Russias alleged interference in the US election and alleged links between Russia and members of Mr Trumps team.

The president has repeatedly denied that any such links exist and has denounced intelligence leaks that suggest to the contrary.

His own son, Donald Trump's son, has said in 2008, that Russia did an inordinate amount of business with them. And we dont know what they have over him, said Mr Franken, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

We don't know what the Russians have on Donald Trump. And we need - and we need to see, if anything - we need to see his tax returns.

Mr Sessions had told Mr Franken under oath that he had not had any contact with Russian officials. He later admitted he had twice met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

That turned out not to be true, said Mr Franken, speaking on Sunday. He was testifying under oath to the American people and he said something that just wasnt true.

Yet Mr Franken has stopped short of calling for Mr Sessions to resign, something that other senior Democrats have done.

I dont want to go there definitively and say that we should be prosecuting the Attorney General, he said. But he owes it to the Judiciary Committee to come back and explain himself.
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Donald Trumps Twitter messages accusing Barack Obama of wiretapping his building are intended to distract from a scandal, the former President's spokesman has claimed.

The bigger the scandal, the more outrageous the tweet, said Josh Earnest, who worked as Mr Obamas Press Secretary for three years.

Last week, headlines about Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his contact with Russian officials dominated the media. But since Mr Trumps Twitter tirade  made without evidence  the news agenda has shifted to the surveillance allegations.

The White House has demanded an investigation into the Watergate level allegations as part of any enquiry into Russian connections with the Trump administration. Mr Trump has maintained his support for Mr Sessions.

Mr Earnest told ABC News: We know exactly why President Trump tweeted what he tweeted. Because there is one page in the Trump White House crisis management playbook. And that is simply to tweet or say something outrageous to distract from a scandal.

And the bigger the scandal, the more outrageous the tweet.

 Former director of national intelligence denies there was a 'wiretap' at Trump Tower

Mr Earnest did not deny that surveillance may have occurred, but said the President cannot unilaterally order the wiretapping of a US citizen.

For surveillance to have taken place, Mr Earnest said, FBI investigators would have needed probable cause as part of a criminal or counterintelligence operation. A judge would need to approve the case before any such operation could take place, he added.

Mr Obama denied the allegations at the weekend as simply false but stopped short of saying outright that there was no surveillance of Trump Tower.

A cardinal rule of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice, said a statement issued by Kevin Lewis, Mr Obamas spokesperson.

As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any US citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false.

Mr Earnest said he could categorically deny that the Obama administration had ever tried to influence an FBI investigation. He distanced himself from talking in more detail about security operations in the previous administration as he said it was not something he was regularly privy to.

Meanwhile, the former director of national intelligence, James Clapper, denied surveillance was used against Mr Trump or his campaign.

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Mr Clapper was still in his post at the time of the allegations.

He told NBC: "There was no such wire-tap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, as a candidate, or against his campaign."

Mr Clapper said he would have been aware of a "court order on something like this. Absolutely, I can deny it".

However, he added: "I can't speak for other authorised entities in the government or a state or local entity."
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The FBI disputing Donald Trump's claim Barack Obama had his telephones tapped during the election "could be a matter that brings down a president," a former CIA analyst has said.

"It doesn't happen at all," Aki Peritz, former CIA counter-terrorism analyst, told BBC Radio 4. "If the President is to be believed, Barack Obama had done something that is completely out of character and has not been done since the 1970s, and even then that caused all kind of scandal during the Nixon years."

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Mr Peritz said Mr Obama, who is a constitutional lawyer, "would never do this".

Over the weekend, FBI director James Comey argued the claim must be corrected by the Justice Department because it falsely insinuates the FBI broke the law.

 Former director of national intelligence denies there was a 'wiretap' at Trump Tower

White House press secretary Sean Spicer called for the US Congress to investigate Mr Trump's claim, which he said was based on "very troubling" reports "concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election".

Mr Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to "exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016".

Despite the severity of his claim, Mr Trump did not provide any evidence Mr Obama was responsible for surveillance at his property and has not provided any since.

Mr Peritz said: "When director Comey comes out and probably repudiates this accusation by the president, we've set up a very interesting uncharted place where you have one of our top law enforcement officials going up against the president."

When asked if it was a truly serious matter, he replied: "This could be a matter that brings down a president. It also could be nothing at all.

"The US government really has to do a very thorough investigation into the relationships, if they exist, between the Russian government, the Russian intelligence services and individuals in the Trump campaign during and after the campaign."

He also said: "If the FBI is actually surveilling individuals, it was probably legitimate legal targets such as the Russian ambassador or individuals in Moscow involved in the intelligence services and they in turn were talking to people.

"But the American citizens in New York city are not the actual targets unless they have been identified by the FBI as agents of a foreign power, or a terrorist."

Mr Obama has denied ever ordering the wiretapping of any US citizen and his spokesman Kevin Lewis said a cardinal rule of his administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice.

Former director of national intelligence James Clapper flatly denied the existence of an order to bug Mr Trump.
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A leading climatologist has warned US democracy is under attack from the uninhibited use of lies, false statements and bad science, as he urged people to take part in public demonstrations in support of science.

In an article for the website Wired, Dr Peter Gleick, co-founder of the Pacific Institute in California, said leading members of Trump administration rejected the undeniable reality of climate change, evolution, the science about vaccines, and the need to study gun violence.

And he said he had taken to carrying a copy of the US Constitution in his briefcase to help remind himself that it guarantees the right to peacefully protest.

At the recent American Association for the Advancement of Sciences annual meeting, its chief executive Rush Holt said some members had expressed fear that the US could become like the Soviet Union, where ideology carried more weight than hard evidence.

Clearly sharing similar concerns, Dr Gleick, a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, said he planned to attend both the March for Science and the Climate March in April.

The demonstrations were prompted by Donald Trumps stance on science and follow the Women's Marches around the world held in response to a man who bragged about being able to sexually assault women because he was a celebrity becoming US President. He later insisted he had never actually done so and his remarks were "locker-room talk".

A disturbing array of fundamental social and human values are under assault in the United States, Dr Gleick wrote.

These values  basic human rights, amicable international relationships, environmental justice, free speech, separation of church and state, an open and independent media, and more  form the bedrock of what makes our country special.

Yet these values are being undermined in an unprecedented assault by the Trump administration and by politicians who see an opportunity for an unprincipled massive power grab.

One tool being used in this assault on democracy is the uninhibited use of lies, false statements, blatant and intentional misrepresentations of fact, and bad science.

This is evident in the rejection of the undeniable reality of climate change by many of Trumps top appointees, the promotion to power of individuals who reject the fact of evolution in favour of pseudoscience and religious fundamentalism, the spreading of bad medical science around the proven safety of vaccines, and the refusal to study the health risks of guns.

He said he had found the news over the past few weeks frightening.

I have colleagues in countries targeted by travel and religious bans. My work uses scientific data collected, managed, and now potentially censored or hidden by federal agencies, Dr Gleick said.

I see Congressional representatives and committees seek out bad science to support predetermined and ideological positions, and then threaten scientists who challenge them.

Scientists tended to fear their work could become tainted by politics, he said, adding the rewards for expressing political opinions were few.

But when the time comes to speak, to stand up, those of us who can must do so. That time has come, he said.

When politics threatens fundamental social values and principles, the defence of those values and principles becomes an over-riding priority.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

Dr Gleick said he had been tear-gassed when protesting against the Vietnam War in the 1970s and had also marched in opposition to the Iraq War in 2003.

But he said: The current threats to society are far worse.

These public demonstrations offer an opportunity for all Americans, not just scientists, to stand up for science, objectivity, facts, and truth, at a time when telling the truth is becoming a threatened, radical act.

The March for Science is being held on 22 April. The main event is in Washington DC but others are being held across the US and also in other countries, including the UK.

The Peoples Climate March will be held on 29 April in Washington and other cities in the US.
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Members of the US Congress have responded angrily to President Donald Trump's request they investigate his unsubstantiated claim Barack Obama ordered Trump Tower to be wiretapped during the election.

Democrats sharply criticised the President's call for Congress to investigate his claim, which White House press secretary Sean Spicer said was based on "very troubling" reports "concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election".

Mr Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to "exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016".

Republicans urged Mr Trump to let the House and Senate intelligence committees do their jobs.

 Former director of national intelligence denies there was a 'wiretap' at Trump Tower

Key members of Congress said they would honour the president's request.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, said the panel "will follow the evidence where it leads, and we will continue to be guided by the intelligence and facts as we compile our findings."

Representative Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said the committee "will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates."

Mr Trump's request carries some risk, particularly if the committees unearth damaging information about him or his associates.

Committee Democrats will have access to the information and could wield anything negative against the president.

Asking Congress to conduct a much broader investigation than originally envisioned also ensures the Russia issue will hang over the White House for months.

In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump President-elect Donald Trump acknowledges guests as he arrives on the platform at the US Capitol in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump looks on during the 58th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington AP In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump President Donald Trump shakes hands with Justice John Roberts after taking the oath at inauguration ceremonies swearing in Trump as the 45th president of the United States Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump President Donald Trump raises his fists after his inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Getty In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump U.S. President-elect Donald Trump greets outgoing President Barack Obama before Trump is inaugurated during ceremonies on the Capitol in Washington Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump resident-elect Donald Trump arrives on the platform of the US Capitol in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Attendees partake in the inauguration ceremonies to swear in Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States at the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump US President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address during ceremonies at the US Capitol in Washington DC Getty In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump U.S. President Donald Trump waves with wife Melania during the Inaugural Parade in Washington DC Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Protesters registered their rage against the new president Friday in a chaotic confrontation with police who used pepper spray and stun grenades in a melee just blocks from Donald Trump's inaugural parade route. Scores were arrested for trashing property and attacking officers AP In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Demonstrators protest against US President Donald Trump in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump A woman holds a sign before the start of the Presidential Inauguration of Donald Trump at Freedom Plaza in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Anti-Trump protesters prepare banners for a protest against the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, in Berlin REUTERS In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Demonstrators shout slogans against US President-elect Donald Trump in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Demonstrators march, block foot traffic and clash with U.S. Capitol Police at the entry checkpoints for the Inauguration of Donald Trump Alamy Live News In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Demonstrators display a banner as people arrive for US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump A man displays a placard as people lineup to get into the National Mall for the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Protesters demonstrating against U.S. President Donald Trump raise their hands as they are surrounded by police on the sidelines of the inauguration in Washington DC Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump A demonstrator wearing a mask depicting Donald Trump protests outside the US Embassy in London Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Demonstrators hold placards as they protest outside the US Embassy in London Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Former US President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush arrive for the Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol Rex In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden share an umbrella as President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address at the inauguration in Washington DC Rex In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton arrive on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump U.S. Vice President Mike Pence takes the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Advisors to President-elect Donald Trump, Kellyanne Conway and Steve Bannon depart from services at St. John's Church during the Presidential Inauguration in Washington Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Protesters demonstrating against U.S. President Donald Trump take cover as they are hit by pepper spray by police on the sidelines of the inauguration in Washington DC Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump An activist demonstrating against U.S. President Donald Trump is helped after being hit by pepper spray on the sidelines of the inauguration in Washington DC Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump A police officer tries to tackle a protester demonstrating against U.S. President Donald Trump Reuters/Adrees Latif In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Police arrest and detain a protester in the street in Washington DC Rex In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump A police officer falls to the ground as another shoots pepper spray at protesters demonstrating against U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the inauguration in Washington DC Reuters

The top House Democrat said it is "just ridiculous" for Mr Trump to claim Mr Obama would ever have ordered any wiretap of an American citizen.

Representative Nancy Pelosi said "we don't do that" and she called the charge a "smear."

Ms Pelosi told CNN's State of the Union that Mr Trump is following the playbook of making something up, having the media report it and then saying everybody is writing about it.

The California Democrat said it was a "tool of an authoritarian" to always have people "talking about what you want them to be talking about."

FBI director James Comey has reportedly asked the Justice Department to publicly reject Mr Trump's claim, because it falsely insinuates the FBI broke the law.

The Justice Department has yet to issue a formal statement.

Former director of national intelligence James Clapper flatly denied the existence of an order to bug Mr Trump.
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Five years ago, Jillian Johnsons infant son Landon died of accidental starvation just 17 days after being born.

She shared the story in a recent blog post for the Fed Is Best Foundation, a nonprofit advocating for better education on newborn feeding procedures.

Ms Johnson wrote "if I had just given him one bottle, he would still be alive".

Recommended Woman creates breastfeeding Barbie doll to battle stigma

She gave birth to her son via caesarean section and he was a healthy weight. Lactation consultants thought the baby "had a great latch and was doing fine", Ms Johnson wrote.

She has Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, a hormonal disorder that makes it difficult for women to produce milk, and one consultant suggested taking certain herbs to help her with production. She wrote that she was encouraged to breastfeed exclusively.

Despite continually nursing him because he would cry otherwise, baby Landon lost nearly 10 per cent of his body weight within two days and soon went into cardiac arrest due to dehydration. He was rushed back to the hospital.

While it is normal for babies to lose up to 10 per cent of their weight within a week of birth, pediatrician Dr James Sears told People that new parents should monitor weight loss continuously and find out how many wet diapers the baby should have, how many poopy diapers to use as a guide.

However, Fed is Best points out that a study done on the matter was inconclusive on a specific number required.

Ms Johnson was told by the doctors at that point that though breast is best, she should supplement with formula and bottle feeding.

Dr Sears said to also gauge a babys individual needs since some may need frequent supplemental bottle-feeding.

Dr Marianne Neifert, co-author of a 1990 study on breastfeeding by the University of Colorado Denver, told the Chicago Tribune in 2013 that nearly 15 per cent of the 319 women studied produced insufficient breast milk to exclusively breastfeed.

Diana Cassar-Uhl wrote in her book, Finding Sufficiency: Breastfeeding With Insufficient Glandular Tissue, that the "condition is still largely under-researched and misunderstood by practitioners."
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A group of young Muslims have been knocking on their neighbour's doors in towns across Canada to answer questions about Islam and counter misconceptions about his religion.

The initiative was part of a nation-wide education campaign called Islam Understood, which aims to shed light on who Muslims are and what they stand for.

Run by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association in Canada, they sought to counter fears about their religion which they say is currently rising in the country.

Among those meeting people was Qasid Chaudhry who met people in Barrie, Ontario.

Theres a lot of misconceptions people have been getting about Islam. Were trying to give people the idea that Isis is not Islam. It is a religion of peace, Mr Chaudhry told CTV News.

Born in Canada, he added that he wanted his neighbours to understand that although he has Islamic values, he also shares their Canadian values.

Its amazing because a lot of times people are afraid Islamophobia is becoming a really big problem. It makes us feel that people dont fear Islam, they fear these extremist groups, he told the Canadian broadcaster.

The day of action, had reportedly been planned for some time, but it took place a day after rallies by both critics and supporters of a Parliamentary motion condemning Islamophobia took over the streets of Montreal this weekend.

The door knocking was held after a shooting spree killed six people at a Quebec City mosque earlier this year.

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

A French-Canadian student, who was a supporter Donald Trump and far-right French politician Marine Le Pen, has been charged in connection with the shooting.

Following the attack, Canadians raised more than 350,000 for those who had been affected by the shooting.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association also launched a campaign to fight against radicalisation of young people in society.

The Stop the Crisis campaign was set up because of a great need to take real and immediate action to work towards tackling and eradicating this problem of radicalisation amongst a small segment of Muslim youth, according to its wesbite.

In December, a poll by Forum Research carried out among 1,304 Canadians, found that four in 10 people said they had unfavourable feelings against identifiable racial groups - with Muslim being the group most likely to be a target with 28 per cent of unfavourable feelings.
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The Catholic Church has sparked outrage in India after it blamed "consumerism" and bodily "temptations" for the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl.

Priest Mathew Vadakkacheril, from Kerala in India, was accused of raping the child and later arrested.

The girl was allegedly raped several times and became pregnant, according to India Today. The child has since been delivered at a private hospital and since taken to an orphanage, reportedly without the mother's consent.

Yet it is the response to the incident among the Christian community in India that is now making headlines.

A Christian weekly magazine, which is backed by a Catholic Sabha or association, blamed the alleged victim for the event and said Mr Vadakkacheril may have momentarily forgotten his position.

Daughter, why did you forget who a priest is?" read an extract in the Sunday Shalom, according to an India Today translation. "He has a human body and has temptations. He may have forgotten his position for a few seconds, my child who has taken the Holy Communion, why didn't you stop or correct him?"

Father Paul Thelekat from the Bishops Council, also commented on the incident and blamed consumerism for the rape.

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

"Consumerism is indeed a situation affecting everyone in the world and priests are also in the world. It is in celibacy and in virginity the crisis become apparent first, then it will become a crisis of fidelity in marriage with extra-marital and premarital sex, he told The News Minute.

Women are presented as commodity both in media and in advertisements and all commodities are marketed with girls and women, where [the] human body is dehumanise[d]."
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Delhi will be comparable to London within a year, according to the citys Chief Minister.

Arvind Kejriwal pledged to reform Delhis civic management if the Aam Aadmi party (AAP) is voted to power in the upcoming municipal elections.

The comments were made as Mr Kejriwal addressed a public rally at Uttam Nagar, while inaugurating sewers and drains.

He also launched an attack on Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and claimed the municipal bodies had failed to keep the city clean.

The AAP is currently the ruling party of the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Chief Minister is now setting his sights on the municipal elections.

"[Delhi] will be comparable to London within just one year if AAP wins the municipal polls.

...If AAP gets control, I promise to clean up Delhi like never before. Before AAP came to power, the government didn't carry out sewer works in unauthorised colonies, Mr Kejriwal said, according to the Economic Times.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (MONEY SHARMA/AFP/Getty Images)

But we changed that as human beings live even in these colonies. Apart from laying sewers, we are working on regularisation.

"We sent the file to the Centre a year ago, but decision on it has been delayed. The high court has ordered the Centre to speed up the matter," he added.

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 municipal corporation of Delhi is an autonomous body that governs 8 of the 11 districts in Delhi.

The BJP won the elections for a third consecutive time in 2012 and the next election is set to take place in April 2017.
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India is set to decommission the worlds oldest aircraft carrier in active service.

INS Viraat has served the Indian Navy for 36 years before which it served the Royal Navy for nearly three decades.

It has sailed around the globe for 56 years and was first commissioned in 1959.

"When the ship was purchased from Britain, India had planned to use it for five years. It went on to serve for 30 years," Indian Navy's Vice Admiral Girish Luthra said, Xinhua reported.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Chief of Naval Staff S Lamba, and the British Royal Navys 1st Sea Lord, admiral Sir Phillip Jones will be among those attending the decommissioning ceremony on Monday.

The event will see the lowering and wrapping-up of the warships naval flag at sunset.

INS Viraat has carried aircraft such as Sea Harriers, White Tigers, Seaking 42B, Seaking 42C and Chetak helicopters, according to the Hindustan times.

The ship sailed the globe approximately 27 times in its service, spent 2,250 days at sea and travelled 5,88,288 nautical miles.

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. 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Notable operations for INS Viraat include the Falkland wars and Operation Jupiter after the breakdown of the Indo-Sri Lankan accord in July 1989.

The vessel could be converted into either a museum or a hotel, although if nobody buys the warship within four months, it will be dismantled.
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Students around the globe are changing their Facebook profile pictures in solidarity with the victims of the alleged far-right attacks at Delhi University, India.

The violence took place in February and is said to have been carried out by far-right group Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (the All Indian Students Council) or ABVP.

ABVP is an affiliate of the far-right Hindu organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and was accused of assaulting both students and teachers at the university.

"The goons should be arrested as soon as possible," an undergraduate student at Aurobindo College of Delhi University told Al Jazeera.

The violence has ignited a debate on free speech in India which is now resonating abroad among students in the USA, the UK and across Europe.

Students from Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University also marched against the nationalist group.

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. 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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

In solidarity with the students of Delhi University, who have bravely resisted the fascist forces at their gates, and their valiant teachers, who, despite being dragged through the streets, beaten and bruised, stood their ground to protect the universal values of democracy, a joint statement from students said, according to The India Times.

Separated by time and space, we could not be there when they were attacked. But history connects us, it continued.
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Pakistan has raised concerns that Indias tallest ever flag, which can be seen from Lahore, could be used for spying.

India erected a 110 metre high flag at the Attari Border in the northern state of Punjab, prompting Pakistan to accuse its neighbour of violating international treaties.

Pakistan has complained to the Border Security Force and raised suspicions that hidden cameras may be installed on the flag pole for spying purposes.

They have asked India to move the flag at a further distance so it is no longer visible from Lahore, according to India Times.

Indian authorities maintain the 200-metre distance from the border is far enough that they have not violated any laws.

It is our national flag and nobody can stop us from hoisting it on our soil," Anil Joshi, a minister in the Punjab government, told India Today.

The flag is 110 metres long, 24 metres wide, weighs 55 tons and is expected to become a major tourist attraction at the Attari-Wagah border.

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

It has overtaken the previous tallest flag, which stood 300 feet (91.5 metres) high in the city of Ranchi in the state of Jharkland.

India was originally meant to fly the flag on 26 January but this was delayed due to technical issues.
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North Korea has fired four ballistic missiles, three of which have landed as close as 190 miles to the Japanese coast, the latest in a series of provocative tests by the reclusive state.

Multiple ballistic missiles were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the North's border with China and flew about 620 miles (1,000 km), South Korean military officials said.

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said the latest firing shows that North Korea has become a new kind of threat

South Korea and the United States are conducting a close-up analysis, regarding further information, South Korea's Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The US military did not immediately comment

South Korea's acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn said Seoul should swiftly complete the deployment of a US anti-missile defence system the launch.

We should quickly finish the deployment of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) and acquire a defence system against North Korea's nuclear missiles, said Hwang in opening remarks while presiding over a National Security Council meeting after the North's latest provocation.

Japanese officials described the launches as a grave threat and said they lodged strong protests with nuclear-armed North Korea.

The launches are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action, Mr Abe said in parliament.

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

North Korea had threatened to take strong retaliatory measures after South Korea and the United States began annual joint military drills on Wednesday that test their defensive readiness against possible aggression from the North.

North Korea criticises the annual drills calling them preparation for war against it.

Last year, North Korea fired a long-range rocket from Tongchang-ri that put an object into orbit. The launch was condemned by the United Nations for violating resolutions that ban the use of missile technology.

North Korea test fired a new type of missile, known as the Pukguksong-2, into the sea early last month, and has said it will continue to launch new strategic weapons.

Not only Pukguksong-2 but newer independent strategic weapons will fly high vigorously in the sky off the ground as long as the United States and the puppet regime are going ahead with their nuclear threat to us and an exercise for invasion war against the North, North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party said in a commentary last week.

Last month's test was the first since US President Donald Trump was elected.

Reuters and Associated Press
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North Korea's "provocative" missile tests have been condemned by the UK and the EU, with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warning Pyongyang's actions threaten world peace.

The European Union has also said it would consult with Japan and international partners on how to react.

Four banned ballistic missiles were launched 620 miles, with three of them landing in waters which Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone.

Mr Johnson said the UK was consulting other world powers, including in the UN Security Council, about the latest missile launches.

The test launches appear to be a reaction to huge US-South Korean military drills which those countries consider routine, but are viewed as an invasion rehearsal by Kim Jong Un's Pyongyang regime.

Mr Johnson said: "The UK firmly condemns North Korea's latest ballistic missile launches. These are in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.

"We are working with international partners, including in the UN Security Council, of which the UK currently holds the presidency.

"We urge North Korea to stop its provocative actions, which threaten international peace and security.

"North Korea should instead re-engage with the international community, and take credible, concrete steps to prioritise the well-being of its own people instead of the illegal pursuit of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes."

Mr Johnson's statement is the latest sign of official concern about the secretive state's missile programme.

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said launches were "in utter disregard" of several U.N. resolutions and further raised tension in the region.

She says North Korea needs to return to a dialogue with the international community and immediately halt plans for more such missile launches.

After a ballistic missile test in February, North Korea's ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office and warned about the country's actions.

Inside the daily life in North Korea Show all 19 1 /19 Inside the daily life in North Korea Inside the daily life in North Korea People reading a newspaper at the metro station Inside the daily life in North Korea Thoughts of the leaders on the tram. They have about a dozen of these on every tram, all with different thoughts Inside the daily life in North Korea Young people training for a big upcoming festival Inside the daily life in North Korea People at the Pyongyang's annual marathon Inside the daily life in North Korea Many stars on one of the trolleys in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea An intimidating poster in a primary school in North Korea. Inside the daily life in North Korea Solar panels installed on a street lamp. Inside the daily life in North Korea A poster on the window next to one of the venues we visited in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea Kids playing football next to the Arch of Triumph. After a while tourists were allowed to join, so some of us did Inside the daily life in North Korea Class in an educational center in Pyongyang (where people over 17 years old can attend any classes they choose after school, for free) Inside the daily life in North Korea People waving at me during the Pyongyang marathon Inside the daily life in North Korea People having a great time dancing at a public park Inside the daily life in North Korea A metro driver in a metro station in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea Fireworks to mark the birthday of the Eternal President Kim Il Sung on our last night in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea My wonderful tour guide at a public park Inside the daily life in North Korea One of the parks in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea A person rowing some boats for the day at a river in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea The National War Museum Inside the daily life in North Korea Public park in Pyongyang

Ambassador Choe Il was told to convey the message to the government in Pyongyang in "the strongest possible terms" following the February 11 launch.

Press Association

AP also contributed to this report
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Belgium, Greece and the Netherlands are among a number of countries with legal systems that fail to adequately tackle rape, a new report has said.

The study, by the Equality Now charity, concluded that a global rape epidemic is still ignored in the law by most governments.

Many countries have laws that allow rapists to escape punishment in certain circumstances.

In Belgium, a rapist who admits their guilt can be exempted from punishment by reaching a settlement with their victim.

In 10 of the 82 jurisdictions examined by the report, including China, India and Indonesia, the rape of a women or girl by her husband is completely legal  even when the victim is a child.

Perpetrators escape prosecution if they marry their victim, in nine of the countries.

In four more  Russia, Greece, Serbia and Thailand  a similar outcome is possible but only if the couple are already in a relationship and if the victim is under the age of consent.

Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands are among a number of countries that treat rape as an issue of morality, rather than one of violence.

Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Show all 10 1 /10 Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Brazilian women march in Sao Paulo during a protest following the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl Rex Features Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl There have been calls for protests to end to what campaigners call Brazil's 'culture of rape' after the attack Rex Features Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl An online campaign has been set up in response to the crime, using the hashtag #EstuproNuncaMais, meaning 'rape never again' Rex Features Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl The 16-year-old victim was attacked in a poor neighbourhood in the west of the city on 21 May 2016 Rex Features Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Two of the attackers posted pictures and video on Twitter of the assault, which has shocked the country Rex Features Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Brazilian women protest in front of the Candelaria Church in Rio de Janeiro AFP/Getty Images Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Seven men have been charged in connection with the attack AFP/Getty Images Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Women's underwear and photos from Brazilian photographer Marcio Freitas displayed on Copacabana beach during a protest by non-governmental organization Rio de Paz (Rio of Peace) against rape and violence against women REUTERS Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Women's underwear smeared with paint is seen during a protest against rape and violence against women in Brasilia, Brazil REUTERS Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Demonstrators attend a protest against rape and violence against women in Brasilia, Brazil REUTERS

Sexual violence will not end unless it is dealt with at every level in society as part of a concerted effort to change not only laws and policies, but also attitudes and behaviors  in public and in private, said Antonia Kirkland, head of Equality Nows legal equality programme.

With hundreds of millions of women and girls affected by this violence, we need a wholesale change in how laws are created, implemented and reported on in order to help transform the way the world values them," she added.

Only then will women and girls be able to live free from violence and discrimination and able to fulfill their potential.

More than one in three women worldwide have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence, according to the World Health Organisation. One in 10 girls  the equivalent of 120 million children  have been the victim of rape or forced sexual acts.

Attention is too often only given to high-profile rape cases, according to the charity, rather than the millions of crimes that take place behind closed doors.

The report, carried out with the help of the International Bar Association and law firm Ashurst, also criticised a number of countries for making it difficult for rape allegations to be investigated.

Some nations, including Pakistan, Panama and Peru, require a medical examiners report completed by a specially-trained doctor  something that is often not easily accessible to victims.
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Alain Juppe has ruled out replacing conservative candidate Francois Fillon in the French presidential race.

I confirm once and for all that I will not be a candidate to be President of the Republic, he said.

The former Prime Minister and Mayor of Bordeaux was seen as a possible alternative candidate for the French conservatives after Mr Fillons campaign crumbled following allegations of corruption.

I have received a great number of calls urging me to take over. They have made me hesitate. I thought about it.

I have no intentions to start getting involved in partisan bargaining and so I do not have the capacity to do what is necessary.

I appreciate the disappointment that this decision will cause and the criticism. But I do not want to hand over my reputation and the one of my family as lifeblood to those destroying reputations.

Mr Juppe called a press conference minutes after the end of Mr Fillons speech at a rally in Paris on Sunday, where the embattled candidate told his supporters not to give up the fight for the presidency.

Senior conservative politicians have previously called on Mr Juppe, a veteran right-wing politician, to replace Mr Fillon in the presidential race.

According to a poll by research firm Ifop, Mr Juppe, who lost to Mr Fillon in the November party primary, was best placed to step in. He received a personal approval rating of 64 per cent compared to 29 per cent for Mr Fillon.

This follows on from allegations that Mr Fillon paid his wife and children substantial sums for parliamentary aide work they never carried out.

Mr Fillon and his wife have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and the right-wing candidate has described the scandal as a political assassination.

But the 63-year-old candidate has been summoned for questioning next week.

Mr Juppe told French reporters that the political situation ahead of the upcoming presidential election was unprecedented during the lifetime of the nations Fifth Republic.

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

He said the left was fractured in several irreconcilable strands, which will cause the Socialist Party to be eliminated in the first round of the election.

He criticised Marine Le Pens Front National of anti-European fanaticism, which would lead France to a disaster and criticised the FN leaders dealings with the justice system.

Ms Le Pen has refused to pay nearly 300,000 of EU funds that she allegedly misspent.

He criticised independent candidate Emmanuel Macron, who according to the polls could win the election in a head-to-head with Ms Le Pen, of political immaturity.

Speaking of his own party, Mr Juppe said: What a waste.

Francois Fillon had a boulevard in front of him to reach the presidency, he said.

The first round of the French elections will be held on 23 April and all presidential candidates must be formally endorsed by at least 500 elected officials before 17 March.
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Leading figures in the French centre-right Republican Party have unanimously voted to revive the campaign of embattled presidential candidate Francois Fillon after an emergency meeting.

Mr Fillon, a former Prime Minister and once favourite to succeed socialist Francois Hollande as President, has seen his support fall away following allegations of impropriety regarding payments from the public purse to his family members.

He faces formal investigation for embezzlement, which he denies.

The push to revive Mr Fillons damaged campaign comes as no obvious candidate to replace him has emerged from the Republicans.

Former Prime Minister Alain Juppe, who lost the Republican nomination race to Mr Fillon, has repeatedly ruled out replacing his former rival as a last-minute candidate.

Since losing the primary, he has repeatedly said he does not want to run as a second choice candidate and believes it is too late for him to step in and unite the people.

Mr Juppe, the current Mayor of Bordeaux, said Mr Fillon had a boulevard in front of him to win the presidency, but ended up down a dead end

The favourite to win the Presidency is centrist independent candidate Emmanuel Macron, with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen expected to challenge strongly in the first round. Mr Fillon is not expected to make it past the first round following the swirl of damaging allegations that his Welsh-born wife, Penelope, was paid for several years for work she did not do as his parliamentary assistant.

Recommended Polls put Macron ahead of Le Pen in French presidential election

Also being examined are claims that two of his children, Marie and Charles, were paid by their fathers office to carry out legal work before they had qualified as lawyers.

Speaking after the emergency meeting, French Senate leader Gerard Larcher said all attempts to replace Mr Fillon as the Republicans' presidential candidate must now end.

The political committee, after a wide-ranging exchange, unanimously renewed its support for Francois Fillon.

Mr Fillon has remained defiant in the face of adversity and has repeatedly said he will not back down in his attempts to become President.

No one can stop me from being a candidate, he said on French television over the weekend, after appearing at a rain-soaked rally in front of his supporters in Paris.

The first round of voting is set to take place on 23 April.
Hero of Mollywood's first musical hit 'Thiramala' shares his Hollywood stint, directing Prem Nazir and more
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Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will stir up the world if he is banned from giving speeches in Germany.

Around 1.4 million Turks in Germany can vote in a referendum Turkey is to hold in April. The result could sharply increase Mr Erdogans powers and he is keen to drum up support.

Diplomatic tensions were ramped up after German authorities withdrew permission for rallies in two cities amid growing public anger over Ankaras arrest of a Turkish-German journalist.

Now they think Tayyip Erdogan wants to go to Germany. I will go if I want to, Mr Erdogan said at a meeting in Istanbul over the weekend, according to the Hurriyet Daily News.

If you dont let me in, or restrain me from giving a speech, then I will stir up the world, he added.

Mr Erdogan has come under fire for accusing Germany of Nazi practices for withdrawing permission for the rallies.

Germany, you dont have anything to do with democracy, he told a rally in Istanbul. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past.

Mr Erdogan added: I am calling out to the German authorities, I am calling out to the world that believes in democracy  if we are fighting for freedom, if we are not uncomfortable with freedom of speech, if we believe in democracy, nobody can block us.

 President Erdogan and opposition unite in Turkey rally

Berlin condemned Mr Erdogans Nazi remarks as absolutely unacceptable.

Germany cannot be outmatched regarding the rule of law, tolerance and liberalism, Chancellor Angela Merkels chief of staff told public broadcaster ARD.

Ms Merkels spokesman Steffen Seibert said the German government strongly rejected the reference to Hitlers Germany, adding that such comparisons downplayed the crimes of the Nazis.

Mr Seibert noted there were strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey but added that there were also far-reaching differences of opinion.

Relations between the two Nato partners deteriorated sharply after last years failed coup against Mr Erdogan, when Ankara accused Berlin and other capitals of failing to condemn rogue military elements quickly or convincingly enough.

Mr Erdogan, who has been accused by critics of increasingly authoritarian tendencies, has accused Germany of harbouring enemies of Turkey, from Kurdish militants to coup organisers.

He has been sharply criticised in western Europe for mass dismissals and arrests of suspected conspirators, from judges to journalists.

Berlin has demanded the release of a German journalist arrested in Turkey last week, whom Mr Erdogan described as a German agent.

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. 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A Turkish community leader in Germany has accused Mr Erdogan of damaging ties between the two Nato allies with his remarks.

Erdogan went a step too far, Germany should not sink to his level, Gokay Sofuoglu, chairman of the Turkish Community in Germany, which is made up of 270 member organisations, told Reuters.

He said the comments could harm bilateral ties and were exacerbating long-simmering tensions within the community of about 3 million people of Turkish background in Germany.

Mr Sofuoglu said he had talked to police after receiving messages accusing him of being a terrorist because of his criticism of Mr Erdogan and of a coming referendum to expand the powers of the Turkish presidency.

But he urged authorities not to ban Mr Erdogan or other Turkish politicians from Germany, saying it was important to set a positive example and preserve rights to freedom of expression.
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A question of whether more or less hair should be on public display has become an issue of controversy in the current febrile political climate in Turkey amid accusations of attempts to Islamicise the countrys military by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Ministry of Defence in Ankara has announced that rules will be changed to allow women in the armed forces to wear headscarves with their uniforms. And, at the same time, there are calls from conservative Muslim groups for male service personnel to be allowed to grow beards.

Critics of the government charge that this is yet another attempt to undermine the position of the military as the staunch defender of secularism instituted by Kemal Ataturk, and create a more religious force who will be loyal to President Erdogan.

The decision comes as fresh recruits are entering Turkeys military academies for the first time since last summers attempted coup while tens of thousands of service personnel remain in prison or have been dismissed for alleged ties with the exiled cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who has been blamed for orchestrating the plot.

A decree by President Erdogan has stripped from the three branches of the armed forces their role of running their own academies with the responsibility transferred to a Ministry of Defence over which, it is claimed, the ruling AKP Party is busy tightening its grip. There has been an overhaul of the military teaching and training system with a new changed curriculum, details of which are yet to be made public.

All this is taking place during a volatile run-up to a referendum on far-reaching changes to Turkeys constitution giving Mr Erdogan extensive powers as executive president; abolishing the post of prime minister; and bringing in new rules for prosecutors and judges. Turkey, meanwhile, slides into increasingly violent strife with repeated attacks from the Kurdish separatist PKK as well as Isis terrorists sent from across the Syrian border.

President Erdogans chief military adviser, Colonel Ali Yazici, was arrested after being accused of involvement in the coup attempt. He has been replaced by Adnan Taniverdi, a former Brigadier General, who was dismissed from the Army in 1997 for allegedly harbouring Islamist sympathies.

Mr Tanriverdi owns Sadat, which is described as providing consultancy and military training services in the international defence and interior security sector. Critics of the government and opposition MPs are suspicious that its mission now could turn to training official and unofficial paramilitary forces to fight President Erdogans enemies inside and outside the country.

Conservatives have argued that the ruling on head covering is an empowering step for women. They have a poster girl, Merve Gurbuz, a 23 year old computer student, who could become Turkeys first hijab wearing fighter pilot.

Female civilian employees of the armed forces were allowed to cover their head and males to grow beards in a change of law three months after the coup and allowing hijab for serving women is a logical extension, says the government. No decision, officials say, has been made on the matter of beards.

The government insist that the reform of the military is imperative because the Gulenists had subverted the system as they have done in other state structures. However, even some who are not Erdogan loyalists acknowledge Gulenist infiltration in the past. Nihat Ali Ozcan, an academic and former army officer, claimed that the followers of the Cleric played a long game. He said: If you look at the time from which they began this process, about 35 years, shows the senior ranks, one and two star generals, who took part in the coup. We had exam papers stolen for exams. They also focused on getting into personnel and medical departments, in that way they could channel promotions.

The fact that Mr Erdogan and the AKP were happy to collude with the Cleric against the secularists in the past is not something which is mentioned much now publicly in Turkey. There have been repeated accusations that the attempted coup is being used as an excuse to crack down on political opponents.

What is seen as creeping Islamisation of Natos second largest army is causing deep concern among former senior officers and others who feels that Turkish secularism is under threat. Turker Erturk, a former Rear Admiral, commented: What is happening is clear. They want to build a new military and they are starting with the academies to exercise control. Erdogan Karakus, a retired lieutenant general, held that the headscarf decision was a political one interfering with military officers. We dont want to involve politicians in our Air Force, Army, Navy, he said.

But criticising the government remains a risky business in Turkey. A report in the Hurriyet newspaper stating that the military were uneasy about the current moves led to threats of prosecution. Mr Erdogan complained that the article was very ugly Nobody has the right to pit those in the state against each other, everyone should know their place. You are being disrespectful.

The President went on to warn whoever is trying to pit us against each other will pay a heavy price. Sedat Ergin, the editor-in-chief of the Hurriyet Group has now lost his job.
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Iraqi troops have encountered the heaviest clashes yet with Isis fighters in western Mosul since the start of the new push more than two weeks ago.

Major General Haider al-Maturi of the Federal Police Commandos Division said that Isis fighters dispatched at least six suicide car bombs, which were all destroyed before reaching the troops. The militants, he said, are moving from house to house and deploying snipers.

The wave of heavy resistance comes as Iraqi forces launched attacks against Isis-held neighbourhoods in western Mosul from three points. The Federal Police are closing in on the city's main government complex in the Dawasa neighborhood and Iraq's special forces are attempting to push into the Shuhada and Mansour neighbourhoods.

Isis fighters have some mortar (teams) and snipers positioned inside homes, said Iraqi special forces Major Ali Talib, explaining that US-led coalition air strikes have helped destroy some of the Isis defences, but clashes are still ongoing.

More than 40,000 people have been displaced in the last week from Mosul. The pace of displacement has accelerated in recent days as fighting approaches the most densely populated parts of western Mosul, and aid agencies have expressed concern that camps to accommodate people fleeing the city are almost full.

The International Organisation for Migration's Mosul Displacement Tracking Matrix showed the number of people uprooted since the start of the offensive in October exceeded 206,000 on Sunday, up from 164,000 on 26 February.

That number may still rise sharply. The United Nations last month warned that more than 400,00 people, more than half the remaining population in western Mosul, could be displaced.

In pictures: Mosul offensive Show all 40 1 /40 In pictures: Mosul offensive In pictures: Mosul offensive A doctor carries an Iraqi newborn baby at a hospital in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi girls play at a yard of a school in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017alal Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A woman on crutches who is a relative of men accused of being Islamic State militants is seen at a camp in Bartella, east of Mosul, Iraq July 15, 2017. Picture taken July 15, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A displaced girl, who fled from home carries a doll at Hamam al-Alil camp south of Mosul, Iraq July 13, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi federal police members and civilians celebrate in the Old City of Mosul on 9 July 2017 after the government's announcement of the "liberation" of the embattled city. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he was in "liberated" Mosul to congratulate "the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people on the achievement of the major victory" AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken on 9 July 2017, shows a general view of the destruction in Mosul's Old City. Iraq will announce imminently a final victory in the nearly nine-month offensive to retake Mosul from jihadists, a US general said Saturday, as celebrations broke out among police forces in the city. AFP In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of the Iraqi federal police raise the victory gesture as they ride on a humvee while advancing through the Old City of Mosul on 28 June 2017, as the offensive continues to retake the last district held by Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Smoke billows as Iraqi forces advance through the Old City of Mosul on 26 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district held by the Islamic State (IS) group. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi man wearing the green scarf of the Shi'ite faith kisses an Iraqi Army soldier on safely reaching the Iraqi forces position as Iraqi civilians flee the Old City of west Mosul where heavy fighting continues on 23 June 2017. Iraqi forces continue to encounter stiff resistance with improvised explosive devices, car bombs, heavy mortar fire and snipers hampering their advance. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken from the inside of an Iraqi forces armoured vehicle shows residents walking through a damaged street as troops advance towards Mosul's Old City on 18 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district still held by the Islamic State (IS) group. Military commanders told AFP the assault had begun at dawn after overnight air strikes by the US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces. They said the jihadists were putting up fierce resistance. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi Army soldiers advance in a destroyed street after an Iraqi forces airstrike targeted an Islamic State sniper position 17 June 2017 in al-Shifa, the last district of west Mosul under Islamic State control. IS snipers, as well as car and suicide bomb attacks continue to hinder the Iraqi forces efforts to retake the final district. A series of airstrikes by Iraqi helicopter gunships attempted to hit multiple Islamic State sniper positions in al-Shifa. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier frisks a displaced Iraqi man at a temporary camp in the compound of the closed Nineveh International Hotel in Mosul on 16 June 2017 which was recovered by Iraqi troops from Islamic State group fighters earlier in the year. A screening centre set up in the compound's fairgrounds sees a constant stream of Iraqis fleeing the battle for Mosul, awaiting their turn to be checked by the Iraqi forces who are searching for suspected Islamic State (IS) group members. The small fairground lies at the end of a pontoon bridge across the Tigris recently opened to civilians that is the only physical link between the two banks of the river. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis staying at the al-Khazir camp swim in a river near the camp for internally displaced people, located between Arbil and Mosul on 11 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi government forces drive on a road leading to Tal Afar on 9 June 2017, during ongoing battles to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi policeman carries a poster bearing an image of Mosul's iconic leaning minaret, known as the "Hadba" (Hunchback), on 22 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis stand in line to receive food aid in western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood on 7 June 2017, during ongoing battles as Iraqi forces try to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Living conditions in Mosul have again deteriorated since the start of the Iraqi government's offensive on the city in October in which they retook a large part of the west of the city. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced Iraqis carry lightbulbs and sacks as they evacuate from western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood as government forces advance in the area during their ongoing battle against Islamic State (IS) group fighters on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) flashes the victory gesture as he patrols in western Mosul's al-Islah al-Zaraye neighbourhood on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi army soldiers from the 9th armoured division on a truck flash the sign of victory as they drive back from Mosul to the town of Qaraqosh (also known as Hamdaniya) Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of Iraqi forces flash the sign of victory on their vehicle as they advance towards Hammam al-Alil area south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi security forces gestures in Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi children, one flashing the sign of victory, greet Iraqi army's soldiers from the 9th armoured division in the area of Ali Rash, adjacent to the eastern Al-Intissar neighbourhood of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Peshmerga forces look at a tunnel used by Islamic State militants near the town of Bashiqa, east of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier takes a photograph with his phone as his comrade stands next to a detained man, whom the Iraqi army soldiers accused of being an Islamic State fighter, who was fleeing with his family in the Intisar disrict of eastern Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iranian Kurdish female members of the Freedom Party of Kurdistan (PAK) hold a position in an area near the town of Bashiqa, some 25 kilometres north east of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families, who fled their homes in Hamam al-Alil, gather on the outskirts of their town Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced people walk past a checkpoint near Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces against jihadists of the Islamic State group to retake the city of Mosul, are seen gathering in an area near Qayyarah In pictures: Mosul offensive A boy who just fled Abu Jarbuah village is seen with his family at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi child eats a pomegranate upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive People who just fled Abu Jarbuah village sit as they eat at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A couple who just fled Abu Jarbuah village are escorted by Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Women carry a boy over a wall as civilians flee their houses in the village of Tob Zawa, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier and a civilian ride a motorbike as smoke rises behind them, on the road between Qayyarah and Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces, wearing a skull mask, waits at a checkpoint for people fleeing the main hub city of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier sits at a checkpoint in an area near Qayyarah Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi men prepare food portions for Iraqi forces deployed in areas south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi forces celebrate upon the arrival of vehicles bringing food to them Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi childen smoke cigarettes upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces distributes drinks to children in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty

Also on Sunday, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said in a statement the group was seriously concerned about reports of chemical weapons use in Mosul.

The OPCW has asked Iraqi authorities for more information and has offered its assistance to the Iraqi investigation, the statement said.

The alleged attack occurred last week in eastern Mosul, an area declared fully liberated by Iraqi forces in January. The attack hit a neighbourhood along the Tigris River, which roughly divides the city in two. Hospital officials said 10 patients were admitted for exposure and would be discharged in the coming days.

The United Nations warned that the alleged use of chemical weapons, if confirmed, would be a war crime and a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

The push on Mosul's west was launched about two weeks ago after the eastern half of the city was declared fully liberated in January. The operation to retake Mosul officially began in October after more than two years of slowly clawing back territory from Isis fighters. Isis overran nearly a third of Iraq  including Mosul the country's second largest city  in the summer of 2014.

Associated Press
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Winners and losers are emerging in what may be the final phase of the Syrian civil war as anti-Isis forces prepare for an attack aimed at capturing Raqqa, the de facto Isis capital in Syria. Kurdish-led Syrian fighters say they have seized part of the road south of Raqqa, cutting Isis off from its other territory further east.

Isis is confronting an array of enemies approaching Raqqa, but these are divided, with competing agendas and ambitions. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose main fighting force is the Syrian Kurdish Popular Mobilisation Units (YPG), backed by the devastating firepower of the US-led air coalition, are now getting close to Raqqa and are likely to receive additional US support. The US currently has 500 Special Operations troops in north-east Syria and may move in American-operated heavy artillery to reinforce the attack on Raqqa.

This is bad news for Turkey, whose military foray into northern Syria called Operation Euphrates Shield began last August, as it is being squeezed from all sides. In particular, an elaborate political and military chess game is being played around the town of Manbij, captured by the SDF last year, with the aim of excluding Turkey, which had declared it to be its next target. The Turkish priority in Syria is to contain and if possible reduce or eliminate the power of Syrian Kurds whom Ankara sees as supporting the Kurdish insurrection in Turkey.

 Tales of trauma from Syria's refugee children

Turkey will find it very difficult to attack Manbij, which the SDF captured from Isis after ferocious fighting last year, because the SDF said on Sunday that it is now under the protection of the US-led coalition. Earlier last week, the Manbij Military Council appeared to have outmanoeuvred the Turks by handing over villages west of Manbij  beginning to come under attack from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) militia backed by Turkey  to the Syrian Army which is advancing from the south with Russian air support.

SYRIA SITUATION REPORT: FEBRUARY 24 - MARCH 2, 2017 - These graphics mark the latest installment of the Syria SITREP Map made possible through a partnership between the Institute for the Study of War and Syria Direct. The graphic depicts significant recent developments in the Syrian Civil War. The control of terrain represented on the graphic is accurate as of February 16, 2017 (Institute for the Study of War)

Isis looks as if it is coming under more military pressure than it can withstand as it faces attacks on every side though its fighters continue to resist strongly. It finally lost al-Bab, a strategically placed town north east of Aleppo, to the Turks on 23 February, but only after it had killed some 60 Turkish soldiers along with 469 FSA dead and 1,700 wounded. The long defence of al-Bab by Isis turned what had been planned as a show of strength by Turkey in northern Syria into a demonstration of weakness. The Turkish-backed FSA was unable to advance without direct support from the Turkish military and the fall of the town was so long delayed that Turkey could play only a limited role in the final battle for nearby east Aleppo in December.

Turkey had hoped that President Trump might abandon President Obamas close cooperation with the Syrian Kurds as Americas main ally on the ground in Syria. There is little sign of this happening so far and pictures of US military vehicles entering Manbij from the east underline American determination to fend off a Turkish-Kurdish clash which would delay the offensive against Raqqa. The US has shown no objection to Syrian Army and Russian humanitarian convoys driving into Manbij from the south.

There are other signs that the traditional mix of rivalry and cooperation that has characterised relations between the US and Russia in Syria is shifting towards greater cooperation. The Syrian Army, with support from Russia and Hezbollah, recaptured Palmyra from Isis last Thursday with help from American air strikes. Previously, US aircraft had generally not attacked Isis when it was fighting Syrian government forces. Seizing Palmyra for the second time three months ago was the only significant advance by Isis since 2015.

Turkey could strike at Raqqa from the north, hoping to slice through Syrian Kurdish territory, but this would be a very risky venture likely to be resisted by YPG and opposed by the US and Russia. Otherwise, Turkey and the two other big supporters of the Syrian armed opposition, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, are seeing their influence over events in Syria swiftly diminish. Iran and Hezbollah of Lebanon, who were the main foreign support of President Bashar al-Assad before 2015, do not have quite same leverage in Damascus since Russian military intervention in that year.

American and British ambitions to see Mr Assad removed from power have been effectively abandoned and the Syrian government shows every sign of wanting to retake all of Syria. If Isis loses Mosul and Raqqa in the next few months there will be little left of the Caliphate declared in June 2014 as a territorial entity.

The remaining big issue still undecided in both Syria and Iraq is the future relations between the central governments in Baghdad and Damascus and their Kurdish minorities. These have become much more important as allies of the US than they were before the rise of Isis. But they may not be able to hold on to their expanded territories in post-Isis times  and in opposition to reinvigorated Syrian and Iraqi governments.
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Marijuana has been decriminalised in Israel which hopes to emphasise treatment instead of criminal enforcement.

The governments cabinet amended the law so that those caught using cannabis in public will not be prosecuted until their fourth offence.

It signals a major change in approach for a country that is seen as a world leader in marijuana medical use research.

On the one hand we are opening ourselves up to the future, the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told the Israeli cabinet before the vote. On the other hand, we understand the dangers and will try to balance the two.

If the new policy is ratified by the country's parliament, first-time offenders will incur a 1,000 shekel fine (221), second-time offenders will be fined double and third-timers will face a "probation period".

The money raised from fines will reportedly finance anti-drug education and treatment.

Children caught using marijuana will be criminally investigated if they refuse to take part in the treatment programme, according to public security minister Gilad Erdan, who led the reform.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says almost nine per cent of Israelis use cannabis.

About 25,000 people of the country's 8 million population have a licence to use the drug for medicinal purposes.

"Israel cannot shut its eyes to the changes being made across the world in respect to marijuana consumption and its effects, said justice minister Ayelet Shaked, in a statement.

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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. 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In the United States, 28 states have legalised marijuana for medical use and since 2012, several have also approved marijuana for recreational use.

Sentencing for cannabis possession in the UK, a Class B drug, varies between a 90 on-the-spot fine and a five-year prison sentence.

Currently, people can be prosecuted after being caught using the drug for the first time.

Cannabis is linked to lung cancer, an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, hallucinations, infertility and harm in unborn babies.
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An Israeli law which retroactively legalises 4,000 Jewish settler homes could make it easier to prosecute Israeli politicians, military personnel and civilians, NGOs have warned.

In a 63-page petition delivered to Israel's High Court, the NGOs said the law could be considered criminal under international law and argued it constituted an annexation of parts of the West Bank.

The law, passed by the Knesset in early February, retroactively recognised more than 4,000 "wildcat" settlement homes built on private Palestinian property in the West Bank.

The petition stresses that the implementation of the provisions of the law may serve to incriminate Israeli citizens and security personnel who would implement it, as well as the MKs who voted in support of the law, as their actions may be considered war crimes according to international criminal law, the petition said, according to The Jerusalem Post.

 Barack Obama uses final interview as President to slam Israeli policy on settlements

It said the Knesset acted outside its jurisdiction by approving the law, because it has no authority over the West Bank, which is beyond Israel's sovereign border.

The law marks the first time Israel has applied its own civil law to land it recognises as Palestinian-owned in the West Bank.

To date, and for nearly 50 years, Knesset legislation in relation to the West Bank was limited to individual legal rights  applying only to Israeli citizens who live in the West Bank  while legislators refrained from directly administrating the area itself, the petition added.

Legislating this law is a clear act of sovereignty, and thus constitutes unlawful annexation.

The NGOs said the law violates both Israeli law and regulations at the heart of international law, including the Fourth Geneva convention of 1949, the Hague Regulations of 1907 and laws dating back to the American Civil War.

The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Show all 10 1 /10 The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Medics evacuate a wounded man from the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian rammed a vehicle into a bus stop then got out and started stabbing people before he was shot dead AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Israeli ZAKA emergency response members carry the body of an Israeli at the scene of a shooting attack in Jerusalem. A pair of Palestinian men boarded a bus in Jerusalem and began shooting and stabbing passengers, while another assailant rammed a car into a bus station before stabbing bystanders, in near-simultaneous attacks that escalated a month long wave of violence AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Getty Images The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians throw molotov cocktail during clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, West Bank. Recent days have seen a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have wounded several Israelis AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Women cry during the funeral of Palestinian teenager Ahmad Sharaka, 13, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes at a checkpoint near Ramallah, at the family house in the Palestinian West Bank refugee camp of Jalazoun, Ramallah AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A wounded Palestinian boy and his father hold hands at a hospital after their house was brought down by an Israeli air strike in Gaza Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians look on after a protester is shot by Israelis soldiers during clashes at the Howara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus EPA The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A lawyer wearing his official robes kicks a tear gas canister back toward Israeli soldiers during a demonstration by scores of Palestinian lawyers called for by the Palestinian Bar Association in solidarity with protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, near Ramallah, West Bank AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Undercover Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian in Ramallah Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinian youth burn tyres during clashes with Israeli soldiers close to the Jewish settlement of Bet El, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after Israel barred Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City as tensions mounted following attacks that killed two Israelis and wounded a child

During a heated debate on the bill in February, cabinet minister Ofir Akunis said: We are voting tonight on our right to the land.

We are voting tonight on the connection between the Jewish people and its land. This whole land is ours. All of it.

The legislation stipulates the original Palestinian landowners should be given either generous financial compensation or land elsewhere, whether or not they agree to such a deal.

Legislating a law depriving people of their property, through a process in which they are not represented, is the "textbook definition of tyranny," the petition added.

When the law was approved, Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, said: This is an aggression against our people that we will be opposing in international organisations."

He added: What we want is peace... but what Israel does is to work towards one state based on apartheid.

Israels Attorney General, Avichai Mandelblit, reportedly told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he would not defend the legislation against the expected legal challenges because he believes it violates both Israeli and international law.

The international community, which views all Israeli construction of the 1967 Green line as illegitimate, considers the settlements an obstacle to creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
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A smooth six-lane expressway has made Kailash Singh a rich man. And thats an ominous sign for Indias Prime Minister.

The road cuts through the yellow mustard fields of northern India, extending from Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, to Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh  Indias most populous and politically important state. On the way, it passes straight through Singhs farm.

The state government, determined to complete the 302km road quickly, paid Singh way over the market price  10m rupees 122,000)  for about an acre of land and an old house. Singh promptly built a two-storey house with a marble floor and ceiling fans on the veranda.

Many of the 300 families in the village of Naktaura have similarly gone from mud huts to colourful villas decorated with Hindu deities  and large stickers promoting the states chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his ruling Samajwadi Party.

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Thats bad news for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Bharatiya Janata Party is battling a crucial state election in Uttar Pradesh that began on 11 February. The election is just one of five state polls taking place across India. Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur are voting as well, with results for all states announced on 11 March.

In the 2014 general election, Modi swept this poor state of 200 million people by promising development. But for farmers like Singh, who voted the BJP into national office, it is not Modi but Yadavs administration thats delivered on its promises. The success of the expressway and other projects has allowed the Samajwadi government to hijack Modis mantra of development. Now its possible the BJP could lose Indias most important state election, endangering further economic reforms and sapping Modis momentum ahead of the 2019 national elections.

The state governments lavish compensation to farmers, as well as the expressways completion in just 24 months, contrasts starkly with a behind-schedule road being built by Modis government elsewhere in the state.

Everyone here is talking about Akhilesh and his development, Singh says on his roof, as he looks over the expressway. People are now comparing Modi to Akhilesh  their promises and what they have delivered. On this matter, Akhilesh is ahead.

Uttar Pradesh  a vast state that touches Delhi in the northwest and Nepal in the north  has long been associated with poverty and corruption.

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

This Hindi heartland state is politically crucial: it sends more representatives to the upper and lower houses of parliament than any other. Winning Uttar Pradesh would give Modi momentum and boost the BJPs position in the Rajya Sabha, or upper house, to push contentious legislative measures such as land and labour reforms. Losing would send a signal that Modis re-election in 2019 is not a sure bet  which analysts suggest would move markets downwards.

Across central and eastern Uttar Pradesh, it is clear the Samajwadi Partys infrastructure projects  and branding  have paid off. An alliance with the Congress Party also seems to have consolidated Muslim voters, which generally split between Congress and the Samajwadi Party in a state where caste and religious identity often determine votes.

At the same time, Modis disruptive cash ban  which has caused hardship across India  does not seem to have shifted political allegiances: those who like Modi support the policy and those who oppose it tend to back the BJPs rivals. Meanwhile, support for the Bahujan Samaj Party, which governed the state between 2007 and 2012 and draws much of its voter-base from low-caste communities, remains strong among poor villagers.

The local Samajwadi Party MLA is very unpopular, so we will probably shift to the BSP, said Ram Naresh, who pedals a cycle-rickshaw in the Uttar Pradesh village of Mangalpur.

At an election rally in Bahraich on Thursday Modi criticised the Samajwadi Party and Congress coalition. Congress has been wiped out. They are sinking and they will drag you down, he said. People of Uttar Pradesh will not accept this opportunist alliance.

A state election campaign billboard for the joint campaign of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Indian National Congress party (INC) in Lucknow (Bloomberg/Getty) (Prashanth Vishwanathan/ Bloomberg)

Roughly four hours southeast of Lucknow, just outside the city of Sultanpur, a federal government-built national expressway begins to break down.

The fresh asphalt on the two-lane road is missing in large chunks, and disappears entirely over bridges. And after the village of Semari, where the expressway is jammed with buses, jeeps and pedestrians, it vanishes into a vast expanse of sand.

The road  national expressway number 232, stretching 288km from the town of Banda to the town of Tanda  was started around the time Modi was elected in 2014 and was meant to be finished by late 2016. Its still a work in progress.

Durbali Pandey, 50, a farmer in Semari, sold close to an acre of land so the government could pave over his rice and wheat fields. He received 528,000 rupees (6.400) from Modis government, which he knows is far less than the Akhilesh government paid to farmers.

We feel cheated, he said, standing on the dusty expressway with his bicycle with other villagers who said they will vote for the Samajwadi Party and not Modi. Both of them are talking about development. But we know Akhilesh.

Farmer Kailash Singh who sold his land to make way for the construction of the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, in the background, on the outskirts of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India (Bloomberg/Getty) (Prashanth Vishwanathan/ Bloomberg)

Modis office would not comment on infrastructure development in Uttar Pradesh, referring calls to Ministry for Road Transport and expressways officials who did not respond to several phone calls, an email and a text message.

Asked about unfinished roads, the BJP chief in the Uttar Pradesh district of Varanasi, Hansraj Vishwakarma, said opposition claims that Modi hasnt pushed for development in the state were a complete lie. He lists roads, rural electrification and efforts to clean the Ganges river as examples.

Lots of development work is visible, Vishwakarma said. Let our government be formed, you will see how Uttar Pradesh will be changed in every aspect.

The federal government said last year it completed 865km of national expressways in Uttar Pradesh over the past two years at a cost of nearly 810m.

AK Verma, director for the Centre for the Study of Society and Politics in Kanpur, said most voters understand economic development as a local phenomenon.

One great disadvantage for the BJP is that some development may have come from the central government, but they are not able to aggressively market that, Verma said.

Opinion polls conducted in January produced conflicting results. An ABP News-CSDS poll released in late January suggested the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance could win between 187 and 197 seats in the 403-seat state assembly, with the BJP scoring between 118 and 128 seats. An India Today-Axis poll, conducted around the same time, suggested the BJP would win between 180 and 191 seats compared to the Samajwadi-Congress alliances 168 to 178.

Aashish Yadav, who heads the Samajwadi Partys war room in Lucknow, said the partys concentration on development and infrastructure has been deliberate.

If you go and talk to people in the countryside, theyll also tell you that development means Akhilesh Yadav, he said. Thats why the entire campaign is focused on development.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party is battling a crucial state election in Uttar Pradesh (Getty)

The state government promised more expressways  stretching east, south and north of Lucknow  to bring development to other parts of the state. It is also building roadside markets on the expressways so local farmers can sell their produce.

Not everyone is enthused. Dinesh Singhal, managing director of Kanohar Electricals Ltd, which runs a 400-person factory in the city of Meerut, says the business environment has deteriorated in the past five years  and no party is promising anything for industry.

Akhilesh is trying to build his image on development, but I dont think hes done any development in the state  except for one road, Singhal said. If the BJP comes into power it might change.

Singhal joked that even though Modis demonetisation caused cash shortages, at least he was able to claim he didnt have any money when officials in Uttar Pradesh asked him for bribes.

Uttar Pradesh remains one of Indias least developed states. But it has improved. Infant mortality has been falling, and between 2012 and 2013 fell from 53 infants per 1,000 live births to 50, according to the government.

And development spending has grown under the Samajwadi Party, according to government statistics: the state government spent 12.6 per cent of gross state domestic product on development in 2012, rising to 13.9 per cent in 2013 and 17 per cent in 2014.

Along the Agra-Lucknow expressway, the state governments largesse seems to have cascaded.

In one village, Samshad, a farmer who goes by one name, used compensation to buy two water buffalo and start a milk business. In Naktaura, Singhs village, Ram Gopal Yadav, whose shop was plastered in Samajwadi Party stickers and one scratched out BJP sticker, built four brick shops next to his own and rents them out as a new source of income. All say they will vote for the Samajwadi Party.

Because of this road many areas have developed, Singh said, praising the chief minister. If he comes back to power, he will build roads in other areas. And the state will become more prosperous.

 The Washington Post
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To be a tourist in Russia is to wallow in the glorious imperial past: the stupendously-sized Hermitage in St Petersburg, the onion domes of St Basils in Red Square, Moscow.

To even think this could be the case in the 21st century would have been anathema to Russias revolutionary artists and architects. One hundred years on, the Revolution of 1917  and the birth of the Soviet Union  is bringing forth a slew of exhibitions and activities that seek to understand and interpret the Revolution and its aftermath through its art and architecture, and theres an elegiac quality to them.

About to open in the new and improved Design Museum in London is Imagine Moscow: Architecture, Propaganda, Revolution  looking back at all the unrealised post-revolutionary plans to recreate Moscow in the 1920s and 30s. The Royal Academy is currently showing Revolution: Russian Art 1917-1932 while in November, Tate Moderns Red Star over Russia looms over Bankside  a collection of early experiments and diverse practices that formed a new visual culture for a nation that covered one sixth of the Earth.

Boris Mikailovich Kustodiev, Bolshevik, 1920 ( State Tretyakov Gallery)

A serious interest in revolutionary architecture has come out of the shadows. The period has been recognised in art but not so much in design and architecture, says curator Eszter Steierhoffer of the Design Museum. Thats changing as people see that there were new ways of living that are radical and relevant today. As the revolution developed, the old dachas, palaces and domes were supplanted as a generation state set about the transformation of the cities, enabled by a series of motivating isms: Suprematism, Futurism, Productivism and, most importantly, Constructivism.

Some you cant see  the Lenin Tribune by El Lissitzky and Tatliflans Monument to the Third International, which would have been particularly stupendous  a proposed 400m tower to rotate on four planes: a cube once a year, a pyramid once a month, a cylinder daily, plus a hemisphere for radio equipment (if you went to the Royal Academys Building the Revolution: Soviet Art and Architecture ... in 2011 youll have seen a model).

But some can still be seen in situ. The most notable is Vladimir Shukhovs Shabalovka Radio Tower  Russias Eiffel Tower, and a technological milestone. The Narkomfin Communal House by Moisei Ginzburg in Moscow is still there: an edifice that just about stands today, but was once a highly influential slice of mass communal architecture with shared kitchens, creche, and a laundry  sort of co-housing avant la lettre. Theres the Zuev Workers Club, now a theatre, and the 1929 house of Konstantin Melnikov, made in cylinders with hexagonal windows.

A model of Tatlins proposed tower, an ambitious project that was never built

And if this built legacy is remarkable, then the unbuilt paper architecture is an audacious display of blue sky thinking  with flying cities, you name it (youll see some of this stuff in the Design Museum). Boris Mihailovich Iofans The Palace of the Soviets hoped to be the worlds tallest building. El Lissitzkys Cloud Iron was eight cantilevered horizontal skyscrapers, predicated around the idea that humans wished to move horizontally (there was lots of emphasis on mass movement and transit). All were motivated by the Soviet Unions own Bauhaus: the avant-garde Vkhutemas college.

Indeed, as the architecture is being rediscovered, it is making inroads into the tourists consciousness. Recently a Constructivist Moscow Map was released, including 50 Soviet structures to be ticked off by the travelling archi-nerd. It fits, after all, into a taste for charismatic ruins, for utopian dreams, for Brutalism, for extraordinary collective dreams. Just not so much in Russia itself.

Jonathan Charley, an architectural historian at the University of Strathclyde and author of the collection Memories of Cities, is an expert in Russian modernism and has observed its growing interest. I lived in Moscow in the 1980s and they were more interested in bread and maintaining power than maintaining these revolutionary buildings, he says. Theyre still not a widespread interest.

Isaak Brodsky, VI Lenin and Manifestation, 1919 ( State Museum and Exhibition Center ROSIZO)

Back then, there was one key advocate: Yuri Volchok of the Moscow Architectural Institute. Then came the important 1987 book Pioneers of Soviet Architecture by Selim Khan-Magomedov, and the prescient documentary photographs of Richard Pare, who has built a visual archive of Russian modernism in the last couple of decades. However, in the early 1990s, these buildings held scant interest in the buccaneering new capitalist world. Even now, says Charley, the interest in conservation comes mainly from the West. The Shukhov Tower, for example, has been on the World Monuments Fund watch list of endangered buildings as an icon of modern Russian history  for once, the word icon is apposite.

Will Strong of Calvert 22 Foundation  a non-profit set up in 2009 by Russian London-based economist Nonna Materkova to improve the understanding of Russian and Soviet art and culture  finds a deep interest in post-revolutionary architecture at the moment. Within the last year it has even become fashionable, he says. The revolutionary legacy of architecture is particularly poignant as much wasnt built and much has been destroyed. As programme manager of Calvert 22 Foundation, Strong is overseeing a season on the Russian Revolution, and identifies a nostalgia for the future and a fascination with the lost spirit of social utopianism in the age of market forces.

Shukhov Tower, Moscow, on the World Monuments Fund watch list of endangered buildings (Getty)

This architecture seems like a new discovery: a recherche taste for urban trendies and the rise of interest in the historic avant-garde, to use the term used in museum circles. But at the time it was highly influential, says Charley. There was a lot of cultural traffic between Moscow, Berlin and Paris. Indeed, Melnikov designed the Soviet Pavilion at the ground-breaking Paris Exposition of Decorative Arts in 1925, with rooms designed by Alexander Rodchenko. Western architects based in the west pitched for work including Erich Mendelsohn, whose great legacy in the UK is the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea, who created the Red Banner Textile Factory in St Petersburg.

Charley is concerned that the current wave of interest might divorce these buildings from their context. It tends to be depoliticised, he says. Sometimes, the things that motivated these people are forgotten. It was an explosive and progressive cultural revolution  a mixture of aesthetics and politics and a revolution to transform every part of everyday life.

Narkomfin Communal House in Moscow

As Eszter Steierhoffer adds, They were trying to create new blueprint for life: a new society, a new architecture and a new man. And woman  for one of the themes of the orginal Narkomfin was the lack of domestic kitchens, which was a kind of female serfdom. Eating was a communal activity, and food prepared in kitchen factories, she says. Children were raised in communal nurseries. Ginzburg wanted to express a Constructivist idea: that of the social condenser: a kind of radical communalism.

When the 1930s came along, the Constructivists and their avant-garde ideas were effectively kaput. Stalinism took hold and the wedding cake neo-classical architecture that you can still find across the Soviet world started to take hold, the analogue to the Socialist Realism that produced pictures of flaxen-haired maidens and smiling pioneers happily toiling in collective farms. Its mostly grotesque, adds Charley, who prefers to use the term the realism of socialist deception to describe this ideological slop. The citizens retired to their sleeping districts, as they call the identikit residential tower blocks that house Russias city dwellers.

In Russia today, theres still a certain unsettled quality to the centenary and its cultural florescence.

Will Strong recently went to Russia and found that, in five big cities, there was little to no interest in commemorating the Revolution and its culture. Why? Id imagine it hasnt been a clean enough break, he says. Its politically complicated and painful. The revolutions aftermath didnt end in 1989, or 91, or 93, or whenever each state or region went down. It turns out that the Design Museum did not find it easy to borrow work either  although whether thats because of overweening bureaucracy, or lassitude, or difficulty with the subject matter, it is not specified.

Konstantin Melnikov house, Moscow

And in Putins kingdom, is there much take-up of this architectural patrimony, from a time when Russia really did lead the way? Not really. If you thought that the architecture of neo-liberalism was bad in the UK, then come to Moscow, says Charley. Developers are looking at some of the sites  although there was a groundswell of interest in the country to preserve the Shukhov Tower. But as interest grows in what some are calling the New East, and as Russian money increasingly engages with its history in auction houses and salerooms, the taste for revolution may yet come home.

Imagine Moscow: Architecture, Propaganda, Revolution is at the Design Museum, London, from 15 March-4 June: designmuseum.org

Calvert 22 Foundation's 2017 season, The Future Remains: Revisiting Revolution, presents a series of events and talks. The next will be Russian Art and the 20th Century on Thursday 9 March, 19:00: calvert22.org

Revolution: Russian Art 1917-1932 is at the Royal Academy until 17 April: royalacademy.org.uk

Red Star Over Russia is at Tate Modern, London from 8 November 2017-18 February 2018: tate.org.uk
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BA announced in November that it will reduce the legroom on its Airbus A320s to 29 inches: the same as easyJet but an inch shorter than Ryanair.

But there was renewed criticism over the plans today when Gary Leff, who runs the View from the Wing site, wrote a story headlined: British Airways to Offer Less Legroom Than Ryanair, Seriously Why Would You Ever Fly Them in Europe?

Recommended BA to shrink seat space to squeeze more passengers on to flights

The densification plan is designed to harmonise the IAG fleet, which also includes Aer Lingus and two Spanish airlines, Iberia and Vueling. All IAGs Airbus A320s will have the same number of seats, 180, and hence the same amount of legroom, as easyJet  which is BAs big rival, especially from Gatwick.

But Mr Leff said: Reducing product differentiation between BA and its lower cost competitors seems like a mistake. Given their higher cost structure, they need to earn a revenue premium. Competing at the low-cost game with airlines whose costs are lower seems like a game theyre destined to lose.

BA plans to reduce legroom to 29 inches - less than Ryanair (Jonathan Khoo)

Alex Cruz, BAs chief executive and chairman, told investors at an IAG Capital Markets Day in November: Everything indicates that the number one criteria over and over and over again, beyond flight schedule and availability of the destination, of course, for buying economy tickets, certainly in short-haul  no doubt about it  and increasingly in long-haul, is price.

At the same event, the airline revealed plans to densify its long-haul flights at Gatwick, adding 52 more seats to each of its Boeing 777s.

Earlier this year, BA eliminated complimentary food and drink for short-haul economy passengers. For the first full month of the Buy on Board project, the airline carried an extra five passengers on the average European flight compared with February 2016.
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However stringent border controls between countries may be, drawing a hard line between shared waters can be murky territory at best. Whose responsibility is it to keep those waters clean  and what happens if one side of the pond decides it doesnt want to do its part anymore? That could soon be the question Canada faces, in light of a leaked document revealing earlier this week that Donald Trumps administration wants to slash funding for the USs Great Lakes restoration project by a whopping 97 per cent.

Four of the five Great Lakes, which make up the largest surface freshwater system on earth, are shared between the US and Canada  and those four provide drinking water to as many as 10 million Canadians, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

The cuts, outlined in a draft copy of the Trump administrations Environmental Protection Agency budget proposal, obtained by The Associated Press, would see the US dramatically diminish its funding for protection and restoration of the freshwater lakes from $300m per year to a meagre $10m.

The ECCC warns on its website that the sustainability of the Great Lakes ecosystem is threatened, with the ecosystem facing new and emerging challenges including new chemical contaminants, invasive species like the Asian carp, and the impacts of climate change. It also states clearly, restoring and protecting the Great Lakes is a shared responsibility between Canada and the US, a commitment both countries signed onto in the Canada-US Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 2012.

But now, it seems, the US may no longer be willing to uphold its end of the bargain. They say love thy neighbours, but does that bit of wisdom still apply on a one-way street?

Canada has already felt the consequences of sharing border lines with a United States led by Donald Trump. Canadian border services have been struggling to keep up with the hundreds of refugees who have shown up at the northern countrys border, desperate to flee Trumps America.

 In 90 seconds: Trump and Trudeau differ over border control

A 2004 agreement between the two countries has forced asylum seekers to cross into Canada illegally, risking their lives in freezing conditions to get there. The deal hinges on the notion that both countries are equally safe for refugees and as a result, migrants must make their asylum claim in whichever country they arrive in first.

But that pact seems to be becoming increasingly anachronistic, much like Canadas Great Lakes agreement with America will be if the US Congress decides to accept the Presidents proposed budget cuts.

Canada must contend with the fact that a new neighbour has moved in next door  and that this particular neighbour is, for the most part, only concerned about his own side of the fence. And if Trumps disinterest in maintaining the hedges and keeping the neighbourhood clean persists  as Im certain it will  Canada will have to ask itself just how much it is willing to clean up after the United States.
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Many have noted similarities between Donald Trumps political rise and that of the right wing in 1930s Europe. Yet recent events, such as the travel ban being smacked down by judges, have demonstrated that the political institutions of the US remain robust and that the Presidents domestic agenda may be more constrained than some worried. But in the domain of foreign affairs the office of the president is granted much more latitude. Indeed, the prerogatives of the presidency, combined with Trumps erratic and oversized personality, mean that the new president does not bear a resemblance with Hitler or Mussolini as much as he does Germanys pre-WWI emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Like Trump, the Kaiser was an insecure and aggressive narcissist who allowed his mood to dictate many of his policy decisions, and while the domestic effects of these traits could be limited by the quasi-democratic institutions of the German Reich, in the foreign policy arena his personality wreaked havoc.

Many of the parallels between the Kaiser and Donald Trump are darkly comic. Trump displays a fragile sensitivity, lashing out at those who mock or undermine him while also lavishing praise on any figure who flatters or supports him, from world leaders to innocuous teenagers. In his time, the leader of Europes military and economic powerhouse was equally notorious for his outbursts and gaffes. On one occasion, the boat-mad Kaiser posted a notice in the clubhouse at Britains prestigious national yachting regatta complaining that the handicapping system in use was perfectly appalling despite the fact that his yacht actually won the race (one is reminded of Trump complaining that his own election was rigged).

The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Foreign diplomats sympathised with the German foreign policy establishment. After one of Wilhelms outbursts the Prince of Wales told the German ambassador: I dont envy that Sisyphus job you have with the Kaiser. This sort of benevolent eye-rolling is typical of how many modern commentators have interpreted Trumps frequent outbursts. Whether he is threatening China, intimidating businesses, or humiliating other TV celebrities some share a sentiment that Trumps blustering might be managed, ignored, and worked around. But we should temper that assumption as the behaviour of Trump  like the Kaiser  can have meaningful consequences.

First, foreign policy by stream of consciousness may be ignored by diplomats but it will not be ignored by domestic audiences. For instance, during his reign the Kaiser allowed his peevish envy of Britain to ruin Germanys image with ordinary Britons. In an infamous 1908 interview with the Daily Telegraph the Kaiser explained that Germany could have attacked Britain during the Boer War but he had decided against it, that Britains success in that war was due to a secret plan of his own devising, and that one day Britain would rely on Germany for its naval security. Such a blatant insult to British ability and strength provoked outrage in the UK and could not be simply swept under the rug. In response to domestic outcry British foreign policy hardened against Germany. The Kaisers chancellor lamented that this interview demonstrated more than any previous manifestation of the kind, the Emperors intellectual extravagance, his incoherent regard of facts, his complete lack of political moderation and balance, combined with an excessive urge towards display.

Likewise, Trumps supporters may hope that other world leaders will ignore Trumps excesses but this assumes they do not have foreign publics they must placate. Whether they wish to or not, they may feel the need to add fuel to the fires he lights.

 Chuck Schumer says that either way these wire-tapping allegations are bad news for Donald Trump

Second, an unconstrained narcissist in power is dangerous as narcissists are easily manipulated. Despite disliking him, British Foreign Office mandarins soon understood that if they wished to get on the militarily-obsessed Kaisers good side  he often changed uniform six times a day  they only had to make him an honorary member of a military regiment. But the Kaisers naivete was also exploited in more nefarious ways. In 1905 the German chancellor convinced Wilhelm that his long held wish to visit Tangiers (in French protected Morocco) would be politically insignificant. On the contrary, it triggered a major great power crisis that resulted in the solidifying of an increasingly antagonistic Anglo-French alliance.

Trump may be equally susceptible to such manipulation; some report that his decision to suddenly break with four decades of bipartisan policy on China may have been encouraged by a pro-Taiwan lobby group. Increasingly, the evidence suggests that the new president is susceptible to the machinations of self-interested actors, both foreign and domestic.

Third, volatile and bombastic leadership is inherently bad for foreign policy. The Kaisers Germany was incredibly powerful but it was not invincible. Her exposed position in the centre of Europe could only be guaranteed by supporting Austria-Hungary, securing Russian cooperation regarding France, and by ensuring British indifference to Germanys existence. These policies required careful management and diplomatic circumspection. The Kaiser possessed neither. He did not wish Germany to simply exist; he wished it  in the words of one chancellor  to have its place in the sun. This policy of Weltpolitik was as destabilising as it was self-defeating. By refusing to accept the limits of German influence, the Kaiser drove the French and Russians together. By deciding to commit Germany to an expensive and strategically bankrupt policy of naval build-up he made an irascible foe of its traditional ally, Britain. In short, by wishing to make Germany great again the Kaiser set it on the path toward self-immolation.

The current American-led system faces similar dangers with Trump at its helm. Undoubtedly the modern architecture of international politics is far more durable than that of 19th century, mediated as it is through institutions such as NATO, the WTO, and the UN. Yet this architecture is still fundamentally dependent one key principle: that the US can be trusted. And in his narrow desire to put "America First", Trump looks certain to demolish this principle. Trump supporters encourage people not to take everything Trump says seriously but the rest of the world cannot take that chance. Whether Trump is exaggerating US ambivalence to NATO or not, Europeans cannot wait to figure this out and will have to ensure their interests.

Similarly, perhaps Trump is sincere when he changed his position on the One China policy or maybe he is not. Either way, China is now rattled. Indeed, his cavalier attitude has already worried Japan, emboldened Iranian hardliners, and of course, played into Russian strategic designs.

Such reckless leadership may get its comeuppance. When Archduke Franz Ferdinand was murdered by Serbian terrorists in June 1914 the impetuous Kaiser issued the infamous blank check: a promise to support any action that Austria-Hungary chose to undertake regardless of the consequences. The next day he went yachting for three weeks. Meanwhile, Austrian-Hungarian generals and foreign governments took his guarantee literally not symbolically and began planning accordingly. By the time the Kaiser realised his error and tried to rescind the check it was too late. The wheels of war were already in motion and Europe was to begin its thirty-year plunge into darkness.

What the Kaiser had realised, far too late, was that what he said and did mattered, whether he meant it to or not. Let us hope President Trump learns this lesson far sooner.

David Banks is a professorial lecturer at American University, Washington where he focuses on international order, great power politics, and diplomacy
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For a White House that so disdains the media, it sure spends a lot of time obsessing about it. After the giant sigh of relief that met President Donald Trumps speech to Congress a week ago, the unveiling of a pared-back Muslim-majority country travel ban was put back to allow the glow to linger a little longer. But that went out the window twenty four hours later with the revelations that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had lied about meeting with the Russian ambassador.

Rendered apoplectic, not least by Mr Sessions decision (cowardly, in his view) to recuse himself from all further investigation into alleged Russian meddling in last years election, Mr Trump then found a way to change that conversation again by making the explosive claim in a series of Tweets on Saturday morning that his predecessor, Barack Obama, had ordered the wiretapping of Trump Tower in October without offering any evidence to support it.

Come Monday, unveiling the revised travel ban seemed suddenly, if not to Trump himself, then certainly to his frazzled aides, like a good idea again. Trump was kept off the airwaves, as three grey-haired cabinet members, led by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, soberly presented a new executive order that removed Iraq from the list of affected countries and had otherwise been tweaked in hopes the courts wouldnt blow it up again.

This is the pinball reality of Washington nowadays  multiple metal balls ricocheting in all directions, unleashed by an intemperate and gleeful player-in-chief, all accompanied by a non-stop cacophony of bells, klaxons and flashing lights. No one can hope to keep up and no one can tell yet if the score he is piling up in spinning neon digits is impressively high or disastrously low. But to Trump, all that matters for the moment is the racket and the motion.

 Trump spokesperson complains everyone believes Obama and no one believes Trump

His Towergate play on Saturday was especially diabolical, one more masterstroke of distraction to add to a long list of them. Like the time he said millions had voted illegally when he was forced to confront the fact that he had lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by a mile. Or the time he claimed record crowds for his inauguration when the rest of us were looking at photographs of empty fields.

But this was especially wanton. Such an assertion demanded some crumb of proof. He surely knew no president  even he  has the legal authority to order secret surveillance of a political rival. It would require a green light from a judge or a court. That, moreover, would only be given if credible evidence were already present to suggest that indeed the Trump campaign had colluded with a foreign power to subvert the election. Is that where Trump wants this to go?

So there we are then. This time Trump really blew it. His most trusted officials have been unable to contend that their boss had the faintest idea what he was talking about when he made those Tweets, which included the description of Mr Obama as bad and sick. Most extraordinary were reports that James Comey, the FBI director, had asked the Justice Department publicly to repudiate them as pure nonsense. Less than six weeks into his first term, the law-and-order President has triggered mutiny from the very top of his most important law-and-order agency.

Yet, we can barely count the times we have declared with great certitude that Trump had finally crossed a line only to find it had been drawn in disappearing ink. That Access Hollywood tape about Trumps boasting of sexual predation was the death of his campaign until it wasnt.

So, we must pull ourselves in check. Trump doesnt ignore the rules just because he likes to or even just because he knows his supporters want him to. Nor is it just that he knows he wont get punished for doing it, at least not any time soon. His reasons for breaking the rules are often more complicated and more devious. With this tirade, for instance, he didnt just change the subject, he scrambled it, a trick completed when the White House asked Congress at the weekend to include consideration of the Obama administration breaking anti-snooping rules, including possible wire-tapping of Trump Tower, in its incoming investigations into possible Trump-Russia ties. Plenty of Republicans have already said they will go along.

Thus several things have happened. Now when the subject comes up of Russia and Trump, the default response of Trumps supporters, at least, will be be, Ah, but look at how much worse Obama was. Its like the school bully responding to being told off for some random act of violence by concocting something much worse about someone else in the playground. In the meantime, any White House official who is asked to offer substantiation for this Saturday mornings Tweets can now shrug and say it is a matter for Congress to sort out.

 Chuck Schumer says that either way these wire-tapping allegations are bad news for Donald Trump

Clearly Trump reacts to things on impulse, often with the help of Twitter. The Sessions affair was the last straw. For days, he had been fuming about endless leaks meant to harm him and the medias appetite for them. On Saturday he let off steam, and the immediate fall-out may actually have been positive for him. Indeed, by all accounts, he remains quite unrepentant about them.

But wait. Trump may not have been as clever as he thinks. Having your FBI chief give you a public spanking is not clever. Giving Congress reason to expand, not narrow, its probes into your possible collusions with Russia during and after last years election is not clever. And if you have any desire to broaden your support and rescue your approval ratings, calling your popular predecessor a crook is definitely not clever. Even the Kremlin on Monday was desperately trying to distance itself from the whole mess that the topic has become in Washington.

He may not see any of this yet, but he will eventually. This will seem like wishful thinking to some, but the day will come when Trumps magic bottle of disappearing ink runs empty.
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Recent research from the University of the Bloody Obvious, or in this case the University of Pittsburgh, has warned that social media is making us feel lonely. Well, what a breakthrough. Who knew that perusing 10, 20 or even 30 riotous Facebook pictures of a colleagues Saturday night house party  to which you definitely werent invited  causes Sunday-long existential angst? Or that Instagram updates of neatly cropped, flatteringly filtered friendship squads leave most onlookers feeling relatively chumless?

Who spotted that Twitter connects people, until a minuscule difference of opinion occurs, about Brexit or the NHS (always, always the bloody NHS) when theyre pruned from ones ether? We all did. In fact, the modern phenomenon of digital detoxes and going off-grid is largely a reaction to how sodding miserable it makes us to have everyones synthetically staged happiness thrust in our faces.

Nevertheless, researchers at Pittsburgh studied 1,787 adults aged 19 to 32 over the use of 11 social media sites: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google Plus, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Vine and LinkedIn.

Ill suspend disbelief for a moment that anyone on LinkedIn is ever allowed to be lonely. Its entire modus operandi is haranguing you to re-connect with distant acquaintances who dry-humped you after a regional sales prize-giving in 2003. Or that Pinterest users crave actual breathing social contact when we all know they prefer to sit alone, waiting for death, in a room that smells of guinea pig bedding, pinning endless photos of Audrey Hepburn to a virtual scrapbook.

But regardless of these quibbles, researchers found that people who visited all of these 11 sites more than 58 times per week were three times more likely to experience loneliness than those who went online less than nine times per week.

Social media pet stars Show all 4 1 /4 Social media pet stars Social media pet stars Boo, the "cutest dog in the world" Boo becomes the Official Pet Liaison for Virgin America Airlines Social media pet stars Toast, the rescued King Charles Spaniel Canine Instagram star Toast is the New Face of Karen Walker eyewear Social media pet stars Bodhi, the most stylish dog in the world Bodhi, a six year old Shiba Inu has become an internet sensation after getting paid work as a menswear model for clothing lines such as Salvatore Ferragamo, ASOS and Coach. Here fpr Victorinox Swiss Army Social media pet stars Chloe, the Mini Frenchie Chloe has done shoots for Martha Stewart and Barneys;

I wish 58 visits per week felt like a lot, but, being very honest, for large swathes of the British population, myself included, 58 scans through Twitter is merely me, this morning, discussing the Channel 5 show Cruising with Jane MacDonald. A play around with Twitter combined with some Instagram snooping and my WhatsApp groups make for a rip-roaring day filled with thrills, intrigue and gossip, without actually moving anywhere further than the toilet and fridge. And thats only one manoeuvre less than being an Exceptional Risk Category A prisoner.

We are inherently social creatures, but modern life tends to compartmentalise us instead of bringing us together, says lead scientist Professor Brian Primack, from the University of Pittsburghs School of Medicine. While it may seem that social media presents opportunities to fill that social void, I think this study suggests that it may not be the solution people were hoping for.

And this is perhaps one of our greatest modern dilemmas: how social media seems. It seems to keep us cerebrally busy. It helps us build a personal brand. It catapults us into the epicentre of everyday friendship dramas. It never ever lets us be truly alone.

In fact it seems to have made all the vital tenets of human existence simply much zingier. But as Morrissey once said, in a time of second-class stamps and meeting through the NME small ads, If youre so very entertaining, why are you on your own tonight? Its a line with even more relevance today.

All of us who lived before social media, the great unifier, know the things we have lost. Pre Facebook, that pernicious FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) which now blights our weekends was minimal. It was there, yes, but not assaulting us to the point of depression.

All Mothers Day look at my kin attention seeking was distinctly subdued too. No ones perfect Christmas was broadcast on Periscope. Pre-Reddit, pre-Instagram, finding someone to chat to about culture, music, politics involved finding clean clothes, taking a bus somewhere and dealing with a lot of people in a pub or church hall.

 Edward Snowden addresses Facebook fake news claims

More impromptu pub goings, pizza nights and pop-arounds happened. I saw more people I didnt care about, but I saw more human beings nevertheless. Crucially, I had more of a real sense how my friends were actually doing. Its often struck me that social media is full of lonely, sad people doing a brilliant job of sounding OK and perfectly fine people hoovering up everyones attention via faking being sad.

Of course, there is a huge element of I remember when all this was fields about any rumination on the internet. It will be for the younger generations to rise up and rebel against constant connectivity. The most enlightened types by 2050, I think, will be humans who can flip between constant media stimulation and digital detox without clinging and craving. I have little hope of this happening soon.

A constant cause of argument among the extended Dent family right now is the lip-syncing-based social network Music.ly. This connects children via the sharing of pouting, preening six-second clips, performed in the squeaky manner of one of Alvins Chipmunks. Hearts are doled out in mutual admiration.

All childhood loneliness is banished, replaced by constant, never-ending attention and the quest for followers, even fame. It is, roughly speaking, the Japanese knotweed of kids social media: invasive, harmful and a thorough nuisance. But as I say, I remember when all this was fields.
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Thank you to Peyvand Khorsandi for his reminder of our government's shameful reluctance to secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe from Iranian imprisonment.

I was interested to hear that her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, has said that the government has never once criticised Irans treatment of Nazanin, and abuse of her human rights, nor the arbitrary nature of her detention and trial, and that his MP has repeatedly been denied a meeting with Boris Johnson.

When Trump tweeted his policy to ban US entry to Muslims from selected countries, Johnson pompously tweeted in response: We will protect the rights and freedoms of UK nationals home and abroad. Divisive and wrong to stigmatise because of nationality. This fine sentiment prompted me to ask him what exactly he was doing to protect the rights and freedoms of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

In response, the FCO claimed to be supporting Nazanins family, although this seems highly questionable in the light of Ratcliffe's reported comments. They also said that they continue to raise the issue with Tehran. Id like to think this was diplomatic code for working tirelessly behind the scenes but Im afraid it is more likely a brush off.

I am so desperately sorry for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her family and the nightmare in which they find themselves. Boris Johnson should find some moral courage and, just for once, use his high office to benefit someone other than himself.

Beryl Wall London, W4

Do the SNP really represent Scotland?

The difficult position Nicola Sturgeon finds herself in is all of her own making. The latest opinion poll shows even more Scots are against the thought of an independence referendum than before, with perhaps a two to one majority wanting no more referendums until at least the outcome of Brexit is fully understood.

Previously the First Minister reassured us there would be not be another referendum unless we wanted one. Yet the Scottish National Partys absolute focus on engineering a second referendum off the back of the Brexit result has led her to the point where the SNP faithful expect it to be announced at their spring conference in two weeks time. So what matters most, the people of Scotland or the SNPs ambition?

Keith Howell West Linton

Theresa May needs a new speechwriter

In her speech last week to the Scottish Tories, Theresa May said The EU comes third after the rest of the UK, and the rest of the world as a market for Scottish goods. This line was repeated by Ruth Davidson in a TV interview at the weekend.

Given that they haven't even started to think about it yet, the 164 countries that make up the rest of the world (USA, North Korea, Lesotho, Bhutan, etc) are clearly a long way from establishing a single economic area.

It may be politically appealing for the Conservatives to divide the world neatly into three markets  the UK, the EU and all the others  to create the impression that the EU is Scotlands least important market, but it is so strikingly absurd that it is was astonishing to hear it coming from the mouth of a British Prime Minister.

When presented with this kind of nonsense in a draft speech, an economically literate politician should know strike it out immediately, and to reflect on possibility that she might need a new speechwriter.

Simon Horner Fife

Nationality has never been an issue for my family  until now

I applaud the Independents decision to publish letters from EU citizens describing their Brexit-related fears (I will not be used as a bargaining chip in the Brexit negotiations, 2 March 2017). Recent political events and decisions have inflicted wounds that will be difficult to heal and even harder to forget. Here is a short summary of my own journey:

I arrived in this country on a grey October morning, my car packed full of the things that I hoped would make my start in my new chosen country feel less daunting. I was full of hope and eager to start my studies in environmental biology at Swansea University. That morning, I had no plans that went beyond finding my student accommodation and meeting some of my fellow students. I had no plans to stay on after my studies, just as I had no plans to leave, either. I was young and pretended to be fearless. Soon, and like so many before me, I fell in love with the county, the scenery and the people. Dylan Thomas' "ugly lovely town" became my world as well.

Both of my sons are Welsh and have Welsh middle names. I consider myself European, so much so that I never even taught my children German. In my eyes, it would have only served to highlight differences between them and their playmates. I never even registered them as German citizens.

Why would I? In the past, when people emigrated to a different country, they often knew they were unlikely to return, forcing them to embrace their new home. That is how I felt when I embraced this country. As far as I was concerned, I had emigrated from my country of birth not to live with one foot in the past, but to plant both of my feet firmly in my country of choice.

The children were still very young, and I was in the first year of my PhD, when I divorced their father. In spite of all the difficulties that ensued, from the ex-husband trying every ruse in the book to get round paying child maintenance to the Child Support Agency failing me at every step of the process, I never once considered leaving this country. My life and that of my children was here and, in spite of the troubles this decision caused me over the years, I felt I had no right to remove the children from their father or their extended family.

I have always put my children first, which also means I put my career second, working to live rather than living to work. The fact that my children are such high achievers (one now at Cambridge, the other one not far behind) and confident young men tells me that was the right decision for us. Now, with the government's decision to treat EU citizens as pawns in a sick game of one-upmanship that nobody else in the EU has any intention of playing, I have to worry whether this will be fashioned into the administrative noose that will bring my life as I know it to an abrupt stop: those four years I spent as a stay-at-home mum when the children were born and may not have earned enough; those years as a PhD student, which I entered in order to become the main breadwinner and during which I did not have comprehensive private health insurance because nobody ever pointed out this might be necessary; the decision to change careers, to go freelance so that I might have the flexibility to be there for my children during their formative years, which resulted in a drop in my income. Will the only country that is home to me reject me and separate me from my children?

Instead of rejecting recent political decisions for their sheer nefariousness, some people have helpfully suggested that I should probably have applied for British citizenship at some point during my 26 years in this country, as if that had changed anything for my children or myself. I never had a problem with the fact that I was born in a different country to my children, and still do not. It is part of my personal history, the path which brought me here and made me the person I am. Similarly, my children still only have British nationality and British passports. After all, this is our home and we belong together. Nationality was never an issue for us. Until now.

Karen Schafheutle Address supplied

The Labour Party need to unite

Division have arisen again in the Labour Party after the by-election defeat in Copeland. It was a devastating result for the Labour Party.

This turned the focus on Jeremy Corbyns leadership and the cry rose again for his resignation.

In fact the issue in Copeland was more to do with Brexit than anything else. The key fault line in Labour Party is the in-fighting within its own ranks.

What both sides say is exaggerated or biased and does not solve the problem rather it acerbates it.

Now is the time for the Labour Party to roll up its sleeves, close ranks and move forward. It should concentrate on working on policies on NHS, education, environment, economy, housing, energy, transport, trade unions, foreign affairs and defence rather than indulging in petty politics which has been going on for quite a while. This is counter-productive and regressive step. It is time to rebuild and re-connect with the voters and not finding scapegoats.

Baldev Sharma Harrow

A snap general election would be terrible for the Tories

Anthony Rodriguez (Letters) suggests Theresa May should call a snap election to kill several pesky birds with one stone and put the boot into Miller, Juncker, Sturgeon, the Lords, Labour et al.

In fact I suspect May has come to the conclusion that shes better off with a small majority and a fractured opposition than scores more looney Brexiteers on her back benches.

Reverend John Cameron St Andrews
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When it comes to geopolitics, we tend to prefer black-and-white analyses to infinite shades of grey. We like a world that is neatly split into developed and developing countries; and one in which foreign nations are identified as either allies or enemies.

The last year has challenged such neat categorisations. Following the EU referendum, Britains relationship with the rest of Europe continues to be recalibrated. Donald Trumps triumphant White House run, meanwhile, has led many to question whether the special relationship between the UK and the US is really so desirable. And with economic growth in Britain still stultifyingly slow, it is easy to forget that this country is supposed to be one of the planets economic powerhouses. As for the Middle East, Isis remains a constant evil in the midst of ever-changing line-ups of nasty rogue groups, religious and ethnic militias and national armies.

Thank goodness then for North Korea. Whatever else happens, we can be sure that in Pyongyang there are baddies who appear to conform so closely to stereotype that their portrayal in the 2004 Team America: World Police movie seemed more documentary than parody.

The latest launch of four ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan fits into a familiar narrative: North Korea, the worlds most isolationist nation, seeks to advance its military technology; weapons tests are accompanied by highly charged rhetoric against real or imagined enemies; global condemnation is followed by debates about how the international community should respond.

North Korea Prison Camps Show all 7 1 /7 North Korea Prison Camps North Korea Prison Camps An overview of Camp 25 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps The administration area of Camp 15 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps A water treatment system in Camp 25 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps Crop fields and, inset, prisoners in Camp 25 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps The reported crematorium in Camp 25 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps A possible mine Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps A walled compound in Camp 15 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe

In Western media coverage, there is particular focus on how far an armed North Korean rocket could travel. Kim Jong-uns regular invocation of America as his countrys greatest enemy means that any hint of his military bringing US targets within reach has especial resonance. And to an extent that is entirely understandable. North Koreas leader is such a maverick that Americans and Europeans are right to be concerned at the possibility of his armies being able to strike a blow against the West.

Yet there is also a danger in over-simplifying the cartoonish nature of Kim Jong-un. Much as we may find it easier to think of him sitting at the barbers, stroking an over-sized cat and plotting unlikely nuclear attacks against New York and London, by doing so we can end up overlooking the more plausible threats he poses to neighbouring states, and  perhaps even worse  the everyday bleakness his regime imposes on his own people. Similarly, the apparently outlandish assassination of Kims half-brother in Malaysia last month might have added to the rogue mystique of North Korea, but it shouldnt blind us to the grim reality of life for hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens in the country.

A UN report in 2014 concluded that Pyonyangs systematic abuses against its own citizens are unparalleled in the modern world. Torture, imprisonment and execution are regular features of the North Korean landscape; starvation is used as a deliberate tactic to maintain order; freedom of thought and speech is pretty much non-existent. High-profile traitors may occasionally be obliterated in a fury of artillery fire but tens of thousands political prisoners or other undesirables are simply disappeared. Actual warzones aside, there is surely no more terrifying place in the world to live.

 Abe and Trump condemn North Korea's latest missile launch

And if one hazard of fixating on Kim Jong-uns latest missile test or anti-American outburst is that we discount the true horrors of his domestic controls, another is that we fail to see that baddies come in all shapes and sizes. Kim, after all, sits on an obvious spectrum with other totalitarian leaders. Paranoia about traitors in his midst, an obsession with racial purity and his overt militarism are redolent of the grossest excesses of the Nazis or Stalins USSR. But what if the bigger dangers to the world were posed by less ostentatious rogues?

True, Vladimir Putins threat isnt exactly beneath the radar but he is no maverick in the Kim mould  and while Pyongyang cant as yet deliver a nuclear warhead on a missile, Putin has a couple of thousand such weapons ready to fire. China, meanwhile, has the biggest active military in the world and its expansionist policies in the South China Sea could very easily become a flashpoint  but its leaders are dull, so why worry?

And then of course there is the one global leader who can rival Kim in the eccentricity stakes: our new friend in the White House. But of course, hes American; and they are never the bad guys. Are they?
'Anyone living in Dublin knows that there are major issues affecting the city.' (Stock picture)

Dublin is neither ready to face the economic challenges posed by Brexit - nor fit to take advantage of some its opportunities.

That is the conclusion of a new report which has examined the consequences for the capital when the United Kingdom quits the European Union inside the next two years.

The report is based on a major conference held in Dublin last July, just weeks after the Brexit referendum result on June 23.

It warns that lack of infrastructure, especially a housing shortage and high rents, will limit Dublin's capacity to respond to Brexit.

Fianna Fail city councillor Paul McAuliffe, a driving force behind the report said problems also extended to roads and traffic management as well as social amenities.

"Simply put, if positive economic winds blow in the right direction, Dublin City's sails are at half mast, and we aren't ready to capitalise on the opportunities that may arise," Cllr McAuliffe said.

"The city is creaking at the first sign of economic growth.

"Anyone living in Dublin knows that there are major issues affecting the city. Over the last six years, central government has failed to invest in transport infrastructure, education, and social amenities," he added.

"Standing still isn't good enough. We require increased investment with regard to housing, transport, and hotel and office space."

Councillor McAuliffe said Dublin could, and would, seize economic opportunities when the UK left the European Union.

However, he added that there could be no doubting the sheer number of challenges the city faces.
Brexit has cast doubt over the security of the gas Ireland imports from Britain. Photo: Thinkstock

Two big Irish energy projects designed to reduce dependence on Britain are set to benefit from EU funding amid efforts to ease the impact of Brexit.

Brexit has cast doubt over the security of the gas Ireland imports from Britain. As an EU member, Ireland is not allowed to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement.

The Government has thrown its weight behind two new energy import projects: EirGrid and Reseau de Transport d'Electricite Ireland-France electricity link, and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal proposed by a private investment vehicle that took over the project from US energy giant Hess.

"Because all of our electricity and gas interconnections are with Britain, it would be irresponsible of us not to explore all other options," Energy Minister Denis Naughten said.

"We will be available and will assist," he added, saying that the projects may seek funding from Ireland's Strategic Investment Fund.

The European Investment Bank (EIB), which invested some 800m in Ireland last year, said it would be interested in lending money to support the Ireland-France electricity link, also known as the Celtic Interconnector.

"The EIB is very conscious that Ireland is uniquely exposed to the economic consequences of Brexit," EIB vice-president Andrew McDowell said.

"The need to show tangible European support for Ireland is becoming more pressing."

EirGrid said it was focusing on evaluating the cost of the Celtic Interconnector and would concentrate on funding arrangements later. A spokesman for the Shannon LNG project said the company was evaluating its funding options.

Ireland's energy dependence on Britain puts it in a sticky position at Brexit talks. On one hand, a deal that allows Britain maintain its trade ties would mean less interruption to our energy supplies. On the other, Ireland needs to align itself with its EU allies, who can afford a much tougher stance.

Experts are concerned Brexit could jeopardise plans to join the Irish and Northern Irish electricity markets by the end of this year, a project to create a unified Irish electricity market in line with EU legislation.
A new multi-million euro laboratory, which is being constructed by the Department of Agriculture to handle serious animal disease outbreaks such as Foot and Mouth, has run over budget before completion.

The new lab, which the Department is building in collaboration with the Office of Public Works, is a high containment laboratory at Backweston and is designed to enhance Irelands capability to diagnose of exotic viral diseases of farmed animals.

The Department made the decision to upgrade a pre-existing laboratory space within its Backweston Laboratory Complex, in Dublin on the back of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in the UK in 2007 attributable to an escape of live virus from a facility in Pirbright.

A specialist US engineering firm was contracted to carry out the works and ensure the integrity of the design and to have confidence that the project would deliver a facility to the required certified standard.

The tendered cost of the main building works were 4.9m excluding VAT.

However, the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed, confirmed this week that during the construction works an underlying issue in the fabric of the original building was discovered.

Although this does not affect the stability of the structure, it had the potential to compromise containment, he said.

The Minster confirmed that the engineering solution to rectify this problem and the associated project delays have cost an additional 219,572.

He said building works are currently scheduled to be completed in early May 2017.

On completion we will have the laboratory infrastructure required for safe, rapid and reliable laboratory diagnosis of exotic viral disease  this self-reliance constitutes a critical support for our expanding, export-dependent livestock sectors, he said.

The overrun comes as the Department has tasked a working group, led by Prof. Alan Reilly, and comprising senior officials with undertaking a review of its laboratory services, including both its Central Laboratory complex in Backweston, Co. Kildare and its network of Regional Laboratories in Athlone, Cork, Kilkenny, Limerick and Sligo.

The Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed has said that a cost-benefit analysis will inform future decisions by his Department into the future of its Regional Laboratories.

Fears have been raised that the review could see a number of regional laboratories close.
Glanbia shares are trading near record highs following the recent announcement of major restructuring of the groups dairy division.

Glanbia PLC shares are now trading at over 18/share levels not seen since February of last year. Glanbia shares have recovered significantly from lows of 14/share in November of 2016.

The share price moves clearly signal backing from the market for Glanbias plans for the co-op to buy a 60pc share of Dairy Ireland in a deal worth 112m.

Dairy Ireland is comprised of two businesses. Consumer Products is a supplier of branded consumer dairy products to the Irish market and long-life products for export.

Agribusiness supplies inputs to the Irish agriculture sector and is the leading purchaser and processor of grain and the leading manufacturer of branded animal feed in Ireland.

Glanbia Co-op and Glanbia plc are to form a new entity, Glanbia Ireland, combining Glanbia Ingredients Ireland, Glanbia Consumer Products and Glanbia Agribusiness, as a joint venture 60pc owned by Glanbia Co-op and 40% owned by Glanbia plc.

This, it says builds on the successful Glanbia Ingredients Ireland (GII) joint venture established in 2012.

Farmers across south Leinster and east Munster will share average windfalls of more than 10,000 if they back the plans which will create a 1.5bn business that will include Glanbia's Irish consumer brands such as Avonmore and Kilmeaden.

Almost 15,000 Glanbia Co-op farmers will split a 105m windfall if the deal goes ahead. Based on a price of 17.13 a share, that will see co-op members with an average shareholding receive about 6,600 worth of shares each.

However, for active dairy farmers the average payout will be close to 11,000, with smaller payments for retired Co-op members.
The Central Bank is taking measures to protect investors who are involved with Contracts for Difference (CFDs).

The Bank has published a new consultation paper that discusses its concerns about the use of CFDs and outlines current measures under consideration that would protect the interests of retail clients.

CFDs are complex, leveraged, derivative instruments which enable investors to speculate on the short-term price movements of an underlying asset.

Options under consideration include the prohibition of the sale or distribution of CFDs to retail clients in and from Ireland and the implementation of enhanced investor protection measures.

CFDs are complex products which are widely advertised to the retail mass market in an online setting, , Michael Hodson, Director of Asset Management Supervision at the Central Bank.

It is timely for the Central Bank to take further and decisive action in relation to CFDs given the evidence that the probability of loss for consumers is very high, Mr Hodson added.
Irish businesses looking to expand to Britain are being offered free office space in the heart of London with the launch of telecoms company Magnet Networks' BrEntry initiative.

Launchpad For London will see 10 Irish companies establish themselves rent-free in London's new smart city at Wembley Park.

"With Brexit dominating the news, it is easy to forget that Britain is our largest trading partner and offers better access to funders, a better attitude to risk and a massive market for many Irish firms," Magnet Networks chief executive Mark Kellett said.

"The 10 Irish companies who base themselves at Magnet's headquarters at York House in the smart city will pay no rent for four months...they will have the fastest connection available, direct fibre optic connections from Ireland to their London desks and access to one of the largest internet of things and smart city test beds in the world," he added.

We are inviting interested companies to log on to launchpadforlondon.ie and complete the simple entry form before Monday April 10.

Enterprise Ireland's regional director for the UK and northern Europe, Marina Donohoe, praised the initiative for focusing on the importance of having a UK presence in a post-Brexit Europe. She said the UK would continue to be the largest export market for Enterprise Ireland client companies for the foreseeable future.
When sisters Malindi and Elena Demery from Blackrock, launched Freddy Ireland two years ago, they knew that they were on to a winner -but they had no idea just how fast customers would take to the flattering Italian brand.

"The great thing about Freddys, which everyone loves, is that they fit everyone -they are not just restricted to a size six and they fit all shapes," Malindi (25) said. "When we started we just did low waist and it was constricting to one market from maybe the 16 to 30 age group. Then we had so much interest in doing a higher-waist style that we actually asked the company to produce them and now that is their biggest seller. So last year we did mid-waist and this year we have done high waist and now our market is actually from the ages of about 16 to 60 plus - it has completely expanded."

Freddy Clothing is the brainchild of Italian designer Carlo Freddy and has been well known in Italy for almost 30 years. The brand is famed for its comfort and flattering design, which involves patented technology and produces a push-up and modelling effect on the buttock and thigh areas, thanks to ultra-light silicon membranes in the fabric.

"They are so comfortable. I haven't worn a different brand of jeans now in over three years because they are just unbelievable," Elena (21) said. The Demery sisters are at a unique advantage in terms of brand distribution - they are their own target customers and business has always been in their blood.

Malindi, who has just graduated from IADT in Business and Entrepreneurship, says she always wanted to have her own online business.

"I wanted to have something that was different, not the next Asos.com, but a different product," she said.

Elena is currently studying Business and Management at DIT. "I have always been into fashion and Malindi has always been the business end of things, so we knew that doing something together would be great," Elena said.

And when family friend, Colman Hourihan, introduced them to Freddy, Malindi and Elena knew they had found their brand.

"We saw Freddy and knew they were different," said Elena. "They are not typical jeans. They are super-stretchy, which everyone wants. You want to feel good when you wear your jeans and not like you are bursting out of them."

From that point on, Malindi and Elena threw themselves into the business, working from the basement of their family home, before moving to a premises in Sandyford. Freddy Ireland is now based in a 3,000 sq ft premises in Fashion City, Ballymount, Co Dublin.

"We started off so small and because it was all online and we were running it from home, there were no overheads at the start," Malindi said. "We also didn't take a wage for the first year. We put every cent of profit back into buying more stock because we needed to buy more and more; it was a cycle - we would sell more, earn more, sell more again and have to stock more."

Almost immediately, Malindi and Elena began to see the long-term potential for Freddy Ireland.

"We were always working, certainly during the first year towards the long term, seeing that reward. It was hard, but it is worth it now. Our sales are up 100pc on last year," Elena said.

"We worked from the basement for the first year and the next leap then was to move to a warehouse, so last Christmas we moved up to Sandyford, but we didn't expect to grow as much as we did," Malindi said.

"By the time we got our delivery in, we actually couldn't fit it in the new warehouse. Last spring we had to look for new premises again and decided on Fashion City in Ballymount, which is so good because all of the retailers go up there weekly."

The Demery sisters' diligent work has not gone unnoticed and they recently claimed the 'Best Performance Internationally' award at the annual Freddy Clothing GTM event for the UK - a market which they only launched into over the last year.

Malindi and Elena have also recently renewed their exclusive distribution deal with Freddy Clothing for the Republic and the North for the next five years and have been granted exclusivity for the UK."We are already in 55 shops in the UK and around 50 in Ireland. We have a Freddy shop on the King's Road in Chelsea and we are opening a shop in Cheltenham in April and then hopefully a Dublin-based shop."

Both Elena and Malindi are keenly aware of how beneficial their comfort with and knowledge of social media has been in terms of Freddy's brand visibility as well as the important of online sales.

"Social media has 100pc been the most important tool for us in terms of getting the brand recognition Freddy has now; Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, that is where it is all at," Elena said.

"We watch all of the bloggers ourselves too and have made some really good connections online," Malindi added. "But a lot of the time people have come looking for us because they have seen others talking about Freddy.

"People just love it and if you buy one pair, you'll want the rest. It is just like finding a really nice sweater and wanting to buy them in all the colours available; it is the same with Freddys, you actually feel skinnier in them, more comfortable and more fashionable."

www.Freddy.ie
The opportunities and challenges for financial services firms in Limerick and the Mid-West will be explored by a group of financial services experts at a function in Dublin later this month.

The function has been organised by Capital Limerick, a group that seeks to promote Limerick's profile as an economic and social hub.

Carolanne Cunningham, Bank of America's head of legal for EMEA, will be part of a panel discussion moderated by Irish Independent business editor Donal O'Donovan.

"We want to explore the attractiveness of the Mid-West and to examine if Limerick and the Mid-West is, or can become, a viable alternative option to Dublin's IFSC, particularly in a post-Brexit era," Capital Limerick founder Clair Hayes said.
Prices for hotel rooms in Dublin rose by 15pc last year.

The capital now has the highest occupancy rates of any European city, according to a new report from financial experts PwC.

The report shows that occupancy rates in Dublin stood at 82.5pc last year. Thats ahead of London (81.3pc), Amsterdam (78pc) and Berlin (77pc).

However, Dublin was fifth when it came to the average price of rooms which came in a 105 per night.

The report said that the supply of hotel in Dublin overt the past decade has remained relatively static.

In total, the report said there were 18,500 rooms in the capital, which equates to one third of the total amount throughout Ireland.

However, it said that there were plans for 65 new hotels in the pipeline, which should add around 5,500 new rooms.

There were 66 hotels sold in Dublin last year for a total value of 800m. Perhaps significantly, the report says that Brexit could result in a reduction in the number of tourists visiting from Europe this year.
If you were a lover of the tour experience of the Jameson Distillery before the 11m investment of its new digs, at least you have the whiskey bottle chandelier to cling to.

Because everything else is different, according to Carol Quinn, Irish Distillers Archivist, and the chandeliers aren't for commercial sale just yet either.

Living up to the family motto, Sine Metu, which means 'without fear', the Bow St team essentially made a completely new venue.

"One of the most iconic pieces that was in the existing distillery was our iconic Jameson chandelier. It's constructed of Jameson bottles and I think anyone who sees it, their suggestion is 'how do I get one?'

"But absolutely everything else is different. The Jameson story stays the same but we're telling it in a much more interactive way. It will be a much more hands-on experience. We've unearthed so many different stories in our archives, the tour will be different each time you do it," she said.

Furthermore, three tours are actually on offer to tailor to the desires of those who walk through the distillery doors; The Bow St Experience, The Whiskey Makers and The Whiskey Shakers.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Pictured is Ray Dempsey, General Manager, Jameson Distillery Bow St with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Dublin Central TD Paschal Donohoe in the 'Maturation House' during the official opening of the 'Jameson Distillery Bow St. Photo Chris Bellew/ Fennell Photography. Pictured is Ray Dempsey, General Manager, Jameson Distillery Bow St with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Dublin Central TD Paschal Donohoe in the 'Maturation House' during the official opening of the 'Jameson Distillery Bow St. Photo Chris Bellew/ Fennell Photography. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Pictured is Ray Dempsey, General Manager, Jameson Distillery Bow St with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Dublin Central TD Paschal Donohoe in the 'Maturation House' during the official opening of the 'Jameson Distillery Bow St. Photo Chris Bellew/ Fennell Photography.

Ms Quinn looks after the records of John Jameson and son founded in Bow St in 1880.

All the employment records from the firm of Jameson, the generations of craftspeople who worked at the distillery, the records of the purchasing barley of the farmers who supplied to the distillery - and the records of the export and process of making whiskey - are all stored on site.

"What's new here in the Jameson display is the input of the generations of workers, many of whom live locally around the Bow St area. Without those people, Jameson wouldn't be the success story it is today," Ms Quinn told independent.ie.

"For the first time, we have a timeline, the evolution of the Jameson distillery showing highlights in the manufacture of Irish whiskey and the exports of Irish whiskey."

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Pictured is Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Dublin Central TD Paschal Donohoe, Ray Dempsey, General Manager, Jameson Distillery Bow St and Claire Tolan, Managing Director Brand Homes & Education, Irish Distillers during the official opening of the 'Jameson Distillery Bow St. Photo Chris Bellew/ Fennell Photography. Pictured is Ray Dempsey, General Manager, Jameson Distillery Bow St with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Dublin Central TD Paschal Donohoe and Carol Quinn, Irish Distillers Archivist during the official opening of the 'Jameson Distillery Bow St. Photo Chris Bellew/ Fennell Photography. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Pictured is Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Dublin Central TD Paschal Donohoe, Ray Dempsey, General Manager, Jameson Distillery Bow St and Claire Tolan, Managing Director Brand Homes & Education, Irish Distillers during the official opening of the 'Jameson Distillery Bow St. Photo Chris Bellew/ Fennell Photography.

Separate from this wall mounted timeline, each piece of furniture and tabletop holds a piece of history that lends to what the distillery call "the storytelling experience".

One such tale involves John Jameson II and his personal notebook in which he recorded the exact recipe for Jameson in 1826.

"He was very much a hands-on distiller and he was a busy man. One evening he snapped his notebook quickly, trapping grains of barley on the bindings of the notebook, where they lay for over 150 years.," said Ms Quinn.

When the notebook was conserved and the barley fell out, it was decided to send the barley for testing to the Department for Agriculture with the hope of replanting the same grain.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Pictured is Ray Dempsey, General Manager, Jameson Distillery Bow St with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Dublin Central TD Paschal Donohoe in the 'Maturation House' during the official opening of the 'Jameson Distillery Bow St. Photo Chris Bellew/ Fennell Photography. Pictured is Ray Dempsey, General Manager, Jameson Distillery Bow St with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Dublin Central TD Paschal Donohoe and Carol Quinn, Irish Distillers Archivist during the official opening of the 'Jameson Distillery Bow St. Photo Chris Bellew/ Fennell Photography. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Pictured is Ray Dempsey, General Manager, Jameson Distillery Bow St with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Dublin Central TD Paschal Donohoe in the 'Maturation House' during the official opening of the 'Jameson Distillery Bow St. Photo Chris Bellew/ Fennell Photography.

Competition to up the Irish Whiskey game is strong this year as Guinness announced its foray back into the market with the release of a new premium brand.

The Roe & Co brand has been created with a focus on letting Irish Whiskey gain a foothold in Europe as the cocktail culture reigns.

The new St. Jamess Gate distillery, will be situated close to where the George Roe and Co distillery once stood, with production expected to begin in the first half of 2019.

Speaking on behalf of Wild Geese Irish Whiskey, Andre Levy Chairman of Protege International said on Monday that while they welcome any development that contributes to the growth of Irish whiskey and its related tourism, "the Old Jameson Distillery will not serve to help grow smaller and independent Irish whiskey brands or the overall category but serves only to reinforce the dominance of Jameson in the Irish whiskey category,

The introduction of a wholesale bulk Irish whiskey market will benefit all industry participants and ultimately help smaller brands to emulate the success of Pernod Ricard and large established actors, he said.
It is becoming clear the double charging is nothing more than a sneaky subsidy for a public hospital system where costs are out of control. Stock Image

When you turn up in an A&E ward in a public hospital these days you join a queue, often a long one.

At some stage, before you get treated, you will be asked if you have a medical card, if you pay PRSI and whether you have health insurance.

Even though you are about to be treated as a public patient, in a public ward, you will be asked sign a form waiving your right to be treated as a public patient if you acknowledge that you have health cover.

One woman who went through this said she had been referred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin for a procedure as a public patient.

As the treatment was not urgent, she had decided to wait and be treated publicly, as is her right as a taxpayer.

"I was asked to sign various forms. I pointed out to the young man I was not a private patient, and I had waited 14 months. 'This is the procedure,' he assured me," she said.

"A week later the Vhi sent me a form to sign. Upon inquiry, they tell me they were billed 1,400 for this procedure." She said the practice was underhand.

Cash-strapped hospitals are charging insurers for private services they are not providing as a way of generating extra revenue.

What they are actually doing is milking private patients, despite treating them as public patients.

Patients are being advised by the hospitals that the charge is fully covered by their insurers, and there will be no cost to them at all.

But this is completely misleading, as they are paying for this indirectly through higher premiums.

They are being charged double - through their taxes, and again on their insurance cover.

When health insurance customers sign the form in public hospitals their health insurer is charged 813 a day. Those treated as public patients pay 80.

It is estimated this charge alone could be adding as much as 5pc a year to the cost of private health cover.

Up to 2014, hospitals could only charge for so-called designated beds. And just 20pc of beds in public hospitals were set aside for those with health cover.

But the law was changed. The then health minister James Reilly promised the change would only cost health insurers 30m a year.

It is now costing them, and those of us with health cover, 200m a year, according to Department of Health figures.

When health insurance customers are asked to sign the waiver form, they should ask what additional services they are going to receive.

If they are being treated as a public patient, with no private or semi-private bed and no treatment from a consultant of their choice, then they should not sign it.

It is becoming clear the double charging is nothing more than a sneaky subsidy for a public hospital system where costs are out of control. And it is a subsidy that puts those who pay for everything on the hook again.
A Californian high school that invested in Snapchats parent company five years ago has reportedly made $24m (22.6m) from selling a portion of its shares when the company listed on the New York Stock Exchange this week.

Saint Francis High School in Mountain View made the investment at the suggestion of Barry Eggers, a partner at a local investment firm called Lightspeed Venture Partners.

Mr Eggers was introduced to Snapchat by his daughter Natalie, a pupil at Saint Francis High School, and subsequently made a visit to Stanford University to meet the apps founders, Evan Spiegel and Robert Murphy.

Ten days later, Lightspeed invested $485,000 in Snap, Snapchats owner. Mr Eggers encouraged Saint Francis High School to invest a further $15,000 from a special development fund set up by a group of parents and the school's former president, according to the BBC.

Stocks in Sanp rocketed by over 44pc over the course of Thursday, the companys first day of public trading, from $17 to $24.48.

According to Reuters, an intra-day high of $26.05 on Thursday temporarily gave Snap a market value of $29.1bn.

Its been amazing for us to watch how far Evan and Bobby and Snap have come since that kitchen table conversation between my daughter and me, Mr Eggers wrote in a blog post.

The BBC reported that Saint Francis High School sold many of its shares for an approximate total of $24m when markets opened on Thursday.

Simon Chiu, the schools president, broke the momentous news in a letter to parents, thanking Mr Eggers for providing a unique investment opportunity.

The school, which currently charges tuition of $17,370 a year according to its website, plans to use the return on its investment to make Catholic education more affordable and accessible to our community.
Eyebrows may have been raised worldwide by Donald Trump's selection of oil-drilling advocate Rick Perry as his energy secretary, and of climate-change sceptic Scott Pruitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

But, these and other fossil-fuel-friendly picks may actually lead to investment opportunities in renewable energy and sustainable natural resources.

Any drop in funding from political sources represents an opportunity for investors to bridge the gap. As a result, Mr Trump's election and his climate-change-sceptic cabinet may increase the role of pension schemes and other institutional investors in this area.

Just last month, Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce legislation banning fossil fuel investment for state-sponsored investments. The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, worth over 8bn and managed by the NTMA, will fully divest from fossil fuels by 2020. This is a clear statement of intent and more countries are likely, if not obliged, to follow.

What is sustainable investing and why is it important?

Sustainable investing takes account of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors in the investment process. Traditionally, such a focus has been seen as taking an "ethical" stance, one reserved mainly for charities and university endowments. However, incorporating ESG factors actually involves a consideration of real risks likely to drive future returns.

Environmental factors, in particular, are becoming more important. Some 194 governments have signed up to the Paris Agreement, the world's first comprehensive climate accord, which commits to set a limit on global warming.

The Paris Agreement aims to lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing reliance on fossil fuels, with a longer-term target of carbon neutrality by 2050. This is likely to result in huge structural changes globally as government action to mitigate climate change could render many proven fossil fuel reserves unusable or "stranded".

It is also increasingly likely companies will have to start disclosing financial risks they face from climate change, allowing investors to value them more accurately and identify the risks and opportunities created by the transition to a lower-carbon and more sustainable economy.

Why should pension scheme trustees invest in a sustainable way?

Irish pension scheme trustees will have no choice but to address sustainable investment in the coming years.

First, regulation is set to increase, with the EU placing responsibility on pension schemes to consider ESG factors as part of their overall risk assessment, particularly risks relating to climate change and the environment. From 2019, all pension schemes will need to outline their ESG policy in their annual reports to members.

Second, as pension scheme members become more aware of climate change and sustainability issues, they are looking for sustainable fund options.

Third, there are newfound company-led pressures, as pension scheme sponsors increasingly wish to have their sustainability beliefs reflected in their pension schemes' investment strategies.

Given these pressures, Irish pension scheme trustees should:

Consider their investment beliefs on climate change and establish a policy on sustainable investing;

Review their current position and gain a better understanding of their exposure to ESG risks, particularly those related to climate change;

Have a plan in place to manage or reduce these risks.

What investment options are available?

Investing in a low-carbon index designed to track a specific index (for example, global equities), but with lower carbon footprints, can be an important first step.

However, a better option would be to consider specialist asset managers who are leaders in integrating ESG factors and long-term sustainability. A focus on sustainability should help drive long-term success of the companies held and, by extension, long-term investment results.

Rob Meaney is a senior investment consultant at Mercer
President Donald Trump, right, meets with leaders of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 27, 2017. Also at the meeting are White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, left, and Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, on the couch. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Saturday Night Live couldn't help but mock Kellyanne Conway's bizarre couch photo.

Last week, Donald Trump's advisor Kellyanne Conway was accused of lacking respect as a photo of her sitting on a couch in the Oval Office with her legs underneath her went viral.

Expand Close President Donald Trump, right, meets with leaders of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 27, 2017. Also at the meeting are White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, left, and Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, on the couch. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) / Facebook

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Whatsapp President Donald Trump, right, meets with leaders of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 27, 2017. Also at the meeting are White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, left, and Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, on the couch. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

At the weekend, SNL took aim once again at the Trump presidency by mocking the now infamous photo with comedian Kate McKinnon channeling Conway.

Kellyanne Conway is always on the job. #SNL pic.twitter.com/kOAm07u5US  Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) 5 March 2017

As the show entered an ad break, McKinnon posed as Conway by kneeling at the end of a table and tapping away on her phone.

McKinnon also impersonated attorney-general Jeff Sessions, who is currently under fire for denying he met with Russian officials during the election campaign.

Posing as Forrest Gump, McKinnon sits on a park bench with a box of chocolates as a host of celebrities join her.

"I'm the attorney-general of the whole wide United States," she said to actress Leslie Jones.

"This is my good best friend Kellyanne," she said holding a copy of the viral photo.

"She ain't got not legs. Why you got no legs, Kellyanne?"
Australian author Hannah Kent's first novel, Burial Rites, was published to much acclaim in 2013 and shortlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction. It is set in Northern Iceland of the 1820s and was inspired by a real person and real events. Agnes Magnusdottir was the last person executed in Iceland - for murder, theft and arson. Burial Rites reimagines the events leading up to Agnes's death and it is a taut, atmospheric tale, compellingly told. Kent wears the undoubted exhaustive amount of research she must have undertaken with a lightness of touch and the story itself takes absolute precedent.

The Good People, Kent's second novel, was inspired by a snippet Kent found in an archive of an English newspaper while she was researching Burial Rites. Dating from 1826, the report detailed a murder trial from Co Kerry in which the accused was acquitted after presenting a most unusual defence. Intrigued, this led Kent on another research odyssey, learning about Irish folklore and traditions, including a six week stint spent in Ireland.

The novel centres around three female characters. Nora is a widow who is grieving the sudden loss of her husband. She is also struggling to care for her young grandson Micheal, who is unable to speak or walk. There's Mary, who arrives in the Co Kerry valley just as rumours spring up that Micheal is a changeling child. And, meanwhile, Nance is a 'handywoman' - a healer in the eyes of the people, but also a threat to the new priest. The three women are united by their attempts to restore Micheal, which leads them through a dark trajectory, eventually resulting in murder.

The 'good people' of the title refers to the supernatural, to the fairies of Irish folklore. Kent's immersion and passion for her subject is evident - even the cadence of the characters' speech in the novel is exact and authentic. The Good People is quite a dense read, however, and although the writing is evocative, it's not quite as compelling as its predecessor.
Top Gear presenters, from left, Chris Harris, Matt LeBlanc and Rory Reid will visit Cuba, Montenegro, Monte Carlo and Germany for the new series (BBC/PA)

Top Gear returned to television with a trip to central Asia and a Hollywood star to kick off its new series.

The BBC Two motoring show hit the screens on Sunday night with former Friends star Matt LeBlanc in the driving seat and Chris Harris and Rory Reid joining him as co-hosts, following the departure of Chris Evans.

The last series was savaged on social media, with much of the criticism levelled at Evans's hosting style, and many wondered whether Top Gear had many miles left in the tank.

But Sunday's instalment, which featured a trip to Kazakhstan and an interview with Scottish actor James McAvoy, fared much better, with viewers saying on social media that it was a "massive improvement" and it had made "a promising start".

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"Top Gear is back how it should be!" enthused one viewer on Twitter.

"Top Gear is back and it was so sweet I could have licked it," said another.

LeBlanc, 49, was called "a natural" as a presenter and several people said the programme was better without Evans, who quit after the last series saying he gave it his best shot but that it was "not enough".

One person wrote: "5 Seconds in and new #TopGear without Chris Evans looks 9,999,999 times better already."

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Another said: "Just watched new #TopGear. Sooo much more better now that Chris Evans isn't on it! Well done, good choice!"

"The new series of #TopGear is very watchable, well done lads!! More car focused, entertaining, funny and beautifully filmed," wrote another pleased viewer.

But although there was plenty of good will for LeBlanc, the first non-British host in the programme's 40-year history, it seems there is no replacing the old trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May in the audience's hearts.

One person tweeted: "Top Gear will never be the same without @JeremyClarkson & co but new series def better than last one."

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"Still doesn't compete with Jeremy et al, but #TopGear is heaps better without Chris Evans," said another.

"Thought the new #TopGear was decent. Much better without the unbearable Chris Evans. Still not a patch on clarkson and co though," said another.
More episodes of Gilmore Girls could be on the way, Netflix boss Ted Sarandos has said.

The comedy drama, which originally ran from 2000 to 2007, returned on the streaming service for four movie-length episodes at the end of 2016.

They allowed the show's creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and executive producer Daniel Palladino to write the endings for their characters that they had always planned before they left the show at the end of its sixth series.

But now even more instalments could follow the successful revival, Netflix's chief content officer has said.

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Mr Sarandos told the Press Association: " We hope. We obviously loved the success of the show, fans loved how well it was done, it delivered what they hoped.

"The worst thing is to wait a couple of years for your favourite show to come back and for it to disappoint you but they sure delivered and people were really excited about more and we have been talking to them about the possibility of that."

Many fans called for more episodes after the cliffhanger at the end of Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life, which saw Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel return as Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter Rory, but they could have a long wait on their hands.

Mr Sarandos added that the talks with the show's creators were " very preliminary".

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British shows will be very important to the future of the streaming service following the announcement of two co-productions with the BBC, Mr Sarandos and Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings said.

The content boss said: "W e will be much more active producers of British programming. Obviously with Black Mirror, where there are new instalments coming and we are deep into production of season two of The Crown, we are doing co-productions."

One of the co-productions, Troy: Fall Of A City, will be written by The Night Manager screenwriter David Farr, and will air on BBC One in the UK but will benefit from a big injection of money from Netflix, which will have the international rights to stream it.

Mr Sarandos said: "It will probably be more lavish than it was originally perceived as now, but it's hard to believe it would be as lavish as The Crown."

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On a third instalment of the series dramatising the life of the Queen, the executive confirmed the cast, which is led by Claire Foy as the monarch and Matt Smith as the Duke of Edinburgh, will be overhauled as the timeline progresses.

He said: " It was always conceived this way that we would do the show a decade a season, going up to the current day after about six seasons and recasting along the way so that we don't have to age the cast with prosthetics and make-up and giving us the opportunity to have a fresh take of the royal family every couple of seasons."

He continued: "We do have c ast in mind (for series three) but we can't talk about it yet. We are deep into it."
The site of a mass grave for children who died in the Tuam mother and baby home, Galway. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The High Court has been urged to help a man find out what happened to his infant sister after she was born at St Mary's mother and baby home in Tuam, Co Galway.

Peter Mulryan was described by his solicitor as elderly and "extremely ill" with cancer, the court heard.

His solicitor, Kevin Higgins, said Mr Mulryan, whose infant sister Marian Bridget Mulryan is believed to be among 796 children recorded as having died in Tuam between 1925-61, was too unwell on Monday to be in court.

Mr Mulryan is extremely anxious to get whatever records exist concerning her.

He wants Tusla to look at the material it has "and see what happened to that little girl, did she die, was she trafficked or is she buried in the pit", Mr Higgins said.

Mr Mulryan (73), Derrymullen, Ballinasloe, wants leave to bring judicial review proceedings against Tusla aimed at getting any material that exists concerning his infant sister, recorded as having died in February 1955 nine months after her birth at the home.

Mr Mulryan went with his mother to the Tuam home in July 1944 and his mother later appeared to have gone to a Magdalene institution and he was "boarded out" at age four.

Tusla has said it has given Mr Mulryan any material it is aware of and has also made the records held by it available to the Commission investigating the Tuam home, which last week confirmed "significant" amounts of human remains were found there.

On Monday, Tusla reiterated it would facilitate inspection by Mr Mulryan of the material in its possession.

Mr Higgins said Mr Mulryan was too unwell to inspect the material on the date offered. Inspection offers were inadequate and extensive material held by Tusla should be forensically examined and catalogued with any relevant information give to his client.

Mr Justice Richard Humphreys had adjourned the leave application several times to clarify exactly what orders were being sought.

He also directed Tusla to write to the Bon Secours order, which operated the Tuam home, asking if it holds any burial records and, if any records existed at some stage, were they destroyed.

On Monday, Mr Higgins said he considered an April 9, 2013, letter from Sr Marie Ryan, leader of the Bon Secours in Ireland, demonstrated the Congregation knew more about what had happened to children who died there than was indicated in a letter from Sr Ryan of February 15 last.

Mr Higgins said he considered the letters showed Sr Ryan, "as is the norm for the Bon Secours sisters", "is lying through her teeth" and indicated the order knew "a lot more" more in 2013 and knew "where the babies are buried".

The general grave referred to was "the overflow cesspit" of the home wherein lies about 796 young children, he said.

An affidavit from Tusla said it holds records for mother and baby homes in the west since 2011, not 1961, he said.

Following long investigations concerning indemnities to be given, those records were handed over and Tusla "has sat on them", he said.

During exchanges with Mr Higgins, the judge said the grounds for judicial review were "a bit thin".

Mr Higgins said it was "most unfair" to tell him that now, the sixth time the matter was before the court.

The judge said he did not accept that and it was for the solicitor to get his papers in order.

He adjourned the matter for a week to allow Mr Higgins prepare an amended statement of grounds.
John Gilligan pictured with his son Darren, outside the Four Courts. Pic Frank Mc Grath

Convicted drug dealer John Gilligan and members of his family have been given three months by the Supreme Court to leave their homes, one in Co Meath and one in Blanchardstown.

This is before the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) moves to sell or lease them.

The court also granted CAB its costs against John Gilligan, his former wife Geraldine and son Darren of the appeals brought before the Supreme Court by them. Costs were not awarded against Traceu Gilligan, a daugter of the couple.

Because all the Gilligans were on legal aid for the appeals, the substantial costs of those will be funded by the State.

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The court's final orders represent the end of the Gilligans' 21 year legal battle in the Irish courts over the two houses and three other properties.

The orders were made on Monday after the Supreme Court last month dismissed the Gilligans appeals over proceeds of crime orders made in relation to some of their assets.

The Gilligans had claimed they did not receive a proper trial when assets were frozen by the State in 1996 and subsequent court rulings based on that decision were flawed or invalid.

The property included an equestrian centre at Jessbrook, Enfield, Co Meath, which John Gilligan bought and developed before he spent 17 years in prison for drug trafficking.

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Other property owned by Geraldine Gilligan and children Tracey and Darren Gilligan, was also found to be the proceeds of crime.

The properties were two houses in Lucan, one belonging to Tracey, and the house in Blanchardstown belonging to Darren.

Geraldine Gilligan and Tracey, a mother of two, had sought to be allowed stay a further two years in a house described as a cottage at Jessbrook, Co Meath.

John Gilligan and Darren sought a two year stay in relation to a house at Corduff, Blanchardstown, owned by Darren.

Their lawyers indicated their clients needed time to pursue social housing applications and have their names placed on the housing list.

Counsel for Darren and Tracey Gilligan said Darren (41) is on disability benefit while Tracey is a lone parent with two children.

Tracey has an adult daughter and a young daughter at primary school, the court heard.

There was no evidence of any criminality on the part of Tracey and the High Court had found a 20 per cent interest of hers in a property in Lucan did not represent proceeds of crime, the court was told.

Counsel for John and Geraldine Gilligan, while accepting the domestic litigation could go no further, said his clients were considering a possible appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

John Gilligan is aged 64, is not yet entitled to the State old age pension and may soon have no house to live in, counsel said.

Benedict O Fhloinn SC, for CAB, opposed a two year or any lengthy stay, arguing the litigation was prosecuted to a maximum, had gone on for a very long time and had ultimately been found to be unjustifiable.

Counsel also suggested the court could consider whether the order granting the Gilligans legal aid for their proceedings should be rescinded.

Lawyers for the Gilligans said they would strongly oppose any such application

Chief Justice Susan Denham remarked this was no more than a "floating idea" by CAB and there was no formal application before the court to rescind legal aid.

Having considered the stay and costs issues, the five judge Supreme Court said it would grant a three month stay on the orders allowing CAB take possession of the two houses at Blanchardstown and Jessbrook.

It also ruled CAB was entitled to its costs of the appeals before the Supreme Court against John, Geraldine and Darren Gilligan but not Tracey Gilligan.
John Gilligan pictured with his son Darren, outside the Four Courts. Pic Frank Mc Grath

John Gilligan pictured with his son Darren, outside the Four Courts. Pic Frank Mc Grath

John Gilligan and his family are to be landed with a legal bill in excess of 1m after being ordered to pay the legal costs of the Criminal Assets Bureau after their lengthy Supreme Court battle.

The Gilligans had appealed a High Court victory by the CAB to seize the three homes which were ruled to be the proceeds of crime, but in taking the case to the Supreme Court the legal bill of the State increased also.

Last month the Supreme Court ruled against Gilligan and CAB were awarded to right to take over the properties - one house beside the Jessbrook equestrian centre which he had previously lost, and two houses in Dublin.

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Today the CAB were awarded their costs in pursuing the case, which will be a minimum of 1m.

John (64) and his son Darren (41) were both in court today, where they made applications for themselves and on behalf of Johns wife Geraldine and daughter Tracy for a two year stay on the seizure of two of the houses.

These were the Kildare property and a house in Corduff Avenue in Dublin.

Counsel for John Gilligan said he was 64 years old and not yet eligible for a State pension and has made enquiries of housing authorities for accommodation.

He asked for the two year halt on the seizure of the house at Corduff Avenue as he soon may have no house to live in and wants to regularise his position.

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A similar application was made in respect of the house at Mucklon beside the Jessbrook equestrian centre previously seized and sold-on by the CAB.

The court heard that Geraldine and Tracy Gilligan live there and that Tracy is a single mother of two, the youngest of which is in primary school.

The court was asked to put a stay on the seizure of the house until Tracy Gilligan could find council accommodation or until her daughter finished in primary school.

After a short recess the Supreme Court panel of five judges granted a three month stay on the seizure of the houses.

After the brief hearing a spokesman for the Criminal Assets Bureau said it was satisfied with the decision.

John and Darren Gilligan declined to comment before leaving the court.
A private detective agency is facing trial accused of illegally obtaining private information from gardai as well as a Government department and passing it on to clients.

Private investigation firm Eamonn O Mordha & Co Ltd and two of its directors, husband and wife, Eamonn O Mordha (61) also known as Edward or Eddie Moore and Ann O Mordha (60) also known as Ann Moore each face 37 counts of breaching the Data Protection Act.

They are based at Limetree Avenue, in Portmarnock, Co. Dublin and are accused of disclosing unlawfully obtained information on more than 30 named people to insurance firms in 2015 and 2016.

The case had its first listing at Dublin District Court on Monday when prosecution solicitor Clare McQuillan told Judge John Brennan it was alleged that information was obtained without consent of the data controller, An Garda Siochana and Department of Social Protection.

It was a situation where the defendant company is a private investigation firm and the information was allegedly passed on to insurance companies, she said.

The firm had been carrying out surveillance and background checks on people taking personal injuries claims, Judge Brennan was told.

Mr and Mrs O Mordha are directors of the private investigation company and they are charged under Section 29 of the Data Protection Act with obtaining and passing on the information by connivance or negligence, Ms McQuillan said. The company is being prosecuted under Section 22 of the Act, she said.

They have not yet indicated how they will plead.

Defence counsel Brian Gageby applied for an adjournment for four weeks when it will be indicated if they are pleading guilty or seeking a date for a hearing. Counsel said he received a bundle of disclosure last week and needed an opportunity to go through the material.

Judge Brennan thanked the prosecution solicitor for giving the background to the case and he granted a four-week adjournment.

The prosecution has been brought by the office of the Data Protection Commissioner and each defendant faces the same allegation.

They will have to say how they will plead at their next hearing, the judge ordered.
A teenager who phoned in a hoax bomb to his local garda station because he was curious about public phone boxes has avoided a jail term.

Stephen McKeever's barrister told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that his client, then aged 18, found public phone boxes unusual and the only free number he could think of dialing was 999. When it was answered the first thing that popped into his head was a bomb and the first address he could think of was his friend's home.

Garda Shane Cahill said eight gardai were immediately sent out to the house on Thomas Davis Street, in Inchicore to investigate. He said the home-owner was shocked but after an extensive search of the house and surrounding area, gardai were satisfied it was a hoax.

McKeever (19) of Knocknarea Avenue, Driminagh, pleaded guilty to knowingly making a false report at Tyrconnell Road, Inchicore on December 13, 2015. He has 14 previous convictions, which were all dealt with in the District Court and included assault, theft and handling stolen property.

Judge Melanie Greally said she was satisfied from the evidence that McKeever was motivated by mischief rather than malice. She said it was a very serious offence that usually demanded a custodial sentence to deter others from committing the same crime.

She said considering McKeever's previous convictions, he was very much on the threshold of going to prison but accepted that he had not come to garda attention since and was a committed father to his three-month-old baby.

Judge Greally sentenced McKeever to two-and-a-half years in prison but suspended it in full on strict conditions including that he engage with the Probation Service for 12 months.

Gda Cahill told Garret Baker BL, prosecuting that it was discovered that the call came from the phone box on Tyrconnell Road and identified McKeever after getting CCTV footage from the local area.

He was arrested but nothing came out of his subsequent garda interviews. The home-owner wasn't interested in making a statement to gardai.

Gda Cahill told Kieran Kelly BL, defending that he only heard today (Monday) that McKeever was friends with the home-owner's son.

He accepted an apology that counsel said McKeever wanted to give gardai for wasting their time.

Mr Kelly said McKeever left home and school at the age of 14. He now hoped to move in with his partner and young baby.

He's hoping to improve his life and his child's own circumstances, counsel told Judge Greally.
Two men have been jailed for their involvement in an NCT scam where cars previously deemed unroadworthy were passed.

Stephen Rooney (37), Alan Richardson (28) and Vincent Brunton (34) were arrested and charged following a garda investigation in the wake of an RTE Prime Time documentary in 2011.

Today at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Gerard Griffin imposed sentences of three years with two-and-a-half years suspended on Rooney and Richardson. He suspended the entirety of a three-year term for Brunton, who he said was on the bottom rung of the ladder in the scam.

The court heard previously that Richardson, who was working as an NCT inspector, was contacted by his neighbour, Rooney, and asked to pass two Toyota Carinas. Both vehicles had previously failed the test and were scheduled for a re-test.

The men were to get 100 between them for their role although no money was ever exchanged. Richardson then asked NCT tester Brunton to pass one of the vehicles as roadworthy.

A fourth man, Darren Meehan (40) of Delemere, Enfield, Co Meath, was approached to pass the second vehicle. He received a two-and-a-half year suspended sentence last month for his role after he pleaded guilty to producing a false NCT certificate.

Rooney, of The Paddocks Grove, Adamstown, Lucan, Co Dublin pleaded guilty to one charge of forgery of an NCT certificate and one charge of corruption in that he accepted or obtained 100 as an inducement or reward for securing an NCT certificate on April 20, 2011. He has minor previous convictions dating back to 2000.

Richardson also of The Paddocks Grove, pleaded guilty to the same forgery charge and a charge of corruption in that he accepted a gift of cash from Stephen Rooney as an inducement or reward for an NCT certificate.

Brunton, of Priory Square, St Raphael's Manor, Celbridge, Co Kildare pleaded guilty to one charge of forgery, making a false NCT certificate on April 20, 2011.

Neither Richardson nor Brunton have previous convictions and it was accepted that each of the three men fully co-operated with the garda investigation and were genuinely remorseful for their involvement.

Judge Gerard Griffin adjourned the case last week after hearing the evidence. He said that the men's actions set at nought the intention of legislation to improve road safety.

He said the cars passed were evidently unroadworthy and unsafe to drive. He said this was a breach of trust and that the public was entitled to rely on the system to take unroadworthy cars off the road.

Detective Garda Sean O' Riordan told Maurice Coffey BL, prosecuting, that the Prime Time programme makers bought a 1996 Toyota Carina and 1993 Toyota Carina and had them examined by two independent mechanics who confirmed they should not pass the NCT.

In May 2011, the cars were sent in for inspection and failed. A re-test was booked and in the meantime the programme makers paid 100 to a contact so that the car would pass the re-test.

The faults identified in the first test were never rectified and in some case further damage was caused. The vehicles were presented again. Meehan and Brunton were the examiners on the re-test and passed the cars.

The cars were examined again by another mechanic following the re-test and still deemed un-roadworthy. They were crushed later that same month.

Det Gda O'Riordan agreed with Mr Coffey that it was accepted in Meehan's case that the faults on the vehicle were considered a performance issue and were not significant safety issues. He accepted the same principal could be applied to the second vehicle.

However Judge Griffin said he was not entirely satisfied with that conclusion having read the engineer reports on the cars.

Det Gda O'Riordan said the cars were destroyed before even the State could ascertain the level of danger they could have posed to other road users but the State's evidence was that the faults were not significant safety issues.

Det Gda O'Riordan said Applus Ltd, the company who have the State contract to carry out NCT testing, suffered a loss to their reputation as a result of the programme.

He said gardai were satisfied that it wasn't systemic national bad practice within the company. They launched their own internal investigation and reviewed their existing systems which was a costly exercise.

Additional evidence

John Fitzgerald BL, defending, Rooney said testimonials before the court described his client as hard-working and punctual. He said a custodial sentence would greatly affect Rooney's life with his wife and two young children, as without his current wages they wouldn't be able to afford the mortgage.

He knows the risks he has put his family in and he is determined to live a blameless life from now on, Mr Fitzgerald submitted.

Tara Burns SC, defending Richardson, said her client made his employers aware of his involvement as soon as the programme was aired. She said he offered his apologies and said it was he who had got Meehan and Brunton involved. He immediately lost his job but is back working in the motor industry.

Counsel said her client regretted the offence every day of his life. She said he was the sole bread winner for his wife and two children.

Leo Mulrooney BL defending Brunton said his client had also since returned to work as a mechanic supporting his wife and three children. He handed in a number of testimonials which described Brunton as having high level of technical skill and being a decent hard-working family man.
The site of a mass grave for children who died in the Tuam mother and baby home, Galway. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Gardai are liaising with the coroner investigating the Tuam Mother and Baby Home deaths as a full criminal investigation looks increasingly likely.

Last week, a large number of human remains in a septic tank was confirmed at the site, which was run by the Bon Secours nuns. Some relatives of children who died at the home now want full Garda involvement in the probe being undertaken by a State Commission of Investigation.

Tuam-based Minister of State at the Office of Public Works Sean Canney said it was open to the coroner for north Galway to call on the support of the gardai and any other authorities as he may deem necessary.

"If there is to be a Garda investigation, so be it. Whatever is required," he said.

Housing Minister Simon Coveney also said on RTE it was "difficult to see" why gardai would not be involved.

"I mean you look at the way in which children's bodies were literally discarded in the way what they were," he said.

Read more: 'We hang our heads in shame' - Citizens' Assembly hears response from Catholic Bishop over Tuam babies

Referring to the old septic tank and waste water installation on the site of the now demolished home, he said: "Seventeen of the 20 chambers had remains in them. It's hard to see that there wouldn't be gardai involved in the case.

"People shouldn't only be talking about the Bon Secours sisters, although obviously they do have questions to answer, but this was a site that was owned by the State," he said.

"And it is still owned by Galway County Council."

A Garda spokeswoman said yesterday that An Garda Siochana is liaising with the coroner on this matter.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Archbishop of Tuam, Michael Neary, said he was "horrified and saddened" at the "extent of the numbers" of children buried at the site of the institution.

He pledged to obtain "a dignified reinterment" of the remains in co-operation with families of the deceased.

In his homily yesterday, he said the commission's finding pointed to a time of great suffering and pain for the little ones and their mothers, which had left him "very upset".

Truth

The commission's work was "another necessary step on the path to the truth".

"I can only begin to imagine the huge emotional wrench which the mothers suffered in giving up their babies for adoption or by witnessing their death.

"Some of these young vulnerable women may already have experienced rejection by their families. The pain and brokenness which they endured is beyond our capacity to understand. It is, then, simply too difficult to comprehend their helplessness and suffering as they watched their beloved child die," Dr Neary said.

Dr Neary said the archdiocese did not have any involvement in the running of the home and so he had "no specific information on the manner of interment of remains" and that any material related to the investigation had been handed over in full to the commission.

Read more: 'I ended up in hospital covered in scabs' - abuse survivor Rosemary Adaser on life in a mother-and-baby home

The Association of Catholic Priests said the Tuam babies revelations provoked a sense of both sadness and shame.

"Sadness that the very precious, elemental relationship between mothers and their children could be so disrespected by institutions of Church and State in Ireland; and shame because as priests we are part of an institution that has played a central role in this sorry saga," said the priests' group.
Gardai have renewed their appeal for witnesses who saw or heard anything suspicious near the truck stop off the Pike Road in Fermoy around 10.30pm on February 21 to contact them. (stock photo)

Two men arrested and then released without charge over the death of a Slovakian father-of-two in Cork have insisted they acted entirely in self-defence.

The revelation came as it emerged gardai are preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) over the death of Ludovit Pastor (40) on February 21, when he suffered fatal head injuries after apparently being struck with an iron bar.

The incident occurred in darkness between two articulated trucks at a truck-stop off the Pike Road in Fermoy, Co Cork - with another parked lorry blocking the view of CCTV security cameras.

Mr Pastor died after the blow to the head.

Detectives are now trying to confirm if, as claimed by the arrested pair, Mr Pastor had confronted the men while armed with the iron bar.

The confrontation followed an earlier dispute over tobacco products being traded between the four Eastern Europeans.

Gardai believe the weapon used in the confrontation was an iron bar later found underneath a parked lorry.

The movements of four individuals - including Mr Pastor - around the Fermoy, Co Cork truck stop and filling station on the Tuesday evening were caught by other security cameras.

Gardai have renewed their appeal for witnesses who saw or heard anything suspicious near the truck stop off the Pike Road in Fermoy around 10.30pm on February 21 to contact them.

Charge

Two men, Polish truck drivers aged in their 40s and 20s, were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, February 22, for questioning about the circumstances in which Mr Pastor sustained fatal injuries.

Both men were working for a Cork-based haulage firm. They were questioned at Fermoy and Mallow garda stations before being released without charge.

The Irish Independent has learned both maintained during questioning that they were confronted by other men at the truck stop - and acted only to defend themselves.

Mr Pastor was born in Hungary but raised in Slovakia and travelled on a Slovakian passport.

He was fluent in Polish.
Students in about 400 schools where the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) represents teachers have not yet done the school-based assessment (Stock image)

The ASTI is under new pressure to ensure that about 35,000 third year pupils taught by its members are able to complete a crucial English assessment next month.

Students in about 400 schools where the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) represents teachers have not yet done the school-based assessment, which is worth 10pc of marks in the new-style Junior Certificate English exam.

While about 25,000 other pupils did what is known as the Assessment Task in December, ASTI members have refused to oversee it in their classrooms, as part of the unions opposition to junior cycle reforms.

Although the assessment is conducted in schools, it will be marked by State examiners, the latter a concession to the ASTI during negotiations on the reforms, and in recognition of union resistance to teachers grading their own students in a State exam.

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) is offering a second chance for students to sit the Assessment Task at the end of April and today published detailed guidance on how it could be done.

The strong message from the SEC guidance is that there is no justification for the ASTI not to co-operate with the Assessment Task.

According to the SEC, arrangements for the management and operation of the Assessment Task are in line with those applying for the conduct of externally-assessed course work components in a range of subjects, such as Junior Cert science or Leaving Cert history and geography.

In other words, ASTI members are already co-operating with similar assessments for other subjects  although not in the context of junior cycle reforms.

The guidance also draws a clear distinction between two different elements of the Assessment Task. It notes that the completion of the Assessment Task involves students referring to their Collection of Texts, which they have undertaken as part of their English course, and which is also used for the purpose of a classroom-based assessment.

But, it states that it is not necessary for a student's work to have been assessed by their teacher in a classroom-based assessment in order for the Assessment Task to be undertaken: The completion of the Assessment Task is a separate activity and will be marked by the SEC.

The ASTI said its governing body, the 23-member Standing Committee , would consider this matter later this week.
Education Minister Richard Bruton will deliver on a Budget commitment to restore ring-fenced guidance counselling posts to schools from September.

A political crisis was averted last week when Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and Taoiseach Enda Kenny intervened in the matter.

Two days of frantic behind-the-scenes activity ended with Mr Martin securing a written guarantee from the Department of Education about the special status of guidance counselling.

In an extraordinary turn of events, it was the Fianna Fail leader who formally delivered the reassurances to more than 400 members of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC), when he addressed its annual conference in Cork over the weekend.

Two days previously, when asked in the Dail, Mr Bruton had not been able to allay concerns being expressed by guidance counsellors and Opposition politicians.

The controversy was sparked by last week's Department of Education circular to schools on the allocation of teachers for the 2017-18 year.

There was shock and fury at what was described as its "woolly" wording, which made no specific reference to the Budget promise to restore ring-fenced - officially known as ex-quota - guidance provision in second-level schools.

Mr Martin, who made a return to ring-fenced guidance counselling a key Fianna Fail condition for supporting the minority Government, told the Taoiseach that it was "unacceptable".

Fianna Fail education spokesperson Thomas Byrne raised the matter with Mr Bruton in the Dail on Thursday, but the minister's response did not yield the required assurances.

The IGC wrote to the Department of Education expressing dismay, and stating that it had accepted the Budget announcement in good faith.

Prior to cuts imposed in 2012, guidance counsellor provision was on an ex-quota basis, which meant a separate allocation, over and above the normal teacher complement. It put an obligation on principals to deliver a minimum number of hours for guidance activities.

The loss of the ex-quota status - and 600 dedicated guidance counselling posts - led to an overall 25pc drop in time for guidance and counselling since 2012 as principals diverted counsellors to classroom teaching.

Some 400 of those 600 posts will be restored by September, and, crucially, in Budget 2017 Mr Bruton also committed to a returning them on ex-quota basis, also from September.

But a lack of clarity in the department circular last week raised hackles. Prior to 2012, such circulars were very specific about the ex-quota status of guidance counselling hours.

The detailed clarification issued to Mr Martin on Friday evening stressed that the 400 posts to be restored in September would be allocated "separately and transparently and outside of the quota on the schedule of posts".

It answers a question on whether a principal has the freedom to use some of the hours allocated to guidance for other areas with a clear "no".

The clarification also states that while schools have to make decisions as to how they allocate their resources, they are "constrained by the requirement to deliver at least the required number of hours for guidance".
Patients with health insurance are being targeted by public hospitals when they are admitted. Stock Image

Patients with health insurance are being targeted by public hospitals when they are admitted. Stock photo

Thousands of people with health insurance are paying twice when they use public hospitals, even if they end up on a trolley.

Patients with health insurance are being targeted by public hospitals when they are admitted.

They are being asked to sign a waiver form, which means they give up their right to be treated as a public patient.

Their insurer gets charged up to 800 a night, instead of 80 a night. Insurers are then passing on the charge to members in the form of higher premiums.

This is despite the fact that they are being treated in a public ward, and may have come to the public hospital from a public waiting list.

It even happens when people sign the form even though they may be stuck on a trolley, never mind getting a private room.

The Government has admitted that charging people with health cover for treatment in a public ward has raised 200m a year, a multiple of what it was initially believed the charges would generate.

However, a new survey has found that the vast majority do not know that they are being hit twice.

The survey, commissioned by Insurance Ireland, found that 65pc of people are unaware that those with health cover are now being pushed into paying twice for the use of a public hospital - through their taxes and through their health cover. The change was introduced in recent years as a way for hospitals to raise additional money.

The survey, carried out on 1,000 adults, found 81pc of those with cover who are admitted to a public hospital are now being asked to sign forms waiving their right to be treated as public patients.

The research, carried out by Ipsos/MRBI, found that 78pc of adults feel it is unacceptable to be charged twice for treatment in a public hospital.

The fact that those with health insurance who use a public hospital are having the cost charged to their insurer is pushing up the cost of premiums, experts say.

Read more: Revealed: Health insurance set to surge after secret hike in cost of overnight hospital stays

In the last two weeks, Laya Healthcare blamed the hospital charges for its move to hike the cost of 124 policies by 6pc from next month.

Insurance Ireland chief executive Kevin Thompson said: "We believe that asking private health insurance customers to pay twice for a service they are already entitled to, once through taxation and again via their health insurance, is not fair or equitable and amounts to double taxation."

He said the measure had added 200m in additional claims costs to the system, and needed to be reviewed.

Health insurance broker Dermot Goode said the double charging would continue to push up the cost of premiums.

"Even though this charge is permitted under recent legislation, one has to question the practice whereby any service provider can charge consumers for a service they have no intention of providing or no capacity to provide, ie private services in this regard," he said.

Mr Goode said that under the old regime, private charges could apply only if the member received private treatment, such as a private room or a transfer to the care of a consultant of their choice.

Now, consumers are being charged even though they remain in a public ward.

"We wouldn't tolerate this in any other industry," Mr Goode, of TotalHealthCover.ie, said.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said beds in public hospitals were no longer designated as public or private. Having private health insurance was optional and had no effect on people's statutory entitlements or obligations, she added.
A Waterford community gathered in silence last night to honour a local 90-year-old whose death shocked rural Ireland.

Hundreds gathered in both Lismore and Ballysaggart for the removal of Paddy Lyons to St Mary's Church where he had worshipped for so many years.

Friends, neighbours and relatives had vowed that Mr Lyons would be offered "a dignified" funeral tribute.

From shortly after 1pm, mourners gathered at St Carthage's Mortuary in Lismore to pay their last respects to the retired farmer.

Mr Lyons was discovered dead at his Loughleagh home outside Ballysaggart, some 10km from Lismore, on February 25.

Gardai launched a murder investigation after a post-mortem examination on Mr Lyons's remains at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster.

The post-mortem was ordered by gardai who were suspicious of visible marks to Mr Lyons's face and head.

Shortly before 6pm last night, Mr Lyons's remains were carried from St Carthage's Mortuary and brought by funeral cortege to St Mary's Church in Ballysaggart.

The cortege was led by a single garda patrol car with several mourners walking behind the hearse as it slowly passed through Lismore.

Mr Lyons's coffin was flanked in the hearse by five wreaths of white lilies and roses.

He will be buried after 11am Requiem Mass today.
Anna Corrigan, who had two brothers in the Tuam home. Photo: Gareth Chaney

Dublin woman Anna Corrigan said she does not believe that both of her baby brothers born in the Tuam Mother and Baby Home actually died there.

She believes her brother William may have been adopted illegally in the US as no death certificate was issued for him, she said.

A death certificate was issued for her oldest brother, John. Inspectors who visited the institution in the 1940s stated he was in an "emaciated" condition. Later, when his death was listed, a death certificate stated measles as a cause of death.

If the bodies of one or two of her brothers are identified with DNA tests, she wants the remains to be given to her for a family burial. "The Garda forensic team should have been sent to the site a long time ago. I want to give a sample of my DNA to help the investigation," she said.

When she was growing up, Ms Corrigan did not know her mother had two sons before she was married.

The boys were born in the Tuam institution and Ms Corrigan grew up believing she was an only child.

Her mother, Bridget Dolan, from Clonfert, Co Galway, was 81 when she died in 2001.

Ms Corrigan said her mother always believed that baby William was illegally adopted in the US.

She always hoped that William was alive and that he would track her down at her home in Dublin.

Ms Corrigan said an entry in a ledger at St Mary's Mother and Baby Home in Tuam stated William died on February 3, 1951.

But gardai established that no death certificate was issued. The Dublin woman said she believed her mother was right in claiming her baby was brought to America and adopted illegally.

"I have made a missing person's report to gardai," she said.

She has no evidence that William survived or was taken to the US, but a large number of babies were illegally adopted from mother and baby homes in Ireland and brought to the US in that period, she said.

A Garda spokesman told this newspaper: "The investigation in relation to William Joseph Dolan is being treated as a missing person enquiry."
A tightknit Waterford community was left traumatised and angry over "the cowardly murder" of vulnerable pensioner Paddy Lyons (90).

Fr Michael Cullinan warned that life in the quiet west Waterford parish of Ballysaggart will never be the same after the brutal death met by Mr Lyons in what should have been the safety of his own Loughleagh home.

Fr Cullinan also warned that violent death can never be accepted by Irish society.

"(We feel) anger at such a cowardly deed on a defenceless man," he said.

His warning came as he celebrated the Requiem Mass today of Mr Lyons at St Mary's Church in Ballysaggart.

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Mr Lyons had been baptised in the church - and, after Requiem Mass, was buried beside his parents, John and Nora, in the cemetery directly behind the church.

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Mourners sang 'The Fields of Athenry' to honour the music-loving pensioner as he was buried.

"I wish to acknowledge the deep trauma and the hurt suffered by all of us by Paddy's murder," Fr Cullinan said.

"That a murder could take place so near us shattered something so real in our community."

"That Paddy, who never knew any other place than his home in Loughleagh should meet with brutal murder. To speak within a week of such an event is difficult."

Fr Cullinan paid tribute to the work of the gardai and the emergency services.

"This is a strange funeral," he said.

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"In a sense, all of us in Ballysaggart are chief mourners here today."

"We have been deeply traumatised by Paddy's murder. We must use that difficult word."

"This is a funeral Mass with a difference - and the difference is simply this. At a funeral we normally pray for the deceased and pray for the immediate family. But today all who come here for Sunday worship and who live in the Ballysaggart area, in solidarity with Paddy's family - they are the chief mourners here today."

"We have to cope with this trauma, this shock, this disbelief and this fear at the manner of Paddy's death has visited upon us."

"We will have to dig deep into our own humanity to support one another because we cannot talk about normality again. That is gone."

"When a death takes place as happened to poor Paddy then everything is different."

"May we never grow used to violent death."

Fr Cullinan noted that Mr Lyons was a man of simple tastes - he loved his community, music, his neighbours and his home.

The Offertory gifts to reflect his life included a sack, a piece of turf, a music tape and his Rosary beads.

He said that deep respect was underlined by how Mr Lyons' neighbours and family had shouldered his coffin on its final journey.

In his later years, Mr Lyons did not drive.

"Paddy knew what it was to wait for a lift," Fr Cullinan said.

"He used to say to me: 'Sure someone will come going up that way and they will bring me.' He had a contemplative approach to life. No doubt about it."

"Paddy was called to the vocation of single life and he lived that life using the talents God gave him. He cared for his mother after his father died."

"If something was happening in the community, he would be there."

"He didn't need alcohol to celebrate the joy of life."

The priest continued: "He was a man who knew how to handle time. And yet in that time he would be robbed - not just of money but of his very life. Terrible."

"I wouldn't like to think of what those moments must have been like for him on his own. Did he call out? What happened? It is unreal."

"Paddy's simple presence spoke to us. He lived his life - walking, trusting, talking. Having time (for people). Paddy always had time."

"Poor Paddy's death has a profound bearing on us. We are here today when we shouldn't be here."

"We are here because of the unfairness - the greatest injustice possible was visited on a good man, a member of our community."

"I was totally numbed when I heard. I couldn't even focus when I heard it. I sensed the significance was even worse. We are moved to the grief stage - there are many faces on grief but there is anger."

"To feel angry that this happened to Paddy but we mustn't get locked into that anger."

Mr Lyons was discovered dead at his Loughleagh home outside Ballysaggart, some 10km from Lismore, on February 25.

Gardai launched a murder investigation following a post mortem examination on Mr Lyons remains at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) by Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster.

The post-mortem was ordered by Gardai who were suspicious of visible marks to Mr Lyons face and head.

The pensioner was discovered slumped in a chair at his farmhouse home at 5pm after locals became concerned about him when he didnt attend a funeral in the village.
The entrance to the site of a mass grave of hundreds of children who died in the former Bons Secours home for unmarried mothers is seen in Tuam, County Galway. Photo: Reuters

The president of the Catholic League has denounced the Tuam Baby scandal as 'fake news'.

Despite "significant quantities" of human remains discovered at the site of the former mother and baby home in Co Galway, US-based conservative Bill Donoghue claims there is "no evidence of a mass grave".

"It was a lie in 2014 and it is a lie in 2017," he wrote on Catholicleague.org. "The hoax is now back again, and an obliging media are running with the story as if it were true. Any objective and independent reporter would be able to report what I am about to say, but unfortunately there are too many lazy and incompetent reporters prepared to swallow the latest moonshine about the Catholic Church.

"If there was a Pulitzer for fake news, the competition would be fierce. Mass graves. Sexually assaulted women. Children stolen. It is all a lie."

Independent councillor for Tuam Billy Connelly told the Irish Independent he cannot understand how anyone could denounce the evidence already presented.

He said: "I can't see how he could make a statement like this. The evidence on what they found is pretty well solid. What's in that mass grave and talking to local people is unquestionable. That's the first time I have heard anyone come up with a conspiracy to this. The facts are there and it's very insulting."
On the morning after Donald Trump's extraordinary victory in the US presidential election, Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin was in the kitchen of her Dublin home, preparing breakfast for her three children.

Two of her sons, aged eight and nine, had in recent days been asking about Mr Trump's controversial plan to build a wall with Mexico.

"It reached the playgrounds," Ms Martin says.

"The next day they came down the stairs and asked who won. When I said 'Trump', one of my sons turned to me and asked 'why?'

"I didn't have the answers."

Ms Martin arrived back home from Dail Eireann that night in time to give her children a goodnight kiss. It's a practice she's not willing to forfeit, even when there is a late-night sitting.

Mr Trump's victory and the political divisiveness that followed, Ms Martin says, emphasise the importance of family, unity and respect.

It emphasises the need for people to work together.

These sort of themes provided the influences for Ms Martin's impassioned maiden Dail speech, delivered on the 47th day of the political impasse that followed the General Election.

Enda Kenny, Michael Noonan and Micheal Martin were present as the new TD for Dublin-Rathdown called on the two main parties to end what she described as a "political charade".

"No one party won the General Election. But it seems the people have lost. Enough is enough," she said.

The issue of mental health is one that prompts Ms Martin to pause, clearly emotional."Our most vulnerable citizens aren't getting the resources," she says.

"They need a sustained sense of hope. This Government has given them hopelessness, which is disgraceful."

But surely she and her party leader Eamon Ryan are as much responsible as any deputy for the length of time it took for a new government to be formed so that issues such as mental health funding could be addressed?

Ms Martin staunchly defends the decision by the Green Party to pull out of government-formation talks, saying both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail lacked vision in many key areas.

"The Green message, too often, it's put into a certain little box and it is taken out when it suits you," Ms Martin says.

"I didn't see a vision in relation to mental health, education, in equality. That vision and ambition was missing - from both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael."

Ms Martin's success in February of last year was arguably one of the greatest surprises of the General Election.

She admits that as soon as she was elected, she cried, because her parents - a nurse and painting contractor - weren't around to share in her success.

"I know they'd be proud of me. They were such a unit together, it was 50-50 in that relationship," she says.

"I miss them. I'm so sad they weren't there. It was such a huge thing especially as I didn't come from a political family."

Part of Ms Martin's role is to rebuild the Green Party, which was obliterated in the 2007 General Election for its role in the economic crisis.

She says the Greens have learned "lessons" following their stint with Fianna Fail but insists she never believed the party was dead.

"We had a parliament without green representation. It's extraordinary. It's one of the reasons why I stood in Dublin-Rathdown."

Ms Martin says her party is already showing influence, having introduced a series of bills on issues ranging from plasic microbeads to plans for a directly elected lord mayor of Dublin.

But what about some of her Dail colleagues, such as Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae, who have been labelled 'climate-change deniers'.

Ms Martin takes a different view. "At least Danny Healy-Rae was honest with what he felt. I'd be worried if people pretended they believed in it (climate change) but actually don't."

This week will mark the first meeting of a new women's caucus, set up by Ms Martin and others to strengthen the issue of women's rights.

She jokes that some day, ideally, gender quotas will be needed to protect men, not women.

"Why can't the best person for the job be a woman?" she asks.

"I'd love to envisage the day the gender quotas are protecting the men. Who knows, in 10 years' time, 15 years' time, men might be grateful they are there."

One thing that is clear in relation to Ms Martin and her election to the Dail is that there was no secret strategy.

"I walk the constituency," she says. "I have been turning up at homes whose residents tell me I've called there five times and express surprise that I am back. I say, that was my promise. And I intend to keep it."
HEALTH Minister Simon Harris will not be entering the race to replace Enda Kenny as leader of Fine Gael.

The 30-year-old has today said he does not believe it is the right time to looking for the top job.

His decision means that focus will now turn to Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald and Education Minister Richard Bruton who have yet to decide whether they will be contenders.

Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar and Housing Minister Simon Coveney have effectively confirmed that they will enter the contest.

Mr Harris also denied that he wants out of the Department of Health, as was suggested in a leaked WhatsApp message by Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan.

Ive never been one to run away from any challenge, Mr Harris said.

Speaking on RTEs Today with Sean ORourke, he declined to say who he would like to see as the next Fine Gael leader but admitted that he is very close to Ms Fitzgerald, describing her as a mentor.

My loyalty is to the Taoiseach and when the Taoiseach makes his decision to step aside Ill make my decision on who to support, Mr Harris said.

He said being Health Minister is one of the most difficult jobs in the Irish government.

Being minister for health is a bit like eating an elephant. Youve got to do it bite by bite, Mr Harris said.

However, he said there have been incremental progress since he took over last May and is managing to right a few wrongs.

Id be delighted to stay in this job but obviously thats a choice for the Taoiseach of the day, he said.
Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar wants to change a law that allows EU citizens living in Ireland claim child benefits here for children living abroad.

Yesterday the Sunday Independent revealed that Ireland has paid out almost 40m in child welfare benefits to families living in other European Union countries over the past three years.

In total, Ireland pays benefits to the families of 7,938 children living in other EU countries. The total cost has increased from 11.85m in 2014 to 13.27m last year.

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Now Mr Varadkar has vowed to change this so that future payments would reflect the 'cost of living' in countries where the children are resident.

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Mr Varadkar said there are around 8,000 children, who don't live in Ireland, for whom we pay benefit.

"That is based on the European law which says that child benefit is linked to where the parent lives and works and not where the child resides.

"That's not something I agree with now and I am part of a group of other countries, Germany, Austria, Denmark who want to do something that is common sense.

"This is that child benefit should be paid at a rate that reflects the cost of living and the cost of rearing a child in the country that the child lives.

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"We are seeking a change to the regulations that coordinate social welfare to change this."

Mr Varadkar said it "makes no sense at all" that we are paying the high rates.

"The Irish rate is 140 a month, the German rate is 190 a month, France, Denmark, Sweden they have a high rate as well. But in countries like Romania, Poland and the Baltic countries it is only 20 a month. That reflects the cost of living in those countries being smaller."

He conceded that people "sometimes get annoyed" when they see EU freedoms being abused.

"People coming to one country and not working, but also benefits being moved from one country to another. If you want to retain public support for Europe and public support for those institutions you need to tackle these things."

He admitted that the view in Eastern Europe would be different saying that many of these countries feel like they are losing their best and brightest to wealthier countries.

"We are strong in the view that this should change." He said that they are currently working on a wider group of reforms around social welfare.

"There is a good chance of it being achieved but it is going to be part of a bigger compromise which we think should balance things more fairly."

The payment of child benefits to the children of migrant workers has been a contentious issue among EU member states for years and was at the centre of the Brexit debate in the UK before last year's referendum. Britain pays more than 30m (34.6m) in child benefits annually for 34,000 children who live elsewhere in the EU.

The vast majority of the cash benefits was paid to the families of more than 4,500 children living in Poland who are entitled to 140 a month per child from the Irish government.

The highest rate of child welfare in Poland is 30 and, unlike in Ireland, families are means tested.

The second highest amount of Irish child welfare goes to the UK where the families of more than 1,848 children receive benefits from the Government every month.

The third highest amount is paid to the families of 482 children in Lithuania, where the top rate of child benefit paid to parents living in the country is 34. The lowest rate is 11.38.

Ireland also pays 140 a month for 332 children in Romania where the local rate is 19. Some 182 children in Latvia receive the Irish child benefit rate - the top local payment is 34.14.
A Ryanair flight en route to Dublin from Budapest was diverted to a UK airport after a passenger became ill on board.

The flight, FR1024, landed safely at London Stansted Airport where it was met by paramedics on arrival.

Ryanair confirmed to Independent.ie that the flight was due to depart to Dublin shortly after the incident.

The flight was initially due to arrive in Dublin at 7.15pm this evening.

"This flight from Budapest to Dublin diverted to London Stansted after a customer became ill onboard," a spokesperson told Independent.ie.

"The aircraft landed normally and was met by paramedics on arrival, who provided medical assistance and the aircraft will depart to Dublin shortly.

"Ryanair apologised to affected customers for the short delay to their flight," they added.
The O'Donohue family, Eamonn and Sharon together with their kids Sarah (14) and twins Alex and Lucy (12)

The family of a man who was killed in a tragic kayaking accident on Saturday has said our whole world has been rocked.

Father-of-three Eamonn ODonohoe died after getting into difficulty while kayaking on Lough Ree in Co Roscommon.

Eamonn (46), who was originally from Palmerstown in Dublin, had been living with his wife Sharon and three kids in Roscommon since 2006.

In a touching tribute to her wonderful husband, Sharon ODonohoe said he was the ultimate family man.

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He was a man who lived for his kids, she told Independent.ie.

He was the best Dad in the world, very family orientated. I dont even know how to describe how good a person he was. He would go out of his way to help anybody, she added.

Sharon met Eamonn back in 1993 while he was working as a teacher. He later went on to study computer training and did lots of analytical work for Bank of Ireland and AIB.

The couple got married in September 1999 and had been together for 18 years.

They have three kids together  Sarah (14) and twins Alex and Lucy (12).

Nobody had anything bad to say about him. He would never do a wrong turn to anyone.

He was a very fascinating person. People were kind of drawn to him because he would always have an answer to any sort of problem. He was quite intelligent and very good at a lot of things.

Sharon said they have been overwhelmed by the support of the local community in Kiltoom, Athlone.

Everybody has been so good, so kind, she said.

A family friend also paid tribute to Eamonn.

"Eamonn was such a lovely man with a passion and love of the sport of kayaking, which he instilled into his three beautiful children. He turned his hobby into a family event.

"He had his own unique way of doing things and was fascinating to be around. We are going to miss him by the river bank. The whole community is devastated by this tragedy."

Cllr Aengus O'Rourke (FF), whose children attend the same school as Sarah, Alex and Lucy said the community is in complete shock.

"You would regularly see them coming and going to school with kayaks on their car. A daily kayak trip would be nothing to the O'Donohue's," he told Independent.ie.

"The community is in utter shock and disbelief. The death of a young man doing what he did best and what he loved is heartbreaking. Our hearts go out to his children, who are friends of my children.

"This has come as a huge shock to us all".

The alarm was raised on Saturday after Mr O'Donohoe went missing between Lecarrow and Hodson Bay at around lunchtime.

His daughter Sarah and wife Sharon called the coast guard after he was an hour late returning.

The Coastguard helicopter from Sligo joined the search and identified him and his kayak in the water.

He was unconscious and was brought by lifeboat to Coosan Point. He was transferred to an ambulance and brought to Portiuncula Hospital in Galway, where he later died.

Sharon said he had kayaked that route so many times but it is not yet clear what happened.

Weather conditions are believed to have been very windy, cold and wet while he was kayaking.

Speaking this morning, Lough Ree RNLI lifeboat helm Stan Bradbury said: "We are deeply saddened to learn that the gentleman did not make it. Our thoughts are with his family at this very difficult time. May he rest in peace."

Gardai have launched an investigation into the incident.

In a statement, gardai said: Following a search a male kayaker in his 40s was discovered in the water near Coosan Point, Athlone at approximately 1.30pm on Saturday."

A post-mortem is due to be carried out on Monday.
Devoted dad Eamonn with his children Sarah (14), Alex and Lucy (12) and wife Sharon

The family of a man who was killed in a tragic kayaking accident on Saturday has said their "whole world has been rocked".

Father-of-three Eamonn O'Donohoe died after getting into difficulty while kayaking on Lough Ree in Co Roscommon.

Mr O'Donohoe (46), who was originally from Palmerstown in Dublin, had been living with his wife Sharon and three children in Roscommon since 2006.

In a touching tribute to her "wonderful husband", Mrs O'Donohoe said he was the ultimate family man.

"He was a man who lived for his kids," she told the Irish Independent.

"He was the best dad in the world, very family orientated. I don't even know how to describe how good a person he was. He would go out of his way to help anybody," she added.

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She met Eamonn back in 1993 while he was working as a teacher. He later went on to study computer training and did lots of analytical work for Bank of Ireland and AIB.

The couple got married in September 1999.

They have three children - Sarah (14) and twins Alex and Lucy (12).

Read more: 'He was the best Dad in the world'  Family of man killed in tragic kayaking accident say their 'world has been rocked'

"Nobody had anything bad to say about him. He would never do a wrong turn to anyone.

"He was a very fascinating person. People were kind of drawn to him because he would always have an answer to any sort of problem. He was quite intelligent and very good at a lot of things," she said.

Mrs O'Donohoe said they have been overwhelmed by the support of the local community in Kiltoom, Athlone.

"Everybody has been so good, so kind," she said.

A family friend also paid tribute to Mr O'Donohoe.

"Eamonn was such a lovely man with a passion and love of the sport of kayaking, which he instilled into his three beautiful children. He turned his hobby into a family event.

"He had his own unique way of doing things and was fascinating to be around. We are going to miss him by the river bank. The whole community is devastated by this tragedy."

Cllr Aengus O'Rourke (FF), whose children attend the same school as Sarah, Alex and Lucy, said the community is in shock.

"You would regularly see them coming and going to school with kayaks on their car. A daily kayak trip would be nothing to the O'Donohoes," he said.

"The community is in utter shock and disbelief. The death of a young man doing what he did best and what he loved is heartbreaking. Our hearts go out to his children, who are friends of my children.

"This has come as a huge shock to us all".

The alarm was raised on Saturday after Mr O'Donohoe went missing between Lecarrow and Hodson Bay at around lunchtime.

His daughter Sarah and wife Sharon called the Coastguard after he was an hour late returning.

The Coastguard helicopter from Sligo joined the search and identified him and his kayak in the water.

He was unconscious and was brought by lifeboat to Coosan Point.

He was transferred to an ambulance and brought to Portiuncula Hospital in Galway, where he later died.

Mrs O'Donohoe said he had kayaked that route "so many times", but it is not yet clear what happened.

Gardai have launched an investigation into the incident.
Both Myrtle Allen and I have always been interested in traditional Irish recipes and we have often found at Ballymaloe that recipes handed down from generation to generation produce the most delicious results.

Over the years, we gradually built up a small collection. About 15 years ago, however, I saw that there was an urgent need to research more vigorously.

With the passing of one more generation, I realised, a whole culinary tradition, with all its fascinating regional variations, was in imminent danger of being lost.

That was the starting point for this book. Writing it has been a labour of salvage, as well as one of love. Early on in my research, I wrote to regional newspapers inviting readers to send me old family recipes, and the response was overwhelming.

I received wonderful replies which encouraged me to contact people all over the country and set off on a journey of discovery.

Everywhere, I met people who were delighted to pass on recipes for dishes that had been an essential part of their lives, along with their recollections.

In recent years there has been a renaissance on the Irish food scene. Irish chefs have become more adventurous and many have a greater appreciation of quality Irish produce, giving them the confidence to serve Irish food proudly.

At last there appears to be a growing appreciation of the value of fresh, naturally produced food in season. This is particularly evident in the crowds that flock to the farmers' markets springing up all over the country.

I hope my own enthusiasm will encourage more young Irish chefs to include such things as champ, colcannon, Irish stew and bacon and cabbage on their menus, and to cook them with pride.

I believe we can learn a great deal from a tradition based around fresh local ingredients, simply and succulently cooked. That is what this book is all about.

'Irish Traditional Cooking', published by Gill & Macmillan, is in shops now, priced at 28
While you may feel at sea and unsure of what to say, it's likely that whatever support you can offer will be valued greatly.

Kathy Donaghy talks to bereavement experts who give some advice on dealing with the sensitive subject of loss

Acknowledging the loss

While you may feel at sea and unsure of what to say, it's likely that whatever support you can offer will be valued greatly. Bereavement support midwife at the National Maternity Hospital (NMH), in Dublin, Brenda Casey, says simply acknowledging the loss is hugely important. And in the case of miscarriage, she urges against correlating that loss with the gestation period or how many weeks pregnant the woman was. "Once the loss is acknowledged, you have to fine tune your listening skills and follow the lead of the mum or dad. It's not something that can be fixed - it's all about support," says Brenda. Marie Cregan, one of the founding members of Feileacain, the stillbirth and neonatal death association of Ireland, points out that when a baby has died it's one of the worst things that will ever happen a family and acknowledging this is important. "It's a significant trauma and it's going to be with them for a long time," says Mary.

It's good to talk

When miscarriage and still birth occurs, often society's attitude is not to talk about it for fear that it's too upsetting. But not talking about it is often very hurtful to those affected and only compounds society's fear of speaking about through miscarriage or still birth. According to Tracy Donegan - midwife and founder of the Gentlebirth app - the language we use is important when faced with the news that someone close to us has experienced the death of a baby. "We must remember that the parents didn't 'lose' a pregnancy; nobody is lost. In the eyes of the parents their baby has died and no matter how much we want to fix it, we can't. Some suggestions of what to say are 'I am so sorry', 'I am here for you' and 'I don't know what to say.'

Listen

According to the Miscarriage Association of Ireland, you don't have to say anything to a friend who has experienced a miscarriage - just being there is important. The association says that many women need to talk over and over about their experience of miscarriage and fear that people will tire of the repetition. It advises the friends of a woman who has had a miscarriage to allow her to express her feelings even if you differ from their opinions and allow them to talk openly about the baby they have lost as often as they need to.

Don't impose your own judgements

Realising that everyone's experience is unique is very important when trying to reach out to a friend who has suffered a miscarriage or stillbirth. According to Brenda Casey, bereavement support midwife at the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, people impose their own judgements on how someone should react all the time. She says if someone is quite religious they might say something like 'You have an angel in heaven' and while this is a comfort to some, it is most unhelpful to another. She advises people to fine tune their listening skills and take their lead from what the mum or dad is saying without offering judgement. "Don't impose your own judgement on that person or your own beliefs. It's all about honing in on the wants and needs of the person," says Brenda. Mary Cregan of Feileacain says even if you have been through the same experience yourself, you don't ever know how someone feels.

Avoid cliches

People may mean well but when a woman has experienced a stillbirth or miscarriage, hearing the words "it was just not meant to be" are extremely unhelpful. Platitudes may make a woman feeling angry and upset at what has happened even angrier. According to the Miscarriage Association of Ireland, never say "You can try for another child" or "You're young yet, you have plenty of time".

Send a card, email or text

If you can't talk to the person because you are afraid of upsetting her or intruding, you could send a card, email or text message. Britain's Miscarriage Association says that women who have experienced miscarriage can feel extremely isolated and one of the most important things you can do is be there. However the association highlights that if you're pregnant yourself, you might worry that your friend or relative would be upset to see you. The association suggests sending a message asking if your friend would be OK to see you.

Don't forget Dads

Brenda Casey from the National Maternity Hospital says that it's important not to forget fathers in all of this. She says it's important to remember they are grieving too. "Men tend to say that if their partner is OK, then he's OK. But again it's all down to the individual - everybody's road is so different," she says.

Remember other family members

Other children in the family may not know what has happened but they do know their parents are upset and they may act out in various ways to get attention. Brenda Casey from the National Maternity Hospital says if there are children, a friend could offer to take them to and from school or help with child minding. "Having a supportive friend who can help out is very beneficial," she says. Mary Cregan of Feileacain says people must acknowledge the loss for the other children in a family because the baby was the sibling they were expecting.

Help out with housework

Taking on some jobs around the house for a friend or cooking a meal will be greatly appreciated. Mum of four Siobhan O'Neill White experienced two miscarriages and says she remembers how much she appreciated the casseroles and other dinners cooked by her own mum and mother-in-law afterwards.

"I think another really helpful thing to do is offer to help around the house. For example bring a pile of laundry home for the person. If they have other children, offer to take them out for a while or you can offer to babysit for a while so the couple can have some time alone together. Even if they just go for a walk or to a movie, it will be nice for them to get some time together," says Siobhan.

There's no time limit

Often we put our own prescribed time limit on how long it will take someone to recover from a miscarriage or stillbirth. But experts agree that this is different for everyone. Brenda Casey of the NMH says that in the past it was expected that people went through the various stages of grief. However she says new research has vastly enhanced our understanding of how we grieve. "It's not something you 'get over'," she says. Casey says new research into what is called the "dual process of grief" shows we oscillate between immersing ourselves in our grief and restoration oriented coping where we get to a point where we are getting on with things. However there are times when the pendulum swings back and we plunge headlong back into grief. Casey says one woman described this to her as being "ambushed" by her grief. "The winding road goes on forever and you are never the same person again," she says.

Remember it's about them, not you

Even if you have suffered a miscarriage or a still birth yourself, remember try not to make the conversation about you. Each person is unique and so too is their experience of grief. The American Pregnancy Organisation points out that support is not about giving advice, it's about listening. While it says some identification may be helpful, keep it to a minimum.

Don't try to "fix it"

According to Brenda Casey of the NHM, as a society we are very uncomfortable with talking about death and even more so when it comes to talking about a baby's death. She says people try to say something that will fix things when this is impossible. Rather than rush in with this attitude, she advises people to be open and ask "Is there something I can do to support you? or just ask "Would you like to talk about it?.

Reassure

Reassure the grieving person that their feelings and reactions are normal and necessary for healing. Remember that specific dates or events as the anniversary of the loss or the expected due date, may trigger an emotional response. Britain's Miscarriage Association says it's perfectly normal for a woman to feel shocked and confused, numb, angry, jealous, guilty, empty and lonely, panicky and out of control and unable to cope with everyday life. It's ok to feel any of these things and the best thing you can do for someone who is feeling any of these things and struggling with it is remind them it's OK.

Remember trigger points in the future

Mary Cregan of Feileacain says the loss of a baby will be felt forever. She says for parents who have lost a baby there are, what she calls, the hidden anniversaries of the heart; dates like a due date or first Christmas that can hit families really hard. "Give them time. If they want to talk about the baby, talk. You are not upsetting them - they are upset already. Don't expect them to be OK. Mother's Day can be horrible because they are still mothers," says Mary.

Give a little gift

Depending on the relationship, bringing flowers or even sending a beautiful card can be helpful. Two years ago US based psychologist and writer Dr Jessica Zucker launched a line of pregnancy loss cards to help console and offer support after she experienced a miscarriage at 16 weeks. While there are no cards in the Irish market place that speak about some of the most challenging times that can occur in your life, a card with heart-felt sentiments written inside can mean a lot.

For further information you can contact the Miscarriage Association of Ireland at (01) 8735702 or at www.miscarriage.ie

Also see feileacain.ie for more information

INM is putting together a dedicated section on independent.ie where women and men of all ages can share their stories of miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death. The section will serve as a testament to the women and men who share their stories, a memorial for the babies lost and as a resource for other people who have gone through or are going through the experience. Your stories can be anonymous or on the record and nothing will be published in any format without prior consultation with you. If you would like to be part of this and tell your story, email Yvonne Hogan at yhogan@independent.ie
Paul Dawe (47) met his wife Rosemary when he was just 11 years old. One of the first things he told her was that he was already in secondary school. This, it later emerged, was a fib. But, nonetheless, the relationship did flourish. Now the Dawes, who live happily in Dundalk, have three children, including 14-year-old identical-twin boys.

However, their lives took an unexpected trajectory in recent years, following the discovery that some members of the family carry a specific gene which causes an enlargement of the heart muscle.

Paul says the warning signs appeared a long time ago when his brother John was diagnosed with a cardiac problem when he was just seven. Tragically, he died just 14 years later. As a result, Paul and his two sisters were examined at the Mater Miseracordiae University Hospital, Dublin. "Back then, testing was pretty rudimentary," says Paul. "So we got the all-clear."

In the ensuing years, Paul worked hard to take care of his children. He did contract work for the ESB; he drove lorries, and is currently employed as a caretaker in a secondary school in Dundalk. "I was sent for a medical when I joined the school," Paul explains. "Their doctor checked my heart, and he picked up a slight murmur. When I told him about my family history, he advised me to see my GP, who referred me to Drogheda [Our Lady of Lourdes's Hospital]."

A cardiologist then recommended that Paul have an echocardiogram, also known simply as an echo, which uses sound waves to image the inside of the heart, and to check muscle function. He had an electrocardiogram (ECG) which examines the electrical activity of the heart. And he was given a stress test, which involved having his heart function monitored, while walking on a treadmill, the incline of which was gradually increased. Finally, he went for an MRI scan, which can produce detailed images of various parts of the body.

Then Paul went back to the cardiologist in Drogheda. "I do remember that visit vividly. While I was waiting, I looked out the window. It was a nice summer's day, but nonetheless, I was thinking about my late brother John. By then, I knew for certain something was on the cards and I realised that my life was about to change forever."

Which it did; and quite dramatically.

The consultant explained to Paul that one side of his heart muscle was enlarged. He was given a diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

According to consultant cardiologist Dr Catherine McGorrian, at the Mater Hospital, cardiomyopathy can affect the size and shape of the heart and the thickness of the muscle wall. This makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood around the body. This rang true for Paul. "I'd noticed symptoms for years," he says. "But I always blamed my breathlessness on being unfit and not getting enough exercise. Now I knew the real cause."

Since cardiomyopathy is one of the causes of premature sudden cardiac death, and sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS), early diagnosis and interventions are crucial. It can affect people of all ages. In many cases, it is an inherited condition caused by a genetic abnormality, so several family members can be implicated. Paul was prescribed beta blockers, which help improve the function of the heart, and he was advised to avoid any form of strenuous physical activity.

Following the diagnosis, Paul phoned his wife. "It was so scary. When I told Rose, she was absolutely shocked," he recalls. He was then referred to the Mater's Family Heart Screening Clinic at Heart House. This is a charity-funded public screening centre for people at risk of having a genetically inherited heart disease. "These people may have a family history of sudden cardiac death or SADS, or may have a living family member with an inherited cardiac disease," says, Dr McGorrian, speaking for the organisation.

Soon after, Paul and Rose's daughter, Sarah, had an MRI scan, which revealed that she was suffering from the same condition as her dad. "I was absolutely shocked," says Sarah, a gentle, charming 25-year-old accounts assistant. "I had never felt that I had anything at all wrong with me." Like her father, she used to get tired when she exercised, and, just like him, she ascribed it to lack of fitness.

Initially, Sarah was not given beta blockers, but she was monitored on a regular basis. As part of that process, she had another MRI scan last year, which revealed that the enlargement of her heart had increased. She is now waiting for a defibrillator to be implanted. "They had told me I might need one in the future; but I thought they meant when I was in my 40s," Sarah says. "So I was stunned when they told me recently I'd need one soon. They used to put them in the chest, but now they insert them more to the side, where they are less invasive."

The defibrillator will ensure Sarah's heart beats at a regular rhythm. "I've already met the doctor who will do the procedure," says Sarah, "and I have been told that this will not prevent me from having a family in the future."

In 2015, Heart House referred Paul and Rose's other children, Brandon and Jonathan, the twins, to Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, where they initially tested negative for the heart condition. However, a further test last December revealed that Brandon had early signs of cardiomyopathy. "Rose burst into tears," Paul remembers. "And, because they are identical twins, it is likely Jonathan will also develop the condition."

This will not be the first time these lively boys face medical challenges. They were born at 28 weeks, each weighing about the same as a 2lb bag of sugar. "If they'd been born 30 or 40 years earlier, they wouldn't have survived," says Paul. Luck seems to be Brandon and Jonathan's middle name. Now they are benefiting from the good work being done by the Mater's Family Heart Screening Clinic.

"The service is just brilliant," says Paul. "They make sure you have access to all the treatment you need, even if they have to fight for it.

"Thanks to them, some of my family members are going to be spared what happened to my brother. If you feel breathless, and there was anyone in your family with heart problems, then go for testing," he urges passionately.

The Mater Foundation supports the Family Heart Screening Clinic by purchasing vital screening equipment and investing in research.

To donate, tel: (01) 830-3482, or see materfoundation.ie

Volunteers are invited to sell heart badges to help purchase a new echo machine (costing 95,000) which is crucial for early diagnosis
Kevin Hines is, in his own words, "extremely" happy. He is married to the woman of his dreams and travels the world as a motivational speaker. In conversation, he is open, upbeat and generous with his infectious laughter.

It's almost hard to reconcile the affable 35-year-old Californian with his extraordinary story; one that has seen him plumb to the depths of despair because of mental illness and one in which he jumped, aged 19, from the Golden Gate Bridge. He did not die, becoming one of 36 who have survived a suicide attempt there in its 80-year history.

Hines considers himself blessed to have survived and has turned the lowest point in his life into something of a calling.

"During my talks I will say, 'If someone is in danger right here, if you are in great pain, please stay afterwards and talk to me, as we want you to be safe'," he says. "You'd be surprised how many people stay.

"The greatest moment I ever had was when a Marine approached me after a talk and told me, 'I was going to kill myself today, but I came here on a whim. Please walk me to help.'"

At his speaking events, there are many people to offer hope and comfort to, but also a number of mental health myths to debunk, too.

"There's a school of thought that suicide is a selfish act, but I don't think it is," he says. "You have to be vindictively trying to hurt someone else and know it's wrong. Those people who I have talked to who have attempted suicide didn't want to die. Like me, they were convinced they had to."

Two years before his suicide attempt, the teenager had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder with psychotic features, around the same time his parents were divorcing. A lover of drama and theatre, he had a full-blown panic attack during a school production in front of a packed auditorium. Things only got worse from there.

"It's like living on a different plane of reality," he explains. "I was living in my head so much, like many people who experience suicide ideation, and I believed my family hated me and wanted me dead. My father would go to work in the morning and I'd tell him I was going to city college, and I'd stay home and stare in the mirror at this man I didn't even recognise. It was like a separate person telling me that I had to die. I was thinking, 'but I'm a good person, I don't want to die', but I'd think 'you have to. You have no choice'."

Emotionally drained, he left class, got the bus to Walgreens and picked up Starbursts and Skittles for his 'last meal'. Then he hopped on a bus to the Golden Gate Bridge.

"I was just looking at people, wanting someone, anyone, to say, 'Are you okay?'

"I got off the bus at the bridge, and stood there crying. I went onto the span very slowly. The whole time begging myself not to jump, but the voices were too strong, I just couldn't fight them."

As he stood on the bridge, Hines even took pictures for unsuspecting tourists. It's a four-second fall from the top of the bridge to the water, and Hines recalls that the second his hands left the bridge rail, he experienced instant regret. That moment of regret is something he says that all 19 living survivors of the jump have in common.

"The millisecond my hands left that rail, I thought, 'What have I just done? I don't want to die, God please save me', and then I hit the water," he said. "You hit the water and get vacuum sucked down 70ft or 80ft - when I opened my eyes, I was alive."

Hines hit the water at a 45-degree angle: "[The doctors] said if I had landed one centimeter to the left or right, I would have severed my spinal cord and drowned. What I did do was shatter two vertebrae into tiny little pieces.

"All I desperately wanted to do was survive - experts call this being 'shocked into reality'."

His myriad physical injuries were one thing; quite another was the agony of the reaction of his family when they learned what had happened.

"My father is a very tough man, and here's a man I'd never seen cry, with waterfalls coming out of his eyes. I said, 'I'm so sorry', and he said, 'No Kevin, I'm sorry.' And then he said, 'You are going to be okay, I promise.'

"I held onto those words during recovery, all the surgeries and back braces and the psych-ward visits. Those words carried me."

Many parents are afraid of approaching the subject of suicide with a child they suspect might have a mental illness, but Hines is adamant conversations need to be had.

According to Kevin, asking your child if they have a plan to end their own life is the "smartest thing you can do. By leaving it open, you leave it to chance. A person who isn't suicidal will look at you sideways," he says.

Hines says that for him, staying well remains an ongoing struggle. He spends a great deal of time and energy managing the symptoms of his condition. To this day, he experiences paranoia, hallucinations, manic highs and chronic lows. Staying mentally stable, he says, takes real work.

"It's about exercise, eating well, educating myself on bipolar disorder so I can fight it better," he reveals. "I go to therapy, I take medication, and I do this in a really regimented way. I will always ask for help. And I build a support networking around me."

But for all his efforts, the dark times still come with regularity: "I have moments where I think, 'I don't want to do this. I don't want to take my pills. I don't want to see my therapist.' Margaret [his wife] and I have a routine where if I'm having a low day, she'll make me drop to the floor and do 50 push-ups. And 50 more until I feel better."

Suicidal thoughts are part of Hines' bipolar disorder, but he acknowledges that many other men, particularly Irish men, face mental health issues for other reasons.

"My dad is half-Irish and the man doesn't emote," he smiles. "In Ireland, this is even more prevalent, let's be frank, about how males are raised. I saw it when I got here before: 'I have to man up and not show my pain.' You are shunned and put down if you do. And when a man finally does ask for help, where does he go? What continuity of care is there for him? This is why places like Pieta House are so important."

Meanwhile, Hines' activism has brought about one change: after much campaigning, the Golden Gate Bridge will be fitted with a suicide prevention net by 2021.

"I do think about those who (jumped from the bridge) and have passed on and why I lived, but I'm very grateful I got to stay here," he says. "I wake up grateful for every moment and don't take anyone for granted. Even in times of pain, I focus on the positive. And I know now I will never die by suicide, because I'll never inflict that pain on anyone else again."

Kevin Hines appears at the Mansion House, Dublin, on Monday, March 6 .Tickets are free but limited: see twitter.com/pietahouse for more details.

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article please contact the Samaritans on 116123 for support or visit the website on www.samaritans.org.

Pieta House can be contacted on 1800 247 247. For more information on Pieta House and its services visit www.pieta.ie.
Road safety groups have expressed concern over the number of serious collisions involving learner drivers. (Stock picture)

Transport Minister Shane Ross is considering new legislation to allow gardai to seize vehicles being driven by unaccompanied learner drivers.

Road safety groups have expressed concern over the number of serious collisions involving learner drivers.

Cork farmer Noel Clancy has fronted a campaign for tougher enforcement of regulations on learner drivers.

He did so after a tragic collision outside Kilworth, Co Cork, on December 22, 2015 in which his wife Geraldine (58) and daughter Louise (22) Clancy died.

The mother and daughter drowned when their vehicle ploughed into a flooded ditch after it had been struck by another car at a blind junction on the R666 road.

The driver of the other car, Susan Gleeson (21), pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death before Cork Circuit Criminal Court last November.

Expand Close Cork farmer Noel Clancy has fronted a campaign for tougher enforcement of regulations on learner drivers. Photo: Daragh McSweeney / Facebook

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Ms Gleeson was driving unaccompanied on a learner permit.

Road safety campaign group PARC insisted the legislation was "a no-brainer".

"When a garda stops a learner driver and charges him or her for driving unaccompanied, it makes no sense whatsoever that the garda must then allow that driver to continue their journey driving unaccompanied," a PARC spokesperson said.

In a Dail reply, Mr Ross acknowledged that, in terms of learner drivers, the law may need to be changed.

"Currently, gardai have the power to detain vehicles in a number of circumstances such as where the vehicle is untaxed, uninsured or does not have an NCT," he said.

"An extension of this power to cover vehicles being driven by unaccompanied learners would require an amendment to Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act, 1994.

"I would like to advise that this is something that I am willing to consider in the context of future road traffic legislation."

Tommy Broughan TD had asked whether gardai currently have the power for such a crackdown on unaccompanied learner drivers.
You might hate Monday, but you'll love our selection of the week's best travel offers...

135pp: Get your group on at Dunowen House

A late cancellation has left Easter week available at Dunowen House in Clonakilty - the five-star, former country home of Jimi Hendrix's bass player, Noel Redding. Four nights are available for the price of three from 135pp (the house accommodates up to 18 people). 023 886-9099; dunowenhouse.ie.

299pp: Don't mind if I Dubrovnik

Concorde Travel has a late deal to Dubrovnik, including flights and seven nights at the 3-star Antuninska Apartments from 299pp. The price is based on a March 26 departure from Dublin, with transfers included. 01 775-9300; concordetravel.ie.

349pp: Disney's Ultimate Ticket

Tour America has Disney's 'Ultimate Ticket' for only 349pp. This is a saving of 100 on the ticket, which allows you to come and go (with FastPass) for 14 days at all six parks in Walt Disney World (Florida). Book before March 29. Current offers include Orlando from 469pp (Ref 532719). 01 817-3535; touramerica.ie.

499pp: Sun and sand in the Canaries

Sunway has several special offers for the Canaries in June - including three-star self-catering in Lanzarote and Gran Canaria from 499pp, and two-star Fuerteventura from 479pp. Holidays are seven-day packages. 01 231-1800; sunway.ie.

635pp: Shamrocks in Chicago

GoHop.ie has a St Patrick's Day offer for Chicago - return flights with three nights at the 4-star Fairmont Chicago Millennial Park from 635pp. The price includes one checked bag, departing March 16. 01 241-2389; gohop.ie.

NB: All travel deals subject to availability/change.
It's two years since Living met Dil Wickremasinghe and Anne Marie Toole, when Dil was pregnant with their first child. Several very welcome changes have taken place since then, the first being that they are now the thrilled parents of little Phoenix, an extremely handsome and well-behaved 22-month-old toddler.

The marriage equality referendum passed when Phoenix was five days old, which had a bearing on the second change. After his naming ceremony was over in December 2015, his mums shocked the assembled guests by inviting them upstairs in their lovely Georgian home overlooking Mountjoy Park, where the two women proceeded to get married. That they could do so legally and avail of the protection marriage offers meant a lot to them.

Expand Close Dil Wickremasinghe and Anne Marie Toole with their son Phoenix. Anne Marie is expecting their second child / Facebook

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Whatsapp Dil Wickremasinghe and Anne Marie Toole with their son Phoenix. Anne Marie is expecting their second child

And the most recent development is the delightful news that their family is set to expand, as Anne Marie is 17 weeks' pregnant with their second child. Today marks the first time the mental health practitioners have shared the news publically.

Dil (43) and Anne Marie (36) attended the Institut Marques (formerly Clane Fertility Clinic) again and found it lovely having the same medical team. On her pregnancy, Dil had IUI (intrauterine insemination) where donor sperm was injected into her uterine cavity. Alas it didn't work so she had IVF treatment, where an egg is fertilised outside the body and transferred to the womb, and it was successful. Anne Marie's IUI worked first time, and she and Dil have used the same "known" donor for both children. Ireland uses Danish sperm banks, and while the donor can never contact them, if the children choose to contact him at 18, they will have their mothers' full support.

Anne Marie instinctively felt that the procedure had worked. "I had an almost primal hunger that I've never felt before," she says. "I was walking down Gardiner Street one day and got this mad craving for food, so I bought a big crusty roll. I would never usually eat food on the street, but I just hoovered it down. Our own pregnancy test came up positive after two weeks, which felt amazing, and I couldn't wait for the clinic to confirm it." Anne Marie experienced nausea and debilitating tiredness between weeks two and 10, and has felt marvellous since. She plans to have a water birth at home, just as Dil had with Phoenix. "Before we even started inseminating, we checked when our home birth midwife, Liz, was available in 2017," says Dil. "We had such an amazing experience with her that we want to have her again."

The female half of heterosexual couples can often be heard lamenting that it's a pity men can't bear children. While it comes to a lesbian couple, the option is there for both partners to carry the baby, if they choose. While the original plan was for Dil to have the first baby and Anne Marie to have the second, Dil enjoyed pregnancy so much that she longed to bear another child herself.

Expand Close Over the moon: Dil Wickremasinghe and Ann Marie Toole pictured in 2015 when Dil was pregnant with Phoenix / Facebook

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Whatsapp Over the moon: Dil Wickremasinghe and Ann Marie Toole pictured in 2015 when Dil was pregnant with Phoenix

Anne Marie assured her that she would have been happy for her to go again, but Dil decided not to do it because of her age. She also knew that, while her wife was being very generous in offering to step aside, Anne Marie also really yearned to bear a baby. "I felt so blessed to be pregnant at the age of 41 and had such a powerful experience giving birth that I wished I could squeeze one more in," Dil laughs. "It's great for me, though, because I could outsource my second pregnancy. I always say that we are like a Celtic Tiger home - we have two ovens so we may as well use them both."

"And I was so ready for it," Anne Marie adds. "During Dil's pregnancy, I wasn't in that space, but something changed in recent months and I had a very deep yearning to be pregnant."

Expand Close Dil Wickremasinghe and Anne Marie Toole pictured with their son Phoenix / Facebook

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Actually, at one point, the two women contemplated becoming pregnant at the same time. Now that they have had one child, they have vetoed that particular plan. "We realise that idea was crazy," Anne Marie smiles. "We're mental health professionals and we know what lunacy is."

Of course, the other thing that has changed is the political landscape. When Dil was pregnant, the marriage equality debate was raging, and she and Anne Marie were subjected to vitriolic abuse and hostility from opponents of same-sex marriage and parenthood. They dealt with it with immense dignity and openness, which was a great help in informing the debate and also giving hope to others in the same position.

Expand Close Mum's the word: Anne Marie Toole and Dil Wickremasinghe with their baby son Phoenix Photo: David Conachy / Facebook

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Whatsapp Mum's the word: Anne Marie Toole and Dil Wickremasinghe with their baby son Phoenix Photo: David Conachy

The couple have also had to come through some difficulties of their own in the past to bring them to the happy position they are in today. Dil is from Sri Lanka, but she was rejected there and sacked from a job in radio for being gay, and also experienced sexual abuse outside the home. The shame she felt turned to depression, and her healing began when she moved to Ireland and had therapy. She is presenter of Global Village on Newstalk, which highlights social justice and mental health issues.

Anne Marie is from Meath, and she only came out three months before she met Dil in 2010. In the preceding years, she suffered with anxiety and had developed the eating disorder bulimia nervosa, which saw her being hospitalised. Now a psychotherapist and counsellor, she believes that her mental health problems were inextricably bound up in the repression of her sexuality.

Bearing her own history in mind, what has it been like for Anne Marie seeing her body change with the pregnancy? "That whole part of the journey has been huge for me," she admits. "I make the odd comment to Dil asking how my body looks, like every partner does, but I am just letting it do what it needs to do now. I know that when it grows, it is part of something greater and that has been tremendous for me." While Dil stayed at home for several months with Phoenix and Anne Marie went off to work full-time, the situation will be reversed this time. Dil had it easier in many ways as she only had herself and the baby to take care of, whereas Anne Marie will have their son to mind too. "Anne Marie is not going to have the luxury of going to all of these lovely classes with a newborn baby because she will have a toddler who wants her attention too," says Dil. "I am very mindful of that and want to give her as much support as possible. Seeing her body changing and her bump growing is miraculous, and she has never been more attractive."

The thing Anne Marie has in her favour is that they are now living above Insight Matters, their affordable psychotherapy, counselling and personal development guidance centre on Mountjoy Square. When Phoenix was born they were renting an apartment in Ashtown, Dublin 15 and Dil felt a bit isolated. "I would have a crying baby and I'd be looking out at the buses going by and hoping that Anne Marie was on one of them," says Dil. "We are living on top of a mental health practice with 35 therapists now, so we will have lots of support. If Anne Marie needs adult company or someone to talk to, she just has to pop downstairs for a change of environment."

Their practice Insight Matters has become a huge success and Anne Marie and Dil are currently seeking ethical investors to move it to the next level. They plan to buy the building they're in and franchise so there's a service like theirs in every Irish town.

The other thing that's different this time around is that Dil will be able to breastfeed the new baby too, as she is still feeding Phoenix. It may surprise some people to learn that Anne Marie initially hoped to breastfeed Phoenix, as it's possible for a non-pregnant woman to produce milk through the process of induced lactation using a breast pump. It takes a few months to achieve and unfortunately time got the better of them, so it didn't happen for Anne Marie by the time Phoenix arrived.

This time around, both women will be producing milk, so they plan on "tandem" feeding the new baby. It also means that Anne Marie will now have the option to feed Phoenix too. "It will be interesting for other people looking at us fighting over who feeds the baby," says Dil. "He or she will have the option of chocolate booby or vanilla booby. It will be different for Anne Marie having a two-year-old breastfeeding from her because Phoenix has teeth. You can see him noticing that her boobs are getting bigger every morning when he sees her getting changed."

In a heterosexual couple or LGBTQ+ one where only one partner carries the babies, the relationship of the other parent to the children is on what you might term an equal playing field. In the case of Dil and Anne Marie, how might it pan out in a situation where they have both carried one child? "Do you mean will we have favourites?" says Dil, who has a wickedly funny sense of humour, while Anne Marie takes up the challenge of trying to explain it.

"I didn't carry or feed Phoenix and while I loved him straight away, the bond had to grow," she says. "Dil's relationship with him and the bond they have as birth mother and mother currently feeding him is different than my relationship with him. The non-birth parent has to do more to connect with the child, as the other has it naturally through biology and carrying. So I had to figure out how I could connect with Phoenix and nurture him in my own way. My relationship with him is so special, and from now until August, I just want to spend as much time as I can with him because I'm going to have someone else needing me too."

Phoenix went through a stage where he wouldn't do anything without Dil, and got upset every time she left for work. "There were times that he would reject Anne Marie and only want me, and that could have been upsetting for her," says Dil. "She understood that it was a very necessary part of the developmental cycle for a baby. In the past month, the clinginess has subsided, and Phoenix is growing naturally and organically into his own independence."

Anne Marie says that while she understood in her head that their little son was transitioning from being a part of his mother to being his own independent person, of course it hurt her heart when she was pushed away. "It did because I'm only human," she says. "I realised that my job was to be present for him, even if he was telling me that he wanted Dil and not me at certain points. I had to remember that he gave me a million indications in the previous week that he wanted me just as much as he wanted Dil. It was just a phase that is threatening for a child, hence the clinginess, and he has come out the other side even more securely attached."

Dil and Anne Marie have taken a very gentle baby-led approach to parenting, and Phoenix has wonderful male role models, including Anne Marie's dad and brothers and their own friends. Her family are delighted about the new baby, and her parents took care of Phoenix the day she and Dil went in for the IUI treatment. There have been well-documented difficulties between Dil and her own family in Sri Lanka, but her dad visited Ireland last year and Dil, Anne Marie and Phoenix flew over there in June to see her parents. "The healing is still a work in progress," Dil admits, "but I'm not looking for anything from them any more because I have my own family now".

Their plan for Phoenix is for him to attend a Steiner school, which focuses on emotional well-being and they will also partly home-school him. As they do so much work in the area of gender identity, they're very conscious of it around their son. "We let Phoenix take the lead," says Dil. "We try as much as possible to get gender-neutral toys and clothes, and we're raising him as a feminist. We want him to be a well-rounded individual and know that boys can cry or work at whatever they want."

Anne Marie and Dil don't know the sex of the new baby yet, but have no preference. As long as it's healthy, I say proffering the usual old platitude, and Dil corrects me, gently but firmly. "People always say it doesn't matter once it's healthy, but I think that creates a hierarchy as well," she says. "Not all children are born healthy or with the same abilities, so we'll just be happy that the baby is born alive. After that, we can work with anything else."

www.insightmatters.ie 'Global Village', Newstalk, Saturdays from 7-8pm
Charlotte Ritchie as Barbara in Call The Midwife, dressed for her wedding (Sophie Mutevelian/BBC/PA Wire)

Call The Midwife will end on a romantic note as a last-minute wedding closes the sixth series.

A first-look picture from the nuptials between Barbara Gilbert (Charlotte Ritchie) and Reverend Tom Hereward (Jack Ashton) sees the Nonnatus House midwife in her wedding dress ahead of her big day.

The couple's wedding is fast-tracked due to Barbara's father, a canon, accepting a missionary post in New Guinea for the next three years, meaning he would not be able to officiate at her nuptials as planned.

Barbara and Tom, who became engaged during the 2016 Christmas special, cannot imagine their big day without her father there, so they endeavour to arrange the wedding in just three weeks before he sets sail.

Fans will see everyone at Nonnatus House come together to prepare at short notice as Barbara deliberates over the all-important bridal gown and who her bridesmaid will be.

Due to an unexpected windfall from Tom's stag party, Barbara is also given a memorable wedding present.

Ritchie previously told the Radio Times that Barbara and Tom might have a "long engagement" and did not specify when the wedding would take place.

She added: "They're a very sweet match. It felt quite a natural thing. It didn't feel very dramatic. It was just lovely and sweet. And I loved the blade of grass - it's very low-key and very Tom."

Tom was previously engaged to nurse Trixie Franklin (Helen George) in the period drama series.

The final episode of the sixth series, which has been a ratings success with an average of 8.55 million overnight viewers, will also see Shelagh Turner (Laura Main) finally stop work to rest ahead of the birth of her baby and Violet Buckle (Annabelle Apsion) suffer hot flushes.

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:: Call The Midwife airs on BBC One on Sunday March 12 at 8pm.
Harry Potter And The Cursed Child is in the frame for 11 awards

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child has become the most nominated new play in Olivier history.

The spell-binding production received nods in 11 categories including best director, best new play and outstanding achievement in music for next month's awards.

In the best actor category, Jamie Parker, who plays Potter in the sequel to JK Rowling's books, is up against Buried Child actor Ed Harris, Travesties star Tom Hollander and six-time winner Sir Ian McKellen who receives his 10th nomination.

In the musical categories, Groundhog Day, which opened on Broadway this month, receives eight nominations while Andrew Lloyd-Webber, as a composer, collects three nods for three separate shows, Sunset Boulevard, Jesus Christ Superstar and School Of Rock The Musical.

Former Labour MP Glenda Jackson's role in King Lear sees her up for her first Olivier since 1984 in the best actress category.

Jackson will go up against former Doctor Who actress Billie Piper, who has received rave reviews for her performance in the title role of Yerma, The Glass Menagerie's Cherry Jones and Hedda Gabler's Ruth Wilson.

Co-written by Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, who is up for best director, The Cursed Child is also nominated for best set design, best lighting design, best costume and best sound.

Noma Dumezweni, who plays Hermione in the play, is shortlisted for best actress in a supporting role while the production's choreographer, Steve Hoggett, is also nominated.

In the best supporting actor category, Anthony Boyle, who plays Scorpius Malfoy, will face competition from Rafe Spall who is nominated for his performance as sinister Judge Brack in Hedda Gabler.

Travesties' star Freddie Fox and The Glass Menagerie's Brian Smith are also listed for the accolade.

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Renowned actor Sir Kenneth Branagh will also be honoured for his contribution to theatre at this year's awards.

Julian Bird, executive producer of the Olivier Awards said: "In a year of global change, the nominees for this year's awards demonstrate London theatre's ability to challenge our perceptions, stir our emotions, and entertain us.

"From new British plays and musicals, to reinventions of well-known titles, the Oliviers proudly celebrate an extraordinary range of acting and creative talent."

The nominations were announced by former winners Denise Gough and Matt Henry.

:: The Olivier Awards 2017 with Mastercard will take place at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday April 9.
Bringing your new partner to your best friend's wedding is a big deal for any couple - but when you're a royal, it makes international news.

As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's romance continues to move apace, pictures of the loved-up couple packing on the PDA at Tom 'Skippy' Inskip and Laura Hughes Young's Jamaica nuptials have added further fuel to the rumours that there's an impending proposal.

And for once, it looks like the rumours might be true, based alone on the fact that it's the first time Harry has even attended the same wedding as a girlfriend.

Despite being in a relationship with Chelsy Davy for six years and Cressida Bonas for two, only Chelsy ever made it to the same wedding as Harry and she was one of 1,900 guests.

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The South African lawyer was invited to Kate Middleton and Prince William's 2011 wedding, but even then the couple had split a year earlier.

But as Harry celebrated at his close friend's exclusive ceremony in the Caribbean on Friday, he not only brought Meghan as his date in an unprecedented move, but they were pictured leaving the venue holding hands.

It's the latest indication that the pair are in it for the long haul, with the 32-year-old royal also breaking protocol by releasing a statement last November condemning the media's treatment of the actress - the last time Kensington Palace issued such a statement was in reference to Middleton, who later married William and became the Duchess of Cambridge.

The pair didn't hold back their affection for one another during the celebrations and he even danced for his new love.

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"As music started to play, Harry busted out with some dance moves and Meghan looked on adoringly at him. He wasnt shy at all about dancing and just stood next to the table snapping his fingers and dancing for her," an insider told Us Weekly.

Markle (35) is a successful actress and stars on US legal drama Suits, but is reportedly willing to put her career aside in the pursuit of true love.

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She is said to be "head over heels" for her new beau and is willing to drop her schedule in order to make it work.

"Its been an absolute fairy tale for Meghan," a source told People in December.

"If she had to leave all that shes doing in order for the relationship to work, she would without hesitation. Its a very serious relationship and she wants a future with Harry."

Even Harry's grandmother, Britain's Queen Elizabeth is to said to approve of the new romance, while Prince Charles was also charmed by her.
The drought has caused a crisis in Kenya (AP)

Kenyan officials said 379 pastoral herders have been arrested for invading ranches in the wake of the fatal shooting of a British farmer.

The arrests come after rancher Tristan Voorspuy was shot dead while inspecting some of his lodges, which had been burned by attackers.

His body was found Sunday 118 miles north of Nairobi.

A severe drought in Kenya is causing tension because of the scarcity of water and pasture, as some communities move into other properties in search of the resources, said domestic security minister Joseph Nkaissery.

He said criminals have taken advantage of the situation to steal.

Kenya has declared its drought a national disaster. Ranchers, however, say the land invasions are politically motivated and part of plans to take over their land.

The British High Commissioner to Kenya said he was "deeply saddened" by Mr Voorspuy's killing.

Nic Hailey said he had repeatedly expressed his concern to Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta's government over the situation in parts of Laikipia.

Kenya has been affected by a cycle of violence including land invasions and evictions during the 1992, 1997 and 2007 elections. Kenya will hold general elections in August.

More than 1,000 people died after the 2007 elections, the deadliest clashes in the country's history.

A majority of the deaths were in the Rift Valley, where Laikipia is located. More than 600,000 were evicted from their homes during the violence.

A 2008 government commission found that historical injustices such as unequal land distribution were partly responsible for the violence.

A 2013 report reinforced those findings, saying long-standing grievances over land constitute the single most important driver of conflicts and ethnic tension in Kenya.
Rubbish strewn river flood plain at the Esquipulas Bordo. Trocaire are working with their partners CASM to educate residents on urban disaster risk reduction. Picture: Frank Mc Grath

In Honduras, those who oppose the state and companies intent on exploiting the country's natural resources face arrest and death. The Tolupan indigenous community, who live high in the mountains above the city of El Progreso, knows this better than most.

Over the past 20 years, more than 100 members have been killed. It's not surprising Honduras has been described by the Global Witness charity as among the deadliest country in the world in which to be a defender of environmental rights with conflict over mining, logging and hydropower.

Jose Maria Pineda (58) is a leader in San Francisco de Locomapa, and member of the Tolupan community, who number about 150 people. Thirteen have been killed in recent years. No one has been prosecuted.

Twice arrested during protests, he says that without the support of aid agency Trocaire, the community would struggle to defend its land and homes. "We had no protection before," he says. "Organisations supposed to look after us were collaborating with the companies and not protecting our rights.

"When we discovered a plan to exploit a forest nearby, we started protesting. Eight people were imprisoned, and three people were killed by assassins hired by the company. We are afraid for our lives but better to kill me quickly with one shot than slowly. We have to keep fighting. We will only bend the knee in front of God."

The community survives on agriculture, and works land to which it was given the rights in the 1860s. But from the 1980s, the government began to engage in a land grab in resource-rich areas.

The community is in doubt as to its legal entitlements. Despite this, companies and people with links to the government and military have taken over these lands, felling the timber and sinking illegal mines.

A former general has burned down neighbours' houses, destroyed crops and threatened residents to try to secure more land.

"We are so happy we're fighting a former army officer," Mr Pineda, a father of seven and farmer who grows coffee, beans, bananas and corn, said. "We will not back down. We are protected by articles in the constitution and also by international treaties. We know our rights and we are fighting."

The problem is not confined to this area. One of the most high-profile cases involves the assassination of mother-of-four Berta Caceres, who was murdered in her home last year.

She had campaigned against construction of a hydroelectric dam on her community's lands and the Gualcarque River by a Honduran company called Desarrollos Energeticos SA, and had filed dozens of reports of death threats. None was ever investigated.

Her lawyer, Victor Fernandez Guzman, told the Irish Independent that eight people were now being investigated for her murder.

"One of the theories is high officials in the government and political parties are behind the killing. Before the murder, there was a smear campaign against her," he said.

"This case could take up to two years, but there is a huge level of cases that never get a final resolution."

The Tolupan community continues its fight, and many community leaders who were in hiding have returned to their homes after being granted protection by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The problem is that police are supposed to provide that protection, and they're not trusted. Many of those carrying out the murders are members of the indigenous community, who have "betrayed" their people, locals say.

The Tolupan people are responding and marched for 13 days to the capital to protest. There have been achievements, with less illegal removal of timber, less mining and more women involved in the struggle.

Mr Pineda is prepared to go to prison again, despite the risks.

"The state institutions are totally corrupt," he says. "People are killed and there is no investigation."

Does he feel under threat? "Yes, because of the fight. But I'm not the only one," he adds.
Consuelo Soto (46) has been involved in the struggle to secure land rights since 2002. She has paid dearly.

In April 2015, her husband Luis de Reyes Marcia was murdered. Although she is living in the shadow of a death threat, she remains steadfast in her determination to continue the fight.

She was first offered 30,000 Honduran Lempira (HNL) to go away - around 1,200, a lot of money in a country where half the population live on less than 5 a day. It was increased to 40,000 HNL (1,600), then 50,000 LNP (2,000). One colleague was offered a staggering 400,000 HNL (16,000).

"Thank God I never had that moment of weakness [to accept money]. I was angry that if they were offering money, that it wasn't to the community.

"But the moment I cut communications, I started to get threats; voice messages left on my phone saying they would kill me and the other two [activists], rape me and cut me up into little pieces."

Worse was to come. In 2015, her husband was invited for a drink.

"They just shot him on the way to the meeting," she said. "I was visiting my sick sister. My brother called me at 5am to say they found my husband's body on the side of the road.

"After my husband was killed, I was told to go and I left for a month. That man went to my house when I was away and fired a shot. Thank God I wasn't there because I would have been killed."

A mother of seven, she remains in the family home but leaves for up to a month for San Pedro Sula, the second city of Honduras where her daughter lives.

"I'm not going to give up the struggle, even though I'm afraid. Of course I feel threatened. The police should be protecting me but they don't. That's just how Honduras works."
A PAC-3 surface-to-air missile launcher unit (C), used to engage incoming ballistic missile threats, is seen in position at the Defence Ministry in Tokyo on March 6, 2017. Three of the four missiles North Korea launched March 6 landed in Japanese-controlled waters, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, calling the development a "new stage of threat". / AFP PHOTO / KAZUHIRO NOGIKAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images

Television news coverage showing archive footage of a North Korean missile launch is broadcast on a public screen in Seoul on March 6, 2017. Nuclear-armed North Korea fired four ballistic missiles east of the peninsula, with Japan saying three of them landed in its waters. Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile last month -- its first such launch since October -- which Seoul said was aimed at testing the response from the new US administration of President Donald Trump. / AFP PHOTO / YONHAP / STR / REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT NO ARCHIVES RESTRICTED TO SUBSCRIPTION USE STR/AFP/Getty Images

A mock North Korea's Scud-B missile, center left, and South Korean missiles are displayed at Korea War Memorial Museum in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea on (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

North Korea has fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 620 miles, three landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to South Korean and Japanese officials.

The firings were an apparent reaction to huge joint military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.

It was not immediately clear what type of missile was fired. Pyongyang has staged a series of test-launches of various ranges in recent months, including a new intermediate-range missile in February.

The ramped-up tests came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile programme that can deter what he calls US and South Korean hostility.

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said the latest firing shows that North Korea has become "a new kind of threat".

Japanese officials said three of the four missiles landed in the 200-nautical-mile offshore area where Tokyo has sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting resources.

South Korea's Joint Chief of Staff said in a statement that the launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province.

The area is the home of the North's Seohae Satellite Station where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.

Seoul and Washington call their military drills on the Korean peninsula - which remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty - defensive and routine.

The North condemns the military drills, which run until late April and which analysts say force its impoverished military to respond with expensive deployments and drills of their own.

A spokesman for the North's General Staff of the Korean People's Army said last week that Pyongyang's reaction to the southern drills would be the toughest ever, but did not elaborate.

North Korea conducted two nuclear tests last year. There have been widespread concerns that the North will test an intercontinental ballistic missile that, when perfected, could in theory reach US shores. Washington would consider such a capability a major threat.

The US has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, and 50,000 in Japan, as a deterrent against a potential aggression from the North.
A relative of a French family of four who have been missing since mid-February has admitted killing them, according to reports.

Pascal and Brigitte, both aged 49, their son Sebastien (21), and daughter Charlotte (18), were last seen on February 16.

Pascal Troadec's former brother-in-law has reportedly told investigators that he killed the family in a dispute over the inheritance of gold bars.

The gold bars are believed to have been discovered at a property in Brest owned Pascal Troadec's father, during works there.

La Parisien newspaper is reporting that the family were beaten to death at their home and that DNA from the brother-in-law, named in the media as Hubert C, was found in the house.

Previously Hubert C had told investigators that he had not seen the family in a number of years it is reported.

His mother has also told the media that the gold bars are a "myth".

It is not yet clear what role, if any, Lydie Troadec - Hubert C's ex-wife and Pascal's sister - had in the disappearance of the family.
President Tayyip Erdogan accused Germany of behaving as in Nazi times in cancelling political meetings of resident Turks that were due to be addressed by Turkish officials.

German authorities withdrew permission last week for two rallies by Turkish residents in German cities amid growing public outrage over Ankara's arrest of a Turkish-German journalist, dragging bilateral ties to a new low.

The planned rallies were part of a Turkish government campaign to win support among Germany's 1.5 million-strong Turkish community for sweeping new presidential powers going to referendum in April. The German authorities cited security concerns.

"Germany, you have no relation whatsoever to democracy and you should know that your current actions are no different to those of the Nazi period," Mr Erdogan said at a rally in Istanbul. "When we say that, they get disturbed. Why are you disturbed?"

Relations between the two Nato partners have deteriorated sharply since a failed July coup bid against Mr Erdogan, when Ankara accused Berlin and other capitals of failing to condemn rogue military elements quickly or convincingly enough.

Mr Erdogan, accused by critics of increasingly authoritarian tendencies, has accused Germany of harbouring enemies of Turkey, from Kurdish militants to coup organisers. He has been sharply criticised in western Europe for mass dismissals and arrests of suspected conspirators, from judges to journalists. Germany has demanded the release of a German journalist arrested in Turkey last Monday, whom Mr Erdogan described as a "German agent".

"We will talk about Germany's actions in the international arena and we will put them to shame in the eyes of the world," Mr Erdogan said.

"We don't want to see the Nazi world anymore. We don't want to see their fascist actions. We thought that era was in the past, but apparently it isn't."

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Saturday criticised restrictions on such gatherings in Germany and now the Netherlands as undemocratic, and said Turkey would press on with them in the run-up to the April 16 referendum.

Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci was due to attend two events in Germany yesterday, in Leverkusen and Cologne in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which has a large Turkish population.

Germany is Turkey's most important trading partner in the European Union, which Ankara officially aspires to join.

Julia Klockner, deputy leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, said Mr Erdogan was "reacting like a wilful child that cannot have his way".

"The Nazi comparison is a new high point of intemperance," she told the 'Bild' newspaper.

Ms Klockner said Mr Erdogan must apologise for the Nazi comparison. "True statesmen do not speak in such terms."
Donald Trump claimed Barack Obama tried to undermine him by tapping the telephones at Trump Tower (AP)

President Donald Trump's explosive claim that Barack Obama tapped his telephones during last year's election has been defended by White House officials.

However, they did not say exactly where that information came from and left open the possibility that it is not true.

The comments came even as FBI director James Comey privately asked the Justice Department to dispute the claim because he believed the allegations were not true.

When asked whether Mr Trump accepted Mr Comey's view, White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told ABC's Good Morning America: "I don't think he does."

Mrs Sanders and Kellyanne Conway, another top adviser, said the president still firmly believes the allegations he made on Twitter over the weekend.

The aides said any ambiguity surrounding the issue is all the more reason for Congress to investigate the matter.

"We'd like to know for sure," Mrs Sanders told NBC's Today show.

The House and Senate intelligence committees, and the FBI, are investigating contacts between Mr Trump's campaign and Russian officials, as well as whether Moscow tried to influence the 2016 election.

On Sunday, Mr Trump demanded that they broaden the scope of their inquiries to include Mr Obama's potential abuse of executive powers.

When asked where Mr Trump was getting his information from, Mrs Sanders said the president "may have access to documents that I don't know about".

Likewise, Mrs Conway said that "credible news sources" suggested there was politically motivated activity during the campaign.

But Mrs Conway also said Mr Trump might have access to other information she and others do not.

"He is the president of the United States," Mrs Conway told Fox News' Fox & Friends.

''He has information and intelligence that the rest of us do not."

Mr Trump is said to be frustrated by his senior advisers' inability to tamp down allegations about contacts between his campaign aides and the Russian government.

Compounding the situation was the revelation last week that former US senator and now Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an early Trump campaign supporter, had met twice with the Russian ambassador but did not disclose that to lawmakers when he was asked about it during his Senate confirmation hearing.

Separately, an Indiana newspaper reported that Vice President Mike Pence used personal email to conduct state business when he was governor of Indiana.

The revelation recalled the use of personal email by Mr Trump's 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, when she was secretary of state.

The issue dogged Mrs Clinton for most of the presidential campaign.

A US official told The Associated Press on Sunday that Mr Comey had asked the Justice Department to refute Mr Trump's allegation of illegal wiretapping.

The department, however, has issued no such statement.

DoJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores declined to comment on Sunday, and an FBI spokesman also did not comment.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr said in a statement that the panel "will follow the evidence where it leads, and we will continue to be guided by the intelligence and facts as we compile our findings".

Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the committee "will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates".

Mr Trump's request carries some risk, particularly if the committees unearth damaging information about him or his associates.

Committee Democrats will have access to the information and could wield anything negative against the president.

Asking Congress to conduct a much broader investigation than originally envisioned also ensures the Russia issue will hang over the White House for months.

Mr Obama's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said nothing matching Mr Trump's claims had taken place.

"Absolutely, I can deny it," said Mr Clapper, who left government when Mr Trump took office.

Josh Earnest, who was Mr Obama's White House press secretary, said presidents do not have authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens, as Mr Trump has alleged was done to him.

FBI investigators and Justice Department officials must seek approval from a federal judge for such a step.

Mr Earnest accused Mr Trump of levelling the allegation to distract from the attention being given to the Russia issue.

Mr Trump said in the tweets that he had "just found out" about being wiretapped.

Unclear was whether he was referring to having learned through a briefing, a conversation or a media report.

In the past, the president has tweeted about unsubstantiated and provocative reports he reads on blogs or conservative websites.

The tweets stood out, given the gravity of the charge and the sharp personal attack on the former president.

Mr Trump spoke as recently as last month about how much he likes Mr Obama and how much they get along, despite their differences.

"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" he tweeted, misspelling "tap".

AP
A Delhi-bound flight was diverted due to a pungent smell in the cockpit emanating from the lavatory.

The SpiceJet flight from Bengaluru to Delhi was forced to land in Hyderabad due to the strong smell.

The pilot made the decision to divert the Boeing 737, which had 184 passengers and four infants on board.

"SpiceJet aircraft, operating flight SG 192 from Bengaluru to Delhi, had to be diverted to Hyderabad due [to a] very foul smell from forward lavatory coming into the cockpit, an airline spokesperson told the Hindustan Times.

The journey was delayed for almost an hour as the plane was cleaned thoroughly and ventilated.

The exact cause of the smell has not yet been revealed.

SpiceJet is Indias largest low-cost airline and operates 306 daily flights to 45 destinations.

A SpiceJet flight was previously grounded after it hit a stray buffalo that wandered on to a runway in the Indian city of Surat.

There was substantial damage to the aircraft and the animal was killed.
Although Suheil Ahmad (30) can't afford the life-saving treatment his one-year-old baby needs, the Syrian refugee still believes he is one of the lucky ones.

As the sun was starting to set in the makeshift refugee camp of Halba in northern Lebanon, a distraught man holding a baby in one hand and medical documents in the other approached me.

"Please help me. My name is Suheil Ahmad," he said. "I have travelled from Al-Hasakah, Syria, with my wife and sick child to escape the war.

"My son has a birth defect with fluid entering his brain and needs urgent medical attention. He can be treated for 1,500, but we can't afford it. If we don't get him the surgery he needs he will die."

The young father said that the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) would pay only for his son's hospital stay and not the cost of the operation itself.

"I'm constantly worrying about my son, but we are still very lucky to be out of Syria.

Expand Close Minister of State Joe McHugh meeting Syrian children at a camp school. Photo: PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Minister of State Joe McHugh meeting Syrian children at a camp school. Photo: PA

"Life was hell under both the regime, Isil and now the Kurds and many people who didn't flee are now dead."

While Suheil's case is tragic, it is certainly not unique. Each Syrian exile has his or her own story of despair and is depending on the generosity of humanitarian organisations such as Concern, Trocaire and Unicef.

Lebanon, which has the same landmass as Northern Ireland, is now home to 1.5 million Syrian refugees. Father-of-six Abd Sanad Dawiyd (62), from Al-Hasakah, said he was very grateful to Concern Worldwide for providing his family with basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter.

"I feel a lot safer now. When I was living in a town controlled by Isil I couldn't even smoke or listen to music out of fear they would cut off my head - there was no freedom at all."

Read more: Powerful photographs show moment people cross from Isis-controlled Mosul to Iraqi soldiers

In the neighbouring country of Jordan, the infamous Zaatari refugee camp, one of the largest in the world, holds 80,000 Syrian exiles.

However, the destructive toll the Syrian war has taken on many individuals within the camp has left behind irreversible damage.

Kabada Shab's (28) life was changed forever when a bullet left him permanently disabled in his hometown of Daara in 2011.

"I was on a motorcycle travelling to work one morning with a friend when the regime forces started shooting all around us. I was hit by a bullet in my back and my friend was struck in the kidney and stomach but survived," he said.

Spending over a month in hospital, Kabada and his wife Gharam Hamad (20) decided to travel to Jordan to continue his treatment, but when their money ran out the couple had no choice but to move to Zaatari.

"I went to Handicapped International within the camp, but they only provide basic treatment, which does not work for me. In my condition I need specialised and advanced support. God willing, we can go back home one day - everyone here wishes for the same thing."

Minister of State for International Development Joe McHugh, who visited several of the refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon recently, said he could see the majority wanted to return home.

"You can see it in their eyes and expressions that their hearts are still in Syria.

"If we can help Syrians in Jordan and Lebanon reconstruct their own country and help them plan their return when the time is right, then that's money well spent. Syrians want to empower their own people and we have to try to create that facility and environment for them to do so," he said.

The Syrian refugee crisis has become one of the defining humanitarian challenges in recent times with more than half of Syria's pre-war population displaced by the conflict.

With the majority hoping to return to a normal life in Syria, the sad prospect is that there is no certainty how long this will take - or if it will even happen at all.
Alexander Smurfit, son of Dr Michael Smurfit and heir to the Smurfit fortune, with his then Russian TV-star girlfriend Victoria Bonya in Dubai

The ex-partner of Michael Smurfit's son has claimed she was held at a US airport and questioned about the Russian President.

Former Playboy model Victoria Bonya (37) said in online posts that the she was questioned by officers at Los Angeles.

Ms Bonya was recently split from Alexander Smurfit, the son of Irish packaging tycoon Michael. The couple were together for six years and have a four-year-old daughter.

Ms Bonya explained that she was questioned after US agents searched through her luggage and discovered a business card for Spy-Land, a company that specialises in hidden cameras.

The New York Post is reporting that she wrote on Instagram: Instead of asking some real questions, the officer decided to talk about our president [Vladimir Putin]."

She continued: Finding out everything about my position, he started talking about the KGB, she added. I started laughing, as I really thought it was a joke, until they asked me the same thing for a third time!

Ms Bonya, who lists her address online as Monte Carlo in Monaco, said there was a time when she feared that she wouldn't be able to enter the US.

It was a big shock! I thought that was it and that they will deport me asap, she said.

The model finally managed to convince authorities at LAX that the card had just been randomly passed to her after showing officials her social-media accounts. She has 1.9 million Twitter followers and more than 5 million fans on Instagram.

Alex Smurfit is the son of Michael Smurfit's second wife, a Swedish air hostess, Brigitta Beimark, with whom the tycoon lived in Monaco.

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The young Smurfit heir and his then glamorous girlfriend Ms Bonya caused a huge stir in Russia where the ups and downs of their passionate relationship were played out in social columns.
President-elect Donald Trump, left, and President Barack Obama arrive for Trump's inauguration ceremony at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S. January 20, 2017. REUTERS/J. Scott Applewhite/Pool/File Photo

President Barack Obama (R) greets President elect Donald Trump at inauguration ceremonies swearing in Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States on the West front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

The former top US intelligence official has rejected President Donald Trump's accusation that his predecessor, Barack Obama, wiretapped him even as the White House on Sunday urged Congress to investigate Trump's allegation.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that FBI Director James Comey asked the Justice Department this weekend to reject Trump's wiretapping claim because it was false and must be corrected, but the department had not done so. The report cited senior US officials.

The White House asked Congress, controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans, to examine whether the Obama administration abused its investigative authority during the 2016 US presidential campaign, as part of an ongoing congressional probe into Russia's influence on the election.

Trump on Saturday alleged, without offering supporting evidence, that Obama ordered a wiretap of the phones at Trump's campaign headquarters in Trump Tower in New York.

"There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate or against his campaign," former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who left his post at the end of Obama's term in office in January, said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Under US law, a federal court would have to have found probable cause that the target of the surveillance is an "agent of a foreign power" in order to approve a warrant authorizing electronic surveillance of Trump Tower.

Read More

Asked whether there was such a court order, Clapper said, "I can deny it."

However Mr Trump has reportedly told a friend he would be proven right.

Christopher Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax Media and a Trump donor, said he had spoken to the president twice at the weekend about the wiretap allegations.

The Telegraph is reporting that Mr Ruddy said: "I havent seen him this p***** off in a long time. When I mentioned Obama 'denials' about the wiretaps he shot back 'This will be investigated, it will all come out. I will be proven right'."

Democrats have accused Trump of trying to distract from the rising controversy about possible ties to Russia. His administration has come under pressure from FBI and congressional investigations into contacts between members of his campaign team and Russian officials.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions bowed out last week of any probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election after it emerged he met last year with Russia's ambassador while serving as a Trump campaign advisor. Sessions maintained he did nothing wrong by failing to disclose the meetings.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump and administration officials would have no further comment on the issue until Congress has completed its probe, potentially heading off attempts to get Trump to explain his accusations.

"Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling," Spicer said in a statement.

(1/4) Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling.  Sean Spicer (@PressSec) March 5, 2017

(2/4) President Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees  Sean Spicer (@PressSec) March 5, 2017

(3/4) exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016.  Sean Spicer (@PressSec) March 5, 2017

(4/4) Neither the White House nor the President will comment further until such oversight is conducted.  Sean Spicer (@PressSec) March 5, 2017

U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, Republican head of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee examining possible links between Russia and Trump's campaign, said in a statement that any possible surveillance on campaign officials would be part of the probe.

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Trump made the wiretapping accusation in a series of early morning tweets on Saturday amid expanding scrutiny of his campaign's ties to Russia. An Obama spokesman denied the charge, saying it was "a cardinal rule" that no White House official interfered with independent Justice Department investigations.

The White House offered no evidence on Sunday to back up Trump's accusation and did not say it was true.

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders, appearing on ABC's "This Week," said Trump has "made very clear what he believes, and he's asking that we get down to the bottom of this. Let's get the truth here."

'EARLY STAGES OF INVESTIGATION'

Trump, who spent the weekend at his Florida resort, said in his tweets on Saturday that the alleged wiretapping took place in his Trump Tower office and apartment building in New York, but there was "nothing found."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Trump had either made a false accusation, or a judge had found probable cause to authorize a wiretap.

"Either way, the president's in trouble," Schumer said on NBC's "Meet the Press," adding that if Trump was spreading misinformation, "it shows this president doesn't know how to conduct himself."

Clapper said "there was no evidence" of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in a January intelligence report concluding Russian interference in the 2016 election, but "this could have unfolded or become available in the time since I left government."

Trump's allegations echo charges made in recent days by several conservative news and commentary outlets, all without offering any evidence.

Trump should immediately turn over any evidence he has to support his allegation, said U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"What we need to deal with is evidence, not just statements," she said on CBS's "Face the Nation," adding she also had not seen evidence of collaboration "but we are in the very early stages of our investigation."

Trump fired his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, in February after revelations that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office.

Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary under Obama, said the president did not have the authority to unilaterally order a wiretap of a U.S. citizen.

"The president was not giving marching orders to the FBI about how to conduct its investigation," Earnest said on ABC's "This Week."
US President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. / AFP PHOTO / NICHOLAS KAMMNICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

US President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order after publicly criticising the judges who ruled against his first travel ban.

Is there anything different this time? Here is everything you need to know about the new ban.

1. So, Trump has signed a new travel ban?

Yes, the US President signed this one in private without the fanfare of the first. Trump publicly criticized judges who ruled against him in his first executive order and vowed to fight the case in the Supreme Court, but then decided to draw up a new order with changes aimed at making it easier to defend in the courts.

2. What does Trump's new ban mean?

Iraq is not be included on the list, but would-be visitors and immigrants from Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Libya are still affected by the 90-day ban. The original order barred travelers from the seven nations from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days.

Refugees from Syria were to be banned indefinitely but under the new order they are not given separate treatment.

Furthermore, the four-month halt to refugees entering the United States is now out. The new order means the refugee ban remains in place, though people already approved and on their way to the United States will be allowed in.

3. Why is Iraq no longer on the list?

Iraq is no longer included on the travel ban.

Iraq was among seven Muslim-majority countries whose nationals were temporarily banned from travelling to the United States. The new order has removed Iraq from the list under pressure from the State Department and the Defence Department, which had noted the close co-operation between the two countries in battling IS.

4. When does it come into effect?

US President Donald Trumps new travel ban comes into force on the same day that he will be welcoming Taoiseach Enda Kenny to the White House, March 16. Mr Kennys interactions with the President will now be even more closely scrutinised and he will be expected to mention ban in his speech.

5. Why is it being delayed?

The delay aims to limit the disruption created by the original Jan 27 order before a US judge suspended it on Feb 3.

6. What happens next?

The Washington State Attorney General says he will now decide on the next litigation steps after consulting with state universities and businesses about potential harms.

7. What was said about the controversy of the first travel ban?

The first travel ban came only a week after Trump was inaugurated, and it sparked chaos and protests at airports, as well as a wave of criticism from targeted countries, Western allies and some of America's leading corporations.

"It is the president's solemn duty to protect the American people," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters after Trump signed the new order. "As threats to our security continue to evolve and change, common sense dictates that we continually re-evaluate and reassess the systems we rely upon to protect our country."

8. ... and how will the new ban be received?

The leader of the minority Democrats in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said he expected the revised order to have the same uphill battle in the courts as the original version.

"A watered down ban is still a ban," he said in a statement. "Despite the administration's changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited, and un-American. It must be repealed."

9. Is there chaos expected?

Refugees who are "in transit" and already have been approved would be able to travel to the United States.

"Theres going to be a very orderly process," a senior official from the Department of Homeland Security said. "You should not see any chaos so to speak, or alleged chaos at airports. There arent going to be folks stopped tonight from coming into the country because of this executive order."
In the murky world of intelligence there are many shades of grey, but in this case the denial could hardly have been more emphatic.

Barack Obama's director of national intelligence was crystal clear that the FBI had never been given a secret court order to carry out electronic surveillance at Trump Tower in New York.

"Absolutely, I can deny it," James Clapper said with a steady gaze, adding for good measure: "Something like this? Absolutely, I would know."

The interviewer on NBC News spluttered, surprised that such a serious allegation by the president of the United States had been so categorically shot down. Just to make sure, he asked again.

"No," Mr Clapper replied firmly. "There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president, the president-elect at the time, as a candidate or against his campaign."

And that, one would have thought, would be that. But in Donald Trump's Washington, it was not. Yesterday, he called on Congress to investigate whether Mr Obama had abused his powers by obtaining the alleged secret court order.

Expand Close Counter-demonstrators (left) and Trump supporters (right) fight for a US flag during a People 4 Trump rally in Berkeley, California. Photo: REUTERS/Stephen Lam / Facebook

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Whatsapp Counter-demonstrators (left) and Trump supporters (right) fight for a US flag during a People 4 Trump rally in Berkeley, California. Photo: REUTERS/Stephen Lam

On top of that, he instructed his White House counsel, Donald F McGahn, to pursue any information relating to secret court orders involving him and his campaign.

Congressman Devin Nunes, chairman of the House intelligence committee, said it "will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates".

The committee is already examining possible links between Russia and Mr Trump's campaign. Possible surveillance of campaign officials would be part of that inquiry.

Trump protests in pictures: Daggers, metal pipes and bricks confiscated and number of arrests made

The alleged warrant with which Mr Trump appears to have become so preoccupied was reportedly issued under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act last October.

To obtain it, the FBI would have had to prove to the court that it had "probable cause" to investigate activities by "agents of a foreign power".

The investigation they were focused on at the time had been spurred by suspicious electronic "pings" bouncing between a computer server at Trump Tower and Alfa Bank, Russia's biggest commercial bank.

The pings had been stumbled on last summer by experts in the cyber security industry, including one who went by the internet moniker 'Tea Leaves'. He and others concluded that 87pc of communications the Trump server was involved in were with Alfa Bank.

The FBI did investigate but ultimately concluded there was an innocent explanation, such as spam or misdirected email repeatedly trying to reach its destination.

According to the Trump Organisation, the server had not been in operation since 2010.

Despite the case being effectively closed, it reared its head again on November 7 when a report on the libertarian blog Heat Street, by the former British Conservative MP and anti-Trump campaigner Louise Mensch, revealed the FBI may have obtained a FISA order during their inquiries.

Ms Mensch's report, based on information from counter-intelligence sources, also suggested the warrant covered any "US person" connected to the investigation, which potentially could include Mr Trump himself.

It created some ripples but no major headlines - until last Thursday. That evening Mark Levin, a leading US radio talk show host with seven million listeners, cited Ms Mensch's report as "Exhibit One" in an extensive attack on the Obama administration.

Mr Levin is no ordinary talk show host. He was chief of staff to President Ronald Reagan's attorney general Ed Meese, and carried huge influence in the Republican primary elections last year.

An article based on his radio broadcast was then published by Breitbart News, which was reportedly being read by White House aides on Friday.

Early the next morning, at 6.26am, Mr Trump began lambasting Mr Obama on Twitter.

"Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory," Mr Trump began. "Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!" ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Supporters of President Donald Trump gather for a 'People 4 Trump' rally at Neshaminy State Park in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Photo: REUTERS/Mark Makela

The White House is expected to unveil a new entry ban executive order today, according to senior US administration officials.

The order is expected to be a revised version of an entry ban that US President Donald Trump signed in January, which has been blocked by a federal court.

Mr Trump has met with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly - both central to the implementation of the order - at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

White House officials have said that the new order will address some of the legal concerns raised by federal judges.

"Fundamentally, you're still going to have the same basic policy outcome for the country," White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller said on Fox News last month.

"But you're going to be responsive to a lot of very technical issues that were brought up by the court."

Mr Trump's first order blocked immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Critics called the order a de facto "Muslim ban".

Trump administration officials have promised to continue defending the original order in courts, even while the president is expected to sign a new order. ( The Washington Post)
South Korea is staging huge joint military drills with the US (AP)

North Korea has fired four banned ballistic missiles over 620 miles, with three of them landing in waters which Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone, officials said.

The test launches appear to be a reaction to huge US-South Korean military drills which those countries consider routine, but are viewed as an invasion rehearsal by Pyongyang.

It is not clear what exact type of missile was fired, but the tests will be viewed as a provocation by the Trump administration, which is working on its policy for North Korea.

The New York Times reported over the weekend that the US still cannot effectively counter Pyongyang's actions despite efforts to perfect cyber and electronic strikes against North Korea's missile programme.

Pyongyang has test-launched a series of missiles of various ranges in recent months, including a new intermediate-range missile in February.

It also conducted two nuclear tests last year. The ramped-up tests come as leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile programme which can deter what he calls US and South Korean hostility toward the North.

There have been widespread worries that the North will conduct an ICBM test that, when perfected, could in theory reach the US mainland. Washington would consider such a capability a major threat.

US national security adviser HR McMaster and his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin have condemned the launches and agreed to boost co-operation to bring more effective sanctions and pressure to bear on the North, according to South Korea's presidential office.

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said three missiles landed in the 200-nautical-mile offshore area where Tokyo has sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting resources.

He said a fourth missile fell "near" Japan's exclusive economic zone.

This is the third time that North Korean missiles have fallen in the Japanese zone, beginning last August. Japanese leaders see the launches into nearby waters as a growing threat.

European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said the launches were "in utter disregard" of several UN resolutions and that the EU would consult with Japan and international partners on how to react.

She also said North Korea needed to immediately halt plans for more such missile launches.

South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said in a statement that the launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province.

The area is the home of the North's Sohae rocket launch site where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.

US state department spokesman Mark Toner said: "We remain prepared - and will continue to take steps to increase our readiness - to defend ourselves and our allies from attack, and are prepared to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against this growing threat."

An unidentified spokesman for the North's general staff of the Korean People's Army said last week that Pyongyang's reaction to the southern drills would be the "toughest ever".

The US has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea and 50,000 in Japan, as a deterrent against potential aggression from the North.

AP
A retired Philippine police officer has linked President Rodrigo Duterte and his men to nearly 200 killings allegedly carried out by the officer and other members of a so-called death squad.

Arturo Lascanas made the allegations about Mr Duterte, from when he was a mayor, at the start of a nationally televised Senate inquiry.

The president's spokesman, Ernesto Abella, described Mr Lascanas as a "polluted source and perjured witness" because he had denied in a 2016 Senate hearing that there was a Davao Death Squad, which has been linked to Mr Duterte.

Mr Abella called Mr Lascanas's testimony "fabricated and unacceptable".

Mr Lascanas said he personally heard Mr Duterte order killings in two instances while the other attacks were initiated by police officers supposedly on his orders.
Women sit in line on the ground waiting to receive food distributed by the World Food Programme in Padeah, South Sudan (AP)

South Sudan's government is blocking desperately needed food aid and restricting United Nations peacekeepers, according to the UN.

An internal report from UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres to members of the Security Council obtained by the Associated Press shows the daunting conditions faced by the international community as it tries to combat a catastrophe in the troubled East African nation.

It singles out South Sudan's government for "the destruction of all the social fabric in all parts of the country" and lists "outrageous" examples of belligerence by South Sudan's security forces.

The UN humanitarian chief, Stephen O'Brien, said South Sudan is impeding humanitarian assistance, following a two-day visit to the country over the weekend.

"People have been displaced, brutalised and raped. They have been attacked when they sought out assistance. This must stop, and it must stop now," Mr O'Brien said in a statement.

At least 50,000 people have died in South Sudan's civil war, which began in December 2013 as a result of a struggle for power between President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar.

An estimated 100,000 people are experiencing famine, and another one million people are on the brink of starvation, South Sudan's government and UN agencies said in late February.

South Sudan is now Africa's largest migrant crisis as more than three million people have either fled the country or become internally displaced, according to the UN.

The impact of this ongoing conflict and violence has reached disastrous proportions for civilians, Mr Guterres said in the internal letter.

The UN Security Council decided in August to send an additional 4,000 peacekeepers to South Sudan, but the government has delayed the arrival of the extra troops.

Some progress on sending the extra troops has recently been made, however, and the deployment of an advance contingent of Rwandan troops is being finalised, said Mr Guterres' report.

The letter, sent to the Security Council on February 13, listed several incidents in which he said government forces hindered the UN's peacekeeping and humanitarian work.

But South Sudan's First Vice President Taban Deng Gai told members of the UN Human Rights Council on February 27 hat the government has improved security and taken steps to hold violators of rights abuses accountable, according to a statement obtained by AP.

He said the government does not have enough resources to demobilise armed groups, and asked for more military funding.

"I can state with confidence that the notion of a looming genocide and possible ethnic cleansing is fading away as we continue with these demonstrations of our commitment to harmoniously live together," Mr Gai said in the statement.

His optimistic portrait of South Sudan is markedly different from the one UN officials provide.

UN peacekeepers were recently prevented from verifying allegations of government forces killing or arbitrarily arresting civilians, including in the troubled town of Yei, according to the internal letter from the secretary-general.

In late February, armed groups and members of the local community looted the compound and warehouse of Save the Children in the northern Jonglei area.

The organisation was the only distributor of food aid in the area, which is on the brink of famine.

"This is the most extreme act by the very people we are trying to help," said Peter Walsh, South Sudan director for Save the Children in a statement.

"It is critical that parties to the conflict provide unimpeded humanitarian access to the affected community to avoid famine becoming their death sentence."

AP
Tesla Inc. is losing key personnel as it races to bring the Model 3 -- its most critical electric sedan yet -- to market later this year.

Chief Financial Officer Jason Wheeler's impending departure, announced just 15 months after he joined Tesla from Google, will be the latest in a raft of largely under-the-radar exits. Former executives, who spoke on the condition they not be identified, cited a range of reasons for their exits over the past year, including long hours in the rush to high-volume production, mission creep, and a tense culture that reflects their visionary but indefatigable chief executive officer, Elon Musk.

"Tesla looks like a company that is getting stretched to the limit," said Dave Sullivan, an analyst at industry researcher AutoPacific Inc. "The pressure of getting out the Model 3 is getting to everybody, from the people on the factory floor to the people at the top."

A Tesla spokesman in an emailed statement called attracting and retaining talent "one of our biggest assets" and said the company's attrition rate was below average among technology companies.

Long hours and job-hopping are routine at tech companies in California's Silicon Valley, and Palo Alto-based Tesla continues to make high-profile hires. Even so, analysts have flagged the departures as a risk to what will be Tesla's most challenging execution year in its short history. Musk plans to introduce the Model 3, is starting battery production at the Gigafactory and will integrate SolarCity, the recent acquisition that pushed Tesla's global workforce to roughly 30,000 people.

Like many companies, Tesla noted among risk factors in its just-filed annual report that it needs to attract and retain skilled workers. This year, however, it added a new phrase to the boilerplate, saying the efforts are needed "especially to support our expansion plans and ramp to high-volume manufacture of vehicles."

"Any time you're going through a big change it's important to have consistent management," Colin Langan, a UBS analyst who has a sell rating on the stock, said in an interview. "Jason Wheeler was a big hire and he's leaving, and there have been many other departures. If you're putting out aggressive targets and the people aren't there to meet them, it's a problem."

Wheeler, whose departure was first announced on last week's quarterly earnings call, said he wants to pursue work in public policy and praised what he called the "A-team" at Tesla. Deepak Ahuja, the CFO who led Tesla from the brink of bankruptcy through its 2010 initial public offering and retired in 2015, will return in April for a second tour of duty.

Bloomberg News compiled a list of more than two dozen management departures over the past year that include vice presidents of finance, communications, regulatory affairs, production, manufacturing, products and programs. Most recently Tesla has lost Mark Lipscomb, its vice president of human resources, and Satish Jeyachandran, the director of hardware engineering.

Tesla is generally opaque about its leadership beyond Musk and Chief Technical Officer J.B. Straubel, with no list of executives or vice presidents on its website, its investor relations page or in the annual report filed with the SEC this week.

Among Tesla's senior leadership team, three quarters have more than three years of tenure, 60 percent have been with the company at least six years and 20 percent have worked there a decade, according to its spokesman. Almost 60 percent of those who've had a leadership position at Tesla over its 14-year existence are still with the company, Tesla said.

None of the former managers Bloomberg News reached agreed to speak on the record.

Goldman Sachs this week downgraded Tesla to sell from neutral, with analyst David Tamberrino casting doubt on its ability to deliver the Model 3 on time. The Feb. 27 report contributed to the shares dropping about 11 percent from their 19-month closing high of $280.98 on Feb. 14. Of 23 analysts tracked by Bloomberg, eight have buy ratings on the shares, nine are neutral and six recommend selling.

Tesla's shares have jumped about 28 percent over the past year. Revenue surged 73 percent to more than $7 billion in 2016.

When Tesla announced in January it hired Chris Lattner from Apple as vice president of Autopilot software, it didn't mention that Sterling Anderson, the executive who ran the entire Autopilot program and reported directly to Musk, departed in late December. Tesla then sued Anderson, alleging he broke his confidentiality agreement with the company. Aurora Innovation, the company Anderson started with the former head of Google's self-driving project, said it would fight the "meritless" lawsuit.

Several former Tesla employees have landed at other auto companies, including Future Mobility Corp., Nio and Waymo, the self-driving car business spun off by Google parent Alphabet.

To be sure, Tesla's clean-energy mission and compelling products has attracted high-caliber people, regardless of its hard-driving reputation. The 45-year-old Musk has described himself as a "nano manager," has kept a sleeping bag at the company's car factory and works a second job running a rocket company.

About half of Musk's roughly $11.6 billion in estimated wealth comes from Tesla, where he takes no salary but is the largest shareholder with a 21 percent stake.

As of Dec. 31, Tesla had about 17,800 employees, not counting another 12,200 added with the $2 billion acquisition of SolarCity last year. Despite the growing headcount, more than 2,000 job postings at Tesla are listed on the recruiting website Taleo.

Tesla produced almost 84,000 vehicles in 2016 and plans to make half a million in 2018, then 1 million in 2020. It expects to pick locations for more gigafactories by the end of this year, and to introduce a semi truck and bus. Earlier this week it was named the highest-ranked domestic car brand by Consumer Reports magazine.

One worker at Tesla's Fremont, California, auto plant touched off a unionization effort last month, publishing a Medium post describing 60- to 70-hour work weeks, safety-related issues and mandatory overtime.

The unionization talk has drawn pushback from Musk. He promised employees free frozen yogurt stands, an electric pod-car roller coaster connecting parking lots to the factory and a "really amazing party once Model 3 reaches volume production later this year," according to an internal email Buzzfeed obtained last month.

Musk's moves to lighten the environment show the union threat has registered, AutoPacific's Sullivan said. "If Tesla has more than 2,000 job openings, does that mean that people are overloaded, or doubling up? You can't constantly ask for the impossible."
CONCORD- Central Cabarrus High and Mount Pleasant Middle School students attended the Western Region TSA Conference at Appalachian State University on February 17.

The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a national organization of students engaged in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). TSA club members learn through exciting competitive events, leadership opportunities and much more.

The following students placed during the conference:

Central Cabarrus High

3rd Place Photographic Technology: Talia Poehler

Adeline Rookstool, Reilly Holbert, and Chetna Khanna were two points away from placing in the Top 3 in their event Engineering Design.

Mount Pleasant Middle

1st Place Flight: Dylan Pursell

2nd Place Flight: Andrew Jiang

1st Place Tech Bowl Oral: Andrew Jiang and Brendan Marshburn

2nd Place Medical Technology: Abby Isenhour and Andrew Jiang

2nd Place Tech Bowl Written: Andrew Jiang

3rd Place Dragster: Clay Newmyer

3rd Place Problem Solving: Abby Isenhour and Max Lynch

3rd Place Promotional Marketing: Grace Potts

Cabarrus County TSA Chapters are heading to the NCTSA State Conference held from April 2-4 to participate in their respective competitions.
North Carolinas Constitution is essentially a social contract between the people and its government.

Former House Speaker Joe Mavretic has long maintained that every generation should review and renew that social contract but its been almost 50 years, more than a generation, since such a review was undertaken.

The 1971 Constitution of North Carolina was the culmination of a process that began in 1967, when the North Carolina State Bar conducted a study into possible changes. After many months of deliberation a draft constitution was proposed, presented to the General Assembly which, after lengthy debate and many votes, in 1969 overwhelmingly passed it and asked voters to affirm the new Constitution in November 1970. It passed by a 61 percent margin and took effect in 1971.

Since that time we have added more than 20 amendments. Some include allowing the Governor and Lieutenant Governor to serve two consecutive four-year terms, requiring that the legislature pass a balanced state budget, permitting the governor the veto power (one of the last states in the nation to do so), requiring that all judges be lawyers and allowing state income taxes to be computed on the same basis as the federal income tax. Some amendments removed articles, such as the elimination of the poll or capitation tax and removing the limits for computation of property taxes. The latest amendment, in 2012, was Amendment One, the so-called same sex provision. It stated the only recognized domestic union in our state was a marriage between one man and one woman, an amendment declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2014.

Almost every session of the General Assembly sees further amendments proposed and the 2017 session is no exception. No less than four are currently being discussed, including capping the personal income tax rate at 5.5 percent, changing the method by which members of the State Board of Education are selected, limiting the powers of both state and local government to take private property for public purposes (Eminent Domain) and repealing Article 1, Section 4 of the current Constitution prohibiting our state from seceding from the United States.

In recent years we have seen a large increase in the number of court cases requiring our judiciary to interpret our Constitution. Coupled with the fact it has been a long time since the entire document was reviewed and so many amendments have been added it is now time to demand a top to bottom re-examination of this essential document that defines the functions of our government, duties of various officials and our rights as citizens.

Constitutional changes are a serious proposition that demand reasoned deliberations, input from many voices and considerations as to the impact changes might have. The State Bar could once again be the group to study and recommend revisions to our Constitution, sending them to our legislature for further debate and approval. This process would likely take some years to complete, but we strongly suggest that our state and its people would be better served to do so instead of continuing the practice of piecemeal amendments.

Some of the currently proposed amendments might have merit, but there is no urgent argument why they could and should not wait until the entire Constitution undergoes scrutiny and revision. Let us urge our lawmakers to initiate such a process rather than stringing even more amendments to a 46-year-old document.

Tom Campbell is former assistant North Carolina State Treasurer and is creator/host of NC SPIN, a weekly statewide television discussion of NC issues. Show airs in Charlotte on WCCB Sundays at 6:30 a.m.
The United Russia party has urged Culture Minister of Russia Vladimir Medinsky to watch the movie 'Beauty and the Beast' before its worldwide release which is on March 16 and check if it complies with or not as per the Russian law of prohibits gay propaganda.

If the film complied with some element of such propaganda then ban it. To which responds Medinsky, "As soon as we get a copy of the film with relevant paperwork for distribution, we will consider it according to the law."

Also in US Gad's character has been gathered controversy. A movie theatre has announced that it would not screen 'Beauty and the Beast' because of the inclusion of a gay character.

Gad for the first time opened up on the gay character, "As subtle as it is, I do think it's going to be effective and I do think it's important."

Also Read:

Donal Trump: The show centred too much on me

Casey Afflick is regretting now as he forgot to thank his kids in Oscar speech

Miss Victoria Leeds aka Priyanka Chopra has no fear of Fashion Police
Cement production declines for first time since 2001

In its first decline in 15 years, cement production in India fell by 13 percent year-on-year in January. The drastic overall decline was a direct outcome of the governments sudden demonetization, which badly hit the real estate and construction sectors. Consequently, production levels of cement slowed down by 0.5 percent in November, and plummeted by 9 percent in December 2016  due to its industrial linkages with the housing, infrastructure, and commercial sectors.

Nevertheless, manufacturers and analysts alike are surprised by the limited scope of de-growth, and confidently predict a positive turnaround in two to three months. A faster recovery in southern and eastern parts of India will drive demand for cement production, though cement prices will rise as fuel costs factor in the sharp rise in the price of coal and petroleum coke.

High youth unemployment even as overall unemployment rates decline

Two recent reports highlight polar aspects of Indias huge labor market  high unemployment among the countrys youth and the falling rate of overall unemployment. While their differing results might be an outcome of methodology, it points to key trends in the Indian economy.

According to the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), job creation in India has not kept pace with the burgeoning working age population, despite GDP growth projected at 7 percent for 2017-18. The OECD notes that over 30 percent of Indias youth are not in employment, education, or training (NEETs)  double the OECD average and almost triple Chinas figure.

NEET is a new concept. It identifies the level of youth inactivity in an economy, which is important when formulating job growth policies. The OECD report underlines the problems with Indias corporate hiring strategies, which often favor temporary labor contracts, as well as the poor tracking of employment data at the national level.

On the other hand, a February report by the State Bank of India (SBI) shows that the unemployment rate in India halved from 9.5 percent in August 2016 to reach 4.8 percent in February. The decline in unemployment was particularly visible in Uttar Pradesh state  declining from 17.1 percent to 2.9 percent, followed by Madhya Pradesh (10 percent to 2.7 percent), Jharkhand (9.5 percent to 3.1 percent), Odisha (10.2 percent to 2.9 percent), and Bihar (13 percent to 3.7 percent).

The SBI report derived its results from surveying members of 15 years and above through a random selection of households.

Liquor gets expensive in Haryana

The excise policy for 2017-18 will see a 20 percent increase in the prices of all brands of country liquor, Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), and foreign liquor in the state of Haryana (including Gurugram and Faridabad excise zones). Touted as a vendor friendly policy, it also provides more choice to retailers to sell any kind of brand of liquor from the same establishment as well as freedom to choose up to two locations in the allotted zone (in order to compensate for the ban imposed by the Supreme Court against liquor establishments along highways).

The new excise policy will raise costs of drinking in pubs and bars as the license fee for such establishments is increased to US$22,485.72 (Rs 1.5 million) per annum from US$17,988.58 (Rs 1.2 million) previously, other excise duties notwithstanding. (US$=Rs 66.71).



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 india@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.

Dezan Shira & Associates Brochure Dezan Shira & Associates is a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary professional services firm, providing legal, tax and operational advisory to international corporate investors. Operational throughout China, ASEAN and India, our mission is to guide foreign companies through Asias complex regulatory environment and assist them with all aspects of establishing, maintaining and growing their business operations in the region. This brochure provides an overview of the services and expertise Dezan Shira & Associates can provide. An Introduction to Doing Business in India 2017 An Introduction to Doing Business in India 2017 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in India. As such, this comprehensive guide is ideal not only for businesses looking to enter the Indian market, but also for companies who already have a presence here and want to stay up-to-date with the most recent and relevant policy changes.
Mumbai, Mar 6 (IBNS): Jet Airways, Indiaas full-service premier international airline and Fiji Airways, Fijias National Airline, on Monday announced a codeshare partnership which offers guests travelling on both carriers convenient and seamless connectivity between India and Fiji via Singapore and Hong Kong.

The codeshare agreement, a first-of-its-kind between the airlines of the two countries, will address the growing demand for travel between India and Fiji.

Jet Airways will place its 9W code on Fiji Airways flights from Singapore and Hong Kong to Nadi, and Fiji Airways will place its FJ code on Jet Airways services between Singapore and Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai as well as between Hong Kong and Mumbai & Delhi.

All codeshare flights will allow through check-in to the final destination of any journey. Whats more, JetPrivilege members will also be able to accrue and redeem JPMiles on the codeshare flights operated by Fiji Airways flights; and the accrued miles will count towards their tier status as well.

Codeshare bookings are now open for sale for travel effective Mar 9.

Gaurang Shetty, Whole-time Director, Jet Airways said, Our codeshare agreement with Fiji Airways reflects our continuing commitment to the travelling public, to offer the best possible connections to more and more destinations around the world which now extends to the beautiful paradise of Fiji. Ties between the people of India and Fiji can be traced back over a 100 years and with the governments of both countries making focused efforts to further strengthen trade, tourism and cultural ties, we believe this codeshare partnership will play a pivotal role in these endeavours by enabling seamless connectivity between both countries.

Andre Viljoen, Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO said: This is a very significant achievement for both airlines. Demand for travel from Fiji to India for tourism, medical treatment, education and family reasons keeps growing and our codeshare agreement will boost this even further. And with our convenient Hong Kong and Singapore services, which connect with Jet Airways flights, we look forward to welcoming more Indian travellers to our home, Fiji, one of the most sought after tourist destinations in the world.

Speaking on behalf of the Fijian Government  the majority shareholder of Fiji Airways  the Attorney-General, Minister for Economy and Minister in charge of Civil Aviation, Hon. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum described the new code-share agreement as a major boost to relations between the two countries. The seamless connectivity that this offers for travellers between Fiji and Jet Airways destinations on the Subcontinent and beyond opens up all sorts of possibilities for tourism and trade. Fiji is especially keen to attract more investment from India and the other countries serviced by Jet Airways and this makes the journey in both directions that much easier, he said.
Hindus all across India celebrate Holi with great delight each year. It is one of the most significant festivals that we look forward to each year. But Indians are spread throughout the world and not just in India. In most countries where there are a large number of Hindus, Holi is an important day.

Here are some countries where Holi is celebrated:

1. Mauritius  Mauritius has a huge number of Hindus and Holi is an important festival there and also a national holiday. People dress up in new clothes, perform rituals and enjoy themselves a lot during the week of Holi.

2. UK  The UK has a large Indian population and most major Indian festivals are celebrated there. Holi is very popular in those regions of the UK which have a large Asian and Indian population.

3. Bangladesh  Hindus might be a minority community in Bangladesh, but they do celebrate Holi with great happiness. Many Hindus visit the temples to offer poojas on this day.

4. Trinidad and Tobago  Holi is known as Phagwa in Trinidad and Tobago. It is celebrated in a grand manner, both by the local Hindus and Indian immigrants.

5. USA  The festival of colors is celebrated within Hindu communities in the USA every year. People from other faiths also participate in the celebrations which have a great reputation there, as a festival of the spring season.



Also Read:-

3 Traditional Food And Drinks for Holi Festival

6 Tips For Safe And Healthy Holi

Do you know What is Dolyatra?
JMC Projects India secures new orders of Rs2,277 crore; Stock gains 2.6% JMC Projects (India) Limited (JMC), a leading Civil Engineering and EPC Company has secured new orders of Rs2,277 crores. The details are as follows: Water Projects in India of... November 04, 2022 | 04-11-2022 2:08 pm

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Bloomberg Report: Pegatron Corp starts production of iPhone 14 in India Pegatron Corp., a Taiwanese contract manufacturer for Apple Inc., has begun producing the most recent iPhone 14 model in India. Pegatron is now the second Apple supplier to manufacture th... November 04, 2022 | 04-11-2022 12:48 pm

JMC Projects India allots NCDs for Rs100 crore; Stock rallies over 3.5% The Management Committee of the Board of Directors of JMC Projects (India) Limited at its meeting held on November 04, 2022 has allotted 1000 Repo Rate, Unsecured, Rated, Listed, Rede... November 04, 2022 | 04-11-2022 12:34 pm

Nykaa receives shareholders' approval for bonus issue and ESOP; Stock down 1% The Board of the lifestyle retailer FSN E-Commerce Ventures Limited (Nykaa), on October 3, 2022, approved Bonus Issue of Equity Shares in the proportion of 5 (Five) fully paid-up Equity Sh... November 04, 2022 | 04-11-2022 12:03 pm
The higher you climb the career ladder, the more money you start adding to your bank balance. This comes with an added responsibility of being able to manage it efficiently, especially when it comes to paying that huge chunk of tax out of your hard-earned salary. Seriously, taking smart decisions regarding tax investments can be quite challenging especially when finance is not your cup of tea. Nevertheless, it is something we millennials need to know (to be called self-sufficient adults). Here are some simple starters that will help all of us understand this seemingly complex issue.

1. Set clear objectives that include both long-term and short-term financial goals.

Pexels

You can sort your finances depending on what and how you have planned in your life. In case you are planning to buy a property or save up for your retirement, you must plan for long-term financial investments. Similarly, if it is something like a college education fund or a world trip, you must opt for short-term investment instruments. Again, something to note here is that depending on the kind of goals you are setting, you need to consider the amount and tenure of investment as well.

2. Invest a fixed amount every month so that by the time you are 50, the increased rate of returns will yield you more money.

Pexels

It is always better to start with at least a small amount of investment early in life, which you can consistently save every month out of your salary without fail. Sacrificing a few restaurant outings or movies for this will help you in the long run. Starting off with investments early in life is always better than doing it post your 40s. By the time you are 50 or 60, you will end up with more money due to the compounding rates of return.

3. Speak to an investment advisor who has more knowledge about the market.

Pexels

Sometimes in certain kind of stocks, you might need an experts opinion. Especially when it comes to complex portfolios, you should be a bit careful before taking decisions on your own. Consult them to get a better picture of the stock market, and invest accordingly.

4. Diversify your investment portfolio.

Pexels

Especially for us millennials who generally have fewer assets, it is better to put our eggs in different baskets so that the risk factor is less and the returns are high. Investing slowly and wisely is the key, and diversifying will be a smart thing to do.

5. Figure out your knowledge about investments.

Pexels

To start off, you need to know everything about what you are investing in. An easy way to do this is by just downloading a reliable personal assistant like the Haptik app on your phone. Recently, Haptik in collaboration with HDFC Life has come up with a Health & Finance channel, and has built India's First Insurance Chat Bot wherein there's a quick quiz that will help you figure out your financial planning. It will even give you an indicator score towards the end. Basically, it will help you simplify, as well as understand your investments better. To start using Haptik, download it from here.

Going through these tips and putting them to practice will give you a sense of confidence to handle your own finances. So, before 31st March make a wise choice and invest in at least one tax-saving option. After all, working hard isnt enough, saving smart matters too, right?
More proof that Indians have developed an insatiable appetite for the Internet, especially on their smartphones, comes in the form of an Adobe Digital Insights study which logged more than a trillion visits across thousands of websites.

Reuters

The report published by software giant Adobe, took into account 1.7 trillion visits to more than 16,000 websites between January 2014 and January 2017. What it found is that smartphones accounted for new source of 500 million Internet users around the world, of which India alone accounted for an overwhelming number of 268.9 million (or 26.89 crore) new Internet visitors.

Compared to India, over the same period for instance, China only logged in 97.4 million (or 9.74 crore) new Internet visitors.

In numbers, explaining the record number of growth in Indian smartphone users

Smartphone-based Internet traffic in India grew by a whopping 290% since January 2014, the highest in anywhere in the world

Indias also leading the global pack when it comes to app usage, according to the Adobe report. In terms of rising number of app installations, India registered a 49% increase since 2014, whereas in countries like the US and UK app usage shrunk by a 9% and 38% margin, respectively.

Predictions for mobile growth for 2018. India still going strong!

What the report definitively suggests is that in developing countries (like India, Indonesia and Brazil), more and more people are connecting to the Internet through their smartphones, bypassing hitherto traditional means of Internet connectivity -- like desktop PCs, laptops or tablets. The same regions in the world are also displaying a voracious appetite for smartphone apps, and there seems to be no stopping this trend for another year or so at least.
India is undergoing a transition of epic proportions  a digital movement which will have a profound impact on the lives of all it citizens.

While globalisation has been one of the primary driving forces behind the adoption of digital, government focus & industry awareness has also contributed to this phenomenon. Organisations, having realised the numerous benefits of digital inclusion in business operations, are looking for newer and transformative ways to leverage digital platforms to gain competitive advantage.

Regulatory changes such as demonetization has forced everyone to go digital. Mobile e-wallets have permeated through to grass root levels within the market, at an unbelievably rapid pace.

Reuters

For instance, the use of digital touchpoints to engage with consumers has considerably altered the dynamics of selling goods & services. Given the prevalent transparency due to the use of digital mediums, access to real-time information and an increasing use of analytics, businesses can now engage with their customers on a real-time basis. Moreover, the ability to treat every single consumer differently through advanced demographic segmentation has made the move to digital substantially more appealing.

The benefits go beyond just an improved market outreach for any business, companies are also able to drive operational efficiency within their organisation. There are a number of new platforms, which move beyond the email & the telephone, to enable employees to communicate & collaborate effectively.

Though these advantages are industry agnostic, the adoption rate in different industries depends on a whole lot of environmental factors. There are sectors such as urban transportation & hospitality which have been turned upside down by ground-breaking business models which leverage technology in ways we never thought of. This exemplifies how rapidly a digital wave can alter any business and market environment, and open up avenues that may have traditionally been considered off-limits.

Reuters

Regulatory changes such as demonetization have also forced establishments to go digital. Today, vendors who would typically be reluctant to accept any new form of payment for goods and services, besides the tried and tested tangible cash mode, have now begun accepting electronic payments. Mobile e-wallets have permeated through to grass root levels within the market, at an unbelievably rapid pace.

Every individual has become a prolific creator, sharer & consumer of content.

This scenario, which is transcending geographic boundaries and is defining a new era for business, is reliant on innumerable technologies. The evolution of technology has played an instrumental role in shaping the current digital landscape, with its strong focus on addressing business and operational challenges. As decisions around the use of technology move to becoming a key business priority, this subject has become a crucial part of every boardroom discussion. CEOs and CFOs too, are now keen to stay abreast of the latest developments in the tech arena, to gauge business benefits. The technological discussion, therefore, is no longer limited to a hardware in a box approach, but as a solution to address business challenges and ensure superiority & sustainability in an extremely competitive market scenario.

While technologies such as cloud and software-based solutions have seen a phenomenal growth in the recent past, with the businesses now realising the range of value propositions they can garner; the industry is now edging forward toward a future that promises realities such as Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things. These concepts, though considered larger-than-life at the moment, are being converted into reality at a rapid pace.

The fact is that every individual has become a prolific creator, sharer & consumer of content. Technology is thereby at the crux of the next era of economic and business progress  and the interfaces that enable these experiences will rise in precedence in the years to come. This scenario drives the need for constant and uninterrupted connectivity.

In India, we are still at a relatively nascent stage in terms of adoption, as the penetration to rural areas is yet to pick up. The country is, however, making significant strides towards digital enablement with technology companies and government bodies undertaking various initiatives to boost awareness. For instance, industry bodies such as MAIT are already working hand-in-hand with the government to forge efficient network systems to deliver governance, build digital superhighways and integrate technology into traditional systems.

Furthermore, much of the digital gap can be bridged, the moment technology is made affordable and available to the masses. Lenovo has been undertaking a range of initiatives in the country to boost e-literacy; i.e. Matrubhasha: a vernacular computing initiative that empowers school children to gain computer proficiency through their mother tongue, without depending on English. It is clear that while technology giants and businesses continue to take big strides across the globe, in India, we can play a strong and significant role in being able to inspire, inform, educate, interact, transact and transform India into a global knowledge hub.
Umerkot or the erstwhile Amarkot doesnt have much relevance left when it comes to the history of either India or Pakistan. But 475 years ago, with the birth of Mughal emperor Akbar in the palace of Hindu King Raja Rana Prasad, Umerkot had laid the foundation of unparalleled harmony between Hindus and Muslim which remained intact till 1947 when British India was partitioned between India and Pakistan.

wikimedia commons

Now a deserted town in Pakistans Sindh province located barely 60 kilometres from the Indian border, Umerkot was one of the fortunate citadels of communal harmony (probably because it all began there) where the hatred that burnt the ages old trust and divided the country into two couldnt perturb the harmony between two communities.

In a story done by Vaqar Ahmed for Pakistani publication Dawn, Ahmed talks about the rich history of harmony between Hindus and Muslim and how an event as big as partition and Umerkot falling on Pakistans side didnt do much damage to the bonding of Hindus and Muslim.

Despite Umerkot falling in Pakistan, migration didnt take place in scale as large as Punjab or other parts of Sindh and till 1965, the town was alive and kicking with 80% Hindus and 20% Muslims.

But at last, the citadel started crumbling

What the gory partition couldnt do, the two wars of 1965 and 1971 between India and Pakistan did. Post the war of 1965 and Pakistans defeat the fabric which remained uncut in 1947 started falling to pieces. The suffering of those who lived in Umerkot in 1965, later find no mention in the history of Pakistan, but locals know the demographic equations that have ceased to exist.

Vaqar Ahmad

Land owning Thakurs employed both Hindus and Muslims

Recounting the history of the area in 1965 and beyond, a local resident Jumman tells that Umerkots population constituted of 80% Hindus and 20% Muslim and most of the Hindus were Thakurs who had large land holdings apart from lower castes like Bhils, Kolhis and Meghwars. Thakurs who were the land owners used to provide employment to both Hindus and Muslim as tradesman, carpenters and musicians. Apart from the employment, they also provided education, housing and healthcare for those who were employed by them.

SindhiDuniya

Then came 1965

With war breaking between Pakistan and India in 1965, the hatred that failed to rupture the social fabric in 1947 started making inroads and at last managed to fill hearts with a suspicion that further paved way for both communities despising each other. Clashes started taking place and since Hindus were in majority, they managed to survive. Old relations certain helped, but couldnt help for long. The rich Thakurs who were able to afford migration started selling their properties and migrated to India. The war stopped, but the exodus of Hindus especially the Thakurs didnt.

Thakurs left, but other couldnt

Post-1965 war, the majority of the rich Thakurs left, but lower caste Hindus like Bheels, Kolhis and Meghwars remained there as they were poor and discriminated against on both sides of the borders. The migration of the Thakurs left their employees without a place to live or any source of income. Jumman was one of the unlucky ones who faced a survival threats as Thakurs who had taken care of their employment and residence of many like him were no more.

Jumman, (credit: Vaqar Ahmad)

The period between 1965 and 1968 was the toughest for Jumman as he suffered a lot and wandered from one place to another in search of work and livelihood.

Before things could improve, came 1971

But before things could improve post the debacle of 1965 war, 1971 came to haunt. The advance of Indian Army to Tharparkar, a town nearby triggered the fear in residents of Umerkot and they fled for their lives.

Sindhi Duniya

Their house and cattle were left behind. Post-ceasefire when they returned to find their houses destroyed and cattle stolen. This resulted in another struggle to rebuild the lives which further made lives of Hindus who by then had become minorities difficult than ever before.

Now Umerkot is no different from rest of Pakistan

Umerkot now is a Muslim majority town. While most of the time, peace remains prevalent between two communities, but things arent ever remotely closer to the harmony that existed till the early 1960s.
Ahead of International Women's Day, Air India created history by flying around the world with an all-women crew. The flight took off from New Delhi on Monday to San Francisco and returned on Friday after journeying around the globe.

air india/facebook

The Boeing 777-200LR aircraft flew over the Pacific Ocean en route San Francisco and over the Atlantic while flying back, thereby covering the entire distance around the world.

Not only the crew but the air traffic controllers, engineers, and ground handling staff were all women. According to an Air India representative, the airline has already applied for a Guinness World Record and Limca Book of Records for this accomplishment.

@flySFO/twitter

In a Facebook post, Air India wrote,

Air India scripted history by flying an all-women crew flight around the world.

AI 174 touched down Delhi this evening adding yet another feather to Air India's cap in its constant endeavour to encourage women. The flight AI 173 had earlier taken off from IGI Airport in Delhi on 27th February to San Francisco covering a distance of around 15300 km in 15 and a half hours over the Pacific route and on the return journey from San Francisco over the Atlantic.

reuters

The flight was in the safe hands of Capt. Sunita Narula, Capt. Kshamta Bajpai, Capt. Indira Singh and Capt. Gunjan Aggarwal. The all-women cabin crew was led by Ms. Seema Baberwal and Ms. Nishrin Bandulwala. The entire flight was operated by the women staff of eight departments. These departments included Cockpit crew, Cabin crew, Check-In staff, Doctor, Customer Care Staff, ATC and the entire ground handling from operator to technician, Engineer and flight dispatcher and trimmer. Line operation safety audit was done by Harpreet A De Singh, ED Flight Safety, Air India. This is the first time that this audit was done by a female officer in around the world trip.
Country's tallest flag post has been inaugurated at the Indo-Pak Attari Border on Sunday and it is so high that it can be seen from Lahore.

jagran

Punjab Minister Anil Joshi inaugurated the country's largest tricolour on the tallest flag post - measuring 110 metres in length, 24 metres in width and 55 tons in weight.

Wow! India's tallest flag in Attari border. Salute with Pride! Jai Hind! pic.twitter.com/7fl7CgfzBI  AAP DA PUNJAB  (@aapkapunjab) March 6, 2017

With the approximate cost of Rs 3.50 crore, the post was a project of Amritsar Improvement Trust Authority of the Punjab Government.

jagran

"With the model code of conduct for the assembly elections being in place in the state, the minister got special permission from the Election Commission for the inauguration", officials told PTI.

The flag post has been installed at the border and has now become an attraction for thousands of tourist in India as well as Pakistan. Many reached there to watch the Beating Retreat Ceremony during the sunset; visitors from Pakistan's gallery were also seen watching the Indian flag with keen interest.

Amritsar: India's tallest Tricolour hoisted at Attari border, it is 360 feet high. The flag measures 120 feet in length pic.twitter.com/JKPx2jbJLD  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

The pole, which is already in place, is said to be visible from a long distance, even from Lahore in Pakistan.

Prior to this, the tallest flag was in Ranchi which was 300-foot high.

(Also read: India's Tallest Tricolour Hoisted In Ranchi, On A Hill Where Many Freedom Fighters Were Hung)

Amritsar city already has a 170-foot tall flag in the local Ranjit Avenue Public Park. Earlier, there was a plan to hoist the tricolour on January 26 but due to some technical reason, it was delayed.

India's tallest tricolour hoisted near Indo-Pak border at Attari; Pakistan cries foul  sandeep pandey (@maya0405901) March 6, 2017

Talking to media persons, Joshi said that it was his dream project and today it turned into reality. The flag mast has been set up near the tourism building just at the 150-metres distance from the border.

However, the nation across the border is not so happy with this. They fear that India could use this for spying. Pakistan has also conveyed their resentment to the Border Security Force (BSF) and have asked to install the flag at a distance.
When ordinary people do extraordinary things, real life superheroes are born.

A lot of times, a lot of people die because of the unavailability of required resources when it's needed. And while it is safe to say that we're heading towards a progressive world, it's a shame that we are still losing so many lives to inadequacy.

(Also read: Shimla Woman Saves The Life Of A Soldier Fellow Jawans Left For Dead)

But sometimes, the unconventional acts of conventional people give hope and faith. Case in point: an Indian doctor who saved the life of an air hostess, somewhere mid-air. Anchita Pandoh, a doctor by profession was on board MH130 of Malaysian Airlines when an air hostess became unconscious. As her husband explained the case in a Facebook post-

''It was surely a case of emergency.''

Facebook/anchita.pandoh

Anchita quickly volunteered to help the girl and it is because of her efforts that the patient started to respond and remained calm until the flight landed safely.

Read the full post here:

#MedicalEmergencyInAir! On board #MalaysiaAirlines flight #MH130 from Auckland to Kuala Lumpur, barely one hour after take off from Auckland, we were having our lunch. Suddenly I saw an air hostess rushing to the front compartment of flight with an oxygen cylinder.

It was surely a case of medical emergency. Soon we heard the captain asking for any Doctors in the flight. The only person on the flight who promptly responded to this call was my wife Dr Anchita.

india.com

We rushed to the front compartment and found that an air hostess had fallen unconscious and other flight attendants were trying to help her. Anchita took charge of the situation. Flight crew provided her medical equipment available in the flight.

(Also read: IAF Awards Pilot Who Refused To Eject From His Stricken Plane And Saved Lives On Ground)

I was worried if the patient didn't recover then flight would be forced into an emergency landing. Going by the location of flight, touching Australia would have taken two hours and returning Auckland would have taken one hour.

However, with Anchita's efforts, the patient started responding and she opened her eyes. Seeing this all passengers started clapping and cheering. Later the captain came to our seat and thanked her profusely.

I felt so proud of my wife.

Read the original post here:

So proud of you!
jagran

Country's tallest flag post has been inaugurated at the Into-Pak Attari Border on Sunday and it is so high that it can be seen from Lahore.

The 360-foot high (110 metres) tall flag post is just a stone's throw from Pakistan.

Punjab Minister Anil Joshi inaugurated the country's largest tricolour on the tallest flag post - measuring 110 metres in length, 24 metres in width and 55 tons in weight.

Wow! India's tallest flag in Attari border. Salute with Pride! Jai Hind! pic.twitter.com/7fl7CgfzBI  AAP DA PUNJAB  (@aapkapunjab) March 6, 2017

With the approximate cost of Rs 3.50 crore, the post was a project of Amritsar Improvement Trust Authority of the Punjab Government.

"With the model code of conduct for the assembly elections being in place in the state, the minister got special permission from the Election Commission for the inauguration", officials told PTI. Read more here

Here are 5 more stories for you:

1. We May Not Have Food Security For All Our People, But India Aims To Provide It For UAE With Special Farms, Export Infra

BCCL

In response to the UAE addressing India's energy security needs, India and the Emirates are drawing up ambitious plans for India to underwrite some of UAE's food security interests.

After the recent visit of the Abu Dhabi crown prince, the two countries are trying to fulfill the leadership's intent to show results as articulated in the joint statements signed in August 2015 when the PM went to Abu Dhabi and the second in January 2017.

As a first step, India is working on what is called a "farm-to-port" project, said Amar Sinha, secretary in the ministry of external affairs.Read more here

2. Samsung Galaxy A5 & A7 Phones Launched For People Who Can't Afford The Flagship Galaxy S7 Range

If you regretted not buying the Samsung Galaxy S7 (or buying the Galaxy Note 7), here are a couple of great premium smartphones to consider from the South Korean consumer giant.

The Samsung Galaxy A5 & Galaxy A7 are premium Android smartphones which bear a remarkably similar resemblance to Samsungs current flagship -- the Galaxy S7 smartphone.

Both the Samsung Galaxy A5 & Galaxy A7 smartphones sport an aluminium frame and 3D curved glass back; theres no camera bump on the back (like on the iPhone 7 Plus) and even the home key nestles in-line. This makes for an ergonomic, seamless smartphone to hold in your palm, thats for sure. Read more here

3. Not Just India, Rape Laws Across The World Are Failing To Protect Women From Sexual Violence

Reuters

Violence against women is one crime that penetrates borders and cultures across the world. People from varied backgrounds often find it difficult to see eye to eye because superficial barriers of culture and language tend to obstruct the creation of harmony.

However, despite the heterogeneous atmosphere of our world, rape and sexual violence against almost half the globes population is a common thread that runs through every town, city and country.

A report by Equality Now studied 82 legal systems and their laws in protecting people against sexual violence and found that there are gaps in laws, policies and practices to prevent sexual violence against, punish perpetrators and help the victim achieve justice. Countries whose laws were studied include, among others, India, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Singapore and Ghana. Read more here

4. Longest Serving Warship In The World, INS Viraat Aircraft Carrier To Be Decommissioned Today

BCCL

The world's oldest aircraft carrier in active service, INS Viraat, will be decommissioned on Monday after serving the Indian Navy for nearly 30 years.

INS Viraat's retirement will not only end a glorious chapter in the Indian Navy's history but will also create a vacuum as the sea hawks will be short of two aircraft carriers now. Earlier, INS Vikrant was decommissioned in 1997. Read more here

5. Arvind Kejriwal Gets Ambitious, Promises To Make Delhi Like London Within A Year!

reuters

Arvind Kejriwal thinks that within a year, Delhi can become like London if AAP wins the municipal polls that are most likely to be held in April.

While delivering a powerful speech at a rally in Uttam Nagar, the Delhi Chief Minister on Sunday promised to give Delhi a makeover and "comparable to London within just one year".

While inaugurating drains and sewers in Uttam Nagar, Kejriwal scathingly attacked the municipal bodies on how they have failed to sustain cleanliness in the city. <Read more here
Violence against women is one crime that penetrates borders and cultures across the world. People from varied backgrounds often find it difficult to see eye to eye because superficial barriers of culture and language tend to obstruct the creation of harmony.

However, despite the heterogeneous atmosphere of our world, rape and sexual violence against almost half the globes population is a common thread that runs through every town, city and country.

Reuters

A report by Equality Now studied 82 legal systems and their laws in protecting people against sexual violence and found that there are gaps in laws, policies and practices to prevent sexual violence against, punish perpetrators and help the victim achieve justice. Countries whose laws were studied include, among others, India, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Singapore and Ghana.

Some of the key findings of the report are:

1. Rape is a largely-ignored global epidemic

According to UNICEF, one in ten girls around the world experience rape or sexual assault. And according to WHO estimates, 7% of the women have been assaulted, not including intimate partners, but laws and justice systems still continue to fail them across the world.

2. Rape of a woman or girl by her husband is expressly legal in some countries

Reuters

Including India, where Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) says that sexual intercourse or acts by a man with his wife are not rape if the wife is not under 15 years of age. However, Section 498A of the IPC can charge a man for subjecting a woman to cruelty. Section 376B of the IPC considers the forced sexual intercourse by a man with his wife who is living separately as a criminal offence.

Other countries where marital rape laws are ambiguous are Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Jordan.

3. It is possible for a perpetrator of rape or sexual assault to escape punishment if he marries the victim, in at least 9 of 82 legal systems

These countries include Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Philippines, Tajikistan and Tunisia. Surprisingly Greece where democracy and liberal ideas were born, and where society is considered to be more gender equal  makes this list too, if the victim being too young to consent to sexual intercourse.

4. A perpetrator can be exempt from punishment by reaching a settlement, financial or otherwise, with the victim or the victims family in at least 12 legal systems

Reuters

These countries include, among others, Belgium, Croatia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Nigeria, Romania, Russia, Singapore and Thailand.

5. Penalties imposed for paid sex with a minor may be significantly and improperly lower than for other forms of rape of a minor

For example in Indonesia, a person can be jailed up to 15 years for statutory rape and only up to 5 years for buying sex from a minor of the same age.

6. Rape is treated as an issue of morality rather than one of violence in at least 15 legal systems studied

Reuters

Countries, where this is the case, include India, Indonesia, Palestine, Jordan, Afghanistan, China, Belgium, Netherlands and Peru, among others. Sexist terminology with over and undertones of humiliation, outrage, honour, modesty, chastity or morality is used in rape cases.

7. In some countries, burdensome proof and evidence is required to prove rape happened

In Lebanon, Malawi, Pakistan, Panama, Peru and Yemen for example, a medical examiners report is absolutely required as part of the evidence.

Reuters

8. Lastly, the study found that it is common for legal systems to use judicial discretion to reduce charges for perpetrators of sexual violence. It also found that it was common for judges to be influenced by stereotypes around the survivors behaviour.

For example, in Bolivia judges are reducing charges of rape.

Violence against women and gender inequality is perhaps the leading cause holding countries back from optimum progress, all economically, politically and socially. In most parts of the world, there has been much advancement in science and technology, and it takes just one sweeping motion of the head to gauge that progress. Yet, despite the ability of human beings to achieve seemingly unachievable goals, the cultural progress of the world has moved and is moving at a much slower pace.
The US on Sunday night assured India of working with all agencies to ensure "speedy justice" to the Indian-American victims of bias-related incidents.

"State Department, on behalf of US government, expressed condolences and assured they are working with all agencies concerned to ensure speedy justice," the Indian Embassy in the US said in a series of tweets.

BCCL

India's Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna reached out to the State Department to convey his "deep concerns" to US government on recent tragic incidents involving Harnish Patel and Deep Rai.

Sarna also "underlined" need to prevent such incidents and protect Indian community.

Indian Embassy officials are in constant communication with local police officials in both the cases.

In the case of Patel, the County Sheriff has pointed out that this may not be a hate crime. "We will remain in touch with them," an Indian Embassy source said.

Also Read: Crimes Against Indians Continue In US, This Time Indian Origin Businessman Shot Dead

BCCL

The Consulate General of India in Atlanta has deputed a consular official to meet the family and offer condolences and any required assistance.

"It is also in touch with the local community organisation of expat Indians, including those from Gujarat," sources said.

"I condemn this hateful act, the shooting of a local man because he is a Sikh. We all must stand together," said Congressman Rick Larsen.

There has been a slew of bias-related incidents in the US, raising concerns over the safety of Indian-American community.

Also Read: White House Finally Reacts To The Killing Of Indian Techie In Kansas, Calls It 'Disturbing'

BCCL

Patel, 43, the owner of a convenience store in Lancaster County, South Carolina, was found dead of gunshot wounds in the front yard of his home on Thursday.

Rai, 39-year-old Sikh, has been shot outside his home by a partially-masked gunman who shouted "go back to your own country", in a suspected hate crime.

A series of troubling cases have reported where members of the Indian community have been targeted in apparent hate crimes.

It comes close on the heels of shooting in Kansas last month in which 32-year-old Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed when 51-year-old US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani, yelling "get out of my country".
The acquisition is subject to US regulatory approval, which is expected to take a few weeks.

RISI is headquartered close to Boston in Bedford, Massachusetts in the USA, and employs around 150 staff located in offices around the world including Belgium, China, Brazil and Finland. Its product suite consists of pricing data, mill intelligence and analytics as well as news, research and conferences covering the pulp, packaging, wood products, wood fibre and saw logs markets.

RISI will join the Metal Bulletin group of businesses, which includes Metal Bulletin, American Metal Market (AMM), Industrial Minerals and the FastMarkets platform, in a newly formed Price Reporting Division, headed by Raju Daswani, who is also the Metal Bulletin ceo.

The Metal Bulletin group aims to provide leading pricing intelligence, including independent industry benchmarks, for the metal and mining industry. The groups global portfolio of news, analysis, conferences and insight services complement these price benchmarks.

The purchase of FastMarkets [last year], our investment in our pricing assessment and index technology systems, the changes to our organisational structure and all our staffs collective hard work and commitment have contributed to the strength of our position as a PRA in the metals and mining markets, Daswani said.

Combined with the existing pricing activities of the Metal Bulletin group, RISIs addition to the Price Reporting Division will create a global and world-class cross-commodity PRA business within Euromoney, with over 350 employees and over 4,000 reference prices.

Andrew Rashbass, ceo of Euromoney, said: The investment in RISI is another important step in Euromoneys strategy of building a portfolio of leading price reporting agencies in growing international markets. RISI is a very high-quality business which Euromoney is perfectly placed to develop further. We look forward to working with RISI management and employees around the world to offer the companys customers products of the highest value.

The agreement to acquire RISI follows the acquisition in August last year of FastMarkets, a leading provider of real-time metals market pricing information, which has significantly enhanced Metal Bulletins position in price reporting.
American Muslims Must Stop Apologising

By Ramzy Baroud

March 05, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - I was recently asked to give a talk about being an American Muslim in the United States. Although wary of the uses and abuses of the term, I obliged.

Islam is a religion propelled by values, not race nor, theoretically, by blind tribal allegiances, I explained.

The American Muslim identity, which has been under constant investigation in US media, politics and society, is completely different from what American Muslims associate themselves with.

The medias American Muslim is a suspect, a fifth column, potentially dangerous and more susceptible to violence than every other collective identity in the US.

While this contrasts sharply with real Islam, facts hardly matter in the age of American nationalism predicated on cultural and religious identification and alternative facts.

Caught within this brutal, baseless logic, some American Muslims no longer define themselves according to their political priorities, nor do they mobilise themselves alongside their natural allies  those who come from historically oppressed communities.

Instead, they have taken to apologising for their Muslim-ness, rather than demand an apology, justice and equality.

Many Muslims find themselves, as a collective, being forced to demonstrate their humanity, defend their religion and distance themselves from every act of violence, even if only allegedly committed by a Muslim anywhere in the world.

Long before the Trump administrations Muslim ban  banning citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US for 90 days  Muslims in the US were always, to varied degrees, embattled, collectively demonised, racially profiled by government agencies and targeted in numerous hate crimes by fellow Americans.

In reality, hatred of Muslims goes back before September 11 and the US war on Iraq in 1990-91  a hatred based solely on media fear-mongering and Hollywood stereotyping.

There is also an odd discovery by various liberal groups that American Muslims are mistreated in their own country.

In truth, the cause of the defenceless Muslim is used as a political tool, with Democrats and others attempting to undermine the actions of their Republican rivals.

The administrations of Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, both had horrific legacies of violence and discrimination against Muslim countries.

In a landmark study released in March 2015, the Washington-based group Physicians for Social Responsibility showed that the US self-styled war on terror killed anywhere between 1.3 million to 2 million Muslims in the first 10 years since the September 11 attacks.

Award-winning investigative journalist Nafeez Ahmed concluded that at least 4 million Muslims have been killed by the US since 1990.

This excludes killings that took place in the last two years, or the countless civilians who perished during the US-sanctions on Iraq, starting in 1991, which were enforced throughout the Clinton administrations.

Yet, all this is meant to be ignored and seen merely as the issue of an obnoxious president, and that the pinnacle of American violence against Muslims can be reduced to a 90-day travel ban on selected countries.

Subscribing to this mischaracterisation reflects both ignorance and complete disregard for the millions of innocent lives that have been lost in order for the US to preserve its vastly dwindling empire.

At the Democratic Party National Convention (DNC) last July, former president Bill Clinton took the stage to articulate a retort to the Republican Party conventions hate-fest of Muslims, Blacks, Latinos and everyone else who did not subscribe to its skewed view of the world.

But Clintons words were a mere liberal spin on the same chauvinistic, racist and exclusionist culture that often drives the political discourse of the right.

If youre a Muslim and you love America and freedom and you hate terror, stay here and help us win and make a future together, we want you, Clinton said before a large audience that roared in applause.

For Muslims, feeling that their inclusion, citizenship and humanity are conditioned by a set of condescending rules articulated by a white, Christian elite is utterly dehumanising.

What Clinton wished to forget was that an estimated third of the slaves who built his country were, in fact, Muslims  shackled and dragged against their will to assemble the United States, field by field and brick by brick.

It is the slaves that mainly brought Islam to America, and it is Islam that armed them with the virtue of patience and strength of character in order to survive one of the most ghastly genocides in human history.

Precisely for this reason, the identity of the American Muslim is, at its heart, a political one, concerned with human rights, justice and equality, with black Muslims playing a tremendous role in confronting, challenging and clashing with the ruling white elitist order that controlled the US from the beginning.

Break Free From The Matrix Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

It is the Martin-Luther King Jr.-Malcolm X-type movements  backed by millions of black people throughout the country  that helped define the modern character of the black American.

They led the Civil Rights Movement, exacting basic human rights at a heavy price and against terrible odds.

It is important that American Muslim youth understand this well, and that their fight for equality and human rights in their country be not a manifestation of some Democratic Partys political game.

Those aspiring to be the good Muslim, Uncle Tom, not-all-Muslims-are-terrorists type can only hope for a second-class status.

But those who aspire for true equality and justice ought to remember the words of American revolutionary Assata Shakur: Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of people who were oppressing them.

The oppressors constantly try to redefine the nature of the struggle of those they oppress.

For Clinton, the issue is solely Islamic terrorism, never the terror inflicted upon Muslim nations by his and other administrations through a series of unjust wars and sanctions that killed millions.

The coloniser, oppressor, invader is always blind to his crimes. He sees only the violent reaction  however minuscule  of the people whom he subjugates.

According to the New America Foundation, alleged jihadists killed 94 people in the US from 2005-2015, during which time the US killed nearly 2 million Muslims in their own countries.

Yet, the government-media-driven, fear-mongering, anti-Muslim and anti-Islam discourse (for which both liberals and conservatives are equally responsible) has made terrorism the leading fear among Americans, according to a major national survey in 2016.

In his book Wretched of the Earth, one of the 20th century most powerful revolutionary voices, Frantz Fanon, wrote: Each generation must discover its mission, fulfil it or betray it, in relative opacity.

For this generation of American Muslims, this is their moment  to discover and fulfil their mission, to define and assert who they are as the descendants of slaves, immigrants and refugees  the three main building blocks of America.
Trump Assumes Command of the American Church By Sheldon Richman March 05, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - As Donald Trump demonstrated in his first address to Congress, no matter how loathsome a ruler may be, he can bring an assembly of politicians to its feet and disarm some critics simply by invoking the quasi-secular faith  Americanism  and eulogizing the latest uniformed war-state employee to sacrifice his life for it. Trump has indeed shown he can fill the job expected of any president: supreme head of what Andrew Bacevich calls the Church of America the Redeemer. Horaces declaration Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori  It is sweet and proper to die for ones country  is just what poet Wilfred Owen called it: The old Lie. Screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky extended Owens point when he had his protagonist in The Americanization of Emily tell a war widow, We perpetuate war by exalting its sacrifices. How many times must people fall for this ploy before they realize they have been cruelly scammed? (The American Church is sustained by a coalition of profiteers and true believers, or what economist Bruce Yandle generically dubbed bootleggers and Baptists. ) If we are ever to abolish Americas bloody and costly permanent war state we will have to rethink the quasi-secular faith which holds that dying  and killing  for ones country is the greatest honor and virtue to which one one can aspire. It is time we learned that killing and dying for an ideology  even so-called liberal democracy  is as bad as doing so for a religion  even so-called radical Islam. (The distinction between ideology and religion is more apparent than real). In his speech , Trump milked the moment for all it was worth. Navy SEAL Owens died in a bungled special-ops raid in Yemen in late January. (Did you know the U.S. government conducts ground operations there?) It was the first such operation Trump approved, although it was planned during the Obama administration and Trump has shifted responsibility to the generals. We are blessed to be joined tonight by Carryn Owens, the widow of a U.S. Navy Special Operator Senior Chief William Ryan Owens, Trump said before Congress. Ryan died as he lived: a warrior, and a hero  battling against terrorism and securing our nation. Ryans legacy is etched into eternity. Thank you. For as the Bible teaches us, There is no greater act of love than to lay down ones life for ones friends. Ryan laid down his life for his friends, for his country, and for our freedom. And we will never forget Ryan. Everyone stood and applauded for over two minutes, Trump making no effort to bring the ovation to an end. Ryan is looking down right now, he said. You know that. And he is very happy because I think he just broke a record. Thats great. Carryn Owens lost her husband, his three children lost their father, but theyll know that he died for the nation-state and that members of Congress stood for a record length of time. Trump also said: I just spoke to our great general [and Defense Secretary James] Mattis, just now, who reconfirmed that  and I quote  Ryan was a part of a highly successful raid that generated large amounts of vital intelligence that will lead to many more victories in the future against our enemies.' Of course Trump left some things out of the account. The raid killed at least 25 noncombatants, including children  among them an American citizen: the 8-year-old daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, the militant Muslim cleric and American citizen executed without due process in Yemen by an Obama drone nearly six years ago. Nora al-Awlakis teenaged brother, Abdulrahman, also an American citizen, was similarly killed in an Obama drone strike in Yemen. Moreover, the special-ops raid in January failed in its mission to capture or kill leaders of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). As NBC reported : contrary to Trumps claim, last months deadly commando raid in Yemen, which cost the lives of a U.S. Navy SEAL and a number of children, has so far yielded no significant intelligence, U.S. officials told NBC News. (A follow-up report found the same. CNN reports otherwise, and its certainly possible the raid netted intel. But we must also consider that military officials have a motive to lie: to reinforce the faith that Owens did not die in vain.) Break Free From The Matrix Get Our Free Daily Newsletter The purpose of the raid has been clouded by conflicting statements. NBC says that initially Pentagon officials called it a site exploitation mission designed to gather intelligence but later did not dispute Sen. John McCains description of the mission as intended to eliminate or catch militants. Adding to the confusion is the Pentagons description of one of the victims, Sheikh Abdel-Raouf al-Dhahab, as an AQAP leader. NBC says the Yemeni government disagrees. The Washington Post reported that Yemeni and tribal officials described a chaotic scene that followed [the raid], saying that tribal leaders, even those without an affiliation with AQAP, took up arms out of loyalty to Dhahab and a desire to protect their village. Any person who has dignity and honor would not stand by and watch his neighbors and relatives and tribesmen being attacked and do nothing, said Saleh Hussein al-Aameri, a tribal leader who was close enough to hear the gunfire. (Emphasis added.) Apparently you dont have to be a radical Islamic terrorist to resent foreign troops storming your village at night.  Almost everything that could go wrong did, the New York Times reported. The death of Chief Petty Officer William Owens came after a chain of mishaps and misjudgments that plunged the elite commandos into a ferocious 50-minute firefight that also left three others wounded and a $75 million aircraft deliberately destroyed. Nevertheless, the Pentagon is drafting such plans to accelerate activities against the Qaeda branch in Yemen. According to the quasi-secular faith, reckless disregard for human life doesnt matter. All that matters is that a man gave his life carrying out orders issued by the high priests of the American Church in the name of National Security. It is heresy even to wonder if the death was in vain, if the noncombatant deaths constitute war crimes, or if the operation bore any relation to the actual security of the American people. Woe betide anyone who suggests (as some military people have) that such raids create militants and fill the ranks of people who want revenge against Americans for what they allow their government to do. As expected, the Trump administration deflected criticism by invoking Owenss martyrdom. Trump press secretary Sean Spicer said that anyone who undermines the success of that raid owes an apology and [does] a disservice to the life of Chief Owens. Inconveniently, it was Owenss father who admonished Trump not to hide behind my sons death to prevent an investigation of the ill-conceived operation. The elder Owens refused to meet the president when the chief petty officers remains came to Dover Air Force Base. My conscience wouldnt let me talk to him, the elder Owens, a veteran, said. That Trump would exploit a grieving widow and invoke the national quasi-secular faith for his own advantage is hardly surprising. Presidents always do this. Whats remarkable is that even some of Trumps critics were taken in. For example, Van Jones , who portrays himself as an edgy left radical, gushed over Trumps shameful use of Owenss death. Trump became president of the United States in that moment, period, Jones said on CNN. That was one of the most extraordinary moments you have ever seen in American politics. Hardly. But it shows that a quasi-secular faith can be as powerful as any religious faith. Contrary to the national faith the war on terror is neither defensive and nor effective: there was no AQAP before the U.S. military invaded Afghanistan and Iraq roughly 15 years ago, and it has been bombing Yemen for years. (Bizarrely, it also helps AQAP by enabling Saudi Arabias war against AQAPs enemy, the Houthis.) The 9/11 attacks, which provide the official excuse for the permanent war state, were acts of revenge  albeit immorally directed largely at noncombatants  after decades of oppressive and lethal U.S. actions against Arab Muslims. The already small terrorist threat to Americans could be further reduced by adopting a noninterventionist foreign policy. But any suggestion that the American Church does wrong is systematically marginalized and kept from the public by the mainstream medias defenders of the official faith. As long as thats the case, innocents in other lands will continue to be murdered and Americans like Ryan Owens will continue to die in vain. Sheldon Richman is the executive editor of The Libertarian Institute, senior fellow and chair of the trustees of the Center for a Stateless Society, and a contributing editor at Antiwar.com. He is the former senior editor at the Cato Institute and Institute for Humane Studies, former editor of The Freeman, published by the Foundation for Economic Education, and former vice president at the Future of Freedom Foundation. His latest book is Americas Counter-Revolution: The Constitution Revisited. Join Us On Facebook - Join Us On Twitter The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.
Another Hatchet Job on Snowden





The hatchet jobs against NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden keep on coming with a new book whose author says he applied James Angletons counterintelligence techniques to Snowden.



By Ray McGovern

March 05, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Consortium News " - In depicting National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden as a Russian spy, author Edward Jay Epstein acknowledges his debt to the CIAs famously paranoid counterintelligence chief James Jesus Angleton, who specialized in counterintuitive thinking that surely smeared more honest CIA officers than it snared actual spies.

At a recent book signing at the Hoover Institute in Washington, D.C., for How America Lost Its Secrets: Edward Snowden, the Man and the Theft, Epstein proudly announced that he learned the tricks of the counterintelligence trade from the now-deceased Angleton.

But Angleton, like other counterintelligence sleuths, assumed the carte-blanche right to smother a slender fact with weighty assumptions and then weave upon them a hefty garment of allegations, speculation and imagination fitting with the occupational predisposition to detect a spy.

Over the decades, its conceivable that this methodology may have caught a spy or two (although Angleton is perhaps best known for missing the notorious Soviet spy Kim Philby). But creating a counterfactual, evidence-free scenario seems an irresponsible way to write about Edward Snowden, a whistleblower responsible for the most consequential intelligence leak in U.S. history.

In his new book, Epstein spins his intricate web to prove Snowdens supposed treachery around the fact that after leaking secrets to Western journalists in Hong Kong, Snowden wound up in Russia. The well-known reality is that Snowden never intended to get stuck in Russia but was stranded there when the US government blocked his path to South America. Yet, however clear the record regarding how and why Snowden found asylum there, Epstein sees a more sinister logic.

As a veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency and a private citizen who has befriended many government whistleblowers, I happen to have known Angleton and currently know Snowden (whom I count among my friends).

I recall in 1974, when CIA Director William Colby finally fired Angleton, audible sighs of relief rippled through spydom. Angleton had ruined the careers  and sometimes the lives  of many conscientious CIA officers. When, finally, Angleton was not in position to do any more damage, many of my contemporaries recounted personal examples of how misguided and harmful Angletons periodic witch hunts had been.

Like Angleton, Epstein also has a tendency to see spies where they arent, including asserting that Lee Harvey Oswald was a Soviet spy, a claim that finds zero support in the KGB records now available. That proclivity is also evident in Epsteins new book.

Before the book signing at the Hoover Institute, a New York Times review and Pulitzer Prize winner Barton Gellman had thoroughly panned Epsteins book, and more recently New York Times journalist Charlie Savage picked it apart . Their indictments suffice; I feel no need to again recite Epsteins errors of fact and analysis.

Squeezing in a Question

But I did squeeze a question in at the Hoover book event. Epsteins interviewer, Ben Witte of Brookings, had served up a few innings-worth of softball pitches but allowed no questions from the audience. However, when Epstein claimed that his best source on Snowdens perfidy was Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Epstein proceeded to quote  incorrectly  to the effect that Snowden had met with Russian officials in Hong Kong. I spoke out, saying, Putin did not say that.

Shock hit the audience at my impertinence, and Wittes eyes scoured the back of the room apparently looking for Security. But the ever-genteel Epstein saved the day by admitting that I was right and that he had misspoken.

After the Witte-Epstein dialogue, the audience was allowed to approach Epstein for conversation. I introduced myself and noted that I had joined other former intelligence officers in visiting Snowden in Moscow.

Oh, yes, I remember your name, Epstein said, prompting me to ask why he did not seek to interview me for the book. Yes, I should have contacted you, he said with a smile.

At the time I was unaware of the curious limits Epstein had put on his outreach. Besides those of us who had met with Snowden in Moscow, Epstein should have contacted Sarah Harrison, who stayed by Snowdens side during his five weeks at Moscows Sheremetevo Airport and then for a few additional months; Julian Assange, who pulled out all the stops to facilitate Snowdens sudden and safe departure from Hong Kong; NSA whistleblowers William Binney, Kirk Wiebe and Ed Loomis; and Diane Roark, House Intelligence Committee senior aide who had the NSA account for several years.

Epsteins book shows that  while ignoring people who know Snowden or have had painful experiences trying to expose NSA wrongdoing by going through the proper channels  he conducted many interviews with people who consider Snowden, as well as Putin, the devil incarnate.

There is also the issue of how much actual damage Snowdens disclosures caused. According to former NSA Technical Director William Binney, it is fair to say that the extent of the NSAs vacuuming up of bulk data on Americans and people around the world was a surprise, first and foremost, to Americans whose eyes were opened (as Snowden intended); that US adversaries were generally aware of NSAs capabilities; and that damage to sources and methods typically has been exaggerated by those interested in overstating it.

Alarmist Complaints

Here there are shades of the alarmist complaints about the supposed damage caused by the disclosures about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq from Pvt. Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning.

After Defense Secretary Robert Gates had joined other senior officials in lamenting the grave damage from Mannings revelations, Gates was asked by Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Carl Levin to put it in writing. Gates came back with an honest report: Early claims of damage had been, in Gatess words, significantly overwrought.

Bill Binney and his colleagues tell me the same is probably true of the hyperbole used to portray the damage from the Snowden disclosures.

Yet, balancing whatever that damage was is the significance of Snowdens argument that the warrantless bulk surveillance of Americans was illegal under the Constitution and created the risk of a future leader imposing a turnkey tyranny on the United States because of all the embarrassing and incriminating information that would be collected on American citizens.

There is now no doubt that Snowdens constitutional concerns were well-founded and it is not hard to imagine how an unscrupulous politician might make effective use of peoples personal secrets or their unguarded comments.

But it is easier to discredit Snowden by simply portraying him as a Russian spy. After all, we are now deep in a New McCarthyism that accompanies the New Cold War. Any contact with Russians  no matter how unintentional in Snowdens case  is regarded as somehow disqualifying.

So, that is the tack that Epstein took. However, the evidence isnt there.

Chris Inglis, who was NSAs Deputy Director when Snowden made the disclosures and who headed the initial NSA investigation, said about Snowden a year ago: I dont think he was in the employ of the Chinese or the Russians. I dont see any evidence that would indicate that.

Epstein  like so many others  also shows a basic lack of understanding of the important, graduated scale of values that Ed Snowden and other whistleblowers take with utmost seriousness. At one point, Epstein glibly says of Snowden, In signing this [nondisclosure] document, he swore an oath not to divulge any of this information.

But thats not correct. The only oath that we, as military or other government officials swear is: To support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.

Ethicists describe such an oath as a supervening value, far more serious than a promise like that embedded in the contract one signs in agreeing not to disclose classified information that could be harmful to US national security. In other words, what do you do when your oath conflicts with the contract language, which one has the priority?

Snowdens Choice

Are promises important? Of course they are. But in the moral sphere, oaths supersede promises. NSA was playing fast and loose with the Constitutions Fourth Amendment (and arguably with the First and the Fifth as well) with warrantless surveillance. Snowden chose not to break his oath to the Constitution. Nor would he remain silent when others broke theirs.

Watching what happened to fellow whistleblowers  like Thomas Drake  who tried to go through channels, Snowden knew that he had to get out of Dodge to have any hope of remaining at liberty long enough to complete his mission. He decided to run the huge risk involved in defending the Constitution against incipient turnkey tyranny.

That may be difficult for Epstein and many cynical observers to believe, but without any evidence to the contrary, Snowden hardly deserves to be treated like the CIA officers who faced character assassination from Epsteins paranoid mentor, Angleton.

I first met Snowden in early October 2013 when I was a member of the first delegation of Americans to visit him as a political exile in Russia. Four of us, all members of Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence , officially presented him with our annual award for integrity.

My three colleagues, each of them an earlier awardee, were whistleblowers Coleen Rowley, Thomas Drake, and Jesselyn Raddack (ex-FBI, -NSA, -Department of Justice, respectively). After the award ceremony we spent seven hours relaxing and comparing notes with Snowden. And a year later, I had a long lunch with him in Moscow.

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For my colleagues and me, this unassuming, courageous young man, known to us only by what he had said and done over the previous three months, proved to be the precisely the patriotic whistleblower we thought he was. His courage and motivation were altogether believable to Rowley, Drake and Raddack, for each of them had taken similar risks in blowing the whistle on US government misconduct.

This is simply to say that all four of us seasoned professionals had a unique opportunity to take the measure of Snowden up close and personal. It is a truly a pity that author Epstein did not do the same.
Welfare's Last Stand

By Jennifer Mittelstadt

March 05, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Aeon " - Over the past four decades in the United States, as the country has slashed its welfare state and employers gutted traditional job benefits, growing numbers of people, especially from the working class, grasped for a new safety net  the military. Everyone recognises that the US armed forces have become a global colossus. But few know that, along with bases and bombs, the US military constructed its own massive welfare state. In the waning decades of the 20th century, with US prosperity in decline, more than 10 million activeduty personnel and their tens of millions of family members turned to the military for economic and social security.

The military welfare state is hidden in plain sight, its welfare function camouflaged by its war-making auspices. Only the richest Americans could hope to access a more systematic welfare network. Military social welfare features a web of near-universal coverage for soldiers and their families  housing, healthcare, childcare, family counselling, legal assistance, education benefits, and more. The programmes constitute a multi-billion-dollar-per-year safety net, at times accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the Department of Defense budget (DoD). Their real costs spread over several divisions of the defence budget creating a system so vast that the DoD acknowledged it could not accurately reckon its total expense.

Most Americans would not imagine that the military welfare state has anything to do with them. After all, in the era since the end of the draft and the advent of the all-volunteer force, military service has become the province of the few: just 0.5 per cent of Americans now serve in the armed forces.

But the history of the military welfare state tells us a great deal about citizenship and welfare. Its rise correlated with and, in some instances, caused the decline of the civilian welfare state, creating a diverging and unequal set of entitlements. And the recent transformation of the military welfare state  a massive privatisation and outsourcing  signals an even more dangerous future for the civilian welfare state.

The US military has always performed social welfare of some kind or another. Over its long history, it provided daily support to its conscripts  food, shelter, clothing and medical care  and more elaborate benefits such as homes, family support and clubs for the career force and officers. The military also rewarded citizen conscripts for their faithful service during wartime. During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Army offered veterans land or a cash bounty. After the Civil War, the military offered veterans pensions. And after the Second World War, millions of former service personnel were guaranteed unprecedented education, training and housing subsidies.

Military leaders embarked on a new and more ambitious social welfare programme after 1973. That year, President Richard Nixon and Congress ended the draft and mandated an all-volunteer force. Military leaders could no longer force citizens to join  they had to convince them. And one of their most vital tools was social welfare benefits.

Unlike European countries that provided nearly universal social welfare to all citizens, the US had only a patchwork social welfare system consisting of various public and private safety nets. Military leaders stepped into the gaps between them. They decided, in the words of the army motto, to take care of their own. They expanded the benefits traditionally reserved for the relatively few members of the career force and officers to every single member of the volunteer force and his or her family.

This post-1973 military welfare state played a different role in US life than most earlier types of military welfare. For one, military welfare no longer served as a reward for the services of citizen soldiers. Instead, it sustained the volunteer force: it lured new recruits, supported them while on duty, and convinced them to reenlist.

The military welfare state post-1973 never stimulated social welfare for the populace: quite the opposite

More importantly, earlier versions of military welfare catalysed broader social welfare programmes for the US populace. Civil War pensions pioneered federal retirement and disability payments, and paved the way for civilian retirement pensions. Veterans healthcare after the First World War created the first model of government health provision. And the Second World War-era GI Bill vaulted millions of former civilian draftees and their families into the middle class, legitimising government support for education and housing for all Americans.

The modern military welfare state of the post-1973 era never stimulated social welfare for the populace. Quite the opposite. As a smaller number and narrower cross-section of Americans volunteered for military service in the late 20th century, the divide between the military and civilians grew. So, too, did the divide between the new military welfare state and the existing civilian one. From the 1970s to the early 90s, while many civilian welfare programmes contracted, public and private unions declined, and employers cut private employment benefits, the military expanded its welfare functions.

How did this happen?

W ith the birth of the modern volunteer force, the military and its allies pursued a politics of separation. The generals who commanded the new military drew bright lines demarcating their own social welfare programmes from those for civilians. The chairman of the joint chiefs, General George S Brown, made the case for military service as a uniquely deserving vocation  more like a calling  and entitled to special benefits. From President Gerald Fords defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld down to army privates, military personnel disparaged any notion of comparability between themselves and civilians. Some went as far as lampooning nine-to-five civilians for working easy and self-interested jobs. Even as the recession of the 1970s spurred budget cuts for welfare programmes and public employee benefits, generals and admirals convinced Congress to shore up and enlarge military benefits.

During the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan drove the military welfare state to its apogee. Beginning with a speech at the US military academy at West Point in 1981, Reagan promised pay raises and generous benefits to recognise soldiers honorable profession. His unprecedented peacetime military spending provided an enormous budget for social welfare. First came a housing boom, then a childcare programme that became the US gold standard, then a raft of diverse family support programmes that did everything from easing marriages in crisis to providing free legal and financial counselling.

Reagan officials decried the shiftlessness of civilian college students as they cut aid to higher education

But Reagan did more than bankroll the military welfare state. He leveraged his support of military welfare to attack the civilian welfare state. The most obvious example concerned the revival and reinvention of the GI Bill. Though previously used as an education programme to reward veterans for service, Reagan brandished the new GI Bill as a weapon against higher-education assistance for civilians  the student loans and grants so many Americans had come to depend on. Reagan and his team cast these programmes as benefits [given] to those who were not serving their country, and thus undeserved. Reagan officials decried the shiftlessness of civilian college students as they cut aid to higher education. And they praised the sacrifice of young soldiers as they signed on to the new GI Bill.

Reagan also protected the military welfare state by aligning it with the Christian right. James Dobson of Focus on the Family and other right-wing evangelicals were welcomed onto military taskforces advising the army on new family support programmes. Dobson even sold his videotapes and brochures to military counselling programmes. Conservative Christians found allies in the militarys chaplains corps and officers corps, ensuring that the many new counselling and family readiness programmes shaded toward conservative Christian ideals of family life  two-parent, patriarchal families with wives who submitted to their husbands authority. The alliance between the military welfare state and the Christian family values campaign protected military welfare from associations with the welfare provided to civilians. And it fostered its continued growth.

A s the military welfare state grew and prospered, it attracted some of the same opponents as had the civilian welfare state. Not everyone in the military or outside its ranks welcomed programmes that, in their view, mimicked the civilian welfare state  feminising the institution, encouraging dependency, and enlarging the state.

Some active-duty and retired officers feared social welfare would undermine the martial nature of the military and turn commanders into social workers. In the late 1970s and early 80s, Robin Beard, a Republican congressman for Tennessee and a former naval officer  and, more recently, the Democrat Jim Webb, a 2016 presidential candidate and former senator from Virginia  charged that women soldiers and obligations to the wives of men soldiers turned the army into a babysitting service.

In the army, the largest and least popular of the services, opponents of military welfare also feared that welfare benefits attracted, as one general put it, the dregs of US society. By the late 1970s, the army had trouble recruiting white highschool graduates, much less anyone who had attended college. It had become nearly one-third African-American and, just as opponents of the welfare state used racist stereotypes to attack it, so too did opponents of the military welfare state, who likened the disproportionately AfricanAmerican soldiery to despised welfare clients.

By the early 1990s, military welfare skeptics both within and without the military gained ground. Leaders of the armys community and family support services and its Morale, Welfare and Recreation unit latched onto the civilian agenda to end welfare as we know it, charging the militarys support programmes with encouraging dependency among military personnel and their families. They worried about overly dependent spouses, and purged the word support from their lexicon. Cued by family psychologists who studied civilian welfare programmes, the army pressed its families to become self-reliant. The army even changed its official motto from a promise to take care of its own, to an awkwardly worded, half-hearted pledge to take care of its own so that they can learn to take care of themselves.

An even more powerful attack on the military welfare state came from outside the militarys ranks, from a group rarely linked to the military  freemarket economists. While military leaders worried about welfares degradation of their instition, freemarket economists loathed the military welfare states extension of big government.

Clinton created the perfect environment for realising the free-market dream

Economists had first set their sights on transforming the military in the 1960s. The freemarketer Milton Friedman guided the 1969 Nixon group that sketched the blueprint for the post-draft military. He advocated a vision of the military as an ideal freemarket institution. In Friedmans ideal, cash payments and bonuses would drive enlistment, and the militarys traditional benefits and social welfare programmes  no better than any other government social programme  would be abolished. If abolition proved too difficult, the remaining services and benefits would be contracted out to the private sector.

The military successfully resisted the freemarket onslaught in the 1970s and even in the putatively pro-privateenterprise Reagan decade of the 1980s, driving freemarket champions to decry the pure socialism at the heart of the defence establishment. But free-marketers began to make inroads with their military agenda at the tailend of the 1980s and especially the 90s. President Bill Clintons National Performance Review, popularly called Reinventing Government, created the perfect environment for realising the free-market dream. It imported corporate practices of outsourcing and privatisation in all government agencies, including the military. Clinton hired a Wall Street privatisation expert, Joshua Gotbaum of Lazard Freres, for the newly created post of Assistant Secretary of Defence for Economic Security at the Pentagon. His charge: privatise and outsource whatever he could.

Meanwhile the dramatic defence cuts that followed the end of the Cold War forced military commanders to slash spending and seek savings. Commanders and staff turned to corporate budget and management strategies such as Total Quality Management, strategic planning, and outsourcing. The army joined leading sectors of capital on the conference board, created a Captains of Industry Conference, consulted with business schools, and hired scores of consulting firms to help guide the outsourcing process. More and more, commanders chose to protect the tip of the spear  weapons and infantry  and contract out and privatise military welfare. In the hopes of reducing budget lines, they gave up major elements of soldier and family support programmes, from housing to healthcare, and sent them into the private sector. In less than a decade, the military, economists and corporate advisors dramatically altered the military welfare state. A system that had taken care of military personnel devolved into a privately contracted collection of services that all too often promoted self-reliance.

T he transformation of the military welfare state has done no good for soldiers or civilians, or for social welfare in the US. For soldiers, it has meant fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan under leaders who expected them and their families to exhibit what the military came to call resilience. Though the term resilience drew from new psychological literature on shaping positive reactions to trauma, its practical effect was to demand the same selfreliance among soldiers that the military of the 1990s had introduced. It was, at best, an unrealistic expectation given the unprecedented numbers of brain injuries, traumas and suicides suffered by military personnel and families during the extended conflicts.

When soldiers and their families did need support, they were likely to turn not to the military, but to private contractors: doctors contracted by national healthcare corporations, a multinational realestate corporation, or contracted social workers manning family support programmes. Placing support programmes in the hands of private contractors diminished the armys ability to solve the problems facing military personnel and their families. The scandal in 2007 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC  with rodent infestation, languishing patients and unsupervised care  arose in no small part due to the poor performance of contractors at the facility. As the contractor Johnson Controls wrangled for yet more work at the facility, its administrators paid more attention to the dollars and corporate control than the day-to-day care of soldiers.

The military social welfare system that evolved in the 1990s failed to meet the needs of wartime soldiers in the 2000s. But the Pentagon has nevertheless continued on this path, making it clear that private defence contractors and their allies in free-market think tanks and politics are the real beneficiaries of outsourced military welfare.

They completely marketise military welfare and abandoned military personnel and their families to true self-reliance

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Beginning in 2011, the DoD entertained requests to privatise more of its benefits  this time, a more radical privatisation of healthcare and a total restructuring and privatisation of pensions. Sponsored by the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation and supported by the CEOs of global defence firms serving on the DoDs Defense Business Board, and by former two-, three-, and four-star generals now assuming consulting roles in banking and defence firms, new healthcare and retirement proposals sought to replace existing programmes with privately held, market-based healthcare and retirement programmes. They offered vouchers and cash substitutes in place of defined and guaranteed supports. Using the rhetoric of soldier choice, the programmes decreased total benefits and increased privatesector access to government funds and the money of military personnel.

Military personnel and their families would receive healthcare vouchers allowing them to either purchase whatever healthcare plan they chose from an array of privatesector providers  or to purchase none. Instead of earning defined retirement benefits  pensions  soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines would participate in defined contribution plans, such as privately-held 401(k) programmes, in which a defined amount is contributed by the employer toward the employees retirement benefit. Or they could simply take a lump sum of cash.

The voucher and cash proposals represent the logical end point of both privatisation and self-reliance adopted by the military in the 1990s. They completely marketise military welfare and abandon military personnel and their families to true self-reliance. Every soldier and veteran will venture into the private sector alone, entering separate relationships with separate firms for separate health or investment services. If personnel endure poor treatment, they will face it unaided, without recourse to a chain of command. Military personnel and their families will be scattered. Their ties to the military will diminish.

With their retirement and wallets on the line, will military personnel rethink the distance they have for decades maintained from civilians? For many years, those in the military followed a solo path toward recognition and support in Congress. They avoided any association with civilian employees, public workers, or recipients of public entitlements. But now that military personnel are facing bold corporate gambits for their benefits, they see that the military welfare state is unravelling. They cannot deny their shared place alongside civilian workers, who have long faced a diminishing welfare state.

Why should civilians care about the military welfare state? The conversion of more military benefits to fully free-market models will not bode well for most Americans. If even the troops, whose symbolic status in US politics as a sacrosanct class can have their benefits outsourced and privatised, what chance do social programmes protecting civilians have? These have come under renewed assault, especially at the state level, among such Republican governors and presidential hopefuls as John Kasich of Ohio and Scott Walker of Wisconsin. In the past several years, they have eliminated collective bargaining rights, public pensions and Medicaid increases in their states. Inspired by their inroads against the welfare state, national Republican leaders in Congress, such as Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, have intensified their assaults on social security and the new Affordable Care Act at the federal level.

How will the rest of Americans resist the privatisation of social programmes if vaunted military personnel cannot? Divided by decades of divergent welfare states, military personnel and civilians might now face the shredding of both.
Home Sign up for our FREE Daily Email Newsletter Turkey and Syria: Blood, Tears, and Walls



By Andre Vltchek March 05, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - A Turkish poet, Mustafa Goren, is standing in the middle of a street in the border town of Karkams. He raises his index finger towards the sky prophetically, then shouts at me, with his powerful voice: Im against the invasion into Syria! Is this another game of the West? These are our children, our boys that are dying there. These are innocent children of Syria that are being blown to pieces. Why do Syrian people have to run to Europe; tell me why? Why do they have to humiliate themselves, to suffer? Syria used to be rich. Those people are even more cultured than we are, more cultured than the West. How did this conflict begin? Mustafa Goren then strikes a dramatic pose. Suddenly he looks like the great Soviet poet Mayakovski, spitting out his verses full of anger. This is not just poetry, but a desperate jaccuse? Mustafa Goren, Turkish Poet (Photo: Andre Vltchek) As if mocking him, behind his back, Turkish military trucks are moving towards the border, passing through the streets where almost all shops have been shut down, sad victims of the conflict that keeps devastating further and further an already desperate Turkish economy. I speak to Europe now: You will soon be drowning in the water that you are now drinking. You will pay for what you are doing to Syria and to other countries. It is entirely your fault, Europe! It is entirely your fault the West! One day, true leaders of the world will come, and theyll cut off all the gas and petrol supplies to you, and youll find yourself in even deeper shit the one into which you threw this part of the world! Youll have to burn your designer clothes and shoes, just to stay warm. You forgot, but you will soon be reminded, Europe: we are all human beings! Mr Goren recites in front of a humble stall, which is selling cigarettes. It is adorned with historic photographs of Kemal Ataturk. A few meters from there, an enormous watchtower is rising towards the dark, cloudy sky. Border Wall (Photo: Andre Vltchek) The border is right there, defined by a tall, gray, melancholic concrete wall, and by several watchtowers. Right next to the gate, a mobile medical unit and several ambulances are standing by. They are ready to cross the frontier, to move into Syria, where the Turkish military is officially fighting the terrorists, but in reality undermining the Syrian forces. The operation is called Euphrates Shield. Medical units at the border ready to move in (Photo: Andre Vltchek) ISIS came all the way here, to the Syrian town of Jarabulu, right across the border, explained Bulent Polat, a trader whose shop is now half empty, due to the war. Jarabulus is under the control of the Turkish military. Just imagine: the Turkish government doesnt allow Syrian President Assad to send fighter jets nearer than 3 kilometers to the border, but it allows ISIS to come as close as 3 meters. We should have never interfered with the domestic policy of Syria, and there would be peace! Mr. Polat is from the opposition The Republican Peoples Party. Hes a Kemalist. For years he worked in both sides of the border. Now he recalls, in disgust: To mobilize people against Assad, the anti-government militants supported by Turkey and the West, have been dressing in official Syrian military uniforms, then shoot at the civilians, killing many. Then they say: Assad did it! It has been happening all over Syria. ***** Now Turkey is building a 900-kilometers long wall, which is supposed to seal hermetically its border with Syria. Express.co.uk quoted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: The problem of terrorism and the refugee problem will be resolved when we secure Syrian soil step by step. The Kurdish population on both sides of the border is clearly outraged about the wall. The tall ugly structure is dividing communities and marks the region like an ugly scar. Now Turkish forces can always enter Syria, using tanks and armored vehicles, while Syrians are being kept out. New military installation near the border (Photo: Andre Vltchek) We left Karkams and drove to an ancient graveyard, from where we photographed the wall and the lazy waters of the river Euphrates. The Syrian town of Jarabulus was right in front of us. People were tense. A local farmer recalled: Injection of the militants began from the Turkish territory. Assad had to launch a defensive security operation. Thats how the war began. I knew precisely what he was saying. Back in 2012 I worked around Antakya, discovering that while officially listed as a refugee facility, Apaydin camp was, in fact, a training facility for the anti-Syrian jihadi cadres. The NATO facility  Incirlik air force base near the city of Adana  was allegedly training several other groups. In 2013 I returned to Antakya, making a documentary film for the South American television channel Telesur. The entire area was converted into a security zone, and my team was repeatedly stopped and intimidated. We managed to track the militants who were armed in Turkey. Those wounded in Syria were treated in Antakya. Now from Gaziantep to Kilis, the entire area is flooded with refugees and its economy is destroyed. Syrian girl street vendor in Gaziantep (Photo: Andre Vltchek) We drove through villages like Ikizkaya, consisting mainly of clay houses, many of them abandoned. Fear is everywhere. In Kalbursait Village near Karkams, a Syrian refugee explained that he has lived here, with his animals, for four years. If the war stops, would he go back? He doesnt know, he replied. Who is to blame for the war? I asked. I dont know came an immediate reply. Lets go, my interpreter insisted. This man is petrified. Break Free From The Matrix Get Our Free Daily Newsletter Everybody appears to be frightened. One night I was taken by my friends from the TKP near the back entrance of Dr. Ersin Arslan State Hospital in Gaziantep. This is where wounded Free Syria Army and other militants are brought to at night. We ordered tea at a local eatery, and began conversing with the staff. Suddenly, there was a loud shout from outside: Allahu Akbar  bum! Cafe guests ran for a cover. We got out to investigate. A bearded man, obviously an Arab speaker, was leaning against the wall. He had two bullet wounds in his foot. The wounds were infected. The man was clearly distressed. He was mumbling something about jihad. Gaziantep is a recruitment center for militant cadres and for the Free Syrian Army; so are towns and cities like Kilis and Antakya. At night, I was taken to a bakery near a mosque in Gaziantep, where recruitment and indoctrination of the militants takes place. I was given photos of bodies torn apart by powerful explosions. I was shown images of dead children, of morgues and of people in total desperation. Mr. Kutay Sirikli from the opposition TKP pointed an accusative finger at both the West and Ankara: Recep Tayyip Erdogan is one of the founding fathers of the so-called Great Middle East Project. Hes trying to politicize the entire Middle East. His dream is a New Ottoman Empire. Of course if there is any novel formation in this part of the world, it is always connected to the West. However, from time to time, Erdogan takes his own initiative. And he makes profit: petrol that is stolen by ISIS from the Syrian regions goes through Turkey to the West. They refine it here. ***** Syrian refugees get work permits now, and there is talk that soon they would be able to apply for Turkish citizenship if they pass the language test. Syrian children get one-year intensive language course, and then they can attend local schools. Some refugees get even the equivalent of the Turkish minimal wage as a support  1.400 liras per month (almost US$400). Turkey is demonstrating simultaneously great compassion and inordinate brutality. In Istanbul, the historian Yigit Gunay, clarified this contradiction: Many people believe that this government has some integrated plan. The truth is, there is nothing like that  not even some two-year plan. Nobody trusts anybody, anymore, and things keep changing overnight. ***** As we are driving towards the airport in Adana, my friend and interpreter looks suddenly tired: As a person who visited Aleppo before the invasion I am devastated because of what happened to that ancient and stunning city It was a thriving business hub with incredibly beautiful archeological and historical sites when I was there. now it is a city that will need decades to recover, and most of the damage is irretrievable. The whole area is now a total disaster Before entering the city of Adana, the bright runway lights of Incirlik air force base suddenly emerge from the darkness. This airport is perhaps the most vivid symbol of NATO war games in this part of the world. One cannot just pass  almost all cars are being stopped and checked. Fear is engulfing Southeast Turkey. When several hours earlier we drove into the Elbeyli border town, (a crossing on the way to the embattled Syrian city of Al Bab) what we faced were new mighty walls and fences, as well as high-tech security cameras. From here, the Turkish army is periodically invading Syria. I decided to get my hair cut here, so I could chat with the locals. Just a few minutes and my barber whispered: They are surrounding you. Police and plain clothed security cadres were looking at us through the window, taking notes, calling somewhere. We paid and drove away from this dismal town, at neck breaking speed. We wouldnt be able last long here, nobody would. This cat and mouse game is exhausting and truly dangerous. But what is Turkey really trying to hide? It is a well-known fact that it is training the militants, and invading Syria. All this is not a secret. So what is? Perhaps the true secret is that many of its own citizens are actually against the war. And that not Syria only, but to some extent Turkey too, is now suffering and bleeding.  First published in NEO Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. Three of his latest books are revolutionary novel Aurora and two bestselling works of political non-fiction:  Exposing Lies Of The Empire  and  Fighting Against Western Imperialism . View his other books here . Andre is making films for teleSUR and Al-Mayadeen. Watch Rwanda Gambit , his groundbreaking documentary about Rwanda and DRCongo. After having lived in Latin America, Africa and Oceania, Vltchek presently resides in East Asia and the Middle East, and continues to work around the world. He can be reached through his website and his Twitter . Join Us On Facebook - Join Us On Twitter The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Please read our Comment Policy before posting - It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section.
The Politics Behind 'Russia-gate'





The hysteria over Russia-gate continues to grow  as President Trumps enemies circle  but at its core there may be no there there while it risks pushing the world toward nuclear annihilation, writes Robert Parry.



By Robert Parry

March 05, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Consortium News " - J There may be a turn-about-is-fair-play element to Democrats parsing the words of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and other Trump administration officials to hang them on possible perjury charges. After all, the Republicans made lock her up a popular chant citing Hillary Clintons arguably illegal use of a private email server as Secretary of State and her allegedly false claim under oath that her lawyers had hand-checked each of her 30,000 or so emails that were deleted as personal .

But there is a grave danger in playing partisan gotcha over U.S. relations with the worlds other major nuclear superpower. If, for instance, President Trump finds himself having to demonstrate how tough he can be on Russia  to save his political skin  he could easily make a miscalculation that could push the two countries into a war that could truly be the war to end all wars  along with ending human civilization. But Democrats, liberals and the mainstream news media seem to hate Trump so much they will take that risk.

Official Washingtons Russia hysteria has reached such proportions that New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman has even compared the alleged Russian hacking of Democratic emails to Pearl Harbor and 9/11, two incidents that led the United States into violent warfare. On MSNBCs Morning Joe show, Friedman demanded that the hacking allegations be taken with the utmost seriousness: That was a 9/11 scale event. They attacked the core of our democracy. That was a Pearl Harbor scale event.  This goes to the very core of our democracy.

But what really goes to the very core of our democracy is the failure to deal with this issue  or pretty much any recent issue  with the sobriety and the seriousness that should accompany a question of war or peace. Just as Friedman and other star journalists failed to ask the necessary questions about Iraqs WMD or to show professional skepticism in the face of U.S. propaganda campaigns around the conflicts in Libya, Syria or Ukraine, they have not demanded any actual evidence from the Obama administration for its lurid claims about Russian hacking.

Before this madness goes any further, doesnt anyone think that the U.S. intelligence community should lay its cards on the table regarding exactly what the evidence is that Russian intelligence purloined Democratic emails and then slipped them to WikiLeaks for publication? President Obamas intelligence officials apparently went to great lengths to spread these allegations around  even passing the secrets around overseas  but they never told the American people what the evidence is. The two official reports dealing with the issue were laughably short on anything approaching evidence . They amounted to trust us.

Further, WikiLeaks representatives have indicated that the two batches of emails  one from the Democratic National Committee and the other from Clintons campaign chairman John Podesta  did not come from the Russians but rather from two different American insiders. That could be wrong  it is possible that Russian intelligence laundered the material through some American cutouts or used some other method to conceal Moscows hand  but Obamas intelligence officials apparently dont know how WikiLeaks obtained the emails. So, the entire scandal may rest upon a foundation of sand.

No Fake News

Its also important to note that nothing that WikiLeaks published was false. There was no fake news. Indeed, a key reason why the emails were newsworthy at all was that they exposed misconduct and deception on the part of the Democrats and the Clinton campaign. The main point that the DNC emails revealed was that the leadership had violated its duty to approach the primary campaign even-handedly when instead they tilted the playing field against Sen. Bernie Sanders. Later, the Podesta emails revealed the contents of Clintons speeches to Wall Street bankers, which she was trying to hide from the voters, and the emails exposed some of the pay-to-play tactics of the Clinton Foundation.

In other words, even if the Russians did reveal this information to the American people, how does knowing relevant facts regarding a presidential campaign translate into an attack on the core of our democracy? Usually, journalists believe that getting the truth out, even if it embarrasses some politician or some political party, is healthy for a democracy. As an American journalist, I prefer getting information from people who have Americas best interests at heart, but Im not naive enough to think that people who leak dont often do so for self-interested reasons. Whats most important is that the information is genuine and newsworthy.

Frankly, I found the WikiLeaks material far more appropriate for an American political debate than the scurrilous rumors that the Clinton campaign was circulating about Trump supposedly getting urinated on by Russian prostitutes in a five-star Moscow hotel, claims for which no evidence has been presented.

Also, remember that no one thought that the DNC/Podesta emails were significant in deciding the 2016 election. Clinton herself blamed FBI Director James Comey for briefly reopening the FBI investigation into her private email server near the end of the campaign as the reason her poll numbers cratered. Its relevant, too, that Clinton ran a horrific campaign, which included breathtaking gaffes like referring to many Trump supporters as deplorables, relying way too heavily on negative ads, failing to articulate a compelling vision for the future, and ignoring signs that her leads in Rust Belt states were disappearing. In other words, the current effort to portray the disclosure of Democratic emails as somehow decisive in the campaign is revisionist history.

Yet, here we are with The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN and almost the entire mainstream media (along with leading liberals and Democrats) panting every time they discover that someone from Trumps circle met with a Russian. We are supposed to forget that the Russian government for many years was collaborating closely with the U.S. government  and particularly with U.S. national security agencies  on vital issues. Russia assisted in supplying the U.S. military in Afghanistan; President Putin played a crucial role in getting Iran to curtail its nuclear program; and he also arranged for the Syrian government to surrender its stockpiles of chemical weapons. The last two accomplishments were among President Obamas most important foreign policy successes.

But those last two areas of cooperation  Iran and Syria  contributed to making Putin a target for Washingtons powerful neoconservatives who were lusting for direct U.S. military strikes against those two countries. The neocons, along with the Israeli and Saudi governments, wanted regime change in Tehran and Damascus, not diplomatic agreements that left the governments in place.

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Neocons inside the U.S. government  including Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, Sen. John McCain and National Endowment for Democracy president Carl Gershman  then took aim at regime change in Ukraine, realizing its sensitivity to Russia. Gershman, whose NED is funded by the U.S. government, called Ukraine the biggest prize and a key step toward ousting Putin inside Russia; McCain cheered on Ukraines ultranationalists who were firebombing police in Kievs Maidan square; and Nuland was conspiring with U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt on how to glue or midwife a change in government.

This neocon strategy worked by overthrowing Ukraines elected President Viktor Yanukovych and causing Putin to intervene on behalf of threatened ethnic Russians in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. That, in turn, was transformed by the Western media into a Russian invasion.

Partisan Interests

Instead of standing up to this neocon troublemaking, Obama fell in line. Later, the Democrats saw political advantage in becoming the super-hawks standing up to Russia, essentially maneuvering to the right of the Republicans, especially when Donald Trump unexpectedly won the nomination, in part, by calling for better relations with Russia.

As the 2016 presidential campaign sank into infamy as one of the ugliest in U.S. history, Clinton hammered Trump over Russia, calling him a Putin puppet. But the Russia-bashing didnt seem to help Clinton very much. Although it was calculated to pull in some moderate Republicans, it also alienated many peace-oriented Democrats.

Still, despite the shaky foundation and the haphazard construction, Official Washington is now adding more and more floors to this Russia scandal. Obama holdovers slapped together a shoddy pretext for going after Trumps National Security Adviser Michael Flynn  citing the never-prosecuted Logan Act of 1799 and then trapping Flynn because he didnt have total recall of a phone conversation with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on Dec. 29 while Flynn was vacationing in the Dominican Republic.

Similarly, the mainstream media and Democrats are framing in a perjury case against Attorney General Sessions because of a sloppily worded response during his confirmation hearing about contacts with Russians. He had met twice with Kislyak (as many others in Washington have done). The heavy-breathing suspicion is that perhaps Sessions and Kislyak were plotting how the Kremlin could help the Trump campaign, but there is zero evidence to support that conspiracy theory.

Whats actually happening here should be obvious. The Obama administration, the Democrats and the mainstream media were horrified at Trumps election. They understandably were offended by Trumps personal behavior and his obvious unfitness for the presidency. Many Clinton supporters, especially women, were bitterly disappointed at the failure of the first female major-party presidential nominee who lost to a lout who boasted about how he could exploit his fame and power by grabbing the genitals of vulnerable women whom he assumed couldnt do anything to stop him.

There was also alarm about Trumps policies on the environment, immigration, education and the courts. Among the neocons and their liberal-interventionist sidekicks, there was concern, too, that Trump would not continue their regime change strategies in the Middle East and their hostility toward Russia.

So, these anti-Trump forces grabbed at the most potent weapon available, the suspicions that Trump had somehow colluded with Russia. It didnt matter that the evidence was weak to non-existent. It would be enough to spread the allegations around under the cloak of U.S. intelligence assessments.

Nobody important would demand to review the evidence and, surely, with the availability of National Security Agency intercepts, peoples memories could be tested against the transcripts of conversations and be found wanting. Verbal missteps could become perjury traps. There could be a witch hunt against anyone who talked to a Russian . Any pushing back from the Trump people could be construed as a cover-up.

Having worked in Washington for nearly four decades, I have seen political investigations before, both in steering away from real crimes of state (such as Nicaraguan Contra cocaine trafficking and Republican collaboration with foreign governments to undercut Democrats in 1968 and 1980 ) and in fabricating scandals that werent there (such as the fictional offenses of Whitewater, Travelgate, Filegate, Chinagate, etc. under Bill Clinton who was finally cornered for the heinous crime of lying about sex). So far at least, Russia-gate fits much more with the latter group than the former.

What I also have learned over these years is that in Official Washington, power  much more than truth  determines which scandals are taken seriously and which ones are not. Russia-gate is revealing that the established power centers of Washington arrayed against Trump  the major news media, the neoconservatives and the Democratic Party  have more power than the disorganized Trump administration.
Xenophobia (defined as a strong or morbid dislike of foreigners) is on the rise. The reasons for these xenophobic attacks are always the same. Most times, the locals feel their black brothers have come to take over their country, resources, jobs and other things.

But the thing is all over South Africa, majority of the companies and businesses are mostly controlled by non-Africans, who are barely ever harassed. South Africans are looting foreigners properties and attacking immigrants especially black ones.

Here are the things you need to know:

1. Between 2000 and March 2008 at least 67 people died in what were identified as xenophobic attacks.

2. In May 2008 a series of riots left 62 people dead; although 21 of those killed were South African citizens.

3. At least five people have been killed and hundreds forced to flee their homes in one of South Africas worst outbreaks of xenophobic violence .

4. The dead included a 14-year-old boy who was allegedly shot during looting and he died at a hospital.

5. 34 people have been arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms and other crimes in the last two days.

6. 8,500 immigrants are sleeping rough in crowded tents in heavily guarded transit camps in South Africa.

7. President Jacob Zuma of South Africa is reluctant to take action against perpetrators. He slammed the assertion, saying his government is addressing social and economic issues brought up by citizens.

8. Migrants are living in fear due to the recent attacks and most of them are running to take shelter in police stations so they wont be killed.

9.Citizens from countries like Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambic, Nigeria, Somali, Zimbabwe and others who fled their home countries to seek ways to improve themselves are mostly affected.

10. Estimates of immigrant numbers vary from 2 million to 5 million, out of a population of 51 million.
Mrs Kemi Adeosun was appointed Minister of Finance by President Muhammadu Buahri on November 11, 2016,we have for you 8 things you never knew about her

1. She was born 9th March, 1967, in London, United Kingdom.

2. She is the third, among four children, born by her father who is a civil servant.

3. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of East London and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Financial Management from the University of London.

4. She was appointed the Commissioner of Finance in Ogun state, from 2011  2015.

5. Adeosun is a member of the Institutes of Chartered Accountants, England and Wales, as well as Nigeria.

6. She worked as Accounting assistant at British Telecom Company, London, from 1989  1990 and Senior audit officer at Goodman Jones, London, from 1990- 1993, Internal Audit at London Underground Limited, London, 1994  1995 and Manager Internal Audit, Prism Consulting from 1996  2000.

7. She was a Senior Manager at the Price Waterhouse Coopers, London, from 2000- 2002, joined Chapel Hill Denham Management as a financial controller in 2002 and left the organisation as Managing Director in 2010.

8. She also worked with Quo Vadis Partnership as Managing Director, from June 2010  June 2011 before her appointment as the Commissioner of Finance in Ogun state.
Senior Pastor of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, is being accused by one Stephanie Otobo of impregnating and abandoning her.

A letter from Festus Keyamo Chambers dated March 4, 2017 and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police claimed that Stephanie began a romantic relationship with Suleiman in Canada in 2015.

She claimed that the pastor told her he was divorced from his wife and proposed to her, before meeting with her family for introduction, declaring his intention to marry her.

Stephanie also alleged she abandoned her lucrative career, her cars, friends and house in Canada because Suleiman promised to buy her a house in Nigeria.

In another letter dated March 3, 2017 written to Suleiman and also sent to the IGP, her lawyers claimed the cleric was so in love with her, that he had to lick her entire body every time they had sex.

It added that Suleiman invited Stephanie from Canada to Europe, where he made love with her all night after Church programmes.

It is even being alleged that Stephanie was the one sending topic of sermons for the pastor to preach and the songs to be sung.

The letter said the pastor invited Stephanie to his church in Nigeria and begged her to get pregnant for him, as he wanted more male children.

Stephanie who is demanding N500million in damages for the breach of trust, also revealed messier details like Suleiman asking her to bring a friend along for a threesome and to send her nude pictures to him.

Suleiman was also accused of intimidating and harassing Stephanie, after men of the Nigeria Police Force, Monitoring Unit, Kem Salem House, Obalende, Lagos, arrested her inside a banking hall.

Her lawyers gave Suleiman a seven-day ultimatum to meet its demands.

See documents below:

Source: Dailypost
Joint operation of police team on Thursday, March 2, arrested a Nigerian couple, Michael Uyi Aigieator,34, and Pamela Aigieator, 27, in Cagliari, Italy for trafficking Nigerian women to Italy for prostitution.

According to Ansa English, the couple would subject their victims to voodoo rites after which they were forced into prostitution.

Police also freed the victims of the couple, who are suspected of people trafficking and aiding illegal immigration aggravated by placing people at risk of their lives in unseaworthy boats.

Source: Naijaloaded
The Federal Government has formally announced the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, beginning from 12 a.m. Wednesday,this was made known by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, at a world press conference Monday in Abuja.

According to the minister,the airport will be closed for six weeks.

Also speaking, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said the government has kept its promise to make Kaduna Airport ready for use as alternative.

Also, the Minister of State in charge of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said observations made by acting President Yemi Osinbajo who was in Kaduna Airport on Friday had been taken care of.

He also gave a website that has been set up by the government where Nigerians can get information about the closed Airport.

This is the website: www.abujaairportclosure.info
The Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad (SAKS), Ebonyi State Police Command, who collaborated with the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Command, has arrested one Ogbujule Chukwu Mathew from Lokpanta, Isuochi in Ummunneochi Council of Abia State, for abducting a 59-year-old woman Catherine Okorie Chukwu, at her residence and also killing her.

Mrs. Catherine who is the mother of an Abuja based industrialist, was killed after she identified one of her abductors,

who had done his internship at her sons company in Abuja.

Mathew made some confessionary statement, which led to the arrest of one Ezenwa Egeonu, male, of same address on February 23. On interrogation, the said Ezenwa confessed that the victim has been killed by the gang and was buried at Lokpanta, Isuochi in Abia State. He led a team of anti-kidnapping squad of this Command to the scene where the body was buried. The area has been identified, that was why the Command made adequate arrangements for the exhumation of the body. He took our men there and instead of showing the exact spot, he started taking the Police round that vast bush until the early morning of Sunday, when he said his time was up and he was then ready to talk. He then took our men to the exact spot where they buried the woman, Jude Madu the spokesman of the command said.

Guardian reports that Mathew and four other suspects that were arrested in connection with the kidnap/murder led a team of 50 policemen in 15 Hilux vans, an ambulance, morticians, Head of Pathology Department, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, on a 10 hour journey to the shallow grave.

Mathew who got emotional at the grave had this to say;

That pally (pointing at one of the suspects) carry us come here, me and Pilot. We be three, Mathew (the ring leader) four and that Ampelo. We dey six in number. Na that Ampelo (from Ishiagu) say make we kill am. En say because mama (the victim) don see him face, make we kill am. I tell them say make them no kpai mama. The man come slap me for back. Na en the other guy (Chibuike, the gang leader) say him go shoot me. I tell dem say this thing wey dem wan do mama no dey good. Na en dem come tell me say make I comot. I come go up there go sit down (pointing to a hilly side of the shallow river). As I come sit down there, I come hear kpowai. I dey like this (pointing his head to the ground). Pilot come ask me whether I dey cry? I tell am say I dey cry. I tell am say this thing wey una do, before next week now, una go hear am. Na im I come carry my machine (motorcycle) go back. According to Mathew, himself and his gang members had tried to escape Police search by hiding the woman at the backyard of his compound in Amaekwuru village, Isuochi in Lokpanta for several hours but had to escape into the forest when they got information that the Police were on their trail, where the victim was later shot dead on the orders of the said Ampelo, who told the gang that he did internship in Abuja through the help of the victims son and she had already seen his face; hence they should not spare her life or they would all be in danger

After the exhumed body of Mrs. Catherine from Ishiagu community in Ivo Council of Ebonyi State, was deposited at the Federal Teaching Hospital Mortuary, Abakaliki (FETHA) for autopsy, the commands spokesperson who spoke to newsmen said;

We have taken the body for autopsy. The result of the autopsy will determine our next line of action. We want to find out if they killed the woman with bullet or poison or any other means, even though one of the suspects confessed at the scene that one of them shot the woman. After the autopsy, we shall also update the public. There are some other persons who are not among the six, but they also contributed in one way or the other to aid this crime. Though I may not give you the exact number for now, but others, such as their native doctor, is already in our net. One of the girlfriends of Umoru, who had helped him to escape the very first time, is also in our custody. Investigations are ongoing and the Police is assuring the family and the public that it will get to the end of it all.

Source: Naijaloaded
Just hours after, President Buhari called Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello confirmed that he was called by the president on Sunday when he was in Lagos.

A government house statement issued in Lokoja said that Mr. Buhari, who made the call in the evening, interacted with the governor for a couple of minutes.

The director general on media and strategy to the governor, Kingsley Fanwo, who signed the statement, said Mr. Bello received the call in Lagos on his way back from Abeokuta, where he attended the inauguration of Obasanjo Library.

The President thanked the governor for his support and his leadership qualities.

Mr. Fanwo said, He told the governor that he was observing rest and will return very soon to continue his assignment of providing purposeful leadership to the nation.

He also said Mr. Bello received the call in the presence of the Speaker of the state house of assembly, Ahmed Imam, some members of the house, commissioners and top government functionaries.(NAN)
President Muhammadu Buhari has celebrated along side other Nigerians with former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

According to the Presidents Spokesman, Femi Adesina, President Buhari called in from London, where he is convalescing from an undisclosed ailment, Buhari told Obasabjo that a time like this provided an opportunity to reflect on his invaluable roles and contributions to the unity and cohesion of Nigeria, the brotherhood of all Africans, as well as peace and amity over the globe.

Recalling their days in the military, President Buhari said: Those of us who served under you in various capacities recall a man with boundless energy, with razor sharp mind, and one who does not suffer fools gladly. Working with you was a school in itself, and the lessons learnt are worth their weight in gold.

The statement said Obasanjo in turn wished Buhari good health, saying he stands together with him in prayers, so that he can return soon to continue the good work he is doing for the country.

Obasanjo was military ruler (1976 to 1979) and democratically elected president (1999 to 2007).
Without equality and inalienable right for all people, the search for peace and solutions to ethnic and religious violence in Northern Nigeria will continue to be a talk show, Prof Yusufu Turaki has said.

Turaki stated this on Sunday evening during the launching of a book titled, Religious And Ethnic Violence In Northern Nigeria, written by the Senior Pastor of ECWA Church Narayi high cost Kaduna, Rev Dr Ishaya Gajere.

Prof Turaki who wrote the foreword and also review the book, said if the North must remain one, it leaders must address the problems of ethno -religious crisis and violence adding that solutions has been proffered in the new book.

The clergy man said Boko Haram, Cattle rustling, attacks and occupation of indigenous land in the middle belt by the Fulani herdsmen must be addressed as quick as possible.

According to Professor Turaki, the author of the book highlighted and addressed the problem of religious media; print, Radio, TV, books and other form of communications which had caused crisis in the past.

If the people writing in these media had their minds corrupted in understanding, they will pass such a half information to the general public. This always inflame religious violence, Turaki said.

He said the book touches how Northern Nigeria was formed adding that some religious journalists and their media have been the major caused of religious mass killing in Northern Nigeria.

Turaki added that the book highlights how the British setup Northern Nigeria for both religions but never treated the people equally.

What the colonial masters built spread even when they had left. So, Christian and Muslims unity will depend on a common ground of equality and inalienable right for all religions, Turaki said adding that without equality, justice, freedom, values and equity in Northern Nigeria, searching for peace will be a mockery.

When a typical christian and Muslims meet for peace, they always lack human value and equality. What is missing in Northern Nigeria is the value of human right and equity irrespective of religion and tribe, he said.

The Chairman of the occasion, Dr Daniel Rikichi Kajang said both Christians and Muslims must continue to pursue peace no matter what it takes.

Dr Kajang who condoled with the families of the victims of various attacks in Nigeria and most especially those in Southern Kaduna, said there is good news in the world because of assurance of salvation.

He said Nigerians must rise above crisis and leave by the truth and only the truth.

There is need for us to check on the veracity of the things we read in the social media before we react.

Some people who are bent on dividing us say outrageous things but we must work in tandem to uphold the truth. As children of God, we should not join in playing to the gallery by spreading fake information and hate speech, Dr Rikichi added.

The guest speaker at the occasion, Rev Yunusa Nmadu said all over the world, there is desperate search for peace adding that the more it is being search for, the more elusive it becomes because of lack of sincerity.

The more people search for peace, the more it keep eluding. More places are in conflicts. If conflict turns to violence, no matter how we pretend, we cant cover it up. We must find away of solving it, Nmadu said.

The author of the book, Rev Dr Ishaya Gajere called on Nigerians to love one another adding that the book will interest everyone.

Source: Leadership
Recent renewed xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa have heightened tension in both countries. It is feared that if nothing is done very fast, the development will adversely affect the relationship between both countries. It is a common knowledge that a lot Nigerians live in South Africa, working and doing big business there.

That many Nigerians have been making it big in that country has led to jealousy among the South Africans, who from time to time rise up in arms against their visitors. The South Africans loot Nigerians houses and shops. They attack and beat the Nigerians up, setting their business on fire.

In extreme cases, they also kill the unprotected Nigerians, whose only crime is that they live and do businesses in that country.

This development has become very worrisome and has caused tension in the land, especially against the background that that Nigeria championed and funded the liberation of South Africans from the hands of their former masters, the Apartheid regime that was backed by colonial masters.

The recent attack was tense in Johannesburg and Pretoria where South African youths in their hundreds, ransacked and looted Nigerians shops. While all these go on, that countrys authorities have been reticent, saying and doing very little to stop the attacks.

The attacks have led to uproar in parts of Africa, especially in Nigeria and Ghana. While the Ghanaians are calling on the African Union to suspend South Africa or impose harsh sanctions, Nigerians have been urging their government to take it out on South African businesses in the country.

The xenophobic attack led to protests in Abuja, Nigerias capital, where some people reportedly vandalised the offices of South African telecommunications company, MTN Group Ltd, in protest over the xenophobic attacks in that country on Nigerians. The Nigerian government summoned South Africas High Commissioner to register its concerns about the threat to its nationals.

Also, the Senate has raised a delegation led by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, to take up the issue with their South African government.

However, the question by many Nigerians has been if the government is doing enough to protect the lives of its citizens in that country. What practical things is it doing to make the South African government sit up to stop the attacks against Nigerians?

Government Is Doing What Is Necessary  Rep

Daniel Reyenieju, a member of the House of Representatives, has said that Nigerian government is doing what is allowed under international diplomatic convention to address the xenophobic attacks against its citizens in South Africa.

Reyenieju, representing Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State, said: It is quite unfortunate that we have this kind of incidents re-occurring too many. South Africa has been a very close ally of Nigeria in terms of bilateral relationship.

But, for people to directly indict the Nigerian government of not doing enough to protect its citizens, I think it is over-reaching. I said that against the backdrop that Nigeria does not provide security to its citizens living outside its shores. It is the responsibility of the countries where they so reside to protect their lives and properties.

What government can only do is what the government is doing, which is to call to the consciousness of countries in which its citizens live to halt such unwarranted killings and discrimination against its citizens. I think that is ongoing, the engagement is on, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs is doing its best.

I also see the Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Matters being on top of the issues very seriously, and I think with that we can do more. We can do more in the sense that we can engage more with those countries. I think it is something that should be addressed through diplomatic efforts.

He added: Even if you have to apply the principles of reciprocity which is allowed in international diplomacy, it will still not amount to Nigeria deploying soldiers to South Africa, it would still entail high level diplomatic shuttles and discussions which I think are ongoing.

If that did not work then what Nigeria can do is to recall our ambassador to that country and then expel their own ambassador here to show that Nigerians are really serious. You could see what happened during the Obama era in the stand-off with Russia over the latters alleged role US election. So these are some of the measures you can take but such reciprocity shouldnt go beyond high level diplomatic shuttle or engagement, Reyenieju added.

It Is Early To Judge FG On Attacks Against Nigerians -APC Chieftain

Emeka Okafor, a lawyer and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) believes that it is too early to judge whether the Federal Government is doing enough to protect Nigerians in South Africa or not.

Okafor maintained that people should not expect Nigeria to go war against South Africa as both countries enjoy bilateral ties.

Accoding to him, We have to follow it diplomatically. Some Nigerians engage in crime in South Africa. Some do illegitimate business. I strongly believe that government will intervene. But, it is early now to say that government is not doing enough.

He warned Nigerians against reaching quick conclusion on such matters, especially when it is not an internal matter, but one involving Nigeria and another country.

Government has not done much to protect Nigerians

Jezie Nzomiwu, a commentator said:  The Federal Government has not done much to protect Nigerians from the xenophobic attack against Nigerians in South Africa. Since South Africas independence, Nigeria has not deployed enough diplomatic influences to obtain reciprocal loyalty from South Africa in appreciation of the colossal sacrifices made by Nigeria and her people towards liberating her from apartheid rule.

If the Federal Government had done that, maybe the South Africans should have shown more respect to, and appreciate the crucial role Nigerians played towards their independence.

He maintained that the South Africans now feel that they are now better off that Nigerians, who are flocking their country to eke a living sand there do not want their visitors, hence the unwarranted attacks on Nigerian citizens.

He lamented that the Federal Government appears to be keeping quiet about the situation or has no idea on how to end the hostilities against the citizens diplomatically.

The Nigerian government should have by now registered a strong protest by recalling the Nigerian Ambassador in South Africa as a strong warning that the killing of its citizens is not acceptable. This and such action like the one taken by the Senate will no doubt shake that country and make the citizens to be more cautious in their dealings with Nigerians.

However, the action by the Senate, by raising a delegation to be headed by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, to take up this issue with the South African government, I hope will send a strong signal not only to South Africa, but to every other country that does not value the sanctity of life by taking the lives of Nigerians for granted and waste them with impunity, he added.

South Africans Actions Are Unfortunate

Comrade Joshua Dada, a social critic and commentator, described the xenophobic attack on Nigerians in South Africa as unfortunate, even as he said that the extent to which Nigeria government protects her citizens in other countries depend on the foreign relationship between the two countries.

He said: What the federal government is expected to do in terms of foreign relations have been done by alerting the South Africa government on the consequences of the attack on Nigerians which international community is watching.

The attack on Nigerians should not been viewed as something serious because lots of Nigerians are fond of travelling out of the country for greener pastures and this is causing additional burden on the affected countries.

What the federal government needs to do is to ensure that the home front is okay and that everyone could be conveniently accommodated in their countries. The zeal to go out to other countries is too much and must be controlled.

The attack may be means to check or control entrance into their country. Activities of Nigerians in that country are another factor that could cause the attack. The number of Nigerians there has negative impact on their economy.

Chief Kenneth Onumaegbulam, an elder statesman and Second Republic Politician under the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), said it is unfortunate that Nigerians in South Africa are under attack.

He lamented: Nigeria contributed a lot towards the eradication of racism in the apartheid South Africa. If Nelson Mandela were to be alive today, this kind of rubbish would never have happened. I am yet to hear of any concrete steps taken by the federal government on the attack.

I have not heard of any bilateral talk between Abuja and Pretoria in respect of the inhuman treatment meted to our people in South Africa. You press men, should tell better. I had expected the federal government to issue a stern warning to the South African government to minimise this and to direct our Embassy in South African to provide safety for our people.

With my rudimentary knowledge in International Relations and Diplomacy, the federal government might adopt what is known as gun-boat diplomacy to tackle the situation. This entails telling them to stop the dastardly act, pay reparation to the victims within a stipulated period, failure of which will attract severe penalty against them.

I do not think that the South African government has tendered any apology to us and yet the government appears to the treating the matter with kid gloves. It is as a result of this that the National Assembly recently issued a threat to the South African government and I commend them for this.

Xenophobic Attacks Against African Unity Activist

Vitus Ugwuegbulem, a chieftain of Campaign for the Defence of Human and Child Right Abuse, maintained that ahat is happening in South Africa is antithetical to the call for sustained unity among African nations.

He lamented: We woke up one morning only to hear that Nigerians in South Africa are being attacked there. Granted that South Africa is more advanced in growth and development than Nigeria, I had expected the federal government to make it clear to the authorities in South Africa that their people do not have the monopoly of violence.

We have many South Africans here in our country doing all forms if businesses. Our Embassy in South African enjoys a reasonable degree of immunity and should use this to protect our people. I have not even heard of any categorical statement from the federal government on this.

The Government Should Act Now  Party Chief

Isaiah Okafor, Chairman of Accord Party in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State maintained that the federal government has been sleeping on the matter. Ha asked: Can you tell me any concrete measure the federal government has so far taken to protect our brothers and sisters since this incident erupted in South Africa.

Not even a government delegation has visited South Africa to discuss the matter. Although, I do not believe in the application of the doctrine of tit for tat, the federal government should take necessary measures against South Africa to serve as deterrent to them.

The South African Embassy here should be compelled to tender an unreserved apology to us for such atrocities against Nigerians by their people.

Source: DailyIndependent
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Lean Hogs Weekly Forecast Kolhanov.com - Sun Nov 6, 2:01PM CST The downtrend may be expected to continue, while market is trading below resistance level 84.675, which will be followed by reaching support level 80.675 and if it keeps on moving down below that level,...

Feeder Cattle Weekly Forecast Kolhanov.com - Sun Nov 6, 2:00PM CST The uptrend may be expected to continue, while market is trading above support level 177.700, which will be followed by reaching resistance level 182.375 and 188.250

Live Cattle Weekly Forecast Kolhanov.com - Sun Nov 6, 1:59PM CST The downtrend may be expected to continue, while market is trading below resistance level 152.375, which will be followed by reaching support level 148.325

Soybean Oil Weekly Forecast Kolhanov.com - Sun Nov 6, 1:59PM CST The uptrend may be expected to continue, while market is trading above support level 72.70, which will be followed by reaching resistance level 79.29

Soybean Meal Weekly Forecast Kolhanov.com - Sun Nov 6, 1:58PM CST The uptrend may be expected to continue, while market is trading above support level 419.1, which will be followed by reaching resistance level 431 and 439

Soybean Weekly Forecast Kolhanov.com - Sun Nov 6, 1:57PM CST The uptrend may be expected to continue, while market is trading above support level 1423.2, which will be followed by reaching resistance level 1512.2

Corn Weekly Forecast Kolhanov.com - Sun Nov 6, 1:57PM CST The downtrend may be expected to continue, while market is trading below resistance level 688, which will be followed by reaching support level 674 and if it keeps on moving down below that level, we may...

Wheat Weekly Forecast Kolhanov.com - Sun Nov 6, 1:56PM CST An uptrend will start as soon, as the market rises above resistance level 854.2, which will be followed by moving up to resistance level 904 and 947
Some digging reveals the first mention of the legendary investors name in the pages of a still-young Institutional Investor.

Unless youre the type who avoids Facebooks feed and CNBCs red banner, you will know that every sniffle and stock tip emerging from legendary investor Warren Buffett is covered like a Russian state visit.

It wasnt always this way. In the late 1960s basically two publications even knew that there existed a man in Omaha, Nebraska, with a gift for picking securities: Fortune, via the unsinkable Carol Loomis (inventor of the term hedge funds and eventually Buffetts in-house scribe), and Institutional Investor.

George Goodman  the first editor of this magazine, who passed away in 2014  once proudly told me that he had introduced Buffett to the world. This wasnt exactly true. While Goodmans 1972 book Supermoney, written under the pseudonym Adam Smith, was the first to bring Buffett to the attention of a popular audience, both Loomis and Peter Landau, then senior editor and later the greatest Institutional Investor chief editor, had put his name in ink four years earlier.

For Institutional Investor, the first mention of Buffetts name came 18 issues in, for Landaus first piece in the magazine. The Mystique of the Hedge Funds, published in August 1968, revealed a secretive society that worked markets outside of the mutual fund universe. The cover art was decidedly Summer of Love, and the contents concrete: These funds, sprouting like weeds in a damp summer, had an air of intrigue and mystery, Landau wrote. They numbered more than 100, and their combined assets may be approaching $2 billion.

Landaus first mention of Buffett  the man who would ultimately consume financial media  portrayed him as an outlier. Typical hedge funds charged a 2 percent management fee and 20 percent of profits, Landau explained. They also had high turnover in their portfolios, and they often sold stocks short, used leverage, and invested as private pools.

Yet other partnerships do some things that the typical hedge fund does, but avoid others, Landau wrote. Warren Buffett, who heads Buffett Partners of Omaha, Nebraska, for instance, has a similar partnership agreement and fee structure, but invests in what he calls business ideas not brokers ideas. Buffett has bought control of such potential turnabout situations as a department store in Baltimore, a chain of womens apparel shops, and a cotton manufacturing firm.

That was it.

Buffett, of course, would soon close his partnership, turn his then-millions into multibillions as Berkshire Hathaway, and become a household name. But parts of Landaus piece might still apply to Buffett today  if not the hedge fund milieu he left behind: Normally, dinner conversation is half business and half sex and politics, Landau wrote. With these hedge fund guys there is very little sex and politics. They are also the type who would be successful at anything  teaching school or even running a fish market.

Now theres an image: Buffett the fishmonger.
With the backing of Amundi and other strategic partners, iMSquare is looking to acquire money managers to build a business.

The winds of change are blowing at gale force throughout the asset management industry, with traditional active managers being forced to adapt or else watch their businesses shrink (or die).

One option for survival: getting hitched to another firm in the same boat. Amid the stampede to passively managed investments, one European firm is betting it can build a business through picking up a suite of independent active managers  and that doing so will mean big money for investors.

Based in Paris and London, iM Square launched in June of 2015. With backing from French asset management firm Amundi  which has a 42.5 percent stake in the firm  and others, iM Square aims to invest in active asset management firms to create a platform of boutique managers across asset classes, strategies and geographies. Through pooling resources, especially distribution, and cross-selling assets, iM Square expects that the sum of the parts will make for a more valuable whole of true best-in-class managers that can be sold all over the world.

To date the firm, which is headed up by chairman and CEO Philippe Couvrecelle, former chairman of the executive board of Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management, has raised 92 million ($96 million) in equity capital from its founding share holders: Amundi, the European investment company Eurazeo, and a group of international private investors backed by French conglomerate Groupe Dassault. Couvrecelle says that the firm is looking to raise at least 200 million more in equity, with 100 million coming from the existing investors and a further 100 to 200 million more coming from one or more new strategic partners. The firm has been in talks with North American institutional investors, including some pension plans, about a possible equity stake. Couvrecelle hopes to complete the fundraising by the end of the second quarter of 2017.

We are going quite fast, says the CEO, who adds that the firm is eventually planing an IPO. We could be public four to six years from now, Couvrecelle estimates.

In the meantime, iM Square is already returning revenues from the asset managers to investors. In 2016, its first full year of operation, it returned over 20 percent to investors.

In pursuing its boutique acquisition strategy, iM is following in the footsteps of money management firms such as Affiliated Management Group and South Africa-based Old Mutual. It is an approach that  if executed correctly  offers managers the ability to retain their unique cultural identity, as well as a good chunk of the economics, while also benefiting from the efficiencies of scale and more effective distribution that come with a larger, global entity. The approach can back fire, however, if the acquiring company is not perceived by the underlying managers to be adding value or if the managers themselves lack incentive to keep producing under a parent entity.

iM Square has already made two investments. It holds a 20 percent stake in the Boca Raton, Florida-based growth equity money management firm Polen Capital, which manages $11.6 billion, and a 45 percent position in a $5.8 high-yield bond manager, Chicago-based Dolan McEniry Capital. Couvrecelle says that the types of firms the fund is looking to acquire include those specializing in credit strategies and active value managers; it also would consider adding a long-short equity manager. In addition to buying money managers, iM Square is looking to acquire a distribution platform in the U.S.  as it has done in France  to help its firms market to American investors.

It may seem an odd time to go on a shopping spree for active asset managers, but Couvrecelle says the current negative environment is an opportunity for firms like iM Square.

This is a fantastic landscape for us, he says, as active managers have a need to adapt to change, making them more open to a would-be acquirer like iM Square who can offer an avenue for growth. I have always believed in highly talented managers, says Couvrecelle.
In what is, by some estimates, the biggest impact deal ever announced, the U.S. hedge fund firm Mariner Investment Group and French bank Credit Agricole announced on Monday a $3 billion, socially responsible synthetic risk transfer.

The French bank is shifting $3 billion in risk assets  from approximately 200 borrowers in areas from across its loan portfolio, including power, oil and natural gas, real estate, infrastructure, and aviation  off its books. Notes corresponding to the $3 billion of assets have been purchased by Mariner, which has two funds with a combined net assets under management of $1 billion, dedicated to international infrastructure finance.

What marks this transaction as significant in the field of so-called impact investing  that is, investments that seek to have a beneficial environmental or social impact as well as generate a financial return  is what Credit Agricole plans to do with the proceeds. The bank has committed to using at least $2 billion for new lending in the green sector, in such areas as renewable energy, energy efficiency loans for commercial real estate renovation, public transportation, and sustainable waste and water treatment facilities.

Andrew Hohns, lead portfolio manager for Mariners infrastructure financing strategy, says Mariner had always developed these infrastructure funds with impact in mind: A portion of the profit goes to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and Mariner is mindful of the multiplying power of securitization to free up more capital for greater impact. Credit Agricoles willingness to commit to green projects takes that impact commitment a giant step forward, he says.

We are just so excited to be in such a close collaboration with one of the leading investment banks in the world, says Hohns. As for the impact commitment, Hohns says, The bank said they were thrilled to do it, because they wanted to send a strong signal internally that these environmentally friendly projects are important to them as an institution. Credit Agricole will report out on the impact of its loans.

Synthetic securitization is not often associated with social responsibility. The 2007 and 2008 sub-prime mortgage crisis was a result of the ability of banks and other lenders to move mortgage risk off their books onto other capital markets participants in the form of collateralized loan obligations and other products. Nor are hedge funds, or French banks for that matter, often looked at as champions of social good. Some French banks, including Credit Agricole, were among the institutions fined by U.S. regulators for doing business with such countries as the Sudan, Cuba, Myanmar and Iran.

Yet the beneficial impact of providing credit to low-income households has been proven by the micro-lending boom. Meanwhile, so-called social finance bonds  where capital is raised to address specific social or environmental issues, such as prison recidivism, and the payout comes from successful implementation typically resulting in some kind of cost reduction to the private sector  have demonstrated to usefulness of capital markets tools to addressing social and environmental concern.

As a hedge fund $5.5 billion Mariner has been among the most progressive in expressing concerns about the broader effects of its investments. It was among the first hedge fund mangers to sign up to the Principals of Responsible Investment  a pledge to integrate the consideration of environmental, social and corporate governance factors, or ESG, into investment decision making processes  and has been active in considering ESG-related investment strategies.

Credit Agricole too has long been a leader among the big banks in expressing concerns about the environment. It was a founding member of the banks that formatted the Equator Principles, a framework for managing environmental and social risk in project finance deals developed in 2003, and played a major effort in their 2013 expansion. Since 2009 the bank has assessed the environmental and social sensitivity of all its transactions and beginning in 2013 developed a criteria for interrogating ESG awareness into its transactions.

It is not just a desire to be good global citizens that has firms like Mariner and Credit Agricole upping their ESG game. Its good business  or at least it can be, especially when it comes to spending on clean and renewable energy infrastructure. Reports suggest that to keep global climate emissions at such a level that the earths atmosphere does not overheat, governments and other parties, including private-sector capital, need to be spending as much as $500 billion a year in green infrastructure projects by 2020 and $1 trillion by 2030. Even U.S. President Donald Trump  who has vowed to take America out of the 2015 Paris Climate agreement, a commitment to lowering climate emissions  reportedly includes renewable energy as part of his infrastructure proposal.
KKR & Co., the buyout firm run by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, has raised a $13.9 billion fund to invest in private-equity deals in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

KKR Americas XII Fund is the largest ever Americas-focused private-equity fund, the New York-based asset manager announced Monday, citing data from research firm Preqin. KKR will invest almost $1.4 billion from its balance sheet and employee commitments alongside the funds new and existing investors, including public pensions, sovereign wealth funds and insurance companies.

In todays increasingly complex world, we are pleased that they share our enthusiasm for the opportunities that lie ahead in the Americas, in particular the U.S. where we anticipate significant long-term investment opportunities, Alexander Navab, KKRs head of Americas private equity, said in the announcement.

The group will seek traditional management buyouts, growth equity deals, as well as public toehold investments where KKR may partner with public companies. The firms investments will be made through seven industry teams, including energy, financial services, healthcare, industrials, media & communications, retail and consumer, and technology.

KKR, which was co-founded in 1976 by Jerome Kohlberg and co-CEOs Kravis and Roberts, has invested a total $48.5 billion of equity in the Americas through the firms previous 11 North America private equity funds, according to the statement.

Some of the biggest investors in private equity today are Canadian pensions, according to a Preqin ranking last month. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board was No. 1 with $44.4 billion allocated to the asset class, or nearly 16 percent of its total portfolio. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec also ranked among the top ten, with investments of $21 billion and $20 billion, respectively.

The second-biggest investor in private equity is Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund with a $39.6 billion allocation to the asset class, according to Preqin. The third largest is GIC, a sovereign wealth fund in Singapore, followed by California Public Employees Retirement System at fourth with a $25.4 billion allocation to private equity.
Insurance and care service provider icare has said that brokers have welcomed a new direct platform for workers insurance, in New South Wales, as they still have a role in the insurance market.The new direct offering, launched last week, is designed to improve customer service by making it faster and easier for employers to arrange workers insurance.New business owners in New South Wales will be able to quote and bind workers insurance policies directly with icare, rather than through a scheme agent.These developments led CGU to withdraw from the market last week, but icare group executive of workers insurance, John Nagle, said the new platform was designed with brokers in mind.Its about providing customer choice in purchasing workers insurance, and making it easier and faster for new businesses or their brokers to do so, Nagle told Insurance Business.Weve already had some fantastic feedback from brokers on our new portal, both during the pre-launch info sessions that we held, and on day one of the portal being live  they told us it was easy, quick and transparent.The new portal was designed following work alongside the broker community over the last several months.Nagle said that more than 100 new business-owners a day will take out workers insurance directly with icare as the new multi-channel offering will also provide direct access to icares customer support centre for quotation and policy needs. icare will also provide direct access to its specialist underwriting team to discuss premiums or tailor an insurance package and, later this year, will offer the ability to manage a policy online via access to claims and policy data.
Global investment in insurtech companies surged to new highs in 2016, crossing the $1 billion mark for the first time in history.The investment in insurtech more than doubled from last years $590 million as 91 deals were recorded in the insurtech space, representing a 23% increase. Martin Blake , global head of fintech in insurance and national sector leader of insurance at KPMG , said that the insurance industry is playing catch-up in terms of investment in technology as other areas of financial services streak ahead of the industry.Interest in insurance has grown significantly through 2016, Blake told Insurance Business.We found many insurers have really been somewhat hampered by legacy IT systems and really havent had the bandwidth to focus on innovation and that has left the industry very much behind other segments of financial services, such as banking.A worry for Australian brokers is that fintech investment in the country hit a record high of $656 million in 2016, up from $185 million in 2015.Australia offers an ideal testing ground for insurtech businesses as the country has one of the highest rates of engagement with digital devices and more can be expected in technological developments in the market, Blake said.The industry is moving away from a push mentality of force-feeding clients products to a pull mentality of understanding clients and solving the risks behind the insurance solution, Blake said.For brokers, this change will require a deeper understanding of clients to remain relevant.Having a deeper understanding of the risk considerations for different customers is going to be important in terms of brokers being relevant and providing solutions that really meet the needs of their clients whether they be in commercial or personal lines insurance, Blake continued.
If you search for flood plain maps on Environment Canadas website, youll find theyve been archived and the most recent map was made in 1996, for Calgary.



The outdated mapping is a result of budget cuts by the Federal Government which shut down the Flood Damage Reduction Program, ending Environment Canadas leadership on flood risk plans.



Learn more about flooding insurance here.



In the private sector, the most recent national flood plain maps come from Esri-Canada, dated 2012.



The calls from within and outside the government for modern overland flood maps in Canada are being dampened by developers and politicians benefiting from our ignorance to flood risk.



Register for the 2017 Flood Risk Summit



Thats according to Dr. Blair Feltmate, the University of Waterloos head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation whos speaking at the 2017 Flood Risk Summit brought to you by Aviva.



Many people and organizations agree we need up to date flood plain maps, the question is why dont we have them? Why dont they exist? Feltmate asked.



The limitation isnt cost, it would cost about $1 million to produce up to date and future focused flood plain maps for large and small communities in Canada. Relative to the cost the federal government pays out when floods occur, $1 million is pretty dinky.



According to the Parliament Budget Officer, the federal governments approximate Disaster Fund Assistance Arrangement cost $160 million for heavy rains in Saskatchewan, $120 million for the Toronto ice storms, while southern Alberta and southeastern B.C. were expected to receive $1.35 billion.



Want the latest insurance industry news first? Sign up for our completely free newsletter service now.



Flood plain maps are politically toxic, nobody wants to take the lead in developing them and to release them publicly, Feltmate said.



Governments that would support developing flood plain maps would take a lot of heat from current home owners who may be now identified as being in a flood plain. All of a sudden you have a $1 million home that is stigmatized and devalued down to half its current value where its unsellable.



Developers whove bought land in a flood plain will become aggravated should a flood plain get released and the question of who will pay to de-risk flood plain communities would become an issue, according to Feltmate.



They (developers) have, perhaps, a $30 million investment thats now very much in limbo as to whether they can even build properties on it, Feltmate said.



Or we have mayors and councilors, who for budgetary purposes want to build homes to realize the property tax revenue basis associated with those homes. But, if they planned a few thousand homes in a region that is now designated as a flood plain and they cant do that anymore, their whole budgetary planning may go right out the window.





Related stories:

Fort McMurray residents taking extravagant vacations after insurance payout

The future of Canadian flood insurance




An insurance broker has agreed to pay $20 million to settle claims that it poached a competitors employees.AssuredPartners will pay $20 million to Brown & Brown in one of the largest settlements of its kind. The payment, which AssuredPartners will transfer to Brown & Brown immediately, resolves the latter companys restrictive covenant complaint against the former. The settlement was agreed upon just one day before senior Assured execs were due to appear before a Circuit Court judge in Florida to explain why they shouldnt be held in contempt for repeatedly violating an injunction the court had entered against them.AssuredPartners is led by CEO Jim Henderson and COO Tom Riley  both former Brown & Brown employees. Brown & Brown claimed in its lawsuit that Henderson and Riley hired eight top Brown & Brown employees and helped them break restrictive covenants that prohibited them from soliciting or servicing Brown & Brown clients for at least two years.In October, a Florida circuit court issued an injunction ordering AssuredPartners not to solicit or service former Brown & Brown clients and to divest themselves of the former Brown & Brown accounts theyd already procured. But Brown & Brown claimed that Assured continued to violate the restrictive covenants despite the injunction.Besides agreeing to the $20 million penalty, AssuredPartners has agreed not to hire any more Brown & Brown employees for a period of time and to return any confidential business information it may have. In exchange, Brown & Brown has agreed to dismiss the suit.Despite his company having to fork over millions, Henderson said that the company was very satisfied with the resolution of the case.He continued in a statement: We are thrilled with the result of this settlement in which we paid fair value for the historical production and immediate earning potential of these two talented teams. This group of experienced, high-quality professionals includes several award-winning sales executives from Brown, representing a significant share of the market in their respective sectors. We are gratified by their hard work while this needless litigation continued, and now look forward to their success in winning new clients, attracting the best talent, and building world class practices.The employees in question were hired for a national senior living practice and a condominium and homeowners associations practice throughout Florida.
Less than two weeks ago, five tornadoes ripped through parts of San Antonio, Texas, leaving a trail of damage in its wake and a mounting insurance bill.Total losses from the event are expected to total $100 million, said Mark Hanna, spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas, last week.Insurers in Texas are projecting that they will receive around 10,000 property claims as a result of the damage caused by tornadoes, high winds and hail, Hanna added.Gary Jackson, habitational practice at Quirk & Company, told Insurance Business that the information coming through from agents indicated that there has been an exponential jump in claims as a result of the event, both in personal and business lines.Jackson said it was difficult to quantify the level of claims coming through, as agents are constantly receiving them, and the number would likely continue to rise over the coming months.However, he said that Hannas indication of a $100 million insurance bill was a good estimate.San Antonio is not an area that usually sees tornadoes, Jackson said, so the tornadoes last month were an unexpected event that came as a surprise to most.In the wake of the storm, insurance carriers will likely be looking to raise deductible amounts, Jackson said.Flat dollar deductibles for wind-related losses are likely to be replaced by a percentage of the TIV (total insured value) of the property, he added.But while the latest $100 million bill is significant, its certainly not the biggest the area has faced.The last major event  a hailstorm that damaged homes and automobiles in 2016  resulted in a $1.36 billion repair bill, Hanna said.Theres literally no comparison, he added.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is remapping the flood zones in Morgan County, Alabama. An estimated 4,300 homes are expected to be affected by the reclassification.The new maps are expected to take full effect in April 2018.According to local publication The Decatur Daily, FEMA last updated maps in the area in 2005.Property owners who wish to appeal their reclassification can do so until March 27. Appeals are expected to be resolved in May and a final decision will be published in October.County engineer Greg Bodley told the publication that the largest areas to be moved into the flood zone are Cotaco, southwest of Hartselle and Priceville.The Decatur Daily also reported that property owners who avail of flood insurance before the maps come into effect may be able to get a lower premium.Morgan Country provides flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) because it has adopted and enforces floodplain insurance management law provided for by FEMA.
The insurance industry is often accused of being slow to adapt to technology, but the latest stats from one broker app reveal a different picture entirely.Applied Mobile, a purpose-built app for brokers from an insurance software provider has seen its usage soar by 162% year-over-year.The boom in usage shows that brokers are taking to technology and mobile just as many other industries are, Michael Howe, SVP, product management at Applied Systems , told Insurance Business.That broader shift, which is obviously happening all over the world in all sorts of industries, is really taking hold in brokers and agencies, Howe said.While brokerages still rely on underlying management systems, mobile as an additional tool has taken off in the last two years as firms become increasingly comfortable with the idea that their employees need not be tied to their desks, Howe explained.In a way, theres nothing unique about that  thats happening across many, many industries  but its interesting that it seems to have really taken hold in our space especially over the last 12-18 months, he said.The app, which has been on the market since 2012, was initially expected to be used much more among the younger demographic, Howe said, but that hypothesis has not proven to be correct.We see adoption across all demographics, and it turns out the older generation are just as inclined to gravitate and use apps like this, he said.Usage has also been fairly uniform across the territories in which the app is available  which includes the US, Canada and the UK  showing that brokers everywhere are taking to technology.While in the past it was typically sales people and those who travel for work who were thought to need mobile applications, the trend has shifted to an understanding that all employees have the need to access information via mobile at given times, Howe said.Its an awareness that this kind of solution is available, but more its an increasing comfort level with [brokers] giving this kind of technology to their employees, for them to be able to do their job better, he explained.Brokers now understand that mobile can and should be part of their business, he said.
Newly assertive leadership of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators appears eager to confront what it views as an ongoing usurpation of authority from state legislatures.

Thomas B. Considinenow NCOILs chief executive, but previously commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurancechose the organizations spring meeting in New Orleans as the venue to raise public concerns about states becoming subject to the authority of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, a private trade association composed of the nations insurance regulators.

Appearing at Considines invitation, Rutgers Law School professor Robert F. Williamsan expert on state constitutional law detailed the process by which NAIC decisions are transmuted into state law. While the NAIC serves nominally as a private venue for insurance regulators to meet and share information and best practices for insurance industry oversight, it also promulgates standards and models for states to adopt.

Because of the groups status as the pre-eminent body on such matters, states across the country have adopted statutes that incorporate NAIC work product into state law by reference. That is to say, changes to NAIC models and standards, in effect, serve to change state law without the explicit consent of state elected officials.

Delegation of authority between the states and the federal government, among the states themselves and between the various branches of government all have a clear constitutional basis. The circumstances under which lawmaking authority may be delegated to private organizationsWilliams told this audience of legislators, regulators, industry members and academicsis considerably narrower.

While there are limited circumstances where public bodies might need to outsource highly technical matters to those with expertise, such questions should never extend to cases where policy judgment is involved. Williams raised concerns about legislative bodies propensity to bind themselves to such arrangements prospectively.

Williams sentiments were echoed by Neil Alldredge of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, who expressed particular alarm that the NAICs recent work on corporate governance standards amounted to legislating matters of substantive policy. NCOILs current vice presidentstate Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Ark.speculated that many lawmakers are likely unaware of the arrangement with the NAIC.

From the perspective of constitutional law, the problems with incorporation-by-reference statutes are interesting in that they largely are untested in court. No cases have ever been tried involving insurance regulation. A judicial confrontation might be avoided if the NAIC rededicated itself to focusing on nonsubstantive matters.

Alternatively, states could make it a regular practice to readopt the NAICs incorporation-by-reference statutes each legislative session, to ensure newly elected lawmakers are reminded of the power that they are ceding to the commissioners trade association. The readoption approach likely is preferable. It would eliminate the NAICs temptation to oversee substantive matters, while simultaneously allowing the peoples representatives to re-examine their faith in the relationship with the NAIC on a regular basis.

Another problem with the NAICs ongoing power to incorporate standards by reference is that, to fund its operations, the NAIC restricts access to both the information it gathers and to participation in its meetings, in a manner inconsistent with the transparency otherwise available in the public lawmaking process. In fact, members of the public face substantial obstacles should they wish to participate in the process by which standards that directly impact them are set.

Ironically, if anything, the current arrangement is a good argument for the need for the Treasury Departments Federal Insurance Office, an agency whose very existence has actively been questioned by both NCOIL and NAIC (as well as some elements of the industry). FIO could make public the information over which the NAIC currently has an effective monopoly and thereby address the information asymmetry that members of the public currently labor under. Interestingly, though it has in the past been highly skeptical of FIO, the NCOIL body declined, on the final day of its session, to take the position that FIO should be abolished.

Under Considines direction, NCOIL is seeking to chart a rapid course to renewed relevance. At the summer meeting in Chicago, the group is expected to consider a model law from state Assemblyman Ken Cooley, D-Calif., that would require state insurance departments to help fund NCOIL, which would put the group at much greater parity with the NAIC.

Its striking that it should take a former commissioner, a consummate insider, to bring attention to the worst excesses of the NAICs quiet empire. In doing so, he may just return power to the people that they didnt even realize had been taken from them.

Topics Legislation
A three-year-old Des Moines, Iowa-based business startup accelerator focused solely on the global insurance industry has developed into a streamlined organization with more applicants, more investors and more mentors than in past years, its managing director says.

Weve matured as an organization, said Brian Hemesath, managing director of the Global Insurance Accelerator (GIA), which was created in 2014 as an initiative of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Financially backed by insurance carriers, GIA held its first startup class, or cohort, in 2015.

Each year GIA selects six applicants to participate in the 100-day program in which budding companies work with mentors to develop their business model, which must serve the insurance industry in some way. The startups receive $40,000 in seed money and for the first time this year, housing for the duration of the program.

At the end of the 100 days, each company presents its business plan at the annual Global Insurance Symposium in Des Moines. This year, demo day is slated for April 26.

The GIA received its initial funding from seven Iowa-based insurance companies. It now boasts 10 investing insurers, two of which are located out of state. Hemesath said he expects to add even more carrier-investors for next years cohort, including additional insurance companies from outside Iowa.

The mentor pool, which is populated with insurance professionals from all sectors of the industry, has also grown and diversified. There are now 110 insurance-centric mentors from across the United States  plus a few from other countries  working with the program, Hemesath said.

Weve garnered a lot of interest in what were doing and the companies are realizing that our program is not only really easy to support  but weve been able to attract some really great talent, he said

Grinnell Mutual Insurance Co., headquartered in Grinnell, Iowa, and six other Iowa insurers each committed to providing $100,000 in funding each year for at least three years.

Grinnell President and CEO Larry Jansen was an enthusiastic supporter of the program from the beginning.

I had two ideas when I went with this. One was that if they could bring some new ideas to us as a company, to help us produce and grow more business from a technology standpoint, I thought that would be a great situation for us. The other piece was if I could find some companies that we can invest in from an investment standpoint, almost like a venture capitalist, we would do that, as well, to help grow revenue in the company, Jansen said.

So far Grinnell has invested in a startup from each of the previous two years  Drive Spotter from the 2014 class, which is developing technology and telematics for the trucking industry, and InsuranceSocial.Media from the 2015 class, which is developing social media platforms for agencies.

The Global Insurance Accelerator, to me, fit exactly in my vision of energizing [Grinnell], moving us forward, growing this company to a billion-dollar company in the next decade, and focusing on technology, Jansen said.

He added that Grinnell would continue its support of the program going forward.

More Applicants, Greater Maturity

Hemesath said the number of applicants to the program has steadily increased, along with the maturity level of the startups, in terms of the products theyve developed.

He cited one of this years participants, Boston-based InsuranceMenu, which has created a platform for distributing employee benefits to the small business market, as a prime example. Theyve been around now two years, and they have paying customers, are making revenue and have a real product thats in the market. We didnt have a company like that two years ago  and we have three now this year. Three of our six have products in the market generating revenue, Hemesath said.

A fourth participant has a marketable product and the final two are at the early concept stage, but the concept was fascinating enough to us that we wanted to bring them in, he said.

Nabil Aidoud, one of the founders of InsuranceMenu, said that like the insurance industry itself the GIA as a startup accelerator is unique.

Insurance is a complicated industry with a lot of stakeholders, and the GIA has done an amazing job of bringing these different stakeholders together who traditionally dont collaborate that well, and have created this little sort of mini ecosystem built around attracting startups, and innovating around that. Youre not going to find that in a lot of the other accelerators across the country or across the world, he said.

The InsuranceMenu product aims to transform how employee benefits are distributed to the small business market, Aidoud said.

With 48 million Americans working for small businesses, those firms typically need an independent agent to help guide them through the decision-making process involved providing benefits to their employees, he said. Unfortunately, because of the fragmentation at the small business market level, as well as the agent level, not a whole lot is standardized. This is where InsuranceMenu comes in. We make it easier for the employer. We make it more profitable for the agent and we bring the carriers closer to this target segment.

The product is geared toward both agents and carriers, and to helping the agent community work more effectively with the carrier community, he said.

While there may be an assumption that once a company gets a product to the market its good to go, the truth is once the product is marketable a whole new set of questions arise. Thats what makes the GIAs mentoring program so effective, Aidoud said.

Its really amazing to be able to ask questions without having to worry about people perceiving you as being immature or not ready for full-time production. To be able to talk to potential customers  about my long-term distribution model and get their take, thats a very privileged position to be in, he said.

Hes been paired with mentors from both the carrier side of the industry and the distribution side. They are helping me not only by giving me their perspective, but theyre also connecting me to other experts.  Whats great is that over the course of the program, we get to work with mentors who help us refine our business model, refine our pitch, get us to think about the important things, Aidoud said.

Retaining Talent

While its not the aim of the program, some of the talent attracted by the GIA has remained in Des Moines, Hemesath said.

Including the current cohort, the GIA has fostered 18 companies, Hemesath said. Of the 12 that have completed the platform, three of those are in Des Moines, and two of those relocated to be here  one from California, and the other one from Germany. Aidoud said InsuranceMenu also plans to establish a presence in Des Moines. At least six other insure tech startups not associated with the GIA are now located in Des Moines, as well.

In addition, eight out of the 12 companies that participated in the GIA over the past two years are making money in the insurance industry or an affiliated industry, and thats the important thing, Hemesath said.

We really want them to go off and be successful, wherever home is.

The Global Insurance Accelerator 2017 Cohort Find Bob | Toronto, Ontario | www.findbob.io A growth, transition and succession planning tool for financial advisors and insurance agents, utilizing machine learning and elements of gamification for asset protection. Sentrys | Belgrade, Serbia | www.sentrys.co A data-protection platform providing data security for consumers, vehicle manufacturers and insurance companies. MotionsCloud | Munich, Germany | www.motionscloud.com Mobile and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for insurers which streamline and automate claims processes to provide a better customer experience and settle claims faster. RE-Sure | Detroit, Michigan | www.re-sure.com A blockchain-enabled, app-driven, smart insurance product designed for the on-demand economy. InsuranceMenu | Boston, Massachusetts | www.insurancemenu.com A dynamic, data-driven platform geared toward local insurance agents, creating process efficiencies while bringing insurers closer to the customer. ViewSpection | Tucson, Arizona | www.viewspection.com A platform providing a transparent, collaborative method for agents and policyholders, as well as underwriting, claims and loss control departments, to share information and maximize service while preventing fraud.

Topics Carriers Agencies InsurTech Market Training Development Iowa
The New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) has issued cybersecurity requirements for financial services companies (cyber rules) that went into effect March 1.

The cyber rules, codified at 23 NYCRR 500, require insurance and insurance-related companies as well as brokers, agents and adjusters licensed in New York to assess their specific cyber risk profiles and design cybersecurity programs that address such risk in a robust fashion.

There is no doubt that cyber risk is real, and the DFS has taken steps to manage it by way of the regulation. Still, the cyber rules could prove to be problematic, particularly for licensed brokers, agents and adjusters. To these individuals  and the insurance and insurance-related companies that employ or utilize them  there are several things to keep in mind.

Who is Impacted?

The cyber rules apply to any covered entity, which the regulation defines as any person operating under or required to operate under a license, registration, charter, certificate, permit, accreditation or similar authorization under the Banking Law, Insurance Law or Financial Services Law.

This means that in addition to insurers, individual brokers, agents and adjusters have a new mandate. To that end  and pursuant to 500.02(a) of the cyber rules  these individuals must maintain a cybersecurity program designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of [their] Information Systems.

Depending upon a covered entitys size and reach, the following broad requirements (among others) imposed by the cyber rules may be rather burdensome:

Establishing a cybersecurity program;

Adopting a cybersecurity policy;

Designating a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO);

Implementing privacy policies and procedures for third-party service providers;

Conducting periodic risk assessments; and

Notifying the Superintendent within 72 hours of determining the occurrence of a cybersecurity event that has a reasonable likelihood of materially harming any material part of the normal operations of the covered entity, or if notice would need to be provided to another regulatory body.

Steps Toward Compliance

There are a lot of new requirements for a broker, agent or adjuster to digest. First, a covered entity should appoint a CISO or use a third-party to fill the role. Thereafter, it is required that an initial risk assessment be conducted to identify breaches in security followed by the adoption of corresponding policies and procedures and implementation of necessary security overhauls to bridge any gaps. All of this would be bolstered by appropriate staff education or training. Third-party vendor security also needs to be addressed.

Ultimately, the key to complying with the cyber rules is the implementation of a living, breathing cybersecurity program that can adapt to ever-changing security concerns, including new technologies and threats; one that can be refined when new issues arise and risks are identified.

What will not withstand governmental audit is a set of written policies that sits on a shelf and gathers dust. Neither will those that merely serve as restatements of the law. Indeed, the likelihood of an enforcement action lessens in lock step with the level of diligence exercised in compliance. Licensed brokers, agents and adjusters are encouraged to act accordingly.

Who is Exempt?

The cyber rules could create a burden on many individual brokers, agents and adjusters doing business in New York, particularly the mom and pop shops that lack the resources of the more substantial and sophisticated industry players. Nevertheless, those licensed by the DFS must comply with the regulation in its entirety unless they are exempt. That is a possibility depending upon a covered entitys size or annual revenue, among other things. The cyber rules reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the onus of compliance in certain situations as follows:

A Covered Entity with (i) fewer than 10 employees (including independent contractors) located in New York; (ii) less than $5 million in gross annual revenue stemming from New York in each of the past 3 years; or (iii) less than $10 million in year-end total assets, including assets of all affiliates, must still have a cybersecurity program and policy, conduct risk assessments, implement privacy policies and procedures for third-party service providers and notify the Superintendent, but are exempt from most of the other requirements.

An employee, agent, representative or designee of a covered entity, who is itself a covered entity, does not need to develop its own cybersecurity program to the extent it is covered by the cybersecurity program of the covered entity.

This could be a positive sign for some, but there is a catch. Those who qualify for an exemption must file a Notice of Exemption form, as set forth in the cyber rules, within 30 days of determining that an exemption applies. The takeaway: to be relieved of at least some of the requirements of the cyber rules, qualifying brokers, agents and adjusters must submit the requisite paperwork. The failure to do so will subject them to whatever penalties ultimately apply.

It would be good practice for insurance companies and agencies to alert their potentially exempt licensees of the filing requirement.

The Importance of Counsel

Qualified legal counsel can be of great help in managing the cyber rules. Not only can it provide the framework for initial and periodic risk assessments mandated by the DFS, but legal counsel can also facilitate continuing compliance and create the paper trail necessary to demonstrate adherence to the regulation.

Likewise, legal counsel can help to evaluate and fulfill reporting requirements in the event of a cybersecurity breach, and assist in adopting associated reporting protocol. Additionally, an insurance regulatory lawyer can design a cybersecurity curriculum for staff education and training, which can curtail human error, assure proper device management and communicate disciplinary consequences for information or protocol breaches. Finally, legal counsel can advise insurance companies and their licensees on the exemption parameters and procedures built into the cyber rules.

More Questions Than Answers

How will the cyber rules be monitored? What will be the measure of non-compliance? What control protocols other than encryption will authorities accept to withstand enforcement action? What analysis will need to be conducted to determine the actual need for reporting? Is it realistic for smaller entities to comply?

These are all questions that have been raised, and ones without complete answers  yet. Covered entities must nevertheless take prompt action to conduct a risk assessment and establish policies and procedures.

JillAllison Opell serves as chair of the Insurance Industry Group at Michelman & Robinson, LLP, a national law firm. Based in the firms New York office, Ms. Opell focuses on a broad range of regulatory issues for insurance companies, agents, brokers and other clients throughout the industry.

Ron Lebow is counsel in Michelman & Robinsons New York office, where he focuses on business, contract, corporate and regulatory matters, with a particular expertise in compliance issues.

Topics Legislation Cyber Agencies New York Training Development
Johnson & Johnson said that a state court jury in Missouri had returned a verdict in its favor in the latest trial to arise out of thousands of lawsuits alleging the companys talc-based products can increase the risk of ovarian cancer.

The jury sided with Johnson & Johnson and talc supplier Imerys Talc in a lawsuit by Tennessee resident Nora Daniels, who alleged that she used J&J Baby Powder for 36 years and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2013.

The verdict came after three straight prior jury verdicts in St. Louis against J&J awarding plaintiffs a combined $195 million. More than 2,500 lawsuits are pending in state court in St. Louis.

The jurys decision is consistent with the science, research, clinical evidence and decades of studies by medical experts around the world that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc, Johnson & Johnson said in a statement.

Imerys in a statement thanked the jury for following the science that establishes the safety of talc.

Ted Meadows, a lawyer for Daniels, in a statement said he was disappointed by the verdict.

We continue to maintain that the association between genital talc usage and ovarian cancer remains an issue of public health and demands that consumers be warned of the specific risks, he said in a statement.

Plaintiffs have accused J&J of failing for years to warn that talc was linked to an increased risk for ovarian cancer. J&J has said it acted properly in developing and marketing the products.

In February 2016, a Missouri state jury ordered J&J to pay $72 million to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer after years of using talc powder for feminine hygiene.

Topics Lawsuits Missouri
Progressive Corp., the fourth-largest U.S. auto insurer, boosted spending on marketing this year to win customers after scaling back in the second half of 2016 when increased costs from car accidents threatened the companys profit goals.

Were excited to be back in, with full advertising, Chief Executive Officer Tricia Griffith said Friday in a conference call discussing results at the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based company. Now is the time to highlight the brand because more drivers will be getting rate shock from rivals that are raising premiums, she said.

Insurers have been hit by higher-than-expected claims as more drivers take to the road and succumb to distractions, such as texting on their smartphones. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., the largest company in the industry, said this week that it had a $7 billion underwriting loss on car coverage last year. Progressive has been an industry leader in gathering data on driving trends, and prides itself on being quick to raise rates when necessary, and then win market share when rivals follow.

Progressive, which relies on the charisma of its spunky saleswoman Flo, has gained 12 percent this year, the best advance in the the 21-company S&P 500 Insurance Index. The stock traded for $39.68 at 12:04 p.m. in New York, unchanged from Thursdays close.

Warren Buffett, the billionaire chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said in his most recent annual letter that the companys Geico unit is poised to benefit from disruption in the industry. While some auto insurers may be reluctant to write more policies due to the unpredictability of the loss costs, Buffett said, Geico is accelerating new business efforts.

Buffett Makes Hay

We like to make hay while the sun sets, knowing that it will surely rise again, Buffett said in the letter posted online Saturday.

Griffith, who became CEO last year, highlighted Flo this week in a letter to shareholders, noting that she got a nod from hip-hop artist Drake in a Saturday Night Live appearance and was mentioned in a Stephen King novel.

She represents what we strive to be for consumers  helpful, unique, and providing a product that is competitive, Griffith wrote.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
Government agencies are not always successful using social media and telecommunication to uncover the intentions of terrorists because terrorists are now more careful in utilizing these technologies for planning and preparing for attacks. But researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York, say they have developed a new framework that is able to understand future terrorist behaviors by recognizing patterns in past attacks.

The scientists claim they can predict terrorist behaviors with more than 90 percent accuracy using their model.

The new framework, the Networked Pattern Recognition (NEPAR) Framework, uses data on more than 150,000 terrorist attacks between 1970 and 2015 and defines the useful patterns of attacks to understand behaviors, to analyze patterns and connections in terrorist activity, to predict terrorists future moves, and finally, to prevent and detect potential terrorist behaviors.

Binghamton University PhD student Salih Tutun developed a framework that calculates the relationships among terrorist attacks (e.g. attack time, weapon type) and detects terrorist behaviors with these connections. Mohammad Khasawneh, professor and head of the Systems Science and Industrial Engineering (SSIE) department at Binghamton University, assisted and advised Tutun with his research.

If you know the patterns, you can reduce the risks.

In the framework, there are two main phases: (1) building networks by finding connections between events, and (2) using a unified detection approach that combines proposed network topology and pattern recognition approaches.

First, the framework identifies the characteristics of future terrorist attacks by analyzing the relationship between past attacks. Comparing the results with existing data shows that the proposed method was able to successfully predict most of the characteristics of attacks with more than 90 percent accuracy.

Moreover, after building the network with connections, the researchers propose a unified detection approach that applies pattern classification techniques to network topology and features of incidents to detect terrorism attacks with high accuracy, and identify the extension of attacks (90 percent accuracy), multiple attacks (96 percent accuracy) and terrorist goals (92 percent accuracy). Hence, governments can control terrorist behaviors to reduce the risk of future events. The results could potentially allow law enforcement to propose reactive strategies, said Tutun.

Terrorists are learning, but they dont know they are learning. If we cant monitor them through social media or other technologies, we need to understand the patterns. Our framework works to define which metrics are important, said Tutun. Based on this feature, we propose a new similarity (interaction) function. Then we use the similarity (interaction) function to understand the difference (how they interact with each other) between two attacks.

For an example, he asks, what is the relationship between the Paris and the 9/11 attacks? When we look at that, if theres a relationship, were making a network. Maybe one attack in the past and another attack have a big relationship, but nobody knows. We tried to extract this information, Tutun said.

According to the researchers, previous studies have focused on understanding the behavior of individual terrorists (as people) rather than studying the different attacks by modeling their relationship with each other. And terrorist activity detection focuses on either individual incidents, which does not take into account the dynamic interactions among them; or network analysis, which gives a general idea about networks but sets aside functional roles of individuals and their interactions.

Predicting terrorist events is a dream, but protecting some area by using patterns is a reality. If you know the patterns, you can reduce the risks. Its not about predicting, its about understanding, said Tutun.

Tutun believes that policymakers can use these approaches for time-sensitive understanding and detection of terrorist activity, which can enable precautions to avoid against future attacks.

When you solve the problem in Baghdad, you solve the problem in Iraq. When you solve the problem in Iraq, you solve the problem in the Middle East. When you solve the problem in the Middle East, you solve the problem in the world, said Tutun. Because when we look at Iraq, these patterns are happening in the USA, too.

The original paper, New framework that uses patterns and relations to understand terrorist behaviors, is available on Expert Systems with Applications.

Related:

[graphiq id=5q1jouixosB title=Terrorist Attacks and Threats in United States width=600 height=632 url=https://w.graphiq.com/w/5q1jouixosB ]

[graphiq id=hMwQx7FnG5f title=Global Terrorist Attacks by Year width=600 height=613 url=https://w.graphiq.com/w/hMwQx7FnG5f ]

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters
EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants has added Richard Duhe to the firms Southeast Employee Benefits Consulting Practice in Atlanta as a benefits consultant and director of EPIC MobileEZ.

Duhe has focused for 30 years on assisting clients in a wide range of industries with their health & welfare risk management needs; specializing in the assessment, design, implementation, and management of medical cost containment and employee engagement programs.

Duhes experience includes development of mobile application strategies and digital media communication, as well as the identification, analysis and management of a broad spectrum of exposures and risks. He has extensive experience working with third party administrators, associations, and pools.

Prior to joining EPIC, Duhe also developed the EPIC MobileEZ mobile application, a comprehensive digital media communication solution for employers and their mobile workforces.

As a consultant for EPICs Employee Benefits practice in the Southeast, Duhe will provide client service leadership, including overall strategy, coverage negotiation, and the coordination and management of internal and external resources.

As Director of EPIC MobileEZ, he will continue to implement risk mitigation, training, wellness, and safety strategies within a mobile environment for EPIC clients.

Duhe will also focus on relationship management and business development, bringing EPICs resources in employee benefits to clients across the region.

Duhe was appointed to the Governors Georgia State Board of Workers Compensation Chairmans Advisory Council, Rehabilitation and Managed Care Committee in 1996, serving as Chairperson from 2009-2012. He is a former certified disability management specialist, certified rehabilitation consultant, and vocational expert.

EPIC is a retail property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm with offices across the U.S., providing property casualty, employee benefits, specialty programs and private client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.
A deadly form of bird flu has been confirmed in a southern Tennessee operation that supplies Tyson Foods Inc. with chickens, marking the first U.S. case at a commercial farm this year and prompting South Korea to ban imports of American poultry.

Highly-pathogenic H7 avian influenza, or HPAI, was found in a breeding flock of 73,500 chickens in Lincoln County, the U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said in a statement Sunday. The site has been placed under quarantine and the flock will be destroyed to prevent the diseases spread. No birds will enter the food system, the agency said.

Based on the limited scope known to us at this time, we dont expect disruptions to our chicken business and plan to meet our customers needs, Worth Sparkman, a spokesman for Tyson, the largest U.S. chicken producer, said in an email Monday.

Tennessee borders several of the nations largest chicken-meat producing states, including Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas and North Carolina. The virus is believed to spread partly by migratory wild birds, posing the risk that it may reach other farms.

The virus is believed to spread partly by migratory wild birds, posing the risk that it may reach other farms.

The U.S. southeast was largely spared during the last major U.S. outbreak, which affected turkey and egg farms in the Midwest and led to the death of more than 48 million birds through mid-2015, either from infection or culling. HPAI was found once last year at an Indiana turkey farm.

Shares Drop

Previous outbreaks have led some nations to restrict shipments of poultry from affected areas. South Koreas agriculture ministry said Monday it banned shipments of poultry and eggs from the U.S. unless theyve been heat treated. The Asian nation is already facing surging egg prices and has culled almost 34 million birds amid a domestic bird-flu outbreak. While poultry producers across Europe and Asia have also been grappling with the virus in recent months, Brazil, the worlds largest chicken exporter, has so far remained untouched.

Tyson fell 3.9 percent to $61.13 at 10:37 a.m. in New York. Rival U.S. chicken producer Sanderson Farms Inc. dropped 3.4 percent and Pilgrims Pride Corp. was down 2.3 percent. Brazilian producer BRF SA rose as much as 4.3 percent in Sao Paulo. The company may benefit from the latest U.S. outbreak, Itau BBAs analyst Antonio Barreto said in note.

Springdale, Arkansas-based Tyson said all flocks within a six-mile radius of the Tennessee farm will be tested and wont be transported unless they test negative for the virus. Since 2015s outbreaks, the companys U.S. poultry operations have been operating under increased biosecurity measures, including not allowing non-essential visitors access to contract farms and disinfecting vehicles to prevent spreading the virus.

Pilgrims Pride has activated response plans with heightened on-farm biosecurity programs at all of its facilities, even though none of the companys operations are located in the area under quarantine, spokesman Cameron Bruett said Monday in an email.

Sanderson Farms has no assets in Tennessee but is implementing heightened biosecurity measures across the company, Chief Financial Officer Mike Cockrell said in an email Monday. Perdue Farms Inc., another large U.S. producer, has no live production in Tennessee, spokeswoman Andrea Staub said in an email.

The latest discovery of HPAI is the first in Tennessee, according to the states agriculture department. The highly pathogenic form of the virus can be fatal to domesticated chickens and turkeys. About 30 nearby poultry farms are also under quarantine, although none have reported an increase in mortality, the department said.

Animal health is our top priority, Charles Hatcher, Tennessees state veterinarian, said in a statement. With this HPAI detection, we are moving quickly and aggressively to prevent the virus from spreading.

The U.S. is expected to produce a record 41.081 billion pounds of chicken this year, the USDA forecasts.

[graphiq id=8YAHHGqY41n title=Avian Flu (Bird Flu) Overview width=600 height=714 url=https://w.graphiq.com/w/8YAHHGqY41n ]

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics USA Agribusiness Tennessee
Crews began restarting a power plant at the base of Oroville Dam, allowing them to release water from the Northern California lake without having to send it over a badly damaged spillway, officials said.

The move is a major milestone in the race to protect Oroville and downstream communities from the threat of flooding, said Bill Croyle, acting director of the California Department of Water Resources. Weekend rain is expected to raise the water level about five feet, but it will still be nearly 50 feet below capacity, he said.

Several days of dry weather allowed construction crews to remove part of a massive debris pile that trapped water at the base of the dam, threatening to flood the Hyatt Power Plant. Waters levels dropped about 30 feet from their peak Friday, far enough below the power plants intake for electricians to reconnect the plant to the grid.

One of six turbines was restarted, allowing dam managers to release 1,700 cubic feet per second through the power plant. About 14,000 cubic feet of water can be released through the power plant each second once five turbines are going  the sixth is undergoing more intensive repairs out of state  allowing officials to release much of the water flowing into the lake and prevent it from rising substantially.

This is a pivot point in how we are managing the inflows to the river, Croyle said.

Even with the power plant operating, Croyle said he may still have to use the damaged spillway if heavy storms or spring snowmelt raise the lake level too high. He said crews will spray a substance on the hillside to limit further erosion if the spillway is used.

As the spillway is reinforced and the situation gets less dire, engineers will begin transitioning from the emergency response to planning a permanent fix, Croyle said. It will likely take several weeks for officials to develop options for a long-term solution, which may include a temporary fix for next winter.

The problems at Lake Oroville began early last month when officials discovered a massive crater in the main concrete spillway used to release water during wet winter months. Water releases were curtailed so experts could investigate, followed by stronger-than-expected storm that filled the lake to capacity and sent water overflowing onto a hillside for the first time in the dams five-decade history.

Nearly 200,000 people were ordered to evacuate from parts of three counties when experts discovered severe erosion and feared it could cause the collapse of a concrete weir holding water in the lake. Crews opened the floodgates to more rapidly drain the lake, sending 100,000 cubic feet of water  enough to fill any Olympic swimming pool  each second down the damaged spillway.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Friday that he expects to release detailed evacuation plans next week that will show which homes are at risk in the event of a future failure at the dam, limiting the mass chaos that ensued when people rushed to higher ground when the blanket evacuation order was given.

An estimated 1.7 million cubic yards of rock, sediment and other debris washed down the hillside and collected at the base. Construction crews worked around the clock this week to haul debris to five nearby locations and clear a path for pooled water to drain. By Friday morning, about 10 percent of the debris had been cleared.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California
A house fire in rural Oregon that killed four children and critically burned three other family members started with a portable space heater that was being used after a fireplace malfunctioned, a volunteer fire chief said.

Combustible materials placed too close to the heater ignited and started the blaze in the tiny timber town of Riddle, Fire Protection District Chief Rich Holloway said in a post on the districts Facebook page.

Holloway did not immediately return two calls but City Manager Kathy Wilson confirmed the authenticity of the Facebook post in a phone interview.

The fire killed four children ranging from 4 to 13 and devastated the tiny town with a population of fewer than 1,000 people. Riddle is about 200 miles south of Portland.

A component of the fireplace that forces heated air back into the home malfunctioned several days before the blaze early Wednesday and the family was using the heater until they could get it repaired, Holloway wrote.

All the burn pattern indicators, witness statements and the statement from the father on first arrival, all collaborate, he said.

Some members of the all-volunteer fire department knew the family, Wilson said.

In a small town like this, everyone knows each other and this has been devastating, she said. It is just such a tragedy. Its something weve never seen before. It has affected everyone.

Community members held a candlelight vigil at a church late Wednesday that attracted more than 300 people.

Grief counselors were on hand at schools in the South Umpqua School District, where some of the children attended class, said Superintendent Tim Porter.

The district has just 1,450 students in all grades, he said.

The three survivors were transported to Portland for treatment of critical burns.

James Keith Howell, 39, Tabitha Annette Howell, 38, and Andrew Hall-Young, 13, were in critical condition in the burn center, Julie Reed, a spokeswoman for Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, confirmed on Thursday.

In a statement released through Legacy Emanuel, family members huddled at the survivors bedsides declined interview requests.

The community has been so generous in their response to our needs with prayer and offers of support, and we are very grateful, the statement read.

At this time, we are requesting continued prayers and your respect for our privacy, as we are grieving our loss.

Killed were 4-year-old Gwendolyn Gracie Howell, 7-year-old Haley Maher, 10-year-old Isaiah Young and 13-year-old Nicholas Lowe.

Nicholas Lowe was a foster child, said Douglas County Deputy Dwes Hutson.

Tabitha Howell is the mother of the remaining children and is married to James Howell.

Howell is the father of the youngest victim and the stepfather of the two victims, ages 7 and 10, and the surviving 13-year-old.

An aunt of the children said in a phone interview that her nieces and nephews were always just so kind and outgoing and just so full of joy.

Heather Hendrick, who is married to Tabitha Howells stepbrother, said she last saw the family at a post-Christmas holiday dinner. Her son and Isaiah were born just 12 hours apart and shared a special bond, she said.

At the dinner, they wrestled and horsed around on the floor, she said.

They have always been just so kind and generous and outgoing and loving toward us, she said of the family.

Tabitha Howell is a U.S. Navy veteran and works at a day care center with her mother, said Hendrick, of Roseburg, Oregon.

Shes also studying at the Revivalist School of Ministry doing religious course work offered by a local Pentecostal church, Hendrick said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Oregon
Papa Francesco, nel pomeriggio di ieri, ha lasciato il Vaticano per raggiungere la Casa del Divin Maestro di Ariccia, dove insieme alla Curia Romana seguira gli esercizi spirituali della Quaresima. Nove le meditazioni in programma, tutte guidate dal padre francescano Giulio Michelini. Tema di questanno e la Passione, morte e risurrezione di Gesu secondo il Vangelo di Matteo. AllAngelus, il Papa ha chiesto ai fedeli preghiere per se e per i suoi collaboratori. Gli esercizi si concluderanno venerdi mattina. Mercoledi 8, quindi, non ci sara la consueta udienza generale in piazza San Pietro.

Le meditazioni

Dopo lintroduzione di ieri sera terra oggi le prime due meditazioni, in programma, come nei giorni seguenti, alle 9:30 e alle 16:00. Le ultime parole di Gesu e linizio della passione e il pane e il corpo, il vino e il sangue i temi di oggi. Domani, martedi 7 marzo, le altre due prediche verteranno su: La preghiera del Getsemani e larresto di Gesu e Giuda e il campo del sangue. Il processo romano, la moglie di Pilato e i sogni di Dio la meditazione di mercoledi 8, seguita da quella pomeridiana su la morte del Messia. I temi di giovedi 9 saranno, invece, la sepoltura e il sabato di Gesu e la tomba vuota e la risurrezione. Venerdi la conclusione e il ritorno a Roma. La giornata del Papa e dei cardinali, oltre che dalle prediche del mattino e del pomeriggio, e scandita, ogni giorno, dalla Messa alle 7:30, seguita dalla colazione unora dopo. Alle 12:30 il pranzo, alle 18:00 i vespri e ladorazione eucaristica. Alle 19:30 la cena.

Una settimana con Pietro e Gesu

Quelli degli esercizi spirituali sono giorni nei quali possiamo stare con Gesu e con Pietro. Questo e il percorso delineato da padre Michelini. Filo conduttore e il Vangelo di Matteo. Per il frate, soffermarsi su questo brano evangelico sara come sostare davanti a un affresco, dove prima si guarda linsieme per poi scendere nei particolari. Padre Michelini fa riferimento ad un testo del 2010, Morti favolose degli antichi, nel quale sono contenuti i resoconti delle morti di personaggi storici divisi in diverse categorie. Anche a Gesu vengono dedicate alcune pagine, ma in questo testo il Cristo appare nella categoria delle morti apparenti. Eppure, se la morte di Gesu venisse considerata apparente, non solo crollerebbe tutto il pensiero cristiano ma di fatto sarebbe apparente tutta lesistenza di Gesu: non solo la sua morte, ma anche la sua vita sarebbe una finzione, avverte il francescano. Lautore di quel libro si basava non sui Vangeli ma su interpretazioni di Celso e Basilide. Nei Vangeli, invece, si dice che Gesu e morto davvero e che la sua vita non e una fiction. Vita e morte di Gesu sono infatti strettamente legate. Ogni meditazione quindi partira dallinterpretazione di un brano di Matteo sulla passione, morte e risurrezione, riletto tenendo sullo sfondo il ministero di Gesu in Galilea. A seguire una lettura di tipo esistenziale e spirituale.

Rinnovare lincontro con Cristo

Questi esercizi spirituali sono anche unoccasione per trascorre alcuni giorni con Pietro. Il francescano seguira le linee guida dellEvangelii gaudium, dove Papa Francesco invita ogni cristiano a rinnovare il suo incontro personale con Gesu. In questi giorni  dice padre Michelini  possiamo considerarci tutti dentro il gruppo di coloro che devono essere ri-evangelizzati. Non perche apparteniamo allambito di quelli che non conoscono Gesu, ne siamo fra le persone battezzate che pero non vivono le esigenze del Battesimo ma perche la nuova evangelizzazione e pensata in primo luogo per incendiare i cuori dei fedeli che regolarmente frequentano la Comunita. Siete voi, cari fratelli, al centro di quella evangelizzazione, dice padre Michelini al Papa e alla Curia Romana, e in questo tempo speciale, siete chiamati a stare in disparte e pregare.
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A Boat-full of Potential - Renewed Interest in the Cruise Industry Bolsters Luxury Markets (OTC: MASN) (NYSE: CCL) (NYSE: CUK) (NYSE: RCL) (NYSE: NCLH)

Vancouver, Kelowna, Delta, BC - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering luxury goods and cruise ship stocks releases a special report featuring Maison Luxe, Inc. (OTC: MASN), a company that offers luxury retail consumer items.

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Breaking AI Stock News: GBT's (OTCPK: GTCH) AI Driven Financial Technology Patent Application Received a Notice of Publication

San Diego, CA - November 3, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) GBT Technologies Inc. (OTC PINK: GTCH) received a notice of publication for its financial software patent application.

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The FBI is disputing Donald Trump's claim that Barack Obama had his telephones tapped during the election, according to reports.

The head of the FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute the unsubstantiated allegation, the New York Times said.

Mr Trump turned to Congress on Sunday for help finding evidence to support his claim, but the move has potential risks for the president, particularly if the House and Senate intelligence committees unearth damaging information about Mr Trump, his aides or his associates.

He claimed in a series of tweets without evidence on Saturday that his predecessor tried to undermine him by tapping the telephones at Trump Tower, the New York skyscraper where Mr Trump based his campaign and transition operations, and maintains a home.

Mr Obama's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said nothing matching Mr Trump's claims had taken place.

"Absolutely, I can deny it," said Mr Clapper, who left government when Mr Trump took office in January. Other representatives for the former president also denied the allegation.

The New York Times reported that senior officials say FBI director James Comey has argued that the claim must be corrected by the Justice Department because it falsely insinuates that the FBI broke the law.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Mr Trump's instruction to Congress was based on "very troubling" reports "concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election".

Mr Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to "exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016".

He said there would be no further comment until the investigations are completed.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said: "It's called a wrap-up smear. You make up something. Then you have the press write about it. And then you say, 'everybody is writing about this charge'. It's a tool of an authoritarian."

Mr Spicer's chief deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said she thinks Mr Trump is "going off of information that he's seen that has led him to believe that this is a very real potential".

Josh Earnest, who was Mr Obama's press secretary, said presidents do not have authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens. FBI investigators and Justice Department officials must seek a federal judge's approval for such a step.

He accused Mr Trump of levelling the allegations to distract from the attention being given to campaign-season contacts by Trump aides with a Russian official, including Jeff Sessions before he resigned from the Senate to become attorney general.

The FBI is investigating those contacts, as is Congress.

- AP
The Minister for Foreign Affairs has condemned North Korea for firing four ballistic missiles - three of which landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Charlie Flanagan says it is an unacceptable act, which further increases tensions in the region and threatens peace and stability.

Charlie Flanagan.

Minister Flanagan has described the move as another flagrant violation of North Korea's obligations under international law.

Officials in Tokyo say the launches are a 'grave threat' and they've lodged strong protests with Pyongyang.

The firings were an apparent reaction to huge joint military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.

It was not immediately clear what type of missile was fired. Pyongyang has staged a series of test-launches of various ranges in recent months, including a new intermediate-range missile in February.

The ramped-up tests came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile programme that can deter what he calls US and South Korean hostility.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said the latest firing shows that North Korea has become "a new kind of threat".

Japanese officials said three of the four missiles landed in the 200-nautical-mile offshore area where Tokyo has sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting resources.

South Korea's Joint Chief of Staff said in a statement that the launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province.

The area is the home of the North's Seohae Satellite Station where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.

Seoul and Washington call their military drills on the Korean peninsula - which remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty - defensive and routine.

The North condemns the military drills, which run until late April and which analysts say force its impoverished military to respond with expensive deployments and drills of their own.

A spokesman for the North's General Staff of the Korean People's Army said last week that Pyongyang's reaction to the southern drills would be the toughest ever, but did not elaborate.

North Korea conducted two nuclear tests last year. There have been widespread concerns that the North will test an intercontinental ballistic missile that, when perfected, could in theory reach US shores. Washington would consider such a capability a major threat.

The US has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, and 50,000 in Japan, as a deterrent against a potential aggression from the North.

- AP
Since the 1990s, net exports have typically accounted for 10-20% of GDP. With Brexit, all of this now needs to be evaluated.

A large part of our goods exports are concentrated in a few sectors while services exports have become more broadly based and have indeed shown greater growth over the last two decades.

We run a merchandise trade export surplus and a services deficit typically.

Exports of services in 2015 were 121bn, exports of goods 112bn. Services require the transfer of bits and bodies over international borders, while trade requires the transfer of physical things.

Almost as important as whether we can trade easily with the UK when they crash chaotically out of the customs union (no is the answer), is how will we trade with the rest of the planet.

Being an island, we have to get stuff off the island to customers. Total services exports in 2015 to the EU/UK were 66/23bn and imports 53/12bn. Total merchandise exports in 2015 to the EU/UK were 58/13bn and imports 40/16bn.

Thus we are heavily dependent on the UK as an export destination but more so to the EU. What is important is how we export. A large part of our goods exports to the EU and the rest of the world go via the UK.

Where will they be when we find the UK outside the customs union? What of Northern Ireland exporters using ports here? What indeed of Northern Ireland companies which find it faster to use Dublin than to use Larne, to get goods and services to their customers in the UK?

A hard Brexit will result customs checks. A chaotic Brexit will result in massive dislocation. Leaving aside the formal tariff barriers, non-tariff barriers to exports, and to cross shipping which crosses the EU border with the UK, these could be equally as important deterrents to trade.

It is not at all alarmist to imagine Dover, Felixstow and other UK ports horribly backed up with lorries and goods trains attempting to cross to the continent.

So where do we stand in terms of Irish exports using the landbridge, as it is know?

Speaking to the Irish Exporters Association, they suggested a number of potential problems. First, goods that ship on trailers landbridging Britain to the continent tend to be of higher than average value  think mainly pharmaceuticals, medical devices, high end food and drink.

Second, global supply and trade chains are indeed global. Landbridging cargo includes not just material whose end user is on the continent but also material that is being shipped to other airports, often Frankfurt, where connections are greater and more frequent than Dublin and where access is easier than Heathrow.

Third, much of the exports to both the UK and the continent may be for onward shipping. The large export to Belgium is in large part made up of exports to distribution centres there for onward shipping later.

We need to encourage and develop additional services to global hubs in regional airports and to further develop Dublin as a regional cargo hub. We also need to look at enhancing port and freight facilities.

It was always a trope that roll on roll off and freight services ex Ireland to the continent could only be on short lines, to the likes of Cherbourg. The arrival in 2009 at the height of the recession of CLdN blew that myth.

Further investment in Rosslare and Cork to develop more of these direct continent links would be a useful Brexit hedge.
Moodys Investors Service found that the favourable economic environment in Ireland and the related recovery in house prices have improved Irish banks asset quality, while negative equity per borrower has fallen to 6% from 17% in 2013.

However the level of non-performing mortgages remains high, and loans still in long-term arrears make up the majority of the total, posing tail risks for Irish banks.

While the use of restructuring solutions by the banks has contributed greatly to resolving mortgage arrears, it also resulted in the build-up of a large layer of forborne loans on Irish banks balance sheets  nearly 20bn for the four largest rated banks at the end of 2015, or 20% of the total mortgage lending in Ireland, the report found.

Gaby Trinkaus, a vice President at Moodys, said: We expect mortgage arrears to slowly decline and house prices to rise by up to 5% over the next 12 to 18 months, which is credit positive for several sectors, namely Irish banks and mortgage securities.

While residential mortgage-backed security exposures to borrowers in long-term arrears and negative equity are still high, we note that the latter has halved to 33% from almost two-thirds around the trough of the house price drop in 2013.

In 2017, Moodys forecasts the supply shortage and looser lending rules will push up Irish house prices by up to 5%. It says residential mortgage-backed security transactions benefit from Irelands stronger mortgage market via declining exposure to arrears and lower loss severities.

However, exposures to borrowers in long-term arrears  720 days or more  and those in negative equity, are still high.

Covered bonds will also benefit from rising house prices. Tighter lending standards should also improve cover pool credit quality over time, although Irish covered bonds have varying exposures to more recent mortgage loans, it said.
The 90-year-old single man was found dead in his rural farmhouse near the village of Ballysaggart in west Waterford nine days ago and is believed to have been beaten with an iron implement.

A 26-year-old from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, has been charged with his murder and is currently in custody.

The parish of Lismore and Ballysaggart said at the weekend that it will take a long, long time for neighbours to come to terms with the personal and communal grief felt in the locality since Mr Lyons was killed.

His violent death has visited trauma on all the members of the community who had close contact with him, the parish notes said.

Our sympathy is with his relations and those who cared for him. With a death we move from numbness, sorrow and lastly to grief.

The parish commended the gardai on their investigation.

Mr Lyonss remains lay in repose at St Carthages Mortuary in Lismore yesterday before being removed to St Marys Church in Ballysaggart. He will be buried in the adjoining graveyard today after funeral Mass.

Mr Lyons lived at Logleagh, Ballysaggart, about 10km from Lismore. An only child, he was a son of John and Nora who died many years ago.

He was last seen alive on the evening of Friday week, February 24, and concern grew locally when he failed to attend the funeral of a neighbour and close friend, Maureen Walsh, on Saturday.

A couple who were regular visitors to the popular retired farmer called to his house on Saturday evening and raised the alarm with another neighbour when Mr Lyons was seen slumped in his chair.

The emergency services attended the farmhouse but the 90-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gardai immediately launched an investigation into the suspicious death and upgraded it to a murder inquiry last Monday after an autopsy revealed that Mr Lyons had sustained violent injuries.

Ballysaggart Community Alert treasurer Tom Veale said last week that the murder had caused great concern and sent shock waves through the area.

Paddy Lyons was very well known around Ballysaggart and beyond and regularly attended a monthly dance in the community centre as well as the local pub. He was described as very alert, very sharp by Mr Veale.

Ross Outram, of Ferryland, Clonmel had appeared, midweek, before a sitting of Dungarvan district court.

Charged with murder, he was remanded in custody and will appear again in Dungarvan court this Wednesday.
Sources told the Irish Examiner that they did not believe it would be possible to uncover evidence of criminality, if there was any, in the deaths.

Garda sources said the exhumation, mass identification, and forensic examination involved would be entering uncharted waters given the scale and complexity of the undertaking.

Last Friday, it emerged that the Mother and Baby Home Commission of Investigation found significant quantities of human remains involving children up to the age of three, in underground sewage chambers at the former Bon Secours Sisters home.

The recorded deaths of 796 children were previously identified at the Tuam home from 1925 to 1961, many from debility from birth, respiratory diseases, measles, and influenza.

The Irish Examiner revealed that death registers for other mother and baby homes have been in the hands of the State since 2011.

The register of the Bessborough home reveals the names, ages, and causes of death for 470 children and 10 women who died at the institution between 1934 and 1953. More than 270 of these deaths occurred in just six years between 1939 and 1944.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald and Cabinet colleague Simon Coveney said they believed gardai would become involved in an investigation, while Mary Lou McDonald of Sinn Fein called for a full Garda probe.

Gardai said it was up to the coroner in north Galway to determine the course of events once he established a belief as to whether the deaths were from natural or unnatural causes.

Experts told the Irish Examiner it would be difficult for the coroner to come to such a view without a forensic examination of the remains  requiring an exhumation.

Forensic experts said there were significant difficulties facing such a process. One forensic expert said there was a massive logistical challenge in excavation and creating a facility to gather and log the remains.

A senior garda said this would be body identification on an industrial scale.

Gardai and Forensic Science Ireland use disaster victim identification to systematically log remains in mass deaths. Forensic experts also flagged serious technical difficulties with identification.

It is not clear if the Nuclear DNA technology available to Forensic Science Ireland is capable of generating DNA profiles from bones more than 50 years old.

Forensic experts pointed out that reference samples would be needed from people whose relatives may have been found at the Tuam site in order to cross-check.

In terms of any criminal investigation, Garda sources said that while burying children in a septic tank was morally objectionable, it was not a crime or illegal.

If the coroner suspects suspicious elements then we have an obligation to investigate, said a source.

We dont have anything to investigate at the moment because theres no crime and even if there was, theres no one to prosecute.

It is thought there are two nuns linked to the Tuam home: one is said to be in her 80s and has dementia, while another is 91 and only visited the home on holidays.

A garda source said reasons for establishing a criminal investigation would be a reasonable suspicion of a crime being committed, such as homicide or neglect, but said it would be almost impossible to prove the latter after so long.

A forensic expert said that 50 years on, the chances of establishing a cause of death were very low as except for cases such as strangulation, bones would bear no signs.
Keelin ODonoghue, a specialist in maternal and fetal medicine at CUMH, said failure to diagnose major problems with fetuses during pregnancy at the right time meant families miss opportunities for information and explanation, preparation, or choice, birth plans, and, sadly, bereavement care.

Some babies have worse outcomes and the option of fetal therapy may be lost, while others may have complicated deliveries or are transferred to intensive care away from their parents, said Dr ODonoghue. Fetal therapies include treatment for cardiac arrhythmias and thyroid disease.

Dr ODonoghue, who has spent a decade trying to build up the CUMH service, said she did not anticipate that in 2017, despite years of personal engagement that the scan would only be available to half the women attending.

In todays Irish Examiner, Dr ODonoghue, a consultant obstetrician/gynaecologist, writes that the deficit often left her in the unenviable position of trying to explain [to parents] how a major fetal anomaly was not diagnosed or diagnosed late.

The anomaly scan is routinely available at maternity hospitals in Dublin.

Dr ODonoghues colleague, Noirin Russell, describes how a woman who was 36 weeks pregnant and had a normal pregnancy had to have an emergency c-section following a late scan and whose baby died in the first week of life.

Dr Russell, a consultant obstetrician/gynaecologist, recently returned to Cork from training in France, where all patients receive at least one detailed scan in each trimester.

Dr Russell said the issue of routine anomaly ultrasound has for too long been tethered to the non-availability of termination of pregnancy in this jurisdiction.

UCC professor of obstetrics Louise Kenny recently told the Oireachtas that the problem at CUMH was fixable within six months.

However, Dr ODonoghue said the concern is it will be addressed as part of a national package under the new Women and Infant Health Programme, leading to further delays.
ADAM Smith bristles slightly when it is suggested film directors with a background in music videos tend to prioritise shimmer over substance.

I wouldnt say Sexy Beast was superficial, he says, referring to the existential caper from 2000 directed by Blur/Massive Attack collaborator Jonathan Glazer.

I dont think Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind [the surreal masterpiece by friend-of-the-White Stripes Michel Gondry] is superficial.

Its a fair point  though these examples are arguably overshadowed by pop auteurs such as David Fincher and McG, whose slick, moody music videos led to careers making slick, moody features.

Smith, for his part, earned his reputation directing highly stylised promos for the Chemical Brothers and the Streets [the violent short-film accompanying the latters Blinded by the Lights earned a ban in the UK]. Yet there is nothing glossy or sensational about his first feature-length movie, Trespass Against Us.

FAMILY FEUDS

This tale of familial conflict among Travellers in the south-east of England is gritty with a vengeance and has a big beating heart. Michael Fassbender delivers one of his most gripping performances in years as a career criminal on the cusp of middle age and unhappy with where life has taken him while Brendan Gleeson is mesmerising as his bullying father.

When you look at the script, there is a pop version of this story, says the thoughtful, softly-spoken Smith. One that is more heightened  a bit more like [Guy Ritchie romp] Snatch. It was important for me that we not go down that route. I wanted to tell the story from the inside out. To bring you into this world.

Fassbender is the roguish yet conflicted Chad (his turn erases all memories of the recent, catastrophic Assassins Creed). The actor lights up the screen with his swagger  yet, just under the surface, lurks an unmistakeable vulnerability.

The Tralee native was Smiths number one choice for the part: The question was whether this international movie star could find time for a relatively small-scale character study. However, Fassbender was instantly smitten with the conflicted, contradictory Chad and turned down bigger projects to work with Smith.

I knew his agent and passed on the script. Michael read it in two days and then we met. I guess I must have passed the interview.

His agent told me later, You dont want to know what he said no in order to do this. I said, Youre right, I dont want to know. What Michael has in common with Chad is that hes sort of an alpha male. He drives fast cars, he is naturally charming. You believe he could be this person. Its effortless.

Fassbender was a coup  but also a challenge. Chad is a professional thief who outruns the police with ease. Yet one person he cannot escape is his quietly controlling dad, Colby.

But who could cast a shadow over the naturally cocksure Kerryman?

This was a crucial casting choice as it is the deference Chad shows his pater that gives the film much of its dramatic impetus. Chad wants a future for his children but is subtlety stymied by his fathers disdain for education and his unwillingness to let his son walk away from a life of crime.

I looked through these pictures of Michael with all these much older actors, says Smith. In all of them, Michael has his arm around the other guy  he is the dominant one in the photo.

Then I came across a picture of Michael with Brendan Gleeson. And it is Brendan with his arm around Michael. Starting out, Im sure Michael would have looked up to Brendan  regarded him as someone to be emulated. He was acting when Michael was still a teenager. There is that frisson between them which gives something to their relationship. You believe in them as Chad and Colby.

Brendan Gleeson

Trespass Against Us is based loosely on a 2005 documentary about a real-life Travelling family entitled A Summer with the Johnsons. Smith acknowledged his debt to the Johnsons by inviting the family to a preview of the film. He was nervous how they would respond. In fact, they accorded it a raucous reception, cheering and whooping their way through the screening.

ENGLISH TWIST

One surprise is that the characters are English rather than Irish. Fassbender had suggested relocating the film to Ireland. He had some familiarity with Irish Traveller culture, having crossed paths with members of the community growing up in Killarney. Smith was adamant the setting had to be Britain.

This is the Cotswolds, where the British establishment literally lives. The politicians, the business people, the judges. Theyre all there. We wanted to explore that tension between the great and the good and these down and outs. It was absolutely critical to the story.

The movie walks a delicate line between humanising Chads family yet honestly depicting their criminal lifestyle and somewhat squalid existence. Theres no glamour here, yet the film does not stand in judgement. The balancing act is pulled off perfectly.

In a way it isnt really about the Travelling community. In their society, these people are outcasts among outcasts. They are rather unique. For me, its a human story. Its about family and being a parent.

There is a bit where Chads son asks his father a question and Chad replies, I dont know son  youll have to work that out for yourself. As a parent, I know how difficult that kind of honesty can be. You want to explain everything to your children. But you ultimately cant.

Smith was warned by friends in the industry that making a film was a far bigger undertaking than a video or TV episode.

He took them at their word  but, as he got stuck in, was still struck by the enormity of the challenge.

It isnt as if I havent been in this situation before. I directed the first episode of Dr Who in which Matt Smith plays the Doctor. In that situation, the pressure was very much on.

Whats different about films is that you are sending this thing out into the world with no idea how anyone will respond. That is an entirely new experience.
THE best businesses are born when someone spots a gap in the market. When accountant Karen OReilly was looking for a job that would fit around her family life and caring for her two children, she discovered there wasnt just a gap but a chasm when it came to flexible working.

OReilly had returned to Ireland after running a number of businesses in France, and took time out to settle her two children back in school.

After a year or two, I decided Id go back as they were well settled. I wanted that work-life balance, so I looked around for flexible work and discovered there was none there, she says. OReilly decided to set up a recruitment agency specifically for parents who wanted to fit their work in around their family lives, and the result was employmum.ie.

According to OReilly, helping women who have taken time out after having children, to return to the workforce is even more important now there are skills shortages in so many areas.

Unemployment in Ireland is at 6.6%, the lowest rate since 2008. All the time I am talking to employers, they say they cant find good people. I tell them they are there, if they are prepared to be a little more flexible.

I have streams of CVs from people who are qualified and skilled and they want to work. Employers are going to have to start thinking differently about the way they employ people. It is now becoming an employees market and flexible working is the perfect solution.

One of the firms which has sourced staff from employmum is accountantonline.ie, which was set up by mum of three Larissa Feeney, to give her the work-life balance she needed.

SKILLED PROFESSIONALS

Rose Kervick is a director of accountantonline.ie and says the firm shares a similar ethos to Employmum.

We are delighted to work with Employmum; we are very grateful there are women available to work for us because there is a shortage of qualified accountants and unless we provide a flexible working environment, we lose our ability to compete. The name of the company may be Employmum but we didnt go with Karen because she was representing mums, we went with her because she is helping us find skilled professionals.

OReilly says a huge talent pool is being wasted because our culture doesnt accommodate different ways of working. The traditional mode of employment in Ireland is bums on seats from 9am to 5.30pm. Thats ridiculous when technology allows you to work remotely and flexibly in so many roles; there are many others that can be adapted to suit flexible working.

She says womens confidence can suffer when they have left the workplace for a number of years, which means they are fearful of applying for jobs when they are ready to return.

Every single day, I am hearing from women who are really qualified and have fantastic experience and skills. On average, my candidates have 15 years experience, in pretty high-level roles in some cases, yet their confidence is gone. I look at their fantastic CVs, and they are almost apologising for ringing me.

As a result, OReilly has added career coaching to the services that Employmum provides. It is a female way of thinking  I read recently that if a man looks at a job spec, and he can do maybe 40% of whats there, he will chance it and go for the job; a woman will need to tick everything on the list before they submit their CV. We have to get beyond that way of thinking and learn how to promote ourselves better. Women also have to learn how to sell their career gap in a positive way, not apologise for it. They are probably the hardest couple of years work theyve done anyway, in terms of organisation, negotiation skills, and all the rest.

FLEXIBLE WORKING

Nina Cait Gilbert is a graphic designer and mum of two who has gained several clients with the help of Employmum.

I worked full-time as a graphic designer in London for five years. I gave up my job because there was no flexibility. I didnt see my son in the evening because he was in bed by 7pm. I moved back to Ireland about a year and a half ago, when we had another baby on the way. I heard Karen on the radio and I thought her company was offering exactly what I was after  flexibility and working with clients who dont treat having a family as a hindrance. She matched me with two really good clients and I started gaining more after that and building my business, designbird.ie. Karen and Employmum gave me confidence and a great start.

OReilly says Employmum welcomes interest from anyone seeking flexible working. We have a few dads too  they also dont have to be a parent, but that is the niche we have concentrated on.

She says employers should recognise the benefits of flexible working in attracting and keeping more staff. We would love more employers to come on board, there are so many positives to embracing flexible working, not least cost, which is always the bottom line. You are also building loyalty among your staff and the good people will stay if you offer flexibility. The holy grail for working mums is balance  when you dont have to give up time with your children, or your career.

It seems crazy that the State has invested in educating all these women who arent working now because they cant find flexible roles.
The women are always in bright clothes; sometimes one even sees, far ahead a parasol, a circle of pink or yellow against the burnt land. Some walkers are old and walk with difficulty, but stoically trudge on.

The young women remind me of the guaira of Cuba, the farmers daughters whose easy gait is immortalised in the cadences of Guantanamera, an exiles lament, and one of the worlds best travelled songs. The ancestors of these girls may well have seeded Cuba with it guairas. Ethiopians, like other Africans, were enslaved and transported to the cane fields of the West Indies.

The people of the Rift valley  the long, broad depression where the earth split and sank and rose again and made the environment where hominoids evolved  have a long history of walking.

The Rift was where we first stood on two legs, rather than moved on all fours, the hub from which Homo erectus set out 1.7 million years ago and, countless generations later, reached the islands of Indonesia to the east and Europe to the west.

Some 100,000 years ago, they were followed by our ancestors, Homo sapiens, who may have interbred with them, or murdered and eaten them: theories abound, but no history.

On these roads, we see schoolchildren too, in groups, the eldest a six- or seven-year-old herding the rest. Driving slowly, we wave a white arm from a car window. They wave back, delighted  faranji! the call, (Europeans!)  a tale to tell when they reach the circular wattle-and-mud hut which, somewhere on this vast plain is their home.

From the looks we get in remoter villages, its clear that some children have never seen white skin before. Perhaps, like the Africans in the novel, The Poisonwood Bible, who wept when they first saw the white missionaries, thinking they had been skinned alive, they feel sorry for us. But I think not. Smiles of brilliant white teeth in finely-sculpted black faces greet us, and are, for me, abiding images of that land.

When, after leaving Lake Ziway  more of which I will relate farther down  we took a back road and crossed the border between the lands of the Oromo and Gurage people, we began to pass donkey train after donkey train of carts loaded with haystacks of straw, with a woman walking beside each, a switch in hand, bantering back and forth with her companions as they walked. The market town was at least 30km away but the distance seemed not to bother these happy women. No wonder Ethiopia breeds marathon walkers: they are made in the womb.

The Gurages are famed for their industry. Children drove donkey carts loaded with staves or straw. Five year olds herded donkeys, goats, sheep and cattle. Its extraordinary how small boys and girls can control animals when to the tradition born.

Meanwhile, I must recommend Lake Ziway, about six hours south of Addis Ababa, as an idyll for bird-watchers, and the Bethlehem Hotel by the lake shore, as the perfect perch, all good taste, and functioning mod cons for 30 a night, in a garden full of birds. Golden weavers weave their nests and bicker 2m above ones head on the patio.

On the lake, we saw pelicans in hundreds, hideous Maribou storks, snake birds and pygmy terns. Hippos surfaced and showed their chestnut-red snouts and wiggled their shiny button ears, and grunted and eyed us with shiny, black eyes.

We saw, fishing from papyrus boats, members of a tribe that migrated centuries ago from the north bringing with them the Ark of The Covenant, of which they were the custodians, to save it from destruction. They settled on a lake island for safety and still live there, about 1,000 in number, speaking an entirely different language from the people of the lake shore.

On green swards beneath huge trees upon which fish eagles roosted majestically, locals relaxed as cattle grazed peacefully around them, classical scenes.

On the shores of other lakes, we saw farmers with wooden ploughs drawn by oxen turning the sod on vast acres, a punishing task I am sure. But so it has been in this ancient land for millenia.

I write this in Windhoek, in Namibia, a very sanitised, 21st century city, a shock after chaotic Addis Ababa. We set off tomorrow in a rented camper van to the Namib Desert and the Skeleton Coast.
The remains of a significant number of babies and infants found at the site of a former mother and baby home at Tuam is one further example  and not the last, I suspect  of the systemic abuse that occurred in the archipelago of institutions that existed in post-independence Ireland.

The abuse in all its forms is, of course, horrific, terrifying and shameful. It begs so many questions. How, for example, could it occur in institutions which are meant to espouse Christian values such as kindness, charity, love for thy neighbour, and good will?

How could such abuse and such violence exist for so long in parallel with the supposed operation of a democratic and constitutional state? How could it occur in a civilised society?

Many commentators on incidences of systematic abuse and violence inform us that it often occurs when three conditions are met. First, the wrongdoing is tolerated and indeed authorised by the institution, the state, or even by society more generally.

Loyalty to the institution, in this instance the Bon Secours Sisters in the Tuam mother and baby home, is given primacy over all others considerations, in particular issues of private or moral conscience.

The disciplinary practices of these institutions and their hierarchical ordering also facilitated the non- reflective execution of orders.

Secondly, moral blindness of this kind is aided by routinisation.

This helps to create a distance between individual acts of the institutional order and their consequences.

Each person working in the home did not see themselves as contributing to the broader consequences, namely gross acts of violence, neglect or abuse.

In their own minds, they were just doing their jobs, cogs in the operation of an institutional apparatus that was dealing with the problem of unwanted children in Irish society.

Thirdly, by indoctrination and ideological labelling, the victims of such abuse and neglect, are dehumanised. They are seen as other, as different, in this case as children of sin.

This permits the breakdown of inter-human identification. If I do not perceive you as being similar to me as a human being, I am not required to relate to you on those terms.

When you are less than me, my sensibilities and sensitivities to your plight are greatly reduced.

This, in turn, perpetuates moral blindness and has the tendency to place the vulnerable individual beyond the reach of law and public concern.

We tend to underestimate the extent to which social adjusted normal can be indifferent to or undertake vicarious pleasure in the suffering of others with whom they do not identify, said one commentator.

When these three conditions are combined  authorisation, routinisation, and dehumanisation  it provides a fertile ground for systematic abuse and neglect within institutions of this kind.

It is also clear, of course, that an effective state was not operating.

From the 1930s up until the early 1990s, it permitted approximately 35,000 Irish children and young people who were orphans, truants, and from dysfunctional families to be sent to a network of 250 Catholic Church-run industrial schools, reformatories, orphanages and hostels.

Government inspectors clearly failed to highlight or to stop the endemic of deaths, beatings, assaults, molestations, rapes and ritual humiliations.

When government power is weak and constrained, it too contributes to abusive situations and to the development of illegal hierarchies of power.

THIS failure of the State extends beyond Church institutions. The European Court of Human Rights in the OKeeffe decision, for example, recently held that that the Irish Government had an inherent obligation to ensure the protection of children from ill-treatment in a primary education context.

It held that the Irish State was in breach of Article 3 of the Convention in not adopting appropriate measures and safeguards to protect vulnerable individuals.

More generally, the wrongdoing of the kind witnessed in Tuam was also aided and abetted by the conduct and indeed silence of Irish people. What should not get lost in the narrative is that this abuse and neglect was committed by Irish citizens upon Irish citizens, and was, in turn, facilitated and tolerated by Irish citizens.

Though it is easy to take the high moral ground that hindsight affords, the deafening silence of the Irish public was striking. This is an unpalatable truth, though of course the complexities and the context are oversimplified.

There are many lessons for us in this shameful history, lessons that should jerk us out of any sense of complacency or smugness about our own progressiveness. The dangers of dehumanisation remain steadfastly apparent.

Reflecting upon this history should make us more mindful about the ways in which ideology is formulated in our society. It should also make us more suspicious about the vectors of power, and any unhealthy deference to the institutions of that power.

Why access to justice is vital, particularly when it is not convenient to do so, and why individual rights matter must, in addition, be part of any conversation.

It is also crucial to foster virtuous citizenship, permitting individuals to speak up against wrongdoing, thereby giving voice to the voiceless and shedding light on the unseen.

Above all, our history demands that we recognise the intrinsic human value and dignity of each human life. As citizens and members of a community, we all have a power and a responsibility in that regard.
Well, thats the plan anyway. Hopefully it will materialise  against inequality, violence, misogyny, hate crime. And in Ireland, for the repeal of the 8th Amendment. But going on strike for one day  even if every woman in the world downs tools, walks out, leaves the building  lasts only for one day. What can we do that is sustainable, costs nothing, and has a proven track record?

Let us look to ancient Greece. 2,500 years ago, Lysistrata persuaded the men of Athens and Sparta to stop warring, by persuading the women of Athens and Sparta to stop having sex with them.

It worked. Okay, so Lysistrata was a fictional character, but the sex strike idea has carried on through the ages, all the way to Spike Lees recent movie Chi-Raq.

Real life examples abound. In 2001 in a village in south east Turkey, the women, fed up of a wonky water supply, stopped having sex with the men. To walk through the bedroom door, they said, water needed to flow through the kitchen taps. Lo and behold, within a month the men had petitioned local government and five miles of water piping made its way to the village. Shazam!

Going on sex strike worked in Liberia in 2002 to end a 14-year civil war and get a female president elected. It worked in Colombia in 2006 and 2011 against gang warfare and bad roads, and in Kenya in 2009 it ended post-election violence. In 2011, it countered fighting in the Philippines and in 2012, political corruption in Togo. Nor does the mass withholding of sex just happen in the developing world; in Canada in 2012, it was used to protest gun violence, and in 2014, Japanese women went on bedroom strike against the election of a misogynist politician.

In relation to the 8th Amendment, which gives the state ownership of womens bodies, perhaps Irish women wishing to change this could do so by blocking access to these bodies. By refusing permission for their bodies to be accessed for sex, might this encourage people who are not women but like having sex with women to see with sharper vision the necessity of allowing women legal autonomy over their bodies?

There are lots of non-female people who support repealing the 8th Amendment, but equally, there are plenty who do not. Would a blanket ban on heterosexual sex change this? It might seem a bit primitive, but one imagines significantly more effective than banners and placards; there are few things more motivational than hunger  physical and sexual  to get things done. If humankind remains three square meals from anarchy, how about this strategy being relocated from the stomach to slightly further south?

This is not to insult individual men. But when Amnesty International is calling Ireland out on our legislation around human reproductive rights, drastic action is needed. The personal has never been more political - so strike where the iron is hot.
That US President Donald Trump will host German chancellor Angela Merkel just days before Mr Kenny visits  and the probability that Ms Merkel will be her usual forthright self on these matters  might make a tense situation, where insincere, slap-on-the-back small talk fills the air as officials inspect their shoes, even more fraught for the visitors.

As yesterdays White House call for Congress to investigate if the Obama administration ordered the Trump Tower phones tapped as part of the inquiry into Russias role in the election shows a new normal prevails. What was to be a lap of honour for Mr Kenny may now be a defining moment in his career. He faces an unenviable choice: Do the right thing and face the consequences or pretend the new normal is normal.
The sci-fi short film The Camera Hack

3/05/2017 ISO 1200 Magazine 0 Comments

Thanks to everyone who have supported the project. You made this project possible.

Cast: Eskild Fors, Anders vergaard, Harald Rosenstrm, Tor Andre Stuland, Truls Valsgard, Dmitry Tkachenko and Nikoline Bangen. Producer, writer, director and editor: Anders vergaard Cinematographer: Nils Eilif Bremdal Sound design: Havard Halden Sethre Music composer: Thomas Leypoldt VFX: Nicolai Stigar / Stigar Media

About Andyax: My name is Anders, and Im from Norway. I love to be creative and use my imagination to make films and videos. I have studied movie-directing and DOP (director of photography) at NordlandCollege of Art and Film in Lofoten, Norway. Let's Get Connected: www.axp.no My name is Anders, and Im from Norway. I love to be creative and use my imagination to make films and videos. I have studied movie-directing and DOP (director of photography) at NordlandCollege of Art and Film in Lofoten, Norway.









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Remember to turn on English subtitles by pressing "CC" in the player :)Eskild Fors and Andyax need to protect humanity against evil forces, who desperately wants to get their hands on the new and deadly camera hack called "Crazy Horse". Using a hacked Canon 5D mark iii and a Panasonic GH4 to protect themselves, Eskild and Andyax are on a journey to find the originator of the hack and delete it once and for all.The sci-fi short film The Camera Hack was crowdfunded through indiegogo.com and was shot at the end of 2016 in Norway. The film is made exclusively for Youtube, including a four episode behind the scenes series. Everything will be uploaded to our Youtube channel Andyax. So subscribe to stay tuned :)Shot on Panasonic GH4 + Aputure DEC LensRegain & Metabones Speedbooster + Sigma 18-35mm & Tamron 24-70mm.Do you want to see more? Stay connected at www.andyax.com and they will come back to you! :)
3D images of aliens reveal what they actually look like, according to a doctor in Australia who works with an artist to depict a more realistic image of life in dwarf planets. Dr Brian Choo, from the School of Biological Sciences at Flinders University in Australia, works with artist Steven Grice to create a series of incredible 3D images of aliens. The results are not what we expect aliens would look like.

Sensitized by Hollywood depictions of intelligent life, we often think of aliens with gray skin, googly eyes, and humanoid features. However, the truth is, if aliens do exist in the new exoplanets of Trappist-1, they would look like nothing of what we often see on TV. Dr Choo believes that the planets would most likely be barren, and therefore, life that exists over there would have to compromise with its looks.

In his 3D images of aliens, it is revealed that the extraterrestrials would look more amphibian that human. NASA did confirm that they believe that the dwarf planets could support life, but resources would be scarce. In order to sustain life on the new planets, Dr Choo thinks that the aliens would have to adapt to the punishing conditions by evolving a protective shell to shield them from the suns intense heat, the Daily Star reports.

In addition, they would also have transparent skin which could capture light for energy. They would have strong front legs that would allow these strange creatures to burrow underground in search of food, their mouths located beneath its head to graze on plants growing on the planets surface. The paddle-like tail and vestigial fins betray an aquatic larval stage in the cool lakes at the edge of the melting dark-zone glaciers, Dr. Choo adds.

According to The Sun, the researcher also created images of alien plants that revealed theyre just as unusual as their alien counterparts. In the 3D images, plants can be seen with a propeller on top to help it catch the wind and fly long distances, allowing it to disperse its seed more effectively. Overall, Dr Choo believes that how the aliens would look is the product of the circumstances of their punishing habitat.
The drama still continues for Abby Lee Miller as she finally faces her fraud case. Her final hearing was sentenced numerous times but this time, she had no choice but to attend it.

Abby Lee Miller In Tears

The life of the owner and director of the Reign Dance Productions is fully documented. She is an open book as she describes herself before. Today, she faces the toughest day of her life as the possibility of her going to jail intensifies. Abby Lee Miller committed numerous fraud issues a few years ago and she openly admitted it at the same time. Although she made an appeal about her case, the District Attorney who is managing his case doesnt believe in Abby Lee Millers statement.

It was reported yesterday that Abby Lee Miller cried during the interview with the Insider. Abby Lee Miller already prepared the possibility of her going to jail but it clearly shows that she hasnt prepared enough. She commented on the interview stating that the fear of the unknown is what is bugging her. She also states that she cannot close her ears on what she hears on what is going on in a prison cell. Abby Lee Miller continued to explain her case while she cries helplessly.

JoJo Bows Banned Permanently

On the other hand, Dance Moms Jojo Siwa is making the headlines today. The ultra-talented 13-year-old who is famous on YouTube and now in Dance Moms has made a signature trademark. Her Jojo Bow is now an attraction and kids from America are following the new trend. However, it seems to be that her harmless bow is causing a stir in every school in the country. It was reported hours ago that they are now banning the Jojo Bows.

The reason behind why they banned is because that it causes distraction and it is against the school uniform. Most parents don't agree with the rule that was laid out while surprisingly, some of the parents agree with it.
The latest episode of Dragon Ball Super featured the much-awaited match between Goku and Bergamo. As the two fight for survival, another plot twist was revealed. It turns out that the dreaded Tournament of Power is no ordinary fighting competition.

Goku Unleashes Kaio-Ken Against Bergamo

The recent episode of "Dragon Ball Super" started off with Bergamo introducing himself as the oldest of the Trio, the Dangers brothers. Aside from being the oldest, he is also the strongest that can easily defeat Goku in his normal state. Bergamo the Crusher has the ability to unleash powerful concentrated attacks and grow in size. The fight between and Bergamo and Goku was great, showcasing that they both were formidable opponents.

But because they cannot hold back, Goku unleashed Kaoi-Ken in his blue Super Saiyan form, which signified that he has finally completely mastered the technique, controlling it without having to put a devastating toll on his body. Goku defeated Bergamo with the help of Kaio-Ken and because of his win, the universes are still in danger of being annihilated since the condition was if Bergamo won, none of the universes will be erased. Goku's display of Kaio-Ken revealed why Universe 7's mortal level was powerful enough because Kaoi-Ken is a heavenly martial arts technique.

Tournament of Power Is Actually A Battle Royale

The latest episode of Dragon Ball Super Universe Survival Arc revealed another plot twist that has heightened the tension between the universes. Aside from showing how selfish and stupid Goku can get just so he can show off how powerful he is, even provoking the rest to fight, the latest episode explained that the Tournament of Power will be held in the World of Void. In that place, all the fighters will be placed in one match to fight everyone else at the same time.

Within 48 minutes, 80 fighters have to knock each other off the fighting stage without killing their opponents, since this is one of the restrictions in the tournament, which included the use of weapons and flying. The team with most members left will win the tournament and their universe will not be annihilated. With just one match to save their universes, each team has to lean on teamwork, maybe even unite for one cause, or be divided and get erased.
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.
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READERS' PICTURES

AN unusual visitor has paid a visit to Wootton Creek to do a spot of fishing  a young seal.



The marine mammal, a common or harbour seal, was first seen swimming in the creek on Wednesday last week.





The seal, believed to be part of a colony of common seals from Hayling Island, has been feeding in the creek ever since. It has also been seen resting up on the pontoon.



Stephan Voigt, the Islands co-ordinator for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue group, said: "It is no surprise the seal has come to the Island. It is no distance for seals from Hayling Island.



"Common seals have been spotted by dog walkers in Wootton Creek on a regular basis, probably feeding on grey mullet, as well as in Newtown and Bembridge, where the feeding is good.















Picture by Doreen Gazey.




IHOP restaurants in and around Winston-Salem and Greensboro will offer a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  with some locations extending the offer until 10 p.m.  in hopes that diners will leave a donation for Childrens Miracle Network hospitals.

The National Pancake Day celebration means IHOPs across the country expect to serve more than 5 million pancakes, which would be nearly 19 miles high if you stacked them all on one giant plate.

Go to ihop.com/national-pancake-day to donate online or to make sure the IHOP closest to you is participating.
Today

The Outstanding Women Leaders Program Committee will meet at 3 p.m. in the city managers conference room, first floor City Hall, 101 N. Main St.

The Community Agency Allocation Committee will meet at 4 p.m. in the Public Works Conference Room, room 348, City Hall.

The Risk Acceptance Management Corp. will meet at 4:30 p.m. in the Finance Department conference room, room 241 City Hall.

The Surry County Board of Commissioners will meet at 6 p.m. at the Surry County Government Center, 118 Hamby Road, Dobson.

The Winston-Salem City Council will meet at 7 p.m. in Council Chamber Room, room 230 at City Hall.

Tuesday

The Wilkes County Board of Commissioners will meet at 9:55 a.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room in the Wilkes County Office Building, 110 W. North St., Wilkesboro.

The Recreation and Parks Commission will meet at noon at the 14th Street Recreation Center, 2020 E. 14th St.

The Public Arts Commission will meet at 2 p.m. in the second floor conference room, Stuart Municipal Building, 100 E. First St.

The Lexington City Schools Board of Education will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the School Administration Building, 1010 Fair St., Lexington.

Wednesday

The Emergency Management Advisory Council will meet at 3 p.m. in the Emergency Management conference room at Smith Reynolds Airport.

The Community Appearance Commission TAPR Committee will meet at 4 p.m. at 660 W. Fifth St.

Thursday

The Community Appearance Commission Trees and Woodlands Committee will meet at 11 a.m. in the Planning Board conference room, second floor, Stuart Municipal Building.

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners will hold a briefing session at 2 p.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room, fifth floor of the Government Center, 201 N. Chestnut St.

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning Board will meet at 4:30 p.m. in the public meeting room, Stuart Municipal Building.
Rep. Cedric Richmond on Sunday night apologized for a joke he made at a media dinner about White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, who stirred controversy when a picture showed her kneeling on a sofa in the Oval Office as she took a picture of a group gathered there.

Richmond's joke, delivered at a Wednesday night awards dinner at which lawmakers of both parties delivered funny monologues, was interpreted by many as having sexual overtones, although the Louisiana Democrat insisted on Thursday morning that that wasn't his meaning. The clamor kept up on social media, and on Sunday, Richmond publicly apologized to Conway.

"After a discussion with people I know and trust I understand the way my remarks have been received by many," Richmond said in a statement. "I have consistently been a champion for women and women's issues, and because of that the last thing I would want to ever do is utter words that would hurt or demean them. I apologize to Kellyanne Conway and everyone who has found my comments to be offensive."

Richmond's words - apparently delivered off the cuff - were a bit convoluted. The comedy gone wrong started when, early in the program, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., had joked about the Conway-on-the-sofa controversy that "a whole lot worse" had happened on that couch in the 1990s, an apparent reference to former president Bill Clinton, who had an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Richmond followed the South Carolina Republican, and apparently ad-libbed: "Tim, you kind of opened the door. I really just want to know what was going on there, because, you know, I won't tell anybody. And you can just explain to me that circumstance  because she really looked kind of familiar in that position there. Don't answer  and I don't want you to refer back to the 1990s."

The next morning, Richmond said that he only meant Conway was " behaving too comfortably" in what should have been a formal setting - a meeting with the president and the presidents of black colleges.

On Sunday, CNN's Jake Tapper asked House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., about his comments, which he labeled "sexist" and "disgusting."

Pelosi seemed unaware of the remarks. "I wasn't at the dinner," she said. "I'm just finding out about this, but the fact is I'm still in a sort of a state of 'What is going on here?' "
PALM BEACH, Fla.  President Donald Trump turned to Congress on Sunday for help finding evidence to support his unsubstantiated claim that former President Barack Obama had Trump's telephones tapped during the election. Obama's intelligence chief said no such action was ever carried out.

Republican leaders of Congress appeared willing to honor the president's request, but the move has potential risks for the president, particularly if the House and Senate intelligence committees unearth damaging information about Trump, his aides or his associates.

Trump claimed in a series of tweets without evidence Saturday that his predecessor had tried to undermine him by tapping the telephones at Trump Tower, the New York skyscraper where Trump based his campaign and transition operations, and maintains a home.

Obama's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said nothing matching Trump's claims had taken place.

"Absolutely, I can deny it," said Clapper, who left government when Trump took office in January. Other representatives for the former president also denied Trump's allegation.

The New York Times reported that FBI Director James Comey has asked the Justice Department to publicly reject Trump's assertion. The Times reported that senior American officials say Comey argued that the claim must be corrected because it falsely insinuates that the FBI broke the law. No such statement has been issued by the Justice Department.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said without elaborating Sunday that Trump's instruction to Congress was based on "very troubling" reports "concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election." Spicer did not respond to inquiries about the reports he cited in announcing the request.

Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to "exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016." He said there would be no further comment until the investigations are completed, a statement that House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi took offense to and likened to autocratic behavior.

"It's called a wrap-up smear. You make up something. Then you have the press write about it. And then you say, everybody is writing about this charge. It's a tool of an authoritarian," Pelosi said.

Spicer's chief deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said she thinks Trump is "going off of information that he's seen that has led him to believe that this is a very real potential."

Josh Earnest, who was Obama's press secretary, said presidents do not have authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens, as Trump has alleged was done to him. FBI investigators and Justice Department officials must seek a federal judge's approval for such a step.

Earnest accused Trump of leveling the allegations to distract from the attention being given to campaign-season contacts by Trump aides with a Russian official, including campaign adviser Jeff Sessions before he resigned from the Senate to become attorney general. The FBI is investigating those contacts, as is Congress.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., said in a statement that the panel "will follow the evidence where it leads, and we will continue to be guided by the intelligence and facts as we compile our findings."

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the committee "will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates."

The committee's top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, said Trump was following "a deeply disturbing pattern of distraction, distortion and downright fabrication."

The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., referred questions to Nunes, while a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said McConnell would not tell the Senate committee how to do its work.

Trump said in the tweets that he had "just found out" about being wiretapped, though it was unclear whether he was referring to having found out through a briefing, a conversation or a media report. The president in the past has tweeted about unsubstantiated and provocative reports he reads on blogs or conservative websites.

The tweets stood out, given the gravity of the charge and the strikingly personal attack on the former president. Trump spoke as recently as last month about how much he likes Obama and how much they get along, despite their differences.

"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" he tweeted, misspelling 'tap.'

Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said Saturday that a "cardinal rule" of the Obama administration was not to interfere in Justice Department investigations, which are supposed to be conducted free of outside or political influence.

Lewis said neither Obama nor any White House official had ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. "Any suggestion otherwise is simply false," Lewis said.

Trump used a similar approach with his unsupported claims of massive voter fraud that he said caused him to lose the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton. He eventually said he wanted to launch a "major" investigation to find the 3 million to 5 million votes he claims were cast illegally. Congressional leaders were cool to the idea  a costly and time-consuming effort.

Trump has been trailed for months by questions about his campaign's ties to Russia. Compounding the situation is the U.S. intelligence agencies' assessment that Russia interfered with the election to help Trump triumph over Hillary Clinton, along with disclosures about his aides' contacts with a Russian official.

Clapper appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," Sanders and Earnest were on ABC's "This Week," Pelosi commented on CNN's "State of the Union" and Cotton was on "Fox News Sunday."
SAN DIEGO  Last week, the White House learned a lesson: Less tweeting, more speaking.

And I wound up facing a conundrum. What is an opinion writer to do when a president he didnt vote for, and whom he doesnt support, speaks to Congress and hits a home run? Can someone who seems like a bad person, and who is likely to be a bad president, still deliver a really good speech?

And what if  despite concerns about his temperament and policies  you find yourself agreeing with much of what the president said? Do you have to go back and reassess things, and see if you really support someone you thought you opposed?

I sure hope not. Over the last 21 months, Ive put so much time and energy into disliking Trump that I dont relish the prospect of going back to square one, wiping the slate clean, and trying to like the guy.

Nevertheless, someone would have to be a hardcore Trump hater to not give the president props for a powerful speech that was full of inspiring messages and which was masterfully delivered.

To make sure, I turned my television to the cable network that is ground zero for hardcore Trump haters: CNN. Too many of its reporters and anchors wear their hearts on their sleeves and feel compelled to defend their brand when it is attacked.

The president, in turn, is always on the attack against the network. He accuses it of trading in fake news.

Their relationship soured back in January when CNN referred to the existence of an unverified intelligence dossier alleging that Russia held compromising information about Trump.

After Trumps address to Congress, CNN anchor Jake Tapper  who recently scolded the president for bashing the media  made a snide remark about how Trump did a good job of reading words that his speechwriters had written for him.

CNN reporter Dana Bash was more fair. She gave Trump credit for a speech that was more presidential than his uninspiring inaugural address, which many observers agree fell flat.

Finally, CNN contributor Van Jones also heaped praise on Trump for leading a two-minute standing ovation for the widow of Navy SEAL William Ryan Owens, who died in an operation in Yemen. Jones called it one of the most extraordinary moments you have ever seen in American politics, period and said that Trump became president of the United States at that moment.

A CNN/ORC poll of those who watched the speech found that 78 percent of Americans had a positive response, while only 21 percent responded negatively.

You cant have a remarkable speech without memorable lines, and Trump delivered a few. Such as: We are one people, with one destiny. We all bleed the same blood. We all salute the same flag. And we are all made by the same God. And this one: My job is not to represent the world. My job is to represent the United States of America.

And in a surprise, Trump also put in a good word for real and positive immigration reform if we first improve jobs and wages for Americans, strengthen our nations security, and restore respect for our laws.

You would think that Democrats in the chamber wouldve cheered that line. Instead, they stayed planted in their seats and withheld their applause. Maybe thats because many of them dont want a solution to the immigration problem and would rather have a campaign issue.

Of course, a speech is just a speech. Trumps policies and priorities are more important. And there, all is not well.

For instance, the president is still cynically exploiting victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants. Now he is going so far as to create a special office in the Department of Homeland Security called VOICE (Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement), which will serve as a liaison between victims of illegal immigrant crime and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

No word on whether the administration is creating another office to address a much more frequent occurrence: crime committed by legal residents and U.S. citizens.

For those Americans who detest this president, there is no incentive to give Trump credit for a good speech. But you had better believe theyd be bashing him if he had given a bad one.

Trump cant win. Thats a problem, because if he doesnt succeed at some of what hes trying to do, the country cant move forward. And then we all lose.
Fans of the namaste bow or tree pose will soon have a new studio to practice their regular stretching and breathing techniques, as Essential Yoga recently held its soft opening at 140 West Richardson Street (upstairs from Katie Mae's) in Summerville's historic downtown area. Read moreEssential Yoga debuts in Summerville
03/05/2017





The JSU Department of Nursing will host its 3rd annual Cocky Nursing Run/Walk for Your Life 5k and 1-mile Fun Run on April 8. Join Cocky, Cinderella, Beauty and the Minions for this fun, family-friendly event supporting nursing education.

Now in its third year, the idea for the Cocky Run/Walk got started a couple of years ago when Dr. Christie Shelton, dean of the School of Health Professions and Wellness, was brainstorming ways to raise scholarship money for nursing students. After proposing the plan to co-worker and running partner Carla Willingham, the two  quite literally  ran with the idea.

My vision was that we could tout this race as 'The Most Educational 5K on the Planet, said Shelton. We have students hold up signs along the route with bits of health information on them. The participants seem to really enjoy it.

Not only is the race educational, it has become one of the highest attended races in the Calhoun County area. Last years race raised nearly $8,500, with proceeds going towards a nursing scholarship fund for undergraduate and graduate students. This year, the race will be chip-timed, and the course is certified with USA Track and Field.

After the run, enjoy live music by the JSU Jazz Ensemble, snap selfies in a photo booth complete with running props, and let a massage therapist work out any post-run muscle kinks. A Be the Match table will be set up for people interested in having their cheek swabbed for possible bone marrow donation through the National Bone Marrow Registry. Additionally, Waffle House will be on site serving up their world famous hash browns, and, as has become tradition, post-race ice cream sundaes will be available.

Registration is now open and those who register by March 24 are guaranteed a race T-shirt. Pre-registration is $20 if postmarked by April 6 or completed online by April 7 at midnight. A discounted rate of $15 for all JSU students, faculty and staff, and the Anniston/Gadsden Runners Club is good until April 6 at midnight. Race day registration for all participants is $25 and can be accepted by either cash or check. The 1-mile fun run (T-shirt not included) is $10. For anyone who does not wish to run but would like to be involved, a T-shirt can be purchased for $10.

For more information or to register, click here.
03/06/2017



PRSA President Missy Burchart speaking to JSU PR students.

Missy Burchart, president of the Alabama chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, visited JSU on March 1 at the invitation of JSU PR Director Buffy Lockette.

Burchart serves as vice president of communications and development for the Alabama Literacy Council. She spoke to students in Dr. Augustine Ihators Public Relations Campaigns class. Also in attendance were the following PR professionals, who answered questions from the students:

Emily Duncan, Director of Tourism and Marketing for the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce

Jacki Lowry, Communications Specialist for Alabama Power Company

Jessica Smith, Resource Development Associate for United Way of East Central Alabama

Eric Wright, Communications Officer for the City of Gadsden

I plan to start getting regional PR professionals together once per semester for a mixer like this with PR students," said Lockette. "Its my way of being a regional steward as envisioned by President Beehler, while at the same time giving back to the PR profession as required of me as an accredited PR professional.



Lockette was recently reaccredited by PRSAs Universal Accreditation Board for another three years. Accreditation in Public Relations is a voluntary certification program for PR professionals who have demonstrated broad knowledge, experience and judgement in the field. Lockette was first accredited following a rigorous peer-review process and computerized exam in 2014. Lockette was also recently elected to the board of directors for Alabama PRSA. In December, she completed a masters degree at Auburn University at Montgomery. As part of her thesis, she created a media training guide for Alabama nonprofit Victims of Crimes and Leniency (VOCAL) to distribute to the families of homicide victims statewide.
Bahrains Shura Council [official website], the upper house of parliament, on Sunday approved [BNA report] a change [explanatory note, PDF] in the nations constitution that will allow military trials for civilians accused of being involved in terrorism plots. Critics are concerned that Bahrain is returning to policies that it promised to reform, including cracking down on dissenting political groups and skirting around legal processes, after 2011 protests rocked the small nation bordering Saudi Arabia.

Bahrains human rights record has been closely scrutinized in recent months. In September 32 nations joined [JURIST report] a statement to the UN urging Bahrain to protect freedom of peaceful assembly and speech, and to investigate reports of torture used on prisoners. In April a human rights group said [JURIST report] that Bahrains post-2011 reforms had failed to put a stop to human rights violations including illegal detentions and torture. And last February the Bahrain Ministry of the Interior started [JURIST report] a criminal investigation against a political opposition group for allegedly illegal content posted on social media.
In response to the mass execution of 15 people in Jordan on Saturday, several human rights groups, including Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website], condemned [AI press release] the hanging as being secretive and conducted without transparency. This mass execution was largest ever [Guardian report] in one day in Jordans history. Samah Hadid, deputy director of AIs regional office in Beirut, called the executions a big step backwards on human rights protection in Jordan. Among those executed, 10 had been convicted for some form of terrorist activity. Hadid also expressed concern that some of those executed may have had their confessions induced through torture or duress. Over the past several years, more than 100 detainees have been sentenced to death in Jordan, many of whom were involved in militant Islamist groups, in hopes of deterring terrorist activities. Despite their goal of deterrence, Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website], stated that [j]ust the terror attacks of the last two years shows that reinstating the death penalty in Jordan has done nothing to reduce the incidents of such violent attacks. From 2006 to 2014, Jordan had held a moratorium on capital punishment and, according to AI, Jordan had been the leader in the Middle East with respect to refraining from use of the death penalty.

Jordan has faced increasing criticism for their human rights violations in recent years. In September 2015, HRW urged Jordan to strengthen the countrys penal code [JURIST report] in order to strengthen human rights. In April 2015, HRW released a statement [JURIST report] denouncing as a violation of the laws of war an airstrike led by the Saudi Arabian coalition that led to the destruction of a humanitarian warehouse in Yemen. The attack said to be executed by the Saudi coalition, including Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates as a response to the ousting of former president Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadis government in January. In February 2015, a Jordanian court sentenced [JURIST report] a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood to 18 moths in prison for openly criticizing a decision by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In December 2015, the Interior Ministry of Jordan announced [JURIST report] that 11 men were executed by hangings, marking the first time Jordanian authorities delivered capital punishment in eight years.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena [official website] on Sunday rebuffed [press release, in Sinhala] calls for international judges to participate in the countrys war crimes tribunals. The president, who has been suspicious of war crimes allegations raised by the Tamil Tigers [Al Jazeera backgrounder], has stated that any war crimes tribunal will be an internal process to bring peace to the country. He said he would not subject his soldiers to international judges who would dishonor them and and their courage. Instead, he argued the army is not yet ready to bring any indictments as the focus is on better training and engagement to bring about peace. He argued international judges would bring about disruption to the nation and suggested any calls for international oversight are politically motivated.

A Sri Lankan panel of the Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms recommended [JURIST report] in January the appointment of a hybrid court composed of local and international judges to oversee the adjudication of allegations of war crimes committed during the nations civil war. The Sri Lankan Foreign Minster said in February that the country would petition [JURIST report] the UN for more time to investigate the allegations of war crimes occurring during the countrys 26-year-long civil war. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported [JURIST report] last week that Sri Lanka has made slow progress towards establishing transitional justice.
[JURIST] The US Supreme Court [official website] on Monday vacated [order, PDF] a lower court ruling in a case concerning transgender restroom policies following a move by the Trump administration to rescind guidelines that school districts should allow students to use the bathroom of their choice. The court had previously set arguments in the case for March 28 but has now asked the lower court to reconsider their ruling given the administrations revocation of guidelines [JURIST report] from the US Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Education (DOE) [official websites] that required federally funded schools to treat gender identity as a students sex for purposes of Title IX [DOE materials]. The case, Gloucester County School Board v. G.G. [SCOTUSblog materials], now returns to the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for consideration in light of the new guidance.

The Fourth Circuit had previously ruled in favor of the student [JURIST report], Gavin Grimm, last April, giving deference to the 2015 DOE memo. The Supreme Court blocked that ruling in August and then agreed in October to take up the case [JURIST reports].
[JURIST] US President Donald Trump signed a new immigration executive order Monday, which contains several departures from the original January executive order [text]. Notably, Iraqi citizens are no longer ineligible to receive new visas. The order also sets out classes of people eligible to apply for case-by-case waivers to the order, including those who were previously admitted to the US for a continuous period of work, study, or other long-term activity, those with significant business or professional obligations and those seeking to visit or live with family. However, the six Muslim-majority countries listed on the original ban will continue to be blocked from obtaining new visas. Furthermore, the refugee program will be suspended for 120 days and will accept no more than 50,000 refugees a year, down from the 110,000 set by the Obama administration. The order will take effect on March 16.

Last week the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied [JURIST report] a request by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to stay an appeal on Trumps previous controversial immigration executive order. The DOJ requested [JURIST reports] a hold on the court proceedings until Trump issued a new order. Last month the appeals court upheld [JURIST report] a lower court decision issuing a stay on the executive order pending further legal proceedings.
Hearings began on Monday in a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) [official website], with Ukraine asking [application, PDF] the ICJ to bar Russia from any action which might aggravate the contentious border conflict between the two nations. Ukraines filing that started the proceedings alleges that Russia has subjected Ukraine to increasing degrees of pressure and intimidation. Ukraine alleges that Russia has supported pro-Russia separatist fighters in Ukraine, leading to the shooting down of flight MH17, with 298 innocent civilians on board, bombing residential areas and peaceful political rallies, and other acts of terrorism. Further, Ukraine alleges that Russia has attempted the cultural erasure of Crimean Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians.

Russia forcefully annexed the Crimea [JURIST backgrounder], a part of Ukraine, in March 2014, and relations between the two nations have been severely strained. In January Ukraine filed [JURIST report] to begin legal proceedings in the ICJ against Russia. In December the UN reported [JURIST report] that Ukraine citizens were suffering because of failure by both Ukraine and separatist fighters to take precautions, resulting in damage to schools, kindergartens, and medical facilities and farmland. Human rights groups reported [JURIST report] in July that Ukraine government officials and pro-Russia separatists have both subjected citizens to arbitrary detentions and torture.
UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz [official website] called [press release] Friday for the US to adopt a consistent approach to indigenous land rights in pipeline projects. The Special Rapporteur was concerned [transcript] about how indigenous peoples were not fully consulted on the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL), leaving them with disruptions to their land. She said that she was encouraged by how indigenous people were trying to engage new technologies to utilize their property as well as a recent report that lays out how the government should try to approach similar pipelines in the future. However, she was concerned about how current projects are being pushed through with harrowing consequences for indigenous peoples without their meaningful inclusion in the decision making process.

But challenges remain. The contemporary executive action that provides the most direct guidance on consultation with tribes, Executive Order 13175, while well intentioned, has developed into a confusing and disjointed framework that suffers from loopholes, ambiguity, and a general lack of accountability. The regulatory regime has failed to ensure effective and informed consultations with tribal governments. The breakdown of communication and lack of good faith involvement in the review of federal projects has left tribal governments functionally unable to participate in consequential dialogue with the United States on projects affecting their lands, territories, and resources.

The Special Rapporteur called on the US government to develop stronger relationships with the tribes and create specific standards for future interactions.

The pipeline project has created a legal battle between the government and the indigenous nations. A judge for the US District Court for the District of Columbia in February turned down a request [JURIST report] to stop construction on the final stretch of the DAPL. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe had filed [JURIST report] a legal challenge in an attempt to stop the construction. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) granted [JURIST report] the final permit for the DAPL after an order from President Donald Trump to expedite the process.
The US State Department [official website] on Friday released its annual report [text] on the current human rights situation across the world. This report has been published annually since the mid-1970s and has usually been accompanied by a press conference, though current Secretary of State Rex Tillerson chose to write a short foreword to the report in lieu of an actual press conference. Tillerson, in his short preface to the report, said standing up for human rights and democracy is not just a moral imperative but is in the best interest of the United States in maintaining security and stability in the global community. The report, which harshly criticized the current extra-judicial killings in the Philippines war-on-drugs and Turkeys inconsistent access to due process and governmental inference with freedom of expression, was derided by many as sending an unmistakable signal to human rights defenders that the United States may no longer have their back. Others, including former State Department Spokesman PJ Crowley said the failure to have a press conference was more likely a matter of Tillerson adapting to the new position than anything else.

Ongoing conflict and social unrest continue to create a need for international organizations to promote human rights. In December the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein expressed concern [JURIST report] for global human rights. A UN human rights expert provided a report [JURIST report] to an international conference in Thailand that same month regarding discrimination of the lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender and intersex community. A spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern [JURIST report] in November about possible crimes against humanity committed against Myanmars Rohingya Muslim minority. US Central Command concluded [JURIST report] that month that airstrikes carried out by the US-led coalition near Dayr az Zawr, Syria, in September did not violate international law
ALMA  An Alma man who was allegedly shot and fled after an argument last week was taken into custody Saturday night on felony charges.

According to court records, Austin Lozo, 26, went to the Harlan County Sheriff's Office to retrieve a car and was taken into custody at that time. He is charged in Harlan County Court with use of a firearm to commit a felony, a Class IC felony; and terroristic threats, a Class IIIA felony.

The charges stem from an altercation with Lozos brother Tanner Lozo, 22.

The investigation revealed the brothers fought over allegedly stolen cigarettes outside Tanner Lozos home in Alma. Court records say Austin Lozo reportedly grabbed Tanner Lozo from behind with an arm around his neck and allegedly put a gun to his head. Court records say that Austin Lozo allegedly said, This is going to be your last day.

Tanner Lozo is alleged to have fought back and heard a gun fire, court records say. Austin Lozo allegedly fell to the ground and held his arm to his chest saying he was shot, court records say. Tanner Lozo reportedly escaped inside his home, court records say, and Austin Lozo allegedly fled.

To locate Austin Lozo, the Nebraska State Patrol searched Tanner Lozos residence on Thursday and allegedly was alerted for drugs, court records say. After receiving a search warrant, the following day the State Patrol reportedly found hash, marijuana, a wax-like drug substance and drug paraphernalia.

Tanner Lozo was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a Class IV felony; possession of 1 ounce to 1 pound of marijuana, a Class III misdemeanor; and possession or use of drug paraphernalia, an infraction.

The investigation found that Austin Lozo allegedly had been at another Alma home Friday morning where he was allegedly treated for a hand injury with peroxide and clean wraps.

When Austin Lozo was taken into custody Saturday, court records say, photos were taken of his left hand, which indicated a small injury.

Austin Lozo is set for arraignment March 15, court records say. If convicted, he could spend up to 50 years in prison for a Class IC felony conviction and up to three years in prison for a Class IIIA felony.

Tanner Lozo has bonded out of jail, according to the Harlan County Sheriffs Office. Court records do not yet indicate his next court date. If convicted, he could spend up to two years in prison on a Class IV felony and up to three months in jail for a Class III misdemeanor.
President Trump used a gathering of conservative activists to launch yet another attack against the news media. Unethical reporters make up stories and make up sources, he fumed. They shouldnt be allowed to use sources unless they use somebodys name.

Those statements are revealing and alarming. By using the word allowed, the president implies that some force or mechanism should have the power to control the press. Heres what else he said: The news media will never represent the people and were going to do something about it. What does do something mean? As a candidate, Trump talked about loosening libel laws. And his press office recently barred news organizations he doesnt like from attending a White House briefing.

The news media is hardly perfect. A Time reporter covering the early days of the Trump administration tweeted that a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. had been removed from the Oval Office. He was wrong, a stupid and sloppy mistake on an incendiary topic that should never have happened.

News outlets can get careless in the use of anonymous sources, and ignore the admonition in The New York Times ethics code that such sources should be used only as a last resort. And every president complains about leaks, including Barack Obama, who prosecuted more whistleblowers than any previous president.

But Trumps assault on the media is cynical and disingenuous. As the Associated Press reported, members of the White House team regularly demand anonymity when talking to reporters. New York Times Editor Dean Baquet told CNN, Hes been an anonymous source throughout his career, especially when it helped him and when it burnished his reputation.

Trump is trying to undermine the whole concept of verifiable facts, produced by independent sources of information, that contradict his own view of the world.

Take an intelligence report, produced by the Department of Homeland Security and leaked to the press, which rebuts Trumps claim that draconian control of refugees is needed to protect national security. The administration went nuts, with one senior official complaining to The Wall Street Journal, This is not the intelligence assessment the president asked for.

Again, revealing language: The president asked for a report that would validate his flawed reasoning, not one produced by independent researchers. In truth, said the Journal, the reports findings track similar studies by think tanks and news organizations.

As Trump pursues his war against facts and fact-finders, professionals are going to fight back. Many of them  scientists, intelligence officers, economists, lawyers, researchers of all kinds  have spent their careers devoted to the principle that Trump denies. Namely, that the world can be described, analyzed, measured and evaluated, independent of political prejudices and pressures.

And its totally understandable that certain sources want to remain anonymous.

In an administration that has expressed so much distaste for the press and so much distaste for our role, says Baquet of the Times, are you surprised that some of the people who want to criticize the administration want to do it without their names attached? Im not.

An impeccable source, President George W. Bush, had this to say  on the record  to NBCs Today show: Power can be addictive and it can be corrosive and its important for the media to call to account people who abuse their power.

Trump is already demonstrating the truth of that statement, and battle lines have been drawn.
Its disappointing that no one in Nebraskas congressional delegation scheduled a town hall meeting during the current weeklong recess. Town hall meetings are a grand American tradition, a valuable access point at which constituents can meet face-to-face with their representatives.

They are particularly important in the current media age in which voters and their elected representatives can all too easily isolate themselves in echo chambers where they hear only those with whom they agree.

Admittedly, those town hall meetings can be noisy, confrontational events. The potential was in evidence in Lincoln, when protesters left the public sidewalk to enter a building where Sen. Deb Fischer was speaking to the Lincoln Independent Business Association.

The protest was organized in part by the local Indivisible Lincoln organization, one of more than 4,000 offshoots across the country inspired by the Indivisible Guide written by former congressional staffers on how to resist the Trump agenda.

According to multiple sources, some of the protesters banged on interior windows, stomped in the hallway and created a ruckus that made it difficult for those in the LIBA meeting to hear what Fischer was saying. The senator left through a different door and avoided protesters and the media. When Sen. Ben Nelson was in office, he continued to hold town hall meetings despite noisy confrontations with Tea Party types. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry also has braved noisy constituents. In a 2014 town hall meeting in Lincoln it was difficult for those in attendance to hear the questions, and at one point, Fortenberry had to admonish one speaker to stop yelling.

Typically, the most common time for town hall meetings is in August, when Congress frequently has a long recess.

But with a new occupant in the White House, it was a prime opportunity for members of Congress to gauge what their constituents think. Only 21 Republican and 27 Democratic federal lawmakers scheduled town halls, according to the Roll Call news organization.

The next time Congress has a recess, the Journal Star editorial board hopes members of the Nebraska delegation invite the public to town hall meetings. It also hopes everyone who attends will be civil and allow open dialogue to take place.

Lincoln Journal Star
I want you to stand in front of a mirror. Now I want you to imagine Barack Obama is 40 days into his presidency, and that during his campaign he repeatedly and inexplicably praised Russian President Vladimir Putin. Next imagine that late in the campaign and in the weeks that followed the election that brought Obama into office, American intelligence agencies determined conclusively that Russia had hacked the Republican National Committee and released thousands of stolen emails that were damaging to Obamas opponent.

And that Obamas campaign vigorously denied any contact with Russian officials before or after the election.

Then, imagine that not long after the inauguration, Obamas national security adviser was found to have lied about having contact with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. He, in fact, spoke with the ambassador in December, the day the outgoing president issued sanctions against Russia for interfering with the election.

The adviser was fired.

Questions persisted. More evidence began to surface that people connected to Obama had been in contact with the Russians during the campaign.

Imagine that President Obama continued to deny there was any issue and brushed off reports as fake news, criticizing the intelligence community for leaking information to the press.

As calls for an investigation into the Obama campaigns connections to Russia grew louder, news broke that Obamas new attorney general had been less than honest during his confirmation hearing when asked if he had contact with the Russians. He said he hadnt, but it turns out he had met twice with the Russian ambassador, one of those times during the Democratic National Convention.

Imagine the attorney general said his meetings were part of his work as a senator, but then news came out that the trip to the convention was paid for through the then-senators campaign fund.

Under pressure, Obamas attorney general finally recused himself from investigations into issues surrounding the campaign and Russia.

Now imagine at this point, which again is in Obamas first 40 days as president, you learn that the fired national security adviser actually met with the Russian ambassador at Obamas house in Chicago, along with Obamas son-in-law. (You also have to imagine that Malia Obama is married and that a staffer in Obamas White House recently tried to push Malias clothing line in a nationally televised interview. I know this is hard, just keep that imagination going.)

Next you learn that an Obama campaign official who made a change to the Democratic Party platform during its national convention, a change Russia would like  the only change that candidate Obamas campaign requested  also met with the Russian ambassador during the Democratic National Convention.

Imagine all of these things. And remember that President Obama and members of his campaign all said specifically and repeatedly that there had been no contact with Russia.

Imagine.

Now look into that mirror in front of you.

If this were true, would you think there should be an independent investigation into contacts between the Obama campaign and Russia? Are you angry?

If you answered yes to either of those questions and you dont feel the same way right now about the connections between Donald Trumps campaign and Russia, you need to ask yourself: What is the difference between these two men?

Now look in the mirror again, long and hard. Because you have one last question to ask yourself.

And I think you know what it is.

Rex Huppke is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, file photo, the logo of PSA Group is pictured during the presentation of the company's 2016 full year results, in Paris. After billions in losses and years of unsuccessful turnaround attempts in Europe, General Motors decided that a foothold in the worldAos third-largest auto market isnAot worth the drag on its bottom line. The Detroit automaker on Monday, March 6, 2017, announced that itAos all but getting out of Europe, selling its Opel and Vauxhall units to French automaker PSA Group. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
Equality activist Nicola Thorp poses for a picture outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Monday, March 6, 2017. Nicola Thorp was told in December 2015 that her shoes were unacceptable for a temporary assignment in London with finance firm PwC. Members of Parliament on Monday will debate banning mandatory workplace high heels, in response to a petition by a receptionist who was sent home for wearing flat shoes. Thorp's petition, which calls formal workplace dress codes "outdated and sexist," gathered more than 150,000 signatures, making it eligible for a non-binding debate in Parliament. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)
Retired police officer Arturo Lascanas gestures as he testifies before a Senate inquiry Monday, March 6, 2017 in suburban Pasay city, south of Manila, Philippines. Lascanas has linked President Rodrigo Duterte when he was mayor, and his men to nearly 200 killings including foreign drug suspects, that the officer and other members of a so-called death squad allegedly carried out.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal arrives for the start of proceedings at the World Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, March 6, 2017, where Ukraine is taking Russia to the United Nations' highest judicial organ, accusing Moscow of financing separatist rebels and racially discriminating against ethnic Tartars and Ukrainians in the annexed Crimea peninsula. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
#Jongga Food company Daesang forms joint venture in Poland to expand kimchi in Europe Food company Daesang Corp. said Monday it has formed a joint venture with a Polish fermented food maker as the South Korean maker tries to expand the traditional fermented vegetabl...

#Naver Naver Q3 sales top 2 tln won in 2 yrs South Korean internet portal giant Naver Corp. said Monday its third quarter sales topped 2 trillion won (US$708.7 billion) for the first time in two years on robust growth in its ...
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Rationing of health care services according to an individuals ability to pay  or, as the case may be, the inability to do so  is becoming more prevalent in the United States, both in the public and private insurance spheres. Commercial payers, for example, increasingly require doctors to follow a complex and time-consuming authorization process. Recent surveys show that 75 percent of doctors complain about this often unnecessary step.

Insurance companies know that, given all the time the process consumes, some physicians will choose the path of least resistance and just skip ordering a test or referral they might otherwise have pursued. In response, a coalition of 16 organizations  including the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians  banded together last week to try to force insurance companies to eliminate this practice, except in rare situations.

The word rationing denotes a process for allocating essential resources in situations of scarcity. Rationing happens during an absolute limitation in supply, or when high production costs or excessive demand for consumption limits supply. In the poorest countries of the world, health care rationing exists explicitly and people have no choice but to accept it.

In some of these poorer countries, individuals face limited access to needed services unless they have the resources to pay high fees at private clinics owned by individual doctors. And the inevitable delays in accessing necessary care for urgent and emergent problems lead to higher mortality and complication rates.

In a visit to India in the fall of 2016, I had the opportunity to meet with physicians, hospital leaders and representatives from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation about perinatal mortality, both for mothers and their unborn children. When I learned that mortality was 10 times more than that of the United States, I was not surprised by the statistics but caught unaware of the reason these mothers and their unborn children were dying. It had nothing to do with poor prenatal services, inferior medical education or lack of skilled midwives. Rather, it was simply a matter of distance and time  too much distance and too little time.

The reason so many women in India die unnecessarily in childbirth is that more than 90% of births take place at home without ready access to emergency-type treatment. As a result, when complications arise that threaten the life of the mother and/or baby that could be addressed through a Cesarean (C-section), the woman simply cant reach a facility to have the procedure in time.

What the numbers tell us

In the United States, the maternal death rate in 1987 was 7.2 per 100,000 live births, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). But by 2011, the mortality rate rose to 17.8 per 100,000, and by 2015, the World Bank estimates climbed to 15 per 100,000. (In a future post, I plan to address the reasons for increased mortality in the United States over the past 25 years and the risks going forward). In contrast, the maternal death rate in India in 2015 was 174 deaths per 100,000 live births, or approximately 10 times higher.

About 30% of births in the United States are by C-section, according to the CDC. Some of these deliveries would be fine without a C-section, but a significant fraction are necessary to protect the lives of the mother and child. Some estimate that as many as 8% to 15% of C-sections are life-saving. And with this background, the approximately tenfold difference in mortality between the United States and India begins to make sense.

Build enough places in India to perform C-sections, and you could save tens of thousands of lives. But, of course, the problem is much too complex for such a solution. You would also need to expand the entire delivery infrastructure to bring people close enough to facilities to get care quickly and be able to identify when they and/or their babies are at risk. And thats a cost the health care system in India cant afford, at least not today.

Most people understand the need for rationing in countries like India. What they dont realize is that it exists in economically advanced nations, including the United States. But its less visible. Its also much more insidious. The mechanism in almost all cases is, in one form or another, the ability  or inability to pay.

Rationing comes in many forms

One approach to rationing, common in government-funded health systems in other countries, is through a two-tier system with two lines: one private and the other public. In these nations, medical care is either delayed or simply unavailable under public programs, while individuals who buy private coverage have rapid access to these same operations and tests. If patients get better during a delay or simply decide to forgo medical care for the problem in the future, there is a cost reduction. But it comes at the expense of quality and the overall health of the individuals affected. For this reason, most of the savings are illusory.

Medicaid, a publicly funded program that provides insurance coverage to low-income individuals, is another example. In states where reimbursements are significantly lower than those from other payers, many doctors refuse to participate. They know that caring for these patients will simply cost them more than they will receive in reimbursement from the government. As such, having coverage under Medicaid does not in itself guarantee access to care. And as a result, when the supply of willing providers is substantially lower than the number needed to treat the population enrolled, the total amount of care delivered may decrease, but once again, the reduction happens at the expense of the health and well-being of the individuals served. The process is haphazard. Its neither a rational nor satisfactory way to lower the cost of entitlements.

For people over 65, coverage is also provided by the government via Medicare, although at the federal, not the state, level. Over the past few years, payments to doctors and hospitals have been flat or even declining. As a result, we run the risk that seniors covered through this important and successful program could face difficulties similar to those in Medicaid in gaining access to care in the future.

A third approach, tried in the Medicaid program in Oregon, was to analyze the efficacy of every treatment and to stratify services from the most to the least cost-effective and then determine how many interventions in a given year the state would be able to fund. The program was deemed a highly rational approach, informed by a transparent process involving substantial community input. But awareness of services that wound up excluded doomed it almost from the start.

Finally, rationing happens through the ever-higher growth in health insurance deductibles. Today these first-dollar, out-of-pocket payments frequently exceed $5,000 per year. For many families, $5,000 a year is unaffordable except under rare, life-threatening circumstances. Once again, the result is rationing by ability  or inability  to pay.

The solution most likely to succeed

As the cost of medical care rises more rapidly than our nations ability to pay, pressure to keep those costs down is inevitable. Unfortunately, none of the solutions tried to date have proven rational, effective or in the best interests of the health of Americans. Rationing by ability to pay may be relatively easy to implement, but it fails to address the underlying drivers of health care costs, including operational inefficiencies, medical error, excess drug costs and excess regulation.

The right approach is to reform the delivery system and, specifically, increase collaboration and base reimbursement on value rather than volume. That approach will allow groups of physicians and hospitals to leverage modern technology, decrease medical error and invest in physician leadership. The result: higher performance at lower cost.

Organizations that have carried out these improvements in structure, reimbursement and leadership have achieved a nation-leading quality of care with not only significantly lower costs than their local competitors but also higher patient satisfaction. As the new Congress and President struggle to improve health care in this country, it will be essential to look to the most successful organizations as a model, and to help the more fragmented, paper-based, fee-for-service models of the past to change.

Again, if the goal of health care reform is merely to lower costs, then rationing according to an ability to pay can succeed, but it will be at the expense of peoples health and quality of life. If, however, the real goal is to improve both our health as a nation and our economy, a more holistic solution will be necessary. With data on outcomes becoming more available, were learning that the design of the delivery system makes more of a difference than the insurance vehicles involved. And we are learning the powerful consequences of the social determinants of disease, whether diabetes from lack of exercise and excess weight in the United States or paucity of proximate facilities in India capable of providing C-sections.

Transforming American medicine will be more difficult and complex than these other approaches, but its the only path that can provide a long and healthy life for every one of us.

Robert Pearl is a physician and CEO, Permanente Medical Groups. This article originally appeared in Forbes.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Since the study of science is the most common route taken to a career in medicine, theres a tendency among doctors to neglect, if not outright scoff at the arts and humanities. Thats a shame, and not only because an appreciation of history or philosophy might make you a better doctor. Im in complete agreement with that notion, but as an opinion, it cant be definitively proven.

Instead, I think its worthwhile to talk about the benefits of the humanities in medicine  specifically crafting and sharing medical storiesindependent of any effects the effort might have on your success as a doctor.

Medical storytelling, or narrative medicine, can be tricky to define unless perhaps you start with what it isnt. Narrative medicine isnt case presentation, chart reviews, or Morbidity & Mortality rounds. The purpose of telling the story is not the correct clinical answer, nor to uncover what when right or wrong for the patient in question. Precise details are critical to M&M discussions, while no such requirements exist for medical narratives.

Narrative medicine isnt genre writing like a Robin Cook or Michael Palmer medical thriller. Those books can be fun, but for the most part, theyre wildly unrealistic, and the medical content plays second fiddle to the storytelling conventions of the genre and momentum of the plot.

Rather, narrative medicine is much like the ancient Greek myths: stories that are flexible, enduring, and offer any number of truths or insights beyond the immediate details at hand. They can be recorded in writing or passed from person to person by word of mouth alone.

For example, I have a story Ive shared for over fifteen years, describing my first night of calling on the internal medicine wards as an intern. My wife, also an intern in the medicine wards, had given me a handover on a patient with terminal lung fibrosis. The patient would have periodic spells of respiratory distress, spells that settled only after injecting a few milligrams of morphine through his IV. When I was summoned to deal with the mans distress later that evening, I inadvertently ended up injecting just enough morphine to settle his breathing for good. His family was grateful that their loved one would suffer no longer, and though I was shaken, I carried on with my night of call without further incident.

For years, Ive employed the story primarily for its morbid humor or to showcase the realities faced by a rather hapless intern trapped in a hospital apart from his significant other. While relating the story on a recent podcast, it dawned on me that the same story can also illustrate doctors collective discomfort with a terminal disease or spark a discussion around the limits of medical science and the role of physician-assisted death. Its worth noting, though, that whatever the chosen thrust of the story, there are very few details required to keep its essence the same: the patient neednt have been a man; the disease could just as easily have been emphysema or congestive heart failure; the other intern need not have been my wife, and the injected drug could have been any narcotic or even a potent sedative. For the purposes of medical education or quality control, or public policy, all those details matter, but in no way do they matter to the intangible value of the story itself. Still, its only in telling the story that we ask the questions  and hopefully, find answers  that arent revealed in the nitty-gritty clinical data.

More importantly, medical storytelling is cathartic in the classical antiquity sense of the word (the medical sense of the word is better embodied by the word laxative). In telling a good story, both the storyteller and the audience can experience and release the whole spectrum of emotion through a medium in which no patient or caregiver need suffer undue harm. And unlike visual arts, literary fiction, or poetry, a good story is one thats accessiblthatsimmediately engaging.

Narrative medicine isnt for everyoisntnd many health professionals despise using their spare time to write. Storytelling and narrative writing are related but distinct crafts; each demands training, practice, and motivation. But theres enjoyment intheresploration of both, even as a casual observer. So dial down the knee-jerk skepticism, stop your eyes from rolling, and take a second look at what a good medical story has to offer.

Franklin Warsh is an investigating coroner and retired family physician who blogs at The Flame Broiled Doctor. He is the author of The Flame Broiled Doctor: From Boyhood to Burnout in Medicine and can be reached on Twitter @drwarsh.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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One of the popular critiques of the American health care system is that it is high-volume, low-quality, and that this is a direct result of the traditional fee-for-service approach to paying doctors for medical care. In the past, doctors and hospitals have been paid much the same way that we pay for other goods and services. When they provide a service, such as an appointment or a procedure, they are paid for the work they performed. In other industries, this is viewed favorably. The more, the merrier. In health care, however, because we are spending too much as individuals and as a nation, it is the opposite. We are looking for ways to reduce health care spending. A purely fee-for-service health care payment system may encourage more spending, but also, includes no incentive to provide higher-quality care. It rewards volume, but ignores quality. Seems to make sense, right?

But crafty government bureaucrats believe they have figured out a way to reverse the situation. They have developed a new payment approach referred to as value-based pay. In this new value-based payment system, which is beginning this year (but doesnt affect doctors payments until 2019), the government will rate doctors based on their performance on quality metrics as well as how much a doctors patients cost the system. The system also requires that doctors use computerized electronic health records according to government standards and that they perform a number of quality-improvement projects every year. Physicians whose ratings are in the top fifty percent will receive an increase in their rate of pay, and those in the lower fifty percent will receive a penalty. Again, seems to make sense, right? Physicians will be paid for higher quality and lower cost. Everybody should be happy.

I hate to be a kill-joy, but there just may be some problems with this approach when it comes up against the reality of the busted American health care system. In the minds of bureaucrats, Im sure it makes all the sense in the world. Down in the trenches, where not a whole lot makes sense anymore, not so much.

This is reality. The government is going to be rating my performance on such measures as the hemoglobin A1c, the test most often used to gauge how a diabetic patient is doing. I take care of a great many patients with diabetes. I consider it one of my specialties. I monitor my patients hemoglobin A1c levels religiously and make every attempt to keep it under control. Of course, many diabetics require insulin to control their glucose levels. Lately, patients are complaining that their insulin has become too expensive. These patients tend to be older (they have type 2 diabetes), and most are covered under Medicare D prescription plans. Still, they are being forced to pay hundreds of dollars per month for their insulin. More and more, my staff and I are scrambling to try and figure out how to get patients their insulin. But there are limited choices. Some patients may have to go without.

Diabetic patients are also telling me that the cost of their glucose testing supplies are going up, and are getting to a point where patients are limiting, or even avoiding testing their blood glucose levels.

As many people are aware, our government chooses, for various bad reasons, not to negotiate lower prices with pharmaceutical companies. Most other countries control the costs of their patients medications by doing so.

It goes without saying that taking care of these patients is becoming extremely challenging under such conditions. Ill throw in that most of my patients do not have a lot of money. Maybe things are different for physicians who practice in more affluent areas.

Now, on top of all that, I most assuredly cant completely control how my patients eat or whether they can or will exercise. I do my best to encourage them.

Lets look at value-based pay now, knowing the reality of what is going on. On one hand, the government will penalize me if my quality metrics do not stack up. But on the other hand, by not effectively controlling my patients prescription costs, the government is limiting my ability to provide quality care. With the cost of my care also being a factor, I am not-so-subtly being encouraged to withhold more expensive care, as well. If the cost of insulin and diabetic testing supplies are going so high, maybe my rating (and my resultant pay) would be better if I didnt prescribe such things. Im in a bit of a quandary, arent I?

Maybe the best thing under such circumstances is to try and avoid taking care of patients who have diabetes or who are lower income. But that kind of runs counter to all of the reasons that I went into medicine, and all the values that my staff and I hold dear. But it is a logical conclusion under these often illogical circumstances.

The answer is that what would help the American health care system more than anything would be for all patients to have reasonable limits on their out-of-pocket expenses and guaranteed coverage for all reasonable care. Until they do, attempts to bring value to the system will continue to fail.

Matthew Hahn is a family physician who blogs at his self-titled site, Matthew Hahn, MD.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Before the Texas A&M International University students take off for Spring Break, the university will be hosting their annual four-day "Spring Break Revolution" event.

These next four days will be filled with events to teach students the importance of not drinking and driving, educating them on sex and alcohol safety, as well as offering information on STD's and drugs.

According to one student, it's important to remind people the importance of having fun, but of also being safe.

"We're just trying to make sure that the students, when they're going out their to Spring Break, for them to have fun, but that they don't necessarily have to drink," says student Alexis Guraracha. "And if they do, just to make sure they either have a designated driver or that they know what they're supposed to do because we don't want anybody getting hurt out there, but at the same time we also want them to have fun."

This event is free to all TAMIU students, and will take place at the Student Center.
International Womens day on March 8th is setting up to be a day of strike and protest across the country.

Demands for a referendum on the 8th amendment have been heating up since the Dail resumed last year.

Adrienne Wallace from People Before Profit said that continuous polls show that the majority of people now want the 8th amendment repealed.

Yet the AAA- People Before Profit bill seeking a referendum was defeated last year. Only 17 T.Ds bothered to turn up for the debate while hundreds rallied outside. This highlights the undignified disregard most T.Ds have for womens rights  the people are angry and pressure has been mounting on the streets. A general strike has been called for alongside a national protest in Dublin on March 8th and the response has been phenomenal.

Tanya Cody from Kilkenny For Choice added We are asking people to join us on St. Johns Bridge from 12.30 where a large banner will be unfurled as we demand a referendum now! The Strike4Repeal campaign is a not a general strike in the traditional sense  we are asking people to walk out or take the day off work, including domestic chores, or to join us on their lunch breaks in the fight for a progressive country.

Jessica Murphy from Repeal the 8th Carlow/Kilkenny said:

Not only are pregnant peoples human rights trampled under the 8th amendment but all of our democratic rights are! The people of this country have moved on but the politicians seem intent on holding us back to suit their own backward ideologies. We want democracy and its sad that in this day and age we have to fight for even that. March 8th is setting up to be a big day across Ireland. Our Strike4Repeal event will coincide with events all over the country. Stay at home parents to school students to university goers have all answered the call for direct action. We will also be joining the Coalition to Repeal the 8ths March in Dublin at 5.30 later that day, she added.

Organisers are asking those who want to participate to wear black or a black armband and meet at St. Johns bridge at 12.30.
(Kitco News) - Metals remain conflicted at current levels, as opposing fundamentals have neutralized momentum. A March Fed rate hike is all but guaranteed, which although likely priced in, remains a headwind for the metals on anticipation of a stronger dollar. The firing of four ballistic missiles by North Korea has increased tensions in the Asian basin and created some buying from the Far East. Traders are also worried about President Trumps actual fiscal policy. Tax reform and repeal of Obamacare are major initiatives and the market is still unclear as to what these programs will look like. Elections in the Netherlands are around the corner, and in France it appears that the anti-EU proponent Marine Le Pen has gained a better chance of winning, as former prime minister Alain Juppe has confirmed he will not enter the race. The overall uncertainty will keep metal prices in a churning pattern. Gold remains supported at $1,222, with resistance at $1,237. By Peter Hug Contributing to kitco.com Follow @KitcoNewsNOW

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 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.
By Daniel Stanton

SINGAPORE, March 6 (IFR) - Mongolia completed a stunning turnaround in the global capital markets last week, pricing part of a $600 million sovereign bond more than 300 basis points (bps) inside a shorter issue sold less than a year ago.

Not only that, but the country managed to reward bondholders who had shown loyalty throughout a period of uncertainty, giving them a healthy one-day gain, on paper, of 7.5 points.

After signing a new funding agreement with the International Monetary Fund, the sovereign completed an exchange offer for its state-guaranteed Development Bank of Mongolia bonds due on Mar. 21, as well as offering a new money tranche to other investors to round up the deal size.

Holders of 82 percent of the S$580 million DBM bonds agreed to exchange into new sovereign seven-year notes at par. The yield for the new notes was set at 8.75 percent, the minimum shown in the Feb. 24 guidance.

That accounted for $475.989 million of the new issue size. The remaining $124.011 million was marketed to other investors to raise new money. Guidance started at 8.25 percent area, before tightening to 7.7 percent, plus or minus 12.5 bps, and eventually printing at a cash price of 106.016 to yield 7.625 percent.

That meant the new-money tranche priced more than 100 bps inside the exchange tranche. Some questioned if the exchange could have been priced at a lower yield, but the main objective of the whole exercise was to achieve the highest possible exchange rate ahead of the DBM maturity, as well as rewarding existing bondholders. Mongolia's outstanding 2021 bonds were seen at around 6.98 percent, implying a fair value of around 8% for a seven-year issue.

The new notes are rated B-/B- (S&P/Fitch). Moody's has a Caa1 rating on Mongolia, but did not rate the new issue. HUGE IMPROVEMENT The final pricing was a huge improvement from March last year, when the Government of Mongolia sold a $500 million five-year at par to yield 10.875 percent, the highest yield on any sovereign bonds since 2011. Orders for that deal were a modest $750 million.

More than 200 accounts placed orders totalling $3.3 billion for the new $124 million tranche and, apart from the small allocations, investors had nothing to complain about when the bonds shot up to a cash price of 107.5 the next day.

"It was like trying to drive a truck through a pinhole," said a source close to the deal.

Undoubtedly, the size could have been increased, but the issuer showed prudence, given that it has just entered an IMF programme and was focused on dealing with the short-term maturity.

The existing DBM bonds were issued under Reg S only, so the new sovereigns were marketed under 144A/Reg S and allocations were weighted towards U.S. investors to ensure the broadest investor diversification.

U.S. investors took 76 percent of the new-money tranche, with European accounts next on 18 percent and Asian investors on 6 percent. Fund managers bought 90 percent of the notes, public institutions bought 7 percent, insurers and banks bought a combined 2 percent, and others bought 1 percent.

The seven-year tenor was chosen to avoid clashing with Mongolia's other existing dollar maturities, in 2018, 2021 and 2022. The next challenge will be to refinance a $500 million sovereign bond due on Jan. 5, 2018.

DBM's 2017s had traded at a cash price as low as 90 in February last year, but the agreement last month of a $5.5 billion funding deal with the IMF and other agencies, as well as the extension of a 15 billion yuan ($2.2 billion) swap line with the People's Bank of China for another three years, has helped assuage investors' concerns, at least in the medium term.

"Mongolia has a lot of potential, but it is monolithic and commodity heavy, so the challenge for the country is to diversify into other industries," said a fund manager.

Credit Suisse and JP Morgan were joint bookrunners for the transaction. SC Lowy was financial adviser to the Mongolian government.

(Reporting by Daniel Stanton; Editing by Steve Garton and Vincent Baby)
By Joshua Franklin and Paul Arnold

ZURICH, March 6 (Reuters) - Activist hedge fund investor RBR suggested outgoing GAM Holding Chairman Johannes de Gier consider bringing in a new chief executive at the Swiss asset manager, a source familiar with the meeting told Reuters.

The meeting was also attended by Hugh Scott-Barrett, whom GAM last week nominated to replace de Gier, rejecting RBR's recommendation for chairman. A GAM spokeswoman said the company does not comment on the content of private meetings with shareholders.

An external communications adviser for RBR did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Amid rocky financial markets GAM posted net outflows of 10.7 billion Swiss francs ($10.6 billion) in 2016, when its share price fell almost 30 percent. Performance fees also plummeted to 3 million francs from 82.8 million.

Since joining Zurich-based GAM in September 2014, Chief Executive Alexander Friedman has overhauled part of the company's senior management team, closed or merged almost 70 funds, and outsourced its middle and back offices.

In 2016, GAM also cut fixed staff costs and general expenses by around 16 million francs and plans a further reduction of 30 million francs francs through 2019.

However, RBR has suggested the company could be doing more to cut costs and suggested management of its portfolio managers could be improved, the person said.

GAM disclosed last week that RBR had taken a 2.1 percent stake in the company but RBR has bought additional shares and now holds roughly double that, the person said.

According a filing on Monday on the Swiss stock exchange website, RBR founder and Chief Investment Officer Rudolf Bohli holds a 3.28 percent stake in GAM through two RBR funds.

Friedman said last week the company's management had met with RBR but declined to give any details on what was said at the meeting. ($1 = 1.0080 Swiss francs)

(Editing by Michael Shields)
AMSTERDAM, March 6 (Reuters) - Avantium , a Dutch company that has developed technology for making plastic from sugars rather than petrochemicals, said on Monday it hopes to raise at least 90 million euros in an initial public offering, giving it a market capitalisation of 264 million euros ($279.95 million).

Avantium is selling 8.2 million shares at 11 euros per share, or a 34 percent stake post-IPO, it said in a statement, with an over-allotment possible depending on demand.

It already has commitments in place from investors for two-thirds of the amount it seeks to raise. Named investors include RobecoSAM and pension fund manager APG.

Proceeds will go to building a plant in Antwerp, as part of a joint venture with German chemicals giant BASF .

Listing is scheduled for March 15.

($1 = 0.9430 euros)

(Reporting by Toby Sterling; editing by Jason Neely)
BEIJING, March 6 (Reuters) - China should clarify its "bottom line" with regard to supervision of bitcoin exchanges and establish a so-called negative list for the industry in order to limit risks, China Business News quoted a central bank official as saying on Monday.

In the long term, China should learn from international supervision of the cryptocurrency and study the establishment of a regulatory mechanism in order to maintain financial stability, the newspaper's website quoted Zhou Xuedong, director of the business management department in the People's Bank of China, as saying.

Zhou is also a delegate to the national parliament, which is holding its annual meeting in Beijing.

(Reporting by Judy Hua and John Ruwitch; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
CAIRO, March 6 (Reuters) - Egypt has reached an agreement with private rice mills to produce white rice, potentially ending a standoff over the buying price of last year's crop that has led to millions of tonnes of paddy sitting idle since the harvest.

The supply ministry said this week it had agreed to pay private mills 6.3 Egyptian pounds ($0.3784) per kilogram of white rice, which the government would then sell at its outlets for 6.5 Egyptian pounds.

Farmers last year refused to sell government mills their crops despite a plentiful harvest, arguing that the buying price of 2,400 Egyptian pounds ($270.27) per tonne of rice paddy was too low.

The new agreement means that private mills will instead buy up the paddy at the current market price of about 4,200 Egyptian pounds before selling it on to the government.

Last year, the long held paddy stocks forced up local rice prices and intermittently made supplies at government outlets scarce, forcing state grain buyer GASC to import 75,000 tonnes of medium grain rice despite a local surplus and a hard currency shortage. Egypt's annual consumption of rice paddy is about 3.95 million tonnes whereas production is about 5.1 million tonnes, according to a United States Department of Agriculture report.

Mostafa al-Naggari, head of the rice committee of Egypt's agricultural export council, estimates that about 3.9 million tonnes of rice paddy remains in the hands of farmers and traders as a result of the standoff.

Any subsequent jump in the local paddy price, however, could make the recently struck deal untenable given the tight profit margin agreed to by the private mills under the new deal.

"If the price of paddy jumps 100 or 150 pounds, the mills will not be able to distribute it," Naggari said. ($1 = 16.6500 Egyptian pounds)

(Reporting by Eric Knecht; editing by Maha El Dahan and David Clarke)
(Updates table)

SAO PAULO, March 6 (Reuters) - The Mexican peso weakened slightly on Monday even after the central bank intervened to support the ailing currency.

The central bank sold $1 billion worth of a new peso hedge instrument similar to non-deliverable forwards. Total demand for the new instruments was $2.075 billion, the bank said. It had announced last month that it would sell up to $20 billion in currency hedges to shore up the peso, which has been battered by U.S. President Donald Trump's pledges to tear up the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Still, the peso has rebounded in recent weeks on hopes that the United States and Mexico could strike a mutually beneficial deal.

It hit a nearly four-month high on Monday, extending gains from last week triggered by comments from a high-ranking U.S. trade official, before turning lower. Other Latin American currencies were down as riskier assets slipped around the world.

The Brazilian real weakened 0.3 percent, while the country's benchmark Bovespa stock index fell 0.9 percent.

Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 2100 GMT: Stock indexes daily % YTD %

change change

Latest MSCI Emerging Markets 933.84 0.3 7.98 MSCI LatAm 2603.52 -0.13 11.37 Brazil Bovespa 66211.51 -0.86 9.94 Mexico IPC 47813.26 0.84 4.76 Chile IPSA 4467.32 0.85 7.61 Chile IGPA 22390.79 0.88 7.99 Argentina MerVal 19197.34 -0.35 13.47 Colombia IGBC 9874.64 -0.33 -2.50 Venezuela IBC 37646.44 0.13 18.74 Currencies daily % YTD %

change change

Latest Brazil real 3.1340 -0.25 3.68 Mexico peso 19.5995 -0.51 5.84 Chile peso 660.5 -0.41 1.54 Colombia peso 2970.2 -0.01 1.05

Peru sol 3.294 -0.46 3.64 (Reporting by Bruno Federowski; Editing by Dan Grebler and Diane Craft)
By John Geddie and Karin Strohecker

LONDON, March 6 (Reuters) - A raft of developing countries are considering selling bonds earmarked for environmental projects, potentially accelerating growth in a market seen as crucial to efforts to keep global temperatures in check.

France and Poland have in recent months become the first sovereigns to issue 'green' bonds, previously the domain mainly of development banks and companies. Among the hundreds of financiers that descended on London for a major green bond conference on Monday, there were hints that other governments such as Kenya and China are planning to help scale up this market to meet a 2015 pledge by world leaders to limit global warming this century to below 2 degrees Celsius.

West African powerhouse Nigeria is set to be next, having last month unveiled plans to launch a local currency green bond in April. But further east on the continent similar plans are being hatched. The governor of the central bank of Kenya, Patrick Njoroge, told Reuters that there will be a sovereign debt issue "down the road" to follow a fast-approaching private sector initiative from a number of banks.

"We have a huge pool of investors and you would hope that with time this would become a fashion. There is no other show in town, it has to be green," Njoroge said at the event hosted by London-based non-profit Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI).

Speaking earlier to an audience, Njoroge said that emerging markets were not the biggest contributors to climate change, but they were feeling the most pain through events such as droughts.

ASIAN INTEREST

The appeal of green bonds appears to be spreading across Asia, too.

Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the conference, Kwangchul Ji, a director in the Korean finance ministry, said there was "interest" from both his government and the private sector on green bond projects.

Nearby China has been the driving force behind the rapid expansion of the green debt market, which CBI estimates grew by more than $80 billion globally last year, the best year since inception around a decade ago.

Tracy Cai, the founder of Beijing-based sustainability consultancy SynTao, said that green bond issuance from China alone is estimated to reach $60 billion in 2017 and should include its first such sovereign bond.

At 7 billion euros, France's green bond in January was the largest to date, trumping a record set by China's Bank of Communications which sold a 30 billion yuan ($4.35 billion) two-tranche issue in November 2016.

OECD studies suggest annual green debt issuance worldwide will need to rise to $620 billion-$720 billion by 2035 if the G20 is going to meet its climate change targets. The studies are based on the average capital mix -- equity, loans and bonds -- of green projects.

(Editing by Hugh Lawson)
LONDON, March 6 (Reuters) - Troubled platinum miner Lonmin said on Monday its chief operating officer (COO) has resigned for personal reasons.

After more than two years in the role of COO and director, Ben Moolman will step down on April 5, Lonmin said, without naming a successor.

The world's third largest platinum producer, which was saved from collapse in 2015 with a $400 million deeply discounted rights issue, reported weaker than expected production, saying that larger shafts, known as generation 2 shafts, had disappointed. Lonmin also said initiatives to improve production were taking longer than planned. "Its not ideal that their main technical person is gone. It's another signal that Lonmin has some real problems," Peel Hunt analyst Peter Mallin-Jones said.

"They are facing challenges in managing its workforce, managing the local community and managing the age of its assets, all at a time when platinum group metal pricing is relatively low and therefore margins are very thin."

Platinum prices rose just 1 percent in 2016, failing to join the rebound in the prices of some other metals and leaving Lonmin out of the wider recovery in share prices in the mining sector that began last year.

Lonmin has also been taken to task by the South African government which threatened to take away its licence at the end of last year if it did not build the houses it had promised for its employees. However, some analysts said Moolman's resignation was not a concern.

Momentum SP Reid Securities analyst Sibonginkosi Nkosi said Lonmin's chief executive Ben Magara was a seasoned operations manager and could handle major issues.

Magara, a mining engineer, was head of Anglo American Platinum's engineering and capital projects and is the former CEO of Anglo American's South African coal unit.

"I was questioning why Lonmin needed a COO when Ben Magara is an operations guy. We know that he is Mr Fix-It. That function (of COO) can easily be slotted in under Magara," Nkosi said.

(Reporting by Zandi Shabalala; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
By Tife Owolabi

YENAGOA, Nigeria March 6 (Reuters) - Nigerian troops have destroyed 80 oil refineries in the restive Niger Delta region in the last 10 days, a military spokesman said on Monday, weeks after the vice president said work needs to be offered to people who make a living from the practice.

The government has been holding talks with militants to end attacks on oil production facilities which cut the OPEC member's output by 700,000 barrels a day for several months last year.

But a military crackdown on thousands of illegal refineries in the southern swamps, which process crude oil stolen from oil majors and state oil firm NNPC, has raised tensions in the last few months.

Illicit refineries process stolen crude in makeshift pipes and metal tanks hidden in oil-soaked clearings deep in the southern swampland's thick bush land.

"Troops of joint operation Delta Safe have intensified raids operation against crude oil theft with destruction of 80 illegal refineries across Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States," said military spokesman Abubakar Abdullahi.

"Our troops would not relent until our mandate is achieved."

The comments contrast those made in February by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who said Nigeria must engage with illegal refiners by establishing modular refineries so that they can participate in legal refining. Militants behind last year's attacks called for more of Nigeria's energy wealth to go to the Delta, which remains impoverished with widespread unemployment despite being the country's oil hub. Crude sales make up two-thirds of government revenue.

Osinbajo, acting president while head of state Muhammadu Buhari is on indefinite sick leave in Britain, on Monday visited Edo state in the Delta. It is the latest in a series of trips to the region where he is holding talks with community groups.

Last year's attacks, combined with subdued oil prices, were a major factor in Africa's largest economy shrinking 1.5 percent in 2016 - its first full-year contraction in 25 years. There have been no attacks so far in 2017. (Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram, editing by David Evans)
COLOMBO, March 6 (Reuters) - The Sri Lankan rupee traded slightly weaker in dull trade on Monday as importer dollar demand surpassed greenback sales due to inflows from remittances, dealers said.

Rupee forwards were active, with two-week forwards trading at 151.85/95 per dollar at 0635 GMT, compared with Friday's close of 151.80/90.

"Today is a very dull day. The import demand is there after the weekend but we can see some (inward) remittances," said a currency dealer on condition of anonymity.

"If we don't get to see steady inflows, the rupee will be under pressure due to seasonal import demand and drought."

Dealers said the rupee would be under pressure due to dollar demand from importers ahead of the traditional Sinhala-Tamil New Year in mid-April, and as foreign investors continue to sell government securities.

Ratings agency Moody's said in a report that lower agricultural exports and higher imports to make up for the loss in domestic production would weigh on the current account deficit and foreign exchange reserves.

The government's handouts to farming families affected by drought could make the fiscal deficit target a challenge, Moody's added.

Lower agricultural output due to the drought will force the government to increase imports, dealers said. For further imports, the government needs more U.S. currency while there will be fewer dollars coming in from agriculture commodity exports. Both will increase the demand for the greenback and put pressure on the rupee. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake on Friday denied Moody's report and said the worst drought to hit Sri Lanka in 40 years may cost the government up to 40 billion rupees ($264.7 million), but it should not worsen the fiscal deficit. Foreign investors bought a net 701 million rupees ($4.64 million) worth of government securities in the week ended March 1 recording its first net inflow for the year. But they have sold a net 63.76 billion rupees such instruments so far this year.

Sri Lanka could face balance-of-payments pressure due to foreign outflows from government securities, a government document showed last month, even as the island nation was in the process of raising up to $2.5 billion from foreign borrowing. The rupee has weakened 1 percent so far this year. It fell 3.9 percent last year, following a 10 percent drop in 2015.

Sri Lankan shares were up 0.03 percent at 6,103.40, as of 0637 GMT. Turnover stood at 279.5 million rupees ($1.85 million).

($1 = 151.0000 Sri Lankan rupees)

(Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
COLOMBO, March 6 (Reuters) - The Sri Lankan rupee ended marginally weaker in thin trade on Monday, as importer dollar demand surpassed greenback remittances, dealers said.

Rupee forwards were active, with two-week forwards ending at 151.85/95 per dollar, compared with Friday's close of 151.80/90.

"The importer demand was largely taken care by remittances in thin trade today," said a currency dealer on condition of anonymity.

"If we don't get to see steady inflows, the rupee will be under pressure due to seasonal import demand and drought."

Dealers said the rupee would be under pressure due to dollar demand from importers ahead of the traditional Sinhala-Tamil New Year in mid-April, and as foreign investors continue to sell government securities.

Ratings agency Moody's said in a report last week that lower agricultural exports and higher imports to make up for the loss in domestic production would weigh on the current account deficit and foreign exchange reserves.

The government's handouts to farming families affected by drought could make the fiscal deficit target a challenge, Moody's added.

Lower agricultural output due to the drought will force the government to increase imports, dealers said. For further imports, the government needs more U.S. currency while there will be fewer dollars coming in from agriculture commodity exports. Both will increase the demand for the greenback and put pressure on the rupee. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said on Friday the worst drought to hit Sri Lanka in 40 years may cost the government up to 40 billion rupees ($264.7 million), but should not worsen the fiscal deficit. Foreign investors bought a net 701 million rupees ($4.64 million) worth of government securities in the week ended March 1, recording the first weekly net inflow for the year. They have sold a net 63.76 billion rupees such instruments so far this year.

Sri Lanka could face balance-of-payments pressure due to foreign outflows from government securities, a government document showed last month, even as the island nation was in the process of raising up to $2.5 billion from foreign borrowing. The rupee has weakened around 1 percent so far this year. It fell 3.9 percent last year, following a 10 percent drop in 2015.

(Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
President Donald Trump signed a revised executive order on Monday banning citizens from six Muslim-majority nations from traveling to the United States but removing Iraq from the list, after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts.

The new order, which the White House said Trump had signed, keeps a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the new order would take effect on March 16. The delay aims to limit the disruption created by the original Jan. 27 order before a U.S. judge suspended it on Feb. 3.

Trump, who first proposed a temporary travel ban on Muslims during his presidential campaign last year, had said his original executive order was a national security measure meant to head off attacks by Islamist militants.

It came only a week after Trump was inaugurated, and it sparked chaos and protests at airports, as well as a wave of criticism from targeted countries, Western allies and some of America's leading corporations.

"It is the president's solemn duty to protect the American people," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters after Trump signed the new order. "As threats to our security continue to evolve and change, common sense dictates that we continually re-evaluate and reassess the systems we rely upon to protect our country."

The leader of the minority Democrats in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said he expected the revised order to have the same uphill battle in the courts as the original version.

"A watered down ban is still a ban," he said in a statement. "Despite the administration's changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited, and un-American. It must be repealed."

Trump's original ban resulted in more than two dozen lawsuits in U.S. courts. Attorney General Bob Ferguson of Washington state, which succeeded in having the previous ban suspended, said he was "carefully reviewing" the new order.

IRAQ'S NEW VETTING

Iraq was taken off the banned list because the Iraqi government has imposed new vetting procedures, such as heightened visa screening and data sharing, and because of its work with the United States in countering Islamic State militants, a senior White House official said.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who along with several other senior Cabinet members had lobbied for Iraq's removal, was consulted on the new order and the updated version "does reflect his inputs," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said.

Thousands of Iraqis have fought alongside U.S. troops for years or worked as translators since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Many have resettled in the United States after being threatened for working with U.S. troops.

The White House official said the new executive order also ensures that tens of thousands of legal permanent residents in the United States - or green card holders - from the listed countries would not be affected by the travel ban.

The original order barred travelers from the seven nations from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days. Refugees from Syria were to be banned indefinitely but under the new order they are not given separate treatment.

Trump's first order was seen by opponents as discrimination against Muslims. The White House official said the new order had nothing to do with religion and that the administration would reset the clock on the 90-day travel ban.

But House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said "the Trump administration's repackaging has done nothing to change the immoral, unconstitutional and dangerous goals of their Muslim and refugee ban."

"NO ALLEGED CHAOS"

Trump publicly criticized judges who ruled against him and vowed to fight the case in the Supreme Court, but then decided to draw up a new order with changes aimed at making it easier to defend in the courts.

Refugees who are "in transit" and already have been approved would be able to travel to the United States.

"Theres going to be a very orderly process," a senior official from the Department of Homeland Security said. "You should not see any chaos so to speak, or alleged chaos at airports. There arent going to be folks stopped tonight from coming into the country because of this executive order."

The FBI is investigating 300 people admitted into the United States as refugees as part of 1,000 counter-terrorism probes involving Islamic State or individuals inspired by the militant group, congressional sources told Reuters on Monday, citing senior administration officials.

An FBI spokeswoman said the agency was consulting its data to confirm the information.

The White House official said U.S. government agencies would determine whether Syria or other nations had made sufficient security improvements to be taken back into the refugee admissions program.

The new order spells out detailed categories of people eligible to enter the United States, such as for business or medical travel, or people with family connections or who support the United States.

"There are a lot of explicit carve-outs for waivers and given on a case-by-case basis," the official said.

(Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Doina Chiacu, Mica Rosenberg, Tim Ahmann and Idrees Ali; Editing by Bill Trott and Nick Tattersall)
ISTANBUL, March 6 (Reuters) - The Turkish Treasury sold a net 1,928.8 million lira ($519 million) of a new five-year, fixed coupon bond at an average compound yield of 11.49 percent in an auction on Monday, central bank data showed. It also sold a net 993.3 million lira in a tap of a nine-year, CPI-indexed bond at an average compound rate of 2.65 percent. ($1 = 3.7180 liras)

(Reporting by Behiye Selin Taner; Writing by Daren Butler)

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 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.
* Eastern-based war planes strike Ras Lanuf, Es Sider

* Residents in region advised to restrict movement

* Waha Oil Co production reduced by 35,000 bpd as precaution

(Adds Waha output cut, NOC official's comment, detail on tankers)

By Ayman al-Warfalli

BENGHAZI, Libya, March 6 (Reuters) - East Libyan forces carried out fresh air strikes on Monday and said they were mobilising ground forces as they attempt to win back two of Libya's largest oil ports, military officials said.

Forces loyal to the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) lost control of the ports of Sider and Ras Lanuf on Friday to a rival faction known as the Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB), and have been unable to dislodge them with air strikes and ground operations since then.

The escalation risks reversing a recent recovery in Libya's oil production and reigniting conflict between military factions based in eastern and western Libya that have been fighting on and off for the past three years.

Libya's oil production has recently been around 700,000 barrels per day (bpd), but has dropped to 663,000 bpd after Waha Oil Company cut output by about 35,000 bpd as a precaution due to the unrest, said Jadalla Alaokali, a board member of the National Oil Corporation (NOC). LNA forces are currently stationed at Al Uqaylah, about 70 km (45 miles) southeast of Ras Lanuf, military spokesman Akram Buhaliqa said. LNA war planes conducted strikes near Ras Lanuf and Es Sider early on Monday, he said.

The LNA took over the ports of Es Sider, Ras Lanuf, Brega and Zueitina in September, allowing the National Oil Corporation (NOC) to end a long blockade in the area and more than double national output.

Al Uqaylah lies about 40km southwest of Brega, and about 120 km southwest of Zueitina, both still under LNA control.

LNA spokesman Ahmed Mismari urged citizens in the region to restrict their movements, and appealed to forces that captured Sirte, about 180 km east of Es Sider, from Islamic State last year, to stay within the coastal city to avoid being hit by air raids.

"There is a very large air and ground mobilisiation of (LNA) forces to drive back the terrorist gangs in the Oil Crescent," he said in a statement.

Since clashes began on Friday, 18 of the LNA's forces have been killed and 15 wounded, a medical official in the nearby town of Ajdabiya said.

Libya's recent oil production is more than double the OPEC member's output last year, but still far under the 1.6 million bpd it was producing before a 2011 uprising.

Es Sider and Ras Lanuf were badly damaged in previous rounds of fighting and have been operating far below normal capacity.

Waha Oil Co pumps oil to Es Sider, but has reduced output "due the company's limited storage capacity and fears about the evolution of events in Es Sider," NOC official Alaokali said.

The number of workers at both Es Sider and Ras Lanuf has also been reduced.

A tanker that had been due to dock at Es Sider on Tuesday, the Amalthea, will instead go to Brega to load a cargo for Austria's OMV , a Libyan shipping source said. A second tanker, the Overseas Redwood, is due to dock at Es Sider on Thursday to load another cargo for OMV, the source said.

(Additional reporting by Ahmed Elumami in Tripoli, and by Ahmad Ghaddar and Julia Payne in London; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Julia Glover)
The Dom Post editorial:

Bill English was right to put national superannuation back on the agenda, just as John Key was wrong to take it off. There are serious doubts about whether NZ Super is sustainable as the population ages. Politicians cant ignore this unpleasant fact. The prime minister has to his credit accepted the reality, proposing a progressive lifting of the threshold from 65 to 67 in 2037. The case is strong for extending the age by two years, as this newspaper has previously argued. Retirement Commissioner Diane Maxwell put it in a nutshell in her review last year. NZ Super costs $10.4 billion, or about 4.1 per cent of GDP. Treasury predicts this will rise to 7.1 per cent of GDP by 2060, or nearly $18 billion in todays dollars.

A lift in the retirement age was inevitable and I am pleased that National is standing up for reality.

All these trends are familiar to most voters. The population knows that the problem is serious, but too many politicians still refuse to face reality. Labour leader Andrew Little is in a hopeless position. He has reversed his predecessors pledge to increase the age while failing to make a proper case for the u-turn.

Heres what Little has said recently:

If theres one thing that scares the bejeesus out of me, its the looming cost of superannuation. Thats a significant chunk of the Budget,

Interest.co.nz, 22 May 2015

And Jacinda Ardern in 2012:

In three years, superannuation will cost more than the entire education budget; preschool, primary, secondary and tertiary put together. It will grow to be 20 times the cost of unemployment benefits. We need to ask if the universal age of super is set at the right place. But rather than tackle this big issue for the sake of future generations who want a home, a secure retirement and a country with a sound savings plan, they continue to target them and burden them with debt. Politics cant just be about making decisions that anger the least number of people possible, it has to be about doing the right thing. Labours view that superannuation should be lifted is one that we think needs to be phased in from 2020

Radio Live, 14 June 2012

Also various quotes by David Parker:

Finance spokesman David Parker said today that unless there were massive tax increases, it couldnt be sustained in its present form.

Parker said he thought people largely understood raising the retirement age was a responsible policy.

In two years spending on superannuation will cost more than putting our kids through school and university. Thats wrong. Nationals refusal to address the retirement age is hurting our next generation.

Labours finance spokesperson David Parker says pension costs, which make up about half of all social spending, need to be addressed. If you want an example of where fiscal responsibility starts thats it  that is the biggest growing cost centre that is controllable for Government.

So to quote David Parker, Labour is now the party of no fiscal responsibility and Labours refusal to address the retirement age is hurting our next generation.

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HDPA writes:

Opposition parties are worried about this development and so they should be. Big money tends to favour parties on the right, so National and Act supporters are more likely than Labour and Green Party supporters to have the means to buy ads.

This is empirically wrong. Look at those who have spent over $100K in third party spending from 2008 to 2014:

NZEI $445k PSA $267k Family First $133k Aged Care Assn $132k CTU $104k

Almost all the big third party money in NZ politics is on the left through unions.

Since then, Nicky Hagar has been honing his own version of attack politics, developing a knack for completing book after book just in time for an election campaign. The latest, Dirty Politics, had virtually no impact on the popularity of those it took aim at  John Key and the National Party.

His next book much be due out soon. I;ve been in two of them. Will I get the trifecta?

Its impossible to rewrite our laws around advertising in time for this election, but they should be tightened nonetheless to avoid us eventually ending up where the US is now.

Actually the US has far far stricter electoral finance laws than New Zealand. It is not about the laws, it is about the culture.

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The Washington Post report:

When Mr. Murray rose to speak, he was shouted down by most of the more than 400 students packed into the room, several witnesses said. Many turned their backs to him and chanted slogans like Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Charles Murray go away! After almost 20 minutes, it was clear that he would not be able to give his speech, said Mr. Burger, the [college] spokesman.

So they were determined not to allow anyone to hear Murray speak, because they disagreed with him.

Anticipating that such an outcry might happen, Mr. Murray was moved to a separate room equipped with a video camera so that Allison Stanger, a Middlebury professor of international politics and economics, could interview him over a live stream. Mr. Burger said the administration felt strongly that Mr. Murrays right to free speech should be protected and that no one should have the hecklers veto. Once the interview began in the second room, protesters swarmed into the hallway, chanting and pulling fire alarms.

Their dedication to preventing speech knows little bounds.

Still, the interview was completed and officials, including Ms. Stanger, escorted Mr. Murray out the back of the building. There, several masked protesters, who were believed to be outside agitators, began pushing and shoving Mr. Murray and Ms. Stanger, Mr. Burger said. Someone grabbed Allisons hair and twisted her neck, he said. After the two got into a car, Mr. Burger said, protesters pounded on it, rocked it back and forth, and jumped onto the hood. Ms. Stanger later went to a hospital, where she was put in a neck brace.

The new campus fascists.

Another sad day of brown-shirted thuggery at our nations academic institutions  and thuggery that undermines the opposition to Murrays claims, rather than reinforcing them.

Brown-shirted thuggery indeed.

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By Kwon Mee-yoo







Hong Ra-hee

Hong Ra-hee, wife of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, resigned as director of the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Monday.

The Samsung Foundation of Culture, which operates Leeum and the Ho-Am Art Museum, also headed by Hong, issued a statement that Hong will step down from both posts for personal reasons.

The museum did not give further details of Hong's sudden resignation. Hong's successor hasn't been named yet.

Insiders speculate that her sudden resignation is related to the arrest of Lee Jae-yong, son of Hong and vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, in February. Hong's husband Lee Kun-hee is sick abed, and has been unconscious since 2014, and Lee Jae-yong has been acting as the de facto leader of the Samsung Group.

Lee Jae-yong was arrested on charges of bribery and other offenses in the Choi Soon-sil scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her close confidant.

It is said that Hong has often expressed her frustration over recent developments concerning her son's imprisonment on Feb. 17 and hinted at stepping down, Yonhap News reported.

Hong majored in applied art at the Seoul National University and has been considered one of the most influential figures in the Korean art scene since the opening of Leeum in 2004.

She resigned from her post as director in 2008 when the Samsung Group was suspected of purchasing artworks with a slush fund, but returned in 2011 when Lee Kun-hee returned to manage the conglomerate in 2010.
By Yoon Ja-young

The economy should cut its overdependence on China to minimize risks associated with regional political conflicts, analysts said Monday.

Analysts said China will likely continue to retaliate against Seoul's decision to deploy a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system here.

"It's hard to tell when Chinese retaliatory steps will ease," Samsung Securities analyst Park Sung-hyun said.

China has taken a series of steps against Korean businesses though eight months have passed since Korea announced the deployment of the missile defense system to protect itself from North Korea. Beijing recently restricted tour agencies from selling tour packages to Korea.

Park said that the measure comes as a shock as the Chinese government is using official channels to incur concrete and realistic damage to the industry.

"In the case of major duty free shops, Chinese make up over 50 percent of sales. A decrease in Chinese tourists, leads directly to operation losses. Cosmetics should also expect a further duty free sales drop."












By Nam Hyun-woo



Hanjin Shipping will be delisted from the domestic bourse today, ending its eight-year trading history.



According to the Korea Exchange (KRX), Monday, the company will be delisted from the main KOSPI market after seven sessions of sell-off trading. It was listed on the bourse Dec. 29, 2009, at 21,300 won ($18.41).



The last day of the former No. 1 shipper in Korea was devastating. It closed at 12 won, Monday, falling 68.42 percent from 38 won in a session earlier.



This is a stark contrast to the company's heyday. On Jan. 7, 2011, its stock price reached an all-time high of 38,694 won, boosted by handsome earnings. In 2010, the company posted 9.63 trillion won in sales, 686.7 billion won in operating profit and 289.6 billion won in net profit.



The bullishness lasted less than a year. It suffered a 492.6 billion won operating loss and posted 823.9 billion won in net losses throughout 2011 amid the slowdown in the global shipping industry.



Hanjin Shipping has since posted losses for three consecutive years and was merged into a Hanjiin Group affiliate. The company's debt soared to 5.6 trillion won during this period.



After the shipper went into court receivership in September last year, the company's shares have fallen prey to speculators' predatory flipping. Its stock price fell below 1,000 won  the smallest note in the Korean currency.



At that time, Hanjin shares' turnover ratio reached 1,800 percent. Individual investors and large institutional investors flocked to the shares. Individuals, who had a glimpse of hope that the shares may surprisingly rise, bought some 1.78 million shares Feb. 2, the day before Hanjin shares were suspended from trading. On the same day, foreigners sold 1.8 million shares, dealing a heavy blow to individual traders.



After the Seoul court decided to scrap rescue efforts on the shipper on Feb. 2, shareholders were given seven days to liquidate their shares. During the period, the price fell from 780 won to 12 won.



Experts had warned shareholders that investing in Hanjin during the given period was extremely dangerous because holding the stock after the period would leave them "almost nothing," because Hanjin shareholders would be the lowest in the pecking order for compensations coming from the company's liquidation.



However, there were some individual traders, who pinned their hope on flipping.



"I feel like I've been stunned," said an investor who bet "quite a large amount of money" on Hanjin in a belief that Hanjin may be relisted in the future. "There was a rumor that Hanjin may be resuscitated because its restructuring was done for the sake of banks. I'm still contemplating over whether I should hold these shares or sell them."




THAAD row prompts Korea to lean toward India



By Park Hyong-ki



India could emerge as an alternative export market to China for Korea amid a diplomatic row between Seoul and Beijing over the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery here, analysts said Monday.



Although Korea and India forged a bilateral trade deal, or the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2010, the two sides have not yet fully explored the potential of each other's markets, they said.



India is Korea's 8th biggest export destination with the former's outbound shipment to the latter amounting to only about $12 billion in 2015, according to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.



Korea's investment in India stood at $4 billion last year. Its main export items to India are budget smartphones, electronic parts, automobiles and petrochemicals.



However, Seoul is seeking to expand its partnership as the two sides resumed negotiations to upgrade the CEPA last month. The two sides began their negotiations last year.



This comes amid positive forecasts for the Indian economy, which is expected to grow around 7 percent annually over the next decade. India grew 7.62 percent last year, according to the International Monetary Fund.



"The negotiation reflects the need for Korea to diversify its trade with and investment in India, which has the potential to grow 7 percent, amid growing uncertainty and protectionism," the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement.



Samsung Asset Management, which manages equity funds investing in India, said that India is "emerging as a global alternative manufacturing center to China." Investors should approach India with a long-term perspective, it added.



India is seeking to widen the scope of bilateral trade as it wants to reduce its deficit with Korea by increasing exports of new goods such as textiles and pharmaceuticals to Korea. India's trade deficit with Korea increased to about $8 billion in 2014, from $5 billion after the CEPA went into effect in January 2010.



With India's birthrate standing at 2.48 children per woman, its population is expected to surpass that of China in 2022, according to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.



India's population is currently around 1.3 billion, about 60 million less than that of China. China's birthrate is 1.55 per woman.



Korea's exports to China have been falling since 2014 when outbound shipments to the world's second-largest economy dropped 0.4 percent. In 2015, they declined 5.6 percent, and 9.3 percent last year.



Nevertheless, Korea's exports to China account for about 25 percent of the total. The diplomatic spat over the THAAD anti-missile defense system has negatively spilled over to the Korean economy as China has been banning Chinese tourism to Korea and imports of Korean content, fashion and cosmetics goods.



"Korea will inevitably see a further drop in exports to China, which has upped the ante against Korean products," said Kim Ji-man, an analyst at HMC Investment Securities.






North Korea on Monday fired four ballistic missiles into the East Sea, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, in an apparent reaction to the ongoing joint military drills by South Korea and the United States.

The four projectiles were launched from the Dongchang-ri long-range missile site in North Pyongan Province at 7:36 a.m. and all flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) before splashing into the East Sea, JCS said in a text message.

"We estimate the North fired four ballistic missiles. We are conducting an analysis (with the U.S.) to determine the exact type of missiles fired and other specifications. It will take a while before we can come up with a final analysis (based on U.S. satellite data)," the JCS said.

Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn convened a National Security Council meeting after the missile firing.

Hwang strongly condemned the launches, saying the North's nuke and missile provocations are "real and imminent threats for the people's lives and security."

The missiles do not appear to be intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the western part of the U.S. mainland, the Ministry of National Defense said in a press briefing.

Earlier in the day, military officials raised the possibility that the projectiles could be ICBMs if launched at a high angle.

Experts said the projectiles could be short-range Scud missiles with a range of 500-700 km or mid-range Rodong missiles with a range of 1,300-1,500 km given the number of missiles.

"If North Korea test-fired a new long-range missile, it was not an ICBM as it's not capable of launching multiple ones at the same time," said Kim Dong-yub, an analyst at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Kyungnam University.

A more than 6,000-km ICBM could fly far less than the range when launched at a high angle. But as the long-range missile is still being developed and has yet to be deployed, the North could not have fired several missiles, he said.
Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Monday condemned North Korea for staging another missile provocation earlier in the day, saying the act is a "grave provocation" against the international community.

"We strongly denounce the move as it can be considered a challenge and a grave provocation to the international community," Hwang said during a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Security Council held at the presidential office.

Four projectiles were launched from an area near the North's Dongchang-ri long-range missile site at 7:36 am and flew about 1,000 kilometers before splashing into the East Sea.

"North Korea's nuke and missile provocations are real and imminent threats for the people's lives and security," Hwang said. It marks the first time for him to hold an NSC meeting at the presidential office after becoming acting president.

Hwang said considering the brutality of the North Korean regime as shown in the latest killing of Kim Jong-nam, there would be unimaginable consequences if Pyongyang actually obtains nuclear weapons.












South Korea's opposition parties on Monday denounced North Korea for staging another missile provocation earlier in the day, warning such a move will further isolate the communist regime.

The parties voiced concern over escalating tension in Northeast Asia, especially as the latest launch came after Pyongyang allegedly murdered its leader's half brother in Malaysia last month.

At 7:36 am, North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the East Sea in an apparent protest against the ongoing joint military drills between South Korea and the United States.

"Staging an armed demonstration amid the rising criticism against Pyongyang over the murder of Kim Jong-nam will only further isolate North Korea," said Rep. Choo Mi-ae, the head of the Democratic Party.

Choo said North Korea has been continuously engaged in futile behaviors that only have an adverse impact on the peace of Northeast Asia. Kim Jong-nam, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother, was assassinated on Feb 13 in Kuala Lumpur after apparently being poisoned with VX nerve agent.












U.S. Army soldiers prepare their military exercise in Paju, near the border with North Korea, South Korea, Monday. North Korea on Monday fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), with three of them landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone, South Korean and Japanese officials said, in an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal. / AP-Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo

The Donald Trump administration is apparently reviewing various military options, including the use of force and the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea, to deal with threats from North Korea, analysts said Monday.

Washington is ratcheting up its rhetoric against Pyongyang after North Korea carried out ballistic missile launches Monday  and previously Feb. 9  since Trump took office in January.

Given his unpredictable and impulsive character and the political hardships he faces domestically, analysts here say the recent harsh rhetoric may be "more than bluffing."

They referred to Trump's view of North Korea as the "greatest immediate threat" and Secretary of Defense James Mattis's warning that North Korea would face an "effective and overwhelming" response from the U.S. if it used nuclear weapons.

Citing senior officials, U.S. media outlets recently reported that the White House is considering a preemptive military strike on North Korea and effecting a regime change, as well as putting U.S. tactical nuclear weapons back on the Korean Peninsula after withdrawing them in 1991.

Scheduled talks between the North Korean government and former U.S. officials in New York were called off after the U.S. Department of State refused to issue a visa Feb. 25 to Choe Son-hui, the director-general of North American affairs at the North Korean foreign ministry.

"The U.S. actually considered launching a preemptive strike against North Korea during the George W. Bush administration. There are enough reasons for Washington to put it on the table again as Pyongyang's nuclear threats have been evolving for the past few years," said Koh Yoo-hwan, a North Korean studies professor at Dongguk University. "I'd say the U.S. is open to every possibility, whether it's the use of military force or dialogue, to stop North Korea from posing a greater threat."

Kim Hyun-wook, a U.S. expert at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, speculated that Washington may opt to redeploy tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea.

"A preemptive strike accompanies huge costs and risks, which I don't think Trump will like," he said. "On the other hand, putting back tactical nuclear weapons here seems to suit Trump's policy to ensure the U.S. nuclear arsenal is at the top of the pack over other countries."

The experts said South Korea's role to prevent a possible war on the peninsula will be critical when the next government comes in.

"It won't be possible for the U.S. to attack North Korea unilaterally without consulting South Korea. In that regard, it will heavily depend on Seoul to mediate between Washington and Pyongyang to settle North Korea's nuclear program," Koh said.

Kim said Seoul's ties with Washington may be affected if a liberal government comes in and stresses inter-Korean relations over the alliance with the U.S.

Meanwhile, some analysts speculated Trump may be highlighting North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile threats to divert attention from a scandal concerning Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
By Yi Whan-woo

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se plans to visit two or three Southeast Asian countries next week to discuss North Korea's threats to regional security, according to diplomatic sources, Monday.

The rising regional concerns about Pyongyang following the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's estranged half-brother Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia last month will be high on the agenda, they said.

Yun may travel to Vietnam and Cambodia to mark the 25th and 20th anniversary of their diplomatic ties with South Korea, respectively.

Yun is expected to focus on strengthening cooperation with the countries in isolating Pyongyang over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and monitoring the North's trade of internationally-banned weapons.

"In particular, Vietnam has been closely monitoring the case as one of its nationals has been charged in Malaysia for Kim's murder," a diplomatic source said, referring to Doan Thi Huong, a Vietnamese woman who is among the suspects in Kim's death.

She was charged with murder on March 1 along with Siti Aishah, an Indonesian.

Cambodia has been supporting the U.N. Security Council's nuclear sanctions against North Korea although they have been close allies for decades.

Yun will not visit Malaysia this time.

He also might visit Sri Lanka next week and join its ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of its diplomatic treaty with South Korea.
Independent Counsel Park Young-soo on Monday announced the results of the 70-day investigation of the Park Geun-hye scandal. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



Independent Counsel Park Young-soo on Monday announced the results of the 70-day investigation of the Park Geun-hye scandal. The major findings are:



1. The team looked into about 900 computers and mobile phones secured in 46 raids.



2. The team confirmed a "blacklist" and a "white list" of musicians and artists by which they got discriminated for or against by the government because of their political preferences. Among those responsible for the lists' creation are President Park Geun-hye, her friend Choi Soon-sil, former culture minister Cho Yoon-sun and former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon.



3. Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong embezzled 43.3 billion won and handed it to "President Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil" as a bribe in return for the President helping Lee's succession to lead the nation's biggest conglomerate.



4. President Park used a mobile phone registered under a borrowed name, which is illegal. Park used the phone to communicate with Choi and her aides.



5. Park received medical treatment from unauthorized doctors more than 100 times.



6. It was unconfirmed whether Park received medical treatment on the day of Sewol sinking, April 16, 2014. Her whereabouts from 10 p.m. of April 15 to noon on April 17 remain accounted for.



7. The investigation team has frozen Choi's properties valued at 270 billion won.



8. Choi was confirmed to have illegally meddled in overseas business projects including ones in Myanmar, by taking advantage of her close ties to the President.



9. Many issues remain uninvestigated due to lack of time.
Independent Counsel Park Young-soo on Monday announced the results of the 70-day investigation of the Park Geun-hye scandal. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Jung Min-ho

President Park Geun-hye conspired with her friend Choi Soon-sil to receive bribes from Samsung Group, the independent counsel team stated Monday.

Its investigation outcome is expected to deal a serious political blow to President Park, who is awaiting the Constitutional Court's decision on her impeachment.

Park Young-soo, the independent counsel who led the investigation over the last three months, said the President and Choi were a team, accusing them of closely cooperating to collect a bribe of 43 billion won ($37 million) from the company through various channels.

Bribery is the most serious criminal charge against Park, which could put her in prison for life as soon as her presidency ends.

The special prosecutor said Lee Jae-yong, the de facto leader of Samsung, colluded with top Samsung executives in giving the President and Choi kickbacks in the guise of "donations" in return for business favors.

The special prosecutor said Lee made the "donations" to take advantage of Choi's friendship with President Park, who later pressured the National Pension Service (NPS) to vote for a merger of two Samsung units in 2015  a crucial decision for Lee to tighten his control on the group's management.

By making the decision the state-run NPS lost at least 138.8 billion won of taxpayers' money, the special prosecutor said.

According to the investigation results, the President actively helped Choi raise donations by ordering top government officials, including former presidential aide Ahn Jong-beom, to push companies to comply.

In response, Samsung denied allegations that Lee paid bribes in return for business favors.

"We disagree with the special prosecutor's findings. Samsung has not paid bribes nor made improper requests seeking favors. Future court proceedings will reveal the truth," Samsung Group said in a statement without elaborating further.



Black and white lists

The special prosecutor said the two conspired in committing many other crimes, including creating a "blacklist" to discriminate against artists critical of the government. Along with a "whitelist," it was used to selectively support people in cultural sector.
By Kim Bo-eun

The independent counsel team which investigated the influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidant Choi Soon-sil said Monday it was unable to confirm Park's whereabouts on the day of the Sewol ferry disaster on April 16, 2014.

There had been speculations that the President received a cosmetic procedure on the day, as she stayed at her residential quarters and only received reports on the ferry's sinking via phone calls and documents. Several news outlets provided comparisons of photos of the President before and after the day of the disaster, claiming they showed she received cosmetic botox shots.

However, independent counsel Park Young-soo said "the team was unable to confirm that the President received a (cosmetic) procedure on that day."

The doctors who usually performed procedures on the president were confirmed to have been elsewhere, and not at Cheong Wa Dae.

The President's hairdresser said she had previously been notified not to come to Cheong Wa Dae on April 16, 2014, although she usually had her hair done at 8 a.m. daily on weekdays. Exceptional cases were when the President had medical procedures performed the day before.

In addition, the president's hairdressing, which usually takes 40 minutes, was done in 20 to 25 minutes that day  according to testimony by the hairdresser. Earlier, the media reported that the President spent excessive time in getting her hair done before arriving at the central disaster control tower in the evening.

Park added the probe into the President's whereabouts on the day was limited as the team was unable to search Cheong Wa Dae and question the President in person during its 90-day investigation, due to Cheong Wa Dae's refusal.

Meanwhile, the team confirmed Park received medical treatment from Choi's doctors without due procedure  despite having her own official medical team  providing the doctors with various benefits such as overseas expansion of business and appointment to certain positions.












By Kim Se-jeong

The independent counsel Park Young-soo estimated the wealth of Choi Soon-sil, President Park Geun-hye's confidant, and her family to be 273 billion won ($235 million), but said the investigation failed to prove illegalities in the accumulation of the wealth.



Allegations stated her family wealth was illegally acquired, and therefore should be returned to state coffers.



"We kept looking into allegations, but didn't find any illegality until the last day," Park said. "We'll transfer the work to the prosecution so that it can continue to investigate."



The counsel team made one confiscation request against one of Choi's buildings in Seoul worth 7.8 billion won ($6.7 million) in connection with the bribery charges against her.

The counsel team said it had looked into 70 people's accounting books to get the estimate, including six dead people. A major portion of the Choi family wealth came from properties  they are owners of 178 buildings and land estimated at 223 billion won  while financial assets are only 50 billion won. Choi alone owns 36 properties which are worth 22.8 billion won.

She is accused of receiving a large amount of money in bribes from Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong.












Opposition Democratic Party of Korea presidential hopefuls hold hands ahead of a primary debate at the OhmyNews building in Seoul, Monday. They are, from left, Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung, former party leader Moon Jae-in, South Chungcheong Governor An Hee-jung and Goyang Mayor Choi Sung. / Yonhap



By Kim Rahn

Top opposition party presidential contender Moon Jae-in is continuing to extend his lead over runners-up in opinion polls.

In the latest poll by Realmeter, released Monday, Moon had support of 36.4 percent for the first week of March, topping the ranking for the ninth consecutive week.

This was the highest support rate for him, up 2.9 percentage points from the previous week. For a single day on March 2, the rate reached 37.7 percent.

Moon's high popularity shows the citizens' desire for a change of government following the corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidant Choi Soon-sil.

Reflecting this, Moon pledged to reform government organizations in a primary debate among Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidates, Monday, saying, "The authorities, such as Cheong Wa Dae, the prosecution and the National Intelligence Service, have been the main culprits undermining democracy."

His rise is also partially attributable to the falling rate of An Hee-jung, another DPK contender, whose rating dropped by 6.3 percentage points to 12.6 percent.

An's support rate had taken an upturn to over 20 percent and he had been considered as a potential rival to Moon. But his rating began to decline after he made favorable remarks about former President Lee Myung-bak and scandal-ridden President Park, Feb. 19.

An also called for a "grand coalition" to embrace even the ruling Liberty Korea Party (LKP). "We need a grand coalition to produce talks and negotiations, and to eradicate deep-rooted evil through an alliance between the new president and the majority of the National Assembly," he said in the debate.

But this idea drew a backlash from faithful DPK supporters, who believe the LKP is not a partner to work with but the evil to root out for being partially responsible for the presidential corruption scandal.

"Liberal voters who were disappointed by An's remarks and idea of alliance seemed to have turned their support toward Moon," the poll agency said.

It is also advantageous for Moon that there is no strong presidential hopeful from the conservative bloc. Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is the only potential conservative contender to gain a double-digit support rate of 14.9 percent.

Hwang, who has remained noncommittal about his presidential bid, cited Proverbs in a meeting with Christian groups March 2, saying, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." This has been interpreted as an expression of his presidential ambition, and his support rate increased by 4 percentage points from 10.9 percent.

The poll was conducted on 2,025 adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
By Jun Ji-hye

Presidential hopefuls from both conservative and liberal parties condemned North Korea's firing of four ballistic missiles into the East Sea with one voice, Monday.

Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the leading hopeful, said the North's missile launch "can never be condoned."

"I urge the repressive state to immediately stop provocations that are putting the Korean Peninsula in danger," he was quoted as saying by his aide, Rep. Park Kwang-on. "I hope North Korea does not misjudge the situation anymore."

South Chungcheong Governor An Hee-jung, also from the DPK, said the only thing the North can earn from the provocations is deepening isolation in the international community.












Edwin Feulner, founder of the Heritage Foundation, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times in Manila, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Global Peace Foundation



Heritage founder predicts Trump will play hardball on North Korea



By Kim Hyo-jin



MANILA  U.S. President Donald Trump is unlikely to comply with North Korea's demand for direct talks over the latter's nuclear program, according to Trump's top security adviser.

"I think President Trump and his national security team will want to engage with all the principle parties but he will do it in close collaboration with Seoul and Tokyo," Edwin Feulner, founder of the Heritage Foundation, said in an interview on March 1.



Feulner, who served as a senior adviser to Trump's transition team, visited the Philippines to attend the Global Peace Convention hosted by the U.S.-based civic organization Global Peace Foundation.



"If the North's leader Kim Jong-un assumes the Trump administration is going to be friendly and more willing to engage in direct dialogue, it's badly mistaken," he said. "And that will be the coherent ally position among the people involved and all three on our side."



The adviser forecast that Trump will put more pressure on China  the sponsor of North Korea, he believes, being the main reason of its continued development of nuclear capabilities and missile defense delivery system.

Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported recently that Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are coordinating a schedule to meet in April. Amid high speculation on a bilateral summit, Feulner said Trump could call for China's action on North Korea directly.



"I think President Trump will talk to the Chinese leadership very specifically about what other points of pressure China can apply to the DPRK," he said.



Feulner presented imposing secondary sanctions on Chinese entities doing business with the North as one of the possible options against Beijing, saying, "If it became necessary, Trump would not hesitate to do that."



He also said the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea will be on the agenda in their summit, if realized.



"When President Trump and his team meet with Xi there will be a robust defense of THAAD," he said.



"There will be a strong representation to China that this is a defensive system and this is not something for China to be annoyed with Korea about. This is in everybody's interests. If China properly had reined in the DPRK, we wouldn't need THAAD because the DPRK wouldn't have missile delivery system."



Touching upon the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS FTA), Feulner said the Trump administration is likely to re-evaluate the five-year-old pact at some point. He believes it needs to be updated to reflect the change of structures and technologies.



"There are questions of interpretation in terms and interpretation of how this could be improved and clarified," he said.



"KORUS FTA is not something I think Trump will throw out but somewhere, sometime, he is going to say to his team that this is something that should be looked at and that makes good sense."



Feulner is a noted pro-Korean scholar who has a wide human network in South Korea, and is considered a top candidate for Trump's ambassador to South Korea.





The following is the full text of the interview.



Q. How high do you think the possibility is that the Trump administration will engage through direct dialogue with North Korea?



A. I think President Trump and his national security team will want to engage with all the principal parties but he will first want to do it in close collaboration with the government in Seoul, and secondly with the government in Tokyo. In given occasions, Washington, Seoul and Tokyo must be that close, they must all be close when they are talking about North Korea so I think if Kim Jong-un assumes the new administration is going to be friendly and more willing to engage in direct dialogue with the DPRK, he will be badly mistaken and he will face coherent allies among the people involved of all three on our side.



Q. When North Korea launched a missile, Trump's reaction was he could not accept it and it's going to be a big problem. Does it mean anyhow that direction or policy toward North Korea will change?



A. I've just watched a reply of Trump's speech to Congress today. He did not mention Korea but he did not mention Russia either, nor did he mention China. He mentioned radical Islamic terrorism and the War on Terror but other than what President Trump said to the first member of his Cabinet, Secretary of Defense Mattis, he said I want you to go overseas. He did not say go to NATO. He said go to Korea and go to Japan. So Mattis went first to Seoul and then to Tokyo. This shows that President Trump understands fully a need to have a close relationship with Seoul and with Tokyo. I think he knows his military advisers and diplomatic advisers and Secretary Tillerson are already taking action, such as the Tillerson discussion with the Chinese foreign minister on what new restrictions should be put on North Korea, the restrictions on coal exports from North Korea to China. So the U.S. policy will be strong, will be tough and will be, I think, coherent and consistent with what our allies expect in both Seoul and Tokyo.

I understand from today's newspaper that a state counselor from Beijing and his party of five others visited Washington Tuesday and Wednesday. And on Tuesday they had a meeting with National Security Council members at the White House. And they said briefly hello to the president. And on Wednesday today they meet with state department officials. This is preparatory to a meeting between President Xi and Trump to be arranged wherever it will happen.

I'm sure the question of North Korea will come up in those discussions that will be high on the agenda when President Trump meets with the president of China.



Q. What do you think the Trump administration expects from China in dealing with North Korea's nuclear programs and how do you think it plans to get China's support?



A. As a candidate President Trump said several times during his campaign that he did not think China was doing everything it could in terms of reining in Kim Jong-un and the regime in North Korea in terms of making them act in a responsible way as members of the U.N. and as a government in the civilized system of the world. So I think President Trump will talk to the Chinese leadership very specifically about what other points of pressure China can apply to the DPRK and I believe that I would recommend to him that if it became necessary for secondary boycotts of Chinese entities doing business with North Korea that if it became necessary before the United States unilaterally imposes more restrictions on ships into and out of North Korean ports that Mr. Trump would not hesitate to do that. Because I believe he knows and certainly his advisers know the continued development of nuclear capabilities and the missile defense delivery system by North Korea is not acceptable.



Q. When Kim Jong-nam was assassinated in Malaysia, the Trump administration hinted at a possibility of placing North Korea back on a list of nations that support terrorism. Do you think the U.S. will deal with the matter alone or use U.N. power? How do you think he will approach it?



A. One of the things Mr. Trump said consistently when considering questions like that is never assume anything is off the table. In other words, all options would be available to him. I don't think what options he might think of in that regard. But I know that actions like assassinating somebody in a third country is not acceptable in international behavior and Mr. Trump and people around him would view it not acceptable in international behavior and so any option like beyond the table whether it would be with the U.N or unilateral declaration of additional sanctions.



Q. Trump recently graded his presidential performance so far an A in a recent interview with Fox News. But we know his public approval rating is not so high. How do you view of his anti-immigration and America-first policies? Would you still support Trump even when the cost of protectionism in trade and nationalist policy is passed onto customers?



A. He gives himself A for the content and C for his communicating. Watch his speech to the joint session of the Congress because I think he became A+ in communicating. It was one of the most sincere and high level presidential speeches I've heard in the past 35 years. It was a very, very good speech and it sets a new standard for him to be able to work with the Congress and to work broadly on policies together.

President Trump has said several times that I would put America's interests first. I have the honor in my many years of working with Korea and visiting Korea and personally with every one of the seven presidents of Korea going back to Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, Kim Young-sam, and Kim Dae-jung _ every one of them put the interests of Korea first. Every president that I've known, going back to Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan they all put America's interests first and that is for a leader expected to do for his own people and now you interpret that in different ways. I think as the president said before the Congress he believes in free trade but he also believes in fair trade. And fair trade means as he said Harley Davidson motorcycles on the front lawn of the White House and the countries where Harley Davidson motorcycles comes in as a 100 percent import duty and that was not fair I think. When it gets to the details of trade negotiations of whether the KORUS FTA has to be reevaluated, I think those are second- or third-tiered questions that they will get to eventually and I think we can worry about that a bit later.

Let us look then at agreements that are signed in the past that are more simple and straightforward. The U.S. free trade agreement with Singapore basically says free trade and no import barriers on either side, two simple pages. That's easy. The other sides of agreements are NAFTA: very complicated, three countries involved and labor, environment inclusions involved. In 25 years, all of Mexico's energy was controlled by one company, PEMEX. 25 years ago, basically there was no internet. Clearly negotiations with NAFTA are something that needs to be reevaluated, reconsidered, hey we should change this and update that _ we could simplify the other things.

In between the simple straightforward one with Singapore and the very complicated and old one with NAFTA, is something like KORUS FTA. It's been in place now for five years. I'm a strong supporter of the FTA _ you probably know that. But since the FTA came into effect five years ago I've been back to Korea 17, 18 times; when I talked to Korean-American businessmen and people in the Korean government and in the American Embassy, there are questions of interpretation in terms and interpretation of how this could be improved and clarified. So KORUS FTA is not something I don't think Trump will throw out but somewhere, sometime he is going to say to his team that this is something partly that should be looked at and that makes good sense.

But I think that's not going to be a high priority for President Trump or Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross who is apparently going to be in charge of all these negotiations, or for the U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer.

One of the other things on the agenda when President Trump and his team meet with Xi and his team, there will be a robust defense of THAAD. And there will be a robust defense of THAAD for three reasons. One, they should not be opposing it. Two, because it is a defensive system. And that's why South Korea and the U.S. agreed to it. And three, if China had been more firm in its dealings with DPRK there will be no need for THAAD because there would not be any NK capability of launching ballistic missiles which South Korea has defended itself against.

In Washington, virtually everyone across the political spectrum, left and right, progressives and conservatives, believes the Chinese government can control government in Pyongyang. And therefore it was up to China to really rein in DPRK in terms of why THAAD would not be necessary if they had controlled North Korea's missile system.



Q. What do you think of the possibility of Finlandization of South Korea?



A. Korea and the U.S. have built in blood over 60 years a bilateral bond that means the U.S. will not let South Korea Finlandize. Beyond that I think it's something we have seen in progress in the last few years; Japan is increasingly, I believe, willing to admit that Korea can be a positive partner in that therefore Korea, the U.S. and Japan can be all together on the strategic questions.

Korea is a G-20 member and is a significant partner as close allies of the U.S. and heavily dependent between Korea and Japan on U.S. troops located in Japan for the defense of the ROK. The three together, it's virtually impossible to think of South Korea's being Finlandized.

Just 25 years ago, I remember when Donald Rumsfeld was secretary of defense and he was confronted by hostile people in Seoul about why you don't withdraw U.S. troops. He told the people who said this to him if you push on that door, there will be no resistance on the U.S. side. If you want, we will leave. I think we've come a long way together in terms of we need each other and we need Japan very close with us. So I think Finlandization is not an issue anymore.



Q. The issue in Korea is China's economic retaliation against its business operations. How do you think South Korea should respond to this pressure?



A. I'd hope when the U.S. has further meetings with PRC I assume my conversations with military commanders in theater and senior military who are still serving now under President Trump, THAAD deployment is going ahead and it will happen in Korea and there will be a strong representation to China that this is a defensive system and this is not something for China to be annoyed with Korea about. This is in everybody's interests. If, as I mentioned before, China properly reined in DPRK, we wouldn't need THAAD because DPRK wouldn't have a missile delivery system.



Q. Ever since he criticized allies for not sharing enough of the burden in defense costs there are concerns he might make a push at some point. Do you think there's a possibility the Trump administration would ask South Korea to pay a bigger share of the expenses?



A. I think burden-sharing is under a constant review but the fact that Secretary of Defense Mattis made his first stop and overseas trip to Seoul to reaffirm the mutual defense treaty was a sign that it's basically in good order. I'd not worry about that.



Q. Koreans are concerned about Trump's America-first policy given that they have an export-driven economy. How do you think they should view it?



A. Economies exist to serve the people. Economic growth means there are more people at every income level, not just people at the top. With a revitalized, altered Korean economic structure, there will be more economic growth and opportunities for everybody up and down in the Korean structure. This will take time. I'm not saying the chaebol system will be overthrown or anything like that.

Now there are new opportunities for intellectual properties for opportunities to remake and to alter the economy for the future to make it possible for many more people to do so much more. The old economy is changing.

I reminded people when during the campaign at one time that Senator Jeff Sessions, now the attorney general of the United States and one of the earliest and closest political advisers, and when Trump was talking at one point that cheap Korean and Japanese cars are coming in. I reminded people in the campaign that Hyundai cars are mostly made in Senator Sessions' home state of Alabama they are not being made in Korea. With the innovative economy, intellectual property that starts in Korea that ends up in Alabama and both Korean people develop the intellectual property and Americans assemble it, it's a net plus-plus for everybody. And that is what people close to Mr. Trump want to find and they want to find what the plus is for the Americans as you ask your President what's the plus for Koreans.



Q. Owing to the presidential corruption scandal, Samsung CEO Lee Jae-young was imprisoned and other corporate executives are being grilled by the prosecution. The Financial Times recently commented that it would fuel hopes of corporate reform _ the long-held political risks, collusive ties between chaebol and politicians. What's your view on this?



A. Jay Lee is a young man whom I've known for a very long time and whom I admired greatly. The chaebol system in Korea is the one that I've studied and examined for more than 40 years and as I look at it, I see signs it is changing and the Korean economy is opening. There's more transparency and there are more opportunities for SMEs that there is more potential down the line for a more vigorous competitive Korean economy at all levels, not just the top 10 or 20 chaebols.
By Deauwand Myers





"The fire makes it precious, / The same fire / Melting the tallow heretics, / Ousting the Jews. .../ The ovens glowed like heavens, incandescent. / It is a heart, / This holocaust I walk in, / O golden child the world will kill and eat." From "Mary's Song," by Sylvia Plath

The human heart is full of evil. Let us start with this sad, irreducible truth.

The world over, how we drove whole cultures to extinction; how we sent children first to the gas chambers in Poland; how we bombed millions of civilians in the Vietnam War.

As with many nations, my native country was built off of empire. It meant the genocide of millions, through war and plague and the nuts and bolts of imperialism; plowing the good earth; tilling the soil with the sweat and tears and blood of the oppressed.

Many Koreans, like some people from other countries, look at America with envy and awe: our towering cities, our vast and shiny military, our wealth and decadent cuisine. We are tall and big and strong and loud and free.

There is much to be proud of, if one is American. Our culture: literature, television, movies, and Constitution (extricated from its racist inception) shines brightly, and will so for centuries. And with the Russians, we helped save Europe, and much of the world, from the red and black, crooked cross of fascism.

America contributes more to humanitarian efforts than any other nation on the planet. South Korea exists because of American and other countries' endeavors.

And yet. America's infrastructure is a joke. Our healthcare system is for profit, expensive, inadequate, and out of reach for too many of our citizens. We are racially segregated, and the economic bifurcation of our body politic makes our society increasingly oligarchic. Moreover, many other metrics: education, lifespan, infant mortality, gender pay equity, wealth distribution/disparities, are sadly lacking, compared with other advanced, democratic societies.

American foreign policy is disastrous, and has been so for decades. We support and/or have helped install monarchical theocracies (Saudi Arabia)and dictatorships (the Congo, Iran, Iraq, Chile, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Peru, Chile, Turkmenistan, Syria, Egypt, Chad, South Korea,and Azerbaijan, among others).

The recent impeachment of President Park Geun-hye has elicited a bit of soul-searching in the hearts and minds of some Koreans. They find their democracy, young as it is, to be a bit of a sham. The chaebol (large, family-run conglomerates) elite, in collusion with politicians and government officials, have created a kind of plutocracy.

Yet, the American republic is a plutocracy so grand in scale it should make Koreans blush. Indeed, more than half of Congress has an average net worth of $1 million or higher. Having wealthy members of the federal legislature in and of itself is not problematic, if it were not for the fact that many of these members have financial interests in the private entities they regulate.

Further, legislation is co-written and approved by business lobbyists who help fund legislators' political campaigns. This is one reason why America is the only advanced country on the planet lacking universal healthcare, or even the ability for the federal government to bargain with pharmaceutical companies for drug pricing.

The Korean government's expenditures on social welfare programs is lower than the average OECD country, but still far better than America in terms of public transit, basic healthcare, and infrastructure, for example.

Korea should take notes on how to move forward in re-stabilizing its social contract with its citizenry: in short, if one works hard and studies well, she or he will succeed.

As in America (and to a lesser extent, Japan), many young adults in Korea feel this socioeconomic pact has failed to materialize for them; and there is plenty of empirical evidence supporting their dismay at this burgeoning reality. For those achieving tertiary education, positions of gainful employment with benefits has decreased, while part-time, contract work without stability has increased.

Meanwhile, institutions long looked to for support and solutions, mainly the government and the private sector, seem stymied by corruption, ineffectual and incompetent in creating policies or a national climate conducive to sustained economic growth, particularly economic growth enjoyed by the middle and working classes.

Koreans shouldn't feel ashamed to face these challenges, nor the fact their government isn't functioning at optimum levels. Other nations, far wealthier and aged (in terms of democratic institutions) aren't doing any better, or far worse.

After a new election, the next Korean president, his or her administration, and the National Assembly should seriously engage the underlying, systemic problems plaguing the Korean economy. Transparent corporate governance, a more progressive tax code, more spending on education at all levels, and marked increase in expenditures of the social safety net would be good places to start.







Deauwand Myers holds a master's degree in English literature and literary theory, and is an English professor outside Seoul. He can be reached at deauwand@hotmail.com.
Allies need to set guidelines



North Korea fired several missiles over a trajectory of 1,000 kilometers that splashed down in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the East Sea Monday morning.



Japan estimated the number of missiles at four, the flight distance similar to a medium-range missile launched three weeks ago. The latest provocations come amid a rhetorical tug of war with the incipient U.S. administration led by President Donald Trump; and with annual ROK-U.S. exercises getting under way.



By the look of the tests, called so because they didn't have any specific targets but were intended as a show of force, they represented a sheet from the North's playbook. Pyongyang wanted to show it won't let the U.S. push it around, while waiting to see how Trump reacts and seek any edge in dealing with it.



This deliberate provocation has happened at nearly every changeover of administrations in Washington and Seoul that Victor Cha and other North Korea experts made predictions about ahead of Monday's launches.



If Trump wants to succeed where his predecessors failed in dealing with the North, he should do two things.



As pointed out in our previous editorial, anger as he talked about his state of mind about the North's provocations can't be a policy. Rather, he should use his cool-minded businessman approach to deal with it. After all, he dubbed the North as a very big problem and wanted to resolve it. Then, he should know the key is strong will and patience.



Few would dispute Trump's strong-will but there is a question mark on his patience. The patience here means a different kind from his predecessor Barack Obama's strategic patience, which, in real terms, was incompetence or negligence. Trump's patience should be one that makes the North aware of how it will be punished, each time it oversteps a given boundary of action. Trump needs to lay out a set of red lines for the North clearly and with no doubt.



The lack of this checkbox system has allowed the North room for maneuver. For instance, Monday's test and the one before that involved medium-range missiles rather than intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Trump said, "It won't happen" and indicated a punitive measure, when the North's dictator Kim Jong-un said he would fire ICBMs. This is how clever the North can be.



To catch this clever nuclear rat, guidelines should be composed of a series of warnings.



To put the pressure on the North, the guidelines could contain such red lines as when the North fires a ballistic missile irrespective of its flight distance or if its missile violates other countries' airspace or EEZ waters.



It's important to earn the consent of its allies, South Korea and Japan, to reach the guidelines and apply them together with resolutions by the United Nations that are unenforceable alone.



With Trump's will to follow the guidelines, we may put the reins on the North's weapons of mass destruction and find a solution to this intractable problem.




By Michael Breen





If you put yourself in the shoes of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and his advisors and consider their options in a changing world, you can see why they would find the most comfort in the status quo.

We may think that North Korea is a poor and backward country shaking its fist at the world. But, for them, that's just fine.

This is an irony because things naturally change and people want those changes to be for the better.

The world, despite crises like the mix-up in the best picture awards at the Oscars, and Brexit and other stuff, is indeed changing for the better. Most countries are growing wealthier and democratizing.

Maintaining things just this way is not a winning election strategy. But, if that's what you're committed to, as the North Koreans are, it calls for hard work and a lot of strategizing.

This may sound cynical, but consider the circumstances from Kim Jong-un's point of view. He is only 33 years old but, instead of moving up in a company, or saving for a new car, he is an absolute leader. He's been one for a few years now, so it may even have gotten boring.

Instead of pursuing youthful ambition, he is probably more consumed by the scary fact that he is looking at another 50 or 60 years at the top during which time someone is bound to try and do to him what he just did to his brother.

As he peers down from the balcony at the fawning masses or across the room at the be-medaled generals, he probably imagines, rightly or wrongly, a vision of his own coffin lurking behind that applause.

The only way to stay safe is to be needed and to be feared. To that end, he has to keep the elite nervous by occasionally flinging a random offender into the gulag for a few years or actually having one executed for some imagined offense.

And he has to keep the people tethered. This he does with a delusion and a lie. The delusion is to convince them they are at war and the lie is that he is the only one with sufficient courage and brilliance to protect them.












Park Jin, center, three-term lawmaker who headed the National Assembly's foreign affairs and unification committee and now chairman of the Korean-American Association, poses with a group of The Korea Times' columnists  from left, Andrew Salmon; Casey Lartigue Jr.; Michael Breen and Chief Editorial Writer Oh Young-jin before starting the roundtable discussion on how to best handle the North Korea challenge at the Times in downtown Seoul, last week. Don Kirk, also a Times' columnist later joined the discussion as well. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



By Park Jin

It is clear that the advent of the Trump administration will have a substantial impact on Asia and the Korean peninsula. Above all, Washington's perceived new pro-Russia and anti-China policies will introduce a geopolitical shift in Asia.

President Trump's "America First" foreign policy is likely to push for increased defense burden sharing from its allies in Asia, including Korea and Japan, as well as causing trade conflicts with China. Plus, protectionist policies to keep US jobs will also call for a review of free trade agreements with countries such as Korea.

While the US and China are anticipating tough negotiations in the areas of trade, currency and geopolitical issues, North Korea's security threats are becoming an urgent policy priority for the Trump administration.

Under the Kim Jong-un regime, North Korea conducted two nuclear tests and test-fired around 30 missiles in 2016, and in addition to testing a game-changing Intermediate-range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) propelled by solid fuel in February, the regime is now suspected of assassinating Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-un's estranged half-brother using a highly toxic VX nerve agent in Kuala Lumpur International Airport last month.
By Andrew Salmon





The long arm of the North Korean state is bloodied once again.

The horrifying (but fascinating) assassination of (mild) regime critic, (ex) ruling-clan member and potential (if unlikely) leadership candidate Kim Jong-nam has transfixed the world due to the astonishing chutzpah with which it was undertaken; 007 creator Ian Fleming never scripted a more compelling hit.

At least, this is the assumption. While there is no proven link to the North Korean state yet, the Malaysian murder looks like Pyongyang's handiwork, for the regime has a formidable record of wet work.

Here in the bright, peaceable and normative South, some pundits, including a national assemblyman, have called this a "sloppy job." They criticize the operation for taking place in public, in an airport; for the high-risk weapon used; and for the killers' failure to escape.

I argue otherwise. If we consider high-level assassinations in recent history, the likely motives of North Korean agents, and their known modus operandi, this was dark work, well done.

First, the location. For assassinations, an ex-special operations soldier says, an airport is fit for the purpose. Killers can approach their target through crowds; assuming intelligence of their target, knowing exactly where he will be at certain times; are assured that their target and his security cordon will be unarmed; and can extract him through crowds.

But why in public? Surely, dark affairs are best conducted in dark alleyways? Not so.












By Donald Kirk





To the rest of the world North Korea is an enigma. No one knows what's happening among the elite who govern the country. There's no telling what people are really thinking and saying on the streets of Pyongyang and other cities in the country, much less in remote regions.

All we get as journalists writing about North Korea are clues. We see reports via Pyongyang's Korea Central News Agency. We get snippets of cellphone conversations via two or three websites purporting to cover North Korea. We hear accounts of harrowing experiences from defectors. We occasionally go to North Korea on carefully guided and monitored tours.

Writing about North Korea, no one can claim omniscience  or even expertise. Guides  they're called "minders"  block visitors from talking to people privately. You can't call the foreign ministry. You can't go anywhere except in a van with other visitors hitting the sights. Outside Pyongyang, the van takes you to destinations deemed suitable for visitors. At the North Korean side of the truce village of Panmunjom, a mid-level Korean People's Army officer offers a briefing and poses for pictures against the background of Freedom House across the way on the South Korean side beyond aluminum-walled hooches straddling the line.

You cannot seriously double-check anything. If South Korea's National Intelligence Service says people in North Korea's ministry of state security have been executed, there's no way to verify that report. No doubt some reports of executions are true, but there've been cases where someone was said to have been eliminated, only to turn up later.












By Casey Lartigue Jr.





Interruptions are the norm when it comes to North Korea. In recent years, it has been missile launches, but North Korea occasionally even flips its script of interruptions. Back on August 22, 2015, North Korea was threatening to blow up loudspeakers on the South Korean side of the DMZ, imposing a 5 pm deadline. I remember it clearly because at about the same time, I was going to be wrapping up an English speech contest featuring North Korean refugees. That day, none of the refugees expressed fear at speaking even with the impending deadline, it was just North Korea being North Korea.

This past Saturday, I hosted another English speech contest featuring North Korean refugees, but the latest interruption from the North was not the norm. As usual, North Korea grabbed headlines, with people wondering how the big countries would respond to the brazen assassination of the half-brother of the current North Korean dictator. The assassination sent shockwaves through the local North Korean refugee community, and probably sent the message that the current dictator meant to send: Anyone thought to be challenging the North Korean regime is at risk.

The Hana Foundation posted a notice on its website warning refugees to be careful. There were news reports the same day both that Thae Yong Ho, the high level North Korean ambassador who recently escaped to South Korea, would continue activities and others stating he would suspend his activities.

Our latest speech contest suddenly had a problem because a few of the refugees who have identified themselves publicly said they felt less comfortable speaking. Another refugee who already preferred to remain anonymous seemed to be on the verge of withdrawing from the contest. Only one of the seven contestants allowed himself to be photographed and video recorded.












By Michael Breen





As the Constitutional Court moves inexorably towards a decision in the impeachment case of President Park Geun-hye, it is clear now, with the belated surge of support for Park, that whichever way the court rules, a lot of people are going to be unhappy.

The losing side is bound to protest.

Protesters in recent months have been so peaceful that parents feel confident to bring their children along. But if the court sends President Park back to work, some leftists among the pro-impeachment crowd may resort to their violent habits and, after the families and children have gone home, stage futile battles with police.

If, on the other hand, the Court upholds the impeachment and the President is removed from office, some rightists among the flag-waving pro-Park crowd may follow through on threats to attack judges and opposition leaders. A few nutters may chop off fingers or even kill themselves.

The difference, I guess, would be that the right will have a big protest and then call it a day, while the left will occupy Gwanghwamun Square and keep its fantasy revolution going until the scheduled election in December.

The only way to spare us this outcome would be if the court were to reject the impeachment and the President were to then resign.

Of course, the judges in the Constitutional Court ought not to be swayed by any possible impact of their decision, be it a million yelling protesters or a brick through the window. Their job is to focus on what is fair and just and in accordance with the Constitution.

That said, their Constitutional Court is not a criminal court, which means they may consider political factors.

That is why we cannot guess at this stage which way they will rule.

Their dilemma is actually quite simple. Had the Constitutional Court hearings and the parallel, 70-day investigation by the special prosecutorial team produced clear evidence of presidential wrongdoing, the decision would be a foregone conclusion. Park would be out of the Blue House and into jail.

But they didn't. There's no evidence of Swiss bank accounts. There's no report that the President was partying while the Sewol ferry went down. As time has gone by, it has become apparent that Park is innocent. This doesn't mean she is a great President. What it means is that the impeachment was a move too far.

This situation is bewildering. Ask any diplomat and I am sure they will tell you the most commonly asked question in foreign embassies these days is, "What exactly has she done wrong?"

But, here's the rub: the factor that drove the National Assembly's hasty impeachment before the investigation was complete, is the same factor that might well lead the judges to uphold it. That is, public sentiment.

This notion is so powerful in Korea that many Koreans who agree with what I have said above feel too intimidated to say it out loud themselves.

Only now, late in the day, as pro-Park protests have morphed from a few badly dressed and grumpy old men into a major expression of opinion, are people coming out of the woodwork and saying what they think. These crowds would not have swelled had Park been clearly guilty.

What we've got instead is possible peripheral wrongdoing by other people and then a bunch of technicalities. Like, for example, the President or someone else arranged for her friend and her doctor to enter the Blue House without going through normal security. Don't tell me this has never happened before. It's the technical equivalent of an overdue library book.

If it's used as an excuse to impeach, then we can be sure that, even if Park is removed now, history will reinstate her.





Michael Breen is the CEO of Insight Communications Consultants, a public relations company, and author of "The Koreans" and "Kim Jong-il: North Korea's Dear Leader."
Home plus fresh food division director Kim Woong, third from left, signs a memorandum of understanding with Thai Minister Counselor of Commercial Affairs Vilasinee Nonsrichai, third from right, at the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul, Monday. The retailer will promote Thai fresh food at its nationwide outlets by the end of this month. / Courtesy of Home plus
Sales of South Korea's online shopping malls rose dramatically in recent months helped by the growing number of Chinese customers, data showed Monday, amid China retaliating against South Korea over Seoul's plans to deploy an advanced US missile defense system on its soil.

China has been retaliating against Seoul's decision reached in July to have the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system deployed on South Korean soil later this year. South Korea says the missile system will not target China but only counter threats from North Korea.

In the latest retaliation, Chinese travel agencies suspended sales of tour packages to South Korea last week.

WeMakePrice, a major online shopping mall, said its sales on Tmall, a business-to-consumer online mall operated by China's Alibaba Group, rose 100 percent in January compared with the same period last year. The comparable figure was 50 percent for February.

"We don't expect any drastic decline in the sales in Tmall, one of the biggest online shopping sites in China, unless Chinese consumers stage a boycott of South Korean products," a WeMakePrice official said.

GMarket, another online shopping mall, said its sales to Chinese consumers surged 18 percent in 2016 from a year earlier, and the trend is similar for the first two months of this year.

A possible decline in the number of Chinese tourists visiting South Korea, however, may adversely affect South Korea's online sales as many Chinese tourists place online orders at South Korean duty-free shops before picking up goods in person while touring South Korea, industry sources said. (Yonhap)
By Kang Seung-woo

Global sales of self-driving cars are forecast to top 20 million by 2035 on the rapid development of related technologies, according to a state-run think tank, Monday.

"The smart car market will expand to a large extent as autonomous vehicles are expected to hit the road en masse around 2020,"the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET) said. "Their annual sales are expected to surpass 20 million in 2035."

The volume of the local smart car market increased by 4.3 percent from 333 trillion won in 2010 to 411 trillion won in 2015, KIET said.

Smart cars encompass connected cars, which are designed to optimize their own maintenance via internet connectivity, and autonomous cars, which are capable of sensing the environment and navigating without human input.

Although the smart car sector is in its blooming stage, the industry has seen its technology development making great strides thanks to aggressive participation by information technology firms as well as carmakers.

Google launched its self-driving car project in 2009 and unveiled its first driverless car the following year.

Since then, global carmakers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and General Motors have joined the competition for the potential-loaded business.

Amid intensifying global efforts, the Korean government has come up with measures to encourage local companies to jump on the bandwagon.

The transport ministry plans to exhibit a smart highway using a high tech-based traffic management system, on which vehicles could travel at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour and exchange traffic information to avoid congestion.

Other relevant ministries are also providing various measures to bolster the industry.

KIET said the government should come up with measures aimed at streamlining many policies from different ministries, which sometimes conflict with one another. It also asked the government to support both major firms and smaller players so they will be able to grow in balance.
By Jhoo Dong-chan



Retailer giant Shinsegae Group's ambitious Starfield shopping complex in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, may have to close twice a month as the government and the ruling party are pushing ahead with their plan to regulate the business days of large-size megamalls to protect local businesses across the country.

Business circles, including Shinsegae, however, strongly oppose the move since the measure would include not only big stores in the metropolitan area but also their megamalls on the outskirts.

The government and ruling Liberty Korea Party (LKP) said during a cabinet-party consultative meeting last week that they would promote a plan under which the big stores will be obliged to close two days a month. It was a follow-up measure after the ruling party's announcement of protecting local businesses last month.

Having already suffered the severe blow of the Chinese government's trade retaliation after the government decided to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system here, the nation's retailer companies condemned the government's decision.

"It won't help the local businesses or the big shopping complexes," an industry insider said.

"Most large-size shopping complexes, like Starfield Hanam, are located on the outskirts of Seoul. There are no small-size local businesses near those complexes. And most shopping complex visitors do not buy daily necessities there. Regulating those big complexes won't help local businesses at all."

Separate from the government and the ruling party's possible measure, the nation's corporate watchdog imposed a combined 58 million won ($50,000) in fines on Shinsegae Group's three affiliates for regulatory filing violations.

The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said Shinsegae, Shinsegae Food and E-mart were fined for not properly reporting group owner Lee Myung-hee's shareholding to authorities.

Lee reportedly possessed less than a 1 percent share in each of those three Shinsegae affiliates under the names of company officials until 2015.

Shinsegae reported the information to authorities related to those shares held by the officials.

The FTC also issued a warning to Lee for submitting false documents to the companies and violating the disclosure rules.

Under related laws, all managerial matters, including stock ownership and appointment of executives and board members, are subject to mandatory disclosure.
The number of elderly people will grow in Hong Kong in the coming years.



Study finds that those of working age will have to care for 3.1 million children and elderly people in 2034  a 56 per cent increase from 2015



By Sarah Zheng





Dependants will make up nearly 40 per cent of Hong Kong's population by 2034, putting the burden on a "sandwich generation" having to take care of both parents and children, a study by the University of Hong Kong and the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association has found.

There are currently 1.71 million people in the city with responsibilities for the young and the old, or around 48 per cent of all people aged between 30 and 59.

But this will grow as the dependent population  elderly people over 64 and children under 15  reaches 3.1 million in 2034, representing a 56 per cent increase from 2015.

In about 20 years, there will be two working-age adults for every person over 64, according to the study.

Populations are ageing around the world thanks to lower birth rates and higher life expectancy, but this will be a particular challenge for Hong Kong, which is already densely populated.

The city's average lifespan is 79.5 years, the third highest in the world after Japan and Switzerland.

As a result, people with obligations to care for the young and old are finding it difficult to cope, particularly in a society that values care for the family.

"We think it is a very imminent issue that we have to address," Chinese University lecturer Dr Clara Kan said. "Everyone is getting old, but [because of] the culture of [places] like Hong Kong, people are actually making a lot of effort to take care of their parents. Filial piety is something that we treasure."

Around 84 per cent of "sandwich-generation" members report difficulty in finding helpers to take care of older relatives, the study found.

To address this, the Hong Kong Jockey Club will launch a "Good Hand" elderly care service app to connect people in need with non-profit elderly care groups.

The app will facilitate access to helpers who can provide the elderly with services such as everyday care, rehabilitation therapy and cooking and cleaning services, as well as accompanying them to clinics.

One woman surnamed Tsui said she was "very frustrated" with the process of seeking services for her 84-year-old grandmother  who was in hospital for two years  while raising her two-year-old child.

"I wanted to keep my grandmother at a home instead of at a facility," she said, adding she hoped the app would make her life easier.

Kan, the project director for "Good Hand", said she wanted the app to become a go-to platform for people in need. "It's like when you want transport, you contact Uber. You want a hotel, you contact AirBnb. You want elderly care services, you contact Good Hand'," she said.

There are currently four non-profit groups working with the app, which will launch in late April, but the goal is to have 30 on board in three years.

"It's going to be a long [road], but I really hope that our effort can make a difference," Kan said.
Korean actor Ko Kyung Pyo was in Singapore for his first overseas fan meet. Prior to the fan meet, the up and coming star shared a session with the media, where he appeared shy and very down-to-earth. Ko was grateful for the many opportunities that came knocking on his door, after his participation in the hit series Reply 1998. Before that, he was usually offered comical or immature roles, although at that point in time, he was more focused on making bonds and friendship with his co-stars, learning from them and hoping to try out different roles. With the success of Reply 1998, he is now exposed to more difficult and varied drama roles back home and is even able to hold a fan meet in Singapore.

When questioned about his 10-day Namibia trip in early 2016 with his Reply 1988 co-actors: Park Bo Gum, Ryu Jun Yeol and Ahn Jae Hong in Youth Over Flowers: Africa, Ko explained that after his rafting accident (the actual scene where he fell into the water and was rescued by the guide was not shown on broadcast as it had been too dangerous), his outlook in life changed where he now places more focus on sincerity and goes for things that are more worthwhile with his motto "appearance is not the most important thing"! Through the many ups and downs, Ko expressed that the trip was especially meaningful to him and he seemed to have matured a lot from those experiences.

To the lanky actor, every scene in Jealousy Incarnate is unique and interesting, but for one of his scenes which featured his "fight" with the male lead, Jo Jung Suk, Ko was initially worried before filming started, however it turned out to be one of the most memorable as the atmosphere was comically enjoyable, although the weather had been very cold.

Ko also admitted that his heart fluttered while shooting the scene in Jealousy Incarnate where he took measurement of the female lead, Gong Hyo-jin. He especially liked that his drama character, Jung-won tried to win the girl through hard work, using his heart, and not via materialistic means though Jung-won is a chaebol. Ko considers cooking a meal for his loved ones, be it girlfriend, friends or family, is one of the most romantic gesture a guy should have.

There were moments when he was shooting the romantic scenes for Jealousy Incarnate, he cringed and felt embarrassed, thus his wishes for his future role, "for my next project, preferably it is a role that I have not done before; does not need to be a romantic character, but to show more of my personality"

The 26-year old thespian acknowledged that throughout the years, with more practise, he is now able to control his temperament better, with him easily sneaking in and out of the characters he play, unlike his early days where he was shocked when he easily turned hostile during the period he played an aggressive role in a film.

While he has been recently featured in advertisements with high-profile popular female artiste such as AOA's Seol Hyun, the humble actor is open to co-operate with any artistes or brands, and states his wish to receive more advertisement offers in Korea.

In real life, Ko claims to be meticulous and is a person who enjoys spending time with his friends and likes mountain climbing. When alone, he prefers listening to music that are clam and soothing. He fancies woman who is in control of her life, knows what she is doing and can speak for herself; traits that are quite similar to the female leads in both Reply 1998 and Jealousy Incarnate.

After finishing Jealousy Incarnate, he is taking a break to travel which includes Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. If time permits for his current trip, he wants to meet his cousin who is staying in Singapore and he will like to take a dip in the Infinity Pool atop the Marina Bay Sands hotel as well as ride the Singapore Flyer for a better view of the island.

For the coming Lunar New Year, Ko mentions that he will spend time with his family whom he is not staying with, before embarking on his new project which will be announced by the first half of 2017. His fans can only wait patiently, for the time being!

Special thanks to KMTV Asia for inviting KpopStarz.com to cover 'Ko Kyung Pyo's 1st Fan Meeting in Singapore' Press Conference.

Writer: Wang | Photo Credits: Ong Melin
BIG BANG's MADE era was considerably short but most definitely sweet as it posted one of the most successful runs of any album in the realm of K-pop. The album was released only in December and BIG BANG member TOP enlisted in the military in February but there was no doubt that the MADE album definitely made its mark.

According to a report from SBS Pop Asia, aside from the numerous awards received by the group from the album, they also had one of the most successful world tours among any Korean artist. In fact, over 1.5 million BIG BANG fans attended the boys' performances leading to sold out shows and an even higher market demand for their concerts.

BIG BANG made waves in China too, when heir MADE V.I.P tour became the most attended concert by a foreign act in the country. The same goes with 2016's 0.to.10 concerts also drew major crowds proving just how popular T.O.P, Taeyang, G-Dragon, Daesung and Seungri remain even after 11 years in the spotlight.

Among the most recent wins that the group received from MADE was from the Korean Music Awards where they took home the prize for Group Musician of the Year (Netizen Vote), Song of the Year of "Bae Bae" and Best Pop Song for Loser. It also ruled the Gaon Chart Awards when it got five Song of the Year Awards for "Loser", "BBB", "If You", "LNFIL" and "Fxxk It". It also brought in wins from the Golden Disc Awards, Melon Music Awards, Melon Popularity Award and Mnet Asian Music Awards.

"BBB" won Record of the Year in Digital Release and Bonsang Award at the Seoul Music Awards. In Japan, they also proved that they are one of the most formidable Asian acts in the scene as they took home the Song of the Year by Download for 2016 and 2017 for "BBB" at the Japan Gold Disc Award, the Best Asian Artist Award, Album of the Year for the MADE series, Best 3 Albums and Best Music Video for the MADE tour.

The boys also took home wins from Japan Record Awards, MTV TRL Awards in Italy, QQ Music Awards, Korea SNS Industry Awards, MTV IGGY, Korea Marketing Award, InStyle Star Icon Awards, IFPI, KKBOx Music Awards, SBS Pop Asia Awards, Soompi Awards, Nate Awards and in music shows.

All in all, BIG BANG received a total of 98 awards for the MADE series, and its remaining members continue to thrive in the music and fashion industries. G-Dragon recently hit the 13 million follower milestone on Instagram as he gears to release a solo album within the year. Taeyang, Daesung and Seungri are also expected to come out with new material before they too enter mandatory military service, Hype reported.

BIG BANG is currently nominated in Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards, representing Asia in the Favorite Global Music Star category. For more Kpop news, check out Kpopstarz.
K-CON will be coming to Australia! Another huge K-pop event will be coming here!

According to CJ E&M, K-CON will be coming to Australia on September! However, exact date, location and venue is currently pending. Meanwhile, K-CON will be heading to many other countries including Mexico, Japan and America.

What is K-CON? K-CON is a global Korean convention where it shows off Korea's culture and their pop music. In these events, there are many events occurring including a food tasting event, K-pop dance classes and most of all a mini concert that features many well-known K-pop group.

This news is definitely very exciting for Australian fans since many have been waiting for this moment! It is definitely a huge year for K-pop in Australia, so are you excited for K-CON? Let us know in the comments below!
March 5, 2017 (EIRNS)President Donald Trump called upon the U.S. Congresss Intelligence Committees today to investigate whether the Obama administration carried out improper and politically motivated investigations of then-candidate Trump that exceeded and abused powers. This refers to Trumps accusation on March 4 that the Obama Administration tapped into Trump Tower, Trumps campaign headquarters, during the campaign.

The White House Press Secretary released the following statement:

"Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling.

"President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the Congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused.

"Neither the White House nor the President will comment further until such oversight is conducted."
PRESS RELEASE

U.S. Armed Forces Reportedly Collaborated with Russian and Syrian Military in Battle for Palmyra

March 5, 2017 (EIRNS)U.S. Armed Forces reportedly collaborated with Russia and Syria in critical military operations resulting in the March 2 re-taking of the city of Palmyra, the first such collaboration in the six-year Syria war. This appears to be a step beyond the de-confliction efforts of the U.S. and Russian military, to prevent nations aircraft and ground forces from attacking one another.

Al Masdar News service reported March 4, in an article entitled, "U.S. Air Force Aids Syrian Army, Russian Military to Liberate Palmyra," that:

"For the first time during this six year long Syrian Conflict, the U.S. and Russian air forces coordinated to aid the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in their quest to liberate Palmyra (Tadmur) from the Islamic State terrorist organization."

During the past two weeks, U.S. warplanes conducted several raids over the eastern countryside of Palmyra, hitting a large number of Islamic State targets along the Sukhanah-Palmyra Road. The U.S. airstrikes in east Palmyra were significant in helping the Syrian Arab Army and Russian military retake the city by cutting off a vital ISIS supply route.

Noted Al Masdar,

"Both the Russian and U.S. commands have yet to comment on their coordination above the skies of ancient Palmyra; however, there has been some acknowledgment from local activists on both sides."

Reflecting this perspective, Washington Post reporter Liz Sly headlined her March 2 article, "Hezbollah, Russia and the U.S. Help Syria Retake Palmyra." Sly states that the U.S., Russia and Syria demur when asked about such collaboration, but then reported similarly,

"During the last 10 days of February, the U.S. military conducted 23 strikes [in Palmyra] against Islamic State fighting units, tanks, storage facilities and command centers."

It would appear that the same strain of collaboration among Russia, and the U.S. (and with Turkey and Syria)although not yet confirmedwas as well involved in the March 2 agreement by which the Syrian Army peacefully took over the occupation and administration of the city of Manbij, from the U.S.-backed Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which had previously occupied the city.
Dave Eggers, Valeria Luiselli, Jacqueline Woodson and Nick Flynn are among those who will be judging the 2017 National Book Awards.

The National Book Foundation announced the new roster of 20 judges Monday. They include authors, some whom are previous National Book Award winners and finalists, and booksellers and critics.

The National Book Awards are among the most prominent literary prizes in the U.S. Established in 1950, they are awarded each year in four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry and young peoples literature.

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National Book Foundation Executive Director Lisa Lucas praised the enormous scope of talent the judges bring to the awards.

We are all looking forward to celebrating the next set of longlist, finalist, and winning titles selected by our esteemed judges, Lucas said in a news release.

The foundation also announced that publishers could begin nominating books on Monday. In the past, the first date for submissions was in early April.

David Steinberger, chairman of the foundations board of directors, said the date was changed to give judges more time to deliberate over nominees.

Judging is hard and important work, and with an increasing number of books submitted by publishers, we are happy to provide as much assistance as possible to the judges, he said.

The deadline for submissions, May 17, remains similar to the one in past years.

The judges for next years fiction award include Eggers; Woodson; authors Karolina Waclawiak and Alexander Chee, an L.A. Times critic at large; and bookstore owner Annie Philbrick.

The nonfiction panel includes Luiselli, a two-time L.A. Times Book Prize winner; writers Jeff Chang, Ruth Franklin and Paula J. Giddings; and Steve Bercu, who co-owns the independent bookstore Book People in Austin, Texas.

Judging the poetry award will be Flynn and fellow poets Jane Mead, Gregory Pardlo, Richard Siken and Monica Youn.

The young peoples literature category will be judged by authors Brendan Kiely, Kekla Magoon, Meg Medina and Alex Sanchez, in addition to bookstore owner Suzanna Hermans.

The longlists for the National Book Awards, 10 books in each category, will be announced the week of Sept. 12, with the shortlists revealed Oct. 4. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in New York on Nov. 15.
Exxon Mobil Corp. says it plans to spend $20 billion over 10 years on refineries and chemical and liquefied natural gas plants along the Gulf Coast.

Chairman and Chief Executive Darren Woods said the work would create 12,000 permanent jobs  Exxon currently has about 71,000 employees  and 35,000 construction jobs.

Exxon said it plans 10 expansion projects at current facilities around Beaumont and Baytown, Texas, and Baton Rouge, La., and wants to build a new chemical plant at a location yet to be determined along the Gulf. It said the investments began in 2013.

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The sum of $20 billion would be roughly equal to Exxons total capital spending last year. The company announced last week that it plans to increase overall investments to an average of $25 billion a year from 2018 to 2020.

The announcement comes as Woods makes his first public rounds as CEO. He succeeded Rex Tillerson, who left the company to become President Trumps secretary of State, in January.

Woods is a veteran of the more cautious refining side of the oil business, seen as likely to focus on controlling costs.

Woods may take a more hesitant approach to deal-making than Tillerson, who hailed from the more swashbuckling exploration side and famously did business with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Its unclear whether Woods will be any more successful than Tillerson in achieving peace with environmental critics. The early signals are mixed.

Woods, 52, joined Exxon in 1992 and has spent most of his career in chemicals and refining, the so-called downstream part of the business.

There is a different psychology in downstream than there is in oil and gas wildcatting, said Cowen analyst Sam Margolin. Downstream is very much about managing costs and trying to get the most out of the least effort.

Tillerson left Woods plenty to work on. Exxon Mobil earned a record $45.2 billion in 2008 and nearly matched that in 2012. With oil prices slumping, profit has tumbled, falling to $7.8 billion last year  the companys smallest gain since 1998.

Along the way, Exxon lost its coveted AAA credit rating. Lower oil prices forced it to write down assets. At Exxons size, replacing oil reserves is always challenging.

Woods also faces pressure from shareholders to protect the dividend and revive share buybacks. At last weeks investor event in New York, he vowed to grow dividends and buy back stock when possible.

Woods detailed a growth plan that relies heavily on drilling in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico and the Bakken shale formation in North Dakota, balancing that with big, long-term projects around the world.

After spending $19 billion in 2016, Exxon plans to invest $22 billion in the business this year and raise that to an average of $25 billion a year from 2018 through 2020. Still, those budgets look disciplined in comparison to the freewheeling years of 2010 through 2015, when spending topped $30 billion every year.

Woods spoke to investors only briefly about the companys Russian operations, which became a controversy for Tillerson during his Cabinet-confirmation process. Woods indicated Exxon is confident about the prospects for its huge Sakhalin project on Russias eastern coast. Other work, which was stopped by sanctions imposed after Russia annexed Crimea, will be re-examined if sanctions are lifted, he said.

Its difficult to judge the style of a new CEO right away. Most grow into the role over time. In New York, Woods was careful and scripted. He looked down as he read a long speech, remembering occasionally to look up at the audience.

Wolfe Research analyst Paul Sankey contrasted Woods owlish demeanor with the imperial and intimidating force of Lee Raymond, the longtime CEO who preceded Tillerson.

Raymond could be gruff and abrasive. He would seem dismissive of analysts, reporters or shareholders who asked questions that he considered ill-informed or combative. In contrast, Woods answered a range of questions in a soothing, matter-of-fact tone, which was easier because none of the questioners were particularly critical or skeptical of the companys actions.

That wont be true in May, when Woods presides over the annual shareholder meeting that is often notable for activists who denounce Exxon for, as they see it, obstructing action against climate change. The activists say theyre still trying to figure out the new CEO.

He is an Exxon Mobil lifer who flew under the radar, but he seems to be following in the footsteps of Rex Tillerson, said Kathy Mulvey, an official at the Union of Concerned Scientists. His line on climate change seems pretty similar.

In a blog last month, Woods acknowledged that climate change poses risks and that business, governments and consumers should address them, and he has repeated Exxons support for a carbon tax. Then in an interview with Forbes, he said that fossil fuels bring great benefits and are needed to raise living standards for poor people around the world.

Mulvey, whose group is aiding state investigations into Exxon, said Woods is perpetuating a false choice  we can either continue burning fossil fuels or leave many people in poverty. Thats not true if we develop alternatives, she said.

State officials in New York and Massachusetts are investigating whether Exxon hid its knowledge of climate change for financial gain. The company denies the accusations, which it says are politically motivated, and it has fought back aggressively in the courts.

Environmentalists credit the company for adding a climate scientist to its board in January  activist shareholders had pushed for the move. That was offset, however, when a human-rights scholar resigned last month from an Exxon advisory panel  she was angered by Exxons tactics against critics after Woods became CEO.

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UPDATES:

3:25 p.m.: This article was updated with locations of the planned projects.

1:25 p.m.: This article was updated with information about jobs and about Exxons finances.

This article was originally published at 1:05 p.m.
The Transportation Security Administration has quietly adopted new enhanced pat-down searches for screening passengers at U.S. airports, a response to weaknesses in airport security.

The TSA on Thursday began using a universal pat-down procedure that includes enhanced security measures to replace several pat-down tactics used in the past by TSA screeners that are presumably less invasive.

The TSA is standardizing its physical search procedure rather than allow screeners to choose among types of searches to reduce the chance of poor decisions at crucial security checkpoints.

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The UPD [universal pat-down] lessens the cognitive burden for our officers and reduces the possibility for confusion with passengers and employees as well, the agency said.

TSA officials declined to detail the new universal procedure or the previous pat-down tactics, but the industry is bracing for passenger unhappiness about more invasive searches.

An airport trade group has told its members that TSA screeners will be allowed to use the front of their hands, instead of just the backs of hands, to search passengers if a previous screening indicated the presence of explosives, Bloomberg News reported, based on a security notice distributed by the Airports Council International-North America.

The TSA is briefing local law enforcement agencies in case they are notified that a passenger believes a [TSA security screener] has subjected them to an abnormal screening practice, according to the notice.

The TSA said the standardized pat-down process comes in response to a 2015 undercover test of airport security measures by the Department of Homeland Security.

The results of the 2015 test are classified but John Roth, the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, told a congressional committee that the study found layers of security simply missing. According to news reports, the test found that the screening procedures failed to detect handguns and other weapons.

The pat-down searches will be used on passengers who decline to go through the full-body screening machine used at most major U.S. airports or for those travelers who trigger a warning from the machine. TSA officers can also use a pat-down search on random travelers.

Passengers have the right to request a private pat-down screening and ask to be accompanied by a companion of their choice.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.
Since its October launch, Googles Pixel phone has received rave reviews, and Google recently confirmed to the Android-focused publication Android Pit that it will release a new Pixel this year. Yet despite these successes, it seems the phone may be experiencing some trouble on the sales front, and it may have missed an opportunity to capitalize on competitors missteps.

Although Google doesnt break out its numbers for Pixel units sold, analysts estimate that customers bought about 552,000 Pixel phones by the end of 2016, according to USA Today. In comparison, Apple Inc. sold 78 million iPhones between late September and December. Samsung sold 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 phones between its mid-August launch and its October discontinuation.



For the record: An earlier version of this article wrongly stated that Google is a subsidiary of Apple Inc. It is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.

To put that in perspective, Googles market share for smartphones shipped is now less than 1% worldwide  as compared with Samsungs 18%  said Ramon Llamas, a research manager for the analysis firm International Data Corp. So if Google is making its mark, its still a small one relative to the Samsung empire, which also runs on Googles Android operating system. (Apple, meanwhile, is at 18.2%, according to IDC.)

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Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., did not respond to a request for comment.

So whats going on? On paper, the Pixel seemed like it should have been a slam dunk for Google given the Pixels Google branding, Samsungs Note 7 problems, and criticism of Apples latest iPhones not being that revolutionary. The Pixel is also an undeniably good phone, particularly in the absence of strong competition, thanks to its quality construction, pure version of Android and special Google features such as the voice-controlled Assistant. And Google has great brand recognition; it came in eighth in a reputation ranking looking at the worlds most visible companies. Samsung, on the same list, was 49th in the wake of its Note 7 problems and other issues.

And its not as though Google isnt trying to sell this phone. It has sunk considerable effort and a reported $3.2 million in marketing costs, according to Reuters, into making the Pixel stand out as the Google phone. A profile of Googles ad campaign from Fast Company revealed that Google chose to feature its well-known search bar in Pixel advertising to closely tie in the smartphone with its most iconic product.

The big problem for Pixel is that only one carrier, Verizon, sells the phone, said Jeff Moore of research firm Wave7 Research. Although users can get it directly from Google for the full price of $649  and take it to another carrier if they want  thats not an option that a majority of wireless customers consider.

Thats a big minus, Moore said.

Companies sometimes offer phones with just one carrier, particularly when launching a new line; Apples iPhone was an AT&T exclusive at first, and Google has tapped Verizon as a carrier partner for its co-branded Nexus phones in the past.

According to Wave7s research, the Pixel got off to a good start, with many in the survey saying demand was as high for Googles phone as for other well-known manufacturers. But some of that excitement is starting to cool. Verizon representatives surveyed by Wave7 estimated that the Pixel accounted for 6.2% of activations in February, a decline from the previous three months.

Compounding the availability issue, Moore said, is that stores are having trouble keeping the phones in stock. Thats a good sign for Google in terms of demand, but its a bad sign for the company in terms of being able to capitalize on that demand, he said.

Because of unexpectedly high demand, Google has had some trouble getting enough parts to make its phones, according to reports from the Verge as well as other industry analysts.

Thats not to say the Pixel couldnt pick up more steam over time. After all, the smartphone world seems a little boring right now, judging by the headlines coming out of last weeks Mobile World Congress. The most-discussed phone launched at the usually jam-packed show was a revived Nokia phone that last saw its heyday in 2000. But Samsung is set to announce its new phone March 29; if its a hit, analysts said, Google is set to face fiercer competition.

Google professes to be happy with the Pixels sales. When talking to investors about Googles last earnings report, Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said he was thrilled with the reception that the companys hardware had received this past holiday season.

Moore, the Wave7 analyst, said hes still bullish on Pixel: Theyve gained a foothold at Verizon, and Im sensing that demand is there. Google, he said, has the deep pockets and the branding to push it forward.

But as it stands right now, Googles Pixel is more of an interesting experiment than a full-blown success, said IDCs Ramos. Its great as a Verizon customer, he said. But were five months into this, and still at a point where supply cannot meet demand.

Tsukayama writes for the Washington Post.

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The German city of Hamburg has become a media darling with its awesome Elbphilharmonie, a new concert hall that stands taller, cost more and is more gawk-able than any other. Berlin, however, now has the exact opposite in the graceful, airy, idealistic Pierre Boulez Saal, which opened here Saturday night. Rather than stand tall, it stands for something.

Pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim conceived his seemingly modest 683-seat hall as part of the new Barenboim-Said Academy, where young Arab and Israeli musicians train together so that they might someday learn to work together. And the new hall is a place for music to visibly  and audibly!  make a powerfully public cultural statement.

To that end, the Walt Disney Concert Hall team of architect Frank Gehry and acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota designed the oval-shaped room primarily with music in mind. And serve music Boulez Hall surely could Saturday in an uncompromising 3-hour program of works progressing historically from Mozart to Boulez and beyond, grippingly played by Barenboims new Boulez Ensemble.

The shape of this Saal modulable has its origins in an offhand circular sketch by Gehry that to me suggests a black hole. The analogy holds inside the building, which is composed of two slightly skewed ovals. One is the stage, surrounded 360 degrees by seats. Above the stage  higher than Gehry wanted but where Toyota insisted would be acoustically preferable  are two undulating rings of seats.

Feeling like an astronaut hovering above Saturn, I sat on the lower ring. The ledge is tilted to discourage putting your program on it and to encourage leaning forward. Once you begin to lean, the music has a kind of sonic gravitational pull for which we dont yet have an everyday acoustics adjective. Vivid, intense, dramatic, resonant, immediate, intimate  none will do, even if you string them together.

The view inside the new hall, looking over the first of two balcony levels. (Pierre Boulez Saal)

A hall in the round affords another marvel of simultaneously creating a communal effect, along with providing a singular perspective visually and aurally. No one hears or sees quite the same thing, while at the same time, musicians and audience feel as though we are in it together.

This all goes back to Boulez, the revolutionary composer and conductor who died a year ago at age 90 and for whom the hall and ensemble have been named. When he became music director of the New York Philharmonic in 1971, Boulez began to reimagine the concert experience, creating special rug concerts for new music in various spaces where the audience would sit on the floor, creating an atmosphere of openness to new experiences by breaking down formal barriers and expectations.

It was at a rug concert in New York where Gehry first met Boulez, beginning a long friendship. Gehry told me at intermission Saturday that Boulez Hall would be perfect for rug concerts, because the seats downstairs can be electronically retracted to create a large open stage.

For Barenboim, who began performing with Boulez in the 1960s and who also became close to the composer, the concept of openness has had particularly broad implications musically, culturally and politically. He and Palestinian American literary scholar Edward Said founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in hopes that giving Arab and Israeli student musicians the opportunity to play together might lead to understanding, if not necessarily friendship.

On Saturday, the players provided a conspicuous multicultural mix of students and professional symphony musicians (if unexpectedly short on women), and the program was intended not only to show off the hall and the ensemble but also to give a hint of what the venue will come to represent. Barenboim has programmed a busy opening four months with wide-ranging programs that include a multi-year survey of all of Schuberts songs, mixed bills of modern music and standard repertory and a considerable emphasis on music, classical and traditional, from Arab countries.

Star performers will abound  including pianists Martha Argerich, Lang Lang , Andras Schiff and Radu Lupu  and ticket prices (including the opening night gala) start at $16 and never rise above $100. Gehry and Toyota told me that they donated their services because they believed that strongly in what Barenboim stands for.

The president of Germany, Joachim Gauck, smiled at the crowd as he took his seat and casually said good day. Prime Minister Angela Merkel was away, but she plans to attend a concert this week.

Throughout the evening, Barenboim kowtowed to no one. He began by conducting a little-known Boulez fanfare originally written in 1987 for the Menil Collection in Houston. Seven brass players stood on high at either side of the hall. From my seat, quite near one group, I got a thrilling headphone effect, although I could also feel the entire hall filling up with all-consuming resonance.

The Schubert song project began with Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, featuring soprano Anna Prohaska, clarinetist Jorg Widmann and Barenboim. Heard from on high, voice and clarinet were like answering echoes of each other, transforming the space into something seemingly vast. Also at my altitude, Barenboims piano dominated Mozarts Piano Quartet in E-flat, the hall seemingly tailor-tuned for his plum-rich tone.

ARCHITECTURE: Critic Christopher Hawthorne's take on Pierre Boulez Hall 

Bergs Chamber Concerto for piano, violin and winds was a moving symbol of the next generation, the soloists being Barenboims son, Michael (who is concertmaster of West-Eastern Divan Orchestra), and the late Edward Saids nephew, Karim Said, a young Jordanian protegee of Barenboim. The performance was strongly dramatic, the acoustic pulling a listener into Bergs emotionally and musically complex language with, for me, unprecedented physicality.

The third section of the program began with a clarinet solo by Widmann, who is also one of Germanys most sought after composers. (He wrote an oratorio for the opening of the Elbphilharmonie and has a commission from Barenboim coming up for the Boulez Hall). I was told by some seated downstairs that his Fantasie was an intriguingly mysterious disembodied voice, since they couldnt see the clarinetist stationed on the upper ring. Those of us seated practically next to him had the considerable pleasure of listening as if from inside the clarinet bell.

The biggest piece of the night was Boulezs late, 40-minute Sur Incises at the end. Three harps, three pianos and three percussionists set the hall resonating like there would be no tomorrow. There are points where Boulez creates intricate rhythmic patterns that circle one another, slightly off, just like the ovals in the hall.

Here Barenboim went for drama in intellectual music, appealing to what he calls the thinking ear. The mostly young musicians  some of whom would be banned from giving voice to Boulez in the U.S. because of their passports (Barenboim, too, given that he holds a Palestinian passport, and if he were to show that rather than his Israeli one)  were mightily impressive. The German president joined the standing ovation.

The Elbphilharmonie is the concert hall that Hamburg needs. The Pierre Boulez Saal is what the world needs.

mark.swed@latimes.com

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Frank Gehry once heard fellow architect Philip Johnson say that the purest form of exploration in their profession, their version of a blank canvas or a single sheet of paper, was the one-room building. To back up the theory, he cited Istanbuls Hagia Sophia, Frances Chartres Cathedral and  modesty never being Johnsons strong suit  his own 1949 Glass House in New Canaan, Conn.

Gehry took the idea to heart, designing a series of houses that were miniature villages in which each room became, in essence, its own structure. But hes never had a chance to explore the potential of single-room architecture quite as directly as in Pierre Boulez Hall in Berlin, which he designed in collaboration with pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim.

The project has been one of near-obsessive interest over the last four years for the classical music-loving Gehry, and that is one reason the architecture and music critics who follow his work have been so eager to see it. (He waived his usual fee.) But the final product never quite strikes the unusual balance of refined and unrefined spaces, of humanism and careful proportion set against the ad hoc and the thrown together, that marks his most effective designs.

The hall opened Saturday night with a concert of chamber music and art song by Boulez, Schubert, Mozart, Alban Berg and Jorg Widmann that stretched more than three hours and drew a rousing response from an audience including German President Joachim Gauck, architect Rafael Vinoly, curator Stephanie Barron and Los Angeles Philharmonic President and Chief Executive Deborah Borda.

The 682-seat hall is tucked into one corner of a four-story building from 1955 that was designed by architect Richard Paulick to store sets for the Berlin State Opera, where Barenboim is music director. The building, which sits rather anonymously on a corner in the Mitte district, in the heart of Berlin, backing up to an important civic plaza called Bebelplatz, is now the headquarters for the Barenboim-Said Academy, a conservatory that includes young Israeli and Arab musicians.

The academy has its roots in the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which Barenboim founded in 1999 with the late Palestinian American writer and Columbia University professor Edward Said.

The building is split almost perfectly down the center by a tall, narrow atrium. On one side are offices and rehearsal spaces for the academy. On the other is Boulez Hall, named for the French composer and conductor who was close to both Barenboim and Gehry and who died last year at age 90.

The name of the auditorium in German, Pierre Boulez Saal, reflects its architectural personality. The word Saal means both hall and room. And, of course, much of the chamber music that will be performed there was written for living rooms and other small spaces.

The hall is easily reconfigurable for concerts and rehearsals. (Volker Kreidler) (Volker Kreidler)

Because the redesign of the rest of the 1955 building (including the administrative space for the academy) was handled by a German office, HG Merz, Gehry could focus all his attention on the performance space, which covers just 10,660 square feet. His collaborators on the project at his firm, Gehry Partners, included Craig Webb, Laurence Tighe, Meaghan Lloyd and Gesa Buettner. The total budget for auditorium and academy was $36 million.

Working with acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, who also handled the remarkably good sound design for Gehrys 2003 Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the architect produced a clubby jewel box of a design that is also a sophisticated machine for delivering sound.

The walls and ceiling are wrapped, more seamlessly than at Disney, in panels of Douglas fir, though you can see right through the windows of the old building to the street. Before performances, shades slide down to block out the light. They reopen during intermissions, which is a nice touch.

The most striking and unusual feature of the hall is its sunken stage, which isnt really a stage at all as much as a clearing, nine feet below entry level and surrounded by an oval-shaped arrangement of five rows of seats. A balcony with two rows  largely detached from the structure of the larger room, so that sound can travel up under and around it  forms another oval above.

Its a remarkably intimate space for music. Every seat is within 50 feet of the stage.

The design is much closer to a theater in the round than a traditional concert hall; even at Disney Hall, which also puts the audience in a ring around the performers, there are some seats that dip below the stage.

Here, the first row of seats is directly level with the musicians and their instruments. Audience members in those seats put their feet on the same surface the performers do, just like Jack Nicholson at a Lakers game.

Another unusual feature is the ease with which the musicians can be repositioned as a concert unfolds. When he wasnt at the piano, Barenboim conducted from two different edges of the stage over the course of the Saturday performance as well as from the balcony.

That sense of openness and flexibility  an interest in rejecting the monumental or doctrinaire  connects the halls architecture with that of the Berlin Philharmonie, a brilliant 1963 design by Hans Scharoun that heavily influenced Disney Hall. As an interior project, the hall is linked to Gehrys only other design in Berlin, the 2000 Deutsche Bank offices near the Brandenburg Gate.

There are also hints here of Alvar Aalto and  especially right when you walk in and see the sunken stage area lighted from above as if by some giant hidden skylight  of Karl Friedrich Schinkels 1816 Neue Wache, a crypt-like building two blocks from Boulez Hall that has a round, Pantheon-like opening in its ceiling.

The glass acoustical sails that are suspended beneath the balcony  though delicately detailed enough to avoid standing out  are among a handful of signs in the final design that Gehrys interest in making nearly every major architectural form acoustical and vice versa, which is one of Disney Halls great strengths, wound up just out of reach in Berlin.

On the whole, the Gehry on display here is a tamed, or at least tempered, version of the one who so memorably combined that wood-lined interior in Disney Hall with floral upholstery whose busy pattern seemed marshaled to tweak the aesthetic sensibilities of L.A. Phil subscribers.

That effort was even more pronounced in Gehrys very good 2011 building for the New World Symphony in Miami, which has lobby banquettes covered in aqua-blue Naugahyde. Boulez Hall has seats in a more muted blue and red pattern.

The performance space is tucked into one corner (at far right in this image) of an existing building in central Berlin. (Volker Kreidler) (Volker Kreidler)

In other ways  more important ways  that sense of the irreconcilable lies at the heart of Boulez Hall both architecturally and culturally. The outer walls of the hall make up a box thats nearly a cube. The gestures that Gehry makes inside that box are anything but predictably rational. In fact, they seem distrustful of the way that architectural symmetry can make an easy or saccharine argument for harmony.

Instead, he makes the stage an oval and then suspends another, larger oval above to hold the balcony. The balcony itself is an undulating form, dipping toward the stage on two sides.

So in plan (as seen from above) and in section (as seen looking across or through the building), the design for the hall is a collection of stretched, ill-matched or distorted ovals, suggesting the difficulty of achieving some architectural version of musical harmony.

One of Gehrys early sketches for the design, from 2012, is reproduced in a display in the lobby and appeared on the cover of the program booklet Saturday night; in that version, the overlapping ovals suggest a hurricane, with the stage in the center representing the eye of the storm.

The hall as built is missing some of that sense of turbulence; that troubled early geometry has been smoothed out, which is a disappointment. Gehry, after all, has often mined to great effect the vein where beauty (or proportion) and harshness come together or where beauty can no longer sustain itself. Or where its simply an inappropriate response.

Still, the symbolism of those clashing ovals closely matches the spirit both of Boulezs music and Barenboims vision for the academy and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.

Barenboim has stressed over the years that his goal in bringing together Arab and Israeli musicians is not to make peace or even suggest that its within reach; he is not as naive as that. Instead, he wants to create a platform for connection and engagement, one necessarily shadowed by anxiety about political reality.

Its an experiment, Barenboim acknowledges in an interview published in the program. But  we have to put all cards on the table and say, This is what this hall is about. 

christopher.hawthorne@latimes.com

Twitter: @HawthorneLAT

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That David Lettermans current dream interview would be President Trump comes as little surprise. After retiring in May 2015 and seemingly vanishing from the media landscape, Lettermans been benched while others in late-night TV skewer politics like theyre shooting fish in a barrel.

I would just start with a list, Letterman, 69, told New York magazines Vulture, describing how hed conduct a sit-down with a guy he used to consider a Late Night punching bag.

You did this. You did that. Dont you feel stupid for having done that, Don? After calling Trump advisor Stephen K. Bannon a white supremacist, Letterman added, Come on, Don, we both know youre lying. Now, stop it. I think I would be in the position to give him a bit of a scolding and he would have to sit there and take it. Yeah, I would like an hour with Donald Trump, an hour and a half.

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Contrast that with how he approached Trump in the past.

We didnt take him seriously. Hed sit down, and I would just start making fun of him. He never had any retort. He was big and doughy, and you could beat him up. He seemed to have a good time, and the audience loved it, and that was Donald Trump, Letterman said.

These days, though, the former late-night hosts concerns are less far-reaching than grilling the leader of the free world.

Its still hard, he said of navigating life as a civilian. I have trouble operating the phone. Thats the Gods truth. I needed a pair of shoelaces. And I thought, Hell, where do you get shoelaces? 

A friend tipped him off to Designer Shoe Warehouse, where after what appears to have been a rather traumatic hour he was able to lay hands on the laces.

Its a building the size of the Pentagon. Its enormous. If you took somebody from  I dont know, pick a country where they dont have Designer Shoe Warehouses  blindfolded them and turned them loose in this place, they would just think, You people are insane. Who needs this many shoes? Its sinful, Letterman said. Its one of these places where theres no employees and every now and then theres just a scrum of shoe boxes.

Hes more comfortable, he said, in the bait-and-tackle shop near his house where he can buy live bait and get advice on where to fish for large-mouth bass and nobody summons him by calling out, May I help our next shoe lover, please?

Sounds like a place with very few fish in a barrel.

cdz@latimes.com

@theCDZ

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When The Americans premiered on FX way back in 2013, the drama felt like a period piece, a Reagan-era Cold War throwback that, like Mad Men or Downton Abbey, was infused with nostalgia for a bygone era.

In 2017? Not so much. Amid headlines about Russian interference in the presidential election and accusations of ties between the Putin regime and the Trump campaign, the series starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as a pair of Soviet spies living undercover in the suburbs of Northern Virginia in the 1980s feels surprisingly current.



For the record: An earlier version of this post stated that the character Stan, an FBI agent, is played by Toby Emmerich. The character is played by Noah Emmerich.

Just like nobody predicted the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, I dont think any reasonable person could have predicted this turnaround, series creator and former CIA officer Joe Weisberg said in a phone interview with co-showrunner Joel Fields last week as news of Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak consumed the media.

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The fifth season of The Americans premieres Tuesday and finds Elizabeth (Russell) and Philip Jennings (Rhys) investigating an American plot to create famine in the Soviet Union. The couple struggles with how much to reveal to their teenage daughter, Paige (Holly Taylor), who recently learned her parents arent the mild-mannered travel agents they pretend to be.

In a turn for American pop culture, which for decades portrayed anyone with a Russian accent as a cartoonish bad guy, The Americans empathizes with the Jenningses, KGB agents who regularly kill innocents in the name of the Motherland but also struggle with the same banal issues as other married couples. Boris and Natasha they are not.

Inspired by the arrest of Russian spies in New Jersey in 2010, Weisberg and Fields had hoped The Americans would encourage viewers to rethink these people we once thought of as bitter enemies, Weisberg says. Much to our chagrin, they seem to have been turned right back into enemies again.

The revived tensions with Russia have certainly affected the way we think about the world, Fields says, but it hasnt affected the way we write or create the show. That said, we also know that world events might impact the way the show is experienced by our audience.

The unexpected timeliness has made for some awkward coincidences. Last week, ads for The Americans  complete with Russian script  dominated the online home page of the New York Times, where multiple stories centered on the Sessions drama. (The ad buy was in placed before the news broke, according to an FX spokesperson.)

But even without the real-life parallels, The Americans is having a moment. For years, The Americans failed to receive any major Emmy nominations despite extravagant praise from critics. The perennially snubbed drama finally broke through with five nominations in 2016, including nods for drama series and for leads Russell and Rhys.

The show has also won fans in high places, including former President Obama and the former ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, who revealed to Russell at a state dinner last year that she enjoyed debating the show with her Russian counterpart, Vitaly Churkin. (Powers successor, Nikki Haley, recently tweeted that she was loving the series.)

I certainly cant keep up with TV, so I dont know how anyone else does, says Russell, whose performance as the steely Elizabeth has done much to shed her image as the curly-haired sweetheart of Felicity. Our show is sort of a slow burn. It doesnt have a gazillion dollars behind it. None of us are hugely famous. I think it took a while to catch on.

The appeal of The Americans also extends to civilians without security clearance partly because of the intriguing relationship between Philip, who has questioned his commitment to the cause, and Elizabeth, the more ruthless, steadfast of the two.

Its about families trying to survive, its about a marriage trying to survive. And I think thats why weve lasted, Rhys says. Although the themes are more extreme or more magnified. I think they are universal.

Indeed, its possible to view the Jenningses occupation, which requires them to keep secrets from each other and assume different identities (all while donning a stunning array of wigs) as a kind of metaphor for marriage itself, Russell says. Were all different people outside of our relationships. Youre funnier with your girlfriends, youre more brash or more opinionated. ... This show pushes those elements of a relationship that we all feel, and makes them bigger.

The spy stuff, she adds, is just a conceit.

The marriage of Elizabeth and Philip, arranged by KGB handlers, has since blossomed into a loving and passionate partnership. But what most of us would view as a good thing is a liability for covert agents expected to put country above all else.

The tension between familial duty and patriotism and the personal cost of political zealotry are borderline obsessions of ours, Weisberg says.

Like Breaking Bad before it, The Americans derives its suspense from an awareness that the jig will someday be up, by the sense that Philip and Elizabeth cant possibly sustain their double lives without endangering their children, their mission  or both.

Theres this very loud, strong ticking clock. Theres this pendulous metronome behind the entire show, Rhys says.

In Season 5, which opens in February 1984, this creeping dread is heightened by Paiges budding romance with neighbor Matthew (Daniel Flaherty), whose father, Stan (Noah Emmerich), is an FBI agent. Then theres the specter of history: Unbeknownst to Philip and Elizabeth, glasnost and the fall of communism are around the corner.

Also looming? The end of the series which, as announced last year, will conclude after Season 6.

The show runners, who like to work out story lines on long walks around New York City  Im shocked that the show has not been sponsored by Fitbit, jokes Fields  have already mapped out the remainder of the series. But so far theyve shared little of this information with Rhys and Russell, who insist they know virtually nothing of their characters fates.

Perhaps a leap forward to 2016 will find Elizabeth and Philip  or even a grown-up Paige  hacking away at Putins behest? Stranger things have happened.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

The Americans

Where: FX

When: 10 p.m. Tuesday

Rating: TV-MA-LV (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 17 with advisories for coarse language and violence)

meredith.blake@latimes.com

Follow me @MeredithBlake
Before Putin, before the KGB, before the Bolsheviks even, the Russian empire was renowned for its luxuriant smoked fish, a rich culinary tradition that Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants would later import to America in the form of lox-filled counters and delicatessens. As anyone who has attended a Russian wedding can tell you, no Muscovite celebration is complete without Stolichnaya by the liter, chilled tins of caviar and dense, sprawling platters of smoked fish.

At Glendales recently opened Seven Seas Gourmet Foods, an emporium of European delicacies located on the ground floor of a newly constructed luxury apartment complex, the full bounty of Russias fish-smoking heritage is on display  literally. A wide glass deli case holds a dozen or so hot- and cold-smoked varieties: wild salmon, salmon belly, sturgeon, steelhead, halibut, escolar (capitan), paddlefish, mackerel, trout, eel and whitefish.

There are many other things besides seafood at Seven Seas  an adjacent deli case holds cured meats such as Spanish jamon iberico (the acorn-fed, 48-month-aged stuff goes for $130 per pound), prosciutto, salumi, rabbit pate and foie gras terrine, while other shelves are stocked with products ranging from truffle butter to French cheeses to artisan Italian pastas.

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But your first stop should be the fish counter. This is because Seven Seas Gourmet Foods is owned and operated by Seven Seas Smokehouse, a North Hollywood producer that has been supplying Southern California with locally made, Russian-style, Kosher-certified smoked fish since 1991. Theres a good chance youve seen their products before: Seven Seas supplies just about every Russian and Armenian deli in town, as well as larger supermarket chains such as Jons Market and Super King. You may even have caught one of their commercials on local Russian television.

How is Russian smoked fish distinct from other styles? Well, if youre accustomed to the ethereal smoked salmon produced by local chef-turned-artisan Michel Blanchet, or the gentle, sashimi-like variety that Micah Wexler is known for at Wexlers Deli, then the robust flavor of Russian smoked salmon can taste about as subtle as a right hook. As Seven Seas Smokehouse Chief Executive Gregory Agadzhanyan describes it, Russians prefer their fish a little heavier on the salt and smoke than is common in, say, Norwegian lox, or Pacific smoked salmon. The amplified seasoning is an acquired taste for some, but many find it makes the sturdy fish pair perfectly with a dollop of creme fraiche and the thin, crepe-like pancakes known as blini, a quintessential Russian appetizer.

At the smokehouse, Seven Seas rubs each fillet with salt, then uses a blend of cherry, elder and other woods to cold-smoke the fish at a temperature low enough to impart flavor without cooking the flesh, producing that silky, lush texture coveted by aficionados. Once finished, the fish is sliced and vacuum-packed before it is sent out to local stores; the new location in Glendale, though, receives whole fish daily, which means customers are able to buy fish sliced to order, in the traditional style.

Seven Seas also imports caviar. At the Glendale shop youll find a large selection of varieties, ranging from about $10 per tin to about $250. Ritzier options include Beluga and Osetra hybrids imported from Kazakhstan, but for the neophyte, moderately priced caviars sourced from sturgeon and paddlefish farms in the U.S. and Canada are perhaps a more advisable choice.

With the opening of a new retail branch, Agadzhanyan hopes to make his companys products accessible to an even larger audience, offering an affordable taste of luxury that was, centuries ago, reserved for Russian czars. 318 N. Central Ave, Glendale, (818) 396-5464, sevenseasca.com

food@latimes.com

@latimesfood

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The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and three other advocacy groups have gone to court to back Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnells attempt to send prosecutors the names of deputies found to have committed serious misconduct on the job.

The move is the latest turn in the fight over a secret list of 300 problematic deputies whose history of misconduct could damage their credibility if they are ever called to testify in criminal cases.

The Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs has sued the department over the disclosure, saying it would violate peace officer confidentiality laws and draw unfair scrutiny on deputies whose mistakes might have happened long ago.

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A Superior Court judge agreed in January that providing the list would violate state law, but said the department could turn over the names of problem deputies when theres a pending case in which that officer might testify. Last month, a two-judge appellate court panel granted the unions request to put a temporary hold on any transmission of names, even in pending cases.

The ACLU filed a friend-of-the-court brief on Friday, asking the appeals court to reject the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs request that none of the names of problem deputies be sent to prosecutors.

Criminal trials are not games where the prosecution and law enforcement are permitted to withhold information that helps the defense, Peter Eliasberg, chief counsel at the ACLU of Southern California, said in a news release.

It is essential to the right to a fair trial that the prosecutor inform the defense if there is potentially exculpatory or impeachment evidence in an officers personnel file, including conclusions by the department that an officer has filed a false report or lied on the witness stand, he said.

An attorney for the union said she did not yet have time Monday to review the ACLUs filing.

The department warned about 300 deputies in October that their personnel files contained evidence of moral turpitude. The letters said such acts could include accepting bribes or gifts, misappropriating property, tampering with evidence, lying, obstructing investigations, falsifying records, using unreasonable force, discriminatory harassment and family violence. Sheriffs officials said it was possible that some of the offenses didnt apply to any current deputies on the department.

The targeted group represents about 3% of the departments roughly 9,100 deputies.

In the letters, the department said the list would include only deputies found guilty of wrongdoing by internal investigators. The agency would send just the deputies names, not their entire personnel files, the letters said.

Under the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brady vs. Maryland, prosecutors are obligated to alert defendants to any evidence that could aid the defense. That evidence includes information that could undermine an officers credibility. Not doing so could result in wrongful convictions.

The court battle over the list of sheriffs deputies also comes as Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey is redefining how her office would handle the names of officers with histories of misconduct. Right now, the office doesnt obtain lists of problem officers from police agencies, Lacey said in a recent interview.

Criminal trials are not games where the prosecution and law enforcement are permitted to withhold information that helps the defense.  Peter Eliasberg, chief counsel at the ACLU of Southern California

In a perplexing wrinkle to the court action last month, one of her deputy district attorneys filed a declaration in the sheriffs unions favor stating that Laceys office actively declines to accept information from officer personnel files without the permission of the officer. But in last weeks interview with The Times, Lacey distanced herself from Deputy Dist. Atty. Jason Lustigs declaration.

I didnt help with it. I didnt know about it, she said.

Elizabeth Gibbons, an attorney for the sheriffs association, said recently that she composed the declaration and had Lustig sign it. Lustig, who at the time oversaw the district attorneys unit that handles police misconduct evidence, now has been reassigned to the agencys Long Beach branch, a move Lacey said has no connection to his involvement with the declaration.

Laceys office published a new policy last month that addresses how to handle certain types of police misconduct evidence. Lacey said the new policy allows police agencies to send her office the names of problem officers, but only if the police organization establishes its own rules surrounding the disclosure and seeks input from the relevant police union.

Asked whether the Los Angeles Police Department has expressed interest in formulating a policy in line with what Lacey has proposed, she responded, I wouldnt know.

Thats up to them to take the initiative to develop their own policy, she said.

LAPD internal affairs Cmdr. Stuart Maislin has previously said his agency is monitoring the legal dispute over the sheriffs list and has not decided whether to send names of problem officers to prosecutors.

The ACLUs brief was filed in conjunction with California Attorneys for Criminal Justice and the California Public Defenders Assn.  both of which support criminal defense lawyers  and Dignity and Power Now, a Los Angeles-based group that advocates on behalf of those who have been incarcerated in the Sheriffs Departments jail system. Dignity and Power Now has also started a petition asking the appeals court to allow the names of problem deputies to be sent to prosecutors.

There is no timeline set for when the appeals court is expected to make a decision.

maya.lau@latimes.com

Twitter: @mayalau

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6:20 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from L.A. County Dist. Atty. Lacey and additional background about the legal dispute.

This article was originally published at 9:20 a.m.
Federal officials have agreed to free an Afghan family that had been granted special immigration visas but was detained after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport last week, prompting complaints from civil rights lawyers who rushed to court on its behalf.

On Monday afternoon, family members were in the process of being paroled, but it was unclear whether they would immediately fly to Seattle  their original destination  or spend the night in the Los Angeles area, said Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney with Public Counsel who is part of the legal team representing the family.

At a court hearing earlier in the day, government officials didnt offer a clear explanation as to why they detained the family of five. They did say, however, that immigration officials had since returned the passports, which include the special visas, to the family.

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Federal agents are scheduled to interview the family members in Seattle on April 5 to determine whether they can stay in the United States.

This is a victory in a battle that should not have been fought in the first place, said Rob Blume, one of the attorneys representing the family. The government swung and missed on this one. They just got it wrong.

The father, mother and their three children  ages 7, 6 and 8 months  arrived in L.A. on Thursday afternoon for a connecting flight to Seattle, where they planned to resettle, but were detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The family had been extensively vetted and approved for the visas because of the fathers work with the U.S. government, according to a federal court petition filed Saturday seeking release of the family. The father worked for U.S. officials for about a decade, Blume said.

The father, whose name was not disclosed for security reasons, worked at a U.S. government base where the Taliban took notice of locals who worked for U.S. forces, the lawyer said. He said the father had been physically and verbally assaulted, and received death threats from the Taliban. The father applied for a special visa in 2015.

Rosenbaum said the governments handling of the case had sent the wrong recruiting message to foreigners who might consider working for U.S. forces: You work for us, you work at your own peril.

Federal authorities notified the attorneys that the family would be freed shortly before a federal judge was supposed to decide whether to extend a temporary restraining order that blocked federal authorities from moving the family out of the Central District of California, which includes much of Southern California. Attorneys had also planned to ask the judge to release the family on parole.

U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton, who is based in Santa Ana, issued the temporary restraining order over the weekend. On Monday, she said she would maintain jurisdiction of the case. Also, she ordered that the government cannot detain or remove the family from the U.S. without giving 72 hours notice to her or the familys attorneys.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have repeatedly declined to publicly explain the reasons why the family was detained.

The case generated national news over the weekend, coming at a time of heated debate over President Trumps attempts to restrict entry to the U.S. from some majority-Muslim countries. Afghanistan, however, was not among the countries that were included in Trumps first travel ban or his new ban issued Monday.

After being detained at LAX for two days, the father was taken to a detention center in Orange County, and the mother and three children were taken to a similar facility in downtown Los Angeles. During the detention, immigration officials prevented the family from communicating with attorneys, Rosenbaum said.

They had them for 40 hours incommunicado, he said.

On Saturday morning, a habeas corpus petition was filed in U.S. District Court on behalf of the family by Public Counsel and the law firm Gibson Dunn. Then, at a brief meeting with the mother, attorneys learned that she and her children were going to be transported to a family detention center in Texas.

Attorneys then filed an emergency motion for a restraining order in federal court to prevent the government from transferring the family out of state.

The process for obtaining the special immigrant visa the family obtained before its arrival involves intensive vetting, including interviews, security checks, medical examinations and fingerprints  as well as a finding that the applicant has experienced a serious threat because of his or her work with the U.S. government, according to the court petition.

Rosenbaum and Blume said they had never heard of anyone else with special immigrant visas experiencing similar treatment.

That happens in Kafka and happens in authoritarian governments, Rosenbaum said. This is not supposed to happen here.

Times staff writers Ruben Vives and Paloma Esquivel contributed to this report.

cindy.carcamo@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @thecindycarcamo

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UPDATES:

6 p.m. This article was additional details about the case.

4 p.m.: This article was updated with details from Mondays federal court hearing, comments from the familys attorneys and more background about the case.

12:35 p.m.: This article was updated to add that an ICE spokeswoman declined to comment.

This article was originally published at 12:12 p.m.
By her own account, Vielka McFarlane was an immigrant success story. She had escaped a childhood of poverty in Panama, made her way to Los Angeles and founded a nonprofit network of publicly funded charter schools called the Celerity Educational Group.

In 2013, she earned $471,842, about 35% more than Michelle King, the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, makes today.

McFarlane was prospering, and it showed. She wore Armani suits, ate at expensive restaurants and used a black car service.

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Financial records obtained by The Times show that, as Celeritys CEO, she paid for many of these expenses with a credit card belonging to her charter schools, which receive the bulk of their funding from the state.

It could not be determined whether McFarlane, 54, ever reimbursed the charter schools for her credit card purchases. Neither she nor a lawyer hired by Celerity responded to requests for comment about the transactions.

At a time when charter school advocates are determined to increase the number of such schools in L.A., the story of McFarlane and the Celerity schools offers a case study of the growing difficulty of regulating them. The task of spotting and stamping out risky financial practices in charters largely falls to the school districts charter schools division, which employs about a dozen people dedicated to monitoring the schools fiscal health.

But as the number of L.A. charter schools has grown to more than 220, enrolling about 111,000 students, oversight has become a challenge for district officials, who are at once competitors and regulators.

I should have known something was wrong during that first year when Vielka said in one of our meetings, Education is a business.  Lisa Cordero, former Celerity Dyad Charter School teacher

In 2012, L.A. Unifieds charter schools division made a routine request for financial records from the Celerity Educational Group.

When the school networks credit card statements arrived that fall, many of the transactions had been blacked out. One page was nearly all black.

Concerned school district staff grew even more alarmed when they received the full records, which showed that McFarlane had paid for lavish meals and out-of-state travel on the nonprofits credit card.

In one month in 2013, she had spent $914 at the Arroyo Chop House in Pasadena, $425 at The Lobster, a seafood restaurant in Santa Monica, and $355 at Paiche, a now-closed Peruvian restaurant in Marina del Rey.

From the arrival of the credit card statements until 2015, when it refused to allow Celerity to open two new schools, L.A. Unified took a gentle approach to the charter groups unorthodox practices. It sent notices urging the organization to institute tighter financial controls, but continued to renew the schools charters when they came before the school board.

L.A. Unified officials referred Celeritys credit card transactions to the districts inspector general, who eventually opened an investigation into the groups finances. Then, in late January, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and other agencies raided Celeritys offices, as well as the headquarters of a related nonprofit, Celerity Global Development, and McFarlanes home. The focus of the federal investigation is unclear, and the districts inquiry is ongoing.

When The Times sent Celerity a list of questions about its spending, the group said it was having difficulty providing answers because many of its computers and records had been seized in the federal raid.

Asked if anyone had demanded that McFarlane pay her schools back, a district spokeswoman declined to comment.

While the district investigated, Celerity went national, expanding into Ohio, Florida and Louisiana, where it operates four schools in addition to the seven it runs in Southern California. McFarlane launched Celerity Global Development, the parent company of the schools in her growing empire, and began offering herself as a consultant to other charter school leaders.

In 2015, McFarlane became the CEO of Celerity Global, an organization that took in millions of dollars in management fees from Celeritys schools. But Global wasnt just supporting the schools; it had the power to control Celerity Educational and could appoint and remove the school networks board members.

It also served as a shield. In documents laying out their findings, L.A. Unified officials complained that McFarlane and her staff repeatedly rebuffed the districts requests for information and acted in ways designed to reduce, or eliminate, transparency. In response, Celerity argued that it had always responded to the districts reasonable inquiries.

By the time district and county education officials began to worry that Celerity was hiding key information, the organizations multiple layers of bureaucracy had made McFarlanes activities opaque.

Parents of Arminta Street Elementary School students protest the possible opening of a Celerity charter school inside their school this fall. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Records obtained by The Times offer some insight into why the Celerity network has drawn federal attention. They show years of questionable spending and potential conflicts of interest over a period of time when former teachers said the schools lacked basic supplies and often leaned on students to fundraise.

McFarlanes use of the groups credit card was extensive.

In 2013, she shopped at Nordstrom and patronized an L.A. hair salon. She charged Celerity more than $2,400 for two separate stays at Sole on the Ocean, a hotel in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., just north of Miami Beach.

That fall, she spent nearly $800 on Blacklane, an Uber competitor that relies on a network of licensed chauffeurs with high-end cars.

Several former Celerity teachers interviewed for this story said they saw McFarlane arrive at their schools in a chauffeured limousine. For Lisa Cordero, who taught at Celerity Dyad Charter School in South L.A. for four years, the limo became a troubling symbol.

I should have known something was wrong during that first year when Vielka said in one of our meetings, Education is a business, Cordero said. And all the teachers were like.No.

As the Celerity Educational Group expanded, the enrollment-based funding it received grew steadily. So did McFarlanes salary, according to the groups tax filings. But she may have had other sources of income.

As the CEO of Celerity Educational Group  and now of Celerity Global  McFarlane steered hundreds of thousands of public dollars to several companies providing services to her schools. Those companies are registered to her, state records show, and list their addresses as either Celerity Educationals or Globals offices.

Celerity Educational Groups check register for the 2015-16 school year shows payments totaling nearly $1 million to an information technology company called Attenture, a general contracting company called Celerity Contracting Services, and Celerity Development, a limited-liability corporation that buys properties and rents them to McFarlanes charter schools.

The organization has also paid thousands of dollars to Orion International Academy, a private high school in Chino Hills that McFarlane founded in 2013, and where she is still the CEO.

The flow of money from the charter schools to Celerity Development is documented going back to 2011, when Celerity Educational Group signed a 10-year lease with the company, which at the time had only one owner  McFarlane. That made her, in effect, both landlord and tenant of the two sites in South L.A. on which she expanded Celerity Dyad Charter School.

Over the next few years, she revised the terms of the lease, increasing the rent her school paid her company.

Whether McFarlane profited personally from these arrangements is unclear. In 2014, when she disclosed her ties to Attenture and Celerity Contracting Services on required state forms, she described these two CEO positions as voluntary/unpaid. The Celerity network maintains that McFarlane has no financial interest in her companies, but did not answer questions about them.

At least two of her family members found employment in her tangle of companies and nonprofits. As recently as last fall, her brother, Jaime McFarlane, in a campaign donation, listed Attenture as his employer. Her son, Rolando McFarlane, is employed as a creative media assistant for Celerity Global Development, according to the groups organizational chart. Neither responded to requests for comment.

Under California law, Celeritys schools, like most charters, are exempt from many of the regulations that govern traditional public schools. However, anyone who wishes to open a charter school in L.A. Unified must agree to abide by state laws written to prevent public officials from using taxpayer money to help themselves, their families or their businesses. One of those laws bans public officials from having a financial stake in any contract made by them in their official capacity.

Failure to comply with these laws could give rise to revocation of the charter, leading to a schools closure, said John Yeh, a Silicon Valley-based attorney who often advises school districts on charter school law. It could also be prosecuted as a felony, he said. No one at Celerity, including McFarlane, has been charged with a crime stemming from the schools operations.

McFarlane should have been familiar with these requirements, as well as the obligation to report ties to any company that did business with her schools. From 1991 to 2005, she worked for the school district, climbing the ranks from elementary school teacher to principal to administrator. One of her last jobs was in the districts charter schools office.

The Times examined the financial disclosure forms that Celeritys leaders and board members filled out over the last five years, and McFarlane did not report ownership of her companies between 2011 and 2013. While she disclosed her ownership of Attenture and Celerity Contracting Services in 2014, she has yet to do so for Celerity Development or Orion International Academy.

Thats a red flag, said Bob Stern, a government ethics expert. Why wouldnt you be disclosing companies that were doing business with your agency?

It would have fallen to Celerity Educational Groups governing board to approve the schools largest expenditures. But its unclear how much the board, which includes two lawyers, a payroll administrator, a TV network consultant and a video producer who runs a company called LuvHub Productions, knew about the relationships between McFarlanes schools and her businesses.

Current board members declined to be interviewed and referred questions to Celeritys lawyer. Three people who served on the organizations board in the past said they did not know of the business ties.

However, the board knew something of McFarlanes unusual spending. Meeting minutes from October 2007 noted: Ms Mcfarlane [sic] wanted to announce to the board of her purchase of two Armani suits that need [sic] be reimbursed, they are for public appearances.

One of McFarlanes companies, Celerity Contracting Services, didnt just work for the schools; it was a part-time handyman service for Celeritys higher-ups.

Enrique Barraza, who was a Celerity Contracting foreman, said the company painted and updated houses owned by Grace Canada, the current CEO of Celerity Educational Group, and Miguel Portillo, Celeritys director of operations. A 2013 permit application shows the company remodeled a bathroom in McFarlanes Mar Vista home, though Celerity maintains that McFarlane and board member Julie Stern, who also had work done on her home, paid for the services. Neither Canada nor Portillo responded to requests for comment.

Although McFarlanes contracting business and Celerity Educational were ostensibly separate, Barraza and Lori Wynn, who ran the contracting company, said the nonprofit paid their salaries and issued them credit cards. The charter school groups credit card statements reflect thousands of dollars in purchases from Home Depot and other home improvement stores.

I thought it was weird, Wynn said of the way the finances seemed intermingled. I think they were all benefiting, she said of Celeritys leaders.

During a recent visit to Celerity Educational Groups office building, a reporter was told that the contracting business had been shut down.

By late 2015, L.A. Unified officials decided they had seen enough.

Having concluded that Celeritys financial issues had become too serious to tolerate, they recommended that the school board refuse the groups request to open two new schools, and the board agreed. Celeritys leaders appealed to the Los Angeles County Office of Education, which could have intervened, but chose not to.

This is effective ongoing oversight, Jose Cole-Gutierrez, the director of L.A. Unifieds charter schools division, said in a recent interview.

Not that it stopped Celeritys Southern California expansion.

State law allows charter schools that have been denied at the local level to appeal to the state. Last November, over the objections of L.A. Unified and the county, the State Board of Education voted to let Celerity keep growing.

More public money will flow Celeritys way this fall when it opens two new L.A. charter schools.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

anna.phillips@latimes.com | Twitter: @annamphillips

adam.elmahrek@latimes.com | Twitter: @adamelmahrek

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Most of the children in Hillary Erlichs prekindergarten class speak to her in English.

Im done, one boy in a white sweatshirt announced as he raised his hands from his sponge painting project on a recent morning.

But when she replied in Spanish, he followed her directions.

OK, ve a lavar[te] las manos, Erlich said. He ran to the sink to wash his hands.

The children in Erlichs expanded transitional kindergarten class at Grand View Boulevard Elementary School in Mar Vista are almost all 4 years old. They are the youngest in the Los Angeles Unified School District to be enrolled in a dual-language program.

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The district plans to open six or seven more dual-language programs for its youngest students in the fall, said Hilda Maldonado, executive director of L.A. Unifieds multilingual and multicultural education department. Theyll be taught half in Spanish, half in English.

The district currently has 87 K-12 dual-language programs, and about 16 more are in the works. The new preschool classes will open in schools that already have K-5 programs.

Research has shown that bilingualism has a wide range of benefits in children, helping their communication skills and giving them an edge over monolingual peers in their ability to focus and process information. These benefits can start as early as a babys first year, and children are likely to have a better mastery of a language the younger they start learning it.

The younger children have an  ability to learn languages quicker and can retain a lot of that information, Maldonado said.

English learner students in dual-language programs also have more success becoming proficient in English by the end of high school, according to a study by Stanford University and the University of Oregon.

We know how many of our children are already coming to us with another language, Maldonado said. The aim, she said, is to ensure that were not erasing that other language but really adding to it and using it as theyre also learning English.

Joshua Castillo, an early education consultant who lives near USC, drives about an hour so her daughter can attend the Spanish dual-language class at Grand View. Castillo speaks English and Spanish fluently, but raises her daughters, who are 2 and 5, only in Spanish. She reads to them in Spanish. At home, they watch Spanish-language cartoons.

She left it to school to teach her daughter English, she said  and her plan worked.

She pretty much learned English in a month and a half, said Castillo, who declined to share her daughters name to maintain privacy.

Ideally, the dual-language class would be split 50-50, with half the kids having English as a first language and the other half having Spanish. In Erlichs class, 60% started with English, so they tend to speak English to each other, she said. That can help the Spanish-speaking children with English development.

As for Erlich, she spends 90% of the school day speaking to her students in Spanish and integrates the language into every class activity.

After recess one day, the children sat cross-legged and sang their daily song, as three students learned how to play the ukulele. Erlich told them in Spanish how to hold the instrument, supplementing the vocabulary with hand gestures. Then she said in English, One, two, ready, strum.

One, two, ready, sing, she told the class.

Buenos dias, buenos dias, they sang. Como estas, como estas?

As the Grand View students grow up, the amount of English in their classes will increase every year. By fifth grade, theyll learn in Spanish half the day and in English the other half.

Erlich often prompts the children to speak in Spanish, or accompanies her Spanish words with actions. When a student asked her for paint, she said, Cual? When the boy pointed to the black paint, she prompted him: Que color es?

The room is plastered with posters and assignments in two languages. Colorful letters on one walls orange poster board read, Hablar Leer Cantar and then, Talk Read Sing. On another board, students have cut construction paper into cookie shapes. Next to one little black and white circle are the words, Its an Oreo cookie but also Es una galleta de Oreo.

Being bilingual will help her daughter be flexible and know that theres more than one way to solve a problem, Castillo said. If you can think about it in two different languages, ultimately thats how I wanted her to think about everything, that I can get to a solution in more than one way.

She also wants her child to be competitive as an adult. When Castillo grew up in South L.A., with Spanish as her first language, being dual language was frowned upon, she said.

But as an adult, she realized that her fluency in two languages gave her extra earning power and access to jobs.

Its a gift I can give my kid, Castillo said.

How the kid uses it will be up to her.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

Reach Sonali Kohli at Sonali.Kohli@latimes.com or on Twitter @Sonali_Kohli.
The three races for the Los Angeles Board of Education are the most expensive school board contests in the country because opposing special interests  charter-school advocates and the local teachers union  are spending millions to back favored candidates.

Other hopefuls for the seats are getting none of this money to get their messages out. But theyd like you to know about them, too.

In District 6, the east San Fernando Valley, charter school supporters are spending the most, on behalf of Kelly Gonez, while Imelda Padilla benefits from the other big-money backer, United Teachers Los Angeles.

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But also in the race is Araz Parseghian, 37, who had raised $42,910 through the March 1 reporting period. His pitch is that hes the parent of young children  the oldest in kindergarten  so he has a stake in the district. He said he also comes with financial experience that would help the board. Hes a bank loan officer and said hes trained employees for leadership positions in previous banking jobs.

His volunteer roles include a stint on his neighborhood council and on the 16-member board of the Los Angeles Valley College Foundation, which raises scholarship money.

Gwendolyn Posey, 47, who hadnt reported raising any money, has the business experience of managing an event-planning company.

She sent two children, now in their 20s, to a mix of traditional and charters schools. The youngest, 11, attends a charter. A longtime school volunteer, shes held leadership positions in community groups.

Posey stresses school safety and making sure money gets to where its supposed to go at schools. She also wants to see more vocational education: Right now, were doing kids an injustice on every campus, she said, because were not preparing them for life.

Patty Lopez, 49, ran for the school board after a topsy-turvy turn in state government. First, she won an Assembly seat in an upset. Then, after one term, she lost it last November.

Even though Lopez reported no fundraising, California Charter Schools Assn. Advocates, a pro-charter political action committee, was concerned enough to send out negative mailers characterizing her as a failed politician.

Lopez, who immigrated to the United States from Mexico at 12, speaks Spanish fluidly but more painstakingly in English. She earned a high school diploma in adult school and hopes to complete a higher degree. The mother of four worked 16 years in a government-funded position at schools to help other parents learn English and become more engaged in schools.

Lopez took part in two lawsuits against L.A. Unified: one over the alleged waste of federal funds; the other to ensure that all schools received adequate supplies and textbooks.

I am concerned about the district wasting money like with the iPads, she said. They have double positions where it is not needed. There should be more teachers in the classroom.

The last person on the ballot, Jose Sandoval, 38, did not appear at the highest-profile candidates forum or reply to a request for information and reported no fundraising.

In filing papers, he described himself as an animal-rights educator. He has a web site that focuses on connecting Latino families with spaying and neutering services and other information on animal welfare.

In District 2, which includes downtown and nearby neighborhoods, veteran Roosevelt High teacher Lisa Alva, 56, proved to be a crowd favorite with an audience of mostly high school students during a recent campaign forum. She also successfully wooed the union representing district administrators, which endorsed her.

But her own union, United Teachers Los Angeles, held back, making no choice in the contest  possibly thats because Alva has been critical at times of the union. Labor sources said they feared it would be wasting money to take on incumbent Monica Garcia, who has funding from charter backers and deep community ties.

At the campaign forum, Alva talked about classroom issues such as a district discipline program. She said its well-intentioned but poorly executed, sometimes making learning more difficult in the classroom. Shes raised $13,212 for her campaign.

Also in that race is Carl J. Petersen, 49, a father of five, including children with special needs.

The district made me fight for the services that my daughters teachers agreed they required, he said.

Overall, his views probably align more closely with the teachers union than any other challenger. As a parent activist, hes repeatedly targeted alleged misconduct at charter schools, through blog posts and public records requests.

He is director of logistics at a company that makes high-definition security cameras.

Petersen ran unsuccessfully two years ago for the west San Fernando Valley board seat, then moved to District 2 to run again. Hes raised $2,999.

Three of the four candidates in District 4, incumbent Steve Zimmer and challengers Allison Holdorff Polhill and Nick Melvoin, have considerable outside financial backing. Gregory Martayan, whos raised $71,475, is the other one.

Charter school advocate Gregory Martayan, running in District 4, maintains his independence from the charter lobby. (Stuart Palley / For the Times)

A longtime police department volunteer who stresses school safety issues, Martayan, 33, owns a communications firm and has children who are not yet school age. Hes a strong backer of charter schools but stresses his independence from the charter lobby as well as from unions. His outside-the-box ideas include providing kosher food at schools. He said doing so would attract enrollment from religious families  both Jewish and Muslim.

All the candidates without big-dollar donors expressed concerns similar to those articulated by District 6s Posey.

I think its crazy, Posey said. With kids on campus needing so many resources, entities that claim they represent kids are using so much money to represent a candidate. Its sad and a waste of money. I think your life skills and everything youve implemented in that community should speak for you and ultimately thats who youre beholden to.

howard.blume@latimes.com

Twitter: @howardblume
It was just weeks after the Pacific Beach restaurant and bakery The French Gourmet had been raided by immigration authorities that chef and owner Michel Malecot was out to dinner.

He spotted a familiar face among the staff  a bus boy who had just been busted for working illegally for Malecot.

Unlike that restaurant owner  and numerous other San Diego employers who depend on illegal labor  Malecot had to answer for his hiring practices, a hard lesson that the Frenchman said cost him a fortune and should serve as a cautionary tale to other business owners as the likelihood of increased workplace enforcement rises under the Trump administration.

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The criminal case against The French Gourmet, Malecot and the restaurants manager and pastry chef, Richard Kauffmann, in 2008 sent shock waves through San Diegos restaurant scene. It was a rare case of the U.S. government targeting the employer, and Malecot said the intent was to use him as an example.

I was the white elephant in the room, Malecot said of the local restaurant community. Fellow restaurateurs would shake his hand and try to sympathize with his situation, but theyd also give you that look that said, Glad it was you and not me, buddy.

It was a difficult time, Malecot, 65, recalled in an interview in his cozy 45-seat dining room last week. He feared at one point he would lose his business. I am very lucky to love what I do.

A misdemeanor conviction and $396,000 in court-ordered payments later, Malecot says he is now 100% compliant when it comes to hiring legal workers through use of E-Verify, the government web-based program that green-lights the eligibility of employees.

But because the program is voluntary, many restaurants dont use it and  whether knowingly or unknowingly  employ unauthorized immigrants. Malecot said that puts him and other employers following the law at a disadvantage when their competitors have a larger workforce to pull from and the potential to pay lower wages. E-Verify even tends to scare away some immigrants with valid green cards, he said.

Its why at this point he would welcome increased workplace enforcement, a move that is anticipated as President Trump aims to stanch illegal immigration and open up more jobs to American workers.

It should be a fair playing field, Malecot said.

The raid

Malecot, from Normandy, France, came to the U.S. at 20 and worked in kitchens in New York and Florida before coming to San Diego in 1976, where he worked for French restaurant Le Cote DAzur in La Jolla. He opened The French Gourmet in 1979 and moved to the Turquoise Street location in 1989.

He earned a reputation not only for good food and warm service, but for his charitable streak. In 2006, as The French Gourmet prepared to cater a benefit dinner free of charge at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, a base security clearance check into Malecots staff set off alarm bells. The paperwork discrepancy sparked the investigation.

Malecot was returning from a trip to Europe when he got word that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had stormed the restaurant one morning in 2008. Authorities arrested 18 workers that day.

Malecot and Kauffmann were accused of engaging in a long practice of knowingly hiring unauthorized immigrants. When federal authorities had earlier sent letters warning them that Social Security numbers used by some employees didnt match federal records, the employers were accused of telling the workers to get new paperwork and then rehiring them with new names and/or Social Security cards.

Malecot said he thought the charges were more of a paperwork problem.

I thought OK, whats the big deal, we dont have anything to hide. We thought we were doing the right thing. If you have your Social Security card, well take you. Some Mexican guys change their names, he said.

Malecot was paying about 250 employees at the time, including many who were seasonal or part-time workers for the large catering side of the business. Everyone was on payroll.

During the investigation, an audit of employee records at The French Gourmet turned up at least 91 illegal laborers from 2005 to 2008, according to court records. Authorities said the employers should have known that about half of those workers were not eligible.

Malecots lawyer, Eugene Iredale, said that once Malecot knew certain workers were illegal, he didnt have the heart to let them go because he had gotten to know them so well. Kauffmann also came to know many of his employees as family, spending years training some of them into skilled pastry chefs.

Malecot pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and Kauffmann pleaded to a felony. The judge noted that Malecot paid fair wages to the workers and did not appear to take advantage of them, even giving them paid vacation.

Malecot said he decided to settle because his defense had grown very expensive and it was time to move on.

He was in the middle of reading Ken Follets World Without End, a medieval saga about the brutal world of knights, royalty and fiefdoms, and it helped put his predicament into perspective. The problems those guys had in comparison to me he said.

The whole incident cost him $1 million to $1.5 million, he said, and he also had to fight back rumors planted by competitors that The French Gourmet was going under.

Tools for employers

Nearly 10 years later, Malecot says he doesnt blame the agents for doing their job. But he said the method that employers had to verify eligibility was insufficient before E-Verify came along.

Since 1986, potential hires have been required to submit three forms of identification and certify eligibility on what is known as a Form I-9. It is up to the employer to accept or reject those documents.

Its a system that is fraught with abuse and insufficient to root out illegal labor, said Peter Nunez, a former U.S. attorney for San Diego and chairman of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, which advocates for stronger immigration controls.

To expect the employer to be able to verify the document is unfair, Nunez said. Its why the I-9 system is such a failure.

Criminal charges only apply if the employer knowingly hired unauthorized workers. It can be a difficult crime to prosecute, but that doesnt explain the small number of workplace prosecutions over the presidential administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Nunez said.

Its a political decision made by Bush and Obama they did not want to enforce that law, he said.

In 2011, there were 713 arrests related to work-site enforcement nationwide, dropping to 239 arrests in 2016, according to ICE.

The number of employer audits has also decreased, with 3,127 in 2013 to 1,279 in 2016.

That is expected to ramp up under Trump.

Malecot said he is finding it particularly hard to find skilled cooks for the breakfast shift, although its unclear how much immigrant labor factors into the issue. The talent coming out of culinary schools can be difficult to employ sometimes, Malecot said.

They come out and think they are going to earn $50,000, $60,000 a year, he said. They have no skill.

Now, The French Gourmet has about 50 full-timers and about 30 more part-timers. About 10 of those workers are green-card holders, Malecot said. He used to sponsor employees from abroad and take on temporary student workers from overseas, but he doesnt anymore, citing the complicated paperwork and expense involved.

Its not worth the headache, he said.

Davis writes for San Diego Union-Tribune.

Para leer esta historia en espanol haga clic aqui

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The scene at the World Tots L.A. daycare center in San Pedro last week was straight out of a teachers nightmare.

Obscenities were scribbled in chalk on the walls. Ink toner was sprayed everywhere and into filing cabinets. The fire extinguishers were discharged. Furniture, open bottles of baby formula, broken mirror shards and diapers were strewn across the ground. The childrens toothbrushes were shoved into toilets. The snacks were raided and electronics had been stolen. Someone had even set a small fire inside the facility at 100 W. 5th St., said Chief Thomas Gazsi of the Los Angeles Port Police.

Damages to the property and repairs amounted to $30,000, he said.

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It was simply disturbing and quite malicious in nature, Gazsi said.

But even more troubling for authorities was discovering that the alleged vandals were a group of school-age children.

Authorities are still investigating how the four boys and girl allegedly managed to enter the daycare center on Feb. 26. But, the chief said, it appears the destruction occurred under the veil of darkness and that the children had some knowledge of the facility.

This wasnt some random thing they decided to do, Gazsi said.

After daycare staff discovered the break-in about 6:30 the next morning, they were forced to close their doors for about a week for repairs and environmental cleanup efforts to ensure it was safe for children.

Port police and detectives worked with facility staff and gathered evidence to help them identify the children, who were detained, Gazsi said. A large amount of the stolen items, which included clothing and electronics, were recovered, he said.

The children do not attend the facility, but live in the area, according to the chief. Three children are members of the same family, he said.

Police plan to present their case the Los Angeles County district attorneys juvenile division. Gazsi said police are working with the juvenile division to provide some type of counseling to the children to prevent similar criminal acts.

When you are looking at the world for dangers, you dont think you should be watching out for 7-year-olds, you just dont, said Julie Wichmann Huerta, president of the YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay, which operates the nonprofit daycare facility.

The weeklong closure of the child development center was devastating to daycare staff and client families who work in the Port of Los Angeles, or live in surrounding cities, she said. The center serves children as young as 6 weeks old and as old as 5 years. A quarter of them are from low-income families.

The Port of Los Angeles, which leases the building to the YWCA, helped pay for the damage. Harbor Department employees worked on repairs so the facility could reopen its doors by 6:30 a.m. Monday.

A Go Fund Me account was created to help the center pay for the damage and repairs.

When the doors were opened Monday morning, children were greeted by officers and daycare staff. Most were unaware of what had occurred, but some noticed that their favorite blankets and toys were missing, Wichmann Huerta said.

The vandalism not only placed an additional financial burden on the center, but also rattled the staff.

Wichmann Huerta said they never expected children just two years older than the kids they care for could cause such much devastation.

Its hard to imagine what was going through their minds, she said.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA

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A 62-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a fatal stabbing that was sparked by an argument on a Metro platform in Koreatown, authorities said Monday.

The suspect, whose name was not released, began arguing with the victim shortly after they exited a Purple Line train at the Wilshire/Normandie station around 5 p.m. Sunday, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

The victim was stabbed several times in the upper body, according to department officials, and the suspect then fled into a nearby Carls Jr. restaurant and locked himself in a bathroom. Detectives negotiated with the man for an hour, eventually arranging a peaceful surrender, according to the news release.

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The victim, whose identity has not been released pending notification of family members, was pronounced dead at the train station, authorities said. The suspect was booked on suspicion of murder and is being held in lieu of $2 million.

The station was closed as a result of the attack, and buses shuttled passengers between the Wilshire/Western and Wilshire/Vermont stations on Sunday night, according to a Metro spokesman.

Purple Line service was expected to return to normal by Monday morning, according to the official Twitter account for LA Metro.

james.queally@latimes.com

Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California.

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Police in Orange arrest man they say threatened officers with a knife after 12-hour standoff
A man who threatened Orange police with a knife and prompted the evacuation of an apartment complex during a 12-hour standoff was arrested early Monday morning, police said.

The suspect, who was not immediately identified, was taken into custody shortly before 6 a.m., according to Orange Police Lt. Dan Adams.

Police responded to a report of a drunk driving crash around 5:45 p.m. Sunday in the 600 block of South Glassell Street, where they were confronted by a man brandishing a folding knife, Adams said. Police did not find the reported crash but gave chase after the suspect, who appeared intoxicated, got back in his vehicle and sped off.

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The suspect drove about half a mile to an apartment complex in the 200 block of South Lemon Street, where he again threatened officers before barricading himself inside his residence, according to Adams.

The Orange Police Departments SWAT and crisis negotiation teams were called to the scene, according to Adams, who said the apartment complex was evacuated during the standoff.

The man refused all offers to surrender throughout the night, before police entered the apartment and detained him around 5:55 a.m., Adams said.

No one else was inside the apartment, and no officers were injured, according to Adams.

james.queally@latimes.com

Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California.
A man suspected of driving under the influence and traveling at nearly twice the speed limit smashed into two pedestrians Sunday in Tarzana, police said.

The crash, which occurred about 3:05 p.m. near North Yolanda Avenue and Clark Street, injured a third person in a car, said Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Rich Brunson.

A blue Honda Civic was traveling westbound on Clark Street at a speed of about 50 mph in a 25-mph zone, Brunson said, when it struck several vehicles parked along the northern curb of Clark Street and hit a total of three people: two pedestrians and a woman in her car.

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All three were taken to a hospital. One person was initially listed in critical condition, and the other two had less serious injuries, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. By late Sunday, police said all three were expected to survive.

The driver was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, and he was arrested on suspicion of a felony DUI count. His name was not immediately available. Authorities said he was expected to be held in jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.

As police escorted the man to a patrol car, he looked at television cameras recording the collision scene and said, Make this go viral, according to footage from a KNBC-TV Channel 4 photojournalist.

Police said the driver refused to submit to tests to determine his blood alcohol concentration. Officers were seeking a search warrant late Sunday to draw his blood for analysis.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno
Many California students have expressed dismay in recent years about how hard it is to get into a chosen University of California campus  even with stellar grades and extracurricular activities while so many spots go to those from other countries and out of state.

Last year, lawmakers threatened to hold back $18.5 million if the public university system did not put a cap on students from outside California.

On Monday, UC finally acted, proposing a 20% systemwide limit on nonresident undergraduate enrollment and vowing to continue to give Californians top priority. Nonresident students numbered 34,673 in fall 2016, 16.5% of the systems 210,170 undergraduates.

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The limit would be the first of its kind for the 10-campus public research university. But UC officials hope it will be enough to get state officials to release the funds.

A scathing state audit, which UC President Janet Napolitano blasted as unfair and unwarranted, found that UC was hurting California students by admitting too many out-of-state applicants.

UC spokeswoman Dianne Klein said the proposed policy balanced the needs of California students with the benefits those outside students bring  diverse perspectives as well as millions in additional tuition revenue, which added up to nearly $550 million in 2016-17. Those dollars have helped UC increase its enrollment of California students to historical highs this year, Klein said, even as state support per UC student has fallen to less than half of what it was two decades ago.

The policy is very clear: Nonresident students will be in addition to and not in place of California residents, Klein said. But it accepts the reality that we need this money to help fund California undergraduates.We cant rely on the state to supply the undergraduate funding we need to maintain the academic quality for California students.

Faculty members are not enthusiastic, said UC Academic Senate Chairman James Chalfant. They oppose an arbitrary quota, he said, that could force UC to turn away the best and the brightest and forgo additional needed dollars. The group has presented an alternative that would impose enrollment limits only on campuses at which the expansion of nonresident students hurts Californians and only after UC is given enough funding to maintain its quality.

We do understand why this is happening, Chalfant said. But were disappointed because we think the conversation should be about how those [nonresident] revenues benefit all students, rather than some fixed number.

But Shelly Tan, a Los Angeles area parent, said qualified California students should have the advantage. Her own child was turned down by her top three UC choices two years ago, despite SAT scores and a grade point average above the 90th percentile. Her daughter ended up at a fourth UC campus.

Given the economic climate and competition, California parents have to start being selfish, Tan said. We cant stay all liberal and let everyone in.

Under the proposal, which the UC Board of Regents will consider next week, the systems three most popular campuses would be allowed to keep but not increase their proportions of nonresident undergraduates  24.4% at UC Berkeley, 22.9% at UC San Diego and 22.8% at UCLA, Klein said.

The proportion of nonresident students at the other campuses ranges from 18.9% at UC Irvine to less than 1% at UC Merced. Those campuses each would be allowed to grow up to 20% so long as the systemwide limit was not exceeded, Klein said.

The policy would be reviewed at every five years at minimum, taking into account state support, Klein said.

It was not clear whether the proposal, if approved by regents, would satisfy state officials and trigger the release of the $18.5 million. Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) proposed a bill last year that would have capped nonresident enrollment at current numbers, but the UC proposal allows for some continued growth.

Its a mixed bag, McCarty said of the UC proposal. Finally, after all of these years, UC is on the verge of setting a firm nonresident policy that will help us prioritize California kids. But we were hoping the cap would be at todays numbers. Its close, but it falls a little short.

The states declining support led UC to quadruple its nonresident undergraduate population between 2007 and 2016. Even so, the UCs percentage of nonresident students is lower than the average 27.9% for the 62 members of the elite Assn. of American Universities.

The population of California resident students increased by 10% during that time. UC hopes to enroll an additional 2,500 Californians this fall as part of an agreement with the state to add 10,000 more resident students by 2018.

Klein said the extra dollars from nonresidents  who pay about $27,000 more in annual tuition than Californians  have helped campuses recruit and retain faculty, add courses to lower overall class sizes, and purchase library materials, instructional equipment and technology. The nonresident revenue also has boosted financial aid for Californians by an average $700 per student, she said.

Competition for seats has been especially fierce at UCLA, which became the first university in the nation to receive more than 100,000 freshman applications for fall 2017. The Westwood campus tripled its nonresident undergraduates while reducing its California students by 4% between 2008 and 2015. UCLA added more than 1,000 Californians last fall, however.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said the nonresident dollars provided a lifeline for the campus after state support for undergraduate education dropped significantly after the 2008 recession. Thanks to the extra money, UCLA was able to add courses, which has helped students shorten the time needed to graduate to less than four years.

Financially it made a huge difference, Block said. We could not have managed these graduation rates without having the additional resources.

Block and others stressed, however, that nonresident students are not simply cash cows. Danny Siegel, UCLAs undergraduate student body president and a Long Beach native, said his friendship with a Chinese student helped him break out of his cultural comfort zone and got him to attend Lunar New Year events on campus this year. He said he also appreciates U.S. freedoms more after hearing his friends stories about Chinas censorship of social media.

Ive lived in an L.A. bubble my whole life so its great to hear perspectives from different places, Siegel said.

His international friend, Jack Guo, said he cherishes the superior research and entrepreneurial opportunities in California  and hopes he has helped his UCLA classmates better understand China. We dont have to worry about being shot in the street, he said he told students who were critical of Chinas authoritarian government in a political science class.

Shane White, a UCLA School of Dentistry professor, recalled one international student who catalyzed a classroom discussion on pain control when she said her African town had no access to anesthesia during dental work. It was a jaw-dropper for American kids  something that would never occur to them, White said.

Susan Cochran, a professor of epidemiology and statistics who heads UCLAs Academic Senate, said the narrowness of being a Californian was evident in her students overwhelming shock that Donald Trump won the presidency.

California is culturally so different than the rest of the country and our children growing up here think this is what the country is like, she said. The diversity of students from other states and countries really opens up the eyes for Californians.

The proposals biggest boosters will likely be California families like the Uriartes of South Pasadena. Katherine Uriarte, the daughter of Mexican immigrants and the first in her family to attend college, aced six Advanced Placement exams, got high ACT scores and earned a slew of awards, including the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award. But she was rejected by UCLA and UC Berkeley for fall 2015 admission.

Uriarte is more than happy at Columbia University, where she is a sophomore majoring in environmental biology. But she said California students should be favored by UC because their parents pay taxes to support the university.

I do like the idea of bringing in outside students because of the perspectives they bring, Uriarte said. But it kind of sucks to miss out because you cant give UC the money they want.

teresa.watanabe@latimes.com

Twitter: @teresawatanabe

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UPDATES:

8:30 p.m.: This article has been updated to move up a reference to the most recent count of UC nonresident students.

6:30 p.m.: This article, first written as news of the proposal broke, has been rewritten with additional background.

1:45 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Assemblyman Kevin McCarty.

This article was originally published at 11:15 a.m.
The Supreme Court took a strong new stand against racial bias in jury rooms, ruling for the first time that reports of racist comments by jurors may require setting aside a verdict and holding a new trial.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, announcing the courts decision Monday, wrote that the imperative to purge racial prejudice from the administration of justice requires setting aside the traditional rule that bars judges from second-guessing what went on in the jury room.

The 5-3 decision announced a limited exception to that rule against second-guessing juries. The new rule covers cases in which one or more jurors made statements exhibiting overt racial bias that cast serious doubt on the fairness and impartiality of the jurys deliberations and resulting verdict.

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Kennedy did not say exactly what should happen in such cases, other than that the trial judge should look into the matter, question the former jurors and then decide whether a new trial is called for.

The dissenters, led by Justice Samuel A. Alito, called the decision well intentioned but unwise.

Today, with the admirable intention of providing justice for one criminal defendant, the court not only pries open the door; it rules that respecting the privacy of the jury room, as our legal system has done for centuries, violates the Constitution, Alito said. This is a startling development.

The majority ruled in favor of a Mexican American man who was convicted of sexually assaulting two teenage girls in the bathroom of a horse-race track in Colorado.

The identity of the assailant was in doubt, but jurors convicted Miguel Angel Pena-Rodriguez, a track worker, of unlawful sexual contact and harassment.

After the trial, two jurors told an attorney that a third juror was formerly in law enforcement had said that Mexican men had a bravado that caused them to believe they could get away with sexually assaulting women.

I think he did it because hes Mexican, and Mexican men take whatever they want, the juror said, according to the other jurors reports.

The judge reviewed their sworn statements, but said Colorado law prohibited reopening a trial based on what was said in the jury room. The Colorado Supreme Court agreed and upheld the so-called no impeachment rule.

The Supreme Court overturned that decision in Pena-Rodriguez v. Colorado.

In this case, the alleged statements by a juror were egregious and unmistakable in their reliance on racial bias, Kennedy wrote. The one juror deployed a dangerous racial stereotype to conclude the (defendant) was guilty and his alibi witnesses should not be believed, but he also encouraged other jurors to join him in convicting on that basis.

The court sent the case back to the Colorado courts to decide how to proceed.

Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan agreed with Kennedy. Joining Alito in dissent were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Clarence Thomas.

David.Savage@latimes.com

On Twitter: @DavidGSavage

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Deep Rai was working on his car outside his suburban Seattle home when he was shot and wounded. Srinivas Kuchibhotla and his friend Alok Madasani were having drinks at a neighborhood bar in Kansas when bullets began flying.

The two incidents occurred almost 1,800 miles and nine days apart. But its the similarities of the two suspected hate crimes that have the FBI and local authorities worried.

All three victims were men of Indian origin  one of them a Sikh who had a beard and wore a turban.

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And the two apparently unconnected shooters used similar words to reflect their motives, shouting at the victims variations of Get out of the country! before opening fire.

Kuchibhotla, 32, died from wounds suffered at Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe, a city about 20 miles southwest of Kansas City, on Feb. 22. Madasani, 32, was wounded but lived to provide details about the gunman, who was tracked down a day later in Missouri.

Rai, 39, a U.S. citizen who is Sikh, also survived being shot Friday night in Kent, Wash. A man walked up Rais driveway, got into an argument with the homeowner and then pulled a gun, firing a bullet into the victims arm. He has not been apprehended.

The Kent, Wash., home of a Sikh man who was shot and wounded. (Ted S. Warren / Associated Press)

Witnesses said the shooter shouted, Get out of our country! before firing. (Some heard it as Go back to your own country!)

To think that this could happen in our community, Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas said Saturday, was very surprising and extremely disappointing.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the first Indian American woman elected to Congress, said in a statement Sunday that the recent attacks bear a stark resemblance to those that followed 9/11. She urged the Trump administration not only to investigate this shooting as a hate crime, but to take bold steps to fight hate-based violence in our communities.

The gunmens leave-the-country threats have shaken some people in the Indian American and Indian expatriate community who fear that they reflect a xenophobia energized by President Trumps efforts to restrict immigration.

While we appreciate the efforts of state and local officials to respond to attacks like this, we need our national leaders to make hate-crime prevention a top priority, said Rajdeep Singh of the New York-based Sikh Coalition. Tone matters in our political discourse, because this is a matter of life or death for millions of Americans who are worried about losing loved ones to hate.

The coalition released a statement comparing the two shootings, saying they followed the larger national pattern of hate violence directed at minority communities across the United States in the wake of the presidential election.

Kansas shooting shocks an Indian city where every other house has someone in America 

Jasmit Singh, a Seattle-area Sikh leader, said about 50,000 Sikhs lived in Washington state, most of them in Kent and in nearby Renton and Auburn.

Investigating the incident as an anti-Sikh hate crime is crucial, he said. In the past  in Bush, Obama time  there was swift action and communication saying that this is unacceptable, he told CNN. We arent seeing any response from this administration.

Trump did condemn the Kansas shooting as a hate crime, although not until a week after it occurred.

Witnesses said the suspect in that attack asked the two Indian computer engineers if they were in the U.S. legally, and they replied that they were employed by a local technology firm and had H-1B skilled-worker visas. The suspect, who later said in a 911 recording that he thought the two were Iranian, left the bar, returned with a gun and began shooting, reportedly declaring, Get out of my country!

Adam Purinton, 51, has been charged with three counts of murder or attempted murder (a third man was slightly injured).

Anderson is a special correspondent.

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Former Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva was arrested Sunday at San Francisco International Airport, where he arrived from a vacation in South America, his attorney said.

The former mayor was arrested Sunday as he returned from Colombia, his attorney, Allen Sawyer, told Sacramento television station KCRA.

An arrest warrant was issued for Silva on Thursday on charges of profiteering, embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds and grand theft, among other charges. He will face the charges in San Joaquin County.

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Silva left for his vacation on Wednesday, a day before FBI agents and investigators from the San Joaquin County district attorneys office served search warrants at Silvas home and the Stockton Kids Club, which Silva used to run when it was known as the Boys and Girls Club.

Sawyer said Silvas arrest is not related to the charges he faced in Amador County last year for allegedly eavesdropping during a strip poker party at a youth camp he ran. Silva was charged with four misdemeanor counts for secretly recording portions of a teen counselor strip poker game and providing alcohol to minors. He denied the charges.

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The new travel ban President Trump signed Monday is no less misguided and damaging to those trying to travel to the U.S., or to those seeking refuge from war-torn regions of the world, than the original. The two new executive orders implementing the ban also show that Trump learned little from the policy debacle of the first go-round. The courts will decide whether he has fixed all of the legal shortcomings with this new, narrower version (the original was put on hold by several federal judges), but it still will disrupt the lives of thousands of people while doing nothing to advance U.S. national security interests. In fact, it feeds into propaganda by Islamic extremists that the Western world is at war with Islam. None of that has changed with this scaled-back version.

The new orders suspend travel to the U.S. from six predominately Muslim nations (Iraq was dropped from the original list) for 90 days and freeze the resettlement of refugees from around the world for 120 days, ostensibly to give the administration time to review vetting procedures. Trump issued the first orders without offering credible evidence or a persuasive argument that there is a problem with the vetting, and he offers none here. Although it is reasonable to expect the government to conduct routine reviews of programs and procedures, thats no justification for freezing visas and the resettlement of refugees while that review is underway.

Even the timing of the new orders suggests how unnecessary they are. Trump said he rushed the original orders into effect because if the ban were announced with a one week notice, the bad would rush into our country during that week. Yet its been more than five weeks since Trump issued the now-enjoined orders, with no indication that terrorists have somehow taken advantage of that window to evade vetting by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security. And the new ban doesnt go into effect until March 16, presumably to avoid the kind of disastrous rollout that marked the original ban. So much for urgency.

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The new orders, like the old ones, are just so much Trumpian showboating. People from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen who were issued a visa before Jan. 27  the date of the initial orders  will be let in, but pending and new applications will be frozen for 90 days, the same time frame in the original order. But if the review of the vetting process is so critical to national security, one would presume it is already underway, so why a 90-day suspension for the new orders if the government already has spent more than 30 days on the review?

In fact, no one from the six affected countries has been implicated in a fatal terror attack on U.S. soil since 9/11, according to a review by Politifact. The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute reported two years ago that 784,000 refugees were resettled in the U.S. in the 14 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, yet only three were later convicted on terrorism-related charges  two of them for plotting against an overseas target, and the third for hatching plans that were barely credible. In issuing the new freeze on refugees, the administration cited the case of someone brought here as a child who was radicalized after becoming a naturalized citizen. What kind of vetting could possibly anticipate that?

At least the ban will not affect noncitizens with lawful permanent resident status (green-card holders) if they travel abroad. Yet the ban still may run afoul of the courts. Although the new orders drop the exemption for religious minorities suffering persecution in the countries affected by the ban, which raised constitutional questions, they still target nations that are predominantly Muslim, and immigrant-rights groups are poised to renew their legal challenges.

Ultimately, much like his proposed database to publicize crimes committed by immigrants in the country illegally, Trumps aim here is not to improve national security, but to ostracize. And it will be to Americans shame if he gets away with it.

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It was just a week ago that President Trump had the finest moment of his short presidency  his address to a joint session of Congress. Even many of his harshest critics praised his speech or reluctantly conceded that it was presidential.

The collective response from Republicans was no mere sigh of relief. It was more like the discovery that some vital biblical prophecy had been fulfilled: The Holy Pivot is here at last! Huzzah and hooray. Give the plebes extra rations of grain and wine, for today we celebrate!

Weve had President Trump for a while, but this was Presidential Trump.

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The obvious lesson drawn by Republican leaders was: This Trump could get serious things done. Just dialing it back to an 8 or 9 from his usual 11 or 12 (on a 10-point scale) reassures congressional allies, making it much easier for them to carry out his agenda. Acting presidential also undermines conservative critics and, much more important, it makes Democrats and much of the media look hysterical in their overreactions and calls for resistance.

Can you imagine the dread, the slow-burning existential panic that overtakes White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus on Friday evenings?

And since Trumps most loyal fans will celebrate anything he does, theres no need to pander to them with the greatest hits anymore.

In short, there is no downside and all manner of upside for Trump to play the part of a somewhat sober, serious, responsible president  even one with an ambitious populist-outsider agenda.

Naturally, Trump opted for Plan B. Step 1: Destroy all hope on Twitter.

Can you imagine the dread, the slow-burning existential panic that overtakes White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Friday evenings?

After Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner  who are known to have a calming effect on the president  head off to honor the Jewish Sabbath, Priebus and Spicer have to white-knuckle it until dawn, gripping their phones with tobacco-stained fingers as they constantly refresh Twitter. They must feel like they work for a kind of werewolf who, in the dark, still hours of the weekend transforms into a presidency-gobbling beast.

I can almost hear the wail that slipped past Priebus lips on Saturday morning, when just as the chirping birds provided a hopeful soundtrack for the first light of a new day, the presidents tweets started pouring forth.

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! And: How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!

There were other tweets, including, about this deadly serious allegation and, of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The president who announced before Congress, The time for trivial fights is behind us, wanted to make sure the American people knew that Schwarzenegger was leaving The New Celebrity Apprentice because of his pathetic ratings.

But that info came only after he accused his predecessor of committing a felony, in what would be  if proved  one of the great political scandals in American history. It now seems clear that when the president said he just found out about this wiretapping, he meant that he just read about it on Breitbart.com.

There is an enormous amount we do not know, though James B. Comey, the head of the FBI, and James R. Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, say the claims are untrue. I think more investigations are in order (including of the leaks plaguing the administration).

But my point is far simpler  and more obvious. Trump is destroying his presidency one tweet at a time. On Friday morning, Trump reportedly chewed out his senior staff for letting allegations of his campaigns collusion with Russia distract from his post-speech agenda. By dawn the next morning, his tweets made the Russia allegations a much bigger story and led to Spicer asking Congress to investigate whether his boss was onto something.

The pivot stuff was always false prophecy. Being president has a funny way of making people more presidential. And by day, Trumps White House staff can contain his worst instincts. But all bets are off when hes alone at Mar-a-Lago and the moon calls forth the beast.

jgoldberg@latimescolumnists.com

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook
I need a break from the president  time off from the coverage, the conversation and the anxieties.

Everyone, stop retweeting and swear off cable news. Dont even mention his name. Reporters, the president is boycotting the Washington correspondents dinner, couldnt you boycott the briefing room for just a week?

For the last few months, Ive been waking up every day braced for reports of democratic outrages, international embarrassments and just plain bizarre pronouncements. Opening the newspaper or turning on the computer that first Trump-free morning might feel disorienting. Imagine reading, watching and discussing ... well, anything else. Its a big world out there, at least it used to be. Surely someone somewhere is still doing un-Trump things worth telling us about.

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Wed switch on the car radio and thered be utter Trumplessness all the way to work. The talk show hosts whove been all Trump all the time would probably be thrilled to change the subject. At work we wouldnt have to snarl at that gloating colleague who loves to say, He won fair and square. Now get over it, Snowflake. Hell say something else annoying, but still.

Those filter-enhanced selfies and humble brags from old college roommates that got on our nerves in the pre-Trump days would suddenly seem dear and innocent.

On Facebook thered be no toxic shares or policy updates to panic us about the future of civilization. No calls to action to make us feel inadequate and personally responsible for letting the world crumble. Instead of plodding through posts that inspire paralyzing dread, wed scroll happily through baby-animal memes and celebrity gossip. Those filter-enhanced selfies and humble brags from old college roommates that got on our nerves in the pre-Trump days would suddenly seem dear and innocent.

At least briefly, we could avoid someones terror over a sisters precarious medical coverage or a brothers tragic deportation. There would still be hideous tragedies, but for a blessed few days we wouldnt be subjected to knowing exactly how our president caused them, condoned them, responded inappropriately to them or ignored them completely.

Once we werent grappling with the fact that all compassion is being eliminated from our public institutions wed be much more productive. With no fresh threat to all that we consider sacred, we would be capable once again of creative thought.

Trumps face wouldnt leer out from the tabloids in the supermarket line. We could temporarily stop apologizing to the hijab-wearing cashier for a president we didnt vote for but still feel guilty about. Helping our kids with their current-events homework wouldnt necessarily make us cry.

Perhaps wed even crave fewer carbs at lunch. And maybe we wouldnt wonder if the driver stuck in traffic beside us was armed and emboldened.

At first we might struggle to remember how to talk about anything other than whatever loony thing Trump had said or done that day. But it would come back to us and wed laugh. Remember laughter? Not sardonic, bitter, hopeless, gallows laughter, but the ha-ha-ha, tee-hee kind?

And perhaps by the fourth or fifth day, we would actually sleep through the night. We might start to feel so good we could cut back on our meds.

Were we blissfully happy before Trump? No. But in the same way wed enjoy just one more day in possession of a firm butt, endless stamina and thick hair now that weve experienced life without such things, a chance to live again in the pre-Trump world we once took for granted would seem especially sweet.

Never mind the crushing dread at the weeks end. Our consolation would come from knowing how crazy it would make the narcissist in chief if no one paid attention to him for a whole week.

Amy Goldman Koss is the author of Side Effects and many other books for teens.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook
With an estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the United States, talk of a crackdown on illegal immigration has created tension in cities across the country.

For Americas police chiefs, calls for enhanced enforcement of federal immigration laws bring a particular concern. Chiefs are afraid that such efforts will have the unintended consequence of actually increasing crime and making their communities less safe. The reasons for this can be found in recent incidents from some of the countrys so-called sanctuary cities.

In Tucson, for example, an undocumented man confronted and physically struggled with a man who tried to steal a car with children inside. The immigrant held the criminal long enough for local police to arrive, then cooperated with detectives in the follow-up investigation. As a result, the suspect was charged with kidnapping, auto theft and burglary.

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In Laredo, Texas, Sister Rosemary Welsh runs Casa de Misericordia, which provides shelter to women, many of whom are undocumented immigrants and victims of domestic violence. Because of the trust Sister Rosemary has built with local law enforcement and the women in her facility, more victims are reporting crime, and more offenders are identified and prosecuted.

Los Angeles, a city with an estimated 375,000 undocumented immigrants, has had a policy prohibiting police from engaging in enforcement activities based solely on a persons immigration status since 1979. Last year, LAPD officers had an encounter with a suspected gang member that resulted in a vehicle chase, a foot pursuit and shots being fired. An undocumented immigrant helped police locate the suspect by providing a description and vehicle information.

Police chiefs know that todays unreported domestic violence or sexual assault or robbery can become tomorrows reported homicide.

Had these undocumented people, and countless others in cities across America, not stepped forward to report crime and cooperate with the police, we would have more dangerous offenders committing more crime  and more serious crime  against innocent victims.

Police chiefs know that todays unreported domestic violence or sexual assault or robbery can become tomorrows reported homicide. This is a special concern in immigrant communities, where many people fear that cooperating with the police may lead to scrutiny and even deportation. Its why cities have adopted policies like the one in Los Angeles, and its why police departments have invested considerable time and resources to build trust and cooperation with all of their communities, including their immigrant communities. They know that when people step forward because they trust their local police, communities are safer.

For all these reasons, the label of sanctuary city is a misnomer. The term sanctuary dates to classical Greece and Rome, and to Christian traditions in the Middle Ages. Back then, sanctuaries provided certain protections to fugitives in churches or other sacred locations. The details changed over time, but sanctuary generally consisted of limited, temporary protections to people suspected of certain types of crimes, and only in narrow circumstances.

The use of the term to describe a set of protections for undocumented immigrants implies that they somehow get a pass to commit crime within those jurisdictions. This is simply not the case. It is the mission of all police departments, including those in so-called sanctuary cities, to go after serious and violent criminal offenders for investigation, arrest, and prosecution, regardless of their immigration status.

In reality, sanctuary cities are hardly sanctuaries for any criminals. Because of the trust and cooperation they have developed with undocumented immigrants, police in these cities are often able to identify, arrest and prosecute dangerous offenders who might otherwise still be on the streets victimizing residents  both citizens and undocumented immigrants.

The issues of public safety and immigration are too complex to be captured in a catchphrase, and they are not new. In the decade that our organization has spent exploring the role of local police in immigration issues, police chiefs have consistently reported several key points.

First, the current system of enforcement is a logical division of labor in which all parties know what is expected of them. Federal agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), enforce immigration laws, which are federal statutes. Local police agencies enforce state and local criminal laws. These roles are compatible and complementary.

Second, local police have their hands full  investigating murders, robberies, sexual assaults, burglaries, thefts and other crimes, and working to prevent these and other crimes from occurring. When local police identify a suspect and have probable cause, they make the arrest, without regard to the suspects immigration status.

Finally, police chiefs warn that if their agencies are required to enforce federal immigration laws, it will hurt their ability to investigate and solve serious crimes in their communities. If people are afraid to have contact with the local police, they will not report crime, serve as witnesses, or tell police what is going on in their neighborhoods. Without information from the community, investigating crime becomes difficult and crime levels rise.

So that we can have a constructive discussion on public safety and immigration, lets retire the tired misnomer sanctuary cities once and for all. Lets focus on what it really takes to make our communities safer.

Chuck Wexler is executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, which works with police departments to improve the policing profession.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

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To the editor: With the revelation that Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions met twice with Russias ambassador to the United States before the election, apparently contradicting his testimony during a Senate confirmation hearing, we need a special prosecutor now more than ever to investigate the degree to which President Trumps people may have partaken of criminal acts leading up to Nov. 8. (Jeff Sessions recuses himself from any investigation into Trumps Russia ties. Better late than never, editorial, March 3)

Until such an investigation is done, there remains some doubt as to the legitimacy of the present administration. Let the special prosecutor find that Trump was not in cahoots with the Russians; if that happens, I shall stand up in support of the president.

Larry Schwimmer, Imperial Beach

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..

To the editor: Few aspects of life compel us to action so much as objective, documented fact, separate from commentary or opinion.

Our attorney general testified under oath in the Senate during his confirmation hearing that he did not have communications with the Russians. In fact, Sessions met with the Russians twice in the past year, once in his Capitol Hill office, and once at the Republican National Convention.

Sessions may have committed a very serious offense, besides greatly reducing the credibility of his office, and I call on Trump and members of Congress to quickly fulfill their responsibility to compel Sessions to step down immediately. Independent of law regarding perjury, no person who lies under oath can be anywhere near the administration of law in the United States.

Sessions can no longer serve the people of the United States.

Richard Havenick, San Pedro

..

To the editor: It is clear to any reasonable person who can understand the English language that Sessions was asked about campaign communications and answered it that way, specifically referring to being called a surrogate for Trump during the campaign. The written question also specifically asked about campaign contacts.

Unless anyone knows his two congressional conference-related contacts with Russians were about the campaign, which seems highly unlikely, he answered truthfully, and no reasonable person would call his answers deceptive.

This is a non-story. The Democrats apoplexy over it, and the over-the-top media attention to it, demonstrates the lengths to which both are committed to destroying any chance for Trump to succeed. And Trump and his supporters are just the people to make that case and defeat that effort where it counts: at the ballot box and subscription desk.

Jeffrey C. Briggs, Hollywood

..

To the editor: Of course Sessions should be investigated. Republican leaders are very reluctant to do their jobs, afraid of where the investigation will lead. Democrats can do very little since they are in the minority in both chambers and the White House is in GOP hands.

Thats why we need the press more than ever to investigate  a good reason to support a free press.

Domenico Maceri, San Luis Obispo

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TV ads target lawmakers on the fence over Gov. Jerry Browns plan to raise gas taxes to repair roads By Patrick McGreevy Gov. Jerry Brown talks to Steve Glazer in 2011, when Glazer was still an advisor to the governor and before he was elected to the Senate. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) With supporters of a road repair bill still counting votes, a coalition of business and labor leaders on Friday began running television and radio ads that target eight legislators who have not yet committed to vote for the measure. The Fix Our Roads Coalition is spending $1 million on a statewide, week-long ad blitz that urges legislators to vote next week for Senate Bill 1. The bill would raise gas taxes and vehicle fees to generate $52 billion the first 10 years to repair crumbling roads, highways and bridges, and expand mass transit. We are closer than ever to finally passing a transportation funding package to fix our long-neglected and crumbling roads, said Michael Quigley, executive director of the California Alliance for Jobs, which is co-funding the commercials. These new ads are part of an all-out grassroots, earned media, advertising and social media campaign to support passage of this bill by next week. In addition to ads that call on legislators to support the bill, eight advertisements call on legislators by name to support the plan. Those targeted include Sens. Steve Glazer (D-Concord) and Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres), and moderate Democratic Assembly members Adam Gray of Merced, Rudy Salas of Bakersfield, Sabrina Cervantes of Corona, Sharon Quirk-Silva of Buena Park and Al Muratsuchi of Torrance, as well as Republican Catharine Baker of San Ramon. The bill needs a two-thirds vote in both houses, which would require all of the Democrats to support the measure. Cannella and Baker are being wooed by Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders to step in if one of the Democrats gets cold feet. Representatives of Cannella and Glazer said earlier this week that they were still weighing the issue. Brown and legislative leaders have called for the Legislature to act by Thursday, after which time the lawmakers head out on spring break. Facebook

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Former Assembly Speaker John A. Perezs views on the L.A. congressional race he dropped out of By Christine Mai-Duc (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Before he suddenly dropped out of the running citing health reasons, former Assembly Speaker John A. Perez was widely considered the favorite to replace Xavier Becerra in the 34th Congressional District. With Perez out, the race is wide open and isnt likely to be decided Tuesday, when 24 candidates compete in the primary. Instead, the top two vote-getters regardless of party are expected to advance to a June 6 election. (If any one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote Tuesday, its all over). Perez offered his thoughts on the race in an interview published Friday by Politico. Some of his major points: Perez said he thinks state Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez is significantly ahead of the pack and will make the runoff.

A cluster of candidates, including Alejandra Campoverdi, Wendy Carrillo, Arturo Carmona, Maria Cabildo and Robert Lee Ahn, are in a close enough race that any one of them could advance.

If Carrillo were to move forward, Perez says, the narrative in the runoff would be about which candidate is more progressive and whos an insider versus an outsider.

Perez says if he were the front runner, Campoverdi is the one Id be most concerned about running against due to her connections in Washington and her national profile, which could create a new level of viability. Facebook

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To fight against human trafficking, this state senator wants to train motel employees to spot signs of abuse By Jazmine Ulloa Former Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego). (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times) State Sen. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) wants to increase services for human trafficking survivors and make it easier in court to put away their abusers. Flanked by prosecutors and hotel industry officials at a news conference Friday in San Diego, the former Assembly speaker announced new housing and mental health assistance for victims and introduced legislation that would require hotels and motels to train their employees to spot signs of human trafficking. Another of her proposals would expand the character evidence that prosecutors can bring forth at trial against defendants charged with selling victims for sex or labor. The bills are meant to attack a multibillion-dollar trade that has a wide sweep in California, home to three cities on the FBIs list of 13 top human trafficking destinations: San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles. National human trafficking hotline calls across California generated 1,323 cases in 2016  nearly twice as many as any other state. Atkins is among lawmakers pushing the issue at the Capitol, where legislation has focused on targeting traffickers, protecting victims and addressing what advocates say is a law enforcement culture in which child survivors sometimes are treated like criminals. But funding for victims services and programs has been an obstacle. A bill by Atkins to develop pilot projects in three counties to address the commercial sexual exploitation of youth sailed through the Legislature without opposition last year only to be vetoed by the governor. Her second bill for a statewide task force died in the Senate appropriations committee. Atkins latest proposal to provide training for motel employees follows a similar bill by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens). It failed in the last legislative session amid opposition over costs to businesses. That hasnt stopped Atkins from trying again. Hotels are ground zero for sex trafficking in this state, she said in a statement. Sex traffickers are exploiting some of the most vulnerable people in our society, including children. These victims are often hiding in plain sight, and traffickers take advantage of the fact that many hotel employees dont recognize the signs. Facebook

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State Controller Betty Yee says Californias tax collection agency has been mismanaged and needs a complete overhaul By Patrick McGreevy Citing a review that found widespread mismanagement at the state Board of Equalization, State Controller Betty T. Yee on Friday called for stripping the panel of responsibilities for tax administration and audit and compliance functions so it can focus on handling taxpayer appeals. Yees proposal came in response to an evaluation by the state Department of Finance that found board officials were improperly redirecting resources and employees to pet projects in their districts. In order to rebuild taxpayer trust, meaningful reform is essential, said Yee, who serves as an ex-officio member of the board. I urge the Legislature and the governor to strip the board members of all statutory functions and permanently move these duties and assigned staff to a separate new department under the governor. The Department of Finance review found the board had difficulty providing complete and accurate documentation in response to inquiries, and various levels of management were not aware of and could not speak to certain actions, including the informal establishment of a call center, creating an unofficial office location and inconsistent use of community liaisons. The evaluation said personnel records showed workers assigned to administrative jobs that they were not doing, having been transferred to help board members in their districts. Even though each elected board member has a $1.5-million budget to cover office costs, some members borrowed workers from the head office, taking them from jobs that involved bringing in tax money and having them instead reach out to board members constituents, the review found. The redirection of workers violated state budget rules. In addition, the reviewers said the board provided 11 different versions of its proposed sales and use tax allocation adjustment and the Department of Finance found errors and omissions throughout. Facebook

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Sen. Kamala Harris has opened a gubernatorial fundraising account  but she has no plans to run for governor, aide says By Seema Mehta (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) Sen. Kamala Harris opened a campaign fundraising account to run for governor in 2026, but that does not mean Californias newest U.S. senator has any plans to seek the office. Harris plans to use the account to store the $1 million in leftover funds from her successful 2014 reelection campaign for attorney general, said Sean Clegg, Harris political spokesman. Harris left her post as state attorney general mid-term when she was elected in November to the Senate seat opening created by the retirement of Barbara Boxer. She faced a March 31 deadline to shutter the attorney general account, and under election law cannot mingle money raised for state campaigns with funds raised to run for federal office. Its purely political bookkeeping, Clegg said. The 2026 date could raise eyebrows because after the 2018 gubernatorial election, that will likely be the next time the governors office is open because its occupant is termed out. But Clegg said Harris did not open an account for a lower office like lieutenant governor  as politicians in similar situations typically do  because, he said, we werent interested in being cute about it. So we designated the only potential future office one could conceivably contemplate, although were not contemplating it, he said. Were focused on the job were doing. Facebook

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This California lawmaker wants to crack down on toys and electronics that pick up conversations and personal information By Jazmine Ulloa State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), left (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press ) A California state senator wants to prevent companies from selling products that can listen in on conversations and collect personal information from unknowing consumers. Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) has filed legislation that would require manufacturers to equip their Internet-connected devices, including toys, clocks, kitchenware and electronics, with certain security and privacy features. Dubbed the Teddy Bear and Toaster Act, Senate Bill 327 takes aim at the so-called Internet of Things, the inter-networking of everyday devices that some tech and privacy experts say amounts to a growing industry with little oversight. The more we know and the more we learn about the Internet connection of all sorts of devices, many are realizing that we dont know the extent to which these devices are invading our lives, Jackson said. Under her proposal, companies would have to design their products so that they alert consumers  through visual, auditory or other cues  when they are gathering data. They would have to obtain user consent when they intend to transfer the information. And they would have to disclose at point of sale whether the devices are capable of sweeping up sensitive data, so that customers can take that into account while shopping. Most states, including California, have privacy breach laws to protect personal information. The proposal, which would extend those provisions to consumer devices, could be the first of its kind nationwide. But it is expected to garner wide opposition from retailers and manufacturers. A My Friend Cayla doll (AFP/Getty Images) Still, supporters point to growing privacy concerns. Some toys, like the My Friend Cayla doll banned in Germany, prompt children to give personal information, such as their parents names and their addresses, and their manufacturers reserve the right to target young buyers in direct marketing campaigns. Other smart devices lack the most basic security features that make them vulnerable to a hack or coordinated cyberattack. In a statement, James P. Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Kids Action, which is sponsoring the bill, said such toys and electronics can put consumers at risk. These products get rushed out to the market without the privacy issues being addressed in advance, and then consumers end up paying the price, he said. Facebook

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President Jerry Brown? Dont rule it out, governor quips By Patrick McGreevy Gov. Jerry Brown and state legislative leaders appealed Thursday for support for a proposed gas tax and vehicle fee increase to fix the states roads and bridges. (Patrick McGreevy / Los Angeles Times) In arguing for approval of a new transportation package on Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown appeared to enjoy himself in refusing to shoot down a supporters suggestion that he run for president  even as he noted his 79th birthday is next week. Standing next to other elected officials and construction workers at the rally in in Concord, Brown argued that gas tax and vehicle fee increases are needed to address a backlog of much-needed repairs to Californias crumbling system of roads, highways and bridges. Im telling you the truth because why would I lie to you? Brown said. I dont think Im running for office. All Ive got left is lieutenant governor, treasurer and controller. Or president, someone in the crowd shouted. Brown responded that he would be 82 when the next presidential election comes around. But you know, dont rule it out, he quipped, drawing laughter and applause. Lest the comment turn into a national story, an aide later clarified the governors intentions: He was joking. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown is making appeals to legislators for votes on his new transportation plan  one district at a time By Patrick McGreevy Gov. Jerry Brown stumps for the new transportation funding plan on Thursday in the Bay Area city of Concord. (Patrick McGreevy / Los Angeles Times) Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders on Thursday took their campaign for higher transportation taxes and fees to the Bay Area district of state Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Concord), one of the holdouts in the state Senate who has not yet committed to vote for the package. Surrounded by dozens of construction workers, Brown warned that if the transportation bill unveiled on Wednesday isnt approved this year, it may not happen in the foreseeable future. There is nothing more fundamental in the business of government than making sure the roads and bridges dont fall apart, and they are falling apart, Brown said. Glazer recently withheld his vote from a bill proposing a similar plan for repairing state bridges, roads and highways, and on Wednesday, a spokesman said he had still not committed to any plan but wanted to review the detailed proposal before taking a position. Construction workers at the rally held signs that pictured crumbling roads and said, Senator Glazer Fix This Now. Vote for SB 1. Brown said Glazer, his former senior advisor, does not disagree with the intent of the bill. He loves this plan, but he has another idea on his mind and he wants to marry the two and see if he can get some outcomes that I dont want to get into at this particular place, Brown told reporters. Sen. Jim Beall, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said Glazer wants the transportation funding bill to include a clause barring employees of Bay Area Rapid Transit from going on strike. Beall said that is a labor-relations issue that cannot be included in the bill raising taxes. You cant do that, Beall said. A spokesman for Glazer said the senator is still undecided on the bill. The senator is continuing to have conversations with the principals, said Steve Harmon, a spokesman for Glazer. He declined to comment on Bealls statement. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) said there may be similar rallies in Los Angeles and Riverside in the coming days. Two other Democrats who have not yet committed to the plan are Riverside Sen. Richard Roth and Woodland Hills Sen. Henry Stern. Brown acknowledged that there is work to do to secure the two-thirds vote needed in both houses of the Legislature to raise the base excise tax on gasoline by 12 cents per gallon, to a total of 30 cents per gallon, and to create a new annual vehicle fee that would average $51 based on the value of the car or truck. Rendon said approval of the transportation bill would cost the average California motorist an extra $10 per month, which he said is a deal compared to the current cost of $720 in annual vehicle repair costs required because of running over potholes and other rough road conditions. Hoping to force a Senate vote on the package early next week, Brown was accompanied to the Concord news conference by Rendon and Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). They urged lawmakers to support the bill, which would generate $5.2 billion annually for the first 10 years for road and bridge repairs, mass transit improvements and other projects to reduce congestion. Glazer, known as a maverick in the Legislature, was Browns campaign manager during the 2010 gubernatorial election and remained a senior advisor to the governor before running for the state Senate in a special election in 2015. ---- 1:23 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from a representative for state Sen. Steve Glazer. This article was originally published at 12:42 p.m. Facebook

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Who will be Californias next governor? New poll shows Newsom leads with 1 in 3 voters undecided By Seema Mehta (Nick Ut / Associated Press) In the race to replace termed-out Gov. Jerry Brown, the largest number of voters in a new statewide poll does not favor a candidate in the race. About 1 in 3 voters said they were undecided, according to the survey by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies. Among candidates who have entered the race, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom holds a strong lead with 28% of the vote, followed by Republican businessman John Cox with 18%, according to the poll, which was released Wednesday. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa clocks in at 11%, state Treasurer John Chiang at 8% and former state schools chief Delaine Eastin at 3%. Because the race is far away and public campaigning has not yet started in earnest, the poll could primarily be an indicator of name recognition. The field of candidates is also likely to grow. Newsom has several natural advantages: He was the first person to enter the race in 2015 and has a large fundraising edge. He has perhaps been the candidate most in the spotlight among the Democrats running, notably for his support of the marijuana legalization measure on the November ballot. Cox may have benefited from being the lone Republican in that version of the poll. Pollsters conducted a second version of the poll with five additional potential candidates, none of whom have announced a run for governor in 2018  San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon and former state Controller Steve Westly. Newsom still led the pack to come in at 24%. The two Republicans, Faulconer and Cox, tied at 11% each. Faulconer has said he does not plan to run for governor. Garcetti, Villaraigosa, Chiang, Steyer, De Leon, Westly and Eastin all placed in the single digits. Steyer and Westly have the personal wealth to self-fund a campaign, giving them time to decide whether to enter the race. Westly unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2006, losing in the Democratic primary to state Treasurer Phil Angelides. In the 2018 contest, the two candidates who receive the most votes in the June primary will move onto the November general election. The poll of 1,000 registered voters in California was conducted online in English and Spanish between March 13 and 20, and has a margin of error in either direction of 3.6%. Facebook

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California legislators team up to expand John Muir National Historic Site By Sarah D. Wire Californias senators and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) filed legislation Thursday to add 44 acres to the John Muir National Historic Site. The John Muir Heritage Land Trust has offered to donate the additional land to the National Park Service, which operates the site, and the bill would authorize the agency to accept the parcel. The time John Muir spent with his daughters at their scenic home and its neighboring property played a major role in launching the national parks movement. Expanding the existing park to preserve more of this history and beauty is a fitting tribute to Muirs legacy of protecting land for all to enjoy, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a statement. Located about 30 miles east of San Francisco, the John Muir National Historic Site consists of Muirs Alhambra Valley home and 325 acres outside of Martinez. DeSaulnier said in a statement that expanding the property is a fitting celebration of his legacy, and will offer nature-goers greater access to enjoy the beauty of the East Bay. DeSaulnier sponsored the same bill last year, which passed the House unanimously but was not considered by the Senate. Feinstein and former Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) carried the Senate version, which died after a committee hearing. Such bills often take a few attempts to pass, even without major opposition. Muirs writings helped inspire the creation of the National Park Service, starting with his lobbying of Congress to protect the Yosemite Valley from dams. He also was a founding member of the Sierra Club. Californians owe him a debt of gratitude, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said in a statement. Facebook

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Californias attorney general could investigate local police shootings under new legislation By Liam Dillon Attorney John Burris, center, comforts Robert and Deborah Mann, family members of Joseph Mann, who was killed by Sacramento Police in July, after a news conference on Oct. 3, 2016. (Rich Pedroncelli / AP) Californias attorney general could investigate local police shootings under a new bill authored by a Sacramento lawmaker. Democratic Assemblyman Kevin McCartys Assembly Bill 284 would allow local police departments or district attorneys to ask Atty. Gen. Xavier Becceras office to independently investigate police shootings of civilians. The legislation was prompted by high-profile police killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., Eric Garner in New York City and last summers police shooting of Joseph Mann, a mentally ill homeless man, in Sacramento, according to McCartys office. In all three cases, local prosecutors declined to charge the officers. There is a growing skepticism and a perceived conflict of interest, of the current process of local district attorneys investigating local police, said a fact sheet on the bill provided by McCartys office. Given that they work so closely, it is a valid question of whether this is the most transparent process for the public. There is a growing appetite, both at the national and local level, to create a better and more transparent system for [police shootings] that is fair to police, families, and the community in order to restore public trust. McCartys bill would make state investigations voluntary in these cases and would be implemented only if lawmakers also give Becceras office money to pay for the effort. In 2015, McCarty tried to pass legislation that would have made state investigations of local police shootings mandatory, but that bill failed to make it out of legislative committees. This year, lawmakers have generally scaled back prior efforts to change the states rules governing police discipline and transparency. Facebook

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Former offenders will help award millions in Proposition 47 grants to rehabilitate inmates By Jazmine Ulloa We have listened to law enforcement talk about how horrible Prop. 47 is, said Vonya Quarles, an advocate for the formerly incarcerated. Now we have a chance to help the people who are hurting. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)) California officials will begin the process this spring of awarding $103 million in grants to programs for inmates centered on rehabilitation, substance abuse and reentry into society. The efforts will be funded with dollars saved from prison spending under Proposition 47, the sweeping 2014 ballot measure that downgraded six drug and theft crimes to misdemeanors and allowed defendants to renegotiate their punishments. For the large coalition of criminal justice advocates that poured millions into getting the proposition passed and that has closely tracked its implementation, this is a long-awaited step. Other states have passed similar laws, but California is the only state to invest those savings into services meant to help people stay out of prison. On the executive committee helping award the grants are formerly incarcerated people who know the system from the inside. Read More Facebook

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What would single-payer healthcare look like in California? Lawmakers release new details By Melanie Mason Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A proposal in California for a single-payer healthcare system would dramatically expand the state governments presence in medical care and slash the role of insurance companies. New amendments released Thursday fill in some key details on the universal healthcare measure proposed by state Sens. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), although the biggest political question  how it would be paid for  remains unanswered. Under the proposal, which was announced in February, the state would cover all medical expenses for every resident regardless of their income or immigration status, including inpatient, outpatient, emergency services, dental, vision, mental health and nursing home care. Insurers would be prohibited from offering benefits that cover the same services as the state. The program would eliminate co-pays and deductibles, and patients would not need to get referrals to see eligible providers. The system would be administered by an unpaid nine-person board appointed by the governor and the Legislature. A universal healthcare system run by the government has long been a dream of liberals, with many rallying behind insurgent Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders proposal for Medicare for all in the 2016 race. After a GOP effort to replace Obamacare stalled last week, Sanders said he intends to introduce a nationwide single-payer bill in the U.S. Senate. Proponents in California, who are no longer playing defense to preserve the Affordable Care Act, also touted a broader healthcare plan. With Republicans failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Californians really get what is at stake with their healthcare, Lara said in a statement. We have the chance to make universal healthcare a reality now. Its time to talk about how we get to healthcare for all that covers more and costs less. The cost  sure to be the biggest hurdle for the measure  so far remains unknown. The authors say they intend to pay for the program through broad-based revenue, but details of a funding proposal have not been hashed out. Gov. Jerry Brown sounded wary of a sprawling single-payer plan while speaking to reporters last week on his trip to Washington D.C. Where do you get the extra money? This is the whole question, Brown said. The bill is sponsored by the California Nurses Assn., which already has been rallying its members in support of the bill, SB 562. There has been a seismic shift in our political system through grassroots activism; we have an inspired, motivated base that will make its voice heard, RoseAnn DeMoro, the labor groups president, said in a statement. Facebook

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California backs San Francisco court challenge of Trump administration threat to withhold funds from sanctuary cities By Patrick McGreevy Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said Wednesday he has filed an amicus brief supporting San Franciscos court challenge to President Trumps order targeting so-called sanctuary cities and counties that refuse to enforce federal immigration laws. The move marks a half-dozen times the state has filed briefs supporting legal challenges to various Trump orders. Last week, Becerra filed papers supporting a lawsuit by Santa Clara County. That case and San Franciscos challenge the legality of the Trump administrations threats to withhold federal funds from states and local jurisdictions that the administration deems to be sanctuary jurisdictions. Becerras brief cites Californias interest in protecting state laws and policies that ensure public safety and protect the constitutional rights of its residents. Threatening to take away resources from sheriffs and police officers in order to promote misguided views on federal immigration policy is reckless and puts public safety at risk, Becerra said in a statement. It is the right and responsibility of California and each state under the Constitution to determine how it will provide for the safety and general welfare of its residents and to safeguard their constitutional rights. Facebook

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Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti asks the federal government to define a sanctuary city By Sarah D. Wire View Instagram post Amid a new call from the Trump administration to cut off federal funds to so-called sanctuary cities, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck had a question for the head of Homeland Security on Wednesday: What exactly is a sanctuary city? Garcetti and Beck joined a bipartisan handful of mayors and law enforcement leaders from across the country in Washington to air their concerns about President Trumps recent executive orders on immigration to Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly. Los Angeles is among the jurisdictions  often called sanctuary cities  that dont assist with federal immigration enforcement. State and local leaders in California have said they will continue to protect people in the country illegally despite the Trump administrations threats. After the closed-door meeting, mayors and police chiefs said their main request for Kelly was for a firm definition of what the federal government considers a sanctuary city. We think that as long as were complying with federal law then we shouldnt be labeled with whatever label intimates that were not, Beck said. Were looking for clarification; we are looking to be involved in the conversation so that decisions arent made that affect us without our input. Homeland Security spokesman Dave Lapan said the department is working on a definition but does not have a timeline for when it would be finalized. Although there is no legal definition of the term, the administration has seemed to define sanctuary jurisdictions as ones that dont comply when Immigration and Customs Enforcement asks them to detain prisoners after they have served their sentences so they can be picked up for deportation. Multiple federal courts have said the detainer orders differ from an official warrant and are not legal justification for holding someone who has served his or her sentence or is no longer under arrest. Los Angeles is one of several cities in California that does not hold people for immigration officials without a warrant, and Garcetti said that is going to continue. We see it as abiding by the Constitution, because there is case law that says we cant hold people for longer than permitted, Garcetti said after the meeting. Lapan said the Department of Homeland Security is working on ways to address concerns about the legality of holding someone for immigration officials, as well as the concerns of mayors of cities that have laws instructing law enforcement officers not to comply with immigration officials. Part of having this discussion is to find out, How can we get around this? Lapan said. If we are dealing with a criminal alien, somebody who is both in the country unlawfully and has committed crimes, the best place for us to take them into custody is in a jail or prison. Thats the safest for everyone, both our officers and the communities. Garcetti also disputes the administrations assertion that it can withhold federal funds from cities that dont comply with ICE orders. Garcetti pointed to a 2012 Supreme Court decision that said the government couldnt withhold Medicaid funds if states chose not to expand access to the program under the Affordable Care Act. I think we all feel on very strong constitutional and legal footing that it was decided in the Obama administration you cant put a legal gun to the head, a financial gun to the head of jurisdictions, whether its states or localities, and take their money if you dont agree with what they are doing in a different area, he said. Garcetti invited Kelly to visit Los Angeles. We need to make sure that we also are showing the perspectives of everyday people in cities like Los Angeles, he said. Garcetti also attended California congressional Democrats weekly lunch and met privately with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) before appearing on an immigration panel hosted by House Democrats. Facebook

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Anti-discrimination measure or blow to religious freedom? California bill sparks debate on employer codes of conduct By Melanie Mason Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A measure that would bar employers from firing workers for having an abortion or giving birth to a child out of wedlock is getting pushback from religious groups who say such a bill would prevent them from requiring employees to act in accordance with their faith. Under the bill by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego), employers would not be able to discipline or fire workers for any reproductive health decision, such as pregnancy, in-vitro fertilization or abortion. What this bill does is make sure that people can make the best healthcare decisions for themselves and for their families without the fear that theyll risk their livelihoods in doing so, Rebecca Griffin of NARAL Pro-Choice California, a sponsor of the measure, said at a Wednesday afternoon hearing at the Capitol. A teacher at a Christian college in San Diego was fired in 2012 for becoming pregnant while unmarried. The school said her pregnancy violated its employee code of conduct, which prohibited premarital sex. In 2015, San Francisco Archibishop Salvatore Cordileone sparked a backlash when he proposed a new morality clause in the faculty handbook and contract for local Catholic schools that opposed same-sex marriage and certain reproductive medical procedures. With employees being fired for code of conduct violations in other states, proponents said California should set an example for the country, Right now, while were facing a federal government that is attacking reproductive freedom at every turn and condoning the type of discrimination that this bill prohibits, we feel like this is the time for California to take a stand for our values and make sure that our workers have the best protections possible, Griffin said. But the proposal faces opposition from religious groups, who argue such codes of conduct are integral to the relationship with their workers. The bill would specifically deny religious employers our 1st Amendment protections to infuse our codes of conduct with the tenets of our faith, said Sandra Palacios of the California Catholic Conference. The reaction from religious groups was not uniformly negative. The Rev. Rick Schlosser, executive director of the California Council of Churches, which represents mainline Protestant and Orthodox denominations, pointed to the diverse positions on reproductive issues among his groups members to explain his support for the bill. Any legislation that limits peoples ability to make their own moral decisions is harmful to religious freedom, said Schlosser. But other religious groups said the measure threatened to undermine the very purpose of requiring their employees to abide by a code of conduct. An organization specifically chartered to support or oppose a specific set of beliefs or actions cannot fulfill its mission without requiring adherence to a code of conduct, wrote Jonathan Keller, president of the conservative California Family Council, in an opposition letter. Assemblyman Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond) asked why such codes of conduct should govern a personal decision an employee makes out of the workplace. Our community covenant does say that our employees are required to uphold our biblical values, and that certainly is a round-the-clock priority for us, responded Phillip Escamilla, the public policy chair of William Jessup University, a Sacramento-area evangelical Christian college Gonzalez Fletcher, herself a practicing Catholic, said she was not trying to unfairly target religious institutions. But, she said, she was trying to combat an inherent sexism that comes with enforcing such codes of conduct. A female employees reproductive decisions  such as entering an abortion clinic or being pregnant out of wedlock  can be seen by her employer, Gonzalez Fletcher said. A males decisions to whether or not theyre going to abide by a conduct never rise to that level, she said. So that inherent difference in how women and men are treated with these types of decisions just show how little privacy women are able to maintain. The bill, AB 569, cleared the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, its first legislative threshold, on a 4-2 vote. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown, legislative leaders propose raising $5.2 billion annually to repair Californias roads and bridges By Patrick McGreevy (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Acknowledging that the states transportation system has been neglected, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders on Wednesday announced a proposal to raise gas taxes and vehicle fees to generate more than $5 billion annually for repairing Californias crumbling system of streets, highways and bridges, as well as to increase mass transit. It remains uncertain whether Brown will be able to muster the two-thirds vote in both houses of the Legislature needed to approve the new revenue sources, which include a 12-cent-per-gallon increase in the existing 18-cent base excise tax on gasoline. The package also includes a new, annual vehicle fee that would average about $48 based on the value of the car. The package was announced at a news conference on the Capitol steps attended by Brown, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) and Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). California has not approved an increase in the base excise tax on gas for 23 years, according to Brian Kelly, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency. As a result, the state faces a $130-billion backlog of repairs to state highways and bridges and local streets. There is sizable money here to make things better, Kelly said. People are going to get improved neighborhood streets. They are going to get improved highways and bridges, more faith that they are traveling on safe structures. And we are going to invest to improve the congestion into our trade corridors and congestion on their commute. Assembly and Senate Republicans released a joint statement opposing the plan. Californians already pay some of the highest gas taxes in the nation, the statement said. The transportation proposal announced by the Capitol Democrats is a costly and burdensome plan that forces ordinary Californians to bail out Sacramento for years of neglecting our roads. Brown has set a deadline of April 6, the day before the Legislature leaves on its spring break, to have the new package voted on by lawmakers. Because Republicans have generally opposed the tax increases, the package may need the vote of every Democrat to get the two-thirds majority for passage. Three Democratic senators had been holding off their support before the new plan was released. Read More Facebook

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Election officials say mistake on Korean language ballots substantially smaller than previously thought By Christine Mai-Duc (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles County election officials say a mistake made on Korean-language sample ballots in the upcoming 34th Congressional District race likely affected fewer than 780 voters. The error, which listed the races 23 candidates in the wrong order on some Korean-language sample ballots, was discovered last week after Korean American voters pointed out their mail-in ballot materials looked different than English-language sample ballots sent to the same home or apartment building. Initially, election officials said they didnt know how widespread the problem was. As a precaution, they sent bilingual notices and corrected sample ballots to all 8,251 voters in the district who received Korean-language sample ballots. None of the sample ballots enclosed with actual mail-in ballots were affected, officials say. In a letter to election officials and L.A. County supervisors Tuesday, the Korean American Coalition called it a violation of federally protected voting rights. The letter asked officials to host a 24-hour hotline for Korean-speaking voters until election day, provide more information on the scope of the error and extend the mail-in voting deadline for those who had received the misprinted ballots. In a response sent Wednesday morning, County Registrar Dean Logan said the error was limited to a small number of sample ballots in a single print run of 777 sample ballots. Based on the agencys review, Logan wrote, it appears that substantially fewer than the 777 voters were affected. The registrars office says it is extending the hours of operation for its voter hotline and staffing it with Korean-speaking operators. Voters concerned that they may have been affected can call 1-800-815-2666 and select option 3 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. this weekend. Voters will also see additional signage at polls addressing the issue and Korean-speaking poll workers will be instructed to remind voters to check their ballots. Facebook

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Talks at Capitol focus on boosting California transportation funding by some $5.2 billion annually By Patrick McGreevy On Highway 1 in Big Sur, the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge has buckled, cutting off a community of hundreds from schools and isolating renowned businesses from customer traffic. (Robin Abcarian / Los Angeles Times) With a deadline looming, Gov. Jerry Brown is winding up negotiations with legislators in hopes of reaching an agreement on a plan that would provide at least $5.2 billion annually for a transportation backlog that includes repairing Californias aging and crumbling system of streets, highways and bridges, officials said Tuesday. Those close to the talks said an agreement on the package could be announced as early as Wednesday afternoon. The question remains whether Brown and leaders can muster the two-thirds vote needed to approve a phased-in gas tax increase of up to 12 cents by the April 6 deadline set by the governor. Key senators remained uncommitted to any plan as of Tuesday. And a new voter-approved rule requires a bill to be in print for 72 hours before it can be passed. The bill needs approval in both houses. Assembly Democrats were briefed on the evolving plan behind closed doors on Tuesday and some officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, said talks are progressing on a plan that would provide the bulk of money to a fix-it first program of road repairs divided evenly between state projects and those of cities and counties. Money would also be dedicated to mass transit, bicycle, pedestrian and trucking routs for ports. The proposal also would include reforms proposed by lawmakers, including Republicans, that would hold officials accountable for proper use of the money, including a requirement for regular audits, creation of an inspector general position and a ballot measure requiring new money to be spent on transportation projects. Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) authored a bill that would put a measure on the ballot, saying Tuesday such guarantees are required given the urgency of the deferred maintenance backlog, and the additional burden we are asking Californias taxpayers to carry. John Myers contributed to this report. Facebook

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Watch: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director attends community meeting in Sacramento Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown calls for countermovement against Trumps colossal mistake on climate change By Evan Halper California Gov. Jerry Brown warned that President Trump has just made a colossal mistake in gutting the federal governments effort to combat climate change, which will ignite a response Trump is unprepared to handle. It defies science itself, Brown said in a call to The Times shortly after Trump signed an executive order that aims to bring an abrupt halt to the United States leadership on global warming. Erasing climate change may take place in Donald Trumps mind, but nowhere else. Yes, there is going to be a countermovement, Brown vowed, predicting Trumps actions will mobilize environmentalists in a way President Obama never could. I have met with many heads of state, ambassadors. This is a growing movement. President Trumps outrageous move will galvanize the contrary force. Things have been a bit tepid [in climate activism]. But this conflict, this sharpening of the contradiction, will energize those who believe climate change is an existential threat. Brown and other big-state governors and mayors are moving swiftly to fill the global leadership vacuum Trump created with Tuesdays directive, which stops short of officially pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord of 2015. I see Washington declining in influence, but the momentum being maintained by California and other states aligned with China and those who are willing to do something, said Brown, who will be traveling to China soon for meetings on climate. There is a growing activism on the part of millions of people who will not stand by and let Donald Trump effectively tear up the Paris agreement and destroy Americas climate leadership and jeopardize the health and well-being of so many people. In the face of Trumps retreat on climate change, Brown said California will step up its own efforts to push others toward clean energy. We are not fully meeting the challenge of climate change yet, he said. We are doubling down on our commitment. We are reaching out to other states in America and throughout the world and other countries.  We have plenty of fuel to build this movement. This is real, Brown said of the threat created by climate change. The nations of the world have recognized it in Paris.  I will continue doing my best to work with and rouse the world community, whatever the politicians in Washington do or dont do. Facebook

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California and its allies hint at new legal battles over Clean Power Plan By Chris Megerian California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) President Trumps effort to roll back the Clean Power Plan could quickly run into legal challenges from California and its allies across the country. State Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and his counterparts from states including New York, Massachusetts and Oregon said they wont hesitate to protect those we serve  including by aggressively opposing [Trumps actions] in court. The joint statement was also issued by Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and other cities. Californias stance isnt surprising because the state joined Obama administration efforts to defend the Clean Power Plan in 2015. Further legal action could underscore the determination of local and state governments to push forward with fighting climate change even as Trump withdraws federal regulations. Read More Facebook

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Meeting climate change goals will require billions for transportation and housing improvements, reports say By Liam Dillon A major push to get Californians out of their cars and onto their feet, bikes and public transit is essential if the state wants to meet its aggressive goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, according to new reports from the state and UC Berkeley researchers. Californians will have to drive an average of 1.6 miles less a day  and regional government agencies believe it will cost billions of dollars to make the mass transit and housing improvements needed for that to happen. UC Berkeley researchers argue in a new study that a boom in dense housing across the state will bring major greenhouse gas reductions and economic growth. Read More Facebook

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California expects to be unscathed as Trump targets Clean Power Plan By Chris Megerian A solar farm in Kern County (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Although Californias leaders may protest President Trumps announcement Tuesday that hes scrapping the Clean Power Plan, his decision is expected to have little effect on a state already marching toward renewable energy. In fact, greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation in the Golden State are already below what the federal government would have required by 2030, and theyre expected to drop even further. Rollback of the Clean Power Plan is pretty much irrelevant to California, said Frank Wolak, a Stanford University economist who has advised state leaders on climate regulations. The federal rules, enacted by former President Obama as part of his campaign against climate change, were intended to push states away from coal and toward cleaner energy sources. But that was already underway in California. Los Angeles, one of the last places in the state to rely on coal, was already planning to stop importing electricity from out-of-state coal plants by 2025. In addition, state law requires California to generate half of its electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2030, and state Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) has suggested pushing even further. When it comes to fighting pollution and climate change, there are some areas where California relies on the federal government. For example, they share authority on regulating vehicle emissions, and Trumps preparation to roll back federal rules has caused alarm here. However, theres less of a concern when it comes to generating electricity. Trumps moves have caused some anxiety among California companies that are developing clean energy technologies and looking for new markets to sell them. Bob Keefe, executive director of Environmental Entrepreneurs, said the Clean Power Plan would have been a huge economic catalyst. President Trump is basically telling Californias more than 40,000 clean-energy businesses and the 500,000 workers they employ that they dont matter to him, he said. Rail cars filled with coal in Wyoming (Ryan Dorgan / Associated Press) Its an open question how Trump could affect various efforts for California to integrate its electricity grid with neighboring states, an idea that has failed to gain traction so far. Advocates of the concept say regional cooperation could expand the market for renewable energy, but the lack of federal pressure to cut emissions could dampen enthusiasm in places such as Utah and Wyoming, which rely on coal. They dont have the Clean Power Plan bearing down on them, said Don Furman, who directs the Fix the Grid campaign thats seeking closer relationships among West Coast states. Ralph Cavanagh, an attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said he doesnt expect changes to the Clean Power Plan to harm efforts to create a regional electricity grid, because of the falling cost of renewable energy. The rationale is stronger today than it was yesterday, he said. Facebook

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California GOP lawmakers introduce bills to boost healthcare and jobs for veterans By Liam Dillon Sen. Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove) speaks at a press conference introducing a package of bills aimed at helping California veterans. (Liam Dillon / Los Angeles Times) Republican state lawmakers unveiled a package of six bills Tuesday aimed at improving job training and healthcare services for California veterans. Our veterans have served this country bravely and it is only right for us to recognize their contribution and see that when they do come home they receive the care and assistance they deserve, said state Sen. Janet Nguyen of Garden Grove, who authored three of the measures. The six bills are: Senate Bill 410 from Nguyen and Assembly Bill 353 from Assemblyman Randy Voepel of Santee, which would expand hiring preferences. for veterans.

SB 409 from Nguyen and SB 485 from state Sen. Jim Nielsen of Gerber, which would increase mental health services and oversight at state veterans homes.

SB 411 from Nguyen, which would pay some military reservists $100 a month once they turn 50 if theyve served for 10 years or more.

SB 197 from Sen. Pat Bates of Laguna Niguel, which would waive state and local sales taxes for nonprofits that donate facilities to the U.S. Department of Defense  a measure aimed at helping construction of a mental health care facility at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County. Facebook

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These Los Angeles girls went to Capitol Hill to ask the Senate to fight new immigration enforcement efforts By Sarah D. Wire Fatima, left, and Yuleni Avelica, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) during a news conference on Capitol Hill. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images) Fatima Avelica, 13, was training for the Los Angeles Marathon with her father before he was arrested by immigration agents last month after dropping Fatimas sister off at her Lincoln Heights school. Fatima had to pause repeatedly, pressing her fingers to her eyes, as she told the story to reporters at a news conference in the Capitol on Tuesday. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) handed handkerchiefs to Fatima and her sister Yuleni Avelica, 12. The girls had medals from completing the marathon dangling around their necks. Democratic senators held the news conference to urge their Senate colleagues to reject President Trumps request for $3 billion to hire thousands of new immigration agents, expand detention facilities and build a wall among the southern border as part of his pledge to deport millions of people in the country illegally. The White House has characterized the moves as necessary for public safety. Californias Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris said Trumps immigration enforcement orders are too broad, sweeping up nonviolent offenders or people accused of the civil offense of being in the country illegally. She called the executive orders, which vastly broadened who can be targeted for deportation and leaves a lot of discretion to local immigration officials misguided and misinformed. Its irresponsible to paint a whole population of people as racists and murderers and bad hombres, she said, referencing one of Trumps own lines about immigrants. Its actually ignorant and we cant afford to run our country that way. The girls father, Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez, a Mexican citizen, has lived in the U.S. for 25 years. ICE officials cited two misdemeanor convictions as the reason for his arrest. His four daughters were all born in the U.S. Fatima said the family is waiting for word every day on whether he will be deported. Fatima said she now wants to become an immigration lawyer. Its like a new marathon for me, and I know I can finish it, Fatima said, tears welling up again. But, I need my coach there. I need my dad. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo blast President Trump on climate change By Chris Megerian California Gov. Jerry Brown (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Gov. Jerry Brown joined with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday to criticize President Trumps pending announcement to roll back climate regulations and insist that their states will push forward anyway. Dismantling the Clean Power Plan and other critical climate programs is profoundly misguided and shockingly ignores basic science, they said in a joint statement. With this move, the Administration will endanger public health, our environment and our economic prosperity. Brown and Cuomo represent the two largest states with the most ambitious goals for fighting global warming, and theyve already set equivalent targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Theyre also pushing to generate half of all their electricity from renewable sources by 2030. With or without Washington, we will work with our partners throughout the world to aggressively fight climate change and protect our future, Brown and Cuomo said. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) Facebook

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To stem rising prices, a California lawmaker is taking on how hospital chains craft their contracts By Melanie Mason Amid concern that sprawling hospital chains are leading to higher prices, a California state senator is trying to clamp down on how hospital networks craft their contracts to win market dominance. Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) is offering a measure that would prohibit hospitals from certain contracting practices he sees as anti-competitive, such as requiring health plans to contract with all affiliates of the hospital or mandating that health plans agree to binding arbitration for antitrust claims. Weve lost a level of transparency thats affected affordability and access and fairness, Monning said in an interview. Multi-hospital chains are becoming prominent throughout the country, with proponents saying such mergers make care more efficient and better coordinated. But a recent USC study found that while hospital prices in California have grown overall, the costs are higher in the states largest chains. Once you control a market, you can artificially increase costs, said Monning, adding those higher prices can spill over to neighboring hospitals, too. Competitors think if they can charge this much for a hip replacement, were going to as well, Monning said. Another study by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute found premiums in Northern California were 30% higher than those in Southern California, in part because of the dominance of a few healthcare systems in the north. Micah Weinberg, the institutes president, said hospital consolidation was a logical issue to look at, particularly because healthcare coverage expansion under the Affordable Care Act is now under less threat from Congress following the failure of the House Republicans replacement bill. We have to double down on the real work, which is getting people access to quality healthcare and affordable costs, said Weinberg. One of the biggest barriers to that is the lack of competition among healthcare providers. Weinberg said much of the question is a matter of federal antitrust enforcement. Its really difficult to do things at the state level that are effective here, he said. Still, consolidation has increasingly come under scrutiny in California. The state attorney generals office under Kamala Harris, now serving as U.S. senator, investigated consolidation of hospital and physician groups, and the effect on consumer prices. Last year, the healthcare trust for the United Food and Commercial Workers union, sued Sutter Health, alleging antitrust violations. The Pacific Business Group on Health, an organization that represents major companies such as Wells Fargo and Chevron, also raised alarms on Sutters requirement that firms use arbitration to resolve disputes--or face higher rates for Sutters healthcare services. The business group is a supporter of Monnings bill, as well as the California Labor Federation. The California Hospital Assn. has not taken a position on the bill. ------------ FOR THE RECORD March 29, 2017, 1:52 p.m.: A previous version of this article reported that the Pacific Group on Health sued Sutter Health. The United Food and Commercial Workers healthcare trust filed the suit. Facebook

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Los Angeles assemblyman returns to work in Sacramento after more than two-week absence By Melanie Mason Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) After more than two weeks away from the state Capitol, Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) was back at work Monday, with his staff blaming the absence on unspecified medical reasons. Im not going to comment on what the illness was, said his chief of staff, Darryl Lucien, who added that the legislator was feeling better Monday. Ridley-Thomas, 29, was not available for an interview to discuss his absence. He originally went on leave March 7. At the time, he did not specify an illness and so Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendons office considered him to be on personal leave. Under legislative rules, those absences did not allow him to receive per diem payments  a subsidy intended to offset the costs of traveling and living in Sacramento. On March 21, he informed Rendons office that he was on medical leave, thus becoming eligible for the $183 per diem. Lucien said the original personal leave request was an error and that all of Ridley-Thomas time away from work was for health reasons. Its medical leave, Lucien said. He has a doctors note that was submitted, excusing him for the time he was out. Ridley-Thomas was not entirely absent from legislative work during that time. While on leave, he yanked one high-profile piece of legislation  a measure that would exempt tampons and other feminine hygiene products from sales tax  from a hearing in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation committee, which he chairs. The bills author, Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), said she spoke directly to Ridley-Thomas about a request to amend her bill days before that committee hearing. Lucien said Ridley-Thomas was working on a very limited basis, fielding calls from members to the extent he was able to speak with them. A fellow Democrat, Assemblyman Bill Quirk of Hayward, stepped in to chair the Revenue and Taxation panel during a March 13 hearing. A subsequent hearing on March 20 was canceled. Facebook

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Adam Schiff calls on Devin Nunes to remove himself from Russia investigation By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) on Monday urged fellow Californian Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) to remove himself from their investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Before late last week, Schiff had gone out of his way not to be critical of Nunes throughout the fledgling investigation. They have held the top positions on the House Intelligence Committee for two years, and have served in Congress together for more than a decade. This is not a recommendation I make lightly, as the Chairman and I have worked together well for several years; and I take this step with the knowledge of the solemn responsibility we have on the Intelligence Committee to provide oversight on all intelligence matters, not just to conduct the investigation, Schiff said in a statement. After much consideration I believe Chairman should recuse himself from involvement in investigation/oversight of Trump campaign & transition pic.twitter.com/jpfA1x80Si  Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 27, 2017 Nunes last week surprised many when he told reporters that conversations between Trump and his transition team may have been accidentally picked up during legal intelligence gathering. Nunes briefed the media and President Trump before informing his committee. A spokesman for Nunes, who was a member of Trumps transition team, said Monday he obtained the information from a source on White House grounds, which raised even more questions. Nearly a week after Nunes announcement, committee members still havent seen the evidence, Schiff said. There was no legitimate justification for bringing that information to the White House instead of the committee. That it was also obtained at the White House makes this departure all the more concerning, Schiff said. Nunes spokesman would not comment on calls for the chairman to recuse himself. House Democrats have called for an entirely independent investigation, but short of that were coalescing around the call for Nunes to step aside. Among others, Schiffs Intelligence Committee colleagues Reps. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough) and Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) have also called for Nunes to step aside from the investigation. The House and Senate intelligence committees are both investigating allegations that Russia tried to interfere with the presidential election and what, if anything, the Trump campaign knew about it. So far, too many people in the White House and administration, and now the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, have betrayed their duty to conduct an independent, bipartisan inquiry into the Trump teams ties with Russia, Swalwell said in a statement. Chairman Nunes should no longer be anywhere near this investigation, let alone leading it. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said in a statement that Nunes had tarnished the chairmanship. She also said it was long overdue for House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) to ask him to recuse himself from the investigation. Facebook

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Blasting federal action on immigration, Californias chief justice warns the rule of law is under threat By Patrick McGreevy California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye warned Monday that the rule of law in state is under threat. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye did not mention President Trump by name in her annual State of the Judiciary speech Monday, but she blasted federal actions on immigration and warned that the rule of law in the state is under threat. In addressing the Legislature, she also called on members to end years of underfunding of the state court system. The chief justice said the rule of law has failed repeatedly in the state, including when her husbands parents were among 120,000 Japanese Americans put in internment camps during World War II. Simply put, the rule of law means that we as a people are governed by laws and rules, not by a monarch, she said. People take the rule of law for granted until it is under threat, she added. I submit to you today that the rule of law is being challenged, she said. We are living in a time of civil rights unrest, eroding trust in our institutions, economic anxiety and unprecedented polarization. Cantil-Sakauye cited a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center that California was home to 79 ethnic hate groups  more than any other state. Our values and our rules and laws are being called into question, and all three branches of government and the free press are in the crosshairs, she said. Without naming Trump, the chief justice criticized recent federal enforcement of immigration laws in which agents have gone into courthouses to take immigrants into custody. She said it was concern over the rule of law that caused her to write to the U.S. attorney general and the Homeland Security secretary recently, asking them to refrain from conducting immigration raids at or near courthouses. When we hear of immigration arrests and the fear of immigration arrests in our state courthouses, I am concerned that that kind of information trickles down into the community, the schools, the churches. The families and people will no longer come to court to protect themselves or cooperate or bear witness, she said. I am afraid that will be the end of justice and communities will be less safe and victimization will continue. The chief justice also repeated her concerns about the lack of sufficient funding for the judiciary even as legislators are adding laws by the thousands. Since 2011 when I became chief justice, 6,408 bills have become law in California, while the judicial branch budget has been shrinking, Cantil-Sakauye said. I have said before that we are on the wrong side of justice when it comes to funding our courts. Facebook

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Its not just Berniecrats: Korean voters could also swing L.A.'s congressional race in a big way By Christine Mai-Duc Robert Lee Ahn, center, is the only Korean American candidate running in a field dominated by Latinos in the 34th Congressional District race. (Christine Mai-Duc / Los Angeles Times) The crowded race to replace Xavier Becerra in the 34th Congressional District, which includes most of Los Angeles Koreatown, appears to be bringing Korean American voters out in large numbers. Thats in part because in a field dominated by Latinos, Robert Lee Ahn has a shot at becoming the only Korean American in Congress and the first Korean American Democrat to be elected to the body. Ahn, a businessman and former L.A. city planning commissioner, has raised a formidable amount of money in a short period of time, much of it from donors in the Korean American community. His campaign spent weeks helping register voters at Koreatown malls and restaurants, and says they registered more than 600 new voters so far. Part of our campaign is to build awareness and get the community more civically engaged, Ahn said on a recent Friday morning as his campaign embarked on a 34-hour voter registration drive outside the BCD Tofu House restaurant. As a Korean American, obviously thats a natural base of mine. Inside, Ahn shook hands with supporters and navigated the lunchtime rush to ask for voters support table side. Some of it may be paying off. More than a quarter of the 10,841 mail-in ballots turned in for the race so far were cast by Korean American voters, according to an analysis of surnames, birthplace and translated ballot materials by Political Data. Koreans make up just 6% of registered voters in the district. Nearly half of Korean American voters who have already cast a ballot in the race did not vote in the March 7 city elections. Ahn, who has said hell bring a business sensibility and common sense to the office, says he has been running a campaign that reaches out to all kinds of voters. But the fact that there hasnt been a Korean American in Congress for more than 20 years means his candidacy has gotten plenty of attention from the Korean American press. I think people recognize the importance and historic nature of this election, Ahn said. I think theres a hunger for a voice ... and theres a palpable frustration of not being heard, not being properly represented, and I think thats what were seeing in the early returns. But the result of those early votes so far is unclear, particularly after elections officials disclosed that a number of Korean-language sample ballots had been misprinted with the candidates listed in the wrong order. Those who used the faulty sample ballots to cast their vote could have inadvertently voted for a candidate they didnt intend to support, and officials still dont know how widespread the problem is. Ahn isnt the only Korean American candidate to energize the community in recent years. David Ryu, the first Korean American elected to the L.A. City Council, rode to victory in 2015 with the help of a wave of support from Koreatown leaders. I believe a political awakening is occurring in the Korean American community all over the nation, but especially here in L.A., said Joon Bang, executive director of the Korean American Coalition. Our community is evolving and its beginning with understanding the power of their vote. Facebook

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Nothing short of blackmail: California Senate leader denounces plan to cut funding from sanctuary cities By Jazmine Ulloa California Senate Leader Kevin de Leon. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California Senate leader Kevin de Leon on Monday called U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions move to cut federal funding from so-called sanctuary cities nothing short of blackmail. In a statement, De Leon (D-Los Angeles) said Sessions and the Trump administration stuck to alternative facts when describing immigrants and sanctuary counties and cities, where local policies limit the cooperation of law enforcement agencies with federal authorities on immigration laws. Instead of making us safer, the Trump administration is spreading fear and promoting race-based scapegoating, he said. Their gun-to-the-head method to force resistant cities and counties to participate in Trumps inhumane and counterproductive mass-deportation is unconstitutional and will fail. De Leon was responding to an earlier announcement made by Sessions at a White House press briefing. Sessions urged all states and local jurisdictions to comply with federal immigration laws and said it would be a condition for receiving federal grants. Jeff Sessions: "countless Americans would be alive today. And countless loved ones would not be grieving" if sanctuary cities were ended. pic.twitter.com/sEgH3bvPwi  BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) March 27, 2017 State leaders are still calculating the fiscal impact of the move in California, where the Senate leader has filed a bill that would prevent state and local law enforcement agencies from using resources to enforce federal immigration laws. Data shows sanctuary counties have lower crime rates than comparable nonsanctuary counties #SB54 https://t.co/rKZDsB8x8E  Kevin de Len (@kdeleon) March 27, 2017 Facebook

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California National Guard official tells legislators forced bonus repayments will be resolved by mid-summer By Melanie Mason A top official for the California National Guard told state legislators Monday that he hopes lingering issues from the soldiers being forced to repay enlistment bonuses will be resolved by mid-summer. A Times investigation last year found that the Pentagon demanded thousands of soldiers repay enlistment bonuses up to a decade after going to war in Iraq or Afghanistan. The claw-back came after audits revealed vast overpayments of bonuses, due in part to mismanagement and pressure to hit enlistment targets. The Times story prompted outcry that soldiers, who were not at fault for accepting the bonuses, were now facing financial hardship. Matthew Beevers, the deputy adjutant for the California National Guard, told a joint hearing of the Senate and Assembly Veterans Affairs committees that just over 1,000 soldiers currently hold debt due to the bonus recoupment. Soldiers who are affected by the repayment demand must go through a federal waiver adjudication process, which Beevers described as unnecessarily long, complex and resource-intensive. He said the state-run Soldier Incentives Assistance Center was working with those who need to navigate the complex process to get those debts waived. "[If] you got a bonus and you completed your obligation and for some reason, you werent entitled to it, weve done everything we can do ensure that those soldiers get to keep those bonuses and we continue to do that today, Beevers said. Beevers said the state is trying to locate all soldiers who may be carrying debts due to the enlistment bonus. For those who complete the federal adjudication process, around 50% get their debts waived, he said. At the end of the day, there might be 600 or so soldiers out of 16,000 who might have to pay money, which is a very very small number, he said. Facebook

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Former California legislator Henry Perea will lobby for the oil industry in Sacramento By Chris Megerian (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times) As lawmakers debate the future of Californias climate policies, the oil industry is boosting its lobbying firepower with a former Democratic assemblyman from Fresno who has bedeviled environmentalists in the past. Henry Perea resigned his Assembly seat to work for a pharmaceutical group. Now hes jumping to the Western States Petroleum Assn. as a senior vice president, a role hes scheduled to start on May 1. Henry brings us unique expertise, said a statement from Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the associations president. He understands our state, our industry and how smart public policy can ensure Californias continued leadership in environmental protections while maintaining a diverse, vibrant economy. While serving in the Assembly, Perea led the so-called moderate caucus of business-friendly Democrats. He played a key role in stalling 2015 legislation that would have created tough new targets for reducing oil consumption. Environmentalists have made progress since then, successfully pushing through legislation to lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Now these issues are being debated again as lawmakers consider whether to extend the states cap-and-trade program, which is intended to provide a financial incentive to reduce emissions. The oil industry supports extending the program, but its working to ensure favorable terms and to loosen the states other regulatory plans. Facebook

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Democrats out with ads targeting Rep. Mimi Walters for supporting GOP healthcare bill By Sarah D. Wire Republicans didnt vote on their plan to replace the Affordable Care Act on Friday, but Democrats already have ads out criticizing vulnerable GOP House members like Rep. Mimi Walters of Irvine for backing the bill. The Internet ads, paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, will target 14 Republicans who voted for the bill in the House Budget, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce committees. The ads will run for at least a week on social media sites, including Facebook and Instagram. Walters knowingly voted for a bill to raise premiums and deductibles, slap an age tax on older folks, and rip insurance away from 24 million hardworking Americans. Its critical that voters in Californias 45th District know where Walters stood on this harmful legislation, DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Lujan said in a statement. Walters, who serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, was one of the earliest supporters of the bill among the California Republican delegation. Rep. Walters is committed to improving and expanding healthcare choices, lowering costs and protecting taxpayers. Her votes in the House reflect those principles and she will not be deterred by campaign ads created in Washington, D.C., by Nancy Pelosis political committees, said her campaign consultant, Dave Gilliard. The DCCC has already announced plans to target Republican representatives of the seven California congressional districts that backed Hillary Clinton for president. Clinton won Walters Orange County district by 5 percentage points. Walters was elected for a second term with 58.6% of the vote. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown says California wont be running to the courthouse every day to fight President Trump By John Myers With many of his fellow Democrats demanding multiple challenges to President Trumps proposals, Gov. Jerry Brown said this week he will continue to support a more measured approach. Were going to fight very hard. But were not going to bring stupid lawsuits or be running to the courthouse every day, Brown said during an appearance Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press. Were going to be careful. Well be strategic. The governors interview, taped on Thursday in Washington, came at the end of a four-day visit where he sought common ground on issues ranging from transportation to disaster relief. Brown also took aim in a visit to Capitol Hill at the now-failed Republican healthcare proposal. In the interview, Brown acknowledged that he is seeking a different path forward than Californias legislative leaders and other Democrats who are aggressively pushing back on a variety of Trump proposals. Well, if everythings a lawsuit, yeah, were in trouble here. I do curb the exuberance on either side, he said. People like to escalate. Republicans do that, and Democrats also do that. So Im there somewhat as the senior statesman now, and Im going to keep everything on an even keel. The governor used the national television interview to repeat recent suggestions that California has a number of projects that are ready to go should Trump make good on his promises to fund a major infrastructure effort. But Brown staunchly defended Californias acceptance of immigrants, including those who are in the U.S. illegally. He argued that immigration has been a major boon to the states economy and invoked the teachings of Christianity to criticize Trump and his fellow Republicans. Trumps supposed to be Mr. Religious Fellow, and I thought weve got to treat the least of these as we would treat the Lord, said Brown, who trained to become a Jesuit priest in his youth. So I hope he would reconnect with some of these conservative evangelicals, and theyll tell him that these are human beings, theyre children of God. They should be treated that way. The programs host, Chuck Todd, asked Brown whether he could offer national leadership for Democrats in the Trump era. The governor, who ran unsuccessfully for president three times, said he was willing to speak out in any way he could be helpful. Following last weeks historic defeat of a bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, Brown also offered Trump advice on how to help the economically struggling states whose voters put him in the White House. Its going to take some income support from the federal government, the governor said. Its going to take healthcare. Its going to take the kind of programs that the Republican Party traditionally doesnt like. So heres the dilemma. Yes, Obama was not able to help those people in the way they felt they had a right to. But Mr. Trump, now the burden is on you. And you better figure it out, or youre not going to be there again. Facebook

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Small donations play big role in the 34th Congressional District By Christine Mai-Duc Congressional candidate Kenneth Mejia raised 90% of his money from small donors in the most recent campaign finance filing. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) More than 17% of individual contributions to all candidates in the 34th Congressional District came in small donations of less than $200, according to the latest campaign finance reports. The reports, which cover fundraising and spending between Jan. 1 and March 15, show that more than $250,000 of the $1.4 million raised by the candidates in the race came from un-itemized small donors, or those who gave less than $200 and are not named in campaign finance reports. Three candidates who raised a significant chunk of money from small donations were Arturo Carmona, Wendy Carrillo and Kenneth Mejia, all of whom are vying for votes from supporters of former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has preached the need to rid politics of special interest money. Many of the candidates have sent email pitches to supporters asking for donations of $10, $20 or $27, the amount made famous by Sanders, who often cited the number as the average donation given to his presidential campaign. Carmona, a former Sanders campaign advisor, raised the most in small donations, with $57,125, or 52% of his total. Small donors gave Carrillo $25,948, about 32% of her fundraising total and Mejia, an accountant and Green Party candidate, received nearly 90% of his total funds, or $31,957, in amounts of $200 or less. Federal law does not require candidates to itemize, or report the names of, donors who give below that amount. Alejandra Campoverdi raised $44,210 from small donors, who made up 28% of her haul, while Raymond Meza raised 48%, or $14,764 of his money from small-dollar contributions. UPDATE: 7:45 p.m. This post was updated to clarify that the numbers reported are based on un-itemized donations of $200 or less to candidates. Facebook

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Robert Lee Ahn raised the most money by far in latest campaign finance reports for L.A.'s congressional race By Christine Mai-Duc Robert Lee Ahn, left, and Vanessa Aramayo, second from left, join the other candidates for the 34th Congressional District. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles TImes) Congressional candidate Robert Lee Ahn far outstripped some of the top fundraisers in the 34th Congressional District, taking a surprise lead in campaign finance reports filed Thursday. The reports cover fundraising and spending between Jan. 1 and March 15 and will be the last numbers well have before the April 4 primary election, in which 24 candidates are running. Ahn, a former L.A. city planning commissioner, raised a whopping $338,702 in contributions and loaned himself an additional $295,000, bringing his total to more than $630,000 raised since January. Ahn, an attorney and the only Korean American candidate in the race for a district that includes Koreatown, got more than $100,000 in contributions from donors with Korean surnames. The closest behind Ahn was Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, who raised $244,766 over the same period, the majority of it from political action committees, including many donations from fellow legislators in Sacramento. Sara Hernandez, a former teacher and L.A. City Hall aide, was close behind Gomez with $224,783 raised. Alejandra Campoverdi, a former White House staffer and former Los Angeles Times employee, raised $156,432. Ahn has also spent the most money so far this year, at $352,538, and has $271,271 in the bank, more than any other candidate. Gomez ended the period with $274,830 cash on hand, while Hernandez and Campoverdi have $149,990 and $122,961 left to spend, respectively. Facebook

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Dispute in California Senate leads to ethics complaint against leader Kevin de Leon By Patrick McGreevy Then-state Sen. Isadore Hall III, left, talks with Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon in Sacramento last year. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Republican state Sen. Andy Vidak on Friday filed an ethics complaint asking for an investigation into whether Democratic Senate leader Kevin de Leon engaged in an improper cover-up of threats allegedly made by former state Sen. Isadore Hall III against a group of farmers. Anthony Reyes, a spokesman for De Leon, defended the decision not to investigate allegations against Hall. With due respect, the state Senate doesnt waste taxpayer resources investigating dubious hearsay accounts of private conversations held in hotel lobbies  and thats what Senator De Leon clearly and politely communicated to Senator Vidak, Reyes said. Any suggestion otherwise is patently ridiculous. Hall, a Democrat from Compton, was appointed in January to the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board by Gov. Jerry Brown. The appointment was opposed by farm industry groups, including the Western Growers Assn., which complained he received contributions from the United Farm Workers for his unsuccessful campaign for Congress last year. Vidak said that he had heard from multiple people that on Feb. 28, the evening before Halls confirmation hearing in the Rules Committee, Hall allegedly made threats in an obscenity-laced tirade in the lobby of the Sacramento Hyatt Hotel that he would get the farmers opposing his appointment, the senator wrote in a letter to the Senate Legislative Ethics Committee. The board is a quasi-judicial agency that rules on disputes between farm worker organizations and growers. The alleged threats were made to four farmers who are members of the California Fresh Fruit Assn., Vidak said. Vidak said he had formally asked De Leon, as chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, to have the panel investigate the allegations and report the findings to the Senate. On Thursday, Vidak said, De Leon allegedly informed him that there would be no investigation. Senator De Leon told me yesterday that he and the leadership of the CFFA have worked things out so Hall wont be investigated,'" Vidak said in a statement Friday. Is this really how the Senate handles reports of threats and intimidation by someone pending a Senate confirmation vote? The association called the allegation that it worked out an agreement with De Leon baseless and false. The group said in a statement that Vidak did not talk to its members before he filed the complaint. If he did, he wouldve learned there is no agreement and that CFFA remains opposed to the confirmation of Senator Hall, the group said. Hall declined to comment on Vidaks complaint, said J. Antonio Barbosa, the boards executive secretary, responding on his behalf. Further, his testimony at his Senate Rules Committee confirmation hearing makes clear that he will be fair and impartial, make sound decisions, and speak to growers and farmworkers, Barbosa said. Reyes disputed Vidaks allegations. Chasing goofy conspiracy theories might fly on President Trumps Twitter feed, but it has no place in the California Legislature, Reyes said. In his letter to the ethics panel, Vidak says his complaint is that the Senates confirmation process of gubernatorial appointees may have been compromised in this situation. He asked for an investigation into whether credible information about potential criminal activity by an unconfirmed gubernatorial appointee has been intentionally ignored/withheld, and whether a member of the Senate Rules Committee is making arrangements with representatives of private organizations to bury investigations of gubernatorial appointees. Updated at 4:40 p.m. to include a comment from the California Fresh Fruit Assn. Facebook

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L.A.'s GOP congressman: It is hard to find a consensus on something that impacts more than 1/6th of our economy By Sarah D. Wire A handful of California Republicans had declined to take a position on the House GOPs healthcare bill, and now they wont have to. Rep. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale), the only Republican who represents L.A. County, said he was conflicted up until the vote on the bill was canceled Friday afternoon. In the past two weeks my colleagues worked to build a consensus on how best to repair our flawed healthcare system and build a patient-centered system that works for the American people, Knight said in a statement after the vote. We learned that it is hard to find a consensus on something that impacts more than 1/6th of our economy and the lives of almost every American. Saying they didnt have enough votes to pass it, House Republican leaders canceled a vote on their healthcare bill minutes before vulnerable Republican members like Knight would have had to vote on the effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Knights district is among seven Republican districts being targeted by Democrats in 2018, and several of the members who represent those districts never took a stance on the bill, saying they were worried about the effects on their districts and were still hearing from constituents. Experts estimated millions of Californians would have lost insurance under the bill. Just two of the targeted members, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) and Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Irvine), said they would vote for the bill. Walters had no comment after the bill was pulled, but the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee came out swinging, with committee spokesperson Evan Lukaske saying, Walters now owns this until election day. Other targeted members seemed to brush off President Trumps plan to let Obamacare go its way for a little while. Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), who didnt take a stance on the bill, said afterward Congress needs to keep working on healthcare. Congress must come together to enact legislation to stabilize our healthcare market, reduce federal spending, and ensure we are able to maintain access to healthcare for Americas most vulnerable populations. Any potential solution must be thoughtfully considered, he said in a statement. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) flirted with voting against the bill, saying he was not yet prepared to support it, but never committed either way. The [GOP bill] was an imperfect approach and I believe that we can do better, he said in a statement. We will go back to the drawing board and get this right for each and every American concerned with high costs in their healthcare and ever-dwindling choices and access to care. Facebook

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Despite threat of legal battle with Trump, California stays the course on vehicle emission rules By Chris Megerian Electric cars charge at a San Diego utility. (Rob Nikolewski / San Diego Union-Tribune) California will keep pushing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, state regulators decided Friday, even though President Trump is preparing to roll back rules in Washington. The restrictions represent a key part of Californias battle against climate change, and theyre intended to force automakers to build cleaner cars and sell more electric vehicles. Environmentalists cheered Fridays decision from the Air Resources Board. Were very disappointed by what were seeing at the federal level, so today feels warm and welcoming, said the Sierra Clubs Kathryn Phillips. California has the unique ability to set tougher standards than the federal government, but Fridays decision could put the state on a collision course with Trump. Under the presidents direction, federal officials are examining whether to loosen vehicle rules that were finalized in the waning days of the Obama administration. The California Air Resources Board meeting in Riverside this week. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) At risk is the existence of a national standard on vehicle emissions, something the auto industry has prioritized to reduce the complexity of its manufacturing operations. We should all be getting back to work on this, said John Bozzella, who advocates for international car companies as head of the Assn. of Global Automakers. Mary Nichols, chair of the Air Resources Board, questioned the industrys commitment to higher standards given their request for Trump to review the rules. What were you thinking when you threw yourself upon the mercy of the Trump administration? she said. A dozen other states have adopted Californias standards as their own, and environmentalists hope Fridays decision will foster a broader market for electric cars. This agency has seen federal administrations come
Gold Star father Khizr Khan cancels speech in Toronto after organizers report his travel privileges were under review

(Alex Wong / Getty Images)

Gold Star father Khizr Khan has canceled a scheduled speech in Toronto after being told his travel privileges are being reviewed, according to the event organizer.

Khan has lived in the U.S. since 1980 and is a naturalized U.S. citizen.

It was unclear which authorities communicated with Khan or what privileges were under review. Yolanda Choates, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, declined to comment about Khan specifically.

She said in and email that the agency would notify people who were losing their membership in the Global Entry program -- which allows pre-screened travelers to speed through customs upon arriving in the country -- though theres no indication that is what happened to Khan.

Of course, any U.S. citizen with a passport may travel without trusted traveler status, she said.

Khan could not be reached for comment, and the event organizer, Ramsay Talks, did not respond to an email, text message or phone message.

Khan was scheduled to speak Tuesday at a luncheon hosted by the Toronto-based organization.

The two-hour event was slated to include a presentation and question-and-answer session on what we can do about the appalling turn of events in Washington -- so that we dont all end up sacrificing everything, according to the organizer.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the organizer said Khan was not told why his travel status was under review.

This turn of events is not just of deep concern to me but to all my fellow Americans who cherish our freedom to travel abroad, Khan said in the statement. I have not been given any reason as to why. I am grateful for your support and look forward to visiting Toronto in the near future.

Khan, whose family is Muslim, made national headlines after his fiery speech at the Democratic National Convention, during which he blasted Donald Trumps rigid stance on Muslim immigration.

Donald Trump, youre asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? Khan said before pulling a pocket Constitution from his jacket. I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of law.

Khan immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan in 1980. He and his wife, Ghazala, became American citizens six years later.

Their son Humayun Khan was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq in 2004. The Army captain was running toward a taxi cab approaching his troops when a bomb inside exploded. Khan was killed while the other soldiers remained safe.

Khan received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star posthumously.

UPDATE

6:02 p.m.: This story was updated with information about Trusted Traveler programs.

This story was originally published at 1:12 p.m.
President Trumps new, revised travel ban retreats on nearly every issue that triggered chaos in airports and lawsuits in federal courts across the nation.

It will not apply to foreign students, engineers, tourists and relatives who are traveling to this country or temporarily traveling abroad. It is prospective in nature  applying only to foreign nationals outside of the United States who do not have a valid visa, said Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly.

But many critics of the first order were not declaring victory. Instead, they said they would go back to court and argue the order should still be struck down because it discriminates against Muslims.

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This is nothing more than Muslim Ban 2.0, said Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center in Los Angeles. No amount of tweaks will change that.

David Cole, the ACLUs national legal director, said the revised order is still religious discrimination in the pretextual guise of national security. And its still unconstitutional.

But advocates for immigrants face at least three significant hurdles if they sue.

First, they must find plaintiffs who have standing to get into court. Usually, foreign citizens outside the country do not have standing to sue and claim a right to be admitted. The right to due process of law is limited to people who are within the country.

In the challenge to the original travel ban, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided that the state of Washington may have third party standing to sue on behalf of professors and students who were barred from traveling. But because the new order does not restrict foreign nationals who have been in this country for a continuous period of work, study or other long-term activity, that path into court may no longer be available.

Second, they need to show an immediate and irreparable harm from allowing Trumps order to take effect. Judges may issue an order to temporarily block a government decree, but to get such an order, lawyers must show that not acting immediately will cause real harm. That is no doubt why Kelly emphasized the impact of the new order is prospective, not immediate.

Because the new order does not permanently block anyone from entering the country, but only imposes a 90-day freeze on giving out new visas, the standard of irreparable harm could be difficult to meet.

And third, they must overcome the presidents unusually broad powers to decide who may enter the country. The Immigration and Nationality Act says the president may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem appropriate.

Government lawyers defending the first travel ban relied on this provision, but the 9th Circuit did not mention it in its 29-page opinion rebuking Trump.

Civil libertarians say that Trumps order is based on religious bias, and they say it should be struck down for that reason.

Their case relies mostly on comments by Trump, rather than the text of the order.

On Dec. 7, 2015, then-candidate Trump issued a news release calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countrys representatives can figure out what is going on.

On Jan. 29, 2017, two days after the new president signed the first travel ban, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said Trump had called him about the proposed Muslim ban and said, Show me the right way to do it legally.

One federal judge, citing Trumps comments, blocked his order on the grounds it may violate the 1st Amendments ban on an establishment of religion. Its hard to ignore what Trump said prior to his election, said U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema.

A person is not made brand new simply by taking the oath of office, she wrote on Feb. 13.

To rebut a possible religious discrimination claim, Justice Department lawyers pushed to get language added to the new order that specifically said the previous version had not been motivated by animus toward any religion.

They also pushed for a detailed discussion in the new order of the terror threats posed by each of the six countries subject to a temporary travel ban. The new version of the order also drops a preference for people from persecuted minority religious groups, which Trump, in a television interview, had suggested was designed to help Christians from the Mideast.

Administration officials say the revised order cannot be described as a Muslim ban because it extends to only six countries with Muslim majorities and does not include larger nations, including Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

Staff Writer Del Quentin Wilber contributed to this report.

david.savage@latimes.com

On Twitter: DavidGSavage

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President Trump ordered that entry to the U.S. be suspended for residents from six Muslim-majority countries and blocked refugees from around the world Monday, retooling the executive order that stoked chaos at airports and drew international condemnation and a rebuke in the courts.

Trump removed Iraqis from the list of travelers who were temporarily banned, clarified that holders of visas and green cards can come to the U.S. and took other steps aimed at ensuring the order holds up in court.

Though far narrower than what Trump promised on the campaign trail, the order had its roots in his December 2015 pledge to ban all Muslims from entering the country. And while temporary, the order lays the foundation for further restrictions on travel and asylum as Trump opens another front in his effort to tighten the nations borders.

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Trump has long argued that the immigration system is failing to protect the nation from the threat of terrorism and that previous leaders were too timid to put American interests ahead of global opinion.

Like every nation, the United States has a right to control who enters our country and to keep out those who would do us harm, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions said during an announcement alongside Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly.

Opponents argued that even if Trump is not banning all Muslims, his narrower measure still amounts to religious profiling, and sends a message that undermines American values and helps terrorist organizations recruit. They say Trumps travel suspension and refugee ban are too broad and arbitrary to enhance safety, leaving out, for example, the countries that spawned the Sept. 11 attackers.

A watered-down ban is still a ban, said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). Despite the administrations changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more. It is mean-spirited and un-American. It must be repealed.

Read President Trumps new executive order on travel and refugees 

The ban, which takes effect March 16, halts travel for 90 days for residents of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The refugee suspension will last 120 days.

Iraq, whose citizens and nationals had been on the earlier list of banned travelers, was removed after officials there agreed to accept all Iraqis being deported from the U.S.

Though Trump has repeatedly called the war in Iraq a disaster, language in the revised order praises the countrys democratically elected government for close cooperation in fighting Islamic State terrorists and vetting travelers.

Trump had faced criticism from military leaders for initially banning Iraqis who put their lives at risk to help U.S. troops. The Iraqi government had also threatened retaliation that could have blocked U.S. aid workers, journalists and contractors from working in the country.

The new ban also puts a 120-day limit on what had been an indefinite suspension on accepting refugees from Syria and removes language intended to help Christian refugees and other religious minorities facing persecution in winning asylum.

Those were among several changes to the order designed to insulate it from court challenges; the first one was blocked only days after it was issued. The new order also leaves time for agencies to implement it in hopes of alleviating the confusion that accompanied the original order, which was issued only a week after Trump took office and with little consultation from top agency officials.

There should be no surprises  whether its in the media or on Capitol Hill, Kelly said.

The new ban clarifies that permanent residents, dual citizens and those holding valid visas of all kinds  including for study, travel and work  will be allowed to enter the country or remain here, and it restores visas for those who had them revoked after the first travel ban was imposed. The order will give the State Department room for case-by-case exceptions.

Trump had defended the hasty manner in which the original order was crafted as necessary for security, claiming bad actors would try to enter the country if there was any delay in stopping them. Yet the new order not only took weeks to release, but it also provides time between Mondays signing and next weeks effective date.

Many in Trumps circle are eager to renew debate over the ban, which has been popular among Trumps supporters, after several days of questions about the White Houses ties to Russia and a weekend in which Trump made unsubstantiated charges that President Obama was tapping his phones during the presidential campaign.

This is a very important week in this White House, where the president is going to continue to act on, along with the Congress, major pieces of his legislative and executive agenda, Kellyanne Conway, senior White House counselor, said on Fox News Fox & Friends.

Trump signed the order privately Monday morning.

Several Republican leaders in Congress praised the measure, though some emphasized its limited scope. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) called the travel ban just a short pause in accepting immigrants from these countries while officials take a harder look at people coming into our country from war-torn nations with known terrorist networks.

Trump had vowed to keep fighting for the original order, tweeting see you in court after a pair of legal defeats that suspended enforcement of the ban, in part because it was seen as discriminatory toward Muslims.

Language in the new ban asserts that the original order was not motivated by animus toward any religion, pointing out that Muslims would have also qualified as persecuted religious minorities in some countries.

Despite the tough talk, the new travel ban ends the court fight on the old one, formally rescinding the original order next week, a step the administrations lawyers had promised in court documents.

Trumps press secretary, Sean Spicer, said the court fight was dropped to avoid prolonged litigation that would have left the country exposed.

Still, the new order will leave many of the former goals intact, while planting the seeds for further limits. The order retains language that slows the entry of asylum seekers dramatically, capping the program at 50,000 refugees for the year, compared with 110,000 allowed under policies of the Obama administration. The U.S. has already accepted 35,000 refugees this fiscal year, which started Oct. 1, meaning only 15,000 more would be allowed in over the next seven months.

In addition to blocking visas from the six listed countries, the new orders require agencies to take immediate steps to create enhanced vetting and screening procedures for all foreigners wanting to visit the U.S., a senior Homeland Security official said.

After the new order is implemented next week, Homeland Security and State Department officials will examine every country in the world to ensure they are providing the U.S. enough information to vet their citizens appropriately, the Homeland Security official said. This review period could also be used as leverage to force countries to take back people that the U.S. would like to deport, the official said.

The order and a separate memo signed by Trump also require federal agencies to track and publish data on foreign nationals who have been radicalized or accused of terrorist activity and to create reports comparing the long-term costs of keeping refugees in America with the expense of supporting refugees in safe havens near their home countries.

In addition to concerns about a religious test, the courts faulted the implementation of the original order, which was signed Jan. 27.

An estimated 60,000 visa holders were blocked from entering the country, including some on airplanes bound for the U.S. The administration later allowed citizens from the seven affected countries who hold legal permanent residence in the U.S. to enter the country without a waiver.

Even though the second order is more narrowly tailored, opponents vowed to protest and are all but certain to file new legal challenges. Groups advocating for refugees, Muslims and others included in the ban issued strong condemnations.

The Trump administration has conceded that its original Muslim ban was indefensible, Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLUs Immigrants Rights Project, said in a statement. Unfortunately, it has replaced it with a scaled-back version that shares the same fatal flaws. The only way to actually fix the Muslim ban is not to have a Muslim ban.

Times staff writers Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Jaweed Kaleem in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

noah.bierman@latimes.com

Twitter: @noahbierman

michael.memoli@latimes.com

Twitter: @mikememoli

brian.bennett@latimes.com

Twitter: @ByBrianBennett

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UPDATES:

3:50 p.m.: The story was updated throughout with more details on the executive order and reaction from lawmakers.

10:50 a.m.: The story was updated with details on the refugee program caps applying for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1.

10:05 a.m.: The story was updated with comments from members of Trumps Cabinet.

8:30 a.m.: The story was updated with President Trump signing the new executive order.

The story was originally published at 7:10 a.m.
Nobel Peace Prize laureates who had planned to gather in Cape Town in mid-October to honor the late Nelson Mandela announced Thursday that they were canceling or relocating the summit in protest of the South African governments refusal to issue a visa for the Dalai Lama.

South Africas government has close ties with China, whose rule over Tibet drove the Tibetan spiritual leader to live in exile for the last 50 years.

Organizers of the annual gathering lashed out at the Pretoria government for caving in to Chinese pressure to isolate the Dalai Lama, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

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Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille denounced the government of President Jacob Zuma for its appalling treatment of the Dalai Lama, who has now been denied entry to South Africa three times over the last five years, the South African Press Assn. reported.

Zuma justified the denial of the Dalai Lamas request to visit in 2009 by saying Chinas concerns had to be respected. China is South Africas biggest trading partner and the two nations are aligned in an economic bloc known as BRICS, uniting Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The Zuma government failed to respond to the Dalai Lamas 2011 visa request to attend the 80th birthday of his friend and fellow Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

De Lille said 14 Peace Prize recipients and 11 organizations honored with the award had planned to attend the Oct. 13-15 summit and that many had joined in an appeal to the South African government to grant the Dalai Lama a visa for the event.

The national government has treated our requests and those of the laureates themselves with disdain, and in so doing showed that they are more intent on pleasing Beijing than with ensuring that a prestigious international event is held in South Africa, which was intended to celebrate the late Nelson Mandela and 20 years of democracy, De Lille said in announcing the cancellation of the Cape Town summit.

From his place in exile in Dharamsala, India, the Dalai Lama accused the South African leadership of bullying a humble and weak person who has no protection by refusing to let him gather with fellow laureates, the Hindustan Times reported.

Tutu denounced Zumas administration in a statement as spineless in its subservience to China and willingness to let Beijings widely criticized exclusion of the Dalai Lama derail the Cape Town event meant to honor antiapartheid icon Mandela, who died Dec. 5 at the age of 95.

I am ashamed to call this lickspittle bunch my government, Tutu, the 1984 Peace Prize recipient, stated in his emailed statement.

An alternative venue and later date for the gathering were being considered, De Lille told reporters, but no firm plan for relocation had been decided.

Follow @cjwilliamslat for the latest international news 24/7
Less than two months before Frances presidential election, the countrys conservative party is in crisis after its scandal-plagued candidate insisted he would not pull out and a possible replacement refused to run.

After hastily arranged emergency meeting on Monday night, the Republican Partys political committee announced it would unanimously rally behind Francois Fillon. The decision came after Fillon, who is facing fraud accusations, told colleagues there was no Plan B.

It was the latest twist in a turbulent French presidential campaign that now has two main candidates under investigation over allegations that they misused public money. Police are also looking at claims that first-round, far-right front-runner Marine Le Pen used European Parliament funds to pay for political party staff, including a personal bodyguard. Fillon, a former prime minister, is accused of paying his British-born wife and children hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money for jobs that did not exist.

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Fillon, who was running as the Mr. Clean of French politics, pledged to step down if he was officially put under investigation  the nearest thing in France to being arraigned  then backtracked when judges declared they were about to do so, saying it was up to the French voters to decide his future and blaming the current Socialist government, the legal system and the media for his judicial woes.

His stance cost him a sudden drop in popularity, while Le Pens ratings rose.

In a declaration to the committee, released to the news media, Fillon said it was time to heal the rift that has divided his party.

Our voters will not forgive those who keep spreading the poison and division, he said.

Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppe speaks during a news conference Monday at Bordeaux City Hall. (Mehdi Fedouach / AFP/Getty Images)

Earlier, party officials had suggested veteran conservative politician Alain Juppe, a former prime minister, could save them by running in place of Fillon. On Monday morning, Juppe  who was himself found guilty of misuse of public funds in the 1980s and 90s  summoned journalists to a news conference to tell them no.

I confirm, once and for all, that I will not be a candidate in the election, Juppe said in the city of Bordeaux, where he is mayor. Its too late, he said, with more than a hint of bitterness.

He lashed out at Fillon for blaming the government, the legal system and the media for his judicial woes.

What a waste, he said, adding that after Fillons convincing victory in the party primaries last November, the candidate had had a boulevard before him to win.

The opening of legal inquiries and [Fillons] defense based on the denouncing of a so-called conspiracy and claims of a political assassination have radicalized his supporters and taken him down a dead end, Juppe said.

Without Juppe, Frances center-right opposition party had little choice but to throw its support behind Fillon despite the desertion of about 300 of its members of parliament, who have publicly withdrawn their support for the candidate.

Fillon has repeatedly refused to pull out of the presidential election after being put under preliminary investigation. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Fillon and his wife, Penelope, attended a hastily called rally of supporters in Paris on Sunday afternoon, but both have been summoned to appear before judges on March 15, two days before the official deadline for presidential candidates to declare.

Until the fake jobs scandal that has been called Penelopegate broke at the end of January, opinion polls showed Fillon would win the two-round French presidential election, overcoming the threat from the far-right National Front candidate, Le Pen.

Since then, his popularity has plunged. Former government minister Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, is now expected to be in the second round against the anti-Europe, anti-immigration Le Pen. The left is fielding four candidates who threaten to split the vote and see the governing Socialist Party eliminated in the first round.

Willsher is a special correspondent.

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China's airspace restrictions need to be updated to give more room to civil aviation, the head of China Southern Airlines said on Monday.

Wang Changshun, who is a deputy to the National People's Congress, the top legislature, said air traffic controls and airspace restrictions have held back development of the civil aviation industry and caused flight delays.

Some civil aviation routes now in use were planned in the 1950s and '60s and are outdated, said Wang, whose airline is the country's largest carrier in terms of fleet size.

He explained that even though the direct route between two domestic airports may be 1,000 kilometers, restrictions mean private aircraft must make detours, which can add as much as 500 km to a journey.

Fu Puyan, who runs China Southern's branch in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and is also a NPC deputy, said lifting some airspace restrictions would improve connectivity between China and countries on the Silk Road Economic Belt, one of the routes that make up the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Currently, aircraft departing from southern Xinjiang's Kashgar city, a key transportation hub on the economic belt, have to fly southward before heading west to some Central Asian countries, which adds more than an hour to the flight time," he said.

Wang added that he also hopes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will make more efforts in negotiating international air rights, so that Chinese airlines can fly more frequently to more destinations to meet the surging demand for overseas travel.
In any given week, Ohood bint Khalfan Roumi gets the strangest requests: My parents wont accept my marriage. Can you help convince them? I got a traffic ticket. Can you fix it?

Or sometimes its just a humble appeal: Please make us happy.

Why the unusual requests to this woman, an economist by training? Roumi is the minister of happiness for the United Arab Emirates, a role that was created a year ago when she was among five women appointed to the Persian Gulf nations 29-member Cabinet (bringing the number of female ministers to eight).

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Resolving domestic spats and tackling consumer complaints is not really Roumis job. Her position, the brainchild of Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai, is to promote happiness and a positive attitude in government, and life.

Roumi says its no laughing matter.

This is serious business for the government, she said during a recent interview in Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE. What is the purpose of government if it does not work toward the happiness of the people? Its the duty and role of the government to create the right conditions for people to choose to be happy.

Those conditions include creating an environment in which people feel empowered, and providing sound infrastructure, opportunities for a good education, jobs and healthcare, and ensuring that people feel safe and secure, Roumi said.

We have no intention as a government to impose happiness, or mandate it, or force it, she added. Were just doing the right thing for our people ... so they can have a better life.

Happiness is trending

It might not seem a novel concept. After all, the United States enshrined the pursuit of happiness in its Declaration of Independence nearly 250 years ago.

But the idea of making societys happiness a governmental responsibility is far from universal. It does appear to be gaining momentum, however.

The tiny Himalayas kingdom of Bhutan has led the way since the early 1970s, when it instituted a Gross National Happiness Index, which measures happiness based on psychological well-being, ecology, health, education, culture, living standards, time use, community vitality and good governance. In 2013, Venezuela created a vice ministry of Supreme Social Happiness and Ecuador named a state secretary of buen vivir, or good living.

In recent years, Thailand and the United Kingdom have launched surveys to measure well-being, while other governments have commissioned reports to explore the benefits of happiness in a countrys overall development.

The United Nations has called on member states to place more emphasis on happiness as a measurement for social and economic development. The organization now publishes a World Happiness Report and recently published its fourth edition, which ranks 157 countries from happiest (Denmark) to least happy (Burundi).

The UAE, an oil-rich nation of 9 million, ranks 28th on that list; the United States is No.13.

Happiness is of interest right now, because there is better and better evidence that it can be meaningfully measured and meaningfully affected, said Jeffrey Sachs, director of the center for sustainable development at Columbia Universitys Earth Institute and a coauthor of the happiness report.

Roumi is believed to the first minister of happiness in the world, and certainly in the Middle East, a region racked by violence and often more associated with anguish than joy.

When we talk about happiness, I dont refer to pleasures or momentary feelings. Its the authentic, long-term happiness.  Ohood bint Khalfan Roumi

Some people may laugh at [the idea of nurturing] happiness, thinking it is silly and fluffy, she said. I assure you, its a science. It touches on medicine, health, social sciences. Were trying to bring it from a broad framework into a daily practice in our society [and] in our government.

Spreading the message

During the last year, Roumi said at least 70 people contacted her via the mobile messaging app WhatsApp or calls to her office.

Most of them are complaints about government services, Roumi said. Sometimes they think I am the complaints officer for the government, which is not my role. But I help.

Where possible, her office puts people in touch with the appropriate government entity. Other times, Roumi picks up the phone and handles the query herself.

She called the woman who wanted help in getting her parents to accept her husband.

I told her, You need to convince them, Roumi said. This is your life. Im sorry, I would love to help, but this is not part of my scope.

Then there was the case of fishermen who were upset after the government banned them from fishing from four months to allow fingerlings to mature. They said the decision was ruining their happiness.

Is this the happiness we want? Roumi asked. We want sustainable happiness, because they will be happy fishing but then they will cry because they will lose their income because there will be no fish.

When we talk about happiness, I dont refer to pleasures or momentary feelings, she said. Its the authentic, long-term happiness.

Several Dubai residents, randomly questioned, said they liked having a minister of happiness.

I think its a good idea because people are caught up in their work and their lives and their routine, said Halah Hussein, 27. The ministry will help them focus on other things than just going to work. It will also help them to be more creative and more willing to give back to the country.

When you think that someone is worried about your happiness, you will feel like you want to be happy too, said her sister Sara, 23.

The road to joy

A self-described fashionista whose voice assumes an infectious energy as she expounds on her role, Roumi seems to be  well, happy.

The fact is, she initially swore off government work.

Roumi is the second of seven siblings, six of them girls. Her father, Khalfan Mohammed Roumi, served in government for two decades in various roles, including three Cabinet positions. Roumi recalled how he spent most of his time in Abu Dhabi, the countrys capital, and visited his family in their hometown of Sharjah only on weekends.

I saw his life. I saw how tough it was, Roumi said. So I made the decision that I would never, ever join government.

With a bachelors degree in economics and a masters in public administration, she joined the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Although Roumi wont say how old she is, in 2012 she made the list of the World Economic Forums Young Global Leaders under 40.

Ultimately, she couldnt stay out of government.

She was chosen to join a program that trains future government leaders. She landed a job as head of economic policy in the prime ministers executive office, then was told in February 2016 that she was being appointed to the Cabinet.

Content to serve in any capacity, she didnt ask which role she was to assume. When she learned it was happiness minister, Roumi admitted to being a little befuddled.

What am I supposed to do? she remembered thinking.

Happiness patrols, positivity officers and days of optimism

She set off across the globe in pursuit of clues, visiting Bhutan and Denmark, among other countries.

Armed with tips from other nations, Roumi spearheaded several initiatives during her first year in office.

She launched a survey to measure how employees feel about their work environment. She introduced online happiness meters in city offices, where people can record their satisfaction by clicking on emojis, including a smiley face, a neutral expression and a downturned mouth. She conducted a national happiness survey, the results of which are still being reviewed and compiled.

She introduced a 100 days of positivity campaign, in which students, teachers and administrators take a pledge to practice positive behavior.

She sent 60 Chief Happiness and Positivity Officers to the Haas School of Business and the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley and to Oxford Universitys Mindfulness Center and the What Works Center for Wellbeing in the U.K., to be trained in how to create a more positive workforce and, ultimately, a more joyful nation.

In October, Roumi unveiled a Happiness Patrol in Abu Dhabi. Instead of handing out traffic tickets, police reward law-abiding motorists with gift vouchers and credit to their cellphones.

Talking happiness

The highlight of Roumis first year came last month when she organized a global dialogue on happiness as part of the annual World Government Summit in Dubai.

Academics, scientists, governmental leaders and international organizations from across the globe convened to discuss the advancement of human happiness.

Feedback from workshops and panels will be compiled into a guidebook, but Roumi said the discussions had led to one conclusion: Happiness is not a luxury for people; happiness is a fundamental human goal.

Accusations of hypocrisy

But not everyone is smiling.

When her position was first announced, critics  most notably outside the country accused the UAE government of hypocrisy, given accusations about its poor human rights record at home and its involvement in regional conflicts, such as Yemen.

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the U.S. State Department have documented human rights problems in the UAE, including limitations on civil liberties such as freedom of speech and assembly, arrests without charge and the exploitation of migrant workers.

Women remain subject to discrimination in law and in practice, notably in matters of marriage and divorce, inheritance and child custody, according to Amnesty International, and are inadequately protected against sexual and domestic violence. (The government insists that gender equality is guaranteed in the constitution.)

Further, citizens do not have the right to change their government or to form political parties, the State Department reported.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in September, UAE Foreign Minister Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan defended the countrys commitment to justice, international law, human rights, the pillars of good governance, as well as the importance of providing an enhanced environment of happiness to its citizens and residents.

Womens empowerment had become a central policy in the country, Al Nahyan said.

All in the service of happiness.

I think its a journey, said Roumi. Were building a culture. Were defining something very new for the government. It will take some time.

ann.simmons@latimes.com

For more on global development news, see our Global Development Watch page, and follow me @AMSimmons1 on Twitter

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In the eyes of the Iraqi government, Najaah, a 4-month-old infant being rocked to sleep by her mother, does not exist.

Neither does the 2-year-old son of laborer Akram Taha. And dozens of couples standing near them are not legally married.

All of them were lined up in the drab beige hallways of a courthouse in this town outside Mosul last week, hoping to remedy a bureaucratic nightmare: Their birth and marriage certificates were issued by the Islamic State militant group and carry no legal weight in Iraq.

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When Islamic State was ousted from Mosuls eastern half, tens of thousands of Muslawis, as Mosul residents are known, were left to reintegrate into an Iraqi bureaucracy that was supplanted by the jihadists during their nearly three-year reign in the countrys second-largest city.

Islamic State maintains a grip on western Mosul, and security remains shaky in the eastern side of the city, which is divided by the Tigris River. The militants regularly dispatch grenade-dropping drones as well as suicide bombers. The shaky security situation has forced the government to open up a subsidiary of Mosuls court system here in Hamdaniya, approximately 20 miles southeast of Mosul.

New marriages and new babies, this is not the issue. Our biggest problem is the loss of existing records.  Judge Motaz Azem Mohammad

People come by the hundreds to this once elegant town, which, like Mosuls eastern half, was only recently recaptured from Islamic State. They walk past devastated neighborhoods, forming a shambolic line as they squeeze through a pre-fabricated hut for a quick security check, then pass into the courthouse to start another step in the process of repairing lives long disrupted by Islamic State.

We have plans to relocate to the presidential palace on the eastern side, but only when the security is up to the level we need, said Judge Salem Mohammad Nouri, head of Mosuls appeals court, in an interview in the third floor office of the court building.

Islamic State is alternatively known as ISIS, ISIL and its Arabic acronym Daesh.

Nouris office was large and complete with the traditional accouterments of high governmental officials in Iraq: plastic flowers, a fake Faberge egg and gilt-edged furniture. Still, he seemed almost embarrassed by the paucity of his surroundings, insisting that the courts presence here was temporary.

He spoke wistfully of Mosuls main courthouse, built in the 1950s on the citys western bank. The militants, he said, blew it up a few weeks ago.

Mosuls various courts operate out of tiny rooms the size of broom closets. Electricity is provided by generators paid for out of the judges salaries, and all face a tremendous backlog of cases and claims.

When Islamic State seized Mosul in mid-2014, it quickly took over the governments bureaucracy.

In pictures: Civilians trapped under Islamic State make a perilous escape from Mosul 

We always had to have [Islamic State] documents with us, said Shaybaan Saadi, a former government employee waiting in the drab beige hallways of the Hamdaniya courthouse. You even had to put lslamic State license plates on the car.

The group issued marriage licenses, birth certificates, traffic tickets, leasing contracts  all part of an effort to show it was no longer an insurgency but a fully functioning state.

One effect of its exit means that couples married in the last three years in Mosul have to re-register their marriages.

A Daesh contract is considered null, yes, but a marriage, even if its done by Daesh, is still a marriage, said Nouri.

On a typical day last week, dozens of couples jostled in front of the door of a tiny office. When each couples turn came, they would walk in to stand before the judge. He would ask if each partner had married of his or her free will  a key detail, given reports of forced marriages under Islamic State. Two witnesses were needed to testify that the marriage was legal.

On the opposite end of the corridor, the infant Najaahs mother, Marwa, leaned against the wall. Like several others interviewed, she refused to give her last name for fear of reprisals.

She was waiting to obtain a government-issued birth certificate that would allow her to add Najaah to the familys ration card, which she could then use to purchase goods at a subsidized price.

Yet cases like these, said Judge Motaz Azem Mohammad, a boyish looking 40-year-old, were the easy ones.

New marriages and new babies, this is not the issue. Our biggest problem is the loss of existing records,  he said, as he fiddled with the controls of a space heater near his desk.

With the records destroyed in the wake of Islamic States stunning takeover of Mosul in mid-2014, the judges must assess the validity of contracts said to have been forged in the period before.

The court is also tasked with investigating claims of damage to property, as well as crimes, terrorism-related or otherwise, a challenging prospect in Mosul and its environs, which have been ravaged by three years of war.

The search for justice can be frustrating.

With the states coffers all but empty (a result of endemic corruption and deflated oil revenues), there is little hope of compensation for property loss.

And while the courts have agreed to investigate complaints of killings, including those by bombing or assassination, the search for culprits is difficult at best. The courts have been plagued by people making false accusations to exact revenge against rivals. And with two witnesses required to obtain an arrest warrant, it has been difficult to build cases even when the accusation is legitimate.

People dont have enough to eat these days. You cant force someone to leave their job and come testify against someone else, said criminal court Judge Mahdi Saleh.

Another problem, Saleh said, is that the system is overburdened, making something as simple as transporting a prisoner to trial a major logistical endeavor.

We have a terrorism case, and the accused is in jail but we dont know where, he said.

Finally, the work is dangerous. A judge who would give only his first name, Ibrahim, because of fear of reprisals, said that even before 2014, he was a target of death threats and multiple assassination attempts.

Even when all of Mosul is taken back from Islamic State, Ibrahim said, sleeper cells loyal to the extremist group will remain, and can be expected to undertake a wave of assassinations against the judiciary.

Now, while were here, its OK, he said, but soon it will go back to how it was.

Bulos is a special correspondent.

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All material is subject to strictly enforced copyright terms & conditions and cannot be repurposed or reproduced.  19882022 Latin American Financial Publications Inc.
Emma Watson is under fire after the release of her photos from her recent Vanity Fair shoot. The "Beauty and the Beast" actress was criticized for being hypocritical about feminism while doing an almost topless shoot.

In an interview, Emma Watson addressed the comments regarding her new photos. The actress who is a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador told Reuters in an interview that there have been many misconceptions about feminism and that included her Vanity Fair cover.

The "Harry Potter" alum revealed that she is confused but corrected herself that she is stunned by the backlash she has received. Emma Watson who is a HeForShe campaign pioneer explained that feminism is about freedom, equality and choice. She adds that her controversial Vanity Fair cover has nothing to do with feminism.

The Vanity Fair photoshoot was reportedly done by Tim Walker and it shows Emma Watson with a white crochet bolero jacket. Critics have mostly pointed out that the actress was not wearing any underclothing and parts of her breasts can be seen. Emma Watson adds that she felt that the photos were artistically done and finds them beauitful. She also praised Tim Walker for how the photos turned out.

Emma Watson is currently promoting for Disney's live-action movie of "Beauty and the Beast" where she plays the main character, Belle. The movie is directed by Bill Condon and tells People that Belle in the film has been improved to be more dimensional.

Condon adds that Emma Watson's portrayal of Belle has parallels to the actress. The director references Watson's feminist and gender equality campaigns and her love for books in real life. Watson has gone viral on the internet for hiding some of her favorite books in subways for people to discover. "Beauty and the Beast" will officially release on March 17.

Do you think Emma Watson is too harshly criticized for her Vanity Fair cover and photoshoot? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Lilac, by Chang Shana. [Photo/namoc.org]

A new exhibition "Blossom in Dunhuang" featuring artist Chang Shana's paintings and designs will be held at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing from March 8 to 19.

Born in France in 1931, Chang followed in her father Chang Shuhong's footsteps and began replicating Dunhuang frescos from the age of 12.

Under the guidance of famous architect Lin Huiyin, Chang turned to industrial art after completing her studies in the United States and returning to China. Chang has completed many key designs based on Dunhuang frescos, including the decoration of the Great Hall of the People.

Nature is also her inspiration and Chang adopts a delicate and fine style to paint flowers.
Bugatti Chiron already half sold out; only 250 left to order

Mar 6, 2017, 9:06am ET

Europe is the Chiron\'s strongest market, followed by North America.

Bugatti has already sold half of its Chiron production run, receiving orders for 250 units before any buyers have been invited to complete test drives.

The milestone has been reached just one year after the Chiron was unveiled at the 2016 Geneva International Motor Show. It also coincided with the first customer deliveries.

Potential buyers interested in the remaining 250 units will soon be invited to a central test-drive event.

Bugatti suggests the regional sales breakdown is similar to that of the Veyron. Most buyers are located in Europe, representing 37 percent of sales, while 30 percent hail from North America and 26 percent are located in the Middle East.

The French automaker will be present at the Geneva event, showcasing an example ordered by a customer from the German-speaking region. It features a unique "Bleu Royal" exposed carbon fiber body, with a duotone interior pairing Deep Blue and French Racing Blue leather.

"The fact that we have already taken orders for half of the Chiron series even without test drives so far bears witness to the great confidence of our customers in our brand and its strong aura," says Bugatti president Wolfgang Durheimer.
Mar 6, 2017, 12:31pm ET

Nevada treasurer demands audit of Faraday Future incentive deal

The state treasurer has criticized Faraday Future\'s tax deal as a \"Ponzi scheme,\" despite reassurances from the Governor\'s Office of Economic Development.

Nevada's treasurer has demanded an audit of incentive deals that attracted Faraday Future and Tesla to build factories in the state.

State treasurer Dan Schwartz wants more information "on the projects [the Governor's Office of Economic Development] funds which have received substantial tax credits and financial assistance from Nevada taxpayers, including Faraday Future and Tesla," according to a ThisisReno report.

"Since 2014, the powers granted to GOED have continued to grow," he added.

Tesla's presence has attracted little criticism, as the Gigafactory is moving forward as planned and continues to bring jobs to Nevada, but Schwartz nonetheless wants to investigate Tesla's sale of $20 million in tax credits to MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Schartz has been a more vocal critic of the Faraday Future deal, which he describes as a "Ponzi scheme." State legislators were skeptical of the China-backed company's financial viability before the incentive package was offered, but the concerns were not enough to stop the GOED from signing off on more than $300 million in benefits.

Recent reports suggest Faraday Future has downscaled its plans from the original promise of a $1 billion factory. A North Las Vegas city manager suggests the project has been reduced to a 650,000-square-foot layout.

Nevada's director of economic development, Steve Hill, recently defended the FF incentive package and argued that the taxpayer-funded infrastructure buildout will be "critical for more than just Faraday, in the event Faraday doesn't move forward."
Forty-seven-year-old Lisa Rene Menzo-Santoro didn't stand a chance.

Lisa Menzo Santoro (Courtesy Facebook | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Northampton County First Deputy District Attorney Terence Houck said Menzo-Santoro's daily routine included dropping her children off at school in the morning.

Houck said Sunday that authorities believe she likely dropped her children off Friday, returned home and her ex-boyfriend, 45-year-old Leonard Moser, was waiting for her with a gun.

Houck described it as "an ambush-style attack."

Moser either was waiting outside Menzo-Santoro's home on Saddle Lane in Palmer Township or somehow gained entry into the garage, Houck said. He then shot at her multiple times as she sat in her car in the garage, he said.

"It was just a cowardly ambush on the spot," Houck said. "There was no indication she had any chance at all to defend herself."

Houck said autopsy results would indicate exactly where the woman was shot. The autopsy hasn't been completed yet.

"There wasn't any indication of a struggle," he said. "She never had a chance."

No one was home at the time of the shooting and Menzo-Santoro's four children -- one in college, one in high school and two in elementary grades -- were all in school.

Neighbors did not report hearing any gunshots, Houck said. A family member in the afternoon found her dead in the vehicle and called 911, he said.

What Moser did for several hours from the time he shot Menzo-Santoro until he was spotted by police in Warren County early that night also is under investigation. It is believed Moser was headed to see family when police broadcast an alert to other law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for him, Houck said.

"He had reason to go to Phillipsburg; he had family there," Houck said.

Moser was a Phillipsburg native who lived in the Easton area, according to his Facebook page. He was the father of a daughter who's in elementary school.

Police stopped his vehicle on Dumont Road in Greenwich Township about 6 p.m. Friday -- roughly two-and-a-half hours after Menzo-Santoro's body was found. From a distance, police ordered Moser out of the car, Warren County Prosecutor Richard Burke had said.

He didn't get out of the car," Burke had said. "Because there was some concern about whether he had any kind of weapons, my understanding is they backed off and we activated the tactical team to come and approach the vehicle. When they did that, that's when they determined he was deceased."

Moser took his own life with a shotgun blast to the head, Burke said. On Sunday, Houck said investigators believe that was the same weapon used to kill Menzo-Santoro and it remains under investigation how the weapon was obtained.

Houck wasn't certain if Moser and Menzo-Santoro had lived together prior to the shooting, but he said it's clear they broke things off prior to her getting a protection-from-abuse order Monday in Northampton County Court.

Leonard Moser (Facebook photo)

Moser also had a past criminal history.

He worked for a time as a guard at the county juvenile jail. In 1998, when Moser was 27, he admitted to sexual contact with an 18-year-old female inmate and was sentenced to at least 60 days in the county jail.

Authorities are investigating if there was any domestic violence or history of abuse between the pair prior to the shooting. Township police on Friday said they had been called to the Saddle Lane home for domestic-related incidents and noted an uptick recently.

The protection-from-abuse order would prove a motive, Houck said. He noted there are no other suspects believed to have been involved in the case.

"There was obviously a horrible domestic aspect to it ... This being domestic, doesn't lessen it, it aggravates it," he said. "This is serious stuff."

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Forty-seven-year-old Lisa Rene Menzo-Santoro of Palmer Township dealt with months of abuse before ultimately being killed at the hands of her ex-boyfriend in an ambush-style shooting, authorities and court records say.

Lisa Menzo Santoro (Courtesy Facebook | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Menzo-Santoro was found Friday afternoon shot to death in a car in her garage at 19 Saddle Lane. Leonard Moser, 45, her ex-boyfriend and the only suspect, took his own life with a shotgun after police had pulled over his vehicle in Greenwich Township in Warren County, about 6.5 miles away.

The protection-from-abuse application filed by Menzo-Santoro and served last Monday describes heated arguments in the days and weeks leading up to the shooting.

It culminated Saturday, Feb. 25, when Moser, who had been living at Menzo-Santoro's home, left after police were called a second time that day.

Menzo-Santoro was successful in gaining an emergency protection-from-abuse order before District Judge James Narlesky later in the day.

"I am very afraid of him. I am looking over my shoulder. I am afraid he will come back," she wrote of Moser, according to the filing. "He has controlled every aspect of my life. He has tried to cut me off of friends."

Menzo-Santoro said the couple fought Feb. 25, with Moser telling her she was a bad mother, calling her names and refusing to leave the home they shared for about a year during their two-year relationship.

Moser took her car keys and phone during the dispute and when she tried to retrieve them, he pushed her into a bedroom window and broke the shades, she said. Menzo-Santoro said when police arrived at 1:16 p.m., Moser -- he called them the first time -- told officers he was afraid of her and everything that happened was because of her.

Menzo-Santoro called the police again at 3:30 p.m., stating the verbal abuse was getting worse and Moser was in a rage, pushing and shoving her. When she tried to leave, he blocked in the car and said he would call police and say she stole the car.

"I told police I was scared because I had no means to leave and I was being held hostage," Menzo-Santoro stated.

It was one of several instances she detailed in court records, including one earlier in the month when he is alleged to have broken her wrist as she drove on Route 22.

On Feb. 10, the couple was headed to the airport for a Florida trip for her teen daughter's cheering competition. Menzo-Santoro said Moser from the passenger seat tried to grab the wheel and steer her into oncoming traffic. He eventually grabbed her wrist and twisted it, causing a fracture, she said.

During the fighting, her vehicle ran someone else off the road, she said.

"As I was trying to fight the wheel back, he grabbed (my) wrist and the steering wheel and my wrist got twisted," she said.

Menzo-Santoro said she feared going to the emergency room for treatment because Moser was with her, and she later told doctors she was hurt in a fall.

"Almost every day, there was pushing, shoving and being pinned against the wall for the past three months," Menzo-Santoro stated.

Police have guns drawn and aimed at a vehicle after pulling it over on Dumont Road in Greenwich Township on March 3, 2017. The driver of the vehicle, Leonard Moser, shot himself while seated in the car, authorities said. (Rich Maxwell | Lehighvalleylive.com contributor)

Police on Feb. 14 returned to the Saddle Drive home when she was thrown against the wall by Moser with her neck pinned and he was banging her arm against the wall, according to court records.

On Feb. 15, Moser texted her repeatedly and was irate when Menzo-Santoro was at the physician's office getting her wrist into a cast. He later showed up at the doctor's office, telling her to tell nurses that she fell and that's what caused her wrist to break, records said.

Fighting continued in the following days with Menzo-Santoro stating Moser threatened to "post photos and videos of us" on social media and send them to her four children and mother.

"Then, he sends me one of the photos like to prove he has them," she stated. "No words. Just photo -- as a reminder that this is what will happen."

She later alleged that she found a needle and a steroid bottle in the home, as well as two needles folded in his shirts as she was packing up his clothes the night before he ultimately left.

Moser liked to lift weights, and his Facebook page has photos of him flexing his muscles.

Constant fighting

Moser tried to obtain his own protection-from-abuse order, according to Northampton County records. Two days after he left the house, on Feb. 27, he sought a protection-from-abuse order from Northampton County Court Judge Jennifer Sletvold and was denied.

In his filing, Moser claimed the fight on Feb. 25 stemmed from Menzo-Santoro accusing him of cheating on her. She called him names when he changed his cellphone code and wouldn't allow her to see his phone, he said.

She then threw his wallet, phone and keys onto the deck, he said.

Moser claimed Menzo-Santoro pushed him on the deck and it was her who pushed him into the window in a bedroom. She continued to hit him several times in the back, he stated.

Moser claimed Menzo-Santoro was trying to throw out his stuff while yelling at him to get out of the home. She called police the second time that day as he said he took a shower.

Leonard Moser (Facebook photo)

Earlier in the month, he said, they had fought in the car while headed to an airport in Trenton on Feb. 10 only to eventually learn the flight was canceled. He said they argued about him not wanting to go on the Florida trip, and dating websites. He said Menzo-Santoro was hitting him after he grabbed the steering wheel.

When the flight was canceled, Moser said he felt bad that she was going to miss the cheerleading competition so he ended up driving Menzo-Santoro to Florida.

The night before, he alleged, "she threatened to stab me in my sleep because she hated me so much" and he claimed to have found a knife between the mattress and boxspring.

'It just keeps escalating'

Menzo-Santoro told Northampton County Court Judge Michael Koury in transcripts of the Feb. 27 hearing for a permanent protection-from-abuse order she tried to get Moser to leave several times, but couldn't because police said he was a resident.

"So, it just keeps escalating," she said.

Menzo-Santoro said her wrist was broken as she tried to get Moser off the steering wheel and avoid steering into oncoming traffic. She told the judge she has been pushed up against walls, thrown to the ground and choked.

"I was afraid he was going to come back," she said.

In transcripts of Moser's hearing before Sletvold later that afternoon, he told the judge he was getting physically harmed by Menzo-Santoro and evicted from the house.

Moser then claimed he wasn't abusive because he was still married, going through a divorce, and never placed a hand on his estranged wife. He said Menzo-Santoro claimed he was doing things that he was not.

"She's very controlling and physically abusive," he stated. "I would not hit a woman. It's not my style."

The judge ultimately denied Moser's request for a protection-from-abuse order, told him to stay away from Menzo-Santoro and ordered him to attend a March 10 hearing at the same time Menzo-Santoro was attending her hearing.

"Everything will be heard at once," the judge had said.

In her filing, Menzo-Santoro said Moser never used a firearm or threatened to use a firearm against her or her four children. She said she did not believe he owned a firearm.

Authorities believe Moser shot her in her garage with a shotgun -- the same gun he turned on himself after police pulled over his vehicle in Greenwich Township on Friday night, about two-and-a-half hours after her body was found.

Services, being handled by the Morello Funeral Home, have been scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday for Menzo-Santoro. A GoFundMe online fundraiser has been launched by Jessica Santoro, Menzo-Santoro's college daughter, to help the family with financial expenses..

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Pennsylvania's auditor general on Monday said that regulating and taxing marijuana would generate close to $20 billion and employ more than 280,000 in the next decade.

Eugene DePasquale said state lawmakers "should strongly consider" moving toward legalizing the drug for recreational purposes in part to tackle the state's budget shortfall, but also because it's good policy.

"I make this recommendation because it is a more sane policy to deal with a critical issue facing the state," said the Democrat who was elected to a second term to the row office in November.

He pointed to Colorado and other states that have legalized marijuana in recent years. He said the move last year generated $129 million in tax revenue for the state and has already created an estimated 18,000 jobs.

Massachusetts voters last year approved a measure to legalize, making it the first state on the East Coast to do so. New Jersey is among the other states on the East Coast that is considering legislation.

Marijuana possession remains a federal crime, and the Trump administration has signaled that it supports medical marijuana but opposes recreational marijuana.

Last month, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said states that allow the sale of recreational marijuana should expect "a greater enforcement" of the federal law against pot. "And I think that when you see something like the opioid addiction crisis blossoming in so many states around this country, the last thing we should be doing is encouraging people," Spicer said.

A Pennsylvania law allowing for the use of medical marijuana kicked in last year, although the implementation of the law is ongoing. Two Democratic lawmakers from suburban Philadelphia in 2015 offered up a bill to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes, but it has gained little traction in the GOP-led General Assembly.

In addition to the possible tax revenue, the auditor general also said legalization would reduce arrests and incarcerations.

"There is also social impact, specifically related to arrests, and the personal, emotional, and financial devastation that may result from such arrests," he said.

Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
UPDATE: Lehigh County ends pact with agency after 'disturbing' report

Northampton County has suspended taking referrals from an Emmaus-based foster care agency where accused child killer Sara Packer once worked.

In a statement Monday, the county's Department of Human Services says it has been made aware of allegations against the agency, The Impact Project.

The statement says The Impact Project received information more than a decade ago about Packer possibly "exhibiting abusive behaviors" while acting as a foster parent. It apparently never disclosed that information to the county.

In January 2003, after Packer's tenure with The Impact Project, the county's Department of Human Services hired her to work in its adoption unit. She was later promoted to supervise the unit.

Packer and her boyfriend Jacob Patrick Sullivan are accused of the brutal rape and murder of 14-year-old Grace Packer last year inside a home outside of Quakertown in upper Bucks County. Packer was the teen's adoptive mother.

Police said the 44-year-old mother and 41-year-old boyfriend beat, raped, poisoned and ultimately strangled the girl in an 18-hour ordeal meant to fulfill a "rape-murder fantasy."

Packer reported her daughter missing last July 11 and allegedly misled authorities who were trying to find her in the subsequent months.

Hunters on Oct. 31 eventually discovered her dismembered remains in a wooded area near a reservoir in Bear Creek, Luzerne County.

Details about the claims against Packer that The Impact Project received more than a decade ago were not disclosed in the county's statement. The county's solicitor's office did not immediately respond to a media inquiry on Monday afternoon.

A representative for The Impact Project on Monday afternoon said the agency is not commenting on the matter.

The statement says the county takes all allegations of abuse very seriously and is investigating. The Pennsylvania Office of Children, Youth and Families is taking the lead in the investigation.

"The county is taking all necessary steps to ensure that the children placed through Northampton County, including those placed through The Impact Project, are not subject to abuse," the statement says. "Northampton County has used The Impact Project as a foster care provider. However, referrals to The Impact Project have been suspended."

Additionally, the county plans to have caseworkers meet with all children who it placed in foster care through The Impact Project; the meetings will occur in a neutral environment with a court-appointed advocate present, according to the statement.

"Foster parents are individuals," the statement says. "We will not stigmatize all resource families based upon the alleged actions of one family. We are cognizant to not disrupt a placement needlessly, which could further traumatize a child. However, should investigations identify the need to change a foster placement, Northampton County will do so immediately."

Packer worked for Northampton County until 2010, when she was suspended without pay. The suspension came around the same time Packer's husband was being targeted in an investigation involving child abuse. She never returned to work for the county and has since separated from her husband.

Packer and Sullivan, both of Montgomery County, are in jail on charges of homicide, rape, kidnapping, abuse of a corpse and related offenses. Those charges were filed in January. Both gave up their rights to preliminary hearings last month and face possible trial in Bucks County Court.

According to The Impact Project's website, the agency was established in 1991 and works with more than 30 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties.

Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Laois remains doggedly at the bottom of the pile for IDA created jobs.

A new year, the same story it seems.

Indeed, this is the news story equivalent of Groundhog Day. Calling it a ca news story is perhaps misleading, because it hardly qualifies as such.

Nevertheless the statistics are stark and are worthy of reminder.

According to the figures there are just 115 IDA created jobs in Laois.

We compare abysmally to most other counties, including our near neighbours - Kilkenny for example has 762 jobs while Kildare has an exceptional 10,139, by far and away the largest number in this region.

Even North Tipperary, which is considered a blackspot, has 328.

And the likes of Athlone and Mullingar have seemingly benefited as a result of their hub town status under the National Spatial Strategy.

But we are down there with Monaghan, with no sign of any significant foreign investment coming our way.

So the perennial question prompts itself. What is the problem?

Why have we been bypassed so persistently when it comes to IDA created jobs and investment.

Many proffer the theory that becuase of our large public service population, we are not a priority for Government. There are enough public jobs in the place.

And when it comes to job creation there has been a Dublin centric focus.

However, we are firmly in the orbit of Dublin, so one could reasonably imagine that the benefits of this would trickle down.

The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell has reiterated the Government's commitment to increasing investment into regions outside of Dublin.

However, when this happens it tends to be going to the Athlones and Mullingars of this world.

This is not to begrudge any other location their successes or otherwise.

But the bottom line remains that Laois is not getting its fair slice of the pie.

You would be blue in the face citing the advanatages the county enjoys in terms of its location etc.

The growth in terms of population testifies to its attractiveness, as does the fact that many SMEs are operating here.

But the long vigil for the IDA continues.
An alternative plan to downgrading Portlaoise hospital has been presented in person to Fianna Fail's health spokesperson by Laois GPs and hospital consultants.

The doctors met with Billy Kelleher TD, and Sean Fleming TD along with Laois Fianna Fail's County Councillors in Laois.

Dep Fleming said The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the ongoing uncertainty created by the HSE Senior Management regarding Accident and Emergency services in the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise.

The Consultants outlined the new arrangements in relation to the Maternity Department in Portlaoise and how they are working in conjunction with the Coombe Hospital in Dublin. The GPs and the Consultants have prepared a detailed plan: The Future of Acute Services at MRH Portlaoise, which they discussed in detail at the meeting.

"This is an excellent plan which should be supported and it takes a positive approach to delivering services in Portlaoise rather than the negative approach embedded in the minds of some senior mangers in the HSE.

"Fianna Fail supports the plan put forward by the GPs and consultants and is determined to protect and enhance services in the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise. Billy Kelleher TD thanked those present at the meeting for their valuable information and advice and said the Party will continue to support services in Portlaoise," said Dep Fleming.

In view of the ongoing overcrowding in our A&E Department and in our hospitals, Deputy Fleming said he has questioned the "mindset of Senior HSE Managers" who are spending their time drawing up plans to reduce A&E services when they should be spending their time and energies in seeking how to improve services rather than making matters worse for the general public.

FF politicians met the doctors, on February 28, ahead of a meeting between the Minister for Health Simon Harris and the doctors later in March.
A man who had an immense respect for people and place, the heart of his community, an intelligent man with a warm welcome for all.

These were just some of the sterling attributes of Johnny Fitzgerald, which were reflected on far and wide after the sad news of his passing on Monday February 20.

Speaking at his funeral, his son Brendan described how his dad had a unique ability to connect with so many people.

He was never short of words of wisdom or comfort where needed. A visitor to his home was welcomed to a pot of tea, sandwich and a chat. He was a true gentleman and a character, he was a friend to many and an enemy to none, he said.

Johnny died in his 87th year, having lived all his life in Friarstown, the Curragh.

He worked in Irish Ropes for 39 years, and was subsequently a familiar visitor to many homes for census collection.

His activism and commitment within the community belied his years and failing health.

Chairman of the Kildare Liam O Connell Cumann, he was also a supporter of many charitable organisations - principally, the work of his niece Sr. Celine Conway from Rathangan, who works in the Brazilian missions.

Through fund raising efforts, he also supported the Irish Heart Foundation, Wheelchair Association and the Arthritis Fund.

He and his late wife Margaret had two sons, Eamon and Brendan. Eamon pre deceased both his parents in his youth. Brendan works with the Department of Defence based in Brussels. He and his wife Dawn have three children - Killian, Rachel and Rian.

Johnny was a regular visitor to wherever Brendan was posted and took immense joy in grandfatherhood, which he shared with Dave and Geraldine Humphreys, (Dawn's parents), who readily adopted Johnny into family life to share this welcome responsibility.

Johnny is also survived by his only remaining sibling, Rose Conway and her husband John Joe (Rathangan), and a rich tapestry of nieces and nephews from his eight siblings.

He was greatly honoured and humbled to be asked to represent his community at the ordination of Bishop Nulty in Carlow Cathedral.

His funeral was a bittersweet affair with fond and funny memories of Johnny recalled, and the palpable sense of loss to the community of a stalwart.

Perhaps it was fitting that his lengthy guard of honour were tested with a downpour of hail stones. Those who regularly canvassed with Johnny on many campaigns, were reminded of similar weather on dark nights, when most were ready to submit to nature, but to be hastened on by Johnny to stay the course.

Brendan thoughtfully remarked; He lived for his family, his community and his faith. These were the pillars of strength that supported his journey through life. From being raised within distance of the Curragh, his heart and soul were firmly joined to this the most magical countryside and the finest town in the county.

Brendan said Eamon's passing had a profound and life changing effect on the family - a tragedy that tested his faith to its core.

But with his late wife, Margaret, by his side they held true to this love and firm belief in God and found a source of strength to guide him through the dark, lonely days of grief. The light and hope returned to Johnny with the arrival of his three treasured grandchildren, Killian, Rachel and Rian, he said.

Johnny's unflagging faith, optimism and interest in all aspects of life, gave him resilience to overcome these challenges.

He loved to welcome and support new people to the community and no visit to town was brief, as it always entailed many and lengthy engagements with those who crossed his path.

- Ar dheis de go raibh a anam

Johnny and his family at the original home at Friarstown. Pictured with his siblings Anne, Bridget, Rose, May, Ettie, Paddy, Christy, and Ber.
A Kildare man has been given a three year suspended sentence for his involvement in an NTC scam at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today.

And two men have been jailed for their involvement in theNTC scam where cars previously deemed unroadworthy were passed.

Stephen Rooney (37), Alan Richardson (28) both from Lucan and Vincent Brunton (34) from Kildare were arrested and charged following a garda investigation in the wake of an RTE Prime Time documentary in 2011.

Today at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Gerard Griffin imposed sentences of three years with two-and-a-half years suspended on Rooney and Richardson. He suspended the entirety of a three-year term for Brunton, who he said was on the bottom rung of the ladder in the scam.

The court heard previously that Richardson, who was working as an NCT inspector, was contacted by his neighbour, Rooney, and asked to pass two Toyota Carinas. Both vehicles had previously failed the test and were scheduled for a re-test.

The men were to get 100 between them for their role although no money was ever exchanged. Richardson then asked NCT tester Brunton to pass one of the vehicles as roadworthy.

A fourth man, Darren Meehan (40) of Delemere, Enfield, Co Meath, was approached to pass the second vehicle. He received a two-and-a-half year suspended sentence last month for his role after he pleaded guilty to producing a false NCT certificate.

Rooney, of The Paddocks Grove, Adamstown, Lucan, Co Dublin pleaded guilty to one charge of forgery of an NCT certificate and one charge of corruption in that he accepted or obtained 100 as an inducement or reward for securing an NCT certificate on April 20, 2011. He has minor previous convictions dating back to 2000.

Richardson, also of The Paddocks Grove, pleaded guilty to the same forgery charge and a charge of corruption in that he accepted a gift of cash from Stephen Rooney as an inducement or reward for an NCT certificate.

Brunton, of Priory Square, St Raphael's Manor, Celbridge, Co Kildare pleaded guilty to one charge of forgery, making a false NCT certificate on April 20, 2011.

Neither Richardson nor Brunton have previous convictions and it was accepted that each of the three men fully co-operated with the garda investigation and were genuinely remorseful for their involvement.

Judge Gerard Griffin adjourned the case last week after hearing the evidence. He said that the men's actions set at nought the intention of legislation to improve road safety.

He said the cars passed were evidently unroadworthy and unsafe to drive. He said this was a breach of trust and that the public was entitled to rely on the system to take unroadworthy cars off the road.

Detective Garda Sean O' Riordan told Maurice Coffey BL, prosecuting, that the Prime Time programme makers bought a 1996 Toyota Carina and 1993 Toyota Carina and had them examined by two independent mechanics who confirmed they should not pass the NCT.

In May 2011, the cars were sent in for inspection and failed. A re-test was booked and in the meantime the programme makers paid 100 to a contact so that the car would pass the re-test.

The faults identified in the first test were never rectified and in some case further damage was caused. The vehicles were presented again. Meehan and Brunton were the examiners on the re-test and passed the cars.

The cars were examined again by another mechanic following the re-test and still deemed un-roadworthy. They were crushed later that same month.

Det Gda O'Riordan agreed with Mr Coffey that it was accepted in Meehan's case that the faults on the vehicle were considered a performance issue and were not significant safety issues. He accepted the same principal could be applied to the second vehicle.

However Judge Griffin said he was not entirely satisfied with that conclusion having read the engineer reports on the cars.

Det Gda O'Riordan said the cars were destroyed before even the State could ascertain the level of danger they could have posed to other road users but the State's evidence was that the faults were not significant safety issues.

Det Gda O'Riordan said Applus Ltd, the company who have the State contract to carry out NCT testing, suffered a loss to their reputation as a result of the programme.

He said gardai were satisfied that it wasn't systemic national bad practice within the company. They launched their own internal investigation and reviewed their existing systems which was a costly exercise.
The High Court has today made an order preventing protesters from obstructing access to and from the site of a former quarry in Co. Kildare.

Mr Justice Paul Gilligan granted GCHL Ltd a temporary injunction preventing protesters from blocking, obstructing or impeding access to and from a premises it owns at Ballinderry, Carbury in Co Kildare.

The company claimed the protests, which commenced last Thursday, have resulted in the site having to be shut down. The site contains a quarry pit, which is currently undergoing remediation. However the court heard local landowners believe the works are damaging the lands and affecting local groundwater, and have blockaded the site.

Seeking the orders Matthew Jolley Bl for the company said its activities are lawful, and the protesters are acting unlawfully.

Their actions in blocking the entrance to the site has also put their protesters and others at risk of serious injury, counsel added. He said infill is being brought onto the site and is being used to restore the site with the consent and permission of both Kildare Co Council and the Environmental Protection Agency. Counsel said the site had historically been used for the quarrying of building materials.

Commercial quarrying ended there in 2014. On foot of a court order obtained by Kildare County Council last year, the company had been taking steps since December to restore the site to natural use. To do this the company was using lorries to transport in infill, as well as carrying out geo landscaping. Counsel said testing carried out on the site has shown that fears about the land being damaged are unfounded.

Mr Justice Gilligan said he was satisfied to grant an injunction preventing anyone from trespassing on the site, or from obstructing or blocking anyone from entering or leaving the site, The interim injunction applies to anyone who has notice of the making of the order, the Judge said. He adjourned the matter to Friday.
BoyleSports can report further support for the next Irish General Election to take place in 2018.

Initially installed at 7/1 last month following further support has it now at i1/4 from 7/2 that we will be heading to the polls next in 2018.

2017 remains the odds on favourite at 3/10 but has been eased drastically having initially been as short as 1/10.

2019 can be backed at 14/1 with 2020 priced at 25/1. An Irish General Election not to take place until 2021 or later is priced at 40/1.

Liam Glynn, BoyleSports spokesperson said, We have seen further support for the next Irish General Election to take place in 2018 resulting in its price shortening yet again into 11/4 from 7/2. At present it remains a massive loser as it has seen sustained support over the past four weeks having initially been installed at 7/1.

He added We may well be heading to the polling stations sooner than 2018 as 2017 remains favourite at 3/10, however its a major drifter having being as short as 1/10 at one stage last month.
The 1st March 2017 was historic day for the Irish and for the Irish Traveller community who were finally recognised as an Ethnic Minority by the Irish State according to Minceirs Whiden, travller Forum.

At last after decades of struggle by our community for our right to be recognised as an Ethnic group, for the recognition of our people, history, culture and traditions, this struggle has been finally won by our people.

They say, "While recognition is a welcome and a historic step, it will not resolve the many problems that our community face, however it does lay the foundation to build a new relationship on this island based on respect for culture difference, equality and inclusion."

The forum are now seeking the following actions:

-The Irish State must acknowledge, take responsibility and apologise for the damage that state policies and actions have had on our community

-An end to all discrimination and racism that the Traveller community have to endure

-Address the accommodation, education, health and employment needs of the Traveller community in a culturally inclusive manner

-Put structures in place which will address growing problem of Mental health and drug use in the Traveller community

-Ensure that Travellers have political representation

-Resource and develop Traveller Culture, music, crafts, language and history



The group concludes, "This is the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Ireland, let it be one which is based on equality and inclusion which respects cultural difference where every child both Traveller and non-Traveller have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential. Let it a chapter that we can all be proud of, both Settled and Traveller."
Im afraid we didnt mark World Wildlife Day on LDV last Friday. Fortunately our MEP Catherine Bearder did in an engaging post covering the top wildlife wins and losses in the past year.

She writes:

2016 was a historic year in the global fight against wildlife crime. From the ivory bans to the new CITES protection for over 500 species  there is a lot we can be proud of. But we would be kidding ourselves if we think the work here is done. Wildlife trafficking is still a top four global criminal activity and the money streams gained from it are often used to fund other illegal operations like arms trafficking and even terrorism. Wildlife by its nature is unsupervised and therefore vulnerable to the criminal gangs who exploit it for massive profit.

She then lists 10 wins and 8 losses. The wins include the EU Action Plan against wildlife trafficking and several initiatives to ban the sale of ivory. The photo shows the burning of contraband ivory in Kenya two years ago to mark a previous World Wildlife Day.

The losses include reports on the level of plastics in our seas, the decline of bees and deforestation rates across the world.

You can read the full list here.

* Mary Reid is a contributing editor on Lib Dem Voice. She was a councillor in Kingston upon Thames, where she is still very active with the local party, and is the Hon President of Kingston Lib Dems.
The issue of refugee children will not go away  both in reality and in terms of a decency-check on the current Government, including the Home Secretary in particular.

The Government is adamant that the decision to close the Dubs scheme, which many believed would allow the country to accept a further 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees, was because local government did not have the capacity for more than around 400. The evidence for this is that the Home Office asked councils and this is what councils told it. Simples.

The problem with this is twofold.

First of all, why did the Home Office go to councils direct rather than through or at least alongside the Local Government Association, which is there to broker conversations between central and local government?

Worse still, some councils are now claiming that they did indeed have the capacity, as reported in the Guardian over the weekend. Even if you just tot up the handful of councils appearing in the article, there are over 200 places which could and should have been made available.

It becomes difficult to avoid the conclusion that the Government is not being straight with us. Whether this is because the Government has decided to dispense with evidence-based policy-making (we are surely not yet at the point when Theresa May accuses David Cameron of bugging 10 Downing Street?) or whether something went horribly wrong with the Governments attempt to survey several hundred councils, we dont yet know.

But the fact remains that we are dealing with childrens lives here and the UK has again let them down.

* Chris White is a member of the Liberal Democrat Voice Editorial Team, a Liberal Democrat Councillor from St Albans and Deputy Leader of the LGA Liberal Democrat Group.
MINISTER for Finance Michael Noonan has said he is not too concerned over the 6 million lost in excise duties to the Exchequer due to the ban of alcohol sales on Good Friday as "an awful lot of pubs are open anyway, serving behind closed doors".

There have been renewed calls again this year for the 90-year-old ban on serving alcohol on Good Friday to be lifted, with the current legislation described as "archaic" by the Vintners Federation of Ireland.

"I don't have a strong view on it. I'm kind of traditionalist, in having at least one day in the year when the pubs aren't open," said Minister Noonan.

"But the fact of the matter is that an awful lot of pubs are open anyway, and they are serving alcohol behind closed doors so I am quote prepared to go with whatever the decision is. But it's not something that I get hot or bothered, or excited about," he told the Limerick Leader.

Fr Joe Young, chaplain with the Brothers of Charity in Bawnmore, county Limerick, said that the legislation is absolutely and totally pointless given the rise of house parties and home drinking on the religious day.

Fr Young said people should be allowed to make up their own minds on whether they drink alcohol on the day  regardless of whether it is in a public house.

It wouldnt bother me at all if pubs opened on Good Friday. But I think the real issue is getting lost in this debate  why do people feel the need to drink on Good Friday? Irelands relationship with alcohol, particularly in the context of mental health, depression and suicide has to be examined.

We cant ignore the amount of people taking their own lives and the role that alcohol plays, said Fr Young, formerly parish priest in Southill.

Fr Iggy ODonovan, of the Augustinians in Limerick, said that he too is indifferent about whether pubs are allowed to open, given that he has been invited to parties himself on Good Friday.

Holy Thursday is now a day where sales go up because the pub is closed and people are having parties, said Fr ODonovan.

Fr Seamus Enright, rector of the Redemptorists in Limerick, said hes neutral on the issue.

A part of me feels that its nice to have a day in the year that isnt commercial, and theres another bit of me that feels Ireland has changed a lot, and not everybody is Catholic or religious, and in other countries people live out their faith without any civic or legal supports. A part of me would like to keep it, and another part of me wouldnt be very upset if it were to change, said Fr Enright.

I would also worry about so much now being seen in economic terms, and I feel that much now in society is being subordinated to an economic reading, rather than looking at whats good for communities. Sometimes I feel that we are sacrificing everything for the sake of economic benefit, he said.

The VFI is calling for an amendment to the licensing laws to permit all licensed premises to trade normally on the day.

A study by Prof Anthony Foley of Dublin City University last year estimated the Good Friday ban costs publicans across the State 30 million, with a further 6 million in excise lost to the Exchequer.

Limerick city publican and ccouncillor Jerry ODea, also a secretary for the VFI, said the situation is "a bit ludicrous, and for tourists staying in the city, theyre very confused as to where they stand.

Limerick pubs were famously allowed an exemption in 2010 due a Munster versus Leinster match at Thomond Park on Good Friday.

Padraig Cribben, chief executive of the VFI, said "in 2017 consumers should have the option to go out for a drink on Good Friday if they so choose.

"Indeed, many are choosing to drink at home or organise house parties on the day. Friday itself is a very important trading day  for many publicans it accounts for 30% of their weekly business  and this is especially true of Bank Holiday weekends, he said.

The Government claim to be ready for Brexit but their inability to make a simple law change makes one wonder.

Publicans have been engaging with politicians on this issue for the last six years but the constant response is the issue will be addressed as part of a new Sale of Alcohol Bill. Its as if ministers are living in never never land while the rest of us have to live in the real world, he added.

The VFI is now calling on Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald to introduce the necessary legislation before April 14, and to avoid further procrastination by deferring it to the Sale of Alcohol Bill.
THE FOUNDER of a local support service which has helped in the region of 1,000 children affected by loss through death, separation or divorce, has been named the Limerick Person of the Month.

Sr Helen Culhane, a native of Croom, founded the Childrens Grief Project in 2009.

Now known as the Childrens Grief Centre, it provides grieving children and young people with a place and space where they are given the opportunity to examine feelings associated with loss, and learn that they are not alone.

The service, which is based at Westbourne, Ashbourne Avenue, South Circular Road in the city, is provided by trained and experienced people.

We have seen nearly 1,000 children. We could see between 25 to 30 children a week, aged four to 18 years, explained Sr Helen this week, after being presented with the Limerick Person of the Month award.

Seventy per cent of the children who attend have separated parents while 30 per cent have suffered a bereavement.

Sr Helen is a qualified social worker and psychotherapist. Sr Helen worked for 13 years with the Health Board in the area of child protection. She also had two years experience in child psychiatry.

In 2001 Sr Helen went to Milford Hospice to work as a senior social worker.

I honestly thought I would retire from Milford, she explained. When I had read a report that Limerick has the highest rate of separation in Ireland, I wanted to do something.

While she was in Milford Hospice, Sr Helen did some bereavement work with children.

Sr Helen spoke to Sr Peggy Collins, Provincial of the South Central Province of the Sisters of Mercy who had previously worked in the Bedford Row Project.

She told me to get a group of professionals together.

Sr Helen got a number of people on board including a GP, school principal, social worker, family therapist and people with a legal background.

At the moment they have 120 young people on their waiting list and the wait is eight to nine months.

Currently, she says, they have a funding crisis and are in desperate need of support to continue their good work.

In total, there are approximately 30 volunteers attached to the centre. The volunteers include a retired career guidance teacher, a play therapist, psychologist, psychotherapist, and an art therapist.

There are 10 people working directly with the children.

They use workbooks with the children which brings them through the grieving process.

On average, when I look at our stats, they come for about five sessions. We bring them back three or four months later for a review. We get them to do an evaluation. The biggest comment is you listened and were non-judgmental.

A big aspect of the service is getting parents to realise the damage that strained relationships can have on their children.

Children whose parents are separated say things like, Helen, I have been caught in the middle all my life. I have been used as a pawn. When parents are told that, they say, I didnt realise I was doing that.
LIMERICK City and County Council is to invest more than 700,000 on one of the citys main tourist streets this year.

Data released to councillors at a recent housing meeting by officer Maria Donoghue reveal several derelict units in Nicholas Street, which leads to King Johns Castle, are going to be brought back to life this year.

The St Marys Park Mens Shed will move into 27 Nicholas Street at the end of this month, with stabilisation works set to commence on this unit.

A medieval discovery was made underneath the site of 27 Nicholas Street, Ms Donoghue said, which delayed the process of bringing the building up to scale.

The Mens Shed  which provide an outlet for males in the city  are expected to share the unit with the Irish Wheelchair Association.

Ms Donoghue also revealed that a high-profile commercial operator has expressed an interest in moving into numbers 24 and 25 Nicholas Street.

Stabilisation works for this unit will commence on site once permission has been received from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, she told councillors.

Separately, an animated discussion ensued over the much-maligned Fireplace Site at the city-centre end of Nicholas Street.

The council official said laser surveys of the interior of this site have revealed several nuances there.

We hope to enable the site to become more accessible and provide more access to tourists, she said.

But Sinn Fein councillor John Costelloe  who lives in Nicholas Street  said: Its not a historic site. Its a derelict site. We are talking about two stones corballs, and a stone mantelpiece. Its not the Great Wall of China  it needs to go.

Independent councillor John Gilligan added: We have spent 1m keeping the site there for 25 years, and its still a wreck.
A LIMERICK teacher will cycle around the world this summer in an effort to raise awareness for Prader-Willi Syndrome.

Niamh Conway, from Ferrybridge, is swapping pedagogy for pedalgogy, when she sets off from her current home in Uzbekistan this June with her partner Matthew Good, who is from the UK.

The incredible cycle will see the teacher, who trained in Mary Immaculate College, pedal through Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada, Mexico, and the USA.

Matthew has always wanted to cycle and I have always wanted to see the world so we had been talking about the idea of taking off on our bikes for a couple of years now, Niamh said.

The pair are both teaching in Uzbekistan, after having met in Togo, West Africa.

When Matthew's nephew was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome, neither of us had heard of it  which meant that most other people probably hadnt either. His nephew is very lucky to have such a big group of supportive family and friends, as he will need care for the rest of his life, said Niamh.

We handed in our notice in October to leave our jobs in June and have been busily preparing ever since, she said.

Niamh went to Scoil Carmel and subsequently graduated from Mary I in 2009 with a degree in primary teaching.

This Christmas we flew back with suitcases full of camping stuff, bike parts, suncream and other essentials, she added.

They feel that only a bicycle can provide the perfect balance of immersion and speed, and hope to learn about new ways of living during their 18 month ride.

I am teaching second grade at the moment  first class  in Tashkent International School. The students come from about 40 different countries. Uzbekistan has beautiful ancient silk road cities that are like living museums, and a set of caves are being explored here at the moment which might be the deepest in the world, said the Clarina woman.

So the hope is that one day in June we will wake up and say this is the day, hand our keys to the landlord, cycle out the gate, turn east and keep going until we hit water, she added.
TWO Dublin-based gardai who allegedly tried to gain access to a brothel during a Christmas party in Limerick have failed in their bid to stop an internal garda disciplinary investigation.

Garda David Naughton and Garda Wesley Kenny, who both deny the claims, initiated Judicial Review proceedings seeking to prevent the inquiry from continuing on grounds including that it was unfair and oppressive.

The pair, who have addresses in Dublin, were previously found not guilty of criminal charges following a three-day-hearing at Limerick District Court.

Judge Grainne ONeill was told the men were attending a Christmas night out when they allegedly assaulted two brothers near Jerry Flannerys bar on Catherine Street.

It was the prosecution case that the two off duty gardai had reacted angrily and lost control after they were unable to find prostitutes at a premises on Cecil Street.

While the criminal charges were dismissed in November 2014, an internal Garda board of inquiry was established in May 2015 to establish if there had been a breach of discipline under the 2007 Garda Discipline Regulations.

It was convened in September 2015 and heard submissions.

The two gardai are accused of discreditable conduct for allegedly attempting to gain access to an apartment building at Upper Cecil Street Limerick seeking the services of a prostitute.

In judicial review proceedings against the Garda Commissioner, the two gardai sought an order restraining the board of inquiry from continuing with its investigation.

The application was brought on grounds including that disciplinary proceedings cannot be brought against a member if the inquiry involves the same issues which the member has been acquitted.

Lawyers for the two gardai argued it would be oppressive and unfair to allow the inquiry proceed because the surrounding facts before the board of inquiry and the court were the same.

This would be contrary to Regulation 8 of the 2007 disciplinary regulations, it was argued.

Other grounds advanced included that the disciplinary board had failed to call evidence regarding the criminal case which amounted to a failure to inquire into all relevant facts.

The commissioner opposed the proceedings and argued that the inquiry should be allowed progress.

Giving the court's decision Mr Justice Michael White said while the case had raised issues that had not been before the courts before he was satisfied to dismiss the application.

The Judge who said he will issue his full judgment at a later date adjourned the matter to allow both sides consider the court's decision.
THE High Court has ordered that two houses on the north side of the city should not be sold or disposed of as they are likely the proceeds of crime.

One of the houses  at Cliona Park, Moyross - is the family home of Edward McCarthy who gardai believe is a senior figure in the McCarthy / Ryan organised crime gang.

The second house at Creagh Avenue, Kileely is registered in the name of Anthony Mullane  the father of Mr Ryans partner, Linda Mullane.

In an affidavit, Detective Chief Superintendent Eugene Corcoran of the Criminal Assets Bureau said Mr McCarthy has a history of involvement in serious criminal activity and has generated substantial monies from the illegal drugs trade.

Retired Detective Superintendent Jim Browne said he is one of the biggest suppliers of illegal drugs in Munster and a significant supplier in Dublin.

In 2013, the bureau seized assets from Mr McCarthy including an Audi Q7 car, more than 26,000 in cash and a gold Rolex watch worth 7,850.

The court was told he has not made any tax returns and that there is little or no evidence of him earning income from legitimate sources.

It was submitted the the pattern of acquisition was consistent with the practice of money laundering.

The house at Cliona Park was originally bought by an innocent couple and while they remain the registered owners, it has long since been associated with Mr McCarthy and his family, according to gardai.

Det Chief Supt Corcoran said CAB officers had been unable to identify legitimate income that would have enabled Mr Mullanes purchase of the house in Kileely.

He said he believes Mr McCarthy is the beneficial owner and that Mr Mullane was a front to disguise the true owner.

Granting the order under the Proceeds of Crime Act, Mr Justice Raymond Fullam commented there was no evidence of legitimate income to offset what he described as the defendants high expenditure and lifestyle.
Apr 29, 2021, 6 PM

The only airmail issue from the Viennese Millennium stamp arrangement depicts a falcon and a Dornier airplane.

One of the high denominations of the 1930 Millennium issues shows a map of Iceland. The circle at left marks Reykjavik, the capital; the circle at right marks Hofn, a large fishing town.

The flag of Iceland is featured on the 40-aurar denomination of the 1930 issue.

The regular issues of the 1930 Millennium stamps also were overprinted for Official use. Early Icelanders transport a log on the 25-aurar stamp.

A vivid drawing of a Viking ship in stormy weather appears on one of the low denominations of the stamp set for the millennium of Icelands parliament, in 1930.

Nordic Stamp Scene  By Christer Brunstrom

Iceland in the North Atlantic was populated by Norsemen in the ninth century. Frequently, they had been sent to the island into exile for crimes committed in what is today Norway.

Despite their background, the new Icelanders obviously felt that there was a need for law and order, and hence leading inhabitants met for the first time at Thingvellir in 930 to discuss matters of common interest and to settle all kinds of legal disputes.

This meeting has been described as the worlds very first parliament, known as the Althing. This national parliament has since moved to Reykjavik, the nations capital, and nowadays the Althing is in session for many months each year.

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Already in the mid-1920s there was much talk about the upcoming Althing millennium and how to celebrate it in style. A committee had been established in 1926 to organize the festivities.

This is where the Society of the Friends of Iceland (Verein der Islandsfreunde) in Vienna, Austria, enters the scene.

This group is unrelated to a similarly named group that exists today.

Not much is known about the earlier society, which came to play an important role in Icelandic philatelic history. Actually, as the following story will reveal, it was apparently behind a rather shady business enterprise.

In 1928, the Icelandic post office received a proposal from the Viennese society. Simply expressed, the society offered to supply a set of commemorative stamps free of charge, provided that the group could retain a certain quantity to cover the costs of designing and printing the issue.

Sigurdur Briem, the head postmaster in Reykjavik, flatly refused the offer, but the Friends of Iceland didnt give up that easily. They contacted the Icelandic government, which held a different view on the proposition from Vienna.

A contract was drawn up between the Icelandic authorities and the Society of the Friends of Iceland. According to the contract, stamps of the value of 813,000 kronur were to be produced, and stamps with total face value of 600,000 kronur were to be delivered to the Icelandic post office well ahead of the millennium anniversary in 1930. The remaining 213,000kr worth of stamps were to be retained by the Friends.

This actually happened. In late 1929, a man named Ludwig Hesshaimer arrived in Iceland with the stamps, which were duly handed over to the post office.

It was also Hesshaimer who had been in charge of the design of the 15 regular issues and one airmail stamp. He had been responsible for the frame on some of the designs while a number of Icelandic artists had supplied most of the vignettes (central designs).

The complete design, both frame and vignette, of the 5 aurar, 25a, 40a, and the 1kr denominations and the 10a triangular airmail stamp were the work of Hesshaimer.

The stamps were printed by Elbemuhl A.G. in Vienna in sheets of 120. The entire set also exists overprinted to be used as Official stamps.

Postal officials were rather hesitant about the Millennium set, and only the lower denominations received general distribution to local post offices throughout Iceland.

Higher denominations had to be requested from the head office in Reykjavik.

The issuing date was Jan. 1, 1930. Note that on June 1, 1930, a set of five airmail stamps was issued marking the millennium, but this set (Scott C4-C8) was ordered by the Icelandic postal service and had no connection with the Friends in Vienna.

Today the Friends of Iceland stamps  Scott 152-166, C3, CO1 and O53-O67  are highly valued in worldwide stamp catalogs, which mostly fail to note their rather shady background.

It seems someone in the society forged the contract by adding the number 1 in front of the total amount agreed upon. Thus, the face value of the printed stamps is probably in the neighborhood of 1,800,000kr.

Misprinted stamps as well as imperforates have reached the marketplace. The Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940 notes that Imperfs were privately printed. It is quite clear that the Icelandic post office had no control either of the quantity printed or of the stamps that should have been destroyed due to poor printing quality.

The Friends of Iceland might have made a lot of money from this rather sophisticated scam, though it has been reported that many of the additionally printed stamps were confiscated by authorities.

I have always wondered who the Friends of Iceland were. One philatelic researcher has written that Ludwig Hesshaimer, though involved in the design and printing, was not aware of the rest of the scheme and was devastated when he learned about it.

Hesshaimer was born in Kronstadt, Germany, in 1872 and initially was a career officer in the Austro-Hungarian army.

Recognizing his artistic talent, his superiors commissioned him to document World War I in pictures.

After the war, Hesshaimer pursued a very successful career as a painter and graphic artist, also including the design of both postage stamps and poster stamps. After World War II, fed up with Europe, he emigrated to Brazil. Hesshaimer died in Rio de Janeiro in 1956.

While the Althing issue was duly authorized by the Icelandic government, there is much to suggest that fraud was involved in the marketing of the stamps.

However, it is quite an interesting issue, with many colorful designs portraying elements of more than 1,000 years of Icelandic history. The stamps are quite scarce on commercial covers and postcards.
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Brain scans of infants as young as 6 months old may be able to predict whether a child will develop autism, a new study suggests.

In the study, researchers found that infants who later developed autism had higher amounts of cerebrospinal fluid  the clear liquid that cushions the brain within the skull  that could be seen on an MRI, compared with those who did not develop autism.

What's more, the researchers also found that the levels of CSF lined up so closely with the risk of autism that they could use measurements of CSF volume to predict the development of autism among "high-risk" infants, or those who had an older sibling with the condition. Measurements of CSF volume at 6 months predicted which high-risk infants were diagnosed with autism at age 2 with a 70 percent accuracy, the researchers said. [11 Facts Every Parent Should Know About Their Baby's Brain]

Although more studies are needed, the researchers say that one day, doctors might be able to monitor CSF to help gauge a child's risk of autism.

"Neuroimaging CSF could be another tool to help pediatricians diagnose autism as early as possible," study author Mark Shen, a postdoctoral fellow in psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, said in a statement. "It could help signal risk using regular MRIs that you find in any hospital."

Still, the researchers said there are a number of questions that need to be answered before doctors could use MRIs for this purpose. For instance, the researchers don't know whether this CSF anomaly is found only among children at high risk for autism, or if it would be found more generally in all children who develop autism. The researchers also don't know if this anomaly contributes to the development of autism, or if it's simply a marker of another factor related to autism.

The results confirm those of an earlier study by the same group of researchers, which also found a link between CSF volume and the risk of autism. However, the earlier study was relatively small, involving 55 infants.

In the new study, the researchers examined MRIs from 343 infants at ages 6, 12 and 24 months. Of these, 221 infants were at a high risk of developing autism based on their family history, whereas 122 had no family history of autism.

At the end of the study, 47 infants in the high-risk group were diagnosed with autism by the time they were 2 years old. None of the infants in the comparison group developed autism.

Among infants who were at a high risk for autism, those who were ultimately diagnosed with the condition had, on average, 18 percent more CSF in an area known as the subarachnoid space, which surrounds the brain, at 6 months of age, compared with those who did not develop autism.

In addition, infants who developed more severe symptoms of autism had 24 percent greater CSF volume in the subarachnoid space, compared with those who did not develop autism.

The researchers hypothesize that this CSF anomaly could be a sign that the CSF is not properly circulating as it should. Normally, the CSF circulation helps to filter out potentially dangerous molecules.

"CSF is like the filtration system in the brain," said Shen, who began this work as a graduate student at the MIND Institute at the University of California, Davis. "As CSF circulates through the brain, it washes away waste particles that would otherwise build up." The researchers believe that an increase in CSF in the subarachnoid space "is an early sign that CSF is not filtering and draining when it should."

The result is that there could be a buildup of neuroinflammation that isn't being washed way," Shen said.

Future studies are needed to evaluate both the underlying causes of increased CSF volume, and the potentially harmful effects on brain development, the researchers said.

The study is published today (March 6) in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

Original article on Live Science.
Facebook users who are the most news-obsessed are also the most likely to interact with a small number of news sources, new research finds.

The study is a look at the architecture of social media polarization  essentially, how people are so effective at sorting themselves into opposing groups and filtering out alternative opinions. Though Facebook has algorithms that feed users content they're likely to enjoy, previous research has found that people's own choices on the social network are a stronger influence on the sorts of opinions those individuals see. (Politics conversations on Twitter aren't much different.)

The new research, published today (March 6) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also found that choices matter. The study focused on the activities of 376 million Facebook users between January 2010 and December 2015, as those users interacted with what turned out to be 920 different news outlets. [Top 10 Golden Rules of Facebook]

Facebook engagement

By tracking likes, shares and comments on news stories posted on Facebook, researchers led by Walter Quattrociocchi of the IMT School for Advanced Studies in Lucca, Italy, determined what news sources people were engaging with and for how long.

The most striking finding was that despite the huge number of news sources to choose from, Facebook users each typically fixated on just a handful of pages to engage with. And the more active the user was in doling out likes, shares and comments, the more likely that person was to focus his or her energy on fewer sources. The news outlets found in the study ranged from Reuters to Human Rights Watch to the Houston Chronicle, to niche publications like the Cyprus Expat.

"There is a natural tendency of the users to confine their activity on a limited set of pages," Quattrociocchi and his colleagues wrote. "According to our findings, news consumption on Facebook is dominated by selective exposure."

Each person also looked at a limited constellation of news outlets, the researchers found. User activity clustered within certain subsets of news organizations, and there was very little cross-pollination between these subsets. (Someone sharing a lot of Greenpeace posts is probably not going to be engaging with the conservative The Daily Caller, for example.)

The study, based on a large dataset, is a welcome addition to the research literature on social-media polarization, said Ben Shneiderman, a professor of computer science at the University of Maryland who researches social media.

"It adds further evidence to confirm what we and others have seen, which is the so-called filter bubbles or the partitioned way that people get their information," Shneiderman, who was not involved in the new study, told Live Science.

Confirmation-bias clusters

Users were more cosmopolitan than news agencies themselves, however, the researchers noted, at least geographically. That is, while news pages can "like" one another or pass on each other's content, those networks were more geographically constrained than users' networks. Regular users tended to interact with more international, if still polarized networks of pages, the researchers said.

To see how these user interactions might arise, the researchers created a computer model in which individuals were given a predetermined opinion, represented by a number on a line. The model mimicked confirmation bias, or the tendency to elevate information you already agree with while picking apart information that challenges your assumptions; the computer model mimicked such bias by specifying that pages that differed too much from an individual's opinion number would be rejected. This computer version of confirmation bias resulted in patterns similar to those seen in the real world on Facebook, indicating how social network polarization might arise, the researchers said.

This user-generated confirmation bias could be a stumbling block for companies like Facebook or Google that are trying to stamp out so-called "fake news," the researchers said. The term "fake news" refers to completely false articles posted by businesses that aim to suck Facebook users into advertising-heavy web pages.

"News undergoes the same popularity dynamics as popular videos of kittens or selfies," Quattrociocchi and his colleagues wrote. What's more, the study authors wrote, political and social debates are based on conflicting narratives, and those narratives are resistant to strategies like fact checking. (Though recent research suggests that warning people to be on guard before they run into false information may be effective.)

People "form communities among friends, and their friends are tightly bound to each other but weakly bound to people outside their community," Shneiderman said. "So if there is a news story that is spread within their community, they're likely to believe it, and if there are challenges from without their community, they're likely to not know about it."

Original article on Live Science.
An Aryan Brotherhood member who has been on the run for nearly a year now may have more eyes looking out for him.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has increased the reward for the capture of 34-year-old Jared Luke Langley to $12,500.
Ivan Pierre Aguirre/STR

For one West Texas city, the proposition may be simple: Take a contract to work on Donald Trump's border wall with Mexico and give up any work with the city.

An El Paso city councilman is pushing the idea of prohibiting the city from awarding any kind of contract to a vendor or company working on the proposed wall. The issue will come up Tuesday during a regular meeting of the council.
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Local News, Business & Finance, National & World News, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: March 06 2017

Governor Cuomo announced the launch of the New York-Israel Commission, which will be responsible for creating a framework to strengthen economic and cultural ties between New York and Israel.

22-member panel will explore new opportunities to strengthen economic and cultural ties between New York and Israel.

Albany, NY - March 5, 2017 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the launch of the New York-Israel Commission, which will be responsible for creating a framework to strengthen economic and cultural ties between New York and Israel. Mort Zuckerman will serve as honorary chair of the 22-member commission and Allen Faigin, Malcolm Hoenlein, Linda Mirels, and President, CEO & Commissioner of ESD Howard Zemsky will serve as co-chairs. The Governor made the announcement during his economic development and unity trip to Israel following a meeting with Nir Barkat, the Mayor of Jerusalem and key international business leaders at the King David Hotel.



Governor Andrew Cuomo holds a press conference on New York State- Israel Economic Development and presents Chemi Peres the son of the late President of Israel Shimon Peres a proclamation claiming Shimon Peres Day in New York. Photo: Governor's Press Office, via Flickr.

New York and Israel have always shared a deep cultural, social and economic bond and I am proud that we are working to make our partnership stronger than ever before, Governor Cuomo said. These individuals will help continue to strengthen our relationship with the Jewish community and reaffirm our commitment to Israel, and I look forward to seeing the impacts of this partnership resonate across the state and the globe for years to come.

Co-Chair Malcolm Hoenlein said, "I am pleased to co-chair Governor Cuomo's New York-Israel Commission. This trip is an important step in exploring new ways we can continue to grow and expand the strong ties that exist between New York and Israel. Under Governor Cuomo, New York has shown its unwavering commitment to the Jewish community and this initiative will continue to strengthen both our cultural and economic ties and ensure both partners will grow together well into the future."

Co-Chair Linda Mirels said, New York and Israel are more than just major economic partners  we share a bond that transcends borders. The New York-Israel Commission will work to strengthen the ties that bind us, as well as open new doors to economic growth, expand cultural exchanges and ensure our best and brightest continue to advance cutting-edge research and technology. I thank Governor Cuomo for his strong partnership over many years, and I look forward to driving new growth and opportunity for our next generation of Israelis and New Yorkers.

Co-Chair Allen Faigin said, The positive impact of New Yorks strong relationship with Israel on each of our economies is abundantly clear  from exports to imports to jobs. Through the launch of the New York-Israel Commission, Governor Cuomo is once again working to deliver results for our two global powerhouses by further strengthening our economic ties. I applaud the Governor for this leadership during this time of need, and look forward to working together to benefit our communities and set a global example for international cooperation.

The New York-Israel Commission

The Commission is made up of the following individuals:

Mort Zuckerman (Honorary Chair) Former CEO, Boston Properties and Owner & Publisher of the New York Daily News and the U.S. News and World Report

Allen Faigin (Co-Chair), Executive Vice President, Orthodox Union

Malcolm Hoenlein (Co-Chair), CEO, Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations

Linda Mirels (Co-Chair), Former Chair, UJA Federation of New York

Howard Zemsky (Co-Chair), President, CEO & Commissioner, Empire State Development

Stuart Appelbaum, President, RWDSU and President Jewish Labor Committee

Jack Bendheim, Chairman of the Board of Directors, President & CEO, Phibro Animal Health

Sara Berman, Founder and Board Chair, Hebrew Language Academy Charter School

Bob Cohen, Chair of AIPAC

Alisa Doctoroff, Former President of UJA-Federation of New York

Abe Foxman, National Director Emeritus, Anti-Defamation League and Vice Chair of the Museum of Jewish Heritage

Richard Joel, President, Yeshiva University

George Klein, Vice Chair, Museum of Jewish Heritage

Michael Miller, CEO, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York

Joe Potasnik, Executive Vice President, New York Board of Rabbis

Burton Resnick, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Jack Resnick & Sons, Inc. and Chairman Emeritus, Board of Directors of Development Corporation for State of Israel Bonds

Bill Rudin, Chairman, Association for a Better New York

Jeffrey Richard, Executive Vice President of the American Technion Society

Charles Temel, Senior Vice President, UBS and President of Jewish Community Relations Council, New York

Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers and Secretary, Jewish Labor Committee

Sol Werdiger, CEO, Outerwear and Chairman of Agudath Israel

Howard Zucker, Commissioner, New York State Department of Health

The New York-Israel Commission will work to promote and create opportunities to develop new programs and economic partnerships that celebrate the relationship between New York and the Jewish community. Members of the Commission will be responsible for proposing initiatives to create programs and launch educational and cultural exchanges that meet the goals outlined below to strengthen the partnership between New York State and Israel in several key areas.

Economy & Trade

Israel is a leader in the global tech sector and home to some of the worlds most innovative and rapidly growing businesses. It currently ranks fifth among the most innovative countries in the world according to the Bloomberg innovation index, and its high-tech sector attracted $4.43 billion in investment during 2015.

Israel is also an important trade partner for New York and is the top fifth export market for New York State products. In 2016, commodities exported from New York to Israel generated $4.89 billion of economic activity. Top exports from New York to Israel include precious metals and stones, including diamonds, aircraft components and industrial and electric machinery. Top New York State imports from Israel include precious metals and stones, pharmaceutical products, electric machinery, such as television equipment, and plastics.

Building on these strong economic ties between New York and Israel, the Commission will work to expand trade and catalyze investment in New York. To encourage Israeli firms to invest in the Empire State, the Commission will lead roadshows for Israeli businesses to explore all that New York has to offer. The Commission will also organize a US-Israel business summit to promote investment opportunities in both countries. In addition, to advance research and share best practices, the Commission will host industry-specific roundtables to discuss challenges and opportunities in fields like technology, cybersecurity, and healthcare.

Security

New York and Israel face similar security challenges, including the threat of terrorism. The Commission will support opportunities for both governments to share best practices and benefit from each others experience. By connecting New York law enforcement with their Israeli counterparts, the Commission will help New York learn from one of the worlds leaders in counter-terrorism operations. Additionally, the Commission can support a conversation on division and anti-Semitism to ensure that both governments are doing everything they can to fight intolerance and crack down on hate crimes.

Education

New York and Israel are home to some of the best research institutions in the world that have untapped opportunities to share ideas and advance cutting-edge research. The Commission will support academic exchanges and catalyze research collaboration between professors and students at SUNY and CUNY colleges and Israeli universities. The Commission will work with partners to support educational exchanges for high school and college students to expose them to new ideas and expand their horizons. To create opportunities for recent graduates, the Commission will connect New York and Israeli students to internship opportunities overseas.

Culture

New York and Israel share deep cultural bonds that transcend borders. Working with partners already engaged in exchanges between both countries, the Commission will spearhead cultural exchanges for Israeli and New York students to learn about each others rich cultural heritages. The Commission will also support a fellowship program for Israeli students and future leaders to visit New York and meet with prominent New Yorkers across industries and sectors. To celebrate New Yorks rapidly growing Israeli food scene, the Commission will host an Israeli food festival and partner with the Taste NY initiative to bring local and international chefs around Israeli cuisine.

About Global NY

In 2014, Governor Cuomo launched the Global NY initiative to offer one-stop shopping to both foreign businesses looking to invest in New York and to local businesses that want to export their products globally. Global NY currently has a trade office in Israel.

Empire State Development maintains close ties with its Israeli counterparts, working cooperatively with the Israel Economic Mission in New York City, and with the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce. Such interactions promote the interest of New York-based companies in the Israeli marketplace, foster cooperation between New York and Israeli companies and institutions and help promote initiatives in specific areas of mutual interest such as, nanotechnology, alternative energy, biotechnology.

Over the past two years, the state has organized the following trade missions between New York and Israel:

In 2015, Empire State Development supported 15 New York diamond and jewelry companies during International Diamond Week at the Israel Diamond Center. The participants reported increased export sales of $3.2 million as a result of their participation at the show, with an additional $2.4 million sales anticipated over the following two years.

In February 2016 and February 2017, Empire State Development supported 10 companies each time on a trade mission to Israel through the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. Individual meetings for the participants resulted in export sales of $1.8 million.

The Governors New York-Israel commission will build on these and other economic and educational partnerships that exist between businesses in New York and Israel and expand the reach of the Global NY initiative.

Governor Cuomos Economic Development and Unity Trip to Israel

The Governor launched the creation of the commission while on his economic development and unity trip to Israel. The trip's goal is to strengthen economic ties with Israel and support the Governor's efforts to create new jobs and attract additional international business investment in New York through the Global NY initiative. The trip reinforces the historic relationship between New York and Israel and is part of the states ongoing efforts to combat anti-Semitism. The Governor departed for Israel on Saturday, March 4 and will return Monday, March 6. More information on the Governors itinerary is available here.
Local News, Crime, National & World News, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: March 06 2017

Elvis Redzepagic was arrested yesterday at his residence in Commack, New York.

Commack, NY - March 4, 2017 - A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in the Eastern District of New York charging Elvis Redzepagic with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and the al-Nusrah Front, which have both been designated by the U.S. Secretary of State as foreign terrorist organizations. Redzepagic was arrested yesterday at his residence in Commack, New York, and his initial appearance is scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy at the United States Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Robert L. Capers of the Eastern District of New York, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord, of the U.S. Department of Justice, Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Special-Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez, of HSI New York.

As set forth in court documents, Redzepagic is a 26-year old citizen of the United States. Over the last two years, Redzepagic twice traveled to the Middle East to attempt to join a foreign terrorist organization. Specifically, in 2015, Redzepagic communicated with an individual he believed to be the commander of a battalion in Syria and a member of ISIS or the al-Nusrah Front and made attempts to join him to engage in violent jihad.

In July 2015, Redzepagic traveled to Turkey and made multiple attempts to cross the border into Syria to join his associates organization. Unable to enter Syria from Turkey, Redzepagic traveled to Jordan in August 2016, but was stopped and deported by Jordanian authorities. In Facebook messages from October 2015, Redzepagic explained that jihad is when you fight for the sake of God and die for the sake of Allah, and he explicitly stated that he traveled to Turkey to perform Jihad and join Jabhat Al-Nusra. In subsequent interviews with law enforcement, Redzepagic admitted that at the time he attempted to enter Syria from Turkey, he was prepared to strap a bomb to himself.

This defendant made numerous attempts to travel to Syria to wage violent jihad, stated United States Attorney Capers. We will continue to track down and prosecute individuals like the defendant before they are able to become foreign fighters or harm the United States and its allies. Mr. Capers extended his grateful appreciation to the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force, which comprises a number of federal, state, and local agencies from the region. Mr. Capers also thanked the Suffolk County Police Department, Nassau County Police Department and the Port Authority Police Department for their assistance.

According to the complaint, the defendant traveled overseas as part of his attempt to join and provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations that were engaged in fighting in Syria, said Acting Assistant Attorney General McCord. The National Security Divisions highest priority is countering terrorist threats. We will continue to work to stem the flow of foreign fighters abroad and bring to justice those who attempt to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.

As we alleged, Elvis Redzepagic was persistent in his efforts to travel overseas to perform jihad as he said in social media posts. Traveling not once, but twice to the Middle East where he attempted to join ISIS or al-Nusrah Front in 2015 and 2016. Homegrown violent extremists, especially individuals who demonstrate determination like Redzepagic, are only mitigated through the joint efforts of local and federal law enforcement working together to protect our communities, said Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.

Redzepagic, a U.S. citizen living in Long Island, made multiple attempts to join ISIS or al-Nusrah Front in Syria where he wanted to engage in violent jihad, which could have resulted in the death of countless individuals said Special Agent in Charge, Melendez of HSI New York. This arrest underscores the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies across the globe in identifying and bringing these extremists to justice before they are able to commit terrorist attacks.

The charges in the complaint are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The governments case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Saritha Komatireddy and Artie McConnell, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Dan E. Stigall of the National Security Divisions Justice Departments Counterterrorism Section.
Local News, Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: March 06 2017

Marking the start of National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today released the list of the top ten consumer fraud complaints received by his office in 2016.

New York, NY - March 6, 2017 - Marking the start of National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today released the list of the top ten consumer fraud complaints received by his office in 2016. Attorney General Schneiderman also offered a variety of tips on how to avoid scams in the future.

This serves as a reminder: fraudsters are always looking for ways to line their pockets at the expense of unsuspecting consumers, said Attorney General Schneiderman. The best weapon against scams is an informed consumer  and the law. I encourage New Yorkers to report fraud, and my office will continue its long tradition of vigorously enforcing New Yorks strong consumer protection laws.

For the eleventh year in a row, Internet-related complaints topped the list with 4,605 complaints. Internet-related complaints were closely followed by complaints about automobile sales, service, financing, and repairs (3,437). Many of the car-related complaints were filed by Volkswagen consumers after Attorney General Schneiderman announced an investigation into Volkswagens installation of software devices that caused its diesel vehicles to cheat environmental pollution tests. The office participated in an interrelated series of partial settlements with Volkswagen and its Audi and Porsche affiliates that provided unprecedented relief, including enabling over 21,500 New York car owners to sell their cars back to the companies at pre-scandal, fair market value, plus receive a cash payment of at least $5,100.

Consumer-related services (2,444), which include complaints about restaurant/catering services, tech repairs, dry cleaners, furniture repair, and hair and nail salons, ranked third on this years list, followed by Landlord/Tenant complaints that include allegations of tenant harassment (2,005). Utilities-related complaints (1,730), which include complaints about cable and satellite companies, energy services and suppliers, and wireless phone carriers, rounded out the top five.

Although not in the top ten, the Attorney Generals office continues to receive consumer complaints about two common schemes known as the IRS scam and the Grandparent scam, which target consumers by phone.

In the IRS scam, the caller poses as a U.S. Treasury Department, IRS, or other government official, demanding payment for unpaid taxes and threatening consumers with arrest if they do not pay up. These scammers often use fake government logos in their email and caller ID spoofing so that the victims caller ID box says Internal Revenue Service or displays the phone number of the Internal Revenue Service.

In the Grandparent scam, a grandparent receives a call from someone posing as a grandchild claiming that he or she is traveling and facing an urgent need for money  to make bail, pay a fine, or pay for automobile repairs or medical expenses. The caller begs the grandparent not to tell his or her parents.

In both scams, the victims are then given instructions to send funds to the scammers. More recently, scam artists have instructed grandparents to visit retail stores, buy certain gift cards, and then provide the scammer with the information on the back of the card.

Another area of consumer complaints involves student loan debt. There are scam student debt relief companies that offer to lower or eliminate students monthly payments, often for an up-front fee. They often use official sounding names to make it sound like they are a government agency. In many cases, they fail to provide the promised services or merely submit paperwork for a free debt relief program offered by the federal government.

The Attorney Generals office analyzed the consumer complaints received from across the state throughout 2016. The following is the 2016 list of the top ten consumer complaints by category:

CATEGORY NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS 1. Internet 4,605 (internet services & service providers; data privacy & security; consumer frauds) 2. Automobile 3,437 (buying, leasing, repair, service contracts, rentals) 3. Consumer-Related Services 2,444 (security systems; restaurant/catering services; tech repairs) 4. Landlord/Tenant Disputes 2,005 (Security deposit releases, tenant-harassment) 5. Utilities 1,730 (Wireless and Residential Phones; Energy Servicers & Suppliers; Cable and Satellite) 6. Credit 1,606 (debt collection; credit card billing; debt settlement; payday loans; credit repair; credit reporting agencies; identity theft) 7. Retail Sales 1,214 (any sale of goods: food, clothing, rent-to-own) 8. Home Repair/Construction 1069 (home improvement services not delivered or done poorly) 9. Mortgage 921 (mortgage modifications; mortgage and loan broker fraud; foreclosures) 10. Mail Order 715 (purchases made online or from a catalog)

The Attorney General also offered a list of tips all consumers should use to protect themselves and their families:

1. Internet: We depend on reliable Internet service. Click here to determine which questions you should ask to choose an Internet plan appropriate for your needs and to gain access to tools to test whether you are getting the Internet speeds you were promised. If you are not receiving the speed you are paying for, call your Internet service provider.

2. Automobile: This year the Attorney General celebrated the 30th anniversary of New Yorks New and Used Car Lemon Laws, which provide a legal remedy for buyers or lessees of new cars that turn out to be lemons. The arbitration program was extended to used cars three years after introduced. You may be entitled to a full refund if your car does not conform to the terms of the written warranty and the manufacturer or its authorized dealer is unable to repair the car after a reasonable number of attempts. The law allows consumers to shop around for the best deal when leasing a car, set limits on early termination, and gives the Attorney Generals Office jurisdiction to resolve excess wear-and-tear disputes. Since 1987, over 30,000 new car applications were filed resulting in over 20,000 dispositions through either an arbitration award or a settlement. The 30-year total recoveries to consumers from the new car program are estimated to be in excess of $245 million and an estimated excess of $39 million from the used car program. To file a new or used car lemon law complaint, click here and here.

3. Consumer-Related Service: We rely on a range of services in our day-to-day living, from snow-removal to home repair to party planning. Make sure to use a written contract for all services that clearly defines restrictions and obligations of both the consumer and service-provider.

4. Landlord/Tenant Disputes: The Attorney Generals Tenant Harassment Task Force investigates situations where landlords and management companies are suspected of using construction as a means to harass tenants. Incidents of harassment include: landlords operating without proper permits; construction projects operating in violation of stop work orders; and landlords who openly ignore requirements for tenant protection plans in order to contain the spread of lead and/or asbestos which may be exposed during renovation. Tenants may lodge complaints by completing and submitting a Tenant Rights Complaint Form or calling 1-800-771-7755.

5. Utilities/Wireless and Residential Phone Service: A common complaint with long-term wireless service contracts involves the sometimes hefty price for cancellation. Some contracts charge hundreds of dollars. If you are unsure exactly what plan best fits your calling habits, and want to avoid paying a large termination fee, it might be best to avoid an extended contract. Regardless of the length of your contract, remember to carefully read and understand all terms before signing it. Learn more here.

6. Credit: Debt collection is the most common type of credit fraud, and consumers must know their rights. Debt collectors may not harass or abuse consumers, nor provide misleading information  for instance claiming to represent a government agency. Debt collectors cannot sue on debts outside the applicable statute of limitations, the time frame established for the enforcement of legal rights. Consumers have the right to demand verification of the debt. Anyone with credit problems should contact credit counseling agencies licensed by the New York State Department of Financial Services for assistance in managing the situation and avoiding collection scams. Learn more here.

7. Retail Sales: Check return and refund policies.The law requires all merchants to post their refund policies. A store that fails to do so must give consumers 30 days to get a refund in the manner that the purchase was made. Be especially vigilant of final sales or cash-only  final sale notices, as you will have little or no recourse if the merchandise proves to be defective. Some stores require the original packaging and charge a hefty restocking fee for returned items. Learn more here.

8. Home Repair/Construction: The biggest and most important investment families will make is their homes, and improvements should add value, not hardship. Before entering into a contract, shop around for estimates, check in with the Better Business Bureau, banks, suppliers and neighbors for references, and know your rights: you have three days after signing a home improvement contract to cancel it. Learn more here.

9. Mortgage: Mortgage rescue scams prey on homeowners in their greatest time of need. Look out for offers that claim to stop or delay foreclosure payments for an upfront fee or make payments on your behalf. Beware of companies that suggest a government affiliation or claim to be with the government, or those that work with attorneys but do not provide legal services. The Attorney Generals Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP) funds a network of more than 85 trusted partners dedicated to providing homeowners with free, qualified mortgage assistance relief services across New York. To find a nearby HOPP provider, visit agscamhelp.com or call the Attorney Generals hotline at 1-855-HOME-456.

10. Mail Order: Whether ordering online or from a catalog, make sure the company has an operating customer service line and lists a real street address. Companies operating on a fly-by-night basis often have no working customer service number and list only a P.O. Box. Learn more here.

Tips for other common scams:

IRS scams: Beware of scammers posing as government officials via phone calls or emails. The IRS will never demand immediate payment or payment information over the phone. Do not engage this type of caller or provide any personal information and report the call to our office by submitting a complaint here or calling our consumer hotline at 1-800-771-7755. Scams should also be reported to the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484.

Grandparent scam: Be suspicious of anyone who calls claiming to be your grandchild and asking you to immediately wire money or buy large dollar amounts of gift cards and provide the gift card information. Grandparents should verify any supposed emergency by calling friends and family before wiring money or buying gift cards. Learn more about common scams targeting senior citizens here.

Student Debt: Beware of phony student debt relief companies that claim to lower or eliminate student loan debt. Do not pay up-front fees. Students should contact their loan servicer themselves to see if any relief is available. For federal student loans such as Stafford or PLUS loans, students should ask if they are eligible for an income-based payment plan or if they qualify for deferment or forbearance.

Health Care Fraud: The Attorney General will soon be releasing a separate report about health care fraud complaints that it received in 2016. In 2015, the Health Care Bureau Helpline received 5,444 complaints. Of these complaints, the Helpline investigated and resolved 2,836 consumer complaints and provided another 2,608 consumers with information or referrals to the agency most appropriate for the inquiry. Along with other consumer relief discussed in the report for 2015, the Helpline secured approximately $2,781,000 for consumers in restitution and savings resulting from (i) incorrect medical billing; (ii) wrongful rejection of health insurance claims; and (iii) health plans failures to properly process insurance claims. The Health Care Bureau Helpline report for the calendar year 2015 can be found here.

"I want to thank Attorney General Schneiderman and his office for their tireless commitment to addressing consumer fraud," said Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh, who chairs the Assembly's Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee. "From the volume of complaints submitted by consumers, we know that fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair practices are all too common across many areas of our economy. We also know that for every complaint received, there are many other instances in which New Yorkers fall victim to these practices but do not realize that they have been targeted or that they should file a complaint. I look forward to working with the Attorney General's office and my colleagues in the Legislature to ensure we have strong and effective consumer protection laws and the resources to enforce them, and to promote consumer awareness so people can avoid common dangers and also know that when something does go wrong, state government stands ready to help protect their rights."

Attorney General Schneiderman reminds New Yorkers that in addition to being vigilant consumers, they should also report instances of fraud to his office. Consumers are encouraged to file complaints to the Attorney Generals office by completing and submitting a Consumer Bureau Online Complaint Form or calling 1-800-771-7755.
How is it Monday again my loves!? After complaining about the painfully slow passage of time in the run up to my wedding, 2017 just seems to be slipping through my fingers like very speedy grains of sand. Does anyone else wish they could just press pause and cram a couple more hours into each day? Turning back the clock to last summer, today Im delighted to be sharing the gorgeous summer wedding of Mr and Mrs S with you all.

The couple wed on 4th June last year in a family and friends focussed celebration in sunny Scotland. I dont know what it is about this magical place but we have so many incredibly beautiful Scottish weddings in our gorgeous archives, just feast your eyes on this lovely lot. Lets start with a peak at the newlyweds wedding video, documented by Cinemate Films.

Our focus for our wedding day was very much on our incredible friends and family who have enriched our lives beyond words. We wanted our wedding to be a celebration of love in its many forms, to bring our guests together and provide a space to unwind, relax, and enjoy.

Film by Cinemate Films

Neither of us are natural planners and I would be lying if I didnt say that we found the process quite overwhelming at times, and considered packing it all in and escaping to somewhere just the two of us to get married. But what kept us on track was reminding ourselves of what a gift it is to be able to bring our nearest and dearest together for that one day to celebrate life  it was a profoundly joyful experience. We have been living a marriage in a way since we were nineteen so the wedding was this beautiful, big fun cherry on the top.

Photography by Joanna Brown

Mrs S wore a divine Temperley London gown with pretty pearlescent details. Our bride added a cathedral length veil, purchased from Rachel Scott Accessories, accentuating the flowing train of her dress, and reminding Mrs S of the 1920s. Her glossy locks were crafted into a gorgeous tumbling wave by Sarah Stewart at Marra Hair & Beauty in Crieff, while Gillian Galbraith took care of her make-up. I am besotted with the contrast of those interwoven peachy blooms against Mrs S luscious dark hair.Mrs S added a pair of shoes designed by the lovely Harriet Wilde, who we are very proud to support through our curated supplier directory, Little Book for Brides. So comfortable were these beauties that our bride was able to ceilidh dance in them right through until midnight. Mrs S wore Coco Chanel Mademoiselle perfume, one of her favourite scents and also the first perfume that Mr S ever bought her.

I bought my Temperley London dress from Rachel Scott Bridal Couture in Edinburgh, who I cannot recommend enough. As soon as I walked into Rachels shop I knew that this was the place was where I would like to get my dress.

The atmosphere that Rachel created was one of calm, peace and had an air of childhood magic, like the place you imagined you would go to when you were a little girl to try on dresses. I probably sound like I had a few too many glasses of Prosecco, but it did feel that special to me.

I found the process of finding a dress quite difficult. I was also doing it a bit down to the wire in the context of the wedding world, but my mum was amazing and came down from Shetland to help me which was so special.

I knew what I didnt like, I just didnt know what I was looking for until I found it. I think what made me choose the dress was the feeling I got when I put it on  it just felt like me. It felt special but relaxed, a bit whimsical and like a dress I would have worn when I was little but also grown up and elegant.

We got married in Kinross Parish Church, where both my grandmothers were members and where my parents got married as well as my auntie and uncle (who was our minister). The area also held significance for Mr S and his family and it just felt right.

Our reception was ten minutes down the road at Tullibole Castle and it couldnt have been better. The owners were so flexible, helpful and generous with their grounds. It was like a big playground for our very much loved guests. We were also incredibly lucky with the weather for Scottish standards.

I am from the Shetland Islands and Mr S is from Edinburgh, so our families and friends are quite wide spread, with many of them living and working in London.

My first choice would have been to get married at home in Shetland, but practically it made sense to get married on the mainland as the majority of our guests were coming from there. We were very lucky to find somewhere that was not only geographically practical but also emotionally significant to us.

Mr and Mrs S hired wedding cars from Wedding Cars by St. Clair to whisk them away to their wedding venue, who they were thoroughly impressed with, even managing to keep the bride and her dad calm on the way to church. I just adore the happy shot of Mrs S laughing next to her proud papa, it oozes so much emotion  love, excitement, anticipation. Joanna Brown has captured such warmth in these images and a real sense of intimacy.

I cannot begin to tell you how much I adore Pyrus Botanicals. This incredibly talented florist has crafted dramatic, whimsical, downright beautiful blooms for some of my favourite ever Love My Dress weddings. There seems to be no end to their creativity and ingenuity and their styling is just to die for. Continuing the floral theme, Mrs S bridesmaids wore blooms in their hair, clad in floaty Zara dresses and silver House of Fraser shoes.

Our florist was Pyrus Botanicals in Edinburgh and they were amazing, I was absolutely blown away by what they did. It was their creativity and natural aesthetic that drew us to them.

Mr S and I met when I was at Edinburgh University and he was working as a security guard. A school friend of his, who was best man at our wedding, lived in the same halls of residence as me. We moved in similar friendship circles for quite a while and it was fairly obvious to everyone around us that we liked each other. After a gentle nudge, or rather shove from our friends, our mutual shyness was overcome and the rest, as they say, is history.

We started going out at nineteen, moved to New Zealand when I graduated, worked, studied, explored and we grew together, and just before we moved back home at the end of 2013 we announced our engagement to our friends and family through a series of warbling Skype calls!

My dad walked me down the aisle and we held each other up. I walked down the aisle to Caoineadh Cu Chulainn by Davey Spillane (Im told its from River Dance!?) but I have loved the song since I was about fifteen and the music is just so beautiful.

The couple wrote their own vows following a traditional structure, allowing them to express exactly how they felt about each other but with a comforting framework to refer to:

I promise to be your constant friend, your partner in life, and your true love. I will love you without reservation, honour and respect you, protect you from harm, and comfort you in times of distress, and grow with you in mind and spirit.

Mrs S dad gave a short talk on what hed learned about love as part of the ceremony, while her brother recited an extract from The Little Prince. Mr S grandfather also read a poem hed written for the couple, which they are sure to treasure forever.

As our whole day was about family, friendship and love, these readings and the speeches that our family did just seemed to really get to the heart of how we see things and how we want to live, going forward together. In my dads sermon one of my favourite quotes that he chose was by Carl R Rogers; People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I dont find myself saying, Soften the orange a bit on the right hand corner. I dont try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds.'

Mr and Mrs S sealed their vows by exchanging rings; hers a gorgeous design by the talented Alison Macleod, which perfectly complemented her engagement ring, his a band bought from a local jewellery shop in Shetland, bought a few months before the wedding. Many euphoric hugs and happy tears later, the newlyweds drove to their reception at Tullibole Castle. The floral decoration of their pretty marquee has my heart doing some serious fluttering.

I only wore earrings on the day as the neckline of my dress came up quite high and was so beautifully detailed. The earrings I wore were very special; my mother-in-law gave them to me to borrow because they were the earrings she had worn on her wedding day, and they were also the earrings that Mr Ss sister wore on hers.

It was very special and emotional and the little leaf design on them also happened to reflect the design that was on the dress.

I got the bridesmaids a leaf necklace from a jewellers in Edinburgh called Badger & Baird and their service was brilliant. The flower girls dresses and shoes were from Monsoon and our page boy wore an outfit from Davison Kilt Hire in Edinburgh.

The groomsmen also wore the black watch tartan with navy tweed jackets from Davison Kilt Hire, while Mr S wore his own kilt and jacket in his family tartan.

Our photographer was Joanna Brown and we couldnt be happier with our photos. Jo just totally got what we were after and we both felt like we had a friend taking our photos even though we had only met once before on Skype. Jo managed to beautifully capture movement in a way I have not seen before, bringing our pictures alive. We absolutely loved the candid photos that caught the moments of emotion, that had Jo not been there we would have otherwise missed.

Cinemate Films were absolutely brilliant. Really great guys and we hardly noticed they were there, but what they produced was incredible and we are very thankful that we decided to get a videographer.

We kept things pretty minimal in styling our reception  Pyrus Botanicals did an amazing job of putting up interesting botanical features to create backdrops and fill the space out. We also had some festoon lights which created a lovely hue in the evening. Apart from marrying my best friend, my favourite part was looking around the room and seeing so much joy and happiness  friends and family having a great time and being together.

Carrying on the floral theme of their invitations, the couples wedding stationery also doubled up as their sweet wildflower favours. While the place cards were purchased from Zoe Gibbons, Mrs S crafted the order of service herself and her brilliant mum dreamt up the table plan design.

Bespoke Catering were just amazing to work with and really got the atmosphere that we were trying to create. They were very laid back and able to go with the flow and at no point were we worried or stressed  perfect! Our cake was done by Big Bear Bakery, a company based in Glasgow.

We went with them because they were so easy to work with, their cakes looked beautiful and versatile, not to mention delicious . Their flavour combinations were so interesting, we had a three tiered cake with each tier a different flavour.

Mrs S swapped her blossom-studded hair do for a delicate hair vine designed by Rachel Scott for the evenings festivities. Ceilidh bands just look like the most fun, Ive never heard of a Scottish wedding where the guests didnt do some serious boogying.

Our first dance was chosen two nights before the wedding; Ho Hey by the Lumineers. We love so many songs and have so many that mean things to us as a couple, that we didnt know where to start. We also wanted a song to get people in the party spirit and get up on the dance floor for the ceilidh afterwards. The band used this momentum so well and it couldnt have been better.

Our ceilidh band was a very important part of our day, we both play music and so we wanted the band to be just right. We chose Cask Strength and they blew us away  we could not get over how good they were and they really made the evening portion for us. They were relaxed, very good at calling the dances and really got the vibe.

Words of Wedded Wisdom

Be yourself  yourself as an individual and yourselves as a couple. At the end of the day everyone is coming to see you, they dont notice the bits of parcel tape that are sticking out of the hessian around the poles, or the fact that you forgot to get something to display table names on (whoops!), or that some of the bridal party were in the bathroom when the processional music started (it was a long car journey!) And if they do  they dont care because they are there to see you and to see you have an amazing time.

I think on reflection I wouldnt have got so caught up on the little things and enjoyed the journey of planning a bit more. It was so special to get together with different members of each family to plan different elements of the wedding. Each of those moments I will cherish.

Weve got one life and a wedding is one day in that life, so if you are feeling stressed, take a deep breath and think of all the people that love you, want to support you and encourage you. Grab your husband or wife-to-be and spend sometime together in amongst all the wedding planning chaos because it is all these little in between moments that make up a life.

The lovely Mrs S found our beloved blog most useful in planning her wedding, so if youre searching for inspiration for your own summer celebrations, look no further. That just leaves me to say a great big thank you to Mr and Mrs S and the talented Joanna Brown Photography (whose work you can see oodles of in our fabulous archives by the way, including this Brixton-based beauty) for sharing this gorgeous day with us all.

Em x
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Systematically Introduce API (Academic Performance Indicators) Score in (...)

by Santhoshkumar, R. and Neethu, S. Kumar

A number discussions and suggestions were made from various parts of our country in relation to modifying, implementing and introducing API (Academic Performance Indicators) Score in Higher Education. Actually it will help to improve the quality of the higher education system in our country. However, some people have confusion in the proposed system. Because the proposed present API score-system is not properly followed in all universities in our country. Most of the doubt is confined to the inclusion of different patterns of mark-distribution in the score-sheet and yearwise assessment.

The present system of score-sheet contains different main heads with different marks for various activities in an academic year. It contains three main categories with a number of sub- categories. Category one contains Teaching, Learning and Evaluation-related activities. Category two contains Co-curricular, Extension and Professional Development-related activities. And Category three is mainly focused on Research and Academic contributions. The above three categories are comparatively good and satisfactory, but the distribution of Marks is not satisfactory with most of the people. Because the people may achieve minimum marks in the first category and third category by their own effort. But achieving minimum mark in the second category is very difficult to most of the teachers; that is because it mainly depends on the different extracurricular activities in the colleges. To quote one, the number of available positions of convener or Co-ordinator in a college is limited and not sufficient to distribute to all teachers systematically. In this situation several unauthorised practices, like politics, personal interest etc., may be formed However, a few universities have already published the format for the API score as per the existing rules of the University Grants Commission. These rules are comparatively good but we are faced with the difficulty of following those in the present condition, the reason having been already mentioned above. In this article, an attempt has been made to discuss how to improve the present format of the API score with some modifications. The modified format is presented as follows:

Sl. No. 1. Lectures and tutorials allocation to add up to the UGC norm for a particular category of teacher. University may prescribe minimum cut-off (net of due leave) as minimum 80 per cent for the category

Sl. No. 2. Lectures or other duties in Excess of the UGC norms  5 mark/hour

Sl. No. 3. Chairman of a syllabus preparing committee  10 mark/syllabus; for all other members5 marks (one person to act as chairman/member in one syllabus preparation/4 year duration, one person act as Chairman/Member more than one syllabus preparation in the same period is not to be counted nor encouraged).

Sl. No. 4. Contribution of matters for the improvement of subject content, course improvement  1 point/ suggestion/contribution (only after the acceptance of University)

Sl. No. 5. One mark/hour for invigilation; one mark/day for evaluation/ assessment of manuscript;

One person to act as class tutor  5 point/year

Sl. No. 6. Very Good  15 Marks; Good  10 Marks; Average7 Marks; BadZero

Sl. No. 7. 1 mark/day for all teachers participating in the tour programme (maximum teaching staff in a study tour 4; each staff get same marks)

For one day Trip 2 staff permissible, more than two days trip with more than 25 students  4 staffs.

Sl. No. 1. Appointed as Co-ordinator or Convenor for NSS/NCC/Clubs in an academic year  10 Marks. Members in each club  1 point/year (Co-convenor in clubs should also be considered as a member). For Convenor/ Co-ordinator/ Co-convenor of different programmes/celebrations/seminars conducted in College level or University level2 points/each programme (number of days of the programme not to be counted). Members in each programme1 Marks / programme for all members, (maximum number of Co-convenors and members in a programme is limited to 20)

Sl. No. 2. Appointed as convenor/ Co-ordinator for academic administrative committees of the College/Universities/ Elected members of various committees/academic bodies of the Universities  5 marks/ academic year; one person as Head of the Department  5 points/year

Sl. No. 3. Participation of seminars1 mark/one day seminar/conference without paper presentation, 2 mark/Participation with paper presentation; short term training courses- 1mark per day; for talks1 mark/talk; for general lectures1 mark/lecture other than their subject; for membership of association1 mark/year/association; for dissemination and general articles not covered in category III5 mark for first author and corresponding author, 4 marks for all other authors per article; 10 points for Chief Editor of an ISSN Journal, 7 point for chief editor of a Journal without ISSN, 7 points for every members of the editorial board of ISSN Journal, 5 points for all members of editorial board of Journal without ISSN/year.

Direct Appointments of Outstanding faculties as teachers in various Departments of Universities and other Colleges (Maximum of 25 per cent appointments to be permitted as direct entry)

Category 1. Appointment of Assistant Professors (Extraordinary personalities): Very few people have extraordinary efficiency in various fields and they give more outstanding contributions to the society through Research and other related activities, but they have little / perhaps no experience in the field of teaching; under such a situation a minimum eligibility with 2000 API score shall be earned to get appointed as Assistant Professors without any written test or Interview. Age limit is compulsory as per the Universities.

Category 2. Direct Appointment of Associate Professors (equivalent in stage 4):

Qualification: Ph.D with 8 years experience as Assistant Professors in College level or in University Departments/ Scientist of Minimum cadre C in reputed Research Institute with minimum of 2500 API (there is no separate minimum for different category). In addition to the above qualifications, produced minimum 5 number of Ph.D in their service and add the points achieved in Interview.

Category 3. Direct Appointment of Professors (equivalent in stage 5):

Qualification: Ph.D with 10 years experience as Assistant Professor/ Associate Professor in College level or in University Departments/ Scientist of minimum cadre C in reputed Research Institute with 3000 API (there is no separate minimum for different category). In addition to the above qualifications, produced 10 Ph.D in their service and their mark in Interview. Minimum 2 patents in their credit is an additional advantage.

Category 4. Direct Appointment of Professors (equivalent in stage 6):

Qualification: Ph.D with 10 years experience as Assistant Professor/ Associate Professor in College level or in University Departments/ Scientist of minimum cadre C in reputed Research Institute with 3000 API (there is no separate minimum for different category). In addition to the above qualification, produced 10 Ph.D in their service and got an award not below than 10 lakhs rupees and the performance in the Interview. Minimum 3 patents in their credit is an additional advantage.

How to conduct Interview?

IN this article it is suggested that Interview may not be conducted for the promotion of teachers from stage 1 to stage 4 i.e. from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor. But Interview will be conducted for the promotion of Teachers from Stage 4 to 5 and stage 5 to 6; Associate Professor to Professor (cadre 5), Professor (Cadre 5) to Professor (Cadre 6) as per the modified rule. Maximum mark for Interview is 90 points (20 per cent of minimum API Score) for the promotion of Associate professor to Professor Cadre 5 and 100 points (20 per cent of Minimum API Score) for the promotion of Professor (Cadre 5) to Professor (Cadre 6). One who achieves 50% points in the interview will be promoted. But those who are shortlisted for the Interview must achieve a minimum API score which has already been mentioned in this article.

Interview for Direct Appointment of Teachers in different stage

It has already been mentioned in the article the interview pattern for Entry cadre, Assistant Professor to a College or any other departments of Universities. Similarly Interview will be conducted for direct appointment of Associate Professor and Professor, cadre 5 and Professor, cadre 6.

For the direct appointment of Associate Professor in a college or in any Department of Universities, 100 point for interview, 150 point for the direct selection of Professor (Cadre 5) and 200 point for the direct selection of Professor (Cadre 6). One who achieves these minimum points in the interview will be added to his API score and finally could publish the Rank list based on their final Score.

How to solve other problems?

Problem No. 1. Calculation of points of Faculty improvement Programme/ Post Doctoral Fellowship of teachers already in service.

In the above situation, achieving the minimum points from Category 1 (Teaching, Learning and Evaluation related activities) is difficult to the teachers, because of their physical absence. There is only one solution to overcome the situation, that is, minimum 75 points is to be given to the teachers per year in this category, (maximum 2 years permitted for Post Doctoral Fellowship and maximum 3 year for Faculty Improvement Programme in their whole service). The points from the remaining two categories (category 2 and 3) are to be achieved by the teachers by their own effort).

Problem No. 2. Achieving minimum score/points in the period of promotion stage from one stage to next stage

Most of the teachers have to achieve minimum API score during the different stages of their promotion at proper time as per the above Tables. But some faculty members might face some difficulties to achieve the minimum score at the allotted time scale. In this situation Universities should consider these people with some relaxation. For example if one person achieve only 300 points after the completion of 4 years working as Assistant Professor having Ph.D at entry Cadre in a College/in a University Departments, instead of the minimum API score of 400 (300 minimum from Category 1 and remainimg100 points to be achieved from category 2 and 3) he/she will be promoted to the next stage but by allottingthem one more year to achieve the minimum score of API. The period for the next stage (stage 2 onwards) promotion is calculated only after achieving the first stage. That means some people will be getting their promotion at proper time but a few people take a little more years than the normal period, for getting their promotion from one stage to the next stage.

Problem 3. Persons achieve more points than minimum score for a stage promotion

Sometimes certain faculty members might achieve more points during the completion of one stage, for example in stage one, if they achieve 500 points and the minimum score required for their promotion is only 400 points. Here a suggestion is to be made that 400 points will be used for the next stage promotion. The remaining points will not be counted for the next stage or not to transfer to at any stage. That means the remaining score will be lapsed in normal stage of promotion. In addition to these once used the API Score, it will not be counted at any stage of promotion. However, the all API score will be counted for Direct Appointment of Associate Professor and Professor Post in the Colleges or Departments of Universities.

Introduce a New Cadre in between Assistant

Professor and Associate Professor

In the present article a chance to introduce a new cadre between Assistant Professor and Associate Professor, has been discussed because those having completed 12 years of service as Assistant Professor may be promoted to the post of Associate Professor. He/she will again have a chance to get promoted to the post of Professor after three years, with respect to the minimum API score and with the performance in the interview. For overcoming the problem, one extra Cadre; Junior Associate Professor or Associate ProfessorJunior with a new pay scale should be allotted after the completion of stage 2.

Who can act as a Principal in a College?

IN the present scenario, seniority is the yardstick for the appointment of Principal in a college, but in this article an attempt has been made in discussing a chance to introduce qualification based outstanding contribution for the principal appointment in colleges. That means the one who has been shortlisted for a principal vacancy should have at least 10 years teaching experience as Assistant Professor/Associate Professor in colleges with 1500 API and should have already produced a minimum of 3 Ph.Ds in their service with a minimum of 3 years remaining service. Interview also to be conducted for the appointment of the post of principal. After the interview, the API score of the candidate will be added to the interview marks and finally to be published in the Rank list. And also here suggesting that the principal should be appointed for a maximum period of 3 years, and thereafter he/she may be or may not be continued based on the performance of a second interview.

Who should be selected as Dean of the University?

THE Dean of the University will be selected from a seniority list, prepared from all Professors of the University, including various Departments of Universities and Colleges. After the preparation of the seniority list, first person in the rank list shall be appointed as the Dean of the respective faculty/subject with tenure of a maximum of three years. In addition to this, in every year the list shall be renewed if the situation demands. The faculty members once selected and appointed for the post may not to be considered for the same any further.

Who will act as the Vice-Chancellor of a University?

HERE we are suggesting that people with outstanding contribution to the society through Teaching/ Research should be selected as Vice-Chancellor of a University. For this Post the requirement is a minimum of 15 years Teaching experience in a College or in a Department of Universities, and in this period a minimum of 4 year work as Associate Professor or Professor stage 5 or 6 with 3000 API and production of a minimum of 15 Ph.Ds during their service. In addition the candidate should have won a Prize of more than 25 lakhs. The overall performance in interview also is to be considered for the post. If suppose no candidate is reported for the selection of the post with the above mentioned API score and criteria, the candidates with maximum score shortlisted may be posted as Vice Chancellor in-charge of a University.

When to get introduced?

THERE is no clarification formed in any university in India for introducing the API score, but it is believed to have been already introduced from 2010. There is confusion regarding the API score. However, certain teachers score in APIs in category 1/first stage, while certain others doesnt even score at all. For overcoming the situation same priority should be given to both teachers and may be promoted to the next stage. Such relaxations shall be provided to the teachers of all faculties only for a single time. But no such relaxations to be given to the next stage promotion of direct appointment of Associate Professor or Professor in a College of any Department of Universities.

Conclusion

THE above suggestions of all three categories may be useful for the preparation of the API Score in all subjects. But some difficulties may come in case of Teachers working in Physical Education and Library Sciences during the time of calculation of their API score in category 1. For such persons a new pattern will help to achieve the minimum score in category 1. However, in this article no new pattern for such faculty members has been mentioned. But here also it is suggested that the minimum 25 per cent posts of Associate Professors and Professors in colleges or Departments of Universities will be appointed from direct recruitment other than seniority in faculties.

Santhoshkumar, R. is an Assistant Professor and Head of the Department, Post-Graduate Studies and Research Centre of Botany, Mahatma Gandhi College, Thiruvananthapuram. Neethu, S. Kumar is an Assistant Professor, Post-Graduate Department and Research Centre of Botany, Mahatma Gandhi College, Thiruvananthapuram. They can be contacted at e-mails santhoshkumar30576[at]gmail.com and neethu777[at]gmail.com respectively.
Interview with Abdullah Al Sharhan, Chairman of Australian College of Kuwait (ACK)

What are the trends in vocational education and how is ACK shaping the development? What values do you bring?

I myself believe that the future is for people who have knowledge, skills, and the right attitude toward the workplace. If ACK can produce this kind of individual we will be helping not only the young people who are coming to the college, but the country as well. Education at ACK aims to enhance the potential of employability of our graduates; be it self-employment or otherwise. We invite companies to review and comment on our curriculum, so as to tell us what they want in terms of attributes and values from our graduates. Beyond this, ACK has an Industry Advisory Board that provides guidance with respect to long-term strategic trends.

To produce competent engineers and business personnel, ACK stresses competency learning that enables students to apply what they learn. It is called experiential learning. Competency is what the industry wants.

About 5 years ago I created our corporate training department. Today you have to be an avid learner; which means lifelong learning. That comes only if you are being trained all the time so that you can deal with the challenges of new technologies in industry and in business. New machines are changing the face of manufacturing. In business, if you dont know how to manage computerised data then you are not a manager. We want to prepare, young people for the challenges of the future, not of yesterday. That is why ACK is different from other universities. We constantly seek feedback from industry, so that we know what they want in our graduates. I think todays education should highlight innovation. All employers want people who can innovate.

The first thing is to produce as many professional engineers and businessmen as we can. The market is hungry for them.

We have an agreement with Engineers Australia (E.A.) to accredit ACK courses. E.A. accredits all university engineering programs in Australia. We make sure that every year we are audited. I want to know that we are doing the right thing because ACK students are so important to me and to the country. They are going to be the pioneers that lead the industry in this country.

You are pioneers of innovation.

We now have three centres in the college that encourage and support innovation. The first is the Project Based Learning (PBL) Centre. Its goal is to propagate learning through projects namely, experiential learning. The workshop is the starting point. It is there that the students learn how to measure, and to cut accurately, and how to put components together to create a project. Our students cannot graduate without having done a project that is approved by a committee of their instructors. They have to know what to do. Our teachers are being trained to be facilitators. In the end I want teachers to be mentors and that is why we strive toward a culture of care. Once a student recognises that his instructor is a mentor he listens to him because he knows that the instructor cares. A mentor does not treat a student as a number but as a client. At the end of the day all of us are making our living from the students. That is why at ACK we offer a student centred education.

The second is the Research Centre. The focus at this centre is on applied research. Part of our research is done jointly with ACK partners particularly our partner in Australia, Central Queensland University (CQU).

"I myself believe that the future is for people who have knowledge, skills, and the right attitude toward the workplace. If ACK can produce this kind of individual we will be helping not only the young people who are coming to the college, but the country as well."

What is the third centre?

The third centre is the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre of Excellence, dedicated to encouraging entrepreneurship. In project based learning, students create projects and are encouraged to become innovative. This trait will serve them well whether they go on to be employed by others, or to create their own businesses. By adopting a student centred culture, ACK is helping its graduates to find themselves. This is an important part of our culture.

What other institutions are you working with for example to develop some specific projects?

Our main partner is the Central Queensland University in Australia. It provides ACK with programs in mechanical and civil engineering as well as business. Our other partner is Cape Breton University in Canada that provides ACK with petroleum programs in addition to electronics and control. ACK also collaborates with Aalborg University in Denmark, which is a leader in Project Based Learning. We send our faculty to be trained by them as well as hosting workshops conducted by their instructors.

What about inside Kuwait?

ACK has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) to enable our students to gain field experience. Another MOU was signed with The Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR) to conduct joint research in various aspects of the petroleum industry and the environment. Another MOU was signed with the Arab Planning Institute (API) to collaborate in supporting entrepreneurship.

Where funding research and convening specialised seminars are concerned, ACK enjoys the support of The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS). They have been collaborating with us for a long time.

Recently ACK received two awards for its Smoking Awareness Initiative, can you tell us something about this activity?

We started the initiative as a community service. Our students go to elementary schools (kindergarten and first grade) where they present their message in the form of pantomime and games to the children. Our students carry out simple experiments, and make videos that have an immediate impact on the children watching. Our students are very innovative. In addition, ACK engineering students made models to show how smoking affects the body and the environment. The granting of awards is an ongoing annual event. We know that young children are going to be affected if their parents smoke; hence the importance of programs delivered at schools.

ACK also convenes health days twice a year. These incorporate Smoking Awareness into their activities. These programs are encouraged by the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and the Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) who give out prizes and sponsor the programs. Luckily ACK has been recognised as being effective.

In Kuwait what differentiates you from the other institutions also doing applied studies?

There are several colleges that grant diplomas in Kuwait; I think there are three or four already. Some of them are specialised in information technology (IT) and technologies that are computer based. So far ACK is the only private tertiary learning institution that is producing professional engineers and professional business people. ACK started last year offering as an option internship with companies. In coming years we intend to make this compulsory. To accomplish this, we are counting on our Industry Advisory Body as well as our alumni to assist. We would like our students to see where ACK alumni have gone on to work and we want to make sure that they know what industry is all about, and what an actual working day entails.

ACK also makes a point of requesting companies to report on how our students do as interns.

What is your view on technology?

Technology is the driver of the future. Students have to be introduced to the latest machines. That is why we have Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines that enable students to learn to implement their projects.

Students have to design the parts of their project and feed the software to 3D printers or the CNC machines. This is the technology of the future. When graduates go out into the world they will not find the machines of yesterday.

What is your perspective for the medium term? What would you like to achieve in the next two or three years?

The first thing is to produce as many professional engineers and businessmen as we can. The market is hungry for them. Currently Kuwait is dependent on non-Kuwaitis but we want Kuwaitis to slowly take over the professional work that sustains the country. Secondly we would like to be able to produce applied research that can help industry solve their problems. I hope that in three or four years we will have industries coming to ACK to ask for help. Also, for the development of what ACK offers we need research that indicates what is coming. Our curriculum should evolve to enable our students to keep abreast of what is going on in the world. Research is very important. We are now preparing the entrepreneurship centre so that it can help ambitious students who want to create a business for themselves. We want to offer all the help they need; financial, technical, and business management-wise.

The Kuwaiti government has established a two billion Kuwaiti dinar fund (approximately 6.5 billion USD) for small and medium industries. ACK will instruct its students in the means to access this fund. Then they should learn how to sustain their own business. ACK will act as an incubator for them. All of our instructors will be at their disposal. Our corporate training will help them by providing courses that they may need to grow their specific projects.

FAIR USE POLICY

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TODAYS WORD is cacophonous (kuh-kof-uh-nuh-s). Example: I couldnt even hear myself think inside the cacophonous day care center.

SUNDAYS WORD was gaffe. It means an unintentional act or remark causing embarrassment to its originator; a blunder. Example: When La La Land was mistakenly named the Oscar winner for Best Picture, it was probably the worst gaffe in the history of the Academy Awards.

Rotary Clubs meet

Both Martinsville Rotary Clubs will meet this week. The Martinsville Rotary will meet on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., over at Hugos, 10 E. Church Street. The UpTown Rotary Club will meet Thursday at the Virginia Museum of Natural History, 21 Starling Ave., beginning at 7:30 a.m. At the Uptown meeting, Kevin Stiers with Pet Sense will speak about the SPCA partnership with Pet Sense stores

Music Night

This Friday is Music Night at the Spencer-Penn Centre. Its a $4 donation to get in, with an open mic session at 5:30 p.m. and then performances by the Shelton Brothers, The Over The Hill Gang, the Marshall Brothers and High Road. The Centre is located at 475 Spencer-Penn Road in Spencer.

TODAY IS: National Frozen Food Day

National Frozen Food Day has been recognized since 1984. The credit for flash freezing fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood to preserve flavor and quality goes to the American inventor, entrepreneur and naturalist Clarence Frank Birdseye II. While food was preserved through freezing long before Birdseye, he discovered the method of flash freezing, which creates smaller ice crystals that prevent cell walls from bursting and doesnt turn frozen food into unappealing mush. His earliest flash-freezing patent dates back to 1927.

Bassett Ruritan

The Bassett Ruritan Club will hold their monthly breakfast on Saturday from 6 to 10 a.m. Thatll be all you can eat, including sausage, fried balogna, gravy, biscuits, eggs, apples, pancakes made to order, juice and coffee. The cost is $6 and the meal will be at the club building on Philpott Dam Road.

More meetings

The Mildred Lee chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy will meet Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Bassett Historical Center. Jean Gray will present a program about What Foods the Southern Soldiers Ate. Any women with Confederate ancestors are invited to attend. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Patrick Henry chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will meet at Kings Grant, beginning at 11:45 a.m.

TRIVIA QUESTION: What rock and roll legend was close friends with Groucho Marx?

MONDAYS TRIVIA ANSWER: What Tennessee city is named after the ancient capital of Egypt? The answer is Memphis. Memphis was founded on May 22, 1819 by investors John Overton, James Winchester and Andrew Jackson  the same Andrew Jackson who would become president ten years later. It was incorporated as a city in 1826. The name was chosen because Memphis, Tennessee was along the Mississippi River, just as the Egyptian Memphis was along the Nile. The word Memphis is a corruption of the ancient Egyptian Men-nefer, which means enduring and beautiful.
NORTHAMPTON -- Serio's Market, the iconic neighborhood grocery store and deli at the corner of State and Center streets, will close for good Friday, according to a message posted to the store's Facebook page.

"The dismal winter sales paired with three large pieces of equipment breaking down within one week of each other made us realize it's time," the message reads. It continues: "Honestly we have no choice."

Serio's Pharmacy, next door at 63 State St., will remain open.

The 65 State St. market has struggled financially over the past decade. In November, after its troubles were first reported by the Daily Hampshire Gazette, general manager Jamie Golec told MassLive the business was on the verge of bankruptcy, facing $60,000 in outstanding debt and a lawsuit by supplier Bozzuto's Inc. over $32,000 in unpaid bills.

Golec was not immediately available for comment Monday morning. An employee who answered the phone said she had no comment on the Facebook message, which was posted just before 7 a.m.

An earlier blow came in 2014 with the sudden death of Christina A. Cavallari, the market's owner and a beloved member of the community. Cavallari's husband and business partner Gary Golec -- Jamie Golec's father -- has continued to be a presence at the store, grilling hamburgers and hot dogs outside on Fridays.

The store, which opened in 1950, was founded by Cavallari's grandfather, Joseph Serio, who emigrated from Sicily in 1902.

Serio's 67-year run in the city will come to an end at 6 p.m. Friday, according to the message. A sale of Serio's memorabilia will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

"We are so very thankful for this experience and all of the wonderful people we met along the way," the message reads.

This is a developing story that will be updated after further reporting.
SPRINGFIELD -- The general public will get its first chance in four decades to visit Springfield Union Station at a pair of special events in June.

There will be a black tie gala celebrating the rebirth of Union Station on Saturday, June 24. An Open House for the public is scheduled to take place the next day, Sunday, June 25.

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, hosted a walk through of the refurbished station for media members Monday afternoon.

"I have always been a proponent of rising old buildings when you can do so with an eye toward the future," Neal said.

Construction on the $95-million rehab effort began in 2014. Workers demolished a baggage warehouse to make room for bus berths. A 377-space parking garage now takes the space once occupied by the Hotel Charles on Main Street.

Union Station will host intracity buses from the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority and likely intercity buses by Peter Pan Bus Lines.

But as of now, train traffic through Union Station is lacking.

Amtrak runs a total of six north-south trains a day -- on he Northeast Regional and Vermonter -- and one eastbound train and one westbound train on the Lake Shore Limited.

Starting in 2018, the Connecticut Department of Transportation plans to increase passenger service so that Springfield passengers will be able to board trains every 45 minutes during the morning and evening peak hours and approximately every 90 minutes during off-peak periods.

That works out to 8 to 12 more trains a day -- with ticketsold through MetroNorth Railroad at Springfield and connecting with train service to New York City's Grand Central Terminal.

The Connecticut trains are expected to operate as fast as 110 miles an hour, cutting travel time between Springfield and New Haven to as little as 79 minutes.

Planners expect 5 million to 8 million people to pass through the Union Station complex each year.

This is a developing story which will be updated with more details and new photos and video from inside Union Station.
SPRINGFIELD -- U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal had a two-letter answer Monday when asked if he could obtain federal funding for Union Station in today's Capitol Hill.

"No," he said.

The $95 million reconstruction of Union Station, now nearing completion, was accomplished with $80 million in federal money and the rest in state funds. It was all collected through the federal fuels tax used to fund improvements to the nation's transportation infrastructure, Neal said.

The federal money was an earmark, a request put in by Neal and approved the House and then by the Senate. The process of earmarks, often tucked into larger spending bills, is often under fire from those who say its simply a way for powerful lawmakers to feed pet projects and consolidate power.

House Republicans banned them in 2011. Late last year, House Speaker Paul Ryan halted a planned repeal of that ban.

Neal said Monday he used earmarks not only to rebuild Union Station, but also to get the $63 million federal courthouse on State Street built in 2008 and to accomplish the $200 million State Street Corridor Redevelopment project.

"I always defend my earmarks," Neal said. "I come from that tradition. There seems to be a situation now where public officials ask for the funding and then run away when there is criticism."

Neal announced his first run for public office, a seat on the Springfield City Council, with an event at Union Station in 1977. Part of his platform 40 years ago was the refurbishment of Union Station.

Now it's coming true with grand opening events set for June. He'll celebrate the 40th anniversary of that first announcement June 23. There will be a black tie gala June 24 and public open house June 25.

"I think, obviously, I get an award for persistence," he said jokingly.

Neal went on to thank everyone from Govs. Deval Patrick and Charlie Baker, to former U.S. Sens. Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, to the The Republican's editorial page and longtime publisher David Starr, to Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

LaHood, an Illinois Republican, served with Neal in the House before Democratic President Barack Obama appointed LaHood U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Neal cited his efforts on behalf of Union Station as an example of across-the-aisle cooperation.
WESTFIELD  Gov. Charlie Baker made a stop in Westfield Sunday afternoon for a change of command ceremony at Barnes Air National Guard Base.

Baker presided over the swearing-in ceremony of Col. James M. Suhr, who is now the commander of the 104th Fighter Wing, taking over for Col. James J. Keefe, who served in the position for four years.

Baker, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan and Major General Gary Keefe, the Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard and Keefe's older brother, were among those who attended the ceremony held at the base.

"This is a little bit of a family affair with the number of Keefes we have represented here," said Baker thanking James Keefe, his brother Garry Keefe and their father retired adjutant general George Keefe for their service. "Thank you and your family for everything you have done on behalf of this Commonwealth and this country."

Baker said that while speeches at ceremonies can run long there is a bumper sticker he saw that said it all.

"This is the USA, the home of the free, because of the brave," he said. "Thank you all for what you do on our behalf every day."

Suhr said he is honored to move to Massachusetts with his wife Jennifer to take command of the 104th.

"Getting to be sworn in to take over the best fighter wing in the Air Force is the highlight of my career," he said. "It's always difficult to come in and take over a very high performing unit, but we have been welcomed with open arms and I'm excited to get started."

Prior to arriving in Massachusetts, Suhr served as the Director of Staff for the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC., where he led an Air Staff Directorate of 42 personnel. He integrated four directorates advising Air Force Operations on air, space, cyber, special operations, counter-proliferation, homeland security, and weather operations, to support national security objectives and military strategy.



Suhr earned his Air Force commission in 1993 through the West Virginia University Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He served as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer prior to attending undergraduate pilot training.

He is the first active duty Air Force commander for the unit and will remain on active duty while serving as Commander of Barnes Air National Guard Base as a part of the U.S. Air Force Total Force Integration taking place across the total force which includes the Air Force, the Air National Guard, and the Air Force Reserves as a way to become more efficient, officials said.

Barnes is home to the Massachusetts Air National Guard 104th Fighter Wing and the Massachusetts Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility. The installation supports over 530 full time employees and more than 1,070 Air National Guard Airmen and National Guard soldiers.

Keefe, a native of Northampton, will now serve as the Assistant Adjutant General of the Massachusetts Air National Guard at the Massachusetts Joint Forces Headquarters at Hanscom Air Force Base.

"It is bittersweet. I'm glad for the wing and I think my family is going to be happy because I can spend some more time with them, but I am going to miss being out here every day working with the men and women in this wing who have done such an outstanding job," he said.
Day WIthout a Woman

(Courtesy WomensMarch Instagram)

The organizers of the Women's March that rocked the country following inauguration day are back at it for International Women's Day this Wednesday. This time, protesters will hold "A Day Without a Woman" strike, where women are asked to take the day off from work to highlight their role in the workplace and forms of discrimination and injustice that can take place there.

The day of strike is inspired by "A Day Without Immigrants," a 2006 boycott to anti-immigration measures proposed by George W. Bush that was repeated last month in response to President Donald Trump's actions against both legal and undocumented immigrants. Like the Women's March in January, strikes are expected in major cities across the United States - including Boston.

Organizers ask participants protest in three ways:

Take the day off from "paid and unpaid labor" Avoid shopping for the day, unless you are purchasing from a business managed by women or minorities. Wear the color red to stand in solidarity with the protest. The color, organizers say, symbolizes love and sacrifice.

The strike is one part of a larger, grassroots movement to keep women's rights in the spotlight as the Trump administration begins to shape policy at home and abroad.

Organizers aim to recognize, in addition to their outlined "Unity Principles," the many reports of women receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequalities like workplace discrimination and sexual harassment. The strike also highlights the problems facing trans and nonconforming people in the workplace.

But not all women are on board with the idea of taking a day off from work to ensure gender equality. Some, such as Los Angeles Times opinion writer Meghan Duam, say the idea of striking is for privileged protesters. Duam writes: "Make no mistake, March 8 will mostly be a day without women who can afford to skip work and shuffle childcare and household duties to someone else."

Though Wednesday's strike aims to specifically highlight women's crucial role in the workplace, the more general "Unity Principles" of the strike's organizers are at odds with the principles of some conservative women. While Women's March organizers support "Reproductive Freedom," demanding access to birth control and safe, legal abortions, about 40 percent of women in America believe abortions should be illegal in all or most cases, according to a Pew Research poll conducted in January.

It is unclear how the "Day Without a Woman" strike will impact Boston businesses. The Boston Globe reports that many popular eateries in the city, like Flour, Porto and No. 9 Park are run by female chefs who could choose to close down their shops for the day.

And while striking is technically illegal in Massachusetts, it remains to be seen whether some female educators - who make up the vast majority of teachers in the Commonwealth, according to the Globe - will support the national movement in some fashion on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Boston Public Schools said there is no indication that many teachers will not work on Wednesday, but schools are also prepared for that scenario.

It is unlikely the strike will draw the same historic crowds of the January march, where more than 500,000 people gathered in Washington D.C. Still, any lack of female workers is sure to interrupt the ebb and flow of some workers' hump days.
Hundreds of brave participants took to the freezing waters of Boston Harbor Sunday morning to raise money for a harbor restoration project.

Harpoon hosted its annual "Shamrock Splash" event Sunday to cap off the brewery's weekend of St. Patrick's Day festivities. Participants dressed to entertain for the event's costume contest: onesies, speedos, tutus and a wave of green rushed into the icy harbor at M Street Beach in South Boston. Those who registered received a Harpoon beer and post-diving meal from "B Good." JetBlue offered raffle prizes, including a round-trip flight for best-dressed in the costume contest.

The event raises thousands of dollars for Save the Harbor, a non-profit organization that works to restore the historic Boston Harbor and initiate programs at public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket.
pojpg-fd2b8d88a7d210fa-1.jpg

Amherst police charge 22 with breaking and entering after he was found sleeping in a woman's home Saturday night.

(Republican file photo)

AMHERST -- A 22-year-old man is facing a misdemeanor breaking and entering charge after a Beston Street woman found him sleeping in her home Saturday night.

The woman was home at the time and heard a noise, according to police.

She locked herself in a room and called police. When officers arrived, they found Austin Cunningham asleep in a chair, according to police records.

Cunningham, who is listed as a dining services employee at UMass Amherst, is expected to be arraigned Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.
The owner of a chain of candy stores operating in Massachusetts has been ordered to pay a five-figure amount in restitution to workers and penalties to the state.

The office of Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey opened an investigation into Boston-based candy store chain Sugar Heaven for numerous workplace violations last year.

There are two Sugar Heaven locations currently in the Boston area - one on Boylston Street in Boston and another within the Assembly Row shopping center in Somerville. One was previously located in Dedham. The stores are owned by David J. Sapers.

Many Sugar Heaven employees are teenagers under the age of 18 who regularly worked later or longer than is permitted for by law, including closing the stores, according to the attorney general's office. Sugar Heaven's Boston location is open nightly until 10 p.m., and the Somerville location is open until 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Sapers is also accused of several wage violations.

"The investigation also found that Sapers failed to pay overtime to four employees," the attorney general's office said in a statement. "Sapers also allegedly failed to pay several workers their final paychecks on a timely basis and required employees to pay for cash register shortages and mistakes that he alleged they were responsible for."

The citations total $37,363 in restitution and penalties against the businesses.
Jo ringer.png

A state police alert regarding Joanne Ringer, who has been reported missing and is the subject of a search.

(Massachusetts State Police photo)

CLARKSBURG -- Police are seeking the public's help locating a 39-year-old woman who was last seen Thursday when she left town in her dark green VW Jetta sedan. Joanne M. Ringer may have been driving to Easthampton, according to a release from the Berkshire District Attorney's Office. The Jetta has Connecticut license plates 5AA EX2. Ringer is a white female, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and 130 pounds. She has brown eyes, but may be wearing colored contact lenses. Ringers hair is brown with purple streaks. She has tattoos in assorted places including the full length of her right arm, specifically a female image spanning from elbow to wrist. Ringer also has assorted piercings over her face and torso area. Those with information are asked to call the Massachusetts State Police Cheshire Barracks at 413-743-4700. Or, the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office, 413-499-1112.
WARWICK -- Residents of this tiny Franklin County town gathered Sunday to share their shock, pain and grief after fire ripped through a home early Saturday, taking the lives of a mother and four young children.

The family's father and a fifth child managed to escape the blaze, which broke out around 12:45 a.m. on March 4.

Rev. Gordon Ellis, a guest minister at the Trinitarian Congregational Church, spoke to community members huddled in their hats and coats in the cold sanctuary. The church had run out of heating oil the night before. An oil delivery truck idled outside as Ellis delivered an emotional service.

"Where can we find solace at a time like this?" asked Ellis. "We can find comfort in each other, but we need more than human help. We need divine help."

Ellis spoke of a Christian God who suffers along with humanity. "A God who weeps with us can comfort us immensely," he said. The congregation sang "Amazing Grace," and Ellis bestowed blessings among those who lined up for communion.

"This is a time of tragedy," said selectman Lawrence "Doc" Pruyne to the congregation. "It is a time to be driven into the arms of those who remain. That's our community."

After the service, Pruyne said he knew the family well, because his wife taught piano to two of the daughters, as well as to the mother.

"They would come over, spend time, and listen to each others' lessons," he said. "One of the girls drew a picture for my wife, just last Wednesday. They were wonderful. Just a wonderful family."

Miryam Williamson said knows the children's father through volunteer work on a town committee.

"He's a nice guy, very smart, and a good father," she said. "He's always been absolutely devoted to his children. As a person of faith, I'm really struggling with this. In my 35 years in this town, I've never seen anything like it."

Officials with the Salvation Army, who were present at the service, said they were setting up a relief fund and had provided food and coffee to the firefighters.

Two of the deceased children attended the nearby Warwick Community School, which was open all day for grief counseling. Pioneer Valley Regional School District Superintendent Ruth Miller said support would be available for children and families.

"It's devastating for the children," said Miller. "But it's also very hard on the teachers and staff. On Monday, our job will be to go in, chin up, and make sure we have as normal a day as possible, while still acknowledging the depth of everybody's grief."

Miller said the schools are committed to in-depth engagement. "This community will be healing and struggling for a long time," she said.

Town Coordinator David Young said local volunteer firefighters responded in a valiant manner. "They got the call when they were home sleeping in bed," he said. "They were on on the scene within minutes. The house was fully engulfed. There was nothing they could do."

He said Warwick does not have town water, and that firefighters had to break through ice on a nearby pond and haul fire hoses to the house. He said a tanker truck filled with water was among the first vehicles on the scene.

Young said fire companies from surrounding communities covered Warwick for 24 hours after the fire in order to give local fire fighters a break.



"They're shocked and exhausted," he said.

Young's remarks echoed those of Warwick Fire Chief Ron Gates, who spoke while holding back tears at a Saturday press conference. "There was nothing we could have done different," said Gates. "We lost a mother and four children."

The surviving father and child were transported to a hospital in Keene with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said. The names of the victims have not yet been released by the Northwestern District Attorney's office.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Firefighters were told that the blaze started with a wood stove in the kitchen.
northampton district court.jpg

(The Republican file)

A man has been sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to allegations that he elbowed a black man in downtown Northampton, calling him a racial slur and said "Black lives don't matter" in May of 2016.

James L. McIntyre, of Northampton, admitted to charges of a civil rights violation and assault and battery to intimidate in Northampton District Court on Friday.

Mcintyre has a long history of alcohol abuse and was allegedly drunk when he told police on May 3, 2016 that a black man had threatened to pull a gun on him near the Academy of Music.

But when officers caught up with the black man, they got a different story -- one in which McIntyre was a racist, intoxicated aggressor.

Officers patted down the man McIntyre claimed threatened him and found no weapons. The man then told officers that he was walking near the Faces department store when McIntyre "forcefully struck him with his elbow."

"[The victim] stated that McIntyre said, '[expletive] you, [expletive,]'" Northampton Police Officer Brandon Lagoy wrote in his report. "[The victim] stated that he was not hurt by the elbow strike, but had trouble restraining himself from fighting McIntyre."

McIntyre allegedly then said "Black lives don't matter," after which the victim left the area to avoid the confrontation, according to the victim's statements to police.

The victim then walked to the police station and filled out a crime report.

Another officer spoke with McIntyre and smelled alcohol on his breath, according to a police report. He was then placed in protective custody.

McIntyre was arraigned in July of 2016. On March 3, 2017 he pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to six months in the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center, a minimum security facility in Springfield for inmates with substance abuse disorders.
NORTHAMPTON - The Office of Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan on Monday confirmed that a mother and four children were killed in a fire early Saturday morning in Warwick.

According to Sullivan spokeswoman Mary Carey, the identities were confirmed by the office of the Massachusetts Medical Examiner.

The woman was identified at Lucinda Seago, 42.

The medical also confirmed the identities of four of her children, ages 7, 9, 12, and 15.

Sullivan's office did not disclose the names of the children in keeping with an existing policy, she said.

Seago's husband, Scott, and a fifth child escaped the fire. They were treated at a hospital.

The fire at 405 Richmond Road in Warwick was reported to the fire department at 12:45 a.m. Saturday.

Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for state Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey, said the fire remains under investigation by the fire marshal's office and the Northwestern District Attorney.

Meith said the cause has not yet been determined but investigators are looking at a problem with the wood stove as a possible cause.

According to the Greenfield Recorder, Lucinda Seago was a member of the town Board of Health.

Their deaths are the 18th fire fatalities of the year.
PARLIN POND FATAL_MWS_01.jpg

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife published this photo of the crash scene.

(Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has identified the woman killed in a snowmobile crash Saturday evening.

Authorities said the body Karen Pillman, 45, of Wilmington, was discovered by Maine game wardens on a trail in the Parlin Pond Township in Somerset County.

Pillman was leading a group of three snowmobilers across the Parlin Pond on the Parlin Connector Trail, the department reported. Pillman had just left the pond on her 2010 Polaris 800 snowmobile when she drifted to the left side of the trail and crashed into several trees.

Pillman was flung from the vehicle and landed on the trail.

Authorities responded to the incident around 5 p.m. and attempted to resuscitate Pillman. She was eventually pronounced dead at the scene.

Game wardens said Pillman might have been going to0 fast on the trail, although they are still investigating the incident.

Pillman was Maine's ninth snowmobile-related fatality this season.

The wardens said several non-life threatening snowmobile accident occurred over the weekend due to the deteriorating condition of the trails. Melting snow has created hazards on many trails, and brooks and streams have started to flood into some areas.

Wardens warned that exposed rocks, stumps and ice are starting to appear on trails.

"Snowmobilers must remain alert and operate at speeds that will provide plenty of time to stop to avoid hazards," authorities said.
LONGMEADOW - Two people were arrested Monday in West Hartford, Conn., for allegedly stealing a Longmeadow woman's idling car from her driveway earlier in the day.

Longmeadow police said the Bliss Road resident had started her car at around 7 a.m. to warm it up, briefly leaving it unlocked and unattended while she returned inside. Within "a short period of time," the car was stolen.

Using the car's GPS technology, officers tracked the car as it traveled down I-91 and into West Hartford, where the suspects led local police on a short pursuit before they were taken into custody.

Police did not immediately release information about the suspects.

"We are asking residents to be aware of the dangers of leaving your unattended vehicle running, regardless of your location, as this is common practice for many," police said in a Facebook post detailing the incident. "Also, we remind residents to always lock your vehicles, especially during the overnight hours."

Longmeadow police thanked police in West Hartford and Newington, Conn., for their assistance.
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3/3/17-Springfield-Raymond Collazo appears for his trial in Hampden Superior Court on Friday. (Dave Roback / The Republican)

SPRINGFIELD -- Dayana Pagan told jurors Monday about spending time with her 5-month-old son on the day before he was rushed to the hospital.

"He smiled up at me, I smiled back at him," she testified at the Hampden Superior Court murder trial of Raymond Collazo, accused of killing Davian Collazo by shaking him on Dec. 10, 2010.

Pagan, 31, and Collazo, 29, were both charged in 2013 with murder in their baby's death. Pagan still faces that charge, but her trial is separated from Collazo's and she was called to testify for the prosecution.

Assistant District Attorney Jane Mulqueen said in her opening statement Davian died after being shaken -- which injured his brain -- and being hit, causing blunt impact to his head.

Defense lawyer Jeffrey S. Brown told jurors Davian's death resulted from undiagnosed medical conditions. He said the fractures in the baby's limbs were the result of a metabolic bone disease and said the doctor seeing Davian on Dec. 3, 2010, didn't notice the fractures. Brown said Davian had a condition of chronic bleeding in his brain.

Pagan said she and Collazo broke up soon after Davian's birth, but Collazo visited Davian and their daughter daily after work. Collazo was staying overnight the week Davian died because Davian had a cold, she said.

Davian suffered a severe burn on his buttocks when he was a few weeks old, Pagan said, and was treated at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Boston. She said Collazo was changing the baby and accidentally spilled coffee on him.

Davian needed skin grafts, Pagan said.

She said in the weeks leading up to Dec. 10, Davian would throw up after having formula from a bottle and she was told by a doctor to feed him an ounce at a time and burp him.

Pagan brought Davian to a pediatrician Dec. 3, 2010 for symptoms of a cold.

In the early morning hours of Dec. 10, 2010, Pagan said, Collazo offered to take over the rest of the night's care of the baby at her Springfield apartment.

Collazo brought the baby -- who was not breathing -- to her in the morning, she said. She called 911 and an operator instructed Collazo in giving CPR to Davian.

Mulqueen asked, "Dayana, did you ever shake your son?" Pagan said she did not.

Under cross-examination by Brown, Pagan said Davian was born by an emergency cesarean section.

She said Davian slept most of Dec. 9, which was unusual for him.

Collazo was "really good" with both their children, Pagan said. She said she never saw him shake Davian.

Mary O'Sullivan, now retired, testified she was the investigator from the Department of Children and Families who went to the hospital when Davian was rushed there.

She said in her interview with Collazo, he was "quiet, but cooperative."

She said Collazo told her he rocked the baby back to sleep at 2 a.m. but when Collazo woke to go to work in the morning Davian wasn't breathing.

The trial before Judge Mary-Lou Rup continues Tuesday.
PITTSFIELD - A 29-year-old Pittsfield man was sentenced on Monday to up to 6 years in state prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of raping a child, according to the office of Berkshire District Attorney David E. Capeless.

Zachary S. Santoro pleaded guilty to four counts of rape and abuse of a child and three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child over age 14.

The charges are related to incidents that occured in Lanesborough between June and August 2014. The victim in the case, now 18, was 16 at the time.

Her name was not disclosed to the press. Also not disclosed was if there was any relationship between Santoro and the victim.

Judge John Agostini sentenced Santoro to serve 4 to 6 years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction in Walpole on the rape charges, and 4 to 5 years on the indecent assault charges. The sentences are concurrent, meaning the most he will serve is 6 years.

The investigation was conducted by state troopers assigned to the District Attorney's Office.
Massachusetts State Police have released the identity of the victim of Sunday's fatal crash on Route 140 in Lakeville.

Authorities said 50-year-old Thomas Kilroe was traveling northbound on Route 140 when his 2007 Toyota Camry went off the right side of the road and struck a tree. State police responded to the incident around 5:50 a.m. Sunday.

The crash occurred between Exits 8 and 9. No other injuries were reported.

Police said Kilroe, of Wareham, was deceased at the scene.

The crash is still being investigated by the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and local authorities.

It is currently unknown what caused Kilroe's vehicle to veer off the road.
Regular customers were mourning the loss of Serio's Market on Monday, after the decades-old Northampton store announced its impending closure.

In a Facebook post, Serio's said that "dismal" winter sales and the failure of a compressor and two freezers made it impossible for the business to continue. The shop, which has been family-owned for generations, will close at 6 p.m. on Friday.

"Honestly we have no choice," the Facebook past said. "We are so very thankful for this experience and all of the wonderful people we met along the way."

To all of our loyal customers, community members, friends and family... It's true. Serio's market will be closing this... Posted by Serio's Market on Monday, March 6, 2017

The announcement sparked an outpouring of appreciation on social media and from customers interviewed by MassLive.

For 15 years, Palmer Yurica has been a regular customer at Serio's. She gasped in shock when told of the closure by a reporter.

"I'm really very sad about it," Yurica said. "It's been such a lovely place to come where I see my neighbors, where I saw Gary [Golec, the store's owner] and his partner [Christina Cavallari] before she passed. It's the kind of market that I want to shop at. And it just fills a niche that no one else in town is doing."

Anna Arthur, a Northampton resident who has been visiting Serio's for a decade, said she was "heartbroken" and would miss the friendly staff and focus on local foods and produce.

She also described the closure as emblematic of downtown Northampton's shift away from older, family-owned businesses -- a development she said favors tourists over residents seeking day-to-day essentials.

"I feel like it's become a less usable town. There's a lot less utility to the shops than there used to be," Arthur said. "You can get a million amazing pastries but it's hard to find a good pair of socks."

And the store's Facebook post announcing the closure drew more than 20 comments from appreciative and sad customers, thanking the owners and sharing memories.

The closure comes as Serio's is facing a default judgment in a lawsuit filed by a supplier over unpaid debt, but general manager Jaimie Golec said the closure was unrelated to the legal dispute.

"It was the equipment and the sales being so low," Golec said. "It was absolutely not the lawsuit."

The lawsuit, filed in Hampshire Superior Court on Nov. 10, claimed that Serio's has failed to pay for $32,000 of goods supplied by Bozzuto's from January through October, In a November interview, Golec acknowledged the debt and said the store had offered to begin paying it back in monthly installments, but had been rebuffed.

"We're not disputing we owe the money," she said. "They're just not being reasonable."

Bozzuto's, based in Cheshire, Connecticut, is asking a judge to force Serio's to pay the unpaid bills, in addition to interest, court costs and attorney's fees. An account statement included in court filings shows that Serio's has paid down $1,700 of its $34,000 debt since July, with the last payment in September.

"Serio's Inc. has refused and neglected to make further payments in accordance with the terms of the contract and invoices, and have failed to comply with any subsequent oral or written agreements," the complaint says.

According to court filings, Serio's had failed to respond to the lawsuit. The court issued a default order against the business on Jan. 31, and on Feb. 27 Bozzuto's filed a motion for a default judgment of $35,974, including the debt, interest and attorney's fees.

The hearing on the judgment has not yet been scheduled, an official with the Hampshire Superior Court clerk's office said.

Golec said the store was still attempting to negotiate with its suppliers. And Serio's said on Facebook that it would be holding a sale of memoribilia from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, with proceeds going toward the payment of local vendors.

Serio's has been a Northampton fixture since 1902, when Joseph Serio emigrated from Sicily and began selling fruits and vegetables out of a cart on the streets of the city. In 1950 the business moved into its State Street storefront, and has remained a family operation.

Christina A. Cavallari, Serio's granddaughter, owned the store until 2014, when she died unexpectedly, prompting her husband Gary Golec to take ownership amid a period of public mourning. Jaimie Golec, his daughter, joined the family business in 2014 and quickly realized that the shop was in financial trouble.

Paperwork had been poorly catalogued and the discovery of improperly filed corporate taxes cost the store $27,000, Golec said in November. Cavallari's family began charging rent, which it had not when Cavallari ran the shop. Combined with a spiking electricity bill and a dwindling customer base, Serio's was unable to pay its suppliers, according to Golec.

Bozzuto's lawsuit covered only part of $60,000 Serio's owed vendors, Golec said in November.
HOLYOKE - Those who lost everything in the New Year's Day fire at 106 North East St. say they have been buoyed by the outpouring of support from the community.

Three people were killed in the fire and more than two-dozen families were displaced in the blaze, which was reported just before 9 a.m.

Community support in wake of the devastating fire took tangible form Monday for many of those displaced with the distribution of $114,681 from the Holyoke Mayor's Fire Relief Fund at the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce office at 177 High St.

The 30 checks to the families affected by the fire tallied to approximately $3,800 apiece, said Kathleen Anderson, president of the chamber, which managed the distribution through its Centennial Foundation.

Among those who arrived at the office Monday morning was Alison Sokolosky, who was 35 weeks pregnant when the fire broke out.

"I think it's amazing how much people from the community wanted to help," she said.

Sokolosky arrived at the chamber with her infant daughter, Evelyn, and her other daughter, 4-year-old Amelia.

Sokolosky said her family, which includes her fiance and 7-year-old son, has been fortunate to find new housing within the city.

Others, she said, are still looking for housing. "The market for housing is saturated," she said.

Sokolosky praised the efforts of Betty Medina-Lichtenstein at of Enlace de Familias, a nonprofit family services provider at 299-301 Main St., in finding housing for those displaced. "She is doing so much," Sokolosky said. "She is magic."

Juan Sanchez said he too was thankful to the community for the help. He said he has since settled in to a mobile home in Springfield's Indian Orchard.

Sanchez said, however, he continues to deeply mourn the loss of a Bible in the fire that had great personal meaning to him. It was a gift from a friend who helped turn him toward God and away from addiction.

"The Bible is a story," he said. "The Bible for me is love, the Bible for me is priceless. Another Bible is not the same."

Kimberly Houle said she has since found housing on York Street in Springfield's South End.

"It's OK," she said. "It suits me and my five cats."

Houle said she holds out hope that another of her cats, a Maine coon named Smoky, missing since the fire, somehow managed to survive and will be reunited with her.

Armando Perez, who was displaced by the fire along with his girlfriend, Jazmayra Irrizati, said they have since found housing on Maple Street.

"We are doing OK," he said. "We are getting by little by little."

Julie Mann, has also moved with her family to Maple Street. "It feels good," she said. "But it's not going to replace what we have lost. It's not going to be like home."

Three people were killed in the fire: Maria Cartagena, 48, and Jorge Munoz, 55, both of Holyoke, and Trevor R. Wadleigh, 34, of Easthampton.
handcuffs via Wilbraham PD's FB page.jpg

New arrest data has been posted on Facebook by the Wilbraham Police Department, which regularly uses the social media site to relay information about crime in the community.

(WILBRAHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT / FACEBOOK)

WILBRAHAM -- Officers found multiple bags of heroin in the socks of a Springfield man with multiple warrants, according to new arrest information posted on Facebook by the Wilbraham Police Department, which regularly uses the social media site to relay information about crime.

Anthony Roman 38, of Indian Orchard, was a passenger in a Nissan stopped on Boston Road by Officer Christopher Arventos on Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. The registered owner of the car had a suspended license and Roman had two warrants for his arrest, police said. He was later found to have several bags of heroin in his sock, police said.

On Feb. 15 at 11:13 p.m., Officers Mark Shlosser, Brian Strong and James Gagner responded to a residence off Stony Hill Road to investigate a domestic disturbance. A heavily intoxicated 53-year-old man was charged with domestic assault and battery on a household or family member after allegedly assaulting two females, according to police, who do not release the names of suspects in domestic violence cases.

On Feb. 15 at 8:29 p.m., Officer Daniel Ryan stopped a vehicle on Boston Road whose registered owner had a warrant for her arrest. Sarah Gorra, 41, of Springfield, was also charged with driving without a license. K-9 Officer Joseph Brewer assisted Ryan at the scene.

On Feb. 18, just before 2 a.m., Officer James Gagner stopped a Honda with no plate lights that failed to stay in its lane on Boston Road, police said. Jonas Sanchez, 33, of Hartford, was charged negligent driving, unlicensed operation, and OUI-liquor after he failed field sobriety tests, police said.

Sgt. Mark Paradis and Officer Lawrence Rich responded to a motor vehicle crash that occurred along the 600 block of Stony Hill Road at 11:37 a.m. on Feb. 18. The driver, 36-year-old Daniel Mills of Taunton, "was pacing around and seemed like he was under the influence of some type of drug," police said.

Officer Sean Casella, a drug recognition expert, was called to the scene to investigate. Mills was subsequently charged with OUI-drugs, reckless operation, and possession of Xanax without a prescription.

Shortly before 8 p.m. on Feb. 18, Officer Christopher Rogers stopped a vehicle whose registered owner had a warrant for his arrest. Shaun Turgeon, 38, of Ludlow was taken into custody without incident, police said.

Just after 11 a.m. on Feb. 21, Wilbraham Police Officers Michael Cygan and Aderico Florindo responded to East Longmeadow to enforce an arrest warrant for Michael Levesque, 20, of Wilbraham, who was taken into custody without incident, police said.

On Feb. 22 at 4:30 p.m., police arrested 23-year-old Raven Williams after a traffic stop on Boston Road. A vehicle check revealed that the Chicopee woman had a suspended license and two warrants for her arrest, according to police, who took her into custody without incident.

On Feb. 23 at 1:17 p.m., Officer Daniel Ryan observed a man walking down Old Boston Road carrying a police K-9 sign that belongs to the Wilbraham Police Department. Ronald Chapman, 40, of Amenia, New York, was charged with larceny under $250.

On Feb. 24 at 3:45 p.m., police arrested a West Springfield man after a traffic stop on Stony Hill Road. The driver of the Ford Explorer, 55-year-old John Giordano, had a warrant for his arrest and was taken into custody without incident, police said.
Screen Shot 2017-03-06 at 12.18.02 PM.png

Attorney General Maura Healey is Mount Wachusett Community College's commencement speaker

(Mount Wachusett Community College)

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey will deliver the keynote address during Mount Wachusett Community College's commencement ceremony, the college announced Monday.

MWCC President Daniel Asquino said Healey has shown dedication to community engagement and civil justice for the public. Healey serves an example of MWCC commitment to those values, Asquino said.

"Her passion and ongoing work for justice for residents across the state aligns with our ongoing commitment to civic learning and fostering community engagement among our students," Asquino said.

During her tenure as the state's attorney general, Healey has prioritized issues like curtailing illegal drug use, escalating health care costs and worker's rights.

Healey also served as the head of the state's Civil Rights Division and as Chief of the Public Protection and Business and Labor Bureaus.

Healey said that she was honored to speak at the MWCC commencement ceremony, to be held on May 17.

"MWCC has a rich legacy spanning over 50 years as a school that prepares young adults to lead a life focused on serving a community that's bigger than themselves. As your Attorney General, I'm proud to be speaking at a school that places such high value on ensuring that its graduates give back to their communities," Healey said.
Members of the Worcester's Ghanaian community joined together to raise their flag over City Hall in celebration of Ghana's 60th year of independence.

In 1957, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to regain its independence from British rule. According to Ken Asafo-Adjei, a leader of the Ghanaian community in Worcester, it was not long after the country gained its independence that some Ghanaian people moved to Massachusetts.

Asafo-Adjei said the earliest contingent of Ghanaian people in Worcester included students attending Clark University, back in the 1960s.

"When I was coming here, the first person who told me about the city pronounced it Wor-chester," Asafo-Adjei said.

By the 1990s, large swaths of Ghanaian people began moving to Worcester. Today, Asafo-Adjei estimates the community to be over 20,000 strong in Worcester.

But why Worcester?

"The city itself has opened and embraced us as one of their own," Asafo-Adjei said. "And then, of course, jobs, the school, the health... Massachusetts is doing well."

For Asafo-Adjei and the rest of the Ghanaian community in Worcester, Independence Day is an opportunity to celebrate their heritage with a city that gave them another home.

"Here has been more or less a second home, and we cherish and we honor and we love that," Asafo-Adjei.
human_service-workers.jpg

A personal care attendant works with a client in his home. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN FILE)

In the article, "Shortage of human service workers," March 3, page C1, the Republican outlines, based on a report by the Massachusetts Council on Human Service providers, how the state is having difficulty finding enough human service workers to satisfy the need. Many of these workers are those who care for the elderly and disabled, providing services as home health aides and personal care assistants. As the article notes, the salary for these jobs is low and many of the workers are forced to work two or three jobs to make ends meet.

These health care aides and personal care assistants provide care and comfort to those in our society who are most in need. Perhaps if they were paid a living wage, more people would accept jobs in this field. It is often difficult work and sometimes heartbreaking work. The clients of these service workers depend on their help and assistance.

The first wave of baby boomers are now in their 70s. As baby boomers age, the need for these service workers will only increase.

Perhaps our state government representatives should spend more of their time addressing this increasing need.



Pat Banusewicz, Springfield
During the NBA All-Star Technology Summit in New Orleans, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban shared a bold prediction about the future of jobs: that within the next decade, as automation becomes the norm, free thinkers who excel in liberal arts will be in high-demand.

Cuban believes that the amount of change well see for jobs in the next five or 10 years will dwarf what weve observed in the past 30 years, and that as artificial intelligence and machine learning takes center stage, there will be a greater need for expertise in subjects such as English, philosophy and foreign languages.

Renee Morad

Full Story: https://www.forbes.com/sites/reneemorad/2017/02/28/why-mark-cuban-believes-liberal-arts-is-the-future-of-jobs/#6d585e857a92
This town has come to symbolize what can happen when a city builds on its indigenous strengths to attract and retain the talent needed to compete in a modern economy.

Tom Still

Full Story: http://www.innovationamerica.us/innovation-daily/58010-inside-wisconsin-tom-still-column-no-8-17-eau-claire-proves-smaller-communities-can-compete-for-talent?utm_source=innovation-dailyyour-daily-newsletter-highlighting-global-innovation-news-and-trends&utm_medium=gazetty&utm_campaign=03-06-2017
Our big story, is the slashing of state funding for the Montana University System and the very real impacts it could have.

Right now the education committee is discussing a bill that would cut as much as 23-million dollars in funding.

Governor Bullock made a comment that a cut this big could possibly force the closure of one of the states colleges. ABC FOX Montana went right to the Board of Regents to see what the governing body of the Montana University System has to say.

By Cassie Schirm

Full Story: http://www.kulr8.com/story/34663334/board-of-regents-explain-how-the-233-million-budget-cut-could-cost-students
The California Strategic Growth Council has $140 million in cap-and-trade revenue for the new Transformative Climate Community program. The aim of the program is to catalyze environmental and economic investment in disadvantaged communities.

As part of the Transformative Climate Communities, the community can decide which greenhouse gas reduction methods suit it best, and combine them accordingly. The projects need to be community-led and reflect the environmental and economic needs of the neighborhood.

rzelen

Full Story: https://www.planetizen.com/node/91511/california-investing-transformative-climate-communities
Rural people and issues generally receive little attention from the urban-centric media and policy elites. Yet, rural America makes unique contributions to the nations character and culture as well as provides most of its food, raw materials, drinking water and clean air. The recent presidential election also reminds us that, though rural America may be ignored, it continues to influence the nations future.

Kenneth Johnson

Full Story: https://theconversation.com/where-is-rural-america-and-what-does-it-look-like-72045
When scaling a mountain, never look down. Its a simple lesson I learned while climbing as a kid in Norway. To focus on the objective and not let anything hold you back.

I think about this often in my current role as the leader of a medical device business. Its incredible to see how innovation has driven the science of human health to new heights, new users and new uses  helping clinicians save lives like never before. From 4D ultrasound scans that reduce the need for exploratory surgery, to digital-adaptive incubators that help severely-preterm babies survive, the possibilities are breath-taking.

Yet health care is being held back by high costs and increasing complexity. That can change. By focusing more on people, products and partnerships, we can impact every life in every setting around the world.

1) Focus more on patients and caregivers.

Ropes and harnesses dont climb mountains  people do.

In the same way, medical technology does not heal people; people heal people. It is tempting to focus on the latest gadgets and medical technology buzz. Yet health care is and will always be a people-first endeavor. In fact, not just clinicians, but also patients increasingly expect more control and more options in their own care.

Think about a patients first touch in their medical experience  maybe a nurse, a physician, an emergency technician or even a midwife. Today, these first touches are mobile and more accessible, happening outside the four walls of a hospital. A primary care physician in Japan stows a hand-held ultrasound in his backpack and jet-skis directly to his patients. And clinicians in India walk ultra-rugged ECG systems into rural environments to reach cardiac patients where they live.

2) Focus more on simple, effective and affordable products.

The best route up a mountain is often the simplest one.

The worlds finest climbing kit wont help if it is too complex, expensive or time-consuming to use. It is the same with health care: for with incredible technology comes incredible patient impact, but also often unsustainable costs or slower and more complicated patient care.

Thats why the future of health care will be fast, simple and affordable solutions that drive tangible outcomes for patients and providers alike. U.S. doctors tap into nutrition algorithms to map the caloric needs of intensive care patients, cutting days off average length-of-stay and saving millions. And surgeons worldwide use data analytics and advanced ultrasound guidance to reduce unnecessary needle sticks by 70 percent  to their patients delight!*

3) Focus more on partnerships that drive tangible outcomes.

There is a reason climbers rarely tackle a mountain solo.

The three questions I always ask before climbing a mountain are: which peak; when to climb; and with whom. The third question  with whom  is vital for the future of health care as well. With purpose and humility, my team is now exploring these new partnerships between providers and technology companies that will drive new and better outcomes.

National governments in Africa partner with NGOs to train midwives on mobile ultrasound, which may impact maternal and infant mortality rates. And researchers from the public and private sector cooperate to make science fiction a reality  including wireless Band-Aid sensors that may one day remotely analyze patients sweat, heart rate and blood oxygen levels 24-7.

By focusing more on people, offering simple effective products, and finding ways to partner for better health  we can keep climbing, not look down and reach the peak.

*Bench Evaluation of Ultrasound Needle Guidance Technology (NGT) Accuracy on the Venue 50 Ultrasound System. Study compared use of Pinpoint GT technology from C.R. Bard to conventional needle guidance.
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by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, March 6, 2017

There are so many angles to this Schwarzenegger Celebrity Apprentice announcement last Friday that a TV blogger hardly knows where to begin.

Do we begin with an examination of Arnold Schwarzeneggers characterization that hes quitting the show? The real truth is probably closer to this scenario: NBC was on the verge of axing the show anyway (or had already done so) and Schwarzenegger wanted to get out in front of the story by, among other things, blaming Trump for the shows demise.

Or should we start with a discussion of the show itself, which scored low ratings on opening night, January 2, and has gone downhill ever since? The two-hour premiere on that Monday night following the Christmas and New Years holidays drew an estimated total audience of 4.952 million, which did not bode well.

The most recent episode -- the one that aired February 13 -- attracted 3.478 million. Heres something Ill bet you didnt know: That February 13 episode happened to be the shows season finale (and probably the series finale too).

Yes, this season of The New Celebrity Apprentice was just seven episodes long. The winning celebrity was a guy named Matt Iseman, who happens to host an NBC show, American Ninja Warrior. Congratulations.

Or might we begin with a screed against advertiser boycotts? For the record, Im against them. Apparently, there has been an effort in place on the part of various Trump-haters since at least December to boycott sponsors and advertisers associated with The New Celebrity Apprentice.

And what about Schwarzeneggers announcement itself? It doesnt exactly rank high on the list of TV personality resignations or retirements that have been announced throughout TV history.

A rarified number of them were big news at the time: Jerry Seinfeld announcing on Christmas Day 1997 that Seinfeld would end that spring, Johnny Carsons announcement in May 1991 that he would leave The Tonight Show the following year, Oprah Winfreys decision, announced in November 2009, that she too would give her daytime talk show just one more season (it ended in May 2011).

Schwarzenegger announcing he wont return to The New Celebrity Apprentice? Nobody cared except the man he replaced on the show, Donald Trump.

In his announcement, Schwarzenegger said the shows association with Trump is what killed it.

With Trump being involved in the show, people have a bad taste and dont want to participate as a spectator or as a sponsor or in any other way support the show. Its a very divisive period now and I think this show got caught up in all that division, Schwarzenegger wrote.

On Saturday, Trump took time away from his weekly vacation in Palm Beach and composing Tweets about wiretaps in Trump Tower to turn his attention to his old show.

Arnold Schwarzenegger isnt voluntarily leaving the Apprentice, tweeted the nations Twitterer in Chief. He was fired by his bad (pathetic) ratings, not by me. Sad end to great show.

You had to hand it to Schwarzenegger, though. His statement even included this sentence: Even if asked [to return], I would decline, he reportedly wrote  as if there was a snowballs chance in hell that this show would be back.

If an advertiser boycott was successful in chilling the enthusiasm of sponsors for The New Celebrity Apprentice and contributing to the demise of the show, then that wouldnt be too surprising.

Like other competition shows of its kind, The New Celebrity Apprentice was greatly dependent on in-show sponsorships  the companies that participated in the shows weekly challenges. If these were proving difficult to recruit, then the future of the show would be in doubt.

This season, the in-show sponsors included Tyra Banks Cosmetics, Trident Gum, Welchs grape juice, Universal Studios Hollywood (an NBC company), the Los Angeles Clippers, QVC, the Honest Company and Carnival Cruises.

The reason I have never agreed with these calls for boycotting advertisers is that they always strike me as misplaced and unfair. To me, advertisers are like Switzerland. Theyre neutral.

Where The New Celebrity Apprentice is concerned, these challenge-sponsors and other companies with commercials during the show have nothing to do with Trump and how hes comporting himself as President of the United States. Theyre just trying to sell grape juice, cruises and other things that everybody likes.

Trump was certainly wrong when he characterized The Celebrity Apprentice as a great show. It was not, which is also a reason why it wont likely be back.

If your show has reached the point where Snooki is possibly the most famous celebrity on it, then its probably time to call it a day.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, March 6, 2017

RBC Capital marketers released a research note Monday that sets up some challenges and a timeline for the mass adoption of augmented and virtual reality, based on a hosted conversation with author and reporter Reed Albergotti.

"We likely remain 3-5 years away from the mass market consumer being able to go into a Best Buy and pick up a VR/AR headset for easy use most users today remain early-adopters (and largely gamers)," RBC analyst Mark Mahaney wrote in a research note published Monday.

Google hopes mass adoption will come a lot sooner. At the Mobile World Congress, Amit Singh, VP of virtual reality at Google, announced that Google's VR platform Daydream will soon become available to hundreds of millions of smartphones, with Project Tango soon to follow.

There are several challenges along the path to mass adoption. Mahaney notes that today VR and AR headsets require lots of computing power. VR remains immersive and can cause motion sickness if the device doesn't track exterior environments correctly. And setup remains somewhat extensive.

Google is not the only search company focusing on AI. The new wave of experiences built on augmented and visual search put more than $54 million in Blippar's coffers last year to further develop its search engine.

Gaming is only one reason to use AR and VR. Marketers may want to look at VR and AR to create content to create extensive how-to videos when fixing a car or a leaky faucet. Homeowners with plumbing problems can put on a headset and the brand can guide the consumer through fixing the problem, as in one example provided by Albergotti during RBC's conversation.

Some of the major and minor players that Albergotti keeps an eye on include Microsoft's HoloLens; Google's investment in Magic Leap; and Apple when it comes to AR and Osterhout Design Group, which primarily does work for the military. Others include Sony, Facebook, NVidia and HTC.
by Sara Guaglione , March 6, 2017

New York Media has named Avi Zimak Chief Revenue Officer and publisher. He replaces Larry Burstein, who announced last November that he was stepping down after 13 years in the role.

Zimak joins New York Media from content-recommendation company Outbrain, where he was VP and general manager of the Americas.

He starts his new position March 20.

In his new roles at New York Media, Zimak will oversee sales and partnerships across the companys portfolio of brands, which include New York Magazine, Vulture, the Cut, Grub Street, Science of Us, Select All and the Strategist.

Zimak will also be in charge of growing revenue and expanding the companys advertising offerings, focusing in particular on branded content, video, mobile and programmatic, according to a statement from the company.

Before joining Outbrain in 2012, Zimak spent 15 years in sales and management positions at magazine publishing companies, including Hearst and Conde Nast.

The role of journalism is more vital than ever, and there could not be a more exciting time for me to be re-entering the publishing ecosystem, Zimak stated.
Gestational diabetes affects a significant number of mothers. It is not yet known what causes the disease, but new research suggests that the age at which a woman experienced her first period may play a role.

Share on Pinterest A new study links getting ones period at a premature age to developing gestational diabetes later in life.

During pregnancy, some women who have never had diabetes, or even prediabetes, before develop high blood sugar. This condition is referred to as gestational diabetes (GD), and it starts when the mothers body cannot produce or use enough insulin to transform the blood sugar into energy.

According to a 2014 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2010 GD reportedly affected over 9 percent of women who gave birth that year. The condition usually affects the mother in the late stages of her pregnancy, after the baby has fully developed. For this reason, it does not cause birth defects or other developmental issues in the fetus.

However, untreated GD can increase the levels of blood sugar in the baby, and force the infant to produce more insulin to process the glucose. The result is often fetal macrosomia, or an overweight baby, which may put the newborn at risk of obesity or type 2 diabetes later in life.

It is not yet known what causes GD, but new research  published in the American Journal of Epidemiology  may have found a link between the age at which a woman gets her first period and the risk of developing GD.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Queensland School of Public Health in Australia.
Results from a new study may explain why female patients often require higher doses of morphine  one of the primary drugs for the treatment of chronic or severe pain  than male patients to achieve the same level of relief. It appears that a type of immune cell called microglia are more active in the pain-processing regions of the female brain.

Share on Pinterest The researchers say that their study shows a need for different strategies for managing chronic pain in men and women.

Writing about their findings in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers from Georgia State University in Atlanta explain how after blocking microglia in rats, they found the response to opioid pain-relieving drugs in females matched that of males.

Chronic pain is the most common human health problem  it is thought to affect more than 1 in 4 people worldwide, with higher incidence occurring in older populations.

It is well-established that chronic pain affects more women than men. One might reasonably conclude that this is because a number of chronic pain illnesses, such as endometriosis and menstrual pain, can only occur in women.

However, even pain conditions that occur in both sexes  from headaches, migraine, and osteoarthritis knee pain, to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome  overwhelmingly affect women more than men.

Yet even though it is clear that such differences exist, it is proving rather difficult to discover whether they are due to actual sex differences in pain sensitivity.

For their investigation, senior author Anne Murphy  an associate professor who heads a pain research group in the Neuroscience Institute at Georgia State  and colleagues chose to study morphine, the primary drug for relieving severe or chronic pain.
Rosalind Franklins crucial but under-acknowledged contribution to the discovery of the structure of DNA has led the X-ray crystallographer to be hailed an unsung hero. But there are many more feats that make Franklin deserving of this label and a role model in the eyes of the scientific community. One, in particular, is her unbridled dedication to research. Share on Pinterest X-ray crystallographer Rosalind Franklin, pictured in 1956.

Image credit: National Library of Medicine

Franklin died from ovarian cancer in 1958, aged just 37. Though her life was short-lived, her contributions to science were not. Her most famous work is that which aided the discovery of the double helix. This included photo 51  the famous X-ray image of a crystallized DNA fiber that provided vital clues to the helical structure of DNA. However, it was researchers James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962  4 years after Franklins death  for uncovering the structure of DNA, having used Franklins work to help them reach their findings. Since her death, Franklins contribution to the discovery of the double helix has gained widespread recognition. Sympathy and feminism have combined to give us her familiar image as a downtrodden woman scientist, brilliant but neglected, a heroine to inspire a new generation of scientific girls, Franklins sister Jenifer Glynn wrote in 2012. Is this perception of a downtrodden female scientist accurate? Franklin may well have been treated unfavorably by some of her peers, but she did not let this interfere with her research  a quality that has made her an inspiration to male and female scientists alike. In the third of a series of articles highlighting female role models in medicine, we look at the challenges Franklin faced throughout her life and career. How did she navigate the difficulties she encountered in the workplace? What lessons have scientists learned from Franklins experiences?

One of the greatest personal quarrels in the history of science In 1950, Franklin was offered a 3-year research scholarship at Prof. John T. Randalls Biophysics Unit at Kings College London, where she used X-ray crystallography to investigate the structure of DNA. It is here that she met Maurice Wilkins, who was the assistant laboratory chief. The relationship between Wilkins and Franklin was frosty at best, initiated by a confusion of hierarchy in the workplace. She had been told by Professor John T. Randall [] that the DNA work was to be her responsibility, while Maurice Wilkins, who had been working on DNA, thought she had been brought in as his assistant, Glynn explained in an article published in The Lancet. It was not a good start, made worse by the apparent failure of Rosalind and Maurice to co-operate or to understand each others point of view, she added. According to Barbara Maddox, author of the biography Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, the relationship between Franklin and Wilkins represents one of the great personal quarrels in the history of science. As a result, each scientist worked in isolation. Scientists know that rivalries among colleagues are not uncommon. But personal differences can get in the way of collaboration and success, as Franklins story shows.

A challenging working environment Franklin became very unhappy at Kings, yet she remained committed to her research. With the help of graduate student Raymond Gosling, Franklin managed to capture two high-resolution images of DNA  one of which was the famous photo 51, described by X-ray crystallographer J.D. Bernal as among the most beautiful X-ray photographs of any substance ever taken. Franklins data, which Wilkins retrieved and presented to Watson without her knowledge, provided the missing piece in the puzzle for Watson and Crick. With this knowledge, they were able to publish their model of the DNA double helix. She never knew how much they relied on her work. If she had, there would have been an almighty explosion, said Glynn. She had a very strong sense of justice and if shed known that theyd taken [her data] without her knowledge she would have been furious. It is this controversial incident that has led Franklin to be perceived as a downtrodden female scientist. However, it was her continued perseverance in the face of professional and personal challenges that has earned her the label of a female icon.

Pursuing a new area of research After spending 2 unhappy years at Kings College, Franklin moved to Birkbeck College in London to study viruses. Share on Pinterest Franklin pictured in a laboratory at Birkbeck College in 1955.

Image credit: National Library of Medicine

I think many people were taken aback by her personality and authority, and the entire situation that transpired between Franklin and Wilkins would be enough to drive many people out of science altogether, Ellen Elliott, Ph.D., postdoctoral associate at The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington, CT, who penned a blog on Franklins career, told Medical News Today. But she loved science so much, that in the end she just decided to leave Kings College and pursue another area of research, she added. Here, she worked underneath X-ray crystallographer John Desmond Bernal, who recommended that Franklin investigate tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). At the time, knowledge of molecular biology was still in its infancy, as Prof. Angela Creager, from Princeton University in New Jersey, explained in her 2009 paper titled After the Double Helix. Franklin herself is quoted as explaining: [Our] work is concerned with what is probably the most fundamental of all questions concerning the mechanism of living processes, namely the relationship between protein and nucleic acid in the living cell. During her time at Birkbeck, she built up an impressive network of collaborators, which included her earlier foes of Watson and Crick. Franklin navigated the fractious community of TMV biochemists with remarkable facility, explains Prof. Creager.

A perfect example of a single-minded devotion to research By 1955, Franklin had uncovered information about the length of TMV particles, and shortly after, she and her colleagues had unraveled the structure of the virus. But in 1956, tragedy hit. During a work-related visit to the United States, Franklin began experiencing swelling and pain in her abdomen. She was soon diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Over the following year, Franklin underwent numerous surgeries and treatments for her cancer. She continued her work throughout, even applying for a 3-year research grant so that her team could investigate the structure of the polio virus  the first animal virus to be crystallized. After her passing, two members of her research team  John Finch and Aaron Klug  published a paper detailing the structure of the polio virus, which they dedicated to Franklin. Even in the face of death, Franklin put science first. As Bernal said in an obituary for Franklin, she was the perfect example of a single-minded devotion to research. What have scientists today learned from her story?

Personal issues did not blur her science On the surface, Franklin can be perceived as a symbol of a woman struggling and unacknowledged in a mans world, as Glynn puts it. Of course, Franklin was a scientist during a time when sexism was at its peak. She often spoke to friends and family about her frustration at being excluded from the senior common room at Kings College, which was out of bounds for all women. However, Franklin herself said that she never felt that gender bias held back her research. Her much publicized difficulties [at Kings] were partly the result of a personality clash that had little to do with the fact that she was a woman, notes Glynn. For many researchers, Franklin is an inspiration not solely because she was a successful female scientist in a male-dominated field, but because of the challenges she overcame to reach her goals  particularly when it came to workplace politics. Franklin was honest with her criticisms, and didnt allow personal issues to blur her science. For instance, Jim Watson and Franklin did not get along well during her time at Kings College, but they actually developed a close relationship later on when they were both studying the structure and function of viruses. I think it takes a really strong person to accept and move beyond past disagreements, and this further highlights how incredibly important science was to Franklin. Ellen Elliott, Ph.D.
As people get older so do the hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that form their blood, creating an increased risk for compromised immunity and certain blood cancers. Now researchers are reporting in the scientific journal EMBO that the bone marrow niche where HSC's form also ages, contributing to the problem.

In their study, scientists from the University of Ulm in Germany and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in the United States propose rejuvenating the bone marrow niche where HSCs are created. This could mean younger acting HSCs that form healthier blood cells, boosted immunity in older people, and a better defense mechanism against certain cancers, according to study authors.

Conducting their study in mouse models, the scientists point to cells in the bone marrow called osteoblasts, which help form bone. Osteoblasts make a protein called osteopontin, which is important to supporting a vibrant bone marrow environment in the creation of blood-forming HSCs.

"We show that the place where HSCs form in the bone marrow loses osteopontin upon aging, but if you give back the missing protein to the blood-forming cells they suddenly rejuvenate and act younger," says Hartmut Geiger, PhD, study lead investigator at the Institute for Molecular Medicine and Aging Research Center at the University of Ulm, and the Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology at Cincinnati Children's. "Our study points to exciting novel ways to have a better immune system and possibly less blood cancer upon aging by therapeutically targeting the place where blood stem cells form."

Because the study was in mice, its findings cannot at this stage be extended to clinical treatment of human patients, the authors say. But the data provide interesting leads that one day could benefit human health.

Bone marrow time warp

The researchers conducted a number of experiments to test the formation and vitality of cells in and near the bone marrow microenvironment. One test in aging mice looked at the formation of endosteum stroma cells, which form a thin layer of connective tissue on the inner surface of bones. Another experiment monitored levels of osteopontin and other proteins linked to distinct cells in bone marrow during the aging process.

Study authors say they observed reduced production of osteoblasts and other stroma cells in the endosteum of older mice. They also saw decreased osteopontin protein levels in the bone marrow of older animals, which they note was associated with reduced vigor and function of blood-forming HSCs.

Reversing the niche aging process

Scientists followed up the earlier experiments by transplanting bone marrow cells from older mice (19-21 months) into young mice (8 to 10 weeks). In two other experiments, the authors also transplanted aged HSCs from older mice into younger mice, and they treated aged HSCs with a recombinant form of the osteopontin protein.

Transplantation into the younger animals caused cells to act in a younger more vital manner, the authors report. This includes the presence of smaller numbers of HSCs with greater potential for forming different types of blood cells, which included larger populations of B and T cells and smaller production of myeloid cells.

The authors also saw aged HSCs treated with recombinant osteopontin regain their youthful characteristics and capacity to form different blood-cell types. Also observed was diminished signaling of the protein Cdc42, a protein that Geiger and his team previously showed causes HSCs to age.

Osteopontin levels are not only low in the bone marrow niche, but also in the blood upon aging. As a follow up to the current study, the researchers are investigating the possibility to use osteopontin replacement therapy in mice to counter the influence of an aging niche directly in the animals.

First author on the paper was Novella Guidi, a PhD student and member of the Geiger laboratory. Funding support for the study came from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (KFO 142 and SFB 1074), the BMBF-funded Program SyStaR, and the National Institutes of Health (HL076604, DK077762, AG040118).

Article: Osteopontin attenuates agingassociated phenotypes of hematopoietic stem cells, Novella Guidi, Mehmet Sacma, Ludger Standker, Karin Soller, Gina Marka, Karina Eiwen, Johannes M Weiss, Frank Kirchhoff, Tanja Weil, Jose A Cancelas, Maria Carolina Florian, Hartmut Geiger, EMBO, doi: 10.15252/embj.201694969, published online 2 March 2017.
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This study of more than 8,000 ten year olds in Kuwait showed that metabolic diseases lead to increases in salivary glucose; alterations of the bacteria found in the mouth; and increased risk of cavities and gum disease. This work reinforces the need for preventive dental care and greater integration between medical and dental care.The study, titled, "The Salivary Microbiome is altered in the Presence of High Salivary Glucose," can be found on PLOS ONE.Dr. Max Goodson, the study's lead author, said, "Our research is providing further evidence of the connections between the mouth and some of society's most costly and deadly systemic diseases - and of the importance of using the mouth as a tool for preventive health."We measured the glucose concentration, bacterial counts, and relative frequencies of 42 bacterial species in whole saliva samples from 8,173 Kuwaiti adolescents (mean age 10.00  0.67 years) using DNA probe analysis. In addition, clinical data related to obesity, dental caries, and gingivitis were collected. Data were compared between adolescents with high salivary glucose (HSG); glucose concentration and those with low salivary glucose.Investigators found that HSG was associated with dental caries and gingivitis in the study population. The overall salivary bacterial load in saliva decreased with increasing salivary glucose concentration. Under HSG conditions, the bacterial count for 35 (83%) of 42 species was significantly reduced, and relative bacterial frequencies in 27 species (64%) were altered, as compared with LSG conditions.These alterations were stronger predictors of high salivary glucose than measures of oral disease, obesity, sleep or fitness. These observations clearly indicate that metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, that produce elevated glucose in blood and saliva can significantly alter the oral microflora.Samples were obtain through the Forsyth Kuwait Healthy Life Study, is a longitudinal cohort investigation of more than 8,000 children. Forsyth has worked with The Dasman Diabetes Institute and the Kuwait/Forsyth School program to conduct a clinical investigation of the development of obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes in Kuwaiti children. During the five-year study, the body weight, height, blood pressure and fitness were measured, oral disease was evaluated, nutritional information was collected, questionnaires on sleep and medical history were answered and saliva was collected for analysis.Source: Eurekalert


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Mechanism of Conversion

GPfates- Computational Modeling System

Regulation of T Cell Function by Galectin

viral trans activating factors

T-cell receptor (TCR) ligation

calcium ionophores

lectin activity

recognition of matrix glycans

inhibition of apoptosis

induction of cell growth

regulation of TCR signal transduction

The co-lead author of the study, Dr Ashraful Haque, from the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia, said that this is the first study to identify that activation of the Galectin 1 gene was shown to activate Th1 production. This further highlighted the potential use of the gene as a therapeutic target for malarial infection. There were other genes that were identified in the study and the scientists are keen on identifying if the activation of these genes could further enhance the immune response of the host against malarial infection.The molecules that are involved in the conversion of T cells into other forms are not well understood. In the current study, the scientists utilized single cell RNA sequencing which aided in obtaining insights into genes that were active in each T cell in mice with malaria. The various stages of the T cells, from immature T cells into Th1 or Tfh could be tracked using this method.The co-author of the study who is also the Head of The Cellular Genetics at the Sanger Institute, Dr. Sarah Teichmann said that these were the first high resolution images of cells that were being monitored over a period of time using a pathogen in mice. The latest advancements in genomics along with computational methods were utilized in the reconstruction of how the cells modify in response to malarial infection. The co-author stated further that the advancements in technology allowed better understanding of complex processes.The research team devised GPfates, which is a new computational modeling system that allows scientists to visualize how cells communicate with each other. This tool utilized the spatio-temporal statistics to determine which genes were activated in the different T cell types.The other co-author of the study, Dr. Oliver Stegle, from the European Bioinformatics Institute, said that genomics was utilized to identify inter-cellular conversations that occurred between immune cells like monocytes as well as Th1 cells. According to Dr. Oliver, this was the first time that the data was utilized to identify numerous new genes which are associated with the production of antibodies.The activation of these genes are critical to the health of the individual, as it can produce two diverse effects; on the one hand it could aid in fighting the infection and on the other it could lead to tumor progression. The computational tool that was designed by the scientists involved in the study may be used by other scientific studies conducted to understand cellular pathways.Galectin has been known to regulate the function of the T cells, as detailed in the study published in the journal, titled "Galectin-3 regulates T-cell functions" by Dr. Hsu DK and colleagues from The Department of Dermatology, University of California, USA.The study found that in resting CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, Galectin-3 was absent but it could be induced by some of the mechanisms includingGalectin is expressed in T cells as well as CD4+ memory T cells. There are extracellular functions that are associated withThe functions of this protein in the T cells includeThere is increased interest being shown by the scientific community in galectin research, as it has identified galectin-3 protein as a key regulator in T-cell functions. The current study that showed that an activation of galectin gene results in the production of specialized T cells has highlighted its potential use as a target for drug therapy against malaria infection.Source: Medindia
WB still interested in creation of development bank in Azerbaijan

The World Bank (WB) maintains interest in the creation of a Development Bank in Azerbaijan, Angela Prigozhina, the WB senior financial sector specialist, told Trend."However, we do not abandon this idea  there are a huge number of other state financial institutions, including funds and agencies that are engaged in lending to the economy and support of small and medium businesses. The development bank, or other similar consolidated and effective tool for the economic development, can be created on the basis of these institutions," Prigozhina said.Development banks operate at the highest standards of corporate governance and always help the private sector to solve existing problems, for example, lack of long-term financing or lack of manat loans, she added."However, such institutions are effective only in case of availability of a favorable business environment for competition and efficient financial market regulator. At the same time, additional reforms are needed to minimize lending risks," said Prigozhina."Today, work is underway to create a private credit bureau and the bills 'On protection of creditor rights' and 'On establishment of secured transactions registry' are in the government. Also, together with the Financial Market Supervisory Authority, we are starting comprehensive work with distressed assets, making amendments to the law 'On bankruptcy' and implementing other measures."All these reforms are necessary for the Development Bank to become a catalyst for development of the economy, but it is also very important for the financial system to be stable, she added.
Deputy Foreign Minister, Terens Quick, is paying a visit to Israel to strengthen Greece-Cyprus-Israel cooperation on diaspora issues, in a follow-up to the relevant agreement reached at the recent Trilateral Summit Meeting between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, and the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr. Quick will have a trilateral meeting with the Cypriot Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Issues and Overseas Cypriots, Fotis Fotiou, and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, and will also meet with the head of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Natan Sharansky.

Mr. Quick will also address the International Seminar on the Diaspora-Homeland Relationship, which is being organized by the Knesset, the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Finally, Mr. Quick will participate as a speaker in a seminar workshop on "Language and Identity Acquisition".
Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will carry out an official visit to Georgia on 7 and 8 March.

On Tuesday, 7 March, Mr. Kotzias will meet with the Foreign Minister of Georgia, Mikheil Janelidze. Following their meeting, the two Ministers will hold a joint press conference.

Mr. Kotzias will then be received by the Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, and, later, he will meet with the Chairperson of Parliament, Irakli Kobakhidze.

This will be followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at Heroes' Square and an address delivered by Mr. Kotzias at the State University of Tbilisi. Mr. Kotzias will then be received by the President of the Republic of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili.
JOURNALIST: Migration, external relations, Libya, Egypt at today's Council of Foreign Ministers.



N. KOTZIAS: And the Western Balkans, as well as the Middle East. I think it was a good day for the Council, because the policy on Egypt changed from one of an ongoing negative agenda to a positive agenda. That is, the Council started to consider ways and methods in which it can develop the EU's relations with Egypt, which is a pillar of stability and security in the region. We talked briefly about the migration issue and we had an in-depth discussion of the crisis that exists in the Western Balkans, with my colleagues expressing concerns about developments, particularly in Albania and FYROM. What we underscored is that the matter has to do with the fact that many see the EU as a source of funding, or as a perspective of participation in a centre of power. We noted that it has to be realised that the EU is a system with values and a democratic outlook, and that democracy requires that one have and hold a culture  as we call it  of compromise and consensus. That is, it cannot be that a basic democratic process doesn't function in the countries to our north. I also called on everyone situated around the countries having a crisis in the Western Balkans to take care to keep quiet regarding these countries' domestic developments, as we do: over the past two years, we have not publicly expressed a single opinion on their domestic developments.



JOURNALIST: Is this concern regarding the Western Balkans being manifested in the EU, and what role is being attributed to Greece?



N. KOTZIAS: This concern is being manifested in various ways. There are some who think that if we make things easier for these countries -- by making concessions or backing down -- these countries will like us more. I explained that this is not the problem. The problem is that these countries have to realise that they need to function democratically, and this means a democratic perception regarding the opposition, minority views, or even national minorities.
Here are five noteworthy news stories and events to start your week, from the editors at Military.com.

1. Marines Under Investigation for Sharing Nude Photos of Female Troops

A congressman is calling on the Marine Corps to take decisive action in response to reports that hundreds of active-duty Marines shared nude photos of female troops without their consent. Rep. Adam Smith released a statement Sunday calling the alleged behavior by Marines and vets "degrading, dangerous, and completely unacceptable." An investigation into the matter was made public Saturday evening by reporter Thomas James Brennan, who wrote that members of the private Facebook group Marines United had shared dozens of nude photos of female service members, identifying them by name, rank and duty station.

2. Families of Fallen Green Berets to Talk About Deadly Attack in Jordan

Family members of three Green Berets who were killed on a training mission at the King Faisal Air Force Base in Jordan plan to talk about the incident and their search for more information on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. The soldiers -- Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Lewellen and Staff Sgts. Kevin McEnroe and James F. Moriarty, all assigned to 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Campbell in Kentucky -- were shot and killed on Nov. 4, 2016, by a Jordanian soldier as their vehicle convoy entered the base in al-Jafr. The fathers of the men will be joined by U.S. lawmakers to demand the Jordanian government account for the incident.

3. US Mulls Sending More Troops into Syria to Seize Raqqa: Report

The White House is mulling a Pentagon plan to retake Raqqa, the Islamic State's self-proclaimed capital in Syria, by boosting the number of U.S. special operations forces in the country, along with attack helicopters, artillery and arms supplies to friendly forces including Syrian Kurds, The Washington Post reported on Sunday. The U.S. military has roughly 500 special operations forces on the ground in Syria and about 5,000 in Iraq to help fight militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. American commanders have previously indicated that the new plan would involve U.S. troops moving closer to the front lines while still avoiding ground combat.

4. Army Moving Ahead with Pistol Program Despite Protest

The U.S. Army is free to keep working on its Modular Handgun System contract with Sig Sauer despite a protest from Glock Inc. The reason? Glock was two days late filing the protest, according to a source familiar with competition law but who's not cleared to talk to the media. In order for a contract to be frozen upon protest, the company with a complaint must either file a protest within 10 days of the contract award decision or within five days of receiving the required debriefing by the government, the sources said. The Army in January awarded Sig Sauer a contract worth up to $580 million to develop the P320 as a replacement for the M9 service pistol.

5. ICYMI: Highlights from the Air Warfare Symposium

Military.com covered last week's Air Warfare Symposium organized by the Air Force Association and held in Orlando. Among the highlights from the show: Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa, generated buzz -- and some confusion -- about which type of U.S. and NATO assets the Russians buzzed last month in the Baltics, Boeing Co. announced it will offer an MH-139 helicopter based on Leonardo-Finmeccanica's AgustaWestland AW139 for the Air Force's UH-1N Huey helicopter replacement program, and Northrop Grumman Corp. said it tested a new type of RQ-4 Global Hawk drone sensor.

-- Hope Hodge Seck, Matthew Cox, Richard Sisk and Oriana Pawlyk contributed to this report.

-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
ORLANDO, Florida -- The U.S. Air Force and Joint Coalition aren't waiting for deadly drones used by the Islamic State to pop into the airspace and menace troops.

Airmen are actively on the hunt for them, said Maj. Gen. Jay Silveria, deputy commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command.

"Purchasing a system that just defends a space  is more of an industrial age solution, and we need to go to the information age solution," he told reporters during a media roundtable Thursday here at the Air Force Association's Air Warfare Symposium.

Silveria said forces in Syria and Iraq have seen drones "from quadcopters with little cameras up to [drones] with a wingspan of five, 10 feet."

It's "obvious" the ISIS drones are being used for "strike, [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance], command and control, propaganda," he said. "As airmen  we're going to take these on the same way we take on any system."

Silveria said that means going after the leadership, logistics, finance and storage to "find how ISIS is training the pilots, where they're storing the aircraft -- not just wait until the thing shows up and then shoot it down."

Recently, the Air Force highlighted a story about how a U.S. airman at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, spotted a piece of intel that led to warplanes bombing 11 sites in the Middle East where American military officials witnessed Islamic State militants manufacturing deadly drones.

"This is not a magic weapon that we can just watch and it's killing everyone," Silveria said of ISIS drones. "We have capability against it; we are having success against it, so we're gonna translate that back into the requirements process so that they can look at what they need. And the success we're having  is trying to look at all the elements" in intelligence gathering.

While the U.S. has deployed new technology to disable ISIS drones, including the DroneDefender, an assault rifle-style product that features a directed energy frequency jammer, Iraqi Security Forces have yet to get their hands on the weaponry.

The Air Force recently awarded a contract to an Israeli company for $15.6 million for "counter-UAS" measures, DefenseOne reported. But the service has not detailed what the contract -- awarded to ELTA North America Inc., a subsidiary of Israeli Aerospace Industries -- stipulates, nor how it could defeat ISIS drones.

The Fight after Mosul and Raqqa

Silveria said he has no doubts Iraqi Security Forces will take Mosul, "but there's still work to be done."

As allied forces take out or send ISIS forces into retreat, Silveria said the work will be to "find them and work with the Iraqi Security Forces in the same way."

"When we're off supporting a three-to-five division movement on a major city, when we're out of that, then we'll be in a find and locate intelligence fight," he said.

The general said the planning phase for how best to "recharacterize" the fight is ongoing.

The fight against ISIS and a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan could get harder as the weather improves this spring. Silveria said fighters, airlift and ISR platforms are stationed "specifically in Afghanistan" to cover missions there.

For example, a group of air refueling tankers was recently stationed in Afghanistan for a few weeks specifically so fighters could refuel within the country and to avoid moving aircraft in bad weather, Silveria said.

"Once the weather started to get better in the Gulf region, when springtime arrived and we were out of the fog season -- we're still providing the same level of tanker support [now], just not in Afghanistan."

The tankers left the country this week, he said, adding that the Air Force has seen "highly kinetic weeks" in Afghanistan.

So far in 2017, there have been 18 strike sorties in which one weapon was released, according to the latest January AFCENT statistics. On those missions, 57 bombs were dropped; in 2016, more than double were released.

"The amount of strikes have started to increase of late," Silveria said, "but I think historically that is traditional for the springtime. And if the [region] needs more strike capacity, we send in more."

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
Joseph V. Micallef is a best-selling military history and world affairs author, and keynote speaker. Follow him on Twitter@JosephVMicallef.

The issue of moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem has been a recurring theme in American politics for the better part of 30 years. Candidates propose the move in the belief that it will curry support among Jewish-American voters. In reality, it is an issue that divides the Jewish-American community in the U.S. Moreover, its supporters extend well beyond Jewish-Americans to include a significant number of evangelical Christians and political conservatives.

During the 2016 presidential elections the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, promised that once he was elected he would move the U.S. Embassy in Israel, currently in Tel Aviv, to Jerusalem. In doing so, he was echoing a theme that has been played out in the previous six presidential elections.

Implicit in such a move would be the formal recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Following the 1948 war between Israel and its Arab neighbors, the western portion of Jerusalem came under the control of the Israeli government, while the eastern portion, the historic "old city," came under the control of the Jordanian government.

Israel declared West Jerusalem the capital of Israel in 1949. The next year Jordan annexed the portions of East Jerusalem under its control. During the 1967, Six Day War, Israeli forces took control of East Jerusalem and subsequently unified the two halves. In 1980, Israel's "Jerusalem Law Proclamation" declared that the newly united Jerusalem was the capital of Israel.

The original 1947 UN Partition Plan for the British Mandate of Palestine had recommended that the city of Jerusalem be granted a special status as a Corpus separatum, a separate status as an "independent city" under the direct administration of the U.N. The original proposal also included the city of Bethlehem. After 10 years, a separate referendum would be held to allow the inhabitants of Bethlehem to decide their future affiliation.

No other country has ever recognized the designation of either West Jerusalem or, after 1980, the entire city as the capital of Israel. The United Kingdom and Pakistan were the only two countries that ever recognized the Jordanian seizure of East Jerusalem during the period from 1950 to 1967. The UN Security Council has passed a total of seven resolutions, starting with UN Resolution 478 in 1980, declaring that Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem and its declaration of Jerusalem as the country's capital contravened international law.

Both the Reagan and W.H. Bush administrations were opposed to moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. As candidates for the presidency, however, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and most recently Donald J. Trump, all pledged to move the U.S. embassy. In 1995, the U.S. Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act directing the transfer of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by no later than May 31, 1999. All three recent presidents, Clinton, Bush and Obama, have refused to implement the act on the basis that it infringed upon the President's constitutional authority to conduct foreign policy.

From 1949, until relatively recently, the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority was one of the principal axes around which Middle East politics revolved. Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter's former National Security Adviser, called the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "the single most combustible and galvanizing issue in the Arab world." During the height of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union aligned themselves along opposite sides of this axis. Washington emerged as the principal arms supplier to Israel, while Moscow played a similar role with the principal front line states of Syria and Egypt. Libya and Iraq, while they were not "frontline states," also considered themselves implacable foes of Israel and both were also prominent Soviet clients in the region.

The success of the Camp David Accords flipped Egypt from the Soviet camp to the U.S. camp and brought a lasting peace between Israel and Egypt that has now endured for more than 35 years. The collapse of the Soviet Union, combined with the overthrow of Soviet client regimes in Libya (Gaddafi) and Iraq (Hussein) and the end of the Cold War, ended superpower rivalry over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but that did not make the conflict any easier to resolve. Despite repeated attempts by the last three U.S. presidents, the conflict is no closer to being resolved today than it was in 1978, when the Camp David Accords were signed.

Over the last two decades, however, the centrality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the defining axis around which Mideast politics revolves has become progressively less prominent. Instead, the rise of Iranian power and influence; Tehran's self-appointed role as the defender of Shiite minorities, and in some case, like Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon, Shiite majorities, and its ongoing efforts to mobilize Shiite groups to advance its own foreign policy goals; as well as its aggressive pursuit of a nuclear capability and its intent to emerge as a regional hegemonic power in the Middle East, has upended Middle East politics. In the process, it has created a new axis of conflict that is rapidly reorganizing the region's political alignments.

The spread of Iranian influence within the Shiite communities across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza, even though Gaza and Syria have a majority Sunni population, has created an "Iranian Arc of Influence" across the northern tier of the Mideast. In the meantime, and even more worrisome to Riyadh and its Gulf allies, Tehran's support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen and for the sizeable Shiite populations in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, a major oil producing region, as well as in Bahrain, where Shiites are a majority, and elsewhere along the western flank of the Persian Gulf, threatens to create a second Iranian "Arc of Influence" that would surround the Sunni governments of the Arabian Peninsula.

This Iranian-Saudi/Shia-Sunni fault line is increasingly becoming the principal axis around which the region politics evolve. Just as in the cold war, Russia and the United States are aligning themselves along opposite sides of the rift. Moscow has emerged as a strong supporter of Tehran and its "Shiite agenda" while Washington, the ambivalence under the Obama administration notwithstanding, is the principal supporter of the Sunni regimes.

In this environment, Israel has quietly strengthened its relations with many of the Arab governments that have traditionally, at least publicly, been officially opposed to the continued existence of the Israeli state. The thaw became noticeable in 2006, when both Cairo and Riyadh quietly sided with Israel in its conflict with Hezbollah in what came to be called the July war or the Second Lebanon War. The Sunni governments see Hezbollah as little more than an Iranian Shiite proxy quick to do Tehran's bidding and a growing threat to the region's political stability.

The recent agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia for the transfer of the islands of Tiran and Sanafi is symptomatic of this new thaw. It underscores an unprecedented development whose long-range significance has been missed by Western media. The two islands were originally controlled by Saudi Arabia. The islands sit at the entrance of the Gulf of Aqaba from the Red Sea. They dominate the narrow channel connecting the two bodies of water and are critical to controlling it.

Fearing that the islands would be seized by Israel, the Saudi's turned over the islands to Egypt in 1950. Israel did subsequently seize the islands in the 1956 war that accompanied the Suez crisis and again in 1967, during the six-day war. The islands were returned to Egypt, along with the Sinai Peninsula, under the Camp David Accords. The fact that the Saudis now want the islands back is a powerful statement that they see the outbreak of renewed conflict between Israel and Egypt as virtually inconceivable. That doesn't mean that the historic enmity between Israel and its Arab neighbors has gone away. Far from itit is still very much alive. It simply means that both sides realize that any renewed conflict is in neither of their interest and that Iran poses a larger threat to their mutual security.

In the wake of the Iranian Revolution, Tehran sought to craft an anti-Israeli/pro-Palestinian policy as a vehicle to attain a position of leadership in the Middle East. This position was presented as an issue that could rally both Shias and Sunnis under Iranian leadership. This was a radical departure from the past. Pre-revolution Iran had enjoyed close and mutually supportive relations with Israel. Iran had for many years been Israel's principal supplier of crude oil. Until then, Shia communities, while generally supportive of the Palestinian cause, had not demonstrated the virulent, anti-Israeli vitriol that would eventually come to characterize Iran's position. Tehran's gambit failed. Notwithstanding the enmity between Israelis and Arabs, it was trumped by the even longer standing, historic enmity and distrust between Arabs and Persians.

The de facto alliance between Israel and its Sunni Arab neighbors is a tenuous one. It is not an alignment that would be supported by Arab public opinion. Decades of anti-Israel propaganda do not easily disappear, certainly not overnight. It is in this context that a move of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem must be evaluated. Such an announcement would precipitate widespread public demonstrations throughout the Middle East and would force Sunni governments to denounce both Israel and the United States, ostensibly two of their most important allies against Iran. It would undermine the developing Israeli-Sunni Arab alignment and could pressure Arab governments to craft a more forceful response to placate the Arab street. This is the reason that Arab governments are publicly urging Washington to refrain from moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Privately, the Israeli military and intelligence community is telling Washington the same thing. The only country to benefit from such a development would be Iran.

This is after all the Middle East. Nothing is ever what it appears to be on the surface. The Sunni world is still a long way away from embracing Israel, much less acknowledging its right to exist. Nonetheless, a historic conflict that has set the tempo of Middle East politics for three-quarters of a century is rapidly being put aside to deal with the larger security issues poised by the reemergence of historic Persian imperialism. That doesn't mean that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is going to disappear. It isn't, but its continuation is less likely to define Mideast politics in the future. Byzantine? That word doesn't even begin to describe the nature of Mideast politics today.

-- If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.
Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go.

Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune...
U.S. warplanes over the weekend bombed a Syria-Iraq border area seen as the possible next safe haven for ISIS after the fall of Mosul and Raqqa.

U.S. Central Command on Saturday said airstrikes hit an "improvised weapons factory" in the western Iraqi town of Al-Qaim on the Syrian border in Anbar province. They also hit a gas and oil separation plant in the neighboring Syrian town of Abu Kamal.

Last week, Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, said the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has moved freely along ancient smuggling routes between the two towns and it is suspected that ISIS leadership fleeing the siege of Mosul has moved into the area.

"We currently don't have presence nor the ability to pressure the area," Townsend said. "In the Euphrates River valley along the Syrian-Iraq border, there's an Iraqi town there, a sizable one called Al-Qaim, and a Syrian town just across the border called Abu Kamal. And the enemy has freedom of movement in there.

"We only have the ability to watch and strike when we see something that is definitely visible from the air to be enemy," he said. "I think anywhere we're not attacking is sort of a safe haven for the enemy and their leaders, and we know they like to go there because they can transit the border with relative ease in the Abu Kamal-Al Qaim area."

Townsend and other U.S. officials have repeatedly said that remnants of ISIS will remain a threat to the region and to the U.S. and its allies after the fall of their strongholds in Mosul in northwestern Iraq and Raqqa in northeastern Syria. U.S. officials have also said that the remaining ISIS threat may require a long-term presence of U.S. troops in Iraq.

"I have heard Iraqi officials express a desire to have a continued U.S. presence here" after Mosul is retaken, Townsend said. "I think that probably both of our governments, the government of Iraq and the U.S. government, are interested in that, but both -- both those governments have yet to make that decision."

"We're kind of focused on the current fight right now that I still think has a ways to go," he said, "but the governments have expressed an interest in that."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Depending on your PT test, the order of swimming may best be determined by where it is in the order of events of that test.
A man in a suit stands outside of the New York Stock Exchange.

Eight years ago today, the S&P 500 (^GSPC) touched an intraday low of 666.79. All of everyones worst fears about the financial crisis was priced into the market and then some. That day was the start of the epic ongoing run in stock prices, which has the S&P 500 about 20 points away from its all-time high.

The most recent leg of this bull market has been attributed to President Donald Trumps business-friendly policy promises, led by big corporate tax cuts. Indeed, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin recently said that he expects a tax reform plan to be passed through the Senate and House by July before the autumn recess.

Unfortunately, Trumps administration may be creating its own hurdles to accomplish its goal of making America great again.

Greg Valliere, Chief Global Strategist at Horizon Investments, summed up Trumps recent messy weekend: 1. Unsubstantiated allegations that Barack Obama ordered wiretaps of Donald Trumps residence (Obama is a sick guy, Trump tweeted). 2. The intelligence community, which loathes Trump, continuing its drumbeat against him. 3. Rumors swirling about who will leave the White House first  Reince Priebus or Sean Spicer?

Valliere isnt yet convinced that this astonishing intrigue and chaos in Washington will kill the markets spirits. But he does identify three threats (verbatim):

1. The Trump agenda stalls. Exhibit A is the Obamacare replacement bill, now in serious trouble in the House. Paul Ryan has a bill ready for committee markup, but conservatives are balking over refundable tax credits, which they view as a new entitlement program. Lawmakers are looking for leadership from Trump, who is distracted. Maybe a replacement bill can pass in the House later in the spring  but until it does, tax reform will stay on the back burner.

2. Republicans begin to defect. This is the political issue to watch; the Democrats, still divided and relentlessly negative, arent much of an opposition. But theres a GOP insurrection brewing in the Senate; nearly a dozen Republicans are essentially anti-Trump and virtually no one supports his allegation that Obama wiretapped him.

Story continues

3. The U.S. loses international prestige. An image of Washington in disarray sends a signal to U.S. allies and adversaries, and a geopolitical crisis is inevitable; one is brewing with North Korea. Our take is that many countries  led by Germany  will go their own way on trade and defense rather than deal with Trump.

When Trump was elected, he inherited a robust world-leading economy and his party had control of the House and the Senate. He has all the tailwinds a leader could ask for. But is there nowhere left to go but down?

With markets at record highs, earnings growth sputtering, valuation stretched, and sentiment at very bullish levels, there seems to be no shortage of warning signs in the market these days.

While its usually a mistake to predict doom for bull markets, its nevertheless prudent to be prepared for volatility.



Sam Ro is managing editor at Yahoo Finance.

Read more:
Granite Construction Incorporated GVA has been disappointing investors of late. Shares of this diversified heavy civil contractor and construction materials producer has dipped 3.4% year to date. Here we highlight five reasons why it might not be an attractive pick for your portfolio at the moment.



Disappointing Fourth-Quarter 2016; Lackluster Guidance: Granite Construction reported fourth-quarter 2016 earnings per share of 40 cents, down 44% year over year from 72 cents in the year-ago quarter. The bottom line also missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 53 cents. Results were negatively impacted by weakness particularly in the Large Project Construction segment. The company expects low-double digit consolidated revenue growth in 2017 and consolidated EBITDA margin of 6.57.5%.



Negative Earnings Surprise History: The company has delivered negative earnings surprise in all the trailing four quarters with an average earnings surprise of 44.65%.



Estimates Moving South: The estimates for the company for first-quarter fiscal 2017, fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2018, have moved south in the past 30 days, reflecting the negative outlook of analysts on the company.



For the first quarter, there have been three downward estimate revisions in the past 30 days with no upward movement. Likewise, for fiscal 2017, we have seen three estimates moving down in the past 30 days, compared with no upward revisions. Similarly for fiscal 2018, two estimates have been revised downwards.



For first-quarter fiscal 2017, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has gone down to a loss of 19 cents per share from the prior estimate of a loss of 11 cents in the past 30 days. For fiscal 2017, the estimate has gone down 11% to $2.10 and for fiscal 2018, the estimate has declined 11% to $2.99 per share.



Falling Behind the Industry: In the last one year, Granite Construction has underperformed the Zacks classified Building Products - Heavy Construction sub-industry with respect to price performance. The stock gained around 21.3%, while the industry rose 33% in the same time frame.





Story continues





Poor Rank; Expensive Valuation: Granite Construction currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). The companys stretched valuation is a concern. In case of Granite Construction, the trailing twelve months price earnings (P/E) ratio is 38.22 while the Zacks categorized Building Products - Heavy Construction industry average trailing twelve months P/E ratio is pegged much lower at 16.87. This implies that the stock is overvalued and hence, we caution the investors against entering the stock at this point.



Stocks to Consider



Some better-ranked stocks in the construction sector include Owens Corning OC, Dycom Industries, Inc. DY and Louisiana-Pacific Corporation LPX. All of the three stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Owens Corning has an average positive earnings surprise of 35.13% in the trailing four quarters. Dycom has an average earnings surprise of 17.30% in the last four quarters, while Louisiana-Pacific has an average earnings surprise of 66.28% in the same time frame.



Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2017



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2017?



Who wouldn't? Last year's market-beating Top 10 portfolio produced 5 double-digit winners. For example, oil and natural gas giant Pioneer Natural Resources and First Republic Bank racked up stellar gains of +44.9% and +44.3% respectively. Now a brand-new list for 2017 has been hand-picked from 4,400 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. See the 2017 Top 10 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



Owens Corning Inc (OC): Free Stock Analysis Report



Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LPX): Free Stock Analysis Report



Granite Construction Incorporated (GVA): Free Stock Analysis Report



Dycom Industries, Inc. (DY): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
you are here:
Native Outfitters Seeks to Expand Product Offering and Production; Targets Include Expansion on $1 million 2016 Revenues and Improved Net Profit Margins; BDCI Begins Booking Revenues Under its Business Plan

WEST PALM BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 6, 2017 / Bahamas Development Corporation (OTC PINK: BDCI) is pleased to provide status updates following the closing of its acquisition of Native Outfitters ("Native").

Native Management held several very positive meetings that will result in expanded revenue in 2017 and beyond. Management met with the two leading receivables finance companies to begin factoring its receivables. This injection of funds into the company will fuel expansion.

Revenue growth opportunities include increased apparel offerings, a wider range of colors on existing apparel offerings, and new graphics. The goal is to increase weekly production from 1,200 to 2,000 shirts. Meetings have been planned with Native's suppliers to facilitate these opportunities, and new hardware and software has already been ordered to accommodate future order expansion.

Management has also begun instituting cost savings, that were targeted pre-acquisition to improve the Company's bottom line. Net income enhancement opportunities include changes to bulk material purchasing to reduce unit production costs.

Native currently sells its wholesale customers custom shirts, shorts, hats, jackets in men's, women's and kids sizes, as well as stickers, and other Native branded goods.

Native Outfitters began operations five years ago and generated revenues of approximately $1 million in 2016. Net income in 2016 was approximately of 20% of gross revenue. Native clients include, but are not limited to, NASA, Ron Jon, The Breakers, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, and many other leading international hotel chains and resorts, as well as a long list of exclusive clients.

Native's current facility in West Palm Beach, FL, has an in-house art department, and the ability to process, print, and ship over 1,200 shirts per week. Native uses proprietary Anti-Snag SPF50+ Sun Protection fabrics. Its Anti-Snag sun shirts are most popular for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy boating, fishing, and other outdoor sports. Native also offers other complementary lines including camp shirts, swim shirts, and a line of shorts.

Story continues

Native Outfitters are suppliers of the official shirts for the Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach International Boat Shows. The Palm Beach Boat Show, which runs from March 23-26, 2017 is an annual event on Native's calendar. The show features boats, yachts, and accessories from the world's leading marine manufacturers.

A loan and credit line was obtained from Wells Fargo to fund the acquisition of Native Outfitters. The acquisition, including initial working capital, has been personally guaranteed by BDCI's President and will not result in any dilution or toxic debt to the Company.

Wells Fargo has already expressed interest in funding future acquisitions BDCI is working on. BDCI has also held several discussions with another major retail banking lender with a view to a significantly expanded working relationship.

About Native Outfitters:

Native Outfitters is a fast-growing wholesale turnkey performance lifestyle apparel company that uses proprietary blend Anti-Snag SPF50+ Sun Protection fabrics to provide a range of safe, comfortable high performance apparel. The Company is focused on the "HOT" Athleisure category and has established distribution channels in the U.S. and Caribbean. Target sectors for Native performance apparel include the U.S. Government, outdoor retailers, specialty retailers, and leading resorts and hotels.

https://www.nativeoutfitters.com/

Bahamas Development Corporation, in compliance with SEC regulations, may in the future use social media outlets like Facebook or Twitter and its own website to announce key information in compliance with Reg FD.

For additional information about this release please contact:

Investor Relations:

769-218-1796

https://twitter.com/bahamasdevcorp

https://www.facebook.com/Bahamas-Development-Corporation-469640663243771/

info@bahamasdevelopmentcorp.com

http://www.bahamasdevelopmentcorp.com/

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in Section 27(a) of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, estimates of services and equipment markets, release of corporate apps, growth of platform, target markets, product releases, product demand and, business strategy. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects and development stage companies. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also consider that any investment in securities is at risk.

Details of the Company's business, finances, appointments and agreements can be found as part of the Company's continuous public disclosure on otcmarkets.com.

SOURCE: Bahamas Development Corporation
business Like Blue Star, JK Lakshmi; buy Amara Raja on dip: Angel Broking Mayuresh Joshi of Angel Broking likes Blue Star and JK Lakshmi Cement and feels that one can buy Amara Raja Batteries on dips.
NORRISTOWN  With just days until the 2022 general election a board room on the eighth floor of One Montgomery Plaza was filled with an air of contention. Public comment surrounding election practices including the dozen drop boxes posted across...
Rad Roach Gear interview  discover a world of Postapo LARP and post apocalyptic clothing. Its wearable art for wasteland warriors

Think of Post Apocalyptic style and your first thoughts may be of Mad Max  or possibly Fallout 4. An amazing family of creative spirits are taking Post Apocalyptic clothing to the next level. Meet Rad Roach Gear! Named after Fallout 4s rad roaches (with a nod to both rad awesomeness and radiation), this shiny and chrome duo create wasteland attire and props for cosplay, LARPing and life.

Mika  credit to Freitag Fotographie

Chris  credit to Freitag Fotographie

In Europe, Postapo LARP (Live Action Role-Playing) specialises in eye-popping authentic-looking kit. When Mika (aka Sump Kidd) and Chris attended their first Postapo LARP in 2015, it was an opportunity for Chris to display the stuff he was already creating and start new projects. He began building gear for himself not long after that, specialising in weatherering materials, and building armour and prop guns. In fact, his first-ever Rad Roach Gear project was a pair of distressed pants he wears to this very day as part of his Wasteland Warriors outfit.

For Mika, that Postapo LARP in 2015 was her first real opportunity to build something post-apocalyptic. After that, she was hooked. She creates most of the Rad Roach Gear jewellery  weathered bone necklaces and the like  and handles most of the distressing techniques. Plus, she says, I tend to sew, rather then screwing it.

Above: Rad Roach Gear Post Apocalyptic costume and jewelery

Whether its Mika or Chris creating the clothing and props, Rad Roach Gears Post Apocalyptic clothing has a distinctively weathered look and feel. Chris calls it postapocalyptic art that you can wear. Mika mostly describes her Rad Roach creations as post apocalyptic/dystopian costuming, aiming to include aspects of fashion and character design into all her creations.

We grabbed our packs, snuck into the online desert wastes and talked to Rad Roach Gear under cover of night in their camouflaged encampment. When we asked them if they wished people wore Postapo clothing every day, their answer was a firm YES!

To me, clothing has very much to do with emotion, imagination and creativity, says Mika. You can express so much through it. It would be awesome if people did it more in everyday life. For me that would be postapocalyptic/dystopian clothing but it really can be everything.

Rad Roach Gear Raider costume: credit to Moritz Jendral Photography

Rad Roach Gear Scavenger costume: credit to Moritz Jendral Photography

Chris says that his favourite project to date is also his biggest  the Riot Gear. His trickiest project so far is the mutant outfit hes been building for a LARP in 2017. It will be my first time ever working with Latex. As Im a learn by doing person, Im looking forward to testing out some new techniques.

Mikas most enjoyed working on her plateau boots and motorcross helmet combo. And her trickiest project so far? A headpiece Im currently working on. Ive never built one before.

Adventurer Faith Roswell models her own Rad Roach Gear.

Follow her on Life Out There.

The creative influences for Rad Roach Gear are treasured and many. Chris has loved Postapo since he was a kid. I saw the Wild Boys music Video by Duran Duran on TV. After that I saw Mad Max and I was hooked. Nowadays, most influences come from movies and computer games like Stalker, Metro and Fallout. Im also inspired by artists and other crafters in the community. I tend to use the whole crafting process as a kind of therapy for my ADHD, so sometimes ideas just come to my mind and I start building.

Mika thinks on how her creative process has evolved. When she first started, she went by what seemed logical and realistic. For example, when she started building her first LARP kits she mostly thought about how the finished result would look and what shed need in a postapocalyptic scenario.

Rad Roach Gear wasteland attire: credit to Traumverloren

Mikas earlier efforts were essentially ripped and dirty practical gear. But that got boring very quickly, says Mika. Now I really want to create characters from different settings and I dont pay too much attention to practicality. I basically want my costumes to tell a story. She always develops a world around any concept design she is working on, wondering how the costume would work in the context of the world it represents. Is there still a society? Are there mutated or alien beings? Is this world depressing or batshit? What things are left from the world we live in now? What items would be of any value?

Mika says her creations draw on inspiration from tribal culture, dystopia and sci-fi, fantasy and of course other Postapo movies, books and games.

Creating a Postapo look

Whats involved in creating Postapo clothing thats markedly different from other style subgenres?

Chris places an emphasis on distressing (the art of making material look worn and distressed) and dirt. And repurposing normal everyday items, he adds, because thats a key element that defines the overall look.

Mostly dirt, agrees Mika. Also bones, distressed fabric, bottlecaps and all kinds of metal scrap. And repurposed things, and stuff that looks like its been broken and repaired again. Regarding costume, I think that nearly everything can be incorporated in an outfit. It really comes down to the small things.



Mika likes to consider colour palette, too. Since you need to weather Postapo stuff pretty heavily it all becomes a brownish colour palette automatically! But seriously, I like to stay with natural colours (brown, green, beige, dark/rusty red) and black. Sooner or later I will try something different, though.

Buying Rad Roach Gear Postapo clothing and accessories

Whether you want armour, jewellery, headpiecs, Postapo weaponry or anything else, follow the Rad Roach Gear Facebook page and get in touch. You can come to them with an idea that you can explore to make a reality together. As artists, Chris and Mika respect other artists and do not make direct copies of anyone elses work. It would be like downloading an artwork someone drew, printing it out and getting it tattooed without asking the artist, explains Chris. However, if someone asks to have something like this built, Im fair game. I really wouldnt like to create a perfect copy of something another artist has already made.

Until now we didnt sell pre-made stuff on a regular basis, says Mika. People just wrote to us on our Facebook-page and told us what they had in mind. I really love it when people are willing to talk about ideas and to develop a concept together  and references are also helpful sometimes. But if someone gives me complete artistic freedom I take it as a huge compliment, because it means that they trust me and that theyve looked at my other stuff and like my style.

Rad Roach Gear Wasteland Warrior: Credit Traumverloren

For Rad Roach Gear, no commission is too small, or too big (given enough time). If you want a necklace, thats fine. If you want a full set of wasteland armour, thats fine. We look at each request invididually and always try to work something out, says Mika. Chris wont build anything he finds boring or uncreative, and takes the artistic freedom to produce art to his own insight. But he says, with the kind of people who approach Rad Roach Gear with an idea for something theyd like, that has never really been a problem!.

Top tips for making your own Postapo kit

What if youre planning to make DIY Postapo kit? Mika and Chris have generously provided some key tips:

Be ready to fail. If something doesnt look right you may have to take it apart, weather and distress your gear.

Dont buy stuff that you may never use.

If dirt does not show up on a photo, theres not enough dirt on it. Costuming, like a lot of other visual media, lives through the exaggeration of certain details so that it stands out. If you do not distress your gear enough you will look like someone renovating their house rather than a postapocalyptic warrior.

Taking a photo is a good way to see how your outfit looks from other angles and what details you still have to work on.

Ask people whose stuff you like for feedback. They may find it easier to give constructive criticism if they see a picture rather than reading or hearing a description. In addition, you might get to know some awesome people who share the same passion for postapocalypse.

Pay attention to wearability, not just look. You could be spending days scuzzing out in the costumes you create.

Whats playing on the Wasteland Radio?

When Mika and Chris go stomping out in full Rad Roach Gear, what are their personal soundtracks? What music do they relate to when theyre in character? Theyre unanimous in their immediate reply. Basically, everything from Die Antwoord! Nothing special besides that.

Summing up Rad Roach Gears wasteland spirit in one word

Who are Rad Roach Gear, truly? Are they wanderers? Marauders? Cult priests and priestesses? Nightmarish denizens who live beneath the ground? Which archetype best reflects their wasteland spirit?

Chris: Scavenger!!

Mika: Anything between tribal marauder and psychotic raider

So there you have it. The grimy scavenger and the murderous wasteland everywoman. This, then, is the spirit of Rad Roach Gear  and they put that passion into every item of Postapo costume they make.

Follow Rad Roach Gear on Facebook

Follow Rad Roach Gear on Facebook and you can see what theyre up to at any time. Youre always welcome to talk about commissions, too. If you want to meet them in person, the 2017 LARPs they plan to attend include Junktown in the Czech Republic and Dust Monkeys  The World Went Dark (UK).

Before we wave a fond farewell, our deep thanks for Rad Roach Gear for taking the time to give us a glimpse into their filthy postapo world of wonder.

Post Apocalyptic Artists and Community

One more thing. Want to further explore the world of Post Apocalyptic clothing, cosplay and art? Rad Roach Gear have come up with shoutouts to a number of amazing creatives:

Mika aka SumpKid on Instagram @sumpkid

Dust Monkey  https://www.facebook.com/Dust-Monkey

Wasteland Pirate  https://www.facebook.com/WastelandPirate

Nerf Gunstmith  https://www.facebook.com/nerfgunsmith

Radioactive Armory  https://www.facebook.com/RadioactiveArmory

Toecutters Union Trading Co.  https://www.facebook.com/tcutradingco

Vulture Productions  https://www.facebook.com/wastelandvultures

Jaded Jewall  https://www.facebook.com/jaded.jewall

Mia Shinda  https://www.facebook.com/Mia-Shinda

Phonix Distortions  https://www.facebook.com/phoenix.distortions

Moritz Jendral Photography  https://www.facebook.com/MoritzJendralFotografie

Deadbeard Props  https://www.facebook.com/deadbeardprops

Fubar Props  https://www.facebook.com/FUBARprops

Raptobot  https://www.facebook.com/raptobot/

Freitag Fotografie  https://www.facebook.com/FreitagFotografie

Dorgmal Snow  https://www.facebook.com/dorgmal

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save
School public relations professionals across the state were honored Friday, Jan. 27 for the products of their craft during the North Carolina School Public Relations Associations annual Blue Ribbon Awards for Effective Communications celebration at the O. Henry Hotel in Greensboro. Thirty-seven school districts were recognized for outstanding work and received a total of 237 awards in eight categories.

Included in the list of winners is Cheryl M. Shuffler, public relations officer for Burke County Public Schools. The school system received 10 Blue Ribbon awards in six categories.

In addition to Shuffler, Board of Education m embers R.L. Icard, Buddy Armour and Seth P. Hunt Jr., Superintendent Dr. Larry Putnam and Human Resource Director Sharon Colaw accepted the awards on behalf of the school system.

The story Icard Elementary Teacher Selected for Engineering Program won a Gold Award in the Excellence in Writing category and the stories STEM Rocks and East Burke Senior Credited with Saving Life won Silver Awards in the Excellence in Writing category.

In the Digital Media Engagement category, the districts hashtag: #IgniteLearningBCPS, won a Silver Award and the Facebook photo album You Wanna Build a Snowman? won a Bronze Award.

In the Electronic Media category, a 30-second promo video Igniting Learning that aired at Morgantons Marquee Cinemas over the summer won a Bronze Award. In the Marketing category, a year-long focus on employee morale won a Silver Award.

Two photographs, Makerspace Thinker and Class of 2016 Returns to Elementary School both won Silver Awards.

And in the Publications Category, Burke County School & Family Magazine won a Bronze Award.

Cheryl Shuffler has emerged as a school public relations professional since joining BCPS in June of 2013, said Putnam. She enjoys writing and reporting all of the great things that take place daily in our schools. Many of publications can be found at local restaurants and the Burke County Chamber of Commerce. By focusing and promoting positive attributes in our community, we hope this will help attract newcomers to our great county and school system.

NCSPRA President Charlie Glazener, executive director of community relations & communications for Asheville City Schools, said entries of the award winners rivaled the best work of public relations practitioners in any field.

Blue Ribbon Awards are the highest honor in our organization and they validate the superior work done by my colleagues this year, Glazener said. This roster of excellence is tangible evidence that NCSPRA's public relations professionals are among the Nations finest and that they are producing cutting edge communications and products that support their schools and school systems.

Georgia School Public Relations Association Board of Directors judged the entries. Prior to the awards ceremony attendees heard a presentation from Keith Posten, president and executive director of the Public School forum of North Carolina, entitled Top 10 Education Issues in 2017.

W. Jeffrey Booker, Gaston County Schools superintendent and NCSPRA superintendent liaison, also offered congratulatory remarks during the ceremony on behalf of the state's school superintendents.

NCSPRAs mission is to build support for public education through well-planned and responsible public relations.

For more information visit the NCSPRA Facebook page or www.ncspra.org.
North Carolina has a lot of local governments. To be exact, there are 100 counties and 552 municipalities in the state. North Carolina is one of only seven states with triple-digits in the number of counties, with Texas taking the prize at 254. Were 18th among states in the number of municipalities, but far below the record holder of Illinois with 2,729.

Many of us identify with our nearest local government, particularly when it comes to the economy. For example, an out-of-state friend may ask you how the economy is doing in Greensboro. Or, a traveler eating at a diner in Richmond County could ask some locals if businesses are hiring.

Politics and statistics also cause us to focus on county and city boundaries. Both entities have elected officials who are concerned about economic development in their jurisdictions. Also, many numbers and statistics are regularly released describing economic conditions in counties and cities.

But do local economies start and stop at county and municipal lines? Arent there many people who live in one city or county but work in another? And what about buying? Even if youre a fan of buying local, does this mean you wont hop over to the next county to visit a mall, shopping center or restaurant?

Economists observe all kinds of cross-county and cross-city transactions. This is why most economists dont think a county or city is the best description of a local economy.

But then what is? While there are many possibilities, a system developed several decades ago by the U.S. Census Bureau seems  at least to me  to make considerable sense.

The Census has three categories of a local economy. The first is a metropolitan area (technically called a metropolitan statistical area). A metropolitan area has a core city of 50,000 or more people together with surrounding counties having a high degree of social and economic interaction with that city, such as commuting for jobs and buying.

The second local economy category is a micropolitan area. This is a region having a core city of between 10,000 and 50,000 people and nearby counties with strong employment and buying ties.

The third category is termed rural because it has no core cities of 10,000 population or more. With no significant central place serving as a magnet, economic interactions are more limited in rural areas than in the metropolitan and micropolitan regions.

Based on these definitions, North Carolina has fifteen metropolitan areas and twenty-four micropolitan areas. There are also three counties associated with metropolitan areas outside the state. Brunswick County in the southeast is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area, and Gates and Currituck Counties in the northeast are components of the Virginia Beach/Norfolk metropolitan region.

A total of twenty-six counties in North Carolina are not part of a metropolitan or a micropolitan area and so are considered to be rural according to this classification scheme.

Do these categories for local economies make sense? As someone who has visited most regions of our state several times in my almost 40-year career at NC State University, I would say yes. For example, driving around the Raleigh metropolitan area where I live, the counties of Johnston, Wake, and Franklin  which compose the Raleigh metro area -certainly seem to be tied together.

Likewise, the two counties of the the Sanford micropolitan area  Lee and Harnett  appear to be joined in commerce. And the downeast counties of Sampson, Duplin, Bladen and Columbus  which are neither in a metropolitan or micropolitan category  seem to represent the tradition of what is considered to be rural in North Carolina.

These classifications can change over time as residential and business patterns evolve. For example, after the 2020 census I wouldnt be surprised to see Lee and Harnett Counties become part of the Raleigh metropolitan region, partly due to the extension of I-540. Similarly, with the increased cargo activity occurring in Norfolk as a result of the expanded Panama Canal, more northeastern North Carolina counties could become linked to that metropolitan area.

There are numerous private and public implications of thinking about local economies in this way. Advertisers and transportation planners can use them to understand how and where people shop. Business recruiters  who are often county-based  can use the categories to estimate how a new business in one county or city can impact nearby counties and cities.

I dont think many of us will give up emotional allegiances to our home county or city. I know I havent. But economic linkages change over time. The geographic region best describing current local economies can be quite different from those existing decades ago.

Still, is anyone going to say theyre from the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton Statistical Area, instead of simply Catawba County? You decide.

Mike Walden is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at North Carolina State University who teaches and writes on personal finance, economic outlook, and public policy.
What are investors reading? It is clear income remains a priority. Articles and videos focusing on dividends are the most viewed on Morningstar.co.uk over the past week. Other popular articles focused on top rated exchange-traded funds and investment trusts. However you access the market we have the news you need to make better informed investment decisions. Read on to find out the top 10 articles on the site last week.

Top 20 FTSE 350 Dividend Paying Stocks

UPDATED FEBRUARY 2017: Dividend payments have been boosted 4.8 billion by Brexit. We reveal the top 20 dividend paying stocks in the FTSE 350
The government remains very focused on monitoring the Canadian housing market, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said. His remarks come amid rising prices in Toronto and Vancouver.We continue to be very focused on thinking about how we can manage what is peoples most significant investment. And we do watch the level of indebtedness, in particular around housing, said Morneau, as reported by The Globe and Mail. He spoke before Columbia University students during a visit to New York on Tuesday ahead of a Wednesday stop in Washington.Morneau said that Canada has strong underlying markets in the places where the housing markets have posted a strong performance, such as Toronto and Vancouver.So in Toronto and Vancouver, unemployment is lower in those two places than it is in some other places. Incomes are higher. The economy is doing better. So there are underlying reasons for the housing markets to do better and well continue to monitor, to work with provinces and municipalities who have an important role to play here to manage what we see [as] a challenge, but not one that isnt manageable.Morneaus remarks echo those he made in October last year, after the federal government introduced several regulatory revisions. He assured that the ministry will remain watchful of how the market will evolve under the new conditions.We will remain on top of this because we know this is a very important risk to our economy, Morneau said, as quoted by Reuters.Revisions included the tightening of mortgage rules, the closing of a loophole on home sales, and the implementation of a new risk-sharing model for major lenders.Morneau said last January that the federal government is not currently contemplating any new mortgage rules at the moment.We dont have any measures under consideration at this stage, but we will continue to monitor to ensure that the housing market is stable and that people are protected in their important investment.

Related stories:

Morneau: At the moment, no further plans to cool down markets

New mortgage regulations are the right changesformer TD head
A 20-year-old Midland man died early Saturday after an alleged drive-by shooting, according to a press release from city spokeswoman Sara Bustilloz.

Midland Police Department officers were summoned to Midland Memorial Hospital at about 4:30 a.m. Saturday when a gunshot victim, identified as Kaleb Barton, was brought in by private vehicle, according to the release. He died at the hospital from injury to his lower torso, according to the release.

The investigation revealed that the incident occurred at a restaurant in the 200 block of South Lee Street. Witnesses said Barton was outside of the business with acquaintances when two Hispanic males in a small light blue or silver car, possibly a Honda, drove by and fired one round into the group, according to the release.

Bartons body will be transported to Tarrant County for an autopsy. The investigation into the case continues.
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Editors note: Midland Christian School seventh-grader Katie Sowders is this years winner in the Texas history essay contest sponsored by the Aaron Estes Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. She is the daughter of Kim and Sam Sowders.

---

April, 1944

Now, class, I have a question for you, said Mr. Maverick as a gentle rain tapped the ground outside. You know my last name is Maverick, but do any of you know what a maverick is? Mr. Maverick looked around the silent room for any students raising their hands. Oh, come on you guys! Youre in what? Ninth grade now? he said sarcastically.

More silence.

Well, he continued, A maverick is an unbranded calf or yearling. Do you know how the word came about?

Nobody said anything.

Well, I was eight years old when I learned about the meaning of my name. I learned about it from my grandfather. His father was a man named Samuel Maverick. Samuel Maverick lived during the Texas Revolution. He a pretty interesting guy. I still remember that day. ...

November 1916

Tell me a story, I asked my grandpa.

Not now, Clint, my grandpa said. Come back later.

Why?

I have work to do.

Tell me, please? Your stories are always the best, and Im bored.

Oh, all right, but it has to be short. What do you want to hear about?

Tell the one about the two kingdoms. I love a good war.

Youve heard that one a thousand times. How about I tell you one you havent heard before.

Hmmm, alright.

Did you ever wonder who your great grandfather was?

Nope.

Well, he had a pretty interesting life story.

Really?

Really. His name was Samuel Maverick, and he was born in July of 1803 in South Carolina. He had two lovely parents named Elizabeth and Samuel Maverick. His father started a plantation in South Carolina and spent most of his time buying land there and in other various states (Morris, 435). After Samuel finished his schooling, at the age of eighteen, he decided to spend a summer studying in Connecticut because he planned on going to Yale University. After he finished college in 1825, he went back to South Carolina to work with his father. He was soon very good at the business of purchasing land (Kemp, 201).

Three years after he graduated from Yale, he moved to Winchester, Virginia to study law. He obtained a license for law one year later in 1829 (Kemp, 201). Shortly after, he returned once again to South Carolina and opened an office for law. He promptly ran for state legislature the next year. Sadly he did not make the legislature and moved to Georgia, later moving again to Alabama, and finally moving to Texas where his rise to fame began (Marks).

How did he become famous? I asked.

He arrived in Texas back when Texas was still part of Mexico. A man named Santa Anna came to power. Santa Anna began legalizing unfair laws, and Texas decided theyd had enough and declared war. Now this war made it hard for Samuel Mavericks plans to begin a land ownership business. He headed into San Antonio right before the siege of Bexar which was a fight where a number of Texas volunteers attacked Mexican troops and got more volunteers for their army (Muster Rolls of the Texas Revolution, 256). Anyway, Samuel was arrested along with a number of other people, and the Mexican government instructed them to stay in the city (Marks).

Was he ever released? I asked.

Yes, as soon as he was released, he went straight to a Texas war camp and informed the other soldiers that it would be a good idea if they were to strike Mexico right then. The men agreed, and they even let Samuel lead one of the divisions. Because he was a good and smart leader, delegates elected him to go to a convention in March (Marks).

Wow! They must have really thought he was a great man!

Yes, but sadly while serving at the convention, Samuel got sick. Shortly afterwards he got news that he was needed by his family, and he left Texas to go to Alabama. Although it seemed like one thing was going wrong after another, he met a woman name Mary Ann Adams. Now he never told me much about Mary except that she was a wonderful and happy person. Samuel married her in Tuscaloosa in August of 1836. Just one year later they had a son and named him Samuel Maverick, Jr. When Samuel, Jr. was one year old, the family moved from Alabama back to San Antonio, Texas. While in San Antonio, Samuel got his Texas law license and began speculating for land. Another year later he was voted mayor of San Antonio (Morris, 435).

Wow! He was really voted for mayor?

Yes. After that he was voted as the town treasurer. He was still working for San Antonios city council four years later. In 1842 the Mavericks moved to Gonzales, Texas, but Samuel quickly moved back to continue to work at the city council in San Antonio (Marks). The Texas revolution was still going on, and because he was such an important member of the council, he was taken prisoner by Adrian Woll, a Mexican general (de la Teja, 94). Samuel was taken to Perote prison and stayed there for one year (Morris, 436). He was released in April of 1843. Soon after he was released, he was elected as a member of the congress of the Republic of Texas. He only partook in this amazing opportunity for one year until he and his family moved to an area near Matagorda Bay where he lived for four years. He and his family then moved again to San Antonio where they stayed until his death in September of 1870 (Kemp, 206).

1944

Mr. Maverick finished his story and looked at the class.

Uh, Mr. Maverick, what does that story have to do with unbranded cows? asked Joseph.

Oh, that -- well, you see, he didnt want to brand his cattle (Marks).

So? Joseph asked.

Well, Mr. Maverick said, when a man as famous as my great-grandfather refused to brand his cattle, people took notice. Soon, if they found an unbranded cow, they called it a maverick. Today if someone calls you a maverick, it means youre a loner or an independent thinker, kind of like a cow whos unbranded and off on his own.

Has anyone ever called you a maverick? Joseph asked.

You mean an unbranded cow? he asked jokingly.

No, an independent thinker, Joseph said.

Well, lets just say Im a lot like my great grandfather, Mr. Maverick said.

* * *

Works Cited

Kemp, Louis Wiltz. The Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Salado: The Anson Jones Press, 1959.

Marks, Paula Mitchell. Handbook of Texas Online. 7 December 2015. Maverick, Samuel Augustus. 29 January 2017.

Morris, Mrs. Henry Joseph. Citizens of the Republic of Texas. Dallas: Texas State Genalogical Society, 1977.

Muster Rolls of the Texas Revolution. Austin: Daughters of the Republic of Texas, 1986.

Teja, de la. A Revolution Remembered The Memois and Selected Correspondence of Juan N. Seguin. Austin: State House Press, 1991.


















DailyFX.com -

Talking Points

The Chinese Premier did as markets thought he would and said Beijing was aiming for growth of around 6.5% this year

This is even lower than the 6.7% notched up in 2016, but China needs time to reform, cut debt

Consumer price, deficit targets were also as expected

Premier Li Keqiang told the National Peoples Congress in Beijing on Sunday that the government will target slower economic growth this year.

Gross Domestic Product rose by 6.7% in 2016, according to official figures. That was the smallest rise since 1990. However, Beijing will tolerate a slightly lower rate still in 2017 as it seeks to reform the economy and deal with a huge debt build-up. The administration is now aiming at growth of around 6.5% this year Premier Li Keqiang said.

The Chinese government used substantial stimulus to keep the economy motoring at even last years relatively modest pace. Infrastructure investment soared, as did bank lending, despite repeated warnings about the countrys massive corporate debts. Li reportedly said that China will now take further steps to ensure financial-sector safety, including higher vigilance of the shadow-banking sector.

The government also unveiled plans aimed at ensuring every family has at least one wage-earner, even as jobs are cut in Chinas traditional state-owned heavy industries. Beijing reportedly believes that 11 million new city-based jobs will be created in 2017, but that wont be enough to employ the 15 million new workers whom the government believes will enter the labor market.

China will also target an annualized consumer price index rise of around 3% this year, while its budget-deficit target is 3% of GDP. All these benchmarks were broadly as expected by investors, and a Sunday-torpid foreign exchange market didnt react much to Lis words. Of course, it may mull them over anew when trading desks are more fully staffed on Monday.

The Australian Dollar is often the markets favorite liquid China proxy, but didnt move far on this occasion. AUD/USD was steady around 0.75942 as Li spoke and afterward.

Story continues

Away from economics, Li also said that China would continue to resolutely oppose and contain independence activities in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Sunday stuck: AUD/USD

China 2017 Growth Target Around 6.5%- Li Keqiang

Chart compiled using TradingView

Want to know more about financial market trading? Check out the DailyFX webinars

--- Written by David Cottle, DailyFX Research

Contact and follow David on Twitter:@DavidCottleFX



original source

DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.

Learn forex trading with a free practice account and trading charts from IG.
By Sue-Lin Wong SHUANGYASHAN, China (Reuters) - After protests by unpaid coal miners made headlines around the world last year as China's parliament was meeting, a $15 billion assistance fund offered by the ruling Communist Party became a symbol of the government's need to ensure social stability. As the National Peoples Congress gathers again a year on, the number of protests has dropped sharply and authorities are promising to create more jobs for workers in Chinas northeastern belt, where the employment outlook is more grim than in many other parts of the country. China is pledging to cut further excess and inefficient capacity in its mining sector and "smokestack" industries this year as part of an effort to upgrade its economy and reduce pollution, but the move threatens to throw millions more out of work. Dozens of coal miners and laid-off workers in Shuangyashan, in northeastern Heilongjiang Province near Russia, said they were underemployed and underpaid, sometimes earning only a fifth of what they used to, despite rising living costs. They said a heavy police presence was discouraging further mass protests. "Security has become much tighter since last year's protests, the police are everywhere, watching everything," said Li, 53, who works at the nearby Dongbaowei coal mine. "The government could owe me one year's worth of wages and I wouldn't protest again. It's just not worth it for us miners," said another worker who said he was owed five months' pay. He also declined to give his full name. With a twice-a-decade leadership transition looming later this year, Beijing has focused on curbing mass unrest, including the $15 billion fund for retraining, relocating and early retirement of an estimated 5-6 million affected people. "We were expecting a lot of possible unrest but it seemed that something happened after Shuangyashan that stopped major waves of protests," said Keegan Elmer of Hong Kong-based China Labor Bulletin (CLB), which tracks workers' strikes in China. The number of mining protests in China dropped from a high of 37 in January 2016 to 6 in December, CLB figures showed. So far, China has not released any comparison of its success rates with employment programmes nationwide, and analysts say there is little transparency on how the funds are being spent. But workers in some other parts of China have similar tales to tell. In Hebei province, over 2,000 km (1,200 miles) to the south, a 55-year-old former steelworker said he now makes 1,000 yuan ($145) a month, a quarter of his previous salary, as a security guard. But the man, who only identified himself as Wang, said he was luckier than most. Other laid-off workers said they had to return to their farms, where they could hope for little more than subsistence. UNDEREMPLOYED, UNDERPAID This year, new jobs will be found for half a million steel and coal workers as capacity is cut in those industries, China's labour minister said on Wednesday. "As overcapacity is cut, we must provide assistance to laid-off workers," Premier Li Keqiang said at the opening of the annual meeting of parliament on Sunday. But unlike the more affluent south, China's rustbelt has few other jobs to offer, prompting some local governments to offer menial work while state firms keep staff on but pay much less. Longmay, the state coal producer in northeastern Heilongjiang, received more than 800 million yuan from the new fund last year to help it deal with coal output cuts and reallocating workers to other jobs, according to a government document. "This isn't a job, at least not a real job," said Peng Jianting, 51, who used to earn 3,000 yuan a month working in a coal mine and now earns 500 yuan as a street sweeper. The company declined to comment. In Shanxi province, which accounts for a quarter of China's coal production, the deputy governor says the province's state-owned enterprises owed 5.46 billion yuan in outstanding wages, state news agency Xinhua reported. "The state sector acts as a semi-safety net. Rather than lay off a lot of workers, they typically will freeze wage increases, so you don't get the same levels of unemployment as you would in other economies when there's a downturn," said Julian Evans-Pritchard, an economist at Capital Economics. China's official unemployment rate - which only accounts for urban, registered residents - has held around 4 percent for years, despite a slowdown that has seen growth cool from the double-digits to quarter-century lows of under 7 percent. "The (assistance) fund was never really big enough to cope with the number of workers that has been shed in these sectors," said Evans-Pritchard. "It doesnt surprise me that a lot of workers arent benefiting from the fund. I think they need to increase the scale significantly. Media said last year that more than half a million laid-off workers were now driving for ride-sharing services, in line with a government push for them to become a part of the "new" economy. But that option doesn't exist for Wu Yilin, a coal miner in Shuangyashan who moved to an office job after he lost his thumb in a workplace accident. "We're told to start our own businesses, but we just become street cleaners instead. You need money, connections to become an entrepreneur. It's not as if everyone can do it." ($1 = 6.8794 yuan) (Reporting by Sue-Lin Wong; Additional reporting by David Stanway and the Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Columbia, CA  The Tuolumne County Sheriffs Department was alerted to the missing man and dog after a worried friend reported a phone call from the man went dead.

The Sheriffs Office was notified of the incident on Friday morning. The friend reported that 70-year-old Lemuel Elkins had left his Twain Harte area home on Thursday morning to head to Elkins Columbia home. The friend got a phone call from Elkin that was disconnected before the two could speak. Concerned for his friend, he drove to Elkins home but found no one there and did not see a vehicle in the driveway.

Deputies began searching the area of Italian Bar Road from both the Columbia and the Twain Harte sides. Elkins pickup was found on Forest Road 3N11 but he was not inside. A short time later, a deputy discovered Elkin at his Columbia home. He told deputies while heading home early Thursday afternoon; his pickup got stuck in the mud. With no cell signal, he and his Jack Russell Sissy made the eight mile trek back to his home and arrived just before night fall.

The next morning Elkin had planned to go to his friends Twain Harte home for help to get his truck out of the mud but could not make the walk as he was too sore from the hike the day before.

Deputies took Elkin to his friends home and retrieved some medication he had left in his pickup. Elkin and the dog did not suffer any injuries.
Some Palm Coast residents are calling for local and state leaders to make changes to what they call a dangerous roadway.

Michelle Taylor, 16, hit and killed by car

Taylor was walking along roadway with friend at the time

The road doesn't have street lights or sidewalks



The request comes days after a teenager was hit by a vehicle and killed by a vehicle on Lakeview Boulevard.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Michelle Ann Wood Taylor, 16, was killed Thursday night. She and her friend, Elizabeth Ann Sherman, 21, were walking along the roadway at the time.

Troopers say the driver, Yajaira Torres, 37, didnt see the two because it was too dark and they were wearing dark clothing.

Taylor and Sherman were hit less than a mile away from Taylors house. Sherman is still in the hospital fighting for her life.

Friends who have known Taylor for years said she loved music, theater and was in the Matanzas High School band.

She was so driven to do so many things, said Collin Sloan, Taylors friend.

According to one of her friends, Taylor used to walk that area every day. There arent any street lights or sidewalks in the area.

It shouldnt have taken someones death, but definitely opened light to the situation, said Amber Fink, Taylors friend. And there have been accidents just this year where its been the same situation because its too dark or people havent seen them. It just needs to change.

Kelvin Smith, 16, was also killed this year in Palm Coasts F-section, an area also without lights and sidewalks.



Residents are now putting the pressure on local and state leaders to help.

Its heart-wrenching to see how many people are not doing anything about it and things need to be done in order to keep these things from happening, said Sloan.

A change.org petition was created and has collected hundreds of signatures. The petition has been sent to the mayor, council members, state representatives, senators, the Florida Department of Transportation and Gov. Rick Scott.

"There have been several fatal accidents these past few months alone, many of which could have possibly been prevented with sidewalks and streetlights, which are very rare in our city, said Vincent Lauhn, who started the petition. We need to have our hard-earned taxpayer dollars go towards implementing these measures in order to make our streets safer for residents and preventing further incidents."



Friends and family hope Taylor's legacy will be used and remembered for change.



"We'll always remember her because she is not somebody you can just forget," said Fink.



A Palm Coast spokesperson said any resident can request a street light at an intersection and the city will put it in.



The city manager said the area around Lakeview Boulevard has been tentatively approved for grant money to be used for improvements, and that officials want to install lights and multi-use walkways.



However, they aren't sure when the actual work will begin.



Meanwhile, a vigil is planned for Monday night at the crash site in honor of Taylor at 8:30 p.m.

Her family said the public is encouraged to attend.


Florida lawmakers get to work in Tallahassee as the 60-day legislative session begins with Gov. Scott's State of the State address.

It's one of the five stories we're following this week.

MONDAY: REVISED MUSLIM-BAN ORDER

A new revised executive order is expected this week to prohibit immigration from several Muslim-majority countries and suspend the refugee program. The order, which has been expected for weeks, would replace an original order that was blocked by the courts, detained hundreds of travelers and stopped others from entering the country. The original order included seven countries, but word from the White House in recent days is that Iraq will be dropped from the order.

TUESDAY: LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS

Florida's Senate and House of Representatives will formally open for the 60 day legislative session. Some 2,700 bills have been filed for this session, and lawmakers will vote on everything from imposing term limits on Florida's judges to expanding gun access to eliminating Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida. The only bill state lawmakers are constitutionally-obligated to pass is a state budget though. As always, the session will open with the State of the State Address, delivered by Gov. Rick Scott. The governor is already facing a political fight. He's gone on a tour, criticizing House lawmakers who want to do away with the state's economic development agencies.

TUESDAY: FLAGLER COUNTY ELECTION RACE

Incumbents in two Flagler County towns are fighting to keep their seats in a March 7-election race. And residents will have to decide to keep the incumbents or vote for new challengers.

FRIDAY: TICO WARBIRD AIRSHOW

The 40th Tico Warbird Airshow also kicks off Friday in Titusville at Space Coast Regional Park. The show this year features the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. The show runs through Sunday, March 12.

BIKE WEEK RETURNS

Bikers from all over the country return for Bike Week in Daytona Beach Friday. The annual motorcycle festival runs through March 19 and features events all over Volusia County.
President Donald Trump signed a revised travel ban executive order Monday that temporarily stops entry to the U.S. for people from six Muslim-majority countries seeking new visas.

The signing of the new executive order was done privately. The first executive order was challenged and then ultimately halted in a Washington State court.

The revised order spells out a 90-day ban on people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen and does not apply to those who already have valid visas. It addresses concerns about the first travel ban while still protecting Americans, federal officials said.

Iraq is not included in the new travel ban. According to a senior Department of Homeland Security official, the government of Iraq told the Trump administration it is going to be able to provide enough information on its citizens in order for them to go through proper vetting.

The Trump administration says it will use that time to improve the vetting process.

Todays executive order which President Trump signed this morning will make America more secure," Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said during a news conference about the new executive order.

A senior official of the Department of Homeland Security also said the president again signed this executive order to protect the nation from terrorism.

"This new ban does not include green card holders from those nations. And people from those countries that already had visas issued before Jan. 27 to come into the U.S. wouldnt be affected. But the order does suspend for 120 days the entire refugee admission program," Kelly said.

The State Department will implement the provisions in this order that allow for the admission of refugees when it is determined they do not pose a risk to the security or welfare of the United States, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.



The initial executive order signed in January sparked nationwide protests and was ultimately blocked by a federal court. It also included Iraq, which angered Iraqis and prompted them to call for an order banning Americans from the country.

I fully expect that the presidents new executive order will have the same uphill climb in the courts that the previous version had, Democratic minority leader Sen. Charles Schumer said.

This new order starts March 16 and will last 90 days.

The Department of Homeland Security said the White House maintains that the first executive order was on firm legal foundation, but it decided to go with a new one after the several legal challenges. A senior Department of Justice official said the agency is confident with the legality of this new executive order.

Homeland Security denies the order is a "Muslim ban" and says it's a temporary suspension from nationals that come from "failed states or states sponsors of terrorism" and because of that fact, the U.S. government does not have the procedures to vet them properly.

But groups advocating for Muslims in America don't see it that way.

"This ban is not about making America safe. It's about Trump giving in to some people full of hatred who don't like the Muslim community and he's trying to fulfill his promise of saying he will implement a Muslim ban," said Hassan Shibley with CAIR Florida.

Supporters said beefing up national security is one of the reason's people voted for President Trump and they're happy he's pushing the embargo forward.

"It should be of no surprise to anyone because he is doing exactly what he promised he would do," said Deborah Tamargo with Hillsborough County's Republican Party.

Opponents said the ban unfairly targets certain people and they said it won't necessarily improve security.

"You're stopping people who could add a lot to the country from coming in. I think if anything make legal immigration easier," said Kim Kastu.

Several groups are already planning to sue to stop the order.

Right now, it's scheduled to go into effect March 16.

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Fifty years ago the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan came to life in Plainview when a group of church women cared for an Ohio family that had been touched by tragedy as they traveled through the area.

We worked up a schedule and made sure someone was there around the clock, remembers Darlene Teel, a member of Northwest Church of Christ.

Just like we do now for one of our own, we all took our turns sitting up at the hospital, recalls another member, Margaret Helen Hayes.

The differences between today and that incident in 1961 were that it involved strangers passing through the area, and the mission of mercy lasted for months . . . and months.

It all began about 10:45 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, 1961, at Plainviews south Y. At that time, U.S. 87 followed Columbia Street through Plainview, and the south Y, which was just outside the city limits, was where South Broadway and Columbia split  just east of the Ollie Liner Center and Hale County Sheriffs Office.

According to the Herald, Mrs. T.J. Collins of Franklin, Ohio, was taking her two children, Patricia, 7, and Eddie Ray, 18 months, to Lubbock to reunite with her husband. He had moved to Lubbock a week earlier to begin a new job.

Accompanying Mrs. Collins on her long-distance trip were her brother, Newman Oskar Collins, 20, and his wife, Lavon, 18, of Ypsilanti, Mich. That couple had left their 6-month-old son, Dennis Ray, with relatives in Ypsilanti before departing early Friday for the long trip to Texas.

Driving straight through to Texas, the Collins families had gone about 1,350 miles and were just 45 miles shy of their destination when disaster stuck.

Highway Patrolman (and later DPS sergeant) Thurman Keffer, who investigated the wreck, explained that the Collins auto was traveling southwest through a curve at the south Y when it collided with a truck-tractor and semi-trailer headed the other way on the two-lane road. That truck was driven by George Walls, 53, of Plainview, an employee of Plainview Floral, Inc.

Walls was not seriously injured and released from Plainview Hospital and Clinic after a couple of days of treatment.

His trailer, Keffer said, was carrying a partial load of floral plants. As a result of the crash, the tractor disconnected from the tractor and traveled 85 feet before coming to a stop. Neither vehicle overturned, although Lavon Collins was thrown from their automobile.

Keffer said the collision occurred partially in the west or southbound lane.

Dead at the scene were Newman and Lavon Collins along with their young niece, Patricia.

Critically injured were Patricias mother and young brother. Eddie Ray suffered a fractured skull and their mother, Mrs. T.J. Collins (her first name wasnt listed in news accounts and neither Teel nor Hayes were able to recall it), had multiple fractures in both legs as well as head injures.

They were taken by Henderson Brothers Ambulance to Medical Center Hospital, just a few blocks away.

It would be late that evening before authorities could locate T.J. Collins in Lubbock and let him know that tragedy had decimated his family. According to Keffer, the delay was due to confusion as to just where in Texas he was located.

Investigators found a postcard that Newman and Lavon Collins had addressed to relatives in Ypsilanti. It read: Hope our baby is fine: Tell him hi and give him a big kiss for both of us.

Not long after physicians at Medical Center Hospital began their valiant efforts to save the lives of Mrs. T.J. Collins and her son did members of what was then 11th and Amarillo Street Church of Christ begin their around-the-clock vigil.

Dr. (Eugene) McCarthy was probably the one behind it, recalled Teel, referring to one of the principle physicians at the hospital.

Among his patients were numerous church members, and he had delivered children for several church families.

And once they were made aware of the need, church members quickly responded by sitting up with and caring for the injured around the clock.

Mrs. Collins had to have several surgeries to repair her injuries, explained Teel. And as a result, she developed a serious staph infection. We all had to wear face masks when we were in her room, and its the only time I remember that we ever had to dip our feet in a disinfectant bath.

I didnt like wearing that mask at all, Hayes added, because it reminded her of when she worked in a tuberculosis ward years earlier.

According to the Herald, Mrs. Collins was hospitalized for three months and then continued her lengthy recuperation in the home of Robert and Gertrude Hayes, two other church members. The injured womans husband also stayed there.

Im sure the reason she stayed there was because Dr. McCarthy knew that she would get the best of care, Teel recalled. Gertrude was so kind-hearted and such a caring person. Their home would have been a perfect environment for someone who had been through such an ordeal.

That lodging arrangement continued for several more months before Mrs. Collins could resume normal activities.

In the ensuing years, the Hayes and the Collins families continued their friendship and remained in contact until Gertrude Hayes died in 2000. Gertrudes husband, Robert, died in 1964.

To comment:

dmcdonough@hearstnp.com

806.296.1350
A man runs on the Bund in front of the financial district of Pudong in Shanghai, China, March 25, 2016. REUTERS/Aly Song

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Shanghai should lead China's plans to reform and advance innovation, the official Xinhua news agency has reported President Xi Jinping as saying at the annual meeting of parliament.

Xinhua reported that Xi told the National People's Congress (NPC) on Sunday that Shanghai should try to ensure its free trade zone was a bastion of reform and financial innovation.

It should also assist China with its "One Belt, One Road" initiative that will provide services along Silk Road trade links, he told the NPC, China's largely rubber-stamp parliament.

Xi said the Shanghai free trade zone should be a channel for Chinese entities to "step outside" and an example for other regions, Xinhua reported.

The global environment was complex and volatile and downward pressure on the domestic economy was great, said Xi, while China insisted on steady progress.

China said last August it would set up seven new free trade zones in Liaoning, Zhejiang, Henan, Sichuan, Shaanxi and Chongqing.

(Reporting by Engen Tham; Editing by Paul Tait)
- By Alberto Abaterusso





Credit Suisse keeps seeing Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM) outperforming on the stock market in the coming months but with a lower target price.

The Swiss global financial services company has reduced its target price for the largest gold producer in the U.S. by 7.84% from $51 per share to $47 per share "due to a 4% lower NAV to $24.27 per share from $25.39 per share and 13% lower 2017 operating cash flow to $2.58 per share from $2.96 per share," writes Ben Levisohn at Barron's.





The new target price per share represents an 18.7% upside from the average target price per share of $39.58, which is a mean of 19 analysts surveyed and a 38% upside from the price of $34.07 per share.

Source: Yahoo Finance

The analysts average target price ranges between a low estimate of $25.00 per share and a high estimate of $51.00 per share.

Despite a lower target price per share, the reasons why the Swiss firm keeps its outperform rating on Newmont Mining are "balance sheet of its peers and highlighted its organic project pipeline as its first capital allocation priority, returning cash to shareholders second and opportunistic M&A third," said Anita Soni and Robert Reynolds, analysts at Credit Swiss.

Let's have a look at Newmont Mining's balance sheet compared to its peers.

With reference to the current ratio, which measures the company's ability to pay short-term obligations with its current assets, Newmont Mining's ratio is 2.67 versus Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX) 2.68 and Goldcorp Inc. (GG) is 2.01.

Source of data: Google Finance and Reuters.com

This means that Newmont Mining, together with Barrick Gold, is better positioned than Goldcorp.

Newmont Mining is also better positioned than its peers concerning their indebtedness and the ability to pay interest expenses on the outstanding debt.

Story continues

Goldcorp has less debt than Newmont, and it seems that the Canadian miner can benefit from a more comfortable debt repayment schedule than the largest gold producer in the U.S. with approximately 80% of the total long-term debt, or $2 billion, that will mature after 2021. However, Goldcorp has to refund a corporate loan of $500 million in March 2018; to be able to honor its obligation, the Canadian miner must work really hard because it can generate cash flow of only $80 million from its operations as of today and the liquidity in cash on hand and securities amounts to only $200 million.

Concerning the ability to pay interest expenses on the outstanding debt, Newmont Mining is the best with an interest coverage ratio (ttm) of 2.13 versus 1.73 of Barrick Gold and 0.47 of Goldcorp.

Newmont Mining can also rely on one of the best asset portfolios in the gold stock industry which the company is enhancing through several projects. Recently the U.S. gold mining company has successfully and timely brought into commercial production Cripple Creek & Victor in Colorado, Long Canyon in Nevada, Merian in Suriname and Tanami in Australia.

The company is also optimistic about the advancement of the Ahafo Mill Expansion and Subika underground, decisions about which are expected sometime in mid-2017. At the end of 2017, the U.S. miner will also reach a decision about the development of Quecher Main project with which Newmont aims to keep margins and to extend oxide mine life at Yanacocha over the coming years until 2026, following the ramping down of production at the Peruvian mine where the company is also trying to develop its extensive sulphide deposits.

Newmont is also looking for productive assets far from the U.S. The largest gold producer in the U.S. started a discussion with Barrick Gold about the 50% interest stake that the Canadian miner has in Kalgoorlie mine (Australia).

The negotiations are taking longer than expected because other gold mining companies have recently expressed their interest in the Australian mine. If Newmont will find an agreement with Barrick for Kalgoorlie, the American miner will add another arrow in aiming to increase the output and lower the overall costs over the coming years.

Newmont is on the right path to further increasing the NAV and creating value for its shareholders. Part of this created value is returned to the shareholders through the dividend that the American miner distributes. Today the miner pays 20 cents to the shareholders through quarterly payments of 5 cents for a dividend yield of 0.59%. That may be increased this year if the gold market will be able to duplicate 2016 patterns when the precious metal traded above $1,200 per troy ounce, which is the assumed price for the determination of Newmont Mining's proven and probable gold reserves. That is the minimum price of gold per ounce at which the miner can extract gold from its deposit at profit.

As of Monday, nine analysts out of a total of 19 recommend holding shares of Newmont Mining while seven analysts recommend buying the stock.

Source: Yahoo Finance

The recommendation rating is 2.4, in the middle of a hold and buy recommendation. The recommendation rating ranges between 1.0 (Strong Buy) and 5.0 (Sell).

At the moment, Newmont is selling at 1.67 times its book value and at 7.69 times its EBITDA.

Source of data: Yahoo Finance

Newmont looks more expensive than Goldcorp at the moment with reference to the price-book (P/B) ratio, but today $1 of Newmont's forecasted earnings costs 15.3% less than Goldcorp's forecasted earnings, and they bring the dividend catalyst to the U.S. gold stock's share price.

With a forward price-earnings (P/E) ratio of 21.63, an EV/EBITDA ratio of 6.4 and a price-sales (P/S) of 2.45, Barrick Gold seems more attractive than Newmont. However, Barrick Gold distributes a lower annual dividend, 12 cents, than Newmont, through quarterly payments of 3 cents, recently increased by 50% from 2 cents per share.

Disclosure: I have no position in any stock mentioned in this article.

Start a free seven-day trial of Premium Membership to GuruFocus.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.






The Revolution, Prince's band during the peak of the pop star's 1980s stardom, will bring its reunion tour to San Antonio on June 16 at the Aztec Theare, according to a Live Nation press release.

The concert is not yet listed on the Aztec's website, and no ticket information is available.
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Matt Phillips, an artist and academic credited with reviving and promoting the monotype style for making singular impressions on paper, died Wednesday at age 89.

Mr. Phillips, a longtime resident of Emeryville, died at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland from congestive heart failure, said his son, Joshua Phillips of New York City.

Matt helped foster a new regard for the monotype as an artistically viable medium, said his ex-wife Sandra S. Phillips, curator emerita of photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He also made eloquent work of his own in monotype and painting.

These works are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and 156 works are in the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Mr. Phillips taught literature and philosophy at the American University of Paris, and later built up the art department at Bard College in upstate New York, where he taught for 27 years.

He often described himself as a painter-poet, said his youngest daughter Miriam Phillips, a professor of dance at the University of Maryland. He was also a magician and a world traveler. He loved color and markets and would always carry sketchbooks and pencils with him.

When he returned from a trip, hed fill in these sketches in watercolor. Then he would use a sketch as a study to paint a picture on a copper plate. Finally, the image was pressed onto rice paper to create the finished artwork.

He was known as the master of monotype, said his daughter. This mastery was recognized by Stanford University, which acquired all of his sketchbooks, spanning 50 years, for the Special Collections at Stanford University Libraries.

It was introduced with an exhibition in 2001, and a catalog titled Matt Phillips: The Magic of His Prints. In 2002, The Chronicle described Mr. Phillips workday as starting at 5:30 a.m. with the ancient martial art tai chi, and all his art thereafter was also done in the ancient way.

My one concession to a mechanical tool is an etching press, he told The Chronicle in 2002. I don't have a computer or email. I stand by the No. 2 pencil. It has served me well.

Born in New York City and raised in Atlantic City and Philadelphia, Mr. Phillips began his art education at the Barnes Foundation in Pennsylvania. He earned a masters in literature at the University of Chicago, in 1952, and also did graduate work at Stanford.

Mr. Phillips first taught at Penn State, then answered a call for expatriate professors to the American University of Paris. It was here that he transitioned from a man of letters to a visual artist. In 1964, he returned to join the art department at Bard College in New York, where he met the former Sandra Sammataro, who was on her way to a doctorate in art history.

They were married in 1968, and Mr. Phillips retired in 1987. That same year his wife was hired by SFMOMA, and they moved to San Francisco. They divorced in 1989.

For 20 years, Mr. Phillips has shown his work at Meyerovich Gallery in San Franciscos Union Square. The most recent exhibition of his work was Matt Phillips: I Am Not Done With My Changes, in the fall of 2012.

He was very brave, very creative, very consistent and very committed, said gallery owner Alex Meyerovich. He loved to be part of the art world, and he belonged to a very important generation of American artists.

His first marriage to actress Lois Shapiro, who championed him in his early painting career, ended in divorce in 1967. She died in 2007. His daughter, Elizabeth Phillips, a renowned dealer of avant-garde artist books, passed away in 2015.

Mr. Phillips was also married to paper conservator Susannah Hays, his collaborator on limited edition art books. They divorced in 1997, after six years of marriage, but maintained their artistic collaboration.

Survivors include his partner, poet Elizabeth Chapman of Palo Alto, daughters Kate Phillips of Oakland and Miriam Phillips of Washington, D.C., a son, Joshua Phillips, of New York City, and a brother, Alan Phillips, of Seattle.

Services are pending.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SamWhitingSF Instagram: @sfchronicle_art
(Bloomberg) -- On the day that President Donald Trump unveiled a revised and less restrictive travel ban, immigration advocates across the country began preparing a second round of legal challenges to what some described as a watered-down version of the original.

Even with the overhaul, activists say Trumps latest attempt to control entry to the country remains a disguised ban on Muslims, despite his statements that he wants only to keep the U.S. safe by vetting people from nations with a history of terrorism.

We believe that the revised executive order continues to be a Muslim ban, said Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which spearheaded lawsuits against the original order and pledges to attack the new one. The revised order eliminates certain problems, but not the core constitutional problem, which is religious discrimination.

Uber Technologies Inc. was among the technology companies that opposed the revised ban. Our sentiment has not changed: President Trumps immigration ban is unjust and wrong, the company said.

Dropping Iraq

Trump replaced his Jan. 27 order by dropping Iraq from the list of countries whose citizens are barred from entering the U.S. for 90 days. While the revised order halts admissions of refugees for 120 days, it no longer bans Syrian refugees indefinitely and doesnt favor Christians. Permanent legal residents, also known as green card holders, and travelers with a valid visa are exempt.

In issuing the revised order, the administration provided more detail, including a rationale for the travel ban and guidance for travelers who might be effected. But its unclear if the new order will pass legal muster.

Its possible that enough clarification was put in this document that it would now satisfy a judge who was generally deferential to the executive on immigration policy, said Stephen Wasby, a legal scholar at the State University of New York in Albany.

Like the order it replaced, the revised directive doesnt mention Muslims or Islam in singling out citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Sudan and Yemen for a 90-day ban. But that didnt stop judges from blocking Trumps first order.

Lawyers challenging the initial order claimed it was intended to target Muslims in violation of the Constitutions Establishment Clause, which forbids the government from favoring one religion over another, and the Equal Protection Clause, which prevents discrimination against people based on their religion.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who sued over the original order, said he is ready to challenge the new order too because "the intent to discriminate against Muslims remains clear. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who also attacked the original ban, said his office was reviewing the order.

Theres still a temporary ban on the refugees coming into the United States, and thats still an area of concern for us, Ferguson said.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra called Trump rescinding his earlier order a major victory. He and other Democratic leaders, including Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, said they were reviewing the new order.

Appellate Concerns

A federal appeals court in San Francisco in February didnt decide whether the order discriminated on the basis of religion. Rather, the court disputed the governments claim that it had fulfilled its obligation to justify the ban under another area of the law. The court said Trumps lawyers failed to show that immigrants from the targeted nations ever carried out a terror attack on U.S. soil.

The administration sought to address those concerns in the revised order, explaining why each of the six countries was included. It noted that 300 refugees were being investigated for terrorism without offering details.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema of Virginia said in a Feb. 13 ruling that statements by Trump during his campaign and by former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani indicated the initial intent was a Muslim ban.

"The Muslim ban was a centerpiece of the presidents campaign for months," Brinkema said.

Josh Blackman, a professor at the South Texas College of Law in Houston, said the courts would be wrong to elevate comments by Trump and others over official statements in presidential documents.

The first directive created chaotic scenes at airports by revoking visas of about 60,000 people already approved to visit the U.S. for work, study or travel. The revised order takes effect March 16, a slower roll out that is likely to avoid some of the upheaval caused by the first.

By excluding those with green cards and visas, Trumps new order made significant changes that narrow the scope, Blackman said. That renders moot the legal claims of people with the strongest argument that their right to a fair hearing and other due process protections was being violated.

Due Process

While the U.S. Supreme Court has made clear that non-citizens, legal or not, are entitled to due process when in the country, the Constitution doesnt protect people in other countries with no ties to the U.S., like refugees.

The biggest issue raised by the courts and elsewhere was the due process concerns of people who had already received a legal right to be in the United States, said Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation. This order makes it clear it doesnt apply to any of those folks.

The Trump administration is defending the new order, as it did the old one, by pointing to the presidents broad authority to suspend any class of aliens whose entry would be detrimental to the interests of the U.S. In filings Monday in courts around the country, the administration said the new order resolves the concerns of the opponents who challenged the original.

Stephen Yale-Loehr, a Cornell University law professor, said the revised order makes important changes, like exempting green card and visa holders. But he said it still assumes travelers and refugees from six Muslim majority countries are a security risk.

The revised executive order is old wine in a new bottle, he said in a statement. The immigration controversy will continue.

(Updates with California attorney general in 12th paragraph.)

--With assistance from Erik Larson and Patricia Hurtado

To contact the reporters on this story: David Voreacos in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, at dvoreacos@bloomberg.net, Bob Van Voris in New York at rvanvoris@bloomberg.net, Kartikay Mehrotra in San Francisco at kmehrotra2@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Michael Hytha at mhytha@bloomberg.net, Andrew Martin, Joe Schneider

2017 Bloomberg L.P.
San Antonio-based BCFS Health and Human Services National Call Center has notified the Texas Workforce Commission that it may lay off 95 employees on or after April 30.

A spokeswoman for the call center said Monday the notification was a formality to meet the states 60-day warning requirement, but negotiations are continuing for a call center contract renewal with the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.
Courtesy photo

Texas Next Capital is accused in a newly filed lawsuit of defrauding a local man who agreed to invest $1.5 million with the private equity firm.

San Antonio resident Wayne Harwell wants to cancel his investments and get his money back, according to the lawsuit filed last week in Bexar County district court.
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The co-founders of now-defunct San Antonio medical-technology company Palmaz Scientific Inc. are facing new legal headaches.

A new lawsuit alleges former Chairman Dr. Julio Palmaz and ex-CEO Steven Solomon enriched themselves and sold out the corporate enterprise, resulting in more than $30 million in losses.

The suit was filed by Milo H. Segner Jr., appointed as a trustee in Palmaz Scientifics bankruptcy case to potentially pursue litigation on behalf of the company and certain investors. The company sought bankruptcy protection about a year ago and later went out of business.

Dr. Palmaz and Solomon are accused of breaching their fiduciary duty by excessively compensating themselves at the expense of the company and its shareholders.

The suit was filed Friday in litigation between investors and the former executives.

Click here on ExpressNews.com or turn to Tuesdays newspaper to read more about the litigation.
Altar'd State this spring will open a Rice Village boutique offering boho-chic apparel for women.

The store, which also has a social mission, will open at 2530 University Blvd. The faith-based company donates 10 percent of net proceeds each Monday to charitable organizations worldwide.

The boutique sells shoes, jewelry, accessories, bags and wallets, gifts and decor in addition to clothing.

RELATED: Starbucks joins Rice Village store shuffle

The store will fill the space previously occupied by Starbucks and an adjacent space closer to Kirby Drive. The Starbucks in Rice Village will reopen an expanded Rice Village store at 2531 Amherst this fall.

Altar'd State has more than 70 locations including Houston-area stores in The Woodlands and Baybrook Mall.
Schenectady

Each day Amtrak's Adirondack services face uncertainty at the Canadian border. Will customs and immigration clearances take 30 minutes? An hour? Two hours?

The result: By the time the Adirondack gets to the Capital Region, it's often late.

A multi-year effort to move customs formalities to the downtown Montreal train station, the Adirondack's northern terminus, is moving ahead. Under the plan, U.S. and Canadian customs officers would clear passengers on their arrival and before their departure. The trains would no longer have to stop at the border.

Congress has passed the necessary legislation and former President Barack Obama signed it.

The Canadian Parliament is currently considering it, but is also expected to approve it, a top Amtrak official told the Times Union on Saturday.

"It's simply a matter of time," said Ed Courtemanch, Amtrak's senior director for service planning, who was in Schenectady for the annual meeting of the Empire State Passengers Association, a rail advocacy organization.

But will President Donald Trump also support the streamlined border processing? After all, he's pushing for a wall along the country's other border, the one with Mexico.

Courtemanch pointed out that Trump has been supportive of pre-clearance initiatives with Canada.

"We demonstrate daily that security and efficiency go hand-in-hand, and we are building a 21st century border through initiatives such as pre-clearance of people and integrated cross-border law enforcement operations," Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a joint statement issued Feb. 13, when Trudeau visited Washington.

They went on to mention pre-clearance three more times.

Still, hurdles remain.

Courtemanch said that, following full ratification of the pre-clearance initiative, agencies from both governments will meet to determine the physical facilities they need, and how to pay for them.

Finding the necessary funds could be a challenge, Courtemanch admitted.

"Is funding ever not a problem?" he asked.

U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, an Amsterdam Democrat who also spoke Saturday, said he worries that domestic discretionary spending will have to be cut drastically as Trump pushes for the $22 billion Mexican wall and for an additional $54 billion in military spending.

"They also want to reduce taxes for the top one percent," Tonko said. "That means discretionary spending will be put at risk."

And that raises uncertainty that money can be found for the pre-clearance facilities at Montreal.

Bruce Becker, vice president of operations for the National Association of Railroad Passengers, said that while Trump has included railways in his plans for $1 trillion in infrastructure spending, details have been sparse.

"We have no idea what's going to happen this year," Becker said. But he also said that support for Amtrak in Congress is broad.

Courtemanch, meanwhile, will wait to see what happens with pre-clearance.

"This is just a matter of money and time," he said. "If people really want it, it can happen."
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NEW MILFORD  The roles President Woodrow Wilson and the Archduke Franz Ferdinand played in World War I are well known, but lesser known are the roles women played in the war to end all wars.

But a new exhibit at the New Milford Historical Society and Museum highlights just that.

As many as 75 people saw the Warriors on the Homefront: American Women and World War I exhibit during its opening Sunday afternoon. The exhibit runs through June 5.

Curator Lisa Roush and museum intern Anna Qiu, a student at New Milford High School, organized the collection of photographs, uniforms, posters and other memorabilia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Americas entry into the war and honor the role locals, especially women, played in the effort.

Roush said their role is often forgotten.

We know what the men did on the battlefield, but a lot of what the women did on the homefront was not highlighted, she said.

But females served not only as nurses, but as farmers, for example. The exhibit displays photographs of the farmettes, college-age women who volunteered on farms while the men were at war. Not only did they keep the farms going, but the food they produced was sent overseas. About 25 to 50 farmettes worked in New Milford, living at the Ingleside School for Girls.

These women were influential in the womens rights movement, Roush said.

It was kind of a precursor for the suffragettes, because they were starting to fight for the rights of women and the right to vote, she said. It was one of the first times women wore pants and it was very shocking that women were going out and being laborers.

All but 20 or so of the 75 artifacts in the exhibit were donated by residents and reinactors.

A lot of the artifacts that were lent to us were personal family pieces, like dog tags and photographs, so its extra personal to see, Roush said.

Some of the most memorable for her, she said, are the photographs and letters of a New Milford man who fought in the war. One letter, written by from the mans sister, has a return to sender note on it; the soldier had died before it reached him.

It gives me the goosebumps, because he didnt make it, Roush said.

The exhibit includes a 1917 photograph of a Liberty Bond Drive in New Milford, where people were encouraged to buy war bonds to support the war effort. Another photograph features a Brookfield woman wearing a doughboy outfit she made herself.

On display was a Model 1904 McClellan Cavalry Saddle of a type used in world wars I and II, donated by the the Connecticut Second Company Governors Horse Guard in Newtown.

The museum displayed the uniforms and gear worn by American and German soldiers, donated by two reenactors from the Royal Bavarian 10th Infantry Regiment.

Fritz Frising, a reenactor dressed as a Bavarian soldier, said seeing the uniforms side-by-side is a reminder of the similarities between the soldiers from opposing sides.

You can see theres really no difference between the average American soldier or German soldier or British or French, he said. It was the monarchy and the political situation that was responsible for the war. ... Were trying to show that though were on opposite sides, there was still that commonality. Even though we were the enemy, we werent the bad guy.

One of the reenactors, Bill Baldwin, who was dressed as an American soldier, showed museumgoers an example of the small kit bag knitted by women of the American Red Cross, churches and ladies societies. Soldiers used such bags for personal items such as soap and razors. Without them, Baldwin said, the men would be miserable.

The soldiers whole world of comfort was created by a lady in a church someplace, Baldwin said.

He said this contribution is often forgotten.

In history class, you read about the politicians and the famous people and you dont hear about the people who produced food and material, Baldwin said.
Contributed / Contributed

A New Haven yoga studio has happened on a unique way to support a local domestic violence program  with feminine hygiene products.

Now through June, Breathing Room Yoga Center, 817 Chapel St., New Haven, is hosting a Ponathon. The studio is accepting unopened packages of tampons or pads to be donated to The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services, with offices in Ansonia and East Haven. Donors will be entered to win a five-class yogi card and while also contributing to an organization that serves 6,000 abused adults and children annually. For details BreathingRoomCT.com.
How old is 17? That's what lawmakers are being asked to consider when thinking of House Bill 676, a proposed law that would raise the age of juvenile offenders from 17 to 18.

Under the proposal, sponsored by Gene Wu, Democrat-Houston, most 17-year-olds would be tried as juveniles instead of adults unless their crimes were particularly serious. It would also mean that most youth under age 18 who are serving time would be moved from jail to juvenile detention centers.

What changes would the law mean for Bay Area local governments, law enforcement agencies and communities?

Many area law enforcement agencies report that, on the street level, HB 676 wouldn't interfere with day-to-day operations. But questions arise about how a change might affect crowding or needs at local juvenile facilities.

Local experts on criminology and psychology say that because of 17-year-olds' stage of brain development, some make impulsive decisions that get them in trouble and that the focus should be on rehabilitation outside an adult prison setting.

Rehabilitation vs. incarceration

Raising the age for juvenile offenders makes sense to Everett Penn, professor of criminology at University of HoustonClear Lake and a co-founder of the Teen and Police Service Academy, an organization that connects at-risk youths with law enforcement mentors to discuss issues like bullying, gang violence, drugs and conflict management.

"The brain does not reach its full potential until about the age of 25," Penn said, "and the developmental theory literature tells us that the last part of the brain that forms is that of the frontal lobe, which controls our impulsivity."

While Penn believes that people should answer for their crimes regardless of their age, he says rehabilitation should be the focus for adolescents.

"Anything that moves us closer to that age of discussing mens rea - or whether or not someone having a guilty conscience for the crime they've committed - is a good discussion," he said. "In most cases, true mens rea doesn't happen until that frontal lobe is completely developed."

Christine Walther, assistant professor of psychology at UHCL, said incomplete development of the frontal lobe can affect 17-year-old's thinking in emotionally charged situations.

"In situations that are not particularly emotional, many adolescents can make decisions as logically as adults before they are 17 years old," said Walther. "In emotionally charged situations, adolescents make more impulsive, and often poor, decisions."

Penn said that having 17-year-olds in a juvenile detention facility will provide more opportunities for rehabilitation.

In adult jails, he said, "There are smaller chances of fixing the wrong and moving forward to make that person a functioning member of society than there are in the juvenile justice system."

'Business as usual'

Ryan Sullivan, public information officer for the Harris County Sheriff's Office, said that officers on the street wouldn't have to change the way they work if the bill becomes law.

"You're not looking at age when you're investigating a crime - you're investigating the crime and that's about as simple as that," Sullivan said. "So, if we're responding to an aggravated robbery, we're not concerned if the offender is 15 or 21, we're just concerned with who is responsible. From there it's really the courts who determine how to prosecute moving forward. That criminal responsibility gets figured out later down the road."

Pearland Police Department spokesman Jason Wells said age has little to do with how his department handles a crime and simply serves as an indicator of where the offender would be taken to await a hearing or trial.

If the age for juvenile offenders is raised, "It would be business as usual," said Wells, who is an officer. "From now on, people that were 17 who we would have previously taken to county or city jails for their offense would instead be taken to the appropriate juvenile facility for their area."

In fact, depending on the crime, he said, officers now exercise some leeway on certain low-level incidents to keep 17-year-olds away from adult facilities.

Pasadena Police Department spokesman Vance Mitchell said the department would work to follow any laws set forth by the state.

"Without seeing the final law, we would not be comfortable speculating on how the new law would affect how officers do their jobs. Our officers would enforce the law as it is written," Mitchell said.

Pondering 'peer contagion'

Galveston County Sheriff's Office Capt. Tracy Keele said that if passed, the bill wouldn't affect the way deputies with his agency approached their jobs. But he voiced concern regarding the potential influence a 17-year-old could have on younger adolescents in a juvenile detention facility.

"A lot of the 17-year-olds are subject to more experience, more crimes, and they can be, in my opinion, more criminally minded than some of the 13-, 14- and 15-year-olds in a juvenile facility," he said. "Exposing some of the younger juveniles to a 17-year-old with more criminal experience could be a bad idea."

Walther said that such "peer contagion" works both ways, saying that while 17-year-olds could potentially put younger adolescents at risk in a juvenile facility, they themselves could be at risk if placed in an adult facility. In many cases, Walther said, detention facilities, regardless of the ages of its offenders, are not often places for rehabilitation.

"The concern with putting adolescents in a facility, even one designed for other juvenile offenders, is the potential exposure to offenders who have committed more serious crimes," she said. "Through peer contagion, if adolescents who have committed minor crimes are placed in juvenile facilities, this exposes them to peers who have committed more serious crimes, which can potentially result in an escalation in offending. This escalation is even more likely to occur if adolescents are placed in a facility with adult offenders."

Keele noted that 17-year-olds are probably not mentally ready for the experience offered at an adult facility.

"Even 18- and 19-year-olds aren't old enough to handle what is waiting on them in the adult facility," he said.

Crowding and security issues

Sullivan said the biggest effect if HB 676 becomes law would be seen at detention facilities.

The law would mean either retrying incarcerated 17-year-olds as adults or moving them into juvenile facilities. That could have positive and negative effects for Harris County Sheriff's Department detention facilities.

On one hand, it would make the county jail compliant with the Prison Rape Elimination Act, an act signed into law in 2003 by President George W. Bush. Inspections have been slowly rolling out to seek compliance from detention centers around the country, and Harris County's jail recently went through an audit, passing every issue for PREA compliance except one - separating minors and adults by sight and sound.

"It's impossible for us to do," Sullivan said. "We do house them separately; so they are in their own individual area, but separating them by sight and sound would mean that if a 17-year-old was sick, I would have to clear the hallways and the clinic of all adults to take them down to see a doctor. It would mean that if they have to go to court, they would have to be transported separately from the rest of the inmates going to court. So, moving the 17-year-olds out of our facility would make us completely PREA compliant."

But on the other hand, moving 17-year-old inmates to juvenile facilities would likely crowd facilities.

"We currently have anywhere from 75 to 100 17-year-old inmates in our custody," Sullivan said. "The juvenile detention facilities in Harris County currently don't have the capacity to take that burden on; so there would likely be a cost to county taxpayers for them to be able to absorb those inmates."

Keele said the same situation exists in Galveston County.

The Jerry J. Esmond Juvenile Justice Center "is typically at 99 percent capacity; so you're looking at overcrowding if we move inmates from the adult facility over," Keel said.

There are potential security risks associated with moving 17-year-old inmates who have been in adult facilities to juvenile facilities, law enforcement officials said.

"Juvenile detention centers aren't necessarily equipped to handle the more serious crimes that some of our 17-year-olds commit," Sullivan said. "We, on the other hand, are a super maximum security facility and can take in all levels of offenders."

Keele said that to be in Texas state jail compliance, the ratio of inmates to corrections officers has to be no more than 45 to 1.

"Moving a surplus of inmates to the facility would outnumber the corrections officers by a wider margin and make that facility be out of compliance," he said. "Now, you're looking at not having the staff to maintain a constant watch over the adolescents in their care, and that could be dangerous, too."

State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, who chairs the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, has said that it costs $30,000 to jail an adult for a year and $150,000 for a juvenile. He said current estimates are that if it becomes law, the proposal would cost Harris County about $50 million.

Advocates say that long-term savings would come through less recidivism.

Penn said while he favors raising the age of criminal responsibility to 18, he has concerns about what the future could hold for those housed in juvenile facilities if the bill were to pass.

"I remain concerned about the funding necessary for the juvenile justice system to take on this new population and provide them with the same rehabilitative services current juveniles receive," he said.

Keele offered a potential solution.

"Chances are, we'll have to build a second facility anyway due to overcrowding; so it makes sense to build a facility that would only house 17-year-olds and could serve as a transitional facility. That way, they're separated by sight and sound from adults in the adult facility; so they can't get the influence from adults, but they're also separated from younger juveniles, which removes the risk of them influencing other adolescents."
A bill has been introduced in Congress to change the law and allow health insurance companies to charge older people premiums that are five times more than they charge younger people, instead of the current limit of three times as much.

Make no mistake, this is an "age tax" that severely penalizes people age 50 to 64 while providing a very small benefit for younger people.

An individual's insurance premium is determined by how much risk is associated with that person. It is because younger people pose less risk than older people that their premiums are lower. The current three to one age rating spreads total risk across all of us in a way that is fair to everyone. Five-to-one isn't fair.

Here's why: Going to a five-to-one age rating will increase premiums for 50- to 64-year-olds by $1,500 to $3,200 per year. For the oldest among that group, that would mean an annual premium of more than $19,000. On the other hand, compared to a five-to-one age rating, a three-to-one age rating raises the premium for a 20 to 29 year old by less than $700, with an annual premium of $4,700.

The three-to-one rating spreads risk across all ages in a way that costs younger folks a relatively small amount while saving older people a considerable amount. Premiums aren't the only health care cost either; older people already spend much more for out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and cost-sharing. In the long run, younger people will benefit from three-to-one, and they'll be glad that risk and cost was shared fairly.

If the five-to-one age rating becomes law, 4.8 million 50 to 64 year old Texas voters will feel the sting of the "age tax," as many will struggle to pay for the health care they need at a time they need it most. That means they may forego adequate coverage, making them less healthy at age 65 when they qualify for Medicare, a personal tragedy and a senseless cost increase of $6.4 billion to care for older citizens.

Members of Congress need to stop talking out of both sides of their mouth and work to reduce health care costs for everyone. Don't take money from Americans to increase insurance company profits. Instead, save citizens and Medicare money by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices instead taking all our money to assure outrageous profits for big drug companies. Congress could also allow the safe importation of prescription drugs, so Americans don't have to pay the highest Rx prices in the world.

There are 2.3 million AARP members in Texas. AARP and its members work with elected officials of both parties to find responsible solutions for rising health care costs. If you agree with us, contact your members of Congress and ask them to stand up for health care fairness, not insurance companies.

# # #

Bob Jackson is the director of AARP Texas. AARP is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with more than 2.3 million members in Texas age 50 and older.
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The Deer Park Chamber of Commerce recently launched a tool making it easier to shop, visit and dine locally.

The chamber has unveiled "That's Deer Park," an app for Apple and Android devices free to residents to use as a guide to chamber-member retail businesses, hotels and restaurants as well as nonprofit organizations and clubs in the city.

By downloading via the iTunes Store and Google Play, residents and visitors can find what's going on in Deer Park with a tap of a smartphone touchscreen.

"Deer Park is a small community that really does want to help small businesses thrive," said Naomi Richison, the chamber's communications director. "They want to stay local, shop local and keep their money local, and the app will be their comprehensive tool to access all things local."

Sponsored by Shell Deer Park, the app is expected to boost smaller independent businesses' visibility.

"We have a lot going on and we're in a unique position between industry and mom-and-pop shops and want to give everybody a tool to use where they can view everything," Richison said.

At Larry Finn's Deer Park Jewelry Factory, showcases display rows of wedding and engagement rings and raw gemstones plus such items as an authentic 1933 Ingersoll Mickey Mouse or a charm bracelet.

Finn has been in business for more than 30 years, originally starting a Christian book store in Pasadena before setting up shop with the Deer Park Jewelry Factory in Deer Park four years ago.

More Information Business application To access the That's Deer Park app, visit: App Store for iOS https://goo.gl/dCFmrp Play Store for Android https://goo.gl/rT5v55 See More Collapse

The challenge for the business has been to compete in a business environment largely reliant on social media visibility.

"We wanted to basically get with the times and give everybody - Deer Park residents and visitors - a convenient, quick tool they can use that is relevant to the time we're living in right now," said Richison, who was instrumental is the development and design of the app. "Everyone uses apps; they always have their mobile phones. It just seemed like the next logical step for us."

While old-fashioned word-of-mouth was enough to draw in a core customer base, the Deer Park Jewelry Factory was eager to attract customers from surrounding cities like Pasadena, South Houston and La Porte.

"It's like they say, 'Build it and they will come.' We knew that if they knew we were here, they would come," said Cheryl, Finn's wife and sales manager.

Before the app's launch, the shop had started its own Facebook and other social media advertising strategies, thanks to longtime employee and marketing director, Nydia Manqueros. That's Deer Park has a built-in alert feature that lets users know when stores or restaurants in proximity have discount offers.

"We have people coming in every day who had no idea we were here," Finn said. "If they pull out that app, they can get on our web page, find directions as well as our Facebook."

Small businesses like the Factory, said Richison, are like jewels in the city waiting to be discovered, and the app is designed to point the way.

"We're hoping to make residents and visitors alike more aware of the options they have in this small corner of Texas," she said.

To access the That's Deer Park app, visit:

App Store for iOS https://goo.gl/dCFmrp

Play Store for Android https://goo.gl/rT5v55
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Henry Dibrell's plan failed.

Though the Katy school district trustee is one of two officials who spearheaded the formation of a coalition between local school districts for the Texas legislative session, Katy ISD did not join; Some trustees believe Dibrell mismanaged the situation and created issues that snowballed into community strife.

"We have a board member who broke policy, and we have a board president who knew of violations and failed to take actions to correct it," trustee Charles Griffin said. "If board members can't follow rules, or the law, how can we expect administration or students to do the same thing?"

Like many districts, the board usually approves several legislative priorities before each legislative session that are used to lobby local legislators on items KISD wants prioritized.

For this session, which convened Jan. 10 and ends May 29, the board in September formed a Dibrell-led committee to recommend legislative priorities to the board.

The priorities, which the board approved in December, outline the need to address public school funding, the statewide STAAR test, the incoming A-F accountability system and special education.

The priorities match the points that are being driven by the coalition, which is named One Voice for Texas Public Ed. The coalition is formed by four suburban school districts - Fort Bend, Spring Branch, Klein and Lamar Consolidated  that represent almost 200,000 students and have passed resolutions to unite and lobby legislators together.

Motivation to form the coalition came because legislators consistently ask school districts to agree on similar goals, according to Fort Bend Independent School District school board president Kristin Tassin, who is leading the coalition.

The coalition joined a Texas PTA rally in Austin last week, and districts are sending a written summary of One Voice's position to local legislators. They are also recruiting other districts.

Around the same time that Katy ISD was preparing its legislative priorities, Dibrell began discussing One Voice with Tassin. From there, the two contacted trustees from other districts.

But some KISD trustees believe that Dibrell acted inappropriately by doing this without consulting them or the district's legislative committee.

"Think of Katy ISD as a billion-dollar corporation," trustee George Scott said. "This is not a clubhouse. This is not a fraternity. We have a process that is without the corporate entity's knowledge that four or five different school districts are working to develop a legislative agenda.

"This is about protecting the organizational integrity of the board."

Dibrell said that he pursued One Voice without consulting others because the coalition's legislative priorities are almost identical to the ones the Katy board adopted.

"What law has been broken?" Dibrell said. "If a law has been broken, then that means every one of these school districts has also broken the law.

"I've done nothing wrong. I'm disappointed that KISD is not a part of it, but I'm thrilled that the One Voice movement is continuing to march and having success. My whole effort in this was to bring unity."

The controversy escalated when Jeannie Griffith, Katy Council of PTA's president, wrote a letter to trustees that took issue with One Voice's effort to become involved in the Texas PTA rally.

On Feb. 21, Katy ISD board president Rebecca Fox without explanation removed items regarding One Voice from the agenda before a vote could take place to join the coalition. She would later explain her action was due to Griffith's concerns.

Last week, trustees unanimously voted to dissolve the Dibrell-led committee.

Trustees Ashley Vann and Courtney Doyle both echoed criticism by Griffin and Scott regarding the One Voice debacle.

"The PTA president's letter was not the first person that had concerns," Doyle said. "There were board members that had concerns as well, and for some reason, we weren't listened to."

Fox has said there was no point in publicly discussing the One Voice issues at the Feb. 21 meeting because the problems were already understood among the board.

"I just challenge everyone to get the facts and check the truth," Fox also said in response to trustees' criticism. "Just because someone speaks it, doesn't make it true."

Katy ISD is not the only district to have declined joining One Voice. Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, which had originally expressed interest, opted out for undisclosed reasons. Representatives from others, including Pearland ISD, said they preferred to communicate directly with their legislators or were part of other groups.

Tassin said any type of pro-public education group can join One Voice. The coalition also plans to be back for the next legislative session in 2019.
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, introduced a bill to the 85th Texas Legislature which would place a restriction on cities increasing property taxes in excess of 4 percent without voter approval, and has triggered the Memorial Villages into unanimous opposition to Bettencourt, the former Harris County Tax-Assessor Collector.

Senate Bill 2, the Texas Property Tax Reform and Relief Act of 2017 would reduce the amount needed for a rollback election on the tax rate from an 8 percent increase of the existing rate, to 4 percent.

Bunker Hill has already passed a formal resolution at their Feb. 21 City Council meeting that states the city will oppose any legislation. The resolution cites that a cap on property tax revenues "Does not provide meaningful tax relief, interferes with the city's ability to meet local needs and diverts attention from other fundamental causes of higher property taxes."

On Tuesday, Bunker Hill City Administrator Karen Glynn said, "We are supporting Texas Municipal League and trying to work with our legislature on not doing something like this, and leave that to local control of elected officials in the city."

Texas Municipal League, headquartered in Austin, is composed of city governments in the state of Texas whose mission is to serve those governments at the state level. They have come out in strong resistance to revenue caps for over a decade said Bennett Sandlin, executive director for TML.

"Senate Bill 2 only effects cities and counties," said Sandlin. "Meaningful tax relief would be school finance reform. School's portion of property tax is 55 percent or more of the average citizens' tax bill. The State is becoming more and more dependent on property taxes (for school funding)."

Hedwig Village has the item on their March 9 City Council Agenda and City Administrator Kelly Johnson confirmed that Hedwig Village agrees with Bunker Hill and will pass a similar resolution.

Bunker Hill resident of 18 years, Greg Rich said Monday, "I agree with the city on this. We are dependent on city services for our fire and police. There would be incremental negative effects on level of services."
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The Hampton at Meadows Place duly noted the specialness of Feb. 22 again this year.

Lillian Cox, who has lived at the senior living center since 2011, celebrated her 110th birthday with family and friends.

It was no ordinary occasion but included 300 birthday cards - some from well-wishers in Japan and Bermuda - three cakes, a visit from the mayor and a re-creation of the dress shop that she operated for 30 years in Tallahassee, Florida.

Khalil Hasan, an event planner and activity director, created the party theme of "Ageless Beauty  Timeless Elegance."

"The goal was to transform the activity area into a re-imagined version of Lillian's dress shop that she opened in 1957," explained Hasan. "I created a signature perfume as well as purchased dresses inspired by the late 1950s and early 1960s to display on mannequins - including a dress inspired by first lady Jackie O.

The celebration included a harpist and a three-piece band for the after party.

Cox's granddaughter Alyson Smith, who lives nearby, said every time she walks into The Hampton she gets another handful of birthday cards.

Cox still takes no medicine but gave up on boyfriends a couple years ago, said Smith. Now a widow, Cox was married for 50 years to Thomas Henry Cox. Their only daughter Carolyn died at the age of 80.

Cox gets around with a walker, but doesn't let that slow her down as she remains active at the center where she participates in events.

She dresses up before she goes out - down to making sure she's got her necklace and earrings.

"She still likes to get out and about," said Smith. "My husband, Jeff, and I take her out to eat most Sundays after church. We are regulars at Live Oak Grill where she loves the fried catfish. When the owner Rocky found out she was 109, he said all her meals would be on the house."

Other family live in Texas. There is the dad, Richard Partch and his wife, Opal, and Smith's sisters Candy Partch Cullison who lives in Kerrville and Celia Cutler, who lives in Dallas.

Making room on his calendar for the birthday celebration was Meadows Place Mayor Charles Jessup, who's known Cox about seven years. "She truly is an inspiration," he said.

For her 110th birthday, she was interviewed by Melissa Wilson of Fox TV news www.fox26houston.com/news/238920620-video.

It's not an uncommon experience for her.

For her 100th birthday she was interviewed by Barbara Walters in New York City for a program called "Live to be 150."

She gave up driving in 2009 at age 102 but not before she was featured as one of the oldest living drivers in the nation by Inside Edition.
Conroe-based defense attorney Steven Jackson hopes a judge rules this week in favor of his client Marc Davenport and dismisses a charge against the political consultant for allegedly conspiring to circumvent the Texas Open Meetings Act.

The jury trial for County Judge Craig Doyal, Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley, Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Clark and Davenport will begin March 27. All four were indicted on the same conspiracy charge June 24. It stems from negotiations in August 2015 regarding a November 2015 road bond.

Jackson claims the 221st state District Court does not have jurisdiction over Davenport because he is not a member of a governmental body and cannot be prosecuted in a federal court.

"To prosecute (Davenport) in the criminal district court violates his rights to due process under the 5th and 14th Amendments to the United States Constitution and his rights under Texas Constitution Article 1, Section 19," Jackson stated in his motion filed Oct. 31, 2016.

However, according to Chris Downey, a Houston-based attorney who was appointed by former 9th District Court Judge Kelly Case as a special prosecutor to investigate whether any communications prior to the Aug. 24 vote to put the $280 million road bond on the ballot violated the act, Jackson's claims have no merit.

"We will file a response to that; and I don't think there is any legal basis for his removal," Downey said regarding Davenport's motion for dismissal.

While the Texas Open Meetings Act does pertain to government bodies, an Attorney General's Opinion from Nov. 20, 2000, in part, states that a person who is not a member of a governmental body could be charged with a violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act if "the person, acting with intent, aids or assists a member or members who knowingly act to violate the Act."

Downey said he expects visiting 221st state District Court Judge Randy Clapp, of Wharton County, to rule on the motion this week. Judge Lisa Michalk recused herself from the bench since Commissioners Court funds her budget.

A Montgomery County grand jury issued the indictments after a six-month investigation into communications in August 2015 that led to commissioners approving the placement of the bond package on the ballot.

An Aug. 24 Open Records request by The Courier showed dozens of emails involving the judge, certain members of the court, Davenport and others, including members of The Woodlands-based Texas Patriots PAC, regarding the framework of the road bond.

Campaign finance reports show Riley paid Davenport $5,000 on Aug. 6, 2015, for a "consulting expense."

In addition, Riley gave Davenport $10,000 on May 14, 2015. Along with $5,000 to Performance Marketing on the same day. The same mailing address is listed for Davenport and Performance Marketing.

Doyal paid Davenport $10,000 on May 16, 2015, for a consulting expense.

However, Doyal previously said that neither he nor Riley paid Davenport for consulting services regarding the August road bond negotiations.

If convicted of the misdemeanor, the crime is punishable by a fine of $100 to $500, confinement in the county jail for one month up to six months; or both. The elected officials also could be forced to vacate their positions.

Road to a special prosecutor

District Attorney Brett Ligon recused his office early in the process because then-First Assistant District Attorney Phil Grant was using Davenport as his political consultant in his campaign for 9th state District Court judge. Grant later cut ties with Davenport.

Then-9th state District Court Judge Kelly Case, who did not return calls to The Courier last week, appointed Downey Sept. 16, 2015. According to Downey, Case had several options for the investigation, including appointing a special prosecutor, using the Texas Attorney General's Office or the Texas Rangers.

"The district attorney does not have any say in who is appointed," Downey said. "It is the decision of the appointing judge. I got a call from him and he requested I take the case. In my experience, if you are not conflicted out, you have an obligation as an officer of the court to take up the task."

Downey noted he has and continues to use the Texas Rangers in the investigation of the case.

"The Texas Rangers have assisted in the case," Downey said.
While school districts celebrated Career and Technical Education month in February, one Montgomery County school district will continue the celebration with a groundbreaking ceremony on its new Career and Technology Education Center building this Spring.

As Willis ISD prepares to open its $39.4 million CTE building, passed in the $109.5 million November 2015 school bond, two Willis High School senior students in the advanced engineering design class already are preparing to take an industry recognized certification test that can be added to the resume.

"Instead of working in fast food, they can actually get job at an engineering firm while they are still in college," WHS Advanced Engineering Design Instructor Tony Evans said.

Both of the senior students, Marco Gonzalez, 17, and Gabriel Ramirez, 18, already had an interest in the engineering industry before taking the course, but feel confident the program has prepared them to obtain their certification and plan to earn their mechanical engineering degrees at Texas Tech University.

"It gives me a feeling of accomplishment," Gonzalez said. "You drew it, you built it, and it works I feel like with the projects we've done and Mr. Evans' help that we are learning a lot."

The class started last year with 2D AutoCAD software and within six weeks made the transition to SOLIDWORKS computer assisted design software, which allows the students to not only design, but to create the designs with a 3D printer.

According to Evans, the 3D design experience provides the students with a chance to test the designs using the software that is predominantly used in the industry. For example, with a Vise tool the students printed at half the scale, certain parts will only function if designed correctly. The project took about three weeks to complete.

"I enjoy doing it because I get to have kids come back to me and say, 'Mr. Evans I got a job at this company,'" said Evans, referring to graduates who took the 2D design CTE course which he previously instructed. "That makes me feel great because I can tell we are actually teaching them skills that do help them in the industry."

The students also are utilizing their 2D design lessons by working with other Willis ISD classes like the high school welding team to modify the design and the blueprints for a 40-foot trailer that will be taken to competition.

"You get to get hands-on, which is pretty cool," Ramirez said.

Although the course only has one printer for two students at this time, Evans anticipates the new program will continue to grow, especially with the opening of the new CTE building, which will offer more space, classrooms, new labs and more upgraded equipment.

"We've already asked for a printing center where we have several 3D printers," Evans said. "A 3D print takes so long (hours). This is what they are actually doing in the industry; this is what they call rapid prototyping instead of having to machine something to see if it works. We want them to be able to see the whole process."

Evans said it is significant for students in Willis to be able to prepare now for the industry.

"If for no other reason, we are within an easy commute to the Houston area and a lot of people from this area that go to The Woodlands and Houston," he said. "Having them be able to do this opens up a lot of doors. There was a time when Willis was just a rural community on the outskirts, but now so much has moved up to The Woodlands, they really need to know this stuff. "

The design for the CTE building, which will host more than 20 courses for 16 career directions, will be further discussed at the next Willis ISD meeting Wednesday. For more information, visit www.willisisd.org
The Edwardsville Police Department is now accepting applications for the Edwardsville Citizens Police Academy spring sessions. Individuals who are interested in learning about constitutional law, rights of citizens, and the duties of law enforcement officers are encouraged to attend.

The 10-week academy will be held from 6 p.m.  9 p.m. Thursday nights, beginning Thursday, April 13.

Sgt. Matt Breihan said the deadline for the applications will be Friday, April 7, and its important to apply soon, as the EPD is expecting a full turnout.

Weve already had three to five people show interest in the academy after the last one took place. I would not delay in getting in the applications because we are expecting another good turnout. Weve received nothing but positive feedback from applicants who took the class and many of which wish they could take it again, Breihan said.

The academy will cover law review, traffic/DUI enforcement, use of force/excited delirium/crisis intervention, firearms familiarization, force on force/active shooter, drug trends and identification, crime scene investigation, computer crimes and identity theft, and a four-hour ride along.

Participants in the academy must be 21 or older. The academy will be limited to 20 participants and enrollment will be based on a first come, first serve basis.

Breihan said a registration fee will apply as well, but will go toward the cost of materials for the academy.

The registration fee is $25 and that goes towards the cost of the t-shirt and the materials for the class. The department makes no money off of it. Its strictly to help the department put it on for the citizens. At the end, youll get a t-shirt that has the logo on it, a certificate of completion and then some take-home material, he said.

After having instructed several past academies, Breihan said he is most looking forward to educating the public on what the job of a police officer actually entails.

Every time we hold this class, I look forward to explaining what its like to be a police officer and what police work is actually like. How to constantly combat misconceptions based on TV and we show people the reality of what actually takes place. I like to watch the attitudes of the students change; not that we try to change their outlook on police work, but they come in there with an idea of what police work is like and they leave with a different idea. I think they develop a strong respect for law enforcement and what law enforcement officers do across our nation, he said.

A graduation ceremony will follow completion of the academy, and all participants will receive a shirt and certification of completion.

The next Citizens Police Academy will take place in the fall of this year.

Breihan said as an instructor, he hopes to leave an impression on all who participate.

The goal that I would have, and I imagine along with all of our other instructors, is to provide as much information as we can; to answer all of the questions the public may have regarding police work, especially when it comes to procedures and why we do what we do. Thats very important that we get that message out there so people have a whole understanding of what our job is like and why we make the decisions that we make, he said.

To enroll in the Academy or for more information, visit thecityofedwardsville.com/police or contact the Edwardsville Police Department at 618-656-2131.
While former Montgomery County Judge Alan B. Sadler faced a Texas Open Meetings Act violation more than a decade ago, he believes the situation was much different and the stakes paled in comparison to the ongoing case involving three members of Commissioners Court.

County Judge Craig Doyal, Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley and Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Clark, as well as political consultant Marc Davenport, are scheduled to start trial in three weeks, on March 27, with each charged with one count of conspiring to circumvent TOMA.

If convicted of the misdemeanor, the crime is punishable by a fine of $100 to $500, confinement in the county jail for one month up to six months; or both; and, the elected officials might have to vacate their seats.

In contrast, Sadler's mistake in 2003 ended with a requirement to take four hours of continuing education regarding the Texas Open Meetings Act. The agreement worked out with then-District Attorney Mike McDougal was said to be confidential and was not released to the public at the time. However, Sadler spoke with The Courier about the details and agreement last week.

Sadler had contacted two members of Commissioners Court regarding a library policy. And at a July 2003 Commissioners Court meeting, former Precinct 4 Commissioner Ed Rinehart called Sadler out during open session, saying Sadler contacted him prior to the meeting and asked him to vote with him and then-Precinct 2 Commissioner Doyal regarding the new library policy.

The Texas Open Meetings Act prevents a quorum of members from discussing county business outside a publicly called meeting.

"I was called by the judge and asked to join he and Doyal and be the third vote in this policy thing. I asked him if (Precinct 3 Commissioner Ed Chance) and (Precinct 1 Commissioner Mike Meador) knew about it," Rinehart said during the court meeting. "And he said, 'We don't want them to know about it until we have a third vote.' That's not how I do things."

Sadler never denied the allegation, according to a previous Courier article.

But Sadler never even went before a grand jury, avoided any potential indictment or conviction by working out the deal with McDougal, who developed the agreement for the continued education.

"It was a no-win situation, so I decided to learn more about the Texas Open Meetings Act, take the course and be done with it," Sadler said.

Sadler said the current situation with Commissioners Court and the upcoming trial are much different from his situation.

"I see a big difference," he said. "I was accused of talking to a court member without a quorum regarding an agenda item regarding the library policy. It was ridiculous."

Doyal, Riley and Clark were indicted June 24, 2016. The indictments came after several months of investigation focusing on communications concerning a $280 million road bond referendum to be placed on the November 2015 ballot. Commissioners ultimately voted to put it on the ballot, and voters approved it.

A Montgomery County grand jury issued the indictments after a six-month investigation into communications in August 2015 that led to commissioners approving the placement of the bond package on the ballot.

So far, the four still are scheduled to face trial together.
Trump_tower_Baku

An unopened Trump hotel in Azerbaijan has been linked to corrupt officials who support the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reports Adam Davidson in a New Yorker piece.

Trump International Hotel & Tower Baku, a sleek 5-star hotel in the shape of a ship sail in Azerbaijan's capital, never opened despite appearing nearly complete.

Plans to build the tower began in 2008, when developers first drew up a "high-end apartment building" downtown in the capital of Azerbaijan.

In 2012, the Trump Organization and Azerbaijani developers signed off on a contract to turn the building into a luxury hotel.

Even though the hotel has Trump's name emblazoned on it and had previously been posted as a future project on Trump Organization's website, the organization's chief legal officer Alan Garten said that Trump played only a nominal role in construction of the hotel  he was "merely a licensor" who had allowed Anar Mammadov, the son of powerful Azerbaijani oligarch Ziya Mammadov, to use his name, the New Yorker reports.

Trump's own financial disclosure report showed that he earned $2.5 million in income from the project between January 2014 and July 2015 and an additional $323,000 afterwards. In 2014, Ivanka Trump visited the Baku construction site and posted photos and videos of her trip to Instagram.

trump

But some in Azerbaijan allege the Trumps had a more active hand in the project. We were always following their instructions," an unnamed Azerbaijani lawyer involved with the project told The New Yorker. "We were in constant contact with the Trump Organization. They approved the smallest details."

A few weeks before Trump took office as President, he cancelled construction of the nearly-finished building in Baku to avoid potential conflicts of interest even though the construction was in its final stages. Last June, The Washington Post reported that the hotel had plastic-wrapped reception desks in the lobby.

Story continues

Azerbaijan consistently ranks as one of the most corrupt countries in the world by human rights watchdogs  only two weeks ago, President Ilham Aliyev named his wife to serve as the country's Vice President.

According to The New Yorker, the Trump Organization signed off on the deal with the powerful Mammadov family who, aside from regularly getting called out for exploiting political power to increase personal wealth, has reported ties with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps  anextremist military force that has helped finance Iran's nuclear weapons program and trained terror organizations like Hezbollah.

Azerbaijan's Transportation Minister, Ziya Mammadov reportedly "awarded a series of multimillion-dollar contracts" to a construction company controlled by the IRGC in 2008, when development of the Baku Trump Tower first started.

"The entire Baku deal is a giant red flagthe direct involvement of foreign government officials and their relatives in Azerbaijan with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard," Jessica Tillipman, an assistant dean specializing in government anti-corruption at George Washington University Law School told the New Yorker. "Corruption warning signs are rarely more obvious."

The 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act forbids companies from "participating in a scheme to reward a foreign government official in exchange for material benefit or preferential treatment." However, Garten told The Washington Post that the organization's investigation into the Mammadov family "did not raise any red flags."

Only last week, a Reuters report indicated that Trump's administration is currently trying to label the IRGC as a "terrorist organization." But only a few years ago, Trump's company evidently had few qualms about lending his name to a project that could benefit them.

NOW WATCH: The US spends more on its military than the next 8 countries combined





More From Business Insider


A 20-year-old woman who was crushed to death by a tree at Yosemite National Park over the weekend was a park contract worker from Stanislaus County, officials said Monday.

Destiny Rose Texeira Borges, a Ceres resident, was killed at around 10 a.m. Saturday when she was hit by a large ponderosa pine near a campground in Half Dome Village, formerly known as Curry Village, Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman said.

Borges had come to the national park to work at a retail outlet operated by park concession company Yosemite Hospitality, officials said.

The tree collapsed while heavy snow and high winds swept through the park during a powerful weekend storm, knocking over trees up and down the Sierra foothills and state.

Jason Henry / Special to The Chronicle / /

Borges was standing outside among wooden and tent cabins used by visitors and park employees.

No one else was injured in the incident. One cabin was crushed by the tree, but no one was inside, Gediman said.

Friends and family members were offering condolences on social media Monday and on a GoFundMe site set up to cover Borges funeral costs.

Ceres resident Leigh Alison Genova set up the crowdfunding site, calling Borges a beautiful and bright young lady just starting to live a bright dream filled life.

The death was the first fatality caused by a falling tree at Yosemite since the summer of 2015 when two Southern California teens were killed by a falling limb from a large oak tree, Gediman said.

The teens, Dragon Kim of Tustin and Irvine resident Justin Lee, both 14, were killed when the branch crushed their tent as they slept at the Upper Pines Campground.

Two years earlier, 21-year-old UC Santa Cruz student Annais Rittenbark was crushed to death and four other women were injured when a 3-foot-thick tree collapsed on them at Camp Tawonga outside Yosemites western border.

And in 2012, a concession employee died at Yosemite when a falling limb crushed him in his tent cabin.

Around 15 people die every year at Yosemite in a variety of ways, including natural causes and accidents, officials said.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  The economy is up, unemployment is down and some Dutch prisons are so empty the government has been renting out cells.

So why do polls indicate that the Netherlands' ruling parties are set to suffer big losses before a March 15 national election, while the party of right-wing anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders appears poised to make substantial gains?

"It's not the economy, stupid," Professor Gerrit Voerman of the University of Groningen said, tweaking the campaign message Bill Clinton used in his successful 1992 march to the White House. Instead, Voerman said, "It's about identity."

Wilders' campaign slogan sums it up: "The Netherlands ours again!"

The nationalist refrain, which echoes U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign call to make America great again, is a theme that could dominate elections in two other European nations this year France and Germany. How Wilders' Party for Freedom fares next month should provide an indication of the prospects for fellow far-right nationalists Marine Le Pen, the presidential candidate for France's National Front party, and Frauke Petry of the Alternative for Germany.

In the Netherlands, pollsters predict that Prime Minister Mark Rutte's People's Party for Freedom and Democracy will lose about 15 of the 40 seats it holds in the 150-seat House of Representatives. Wilders' party, which currently has 12 lawmakers in the chamber, is on track to become one of the biggest, if not the biggest, parliamentary faction, despite a recent decline in polls.

However, Wilders' hard-line anti-Islam, anti-immigration platform and rhetoric has driven away potential coalition partners among mainstream parties, meaning that he is unlikely to be able to form a government even if he wins the popular vote in this country whose elections all but guarantee coalitions.

Wilders' one-page election manifesto leads off with two "us-against-them" themes. The Party for Freedom pledges to "de-Islamize" the Netherlands by shutting all mosques, banning the Quran and halting all immigration from majority Muslim nations. It also commits to remove the Netherlands from the European Union, which it helped found 60 years ago.

Story continues

After decades of immigration, around 5 percent of the Dutch adult population is Muslim, according to the Central Bureau for Statistics. Many of Wilders' supporters have a deep-rooted sense that new, often Muslim, arrivals in the nation of 17 million are treated better by the government than long-time residents.

Wilders pounced this week on figures from the statistics bureau showing that despite the drop in unemployment the number of people eligible for welfare rose last year, a trend mainly driven by refugees granted residency permits, the bureau said.

"Thanks to Rutte, the Netherlands has become the ATM for many immigrants," Wilders tweeted.

His supporters agree.

"People who come here get everything and people from the Netherlands have to survive on a few cents," Jo Hendriks, a 65-year-old Wilders voter from Rotterdam, said. "The foreigners go to the food bank in their Mercedes to get food. ... I live near a food bank and I see it with my own eyes."

Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp, a veteran member of Rutte's party, observed recently that "people are inclined to look at other issues" during election campaigns, if the economy is doing well. The Dutch economy expanded for 11 consecutive quarters and grew by 2.1 percent in 2016.

Meanwhile, crime has been steadily declining for years, so much so that the country has in recent years rented out prison cells to Belgium and Norway and even housed asylum seekers in disused jails.

Ahead of Dutch elections, mainstream parties carefully outline their plans to keep the economy healthy and run them past a government-funded think tank to prove that their projections are sound. , Wilders gave the economy just a few words in his manifesto. His priorities would be to "reduce rents," ''lower income tax" and cut health care contributions, while spending "much more on defense and police" and slashing funding for overseas development aid and culture.

Wilders also is focusing on concerns  shared in France and Germany  that the huge numbers of migrants Europe saw arriving in 2015 could peak again if an EU deal with Turkey that has reduced the flow of newcomers were to collapse.

"He is trying to make use of fears within society," Voerman said.

Wilders is not the only politician appealing to concerns about migrants and their place in Dutch society. Rutte, in a move seen as openly courting Wilders voters, published a letter in national newspapers saying that, "We have to actively defend our values" against people who refuse to integrate or act antisocially.

"Behave normally or go away," the prime minister wrote.
WELLAND, ONTARIO / ACCESSWIRE / March 6, 2017 / EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies Corp. (TSXV: EHT) ("EHT" or the "Company") is pleased to update its progress in its Ivory Coast, West Africa initiative to sell its ENERTEC homes.

On January 30, 2017, the Company announced that it had completed the installation of two advanced ENERTEC housing units in Ivory Coast, West Africa to serve as sample units. The installation included two fully equipped housing units, one off-grid/self-contained unit and the second configured as a net-metering system. These units were provided in support of continuing efforts to secure contracts with the government of Ivory Coast for ENERTEC homes.

The Ivory Coast government is represented through The Foundation General Akissi, an organization for "the Promotion of the Rights of Women and Children". In this case the Foundation, which as part of the Ivory Coast military is tasked with building housing for military families, has agreed to enter a contract with Maple Leaf Holdings SA. EHT is a shareholder of Maple Leaf Holdings SA and would fulfil the contract for the building of two, three and four bedroom homes using the Company's sustainable Advanced Modular Housing System with the embedded Enertec solar energy system.

The requisite officials of the Ivory Coast government have now analyzed the sample units to assess the EHT ENERTEC product and have today confirmed that the ENERTEC homes meet their requirements. Requesting simple floor plan modifications, EHT can now finalize the commercial aspects of the opportunity.

Mr. John Gamble, CEO of EHT indicated that "it has taken some time to reach this acceptance phase, a critical stage in the process of completion a commercial contract. However, we have always been confident in our products and the benefits they can bring to our target markets".

The Company will report back when commercial arrangements are finalized or as events warrant.

Below are pictures of the sample houses on site in Ivory Coast.

Story continues



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://www.accesswire.com/uploads/EnerDynamic%201.jpg





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://www.accesswire.com/uploads/EnerDynamic2.jpg



The EHT advanced ENERTEC Modular Wall and Roof System uses a proprietary skin and foam core that is stronger and more energy efficient than traditional wood or steel structures providing the highest ratings for energy efficiency. EHT works with its partners worldwide to erect the buildings on-site utilizing EHT staff and local crews. After installation, each structure can be furnished and finished to meet the customer's requirements including siding, tile, kitchens and bathrooms or segregated commercial rooms. The finished wall product can be shipped on pallets and delivered via rail, truck or water in standard formats.

At the core of the ENERTEC product line is the ENERTEC Embedded Solar Roof Module. Solar cells can be embedded in a proprietary fire proof skin resulting in substantial cost savings by eliminating heavy glass panels and aluminum racking required for traditional solar panels. Two barriers to greater adoption of solar energy are weight limitations of the roof on which solar panels could be deployed and onerous shipping and labour costs. A lighter product at a better price point will open a larger market for solar due to the faster return of capital investment especially for rural and remote users looking to go off-grid. Furthermore, the entire EHT embedded solar roof becomes a massive solar panel capable of producing significantly more energy than the home requires, allowing the structure to then become an important source of power for the local micro grid or large battery storage systems.

About EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies

EHT delivers proprietary, turn-key energy solutions which are intelligent, bankable and sustainable. Most energy products and solutions can be implemented immediately wherever they are needed. EHT stands above its competitors by combining a full suite of solar PV, wind and battery storage solutions, which can deliver energy 24 hours per day in both small-scale and large-scale format. In addition to traditional support to established electrical networks, EHT excels where no electrical grid exists. The organization supplies advanced solutions for various industries in combination with energy saving and energy generation solutions. EHT's expertise includes the development of module structures with full integration of smart energy solutions. These are processed through EHT's production technologies into attractive applications: modular homes, cold storage facilities, schools, residential and commercial out buildings and emergency/temporary shelters.

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.

The statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information relating to sales of the products (the "Opportunities") involves risk, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects, for the Opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Although EHT believes that the assumptions used in preparing the forward-looking information on the Opportunities outlined in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. EHT disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

John Gamble

Director

(289) 488-1699

jgamble@ehthybrid.com

info@ehthybrid.com

Company Website: www.ehthybrid.com



SOURCE: EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies Corp.
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AUSTIN - Backers of the so-called bathroom bill said Monday theyll mobilize 1 million Christians in their effort to push the measure through the Legislature.

They also announced the support of a Democratic state senator for the effort, which has been largely supported by Republicans, although not all GOP leaders are in favor of it.

As filed by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, the measure would specify that restrooms, dressing rooms and locker rooms in government buildings, schools and universities be designated for use by people according to their biological sex.

RELATED: Celebrities who oppose Texas' proposed 'bathroom bill'

It would allow school districts to make accommodations, such as single-occupancy bathrooms. Among other provisions, the bill also would prohibit any local government from adopting an ordinance preventing businesses from making their own restroom policies.

Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has championed the measure, at a news conference continued to assert that the bill is not an attack on transgender people or the LGBTQ community.

He said its about preventing a free pass to sexual predators who are not transgender.

Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, joined Republicans at a press conference to say he is supporting the bill because school children lack the maturity to fully comprehend circumstances and need to be guided by their parents and teachers.

RELATED: 'Bathroom Bill' could put financial pinch on Texas

Lucios support could help Senate passage of the measure, although Patrick said there were enough votes to bring up the measure in the chamber even without it. The bill is expected to have a much tougher road in the House, where Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, has expressed concern about its potential economic effect.

Among conservative religious leaders at the press conference who will join in the push for the bill was Pastor Charles Flowers of the Faith Outreach Center in San Antonio.]

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
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One of the most violent weeks in Houston's recent memory has residents drawing comparisons with Chicago, where the murder rate increased 59 percent last year.

Although the federal government won't release official 2016 crime data until the end of this year, an analysis by fivethirtyeight.com, the news website edited by statistician Nate Silver, looked at murder rates in the 10 cities with the highest rates.

St. Louis was at the top of the list, with 59.3 murders per 100,000 residents. likely retaining its title as the "murder capital of the United States," according to fivethirtyeight.com.

But Chicago, whose murder rate was eighth out of the top 10 cities, had the highest total number of murders, at more than 750, according to preliminary data.

SAFE CITY: Neighborhood Scout ranks Friendswood as safest Houston-area city

Chicago has gotten headlines for its 59-percent increase in murders last year, but San Antonio topped that, with a 61-percent increase, fivethirtyeight.com's Jeff Asher reported.

Houston last year had 302 murders, virtually the same as the 303 the year before. This year's tally, at 49 as of March 1, is on pace to total about 300 after 12 months. Given the Bayou City's large population, that number of murders does not put it among the top 10 cities in terms of murder rate.

In fact, no Texas city was among the cities with the highest murder rates. New Orleans was fourth among the top 10, with a rate of 44.5 per 100,000 residents.

These statistics do not soften the pain of individual Houstonians lost in what seemed to be an especially cruel span last week.

JAIL FEARS: U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert said he feared arrest if Donald Trump had lost election

Starting with the fatal shooting of a Subway sandwich shop worker on Feb. 22, five people died and two police officers were wounded in violent confrontations in the week ending Wednesday, March 1.

Javier Flores, 18, died when he tried to protect his mother during a robbery at the southeast Houston sandwich shop where they both worked.

De'Maree Adkins, 8, was killed early Saturday, Feb. 25, in a random shooting after she and her mother collided with a speeding car. A suspect has been arrested in her death.

Oscar Reyes was gunned down in front of his pregnant wife a day later, and Jessica Lynn Mills, 29, was shot in front of her two young children by carjackers Monday night, Feb. 27.

GANG VIOLENCE: Police shooter linked to Houston gang called 52 Hoover Crips

On Wednesday, two Houston police officers were wounded in a shootout with burglary suspects, one of whom was fatally shot in southwest Houston near Bellfort and Beltway 8.

And crime, of course, continues. Early Saturday morning, 49-year-old Mauro Gayton was assaulted and killed on his way to work in north Harris County. His body was found later in a driveway in the 20700 block of Sycamore Wood.

A woman leaving the rodeo shortly after midnight Sunday morning was killed by a hit-and-run driver as she tried to cross the South 610 Loop near Fannin. But a tow truck driver on Saturday morning followed a hit-and-run driver all the way to his house after he allegedly struck and killed a man on the North Freeway feeder road, police said.
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A jury sentenced two former police officers to prison terms Monday for many but not all of the charges they faced in a sex case in which several young women had testified the pair conned them and seduced them with offers of money and legal help.

The sentences added up to six years in prison for Alex Chapa, 29, and 10 years in prison for Emmanuel Galindo, 31.

Chapa and Galindo wept during earlier sentencing testimony. Chapa said his codefendant had concocted the elaborate 2015 scam that fooled at least four women into having sex with them by convincing them it was for an undercover operation.

RELATED: SAPD: Pregnant teen, unborn child killed; gunman hospitalized

Convicted Friday, both men knew they had to serve at least two years for each count of compelling prostitution, which does not allow for probation. The jury gave them slightly higher terms than the minimum, which State District Judge Steven Hilbig extended by stacking them.

They've lied to you and everyone else. They've not taken responsibility for their actions, prosecutor Ryan Wright had said earlier, asking for the maximum sentence of 20 years for the sex assault and compelling prostitution charges, which are second-degree felonies. These aren't people who had a bad upbringing. They put their own families through this for their own pleasure. It was calculated.

I see no reason for sympathy. Max 'em out, Wright urged.

RELATED: Garbage, mounds of feces waist-high in S.A.-area home

After the sentencing, Wright said it sends a strong message about weeding out bad cops. And these were bad cops.

Galindo was sentenced to five years in prison for each of five counts of compelling prostitution, with Hilbig stacking two of them to run after the first three, in effect a 10-year sentence on that charge. Galindo also drew eight years in prison for each of three counts of sexual assault, to be served concurrently. He received 10 years probation for a fourth count of sexual assault.

Chapa got probation for three counts of sexual assault. The judge grouped Chapas four counts of compelling prostitution into a pair of three-year sentences, then stacked them for an effective sentence of six years,

Both defendants received probation for the Class A misdemeanor of official oppression, eight counts for Chapa, 12 for Galindo.

Neither defendant testified during the trial but both took the stand Monday during the punishment phase.

Chapa looked at the jurors directly and said that the undercover operation was for real, that Galindo had proposed the scheme and supplied the official-looking but phony documents that backed it up.

And, he said, he only reluctantly had sex with some of the women. Of one victim, identified by the alias, Charley Rose, now 26, Chapa said: I always asked, Are you sure? Are you sure? (about having sex), but she pushed for it hard. I'm just sorry all of this happened....I felt stupid and scammed. I felt horrible.

Rose told the Express-News Friday evening after an emotional day of testimony that she wished the officers could get life in prison.

I think it all came down to controlling women and playing us for fools, said the mother of two.

The women testified last week that they were recruited into the confidential operation with promises of $1500 and a menu of sexual favors that if performed would earn them points and status within the operation. They said the officers showed them badges, carried guns, wore uniforms occasionally and told them they could go to prison if they told anyone about the plan, which they suggested might involve Mexican drug cartel figures.

Chapa testified that Galindo assured him the bogus operation had nothing to do with SAPD and was being run by the National Security Agency, a federal spy agency whose primary stated mission is to capture billions of e-mail, text and phone conversations of non-U.S. citizens across the world. He further stated he never saw any authentic documents from any law enforcement agency concerning the operation and lied to his wife about the scheme for fear she would be upset.

Toward the end of his testimony Monday, Chapa said he was persuaded to participate by Galindo but that he wasnt blaming Galindo and that he, Chapa, needed to take responsibility for his own actions.

For his part, Galindo, who took the stand at about 11:30 a.m., started weeping even before he started talking. Earlier, his father, who is from Coahuila, testified that when he and his wife adopted Galindo as a baby just three days old, he barely fit in a shoebox.

Prosecutor David Lunan adamantly made Chapa, as a defense witness, go through his previous statements to police in minute detail, extracting admissions that he had asked Galindo if they should buy condoms before meeting the women and took various actions to cover his tracks.

Wright, the other prosecutor, scoffed at the NSA story, telling the jury the pair had not told investigators about it and cooked it up, when they were beginning to delete text messages and cancel phone contracts.

Prosecutors also presented a witness Monday who testified she had sex with Galindo in the summer of 2015, after Galindo claimed to be a film producer and promised her $10,000 to shoot an adult film in which she would play a stripper role and have sex with the killer.

I was not comfortable at all with this and I knew in my gut something was not right  but he was very persistent to the point of being intimidating, the woman said. And at that time I was in hardship and was going to lose my car, my job and my dog.

bselcraig@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Courtesy Texas Parks & Wildlife Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy Texas Parks & Wildlife Show More Show Less 3 of 3





The New Berlin Volunteer Fire Department rescued a woman from Cibolo Creek on Sunday afternoon after they said she crossed a barricade to access a creek crossing, according to the department and Texas Game Wardens.

Firefighters responded to the 100 block of Airpark Drive, in Guadalupe County, about 2 p.m. Sunday, March 5, 2017.
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Anti-Semitic fliers were removed from Texas State's San Marcos campus Friday, marking the fourth time university officials have had to address racially charged handouts found at the university since November.

University police found roughly four to five fliers around 1 a.m. Friday outside of the Albert B. Alkek Library, said Texas State spokesman Matt Flores.

"White man, are you sick and tired of the Jews destroying your country through mass immigration and degeneracy," the flier reads, flanked by two swastikas, according to a photo obtained by mySA.com.

RELATED: Fliers calling for the 'white man' to fight back found on Texas State campus

President Denise Trauth did not plan to make a statement regarding the fliers, Flores said Monday, adding that she's made it "quite clear" the nature of the handouts, and the ones before them, go against the "core values of what it's like to be a Bobcat."

On Friday, Trauth released a statement that said: "Although I have shared my thoughts on this type of reprehensible activity numerous times, I cautiously do so today because it gives the perpetrators the attention they so desperately seek."

"All of you know that the deplorable sentiments contained in these communications violate our university core values," she said.

Flores said an investigation has been opened to find who posted the fliers.

Since November, three other unauthorized and racially charged fliers were found on campus and led to multiple investigations. One day after Election Day, a flier was found on bathroom mirrors throughout the campus that called for the "arrest and torture" of "deviant university leaders spouting off all this diversity garbage."

Trauth said she expected students to express their opinions with "civility and in a collegial manner."

RELATED: Texas State probes pro-Trump fliers calling for 'torture' of school leaders over 'diversity garbage'

In December, another handout encouraged students to report undocumented immigrants to authorities. Trauth issued a reminder that students did not have to report anyone to immigration officials.

A flier calling for the "white man" to take their country back was discovered and Trauth tweeted that the staff was looking into the issue.

"I don't know that you can stop it," Flores said Monday, adding the university has been proactive.

May Olvera, a journalism junior at the university, told mySA.com she first saw the anti-Semitic fliers shared on Facebook by some of her Jewish friends who were "shocked and uncomfortable." She said, despite the contents of the flier, each incident has served a purpose "they've made people more alert and brought them together."

RELATED: Flier at Texas State tells students to report undocumented immigrants

Olvera, who still feels safe on campus, said she didn't bother reaching out to university officials due to how they have handled similar problems.

"They seem to act like it's a waste of their time, so I think that students themselves are better equipped to deal with these things as a community rather than have the school attempt to handle it," she said.

Flores said he would not comment on what Olvera said.

Text "Breaking" to 48421 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5
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A man convicted in a San Antonio murder-for-hire two decades ago was expected to be executed in Huntsville on Tuesday.

Rolando Ruiz Jr., 44, killed 29-year-old Theresa Rodriguez, a USAA insurance employee, after he was hired by Rodriguezs husband, Michael.

For Theresas family, the execution will bring no relief from their loss, but at least the death penalty will finally be administered to an individual who confessed to the murder 24 years ago and has shown no remorse.

RELATED: Records: 6 women have been executed in Texas since 1976, 6 others sit on death row

Theres never closure, said Eddie Sanchez, Rodriguezs father. Its not going to bring my daughter back.

Michael Rodriguez, and his brother, Mark Rodriguez, paid Ruiz $2,000 to kill Theresa Rodriguez so they could collect $400,000 in insurance money. They were sentenced to life in prison.

The state of Texas has scheduled Ruizs execution two times before, in 2007 and 2016, but he received last-minute stays from federal and state appeals courts.

In February, Ruizs lawyers filed another motion for a stay of execution in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, but a judge denied that request Monday.

Michael Rodriguez gained notoriety as the years passed.

In 2000, he escaped prison as part of the Texas Seven, inmates who broke out of the Texas Department of Criminal Justices Connally Unit near Kenedy by overpowering workers. On Christmas Eve, two weeks after the break, the fugitives shot and killed an Irving policeman.

Michael Rodriguez was executed for killing the police officer.

Ruiz' execution had been scheduled for 6 p.m., but that time passed as prison officials waited until the appeals process was resolved, according to a report from the Associated Press. His execution was expected to take place before 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.

Read more from the family of Theresa Rodriguez and background about the case at ExpressNews.com.

eeaton@express-news.net

Twitter: @emilieeaton
As Councilman Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Democratic Party Chairman Manuel Medina try to unseat incumbent Mayor Ivy Taylor, the three will debate Monday night at Trinity University in an event hosted by the Young Tejano Democrats and San Antonio Republican Women.

Though the May 6 mayoral race is officially nonpartisan, party politics have made their way, at least somewhat, into the race. Medina, for example, has attempted to paint Taylor as being a supporter of President Donald Trump  using the fact that Brad Parscale, the co-owner of a local tech firm, built the mayors campaign site before becoming Trumps digital guru.
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The Live Oak County Sheriffs Office arrested a man Saturday morning who allegedly fatally stabbed another man at the Live Oak County Fairgrounds, a news release said.

Michael Brandon Niembro, 30, is being held on a murder charge after allegedly stabbing and killing 38-year-old Robert Wesley Davidson.
A 36-year-old man was booked into jail Saturday in connection with the long-term sexual assault of three sisters, now aged 15, 12 and 11.

Edward Elias Price, of San Antonio, faces three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. His bond was set at $225,000. Price bonded out of jail Sunday.

RELATED: Teen, unborn child killed on Northwest Side; suspected gunman hospitalized

Price knew the sisters, but to protect their identities, the nature of their relationships will not be described.

According to Price's arrest affidavit, authorities were first notified of the alleged sexual assaults after one of the sisters made an outcry at a San Antonio Middle School.

During subsequent interviews with an agent from the Department of Family Protective Services, the three sisters informed authorities about the years of abuse through which they had all allegedly endured.

RELATED: BCSO: Man wielded machete in theft of front-loader after stealing truck

Price allegedly began abusing the oldest sister when she was 7 years old. According to the arrest affidavit, he covered her head, told her "it was a dream" and then assault her.

"The sexual abuse would occur almost on a daily basis, sometimes twice a day," the affidavit says.

On the youngest sister's most recent birthday, Price allegedly molested her while watching the Disney movie "Frozen," the affidavit says.

The middle sister told investigators that Price began abusing her when she was about 4 years old.

RELATED: Deputies arrest 7 in 2 raids in El Paso

All three sisters told investigators that Price repeatedly threatened to burn down their house or kill their mother if they told police about the abuse.

Shortly after authorities had interviewed the three sisters, Price was arrested on a warrant for aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Text "Breaking" to 48421 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 6, 2017 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC reminds investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against General Cable Corporation ("General Cable" or the "Company") (BGC) and certain of its officers, and is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons or entities who purchased General Cable securities between February 23, 2012 and February 10, 2016, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are advised to join this case by visiting the firm's site: http://www.bgandg.com/bgc.

This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, and failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) General Cable paid millions of dollars in bribes to government officials in foreign countries, including Angola, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Indonesia, India, and Thailand, in order to secure business; (2) the above-mentioned conduct was in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1997 (the "FCPA"); (3) General Cable's revenues were therefore partially the product of illegal conduct, and, therefore would be subject to disgorgement and unlikely to be sustainable; (4) once the illegal conduct was made public, the Company would be subject to significant regulatory scrutiny and financial penalties; and (5) consequently, General Cable's statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On September 22, 2014, General Cable divulged that it was reviewing "payment practices," "the use of agents," and "the manner in which the payments were reflected on our books and records" in connection with General Cable's operations in Portugal, Angola, Thailand, and India. General Cable advised investors that these concerns "may have implications under" the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977. Following this news, General Cable stock dropped $0.93 per share, or 4.68%, to close at $18.96 on September 22, 2014.

On February 26, 2015, General Cable stated that, in regards to a potential settlement of FCPA offenses, the General Cable projected to disgorge $24 million in profits from bribe-tainted sales in Angola.

On February 10, 2016, General Cable said that, due to new deals and other considerations, the Company increased its disgorgement accrual for the potential FCPA settlement by $9 million to $33 million, after recognizing "certain other transactions that may raise concerns." Following this news, General Cable stock dropped $3.05 per share, or over 31.6%, to close at $6.60 on February 11, 2016.

On December 29, 2016, the Wall Street Journal described how General Cable had agreed on a non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, in which the Company "agreed to pay $75.8 million to settle allegations it paid bribes across Africa and Asia and...agreed to an additional $6.5 million penalty to settle accounting-related violations." The Wall Street Journal continued to state that General Cable's subsidiaries, "over a period of a dozen years, paid about $13 million to third-party agents and distributors," who then "paid bribes to government officials in Angola, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, and Thailand to get business in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act."

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: http://www.bgandg.com/bgc, or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Investor Relations Analyst, Yael Hurwitz of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484. If you suffered a loss in General Cable, you have until March 6, 2017 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a corporate litigation boutique. Our primary expertise is the aggressive pursuit of litigation claims on behalf of our clients. In addition to representing institutions and other investor plaintiffs in class action security litigation, the firm's expertise includes general corporate and commercial litigation, as well as securities arbitration. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contact:

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC

Peretz Bronstein or Yael Hurwitz

212-697-6484 | info@bgandg.com

SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
When our Founding Fathers crafted the framework of our country, they envisioned a strong bond between the states that would unite them in the common goals of promoting freedom, prosperity and common defense. Rather than 50 unique states working together toward these goals, there has been a slow and steady erosion of state sovereignty. As a result of federal overreach and judicial activism, America is acting more and more like one national government with 50 provinces. That is why I am a strong advocate for Texas sovereignty and for preserving the delegation of power found within our U.S. Constitution.

On Feb. 23, I and three House colleagues introduced HB 2338. Known as the Texas Sovereignty Act, this legislation would form a permanent committee to review the constitutionality of federal laws, agency regulations, executive orders, court rulings and other federal directives. It also calls upon elected officials to uphold their oaths and stand firmly against any federal action that would undermine the sovereignty of Texas and the principles of the 10th Amendment.
Maybe I'm channeling Donald Trump.

Or maybe he's been reading my columns - or my mind.

All I know for sure is that when he gave his great speech to Congress Tuesday night he did exactly what I suggested he should do that morning in my column in The Hill - stop being Donald Trump.

Quoting my father, I wrote that there comes a time when the president-elect has to become the president - and then start acting like one who represents the whole country, even his enemies.

I said the president should be a conservative, make conservative appointments and run a conservative government.

But I also suggested that he immediately stop catering only to his base and tell us in his speech where he wants to take the country and how he plans to take us there.

President Trump did all that and much more in his widely applauded speech Tuesday night, which was a great turning point for his administration to move forward on his agenda.

By spelling out his core goals, and asking the House and Senate to create the legislation to put them into place, Trump proved to Congress he wants to lead.

On Tuesday night he set the cornerstone for his administration's agenda.

Like Trump Tower, he now has to begin rebuilding and rehabilitating America from the infrastructure up.

Many of our bridges and roads are in shambles. We take off and land at airports that would shame a Third World country.

In Studio City, Ca., not far from my house, a 90-year-old pipe burst and caused a sinkhole that swallowed cars but thankfully no people.

President Trump is absolutely right to want to throw a trillion public and private dollars at the crumbling infrastructure of the country - the more private the funding, the better.

He is also absolutely right to want to rebuild and build-up our military after eight years of neglect by the Obama administration.

As my father used to say, we fought four wars during his lifetime - none of which were fought because America was too strong.

President Trump understands that. So does Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

So does his disgruntled fellow Republican, Senator John McCain, who'll someday applaud the president if he stays on course to rejuvenate the Army, Air Force and Navy.

The president's signature campaign issue, enforcing and reforming our awful immigration policy, will face a huge political fight and a lot of compromising.

He'll need to find the area where we can all come together. Nobody is going to get 100 percent of what they want, so everyone - including the president's base -- has to be willing to give a little.

President Trump's other aims - lowering taxes on people and corporations, cutting regulations on businesses and repealing and replacing ObamaCare - are goals conservatives have been dreaming about for years.

He has a real chance of accomplishing many of his goals and the goals of conservatives in the next 200 days, but he can't do it alone.

He's going to need the advice and help of thousands of people.

So if I could give one more bit of advice to President Trump, which comes from a placard that was on my father's desk, it is, "There's no telling what a man can accomplish or where he could go if he doesn't worry about who gets the credit."

My father knew it's never about taking credit, Mr. Trump, it's all about getting things done.

Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of "The New Reagan Revolution" (St. Martin's Press). He is the founder of the email service reagan.com and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Visit his websites at www.reagan.com and www.michaelereagan.com. Send comments to Reagan@caglecartoons.com. Follow @reaganworld on Twitter.
President Donald Trumps main achievement in his first address to Congress was to make the phrase President Trump seem more plausible to more Americans. The event had all the reassuring signs of normalcy  the familiar ovations, the teleprompter (actually being used), the policy proposals, the attempts at inspiration. International alliances were reaffirmed rather than questioned. A Gold Star family was honored instead of criticized. Trump made at least the attempt to present his nationalist, law-and-order views in the best light rather than the starkest contrast. His convictions, while still vivid, were not painted in his typical, jarring neon.

In all this, Trump made use of conventions rather than smashing them. And that provided some assurance that conventions could matter to the president and his team, at least for one winters evening. None of this represented a substantive change; it was a triumph of the speechwriting department, not the policy shop.

And still. The actual purpose of a presidents first speech to Congress is not to burnish his image; it is to clarify his budget priorities. And here, Trump is on more familiar, less coherent, ground.

The Trump budget  which still only exists in its barest outlines  would increase defense spending by more than $50 billion, cut discretionary spending by a similar amount, and leave entitlement programs alone. All of these elements represent the fulfillment of campaign pledges. But, taken together, they seem like the liberal caricature of a Republican budget: Cut poverty-fighting programs and international aid in order to fund more ships and tanks, but leave programs for the elderly (who disproportionately vote Republican) untouched.

Republicans clearly foresee a division of labor in the budget process. Trump will do the big-picture persuasion while House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell take care of the details. But the problem here is the big picture. Even in outline, the Trump budget is impractical, cold-hearted and unsalable.

It offers little by way of outreach to Democrats, some of whom will be needed to pass appropriations bills requiring 60 votes in the Senate. The proposal to slash discretionary spending  which means cuts in things like education, environmental protection, AIDS drugs and medical research  is enough to embitter any liberal heart. Discretionary spending has been steadily shrinking as a portion of the budget and has already taken considerable hits over the years. Trump is asking for gallons of blood from a pale and anemic patient.

Republican budget hawks have also proposed similar levels of cuts in the past. But they always planned on using the saved money for deficit reduction. Trump is proposing to shift spending into defense and law enforcement, with no net cut in spending.

Trumps budget does little to please entitlement hawks. Under Ryans leadership, congressional Republicans staked out the position that it is irresponsible to leave Social Security and Medicare on the path to insolvency and crisis. Ryan and company have now been undermined by another president who refuses to confront the mathematics of entitlement instability.

The president is likely to find resistance to elements of his budget in unlikely places. Some of the strongest opponents of cuts in foreign aid have backgrounds in the military. They understand that health and development spending can be a strategic tool, encouraging stability and decreasing the need for future interventions. Perhaps Trump should pause a moment in his praise of military leaders and actually listen to them.

The Trump budget outline is underdeveloped, compared with those of other presidencies; it leaves the trajectory of deficits unchanged; it imposes cruel and indiscriminate cuts in discretionary spending; it is cowardly, especially on the main drivers of future debt; it is injurious to elected Republicans who will risk the wrath of the Trump base in order to make rational budget choices; it is an indication of governing unseriousness and a preference for positioning over leadership.

But the speech was nice.

michaelgerson@washpost.com
Senator, I did speak to the Russian ambassador two times, but not, to my recollection, on campaign issues, and, if I did, it was only superficially.

See; not so hard. Had then-Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, now the U.S. attorney general, answered the question like that during his confirmation process, he  and the nation  wouldnt be mired anew in the serious allegation that Russia tampered with the U.S. election last year to favor President Donald Trump.

Instead, answering a question by Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota, on what he would do if he learned of communications between the Trump campaign and Russia, he said, Im not aware of any of those activities, adding, I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.

And in January, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, asked Sessions to respond in writing to this question, among others: Several of the President-elects nominees or senior advisers have Russian ties. Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day.

Sessions simply wrote, No.

He now says he should have slowed down and answered Frankens question more fully. But Sessions, who has been forced to recuse himself from a Justice Department investigation of the Russian meddling in the election, also says he was being truthful and responsive, that he limited his answer to whether he discussed campaign matters and that he was acting as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. These talks with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, came at a time when the intelligence agencies were concluding that Russia was on a campaign to soil Hillary Clintons campaign.

Sessions, a former prosecutor, must have known his answers were, at best, misleading. And, at most, perjurious.

Yes, if Sessions had answered truthfully, Democrats would have made hay over the meetings  and he would have been confirmed anyway, despite a past that denied him a federal judgeship because of allegedly racist statements. But we wouldnt be where we are today: At a moment where the need for Sessions to recuse himself from the Justice Department investigation into the Russian meddling was made abundantly clear (what would Sessions have done, by the way, if the meetings had not been disclosed?). And, at a moment when the need also for a special prosecutor or independent committee to investigate Russian involvement in the election is even clearer. So far, the Senate and House appear intent on using regular committees to investigate, a path that might not inspire confidence.

Now, Trump is attempting to muddle matters with his explosive charge that President Obama caused his phones in Trump Tower to be tapped. There is no evidence of this to date  with the CIA, FBI and Obama denying the charge without reservation. Investigators must not be distracted by this spurious charge.

But, also alarming; here we are with another high-ranking Trump appointee caught in what appears to be an outright lie, which in Sessions case might constitute perjury, a punishable offense.

Sessions is splitting hairs on whether the discussions were campaign related and that he was acting in a Senate role. He had to know that his meetings with the Russian ambassador  whatever was discussed  were germane to the questions asked because of the entire controversy over Russian involvement in the U.S. election.

Now that Sessions has recused himself from the Justice Department investigation, Congress should ask itself a simple question.

If Clinton had won the presidency and there was evidence of foreign help in getting her elected and indications also that members of her campaign, including her eventual attorney general appointee, had talked to that foreign government, would a special prosecutor have already been named or an independent investigation launched? Would that attorney general additionally be investigated for perjury?

The answers are self-evident. Congress must act accordingly and quickly, but not for political reasons.
Obamacare appears to be gone. President Trump has issued an executive order to repeal and replace. What we will have now is Trumpcare. You can be assured the health insurance companies will continue to raise your cost for health care. Why every American does not see health care as a right, not a choice, I do not understand. Almost every nation except America has government health care, including Slovenia and Cuba. But we are No. 1 in cost.

We have many citizens who cannot afford medicines, let alone see a doctor. All of us must insist every citizen gets free health care. Will our taxes increase some? Yes, but all our citizens will have health care, and it will cost a massive amount less per person than we are paying insurance companies. It is time our people get out from under the constantly growing cost that we pay insurance companies for health care. Lets all join on this.

Jim Denton, Gatesville

Taking on water

It appears that our Ship of State is piloted by a skipper with a rowboat brain and a thousand-horsepower mouth.

G. L. Lamborn

Doomsday scenario

Re: In Cabinets, where diversity occurs is what matters, Amy Liu, Other Views, Jan. 19:

Ms. Liu bemoans that Trump has placed minorities in his cabinet as if they are interchangeable pieces. Her opinion piece makes no sense. Trump picked the best people for the job. The picks were not based on where they would fall in succession. Her premise is foolish. She also fails to point out that the first cabinet member, the secretary of state, doesnt become president unless the vice president, speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate all cant serve.

Finally, though the doomsday scenario of succession she opines about may happen in movies, it is historically unrealistic and unnecessary to even consider when appointing a cabinet. In our presidential history, only nine vice presidents have succeeded to the office upon the death or resignation of the president, and two vice presidents have temporarily served as acting president. No other officer has ever been called upon to act as president.

Clark Brown
PARIS, March 6 (Reuters) - France on Monday condemned North Korea's firing of four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japan's northwest.

A French foreign ministry statement said Paris would consult U.N. Security Council members on the issue.

(Reporting by Marine Pennetier; Writing by Brian Love; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)
Management to Discuss Growth Strategy and Meet One-on-One with Investors

NAPERVILLE, IL / ACCESSWIRE / March 6, 2017 / GEE Group Inc. (NYSE MKT: JOB) ("the Company" or "GEE Group"), a provider of professional staffing services and solutions, today announced that the Company will participate in the 29th Annual ROTH Conference to be held March 13  15, 2017, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dana Point, CA. GEE Group's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Derek Dewan, is scheduled to present on Monday, March 13th at 2:00 pm PDT, as well as participate in one-on-one meetings that same day.

The annual ROTH Conference, with over 3,000 attendees, brings together public and private companies as well as over 1,000 institutional, private equity, venture capital and high net worth/family office investors in Dana Point, CA at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel Hotel from March 13  15, 2017. It is one of the largest of its kind in the U.S. The exclusive event provides attendees with investment ideas across a wide variety of sectors, including business services. The conference will feature company presentations, Q&A sessions, expert panels, management one-on-one and small group meetings.

Derek Dewan, Chairman and CEO, will present on Monday, March 13th at 2:00 pm PDT and will provide the investment community with an overview of the Company's aggressive internal and external growth strategy, an update on the operations, current financial position and value proposition. The presentation will be available on the GEE Group website at www.geegroup.com.

Commenting on the ROTH conference, Dewan noted, "We are honored to attend the impressive annual investment conference held by ROTH and we look forward to presenting and discussing our organic and acquisition growth strategy with current and potential investors. Additionally, the Company has successfully rebranded during the past year and has significantly expanded its breadth and depth of service offerings in the professional staffing and solutions areas of IT, accounting and finance, and engineering and looks forward to discussing its continued focus and emphasis on these higher margin specialties."

Story continues

About ROTH Capital Partners

ROTH Capital Partners, LLC (ROTH), is a relationship-driven investment bank focused on serving emerging growth companies and their investors. As a full-service investment bank, ROTH provides capital raising, M&A advisory, analytical research, trading, market-making services and corporate access. Headquartered in Newport Beach, CA, ROTH is privately-held and employee owned, and maintains offices throughout the U.S. For more information on ROTH, please visit www.roth.com.

About GEE Group Inc.

GEE Group Inc. is a provider of specialized staffing solutions and is the successor to employment offices doing business since 1893. The Company operates in two industry segments, providing professional staffing services and solutions in the information technology, engineering, finance and accounting specialties and commercial staffing services through the names of Access Data Consulting, Agile Resources, Ashley Ellis, General Employment, Omni-One, Paladin Consulting, and Triad. Also, in the healthcare sector, GEE Group, through its Scribe Solutions brand, staffs' medical scribes who assist physicians in emergency departments of hospitals and in medical practices by providing required documentation for patient care in connection with electronic medical records (EMR).

Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to historical information, this press release contains statements relating to the Company's future results (including certain projections, pro forma financial information, and business trends) that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934, as amended, (the "Exchange Act"), and are subject to the "safe harbor" created by those sections. The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events. Such forward-looking statements often contain, or are prefaced by, words such as "will", "may," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "projects," "predicts," "estimates," "aims," "believes," "hopes," "potential," "intends," "suggests," "appears," "seeks," or variations of such words or similar words and expressions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and cannot be predicted or quantified and, consequently, as a result of a number of factors, the Company's actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Certain factors that might cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation: (i) the loss, default or bankruptcy of one or more customers; (ii) changes in general, regional, national or international economic conditions; (iii) an act of war or terrorism or cyber security breach that disrupts business; (iv) changes in the law and regulations; (v) the effect of liabilities and other claims asserted against the Company; (vi) changes in the size and nature of the Company's competition; (vii) the loss of one or more key executives; (viii) increased credit risk from customers; (ix) the Company's failure to grow internally or by acquisition or the failure to successfully integrate acquisitions; (x) the Company's failure to improve operating margins and realize cost efficiencies and economies of scale ; (xi) the Company's failure to attract, hire and retain quality recruiters, account managers and salesmen; (xii) the Company's failure to recruit qualified candidates to place at customers for contract or full-time hire; and such other factors as set forth under the heading "Forward-Looking Statements" in the Company's annual reports on Form 10-K, its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the SEC. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov. The Company is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) and does not intend to publicly update, revise or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact:

GEE Group Inc.

Andrew J. Norstrud

813.803.8275

invest@genp.com

SOURCE: GEE Group Inc.
CHICAGO  Legal marijuana will take away 7.1% of revenues from the existing retail beer industry, per the Cannabiz Consumer Group (C2G).

The firm suggests that if cannabis were legalized nationally, the beer industry would lose more than $2 billion in retail sales. C2G also found that 27% of beer drinkers say they already have substituted cannabis for beer, or would substitute their beer retail purchases with cannabis in the future (if legal). Other segments of the alcohol industry including wine and spirits and on-premise sales are also being impacted, as are other CPG categories, brands and retailers.

In 2016, there were 24.6 million legal cannabis consumers in the United States. As legalization extends to additional states, either through medicinal or recreational legislation or both, C2G projects that legal cannabis penetration will settle at a level comparable to that of beer and wine and that a fully mature market would create a new $50 billion industry. The forecasts were generated using C2Gs CannaUse study on the cannabis mindset and behaviors of 40,000 individual participants, cannabis purchase transactions, and CPG consumer panel and point-of-sale data from IRI.

In emerging markets, a novelty impact often occurs as new users try a product simply for the experience but do not sustain its use, skewing early market predictions. C2G says that its results suggest this will not be the case with legalized cannabis.

Those at risk of losing sales to legalized cannabis can undertake a variety of actions to offset their losses, said Rich Maturo, chief innovation officer at C2G. Consumers use cannabis to satisfy various social, medical and experiential need states. By understanding these needs, those at risk of losing sales to cannabis can try to offset some of the losses by understanding and speaking to a consumers needs. Unfortunately, there is no doubt that leakage will occur. Those companies that are gathering insights on cannabis and have the foresight to see it as presenting an opportunity in addition to a risk will fare much better than those who strictly take a defensive position.
PURCHASE, N.Y.  This spring, PepsiCo will debut two new flavors in its 1893 Cola brand, The Daily Meal reports. Last year, the company launched its premium line of 1893 Cola in original and ginger ale. The line has its roots in the original Pepsi recipe developed 100-plus years ago by Caleb Bradham, who founded the company.

1893 Cola contains sparkling water, certified fair trade sugar and kola nut extract, among other ingredients. This spring, the line will add Citrus Cola (with grapefruit flavors) and Black Current Cola in 12-ounce cans.

We created these variants for our consumerknowing that the elevated palate is craving grapefruit and black currant as trending flavors, said Stacy Taffet, senior director of marketing for Pepsi. She added that the brand will roll out new flavors periodically.

Taffet pointed out that Pepsi views 1893 Cola as being enjoyed straight from the can or as cocktail mixers. The company indicated the new flavors would have a marketing campaign focused on cocktails. Expect to see the new 1893 top shelf cola campaign have a strong tie with the bar community, Taffet said. Our 1893 Top Shelf bartender program will demonstrate that a premium spirit is best enjoyed with a premium cola.
Yves here. This post reinforces a point weve made regularly: that US businessmen and policymakers are degrading the quality of the US workforce by pushing so many entry level jobs, which was how skilled workers learned their tradecraft, overseas. This has been pervasive in computer science, a field of supposed US leadership, for over a decade. Its becoming more widespread in the law and accounting, where tasks like legal research and writing briefs are increasingly farmed out to India. Senior managers in IT firms have said foreign staffing (whether sent offshore or done by H-1B visa workers) always requires more bodies and still almost without exception yields inferior results, but no one seems willing or able to buck a bad new normal.

This behavior is bizarre given that neoliberalism fetishizes competitiveness at a country level. But it makes sense in the case of the US since the country is run to serve multinationals and the top 0.1%, and not domestic interests.

However, a sour note is the use of the term market later. This is neoliberal virtue signaling for a process that wasnt a market in any normal sense. Companies used to be willing to train people, and wanting/needing to recoup their investment meant they had incentives to treat their employees well enough that most of the good ones would stay around for a few years so theyd recoup their investment. There really was a time when most businesses were sincere when they said, Our people are our biggest asset. In fact, back in the day, if you changed jobs too often (as in more frequently than every 8-10 years), employers assumed you had a performance or personality problem unless you had a good story as to why you had switched.

And a personal note: my paternal grandfather was one of the very last journeymen trained in the US, right before World War I. Production tasks were broken down during the war to allow for more rapid hiring and training to accommodate increased war output needs. As a result, my grandfather got a battlefield promotion and was almost immediately made a supervisor. He later ran a machine shop and taught manufacturing at night at Pratt Institute. Ironically, most of his students were professionals, like lawyers and accountants, who needed to know a bit about how job shops and light manufacturing worked to do their jobs better.

By David de la Croix, Professor at Universite catholique de Louvain, Belgium, Matthias Doepke, Professor of Economics, Northwestern University and Joel Mokyr, Professor of Economics, Northwestern University. Originally published at VoxEU

The role of specific institutions was important in giving Europe a technological advantage well before the Industrial Revolution. This column argues that apprenticeships were crucial to Europes rise. Unlike in the extended families or clans in other parts of the world, apprentices in Europes guild systems could learn from any master. New techniques and innovations could thus spread rapidly across the continent, without being constrained by family lines.

The Great Enrichment that Europe experienced after the Industrial Revolution remains a central question in economic history (McCloskey 2016). It is now well established that the European economies technological head-start over the rest of world did not start strictly with the Industrial Revolution in the middle of the 18th century, but had already begun with the great transformations of the late 15th and 16th centuries (Broadberry 2015). Yet the exact causes of this growth are still very much in doubt. Clearly, the effect of science properly speaking on economic growth before the 18th century is still limited at best. Yet it would be unwarranted to dismiss the role of knowledge and its dissemination through Europe. In recent work, we argue that efficient institutions for organising apprenticeship provided a crucial foundation for the rise of Europe (de la Croix et al. 2016).

Tacit Knowledge and the Central Role of Apprenticeship

Before the Industrial Revolution, almost all useful knowledge was tacit. The main mechanism through which tacit skills were transmitted across generations was apprenticeship, a relationship linking a skilled adult to a youngster whom he taught the trade. Apprentices spent most of their waking hours in the masters workshop, where they learned from the master and more experienced apprentices and journeymen. As apprentices spent time in the shop, they gradually acquired the skills of the master, often through imitation and guided learning-by-doing (DeMunck and Soly 2007, Steffens 2001). In Figure 1, a 14th century illustration from a dye-shop attests to the medieval origins of the institution, while a 19th century painting by Louis-Emile Adan, Man and boy making shoes, illustrates its persistence into the modern era. Apprenticeship was the primary mechanism by which productive human capital was created in the past.

Figure 1 Evidence of the persistence of apprenticeship-based learning in Europe

Differences in the rates of technological progress may in principle have two different sources: differences in the rate of original innovation, and differences in the speed of the dissemination of existing ideas. Our theoretical analysis focuses entirely on the second channel and abstracts from differences in the rate of invention. What we argue is that the institutions governing the intergenerational transmission mechanism were of central importance to the dissemination of best-practice techniques. The nature of the apprenticeship system based on personal contacts and mostly local networks was a central factor in the closing of gaps between best-practice and average-practice techniques. We argue that apprenticeship institutions in Europe led to faster dissemination of best-practice technical knowledge and contributed, ultimately, to Europes technological primacy.

The Need for Apprenticeship Institutions

To see why apprenticeship institutions mattered so much, it should be recognised that the contract between master and apprentice was in many ways deficient and incomplete. The master promised to teach his young student the secrets of the trade, in exchange for labour services provided by the apprentice and, at times, a lump sum premium paid by the youngsters parents or guardian. Yet the exact nature of the skills transferred could never be fully specified in the contract, nor could the diligence and loyalty shown by the apprentice in carrying out his side of the deal. Because of these moral hazard problems, some institution that enforced the contract and arbitrated disputes when they arose was crucial.

In our analysis, we focus on the apprenticeship system and abstract from other diffusion mechanisms. We distinguish between four types of historically relevant apprenticeship institutions: (nuclear) families, clans, guilds, and markets. In the nuclear family, fathers taught their sons, and hence knowledge was passed only through vertical transmission. In the family equilibrium, the moral hazard problem was resolved (assuming the father to be sufficiently altruistic) but no knowledge was transferred across families, so that the rate of technological progress was very slow. In much of the non-European world, extended families or clans were the fundamental unit of economic organisation among artisans. In this world, the apprentice could learn not just from his father but also from other relatives, depending on the size of the clan. In our model, the clan solved the moral hazard problem because within the clan, people trusted each other and had strong incentives to avoid opportunistic behaviour. Apprentices could learn from any clan members in their chosen trade (and thus could do better than just learning from their fathers). Yet because the clan was limited to people who were related to one another and eventually shared a common ancestor, the diffusion of technology was faster than in a family, but not as fast as when apprentices could learn from the entire population of masters in his town.

Efficient Apprenticeship Institutions: Guilds and Markets

A third form of contract enforcement is through the guilds. In Europe, where craft guilds appeared in the middle ages, the guild enforced apprenticeship contracts, mediated between masters and apprenticeship, and prevented the worst excesses of opportunistic behaviour. The enforcement of contracts and the orderly intergenerational transmission of skills has been cited often by those who have sought to rehabilitate the guilds, traditionally depicted as technologically conservative rent-seeking institutions (Epstein 2008, 2013). Yet historically, the evidence that guilds tried to limit entry into their trade  for instance, by limiting the number of apprentices that each master could take (Trivellato 2008)  is quite strong (Ogilvie 2014). Thus, the diffusion of technology in the guild system was faster than the family or the clan equilibrium, but not as fast as it could be. Still, in the guild system the apprentices could learn from any master. New techniques and innovations could thus spread rapidly across Europe, without being constrained by family lines. The dissemination of ideas was further promoted by institutions such as journeymanship (also regulated by guilds), in which apprentices travelled from town to town after their initial training to learn (or in some cases teach) new techniques.

The most efficient institution was one we call market equilibrium, in which apprentices were free to move about and learn from the best masters (either as apprentices or journeymen), and the most efficient techniques thus disseminated the fastest, without being constrained by the anti-competitive aspect of guilds. The question then arises of how the participants in such market equilibria overcame opportunistic behaviour. The answer is in part that third-party enforcement became increasingly a reality in some parts of Europe, but also that reputation mechanisms assured that cheating by either side would be costly. An illustration of the significance of the four regimes in relation to the rise of Western Europe (relative to the previous leader, China) is provided in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2. Income per capita in Western Europe and China

Source: Maddison (2010).

The four forms of contract-enforcement appeared in many economies side-by-side, but in late medieval and early modern Europe, the guild and market equilibria became increasingly dominant. Thus, the areas that had the most effective apprenticeship institutions were the ones that developed the most progressive and innovative workmanship and experienced the most technological progress even in the absence of major breakthroughs. A recent example is watchmaking in 18th century Britain, where watches became continuously cheaper and better (Kelly and O Grada 2016). But in almost any artisanal trade in Europe  from textiles and ironworking to millwrights and shipbuilding  we observe substantial progress between 1500 and 1750, and knowledge that diffused relatively rapidly (Berg 2007). Some historians have coined the term mindful hand to characterise the growing sophistication of the top-of-the-line artisans of the age (Roberts and Schaffer 2007).

It is not surprising, then, that in economies in which apprenticeship was unconstrained and regulated by markets so that knowledge could cross kinship lines, the level of artisanal skills blossomed. This is particularly true for England, where guilds had already been weakened and where the famous 1562 Statute of Artificers, which regulated the parameters of apprenticeship, was widely circumvented (Wallis 2008), but it was also true for the Netherlands (Davids 2003, 2007), the richest economy in Europe for centuries.

Apprenticeship and the Industrial Revolution

A high level of technical competence, as sustained by effective apprenticeship institutions, played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution. We argue that they were not a sufficient condition for economic growth: on its own, artisanal progress without the infusion of novel radical insights from more formal knowledge would have run into diminishing returns. Still, these institutions might well have been a necessary condition for the take-off. But without the workmanship that could turn blueprints and new designs into working machines and that could scale up models, the insights of the giants of the Industrial Revolution would have been as economically inconsequential as Da Vincis brilliant technological sketches. English ironmasters such as John Wilkinson were indispensable if inventors such as James Watt and Samuel Crompton were to turn their ideas into reality and bring about the Industrial Revolution. The French economist Jean-Baptiste Say said it best in 1803: the enormous wealth of Britain is less owing to her own advances in scientific acquirements  as to the wonderful practical skills of her adventurers (entrepreneurs) in the useful application of knowledge and the superiority of her workmen (Say 1821, vol. 1). After 1815, British skilled mechanics and technicians swarmed all over the Continent to install and maintain the new machinery. They had been trained through a superior system of apprenticeship.

Outside Europe, the institutions of apprenticeship were far less effective. Kinship relations still dominated many other economies, especially China (Greif and Tabellini 2017). While guilds existed in the Ottoman world, India, and in China, we have found no evidence that they did much more than secure exclusionary rents by prohibiting non-members from entering their industries. Apprenticeship remained largely a family or sectarian affair. This is not to deny that kinship relations remained important in Western Europe as well  but in economic history, degree is everything. Recent work trying to understand the Industrial Revolution and the Great Enrichment that followed it has increasingly focused on upper-tail human capital (Mokyr 2009, Squicciarini and Voigtlander 2015, de la Croix and Licandro 2015). In that story, the human capital of top-level artisans and the way it was produced played a larger role than has been realised so far.

One lesson that our work drives home is that the sharp distinction between institutions and human capital, as elements in economic growth (Glaeser et al. 2004), is historically inappropriate. Institutions determined the quantity and quality of human capital formation in past societies, and the nature of these institutions help explain the miraculous enrichment of Europe after the Industrial Revolution.

Summary and Significance

One of Western Europes core historical features was its reliance on mechanisms and institutions that were not based on kinship relations. When applied to learning institutions, this feature led to the adoption of superior apprenticeship institutions, and thus promoted a fast diffusion of best techniques, and it allowed Western Europe to gain primacy in the centuries leading up to the Industrial Revolution. Tacit knowledge and skills remain relevant in todays economy. For example, master-apprentice-like relationships are still common in the education of doctors and scientists, and the continuing system of formal apprenticeship in Germany is often credited as one source of the countrys low youth unemployment and general economic success.

One of the great advances in understanding our economic past in the past decades has been that institutions matter  but identifying which institutions mattered, what they did, and why they arose in the first place has been a matter of considerable controversy. The institutions governing the intergenerational transmission of skills and tacit knowledge should definitely be part of that narrative.

See original post for references
Michigan to offer prize in fight against invasive Asian carp AP

Sea Ice Extent in Antarctica Bottoming Out at Lowest on Record Weather Underground

7 Major Experiments That Still Havent Found What Theyre Looking For Nautilus

Why the Fed means business this time FT

Deutsche Bank to Raise $8.5 Billion and Reorganize Some Operations NYT

Heavy-Duty Truck Orders Rose for Fourth Straight Month WSJ

Trends in Merger Investigations and Enforcement at U.S. Antitrust Agencies: 20062015 Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation

As Israel-based financial fraud soars, police swoop on 20 suspects as part of global, FBI-led sting Times of Israel

Brexit

More than 600 health quango chiefs on six figure salaries amid cash crisis Telegraph. Yes, minister.

No one can stop me standing in French election, says Fillon France24

China?

Japan, South Korea markets muted after North Korean missile tests MarketWatch

New Cold War

2016 Post Mortem

DNC has No Plans to Publicly Post Officer Election Roll Call Tally Progressive Army. From the DNC bylaws:

[A]ll meetings of the DNC, the Executive Committee, and all other official Party committees, commissions and bodies shall be open to the public, and votes shall not be taken by secret ballot.

During the election for DNC chair, the ballots were not disclosed. Asked to disclose the ballots, and not mere tally sheets, the DNC responded:

To review actual ballots, please see the process below: 1. DNC officer election ballots will be available for review beginning Monday, March 6th at 10:00am, at Democratic National Committee offices, 430 South Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003. 2. To schedule a viewing session, please contact Julie Greene, Director of the Secretarys Office, at greenej@dnc.org. Appointments may be booked in one hour increments, and multiple sessions may be reserved, based on availability.

At least one journalist is following up:

For those asking, I've set up an appointment to see the dozens of ballots votes of 442 DNC members. They are giving us one hour. No cameras.  Nomiki Konst (@NomikiKonst) March 5, 2017

For the record, I dont think even Donna Brazile would be stupid or corrupt enough to alter the paper ballots. But youd think that, after the primary, the DNC would be making every effort to live up to that ic suffix following the D. Even if it gives all the consultants who voted themselves fat contracts with Perez a smidge of agita. Apparently not.
* Erdogan incensed over German ban on several rallies

* Wants support of Turkish voters in Germany for referendum

* Merkel says Nazi comparison "trivialises" Holocaust

* Germany says rallies were banned on security grounds (Adds details about event in Hamburg)

By Andrea Shalal

BERLIN, March 6 (Reuters) - Germany rejected as "absurd" on Monday Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's comparison of its ban on several rallies to the Nazi era, but it also stressed the importance of ties between the two NATO allies in an attempt to defuse an escalating war of words.

Erdogan is furious over the cancellation of several political rallies aimed at drumming up support among Germany's large ethnic Turkish population for his plans to overhaul Turkey's constitution and win greater powers for the presidency.

On Sunday the Turkish leader accused Germany of "fascist actions" reminiscent of the Nazi era. Berlin says the rallies were cancelled on security grounds.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has been treading a cautious line in the dispute as she needs Turkey's help to tackle Europe's migrant crisis and on other issues, but Erdogan's invocation of the Nazi period clearly touched a raw nerve.

"It is particularly grave, and makes me sad because Nazi comparisons only lead to one thing: The trivialisation of the unfathomable suffering of those affected by Nazi crimes against humanity," Merkel said in a short but pointed statement.

Merkel acknowledged deep differences with Ankara over issues such as freedom of the press and the recent arrest of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel.

However, she said Berlin remained committed to basic freedoms and would continue to allow Turkish politicians to campaign in Germany for its constitutional referendum provided their visits were announced in a transparent and timely fashion and respected German laws.

A municipal spokeswoman in Hamburg said a centre where Turkey's foreign minister was due to address a rally on Tuesday had been shut, but Turkish diplomatic sources said there were no cancellations and the minister would still travel to Germany.

Story continues

CALL FOR CALM

Earlier, her spokesman Steffen Seibert dismissed the Nazi comparison as "absurd", but also said both sides should be "calm and level-headed" in managing their disagreements.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels also urged restraint towards Turkey, though Austria and the Netherlands - also home to large ethnic Turkish populations - said they opposed campaigning by foreign politicians on their soil.

Asked whether the European Union should curtail funding aimed at preparing Turkey to join the bloc, Seibert said: "One will certainly have to continually ask the question, as the EU does with all of its spending, whether the payments are achieving the initially intended goal."

On Sunday Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern urged the EU to halt membership talks with Turkey and scrap or restrict 4.5 billion euros in pre-accession aid promised to Ankara by 2020.

Erdogan's comments have prompted shock and outrage among German politicians, and the leader of Germany's Turkish community said on Monday they could harm bilateral ties and further exacerbate tensions among Turks living in Germany.

"Erdogan went a step too far. Germany should not sink to his level," Gokay Sofuoglu, chairman of the Turkish Community in Germany, which groups 270 member organisations, told Reuters.

Seibert told reporters Germany remained committed to good ties with Turkey because of their common interests, including the estimated 3 million people of Turkish background who live in Germany, NATO membership and the fight against Islamic State.

But he said Germany was continuing to press Turkey for fair treatment of the journalist Yucel and his speedy release. The Die Welt correspondent faces 10-1/2 years in prison if convicted of charges of propaganda in support of a terrorist organisation and inciting public violence. Yucel denies the charges.

On Monday Taner Yildiz, chief adviser to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, accused authorities in the town of Kelsterbach, west of Frankfurt, of cancelling a planned rally at which he had been due to speak.

"We reminded the (local) authorities that this was a democratic right," Yildiz told Reuters, adding that work to secure an alternative venue was underway.

German officials could not immediately be reached to confirm Yildiz's comments.

An estimated 1.5 million Turkish citizens living in Germany are eligible to vote in Erdogan's April 16 constitutional referendum.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Joseph Nasr and Michael Nienaber in Berlin, Orhan Coskun, Tuvan Gumrukcu and Tulay Karadeniz in Ankara and Humeyra Pamuk in Istanbul; Writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Gareth Jones and Hugh Lawson)
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

First, a word on the headline: Its inspired by Eliot A. Cohen and John Goochs wonderful Military Misfortunes: The Anatomy of Failure in War. The authors begin their account of defeats and disasters on the field of battle by discussing methodology:

For example, the man in the dock at Pearl Harbor might be Rear Admiral Husband Kimmel; and the man in the dock for a hot take on the debacle of the Clinton campaign might be Robbie Mook, or Jill Stein, or Vladimir Putin, or even [genuflects] Clinton herself. Or the man in the dock might be collective: #BernieBros, or white working class racists. However, failure in war, like failure in politics, follows complex, cascading pathways with multiple points of failure, for which Cohen and Gooch have devised a clever representational technique that I shall apply in part two (that is, not today, but tomorrow). Today, Ill put forward two narrative approaches that I strongly believe are inferior to Military Misfortunes approach: The Poll-Driven Horserace narrative, and the Electoral College narrative. Both narratives will be useful to fix the sequence of events of campaign 2016 in your mind, in case you have forgotten or repressed them, but as the election results showed, and as I shall show in part two, they lack explanatory power. (Obviously, giving an account of why the Clinton campaign lost is challenging, time presses, and I might not be up to my usual standards on linky goodness. So please correct me where I go wrong, and, if you will, supply any lacunae.)

The Poll-Driven Horse Race Narrative

Rather than go deep into the weeds on timelines[1], Im going to construct a narrative of inflection points based on the Los Angeles Times Daybreak poll, the one poll that (more or less) got it right, in that it predicted a Trump victory. (As it turns out, the Daybreak poll over-sampled rural voters, a technical failing that serendipitously matched increased 2016 rural voter turnout, as we show in part two. O felix culpa!) Then Ill look for those same inflection points at the Huffington Post, Nate Silver, and Real Clear Politics. Here is the Daybreak poll:

Two points on the horse race as a whole: First, Its obvious that Clinton (blue) could never quite pull away from Trump (red). Every time Clinton took a lead, shed lose it. Second, Clintons lead (or, for that matter, Trumps) was within the margin of error the whole time. Until Trump won by a nose. Now, to the inflection points:

(1) The Kahn Feud: I suppose I cant say that the Clinton campaign used Khizr Khans son, Humayun, killed in the war she voted for, as a prop at the Democratic National Convention, because the elder Khan consented to be so used. Trump wasnt happy about it, expressed himself, but more to the point, couldnt let the issue drop, which voters (presumably) saw as unbecoming and perhaps even disqualifying in a President. So Trumps numbers went down, and Clintons went up.

(2) Meltdown narrative: Trump reaches a trough, and there are a number of stories about the meltdown of his campaign (most of them using that word, as if they got it from somewhere). Bannon was hired at this time, and coincidentally or not, that arrests Trumps decline, and the numbers stay choppy and flat.

(3) Clinton Collapses: Clinton faints at a 9/11 memorial and has to be hauled into her van, days after calling half Trumps supporters a basket of deplorables. Her numbers fall. Trumps rise.

(4) Pussy Grabbing : Access Hollywood leaks a Trump hot mike tape with Billy Bush where Trump boasts he grabs women by the pussy [2]. Trumps numbers wilt; Clintons swell.

(5) Email: Hero of the Republic Russian stooge FBI Director James Comey, produces an October Surprise: Hes looking into Clinton email again (actually, mail that Clinton confidante Huma Abedin sent to her odd husband, Anthony Weiner, that might have included sensitive mail from Clintons account). The story broke just before the election, and may (or may not) have affected the outcome by reinforcing voters priors about Clinton.

(6) Election Day: Trump wins. (Daybreak got the outcome right.)

Surely a coherent narrative at least? Well, maybe. Lets lay it against another series, this one from Nate Silver:

(I used Silvers Chance of Winning series, basically because the curves were bigger! That within the margin of error thing seems to have made Silvers other curves too flat. Scientific, I know!) Some differences:

(2) Meltdown narrative: This doesnt seem to have affected either candidates chances of winning at all; in fact, the post-Bannon choppiness isnt there.

(3) Clinton Collapses: The swing is much smaller.

(4) Pussy Grabbing : Clintons upswing before the story breaks is much smaller.

(6) Election Day: Clinton wins. (Silver got the outcome wrong.)

Now lets look at a third series, from Real Clear Politics (a poll of polls):

Some differences:

(3) Clinton Collapses: There is virtually no effect, by comparison to (2) the Kahn Feud or (3) the Meltdown phase.

(6) Election Day: Clinton wins. (RCP got the outcome wrong.)

Finally, lets look at a fourth series, from HuffPo. (The general election is to the right, but I wanted to save the proportions by not cropping the chart.)

Some differences:

(3) Clinton Collapses: Clintons numbers go up.

(4) Pussy Grabbing : Clintons numbers go down.

(6) Election Day: Clinton wins. (HuffPo got the outcome wrong.)

My point in comparing these narratives is not to say that Better methodology is needed; in fact, the Daybreak poll achieved its (more) correct results to due methodology failure. Rather, my point is that three similar Horse Race narratives  each of them coherent  nevertheless have serious differences in detail at their inflection points. (The fourth, HuffPo, really does seem to be an outlier). The only consistent inflection point is, in fact, the post-Democratic National Convention Kahn Feud. RCP doesnt include the Clinton collapse; Silver doesnt include the Meltdown. The horse race narratives, then, are just that: Narratives. They are interesting, perhaps even revealing moral tales, but they arent in any sense scientific, let alone predictive. And yet vast digital reams are consumed doing, day after day, what I just did in short form, above. Anybody who is paid a lot of money to write or opine on polls shouldnt be; you or I could tell each other the same stories. In fact, we do!

Finally, all but the Daybreak poll got the outcome wrong. Of course  and I would like any Clinton supporters reading this post to follow me closely here  winning the popular vote isnt the same as winning the Presidency. It takes the Electoral College to do that, to which we now turn.

The Electoral College Narrative

Im going to do a little happy dance here, because I had the luck or skill to take a more appropriate methodological approach. (Not that I didnt write plenty of horse race material; I did. Its fun, especially for a humanities major. What is government itself, Madison asks, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?) The New York Times had a useful interactive, The 1,024 Ways Clinton or Trump Can Win the Election, that shows the paths to victory in interactive, tree form. Heres what I wrote based on gaming out the paths to victory based on state polls, and what I read in the papers:

10/10/2016:

Using the Times interactive, if we simply plug in the values from Polling Margin column, Clinton wins decisively, after picking up OH, FL, and WI. However, if we assume that the SoSs control of the electoral machinery could give Trump the win in low margin states*, then we initially give Trump OH, NV, and FL, after which the Times interactive shows that Clinton has only 17 paths to victory, and Trump 45. We give WI to Trump, despite the polls, because of Scott Walker, [the significant Republican voter suppression effort, and] the Republican A.G. At that point, Trump can win with PA. Na ga happen; we give PA to Clinton. NC becomes decisive. NC has a Democrat SoS, but there is also an active Republican voter suppression effort going on in that state. If Trump wins NC, he wins. Of course, this is just light-hearted punditry, and not serious analysis. Nevertheless, its still a horse-race. If Trump, against all the odds-making of the political class, eats into Clintons lead in the coming week, its even more of a horse race. (I also dont mean to imply that Democrats wouldnt use their own institutional advantages, as the Clinton campaign/DNC did in the primaries, but from the margins in the states the Democrats are winning with Democrat SoSs, they wont need to, NC being the exception).

10/17/2016:

Unfortunately for Trump, theres no path to victory for him for now, based on the above polls (assuming he defines victory as winning the Presidency). In a close race, the party Establishment might help him steal the election (thats what the Secretary of State and Attorney General columns are for) but even assuming the Establishment wanted to, it might not be close enough.

10/24/2016:

Assume Trump wins Ohio and Iowa. Trump (in the Times interactive) has 117 ways to win; Clinton, 136. Clintons largest leads are Colorado and Virgina (both 8.0%). Give those to Clinton. Clinton now has 46 ways to win; Trump 18. Lets assume Trump pulls off a miracle in Florida: Clinton 15; Trump 16. Give Clinton Pennsylvania because of women 10%ers in the Philly burbs. If Trump wins North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Nevada or New Hampshire, Trump wins. Na ga happen. Even assuming Walker and the Republicans mastermind the mother of election thefts in Wisconsin  and its not like they wouldnt  Trump still has to win North Carolina and Nevada. And even assuming the North Carolina Republicans mastermind the mother of election thefts in North Carolina  and its not like they wouldnt  Trump still has to win Nevada. Hi, Harry! [waves].

10/31/2016:

Erosion for Clinton across the board. Again, remarkable (and Fridays Weiner/Abedin email bombshell cannot have worked its way through the electorate yet (nor whatever garbage dumps of oppo are yet to come). Lets see if Trump flipping Florida provides him with an easier path to victory (and I bet it does). To the Times interactive once again: Remember the interactive focuses on swing states, listed in the table above. We give Trump Ohio, Florida, and Iowa. Clinton has 26 paths to victory; Trump has 99 (!). We give Clinton (neo-con infested) Virginia, and Pennsylvania (ladies who lunch in MontCo, DelCo, Chester, and Bucks). Clinton now has 18 paths; Trump 11, and all paths lead through North Carolina. We look at the table, note Clintons lead, and note that Democrats control both the Secretary of State and Attorney General in North Carolina, and assume that will nullify Republican voter suppression efforts, and award the state to Clinton. If Clinton wins Wisconson (up by 5.7, though dropping) she wins. If Trump wins Wisconsin (and Scott Walker and the Republican Attorney General can get past the Democrat Secretary of State in case of any irregularities) he needs to win Colorado to win. Na ga happen. Still, his chances are better than they were last week!

11/7/2016:

Still very much a horse-race; Clinton flipped Florida (though by a tiny amount); but Trump flipped Nevada and North Carolina. (All this data is averaged over the 10/26  11/6 time frame, and I cant imagine they capture late shifts in any direction.) To the Times interactive once again: Remember the interactive focuses on swing states, listed in the table above. We give Trump every state where he is ahead: Ohio, North Carolina, Nevada (!), Iowa. Trump has 44 paths to victory; Clinton, 19. We reserve Florida and New Hampshire, because Clintons margin in both states is razor thin, and give her Virgina, Pennsylvania, Wisconson, and Colorado: So even if Trump wins Florida, he has to win New Hampshire, too. Hoo boy . And to think all this campaign had to do was gag him and take away the Android phone he was tweeting from. The slightest bit of self-discipline on Trumps part, and Clinton is suddenly in the race of her life . Shows her extreme weakness as a candidate, and the decadence of the Democrat nomenklatura that forced her nomination through, not to mention the decadence of the political class, which cant seem to get approximately half the electorate to accept their view that Trump is historys worst monster, despite extraordinary unity of purpose and a deluge of propaganda. Prediction: This election will resolve nothing, and volatility will increase.

This is the happy dance part: I dont know of many other analysts who said Hoo boy the day before the election, and said that Clinton was in the race of her life. Certainly not mainstream ones! (Just so my head doesnt swell so much I cant get it through the door on my way out: Obviously, I got it wrong on Pennsylvania suburban women, and in other places.)

However, I would urge that the style of narrative is superior to a poll-driven narrative, for the following reasons:

(1) A focus on states is a focus on what it takes to actually win the election. Which is the whole point, no?

(2) A focus on states is a focus on voters in their social context, as opposed to voters on the phone answering questions[3].

(3) A focus on states is a focus on what the campaigns are actually doing on the ground; in a perfect world with a level of effort, we could try reverse engineering a campaigns internal polling and algorithms from their behavior.

Conclusion

Tomorrow Ill use Cohen and Goochs representational technique to flesh out the intuitions provided by the Electoral College narrative style. Spoiler alert: Clinton didnt lose because of white working class racists.

NOTES

[1] There have been a number of timelines created for election 2016:, AOL, the Guardian, NPR, Reuters, Scholastic, UpGruv, the Wall Street Journal, Wikipedia.

[2] Ive never understand why the Clinton campaign had to go with a hot mike tape in September when there are probably miles of tape of Trump saying identical things on the Howard Stern Show that could have been played in, say, January. I guess it was the Pied Piper theory, where Clinton wanted Trump as her opponent.

[3] And possibly lying. Real Clear Politics:
Lambert here: Zingaless credulous simplicity is charming  the idea that the oligarchs who rule us believe in markets as opposed to (their own) business  but the article does give free market conservatives license to break with Trump on ideological grounds.

By Luigi Zingales is the Robert C. McCormack Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at the University of Chicago  Booth School of Business. He is a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, a Research Fellow of the Center for Economic Policy Research, and a Fellow of the European Corporate Governance Institute. Cross-posted from Evonomics.

After his election, it was difficult to predict what President Trump would do. In the election campaign he said everything and the opposite of everything: from a 45 percent tariff on Chinese imports to the reintroduction of the separation of commercial and investment banks, from an aggressive use of antitrust authority to the total abolishment of Dodd-Frank, the financial regulation that was enacted after the crisis. After two months, it is clear that the Trump industrial policy will be pro-business, not pro-market.

It may seem to be a nuance, but there is a fundamental difference. A pro-business policy favors existing companies at the expense of future generations. A pro-market policy favors conditions that allow all businesses to thrive without any favoritism. A pro-business policy defends domestic enterprises with favorable rates and treatment. A pro-market policy opens the domestic market to international competition because doing so would not only benefit consumers, but would also benefit the companies themselves in the long term, which will have to learn to be competitive on the market, rather than prosper thanks to protection and state aid. A pro-business policy turns a blind eye (often two) when companies pollute, evade, and defraud consumers. A pro-market policy seeks to reduce the tax and regulatory burden, but ensures that laws are applied equally to all.

Paradoxically, a pro-business policy ends up damaging not only the economy, but also, in the long-run, those companies that it had originally benefited. This matters little to its supporters, because when the chickens come home to roost they will have already grossed billions. Angelo Mozilo, founder of Countrywide, the bank responsible for a large chunk of the toxic mortgages that led to the 2008 crisis, lives happily on the $600 million he accumulated, despite the enormous damage of the financial crisis that he helped to create.

During the presidential campaign Trump used many populist themes. The first signal that his policies will be neither populist nor popular, but strictly pro-business, is his choice of Cabinet members. Trump had promised to drain the swamp in Washington of lobbyists. Few realized that he would do that by making intermediaries pointless, as the lobbyists themselves would be in charge of the departments: the CEO of Exxon as head of foreign policy, a former Goldman Sachs partner at the Treasury, the daughter of a ship owner for Transportation, a raider at Commerce, etc.

The second signal was the president-elects picks to head the most important government agencies. As the head of the EPA, Trump placed a lawyer who sued the EPA in Oklahoma for the oil industry. As the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Trump has chosen a lawyer experienced in defending companies accused of fraud and international corruption. Whats more, the new chairman of the SEC is married to a partner at Goldman Sachs, a company regulated by the SEC.

The third signal was Trumps threat to introduce a border tax, another name for a tariff on imports. This tax will not only serve the protectionist desires of some parts of U.S. industries, but also provide financial resources to cover the promised reduction in direct taxation. The tax would be contrary to the World Trade Organizations rules. However, Trump has threatened that the U.S. will leave the WTO.

The worst signal, however, comes from the way Trump has used his tweets to attack and coax American businesses. United Technologies (UT) has been praised for its decision to cancel plans to close its plant in Indianapolis and relocate it to Mexico. Apparently this decision was the result of tax benefits offered by Vice President-elect Pence, who is the governor of Indiana. In truth, the decision seems motivated by fear of reprisals on government contracts, which represent a large sum of UTs revenues. A fear that appears justified, as Trump attacked Boeing over the cost (which he considered excessive) of the new presidential aircraft and attacked Lockheed Martin over the F-35 aircraft. Trump is probably right on both counts, and this only adds to his popularity, but a president should address these issues by following the rules and not with an execution on the public square of social media.

With this strategy, Trump cleverly uses the carrot and stick approach. When Ford was publicly commended for deciding not to build a new plant in Mexico, the price of its shares rose 4.5 percent. Softbank did even better (+ 6.2 percent) after being praised by Trump for investing $50 billion in the United States. Softbanks motive was simple: Softbank owns Sprint, a mobile operator that would like to merge with T-Mobile in order to increase market power. The authority to permit this merger lies with the new head of the Federal Trade Commission, yet to be named by Trump. Trumps positive tweet feeds Softbanks hopes that the merger will be approved.

We would expect such behavior from a dictator of a banana republic, not from the President-elect of the oldest democracy in the world. The Trump presidency has begun in the worst possible way for all those who, like me, still believe in the market.
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.
Clonmels oldest lady Mary Ann (May) Maxwell has died aged 106.

Born in 1911, Mary Ann Leo lead an interesting life and, having lived in the UK for many years, returned to the town of her childhood in later life. She passed away on Saturday, March 4.

Mary Ann Leo, was born to a family in the King Street Flats on April 2, 1911, the eldest of the five children of Billy and Annie Leo, who lived at 22 The Flats. She grew up with three brothers, Jackie, Christy and Billy and a sister Addie.

In 1935, Mary Ann married Dubliner Patrick Maxwell and the couple moved there. They had three children  Elizabeth (Betty Dunphy), William (Billy) and Patrick (Paddy). They moved to England after the war, in 1945, where they lived in Keston, Kent, for 62 years.

Mary Ann worked at several jobs during those 62 years and what must be one of the secrets to her long and healthy life  she retired at the young age of 84!

Her youngest son, Patrick, died at the age of 21, in 1961. Mary Ann lost her husband in 1980. Daughter Betty, who was married and lived in Clonmel, passed away in 2005.

Mary Ann and her son Billy moved back to Ireland in April 2010. She moved in to the Cottage Nursing Home, in Irishtown, just before her 100th birthday where she was lovingly cared for by the staff. A highlight of her time there was a birthday party every year attended by family and friends.

Mary Ann is survived by son Billy, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

Requiem Mass at Ss Peter & Paul's Church will take place today (Monday) at 10.30am. Funeral thereafter to St.Patrick's Cemetery, Clonmel.

Solas na bhflaitheas uirthi.
Three Tipperary retailers are seeking the publics vote to help them win the Go Green with Green Angel Skincare Challenge  a nationwide search to find Irelands most creative shop window.

The competition challenges Green Angel stockists to produce the countrys best St Patricks Day-themed window featuring the successful Irish skincare brand.

The competition was launched by one of the countrys foremost visual merchandising experts, Gina OBrien who will be one of the judges along with TV presenter Maura Derrane and beauty expert Mary ODonnell.

A store window is the biggest advertising space that a retailer has, yet many Irish stores are content to fill them with posters and merchandising stands when they could be engaging consumers to make a spending decision, said Gina.

Since the recession, retailers have tried to cram too much into windows and use them as a merchandising shelf instead of an eye-catching display which should be both topical and creative featuring up and coming events such as St. Patricks Day or Mothers Day.

Horans Healthstore, Clonmel; Liberty Pharmacy, Thurles; and Finnertys Pharmacy, Nenagh are registered for the public vote in the Green Angel Skincare Challenge which closes on March 13.

All of the entrants pictures will be posted on the Green Angel Skincare Facebook page where the public can vote for their favourite store and staff to win valuable prizes plus a 1,000 contribution to a charity of their choice.
The NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Rose Gottemoeller, will travel to the Republic of Iceland on Tuesday, 7 March and Wednesday, 8 March 2017.

On 8 March, Ms. Gottemoeller will attend the NATO Resource Conference where she will deliver a speech.

Later that day, she will attend a lecture on NATO and Global Security Issues co-hosted by the Institution for International Affairs of the University of Iceland and Vardberg.

Ms. Gottemoeller will deliver a keynote speech followed by a Q&A session.

During her visit, the Deputy Secretary General will meet Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson and have a meeting with Icelands Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Follow us on Twitter (@NATOPress and @Gottemoeller)
Here are some of the stocks the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today.

General Motors (GM) shares are grabbing headlines this morning. Its official: GM is selling its unprofitable Opel and Vauxhall European brands to PSA Group, which makes Peugeot and Citroen cars, for $2.3 billion. The deal will create Europes second-biggest carmaker after Volkswagen.

US-listed shares of Deutsche Bank (DB) were lower in early trading after Germanys biggest lender said it needs to issue more shares to raise $8.5 billion. It will also sell a minority stake in its asset management business and overhaul its business structure as it looks for more ways to turn things around after two years of big losses.

Tyson Foods (TSN) shares fell in early trading following news that a strain of bird flu was found in a Tennessee chicken breeding facility affiliated with the meat producer, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Tyson said it is working with local and USDA officials to contain the virus. And the USDA said there is no risk to consumers.

Netflix (NFLX) got a nice lift after UBS upgraded the streaming service provider to buy from neutral and raised its price target on the stock to $175 from $136 dollars a share. The investment firm expects to see strong global subscriber growth from Netflix for this quarter.

On the flip side, GoPro (GPRO) shares were down sharply in early trading. Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to sell from neutral and slashed its price target on the stock to $6 from $9.50. Goldman points out that GoPro faces significant challenges, including saturation in the action camera market, product rollout issues during the holiday season and a disappointing entry into drones.
I strongly condemn the most recent reported ballistic missile tests conducted by North Korea. Once again, these missile tests are in direct violation of a series of Security Council Resolutions which require North Korea to cease all activities related to its ballistic missile programmes and to abandon all existing weapons of mass destruction programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. These most recent tests, where three missiles reportedly landed in Japanese controlled waters, are especially provocative.

Last December, NATO met its regional partners Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea, and together we urged North Korea to refrain from further provocative acts. I repeat that call today. North Korea urgently needs to re-engage in meaningful dialogue with the international community.
(Natural News) James Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence  the person all 17 U.S. intelligence agencies answer to  told NBC News Chuck Todd on Sunday that he can deny there was ever any court-ordered surveillance, in direct opposition to several published accounts noting that said surveillance did take place.

We have truly entered the surreal world of the Deep State, folks.

First of all, lets get something straight: Clappers appearance on NBC News was no accident; it was planned from the outset as a quick, stop-gap counter-assault against President Donald Trumps claims just a day earlier that Obama wiretapped his New York City-based Trump Tower. Playing his part like a circus monkey, Clapper  a careerist intel guy who ran interference for Obama for six years  was trotted out as an expert source to refute the presidents bogus claims. (RELATED: Why Jeff Sessions Should Not Have Recused Himself From Any Russian Investigation By The Justice Department)

Now, lets analyze all of this:

 It helps to know what Clappers role, as DNI, was. As noted by AllGov:

Created in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) serves as the top intelligence official in the United States government. The DNI oversees what is known as the Intelligence Community, which consists of more than a dozen civilian and military agencies that collect information on threats against the United States.

The DNI is the principal adviser to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council for Intelligence.

So, how likely is it that the director of all intelligence would not know that a presidential candidate was under surveillance?

 It also helps to know that Clapper is a congressional perjurer. In testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on March 12, 2013, Clapper told Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, in no uncertain terms that no, the National Security Agency does not collect any data at all on Americans. When asked, Clapper responded:

No, sir.

Wyden pressed on: It does not? Clapper responded: Not wittingly. There are cases where they could inadvertently perhaps collect, but not wittingly. So in other words, the highly technologically advanced NSA, in a sort of opps! moment, may have, might have, at some point, collected Americans information improperly. Sure.

Oh, but then came the revelations from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in June of that year, in which he revealed that yes, the NSA was engaged in a secret program to collect tens of millions of Americans phone call records, this site noted. Further revelations would unveil NSA programs collecting Americans web browsing histories, chat logs, email usage and even their physical locations. Clapper later characterized his statement as erroneous, and claimed, incredulously, he misunderstood the question. Right; the highly educated DNI misunderstood a perfectly clear and precise question.

 Clappers claims that no such surveillance took place dont jibe with what former Bush Attorney General Michael Mukasey said over the weekend, namely that Trump is right, he was under surveillance, under authorization of a FISA warrant Clapper says didnt exist.

I think [Trumps] right in that there was surveillance and that it was conducted at the behest of the attorney general  at the Justice Department, Mukasey told ABCs This Week. (RELATED: Hold On: Top U.S. Spy Officials Have NOT Embraced The CIAs Assessment That Russia Aimed To Help Trump Win Election)

 Clappers statement also does not jibe with months of reporting by the Deep States preferred media outlets that Trump and his closest advisors were under FISA-ordered surveillance. As noted by Breitbart, quoting numerous print sources, the Obama administration first sought a FISA warrant to monitor communications involving Trump and his advisors in June 2016, but it was uncharacteristically rejected. The administration applied again in October and was granted the surveillance warrant.

 In January The New York Times reported the day before Trump was inaugurated that various intelligence agencies  the CIA, the NSA, and the FBI, as well as the Treasury Department  had indeed kept Trump and his advisory staff under investigation. Breitbart noted:

Other news outlets also report the existence of a multiagency working group to coordinate investigations across the government, though it is unclear how they found out, since the investigations would have been secret and involved classified information.

And Clapper wants us to believe an operation this big, involving this many agencies, focused on a presidential candidate from a rival political party, either didnt happen or escaped his attention?

You bet. When elephants fly.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources:

TheNationalSentinel.com

Breitbart.com

NBCNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The next time a liberal democrat tries to make a case for big government and the redistribution of wealth, kindly point them towards Venezuela, where they can live in their own dull, bleak utopia. Food lines stretch on for miles, and widespread poverty, rationing of epic proportions are quite common. It is all directly linked to an all-powerful regime and the centralization of authority; principles that the American left are always fighting for. Why they dont just leave America alone and go live in their Venezuelan paradise?

Earlier this week, Father Jose Palmar, who is not only a controversial priest but also an outspoken critic of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, posted to social media a picture of a plastic bag in a garbage can labeled comida, which translates to food. According to the post, Father Palmar did this to help Venezuelans find food more easily and with dignity.

If searching through the trash for food is considered dignified in Venezuela, then what on earth does it look like when dignity is completely gone?

Its sad and unfortunate, but this is now reality for the Venezuelan people. Since last year, research has shown that an increasing number of people are beginning to rummage through the trash for food because of how difficult it has become to purchase food at the store. The process is not only extremely time consuming, but there is also a very limited amount of food available for purchase. Its not like America where we can go to the grocery store and fill our carriages with as much food as we want. In Venezuela, the food rationing is so bad that the clerks will explicitly tell you at checkout what you can and cant purchase.

According to Venezuelas Living Conditions Survey, almost 75% of the population lost an average of 19 pounds in 2016 as a result of malnutrition and food shortages. The survey also indicated that 82.2% of Venezuelans consider themselves poor because of their incomes, and 93% said that they dont have enough money to buy the amount of food that they need. Additionally, just fewer than 80% said that they eat breakfast in the morning and 32% only eat two meals per day. (RELATED: Infants are now starving to death in Venezuela).

Given the fact that history tends to repeat itself, is it really so far-fetched to assume that America could one day be facing the same challenges? Big government is not just something that has a negative effect in some countries and a positive effect in others. While individual liberty and free enterprise are the ingredients for a flourishing society, government interference can, over time, lead to conditions much like the ones the Venezuelans are experiencing right now. And for the past eight years, America has seen nothing but government interference.

To give just one example, when Barack Obama and the unelected bureaucrats inside of the Environmental Protection Agency launched an all-out war on American farmers, the process of growing food was made even more difficult than it already was. In the summer of 2012, when Obama was on a bus tour across rural America, the former president was confronted numerous times by farmers who were concerned that big government policies would regulate them out of business. As a matter of fact, the National Cattlemens Beef Association predicted at the time that Obamas proposed regulations would cost 114,000 jobs nationwide and increase retail meat prices more than three percent.

Of course, this is not nearly as extreme as the government overreach in Venezuela, but this is where it all starts. If these policies continue to be put in place, Americans may one day, decades from now, be waiting in food lines and scavenging for food as well.

Sources:

PanamPost.com



WesternJournalism.com
Sunday, March 05, 2017 by: Vicki Batts Tags: pet health , rabies vaccine , vaccines This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) Hailing from Connecticut, veterinarian Dr. John Robb has been in the business of saving animals and safeguarding their health for over 30 years. Robb has dedicated his life to saving pets, even if it means being ridiculed or being arrested. On one occasion, Robb even lost his clinic  all in the name of defending innocent pets from being victims of the pharma industrys biggest hoax: over-vaccination.

The rabies shot is what Dr. Robb is most concerned about. As he explains, vaccine manufacturers have convinced us all that rabies vaccines need to be given annually  thanks largely to their power and influence. But in reality, these vaccines typically confer lifetime immunity to the pets that receive them.

Robb says that he has seen yearly rabies vaccines make pets vomit, become ill, develop immune disorders, cancers, and has even seen the shot kill the pets of unsuspecting owners. One of the largest problems with veterinary vaccines is that these inoculations are of the one-size-fits-all variety. A 5-pound Chihuahua will receive the same dose of vaccine as a 100-pound bulldog. Does that seem logical to you?

This failure to adjust vaccine dosages to body sizes makes the rabies vaccine potentially lethal for smaller animals. Dr. Robb believes that vets should be able to give smaller pets a smaller dose of the vaccine, to reduce the risk of adverse effects.

On February 22, Dr. Robb spoke before Connecticut state officials to express his expert opinion and persuade them to at least consider changing the laws regarding pet vaccinations. He implored the state to listen to stories from other veterinarians and look at the research  but, as is always the case, he was ignored and ridiculed.

Robb presented the state officials with 45 different documents that showed vaccines are dose-dependent and that too large of a dose can prove lethal to animals. The research he gathered also showed that booster vaccines are often unnecessary and provide no additional protection to the receiving pet.

The rabies vaccine is generally first given to a pet when they are about 12 weeks old. It is then repeated at least every three years, though it is also often given on a yearly basis. And while vets may get away with giving smaller dogs partial doses of other vaccines, the law requires that every dog receive a full dose of the rabies vaccination  even if that dose could be lethal.

At one point, when Dr. Robb was speaking with the Connecticut veterinary board, things took a disturbing turn. Robb told News 12, Youre telling me that if theres a law that would force me to kill my patient I would have to do it? You know what the state board of Connecticut said? Yes. I said, You are crazy.'

Can you believe it? Theyd rather force veterinarians to kill innocent, beloved pets than listen to reason.

Robb was dismayed by their response and went on to add, The way you get rid of a law like that is you break it.

Dr. Robb has said that while he is still allowed to practice veterinary medicine, he is no longer allowed to administer vaccines. Fortunately, Dr. Robb doesnt stand alone in his belief that vaccines should be tailored to fit the patient. One woman from Brazillian Pet Lovers, an animal rights advocacy group, named Monica Capozziello says that she supports Dr. Robb. Capozziello herself lost a small dog after her pet was given a dose of the rabies vaccine that was just too high.

While Robb may have been laughed at, it appears that not all was lost. Two state lawmakers, Pam Staneski and Fred Camillo, are reportedly sponsoring a bill that would change the law and ensure vets like Dr. Robb will never again be punished for practicing common sense medicine.

Isnt that what we all want  common sense medicine? The issues with vaccines do not effect just pets, but apply to humans as well. There are countless concerns, such as those about mercury in vaccines, that are readily and quickly discounted, even when evidence is presented, but why?

Sources:

AltHealthworks.com

ProtectThePets.com

Connecticut.News12.com

DogsNaturallyMagazine.com
(Natural News) An onslaught of bills aiming to decrease personal liberty and consent regarding vaccination are on the horizon. The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is reportedly tracking 134 new vaccine bills across 35 states  all of which have been introduced in just the first seven weeks of this legislative session.

In 2015, California made waves by introducing and passing Senate Bill 277. The bill, which eliminated the personal and religious belief exemption, also prohibits unvaccinated children from entering kindergarten or 7th grade. SB277 was highly contested for a number of reasons, most notably due to concerns over parental rights, health freedom, and personal liberty.

Now it seems a number of other states are seeking to join the likes of California. NVIC has declared eight states as priority opposition alert states, and the organization is tracking bills to restrict or eliminate vaccine exemptions. The states affected by such bills are: Connecticut, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah. Arkansas also had a bill of this sort, but it appears to have been withdrawn.

Some states have also introduced bills that are seeking to expand vaccine tracking or eliminate OPT-IN consent for vaccine tracking that also require opposition. These states are: Connecticut, Idaho, Kansas, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, Texas, and Utah.

Several states have introduced school shaming bills that will call for the public disclosure of vaccination status and exemption rates. NVIC reports, There are school shaming bills filed to require and normalize the public disclosure of vaccination and exemption rates in the following states: AZ, CT, NV, NY, OK, TX, UT, and VA (withdrawn). The state of Nevada has taken this one step further by introducing AB200, which will allow parents to find out if any children attending their kids school arent vaccinated.

Several states have also introduced some rather pompous bills that will require families who utilize vaccine exemptions to participate in state-led vaccine education. These states include Connecticut, Texas, and Utah.

There is some good news, however: several states have also introduced bills to expand or otherwise protect exemptions. You can learn more about the 134 bills that have been introduced, which ones require opposition or support, and what these bills are aiming to do at NVICAdvocacy.org.

Even though there are some vaccine bills that appear to support or protect medical freedom, the number is woefully small in comparison to the number of restrictive and punitive bills that have been introduced. Many of these bills do not just undermine peoples right to choose, but they also serve as a gateway to public persecution. And once that happens, it will only be a short time before the government decides it can come for you, too.

In an article for Green Med Info, Jeffrey Jaxen explains, In the current atmosphere of increasing persecution of those who exercise their medical choice, public disclosure by law opens the gates to community-driven discrimination at all levels, endless local and national media harassment, and mounting pressure on local health professionals to increase community vaccination rates at all costs.

While these vaccine bills are often introduced in the name of public health, the reality is that these kinds of laws will only lead to those who dare question the safety of vaccines being persecuted. There have been many ill health effects associated with vaccines  and fewer people are getting vaccinated. Is anyone surprised that the government is now trying to force vaccination? The state of New York has even introduced a bill that allows for the forced detention and treatment on suspicion of vaccine-preventable disease. Is forced detention not a form of persecution? Theyre not even calling for proof of a vaccine-preventable disease  just suspicion.

And this is just the beginning  if these bills get passed, it wont take long for another grab at even more power to come to fruition. It seems that the medical police state that began in California is now expanding across the U.S.  and it will continue, if free-thinking citizens do nothing to stop it.

Sources:

GreenMedInfo.com

NVICAdvocacy.org

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
Two partial skulls have been unearthed in China, and a Chinese-U.S. team of researchers speculates that it might belong to a previously unknown human relative.

According to the team, the fossils which they labeled "archaic Homo," share combined features of Neanderthals, earlier eastern Eurasian humans and modern humans.

The fragments of the skulls were excavated in two separate times, one in 2007 and the other in 2014, in Lingjing located in China's Henan province. The place was believed to have been occupied 105,000 to 125,000 years ago, during the Pleistocene period.

The findings published in journal Science note that the fragments excavated are distinct enough to be classified as an entirely different species. It has the ear canals of Neanderthals, eastern Eurasian humans' low and flat brainpans and modern humans' modest brow lines and large brain capacity, but it is neither a Neanderthal nor a human.

Read Also: Ancient Neanderthals Still Strongly Influence Human Genes 30,000 Years Post-Extinction



Ancient bones of horses, cattle, woolly rhinoceros and giant deer were also found near the remains, indicating that the owners of the skulls are skilled hunters. But what is interesting about the discovery is that many other experts think that what the team has found belong to Denisovans, who are allegedly cousins of Neanderthals and at some point might have interbred with ancient humans.

Because of the lack of fossil record to determine Denisovans' characteristics, its current status is pending as either species or subspecies. What is known is that they existed to approximately 100,000 to 50,000 years ago and have been to China as modern humans living in China contain around 0.1 percent Denisovan DNA, Science Alert reported.

"This would be the combination that one would expect based on the ancient DNA analysis of Denisovans, who were closely related to Neanderthals," Neanderthal expert Katerina Harvati from the University of Tubingen in Germany, also unrelated to the discovery, told the Washington Post.

Meanwhile, the team didn't mention Denisovans in their research as they have not gathered any DNA evidence to prove otherwise.

Read Also: Interbreeding with Neanderthals, Denisovans Helped Ancient Human Ancestors to Survive Outside Africa
A video uploaded by Jonathan Davis showing a flock of turkeys seemingly performing a ritualistic dance around a corpse of a dead cat had gone viral over the past few days.

Most of the people who have seen the video were creeped out and thought that the turkeys were performing a "death dance." However, experts noted that there is a logical explanation for their behavior.

Alan Krakauer, a biologist at the University of California Davis, told Fox News that while it may seem rather strange, the turkeys are just keeping an eye on the cat, thinking that it might be a threat to them.

"The circling behavior probably stems from a follow-the-leader movement' behavior that turkeys sometimes use," he explained. "In this case, I think the flock size just happened to be perfect so that the leader of conga line' met up with the tail, and they just kept going round and round!"

Mark Hatfield, a wildlife biologist for the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), also had the same explanation.

On a blog post, he said turkeys are very basic instinct and they probably thought that the cat is a potential predator so they inspected it.

"It's a non-story from the biological side of things. They've flocked together on instinct upon seeing the potential predator," he said. "They're saying that's a threat, I'm gonna keep my distance and I'm following the flock."

Biologist Alan Krakauer, an expert on the behavioral ecology of birds told National Public Radio that turkeys often take the dangerous route when faced with a potential predator. Instead of fleeing from it right away, they actually approach the predator so they can evaluate how big of a threat it is.

Fortunately, the cat is already dead. But just in case they are faced with a predator that is actually alive, the flock would immediately scatter.
Who said birds are the only animals that can sing? Music has been an integral part of man's life, not because of its ability to convey emotions in an artistic manner, but it is survival in nature. Babies cry for instance to convey messages, and even animals make music to communicate with each other.

For now, the only underwater animal we know to "sing" are whales and dolphins, but scientists have discovered that there are actually fish that "sing."

These fish choir are the soloist fish, which has its own unique call. However, Robert McCauley and his colleagues from the Curtin University in Australia realized that soloist fish that sing in groups form a "choir," quite literally.

McCauley and his team recorded these fish near Western Australia for more than a year and identified that they are actually producing "different" choruses, like an album, at different points in time.

Read Also: Mysterious Giant Oarfish Resurfaces in the Philippines -- Is This a Warning of a Megaquake?

McCauley has been on these "sounds" for nearly 30 years, and has been observing sounds produced by other fish too, New Scientist reports. The songs are primarily comprised of various pops, squawks and burbles. They appear to have their respective functions but he has still not created any suitable conclusion just how each specific songs function.

McCauley did however explain that these sounds are integral to the way these fishes communicate with one another. For instance, according to his study published in the journal Bioacoustics, fishes actually sing for the purpose of various biological functions such as feeding and reproduction. However, other fishes use their sounds to protect their territories from predators, while predators use sounds to overwhelm their prey.

Steve Simpson, a marine biologist, told New Scientist that these recordings will help substantiate just how specific these noises are. Their new experiment will comprise of "sea-noise loggers" to be positioned near Port Headland. One will be near the shore and the other will be located in the water themselves.

They said if they are able to listen to choruses over an extended period of time, they will be able to monitor how fish work and how their ecosystems function.

Read Also: Extremely Rare Eyeless Catfish Finally Gets a Name After 40 Years of Waiting
Apart from its sheer beauty, Hawaii is setting a massive goal when in terms of promoting renewable energy. The island is intent on going all-renewable by 2045, eliminating fossil fuels and using only electric cars.

Thirty years might be a short period for an environmental overhaul. However, is planning to be a prototype for the rest of the world to see by having both a renewable energy grid and an electric car preference.

According to Inverse, this recent push is courtesy of a 2015 bill from Hawaii Gov. David Ige. The bill, pushed by the Blue Planet Foundation, will hopefully make Hawaii a model state, sending the message that the initiative to go green is completely possible.

Richard Wallsgrove of the Blue Planet said the goal is possible and "easy." The Blue Planet Foundation has been advocating this radical change to Hawaii for the past few years.

Inverse notes that going all renewable and electric is actually advantageous for Hawaii as it does not have access to fossil fuels. This will dramatically lessen the cost of power to the islands.

Part of the movement will push Hawaii to be more reliant on green energy startups. One of this starups is the Energy Excelerator. Lauren Tonokawa, head of Energy Excelerator, said they are originally a goverment-funded program that helped solve specific energy problems for the community; but now, they are starting to expand their purpose to help Hawaii push through its 2045 goal.

In terms of using electric vehicles, Matthias Fripp from the University of Hawaii advised that the best approach for going all electric is to use different types of renewable energy for different time frames. For instance, he recommends uwing hydrogen for long-term storage and solar and wind for daily use. He also said it is time to change how people use electricity, so the solar power in Hawaii's grid will not be wasted during the day.
A research conducted by the UCLA Center for Sleep Research and the nonprofit research group Elephants Without Borders revealed that wild African elephants (Loxodonta Africana) do not need much sleep in a day.

For the study, the team observed two female wild African elephants in Chobe National Park in northern Botswana for a month. Their movements were tracked using "actiwatches," a device attached to their trunks.

As explained by The Atlantis, the trunk is their most mobile appendage. It usually remains moving and is rarely inactive when elephants are awake. For reasons that are still unclear, typically, smaller-bodied mammals sleep for longer than larger ones. This is proven by the results of the study.

After analyzing the data gathered, it was revealed that at an average, these giants only sleep for two hours a day -- the lowest duration for any land mammal, thus far recorded. The researchers wrote in their paper published in PLOS One notes that the elephants had a polyphasic sleep, meaning the two hours of sleep did not occur in a single slumber, rather in short naps.



What is even more remarkable is that on five occasions, the elephants observed managed to stay up for 46 hours straight despite traveling nearly 19 miles in 10 hours.

In addition to the "Actiwatches," the elephants were also attached with a gyroscope, to determine the sleeping positions of the elephants. Based on the results, each elephant slept lying down on only 10 of the 35 days, which means they have little rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. Thus, infrequent dreaming.

The results put into question what many scientists currently believe in -- that REM when animals dream is vital to memory consolidation. "It seems like elephants only dream every three to four days. Given the well-known memory of the elephant this calls into question theories associating REM sleep with memory consolidation," lead author, Paul Manger of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa told BBC.



Manger's team's study marks the first time free-roaming elephants have been studied to measure sleep quantity and patterns of elephants. As explained by Manger, it is only when any animal is studied in the wild that we could truly understand their nature and evolution.
Starting April, there will be a $2,000 rebate for every EV purchased in New York state. This is the government's way of making electric vehicles a viable option compared to fuel-powered ones

Amy Paulin of the Westchester County Democrat and a member of the Assembly energy committee made the announcement last Friday, March 3. One of the most distinct advantages of using electric vehicles is the low emission level that, in turn, will help lessen climate change or the accumulation of greenhouse gasses.

The rebate will be launched this April 1 and it will certainly make e-vehicles more competitive compared to traditional car models. Surprisingly, the rebate is not a new policy but an old one waiting to be enforced. It was already approved last April 2016. Although the rebate sounds like a good deal to many, some environmentalists lament the slow execution of the approved law.

"Consumers want to buy these vehicles. It's just unfortunate the agency decided to slow walk it," Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of Environmental Advocates of New York, said in a statement.

Government officials are said to be reaching out to car dealers to make sure that everyone is fully aware of the rebate. It will replace the federal tax credit currently available to New York EV purchases.

Engadget even added that if a car is eligible for both the rebate and the federal tax credit, the buyer could be looking at a savings of about $10,000. Despite the good news, experts argued that the April 1 enforcement of the rebate is actually the deadline for launching the programs. Even until today, reports say that the government is still ironing out the final touches of the program, a few weeks before it will be enforced.

Some say the government delayed the execution of the rebate until the last minute. However, late or not, the $2,000 cut from the sticker price can make a big difference when purchasing e-vehicles in New York, which, according to studies, represents one of the largest electric car markets aside from California.
Without an atmosphere, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to sustain life on Mars. NASA scientists, however, are looking for ways to make it work. He is proposing to use a magnetic shield to act as an atmosphere around the red planet.

The magnetic atmosphere was proposed by a NASA scientist to protect Mars. The agency's Planetary Science Division (PSD) completed an event called "Planetary Science Vision 2050 Workshop" where some intriguing concepts were introduced.

NASA's director Jim Green himself discussed how a magnetic shield could help enhance the atmosphere of Mars. This will also make the Journey to Mars mission plausible in the near future.

"A future Mars protected from the direct solar wind should come to a new equilibrium allowing an extensive atmosphere to support liquid water on its surface," NASA director Jim Green said in the study.

Based on a previous study, Mars had a magnetic field shield that protects its atmosphere, but it mysteriously disappeared 4.2 billion years ago. This resulted in the eradication of the planet's atmosphere and also led to the planet being cold from its former warm temperature.

Many experts are currently studying the Martian atmosphere, including the European Space Agency (ESA). Various probes are studying how solar winds eliminate the Martian atmosphere and how it is still affecting the planet today.

The most important part of the 2030 mission to Mars is to keep the crew alive. This shield would be beneficial to the crewed mission that is already considered hazardous given the lack of atmosphere on Mars.

To do this, they are planning on mounting a magnetic dipole shield at L1 Lagrange Point. The formed magnetic shield is expected to engulf the whole planet and, at the same time, protect it from solar winds and radiation.

"This new research is coming about due to the application of full plasma physics codes and laboratory experiments," NASA director Jim Green said in a statement. "In the future, it is quite possible that an inflatable structure(s) can generate a magnetic dipole field at a level of perhaps 1 or 2 Tesla (or 10,000 to 20,000 Gauss) as an active shield against the solar wind."

Although considered "ambitious" and theoretical, it is still considered to be on track and in line with the current Martian concepts being studied for the 2030 mission.
If the XASM-3 hasn't been tested yet, its first test by Japan's MoD is certainly imminent.



We were reporting in 2015 that the test-firing would be done at a firing range designated G airspace close to Komatsu air base. According to the Japanese MoD in 2015 aerodynamic and captive carry tests on F-2 fighters had been completed and was then in the final stages of prototype manufacturing.



XASM-3 is capable of reaching Mach 3 speeds thanks to its ramjet engine fed by two air intakes (in a similar fashion to MBDA's Meteor air to air missile of to the French ASMP-A air-launched tactical nuclear missile). XASM-3 is flying close to sea level in the final stage of attack to reduce probability of detection and intercept.



XASM-3 basic specifications:

Overall length: 5.25m

Maximum speed: Mach 3 or more

Firing range: 80nm (about 150km) or more

Weight: 900kg

Power: Integral Rocket Ramjet

Navigation and seeker: inertial / GPS (intermediate stage) + active / passive seeker (terminal phase)



DDH-143 Shirane

The Shirane-class destroyers are a pair of Japanese destroyers originally built during the late 1970s. They are built around a large central hangar which houses up to three helicopters. They displace 7,500 tons. The second ship of the class, DDH-144 Kurama, is still in service.
Former Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva was arrested Sunday at the San Francisco International Airport, where he arrived from a vacation in South America, his attorney said.

The former mayor was arrested Sunday as he returned from Colombia, his attorney, Allen Sawyer, told Sacramento television station KCRA.

An arrest warrant was issued for Silva on Thursday on charges of profiteering, embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds and grand theft, among other charges. He will face the charges in San Joaquin County.

Silva left for his vacation on Wednesday, a day before FBI agents and investigators from the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office served search warrants at Silva's home and the Stockton Kids Club, which Silva used to run when it was known as the Boys and Girls Club.

Sawyer said Silva's arrest is not related to the charges he faced in Amador County last year for allegedly eavesdropping during a strip poker party at a youth camp he ran. Silva was charged with four misdemeanor counts for secretly recording portions of a teen counselor strip poker game and providing alcohol to minors. He denied the charges.
President Donald Trump on Monday officially signed a revamped version of his hotly-contested travel ban, reigniting concerns for Bay Area folks with ties to the impacted Muslim-majority countries.

The latest executive order, which will go into effect on March 16, will limit travel opportunities and prohibit visas from being handed out to people hailing from Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Libya. Iraq, which was previously listed on the original executive order signed in January, was left off of the recent list. The decree will also temporarily suspend the U.S. refugee program.

In contrast to Trump's old order, the new mandate will not provide a blanket ban on Syrian refugees and will not deny travel to green card holders.

The goal of Trump's new order remains much the same as the first: allow the government to review the vetting process for visa and refugee applicants while preventing potential terrorists from landing on American soil.

"The American people can have high confidence that we are identifying ways to improve the vetting process and thus keep terrorists from entering the country," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said a news conference.

Aside from sparking protests across the country, Trump's first travel ban issued in January compelled thousands of people to flock to San Francisco International Airport and voice outrage with the decree.

Chloe Messdaghi, who was among those to express frustration with Trump's first order, now faces another round of challenges.

A family friend of Messdaghi recently said goodbye to his mom who traveled back to Iran. With the latest order soon to take into effect, Messdahi's family friend isn't sure when he'll be able to hug his mom again.

"I'm worried," Messdaghi said. "Not just for my family friends but for the communities, the refugees, the immigrants that are coming to visit their families. It's a terrible situation because it shouldn't be like this."

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi on Monday also took the opportunity once again to vehemently oppose Trump's mandate.

"The Trump Administration's repackaging has done nothing to change the immoral, unconstitutional and dangerous goals of their Muslim and refugee ban," she wrote in a statement.

Read the full text of the order.
Federal officials say more than two dozen aircraft have violated airspace restrictions near President Donald Trump's estate in Florida.

The Sun Sentinel reports that last month the Federal Aviation Administration reported 27 violations of the airspace restrictions near Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.

In one instance, Air Force jets speeding to intercept an aircraft caused a sonic boom that rattled Palm Beach and Broward counties.

The names of the pilots who received the violations weren't released. Agency officials told the newspaper they're investigating each case.

The FAA said it will reach out to South Florida pilots to educate them about the restrictions activated within 30 miles of the estate when Trump visits. The agency recently held briefings for pilots at airports in Boca Raton and Palm Beach.
General motors has made a deal to sell two loss-making cars to French manufacturer PSA Group, the companies announced Monday, NBC News reported.

The deal, which gives German-based Opel and British-based Vauxhall to PSA Group, was valued at $2.3 billion. PSA Group promised to turn the two brands around to profit.

According to The Associated Press, the deal is expected to hand over 12 manufacturing facilities employing 40,000 people.

PSA Group, with the acquisition of Opel, becomes Europe's second-ranked carmaker by sales, while GM becomes a challenge to market-leader Volkswagen.
Republicans are expected to introduce their anticipated bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act this week, a senior House Republican aide told NBC News.

"We are now at the culmination of a years-long process to keep our promise to the American people," Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan's spokeswoman, AshLee Strong, told NBC News.

A draft bill obtained by NBC News two weeks ago indicates that Republicans intend to replace Barack Obama's law with tax credits and state grant, rolling back much of the former president's signature achievement.

The senior House aide said there was a large staff meeting at the White House on Friday to resolve a few outstanding issues, while health care committees in Congress worked over the weekend to incorporate technical guidance.
President Donald Trump on Monday signed a new version of his controversial travel ban, aiming to withstand court challenges while still barring new visas for citizens from six Muslim-majority countries and shutting down the U.S. refugee program.

The revised travel order leaves Iraq off the list of banned countries but still affects would-be visitors from Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Libya.

"The American people can have high confidence that we are identifying ways to improve the vetting process and thus keep terrorists from entering the country," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said a news conference, citing Trump's authority to make changes to immigration policy.

Read the full text of the order.

Trump privately signed the new order Monday while Tillerson, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Attorney General Jeff Sessions formally unveiled the new edict. The low-key rollout was a contrast to the first version of the order, signed in a high-profile ceremony at the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes as Secretary of Defense James Mattis stood by Trump's side.

President Trump signed a new executive order on travel and immigration on Monday after his first order stalled in court. These are some of the major differences between the two orders.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was not scheduled to hold an on-camera briefing Monday either, leading to the appearance that the president was distancing himself from the order, which was a signature issue during his campaign and the first days of his presidency. The order also risks being overshadowed by unsubstantiated accusations the president made over the weekend that former President Barack Obama had ordered the wiretapping of his phone during the campaign.

The new order was quickly met opposition from some who had opposed the original ban.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said he was ready to litigate the order, while Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called for its repeal.

"A watered down ban is still a ban. Despite the Administration's changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited, and un-American. It must be repealed," Schumer said.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who was critical of the rollout of the first order, came out in support of the new one Monday. He said in a statement be believed it "will achieve the goal of protecting our homeland and will, in my view, pass legal muster."

The original travel ban caused immediate panic and chaos at airports around the country as Homeland Security officials scrambled to interpret how it was to be implemented and travelers were detained before being sent back overseas or blocked from getting on airplanes abroad. The order quickly became the subject of several legal challenges and was ultimately put on hold last month by a federal judge in Washington state. That ruling was upheld by a federal appeals court.

The revised order is narrower and specifies that a 90-day ban on people from the six countries does not apply to those who already have valid visas or people with U.S. green cards, something Kelly emphasized in his remarks.

Might it be time to finally stop hoping for this?

"If you have a current, valid visa to travel, we welcome you," he said. "But unregulated, unvetted travel is not a universal privilege, especially when national security is at stake."

The White House dropped Iraq from the list of targeted countries following pressure from the Pentagon and State Department, which had urged the White House to reconsider, given Iraq's key role in fighting the Islamic State group. Syrian nationals are also no longer subjected to an indefinite ban, despite Trump's insistence as a candidate that Syrian refugees in particular posed a serious security threat to the United States.

A spokesman for the government of Iraq said the revised ban sends a "positive message" about the future of bilateral relations as the two countries work to combat the Islamic State group.

Saad al-Hadithi added that the decision to revise the ban shows that there is a "real partnership" between Washington and Baghdad.

The White House late Wednesday posted on its website ethics waivers granted to four ex-lobbyists and numerous others who have joined government.

In a call with reporters Monday morning, senior officials from Homeland Security and Justice Department said the travel ban was necessary to allow the government to review what more can be done to properly vet would-be visitors and refugees.

The officials said 300 people who arrived in the United States as refugees were currently under investigation as part of terrorism-related cases. The officials pointed to those cases as evidence of the need for the travel order, but refused repeated requests to address how many of those people were from the six banned countries or how long they have been in the United States.

A fact sheet describing the new order circulated before the new order was announced cites negotiations that resulted in Iraq agreeing to "increase cooperation with the U.S. government on the vetting of its citizens applying for a visa to travel to the United States."

The mere existence of a fact sheet signaled that the White House was taking steps to improve the rollout of the reworked directive. The initial measure was hastily signed at the end of Trump's first week in office, and the White House was roundly criticized for not providing lawmakers, Cabinet officials and others with information ahead of the signing.

[NATL] People Skip Work, School, and Shopping on 'Day Without Immigrants'

Trump administration officials say that even with the changes, the goal of the new order is the same as the first: keeping would-be terrorists out of the United States while the government reviews the vetting system for refugees and visa applicants from certain parts of the world.

According to the fact sheet, the Department of Homeland Security will conduct a country-by-country review of the information the six targeted nations provide to the U.S. for visa and immigration decisions. Those countries will then have 50 days to comply with U.S. government requests to update or improve that information.

Additionally, Trump's order suspends the entire U.S. refugee program for 120 days, though refugees already formally scheduled for travel by the State Department will be allowed entry. When the suspension is lifted, the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. will be capped at 50,000 for fiscal year 2017.

The new version also removes language that would give priority to religious minorities. Critics had accused the administration of adding such language to help Christians get into the U.S. while excluding Muslims.

"I think people will see six or seven major points about this executive order that do clarify who was covered," said presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway in an interview with Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends."

She said the new order will not go into effect until March 16, despite earlier warnings from the president and his team that any delay in implementation would pose a national security risk, allowing dangerous people to flow into the country.

But Trump tweeted in the days after the first order that waiting a week would harm the nation.

"If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the "bad" would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad "dudes" out there!" he said.

Legal experts say the new order addresses some of the constitutional concerns raised by a federal appeals court about the initial ban, but leaves room for more legal challenges.

"It's much clearer about how it doesn't apply to groups of immigrants with more clearly established constitutional rights," said University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck. "That's a really important step."

Removing language that would give priority to religious minorities helps address concerns that the initial ban was discriminatory, but its continued focus on Muslim-majority countries leaves the appearance that the order is a "Muslim ban," Vladeck said.

"There's still going to be plenty of work for the courts to do," he said.

And an official with the ACLU, which led many of the initial lawsuits against the January order, said Trump "recommitted himself to religious discrimination" in a statement.

"The Trump administration has conceded that its original Muslim ban was indefensible. Unfortunately, it has replaced it with a scaled-back version that shares the same fatal flaws," said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLUs Immigrants' Rights Project.

In his remarks at the news conference, Attorney General Sessions insisted that the initial order was lawful.
Two elderly men, one of them a prominent Massachusetts real estate developer, died in an overnight house fire in Milton Monday.

The Norfolk district attorney's office said 91-year-old Kenneth Guscott and 87-year-old Leroy Whitmore died in the blaze reported at about 12:30 a.m. Monday. They both lived in the home.

The fire was caused by an oil-filled space heater that overloaded an electrical cord, according to the state fire marshal's office.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Guscott was a true leader who helped transform Boston's Roxbury neighborhood and its Dudley Square. Guscott was also a World War II veteran and former NAACP chapter president.

"Ken served Boston and its people in so many ways  as a veteran, an advocate and a lifelong builder of the city. His vision for Dudley Square and the transformation of Roxbury was bright and vibrant, and he pushed every day to create jobs, support business development and bring greater opportunity to the neighborhood," Walsh said. "Boston has lost a true leader, and we will continue to work together to bring progress to all our neighborhoods in his memory."

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker echoed Walsh's praise of Guscott's work in Boston.

"For decades, Ken was a major force in Boston real estate & responsible for some truly transformative community development," he said on Twitter. "He'll be missed."

Milton Fire Chief John Grant says the first firefighters who arrived at the scene found two people outside who told them that two people were still trapped inside. Rescuers tried to reach the victims trapped on the second floor but were beaten back by smoke and intense heat.
The New Hampshire State Troopers are searching for man on the loose after escaping from prison.

Christopher Plaisted-Comeau left a housing unit in Manchester, New Hampshire this morning and did not show up at work that day.

He is currently serving a two year sentence for reckless conduct.

Plaisted-Comeau is a 6 foot tall man with red hair and blue eyes. He weighs about 195 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to contact their local police or reach out to the New Hampshire State Police.
Model Charlotte McKinney surprised a student in Bloomington, California when she showed up as his prom date.

Samuel Castro, 16, wasn't expecting McKinney to show up to bring him to prom, let alone bring him a boutinniere. The model made the appearance in partnership with Best Buddies, a nonprofit dedicated to helping those with intellectual and medical disabilities.

Castro was truly unprepared for McKinney's surprisehe already had a date. The two were dressed as characters from "Beauty and the Beast."
Police announced Monday that an arrest warrant has been issued in a suburban lawyer's killing, more than three months after his body was found strangled in a Northbrook office building.

The warrant for first-degree murder was issued for 50-year-old John G. Panaligan, of Aurora in connection with the death of Jigar Patel, according to Northbrook police.

Patel, 36, was found dead in his office around 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 in the 13400 block of Shermer Road, authorities said. An autopsy determined he died from strangulation and his death was ruled a homicide, the Cook County medical examiners office said.

Police said Monday Patel was the attorney suing a health care business owned by Panaligan called Vital Home Healthcare.

Patel's killing is believed to be an isolated incident and authorities said there was no threat to the community. The Northbrook department is working with U.S. Marshals to locate Panaligan.

The warrant is the latest update in the case after police released surveillance images to the public, showing a man in a tan trench coat, with a black hat and possibly a surgical mask covering his face in the office building the same day Patel's body was discovered. The man is also seen walking with a cane.

Northbrook Police

Tenants in the suburban office building told the Chicago Tribune the man definitely knew what he was doing and managed to keep his face from being captured on security cameras throughout the building. The tenants said they believed Patel was expecting to meet with a new client that afternoon, and others who would normally be in the building during that time happened to be out of the office the afternoon he died.

Ralph Cram, of Envoy Leasing Partners, told the publication the guy picked the perfect time to come in.

Northbrook Police and the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force are investigating the homicide.

Anyone with information on the homicide should call Northbrook police at (847) 564-2060.
Thousands of people jumped into Lake Michigan for the Chicago Polar Plunge on Sunday morning, braving the frigid waters for a good cause.

Now in its 17th year, the annual event raises money to support athletes involved in Special Olympics Chicago.

The event kicked off at 9 a.m. on North Avenue Beach, with the first wave of plungers hitting the water at 10 a.m. [[415423353, C]]

In that first wave was actor Dax Shepard, who served as this years VIP, or "very important plunger."

Shepard, known for his roles in "Without a Paddle" and "Parenthood," followed in the footsteps of fellow celebrity plungers like Jimmy Fallon, Vince Vaughn and Lady Gaga.

"Excited is not the word I would use to describe it, but I am willing - I think willings the word," Shepard quipped before diving into the frigid water.

"You know, it raises a ton of money  I think theyve raised a million and a half dollars already for Special Olympics  so its great to be a part of anything that raises that kind of money for a great cause," he added.

He later tweeted that he "survived," adding that it "was humbling to meet the awesome athletes and be a part of something so good." [[415427483, C]]

Starring in the upcoming action comedy "CHiPS," Shepard wore his uniform from the film reboot of the buddy cop television series to take the plunge. [[371205441, C]]

He was far from alone in dressing for the occasion, joined by participants in costumes, tutus, bow ties and more.

While the water temperature was a brisk 40 degrees, plungers werent forced to brave the more frigid weather of years past. Chicago Park District crews said they didnt have to remove any ice from the lake on Sunday, unlike the conditions in 2015 and 2014.

Those jumping into the water were also greeted by another familiar face back on land. Bears legend Brian Urlacher spent the morning cooking and serving free bratwursts to participants after they plunged. [[415431253, C]]

While Special Olympics Chicago has not yet announced the total amount of money raised, the event regularly brings in upwards of $1 million each year.

Last years event broke all previous fundraising records, totaling $1.5 million to support athletes in a variety of ways, including much-needed transportation to get to their programs and competitions.

"She gets to compete year-round at events, and she gets to travel independently with her team," said Erin Folan, alongside her daughter Emma, who is one of more than 6,800 athletes involved with Special Olympics Chicago.

Sunday marked their sixth Polar Plunge together, and they shared why taking part in the event is so important to them. [[415397193, C]]

"You can see all the people here today, it creates such a community of support for her and her friends," Erin said.

To learn more about Special Olympics Chicago or donate to the event, visit sochicago.org/chicago-polar-plunge.
A funeral will be held Monday for one of the men killed when a tornado struck the town of Ottawa, Illinois last week.

David Johnson was 31 years old when he died Wednesday in the hospital, a day after an EF-3 tornado ripped through the LaSalle County city.

Services begin at 10 a.m. at Seals-Campbell Funeral Home at 1009 E Bluff St. in Marseilles. A visitation for Johnson will be held Sunday at the funeral home from 5 to 7 p.m.

Johnson was outside with his husband, Toby Johnson, when the storm hit and an uprooted tree landed on them. Toby Johnson father, Wayne Tuntland, was also with the couple at the time and was killed immediately.

Funeral services for 76-year-old Tuntland, a U.S. Navy veteran, will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Seals-Campbell Funeral Home. Tuntland is survived by his wife, Sandra, as well as his two sons and daughter.

Toby Johnson told NBC 5 he lost the two most important men in his life when his husband and father were crushed by the tree during the severe storms.

We were walking over to my moms house to go down into the basement and we were half way across the driveway when the tree came through, he said.

Johnson said his husband pushed him out of the way, taking the brunt of the force from the tree as they rushed for safety.

I tried to help him, a grief-stricken Johnson said. I ran out out to the street and I was asking for someone to call 911 and I went back and I threw myself over him so he wouldn't get wet. I was trying to get the branches off and I couldnt do it. I couldnt save him."
Illinois consumers were most worried about debt and identity theft, according to the top consumer complaints reported last year.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan said Monday her office received 23,735 complaints last year alone, with 2,783 of them involving issues such as mortgage lending, abusive debt collection practices and predatory payday loans.

The second most-reported issue was identity theft, which had 2,391 complaints.

Education-related complaints jumped up to to no. 6 the top 10 list, up one spot from the previous year, Madigan said.

My office continues to see an increase in education complaints, including loan servicers that dont provide accurate assistance and for-profit schools that provide worthless degrees, Madigan said in a statement. I remain committed to seeking relief for students and holding schools and loan servicers that commit fraud accountable.

Joining Madigan during the announcement Monday were Todd Kossow with the Federal Trade Commissions Midwest Region, Steve Bernas with the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois and E.C. Woodson with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago.

Here were the top 10 complaints for 2016:

1. Consumer Debt (mortgages, collection agencies, banks): 2,783 complaints

2. Identity Theft (government document fraud, credit cards, utilities, data breaches): 2,391 complaints

3. Promotions/Schemes (phone scams, investment schemes, lottery scams, phishing): 2,387 complaints

4. Construction/Home Improvement (remodeling, roofs and gutters, heating and cooling, plumbing): 2,094 complaints

5. Telecommunications (telemarketing, cable and satellite TV, phone service and repairs, cell phones): 1,851 complaints

6. Education (for-profit schools, student loan debt, loan counseling): 1,691 complaints

7. Used Auto Sales/Motor Vehicles (as-is used cars, financing, warranties): 1,648 complaints

8. Internet/Mail Order Products (Internet and catalog purchases, TV and radio advertising): 955 complaints

9. Motor Vehicle/Non-Warranty Repair (collision, engines, oil changes and tune-ups): 677 complaints

10. New Auto Sales/Motor Vehicles (financing, defects, advertising): 668 complaints

To report a complaint, consumers can visit the following consumer fraud hotlines:

Chicago: 1-800-386-5438

Springfield: 1-800-243-0618

Carbondale: 1-800-243-0607

Spanish Language Hotline: 1-866-310-8398

Student Loan Helpline: 1-800-455-2456

Identity Theft Hotline: 1-866-999-5630

Homeowner Helpline: 1-866-544-7151
A 55-year-old man has been charged with shooting one of his former roommates Saturday afternoon, then leading police on a chase in west suburban Aurora.

John W. Speery was charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated fleeing and eluding police, according to a statement from Aurora police.

The 56-year-old victim was outside his home about 4:40 p.m. in the 300 block of Jackson Place when Speery, his former roommate, drove up and called out to him, police said. Speery pulled out a handgun and fired a single shot from his vehicle, striking the man in the neck, then drove away.

The shooting stemmed from a personal dispute between Speery and the victim, but police would not say what the argument was about.

The victim was taken to a hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said. He is expected to survive.

Officers received a description of Speery and his 1998 Cadillac Brougham and spotted the car near Ohio and Grove streets and tried to pull it over, police said.

Speery refused to stop and led police on a 14-minute chase that at times exceeded 70 mph, according to police. The chase ended when Speery lost control of his car and slammed into an electric pole at Claim Street and Lincoln Avenue, and was taken into custody.

Speery was taken to a different hospital to be treated for minor injuries he suffered in the crash and later released, police said. No other injuries were suffered in the chase or crash.

Speery, of Aurora, was ordered held at the Kane County Correctional Center in St. Charles on a $500,000 bond. Police have not ruled out additional charges.
Key members of Congress say they will honor President Donald Trump's request to investigate his unsubstantiated claim that Barack Obama overstepped his authority as president and had Trump's telephones tapped during the election campaign.

A U.S. official said the FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute Trump's allegation, though no such statement has been issued. Obama's intelligence director also said no such action was ever carried out.

Trump's startling claim of presidential abuse of power, made without evidence in a series of tweets early Saturday, capped a week in which the positive reaction to his address to Congress quickly evaporated amid the swirl of allegations  and revelations  about contacts between Trump aides and Russia's ambassador to the U.S., both during and after a presidential election Russia is believed to have meddled in.

Trump is said to be frustrated by his senior advisers' inability to tamp down the Russia issue. Compounding the situation was the revelation last week that former U.S. senator and now Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an early Trump campaign supporter, had met twice with the Russian official but didn't disclose that to lawmakers when he was asked about it during his Senate confirmation hearing.

Separately, an Indiana newspaper reported that Vice President Mike Pence used personal email to conduct state business when he was governor of Indiana. The revelation recalled the use of personal email by Trump's 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, when she was secretary of state. The issue dogged Clinton for most of the presidential campaign.

"It's sort of like getting nibbled to death by ducks," said Rutgers political science professor Ross Baker.

The House and Senate intelligence committees, and the FBI, are investigating the contacts, and Trump demanded Sunday that they broaden the scope of their inquiries into Russian meddling in the 2016 election to include Obama's potential abuse of his executive powers.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., said in a statement that the panel "will follow the evidence where it leads, and we will continue to be guided by the intelligence and facts as we compile our findings."

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the committee "will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates."

Trump's request carries some risk, particularly if the committees unearth damaging information about him or his associates. Committee Democrats will have access to the information and could wield anything negative against the president. Asking Congress to conduct a much broader investigation than originally envisioned also ensures the Russia issue will hang over the White House for months.

Trump claimed in a series of unsubstantiated tweets Saturday that his predecessor had tried to undermine him by tapping the telephones at Trump Tower, the New York skyscraper where Trump based his campaign and transition operations, and maintains a home.

Obama's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said nothing matching Trump's claims had taken place.

"Absolutely, I can deny it," said Clapper, who left government when Trump took office. Other Obama representatives also denied Trump's allegation, which the FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Sunday. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the request by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The department, however, has issued no such statement. DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores declined to comment Sunday, and an FBI spokesman also did not comment.

The New York Times reported that senior American officials say FBI Director James Comey has argued that the Justice Department must correct the claim because it falsely insinuates that the FBI broke the law. A senior U.S. official confirmed the newspaper's reporting to NBC News.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Trump's instruction to Congress was based on "very troubling" reports "concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election." He did not elaborate.

Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to "exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016." He said there would be no further comment until the investigations are completed.

Spicer's chief deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said Sunday she thinks Trump is "going off of information that he's seen that has led him to believe that this is a very real potential." Asked Monday on the "Today" show if Trump's assertions were based on media reports or U.S. intelligence, Sanders said "he may have access to documents that I don't know about."

And Kellyanne Conway told "Fox & Friends" Monday that "credible news sources" suggested there was politically motivated activity during the campaign. She added that as president, Trump "has information and intelligence that the rest of us do not."

Josh Earnest, who was Obama's White House press secretary, said presidents do not have authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens, as Trump has alleged was done to him. FBI investigators and Justice Department officials must seek approval from a federal judge for such a step. Earnest accused Trump of leveling the allegation to distract from the attention being given to the Russia issue.

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee said they will ask the White House for details about reports of contacts between the White House and the Justice Department concerning the FBI's review of whether the Russian government unlawfully influenced the U.S. presidential election.

Trump said in the tweets that he had "just found out" about being wiretapped. Unclear was whether he was referring to having learned through a briefing, a conversation or a media report. The president in the past has tweeted about unsubstantiated and provocative reports he reads on blogs or conservative websites.

The tweets stood out, given the gravity of the charge and the sharp personal attack on the former president. Trump spoke as recently as last month about how much he likes Obama and how much they get along, despite their differences.

"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" he tweeted, misspelling 'tap.'

Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said a "cardinal rule" of the Obama administration was not to interfere in Justice Department investigations. Lewis said neither Obama nor any White House official had ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. "Any suggestion otherwise is simply false," Lewis said.

Clapper appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," and Sanders and Earnest were on ABC's "This Week."

Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.
March, usually a time of Irish celebration, also acts as Womens History Month in the United States. Here are some places in Connecticut observing womens impact on American history.

Bristol: The Bristol Public Library will be hosting Womens History Month: The History of Women in the Connecticut State Police on Tuesday, March 7. From 1 p.m.  2 p.m., retired Connecticut State Police Sergeant Jerry Longo will be giving a presentation about women in the Connecticut State Police. As the Chairman of the Connecticut State Police Museum and author of Images of America: The Connecticut State Police, Mr. Longo will be addressing the importance of women in the CT Police force.

Hartford: Trinity College in Hartford will host a discussion on March 9, Hartford Black Mothers Raising Bridges over Troubled Waters. Sponsored by the Women & Gender Resource Action Center, this discussion will explore the dynamic between black women and mothers from the Caribbean, Africa, and the United Stated. WGRACs event will be held in Terrace Room C of Mather Hall at 4:30 p.m., featuring Trinity alumna Channon Miller 11.

Another event hosted at Trinity College will be Ruling Your Lifes Runway, with motivational speaker and supermodel Stacey McKenzie. On Tuesday, March 23, McKenzie will speak about issues of diversity, societal beauty standards, and girls and womens empowerment. It will be held in the Washington Room of Mather Hall at 12:15 p.m..

The Connecticut Historical Society Museum & Library will present a panel discussion: Women in STEM. On Wednesday, March 8 from 5:30 PM  7 PM, the CHS will discuss challenges facing women entering science, technology, engineering, and math careers. The panelists will also provide information about innovative programs encouraging girls and STEM, while they tell stories about their own STEM careers.

If you are interested in learning more about womens role in Connecticut and America, take a visit to the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford. Stowe (1811-1896) was a social injustice activist and a published author of over 30 books, including Uncle Toms Cabin. Born in Litchfield, Stowe was one of Connecticuts most influential women.

New Haven: Yale Universitys Working Womens Network will host a series of events throughout Womens History Month. On Thursday, March 9, the WWN and Future Leaders of Yale will welcome Connecticut Womens Education and Legal Fund to discuss the status of paid family leave initiatives in CT. From 12 p.m.  1 p.m. in 55 Whitney Room 369, the WWN & FLY will share policy information and how to get involved in the campaign. On Tuesday, March 21 from 12:30 p.m.  1:15 p.m., the WWN will hold an artwork viewing at the Yale University Art Gallery. On Wednesday, March 29, from 12 p.m.  1:30 p.m., the WWN will put on a Recognition Award Ceremony at the Sterling Memorial Library Lecture Hall. This celebration will award one woman employed at Yale who has been an exemplary member of her community.

Old Saybrook: Or learn more about another beloved character in Connecticuts history, Katharine Hepburn, 4-time Academy Award winning actress. Visit the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center (The Kate), which celebrates the passion and commitment to arts and culture of Katharine Hepburn.

West Hartford: Elmwood Community Center in West Hartford will engage in the discussion After Womens March: Which Way Forward? exploring the direction of the womens movement following the national and international womens marches this past Jan. 21. The discussion will be held on Friday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m.
A man walking his dog fell and hit his head while walking along the Norwalk River, the fire department said.

Norwalk Fire Department were called to the scene at 601 Main Avenue in front of 601 Merritt 7 at 2 p.m.

First responders found a man sitting on the side of the riverbank being assisted to by a civilian.

It was determined that the man sustained a head injury after a twelve-foot fall into the riverbank. The river was about 40 degrees, narrow, fast-moving and about six to 10 inches deep, the fire department said.

Police, EMS and fire departments came to rescue the man. He was loaded into a stokes basket and looked at by Norwalk Hospital Paramedics.

His condition is not clear.
The idea for a third casino in the state will be a hot topic this week with several events planned.

Steve Wandzy and others are teaming up to stop a gaming facility from being built in East Windsor.

There are so many things that you want to protect your family and your community from, Wandzy said.

On Monday, they will hold a meeting and hear from former U.S. Congressman Bob Steele who wrote a book about the downsides of a casino.

We just want to present a more balanced sort of set of information that the towns people can think for themselves about the pros and cons of having a casino in their hometown, Wandzy said.

A week ago, the town of East Windsor gave the okay to the tribes to transform an old movie theater lot near I-91 into a casino.

Make something happen. So this is something. They will put 350 million or something like that into building the property. And it will be more tax revenue for the town, Walter Olander of East Windsor, said.

Supporters point to the hundreds of jobs that will be created and potentially eight and a half million dollars in yearly payments to the town.

The tribes say a third site is needed to help compete with a casino opening in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Opponents have started petitions to force a town meeting and referendum, as well as to send a message to state leaders who still need to approve the casino expansion.

Property values number one on average go down five to ten percent. Thats been well researched. Crime is certainly going to go up. Traffic is going to go up. The strain on our local infrastructure, our roads, Wandzy said.

Mondays meeting about the casino concerns is at 7 p.m. at the high school.

Its expected the town and the legislature will hold meetings on Thursday.
Milford police arrested a Milford Transit employee accused of stealing approximately $4,500 from the agency.

Melissa Drinkwater, 33, was arrested Sunday and charged with third-degree larceny.

According to Milford police, Drinkwater was working for Milford Transit collecting funds from riders buying parking passes at the train station. Police allege that Drinkwater stole the cash between November and December 2016.

The Stratford woman was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in court on March 28.
According to the Connecticut chapter of the American Red Cross, every year 3,000 people in the United State are killed in house fires. The organization is working to cut down on that startling statistic by installing free smoke detectors in Connecticut homes.

This week's "install-a-thon" couldnt have come at a better time for Torrington resident Mark Thibault, who discovered three weeks ago that his only smoke detector was on the fritz.

Right now we dont have one," Thibault said. You never know when youre going to have a fire or something, especially this time of year.

Lately, there have been a lot of house fires.

Home fires happen every day. The Red Cross in Connecticut responds to two fires every day and many of those fires could be prevented," said Mario Bruno, American Red Cross of CT & RI CEO.

Monday, the Torrington Fire Department joined Red Cross volunteers to install several smoke alarms in the bedrooms of this 67-year-old home.

By the end of the week, the Red Cross hopes to install 1,200 new smoke alarms in Connecticut homes.

The goal is to save lives," said Owen Quinn, the executive director of the United Way of NW Connecticut. The United Way stepped up to partner with the Red Cross on the project by providing volunteers.

For every 1,000 detectors that are installed and are working in homes, it saves one life," said Quinn.

Thibault was relieved to know one of those homes is his.

I think its great. I bet theres a lot of people other there that really cant afford, really need it," he added.

Thibault says he heard about the free smoke alarm program by watching NBC Connecticut. You can contact the Red Cross online at www.redcross.org/ct/schedule-a-visit or by phone at (877) 287-3327 to schedule an appointment.
East Hartford police were called in to investigate a threat made to the East Hartford Middle School Sunday, according to the superintendents office.

School officials said the police investigate and deemed the threat not credible. Classes were held as usual Monday.

Police told NBC Connecticut that they identified a juvenile who sent out the threat on Snapchat. When police spoke to the suspect, the juvenile expressed regret.

The suspect and the family are cooperating with police and the threat was determined not to be valid. The juvenile was charged with threatening and breach of peace.

The schools principal sent the following message to parents on Monday.

We received information of a threat to the school yesterday. The East Hartford Police Department has been involved and the threat has been determined not to be valid. As always, we process all information that we receive regarding East Hartford Middle School and take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of our school community. Our top priority is the well-being of our students and staff.

Thank you for your patience regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any further questions.
The Defense Department is investigating reports that some Marines shared naked photographs of female Marines, veterans and other women on a secret Facebook page, some of which were taken without their knowledge.

The photographs were shared on a secret Facebook page, "Marines United," that had a membership proof active-duty and retired male Marines, Navy Corpsman and British Royal Marines. Along with identified female military members were photographs of unidentifiable women in various stages of undress, and included obscene comments about some of the women, officials said.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is now investigating. The photographs have been taken down, officials said.

Marine Corps commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller on Sunday refused to comment directly about the ongoing investigation. "For anyone to target one of our Marines, online or otherwise, in an inappropriate manner, is distasteful and shows an absence of respect," Neller said in a statement.

Gen. Robert Neller, who serves as the commandant of the Marine Corps, could not comment specifically on an ongoing investigation. But did say in part in a statement to NBC7 in San Diego: "I expect every Marine to demonstrate the highest integrity and loyalty to fellow Marines at all times, on duty, off-duty, and online. I expect Marines to give their all to be the best human beings, teammates and Marines possible."

It was not immediately known how many active-duty Marines and other service members were involved or are under investigation. A Marine Corps official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss personnel matters by name, said at least one government contractor had been removed from his job after he posted a link to the photographs.

In response to the report, Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Green, the top enlisted man in the Marine Corps, said: "These negative behaviors are absolutely contrary to what we represent."

The investigation was first reported by the Center for Investigative Reporting. The activity was revealed by The War Horse, a nonprofit news organization run by Marine veteran Thomas Brennan.

"We are thankful that Thomas Brennan, a Marine veteran, notified the Marine Corps and NCIS about what he witnessed on the 'Marines United' page," Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Ryan E. Alvis said. "It allowed us to take immediate action to have the explicit photos taken down and to prepare to support potential victims."

Brennan and his family has received threats for reporting on this story, he said in a statement to NBC News.

"My hope is that the victims of this misconduct receive the full measure of justice and that other victims feel safe in stepping forward and having their voices heard," Brennan said.

The CIR report said that more than two dozen active-duty women, officers and enlisted, were identified by their rank, full name and location in the photographs on the secret Facebook page. Other photographs of active duty and veteran women were also posted and linked through a Google Drive link.

The social media accounts behind the sharing have been deleted by Facebook and Google at the Marine Corps' request.

An internal Marine Corps document obtained by The Associated Press says a former Marine maintained the Google Drive and that it had a following of 30,000. The NCIS investigation is "in support of two individuals affected by postings," according to the document.

A Marine proven to have posted an explicit photo of another person could potentially be charged with violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the internal document asserted. A Marine who directly participates in, encourages or condones such actions could also be subjected to criminal proceedings or adverse administrative actions, according to the document.

"The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in a closed website," Alvis said. "This behavior destroys morale, erodes trust, and degrades the individual."

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, called the online behavior "degrading, dangerous and completely unacceptable."

"The military men and women who proudly volunteer to serve their country should not have to deal with this kind of reprehensible conduct," Smith said.

Service members and civilians can report a crime or pass information on Marines United to NCIS via text, the web. All of these methods offer service members and civilians a safe, discreet, and anonymous option to report criminal and force protection threats within the USN and USMC here or 1-877-579-3648.

If a Marine believes he/she is a victim of a crime and wants to maintain privacy, he/she may reach out to the chaplain or a Victim Legal Counsel.

Services available to a Marine who is affected by Marines United, to include: chaplains, Victim Legal Counsel, Behavioral Health Counselors, Sexual Assault Response Coordinators, Sexual Assault Victim Advocates, Chain of Command, NCIS, Local Law Enforcement, Inspector General, Equal Opportunity Advisors, Victim Witness Assistant Coordinators, and Military OneSource here or 1-800-342-9647
North Korea on Monday fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) on average, with three of them landing in waters that Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone, South Korean and Japanese officials said. The test-launches appeared to be a reaction to huge U.S.-South Korean military drills that those countries consider routine but that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.

It was not immediately clear the exact type of missile fired, but the tests will be viewed as a provocation by the Trump administration, which is working on its policy for North Korea. The New York Times reported over the weekend that the United States still can't effectively counter Pyongyang's actions despite efforts to perfect cyber and electronic strikes against North Korea's missile program.

Pyongyang has test-launched a series of missiles of various ranges in recent months, including a new intermediate-range missile in February; it also conducted two nuclear tests last year. The ramped-up tests come as leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile program that can deter what he calls U.S. and South Korean hostility toward the North.

There have been widespread worries that the North will conduct an ICBM test that, when perfected, could in theory reach the U.S. mainland. Washington would consider such a capability a major threat.

U.S. national security adviser H.R. McMaster and his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin talked by phone after the missile firings. The two condemned the launches and agreed to boost cooperation to get the North to face more effective sanctions and pressure, according to South Korea's presidential office.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said three missiles landed in the 200-nautical-mile offshore area where Tokyo has sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting resources. He said a fourth missile fell "near" Japan's exclusive economic zone.

It's the third time that North Korean missiles have fallen in the Japanese zone, beginning last August. Japanese leaders see the launches into nearby waters as a growing threat.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that Monday's launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Phyongan province. The area is the home of the North's Sohae rocket launch site where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, "We remain prepared  and will continue to take steps to increase our readiness  to defend ourselves and our allies from attack, and are prepared to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against this growing threat."

Seoul and Washington call their military drills on the Korean Peninsula, which remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty, defensive and routine.

The North hates the military drills, which run until late April and which analysts say force its impoverished military to respond with expensive deployments and drills of their own. An unidentified spokesman for the North's General Staff of the Korean People's Army said last week that Pyongyang's reaction to the southern drills would be the toughest ever but didn't elaborate.

The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, and 50,000 in Japan, as a deterrent against a potential aggression from the North.

Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.
The Cathedral of Guadalupe in downtown Dallas hosted a workshop on Sunday to help undocumented immigrants and their families know their legal rights.

Around 200 people packed into a room at the church to ask pressing questions such as: "What do I do if ICE officials come to my house?"

"How do I respond when asked my immigration status?"

"Its very important for immigrants to learn that they have a constitutionally granted right to remain silent," attorney Paul Zoltan said.

Zoltan spent more than two hours talking with the group.

He simulated encounters with police using Jose Coronado as a volunteer.

Coronado and his wife are trying to decide who to legally place their American-born twin boys in the care of, should they be deported.

"It would be catastrophic if suddenly we would be separated," he said. "Its difficult to confront these situations but we have faith in God that everything will be okay."

Zoltan said hell be watching for new executive orders on immigration and travel, which are expected as early as Monday. He believes the executive order "will be mean spirited. That it will be arguably or borderline unconstitutional."

But the president did have supporters at the workshop.

Lorena Castro of Dallas said she's a U.S. citizen and voted for Trump. She attended the meeting to gather information for her family and friends who are undocumented.

"I believe in this president and that God will touch his heart and that things aren't as bad as they seem," she said.

Dallas police also spoke to the crowd, hoping immigrants dont stay silent when it comes to reporting crimes.

"We dont want to lose that contact because its important that we build those relationships," said Dallas Police Sgt. Robert Munoz.

Munoz said their main message to immigrants is to continue living their lives.

The Peace and Justice Committee of the Cathedral expects to hold more educational workshops in the near future.
A former teacher at Northwest Independent School District is filing suit over being fired from her job as a consequence of taking leave for medical reasons, according to a press release by her representation John Judge.

Autumn Stewart, former Medlin Middle School teacher, filed an employment discrimination and retaliation case Friday under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Texas Labor Code.

Stewart's complaint states her teaching assignment at Medlin Middle School included a water-damaged and mold-infested classroom. She experienced headaches, nausea, mental confusion, short-term memory loss and near liver failure during her time there.

Stewart's doctor diagnosed her with Trichothecene mycotoxin poisoning. According to Judge, NISD's failure to put Stewart in a different classroom per her and her doctor's request is "part of a pattern and practice of unlawful discrimination that culminated in the termination of [Stewart's] employment on April 11, 2016."

"Ms. Stewart spoke out when her toxic workplace environment threatened her health, but continued to perform her teaching duties as her health permitted. Not only did the school refuse to give her a cleaner classroom, school officials accused her of faking her symptoms then fired her for defying an order to return to a building that she knew was contaminated," said Judge.

Stewart's suit accused NISD of violating states and federal disability discrimination statutes when the board of trustees terminated her employment because the decision was motivated by her disability.

Stewart filed in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division.
Rolando Ruiz walked up to a car as it pulled into the driveway of a San Antonio home and said he needed directions.

Then he asked Mark Rodriguez, one of the two men inside the vehicle, "Do I do it?" Rodriguez replied: "Yes."

Theresa Rodriguez, Mark's sister-in-law, was getting out the passenger side of the car, looked up at Ruiz as he walked toward her and smiled at him, according to court documents. Ruiz put a .357 Magnum revolver to her head and fired.

On Tuesday, Ruiz, 44, was set for lethal injection for the murder-for-hire slaying he carried out more than 24 years ago. Evidence showed he received $2,000 from Mark Rodriguez, whose brother, Michael, stood to collect at least a quarter-million dollars in insurance benefits from his 29-year-old wife's death. Evidence also showed Michael Rodriguez, who also was in the car the night of July 14, 1992, recently had applied for another $150,000 in life insurance for his wife.

Ruiz's execution would be the third this year in Texas and the fifth nationally.

His lawyers argued to the U.S. Supreme Court that lower courts improperly rejected an earlier appeal. They also contended Ruiz's execution would be unconstitutionally cruel because he's suffered a "uniquely devastating psychological toll" after nearly a quarter-century on death row, multiple execution dates and two reprieves.

"It is entirely attributable to the state's failure to provide competent lawyers," attorney Lee Kovarsky told the high court in a filing. He also argued the deterrent value of the punishment was "undercut" by the lengthy time between imposing the sentence and carrying it out.

State attorneys contended Ruiz's arguments were meant to distract the courts from the weakness of his claims and said Ruiz had taken advantage of legal mechanisms to ensure his conviction and sentence were proper and previous judicial reviews found no constitutional error. While some individual Supreme Court justices have raised questions about long death row confinement, the courts consistently have ruled it was not unconstitutionally cruel, Assistant Texas Attorney General Edward Marshall told the justices. Ruiz's arguments about earlier deficient legal help "have been inspected, scrutinized, studied, probed, analyzed, reviewed and evaluated" at all levels of the federal courts, he said.

Ruiz had met Mark Rodriguez at the home of a mutual friend, was arrested nine days after the shooting and implicated the brothers in the contract killing scheme. Police focused on him after receiving a telephone tip after Theresa Rodriguez's employer, the insurance firm USAA, offered a $50,000 reward for information about her slaying.

Court records show Ruiz after the shooting drove off in a car waiting for him on the street. Evidence showed Mark Rodriguez already had paid him $1,000, then gave him another $1,000 three days after the killing. Ruiz had made two earlier unsuccessful attempts to kill Theresa Rodriguez.

The Rodriguez brothers eventually accepted life prison terms in plea deals. Mark Rodriguez was paroled in 2011.

Michael Rodriguez later joined Ruiz on death row as one of the notorious Texas 7, a group of seven inmates who escaped from a South Texas prison in 2000, remained fugitives for weeks and killed a Dallas-area police officer. He was executed in 2008. He blamed his infatuation with a younger woman for the contract murder plot.

Joe Ramon, who accompanied Ruiz the night of the shooting, and Robert Silva, identified as the intermediary who put the Rodriguez brothers in touch with Ruiz, also received life prison sentences.
Authorities said a 39-year-old man is dead after being shot at a Dallas condominium Sunday night. [[415472773,C]]

Dallas police said they responded to a shooting call at the Royal Lane Highlands Condominiums in the 9500 block of Royal Lane at about 8:50 p.m. and found the wounded man.

The victim  later identified as Tylor Borner  was transported to a hospital where he died from his injuries.

After investigating, police said they arrested 35-year-old Brandon Cornell Perry for an unrelated warrant. Perry agreed to speak with detectives and denied involvement in the shooting.

Perry was placed in jail for the unrelated warrant and murder. His bond was set at $200,000.
A group of North Texas parents, their transgender children and allies are traveling to the state capital to advocate for equal rights.

Alex Pettigrew, 15, and his mother, Michele, are excited for the chance to speak out.

More people are starting to find out that Im transgender and that has been a fear of mine, he said. I feel like right about now we have to speak up and fight for our rights no matter the consequences.

If the wrong people find out and I get hurt, Im still going to keep fighting, he added. If I lose friends Im still going to keep fighting.

Alex said he has already seen pushback from friends.

They say that Im broken in the head. That I need to be fixed. That Im never going to be Alex. That Im always going to be a girl in their eyes, he said.

Now Alex and his mother, Michele, will join other North Texas families in Austin.

What he says makes a difference. What we all say can make a difference we hope in someones life to get them to see that they are normal, Michele said. They are kids. They just want to live their lives [and be] who they are.

There are so many kids out there that are suffering or have suffered over their lifetime, she added.

The Pettigrew family is a part of the DFW Trans Kids and Families group of nearly 180 people.

Were out there ready to fight. Just stand up like a mama bear does to protect our cubs and all transgender kids are our cubs, Michele said. They are all ours. So, were here to fight for them no matter whether they are 2, 4, 24 [or] 48-years-old. They are still all our kids and we are here for them.
Jessica and Colby Reneau have tried to have a baby for a long time.

After years of waiting, the couple decided they needed a getaway, so they purchased an 8-day cruise.

"We've taken Carnival in the past and just felt comfortable with Carnival, and decided to just go ahead and book through them again," said Colby Reneau.

The couple insured their trip through AIG Travel. Just a month later, the couple learned they were finally pregnant.

They checked with their doctor to see if they could still travel to the Caribbean.

"Because there's a lot of news stories about Zika and I wasn't sure about all that, you know, so I wanted to talk to her about it," said Jessica Reneau.

The doctor was completely against the trip because of travel warnings of Zika infections in the area.

After learning the virus was linked to birth defects the couple was now certain about canceling the trip.

They filed insurance claims for their flights and the cruise.

"We heard back from American [Airlines] travel insurance Alliance less than a week later that the policy was gonna be paid out in full," said Jessica Reneau.

But the cruise insurance claim took a lot longer. When they finally did hear back, "Our claim had been denied because fear of the Zika virus was not a legitimate reason to cancel your trip. I didn't understand how me trying to do what's right by our unborn child was not a legitimate reason to cancel anything, let alone a cruise," said Jessica Reneau.

They filed an appeal online-sending the doctor's note and a link to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website but got denied again.

AIG Travel told NBC 5 Responds: "As a general rule, under our U.S. Policies: Trip cancellation for concern or fear of travel associated with sickness, epidemic, or pandemic is not covered."

"We feel like we paid for a policy that at the end of the day, it was a waste of money," said Jessica Reneau.

Fortunately the Reneau's were able to convince Carnival Cruise Line to refund them for the trip despite the insurance company's decision.

But that $218 they paid for insurance, they're not getting that back.

"We paid for a service, for the peace of mind, and at the end of the day we didn't get that at all."

So is travel insurance worth it? Here's what you should remember:
Art gallery owner Karen Manning confronted Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price at his corruption trial Monday.[[414360543,R]]

Manning said Price displayed his art at her gallery and paid a $45 fee on each transaction. She said Price also held art sales and political campaign events at the gallery.

It supported prosecutors' claim that Price received $83,000 in income from the gallery that he never disclosed for taxes.

But Manning was reluctant to answer many questions from prosecutor Katherine Miller, repeatedly saying I dont recall," until reminded of documents or prior statements to the FBI.

Manning said she had been friends with Price for many years and she seemed more eager to answer defense questions.

Manning said she received about $15,000 from Price for interior design work at his Oak Cliff home. But Manning confirmed to defense attorney Shirley Lobel that Price had done much of the home renovation himself to save money.

Have you ever met a greater tightwad on the face of the earth than Commissioner Price," Lobel asked. "No, Manning replied.

Manning said Price was trying to help her by displaying his items at her gallery and sending other customers to her. The witness said she had no knowledge of any illegal activity by Price.

You didnt come here to remotely suggest you were engaged in some sort of conspiracy to hide things from the IRS," Lobel asked. No, Manning replied.

Art gallery owner Karen Manning confronts Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price at his corruption trial Monday morning.

Defense lawyers have said some of Price's unreported income was lawful repayment of loans that the government failed to discover. But supporting prosecutors on that point, Manning said money she received from Price was not a gift or repayment of loans.

Manning pleaded guilty to a single count of income tax violation for her own failure to disclose gallery income. She was promised a reduced sentence of no more than three years in prison if prosecutors are satisfied with her cooperation against Price.

Price is accused of receiving more than $1 million that he concealed from taxes from multiple sources, most of it as alleged bribes from political consultant Kathy Nealy for his influence in Dallas County business.

Dallas County purchasing official Linda Boles spent several hours on the witness stand Monday discussing procedures Price is accused of violating for Nealy. Contracts include digital imaging of county records and jail inmate telephones.

Prosecutors accuse Nealy of receiving inside information from Price that helped her clients win Dallas County business. Nealy will have a separate trial at a later date.

Price has denied all the charges he is facing. Defense attorneys claim prosecutors gathered only evidence that makes the deals look bad, overlooking information to the contrary. This trial could last through June.
Firefighters discovered marijuana plants inside a mobile home after responding to a fire in northwest Miami-Dade Monday morning, officials said.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said they responded to the fire at the trailer in the 3500 block of Northwest 79th Street.

The home owner had been able to contain the fire, and firefighters were able to put the rest of it out.

As the firefighters were checking for hot-spots, they found the illegal plants. Fire officials said the owner of the trailer was there when they arrived but they were unable to find him later.

No one was injured in the fire. The home was turned over to police.

Miami-Dade Police said they're unable to determine the street value of the marijuana because a lot of it was burned in the fire.

No arrests have been made and the incident remains under investigation.
The Miami Marlins gave up four late runs and finished in a 7-7 tie with the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Caleb Thielbar allowed four runs in the eighth inning to erase Miami's lead. It was a rough outing for Thielbar who is expected to open the year in Miami's minor league system. The 30-year old walked one and allowed five hits, while only retiring one batter. The blown lead continued a trend of similar fates for Miami in the spring.

Wei-Yin Chen started for the Marlins and performed admirably. Chen went two perfect innings, and was able to utilize his assortment of pitches effectively. The southpaw is entering his second season with the Marlins, and will look to improve on a disappointing 2016.

After Chen exited, Houston scored three runs over the next three innings. The runs came off Dustin McGowan, A.J. Ramos and David Phelps. McGowan and Phelps are expected to be middle relievers for Miami this season. Ramos is entering the year as Miami's closer and has been shaky in the spring thus far. With a run given up on Sunday, Ramos' spring E.R.A now stands at 13.50.

Kyle Barraclough, Wayne Ellington and Nick Wittgren all pitched in relief in this one too. The trio fared better with three scoreless innings of work. Barraclough and Wittgren are expected to make Miami's Opening Day roster, while Ellington has a chance as well.

With his team trailing by a run in the sixth inning, Adeiny Hechavarria connected on his first home run of the spring. The majestic three-run shot put Miami on top by two at the time. The shortstop is now hitting .267 on the spring after his 2-2 game.

Tyler Moore's exceptional spring continued with yet another home run. Moore now has three home runs in the spring and is also hitting a robust .462. While Moore entered as a longshot to make the team, he may now have the upperhand.

Miami's busy spring schedule will continue on Monday when the New York Mets visit at 1:05 p.m.
Most middle schools offer a handful of classes, at most, that offer high school credit. Its a different story at Ramblewood Middle School in Coral Springs, which has 16 high school credit classes, including 11 electives. The principal emphasizes student choice, especially in the arts.

"Not making it all about academics or testing but giving them an opportunity to try different things through elective courses that they might find a niche in and carry on into high school possibly even beyond high school, said Cory Smith, Ramblewoods principal.

Theres a lot of drama at Ramblewood. The schools theatre troupe just won the state championship for its production of The Dogsitters, an English farce that features a stuffed dog. That experience helped unleash the talents of the drama class.

"It teaches them confidence, and they can carry that everywhere they go in all of their classes but not only that, in their everyday life they learn how to communicate with individuals, said drama teacher Meagan Nagy.

Music is huge at Ramblewood, with the band program boasting more than 350 students. The advanced band sounds like a high school group, and the principal says its one of the schools biggest draws.

Beyond performing arts, the visual arts have a prominent place here. The schools walls are covered by murals, all of which are created and painted by students in their art classes. They make one new mural every school year.

Of course, there is no substitute for academic rigor, and Ramblewood has plenty of it. The principal just wants to make sure theres something to pique the interests of every student.

"We pride ourselves in creating a certain culture here at Ramblewood where students feel accepted, welcome, and there are opportunities for them to learn not only in the classroom but the skills that will carry them on from high school and beyond, Smith said.

Sounds like Ramblewood is barking up the right tree.
The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says it became a shareholder in Miami Seaquarium's parent company to push the park to release its captive orca into a marine sanctuary.

In a statement Monday, PETA called on Madrid-based Parques Reunidos to release Lolita and four other orcas at the company's Marineland in France. Lolita has lived at Miami Seaquarium since 1970.

PETA spokesman David Perle said the group's single share is enough to participate in Parques Reunidos' annual meeting and influence management decisions.

Seaquarium officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. They've previously said releasing Lolita would harm the orca that's over 50 years old.

PETA also owns shares in SeaWorld and has tried to get its investors to vote on releasing the company's orcas.
It was a startling and serious allegation about a former president, made in a series of four tweets on March 4. Yet, Trump provided no support for it, and the White House remained silent for a day. When the White House press office finally got around to explaining the presidents tweets, it undercut Trumps baseless claim:

In a brief statement, Press Secretary Sean Spicer urged a congressional investigation into news reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations. But Trump didnt say it possibly happened; he claimed it actually did.

Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told ABC News that Trump wasnt the one that came up with this idea, citing multiple news outlets that have reported this. The White House provided us with five stories, but none of them support Trumps claim about Obama.

We will break this down into two parts: What Trump claimed, and the evidence that the White House provided that failed to support his claim.

Trumps Tweets

It began with a tweet at 6:35 a.m. from Mar-a-Lago, the so-called winter White House that Trump owns in Florida:

Trump continued in this fashion for three more tweets for about a half hour:

What is Trump talking about? The White House didnt respond for more than 24 hours. When it did, the press secretary issued a brief statement, which we run here in its entirety:

Spicer, March 5: Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling. President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016. Neither the White House nor the President will comment further until such oversight is conducted.

The Russian activity is a reference to the U.S. intelligence communitys finding in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. The FBI and several congressional committees are continuing to investigate Russias role and possible connections between Russia and Trump associates.

Spicer didnt say much in his brief statement, but we learned the presidents claim of Watergate-style criminal abuse of power was not based on U.S. intelligence briefings, but on reports.

Later that day, Sanders went on ABCs This Week, where she reiterated the White Houses call for an investigation and cited news organizations that reported on the potential of this having had happened.

In essence, Spicer and Huckabee arent saying the presidents statement is accurate; they are saying it may be accurate  without providing any evidence to support even that possibility.

Sanders went even further by claiming that Trump was only citing what multiple news outlets have already reported.

Sanders, March 5: Everybody acts like President Trump is the one that came up with this idea and just threw it out there. There are multiple news outlets that have reported this.

That is false, as we explain next as we look at the news stories cited by the White House as evidence.

White House Lacks Evidence

When we asked for the news articles referenced by Sanders, the White House provided us with a timeline of events from five news stories written by four news organizations. Only two of the stories were relevant to Trumps accusations, and none of them claimed that Obama ordered illegal wiretaps.

Trumps claim rests primarily on the reporting of Heat Street, a conservative website owned by Rupert Murdochs News Corp and started by Louise Mensch, a former Conservative Party member of the British Parliament.

In a Nov. 7, 2016, article, Heat Street wrote that the FBI on two occasions sought a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, or FISA court, as part of its investigation of Russias interference in the U.S. presidential election, and Trump associates who were suspected of contacts with Russian officials.

Heat Street reported that the FBI failed in June to obtain a warrant, but it was successful in October after the request was narrowed to focus on possible financial and banking offenses involving two Russian banks:

Heat Street, Nov. 7, 2016: The first request, which, sources say, named Trump, was denied back in June, but the second was drawn more narrowly and was granted in October after evidence was presented of a server, possibly related to the Trump campaign, and its alleged links to two banks; SVB Bank and Russias Alfa Bank.

The administration also referred us to a Jan. 12, 2017, report on the BBC website, which also cited anonymous sources who said that the FBI received a FISA court warrant in October.

The BBC report said the warrant targeted two Russian banks suspected of sending money to Mr Trumps organisation or his election campaign. However, the BBC report said that neither Mr. Trump nor his associates are named in the FISA order:

BBC, Jan. 12, 2017: On 15 October, the US secret intelligence court issued a warrant to investigate two Russian banks. This news was given to me by several sources and corroborated by someone I will identify only as a senior member of the US intelligence community. He would never volunteer anything  giving up classified information would be illegal  but he would confirm or deny what I had heard from other sources.  Neither Mr Trump nor his associates are named in the Fisa order, which would only cover foreign citizens or foreign entities  in this case the Russian banks. But ultimately, the investigation is looking for transfers of money from Russia to the United States, each one, if proved, a felony offence.

These stories, which were based on anonymous sources and have not been confirmed, do not support Trumps claims that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, or that the alleged wiretapping was illegal.

First, the president has no role in the FBIs decision to seek a warrant or the FISA courts approval for one, as explained in a 2006 story by the New York Times on how the FISA application process works. The warrant application would be initiated by the FBI and presented to the FISA court by Justice Department attorneys.

Second, the FBI must prove to the court that there is probable cause that the target of the warrant is an agent of a foreign power and engaged in criminal activity, as explained in a joint statement last year to Congress by the intelligence community officials.

Neither Heat Street nor the BBC alleged any wrongdoing by Obama or the FBI in allegedly obtaining a FISA court warrant in October.

On the same day that the White House provided us with these stories, James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence under Obama, appeared on NBCs Meet the Press and denied that a FISA court warrant was issued to monitor Trump Tower.

For the part of the national security apparatus that I oversaw as DNI, there was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president, the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate, or against his campaign, Clapper said.

Clapper said he would have known whether the FBI had a court order for surveillance, and he was not aware of one.

Obamas spokesman, Kevin Lewis, also denied Trumps allegation, calling it simply false in a statement issued on Twitter.

A cardinal rule of the Obama Administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice, the statement said. As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen.

The three other stories cited by the White House:

An opinion column in the conservative National Review, dated Jan. 11, 2017, that rehashed the Heat Street report and questioned if FISA was being used against political enemies.

A New York Times story on steps taken by the Obama administration that would allow the National Security Agency to share globally intercepted personal communications with the governments 16 other intelligence agencies before applying privacy protections. This story, which ran Jan. 12, has nothing to do with the alleged wiretapping of Trump Tower, but rather how intelligence material is shared.

A New York Times story that said law enforcement and intelligence agencies are examining intercepted communications and financial transactions as part of a broad investigation into possible links between Russian officials and associates of President-elect Donald J. Trump. In its Jan. 19 article, the paper wrote that it was not clear whether the intercepted communications had anything to do with Mr. Trumps campaign.

It is the responsibility of the politician making a claim to provide information to support it. But Trump has failed to do so.

First, there is no evidence that the FBI wiretapped Trumps phone or his campaign offices in Trump Tower. Indeed, the director of national intelligence flatly denied it.

Second, the claim is loosely based on two reports  a conservative blog and a BBC report  that cited anonymous sources who claimed that the FBI obtained a warrant in October to investigate two Russian banks. Neither report alleged any wrongdoing by Obama or even evidence that the warrant was obtained illegally. In fact, Heat Street and the BBC claimed that the FBI obtained a legal warrant from the FISA court.

Finally, there is no evidence Obama ordered any wiretapping, as Trump alleged. That would be handled by the FBI and Justice Department independently of the White House.

//
The Chess Forum is steeped in history. The shop's yellowing walls are cluttered with framed photos of grand masters and the owner proudly displays vintage sets, including a civil war chess set with pieces representing the Union and Confederate armies.

"This belongs in the Museum of Natural History," Imad Khachan, 52, said of his Greenwich Village business. "This is a dinosaur. But the appeal of it is that it's a dinosaur."

Russ Marhull

For more than two decades, New York's chess community has come to the shop to do battle, discuss strategy, and talk politics and art. But as shifting demographics, online sales, and rent and commercial tax hikes change the landscape of Greenwich Village, iconic businesses like the Chess Forum are finding it increasingly difficult to bank on nostalgia alone.

"There are so many young people residing [in] and visiting Greenwich Village," said Maria Diaz, executive director of the Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce.

Top Tri-State News Photos

As the neighborhood gets younger and more affluent, the character of the small business community has shifted and modernized. More than 50 percent of the population in Greenwich Village is now between 18 and 44, and 10 percent between 18 and 24, Diaz said. The young residents are inclined to do much of their shopping online.

Jes Aznar/Getty Images

Diaz also noted that as rents in the neighborhood increase, the owners of ground floor retail spaces are searching for a new market ceiling for leased space. High-profit businesses are eager to take on a brick-and-mortar presence in lucrative retail corridors to drive sales online.

"Internet sales allow larger businesses to buy more expensive storefronts where the goal is not to produce a net profit, but to promote sales for an online store," Diaz said.

Up against online gaming and sales for years, Khachan attributes the Chess Forums perseverance to customer loyalty and divine intervention.

"I have to say that I'm surprised that it lasted, or we're still here," he said. "In the mid-90s I thought, 'Okay, by 2000 we should be out.'"

"But the minute you doubt, you sink," he added.

Khachan is no stranger to persistence under pressure. In the 1990s he found himself applying the rules of chess to his livelihood when it was under a more conventional threat. After an ownership agreement between Khachan and a former business mentor fell to pieces, Khachan opened the Chess Forum directly across the street from his former partner's shop, The Chess Shop. His move triggered what, in New York chess circles, is still known as the Civil War on Thompson Street.

"Sometimes attack is the best defense," Khachan said of his decision.

Neil Giardino

His move tore New York's tight-knit chess community in two. A ceasefire eventually settled in, with each shop courting its own customers and suppliers. His business rival closed in 2012, but the feud taught Khachan a lesson as strong as any he learned on the board.

"Like any chess game it's the thinking ahead that keeps you one step ahead of the guy who's shooting after you and not hitting you," he said. "You have to keep moving."

Those were the good old days before Amazon, online gaming, and a gentrified neighborhood, Khachan said.

On a recent Saturday, the Chess Forum was packed with tourists and regulars alike. Longtime patron Donald Campbell was locked in competition with his friend Kevin Hilly, both of whom have come to play here for years.

"It's really a last refuge in the city for me," Campbell said. "There used to be a lot of places where you could go have a nice afternoon and it wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. Those places have all disappeared it seems, or most of them."

Despite the increasing odds against holdout businesses like the Chess Forum, Khachan remains optimistic. His favorite chess piece is still the pawn. With hard work and the ability to outsmart the competition, he said, it can be the most important piece on the board.

"He can be a knight, a bishop, a queen or a rook," he said. "His choice."
What to Know President Trump is expected to sign a new executive order on immigration Monday

Trump has asked for a probe into unfounded allegations that former President Obama had his phones wiretapped

North Korea shot banned missiles into the ocean in an apparent response to U.S.-South Korean military drills

Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Trump to Sign New Order on Immigration

President Donald Trump on Monday is expected to sign a revised version of his executive order that restricted travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, two senior White House officials told NBC News. Trump first signed his immigration executive order on Jan. 27, restricting travel from Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Iran, Libya and Iraq. The new order would revoke and replace the previous one and remove Iraq from the list, put a temporary halt on all refugees seeking entrance into the U.S. The first order only halted entrance for Syrian refugees.

Trump Calls for Probe Into Wiretap Claims

President Trump turned to Congress on Sunday for help finding evidence to support his unsubstantiated claim that former President Barack Obama had Trump's telephones tapped during the election. Obama's intelligence chief said no such action was ever carried out. Republican leaders of Congress appeared willing to honor the president's request, but the move has potential risks for the president, particularly if the House and Senate intelligence committees unearth damaging information about the Trump team. Trump claimed in a series of tweets without evidence Saturday that his predecessor had tried to undermine him by tapping the telephones at Trump Tower, the New York skyscraper where Trump based his campaign and transition operations, and maintains a home. FBI Director James Comey asked Justice Department officials to publicly reject Trump's claims. Those close to Trump said its the angriest hes been since taking office.

North Korea Fires Banned Missiles

North Korea on Monday fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), with three of them landing in waters claimed by Japan, officials said, in an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal. The tests will be viewed as a provocation by the Trump administration in Washington, which is working on its policy for North Korea. The North hates the military drills, which run until late April and which analysts say force its impoverished military to respond with expensive deployments and drills of their own.

Marines Share X-Rated Pics: Reports

The Defense Department is investigating reports that some Marines shared naked photographs of female Marines, veterans and other women on a secret Facebook page, some of which were taken without their knowledge. The photographs were shared on a secret Facebook page, "Marines United," that had a membership proof active-duty and retired male Marines, Navy Corpsman and British Royal Marines. The photographs have been taken down, officials said.

Cursive Handwriting Back in Style?

Cursive writing is looping back into style in schools across the country after a generation of students who know only keyboarding, texting and printing out their words longhand. Alabama and Louisiana passed laws in 2016 mandating cursive proficiency in public schools, the latest of 14 states that require cursive. And last fall, the 1.1 million-student New York City schools, the nation's largest public school system, encouraged the teaching of cursive to students, generally in the third grade.

Sleeplessness Common in America: Study

Just as we're springing forward to Daylight Saving Time, a recent study shows 75-percent of all Americans are missing at least one day of work each a year just to catch up on sleep. Some are missing as many as five days.

Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars Shine at iHeart Awards

The 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards started with Justin Timberlake speaking about inclusion and dedicating his award to children who feel different, and ended with a rousing performance by Bruno Mars that included crowd participation from Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Ty Dolla $ign, Heidi Klum and more. Timberlake won the night's first award, song of the year, for "Can't Stop The Feeling!" Heres who else took home an award.

SNL Puts Sessions on the Bench

Alec Baldwin's absence didn't keep "Saturday Night Live" from getting political in this week's cold open sketch. Since much of the news cycle this week focused on President Trump-appointed attorney general Jeff Sessions' possible contact with a Russian ambassador prior to the November election, it made sense that "SNL" set its sights on Sessions. Kate McKinnon presented a hapless, racially insensitive version of the attorney general trying to explain himself to largely uninterested strangers. Watch the skit.
A Queens mother was arrested Friday after police say her 6-year-old son found a small, suspicious box in his backpack -- which turned out to be full of heroin.

The boy, a student at P.S. 209 in the Whitestone section, showed the box to his teacher shortly after arriving at school. The teacher called police.

Authorities say P.S. 209 called the boy's mother, who was arrested when she came to the school.

The NYPD said Leah Pagano, 36, faces drug and child welfare charges. It was not immediately clear what happened to her son after her arrest.



The Administration for Children's Services said it could not comment on individual cases, but that it provides preventive services focused on helping families overcome substance abuse and mental health challenges.



It wasn't known if Pagano had retained an attorney who could comment on the allegations.
What to Know A 26-year-old Long Island man has been accused of trying to join ISIS in Syria

The FBI said Elvis Redzepagic "was persistent in his efforts" to join Islamic militants in civil-war-ravaged Syria

Redzepagic told authorities that he was willing to put on a bomb and sacrifice himself, a complaint reads

A New York man facing terrorism charges for allegedly trying to join ISIS or another extremist group in Syria was ordered held without bail after a brief court hearing Monday.



Elvis Redzepagic, 26, was charged Saturday in Brooklyn with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization; federal authorities said he was prepared to strap on a bomb and sacrifice himself for jihad.



Police on Long Island arrested Redzepagic on Feb. 2 on a minor, unrelated drug charge, and he told them: "I'm going to leave this country, and I'm going to come back with an Army - Islam is coming," according to a federal court complaint.

A defense attorney told the judge at Monday's hearing that her client's medical and mental health needs should be evaluated. Lawyer Mildred Whalen previously said Redzepagic has cooperated with law enforcement.

"We will be working with his family in the hope that the court and the government will see that what he needs is counseling and support, not imprisonment," she said in an email.

Prosecutors argued for no bail, saying Redzepagic is a danger to the community and citing two 911 calls from the Commack home where he lived with his parents. In one instance, investigators said Redzepagic threatened to behead his mother and began to cut tattoos off his own body with a knife.



He allegedly told one of the responding officers, "I feel like stabbing you right now."



In a previous police response to the home, Redzepagic allegedly told police that he was "going to leave this country and going to come back with an Army -- Islam is coming."

Shaken neighbors say they had no idea Redezpagic was following what prosecutors call a violent ideology.

"It's very scary to know it's homegrown here, right in the Commack area," said one neighbor. "I never expected this."

Another neighbor, Andrew Ross, recalled seeing cops taking Redezpagic from his home.

"The final shock was when the guy was screaming last week and they took him out in handcuffs," he said. "It's just a pathetic situation in this kind of neighborhood. See how quiet it is? It's this quiet all the time."

Authorities have prosecuted a number of people accused of trying to join the Islamic State group and other militants in recent years, though in some cases, the accused haven't actually succeeded in traveling overseas.

Redzepagic "was persistent in his efforts" to join Islamic militants in civil-war-ravaged Syria, making it to Turkey in 2015 and Jordan last year and even getting to the Syrian border, said William F. Sweeney, assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York field office.

Redzepagic told authorities after his arrest that he'd become a devout Muslim while in Montenegro, in the Balkans, and believed a cousin was a battalion commander in Syria for the Islamic State or the group once known as the Nusra Front, according to the court complaint. The latter group - now called the Fatah al-Sham Front, and also known at times as Jabhat al-Nusra - is an al-Qaida affiliate.

No one immediately responded to phone or email messages to Redzepagic's relatives.

After telling his cousin he wanted to join him, Redzepagic went to Turkey in July 2015 and aimed for Syria. He got cab rides to the border, then directions to a border wall manned by the military, followed by instructions to try to cross instead by making a two-day trip through the woods, the complaint says.

He'd been willing to put on a bomb and sacrifice himself, he told authorities after his arrest, though he told them at another point he just wanted to "feed the children" in Syria. But frustrated that he didn't getting more help crossing the border, Redzepagic returned to the U.S., the complaint says.

"Since I got back from Turkey from trying to perform jihad and join Jabhat al-Nusra the CIA has been bothering me," he wrote to a Facebook contact in October 2015, the complaint says. "It's annoying but I out smarted them."

The CIA declined to comment Saturday on the case.

He also told various Facebook contacts that "I just don't like this country," apparently meaning the U.S., and that "jihad is the best for u," according to the complaint.

"There will come a time where people will only know to say Allahu akbar," he wrote in one message, using the Arabic phrase for "God is great," says the complaint.

Redzepagic went to Jordan last August to try again to get to Syria, but Jordanian officials stopped him and asked why he wanted to go there. He said he wanted to study Arabic, the complaint says.

It says he then told the same to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, who found he had electronic files about jihad. He said he'd downloaded them two years earlier, the complaint adds.

It's not immediately clear whether he remained on federal authorities' radar between then and his arrest in February. Long Island police notified federal authorities about the arrest, and although he was released without bail on the minor charge, he willingly continued talking to federal agents and let them scrutinize his phone, laptop and Facebook account, the complaint says.
A 16-year-old New Jersey boy and two younger friends from New York City were apprehended after police say they scaled a 15-story crane in Tribeca Sunday.

Police say they got a call about an emotionally disturbed person on West Street near Desbrosses Street around 6:30 p.m. and encountered the teens climbing down the boom of the crane.

All were arrested on charges of criminal trespass, though the younger ones, ages 14 and 15, were charged with the offense as juveniles.

According to the Daily News, the teenagers climbed up the crane to take photos; all had cameras on them when they were taken into custody, the paper said.
Khloe Thompson will turn 10 at the end of March, but shes not your average nine-year-old.

When she was eight, Khloe and her mom, Alisha, started Khloe Kares, a charity organization in California that was entirely Khloes idea.

We would pass homeless people on the way to school and she always asked questions about them, Alisha Thompson said. Shed ask how they got there, why they got there. And that just sparked a conversation.

From there, Khloe knew she wanted to help them. With the help of her grandmother, Khloe made knitted bags that she could stuff full of necessities for the homeless.

Its a long list of things, Thompson said, laughing. Lotion, conditioner, a lot things.

On Friday, Khloe and her mom traveled to Philadelphia after Khloe was invited to speak at a conference hosted by Rutgers University. Khloe, the youngest speaker at the event, led breakout sessions where she talked about aiding the homeless and taught the group how to make her famous bags.

Before the conference, Khloe and her mom met up with Lolly Galvin, the founder of The Dignity Project. Together, the three of them handed out care bags to homeless men and women in Philadelphia.

Shes amazing, Thompson said of her daughter. Shes a really cool kid. I support her in what she does.

As for Khloe, she doesnt plan on stopping anytime soon.

It makes me feel happy, she said. Im just happy that Im doing it.

In April, Khloe and her mom will head to Ghana to take part in the Africa Bridge Connection. In preparation, Khloe raised enough money to install a water pump and hand out shoes to the needy.

I plan on doing it for a while because its just something I like to do, Khloe said.
A 35-year-old Dover man has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting a young girl.

The Delaware Department of Justice announced Eric Curry's sentence Friday.

According to the department, Curry was caught in November 2015 when the sister of his victim witnessed the crime.

Curry was convicted at a bench trial. The department says he was sentenced as a habitual offender because of previous convictions for violent felonies.
A fast-moving fire spread through several homes in Wilmington, Delaware Sunday.

The fire started at a vacant building on E. 22nd Street around 4:40 p.m. and quickly spread to four other homes on the block. Responding firefighters brought the flames under control at 6:55 p.m.

No injuries were reported during the blaze. The Red Cross is assisting 12 residents who were displaced during the fire. Wilmington License and Inspection condemned the five properties impacted by the fire due to unsafe conditions. Officials will continue to investigate the fire Monday morning.

Workers with Delmarva Power secured gas and electrical services in the area and streets were closed.

Firefighters battled a fire that spread to five homes in Wilmington, Delaware Sunday. They were able to bring the flames under control. No injuries were reported though at least 12 residents were displaced.
A Pennsylvania defense contractor says two brothers who formerly owned the company, and their former chief financial officer, are to blame for an alleged $6 million scheme to overcharge the Defense Department for Humvee window kits.

Ibis Tec LLC, of Butler, issued a statement Sunday night saying the business was sold last month to a group of independent investors.

The investors' statement says former co-owners Thomas Buckner of Gibsonia, and John Buckner, of Lyndora, were removed as directors of the company in January, along with former CFO Harry Kramer.

Attorneys for those men haven't commented to The Associated Press.

They were charged Friday by federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh with defrauding the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, also known as TACOM, which is based in Warren, Michigan. [[238427591, C]]
Authorities say an eastern Pennsylvania woman found shot to death had a protection from abuse order against a man later found dead in his car in New Jersey.

Northampton County authorities said 47-year-old Lisa Menzo Santoro was found Friday afternoon in a vehicle in the garage of her Palmer Township home. Police were seeking 45-year-old Leonard Moser, but after his car was stopped in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, Warren County authorities said he apparently killed himself with a shotgun.

Northampton County Sheriff David Dalrymple said Menzo Santoro had obtained a protection-from-abuse order against Moser, which was served to him last Monday. Authorities said none of her four children were in the home when she was killed.

Friends of Menzo Santoro started collecting donations for her children Saturday.
Throngs of people converged in the city of Selma, Alabama, for the annual re-enactment of a key event in the civil rights movement.

Sunday marks the 52nd anniversary of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge over the Alabama River in Selma. On March 7, 1965, African-Americans seeking voting rights launched a march across the bridge en route to Montgomery but were attacked by police. That violent episode became known as "Bloody Sunday."

The march is credited with helping build momentum for passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. Attendees included the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill and North Carolina NAACP President Dr. William Barber.

WFSA-TV reports that a number of Selma church services kicked off Bridge Crossing Jubilee events including at the historic Brown Chapel where speakers remembered the battle for African American voting rights and the role the Chapel played in that fight.

Merrill's speech however upset some audience members. He told onlookers that the state has been working to create more opportunities for people to obtain photo identification and get registered to vote by going to various sites throughout the state.

"We want to make sure that every eligible U.S. citizen that is a resident of Alabama is registered to vote and has a photo ID so they can participate in the electoral process at they level that they want to participate," Merrill said.

Multiple spectators called out in opposition several times of having a photo ID including in the voting process. Many walked out of the church service while Merrill was still talking including NAACP president Barber, according to WFSA.

"Standing on this historic ground, where people died for voting rights, we cannot accept this hypocrisy of voter suppression," Barber said.

The service continued, despite the moments of tension, with Congresswoman Sewell calling for unity and activism and other leaders asking for respect and peace.

This year's march re-enactment was planned despite a dispute over city fees that forced organizers to change plans for a festival-like event leading up to the bridge-crossing commemoration.

The city asked for thousands of dollars to cover the costs of police, fire and cleanup workers, but Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, and other leaders of the event refused to pay. Instead, they moved a music festival to private property rather than holding it on a blocked city street as in past years.

Organizers of an annual Civil War re-enactment held in Selma canceled their event when presented with a similar bill from the city.

This year's crowd for the bridge crossing was expected to be far smaller than the one in 2015, when then-President Barack Obama and his family led tens of thousands of marchers on the 50th anniversary weekend.
Tens of thousands of chickens have been destroyed at a Tennessee chicken farm due to a bird flu outbreak, and 30 other farms within a six-mile radius are being quarantined.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 73,500 chickens were destroyed and will not enter the food system. The highly pathogenic H7 avian influenza, or HPAI, can be deadly to chickens and turkeys.

The breeder supplies Tyson Foods Inc. The company said that it doesn't expect its chicken business to be disrupted, but shares of the Springdale, Arkansas, food producer slid 3 percent in early trading Monday.

`We're responding aggressively, and are working with state and federal officials to contain the virus,'' Tyson said in a company release.

The company said it tests all of its flocks for the virus before they leave the farm out of an abundance of caution. Results are known before the birds are processed, the company said, and animals are not used if bird flu is detected.

Tennessee's Department of Agriculture declined to name the breeder and would only say it is located in the state's Lincoln County, just west of Chattanooga.

There have been bird flu outbreaks in China and in Europe in recent months, though they are of differing strains.

The USDA said Monday that it does not yet know what type of H7 bird flu is affecting the chickens at Tennessee, but will know within 48 hours.
The following content is created in consultation with Mission Federal Credit Union. It does not reflect the work or opinions of NBC San Diego's editorial staff. To learn more about Mission Fed, visit missionfed.com.

Education is empowering. It enables students to transform their lives and the lives of those around them. Yet in todays rapidly evolving, technology-driven world, its important that students not only have access to education, but that theyre also given the best tools and exposed to the biggest ideas.

Thats why Mission Federal Credit Union is on a mission to give extra financial support to local San Diego schools, from elementary through college. As a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative based right here in San Diego County, Mission Fed is dedicated to the local community. By becoming a member, youll enjoy the value of great rates, low fees, and access to 30 local branches.

Youll also be able to make a difference in the community by helping fund educational programs of your choice. With the Mission for Our Schools program, when you open a Mission Fed account, not only will you receive $25 into that new account, Mission Fed will also make a matching donation directly to the school of your choice. These no-strings-attached funds can be used by your school for everything from classroom computers to museum field trips, instruments for the band to science equipment and classroom supplies.

Other examples of how Mission Fed has helped empower local students through educational initiatives include:

Mission 2 $AVE

Mission Fed partnered with a group of local schools and the Girl Scouts of San Diego to create a convenient and consistent way for students of today to learn how to save for tomorrow, as well as to understand the value of money. The award-winning Mission 2 $AVE Credit Union at School Program resulted in more than 5,000 student savers at 47 local schools and balances over two million dollars. Mission Fed has also expanded the Mission 2 $AVE offer to San Diego Girl Scouts and McGrath Family JA BizTown participants.

New Childrens Museum

Mission Feds sponsorship of the New Childrens Museum education programs means over 12,000+ children from San Diego County Title I schools will experience artistic exposure during their no-cost visit. These visits lead to gains in critical thinking, collaboration, optimism, problem solving, creativity, confidence, and interpersonal skills. All of which give students a more vibrant, fulfilling life.

MAX Out My Class

Mission Fed is all about maximizing teacher recognition. During the school year, in partnership with 105.7 Max FM, Mission Feds MAX Out My Class recognizes the dedication and passion that teachers devote to their students future. Every Tuesday, the radio stations crew and Mission Fed visit a school to award a classroom a $200 gift card, a Mission Fed goodie bag, and an on-air interview focused on the teacher and his/her students.

Kids Free in October

Mission Fed has been a longtime supporter of the San Diego Zoo and a sponsor of Kids Free in October since 2011, which allows children ages 11 and under to experience a fun day with their loved ones while learning about animal care and conservation science. This past year alone, over 162,885 kids attended the Zoo and the Safari Park for free through the month of October. The event continues to be a tremendous opportunity to reach children of all cultures and socio-economic backgrounds with a message of hope, and to instill caring for animals, plants, and nature at a young age. Our young guests experiences will encourage them to become the next generation of conservationists.

To learn more about how you can empower local students through education by becoming a Mission Fed member, visit missionfed.com.
The U.S. Post Office in the Eastlake community of Chula Vista, California was named in honor of Jonathan JD De Guzman, the San Diego police officer killed last year in the line of duty.

Dozens of police officers attended Monday's ceremony including San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, Chula Vista Police Chief Roxana Kennedy.

De Guzman was shot and killed in July 2016 during the stop of a gang member in Southeast San Diego.

He had dedicated his life to law enforcement and protecting the community.

Joining the force in 2000, he patrolled neighborhoods, worked on the SWAT team and on the elite gang suppression unit.

The officer's eldest child said he passes by the post office often and it really makes him happy that his father's name will be added to the building.

"I feel like its going to uphold his legacy and preserve it for the San Diego community, said Jonathan De Guzman, Jr.

A plaque and De Guzman's photo will hang in the lobby of the post office on the corner of Kuhn Drive and Miller Drive in Eastlake.
Students and staff at Steele Canyon High School received the national grand prize from the Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) Monday for standing up against gun violence, cyberbullying and teen suicide.

School officials say this was for the second annual Say Something Call-to-Action Week. The school won first place in a national challenge

Nicole Hockley, co-founder and managing director of SHP and the mother of six-year-old Dylan Hockley who was killed in the Sandy Hook tragedy in Newton, Connecticut in December 2012, hosted the private assembly at the school at 11:15 a.m., according to the school.

"Today is about awarding Steel Canyon High School with a fantastic honor. They are the number one winners of our Say Something program across the country," said Hockley.

When Hockley spoke about her slain son at the school assembly, students listened in enthralled silence. Later she said working with the students is one of the most rewarding experiences for her.

"That is incredibly rewarding and I truly believe that this generation of middle and high schoolers that we have right now are going to create a new culture of empathy and kindness and looking out for each other that we really need," said Hockley.

As part of the grand prize, the school will receive $2,500 of Promise Club Seed Money, a Say Something plaque and appreciation from SHP's social media channels.

"It's important because it does save lives in my opinion," said Trevor Kantz, another student at the school who was an active participant in the events. "Our motto here at Steele Canyon is take care of each other, take care of yourself and take care of this place."

English teachers Jennifer Serban and Jillian West lead the program along with 80 student ambassadors, who took charge of planning the events from Oct. 24 to 28, said school officials.

Steele Canyon High High given $2500 award by Sandy Hook Promise Foundation for anti Gun violence campaign. #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/7LLdvKGjFv  Artie Ojeda (@ArtieNBCSD) March 6, 2017

For the SHP challenge, students and staff promoted the Say Something Call-to-Action week by organizing a variety of activities and educational events. School officials say they created posters, decorated the campus, ran lunchtime activities, created and produced videos for school-wide broadcasts which encouraged critical dialogue in the classrooms and planned dress-up days.

"We're pretty much just teaching people how to be open minded and see things they normally wouldn't look out for," said Kasandra Marzec, a student at the school who created an Instagram account for Say Something week.

Staff also sent a letter to parents explaining the program and promoting conversation within the family. Moreover, the school launched an Instagram campaign and competition to engage students via social media.

"It creates more comfort within our school to have students reach out to teachers and reach out to other people instead of hiding the truth," said Marzec.

All students were required to participate in at least one Say Something activity throughout the week, according to the school.

Four hundred students and local community leaders were expected to attend the ceremony. School officials say the high school also received an honorable mention in last year's call-to-action week, maintaining the Say Something program throughout the year.

"I think that it's definitely made a difference here," said Krantz.
Commander Willis E. (Bill) Hardy doesnt see himself as a hero. Dozens of people who showed up at McPs in Coronado to get an autograph, a photo and shake the hand of the 97-year-old World War II vet might disagree.

The Naval aviator shot down five kamikaze pilots on April 6, 1945 making him an ace in a day.

97 y/o WWII Veteran Bill Hardy, a Naval Aviator & Hellcat Ace, shot down 5 Kamikazes in 1 day over Okinawa in 1945. His story tonight #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/lCzOjiAvi0  Astrid Solorzano (@solorzanoastrid) March 6, 2017

I dont think a hero has anything to do [with it], he replied when asked about people referring to him that way. Its just a days work when youre doing it every day. Theres no hero to it.

Despite his modesty, Hardy remembers that April day with perfect clarity.

They briefed us in the morning before we left the carrier that a thousand kamikazes were going to come down that day. 400 of the suicide pilots came down in groups from the main land to Okinawa, he told NBC 7. And so we got down low and flew up behind them and I told my wing man dont fire till I fire cause we dont want to get in a tussle so we pulled up underneath them and right behind them gave [the trigger] a squeeze, both their landing gear went down.

NBC 7

Commander Hardy said shooting down the planes was the easy part.

Shooting down the five was a piece of cake, but finding the way back to your carrier, which is 150 miles away when you only have 50 gallons of gas left, he explained, that was the hard part.

He said what his misses the most about his time in the Navy was the challenge.

I just miss the challenge, he said. It was a challenge every day to shoot the other guy and not get shot yourself, so I spent four and a half months in combat never got a hole in my airplane because I saw them fist and got them and they never got me.

Hardy also took part in two Tokyo strikes, the Iwo Jima invasion and the Okinawa campaign.

While in Okinawa Hardy was stationed on the USS Hornet.

The event was organized by the "The World War II History Project" group, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the personal stories of WWII veterans.
Malaysia said it expelled North Korea's ambassador on Saturday for refusing to apologize for his strong accusations over Malaysia's handling of the investigation into the killing of the North Korean leader's half brother.

Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said a notice was sent to the North Korean Embassy at around 6 p.m. declaring Ambassador Kang Chol persona non grata. The notice said Kang must leave Malaysia within 48 hours.

Earlier in the week, Malaysia demanded that North Korea formally apologize for Kang's accusations over the investigation into the Feb. 13 killing of Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur's airport, including that "the Malaysian government had something to hide and that Malaysia has colluded with outside powers to defame" North Korea, Anifah said in a statement.

He said that no apology had come and none appeared forthcoming, and that North Korean Embassy officials also failed to turn up for a meeting Saturday at the foreign ministry, so Malaysia decided to expel the ambassador.

"It should be made clear  Malaysia will react strongly against any insults made against it or any attempt to tarnish its reputation," Anifah said.

The death of Kim, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has unleashed a diplomatic battle between Malaysia and North Korea. Authorities said Kim was killed within 20 minutes after two women smeared his face with VX, a banned nerve agent considered a weapon of mass destruction.

Kang's expulsion came just days after Malaysia said it would scrap visa-free entry for North Koreans and expressed concern over the use of the nerve agent. Anifah had said this was an "indication of the government's concern that Malaysia may have been used for illegal activities."

Earlier Saturday, a North Korean chemist deported from Malaysia accused police of threatening to kill his family unless he confessed to killing Kim. Ri Jong Chol, who was released after police said there was insufficient evidence to charge him, spoke to reporters in Beijing while on his way to Pyongyang.

Ri said that he wasn't at the airport the day Kim was killed, but that police accused him of being a mastermind and presented him with "fake evidence." He said they showed him a picture of his wife and two children, who were staying with him in Kuala Lumpur, and threatened to kill them.

"These men kept telling me to admit to the crime, and if not, my whole family would be killed, and you too won't be safe. If you accept everything, you can live a good life in Malaysia," Ri said. "This is when I realized that it was a trap ... they were plotting to tarnish my country's reputation."

Malaysia's national police chief, Khalid Abu Bakar, said he would hold a news conference on Tuesday to respond to Ri's comments.

Ri was detained four days after Kim died, but police never said what they believed his role in the attack was. Two women  one Indonesian, one Vietnamese  have been charged with murder in the case, although both reportedly say they were duped into thinking they were playing a harmless prank.

Malaysia is looking for seven other North Korean suspects, four of whom are believed to have left the country on the day of the killing. Three others, including an official at the North Korean Embassy and an employee of Air Koryo, North Korea's national carrier, are believed to still be in Malaysia.

On Friday, police issued an arrest warrant for the Air Koryo employee, Kim Uk Il, but didn't say why he is a suspect. Police say he arrived in Malaysia on Jan. 29, about two weeks before Kim was killed.

North Korea earlier had rejected Malaysia's autopsy finding that VX killed Kim. Ri Tong Il, a former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations, said he probably died of a heart attack because he suffered from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Malaysia's finding that VX killed Kim boosted speculation that North Korea orchestrated the attack. Experts say the oily poison was almost certainly produced in a sophisticated state weapons laboratory, and North Korea is widely believed to possess large quantities of chemical weapons, including VX.

North Korea is trying to retrieve Kim's body, but has not acknowledged that the victim is Kim Jong Un's half brother, as Malaysian government officials have confirmed.

Kim Jong Nam reportedly fell out of favor with his father, the late Kim Jong Il, in 2001, when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport to visit Tokyo Disneyland.
Ukraine's deputy foreign minister on Monday accused Russia of financing terrorism by shipping arms, ammunition and funds to separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine and of discriminating against non-Russians in the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

The charges came as a case between Kiev and Moscow opened at the U.N.'s highest judicial organ.

The International Court of Justice case, which also seeks reparations for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, opens a new legal front in the bitter, drawn-out conflict between Russia and its neighbor Ukraine.

"This case will send a message about whether the international legal order can stand up to powerful countries that disregard law and disrespect human rights," Kiev's Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal told the 16-judge world court panel.

The Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur Flight MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014, by a Buk surface-to-air missile over conflict-torn eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. International investigators have concluded that the Buk missile that shot down MH17 was fired from Russia-backed rebel-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine by a mobile launcher trucked in from Russia and hastily returned there, a finding that Moscow rejects.

Calling the downing of MH17 "nothing less than an attack on humanity," Prof. Harold Koh, a lawyer representing Ukraine, warned that if the court did not take action, the missile launcher "could return again to Ukraine tomorrow."

The main case, in which Ukraine is asking the court to rule that Russia is breaching treaties on terrorist financing and racial discrimination, is likely to take months or years to resolve. But judges will likely take just weeks to rule on whether to grant the provisional measures sought by Kiev at the hearing Monday.

They include an order to halt financing to rebels in eastern Ukraine and to stop discriminating against non-Russians in Crimea.

Russia will present its legal arguments on Tuesday.

Koh said Ukraine wants the court "to invoke its legal authority to protect innocent Ukrainian civilians threatened by indiscriminate terrorism and cultural erasure."
The first tour group to visit the White House since President Donald Trump took office got a big surprise Tuesday -- the president himself said hello.

Trump welcomed a small crowd of visitors in the East Wing, waving from behind a velvet rope as the crowd screamed, cheered and took photos.

The president pulled Jack Cornish, 10, from Birmingham, Alabama, from the crowd and hugged him as visitors and journalists looked on.

The White House, which traditionally halts tours during the transition of administrations, had been closed to tours for six weeks.

"I am excited to reopen the White House to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come each year," first lady Melania Trump said in a statement announcing the resumption of the tours. "The White House is a remarkable and historic site and we are excited to share its beauty and history. I am committed to the restoration and preservation of our nation's most recognizable landmark."

To book free public tours, visitors must make requests through their members of Congress. (You can find your representative here and your senators here.)

The self-guided, free tours are available 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tour hours can be extended when possible, based on the official White House schedule, according to the official website.

Tours may be requested up to three months in advance and must be submitted at least 21 days before your visit. Tours are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Public schools in Alexandria, Virginia, will be closed for students on Wednesday, March 8 because more than 300 staff members requested leave when the "Day Without a Woman" boycott is set to be held.

So many staff members requested the day off that the school district was forced to cancel classes, a letter sent to parents on Monday said.

"The decision is based solely on our ability to provide sufficient staff to cover all our classrooms, and the impact of high staff absenteeism on student safety and delivery of instruction," the letter said. "It is not based on a political stance or position."

Wednesday is still a workday for teachers, the district said.

The organizers of the Women's March on Washington are calling for a general strike in which women "take the day off from paid and unpaid labor," the group's website says.

"The goal is to highlight the economic power and significance that women have in the U.S. and global economies, while calling attention to the economic injustices women and gender-nonconforming people continue to face," the website says.

D.C. schools will be open Wednesday, a representative said.

"While some may plan to attend this weeks walkout on International Womens Day, all students and staff are expected to be in school throughout the day so that teaching and learning can continue," a statement from the school district said. "We respect the right to self-expression and peaceful protest in support of gender equality. We encourage staff and students to use this as an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women through classroom discussion and activities."

No closure of Fairfax County, Virginia, schools is planned, a district representative said. District officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, are monitoring the situation, a representative said. A representative for Prince George's County, Maryland, schools said there was no information to share.

Alexandria school district officials apologized to families who may now be scrambling for childcare on Wednesday.

"We understand that when schools close there is an impact on families, who may have to find unanticipated childcare. We apologize for this unforeseen burden on parents and thank you for your patience and understanding," the letter said.

Some of the district's early childhood and after-school programs will operate on a normal schedule. See the district's website for more information.

People across the country participated in "A Day Without Immigrants" event Feb. 16 to protest Trump's immigration policies and show the importance of immigrants in our daily lives. Many D.C. restaurants closed for the day.
One of the teenage boys charged in connection with the abduction and murder of 15-year-old Alexandra Reyes last month in Fairfax County, Virginia, was wearing a court-ordered GPS electronic monitoring device at the time of the killing, according to a search warrant.

The teen had a prior conviction, and the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court ordered him on Jan. 4 to wear the GPS monitor. Detectives wrote in a search warrant that they learned the GPS data placed the suspect at the locations "where the abduction and torture of the victim occurred."

Not all juveniles with ankle bracelets are on house arrest. Court officials are barred from speaking about specific terms of supervision in his case. But they said there was no violation; the teen's presence at the industrial park where Reyes was found dead did not trigger an alarm.

Fairfax County's director of court services for juveniles, Bob Bermingham, said the system appeared to have worked worked as intended.

"I have no indication in this case that we have any dysfunction in the GPS system," he said. "There was no formal violations filed with the court in the supervision of this case."

Court officials said they will continue to review their work.

Reyes had been missing from her home in Gaithersburg, Maryland, for two months before she was found dead Feb. 11 in an industrial area of Fairfax County, Virginia.

The juvenile suspect was arrested Feb. 10 and charged with abduction and participation in a street gang. He admitted his role in the abduction, according to detectives.

A total of 10 people were charged in connection with the case.

Among them, five suspects -- two young adults and three juveniles -- are facing charges of murder, abduction and gang participation. Another five suspects -- two young adults and three juveniles -- were charged with abduction and gang participation.

The warrant sought records of the teen suspect's whereabouts from the company that owns the GPS device, 3M Electronic Monitoring in Odessa, Florida.

The warrant also provided gruesome new details on how Reyes was killed. It says detectives have reviewed and translated several cellphone videos. Prince William County police found the cellphone video clips before Reyes' body was found.

Based on statements in the videos, police believe Reyes was killed in retaliation for the Jan. 12 murder of Christian Alexander Sosa Rivas, 21, in Dumfries, Virginia.

Prince William County court documents suggest that Reyes may have been blamed by rival gang members for helping to lure Sosa Rivas to his killers.

The videos, taken by gang members, show the interrogation and taunting of the victim by several males and at least one female before she was ordered to walk farther into the woods.

"Some of the videos depict the interrogators holding a knife, poking the victim with a knife and stabbing the victim with a large pointed log while the victim still exhibited signs of life," the warrant says. "In one of the videos, the victim is lying supine on the ground surrounded by dead leaves and bleeding heavily from large wounds on different areas of her body."

News4 is awaiting comment from police.
Anne Arundel County police are searching for a man who is accused of murdering his girlfriend.

A man who is accused of killing his girlfriend was apprehended in Baltimore, police said.

Ryan Gregory Hollebon, 38, was sought in the death of Jhalandia Elaine Butler, Anne Arundel County police said Monday.

Butler was killed Sunday in the 1700 block of Carry Place in Crofton, Maryland.

Police had advised the public to use extreme caution and call 911 if they came in contact with the 6-foot-1-inch, 165-pound Hollebon.
President Donald Trump's revised travel order eases some of the legal questions surrounding the previous order, but critics said it does not answer all of them, including accusations that the measure is a thinly veiled attempt to discriminate against Muslims.

Opponents promised to challenge the president again in court.

The new, narrower order announced Monday temporarily bars new visas for citizens of six predominantly Muslim countries  one fewer than the original order, with Iraq removed from the list. It also suspends the entire U.S. refugee program.

The measure applies only to refugees who are not already on their way to the United States and people seeking new visas. It removes language that gave priority to religious minorities. Critics said the language was designed to help Christians get into the U.S. and to exclude Muslims.

The changes will make the new executive order tougher to fight in court, but they "will not quell litigation or concerns," Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration law professor at Cornell University Law School, said in a written statement.

"U.S. relatives will still sue over the inability of their loved ones to join them in the United States," he said. "U.S. companies may sue because they cannot hire needed workers from the six countries. And U.S. universities will worry about the impact of the order on international students' willingness to attend college in the United States."

The American Civil Liberties Union promised "to move very quickly" to try to stop the order.

New York immigration attorney Ted Ruthizer said this order will be "much, much tougher" for a federal judge to block.

Courts could find it compelling that the order does not cover all Muslims from all countries, he said. And judges have a history of upholding portions of immigration law that discriminate on the basis of race and nationality when national security is an issue.

"There's still the argument that, when you take down all the window dressing, it's still a religion ban, but these are the kinds of nuances that the courts will look at," Ruthizer said.

Top Republicans welcomed Trump's changes. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah said the revised order makes significant progress toward what Hatch called for after the first version: to avoid hindering innocent travels and refugees fleeing violence and persecution.

He urged Trump "to continue the difficult work of crafting policies that keep us safe while living up to our best values."

House Speaker Paul Ryan said the order "advances our shared goal of protecting the homeland."

States that challenged the original travel order claimed victory to an extent, saying the changes amounted to an "incredible concession" that the original order was flawed, as Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, put it.

Herring and Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who successfully sued to stop implementation of the original order after it created chaos at airports around the country, said they were reviewing the new order to determine what legal steps to take next.

"Although the new order appears to be significantly scaled back, it still sends a horrible message to the world, to Muslim-Americans, and to minority communities across the country, without any demonstrable benefit to national security," Herring said.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, who joined in the court challenge, described the updated order as "a clear attempt to resurrect a discredited order and fulfill a discriminatory and unconstitutional campaign promise."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who backed the first order, said in a statement that the president had the authority to secure the nation's borders "in light of the looming threat of terrorism."

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a sharp critic of the first order, said the new version was "nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing, different packaging intended to achieve the same result."

A spokesman for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld a Seattle judge's restraining order in the Washington case, said the court was evaluating the new executive order's effect on the existing case. The Justice Department filed papers Monday in federal court in Seattle arguing that the restraining order should not block the new order from taking effect as scheduled March 16.

Critics said the new order failed to address some other concerns, including the notion that the measure attempts to enact the Muslim ban Trump advocated during his campaign. Washington state, joined by Minnesota, argued that the order violated the First Amendment's separation of church and state.

The 9th Circuit's ruling did not deal with those arguments, but the court said it would evaluate them after further briefing. The states' claims "raise serious allegations and present significant constitutional questions," the judges wrote.

Larry E. Klayman, a founder of and lawyer for the conservative group Freedom Watch, supported the original order when it was before the appellate court and called the new version "quite modest."

"Right now, we're in a state of war with certain countries, and this is a reasonable approach to it," Klayman said.

Additionally, a question remained over whether the new order conflicted with federal immigration law, said Jorge Baron, executive director of the Seattle-based Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. His organization filed a class-action complaint over the initial order and said it would amend its arguments in light of the new one.

"Our immigration laws specifically say you cannot discriminate on basis of nationality in this process," Baron said. "The president can't rewrite the law by executive order."
Two former corrections officers have been sentenced to probation after pleading guilty in federal court to smuggling an opioid substitute into a Massachusetts jail.

Federal prosecutors say 32-year-old Katherine Sullivan, of Londonderry, New Hampshire, was sentenced last week to three years of probation and 120 hours of community service.

Sullivan pleaded guilty to conspiring with inmates in 2015 to distribute Suboxone at the Essex County House of Corrections - Middleton.

Thirty-four-year-old John Weir, of Danvers, Massachusetts, received the same sentence earlier this year. He pleaded guilty to conspiring with inmates in 2014 to distribute the drug.

Suboxone comes in a thin, translucent film form that looks like breath strips.

Authorities say inmates sold the drug to fellow inmates after receiving it from Sullivan and Weir. Both have resigned.
A woman and five children were rushed to the hospital after a carbon monoxide leak in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Officials from the Waltham Fire Department are currently monitoring elevated carbon monoxide levels at the Colonial Shopping Center on 85 River St. One adult and five children were transported after a confirmed carbon monoxide leak, according to Waltham Fire Chief Anthony Capello.

The adult was a 35-year-old woman and all five children were under age 10. Their current conditions are unknown.

Officials believe the leak is likely the result of a blocked vent or heating system in the Clearwater Laundromat. The Waltham fire department detected carbon monoxide levels at 35 parts per million inside the laundromat, a drastic difference the normal level of 9 parts per million.

All businesses at the Colonial Shopping Center were temporarily closed, but have since reopened. Additionally, crews have restored electricity are carefully searching the laundromat to ensure the area is safe.
Police in New Hampshire have arrested a Massachusetts man in connection with a shooting in Boston.

Jalen Morris, 22, of Roxbury, was arrested around 10:30 a.m. Friday on Log Street in Manchester, according to police. Detectives spotted Morris entering a vehicle outside a local apartment. He was taken into custody without incident a short time later.

Morris was charged with being a fugitive from justice. He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Manchester District Court.

Details of the Boston shooting have not yet been released.
A Massachusetts man is headed to court in connection with an apparently random stabbing at a Rhode Island pharmacy.

Warwick Police say 41-year-old Jacob Gallant, of Westport, is due in Kent County Courthouse in Warwick on Wednesday. He's being held on $100,000 bail on a charge of assault with intent to murder and was ordered to undergo a competency evaluation following his arrest.

Warwick RI Police Department

Police say Gallant stabbed 18-year-old Rite-Aid employee Alyssa Garcia at least eight times in a store aisle on Sunday before two men intervened. They were identified as co-worker 19-year-old Connor Devine and 51-year-old customer Stanley Bastien.

Gallant's family told police he's been struggling with the recent death of his grandmother. The family in a statement expressed sympathy for Garcia, who is recovering, and thanked the good Samaritans.
After President Donald Trump's administration announced his revised executive order regarding immigration on Monday, lawmakers across New England are speaking out and considering possible legal responses.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, who calls the ban a "misguided policy," promised to weigh legal options to protect residents, businesses and institutions in the Bay State.

"The president's travel ban was already rejected by the courts and abandoned in defeat by his attorneys," Healey said in a statement. "This watered-down redraft is a clear attempt to resurrect a discredited order and fulfill a discriminatory and unconstitutional campaign process."

The order shuts down the U.S. refugee program for four months and limits immigration from six Muslim-majority nations.

"President Trump is handing ISIS recruitment gold and is putting American lives at risk," Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in a statement. "Our enemies' dream is to paint a picture of global war between Islam and the West, and today's travel ban plays right into their hands. I will immediately revise and re-introduce my bill to block its implementation."

"The Trump administration's decision to delay this revised ban in order to maximize positive press coverage sends a clear message that this directive is about politics, not national security," added Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. "Arbitrarily imposing travel restrictions on certain Muslim-majority countries only makes us less safe by reinforcing terrorist propaganda and recruitment. It's shameful that this administration would needlessly separate families and single out refugees who are fleeing violence and seeking a better life. Immigrants make up the fabric of this country, and they continue to enrich our communities and strengthen our economy. America is better than this."

On Twitter, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called the order "racist and anti-Islamic."

This isnt about keeping America safe. Lets call it what it is. This ban is a racist and anti-Islamic attempt to divide us up. https://t.co/nDrGdOUNUs  Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) March 6, 2017

"Despite the changes, this is just another attempt by the Trump administration at a backdoor Muslim ban  with Trump's own advisers admitting that the goals are the same as his previous executive order," Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire wrote. "There have been reports that the Department of Homeland Security's own analysis showed no intelligence basis for the ban, and former defense and intelligence officials from both parties have said that the ban would make us less safe ... I support strengthening the vetting process for all entryways into the United States while remaining true to our values, and I am very concerned that the Trump administration has shown that it puts political considerations before national security and the values that make us strong."

"I believe the new travel ban, like the first, is outrageous, immoral and unconstitutional," Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire wrote. "Since the first travel ban, a Department of Homeland Security assessment has made it clear this approach will do nothing to make us safer. Instead, it risks putting our troops in danger, alienating our allies and fueling anti-American propaganda. I will continue to oppose this and any blanket travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries and to work on behalf of New Hampshire's refugees, immigrants and foreign students."

The new version of Trump's executive order suspends the nation's refugee program for 120 days. When it's lifted, no more than 50,000 refugees will be allowed entry during the fiscal year 2017. It prohibits new visas for people traveling from Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Libya.

The previous incarnation of the order included Iraq and also impacted people with active visas.

Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts likened the two versions to "a bad movie with a bad sequel."

"The executive order remains blatantly discriminatory and still encourages the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to engage in religious-based questioning. We cannot allow the Trump administration to write bigotry into U.S. immigration policy. The new travel ban will continue to keep families separated and hurt universities and businesses in Massachusetts that have students and employees seeking to come to the United States," Markey wrote. "This new travel ban will not make our nation safer and only serves as a recruitment tool for ISIS and other terrorists. The courts blocked Donald Trump's first Muslim ban because it trampled on constitutional rights, and I anticipate this new attempt to repackage it will meet the same fate."

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh agrees with that sentiment.

"While this administration is packaging this as a new and improved executive order, it is the same ban that discriminates against the same people," he wrote in a statement. "It was wrong the first time and it's wrong the second. In Boston, we will always stand by our immigrant community."

Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, a military veteran, was also critical of the order, particularly the impact on refugees.

"Ensuring the safety of Americans here at home and our troops abroad is one of my most sacred responsibilities as a member of Congress," he explained. "But this new ban does absolutely nothing to strengthen the vetting process ... These are men, women and children who are fleeing violence and persecution by terrorists. Their enemies are America's enemies. By turning our backs on them, it makes it more difficult to work with our allies in the Middle East, allies who are vital to defeating ISIS and other terrorist groups. President Trump's ban continues to make us less safe and is in total opposition to the values upon which our country was founded. I will continue to fight for those American values when they are under assault from within just as I put my life on the line to defend them overseas."

The ACLU of Massachusetts, meanwhile, says it "will closely monitor this new executive order and assess its validity."

"President Trump's original executive order stranded travelers, upended families, disrupted businesses and institutions globally, and faced many federal lawsuits," the organization said in a statement. "We remain proud of our urgent work in the last several weeks, and we stay deeply committed to protecting freedoms of all Massachusetts residents  and challenging any actions we believe to be illegal, unconstitutional and dangerous."
Police have identified a man killed when his pickup truck struck an oil tanker in Maine.

State public safety officials say 70-year-old Belfast resident Herman Reynolds died in Monday's crash in Liberty, about 25 miles east of Augusta in Waldo County. They say the driver of the tanker truck was a 56-year-old Solon resident.

The crash occurred on Route 3. Traffic had to be diverted around the crash site.

State troopers are investigating the cause of the crash.
Police are looking for a work release inmate who walked away from a transitional housing facility in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The state Department of Corrections says 25-year-old Christopher William Plaisted-Comeau, formerly of Plymouth, walked away from the Calumet Transitional Housing Unit on Sunday morning and failed to show up for work.

He was put on walkaway status around 1:30 p.m.

Plaisted-Comeau is serving a two-to four-year sentence for reckless conduct.

He is described as having red-auburn hair and blue eyes. He also has a tattoo on his left arm.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to come forward.
Getting through airport security, and getting into federal facilities, could become more difficult for Maine residents if lawmakers dont act fast.

Maine state identifications are not up to Homeland Security standards, as outlined in the Real ID Act of 2005. If the legislature does not approve changes to the IDs soon, the TSA will stop accepting them at airports next year, forcing Maine residents to use an alternative form of ID, such as a passport.

Maine residents using state IDs are already having issues getting into federal facilities, such as military bases.

This is serious, said Maine Senator Bill Diamond (D-Windham), who has sponsored a bill to bring Maine IDs into federal compliance. Its something we need to do, and we need to do it fast.

The bill, which has bipartisan support, gets a public hearing in committee Tuesday at 2 p.m.

I think people should be very cautious about this, said Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap, who said lawmakers need to consider concerns about personal privacy.

The Real ID law requires photographs that run through facial recognition software. To get an ID, a citizen needs to submit a copy of a personal document, such as a birth certificate.

Dunlap worries about the government collecting all of this personal information and possibly creating a database.

I think theres a lot for people to be concerned about, said Dunlap. The government will have unfettered access [to the information.]

But supporters of the bill say most other states have already issued Real IDs, without incident.

Other states have done this and theres not been a problem, said Diamond. I really think Maine has got to get on board.

Dunlap estimates the updates to IDs would cost the state $2-3 million.
The jury in the double-murder trial of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was sent home early after the judge said he needed time to consider a claim that Hernandez's lawyers have new evidence that could help their client.

Attorney Ronald Sullivan told Judge Jeffrey Locke on Monday that Warren McMaster, a street sweeper who passed by the 2012 drive-by shooting scene, saw a woman or someone with braids rising from the sunroof of a white SUV and holding what appeared to be a recording device.

Prosecutors accuse Hernandez of fatally shooting Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado as he rode in a silver Toyota 4Runner.

Hernandez's defense team argued that the street sweeper's information had to be dealt with before certain witnesses testified on Monday, arguing that it demonstrates police botched the investigation and could be reason enough to dismiss the case.

Prosecutor Patrick Haggan said McMaster did not mention a white SUV during his initial police interview.

Court resumed without the jury present after a two-hour recess, with testimony from McMaster and Boston Police Detective Paul MacIssac, who interviewed the street sweeper on the night of the killings.

McMaster described the officers he spoke to on the night of the murders as "rowdy" and said they've treated him the same way ever since. When asked who he told about the white SUV, he said he couldn't remember because "there were a lot of people in my face... violating my rights." He said police pushed him on the ground and threatened to arrest him and went through the contents of his street sweeper.

"I felt like a dog," he said. "Like, should I roll over and do tricks next?"

Locke took a defense motion to dismiss under advisement. Testimony is expected to resume on Tuesday morning.

Monday's bombshell came after the panel of 15 jurors spent two hours Friday at the Cure Lounge in Boston, Massachusetts, where prosecutors say one of the victims bumped into Hernandez back in July 2012, spilling his drink.

The jury also stopped at the Tufts parking garage, where the victims were seen in surveillance video leaving in a BMW. And they were taken to the site of the shooting scene and a Boston Police Department evidence facility where they were shown the Toyota 4Runner that Hernandez and his former friend, Alexander Bradley, were allegedly in when the shooting occurred.

By Friday afternoon, jurors had returned to the courtroom to hear testimony from a Cure Lounge manager and review security footage of Hernandez's interaction with Furtado and de Abreu.

Hernandez's lawyer said during opening statements that Bradley is the real killer. Bradley is expected to be the prosecution's star witness against Hernandez.

On Thursday, the jurors were shown photos of a silver SUV with Rhode Island plates at a parking garage near the club, the site of the 2012 murders.

Hernandez is accused of gunning down Furtado and de Abreu from the SUV.

The former NFL star was convicted in April 2015 of gunning down semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd in June 2013. He was sentenced to life without parole.
Authorities have identified a mother who was killed along with four of her children in a fire over the weekend in Warwick, Massachusetts.

The Northwestern District Attorney's Office said 42-year-old Lucinda Seago died in the 3-alarm fire that destroyed her Richmond Road home early Saturday morning.

Four of her five children  a 7-year-old, a 9-year-old, a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old  were also killed in the fire. However, officials have not released their names or genders.

Seago's husband, who hasn't been named, and a fifth child were able to escape the burning home and survived.

Investigators believe the fire started in a wood stove. By the time fire crews arrived, the house was fully engulfed in flames.

Neighbors say the family was very active in Warwick's tight-knit community.

"They were always very happy. The kids were great kids, the parents loved their kids," one local said. "They spent so much time showing the kids and teaching the kis just about the world in general."
St Peter Mancroft Church Norwich Presents The Leaves of the Trees an installation by sculptor Peter Walker which provides a memorial for those who died of Covid-19

St Peter Mancroft Church Norwich Presents The Leaves of the Trees an installation by sculptor Peter Walker which provides a memorial for those who died of Covid-19

Community Chaplaincy Norfolk begins a new chapter Community Chaplaincy Norfolk (CCN) celebrated the beginning of a new chapter this week, as the new chair of trustees Chris Tomlinson led his first annual meeting. Read more

Lowestoft Christians launch on-line bible helps app The Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth branch of Good News for Everyone (GNFE), formerly the Gideons, have introduced a new mobile phone app called On-line Bible Helps. Read more

Addicts' rehabilitation centre plan for Drayton Hall Christian addiction charity Teen Challenge London is planning to turn Drayton Hall near Norwich into its headquarters and a rehabilitation centre for men, after it was gifted the freehold of the hall by its owner, the Lind Trust. Read more

The power of positive protest Philip Young encourages us to take a stand for what we believe, and has just written to Therese Coffey regarding climate change and the forthcoming COP 27. He explains why we should be prepared to protest. Read more

Norwich church celebrates with cribs and trees Rosebery Road Methodist Church in Norwich will be holding its annual Cribs and Trees Festival in December. Read more

Transforming Norwich lunch offers ministry tips Ex-Brighton vicar, Rev Phil Moon, will offer tips on how to keep going in ministry to the Transforming Norwich leaders lunch on Wednesday November 16. Read more

Quiet Waters in Bungay offers healing retreat Quiet Waters Christian Retreat in Bungay is holding a gentle day retreat exploring healing in the Kingdom of God. Read more

Latest Norfolk Christian community events Events of interest to the Norwich and Norfolk Christian community happening over the next few weeks are listed. Read more

Norfolk ministry coaching duo are guest speakers Former church leaders and now freelance ministry coaches, Jonathan and Paige Squirrell, are the guest speakers at the next dinner of Norwich FGB on Monday, November 21. Read more

Bringing light to Halloween Anna Price encourages Christians to engage positively with Halloween rather than hide away, on what many see as the darkest night of the year. Read more

First service takes place at Norwich church site SOUL Church hosted around 400 people for a special service on the site of their new building on Heartsease Lane. Read more

Dereham draws up list of warm places for winter As rising energy prices make it harder to heat homes, churches in Dereham are leading the way in creating warm spaces where people can go. Read more

South Norfolk church scoops national award A medieval Anglican church in a tiny hamlet in South Norfolk has won a national award and a 10,000 boost. Read more

Dereham churches help people to help themselves A group of churches in Dereham have launched an ambitious project which aims to meet needs in the town, including the provision of food and skills training. Read more

Halloween light in Gorleston church On Halloween this year, St Mary Magdalene Church in Gorleston will be preparing to welcome around 200 families to experience their Light on a Dark Night event. Read more

An opportunity for Norwich to pray for the nation Rev Nigel Fox, who has served as a Methodist Minister for 15 years in Norwich, shares an open invitation to pray for the nation at a crucial moment. Read more

Norwich church seeks musicians Kingdom Ambassadors International Church is appealing for instrumentlists, keyboardists and guitarists to be part of their worship experience. Read more
First off, I have to issue something of a correction regarding last week's blog post on Intel price cuts. As it turns out, I have been informed that Intel didn't cut the prices, Micro Center cut them as a loss leader, something it frequently does. It doesn't change the bargain prices, just the motivation. So, I wanted to set the record straight on that.

Onward. Microsoft is looking for a few good bugs. And people who will keep it quiet.

OK, so I have no evidence of direct causality, but it seems convenient. Over the past few weeks, Google has embarrassed Microsoft twice by publicly disclosing security vulnerabilities in Windows 10 that still have not been patched after 90 days. Google has no mercy with its Zero Day disclosures and plays no favorites. Any company that does not fix a bug by 90 days after Google informs them of it will be hung out to dry.

So, it seems suspect that Microsoft has doubled their bug bounty for a limited period to up to $30,000 if researchers find a serious bug in certain Microsoft services. The bounty runs from March 1 to May 31, 2017.

Of course, finding the bugs isn't the problem. Google keeps finding them. The problem is getting Microsoft to fix them. But that's another story.

Controlling the bug process

Having bugs found by researchers and paid by Microsoft would give the company a little more control over the process, rather than have their hand forced by Google. And presumably Microsoft will NDA the hell out of the researcher so they don't blab to the whole internet about what they found.

Microsoft is offering rewards for services on the following domains:

portal.office.com

outlook.office365.com

outlook.office.com

*.outlook.com

outlook.com

The total list includes 18 domains and 37 eligible endpoints covered by the standard bug bounty.

Microsoft wants researchers to look for nine different types of bugs, including:

Cross-site scripting (XSS)

Cross-site request forgery (CSRF)

Unauthorized cross-tenant data tampering or access (for multi-tenant services)

Insecure direct object references

Injection vulnerabilities

Authentication vulnerabilities

Server-side code execution

Privilege escalation

Significant security misconfiguration (when not caused by user)

Of course, bug hunters can always sell their findings on the darknet to criminal organizations that specialize in malware creation for a whole lot more money. That would also be very illegal.
DNA is supposed to be the answer for solving cold cases. For example, Wisconsin police have turned to DNA to help solve a 42-year-old cold case of Baby Sarah. Recently in Niagara Falls, cops found the man responsible for a smash and grab robbery committed 11 years ago, in 2006, via DNA which the man had been ordered to submit for unrelated offences. But it takes some state labs a year-and-a-half to process DNA, so some police departments are bypassing the state labs and creating their own DNA databases to track criminals.

The Associated Press reported:

Dozens of police departments around the U.S. are amassing their own DNA databases to track criminals, a move critics say is a way around regulations governing state and national databases that restrict who can provide genetic samples and how long that information is held.

The actual number of police departments maintaining DNA databases is not known, as there is no state or federal oversight, but AP cited Frederick Harran, an early adopter of a local Pennsylvania DNA database, as saying there are at least 60.

To get around the 18-month wait for Pennsylvania state lab to process DNA, Harran said the DNA samples are turned into a private lab which can get the results out within a month. The private lab work is paid for via money from assets seized from criminals. To Harrans way of thinking and justifying the local DNA database, If they are burglarizing and we don't get them identified in 18 to 24 months, they have two years to keep committing crimes.

Catching crooks is not a bad thing, but not all DNA collected comes from people suspected of crimes. AP explained, Some police departments collect samples from people who are never arrested or convicted of crimes, though in all such cases the person is supposed to voluntarily comply and not be coerced or threatened.

The coercion factor may come into play such as when DNA is collected from kids. San Diego cops can collect DNA from kids if a kid will sign a consent form. The ACLU filed a lawsuit against San Diego after police collected DNA samples from minors without first obtaining parental consent or a warrant.

ACLU attorney Bardis Vakili told AP that when cops take DNA samples from kids without a court order, its hard to imagine its anything other than coerced or involuntary. I think they are trying to avoid transparency and engage in forms of surveillance. We don't know what's done other than it goes into their lab and is kept in a database.

A San Diego officer admitted that cops stopped five boys walking through a park not because they were suspected of having been involved in a crime, but because they were black juveniles wearing blue on a gang holiday. The cops told four of the boys that they could go after submitting to mouth swab and signing a consent form. The fifth boy signed and was swabbed as well before being taken into custody on charges which were dropped due to the illegal stop. Yet the cops kept the DNA.

The EFF said that targeting black children for DNA collection is a gross abuse of power and a gross abuse of technology by law enforcement. Some argue that local DNA databases are as well.

University of Arizona law professor Jason Kreig told AP, The local databases have very, very little regulations and very few limits, and the law just hasn't caught up to them. Everything with the local DNA databases is skirting the spirit of the regulations.

Its one thing for DNA to possibly be used to store all of the worlds data in one room and quite another for cops to avoid regulations by maintaining local DNA databases. Sometimes, investigators turn to familial searching  searching offender databases with wider parameters to identify people who are likely to be close relatives of the person who may have committed a crime. Its even worse when you consider that some of the DNA is collected in questionable circumstances and stored for who knows how longmaybe permanently?

On the other hand, some people pay to turn in their DNA to sites willing to help trace their ancestors. The cops can just turn to those sites to request the DNA information. As Wired warned, Your relatives DNA could turn you into a suspect.
A mounting list of robot-related accidents has experts questioning whether the devices will be prone to more dangerous malfunctions or even programmed attacks.

Notable mishaps that have been documented include a robotic security guard knocking over a child at a California shopping mall, a demonstration robot smashing a window at a Chinese conferenceit caused a bystander to get injured, and 144 deaths in the United States caused by robotic surgery. All this according to security firm IOActive.

+ Also on Network World: How secure are home robots? +

These incidents clearly demonstrate the serious potential consequences of robot malfunctions, the consultancy says in a white paper it recently published about existing robot security (PDF).

The firm says its only a matter of time before even more serious incidents occur unless action is taken.

And it could get sinister, too.

Similar incidents could be caused by a robot controlled remotely by attackers, it says. Weve found [existing] robot technology to be insecure in a variety of ways, and that insecurity could pose serious threats to the people, animals and organizations.

The companys findings include 50 cybersecurity vulnerabilities discovered in current robotic products, such as unencrypted control communications, authentication problems such as not requiring a valid username and password, and insufficient authorization that could allow hackers to overwrite firmware.

SoftBank Robotics, UBTECH Robotics and ROBOTIS home robots were among the fails IOActive says it discovered. Industrial robots from Universal Robots and Rethink Robotics had problems, as did control software maker Asratec Corp.

The trouble includes vulnerable open source robot frameworks and libraries, too.

Nightmare robot scenarios

One of the big problems is the number of sensors at play in current robots. Microphones and cameras, along with network connections and external services, add to vulnerabilities. Remote control, for example, should be secure in order to stop malicious commands getting sent to the robots. Havoc could ensue if robots arent secured better, the firm claims.

And it could be dire. In the case of a home robot, the house could be physically damaged if the robot were hacked. And worse compromised robots could even hurt family members and pets with sudden, unexpected movements, the company says.

Kitchen fires and poisoned drinks are further scenarios posed by the security firm. Family members and pets could be in further peril if a hacked robot was able to grab and manipulate sharp objects, the researchers say.

Less dramatic, but equally problematic, would be robots unlocking doorsallowing the bad guys in. The robot might not even have to perform the physical act; it could simply tell a home automation voice assistant, such as Alexa or Google, to turn off the security system while the property owners are out.

In business, the potential problems are equally alarming: A hacked robot could be made to use inappropriate language and deliver wrong orders. It could also physically damage business assets through set fires or pilfer bank card data.

Robots are currently used to assist customers at stores and are increasingly expected to be a part of future healthcare, among other uses.

Security audits, Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC) processes, encryption and secure default configurations are among the measures robot manufacturers must take, the researchers say.

Industrial-sized robots could be the most trouble of all because of their size, IOActive claims.

A hacked industrial robot could easily become a lethal weapon, the company says.
Education chiefs to decide on budget tonight

SCHOOL services for the districts most vulnerable pupils are set to be slashed as West Berkshire Council attempts to balance its education budget.

A budget shortfall of 610,000 is currently forecast in the High Needs Block of funding at the end of this school year  160,000 more than was forecast in January.

This shortfall is expected to increase to 803,070 by the end of 2017/18.

The Government funding (part of the Designated Schools Grant) is allocated to local authorities to help students of all ages with special educational needs.

However, education chiefs will be asked to approve a savings package of 220,000 on Monday in an effort to reduce spending and bring the budget back on track.

A council report prepared ahead of Mondays meeting of the Schools Forum  made up of councillors and headteachers  says setting a balanced budget for the High Needs Block of funding is a challenge.

In the report, officers say: Funding received for this block has only seen minimal increases for several years, yet the demand in terms of numbers of high-needs pupils and unit costs of provision has continued to rise.

The report goes on to state: Up until 2016/17, West Berkshire was setting a balanced high-needs budget, which included a significant contingency built in.

2015/16 was the first year that the budget overspent, with the contingency all used up.

A decision was made to set a deficit budget in 2016/17, firstly because the Government was consulting on reforms to high-needs funding, and secondly to allow the work being carried out on driving costs down to take effect.

It is now thought a deficit budget over two years will be necessary.

Among the savings proposals are a reduction in funding for specialist schools equipment by half, reducing the Vulnerable Childrens Fund by up to 20,000 and a 40,000 reduction to the Pupil Referral Unit outreach programme.

With these savings, along with continued funding cuts to pupil referral units approved last year, the council hopes that the forecast deficit will be reduced and the budget balanced by 2019/20.

When discussing saving options at the last meeting of the Schools Forum earlier this month, Little Heath School headteacher Dave Ramsden urged caution when considering cuts to the high-needs funding.

He said: I think the challenge here is working out how deep to make the cuts.

He added: You could be removing services that would be harder to replace in the future.

A final decision on the budget is expected to be made on Monday next week.
"The word he used was stupid and I think that pretty much covers it"

A THATCHAM man admitted to fraud after filling up his car at a Bath Road petrol station on five separate occasions and driving away without paying.

Jordan Campbell, of Blyth Avenue, made off with more than 230 of petrol from the Texaco Petrol Station during December 2016 in what was described as a crime of low sophistication.

The 21-year-old filled in the no means to pay form each time, giving a false name and address to staff in the hope they wouldnt unravel the basic ruse.

However, as pointed out by his own defence during a hearing at Reading Magistrates Court last Thursday, police were easily able to track down Mr Campbell after viewing CCTV of the forecourt.

On arrest, the labourer admitted the crime and said he had been "silly and stupid" and would deal with the consequences.

He pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud by false representation.

Mike Davis, defending, pointed to Mr Campbells previous good character, saying he had never been to court before.

But now that unblemished record will be gone, he added.

Having a fraud conviction on your record does not look good.

Mr Davis continued: When he came to see me this week the word he used was stupid and I think that pretty much covers it.

Asking for magistrates to consider a conditional discharge for his client, Mr Davis said the crime was of low sophistication.

The charge is fraud, he said.

So theres an element of planning, but I think if hed thought it through he would be aware most petrol stations have CCTV and all cars have number plates so it doesn't take a lot of detective work to track down the registered keeper.

The court heard how Mr Campbell had been struggling financially, with his partner pregnant with their first child and the fraud seemed like an easy way of lessening the financial pressure.

After a short deliberation, magistrates ordered Mr Campbell to pay compensation to the petrol station of 232.14 plus a fine and costs totalling 350.
By Reuters

BERLIN: Investor sentiment in the euro zone improved more than expected in March, hitting its highest level in almost 10 years on Monday, as concerns that global political risks could end an economic upswing dissipated.

The Frankfurt-based Sentix research group's euro zone index rose to 20.7 points, reaching its highest level since August 2007. It was above the consensus reading of 18.5 in a Reuters poll of analysts.

"All the expectation components for the global economic regions rose and cast the decline of last month in a new light," Sentix said in a statement. "Therefore the potential threat of a sudden halt to the economic recovery is off the table."

The index had last month edged down to 17.4 from 18.2 in January on concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump's policy course would weigh on the global economy.

A sub-index measuring investor assessment of the current situation in the euro zone also rose to its highest level since May 2011.

An index tracking Germany, the euro zone's largest economy, rose to 34.1 from 31.3 in February. The indices for the United States and Japan also rose.

"Trump's motto 'Make America great again' is having an effect," Sentix wrote.

U.S. stocks have risen to record highs since Trump's election after he vowed to remove some of the regulations introduced after the financial crisis and to boost spending on the military and infrastructure.

"In addition to the main regions, the positive economic momentum for emerging markets is retained," Sentix said. It noted that

Sentix polled 1,081 investors March 2-4.

BERLIN: Investor sentiment in the euro zone improved more than expected in March, hitting its highest level in almost 10 years on Monday, as concerns that global political risks could end an economic upswing dissipated. The Frankfurt-based Sentix research group's euro zone index rose to 20.7 points, reaching its highest level since August 2007. It was above the consensus reading of 18.5 in a Reuters poll of analysts. "All the expectation components for the global economic regions rose and cast the decline of last month in a new light," Sentix said in a statement. "Therefore the potential threat of a sudden halt to the economic recovery is off the table." The index had last month edged down to 17.4 from 18.2 in January on concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump's policy course would weigh on the global economy. A sub-index measuring investor assessment of the current situation in the euro zone also rose to its highest level since May 2011. An index tracking Germany, the euro zone's largest economy, rose to 34.1 from 31.3 in February. The indices for the United States and Japan also rose. "Trump's motto 'Make America great again' is having an effect," Sentix wrote. U.S. stocks have risen to record highs since Trump's election after he vowed to remove some of the regulations introduced after the financial crisis and to boost spending on the military and infrastructure. "In addition to the main regions, the positive economic momentum for emerging markets is retained," Sentix said. It noted that Sentix polled 1,081 investors March 2-4.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Commerce Ministry will consider five proposals of SEZ developers, including Oracle India and L&T Construction Equipment, for setting up new Special Economic Zones on March 8.

These applications will be considered at the meeting of the Board of Approval (BoA), headed by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia.

Oracle India and L&T Construction Equipment have proposed to set up IT/ITeS Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Karnataka. The latter has proposed two zones.

The other developer - Modern Asset - too has planned two IT/ITeS zone in Karnataka over an area of 2.33 hectares.

Exports from SEZs logged a marginal growth of 0.77 per cent to Rs 4.67 lakh crore in 2015-16. The exports from such 204 zones stood at Rs 4.63 lakh crore in 2014-15.

Currently, highest number of SEZs are operational in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telengana and Maharashtra.

NEW DELHI: The Commerce Ministry will consider five proposals of SEZ developers, including Oracle India and L&T Construction Equipment, for setting up new Special Economic Zones on March 8. These applications will be considered at the meeting of the Board of Approval (BoA), headed by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia. Oracle India and L&T Construction Equipment have proposed to set up IT/ITeS Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Karnataka. The latter has proposed two zones. The other developer - Modern Asset - too has planned two IT/ITeS zone in Karnataka over an area of 2.33 hectares. Exports from SEZs logged a marginal growth of 0.77 per cent to Rs 4.67 lakh crore in 2015-16. The exports from such 204 zones stood at Rs 4.63 lakh crore in 2014-15. Currently, highest number of SEZs are operational in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telengana and Maharashtra.
By Reuters

MOSCOW: Russia plans to extend a review of bank licenses for another two years, shutting down scores more banks after closing hundreds in the past four years, mostly for committing fraud or other crimes, a central bank deputy governor said in an interview.

Vasily Pozdyshev, a deputy governor at Russia's central bank, says despite the large number of lenders closed so far, his team is still finding more propping up criminal activity and would need until 2019 to finish a crackdown.-

The review by the central bank over the past several years has already reduced the number of banks in Russia to around 570 from 900. At that pace, Russia would end up with around 400 banks in 2019, although the central bank says it has no numerical target.

The closure of so many banks has helped strengthen Russia's few large lenders, such as Sberbank and VTB, which have gained clients from banks whose licenses have been withdrawn. Sberbank now holds more than a third of Russia's banking deposits.

Pozdyshev said many of the banks already shut or now in the crosshairs of the regulator were guilty of giving out loans to fake companies or stealing depositors' money. Others support a shadow economy for goods and services bought and sold outside of official, taxable channels.

"Our work to clean up the banking system is sometimes much more like the work of a financial investigator, an investigator of financial crimes, than the work of a modern banking regulator, which checks whether a bank is sufficiently capitalised or not," Pozdyshev told Reuters.

"We are up against a whole business of creating fictitious borrowers.  This is a whole virtual world managed by IT programmes and servers which very often aren't located in the bank."

Many banks are "Potemkin enterprises," Pozdyshev said, a reference to fake villages which nobleman Grigory Potemkin put up in the 18th century to impress Empress Catherine the Great.

Russian central bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina gave new impetus to the purge of banking licenses in 2013 after being appointed by President Vladimir Putin. A previous attempt to clean up the banking system was slowed from 2006 after Andrei Kozlov, a central banker leading the campaign against money laundering and corruption, was shot dead in Moscow.

The central bank is heavily guarded and staff including Pozdyshev travel with protection.

In its latest operation to shut down banks, the central bank revoked the licenses of three lenders in Russia's Tatarstan region, including top-50 bank Tatfondbank, on Friday. It did not accuse any of those three of any crimes, but said it took the action because of their poor asset quality and high risk.

All three banks posted notices from the central bank on their websites on Friday saying they had ceased operations because their licenses had been withdrawn.

A Tatfondbank spokeswoman said the bank was not permitted to comment further. Phone calls to the other two banks on Friday were not answered.

INFLUENTIAL BACKERS

Russian authorities rarely succeed in bringing to justice those responsible for banking fraud or bankruptcies, Pozdyshev said. Russia needs mechanisms to stop unscrupulous bankers from fleeing the country, he added.

"Banks often have influential backers, and this makes everything much more difficult. But we have launched this policy and we need to carry it to its conclusion. If we stop, then the banking system will immediately slip back, into the shadows."

The central bank had to plug a hole of around 600 billion roubles ($10 billion) in the balance sheets of the roughly 100 banks whose licenses it withdrew last year.

Among the common criminal schemes the central bank uncovered were: lending to companies with no real business, fictitious loans to individuals and fraud involving tradable securities.

The central bank employs around 2,000 people in its supervisory department and conducts around 400 checks into banks a year, Pozdyshev said. They sometimes check whether a bank's clients are genuine businesses.

He gave examples of banks that had licenses stripped after a large number of clients made small tax payments on the same day, or paid back loans at the same cash machine in the same hour, which led the regulator to conclude the clients were fake businesses.

Sporadic protests over some bank closures have been contained, as the central bank-funded Deposit Insurance Agency covers the losses of individuals and small businessmen for up to 1.4 million roubles.

MOSCOW: Russia plans to extend a review of bank licenses for another two years, shutting down scores more banks after closing hundreds in the past four years, mostly for committing fraud or other crimes, a central bank deputy governor said in an interview. Vasily Pozdyshev, a deputy governor at Russia's central bank, says despite the large number of lenders closed so far, his team is still finding more propping up criminal activity and would need until 2019 to finish a crackdown.- The review by the central bank over the past several years has already reduced the number of banks in Russia to around 570 from 900. At that pace, Russia would end up with around 400 banks in 2019, although the central bank says it has no numerical target. The closure of so many banks has helped strengthen Russia's few large lenders, such as Sberbank and VTB, which have gained clients from banks whose licenses have been withdrawn. Sberbank now holds more than a third of Russia's banking deposits. Pozdyshev said many of the banks already shut or now in the crosshairs of the regulator were guilty of giving out loans to fake companies or stealing depositors' money. Others support a shadow economy for goods and services bought and sold outside of official, taxable channels. "Our work to clean up the banking system is sometimes much more like the work of a financial investigator, an investigator of financial crimes, than the work of a modern banking regulator, which checks whether a bank is sufficiently capitalised or not," Pozdyshev told Reuters. "We are up against a whole business of creating fictitious borrowers.  This is a whole virtual world managed by IT programmes and servers which very often aren't located in the bank." Many banks are "Potemkin enterprises," Pozdyshev said, a reference to fake villages which nobleman Grigory Potemkin put up in the 18th century to impress Empress Catherine the Great. Russian central bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina gave new impetus to the purge of banking licenses in 2013 after being appointed by President Vladimir Putin. A previous attempt to clean up the banking system was slowed from 2006 after Andrei Kozlov, a central banker leading the campaign against money laundering and corruption, was shot dead in Moscow. The central bank is heavily guarded and staff including Pozdyshev travel with protection. In its latest operation to shut down banks, the central bank revoked the licenses of three lenders in Russia's Tatarstan region, including top-50 bank Tatfondbank, on Friday. It did not accuse any of those three of any crimes, but said it took the action because of their poor asset quality and high risk. All three banks posted notices from the central bank on their websites on Friday saying they had ceased operations because their licenses had been withdrawn. A Tatfondbank spokeswoman said the bank was not permitted to comment further. Phone calls to the other two banks on Friday were not answered. INFLUENTIAL BACKERS Russian authorities rarely succeed in bringing to justice those responsible for banking fraud or bankruptcies, Pozdyshev said. Russia needs mechanisms to stop unscrupulous bankers from fleeing the country, he added. "Banks often have influential backers, and this makes everything much more difficult. But we have launched this policy and we need to carry it to its conclusion. If we stop, then the banking system will immediately slip back, into the shadows." The central bank had to plug a hole of around 600 billion roubles ($10 billion) in the balance sheets of the roughly 100 banks whose licenses it withdrew last year. Among the common criminal schemes the central bank uncovered were: lending to companies with no real business, fictitious loans to individuals and fraud involving tradable securities. The central bank employs around 2,000 people in its supervisory department and conducts around 400 checks into banks a year, Pozdyshev said. They sometimes check whether a bank's clients are genuine businesses. He gave examples of banks that had licenses stripped after a large number of clients made small tax payments on the same day, or paid back loans at the same cash machine in the same hour, which led the regulator to conclude the clients were fake businesses. Sporadic protests over some bank closures have been contained, as the central bank-funded Deposit Insurance Agency covers the losses of individuals and small businessmen for up to 1.4 million roubles.
Regina Gurung By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Soumya Ramasamy hosts poetry reading sessions every alternative Sunday in Cubbon Park since June last year The reading takes place even if no one turns up. There has been times when 40 people show up for the session and there are times when nobody does, says Soumya. When no one turns up I sit by myself and read my poetry and leave, she adds.

Sitting on a pink mat near a broken tree, on a sultry Sunday afternoon, Soumya waits for people to show up without much expectation. After sometime Madhu turns up. I have been quite regular with attending the sessions ever since my first time in June, says Madhu, a Chemistry student from Mount Carmel College.

Soumya and Madhu wait for another ten minutes and when both are certain that no one else will turn up they decide to proceed with the session.

Every session is around a topic and this is on gender equality. Madhu starts by reading out Maya Angelous Phenomenal Women. She hesitates to share her own poetry because it was written three years ago, she says. Soumya reads hers which was crafted for International Womens Day and she dedicates the poem to her late mother and grandmother.

They may have left the world but they will live forever in my words, says Soumya before she reads her poem titled Be bold for change.

The group, called Zero-budget Poetry. started as a friends' get-together over te and poetry readings. They have always been short on money. We dont have a budget for our session and we hope we never will. The participants bring their own mats to sit on, own umbrellas and hats and even food, Soumya laughs. We dont have anything but we are here to offer our passion of poetry and a message that poetry is not just for the elite, she sighs.

The poetry reading is not limited to English. Poems are read out in Kannada, Hindi and Urdu as well. The group sees diverse participants as well, even poets from Afghanistan.

The session ends with critical comments and the two decide that the next topic of the session should be forgotten women in history such as Queen Boudica, who avenged the rape of her two daughters, and Poet Sappho, who was from the island of Lesbos in Greece and from whom the term Lesbian originated.

BENGALURU: Soumya Ramasamy hosts poetry reading sessions every alternative Sunday in Cubbon Park since June last year The reading takes place even if no one turns up. There has been times when 40 people show up for the session and there are times when nobody does, says Soumya. When no one turns up I sit by myself and read my poetry and leave, she adds. Sitting on a pink mat near a broken tree, on a sultry Sunday afternoon, Soumya waits for people to show up without much expectation. After sometime Madhu turns up. I have been quite regular with attending the sessions ever since my first time in June, says Madhu, a Chemistry student from Mount Carmel College. Soumya and Madhu wait for another ten minutes and when both are certain that no one else will turn up they decide to proceed with the session. Every session is around a topic and this is on gender equality. Madhu starts by reading out Maya Angelous Phenomenal Women. She hesitates to share her own poetry because it was written three years ago, she says. Soumya reads hers which was crafted for International Womens Day and she dedicates the poem to her late mother and grandmother. They may have left the world but they will live forever in my words, says Soumya before she reads her poem titled Be bold for change. The group, called Zero-budget Poetry. started as a friends' get-together over te and poetry readings. They have always been short on money. We dont have a budget for our session and we hope we never will. The participants bring their own mats to sit on, own umbrellas and hats and even food, Soumya laughs. We dont have anything but we are here to offer our passion of poetry and a message that poetry is not just for the elite, she sighs. The poetry reading is not limited to English. Poems are read out in Kannada, Hindi and Urdu as well. The group sees diverse participants as well, even poets from Afghanistan. The session ends with critical comments and the two decide that the next topic of the session should be forgotten women in history such as Queen Boudica, who avenged the rape of her two daughters, and Poet Sappho, who was from the island of Lesbos in Greece and from whom the term Lesbian originated.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Around 300 people from North Bengaluru of the Steel Flyover Beku brigade gathered near Esteem Mall on Sunday to protest against the governments recent decision to scrap the flyover project. They demanded that the decision be withdrawn and that the project be implemented immediately.

Residents from Sahakaranagar, Judicial Layout, Amruthanagar, Dr Shivaramakarantha Nagar, Basava Balaga and other neighbouring areas of North Bengaluru raised slogans calling for traffic-free roads.

B M Devarajappa, president of Karnataka Abhivruddi Mattu Anustana Samiti, said, Environmentalists and intellectuals, those who opposed smooth traffic to North Bengaluru -- I would like to ask them to introspect and tell us how many saplings they planted after being able to stop the flyover project? Could you control forest fire in Nagarahole and Kappattagudda where thousands of trees are burning? Did anyone help in dousing the forest fire? None. Then how can they say that the flyover will harm the environment? Why are you unable to control kickbacks in government contracts? Instead of discussing these issues sitting across the

table and stopping corruption, they have spoiled a deserving facility for North Bengaluru.

Shivarama Shetty, general secretary of Karnataka Abhivruddi Mattu Anustana Samiti and member of Sahakaranagar Residents Welfare Association (RWA), said, We are not asking for a steel flyover. Give us any flyover, but give us a solution. We are fed up of dirty politics and the media who have been biased in this issue. Does anyone have the guts to demolish Ramana Maharshi Ashram and a prayer hall near Hebbal to widen the road? The flyover would have avoided all this. We still have time.

H M Venkatesh, a resident of Judicial Layout, said, Our survey says that the total number of vehicles per day on Hebbal flyover is 2,67,925, of which 1,07,130 are two-wheelers. The average speed of vehicles during the peak hour is 10-15 km per hour. The additional fuel consumed to travel the distance at this low speed is around 1,43,175 litres totalling `10 crore per month.

BENGALURU: Around 300 people from North Bengaluru of the Steel Flyover Beku brigade gathered near Esteem Mall on Sunday to protest against the governments recent decision to scrap the flyover project. They demanded that the decision be withdrawn and that the project be implemented immediately. Residents from Sahakaranagar, Judicial Layout, Amruthanagar, Dr Shivaramakarantha Nagar, Basava Balaga and other neighbouring areas of North Bengaluru raised slogans calling for traffic-free roads. B M Devarajappa, president of Karnataka Abhivruddi Mattu Anustana Samiti, said, Environmentalists and intellectuals, those who opposed smooth traffic to North Bengaluru -- I would like to ask them to introspect and tell us how many saplings they planted after being able to stop the flyover project? Could you control forest fire in Nagarahole and Kappattagudda where thousands of trees are burning? Did anyone help in dousing the forest fire? None. Then how can they say that the flyover will harm the environment? Why are you unable to control kickbacks in government contracts? Instead of discussing these issues sitting across the table and stopping corruption, they have spoiled a deserving facility for North Bengaluru. Shivarama Shetty, general secretary of Karnataka Abhivruddi Mattu Anustana Samiti and member of Sahakaranagar Residents Welfare Association (RWA), said, We are not asking for a steel flyover. Give us any flyover, but give us a solution. We are fed up of dirty politics and the media who have been biased in this issue. Does anyone have the guts to demolish Ramana Maharshi Ashram and a prayer hall near Hebbal to widen the road? The flyover would have avoided all this. We still have time. H M Venkatesh, a resident of Judicial Layout, said, Our survey says that the total number of vehicles per day on Hebbal flyover is 2,67,925, of which 1,07,130 are two-wheelers. The average speed of vehicles during the peak hour is 10-15 km per hour. The additional fuel consumed to travel the distance at this low speed is around 1,43,175 litres totalling `10 crore per month.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: DU's Ramjas College has asked its students and teachers to "voluntarily" come forward to submit to the inquiry committee evidence on the recent campus violence.



The college, which witnessed widespread violence on February 22, had last week ordered an inquiry into alleged involvement of its students in the clashes over a seminar while resolving to stand by its teachers and students who had planned the event.



The genesis of the clash was an invite to JNU students Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid to address a seminar on 'Culture of Protests' which was withdrawn by the college authorities following opposition by the ABVP.



"The investigation committee will submit its report in a time-bound manner. All those voluntarily willing to depose as witness or produce evidence in any form should submit it to the probe panel," PC Tulsian, the acting principal, said.



Following ABVP protests, the college had withdrawn the invite to Khalid, who has been charged with sedition, and Rashid, who was the face of the movement demanding JNU students' release in the sedition case registered last year.



Delhi University authorities had earlier said the proctor's office was also looking into the issue.



The Union HRD ministry had also sought a report.

NEW DELHI: DU's Ramjas College has asked its students and teachers to "voluntarily" come forward to submit to the inquiry committee evidence on the recent campus violence. The college, which witnessed widespread violence on February 22, had last week ordered an inquiry into alleged involvement of its students in the clashes over a seminar while resolving to stand by its teachers and students who had planned the event. The genesis of the clash was an invite to JNU students Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid to address a seminar on 'Culture of Protests' which was withdrawn by the college authorities following opposition by the ABVP. "The investigation committee will submit its report in a time-bound manner. All those voluntarily willing to depose as witness or produce evidence in any form should submit it to the probe panel," PC Tulsian, the acting principal, said. Following ABVP protests, the college had withdrawn the invite to Khalid, who has been charged with sedition, and Rashid, who was the face of the movement demanding JNU students' release in the sedition case registered last year. Delhi University authorities had earlier said the proctor's office was also looking into the issue. The Union HRD ministry had also sought a report.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today directed Delhi's Tihar Jail superintendent to file a report on the conduct of the four death row convicts of the sensational December 16, 2012 gangrape and murder case in the prison.



"In our considered opinion, the superintendent of jail should have filed the report with regard to the conduct of the accused persons since they are in custody for almost four

years. That would have thrown light on their conduct.



"Let the report with regard to their conduct be filed by the Superintendent of Jail in a sealed cover in the Court on the next date of hearing," a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said.



The bench, also comprising Justices R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan, noted that the counsel representing the four convicts -- Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh -- have filed their affidavits detailing the mitigating circumstances in their favour.



However, senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, who has been appointed as amicus curiae to assist the court in the case, pointed out that the affidavit filed by Mukesh does not cover many aspects like socio-economic background, criminal antecedents, family particulars, personal habits, education, vocational skills, health and his conduct in the prison.



The counsel representing Mukesh told the bench that he would file an affidavit within a week detailing these aspects.



One of the defence counsel told the apex court that the jail superintendent was asked to file a report with regard to the conduct of these convicts while they were in custody, but it has not been filed by him.



Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the state, contended that he has filed the affidavit and it contained the report of the jail superintendent.



The bench has listed the matter for further hearing on March 20 and asked the jail superintendent to file the report before it on that day.



The apex court had on February 3 said it would hear afresh the aspect of awarding death penalty to the four convicts in the case.

The bench had prima facie agreed with the contention of Ramachandran that provision of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), relating to sentencing of convicts, has not been followed in letter and spirit by the trial court in the case.



A 23-year-old paramedic was brutally assaulted and gangraped by six persons in a moving bus in south Delhi and thrown out of the vehicle with her male friend on the night of December 16, 2012. She had died in a Singapore hospital on December 29 that year.



The trial court had awarded death penalty to convicts, Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh. The fifth

and one of the key accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide inside jail during the trial.



Besides senior advocate Ramachandran, another senior lawyer Sanjay Hegde is also assisting the court as amicus curiae in the matter.



While Ramachandran is assisting the court in appeals of convicts Mukesh and Pawan, Hegde is assisting in appeals of convicts, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh.



These four convicts had approached the apex court against the Delhi High Court's March 13, 2014 verdict which had said that their offence fell in the rarest of rare category and had upheld the death sentence awarded to them by the trial court.



The prime accused, Ram Singh, was found dead in a cell in Tihar Jail in March 2013 and proceedings against him were abated.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today directed Delhi's Tihar Jail superintendent to file a report on the conduct of the four death row convicts of the sensational December 16, 2012 gangrape and murder case in the prison. "In our considered opinion, the superintendent of jail should have filed the report with regard to the conduct of the accused persons since they are in custody for almost four years. That would have thrown light on their conduct. "Let the report with regard to their conduct be filed by the Superintendent of Jail in a sealed cover in the Court on the next date of hearing," a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said. The bench, also comprising Justices R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan, noted that the counsel representing the four convicts -- Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh -- have filed their affidavits detailing the mitigating circumstances in their favour. However, senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, who has been appointed as amicus curiae to assist the court in the case, pointed out that the affidavit filed by Mukesh does not cover many aspects like socio-economic background, criminal antecedents, family particulars, personal habits, education, vocational skills, health and his conduct in the prison. The counsel representing Mukesh told the bench that he would file an affidavit within a week detailing these aspects. One of the defence counsel told the apex court that the jail superintendent was asked to file a report with regard to the conduct of these convicts while they were in custody, but it has not been filed by him. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the state, contended that he has filed the affidavit and it contained the report of the jail superintendent. The bench has listed the matter for further hearing on March 20 and asked the jail superintendent to file the report before it on that day. The apex court had on February 3 said it would hear afresh the aspect of awarding death penalty to the four convicts in the case. The bench had prima facie agreed with the contention of Ramachandran that provision of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), relating to sentencing of convicts, has not been followed in letter and spirit by the trial court in the case. A 23-year-old paramedic was brutally assaulted and gangraped by six persons in a moving bus in south Delhi and thrown out of the vehicle with her male friend on the night of December 16, 2012. She had died in a Singapore hospital on December 29 that year. The trial court had awarded death penalty to convicts, Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh. The fifth and one of the key accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide inside jail during the trial. Besides senior advocate Ramachandran, another senior lawyer Sanjay Hegde is also assisting the court as amicus curiae in the matter. While Ramachandran is assisting the court in appeals of convicts Mukesh and Pawan, Hegde is assisting in appeals of convicts, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh. These four convicts had approached the apex court against the Delhi High Court's March 13, 2014 verdict which had said that their offence fell in the rarest of rare category and had upheld the death sentence awarded to them by the trial court. The prime accused, Ram Singh, was found dead in a cell in Tihar Jail in March 2013 and proceedings against him were abated.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Wildlife deaths continue to haunt University of Hyderabad. On Sunday, a peahen was found dead on the campus by students. On being informed, forest department officials arrived on the campus and took away the carcass, a sample of which will be sent for forensic analysis to ascertain cause of death.

The students also found a decomposed body of a male spotted deer. Both, the peahen and the spotted deer are protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act. In the past two weeks carcasseses of three spotted deer and a wild boar were discovered from the campus which has become a deathtrap for wild animals.

While varsity officials say it does not have required training, manpower or expertise to provide protection to wildlife, state forest department has not taken any steps to provide help.

Principal chief conservator of forests PK Jha was supposed to meet university VC Appa Rao Podile on Friday to discuss wildlife deaths on campus but could not make it. Instead, he sent Rangareddy district forest officer Siddhanand Kukreti. However, the meeting did not produce any outcome. Not just this but students caught a large group of people who entered the campus illegally and were later handed over to the university security personnel.

HYDERABAD: Wildlife deaths continue to haunt University of Hyderabad. On Sunday, a peahen was found dead on the campus by students. On being informed, forest department officials arrived on the campus and took away the carcass, a sample of which will be sent for forensic analysis to ascertain cause of death. The students also found a decomposed body of a male spotted deer. Both, the peahen and the spotted deer are protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act. In the past two weeks carcasseses of three spotted deer and a wild boar were discovered from the campus which has become a deathtrap for wild animals. While varsity officials say it does not have required training, manpower or expertise to provide protection to wildlife, state forest department has not taken any steps to provide help. Principal chief conservator of forests PK Jha was supposed to meet university VC Appa Rao Podile on Friday to discuss wildlife deaths on campus but could not make it. Instead, he sent Rangareddy district forest officer Siddhanand Kukreti. However, the meeting did not produce any outcome. Not just this but students caught a large group of people who entered the campus illegally and were later handed over to the university security personnel.
Shevlin Sebastian By

Express News Service

KOCHI: When Anubhuti art gallery owner Helga Peeters of Belgium invited compatriot Nico Vaerewijck to showcase his work at Jew Town, the latter was zapped. I could not believe it, says Nico. An exhibition in India is not something that I ever imagined. I have been showing mostly in Germany, France and Belgium.



And when Helga spoke about the Kochi Muziris Biennale, Nico was even more puzzled. He had never heard about it. So he immediately googled the art festival and checked out some images from the 2014 edition. He liked what he saw. What was heartening for Nico was the fact that fellow Belgian artist Hans Op de Beeck had taken part.



When Nico eventually visited the Biennale, recently, he was much impressed. Its very professional and similar to the Biennale Interieur in Belgium, he says. But the Kochi Biennale is larger. The quality of the art works is so good. We dont see a lot of Indian and Pakistani artists in Europe, so it was an eye-opener to see their works.



Nico also had a revelation at the Biennale. I realised that art is universal, he says. At Kochi, I saw the European style, but it was done by an Indian artist, in an unique way.



Nico has also produced something unique in his exhibition, too. His inspiration is viewing footage from old 8 or 16 mm films. Then he takes a printout of an image he likes. Using it as the start, he starts painting. Usually it ends up as an abstract or a figurative image, an oil on linen or canvas.

I always do a series, he says. The last series was called Reminiscences. As a middle-aged person, I began thinking about the past.



One who served as a creative spur was his wifes 92-year-old grandfather, who lived in a house all by himself in a town called Sint-Niklaas. When Nico went visiting, he found the interiors very interesting. There were old artifacts, like a statue of a Chinese girl, and a small carpet on the floor.

People dont see these hand-made carpets in Belgium anymore, says Nico. Everything is machine-made. Unfortunately, the craftsmanship is no longer there. Products lack soul these days. Its always too perfect.



So, Nico decided to do a six feet high painting, an oil on linen, of the carpet, which is displayed at Anubhuti. You experience another dimension when you see a carpet on a wall, says Nico. When it is laid on the floor, people dont notice it all that much.



Another painting is that of the German artist Martin Kippenberger (1953-97), playing the drums. In America, he has a big reputation, says Nico. He was a musician, as well as a painter, who made large installations. This is a tribute. Even though Martin was a member of a punk band, he would always wear a tie and a suit. I saw this image in a small catalogue and enlarged it.



Surprisingly, even though he is based in wealthy Europe, Nico is a part-time artist. During the day, he works at the Antwerp port as a supervisor, but he ensures that he works on his art from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Yes, it is difficult to be a full-time artist, says Nico. Out of 100 artistes in Belgium, only 10 can live only by art. I have three children, a house to maintain, and many bills to pay.



Nevertheless, Nicos works are selling steadily. One day, I hope to be full-time artist, he says.

KOCHI: When Anubhuti art gallery owner Helga Peeters of Belgium invited compatriot Nico Vaerewijck to showcase his work at Jew Town, the latter was zapped. I could not believe it, says Nico. An exhibition in India is not something that I ever imagined. I have been showing mostly in Germany, France and Belgium. And when Helga spoke about the Kochi Muziris Biennale, Nico was even more puzzled. He had never heard about it. So he immediately googled the art festival and checked out some images from the 2014 edition. He liked what he saw. What was heartening for Nico was the fact that fellow Belgian artist Hans Op de Beeck had taken part. When Nico eventually visited the Biennale, recently, he was much impressed. Its very professional and similar to the Biennale Interieur in Belgium, he says. But the Kochi Biennale is larger. The quality of the art works is so good. We dont see a lot of Indian and Pakistani artists in Europe, so it was an eye-opener to see their works. Nico also had a revelation at the Biennale. I realised that art is universal, he says. At Kochi, I saw the European style, but it was done by an Indian artist, in an unique way. Nico has also produced something unique in his exhibition, too. His inspiration is viewing footage from old 8 or 16 mm films. Then he takes a printout of an image he likes. Using it as the start, he starts painting. Usually it ends up as an abstract or a figurative image, an oil on linen or canvas. I always do a series, he says. The last series was called Reminiscences. As a middle-aged person, I began thinking about the past. One who served as a creative spur was his wifes 92-year-old grandfather, who lived in a house all by himself in a town called Sint-Niklaas. When Nico went visiting, he found the interiors very interesting. There were old artifacts, like a statue of a Chinese girl, and a small carpet on the floor. People dont see these hand-made carpets in Belgium anymore, says Nico. Everything is machine-made. Unfortunately, the craftsmanship is no longer there. Products lack soul these days. Its always too perfect. So, Nico decided to do a six feet high painting, an oil on linen, of the carpet, which is displayed at Anubhuti. You experience another dimension when you see a carpet on a wall, says Nico. When it is laid on the floor, people dont notice it all that much. Another painting is that of the German artist Martin Kippenberger (1953-97), playing the drums. In America, he has a big reputation, says Nico. He was a musician, as well as a painter, who made large installations. This is a tribute. Even though Martin was a member of a punk band, he would always wear a tie and a suit. I saw this image in a small catalogue and enlarged it. Surprisingly, even though he is based in wealthy Europe, Nico is a part-time artist. During the day, he works at the Antwerp port as a supervisor, but he ensures that he works on his art from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Yes, it is difficult to be a full-time artist, says Nico. Out of 100 artistes in Belgium, only 10 can live only by art. I have three children, a house to maintain, and many bills to pay. Nevertheless, Nicos works are selling steadily. One day, I hope to be full-time artist, he says.
By PTI

MUMBAI: Two college students were arrested from suburban Malad here last night by Navi Mumbai Police in connection with the leak of two question papers during the ongoing HSC Board exam.

Rahul Bachchelal Bhaskar (22) and Azharuddin Shaikh (20) --both students of TY (third year) and SY (second year) B.Com from a local college--were arrested from their residence at Malvani in Malad, said a senior police officer who did not wish to be identified.

According to police, photographs of three pages each of question papers of both Marathi and Secretarial Practice (SP) were circulated on a social media platform (Whatsapp) just before the commencement of exams on March 2 and March 4.

The examinations of Std 12th, conducted by Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (commonly called SSC and HSC Board) are being held at present.

After the first paper leak, Dattatray Jagtap, Chairman of Konkan division of the Board, filed a complaint with Vashi police in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

Subsequently, police initiated a probe into the case with the help of crime branch and as well as Cyber Cell and identified the WhatsApp group from where the leaks originated, the officer said.

Also, two separate offences have been registered against unidentified persons at Vashi Police Station in Navi Mumbai under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and other specified Exams Act -1982 and the IT Act.

During investigations, a team of Navi Mumbai Police zeroed in on two students from Malvani area and arrested them late last night, said Hemant Nagrale, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner. On Saturday, Jagtap had appealed the students not to panic and had said that no re-examination of Marathi and Secretarial Practise subjects would be held.

MUMBAI: Two college students were arrested from suburban Malad here last night by Navi Mumbai Police in connection with the leak of two question papers during the ongoing HSC Board exam. Rahul Bachchelal Bhaskar (22) and Azharuddin Shaikh (20) --both students of TY (third year) and SY (second year) B.Com from a local college--were arrested from their residence at Malvani in Malad, said a senior police officer who did not wish to be identified. According to police, photographs of three pages each of question papers of both Marathi and Secretarial Practice (SP) were circulated on a social media platform (Whatsapp) just before the commencement of exams on March 2 and March 4. The examinations of Std 12th, conducted by Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (commonly called SSC and HSC Board) are being held at present. After the first paper leak, Dattatray Jagtap, Chairman of Konkan division of the Board, filed a complaint with Vashi police in neighbouring Navi Mumbai. Subsequently, police initiated a probe into the case with the help of crime branch and as well as Cyber Cell and identified the WhatsApp group from where the leaks originated, the officer said. Also, two separate offences have been registered against unidentified persons at Vashi Police Station in Navi Mumbai under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and other specified Exams Act -1982 and the IT Act. During investigations, a team of Navi Mumbai Police zeroed in on two students from Malvani area and arrested them late last night, said Hemant Nagrale, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner. On Saturday, Jagtap had appealed the students not to panic and had said that no re-examination of Marathi and Secretarial Practise subjects would be held.
Sri Lakshmi Muttevi By

Express News Service

Theres always a list of excuses to miss an outdoor workout session, isnt there? From poor weather conditions to boring solo workouts, we quickly lose the urge to exercise. Well, fret not! Introducing virtual reality into the world of fitness, Jignesh Talasila has designed LoopFit, an immersive multiplayer VR fitness solution that allows its users to experience outdoor environments, indoors.

The GITAM University alumnus founded the start-up, Loop Reality in 2016 and designed LoopFit, allowing people to experience a fun, outdoorsy workout from the comfort of their home. It brings to the user a perfect amalgamation of technologies like VR, IoT and analytics, serving as the future of indoor fitness training. After my graduation in 2012, I was working in a software company for a year, but I quit my job to educate children in an innovative way. I quickly realised that the children needed laboratory kits to elevate their education, but many schools couldnt afford it, said Jignesh, CEO of the company.

With the intent of introducing virtual reality into education, Jignesh set out to design a virtual laboratory kit, but failed to do so. Instead, he began designing basic games at an affordable cost. This eventually pushed him to experiment further and combine virtual reality with an indoor exercise cycle. When we started the product design in 2016, we experimented in countries where people found it difficult to cycle outdoors, especially during winter. Now, with LoopFit, they can work out at home with a virtual headset, giving them the experience of riding a cycle on different terrains, complete with obstacles and animals, he said.

In 2016, they become the first VR team from India to participate in TechCrunch Disrupt, San Francisco, where they began pitching for investors. But, momentum picked up in Portugal. It was during our visit to the Web Summit in Portugal in 2016, when we received good response from the Portugal government, who wanted us to launch the product. With gyms and health clubs as potential customers, we have already started reaching out with the aim of launching the product by the end of April, costing approximately `3 lakh, explained Jignesh.

Reach Out: www.loopreality.com

Theres always a list of excuses to miss an outdoor workout session, isnt there? From poor weather conditions to boring solo workouts, we quickly lose the urge to exercise. Well, fret not! Introducing virtual reality into the world of fitness, Jignesh Talasila has designed LoopFit, an immersive multiplayer VR fitness solution that allows its users to experience outdoor environments, indoors. The GITAM University alumnus founded the start-up, Loop Reality in 2016 and designed LoopFit, allowing people to experience a fun, outdoorsy workout from the comfort of their home. It brings to the user a perfect amalgamation of technologies like VR, IoT and analytics, serving as the future of indoor fitness training. After my graduation in 2012, I was working in a software company for a year, but I quit my job to educate children in an innovative way. I quickly realised that the children needed laboratory kits to elevate their education, but many schools couldnt afford it, said Jignesh, CEO of the company. With the intent of introducing virtual reality into education, Jignesh set out to design a virtual laboratory kit, but failed to do so. Instead, he began designing basic games at an affordable cost. This eventually pushed him to experiment further and combine virtual reality with an indoor exercise cycle. When we started the product design in 2016, we experimented in countries where people found it difficult to cycle outdoors, especially during winter. Now, with LoopFit, they can work out at home with a virtual headset, giving them the experience of riding a cycle on different terrains, complete with obstacles and animals, he said. In 2016, they become the first VR team from India to participate in TechCrunch Disrupt, San Francisco, where they began pitching for investors. But, momentum picked up in Portugal. It was during our visit to the Web Summit in Portugal in 2016, when we received good response from the Portugal government, who wanted us to launch the product. With gyms and health clubs as potential customers, we have already started reaching out with the aim of launching the product by the end of April, costing approximately `3 lakh, explained Jignesh. Reach Out: www.loopreality.com
Jasmine Jerald By

Express News Service

T he loss of a parent at the age of twelve can be insurmountable, and having to start over in another country altogether, a whole new ball game. But, 17-year-old Sharon Joy didnt let that deter her. She took it in her stride to pursue her passion and now shes the only student from India to attend the National Student Leadership Conference at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts and the Global Young Leaders Conference at Washington DC and New York, this summer. Being the granddaughter of Dr K M Cherian (Chairman and CEO of Frontier Lifeline Hospital), one of Indias leading heart surgeons, Medicine flows through her veins, so to speak. When we caught up with Sharon recently, she spoke about adapting to a new environment, her relationship with her grandfather and more.

Excerpts from the chat:



Was growing up in a family of doctors the reason you developed an interest in Science and Medicine?

Well, its how I was introduced to Science and Medicine so early on. But my fathers demise had a huge impact on me. I took quite some time to recover from it. Being the inquisitive person that I am, I wanted to know how an otherwise healthy, young cardiologist could die of a sudden cardiac arrest. I remember telling my mother that I didnt want another child to feel the way I did at the time.



How were you selected for the conference?

I wrote the PSAT (Preliminary SAT) exam a while ago. Its also the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and I was in the 95th percentile. Thats how I got invited to both the conferences. It will be a great opportunity to learn under exceptional medical professionals and research facilities. It might also be my first trip abroad by myself, so I cant wait!



What kind of relationship do you share with your grandfather?

He does come off as someone strict, but I think we share a special bond. I am pretty close to him and when he heard that I was invited to the conference, he was very happy for me. Hes even volunteered to teach me suturing before I leave for the conference and I am looking forward to that.



How did you find the move to Chennai from the US?

I didnt know the citys culture and language. It was all completely new. Initially, I found it difficult to even make friends but now its a lot better.

T he loss of a parent at the age of twelve can be insurmountable, and having to start over in another country altogether, a whole new ball game. But, 17-year-old Sharon Joy didnt let that deter her. She took it in her stride to pursue her passion and now shes the only student from India to attend the National Student Leadership Conference at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts and the Global Young Leaders Conference at Washington DC and New York, this summer. Being the granddaughter of Dr K M Cherian (Chairman and CEO of Frontier Lifeline Hospital), one of Indias leading heart surgeons, Medicine flows through her veins, so to speak. When we caught up with Sharon recently, she spoke about adapting to a new environment, her relationship with her grandfather and more. Excerpts from the chat: Was growing up in a family of doctors the reason you developed an interest in Science and Medicine? Well, its how I was introduced to Science and Medicine so early on. But my fathers demise had a huge impact on me. I took quite some time to recover from it. Being the inquisitive person that I am, I wanted to know how an otherwise healthy, young cardiologist could die of a sudden cardiac arrest. I remember telling my mother that I didnt want another child to feel the way I did at the time. How were you selected for the conference? I wrote the PSAT (Preliminary SAT) exam a while ago. Its also the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and I was in the 95th percentile. Thats how I got invited to both the conferences. It will be a great opportunity to learn under exceptional medical professionals and research facilities. It might also be my first trip abroad by myself, so I cant wait! What kind of relationship do you share with your grandfather? He does come off as someone strict, but I think we share a special bond. I am pretty close to him and when he heard that I was invited to the conference, he was very happy for me. Hes even volunteered to teach me suturing before I leave for the conference and I am looking forward to that. How did you find the move to Chennai from the US? I didnt know the citys culture and language. It was all completely new. Initially, I found it difficult to even make friends but now its a lot better.
Blessy Mathew Prasad By

Express News Service

As Sahol Hamid takes over as the new Vice-Chancellor of BS Abdur Rahman University in Chennai, Blessy Mathew Prasad spends some time listening to his journey from being a Malay gangster to the first foreign VC to head an Indian varsity

As I walked into BS Abdur Rahman University, trying to find my way to the VCs office, I heard someone say Good morning, in a perky tone of voice. I looked up, smiled and greeted him, and as I continued walking, I wondered why this stranger had bothered to greet me. A few minutes later, as I waited at the reception area, the assistant told me that the new Vice-Chancellor was ready for our chat. Expecting to be met by the stereotypical academic type, I walked in to find the same person who had greeted me outside, smiling right back at me.

Just a few days into his stint as the VC of the Chennai-based deemed varsity, Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar is already changing the otherwise intimidating aura that students usually feel when they meet people who occupy the seat. I want to make this a happy place, I later hear him tell his students, quite openly. I want to see all of you greet each other, smile more, smile at me, smile at the lady who cleans the campus  everyone deserves respect, he adds.

For some reason, this didnt sound like the cliched advice that heads of institutions give when they take charge. Dig into his past and youll understand exactly why respect is such a big deal for him. In fact, thats a large part of why Hamid wants his students to learn to respect others  because he knew what it meant to grow up without it.

Dr Hamid, a Malaysian of Indonesian-Arabic origin, who becomes the first foreign VC to head an Indian varsity, didnt always have an easy life. Growing up in abject poverty in Penang, Malaysia, Hamid was often ridiculed for his beginnings. I was bullied in school and beaten up badly by other boys. I didnt really have a proper home. Most days, I stayed on the streets. I didnt even have money to buy clothes. But each time I was put to shame, my will to do something about it grew stronger, he explains.

Growing up on the streets of Penang, being tough wasnt an option. It was a pre-requisite. One day when I went home, my mother yelled at me. She asked me to be a man, and defend myself or never return home again, says Hamid. That night he walked out of his house more determined than ever to stand up for himself. He was put under the patronage of a Tomoi (Muay Thai) master by his uncle Don, a well-known gangster in Chowrasta, the street where he grew up.

Tomoi is an ancient combat sport in Malaysia that teaches the practitioner to use the entire body as a weapon. I put in all my effort and became a good fighter, and earned the respect of my friends. My enemies were afraid of me. With my uncles influence, I was soon introduced to big gangs, mostly headed by him. I was bruised and fatally injured several times. There were times when I was involved in fights that claimed the lives of others. But I still kept going, until one day, my uncle told me that I should leave the gang lifestyle, and that he didnt want me to end up like him, says Hamid. As providence would have it, someone from a charity organisation spotted him during one of his fights and offered him a chance at getting an education. After a lot of thought and some persuasion from his mother to do his higher studies, Hamid took the decision to leave everything behind and start a new lifestyle.

He was sent to the Universiti Teknologi MARA, one of the largest institutions in the country to do a pre-degree diploma course. As Hollywood has shown us, it is never easy for a gangster to go back to school. He was suspended a couple of times. But lucky for him, instead of kicking him out, the institution decided to give him another chance. This time, Hamid knew he couldnt mess it up for himself. He went on to win a scholarship to the University of Colorado, where he did his Masters in Civil Engineering and Economics simultaneously. But he couldnt forget how UiTM changed his life and he was forever grateful for their kindness. He went back as a lecturer to UiTM.

One thing led to another, and by 1992, Hamid had already completed his doctorate in Civil Engineering from the University of Sussex, UK. His areas of expertise include flood control, hydrology, economics and management, construction law, environmental engineering and the like. Hes been the recipient of several international awards for Science, nation-building and leadership. As if that were not enough, he also trained to become a cop and became the Assistant Commissioner of Police in Malaysia. Hamids life has been so inspiring, full of twists and turns, that a movie was made on him, titled Chowrasta.

But the one honour that he treasures even today is the moment when he was awarded the Tan Sri, the

Malaysian equivalent of the Padma Shri for his contribution to education in the state. So far, he has salvaged more than 70,000 kids from the streets and ensured that they are enrolled into schools. Hamid has made it his lifes mission to provide poor children the opportunity to study. And thats precisely what led him to accept BS Abdur Rahman Universitys offer. When I heard about their efforts in helping poor students through the Seethakathi Trust, I was instantly interested, he says.

Hamids vision as VC would be to train students to become CEOs. With the new tagline We Create Employers, there will be an emphasis on entrepreneurship and courses on entrepreneurship will be made mandatory for students across departments. I will also ensure that faculty members undergo frequent training sessions and that the curriculum is revised every six months. Every lecturer must publish at least three papers, he says, underlying the importance of qualified faculty members. Students are my treasures. Every student must be treated with respect and given a chance to grow, he concludes.

As Sahol Hamid takes over as the new Vice-Chancellor of BS Abdur Rahman University in Chennai, Blessy Mathew Prasad spends some time listening to his journey from being a Malay gangster to the first foreign VC to head an Indian varsity As I walked into BS Abdur Rahman University, trying to find my way to the VCs office, I heard someone say Good morning, in a perky tone of voice. I looked up, smiled and greeted him, and as I continued walking, I wondered why this stranger had bothered to greet me. A few minutes later, as I waited at the reception area, the assistant told me that the new Vice-Chancellor was ready for our chat. Expecting to be met by the stereotypical academic type, I walked in to find the same person who had greeted me outside, smiling right back at me. Just a few days into his stint as the VC of the Chennai-based deemed varsity, Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar is already changing the otherwise intimidating aura that students usually feel when they meet people who occupy the seat. I want to make this a happy place, I later hear him tell his students, quite openly. I want to see all of you greet each other, smile more, smile at me, smile at the lady who cleans the campus  everyone deserves respect, he adds. For some reason, this didnt sound like the cliched advice that heads of institutions give when they take charge. Dig into his past and youll understand exactly why respect is such a big deal for him. In fact, thats a large part of why Hamid wants his students to learn to respect others  because he knew what it meant to grow up without it. Dr Hamid, a Malaysian of Indonesian-Arabic origin, who becomes the first foreign VC to head an Indian varsity, didnt always have an easy life. Growing up in abject poverty in Penang, Malaysia, Hamid was often ridiculed for his beginnings. I was bullied in school and beaten up badly by other boys. I didnt really have a proper home. Most days, I stayed on the streets. I didnt even have money to buy clothes. But each time I was put to shame, my will to do something about it grew stronger, he explains. Growing up on the streets of Penang, being tough wasnt an option. It was a pre-requisite. One day when I went home, my mother yelled at me. She asked me to be a man, and defend myself or never return home again, says Hamid. That night he walked out of his house more determined than ever to stand up for himself. He was put under the patronage of a Tomoi (Muay Thai) master by his uncle Don, a well-known gangster in Chowrasta, the street where he grew up. Tomoi is an ancient combat sport in Malaysia that teaches the practitioner to use the entire body as a weapon. I put in all my effort and became a good fighter, and earned the respect of my friends. My enemies were afraid of me. With my uncles influence, I was soon introduced to big gangs, mostly headed by him. I was bruised and fatally injured several times. There were times when I was involved in fights that claimed the lives of others. But I still kept going, until one day, my uncle told me that I should leave the gang lifestyle, and that he didnt want me to end up like him, says Hamid. As providence would have it, someone from a charity organisation spotted him during one of his fights and offered him a chance at getting an education. After a lot of thought and some persuasion from his mother to do his higher studies, Hamid took the decision to leave everything behind and start a new lifestyle. He was sent to the Universiti Teknologi MARA, one of the largest institutions in the country to do a pre-degree diploma course. As Hollywood has shown us, it is never easy for a gangster to go back to school. He was suspended a couple of times. But lucky for him, instead of kicking him out, the institution decided to give him another chance. This time, Hamid knew he couldnt mess it up for himself. He went on to win a scholarship to the University of Colorado, where he did his Masters in Civil Engineering and Economics simultaneously. But he couldnt forget how UiTM changed his life and he was forever grateful for their kindness. He went back as a lecturer to UiTM. One thing led to another, and by 1992, Hamid had already completed his doctorate in Civil Engineering from the University of Sussex, UK. His areas of expertise include flood control, hydrology, economics and management, construction law, environmental engineering and the like. Hes been the recipient of several international awards for Science, nation-building and leadership. As if that were not enough, he also trained to become a cop and became the Assistant Commissioner of Police in Malaysia. Hamids life has been so inspiring, full of twists and turns, that a movie was made on him, titled Chowrasta. But the one honour that he treasures even today is the moment when he was awarded the Tan Sri, the Malaysian equivalent of the Padma Shri for his contribution to education in the state. So far, he has salvaged more than 70,000 kids from the streets and ensured that they are enrolled into schools. Hamid has made it his lifes mission to provide poor children the opportunity to study. And thats precisely what led him to accept BS Abdur Rahman Universitys offer. When I heard about their efforts in helping poor students through the Seethakathi Trust, I was instantly interested, he says. Hamids vision as VC would be to train students to become CEOs. With the new tagline We Create Employers, there will be an emphasis on entrepreneurship and courses on entrepreneurship will be made mandatory for students across departments. I will also ensure that faculty members undergo frequent training sessions and that the curriculum is revised every six months. Every lecturer must publish at least three papers, he says, underlying the importance of qualified faculty members. Students are my treasures. Every student must be treated with respect and given a chance to grow, he concludes.
By ANI

MASSACHUSETTS: Viola Davis adds one more trophy to her big trophy cabinet.

Davis received the Harvard foundation 2017 Artist of the Year award, recently, at Harvards Cultural Rhythms Festival in Cambridge.

According to Harvard Gazette, S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation said, The students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation are delighted to present the acclaimed television and film artist Viola Davis with the 2017 Artist of the Year award."

Our student committee praised her outstanding contributions to American and international film and theatre. She recently received the Critics Choice, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and British Academy of Films and Television Arts awards, as well as an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of August Wilsons play Fences'," Counter added.

The 51-year-old received 'Best Supporting Actress' award at this years Oscars, for Fences and also bagged the Critics Choice, Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA awards for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of Fences, an August Wilson play.

She also acted in the plays 2010 Broadway revival, with Denzel Washington, which earned her a Tony award.

Previous winners of this award include Quincy Jones, Shakira, Andy Garcia, Salma Hayek and Matt Damon.



MASSACHUSETTS: Viola Davis adds one more trophy to her big trophy cabinet. Davis received the Harvard foundation 2017 Artist of the Year award, recently, at Harvards Cultural Rhythms Festival in Cambridge. According to Harvard Gazette, S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation said, The students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation are delighted to present the acclaimed television and film artist Viola Davis with the 2017 Artist of the Year award." Our student committee praised her outstanding contributions to American and international film and theatre. She recently received the Critics Choice, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and British Academy of Films and Television Arts awards, as well as an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of August Wilsons play Fences'," Counter added. The 51-year-old received 'Best Supporting Actress' award at this years Oscars, for Fences and also bagged the Critics Choice, Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA awards for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of Fences, an August Wilson play. She also acted in the plays 2010 Broadway revival, with Denzel Washington, which earned her a Tony award. Previous winners of this award include Quincy Jones, Shakira, Andy Garcia, Salma Hayek and Matt Damon.
By PTI

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government will take up with Karnataka the need for joint efforts to prevent

women being taken to border towns for female foeticide. The Government suspects that a cross-border abortion racket is in operation after 19 aborted female foetuses were found dumped in a stream at a village in Sangli, bordering Karnataka, yesterday.

"Maharashtra government will take up the issue of female foeticide with Karnataka to prevent such cases,

especially after the Sangli incident," Deepak Sawant, Maharashtra Health Minister told PTI today.

Nineteen aborted female foetuses were found dumped near a stream at a village in Sangli district of western Maharashtra by police yesterday. Probing the case of a pregnant woman's death during abortion, the police had reached the stream in Mhaisal village where it found the foetuses.

Sangli Superintendent of Police, Dattatray Shinde had said the death of a 26-year-old pregnant woman on February 28 blew the lid off the "racket".

The woman had died during abortion at a private hospital run by a homoeopath, who is on the run, police said. "As the villagers suspected a foul play in the woman's death, they approached police, following which the racket was busted," Shinde said.

The woman was taken to the hospital by her husband a few days back for abortion as she was carrying a girl child for the third time. The Minister said a committee headed by Chief Secretary Sumit Malik was set up yesterday to conduct an investigation in the matter and co-ordinate with various departments to curb such practices.

There are also instances of women from Maharashtra being taken to border areas of Karnataka for abortion. In such cases, Maharashtra Police cannot directly go there and initiate action, Sawant said. "We have also asked the Sangli District medical officer and civil surgeon to file their reports on Mhaisal incident. Once the report comes, there will be appropriate action," Sawant said, adding search was on for the absconding doctor.

"Such cross border nexus does exist and they profit from loopholes in the policing system and lack of

communication between the two state governments," a government official said, requesting not to be identified.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Women and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde said the government has asked three officials from Sangli and two from Pune to investigate the matter and submit a report on Monday.

"Whatever happened in Sangli (where 19 aborted female foetuses were found dumped) is condemnable. The issue of saving daughters needs support from parents too. Parents should be motivated to support their children irrespective of their gender," she told reporters.

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government will take up with Karnataka the need for joint efforts to prevent women being taken to border towns for female foeticide. The Government suspects that a cross-border abortion racket is in operation after 19 aborted female foetuses were found dumped in a stream at a village in Sangli, bordering Karnataka, yesterday. "Maharashtra government will take up the issue of female foeticide with Karnataka to prevent such cases, especially after the Sangli incident," Deepak Sawant, Maharashtra Health Minister told PTI today. Nineteen aborted female foetuses were found dumped near a stream at a village in Sangli district of western Maharashtra by police yesterday. Probing the case of a pregnant woman's death during abortion, the police had reached the stream in Mhaisal village where it found the foetuses. Sangli Superintendent of Police, Dattatray Shinde had said the death of a 26-year-old pregnant woman on February 28 blew the lid off the "racket". The woman had died during abortion at a private hospital run by a homoeopath, who is on the run, police said. "As the villagers suspected a foul play in the woman's death, they approached police, following which the racket was busted," Shinde said. The woman was taken to the hospital by her husband a few days back for abortion as she was carrying a girl child for the third time. The Minister said a committee headed by Chief Secretary Sumit Malik was set up yesterday to conduct an investigation in the matter and co-ordinate with various departments to curb such practices. There are also instances of women from Maharashtra being taken to border areas of Karnataka for abortion. In such cases, Maharashtra Police cannot directly go there and initiate action, Sawant said. "We have also asked the Sangli District medical officer and civil surgeon to file their reports on Mhaisal incident. Once the report comes, there will be appropriate action," Sawant said, adding search was on for the absconding doctor. "Such cross border nexus does exist and they profit from loopholes in the policing system and lack of communication between the two state governments," a government official said, requesting not to be identified. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Women and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde said the government has asked three officials from Sangli and two from Pune to investigate the matter and submit a report on Monday. "Whatever happened in Sangli (where 19 aborted female foetuses were found dumped) is condemnable. The issue of saving daughters needs support from parents too. Parents should be motivated to support their children irrespective of their gender," she told reporters.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Commenting on Asias pivotal role in combating terrorism, defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said that a strong regional push from Asia will exert more pressure on the rest of the world to adopt a cohesive framework to fight terrorism. Minister was pitching for the United Nations to adopt the comprehensive convention on international terrorism to deal with terror effectively.

Without naming Pakistan but an obvious reference to country arch-rival, Parrikar said that India has been a victim of proxy war for several decades, and a successful combat against terrorism requires a holistic approach. Describing terrorism as a transnational threat, the minister said that the response to this threat is generally local and uncoordinated, largely due to conflicting definitions of terrorism and geopolitical constraints, which have stymied a global response.

Parrikar mentioned four groups--ISIS, Boko Haram, Taliban and Al-Qaeda, who were responsible for 74 per cent of all forms of terrorism. He also referred to a UN report that describing ISIS-affiliated groups carried out attacks in 29 countries in 2016 which is almost double in comparison to 2014. He said some 60 million people have been impacted by conflict and violence and a record number of countries have been experiencing a high level of terrorism which surged by six per cent in 2016 over the preceding year.

Parrikar also noted that tackling of terror finance and countering the misuse of the internet through social media by terrorist entities are important steps in this process.

Minister also vowed for countries to push for a decisive global action plan to dismantle terror infrastructure wherever it exists and choke its financing, terming the menace the single biggest threat to peace and security.

While addressing a conference on combating terrorism at a defence ministrys thinktank, Parrikar said terrorism remained the "most pervasive and serious challenge" to international peace and security and a united global approach was crucial to deal with it.

"Terrorism is undoubtedly the single biggest threat to international peace and security. While the threat is transnational, the response does not appear to be coordinated even though there is a broad consensus on what constitutes an act of terror," he said.

While mentioning that India will continue to push for shutting down terror camps, imposing a ban on all terror groups, prosecuting all terrorists under a special law and making cross-border terror an extraditable offence under the CCIT.

"Twenty years later we continue to push and put our weight on this aspect, to shut down terror camps, to ban all terror groups, prosecute all terrorist under special laws and make cross-border terror an extraditable offence worldwide," he said.

NEW DELHI: Commenting on Asias pivotal role in combating terrorism, defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said that a strong regional push from Asia will exert more pressure on the rest of the world to adopt a cohesive framework to fight terrorism. Minister was pitching for the United Nations to adopt the comprehensive convention on international terrorism to deal with terror effectively. Without naming Pakistan but an obvious reference to country arch-rival, Parrikar said that India has been a victim of proxy war for several decades, and a successful combat against terrorism requires a holistic approach. Describing terrorism as a transnational threat, the minister said that the response to this threat is generally local and uncoordinated, largely due to conflicting definitions of terrorism and geopolitical constraints, which have stymied a global response. Parrikar mentioned four groups--ISIS, Boko Haram, Taliban and Al-Qaeda, who were responsible for 74 per cent of all forms of terrorism. He also referred to a UN report that describing ISIS-affiliated groups carried out attacks in 29 countries in 2016 which is almost double in comparison to 2014. He said some 60 million people have been impacted by conflict and violence and a record number of countries have been experiencing a high level of terrorism which surged by six per cent in 2016 over the preceding year. Parrikar also noted that tackling of terror finance and countering the misuse of the internet through social media by terrorist entities are important steps in this process. Minister also vowed for countries to push for a decisive global action plan to dismantle terror infrastructure wherever it exists and choke its financing, terming the menace the single biggest threat to peace and security. While addressing a conference on combating terrorism at a defence ministrys thinktank, Parrikar said terrorism remained the "most pervasive and serious challenge" to international peace and security and a united global approach was crucial to deal with it. "Terrorism is undoubtedly the single biggest threat to international peace and security. While the threat is transnational, the response does not appear to be coordinated even though there is a broad consensus on what constitutes an act of terror," he said. While mentioning that India will continue to push for shutting down terror camps, imposing a ban on all terror groups, prosecuting all terrorists under a special law and making cross-border terror an extraditable offence under the CCIT. "Twenty years later we continue to push and put our weight on this aspect, to shut down terror camps, to ban all terror groups, prosecute all terrorist under special laws and make cross-border terror an extraditable offence worldwide," he said.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today exempted the Centre from filing before it the status report on the progress made by the international tribunal in deciding the jurisdiction issue in the case of Italian marines, accused of killing Indian fishermen

A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said the Centre need not file a status report after every three months before this court and asked it to rather file a final report when the tribunal decides whether India or Italy can try the marines. The marines, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, are accused of killings two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012.

"Petitioners (Latorre and Girone) shall be liable to adhere to the time schedules fixed in relation to hearing before the international arbitral tribunal," the bench also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul said, adding that the final award of the tribunal be put up before it. The court, meanwhile, asked Additional Solicitor General P S Narsimha, appearing for the Centre, to keep the Kerala government informed about the developments which may take place from time to time before the tribunal.

On September 28, 2016 the apex court had allowed Latorre to remain in his country till the international arbitral tribunal decides the jurisdictional issue. The apex court had said all the conditions which were imposed on Girone would be applicable on Latorre as well besides putting a condition on the government to submit to it the three-monthly report about the case's progress at the tribunal.

The court's direction had come on a plea by Italy seeking modification of bail conditions of Latorre to enable him to remain in that country till jurisdictional issue was decided by the international tribunal. The apex court had on September 8, 2016 decided to hear Italy's plea on behalf of Latorre who had sought urgent hearing on the ground that an earlier court order was valid till September 30, 2016.

While relaxing Girone's bail conditions on May 26, the apex court had allowed him to go to his country till the jurisdiction issue was decided. The apex court had earlier imposed four conditions on Girone including that he has to report to a police station in Italy on the first Wednesday of each month and Italian authorities have to inform the Indian Embassy in Rome about it.

The second condition was that he will not tamper with any evidence, nor influence any witness in the case. Thirdly, Girone has to give an undertaking that he will remain under the jurisdiction of Supreme Court and lastly, if found violating any of these conditions, his bail will be cancelled, the court had said.

The marines, who were aboard the Italian-flagged commercial oil tanker 'Enrica Lexie', are accused of killing two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast on February 15, 2012. The complaint against the marines was lodged by Freddy, the owner of fishing boat 'St Antony' in which the two Kerala fishermen were killed when the marines opened fire on them allegedly under the misconception that they were pirates.

On April 26, the apex court had extended till September 30 the stay of Latorre in Italy after it was informed that the international arbitral proceedings would be completed by December 2018 before International Tribunal for Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Germany. The apex court had also asked the Italian Embassy here to give an undertaking to abide by the conditions under which Latorre was allowed to leave India.

The court had earlier stayed all criminal proceedings, including the trial of the two marines. While allowing the joint request of India and Italy, the apex court had said the proceedings would remain stalled till the jurisdictional issue about which country has the right to conduct trial was decided through international arbitration.

The apex court had on August 26, 2015 suspended all court proceedings here in pursuance of an interim order of the ITLOS asking India to maintain "status quo" in the case. The Indian government had then said a five-member tribunal (ITLOS Annex VII arbitral tribunal) would be set up, probably to decide the issue of jurisdiction.

The court, in August last year, had extended the stay of Latorre, who had undergone a heart surgery in Italy, by six months while asking him to file an undertaking that he would abide by its conditions.

Latorre, who had also suffered a brain stroke on August 31, 2014, was allowed by the apex court on September 12, 2014 to go to Italy for four months and after that, extensions have been granted to him.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today exempted the Centre from filing before it the status report on the progress made by the international tribunal in deciding the jurisdiction issue in the case of Italian marines, accused of killing Indian fishermen A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said the Centre need not file a status report after every three months before this court and asked it to rather file a final report when the tribunal decides whether India or Italy can try the marines. The marines, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, are accused of killings two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012. "Petitioners (Latorre and Girone) shall be liable to adhere to the time schedules fixed in relation to hearing before the international arbitral tribunal," the bench also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul said, adding that the final award of the tribunal be put up before it. The court, meanwhile, asked Additional Solicitor General P S Narsimha, appearing for the Centre, to keep the Kerala government informed about the developments which may take place from time to time before the tribunal. On September 28, 2016 the apex court had allowed Latorre to remain in his country till the international arbitral tribunal decides the jurisdictional issue. The apex court had said all the conditions which were imposed on Girone would be applicable on Latorre as well besides putting a condition on the government to submit to it the three-monthly report about the case's progress at the tribunal. The court's direction had come on a plea by Italy seeking modification of bail conditions of Latorre to enable him to remain in that country till jurisdictional issue was decided by the international tribunal. The apex court had on September 8, 2016 decided to hear Italy's plea on behalf of Latorre who had sought urgent hearing on the ground that an earlier court order was valid till September 30, 2016. While relaxing Girone's bail conditions on May 26, the apex court had allowed him to go to his country till the jurisdiction issue was decided. The apex court had earlier imposed four conditions on Girone including that he has to report to a police station in Italy on the first Wednesday of each month and Italian authorities have to inform the Indian Embassy in Rome about it. The second condition was that he will not tamper with any evidence, nor influence any witness in the case. Thirdly, Girone has to give an undertaking that he will remain under the jurisdiction of Supreme Court and lastly, if found violating any of these conditions, his bail will be cancelled, the court had said. The marines, who were aboard the Italian-flagged commercial oil tanker 'Enrica Lexie', are accused of killing two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast on February 15, 2012. The complaint against the marines was lodged by Freddy, the owner of fishing boat 'St Antony' in which the two Kerala fishermen were killed when the marines opened fire on them allegedly under the misconception that they were pirates. On April 26, the apex court had extended till September 30 the stay of Latorre in Italy after it was informed that the international arbitral proceedings would be completed by December 2018 before International Tribunal for Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Germany. The apex court had also asked the Italian Embassy here to give an undertaking to abide by the conditions under which Latorre was allowed to leave India. The court had earlier stayed all criminal proceedings, including the trial of the two marines. While allowing the joint request of India and Italy, the apex court had said the proceedings would remain stalled till the jurisdictional issue about which country has the right to conduct trial was decided through international arbitration. The apex court had on August 26, 2015 suspended all court proceedings here in pursuance of an interim order of the ITLOS asking India to maintain "status quo" in the case. The Indian government had then said a five-member tribunal (ITLOS Annex VII arbitral tribunal) would be set up, probably to decide the issue of jurisdiction. The court, in August last year, had extended the stay of Latorre, who had undergone a heart surgery in Italy, by six months while asking him to file an undertaking that he would abide by its conditions. Latorre, who had also suffered a brain stroke on August 31, 2014, was allowed by the apex court on September 12, 2014 to go to Italy for four months and after that, extensions have been granted to him.
Namita bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: The central commanders of the BJP are camping in the holy city of Varanasi to lead the partys flag march ahead of the final phase of Assembly polls that is to be held on March 8. Leading from the front is their commander-in-chief - Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself - accompanied by over 20 senior Cabinet Ministers. Modi has been staying at his parliamentary constituency for the past two days.

The amassing of the top party leaders in the State indicates the significance of Uttar Pradesh to Modi, who has made a him versus the rest affair. On the contrary, the political pundits are viewing it as an act of desperation of the saffron brigade to wrest the UP crown.

So, what makes the Prime Minister of the country drive the party juggernaut in a State election? Since 2014, Modi has been seen steering the BJPs campaigns for State elections himself, often essaying the role of a Chief Minister as the party goes faceless against rivals with convincing CM candidates.

Despite reverses in Bihar, the way Modi has been leading the UP campaign shows the importance he is attaching to his karmabhoomi. Losing will dent not only his prestige, but also his pattern of governance that has often come under criticism from his rivals.

Attacks on demonetisation by rivals were blunted by his repartees that left a lot to be decoded by the voters. Maya ko Maya mile kar kar lambe haath.... (Gluttony brings like-minded persons together), he said at the intellectuals meet in Varanasi on Sunday, to buttress his claim on why SP and BSP were humming the same tune on notebandi.

Modi also fired salvos at bureaucracy and elucidated its waywardness in handling issues. Netao, Babuo ne loota hai desh ko (Leaders and bureaucrats have looted the country), he said, reiterating his resolve to not spare the corrupt. But this time, unlike after demonetisation, the poor and deprived would not be left to suffer, he clarified.

Chhotey logon ko pareshani nahi hone dunga lekin looteron ko nahi chhodunga ye pakka hai (I will not let the common man suffer but wont leave the plunderers), he said, apparently hinting at more demonetisation-like radical moves in future.

His Varanasi rhetoric, probably the last and strongest push to his UP endeavour so far, went off leaving behind his undiminished trail of popularity on the banks of his own Varanasi as this war of the year winds up.

LUCKNOW: The central commanders of the BJP are camping in the holy city of Varanasi to lead the partys flag march ahead of the final phase of Assembly polls that is to be held on March 8. Leading from the front is their commander-in-chief - Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself - accompanied by over 20 senior Cabinet Ministers. Modi has been staying at his parliamentary constituency for the past two days. The amassing of the top party leaders in the State indicates the significance of Uttar Pradesh to Modi, who has made a him versus the rest affair. On the contrary, the political pundits are viewing it as an act of desperation of the saffron brigade to wrest the UP crown. So, what makes the Prime Minister of the country drive the party juggernaut in a State election? Since 2014, Modi has been seen steering the BJPs campaigns for State elections himself, often essaying the role of a Chief Minister as the party goes faceless against rivals with convincing CM candidates. Despite reverses in Bihar, the way Modi has been leading the UP campaign shows the importance he is attaching to his karmabhoomi. Losing will dent not only his prestige, but also his pattern of governance that has often come under criticism from his rivals. Attacks on demonetisation by rivals were blunted by his repartees that left a lot to be decoded by the voters. Maya ko Maya mile kar kar lambe haath.... (Gluttony brings like-minded persons together), he said at the intellectuals meet in Varanasi on Sunday, to buttress his claim on why SP and BSP were humming the same tune on notebandi. Modi also fired salvos at bureaucracy and elucidated its waywardness in handling issues. Netao, Babuo ne loota hai desh ko (Leaders and bureaucrats have looted the country), he said, reiterating his resolve to not spare the corrupt. But this time, unlike after demonetisation, the poor and deprived would not be left to suffer, he clarified. Chhotey logon ko pareshani nahi hone dunga lekin looteron ko nahi chhodunga ye pakka hai (I will not let the common man suffer but wont leave the plunderers), he said, apparently hinting at more demonetisation-like radical moves in future. His Varanasi rhetoric, probably the last and strongest push to his UP endeavour so far, went off leaving behind his undiminished trail of popularity on the banks of his own Varanasi as this war of the year winds up.
By ANI

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will today hear the plea filed by the December 16 Nirbhaya gang rape convicts, challenging the Delhi High Courts order.

The matter is being heard by the Apex Court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra and Justices R. Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan.

The convicts - Akshay, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh - have challenged the Delhi High Court order which had sentenced them to the gallows, after keeping in view the fact that it was a rarest of the rare case.

Earlier, the trial court also had sentenced all the four convicts to death penalty.

On February 3, the Supreme Court accepted amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran's submissions that there have been violation of procedure with regard to the sentencing of the four convicts. The accused were required to file their affidavits by February 23.

Six people gang raped a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus. The woman succumbed to her injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012.

One of the accused, Ram Singh hanged himself in prison, while another man, who was a juvenile at the time of the crime, was convicted in August and will serve the maximum sentence of three years in a reform home.

On December 3, amicus curiae Sanjay Hegde questioned the evidence produced by the prosecution in the gang-rape case, and came out with certain points putting a question on the merit of evidence.

According to Hegde, one of the convicts, Mukesh, was not with the prime culprit Ram Singh when the offence was committed, since their mobile locations were found to be different on that night.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will today hear the plea filed by the December 16 Nirbhaya gang rape convicts, challenging the Delhi High Courts order. The matter is being heard by the Apex Court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra and Justices R. Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan. The convicts - Akshay, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh - have challenged the Delhi High Court order which had sentenced them to the gallows, after keeping in view the fact that it was a rarest of the rare case. Earlier, the trial court also had sentenced all the four convicts to death penalty. On February 3, the Supreme Court accepted amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran's submissions that there have been violation of procedure with regard to the sentencing of the four convicts. The accused were required to file their affidavits by February 23. Six people gang raped a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus. The woman succumbed to her injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012. One of the accused, Ram Singh hanged himself in prison, while another man, who was a juvenile at the time of the crime, was convicted in August and will serve the maximum sentence of three years in a reform home. On December 3, amicus curiae Sanjay Hegde questioned the evidence produced by the prosecution in the gang-rape case, and came out with certain points putting a question on the merit of evidence. According to Hegde, one of the convicts, Mukesh, was not with the prime culprit Ram Singh when the offence was committed, since their mobile locations were found to be different on that night.
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: The State budget for 2017-18 was presented by finance minister Captain Abhimanyu Singh, without any proposal of new tax, in Haryana Assembly on Monday.

Presenting his third budget in Haryanas Golden Jubilee year, he proposed a budget of Rs 1,02,329.35 crore, an increase of Rs 9,041.59 (13.18 per cent) over the last budget. This is the first time in the state that the budget has crossed the figure of one lakh crore, excluding food grain procurement operations. The budget outlay comprises 21.88 per cent as capital expenditure of Rs 22393.51crore and 78.12 per cent as revenue expenditure of Rs 79935.84 crore.

It was also proposed that all government payments of more than Rs 5000 be made through digital mode only. Five per cent rebate will be given on bill payments to utilities and other government payments through BHIM App, subject to a maximum of Rs 50.

In order to provide seamless and expeditious health services to the serving and retired employees, government intends to explore the possibility of introducing Cashless Health Insurance Scheme for State employees and pensioners, Capt. Abhimanyu said.

A dedicated Asset Management Cell is being created in the Revenue Department to carry out asset mapping of the State resources and to prepare a register of all public assets.

A new scheme has been proposed in the name of late Choudhry Chhotu Ramji as Deenbandhu Haryana Gram Uday Yojana to develop about 1500 villages having population between 3,000 to 10,000 by providing necessary physical, social and economic infrastructure facilities on par with the urban areas, in a phased manner within three years, with an outlay of Rs 5000 crore. For 2017-18, Rs 1200 crore has been allocated for this scheme.

Another new scheme in the name of late Dr Mangal Sain, former deputy chief minister as Mangal Nagar Vikas Yojana has been proposed to create, maintain infrastructure in urban areas. An outlay of Rs 1000 crore has been allocated for this scheme in 2017-18.

The budget document stated that no change in the present rates of taxes under the Haryana Value Added Tax (HVAT) Act, 2003. The State government has decided to make bio diesel (B-100) and solar devices and parts used in installation of solar power projects tax-free by exempting them from the levy of VAT.

On the lines of the Union governments initiative, Haryana has also decided to dispense the Plan and Non-Plan classification of expenditure and present the budget in terms of revenue and capital classification, which would give holistic view of sectoral allocations, leading to optimal allocation of resources to departments. An attempt has also been made to classify the allocation of resources into rural and urban categories, wherever feasible, to have clearer view about the fund flow to priority areas, said Capt Abhimanyu.

For the next fiscal 2017-18, capital expenditure is proposed to double it to Rs 14932 crore, over RE 2016-17. In addition, capital expenditure to the tune of Rs 4725 crore is likely to be incurred by public sector units in 2017-18. Hence, total capital expenditure is estimated to be Rs 19657 crore in 2017-18.

Meanwhile, responding to a question raised by MLA Ravinder Macchrouli during ongoing budget session of State Assembly on Monday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the government would start a new pension scheme similar to that of widows for the widowers, from next year.

CHANDIGARH: The State budget for 2017-18 was presented by finance minister Captain Abhimanyu Singh, without any proposal of new tax, in Haryana Assembly on Monday. Presenting his third budget in Haryanas Golden Jubilee year, he proposed a budget of Rs 1,02,329.35 crore, an increase of Rs 9,041.59 (13.18 per cent) over the last budget. This is the first time in the state that the budget has crossed the figure of one lakh crore, excluding food grain procurement operations. The budget outlay comprises 21.88 per cent as capital expenditure of Rs 22393.51crore and 78.12 per cent as revenue expenditure of Rs 79935.84 crore. It was also proposed that all government payments of more than Rs 5000 be made through digital mode only. Five per cent rebate will be given on bill payments to utilities and other government payments through BHIM App, subject to a maximum of Rs 50. In order to provide seamless and expeditious health services to the serving and retired employees, government intends to explore the possibility of introducing Cashless Health Insurance Scheme for State employees and pensioners, Capt. Abhimanyu said. A dedicated Asset Management Cell is being created in the Revenue Department to carry out asset mapping of the State resources and to prepare a register of all public assets. A new scheme has been proposed in the name of late Choudhry Chhotu Ramji as Deenbandhu Haryana Gram Uday Yojana to develop about 1500 villages having population between 3,000 to 10,000 by providing necessary physical, social and economic infrastructure facilities on par with the urban areas, in a phased manner within three years, with an outlay of Rs 5000 crore. For 2017-18, Rs 1200 crore has been allocated for this scheme. Another new scheme in the name of late Dr Mangal Sain, former deputy chief minister as Mangal Nagar Vikas Yojana has been proposed to create, maintain infrastructure in urban areas. An outlay of Rs 1000 crore has been allocated for this scheme in 2017-18. The budget document stated that no change in the present rates of taxes under the Haryana Value Added Tax (HVAT) Act, 2003. The State government has decided to make bio diesel (B-100) and solar devices and parts used in installation of solar power projects tax-free by exempting them from the levy of VAT. On the lines of the Union governments initiative, Haryana has also decided to dispense the Plan and Non-Plan classification of expenditure and present the budget in terms of revenue and capital classification, which would give holistic view of sectoral allocations, leading to optimal allocation of resources to departments. An attempt has also been made to classify the allocation of resources into rural and urban categories, wherever feasible, to have clearer view about the fund flow to priority areas, said Capt Abhimanyu. For the next fiscal 2017-18, capital expenditure is proposed to double it to Rs 14932 crore, over RE 2016-17. In addition, capital expenditure to the tune of Rs 4725 crore is likely to be incurred by public sector units in 2017-18. Hence, total capital expenditure is estimated to be Rs 19657 crore in 2017-18. Meanwhile, responding to a question raised by MLA Ravinder Macchrouli during ongoing budget session of State Assembly on Monday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the government would start a new pension scheme similar to that of widows for the widowers, from next year.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Monday said India's position on the 26/11 Mumbai attack is very well known and there is nothing new in former Pakistan National Security Advisor Mahmud Ali Durrani's remark that it was a "classic example" of cross-border terror.

"India's position is very well known and consistent. There is nothing new for us," Rijiju told reporters here.

At a conference on combating terrorism here, Durrani said the 26/11 terror strikes were a classic example of cross-border terrorism carried out by a Pakistan-based terror group.

Durrani, however, maintained that the Pak government had no role in the 2008 terror attack.

Probe into the 26/11 case by Indian agencies have brought to the fore the role of the Pak Government and its agencies in hatching the conspiracy and executing the deadly terror attack in which 166 innocent people were killed and scores others injured.

Investigation into the 26/11 case has pointed out the role of the Pak-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba that was backed by Inter-Services Intelligence and the army of that country.

Intelligence officials said the narrative in Pakistan is clear and all the agencies including the Pak Government, Army, ISI and the terror groups like LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad are on the same page when it comes to hitting India.

Durranis statement could be aimed at shielding the Pak state actors like the ISI and Army from the blame of 26/11 attacks, the Intelligence officials added.

NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Monday said India's position on the 26/11 Mumbai attack is very well known and there is nothing new in former Pakistan National Security Advisor Mahmud Ali Durrani's remark that it was a "classic example" of cross-border terror. "India's position is very well known and consistent. There is nothing new for us," Rijiju told reporters here. At a conference on combating terrorism here, Durrani said the 26/11 terror strikes were a classic example of cross-border terrorism carried out by a Pakistan-based terror group. Durrani, however, maintained that the Pak government had no role in the 2008 terror attack. Probe into the 26/11 case by Indian agencies have brought to the fore the role of the Pak Government and its agencies in hatching the conspiracy and executing the deadly terror attack in which 166 innocent people were killed and scores others injured. Investigation into the 26/11 case has pointed out the role of the Pak-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba that was backed by Inter-Services Intelligence and the army of that country. Intelligence officials said the narrative in Pakistan is clear and all the agencies including the Pak Government, Army, ISI and the terror groups like LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad are on the same page when it comes to hitting India. Durranis statement could be aimed at shielding the Pak state actors like the ISI and Army from the blame of 26/11 attacks, the Intelligence officials added.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: A year after the abduction of Fr Tom Uzhunnalil, a petition has been filed before the Kerala High Court seeking a directive to the Central government to take all possible steps with the help of United Nations and its agencies for the release of the priest. He was abducted last March from an old-age home run by the Missionaries of Charity in Aden in strife-torn Yemen by terror group-Islamic State.

The petition was filed by MV Mathew of Vyttila, Kochi. The petition stated that a video of Fr Uzhunnalil stating: "If I were a European priest, I would have been taken more seriously. I am from India. I am perhaps not considered of much value," was released.

The petitioner stated that even a year after the incident, the Central government has failed to trace the

whereabouts of the priest. The kidnappers or terrorists have not demanded anything from the government as a condition for releasing the abducted priest. The intention of the abduction is also not known to the government. Uncertainty prevails with regard to the steps taken by the government and the public have doubts, said the petitioner.

KOCHI: A year after the abduction of Fr Tom Uzhunnalil, a petition has been filed before the Kerala High Court seeking a directive to the Central government to take all possible steps with the help of United Nations and its agencies for the release of the priest. He was abducted last March from an old-age home run by the Missionaries of Charity in Aden in strife-torn Yemen by terror group-Islamic State. The petition was filed by MV Mathew of Vyttila, Kochi. The petition stated that a video of Fr Uzhunnalil stating: "If I were a European priest, I would have been taken more seriously. I am from India. I am perhaps not considered of much value," was released. The petitioner stated that even a year after the incident, the Central government has failed to trace the whereabouts of the priest. The kidnappers or terrorists have not demanded anything from the government as a condition for releasing the abducted priest. The intention of the abduction is also not known to the government. Uncertainty prevails with regard to the steps taken by the government and the public have doubts, said the petitioner.
By ANI

MUMBAI: In what may spark a fresh controversy, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi on Monday accused Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar of resorting to the drama of surrogacy because "he couldn't get a girl to marry."

Azmi said even if Karan Johar could not marry, then instead of surrogacy he could have gone for adoption.

Couldnt he get a girl to marry? And if not, then there are so many poor people. He could have adopted two or four. It looks as if he is mocking the poor, Azmi told the media here.

Mocking Johars identity, Azmi said it looked as if the God had not made his better half.

Pairs are made by the God, but no one was made for him. If he has some illness then he can tell. May be, he cant marry because of some problem. What is this drama of surrogacy? he asked.

Karan Johar recently became a single parent to twins - a boy and a girl.

In a statement, the 44-year-old director said "I am ecstatic to share with you all the two most wonderful additions to my life, my children and lifelines; Roohi and Yash."

"I feel enormously blessed to be a parent to these pieces of my heart who were welcomed into this world with the help of the marvels of medical science," he added.

Earlier, Tusshar Kapoor too became a single father through donor egg surrogacy.

MUMBAI: In what may spark a fresh controversy, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi on Monday accused Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar of resorting to the drama of surrogacy because "he couldn't get a girl to marry." Azmi said even if Karan Johar could not marry, then instead of surrogacy he could have gone for adoption. Couldnt he get a girl to marry? And if not, then there are so many poor people. He could have adopted two or four. It looks as if he is mocking the poor, Azmi told the media here. Mocking Johars identity, Azmi said it looked as if the God had not made his better half. Pairs are made by the God, but no one was made for him. If he has some illness then he can tell. May be, he cant marry because of some problem. What is this drama of surrogacy? he asked. Karan Johar recently became a single parent to twins - a boy and a girl. In a statement, the 44-year-old director said "I am ecstatic to share with you all the two most wonderful additions to my life, my children and lifelines; Roohi and Yash." "I feel enormously blessed to be a parent to these pieces of my heart who were welcomed into this world with the help of the marvels of medical science," he added. Earlier, Tusshar Kapoor too became a single father through donor egg surrogacy.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: A day after Hizbul Mujahideen deputy chief Sabzar Ahmad along with some of his associates escaped from an encounter site in Tral area of South Kashmir, CRPF has admitted that stone pelting is hampering anti-militancy operations in the Valley and many militants have escaped from the encounter sites during the clashes.

The stone pelting is hampering our anti-militancy operations, IG CRPF (Operations) Zulfikar Hassan told New Indian Express.

At least six CRPF men, including an officer, were injured on Saturday evening in Hayena area of Tral in South Kashmirs Pulwama district when locals pelted stones on police, paramilitary and army men, who were laying siege around the village to conduct operation to flush out a group of militants hiding there.

An Insas rifle of a CRPF officer was snatched by the mob after injuring him. The officer, who suffered head injuries, is undergoing treatment at an Army hospital in Srinagar.

During the clashes between locals and security men, the Hizb deputy chief Sabzar Ahmad along with some of his associates managed to escape from the area, police sources said.

Sabzar was a close aide of Kashmir militancys poster boy and HM commander Burhan Wani, who was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8 last year.

IG CRPF said there have been many instances when militants managed to escape from encounter sites due to stone pelting resorted to by locals.

On Monday, security forces faced protests at Pinjoora area of South Kashmirs Pulwama district, where they had gone to conduct search operations after receiving inputs about presence of the militants. Later, the operation was called off after no militant was found.

On March 4, security men had to call of anti-militancy operation in South Kashmirs Shopian district after militants holed up in a house managed to escape following intense protests and stone pelting from locals.

Asked what measures have been taken to prevent protests and stone pelting at encounter sites, IG CRPF said, The local administration is taking steps to prevent people from staging protests and pelting stones on security men during anti-militancy operations in the Valley.

He said Section 144 is imposed in encounter sites and restrictions are enforced to prevent people from taking to roads and pelting stones on security men.

However, despite these measures intense stone pelting takes place at some places during the encounters, Hassan said.

According to him, most of the stone pelting incidents during anti-militancy operations have taken place in South Kashmir.

We have taken additional measures to prevent people from staging protests and pelting stones on the security personnel during anti-militancy operations, he said without divulging further information.

Meanwhile, thousands of people attended the funeral prayers of local HM militant Aquib Molvi at Tral in South Kashmir on Monday.

Aquib along with a Pakistani militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Hayena village of Tral on Sunday. A policeman was also killed and three security men including Army Major injured in the gunfight.

According to locals, about 30,000 people attended at least four funeral prayers of Aquib, who was a close associate of slain HM commander Burhan Wani.

Aquib was a deeply religious boy and had joined Hizb in 2012, police sources said.

SRINAGAR: A day after Hizbul Mujahideen deputy chief Sabzar Ahmad along with some of his associates escaped from an encounter site in Tral area of South Kashmir, CRPF has admitted that stone pelting is hampering anti-militancy operations in the Valley and many militants have escaped from the encounter sites during the clashes. The stone pelting is hampering our anti-militancy operations, IG CRPF (Operations) Zulfikar Hassan told New Indian Express. At least six CRPF men, including an officer, were injured on Saturday evening in Hayena area of Tral in South Kashmirs Pulwama district when locals pelted stones on police, paramilitary and army men, who were laying siege around the village to conduct operation to flush out a group of militants hiding there. An Insas rifle of a CRPF officer was snatched by the mob after injuring him. The officer, who suffered head injuries, is undergoing treatment at an Army hospital in Srinagar. During the clashes between locals and security men, the Hizb deputy chief Sabzar Ahmad along with some of his associates managed to escape from the area, police sources said. Sabzar was a close aide of Kashmir militancys poster boy and HM commander Burhan Wani, who was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8 last year. IG CRPF said there have been many instances when militants managed to escape from encounter sites due to stone pelting resorted to by locals. On Monday, security forces faced protests at Pinjoora area of South Kashmirs Pulwama district, where they had gone to conduct search operations after receiving inputs about presence of the militants. Later, the operation was called off after no militant was found. On March 4, security men had to call of anti-militancy operation in South Kashmirs Shopian district after militants holed up in a house managed to escape following intense protests and stone pelting from locals. Asked what measures have been taken to prevent protests and stone pelting at encounter sites, IG CRPF said, The local administration is taking steps to prevent people from staging protests and pelting stones on security men during anti-militancy operations in the Valley. He said Section 144 is imposed in encounter sites and restrictions are enforced to prevent people from taking to roads and pelting stones on security men. However, despite these measures intense stone pelting takes place at some places during the encounters, Hassan said. According to him, most of the stone pelting incidents during anti-militancy operations have taken place in South Kashmir. We have taken additional measures to prevent people from staging protests and pelting stones on the security personnel during anti-militancy operations, he said without divulging further information. Meanwhile, thousands of people attended the funeral prayers of local HM militant Aquib Molvi at Tral in South Kashmir on Monday. Aquib along with a Pakistani militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Hayena village of Tral on Sunday. A policeman was also killed and three security men including Army Major injured in the gunfight. According to locals, about 30,000 people attended at least four funeral prayers of Aquib, who was a close associate of slain HM commander Burhan Wani. Aquib was a deeply religious boy and had joined Hizb in 2012, police sources said.
Namita bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: The month-long high-octane campaign for the battle of Lucknow culminated on a fierce note with the major players seen throwing their might to mobilise voters for final 40 seats across seven districts of Purvanchal that goes to polls under seventh phase on March 8.

While PM Narendra Modi made Varanasi his abode for three days and held the partys fort himself, Akhilesh-Rahul duo was not behind in show of strength. On the contrary, BSP chief Mayawati, away from pomp and show, chose to close her rhetoric by talking to media persons in the final moments of campaign.

While on one hand the PM at his last rally in Rohania in Varanasi on Monday launched a blistering attack on the SP government over law and order situation in the State, accusing it of protecting criminals with gang rape accused minister Gayatri Prajapati already hitting the headlines. On the other, he accused the SP of turning the police stations into party offices, seeking to draw peoples attention towards different mafias who were ruling the roost in UP.

Moreover, in a well-thought out reference to commissions and cuts in jobs, the PM said, This government has destroyed the future of youth, adding that the Akhilesh government had been selective and discriminatory while conducting in recruitment drives in the State.

Addressing a rally in Jaunpur, CM Akhilesh Yadav took a dig at PM Modi wondering what made him to stay in Varanasi for three days, deploying the entire battery of Central ministers and BJP top brass for the last phase when he claims that the BJP has already won the elections and the last two phases are just a bonus," the CM said. Akhilesh himself gave the final push to his partys prospects by addressing a series of rallies in Purvanchal in the slog hours on Monday.

Earlier, pinning all hopes on east to take his partys tally touch the magic figure, the PM played all the possible cards up his sleeves. In the morning he embarked upon an unannounced trip leading a Janata Darshan procession to Gadwaghat, a place revered by Yadav community with an ashram having over a crore followers. The PM also went to pay homage to late Prime Minister Lal Bahdur Shastri at his residence in Ramnagar area of Varanasi.

However, closing her campaign formally, BSP chief Mayawati chose to sum up her month-long discourse with a press conference targeting her rivals on all her choicest issues, in State capital Lucknow.

Meanwhile, Congress vice-president and Akhileshs new-found ally Rahul Gandhi, who is banking on SPs oxygen to revive his own political fortunes in UP where his party, otherwise, is gasping for life, in his final address exuded confidence that the SP-Congress alliance would emerge victorious and Akhilesh would get a second term as CM.

LUCKNOW: The month-long high-octane campaign for the battle of Lucknow culminated on a fierce note with the major players seen throwing their might to mobilise voters for final 40 seats across seven districts of Purvanchal that goes to polls under seventh phase on March 8. While PM Narendra Modi made Varanasi his abode for three days and held the partys fort himself, Akhilesh-Rahul duo was not behind in show of strength. On the contrary, BSP chief Mayawati, away from pomp and show, chose to close her rhetoric by talking to media persons in the final moments of campaign. While on one hand the PM at his last rally in Rohania in Varanasi on Monday launched a blistering attack on the SP government over law and order situation in the State, accusing it of protecting criminals with gang rape accused minister Gayatri Prajapati already hitting the headlines. On the other, he accused the SP of turning the police stations into party offices, seeking to draw peoples attention towards different mafias who were ruling the roost in UP. Moreover, in a well-thought out reference to commissions and cuts in jobs, the PM said, This government has destroyed the future of youth, adding that the Akhilesh government had been selective and discriminatory while conducting in recruitment drives in the State. Addressing a rally in Jaunpur, CM Akhilesh Yadav took a dig at PM Modi wondering what made him to stay in Varanasi for three days, deploying the entire battery of Central ministers and BJP top brass for the last phase when he claims that the BJP has already won the elections and the last two phases are just a bonus," the CM said. Akhilesh himself gave the final push to his partys prospects by addressing a series of rallies in Purvanchal in the slog hours on Monday. Earlier, pinning all hopes on east to take his partys tally touch the magic figure, the PM played all the possible cards up his sleeves. In the morning he embarked upon an unannounced trip leading a Janata Darshan procession to Gadwaghat, a place revered by Yadav community with an ashram having over a crore followers. The PM also went to pay homage to late Prime Minister Lal Bahdur Shastri at his residence in Ramnagar area of Varanasi. However, closing her campaign formally, BSP chief Mayawati chose to sum up her month-long discourse with a press conference targeting her rivals on all her choicest issues, in State capital Lucknow. Meanwhile, Congress vice-president and Akhileshs new-found ally Rahul Gandhi, who is banking on SPs oxygen to revive his own political fortunes in UP where his party, otherwise, is gasping for life, in his final address exuded confidence that the SP-Congress alliance would emerge victorious and Akhilesh would get a second term as CM.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Pakistans former national security advisor (NSA) Maj Gen Mahmud Ali Durrani on Monday said the 26/11 Mumbai attack was a classic example of cross-border terrorism, carried out by Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD), a front for Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba, and hoped that its chief Hafiz Saeed is punished.

Durrani made the remarks while speaking at the 9th Asian Security Conference at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) here. Despite admitting that the attack had its roots in Pakistan, the former NSA reiterated the incident was not state-sponsored. He is of no use to Pakistan, I hope he is punished, Durrani said, when asked about Saeeds usefulness for Pakistan.

India holds Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hafiz Saeed responsible for orchestrating the dastardly attack where 10 armed terrorists created mayhem in the commercial capital of the country.

In February, Pakistan, after years of dilly-dallying, had listed Hafiz Saeed under the Anti-Terrorist Act. He already carries a $10 million US bounty on his head. India had hailed it as a logical first step in ridding the region of the twin menaces of terrorism and violent extremism.

Durrani expressed his regret for the unfortunate attack and denied that it was the handiwork of Pakistans intelligence agency.

I can say with authority no one on the ISI  Pakistans intelligence agency  or establishment was aware of the plan to strike in India I felt very bad, the moment this (terror attack) happened. I called up Narayanan (then Indian NSA), told him if he allowed us, we would send 2-3 investigators to help to reach the root cause, but mistrust prevailed, Durrani added.

The former Pakistani official had lost his job after he acknowledged the involvement of Pakistan-based non-state actors in the Mumbai attack. Islamabad also came under attack from visiting Afghanistan NSA Mohammad Hanif Atmar, who obliquely hinted at Pakistan as he said his country was the victim of a terrorist war and an undeclared state to state war.

He urged the international community to at least take action against individuals if it was not feasible to designate states.

NEW DELHI: Pakistans former national security advisor (NSA) Maj Gen Mahmud Ali Durrani on Monday said the 26/11 Mumbai attack was a classic example of cross-border terrorism, carried out by Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD), a front for Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba, and hoped that its chief Hafiz Saeed is punished. Durrani made the remarks while speaking at the 9th Asian Security Conference at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) here. Despite admitting that the attack had its roots in Pakistan, the former NSA reiterated the incident was not state-sponsored. He is of no use to Pakistan, I hope he is punished, Durrani said, when asked about Saeeds usefulness for Pakistan. India holds Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hafiz Saeed responsible for orchestrating the dastardly attack where 10 armed terrorists created mayhem in the commercial capital of the country. In February, Pakistan, after years of dilly-dallying, had listed Hafiz Saeed under the Anti-Terrorist Act. He already carries a $10 million US bounty on his head. India had hailed it as a logical first step in ridding the region of the twin menaces of terrorism and violent extremism. Durrani expressed his regret for the unfortunate attack and denied that it was the handiwork of Pakistans intelligence agency. I can say with authority no one on the ISI  Pakistans intelligence agency  or establishment was aware of the plan to strike in India I felt very bad, the moment this (terror attack) happened. I called up Narayanan (then Indian NSA), told him if he allowed us, we would send 2-3 investigators to help to reach the root cause, but mistrust prevailed, Durrani added. The former Pakistani official had lost his job after he acknowledged the involvement of Pakistan-based non-state actors in the Mumbai attack. Islamabad also came under attack from visiting Afghanistan NSA Mohammad Hanif Atmar, who obliquely hinted at Pakistan as he said his country was the victim of a terrorist war and an undeclared state to state war. He urged the international community to at least take action against individuals if it was not feasible to designate states.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / March 6, 2017 / Today, MGX Minerals Inc. (CSE: XMG) announced lithium extraction process optimization results as disclosed by its engineering partner PurLucid Treatment Solutions in a report entitled "Phase-2 Lithium Extraction Technology Development Report". MGX said to file a technical report on SEDAR within 45 days.

PurLucid's patent-pending filtration technology has "successfully upgraded" 2 brine samples from its Sturgeon Lake PetroLithium Project in Fox Creek, Alberta, Canada.

Research and development at bench top laboratory testing has resulted in an upgrading of brine from 67 to 1,600 mg/L lithium in the filtration and pre-treatment phase of the lithium extraction process. That's a 20-fold increase in lithium concentration in both the first and second trials.

However most importantly, high contaminants (typical for oil field brines and one of the reasons why these "resources" have been considered uneconomic for long time) have been removed effectively from the lithium concentrated brine. This was achieved with a low energy process. It was reported that magnesium (oftentimes a troublemaker in brine processing) has not only been removed effectively but that "substantive mass of magnesium" has been recovered, i.e. potentially saleable.

The next phase of development hopes to validate these initially promising results in order for MGX and PurLucid to advance to commercial test deployment in case an agreement with a major oil company can be accomplished and the extraction of saleable lithium products succeeds at competitive prices.

The full report can be accessed with the following links:

English (PDF): http://rockstone-research.com/images/PDF/MGX18en.pdf

English (web version): http://rockstone-research.com/index.php/en/research-reports/2613-MGX-Reports-Upgrading-of-Lithium-Brine-from-67-to-1600-ppm-Lithium

German (PDF): http://rockstone-research.com/images/PDF/MGX18de.pdf

Disclaimer: Please read the full disclaimer within the full research report as a PDF as fundamental risks and conflicts of interest exist.

SOURCE: Rockstone Research
Saurav Sen By

The percentage of Indian women on social media, and the way they are perceived online, is perhaps a reflection of how misogynistic our society really is. From Nirbhaya to Murthal to Bengaluru to the recent incidents on social media involving Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur, the stench of misogyny in India refuses to go away. The trail cuts across geography, language and political ideology. Misogyny is now freely available on social media, in any language or format, and can hit any woman who dares to stand up and speak.

No, wait! Celebrity women like Shobhaa De, Sania Mirza, the Phogat sisters, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone do get trolled online. However, they might be in a better position to cope with it.

But the likes of 20-year-old Gurmehar Kaur who risk their privacy and anonymity to go beyond sharing trivia on Facebook and Twitter and decide to stand up and speak on an issue of national interest get shut down by open intimidation. The result? Proactive participation of urban educated women on social media in any resistance process remains subdued, when compared to what we see on the ground street protests, sloganeering or candle light vigils.

The malaise is neither political nor about ideology. It is about the fundamental legitimacy granted to misogyny by the overwhelmingly male-dominated political parties. It is also about the irony of parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Trinamool Congress or even the Congress, which despite being led by women, bow down to political expediency. So while Gurmehar and her ilk wont be denied justice on record, the ghost of Section 66A of the IT Act continues to haunt them in a more diabolical way, than what the enacted law could have done.

Talking of social media penetration in India, there is a generational backlog stemming from the lack of economic and social freedom to women. But when the focus is kept limited to the urban Indian educated womanhigh school or college student, housewife or working professionalwhich is what by and large constitutes the entire female component of Indias active social media userbase, should that still be considered normal? Maybe not. The numbers should be a serious reason to introspect, for two reasons.

One, Indias social media voice which is now regarded as a key influencer in business, politics and society per se, continues to exhibit a considerable gender gap with women constituting just about a little over 30 per cent of the active social media users. Women constitute just 24 per cent Facebook users in India, whereas globally, 52 per cent of Facebook users are women. On the face of it, India bucking the trend is not surprising. That is the social reality here after all.

Two, the major effort to bring more Indian women online seems to be directed at semiurban and rural women for whom accessing the internet and consuming content itself is the first milestone to cross.

The urban, educated, internet- savvy Indian woman is not targeted, because most them have Facebook or Twitter accounts and are regular users of the internet. Impressive and well-funded programmes like Googles HWGO (Helping Women Go Online) are the best case in point.

While the socially and financially subdued woman in a remote village will get benefitted, the likes of Gurmehar will not. Google may argue that internet awareness and law enforcement are totally different issues and rightly so. But then policing social media hasnt helped either.The ghost of Section 66A howls again!

Is language the main retardant? Perhaps not, since we are talking about the educated and liberated urban woman who hangs out at a Starbucks, drives to work and back and spends an average of more than two hours a day online.

But it certainly is a key reason, feels Subho Ray, President of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). According to Ray, if there is no local language content or if special groups like women are not attracted to internet, the growth of internet users beyond 500 million will be painfully slow, especially since the infrastructure is very poor and not going to improve in a hurry. Point taken.

But taking the cue from noted lyricist Javed Akhtars barely literate jibe at the Phogat sisters for their rebuttal of Gurmehar, the solution may possibly lie in a vernacular social universe, if that can be created alongside an English- speaking one. This will certainly encourage more women from various states to stand up and participate in the social media discourse. Can that still be without fear or favour? It remains to be seen.

India has had a track record of showcasing problems and celebrating solutions only in fantasies. Female-protagonistled movies like Dangal which earned Rs 350 crore and Chak De! India, which grossed Rs 127 crore give reasons to cheer the might and right of the Indian woman.

So it is perplexing that while a million tweets on Gurmehar and the rape threats against her keep her trending, there is hardly any furore over bringing the perpetrators to justice. This is not the social media we want.

The government needs to curb trolling of women on social media the same way eve-teasing and ragging are tackled with an iron hand. Only then will the next 100 Gurmehars in waiting feel emboldened and confident to stand up and express without fear and intimidation.

Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra Devata, yatraitaastu na pujyante sarvaastatrafalaah kriyaahs (Where women are honoured, divinity blossoms there, and where women are dishonoured, all actions no matter how noble remain unfruitful).

Saurav Sen

Founder & CEO, Sidnet Digitalia

Email: saurav@sidnetdigitalia.com

The percentage of Indian women on social media, and the way they are perceived online, is perhaps a reflection of how misogynistic our society really is. From Nirbhaya to Murthal to Bengaluru to the recent incidents on social media involving Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur, the stench of misogyny in India refuses to go away. The trail cuts across geography, language and political ideology. Misogyny is now freely available on social media, in any language or format, and can hit any woman who dares to stand up and speak. No, wait! Celebrity women like Shobhaa De, Sania Mirza, the Phogat sisters, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone do get trolled online. However, they might be in a better position to cope with it. But the likes of 20-year-old Gurmehar Kaur who risk their privacy and anonymity to go beyond sharing trivia on Facebook and Twitter and decide to stand up and speak on an issue of national interest get shut down by open intimidation. The result? Proactive participation of urban educated women on social media in any resistance process remains subdued, when compared to what we see on the ground street protests, sloganeering or candle light vigils. The malaise is neither political nor about ideology. It is about the fundamental legitimacy granted to misogyny by the overwhelmingly male-dominated political parties. It is also about the irony of parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Trinamool Congress or even the Congress, which despite being led by women, bow down to political expediency. So while Gurmehar and her ilk wont be denied justice on record, the ghost of Section 66A of the IT Act continues to haunt them in a more diabolical way, than what the enacted law could have done. Talking of social media penetration in India, there is a generational backlog stemming from the lack of economic and social freedom to women. But when the focus is kept limited to the urban Indian educated womanhigh school or college student, housewife or working professionalwhich is what by and large constitutes the entire female component of Indias active social media userbase, should that still be considered normal? Maybe not. The numbers should be a serious reason to introspect, for two reasons. One, Indias social media voice which is now regarded as a key influencer in business, politics and society per se, continues to exhibit a considerable gender gap with women constituting just about a little over 30 per cent of the active social media users. Women constitute just 24 per cent Facebook users in India, whereas globally, 52 per cent of Facebook users are women. On the face of it, India bucking the trend is not surprising. That is the social reality here after all. Two, the major effort to bring more Indian women online seems to be directed at semiurban and rural women for whom accessing the internet and consuming content itself is the first milestone to cross. The urban, educated, internet- savvy Indian woman is not targeted, because most them have Facebook or Twitter accounts and are regular users of the internet. Impressive and well-funded programmes like Googles HWGO (Helping Women Go Online) are the best case in point. While the socially and financially subdued woman in a remote village will get benefitted, the likes of Gurmehar will not. Google may argue that internet awareness and law enforcement are totally different issues and rightly so. But then policing social media hasnt helped either.The ghost of Section 66A howls again! Is language the main retardant? Perhaps not, since we are talking about the educated and liberated urban woman who hangs out at a Starbucks, drives to work and back and spends an average of more than two hours a day online. But it certainly is a key reason, feels Subho Ray, President of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). According to Ray, if there is no local language content or if special groups like women are not attracted to internet, the growth of internet users beyond 500 million will be painfully slow, especially since the infrastructure is very poor and not going to improve in a hurry. Point taken. But taking the cue from noted lyricist Javed Akhtars barely literate jibe at the Phogat sisters for their rebuttal of Gurmehar, the solution may possibly lie in a vernacular social universe, if that can be created alongside an English- speaking one. This will certainly encourage more women from various states to stand up and participate in the social media discourse. Can that still be without fear or favour? It remains to be seen. India has had a track record of showcasing problems and celebrating solutions only in fantasies. Female-protagonistled movies like Dangal which earned Rs 350 crore and Chak De! India, which grossed Rs 127 crore give reasons to cheer the might and right of the Indian woman. So it is perplexing that while a million tweets on Gurmehar and the rape threats against her keep her trending, there is hardly any furore over bringing the perpetrators to justice. This is not the social media we want. The government needs to curb trolling of women on social media the same way eve-teasing and ragging are tackled with an iron hand. Only then will the next 100 Gurmehars in waiting feel emboldened and confident to stand up and express without fear and intimidation. Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra Devata, yatraitaastu na pujyante sarvaastatrafalaah kriyaahs (Where women are honoured, divinity blossoms there, and where women are dishonoured, all actions no matter how noble remain unfruitful). Saurav Sen Founder & CEO, Sidnet Digitalia Email: saurav@sidnetdigitalia.com
India and China seem headed for another spat over the proposed April 4-13 visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh, with Beijing warning that the Tibetan leaders trip would cause serious damage to India-China ties, already suffering from a major trust deficit.

China claims most of Arunachal as part of what it calls South Tibet, and religiously protests whenever Indian or even foreign officials visit the region. A visit by the Dalai Lama, viewed as a separatist, is thus even more offensive to Beijing.



There were loud protests from Beijing when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Arunachal in October 2009, followed by the Dalai Lama in November that year. At that time, speaking from Tawang, a tiny district at the core of the border row between India and China, the Dalai Lama insisted his visit was non-political.

The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet following the Chinese liberation of Lhasa in 1959, was given sanctuary in India. Following protests from Beijing, India clarified the Tibetan leader would not be allowed to conduct any political activity on Indian soil, and assured Beijing that it subscribed to the One China policy, which meant that it recognised Tibet and Taiwan as an inalienable part of China.



However, after Narendra Modi was elected Prime Minister, India has taken a slightly more assertive position on the issue, leading to dire warnings from Beijing.

It began during Modis swearing on May 26, 2014, when a representative from the Tibetan government in exile and the head of Taiwans trade mission were among the guests.

Then, following Chinas repeated vetoing of Indias bid to join the NSG, and to declare Masood Azhar a terrorist, India invited a delegation from Taiwan, and President Pranab Mukherjee met the Dalai Lama. And when an angry Beijing reminded India about the One China policy, New Delhi started asking if China too had a One India policy. That is a question that Beijing needs to ponder before things escalate further.



India and China seem headed for another spat over the proposed April 4-13 visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh, with Beijing warning that the Tibetan leaders trip would cause serious damage to India-China ties, already suffering from a major trust deficit. China claims most of Arunachal as part of what it calls South Tibet, and religiously protests whenever Indian or even foreign officials visit the region. A visit by the Dalai Lama, viewed as a separatist, is thus even more offensive to Beijing. There were loud protests from Beijing when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Arunachal in October 2009, followed by the Dalai Lama in November that year. At that time, speaking from Tawang, a tiny district at the core of the border row between India and China, the Dalai Lama insisted his visit was non-political. The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet following the Chinese liberation of Lhasa in 1959, was given sanctuary in India. Following protests from Beijing, India clarified the Tibetan leader would not be allowed to conduct any political activity on Indian soil, and assured Beijing that it subscribed to the One China policy, which meant that it recognised Tibet and Taiwan as an inalienable part of China. However, after Narendra Modi was elected Prime Minister, India has taken a slightly more assertive position on the issue, leading to dire warnings from Beijing. It began during Modis swearing on May 26, 2014, when a representative from the Tibetan government in exile and the head of Taiwans trade mission were among the guests. Then, following Chinas repeated vetoing of Indias bid to join the NSG, and to declare Masood Azhar a terrorist, India invited a delegation from Taiwan, and President Pranab Mukherjee met the Dalai Lama. And when an angry Beijing reminded India about the One China policy, New Delhi started asking if China too had a One India policy. That is a question that Beijing needs to ponder before things escalate further.
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: TDP national general secretary and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidus son Nara Lokesh on Monday filed his nomination papers for election to Legislative Council of AP under MLAs quota. His candidature was finalised by the TDP leadership on Sunday midnight, along with four others.



Lokesh was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister N Chinarajappa and TDP State president K Kala Venkata Rao to the office of the Assembly Secretary at Legislative Assembly in Velagapudi.



Before filing his nomination papers at the auspicious moment at 10.39 am, Lokesh garlanded the statue of his late grandfather NT Rama Rao at Venkatapalem. He was accorded a warm welcome by the ministers and MLAs along with leaders of TDPs youth wing.



Speaking to newsmen at the Assembly media point, he expressed happiness over filing nomination on the first day of Assembly session which has commenced for the first time in the truncated AP. Attributing his elevation to the MLC post to the support of the TDP activists, he termed himself as fortunate for getting the post at such a young age and within a short span.



Asked about the prospects of his further elevation as minister, Lokesh said TDP politburo and the party supremo will take a decision on the issue. I am ready to take up any responsibility entrusted to me by the party leadership. I am even ready to contest as a sarpanch if asked by the party, he added.



Lokeshs election to the Legislative Council is unanimous. He is likely to be inducted into his State Cabinet shortly, around Ugadi.



In a midnight announcement, Chandrababu Naidu announced the decision to field five candidates for the Legislative Council election under MLAs quota. Apart from Lokesh (Chittoor), Batchula Arjunudu (Krishna), Karanam Balaram (Prakasam), Pothula Sunitha (Prakasam) and Dokka Manikya Varaprasad (Guntur) names have been announced. The election is likely to be unanimous.

VIJAYAWADA: TDP national general secretary and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidus son Nara Lokesh on Monday filed his nomination papers for election to Legislative Council of AP under MLAs quota. His candidature was finalised by the TDP leadership on Sunday midnight, along with four others. Lokesh was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister N Chinarajappa and TDP State president K Kala Venkata Rao to the office of the Assembly Secretary at Legislative Assembly in Velagapudi. Before filing his nomination papers at the auspicious moment at 10.39 am, Lokesh garlanded the statue of his late grandfather NT Rama Rao at Venkatapalem. He was accorded a warm welcome by the ministers and MLAs along with leaders of TDPs youth wing. Speaking to newsmen at the Assembly media point, he expressed happiness over filing nomination on the first day of Assembly session which has commenced for the first time in the truncated AP. Attributing his elevation to the MLC post to the support of the TDP activists, he termed himself as fortunate for getting the post at such a young age and within a short span. Asked about the prospects of his further elevation as minister, Lokesh said TDP politburo and the party supremo will take a decision on the issue. I am ready to take up any responsibility entrusted to me by the party leadership. I am even ready to contest as a sarpanch if asked by the party, he added. Lokeshs election to the Legislative Council is unanimous. He is likely to be inducted into his State Cabinet shortly, around Ugadi. In a midnight announcement, Chandrababu Naidu announced the decision to field five candidates for the Legislative Council election under MLAs quota. Apart from Lokesh (Chittoor), Batchula Arjunudu (Krishna), Karanam Balaram (Prakasam), Pothula Sunitha (Prakasam) and Dokka Manikya Varaprasad (Guntur) names have been announced. The election is likely to be unanimous.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Monday declined to order a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the Diary Gate controversy.

A division bench headed by chief justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and justice R B Budihal dismissed a public interest litigation, filed by a senior journalist, seeking a SIT probe on Monday stating that the matter was being investigated by the Income Tax Department.

The controversy is about the discovery of two diaries containing entries showing payment of kickbacks to functionaries in the Congress and BJP high command.

The diary, seized from the Congress MLC Govindaraju by the IT Department during a raid, had entries indicating that money was paid by Congress leaders to their high command. Similarly, Congress has also released the diary entries allegedly made by BJP MLC Lehar Singh about money paid to the BJP high command.

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Monday declined to order a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the Diary Gate controversy. A division bench headed by chief justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and justice R B Budihal dismissed a public interest litigation, filed by a senior journalist, seeking a SIT probe on Monday stating that the matter was being investigated by the Income Tax Department. The controversy is about the discovery of two diaries containing entries showing payment of kickbacks to functionaries in the Congress and BJP high command. The diary, seized from the Congress MLC Govindaraju by the IT Department during a raid, had entries indicating that money was paid by Congress leaders to their high command. Similarly, Congress has also released the diary entries allegedly made by BJP MLC Lehar Singh about money paid to the BJP high command.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Cabinet will discuss the final report of the states chief secretary S M Vijayanand on the 'budget leak' controversy, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the Assembly on Monday.



The chief minister's announcement came after the opposition UDF stalled the Assembly proceedings and demanded an inquiry by an Assembly panel. Pinarayi Vijayan said the chief secretary's interim report on the budget leak controversy has ruled out that the state budget for 2017-18 was leaked.



No documents related to the budget were leaked, according to the report submitted to the government, the chief minister said, defending finance minister T M Thomas Isaac in the Assembly.

Earlier in the morning, speaker P Sreeramakrishnan temporarily stopped the proceedings on account of the opposition protests. Kerala Congress (M) and the BJP staged a walkout protesting the 'leak'.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Cabinet will discuss the final report of the states chief secretary S M Vijayanand on the 'budget leak' controversy, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the Assembly on Monday. The chief minister's announcement came after the opposition UDF stalled the Assembly proceedings and demanded an inquiry by an Assembly panel. Pinarayi Vijayan said the chief secretary's interim report on the budget leak controversy has ruled out that the state budget for 2017-18 was leaked. No documents related to the budget were leaked, according to the report submitted to the government, the chief minister said, defending finance minister T M Thomas Isaac in the Assembly. Earlier in the morning, speaker P Sreeramakrishnan temporarily stopped the proceedings on account of the opposition protests. Kerala Congress (M) and the BJP staged a walkout protesting the 'leak'.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Three including two children died and 12 were injured at Koothattukulam as a vehicle carrying school students met with an accident on Monday morning.

The injured are the students as the vehicle was carrying them to a nearby school. The deceased have been identified as Nayana and Ann Maria, both aged seven. The third victim is Jose Jacob, the driver of the vehicle. The vehicle owned by Jose was carrying students to the school on a contract basis.

According to Police, the vehicle lost control while trying to save a two-wheeler and hit a wall o MC road at Puthuvelippady at around 8 am.

KOCHI: Three including two children died and 12 were injured at Koothattukulam as a vehicle carrying school students met with an accident on Monday morning. The injured are the students as the vehicle was carrying them to a nearby school. The deceased have been identified as Nayana and Ann Maria, both aged seven. The third victim is Jose Jacob, the driver of the vehicle. The vehicle owned by Jose was carrying students to the school on a contract basis. According to Police, the vehicle lost control while trying to save a two-wheeler and hit a wall o MC road at Puthuvelippady at around 8 am.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Hello, Sreeraj, youve won 7 million dirhams. When that call cascaded into his mobile on Sunday, Sreeraj Krishnan Kopparembil, a Malayali based in Abu Dhabi, had every reason to take it for a prank. After all, he had purchased several lotteries during his nine-year stint at the UAE capital.

Sreeraj and Aswathy



But a quick check on the Big Ticket lottery website drove home the reality. Hes a big money man with approximately `12 crore in his account.



A shipping coordinator, who till now earned 6,000 dirhams (just over `1 lakh) per month, Sreeraj immediately rang up his wife Aswathy, an administrative assistant at a private firm, to inform about the rush of fortune. He had to send the screen shot of the lottery website to convince her. Sreeraj, a native of Palakkad, married Aswathy two years ago.



Ticket number 044698 worth 500 dirhams brought the 33-year-old luck in the raffle draw held at the Abu Dhabi International Airport.



The unexpected arrival of `12 crore can transform anybodys brain into a hub of ideas. Buy a luxury car. Call the most posh realtor in the city to check about a super luxury flat. Or what about a family trip to an exotic location? Suddenly, you have the power to turn your most cherished dreams into reality.



But Sreeraj and Aswathy have rather modest aims. I just went blank when I got a call from the Big Ticket. My first priority is to settle my housing loan. Aswathy too wants to me do so, said Sreeraj.

So, will he now return to Kerala? No. I will stay and work in the country where we got lucky, he said. But he will not buy another lottery ticket.

KOCHI: Hello, Sreeraj, youve won 7 million dirhams. When that call cascaded into his mobile on Sunday, Sreeraj Krishnan Kopparembil, a Malayali based in Abu Dhabi, had every reason to take it for a prank. After all, he had purchased several lotteries during his nine-year stint at the UAE capital. Sreeraj and Aswathy But a quick check on the Big Ticket lottery website drove home the reality. Hes a big money man with approximately `12 crore in his account. A shipping coordinator, who till now earned 6,000 dirhams (just over `1 lakh) per month, Sreeraj immediately rang up his wife Aswathy, an administrative assistant at a private firm, to inform about the rush of fortune. He had to send the screen shot of the lottery website to convince her. Sreeraj, a native of Palakkad, married Aswathy two years ago. Ticket number 044698 worth 500 dirhams brought the 33-year-old luck in the raffle draw held at the Abu Dhabi International Airport. The unexpected arrival of `12 crore can transform anybodys brain into a hub of ideas. Buy a luxury car. Call the most posh realtor in the city to check about a super luxury flat. Or what about a family trip to an exotic location? Suddenly, you have the power to turn your most cherished dreams into reality. But Sreeraj and Aswathy have rather modest aims. I just went blank when I got a call from the Big Ticket. My first priority is to settle my housing loan. Aswathy too wants to me do so, said Sreeraj. So, will he now return to Kerala? No. I will stay and work in the country where we got lucky, he said. But he will not buy another lottery ticket.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: With the State Assembly all set to sit for budget session from March 10, treasury benches and opposition parties have begun acquiring powerful weapons relating to peoples issues to corner each other. Ruling party wants to utilise the session to explain its achievements in the past three years to people, whereas opposition parties want to expose failures of government.

According to sources, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who had interacted with some of ministerial colleagues at Pragathi Bhavan here on Sunday, asked them to prepare a report on the achievements of each department in the past three years so as to present them in the House.

Prepare a detailed report on the progress of our flagship programmes such as Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha. Also prepare a note on the employment opportunities created by the government for the youth in the state. We should be able to counter the criticism of opposition parties as we are implementing a lot of welfare and development programmes for various sections of people, the CM reportedly told the ministers and TRS legislators, who met him on Sunday. On the other hand, opposition parties have begun chalking out strategies to corner the treasury benches in the House on issues relating to people.

TDP TS unit working president A Revanth Reddy said, During the Winter Session of the State Assembly, Chief Minister and his family members delivered speeches like Ekapaatrabhinayam while leaving all other ministers as puppets. At least, during the budget session, we hope that the other ministers will get chance to open their mouth.



He said the TDP is ready to join hands with other opposition parties to question the government on its failure to implement promises such as distribution of three acre of land to each dalit family, filling of two lakh vacant jobs in various government departments and waiver of crop loans.

TPCC working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the party had identified many issues such as unemployment, farmers suicides, non-payment of pending dues of fee reimbursement, alleged corruption in the construction of irrigation projects and delay in construction of 2BHK houses.



According to him, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) will meet here on March 9 to list out the issues to be raised in the House. During the meeting, to be attended by the AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh, party MLAs will formulate strategy to be adopted.

As a prelude to its verbal assault on the government, Congress will give a presentation on the issue of Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift irrigation scheme here on Monday. Former minister D K Aruna is organising the meeting to identify flaws in the scheme.



Similarly, Left parties are also organising a round-table conference at Makhdoom Bhavan in Himayath Nagar here on governments move to realign the under construction irrigation projects.

HYDERABAD: With the State Assembly all set to sit for budget session from March 10, treasury benches and opposition parties have begun acquiring powerful weapons relating to peoples issues to corner each other. Ruling party wants to utilise the session to explain its achievements in the past three years to people, whereas opposition parties want to expose failures of government. According to sources, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who had interacted with some of ministerial colleagues at Pragathi Bhavan here on Sunday, asked them to prepare a report on the achievements of each department in the past three years so as to present them in the House. Prepare a detailed report on the progress of our flagship programmes such as Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha. Also prepare a note on the employment opportunities created by the government for the youth in the state. We should be able to counter the criticism of opposition parties as we are implementing a lot of welfare and development programmes for various sections of people, the CM reportedly told the ministers and TRS legislators, who met him on Sunday. On the other hand, opposition parties have begun chalking out strategies to corner the treasury benches in the House on issues relating to people. TDP TS unit working president A Revanth Reddy said, During the Winter Session of the State Assembly, Chief Minister and his family members delivered speeches like Ekapaatrabhinayam while leaving all other ministers as puppets. At least, during the budget session, we hope that the other ministers will get chance to open their mouth. He said the TDP is ready to join hands with other opposition parties to question the government on its failure to implement promises such as distribution of three acre of land to each dalit family, filling of two lakh vacant jobs in various government departments and waiver of crop loans. TPCC working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the party had identified many issues such as unemployment, farmers suicides, non-payment of pending dues of fee reimbursement, alleged corruption in the construction of irrigation projects and delay in construction of 2BHK houses. According to him, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) will meet here on March 9 to list out the issues to be raised in the House. During the meeting, to be attended by the AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh, party MLAs will formulate strategy to be adopted. As a prelude to its verbal assault on the government, Congress will give a presentation on the issue of Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift irrigation scheme here on Monday. Former minister D K Aruna is organising the meeting to identify flaws in the scheme. Similarly, Left parties are also organising a round-table conference at Makhdoom Bhavan in Himayath Nagar here on governments move to realign the under construction irrigation projects.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Her listless eyes belie the horrors she has experienced at the hands of the Islamic State fighters all at the age of 15 years. Lamya Haji Bashar Taha, a Yazidi girl, saw her whole village destroyed in front of her eyes. She was raped multiple times, was sold many times over to the fighters of Islamic State.

Lamya was here at 9th Asia Security Conference organized by the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses to narrate here experience. She was part of the panel talking about The new Wave of Terror: Ideas, Resources and Trends.

They took me and my sister to Mosul. They sold us to someone from Raqqa. There were many Yazidi girls beside me in a big hall. A big man from Saudi bought me and my sister together. The Daesh (that is how the Islamic State is known in the Middle East) fighter raped me and my sister on the same day. Another Daesh fighter came and brought me and separated me from my sister. I tried to commit suicide by cutting my artery, this was repeated over and over again with Lamya so many times that she lost count.

Her village Kocho was wiped out by the Islamic State in one of its worst massacres in the north-western Iraq in August 2014. They killed all the Yazidi men and captured the women and children, Lamya was among them. She was then pushed into sexual slavery.

The Islamic State in 2014 had undertaken systematic killing of Yazidis, a community of about 50,000 members and whom the terrorist group refers to as devil worshippers. One can only be born a Yazidi and believe in sun worshipping. The United Nations has termed it as an attempted genocide. There are about 2,000 Yazidi women in the captivity of the Islamic State and the fleeing population is forced to live in camps in the Kurdistan region.

She managed to flee her perpetrators but she paid for her freedom with her eye that she lost in a mind blast. Daesh is not only dangerous for us. But if the international community does not respond, Daesh ideology will be dangerous to you to each one of you, Lamya said in her voice devoid of any expressions.

NEW DELHI: Her listless eyes belie the horrors she has experienced at the hands of the Islamic State fighters all at the age of 15 years. Lamya Haji Bashar Taha, a Yazidi girl, saw her whole village destroyed in front of her eyes. She was raped multiple times, was sold many times over to the fighters of Islamic State. Lamya was here at 9th Asia Security Conference organized by the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses to narrate here experience. She was part of the panel talking about The new Wave of Terror: Ideas, Resources and Trends. They took me and my sister to Mosul. They sold us to someone from Raqqa. There were many Yazidi girls beside me in a big hall. A big man from Saudi bought me and my sister together. The Daesh (that is how the Islamic State is known in the Middle East) fighter raped me and my sister on the same day. Another Daesh fighter came and brought me and separated me from my sister. I tried to commit suicide by cutting my artery, this was repeated over and over again with Lamya so many times that she lost count. Her village Kocho was wiped out by the Islamic State in one of its worst massacres in the north-western Iraq in August 2014. They killed all the Yazidi men and captured the women and children, Lamya was among them. She was then pushed into sexual slavery. The Islamic State in 2014 had undertaken systematic killing of Yazidis, a community of about 50,000 members and whom the terrorist group refers to as devil worshippers. One can only be born a Yazidi and believe in sun worshipping. The United Nations has termed it as an attempted genocide. There are about 2,000 Yazidi women in the captivity of the Islamic State and the fleeing population is forced to live in camps in the Kurdistan region. She managed to flee her perpetrators but she paid for her freedom with her eye that she lost in a mind blast. Daesh is not only dangerous for us. But if the international community does not respond, Daesh ideology will be dangerous to you to each one of you, Lamya said in her voice devoid of any expressions.
By Associated Press

CANBERRA: Australia's prime minister said Monday that he was looking forward to discussing a free-trade deal with Indonesia while attending a regional forum in Jakarta.

Malcom Turnbull on Tuesday will attend the first Indian Ocean Rim Association leaders' summit in the 20-year history of the 21-nation organisation.

Turnbull's one-day visit to Jakarta comes nine days after Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ended his first Australian visit as Indonesia's president.

The leaders used that Sydney visit to commit to finalising a bilateral free-trade agreement this year after 17 years of negotiations. Jokowi said the deal must remove all Australian barriers to the importation of Indonesian palm oil and paper.

Turnbull has welcomed trade concessions that Indonesia has already made, including reduced tariffs on Australian sugar and fewer restrictions on Australian live cattle imports.

"We're making very good progress there and I look forward to discussing it further when I'm in Jakarta tomorrow," Turnbull told reporters in the Australian city of Melbourne.

Indonesian trade official Thomas Lembong, chairman of Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board, told Australia's Fairfax Media that his government wanted to see "concrete proof of unfettered and natural trade" in Indonesia palm oil, paper and wood products.

David Brewster, an Australian National University researcher on Indian Ocean security, said he expected Turnbull would be one of the few national leaders to attend the summit that will be chaired by Jokowi.

"His attendance at the meeting is probably primarily driven by the Jakarta relationship, wanting to show solidarity with Jokowi," Brewster said.

Turnbull later said in a statement that Australia had a fundamental interest in ensuring economic development in the Indian Ocean region and enhancing dialogue on shared security challenges.

The summit will agree to a statement on shared values and objectives, including a commitment to international law, and a declaration on countering violent extremism.

Australian interest in the grouping of predominantly developing states on the Indian Ocean fringe has deepened in the past five years, with the economic growth of India and China and a relative decline in influence in the region of the United States, Australia's most important strategic partner, Brewster said.

India is a member of the group while China has observer status.

CANBERRA: Australia's prime minister said Monday that he was looking forward to discussing a free-trade deal with Indonesia while attending a regional forum in Jakarta. Malcom Turnbull on Tuesday will attend the first Indian Ocean Rim Association leaders' summit in the 20-year history of the 21-nation organisation. Turnbull's one-day visit to Jakarta comes nine days after Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ended his first Australian visit as Indonesia's president. The leaders used that Sydney visit to commit to finalising a bilateral free-trade agreement this year after 17 years of negotiations. Jokowi said the deal must remove all Australian barriers to the importation of Indonesian palm oil and paper. Turnbull has welcomed trade concessions that Indonesia has already made, including reduced tariffs on Australian sugar and fewer restrictions on Australian live cattle imports. "We're making very good progress there and I look forward to discussing it further when I'm in Jakarta tomorrow," Turnbull told reporters in the Australian city of Melbourne. Indonesian trade official Thomas Lembong, chairman of Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board, told Australia's Fairfax Media that his government wanted to see "concrete proof of unfettered and natural trade" in Indonesia palm oil, paper and wood products. David Brewster, an Australian National University researcher on Indian Ocean security, said he expected Turnbull would be one of the few national leaders to attend the summit that will be chaired by Jokowi. "His attendance at the meeting is probably primarily driven by the Jakarta relationship, wanting to show solidarity with Jokowi," Brewster said. Turnbull later said in a statement that Australia had a fundamental interest in ensuring economic development in the Indian Ocean region and enhancing dialogue on shared security challenges. The summit will agree to a statement on shared values and objectives, including a commitment to international law, and a declaration on countering violent extremism. Australian interest in the grouping of predominantly developing states on the Indian Ocean fringe has deepened in the past five years, with the economic growth of India and China and a relative decline in influence in the region of the United States, Australia's most important strategic partner, Brewster said. India is a member of the group while China has observer status.
By AFP

BEIJING: China called for restraint Monday after North Korea test-launched four ballistic missiles, criticising the move but also suggesting that South Korea and the United States were partly to blame.

"China is opposed to the DPRKs launches in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing, using the initials of the North's formal name.

"Under current circumstances, relevant parties should exercise restraint and avoid anything that would provoke each other or heighten regional tensions."

South Korea and the US last week began annual joint military exercises that always infuriate Pyongyang.

Geng said that last Friday China's top envoy on North Korea nuclear issues Wu Dawei had called his counterparts in Washington and Seoul.

Wu warned both countries that "the large-scale joint military exercise between the US and South Korea is not helping with the settlement of the Korean peninsula issue. On the contrary, it may widen divisions and complicate the issue," Geng said.

The launch comes at a sensitive time as China's political elite gather in Beijing for the country's annual legislative meeting.

China, North Korea's sole major ally and main trade partner, has come under pressure to do more to rein in Pyongyang.

Last month it announced a suspension of coal imports from the North following an earlier rocket launch and the assassination in Malaysia of the brother of the North's leader Kim Jong-Un.

The halt infuriated Pyongyang and its state media carried unusual criticism of Beijing for "dancing to the tune of the US."

Last week North Korea's vice foreign minister Ri Kil-Song visited Beijing for discussions.



BEIJING: China called for restraint Monday after North Korea test-launched four ballistic missiles, criticising the move but also suggesting that South Korea and the United States were partly to blame. "China is opposed to the DPRKs launches in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing, using the initials of the North's formal name. "Under current circumstances, relevant parties should exercise restraint and avoid anything that would provoke each other or heighten regional tensions." South Korea and the US last week began annual joint military exercises that always infuriate Pyongyang. Geng said that last Friday China's top envoy on North Korea nuclear issues Wu Dawei had called his counterparts in Washington and Seoul. Wu warned both countries that "the large-scale joint military exercise between the US and South Korea is not helping with the settlement of the Korean peninsula issue. On the contrary, it may widen divisions and complicate the issue," Geng said. The launch comes at a sensitive time as China's political elite gather in Beijing for the country's annual legislative meeting. China, North Korea's sole major ally and main trade partner, has come under pressure to do more to rein in Pyongyang. Last month it announced a suspension of coal imports from the North following an earlier rocket launch and the assassination in Malaysia of the brother of the North's leader Kim Jong-Un. The halt infuriated Pyongyang and its state media carried unusual criticism of Beijing for "dancing to the tune of the US." Last week North Korea's vice foreign minister Ri Kil-Song visited Beijing for discussions.
By PTI

BEIJING: The Chinese media today accused India of using the Dalai Lama card to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia and warned New Delhi of "severe consequences" if it hosted the Tibetan spiritual leader in a "disputed" area in Arunachal Pradesh.



"Despite objections by China, India will host the Dalai Lama in a disputed region on the China-India border in coming weeks," state-run Global Times said in an op-ed.



The comments came after the Chinese Foreign Ministry criticised India for allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as southern Tibet.



The permission was granted last October and the Dalai Lama is expected to visit the area in the coming weeks.



Referring to reported comments by Indian officials that it was a religious trip and Dalai Lama had undertaken numerous such visits earlier, the article said the officials has not realised the consequences.



"These Indian officials apparently didn't realise, or deliberately ignored, the severe consequences the Dalai Lama's trip would bring.



"The 14th Dalai Lama is by no means a spiritual leader but a Tibetan separatist," it said, adding that allowing him to the "disputed area will inevitably trigger confrontation, undermine the stability of the region and sour Sino-Indian relations".



"For a long time, some Indians have considered the Dalai Lama as a strategic asset. They believe that India could gain many benefits by using the Dalai issue as leverage. For instance, making an issue of the Dalai Lama could serve as a diplomatic tool to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia," it said.



"However, they overestimate the political value of the Dalai Lama and his group while miscalculating China's determination to safeguard its core interests," it said.



"An increasing number of Western leaders have shut the door on the Dalai Lama in recent years after realising the Dalai card is ineffective," it said, referring to the recent decision by Mongolia not to invite him in future.



"Against such a backdrop and at a time when a China-India strategic dialogue was just held to improve bilateral relations, the decision to receive the Dalai Lama in the disputed region is unwise. Leveraging the Dalai Lama issue to undermine Beijing's core interests risks dragging the two countries into a state of hostility," it said.



"The good momentum for the bilateral relationship in recent years shouldn't be disrupted. In future, there is a great potential for the two countries to tap into cooperation.



"As the two biggest emerging economies, they have vast common interests on establishing a new global financial order, tackling climate change and other major issues. Now China and India have come to a critical period to further upgrade bilateral ties," it said.

BEIJING: The Chinese media today accused India of using the Dalai Lama card to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia and warned New Delhi of "severe consequences" if it hosted the Tibetan spiritual leader in a "disputed" area in Arunachal Pradesh. "Despite objections by China, India will host the Dalai Lama in a disputed region on the China-India border in coming weeks," state-run Global Times said in an op-ed. The comments came after the Chinese Foreign Ministry criticised India for allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as southern Tibet. The permission was granted last October and the Dalai Lama is expected to visit the area in the coming weeks. Referring to reported comments by Indian officials that it was a religious trip and Dalai Lama had undertaken numerous such visits earlier, the article said the officials has not realised the consequences. "These Indian officials apparently didn't realise, or deliberately ignored, the severe consequences the Dalai Lama's trip would bring. "The 14th Dalai Lama is by no means a spiritual leader but a Tibetan separatist," it said, adding that allowing him to the "disputed area will inevitably trigger confrontation, undermine the stability of the region and sour Sino-Indian relations". "For a long time, some Indians have considered the Dalai Lama as a strategic asset. They believe that India could gain many benefits by using the Dalai issue as leverage. For instance, making an issue of the Dalai Lama could serve as a diplomatic tool to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia," it said. "However, they overestimate the political value of the Dalai Lama and his group while miscalculating China's determination to safeguard its core interests," it said. "An increasing number of Western leaders have shut the door on the Dalai Lama in recent years after realising the Dalai card is ineffective," it said, referring to the recent decision by Mongolia not to invite him in future. "Against such a backdrop and at a time when a China-India strategic dialogue was just held to improve bilateral relations, the decision to receive the Dalai Lama in the disputed region is unwise. Leveraging the Dalai Lama issue to undermine Beijing's core interests risks dragging the two countries into a state of hostility," it said. "The good momentum for the bilateral relationship in recent years shouldn't be disrupted. In future, there is a great potential for the two countries to tap into cooperation. "As the two biggest emerging economies, they have vast common interests on establishing a new global financial order, tackling climate change and other major issues. Now China and India have come to a critical period to further upgrade bilateral ties," it said.
By Associated Press

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday rejected remarks by Turkey's president accusing officials of "Nazi practices," days after a local authority in Germany prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally.

"One cannot seriously comment on such misplaced statements," Merkel said at an event in Berlin, the dpa news agency reported.

Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of a national referendum on constitutional reform that would give Erdogan more powers.

Last week, local authorities in southwestern Germany withdrew permission for Turkey's justice minister to use a venue to hold a "yes" rally aimed at Turks living in Germany. Responding to that, Erdogan on Sunday said that "Germany, you don't have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past."

Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said earlier Monday that the German government "strongly rejected" that, adding that such comparisons downplay the crimes of the Nazis.

Seibert noted that there are strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there are "far-reaching differences of opinion" between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

Seibert dismissed any notion that the federal government was involved in the decision to cancel events with Turkish officials, saying it was up to local officials to decide whether they could guarantee the necessary security.

The strife comes at a time when the European Union is relying on a migrant deal with Turkey that has significantly cut down the number of migrants crossing into Europe. However, Erdogan has several times threatened to quit the deal when expressing anger over European countries. Germany also has reconnaissance aircraft deployed at a NATO base in Turkey as part of the alliance's fight against the Islamic State group.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel sought to smooth stirred-up emotions on Monday and stressed the need to "normalize" what he calls a "highly strained" relationship with Turkey.

He also pointed out that EU countries have a common interest in not letting NATO partner Turkey "drift further to the east" and that German authorities back freedom of expression and that it's normal for Turkish politicians to want to address their compatriots in Germany, 1.4 million of whom are eligible to vote in the referendum.

Gabriel tried to iron things out with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in a phone conversation on Friday, and the two agreed to meet in Germany on Wednesday. But on Monday city officials in Hamburg canceled a Tuesday night rally at which Cavusoglu was to speak, citing fire safety concerns, dpa reported.

Other European nations with significant Turkish immigrant communities have expressed stronger opinions on the issue.

"Our Austrian solution should be clear: we will not accept any campaign appearances by Turkish politicians in Austria," Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said as he arrived at a meeting of European Union counterparts in Brussels.

He added that "we don't want campaigns from other states to be brought to Austria and conflicts from other countries imported ... that is always damaging for integration."

However, Gabriel sounded skeptical about calls from some other European Union ministers to consider EU-wide rules for campaign appearances by foreign politicians, pointing out that every country had its own opinion on the topic.

"I think the main thing is that everyone uses the possibilities they have to ensure that we get back to a somewhat normal relationship," he said.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said that "normally you would have to think that democracy is strong enough to cope with this."

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday rejected remarks by Turkey's president accusing officials of "Nazi practices," days after a local authority in Germany prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally. "One cannot seriously comment on such misplaced statements," Merkel said at an event in Berlin, the dpa news agency reported. Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of a national referendum on constitutional reform that would give Erdogan more powers. Last week, local authorities in southwestern Germany withdrew permission for Turkey's justice minister to use a venue to hold a "yes" rally aimed at Turks living in Germany. Responding to that, Erdogan on Sunday said that "Germany, you don't have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past." Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said earlier Monday that the German government "strongly rejected" that, adding that such comparisons downplay the crimes of the Nazis. Seibert noted that there are strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there are "far-reaching differences of opinion" between Berlin and Ankara at the moment. Seibert dismissed any notion that the federal government was involved in the decision to cancel events with Turkish officials, saying it was up to local officials to decide whether they could guarantee the necessary security. The strife comes at a time when the European Union is relying on a migrant deal with Turkey that has significantly cut down the number of migrants crossing into Europe. However, Erdogan has several times threatened to quit the deal when expressing anger over European countries. Germany also has reconnaissance aircraft deployed at a NATO base in Turkey as part of the alliance's fight against the Islamic State group. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel sought to smooth stirred-up emotions on Monday and stressed the need to "normalize" what he calls a "highly strained" relationship with Turkey. He also pointed out that EU countries have a common interest in not letting NATO partner Turkey "drift further to the east" and that German authorities back freedom of expression and that it's normal for Turkish politicians to want to address their compatriots in Germany, 1.4 million of whom are eligible to vote in the referendum. Gabriel tried to iron things out with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in a phone conversation on Friday, and the two agreed to meet in Germany on Wednesday. But on Monday city officials in Hamburg canceled a Tuesday night rally at which Cavusoglu was to speak, citing fire safety concerns, dpa reported. Other European nations with significant Turkish immigrant communities have expressed stronger opinions on the issue. "Our Austrian solution should be clear: we will not accept any campaign appearances by Turkish politicians in Austria," Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said as he arrived at a meeting of European Union counterparts in Brussels. He added that "we don't want campaigns from other states to be brought to Austria and conflicts from other countries imported ... that is always damaging for integration." However, Gabriel sounded skeptical about calls from some other European Union ministers to consider EU-wide rules for campaign appearances by foreign politicians, pointing out that every country had its own opinion on the topic. "I think the main thing is that everyone uses the possibilities they have to ensure that we get back to a somewhat normal relationship," he said. Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said that "normally you would have to think that democracy is strong enough to cope with this."
By PTI

WASHINGTON: A number of Hindu Americans were up in arms against CNN for airing a show which they alleged portrays Hinduism in a negative light.

'Believer with Reza Aslan', a six-episode "spiritual adventures series", was premiered yesterday. The show explores the facts and myths behind the Aghori, a mystical Hindu sect known for extreme rituals.

Eminent Indian American Shalabh Kumar, a top supporter of the US President Donald Trump said, "this is a disgusting attack on Hinduism."

CNN, Clinton News Network has no respect for Hundus. All Hindus worldwide should boycott CNN. @stevenmnuchin1 @stephenkbannon @jaredkushner  Shalabh Kumar (@iamshalabhkumar) March 5, 2017

In a tweet, Kumar said, "Hinduism has been attacked because a large number of Hindu Americans supported Trump during the election campaign."

"I condemn @rezaaslan, CNN for airing Believer with fiction. Disgusting attack on Hindus for supporting @POTUS @stephenkbannon @newtgingrich," Kumar, also the founder of Republican Hindu Coalition said in a tweet.

I condemn @rezaaslan, CNN for airing Believer with fiction. Disgusting attack on Hindus for supporting @POTUS @stephenkbannon @newtgingrich  Shalabh Kumar (@iamshalabhkumar) March 5, 2017

A host of individuals and organisations joined him against the CNN show.

"When we are witnessing intolerant attacks on minorities, telecasting this serial will add more misrepresentation, bias and may lead more hate crimes," said Khanderao Kand, a community leader who had initiated efforts to eradicate misrepresentation of Hinduism in California text books in 2004.

"With multiple reports of hate-fuelled attacks against people of Indian origin from across the US, the show characterises Hinduism as cannibalistic, which is a bizarre way of looking at the third largest religion in the world," US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) said in a statement.

It urged CNN to stop the show from being aired at the night.

"We are very disappointed. This is an issue that is of deep concern to the Indian American community evidenced by the large number of calls/emails we have received. In a charged environment, a show like this can create a perception about Indian Americans which could make them more vulnerable to further attacks," said USINPAC chairman Sanjay Puri.

CNN's "Believer with Reza Aslan" show promotes xenophobia and Hinduphobia, alleged Ajay Shah of American Hindus Against Defamation.

WASHINGTON: A number of Hindu Americans were up in arms against CNN for airing a show which they alleged portrays Hinduism in a negative light. 'Believer with Reza Aslan', a six-episode "spiritual adventures series", was premiered yesterday. The show explores the facts and myths behind the Aghori, a mystical Hindu sect known for extreme rituals. Eminent Indian American Shalabh Kumar, a top supporter of the US President Donald Trump said, "this is a disgusting attack on Hinduism." CNN, Clinton News Network has no respect for Hundus. All Hindus worldwide should boycott CNN. @stevenmnuchin1 @stephenkbannon @jaredkushner  Shalabh Kumar (@iamshalabhkumar) March 5, 2017 In a tweet, Kumar said, "Hinduism has been attacked because a large number of Hindu Americans supported Trump during the election campaign." "I condemn @rezaaslan, CNN for airing Believer with fiction. Disgusting attack on Hindus for supporting @POTUS @stephenkbannon @newtgingrich," Kumar, also the founder of Republican Hindu Coalition said in a tweet. I condemn @rezaaslan, CNN for airing Believer with fiction. Disgusting attack on Hindus for supporting @POTUS @stephenkbannon @newtgingrich  Shalabh Kumar (@iamshalabhkumar) March 5, 2017 A host of individuals and organisations joined him against the CNN show. "When we are witnessing intolerant attacks on minorities, telecasting this serial will add more misrepresentation, bias and may lead more hate crimes," said Khanderao Kand, a community leader who had initiated efforts to eradicate misrepresentation of Hinduism in California text books in 2004. "With multiple reports of hate-fuelled attacks against people of Indian origin from across the US, the show characterises Hinduism as cannibalistic, which is a bizarre way of looking at the third largest religion in the world," US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) said in a statement. It urged CNN to stop the show from being aired at the night. "We are very disappointed. This is an issue that is of deep concern to the Indian American community evidenced by the large number of calls/emails we have received. In a charged environment, a show like this can create a perception about Indian Americans which could make them more vulnerable to further attacks," said USINPAC chairman Sanjay Puri. CNN's "Believer with Reza Aslan" show promotes xenophobia and Hinduphobia, alleged Ajay Shah of American Hindus Against Defamation.
By AFP

BEIRUT: The Islamic State group has imposed an "Afghan-style" dress code on men in its Syrian stronghold Raqa to help its fighters blend into the civilian population, a monitor and activists said Monday.

"For more than two weeks, Afghan-style clothing... has been imposed by Daesh," said Abu Mohamed, an activist with the "Raqa is Being Slaughtered Silently" group, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

"Anyone who does not comply faces prison and a fine," he told AFP.

The new restriction comes as a Kurdish-Arab alliance of fighters nears Raqa, backed by the US-led coalition launching air strikes against IS.

The rule "is an attempt to make it harder for aeroplanes and the Kurdish forces... to distinguish between civilians and Daesh members," Abu Mohamed said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor of the war, also reported the new rule in Raqa.

"The Islamic State has imposed Afghan-style dress on residents of Raqa so that informants giving coordinates to the US-led coalition will not be able to distinguish between civilians and fighters," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

Abu Mohamed said there was a "state of alert" in Raqa, with new checkpoints springing up and IS arresting anyone who describes the situation as dire.

"Prices are skyrocketing and there is no electricity or water," he told AFP.

The Observatory also said civilians and the families of IS fighters were attempting to flee into Raqa province from neighbouring Aleppo, where IS is under assault in the east.

"Thousands of families in recent days have tried to reach the administrative borders of Raqa province, along with around 120 families of fighters and commanders of IS," the monitor said.

The Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces alliance advancing towards Raqa on Monday cut a key supply route between the city and IS-held territory in Deir Ezzor province to the east.

The alliance is now eight kilometres (five miles) from Raqa to the northeast, according to the Observatory.

It said IS was preventing civilians from entering the province "but granted families of its fighters" a document allowing "passage to Raqa city by boat as ground transportation is now impossible because the bridges across the Euphrates have been destroyed".

BEIRUT: The Islamic State group has imposed an "Afghan-style" dress code on men in its Syrian stronghold Raqa to help its fighters blend into the civilian population, a monitor and activists said Monday. "For more than two weeks, Afghan-style clothing... has been imposed by Daesh," said Abu Mohamed, an activist with the "Raqa is Being Slaughtered Silently" group, using the Arabic acronym for IS. "Anyone who does not comply faces prison and a fine," he told AFP. The new restriction comes as a Kurdish-Arab alliance of fighters nears Raqa, backed by the US-led coalition launching air strikes against IS. The rule "is an attempt to make it harder for aeroplanes and the Kurdish forces... to distinguish between civilians and Daesh members," Abu Mohamed said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor of the war, also reported the new rule in Raqa. "The Islamic State has imposed Afghan-style dress on residents of Raqa so that informants giving coordinates to the US-led coalition will not be able to distinguish between civilians and fighters," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. Abu Mohamed said there was a "state of alert" in Raqa, with new checkpoints springing up and IS arresting anyone who describes the situation as dire. "Prices are skyrocketing and there is no electricity or water," he told AFP. The Observatory also said civilians and the families of IS fighters were attempting to flee into Raqa province from neighbouring Aleppo, where IS is under assault in the east. "Thousands of families in recent days have tried to reach the administrative borders of Raqa province, along with around 120 families of fighters and commanders of IS," the monitor said. The Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces alliance advancing towards Raqa on Monday cut a key supply route between the city and IS-held territory in Deir Ezzor province to the east. The alliance is now eight kilometres (five miles) from Raqa to the northeast, according to the Observatory. It said IS was preventing civilians from entering the province "but granted families of its fighters" a document allowing "passage to Raqa city by boat as ground transportation is now impossible because the bridges across the Euphrates have been destroyed".
By Associated Press

KANSAS CITY: An Indian man wounded in an apparently racially motivated shooting that killed his friend at a suburban Kansas City bar told detectives that the gunman asked if their "status was legal" before he opened fire, according to an affidavit released Monday.

Adam Purinton, 51, is jailed in Johnson County, Kansas, on $2 million bonds on murder and attempted murder charges in Feb. 22 shooting at Austin's Bar & Grill in Olathe, Kansas. The FBI is investigating the shooting as a hate crime. Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed and his friend, Alok Madasani, was wounded. A third man, Ian Grillot, was shot and wounded when he intervened.

The Associated Press left a message for Purinton's public defender, Michael McCulloch, seeking comment.

A detective wrote in the affidavit that Grillot and another person asked Purinton to leave when he confronted Kuchibhotla and Madasani in the bar. Some of the affidavits has been redacted and it offered little information about what specifically was said, other than that Madasani told detectives Purinton asked whether the Indian men's "status was legal." Both men worked as engineers for GPS-device maker Garmin in Olathe.

Employees eventually escorted Purinton from the bar, but he returned with a handgun about 30 minutes later, the affidavit said. Madasani told a detective that he heard people saying, "He's back and he has a gun!" and then he was shot in the leg.

Grillot told a detective that he chased Purinton because he believed he was out of ammunition, but he was wrong and Purinton shot him once. The bullet went through his hand and entered his chest.

The affidavit said Purinton, of Olathe, was a regular customer at the bar and that employees were able to identify him through card receipts. The affidavit described him as wearing a white T-shirt with military-style medals on it. Purinton was a Navy veteran.

Authorities arrested him hours later at an Applebee's restaurant some 70 miles away in Clinton, Missouri. A bartender at the restaurant told a 911 dispatcher that the man had admitted to shooting two people, but that he described them as Iranian, according to a recording of that call.

KANSAS CITY: An Indian man wounded in an apparently racially motivated shooting that killed his friend at a suburban Kansas City bar told detectives that the gunman asked if their "status was legal" before he opened fire, according to an affidavit released Monday. Adam Purinton, 51, is jailed in Johnson County, Kansas, on $2 million bonds on murder and attempted murder charges in Feb. 22 shooting at Austin's Bar & Grill in Olathe, Kansas. The FBI is investigating the shooting as a hate crime. Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed and his friend, Alok Madasani, was wounded. A third man, Ian Grillot, was shot and wounded when he intervened. The Associated Press left a message for Purinton's public defender, Michael McCulloch, seeking comment. A detective wrote in the affidavit that Grillot and another person asked Purinton to leave when he confronted Kuchibhotla and Madasani in the bar. Some of the affidavits has been redacted and it offered little information about what specifically was said, other than that Madasani told detectives Purinton asked whether the Indian men's "status was legal." Both men worked as engineers for GPS-device maker Garmin in Olathe. Employees eventually escorted Purinton from the bar, but he returned with a handgun about 30 minutes later, the affidavit said. Madasani told a detective that he heard people saying, "He's back and he has a gun!" and then he was shot in the leg. Grillot told a detective that he chased Purinton because he believed he was out of ammunition, but he was wrong and Purinton shot him once. The bullet went through his hand and entered his chest. The affidavit said Purinton, of Olathe, was a regular customer at the bar and that employees were able to identify him through card receipts. The affidavit described him as wearing a white T-shirt with military-style medals on it. Purinton was a Navy veteran. Authorities arrested him hours later at an Applebee's restaurant some 70 miles away in Clinton, Missouri. A bartender at the restaurant told a 911 dispatcher that the man had admitted to shooting two people, but that he described them as Iranian, according to a recording of that call.
By ANI

LONDON: Aggrieved family members of passengers on board of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have launched a campaign to raise 15 million USD to continue searching for the missing aircraft.

Around 239 people on board are still untraceable after the Boeing 777 went missing on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, nearly three years ago.

Australia, Malaysia and China jointly called off the underwater search in January, after the two-year hunt failed to trace the plane.

This comes after the officials probing the planes disappearance recommended the search crews to head north to a new area identified in a recent analysis as a possible crash site. But, the Australian Government has already vetoed the idea.

Last year, China, Australia and Malaysian governments, who have helped fund the search, said they would resume the investigation only if any credible evidence on the whereabouts of the plane emerges.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished out of radar on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Though the authorities say the plane probably crashed in the Indian Ocean, but no wreckage was found by the officials despite an extensive underwater search of a vast area.

LONDON: Aggrieved family members of passengers on board of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have launched a campaign to raise 15 million USD to continue searching for the missing aircraft. Around 239 people on board are still untraceable after the Boeing 777 went missing on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, nearly three years ago. Australia, Malaysia and China jointly called off the underwater search in January, after the two-year hunt failed to trace the plane. This comes after the officials probing the planes disappearance recommended the search crews to head north to a new area identified in a recent analysis as a possible crash site. But, the Australian Government has already vetoed the idea. Last year, China, Australia and Malaysian governments, who have helped fund the search, said they would resume the investigation only if any credible evidence on the whereabouts of the plane emerges. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished out of radar on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Though the authorities say the plane probably crashed in the Indian Ocean, but no wreckage was found by the officials despite an extensive underwater search of a vast area.
By Associated Press

YANGON: Myanmar says at least 30 people were killed in fighting triggered by a pre-dawn attack by an ethnic rebel group in the country's northeast bordering China.

The office of the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, blamed the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army for the Monday morning attack, which it said killed five civilians and five police officers. It said the bodies of 20 other people were found after the fighting in the town of Laukkai in northern Shan state. It was not clear if the 20 were among the estimated 50 attackers. Gruesome photos of some of the dead and wounded were posted along with the statement on Suu Kyi's official Facebook page.

The statement said the attackers destroyed a hotel, burned cars and carried out robberies. It said the military has been trying to clear the rebel group from the town and will continue operations in the region against the rebel group.

The fighting was the most dramatic recent violence in the area, where the government and rebels have been contending for territory. Similar fighting has been taking place further north in Kachin state involving other ethnic rebel groups. The rebels say they are countering attacks by the government.

The fighting has not received as much publicity as the government's activities in the western state of Rakhine, where troops have been accused of carrying out widespread abuses of the Muslim ethnic Rohingya minority in what it has characterised as a counter-insurgency operation.

However, the much greater strength of the rebels in Shan and Kachin states threatens to undermine Suu Kyi's efforts to reach a comprehensive peace with the more than a dozen ethnic rebel groups who have been seeking greater autonomy for decades. She is scheduled to hold a meeting with many of the groups at the end of this month.

Fierce fighting between the government and the rebel group, which represents the Kokang, an ethnic Chinese minority, last occurred in 2015, sending tens of thousands of civilians fleeing across the border to China.

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army is led by ethnic Chinese Peng Jiasheng, who once was chief of the officially sanctioned Kokang administrative zone but was ousted from power in 2009. The rebel army was formed from the remnants of the Communist Party of Burma, a once-powerful Chinese-backed guerrilla force that fought against the government in the 1960s and 1970s.

YANGON: Myanmar says at least 30 people were killed in fighting triggered by a pre-dawn attack by an ethnic rebel group in the country's northeast bordering China. The office of the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, blamed the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army for the Monday morning attack, which it said killed five civilians and five police officers. It said the bodies of 20 other people were found after the fighting in the town of Laukkai in northern Shan state. It was not clear if the 20 were among the estimated 50 attackers. Gruesome photos of some of the dead and wounded were posted along with the statement on Suu Kyi's official Facebook page. The statement said the attackers destroyed a hotel, burned cars and carried out robberies. It said the military has been trying to clear the rebel group from the town and will continue operations in the region against the rebel group. The fighting was the most dramatic recent violence in the area, where the government and rebels have been contending for territory. Similar fighting has been taking place further north in Kachin state involving other ethnic rebel groups. The rebels say they are countering attacks by the government. The fighting has not received as much publicity as the government's activities in the western state of Rakhine, where troops have been accused of carrying out widespread abuses of the Muslim ethnic Rohingya minority in what it has characterised as a counter-insurgency operation. However, the much greater strength of the rebels in Shan and Kachin states threatens to undermine Suu Kyi's efforts to reach a comprehensive peace with the more than a dozen ethnic rebel groups who have been seeking greater autonomy for decades. She is scheduled to hold a meeting with many of the groups at the end of this month. Fierce fighting between the government and the rebel group, which represents the Kokang, an ethnic Chinese minority, last occurred in 2015, sending tens of thousands of civilians fleeing across the border to China. The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army is led by ethnic Chinese Peng Jiasheng, who once was chief of the officially sanctioned Kokang administrative zone but was ousted from power in 2009. The rebel army was formed from the remnants of the Communist Party of Burma, a once-powerful Chinese-backed guerrilla force that fought against the government in the 1960s and 1970s.
By AFP

SEOUL: North Korea said Monday it would expel Malaysia's ambassador in a tit-for-tat move after Pyongyang's envoy left the Southeast Asian nation in an increasingly bitter row over the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

"The Foreign Ministry of the DPRK (North Korea) notifies that the Malaysian ambassador to the DPRK is labeled as a persona non grata... and demanded that the ambassador leave the DPRK," state news agency KCNA said, giving a 48-hour deadline.

Malaysia had earlier recalled its envoy to Pyongyang for consultations as the two countries traded barbs over an investigation into the killing of the North Korean leader's half-brother last month.

SEOUL: North Korea said Monday it would expel Malaysia's ambassador in a tit-for-tat move after Pyongyang's envoy left the Southeast Asian nation in an increasingly bitter row over the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. "The Foreign Ministry of the DPRK (North Korea) notifies that the Malaysian ambassador to the DPRK is labeled as a persona non grata... and demanded that the ambassador leave the DPRK," state news agency KCNA said, giving a 48-hour deadline. Malaysia had earlier recalled its envoy to Pyongyang for consultations as the two countries traded barbs over an investigation into the killing of the North Korean leader's half-brother last month.
By Associated Press

KATHMANDU: Police opened fire Monday on protesters attempting to disrupt a political rally, killing at least three, in southern Nepal where violent protests last year left dozens dead and blocked the border, causing severe fuel shortages.

Home Ministry official Bal Krishna Panthi said police first tried to disperse the protesters with bamboo batons and tear gas before firing their guns.

He said three people were fatally shot and 33 police officers were injured in the clash. He could not say how many protesters were hurt.

The Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) had attempted to hold a rally in Rajbiraj town, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) south-west of Kathmandu. Ethnic Madhesi groups from south Nepal oppose the party and have vowed not to allow its rallies.

CPN-UML was in power and their leader Khadga Prasad Oli was prime minister when the Madhesis held protests between August 2015 and February 2016. Oli refused Madhesi demands for changes to the country's new constitution that would give the ethnic group much more territory in new federal states.

Madhesi protesters shut down southern Nepal towns for months, blocked the border with India and stopping the supply of fuel and medicines to protest the new constitution.

The protests fizzled out but the group vowed to continue to pressure the government. A new administration that took power in August 2016 promised to address the demands by the Madhesi, but that proposal is still being considered in parliament.

The CPN-UML, the second-largest party in Nepal, has been holding rallies in south Nepal towns since Saturday ahead of the district and municipal elections scheduled for May.

KATHMANDU: Police opened fire Monday on protesters attempting to disrupt a political rally, killing at least three, in southern Nepal where violent protests last year left dozens dead and blocked the border, causing severe fuel shortages. Home Ministry official Bal Krishna Panthi said police first tried to disperse the protesters with bamboo batons and tear gas before firing their guns. He said three people were fatally shot and 33 police officers were injured in the clash. He could not say how many protesters were hurt. The Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) had attempted to hold a rally in Rajbiraj town, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) south-west of Kathmandu. Ethnic Madhesi groups from south Nepal oppose the party and have vowed not to allow its rallies. CPN-UML was in power and their leader Khadga Prasad Oli was prime minister when the Madhesis held protests between August 2015 and February 2016. Oli refused Madhesi demands for changes to the country's new constitution that would give the ethnic group much more territory in new federal states. Madhesi protesters shut down southern Nepal towns for months, blocked the border with India and stopping the supply of fuel and medicines to protest the new constitution. The protests fizzled out but the group vowed to continue to pressure the government. A new administration that took power in August 2016 promised to address the demands by the Madhesi, but that proposal is still being considered in parliament. The CPN-UML, the second-largest party in Nepal, has been holding rallies in south Nepal towns since Saturday ahead of the district and municipal elections scheduled for May.
It seems that markets are slowing down and taking a step back after hitting new highs in what has been known as the Trump rally. Although Monday might be slow there are a few stocks in the health care sector that are absolutely screaming higher.

Although the health care sector has been attacked by the U.S. government in the past, it now has one of the brightest outlooks in 2017. Considering that the president aims to expedite the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decisions and clear an easier path to drug approval, it seems that biopharma stocks could press even higher.

ALSO READ: Red-Hot Biotech Companies Highlight Jefferies Top Stocks to Buy

What has been driving these companies on Monday, are positive results, as well as a critical acquisition. 24/7 Wall St. has compiled a list some of the biggest of those stocks moving. We have included a little color on each, as well as a recent trading history and consensus price target.

TG Therapeutics Inc. (TGTX) reported positive top-line results from its Phase 3 Genuine clinical trial of TG-1101 (ublituximab) plus ibrutinib in patients with previously treated high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in overall response rate compared to ibrutinib alone in both the intent to treat population and treated population.

In addition to overall response rate, observed advantages were seen for the combination in a number of secondary and other efficacy measures, including radiographic complete response rate.

ALSO READ: Wedbush Has 3 Biotech Stocks to Buy With Massive Upside Potential

Shares of TG were last seen up nearly 85% at $9.81, with a consensus analyst price target of $21.67 and a 52-week trading range of $4.10 to $11.60.

Shares of Concert Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CNCE) saw a massive gain to start out the week after it was announced that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSE:VTRX) will be acquiring Concerts CTP-656 for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF). This agreement is still subject to shareholder approval, although the board of directors is unanimously recommending the transaction.

Story continues

As part of the agreement, Vertex will pay Concert $160 million in cash for all worldwide development and commercialization rights to CTP-656. If CTP-656 is approved as part of a combination regimen to treat CF, Concert could receive up to an additional $90 million in milestones based on regulatory approval in the United States and reimbursement in the United Kingdom, Germany or France.

ALSO READ: RBC Says These Top Health Care Stocks Could Be 2017 Takeover Candidates

Keep in mind that after the shares jumped on Monday, Concert had a total market cap of roughly $367 million.

Roger Tung, Ph.D., president and CEO of Concert, commented:

With Vertexs clinical and commercial expertise in CF, this agreement provides the optimal pathway to rapidly advance the development of CTP-656 for the benefit of cystic fibrosis patients. The financial strength provided to Concert by this agreement will allow us to advance CTP-543 into pivotal testing and broaden our proprietary development pipeline.

Concert shares were up nearly 70% to $16.30 on Monday. The 52-week range is $7.11 to $18.48, and the consensus price target is $22.00.

Vertex was trading flat at $90.34, with a consensus price target of $99.24 and a 52-week range of $71.46 to $103.73.

Dextera Surgical Inc. (DXTR) watched its shares climb early on Monday after the firm reported that Marco Nardini, M.D., from James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, United Kingdom, presented the latest data on the results of 82 patients undergoing microlobectomy. Ultimately Dexteras Microcutter 5/80 demonstrated that for microlobectomy procedures, the median hospital stay was reduced by at least two days when compared to traditional open lobectomy procedures, with over 20% of patients going home the day after surgery.

ALSO READ: Large Cap Biotech Stocks to Buy May Be the Cheapest in Years

Dr. Nardini commented:

The Microlobectomy procedure, enabled by the MicroCutter 5/80 surgical stapler, due to the slim profile of the five-millimeter diameter with 80 degrees of articulation, reduces postoperative pain and complications compared to traditional open procedures and overall, improves a patients recovery after a major lung resection. These data further support what surgeons around the world are experiencing when performing the Microlobectomy  that the less invasive nature of this procedure shortens hospital stays when compared to a traditional open lobectomy, with 20.7% of patients able to return home within 24 hours.

Shares of Dextera were last seen up about 50% at $1.70. The consensus price target is $4.25. The 52-week range is $0.90 to $2.94.

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By Associated Press

BANGKOK: A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbours in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves:

US RAMPS UP PATROLS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA, IRRITATING BEIJING

The USS Carl Vinson, which is steaming through the South China Sea, is just one of several high-profile displays of U.S. naval power as President Donald Trump's administration weighs options of how to reassure allies and respond to an assertive China.

The current makeup of the aircraft carrier strike group, which began routine operations Feb. 18, suggests it may not carry out an anticipated freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) just yet. The U.S. has challenged Beijing four times since 2015 by sailing close to Chinese-held islands in the disputed waters, but critics say the pace of such operations under the Obama administration failed to deter China from constructing the seven outposts that are now being fitted with radar and weapons systems.

The new U.S. administration has signaled a tougher approach.

"We have operated here in the past, we're going to operate here in the future, we're going to continue to reassure our allies," Rear Adm. James Kilby, commander of the San Diego-based Carrier Strike group 1, told journalists who toured the ship Friday as it was sailing between China's southernmost island of Hainan and Scarborough Shoal, which China seized from the Philippines in 2012.

He said there have been no incidents and "everyone we've encountered so far has acted professionally as we would hope they would do in accordance with international rules, standards, norms and laws."

At the moment, the carrier was accompanied by one warship, making it unlikely the sole escort would break off for a possible freedom of navigation operation, retired Navy officer and analyst Steven Stashwick wrote in The Diplomat, which tracks military and diplomatic developments in the region.

The U.S. military in general has not publicly announced all its freedom of navigation operations, which have existed globally since 1979. But its operations in the South China Sea have been scrutinized closely, and officials have been careful about raising expectations that such action was anything more than routine enforcement of international maritime law.

China has scoffed at U.S. patrols and sent its sole aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, in January as well as bombers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft through the region.

A spokesman for the country's top political advisory body, Wang Guoqing, said it was "perfectly normal" for China to build facilities, including those for necessary defense purposes, on its territory. He also dismissed U.S. concern that China was threatening freedom of navigation.

"Though peace reigns over the land, the stupid people create trouble for themselves," Wang was quoted as saying.

Government spokeswoman Fu Ying said that the situation depends on U.S. intentions. "American actions in the South China Sea have a definite significance in terms of which way the winds blow," she said.

The carrier group is expected to join an exercise in South Korea in mid-March. Later in the summer, a pair of San Diego-based destroyers are expected to beef up the group in the contested waters, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. It said the Navy's Third Fleet commander, Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, plans at least two more trips for the carrier group in the next three months.

Other assets include the USS Coronado, a littoral combat ship, which began a new South China Sea patrol last week from its base in Singapore. Its predecessor, the USS Fort Worth, was closely trailed by a more heavily armed Chinese frigate in May 2015, the Diplomat said. The Navy said that the amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay also conducted routine operations in the South China Sea last week following exercises in the Gulf of Thailand.

According to NBC News quoting internal military reports, three attack submarines  the USS Alexandria, USS Chicago and USS Louisville  have deployed in the Western Pacific last month and at least one has entered the South China Sea.

Also last month, the U.S. deployed 12 Alaska-based F-22 Raptor fighter jets to a northern Australia air force base for monthlong training.

___

VIETNAM COMMISSIONS RUSSIAN SUBMARINES

Vietnam has commissioned two Russian-made Kilo-class submarines, the last delivery of a $2.6 billion contract for six diesel-electric attacks subs.

Vietnam's Ministry of Defense reported that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phu led the flag-raising ceremony at Cam Ranh naval base on Feb. 28, during which he called on the navy to defend every inch of Vietnam, including territorial waters.

He also said that his country does not seek an arms race in the region and the submarines' acquisition should not be seen as a threat to other countries.

Vietnam has been embroiled in a bitter dispute with China in both the Spratly islands, where it controls 20 features, and the Paracel archipelago, which Chinese forces seized from former South Vietnam in 1974. In 2014, China moved an oil rig into the Paracels, triggering a tense standoff that involved Vietnamese and Chinese vessels ramming each other.

BANGKOK: A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbours in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves: US RAMPS UP PATROLS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA, IRRITATING BEIJING The USS Carl Vinson, which is steaming through the South China Sea, is just one of several high-profile displays of U.S. naval power as President Donald Trump's administration weighs options of how to reassure allies and respond to an assertive China. The current makeup of the aircraft carrier strike group, which began routine operations Feb. 18, suggests it may not carry out an anticipated freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) just yet. The U.S. has challenged Beijing four times since 2015 by sailing close to Chinese-held islands in the disputed waters, but critics say the pace of such operations under the Obama administration failed to deter China from constructing the seven outposts that are now being fitted with radar and weapons systems. The new U.S. administration has signaled a tougher approach. "We have operated here in the past, we're going to operate here in the future, we're going to continue to reassure our allies," Rear Adm. James Kilby, commander of the San Diego-based Carrier Strike group 1, told journalists who toured the ship Friday as it was sailing between China's southernmost island of Hainan and Scarborough Shoal, which China seized from the Philippines in 2012. He said there have been no incidents and "everyone we've encountered so far has acted professionally as we would hope they would do in accordance with international rules, standards, norms and laws." At the moment, the carrier was accompanied by one warship, making it unlikely the sole escort would break off for a possible freedom of navigation operation, retired Navy officer and analyst Steven Stashwick wrote in The Diplomat, which tracks military and diplomatic developments in the region. The U.S. military in general has not publicly announced all its freedom of navigation operations, which have existed globally since 1979. But its operations in the South China Sea have been scrutinized closely, and officials have been careful about raising expectations that such action was anything more than routine enforcement of international maritime law. China has scoffed at U.S. patrols and sent its sole aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, in January as well as bombers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft through the region. A spokesman for the country's top political advisory body, Wang Guoqing, said it was "perfectly normal" for China to build facilities, including those for necessary defense purposes, on its territory. He also dismissed U.S. concern that China was threatening freedom of navigation. "Though peace reigns over the land, the stupid people create trouble for themselves," Wang was quoted as saying. Government spokeswoman Fu Ying said that the situation depends on U.S. intentions. "American actions in the South China Sea have a definite significance in terms of which way the winds blow," she said. The carrier group is expected to join an exercise in South Korea in mid-March. Later in the summer, a pair of San Diego-based destroyers are expected to beef up the group in the contested waters, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. It said the Navy's Third Fleet commander, Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, plans at least two more trips for the carrier group in the next three months. Other assets include the USS Coronado, a littoral combat ship, which began a new South China Sea patrol last week from its base in Singapore. Its predecessor, the USS Fort Worth, was closely trailed by a more heavily armed Chinese frigate in May 2015, the Diplomat said. The Navy said that the amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay also conducted routine operations in the South China Sea last week following exercises in the Gulf of Thailand. According to NBC News quoting internal military reports, three attack submarines  the USS Alexandria, USS Chicago and USS Louisville  have deployed in the Western Pacific last month and at least one has entered the South China Sea. Also last month, the U.S. deployed 12 Alaska-based F-22 Raptor fighter jets to a northern Australia air force base for monthlong training. ___ VIETNAM COMMISSIONS RUSSIAN SUBMARINES Vietnam has commissioned two Russian-made Kilo-class submarines, the last delivery of a $2.6 billion contract for six diesel-electric attacks subs. Vietnam's Ministry of Defense reported that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phu led the flag-raising ceremony at Cam Ranh naval base on Feb. 28, during which he called on the navy to defend every inch of Vietnam, including territorial waters. He also said that his country does not seek an arms race in the region and the submarines' acquisition should not be seen as a threat to other countries. Vietnam has been embroiled in a bitter dispute with China in both the Spratly islands, where it controls 20 features, and the Paracel archipelago, which Chinese forces seized from former South Vietnam in 1974. In 2014, China moved an oil rig into the Paracels, triggering a tense standoff that involved Vietnamese and Chinese vessels ramming each other.
By PTI

BEIJING: China today operationalised the second-largest airport terminal in Tibet, close to the Indian border, which will be able to handle 750,000 passengers and 3,000 tonnes of cargo annually by 2020. The new terminal, the sixth to be opened in Tibet, is part of Nyingchi Mainling Airport, which is located close to Arunachal Pradesh.

China's extensive development road, rail and air infrastructure in Tibet has sparked concerns in India as it also provides major advantage to the Chinese military. India too has initiated border infrastructure development in the recent years. The airport covers an area of 10,300 square meters and will be able to handle 750,000 passengers and 3,000 tonnes of cargo annually by 2020, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today.

The Nyingchi airport will open new air routes to Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province, resume routes to Beijing and increase more round trip flights to Lhasa, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chongqing and Shenzhen after the new terminal comes into service, said Liu Wei, deputy director of Civil Aviation Administration of China in Tibet.

The airport has seen year-on-year increases in passenger flow since it was put into service in 2006. Passenger volume hit 390,000 in 2016, bringing the total passenger numbers to two million in the past years, Liu said, adding that the new terminal will effectively alleviate pressure brought by the growing number of passengers.

Nyingchi is located in southeast Tibet at an average elevation of 2,950 meters above sea-level. The city has attracted more visitors in the recent years due to tourist attractions such as its peach blossom festival, the report said.

BEIJING: China today operationalised the second-largest airport terminal in Tibet, close to the Indian border, which will be able to handle 750,000 passengers and 3,000 tonnes of cargo annually by 2020. The new terminal, the sixth to be opened in Tibet, is part of Nyingchi Mainling Airport, which is located close to Arunachal Pradesh. China's extensive development road, rail and air infrastructure in Tibet has sparked concerns in India as it also provides major advantage to the Chinese military. India too has initiated border infrastructure development in the recent years. The airport covers an area of 10,300 square meters and will be able to handle 750,000 passengers and 3,000 tonnes of cargo annually by 2020, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today. The Nyingchi airport will open new air routes to Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province, resume routes to Beijing and increase more round trip flights to Lhasa, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chongqing and Shenzhen after the new terminal comes into service, said Liu Wei, deputy director of Civil Aviation Administration of China in Tibet. The airport has seen year-on-year increases in passenger flow since it was put into service in 2006. Passenger volume hit 390,000 in 2016, bringing the total passenger numbers to two million in the past years, Liu said, adding that the new terminal will effectively alleviate pressure brought by the growing number of passengers. Nyingchi is located in southeast Tibet at an average elevation of 2,950 meters above sea-level. The city has attracted more visitors in the recent years due to tourist attractions such as its peach blossom festival, the report said.
By AFP

JERUSALEM: Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Monday that the United States has warned that annexing the West Bank would lead to an "immediate crisis" with President Donald Trump's administration.

Lieberman sought to push back against those in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition calling for a declaration of Israeli sovereignty over all or part of the occupied territory.

He said annexation would provoke a crisis with Washington and result in steep costs for the Israeli government since it would be required to provide services to Palestinians in the West Bank.

"We have received a very clear, direct message from the United States stating that the application of Israeli law in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) would provoke an immediate crisis with the new administration," Lieberman said before a parliamentary committee.

Some 2.6 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967.

The latest call for annexation came on Sunday, when lawmaker Miki Zohar from Netanyahu's Likud party said in a television interview that "the two-state solution is dead".

Zohar advocated a single state, but said that Palestinians in the West Bank should not be allowed to vote in Israeli parliamentary elections.

Others have made similar calls, including Education Minister Naftali Bennett who heads the religious nationalist Jewish Home party.

Bennett advocates annexing most of the West Bank, and has said he hopes support from Trump's presidency will spell the end of the idea of a Palestinian state.

In his comments on Monday, Lieberman also laid out an economic argument against annexation, saying Israel immediately "will be required to spend 20 billion shekels ($5.4 billion, 5.1 billion euros)" on various social services.

The defence minister, who heads the right-wing Yisrael Beitenu party, advocates a two-state solution based on territorial and population exchanges.

Netanyahu says he still supports a two-state solution, though he has also pushed for settlement expansion in the West Bank.

He has found himself seeking to hold together his governing coalition -- seen as the most right-wing in Israeli history -- while managing international relations, including with the United States.

The US is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually.

Some Israeli politicians have pushed for the immediate annexation of Maale Adumim, an Israeli settlement of some 37,000 people in a strategic location east of Jerusalem.

However, a bill to annex the settlement has been postponed by the cabinet to an unclear date.

JERUSALEM: Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Monday that the United States has warned that annexing the West Bank would lead to an "immediate crisis" with President Donald Trump's administration. Lieberman sought to push back against those in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition calling for a declaration of Israeli sovereignty over all or part of the occupied territory. He said annexation would provoke a crisis with Washington and result in steep costs for the Israeli government since it would be required to provide services to Palestinians in the West Bank. "We have received a very clear, direct message from the United States stating that the application of Israeli law in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) would provoke an immediate crisis with the new administration," Lieberman said before a parliamentary committee. Some 2.6 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967. The latest call for annexation came on Sunday, when lawmaker Miki Zohar from Netanyahu's Likud party said in a television interview that "the two-state solution is dead". Zohar advocated a single state, but said that Palestinians in the West Bank should not be allowed to vote in Israeli parliamentary elections. Others have made similar calls, including Education Minister Naftali Bennett who heads the religious nationalist Jewish Home party. Bennett advocates annexing most of the West Bank, and has said he hopes support from Trump's presidency will spell the end of the idea of a Palestinian state. In his comments on Monday, Lieberman also laid out an economic argument against annexation, saying Israel immediately "will be required to spend 20 billion shekels ($5.4 billion, 5.1 billion euros)" on various social services. The defence minister, who heads the right-wing Yisrael Beitenu party, advocates a two-state solution based on territorial and population exchanges. Netanyahu says he still supports a two-state solution, though he has also pushed for settlement expansion in the West Bank. He has found himself seeking to hold together his governing coalition -- seen as the most right-wing in Israeli history -- while managing international relations, including with the United States. The US is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually. Some Israeli politicians have pushed for the immediate annexation of Maale Adumim, an Israeli settlement of some 37,000 people in a strategic location east of Jerusalem. However, a bill to annex the settlement has been postponed by the cabinet to an unclear date.
Express News Service

COLOMBO : The US Pacific Fleet symbolically moved into the strategically located Hambantota port in South Sri Lanka on Monday, beating China in the race to establish great power presence in the port and the region.

The US embassy here announced on Monday, that the Pacific Fleets transport ship USNS Fall River will be on a Pacific Partnership goodwill mission to Hambantota and its environs from March 6 to 18. Military and civil personnel from Japan, Australia and Sri Lanka will be holding joint exercises through the 12-day mission.

Though touted as a humanitarian or disaster relief exercise with the Sri Lankan, Australian and Japanese navies, the choice of Hambantota port for holding it, and the partnership with critical regional allies, give the mission a unmistakable security dimension.

The embassy statement says that the multinational effort includes free community health clinics; school and hospital renovations; learning exchanges for medical and disaster-relief responders; seminars to promote womens roles in peace and security; and public performances by the U.S. 7th Fleet Band.

Through this Pacific Partnership mission, the United States will continue to help Sri Lanka respond more quickly to humanitarian challenges. At the same time, our Sri Lankan partners will share with us their valuable lessons learned from past natural disasters, the statement quotes U.S. Ambassador Atul Keshap as saying.

Our time in Sri Lanka is about building relationships and the capability and capacity to work together for the future, added Capt. Stanfield Chien, Commander of the mission.

Pacific Partnership is the largest multinational humanitarian exercise, the embassy says.

Significantly, the places earmarked for the fleets activities fall in the pocket borough of the former pro-Chinese and anti-American Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is now a key political player as a leader of the Joint Opposition Group.

Chinas Stake

Having constructed the Hambantota port at a cost of more than a billion US dollars, China is poised to take over the port through a debt-equity swap in which it will get 80 percent stake in the port for 99 years. But the US and India have been concerned about the possibility of the ports being used to support Chinas military and strategic plans in the Indian Ocean region.

Americas decision to hold the US Pacific Fleets humanitarian Pacific Partnership Mission at the Hambantota port, in association with strategic regional allies Japan, Australia, and the current pro-Western Sri Lankan government, could help forestall attempts by China to get control of port.

The Hambantota port is currently embroiled in a controversy over the extent of Chinas stake in it. The Joint Opposition led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is opposing the deal totally, and Ports Minister Arjuna Ranatunga is seeking the replacement of the 80% stake by a 65% stake. President Maithripala Sirisena is looking into the issue to see that Sri Lankas interests are not affected.

The controversy has delayed the finalization of the agreement. And this has come in handy to powers which do not want China to get entrenched in the port.

The Concerns

When Rajapaksa was President in 2005-2014, he lurched towards China to the discomfiture of the US and India, He gave the Chinese, multi-billion infrastructure projects including the contract to build Hambantota port.

Rubbing India on the wrong side, two Chinese diesel-powered submarines berthed at a Chinese-run terminal in Colombo port from September 7 to14 2014. This almost coincided with the visit of the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, to Sri Lanka on September 16 and 17.

On November 6, 2014, a nuclear submarine called at the same Chinese-run terminal even though in September, New Delhi had protested. The then Sri Lankan navy chief Adm.Jayantha Perera declared that Sri Lanka would not allow anything that compromises Indias security, but cabinet minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa categorically stated that Colombo will not talk to New Delhi on this issue. New Delhi was irked because Sri Lanka was ignoring the India-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 which enjoined Colombo not to let any foreign power use its ports and other facilities against Indias interests.

Although India is not part of the on-going Pacific Partnership in Hambantota, it is keen that the port does not fall into the hands of the Chinese in a way that will pose a security threat to India. Japan, which is struggling to ensure freedom of navigation in the face of Chinese obduracy in the South China Sea, is keen to see that the Western Indian Ocean does not come under Chinese hegemony to pose a threat to navigation. As an ally of the US, Australia shares Americas concerns vis-a-vis China in the Asia-Pacific region.

COLOMBO : The US Pacific Fleet symbolically moved into the strategically located Hambantota port in South Sri Lanka on Monday, beating China in the race to establish great power presence in the port and the region. The US embassy here announced on Monday, that the Pacific Fleets transport ship USNS Fall River will be on a Pacific Partnership goodwill mission to Hambantota and its environs from March 6 to 18. Military and civil personnel from Japan, Australia and Sri Lanka will be holding joint exercises through the 12-day mission. Though touted as a humanitarian or disaster relief exercise with the Sri Lankan, Australian and Japanese navies, the choice of Hambantota port for holding it, and the partnership with critical regional allies, give the mission a unmistakable security dimension. The embassy statement says that the multinational effort includes free community health clinics; school and hospital renovations; learning exchanges for medical and disaster-relief responders; seminars to promote womens roles in peace and security; and public performances by the U.S. 7th Fleet Band. Through this Pacific Partnership mission, the United States will continue to help Sri Lanka respond more quickly to humanitarian challenges. At the same time, our Sri Lankan partners will share with us their valuable lessons learned from past natural disasters, the statement quotes U.S. Ambassador Atul Keshap as saying. Our time in Sri Lanka is about building relationships and the capability and capacity to work together for the future, added Capt. Stanfield Chien, Commander of the mission. Pacific Partnership is the largest multinational humanitarian exercise, the embassy says. Significantly, the places earmarked for the fleets activities fall in the pocket borough of the former pro-Chinese and anti-American Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is now a key political player as a leader of the Joint Opposition Group. Chinas Stake Having constructed the Hambantota port at a cost of more than a billion US dollars, China is poised to take over the port through a debt-equity swap in which it will get 80 percent stake in the port for 99 years. But the US and India have been concerned about the possibility of the ports being used to support Chinas military and strategic plans in the Indian Ocean region. Americas decision to hold the US Pacific Fleets humanitarian Pacific Partnership Mission at the Hambantota port, in association with strategic regional allies Japan, Australia, and the current pro-Western Sri Lankan government, could help forestall attempts by China to get control of port. The Hambantota port is currently embroiled in a controversy over the extent of Chinas stake in it. The Joint Opposition led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is opposing the deal totally, and Ports Minister Arjuna Ranatunga is seeking the replacement of the 80% stake by a 65% stake. President Maithripala Sirisena is looking into the issue to see that Sri Lankas interests are not affected. The controversy has delayed the finalization of the agreement. And this has come in handy to powers which do not want China to get entrenched in the port. The Concerns When Rajapaksa was President in 2005-2014, he lurched towards China to the discomfiture of the US and India, He gave the Chinese, multi-billion infrastructure projects including the contract to build Hambantota port. Rubbing India on the wrong side, two Chinese diesel-powered submarines berthed at a Chinese-run terminal in Colombo port from September 7 to14 2014. This almost coincided with the visit of the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, to Sri Lanka on September 16 and 17. On November 6, 2014, a nuclear submarine called at the same Chinese-run terminal even though in September, New Delhi had protested. The then Sri Lankan navy chief Adm.Jayantha Perera declared that Sri Lanka would not allow anything that compromises Indias security, but cabinet minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa categorically stated that Colombo will not talk to New Delhi on this issue. New Delhi was irked because Sri Lanka was ignoring the India-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 which enjoined Colombo not to let any foreign power use its ports and other facilities against Indias interests. Although India is not part of the on-going Pacific Partnership in Hambantota, it is keen that the port does not fall into the hands of the Chinese in a way that will pose a security threat to India. Japan, which is struggling to ensure freedom of navigation in the face of Chinese obduracy in the South China Sea, is keen to see that the Western Indian Ocean does not come under Chinese hegemony to pose a threat to navigation. As an ally of the US, Australia shares Americas concerns vis-a-vis China in the Asia-Pacific region.
By AFP

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a revised ban on travellers from six Muslim-majority nations, scaling back the order to exempt Iraqis and permanent US residents.

After his first wide-ranging and controversial restrictions were slapped down by the federal courts, Trump signed an order freezing new visas for Syrians, Iranians, Libyans, Somalis, Yemenis and Sudanese citizens.

The White House said Trump signed the order behind closed doors "this morning." The measure is due to come into effect on March 16.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the executive order "a vital measure for strengthening our national security."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions added at a joint press conference that it "responsibly provides a needed pause so we can carefully review how we scrutinise people coming here from these countries of concern."

"Three of these nations are state sponsors of terrorism," Sessions added, referring to Iran, Sudan and Syria, adding that others had served as "safe havens" for terror operatives.

The first version temporarily closed US borders to all refugees and to citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries.

The State Department initially cancelled 60,000 visas, and hundreds of people were reportedly detained at US airports.

The new order explicitly exempts Iraqis, legal permanent residents and valid visa holders.

Iraq's inclusion had risked scuttling cooperation between Baghdad and Washington in fighting the Islamic State group.

The US and Iraqi militaries are currently fighting side-by-side in northern Iraq, trying to wrest the city of Mosul from jihadist control.

The Iraqi foreign ministry on Monday expressed its "deep satisfaction" with the new executive order and described it as an "important step" in strengthening relations between Baghdad and Washington.

Trump's first order had sparked a legal, political and logistical furore.

There was chaos at major airports and mass protests while several district courts moved to block its implementation and lawmakers expressed opposition.

The troubled rollout also dominated the first weeks of his administration, leaving many with the impression that it was badly planned and badly implemented.

Trump has argued that the ban is needed to prevent Islamic State and Al-Qaeda fighters from reaching US soil.

Polls show that American public opinion is deeply divided on the issue. Most indicate a slight majority of voters opposed, with strong support among Trump's political base.

The Republican president criticised a court order suspending the ban as "a very bad decision, very bad for the safety and security of our country. The rollout was perfect."

He vowed to challenge the matter in the courts but appears to have eased away from that claim.

The new order is meant to address complaints raised by the federal judges that parts of the first version were unconstitutional.

But Democrats and organisations like the American Civil Liberties Union again voiced outrage.

"The only way to actually fix the Muslim ban is not to have a Muslim ban," said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU's Immigrant Rights Project.

"Instead, President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the measure should be repealed, adding: "A watered-down ban is still a ban."

Whatever the legal outcome, Trump's new ban is likely to polarise opinion further and be immensely popular with his hardcore of supporters.

The new order is also likely to sow further confusion about US immigration policies.

On Monday, Nigeria advised its citizens against all but essential travel to the United States, citing the lack of clarity on new immigration rules.

"In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to Nigeria," said special adviser to the president Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

According to travel data firm Forwardkeys, travel from the United States to the Middle East has also fallen sharply.

The firm said round trips to the United Arab Emirates were down 19 percent and trips to Saudi Arabia were down 40 percent in the month following the ban.

"Since the imposition of the travel ban, Middle East markets have been the worst affected, with bookings for departure in the next three months falling 25.4 percent behind the equivalent time last year," the firm said in a report released Monday.

But the ban is likely to help Trump divert attention from rolling crises on his ties with Russia.

The last week has seen his attorney general recuse himself from election-related investigations after it emerged he met the Russian ambassador in Washington twice during the campaign.

It has also seen Trump level unsubstantiated allegations that former president Barack Obama ordered a wiretap on the now president's phone.

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a revised ban on travellers from six Muslim-majority nations, scaling back the order to exempt Iraqis and permanent US residents. After his first wide-ranging and controversial restrictions were slapped down by the federal courts, Trump signed an order freezing new visas for Syrians, Iranians, Libyans, Somalis, Yemenis and Sudanese citizens. The White House said Trump signed the order behind closed doors "this morning." The measure is due to come into effect on March 16. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the executive order "a vital measure for strengthening our national security." Attorney General Jeff Sessions added at a joint press conference that it "responsibly provides a needed pause so we can carefully review how we scrutinise people coming here from these countries of concern." window.__ventunoplayer = window.__ventunoplayer||[]; window.__ventunoplayer.push({video_key: 'OTAyNzAzfHw4fHw2fHwxLDIsMQ==', holder_id: 'vt-video-player', player_type: 'vp', width:'100%', ratio:'4:3'}); "Three of these nations are state sponsors of terrorism," Sessions added, referring to Iran, Sudan and Syria, adding that others had served as "safe havens" for terror operatives. The first version temporarily closed US borders to all refugees and to citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries. The State Department initially cancelled 60,000 visas, and hundreds of people were reportedly detained at US airports. The new order explicitly exempts Iraqis, legal permanent residents and valid visa holders. Iraq's inclusion had risked scuttling cooperation between Baghdad and Washington in fighting the Islamic State group. The US and Iraqi militaries are currently fighting side-by-side in northern Iraq, trying to wrest the city of Mosul from jihadist control. The Iraqi foreign ministry on Monday expressed its "deep satisfaction" with the new executive order and described it as an "important step" in strengthening relations between Baghdad and Washington. Trump's first order had sparked a legal, political and logistical furore. There was chaos at major airports and mass protests while several district courts moved to block its implementation and lawmakers expressed opposition. The troubled rollout also dominated the first weeks of his administration, leaving many with the impression that it was badly planned and badly implemented. Trump has argued that the ban is needed to prevent Islamic State and Al-Qaeda fighters from reaching US soil. Polls show that American public opinion is deeply divided on the issue. Most indicate a slight majority of voters opposed, with strong support among Trump's political base. The Republican president criticised a court order suspending the ban as "a very bad decision, very bad for the safety and security of our country. The rollout was perfect." He vowed to challenge the matter in the courts but appears to have eased away from that claim. The new order is meant to address complaints raised by the federal judges that parts of the first version were unconstitutional. But Democrats and organisations like the American Civil Liberties Union again voiced outrage. "The only way to actually fix the Muslim ban is not to have a Muslim ban," said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU's Immigrant Rights Project. "Instead, President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people." Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the measure should be repealed, adding: "A watered-down ban is still a ban." Whatever the legal outcome, Trump's new ban is likely to polarise opinion further and be immensely popular with his hardcore of supporters. The new order is also likely to sow further confusion about US immigration policies. On Monday, Nigeria advised its citizens against all but essential travel to the United States, citing the lack of clarity on new immigration rules. "In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to Nigeria," said special adviser to the president Abike Dabiri-Erewa. According to travel data firm Forwardkeys, travel from the United States to the Middle East has also fallen sharply. The firm said round trips to the United Arab Emirates were down 19 percent and trips to Saudi Arabia were down 40 percent in the month following the ban. "Since the imposition of the travel ban, Middle East markets have been the worst affected, with bookings for departure in the next three months falling 25.4 percent behind the equivalent time last year," the firm said in a report released Monday. But the ban is likely to help Trump divert attention from rolling crises on his ties with Russia. The last week has seen his attorney general recuse himself from election-related investigations after it emerged he met the Russian ambassador in Washington twice during the campaign. It has also seen Trump level unsubstantiated allegations that former president Barack Obama ordered a wiretap on the now president's phone.
By AFP

BRUSSELS: The European Union will host a conference on the post-conflict future of Syria with the United Nations in Brussels on April 5, foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini said Monday.

The conference, following on from a similar meeting in London early last year, "will assess regional conditions and the conditions on which post-conflict assistance can be provided once a credible political transition is in place," Mogherini said.

The EU has consistently backed UN efforts to end the bloody conflict in Syria which has cost more than 310,000 lives and displaced millions since 2011 when protests against President Bashar al-Assad descended into all-out civil war.

Assad's future is the key question, with the various rebel groups backed by the United States and Turkey demanding that he step down in any settlement.

He insists he is going nowhere and backed by heavy Russian military support has re-established his position with the recapture of Aleppo, Syria's second city.

At the last round of UN-sponsored talks in Geneva on Friday, Damascus and the opposition agreed a "clear agenda" to end the war, according to UN envoy Staffan de Mistura.

He said there had been progressing and he hoped to be able to invite both sides back to Geneva later this month for a new round of talks.

The Geneva peace talks run in parallel with negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan, brokered by Russia and Turkey, and which are focused on maintaining a fragile ceasefire reached in December after Assad recaptured Aleppo.

A new Astana meeting is expected to take place before the next Geneva talks.

The EU expects UN chief Antonio Guterres to attend the London talks in April, along with senior officials from most of the countries that attended the original London conference in February 2016, European officials said.

BRUSSELS: The European Union will host a conference on the post-conflict future of Syria with the United Nations in Brussels on April 5, foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini said Monday. The conference, following on from a similar meeting in London early last year, "will assess regional conditions and the conditions on which post-conflict assistance can be provided once a credible political transition is in place," Mogherini said. The EU has consistently backed UN efforts to end the bloody conflict in Syria which has cost more than 310,000 lives and displaced millions since 2011 when protests against President Bashar al-Assad descended into all-out civil war. Assad's future is the key question, with the various rebel groups backed by the United States and Turkey demanding that he step down in any settlement. He insists he is going nowhere and backed by heavy Russian military support has re-established his position with the recapture of Aleppo, Syria's second city. At the last round of UN-sponsored talks in Geneva on Friday, Damascus and the opposition agreed a "clear agenda" to end the war, according to UN envoy Staffan de Mistura. He said there had been progressing and he hoped to be able to invite both sides back to Geneva later this month for a new round of talks. The Geneva peace talks run in parallel with negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan, brokered by Russia and Turkey, and which are focused on maintaining a fragile ceasefire reached in December after Assad recaptured Aleppo. A new Astana meeting is expected to take place before the next Geneva talks. The EU expects UN chief Antonio Guterres to attend the London talks in April, along with senior officials from most of the countries that attended the original London conference in February 2016, European officials said.
By AFP

WASHINGTON: A former Guantanamo Bay inmate was killed in a US air strike in Yemen last week, the Defense Department said Monday, as part of a stepped-up campaign against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

"We can confirm the death of a former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Yasir al-Silmi," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said.

Silmi had been incarcerated at the notorious US military prison in Cuba in 2002-2009.

The Pentagon did not immediately have additional details on Silmi's case, but Davis said he was not considered a "high-value" target.

Republican lawmakers repeatedly blocked then-president Barack Obama's efforts to shut Guantanamo and pointed to former detainees returning to the fight as proof inmates should remain locked up there.

Silmi died March 2 in the same strike that killed Usayd al-Adnani, a "long-time explosives expert who served as the organization's emir within the Abyan governorate," Davis said.

The United States has conducted more than 40 strikes against AQAP in Yemen since ramping up operations five nights ago.

None of the strikes have been conducted based on intelligence gathered in a botched US raid in January, the first authorized by President Donald Trump, in which multiple civilians and a Navy SEAL were killed.

Two years of civil war in Yemen have allowed AQAP, which the US regards as the extremists' most dangerous branch, to consolidate its grip on territory in southern and eastern Yemen.

WASHINGTON: A former Guantanamo Bay inmate was killed in a US air strike in Yemen last week, the Defense Department said Monday, as part of a stepped-up campaign against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. "We can confirm the death of a former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Yasir al-Silmi," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said. Silmi had been incarcerated at the notorious US military prison in Cuba in 2002-2009. The Pentagon did not immediately have additional details on Silmi's case, but Davis said he was not considered a "high-value" target. Republican lawmakers repeatedly blocked then-president Barack Obama's efforts to shut Guantanamo and pointed to former detainees returning to the fight as proof inmates should remain locked up there. Silmi died March 2 in the same strike that killed Usayd al-Adnani, a "long-time explosives expert who served as the organization's emir within the Abyan governorate," Davis said. The United States has conducted more than 40 strikes against AQAP in Yemen since ramping up operations five nights ago. None of the strikes have been conducted based on intelligence gathered in a botched US raid in January, the first authorized by President Donald Trump, in which multiple civilians and a Navy SEAL were killed. Two years of civil war in Yemen have allowed AQAP, which the US regards as the extremists' most dangerous branch, to consolidate its grip on territory in southern and eastern Yemen.
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UP records 23 and Manipur 43 per cent polling till 11 am

Lucknow/Imphal, Mar 4 : : About 23 per of the electorate in Uttar Pradesh and 43 per cent in Manipur cast votes till 11 am as Assembly elections are going on in the two states on Saturday amid tight security, reports said.





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In the Samajwadi Party-ruled Uttar Pradesh, which witnesses the sixth and penultimate phase of elections, are involved 49 Assembly seats while Manipur goes to polls in the first phase.The Assembly segments of Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituency, represented by firebrand BJP leader Yogi Adityanath, and Mau, where jailed gangster-turned-MLA Mukhtar Ansari is in fray, figure in this phase of UP polling.Around 1.72 crore voters, including 94.60 lakh men and 77.84 lakh women, are eligible to cast their votes in this round to decide the fate of 635 candidates, including 63 women.The districts where polling is going on in the sixth phase are Mau, Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Deoria, Azamgarh and Ballia.In the Congress-ruled northeastern state of Manipur, all eyes are on Irom Sharmila Chanu, the Iron lady, whose Peoples Resurgence Justice Alliance (PRJA) makes electoral debut with three candidates in these polls.Sharmila, who cast her vote, said she feels responsible after voting after a gap of 20 years.Our fight is not merely symbolic. Our party is for youth and change, Sharmila, who made world news by continuing hunger strike for nearly 16 years demandning withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), said.The first phase covers 38 of the statess 60 constituencies in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur and the hill districts of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi.
No BJP candidate for BMC Mayor post, says Maha CM

Mumbai, Mar 4 :Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday the BJP has withdrawn from the race to be the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation Mayor.





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The CM said the BJP is ready to offer support to the Shiv Sena.The CM said: We will not be in the opposition.He said, We will support the ruling party. We will not compromise on transparency.
CGST, IGST approval will bring Central, State GST officers on par: West Bengal FM

New Delhi , March 4 : West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra on Saturday revealed that the Center has agreed to all the 26 proposals that have been put forward by the states, adding that the decision showcased the 'federalist quality' of the country.





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"Incorporation of IGST was the highlight of the meeting. Once implemented, this will enable cross-empowerment of states and the Center," said Amit Mitra while applauding the decision taken by the Cabinet.The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, which approved the Central GST and Integrated GST on Saturday in its 11th meeting, witnessed the state finance ministers talking in chorus with the centre."Incorporation of IGST was the highlight of the meeting. Once implemented, this will enable cross-empowerment of states and the Center," added Mitra.However, Mitra highlighted the three main points of the GST implementation, which includes the benefit of the common man, enough compensation if the revenue falls and avoiding of dual control for enterprises up to 1.5 crore."An important achievement from today's meeting is the approval of the compensation scheme on small enterprises like Dhabas. To this effect, the Center has approved a five percent tax on turnover of up to Rs. 50lakh, as opposed to the 18 percent rate fixed under the GST," added Mitra.Echoing similar opinion, Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu revealed that the aforementioned provisions are being considered for minor editorial changes, and State GST will be discussed in the next meeting."No changes are to be made with regards to the peak rate on tax slabs, which is capped at 28 percent," he added.Continuing from the previous meeting, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia urged for incorporating the real estate sector in the purview of GST."If real estate is included in GST, it will stop black money in this sector, bring transparency and stop land-hoarding. Subsequently, property allocation for those in need can be implemented," Sisodia added.The GST Council, headed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley met on Saturday at Vigyan Bhavan with the next meeting scheduled for March 16.
Campaigning of Assembly Elections enters last phase in UP, Manipur

New Delhi , Mar. 5 : The campaigning for the Assembly Elections has entered the last phase in Uttar Pradesh and Manipur, for which the polling will be held on Wednesday.





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In Uttar Pradesh, campaigning for seventh phase and last phase of elections is in full swing, as leaders and star campaigners of all major political parties are engaged in canvassing for their party and alliance candidates.A total of 40 constituencies spread over 7 districts of the eastern region of the state under this phase. Districts covered in this phase of polls are Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Bhadohi and Sonebhadra.A total of 535 candidates including 51 women are in the fray. BSP has fielded its nominees for all seats while BJP is in contest from 32 and has left 8 seats to its allies Apana Dal and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party.Samajwadi Party's candidates are in fray in 31 segments and its ally congress is in contest from 10 seats.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hit the campaign trail at his constituency Varanasi yesterday. He is visiting his constituency today for the second consecutive day to address a rally and gatherings.Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav will address a rally today at Jaunpur while Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will address half a dozen public meetings at Sonebhadra, Mirzapur and Chandauli districts.Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is also scheduled to address three public meetings at Sonebhadra, Mirzapur and Jaunpur districts. Tomorrow is last day of campaigning for seventh phase of polls.Meanwhile in Manipur, hectic election campaigning is going on for the second and last phase of the Manipur Assembly election.22 assembly constituencies will go to polls in this phase on Wednesday.Senior BJP leaders and Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadhkari, Senior Congress leader and State Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam are campaigning for their parties in this phase.
Mayawati urges EC to investigate PM Modi's roadshow

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) , Mar. 5 : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday wrote to the Election Commission (EC) demanding an investigation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow held in Varanasi yesterday.





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The investigation has been demanded citing that the roadshow was organised without taking any prior permission.In a letter addressed to the Election Commission, the BSP supremo has stated that holding the roadshow without permission is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and will affect free and fair elections."A person of topmost position violating law and MCC for political interest is not only unfair but also poses danger to democracy," the letter stated.Mayawati opined that an immediate enquiry must be launched into the same so that no person is able to violate it in future.Earlier yesterday the Congress asked the Election Commission to register an FIR against Prime Minister Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for allegedly violating the model code for holding a roadshow in Varanasi without the required permit from the authorities.Prime Minister Modi held a roadshow in his constituency yesterday ahead of the last phase of the seven-phased Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.He asserted that he has made Kashi his 'Karya Kshetra' so that the BJP can regain the pride of the region, which has lost its shine under the current Samajwadi Party (SP) Government.Expressing full confidence in his party's chances in the state polls, the Prime Minister said that even if he had not visited Kashi, his own constituency, BJP would have emerged victorious, however, he still wanted to come and address the people as they were close to his heart."Back in 2014, I could not visit Varanasi as the Election Commission did not allow me to carry out a rally. Since then I have always wanted to come and speak to you. Kashi for me is not a political area, but I wanted to work here because I wanted to bring back its lost heritage," the Prime Minister said.
The United States are looking less and less welcoming to would-be visitors.

Nigeria, Africas most populous country, is advising its citizens against traveling to the US, except on urgent trips. The move is in response to reported difficulties that Nigerians have faced gaining entry into the US, despite holding valid visas.

During a business trip on March 2, Nigerian software engineer Celestine Omin was detained despite holding a valid visa. Before granting him entry, officials at New Yorks John F. Kennedy airport forced Omin to answer generic engineering questions to prove his profession.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, a presidential aide on foreign affairs and diaspora, appears to blame such incidents on confusion over US president Donald Trumps recent failed executive order, which banned visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries. On March 6, Dabiri-Erewa advised prospective visitors to the US to consider rescheduling their trip until there is clarity on the new immigration policy.

In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to the Nigeria.

In such cases reported to the office, such affected persons were sent back immediately on the next available flight and their visas were cancelled.

Trumps travel ban was revised and re-issued today, March 6. Neither version mentioned Nigeria.

Nigerians are a major source of visitors to the US. They accounted for 32% of the nearly half million nonimmigrant US visas issued to African nationals in 2015.

Sign up for the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief  the most important and interesting news from across the continent, in your inbox.

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Telangana CM announces candidates for legislative council elections

Telangana (Hyderabad) Mar. 5 : Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Sunday announced the names of the candidates for the legislative council elections and those seats, which will fall vacant shortly.





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A notification has been issued for three seats under the MLA quota, one seat each for the Teachers' Constituency and local bodies.There are two seats to be filled up under the Governor's quota.Under the MLAs quota, candidates declared by the Chief Minister are Vullolla Gangadhar Goud, Aliminate Krishna Reddy and Mynampalli Hanumanth Rao.Rao has also decided to recommend the names of D. Rajeshwar Rao and Farooq Husain under the Governor's quota.The TRS has already supported the candidature of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party candidate Syed Amin-ul-Asad Jafri.The party has already declared the candidature of Katepalli Janardhan Reddy for the MLC election under the Teachers' quota.With this, for the ensuing MLC elections to seven seats, two were given to Muslims, two to Reddy Community, one each for Christians, Velamas and BCs.Though the name of Rao's political secretary Subhash Reddy has been considered for the MLC seat, due to sociological equations he could not be accommodated. The Chief Minister has decided to consider his name for the next MLC elections.On Monday, the MLC candidates under the MLAs quota will file their nominations.Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy, Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao and TRS Legislative Party secretary Madati Ramesh Reddy will act as the coordinators for the MLC polls.
West Bengal under CPI-M was overpowered by social evils: PM Modi

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) , Mar. 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hit out at the Communist Party of India (Marxist) saying its government in West Bengal destroyed the state with all the social evils overpowering it.





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"The country saw communist government, like in West Bengal. Today, there is poverty, lack of law and all public evils have overpowered the state," said Prime Minister Modi while delivering a speech here.Targeting its political rival the Congress, the Prime Minister said the country did not progress under the former's rule."The country say Congress rule. I don't need to say where we (country) have reached, what is our condition," he added.Stressing on good governance, the Prime Minister said they remain connected with citizens, note their troubles and ensure work is done on time.Highlighting on some of his government's initiatives, Prime Minister Modi said out of 18,000 villages in mission mode, 1,500 were in Uttar Pradesh alone."Our aim is to ensure smoke-free rural India. We want 5 crore rural households to have access to gas connections in 3 years," he added.Prime Minister Modi earlier in the day held his second roadshow here starting from Pandeypur Chauraha which concluded at the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith.
President calls for establishment of healthy ecosystem to harness innovative potential of population

New Delhi, Mar 5 : Responding to a summary of discussions at a Global Roundtable on Inclusive Innovations held in Rashtrapati Bhavan as part of the week-long Festival of Innovation on Sunday, the President said innovation has a strong linkage with development. Particularly, grassroots innovation of which India has a long tradition is important in alleviating the day-to-day problems of human lives.





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A healthy eco-system can harness the innovative potential of the population.The President said he is optimistic about the prospects of inclusive innovation in our country, however there are few concerns.Education is the seed of a nations destiny. Without a strong foundation of education, ability of communities to benefit from other infrastructural resources for development remains limited. There is need for empathetic stress on inclusive innovation in our learning modules in education.The President said many central institutions of higher learning about 86 of them - have opened innovation clubs. These clubs search for inclusive innovations in the hinterland of their institutions spread the innovations developed; invite innovators to classrooms or labs to understand their motivation, and identify unmet needs of society and try to address them through their projects. Reciprocity and responsibility must become an inalienable part of learning exchanges between the formal and the informal sectors. He urged educational planners and thinkers to consider transformation of the pedagogic approach towards learning.The President said the role of science and technology in leveraging inclusive innovations is evident when we see the pivotal contributions made by the Indian Space Research Organization. Early investment in science and technology has given us rich dividends. We need to continue providing impetus to science education and research in our institutions.The President said developing an innovation culture is crucial. The INSPIRE-MANAK programme of the Department of Science and Technology envisages the mobilization of one million ideas from half a million schools at the rate of two ideas per school. This initiative will help build a spirit of creativity and ingenuity amongst young students. To make grassroots innovations more inclusive, we need a strong mechanism for dispersal and quick adoption of ideas. Many public-sector scientists do not charge any cost for the time used in validating and value-adding grassroots innovations. Many intellectual property firms also do the same. The concept of Technology Commons used by National Innovation Foundation allowing fellow community members to use innovative ideas of others for non-commercial purposes has also helped in wider dissemination of innovations. These positives should continue unabated.The President said the benefit of innovation will accrue when an idea gets converted into a useful product. For that, a strong environment for starting new enterprises is necessary. Micro-venture finance and not just micro finance will help usher in entrepreneurial undertakings at the grassroots. We should simultaneously think of popularizing the in situ incubation model of innovation enterprises.Earlier in the day, the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards 2017 were conferred as part of the Festival of Innovations. The GYTI Awards is an initiative to foster youth driven innovations across India and are instituted by the Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI) with support from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).GYTI Awards 2017 received 2,715 nominations from 308 Institutions Universities belonging to 27 states and 2 Union Territories across 54 different subject disciplines. This year 22 innovations were selected for award and another 17 for appreciation. Under the BIRAC-SRISTI program, 15 GYTI awardees in medical and biotech innovations category will receive a grant of Rs 15 lakhs, to further develop their prototypes/proof of concepts. Another 100 students/others, for grassroots innovations and/or socially relevant solutions get a grant of Rs 1 lakh.The second day of the Festival of Innovations also witnessed discussions on topics such as incubation and acceleration models for innovative start-ups, incentives for innovation in public policy and programmes as well as social innovations for large scale societal change.
North Korea fires missile near eastern Japanese sea

New York [U.S.A], Mar. 6 : North Korea has fired a missile into a sea east off Japan, CNN quoted a South Korean Defense Ministry as saying.





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The official said that the missile was launched from Northern Pyongan province Tongchang-ri, on Monday morning.The firing comes nearly a month after North Korea test-fired a medium-long range ballistic missile, the Pukguksong-2.This comes as South Korea and United States are currently holding their annual military exercises, known as Foal Eagle.North Korea had already denounced this exercise through state media service KCNA."Now that the US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces again kicked off the dangerous nuclear war drills against the DPRK at its doorstep, our army will counter them with the toughest counteractions," CNN quoted the statement.
Republican lawmakers want more information from President Trump following his unsubstantiated allegations that former President Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 election.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a member of the Senate intelligence committee that is currently investigating Trumps teams ties to Russia, said Sunday during a Meet The Press interview that he has seen no evidence to support Trumps claims that were laid out in a series of tweets early Saturday morning.

Id imagine the President and the White House in the days to come will outline further what was behind that accusation, Rubio said. The President put that out there, and now the White House will have to answer as to exactly what he was referring to.

And while many prominent Republicans have not addressed the topic, a few others joined Rubio in asking the President to release more information regarding his allegations, which Trump likened in a tweet to Nixon/Watergate.

It would be more helpful if he turned over to the intelligence committee any evidence he has, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who is also a member of the Senate intelligence committee, said Sunday on CBSs Face the Nation.

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton echoed his colleagues during an interview on Fox News Sunday. It doesnt mean that none of these things have happened, just means I havent seen them yet, he said.

Trump has not clarified the source of his information, but many have pointed to a Brietbart News story that was broadcast Friday about the FBI obtaining warrants to monitor his campaign as part of an investigation into its alleged Russian ties.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer called on Congress to conduct a probe and called the news very troubling in a statement Sunday.

House Intelligence chairman Devin Nunes said on Sunday that his panel will include Trumps allegations into his current investigation of Russia meddling in the 2016 election. The committee will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political partys campaign officials or surrogates, Nunes said in a statement.

Story continues

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
Vice-President Ansari on two-day visit to Jakarta to attend IORA Summit

New Delhi , Mar. 6 : Vice-President Mohammed Hamid Ansari is embarking on a two-day visit to Indonesian capital Jakarta from today to attend the Summit of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).





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Connectivity, open maritime trade and rights of navigation are expected to be priority areas to be discussed during his visit.Vice-President Ansari is also expected to stress on the member countries about evolving common strategies to meet the conventional and non-conventional threats to the security of the member countries.This is the first Summit level conference hosted by Jakarta, at a time when the regional forum is celebrating its 20th anniversary.Indonesia had played a key role in elevating the IORA to become a summit level forum.During the summit Indian Ocean Rim Association will produce four documents to make Indian Ocean peaceful, stable, and prosperous region.These four documents are IORA Concord, IORA Action Plan, IORA Declaration on Preventing and Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism, and lastly the Joint Declaration of the IORA business Community to Build Partnership for a Sustainable and Equitable Economic Growth.The documents have been discussed in the senior officials meeting on yesterday and got supports from 21 IORA member states as well as seven dialogue partners.These documents will be further discussed at the ministerial level later today and they will be presented to the leaders for consensus tomorrow.
Trump administration must stop sending wrong global signals, says ex-defense secretary

New York [United States], Mar.6 : Former U.S. Defense Secretary and chief of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Leon Panetta has said that the Trump administration is sending wrong signals across the globe by not taking steps to end the political turmoil back at home.





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In an interview given to CBS News, Panetta said people around the world are quite concerned with the incumbent government's approach to alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential polls and Trump's charge that his predecessor Barack Obama ordered the wire tapping of Trump Tower in New York last year, apart from other issues, and advised the former to show the world leadership that is required and has been known to provide in the past.Panetta said that tweeting in irrational manner exposes the United States and could make it vulnerable to enemies.He said that trying to divert attention or obfuscate facts would be of no use as the truth would eventually surface.He said the need of the hour was for independent bipartisan investigation and to move ahead.
Fortis Escorts holds support group meet on sleep disorders

New Delhi , Mar.6 : A support group meet for sleep patients was held on Sunday on the occasion of World Sleep Day, which will be observed on March 17.





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The meet was spearheaded by Dr. Manvir Bhatia, senior consultant and head, Sleep Centre, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, who has acquired a reputation for organising free camps, public camps and support group meetings for patients with sleep disorders.Sunday saw patients share their experiences, receive updated information with regard to their treatment and disorders, engage in group activities and a question and answer session. Patients got a chance to interact with Dr. Manvir Bhatia.Overall, the meet encompassed the concept of sleep in its entirety and its requirement for optimal health and alertness. It also allowed participants to learn more from one another and gain a better perspective observing others who were suffering from the severity of the same conditions.Through their interactions more effective methods for sleep inducement were discovered.Some of the distinguished guests present were Dr Ashok Seth, Chairman - Cardiac Sciences, Cardiac Sciences, FEHI; Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman, Fortis C-DOC and film-maker Mr. Muzaffar Ali, among other dignitaries.Additionally the meet marked the launch of Dr. Bhatia's, The Sleep Solution. The book, released by Dr Ashok Seth, Chairman - Cardiac Sciences, Cardiac Sciences; Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman, Fortis C-DOC and film-maker Mr. Muzaffar Ali, is a doctor's professional take on sleep.The book addresses queries related to sleep, sleeping habits and disorders. The concepts associated with sleep are made clearer, understandable and are described in an unambiguous manner. Most importantly, it highlights the necessity of sleep for our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing and draws attention to the ever-increasing threat of 'blue light radiance' of the multiple devices, which have become extensions of our lives. The book also provides quick tips and other helpful remedies to correct a person's sleeping habits.World Sleep Day is an annual event organized by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) since 2008. It is aimed to celebrate the benefits of good and healthy sleep and to draw society attention to the burden of sleep problems and their medicine, education and social aspects; to promote the prevention of sleep disorders.World Sleep Day is observed every year and campaigns on varied issues such as "to sleep better" (2016) and "When sleep is sound, health and happiness abound" (2015). This year for 2017, the theme is "Sleep Soundly, Nurture life".
WATConsult to strategise Brussels Airlines' digital media strategy in India

New Delhi , Mar. 6 : WATConsult, a digital and social media agency bagged the social media mandate of Belgium's largest airline, Brussels Airlines, thus enabling the airline to expand its operations in India.





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A subset of the Dentsu Aegis Network, WATConsult will be involved in the digital media strategy planning for the brand's Indian presence along with the content creation and design across its social media platforms."Social media and digital, in general, has become a very important marketing channel for Brussels Airlines over the last few years. As we enter the Indian market for the first time, it is important to have a strong partner in order to raise awareness about the Brussels Airlines brand," said Patrick Roofthooft, Brussels Airlines Director-Commercial Development in India.WATConsult, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, is based out of Mumbai with branch offices in Delhi and Bengaluru. It has received more than 100 awards and recognitions in the field of social media marketing.
PM Modi and other big guns to make final pitch for votes in UP today

Varanasi, Mar 6 : : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will address several election rallies on Monday, making the final pitch for votes before the final phase of Assembly elections in the state.





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According to reports, the PM, who has been camping in Varanasi for the last three days, will address a public rally in Rohaniya, about 200 km from Varanasi, before returning to New Delhi late in the evening.On Monday, Modi paid tributes to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at his house in citys Ramnagar area.While BJP chief Amit Shah will hold four rallies in the region. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will address seven rallies through the day in favour of the Samajwadi Party-Congress candidates.In the seventh and final round, 40 Assembly constituencies in eastern UP, including five in Varanasi, will go to polls on Wednesday. The campaign ends on Monday evening.Votes will be counted on Saturday, March 11.
Harvard honours Viola Davis with 'Artist of the Year' award

New Delhi , Mar. 6 : Viola Davis adds one more trophy to her big trophy cabinet.





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Davis received the Harvard foundation 2017 'Artist of the Year' award, recently, at Harvard's Cultural Rhythms Festival in Cambridge.According to Harvard Gazette, S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation said, "The students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation are delighted to present the acclaimed television and film artist Viola Davis with the 2017 Artist of the Year award.""Our student committee praised her outstanding contributions to American and international film and theater. She recently received the Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and British Academy of Films and Television Arts awards, as well as an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of August Wilson's play 'Fences'," Counter added.The 51 year-old received 'Best Supporting Actress' award at this year's Oscars, for 'Fences' and also bagged Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA awards for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of 'Fences', an August Wilson play.She also acted in the play's 2010 Broadway revival, with Denzel Washington, which earned her a Tony award.Previous winners of this award includes, Quincy Jones, Shakira, Andy Garcia, Salma Hayek and Matt Damon.
Citizen launches exquisite watches for International Women's Day

New Delhi , Mar 6 (ANI-BusinessWireIndia): Citizen Watches (India) celebrates International Women's Day by unveiling Citizen Eco Drive EX1484-81A and Eco Drive EM0502-86P.





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An ode to the modern women, these tastefully crafted watches are a blend of beauty, femininity and modernity. These watches represent contemporary Indian women who are confident and are ready to take on challenges.Commenting on the occasion of International Women's day, Shunya Shoji, Managing Director, Citizen Watches (India) said, "We encourage women to celebrate this special day by gifting themselves these precision driven watches which are crafted to make each woman feel honored."Citizen Eco Drive EX1484-81A is an epitome of technological mastery and sheer elegance. Fashioned in silver and gold, this watch exudes opulence in its every detail. It is set in stainless steel white case with golden detailing, with gold and silver toned stainless steel bracelet perfectly complimenting it.This timepiece is powered by CITIZEN's famed Eco-Drive technology which ensures no battery replacement. It is made with water resistant technology of five bar.Citizen Eco Drive EM0502-86P is inspired by spirit and elegance of modern Indian women. An intricately crafted stainless steel dial with yellow gold plating complemented by stainless steel mesh gold plating strap is sure to take your breath away. This wristwatch features mineral glass, and Eco-Drive technology which ensures no battery replacement.Every Citizen timepiece is an expression of grandeur and technological mastery.These watches are retailed at CITIZEN's exclusive stores and multi-brand outlets across the country.Price: Citizen Eco Drive EX1484-81A: Rs. 18,900Citizen Eco Drive EM0502-86P: Rs. 14,900.
Evoxyz Technologies' initiative to address child safety needs through Evoschool App

New Delhi , Mar. 6 : To assist schools to comply with the guidelines recently issued by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Gurgaon-based Internet-of-Things (IoT) startup Evoxyz Technologies is working to a deploy low cost high-tech child safety system, Evoschool.





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Evoschool is a safety system built by Evoxyz which can locate children through an IoT-wearable within the school premises or outdoors when the child is en-route on the school bus. Parents and school authorities have access to the child's whereabouts at all times through a smart phone App.Along with the precise location of the child, when they are indoors or in the bus, the Evoschool App provides alerts when the child enters a restricted area in the school, boards/de-boards the bus, or boards the wrong bus. It also provides alerts to the school security team, in case the designated staff moves away from the bus. It is a complete safety solution that brings the faculty, school administration, teachers and parents together as a team to be more vigilant and prevent security incidents."Contemplating child safety as a major issue, CBSE has taken a great initiative. The idea behind creating Evoschool is to provide a safe, easy and cost-effective safety platform for school administration, teachers, kids, and parents. Child safety today is a mandate, not an option. Evoxyz was incepted to work for this cause," said Shilpa Mahna Bhatnagar, Head of Evoxyz.Additionally, Evoschool provides extensive reporting, analytics and insights into child behaviour to predict safety issues, monitoring of bus speed, capturing any deviation from set route, bus loading, miles driven, as well as fuel consumption,thus empowering schools to make data-driven decisions for increased efficiency.
Tata Motors launches TIAGO AMT

New Delhi, Mar 6 : After the overwhelming success of TIAGO in the passenger vehicle market, Tata Motors has quickly come back with a new variant of the Tata Tiago, to offer its customers a pleasurable drive experience.





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The Company on Monday announced the launch of the TIAGO Easy-Shift AMT.Priced at INR 5.73 lakhs, ex-showroom Mumbai and INR 5.39 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi, the TIAGO AMT will be available in the XZA variant with the 1.2L 3 cylinder Revotron petrol engine.The car will be on sale across the country in over 597 Tata Motors sales outlets, from today.Reflecting the companys passion and commitment to bring stylish, exciting and technology driven cars in the market, the car comes equipped with the latest technological advancements and features that redefine the segment.It strengthens the brands value proposition making it a true game-changer in the Indian passenger vehicle market.According to, Mayank Pareek, President, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, said, Since its launch in 2016, the TIAGO our first product to be launched under the IMPACT design language; stood out as an attractive, innovative and feature loaded car. It is the most awarded car of the year with over 13 awards and counting. Besides, due to the continued good response to the TIAGO, we are witnessing a month-on-month growth in the immensely competitive hatchback segment. The TIAGO has been instrumental in the growth of Tata Motors brand across the PV market. In line with our commitment of launching products that cater to the need of the ever-evolving customer, we are happy to launch the TIAGO AMT today. We are confident that it will further expand the market for us.
Large imports of items like electronics run counter to Make in India, finds ASSOCHAM analysis

New Delhi, Mar 6 : For success of its flagship programme to boost manufacturing within the country, the government's Make in India should first target high import intensive items like electronic goods, machinery, steel and transport equipment which together add close to USD nine billion or over 27 per cent of the country's monthly import bill, according to an ASSOCHAM analysis.





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There are other major import items like crude oil, gold and precious stones which cannot be produced indigenously or are used for re-exports. But a growing economy like India which is witnessing a huge expansion in usage of telecom and other items using electronics , should go about in a focused manner to drastically cut imports of the items which can be substituted by domestic production and add to the countrys manufacturing strength. This is eminently doable, provided the policy initiatives are put in place and implemented with great clarity and speed both by the Centre and the states, the chamber said.The latest figures show import of close to USD four billion for electronics, .USD 2.36 billion for electrical and non-electrical machinery, USD 1.47 billion for transport equipment and about USD one billion for iron and steel.Thanks to expanding demand for user industries particularly telecom, automobile, smart consumer devices, the annualized imports of electronics goods grew at a whopping 24.56 per cent in January, 2017.The Make in India should focus on these select items and ensure that their manufacture in India either by the domestic investor or even foreign investor should be quite rewarding. Besides, the tax structure should be such that it should make the domestic manufacture far more competitive than imports, said ASSOCHAM Secretary General D S Rawat.He said too large an import of products which can be manufactured within the country runs contrary to the basic grain of the Make In India initiative.Besides, it is only through manufacturing that large scale employment can be generated. In an environment where fresh investment is hard to come in several key sectors of the economy, electronics is one area where the country does not have adequate capacity and highly import dependent. Thus, investment in the sector from both domestic and global firms should be welcomed and promoted. States like Karnataka have taken some initiative, but much more needs to be done in the sector which is generally pollution free and is required greatly,.Similarly, investment can be made in transport equipment while some leeway should be provided to the steel manufacturers.
Iraq dropped from ban list after lobbying at highest levels: Report

New York [U.S.A.], Mar. 6 : After reports in the U.S. media suggested that Iraq will not feature in the ban list in the revised immigration order by President Donald Trump, it has emerged that the country's name was dropped after intensive lobbying from the Iraqi government at the highest levels.





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On Monday, White House advisor Kellyanne Conway confirmed the news as she told Fox and Friends that Iraq will not be included under the travel ban "based on their enhanced screening and reporting measures."CNN reports that, according to a senior US official, the lobbying included a phone call between Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on February 10 and an in-person conversation between Abadi and Vice President Mike Pence in Munich on February 18.The report says that those conversations were followed by discussions between Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and members of the Iraqi government about vetting measures in place that would prevent suspected terrorists from leaving Iraq and coming to the United States.In Trump's call with Abadi, the President vowed to seek a resolution to his counterpart's concerns about his citizens' being unable to enter the United States, according to a readout of the phone call from Baghdad.Trump also faced pressure to remove Iraq from the order from some American national security officials, who argued the restriction burdened a key anti-ISIS partner. Some of those voices were holdovers from the Obama administration.Trump's executive order on immigrants and refugees, that was halted by a federal court, indefinitely barred the Syrian refugees from entering the country, suspend all refugee admissions for 120 days and block citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries namely Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days.Trump administration is to announce the revised travel ban on Monday.
SP accepted its defeat the day it formed alliance with Cong.: Amit Shah

Onboard , Mar. 6 : Expressing confidence over achieving a favourable mandate in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Monday said the Samajwadi Party accepted its defeat the day it formed an alliance with the Congress.





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"The Samajwadi Party, after ruling the state for five years, sewed an alliance with a party that had always opposed its ideology. This makes it clear that the grand old party has lost the confidence to win," Shah told ANI News Editor Smita Prakash in an exclusive interview while on his way to Somnath.Once again raking up the issue of 'shamshaan and kabristaan,' Shah said there is nothing wrong to point out something which was actually done by a government."Giving less money for a Shamshaan ghat and more for Kabristaan is wrong. Is bringing this in front of people wrong? We only brought out what they actually did. If saying it is a crime, then doing it is a bigger crime. Why is it pinching if somebody raised this issue?" he said.Maintaining the same stand on his 'Kasab' statement, the BJP president said there was nothing non-secular about, adding that he did not link it with religion."I did not uproot the tree of secularism by mentioning about 'Kasab'. What is so non-secular about it? He was a terrorist. Why is everyone linking it with religion? I did not say anything personal about anyone," he said.Shah asserted that the BJP will form the government in Uttar Pradesh with 2/3rd majority, adding that it will also form government in other states also, including Manipur.Uttar Pradesh is going to witness the last leg of its seven-phased elections on March 8.The counting of votes will take place on March 11.
Who are Newport's top taxpayers? Take a look at the top 50.
OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo said it's "premature" to say whether OPEC and non-OPEC producers will extend their production cuts after May, but for now it's "so far, so good."

Barkindo was speaking to reporters in Houston ahead of the CERAWeek by IHS Markit conference starting Monday. Oil ministers from Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iraq are among speakers at the annual gathering, as are major oil company CEOs.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers agreed late last year to cut 1.8 million barrels a day from production to stabilize prices. So far, oil has stabilized above $50 per barrel, even with increased U.S. production and continued stockpiling of supply.

In response to a question on whether the market was rebalancing in the face of large U.S. supply, Barkindo said: "It depends who you talk to and it depends on what inventories you are looking at."

"But overall, I think so far, so good. Inventories are responding if you look at both onshore and offshore inventories."

The oil industry has been hoping to get more insight from Barkindo and others this week about whether OPEC and Russia will continue to hold back production. U.S. shale drillers, meanwhile, have used the steady, higher price to bring production back on line, to a level of 9 million barrels a day, according to last week's U.S. government data.

Barkindo said the May OPEC meeting is too far away to be able to predict whether the producers would extend their deal. "That's a long time in this market," he said.

Before the May meeting, the monitoring committee, which includes Russia, will meet March 25 in Kuwait.

"When we meet in May, we'll be able to look at the numbers and see where they are. We are talking about stock levels and stock draw downs ... to what extent we achieved our [goal]," he said.





More From CNBC


Despite dramatic improvements in human health, babies' average birth-weights have not increased over the last 150 years reveals new research from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

The paper, published in the journal Social Science and Medicine reveals that average birth weights, as well as the share of babies born at different birth weights, are very similar today as they were in the nineteenth century in Europe and North America. In contrast, average adult height and life expectancy has increased dramatically.

Dr Eric Schneider, Assistant Professor of Economic History at LSE and author of the paper, said: "Birth weights are used by health care professionals as a proxy for the health of babies in the womb, so there is an implicit assumption that they have increased historically as our overall health has improved. This is why my findings are so surprising and begs the question - are we looking at the right things when trying to measure fetal health, at both the individual and population level, in this way?"

Understanding health conditions in the womb is significant because recent research has found that they can affect children's health across their entire life, even into old age.

These findings question international birth weight standards that determine the 'ideal' weight that a baby should be. These were developed by the INTERGROWTH-21st consortium, led by the University of Oxford.

Dr Schneider said: "In Pakistan 32 per cent of babies are born at a low birth weight, meaning that they weigh in at less than 2500 grams, and it is assumed that if health conditions improve, average birth weights will rise. However, given that this did not happen in Western Europe and the United States, despite significant historical improvements to maternal health care, it's possible that birth weights in Pakistan will not increase to the level set by the INTERGROWTH-21st standards."

Dr Schneider added: "My results do not in any way downplay the very real health risks low birth weight babies face or the fact that children developing in the womb are extremely sensitive to poor conditions, such as a lack of key nutrients or infection. I look at statistics at a population level to analyse what they can tell us on the general rather than the individual level."

Schneider analysed birth weights recorded in historical maternity records that have survived for a number of European and North American maternity hospitals.

He also looked at stillbirths and early infant deaths. While a dramatic fall in miscarriages and deaths in the first week of a child's life has occurred since the 1930s, this was driven by the greater use of invasive surgeries during labour rather than factors related to general health.
The CYSTINET-Africa project will study and fight parasite Taenia solium New strategies against the pork tapeworm

Infections of the human nervous system with larval stages of the pork tapeworm are the most common cause of epileptic seizures in Africa. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have partnered with colleagues in three African countries to establish a large-scale project to fight this parasite. This cross-border, interdisciplinary alliance against the tapeworm brings together not only neurologists and immunologists, but also specialists in veterinary medicine and computer science.

The network will focus both on the health of humans and animals (Image: Veronika Schmidt / TUM)

A full-grown pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) can be 7 meters long. These parasites live and grow in human intestines after their larvae are ingested in food, mainly pork.

Although this sounds very unpleasant, the adult tapeworm actually causes few serious symptoms in the human host. The larvae are much more problematic, however. They normally live in pigs. When they accidentally enter the human body, they can form cysts in the brain, which may cause neurocysticercosis. Symptoms can include epileptic seizures, chronic headaches and, in the most serious cases, the patient may fall into a coma.

Disease responds well to treatment

"30 percent of epilepsy cases worldwide are caused by pork tapeworms," says Prof. Andrea Winkler, head of the Global Neurology Working Group at TUM's Klinikum rechts der Isar. "In principle, neurocysticercosis responds well to treatment. However, it is a poverty-related disease that spreads rapidly as a result of poor hygiene and a lack of education." Andrea Winkler is the co-director of the project CYSTINET-Africa, which has been granted 8 million euros in funding by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

In cooperation with scientists from Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia, the TUM working groups plan to combat and study pork tapeworm infections. "We are following the One Health concept," says Andrea Winkler. "That means that we are focusing equally on the health of humans and animals." The project is headed by Dr. Helena Ngowi, a veterinary medicine expert at the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro, Tanzania. At the Morogoro site, strategies are being developed for preventing infections of humans and animals, for example through educational campaigns tailored to local needs.

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Larvae deceive the immune system

Prof. Clarissa Prazeres da Costa of the Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene at TUM will investigate the effects of the pork tapeworm on the immune system of infected patients. The larvae apparently have a way of tricking the human immune system. "We do not yet understand why these complex organisms with their own metabolism trigger practically no immune response as long as they are alive, but only after dying, for example after treatment with medication," says Prazeres da Costa. "Our hypothesis is that the larvae actively suppress the immune response, both directly through parasite proteins, but also using the body's own suppressor cells."

To learn more, the immunologist and her team will collect cells from infected patients as part of a large-scale study in Mozambique. These samples will then be investigated using the technical resources of TUM's Institute for Medical Microbiology.

Support from the Department of Informatics

Along with subprojects for the study, prevention and treatment of tapeworm infections, the project also has a technical side. That is where Prof. Bernd Brugge comes in. "We are investigating methods to facilitate the secure transmission of patient data," says Brugge, a professor of applied software engineering with the Department of Informatics at TUM. This is often a challenge simply as a result of the inferior mobile data connections and hardware resources at the local level. "We will also model the working processes and the exchange of medical data between the teams at the various locations," adds Brugge.

In addition, he plans to work with students to study a hypothesis, namely that the larvae may also be causing epileptic seizures in pigs. The team is developing a device with the working title "iPig" that will use an ear clip to record possible seizures and provide information on their duration, intensity and frequency.

The CYSTINET-Africa project began with a kick-off meeting attended by all participants in Tanzania in mid-January and is initially planned for a five-year timeframe. "In the future, we want to cooperate more closely on global health issues and intend to launch further projects," says Andrea Winkler. For that purpose, Andrea Winkler, Clarissa Prazeres da Costa and the heads of the Chairs for Neurology and Medical Microbiology are working to establish the Centre for Global Health at the Faculty of Medicine.

Source: https://www.tum.de/en/about-tum/news/press-releases/detail/article/33783/
insights from industry Jean Fallacara Chief Executive Officer Z-SC1

An interview with Jean Fallacara, CEO, discussing how Z-SC1 help to ensure safe sample storage at ultra-low temperatures, conducted by James Ives, MPsych

Research using temperature sensitive samples is estimated to be worth billions of dollars[1], can you give me a brief outline of the importance of ultra-low temperature (ULT) sample storage to this industry?

The global biopreservation market was valued at $2 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach $3.7B US by 2020. Z-SC1 is operating in the biopreservation equipment segment of this market, especially dealing with mechanical freezers.

This segment accounts for $400 million and ~15 manufacturers are actively involved in this market, some of them with great initiatives. However, two key players eclipse the rest, representing more than 65% of this market, dominating the with their brand alone.

Scientists depend on the ability of the manufacturer to maintain the quality and integrity of their samples through highly reliable cold-storage equipment, which enables the samples to be maintained below the required temperature at all times.

However, frequent freezer failures are a concern for researchers, affecting their ability to focus on their research. In the event of a freezer failure, scientists have to find space in other freezers to preserve their samples.

When a freezer fails during non-working hours, both facilities staff and researchers have to come to the facility to handle the issue. If it is not possible to address the failure in time, the freezer contents, such as critical research samples or products, are lost.

When a cold-storage unit fails, not only are the samples compromised, but also a substantial financial loss and years of researchers time and effort.

Safety has been given the highest priority for ultralow (-80C) temperature storage in the last decade. It is known that a cold-storage unit failure compromises samples. All manufacturers in this industry hear from users By far our biggest concern is sample safety, and by far the most common safety concern for ultralow freezers is compressor failure.

Unfortunately, no manufacturer was able to solve this problem, but here at Z-SC1 we have addressed these issues to provide the safest ULT freezer on the market.

What features do the Z-SC1 ULT freezers use to ensure safety of samples?

Z-SC1 Biomedical is a different kind of company adapted to the 21st century and continuously upgrading its technology based on the feedback from lab managers and researchers. Since safety is paramount for ultralow (-80C) temperature storage, Z-SC1 Biomedical has designed the TwinCore with high safety features.

Z-SC1 Biomedical developed two completely independent refrigeration systems, each with a compressor capable of maintaining -82C in the rare event of a system failure. Samples now have a redundant backup freezer within a freezer.

However, even that breakthrough design was not enough for the company to feel really safe, and therefore we developed a free of charge monitoring system. The WiZBox, can monitor 26 different parameters of an ULT's health to predict failure months before it would occur.

Finally, even in an emergency power loss, it takes 11.5 hours for the TwinCore to climb from -80C to -20C, thus providing users ample time to respond. When all 4 interior doors are held open for 2 minutes on an empty freezer, the TwinCore recovers to -80C in only 46 minutes, more than 3x times faster than any other ULT freezers.

Why did you decide to provide redundant cooling systems in your freezers? What other systems are used in the industry, and how do they compare?

Exploring the competitions battle plan is always a good way to try and understand a different opinion or foreign point of view. The significance of cold-storage can be understood from the failure of a freezer holding brain samples collected for autism research at the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (HBTRC) at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Unfortunately, the failure was noticed too late to prevent the brain samples from thawing. Nearly a quarter of the samples preserved for the study and 14 years of research work were lost.

This one event is one of only a handful that have been widely covered in the media, but there have been many such incidents over the years. Every single researcher might have experienced freezer failure in their career.

The failure of the cascade refrigeration technology to provide security has resulted in billions of dollar in losses over the previous decades. Many researchers store their samples across multiple freezers as a precautionary measure against such failures, which is not required now.

Other than the old cascade type system, there is a new technique that uses a stirling-based piston system. Although the technique is sound in principle, it does not offer any security at all and emphasizes energy savings over sample security.

It may be a strategic move or for marketing purposes, but the value of the energy saved is $60 per year as opposed to an average value of $75K per year for a freezers contents. For us the choice of what is more important is clear.

Does having two independent and separate refrigeration systems impact the energy efficiency of the freezers? If so by how much?

The use of two independent and separate refrigeration systems affects the energy efficiency of the freezers because operating two compressors requires some extra energy. However, if the pull down is 3x shorter, the energy used will be 3x less than other systems requiring around a full day to get from room temperature to a set point.

Conversely, the TwinCore takes only three hours. Then it switches to one compressor when on pace, and the energy used is one of the lowest in the industry. Therefore, the TwinCore is indeed super-efficient in terms of energy efficiency.

How does that affect their running costs? How does this compare to the potential loss of samples?

Giving emphasis to energy saving and running costs is meaningless, when the cost of the ULT Freezers is more than $10,000 and the average value of the freezer content is $75K, with some freezers containing content worth more than $1 million. Paying attention to $60 in savings per year per freezer is pointless.

If people believe that energy-efficient ULT Freezers will keep their valuable samples from risk of loss, then they are lucky enough to have not lost a sample yet.

The TwinCore ULTs are the only units that offer total sample security without any failure and sample loss, ultimately leading to cost savings and increased completion of valuable research.

Can you give me a brief overview of the WiZBox? What added features does this add to the ULT freezer system?

With the WiZBox, we wanted to increase sample security using new technology to support our ULT freezers. The answer lies in integrating the internal system diagnostics with accessible software via Android phone and computer, displaying mechanical refrigeration parameters typically checked by field technicians.

Z-SC1 Biomedicals goal was to improve the service life of laboratory equipment. With the WiZBox, ULTs can be transformed into a smart machine and TWINCORE ULT marks the birth of a SMART-ULT.

Z-SC1 Biomedicals WiZbox is a unique proactive maintenance device. This new and innovative accessory allows your freezers to be backed up with a 24/7 preventive maintenance strategy in order to stabilize the reliability of the equipment.

Ensuring the efficient operation of compressors is the primary function of the WiZBox preventative maintenance tool. This is achieved through specific monitoring activities, including:

Monitoring voltage

Measuring compressor amperage to ensure that the compressors are running within specification and are not overworked

Monitoring temperature, load, battery, and alarms

The ultimate goal is to overcome any failures and improve equipment uptime. Z-SC1 Biomedical designed the WiZbox to check the overall health of the freezers. Via a web interface, all data is transmitted back to the Z-SC1 server round-the-clock all through the year.

Are you planning to add any extra features to your ULT freezers?

Z-SC1 Biomedical has plans to integrate Virtual Reality into its systems to provide, for instance, VR On site servicing, or VR remote monitoring with its WiZbox.

What does the future hold for Z-SC1?

There are a few avenues for Z-SC1 Biomedical:

In this industry, a company can be acquired or merged with other companies to produce better products

A company can acquire other companies to expand its product range and respond to a market need, for instance, the biopreservation. Z-SC1 Biomedicals plan goes more in this direction.

Where can readers find more information?

Z-SC1 Biomedicals website is the ideal place to get information, but social media such as Facebook or LinkedIn are great to get the latest news.

About Jean Fallacara

Jean is the CEO of Z-SC1 Corporation Group, based in Westmount, Canada, producing biomedical freezers that dont compromise on sample security.

A leader less interested in corporate hierarchies, and more in building meaningful relationships with our clients, partners and, the communities in which we live and work.

An expert in strategic planning, operations, investment management, and Marketing, with over 20 years as an experienced executive focused on technology products for the sciences business.

A specialist in achieving strategic objectives with the primary focus on increasing shareholders wealth thru merger, acquisition, new business developments, or undertaking share offering and raising capital.

We have a 20-year track record as experts in the Biomedical field, with a passion for engineering energy-efficient laboratory equipment. Our powerful combination of expertise and dedication drives our pioneering efforts to create uniquely-inspired equipment.

References

[1] Zuellig Pharma. Review of the rapidly growing significance of the cold chain. https://www.zuelligpharma.com/news/rapidly-growing-significance-cold-chain
Whether it involves stopping at a traffic light or diving into freezing water to save someone from drowning: many of our everyday problems require snap decisions in the face of uncertainty. When making decisions, it has been suggested that neurochemicals rapidly flood the brain and signal how uncertain somebody is about a choice. Researchers from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf have now found evidence of such signalling using measurements of human pupil size. Their results are published in the latest edition of Nature Communications.

Pupil size can vary for various reasons, the most common being a change in light levels. It is also known that pupils dilate whenever a person is aroused or exerts mental effort. The effect of cognitive processing on pupil dilation is thought to be triggered by the large-scale release of modulatory neurotransmitters - chemical messengers that influence communication between neurons. These neurotransmitters, like serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, are also believed to be involved in situations where decisions are taken under uncertainty, a phenomenon known as 'decision uncertainty'.

For their study, neuroscientist Anne Urai and her colleagues tested if uncertainty signals could indeed drive rapid changes in pupil size and whether these might predict a subsequent change in choice behaviour. The researchers used an infrared camera to measure pupil diameter in 27 participants, who sat in a dark room in front of a computer screen. The participants were then given a task in which they had to make quick decisions about moving images shown on the screen, varying in difficulty. After each answer, the participants waited up to three seconds to hear a tone indicating if their choice was correct.

The researchers found that pupil dilation is largest when a person is most uncertain about the accuracy of their decision, and still awaiting feedback. 'By using a mathematical model of decision uncertainty, we can start to connect our results to previous findings which have shown uncertainty signalling in specific neurons in the brain of rats and monkeys' says Urai, who forms part of the UvA's Brain and Cognition Group. The researchers also discovered that participants generally tended to repeat their previous choices, but that this effect was reduced after large pupil responses. Urai: "Our choices are strongly influenced by our earlier decisions and the state in which they were made. Here, we found that pupil dilation specifically predicts a reduction in choice repetition. These findings form the starting point for further research into the neural basis of these choice biases."

The researchers believe these results could hold implications for our understanding of how the brain copes with everyday decision-making in the face of uncertainty. Urai: "We constantly make decisions about the world around us. These results show that the brain is able to monitor the uncertainty about each choice we make, and use this information to change future choice behaviour." Urai hopes that the insight provided by these findings might in the future be of value in situations requiring accurate decision-making. "By studying decision-making in the lab, we can begin to understand more about real-world, uncertain decision-making in situations where it matters. We may one day be able to detect uncertain choices and reduce their potentially disastrous consequences."
Royal Philips and LabPON, the first clinical laboratory to transition to 100 percent histopathology digital diagnosis, today announced its plans to create a digital database of massive aggregated sets of annotated pathology images and big data utilizing Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution.

The database will provide pathologists with a wealth of clinical information for the development of image analytics algorithms for computational pathology and pathology education, while promoting research and discovery to develop new insights for disease assessment, including cancer.

Deep learning algorithms have the potential to improve the objectivity and efficiency in tumor tissue diagnosis. In recent years, deep learning techniques for image analysis have quickly become the state of the art in computer vision and has surpassed human performance in a number of tasks.

The challenge for executing deep learning techniques is having access to a database with sufficient high volume and high quality data from which to develop the algorithms. As one of the largest pathology laboratories in the Netherlands, LabPON will contribute its repository of approximately 300,000 whole slide images (WSI) they prospectively create each year to the database.

This will contain de-identified datasets of annotated cases that are manually commented by the pathologist, and will comprise of a wide variety of tissue and disease types, as well as other pertinent diagnostic information to facilitate deep learning.

Deep learning focuses on the development of advanced computer programs that automatically understand and digitally map tissue images in considerable detail: The more data available, the more refined the computer analysis will be. Together, LabPON and Philips have the competence and skills to realize this. Peter Hamilton, Group Leader Image Analytics at Philips Digital Pathology Solutions.

During a time where the pathologist shortage is mounting and cancer caseloads are increasing3,4, the accurate diagnosis and grading of cancer has become increasingly complex, placing significant pressures on pathology services. Technologies such as computational pathology, could help pathologists with tools to work in the most efficient way possible.

The role of the pathologist remains important by making the definitive diagnosis, which has a high impact on the patients treatment. Software tools could help to relieve part of the pathologists work such as identifying tumor cells, counting mitotic cells or identifying perineural and vaso-invasive growth, as well carrying out measurements in a more accurate and precise way, said Alexi Baidoshvili, pathologist at LabPON. This ultimately could help to improve the quality of diagnosis and make it more objective.

Next to the development of computational algorithms for diagnostic use, Philips intends to make available the database to research institutions and other partners through its translational research platform. This could enable selected parties to interrogate and combine massive datasets with the goal to discover new insights that ultimately could be translated into new personalized treatment options for patients.

Philips is showcasing its portfolio of pathology solutions in booth #202 at the The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 2017 Annual Meeting.
The Omnivore World Tour food festival holds its Paris edition March 5 to 7 at the French capital's Maison de la Mutualite. The festival is a talent incubator and showcase where foodies can check out the work of up-and-coming chefs from around the world. The line-up for this year's Omnivore Paris includes Russian chef Anton Kovalkov, who currently works in Moscow.



The Omnivore World Tour rolls into several major world cities, installing pop-up kitchens and setting the stage for rising talents from all culinary horizons. Anton Kovalkov is one of the chefs that the festival organizers have picked to cook up a storm at the Paris edition.



The young chef, now in his 30s, previously appeared at Omnivore Moscow in 2013, presenting his original techniques to a home crowd. Born in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, 250 miles from Moscow, the chef enthralled onlookers with his surprising cuisine, concentrating the flavors of a coal-baked potato, herbs and mushrooms in a coffee infuser. This liquid creation sought to harness the flavors and aromas of a walk in the forest, remembered from his childhood. The chef, who previously trained in the kitchens of Noma, Copenhagen -- named the world's best restaurant four times in the "50 Best" list -- served his infused concoction in a wooden bowl, alongside baby potato stuffed with chicken mayo. The chef also revisited a traditional Russian cold soup, called Okroshka.



In 2015, Omnivore brought Anton Kovalkov's talent to its Montreal edition in Canada. Here too, the young chef offered a surprising demo, burning white onion petals and whizzing up a puree of dry bread. That year, the Russian chef cooked alongside France's 2010 Top Chef winner, Romain Tischenko.



As well as crafting a spectacular cuisine that's a sight to behold, Anton Kovalkov flies the flag high for Russian cuisine, open overlooked in foodie circles. The chef gained experience in prestigious kitchens, working with French chef Dominique Crenn in San Francisco and for the Eleven Madison Park in New York, before setting up at Fahrenheit in Moscow. The project is headed by the Maison Dellos group, also behind the famous "Cafe Pouchkine" in Moscow and Paris.



Anton Kovalkov is now working on developing "BEREG District Project," a Moscow complex featuring a restaurant, a bakery and a cookery school.



Anton Kovalkov will be on the "Sale" stage at the Omnivore Paris festival, Sunday, March 5, from 12:10 to 12:45.
Japanese brewer Kirin is hoping to tap into swift growth -- and serious staying power -- with its latest investment in Myanmar's fizzing beer market, a senior executive said Friday.



Last month the beer giant took a controlling stake in Mandalay Brewery for $4.3 million, topping off its more than half a billion investment in top producer Myanmar Brewery in 2015.



Myanmar Brewery deputy managing director Hideki Mitsuhashi predicted sales will grow in line with GDP at around seven percent a year.



In the long-run, he said Myanmar's drinkers can also knock it back for longer than their regional counterparts.



"Myanmar people are very, very strong for alcohol," he said.



"We have a kit to measure resistance to drink... They are much stronger than Japanese and Chinese."



Myanmar beer consumption rates are currently among the lowest in Asia.



Drinkers chug down around three litres per head each year, according to Euromonitor, a fraction of the more than 40 litres drunk in neighbouring Vietnam or over 30 in Laos.



But the market has been brewing since a quasi-civilian government took over in 2011 and introduced a raft of economic reforms that have uncorked a market long stifled by military rule.



Today local brands are vying with international heavyweights like Carlsberg and Heineken for a share of the relatively untapped market of some 55 million people.



Euromonitor predicts beer sales will more than double between 2014-18 to $675 million a year.



Mitsuhashi said the influx of Westerners since the end of sanctions is drawing more people to drink.



He also predicted that more women will start to enjoy beer: "Myanmar people think women shouldn't drink alcohol -- 40 or 50 years ago Japan was the same."



Kirin currently controls around 80 percent of Myanmar's beer market through Myanmar Brewery, which would increase if its purchase of Mandalay Brewery gets government approval.



It also has powerful friends: both breweries are partnerships with the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings, a military conglomerate until recently sanctioned by Washington.



Still, he said Myanmar brewers faced strong competition from cheap booze smuggled in from Thailand, which he estimated accounts for up to a fifth of the market.



"It's not good for us as it pushes prices lower and lower," he said.
The 26/11 Mumbai attack was carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan and is a classic trans-border terrorist event, Durrani said while speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference in New Delhi, organised by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis.

#WATCH: Former Pakistan NSA Mahmud Ali Durrani says 26/11 attack was carried out by terror group based in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/cBmzSFnbK2  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

Durrani also said that Jammat-Ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed has no utility and the Pakistan government should act against him.

In a major embarrassment to the Pakistan establishment, Former National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani on Monday said that the 26/11 Mumbai attacks that claimed the lives of 166 people were carried out by a terror group based in the country and was a classic trans-border terrorist event.The Mumbai attacks were perpetrated by 10 terrorists which injured more than 300 when the gunmen attacked four locations: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Oberoi Hotel, Taj Mahal Hotel and Leopold Cafe and a Jewish centre, all of them located in South Mumbai.The attacks started on November 26, 2008 and lasted till November 29 and threw life out of gear in Mumbai. The Indian government has maintained that the Lashkar-e-Toiba was the group involved in the attacks and has said that the operation received covert support from the ISI.Durrani, however, said the the government of Pakistan and ISI were not involved directly in the entire affair.Recalling the episode, during which he had revealed about terrorist Ajmal Kasab after which he was sacked, Durrani said, "I made a statement on television in Pakistan which the government did not like and for which I got sacked."In January 2009, then Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani issued a statement and was quoted by Geo News channel as saying that he had sacked Durrani for commenting on the issue of the nationality of Ajmal Kasab without taking the PM or the government into confidence.Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam welcomed Durranis statement. I would like to congratulate him for showing the courage, but now he must come out and open the whole conspiracy to the world, Nikam said."Durrani is out of his mind. He has obviously switched sides. If he thinks Pakistan is responsible for the cross-border terrorism you should hold him till you complete the prosecution. Because there are no witnesses," Tariq Pirzada, Pakistan defence analyst.
Karachi: At least 85 Indian fishermen were sent to jail after being arrested by Pakistani authorities for allegedly fishing in the country's territorial waters.



The fishermen were arrested on Sunday by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency.



A spokesman for the agency said the fishermen were asked to leave the Pakistani territorial waters near Sir Creek in the Arabian Sea but they did not pay attention to the call.



"We have also seized 14 boats and handed them over to the Docks police for further action," he said.



Shaukat Ali, a senior police official at the Docks police station, said the Indian fishermen were today presented before a judicial magistrate who ordered them to be sent to jail.



A fishermen's association in India yesterday put the number of those arrested at 94.



On January 27, the Maritime Security Agency had arrested 60 Indian fishermen and seized 10 boats.



India and Pakistan share an extensive maritime boundary which is poorly defined, resulting in fishermen on both sides inadvertently crossing over to the other side.



Fishermen from both sides often spend years in each other's jails before being set free and sent home as the neighbours have a disagreement over their maritime border in the Arabian Sea.



Pakistan had released some 219 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture on January 5.
It is a historic moment for Andhra Pradesh as the bifurcated state held its maiden budget session in the new capital Amaravati.Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated in 2014 to create Telangana.The Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan addressed a joint session of Legislative Assembly and Legislative council at interim Assembly complex in Velagapudi on Monday.Addressing the members, he said, "This is a "Golden Moment" in the history of the state. In last two and half years, Andhra Pradesh has converted all challenges into opportunity after its bifurcation. "Like every year, the budget session is likely to be stormy with main opposition party YSRCP all set to attack the ruling TDP government over a number of issues like special status, involvement of TDP leaders travel company in recent bus accident, suspension of YRSCP MLA Roja, problem of unemployment in the state, among others.Reiterating that Andhra Pradesh should be among best three states by 2022 and number one in the country by 2029, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said, "With the start of budget session, I am confident that key points on Andhra Pradesh's development and welfare will be addressed."The state budget will be presented on March 13. The ultra modern State assembly and Legislative Council buildings are equipped to handle any unruly scenes.The benches have been fitted with a small device in a rectangular shape called linear Vocal Microphone facing the members, which once fitted, cannot be unplugged and broken, leaving little scope for pulling out mikes and damaging them and create scenes in the House.The Speakers Podium is also strategically built at a height of 7-feet and is fitted with ultra-modern audio system.The state-of-the-art Assembly is built on the ground floor with 225 seats as against the strength of 175 at present, keeping in view delimitation in 2019.The first floor facing the Speakers podium accommodates galleries for visitors, VIPs, officials and media. Besides, two conference halls, each with 60 seats and another conference hall with 250 seats have been built. Parking facility is also provided on a sprawling five acres of land.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday indicated that senior BJP leader LK Advani and other BJP and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders may face trial in the Babri Masjid demolition case.



The Allahabad High Court had earlier dropped the conspiracy charges against these leaders including senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh. But now SC was hearing a petition by CBI challenging Allahabad High Courts order of acquittal and a petition by Mehboob Ahmad.



The observation came from the bench of Justices PC Ghosh and RS Nariman just ahead of the last phase of the assembly elections in the state where the court also advised CBI to club the two cases pending in Rae Bareli and Lucknow.



The courts order has now been posted to March 22 where it will be stated whether Advani, 89, Murli Manohar Joshi and Union Minister Uma Bharti will be tried for conspiracy or not.



Previously, a court in Rae Bareli had released Advani and 12 others including Vinay Katiyar and Kalyan Singh of conspiracy charges for razing the 16th century Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in December 1992.



Kalyan Singh, who is now the governor of Rajasthan, was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh when this ancient mosque was razed down by kar sevaks of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad who believe it to be the birth place of Lord Ram.



This demolition is one of the biggest events in post-Independence India which has every now and then given rise to communal tensions across the country claiming hundreds of lives. RRS and affiliated organisations have been pushing for the construction of Ram Temple at the site of the mosque.



During the last hearing, SC had sought responses from all the accused.






Bengaluru: Industry representative body Nasscom on Sunday said the temporary suspension of premium H1-B visa processing by the US administration would delay their issue to the Indian IT firms too but is not a major impediment.



Nasscom President R. Chandrashekhar told CNBC that he met Representatives from Congress and different government officials in regard to Visa Programme and made the US Executives aware of the benefits that this Visa Program brings to US and India.



The US has announced that from April 3, it would temporarily suspend the 'premium processing' of H-1B visas that allowed some companies to jump the queue, as part of overall efforts to clear the backlog. The suspension came even as New Delhi pressed for a fair and rational approach on the matter from a trade and business perspective.



"The current issue of the temporary suspension of premium H-1B processing will create some process delays for the companies  Indian and American -- but is not a significant impediment," Nasscom said in an emailed statement. By paying an additional premium of USD 1,225, companies could get an H-1B application processed within 15 days, whereas a standard process takes 3-6 months. The temporary suspension of the fast-track processing of the H-1B visas  widely used by the Indian IT industry  may last six months.



The decision was announced just hours after top Indian officials -- Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Commerce Secretary Rita Teotia -- held meetings with officials and lawmakers in the US to view the H1-B visa issue as a trade and services matter, and not an immigration one. It also puts pressure on Indian IT companies as any changes in visa regime may result in higher operational costs and shortage of skilled workers for the Indian outsourcing industry.



In the past few weeks, there have been proposals to overhaul the popular H-1B visa regime through various legislations which have added to the worries of the Indian IT sector that is battling slower growth, currency fluctuation and cautious client spending. The US accounts for over 60 per cent of the Indian IT export revenues. Nasscom said it will work with the US Embassy in India to ensure that movement of professionals is not hit by such process issues.



"This has happened in the past for a couple of months to clear the backlog and we will work with the US Embassy in India to enable mobility of skilled talent is not impacted due to process issues," Nasscom added. Gartner Research Director DD Mishra, however, said the move will have an immediate impact on the capability of Indian IT companies to respond to urgency, thereby impacting some agility and speed.



"There are many projects which often require IT companies to address the requirement immediately and some of them are often planned or unplanned or due to a certain situation very specific to the account or project.



"Sometimes to address this requirement, Indian IT companies may have to hire expensive resources onsite or it can delay certain time sensitive initiatives driven by urgency," Mishra told PTI.



He added that uncertainties surrounding visas is emerging as a risk and may gradually become an inhibitor of growth for US-based customers who look at this as more of a threat and tend to move their business to US-based IT companies.



Greyhound Research Chief Analyst and CEO Sanchit Vir Gogia said that while the change by the Trump Administration has taken most by surprise, it shouldnt be viewed as a "conclusive outcome" from their end.



"While the loss on the back of this change will be felt maximum by US companies in need for skills in urgent projects, it will also rightfully be a step in stopping abuse of the H-1B visa programme that is currently rampant," he said.



Gogia added that while the Trump administration has taken the right approach to talk about a merit-based system overall, the next step ideally should be to hold an open dialogue with both those who use skills and others who supply them.



Nasscom had recently taken a delegation to Washington DC in a bid to engage with members of the new US administration on issues like clampdown on work visas and flow of skilled manpower between the two nations.



Concerns around a proposed overhaul of the visa regime by the US has prompted Nasscom to postpone its annual forecast -- for the first time -- till May. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would start accepting the H-1B visa applications for the FY18 beginning October 1, 2017, from April 3. It also announced the temporary suspension of the premium processing of H-1B visas beginning April 3.



"This temporary suspension will help us to reduce overall H-1B processing time," the USCIS said. By temporarily suspending premium processing, the USCIS has said it will be able to process long-pending petitions, which they have currently been unable to do due to high volume of petitions and a significant surge in premium processing requests. It will also help prioritise adjudication of H-1B extension of status cases that are nearing the 240-day mark.







For Silicon Valley companies as well of Indian IT firms like TCS, Infosys and Wipro, which employ large number of H-1B holders, the move signals longer wait for visa approvals. Under the current system, companies can expedite their H-1B visa request by paying an extra USD 1,225 fee. This compresses their response time on applications to 15 days against a regular review period of three and six months.



H-1B visas -- meant for highly-skilled workers in specialised fields like technology and engineering - has a cap of 65,000 per year, while an additional 20,000 applications are permitted for those with advanced college degrees in the US.



The nixing of the fast-track process for H1-B visa comes barely months after a US legislation (Lofgren Bill) has been introduced that proposed doubling of the minimum wages of H-1B visa holders to USD 130,000.



(With PTI Inputs)
A tribute to INS Viraat by Commodore Srikant Kesnur a serving Naval Officer https://t.co/mQRNPMzqGS @SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/vSM4to7FAh  SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) March 6, 2017

Earlier known as HMS Hermes, INS Viraat served the British Royal Navy from 1959 to 1984 before she was decommissioned and sold to India.

INS Viraat, the second and the oldest serving aircraft carrier, will be decommissioned on Monday after serving the Indian Navy for nearly 30 years.After the decommissioning of INS Viraat, the Indian Navy will be short of two aircraft carriers as INS Vikrant has already been decommissionedUnder her new name and flag, INS Viraat was commissioned into the Indian Navy on May 12, 1987.It is the longest serving ship in the history, an official communication from the Western Naval Command said."INS Viraat is the second centaur class aircraft carrier in service which has spent 30 years in the Indian Navy and before that 27 years in the Royal Navy of UK, Vice Admiral Girish Luthra said.Asked about the future of the ship, Luthra said the decision will be taken by the Union government.According to reports the aircraft carrier will be broken up in four months if there's no buyer.The warship sailed under her own power for the last time from Mumbai to Kochi in July 2016. Last October she was towed out of Kochi and brought back to Mumbai where she will be formally decommissioned at a ceremony.The ceremonies of the Guinness Record holder warship shall be commemorated by releasing a book on her history, and a Special Cover by Army Postal Service.(With PTI inputs)
The Naxalite had networks inside the village. They heard about what happened and approached my brother. He was angry so he decided to join them. Soon after, I followed.

After four years in the wilderness, he finally surrendered and spent the next 15 years in prison. It was only last year that he was released.

Rapid industrialization in the 1990s led to a conflict over tribal land rights, which was the root of the Naxalite movement in the district.

: Ramesh (name changed) is like any other lanky farmer, working on a small patch of land. It is impossible to tell from his lean frame that a few years ago, he was an armed rebel with a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head. And yet, this 30-year-old Adivaasi farmer near Roberstganj in Sonbhadhra district, recalls how after a string of caste abuses, he was sucked into the Naxal movement at a young age.The year was 2002, he recalls, and I was just like any other 15-year-old from a poor family. My father was a landless farmer so it was a life-changing event for us when our landlord, a good man, gave us a small patch of land to call our own. Unfortunately, that patch of land was surrounded on all four sides by land belonging to the Yadav strongmen of the village.One day, as he was on his way to the farm, Rameshs father was allegedly beaten by these strongmen. My father took the abuse and decided to go back the next day. Since our land was surrounded by theirs, he was not allowed to go. We approached our landlord, we approached the authorities but nobody could help us. Eventually, the strongmen took control of our land by force.Their hard-won land being taken away, he says, was the last straw. Rameshs brother, ten years his elder, was the first to take up arms.Photo: Uday Singh Rana/News18The Naxalites, he revealed, worked like a well-oiled machine. Ramesh and his brother, who was killed in gunfighting a few years later, even earned a stipend of Rs 3,500 each a month. For two boys from a landless tribal family, it was a princely sum.With the Naxalites, we earned respect that we had never received from the upper castes in the village. And there was a strict code to be followed. We were told not to target the poor and the dispossessed. We only targeted the police and the rich. Every week, we would hold meetings inside forests, far from the eyes of the police. We would ask locals what their problems were and try to solve them. In return, villagers provided us with logistical support.Rameshs story is by no means an exception. Hundreds of children like him had reportedly become child soldiers during the period of violence. Sonbhadra is often referred to as the energy capital of India. The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) alone has three coal-based power plants in the district. There are four other major power plants.According to the Sonbhadra district website, these power plants have a production capacity between 300 to 3,000 megawatts. The presence of limestone, coal, aluminum and abundant water makes it ripe ground for industrialization. Yet, Sonbhadra remains one of the poorest districts in Uttar Pradesh.AB Shah, president of Ghorawal Childrens Welfare Association, says that between 1995 and 2008, when the Naxalite movement was at its peak, approximately 25% children stayed out of school.Most children chose to drop out because the Naxalites had gotten active. Some were recruited by the Naxalites and others were kept at home by their parents. Joining the Naxalites was an easy way out of poverty for many. Those who dropped out and did not join the Naxalites worked as farm hands with their parents. As a result, an entire generation lost out on the benefits of education. None of them could get any jobs and sunk further into the cycle of poverty.Photo: Uday Singh Rana/News18The situation continued till 2008 till one major development changed lives here  the mid-day meal scheme. Shah explains, The violence continued up till 2008 but in 2007, we started seeing schools being constructed in each village. Roads were made to connect them. The mid-day meal scheme existed earlier as well but finally, it was being implemented rigorously on the ground. As a result, children started coming to school. They wouldnt have to worry about their meals. Even today, children come till the mid-day meal is served and then run off. But at least it is keeping them in school for a while.Meanwhile, back at the farm, Ramesh wonders what could have been. I regret taking the path of violence. Thoda padh-likh liye hote toh naukri lag jaati. (If I had studied a little bit, I could have gotten a job)
TN Govt makes Jayalalithaa's medical records public,says did so to put at rest speculation surrounding her hospitilaisation, treatment&death pic.twitter.com/uD5UmyDP6C  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

Self explanatory report; no info held back.No basis to hearsay speculations:TN Health Secy J Radhakrishnan on Jayalalithaa's medical report pic.twitter.com/tpsJ3ZQk6I  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday made public the medical report of the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa to put to rest speculation surrounding her hospitalisation, treatment and death.According to the report, Jayalalithaa had suffered a heart attack, had diabetes issues and needed prolonged life support.Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had earlier on Monday handed over the medical report to the state government. The report contains the analysis of Jayalalithaa's health condition by the doctors of the premier institute during their five visits to Chennai.The move assumes significance in the backdrop of doubts being raised from different quarters over the former AIADMK chief's death on December 5.Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan told reporters in New Delhi after receiving the report by AIIMS doctors that there "is no basis to the speculation which has been circulated in the media" on Jayalalithaa's treatment.To quash these kinds of speculations, the medical report by AIIMS doctors has been received "from the Government of India at our request", he said."It is a very self-explanatory report and we have not held back anything," Radhakrishnan added.Meanwhile, the press statement quoting the report said Jayalalithaa was administered resuscitation and provided ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrance Oxygenation) support within an hour."Every possible clinical attempt was made to sustain her revival as per prescribed medical protocols," the statement said, quoting Radhakrishnan.He said a team of doctors, including experts from Apollo and AIIMS, assessed the situation. It was clinically concluded that there was no heart function and also no neurological improvement, denoting futility of life support.Hence, after following all procedures, the position was conveyed to senior ministers and political leaders -- O Panneerselvam (former Chief Minister), Health Minister Vijayabhaskar, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, and AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala.It was also conveyed to the chief secretary, the health secretary and other top government officials, the statement quoted him as saying.All of them understood the situation and asked the medical team to act as per the standard protocol.The Tamil Nadu government had on Sunday rejected former chief minister and rebel AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam's claims of foul play in the treatment of Jayalalithaa, an allegation which has been dismissed by state Health Minister C Vijayabaskar.The opposition DMK, too, has approached the Madras High Court seeking a comprehensive probe into the death of Jayalalithaa.Twelve AIADMK MPs, belonging to the O Panneerselvam group, had met President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on February 28 and handed over a petition seeking a probe into the medical treatment provided to Jayalalithaa.(With PTI inputs)
Amritsar: A 360-foot high (110 metres) flag post, said to be the countrys tallest, was inaugurated on Sunday at the Indo-Pak Attari Border, just a stones throw from Pakistan.



The pole is said to be visible from a long distance, even from Lahore in Pakistan.



Pakistan Rangers at the border are said to have objected saying the flag post could be used for surveillance.



Punjab Minister Anil Joshi, who inaugurated the tricolor, said the flag was well within Indian territory and no one could raise any objections on it. The Border Security Force has said the allegations were baseless and there was no camera or any surveillance equipment on the flag post.



Built at an approximate cost of Rs 3.50 crore, the post was a project of the Amritsar Improvement Trust Authority of the Punjab Government.



With the model code of conduct for the Assembly elections being in place in the state, the minister got special permission from the Election Commission for the inauguration," officials said.



The flag post became an attraction for thousands of tourists who had reached there to watch the Beating Retreat Ceremony during the sunset.



Even visitors from Pakistans gallery were seen watching the Indian flag with keen interest.






New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday will hear Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre's plea seeking extension to his stay in Italy.



Latorre is one of the two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012 during an anti-piracy mission on an Italian oil tanker. He is presently in his home country on medical grounds after he suffered heart stroke in 2014.



The other accused in the case, Salvatore Girone, is already in Italy after being allowed by the apex court in September 2014 to return home. He was allowed to return on 'humanitarian grounds'.



In 2016, the apex court had, earlier, ordered that Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, accused of killing two Indian fishermen, will continue to stay in Italy until the disposal of their pleas in the arbitration court.



The apex court passed the order after hearing from all the respondents including the Kerala government, the marines and the representatives of the fishermen.



"Having considered submissions of the parties subject to conditions the Italian marine Salvatore Girone's bail conditions are modified. An undertaking by the Italian Ambassador shall be filed in the Supreme Court saying that he shall return to India within a month of the tribunal's order holding the Indian government has jurisdiction," a vacation bench of Justices PC Pant and DY Chandrachud had said,



As per the earlier order of the court, the relief granted to Latorre to stay in Italy expires on September 30, 2016.On September 8, 2016, Latorre had moved the Supreme Court seeking an extension of his stay in Italy till the end of his arbitration.



Latorre has expressed his desire to stay in Italy till international arbitration tribunal decides over which country has the right to try the case.










MADRID, March 6 (Reuters) - PSA Chief Executive Carlos Tavares has told the Spanish government the firm will honour existing labour agreements at Opel's factory in Spain after buying the carmaker, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's office said in a statement.

The maker of Peugeot and Citroen cars on Monday confirmed it had agreed to buy Opel from General Motors and said planned savings would come from purchasing and research and development rather than plant closures.

Rajoy spoke to Tavares on Monday shortly after the acquisition was announced, his office said, adding the conversation was constructive and that Tavares had reassured the Spanish prime minister when he asked about local jobs.

"He assured him that the company will respect in full the agreements signed between unions and General Motors," Rajoy's office said.

Opel has a big factory in Zaragoza, northern Spain, which is one of three plants in Europe where PSA and Opel were already working on producing cars together under an existing alliance.

PSA, meanwhile, has a factory in Vigo, on the northwestern coast, and a smaller one outside Madrid where production is running at well below capacity.

Between them the two carmakers employ around 13,000 people in Spain.

(Reporting by Sarah White; Editing by Keith Weir)
New Delhi: She has lived through the horror of being a sex slave of the dreaded ISIS for 20 months. It is nothing short of a miracle that Lamya Aji Bashar Taha is still alive. The young Yazidi girl was sold among the ISIS terrorists five times.



Abused repeatedly and forced to make weapons and suicide vests, she tried to flee several times before she actually managed to escape from their clutches. Each time she was recaptured, she went through the horror of more punishment and abuse.



A disfigured face and virtually lost vision are the physical scars that tell the world of her past ordeal. She was captured from her village in Sinjar, North Iraq in 2014.





The men in the village were killed, including her father. The women and children were captured and tortured, said Lamya while speaking to reporters in New Delhi.



She is in India to participate in a talk titled 'The New Wave of Global Terror'. She finally managed to escape after her relatives paid money to smugglers who helped her. But during the rescue act, two other girls died in a landmine blast.



Lamya warns the Indian youngsters who are being indoctrinated online by ISIS to beware. She spells out in no uncertain terms, "they (ISIS) are monsters". She says they physically abuse children as young as 9 years. They hold slave markets where they sell and buy women and children.



What came as a rude shock for the country a few weeks ago was the killing of an India youth from Kerala in a drone strike in Afghanistan. Hafeesuddin had left home, along with 20 other youths from Kerala, to join the dreaded terror outfit. Last year, the government informed Parliament that 68 ISIS supporters and sympathisers were arrested by the NIA.


Scientists have used gene therapy to relieve the symptoms of a teenager suffering from sickle cell disease (SCD) in a world-first breakthrough, they reported on Thursday.



SCD is an inherited disease caused by a gene mutation that results in red blood cells losing their usual donut-like appearance and taking on a sickle or crescent moon shape.



Sufferers - around five million worldwide - often have anaemia and get tired easily, run a higher risk of infections and stroke, and experience bouts of severe body pain.



Many need chronic blood transfusions.



But a team from the AP-HP university hospital group in Paris, the Imagine Institute of Genetic Diseases and gene therapy company bluebird bio said they managed to get a teenager off transfusions.



The boy was the first person to be treated, in Paris in October 2014, for sickle cell disease in a clinical trial with gene therapy. Others have been tested since, but no official results published.



The team collected so-called haematopoietic stem cells, which give rise to red blood cells, from the bone marrow of the youngster, then aged 13.



The immature cells were treated with a therapeutic gene, carried in a deactivated virus, which recoded their DNA to correct blood cell production.



The treated cells were then reinjected into the boy's body.



Thursday's results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, report on the child's health 15 months after treatment.



He was still doing well after this point, but an official, updated status has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.



"He is well, he no longer needs monthly (blood) transfusions, anti-pain medication, or hospitalisation," study leader Marina Cavazzana told AFP.



SCD is common in Africa, where up to 40 percent of a country's population can carry the mutated gene, though most never get sick.



Last month, French researchers reported progress in developing a rapid, on-the-spot diagnosis for the disease.



Early results from a trial in Togo, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo suggested the Sickle Scan was a faster, cheaper blood test than existing ones relying on lab equipment, its makers said.



Rapid diagnosis is crucial to start SCD sufferers, especially young children, on potentially life-saving treatment.


Butterflies In stomach and lots of excitement, packing for sub zero freezing locations @TigerZindaHai . It's gonna be fun :)  ali abbas zafar (@aliabbaszafar) March 5, 2017

Filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar, who is directing Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in Tiger Zinda Hai, says the upcoming film will feature scenes shot in sub-zero freezing locations."Butterflies in stomach and lots of excitement, packing for sub-zero freezing locations 'Tiger Zinda Hai'. It's gonna be fun," Zafar posted on Twitter on Sunday, without giving the exact location of where he is shooting.Salman will return to share screen space with actress Katrina Kaif in the film.The shooting of Tiger Zinda Hai started in Morocco. It is a sequel to 2012 film "Ek Tha Tiger", which was directed by Kabir Khan.Ek Tha Tiger centered on the life of an Indian spy of RAW (Salman), code-named Tiger, who falls in love with a Pakistani spy from ISI (Katrina) during an investigation and how Tiger's ideology and principles change over time.Earlier, Salman and Zafar worked together in 2016 blockbuster Sultan.On March 2, Zafar shared a screenshot of a Skype video call, where he was talking to six people from six different parts of the world."Countdown to the shoot begins as the crew from six different countries does a Skype call Tiger Zinda Hai', technology makes the world so small," he wrote alongside the image.
Hyderabad: Days after an RSS leader from Ujjain put Rs 1 crore bounty on Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, controversial BJP MLA from Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad Raja Singh has now threatened to stop Kerala chief minister from attending a meeting organised by the CPI(M) on March 19 in the city.



In a video message uploaded by the MLA on his official Facebook page, he said,"If Kerala CM, who is a murderer of Hindus, is invited to the event, I will not allow it to happen. I will go to any extent to stop the meeting."



Warning Telangana police he said that they should take it as his appeal or warning, adding that the police should not grant permission to Kerala CM to come to Hyderabad for the event.



"If he comes, I will also come, with thousands of my supporters, and conduct a parallel meeting. Telangana Police and government will be responsible for any law and order problem then," he added.



Raja Singh also alleged that Hindu's were being targeted and killed in Kerala. He said, "Our Hindu brothers are being killed in that state. How can we remain silent when the CM of that state is visiting Hyderabad."



The MLA also clarified that he didnt have any problem with the CPM or CPI holding the meeting. The public meeting is planned to be held at Nizam grounds to mark the culmination of four and a half month old Mahajana Padayatra by CPI(M) leaders, where top leaders like Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Party's General Secretary Sitaram Yechury are invited, along with many others.
New Delhi: Chandrapal, a close aide of rape accused SP MLA and UP Minister Gayatri Prajapati, surrendered to Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday. Chandrapal is one of the seven accused in the rape case.



Gayatri Prajapati -- who has been missing for over a week now -- on Monday approached the Supreme Court, seeking protection from the arrest and recall of its earlier order.



Prajapati explained that he was always available to be examined by the state police.



Prajapati was last seen in public on February 27. He is accused of raping a woman and molesting her minor daughter in 2014. UP, DGP, Javeed Ahmad had said, "He will be arrested soon."



News of Prajapati planning to flee the country surfaced on Saturday, and the airport authorities and immigration department were alerted. Sources had told CNN-News18 that Prajapati was planning to escape the country and that all forces had been put on high alert. The Immigration Department has been told not to cooperate with him, a source added.



A non-bailable warrant was issued against Gayatri Prajapati and his passport was impounded on Sunday. Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik on Sunday wrote to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, asking why rape accused Gayatri Prajapati was still part of his Cabinet.



Samajwadi Party and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav have repeatedly come under fire for failing to arrest Prajapati. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at an election meeting in Jaunpur on Sunday, said, "In this country, when we do something good, we chant the Gayatri Mantra. But, the SP-Congress alliance is chanting the 'Gayatri Prajapati Mantra'."



The 49-year-old is facing imminent arrest, following an FIR lodged against him and six of his accomplices, on the apex court's order at Gautampalli police station in the state capital on February 18 under various sections of the IPC and POCSO Act.
New Delhi: The Election Commission on Monday sent a showcause notice to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for violating the Model Code of Conduct at an election rally on March 4.



Campaigning in Bhadohi, Yadav had had asked voters to accept money from other parties but to cast their ballot for the Samajwadi Party.



"I (have) heard that voters are being given money. My advice to you is to keep the money with yourself and vote for the bicycle," Akhilesh had said.



Prime facie finding him guilty of violating the model code, the Commission asked him to respond by March 7 as to why action should not be taken against him.



According to the Commission's notice, Yadav had asked voters to accept money from other parties, but vote for the 'bicycle' symbol of the ruling Samajwadi Party.



The poll watchdog reminded him that bribery and abetment of bribery of voters is a penal offence.



The BJP, which is looking to topple the SP government in the state, had approached the Election Commission against the CMs remarks.



Earlier, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had been let off with a light rap by the Election Commission when he made a similar remark in Goa that he had no problem with people accepting money from other parties to attend their rallies but that they should vote for the BJP.



The EC had also directed registration of an FIR against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for asking voters in Goa to accept money from other parties, but vote for AAP which was testing its popularity in the coastal state.


Addressing a rally in Bhadohi, Samajwadi Party leader and MP Dimple said his party will provide 33 percent reservation to women in government jobs if voted to power in UP.

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Varanasi: On the final day of campaign for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be holding a rally in predominantly rural Rohaniya Assembly segment falling under his Lok Sabha constituency.



This will be the third consecutive day of electioneering by the Prime Minister.



Since Friday, Modi has addressed as many as three public meetings and taken out two processions in open vehicles.



The Congress has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission that prior permission had not been sought for Friday's "roadshow", taken out hours before a similar show of strength by Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav.



The BJP has maintained that these were not "roadshows" but "Jan Sampark yatras" and there was no breach of model code of conduct as the PM merely waved at the cheering crowds, without uttering a word, on his way to a temple on Friday and the venue of his rally on Sunday.



Monday's rally appears strategically timed and placed as Modi will deliver his speech when less than a quarter of the day will be left before campaign comes to a close at 5 P.M.



Rohaniya houses Jayapur, the first village to be adopted by the PM under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.



The assembly segment had come into being after the delimitation of constituencies in 2008.It has stuck out like a sore thumb for the BJP in Varanasi, which is otherwise considered a party stronghold.



In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Murli Manohar Joshi won the seat for the BJP though the party trailed in Rohaniya behind the candidates of Samajwadi Party, BSP and Apna Dal, one of the reasons why his victory margin remained a slim 18,000 votes.



In the 2012 assembly polls, the BJP finished a distant fourth with its candidate securing a paltry 9.67 per cent of votes and forfeiting his deposit.



Wary of the tricky nature of this assembly segment, the party entered into a tie-up with Apna Dal (AD), just before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.The AD enjoys a following among the Kurmis, who form a major chunk of voters here.



AD's Anupriya Patel was the sitting MLA from the seat and she went on to win from Mirzapur in the Lok Sabha polls riding the Modi wave.



Her party, though lost Rohaniya in the ensuring by-poll as her mother Krishna was defeated by the SP candidate.
A few kilometers south of the city centre of Kashi, where the final act of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election is unfolding, is the illustrious Banaras Hindu University. Its vice chancellor GC Tripathi is at the centre of yet another controversy  after a senior television anchor claimed he participated in PM Narendra Modi's campaign roadshow on March 4.



Tripathi, since his appointment in November 2014, has always been at the receiving end of allegations that he is an RSS pracharak out to saffronise the university. Here in an interview to News18's Suhas Munshi, the vice chancellor GC Tripathi dismisses many of these charges.



Were you present in PM Narendra Modi's rally on March 4?



I was watching the whole proceedings on television from my office that day. Claims about I being present at the rally were malicious attempts to defame me and the university. I am ready for any punishment if these allegations are proven true.



One malicious journalist started the whole thing by spreading lies on Twitter. If he comes to the campus again he will be thrashed properly. Wo vidhivat peete jaayenge. Bilkul peete jaayenge (They will systematically beaten-up). I will not allow anyone to spread lies about me or the institution.



The most common allegation against you is that you are an RSS man.



Main hun RSS ka (Yes, I belong to the RSS). I am associated with the RSS and Im proud of it. Why is it anyone elses business? And if having association with RSS is reason enough to be disqualified from holding senior positions, then our Prime Minister is also an RSS man. Bhaga dein unhe bhi (Should we throw him out?).



RSS people also serve as governors. Agar RSS ka member hona hi aadhaar hai to badi mushkil hogi (If being the member of the RSS is the only criteria, it will be very difficult). If I can be a professor with RSS membership, I can also be the VC of this university.



But there are allegations that you're trying to 'saffronise' the university.



Tell me one move that Ive taken to saffronise the university. Give me one instance.



Are RSS shakhas (Branch) held in the university or not?



Shakhas have been running much before I became the vice chancellor. Did I start them? Sangh offices have been operational here since the beginning of this university. They were destroyed during Emergency. Mujhe to banwaana chahiye tha. Aur main banwa bhi dun to koi virodh nahi karega (I should have started the Shakhas here. And I know, nobody would have disapproved of this idea).



Remember that Param Pujniya Guru ji (MS Golwalkar, the second chief of RSS) has studied from this university. He was a teacher here.



And what is 'saffron'? It is a symbol of sun. If you block it, will the earth survive? Saffron is energy, warmth, light, knowledge. Without them we'll be dormant. If saffronisation stands for knowledge, sacrifice, energy, light - then of course BHU should be saffronised.



Do you attend shakhas?



I used to go, but not now because Im overwhelmed with work. I dont get time otherwise I will go. But I will go again. I have not hesitation in going to a shakha today also.



A lot of students claim that you dont allow political voices or dissent on the campus. What do you have to say about that?



I think universities are being politicised by some political parties with vested interests. Look what happened with Hyderabad Central University. The issue was deliberately propped up. Was it an actual issue? Who did what I dont know, but it was made into a political issue. You tell me what was found about this case after all these months?



That Rohith Vemula was not a Dalit?



It is not about whether he was a Dalit or not. Did anyone force him to commit suicide? No. This the state of university campuses across the country now. Look at JNU and now DU.



The thing is, we should definitely talk about issues and listen to each other. But students should study politics and only mature people should do politics.



If you promote dialogue and discussions, will you allow a programme on the lines of what was hosted in Delhi University's Ramjas college in your university? Will you allow Umar Khalid to speak on Bastar or allow a discussion on separatist movement in Kashmir?



We will discuss Kashmir among ourselves, no outsider will be allowed to discuss it in our university. As far as the question of Umar Khalid is concerned, his record is such that campus will become volatile.



He has never expressed regret for what he said in JNU on that day. First let him tell us exactly what he'll speak, then we'll take a call. I'm not against rationality or thought.



You see,



Aahar nidra bhay maithun cha

Samaanam etat pashubhir naraanaam

Dharmo hi tesham adhiko vishesho

Dharmena hinah pashubhih samaanah



(Food, sleep, fear and mating, these acts of

Humans are similar to animals

Of them [humans], dharma is

The only special thing, without dharma humans are also animals.)



Which book is this quote from?



It is a quote from a Smriti that many people are hell bent on destroying.
Fairphone, a Dutch firm that makes ethical and environmentally friendly smartphones, said it is extending its distribution network in Europe.Read more: Apple iPhone 6 32GB Space Grey Variant Available for Rs 28,999 on Amazon.in The company started off in 2010 raising awareness about the links between electronics and minerals mined in conflict zones, before deciding in 2013 to make and sell its own smartphones over the internet.Last year, the company reached agreements with four European telecoms operators to include its phones in their catalogues alongside those of major brands, Fairphone spokesman Fabian Huehne said on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress, the phone industry's largest annual trade show, in Barcelona."We recently changed out strategy" in order to reach a wider audience, he added.Austria's T-Mobile, Germany's 1&1, Switzerland's and Dutch firm KPN are the four operators that are now selling its phones.Fairphone has also reached an agreement with Barcelona city hall which will offer the company's phones to its employees, as well as with two online shopping sites in Italy, said Huehne.The company has sold 130,000 handsets so far -- 25,000 of them snapped up in a crowd funding exercise before the firm had made a single phone. Its main markets are Germany and Switzerland.Mobile phone manufacturers have been faulted by campaigners for using rare metals mined in conflict areas and producing devices in Asian factories with sketchy labour standards.Fairphone focuses on conflict-free minerals and provides spare parts and simple manuals to allow owners to cut costs and waste by doing their own repairs on devices. The company posted sales of 15 million euros ($15.8 million) last year.
Telecom operators are now happily working with Internet firms like Google, Facebook and Whatsapp but regulator TRAI must clarify rules to resolve differences over app-based calling and message services, Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has said.Read more: Apple iPhone 6 32GB Space Grey Variant Available for Rs 28,999 on Amazon.in "OTT (over-the-top) players and telecom players are very happily co-existing. Gone are the tensions and I think they love putting up more networks, lower the prices," Mittal told in an interview.Operators have been demanding that app-based calling and messaging services should be brought under the licensing regime. However, internet firms have been opposing any such move as it would scuttle innovation, affordable or almost free messaging services and adversely impact people adopting internet."This is a digital society with collaborative effort but it can't be said that telecom operators have no role to play and only OTT players (internet-based calling and messaging providers) will do it."They cannot do it without backbone that telecom networks have to built. This will go hand in hand that is why our relationship with Google, Facebook , Apple, Whatsapp, Hike ... very healthy," Mittal said.Telecom operators have complained to the government and the regulator TRAI that internet-based calling and messaging companies are making a dent on their revenues by providing the same services without having need to follow rules and regulations applicable on mobile services firms."You must remember that OTT players have no capital expenditure. Their market caps are through the roofs, they have to spend nothing. Telecom companies have to spend 200 billion dollars in capex," Mittal said.As per experts, typically an average voice user ends up consuming around 400 minutes of network time in a month which if delivered using mobile broadband service like 3G and 4G translates into 18 to 72 MB (MegaBytes) per month.Telecom operators are now offering 1GB (1024 MB) of mobile internet for around Rs 50 these days which is more than enough for consumers to meet their monthly calling needs.
Xiaomi is soon to launch its much-anticipated flagship smartphone for 2017, Xiaomi Mi 6. The MWC event did not see any information about its release from Xiaomi. Now recent reports reveal that the phone is set to enter the market next month on April 16.As per the same report, the phone is set to come with a 5.2-inch LCD display along with a 2.5D curved glass.Just like Sony Xperia XZ Premium , Xiaomi Mi 6 will also sport a 19-megapixel rear camera with the capability to record slow motion videos at 720p.As an addition to the regular release, Xiaomi is expected to launch a ceramic body for the variant too, like it did for Mi 2.The smartphone is expected to be powered by an underclocked Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor along with a 4,000 mAh battery.Also, it may run on Android Nougat with Xiaomis in-house user Interface - MiUI.Xiaomi Mi 6 will be available in 3 different variants  a 4GB RAM and 32GB internal memory variant, a mid-range variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal memory. The top-end variant will come with a 6GB RAM and 128GN internal storage, housed in a ceramic body.The smartphone is expected to be launched in between a price range of Rs 20,000 to 25,000.
Beijing: China on Monday operationalised the second-largest airport terminal in Tibet, close to the Indian border, which will be able to handle 750,000 passengers and 3,000 tonnes of cargo annually by 2020.



The new terminal, the sixth to be opened in Tibet, is part of Nyingchi Mainling Airport, which is located close to Arunachal Pradesh.



China's extensive development road, rail and air infrastructure in Tibet has sparked concerns in India as it also provides major advantage to the Chinese military.



India, too, has initiated border infrastructure development in the recent years.



The airport covers an area of 10,300 square meters and will be able to handle 750,000 passengers and 3,000 tonnes of cargo annually by 2020, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.



The Nyingchi airport will open new air routes to Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province, resume routes to Beijing and increase more round trip flights to Lhasa, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chongqing and Shenzhen after the new terminal comes into service, said Liu Wei, deputy director of Civil Aviation Administration of China in Tibet.



The airport has seen year-on-year increases in passenger flow since it was put into service in 2006. Passenger volume hit 390,000 in 2016, bringing the total passenger numbers to two million in the past years, Liu said, adding that the new terminal will effectively alleviate pressure brought by the growing number of passengers.



Nyingchi is located in southeast Tibet at an average elevation of 2,950 meters above sea-level. The city has attracted more visitors in the recent years due to tourist attractions such as its peach blossom festival, the report said.




The White House said Trump signed the order behind closed doors "this morning." The measure is due to come into effect on March 16.

The new order explicitly exempts Iraqis, legal permanent residents and valid visa holders.

Trump has argued that the ban is needed to prevent Islamic State and Al-Qaeda fighters from reaching US soil.

The new order is meant to address complaints raised by the federal judges that parts of the first version were unconstitutional.

US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a revised ban on travelers from six Muslim-majority nations, scaling back the order to exempt Iraqis and permanent US residents.After his first wide-ranging and controversial restrictions were slapped down by the federal courts, Trump signed an order freezing new visas for Syrians, Iranians, Libyans, Somalis, Yemenis and Sudanese citizens.Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the executive order "a vital measure for strengthening our national security."Attorney General Jeff Sessions added at a joint press conference that it "responsibly provides a needed pause so we can carefully review how we scrutinize people coming here from these countries of concern.""Three of these nations are state sponsors of terrorism," Sessions added, referring to Iran, Sudan and Syria, adding that others had served as "safe havens" for terror operatives.The first version temporarily closed US borders to all refugees and to citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries.The State Department initially cancelled 60,000 visas, and hundreds of people were reportedly detained at US airports.Iraq's inclusion had risked scuttling cooperation between Baghdad and Washington in fighting the Islamic State group.The US and Iraqi militaries are currently fighting side-by-side in northern Iraq, trying to wrest the city of Mosul from jihadist control.The Iraqi foreign ministry on Monday expressed its "deep satisfaction" with the new executive order, and described it as an "important step" in strengthening relations between Baghdad and Washington.Trump's first order had sparked a legal, political and logistical furor.There was chaos at major airports and mass protests while several district courts moved to block its implementation and lawmakers expressed opposition.The troubled rollout also dominated the first weeks of his administration, leaving many with the impression that it was badly planned and badly implemented.Polls show that American public opinion is deeply divided on the issue. Most indicate a slight majority of voters opposed, with strong support among Trump's political base.The Republican president criticized a court order suspending the ban as "a very bad decision, very bad for the safety and security of our country. The rollout was perfect."He vowed to challenge the matter in the courts, but appears to have eased away from that claim.But Democrats and organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union again voiced outrage."The only way to actually fix the Muslim ban is not to have a Muslim ban," said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU's Immigrant Rights Project."Instead, President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people."Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the measure should be repealed, adding: ""A watered down ban is still a ban."Whatever the legal outcome, Trump's new ban is likely to polarize opinion further and be immensely popular with his hardcore of supporters.The new order is also likely to sow further confusion about US immigration policies.On Monday, Nigeria advised its citizens against all but essential travel to the United States, citing the lack of clarity on new immigration rules."In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to Nigeria," said special adviser to the president Abike Dabiri-Erewa.According to travel data firm Forwardkeys, travel from the United States to the Middle East has also fallen sharply.The firm said round trips to the United Arab Emirates were down 19 percent and trips to Saudi Arabia were down 40 percent in the month following the ban."Since imposition of the travel ban, Middle East markets have been the worst affected, with bookings for departure in the next three months falling 25.4 percent behind the equivalent time last year," the firm said in a report released Monday.But the ban is likely to help Trump divert attention from rolling crises on his ties with Russia.The last week has seen his attorney general recuse himself from election-related investigations, after it emerged he met the Russian ambassador in Washington twice during the campaign.It has also seen Trump level unsubstantiated allegations that former president Barack Obama ordered a wiretap on the now president's phone.
Hanoi: A lawyer for one of the women accused of poisoning the estranged half brother of North Korea's leader says there are serious holes in the case.



In an interview published Sunday by Vietnam's state-run online newspaper Zing, attorney Selvam Shanmugam, who represents Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam, said allegations that the North Korean man had existing health problems should be cause for a new autopsy.



Kim Yong Nam was fatally poisoned at Kuala Lumpur airport on Feb. 13, and so far Doan Thi Huong and an Indonesian woman have been charged with murder. Malaysian authorities say the toxic VX nerve agent was used in the attack.



North Korea has not acknowledged that the man was Kim Yong Nam, but identified him as Kim Chol, the name in his diplomatic passport.



Shanmugam's comments come after a North Korean official, the country's former ambassador to the U.N., said Kim Chol had heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure.



"There were reasons for the North Korean ambassador to say so. I believe that there are issues that the Malaysian attorney general has to consider," Shanmugam was quoted as saying, adding "they should have a new autopsy."



Shanmugam said that if the VX nerve agent was used, why were the two women not harmed, or anyone else at the airport.



"Was it the toxic VX agent or Kim Chol's illnesses?" he said of the possible reasons for his death.



Shanmugam said he would meet Huong for the first time in prison on Monday.



Doan Van Thanh, Huong's father, told The Associated Press by telephone from his home village in northern Vietnam that he met Shanmugam on Saturday and agreed to have him represent his daughter.



"I believe that my daughter is not guilty," Thanh said.



The death of Kim, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has unleashed a diplomatic battle between Malaysia and North Korea. Malaysian authorities said Kim died within 20 minutes after two women smeared his face with VX, a banned nerve agent considered a weapon of mass destruction.



North Korea has rejected Malaysia's autopsy finding that VX killed Kim.



The Malaysian government on Saturday gave Ambassador Kang Chol 48 hours to leave the country after he refused to apologize for his strong accusations over Malaysia's handling of the investigation into the killing.
My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 6, 2017

The pilot of a Medanta Hospital air ambulance was killed when the aircraft caught fire and crash-landed near Bangkok on Monday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted late on Monday.The air ambulance was carrying five crew members, including the pilot.While pilot Arunaksha Nandy was killed, two other on board  Dr. Shailendra and Dr. Komal  were in the ICU of a Bangkok hospital, Swaraj said.Two other sustained minor injuries, she said in another tweet, adding that the Indian Mission was extending them all help and assistance.The Thailand-bound air ambulance of Medanta Hospital from New Delhi with five on board had crash-landed at Nakhon Pathom Airport near Bangkok on Sunday.The private air charter being operated on the Pilatus Aircraft PC12 VT-AVG was operating a medical flight.(With agency inputs)
The Hague: Ukraine urged the UN's top court on Monday to help bring stability to its war-torn east, seeking to convince judges that Russia is "sponsoring terrorism" in Kiev's conflict with separatist pro-Russian rebels.



"Today I stand before the court to ask for the protection of the basic human rights of the Ukrainian people," Kiev's deputy foreign minister Olena Zerkal told the International Court of Justice in The Hague.



"Thousands of innocent Ukrainians have already suffered deadly attacks," she said.



Nearly three years of conflict have claimed about 10,000 lives in eastern Ukraine -- and led to Russia's seizure of Ukraine's southern peninsula of Crimea in 2014 -- pushing ties between Moscow and the West to their lowest point since the Cold War.



"Today I stand before the world to seek protection for the Ukraine from the Russian Federation," Zerkal added, saying all Kiev was seeking was "a measure of stability and calm in an unpredictable and dangerous situation."



Ukraine's representatives are asking the ICJ to impose emergency measures ordering Russia to stop its alleged funnelling of money, weapons and personnel into the east, and to halt what it called "discrimination" against minorities in Russian-occupied Crimea.



It is also seeking compensation for attacks on civilians during the conflict.



'Human rights emergency'



Moscow has long denied arming the rebels and has said the case is motivated only "by political interests".



It has also claimed that Kiev has "shown a lack of will to hold a concrete dialogue."



Ukraine lodged its case against its former Soviet master at the ICJ in mid-January, saying it had protested for several years against Moscow's alleged financing of separatist rebels battling Ukrainian government forces.



Kiev says Moscow has "largely failed" to respond to its efforts to resolve the dispute and that "further negotiations would be futile."



Ukraine now "respectfully requests the court to adjudge and declare that the Russian Federation bears international responsibility by virtue of its sponsorship of terrorism... for the acts of terrorism committed by its proxies in Ukraine," it said in papers before the court.



"Russia must stop the flow of weapons and assistance across its borders to groups that launch terrorist attacks against civilians," said Harold Hongju Koh, another of Kiev's representatives.



Ukraine was facing a "human rights emergency," he said, adding that "in Crimea, Russia must cease its campaign of cultural erasure."



Since Russia insists it has not violated any conventions if it "will not refrain, it must be because its behaviour is neither innocent, nor legal," added Koh, a professor in international law.



Failed talks



Rare talks between Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over last month proved "fruitless", the Ukrainian presidency said in a statement Thursday.



Poroshenko hailed the start of the four days of hearings Monday, calling it "a historic moment" on his Facebook page.



"The truth is stronger than weapons!" he wrote.



The hearings come after an upsurge in the violence which killed 35 people in early February, centred around the government-held town of Avdiivka near the rebel bastion of Donetsk.



Moscow also "brazenly defied" the UN Charter by seizing Ukraine's southern peninsula of Crimea, Kiev said in its filing, accusing Russia of discriminating against Crimean minorities such as Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians.



Ukraine is seeking "full reparations for... acts of terrorism the Russian Federation has caused, facilitated or supported," it said, including the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 by a missile over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in 2014.



Russia will make its case on Tuesday, with about 35 Russian officials attending the hearings due to end on Thursday.



The ICJ was set up in 1945 to rule in disputes between countries.



While UN member nations are bound to abide by the tribunal's decisions, the court's ruling is unlikely to have much concrete effect on the ground, experts said.




Trevor aka YT Coffey, 28, passed away on Thursday, March 2, 2017, at VCU Medical Center, Richmond. Trevor was born on February 1, 1989, the son of Tracy Wade and Mark Coffey. He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Richard Coffey and James Mack; and one uncle, Robert (Bobbie) Mack. He was educated at E.C Glass High School and worked at Five Guys Burger. He leaves behind to cherish his memory his mother, Tracy E. Wade; father and step-mom, Mark and Cindy Coffey; grandmother, Brenda Ware; grandparents, Linda Yuille and Tommy Yuille; one brother, Bryan Johnson; one sister, Alexis Yuille; uncles, Zerno (Michelle) Reynolds, Eric Reynolds, and Greg Coffey; special aunt, Jacqueline Alexander; special family cousins, Jonathan (Dorothy) Reynolds, and a host of other family and friends. A memorial service will be held 1 p.m.Wednesday, March 8, 2017, at Destiny Christian Fellowship (beside Big Lots, Timberlake Rd) with Pastor Jay Logan, officiating. Condolences may be sent to www.Davis-Turner.com. Service of comfort rendered by Davis-Turner Funeral Service.
NEW YORK (AP)  McDonalds acknowledged that it lost 500 million customer transactions in the U.S. since 2012, and said it plans to use tempting value deals to help win people back.

The worlds biggest burger chain said during its recent investor day in Chicago that much of that business was lost after it did away with its Dollar Menu. It noted that an upside was that the majority of those customer visits were lost to other major fast-food chains, rather than to newer rivals.

Those are the easiest customers to get back, said CEO Steve Easterbrook, who took over in March 2015 and has been working to revive the companys image.

McDonalds outlined its plans after having recorded its fourth straight year of declining guest counts at established U.S. locations in 2016, despite the fanfare over the rollout of an all-day breakfast menu. The company also trimmed its domestic store base for the second year in a row.

To get more customers in the door, McDonalds said it will also more aggressively market coffee and pastries and offer mobile order-and-pay by the end of the year. Easterbrook also noted the huge potential of delivery, and that 75 percent of the population in the companys top five markets  including the U.S.  living within three miles of a McDonalds.

Asked by an analyst why a person would order McDonalds once delivery is widely available in the restaurant industry, Easterbrook said the chains expansive footprint gives it the advantage of being able to get food to people more quickly.

Richard Adams, a restaurant industry consultant and former McDonalds franchisee, noted that the restaurant industry has never been more competitive. While McDonalds may be able to spur more customer visits, he questioned whether the company will be able to get back to the level of total transactions it had four years ago.

If you look at the eating out options, its just so much more than 10 years ago, Adams said.

McDonalds is being pressured not just from other big fast-food players like Burger King and Taco Bell, but from newer rivals that largely emphasize freshness and taste, as well as the availability of food at convenience stores like 7-Eleven and supermarkets. So even if people are still going to McDonalds, they may be going less often than they used to. The NPD Group has said it expects overall customer traffic in the restaurant industry to remain stalled this year, as it was last year.

McDonalds, meanwhile, has touted the changes it is making to improve its core menu, such as cooking its Chicken McNuggets without artificial preservatives and testing fresh beef for some burgers. On Wednesday, the company noted that it wants to focus on serving delicious, unpretentious food.

For the near future, the company plans to launch a limited-time offer in April for $1 sodas of any size. That may offer a quick fix for bringing customers into stores.

For 2019 and beyond, McDonalds said it expects to expand its operating margin from the high-20 percent range to the mid-40 percent range, as it sells more of its restaurants to franchisees and relies more heavily on royalty fees. By the end of this year, the company expects 93 percent of its restaurants to be franchised.

Other chains such as Burger King and Dunkin Donuts are almost entirely franchised, while Starbucks and Chipotle own most their restaurants.
WOMEN NOT PROPERTY

This was the warning given by Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar yesterday at a service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-of-Spain held to commemorate International Womens Day. Our brothers have to understand we are not property and I think thats the thinking, even in 2017, from a lot of men. Women are not property and if youre in a relationship and that relationship for whatever reason is not going the way you would like it to be, then we need to be mature and step away from that relationship, she said.

Ayers-Caesar was responding to questions from reporters on recent acts of violence against women after she addressed the service. We need to come together as adults to do what is best in the interest of our children, because at the end of the day it makes no sense, a mother or father who cannot get along and then one kills the other and inevitably commits suicide.

This is trend we have been seeing and we leave these children as orphans.

A lot of parents do not realise how they interfere with the psyche of their children, she said.

Ayers-Caesar said parents should start having these kind of discussions with their daughters and sons.

We need to have the discussion from within our homes and not have our men grow up and try to deal with emotional issues when they get older. We need to start that discussion when they are very young, with our boys and our young girls, she said. She advised women that the court is there to help them.

You may not want to come to the court at the first instance because in a lot of situations, the women have children. For us women, the thought of moving out of your home, leaving those children behind or sometimes running with your children deters a lot of women from seeking protection.

You want the women to know there is help out there, there are NGOs, there are groups that you can approach to talk to. Coming to the court does not mean that that is the end of your family but it may be a means of saving your life, she said.

Ayers-Caesar said once a woman seeks a protection order from the court its enforcement lies with the police. If it is that someone goes to the police station because an order has been breached, the thinking cannot be go back home and try to fix it or go to a JP (justice of the peace) and file a complaint. The police have a role to play at that point in time and once that is done and a perpetrator is brought before the court then the court will deal with that breach because the legislation empowers us to deal with it, she said.

Asked if she felt not enough was being done she said, I dont want to say that not enough is being done, but more can be done and I think there must be some sort of sensitisation of police officers so that they understand that this is important. It comes down to a matter of life and death in most situations and they need to act and act quickly. Ayers-Caesar also expressed her concern about the overall crime situation in the country and advised young men involved in crime to put down the gun and take up their respective holy books.
No cost to State in clean-up campaign

Speaking after the launch of the clean-up campaign in San Fernando on Saturday, Hosein said the government had to bear the cost for minor items like advertising and food for those who volunteered.

But the volunteer contractors, he added, have every weekend put out at least $200,000 to $300,000, and we have over 15 contractors on board so it is costing them a lot. Some of the 15 contractors include Junior Sammy Group of Companies, Laing Sandblasting & Painting Co, KallCo Ltd, Coosals Group of Companies, Namalco Group of Companies, Fides Ltd, TN Ramnauth & Company Limited, General Earth Movers Ltd, Seereeram Bros Ltd and Lakshmi Singh Transport Contractors.

Dozens of trucks from the respective contracting companies made their way around San Fernando over the weekend to remove bulk waste, tear down derelict buildings and clear drains and waterways.

Hosein said that the full cost of the campaign as well as its effectiveness, would be reported to the country via Parliament at the end of the campaign.

What I have realised since this thing started is that it is bringing all the races together, all the political parties together, the rich and the poor. I would really like to see this continue, Hosein said adding that a national educational campaign would be conducted in schools to foster a spirit of cleanliness among the youth.

On another issue, Minister Hosein said he has asked his Permanent Secretary to write the Regional Corporation CEOs to instruct litter wardens to start enforcing relevant laws.

The litter wardens do work but they are not doing the amount of work they are supposed to do, Hosein said. He continued, Instead of working two and three hours for the day they need to be working for a full day and get the job done and they will be out there to ensure they charge the people who go against the law. On the matter of increasing the numbers of municipal police, Hosein said that over 2,000 applications for 1,200 vacant positions were received since advertisements were put out. Interviews would be conducted over the coming weeks, he said.
South lawyers discuss appeal to PC

In a release from attorney Alvin Pariagsingh, London-based attorney Anand Beharrylal will speak to the south-based attorneys about the law and procedure in filing and presenting appeals to the Privy Council.

Beharrylal had been presenting appeals to the Privy Council for the past 12 years in his 20 year career in private practice in London.

The release stated that for many attorneys in South Trinidad, the law and procedure for appealing to the Privy Council is still a matter only a select few is aware of. Equally, it is a mystery the cost involved and whether there is really a need for retaining a Queens Council in London, or Senior Council in our local jurisdiction, to present such appeals.

The Privy Council is still the final court of appeal for Trinidad and Tobago and practitioneers are required to know procedurally how to appeal, the release stated.

The event takes place at the conference room of the Royal Hotel, San Fernando, at 2 pm.

Attorneys interested in attending should email Pariagsingh to confirm attendance.
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By Liz Hampton HOUSTON (Reuters) - It is too soon for the world's top oil exporters to discuss extending a historic deal to curb output beyond June, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Monday. Non-OPEC producers such as Russia and Kazakhstan joined OPEC-led production cuts that have lifted global oil prices more than 10 percent since they were approved in November. The agreement expires in June. "It's premature to talk about extending the agreement," Novak told reporters at the CERAWeek industry gathering in the U.S. energy capital of Houston. Russia agreed to cut output by 300,000 barrels per day under the deal, and would reach that target by the end of April, he said in remarks translated from Russian. So far, Russia had cut about half of that, he said. Russia expects oil prices to stay at around $55 to $60 per barrel in 2017, he said. Novak said there was lots of "untapped potential" for Russia and the U.S. to cooperate on energy matters. (Reporting by Liz Hampton; Writing by Simon Webb; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
A California family's grief deepened Saturday after divers called off the search for 2-year-old Noah Abbott, who has been missing since Thursday when the car his mother was driving crashed into an aqueduct, the Mercury News reports. The bodies of Christina Estrada, 31, and another son, Jeremiah, 3, were previously recovered, but Noah remains missing and presumed dead. The family's attention now turns to the lone survivor, Elijah Estrada, 10, who was released from a hospital over the weekend. He had been ejected from the red Volkswagen convertible, and witnesses say they helped pull him from the water, where he had been holding on to flotation buoys. Elijah's uncle, Steven Abbott, tells the Victorville Daily Press that the boy is doing well and appears to be in good health.

Relatives kept a vigil at the aqueduct in Hesperia amid a makeshift memorial of candles, flowers, and stuffed animals as police searched for Noah in the water and by air. Authorities ended the search because of unsafe conditions from a strong current and poor visibility. Two GoFundMe accounts (here and here) have been set up to help Kevin Abbott, the husband and father, pay funeral expenses. Abbott, an Iraq War veteran who was not in the car, is "having a hard time right now," says a cousin. "He's been put in a position where he's now a single father, so we're looking for any support we can get." The car crashed through a fence and into water about 6:40pm Thursday, and the cause is under investigation. It was fully submerged when found. (Read more car accident stories.)
North Korea on Monday fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 620 miles, with three of them landing in waters that Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone, South Korean and Japanese officials say. The move was an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal, the AP reports. It was not immediately clear the exact type of missile fired, but the tests will be viewed as a provocation by the Trump administration, which is working on its policy for North Korea.

At least one of the missiles landed as close as 190 miles from Japan's northwest coast, says Japan, leading Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to condemn the "extremely dangerous action," which he noted was clearly in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, Reuters reports. US national security adviser HR McMaster and senior South Korean presidential official Kim Kwan-jin held a phone conversation after the missile firings. The two condemned the launches and agreed to boost cooperation to get the North to face more effective sanctions and pressure, according to South Korea's presidential office. (After a missile launch last month, President Trump said the US is 100% behind Japan.)
The toppling of more than 40 headstones in a predominantly Jewish cemetery wasn't part of a disturbing rise in anti-Semitic incidents nationwide, police say. Instead, the NYPD says the 42 headstones at Brooklyn's Washington Cemetery fell down by themselves because of a combination of factors, including neglect and soil erosion, the AP reports. The cemetery's manager says that when a stone can't be reset, they "lay them across the grave to keep them memorialized," which a concerned community member apparently mistook for vandalism.

State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, however, tells the New York Daily News that he believes some of the newer headstones really were knocked down and he wants an investigation. He says the police commissioner and a hate crime task force are taking reports of cemetery damage very seriously. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo launched a statewide investigation after tombstones were toppled and defaced at a cemetery in Rochester. (Federal officials say a bitter ex-boyfriend threatened Jewish community centers across the country in a campaign to harass his ex.)
A camper at Yosemite National Park left his site with his wife Sunday morning to fetch coffee, but when they tried to return to their tent, they were met with the sight of an ambulance, a firetruck, and park rangers who wouldn't let them back into the area. The reason, per KFSN: A tree had fallen on a fellow camper and killed her, per the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office. A park spokesman confirmed to KCRA that the unidentified 21-year-old woman died after the tree toppled onto her tent around 11am at Half Dome Village in the California park. Park officials, who noted strong winds and heavy snow increase the chance of trees falling, shuttered the village and other camping areas afterward, with some not expected to be reopened until Monday afternoon. "I feel horrible when things like this happen," the other camper tells KFSN, noting his tent was just two down from the woman's. (Read more Yosemite National Park stories.)
A double tragedy took the lives of 97-year-old twin sisters over the weekend in Rhode Island. Jean Haley and Martha Williams were found Saturday morning after both fell outside the door of Haley's home in Barrington on Friday night, reports the Providence Journal. Police don't suspect foul play. The women had little chance of surviving the night's freezing temperatures, which the AP notes were among New England's coldest of the year. Authorities say the women had been out to dinner earlier with their 89-year-old younger sister, and it appears that Williams fell first, perhaps while walking back to her car after dropping her twin sister off.

At that point, authorities think Haley fell while trying to get help. She "may have tripped on a rug on the floor of the garage as she attempted to enter her house to call for assistance,'' says the Barrington police chief. The younger sister wasn't with them at that point, and the home is located on a quiet road and "somewhat isolated," notes the Washinigton Post. A neighbor looking out the window saw Williams the next morning lying near the rear of her vehicle in the driveway. Her sister was found in the garage. (These twin sisters adopted by separate families as babies were finally reunited.)
One clear narrative has emerged in the wake of a weekend in which President Trump accused former President Obama of tapping his phones: Trump wasn't just in a bad mood over the last few days, he was lividor "steaming, raging mad," as a piece at the Washington Post puts it. Coverage:

By most accounts, this was set off by Attorney General Jeff Sessions' decision on Thursday to recuse himself from any Russia investigation. Trump felt he caved to pressure instead of defending himself, and he went "ballistic" at senior staffers in the Oval Office on Friday morning, reports ABC News.

"Nobody has seen him that upset," an unnamed source tells CNN, which has a video shot from outside a White House window of the meeting. See it here.

The New York Times says his "foul mood" remained as he left for his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for the weekend, and the story says it spilled over to Saturday morning, when he woke and began tweeting about Obama.

Friend Christopher Ruddy, chief executive at Newsmax, saw him on the golf course Saturday. He was pissed, Ruddy tells the Post. "I haven't seen him this angry." The Post has the most detailed account of the president's weekend, which it says was fueled not just by Sessions but by Trump's growing anger about what he views as the opposition of the "deep state" (entrenched bureaucrats and intelligence officials) to his presidency. That narrative in particular is reportedly a big one being pushed in private meetings with Trump by aide Steve Bannon. Read the story here.

Trump told Ruddy he would be "proven right" about the Obama surveillance, and a White House official tells Axios that Trump is "absolutely convinced" of it. "The president just has a great nose for these things," said the official, adding that "it's the bureaucratic leaksthe deep statethat bother him most."

(Read more President Trump stories.)
Think Las Vegas and "casinos" probably pop into your headmeaning it won't be surprising to learn that gaming service worker is the job that's statistically the epitome of Nevada. 24/7 Wall St. crunched the concentration of particular jobs in every state and measured that figure against nationwide stats to come up with what it deems the "most iconic" job in each statewhich, taken all together, "highlight each state's unique contribution to the highly diverse US economy." Ten states and their showcased jobs here:

California: farmworkers and laborers (crop, nursery, and greenhouse)

farmworkers and laborers (crop, nursery, and greenhouse) Colorado: atmospheric and space scientists

Florida: special education teachers

special education teachers Hawaii: dancers

dancers Maryland: court reporters

court reporters Missouri: locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants

locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants New Jersey: shampooers

shampooers New York: fashion designers

fashion designers South Carolina: tire builders

tire builders Utah: telephone operators

Find what job represents your state, and all of the others, here . (The 10 best jobs in the US.)
Beauty and the Beast Disney final

On the heels of an Alabama drive-in theater boycotting the release of the live-action remake of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" because it features a gay character, over in Russia, a lawmaker is already pushing for a countrywide ban of the movie.

Russian news outlet Ria Novosti reports that State Duma deputy Vitaly Milon wrote a letter to culture minister Vladimir Medinsky urging that action be taken as the movie is a "blatant, shameless propaganda of sin and perverted sexual relationships," according to Time.

The ban would fall under a 2013 law that prohibits "gay propaganda" among minors.

The ministry has yet to make a ruling on the film.

"Beauty and the Beast" director Bill Condon revealed that Josh Gad's character LeFou, the comic sidekick to antagonist Gaston (Luke Evans), will be Disney's first-ever openly LGBTQ character.

The movie opens in the US on March 17. You can watch the latest trailer below.

NOW WATCH: INSIDE 'JEOPARDY!'  We spent a day on the set with Alex Trebek





More From Business Insider


Germany's government on Monday condemned remarks by Turkey's president accusing officials of "Nazi practices," days after a local authority prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally there, the AP reports. Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statements "absolutely unacceptable." "Germany cannot be outmatched regarding the rule of law, tolerance and liberalism," he told German public Television ARD. Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said the German government "strongly rejected" the equation of modern Germany with Nazi Germany, adding that such comparisons downplayed the crimes of the Nazis. Seibert noted that there were strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there were "far-reaching differences of opinion" between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

Erdogan had said Sunday in Istanbul that "Germany, you don't have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past." His remarks followed a decision last week by local authorities in southwest Germany to withdraw permission for Turkey's justice minister to use a venue to hold a rally near the French border that was part of a campaign to get Turks in Germany to vote "yes" in an upcoming referendum on constitutional reform. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel sought to smooth stirred-up emotions on Monday and stressed the need to "normalize" what he calls a "highly strained" relationship with Turkey. Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of the referendum that would give Erdogan new powers. (Read more Recep Tayyip Erdogan stories.)
The White House is rolling out its new travel ban after the first one got hung up in the courts. The big difference, as expected, is that Iraq is no longer on the banned list after promising to beef up screening, reports the AP. That leaves six Muslim-majority nations: Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The new directive, scheduled to take effect March 16, will prohibit new visas from being issued to travelers from those nations for 90 days, but those with current visas won't be affected. The revised order generally makes more exceptions than the first one, notes the Washington Post, including for those who are permanent legal residents of the US. President Trump signed it Monday, though not in a public ceremony as with the first.

"If you have travel docs, if you actually have a visa, if you are a legal permanent resident, you are not covered under this particular executive action," adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News on Monday, per CNN. The order also will suspend the nation's refugee program for 120 days, making exceptions for those already cleared, and it will cap the total number of refugees at 50,000 for fiscal 2017, down about half from last year. So will the narrower scope appease critics? Early reaction suggests not. "The president has said he would ban Muslims, and this revised versionin these preliminary fact sheetsstill does that, even if they have removed Iraq from the list," says the director of advocacy for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. (Read more travel ban stories.)
A big showdown in the Supreme Court over transgender rights just got pushed off the docket. The court instead has handed a transgender teen's high-profile case back to a lower court, reports the AP. The justices said Monday they have opted not to decide whether a federal anti-discrimination law gives high school senior Gavin Grimm the right to use the boys' bathroom in his Virginia school. The case had been scheduled for arguments in late March. Grimm, who was born with female genitals but identifies as a male, has effectively become the face of the current transgender rights movement because of his lawsuit, notes Bloomberg. In its move Monday, the Supreme Court asked a lower court in Virginia to evaluate the federal law known as Title IX and the extent to which it applies to transgender students.

The high court action follows the Trump administration's recent decision to withdraw a directive issued during former President Obama's tenure that advised schools to allow students to use the bathroom of their chosen gender, not biological birth. The administration action triggered legal wrangling that ended with Monday's order. In essence, the federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., had relied on the Obama administration's interpretation of Title IX to side with Grimm. Now that the Trump administration has revised that guidance, the federal court will be asked to take another look. For Grimm, the order means that he probably will graduate with the issue unresolved, with his ability to use the boys' bathroom blocked by a policy of the Gloucester County school board. (Read more transgender stories.)
You know how a few miles on the treadmill can really get your pulse racing? Well, it seems the same can be said of MSNBC and Fox News, so nary the two shall meet at the Greater Scranton YMCA, which has seen tempers get a little hot of late. "Theres been some boisterous conversations going on around politics probably over the last six months or so," the Y's CEO tells the Times Leader of the decision to ban cable news. "So the board decided to put a policy in place." She says the reaction has been near-universal relief: "Ive had three emails and a phone call that didnt agree with it, but Ive had about 100 members come up and say Im so glad you did this." While the gym didn't see actual fights break out, there was one near-miss that she says "was broken up by another member before it got to that point."

Members will still be free to watch the likes of ESPN and the Weather Channel, but CNN, MSNBC, and Fox are on longer being aired, notes the Hill. "I think its probably a good thing," says one member. "People are here to do one thing. Im OK with local news, but Im here to work out, not talk politics." Another member of 50 years doesn't like the limitation. "I think they made a big mistake with this," he says. "People have the right to watch what they want, when they want. Because two other people got in an argument, thats their problem. The rest of us shouldnt be punished for it." (Scranton gym rats will be missing John Oliver's highly targeted advertising.)
The brother-in-law of a missing French couple has confessed to killing them and their two adult children with a crowbar, then dismembering the corpses, over an old inheritance dispute, authorities said Monday. The prosecutor in the western town of Nantes said at a news conference that Hubert Caouissin told investigators he slipped into the home of the Troadec family at night last month with the intention of retrieving a key, but found himself face to face with his brother-in-law, who the suspect said was holding a crowbar. Caouissin told investigators he managed to wrest the iron bar away, and that he first killed Pascal Troadec and his wife, Brigitte, then their two children, aged 21 and 18, the AP reports.

"It seems that the bodies were dismembered, that one part was buried, the other part burnt," prosecutor Pierre Sennes said. The prosecutor spoke of a "criminal scene of great violence." The motive behind the four killings allegedly was a family dispute over a poorly shared inheritance, including gold coins, Sennes said. Caouissin and his partner, Lydie Troadecthe sister of Pascal Troadecare being questioned by investigating judges and are expected to be handed preliminary charges later Monday, the prosecutor said. The family disappeared Feb. 16, but their bodies have not been found. (Read more France stories.)
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 6, 2017 / SeeThruEquity, a leading independent equity research and corporate access firm focused on small-cap and micro-cap public companies, today announced it has issued an update on Reign Sapphire Corporation (RGNP).

The report is available here: RGNP Update Note.

Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Reign Sapphire Corporation (OTCQB: RGNP, "Reign") is attempting to build a new premium consumer brand in the jewelry sector focused on ethically-processed, Australia-mined sapphires. The company is pursuing this with a unique approach to the supply chain supported by an intriguing technology-driven consumer marketing program. Successful execution would position Reign as what management has called the "world's first vertically integrated source to retail model" for sapphire gemstones and fine sapphire jewelry. As part of the consumer strategy, Reign plans to leverage technology acquired in a recent acquisition, as well as its supply chain, where it purchases rough commercial sapphires in bulk directly from commercial miners in Australia, and then control the supply at each step along the way to retail, enabling the company control over quality, costs and design. In our view the strategy is intriguing given what appears to be an underrepresentation of sapphires at retail in the US jewelry market  only 8% of total sales include colored gemstones and the potential financial and quality benefits that could be achieved by controlling the process from the miners-gate to retail.

Highlights from the report are as follows:

Reign to acquire Coordinates Connection, Inc.

On January 9, 2017, Reign CEO Joseph Segelman issued an update to investors in which he outlined recent developments at Reign, including the recent announcement that Reign acquired custom jewelry company Coordinates Collection, Inc. ("Coordinates Collection"), a transaction that closed on December 1, 2016. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Coordinates Collection is a customized jewelry company founded in 2012 by Owen Devries.

Story continues

Coordinates Collection's flagship product line includes rings, bracelets, and necklaces that display the latitude and longitude of places of significance to the customer. Products are made from precious and semi-precious metals and stones, as well as ceramic coatings. Coordinates Collection is predominantly sold through online channels (90%), and also has wholesale distribution with an international retail presence in Dubai. Importantly, the deal is expected to add a differentiated technology enhancing the company's data driven approach to marketing.

Coordinates Connection adds revenue-generating platform

Reign sees a key advantage of the move to acquire Coordinates Connection as the addition of a revenue-generating, online consumer technology platform. Indeed, the acquisition provides Reign with an established online consumer sales platform, which management sees as being synergistic with Reign's mine-gate to consumer model. Coordinates Collection also brings revenues scale, with sales primarily through online sales last year, according to the acquisition announcement. Terms of the deal included the issuance of 7mn shares of Reign, and a cash payment of $500,000, contingent upon a future offering, as well as earn-out payments based on the performance of certain agreed on products.

Target unchanged at this time

We are leaving the price target for Reign unchanged at this time. Reign is still an early-stage developing company with an intriguing approach to a large market, with resulting risks and opportunities. Our expectation is that we will learn more about the company's ability to execute on revenue growth during calendar 2017.

Please review important disclosures on our website at www.seethruequity.com.

About Reign Sapphire Corporation

Based in Beverly Hills, California, Reign Sapphire Corporation (RGNP) is a fully-reporting, DTC-eligible company, originally established as a "source to retail" model for fine Australian sapphires - rough sapphires to finished jewelry, a color gemstone brand, and a jewelry brand featuring Australian sapphires.

Reign Sapphire Corporation now includes Reign Sapphires, Le Bloc Jewelry, and Coordinates Collection.

More Ways to Reign

It's not just about sapphires, but the moments the precious gemstones represent. Reign Brands focuses on elevating products into personal keepsakes that are built on quality with a unique, customized point of view.

Reign Brands

Reign Brands, including Le Bloc and Coordinates Collection, combine quality craftsmanship and timeless designs to provide a personalized shopping experience to commemorate life's most memorable moments.

About SeeThruEquity

Since its founding in 2011, SeeThruEquity has been committed to its core mission: providing impactful, high quality research on underfollowed small-cap and microcap equities. SeeThruEquity has pioneered an innovative business model for equity research that is not paid for and is unbiased. SeeThruEquity is the host of acclaimed investor conferences that are the ultimate event for publicly traded companies with market capitalizations less than $1 billion.

SeeThruEquity is approved to contribute its research reports and estimates to Thomson One Analytics (First Call), the leading estimates platform on Wall Street, as well as Capital IQ and FactSet. SeeThruEquity maintains one of the industry's most extensive databases of opt-in institutional and high net worth investors. The firm is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan in New York City.



For more information, visit www.seethruequity.com.

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INS Viraat retires from Indian navy on Monday, finds no buyer

New Delhi : A glorious era of the flagship of the Indian Navy, the INS Viraat, will end next Monday with her decommissioning after 57 years of service, including 27 with the Royal Navy, a top official said here.

Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba - who was once the executive officer of the ship in 1998 - will be present for the momentous occasion, along with some officers and men from India and United Kingdom who serve with her, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Western Naval Command, Vice-Admiral Girish Luthra, said.

At sunset on March 6, the Naval Ensign and Commissioning Pendent will be lowered for the last time on board INS Viraat symbolizing the end of her glorious era in Indian naval history, Vice-Admiral Luthra said taking around a media contingent on board the ship for the last time.

The ceremonies of the Guinness Record holder warship shall be commemorated by releasing a book on her history, and a Special Cover by Army Postal Service, he added.

On plans for converting the ship into a memorial floating museum, he said the central government is examining various aspects and proposals and would convey about it to the Indian Navy soon.

The Andhra Pradesh government has formally evinced interest in making the INS Viraat a museum, though similar plans for the erstwhile Vikrant had failed.

"We were keen to retain (INS) Vikrant (as a museum), but it did not materialize," Vice-Admiral Luthra said, referring to the country's first aircraft carrier which ended up in the scrap yard in Mumbai.

Presently, INS Vikramaditya is the only serving aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy and the second one, named Vikrant, is under construction at Cochin Shipyard Ltd.

"We expected that she will be ready for sea trials by the end of 2018. Ideally we should have three aircraft carriers and a long-term perspective plan looks at three such warships.. While one can be deployed on the western seaboard, the second can be on the eastern seaboard and third can be taken up for refits," he pointed out.

As far as a third aircraft carrier is concerned -- after INS Vikramaditya and the under-construction Vikrant, concept studies have been completed and deliberations on size are underway, Vice-Admiral Luthra said.

The motto of the outgoing warship, INS Viraat was 'Jalamev Yasya, Balmev Tasya' (Sanskrit, meaning - One Who Controls the Sea is All Powerful), which was first adopted by the great warrior king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century as the guiding principle of his naval-military strategy.

It housed the fighters 'White Tigers' - the Sea Harriers of INAS 300, which were decomissioned in Goa in May 2016, anti-submarine aircraft Sea King MK42B, Sea King MK42C or 'Harpoons', SAR helicopter Chetan, besides ALH 'Dhruv' and Russian twin rotor Kamov-31.

Under the Indian flag, she clocked more than 22,622 flying hours by various aircraft, spent around 2,252 days at sea sailing 10,94,215 km, and since her inception her boiler was running for 80,715 hours.

She played a major role in the Operation Jupiter in 1989 in Sri Lankan Peace Keeping operations, Operation Parakram in 2001-2002 when India and Pakistan were in a stand-off post-terror strikes on Indian Parliament, among others.

She took part in various international joint exercises like Exercise Malabar (USA), Exercise Varuna (France), Naseem-Al-Bahar (Oman), at all the annual theatre level war exercise, TROPEX and her last operational deployment was at the International Fleet Review, Visakhapatnam, in February 2016.

With a full load displacement of 28,700 tonnes, the 226.5 metres long and 48.78 metres wide ship was manned by 150 officers and 1,500 sailors.
Seoul : North Korea test-fired four ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan on Monday, in what Japan's leader described as "an extremely dangerous action", the media reported.

Military in South Korea, Japan and the US all confirmed the launch of four projectiles, which one US official said were intermediate range missiles, CNN reported.

Three of the four missiles landed in its Special Economic Zone (EEZ) - an area stretching some 370 km from the coastline of northern Akita prefecture, Japanese Prime Minister told parliament on Monday.

"The latest launches of ballistic missiles clearly demonstrate evidence of a new threat from North Korea," Efe news reported citing Abe as saying.

"These acts a very serious provocation" to Japan's security."

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the four projectiles were launched from an area near North Korea's Dongchang-ri long-range missile site at 7.36 a.m., and flew about 1,000 km, Yonhap News Agency reported.

"We estimate the North fired four ballistic missiles. We are conducting an analysis (with the US) on the missiles to determine their type and other specifications. It will take a while before we can come up with a final analysis (based on American satellite data)," the statement said.

Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn convened a National Security Council meeting after the launches.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the incident and warned that the North would face consequences from its continued provocations and pursuit of nuclear and missile programs in defiance of the world's increasing pressure.

Following the launch, the US has reaffirmed its commitment to defend itself and allies South Korea and Japan, by using the "full range of capabilities at our disposal".

"The US strongly condemns North Korea's ballistic missile launches, which violate UN Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology," State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner said.

Toner said the US "calls on all countries to use every available channel and means of influence to make clear to the North and its enablers that further provocations are unacceptable, and take steps to show there are consequences to its unlawful conduct."

The latest provocation comes a day after the US said it may consider redeploying a tactical nuclear weapon in South Korea as a deterrent against growing nuclear and missile threats posed by the rogue regime.
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Find out why it remains an expensive city to build in.

The latest International Construction Costs Index published today by Arcadis revealed that Singapore is the third most expensive Asian city for construction, trailing behind Hong Kong and Macau.

Singapore's construction market has seen continuous correction since 2014, caused by over-supply and a slowing economy. This years output forecast is currently estimated to be between US$ 27bn and US$32bn, representing a stable market after a steep correction. Sustained workload in the public sector, such as public housing and civil engineering, has supported the industry during the correction. As a result, prices have remained broadly stable.

Country head for Singapore Tim Risbridger said with Singapore's continued investment in infrastructure through projects such as Changi East Development, PUBs Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) and Singapore to Kuala Lumpur High-Speed Rail, the industry in Singapore will remain positive with a forecast of 2% increment per year.

"However, it is not without challenges. Among them, a shortage in both labor and expertise could potentially hinder productivity if not being addressed effectively. We believe investment in technology and initiatives which will increase industry productivity, are essential in order to meet the challenges in the coming years," he said.

Check out the rankings below:





More From Singapore Business Review


New Delhi:

Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD ) chief Hafiz Saeed was placed under house arrest on Monday by Punjab Home Department, reportedly.

This apparently happened after Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in a statement said that there has been a check on Saeeds activities since 2011. Further details of this action would be divulged on Tuesday.

Nisar added that JuD has been declared as banned outfit in a resolution of Security Council of the United Nations (UN) and every state is required to take action.

He further added that Pakistan was going to take an action against the group now which was pending.

Hafiz Saeed is a co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the chief or amir of Jamaat-ud-Dawah, which operates mainly from Pakistan. He is the mastermind of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

ALSO READ | 26/11 attack: David Headley puts India-Pakistan relations in limbo

At least 164 people were killed and about 308 were injured in the series of attacks that took place in November 2008 in Mumbai. He "is at Masjid-e-Qadsia Chauburji and a heavy contingent of police has surrounded the JuD headquarters," JuDofficial Ahmed Nadeem, who is present at the premises of the outfit, told PTI by phone.

ALSO READ | Do not forge friendship with India, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed to Pakistan government

Punjab government's action comes amidst pressure from the Trump administration to act against terror. The US has clearly told Islamabad that in the case of not taking action against JuD and Saeed, it may face sanctions.

With PTI Inputs

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New Delhi :

A man who had gone to withdraw money at an ATM in Sangam Vihar Sangam Vihar in New Delhi allegedly ended up getting four notes of Rs 2,000 with Children Bank Of India written on them, police said on Wednesday.

Rohit Kumar, a customer care executive, had gone to withdraw cash from the State Bank of India (SBI) ATM in Sangam Vihar on February 6. He got four notes of Rs 2,000 which had churan label on them in place of the official watermark.

The notes also had PK written on them in place of the RBI stamp and the top left corner had Bharatiya Manoranjan Bank written instead of Reserve Bank of India.

After the victim approached the police, a Sub-Inspector was sent to the ATM to withdraw money and he also received a note that had Children Bank Of India written on it.

Following this, a case of cheating was registered and investigation has been taken up, said a senior police officer.

After scanning the footage from the ATM, police has managed to identify the last man who had filled cash in the machine.

Till now, there have been no other complaints. Probably, only a few notes were changed. We have to identify at which point the real notes were exchanged, the officer added.

Meanwhile, SBI issued a statement saying that they have a robust system in place for monitoring the quality of notes, adding that the investigation in the matter is underway.

Police said all the notes were found as children playing notes, which are available at toy shops.

A case under sections 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust), 409 (Criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of IPC was registered at Sangam Vihar police station, they said.

Mohammed Isha, custodian of the Brinks India Pvt Ltd, who works for the SBI ATM has been zeroed in and his liability has been fixed by the bank as he was the custodian at the time of the incident, said a senior police officer.

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Lahore:

India has asked Pakistan to re-investigate the 2008 Mumbai terror attack case and put on trial Jammat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed who is currently under house arrest in Lahore under the anti-terrorism law.

India has made a fresh demand in a reply to Pakistan's request to send 24 Indian witnesses to record their statements in the case, an interior ministry official told.

"We have received a reply from Indian government in response to our letter regarding sending 24 Indian witnesses to Pakistan to record their statements in the Mumbai terror attack case.

"But instead of entertaining our request India has sought re-investigation of the case and also demanded trial of Jammat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba operation commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in the light of evidence it had provided to Pakistan," the official said.

The Pakistan government on January 30 had put Saeed and the four leaders of JuD and Falah-e-Insaniat under house arrest in Lahore under the country's anti-terrorism act. Saeed, who carries a reward of USD 10 million, was also put under house arrest after Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008 but he was freed by court in 2009.

The official said Indian witnesses statement are needed to conclude the case which has been pending for the last seven years. He said Pakistan has no issue to try any suspect of Mumbai case provided it has evidence against him.

"If India provides some strong evidence against Hafiz Saeed in Mumbai case we will try him," he said, adding that Lakhvi was too released on bail because of lack of solid evidence against him.

India has been urging Pakistan to complete the trial at the earliest. It has said that enough evidence has been shared with Pakistan to prosecute the accused. Meanwhile, no hearing in the Mumbai case was held.

This was 17th consecutive hearing of the case in which no progress has been made primarily because the anti-terrorism court was awaiting reply from India regarding sending of 24 Indian witnesses to record their statements.

The trial court has already completed recording of the statements of all witnesses here and their cross-examination and other relevant record has also been presented before it.

The trial court is likely to be informed about the Indian reply on next hearing scheduled for March 8. Mumbai attack mastermind Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum have been facing charges of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the attack.

Lakhvi got his freedom some 22 months ago after he secured bail in the case. He has been living in undisclosed location since then. The other six suspects are in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi.

Ten LeT militants killed 166 people and wounded dozens in Mumbai in November, 2008. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught. Kasab was executed after a court found him guilty and handed down death?sentence.

Also Read | Pakistan's action on Hafiz Saeed a 'mere eye wash': Manish Tewari

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New Delhi:

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday expressed sadness over yet another incident of hate crime in US involving Indian citizen.



A 39-year-old Sikh man in the US was injured when an unidentified person shot him outside his home and allegedly shouted go back to your own country on Saturday night.



Reacting over the news, EAM Swaraj said, I am sorry to know about attack on Deep Rai a US national of Indian origin. I have spoken to Sardar Harpal Singh father of the victim.

US Envoy to India Marykay Carlson has condemned the attack, "Saddened by shooting in Washington. As US Pres said we condemn "hate and evil in all its forms."

He told me that his son had a bullet injury on his arm. He is out of danger and is recovering in a private hospital, she added.

Read | US hate crime: Another Indian shot by stranger, says was told to go back to your own country

Earlier in a statement MEA said that the ministry is in touch with local authorities: CGI San Francisco is in touch with local authorities who are ascertaining the nature of the crime. The Sikh gentleman is able to talk. We wish him a speedy recovery and are ready to offer all possible assistance.



The Sikh man was working on his vehicle outside his home in the city of Kent in the Washington state on Friday when he was approached by a stranger, who walked up to the driveway, the Seattle Times reported.



Kent police said an argument broke out between the two men, with the victim saying the suspect made statements to the effect of go back to your own country. The unidentified man then shot him in the arm.



The victim described the shooter as a six-foot-tall white man, wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face.



Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas said while the Sikh man sustained non-life-threatening injuries, they are treating this as a very serious incident.

Read | Indian techie's body brought to Hyderabad from Kansas

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Lucknow:

The BJP on Sunday moved the Election Commission regarding remarks of UP CM Akhilesh Yadav asking voters to accept money from other parties but to vote for the SP.UP BJP spokesperson Manoj Mishra said state BJP vice-president J P S Rathore, in a complaint letter sent to the Chief Election Commissioner, has accused Akhilesh of violating the model code of conduct.

Earlier on Sunday, BJP lashed out at Yadav for hurting the dignity of the Chief Ministers post by making a frivolous statement that voters should accept money from other parties but cast their ballot for the SP.

On Saturday in Bhadohi, the UP CM and SP national president asked voters to accept money from other parties, but vote for the bicycle symbol of the ruling Samajwadi Party.

I (have) heard that voters are being given money. My advice to you is to keep the money with yourself and vote for the bicycle, Akhilesh had said.

Mishra further mentioned another statement of the UP CM made by him in Lucknow, where he had reportedly told media persons, My journalist friends, please cooperate with me during the elections. Later, I will reward you. (Patrakar mitro chunaav mein aap hamara sahyog kariye baad mein hum aapko puraskrit karenge).

The BJP spokesperson said that the statement given by Akhilesh indicates that he has already accepted defeat and has started talking about monetary transactions (Len-Den in Hindi).

Earlier, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had been let off with a light rap by the Election Commission when he made a similar remark that he had no problem with people accepting money from other parties to attend their rallies but that they should vote for the BJP.

The EC had also directed registration of an FIR against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for asking voters in Goa to accept money from other parties, but vote for AAP which was testing its popularity in the coastal state.

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New Delhi :

The last phase of the campaign of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections would conclude on Monday as the people will exercise their franchise on March 8. Bharatiya Janata Party has high stake in the region and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been camping in his constituency since Saturday to woo the voters.

On Monday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would reach DLW guest house to Garwah ghat ashram where he would seek blessing of saint and worship the cows. Later, he would also visit to Ramnagar wherein he would offer his respect to former Prime Minister Lal Bhadur Shastri at the latter;'s ancestral home.

Around 2 pm, Modi would address a public meeting in Rohaniya. He would conclude his campaign with the rally and would return to national capital. The campaign would also end in Manipur where the second phase of polling would be held on March 8. The two bigwigs, chief minister Okram Ibobi and Irom Sharmila are contesting from Thauwal constituency.

In the last two days, Modi took out a road show, offered prayers at the two historic temples and paid tributes to Hindutva ideologue Madan Mohan Malviya . His road shows were held on Saturday and Sunday.

Also Raod: Akhilesh, Rahul believe in development of few, says PM Narendra Modi in Varanasi

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New Delhi :

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reached at Gadwaghat Ashram and offered prayers in the Ashram. He fed the cows and met Mahant Sharananand of the Ashram.

Later in the day, Modi also visited Ramnagar wherein he offered his respect to former Prime Minister Lal Bhadur Shastri at the latter's ancestral home.

Around 2 pm, Modi will address a public meeting in Rohaniya. He would conclude his campaign with the rally and would return to national capital.

In the last two days, Modi took out a road show, offered prayers at the two historic temples and paid tributes to Hindutva ideologue Madan Mohan Malviya. His road shows were held on Saturday and Sunday.A

The campaign would also end in Manipur where the second phase of polling would be held on March 8. The two bigwigs, chief minister Okram Ibobi and Irom Sharmila are contesting fromA ThauwalA constituency.

Updates:A

PM Modi at Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial in Varanasi pic.twitter.com/aanuIoYQO7 a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

A

Varanasi: PM Narendra Modi pays tribute to Lal Bahadur Shastri pic.twitter.com/ODaCc2gqkE a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi :

A 75-year-old man and his son have been arrested for allegedly running a betting racket in the garb of astrology business in southeast Delhis Sangam Vihar area.

The accused, Ram Snehi Lal, is specially-abled and had included his son (35) in the racket, allegedly being run by him, police said.

Lal pretended to be an astrologer and was running the racket from his home. During previous raids, he took advantage of his disability and managed to claim innocence, police said.

His son, Chotte, has also been arrested along with three alleged gamblers Ram Singh, Ravinder and Shyam Lal Verma, they said, adding that over Rs 15,000 were recovered from the three alleged gamblers.

Police have also seized a register in which the father son duo used to keep a record of their clients and their betting amount.

The racket was busted after an input was received by police and a raid was conducted yesterday around 9.30 PM.

Initially he tried to mislead police by claiming that people were visiting him to consult him for their problems.
New Delhi:

Reza Aslan, a scholar of religion has scripted a new television show which contains multiple instances of full frontal male nudity practiced in 'Hinduism'.

The show is called Believer, and it premieres Sunday night on CNN. And yes, it's about religion, though Aslan, who is Muslim, attests that "it's a show about religion.

The hourlong series explores two domestic and four international religious groups: Ultra-Orthodox Judaism in Israel, Hindu asceticism in India, Vodou in Haiti, Santa Muerte in Mexico, Scientology in the United States, and an apocalyptic doomsday cult in Hawaii. The series is produced by Whalerock Industries.

The sect is termed as Aghori and as reported it widely challenges ideas of purity by consuming human flesh. But "Believer" doesn't offer as much enlightenment as its title and premise might suggest. The main problem is that some of the chosen believers in the first few episodes are ultimately unbelievable.

Many of the groups and leaders featured here are so fringe that their bizarre philosophies and theatrics distract from Aslan's main mission - to demystify lesser understood faiths and find a commonality that makes us all believers in something.

People are not happy with the show as he has called Varanasi, "City of Dead" as rumoured. They took social media to express their disbelief and anger.

Fault is all ours. We have failed to create any Indian international media outlet like Al Jazeera, Russia Today, France 24 https://t.co/u5XksoWD9b a Divya Kumar Soti (@DivyaSoti) March 4, 2017

A

No @CNN Kashi is known as one of the oldest "living" cities in the world (since 2000 BCE) continually inhabited by the living.Facts please? https://t.co/nqbEIDUKdS a Advaita Kala (@AdvaitaKala) March 4, 2017

A

New CNN show presents Varanasi, the oldest living city on the planet, as "city of the dead". https://t.co/B2K5NJH6Pc a Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) March 3, 2017

A
New Delhi:

In a biggest statement ever made by an ex-Pakistani general, ex-Pakistani NSA Mahmud Ali Durrani has said that Pakistan had a role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The statement made by Durrani has also proved that Pakistan is a terrorist sponsoring state.

Speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference in Delhi, Durrani admitted that a terror group based in Pakistan carried out the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

I hate to admit it that the 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan is classic trans-border terrorist event, he said.

When asked about Hafiz Saeed's utility for Pakistan he said, Hafiz Saeed has no utility, we should act against him. Pak Defence Analyst Tariq Pirzada reacted to Durranis statement saying, Ex-Pakistan NSA is speaking pure rubbish.

However, Durrani soon made a U-turn and said, Pakistan government and ISI had nothing to do with the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

#WATCH: Former Pakistan NSA Mahmud Ali Durrani says 26/11 attack was carried out by terror group based in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/cBmzSFnbK2  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

It may be recalled that Durrani was fired in 2009 after he had admitted that Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist caught in connection with Mumbai terror attacks, was a Pakistani.

ALSO READ | Terrorism remains pervasive challenge to international security: Manohar Parrikar

According to reports, Durranis comments wont have any legal implications on the proceedings of the case.

Mohammad Hanif Atmar, the National Security Advisor to President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani, was also present during the conference. We share the region with Pakistan, which has the highest concentration of terrorists anywhere, he said.

Also Read: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar wonders if Hafiz Saeeds arrest 'outcome of Pakistans wise thinking'

Despite international investment in counter-terrorism, terrorism is growing its capabilities and presence in AfPak region, he added.

Koi utility nahi hai,I hope they punish him: Ex-Pak NSA MA Durrani on being asked what is Hafiz Saeed's utility for Pak,how do they view him pic.twitter.com/BqAV8wc2Mj  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

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New Delhi:

Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi once again created ripples in the media for making a loose statement on filmmaker Karan johar. Abu Azmi on Monday took a jibe at filmmaker Karan Johar for having twins through surrogacy.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Azmi reportedly said, aHe is such a grown up, he should get married. And, if he has some medical issues that stop him from getting married, he should say it.a Azmi even called Karan Joharas surrogate kids decision a adramaa and said, aIf he has a medical problem, why canat he just adopt a kid. Why do you have to do this drama of surrogacy.a

#WATCH: Itne bade ho gaye, shaadi nhi kar skte?Koi beemari hai toh adopt kar lo. Surrogacy ka kya naatak hai ye?: Abu Azmi,SP on Karan Johar pic.twitter.com/bOK4ccHQzk a ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

Azmias comments come a day after Karan Johar announced that he became a father of twins through surrogacy. Karan Johar has named his babies Roohi and Yash and the two were born on February 7.

The two were born at the Masrani Hospital in Andheri under the care of Dr Jatin Shah, and were later shifted to Surya Mother & Child Hospital in Santa Cruz (west). Karan Johar will be taking the babies home in another two weeks.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram has termed the move by some public and private banks to levy charges after certain number of cash transactions at branches as the most retrograde step.A



Banks including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank at present charge a minimum Rs 150 per transaction for cash deposits and withdrawals beyond four free transactions in a month.A



"Bank charges for depositing cash and withdrawing cash is most retrograde step," Chidambaram tweeted.A



"Will banks be happy if customers withdraw cash in one go and keep cash at home," the senior Congress leader posted on Twitter.A



The move to re-impose a fee on cash transactions was seen in some quarters as aimed at discouraging cash transactions and furthering the digital payment drive.

(1/2) Bank charges for depositing cash and withdrawing cash is most retrograde step. a P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) March 5, 2017

(2/2) Will banks be happy if customers withdraw cash in one go and keep cash at home? a P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) March 5, 2017

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New Delhi :

Rajasthan BJP MLA Bhawani Rajawat stoked a fresh controversy, asking people not let any VIPas aircraft to land in Kota including the Prime ministeras too. Rajawat was addressing a programme of inauguration of Post Office Passport Seva Kendra.

The legislator questioned the inauguration of kiosk, saying that what the people will do with passport when no aircraft would land in Kota. A Kota MP Om Birla was also present on the occasion.

Erstwhile, Rajawat had courted controversy when a heated exchange of words took place between MLA Chandrakanta Meghwal and cops. Rajawat backed the MLA and state that he would have mangled the neck of cops if was present on the spot.

A Rajawat had said that Ambani and Adani knew about demonetization to which the Centre had denied when the allegation was levelled by the opposition parties.A

WATCH: BJP Rajasthan MLA Bhawani Rajawat says 'till airport for public is not built in Kota,should not let even PM's aircraft to land here' pic.twitter.com/ImrtmxAkcf a ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

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New Delhi:

The Election Commission on Monday issued show-cause notice to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav over bribery remark. The EC found statement violative of MCC provisions. The EC asked Akhilesh to explain latest by 5 PM on 7th March.

The Samajwadi Party supremo was on Monday served with a showcase notice for reportedly asking voters in Bhadhoi on March 4 to accept money but vote for the cycle, his partys election symbol.

Prime facie finding him guilty of violating the model code, the Commission asked him to respond by March 7 as to why action should not be taken against him.

According to the Commissions notice, Yadav had asked voters to accept money from other parties, but vote for the bicycle symbol of the ruling Samajwadi Party.

I (have) heard that voters are being given money. My advice to you is to keep the money with yourself and vote for the bicycle, Akhilesh had said.

The poll watchdog reminded him that bribery and abetment of bribery of voters is a penal offence

Earlier on Sunday, BJP moved the Election Commission regarding remarks of UP CM Akhilesh Yadav asking voters to accept money from other parties but to vote for the SP.

UP BJP spokesperson Manoj Mishra said state BJP vice-president J P S Rathore, in a complaint letter sent to the Chief Election Commissioner, has accused Akhilesh of violating the model code of conduct.

Earlier, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had been let off with a light rap by the Election Commission when he made a similar remark that he had no problem with people accepting money from other parties to attend their rallies but that they should vote for the BJP.

Also read: BJP complains to EC against Akhilesh 'bribery' remarks to voters

The EC had also directed registration of an FIR against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for asking voters in Goa to accept money from other parties, but vote for AAP which was testing its popularity in the coastal state.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

Indias first dedicated heliport built at a cost of Rs 100 crore for flying in and out of Delhi to nearby areas in choppers became operational in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju inaugurated the state-of-the-art heliport at Rohini in north Delhi, saying this is the first such integrated facility in South Asia.

The heliport that is expected to reduce congestion at the IGI Airport in New Delhi would also provide air connectivity to nearby pilgrimage centres besides medical emergency evacuation services.

The first flyers from Rohini heliport were five young boys and girls from CRY, an NGO which works for underprivileged children. They were taken on a chopper for a joyride over Delhi.

Set up at an investment of about Rs 100 crore by the Pawan Hans Ltd, the heliport is spread over an area of 25 acres and consists of a terminal building having capacity for 150 passengers, four hangars with parking capacity for 16 helicopters and nine parking bays.

Also, it has maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for the upkeep of Pawan Hans fleet as well as for third-party maintenance work.

Pawan Hans Ltd is a joint venture between the Central Government and ONGC with the former holding 51 per cent stake and latter the rest 49 per cent.

We are excited. This is the first facility in South Asia. Of course, in terms of passengers traffic, India is the fastest growing in the world. Somehow in helicopter and cargo, we have lagged behind. So we need to pull up our socks.

If we have to take it (helicopter industry) to the higher level, (then) it needs training (training in skill development), Raju said after the inauguration.

Since Pawan Hans plans to start joy rides from April from the Rohini heliport, when the vacation period sets in, Raju said, joy rides have a future.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey and Pawan Hans Ltd Chairman and Managing Director B P Sharma were also present at the ceremony.

Raju also said that his ministry has made a request to the Lt Governor of Delhi as well as the city Government for providing Pawana Hans the adjacent five acres of land for setting up helicopter pilots and AME training centre to meet the growing demand for such professionals.

As of now, except the armed forces, everybody else goes abroad for training. We are trying to bring training and MRO works back to the country because that creates jobs. Overall, it (the heliport) is a step in right direction, Raju said.

Rohini heliport will become not only a hub for the helicopter industry in the country but push Governments ambitious regional connectivity scheme, Sinha said.

The facility will be useful in providing medical emergency, public safety and enhancing tourism, he said, adding helicopter services could become economically viable if the prevailing 25 per cent tax on ATF was reduced.

Stating that the facility is Indias first integrated facility for rotor wing aircraft including their landing and takeoff, Sharma said it also has separate air traffic control (ATC), fire and fuelling services.

The Government has envisaged four heliports in four regions of the country in the new civil aviation policy announced last June.

This is the first of the four heliports that have been talked about in the policy. The challenge now is to move as much of helicopter operations here from Delhi airport as possible. That would reduce the congestion at the IGIA, Choubey said.

Delhi Airport currently handles about 40-50 helicopter arrivals and departures on an average daily besides the large-scale fixed-wing operations.

Pawan Hans has carried out the Rohini heliport project for the civil aviation ministry. The heliport will also be used for operating services for disaster management, emergency medical services, law and order surveillance as well as a centre for the skill development of pilots and engineers.

Pawan Hans has also prepared a roadmap to connect all the major destination from Rohini heliport to Shimla, Haridwar, Dehradun Mathura, Agra, Meerut and industrial hubs such as Manesar, Bahadurgarh, among others.

It plans to provide air connectivity between Delhi and neighbouring cities from Rohini Heliport as well.

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Special prosecutor Park Young-soo announces the results of their investigation over an influence-peddling scandal involving South Korean President Park Geun-hye, in Seoul, South Korea, March 6, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

By Ju-min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Park Geun-hye colluded with a friend to take bribes from Samsung Group aimed at cementing Samsung Chief Jay Y. Lee's control of the conglomerate, the special prosecutor's office said on Monday, paving the way for Park to be prosecuted if removed from office.

The findings of the 70-day probe directly accuse the impeached Park of wrongdoing on several charges, including the bribery conspiracy implicating Samsung.

Lee goes on trial for bribery and embezzlement on Thursday amid a corruption scandal that has rocked South Korea and led to the impeachment.

Park, 65, has had her powers suspended since her impeachment by parliament in December. Should the Constitutional Court uphold the impeachment, she would become the country's first democratically elected president to be thrown out of office, triggering an election in Asia's fourth-largest economy.

A decision is expected as early as this week.

South Korean law does not allow a sitting president to be indicted unless she is accused of treason. No formal charges can be brought against her until she is either removed from office or her term ends as scheduled in late February 2018.

Her removal from office would subject her to a fresh investigation by state prosecutors.

"Bribery charges related to the president, and the culture blacklist case ... have been transferred to the prosecutors' office," special prosecutor Park Young-soo told a televised news conference.

The special prosecutor also said the president was instrumental in blacklisting more than 9,000 artists, authors and movie industry professionals and excluding them from government assistance that constituted an abuse of power.

In a statement detailing the findings of its investigation, the special prosecutor's office said the National Pension Service voted in favor of a merger of two Samsung Group affiliates in 2015, despite anticipating a 138.8 billion won ($119.87 million) loss.

Story continues

CHARGES AGAINST PARK "FICTION"

"Samsung Group vice chairman Lee Jae-yong colluded with others including the corporate strategy office chief Choi Gee-sung to bribe the president and Choi Soon-sil with an aim to receive support for his succession by embezzling corporate funds," special prosecutor Park told a televised news conference, referring to the Samsung chief's Korean name.

Choi is President Park's long-time confidant.

Lee, 48, pledged 43 billion won ($37.19 million) in return for support from Park and Choi for a variety of steps including a merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015 and the 2016 domestic listing of a loss-making drug maker Samsung Biologics Cfo Ltd, the special prosecutor said.

Park, Choi and Lee have all denied wrongdoing.

Park's lawyer said on Monday that the special prosecutor's charges against her were "fiction" and that she did not receive illicit favors from Samsung.

"Future court proceedings will reveal the truth," Samsung said in a statement, reiterating it did not pay bribes or make improper requests seeking favors.

The investigation looked into an influence-peddling scandal involving Park, who was impeached after accusations she had colluded with Choi to pressure big businesses to donate to two foundations set up to back the president's policy initiatives.

The state prosecutor's office said in a statement that it had re-grouped the team of investigators which indicted Choi in November to take over and "conduct the probe according to law and principle without prejudice".

Lee, a third-generation leader of the Samsung tech giant "chaebol", and four other executives, were last week charged with bribery and embezzlement over the corruption scandal.

Based on the main charges levied against Lee, he could face more than 20 years in prison if convicted.

(Additional reporting by Se Young Lee; Writing by Christine Kim and Jack Kim; Editing by Nick Macfie)
New Delhi:

India and Pakistan will hold parleys on various aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in Lahore on March 20 and March 21.



The meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) will take place nearly six months after New Delhi decided to suspend talks on the pact in view of the Uri terror attack by Pakistan-based outfits.



The meeting is being held as the IWT, 1960 makes it mandatory to hold parleys under the pact at least once in a fiscal.



Indias Indus water commissioner and MEA officials will be part of the Indian delegation for the annual meeting.



The last meeting of the PIC was held in May 2015 in New Delhi.



India had on Friday downplayed its participation in an upcoming meeting in Pakistan to discuss sharing of Indus river water, saying it does not amount to resumption of government-level Indo-Pak talks. The dialogue was stalled following the terror strikes by Pakistan-based terror groups.



Declaring that blood and water cannot flow together, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held a meeting in September to review the treaty in the backdrop of the terror strikes, including the Uri attack.



After the meeting, officials had announced that the government has decided to suspend further talks and increase the utilisation of rivers flowing through Jammu and Kashmir to fully exercise Indias rights under the pact.



The commission, which has officials from both the countries as its members, was set up under the treaty to discuss and resolve issues relating to its implementation.



It is mandated to meet, alternately in India and Pakistan.

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New Delhi:

Indian Navy's INS Viraat, the worlds oldest aircraft carrier in active service will be decommissioned on Monday with a ceremonial send-off in Mumbai.

INS Viraat decommissioning will mark an end to a glorious chapter in the Indian Navys history as the longest serving aircraft carrier will retire after serving the country for nearly three decades.

The ship, famously known as the 'Grand Old Lady', was with the British Royal Navy since 1959 before the Indian government bought it for Rs 6.5 crore in 1987.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and senior officer of the Indian Navy shall be attending the ceremonial send-off in Mumbai. The ship is being decommissioned at a solemn ceremony in Mumbai on Monday, where 21 of its 22 former commanders will be present.

The grand event will see the lowering and wrap-up of the naval flag installed on the warship at sunset, marking an end to a long sea odyssey lasting 55 years.

If no buyer is found for the ship in four months, it will be broken up and sold for scrap, Navy Chief Sunil Lanba said on Monday.



In 1997, INS Vikrant was decommissioned after serving the country for over 36 years.







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New Delhi:

Indian Navy's INS Viraat, the worlds oldest aircraft carrier in active service will be decommissioned on Monday with a ceremonial send-off in Mumbai.

INS Viraat decommissioning will mark an end to a glorious chapter in the Indian Navys history as the longest serving aircraft carrier will retire after serving the country for nearly three decades.

INS Viraat was a Centaur-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. INS Viraat was the flagship of the Indian Navy before INS Vikramaditya was commissioned in 2013. It was sold to India in 1987. INS Viraat was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 12 May 1987 and served for 27 years.

INS Viraat was originally commissioned by the British Royal Navy as HMS Hermes on 18 November 1959, 15 years after she was laid down in June 1944. She served as the flagship of the Royal Navy's task force during the Falkland Islands campaign in 1982 and was decommissioned from active duty in 1985.



Here are some interesting facts about the world's oldest serving aircraft carrier



Motto - The motto of INS Viraat was 'Jalamev Yasya, Balmev Tasya' (meaning - One Who Controls the Sea is All Powerful), which was first adopted by the great warrior king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century as the guiding principle of his naval military strategy.

Launching Pad for multiple naval fighters: It housed the fighters 'White Tigers', the Sea Harriers of INAS 300, which were decommissioned in Goa in May 2016, anti-submarine aircraft Sea King MK42B, Sea King MK42C or Harpoons, SAR helicopter Chetan, besides ALH Dhruv and Russian twin rotor Kamov-31.

Operations: INS Viraat played a major role in the Operation Jupiter in 1989 in Sri Lankan Peace Keeping operations, Operation Parakram in 2001-2002 when India and Pakistan were in a stand-off post-terror strikes on Indian Parliament, among others.

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New Delhi:

The Income Tax department has provisionally attached benami assets allegedly linked to Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain in a case of illegal routing of undisclosed funds of over Rs 13 crore, a charge strongly denied by him.



In a detailed statement, Jain said his name has been wrongly dragged to create a false impression about him and that he is not afraid of any probe about his income details.



The IT department had issued the order last week under the provisions of the new Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988 that came into force on November 1 last year.



The department had claimed to have identified four firms that allegedly took accommodation (bogus) entries in the form of share capital and purchased assets illegally.



Jain, in the statement, said I have earned all my income with my hard work and I have been a tax payer for decades. I am not afraid of any probe about my income details, nor am I scared of any political vendetta.



I am a professional architect with a practice of nearly 25 years, during the course of which I have designed numerous buildings in the country. During my practice days, I made investments of around Rs 51 lakh between the years 2007 and 2012 in few Pvt Ltd companies, he said.



Jain said that since he did not want a conflict of interest, he had quit from the boards of companies in which he was a director within 10 days of getting the Aam Aadmi Party ticket to contest Delhi Assembly polls in 2013.



On 21 July 2013, I was given the ticket of Aam Aadmi Party to contest the Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections from Shakur Basti constituency.



Within 10 days, (on 31st July 2013) I resigned from the boards of companies in which I was a director. I had taken this decision since I was entering politics and I did not want any conflict of interest, he said.



I have not been associated since 31 July 2013 with any of the companies... and I fail to understand how my name has been dragged with regard to investment value of the land etc, Jain said.



The the IT department had alleged that the total accommodation entries received by these firms between 2010-2016 is Rs 13.68 crore and it is pertinent to note that these companies did not have any business activity during the period of funding so as to attract such huge funding in the form of share capital and share premium.



Hundreds of bighas of land, allegedly purchased in and around Delhi by the said four firms, have been provisionally attached by the department under the new benami law which carries a maximum punishment of up to 7 years rigorous imprisonment and a hefty penalty.

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New Delhi:

The two-day celebrations of the famous 'Lathmar Holi' has begun in Mathura's Barsana town. The event is being held amid tight security arrangements to thwart hooliganism.A Interestingly, the district authorities have asked the police to deal 'politely' with pilgrims coming to attend the festival.A



Celebrated in the villages a few days before Holi, 'Lathamar' means 'playing with sticks'.A



"In the festival, men folk try to smear colour on new clothes worn by women who traditionally protect themselves with lathis," priest at the Ladli temple in Barsana Rasbihari Goswami said.

A



Additional district magistrate (ADM) Ajai Kumar Awasthi said security has been beefed up and arrangements have been made in Barsana and Nandgaon villages for the festival.A



"Police personnel in plain clothes have been posted at strategic points to catch people indulging in hooliganism while, at the same time, have been instructed to deal politely with the pilgrims," senior superintendent of police (SSP) Mohit Gupta said.A



The Lathamar Mela area in Barsana has been divided into three zones with nine sectors each for efficient crowd management, Awasthi said.A



ADMs and additional superintendent of police have been made in-charge of the zones.A



The sectors will be managed by SDMs and circle officers, the ADM said, adding the area has been declared a no vehicle zone. The fair will have nine medical camps and ambulances have been deployed to attend to emergencies, he said. AIR will be airing a special programme on the occasion from 5 PM.

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Imphal:

North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convener Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday hit out at the Congress party and Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh and called him a dictator.

While addressing the media on Monday at State BJP Head Office in Imphal, Sarma said, "Ibobi is a dictator and the people of Manipur have decided to vote out the dictatorship this time."

On the higher voter turnout, Sarma said, "The higher voter turnout of such magnitude has been witnessed for the first time ever in Northeast and probably in India. This is a historic turnout and we are thankful for the people of Manipur as well as the media for creating history."

ALSO READ | Manipur polls: EC orders FIR against state BJP office bearers over newspaper advertisement

"BJP is set to form the government. Now we are not doing last day poll strategy. We are planning how to work for the betterment of the State in the coming years by our government," a confident Sarma said.

On the allegations of Congress about violation of Model Code of Conduct by BJP by putting up advertisement on March 3 in local dailies he said that no violation was made.

ALSO READ | Manipur polls: Trinamool Congress eyes repeat of 2012 performance

"Had Mr Ibobi constructed the roads, there was no need to put advertisement on papers. But it takes more than 17 hours for us to reach from one corner of Manipur to another because of the deplorable road conditions. And this is why we had to put advertisement to reach out to the people," Sarma said.

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New Delhi:

Sri Lankan Navy personnel on Monday opened fire on a group of 6 Indian fishermen from Rameshwaram when they crossed IMBL for the purpose of fishing. During firing one fisherman, Brijjo lost his life.

Earlier on Monday Twenty-four Indian fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Naval personnel for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in the island nation's territorial waters.

"Fifteen fishermen, who were fishing between Katchathivu and Talaimannar, were arrested and taken to Talaimannar," Assistant Director of Fisheries Kulanjinathan said.

Nine others fishing near Neduntheevu were arrested and taken to Kangasanthurai, he said. The four boats of the fishermen, hailing from this town and Jagadapagttinam village, were seized, he added.

(With Inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi:

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said at the 19th Asian Security Conference in Delhi that India and Afghanistan have been victims of proxy war for decades now.

Parrikar added that Terrorism remains pervasive challenge to international security, developing coordinated global response is important. He also termed Terrorism as the single biggest threat to international peace and security.

Also Read: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar wonders if Hafiz Saeeds arrest 'outcome of Pakistans wise thinking'

Afghanistan's National Security Advisor Mohammad Hanif Atmar who was also speaking at the Conference, highlighted that his country shares border with Pakistan which has the highest concentration of terrorists.

Despite international investment in counter terrorism, terrorism is growing its capabilities and presence in Afghanistan-Pakistan region, added Mohammad Hanif Atmar.

Pakistan's former national security adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani said the 26/11 Mumbai attack was carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan and called it a "classic" example of cross-border terror.

At the same time, he, however, said the Pakistani government had no role in the attack. Durrani was speaking at a conference on combating terrorism at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis. 26/11 Mumbai strike, carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan, was a classic trans-border terrorist event, he said.

With Input from PTI

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New Delhi:

Twitter is buzzing with news alerts from India and rest of the world. Here are the latest updates from the micro-blogging site in one scroll:

#10:18 PM

The Air Ambulance of Medanta Hospital with five member crew caught fire and crashlanded near Bangkok: EAM Sushma Swaraj

#9:47 PM

Arms licenses of Ateeq Ahmed and four others cancelled by Allahabad district magistrate-ANI

#9:19 PM

Pakistan has decided to open the border crossings at Torkham and Chaman on 7th & 8th March 2017: Pakistan govt-ANI

#9:17 PM

Cabinet approves Rs 4,500 crore project to revive 50 unserved and under-served #airports, air strips-PTI

#9:11 PM

IMD Dehradun forecasts hailstorm from night of March 9

#8:45 PM

EC issues notice to UP CM Akhilesh Yadav over a statement violative of MCC provisions, asks him to explain latest by 5 pm, 7th March-ANI

#8:32 PM

EC issues showcause notice to UP CM Akhilesh Yadav for his bribery remark - PTI

#8:14 PM

BJP winning four states including Manipur, Punjab to see three cornered race: Amit Shah, BJP President - ANI

#8:13 PM

If an MP meets his constituents in election, how can someone call it desperation?: Amit Shah on PM Modi's campaigning in Varanasi - ANI

#8:04 PM

ED summons former Air Asia India MD and CEO Mittu Chandilya in connection with its FEMA probe-ANI

#7:43 PM

CID arrests Sashmita Ghosh, District Child Protection Officer(DCPO) in connection with Jalpaiguri child trafficking case

#7:36 PM

Telangana CM KCR gave a call to public representatives&officials to make Gajwel assembly constituency as no.1 model constituency in country-ANI

#6:50 PM

Head constable and close aide of rape accused Uttar Pradesh Minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, Chandrapal surrendered before Lucknow police-ANI

#6:29 PM

TN Govt makes Jayalalithaa's medical records public,says did so to put at rest speculation surrounding her hospitalisation, treatment & death-ANI

#6:28 PM

India issues advisory for Indian citizens travelling to Rio de Janeiro as a matter of precaution, in view of law & order situation

#5:58 PM

Govt urges banks, including private ones, to reconsider charges on cash transactions & ATM withdrawals above certain limit-ANI

#5:56 PM

Govt asks SBI to reconsider it's decision of imposing a penalty on non-maintenance of minimum balance in accounts from April 1-ANI

#5:46 PM

Union Min Dharmendra Pradhan visited Lyondell Basell Refinery& Petrochemical complex, one of the biggest in the world, in Houston, USA-ANI

#5:40 PM

Not blaming any particular Govt, or talk about a particular player. But India given to its number of youth, should encourage sports: K Kavitha

#5:38 PM



Traditionally in India sports persons haven't been encouraged much, we should have proper sports policy: K Kavitha, TRS on Sakshi Malik-ANI

#5:20 PM

Boldness shown by Durrani, Pak Govt now cannot deny-Its an act of both state & non-state actors: 26/11 Mumbai attack Special PP Ujjwal Nikam-ANI

#4:50 PM

No bidder turns up for real estate assets of Vijay Mallya's defunct Kingfisher Airlines in Mumbai and Goa during auction by lenders-PTI

#4:48 PM

SC to hear contempt proceedings against Anurag Thakur on April 17; exempts him from personal appearance on that day- (Read full story)

#4:37 PM

BCCI matter: SC asks DDCA to give an undertaking to new cricket body, stating that it wud follow & implement Lodha committee recommendations-ANI

#4:10 PM

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Fire at Dharavi's 90 feet road, opposite Kamraz School. Eight fire tenders rushed to the spot-ANI

#4:00 PM

Clashes in Kashmir's #Shopian district during search operation, protestors pelt stones at security personnel-PTI

#3:54 PM

Sensex rebounds 215.74 pts to end at 29,048.19; Nifty recovers 65.90 pts to 8,963.45

#3:45 PM

Najeeb Ahmed case: Patiala House Court fixes March 14 as next date of hearing after lawyers appearing for students demanded more time

#3:00 PM

Veteran Leander Paes Leander retained in India's Davis Cup team for the tie against Uzbekistan next month - PTI

#2.43PM

Koi utility nahi hai, I hope they punish him: Ex-Pak NSA MA Durrani on Hafiz Saeed

#2.38PM

Veteran Leander Paes retained in India's Davis Cup team for the tie against Uzbekistan next month- PTI

#2:10 PM

On request of Tamil Nadu Govt, AIIMS hands over Jayalalithaa's health record to the state's Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan - ANI

#2:06 PM

PM Modi addresses rally in Rohaniya: Fortunate that I was raised on the land where Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel were born (Read Full Story)

#1:53 PM

Modi ji has become old, We will bring government of youth- Rahul Gandhi

#1:50 PM

If Kashmiri leaders wth separatist leanings r sincere abt so-called freedom struggle why dnt they offer their childrn to pelt stones-J.Singh - ANI

#1:19 PM

Delhi court summons CM Arvind Kejriwal in a defamation case filed by Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra - PTI

#1:00 PM

SC fixes petitions on demonetisation for further hearing on March 10 - PTI

#12:28 PM

J&K: Security forces cordon off area in Pinjura(Shopian). More details awaited - ANI

#12:10 PM

SC issues notice to Union of India and asked why people should not deposit old currency notes of Rs 500, and Rs 1,000 till March end - ANI

#11:48 AM

National Company Law Tribunal says Mistry Cos failed to satisfy on maintainability of plea against Tata Sons - ANI

#11:36 AM

No relief for UP minister Gayatri Prajapati from Supreme Court, SC asks him to approach concerned court - ANI

#11:26 AM

Shiv Sena's Minakshi Shinde selected as Thane's Mayor

#11:05 AM

Varanasi: PM Narendra Modi reaches Gadhwa ghat Ashram - ANI

#11:03 AM

Uphaar Cinema matter: Supreme Court fixed convict Gopal Ansal's plea for hearing on March 8- ANI



#11:00 AM

1984 Sikh riots case: Supreme Court posts matter for further hearing till March 24 - ANI

#10:50 AM

US assures India of speedy justice to Indian-American hate crime victims - PTI



#10:45 AM

We share the region with Pakistan, which has the highest concentration of terrorists anywhere: Mohammad Hanif Atmar,Afghanistan NSA - ANI

#10:32 AM

Terrorism remains pervasive challenge to international security, developing coordinated global response is important: Manohar Parrikar - ANI ( Read Full Story Here)

#10:15 AM

Chandauli (UP): Bus with passengers from Karnataka hits a truck on NH 2. One passenger dead; more than 20 injured- ANI

#9:50 AM

It's a private matter but spending so much on a wedding function isn't justified: R Vikhe Patil (Congress) on Maha BJP Chief son's wedding- ANI

#9:38 AM

India vs Australia, Bengaluru Test, Day 3: Hosts aim to restrict visitors (Read Full Match Coverage Here)

Ishant to Wade, no run, first ball the ball does something off the wicket and pings Wade on the bottom hand.

Today and, if they play well, tomorrow, will determine if India have a future in this series and whether a season of good cricket can end well.

#9:05 AM

An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter Scale hit Northwestern Jammu & Kashmir region - ANI

#8:30 AM

Its the same situation the community was in after Sikhs were targeted post 9/11. There is deep concern: Rajwant Singh,Sikh Council USA - ANI

#7:47 AM

WATCH: Ladoo Maar' Holi celebrated in Barsana(Mathura) (5.3.17)

#7:15 AM

North Korea fires several banned ballistic missiles, three reach Japan waters- AFP

#7:00 AM



Sikh man shot at in Seattle: Special prayer held in a Gurdwara in Washington DC- ANI

North Korea fired several banned ballistic missiles



For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Mar 5, 2017) - Canada Revenue Agency

The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, delivered the following statement to update Canadians on the important efforts and progress made by the Government of Canada to crack down on tax cheats and ensure a tax system that is fair and responsive for all Canadians. The Minister also took the opportunity to clarify our Government's efforts in relation to the KPMG file which was the subject of recent media reports:

Most middle-class Canadians pay their fair share of taxes, but some wealthy individuals participate in complex tax schemes to avoid paying their fair share. That is unacceptable and it needs to change. The Government of Canada is working hard to crack down on offshore tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance in order to ensure a tax system that is fair and responsive for all Canadians.

In relation to the KPMG file, the CRA continues to take action on a number of fronts, including actively seeking further information through the courts. Going further, by analysing additional information, the Agency has uncovered a number of additional tax schemes set up in the Isle of Man. The CRA is analysing these additional structures to identify any similarities with the KPMG scheme, and, where appropriate, will take all necessary compliance actions.

The recent media reports continue to characterize the CRA's actions as offering "amnesty". However, as I previously stated, there was no amnesty. I would like to clarify that, when deciding whether to pursue compliance orders or other actions before the courts, as a result of audits, the CRA consults the Department of Justice. Early dispute resolution, where appropriate, is in the public interest. Litigation is costly for everyone and the outcome of complex, tax-related litigation processes may be unsuccessful.

The suggestion that any wrongdoing occurred as part of the CRA's handling of the KPMG file ignores the results of an independent third-party review. The review, conducted by Kimberley Brooks, Associate Professor and former dean of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, found that the specific compliance measures taken by the CRA were in accordance with established CRA policies and procedures, and were reasonable and supported by evidence.

Story continues

In the last year, the Government of Canada has taken significant action on several fronts to identify and deal with tax cheats. Supported by the investment of $444 million announced in Budget 2016, our Government is focussing resources in areas of highest risk both domestically and internationally. With increased information gathering capabilities and better tools at its disposal, the CRA now has access to more information than ever before.

It is clear that a lot of work is already underway. With these increased efforts, the CRA is already seeing signs of success. But there remains much to do.

Tax cheating remains a significant, global multi-billion dollar concern. As part of its commitment to cracking down on aggressive tax avoidance and evasion, the CRA will continue to build its capacity to detect and crack down on tax cheats. Furthermore, the Agency is committed to transparently communicating its activities and results to Canadians - to not only inform and improve its approaches over time - but to ensure a tax system that is responsive and fair for all.

The CRA's domestic and offshore audit activities have put our Government on pace to raise assessments of over $13 billion this year.

In addition, to build on these assessments, in the last year the CRA has:

increased the number of auditors reviewing offshore tax schemes, promoters and large multinational corporations.

begun reviewing all taxpayers in certain segments of the population identified as high risk. The Agency is using external data and publically available information to maximize its efforts to identify non-compliance.

expanded its promoter centre specifically geared towards intermediaries, and making promoters a focus of our criminal investigations, with several underway.

toughened its response to "leaked lists" of taxpayers with offshore holdings. For example, with the Panama Papers, the CRA has over 76 taxpayer audits underway and extensive data is currently being reviewed. The CRA also executed search warrants and several criminal investigations involving both participants and facilitators, are ongoing.

audits of the highest-risk taxpayers moving money between Canada and four offshore jurisdictions are underway, with more to come. So far, a total of 41,000 transactions have been analysed, totaling over $12 billion.

established specialist collection teams and added technical and legal expertise throughout its enforcement teams.

Let me be clear: tax cheats can no longer hide. We take these matters very seriously and those who choose to participate in these schemes, must face the consequences of their actions. This is what middle-class Canadians who pay their fair share of tax expect.

Related links:

Government of Canada cracks down on tax evasion

Government of Canada participates in meeting of tax administrations to share findings on Panama Papers

Government Response to the Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Finance

Cracking down on offshore tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance

Statement from the Canada Revenue Agency

Summary Findings: Independent review of the CRA's Management of the KPMG Offshore Tax Scheme

Stay connected

To receive updates when new information is added to our website, you can:

- Follow the CRA on Twitter - @CanRevAgency.

- Subscribe to a CRA electronic mailing list.

- Add our RSS feeds to your feed reader.

- You can also watch our tax-related videos on YouTube.
New Delhi/Varanasi:

On the final day of the campaign for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rally in predominantly rural Rohaniya Assembly segment falling under his Lok Sabha constituency.



This is the third consecutive day of electioneering by the Prime Minister in Varanasi.



Prior to his rally, PM Modi visited Gadwaghat Ashram in Ramnagar and later visited former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastris ancestral home near Varanasi.

Read | Do or die campaign for final phase of UP Polls to end on Monday

Highlights of PM Modi's speech:

#2:30PM: PM Modi concludes his 3-day long campaign in Varanasi with an appeal to vote for BJP. This was his last rally in UP polls campaign, which ends at 5PM.

#It is time to free Uttar Pradesh from misrule of SP, BSP & Congress. It is time to think about welfare of our youth so they prosper: PM

#UP government does not give jobs to honest people: PM

#UP government is cheating youth in name of jobs, they are harrassed for inetrviews: PM

#We want poor households to have access to clean fuel. We aim to provide 5 crore families with LPG connections in 3 years: PM

#Being raised in a poor family, am aware of the hardships they face. We would take every step that uplifts them: PM

#Akhilesh govt only concerned about votebank and not farmers: PM

#UP government is anti-farmer. Why is it that farmers don't benefit from the Fasal Bima Yojana? Why they don't help farmers in distress: PM



#We have coated Urea with neem, ending the blackmarketting of the fertilizer, this has directly benefitted the farmers: PM

#If famers get water, they can plough gold; we are trying to ensure irrigation facilities for farmers: PM

#We have brought the Soil Health Card. We are training our farmers with scientific methods of farming: PM

#For farmers, I have taken important steps to ensure that their income is at least doubled by 2022



#My dream is that poorest of poor families get home by 2022, 75 years of independence



#Inspired by ideals of Gandhi ji & Sardar Patel, we are working for welfare of people of this country



#Fortunate that I was raised on the land where Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel were born



#Paid tribute to Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri ji this morning

#2:00PM: PM Modi begins address

BJPs history in Rohaniya



Rohaniya houses Jayapur, the first village to be adopted by the PM under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.



The assembly segment had come into being after the delimitation of constituencies in 2008.It has stuck out like a sore thumb for the BJP in Varanasi, which is otherwise considered a party stronghold.



In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Murli Manohar Joshi won the seat for the BJP though the party trailed in Rohaniya behind the candidates of Samajwadi Party, BSP and Apna Dal, one of the reasons why his victory margin remained a slim 18,000 votes.



In the 2012 assembly polls, the BJP finished a distant fourth with its candidate securing a paltry 9.67 per cent of votes and forfeiting his deposit.



Wary of the tricky nature of this assembly segment, the party entered into a tie-up with Apna Dal (AD), just before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.The AD enjoys a following among the Kurmis, who form a major chunk of voters in Varanasi.



ADs Anupriya Patel was the sitting MLA from the seat and she went on to win from Mirzapur in the Lok Sabha polls riding the Modi wave.



Her party, though lost Rohaniya in the ensuring by-poll as her mother Krishna was defeated by the SP candidate.

Read | Inside Prashant Kishors strategy for SP-Congress alliance in PM Modis Varanasi



PM Modis Battle Varanasi



Since Friday, Modi has addressed as many as three public meetings and taken out two processions in open vehicles.



The Congress has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission that prior permission had not been sought for Fridays roadshow, taken out hours before a similar show of strength by Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav.



The BJP has maintained that these were not roadshows but Jan Sampark yatras and there was no breach of model code of conduct as the PM merely waved at the cheering crowds, without uttering a word, on his way to a temple on Friday and the venue of his rally on Sunday.



Mondays rally appears strategically timed and placed as Modi will deliver his speech when less than a quarter of the day will be left before campaign comes to a close at 5 PM.

Read | Battleground Varanasi, day 2: I have inherited nothing, whatever I have got is from the people of Kashi: PM Modi

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Beijing:

The Chinese media has accused India of using the Dalai Lama card to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia and warned New Delhi of "severe consequences" if it hosted the Tibetan spiritual leader in a "disputed" area in Arunachal Pradesh.

"Despite objections by China, India will host the Dalai Lama in a disputed region on the China-India border in coming weeks," state-run Global Times said in an op-ed.

The comments came after the Chinese foreign ministry criticised India for allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as southern Tibet. The permission was granted last October and the Dalai Lama is expected to visit the area in the coming weeks.

Referring to reported comments by Indian officials that it was a religious trip and Dalai Lama had undertaken numerous such visits earlier, the article said the officials has not realised the consequences.

"These Indian officials apparently didn't realise, or deliberately ignored, the severe consequences the Dalai Lama's trip would bring.

"The 14th Dalai Lama is by no means a spiritual leader but a Tibetan separatist," it said, adding that allowing him to the "disputed area will inevitably trigger confrontation, undermine the stability of the region and sour Sino-Indian relations". "For a long time, some Indians have considered the Dalai Lama as a strategic asset. They believe that India could gain many benefits by using the Dalai issue as leverage. For instance, making an issue of the Dalai Lama could serve as a diplomatic tool to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia," it said.

"However, they overestimate the political value of the Dalai Lama and his group while miscalculating China's determination to safeguard its core interests," it said.

"An increasing number of Western leaders have shut the door on the Dalai Lama in recent years after realising the Dalai card is ineffective," it said, referring to the recent decision by Mongolia not to invite him in future.

"Against such a backdrop and at a time when a China-India strategic dialogue was just held to improve bilateral relations, the decision to receive the Dalai Lama in the disputed region is unwise.

Leveraging the Dalai Lama issue to undermine Beijing's core interests risks dragging the two countries into a state of hostility," it said. "The good momentum for the bilateral relationship in recent years shouldn't be disrupted.

In future, there is a great potential for the two countries to tap into cooperation. "As the two biggest emerging economies, they have vast common interests on establishing a new global financial order, tackling climate change and other major issues.

Now China and India have come to a critical period to further upgrade bilateral ties," it said.

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New Delhi/Washington:

India has conveyed its deep concerns to the US government over recent tragic incidents involving Indian-origin people including Hardish Patel who was shot dead in South Carolina.



Amb @NavtejSarna convyd r deep concerns to US Gov on recent tragic incidents involving Hardish Patel & Deep Rai, Embassy of India in Washington tweeted today.



Amb @NavtejSarna underlined need to prevent such incidents and protect Indian community, it said in another tweet.



39-year-old Sikh man, Deep Rai, in the US has been shot outside his home by a partially-masked gunman who shouted go back to your own country, in a suspected hate crime.

Read | FBI joins Kent shooting probe, Bera says hate crimes on rise

American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (AGPC), a body governing various Sikh Gurdwaras (religious shrines) across the United States has expressed serious concern over the recent incident and asked the investigating authorities to give a clarification if the incident was a hate crime.

"No doubt it was non-fatal incident and the police and FBI both are investigating the shooting in which 39 year old targeted on Kent's East Hill. The victim was performing some repairs to his stranded vehicle when he was approached by another man and opened fire. We want to know from the investigating agencies if it was the case of hate crime and we seek thorough probe and action as per U.S. law'', said AGPC coordinator Dr Pritlal Singh.



Speaking to ANI during a special prayer held for Kent shooting victim, a Washington resident, Mandeep Singh said, Its the same situation the community was in after Sikhs were targeted post 9/11. There is deep concern.



Harnish Patel, 43, Indian-origin store owner in the US was also shot dead outside his home on Thursday, just days after an Indian engineer was killed in Kansas in a hate crime shooting that had sent shockwaves across the country.

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Kuala Lumpur:

Malaysias prime minister on Monday said he expects no apology from North Korea over its comments on the investigation into the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, as Pyongyangs ambassador faced a deadline to leave the country.



On Saturday Malaysia declared Ambassador Kang Chol persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave the country for failing to issue an apology for his criticism of Malaysias investigation into the murder.



Kim Jong-Nam, the half-brother of Pyongyangs leader, was poisoned February 13 with the deadly nerve agent VX. North Korea has not acknowledged the dead mans identity but has repeatedly disparaged the murder investigation, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.



Asked by reporters whether he will demand an apology from Pyongyang, Prime Minister Najib Razak replied: Right now we are not getting anything. I dont expect anything.



They should have apologised based on principles, [so] we have declared him persona non grata, added Najib, speaking to reporters after a ceremonial opening of parliament in Kuala Lumpur.



South Korea has blamed the North for the murder, citing what they say was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother who may have been seen as a potential rival.



The diplomatic spat erupted last month when Malaysian police rejected North Korean diplomats demands to hand over Kims body.



Kang then claimed the investigation was politically motivated and said Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with hostile forces, referring to the Norths arch-rival, Seoul.



Malaysia summoned Kang for a dressing-down, with Najib saying the ambassadors statement was diplomatically rude.



Malaysia has also recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and cancelled a rare visa-free travel deal with North Korea.



Malaysia issued a February 28 deadline for an apology, which passed and then expelled the ambassador when he failed to present himself at the foreign ministry when summoned on Saturday.



The foreign ministry has said the expulsion is part of the process by the Malaysian government to review its relations with North Korea.Kang is expected to leave on a flight to Beijing on Monday evening, officials told AFP.



With media camped for a third week outside the North Korean embassy, Kuala Lumpur Monday buzzed with speculation on would happen if Kang refused to leave.

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Kuala Lumpur:

Armed with assault rifles, Malaysian police cordoned off the entrance to North Korea's embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, as speculation mounted that the ambassador was about to be escorted to the airport due to an expulsion order.

Police vehicles and motorcycle outriders were parked nearby. Senior government officials told AFP that ambassador Kang Chol was expected to leave Malaysia at 18.25 (1025 GMT) on flight MH360 for Beijing, shortly after the deadline for his expulsion expires.

Malaysia and North Korea are enbroiled in an acrimonious dispute over the murder of Kim Jong-Nam, the estranged half-brother of Pyongyang's leader, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in February.

On Saturday Malaysia declared Kang persona non grata andgave him 48 hours to leave the country after he failed to apologise for his criticism of Malaysia's investigation, which found that Kim had been poisoned with the deadly nerve agent VX.

Also Read: Kim killing: Malaysia PM not waiting for apology as North Korea envoy expelled

North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man's identity but has repeatedly disparaged the murder investigation, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.

Asked by reporters whether he would demand an apology from Pyongyang, Prime Minister Najib Razak replied: "Right now we are not getting anything. I don't expect anything." "They should have apologised based on principles, (so) wehave declared him persona non grata," he told reporters.

South Korea has blamed the North for the murder, citing what it says was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother who may have been seen as a potential rival. The diplomatic dispute erupted in February when Malaysian police rejected North Korean diplomats' demands to hand over Kim's body.

Kang then claimed the investigation was politically motivated and said Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with "hostile forces", referring to the North's arch-rival, Seoul.

Malaysia summoned Kang for a dressing-down, with Najib saying the ambassador's statement was "diplomatically rude". Malaysia has also recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and cancelled a rare visa-free travel deal with North Korea.

It issued a February 28 deadline for an apology. It ordered the ambassador expelled after he failed to present himself at the foreign ministry when summoned on Saturday. The foreign ministry has said the expulsion is "part ofthe process by the Malaysian government to review itsrelations" with North Korea.

Police are seeking seven North Korean suspects in their probe, four of whom left Malaysia on the day of the murder. But on Friday they released the only North Korean they had arrested for lack of evidence.

After Ri Jong-Chol was deported, he claimed police offered him a comfortable life in Malaysia for a false confession, saying the investigation was "a conspiracy to impair the dignity of the Republic (North Korea)".

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Seoul:

North Korea on Monday fired several banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) into waters off its east coast, South Koreas military said, an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.



It was not immediately clear what type of missile was fired or the exact number; Pyongyang has staged a series of missile test-launches of various ranges in recent months. The ramped-up tests come as leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile program that can deter what he calls US and South Korean hostility toward the North.



Seoul and Washington call their military drills on the Korean Peninsula, which remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty, defensive and routine.

Read | North Korea warns US over potential terror listing after Kim Jong Nam's murder



The Souths Joint Chief of Staff said in a statement that Mondays launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province.



The area is the home of the Norths Seohae Satellite Station where it has conducted prohibited long-range rocket launches in recent years.



The North hates the military drills, which run until late April and which analysts say force its impoverished military to respond with expensive deployments and drills of their own. An unidentified spokesman for the Norths General Staff of the Korean Peoples Army said last week that Pyongyangs reaction to the southern drills would be the toughest ever but didnt elaborate.



North Korea test-launched a new intermediate-range missile in February and conducted two nuclear tests last year. There has also been widespread worry that the North will conduct an ICBM test that, when perfected, could in theory reach US shores. Washington would consider such a capability a major threat.

Read | US may use military force against North Korea to counter rising nuclear threat



The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against a potential aggression from the North.

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Peshawar:

The Pakistani Army on Monday said that its five soldiers were killed by militants in a cross-border terrorist attack on three border posts in the countrys restive northwest tribal region.

Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed terrorists attempt. In exchange of fire 5 soldiers were killed yesterday, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

Ten of the attackers were also believed to have been killed, the statement said.

Last night terrorists from across the border attempted physical attack on three Pakistan border posts in Mohmand Agency, it said.

Terrorists must be denied freedom of movement along the border, Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa was quoted as saying in the statement.

Last month, Pakistan army launched a crackdown against terrorists after an Islamic State suicide bomber at a crowded Sufi shrine in Sindh province claimed 88 lives.

Pakistan often accuses Afghanistan-based terrorists for the attacks in the country.

Last month, the Army has killed more than 100 suspected terrorists and also handed over to Afghanistan a list of 76 terrorists hiding across the border.

At the heart of the problem is Kabuls continued allegations against Pakistan for providing what it called safe havens to terrorists launching the cross border raids, The Express Tribune reported.

Also Read: Pakistan shuts key Afghan border crossing in wake of shrine attack

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New Delhi:

Pakistan was invited for the two-day meeting of the SAARC grouping on animal diseases held in New Delhi recently but the neighbouring country chose not to send its representative, the government on Monday said.

The invitation for the first SAARC Epidemiology Networking Forum meeting was sent by the UN body Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The fact is that FAO invited nominations from all MSs (member states) of SAARC and no nomination from Pakistan could be received by FAO and the same was conveyed by FAO to the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, an official statement issued by the Agriculture Ministry said.

The meeting was held in the national capital on February 27-28 and was jointly organised by the Government of India, the SAARC Secretariat and FAO.

The 1st EpiNet meeting was a purely technical meeting and the FAO of UN, who initiated this programme, is a neutral organisation as regard to its stand on any political conflicts anywhere in the world, the statement said.

Last week, the ministry had said in a statement that the epidemiology focal points from the 7 member states, except Pakistan, participated in the meeting.

The objective of the meeting was to operationalise a sustainable and functioning veterinary epidemiology network among the eight SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) member states to build collaboration to achieve a more effective and efficient control of trans-boundary animal diseases, including zoonoses.

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Washington :

The current political turmoil in the US concerning the alleged Russian interference in last years elections and response of US President Donald Trump are sending a wrong signal to the world, a former US spymaster and defence secretary said on Sunday.

It is sending a terrible message out there, Leon Panetta, who served as the CIA chief and Defence Secretary in the Obama administration, told CBS News in an interview.

Based on my own conversations with people abroad, that they are very concerned about the administration, about the President. They are concerned about whether he truly is going to be committed to the kind of world leadership that we have seen the US provide, he said.

Panetta was responding to questions on alleged Russian interference in 2016 general elections and Trumps allegations that his predecessor Barack Obama had ordered wiretapping of the Trump Tower before the elections.

But every time these things happen, every time he tweets, every time these issues come up that indicate that there is obviously something to this Russian issue, and the administration is not cooperating, when that happens, when he accuses a past president of wiretapping, without any evidence of that being the case, it makes us vulnerable.

It weakens the US, and it makes us vulnerable to our enemies. That is the danger, Panetta warned.

Panetta alleged that Trump is making the same mistake past presidents made when they faced scandals, that he is trying to divert attention.

They are trying to obfuscate. They are trying to cover up. They are trying to somehow raise other issues. In the end, it is going to be the truth that will determine what is involved here, and not tweets, but the truth, he said.

Calling for an independent bipartisan investigation into the issue, Panetta said the best advice he could give Trump and his administration is to get ahead of this and do not get behind it.

Get ahead of it. Present the facts as they know it, and commit themselves to cooperating with the investigations that are going on. This issue is not going away. There is too much here. We have found the Russians to have tried to interfere in our election process.

We have a situation now where the administration has denied contacts with the Russians. And we are finding out that that is not true, that there have been contacts with the Russians, Panetta said.

The president himself has raised this issue. His whole national security team has condemned the Russians and Putin. And he still winds up defending Putin. So, you put all of that together, it may not lead you to some kind of collaboration or collusion, but it raises issues that have to be investigated. That is why you need a bipartisan, an independent, a thorough and a credible investigation, he added.

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London:

Congress MP and author Shashi Tharoor claimed that he was astonished to learn that Britain does not teach its colonial history in schools and asked the country to educate students about it to ensure a well-rounded view of the past.

The MP from Thiruvananthapuram, who is in the UK for a launch tour of his new book, 'Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India', said while his book was not about India's modern-day relationship with the UK, it was important to learn some of the lessons of the past.

"It is astonishing that nothing is taught here at all about colonial history in schools. If it is still happening today, then a corrective is needed," Tharoor said at the UK launch of the book in London on Sunday evening.

"This book attempts to fill a bit of a deficiency... as a broad-brush portrait of the British Empire. It is not about India's relationship with Britain today as two sovereign equals or written with a desire to influence today's geopolitics in any way," the former UN diplomat said.

The book was launched by Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha, who is also a student of history and a batch-mate of Tharoor from his days at St Stephen's College in Delhi University.

"As we celebrate the UK-India Year of Culture, it is appropriate that this book is released here as a literary effort. While we may or may not agree with everything written in the book, it is important to look at history from an informed perspective. And, as we acknowledge the past, we must look at the present and future [of UK-India ties], which in my view is extremely bright," Sinha said.

Tharoor's book, which was released in India in 2016 as 'An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India', catalogues the harsh economic impact of Britain's colonial rule in India.

It was born out of a speech he had given at the Oxford Union in 2015, which went viral with millions of hits on social media. "The fact that my speech struck such a chord with so many suggested that what I considered basic was unfamiliar to many and resulted in this book," Tharoor said, adding that his book was intended as a means of triggering an interest in exploring the history of the British Raj in greater depth rather than asa comprehensive account of Britain's colonial past.

"It is not intended to serve as fodder for any score settling. History is its own revenge," he said.

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By Ernest Scheyder HOUSTON (Reuters) - The biggest names in the oil world come together this week for the largest industry gathering since the end of a two-year price war that pitted Middle East exporters against the firms that drove the shale energy revolution in the United States. When OPEC in November joined with several non-OPEC producers to agree to a historic cut in output, the group called time on a fight for market share that drove oil prices to a 12-year low and many shale producers to the wall. Oil prices are about 70 percent higher than they were the last time oil ministers and the chief executives of Big Oil met in Houston a year ago at CERAWeek, the largest annual industry meet in the Americas. The ebullience as both sides enjoy higher revenues will be a welcome relief from the gloom of a year ago, near the depths of the price war. "The oil market has been rebalancing and the powerful forces of supply and demand have been working," said Dan Yergin, vice chairman of conference organizer IHS Markit and a Pulitzer Prize-winning oil historian. "The mood will be different this year." The capital of the U.S. oil industry Houston is emerging from the price war sporting new downtown skyscrapers and the lingering glow from hosting last month's Super Bowl. OPEC's November deal, the prospects for its continuation and rosier investment prospects for the industry will dominate the discussions, with state-run producers and Big Oil both positioning themselves for an upturn in the notoriously cyclical business. Twice as many OPEC ministers as a year ago - plus Russia and India's top energy officials - will be in the capital of the U.S. energy industry. Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khalid al-Falih, who assumed his role last spring and whose country has contributed the largest share of OPEC output curbs, addresses the meeting on Tuesday. Russian Oil Minister Alexander Novak, who was key to bringing non-OPEC countries on board to cut in tandem with OPEC, will speak on Monday Chief executives from five hard-hit international oil producers - BP, Chevron Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp, Royal Dutch Shell and Total - will be listening closely to the ministers' comments to see if those production curbs will be extended past their June expiration. The meeting won't be without simmering tension between U.S. oil producers and OPEC. One of the biggest questions in the oil market is how quickly and how much shale producers will boost output. A sharp rise from the U.S. shale patch could undo the Saudi-led deal to reduce the global oil glut. Shale activity is humming in the hottest U.S. oilfield, the Permian Basin, a 75,000 square mile expanse in West Texas. The U.S. land drilling rig count is up 55 percent in the past 12 months, and many of them are in the Permian. "It's exciting now to see the rig count rising and business activity picking up again," said Peter Boylan, chief executive of Cypress Energy Partners LP, an oilfield service provider with operations in Texas and North Dakota. MORE SPENDING Oil's resurgence isn't confined to America. Already this year, Total and BP have launched multi-billion dollar deals to expand in Brazil and Mauritania, respectively. Better prices could stir a new round of merger activity, according to some analysts. Exxon, which is expected later this year be eclipsed by Saudi Aramco as the world's largest publicly traded oil producer, recently pledged to boost this year's spending by 16 percent to expand operations, especially in shale production. That newfound investment vigor and projections for stronger shale production have kept a lid on the recovery. Oil prices may struggle to breach $60 per barrel, regardless of how much OPEC cuts, if the U.S. keeps increasing production, according to a Reuters poll. U.S. crude futures closed on Friday at $53.33 per barrel. BHP Billiton has boosted investment in its shale operations since last fall, forecasting the sector to become the single largest generator of cash flow for its petroleum business within five years. "We expect a balanced oil market in 2017 for the first time in nearly three years," said Steve Pastor, president of BHP's petroleum business. (Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Gary McWilliams and Simon Webb)
Washington:

The US on Monday issued a travel warning for its citizens visiting Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, and said extremist elements are also "active" in India.

"The US government assesses terrorist groups in South Asia may be planning attacks in the region, possibly against US facilities, citizens and interests. US citizens should avoid travel to Afghanistan, as no region in the country is immune from violence," the State Department said in its worldwide caution.

"A number of established terrorist organisations, indigenous sectarian groups, and other militants pose a danger to US citizens in Pakistan. "Extremist elements are also active in India, as outlined in a recent emergency message.

Terrorists have hit a wide variety of targets and institutions in Bangladesh," it added.

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New Delhi:

The US President Donald Trump on Monday signed revised order on temporary travel ban for 6 majority-Muslim countries. Trump halted new visas and suspended refugee program. The revised executive order was signed after his first version was blocked by federal courts.

The revised order is narrower and specifies that a 90-day ban on people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen does not apply to those who already have valid visas. The White House also excluded Iraq from the list of banned countries.

Earlier, senior White House aide Kellyanne Conway said told Fox News that the order would take effect on March 16. The first version temporarily closed US borders to all refugees and to citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries.

She confirmed that legal permanent residents and current visa holders would be explicitly exempt from the order, and also indicated that Iraq would no longer be on the list of countries affected.

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Yahoo Finance is tracking General Motors, Deutsche Bank and Netflix.

General Motors (GM)  The automaker has agreed to sell its European car brands, Opel and Vauxhall, to Peugeot after nearly two decades of unprofitable years in Europe. General Motors said it would take an accounting charge of $4 billion to $4.5 billion as a result of the transaction. PSA Group will become the second-largest automaker in Europe behind Volkswagen after acquiring GMs Opel and Vauxhall divisions. General Motors also announced today that it plans to lay off 1,100 workers in Michigan in May as it shifts some of its production to Tennessee.

Netflix (NFLX)  UBS (UBS) says now is the time to buy Netflix, upgrading the stock from neutral to buy and raising its price target to $175 per share. Analyst Doug Mitchelson expects strong international subscriber growth in the first quarter and the companys investment in original content to drive the stock higher.

Deutsche Bank (DB)  The German bank revealed a major strategic overhaul and big plans to raise capital as it tries to reinvent itself. Deutsche Bank is looking to raise $8.5 billion from the issuance of new shares with subscription rights.

For more on todays big stock movers, check out the Final Round, live at 4 p.m. EST, right here on Yahoo Finance.
President Donald Trump sparked a firestorm by leveling an unsubstantiated accusation against his predecessor, suggesting Barack Obama ordered surveillance on his residence at New York's Trump Tower at the height of the contested 2016 general election  a claim that an aide to the former president flatly rejected.



In a series of pre-dawn posts on Twitter Saturday, the current president said that he just discovered that he was "wire tapped" just before the November elections, but nothing had been discovered. In blasting Obama as "sick" and sinking to "a new low," Trump invoked the specters of former President Richard Nixon and Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy.

In a statement, Kevin Lewis, a spokesperson for Obama, rejected Trump's assertion. "A cardinal rule of the Obama Administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice," he said.

"As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false," he added.



Trump did not cite the source of his information, but the brash accusation may constitute an acknowledgement that officials at the highest levels of government were at one time probing his business and financial dealings. Last year, a few conservative-leaning publications reported that the FBI had obtained a Foreign Intelligence Service Act (FISA) court warranta request that would have been routed through the Justice Department but not the White House.

Trump's remarks also come in the middle of a raging controversy over potential contact his campaign and its surrogates may have had with Russian officials. Russia stands accused of having interfered in the election, which has widened a rift between Trump and the intelligence community.



Story continues

On Friday, Fox's Brett Baier asked House Speaker Paul Ryan whether he was concerned "that the Obama Administration may have been surveilling members of the Trump campaign in a pretty detailed investigation during the election?"

Ryan responded by saying: "I don't think that's the case."

In response to Trump's comments, Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat who sits on the House Select Committee on Intelligence and is the ranking member on the CIA subcommittee, wrote on Twitter that the president was "not credible."

The president has spoken favorably about Russian president Vladimir Putin, while most Democrats and even some Republicans accuse Putin of having "hacked" the election. Last month, Republican Senator John McCain, who has emerged as Trump's chief intra-party antagonist, publicly rebuked the president for an interview in which he suggested the U.S. was not morally superior to Russia.

Fallout from the political firestorm forced newly confirmed Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from Russia-related inquiries , amid questions over whether he had met with a Russian ambassador. Last month, the White House's top national security advisor, Michael Flynn, was forced to step down for similar reasons.



Last October, The New York Times reported that the FBI pursued a broad inquiry into Trump's links to Russia and Putin, but the investigation failed to yield any incriminating evidence. However, that hasn't stopped speculation from festering, particularly as Trump has repeatedly gone out of his way to praise Putin.



--NBC News contributed to this article.


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BETHEL - For a long time, students in the village of Roumtenga went to school without lights and without fans for relief from the tropical heat.

But now a school that serves a population of 2,000 in the West African nation of Burkina Faso, where 85 percent of residents lack access to electricity and nearly half live below the poverty line, has solar panels to provide electricity, thanks to two Bethel brothers and their friends.

Frustrated at the lack of action on climate change, Travis and Dylan Wolf created the World Energy Foundation in 2013. The organization underwrites solar power projects in countries that lack acess to energy.

Providing power is the one of the best ways to bring a country out of poverty, said Travis, now a Stamford resident.

Electricity is really a driver for the economy, because you're helping the schools; youre helping kids get smarter, he said. Youre helping the hospital, youre helping the people get healthier faster.

With electricity, the schools can also attract better teachers, Dylan said.

Then you have a community of well-educated children and they grow up and the idea is they improve their communities themselves, he said. Its a snowball effect.

Dylans friend Salif Kabore, who grew up in Burkina Faso, joined the organization and encouraged them to start in his home country.

Since then, the group has taken three trips to Burkina Faso, most recently at the end of February, installing solar projects at birthing centers and schools in Roumtenga and two other villages. The organization also has projects planned in Honduras and aims to develop connections in Haiti.

Matthew Roberts, a member of the Monroe Rotary Club who has been friends with Dylan since they were 5, told the club about the World Energy Foundation. He encouraged the Monroe, Stamford, Trumbull and New Canaan rotary clubs to raise more than $5,000 to sponsor the installation of solar at a school in Roumtenga, a village in the province of Yako.

It fell in line with goals that Rotary has, which is improving education and children and womens health, Roberts said. It was a very symbiotic relationship.

Roberts joined the brothers, Kabore and photographer Mark Estrada, another friend from Bethel, on the February trip. Roberts described how moving it was to see the excitement of the community once the project was finished. He said 500 to 600 people came to see the lights turned on for the first time.

For some of the kids, it was probably the first time they had seen electricity, the things that are so readily available to us, he said. To see someone turn on a light switch for the first time was just amazing.

Travis said the communities expressed their gratitude by presenting them a gift of live chickens.

Thats a token of their appreciation, he said. It's really symbolic for them, because that's their food and their livelihood, and to give us their food like that, it's a big symbol of partnership and familial bond.

While the Wolf brothers and Roberts live outside Bethel now, Travis said they still rely on hometown support and are planning a charity run in the area this summer.

We pull a lot from our community back home to support us and keep the wheels turning, Travis said. For us it was a kind of thing that blew up and became bigger than both us and we're just trying to keep it going because its something really good that we stumbled upon.
TSXV: NEV

VANCOUVER, March 6, 2017 /CNW/ - Nevada Sunrise Gold Corporation ("Nevada Sunrise" or the "Company") (TSXV: NEV) is pleased to announce that a drilling permit has been received from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (the "BLM") for its 100% owned Roulette Gold Project ("Roulette") located at the southeastern extent of the Carlin Trend in White Pine County, eastern Nevada, USA. In addition, a performance bond submitted by the Company has been accepted by the BLM to allow construction of up to nine drill pads and their associated access roads. Flagging of access roads and construction of drill pads for the first three target areas is underway and drilling is expected to commence as soon as ground conditions permit.

2017 Drilling Program

Exploration at Roulette is focussed on determining the extent of two jasperoid outcrops ("Parlay" and "Gambit") known from historical prospecting and mapping, one of which is mineralized. The Parlay jasperoid was sampled in August 2014 by Nevada Sunrise and returned 4.44 grams/tonne gold over a sample length of 3.30 metres (10 feet), and 1.05 grams/tonne gold over a sample length of 2.64 metres (8 feet). Subsequent geochemical and geophysical surveys by Nevada Sunrise in 2015 and 2016 were integrated into a 3D model, which assisted in identifying several high-priority targets based on chargeability and geochemical anomalies, favourable lithology and interpreted structures (see Nevada Sunrise news release dated December 7, 2016).

"Our work at Roulette has provided promising drill targets that exhibit the geological characteristics of a Carlin-style gold deposit," said Warren Stanyer, President and CEO of Nevada Sunrise. "We are eager to begin this drilling program in a fertile district for gold mineralization."

Three holes totalling approximately 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) are planned for the first phase of drilling, using reverse circulation drilling equipment. Follow-up drilling will be based on the results of the initial drilling.

A "depth slices" animated plan map of the combined 2015-2016 geophysical surveys and a screenshot from the 3D model showing one of the primary Roulette targets can be viewed on the Company's website at http://www.nevadasunrise.ca/projects/roulette/.

About Roulette

Roulette (formerly known as the Grulla property) consists of 120 unpatented claims totaling 971 hectares (2,400 acres) located approximately 45 kilometers (30 miles) north of Ely, Nevada. Roulette was acquired from an underlying vendor by Nevada Sunrise in 2014 (see Nevada Sunrise news release dated November 14, 2014).

To the north of Roulette is McEwen Mining Inc.'s ("McEwen") Limousine Butte project, which according to McEwen's public disclosure, hosts three deposits containing a measured plus indicated resource of 241,080 ounces of gold, and an inferred resource of 50,700 ounces of gold (Source: "NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Limousine Butte Project, White Pine County Nevada", dated July 1, 2009, authored by Telesto Nevada Inc.). To the northwest, Freeport-McMoran Inc. ("Freeport") holds a large claim block (approximately 30,000 acres, or 12,000 hectares) prospective for porphyry copper/gold deposits, which encompasses the Butte Valley copper prospect Freeport acquired in 2012 from Quaterra Resources Inc.

The conceptual target at Roulette is a sediment-hosted, Carlin-type, disseminated gold deposit. Gold is commonly micron-sized, and is associated with hydrothermal alteration of carbonate host rocks. Nevada Sunrise believes that Roulette is under-explored, and until 2015-2016, there is no known ground or airborne geophysical data in the public record. Any historical drilling is unconfirmed as to drill hole location, footage or results.

Roulette shows geological similarities to the Alligator Ridge gold deposits located about 36 kilometers (24 miles) to the west, now part of Barrick Gold's Bald Mountain gold mine. The Alligator Ridge mine was discovered in the mid-1970s and produced approximately 700,000 ounces of gold from three deposits in the 1980s. Roulette and Alligator Ridge share certain sedimentary rock formations known to host Carlin-style mineralization, namely a sequence of Devonian/Mississippian limestones and shales including the Guilmette Limestone, Pilot Shale, Joana Limestone and Chainman Shale. Nevada Sunrise considers the geological setting of Alligator Ridge as a model for future exploration on the Roulette Project.

John R. Kerr, P. Eng., is the Company's designated Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to Nevada Sunrise Gold Corporation ("Nevada Sunrise") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements that address future mineral production, reserve potential, exploration drilling, the future price of gold, potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, potential size of a mineralized zone, potential expansion of mineralization, the timing and results of future resource estimates, or other study, proposed exploration and development of our exploration properties and the estimation of mineral resources. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intends", "believe", "potential", and similar expressions, or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "should", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievement of Nevada Sunrise to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information.

Such factors include, among others, risks related to the interpretation and actual results of historical exploration at the Roulette property or other properties in the Carlin Trend district, reliance on technical information provided by third parties on any of our exploration properties, including access to historical information on the Roulette property, current exploration and development activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; current economic conditions; future prices of commodities; possible variations in grade or recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; the failure of contracted parties to perform; labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals, financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2016, which is available under Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Although Nevada Sunrise has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Nevada Sunrise disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and accordingly are subject to change after such date. Except as otherwise indicated by Nevada Sunrise, these statements do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other special items or of any dispositions, monetizations, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or other transactions that may be announced or that may occur after the date hereof. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of our operating environment. Nevada Sunrise does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are included in this document, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this release. The Securities of Nevada Sunrise Gold Corporation have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to the account or benefit of any U.S. person.

SOURCE Nevada Sunrise Gold Corporation

For further information: Warren Stanyer, President and Chief Executive Officer, Telephone: (604) 428-8028, Facsimile: (604) 484-7143, email: [email protected]

Related Links

www.nevadasunrise.ca


OTTAWA, March 4, 2017 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the death of Rene Preval, former President of Haiti:

"It is with sadness that I learned of the death of Rene Preval, a two-term president of Haiti.

"Mr. Preval was first elected as President in 1996. He left office in 2001, becoming Haiti's first elected president to serve a full term, before returning to the presidency for another full term in 2006.

"Canada will remember his commitment to democracy as we continue to support Haiti's development, and work with the Haitian people to address the economic and humanitarian challenges facing their country.

"On behalf of the Government of Canada, Sophie and I offer our condolences to Mr. Preval's family and friends, and to the Haitian people."

This document is also available at http://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office

For further information: PMO Media Relations: 613-957-5555

Related Links

http://pm.gc.ca/


Musical Instrument Lending Library program expands to more cities across the country

VANCOUVER, March 6, 2017 /CNW/ - In honour of Canada's 150th birthday, Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) is proud to put more musical instruments into the hands of Canadians. Through the expansion of the highly successful Sun Life Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library program, this innovative initiative will be available in more cities across Canada, giving anyone with a valid library card the opportunity to borrow a variety of musical instruments from a local public library free of charge. The announcement was made today at the Vancouver Public Library.

Sun Life will be making a philanthropic donation to fund the program operation in addition to donating 150 instruments to each participating library, including guitars, ukuleles, violins, drums, xylophones and portable keyboards. Sun Life has also created a series of six short videos to assist individuals with the use, care and enjoyment of the instruments. Whether you're a beginner picking up an instrument for the first time or a seasoned musician, the program is designed for anyone looking to explore the world of music.

"Music is an important part of Canadian culture and heritage, which is why we're thrilled to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday by making music more accessible to individuals and their families," said Kevin Dougherty, President, Sun Life Financial Canada. "At Sun Life, we're committed to building sustainable, healthier communities and we know libraries are vibrant community hubs and a rich source of culture. Music and the arts play an important role in our society and I'm proud that we can provide the opportunity for so many Canadians to experience and enjoy the positive power of music."

The Sun Life Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library program is a natural extension of Sun Life's support of music education, one that aligns perfectly with the company's award-winning Making the Arts More Accessible program. Sun Life believes arts and culture should be celebrated within our communities and made available to everyone, regardless of their means.

"The Sun Life Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library is thriving in Vancouver," said Sandra Singh, Chief Librarian, Vancouver Public Library. "The community response has been incredible. People of all ages - from beginners to those rediscovering their passion for playing - are borrowing these instruments, and as a result, we're able to connect more people to the love of music. We're thrilled to be part of the program, and excited to be part of supporting Vancouver's creativity, culture and artistic expression. Thanks to Sun Life's generosity, more Vancouverites are able to play and experience music."

The Sun Life Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library was first launched at the Parkdale Branch of the Toronto Public Library in April 2016, and was later expanded to the Vancouver and Montreal Public Libraries. The program is already an overwhelming success in the first three cities and all instruments were loaned out within two to seven days of launch. The libraries are all currently experiencing wait times to borrow an instrument which demonstrates the true need for accessibility to music. To help meet the high demand, Sun Life will also be donating an additional 50 instruments to the Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal programs.

About Sun Life Financial

Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individuals and corporate Clients. Sun Life Financial has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2016, Sun Life Financial had total assets under management of $903 billion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars

Media Relations Contacts:

Alessandra Nigro

Manager, Corporate Communications

Sun Life Financial

T. 416.979.4884

C. 416.859.6918

[email protected]



Stephen Barrington

Manager, Marketing & Communications

Vancouver Public Library

T. 604.331.3895

C. 604.612.4059

[email protected]

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Canada

Related Links

http://www.sunlife.com


Conversion hole SKI16015 yielded 31.0 meters grading 2.29 g/t gold and Conversion hole CNT16032 cut 92.0 meters grading 1.63 g/t gold

Operational Update for the Barsele Au-VMS Project

VANCOUVER, March 6, 2017 /CNW/ - Barsele Minerals Corp.  (TSX-V: BME) ("Barsele") is pleased to report a tenth operational progress update for the current exploration program within the Barsele Au-VMS Project area in Vasterbottens Lan, northern Sweden. The exploration program is being operated by joint venture partner Agnico Eagle Mines Limited  (TSX, NYSE: AEM) ("Agnico Eagle"). Ownership in the project is 55% Agnico Eagle and 45% Barsele. Agnico Eagle can earn an additional 15% in the Barsele Project through the completion of a pre-feasibility study.

During the month of January, three diamond drilling machines were focused within and along the trend of the Avan, Central and Skirasen zones, where validation, conversion and expansion drilling has taken place. Highlight validation hole AVA16024 yielded 14.0 meters core length (estimated 10.0 meters true thickness) grading 1.01 g/t gold at a depth of 20 meters below surface. In addition, conversion hole SKI16015 yielded 31.0 meters core length (estimated 16.5 meters true thickness) grading 2.29 g/t gold at a midpoint of 315 meters below surface and conversion hole CNT16032 cut 92.0 meters core length (estimated 62.0 meters true thickness) grading 1.63 g/t gold at a midpoint of 390 meters below surface.

Four holes were completed during the month of January of which one was validation, two were conversion and one was expansion. During the month, 1,466 meters was drilled and there were 1,768 samples sent for analysis, with 3,030 assay results received.

Barsele's President, Gary Cope states, "We continue to receive positive results in validation, conversion and expansion drilling at Barsele. The 375-meter extension of the Avan Zone is a very positive indication for potential northwesterly growth of this large mineralized system."

Highlight Results from the January 2017 Reporting Period Hole Category From (m) To (m) Core Length (m) True Thickness (m) Au (g/t) Top-Capped at 20 g/t Au (g/t) AVA16020 Validation 15.00 22.00 7.00 4.00 1.12





84.00 89.00 5.00 3.00 1.35





132.00 135.00 3.00 1.80 2.13

















AVA16023 Validation 33.00 54.35 21.35 17.00 1.18





60.00 64.00 4.00 3.20 12.62 6.44















AVA16024 Validation 22.00 36.00 14.00 10.00 1.01

















CNT16029 Conversion 311.00 321.00 10.00 6.50 1.04





331.00 342.00 11.00 7.00 2.73





360.00 379.15 19.15 12.50 1.01





423.00 426.00 3.00 2.00 4.63





593.00 609.00 16.00 10.50 1.18

















CNT16030 Conversion 412.00 421.00 9.00 7.00 2.02





433.00 443.00 10.00 7.50 1.98

















CNT16031 Conversion 259.00 269.00 10.00 6.00 1.62





303.00 319.00 16.00 9.50 1.21





459.00 464.00 5.00 3.00 4.71





484.00 488.00 4.00 2.50 1.80





497.00 506..00 9.00 5.50 3.73

















CNT16032 Conversion 351.00 363.00 12.00 7.50 0.98





463.00 555.00 92.00 62.00 1.63

















SKI16014 Expansion Assays Pending.

























SKI16015 Conversion 190.00 222.00 32.00 17.00 0.79





274.00 280.00 6.00 3.20 2.12





289.00 333.00 44.00 23.00 0.70





362.00 369.00 7.00 3.70 3.65





383.00 414.00 31.00 16.50 2.29





449.00 462.00 13.00 7.00 1.28





561.00 576.00 15.00 8.00 1.12



As project operator, Agnico Eagle has developed a community relations program to engage the various stakeholders in the project area. Basic environmental assessment and surface water characterization, species studies and hydrogeology studies are ongoing.

About the Barsele Gold Project

The Barsele Project is located on the western end of the Proterozoic "Skellefte Trend", a prolific volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits belt, where it intersects with the "Gold Line" in Northern Sweden. Both polymetallic deposits and intrusive hosted orogenic gold deposits are present in this region and on the property. Current and past producers in the region include Boliden, Kristineberg, Bjorkdal, Svartliden and Storliden.

The intrusive hosted gold mineralization within the Barsele Property appears to be similar to Agnico Eagle's Goldex deposit in Quebec. Drilling has been focused on verifying, defining and expanding the mineral resources within and along the Central, Avan and Skirasen zones, that are now interpreted to be part of the same mineralized system that extends approximately 3.0 kilometers in strike length and to a depth of 600 meters and still open in all directions. These contiguous mineralized zones occur within a granodiorite host that ranges in width from 200 to 500 meters and is traceable over a strike length exceeding 8.0 kilometers. Gold is generally associated with arsenopyrite and low base metal content, but also occurs as native metal locally.

Art Freeze, P.Geo. is the Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and takes responsibility for the technical disclosure contained within this news release.

About Barsele Minerals Corp.

Barsele is a Canadian-based junior exploration company comprised of highly qualified mining professionals. Barsele's main property is the Barsele Gold Project in Vasterbottens Lan, Sweden, a joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. The company has retained the services of Amec Foster Wheeler, to complete an Independent Review of the Barsele Mineral Resource Update, that was recently created by Agnico Eagle. An updated NI 43-101 Technical Report will be prepared if warranted.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gary Cope

President

This News Release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements and Barsele undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Barsele Minerals Corp.

For further information: please contact Barsele Minerals Corp. at (604) 687-8566 x227, email [email protected] or visit our website at www.barseleminerals.com
By Tom Perry and Humeyra Pamuk BEIRUT/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - U.S.-backed Syrian militias cut the last main road out of Islamic State-held Raqqa on Monday, severing the highway between the group's de facto capital and its stronghold of Deir al-Zor province, a militia spokesman said. The development, confirmed by a British-based organisation that monitors Syria's war, marks a major blow against Islamic State, which is under intense military pressure in both Syria and Iraq. It is losing ground to three separate campaigns in northern Syria - by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militias, by the Russian-backed Syrian army, and by Turkey and allied Syrian rebels. "Cutting the road between Raqqa and Deir al-Zor means that practically the encirclement of the Daesh (Islamic State) capital is complete by land," a Kurdish military source told Reuters, adding that the only remaining way out of the city was south across the Euphrates River. "It is a big victory but there is still a lot to accomplish," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The SDF is an alliance of militias including the Kurdish YPG and Arab groups. It launched a campaign in November to encircle and ultimately capture Islamic State's base of operations in Raqqa city, with air strikes and special forces support from a U.S.-led coalition. Further west, the Syrian army has made its own, rapid progress against Islamic State in the past few weeks, advancing east from Aleppo city towards the Euphrates. The Syrian army last week captured the ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic State - an operation Russia said it had planned and overseen. A Syrian military source told Reuters the army would press on to reach the jihadists' main strongholds in Raqqa and Deir al-Zor. Syrian government forces, meanwhile, have taken over positions from a U.S.-backed militia in the northern city of Manbij on a frontline with Turkish-backed rebel forces, in line with a deal brokered by Russia, the militia's spokesman said on Monday. Last week, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Manbij would be the next target in the campaign Turkey is waging alongside Syrian rebels in northern Syria against both Islamic State and the Kurdish YPG militia. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Monday Ankara was not planning a military campaign without coordinating with the United States and Russia. The U.S. military has also deployed a small number of forces in and around Manbij to ensure that the different parties in the area do not attack each other, a Pentagon spokesman said. BRIDGES DESTROYED Islamic State still controls swathes of Syria, including much of the centre and nearly all the eastern province of Deir al-Zor stretching all the way to the Iraqi part of its self-declared caliphate. The SDF has been the main U.S. partner against Islamic State in Syria. "The road is under the control of the SDF," spokesman Talal Silo said in a voice message sent to Reuters. "The road between Raqqa and Deir al-Zor." There was no immediate word from Islamic State on the social media channels it uses to communicate news. Air strikes by the U.S.-led coalition have destroyed the bridges across the Euphrates to Raqqa city, the British-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said. The Observatory said families brought recently by Islamic State to Raqqa from areas to the west had been forced to cross the river by boat, reflecting the problem facing Islamic State in reaching the city. In Iraq, U.S.-backed Iraqi forces captured the second of Mosul's five bridges on Monday, part of a major onslaught that began in October to take back the city lost to Islamic State in 2014. EYES ON RAQQA The Syrian army's advance towards the Euphrates River from Aleppo has added to the pressure on Islamic State. One of the targets of the army's advance appears to be to secure the water supply to Aleppo, which is pumped from the village of al-Khafsa on the western bank of the Euphrates. The Observatory said on Monday the army had advanced to within 8 km (5 miles) of al-Khafsa. The Syrian army push has also had the effect of deterring further advances south by Turkish forces and Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels as they carve out an effective buffer zone near the border in areas seized from Islamic State. "The army will not stop in its military operations against Daesh, and will certainly reach its most important strongholds in Raqqa and Deir al-Zor. This is a national Syrian decision," the Syrian military source told Reuters. The source said the army was advancing at a rapid pace and there was "great dysfunction" in Islamic State's leadership. Turkey, a NATO member, wants its Syrian rebel allies to lead the Raqqa offensive, and U.S. support for the YPG is a major point of contention between the two states. (Reporting by Tom Perry; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Alison Williams)
FILE PHOTO - A VietJet crew member closes the door of a A320 airplane before departure for Bangkok at Noi Bai international airport in Hanoi September 25, 2013. REUTERS/Kham/File Photo

By My Pham

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnamese private budget airline VietJet's <VJC.HM> market capitalization surpassed that of state-owned Vietnam Airlines <HVN.HNO> on Monday, only a week after it was listed.

VietJet grabbed headlines with bikini-clad flight attendants when it was launched in 2011 and its success on the Ho Chi Minh stock exchange reflects its rapid ascent since.

It has become known in Vietnam as the "bikini airline" and female crew do still wear them, but only on some flights.

Its market share is expected to top that of Vietnam Airlines this year, a feat it has achieved by tapping into a fast-growing economy and a young population starting to travel more.

VietJet shares hit 137,400 dong ($6.03) each, valuing it at$1.8 billion, ahead of Vietnam Airlines at $1.7 billion.

On its first trading day VietJet was valued at $1.4 billion and its rival, which listed in January, at $2.1 billion.

Growth in the Vietnamese market, which is one of the fastest in Asia Pacific, and a relatively small free-float in VietJet shares for retail investors, had driven the price of the shares, brokers said.

VietJet's stock has a lower price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 15.75 compared with 16.63 for Vietnam Airlines, Thomson Reuters data showed.

The CAPA Centre for Aviation has said that VietJet, which currently commands 40 percent of Vietnam's domestic market, will likely become the country's biggest domestic carrier this year.

FUTURE GROWTH

Some analysts forecast VietJet shares will jump to more than 143,000 dong per share.

"(The) VietJet story just begins so investors still have a lot of expectation on its shares," Nguyen Van Dung, manager of the securities consulting department at Saigon Securities, said.

"But if from investing perspective, I will buy Vietnam Airlines share as the firm has much potential to grow sustainably in (the) long-term and the price now is very good to buy," he added.

Story continues

The listings of VietJet and Vietnam Airlines were part of the government's push on privatization to boost investment.

Vietnam, which is slowly opening up its domestic market amid considerable investment interest, has completed several major share sales and listings in recent months, including a $3.72 billion flotation of its top brewer Sabeco SAB.HM in which the government owns nearly 90 percent.

($1=22,800 dong)

(Editing by Alexander Smith)
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is expected in Edo State today as part of his trouble-shooting visits to oil producing communities in the Niger Delta.A statement signed by John Mayaki, chief press secretary to Governor Godwin Obaseki, said the acting president would visit Oben community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area to see for himself some of the challenges of the community.The acting president had visited Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom and Imo states in furtherance of Federal Governments policy in the Niger Delta.Meanwhile, Governor Obaseki has seized the opportunity of Osinbajos visit to assure Oben community of infrastructural development.Obaseki who gave the assurance during a visit to the community in preparation for the visit, said he would impress it on the visiting acting president to repair the federal road, among other things, around the area.In another development, the acting president is expected in Lagos tomorrow to perform the ground breaking for the construction of the $1.5bn standard gauge rail line from Lagos to Ibadan.The proposed156.65km Lagos-Ibadan rail is a double line, which is the first phase of a new Lagos-Kano standard gauge line.Already arrangements have been completed for the historic ground breaking by the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) under the supervision of the Ministry of Transportation.*From Daily Trust
President Muhammadu Buhari who is currently on a medical vacation in London has spoken with Kogi State Goveror, Yahaya Bello.Bello who said he spoke with the President for a couple of minutes on the phone said Buhari assured him that all is well with his health.The governor quoted the President as saying he would soon return to Nigeria to continue with his assignment of providing purposeful leadership for the nation.In a statement by his Director General, Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, Bello revealed that he spoke with Buhari during a visit to Lagos in company of the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, a few members of the House and some of his cabinet members.The statement reads: While in Lagos, President Muhammadu Buhari called Governor Yahaya Bello and interacted with him for a couple of minutes. Governor Bello was in the company of the Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, a few other Honourable Members of the House, Honourable Commissioners and other top government functionaries. President Buhari and Gov. Yahaya Bello The President thanked the Governor for his support and his leadership qualities.He told the Governor that he is observing rest and will return very soon to continue his assignment of providing purposeful leadership for the nation.Governor Bello is the latest high profile personality the President had spoken with since he extended his medical vacation in London.The Presidency had on Saturday revealed that Buhari spoke with King Mohammed VI of Morocco on the phone.Buhari also spoken with the United States, US President, Donald Trump, Katsina State Governor, Bello Masari and a host of others
Senior Pastor of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, is being accused by one Stephanie Otobo of impregnating and abandoning h...









Senior Pastor of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, is being accused by one Stephanie Otobo of impregnating and abandoning her.A letter from Festus Keyamo Chambers dated March 4, 2017 and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police claimed that Stephanie began a romantic relationship with Suleiman in Canada in 2015.She claimed that the pastor told her he was divorced from his wife and proposed to her, before meeting with her family for introduction, declaring his intention to marry her.Stephanie also alleged she abandoned her lucrative career, her cars, friends and house in Canada because Suleiman promised to buy her a house in Nigeria.In another letter dated March 3, 2017 written to Suleiman and also sent to the IGP, her lawyers claimed the cleric was so in love with her, that he had to lick her entire body every time they had sex.It added that Suleiman invited Stephanie from Canada to Europe, where he made love with her all night after Church programmes.It is even being alleged that Stephanie was the one sending topic of sermons for the pastor to preach and the songs to be sung.The letter said the pastor invited Stephanie to his church in Nigeria and begged her to get pregnant for him, as he wanted more male children.Stephanie who is demanding N500million in damages for the breach of trust, also revealed messier details like Suleiman asking her to bring a friend along for a threesome and to send her nude pictures to him.Suleiman was also accused of intimidating and harassing Stephanie, after men of the Nigeria Police Force, Monitoring Unit, Kem Salem House, Obalende, Lagos, arrested her inside a banking hall.Her lawyers gave Suleiman a seven-day ultimatum to meet its demands.See document:
The Omega Fire Ministries has denied that the General Overseer of the church, Apostle Johnson Suleiman has a hand in the arrest and detent...





The Omega Fire Ministries has denied that the General Overseer of the church, Apostle Johnson Suleiman has a hand in the arrest and detention of one Miss Stephanie Otobo by the police last Friday, March 3, 2017.A statement signed by Phrank Shaibu, Communications Manager to Apostle Suleiman also denied that there was a so-called amorous relationship between the said Miss Otobo and the General overseer.The statement of Omega Fire Ministries was in reaction to two letters written by Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo demanding the same N500 million on behalf of the said lady and also accusing Apostle Suleiman of procuring policemen to intimidate and detain his client unlawfully, having earlier promised to marry her.But Phrank Shaibu said the lawyer was misled into believing that there was an amorous relationship between Apostle Suleiman and the said Miss Otobo, pointing out that the lady was caught up by her own machinations as she was arrested while trying to withdraw money paid into her account by the Church in a sting operation coordinated by the police.Unknown to Keyamo, the police was alerted following several attempts by the said lady to blackmail Apostle Suleiman.The police also recorded her conversations making the frivolous demand. The highpoint of the drama was her attempt to withdraw money paid into her account at the instance of the police.The lawyer should know that his client was arrested by the police with abundance of evidence confirming that she is indeed a serial blackmailer, he said.The Communications Manager further debunked Keyamos claim of an amorous relationship, a promise to marry and that the Senior Pastor had actually made the initial move towards marriage by seeing her parents, wondering how such a transaction could have taken place without any iota of evidence.Let me place it on record that, the lady in question is a self-confessed stripper in a nite club in Canada, who like thousands of people that seek help from Apostle Johnson Suleiman, called to pretentiously convey her intentions to embrace Christ and also needed financial help to keep body and soul as she no longer had a means of livelihood after quitting as a stripper.Does Keyamo or his serial blackmailing client have pictures of the visit by Apostle Suleiman or his representatives to her parents? In any case, how could such a relationship have existed when Apostle and the said lady have never met physically?How could he have made a promise of a house and a lifestyle comparable to what she has in Canada when he has never been to her house or seen her physically as to have an idea of her living standards? He asked.Shaibu contented that the Lagos lawyer must have been misled or excited by the prospects of getting a whopping N500 million, both reasons for which two letters were written and sent to Apostle Suleiman wondering how Keyamo could have fallen for such a gimmick in the first place.If Keyamo was not misled or excited by the prospects of a jackpot of N500 million and or an opportunity to save his already dwindling career in law practice from total caput by latching on the popularity of Apostle Suleman vide this tendentiously devilish plot and skewed romantic fantasy, then we may as well demand an evaluation of his mental state along with his client who was obviously on the verge of delusion before she was arrested.Its either one of the options stated above or he is trying to engage in a proxy war on behalf of some unknown agents who had become irritated by Apostles stand on national issues. His inference to the latter incident in Keyamos letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) confirms this benign thought, he declared.
The General Overseer of the Mountain of Liberation and miracle ministry, Dr. Chris Okafor, on Sunday called on the Federal Government to...

The General Overseer of the Mountain of Liberation and miracle ministry, Dr. Chris Okafor, on Sunday called on the Federal Government to do the needful and immediately release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.In a message at his church headquarters, the clergyman also prophesied that the trial of former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col Sambo Dasuki(rtd) will soon start, receiving positive attention in light of court orders.Recall that Okafor had recently demanded the immediate release of Kanu, wondering why the government of Buhari had failed to honour court orders demanding the release of Kanu.Shortly after his call, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, had struck out six of the 11 count charges leveled against Kanu.Also, some Igbo leaders have demanded the immediate release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.Noting that the events coming after his call were no coincidence, Okafor said, There are no coincidences with God. It was a carefully calculated divine declaration that has set the wheel in motion for Kanus release.I cant take credit for it. God only chose to birth it through me. Everyone in church on that Sunday witnessed how God directed me away from the message that I was already preaching, to make the declaration that I made about Nnamdi Kanus immediate release. That is the way of a true prophet. Its like the wind. You dont know where its coming from.You cant tell where its going. Im sure some people thought I was trying to play some politics. Thank God for always confirming his words. Youll see that even Dasukis own case will soon begin to receive positive attention in line with court orders. God wants Nigeria to be a better place for all and we are the watchmen who will oversee the transformation of this country for the better.I am calling on the Federal Government to do whatever they can to release him immediately. I hope they treat this call as extremely urgent. And I have my reasons.
The Borno Government has introduced incentives intended to make children go back to school and retain them there.

The Borno Government has introduced incentives intended to make children go back to school and retain them there.The incentives include free uniforms, text and exercise books and bus rides for pupils and students to and from school.The Chairman, Borno State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr Shettima Kullima, on Monday said, As regards efforts being made by SUBEB and by extension, the Borno Government in returning out-of-school children to school, the state government, as a matter of urgency, put all mechanisms in place to see that schools that are hitherto vandalised are fixed to make them functional.There are certain strategies that were deliberately mapped out by the state government in schools opened in order to see that out-of-school children not only enrolled but are retained.For this, the governor purchased uniforms for these students.The governor went further to purchase school sandals, instructional materials such as school bags, text books and exercise books.For the purpose of logistic convenience, the state government introduced school buses for the schools located in the urban centres so that they could be used to transport students and pupils from their homes to school.Statistics from the states Ministry of Education show that the North-East zone accounts for 3.773 million of the 13.2 million out-of-school children of basic education age in the country.The SUBEB chairman added that the state government is also tightening security in schools by building wired fences and providing solar power.According to him, the government has also introduced a feeding programme for the students.He said, Another tremendous effort is the introduction of a feeding programme in almost all the schools.Now that the governor has introduced this as a policy, kitchens are being constructed.Another stimulus for making students to be retained is the idea of protection; wire fences are being constructed in our schools.So, most of our schools are now fenced with security barbwires installed.There are also wash system being introduced. As a deliberate policy, bore holes are now being drilled in schools and a solar power system is being introduced.To make teachers part of the school system, more staff quarters are constructed in most of our schoolsKullima commended the Federal Government and the state governor for the efforts they are making to ensure that the schools in the state regained their lost glory especially following the advent of insurgency.He said despite what was being reported, the state was already experiencing an appreciable level of peace and tranquillity.We have seen the good, the bad and the ugly sides of the crisis and sincerely you can give kudos to the leadership in Borno for the perseverance, determination and enthusiasm exhibited in trying to see that insurgency is stopped.
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi-Fani-Kayode has reacted to the report on The Guardian UK on how Goodluck Jonathan rejected British offer...

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi-Fani-Kayode has reacted to the report on The Guardian UK on how Goodluck Jonathan rejected British offer to rescue abducted Chibok girls.He said it is true the girls were abducted under former President Goodluck Jonathan but the Buhari-led APC elements were behind it.Mr. Fani-Kayode in a series of tweets on Monday said: The allegation by the UK's @guardian that @GEJonathan rejected an offer by the UK govt to rescue the Chibok girls is childish and asinine.It is true that the Chibok girls were abducted under @GEJonathan's watch but it is also true that elements in @MBuhari's APC were behind it.Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has denied blocking British government rescued team from assisting the country on the Chibok girls.
Former Minister of State for Information, Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande, on Sunday revealed when President Muhammadu Buhari will return from his ...

Former Minister of State for Information, Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande, on Sunday revealed when President Muhammadu Buhari will return from his medical vacation in London, United Kingdom, UK.Speaking during a special prayer session for quick recovery of the President at the Jos Central mosque in Plateau State, Nakande said information at his disposal indicated that the President would soon return to Nigeria.According to the former Minister, From the information I gathered, President Buhari is hale and sound and may come back today (yesterday) or tomorrow (today). All what is needed from us is prayer for the full recovery and Gods guidance for the president to deliver his campaign promises.He noted that the decision of the President to speak with several top dignitaries across the world, including the leadership of the National Assembly was an indication that he was doing well.Berating those wishing Buhari death, Nakande maintained that only the President could take Nigeria out of the current mess.It is only Buhari that can take this nation out of the mess it found itself, he said.This is coming at a time when reports had it that Buhari spoke with the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello where he assured him of returning soon to continue with his work.
The sickle cell disease of a French teenager has been reversed through a landmark procedure that saw scientists alter his DNA.

The sickle cell disease of a French teenager has been reversed through a landmark procedure that saw scientists alter his DNA.The teenager was prior to the treatment on a monthly blood transfusion to dilute his defective blood.At age 13, doctors at Necker Childrens Hospital in Paris decided to alter the genetic instructions in his bone marrow.This was done through the injection of a virus (which corrected the defect he had) into his bone marrow.The altered bone marrow was then put back into the patient.Fifteen months since the treatment, the teenager no longer requires medication, and his blood cells show no further sign of the disease, according to the results published in the New England Journal of Medicine.Philippe Leboulch, a professor of medicine at the University of Paris, told the BBC that: So far the patient has no sign of the disease, no pain, no hospitalisation. He no longer requires a transfusion so we are quite pleased with that.But of course we need to perform the same therapy in many patients to feel confident that it is robust enough to propose it as a mainstream therapy.Leboulch, according to the BBC, is hesitant to use the word cure because the French teenager is only the first patient to scale through the clinical trials.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said he was returning soon to continue the project of fixing Nigeria after a time of rest in London.

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he was returning soon to continue the project of fixing Nigeria after a time of rest in London.President Buhari spoke in a telephone conversation with Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State at the weekend during which the two men paid compliments to one another on what they had done in office.Governor Bello would be the second governor President Buhari would be speaking with after his discussion with Governor Ganduje of Kano State. The President had also been reported to have spoken with the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, who recently lost his wife and with foreign leaders, including President Donald Trump of the United States, Moroccan leader, King Mohammed VI and African Union chairperson, President Alpha Conde of Guinea.The phone conversation which happened in Lagos on the governors trip back from President Olusegun Obasanjos 80th birthday celebrations which lasted for minutes, was in the presence of the speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, a few other members of the House, commissioners and other top government functionaries.The President, who thanked the governor for his support and his leadership qualities, told him that he was observing rest and would return very soon to continue his assignment of providing purposeful leadership for the nation. President: Governor Yahaya Bello, I am impressed by your leadership qualities, what you are doing in Kogi State and all your prayers and support for me and Nigeria.I am resting here and will soon return home to continue our project of fixing Nigeria, the governor was quoted as saying in a press statement made available to Vanguard by the Director-General of the governors Media Team. Responding, Governor Bello was quoted as saying: Nigeria has won respect globally because of your integrity and the anti-graft war that has been hugely successful.We are praying for you. Kogites and Nigerians are solidly behind your administration as we continue to wish you sound health and the grace of Allah.
The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has assured airlines and passengers flying into and out of the Kaduna Airport of maximum s...

The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has assured airlines and passengers flying into and out of the Kaduna Airport of maximum security.IGP Idris made the pledge on Sunday when he inspected the security arrangement at the Kaduna airport and its environs.The inspection comes as part of security preparation ahead of the closure of the Abuja International Airport on March 8 for repair works.On arrival at the airport, the Police boss was received by the DIG Operations, Joshak Habila, and other top police officers.He then proceeded to the terminal building where he inspected the security control room, arrival and departure halls among others.From the airport, Mr Idris and his entourage moved to the Rigasa Railway which is a few kilometres away from the airport to ascertain the security arrangement at the train station.Speaking to reporters after the inspection, he expressed satisfaction with the level of security arrangement in place.IGP Idris said that in addition to maximum security already in place on the Abuja-Kaduna highway, there would be about three helicopters on aerial patrols, as well as additional personnel on ground to provide security to buses and trains that would be conveying passengers to and from the Federal Capital Territory.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has promised to visit all oil producing communities in the Niger Delta, ruling out any concern about insecu...

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has promised to visit all oil producing communities in the Niger Delta, ruling out any concern about insecurity.Osinbajo said this at a townhall meeting in Benin, Edo state capital, on Monday.Some youth stormed the meeting after receiving reports that the acting president will not visit their communities.This led to a temporary suspension of activities, but their leaders succeeded in pacifying them.Addressing the aggrieved persons after normalcy was restored, Osinbajo explained that the closure of the Abuja airport, scheduled for 12 midnight on Wednesday, was behind the rescheduling of the visit.Our plan is to ensure that we visit all of the oil producing communities, and just as it was rightly said, we have stationed our helicopters at the airport in order to take us there, he said.There is no issue of insecurity at all, I have been to other oil producing communities. What has happened is that the Abuja airport will be closed from tomorrow, we would not have enough time this time to visit all the communities.But the governor and I have agreed that we must pay a visit in order to visit each and every one of the communities, and we will do so.Osinabjo told the people that abandoned projects in the region will be reactivated, while defaulters will be prosecuted.I have looked at the issues of abandoned projects, and I can tell you precisely, how much has been voted, and how much was spent in several of our oil communities, and there is no sign of development in those areas, he said.I can tell you how many of these projects are supposed to have been completed, and when you look in the books, they say they have been completed, but they have not been completed; they have not been done, many have not even started at all.The people must see the benefit of the land. The elite everywhere, have very frequently deprived the people of the opportunity to enjoy the fruit of the land, that is the Nigerian story.This is something we must deal with. We cannot continue as if we do not know. The monies that have been spent on paper in this country is enough to develop many countries.
Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi state, has described as painful, the death of Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba, a scholar and journalist.

Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi state, has described as painful, the death of Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba, a scholar and journalist.A vehicle crushed Onukaba while he was trying to escape from armed robbers who mounted a barricade on an expressway around Akure, Ondo state capital.Yusuf Itopa, one of his relations, who was by his side when the tragic incident happened, said the deceased was trying to take cover in a nearby bush when he was killed.In a statement by Petra Onyegbule, his chief press secretary, Bello lamented that Onukaba died during the period of the first death anniversary of James Ocholi, former minister of state for labour and productivity.Ocholi, his wife and son died in a road accident along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway on March 6, 2016.On behalf of the entire government and citizens of Kogi state, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, solemnly commiserates with the family of late literary icon, formidable playwright, distinguished citizen, illustrious Kogi son and former governorship aspirant in Kogi, Dr. Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba, on his painful departure from this world, Onyegbule said in a statement.This is especially sad and painful coming on the first anniversary of the death of another illustrious Kogi son and legal luminary, Barrister James Ocholi, SAN, the erstwhile minister of state for labour, who died in active service. He prayed that a permanent stop will come to the loss of prominent citizens of the state in their prime, and the loss of tapping from their well of wisdom.He will be remembered for charging the people of the state to pull behind Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello to ensure a total redemption and progress for the state on all frontiers. He charges his family, friends and admirers to take solace in the fact that he has lived well and left indelible marks in the sands of time.Onukaba lost the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Bello in 2015.
She wrote;





"#HNNFamily Mark...Congratulations... SMH...In America?? Why don't Nigerians just have babies where they live? All hail the American neonatal blanket. We always recognize that. That's the only clue in the picture that told me they went to the USA just to have a BABY!! Also the weight of the baby and the boring oyinbo nurse line "a head full of hair" as oyinbo babies are born bald. Anambra state probably paid for that unnecessary medical estacode. Obiano pls tell us. The fleecing of Nigeria continues...Improve your prenatal services and nobody will have to struggle to get a US passport for their newborns. I had three children in America because I lived there almost 35 years. Have babies where you live. Stop berating your health sector. Mark Okoye, you are a government official for God's sake. I applaud your appointment at 30yo because my father was the YOUNGEST commissioner in NIGERIA for that very same economic development/planning at 27yo in Western region under Majeks/Akintola/Fani-Kayode...Balewa era. You should save state money-- @kemiolunloyo"
A mobile court attached to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), on Monday sentenced 16 street hawkers to 14 days imprisonment ...

A mobile court attached to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), on Monday sentenced 16 street hawkers to 14 days imprisonment each, for operating in unauthorised places.The Magistrate, Mr. Ahmed Ndajiwo, however, gave the convicts N1,500 option of fine each.The convicted admitted committing the offence and begged for leniency.Because you are first time offenders, I will listen to your plea. But I am warning you to ensure that you desist from the act, the magistrate told the convicts.Kabiri Isah, one of the convicts, said he cannot afford to rent a shop in the FCT, but promised that he would desist from the act.The counsel to the AEPB, Mr. Eze Eze, had told the court that the convicts committed the offence on March 3, 2017.Eze said the convicts were arrested by the AEPB`s task-force and brought to its mobile court in Area 10, Garki, Abuja.He told the court that one Isah and 15 others displayed their wares in unauthorised places within the city centre where they were caught by members of the task-force.
Seven Russian sailors and one Ukrainian national who were kidnapped last month off the coast of Nigeria have been freed, the Nigerian navy...

Seven Russian sailors and one Ukrainian national who were kidnapped last month off the coast of Nigeria have been freed, the Nigerian navy said on Monday.The foreign sailors, including seven Russians and one Ukrainian, have been rescued. They were rescued by our operatives in Delta state, Navy spokesman Captain Suleman Dahun told AFP.He said the sailors were released unhurt and they are back in their countries.It was not immediately clear if ransom money was paid before they were released.The sailors were taken hostage on February 5 after their cargo vessel, the BBC Caribbean, was attacked by sea pirates off the coast of the volatile Niger delta region.Three people, who remained on board, managed to run away from the pirates and took the vessel to Spains Las Palmas, before returning to Russia.The BBC Caribbean belongs to German company Briese Schiffahrt and is a multipurpose vessel intended for dry cargo. It flies the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, according to the companys website.Ship hijackings have become more frequent in Nigeria since President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 announced he was winding down an amnesty to former militants in the oil-rich Niger delta region.The number of pirate attacks off Nigeria rose from 14 in 2015 to 36 last year, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
Some Nigerians have commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for its current fight against corruption.

Some Nigerians have commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for its current fight against corruption.They said in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria that the exercise was making impact, most especially the commissions arrest of former public officers.Founder and President of the Oodua Peoples Congress, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, lauded the EFCC for beaming its searchlight on finances of some individuals that had once held public offices.Fasehun said the arrest of the former Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr Andrew Yakubu, and the recovery of 9.8 million dollars and 74, 000 pounds from his home, was a breakthrough.Fasheun, who is also the National Chairman of the Unity Party of Nigeria, also commended the final forfeiture of over N66 billion linked to the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke to the Federal Government, as ordered by the Court.The UPN chairman urged the agency to continue the anti-corruption fight, but cautioned it against selective arrest.EFCC has a lot to do by bringing to book those it thinks have undermined the constitution of this country and looted the treasury, he said.Similary, National Chairman, National Conscience Party, Dr Yunisa Tanko, commended the agency for its fight against corruption, but advised that it should deploy scientific means of investigating and recovering money allegedly siphoned from various treasury across the country.He also advised the agency to ensure timely arraignment and prosecution of anybody found to have looted the treasury.Tanko, who is also a member of the National Peace Committee, however, said that arrests of some public office holders were long-overdue, and implored the anti-graft agency to beam its searchlight on all nooks and crannies of the country.He said this had become imperative because in spite of the anti-corruption drive of the present administration, Nigeria still ranked high among the corrupt countries in the world.While commending the EFCC for the anti-corruption fight, Tanko, however, said that a cross section of people in the country believed that the commission was still being selective in its operations.EFCC has a lot to do to earn the respect of the society because people still see them as acting out the masters script, he said.Mr. Saminu Abdullahi, a trader, also commended the commissions fight against graft, but described its manner of arrest of suspects as crude.Abdullahi also said that in spite of the agencys best efforts and capacity to track down offenders, it lacked the modern technique of operations.He advised the EFCC to exercise its discretionary powers within the ambit of the law, without violating human rights in its operations.He also urged Nigerians to support the Acting Chairman of the commission, Mr Ibrahim Magu, to succeed in the commissions anti-graft war.We must all support the patriotic efforts of the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, at tackling corruption, so far.I also am appealing to the Senate to confirm his appointment to enable him to do more, the trader said.Mrs Abigei Nze, an Accountant, also lauded the EFCC for doing  a good job, so far, especially its arrest of highly-placed former public officers.Nze said but for the bold operations of the EFCC, the nation would have been consumed by corruption.(NAN)
The Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has said that nobody above 50 years of age will be governor of the state again.

The Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has said that nobody above 50 years of age will be governor of the state again.The governor who spoke in Owerri, the state capital as a special guest of honor at the occasion marking the beginning of the 2016/2017 legal year in the state, asserted that nobody above 50 years would succeed him in office in, 2019.Responding to the remarks made by Mike Ahamba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the governor said that the governorship position of the state from 2019, are not meant for people who are above 50 years age bracket.The governor said Mike Ahamba, SAN, did not attack me today. This is unlike him, it maybe because he wants to be governor in 2019, but let me advise him not to contest because nobody above 50 will be governor in Imo again.Okorocha alleged that all politicians in the state who are above 50 years had at one time or the other in the past improvised the state and brought untold hardships on the people and therefore should not be allowed to ruin the state anymore.He said that the state should be entrusted to the people below the age bracket who have the burning and genuine desires to move the state forward after his exit as the governor of the state.The governor equally debunked the allegation by the lawyers that some judiciary workers were being victimized by the state government for joining the state chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress to embark on strike by saying that he insisted no work, no pay so as to instil discipline in the civil service.Okorocha equally boasted that apart from a former governor of old Imo State, late Sam Mbakwe, no other governor before him did 20 percent of what he had done as the states helmsman.
The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayo Fayose continued his verbal onslaught against former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, as he dem...

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayo Fayose continued his verbal onslaught against former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, as he demanded the immediate return of his N10 million donation to his library project with interest.Fayose, who described the library project as one of the greatest fraud ever, said the 30 governors under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) were compelled to donate N10m each in 2005 to the multibillion naira project.The was just as the PDP Southwest caucus passed a confidence vote in the leadership of the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee, branding the Ali Modu Sheriff group as mere usurpers of the partys structure.Speaking in Ado Ekiti on yesterday at the opening session of the PDP Southwest stakeholders meeting, advised former President Obasanjo to stop seeing himself as a saint.Fayose, who visibly expressed his anger against some leaders of the party for refusing to speak up against political persecution of members of the party by the All Progressive Congress led Federal government, said they should not be afraid to speak against tyranny and any form of oppression.Urging members to remain bold and undaunted in the face of perceived intimidation by gents of the All Progressives Congress(APC) , Fayose predicted that God will soon move against those that are oppressing the PDP members in the country by declaring their seats vacant.Present at the meeting are: Host governor, Mr. Fayose, his deputy, Dr Kolapo Olusola, former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniels, Senator Iyiola Omisore, former PDP Deputy Chairman, Chief Bode George, former PDP National Vice Chairman, Mr Tajudeen Oladipo, PDP Spokesperson, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, a member of the House of Representative from Ogun, Hon Oladipupo Adebutu, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Prof Olu Agbi.Others are: PDP Chairmen in Ogun, Chief Sikirudeen Ogundele, Ondo, Clement Faboyede, Ekiti, Chief Gboyega Oguntuase, Oyo, Hon Muraina Ajibola, Lagos, Mr Moshood Salvador, Osun, Mr Bayo Faforiji, Chief Mrs Kofoworola Bucknor, Chief Paul Alabi, among others. According to Fayose We were compelled to make the donation as PDP governors in 2005 and now I need the return of my money with interest, he said.The Governor, who described the Sheriffs faction as moles and political kidnappers within the party, added that Yes, they are kidnappers, because when you took what does not belong to you, then you are a kidnapper. To me, I stand with Makarfi, because the judiciary has no reason to appoint the chairman and executive members for party owners.How can you call yourself the leader of a party and be working for the opposition.Sheriff and his group will fail in their devilish plot against our party. We, the committed members of this party will not allow this evil to work, because charlatans cant be allowed to hijack our party.To me, the PDP is one under Ahmed Makarfi. I want you to be speaking out against President Muhammadu Buharis government, nobody can kill you.The tough time we are passing through is just a phase as tough time never last but tough people do. They said the PDP people are corrupt, but if you look critically, the PDP are mere petty thieves while APC members are super robbers.They are only interested in destroying and oppressing our members while the people groan in sufferings. Today, the country is under emergency situation.They said we should use political means to settle our differences, let me say that even if we reconcile there are some people I cant be in the same party with .They are dirty and people like us cant associate with them.Fayose boasted that he will concede victory to the APC in the next years election if the opposition wins ten out of the 177 wards in the state.I am even ready to concede defeat if they win only one local government. No matter what they do, we are on ground and we are winning 16-0 again, because we have the people behind us, he boasted.In the communique read by the Ekiti State Deputy governor after the meeting, the party passed confidence vote in Makarfi leadership and also declared support for the partys appeal against the judgement of the Appeal Court, which validated the Sheriff-led Executive. The party also reposed confidence in the leadership of Fayose as the Chairman of the PDP Governors forum and the Eddy Olafeso-led south west leadership.
The British Armed Forces offered to attempt to rescue the 276 Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in 2014, but were rebuffed by fo...

The British Armed Forces offered to attempt to rescue the 276 Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in 2014, but were rebuffed by former President Goodluck Jonathan at the time, The Observer of the United Kingdom has reported.In a mission named Operation Turus, the newspaper said the BAF conducted air reconnaissance over northern Nigeria for several months, following the kidnapping of the girls from their dormitory.The girls were located in the first few weeks of the BAF mission, a source involved in Operation Turus told The Observer. We offered to rescue them, but the Nigerian government declined.It said the girls were then tracked by the aircraft as they were dispersed into progressively smaller groups over the following months, the source added.The Observer further reported that notes from meetings between United Kingdom and Nigerian officials, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, also suggest that Nigeria shunned international offers to rescue the girls.While Nigeria welcomed an aid package and assistance from the US, the UK and France in looking for the girls, it viewed any action to be taken against kidnapping as a national issue.Nigerias intelligence and military services must solve the ultimate problem, said Jonathan in a meeting with the UKs then Africa minister, Mark Simmonds, on May 15, 2014.A document summarising a meeting in Abuja in September 2014 between Nigerias national security adviser and James Duddridge MP, a former under-secretary of state at the Foreign Office, shows Operation Turus had advanced to the point where rescue options were being discussed.Minutes from a meeting between Maj. Gen. James Chiswell and Jonathan the following month, hinted at the frustration felt by those trying to prompt some action from Nigeria.(President) Jonathan was still focused on platforms. Gen. Chiswell said again we could offer advice on what equipment might make sense and how weapon systems might be best deployed, the October 2014 document stated.But Jonathan on Sunday faulted reports that his administration refused offers from the UK for the rescue of the abducted Chibok girls.In a statement issued on his behalf by his Media Adviser, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, the former President said he personally invited major world powers such as the US, UK and Holland among others to be part of the rescue mission to free the abducted girls.Specifically, he said his administration was so supportive of these countries that they were granted permission to overfly Nigerias airspace, while conducting the search and rescue missions.He, however, wondered why he would turn back to frustrate such collaborations considering the importance his administration attached to the rescue of the abducted Chibok girls.
A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Clorox Company (The) CLX. Shares have added about 13.9% in that time frame, outperforming the market .

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to the stock's next earnings release, or is it due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.

Clorox Amends FY17 View on Robust Q2 Earnings & Sales



Clorox released solid second-quarter fiscal 2017 results, Quarterly earnings from continuing operations of $1.25 per share jumped 9.6% year over year and surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.22. Results gained from solid sales and cost savings that were offset by currency headwinds, and higher manufacturing and logistics expenses.



Further, the bottom line excludes a non-cash charge of $0.11 related to the impairing of some assets of the Aplicare skin antisepsis business within the Cleaning segment, which was recorded under Other Expense. Including this charge, the company reported earnings per share of $1.14, flat with the prior-year quarter.



Net sales of $1,406 million advanced nearly 4.5% year over year, marginally surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,405 million. Notably, this marked the companys fourth consecutive sales beat.



During the quarter, gains from 8% volume growth, higher pricing at the International business and benefits from RenewLife (acquired in May 2016) were somewhat negated by unfavorable mix and slightly less than 2 points impact from unfavorable currency effects. On a currency-neutral basis, revenues increased 6% in the reported quarter.



Cloroxs gross margin expanded 10 basis points (bps) to 44.7% in the quarter, driven by gains from efficient cost savings and improved international pricing partly negated by increase in manufacturing and logistics expenses.



Revenue by Segment



Sales in the Cleaning segment improved 3% to $469 million, with a 10% rise in volumes. Volumes mainly gained from the strength in Home Care, particularly Clorox disinfecting wipes, along with strong volumes at the Professional Products cleaning brands.



Household sales grew 12% to $421 million, with volumes rising 11%. Volumes were mainly aided by the RenewLife acquisition and increased shipments at Charcoal, along with strong volumes at Glad premium trash bags.



Sales at the Lifestyle segment rose 4% to $260 million, on the back of 5% advancement in volumes, which in turn benefited from growth witnessed in Natural Personal Care owing to innovation in Burt's Bees lip care and color products.



In the International business segment, sales dipped 2% to $256 million, reflecting the negative impact of currency. On a currency-neutral basis, sales jumped 8% year over year. Volumes at the segment improved 2%, mainly driven by gains in Canada (including benefits from Renew Lifes buyout), partly neutralized by weakness noted in some Latin American nations like Argentina.



Financials



Clorox ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $414 million, and long-term debt of $1,390 million. During first-half fiscal 2017, the company generated $271 million of net cash from continuing operations compared with $178 million in the year-ago period.



Looking Ahead



Backed by robust sales growth in the fiscal second quarter, Clorox raised the lower end of its sales guidance and tweaked the upper-end of its earnings forecast.



The company now expects fiscal 2017 sales growth in a range of 34%, compared with the prior forecast of 24%. The revised sales outlook incorporates the sales gains witnessed in first-half fiscal 2017, as well as nearly 2 points gains from the RenewLife buyout. This was offset by an adverse currency impact of 1 point. On a currency-neutral basis, sales growth is still anticipated to range from 46% for the fiscal.



Further, EBIT margin is still estimated to expand in a band of 2550 bps, mainly backed by lower selling and administrative costs, as a percentage of sales.



Management further stated that the Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09 benefit on earnings is now reduced by $0.05, compared with the previous range of $0.10$0.15 cents per share. Consequently, the company slashed the higher-end of its earnings forecast for fiscal 2017 to $5.23$5.38 per share from $5.23$5.43 expected earlier. Moreover, the company revealed that the revised earnings forecast incorporates gains from strong year-to-date sales growth, product innovations in the second half of the fiscal and projections for EBIT margin expansion over the same time frame.

Story continues

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

Following the release, investors have witnessed an upward trend in fresh estimates. There have been three revisions higher for the current quarter compared to two lower. While looking back an additional 30 days, we can see even more upward momentum. There have been three upward revisions in the last two months.

Clorox Company (The) Price and Consensus

Clorox Company (The) Price and Consensus | Clorox Company (The) Quote

VGM Scores

At this time, Clorox Company's stock has a subpar score of 'D' on both growth and momentum front. Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated also a grade of 'D' on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregte VGM Score of 'F'. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Our style scores indicate investors will probably be better served looking elsewhere.

Outlook

While estimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Interestingly the stock has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We are expecting an inline return from the stock in the next few months.



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



Clorox Company (The) (CLX): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for speaking on phone with some world leaders and refusing to ...

Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for speaking on phone with some world leaders and refusing to speak with any local opposition figure.Fayose said rather than the President shopping for outsiders to speak with to prove that he (Buhari) is well, Buhari should be encouraged to speak with him.Some world leaders the President had spoken with since the commencement of his medical vacation in London include President Donald Trump of the United States, King Mohammed VI of Morocco and the President of the African Union (AU), Moussa Faki.In a statement yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, the governor said: I advise the President to speak with me to convince Nigerians that he is hale and hearty instead of looking for outsiders to convince us.If the problem is looking for a credible person tohelp convince Nigerians then Ayo Fayose is the best bet.Let the President speak with me. If I tell Nigerians that the President spoke with me, they will believe, he said.Nigerians, he added, are suspicious of Buharis purported visits to London as well as his orchestrated telephone conversations with international figures, who Nigerians cannot trust to give an unbiased report about the Presidents health.Since they are eager for the President to speak to people, let Buhari talk to me.I can be reached on 08035024994. I am credible and Nigerians will believe me.They said he spoke to President Donald Trump; despite the hype, Nigerians were sceptical. Then they said he spoke to the King of Morocco; again, Nigerians were suspicious.Before we recovered from that, it was the AU President.A President that can speak with outsiders should be able to whisper or wave to his own people.The people voted him in and so presidential aides should stop giving the impression that Buhari has no respect for the electorate.
APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected in Borno on Monday to commission 432 resettlement houses for victims of Boko Ha...

APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected in Borno on Monday to commission 432 resettlement houses for victims of Boko Haram in three villages; 13 primary and junior secondary schools, a General Hospital, five Primary Healthcare centres as well as irrigation items, mobile fish ponds and economic animals for village women.Commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs and chairman of the committee set up on the commissioning said in a statement emailed to journalists on Sunday, that Tinubu will be the first in the lineup of VIPs invited by Governor Kashim Shettima on different dates starting from March to end in May, 2017, to commission series of projects executed by Shettima in the face of the Boko Haram insurgency.Tinubu is expected to commission 26 luxurious apartments in five detached three story buildings located in Maiduguri to serve as residence of medical doctors working in Government Hospitals which Shettima has named Bola Tinubu Court.Most of the projects to be commissioned are in five villages; Ngamdu, Benisheikh, Mainta Kururi, Tamsukawu, Mainok and Auno villages located in Kaga and Konduga local government areas of Borno State.The Commissioner revealed that after Tinubus visit, former First Lady, Maryam Abacha is expected to commission a 250-bed ultra modern hospital for women and children named after her.Located along Dikwa road in Maiduguri, the large hospital complex built by Governor Shettima is the first hospital dedicated for women and children in Borno State. Zannah said reasons for honouring both Tinubu and Maryam Abacha will be explained in the course of events scheduled for the commissioning.end
Uwazuruike The father of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) HRM Eze Israel Kanu has alleged that Ralph Uwazuruike, leader ...

Uwazuruike

The father of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) HRM Eze Israel Kanu has alleged that Ralph Uwazuruike, leader of Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) is behind his sons continuous detention in prison.Speaking with newsmen at his residence Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia shortly after the traditional marriage of his last daughter Princess Chinwe Kanu, the monarch insisted that Uwazuruike was behind his sons ordeal in Abuja detention.Eze Kanu the 84 year old king said that Uwazuruike masterminded his sons current detention simply because (Nnamdi Kanu) raised the alarm over monies contributed for the wellbeing of helpless Biafra youths, hence the planned arrest on arrival to Nigeria.The monarch pleaded with the federal government to release his son as he never committed any crime in the country, adding that he just returned from Germany a few days ago on medical checkup, The continued detention of my son has no doubt worsened my health condition in the past one year.In a related development the members of the IPOB have accused the South East governors of sabotaging the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu instead of joining hands to ensure his released on conditionally.Speaking at the same traditional wedding ceremony the zonal of Port Harcourt, Rivers State Emeka Mbamara said whether the governors in the South East supported them in this struggle or not their leader Nnamdi Kanu will surely come out with Biafra flag.Mbamara said that the governors in the zone have been sabotaging the agitation and have refused to get close to Nnamdi Kanu since his detention about one year and six months ago and vowed that the youths will continue to carry the struggle until his release.The Zonal Coordinator revealed that the struggle was not a childs play while given assurance that youth will engage in all manner of peacefully revolution to get their leader out ones and for all.Mbamara explained that Kanus continued unlawful detention by federal government will not deterred their struggle and reminded governors of the zone that a day of reckoning was fast approaching.Also speaking on Kanus detention, an IPOB official and a. Germany-based of Imo State extraction Mr. Chibuzo Eric Nwokonna said whether Nigerian government like it or not Biafra was going as soon as necessary documents are completed.Nwokonna who was among hundreds of IPOB members that witnessed the traditional marriage of Kanus younger sister in Umuahia told newsmen that Biafras liberation is a real venture.He explained that many foreign countries including Germany where they have highest number of people for the actualization of Biafra have expressed readiness to support them on all ramifications including the Jews in Israel.
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has appealed to the United Nations, UN, to support the state governments post insurgency reconstr...

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has appealed to the United Nations, UN, to support the state governments post insurgency reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement programmes for the over two million displaced persons and thousands of structures in over twenty LGAs of the state destroyed by the insurgents.He also said that unless good governance, quality leadership, transparency, job creations, education and agriculture were prioritized for the common man and woman, the Boko Haram insurgency may not end soon.The governor who stated this yesterday at the Government House when a 14 man UN Security Council led by, Ambassador Mathew Rycroft paid him a courtesy call said Boko Haram had nothing to do with Islam and it is not Islamic in any form.He said his government had decided to embark on some people oriented projects that will create job for the people, boost girl child education and women empowerment to encourage Parents to send their wards to school.According to him, Borno state had lost property worth over 7.6 billion US dollars to insurgency with 956,456 houses destroyed which is 30% of the total houses in the north east.He commended the UN for their support and assistance in the state through the international community and donor agencies.Earlier, the Minister if Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Jeffrey Onyema thanked the UN Security Council members for their visit and commended them for their support and assistance to Nigeria.Onyema also condoled the members over the a demise of their Russian Ambassador on behalf of government of Nigeria while thanking the military for their role in tackling the Boko Haram crisis and engaging in post conflict humanitarian activities to resettle the displaced and affected persons.During the visit, Ambassador Mathew Rycroft said they were in the state for on the spot assessment of security situation, to see for themselves, talk to the affected people, victims who are traumatized and in need of support, look at areas of needs and discuss with the relevant authorities or government agencies including security agencies on the operations and areas of support.He said after getting all the necessary data, the council members will then return to the headquarters and determine areas of support and frame out how such support could be implemented effectively and transparently for the people.Rycroft added that the UN was not happy with the development in Nigeria and observed that in the past, greater attention was not given to the Boko Haram crisis which informed the UN this year to proposed about 1.15 billion US dollars for the humanitarian activities in Nigeria.He commended the governor for his foresight and commitment to his people as well as his leadership style, urging him to give priority to human right issues.
GALLOWAY -- The Uber driver reported missing in Ocean County was found dead at an Atlantic County motel Monday, Galloway police confirmed.

George Gdovin

George Gdovin, 32, was found at the Rodeway Inn in Galloway Township. The front desk manager told PressofAtlanticCity.com that Gdovin checked in at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday and paid for one night.

When Gdovin missed checkout on Sunday, the manager checked the room and found him unresponsive with furniture blocking the door, the report said.

Seaside Park police told APP.com Monday afternoon that Gdovin was no longer a missing person and they referred questions to Galloway police.

Gdovin, 32, had been missing since early Friday. He was last seen dropping off a passenger at 4 a.m. at the intersection of Lake and Osborne avenues in Bay Head.

Gdovin was driving a 2016 Grey Hyundai Elantra with a New Jersey license plate D96-FTY. Seaside Park later said they were investigating his disappearance.

A phone call and an email to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office as well as a phone call to Galloway police were not immediately returned.

Uber driver reported missing in Ocean Co found dead in motel in Galloway Twp., Atlantic Co, authorities say. Death under investigation. pic.twitter.com/FzmSP5Ipfp  Ted Greenberg (@tedgreenbergNBC) March 6, 2017

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- Hundreds of parents and students were left scrambling last week after news spread that the state was ordering three Newark charter schools to close at the end of the academic year.

The decision to shutter Newark Prep, Paulo Freire Charter School and Merit Prep for low performance came a day after the school district's student enrollment deadline for next year.

"I am terrified for these children. I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to do at this point," said Frances Huggins, whose grandson attends Merit Prep. "Merit Prep was my light at the end of the tunnel two years ago when I was lucky enough to learn of an availability for my grandson."

The school district said Friday the enrollment window would be extended to 2 p.m. on March 11, exclusively for students impacted by the closures.

"Newark Public Schools is committed to supporting the students and families impacted by the state's decision," said Gabrielle Ramos-Solomon, executive director of student enrollment. "Our priority is to ensure that every student in need of a new placement has an assigned school for the 2017-18 school year."

Students will be notified of their new schools by April though those with special needs may take longer to be placed, district officials said in a letter sent to parents Friday.

District officials expect about 750 students will need new schools, as many will graduate at the end of the year.

"Our parents are just devastated, we have a lot of students here, this is all they know," said Merit Prep Principal Ron Harvey. He said he heard about the closure after a reporter called the school for comment on Wednesday.

"It definitely caught us out of the blue, it was very disturbing for us to hear it that way," Harvey said.

Merit Prep enrolls 483 students in grades 5-10 and opened in 2012. The school has 93 employees and was renewed last year on probation.

"We've created a school over the last couple of years for (the students) that they've seen grow and change and improve over time," Harvey said. "They're upset; it just feels unfair to the kids, what are they supposed to do?"

In a letter to parents and staff, Paulo Freire Charter School said the state's decision was "not reflective" of the school's accomplishments. The school said it learned of the state's plan "in the same way that many of you did - via the media."

"Our board and administration were not afforded the courtesy of receiving notification directly from" the state's office of charter schools or the acting Commissioner of Education, the letter said.

The school opened in 2012 and served about 200 high school students as of 2014-15, according to state data.

The Department of Education said revocation letters are emailed to a charter school's Board of Trustees president. The email address the charter schools office used for Paulo Freire Charter School, however, "was not the best email," a DOE spokesman said. The notice was later sent to other email addresses.

Jeff Kwitowski, a spokesman for K12 Inc., which provides curriculum and school programs for Newark Prep, said the state's decision was "quite a shock."

"Teachers and families are learning about this through Twitter and the (DOE's) press release," he said in an email Wednesday.

Newark Prep opened in 2012 and enrolled about 400 high schooler as of 2014-15, according to state data.

"School officials had multiple conversations and several site visits with department officials over the past couple months, and no indication was given that the department was planning to close the school," Kwitowski said.

The district is hosting a school fair on March 9 for families to learn about their options, meet school leaders and apply to their schools of choice. The fair will take place from 6 - 8 p.m. at the Family Support Center located at 301 W. Kinney St.

The center will also offer extended hours March 6-8 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. and 4 - 8 p.m. It will open March 10 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and March 11 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Adam Clark contributed to this report.

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the grades served by Merit Prep.
WASHINGTON TWP. -- Each year, teen drivers in New Jersey are involved in nearly 43,000 motor vehicle accidents. The growing distraction of cell phones increases the risk of accidents. Research has shown, however, that parental involvement in the regulation of teen driving greatly reduces the risk of accidents.

That was the premise behind Share the Keys, a safe driving orientation program designed for both teens and their parents, which was held at Washington Township High School (WTHS) on Feb. 27 and presented by members of the Washington Township Police Department.

Share the Keys was developed by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety and Kean University and was designed to help parents navigate their student drivers through the Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) program.

Executive Principal Ann Moore said the program came to WTHS because of the school's relationship with the Washington Township Police Department, which has SROs (school resource officers) stationed daily in the high school.

"They brought it to our attention," Moore said, "and we worked together with them to bring it to our high school. Our goal is to give (the students) that second layer of driver safety instruction." This is the third year the program has been held at the high school.

Moore said the program was developed for students and parents with the intent "to open the lines of communication between kids and parents."

According to Mike Tullio, field representative for the Traffic Safety Program at Kean University, data from an ongoing Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) research project was used to design the Share the Keys program.

"The course itself is all about the parents," Tullio said. "The target audience is the parent."

In addition to educating parents about the GDL program, the program also emphasizes the importance of parents as role models, which includes enforcing the GDL guidelines and maintaining control over the use of the car, and increasing practice driving hours.

According to SRO Tony Leone, research found that student-drivers responded more favorably when rules and guidelines were enforced.

"Know that you as parents play a huge role in setting up your student-drivers for the rest of their lives," Leone told the audience.

Patrolman Eric Caveng stressed the importance of having the students practice driving at every available opportunity, and in varying conditions and roadways.

The students and parents were asked to sign a "Just Drive" pledge, promising to not use their phones while driving.

"It's very important that you commit to your children," Caveng said, "and you as a child commit to your parents."

Participants were shown a short, but emotionally charged public service announcement (PSA) about a teen driver named Sydnee, who lost her life because she was texting while driving and not wearing a seatbelt (www.remembersydnee.com).

Students who attended the program were also entered into a lottery for a parking spot in the school lot for the remainder of the year. Normally, parking lot spots are reserved for seniors.

"There is certainly a commitment to the importance of it," said Executive Assistant Principal Jonathan Strout, referring to the large turnout of parents and teens.

"This is the best turnout we've had in the five years we've been doing this," SRO Tom DiTullio said. "We are really getting the message out."

Tullio pointed out that the process of obtaining a full license can take 18 months - six months of permit driving and then 12 months with a restricted license, which can be stressful on both the parent and the child.

"We want to make sure that the first six months leads to a very successful 12 months," he said.
The burning steeple of Sts. Joseph and Michael Church in Union City on Saturday morning

UNION CITY -- Following a fire that killed a toddler in Union City early Saturday, the boy's father remained hospitalized in critical condition on Sunday, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office announced.

The father, Eddie Gonzalez Sr., was taken to St. Barnabas Medical Center Saturday, where he was listed in critical but stable condition, Prosecutor Esther Suarez said.

Authorities said Gonzalez was burned in the 1 a.m. blaze trying to rescue his son, who did not survive.

The prosecutor's office also said that the boy's mother, Aaliaya Mercado, had been released from Hoboken University Hospital, where she was taken for treatment of undisclosed injuries following the blaze.

The prosecutor's office identified the boy as Eddie Gonzalez Jr., who was a few weeks from turning 2.

Suarez's office said Union City Police received a 911 call reporting a fire on Summit Avenue at 1 a.m.

Responding officers found that all occupants of 1404 Summit Ave. were accounted for, except for Eddie Jr., whose body was found after the fire was brought under control.

"Eddie would have turned 2-years-old in several weeks," the prosecutor's office stated.

Suarez's office said a preliminary investigation determined that the fire started inside 1404 Summit Ave., before spreading to 1400, 1402, 1406 and 1408 Summit, and then to the steeple of Sts. Joseph and Michael Church on Central Avenue, which collapsed and fell from the roof of the church after catching fire.

Neighbors were devastated by the blaze, which destroyed several apartments, and forced the evacuation of about 80 people from other nearby homes.

Erin Knoedler, a Union City spokeswoman, said Sunday night that several of the evacuated residents had been able to return to their homes, though some of them were without power, after the falling church steeple downed power lines.

The investigation into the precise point of origin and cause of the fire is ongoing, Suarez's office said. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Union City Police Department at 201-348-5790, or the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor at 201-915-1345.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
jjxpretrial0815

Demoiselle Belle-Bisous, 38, was found not guilty by reason of insanity on Friday, March 3, 2017, in connection to the suffocation of her sister, Susan Remiszewski, in their Bayonne home in 2013.

(unknown)

JERSEY CITY -- A Bayonne woman charged with killing her sister inside their home in 2013 has been found not guilty by reason of insanity and will spend 30 years to life in an appropriate facility.

Hudson County Superior Court Judge Patrick Arre found Demoiselle Belle-Bisous, 38, of Evergreen Street, not guilty by reason of insanity during a hearing on Friday. The ruling was not contested by the state.

Belle-Bisous' sister, Susan Remiszewski, 46, was found dead in the home the sisters shared on Aug. 17, 2013. But her death was only classified as a homicide nine months later when a medical examiner determined she died of suffocation, officials said.

After Remiszewski's manner of death was established, the case was presented to a grand jury and murder charges were filed. Belle-Bisous was later sent to the Ann Klein Forensic Center in Trenton for psychological evaluation to determine if she was fit to stand trial. She currently remains at the facility.

About a month after Remiszewski was killed, police say Belle-Bisous turned on another sister, attacking her with a knife, according to an indictment in that incident. In that case, Belle-Bisous pleaded guilty to a weapons offense, officials said.

Belle-Bisous will now be institutionalized and will undergo periodic psychological evaluation. If at some point she is found not to be a danger to herself or others, she could be released.

In finding a person not guilty by reason of insanity, a judge uses the defendant's psychological evaluation to determine that at the time of the "crime," the person did not understand the nature of his or her actions due to mental problems.

At a hearing in June 2015, defense attorney Inez Florez said Belle-Bisous continued to be delusional. Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Assistant Prosecutor Angela Gingerelli said at the hearing that a recent report from the forensic center said Belle-Bisous was not in a position to be evaluated because she was too unstable.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Mar 6, 2017) - YAMANA GOLD INC. (YRI.TO) (AUY) ("Yamana" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed a secondary offering by private placement of 6,000,000 common shares ("Brio Shares") of Brio Gold Inc. ("Brio Gold"). Yamana sold the Brio Shares at a price of C$3.35 per Brio Share for total proceeds of C$20,100,000 to an arm's length institutional shareholder.

The sale of Brio Shares followed a number of inbound expressions of interest from certain shareholders of Yamana who were not able to participate in the purchase rights offering late last year although who saw the merits of the transaction and the value proposition in Brio Shares.

The sale has been completed at a premium to the offering price of last year's purchase rights offering and to the current market price reflecting the view, shared by Yamana, that the current market price does not reflect a realistic fair market value for the Brio Shares.

The Company retains a majority ownership position in Brio Gold, which represents significant value to Yamana's shareholders and the Company will continue to evaluate how best to realize this value.

While this sale reduces Yamana's interest in Brio Gold, it also introduces a new institutional shareholder to Brio Gold and creates a new baseline market price reference while confirming the value proposition and potential of Brio Shares.

Yamana indicated in the purchase rights offering last year that its intention was to sell a sufficient number of Brio Shares pursuant to that offering to initially hold as low as 44% of the issued and outstanding shares, although it would be prepared to hold more given the value proposition.

Yamana disposed of the Brio Shares for investment purposes and may or may not purchase or sell Brio Shares in the future on the open market or in private transactions, depending on market conditions and other factors.

Prior to completion of the sale, Yamana owned 95,202,922 Brio Shares, representing 84.6% of the issued and outstanding Brio Shares or 80.4% on a fully-diluted basis and now holds 89,202,922 Brio Shares, representing 79.3% of the issued and outstanding Brio Shares or 75.3% on a fully diluted basis.

Story continues

A copy of the early warning report filed by Yamana in connection with the private placement will be available under Brio's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or by contacting Sofia Tsakos, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at 416-815-0220. Yamana's head office is located at Royal Bank Plaza, North Tower, 200 Bay Street, Suite 2200, Toronto, ON, M5J 2J3 and Brio's head office is located at 22 Adelaide Street West, Suite 2020, Toronto, ON, M5H 0A9.

About Yamana

Yamana is a Canadian-based gold producer with significant gold production, gold development stage properties, exploration properties, and land positions throughout the Americas including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Canada. Yamana plans to continue to build on this base through existing operating mine expansions, throughput increases, development of new mines, the advancement of its exploration properties and, at times, by targeting other gold consolidation opportunities with a primary focus in the Americas.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains or incorporates by reference "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to information with respect to the Company's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements are characterized by words such as "plan," "expect", "budget", "target", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the Company's expectations in connection with the value of the consideration received on completion of the Transaction, the expected use of proceeds discussed herein, the reduction of the Company's net debt position and delivering value creation over the long term, and the Company's expectations on meeting its financial objectives as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to herein and in the Company's Annual Information Form filed with the securities regulatory authorities in all provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com, and the Company's Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates, assumptions or opinions should change, except as required by applicable law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's expected plans and objectives in connection with the Transaction and may not be appropriate for other purposes.
Look for popular awards and laureates in different fields, and discover the history of the Nobel Prize.

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Prize motivation: for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work

Mobilized women across religious dividing lines

Leymah Gbowee was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent efforts to promote peace and her struggle for womens rights.

In 1990 civil war broke out in Liberia. Leymah Gbowee underwent training in trauma therapy in order to take care of traumatised child soldiers. In 2002, she organised the grass roots movement, Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, which held meetings at which Christian and Muslim women jointly presented a non-violent message of peace. These demonstrations were instrumental in pressuring President Charles Taylor to sign a peace agreement in 2003.

Leymah Gbowee then spearheaded efforts to mobilise Liberian women to vote for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the 2005 presidential elections. This support was a crucial factor in Sirleafs election victory. In 2008, Gbowee played a key role in the award-winning documentary film Pray the Devil Back to Hell on womens unique struggle during the Liberian civil war.
Prize motivation: for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work

Africas first female democratically elected head of state

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent efforts to promote peace and her struggle for womens rights. She is the first female democratically elected head of state in Africa. Johnson Sirleaf came to power in 2005, creating peace and economic progress in the country. She strengthened womens rights, expanded freedom of speech and became an example for other African leaders.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had studied in the US, where she took a Masters degree in Public Administration. She returned to her home country and served as Minister of Finance, but the government was overthrown in a military coup in 1980. Forced into exile, she worked for the UN Development Program for Africa and the Development Fund for Women.

Johnson Sirleaf lost the presidential election in 1997 to the corrupt Charles Taylor, but after he was forced to flee the country, she won the presidential election in 2005.
Man shot during armed robbery outside store in Tall Timbers area of Algiers, NOPD says
Suspected Endymion parade crash drunk driver Neilson Rizzuto, 25 was booked into the Orleans Justice Center jail last month on 12 counts of first-degree negligent vehicular injuring, 12 counts of vehicular negligent injuring, one count of hit-and-run driving causing serious injury and one count of reckless operation of a vehicle.(Courtesy of Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office)
In this March 15, 1965 file photo, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson addresses a joint session of Congress in Washington where he urged the passing of the Voting Rights Act and spoke of his experience as a young teacher in a segregated, Mexican-American school. Vice President Hubert Humphrey is at left and House Speaker John McCormack is at right. (AP Photo/File)(AP)
In this March 1, 2017, President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Trump created a major stir over the weekend with a claim that the Obama administration had wiretapped the Trump Tower during the presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
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.
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LAPORTE  Former LaPorte County Commissioner Dave Decker wound up in a jail uniform with his mugshot splashed in the media for bumping into an SUV and driving off a week before he lost his re-election bid last year.

Now Decker could have his slate wiped clean, court records show.

Decker, 71, of Kingsford Heights, entered into a pretrial diversion agreement last week on his Class B misdemeanor charge of failure to stop and report an accident.

The agreement submitted in LaPorte Superior Court 3 stipulates the charge will be dismissed if Decker doesn't commit or attempt to commit a crime over the next six months.

He could have faced as much as 180 days in jail and an up to $1,000 fine.

Decker said he believes his arrest was political and a factor in his loss to Rich Mrozinski by nearly 3,000 votes in the Nov. 8 general election.

According to Indiana State Police, Decker on Oct. 26 hit a 2002 Ford Explorer belonging to an employee of the LaPorte County treasurer's office in a parking lot across from the downtown LaPorte courthouse. Decker got out, looked at the damage and pulled out of the lot.

The victim, Dawn Cleek, didn't see the damage until the next day. Courthouse surveillance video showed Decker causing the damage, police said.

The defense alleged his arrest was driven by politics and claimed most minor collisions of that nature are handled in small claims court.

LaPorte County Prosecutor John Espar disagreed and denied any political motivation, then brought in an outside prosecutor to pursue the case to avoid any appearance of impropriety.
VALPARAISO  Portage Assistant Police Chief Ted Uzelac placed a laser light into the barrel of a Russian military rifle and then aimed it across the courtroom Monday at Porter County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Matt Frost.

After the tiny red dot appeared on Frost's suit jacket, Uzelac steadied the rifle on the witness stand and repeatedly jiggled just the barrel up and down to show jurors that the loose fit amounted to just two to three inches of difference in shooting a target 21 feet away.

The "bullet went where the gun was pointed," Uzelac said.

Prosecutors staged the demonstration to counter claims by defendant Matthew Richardson that he was aiming at the ground when he shot Lake Station resident Joshua Smith in the leg on Dec. 18, 2015, following what has been characterized as a road rage incident between the two men.

Due to the inaccuracies with the barrel of the Soviet Union-built Mosin Nagant 7.62 rifle, the bullet struck Smith, 28, in the thigh instead of hitting the ground, the defense is arguing. The bullet pierced Smith's femoral artery and he died several days later.

Richardson, 24, who is claiming self-defense, is on trial before Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary Harper on three felony counts of murder, pointing a firearm and theft/receiving stolen property.

Defense attorney Larry Rogers asked Monday why police never test fired the rifle.

Rogers challenged the accuracy of the courtroom demonstration by arguing that Richardson did not have the gun steadied on the day of the shooting and had never shot the rifle before.

Uzelac said he watched a surveillance video of the shooting and believes the bullet struck where the rifle was pointed.

Rogers asked whether shooting someone in the leg could be considered a "kill shot."

"When a bullet hits a human being there is a high likelihood that the person will die," Uzelac said.

Frost has said he intends to show that Richardson and Smith got into a verbal argument in the Menard's parking lot in Portage that continued as they drove to Richardson's house in the 5400 block of Mulberry Road where the shooting occurred.
INDIANAPOLIS  United Steelworkers Local 6787 is not primarily a charitable or educational entity, and, as a result, its Portage union hall and banquet center are not eligible for a property tax exemption.

In a 12-page ruling, Indiana Tax Court Judge Martha Blood Wentworth rejected the union's claim that because its members generally are better educated than other citizens due to participation in union activities, and its buildings sometimes are used for free by charitable groups, that it qualifies to pay no property tax.

She determined that the Indiana Board of Tax Review properly concluded the buildings mainly are used by the union for the personal economic benefit of its members, and any public benefit merely is "incidental" and "pursued for self-interest rather than for altruistic or philanthropic motives."

Specifically, Wentworth refused to accept the union's argument that it should be considered as operating similar to a tax-exempt benevolent corporation.

Wentworth noted that claim ignored the fact that unions are organized under a wholly distinct statute and relied on an 1865 Indiana Supreme Court decision that she said was irrelevant to this case.

She also declined the union's invitation to reweigh individual pieces of evidence presented to the Board of Tax Review.

Instead, Wentworth found that the board's factual findings against the union's educational and charitable purposes "are supported by substantial evidence."

The union still can pursue its property tax exemption by appealing the Tax Court ruling to the Indiana Supreme Court.

At issue are the 2008 and 2010 property taxes assessed on the Steelworkers' 12,000-square-foot union hall and 22,000-square-foot banquet/meeting center on 20 acres of land on the west side of Ind. 149, just south of U.S. 20, in Portage.

The property and buildings were determined to be worth $3.5 million in 2008 and $5 million in 2010, according to court records.
INDIANAPOLIS  After repeatedly failing to get creationism through the front door of Hoosier science classes, the Indiana Senate has instead decided to encourage individual educators who take the initiative to teach religious beliefs as fact.

The chamber voted 40-9 last month to adopt Senate Resolution 17, praising educators who "teach a diverse curriculum" and specifically citing those who present alternatives to biological evolution.

State Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Centerville, the sponsor, insisted the resolution only is a recommendation that teachers be allowed to address competing theories on the origin of life if questioned by students about the subject.

"It's not endorsing, necessarily, teaching creationism, or that global warming isn't true. But it is recommending that teachers wouldn't be crucified if they answered a student and conversation ensued in the classroom," Raatz said.

Raatz acknowleged there have been no incidents that he's aware of where an Indiana elementary or high school teacher has gotten in trouble for answering student questions.

Nevertheless, Raatz believes the resolution  which does not have the force of law  sends an important message to teachers who critique scientific norms that state senators support their efforts.

"There's no requirement in this thing; it's simply making a statement," Raatz said. "You don't have to be afraid of answering questions in the classroom."

Every Senate Republican, except state Sen. Sue Glick, R-LaGrange, supported the measure; it was uniformly opposed by Senate Democrats.

State Sen. Mark Stoops, D-Bloomington, argued that the resolution actually undermines Indiana's efforts to promote science education and get students to pursue careers in technological fields.

"When I read it, it sounds like we are authorizing teachers to teach creationism in a science class," Stoops said.

State Sen. Frank Mrvan, D-Hammond, pointed out that the broad wording of the resolution also seemingly opens the door for teachers to promote any controversial belief in the classroom, be it the benefits of illegal drug use or the need for the United States to adopt communism.

"It's a big danger," Mrvan said. "They could be talking about anything in the world and they won't be responsible for it."

State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Merrillville, said he saw the resolution as unnecessary, because there's nothing currently preventing teachers from answering student questions in any way they see fit.

Raatz and state Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, co-sponsor of the resolution and Senate Education Committee chairman, have a history of promoting "teach the controversy" legislation concerning evolution.

In 2012, the Indiana Senate voted 28-22 for a Kruse plan authorizing schools to educate students on "various theories of the origin of life."

That measure died in the House when lawmakers realized all religious origin stories would have to be treated with equal reverence to comply with federal standards.

Kruse and Raatz also worked together in 2015 on an unsuccessful proposal that would have had students review "the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing conclusions and theories," particularly relating to human development.
INDIANAPOLIS  Two new Northwest Indiana lawmakers successfully navigated gentle hazing by their Statehouse colleagues in recent days en route to winning approval for their first legislative proposals.

State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Merrillville, withstood a barrage of increasingly detailed questions from state Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, about the finer points of his entirely uncontroversial Senate Bill 475.

After Melton answered most of them without difficulty, Young conceded: "Sir, you've done a pretty good job today for your first bill."

Melton's legislation, which passed the Senate 49-0 and now goes to the House, would allow children ages 3-9 to receive special education grants to address developmental delay. Current law limits state help to children ages 3-5.

"Mild and moderate disabilities in children often times dont become evident until after kindergarten," Melton said. "The way the law currently stands allows children to slip through the cracks and miss out on special education grants and services."

In the House, state Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, disarmed the chamber's usual new member inquisitor by having state Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, co-sponsor House Bill 1421.

Pressel also began presenting his proposal to make minor changes in state zoning statutes by buttering up his fellow lawmakers.

"First, I want to tell you what an honor and privilege it is for me to serve with such fine individuals in the House of Representatives," Pressel said to groans. "This will be the easiest, simplest and best bill we're going to see all day."

That didn't stop representatives from initially lighting up the vote board with red "no" votes as Pressel made his way back to his chair in the rear of the chamber.

After Pressel drew laughs by shouting, "Where's the love?" the tally board quickly switched to green "yes" votes and his legislation advanced to the Senate, 90-1.

Earlier this year, new state Rep. Earl Harris, Jr., D-East Chicago, succeeded in winning unanimous House approval, following quite a few questions from Brown, for House Bill 1344 providing additional state assistance to lead-impacted areas of East Chicago.

New state Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores, so far has avoided the new member initiation by serving as co-sponsor, and not the primary sponsor, of several proposals that passed the Senate.
INDIANAPOLIS  Every school event that features a student speaker also would have to include time for students to offer public prayers, under legislation recently approved 83-12 by the Indiana House.

House Bill 1024, which now goes to the Senate, does not limit the number of potential student prayer givers at school events.

Moreover, it mandates that adherents of any religion, whether Christianity, Islam, Mormonism, Satanism or Scientology, receive an equal opportunity to openly communicate with their deity in accordance with their traditions.

Officials at public and charter schools would have to announce prior to the student prayers at each event that they are not a school endorsement of religion.

They'd also be obligated to give students who don't want to attend any prayer, or a specific prayer, an opportunity to leave that portion of the event, be it a school assembly, sporting match or graduation ceremony.

State Rep. John Bartlett, D-Indianapolis, the sponsor, believes more prayer in Hoosier elementary and high schools will help reduce crime and other social ills as students come to recognize the authority of a higher power.

Critics of the measure, including state Rep. Ed Delaney, D-Indianapolis, said it's more likely that irreligious students will be ostracized.

"This isn't needed. It will add nothing to anyone's prayer life. All it will do is cause tension and controversy and litigation," Delaney said.

The proposal additionally would codify in state law a series of federal court decisions guaranteeing a student's right to pray individually, wear religious clothing, express religious beliefs in schoolwork and providing religious groups equal access to public school facilities.
A 53-year-old semi driver died Sunday after he was injured in a hit-and-run on Interstate 80/94 near Torrence Avenue, police said.

Alberto Dominguez Cedeno, of Ontario, Canada, pulled a semitrailer over on the eastbound Bishop Ford Freeway about 1:35 p.m. to check equipment, officials said.

As Dominguez Cedeno walked on the right shoulder, a driver in a Chrysler car hit him and left the scene, Illinois State Police said.

Dominguez Cedeno was airlifted to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 4:30 p.m., officials said. Dominguez Cedeno's death was ruled an accident, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Police said multiple lanes were closed for investigation of the crash.

Several witnesses provided information, and police have a suspect, a spokesman said.
MERRILLVILLE  The replacement of the 101st Avenue bridge over Interstate 65 and the extension of 86th Avenue have the town's attention.

The Indiana Department of Transportation has jurisdiction over the 101st Avenue bridge and is planning a project to replace the structure.

Jake Dammarell, of Butler, Fairman and Seufert, told the towns Redevelopment Commission bid letting for the work could occur in 2018.

The current plan calls for the bridge to be replaced with a two-lane structure.

Town Councilman Shawn Pettit, the commission's president, said Merrillville is coordinating a meeting with INDOT officials to discuss the possibility of the new bridge being four lanes.

Pettit said 101st has four lanes between Broadway and Georgia Street, and he believes it would be appropriate for the bridge to have the same number of lanes.

It makes sense for traffic, Pettit said.

Although INDOT has jurisdiction over the bridge, the town is participating in the project and approved a contract with Butler, Fairman and Seufert to provide right of way services. The maximum amount of contract is $26,000, and Merrillville will use funding from one of its tax increment financing districts to pay for it.

The RDC also decided to seek bids for the first phase of a project to extend 86th Avenue.

The initial phase will take place from Merrillville Road to beyond the Indian American Cultural Center. It will travel through the Hunter's Glen residential community that's being developed.

Town Manager Bruce Spires said the next phase will take 86th Avenue through to Broadway. It isn't certain when the second phase would occur, Spires said.

The initial phase is estimated to cost about $600,000, and the entire project has an estimated cost around $1.5 million.

Merrillville Road TIF funding will pay for the extension.

It isn't certain how long bids would be accepted, but the town is looking to start the first phase this year, officials said.
Airtel Africa, mother firm of Airtel Uganda, will this year build an internet fiber network in western Uganda, thanks to support from social networking giant Facebook.

The fiber ring of 770km, to be completed later this year, will help connect at least 15 towns to internet and improve performance and support upgrades to the 3G and 4G services.

In our experience, access to a reliable and robust telecom network helps in changing lives of the communities that we serve, Airtel Africa managing director Raghunath Mandava said in a statement.

We are confident that this 770km fiber in western Uganda will not only lessen the digital divide but also provide opportunities to increase inter-country connectivity with South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ibrahima Ba, head of Middle East & Africa infrastructure product partnerships at Facebook, said: As part of our mission to connect the world, Facebook is always exploring new ways to collaborate with operators.

One of the ways were doing this is by applying learnings from scaling our global infrastructure to our work and investments in connectivity, and many operators have told us they need more capacity when it comes to shared backhaul infrastructure.

The project seeks to promote mobile broadband development in Uganda. More Ugandans are dumping voice calls for data for their communication needs and telecoms are looking to internet to boost their revenues.
KABUL, Afghanistan  Pakistan has kept its border crossings with Afghanistan sealed for more than two weeks, with thousands of Afghan visitors stranded in Pakistan and traders unable to move their vegetables and fruit across.

After a suicide bombing at a shrine in Pakistans Sindh province on Feb. 16, which killed more than 80 people, the Pakistani military shut its borders with Afghanistan, saying the terrorists behind the attack had sanctuaries in the country. It also carried out shelling into Afghanistan.

Omar Zakhilwal, Afghanistans ambassador to Pakistan, said Sunday that if the border did not open soon, his government would be forced to airlift its stranded citizens, which could be a new low in the relationship between the neighboring countries.

Their 1,600-mile border has long been a contentious issue. Ever since the fall of the Taliban government in 2001, Afghan and Western officials have said that the Afghan insurgencys leadership maintains havens in Pakistan, particularly in the city of Quetta. The free movement across the border has helped the militants avoid defeat in a 15-year war led by the United States.

In recent years, Pakistani authorities have said the leaders of the militant groups waging deadly attacks inside their territory are based across the border in Afghanistan.

Zakhilwal, the Afghan ambassador, said some leaders of these attacks on Pakistan might be in Afghanistan, but they mostly operate in areas controlled by the Afghan Taliban. He said his government, along with the U.S.-led coalition, had targeted Pakistani militants in Afghanistan, including the mastermind of a massacre of children in a Pakistani school in 2014.

Imran Khan, an opposition leader in Pakistan, said on Saturday that the border closing was building into a humanitarian crisis. He called on both governments to resolve the crisis so those with valid travel documents and perishable goods could cross.

Afghan officials have protested the closing, saying that Pakistan has used the shrine attack as a pretext to pressure Afghanistan economically.

Zakhilwal said Pakistan was making a flawed connection between the shrine attack and the border. The assault on the shrine was claimed by the Islamic State group, whose regional chapter is largely made up of fighters from the Pakistani tribal areas. Afghan forces in the east have been fighting the group, which has also carried out deadly attacks inside Afghanistan, for nearly two years.

If the reason for blocking the border is to stop the flow of terrorists into Pakistan, Zakhilwal said it made no sense to prevent the return of the thousands of Afghans stranded in Pakistan, many of whom had traveled there for medical reasons. The long border is porous, and Pakistan is focusing only on the formal crossing points.

In Kabul, the toll of the border closing is evident in the markets, with the price of fruit and vegetables imported from Pakistan more than doubling. But the price for many other goods has been unaffected, because Afghanistan also imports from Iran and some Central Asian nations.

Nasir Ahmad, a shopkeeper at Kabuls vegetable market, said a crate of oranges that used to be $4 had increased to $12. A box of bananas, which used to be about $12, is now about $25.

Khanjan Alokozay, deputy chairman of the Afghan chamber of commerce, estimated that traders from both countries were losing about $4 million a day because of the border closing. Pakistani traders are bearing about 80 percent of those losses, because during the winter Pakistani exports of fruit and vegetables to Afghanistan increase.

Alokozay said thousands of trucks on both sides of the border had remained stranded, and Afghan businessmen have been urged to find other routes to transport their goods.

Since the closing, Afghan border officials said that Pakistan was allowing only funeral processions to cross over.

Some of those stranded have resorted to paying smugglers and taking dangerous mountain passes to return home.

Pakistanis are not allowing anyone to cross the border, and they order their forces to shoot anyone who is trying to cross the border, said Haji Iqbal, an Afghan who recently returned from Pakistan with the help of friends who asked Pakistani forces to let him cross through a mountain pass. I walked for two hours.
(Bloomberg)  The U.S. Supreme Court canceled a scheduled showdown over the bathroom rights of transgender students in public schools, sending the case back to a lower court after the Trump administration changed a pivotal federal policy.

The justices were planning to hear arguments March 28 in the case of Gavin Grimm, a transgender Virginia high school student suing his school district to get access to restrooms that align with his gender identity.

Both sides had urged the court to keep the case, with the school district suggesting the court should delay arguments and seek more input from President Donald Trumps administration. The one-sentence order, which came without published dissent, scraps what had been the highest-profile case in the courts nine-month term.

A federal appeals court had said the school district was probably violating U.S. civil rights law by reserving the boys bathrooms for biological males. The appellate court based its decision on an Obama administration letter that, until the new administration revoked it in February, interpreted federal law as protecting the bathroom rights of transgender students.

The new Supreme Court order throws out the appeals court ruling. The lower court will now reassess the case by directly considering whats required by Title IX, the 1972 law that bars discrimination in schools.

Read more: The Transgender debate  a QuickTake explainer

Gavins lawyer, Joshua Block of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the group was disappointed the nations highest court wont be deciding the case during its current term.

This is a detour, not the end of the road, and well continue to fight for Gavin and other transgender people to ensure that they are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, Block said in an emailed statement.

The school board said it looks forward to explaining why its commonsense restroom and locker room policy is legal under the Constitution and federal law, according to a statement provided by its lawyer, Kyle Duncan.

Mondays order makes it more likely the court eventually will decide the issue with a full complement of nine justices. The Senate is considering Trumps nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the courts year-old vacancy.

Final Year

It briefly appeared that the earlier appeals court ruling would give Gavin access to the boys bathroom for his final year at Gloucester High School in eastern Virginia. The Supreme Court, however, put the appeals court decision on hold before the school year began.

Gavin, who was born with female genitals, has become the face of the transgender-rights movement because of his suit against the Gloucester County School Board.

The move gives the Trump administration more time to formulate its approach toward transgender students and potentially shape the cases outcome. Although Trumps Education Department rescinded President Barack Obamas interpretation of Title IX, the new administration hasnt put forward its own view of what the law requires.

Gloucester County officials argued that the lower court ruling upended a decades-old understanding that schools could have separate restrooms based on physiological gender.

Gavin, now 17, came out as transgender to his parents during his freshman year and has been attending school as a male since he was a sophomore. Hes legally changed his name, amended his birth certificate to identify him as male, and developed facial hair and a deep voice as a result of hormone therapy. He says he always uses boys or mens restrooms elsewhere.

The school let Gavin use the boys restroom for several weeks in 2014 before the board intervened and voted to change the policy. Since then, Gavin has generally used the nurses restroom, though the school has since installed three single-user bathrooms. His case involves only bathrooms, not locker rooms.

The case is Gloucester School Board v. G.G., 16-273.

(Updates with reaction starting in sixth paragraph.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Greg Stohr in Washington at gstohr@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Gordon at cgordon39@bloomberg.net, Laurie Asseo, C. Thompson

2017 Bloomberg L.P.
ANAHEIM  Several dozen people on Sunday marched to demand justice for a 13-year-old boy who was at the center of a scuffle with an off-duty Los Angeles police officer in Anaheim.

The march, which the boy attended, started at Loara High School and proceeded to several streets, including where Los Angeles police Officer Kevin Ferguson resides.

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The incident began on Feb. 22, as kids were walking home from school, and the boy  identified on Sunday by his father as Christian Dorscht  apparently stepped on Fergusons lawn.

Videos surfaced on social media showing the off-duty officer struggling with the 13-year-old, and several other teenagers who were aggressive with the officer, before the officer discharged a handgun. It was unclear if he fired on purpose; the shot appeared to go downward, and no one was struck.

Anaheim police arrested Dorscht, but not Ferguson, to the outrage of many in the community.

Unlike a protest the following night with 23 people arrested, Sundays march was peaceful. After two hours of chanting and carrying signs calling for justice, the group rallied outside the high school.

Thank you all, Christian Dorscht said into a megaphone, otherwise staying quiet.

His grandmother Jennifer Dorscht said she organized the march on Sunday because it was the first one his father, John Dorscht, who works in Arizona, could attend.

Thank you everyone and everyone else who has kids and a family, its just hard as a father to know that hes going through the pain, John Dorscht, 32, said of his son, choking back tears. He might not show it, but its sad because no kid deserves this.

Anaheim resident Daniel Balsells, 20, who joined the march, told Christian Dorscht that he admired him for appearing on Sunday and standing up for himself.

They look up to you, Balsells said of other youth in the community.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7762 or jkwong@ocregister.com or on Twitter: @JessicaGKwong
LA HABRA >> Police arrested a man for drug possession after finding him living in an elaborate makeshift shelter set up on top of a La Habra auto parts store late Saturday.

Employees of OReilly Auto Parts, along Whittier Boulevard just east of Hacienda Road, called police shortly after 10 p.m. to report hearing footsteps on the roof of the building, La Habra police Sgt. Rob Diehl said.

Officers climbed up onto the roof and discovered the source of the noise.

A man had set up a small but well-furnished living space under the eaves overhanging the roof, police said. It included a queen-size bed and a toilet fashioned from a bucket and a toilet seat.

While it was unknown how long the man had been residing on top of the auto parts store, He must have been up there quite a while, Diehl said.

Police also discovered the man was in possession of methamphetamine and paraphernalia, he said.

Martin Rowe, 45, was arrested on suspicion of possessing the contraband before being released with a citation, Diehl said.
TOKYO  North Korea may have fired an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, South Koreas military said Monday morning after it spotted several unidentified projectiles landing in the sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula.

The launch coincides with annual exercises between the United States and South Korean militaries and is considered another display of Pyongyangs anger about the exercises, which it views as a pretext for an invasion.

The apparent missile was launched from a known long-range missile site on the west coast, not far from the border with China, at 7:36 a.m. local time. It flew more than 600 miles across the country before splashing into the Sea of Japan, Seouls Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message to local reporters.

We are conducting an analysis on the projectile to determine its type and flight range. It will take a while before we come up with a final analysis, the joint chiefs said, according to Yonhap News Agency.

South Koreas national security council convened an emergency meeting to discuss the launch.

In Japan, the government said that it had detected four missiles coming from North Korea and that three had landed perilously close to Japan, splashing down within its exclusive economic zone.

These missile launches clearly show that North Korea has developed a new threat, a visibly worried Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo. We will collect information and strongly protest to North Korea.

North Korea has repeatedly claimed to be working on an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the West Coast of the United States, and has been making observable progress toward this goal. In his latest New Years address, Kim Jong Un said North Korea had entered the final stage of preparation for the test launch an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Regardless of whether Mondays launch turned out to be an ICBM, it is just a matter of time until North Korea succeeds in its goal, said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Non-Proliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California.

It doesnt matter if its today or tomorrow or next week or next year  thats where this is heading, Lewis said. But we have no plan other than saying this is unacceptable or that it wont happen, he said, referring to a tweet from President Donald Trump earlier this year.

After Kims statement in his Jan. 1 address that North Korea was working on its ICBM program, Trump tweeted: It wont happen!

The latest provocation came as large-scale military exercises, involving more than 320,000 South Korean and U.S. troops and high-tech U.S. firepower, continue on the southern half of the peninsula. They began last week and will continue through the end of April.
Heres a roundup of restaurant and retail news from across Orange County. Take a look at the slideshow for more details on each.

Dairy Queen: The fast-food chain, known for its Blizzards and soft-serve desserts, has diminished its presence in Orange County. Many ice cream shops have shuttered in malls and strip centers, leaving 10 in the county. But in 2017, the Minneapolis-based chain is poised to make a big comeback in Southern California. Over the next several years, the chain has plans to add as many as 86 more restaurants, stretching from Los Angeles to the Inland Empire.In Orange County, the chain plans to double its locations to 20.

Luna Grill: The Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant is opening three new Orange County locations: two in Irvine and one in Huntington Beach. The restaurant at Irvines University Center at 4143 Campus Drive, Suite C195, opened Feb. 15. A location at Huntington Beachs Newland Center at 19720 Beach Blvd., Suite 101, opened Feb. 22 and a location at the Irvine Marketplace will open mid-March.

Ferndales Bridal: The shop has relocated on Tustin Street in Orange, hopping from its longtime location to a neighboring strip mall.

The Camp: West Coast Fish opened recently at The Camp. The owners playfully describe the main ingredients of the restaurant as being charcoal and love because food is prepared over a Japanese Robata charcoal grill. The fast-casual menu features local ingredients, non-GMO herbs, original sauces and wild fish. The menu features salads and poke bowls that range from $7.50 to $13. West Coast Fish replaced 118 Degrees, which is near Milk & Honey and Umami Burger.

The downtown Santa Ana trolley: The trolley is back after a winter hiatus. The midweek free transportation service runs every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Stops: Courthouse, City Hall, 4th & Birch, 3rd & Sycamore and 5th & Bush.

Old Towne Tustin: Chaak, a new concept by Gabbi Patrick of Gabbis Mexican Kitchen in Orange, is expected open in late summer or early fall in Tustin. The full-service restaurant will feature Yucatan-inspired cuisine prepared in an open kitchen with wood-fire ovens. Patrick opened Gabbis in Old Towne Orange in 2006. The tiny eatery has earned critical praise for its elevated Mexican cuisine.

Who Song and Larrys: The edgy Mexican gastropub, by Cypress-based Real Mex Restaurants, closed its location in Orange this week.

Sweet Lady Jane: The Los Angeles bakery popular with the Hollywood elite, shuttered its only Orange County outlet. The Corona del Mar bakery closed last week.

Mimis Cafe: The Costa Mesa location closed Dec. 19, 2016. In a statement to the Register, the casual dining chain said the company was unable to arrive at a mutually beneficial lease arrangement and made the tough business decision to close our Costa Mesa location. The restaurant has been operating on Newport Boulevard since 1985.

Subway: Two restaurants have closed in Irvine. The sandwich shops were at the Walnut Village Center and the Crossroads shopping center in Irvine. A representative for the Irvine Company said both closures were due to lease expirations  one was underperforming and the other had an owner who wanted to retire. The Irvine Co. has not announced any replacements.

Souplantation: The Mesa Verde Center Souplantation closed in Costa Mesa because the restaurant lost its lease as the landlord plans to redo the center, a spokesman for the chain told the Register.

Rockwells Cafe & Bakery: The Villa Park eatery is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special deal on its famed Chocolate Curl Cakes. Throughout the month of March, the bakery is offering a 6-inch curl cake for its origina. 1987 price: $12.95. Thats about a $15 savings from the regular cake price. Rockwells, owned by Billy Skeffington since 2012, features white chocolate, marble and dark chocolate curl cakes. (Note: One cake per customer). Skeffington also owns Watsons Soda Fountain & Cafe in Old Towne Orange.

Send any retail updates to hmadans@ocregister.com and any restaurant news to nluna@ocregister.com.
President Donald Trump signed a new executive order Monday that bans immigration from six Muslim-majority counties, and reinstates a temporary ban on all refugee resettlement in the United States.

The order comes six weeks after Trumps original travel ban was blocked by a series of federal court rulings, and after it sparked protests and chaos at Los Angeles International and other airports across the country.

The administration has argued that the new travel ban will help prevent terror acts being carried out or planned in the United States. Critics say the ban is flawed because it targets Muslims, not terror, and that the travel and visa process for refugees from those countries is already stringent.

Much like the original, the new order is likely to be challenged in court. But administration officials say it contains changes aimed at limiting political and legal fallout.

For example, visa holders and legal permanent residents are exempt, ending a key question raised when the first order didnt mention visa holders. Also, the new order  unlike the original  doesnt include language that appeared to give preference to Christians from the Muslim-majority countries. That provision drew criticism from civil liberties groups who claimed the order amounted to a ban on Muslim immigrants and a form of religious discrimination.

The new order puts a 90-day hold on new visas from six countries: Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. A seventh country, Iraq, whose citizens were on the original order banning travelers, was removed from the list after extensive discussions between administration officials and the Iraqi government.

The order also blocks refugee admissions worldwide for 120 days, and keeps in place a cap of 50,000 refugee admissions for 2017. Unlike the original order, though, it does not single out Syrian refugees for an indefinite ban.

While the new order falls short of the total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the U.S. that Trump promised during the presidential campaign, it still could have far-reaching consequences on everything from travel and immigration to business and health care in the United States by slowing the acceptance of refugees and creating new standards for the listed countries.

The order also could touch nations beyond those mentioned Monday.

It calls for the Dept. of Homeland Security to review the travel and immigration information provided by every nation, with the goal of creating uniform vetting and admissions standards.

Administration officials said in a brief announcement that the new order is about security, not religious bias, and should stand up in court.

We cannot compromise our nations security by allowing visitors entry when their own governments are unable or unwilling to provide the information we need to vet them responsibly  or when those governments actively support terrorism, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday, during an announcement alongside Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

This executive order provides a needed pause, so we can carefully review how we scrutinize people coming here from these countries of concern, Sessions added. The three officials did not take questions from reporters.

Democrats and civil liberties groups wasted little time Monday to speak out against the new order, saying that while the language may be different than the original order, it still aims to block Muslims from entering the country, and remains, in their view, both unconstitutional and unwise.

This order continues to criminalize Muslims and does not make America any safer, said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations in Los Angeles.

Calling the new ban misguided and discriminatory, Senator Dianne Feinstein, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that Democrats will work to repeal the new ban.

This order does not strengthen our national security, she said. As several national security leaders have said, these divisive policies only fuel anti-American sentiment by sending a message that the United States is taking action against people of a particular faith.

By early afternoon Monday, legal advocates in Los Angeles had set up a table in the international arrivals terminal at LAX to answer questions related to the ban, and ensure that no immigrants were detained under the new order.

The executive order that the President signed today still targets people indiscriminately, is still far out of step with values of religious tolerance and equality, and still goes against everything we believe as Americans and Angelenos, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement.

L.A. will always protect the safety and security of our families and communities and will remain a welcoming city where people from all over the world can find a home.

The new order represents a recalibration by the Trump administration, following what was widely seen as the botched rollout of the first executive order.

Mondays directive stipulates a 10-day lag time to allow coordination before the order kicks in. And administration officials suggested that the revisions will make the new order easier to defend in court.

There should be no surprises, Kelly said at the announcement Monday.

We cannot risk the prospect of malevolent actors using our immigration system to take American lives, he added.

A Department of Homeland Security report last month assessed the terrorist threat posed by citizens of the countries listed and cast doubt on the necessity of the order. Experts concluded that citizenship was an unreliable indicator of national security threat, according to the Associated Press.

The new ban has the same fundamental flaws as the first order, Burbank Congressman Adam Schiff, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Monday.

We know that country of origin is a poor predictor of a propensity to commit acts of terror, he said. If it were, Pakistan has been a far more problematic source of attack planning and would be at the top of the Presidents list. But that country merits not even a mention in the order.

And while the changes to the order are significant, legal scholars said they are unlikely to resolve all of the legal issues surrounding the travel ban.

The new executive order is essentially old wine in a new bottle, said Cornell Law School professor Stephen Yale-Loehr.

U.S. relatives will still sue over the inability of their loved ones to join them in the United States. U.S. companies may sue because they cannot hire needed workers from the six countries. And U.S. universities will worry about the impact of the order on international students willingness to attend college in the United States.

In sum, he added, the immigration controversy will continue.
SAN FRANCISCO  The engineers of Silicon Valley are fine-tuning driverless cars, building robots designed to replicate the human brain and shaving milliseconds off internet response times.

Their trip to work, however, can be a throwback to the predigital age. The regions commuter rail line is saddled with aging, smoke-spewing, diesel-powered locomotives.

For more than a decade, the managers of the Silicon Valley railway, known as Caltrain, have been planning to upgrade to faster and less polluting electric trains.

But those plans are imperiled by the Trump administrations decision in February to withhold a $647 million federal grant.

In this impasse, some transportation experts see a foretaste of the political infighting and financial hurdles that could plague the nationwide infrastructure projects that President Donald Trump is promising. Reviving the United States rusted and sagging infrastructure is one of the few areas where it seemed Democrats and Republicans could agree. But making these projects a reality  the new roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and railways gleaming across our beautiful land that Trump enumerated to Congress last week  will require political cooperation and accommodations that are increasingly rare in ultrapartisan times.

In the case of Caltrain, the decision to withhold the grant came after Californias Republican congressional delegation asked the transportation secretary, Elaine L. Chao, to withdraw funding because the electrified system also would be used for the states bigger high-speed rail project, a plan they vehemently oppose.

The high-speed rail line connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles is the most ambitious rail plan in the country and has been in the works for more than two decades with a projected cost of $64 billion. The project calls for completion in 2029.

Despite initial support, Republicans now regard the high-speed project as too costly.

We have said no more federal dollars will go to California high-speed rail, said Rep. Jeff Denham, a Republican who is chairman of the House Subcommittee on Railroads. Were very strong on that position.

In an interview, Denham said the project should immediately stop.

There has long been tension in California between advocates of more freeways and those favoring public transport. But the high-speed rail project had bipartisan support in its early stages. It was formally started in 1996 by Republican Gov. Pete Wilson and was supported by another Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

That consensus is long gone. The letter penned by the states 14 Republican members of Congress, including Kevin McCarthy, the House majority leader, called the project a boondoggle and described the Caltrain grant as an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars.

Caltrain and the high-speed rail project are administratively separate, but a 2013 agreement to share tracks as a cost-saving measure raised Republican ire.

Defunding the electrification of the Silicon Valley corridor has immediate consequences for the systems 65,000 daily commuters. Caltrain had hoped to switch to its electric system by 2021. The current trains are overcrowded and breakdowns are frequent; there are more than 19 mechanical failures per month, according to Caltrain engineers. Two-thirds of the fleet has reached the end of its useful life, Caltrain says.

At the rail lines maintenance depot, engineers say they have trouble finding parts for the locomotives, which were built in the 1980s. And new maintenance workers need lectures from veteran technicians because they have no experience working on such old equipment.

You change out parts here and there, said Joe Navarro, director of operations and maintenance at Caltrain. We are putting Band-Aids on. Its very challenging.

Getting to work by car or bus is often not a better alternative in Silicon Valley. A recent study found that the San Francisco Bay Area has the nations third-most-congested roads.

We are lucky to live in a place where innovation is in the DNA, but we dont see that for public transport, said Sridhar Iyer, a software engineer for Twitter who rides the double-decker Caltrain that runs near the headquarters of Apple, Facebook and Google. The whole thing is stuck in the past.

In recent weeks, more than a dozen leaders of Silicon Valley firms called lawmakers to urge that the federal money be released for the Caltrain electrification project, according to Carl Guardino, president of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, which represents most of the regions large tech companies.

Guardino called the Republican campaign to block funding a misinformed effort.

The most important asset of the innovation economy are our employees, he said. When they are stuck and stalled in traffic they are not productively creating the future.

The specific objection by Republicans is that $600 million of state funds allocated to Caltrains electrification were initially authorized by a 2008 referendum on high-speed rail, known as Proposition 1A.

They are stealing Prop 1A money and using it for something else, Denham said.

Caltrain says that although the two trains will use the same tracks, the electrification project is independent and high-speed rails use of the corridor will require a separate environmental review.

The bigger picture, proponents of the electrification project say, is that the commuter rail project deserves the support of the Trump administration because it meets the broad criteria of its infrastructure push  it will be made in America by American workers. Almost all of the materials for the new train system will be sourced from factories across 14 states. Caltrain estimates the project will create nearly 10,000 jobs.

This is the perfect project if you care about infrastructure, if you care about jobs and if you care about focusing on areas that are going to deliver long-term economic benefit, said Stuart Cohen, executive director of TransForm, a nonprofit group that advocates public transportation.

The state High-Speed Rail Authority is making a similar pitch. Every ounce of the steel, every ounce of the concrete is domestic, Dan Richard, the authoritys chairman, said. We are reaching out to the Trump administration to make the case that this is entirely consistent with the presidents vision.

An opinion poll by the Public Policy Institute of California last year showed a slim majority of respondents  52 percent  support the high-speed rail project.

Outside Fresno, a city in Californias Central Valley surrounded by almond and fruit orchards and racked by poverty, about 1,000 workers have been employed on the project to build viaducts and tunnels at 10 construction sites.

The Finance Department of Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, decided Friday that the project was ready to lay some track and approved $2.6 billion in spending. But there are lingering questions about how the later stages of the project will be financed, especially if Congress blocks more federal support.

Although the authority was established more than two decades ago, it was only in 2013 that construction began on the first, 119-mile segment of the project.

Mayor Lee Brand of Fresno, a Republican, supports the project, which would make Silicon Valley a 45-minute train ride away by 2025.

I dont look at this ideologically, Brand said. I look at it practically. The city of Fresno can enjoy a major benefit from whats going on with high-speed rail. This is a poor city that needs all the help it can get.

Tom Richards, a real estate developer in Fresno who is on the authoritys board, said the rail connection could encourage tech companies to set up in the city and workers to commute to well-paying jobs in Silicon Valley.

This is a whole story about connecting California together, he said.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump gives Democrats in Congress an ideal adversary, one who can set off impassioned protests and ignite their supporters with a single Twitter post.

But with the Democrats power severely limited by their minority status, they cannot conduct congressional investigations. The chances their bills will even get a vote are slim.

What they do possess, they hope, is the power to shame. So they have been offering up bills that stand virtually no chance of passing, like ones forcing Trump to release his tax returns, with the clear intent of putting Republicans on the record now in hopes that voters will punish them later.

Last week, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader, vowed a weekly vote on the matter. Were just going to pound away, she told colleagues in a closed-door meeting, according to an aide who was present.

The results so far are decidedly modest. On Friday, two House Republicans signed a Democratic letter requesting the release of the presidents tax returns, becoming the only Republicans to do so.

During the first six weeks of the Trump administration, Republicans have supported the president with a watch-what-he-does, not-what-he-says approach. It has largely been a policy of muted assent.

Democrats have eagerly filled the void with a steady trickle of measures, using arcane procedures to produce a paper trail. Some have seemingly innocuous aims, like a House bill that would create an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate foreign interference in the 2016 election. The measure has drawn just one Republican co-sponsor.

I think were going at it from all angles, hoping that whether its the pressure or wanting to do the right thing, Republicans will join them, said Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, one of the two Democrats who introduced the bill.

Democrats say the tax returns provide a nexus between concerns about Trumps personal financial conflicts of interest and his campaigns ties to the Russian government, issues that have troubled members of the presidents own party.

Im for transparency, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., told a few hundred people in a high school cafeteria in Denham Springs, Louisiana, on a recent afternoon, stopping well short of a call for legislation.

Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, has led the chambers efforts to disclose Trumps returns, a push he said was driven by constituent outrage.

People just kind of gasp, Wyden said. I can tell you it comes up at every one of my town meetings. People think it is very much linked to the Russia issue.

In the House, Democrats have pressed the issue on several, so far fruitless, fronts. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. of New Jersey, who wrote the letter that has drawn two Republican signatures, introduced a measure that would compel the House Committee on Ways and Means to request Trumps tax documents, as it is empowered to do.

Pascrell used a privileged resolution, a procedure that allows even a single member to bypass leadership to bring up a measure for a vote  and that was more theatrically employed by some House conservatives in the fall in an effort to oust the head of the Internal Revenue Service over objections by their leaders. Pascrells measure failed in a floor vote last week along party lines.

Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has resisted calls to, as he described it to reporters, rummage around in the tax returns of the president.

A few Republicans have broken from their party on investigating connections between Trumps campaign and Russia. Rep. Darrell Issa of California, who narrowly won re-election in November and is considered vulnerable in 2018, recently called for an outside investigation. The House and Senate intelligence committees will conduct their own inquiries.

Rep. Walter B. Jones of North Carolina  who, with Rep. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, signed Pascrells letter and voted present on his measure  said he wanted to send a message to Republican leaders that he intended to keep an open mind.

Jones is also the sole Republican co-sponsor on Swalwells independent commission bill, calling Russian interference in the election serious business. (Here you go again, Walter, he recalled a couple of Republican colleagues saying to him.)

If they would not let the politics drive their thinking and let the needs of the American people drive their thinking, then I think some of them would join this effort, he said.

With control of what legislation comes to the floor in both the House and Senate, Republican leaders have easily fended off Democrats. A House measure seeking more information on Trumps conflicts of interest and his ties to Russia was sent to the Judiciary Committee, where it was rejected along party lines last week.

The vote came at the end of the committees meeting, hours before Trumps address to a joint session of Congress, when many lawmakers were having dinner. When the live stream on the committees website temporarily failed, Democrats streamed the meeting on their Facebook pages, a low-yield guerrilla-style tactic.

While Democrats argue that they are giving voice to concerns about the Trump administration, pressuring rivals to cast votes on a contentious subject is a standard political strategy.

Democrats are hoping to use the Republican votes against forcing disclosure of Trumps tax returns, and on other issues, in the 2018 midterm elections.

Now he is the president, he is their standard-bearer, said Meredith Kelly, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats. Theyll have real votes on his agenda, from helping him hide his tax returns to helping him hide his connections to Russia.

But Matt Gorman, a spokesman for the House Republicans campaign organization, the National Republican Congressional Committee, said their incumbents had established themselves with their voters, who care more about economic issues than whether a particular lawmaker pushed to see Trumps tax returns.

Voters wont be swayed by these legislative tactics, Gorman said. Theyre stunts.

Jones said he saw the efforts to answer lingering questions about the election as a service to the Trump administration, as well.

We are an equal branch, he said. We have an obligation to the American people, just like the president has. And to me, I think the sooner we start dealing with this situation, the better off we are.


Disrupting the Airline Industry, an 'Electric' Perspective Fri., Oct. 14, 2022 While a technological advance like the worlds first all-electric commuter aircraft is a guaranteed media draw, the real opportunity comes in shaping the narrative around the company that developed the aircraft, and equally as important, the impact of a novel technology on society.
The Valuation Office, the State property valuation agency, today commenced the process of posting approximately 2,400 Proposed Valuation Certificates to commercial and industrial ratepayers in the Offaly rating authority area.

The proposed valuation of each rateable property in Offaly has been arrived at by reference to relevant local market information and trading data at the specified valuation date of October 30, 2015, collected and analysed by the Valuation Office.

This is an important milestone in the revaluation of all non-domestic property in Ireland which is currently underway through a programme known as the National Revaluation Programme.

Provision for a revaluation of all non-domestic property in Ireland was made under the Valuation Act of 2001 as amended by the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015. Neither residential property nor agricultural lands are rateable and consequently will not be affected by the revaluation.

The Proposed Valuation Certificates posted to Offaly ratepayers will state the valuation that the Valuation Office proposes entering for each property when the new Offaly valuation list is published on September 15, 2017.

The valuations will be used to calculate the rates charged by Offaly County council in 2018 and subsequent years. It is important to note that the proposed valuation entered on the Proposed Valuation Certificate is not a bill for rates but is a statement of the proposed valuation on which rates will be paid from January 1, 2018.

If a ratepayer accepts that the valuation set out in the Proposed Valuation Certificate is correct, they do not need to respond to the Valuation Office. If a ratepayer is dissatisfied with his or her proposed valuation or any of the details contained in the Proposed Valuation Certificate he or she should make representations to the Valuation Office within 40 days of the date of issue of the said Certificate.

The closing date for making representations for Offaly ratepayers will be April 11, 2017. If making representations, an occupier must provide clear reasons and supporting evidence to justify any proposed changes, including an alternative valuation.

The Valuation Office will have a number of Walk-In Clinics across Offaly on the following dates;

Wednesday & Thursday March 15 & 16: 9.30am  4.30pm: Tullamore: Offaly County Council, Aras an Chontae, Charleville Road, Tullamore,

Wednesday & Thursday March 15 & 16: 9.30am  4.30pm: Birr: Offaly County Council, Birr Municipal District Office, Wilmer Road, Birr, Co Offaly

Tuesday & Wednesday March 21 & 22: 9.30am  4.30pm: Edenderry: Offaly County Council, Edenderry Municipal District Office, Town Hall, OConnell Square, Edenderry,

These clinics will provide ratepayers with an opportunity to discuss their valuation on a one to one basis with Valuation Office valuers who have been working on the Offaly revaluation project.

When all the representations made by ratepayers have been considered, the Valuation Office will issue Final Valuation Certificates in early September 2017 and publish a new valuation list for Offaly County council on September 15.

These final valuations will then be used by the Offaly County Council to calculate their respective rates charges for the 2018 rates year and subsequent years. The valuation is a key element in establishing the rates liability but is not the amount of rates actually payable. While the Valuation Office determines the valuation, each local authority determines levies and collects the actual rates payable.

Ratepayers who are dissatisfied with their final valuation will have the right to appeal their valuation to the Valuation Tribunal, an independent body set up for that purpose.

The Valuation Office website, www.valoff.ie, sets out detailed information about the revaluation and the representations process. The Office also has a dedicated Customer Support team to deal with revaluation queries by email at reval2017@valoff.ie, or by telephone at Lo-Call 1890 531 431 or 01 8171033 between 9:30 am and 5:30 pm from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. The telephone helpline will be available from 9:30 am on Friday, March 3.
The CIF and Peter McVerry Trust have launched a collaborative partnership aimed at supporting the trusts efforts to house the homeless. Throughout 2017 the CIF will encourage its members to lend their resources and skills to Peter McVerry projects around the country.

Speaking at Hogan Court, a complex that the CIF and Peter McVerry Trust refurbished delivering homes for 12 individuals last year, Pat Doyle CEO of PMVT stated, What were standing in front of is evidence of effective collaboration between industry, NGO and the community here in Hogan Court. 12 vacant houses were transformed into homes in 2015. 12 people left homelessness and became tenants of Peter McVerry Trust. The community welcomed their new neighbours and benefited from works in the public spaces around the complex.

"Peter McVerry Trust is engaged in similar projects around the country most recently securing a site in Limerick City. Were working hard to help those who need it the most. We hope that this successful and very worthwhile initiative will encourage CIF members to lend their experience, time and labour to transforming our projects into homes and communities.

CIF Director General, Tom Parlon said, The success of the Hogan Court estate is one of the proudest achievements of the CIFs history. Some of the people housed in Hogan Court were homeless for decades after significant personal tragedies and are now fully integrated into one of Dublins great communities. Our members contributed over 7million in labour and materials throughout 2015. Were hoping now to support the Peter McVerry Trusts valuable work across Irish communities. The Hogan Court initiative demonstrates the kind of impact the industry working with the Trust can have. Thats why were seeking to create more collaborations between our members and the Trust across the country. There are thousands of construction related companies around the country and were encouraging our members over the course of this year to make contact with the Trust to see if they can make a difference and support its vital work.

Also in attendance was CIF President, Dominic Doheny. The Tullamore businessman commented, The work that has been carried out at Hogan Court is a testament to the generosity of our members with over 7million in labour and materials donated over the course of a year. The residents of Hogan Court, who have been through so much, deserve this opportunity to live in a safe, comfortable and healthy environment. I am very proud that the CIF has stepped up to the plate in this way and we will continue to collaborate with the Peter McVerry Trust to enhance the lives of many others affected by homelessness in the future.

The Peter McVerry Trust is currently progressing building projects in Dublin, Kildare and Limerick. These projects play a critical role in working towards their strategic objective of providing 450 housing units to vulnerable homeless people. Peter McVerry Trust and CIF will collaborate on maintenance and upgrade of existing properties, the renovation of new properties for the purposes of housing units (and in some cases emergency hostel accommodation) and on capital projects.

The Peter McVerry Trust is now engaged in a series of major capital projects. These projects are put out to public tender and Peter McVerry Trust will, through the CIF, circulate details of the competitions to its members when they arise.
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A talented group of teenagers from Offaly, Galway, Cork, Kilkenny and Dublin claimed the winning spot at the 2017 BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp with their project entitled Mi Contact.

Lucy Leonard, aged 15, from Tullamore College was a key part of the winning team. The other members of the team were Ciara-Beth Ni Ghriofa, aged 17, from Colaiste an Eachreidh in Galway; Ella Brennan, aged 16, from Loreto Secondary School in Kilkenny; George Hennessy, aged 17, from Midleton College in Cork; and Steven Harris, aged 18, from Luttrellstown Community College in Dublin.

The winners were selected by a judging panel of accomplished business professionals following an intensive four day workshop at NovaUCD.

The winning team including Lucy Leonard from Tullamore College

The winning project is an app based on applied behaviour analysis to enhance early intervention programs, and to encourage children with autism make eye contact.

The team impressed the judges with their well-planned and thought out business pitch for Mi Contact, which they presented this afternoon at NovaUCD. The project idea was created by Ciara-Beth as her entry to the 2017 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in January this year.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Tullamore students crowned winners at the Make-A-Wish Schools Entrepreneurship Awards

The group was selected for their significant progress over the four-day workshop, which is designed to equip students with practical skills and knowledge to transform a creative idea into a viable business proposition.

The students, selected because they displayed particular business ambition, are shown how to set up a company, write a business plan, create a marketing campaign, draft a budget and present their ideas competently to senior academics and business people.
Bareneise Dixon Becomes First-Ever Black Woman Major At Alabama Police Department Elijah C. Watson Elijah Watson serves as Okayplayer's News & Culture Editor. When

A police department in Alabama has elected its first-ever African-American female major.

Bareneise Dixon, a 28-year law-enforcement veteran who got her start as a police operator in Saraland, Alabama, was promoted from captain to major at Mobile, Alabamas police department, this past Friday.

I look forward to serving in my capacity as commander over special operations, so thank you, Dixon said in an interview with local news station WKRG.

I also have to acknowledge the efforts of those that paved the way in order for me to obtain this rank. You dont get where you are by yourself. Ive been honored to work with a lot of people in the Mobile Police Department, some that are still here, some that are not here, Dixon added.

Last month Alabama also elected its first-ever African-American woman District Attorney.

Lynneice Washington officially took up the position after defeating republican incumbent Bill Veitch by 299 votes. The 49-year-old, who was originally born in Birmingham, served in a number of notable roles prior to becoming DA, including presiding judge over the Bessemer Municipal court and assistant DA for the Bessemer Cutoff.

I had no clue of the history I was making, Washington said in an interview with AL.com. I love serving people and protecting the underdog.

Washington briefly stated what she hoped to accomplish as Alabamas DA in the interview, saying that her objective is to be fair and balanced in all cases.

I want to be able to stand up when there is some type of inequality, even as a prosecutor, Washington said. I have been sworn to uphold the laws fairly and in a balanced fashion. As a prosecutor we are bound to do that.
Agricultural News

Bayer Helping Farmers Defend Sorghum Crops from Damage Threatened by Sugarcane Aphids

Sorghum farmers in Oklahoma are facing a new threat these days, from the Sugarcane Aphid populations that have started to encroach across many of the Southern states. Although these pests originally were of little economic consequence when they preferred to munch on sugarcane, they have suddenly and inexplicably switched hosts, now targeting sorghum. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director Carson Horn had the chance to speak with Bayer chemical marketing insider Frank Ritteman, about these pests and what producers should do to keep from getting an infestation in their crop, during the Bayer AgVocacy Forum this week in San Antonio. You can hear the conversation that Horn had with Ritteman by clicking on the LISTEN BAR at the bottom of this story.









According to Ritterman sugarcane aphids can double their population size in a given field within two days. At this rate of reproduction, these insects are capable of wiping out an entire crop. Ritteman says he has seen some cases where aphids have caused losses of 60 to 100 percent. The good news though, says Ritteman, is that the pest can be managed.





"If you don't treat for it, it will be an economic loss for you," he said. "When you budget for your crop, we recommend every grower budget for a treatment and then be prepared for it rather than the upset of potentially not having to do it rather than having to face unexpected expenses."





Ritteman adds that farmers should scout their fields regularly to spot early signs of infestation, reiterating that populations can double in size in only two days. He says, too, that farmers may consider planting early if they can, noting that sugarcane aphids tend to appear late in the growing season. You can also consult your seed supplier on available resistant and hybrid varieties. One tool to help combat infestations, suggests Ritteman, is Bayer's Sivanto insecticide.





"That's our latest insecticide innovation," he said, "conceived more as a specialty crop product but it's that effective on aphids and has a full sorghum label."





Ritteman says for now, it looks as though the aphid is here to stay for the foreseeable future and producers should have a plan in place to deter them from their fields. He recommends that if you do end up with a consistent aphid problem, you should interchange your insecticide each year with another, to keep aphids from building a resistance.























Listen to Carson Horn and Frank Ritteman discuss defending sorghum crops from sugarcane aphids

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Fayetteville, Ark.  Nebraska rallied from a four-run deficit to grab a one-run lead Sunday, only to lose that when Lamar scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning that gave the Cardinals a 10-9 victory in the final game of the Wooo Pig Classic.

The Huskers finished 2-3 in the tournament and dropped to 4-13 overall.

Freshmen Alexis Perry and Tristen Edwards were the offensive leaders for NU. Perry was 3 for 4 with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs while Edwards was 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs.

Center fielder Gina Metzler also had another good day, going 3 for 5 and getting three put outs on defense.

The Huskers hit the road again next weekend when they travel to Tempe, Arizona, for a three-game series against No. 20 Arizona State.

Nebraska (4-13)...........021 102 3 9 14 2

Lamar (7-13).............102 140 210 10 0
David Galvan says the man who attempted to rob his South Omaha barbershop on Feb. 24 didnt do his homework.

First, Fade Kings Barber Shop handles appointments through a cellphone app, and all haircuts are prepaid, so theres hardly any cash on hand, Galvan said.

Second, Galvans brother and co-owner, Jesus Jesse Galvan, is a concealed-carry permit-holder.

A prosecutor said in court Monday that Lucas Ortiz entered the business at 2907 Q St. just before 9:50 a.m. with a pistol-grip short shotgun, asked for money and fired at the four people inside.

Ortiz, 23, has been charged with four counts of attempted robbery, four counts of weapon use, attempted first-degree assault and possession of a short shotgun. A judge Monday set his bail at $300,000, meaning he would have to pay 10 percent of that, or $30,000, to get out of jail.

Prosecutor David Wear said Ortiz fired one shot after he demanded money.

The shot missed Jesse Galvans head by inches, David Galvan said, and struck a wall.

Jesse Galvan fired once and warned Ortiz to stand down, Wear said. He didnt, so Jesse shot again, striking Ortiz in the left leg.

Ortiz raced out of the barbershop and nearly got hit by a car as he crossed Q Street, David Galvan said.

Ortiz was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center for treatment. In court Monday, a correctional officer pushed Ortizs wheelchair to the stand.

David Galvan said Ortiz is an acquaintance he knows from growing up.

No disturbances had occurred at the business before, David Galvan said.

He said business is up because of the publicity; a man from Fremont came to get his hair cut.

We stand up for our clients. Were prepared and we keep them safe, David Galvan said. Were all friendly.

He is thankful that his wife, who does nails at the shop and is seven months pregnant, was home that day with his two sons because school was canceled.

She would have been in labor, or worse, he said.
A woman who drove drunk and crashed her car, critically injuring her passenger, will serve four years of probation.

Christian Belvin, 26, pleaded no contest to driving under the influence/causing serious bodily injury in connection with an April 2016 accident that injured Codie C. Diltz.

Police said Belvin was driving east on Leavenworth Street at 2:45 a.m. April 5 when her vehicle crossed the center line at 32nd Avenue, ran off the road, hit a fence and a pole, and then struck a chain-link fence before stopping.

Belvins blood-alcohol content was 0.254, prosecutors have said. That amount is more than three times the legal limit.

Diltz, 25, was in the front passenger seat. He broke his pelvis, had fluid in his abdomen that required surgery and was put into a medically induced coma, a prosecutor has said.

Belvin was not injured.

At the time, she was an airman first class in the 55th Security Forces Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, according to the Air Force. She had been in the service since 2010. An Air Force official has said the case normally would have been tried in military court, but Belvins service was ending about six weeks after the accident, so the case couldnt be resolved there.

In sentencing Belvin on Monday, District Judge Thomas A. Otepka noted that Belvin had taken positive steps, but he also expressed concern. Even though she successfully completed inpatient alcohol treatment with the Veterans Administration and attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, she still drinks and works in an Old Market bar, she told the judge.

You are going to need to find some other place to work, Otepka told her. You shouldnt be drinking at all.

Prosecutors did not seek additional jail time. Otepka cited Belvins lack of criminal record in sentencing her to probation.

During her Air Force career she served in Kuwait and Jordan. She didnt want her military career to be over, her attorney, Brenda Leuck said in court Monday, but her alcohol use had caused her a lot of problems over the years and stopped her from being promoted in the way that she wanted to.

She was honorably discharged May 17.

Belvin is currently a sophomore at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Leuck said.

World-Herald staff writer Steve Liewer contributed to this report.
Overheated, juiced-up weather on Monday sparked wildfires across the region, spawned damaging tornadoes in Missouri and Iowa and pushed through Omaha in a furious burst of rain, wind and hail.

Damage in the Omaha metro area appeared to be limited to downed power lines, scattered power outages and some impacts to outbuildings. Strong winds continued into the evening, causing additional power outages in the Omaha metro.

MidAmerican Energy in Iowa was reporting more than 2,000 customers without power in Council Bluffs and the surrounding area. The Omaha Public Power District had more than 500 customers without power, nearly all in Douglas and Sarpy Counties.

Monday saw an extremely volatile fire risk across the Great Plains, and there continues to be a threat today, though not quite as extreme as severe, according to the National Weather Service.

In eastern Nebraska, at least two brush fires bedeviled firefighters, one near Murdock and the other in Saunders County. Other fires were reported elsewhere in Nebraska.

U.S. Highway 77 was closed for a short time near Ceresco after smoke from a grass fire obscured the road. Traffic was diverted onto paved side roads, said Terry Miller, emergency manager for Saunders County. Local firefighters doused the flames and the highway was reopened to traffic about 4 p.m., after being closed about a half-hour.

Also, firefighters in Cass County, Nebraska, battled a large grass blaze near Murdock.

Alan Brockhoff, Murdocks fire chief, told KMTV that the fire started about two miles east of the village.

It burned up about three miles of farmland, the chief told KMTV. No homes were damaged. There were no injuries. The fire was reported about 3 p.m. and it was more than an hour before it was under control. Firefighters from Springfield, Ashland, Waverly, Avoca, Weeping Water and elsewhere responded.

Rain that arrived with the line of storms helped douse the eastern Nebraska fires.

Further south in the Great Plains, The Associated Press reported that fires caused problems in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, including the evacuation of two towns in Kansas and the temporary closure of Interstate 70 in central Kansas.

In eastern Kansas, northwest Missouri and Iowa, about a dozen tornado reports had been made by 8 p.m., with some of the twisters causing damage, according to the National Weather Service.

World-Herald staff writer Nancy Gaarder contributed to this report.
With President Donald Trumps latest executive order, local refugee resettlement agencies are back to where they were a month ago before courts intervened: facing the prospect of having the flow of new refugees into Nebraska temporarily shut off.

This puts us right back to where we thought we were on Jan. 27, said Kathy Moore of Omahas Refugee Empowerment Center, referring to the date of Trumps original executive order on immigration and refugees.

The 2.0 version of Trumps order is intended to better withstand the court challenges that blocked his first attempt.

It will again ban for 90 days travel to the United States from a number of Muslim-majority countries, though this time it dropped Iraq from a list that still covers Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Libya.

It again shuts off refugee resettlement from all nations for 120 days. It removes the indefinite ban on all Syrian refugees that was in the first order. It also removes controversial language in the first order that was seen by opponents as giving preference to Christians.

The new order also appears more carefully crafted to eliminate some of the problems associated with the rollout of the first one, which saw refugees and others already traveling to the United States detained at U.S. airports or put on planes to go back overseas.

The new order wont take effect until March 16, giving the Department of Homeland Security, refugee resettlement agencies and airlines more time to prepare. And it specifically mentions that green card holders and those who already have visas and travel plans as of Monday are still allowed entry.

The White House dropped Iraq from the list of targeted countries after pressure from the Pentagon and State Department, which noted Iraqs role in fighting the Islamic State.

Whether the new order will fare better in the courts than the first one remains unclear. It is sure to face challenges from opponents who still see it as targeting Muslims.

The new order includes more language intended to help justify it before the courts. For example, it cites an example of a refugee, originally from Somalia, who became a U.S. citizen and in 2014 was convicted of planning to bomb a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon. It also says 300 people who entered the United States as refugees are currently the subjects of FBI counterterrorism investigations.

The Trump administration said the order gives security agencies more time to review the vetting system for refugees and visa applicants to prevent terrorist or criminal infiltration by foreign nationals. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the new order a vital measure for strengthening our national security.

Advocates for immigrants and refugees countered that the order remains an unjustified Muslim ban and wont stand up to court challenge.

There was no national security justification for a travel ban on Jan. 27, and nothing has happened in the weeks since then to create one, said Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of a liberty and national security program at New York University School of Law.

The presidents previous order ended up shutting down refugee settlement to Nebraska for several days before courts intervened. With the resumption of the refugee flow, Moores agency has resettled 30 refugees in Omaha over the past month.

However, the agency currently has no additional refugees scheduled to arrive. Its possible that the agency will have no more before the 120-day suspension takes effect next week.

When that suspension ends in mid-July, refugee resettlement still figures to fall off to a trickle for the remainder of the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30. Thats because the new order continues to cut total refugee settlement in the United States this year from the planned 110,000 down to 50,000. Its believed that nearly 40,000 of those slots were already used during the first months of this year.

Ruth Henrichs of Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, the states largest resettlement agency, said her agency would stand firm in its opposition to the new order, due both to the suspension and cut in total refugees.

It continues the drastic, 55%, reduction in the number of refugees to be welcomed to the U.S.  during the largest refugee crisis since World War II, she said.

Moore said her agency is still trying to figure out how it will sustain operations during the suspension. The Refugee Empowerment Center relies on federal funding attached to each refugee to fund the majority of its operations.

She said she still sees little justification for the suspension. History has shown that the United States faces far greater terrorist threats from homegrown extremists of all races and ideologies than it does from refugees.

To think we are going to eliminate terrorist threats by excluding refugees is a very flawed theory, Moore said.

This report includes material from the Associated Press.

Correction: An earlier version of the story misstated the reduced number of refugees to be allowed entry to the U.S.
LINCOLN  The head of the union that represents Corrections Department officers is calling for the firing or resignation of Gov. Pete Ricketts spokesman over a Twitter post that the union representative contends made light of a deadly disturbance last week at the Tecumseh State Prison.

Mike Marvin, the president of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, sent a letter Monday to Ricketts about a tweet Sunday by Taylor Gage, the governors spokesman.

Marvin said the tweet compared the disturbance at Tecumseh, in which two inmates died and several others were injured, with a preschool riot at a day care in Southern California. Four kids, ages 7 to 11, trashed a preschool, causing $25,000 in damages.

Gages tweet stated: In other news: Preschool riot. It also provided a link to a Fox News story about it.

Gages post disrespects the jobs our Corrections employees perform and shows very little concern for the families of those whose lives were lost, Marvin wrote. It was a deplorable post, not fitting for the person serving as your spokesperson.

Gage, when reached Monday, said he would not dignify the matter by commenting and referred a reporter to his responses on Twitter.

In them, he denied that he was making light of the Tecumseh melee. Both are very serious incidents  Tecumseh certainly more so. Sad to see kids in CA did this, he tweeted, in response to concerns raised by Brian Mikkelsen, a political field operations director for the state teachers union.

A debate has ensued over whether last weeks prison disturbance should be called a riot.

The Ricketts administration and State Corrections Director Scott Frakes have said it should not be called a riot because only a small portion of the Tecumseh prison was taken over by inmates.

Two inmates were found dead Thursday after about 40 inmates took over a portion of a unit that housed 128 prisoners. Vandalism was extensive, but not as widespread as during a Mothers Day riot in 2015 that also led to two inmate deaths and more than $2 million in fire damage and destruction.

The American Correctional Association defines a prison riot as when a significant number of inmates control a significant portion of the facility for a significant period of time.

Marvin, in his letter to Ricketts, said that last weeks disturbance clearly fit the definition of a prison riot.
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The author is the economic justice director of Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created in the wake of the financial crisis to help American consumers and rein in big banks. Its work over the last five years has been an important step forward in holding corporations accountable to their customers.

The agency has issued a number of important rules and helped to police wrongdoing by the big Wall Street banks that led to the financial crisis in the first place.

Just last fall, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau levied its largest fine against Wells Fargo after the bank created nearly 2 million fake accounts to rip off customers. More than 100,000 accounts were charged late fees, and customers had to pay fines on accounts they never wanted and never knew existed.

It was one of the most shameless abuses by a company of its customers in recent memory, and were it not for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Wells Fargos misconduct may never have been uncovered and the company may have gone unpunished for ripping off customers in Nebraska and Iowa (Wells Fargo scandal encompassed up to 24 Nebraska, Iowa branches, OWH, Dec. 5).

This recent history makes the criticism of the agency by members of our congressional delegation, and their proposals to weaken the agency or remove its leadership, all the more concerning.

Nebraskans know removing corporate accountability for banks is a bad idea. Everyone needs to be able to trust the banks that handle their savings and retirement funds. That trust must be guarded with a close eye to avoid a repeat of retirees being cheated out of their life savings and homeowners being kicked out of houses. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is looking out for consumers in our state and around the country while reining in the excesses of the financial sector.

Take the payday lending rule. At Nebraska Appleseed, we have fought against predatory lending and worked to defend those abused by an unfair system. Just last year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a rule that would put a stop to many of the worst abuses of the payday loans industry and force lenders to behave responsibly. Hard-working Nebraskans would not gain this protection if the agency is gutted.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus rule allowing customers to band together to oppose abusive banks in court would also be incredibly beneficial. The Wells Fargo scandal is a perfect example of why. If consumers had been able to bring their case in open court, regulators such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would have found out about the banks abuses much sooner.

Instead, Wells Fargo customers were forced into secretive arbitrations where consumers rarely win and the big banks have a significant legal advantage.

Despite his reservations about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse should be particularly supportive of the arbitration rule. He often publicly laments the erosion of Americas founding values, but one of the core beliefs of our founders was the importance of jury trials and legal due process.

Thomas Jefferson and numerous other founders emphasized that the lack of a right to trial by jury was a problem with the original Constitution, one that the framers corrected when the Seventh Amendment was codified a few year later. Yet Wells Fargos 2016 business agreement says clients irrevocably . . . waive the right to a trial by jury.

We believe that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should have gone further with consumer protections in both the payday loan and the arbitration rules, and in their final form, we hope both rules are strengthened.

But in each case the agency moved cautiously, gathered evidence and took time to hear from business leaders as well as consumer activists.

We hope Sasse and Nebraska U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer embrace this same deliberate decision-making process as they consider proposals to change the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Nebraskas consumers deserve no less.
Amarnath shrine board advises Do's and Don'ts for pilgrims

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 6: The Amarnath shrine board has asked all pilgrims not to drink alcohol or caffeinated drink andto start physical exercise at least one month prior to the pilgrimage which begins June 29.

In an advisory, the Shrine Board said the pilgrimage to the holy cave involves trekking at altitudes as high as 14,000 feet and the pilgrims may develop high altitude sickness. To avoid high altitude sickness, the Board advised the pilgrims to prepare for physical fitness by starting a preparatory morning/evening walk, about 4-5 km per day, at least a month prior to the pilgrimage.

"Start deep breathing exercise and yoga, particularly pranayam, for improving oxygen efficiency of the body. Do check with your physician prior to travelling to higher elevations, if you have any existing pre-existing medical conditions.

"Do walk slowly while ascending and take time to acclimatise, relax for a short while on steep inclines. Do avoid exerting beyond your normal capacity," the advisory said. "Don't ignore the symptoms of high altitude illness with symptoms like loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, light headedness and difficulty in sleeping, visual impairment, bladder dysfunction.

"Don't drink alcohol, caffeinated drink, or smoke. Don't ascend any further if you have altitude illness. Instead, descend immediately to an elevation where you can acclimatise," it said. The Board said if high altitude sickness is not treated timely, it may be lethal in a matter of hours. "Do take compulsory rest at various locations and ensure time logging and take ideal walking time mentioned on the display boards while moving towards next location.

Do check with your physician prior to taking any medications. Do drink lots of water to combat dehydration and headaches - about 5 liters of fluid per day. "Do follow the prescribed food menu -- available at Shrine Board's website shriamarnathjishrine.com -- when having food in the Yatra area," the advisory, circulated by the Home Ministry, said. The pilgrimage will take place from June 29 to August 7.

PTI
Amit Shah, in sarcasm-laden speech, says Akhilesh made UP No.1 in murder, loot

India

pti-PTI

Sonbhadra (UP), March 6: BJP president Amit Shah on Monday accused chief minister Akhilesh Yadav of transforming Uttar Pradesh into the "number one state" in terms of murder, loot and crime against women. He also said that if his party forms the government in Uttar Pradesh, all slaughter houses would be closed, and "instead of streams of blood, streams of milk and ghee would flow" across the state.

Modi dubs SP 'anti-farmer' in his final UP election rally

"Please do not do any type of injustice with Akhilesh," Shah said sarcastically. "After all, he has made UP the number one state in the country in terms of murder, loot and crime against women. And, then he says 'kaam boltaa hai' (action speaks). But, the reality is that 'kaarnama boltaa hai' (misdeeds speak)."

At an election rally here, Shah also raked up the issue of income from mining, a percentage of which is spent for development of the district, where the mines are located. "This has been envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, But, in Sonbhadra have you got any such benefit?" the BJP chief asked the crowd, which answered in the negative.

The BJP chief took a jibe at the Congress-SP coalition in UP and said, "There are two princes in the state. One (Rahul Gandhi) who is giving tough times to his mother, while the other (Akhilesh Yadav) who is giving tough times to his father. And, the entire state is bearing the brunt of both." Urging voters to back BJP, Shah said Uttar Pradesh's development has been hit by the "continuous misrule" of SP and BSP. "On one hand you have Afzal Ansari and Mukhtar Ansari (of BSP), while on the other hand you have Azam Khan and Atiq Ahmed. It is a classic example of "ek taraf kuan, doosri taraf khai," he said.

He said the BJP alone could help the state and its people get rid of the "goondaraj" of SP and BSP. He also said that all youngsters would be given laptops "irrespective of their religion". Shah accused the SP of stealing the mineral wealth of the state. "As soon as the BJP forms the government in the state, within a week all the land mafia would be hung upside down, and they would be made to fall in line (saat din mein saare bhu-mafia ko ultaa latkaa ke seedha kardenge)."

PTI
Banks told to reconsider charges on cash transactions by government

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Government has urged banks including the private ones to reconsider charges on cash transactions. The government is also said to have told banks to reconsider imposing ATM withdrawal charges above a certain limit, ANI said while quoting sources.

The government is also said to have told the State Bank of India to reconsider its decision on imposing penalty on non-maintenance of minimum balance in accounts from April 1.

The bank levy of Rs 150 on cash transactions in banks after the free transactions had come in for criticism. Banks had kept in abeyance the levy during the demonetisation period of November to March. However starting March 1, banks decided to impose the levy and also start charging for ATM withdrawals after a certain limit.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Monday, March 6, 2017, 18:03 [IST]
Bengaluru running out of water even before summer kicks in

India

oi-Anusha

If numbers are anything to go by, Karnataka's capital city is bracing itself for a thirsty summer. Bengaluru that ideally requires 1440 (MLD) million litres per day is currently getting only 1350 MLD. The shortage is only going to get worse with water reserves on an all-time low in the state's dams and reservoirs. The BWSSB is gearing up to drill more borewells, add additional water tankers to its fleet and repair existing borewells to tap into groundwater to fulfil potable water needs of the city.

Going by the Cauvery River Water Tribunal, close to 19 TMC feet water has been allocated for potable purposes for Bengaluru. As per the Karnataka government's order, 600 cusecs of Cauvery water is released from KRS dam on a daily basis to Bengaluru. As of now, the city receives water from Cauvery phase I, II, III and IV stage 1 and 2. As on March 2, 2017, the city receives 143 MLD from Cauvery phase I, 140 MLD from phase II, 327 MLD from phase III, 299 MLD from stage 1 of Phase IV and 441 MLD from stage 2 of Phase IV.

Water in reservoirs and dams reach alarming levels

According to estimates of the Bengaluru water supply and sewage board, the city requires 6.32 TMC feet water throughout summer while the current availability at KRS dam is barely 7.15 TMC. The same is to be used to provide potable water to Mandya, Mysuru and Maddur.

Water levels in dams across Karnataka have reached alarming levels even before summer has kicked in. The state government has already stopped released water for irrigation purposes across districts. As on March 2, 2017, the water level at KRS stood at 7.15 TMC ft as against last year's level of 13.52 TMC ft.

The scenario is not very different at Kabini where water level stood at an alarming 0.95 TMC ft as against 2016's level of 4.33 TMC ft. Hemavati has also recorded a dip in water levels with 2.28 TMC Ft as against 2016's level of 4.40 TMC ft. Harangi has recorded water levels of 1.32 TMC ft on March 2, 2017, as against a lower level of 0.57 in 2016. The fact that the water level is higher than what it was last year in Harangi gives little to cheer since the dam's live storage capacity is 8.07 TMC ft.

The government is now contemplating bringing all private borewells under its ambit if it is unable to fulfil the potable water demands despite attaching more tankers. If water supply fails to fulfil the requirements, the government will consider rationing supply to cities like Bengaluru and stop pumping from Cauvery Phase I, II and III on a daily basis.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, March 6, 2017, 14:09 [IST]
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Portugal

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 6: The Centre on Monday approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on renewable energy signed with Portugal.

"The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for signing of a MoU on Renewable Energy between India and Portugal.

The MoU was signed on January 6, 2017 in New Delhi," an official statement said. The MoU will help strengthen bilateral cooperation between the countries, it said.

Both sides aim to establish the basis for a cooperative institutional relationship to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on new and renewable issues on the basis of mutual benefit equality and reciprocity.

The MoU envisages constitution of a Joint Working Group which can co-opt other members from Scientific Institutions, Research Centres, Universities, or any other entity, as and when considered essential.

PTI
Chinese media warns India against Dalai's visit to Arunachal

India

pti-PTI

From K J M Varma Beijing: The Chinese media on Monday accused India of using the Dalai Lama card to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia and warned New Delhi of 'severe consequences' if it hosted the Tibetan spiritual leader in a 'disputed' area in Arunachal Pradesh. "Despite objections by China, India will host the Dalai Lama in a disputed region on the China-India border in coming weeks," state-run Global Times said in an op-ed.

The comments came after the Chinese foreign ministry criticised India for allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as southern Tibet. The permission was granted last October and the Dalai Lama is expected to visit the area in the coming weeks. Referring to reported comments by Indian officials that it was a religious trip and Dalai Lama had undertaken numerous such visits earlier, the article said the officials have not realised the consequences.

"These Indian officials apparently didn't realise, or deliberately ignored, the severe consequences the Dalai Lama's trip would bring. "The 14th Dalai Lama is by no means a spiritual leader but a Tibetan separatist," it said, adding that allowing him to the "disputed area will inevitably trigger confrontation, undermine the stability of the region and sour Sino-Indian relations".

"For a long time, some Indians have considered the Dalai Lama as a strategic asset. They believe that India could gain many benefits by using the Dalai issue as leverage. For instance, making an issue of the Dalai Lama could serve as a diplomatic tool to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia," it said. "However, they overestimate the political value of the Dalai Lama and his group while miscalculating China's determination to safeguard its core interests," it said.

"An increasing number of Western leaders have shut the door on the Dalai Lama in recent years after realising the Dalai card is ineffective," it said, referring to the recent decision by Mongolia not to invite him in future. "Against such a backdrop and at a time when a China-India strategic dialogue was just held to improve bilateral relations, the decision to receive the Dalai Lama in the disputed region is unwise. Leveraging the Dalai Lama issue to undermine Beijing's core interests risks dragging the two countries into a state of hostility," it said.

"The good momentum for the bilateral relationship in recent years shouldn't be disrupted. In future, there is a great potential for the two countries to tap into cooperation. "As the two biggest emerging economies, they have vast common interests on establishing a new global financial order, tackling climate change and other major issues. Now China and India have come to a critical period to further upgrade bilateral ties," it said.

PTI
Diocese removes priest who helped rape accused Kerala pastor

India

oi-Anusha

The Mananthavady diocese removed its spokesperson Father Thomas Joseph Therakam for helping rape accused pastor Father Robin Mathew Vadakkanchery cover up the rape of a minor. After facing charges of shielding a rape accused priest, the diocese sent a letter of apology to the victim's parents and also removed its member for making arrangements for the accused to flee the country.

[Pastor rape case: Church must stand by the victims and not protect its own]

Father Therakam was removed after the church found out that he had not only arranged for the 16-year-old rape victim to be shifted to an orphanage run by the church but also arranged for the accused to flee to Canada after the incident came to light. As ironical as it is, Father Therakam is also the chairman of Child Welfare Committee in Wayanad. The state government had hinted at removing him from the committee but the man is currently absconding along with another member and a nun, Dr Betty.

Meanwhile, the police are still on the lookout for seven others against whom cases have been filed for helping cover up the rape of a 16-year-old. The rape accused priest was arrested on February 28, when he was trying to flee to Canada. The church, it their letter to the victim and her parents claimed that they would not stand by the accused and would extend all support to the victim's family.

OneIndia News
EC issues notice to Akhilesh Yadav over bribery remarks

India

oi-Madhuri

Election Commission on Monday issued notice to Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav over a statement violative of MCC provisions, asks him to explain by latest by 5 pm on 7th March.

Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday wrote to the EC against Akhilesh Yadav, saying that the latter violated the Model Code of Conduct. The BJP has alleged that Akhilesh's remark 'If somebody offers you money for vote then take it, but vote only for the Samajwadi Party' made during an election rally held in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi violates the Model Code of Conduct.

Also, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati wrote to the EC demanding an investigation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow held in Varanasi yesterday.

Earlier, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had been let off with a light rap by the Election Commission when he made a similar remark that he had no problem with people accepting money from other parties to attend their rallies but that they should vote for the BJP. The EC, which took cognisance of the matter, had asked Parrikar to be more circumspect and careful while making any statement in future when the Model Code of Conduct is in operation. The EC advisory pertained to allegations that he abetted the offence of bribery during a speech ahead of the Goa Assembly polls.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)

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Story first published: Monday, March 6, 2017, 20:50 [IST]
Hearing on rape accused Prajapati's plea seeking stay on FIR today

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear rape accused Uttar Pradesh Minister Gayatri Prajapati's plea seeking stay of FIR ordered against him in connection with gangrape case.

Prajapati and some of his aides have been accused of gang-raping a woman and molesting his daughter. Prajpati is facing imminent arrest following an FIR ordered against him by the apex court on February 18.

The controversial minister is also Samajwadi party's candidate from Amethi in the ongoing assembly polls. Prajapati has been on the run ever since the Supreme Court asked the Uttar Pradesh police to take action against him.

[Non bailable warrant issued against UP minister Prajapati]

A non-bailable warrant has been issued against Prjapati in connection with the case. The police have also issued a lookout circular against him apart from revoking his passport for four weeks. This comes just a day after Intelligence Bureau officials had warned that Prajapati may try and flee the country.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, March 6, 2017, 9:15 [IST]
How stone pelters got wind of the Tral encounter in J&K

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

There has been little or no effect to the warning handed out by the Indian Army chief against stone pelters in Kashmir. The bloody Tral encounter at Jammu and Kashmir which began on Saturday and ended the next day was disrupted several times by locals who pelted stones at security personnel who finally ended up killing a local and a Pakistani militant.

A top commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Aqib Maulvi and a Pakistani militant were killed in the encounter. One policeman, Manzoor Ahmed was martyred in the encounter. Ahmed had opted to be part of the operation and had taken the militants head on.

The security forces had to face disruptions several times during the encounter thanks to locals landing up at the spot and pelting stones. One of the locals even snatched away the rifle of a security personnel and disappeared. A separate operation had to be launched to recover the rifle.

The locals were alerted about the encounter thanks to a call made by Maulvi to his mother. He told his mother that he was holed up in a house in the Hafoo area which was surrounded by security personnel. He is said to have told his mother that he would not surrender and would fight instead. Sources say that his family members may have tipped off the locals who then gathered at the encounter site in large numbers and attempted to disrupt the encounter.

The laws and the requests appear to have had little or no effect on the stone pelters. The government had declared the three kilometre area around an encounter site as a no-go-zone. However, this has had no effect and Saturday's encounter is a classic example of the same.

OneIndia News
Court holds writ by Hindu petitioners in Gyanvapi case maintainable: What does this mean

On camera: Varanasi folks in panic as 'ghost in white' goes for a walk on rooftops

Varanasi to light up for Deep Deepavali, a festival of lights that is not Diwali

How PM Modi won political kushti against Akhilesh-Rahul in Varanasi

India

oi-Maitreyee

Lucknow, March 6: In the last three days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav along with his political partner Rahul Gandhi were engaged in a political kushti (wrestling) of mammoth proportion in Varanasi, UP, literally.

The winner of the kushti competition will be known on March 11--when the assembly election results of UP (along with Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttrakhand) will be announced. However, observers say PM Modi has clearly won the battle of Varanasi--the temple town which hosts some of the finest age-old traditional kushti akharas (gymnasiums).

In the final leg of UP assembly elections, PM Modi decided to spend three days in Varanasi, starting from March 4. During his Varanasi stay, the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'superstar' campaigner attended back-to-back election rallies and roadshows, and visited several religious and historical places.

It's in Varanasi, the PM brought back the memories of 'Modi wave'--first witnessed during 2014 Lok Sabha polls--as crowds thronged on the streets of the temple town to have a glimpse of their favourite leader.

Many of PM Modi's supporters in Varanasi stood firmly in front of television cameras and told journalists why they were voting for the BJP in UP. "We are voting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is the one who will bring development in UP."

In comparison to PM Modi, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh looked 'tired' and 'helpless', as Modi fans chanted 'Har har Modi, ghar ghar Modi' across the ghats of Varanasi. Akhilesh's political buddy and Congress vice president Rahul was found repeating the same charges against his bete noire Modi in the temple town.

Varanasi will vote on March 8, as a part of the final-phase of polling in the UP assembly elections. This time, elections in the state have been divided into seven phases of voting, starting from February 11.

Once again in Varanasi, Modi proved how no one could match his oratory skills and charisma to pull crowds. Even several of his former critics in the media have predicted a massive win for the BJP in the northern state because of the resurgence of 'Modi wave'. Or, is it too early to predict UP election results?

OneIndia News
Hyderabad airport named best in the world in service quality

India

pti-PTI

Hyderabad, Mar 6: GMR's Hyderabad International Airport has secured first position in the world in the prestigious Airports Council International-Airport Service Quality survey in the 5-15 million passengers per annum category for the year 2016.

The survey shows that Hyderabad Airport has steadily improved its score from 4.4 in 2009 to 4.9 in 2016 (measured on scale of 1 to 5), according to a GHIAL statement. S G K Kishore, CEO, GHIAL, thanked the passengers and its stakeholders including Ministry of Civil Aviation, CISF, airlines, immigration and customs.

"The immense efforts put in by our partner airlines, concessionaires, housekeeping and other support staff have played a major role in this achievement", he said Hyderabad Airport, running in to its 9th year of operations, is designed to cater to 12MPPA. It has witnessed a growth of more than 20 per cent in the last year with a passenger throughput of close to 15MPPA in calendar year 2016.

"We soon plan to go for expansion of the airport, where it can enhance its capacity to meet 20 MPPA", said Kishore. Angela Gittens, Director General, ACI World, was quoted as saying, "We congratulate Hyderabad Airport for dedicating itself to deliver a stellar customer experience".

As the industry's most comprehensive passenger service benchmarking tool, the ACI ASQ survey has reliably captured passengers immediate appraisal from check-in through departure at the gate at more than 300 airports worldwide, it was stated. The ASQ award ceremony will be held at the 27th ACI Africa/World Annual General Assembly, Conference & Exhibition in Port Louis, Mauritius from 16-18 October, it said.

PTI
Indian and Oman soldiers march together

The second edition of the exercise is in continuation of a series of joint exercises between the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman.

Soldiers interacting with each other

The first edition was held at Muscat in 2015.

Such operations will cement ties

"The aim of the joint exercise is to acquaint both forces with each other's operating procedures in the backdrop of counter insurgency and counter terrorism environment as also to enhance the existing military relationship between" the two armies, an official statement said.

Forces practiced counter insurgency and counter terrorism ops

The exercise will enhance the inter-operability between both the armies in conducting joint operations and cement bonds of friendship between the two countries, it said.
Nothing new in ex-Pakistan NSAs statements, says Rijiju

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 6: Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said India's position on the 26/11 Mumbai attack is very well known and there is "nothing new" in former Pakistani NSA Mahmud Ali Durrani's remark that it was a "classic example" of cross-border terror. "India's position is very well known and consistent. There is nothing new for us," the Union minister of state for home told when his response on Durrani's statement was sought.

Addressing a conference on combating terrorism here, Durrani said the 26/11 terror strikes were a "classic example" of cross-border terrorism, carried out by a Pakistan-based terror group, but maintained that the Pakistani government had no role in the attack.

India has been blaming Pakistani government establishments for the country's worst terror attack in which 166 people lost their lives. Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said on February 12, 2016 that it was abundantly clear that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was behind the deadly Mumbai attack and Islamabad should act against all those involved in it.

Former Home Minister P Chidambaram had said on June 28, 2012 that Pakistani state actors were involved in the 2008 carnage. "When I say state actors, at the moment, I am not pointing a finger at any particular agency. But clearly there was state support or state actors' support for the 26/11 massacre," he had said.

PTI
Indian fisherman killed: Lanka promises probe

India

oi-Anusha

By Anusha Ravi

The Sri Lankan navy has promised a thorough probe into the killing of an Indian fisherman in the Palk Straits after India took up the matter at the highest level.

Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu took up the matter with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe

A fisherman, identified as Chitso, 22, from Thangachimadam in Tamil Nadu, was killed after being shot in the neck by the Sri Lankan navy while he was fishing in a mechanised boat at a short distance off Katchatheevu islet, fisheries department officials said.

The Sri Lankan navy reportedly opened fire in India waters where fishermen from Tamil Nadu had ventured out for fishing. Chitso was shot in the neck and died on the spot, while another fisherman, Saravanan, suffered injuries in his leg in the firing and others who went along with them escaped unhurt and returned to the shore at 12.30 am, Fisheries Department assistant director Kulanchinathan said.

Kulanchinathan said the body has been brought to the Rameswaram hospital and a case has been registered at the Jetty police station. Meanwhile, tension prevailed in the area as fishermen from Thangachimadam coastal hamlet gathered in front of the hospital to protest the firing by the Sri Lankan navy. Protests continued all morning on Tuesday with protesting shouting slogans against the Sri Lankan government and navy.

Anger was visible against the state and central government for failing to ensure the safety of fishermen. The Tamil Nadu government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased. A compensation of Rs 1 lakh was announced for those injured in the firing.

The incident comes a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy had written to the Union government accusing it of not putting enough pressure on Sri Lanka to stop harassment of fishermen from the state. The 2-page letter pointed out to how the Sri Lankan navy goes about arresting Indian fishermen who venture into the sea. The letter highlighted that 32 fishermen and 5 fishing boats had been apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy in three incidents as recently as on March 4 and 5.

OneIndia News (with inputs from IANS)
Irom Sharmila's controversial love life dominates poll-scape in Manipur

India

oi-Maitreyee

Imphal, March 6: The personal life of peace activist-turned-politician Irom Sharmila is hogging the limelight in Manipur for a few years now. Several local people have publicly opposed her relationship with her boyfriend Desmond Coutinho, a British citizen with Goan roots. Many have accused Desmond of 'poisoning' Irom's mind to end her 16 years hunger strike demanding the repeal of draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act last year.

In this election season in the northeastern state, Irom's love life and her boyfriend continue to create headlines. Recently, Irom told reporters that she is planning to marry her long-time boyfriend Desmond after the assembly elections in Manipur. The voting for the first-phase of polling in the state got over on March 4. The second-phase of polling is scheduled on March 8. However, on the day of the first-phase of polling in Manipur, Desmond said that the couple was getting married only after 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"Whatever the result of the election, I will not be marrying Irom Sharmila until after the elections in 2019 (Lok Sabha). She has too much work to do in Manipur," Desmond said in a Facebook post on Saturday.

"We are no teenagers. Two more years is not long to wait. It is not about winning but allowing people the option to take responsibility for their own lives grow up in a democracy. She has forged good alliances with the LDF (Left Democratic Front) both in Manipur and in India. Various leaders from the diverse communities of Manipur have reached out to her. And there is two million rupees in the war chest. There will be work to be done in and for Manipur," posted Desmond.

After ending her fast last year, Irom formed her political party--Peoples' Resurgence and Justice Alliance. The PRJA is contesting in three seats in the 60-member state assembly. Sharmila herself is fighting against incumbent Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh in Thoubal constituency.

Because of Desmond's regular alleged derogatory posts on social media, Irom has been attacked by several of her opponents. In fact, many of Desmond's comments on social media miffed her supporters too.

Sharmila recently apologised for Desmond's rude behaviour. She said, "On behalf of Desmond, I tender my apology and seek forgiveness." Vitriolic attacks against both Irom's supporters and opponents were posted regularly by Desmond on social media which are expected to affect her poll prospect.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, March 6, 2017, 15:31 [IST]
Is the BJP-Shiv Sena Maharashtra government in the safe zone now?

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that the Bharatiya Janata Party would not field a candidate in the mayoral elections for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to be held in the next couple of days. This paved the way for the Shiv Sena to install its mayor in the BMC.

This would mean that the BJP government in Maharashtra is safe. Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam said on Sunday that with this decision by the BJP, all leaders of his party have now kept aside their resignation letters. The BJP is in power at Maharashtra with the support of the Sena.

There are several reasons behind the BJP's decision. The BJP and the Sena were at loggerheads with the latter threatening to pull out of the state government. The Sena had even broken ties with the BJP ahead of the BMC elections in which it won 84 seats. The BJP won 82 and none of the parties were able to touch the magic mark of 114 in the BMC polls 2017.

While the Sena has given enough indications that it would allow the state government to survive, the final call on the issue would be taken by the party chief Udhav Thackerey. There appears to be a thaw in the relation between the two parties as senior leaders of the Sena did attend a press conference addressed by Fadnavis at the Sahyadri Guest House on Saturday.

OneIndia News
'Jayalalithaa was in respiratory distress when she reached Apollo hospital'

India

oi-Anusha

On September 22, 2016 at around 10 pm, former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa was not responding to calls and was breathless with low oxygen saturations, Apollo hospital said in a note today. At around 10 P pm, the ambulance was called for following which the late leader was shifted to the hospital.

On arrival at the hospital, it was noticed that she was drowsy and not consistently responding to verbal commands. She was also in respiratory distress.

A release from state government said that it had obtained the treatment records from the Apollo Hospital and the medical reports from the visiting team from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. The release claimed that they have been studied in detail and their contents are mutually consistent and in consonance with the earlier information provided by the Tamil Nadu government to the Hon'ble high court of Madras.

Read the Entire Report here:

"The Apollo Hospital received a call at around 10 pm on September 22, 2016, from the residence of the late chief minister of Tamil Nadu and when the ambulance reported there, they found that the late CM was breathless with low oxygen saturation resulting in drowsiness. She was immediately admitted to Apollo Hospital, Greams Road, Chennai. On evaluation, the late Hon'ble CM was diagnosed to be suffering from infection and dehydration, accompanied by respiratory distress. There were pre-existing co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, asthmatic bronchitis and hypothyroidism, but clearly, the treatment report of Apollo Hospital, as well as that of AIIMS do not mention any evidence of trauma or any other event as alleged by certain political leaders", the report said.

Responding to allegations of Jayalalithaa being administered the wrong medication, the release said that the medical reports indicate that except for corticosteroids administered for atopic dermatitis, the late CM was only taking oral hypoglycemic and antihypertensive drugs to control pre-existing diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

Quoting reports from AIIMS, the Tamil Nadu government stated that improvements in her health condition were recorded by a team of doctors who visited on October 13 to 15 and then again on December 3. "The AIIMS reports have consistently concurred with the line of treatment being provided by Apollo Hospitals and have specifically commended the "meticulous medical management imparted by the treating team" in the visit report for the period 5.10.2016 to 7.10.2016," the statement said.

OneIndia News
Jayalalithaa's death: AIIMS hands over reports to TN government

India

oi-Anusha

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences handed over its visit reports on Jayalalithaa's health to the Tamil Nadu government on Monday. Reports of five visits and health details as recorded by them were handed over to the state government after it requested for the same. The Tamil Nadu government had requested AIIMS on March 5, 2017 to hand over the visit notes of the AIIMS delegation to Chennai for their official records.

The papers were handed over by V Srinivas, the deputy director of administration, AIIMS to J Radhakrishnan, the principal secretary for health & family welfare, government of Tamil Nadu in New Delhi. The AIIMS had deployed a team of senior specialists to visit Chennai five times between October 5, 2016 and December 6, 2016 under the leadership of G C Khilnani, professor in the department of pulmonology at the request of Government of Tamil Nadu for expert medical advise.

Following allegations and speculations around Jayalalithaa's death, the state government sought to clear the air. With O Panneerselvam's camp also raising questions over Jayalalithaa's death, the government began the process of collecting all records pertaining to the leader's death. The government is expected to release a statement along with parts of the cumulative reports in an attempt to put suspicion to rest.

The AIIMS has handed over official entries and records that teams of its doctors made when they visited Apollo Hospital when Jayallaithaa was undergoing treatment. The details will be used by the Tamil Nadu government to make its stand clear on the former chief minister's death. It may be noted that, even as a petition was filed in the Madras high court asking for Jayalalithaa's health records to be made public, the government had organised for a rpess conference by the team of doctors who treated her including Dr Richard Beale to dispel rumours around her death.

AIADMK minister have alleged time and again that the issue of her death was being misused by Panneerselvam for political purposes.

OneIndia News
'Koi baat nahin saab', this brave constable said while battling terrorists at Tral

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Constable Manzoor Ahmed Naik made the supreme sacrifice while battling militants in Tral, Jammu and Kashmir on March 5, 2016. Had it not been for him, the two dreaded militants hiding inside the house would have fought back and escaped. It was Naik who volunteered to plant the explosives around the house.

Two militants killed in Tral encounter

Thanks to his bravery and his risky task, the house was demolished and the security forces were able to kill the two militants after a 15-hour battle. "Koi baat nahi (not an issue)," he told his seniors when they told him that he was risking his life. The two militants, one of them from Pakistan, were firing from inside the house. The terrorists managed to engage the security forces for nearly 15 hours in the encounter that began at 6 pm on Saturday.

Naik was repeatedly told by his superiors not to approach the house. However, he insisted at least twice during the course of the encounter that he wanted to plant the explosives.

It was pitch dark and he crawled towards the house to plant the explosives. As he approached the house, he was once again told by his superiors not to take any risk. However, he continued and planted the explosives and returned. Only half the house was demolished in the explosion.

Two hours later, he volunteered to plant more explosives. He moved towards the house and while doing so he came under heavy fire by the militants. Despite being wounded badly, he went ahead and planted the explosives near the remaining part of the house. This explosion brought down the entire house. However, Naik breathed his last.

He is survived by a four-year-old son, a pregnant wife and two unemployed brothers. Naik was a resident of Salamabad in Uri.

OneIndia News
Maharashtra Legislature's Budget session of begins

India

pti-PTI

Mumbai, Mar 6: The Budget session of the Maharashtra Legislature begins on Monday and is expected to be a smooth sailing affair for the Chief Minsiter Devendra Fadnavis-led government after the BJP averted a face-off with sparring ally Shiv Sena over the Mumbai Mayor's post.

The BJP's decision not to contest the elections for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, where it won just two seats less than the Sena in the just-concluded Mumbai civic polls, is likely to ease strains in relations between the two saffron parties.

With the BJP not fielding candidates for the March 8 mayoral poll, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party is set to bag the twin posts in the country's richest civic body. The session will begin with Governor C Vidyasagar Rao's address to the joint sitting of both the Houses at 11 am.

The Budget for fiscal 2017-18 will be presented on March 18. This would be the BJP-led government's third budget presentation since it came to power in October 2014. The session will have 23 working days and conclude on April 7, state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girish Bapat said.

Discussion on the Governor's address will take place on March 8 and 9, followed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' reply, he said.

Supplementary demands will be taken up on March 15 and vote on account on March 22. Discussions on department-wise budgetary demands will begin from March 24. There will be a break for Gudi Padwa from March 26 to 28 and Ram Navmi from April 2 to 4. On March 21, the Legislature will discuss a motion to congratulate NCP president Sharad Pawar and PWP MLA Ganpatrao Deshmukh, who have completed 50 years in electoral politics.

A delegation of opposition leaders met Governor Vidyasagar Rao on Sunday to submit a memorandum of demands including farm debt waiver. Shiv Sena MLC Anil Parab said his party would raise the issue of farm debt waiver during the session.

"The Shiv Sena will continue to raise issues that concern the larger good of the people. We stand by our demand for debt waiver and we will keep raising it," Parab said.

PTI
Anand Mahindra's tweet about UPI at country's 'last tea shop' is every Indian's emotion

Lunar eclipse 2022: Temples to be closed on Nov 8; Are you allowed to worship?

Parrikar says terrorism a 'serious threat', calls for collective action

India

ians-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, March 6: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday called on Asian countries for action against terrorism, describing it as the "most pervasive and serious threat".

"Terrorism remains the most pervasive and serious challenge to global security while threat of terror is transnational. Terrorism is undoubtedly the single biggest threat to international peace and security. The response doesn't seem so," Parrikar said. "A collective action should come from Asia," he added.

He was speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference being held here at the Institute of Defence and Studies and Analyses. Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Afghanistan NSA too spoke at the event and said, "We share the region with Pakistan, which has the highest concentration of terrorists anywhere."

The theme of the conference this year is "Combating Terrorism: Evolving an Asian Response".

IANS
Mayawati chides Akhilesh for 'childish talk' on elephant statues

India

pti-PTI

Lucknow, Mar 6: BSP chief Mayawati on Monday took a swipe at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for his continued attack on the elephant statues set up by her government, saying he was indulging in "childish talk".

"Just as Mulayam Singh Yadav (a former defence minister) speaks of China at any given opportunity, his 'babua' (child), Akhilesh, has nothing to tell people except for patharwali sarkar," Mayawati told a press conference here.

"Everyone knows that the stone statue of elephant will remain in the same position...this is why I call him babua, as only a babua can say something like this. He is indulging in childish talk," Mayawati asserted. "Even a small kid will be able to tell this. He (Akhilesh) is the father of kids and yet talking like this," she said.

Mayawati said people wanted to question the SP government on issues of "mafiaraj, gundaraj, jungleraj and anarchy" but instead he wanted to indulge in politics of stone. She, however, thanked the "babua" for talking about the elephants as he was giving free publicity to her party's election symbol.

Mayawati also raked up SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav's invite to Modi and other BJP leaders to attend a family wedding function in Saifai, and alleged that SP and BJP had a tacit understanding.

PTI
Modi dubs SP 'anti-farmer' in his final UP election rally

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

In his final rally before the last phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called for freeing the state from the clutches of the SP, the BSP and the Congress.

In a bid to woo the farmers, Modi, at a rally in Rohaniya, assured that their incomes would be dobuled by the year 2022.

"We have brought the Soil Health Card. We are training our farmers with scientific methods of farming," he said.

Modi dubbed the Samajwadi Party government as 'anti-farmer' and asked why farmers were not getting the benefit of Fasal Bima Yojana.

On the third day of back-to-back campaigning in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, Modi earlier visited the famous Gadwaghat Ashram, a place most revered by the Yadavs.

PM Narendra Modi offers prayers at Gadhwaghat Ashram in Varanasi pic.twitter.com/JS3gm5PcM9  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

Modi drove to the ashram at around 10.30 am. Hundreds of people lined the route to the ashram and shouted "Modi, Modi" as the prime minister's cavalcade passed.

He was welcomed by the management of the ashram and many seers offered him garlands made of rudraksh beads.

The ashram has over a crore followers and is said to have a powerful say in the political decision making of the Yadav community.

OneIndia News
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Taipei, March 6 (CNA) New work rules that went into force on Dec. 23 last year have slightly increased personnel costs for employers and raised prices of products and services, but have had almost no impact on Taiwan's economic growth, a Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) official said on Monday.
No breach of Aadhar data, users' personal information safe: UIDAI

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, March 6: Admitting to an instance of attempt to misuse biometrics data, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Sunday said that the information on individuals enrolled by it is safe and secure.

This clarification by the UIDAI, which administers the Aadhaar project, comes in the wake of recent reports of breach in the security of Aadhaar data, which were misused for creating parallel database.

"It is an isolated case of an employee working with a bank's Business Correspondent's company making an attempt to misuse his own biometrics which was detected by UIDAI internal security system and subsequently actions under the Aadhaar Act have been initiated," the Electronics and IT Ministry (MeitY) said in a statement in New Delhi.

"With regard to misinformation appearing in various print and social media during the last few days, alleging breach of Aadhaar data, misuse of biometrics, breach of privacy, and creation of parallel databases, etcetera, UIDAI said it has carefully gone into these reports and would like to emphasise that there has been no breach to UIDAI database of Aadhaar and personal data of individuals held by UIDAI is fully safe and secure," it said.

"Any unauthorised capture of iris or fingerprints or storage or replay of biometrics or their misuse is a criminal offence under the Aadhaar Act," it added. According to the ministry, the UIDAI uses one of world's most advanced encryption technologies in transmission and storage of data.

"As a result, during the last seven years, there has been no report of breach or leak of residents' data out of UIDAI," it said. "UIDAI is continuously updating its security parameters and looking at the new threats in cyber space. It has decided to have registered devices for capturing biometrics data and further that such biometrics will be encrypted at the point of capture itself," it added.

Meanwhile, in a move to promote digital transactions post-demonetisation, the government on Friday said it has asked banks to provide mobile banking facility to all customers by the end of the current fiscal on March 31.

"Ministry issues advisory to banks to enable mobile seeding, Aadhaar seeding of bank accounts along with enablement of Mobile Banking for all its savings bank customers on a campaign mode by 31st March 2017," the MeitY said.

IANS
Now, Kota BJP MLA says he won't let PM's plane land

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Known for making foot in mouth remarks, BJP MLA from Kota Bhawani Singh Rajawat has now said that he would not let even Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plane to land in the area unless an airport for public is built.

Speaking at an inauguration of a post office passport seva kendra in Kota , Rajawat said the present airport in Kota was meant for only the VIPs and pressed for the demand for full fledged airport, said reports.

WATCH: BJP Rajasthan MLA Bhawani Rajawat says 'till airport for public is not built in Kota,should not let even PM's aircraft to land here' pic.twitter.com/ImrtmxAkcf  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

Rajawat, who is not new to controversies, has earlier said that Bihari students should not be allowed to Kota as they spread crime.

Post demonetisation, a video of the Kota MLA had surfaced in which he was heard saying that 'Adani and Ambani' were aware of the note ban beforehand.

According to reports, operations for public at the Kota airport were stopped in 1994 due to lack of sufficient air travellers.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, March 6, 2017, 13:36 [IST]
Rang Barse...: Holi 2022, the festival of colours being celebrated across the country today

In UP, nearly 22 mosques change timing of Friday prayers for Holi celebrations

Bhai Dooj 2022: Wishes, messages, quotes, SMS, WhatsApp and Facebook status to share on this day

People soak themselves in colours of Holi

India

oi-Sandra Marina Fernandes

Banaras' famous Lathmaar Holi celebrations began on Sunday, with several men and women participating in the event. The event, known for celebrating holi with sticks, is a two-day affair. This year, Mathura also celebrated Ladoo holi at the Radharani temple in Barsana. Ladoos were thrown at participants who later offered the same at the temple.

Holi celebrations began across the country with many participating in events held in Kolkata, Gurgaon and Patna. Here are some images of the festivities being held ahead of Holi:

Laddu Holi celebrated in Barasana, Mathura A devotee of Barsana takes part in rituals during Laddu Holi at Radha Rani Temple in Barsana, Mathura on Sunday. Photo courtesy-PTI Devotees soak in festive fervour Devotees seen participating in Laddu Holi in Barsana. Photo courtesy- Screengrab from ANI video. Colour me happy, colour me red Students play with colours ahead of Holi at Kolkata Maidan on Sunday. Photo courtesy- PTI Radha, Krishna come alive on stage Artists dressed as Lord Krishna and Radha perform during Holi Milan in Patna on Sunday. Photo courtesy- PTI Children celebrate Holi Specially-abled children participate in Holi Utsav in Kolkata on Sunday. Photo Courtesy- PTI Students celebrate Holi on campus SGT University students celebrating Holi on their campus in Gurugram on Saturday. Photo courtesy- PTI.

OneIndia News
People shiver even at the thought of naming their kids 'Gayatri': Yogi's dig at ex-SP minister

Former district judge Rajendra Singh had no role to play in Gayatri Prajapati bail

Prajapati fails to get SC protection from arrest

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to quash the FIR against rape accused Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Parajapati. As a result of this order, Prajapati can be arrested by the police.

Prajapati's had earlier sought a stay on FIR ordered against him in connection with gangrape case.

Prajapati and some of his aides have been accused of gang-raping a woman and molesting his daughter. Prajpati is facing imminent arrest following an FIR ordered against him by the apex court on February 18.

The controversial minister is also Samajwadi party's candidate from Amethi in the ongoing assembly polls. Prajapati has been on the run ever since the Supreme Court asked the Uttar Pradesh police to take action against him.

[UP police launch manhunt to nab Gayatri Prajapati, teams formed]

A non-bailable warrant has been issued against Prjapati in connection with the case. The police have also issued a lookout circular against him apart from revoking his passport for four weeks. This came just a day after Intelligence Bureau officials had warned that Prajapati may try and flee the country.

OneIndia News
Probe against former Karnataka Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao to continue

India

oi-Anusha

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition by former Karnataka Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao to quash charge sheet against him. Justice Bhaskar Rao has been accused of voluntarily allowing misuse of the office of Lokayukta by his son Ashwin Rao for extortion and intimidation. Justice Rao had approached the Supreme Court after the Karnataka high court had refused to quash a FIR filed by the special investigating team against him in November 2016.

In his petition, the former Lokayukta had contended that he had immunity from prosecution, a claim that was rejected by the high court previously. A special investigating team had filed a charge sheet naming Justice Bhaskar Rao in August 2016. The former Lokayukta had appeared in person before a special court in Bengaluru and will now face trial in the case involving his son and staff.

The Karnataka High court in November had held that the SIT has already received sanction from the Governor to probe Justice Bhaskar Rao and since he had resigned before the charge sheet was filed against him, the same can not be held wrong. Justice Bhaskar Rao, his son Ashwin and former public relations officer of the Lokayukta are accused of misuse of public office, extortion and intimidation.

OneIndia News
Rape accused minister Gayatri Prajapati's aide surrenders

India

oi-Anusha

Chandrapal, a close aide of rape accused Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati and a co-accused in the gangrape, surrendered in Lucknow on Monday. The man was on the run ever since the police registered a case against the minister and surrendered in Lucknow following which he was taken into custody.

The Uttar Pradesh police had launched a search operation for the rape accused minister and other accused in the case of an alleged gangrape, after the Supreme Court had directed the government to act. Prajapati, the Samajwadi Party's candidate from Amethi is still on the run.

The Uttar Pradesh governor had asked Chief MinisterAkhileshh Yadav why a rape accused was still a part of his cabinet on Sunday. It may be noted that the minister is absconding and a non-bailable warrant has been issued against him. His passport has also been impounded. The Bharatiya Janata Party, as well as the Bahujan Samaj Party have been accusing the Samajwadi party of shielding a rape accused in all their election rallies and addresses causing major embarrassment to brand Akhilesh.

OneIndia News
RBI deputy governor says effect of note ban will spill over to next quarter

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 6: Demonetisation impact on GDP may be seen in the current quarter in some segments, while the remonetisation excersise should be completed in 2-3 months, RBI Deputy Governor Viral V Acharya said on Monday.

Asked if spillover of notes ban could extend to January-March quarter, Acharya said the impact could be felt in some segments. "Ultimately, the cash shortage is like the liquidity shock and unless it had led to a substantial wealth destruction one would expect its effects to be quite temporary.

I'm not saying that the temporary impact is not hard on some parts of the economy, you would expect the effect to be temporary," he said. "There may be a couple of sectors, like 2-wheeler sales, where there is slightly slower rebound," he said.

When asked about the GDP estimate, he said, "you can see our MPC resolution which is that our estimate was actually reasonably close to that (of CSO estimate)." "Of course, the drivers may have been slightly different, but I think there are a couple of things that people have raised which would be interesting and worth thinking about, which is how much of the informal sector gets fully captured other than through its links to the formal sector," he said.

He further said that the impact of the notes ban would only be temporary and would help in bringing informal sector into the mainstream economy. "I think everyone should keep in mind that the remonetisation is taking place at a very fast pace. We have some way to go, but I think we expect that within two to three months we will reach full currency in circulation. It will be slightly lower, but it is in that ballpark (number)," he said.

The demonetisation of high value currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 announced on November 8 led to scrapping of Rs 15.4 lakh crore from the system. The newly appointed Deputy Governor also said that asset quality review (AQR) is on the track.

The RBI had set a deadline of March 2017 for completion of AQR exercise for the public sector banks. It had embarked on the AQR exercise from December 2015 and asked banks to recognise some top defaulting accounts as NPAs. It has had a debilitating impact on banks' numbers and their stocks. The move resulted in a spike in bad assets with lenders recognising over Rs 1 lakh crore of bad assets in the December quarter alone.

PTI
Rollback 'minority' status to Muslims: BJP MP Giriraj Singh

India

oi-Anusha

Controversial Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Giriraj Singh created a furore with his tweet on minority status to Muslims in India asking the government to rollback 'minority' status allotted to the community. He called for a review of the definition of minorities in the country while sharing a report on a global research foundation stating that India will be home to the highest Muslim population in the world by 2050.

India will be home to world's largest Muslim population by 2050

              ,            pic.twitter.com/lm3Mgalf66  Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) March 4, 2017

"Looking the at growing population of Muslims in our country, the government should rollback the 'minority status' accorded to the community," he said in a tweet. His tweet comes at a time when parties are indulging in caste and community based lobbying in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh polls where Muslim votes are crucial.

This is not the first time the MP has spoken on minority status to Muslims in India. In October 2016, the MP had suggested that Hindus consider increasing their population to counter the spike in Muslim population in the country. He had then pushed for a review of 'definition of a minority' as well. "We need to have a relook on the definition of minority tag given to the Muslims having a population of over 20 crores in the country," he had said.

OneIndia News
Sanskrit in Assam schools: BJP faces tribal groups ire over saffronisation of education

India

oi-Maitreyee

Guwahati, March 6: The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Assam is facing opposition from various tribal groups after it has recently decided to make Sanskrit compulsory in all government schools till class VIII. The recent decision by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal-led BJP government in the northeastern state is seen by many as 'saffronisation of education' and a 'politically motivated' stunt to destroy the secular fabric of Assam.

The Indigenous Tribal Sahitya Sabhas, Assam, on Sunday, threatened to start a massive agitation if the BJP government in the state did not withdraw its decision to make Sanskrit compulsory in schools.

The ITSS is a literary body consisting of eight major indigenous communities--Bodo, Mising, Karbi, Tiwa, Rabha, Deuri, Dimasa and Garo--from Assam.

The decision to make the subject compulsory in schools has been opposed tooth and nail as the state has numerous ethnic and linguistic communities having their own languages.

"We have been demanding the state government to follow a partial four-language policy so that the students from various indigenous communities get the opportunity to study their mother tongue. Instead of implementing the four-language policy, the state government is going to impose a dead language on the students. This is not acceptable. We will launch a statewide mass agitation along with our sister organisations if the government does not withdraw the decision," said Gobind Taid, president of the forum.

"We suspect the decision was taken by the state government to deprive the students of the indigenous communities from studying their own languages," said Bisweswar Basumatary, vice-president of Bodo Sahitya Sabha.

The forum accused the government of doing great disservice to the students and parents by imposing Sanskrit on young children.

"By imposing Sanskrit on government schools, the state government is going to discourage parents from sending children to government schools. Thus, the state government is encouraging private schools," said Pradip Chandra Deuri, vice-president of Deuri Sahitya Sabha.

However, the government maintains that by making Sanskrit compulsory in schools, it is helping to revive a 'dying language' widely-used by scholars during the ancient times in Assam

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, March 6, 2017, 13:53 [IST]
UP police launch manhunt to nab Gayatri Prajapati, teams formed

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Uttar Pradesh police have launched a major manhunt to track down rape-accused minister Gayatri Prajapati. Separate teams have been formed to track down the minister who has not yet been removed from the Akhilesh Yadav cabinet.

The Intelligence Bureau has already issued an alert stating that Prajapati may flee the country to avoid arrest. Following this, a high alert was issued at all airports. A non-bailable warrant was also issued against the minister. The police also issued a lookout circular against him apart from revoking his passport for four weeks.

All security agencies have been directed to stay on high alert. Agencies have also been told to be on the lookout for the leader accused of rape. The immigration department has been told not to cooperate with him and immediately inform about his whereabouts.

Prajapati is accused in cases of gangrape and an attempt to rape another woman and her minor daughter.

The minister enjoyed Y-category security and steps were taken to withdraw the same. The police have on the lookout for him ever since the court refused to quash the first information report against him.

OneIndia News
We will nab Prajapati soon: UP top cop

India

oi-Gulam Rabbani

By Gulam Rabbani

Lucknow, March 6: Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General Daljeet Chaudhary on Monday assured that his team will arrest absconding Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati who is accused of rape. "We will arrest him soon. Both the district police and the Special Task Force are on the case," Daljeet Chaudhary said.

Earlier in the day, the apex court rejected the plea to scrap the first information report filed against the minister. The minister is absconding after a case was filed against accusing him and six others of rape .

[Also read: UP police launch manhunt to nab Gayatri Prajapati, teams formed]

The police has divided into teams and have been searching for Prajapati in New Delhi, NCR and other states.
Why did you break your promise on deposit of old notes, SC asks centre

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Supreme Court on Monday sought to know why the centre went back on its promise to extend the final date to deposit demonetised or old currency. The centre had initially said that the last date to deposit the notes would be March 31, but it went back on its promise, a petition in the Supreme Court alleged. The court also sought to know why the centre should not allow people to deposit old notes till the end of March.

The court also issued notices to the Reserve Bank of India on the same issue. The petitioner alleged that despite a government directive, the RBI had refused to accept old or demonetised notes of Rs 500 and 1,000.

Several citizens had complained that the RBI had stopped accepting old notes. Many were under the impression that old notes would be accepted till March 2017. However in January many were in for a rude shock when a notice on the gate of the RBI office read, " from today onwards old notes will not be accepted.

The SC while issuing notices to the RBI sought to know why old notes were not being accepted. The RBI will now have to reply to the SC and give its explanation.

OneIndia News
Why this BJP MLA rode a bullock cart to Vidhan Bhawan

India

pti-PTI

Mumbai, Mar 6: A Bharatiya Janata Party member of legislative assembly on Monday reached Vidhan Bhawan in a bullock cart, in a novel protest to demand restarting of bullock cart races in Maharashtra. The move by Mahesh Landge, who represents Bhosari constituency in Pune district, comes in response to a demand by farmers in his constituency that Maharashtra should emulate Tamil Nadu which lifted ban on Jallikattu.

"We are waiting for the Maharashtra government to bring in a bill to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, to pave the way for its centuries-old tradition of bullock cart racing," Landge told PTI. When pointed out that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had spoken of bringing the bill during the budget session, which began on Monday, Landge said "We want the bill to be brought in the first week itself, as village jatras (rural fairs) are beginning and people are being deprived of the races."

Security officials at Vidhan Bhawan stopped the MLA's bullock cart, followed by his supporters, outside the main building of the state legislature. Animal rights activists are strongly opposed to the move to lift the ban on bullock cart races, saying the race was banned as the bulls were being tortured. Tamil Nadu lifted ban on Jallikattu, brushing aside objections raised by animal rights organisations there and same policy should be adopted in Maharashtra as well, Landge said.

The races were banned in Maharashtra in 2011, after bulls were categorised as performing animals under the Act. Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, Shiv Sena MP from Shirur (Pune district) and Peasants and Workers Party legislator Jayant Patil are among the politicians who have been pursuing the issue with the state . Adhalrao Patil said he had raised the issue in Parliament thrice and sought intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restart the bullock cart races.

PTI
Wont drop charges against Advani in Babri case, SC says

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Supreme Court on Monday said that it would not accept dropping of charges against BJP leader, L K Advani and others in the Babri Masjid case on technical grounds. The case is being heard by the Supreme Court after charges were dropped by a trial court in 2001.

The court had on an earlier occasion too asked why conspiracy charges against Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh should not be restored. The trial court had dropped conspiracy charges and the same had been upheld by the Allahabad High Court in 2010. The CBI had filed an appeal in the Supreme Court after nine months.

Advani and others sought dismissal of the appeal on the ground that there was a delay in the filing. On Monday the Supreme Court made it clear that it would not drop charges against Advani and others in the case on technical grounds.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, March 6, 2017, 12:59 [IST]
Yeddyurappa formally invites S M Krishna to join BJP

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party has officially invited former Congress strongman S M Krishna to join the BJP. During a meeting between Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa and Krishna the latter was invited to be part of the BJP.

Krishna, however, has not given any commitment, although sources say that he may join the party soon. Krishna had quit the Congress in January 2017. He said that he was retiring from active politics and said that he was not renewing his All India Congress Committee membership.

There was speculation in January itself that Krishna may join the BJP. It was also said that he was likely to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February. Yeddyurappa has held several meetings with Krishna since the latter quit the Congress. On Monday, Yeddyurappa along with former Karnataka minister R Ashok met with Krishna at his residence in Sadashivnagar, Bengaluru and urged him to join the BJP.

OneIndia News
China's defence budget hiked by 7% to Rs 10,000 billion

International

pti-PTI

Beijing, Mar 6: China has hiked its military spending by seven per cent to USD 152 billion (approx Rs 10,000 billion), about three times higher than that of India, as Beijing braced for countering America's push into the disputed South China Sea.

After skipping the customary mention of the figures of defence spending in the work report submitted by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to lawmakers on Sunday, state-run Xinhua news agency on Monday announced that the military budget for this year stands at 1.04 trillion yuan (USD 152 billion).

China's defence budget for 2017 will grow seven per cent from the actual figure in 2016, Xinhua quoted an official with Ministry of Finance as saying on Monday.

"The country's military spending this year will stand at 1.04 trillion yuan with 1.02 trillion yuan from the central budget," the Xinhua report said.

This is the first time that China's military spending crossed a trillion yuan. Last year China's military spending was 954.35 billion yuan, a 7.6 per cent increase from 2015. China's defence budget is about three times higher than India's USD 53.5 billion (around Rs.3,500 billion). There was no explanation about why the amount of the annual defence spending was not mentioned in Li's annual work report to the National People's Congress on Sunday.

On March 4, NPC spokesperson Fu Ying said China's defence budget will be increased by seven per cent accounting for 1.3 per cent of the country's GDP, compared with NATO members' pledge to dedicate at least two per cent of GDP to defence.

"You should ask them what their intentions are," Fu told reporters, adding that China has 'never inflicted harm on other countries'.

Chinese officials defended the seven per cent hike this year, saying it is still smaller than the 10 per cent increase proposed by President Donald Trump to America's defence budget to take it to about USD 654 billion, the highest in the world.

Much of China's budget this year is expected to go for the development of navy as Beijing looks to expand its influence beyond its shores. China currently has one aircraft carrier and is building another with a third in the planning stage to match the growing strength of the US navy in hot-spots like the South China Sea.

The China-US military tensions are on the rise since former American President Barack Obama adopted the 'US pivot to Asia', committing large number of US military forces to be deployed in the Asia Pacific to counter China's growing military might. After his election, Trump has sent an aircraft carrier to the South China Sea to assert the freedom of navigation in the area claimed by China.

Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claim over the South China Sea. China's military experts say much of the defence expenditure will go for the navy to safeguard the country's fast expanding overseas interests and is a response to the unstable security situation in the Asia-Pacific region.

PTI
US President Donald Trump signs new travel ban, exempts Iraq

International

oi-PTI

Washington, March 6: President Donald Trump on Monday signed a revised executive order temporarily barring the entry of people from six Muslim-majority countries.

The new order, which excludes Iraq from the original list of seven countries, will go into effect from March 16. The executive order bars citizens from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen from entering America for 90 days. Trump signed the new order behind closed doors around 11:30 a.m.

Iraq was removed from the list after assurances from the Iraqi government of increased information sharing with the US, a senior Department of Homeland Security official told reporters on Monday.

Visas revoked because of the original travel ban have been fully restored, according to the State Department.

Trump's original orders temporarily blocked citizens of Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Libya from coming to the United States and put on hold the US refugee programme. The directive includes a 120-day ban on all refugees.

Critics had accused the administration of adding such language to help Christians get into the United States while excluding Muslims. Trump signed his original executive order in late January, sparking confusion and anger as travelers were detained at US airports and barred from boarding flights at foreign airports. The signing is expected to spark a new round of lawsuits and controversy.

OneIndia News (with inputs from agencies)
Four ballistic missiles fired by North Korea into sea of Japan

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

North Korea has fired four ballistic missiles of which three landed in the Japan's exclusive economic zone, Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe said. The firing comes as South Korea and United States are holding their annual military exercise, known as the Foal Eagle. Both countries say that the exercise is defensive in nature. Pyongyang, however, sees this exercise as a preparation for invasion.

Kwon Ki-joon, the spokesperson for the South Korean defence ministry said several projectiles flew about 1,000 kilometres. The firing took place in Tongchang-ri, in the country's North Pyongan province, and the projectiles are believed to have landed in the Sea of Japan, which is also known as the East Sea, CNN reported. South Korean President Hwang Kyo-ahn is scheduled to chair a meeting of the country's National Security Council.

KCNA reported, "The US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces again kicked off the dangerous nuclear war drills against the DPRK at its doorstep, our army will counter them with the toughest counteractions." It may be recalled that during last year's drill, North Korea had fired multiple short-range missiles and announced that it would place nuclear warheads on its weapons.

OneIndia News
How hate crime post-9/11 is haunting Indian communities in Trump regime

International

oi-Maitreyee

Washington, March 6: In the wake of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in the US, several Indian-origin people, especially Sikhs, in the nation became victims of hate crime as a part of anti-Muslim propaganda created during those difficult times. In fact, the first victim of a revenge killing after 9/11 attacks was not a Muslim but a Sikh--Balbir Singh Sodhi, who was shot dead at a gas station in Arizona. Since then, America registered several crimes perpetrated against Indian-origin people in the last several years.

The fear of hate crime is back to haunt the Indian immigrants, who've left their native country in the hope of a better life in America. The recent few days have been difficult for many Indians residing in the US. Fear has gripped many of them after the killing of Indian-origin techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32. Srinivas, a native of Hyderabad, was shot dead by 51-year-old US navy veteran Adam Purinton at a bar in Kansas. Before killing Srinivas and injuring two others--Alok Madasani (32) and Ian Grillot (24)--in the incident, the accused asked Srinivas and Alok (Srinivas' friend) to leave the country.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the recent shooting episode in Kansas as a 'hate crime'. Days after Srinivas' murder, Indian-origin businessman Harnish Patel has been shot dead outside his home in South Carolina. Thereafter, came the news of shooting of a Sikh man--Deep Rai (39) -- by an unknown gunman in Kent on Friday. The gunman allegedly told Rai 'Go back to your country' before attacking him. Police are investigating the shooting in Kent as a possible hate crime.

A special prayer was hosted in a Gurdwara in Washington DC after the Kent shooting horror. Speaking to ANI, Mandeep Singh, a resident of Washington, who belongs to the Sikh community, said, "It's the same situation the community was in after Sikhs were targeted post 9/11. There is a deep concern among all of us."

Even Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna, conveyed his concerns to the US administration on recent tragic incidents involving Patel and Rai. After the killing of Srinivas, many--including the techie's family in India-- accused US President Donald Trump of propagating hate against immigrants and Muslims that resulted in his death.

The Trump administration took several days to openly condemn Srinivas' killing.

Till strong measures are not adopted by Trump administration to end racial attacks on immigrants, people of India-origin in the country will remain in a state of jittery and anxiousness.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, March 6, 2017, 11:07 [IST]
Sikh man shot at in Seattle after being told to go back to his own country

Hate crime: FBI joins probe into Sikh man's shooting in US

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has now joined the probe in the shooting of a Sikh man in the United States, which was being investigated as a hate crime by the Kent police department. Deep Rai, 39 was shot at by a partially masked man after being told to go back to his own country on Friday night in the city of Kent.

Sikh man shot at in Seattle after being told to go back to his own country

The police had said that the victim and the shooter did not know each other. The FBI will now help the Kent police in the probe. No arrests have been made so far in the case. Investigators stated that the case is being probed on a priority basis and all action was being taken to identify the suspect.

This is the second such incident in less than a month in which a man of Indian origin has been shot at after being told to go back to their own country.

Hyd engineer shot in Kansas was 'top of his class kind of guy', say friends

It may be recalled that in February Srinivas Kuchibhotla was shot dead at a bar in Kansas in what has been described as a hate crime. In the Kansas incident another Indian Alok Madasani too was injured in the shooting. A US navy veteran opened fire at the bar after getting into an argument with the Indian duo. He shouted, "Go back to your own country," before opening fire.

OneIndia News
This Indian American girl has been declared as one of the brightest in the world

US President nominates Indian-American Puneet Talwar as new US Ambassador To Morocco

Look at this nasty s@#$%t, you dirty Hindu: Sikh abuses Indian-American in California

Violence against Indian-Americans: US assures speedy justice

International

pti-PTI

Washington, Mar 6: The US on Monday assured India of 'speedy justice' to the Indian-American victims of hate- related crimes as the Indian envoy in Washington reached out to the state department to convey his 'deep concerns' over such tragic incidents.

"State department, on behalf of US Govt, expressed condolences and assured they are working with all agencies concerned to ensure speedy justice," the Indian embassy in the US said in a series of tweets.

India's ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna, reached out to the state department to convey his 'deep concerns' to the US government on the recent tragic incidents involving Harnish Patel and Deep Rai.

Patel the owner of a convenience store in Lancaster County, South Carolina, was found dead of gunshot wounds in the front yard of his home on Thursday. Rai, a 39-year-old Sikh, was shot outside his home by a partially-masked gunman who shouted 'go back to your own country', in a suspected hate crime.

Sarna also 'underlined' the need to prevent such incidents and protect the Indian community. Indian embassy officials are in constant communication with local police officials in both the cases. In the case of Patel, the County Sheriff had pointed out that this may not be a hate crime.

"We will remain in touch with them," an Indian Embassy source said.

There have been a slew of bias-related incidents in the US, raising concerns over the safety of the members of the Indian-American community.

Last month, 32-year-old Indian engineer Srinivasa Kuchibhotla was killed when 51-year-old US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani, yelling 'get out of my country'.

PTI
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While there are plenty of major developments in the world on a daily basis  and thanks to rolling news media and the wide sharing of information via the internet, we know about them sooner than ever  it seems that there really are a few stories and curiosities that some areas of the web simply cant let go of. For some reason  and believe us, there really is a reason  one corner of the internet decided to heatedly debate the true gender of Garfield, one of the US most enduring pop culture icons. Bizarrely, the discussion led to a lockdown of edits on the cats Wikipedia page, and a number of furious comments made back and forth in the interim.

What started the debate? According to satirist Virgil Texas, Jim Davis  Garfields creator  himself. Texas took to Twitter to dig up a quote made by Davis to journalists working at Mental Floss magazine in 2015  where the cartoonist advised, Garfield is very universal. By virtue of being a cat, really, hes not really male or female or any particular race or nationality, young or old. While this comment was arguably made to identify the fat orange tabbys appeal to audiences worldwide, Texas decided to have some fun with Garfields Wikipedia page, adjusting his gender to none and citing the interview with Mental Floss to back him up. What ensued was, bizarrely, an edit war and a flurry of words.

The saga unfolded in a catalogue of multiple citations and anti-edits to prove that the popular cartoon cat was in fact male  resulting in the eventual temporary lockdown of edits to the page. Even stranger, perhaps, was the fact that Davis himself waded back into the fray after being contacted by the Washington Post for comment. Davis advised, simply put, Garfield is male. Therefore, anyone who really did find themselves embroiled in the biggest Wikipedia saga in recent weeks could sigh relief.

Texas citation of Davis Mental Floss comments perhaps highlight the importance of sourcing and citing multiple articles rather than depending upon one source alone  however, for many (fans of Garfield or otherwise), this saga has certainly proved to be a fairly amusing diversion to world events unfolding around us. For one fateful week in 2017, among controversies regarding the US Presidency, Brexit and conflict in Syria, some of us took time out to prove, once and for all, that a cartoon cat was male. Long live Wikipedia and its users!
Haaretz 16 Dec 2021

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Oneindia 21 Feb 2021

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Global Acetone Market Is Expected To Grow Forecasted period (2017-2027)

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Market Synopsis of Acetone MarketThe global Acetone market has experienced a phenomenal growth over the past few years. Acetone is used in laboratories and servers as an important solvent. With the huge demand from the application segment such as include solvent, cosmetics, medicals, laboratories, automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals, paints & coating and others, the Acetone market has grown immensely with the overall production of over 6 million tons per year, where the United States has the highest production capacity followed by China and Taiwan. As per the MRFR analysis, the global Acetone market is expected to grow over the forecasted period.Market SegmentationThe global Acetone markets are segmented into applications which primarily include solvent, cosmetics, medicals, laboratories and others (automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals, paints &Request Sample Report as per your Requirement @Key PlayersThe leading market players in the global Acetone market primarily include INEOS Phenol Company, Mitsui chemicals, Shell, DOW Chemicals, Minda, U.S. Chemicals, Formosa Chemicals, ConChemCo, SunocoBrowse Report @Study Objectives of Acetone Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the global Acetone market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyse the global Acetone market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) To provide country-level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country-level analysis of the market for segment by applications and regions To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analysing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyse competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Acetone market.Make Request a Report Table of Content @Regional Analysis of Acetone MarketAsia-Pacific is expected to be the largest consumer of Acetone whereas; the United States will be the leading producer. As per the analysis, the global Acetone market is poised to reach Billion in 2015 to 2027.The reports also covers brief analysis of Geographical Region includes:North America US Canada MexicoEurope Germany France Italy Spain U.K Rest of EuropeAsia  Pacific China India Japan Australia/New Zealand Rest of Asia-PacificLatin America Brazil OthersMiddle East & AfricaThe market report for Acetone of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
World Military Support Vehicles Market 2017- Hummer, Run quickly, Arzamas machine building plant, Toyota, BMW

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The report offers a holistic overview of the Military Support Vehicles market with the help of application segments and geographical regions that govern the market currently. Further, the report delves deep into the value chain of the Military Support Vehicles market so as to emerge with information specific areas that hold high revenue-generating potential. With the Military Support Vehicles market having undergone certain inherent shifts in the past decades, the report discusses how these changes will impact the future.Download Sample Report @Moreover, the report also provides a realistic picture of the state of both traditional and emerging markets. The advantages and disadvantages of investing in these markets are discussed at length in the Military Support Vehicles market report. Companies in the Military Support Vehicles market have realized that innovation is of utmost importance for sustained growth. In keeping with this pressing need for innovation, the report tracks latest developments and analysts have dedicated substantial efforts toward spotting new business opportunities.Which application segments will perform well in the Military Support Vehicles over the next few years? Which are the markets where companies should establish a presence? What are the restraints that will threaten growth rate? What are the forecasted growth rates for the Military Support Vehicles market as a whole and for each segment within it? All of these questions are answered using industry-leading techniques and tools as well as a vast amount of qualitative research.Access Full Report @The report further focuses on the leading industry players that will steer the course of the Military Support Vehicles market through the forecast period. Each of these players is analyzed in detail so as to obtain details pertaining to their product/services, recent announcements and partnerships, investment strategies and so on. A detailed segmentation evaluation of the Military Support Vehicles market has been provided in the report. Detailed information about the key segments of the market and their growth prospects are available in the report. The detailed analysis of their sub-segments is also available in the report. The revenue forecasts and volume shares along with market estimates are available in the report.Fior Markets 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. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:
BRICS Oral Care Market In-depth market segmentation by 2020

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Future Market Insights (FMI) in its latest offering, BRICS Oral Care - Market Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20142020, provides in-depth analysis and strategic recommendations on the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) oral care market. Personal care includes categories such as skin care, hair care, cosmetics, oral care and toiletries. The global oral care market represents 15% of the personal care market in 2014, and is expected to account for almost 20% of the overall market by 2020. Organised retailing, rising per capita income, increasing consumer spending on personal care products and consumer preferences for value-added products are some of the factors contributing to growth of the BRICS personal care market. The BRICS region represents a major segment of the global market.FMI forecasts that the overall oral care market in BRICS will grow at a moderate single-digit CAGR between 2014 and 2020.Product-wise, the BRICS oral care market is broadly segmented into primary oral care and secondary oral care products. The primary oral care products segment comprises toothpaste and toothbrush. The secondary oral care products segment includes dental floss, mouthwash, denture care and others. The others segment includes whitening strips, dental chewing gums and mouth fresheners.Increasing consumer awareness with regard to better oral hygiene is the primary driver of the overall BRICS oral care market. Furthermore, dentist recommendations for adoption of various-related products is projected to lead to a shift in consumer preference from basic oral care products to secondary oral care products in the coming years, said Vipassa.KRequest For Report Sample:Growing awareness about better oral hygiene opens up ample opportunities for international players operating in the BRICS oral care market to introduce enhanced and innovative products, further increasing competition among the players in this region. This has led key players to adopt various approaches to increase product visibility in modern retail formats, coupled with branding and advertisement to sustain in the competitive oral care market in BRICS. As a result, demand for secondary oral care products in BRICS is expected to increase considerably between 2018 and 2020.Product-wise, toothpaste, in the primary oral care product segment currently dominates the BRICS oral care market and is expected to grow substantially between 2014 and 2020. This growth can be attributed to the fact that the BRICS region consists of emerging nations and awareness of basic oral hygiene is currently growing rapidly, supported by product launches in the region. Hence, consumers are demonstrating greater demand for primary oral care products such as toothpaste and toothbrush, as compared to that for secondary oral care hygiene products in these nations.Furthermore, dentist recommendations will add to the rising consumer awareness about secondary oral hygiene products towards the end of the forecast period. This will result in growing preference for mouthwash, thereby driving the demand for this product category among the expanding middle-class population in the BRICS. Thus, secondary products in the BRICS oral care market such as mouthwash and dental floss will demonstrate an above-average annual growth percentage.Send An Enquiry:Some other factors such as adoption of digital marketing and introduction of product variants at affordable prices are also expected to contribute to growth of the BRICS oral care market. Research results reveal that in 2013, the top key distribution channels, which are general merchandise retailers and direct selling, accounted for around 50% share of the BRICS oral care market.Players in the BRICS oral care market are widening their distribution channels and strengthening partnerships across the value chain to enhance profitability and increase adoption of oral care products in the region.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:
Global Caprylic Acid Industry to Witness an Outstanding Growth by 2027- Dow, Eastman, Barite World, Acme Chem. and Spectrum Chemical

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Caprylic Acid Market is increase in the awareness for health and nutritions. Now a days people spent good part of their income on the health and tries to consume as health food as he can. They are turning towards organic foods and nutritions which is helping the market of Caprylic Acid to grow. Apart from this the government and federal regulations for environment is also forcing the companies to move towards natural resources and companies are moving towards the natural resources in order to produce the Caprylic acids. Furthermore government is promoting the incentives programs to encourage the growth in the renewable natural fatty acids.Request a Sample Report@SegmentationBy Application Type: Additives, Perfumes, Rubber and Latex, Medicines, Organic Synthesis, Pharmaceuticals & cosmetics, Rubber & Dye, Plastics, Grease & LubricantsBy Region: Americas, Europe, Asia  Pacific and Middle East & AfricaKey Player McKinley Resources Inc. Barite World Spectrum Chemical Manufacturing Corp. Hydrite Chemical Co. Acme Chem Solazyme KLK OLEO LANXESS Huntsman Corporation Dow Chemical Company Eastman Chemical CompanyTaste the market data and market information presented through more than 30 market data tables and figures spread over 110 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Global Caprylic Acid Market Research Report- Forecast to 2027.Regional AnalysisAsia-Pacific dominates the market of Caprylic acid in terms of revenue in the year 2014 due to the high demand from the food industry and cosmetics. Some developing countries like China, India and Japan who are the emerging market for the cosmetic industry is consuming the Caprylic acid in very high amount resulting high demands. Apart from this other geographical areas like South Africa and Middle East who are demanding more Caprylic Acid for nutritions and food additives. North America is introduction various health various weight loss programs helps to grow the market for Caprylic Acid.Browse Full Research Report @TOC of Caprylic Acid Market1 Market Introduction2 Research Methodologies3 Global Caprylic Acid Market: Overview4 Global Caprylic Acid Market, Competitive Landscape5 Market Overview6 Caprylic Acid Market, Estimation & Forecast, By Method7 Caprylic Acid Market, Estimation & Forecast, By Deployment8 Caprylic Acid Market, Estimation & Forecast, By End Users9 Caprylic Acid Market, Estimation & Forecast, By Application10 Caprylic Acid Market, Estimation and Forecast, By GeographyContinuedAbout Market Research FutureAt Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.comWeb:
Sleeve Label Market - Recent Study including Growth Factors, Applications, Regional Analysis, Key Players and Forecast

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The growing number of choices available for the customers for choosing products indirectly causing manufacturers difficulty in differentiating the product with competitors. Hence packaging especially sleeve labels play prominent role in product visibility. It also helps in improving the aesthetic appearance of product. This is primarily beneficial to the manufactures who want their products to be easily recognizable and attractive.Obtain Report Details @The changing consumer habits and growing inclination towards packaged goods is estimated to be the key reason for the growth of global sleeve label packaging. The wide application sector such food and beverages, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, home care and personal care products and increasing product categories within the mentioned application sector are the factors which are estimated to affect the growth of the global sleeve label market.The major driver for the global sleeve label market is the growing demand for packaged food and beverages and rapidly increasing number of products in the packaged food segments. Growing inclination of consumers towards packaged foods and beverages is estimated to benefit the global sleeve label market. Another major driver for the global sleeve label market is the growing cosmetic and personal care industry. The desire for better personality and physical appearance are the major factors in the growth of the cosmetic and personal care market which is anticipated to drive the global sleeve label market. Pharmaceutical is also an important growth contributor in the global sleeve label market.The advantage such as better brand identity, improved product visual presence and superior marketing opportunity is estimated to drive the global sleeve label market. On the other hand global sleeve label market is becoming fragmented which is estimated to push the global sleeve label industry to operate under tough competition.The opportunity for the global sleeve label market lies in providing innovative solution for the manufactures. The sleeve market is estimated to have huge opportunities in producing recyclable products with low cost structure. The sleeve label market is estimated to have vast opportunity in digital sleeve labels.The global sleeve label market is segmented on the basis of type, application method, materials, end use sector and geography. On the basis of type the global sleeve label market is segmented into Shrink and stretch labels. The shrink sleeve label is estimated to lead the global sleeve label market due to its ease in application. Global sleeve label market is segmented on the basis of application method into Pressure Sensitive, Heat Transfer, In-Mold, Heat-Shrink & Stretch and Glue-Applied. On the basis of material the global sleeve label market is segmented into paper, plastic and others. On the basis of end use application sector the global sleeve label market is segmented into food and beverages, Cosmetics and personal care, Home Care, Industrial goods and others. The food and beverages end use sector is estimated to be the largest contributor in terms of value and volume for the global sleeve label market.Make an Enquiry @On the basis of geography the global sleeve label market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America. Europe is estimated to be the largest market for the global sleeve label market. Asia pacific followed by Europe is estimated to be the fastest growing market. The growing urban population and increasing per capita expenditure are estimate to be the major factors in the growth of Asia pacific sleeve label market. Followed by Asia Pacific, North America is estimated to grow in global sleeve label market. The rapidly growing economies in Middle East and Africa is also estimated to show a significant growth in the global sleeve label market.Some of the key players in the global sleeve label market are Avery Dennison Corporation., Accraply, Inc., TAGHLEEF INDUSTRIES GROUP, Bonset America Corporation, Eastman Chemical Company, Esko-Graphics bvba, Flint Group, CCL Industries, SleeveCo, Inc. and others.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
New Trends of Security and Vulnerability Management Market with Global Industry Analysis by 2016  2024

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Zion Market Research, the market research group announced the analysis report titled 'Security and Vulnerability Management Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024'Global Security and Vulnerability Management Market: OverviewProtecting different types of information and confidential data is the security of that data, in terms of information technology. For this purpose, different technologies, training, and processes are used. If a software program allows an unauthorized user to access sensitive data without permission, then it is a drawback, which is known as the vulnerability. The practice of overcoming this drawback from the computerized digital technology is known as vulnerability management. The companies that are facing various vulnerabilities from different cyber threats to their network infrastructure are concerned about their security. The global cyber security market promises an encouraging trend in the security and vulnerability management market owing to the high investments.Request Free Sample Report @Global Security and Vulnerability Management Market: SegmentationThe global security and vulnerability management market are segmented into its verticals, end user, the solutions offered and the regions. On the basis of the verticals, the global security and vulnerability management market are categorized into retail, banking and financial services, energy utilities, IT and telecom, government and healthcare. Based on the end-user, the global market for security and vulnerability management market is segregated into two parts small and medium enterprises and business. The solutions offered by the security and vulnerability management are device vulnerability, forensics investigation, policy and compliance, application vulnerability and the security information and event management. Region-wise, the security, and vulnerability management market is diversified into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and the Rest of the World.Global Security and Vulnerability Management Market: Growth FactorsThe security and vulnerability management market are growing due to the fact that the rate at which the cyber threats and cyber crimes are increasing the risk related with it is also increasing. Thus, the organizations are implementing the security and vulnerability management in order to improve their security operations, threat intelligence, and their risk management. The market is making advancements as the IT organizations need to improve their security as they are using the third platform which consists of four pillars which include mobile, big data, social and cloud. In the recent years, the organizations are at a high risk of security breaches; hence, the use of automated vulnerability solution is increasing. The important two factors that have given rise to the demand of vulnerability management is the flaws in the designs of the network and the government imposed regulations, which have become mandatory. The other drivers for the security and vulnerability management market growth are the mobile device, software security vulnerability assessment, big data analytics and the cloud computing.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global Security and Vulnerability Management Market: Regional AnalysisThe regions where the security and vulnerability market is diversified are Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, North America and the Middle East and Africa. North America is the dominating region in the security and vulnerability management market owing to a large number of end-users present in this region. The government imposed regulations and policies have forced the organizations to extensively implement the security and vulnerability management. China and India are the major revenue generating countries in the Asia Pacific region.Global Security and Vulnerability Management Market: Competitive PlayersThe major market players in the security and vulnerability management market include Core Security, McAfee, Rapid7, Tripwire EMC, Tenable Network Security, Microsoft, Qualys, NetIQ, IBM, Alien Vault, Skybox Security, and Symantec.Browse detail report @Global Security and Vulnerability Management Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East and AfricaWhat Report ProvidesFull in-depth analysis of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsSegmentation details of the marketFormer, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and valueAssessment of niche industry developmentsMarket share analysisKey strategies of major playersEmerging segments and regional marketsTestimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the market.Ask for a customized report @About Us:Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.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:
Global Whole Milk Powder Market to Expand at 3.6% CAGR during 2016-2022

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Market research future published a half cooked research report on the global whole milk powder market has been estimated to grow over 3% post 2022.Market HighlightsThe world whole milk powder consumption during the period 2011-2015 has grown at the rate of 3.6%, with major consumers being China, Argentina, Chile, European countries and Algeria. In the recent years, China has emerged as a major importer of whole milk powder with growing demand for consumption and industrial applications.Increase in demand for convenience products and shortage of milk in different regions has driven higher demand for whole milk powder. Growing versatility across various applications including coffee whiteners, infant formula, chocolates, milk beverages and bakery products etc. has supported the market. Due to its nutritional value, whole milk powder has mainly gained traction from the infant formulas.Key Players Nestle (Switzerland), Alpen Dairies (Netherland), Miraka (New Zealand), Fonterra (New Zealand), Lactoland (Germany ), Gracia Hnos Agroindustrial SRL (Argentina), Regilait (France), Rawa Pharm(Slovakia), DANA Dairy Group Ltd (Switzerland), Synlait milk ltd (New Zealand), Lakeland dairies (Ireland)Request a Sample Copy @Market Research Analysis: Secondary data reveals that the world whole milk powder production during the period 2011-2015 has grown at a CAGR of 2.87%, while the world whole milk powder consumption has grown at a comparatively higher rate at 3.6% The top 5 importers of Whole Milk Powder during the period 2015-2016 are China, Algeria, Venezuela, Brazil and Indonesia Whole milk powder production has declined the most in Australia at 8.33% followed by Argentina at 4.81% during the period 2011-15, while the whole milk powder production has grown the most in Brazil at the rate of 5.16% followed by New Zealand at 5.07%Table of Content1 Executive Summary2 Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the study2.2.1 Research Objectives2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations2.3 Markets Structure2.4 Stakeholders3 Research methodology3.1 Research process3.2 Secondary research3.3 Primary research3.4 Forecast model3.5 Market Size estimation4 MARKET DYNAMICS4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Challenges5 MARKET TRENDSContinue..Test the market data and market information presented through more than 50 market data tables and figures spread over 80 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Global Whole Milk Powder Market Research Report- Forecast to 2022Reasons to buy The study includes detailed market analysis of whole milk powder market encompassing its macro and micro-markets It covers market segmentation by process, packing process and application It helps in identifying region-wise major suppliers and understand consumption patterns The report will provide useful and premium insights that will support in investments for whole milk powder and allied companies providing details on the fast growing segments and regions In addition, it will provide key findings that will help the companies to improve profitability by using supply chain strategies, cost effectiveness of various products mentioned in the report The data used in the report is primarily based on primary interviews with the major producing companies and industry experts and also supported by authentic industry data from secondary sourcesBrowse full report @The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Key questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2022 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?Related ReportGlobal Organic Baby Food Market Information- by Ingredient (fruits, vegetables, grains & cereals, meat, and dairy), by Product type (baby milks, baby cereals dry meals, finger foods, baby drinks & other organic baby foods), by Region - Forecast to 2027.Know more about this report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.comAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Security as a Service (SaaS) Market Growth, Size or Share Estimated to increase by 2016  2024

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Zion Market Research, the market research group announced the analysis report titled 'Security as a Service (SaaS) Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024'Global Security as a Service (SaaS) Market: OverviewThe security as a service (SaaS) market is growing rapidly across the globe. One of the major factors responsible for this growth is the rise of new and sophisticated threats affecting important data of the companies. This has stimulated organizations to set out could-based security solutions to protect their networks, endpoints, and cloud against potential cyber-attacks. In order to protect critical assets from potential threats, the companies are shifting from traditional security to advanced security through the SaaS market. The SaaS suppliers are constantly innovating and upgrading their security systems in order to provide efficient security services. It has become pragmatic to adopt the business model of SaaS to integrate security with the business infrastructure of the companies.Request Free Sample Report @Global Security as a Service (SaaS) Market: SegmentationThe global security as a service (SaaS) market is segmented into its solution, service, application, organization size, end-user, and geography. On the basis of the solution, the market is divided into email encryption, SIEM, endpoint protection, identity and access management (IAM), intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS), DLP and others. Based on service, the segregation is seen as consulting and training, and education. On the basis of organization size, the division is seen into the small size and medium size enterprises and large enterprises. Based on application, the segmentation of the global security as a service (SaaS) market is seen as web security, network security, database cloud security, email security and others. On the basis of end-user, the segregation is IT and telecom, retail, BFSI, government and defense, oil and gas and healthcare. The security as a service (SaaS) market is diversified into regions such as Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and Africa.Global Security as a Service (SaaS) Market: Growth FactorsRise in the sophistication of threats, increasing BYOD trend among organization, advancement in technology, increasing awareness about securing important data and declining prices of security products are the factors due to which there is growth in the security as a service (SaaS) market. Recent attacks targeted on the healthcare vertical are the major reason due to which there is an increasing deployment of SaaS in the healthcare vertical. Easy and safe usage of enterprise applications in the cloud is another important reason for the growth of deployment of SaaS in industry verticals.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global Security as a Service (SaaS) Market: Regional AnalysisNorth America is anticipated to have the largest market share and will continue to dominate the security as a service (SaaS) market in the coming future owing to the presence of large number of SaaS suppliers in this region. The U.S. has always been a major contributor to the market as it has been a major adopter of new security technologies. Countries in Asia Pacific are heavily investing to increase the development of data loss prevention, endpoint security solutions and intrusion detection systems. As a result, the potential for growth in Asia Pacific is increasing for the SaaS market. Growth in North America and Asia Pacific is followed by regions such as Latin America, Europe and the Middle East and Africa.Global Security as a Service (SaaS) Market: Competitive PlayersSome of the major companies in the security as a service (SaaS) market are ADT, ALL-TAG Security Americas, A2 Systems, Anixter, Advanced Technology Video, Assa Abloy, iDefigo, Gallagher, AxxonSoft, Genetec, DvTel, Intergraph, Hikvision Digital, Ketec, MOBOTIX, Lenel Systems, Nedap, Moonblink, NetVersant, S2 Security, NortekSecuritym, Samsung Techwin, Salient Systems, Security Station, Schneider Electric, Siemens, and Watchdog Security, VideoNEXT, Axis Communications, Cisco Systems, Panasonic, Bosch Security Systems, and Honeywell Security.Browse detail report @Global Security as a Service (SaaS) Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East and AfricaWhat Report ProvidesFull in-depth analysis of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsSegmentation details of the marketFormer, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and valueAssessment of niche industry developmentsMarket share analysisKey strategies of major playersEmerging segments and regional marketsTestimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the market.Ask for a customized report @About Us:Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.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:
Natural Fiber Market 2017: Global Top Industry Manufacturers Analysis

Natural Fiber Market

http://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/10163-natural-fiber-industry-market-report

http://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-10163

http://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-10163

http://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/8362-europe-milk-fiber-industry-market-report

www.decisiondatabases.com

The report on Natural Fiber market is the latest addition to the huge database of DecisionDatabases.com. This research study is segmented on the basis of applications, technology, geography, and types. The Report provides a detailed Natural Fiber Industry overview along with the analysis of industrys gross margin, cost structure, consumption value, and sale price. The leading companies of the Natural Fiber Market, manufacturers, and distributors are profiled in the report along with the latest Industry development current and future trends.Access the Report and full TOC @This report studies Natural Fiber in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with capacity, production, price, revenue, and market share for each manufacturer, covering* Fiberon LLC* Polyvlvlies Franz Beyer* Tecnaro* FlexForm Technologies* Meshlin Composites* Greencore Composites* Greengran B.VMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of Natural Fiber in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), like* North America* Europe* China* Japan* Southeast Asia* IndiaDownload Free sample Report @Split by product type, with production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided into* Cotton* Hemp* SilkSplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Natural Fiber in each application can be divided into* Textile* OthersPurchase a copy of Report @Table of Contents-Snapshot1 Market Overview2 Global Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2011-2016)4 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)5 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Market Analysis by Application7 Global Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Market Forecast (2016-2021)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixView Related Reports @Europe Milk Fiber Industry 2016 Market Research ReportAbout Us:DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research Report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.3rd Floor, Fountain chambers,Nanabhai Lane, Fort, Mumbai - 1E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.comPhone: +91 99 28 237112Web:
Security Information and Event Management Market estimated high sales by 2016-2024

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/security-information-event-management-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/security-information-event-management-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/security-information-event-management-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/667

http://www.zionmarketresearch.com

Zion Market Research, the market research group announced the analysis report titled 'Security Information and Event Management Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024'Global Security Information and Event Management Market: OverviewThere is an increasing number of data breach and security threat against which the data needs to be protected. For this, security information and event management market are helpful. The security information and event management market is a combination of security event management (SEM) and security information management (SIM). Security information and event management checks and monitors flow of data and identify abnormalities in the companys data system. The core job of security information and event management is log collection and event correlation, which is done through a collection of logs from the information technology infrastructure. It is mainly used in healthcare, government and IT and telecom industries to secure confidential data against breach or threat. The security providers are constantly innovating, remodeling and upgrading their existing architecture in order to increase the efficiency of the security system. There is a rapid growth in the security information and event management market due to the increasing persistent threats and cyber attacks. Security information and event management provide better threat intelligence, better analytics, and behavior profiling which in turn helps to detect the breaches early and take necessary preventive actions.Request Free Sample Report @Global Security Information and Event Management Market: SegmentationThe global security information and event management market are segmented into its solution, services, organization size, end-users, and geography. On the basis of the solution, the market is divided into firewall security management, log and event management, patch management and others. Based on services, the global security information and event management market is segregated into consulting, support and integration. On the basis of organization size, the division is seen into small and medium-sized enterprises and large enterprise. On the basis of end-user, the global security information and event management market is divided into BFSI, healthcare, government, IT and telecom, retail and hospitality, energy and utility, education and others. The security information and event management market are diversified into regions such as Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa.Global Security Information and Event Management Market: Growth FactorsThe increasing level of complexity of the cyber crimes is a major reason due to which there is a rapid growth in the security information and event management market. Other factors influencing the growth are growing compliance, regulatory mandates, advancements made in technology and increasing security awareness among the industries. However, there are also some restraining factors for the market that include scalability issues and deployment cost issues.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global Security Information and Event Management Market: Regional AnalysisNorth America is anticipated to have the largest market share in the security information and event management market. This growth is due to the advancements made in technology and rapid developments in this region. Growth in North American region will be followed by regions such as Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific is also having ample contribution in the global the security information and event management market share.Global Security Information and Event Management Market: Competitive PlayersSome of the major companies in the security information and event management market are LogRhythm, McAfee Inc., SolarWinds, TIBCO Software, Sumo Logic, KEYW, Hewlett-Packard Company, Dell, ArcSight, RSA, Alert Logic, Tripwire, Sensage, International Business Machines Corporation, Splunk Inc., Trustwave Holdings and EMC Corporation.Browse detail report @Global Security Information and Event Management Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East and AfricaWhat Report ProvidesFull in-depth analysis of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsSegmentation details of the marketFormer, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and valueAssessment of niche industry developmentsMarket share analysisKey strategies of major playersEmerging segments and regional marketsTestimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the market.Ask for a customized report @About Us:Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.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:
Diameter Signaling Control Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of 48% by 2022

Diameter Signaling Control Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2029

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/diameter-signaling-control-market

Market Research Future published a half cooked research report on Diameter Signaling Control Market.Market Highlights:Diameter Signaling Control Market is expected to grow at CAGR of ~48% during the forecast period and expected to reach market size of USD ~7982 Million by the end of forecast period. Global long term evolution (LTE) diameter signaling will continue to show aggressive growth in the upcoming years as the penetration rate of LTE has increased. The extraordinary growth in signaling traffic and the increasing need to support VoLTE (voice over long term evolution) and VoWIFI (Voice over Wi-Fi solutions), the need for a new signaling infrastructure has been developed where challenges including scalability, traffic management, network resiliency, network interconnect and protocol interworking have to be addressed in order to improve network availability. Failures in the signaling system result in subscriber churn, lost revenue and opportunity cost.The growth of this market is driven by extreme traffic from mobile devices and smartphones. The other factors contributing to the market growth of diameter signaling control market are increasing threat of signaling storms in telecommunication and the introduction of tiered price plans. At the same time the growth of this market can be restrained by factors such as the challenges related to network integration and management faced by mobile network operators.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 30 market data tables and figures spread over 100 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on The Global Diameter Signaling Control Market Research Report - Forecast to 2022.Diameter Signaling Control Market:The Global Diameter Signaling Control Market has been segmented on the basis of type, solutions and application. Type includes centralized routing, traffic management and load balancing among others. Solutions comprises of LTE roaming, diameter security, voice over LTE and diameter policy control and charging among others. The various applications are diameter agent (DA), diameter edge agent (DEA), diameter internetworking function, diameter routing agent (DRA) and diameter load balancer among others.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Diameter Signaling Control Market: Huawei Technology Co. Ltd. (China) Oracle Corporation (U.S.) Sonus Networks Inc. (U.S.) F5 Networks Inc. (U.S.) Diametriq LLC (U.S.) Ericsson AB (Sweden) Mitel Networks (Canada) Nokia Corporation (Finland) Allot Communications Inc. (Israel) Sandvine Corp (Canada)Brief TOC for Diameter Signaling Control:1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope Of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market Structure2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Network Solution2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Forecast Model2.4.1 Market Data Collection, Analysis & Forecast2.4.2 Market Size Estimation3 Market Dynamics3.1 Introduction3.2 Market Drivers3.3 Market Challenges3.4 Market Opportunities3.5 Market Restraints4 Executive Summary5. Market Factor Analysis5.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis5.2 Supply Chain AnalysisContinueMarket Research Analysis:The software signaling controller is a mature platform backed by the largest workforce dedicated to Diameter signaling. The signaling diameter control (SDC) combines a Diameter Routing Agent (DRA), a Diameter Edge Agent (DEA), and an interworking function (IWF) in a single platform. A top-down, purpose-built architecture design for network-wide diameter signaling that runs on off-the-shelf hardware, the SDC delivers unmatched performance and high ROI ratios of value per unit of cost and capacity per footprint.Market Research Future Analysis shows that amongst these applications, diameter edge agent is expected to grow the highest owing to the need for roaming and internetworking between mobile network operators. There is a quick accelerating requirement for diameter edge agent (DEA), either by way of direct interworking with adjacent networks or by way of intermediary roaming hub. Diameter edge agent provides configurable security, edge agent functionality and compensation for variances in message content through use of advanced scripting technology.Access Report Details @Geographically, North America is expected to occupy major share in diameter signaling controller market owing to the enlarged user base of mobile broadband services. Asia pacific is expected to grow rapidly in the diameter signaling control market owing to increased number of users of broadband services along with increased adoption of 4G technology. In Europe, the need for diameter signaling controllers to manage data transmission while changing registered network area is projected to drive the growth of the diameter signaling control market.Intended Audience: Telecom companies Service providers Consultancy firms Traffic control organization End users Network service providersAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Cigarettes in Spain Industry Analysis Report 2017

MARKET RESEARCH HUB

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1009079

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/cigarettes-in-spain-2017-report.html

www.marketresearchhub.com/

www.linkedin.com/company/market-research-hub

www.facebook.com/MarketResearchHub

Albany, New York, March 06, 2017: Market Research Hub has recently announced the addition of a new report to it broad database titled as Cigarettes in Spain, 2017. This Report is an analytical report by GlobalData that provides extensive and highly detailed current and future market trends in the Spanish market.Request for Sample Report:The report offers Market size and structure of the overall and per capita consumption based upon a unique combination of industry research, fieldwork, market sizing analysis, and our in-house expertise.Until 2008, Spain had been one of the largest and most buoyant cigarette markets in Western Europe, however, the impact of two price rises in 2009, following a tax increase, caused demand to slump. The prevalence of smoking among the local population has been declining in recent years, with 2016 consumption representing only 57% of 1990 levels. Per capita consumption levels are now only moderate, with 956 pieces a year in 2016.Scope- Continued market growth has taken place amid major structural change, with demand for blond cigarettes steadily gaining share at the expense of dark cigarettes, and accounting for 94.5% of sales in 2015. Full flavor products account for the majority of sales and filter cigarettes accounted for over 99.9% of sales in 2015.- PMI holds the leadership with a 33.4% share of market volume, followed by Altadis/Imperial, once the market leader, with 30.2%.Browse Full Report with TOC:Reasons to buy- Get a detailed understanding of consumption to align your sales and marketing efforts with the latest trends in the market.- Identify the areas of growth and opportunities, which will aid effective marketing planning.- The differing growth rates in regional product sales drive fundamental shifts in the market.- This report provides detailed, authoritative data on these changes - prime intelligence for marketers.- Understand the market dynamics and essential data to benchmark your position and to identify where to compete in the future.About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Follow Us on:Twitter: twitter.com/MktResearchHubLinkedIn:Facebook:
Medical Tourism Market Regulations and Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2020

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-249

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-249

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Medical tourism is one of the most dynamically growing industries today. Considered to be the direct impact of globalisation of healthcare, medical tourism certainly exhibits strong growth potential globally. However, based on FMIs research, the market of medical tourism is expected to concentrate within most of the emerging economies of the world.As developing nations are increasingly heading toward technological advancement and quality services in the medical and healthcare sector, the global medical tourism market is anticipated to witness robust growth over 2014-2020, predominantly in Asian countries.The top treatments people travel abroad for, include cancer therapy, cardiovascular surgeries, orthopaedic treatments, dentistry, cosmetic surgeries, reproductive treatments, weight loss therapies, health screenings, and medical tests and scans. In severe cases, a sizeable patient population also seeks second opinion from specialist doctors out of their countries.Request For Report Sample@Key DriversHigh treatment costs and lengthy waiting times for medical procedures, being the two major factors in driving medical tourism, are also supported by easier and cheaper international travel. While the U.K.s population prefers to travel abroad for bypassing long waits, patients from the U.S. travel outside for availing of treatments at cheaper costs.Medical excellence along with international accreditation are the key factors fuelling a majority of international patient flow, eventually boosting international medical tourism. Currently, over 600 medical departments and hospitals all over the globe are accredited by the U.S. Joint Commission International (JCI). The number of accredited facilities is projected to increase almost by 20% each year. This is another important driver associated with the market growth.Developing countries, with ever-evolving innovation and demonstrable achievements in medical research are estimated to accelerate the approaching medical tourist flow over the forecast period. Growing healthcare investments by various government and private sectors are also anticipated to further bolster the market growth.Key RestraintsHowever, medical tourists are highly prone to a wide variety of health risks after they return. The conditions may include TB, paratyphoid, amoebic dysentery, deep vein thrombosis, and more; usually caused due to poor post-operative care and inadequate rest. This could affect the market to some extent.Stringent documentation processes, issues related to visa approval, and limited insurance coverage are reportedly some of the most deterring factors for the global market.Global Medical Tourism Market: SegmentationFMIs research on the global medical tourism market offers a six-year forecast, segmenting the market on the basis of type of medical treatment and geography.On the basis of the type of treatment, the market is segmented into cosmetic treatment, cardiovascular treatment, fertility treatment, dental treatment, orthopaedic treatment, and other general treatments.On the basis of geography, the market is segmented into Asia pacific, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, North America, and South America.Regional OutlookSome of the prominent medical tourism centres across the globe include Thailand, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Israel, Brazil, Turkey, the Philippines, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, Canada, and the U.S. According to Patients Beyond Borders, the global medical tourism market is currently growing at an impressive rate between 15% and 25%, and the flow of patients seeking cross-border treatment options will be the highest in Mexico. South and Southeast Asia are expected to dominate the global market in the near future.Based on MTAs recently released Medical Tourism Index, there are 41 countries participating in the global medical tourism market. While India broadly secures #1, Israel ranks #1 in the quality of services and facilities.India is renowned for specialist cardiac surgeries, while Singapore is a popular medical tourism destination owing to the expertise in complicated surgical procedures. Thailand has been a popular destination for medical tourism and millions of patients have travelled to Thailand since 2006. It is also the top cosmetic surgery centre globally.Malaysia offers state-of-the-art medical infrastructure and treatments by highly skilled medical professionals, making it another sought after centre among medical tourists. With economically affordable treatment options and favourable government initiatives, Malaysia is anticipated to acquire one of the top market positions in the global medical tourism market, during the forecast period.Request For TOC@Key Players: Global Medical Tourism MarketSome of the top key players in the medical tourism industry include Asian Heart Institute (India), Apollo Hospitals (India), Prince Court Medical Centre (Malaysia), Gleneagles Hospital (Singapore), Min-Sheng General Hospital (Taiwan), Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital (Bangkok), Raffles Medical Group (Singapore), Clemenceau Medical Centre (Lebanon), Bangkok Hospital (Thailand), Bumrungrad International Hospital (Thailand), Fortis Healthcare Ltd. (India), Wooridul Spine Hospital (Korea), KPJ Healthcare Berhad (Malaysia), Anadolu Medical Centre (Turkey), and Asklepios Klinik Barmbek (Germany).While these players rank amongst they compete on the basis of exceptional service quality, optimum patient comfort, and relatively reasonable costs for various treatments. Several facilities are also undergoing mergers, acquisitions, affiliations, and joint ventures for delivering enhanced medical care, thereby strengthening their market positions. A few prominent examples of highly productive collaborations include the collaboration between Bumrungrad International Hospital (Bangkok) and IBM Watson for better cancer care, and the collaboration of Anadolu Medical Centre (Turkey) with Johns Hopkins Medicine (U.S.).Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
myPARM voted best product in Project Portfolio Management (PPM)

Project Portfolio Management myPARM

http://www.parm.com/htm/689/en/Leadership.htm#PortfolioManagement

http://www.parm.com

At the third PPM Praxis Test held in Zurich on 23 November 2016, myPARM was voted the most successful Swiss product, coming out on top against major players such as CA PPM, MS Project and seven other products from the DACH region.PPM tools are powerful instruments designed to support organisations in as many areas of project portfolio management as possible. Managers want to be able to draw strategic conclusions in a quick and clear manner using a PPM tool, while portfolio managers use the tools to display project information so that the portfolio can be planned as well as possible and developments are clearly visible. Finally, project managers require the use of these tools to ensure optimal project management.This time around, CSP AG (the organiser of the Swiss PPM Praxis Test 2016) focused on the PPM Cockpit. Based on 50 criteria, 10 carefully evaluated software tools from the three perspectives of management, portfolio management and project management were assessed and compared against one another, with practical and individual ratings by participants taken into account. In total, 185 ratings were submitted that detailed the strengths and weaknesses of the selected solutions. The participants came from the services (25%), public administration (25%), healthcare (20%), industry and trade (15%) and consultancy (15%) sectors.The criteria for assessment were split into three distinct categories:Management Cockpit (15 criteria)In strategic resource management, PPM tools can provide support with regard to prioritising projects, strategic capacity planning, portfolio scenario design and, finally, defining an optimal portfolio road map both in terms of strategy and capacity.myPARM impressed in this category, in particular for criteria concerning the adept prioritisation of the portfolio or its projects (e.g. criteria weighting; graphic of versions on the time axis).PPM Cockpit (15 criteria)As a rule, resources are required for different projects at the same time. PPM tools support operational resource management in skills-oriented planning, resource and cost planning, allocation of resources, performance and cost analyses, and detailed task management.myPARM scored very highly in this category. The integrated risk management, resource planning and allocation, and the flexible, weighted portfolio analysis received special praise.Project Cockpit (15 criteria)The results of resource management in strategic and operational areas support risk management, conflict management and project portfolio management resource controls through the performance of relevant evaluations.myPARM also took the top spot in this category, with the project KPIs  visually represented and calculated online  having a strong impact on the participants.Alongside these functional criteria, participants also had to assess five general criteria: standard version, configurability (without the provider), customisation by the provider, sales and operational model, and technical integration.myPARM was also singled out as the best product for several criteria in this category.Overall, myPARM was voted a first-class, all-round package that scored highly and well above average from all three perspectives.The full report on the PPM Praxis Test 2016 by CSP AG can be ordered directly via the CSP website.http://www.csp-ag.ch/en/instant-benefit/cspstudy/ppm-tools-practical-test-2013.htmlFurther information of the product can be found via the parm website:Foundation: 1996Employees: 30 university graduatesOffer: Consulting, training, software along the topics strategic leadership, project-, portfolio-, quality- and risk managementFocus: Service providers, mechanical engineering, productionIndustries: Engineering, Consulting, IT, Pharma, Construction, Telecommunication, Health Care, Public organisations, NGOs, etc.The web-based software is used by over 16,000 users in 38 countries, and covers all important subject areas from formulating the company vision to calculating project-related expenditure.An overview of the most important functions of the myPARM software: strategy map; balanced scorecard; portfolio and programme management; multi-project management with GANTT, WBS, budgeting, resource allocation, time recording, invoicing, early warning system, risk and opportunity management, lessons learned etc. The software comes with integrated tools that support communication within the teams.In order to help our customers progress, our specialist staff (IPMA Level A, PRINCE2, CMMI, PMBoK etc.) offer practical and scientific consultations as well as training in accordance with your individual needs.PARM AGScheffelstrasse 39000 St.GallenSchweizinfo@parm.com+41712431000
Latin America Pharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing Services Market Analysis and Forecast 2025

Orbis Research

http://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/latin-america-pharmaceutical-contract-manufacturing-services-market-analysis-by-service-manufacturing-research-by-country-brazil-mexico-colombia-argentina-chile-venezuela-and-segment-forecasts-2014-2025

http://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/212680

http://www.orbisresearch.com/contact/purchase/212680

The Latin American pharmaceutical contract manufacturing services market is anticipated to reach USD 21.0 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Low drug registration cost in Latin American countries and continuous economic growth are the key factors contributing to progress in this region. Moreover, Latin America offers higher recruitment rates and relatively high competitive prices in comparison to United States and other European countries.Browse the report:A forementioned fact pronounces the trend of shifting Contract Manufacturing/Research Organizations (CMO/CRO)'s attention to Latin American countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia.Ongoing adjustment in Latin America to reduce the commodity prices and domestic political turbulence in each country is expected to shape region's economic growth there by driving revenue generation in the outsourcing market for pharmaceutical development.Further Key Findings From the Study Suggest:Contract manufacturing services accounted for the largest share owing to wide range of services offered by the CMO's located herein for therapeutic drug development.Request a sample of the report:API/Bulk drug development services accounted for the largest share over the other segments as companies continue to invest for API production capacity enhancement.Rising inclination of drug manufacturers to focus on core competencies such as R&D are observed to have a major impact on the yearly growth of contract research organizations.Brazil held the largest share with respect to revenue generation in 2015.Government's current initiative to ensure GMP compliance among small and medium-sized pharma companies has contributed for the large share of Brazil.Buy the report@Chile is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period.Presence of companies offering bioanalytical, biomarker discovery, assay development, and cGMP analytical services can be attributed for the estimated growth.Key players contributing in this market are Lonza; Charles River Laboratories S.A; Jubilant Life Sciences Limited; Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH; Pfizer, Inc. (Pfizer CenterOne); Albany Molecular Research, Inc; QuintilesIMS; and Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC.These entities are involved in collaborations with therapeutic research organizations in order to enhance their industrial presence.About Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Information:Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas  75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +9164101019Email: sales@orbisresearch.com
Global Castor Oil Derivatives Market 2017 : ITOH Oil Chemicals, Gokul Overseas & Bom Brazil

https://goo.gl/N1DOmX

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Global Castor Oil Derivatives market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingThai Castor Oil IndustriesJayant Agro OrganicsHokoku CorporationLiaoyang Huaxing ChemicalKanak Castor ProductsThe Market Research Store report offers majority of the latest and newest industry data that covers the overall market situation along with future prospects for Castor Oil Derivatives market around the globe. The research study includes significant data and also forecasts of the global market which makes the research report a helpful resource for marketing people, analysts, industry executives, consultants, sales and product managers, and other people who are in need of major industry data in a ready-to-access format along with clear presentation of graphs and tables.Browse Complete Report with TOC @The report comprises the current size of the Castor Oil Derivatives market. It also provides with different types of product segments of the global market. Furthermore, the Castor Oil Derivatives market research report gives an in-depth information about the overall market and various product segments and their growth trends. The future market forecasts about the global Castor Oil Derivatives market are also covered in the research report. In addition, the overall market potential is further described in the report along with different countries around the globe.The latest and the newest trends of the Castor Oil Derivatives industry are also included in this report. Moreover, overall global market size, the market size by product segment, growth rates of the global market along with and different product segments of the market, and various product segments with their value and volumes evaluation are also included in the research report.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The Market Research Store report offers the global market potential rates of the Castor Oil Derivatives market along with various product segments. The research report provides an overview of the current market situation, historic development, and future outlook of the Castor Oil Derivatives market. It also tracks the industry developments trends and identifies the global market opportunities. The report helps to plan and develop precise marketing, market expansion, market-entry, and other business strategies through identifying the major market prospects and opportunities.The data in the report is clearly presented which can be easily integrated into presentations and internal reports.About Us:MarketResearchStore.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact US:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803
Global Lead-Free Solder Paste Market 2016: Focuses on top players Senju Metal Industry, Tamura, Weiteou, Alpha, KOKI, Kester

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The Lead-Free Solder Paste research report by QY Research represents an inclusive evaluation of the Global Lead-Free Solder Paste Market and comprises considerable insights, historical data, facts, and statistical and industry-validated data of the global market. Additionally, it consists of estimated data that is evaluated with the help of suitable set of methodologies and assumptions. The research report highlights informative data and in-depth analysis of Lead-Free Solder Paste market and its corresponding segments that are based on technology, geography, and applications.The examination on value chain of Lead-Free Solder Paste market is provided which covers the growth factors and restraints of the industry along with the key market competitors.To Request Sample Copy Of This Report:The report comprises precise information, comprehensive analysis in two waysqualitative and quantitativeindustry experts inputs, and information provided by industry analysts and industry participants involved in the entire value chain. The report highlights exhaustive study of major market and their present trends, along with corresponding market segments. The Lead-Free Solder Paste report also provides data regarding various market factors and their impact on the overall market and its segments.Global Research report analyzes the scope of Lead-Free Solder Paste industry including size, share, analysis, sales, supply, production, definition, specification, classification, demands, application, forecast trends, industry policy, and news. The report focuses on regional as well as global market, its key players, along with market segments including detailed study on various divisions and its applications. The report provides comprehensive information on each and every segment covered of the Lead-Free Solder Paste market.Furthermore, the report evaluated major market points such as production, revenue, capacity utilization rate, gross, price, capacity, gross margin, supply, cost, demand, export, consumption, import, growth rate, market share, and so on.Browse Complete Report At:The global Lead-Free Solder Paste market report is a helpful source which assists manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, customers, and individuals and investors who have interest in this market.SummaryNotes:Sales, means the sales volume of Lead-Free Solder PasteRevenue, means the sales value of Lead-Free Solder PasteThis report studies sales (consumption) of Lead-Free Solder Paste in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringSenju Metal IndustryTamuraWeiteouAlphaKOKIKesterTongfang TechYashidaAbout Us:MRS Research Group is the worlds giant collection of the Market research Reports. Where we specialized in global publisher, tailor made reports and specialists consulting. Global Publisher provides in-depth analysis of global and Chinese market. Tailor-made reports represent methodologies deliverable to proper insight of the client. While, expertise research specialist helps to provide strategic solution in specialists consulting. It consists of head such as, latest report, category, niche market and news. Reports published on the million of category like chemical, machinery and equipment, consumer goods, manufacturing and construction etc. Latest national, international, business News published under news portal.3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,Tel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651
Synthetic Monitoring Market to Register Unwavering Growth During 2017 - 2027

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The Synthetic Monitoring Market report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Synthetic Monitoring Market: Drivers and ChallengesThe major factor driving the adoption of modern technologies such as software as a service, and other used for used for monitoring static backend systems. Synthetic monitoring is used at various stages of application development such as launch of new application, or website to third party component updates. Moreover, with the rising demand for rich user experience, companies are using synthetic monitoring for providing rich user experience on third party components such as web analytics, social networking, search engine optimization and others.The key challenge for Synthetic monitoring is to implement or to manage its solution. It is quite challenging to manage synthetic monitoring solutions due to high cost of implementation, false positives and incorrect alerts, lack of real-time monitoring, difficulty for post implementation management and emulator based monitoring.Synthetic Monitoring Market:Key PlayersIn Synthetic monitoring market there are many vendors some of them are Dell, Dynatrace, Microsoft, HPE, IBM, Riverbed technology, CA technology and othersA sample of this report is available upon request @Synthetic Monitoring Market: Regional OverviewPresently, North America is holding the largest market share for synthetic monitoring market due to high adoption of digital technologies among individual. The adoption of software as a service model platform is also impacting the market for synthetic monitoring in a positive manner. Companies such as IBM is also working towards the development of synthetic monitoring platforms with the partnerships and acquisitions in this market to enhance market opportunities.In Europe region, the market for synthetic monitoring is witnessing high growth rate due to the increasing demand for testing mobile base apps and monitoring website.The Asia Pacific region is following the Europe region in synthetic monitoring market. This market is expected to have the highest growth rate in coming years due to the adoption of API monitoring services and SaaS based servicesBrowse Full Report summary and to request sample report and table of content @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) 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 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 PMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With a wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports strive to serve clients and satisfy their overall research requirement.For information regarding permissions, contact:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway,7th FloorNew York City, NY 10007United StatesTel: +1 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWebsite:media@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global Digital Forensics market2016 Leading Growth Drivers, Segments, Industry Sales, Profits & Analysis

Global Digital Forensics Market

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Market HighlightsThe Global Digital forensic Market has experienced remarkable growth from past few years and it is expected to grow at same level in forecasted period.Digital forensic or digital forensic science is a scientific method of performing certain activities such as preservation, identification, analysis & interpretation, of digital evidence derived from digital source. As the crime rate has increased and criminals are taking help of technology to perform their tasks, digital forensic helps in the identification of convicts based on the digital evidences.Major Key players PerkinElmer, Inc., (U.S.) Guidance Software (U.S.) AccessData Group (U.S.) Cellmark (UK), FireEye, Inc. (U.S.) Binary Intelligence LLC (U.S.) Global Digital Forensics (U.S.) LogRhythm (U.S.) CCL Solutions Group Ltd. (U.K.) Cellebrite (Israel)Request a Sample ReportTarget Audience Government Security Agencies Private Security Agencies Security Providers Forensic Service Providers Security Software DevelopersIndustry News In September 2016, Guidance Software announced the partnership with Atos a digital service provider. In August 2016, LogRhythm announced the launch of new software for the Network Monitoring which is capable of delivering real time visibility of networking system.The report for Global Digital Forensics Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 50 market data tables and figures spread in 110 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Global Digital Forensics Market Research Report- Forecast to 2022Study Objective of Digital Forensics Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Digital Forensics Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the Digital Forensics market based on various factors- value chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by types, by components, by industry verticals and sub-segments To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Digital Forensics MarketBrowse Full Report Details @Market SegmentationSegmentation by Types Computer Forensics Network Forensics Mobile Device ForensicsSegmentation by System Deployment On Premise On CloudSegmentation by Components Hardware (Systems, Network Devices, Cables, Adapters) Software.Segmentation by Industry Verticals Government Agencies Private Security Military & Defense Healthcare TelecommunicationThe report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Browse Related ReportGlobal Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market, by Type (Outsourcing, In-house), by End-User (Automotive, Textile, Aerospace, Oil & gas, Petroleum, Food & beverage) - Forecast 2022About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Power Transmission in India 2016: Fact Pack on Network Development, Investments, Opportunities and Challenges

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ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title Power Transmission in India 2016: Fact Pack on Network Development, Investments, Opportunities and Challenges to its growing collection of premium market research reports.Indias Power Transmission networks constitute the vital arteries of the entire power value chain. It goes without saying that the growth of power sector is contingent to development of a robust and a non collapsible transmission network. Over the past decades, the total power capacity has witnessed commendable growth, with more than 300 GW of generation capacity currently installed in India. However, Indias peak load supply is only 152 GW, and aggravating this situation further is that some of Indias power surplus regions do not have adequate power evacuation infrastructure which could alleviate the recurring supply shortages in other parts of the nation.Transmission bottlenecks are an important reason for these shortages. Non-performance of the power transmission sector has an adverse spiral effect on the entire economy. Improvement of this sector is, therefore, essential for the economic well-being of the country and enhancement of the quality of life of citizens. Since demand and generation capacity are both expected to increase in the future, transmission constraints need to be addressed urgently.To view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:With intent to facilitate the business proposition, this research delves deep and aims to deliver a fact pack and trend analysis of power transmission in different region of the country.The objective of this report is to present the as-is and anticipated transmission sector dynamics of the region which have been tracked in terms of existing and upcoming ckt Kms for transmission.This report analyses region wise its past and future trend & gap evaluation.Further it also coverers risk associated and solution for it with Future outlook of proposed capacities and investment opportunities in power transmission.The Report gives insights on funding trends and trends of national and smart grid in power transmission in india.This report unveils the focus on trends related to supply and sourcing of power transmission equipment & Congestion Trends.To Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
Global Vacuum Valve Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2020) | Now Available at Researchmoz.us

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Vacuum Valve Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.The report titled Global Vacuum Valve Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2020) provides an analysis of the global vacuum valve market by value and by segments.The report assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall global vacuum valve market has also been forecasted for the period 2016-2020, taking into considerations the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.The report also portrays a competitive landscape of the vacuum valve market with comparison of top market players. VAT is the market leader, with the largest share in the global vacuum valve market.A brief company profiling of major market players namely VAT, MKS Instruments, Pfeiffer Vacuum and INFICON has been provided in the report on the basis of aspects like business overview, financial overview and business strategies adopted by these companies.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Company CoverageVATMKS InstrumentsPfeiffer VacuumINFICONExecutive SummaryVacuum valve directs the flow of fluid to create a vacuum and generally operated inside machinery which uses gauges or switches in order to control the pressure inside the valve. Vacuum is created by controlling the intake of air on one end of the valve and closing it off from being released elsewhere. There are four major types of vacuum valves: gate valve, butterfly valve, angle valve and ball valves.The global vacuum valve market has increased at a significant CAGR during the years 2012 to 2015 and projections are made that the market would rise in the next four years i.e. 2016 to 2020 tremendously. The vacuum valve market is expected to increase due to technological advancements, advanced packaging technologies, growing semiconductor industry and increasing use of valves in display technologies such as FPD and LED. Yet the market faces some challenges such as, barrier to new market entrants, increase in raw material pricing, increasing semiconductor node shrink and slow growth of OLED display market etc.Make an Enquiry of this report @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 StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Indian Coal Outlook 2016

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ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title Indian Coal Outlook 2016 to its growing collection of premium market research reports.Indian coal imports more than tripled from 64 MT in 2010 to 194 MT in 2014 as thermal generation grew at a rapid pace, while the growth in domestic production remained low.The demand for coal continued to grow in 2015 with thermal generation up a healthy 6%. However, in 2015 the growth in domestic coal production was even higher at more than 8%, the highest growth rate in at least 11 years. With production growth exceeding consumption growth, imports started to decrease and was down 16% Year on Year (YoY) in the second half of 2015.Imports continued down in first few months of 2016 , but imports in June and July were back in growth territory. Thermal power generation growth has slowed down in recent months, leading to dipping PLFs (Plant load Factors) and hence domestic coal production has also nosedived. In August and September, the YoY production growth was negative with -6% & -10% respectively and hence Year to Date coal production came down to a spare +2%To view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:Key Topics covered in this report include:1. Executive Summary2. Domestic Coal Field and Mining in India3. Domestic Coal Demand Supply Dynamics 20224. Coal Mining in India- Evaluating Cost Dynamics5. Logistics Options for Domestic Coal6. Role of Coal Washing7. Imported Coal Destinations For India8. Imported Coal supply Dynamics9. Price Analysis of Imported Coal in India10. Tracking Logistics for Imported Coal11. Price Benchmarking of Domestic and Imported Coal12. Asset Track  Domestic13. Asset Track - International14. Indias Contracts in International Coal Market15. Conclusion16. AnnexuresTo Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
Global Flooring Market with Focus on Vinyl Tiles Industry Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report (2016-2020)

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Flooring Market with Focus on Vinyl Tiles Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.The report entitled Global Flooring Market with Focus on Vinyl Tiles Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2020), provides a detailed analysis of the flooring market with analysis of market size and growth and market segmentation on the basis of materials. The analysis includes the market by value, volume and market share by product and by region. Special focus has been given on the vinyl tiles with its market size in terms of volume and market share by region.The report provides brief regional analysis of North America (including the US), Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Latin America and CIS. The regional analysis of the flooring and vinyl tiles market includes market size by volume along with the market share by product.The report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall global flooring market has also been forecasted for the period 2016-2020, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @A brief company profiling of major market players namely Armstrong, Mohawk, Tarkett and Interface has provided in the report on the basis of aspects like business overview, financial overview and business strategies adopted by these companies.Country CoverageNorth AmericaThe USAsia-PacificEuropeMiddle East & AfricaLatin AmericaCISCompany CoverageArmstrong Flooring InternationalMohawk Industries Inc.TarkettInterfaceExecutive SummaryThe flooring market can be segmented on the basis of materials and application. On the basis of materials market can be segmented into: ceramics, residential carpet, commercial carpet, vinyl, linoleum & rubber, wood & laminate and other. Out of all the different segments in the floor covering industry today, vinyl flooring has proven to be the most popular- even among industry standards like ceramic tile, plank wood, engineered wood and laminate flooring. On the basis of application, market is broadly classified into three: residential, commercial and industrial.The global flooring market witnessed an upsurge at a significant CAGR during 2013-2015 and projections are made that the market would rise in the next five years i.e. 2016-2020 at a rapid pace. Major factors contributing in the growth of the market are rapid urbanization, resurgence of construction industry, rising infrastructure spending in both developed and developing nations, rising per capita income of the population in emerging economies, rising demand for aesthetically appealing products and technological advancements etc.In the forecasted period, market will be pushed by emergence of sustainable flooring, increasing insulation demand, hassle-free installation techniques and rising demand for anti-bacterial flooring. In spite of high growth, market is still facing certain challenges that are hampering the growth of the market. Challenges encountered by the market are disposal of waste, complexity in installation, environmental & health related issues and fluctuating prices of raw materials.Make an Enquiry of this report @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 StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
New Study Reveals Global Cosmetics Market with Focus on Premium Cosmetics Market Analysis (2016-2020)

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Cosmetics Market with Focus on Premium Cosmetics Market (2016-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.The report titled Global Cosmetics Market with Focus on Premium Cosmetics Market (2016-2020), provides an in-depth analysis of the global cosmetics market by value, segments, growth rates and channel, etc. The report provides an analysis of cosmetic market by region, including the following regions: Emerging Markets, Western Europe, North America and the US.The report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall global cosmetics market has also been forecasted for the period 2016-2020, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.The competition in global cosmetics market is fragmented with the emergence of several local and regional players also. However, premium players of the cosmetic market Chanel SAS, Estee Lauder Companies, Inc., LOreal, and LVMH, who are also profiled with their financial information and respective business strategies.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Country CoverageEmerging MarketsWestern EuropeNorth AmericaCompany CoverageChanel SASEstee Lauder Companies Inc.LOrealLVMHExecutive SummaryThe cosmetics refer to the products that enhance and beautify the external appearance of the body. The cosmetics rejuvenate, refresh and enhance the physical traits of the individual without the change in the body structure and functions. In the early decades the cosmetics were used for medicinal and health reasons. The cosmetics can be classified on the basis of product range and distribution channel. The product range includes the personal hygiene products and other cosmetics. The distribution channel includes departmental stores, e-commerce, drugstores and own brand stores, etc.The cosmetics can further be classified on the basis of prestige, on the basis of need, on the basis of products and on the basis of application. There is also an emerging trend of digitalization in cosmetic and make-up category, driven by selfies, e-commerce, make-up blogging and tutorials, etc.Global cosmetic market has increased at a significant CAGR during the years 2009-2015 and projections are made that the market would rise in the next four years i.e. 2016-2020 tremendously. The cosmetic market is expected to increase due to growth in e-commerce industry, digital advertising, upsurge of social media, urbanization, emergence of male grooming products, etc. Yet the market faces some challenges such as, counterfeit products, ban on animal testing, etc.Make an Enquiry of this report @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 StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Beer Market with Focus on Craft & Premium Beer Market (2016-2020) | Now Available at Researchmoz.us

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Beer Market with Focus on Craft & Premium Beer Market: Size, Trends and Forecasts (2016-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.The report titled Global Beer Market with Focus on Craft & Premium Beer Market: Size, Trends and Forecasts (2016-2020), provides an in-depth analysis of the global beer market with detailed geographical analysis of major markets such as the US, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. The report also includes analysis of craft and premium beer in the US and other markets. Growth of market has also been forecasted for the period 2016-2020, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.The report also includes detailed analysis of leading players in the global beer industry including attributes such as business overview, recent developments, financials and strategies adopted by the market leaders in order to ensure growth, sustainability, etc.Company CoverageHeinekein Holding NVAB InBev SADiageo PLCTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Executive SummaryBeer market by category is broadly divided into premium, super premium and draught. One of the popular beer categories, Craft beer refers to beer that is not brewed by one of the big "mega-brewery" corporations. Globally, beer market has been following premiumization trend with growth advent in craft beer and premium beer segment.Global beer market is driven by rising demand from emerging markets, increasing market penetration of premium and craft beer; and growth opportunity in Asian markets. However, factors such as high regulation in craft brewing industry, distribution challenges from hypermarkets, emergence of alternative beverage categories and falling consumer demand are posing challenge to growth of the industry. Key trends prevailing in the industry includes rising consolidation in the global beer industry and growth of premium beer brands globally.Table Of Content1. Executive Summary2. Introduction2.1 Beer Market: Overview2.2 Beer Industry Analysis by Production2.3 Beer Market: Outlets3. Global Market Analysis3.1 Global Beer Market: An Analysis3.1.1 Global Beer Market Size by Value3.1.2 Global Beer Market Size by Value Forecasted3.1.3 Global Beer Industry Profit Growth3.1.4 Global Beer Market Size by Volume3.1.5 Global Beer Market Volume Share by Region3.1.6 Global Beer Market Volume Share by Competitors3.2 Global Beer Market: Pricing Analysis3.2.1 Global Beer Market Pricing Analysis4. Regional/Country Analysis4.1 Asia Beer Market: An Analysis4.1.1 Asia Beer Market Size by Volume4.1.2 Asia Beer Market Share by Nations4.1.3 China Beer Market Size by Volume4.1.4 China Beer Market Share by Competitors4.1.5 South Korea Beer Market Size by Volume4.1.6 Taiwan Beer Market Size by Volume4.1.7 Malaysia Beer Market Size by Volume4.1.8 Singapore Beer Market Size by Volume4.2 The US Beer Market: An Analysis4.2.1 The US Beer Market Size by Volume4.2.2 The US Market Size by Volume4.2.3 The US Craft Beer Market Size by Volume4.2.4 The US Premium Beer Market Size by Volume5. Market Dynamics5.1 Growth Drivers5.1.1 Demand from emerging markets5.1.2 Increasing market penetration of premium and craft beer5.1.3 Growth opportunity in Asian countries5.2 Challenges5.2.1 High regulation in craft brewing5.2.2 Distribution challenges from Hypermarket5.2.3 Emergence of alternative beverage categories5.2.4 Falling consumer demand5.3 Market Trends5.3.1 Consolidation in the Industry5.3.2 Growth of Premium Beer Brands GloballyMake an Enquiry of this report @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 StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Enzyme Industry Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report (2016-2020)

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Enzyme Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.The report entitled Global Enzyme Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2020) provides a detailed analysis of the global enzyme market with analysis of market size by value, growth, segments, etc. The report also includes a detailed regional analysis of the enzyme market in regions such as North America, Europe and India, comprising of its enzyme market by value and its growth. Under competitive landscape different players in the global enzyme market have been compared on basis of their market share, revenue and market capitalization.Novozymes, DSM and DuPont are some of the key players operating in the global enzyme market whose company profiling is done in the report. In this segment of the report, business overview, financial overview and the business strategies of the companies are provided.Country CoverageUSEuropeIndiaTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Company CoverageNovozymesRoyal DSMDuPontExecutive SummaryEnzymes are proteins that speed up the rate of a reaction. Enzymes exist in all living cells. Enzymes play an important role in the metabolic functions of all the living organisms. For example, enzymes help in breaking down of food into smaller particles which further gets converted to energy in the body. Furthermore, enzymes have multifarious applications and are used across various industries. They are used for making of bread in the baking industry. Enzymes are a key component for making various diagnostic medicines. They are used in animal feed to improve the yield of essential products from animals as well.Enzymes are not only limited to various industries, but also find applications in many household works. They can be used as a replacement to chemical detergents because they have lower energy requirements. Not only this, they are used to add flavors to many food items.The enzyme market can be segmented on the basis of there uses, type and source. On basis of use, they can be segmented into primary use and end use. Primary use includes human nutrition, animal nutrition, food processing and industrial processing. The end use includes food and beverages, bioenergy, agriculture and feed, technical and pharma and household care. On basis of type, they can be further sub segmented into lipases, carbohydrates, proteases and polymerase. On the basis of source they can be sub segmented into microorganisms, plants and animals.The global enzyme market is projected to increase at a healthy rate during the forecasted period (2016-2020). This growth is expected on account of many growth drivers such as rising per capita income, increase in demand for food and beverages enzymes, growth in baking industry, increased use in medical nutrition, growth in bio energy sector etc. Yet, the market faces some challenges as well like stringent government policies and traditional consumer preferences.Make an Enquiry of this report @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 StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Cruise Market with Focus on The Premium Cruise Market (2016-2020) | Latest Market Survey

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Cruise Market with Focus on The Premium Cruise Market (2016-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.The report entitled Global Cruise Market with Focus on The Premium Cruise Market (2016-2020), provides analysis of the global cruise market, with detailed analysis of market size and growth, penetration, market share and economic impact of the industry. The report also provides the analysis of the global premium cruise market by share, by order, by players, etc.The report also provides the regional analysis of the cruise market by number of passengers and number of berths of the following regions: North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.Furthermore, the report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall global cruise market has also been forecasted for the years 2016-2020, taking into consideration the previous growth pattern, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise are some of the key companies in the global cruise market. The company profiling of these companies has been done in the report, which includes business overview, financial overview and respective business strategies of the companies.Country CoverageNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificCompany CoverageCarnival Corporation & plcRoyal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.Executive SummaryThe cruise industry can be divided on the basis of the size of the cruise and marketing focus into four segments, namely: contemporary, premium, luxury and others. The cruise market can also be divided on the basis of purpose into: mainstream cruise ship, mega cruise ship, ocean cruise ship, luxury cruise ship, small cruise ship, adventure cruise ship, expedition cruise ship and river cruise ship.The cruise market is expected to increase at a significant growth rate during the forecasted period (2016-2020). The global cruise market is supported by various growth drivers, such as increase in GDP, rapid urbanization, declining unemployment, increase in onboard facilities, etc. Yet, the market faces certain challenges, such as, rising fuel cost, increasing LIBOR rate, cruise accidents, etc.Make an Enquiry of this report @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 StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Latest Research Report on Global Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) Market Analysis (2016-2020)

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.The report titled Global Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2020) provides an in-depth analysis of the global UPS market by value, volume, applicability, region, etc. The report also provides an analysis of the UPS market by region: North America, Latin America, EMEA, Western Europe and Asia.Furthermore, it assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall global UPS market has also been forecasted for the period 2016-2020, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.The competition in global UPS market is fragmented with several brands competing in the market. Further, key players of the UPS market: APC (Schneider Electric), Eaton Corporation plc and Emerson are profiled with their financial information and respective business strategies.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Country CoverageNorth AmericaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeRest of EMEAAsiaCompany CoverageAPC (Schneider Electric)Eaton Corporation plcEmersonExecutive SummaryUPS is a power supply electronic device that bridges the power supply gap to the equipment when there is a power outage. It provides a safe, stable and uninterrupted electric energy to the equipment when the main supply fails. The UPS is emerging as an essential infrastructure for the development of the economies. The components of the UPS are rectifier, battery, inverter and transfer switch. The development in electronics and computer based devices, has increased the usage of sensitive electronics equipment like personal computers, super computers, data processors, digital controllers etc. Such devices requires interruption free power supply, because these devices have to handle data in memories and processors.The types of UPS include: offline UPS, line interactive, online UPS, standby ferro UPS, etc. Since, the major function of the UPS is to provide a stable and an uninterrupted power supply to the equipment to keep the activities running, the applicability of the electronic device is burgeoning in data centres, healthcare and medical, telecommunications and other industries, etc.The UPS market is expected to increase at a significant CAGR during the years 2016-2020. The UPS market is estimated to increase due to growth in global infrastructure, increasing public cloud computing services, increasing IT spending on data centres, increase in global number of ATM machines, increase in global number of internet users, etc. Yet the market faces some challenges such as, maintenance cost, startup cost, infrastructure setup and consistent innovation, etc.Make an Enquiry of this report @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 StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
New Survey on Global PARP Inhibitor Market: Size, Trends and Forecasts (2016-2020) | Researchmoz.us

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global PARP Inhibitor Market: Size, Trends and Forecasts (2016-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.The report titled Global PARP Inhibitor Market: Size, Trends and Forecasts (2016-2020) provides an in-depth analysis of the global PARP inhibitor market with detailed analysis of market size on the basis of value along with the comprehensive examination of each of the segments of the market, namely, Lynparza, Niraparib, Rucaparib, Talazoparib and Veliparib.The report analyses the global Lynparza market in detail along with the regional analysis as it is the only commercialized product in the market. The clinical trials of Niraparib, Rucaparib, Talazoparib and Veliparib are also summarized along with the anticipated market commencement for each of the products.The report provides detailed market potential of PARP inhibitor in Ovarian cancer, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer and Pancreatic cancer. This section provides the detailed analysis of the clinical trials of various PARP inhibitors for the concerned cancer treatment.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall global PARP inhibitor market has also been forecasted for the period 2016-2020, taking into consideration the research & development, the growth drivers and the current and future trends. The competition in the global PARP inhibitor market is stiff and dominated by the big players like AstraZeneca. Further, key players in the market, AbbVie, Clovis Oncology, Medivation and Tesaro are also profiled with their financial information and respective business strategies.Regional CoverageGlobalCompany CoverageAstraZeneca PLCAbbVie Inc.Clovis Oncology, Inc.Medivation, Inc.Tesaro, Inc.Executive SummaryThe global PARP inhibitor market has flourished since 2015 as in late 2014, the first PARP inhibitor product was launched and projections are made that the market would rise in the next five years i.e. 2016-2020 tremendously. The market is spread across the globe with the United States and Europe dominating the market.The PARP inhibitor market can be segmented on the basis of the products into Lynparza, Niraparib, Rucaparib, Talazoparib and Veliparib. Currently, Lynparza is the only commercialized product in the market while other four products are in the development/trial stage. The market for Veliparib is expected to flourish since 2017 while the markets for Niraparib, Rucaparib and Talazoparib is expected to commence from 2018.The major growth drivers for the global PARP inhibitor market are: rise in cancer incidences and PARP inhibitors in clinical routine. Despite the market is governed by growth drivers, there are certain challenges faced by the market such as: side-effects of PARP inhibitors and resistance to PARP inhibition. Some of the recent and major trends in the market include, various PARP inhibitors in the pipeline, inhibiting enzyme versus PARP trapping, the combination of PARP inhibitor & c-MET and pill burden likely to decline in the near future.Make an Enquiry of this report @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 StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Nail Polish Market Research Report of Top Countries 2017-2022

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Nail Polish Market is growing rapidly and it has a huge market ahead. So we are happy to provide you latest Nail Polish Market report that will help you to analyse the whole industry. This report provides top countries manufacturers information along with market overview, sales, revenue, share and forecast. It also provides growth rate, market size, Price and Gross Margin.This report studies Nail Polish in Global market, especially in United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, China, Japan, India, Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, Brazil, Middle East and Africa.Browse Full Report with TOC @The report focuses on the top Manufacturers in each country, covering OPI ZOTOS ACCENT Maybelline Dior Chanel ORLY ANNA SUI Revlon Sally Hansen MISSHA CND Butter London Kiko COSMAY Nails Inc Essie LOREAL Bobbi Brown Nars Rimmel China GlazeSplit by Product Types, with sales, revenue, price, market share of each type, can be divided into Base coat Top coat Gel MatteSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Nail Polish in each application, can be divided into Nail art institutions Individuals? OthersDownload Free Sample Report of Nail Polish Market @Table of Contents - Snapshot1 Market Overview2 Global Sales, Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Manufacturers3 Global Sales, Revenue (Value) by Countries, Type and Application (2012-2017)4 Global Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis5 North America Sales, Revenue (Value) by Countries, Type and Application (2012-2017)6 Latin America Sales, Revenue (Value) by Countries, Type and Application (2012-2017)7 Europe Sales, Revenue (Value) by Countries, Type and Application (2012-2017)8 Asia-Pacific Sales, Revenue (Value) by Countries, Type and Application (2012-2017)9 Middle East and Africa Sales, Revenue (Value) by Countries, Type and Application (2012-2017)10 Manufacturing Cost Analysis11 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers12 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Global Market Forecast (2017-2022)15 Research Findings and Conclusion16 AppendixOrder a Copy of Complete Nail Polish Market Research Report @Other Related reports -2017-2022 Global Top Countries Nail Care Market Report @About Us:DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.3rd Floor,Fountain Chambers,Nanabhai Lane,Fort, Mumbai - 40001E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.comPhone: +91 99 28 237112Website:
Global 3D IC Market: Emerging Market Trends, Size, Share and Growth Analysis

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The Global 3D IC Market research report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Global 3D IC Market key players are: Company A Company B Company C Company DBrowse the full Global 3D IC Market Research Report @The report provides an extensive analysis of current and future market status of the world 3D IC Market.This market analysis includes a detailed segmentation of the Global 3D IC Market by development trend and by application.The report covers the present year 2017 scenario and the growth prospects of the Global 3D IC Market for 2017-2021.The report Global 3D IC Market 2017-2021 has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market. The report also covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years.The 3D IC Market By Geography North America Asia-Pacific EuropeRequest a sample of Global 3D IC Market Research Report @Some of the points from table of content:Industry Overview Definition Classification Share Analysis Application AnalysisMarket Analysis Product Development History Process Development History Competitive Landscape AnalysisIndustry Development Trend Capacity Production Overview Production Market Share Analysis Demand OverviewMarket Status and Forecast Supply Demand and Shortage Import Export Consumption Cost Price Production Value Gross MarginReasons for Buying this Global 3D IC Market Research Report This report helps to analyzed the world's main region market conditions It provides product manufacturing processes It provides industry policies and plans It provides overview of product specification It provides cost structures & so on.The Report Contains: 165 Pages.Price of the report: 2850$ (single user license)Check discount @About Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Us:Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas - 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019Follow Us on LinkedIn:Follow us on Twitter:Follow us on G+ :
Global Voice Coil Motor (VCM) Market and Forecast Report of Top Countries 2017-2022

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Voice Coil Motor (VCM) market is in boom now. The latest Voice Coil Motor (VCM) Market report contains complete Industry outlook, market manufacturers and key statistics analysis. The industry sales & Share, industrys trends are all discussed, explained and analyzed. It provides marketing strategy analysis, distributors/traders list, raw materials analysis, import & export analysis.This report studies Voice Coil Motor (VCM) in Global market, especially in United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, China, Japan, India, Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, Brazil, Middle East and Africa.Browse Full Report with TOC @The report focuses on the top Manufacturers in each country, covering Alps Mitsumi TDK JAHWA SEMCO New-Shicoh Billu Hysonic LG Innotek Guixin Xinhongzhou JCT JSSSplit by Product Types, with sales, revenue, price, market share of each type, can be divided into AF VCM OIS VCMSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Voice Coil Motor (VCM) Industry in each application, can be divided into 16MDownload Free Sample Report of Voice Coil Motor (VCM) Market @Table of Contents - Snapshot1 Market Overview2 Global Sales, Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Manufacturers3 Global Sales, Revenue (Value) by Countries, Type and Application (2012-2017)4 Global Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis5 North America Sales, Revenue (Value) by Countries, Type and Application (2012-2017)6 Latin America Sales, Revenue (Value) by Countries, Type and Application (2012-2017)7 Europe Sales, Revenue (Value) by Countries, Type and Application (2012-2017)8 Asia-Pacific Sales, Revenue (Value) by Countries, Type and Application (2012-2017)9 Middle East and Africa Sales, Revenue (Value) by Countries, Type and Application (2012-2017)10 Manufacturing Cost Analysis11 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers12 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Global Market Forecast (2017-2022)15 Research Findings and Conclusion16 AppendixOrder a Copy of Complete Voice Coil Motor (VCM) Market Research Report @Other Related reports -About Us:DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.3rd Floor,Fountain Chambers,Nanabhai Lane,Fort, Mumbai - 40001E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.comPhone: +91 99 28 237112Web:
Oncology Information System Market Global Industry Volume By Region 2016 - 2024

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According to a report by the American Cancer Society, 50% of men and 30% of women are estimated to develop cancer in some form or the other in their lifetime. Increase in amount of cancer patients is a major driver of the sales of the oncology information system market. Additionally, rise in amount of tobacco consumption and increase in amount of carcinogens present in the polluted air or in any other form are projected to drive the oncology information system market in the near future. Some of the factors driving the growth of the market are rising disposable income, which enables patients to avail expensive treatments, easily available medical insurance policies, and growing medical tourism activities. Heavy investments in R&D further act as an opportunity for the growth of the market since innovative and technologically advanced products always have the capability of substituting its predecessors.Oncology information system is an image and information management system that allows to check all parts of oncology care for patients. Oncology information system combines medical, surgical, and radiation oncology information into a comprehensive, oncology electronic medical record that allows to manage patient's details from start of the patients admission through diagnosis and follow-up details.Obtain Report Details @The factors driving the growth of the oncology information system market are increase in technological adaption and technological advancement. Increase in health care infrastructure in developing nations, growth in prevalence of secondary tumor, and rise in incidence of cancer are the other factors anticipated to propel the growth of the oncology information system market during the forecast period. According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide; in 2012, there were 14 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer-related deaths worldwide. However, lack of health care IT professionals and strict regulation are likely to restrict the growth of the oncology information system market.The oncology information system market has been segmented by product, application, end-user, and geography. Based on product, the oncology information system market is classified into patient information system, treatment planning system, consulting/optimization, implementation, maintenance, services, and others. Based on application, the market is segmented into care management, treatment management, and knowledge management. Based on end-user, the oncology information system market is segmented into hospital, government institution, research center, and others.Geographically, the oncology information system market in segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to account for a large market share in terms of revenue, followed by Europe. The oncology information system market in North America is expected to grow due to technological advancement and increase in demand for advanced product. The growing need to implement advanced systems in the health care sector in the region and, at the same time, deliver quality care to patients are the factors likely to drive the market in the near future. Asia Pacific is expected to rise at a high CAGR owing to increase in adoption of technological advanced products, growth in disposable income, and rise in health care infrastructure in countries such as India, China, Australia, and other countries in the region. The Latin America oncology information system market is mainly driven by the increasing adoption of technological products in countries such as Brazil and Mexico. The Middle East & Africa oncology information system market is estimated to grow in the near future due to rise in incidence of cancer. According to World Health Organization, women in the African region had the highest incidence of cancer of the cervix uteri.Major players operating in this market include CureMD Healthcare, Varian Medical Systems, Inc., Flatiron Health, Inc., Epic Systems Corporation, Bogardus Medical Systems, Inc., Cerner Corporation, McKesson Corporation, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Elekta AB, and Accuray 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.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @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:Browse market research blog:
Global 3D Mobile Devices Sales 2015 Market Research Report Emerging Trends, Growth Drivers, Future Outlook and Opportunities

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ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Global 3D Mobile Devices Sales 2015 Market Research Report " to it's Large Report database.The Global 3D Mobile Devices Sales 2015 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the 3D Mobile Devices market.The report provides a basic overview of the 3D Mobile Devices 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 3D Mobile Devices market size (volume and value), and the sales segment market is also discussed by product type, application and region.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:The major 3D Mobile Devices 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 3D Mobile Devices.The report focuses on global major leading companies providing information such as company profiles, sales, sales revenue, market share and contact information. Then the 3D Mobile Devices production market status is discussed.Finally the marketing, feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.With 178 tables and figures the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Read All Semiconductors Market Research Reports @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview1.1 Definition and Specifications of 3D Mobile Devices1.1.1 Definition of 3D Mobile Devices1.1.2 Specifications of 3D Mobile Devices1.2 Classification of 3D Mobile Devices1.3 Applications of 3D Mobile Devices1.4 Industry Chain Structure of 3D Mobile Devices1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of 3D Mobile Devices1.5.1 Industry Overview of 3D Mobile Devices1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of 3D Mobile Devices1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of 3D Mobile Devices1.7 Industry News Analysis of 3D Mobile Devices2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of 3D Mobile Devices2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of 3D Mobile Devices2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of 3D Mobile Devices2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of 3D Mobile Devices2.4 Other Costs Analysis of 3D Mobile Devices2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of 3D Mobile Devices2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of 3D Mobile Devices3 Global 3D Mobile Devices Sales, Sales Price and Market Size (Volume and Value) 2010-2015 Analysis3.1 Global 2010-2015 3D Mobile Devices Market Size Analysis3.2 Global 2010-2015 3D Mobile Devices Sales Price Analysis3.3 Global 2010-2015 3D Mobile Devices Sales by Companies3.4 Global 2010-2015 3D Mobile Devices Sales by Product Type3.5 Global 2010-2015 3D Mobile Devices Sales by Applications3.6 Global 2010-2015 3D Mobile Devices Sales by RegionAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's 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. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
Global Life Insurance Market - Advanced technologies, Global Forecast and Winning Imperatives

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ALBANY, NY, March 6, 2017 : ResearchMoz presents professional and in-depth study of "Life Insurance Global Industry Guide 2016".Global Life Insurance industry profile provides top-line qualitative and quantitative summary information including: market share, market size (value 2011-15, and forecast to 2020). The profile also contains descriptions of the leading players including key financial metrics and analysis of competitive pressures within the market.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Key Findings- Save time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the size, growth, major segments, and leading players in the global life insurance market- Use the Five Forces analysis to determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of the global life insurance market- Leading company profiles reveal details of key life insurance market players global operations and financial performance- Add weight to presentations and pitches by understanding the future growth prospects of the global life insurance market with five year forecastsSynopsisEssential resource for top-line data and analysis covering the global life insurance market. Includes market size and segmentation data, textual and graphical analysis of market growth trends and leading companies.ReasonsToBuy- What was the size of the global life insurance market by value in 2015?- What will be the size of the global life insurance market in 2020?- What factors are affecting the strength of competition in the global life insurance market?- How has the market performed over the last five years?- Who are the top competitors in the global life insurance market?Make an Enquiry of this report @Key HighlightsThe value of the life insurance market is shown in terms of gross premium incomes from mortality protection and retirement savings plans. All currency conversions have been calculated using constant 2015 annual average exchange rates. The insurance market depends on a variety of economic and non-economic factors and future performance is difficult to predict. The forecast given in this report is not based on a complex economic model, but is intended as a rough guide to the direction in which the market is likely to move.The global life insurance market had total gross written premiums of $2,504.5bn in 2015, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5% between 2011 and 2015.The life insurance segment was the market's most lucrative in 2015, with total gross written premiums of $1,704.1bn, equivalent to 68% of the market's overall value.Asia-Pacific accounts for the largest share of the global market, closely followed by Europe. Growth is largely being driven by countries such as China, India, and Russia.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.ResearchMoz90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States
Precise Analysis & Key Pointers for Global Android Mobile Game Handle Market Forecasted During the Period 2017-2022

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In recent times, the android mobile game handle market is rapidly gaining momentum. A research report titled Global Android Mobile Game Handle Market Research Report 2017 provides an in-depth study of the current market conditions and future prospects of the Android Mobile Game Handle market globally. The report provides insights into the global market trends, key players, competitive landscape and key regions. Market Drivers and Opportunities, Potential Applications and Emerging Markets/Countries are thoroughly studied in the report. The report makes predictions about the Android Mobile Game Handle market growth over the coming years. These predictions factor in important inputs from leading market experts and every detail available regarding the Android Mobile Game Handle market is taken into account.Request Free Sample Report@Firstly, the report provides the basic outline of the Android Mobile Game Handle market including definitions, applications, classifications and industry chain structure. The report gives the information about the developmental policies and plans as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. The report studies the emerging trends in the market by utilizing the data integration and analysis techniques. It further provides an industrial overview, revenue share and SWOT analysis of the leading players in the Android Mobile Game Handle market.In terms of geography, the Global Android Mobile Game Handle Market can be divided into the following regions:North AmericaChinaEuropeJapanKoreaTaiwanThe report discusses Production, Revenue, Price, Gross Margin, current status and future prospect of each geographical regions. Segregation is also done on the basis of product type into Bluetooth and USB. Details regarding production, revenue, price, market share, and growth rate of each type are discussed in the report. On the basis of application, the market is divided into various segments and factors including consumption, market share and growth rate and the study is done for each segment. For new players in the market, information like key segments, cost structure, growth opportunities and new project proposals are mentioned. Moreover, the effect of latest acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures have been studied in the report.The landscape of the Global Android Mobile Game Handle Market is very competitive as several medium and big players. The report provides information including capacity, production, price, revenue, and market share for each manufacturer in the global market. Key players in the industry are as followsRead Full Report with TOC@Mad Catz, Moga, Sony, Nvidia, 8bitdo, Nyko, Razer Inc., Ipega, Sminiker, Steelseries, Controllers, Gametel, Evolution.About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of Market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Follow Us on:LinkedIn:Facebook:Twitter:
Research of Regenerative Medicine Market in Global Industry : Technology, Applications, Growth and Status 2017

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ALBANY, NY, March 6, 2017 : ResearchMoz presents professional and in-depth study of "Global Regenerative Medicine Industry 2015".The Global Regenerative Medicine Industry 2015 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Regenerative Medicine industry.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.The Regenerative Medicine market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @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 focuses on global major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out.The Regenerative Medicine industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview1.1 Definition and Specifications of Regenerative Medicine1.2 Classification of Regenerative Medicine1.3 Applications of Regenerative Medicine1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Regenerative Medicine1.5 Industry Regional Overview of Regenerative Medicine1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Regenerative Medicine1.7 Industry News Analysis of Regenerative Medicine2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Regenerative Medicine2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Regenerative Medicine2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Regenerative Medicine2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Regenerative Medicine2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Regenerative Medicine2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Regenerative Medicine2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Regenerative MedicineMake an Enquiry of this report @3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Key Manufacturers in 20143.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Key Regenerative Medicine Manufacturers in 20143.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Regenerative Medicine Key Manufacturers in 20143.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Regenerative Medicine Key Manufacturers in 2014ResearchMoz 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.ResearchMoz90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States
Hearable Devices Market Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2016 - 2022

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New York, March 06: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Hearable Devices Market By Technology (Headphones or Earbuds, Personal Sound Amplifiers (PSAPs) and Hearing aids)  Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2016 - 2022Hearable Devices Market is the next Multi-Billion Dollar industry. Many technology companies are heavily investing in this sector.Browse Full Report:The hearable is as yet being created in light of the fact that while some do exist in the commercial center, we are a long way from immersion. In this manner, to a few people hearables may simply be remote earbuds with cutting edge highlights, however to others it might be much more the same as a listening device. A hearable is a remote in-ear computational earpiece. Basically you have a smaller scale PC that fits in your ear trench and uses remote innovation to supplement and improve your listening knowledge. Numerous hearables will likewise include extra components, for example, heart rate observing.To start with, amplifier organizations are starting to perceive that clients need a gadget that accomplishes more than right and enhance sound. They need to have the capacity to adjust flawlessly with remote gadgets, for example, their cell phone, for phone calls, music, recreations, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. Second, business gadgets organizations (all the more particularly earphone makers) are understanding the capability of "bionics," or making in-ear buds that measure biometrics, yield incredible quality sounding music, and (this is the most current part) can possibly increase sound.The hearable devices market is segmented on the lines of its technology like headphones or Earbuds, personal sound amplifers (PSAPs) and hearing aids. The hearable devices market covers the geographic segmentation in various regions such as North America, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Europe & APAC. Each geographic market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, China, Japan, India, Brazil, U.K. Germany, and GCC countries.This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for hearable devices and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2022.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for hearable devices.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for Hearable Devices with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers information regarding competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Apple, Zen Sensor, Valencell, Sony, BitBit, Samsung, Bose, Skullcandy, Panasonic, Apply, Koss, Harman Kardon, LG, Doppler Labs, Huawei and Invensense etc. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, SWOT analysis and current developments, financial summary, business strategy and planning.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.The Hearable Devices Market has been segmented as below:By Technology AnalysisHeadphones or EarbudsPersonal sound amplifiers (PSAPs)Hearing aidsBy Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the WorldReasons to Buy this Report:1) Obtain the most up to date information available on all hearable devices.2) Identify growth segments and opportunities in the industry.3) Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historic and forecast of hearable devices data.4) Assess your competitors refining portfolio and its evolution.About MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
CCTV Market - Asia Pacific And Is Expected To See The Fastest Growth In The Region

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Global CCTV Market: OverviewWith millions of CCTV cameras monitoring individuals, places of historic importance, traffic signals, healthcare premises, educational institutes, airports, shopping malls, and every possible place or event of significance, ubiquitous surveillance has become a norm. The global CCTV market has obtained traction and regular product and technology developments are being introduced in the market on a regular basis.The report on the global CCTV market gives a detailed outlook of the this markets present state, its crucial segments, major driving forces, challenges, and trends, and an analysis of the combined impact of these factors on the future developmental prospects of the market. The report gives a forward-looking perspective for the market from 2016 through 2024 across major end-use industries, technologies, regional markets, and other major segments.Browse Market Research Report @The report also gives a thorough overview of the competitive landscape of the global CCTV market, wherein details pertaining to market share, finances, revenues, product profiles, and market strategies of some of the most prominent vendors in the market have been given.Global CCTV Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe global CCTV market is driven by the rising crime rates and terror attacks across the globe and increased investments by governments and municipalities as ways of mitigating the same. Heightened concerns regarding safety and protection of employees and intellectual property among companies is also leading to the increased adoption of CCTV cameras in organizational infrastructures.The rising number of companies offering technologically advanced products and services at competitive costs has led to increased traction of the market, especially in developing regions, in the past few years. The rising penetration of CCTV systems in the healthcare, banking, and retail sectors is also a major driving force for the global CCTV market.Global CCTV Market: SegmentationSome of the major application areas for the global CCTV camera market include fields such as BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance), healthcare, transportation, education, business, and retail.On the basis of product type, the global CCTV market is segmented into varieties such as conventional, discreet, dome, and bullet CCTV cameras. On the basis of technology, the market is segmented into analog CCTV systems, wireless CCTV systems, IP-based CCTV systems, and hybrid CCTV systems. On the basis of surveillance components, the global CCTV market is segmented into CCTV camera, video surveillance storage mechanisms, and video surveillance software and analytics.Global CCTV Market: Region-wise OutlookGeographically, the global CCTV market has been segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Rest of the World (RoW). The CCTV market has attained maturity in developed regions such as Europe and North America and earns steady revenues from these regional markets. The market is performing well in developing parts of Asia Pacific and is expected to see the fastest growth in the region owing to the huge demand from several end-use sectors in countries such as India and China over the forecast period.China, being the global leader when it comes to electronics, holds a crucial position in the global CCTV market and is a major revenue generator. Over the forecast period as well, the global CCTV market is expected to gain a major share in revenue from China.Global CCTV Market: Competitive LandscapeThe market features intense competition with several players operating across the major sectors of the global CCTV market: Product manufacturing, software product development, and services. The significant demand for products with high precision, excellent video quality, and innovative features such as facial recognition have prompted product manufacturers and software developers to introduce technologically advanced products. The presence of several prominent vendors in the market has also led to intense cost reductions and the availability of several product varieties at competitive prices.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @Some of the major vendors operating in the global CCTV market are Samsung Techwin, Honeywell International Inc., Baxawell, Hikvision, Toshiba Corporation, Panasonic System Network Co. Limited, Schneider Electric, Axis Corporation, ADT Security Systems, Bosch Security Systems Inc., Checkpoint system, Vicon industries, and Mitsubishi Electric.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.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.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Smart Electricity Meters Market - Growth And Value Chain 2016-2024

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Smart electricity meters are an electric device that is used to calculate the amount of energy consumed. Smart electricity meters come with monitors so that energy usage can be easily measured. The monitoring is used to measure the quality of power so that it can lower the energy cost and extend the machines life.Smart electricity meters market is raising significantly due to growing role of Cloud services in smart metering operations. Smart electricity meters provide significant advantages in various applications such as industrial, commercial and residential among others. The factor driving the growth of the market is the rising demand for efficient data monitoring systems. In addition, renewable energy integration to smart grid infrastructure is the other factor contributing towards the market growth.The rising numbers of smart cities are anticipated to boost the demand for smart electricity meters, which further add to the overall revenue. Smart electricity meter has several advantages such as responding and identifying to power outages, launching innovative service models, preventing energy thefts, remotely deactivating and activating subscription, implementing innovative tariff schemes, facilitating secured communication and hacking identification among others.Smart electricity meters are used in various sectors such as automobile, oil & gas, mining, water treatment, chemical & petrochemical, pulp & paper, food & beverage and power generation among others. In addition, consumption of smart electricity meters gains momentum in industrial & commercial sectors is set to bolster the global smart electricity meters market. Industrial growth in developing nations of Asia Pacific is one of the major factors driving the market for smart electricity meter. Increase in penetration of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is boosting the demand for smart electricity market, globally.Browse Market Research Report @Based on phase, the smart electricity meters market is segmented into three phase and single phase. Among different phase types, three phase have received extensive acceptance in the last few years due to rapid commercialization and industrialization. The three-phase is anticipated to rise at the highest rate. In addition, single phase is the second largest market in phase category in the smart electricity meters market in terms of revenue.Based on the various end use types, the smart electricity meters market is segmented into industrial, commercial and residential. In 2015, the residential segment expected to be the leading market. There are several major factors driving the market for smart electric meters in the residential sector such as a surge in demand for smart end-users which includes energy proficient lighting, nanotechnologies, home control network and electric heat pump among others. Urbanized economies in Europe and North America are spending huge amounts to swap the old meters with the new smart electric meters. They are also taking initiatives to save energy by alerting and notifying the consumers about their usage of electricity. The smart electricity meters is used in various industry such as automobile, oil & gas, mining, water treatment, chemical and petrochemical, pulp and paper, food & beverage, power generation, general machineries, semiconductors and among others.Under communication technology types, the market is segmented into power line communication, radio frequency and cellular. Power line communication is anticipated to grow at the maximum growth rate during the estimate period.Based on the regions, the smart electricity meters market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). Asia Pacific grips the major market share trailed by North America. China is the major contributors to the smart electricity meters market in Asia Pacific. Smart electricity meters is high in Asia Pacific is due to huge appetite for electricity and rapid industrialization. However, the market for smart electricity meters has seen the growth in product innovation from companies like Environmental Manufacturing, Inc. (Emi), Heitman Laboratories, Inc., Kws Manufacturing Company Ltd., Kmb Systems and S.R.O. among others nearly one hundred others company. In addition, Asia Pacific is also a lucrative market for air conditioners, washing machines, digital camera and automobiles which in turn, are fueling the growth of Smart electricity meters market. China held the biggest share of the Asia Pacific market in 2014. Smart Electricity Meters are attached with various electronic devices to automate several functions.For more information on this report, fill the form @Some of the important players in the smart electric meter market includes are Siemens AG (Germany), Itron (U.S.), Schneider Electric SE (France), Wasion Group (China), Aclara Technologies LLC (U.S.). These top players are trying to penetrate rising economies and are adopting different methods to boost their market share. Some of the others players are Aclara Technologies LLC, Atmel Corporation, Genus Power Infrastructure Ltd., Honeywell International Inc, Holley Metering, Genus Power Infrastructure Ltd., Jiangsu Linyang Electronics Co., Ltd., Networked Energy Services (NES) Corporation and Toshiba Corporation among others.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.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Automotive Semiconductors Market - Volume Forecast And Value Chain Analysis 2016-2024

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Increasing safety systems, not only passive safety e.g. seat belts, but mainly by electronic such as air bags, anti-lock braking systems (ABS), electronic stability control (ECS), blind spot detection (BSD), adaptive cruise control (ACC) and lane change assist (LCA) among others. These all intelligent functions mentioned above require a semiconductor device to perform their function. The main function of a semiconductor is to conduct electricity easily in one direction among other more specific functions.Regulations regarding safety and emission will drive the market for connected components and devices in the vehicle to ensure monitoring and reporting of vehicle emission complying to the regulations set by the government. They require increasingly powerful semiconductors to ensure that vehicles performance is in compliance. Thus the above reason in turn is helping the market for automotive semiconductors to grow during the forecasted period from 2016  2024.Browse Market Research Report @Moreover vehicle standards such as New Car Assessment program (NCAP) that gives safety ratings to new vehicles manufactured as star-ratings, is boosting the car manufacturers to provide more and more electronic components to provide more safety and security systems for the vehicle. Obtaining the highest level of five star rating can act as a strong selling point for the vehicles. Its achievement relies on complex and sophisticated assisted driving systems that require significant semiconductor content for these systems to function.The major drivers of automotive semiconductors market are growing numbers of electronic devices in a car to add passenger safety features and driver assistance systems. Even connected cars concept and other electronic devices present in the car that need to coordinate with the electronic control unit (ECU) are helping the growth of automotive semiconductors market during the forecasted period.For the purpose of detailed analysis, the global automotive semiconductor market can be segmented on the basis of vehicle type, component, application and geography. Based on vehicle type, the market can be bifurcated into passenger car, light commercial vehicle (LCV), heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) and hybrid vehicle. The passenger car segment can be further classified into compact and sub-compact vehicle, sedan, and SUV among others. On the other hand, various components used in automotive semiconductor includes processors, analog ICs, sensors, discrete power and memory. In automotive, different types of semiconductors also finds it application in telematics & infotainment, safety and powertrain. In addition, information regarding current market situation as well as future predictive growth trend of various above mentioned segments is also provided across different regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle-East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America.Based on component, the global semiconductor vehicle market is majorly driven by the discrete power segment during the forecast period from 2016 to 2024. Increasing demand for electrification of the major automobile applications such as powertrain and ABS among others is the most important factor anticipated to accelerate the demand of power components such as IGBT and MOSFET.For more information on this report, fill the form @Again by application, telematics & infotainment segment held the largest market share in 2015. Increasing competition among various vehicle manufacturers to offer better comfort and convenience to their customers is encouraging different automobile manufacturers to use various semiconductor components for telematics and infotainment applications.Geographically, Asia Pacific region is predicted to dominate the automotive semiconductor market during the forecast period from 2016 to 2024. Rapid technological advancement taking place in the automotive sector in Asia Pacific region in respect of increased safety, reduced fuel consumption and powertrain applications is the primary factor anticipated to drive the demand of semiconductors used in automotive.Some of the major players operating in the automotive semiconductor market includes Infineon technologies (Germany), NXP Semiconductors N.V. (Netherlands.), Texas Instruments Inc. (U.S.), Toshiba Corporation (Japan.), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany) and ON Semiconductor Corp. (U.S.) among others.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.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.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Market - Growth In The Demand For Evs In Countries Such As China Is Expected To Fuel The Demand

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The lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) battery refers to rechargeable lithium-ion battery which uses LiFePO as a cathode material. The energy density in LiFePO batteries are lower as compared to that of have common LiCoO design available in consumer electronic. However, better power density and longer lifetimes and safety are some of the benefits associated with these batteries.. Lithium Iron Phosphate, also known as LFP has various features such as long cycle life, high safety and high temperature resistance. Lithium iron phosphate batteries find application in power tools, electric vehicles, energy storage devices and electric bicycles among others. But as of now, the main use of Lithium Iron Phosphate battery is its use power batteries for electric vehicles.Browse Market Research Report @The Lithium Iron Phosphate battery market is expected to grow as a result of various factors such as the ever increasing population due to which there has been a significant depletion of fossil fuel reserves. This has led to a shift in the focus on the part of various countries towards have renewable power generation. Therefore, as a result of increasing focus towards renewable energy to address the serious concern of climate change and also improving upon the energy conservation is expected to contribute to the growth of the Lithium Iron Phosphate battery market during the forecast period. Moreover, there has also been a growing focus towards the integration of renewable energy resources with power grid networks which in turn is fuelling the growth of the market. These hybrid power systems and power grids use lithium iron phosphate batteries as a backup.As per trends it has been observed that the various manufacturers of Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are continuously engaged in research and development activities. The market requires extensive investments and return on investment is a time taking process. This has resulted in the manufacturers to be heavily dependent on government funding in order to expand their their facilities. Moreover, as a result of favorable government policies in countries such as Japan, South Korea and China among others is helping the market to flourish. The government in these countries are in support of green and eco-friendly technologies, which is bound to result in many manufacturers to enter the market and develop their own manufacturing units. Currently, the Lithium Iron Phosphate battery market is highly competitive and product quality, brand recognition, durability, reliability, pricing and energy density are of prime importance for the manufacturers in order to stay afloat in the competition. Furthermore, manufacturers offering better quality products at a competitive price are expected to prefer.The lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) battery on the basis of application can be segmented into; EVs and HEVs (electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicle), Renewable power and Consumer electronics. The EVs and HEVs is expected to dominate the market in terms of revenue. Unconventional energy storage systems that have the capability to enhance the performance and vehicle efficiency are an important area of focus for the EV manufacturers. As a result of long cycle time and high energy density, lithium iron phosphate batteries are expected to be the most preferred choice as far as alternative energy storage systems are concerned. Therefore, the growth in the demand for EVs in countries such as China is expected to fuel the demand for lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) batteries.Geographically, the lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) battery market can be segmented into five regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America.For more information on this report, fill the form @Some of the key players operating in the lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) battery market are BYD, A123, Electrical Vehicle Power System Technology, OptimumNano Energy, K2Energy, Pihsiang Energy Technology and Victory Battery Technology among others.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.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.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Estate information delivered automatically if you die?

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San Francisco, CA (March 6, 2017)Estate information delivered automatically if you die? AfterVault.com announces a unique approach.AfterVault.com, a digital lockbox for your will, life insurance, valuables, accounts, and other vital information, has announced an innovative way to automatically deliver this information to those close to you if you are no longer able to attend your own affairs. And they do it for free.Lots of people think they have everything in order should something happen to them. They have a will, life insurance, maybe an inventory of valuables, a health care directive. Thats all great but it does their family little good if they cant find that information.The loss of such information is a surprisingly widespread problem. CNN Money estimates $58 billion in lost account funds; 60 Minutes reported that there are many billions of dollars of unclaimed life insurance, and the Humane Society estimates that up to half a million pets are placed in shelters each year when their human passes. Its impossible to estimate how many wills are lost or valuables destroyed but anecdotal evidence indicates that these dollars are probably also in the billions.A California company called AfterVault.com has gone a long way toward solving this problem. Their solution has two major components.First, they provide cloud-based encrypted vaults with categorized sections for the vital information your family is likely to need including documents and photos, and information about accounts, insurance, pets, social media, etc.Second, and most interestingly, they provide a patent-pending mechanism to check on you and then inform or remind a guardian about the vault.I think nothing in my life has gratified me more than talking to our customers and hearing how much they love our system, says AfterVault.com CEO, Ric Parks. When the AfterVault.com system checks on them, they know weve got their back and they like that occasional reminder. They know their information is secure and well organized for their family and that well get it to their loved ones when they need it.AfterVault.com provides several other features such as the ability to allow the guardian for each vault to have immediate access, to require a death certificate, and to use your cell phones camera to photo paper documents directly into their appropriate section. Plus, its hard to beat the price since AfterVault.com is offering the service completely free of charge.See video tutorial on how AfterVault.com works atAfterVault.com, a digital lockbox for your will, life insurance, valuables, accounts, and other vital information, has announced an innovative way to automatically deliver this information to those close to you if you are no longer able to attend your own affairs. And they do it for free.1630 N. Main Street, Suite 235, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Medical Nonwoven Disposables Market Worth US$ 10.0 Billion Globally by 2020 New York, March 06: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Medical Nonwoven Disposables Market - Global Industry Analysis,Trends and Forecast, 2015 - 2023



How Big is the Global Medical Non-woven Disposable market?



Global Medical non-woven disposable market will cross US$ 10.0 Billion by 2020. The revenue of this market is anticipated to increase at CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period. North America is the leading market for medical non-woven disposable industry by revenue which accounted largest share worldwide. Asia Pacific will grow with highest growth rate owing to increase in demand for disposable medical equipment and products.



Browse Full Report: https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/medical-nonwoven-disposable-market



Medical non-woven disposables provide better hygiene and protection to the patients as well as doctors from the infection.They eliminates the risk of cross contamination and deliver great bacterial filtration.



The growing demand of medical non-woven disposables owing to its increasing use of disposables in hospitals is a major driving factor. Rising awareness of medical disposables is triggering the demand and hence boosting the market growth.Owing to better bacteria filtration and eliminated cross contamination is driving the market. Increasing rates of bacterial infection spread owing to airborne diseases is increasing the demand for disposables which is driving the market.



The global medical non-woven disposable market by product is segmented as hygiene products and non-woven medical supplies. The market segments in terms of geographical regions include North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World(ROW).



Download Free Sample Report: https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/medical-nonwoven-disposable-market



This report provides:



1) An overview of the global market for Medical Non-woven Disposable and related technologies.



2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2020.



3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Medical Non-woven Disposable market.



4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.



5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.



REPORT SCOPE:



The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for various types of coatings with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.



The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market.



Key players profiled in the report are as below:



 Covidien

 Domtar Corp.

 Kimverly-Clerk Corporation

 Molnlycke Health Care AB

 Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget

 First Quality Enterprises, Inc.

 Medline Industries Inc.

 UniCharm Corporation

 Ahlstrom Corporation

 Freudenberg Nonwovens

 Georgia-Pacific LLC

 MRK healthcare Pvt. Ltd

 Polymer Group, Inc.

 Asahi Kasei Corporation

 Cypress Medical Products

 Abena Group



Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.



The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.



The Medical Non-woven Disposable Market has been segmented as below:



By Product



 Hygiene products



o Disposable Incontinence Pads & Ostomy Liners

o Disposable Panty Shields

o Disposable Underwear

o Disposable Diapers

o Ultra-Absorbent Disposable Diapers

o Super-Absorbent Disposable Diapers

o Gender-Specific Disposable Diapers

o Biodegradable Disposable Diapers

o Regular Disposable Diapers



 Nonwoven Medical Supplies



o Disposable Surgical Masks

o Disposable Surgical Drapes

o Disposable Surgical Caps

o Disposable Surgical Gowns

o Disposable Sterile Nonwoven Swabs



By Region



 North America

 Europe

 Asia Pacific

 Rest of the World (RoW)



Reasons to buy this Report:



1) Obtains the most up to date information available on all active and planned Medical Non-woven Disposable industry globally.

2) Identify growth segments and opportunities in the industry.

3) Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historic and forecast of Medical Non-woven Disposable industry and unit capacity data.

4) Assess your competitors refining portfolio and its evolution.



About MarketResearchEngine.com



Market Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.



Media Contact



Company Name: Market Research Engine

Contact Person: John Bay

Email: john@marketresearchengine.com

Phone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204

Country: United States

Website: https://www.marketresearchengine.com/



Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States



This release was published on openPR.



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Pain Management Therapeutics Market to Cross US$ 83 Billion Globally by 2024

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/pain-management-therapeutics-market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/pain-management-therapeutics-market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/

New York, March 06: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Pain Management Therapeutics Market by Therapeutics Analysis (Antidepressants, Anesthetics, Anticonvulsants, Opioids (Oxycodones, Hydrocodones, Tramadol), Antimigraine Agents, Other Non-narcotic Analgesic); by Indication Analysis (Migraine, Cancer Pain, Neuropathic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Back Pain, Arthritic Pain, Post-operative Pain) - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2016 - 2024How Big is The Pain Management Therapeutics Market?The pain management therapeutics market is expected to exceed more than US$ 83 Billion by 2024; Growing at a CAGR of more than 3.5% in the given forecast period.Browse Full Report:Pain management is one of the branch of medicine which utilizes an inter punitive approach for improving the superiority and easing the suffering of life of persons who are living with the chronic pain. The usual pain management group consists of clinical psychologists, clinical nurse specialists, physician assistants, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, pharmacists and medical practitioners. Market analyst proposes that almost 20% of worlds population currently suffers from chronic pain. Factors that are increasing number of surgeries, changing lifestyle, increasing geriatric population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases are responsible for growth in new patients every year.The major driving factors of pain management therapeutics market are as follows:Approving health care reforms and regulatory scenarioIncreasing approval of pain management therapeutics between end usersIncreasing in geriatric population with high risk of different diseasesGrowing frequency of chronic pain disordersThe restraining factors of pain management therapeutics market are as follows:Enduring pain relief from medical devices, alternative therapies and surgical proceduresPrescription drug exploitationExclusive rights expiry of entry of generics and key drugsDownload Free Sample Report:The pain management therapeutics market is segmented on the lines of its therapeutics, indication and regional. Based on therapeutics segmentation it covers antimigraine agents, non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs, anesthetics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids and other non narcotic analgesic. Opioidsis further segmented into tramadol, hydrocodones, oxycodaones and others such as methadone, meperidine, fentanyl, codeine, morphine. Based on indication segmentation the pain management therapeutics market covers cancer pain, post operative pain, migraine, arthritic pain, chronic back pain, fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain. The pain management therapeutics marketis geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geography market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for pain management therapeutics and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2024.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for pain management therapeutics.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for pain management therapeutics with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Abbott Laboratories, AstraZeneca, Depomed, Inc., Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Johnson & Johnson, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer, Inc., Purdue Pharma L.P., and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary,business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.The Pain management therapeutics Market has been segmented as below:By Therapeutics AnalysisAntimigraine agentsNon steroidal anti inflammatory drugsAnestheticsAntidepressantsAnticonvulsantsOpioidsTramadolHydrocodonesOxycodaonesOthers (Methadone, Meperidine, Fentanyl, Codeine, Morphine)Other non narcotic analgesicBy Indication AnalysisCancer painPost operative painMigraineArthritic painChronic back painFibromyalgiaNeuropathic painBy Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the WorldReasons to Buy this Report:1) Obtain the most up to date information available on all pain management therapeutics market globally.2) Identify growth segments and opportunities in the industry.3) Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historic and forecast of pain management therapeutics data.4) Assess your competitors refining portfolio and its evolution.About MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Plasma Protein Therapeutics Market to Cross US$ 31 Billion Globally by 2024

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/plasma-protein-therapeutics-market-report

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/plasma-protein-therapeutics-market-report

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/

Florida, March 06: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Plasma Protein Therapeutics Market by Product Type (C1 esterase Inhibitors, Albumins, Immunoglobulins & Coagulation Factors), by Application Type (Hereditary Angioedema, Hemophilia, Primary Immunodeficiency Disorder) - Global Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024The Plasma Protein Therapeutics Market is expected to exceed more than USD 31 Billion by 2024; Growing at a CAGR of more than 7.5% in the given forecast period.Browse Full Report here:Plasma is the liquid parts of blood that residue once platelets, white and red blood cells and various other cellular components are detached. In human blood only plasma is largest component and contains proteins, antibodies, enzymes, salts and water. Plasma is the protein rich fluids that defer cells in human blood and achieves various essential transport functions. The proteins that originate in plasma plays important function in clotting and provide immunity to diseases. Plasma proteins are used in many conditions for treatment such as shocks & burns, neurological & bleeding disorders, autoimmune and immune deficiencies.Plasma protein therapies is a unique biological medicine which contains biological starting material called plasma which have unique bio chemical profile which differs in processing methods and production methods. Plasma protein therapies are used to treat various genetic, chronic, life threatening and rare diseases.The plasma protein therapeutics market is segmented on the lines of its product type, application and regional. Under product type segmentation it covers C1 esterase inhibitors, albumins, immunoglobulins and coagulation factors. Based on application segmentation the plasma protein therapeutics covers hereditary angioedema, hemophilia, primary immune deficiency disorder, secondary immune deficiency, idiopathic thrombocytopenic and others such as Kawasaki disease, GBS, CIDP etc.The plasma protein therapeutics market's geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geographical region market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.Download Free Sample Report:This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for plasma protein therapeutics and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2020.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for plasma protein therapeutics.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets .The reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Baxter International, Biotest, CSL Behring, Grifols, S.A., Kedrion, Octapharma USA, Inc., Shire Plc. and China Biologics. CSL Behring is the market leader in the plasma protein therapeutics market, while GRIFOLS, S.A leads the global market for IVIG and Alpha 1 antitrypsin. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.The Plasma Protein Therapeutics Market has been segmented as below:By Product Type AnalysisC1 esterase InhibitorsAlbuminsImmunoglobulinsCoagulation FactorsOthersBy Application AnalysisHereditary AngioedemaHemophiliaPrimary Immunodeficiency DisorderSecondary ImmunodeficiencyIdiopathic ThrombocytopenicOthers (Kawasaki disease, GBS, CIDP etc)By Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the WorldReasons to Buy this Report:1) Obtain the most up to date information available on all plasma protein therapeutics market .2) Identify growth segments and opportunities in the industry.3) Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historic and forecast of plasma protein therapeutics market data.4) Assess your competitors refining portfolio and its evolution.About MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Website:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Global Infusion Extension Lines Market Research Report and Forecast 2017 to 2022

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1021916-global-infusion-extension-lines-market-research-report-2017

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/1021916-global-infusion-extension-lines-market-research-report-2017

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1021916

Infusion Extension Lines MarketSummaryWiseguyreports.Com Adds Infusion Extension Lines -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers, Analysis of Top Suppliers and Forecast to 2021 To Its Research DatabaseGeographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Infusion Extension Lines in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaFor Sample report @Global Infusion Extension Lines market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingSarstedtBicakcilarBionic MedizintechnikRontisFresenius KabiVygon (UK)...On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSpiral-LineSmall Bore Connection TubingOtherOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Infusion Extension Lines for each application, includingHospitalClinicEnquiry before buying @Table of ContentsGlobal Infusion Extension Lines Market Research Report 20171 Infusion Extension Lines Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Infusion Extension Lines1.2 Infusion Extension Lines Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Infusion Extension Lines Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Infusion Extension Lines Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Spiral-Line1.2.4 Small Bore Connection Tubing1.2.5 Other1.3 Global Infusion Extension Lines Segment by Application1.3.1 Infusion Extension Lines Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Hospital1.3.3 Clinic1.4 Global Infusion Extension Lines Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Infusion Extension Lines Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Infusion Extension Lines (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Infusion Extension Lines Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Infusion Extension Lines Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)..7 Global Infusion Extension Lines Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Sarstedt7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Infusion Extension Lines Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Sarstedt Infusion Extension Lines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Bicakcilar7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Infusion Extension Lines Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Bicakcilar Infusion Extension Lines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Bionic Medizintechnik7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Infusion Extension Lines Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Bionic Medizintechnik Infusion Extension Lines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Rontis7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Infusion Extension Lines Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Rontis Infusion Extension Lines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Fresenius Kabi7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Infusion Extension Lines Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Fresenius Kabi Infusion Extension Lines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Vygon (UK)7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Infusion Extension Lines Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Vygon (UK) Infusion Extension Lines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview....Buy This Report @Continued...Contact Us:NORAH TRENTSales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Mobile Virtual Network Operator Market Research Report - Global Forecast to 2027

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/968

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/mobile-virtual-network-operator-market-968

Global Mobile Virtual Network Operator Market, by Service (Customer care, 4G, 3G, 2G, Marketing & Sales), by Type (Reseller, Full MVNO, Service Operator), by Infrastructure (Thick MVNO, Thin MVNO) - Forecast 2027Objective of Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Market Study: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub- segments of the global Mobile Virtual Network Operator Market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To Analyze the Mobile Virtual Network Operator Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW). To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective. To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by type, service, infrastructure and sub-segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market. To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Mobile Virtual Network Operator Market .Request a Sample Report @Market Synopsis of Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Market:Market Scenario:The major growth driver of Mobile Virtual Network Operator Market includes growing mobile subscriber base, rising competition among service providers and increasing customer requirement for low-priced mobile services among others.Hence the market for Mobile Virtual Network Operator is expected to grow at XX% CAGR (2016-2027).However, lack of technical expertise is one of the factors which are hindering the growth of Mobile Virtual Network Operator Market.Segments:Global Mobile Virtual Network Operator Market can be segmented as follows:Segmentation by Type: Reseller, Service operator, and Full MVNO among others.Segmentation by Service: Network routing, Customer care, Bulling & collection, Handset management (2G, 3G, 4G), and marketing & sales among others.Segmentation by Infrastructure: Skinny MVNO, Thin MVNO, and Thick MVNO among others.[Note: only qualitative information has been provided under the infrastructure segment]Regional Analysis of Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Market:Asia-Pacific is dominating the Global Mobile Virtual Network Operator Market with the largest market share due to emerging growth in telecom industries in the region, and therefore accounting for $XX million and is expected to grow over $XX billion by 2027. Mobile Virtual Network Operator Market in European market is expected to grow at CAGR of XX% from $ XX million in 2016 to $XX million by 2027. The North America market for Mobile Virtual Network Operator Market is expected to grow at XX% CAGR (2016-2027).Key Players:Some of the major players in Global Mobile Virtual Network Operator Market include AT&T (U.S.), Verizon (U.S.), Sprint (U.S.), Lyca mobile Group (U.K.), T-Mobile AG (U.S.), CITIC Telecom International Holding Limited (Hong-Kong), Telefonica S.A. (Spain), Tracfone Wireless, Inc. (U.S.),among others.Access Report Details @Industry News-- Tesco mobile announced in March 2016 that it is looking to buy out its mobile network joint venture. It is seeking to take advantage of regulatory concern about the merger of O2 and Hutchison 3G Companies.- Vodafone has announced in June 2016 that its five MVNO which are Lebara, Macquarie telecom, Hello mobile, go talk, and Pivotal prepaid will be granted access to the 4G LTE services in the upcoming weeks.The report for Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.comAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Endometrial Ablation Market: Radiofrequency Endometrial Ablation Devices to Remain Most Preferred Product, predicts TMR

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/endometrial-ablation-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14318

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

With the presence of large players, such as Hologic Corp., Boston Scientific Corp., Cooper Surgical Inc., Ethicon Inc., and Medtronic Plc at the global level, the worldwide market for endometrial ablation demonstrates a highly competitive landscape, finds a new research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR).The market players are focusing aggressively on developing their offerings technologically, which is likely to lead to price differentiation, resulting in intense rivalry between these participants in the near future. TMR recommends market players to shift their focus towards mergers and acquisitions over the years to come in order to increase their visibility.As per TMRs estimations, the global market for endometrial ablation presented an opportunity worth US$0.8 bn in 2015. Progressing at a CAGR of 5.50% during the period from 2016 to 2024, the market is anticipated to reach US$1.3 bn by the end of the forecast period. The demand for radiofrequency endometrial ablation devices is higher than other devices and are expected to remain so over the next few years.Browse Global Strategic Business Report:North America to Continue to Lead Global Endometrial Ablation MarketA geographical analysis of the global endometrial ablation market has also been provided in this research study, according to which, the global market for endometrial ablation has a presence across Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. The market for endometrial ablation in North America, followed closely by Europe, has acquired the leading position, thanks to a well-established healthcare infrastructure and easy access to healthcare facilities. The regional market is projected to remain dominant throughout the forecast period and will account for a share of nearly 44% by 2024.Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is anticipated to present highly profitable growth opportunities to market players in the near future due to the significant increase in the prevalence of gynecological disorders in this region. The rising awareness and high unmet medical needs are anticipated to drive the demand for endometrial ablation procedures in Asia Pacific substantially over the years to come. Japan, India, and China are expected to lead the Asia Pacific endometrial ablation market over the next few years, notes the research study.Rising Prevalence of Gynecology Disorders to Boost Market GrowthThe increasing prevalence of gynecology disorders, such as abnormal vaginal bleeding and polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD), has been fueling the demand for endometrial ablation procedures remarkably across the world, resulting in a significant growth of the global market for endometrial ablation, states an analyst at TMR. The rising incidence of cervical and endometrial cancer among women, worldwide is another important factor behind the tremendous development of this market.In addition to this, the increasing awareness level of consumers concerning the advantages of endometrial ablation procedures, such as minimal invasiveness, cost benefits, and shorter hospital stay, is expected to boost this market considerably in the near future. However, the presence of strict regulatory laws and policies for clinical trials, product designing, and commercialization of endometrial ablation devices may hamper the growth of this market to some extent over the years to come, reports the study.The study presented here is based on a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR) titled Endometrial Ablation Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024.Download Exclusive Brochure of This Report :The global endometrial ablation market is segmented into:By Device TypeCryoablationElectrical AblationHydrothermal AblationHysteroscopy DevicesMicrowave Endometrial AblationRadiofrequency Endometrial AblationThermal Balloon AblationOthers (Ultrasound Transducers, Laser Ablation, etc.)By End UserHospitalsClinicsAmbulatory Surgical CentersBy GeographyNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeU.K.GermanyFranceItalySpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaAustralia & New ZealandRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaMiddle East & AfricaSaudi ArabiaSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaAbout 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:
Synthetic Pyrethroids Market 2017 - Yangnong Chemical, Jiangsu RedSun, Tagros, Meghmani, Heranba

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The Global Synthetic Pyrethroids Market 2017 Industry Research Report focused on global and regional market, major manufacturers, as well as the current state of the Synthetic Pyrethroids industry. First, "Global Synthetic Pyrethroids Industry 2017" report analyzed the basic scope of this industry like definition, specification, classification, application, industry policy, news analysis and Synthetic Pyrethroids industry chain structure.Major Companies Covered in this report:-Yangnong Chemical,Jiangsu RedSun,Tagros,Meghmani,Heranba,Aestar,Changlong Agrochemical,Gharda,Jiangsu Huangma Agrochemicals,Guangdong Liwei,Shanghai Tenglong Agrochem,Jiangsu ChunjiangRequest For Report Sample @The analysis on Synthetic Pyrethroids industry is provided including the up and down stream industry also with the major market players., Synthetic Pyrethroids industry competitive landscape analysis.Second, Synthetic Pyrethroids industry manufacturing process, cost structure and major plants distribution is conducted for Synthetic Pyrethroids market. This report "Worldwide Synthetic Pyrethroids Market 2017" also states major market data like capacity, gross margin, supply, price, revenue, import/export, consumption and Synthetic Pyrethroids market's growth rate by regions (Europe, North America, South America, Asia, China and ROW), as well as other regions can be added in Synthetic Pyrethroids Market area.Then, the report focuses on global Synthetic Pyrethroids market key players with information such as company profiles, contact information with product picture as well as specification.Enquiry Before Buying the report @Related information to Synthetic Pyrethroids market- Capacity, Production, Capacity Utilization Rate, Price, Revenue, Cost, Gross and contact information. Also includes Synthetic Pyrethroids industry's - Upstream raw materials, equipment, Manufacturing and downstream industry consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Synthetic Pyrethroids market development trends and Synthetic Pyrethroids industry marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, "worldwide Synthetic Pyrethroids market" report is a valuable source of guidance for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, customers, investors and individuals who have interest in this market.About UsMarkets Planet offer reports from top publishers and update to serve you with immediate on-line access to professional insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends. Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezBusiness Development HeadMarkets Planet155 North Wacker Drive,Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606USA+17739042683
Nuclear Medicine Market: Future Demand & Growth Analysis

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Global Nuclear Medicine Market: OverviewNuclear medicine relates to the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Growing prevalence of various diseases, which is resulting in thriving healthcare industry, the demand for accurate and efficient medicine scans is escalating. Nuclear medicine uses a radionuclide for the process of radioactive decay, with radioactive isotopes and radiological imaging devices as key components. Consequently, the global nuclear medicine market is expected to expand at a healthy growth rate during the forecast period of 2015 to 2024.Browse Global Strategic Business Report:This report on global nuclear medicine market is a thorough overview of all the factors that are anticipated to impact the growth rate over the course of next few years. Besides the comprehensive regional and product analysis as well as estimating the market size, this report also features an in-depth analysis of the competitive landscape, including the growth strategies adopted by the top companies in the industry. Moreover, the section on company profiles includes the basic views on the prominent players in the nuclear medicine market and their product portfolios. The aim of the report is to provide research data such as current market size, valuation of the segments, and trends that will help the existing and new player to make more informed choices.The global nuclear medicine market can be segmented on the basis of product, into nuclear medicine equipment, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), and radiopharmaceuticals, on the basis of application into oncology, cardiology, and neurology, and on the basis of end user into diagnostic centers, hospitals, and research centers. Geographically, the report studies the lucrativeness of the regions of North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World.Global Nuclear Medicine Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe rising demand for SPECT and PET imaging, growing incidences of cancer and CVDs, and increasing demand for radiopharmaceuticals are some of the key factors driving the global nuclear medicine market. On the other hand, factors such as high cost, shortage of nuclear medicine, and regulatory hurdles are expected to hinder the growth rate during the forecast period. The report also notes some of the trends of the market, including partnerships for development of nuclear medicine, production based on cyclotron, and growing funding for research and development. All these factors have been thoroughly analyzed in the report and their impact has been estimated.Currently, the product segment of radiopharmaceuticals accounts for most of the demand and is expected to remain dominant over the period of next few years, which can be attributed to growing use of radioactive pharmaceutical drugs as nuclear imaging agents. The increasing use of various medical radioisotopes such as copper-64, iodine-124, and FDG in molecular studies is expected to boost the growth rate in the near future.Global Nuclear Medicine Market: Regional OutlookCurrently, North America is the most lucrative region of for the players due to robust healthcare infrastructure and high adoptability of new technology. Europe serves the second most demand as a regional market for nuclear medicine, however, Asia Pacific is expected to extend the demand at the most prominent rate during the forecast period. This rising demand is primarily from the emerging economies of India, China, Australia, and Japan, wherein increased investment on healthcare has escalated in the recent times. Moreover, due to the presence of vast population, neurological and cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer cases are growing, which will further increment the demand in Asia Pacific nuclear medicine market.Download Exclusive Brochure of This Report :Companies mentioned in the research reportSome of the prominent companies currently operational in global nuclear medicine market are Cardinal Health Inc., Bayer AG, Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., Mallinckrodt plc, GE Healthcare, Bracco Imaging S.p.A, Nordion, Inc., Eczacibasi-Monrol Nuclear Products, Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A., and IBA Molecular Imaging.Major regions 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 yearsKey highlights of this reportOverview of key market forces propelling and restraining market growthUp-to-date analyses of market trends and technological improvementsPin-point analyses of market competition dynamics to offer you a competitive edgeAn analysis of strategies of major competitorsAn array of graphics and SWOT analysis of major industry segmentsDetailed analyses of industry trendsA well-defined technological growth map with an impact-analysisOffers a clear understanding of the competitive landscape and key product segmentsAbout 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 E-Cigarette & Vaporizer Market: Market Share, Revenue and Cost Analysis with Key Companys Profiles-Forecast to 2027

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Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer Market by product types (disposable e-cigarette, rechargeable e-cigarette, ego and tanks, personal vaporizers and mods and others): forecast to 2027Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer Market: OverviewThe E-Cigarette (Electronic Cigarette) was first introduced in the year 2003, by Hon Lik in China and was available commercially in the market by 2006. The recognition of e-cigarettes touched instant base with the US and European markets. Since then this industry has been growing at a rapid pace convincing players from Tobacco industry and Pharmaceutical industry to implement several strategies to grow and sustain in the market. While top established tobacco players are securing their market positions with acquisitions and rolling out new brands. The Pharmaceutical monoliths have been acknowledged as opposing the rising trend of e-cigarettes in this fresh or fledgling market.Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer Market: Market Growth InfluencerThe Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer market has been mainly driven by a flurry of activities mainly including Mergers & Acquisitions, Patent Warfare, and increasing customization in products. Additionally, the emergence of Vape shops is engaging more users through their extensive variety of products and improved assistance while shopping the preferred products. However, the state and local governments proposals to charge heavy taxes on e-cigarettes is emerging as a key challenge for the Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer market. Also, the compatibility issues and the unfettered manufacturing process in China are other restrictive factors in the e-cigarette market. The e-cigarette industry has come into limelight after 2012, when the tobacco giant Lorillard acquired the US based e-cigarette company, Blu Ecigs. The market was then taken over by the top tobacco giants through a series of mergers & acquisitions which has brought immediate value to the fledgling market. The giants of tobacco companies has started competing aggressively by acquiring the top e-cigarettes brands and rolled out their own brands in the market with newer and advanced technological products. Furthermore, an overall non-uniformity of regulation and taxation policies has allowed large number of players to enter into the market.Get a Sample Report @Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer Market: Market SegmentationFor the purpose of this study, MRFR has segmented The Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer market into product type. On the basis of product type, the market is differentiated into disposable e-cigarette, rechargeable e-cigarette, ego and tanks, personal vaporizers and mods and others.Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer Market: Regional AnalysisAsia-Pacific- Asia Pacific prolongs to be the manufacturing center for e-cigarette industry, making the region a predictable player in the supply side. More than 78% of the global production of eliquids and e-cigarettes is done in China. On the other hand, a major share of the production and manufacturing are meant for export to the US and European market. Many Asian countries are ranked very high in the global tobacco consumption and the government is taking initiatives to bring turn down in such countrys smoking population.North America- North America is considered as the largest revenue generator in the Global E-cigarette market, with a major share contributed by the US. The relentless growth of the market can be primarily credited to the non-uniformity of regulations and the growing perception of e-cigarettes as possible smoking Cessation aid. Moreover, the study of the competitive landscape in the US has brought forward the occurrence of some of the giant e-cigarette brands which are rolled out by tobacco giants such as Philip Morris, Altria, and Lorrilard and among others.Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer Market: Key PlayersThe key players present in the Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer Market Include Altria Group, INC, Ballantyne Brands, LLC, British American Tobacco Plc (Bat), CB Distributors, Bull Smoke, INC, Cigavette, Clearette Electronic Cigarette Co, Cloudcig, Gamucci Electronic Cigarettes, Electronic Cigarettes International Group, Fontem Ventures, Fin Branding Group LLC and others.Market Research Future introduces about Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer Market during the forecast period 2017-2027 which mainly includes the growth drivers, trends and restraints and how the market will grow in the future across the globe. In this report, Market Research Future has focused on the current market scenario which includes market segmentation, market dynamics, and competitive landscape along with company profiles.Browse Report @Every report of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.comAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Market Research Future Office No. 524/528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar Pune - 411028 Maharashtra, India
Global Pipe Coating Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022

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ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title Global Pipe Coating Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 to its growing collection of premium market research reports.Pipe coatings are applied to protect the pipelines from corrosion, increase its shelf-life, maintain its flow, and to ensure the clean product delivery. There are four major types of pipe coatings, namely, thermoplastic, fusion bonded epoxy, metal, and concrete weight pipe coatings etc. A Pipe coating is a cost effective and viable solution to maintain pipelines' integrity. This coating provides a constant protective lining that helps save pipelines from the damaging effects of corrosion. Pipeline coating is one of the most reliable corrosion prevention methods used by industries today.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Pipe Coating in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.To view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers Akzonobel BASF SE LyondellBasell Arkema The DOW Chemical Company Dupont Covestro AG PPG Industries Valspar 3M Axalta Coating Systems Celanese Corporation Nippon Paint Wasco Energy Group of Companies The Bayou CompaniesMarket Segment by Regions/Countries, covering North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.) Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, covers Thermoplastic Coatings Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coatings Metal Coatings Concrete Weight Coatings Polyurea Coatings OthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into Oil & Gas Industrial Chemical Processing Municipal Water Supply OthersThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Pipe Coating market.Chapter 1, to describe Pipe Coating Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Pipe Coating, with sales, revenue, and price of Pipe Coating, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Pipe Coating, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Pipe Coating market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Pipe Coating sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceTo Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
Laboratory Sterilizers Market Industry shared in News Research Report

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Sterilization refers to any process which kills or eliminates various forms of agents such as bacteria, fungi, virus, etc. present on a surface or a liquid content in a laboratory. Sterilization can be achieved through a number of procedures including high pressure, filtration, irradiation, etc. A sterile environment is necessary in most of the medical laboratory in order to avoid ruined samples and cloudy culture media. Various micro-organisms and transmissible agents are present on the surface of medical equipment and biological culture media in the laboratory and sterilization helps to make these equipment and media contaminant-free.Browse Global Strategic Business Report:Based on type, the laboratory sterilizers market can be segmented as follows:Heat sterilizers: In heat sterilization, the equipment or culture media which are to be sterilized are placed in a steel container and exposed to high temperature. Various types of heat sterilizers include:AutoclaveHot air ovenBunsen burnerGlass bead strilizerChemical sterilizers: Chemical sterilization involves the usage of a range of chemical agents for the purpose of sterilization. Various class of chemical agents used in the procedure are as follows:Alcohols: ethyl, isopropyl, etc.Aldehydes: formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, etc.PhenolsDyesHalogensMetallic saltsGases: ethylene oxide, betapropiolactone, etc.Radiation sterilizers: The gamma radiations are used to kill microorganisms present in various medical equipment and related products. The prime advantage of such sterilization process is that the media is available immediately after sterilizationFiltration sterilizers: Filtration allows the elimination of microorganisms based upon their size. The most common type of filtration sterilization technique is membrane filtration in which contaminants larger than the pore size on the surface of the membrane is trapped. This method is mainly used for heat sensitive media.Based on geography, the laboratory sterilizers market can be segmented into four major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). Out of these, North America holds a leading position in the market followed by Europe. The prime factors which have augmented the growth of laboratory sterilizers market in these regions are rise in safety processes in various research laboratories and increasing number of surgeries, which would consequently increase the demand for contaminant-free instruments. Moreover, certain stringent rules made by the government for various research laboratories to sterilize instruments after each and every use is also driving the growth of laboratory sterilizers market. Asia Pacific is one of the most promising markets for the growth of laboratory sterilizers market due to the presence of large population base and skilled workforce. The advantageous factors which would propel the growth of the market in Asia Pacific are increasing number of research laboratory units, and increasing drug preparation in emerging economies which requires highly sterilized culture media. Furthermore, large patient pool, rise in disposable income and certain tax benefits would also boost the growth of laboratory sterilizers market in the coming few years.Download Exclusive Brochure of This Report :Rapid technological innovation in research and microbiology is offering wide scope for highly accurate and safe sterilizers. Some of the top players operating in the laboratory sterilizers market are Advanced Sterilization Products Services, Inc., Cantel Medical Corp., Getinge Group, Belimed AG, STERIS Corporation, SAKURA SI CO., LTD., Nordion, Inc., Kimberley-Clark Corporation and others.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. This report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsNote: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.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. 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:
Wireless Health Market : Emerging Market Trends, Size, Share and Growth Analysis

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The e-health monitoring system with wireless sensor network is used for patient telemonitoring and telemedicine. A 2012 article titled In-home health monitoring to leap six-fold by 2017 illustrated that Wireless remote monitoring devices will be used by more than 1.8 million people worldwide in the next four years. Of the billions of dollars spent on health care each year, 75% - 80% of it accountsfor patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma and Alzheimers disease. Over a decade, healthcare industry has taken a measured approach pertaining tointegrationof information technology (IT). Recent federal legislation and emerging trends, however, are changing the landscape and driving the need to accelerate the adoption of health IT in healthcare especially in medical devices.Browse Global Strategic Business Report:Among wireless health products wearable medical devices is expected to be the fastest growing segment. Information delivered by modern wearable medical devices is easy to interpret and hence popularity is expected to increase rapidly within non-medical personnel. With these devices, peoplecan quickly modify their lifestyle to better improve their physical stature. Devices that measure temperature, heart rate and other parameters can be of paramount importance while determining physical fitness of a person.Over 65% of technologies are wrist held devices shaped like watches and the rest are wearable on other areas of the body such as arms, torso and waist. Along with the aesthetics, several other features for durability of the device are included such as waterproofing and weatherproofing. The latest in developments is telecommunication, wireless connectivity and improved user interface. The advent of smartphones has resulted in multi-fold increase of growth in applications that can now extend to storage and retrieval of history for the individual for long term mapping and improvement of fitness.Some of the major factors driving this market are the decreasing costs of electronics that has now made these devices available to middle and even low income groups over the world, and increased use of internet globally. According to the World Bank, number of internet users per 100 people increased from 15.8 in 2005 to 38.1 in 2013. The global wireless health market by products encompasses ECG monitors, insulin monitors, neuromonitors such as EEG and EMG devices.There are several devices which have in-build capability to diagnose, detect and send patient records to a centralized servers which can be easily accessed by healthcare providers. Advantages of wireless health devices encompasses patient comfort, accurate detection and analysis, access to stored patient data for a considerable longer period of time i.e. weekly or monthly. Recently Engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University have demonstrated stick-on patches which can be used on a daily basis to monitor patients ECG. Additionally, the patient record can be easily accessed through a cell phone or computer wirelessly.Geographically the market can be studied for four geographical regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the Word. Currently, North America in terms of revenue accounts for the largest share owing to burgeoning population of cardiovascular diseases, diabetic patients. Moreover government initiatives such as the Affordable Care Act and favorable reimbursement scenario also promotes the sales and adoption of innovative wireless health monitoring and diagnostic products. Followed by the U.S., Europe holds the second leading position in the current scenario. Historically, the major EU countries have always been at the forefront of developing innovative healthcare technologies.In November 2013, Belgium-based research center Imec showcased its ideas for wearable sensor technologies for remote healthcare and personal health applications. The company introduced a body patch that integrates an ultra-low power electrocardiogram (ECG) chip and a Bluetooth low-energy radio. The company has also developed a prototype of a patient-friendly wireless EEG headset together with Holst Centre and Panasonic. Asia Pacific and Rest of the World market are among the fastest growing and largely untapped market. High cost of devices and lack of awareness about these devices are among the major restraint to the current adoption of the products in emerging market.Download Exclusive Brochure of This Report :Some of the key players operating in this market encompasses Omron Corporation, GE Healthcare, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Polar Electro, Nihon Kohden, Siemens A.G., Mckesson Corporation,and Cerner Corporation.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 PacificEuropeMiddle East and AfricaLatin AmericaThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsNote: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.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. 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:
Gerontology/Aging Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023

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Gerontology is an integrative study of aging which comprises the biological, psychological, sociological, and economical aspects of aging. It involves the study of aging from the individual as well as from the societal perspective. Gerontology study works in a variety of settings such as health facilities, mental health services, social service agencies, marketing and communications, retirement planning, recreation and leisure, housing agencies, government agencies, community agencies, advocacy groups, or research and educational institutions. Global gerontology/aging market is anticipated to witness a boost over the forecast period due to factors such as increasing geriatric population all over the world and rising disorders and diseases related to aging. The rate of gerontology care services and institution is increasing globally aiming to train professionals to deal with various aspects of geriatric population. These professionals work in different industries including health care, government, business community and non-profit organizations. Additionally, the continuous up gradation of in therapeutic favoring the increased life span and health care services are improving the life expectancy of aged people. These factors collectively will drive the gerontology/aging market in the forecast period.Browse Global Strategic Business Report:Gerontology/aging market can be segmented on the basis of its application into social, environmental and biogerontology. The scope of these applications can be functional in health care, business communities, non-profit organizations, hospitality, wellness and fitness centers for the geriatric people. Social gerontology deals with carrying out social research surveys dealing with the civic attitude towards the elderly and developing solutions and technologies that would make life safer and easier for this population. This segment also focuses in maintaining healthy environment between geriatric population and their families and providing home health care services and practicing geriatric social work. Environmental gerontology segment attempts to understand the multifaceted relationship with the environment, including home and family, neighborhood and region to enable social and environmental programs that enable successful aging. Biogerontology focuses on research in biological aging processes, its causes, effects and mechanism. The growing numbers of institution and care centers globally, are anticipated to boost the global gerontology/aging market during the forecast period.Geographically, North America accounts for one of the largest markets followed by Europe. Baby boomers play a major role in the market growth. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average life expectancy in the U.S. will be 77.1 years for men and 81.9 years for women by 2020. To tackle the rising aging population, favorable reimbursement policies and extensive presence of care centers are set up to assist the problems faced by aged people. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing region due to the factors such as rise in persistent medical conditions and rising concern for life expectancies among the geriatric population. Latin America holds a strong potential for the market growth owing to the high presence of geriatric population and growing health care facility.Some of the key players in this market segment are, the Jewish Family Service, the International Association of Geriatric Care, National Association of Professional Care Managers, Senior Care Centers, the UF health, the World Health Organization and others. These players constantly participate in awareness programs, as well as mergers and acquisitions to serve the elderly society effectively.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. This report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Download Exclusive Brochure of This Report :Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsNote: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.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. 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:
Point-of-Care Clinical Chemistry Market Research Report by Regional Analysis and forecast upto 2025

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Point-of-care chemistry refers to as a number of tests such as Na, Cl, Mg, urea, creatinine, TCO2, iCa, Hct, and hemoglobin, which are included in a variety of combination. Clinical chemistry tests/panels are a group of test performed to determine the health status of an individual. These tests are performed majorly to evaluate a bodys electrolyte balance and to check status (health) of the organs. Common clinical chemistry tests/panels include basic metabolic panel, comprehensive metabolic panel, electrolyte panel, and lipid profile. Other panels include liver panel, renal profile, and thyroid function panel. Basis metabolic panel is performed to check the status (health) of kidneys, blood sugar level, and to evaluate the electrolyte and acid/base balance.The global market of point-of-care clinical chemistry is expected a strong growth during the forecast period owing to rapid rise of aging population, technological advancements, and early disease detection facilitated by specialized diagnostic tests. According to studies by the U.S. Census Board, people aged 65 years and above represented a significant share of the total U.S. population in 2009. The percentage of aged population is further expected to get double by 2030 as compared to 2009. Other countries aging at a rapid pace are Japan, Germany, Italy, China, and India. Diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and a few cardiovascular disorders have been referred to as diseases of aging by researchers. Research reports suggest that patients over the age of 50 are relatively more susceptible to cancer, especially cervical, breast, and prostate cancers. This aging of global population is expected to serve the global point-of-care clinical chemistry market as a growth driver. The expected rise in the target patient population is projected to lead to an increase in demand for point-of-care clinical chemistry, thereby driving the market growth. Likewise, the point-of-care clinical chemistry market has witnessed tremendous proliferation in technology in the recent past, with the advent of microarrays, biochips, and companion diagnostics. This has created significant opportunities for new methods of testing which are faster and highly accurate. Increasing burden of diseases is leading to introduction of tests with high efficiency & systems and with high capacity in terms of processing multiple samples at a time. These factors are expected to act as important growth drivers of the market. However, stringent and changing regulatory scenario might pose threat for the growth of the market to some extent. Point-of-care clinical chemistry systems are used for various purposes such as quick diagnostics, management of treatment data, and making decisions regarding treatment. Also, the accuracy in diagnostic data provided by point-of-care clinical chemistry systems helps in improving the procedure followed for treatment. Demand for automated instruments is rising in laboratories, which is driving the market for point-of-care clinical chemistry systems.Browse full report on Point-of-Care Clinical Chemistry Market -The report studies the global market for point-of-care clinical chemistry of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America has a significant market for point-of-care clinical chemistry systems. This is due to advancement in technology, economic factors, and easy access to health care services in the region. Western Europe and Asia are other large markets which include the U.K., Japan, and China. Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as a fast growing regional market during the forecast period. Growth in patient population and favorable economic growth of major countries, along with an increase in number of players investing in emerging markets, are expected to drive market growth in this region.Key players operating in the global point-of-care clinical chemistry market includes Randox Laboratories, DRG International, Inc., EKF Diagnostics, Molecular Devices, LLC, Nova Biomedical, and Precision Systems 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.Request for sample of this report -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. 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:
Protein Labeling Market Research Report by Regional Analysis - North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa : forecast 2024

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Labeling of specific protein or protein of interest by chemical and/or other biological material for detection, identification, and activity determination, and to identify its physicochemical properties is known as protein labeling. Chemical labels such as fluorescent dyes, biotin, radioactive isotope, and enzymes are used for labeling of proteins. These help generate a detection signal, which are increasingly utilized in key biotechnology applications. The labeled secondary antibodies are readily available in the market, but unique and more specific probes are witnessing increasing demand in research applications. These labels can be conjugated to antibodies and other specific probes using various crosslinking technologies.Three types of tags are utilized in protein labeling processes: mass tags, stable isotopes, and fluorophores. Mass spectrometry is utilized for labeling and separation of mass tags and stable isotopes, while fluorescence imagers are used for detection of fluorescence labels. Protein labeling is becoming essential for proteomic profiling prior to separation and analysis of proteins or amino acids. However, the main purpose of protein labeling is specific detection and quantification of isomers, protein modifications in multiplexed samples, and monitoring of biological processes. Protein labeling enhanced the detection sensitivity as well as simplifies the detection workflow. Proteins can be labeled in biological fluids during cell growth by incorporation of amino acids containing isotopes, tissue samples by attaching specific group or other residues.The protein labeling market can be segmented based on product type, labeling method, end-user, and region. In terms of product type, the market can be segmented into instruments, kits and reagents, and services. The instruments segment comprises fluorescence microscopy, protein microarrays, and mass spectrometry. Reagents can be further segmented into enzymes, monoclonal antibodies, probes or tags, proteins, and other reagents.Browse full report on Protein Labeling Market -Based on labeling method, the protein labeling market can be segmented into in vivo labeling and in vitro labeling. In vivo labeling or metabolic labeling is a method to label all proteins or nucleic acids in a cell by culturing them with amino acids or nucleotides, respectively. In vivo labeling is further segmented into radioactive labeling and photo-reactive labeling. In vitro labeling involves chemical method of protein labeling by covalent attachment of label to amino acids using label conjugates to chemical group that react with specific amino acids. In vitro labeling is further segmented into nanoparticle labeling, dye-based labeling, enzymatic labeling, and site-specific labeling. In vitro labeling is expected to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period.In terms of end-user, the protein labeling market can be categorized into pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, contract research organizations, and academic and research institutes. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies is expected to be the fastest growing segment due to increasing R&D spending in pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector globally.Geographically, the protein labeling market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America and Europe are likely to dominate the protein labeling market. Rising number of proteomics research studies in the region is the key driver of the protein labeling market in North America and Europe. Asia Pacific is expected to be the most progressive market for protein labeling. Increasing health care spending and growing medical tourism are projected to drive the market in Asia Pacific. Rising adoption of personalized medicine therapy is another factor propelling the market in the region. Increasing research and development expenditure and health care expenditure by government is likely to contribute to the growth of the market. However, lack of skilled professionals and high degree of market consolidation could negatively impact the growth of the market during the forecast period.Major players operating in the protein labeling market are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Merck KGaA, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Promega Corporation, SeraCare Life Sciences, Inc., and LI-COR, Inc.Request for sample of this report -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. 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:
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts Market Research Report - Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast 2024

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The major global players operating in this market include Boston Scientific Corporation, Medtronic Inc., B. Braun Melsungen AG, C.R. Bard, Cordis Corporation, St. Jude Medical, Inc., Terumo Corporation, Sorin Group, and Ethicon US.Coronary artery bypass graft is a type of surgery used to treat coronary heart diseases. This surgery improves blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart. According to the National Health Service (England), every year in the U.K., about 20,000 coronary artery bypass grafts are carried out. About 80% of the surgery is used to treat people aged 60 years and above. This surgery is carried out under general anesthetic. The coronary artery bypass graft is performed depending on the severity of the coronary heart disease and the narrowing of coronary blood vessels. Traditional bypass surgery involves a process where the function of the heart is taken over by a heart-lung bypass machine, the patient's breastbone is split, and the chest is cut open. In minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting, only a single three-inch incision is performed over the patient's left chest between the ribs, with no incision over the breastbone. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, a form of coronary artery bypass graft, is commonly known as beating heart bypass graft because it involves the opening of the chest bone but the heart beat is not stopped. According to the Texas Heart Institute, more than 200,000 procedures are performed in the U.S every year.Factors such as growth in number of geriatric population, increase in prevalence of cardiovascular disorder, and change in lifestyle are projected to drive the global coronary artery bypass grafts market during the forecast period. According to the WHO, 17.5 million people die each year due to cardiovascular disease, which is equal to 31% of all estimated deaths worldwide. Technological advancement is another fueling factor, which is likely to add value to the global market. On the other hand, stringent government guidelines are estimated to hinder the market growth.Browse full report on Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts Market -The global coronary artery bypass grafts market has been segmented by procedure type, product type, end-user, and geography. In terms of procedure type, the market is classified into traditional coronary artery bypass grafting, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, and minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting. The traditional coronary artery bypass grafting is performed when a major artery needs to be bypassed. In terms of product type, the market is classified into saphenous vein graft, left internal thoracic artery graft, and other arterial grafts such as radial artery, ulnar artery, gastroepiploic artery, and inferior epigastric artery. In terms of end-user, the market is classified into hospitals, specialty clinics, and ambulatory centers.In terms of geography, the coronary artery bypass grafts market is classified into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.Geographically, North America dominates the market due to product availability, technological advancement, presence of top players, and growth in number of geriatric population, which in turn is expected to drive the market during the forecast period. The geriatric population represents about 14.5% of the U.S. population. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, by 2060, the number is projected to grow to 98 million which is twice of the 2014 geriatric population in the U.S. Europe is the second leading market due to increasing number of coronary heart diseases among the population. The Asia Pacific market is expected to grow at a higher rate in the near future due to presence of high target patient pool, growth in adoption of western lifestyle, increase in government initiatives, and rise in awareness among people.Request for sample of this report -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. 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:
Cerebral Oximeters Market Research Report by Regional Analysis and forecast upto 2024

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The prominent players operating in the global cerebral oximeters market are GE Healthcare, Medtronic, Masimo, Natus Medical Incorporated, Omron Healthcare, Nonin Medical, Boston Scientific, Edwards Lifesciences, and Spacelabs Healthcare.The fundamental aim of the anesthetic process is maintenance of sufficient amount of oxygen to organs and tissues, especially the brain. Though the dangers to the brain of reduced oxygen delivery and prolonged hypoxia are well documented, the brain is still the least monitored organ in the course of anesthesia. Cerebral oximeters are used to obtain cerebral oxygenation values using continuous, noninvasive near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology or near-infrared spectroscopy technology.The cerebral oximeter setup includes an oximeter probe which is attached to a cable that is then connected to the cerebral oximeter monitor. Most cerebral oximeters are able to support 2 to 4 oximeter probes with their respective monitor cables. Probes are attached to the scalp of a patient using adhesive pads, where the frontal lobe is the chosen part of the scalp. Probes are composed of fiber optic light source along with light detectors. Light is released by the source in the infrared range either by light-emitting diodes (LED) or through stimulated emission of the radiation. The emitted light which is in the infrared range is able to reach the underlying cerebral tissue by easily penetrating through the skull. The light which is emitted is either redirected, absorbed, reflected, or scattered. A change is observed in the light spectrum when infrared light comes in contact with hemoglobin. The change depends upon the hemoglobin molecules oxygenation status. The light detectors present in the oximeter probes detect the reflected light once it returns toward the surface.Browse full report on Cerebral Oximeters Market -The growth of the global cerebral oximeters market is due to factors such as growth in the older population, increase in prevalence and incidence of neurological disorders, and gradual rise in the awareness levels about neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, the market growth is driven by increase in prevalence of traumatic brain injuries and sustained efforts by manufacturers to bring in technological advancements in the equipment. The demand for these devices can grow as there is a huge untreated population with neurological conditions as well as rise in demand for minimally invasive and non-invasive devices. Greater focus of the manufacturers on digitalized devices, their extended therapeutic applications, and increase in use of these devices in clinical trials are some of the opportunities that could drive the growth of the market. However, the market growth could be impeded due to high cost of the equipment. As the devices are complex, the costs associated with them are very high. Furthermore, factors such as shortage of highly trained professionals, concerns about the accuracy of the diagnostic devices, and unfavorable reimbursement policies may hinder the growth of the market during the forecast period.The global cerebral oximeters market is segmented based on product type, therapeutic application, end-user, and geography. The market in terms of product type is divided into portable oximeters and finger oximeters. Based on therapeutic application, the market is classified into traumatic brain injuries, stroke, and other therapeutic applications. In terms of end-user, the market is divided into hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centers, and others.Geographically, the global cerebral oximeters market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to have the prime share of the market. Factors such as rise in prevalence of various neurodegenerative disorders, government initiatives and support for technological advancements, well-established sales & distribution network of major neurodiagnostic companies, and ease of reimbursement for brain monitoring techniques. North America is followed by Europe in terms of market size. The market is expected to grow in Asia Pacific due to improvement in health care infrastructure, rise in disposable incomes, and increase in incidence of neurodegenerative disorders as well as health care reforms initiated by governments.Request for sample of this report -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. 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:
Manganese Carbonate Market Size, Share | Industry Trends Analysis Report, 2023

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The global manganese carbonate market currently demonstrates the presence of numerous small and medium-scale companies. As per a new Transparency Market Research (TMR) report, intense competition exists among these enterprises engaged in the manufacturing different grades of manganese carbonate. In order to gain a stronger hold in the market, companies such as American Elements, Alfa Aesar, Zncus Chemical Co., Ltd., and GFS Chemicals, Inc. are investing in the research and development of novel grades of manganese carbonate. These companies are working closely with consumers to develop products that cater to their dynamic preferences.Besides these, the leading companies in the market are also looking to expand their production capacities by capitalizing on untapped opportunities in emerging markets. Due to the prevalence of these factors, the degree of competition in the market is expected to remain high through the forecast period from 2015 to 2023.Browse Market Research Report @Rising Use of Manganese Carbonate as Micronutrient in Agriculture to Fuel its DemandThe rising use of manganese carbonate as an essential agriculture micronutrient will considerably fuel their sales. This chemical is often added to plant fertilizers as a treatment for crops with manganese-deficiency. Agricultural sector still holds dominance across several emerging economies in Asia Pacific and Latin America. Hence, these regions are projected to provide lucrative opportunities for manganese carbonate manufacturers, as they exhibit high demand for micronutrient fertilizers.Since, manganese carbonate is used as a colorant in ceramics and porcelain products, their increasing use in the homeware industry will fuel demand from the manganese carbonate market, observed the author of the TMR study. The homeware market witnesses lucrative opportunities in Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa. Demand for porcelain and ceramics is thus high across these regions, which translates into increased opportunities for manganese carbonate sales.Region-specific Concentration of Reserves to Limit Scope for ExpansionOne of the key factors favoring growth of the manganese carbonate market in emerging regions such as Latin America, Africa, and Asia Pacific is that a majority of manganese reserves are concentrated in these regions. However, Region-specific concentration of manganese reserves have resulted in lesser global opportunities for manufacturers, states the TMR analyst. This limits the markets expansion in developed economies. Furthermore, the majority of manufacturers have signed agreements with mining companies located in close vicinity. This in turn hinders the entry of new players in the market in the absence of favorable agreements.Nevertheless, the potential applications of manganese carbonate in concrete staining will boost its sales in the near future. Concrete staining is slowly emerging as popular technique to create decorate, durable, and easy to maintain home surfaces. The rising use of manganese carbonate to stain concrete surfaces will bolster its sales opportunities in the forthcoming years.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @Based on volume, the agrochemicals segment reported the highest demand for manganese carbonate in 2014. The segment held over 68% of the manganese carbonate market in the year. Regionally, Asia Pacific dominated the global manganese carbonate market, holding a share of 75.5% in terms of volume in 2014.By revenue, the global manganese carbonate market stood at US$322.2 mn in 2014. Exhibiting a CAGR of 4.2% between 2015 and 2023, the market is expected to reach US$464.1 mn by the end of 2023.The review is based on findings of a TMR report, titled Manganese Carbonate Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023.Key Takeaway:Rising use of manganese carbonate as a micronutrient in agriculture to keep revenue growth steady.Accounting for 68% of the market in 2014, agrochemicals segment exhibited highest demand for manganese carbonate.Asia Pacific accounted for 75.5% of global demand for manganese carbonate in 2014.The report segments the global manganese carbonate market as:Manganese Carbonate Market  Application AnalysisAgrochemicalsGlaze ColorantChemical IntermediatesOthers (Including Food Supplements and Medical)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog :
Solar Chimney Market - Evolving Industry , Trends & insights : 2020

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Global Solar Chimney Market: OverviewCurrently, the global market for solar chimneys is in a budding phase and is exhibit high prospects of future growth. The infrastructural advancements in emerging countries and the upswing in the demand for technologically advanced and automated systems is likely to drive this market significantly in the near future.Browse Market Research Report @Solar chimneys, commonly known as thermal chimneys, are the systems that provide ventilation using the solar energy. These chimneys function on the basis of three essential parts, namely, glass roof collector, wind turbines, and chimney. The air is passed through the glass roof, which then heats up the water existing in the tubes. This water, which gets heated up in the day time, eliminates heat at night, completing the function of solar chimneys.The increasing depletion of fossil non-renewable sources has shifted the focus of investors towards exploring renewable sources for energy generation. With the sun being the most prominent resource of renewable energy in the world, solar energy offers lucrative cost benefits in comparison to other renewable energy. As a result, consumers are highly attracted towards the products that function on solar energy, among which, solar chimneys are prominent ones. Although these chimneys run on a recently developed technique, their future is teeming with productive opportunities.This research study attempts to present a complete and an unbiased overview of the global market for solar chimneys on the basis of its past and existing performance. The key driving factors, restraints, significant trends, opportunities, challenges, and future prospects of this market have also been studied thoroughly in this research report.Global Solar Chimney Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe increasing implementation of strict regulations and norms by several governments for environmental protection is influencing the demand for solar chimneys greatly and is expected to continue doing so over the next few years.On the other hand, the poor efficiency level of these chimneys may limit their adoption to some extent in the near future. However, the swift industrialization in emerging economies and the rising awareness level of consumers about the advantages of solar chimneys, such as robust construction, cost efficiency, and the nominal need for maintenance are likely to create lucrative growth opportunities for this market in the coming years.Global Solar Chimney Market: Geographical AnalysisThe global market for solar chimneys stretches across North America, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. North America has emerged as the key contributor to this market and is closely followed by Europe. Supported by the rising trend of green energy, North America is likely to retain its position as the global leader over the forthcoming years. However, Asia Pacific is projected to present most attractive opportunities for markets growth in the near future on account of the rising urbanization and the increasing initiatives by the governments to encourage the usage of renewable energy.Companies mentioned in the research reportWith the global market for solar chimney still being in its nascent stage, its competitive landscape demonstrates a concentrated structure with a limited number of players. Solar Innovations Inc., EnviroMission Ltd., Helioakmi S.A., and Specflue Ltd. are some of the leading manufacturers of solar chimneys across the world.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @Major regions analyzed under this research report are:EuropeNorth AmericaAsia PacificLatin AmericaMiddle East and AfricaAbout TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company driven by high-pedigree consultants and researchers. TMR leverages its Syndicated Research, Custom Research, and Market Consulting expertise to help businesses make accurate decisions. TMRs exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis draws on proprietary data sources and techniques, while their data repository is continuously updated to reflect the latest trends.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Increase in Oil & gas Explorations lead to Hydrographic Equipment Market

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The hydrographic equipment earlier consist primarily of a GPS (Global Positioning System) with a built in radio and Omni directional antenna, a Helmsman display for navigation, dual frequency depth sounder, a computer, a plotter, and a hydrographic system software for underwater data collection. An onboard generator is used to supply power for the equipment. The shore equipments include a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver of same type. The Global Positioning system and the antenna are placed over a survey tripod. Due to vast area of sea, radio boosters are used to boost the signal strength. The Global Positioning System is connected to the satellites for receiving information.Browse Market Research Report @Hydrographic survey is a process used to measure and describe the bodily features of oceans, seas coastal areas, lakes and rivers. The equipments which are required to do such surveys are known as hydrographic equipments. The main goal of hydrographic surveys is to ensure safe maritime navigation. Sometimes the term hydrographic surveys and maritime cartography are used synonymously; however maritime cartography is the final process of hydrographic surveys and is used to convert the raw data collected in hydrographic surveys to pull out some useful information. Hydrographic surveys are done under some rules which may vary according to the accepting authority. In hydrographic surveys measuring depth is not as difficult as compared to knowing how far the survey boat is from the coast when the depth is measured.The modern surveying relies more on the software than hardware. In shallow water areas echo sounders such as LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging) are used with equipments placed on Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) to conduct hydrographic survey. Data collected is stored and processed in computer for use in navigational charts, digital terrain model, topographic measurements and bathymetry. Data collected should be free from errors and is displayed as the charts which are made by using special CAD (Computer Aided Design) software such as AutoCAD. The use of hydrographic surveys is to measure the information related to maritime navigation, marine construction, dredging, offshore oil exploration/drilling related activities, maritime engineering, and harbor management. In these surveys a strong emphasis is given to find information related to shorelines, tides, currents, seabed depth and submerged obstruction that may affect the maritime navigation.Increasing prices of oil and gas due to high demand, safety concerns among the sailors and shipping companies, government policies encouraging oil and gas explorations, advancements in hydrographic equipment technology are likely to drive the hydrographic equipment market in near future. Cost associated with carrying the hydrographic surveys and time taken to conduct hydrographic can act as the main restraint to the potential growth of hydrographic equipment market. Being an uncontested sector with high rewards the opportunities in hydrographic equipment markets are forecasted to be good in near future.Some of the key players in Hydrographic Equipment market are Valeport, Seafloor Systems, Kongsberg Maritime AS, Hydro International, Teledyne Marine and Raytheon Company.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @This research report analyzes this market depending on its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldAbout TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company driven by high-pedigree consultants and researchers. TMR leverages its Syndicated Research, Custom Research, and Market Consulting expertise to help businesses make accurate decisions. TMRs exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis draws on proprietary data sources and techniques, while their data repository is continuously updated to reflect the latest trends.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Dry Storage Casks Market - Things to Watch Out By 2024

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Dry storage casks are generally the most viable method of storing high level nuclear waste which has been cooled down to manageable levels. Cooling of spent fuel requires over a year and sometimes nearly 8 years bringing down to manageable temperatures. Concrete or steel are the major materials used for making these casks, which are able to withstand the harshest of temperature and weather conditions without damage. Not only do inert gases surround and insulate the spent fuel rods in these containers, concrete layers are also present to provide additional radiation shielding to waste handling personnel.Browse Market Research Report @A surge of shutdowns may be observed in the future for most of the ageing nuclear reactors in the world. These reactors which have supplied power to millions of homes in the past have always faced hurdles in terms of public acceptance. With most nuclear plant owners unwilling to dish out extra millions for renovation of their old plants, gradual shutdowns are imminent. With the Fukishima disaster in Japan involving an old boiling water reactor built in the 70s, the public sentiment towards the old nuclear plants is likely to deteriorate. The major issue closely linked with decommissioning these old nuclear power plants is the efficient and safe disposal of nuclear waste. Decommissioning costs of nuclear plants are extremely high, going up to nearly a billion dollars for larger plants. Efficient storage of nuclear waste will occupy a majority portion of these costs. Radioactive half-life of wastes ranges up to 16 million years while they remain hazardous for much longer. Storage of such nuclear spent fuel (NSF) will ultimately spark the demand for dry storage casks.These NSF dry storage casks should be transportable as well, a feature which is incorporated into them during manufacturing. With a majority of the old nuclear power reactors going for decommissioning, thus approaching their wet pool storage limit for NSF, dry cask demand is likely to increase significantly in the future.The market for these NSF dry cask storages is likely to be driven by certain countries. Japan with its decision to decommission existing nuclear reactors and move towards a renewable oriented generation mix can be a potential market. While other countries have not decided yet to walk on Japans path, long lasting effects of the Fukishima disaster are imminent. Decommissioning of old reactors might be the general public and regulatory sentiment in many countries, to be replaced by newer and more efficient power plants. A major requirement of such dry storage casks may be observed from the North American region, with both the U.S. and Canada deciding to shut down and replace a number of their old reactors.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @In the European market, Germany and Russia are likely to be strong demand drivers for such dry storage casks. Strong R&D is likely to be required by the manufacturers of these casks to ensure leak free storage of such wastes in nuclear storage repositories. As the requirement for newer and safer repositories increase to dispose of the nuclear wastes, quality improvements in the casks will become necessary. Major emerging markets are likely to be observed in the North American and Asia Pacific regions. Some of the market players involved in the business of manufacturing SNF dry storage casks are Skoda JS A.S., NAC International, Holtec International and Areva among others.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company driven by high-pedigree consultants and researchers. TMR leverages its Syndicated Research, Custom Research, and Market Consulting expertise to help businesses make accurate decisions. TMRs exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis draws on proprietary data sources and techniques, while their data repository is continuously updated to reflect the latest trends.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Thanks to immigration.The American Dream has moved to CanadaFrom the very moment of its creation, Americans have always imagined their country to be a beacon of opportunity for the world. Thomas Jefferson lit that torch when he wrote in the Declaration of Independence that all men have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This notion that everyone deserves a chance, and will most likely find it in America, has been arguably one of the most attractive and powerful ideas in modern history, guiding millions to Ellis Island, in search of a good job, a good education, a white picket fence and a two car garage.But where once America stood alone as the land of opportunity, there are now dozens of other countries that have surpassed the United States; chief among these is its unassuming northern neighbour, Canada. Where do you go now for Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Canadians live 2.5 years longer than Americans. They are six times less likely to be incarcerated. And the World Economic Forum ranks Canadians as the 6th happiest people in the world, while Americans lag behind at 13th.By virtually every measure, Canada has surpassed the United States as the shining city on the hill, where everyone is safe to reach their potential. And people around the world have begun to notice. From the United States, refugees and asylum seekers are now fleeing into Canada hoping for a fair immigration hearing and a better future. In Latin America, there are reports of economic migrants heading north, intending to cross the U.S. border and keep moving, into Canada. And, overseas, ESL students are increasingly choosing Canada over the U.S.I have two suggestions, two national projects towards which we could strive. First, it is horrifying that while most of us luxuriate in the shiny Canadian Dream, many Indigenous Canadians live in communities without running water, basic healthcare, or any hope of a prosperous future. Surely, if we finally stopped kowtowing to the false gods of the Reserve System and the Indian Act, we could end this injustice within a generation.And second, as the American Dream has now become Canadian, perhaps it is time we also took on the role as the land of the free, and opened our doors wider still. Numerous studies have shown Canada could easily absorb far more immigrants than we do now. In fact, if we want to protect our economy from the effects of an aging population and declining birth rate, we need to attract more.It is often noted that in the early 20th century, Canadian prime minister Sir Wilfred Laurier declared, Canada shall be the star towards which all men who love progress and freedom shall come. Lets make that line as famous and meaningful as this once was: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
By David ShepardsonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors Co said on Monday it will lay off 1,100 workers in May at its Lansing Delta Township assembly plant in Michigan as it shifts production of a vehicle to Tennessee.The largest U.S. automaker last year added 800 jobs at its Spring Hill, Tennessee plant to build a new version of the GMC Acadia SUV. The Lansing plant will continue building the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse after it retools for a month, GM spokesman Tom Wickham said in an emailed statement.GM has announced other U.S. factory cuts even after it said in January it would invest another $1 billion in U.S. factories.U.S. President Donald Trump has urged GM and other automakers to build more cars in the country as part of his pledge to boost U.S. manufacturing jobs and discourage the industry from investing in Mexico.GM has said the $1 billion investment would allow it to create or retain 1,500 U.S. jobs, but has not specified what jobs are impacted.GM has also said it will begin work on bringing axle production for its next generation of full-size pickup trucks, including work previously done in Mexico, to operations in Michigan, creating 450 U.S. jobs. The part was previously built by American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc.GM said in November it would cut about 2,000 jobs when it ended the third shift at its Lordstown, Ohio, and Lansing Grand River plants in January. In December, it said it planned to cancel the second shift and cut nearly 1,300 jobs from its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant in March.Those job cuts were sparked by lower demand for cars as Americans buy more SUVs and other larger vehicles.Trump has repeatedly praised GM's January investment announcement.GM "committed to invest billions of dollars in its American manufacturing operation, keeping many jobs here that were going to leave. And if I didn't get elected, believe me, they would have left," Trump said at a news conference in February.GM has been adding a significant number of U.S. jobs in recent years. It had 105,000 U.S. employees at the end of 2016, up from 97,000 at the end of 2015, according to a company filing in February. GM on Monday declined to provide its current U.S. employment figure.I guess the Dear Leader was too busy searching for hidden microphones to save these jobs.
Robert Osborne

Robert Osborne, longtime host on the Turner Classic Movies cable channel, has died at age 84.

(Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Robert Osborne, who for years was the face of the classic film channel, Turner Classic Movies, has died at age 84, the cable channel has confirmed. The cause of death wasn't immediately released.

"All of us at Turner Classic Movies are deeply saddened by the death of Robert Osborne," Jennifer Dorian, general manager of Turner Classic Movies, said in a statement shared on the TCM Public Relations Twitter account.

"Robert was a beloved member of the Turner family for more than 23 years. He joined us an expert on classic film and grew to be our cherished colleague and esteemed ambassador for TCM."

Osborne became the genteel face of Turner Classic Movies, the cable TV treasure trove of classic films, from Hollywood Golden Age works to foreign imports to underground works.

As Dorian notes, Osborne's "calming presence, gentlemanly style, encyclopedic knowledge of film history, fervent support for film preservation and highly personal interviewing stule all combined to make him a truly world-class host."

Osborne was a native of the Northwest, having grown up in Colfax, Washington. As the Hollywood Reporter -- where Osborne wrote the "Rambling Reporter" column for more than 25 years -- reports, as a boy in the Colfax farming community, Osborne "enjoyed going to the movies and eventually worked at The Rose and The Roxy, the two movie houses in town."

Today we say good-bye to a dear member of our TCM family. Our thoughts are with all who love, as we do, Robert Osborne. #TCMRemembers pic.twitter.com/egWsPRGnJb  TCM (@tcm) March 6, 2017

As Variety reports, Osborne served two years in the Air Force as a lieutenant, and graduated from the University of Washington's journalism school.

Osborne was initially interested in being an actor. As the Hollywood Reporter notes:

"Osborne pursued a career as an actor, and for a regional production in Seattle of the psychological thriller 'Night Must Fall,' he landed the role of the duplicitous Danny opposite Oscar winner Jane Darwell ('The Grapes of Wrath').



The actress took an interest in Osborne and convinced him to further his acting career in Los Angeles, not New York. He stayed with her at her home in the San Fernando Valley and soon earned a six-month contact at Fox, appearing in 'The Californians,' a TV Western starring Paul Henreid."

Osborne signed with Desilu Productions, the company started by Lucille Ball and her then-husband, Desi Arnaz, later crediting Ball with helping mentor him. In those early years, Osborne appeared in commercials for various products, and also played a banker in the pilot for "The Beverly Hillbillies."

His "Rambling Reporter" column allowed Osborne to concentrate on writing, and he also wrote books about the history of the Academy Awards.

In turning to television, Osborne appeared on morning shows and then as a host on the Movie Channel.

Osborne joined Turner Classic Movies in 1994.

Variety reports that Osborne's knowledge of movie history was so deep, he was sometimes frustrated by others who didn't have the same grasp of film lore:

"In a 2006 New York Times profile of Osborne and his apartment -- at a tony Manhattan building coincidentally named the Osborne -- the genial film maven gently expressed his frustration with enthusiastic but unknowledgable fans of classic movies. After such a fan guessed that he would not know what turned out to be a familiar title, he responded, 'Well, do you want me to tell you who's in it in order of their billing or would you rather I tell you what theater it played in New York and for how long?'"

As cohost of the Turner Classic Movies series, "The Essentials," Osborne introduced classic films with such cohosts as the late Carrie Fisher, Drew Barrymore and Alec Baldwin.

Osborne became so identified with Turner Classic Movies that "Saturday Night Live" spoofed, him, with Jason Sudeikis playing Osborne.

-- Kristi Turnquist



kturnquist@oregonian.com

503-221-8227

@Kristiturnquist
Cass County Sheriff Department deputies apprehended an Iowa man suspected of breaking into a vehicle parked on Platteview Drive in Cedar Creek March 4.

Deputies received a report of the break-in and theft from the vehicle at 7:37 a.m. last Saturday.

Based on the victims description of the subject, deputies were able to locate 23-year-old Bubba Dwain Mitchell, of Emerson, Iowa, walking down the street.

After apprehending him, deputies discovered Mitchell was carrying numerous items including cell phones, watches and jewelry.

Deputies were able to determine the cell phones were stolen. They continued to investigate the break-in by contacting other residents in the area, who revealed they also had items stolen. Deputies learned other vehicles and two garages had been entered.

It should be noted most of the vehicles and garages were unlocked, stated a press release from Cass County Sheriff William Brueggemann.

While deputies were in the process of arresting Mitchell for the thefts and burglaries, he resisted them and a struggle ensued. Mitchell sustained a minor injury, which was checked by Plattsmouth Emergency Medical Services. No deputies were injured.

A 32-year-old from Plattsmouth arrived to pick up Mitchell while deputies were on scene. The Plattsmouth individual proved uncooperative and was released.

Mitchell was charged with burglary, theft, false information, resisting arrest, obstructing a peace officer and trespassing.

Mitchell was lodged at the Cass County Jail.

Additional victims are still being discovered. Citizens are reminded to remove valuables from their vehicles when parked, take out the keys, and lock their vehicles and garages to prevent these thefts. There have been prior reports of vehicles being entered though-out cities and populated areas of the county.
Delta College has launched a new website, a far more mobile-friendly site that is designed to be a key student recruitment tool as the school battles a six-year enrollment slide.

Delta President Jean Goodnow said the revamped website is long overdue.

Its something thats been needed for a long time, she said, noting that the previous website was ill-equipped to handle the volume of students who access Deltas website with mobile and tablet devices. We want potential students to choose Delta. Every page of our new website tells them why they should attend Delta.

Goodnow said about 1 million people accessed Deltas old website each year, many of them prospective students who want their information quickly and easily.

Research shows that a mobile friendly site with relevant content is critical, she said. Right now, about 45 percent of potential students visit us using their mobile device.

The new home page prominently features three sections entitled Attend a Top College, Faculty on Your Team and Save a Ton of Money. These areas tout what Delta long has considered its signature selling points: affordability and quality programs taught by top-notch faculty dedicated to teaching and student success.

Goodnow said an emphasis on its great programs accentuated by an easy to search, easy to navigate site that makes it simple for students to choose what they want to become are highlights of the new website.

Im exciting that were now able to prioritize our academic programs, showcase faculty, spotlight student success stories, show the campus/student experience and convey Deltas strengths, she said.

The newly unveiled website, officials said, will have fewer individuals posting and updating information than the previous system. Streamlining website contributors is aimed at presenting content that consistently adheres to Deltas web style standards, said Barb Webb, director of business services.
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Construction season is coming, and if your vacation, commute or other plans include navigating Michigan roads, youll want to heed the Michigan Department of Transportations 2017 road repair map.

MDOT on Monday released plans for 113 construction projects spread across the state. Some have already started. Others begin this month or in April, and have end dates as far out as October 2019.

In mid-Michigan, there is a handful that may delay travel this year.

Scroll through the gallery above to see a handful that may delay travel this year and the full list of statewide projects.

The nearest and biggest local stretch of road set for work straddles Bay and Midland county lines. Crews from June to August will resurface 12.6 miles of U.S. 10/M-25 from the Bay/Midland county line traveling east to west of Bay City. Expect traffic shifts and lane closures.

In Saginaw County, from April to November, crews will reconstruct 1 mile of I-75 and I-675 at the north junction. Expect lane closures and traffic shifts.

In Bay County, from April to October, crews will repair and resurface about 2 miles of I-75 in Linwood, from Cottage Grove to East Anderson roads. Expect shoulder and lane closures and traffic shifts.

In Mount Pleasant, from May to July, crews will build a roundabout at North Mission Road and U.S. 127 BR. Expect detours, shoulder/lane closures and traffic shifts. The intersection has had a high rate of serious crashes, according to MDOT.

When used in appropriate settings, roundabouts have been found to reduce overall crashes by 35 percent, and reduce severe crashes by 76 percent, MDOT said in a news release.

Farther out

On M-15, near the Saginaw/Tuscola county line, from July to November, crews will resurface and patch 6 miles of concrete from M-46 to south of Vassar and widen the road to build a center left-turn lane from north of the city limit to Cottrell Road. Expect a traffic shift with lane closures.

On U.S. 127, near Alma, from March to August, crews will resurface 2.8 miles from Van Buren to Begole roads. Expect traffic shifts with lane closures.

Heading north or leaving the mitten

Whether you plan to cross state lines this summer or head up north, work on the behemoths I-75 and U.S. 23, per usual, will add time to the drive.

The good: Heading north to St. Ignace, there shouldnt be an orange barrel in site from U.S. 10 to 127 and I-75 all the way to the Mackinac Bridge.

Really the only delay factors are near St. Ignace. From May to November, crews will reconstruct a mile on I-75 from Grondin Road to Mackinac Trail. One lane will be open in each direction during non-working hours with one alternating lane open under flag control during working hours.

Farther west into the Upper Peninsula, a project on U.S. 2 in Mackinac County from July to November will repair structural steel and replace joints on the Cut River Bridge. One alternating lane will be open with a temporary traffic signal during joint replacement. There will be a detour for the steel repairs.

The bad: Taking I-75 and U.S. 23.

Heading south from Midland on I-75 to U.S. 23, youll hit five construction zones this summer:

 U.S. 10 and M-25 in Midland/Bay counties: Project from June to August will resurface 12.6 miles of U.S. 10/M-25 from the Bay/Midland county line east to just west of Bay City. Traffic shifts and lane closures.

 I-75/I-675 in Saginaw County: Project from April to November will reconstruct 1 mile of I-75 and I-675 at the north junction. Traffic shifts and lane closures.

 I-75 in Saginaw/Genesee counties: Project from April to September will repair and reseal 13 miles from I-475 to Birch Run Creek. Traffic shifts with lane closures.

 U.S. 23 in Livingston/Washtenaw counties: Project that started in November 2016 with a December 2017 end date will upgrade shoulders, replace and repair bridges, extend ramps and resurface 10.5 miles from M-14 to Silver Lake Road. Two lanes will be open in each direction during peak times. Short-term ramp and bridge detours.

 U.S. 23 in Wayne/Monroe counties: Youve made it this far. One more delay wouldnt hurt, right? From May to October, crews will resurface about 7 miles from the Macon River to Plank Road. One lane open in each direction.

The ugly: Taking I-75 and U.S. 23 south  starting from central Bay County or the south Ogemaw County line. Add two more construction zones:

 Near Linwood: Project from April to October will repair and resurface about 2 miles of I-75 from Cottage Grove to East Anderson roads. Shoulder/lane closures and traffic shifts.

 Near the south Ogemaw County line: Project from March to November will reconstruct 6.5 miles of I-75 from the county line to Cook Road. Lane closures and Cook Road ramp nighttime closures.

We want motorists to remember to slow down in construction zones and avoid all distractions. While youre trusting workers to improve the roads, theyre trusting you with their lives to drive safely and responsibly in their work area. We want everyone to make it home each and every night, State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle said in a news release.

Download the full Michigan map at www.michigan.gov/mdotmaps

Get current construction info for state roads using the Mi Drive website at www.michigan.gov/drive or the Mi Drive app, available on iTunes and Google Play.

Want to get a bit farther away? See: The trail not taken: Hidden treasures of the national parks: http://bit.ly/2mbTcjs
To the editor:

The Midland Emergency Food Pantry Network (EFPN) had a Mobile Food Pantry at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Midland on Saturday, Feb. 18. The food give-away also was funded by this generous congregation.

Approximately 100 volunteers unloaded the semi-truck from Flint on Friday and then served 234 families (661 individuals) on Saturday. The 18,846 pounds of food were purchased from the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in Flint.

During the event, SOS Animal Rescue distributed 720 cans of free cat food and True North registered eligible participants for utility assistance.

The Network also is very grateful to the many donors of food, money and time throughout the year to the Networks mission of Always food in every home. Midland County residents in financial need of food and personal care items during the year may call the Network at (989) 486-9393 to leave your name and phone number.

The third mobile food pantry in 2017 is scheduled for Wednesday, March 22, at Faith United Methodist Church in Coleman.

Thanks again to the members and the staff of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for their partnering support in this ministry!

SALLY ANN SUTTON

Midland County EFPN
COUNTRY Financial Names Vice President, Corporate Controller

Joel Myers has been promoted to vice president and corporate controller at COUNTRY Financial effective immediately. In this role, he will be responsible for leading corporate accounting, financial reporting and analysis, and tax functions.

Myers joined COUNTRY Financial in 2001 as an accountant. He has since served as the director of Accounting Systems, Reporting and Planning, director of Accounting Systems, manager of Cost Accounting, supervisor of Check Preparation, and supervisor of Data Control.

Myers has a bachelors degree from Bradley University and is a certified public accountant. He has the Associate in Insurance Accounting and Finance designation and is a FINRA Operations Professional.

He previously served on the IAA Credit Union Board of Directors.

Tech Electronics announces dedicated service department

Tech Electronics of Bloomington, a technology services organization, is creating a dedicated service department to accommodate growth.

With the robust growth in service, the branch office now believes it can assign dedicated technicians for the daily service, inspection, and testing requested by its growing customer list. A dedicated service department will be able to focus expertise that will improve response and resolution times.

Long-time Project Manager Alex Hull will fill the role of lead service technician with two dedicated field service technicians. Current field technicians will staff the new department, affording the office a high level of continuity for the customers already using Tech for their technology needs.

Duran, Law join Shive-Hattery

Civil engineers Ed Duran, PE and Steve Law, PE, have joined Shive-Hattery. They each bring more than 25 years of experience serving clients in the commercial, education, government and industrial markets in the Bloomington-Normal area.
BLOOMINGTON  An anti-hate rally is planned Thursday in Bloomington.

"Stop Hate Together" is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Illinois Wesleyan University's Hansen Student Center, 300 Beecher St. The rally is sponsored by Not In Our Town (NIOT).

Various faith leaders, immigrants from diverse backgrounds and high school students are scheduled to speak.

The event is free and open to the public; for more information, contact Mike Matejka at 309-208-1120 or Archana Shekara at 309-662-7891.

The date would have been the 33rd birthday of an Olathe, Kan., engineer who was fatally shot on Feb. 22 by someone who told him to "go home." Similar shootings occurred March 2 in South Carolina and March 3 in Kent, Wash., as well as threats against Jewish centers and overturned tombstones in Jewish cemeteries.

As a south Asian community, we are tense and apprehensive, Shekara, an Illinois State University professor and immediate past president of the McLean County India Association, said in a statement. We appreciate Not In Our Town and the community coming together to affirm our positive presence in McLean County and to uphold our rights within this country.
NORMAL  A week after it was sold, the former Motel 6 at 202 Landmark Drive is on its last legs.

The building was expected to come down before the end of February to make way for Bloomington-Normal's first Portillo's restaurant. A demolition permit from the town of Normal could be issued any day now, said City Manager Mark Peterson.

The Oak Brook-based Chicago-style hot dog chain plans to open a newly built restaurant on the site in August.

"I thought that timeline was very aggressive," Peterson said. "We expected something would happen by now."

Bloomington Landmark LLC, the developer working with Portillo's, bought the property for $3.1 million on Feb. 28, according to county records, then took out a $2.8 million construction mortgage the same day.

Portillo's will lease the site for 20 years with options for four additional five-year terms, according to county records. The chain is expected to pay $220,000 annually to Bloomington Landmark, which will receive at least $1.8 million in future sales tax revenue generated by the restaurant via the town of Normal.

Bloomington Landmark is affiliated with Tartan Realty Group, the Chicago developer behind the uptown Hyatt Place hotel and several restaurants at College Avenue and Veterans Parkway. Tartan President Doug Reichl, who signed the lease with Portillo's, did not return a request for comment.

Last month, Nick Scarpino, vice president of marketing and public relations for Portillo's, said, "Before we demolish the existing building, the Normal police and fire departments will use (it) to simulate emergency events."

On Friday, the building had large holes in the walls and spray paint on the doors but remained standing. The Normal Fire Department was doing practice drills at the building last week.

Scarpino previously said the restaurant is set to have a double drive-thru lane; seating for 200 inside and 50 outside; and a 1920s gangster theme.

When Portillo's announced last April that it would come to Normal, it was expected to be the chain's first downstate location, but the company has since started construction on a Champaign restaurant to open next month.
Timothy J. Hawkins, 41, of Oakland, formerly of Fremont, passed away Sunday, March 5, 2017, at his home.

Timothy was born Aug. 27, 1975, to James and Sylvia (Shaffer) Hawkins in Fremont. He graduated from Fremont High School. In 1995, he moved to Oakland to live and work in the Northstar Services housing. He was currently volunteering at Oakland Heights Nursing and Rehabilitation.

Timothy was one to be where the action was happening. He attended the Cuming County Fair in West Point on an annual basis, making sure to see the rodeos, demolition derbies and tractor pulls. He loved his music, especially the Beatles, fresh tea and Dr. Pepper. His most recent trip was to Kansas City to tour Hallmark and attend Christmas events. Driving around to see Christmas lights was a favorite.

He is survived by his brother, Tony Hawkins of Fremont; sisters, Anita (Ronald) Schroeder of Columbus and Chantelle Haase of Denver, Iowa; niece, Cassandra (Daniel) Burchad of Fremont; and nephews, William (Saraha) Hawkins of Salem, Mass., Coletyin Haase of Pender and Cwintyin Haase of Fremont.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

There is no funeral service. However, there will be a visitation from 1-3 p.m. Wednesday at Moser Memorial Chapel in Fremont. Visitation will continue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at Grace Lutheran Church in West Point. Burial will be in Memorial Cemetery in Fremont at a later date.

Memorials may be designated to Northstar Services in West Point.

Online condolences may be left at: www.mosermemorialchapels.com.
BLOOMINGTON  A patchwork quilt with more than 7,500 pieces stitched together by hand, a seven-room dollhouse wired for electric lights and Amish-made furniture are among the many items featured in the grand auctions that are a popular part of the annual Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale.

The sale will take place March 17-18 at the Interstate Center, 2301 W. Market St., on the west side of Bloomington. Admission and parking are free.

The festivities start at 4:30 p.m. March 17 with a catfish filet and barbecued chicken dinner. The first day's grand auction begins at 6:30 p.m.

The popular all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage breakfast will go from 6 a.m. to about 11 a.m. March 18. That day's auction begins at 8:30 a.m. A special auction where children do the bidding will take place that morning.

Ruthie Roth, executive secretary of the sale, said she likes everything about the sale and can't single out one thing as her favorite.

This is the 59th Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale and the 59th in which Roth has been involved.

Her late husband, Don Roth, who died in 2014, managed the first auction in 1959 and continued his involvement throughout his life.

I just thank God for the opportunity to help, she said. So many are suffering in the world.

Eighty percent of the sale proceeds go to the Mennonite Central Committee of Akron, Pa., for international relief efforts. The committee helps provide food, bring clean water to communities, support families, extend friendship and promote healthy living.

The other 20 percent of the net proceeds go to local charities, including the Salvation Army of Peoria, Bloomington and Pekin; Bloomington's Home Sweet Home Ministries, the Midwest Food Bank in Bloomington and other food pantries.

Roth said she will continue helping with the sale as long as God is willing.

Volunteers are key to the effort, both in organizing and running the sale and in providing items for the sale. It is a year-round task that involves more than 30 Illinois churches and 1,000 volunteers, including those who make the quilts.

The Illinois Relief Sale Board quilt is a postage stamp patterned king quilt with more than 7,569 postage stamp-size pieces hand-stitched by one person, an Amish woman in Lancaster, Pa., according to Roth.

She said the masterpiece is in tones of blue and beige with eight hand-quilted stitches to the inch, making it a special heirloom. It is among more than 100 quilts and wall hangings to be auctioned.

In addition to the special Friday evening and Saturday morning meals, there will be meals available throughout the event, including rib-eye steaks, butterfly porkchops and hot dogs.

Food also will be for sale to take home, including about 7,500 pounds of sausage packaged for sale with the help of Eureka's Bittner Meat Shop and many volunteers. The Pennsylvania Dutch Market will be filled with all kinds of pies, cakes, homemade bread, jams and jellies, cheeses and homemade noodles.

Specialty booths will feature arts and handicrafts, flowers, books and baby items. There also will be a kiddie corner.

Roth didn't know how many people attend the annual sale, but she noted that organizers usually serve 2,200 to 2,300 fish dinners and about 2,800 pancake breakfasts  and that's only a portion of the people who visit the sale.

An increasingly popular and growing part of the sale is Ten Thousand Villages, which features purses, linens, baskets and jewelry made by more than 2,000 needy artisans in 34 countries. The program purchases the items from the artisans, providing them with income, and the proceeds from their sale goes back into the program for more trade.
UPDATE 5.05PM EST: Azealia has issued a statement via her lawyer explaining she was not able to make into court today because she's been in Paris for Fashion Week.

She was in France for Fashion week due to meetings and other social gatherings and was not able to arrange her flight in time to appear today. She apologizes and will apologize in person to the Court for missing her scheduled hearing. In addition, she attempted to appear via a New York Attorney and through a close family member. Ms. Banks will go to the department to remedy the situation as soon as possible. Again, she apologizes for the inconvenience that may have caused the Department."



--

A New York judge has issued a warrant today for Azealia Banks' arrest after she missed her scheduled hearing regarding an incident in 2015, in which she assaulted a woman at a nightclub.

Banks allegedly retaliated when she was not allowed to enter a VIP party at New York's Up&Down two years ago, punching and biting the breast of a security guard working at the venue. Banks was heard screaming "Do you know who I am?!" at the time by fellow partygoers.

Hectic.



[h/t Pitchfork]
Donald Trump is continuing his disturbingly consistent behavior of signing impulsive, racist executive orders. His initial ban on Syrian refugees and "extreme vetting" of people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Sudan, and Somalia, all majority-Muslim countries, was met with massive resistance at airports and across the country, and was ultimately blocked by a federal judge in Washington State, a decision upheld by an appeals court in California.

Now, 6 weeks after the original order, Trump is trying again to pass a slightly modified but still discriminatory order that he signed on Monday. This new order suspends the U.S. refugee program for 120 days and bans new visas for citizens from every country listed on the previous ban except for Iraq. People who already have visas or who have U.S. green cards will not be affected, and while the refugee program is suspended, Syrians are no longer barred indefinitely, according to the revised order. What's more, language providing people from "religious minorities" (namely Christians in the banned countries) with special assistance has been removed.

The Associated Press reports that the decision to remove Iraq from the list is a response to pressure from the Pentagon and State Department, who urged the White House to consider Iraq's important role as an ally against ISIS. The Iraqi government also lobbied for its removal from the list. CNN reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi spoke on the phone with Trump on February 10th and in person with Vice President Mike Pence in Munich on February 18th.

Ultimately, despite the nominal changes, the goal of the order, which goes into effect on March 16th, remains unchanged: to mark all Muslims as terrorists, and to close our borders to refugees who need our help, often because of U.S. intervention in their home countries. As the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee Rep. Adam Schiff said in a statement, "Apart from the removal of Iraq, the new travel ban is essentially the same as the old travel ban, and has the same fundamental flaws - its choice of countries is arbitrary, its effect will be counter-productive, and its real goal is not improved security but meeting a campaign commitment to ban Muslims."

Image via Matteo Pradoni/BFA.com
President Donald Trump was with the fourth-grade kids at the St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando last Friday. When a 10-year-old girl told him she would like to own a business one day, the president encouraged her to make a lot of money and forget about entering politics.

Trump was in town with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for a "listening session" on school choice when he surprised a class of fourth-grade kids, according to Click Orlando. As he was shaking hands with the children, one of the girls told the president about her plans of owning a business.

The president told the girl that she had a good idea and encouraged her to make money. "But don't run for politics after," Trump joked.

The president also received a card from two other fourth graders. Trump joined them for a photo op and said, "We're going to make you famous," according to Yahoo.

The visit was intended to push the government's school choice or voucher program agenda. The school was pegged as a model for what could work as St. Andrew Catholic School is a private institution with one of the largest school voucher programs in Florida, per Daily Mail.

Florida has a Tax Credit Scholarship Program that helps disadvantaged families and their kids get into good private schools through vouchers. One school choice success story that Trump's team has been using as an example is the case of Denisha Merriweather who gained from Florida's program.

She was able to get into a good high school and college, and she's on her way to finishing her Master's degree. "Denisha is living proof that school choice can break the cycle of poverty and provide transformative change," Betsy DeVos wrote, via USA Today.

Aside from DeVos, Trump was also accompanied by his daughter Ivanka Trump, her husband and the president's senior adviser Jared Kushner, their daughter Arabella and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. About 150 protesters, however, were outside the school grounds.
A new civil rights case has been filed against Apple Inc. in Maryland's District Court, Montgomery. The two Plaintiffs in this case are Deandre Simmons and Darius Green from the State of Maryland. The two are identified in the lawsuit as being "African American/Black citizens." They're suing Apple for being subjected to racial profiling at an Apple Store in Maryland.

What do the Plaintiffs want in this case? Plaintiffs Simmons and Green each want Apple to pay them 1 million dollars each for compensatory damages and 10 million in punitive damages for Apple's willful and malicious conduct to serve as an example to prevent a repetition of such conduct in the future.

Overview of the Case

The lawsuit claims that "Plaintiffs were subjected to race discrimination while shopping and purchasing Apple, Inc. products at the Apple Store located at 4860 Bethesda Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland 20814 and denied the privileges afforded to White and non-Black/African American customers and shoppers.

Plaintiffs were racially profiled before, during and after the purchase of their Apple products at the location in question, were subjected to unlawful detention by local authorities at the behest of Apple for appearing "suspicious" before, during and after their purchase of Apple Store products, and were subjected to racial profiling in violation of their constitutional rights when the Apple Store employees called 911 to report two suspicious black men at the store and summoned the local police department to the location."

Defendant/Apple "is legally responsible for the incidents, injuries, and damages set forth herein, and Defendant proximately caused the incident, injuries, and damages by reason of their negligence, negligent supervision, training, management or control, violation of constitutional rights, or by reason of other personal, vicarious, or imputed negligence, or fault, whether based on agency, employment, control, whether severally or jointly, or whether based on any other act or omission.

Defendant is legally responsible for, the incidents, unlawful conduct, injuries, and damages alleged by participating in the unlawful conduct, or acting jointly or conspiring with others to act, by authorizing or allowing, explicitly or implicitly, policies, plans, customs, practices, actions, or omissions that led to the unlawful conduct, by failing to take action to prevent the unlawful conduct, by failing or refusing to initiate and maintain adequate training or supervision, and thus constituting deliberate indifference to Plaintiff s rights, and by ratifying the unlawful conduct that occurred by agents and officers under their direction and control, including failing to take remedial or disciplinary action.

Plaintiffs are informed and believe and therefore alleges that at all times mentioned in this Complaint, Defendant's employees were the agents, servants, joint ventures, partners, and/or co-conspirators of Defendant Apple Inc. and that at all times, each of Defendant's employees and/or agents was acting within the course and scope of that relationship with Defendant Apple Inc..

Plaintiffs are informed and believe, and therefore allege, that the violations of the Plaintiffs' constitutional rights complained of herein were intentional and or negligently and caused by customs, policies, and/or practices of authorized policymakers of Apple, Inc. and other supervisory officials of Apple, Inc., which encouraged, authorized, directed, condoned, and/or ratified the unconstitutional and unlawful conduct complained of in this Complaint. These customs, policies, and/or practices were the moving force behind the violations alleged, and include, but are not limited to intentionally and systematic racial discrimination, failing to maintain adequate policies, failing to adequately train, supervise, and control its employees, failing to investigate and impose discipline on employees who employ discriminatory methods and behavior against African American customers, and failing to adopt other remedial measures and policies to ensure that such constitutional violations do not recur.

Defendants have engaged in a pattern and practice of civil rights violations and other tortious conduct at its Bethesda, Maryland location, and other locations, both domestically and internationally, which has been carried out by its employees and agents within the scope of its agents employment; and or the Defendant's employees have acted intentionally in violation of civil rights laws design to protect citizens against such discriminatory behavior. These civil rights violations by Apple Store employees have occurred with the knowledge and acquiescence of Apple, Inc. at the highest corporate management levels.

The Facts

The court document presents "The Facts" according to the Plaintiffs Deandre Simmons and Darius Green as follows:

On June 17, 2016, at approximately 5:00 p.m. the Plaintiffs, two Apple account holders, entered the Apple Store located at 4860 Bethesda Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, to purchase two new cellphones. The Plaintiffs followed proper Apple Store protocol and placed their names on a "list" of customers in need of assistance. The Plaintiffs waited in the store until an employee arrived to assist them. While waiting for their names to be called pursuant to Apple's protocol and procedure, the Plaintiffs were subjected to constant stares and glares by Apple Store employees, though the Plaintiffs did not understand the need for such stares and glares, as the Plaintiffs had done nothing wrong and had committed no criminal act.

At approximately 5:19 pm, the Plaintiffs names were called and they were called to the purchasing counter. While at the counter, the Plaintiff provided their Apple and Verizon Store account information and requested to purchase two iPhone 6s, 64GB model cellphones. The Apple Store employees retrieved two cellphones from their stock. Both Plaintiffs then purchased the cellphones for $793.94 each. Upon information and belief, the Apple Store employees verified the validity of their accounts prior to the Plaintiffs being called to the purchasing counter.

After spending almost $1600 at the Apple Store, the Plaintiffs began walking toward the door of the Apple Store location. Upon opening the store door to exit, the Plaintiffs were accosted by two uniformed Montgomery County Sherriff s Department officers who detained them for almost an hour in front of the Apple Store location. The Plaintiffs were tackled and slammed to the ground by the officers who then required the Plaintiffs to sit on the ground with the heat of the sun pounding upon their bodies, as passers-by looked upon them. The Plaintiffs were humiliated and felt ridiculed and harassed. The Plaintiffs were informed by their detaining officers that the Apple Store employees called to report "suspicious" persons at the location and that the two Plaintiffs were the individuals reported by the Apple Store employees to have been engaged in or possibly engaged in fraudulent activity while at the Apple Store. However, the Plaintiffs had engaged in no such behavior and were not charged with any criminal offense against Apple after being unlawfully targeted and detained for almost an hour in front of the Apple Store location at Apple, Inc.'s direction.

Upon information and belief, the Defendant has previously been accused, both domestically and internationally, of racial discrimination at its Apple Store locations, and a string of similar complaints suggest a pattern of racially biased policies and practices that have systemically and systematically resulted in widespread discrimination against African Americans/Black customers and or shoppers.

Upon information and belief, the ongoing policies and practices of the Defendant corporation denied the Plaintiffs the full and equal benefit of all laws, as enjoyed by non-African Americans/Black customers and shoppers; that African Americans/Black customers are disproportionately suspected of wrongdoing with no or insufficient probable cause, and are more likely to be denigrated, humiliated, and accused of criminal activity even in the absence of such behavior or reasonable basis to make such claims.

As a direct and proximate cause of the Defendant and its employees' actions, the Plaintiffs have suffered irreparable loss and injury, including but not limited to deprivation of civil rights protected by the Constitution, economic loss, mental anguish, feelings of distrust, public humiliation and denigration, loss of sleep, and loss of enjoyment of life and daily activity.

The Plaintiffs, therefore, seek to be made whole and seek compensatory and punitive damages for injuries sustained as a result of the Defendant's intentional, reckless, malicious, willful and wanton behavior that showed reckless disregard for the Plaintiffs' rights at that state and federal levels."

The Seven Counts Filed against Apple

COUNT ONE:

Violation of 42 U.S.C. Section 1981(Contracts Clause)

COUNT TWO:

Violation of 42 U.S. Code Section 1981 (Equal Benefits Clause)

COUNT THREE:

Violation of 42 U.S. Code Section 1982 [Property Rights of Citizens]

COUNT FOUR:

Violation of 42 U.S.C. Section 1985(3) (Deprivation of Rights and Privileges- Conspiracy Clause)

COUNT FIVE:

(Violation of Maryland State Civil Rights Law) (MSHRL Article, 20-304, Annotated Code of Maryland)

COUNT SIX:

(Negligent Hiring, Training, Retention and Supervision)

The lawsuit was filed on March 03, 2017 in Maryland District Court. The Presiding Judge is noted as being Roger W. Titus.

About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments. Those using abusive language or behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
Patna: The women members of the Patna metro Congress on Sunday staged a rally at the Boring Road Crossing to protest against the recent hike in cooking gas cylinders.

Demanding a rollback in the price of the domestic cooking gas, the protestors led by Metro Patna Congress President Anita Kumari, blocked the busy intersection for hours while burning the effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Carrying empty gas cylinders, clay oven, cooking utensils, and banners in their hands, the protestors squatted in the middle of the street cursing the NDA government for 'being anti-people' and for 'having no regard for the middle and poor class' that, they said, were the biggest victim of this 'fascist' government.

"First he punished us by taking away our money in the name of demonetization and now this sharp rise in the price of cooking cylinders. Situation is so bad that we are now forced to go back to 'mitti ka chulha' (clay oven) to cook at home as no one can afford the LPG cylinders anymore," Anita Kumari said.
White House Again Delays Release Of Revamped Order On Immigration

03/03/17

Source: RFE/RL

The White House has again delayed release of a revamped executive order limiting travel and immigration to the United States.



cartoon by Ali Romani, Iranian daily Shargh



White House officials said on March 2 that the revised order will not be published until next week. The original order, which President Donald Trump said he rushed to get out during his first week in office to protect Americans from possible terrorist attacks, was released a month ago.



Trump's original order temporarily barred all refugees as well as citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries, but it was immediately challenged in the courts and within days had been suspended by U.S. courts in Washington state and San Francisco.



Trump has said the administration will change parts of the original order that were questioned by the courts.



The delays belie assertions by Trump and top White House officials that immediate action was necessary to keep the country safe from terrorist attack.



"If we waited five days, 10 days, six months to begin establishing the first series of controls, we would be leaving the homeland unnecessarily vulnerable," senior White House policy adviser Stephen Miller said in defending the original order, which he is said to have co-authored.



Based on reporting by AP and Reuters



Related Stories:
Iran retailers feel cornered by foreign brands

03/06/17

Source: Press TV

Small shops, department stores and supermarkets in Iran are feeling the heat from big retailers in neighboring countries and beyond menacingly making their presence felt at a pace never seen before.



Iran's domestic production

cartoon by Mehdi Azizi, Shargh daily



Hypermarkets and mass merchandisers from Turkey, UAE, and Europe are capitalizing on dramatic shifts taking place in the Iranian market as customers are endearing to mass-premium brands.



The rapidly-changing environment in Tehran and other big cities has generated a groundswell of social alienation with traditional brands and archaic business practices in favor of multiple retail stores which are offering skilled retail staff on top of information, advice and tips.



This emerging retail environment is catering to the needs of a new generation of consumers who are becoming hooked up to subscription-based sales that eliminate the need for regular store visits and impulse-driven purchases.



The trend is squeezing out small businesses which are increasingly becoming outspoken in their criticism of the government. Some of them have started grassroots campaigns to protect their local businesses.

Campaign to protect local producers

In the northwestern city of Tabriz which has a well-established base for production of leather shoes, retailers have banned sales of Chinese-made footwear after seeing their trade beleaguered in recent years.



Their peers in the neighboring city of Zanjan have joined them and the campaign is spreading to other cities across Iran.



Workers at Payara shoe making factory in Tabriz

In the capital Tehran, many food wholesalers are panicked by growing inroads of Turkish producers who have the lucrative Iranian market of more than 80 million on their radar for some time.



Just last month, Turkish discount retailer BIM said it was exploring opportunities in Iran for possible opening of stores in a country which has largely remained closed off for years under sanctions.



The supplier of basic food items and consumer goods said it was about to be granted authorization to initiate marketing research studies to determine opportunities and investment potential in Iran's retail market.



Its products include beverages, meat products, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, frozen food, bakery products, cleaning supplies and snacks and sweets.



A Turkish fashion brand in a modern shopping mall in Isfahan

Qatar's Abu Issa Holding, one of the largest retail and luxury goods firms in the Middle East, has said it expects to open its first store in Tehran in the second quarter of 2017. The retailer is among a subset of Persian Gulf Arab businesses which hope to set up shop in Iran.



MAF-owned hypermarket operator Hyper Star, a subsidiary of French multinational retailer Carrefour, and discount chain stores operator Canbo have already established a niche in Tehran's grocery market. Some others are dusting down their Iran file and have put the country on the menu.



Iranian supermarket chains such as Refah and Shahrvand, instead, are seeing their market share snatched away by the new intruders.

Discontent and confusion

Local retailers are outraged. According to secretary of food wholesalers union Ali Karbasi, 30% of wholesalers in one market neighborhood in downtown Tehran have shut down and more businesses are likely to go to the wall with the opening of new foreign shops such as Turkey's BIM.



"Hyper Star, Canbo and BIM have harmed many supermarket owners and food distributors and according to some officials, sales of local trade units in this field have dropped about 50%," Amin Rostampour, a food distributor in Tehran province, told Jam News monitoring website.



Customers make their shopping from a Hyper Star market in Tehran.

Sadeq Yavari, a graduate of economics, touched on "Turkey's precise information gathering and targeted planning for distribution and sales of food" in Iran.



"This reflects the fact that, unfortunately, some of the privileges provided to Turkish businessmen in Iran are not consistent with 'resistance economy'," he said.



Resistance economy was introduced by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei four years ago in order to thwart the effects of US-led sanctions through utilization of Iranian resources and promoting a knowledge-based economy.



Hamid Tabatabai, another food distributor, underlined the need for reining in the operation of foreign retailers in Iran.



He said Turkish goods and products were increasingly taking up shelf space in Tehran and elsewhere despite claims that foreign chain stores were only offering Iranian goods.



"It is not clear what is the logic behind the activities of such stores in Iran," he told Jam News.
Khamenei Tells Aliyev Israel Seeks To 'Weaken' Iran-Azerbaijan Ties

03/06/17

Source: RFE/RL

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has told visiting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that Tehran believes Israel is working to weaken ties between the two countries.



Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev

Tehran, March 5, 2017



"The evil Zionist regime is making efforts more than all enemies to weaken the brotherly relations between Iran and Azerbaijan," Khamenei said in a March 5 meeting with Aliyev.



He said the neighbors should be "vigilant" in protecting what he called their friendly ties.



Khamenei also praised Azerbaijan's position on Iran's nuclear program, without going into detail.



"In political circles and communities, the Azeri government has always stood by Iran and these positive stances bring the two countries closer than ever to each other," Khamenei was quoted as saying by Iranian media.



Iran has in the past been critical of Azerbaijan's strong ties with Israel, which sells weapons and defense equipment to Baku.



Tehran does not recognize the state of Israel.



Aliyev was on a one-day visit and met earlier in the day with Iranian President Hassan Rohani.



With reporting by IRNA, Mehr, and PressTV



Related Articles:

Iran's President Rouhani welcomes Azerbaijan's Aliyev, hails ties as 'brotherly, strategic'



Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has hailed relations with neighboring Azerbaijan as "friendly, brotherly and strategic," saying they share close views on regional issues. Tehran-Baku ties "have made considerable progress in the past three years," Rouhani said at a joint news conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev who arrived in Tehran Sunday for a one-day visit.

Azerbaijan and Iran launch rail link



Concurrent with the visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Tehran, the 10-kilometer Astara (Iran)-Astara (Azerbaijan) railway line project began its trial operation successfully on Sunday. With the commissioning of this railroad as well as the completion of Rasht-Astara railway line project, the Islamic Republic of Iran will be connected to Europe's rail network via Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan will get direct access to the Persian Gulf.


mSecure password manager review TechRadar Pro

Updated In our mSecure password manager review, we take an in-depth look at this password manager to help you decide if its the most secure way to handle your sensitive data.
The U.S. Department of Justice is asking a federal court to dismiss its indictment in a case that involves a child porn site known as Playpen after a judge asked the government to disclose the hacking technique it used to gather evidence.

The government must now choose between disclosure of classified information and dismissal of its indictment, the DOJ said in a court filing Friday. Disclosure is not currently an option.

The case involves Jay Michaud, a school administrator from Vancouver, Washington, who was arrested in July 2015 for allegedly viewing child porn images on Playpen. Michauds case was one of at least 137 cases brought throughout the U.S. in relation to Playpen, a website that operated on the Tor anonymity network and which the FBI managed to seize in 2015.

Instead of shutting the website down immediately, the FBI let it operate for an additional 13 days during which time it deployed malware on its visitors computers in order to obtain their real IP addresses and later identify them.

The Tor hidden service protocol, which Playpen used, is designed to hide the websites real IP address from users and the IP addresses of users from the website itself. It provides two-way anonymity.

Playpen visitors used the Tor Browser, a hardened and Tor-optimized version of Mozilla Firefox. Its not clear how the FBI managed to deploy malware on computers that visited Playpen, but security researchers believe that it was done through a yet unpatched vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox.

The FBI refers to the exploit as a Network Investigative Technique (NIT) and has refused to disclose details about it claiming that its classified.

Michauds lawyer previously asked the judge to force the DOJ to release the exploit as part of the discovery process between legal teams and Mozilla even filed a brief in the case asking for the government to share details of the vulnerability with the browser maker so it can be patched.

The judge agreed that there was a law enforcement need to keep details of the tool secret, but in May ruled that the government cant both keep the tool secret and use the information gathered with it as evidence at trial. It had to be one or the other.

The suppression order entered by the Court in May 2016 has deprived the government of the evidence needed to establish Defendant Jay Michauds guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at Trial, the DOJ said in its latest motion to dismiss the indictment. Because the government remains unwilling to disclose certain discovery related to the FBIs deployment of a Network Investigative Technique (NIT) as part of its investigation into the Playpen child pornography site, the government has no choice but to seek dismissal of the indictment.

The DOJ is seeking a so-called dismissal without prejudice, which, if granted, would leave open the possibility that the government could bring new charges against the defendant in the future if the situation changes and it will be in a position to disclose the requested information about the exploit.
Antitrust concerns about Googles tying of its app store and services to use of the Android OS are spreading, as Turkeys Competition Board has opened an inquiry, reversing an earlier decision.

Russian search company Yandex filed a complaint with the board in 2015, alleging that Google requires smartphone manufacturers to pre-load Google Play Store, Google Play Services and Google Mobile Services on any Android devices they sell, and to make Google Search the default search provider on those devices.

Such behavior would be a concern for Yandex, which offers app store, mobile mapping and search services of its own.

Yandex had filed similar complaints against Google elsewhere too, including in Russia and the European Union, while a similar case in the U.S. was triggered by other complainants.

The Turkish complaint fizzled in December 2015, when the competition regulator ruled that there was no need for an inquiry since smartphone buyers were free to download other applications to the devices they purchased. However, the regulator also decided to ask Google to remove the exclusive preloading conditions from its agreements with phone manufacturers, so that market forces could determine which apps were installed.

Unhappy with the ruling, Yandex appealed to the Ankara District Administrative Court, which in October 2016 suspended the boards initial ruling.

On Monday, however, the board decided to launch an investigation into the business practices of Google, Google International, and its Turkish advertising and marketing subsidiary Google Reklamclk ve Pazarlama.

The investigation will examine whether the companies broke Turkish laws prohibiting anticompetitive agreements, cartels and abuses of dominant positions, the board said Monday.
In the wake of one of the most divisive elections in U.S. history, siblings are quarreling over politics, friends are unfriending each other on Facebook and coworkers are getting into it at the water cooler.

Im old enough to remember the political controversy that surrounded the Jimmy Carter presidency, said Joseph Ortiz, a labor attorney in Riverside. But this is different.

The level of vitriol lacing political arguments seems to be at an all-time high. Ortiz recalled that much criticism was tossed around in the 1970s and 80s when Carter, then Ronald Reagan, occupied the White House.

But it was tinged with respect, he said. We dont have that right now.

Michael Letizia, past state director for the California chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, said the level of animosity is worse than anything hes seen since launching a human resources career in 1984.

I dont know what happened in the last six months in America, Letizia said. Somehow it is no longer OK to agree to disagree. Now youre either right or wrong.

That kind of thinking has leached into the workplace.

In the two weeks following the election, there was a huge uptick in employee altercations, Letizia said.

Ortiz said hes seen it himself. He recalled a conversation he witnessed just after Donald Trumps unexpected victory.

Someone made the comment that anyone who voted for Trump might as well have voted for a Nazi, Ortiz said. Unbeknownst to that person, he said, another person taking part in the conversation had cast a ballot for Trump.

Friction and tension

The friction and tension appears to mirror a recent national survey on stress.

Two-thirds of Americans professed to be stressed out about the future, according to an American Psychological Association poll released in February. And 57 percent said the nations political climate is a very  or somewhat  significant source of that stress, the association stated.

Workplace division is a problem throughout California and the nation, said Christine Porath, an author and researcher at Georgetown University.

Just like the country, were seeing workplaces that are really divided, Porath said.

Letizia, a consultant who provides management advice for 37 clients, said his phone has been ringing off the hook with employers wanting to know how to bridge the divide and get workers to focus back on their jobs.

He said most such calls have come from small businesses. He said larger employers with big human resources departments seem to have weathered the political storm more smoothly. Most of Letizias clients employ fewer than 100 people; about five are larger.

Affects the bottom line

While empirical data may be lacking, Letizia said, there is no question the tension is affecting companies bottom line.

I think there has already been a hit to productivity just in the last six months, he said.

Heres why.

Amy Hurley-Hanson, professor of business management at Chapman Universitys George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics, said arguments spur coworkers to avoid each other. That compromises the teamwork crucial to accomplishing tasks.

You can basically have gridlock at work, where people arent helping each other get things done, she said.

Porath, the author and professor at Georgetown University, confirmed that in her research.

Porath authored a book titled, Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace. More recently, she wrote an article on workplace rudeness that was published in the Harvard Business Review.

In the article, she said: In experiments Ive done, Ive found that once people are exposed to rudeness, they are three times less likely to help others.

Porath said by phone that if a worker is disrespected for whatever reason  including political view  he or she may shut down.

Clearly, that affects productivity, she said. But it also affects the level of experience in an office.

In the long run, people are less likely to want to work in your organization, Porath said. Life is too short. You think, Do I really want to be working around that kind of atmosphere and those people?

Ortiz, the labor lawyer, said there is a small chance a confrontational atmosphere could land an employer in court. Besides emphasizing the need for employees to avoid sexual harassment, state law also mandates that companies train workers to refrain from using abusive speech in the workplace.

You lose good people

But a talent drain is a more likely outcome.

Most people dont sue, Ortiz said. If theyre dealing with people who are abusive and abrasive, they polish up their resume and they go somewhere else.

You lose good people. And there is an expense associated with hiring new people because you cant maintain a civil work force, he said.

While the level of work force friction may be alarming, its not like coworkers havent disagreed in the past.

The political, cultural and social divide is not brand new, said Stephen Byars, a professor at the USC Marshall School of Business. I think it was borne out emphatically by the Trump election. But the divide itself has been long simmering.

Byars said the divide is less likely to generate heated arguments among colleagues who have worked alongside each other a long time and established a good relationship.

Where I think it is more problematic is where you have a couple of folks in the workplace who dislike each other in the first place, Byars said. That has the potential to be toxic.

Good colleagues learn to work around it and bad colleagues use it as an excuse to antagonize people even more, he said. Workplace respect trumps the disagreements that we may have.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The New York Times is reporting that the director of the FBI has asked the Justice Department to publicly reject President Donald Trumps assertion that Barack Obama as president ordered the tapping of Trumps phones during the presidential campaign.

The Times reports on its website that senior American officials tell the newspaper that FBI Director James Comey has argued that the claim is false and must be corrected. No such statement has been issued by the Justice Department.

The Times reports that the officials say Comey wants the claim rejected publicly because it falsely insinuates that the FBI broke the law.

Trump made the allegation of tapped phones at Trump Tower in a series of tweets Saturday but cited no evidence. An Obama spokesman says the allegation is false.

The Associated Press reported that a U.S. official later affirmed that the FBI had made the request to the Justice Department. The official isnt authorized to discuss the situation and spoke on condition of anonymity, the AP said.

Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores has declined to comment on the matter, and an FBI spokesman also isnt commenting.

Trump turned to Congress earlier Sunday for help finding evidence to support his unsubstantiated claim that former President Barack Obama had Trumps telephones tapped during the election. Obamas intelligence chief said no such action was ever carried out.

Republican leaders of Congress appeared willing to honor the presidents request, but the move has potential risks for the president, particularly if the House and Senate intelligence committees unearth damaging information about Trump, his aides or his associates.

Trump claimed in a series of tweets without evidence Saturday that his predecessor had tried to undermine him by tapping the telephones at Trump Tower, the New York skyscraper where Trump based his campaign and transition operations, and maintains a home.

Obamas director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said nothing matching Trumps claims had taken place.

Absolutely, I can deny it, said Clapper, who left government when Trump took office in January. Other representatives for the former president also denied Trumps allegation.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said without elaborating Sunday that Trumps instruction to Congress was based on very troubling reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election. Spicer did not respond to inquiries about the reports he cited in announcing the request.

Spicer said the White House wants the congressional committees to exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016. He said there would be no further comment until the investigations are completed, a statement that House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi took offense to and likened to autocratic behavior.

Its called a wrap-up smear. You make up something. Then you have the press write about it. And then you say, Everybody is writing about this charge. Its a tool of an authoritarian, Pelosi said.

Spicers chief deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said she thinks Trump is going off of information that hes seen that has led him to believe that this is a very real potential.

Josh Earnest, who was Obamas press secretary, said presidents do not have authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens, as Trump has alleged was done to him. FBI investigators and Justice Department officials must seek a federal judges approval for such a step.

Earnest accused Trump of leveling the allegations to distract from the attention being given to campaign-season contacts by Trump aides with a Russian official, including campaign adviser Jeff Sessions before he resigned from the Senate to become attorney general. The FBI is investigating those contacts, as is Congress.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., said in a statement that the panel will follow the evidence where it leads, and we will continue to be guided by the intelligence and facts as we compile our findings.

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the committee will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political partys campaign officials or surrogates.

The committees top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, said Trump was following a deeply disturbing pattern of distraction, distortion and downright fabrication.

The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., referred questions to Nunes, while a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said McConnell would not tell the Senate committee how to do its work.

Trump said in the tweets that he had just found out about being wiretapped, though it was unclear whether he was referring to having found out through a briefing, a conversation or a media report. The president in the past has tweeted about unsubstantiated and provocative reports he reads on blogs or conservative websites.

The tweets stood out, given the gravity of the charge and the strikingly personal attack on the former president. Trump spoke as recently as last month about how much he likes Obama and how much they get along, despite their differences.

How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy! he tweeted, misspelling tap.

Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said Saturday that a cardinal rule of the Obama administration was not to interfere in Justice Department investigations, which are supposed to be conducted free of outside or political influence.

Lewis said neither Obama nor any White House official had ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false, Lewis said.

Trump has been trailed for months by questions about his campaigns ties to Russia. Compounding the situation is the U.S. intelligence agencies assessment that Russia interfered with the election to help Trump triumph over Hillary Clinton, along with disclosures about his aides contacts with a Russian official.

Clapper appeared on NBCs Meet the Press, Sanders and Earnest were on ABCs This Week, Pelosi commented on CNNs State of the Union and Cotton was on Fox News Sunday.
People have triggered five out of six wildfires in the U.S. over the last two decades, tripling the length of the wildfire season and making it start earlier in the East and last longer in the West, a new study finds.

Even as climate change worsens the nations fire season  making it longer and easier to burn more acres  researchers said human activities play an even bigger role.

Many of the biggest fires in the Inland regions recent history, such as 2003s Old fire and 2006s Esperanza fire were the direct result of human activity.

In Southern California, large populations living in close proximity to fire-prone foothills and national forests make the region a poster child for human-caused wildfires that wreak havoc on life and property, said lead author Jennifer Balch, a fire ecologist with University of Colorado-Boulder.

This problem isnt going to go away, she said during an interview Monday. We spend over $2 billion a year fighting fires. We will have more and more people living in this mix between houses and wildlands by the year 2030.

While fire experts have long blamed people more than lightning, the new work details the extent of human-caused ignitions and how they interact with global warming to make matters worse.

Scientists analyzing fire data from 1992 to 2012 found that 84 percent of all U.S. wildfires  but only 44 percent of the total acres burned  were started by people, either by accident or on purpose. And human-caused blazes have more than tripled the length of the wildfire season from 46 days to 154 days, according to a study in Mondays journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

People are moving more and more into natural wild areas and essentially providing ignition for wildfires, said Balch. The result? Fire seasons can be year-round, as long as people are around, she said.

Liz Brown, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire in San Bernardino, said in early September that most fires are human-caused and start by accident. Only about 5 percent of human-caused fires are set deliberately, she said.

The spark

Of the more than 1 million human-started fires since 1992, about 29 percent began by trash burning, another 21 percent were arson and 11 percent were from misuse of equipment, Balch said.

Last years Soberanes fire near Monterey was sparked by an illegal campfire and burned for nearly three months. The blaze surpassed $200 million in firefighting costs, the most expensive in U.S. history.

One out of every five wildfires occurs on the Fourth of July from fireworks, Balch said.

The human connection

On Oct. 25, 2003, a 91,000-acre inferno dubbed the Old fire, ignited by convicted arsonist Rickie Lee Fowler near Waterman Canyon, marched through the San Bernardino National Forest toward Lake Arrowhead after it destroyed homes in San Bernardino.

The Old fire would eventually burn through more than 1,000 structures and cause the deaths of six people between Oct. 25 and Nov. 2 of that year. Many of the blackened husks of houses left behind in the Old fires wake have been replaced with new homes in northern San Bernardino, although standing chimneys and foundations remain in areas such as Cedar Glen.

On Oct. 26, 2006 arsonist Raymond Lee Oyler started the Esperanza fire near Cabazon. The blaze was quickly swept up by the Santa Ana Winds and into the San Jacinto Mountains.

It claimed the lives of five U.S. Forest Service firefighters, destroyed 34 homes and burned through 40,200 acres before it was fully contained.

More recently, the Blue Cut fire rapidly spread after erupting along Old Cajon Boulevard in August, consuming nearly 57 square miles (more than 37,000 acres) of terrain throughout the Cajon Pass.

Ronnie Moores home is one of the more than 100 structures damaged or destroyed by the fires furious flames as it ripped through the Highway 138 corridor in the High Desert.

I tried to run back in to save some things, Moore said. But the smoke and flames were so hot, I couldnt make it.

Moore and his family narrowly escaped with their lives as flames quickly approached and eventually destroyed their home. Sitting along the highway, the Moores watched in horror as their home and all they owned burned to the ground.However, six-months after the firestorm that wreaked so much havoc in the desert community was officially considered extinguished, officials at the U.S. Forest Service, who are investigating the incident, have not determined if the blaze was sparked by human hands.

Several calls and emails to USFS officials for comment went unanswered.

The hottest spots

The Southeast is a hot spot for human-triggered wildfires. Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee had fire seasons that lasted more than 200 days and 99 percent of the wildfires in those states are caused by people.

The region is home to swaths of forests with trees that dont catch fire easily or naturally so people are the main culprits, said study co-author Adam Mahood.

The climate connection

Climate change has lengthened the U.S. fire season by a few weeks, which is dwarfed by what humans do. But the study shows how both human-sparked flames and man-made climate change work together to make America burn more, especially during more frequent dry, hot weather.

If a campfire grows out of control during a wet, cool period, then it probably isnt going to grow into a large wildfire, said University of Utah fire scientist Philip Dennison, who wasnt part of the study. Climate change loads the dice toward warmer, drier conditions that make it more likely that a fire will develop from human-caused ignitions.

Fire danger near normal

Recent rains have added new grasses to foothills and canyons within the San Bernardino Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains and Santa Monica Mountains. While the grasses hold more moisture, they can quickly dry out after a hot summer and fall, Balch said.

Moisture during winter and early spring allow grasses to grow. If that is coupled with a very dry season then you can get significant fires, she said.

The change from five years of drought to a surplus of rains have sharply reduced the probability of winter fires to near zero in Southern California, according to the National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook released by the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho on Feb. 1. The forecast says grasses and soils will retain enough moisture to ward off a severe fire season through summer or later. The group casts the fire potential through May as normal.

The Associated Press and staff writers Steve Scauzillo and Doug Saunders contributed to this article.
Switzerland imported over $2 billion worth of gold from Ghana in 2016 alone for conversion to finished products for the world market. This shows an overwhelming increase of about $90 million dollars over the 2015 figure of $1 billion.



The Charge de Affairs of the Swiss Embassy in Ghana, Mr. Roland Fischer, announced this at the annual Swiss-Ghanaian Chamber of Commerce (SGCC) cocktail and business executives meeting in Accra.



Trade statistics



In 2014 alone, the volume of trade between Switzerland and Ghana hit $1.8 billion and has since been rising every year.



Within the same period, Ghana imported $14.8 billion, making it the 87th largest importer in the world.



Over the last five years, the imports of Ghana have increased at an annualized rate of 13.7 per cent from $7.8 billion in 2009 to $14.8 billion in 2014.



The most recent imports are led by refined petroleum which represents 14.7 per cent of the total imports of Ghana, followed by crude petroleum, which accounts for 3.68 per cent.



Ghana as trade partner



According to Mr. Fischer, Swiss continued to see Ghana as its major trade partner, adding Ghana is the third most important producer of gold for Switzerland, with Peru and Uzbekistan being first and second respectively.



He added that Ghana also continued to remain the major supplier of cocoa and other cashew crops for Switzerland.



Switzerland also exports finished products such as pharmaceutical products, tools and equipment and vehicles to Ghana, he said.



Mr. Fischer admitted that there was a large trade imbalance between the two countries, but indicated that it was the responsibility of both governments to address the issue.



As part of the Swiss governments plans to reduce the gap, he said a total amount of $74 million has been earmarked for development projects in Ghana for 2017 alone.



He said the government planned to assist Ghana in the areas of public health, public financing, infrastructure, and education.



Insurance policy



In an address, the Customer Relations Executive of the RMAS, an insurance brokerage company, Mr. Hughes Razak Dakpo, advised business owners and directors to take advantage of the many benefits offered by insurance policies.



He said it was important for business executives and directors to be abreast of the insurance policies in the country in order to serve their customers and employees well.



For his part, the Chairman of the SGCC, Dr. Nortey K. Omaboe, said the chamber was established to promote and interests of Ghanaian and Swiss businesses in the country.



He underscored the importance of the existence of chamber of commerces in the country, noting that their recent increase is an indication that they are important to the promotion of export and import businesses.









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Former President and father of current president, Edward Akufo-Addo is known for his outstanding role in Ghanas political history as a member of the Big Six and Ghanas president in the 2nd republic but little is known about the hardship and struggles the former leader endured in his bid to accomplish the things he achieved.



The gathering at the 2017 'Presidential Awards for Students' felt moved when the President made a jaw-dropping revelation about the struggles his father went through in order to become the historic figure Ghanaians still remember him for.



In his bid to inspire and motivate the students and parents who had gathered at the ceremony, the president told a touching story of how his father sometimes funded his education from monies borrowed from relatives.



According to the president, even at the time of his birth, his father was still settling the debt that he had incurred during his schooling days.



My father was a poor boy from Akropong who lost his parents at a tender age but through perseverance and determination, he made it. There were times when he had to borrow money from relatives to fund his education









Source: Ghanaweb.com









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The Nanumba-North District Security Committee (DISEC) in the Northern Region is seeking permission to cancel the celebration of Ghanas 60th Independence Anniversary in the district capital, Bimbila.



This last minute decision comes on the back of alleged threats from two feuding factions  Dasana and Nakpa  who are caught up in a protracted chieftaincy dispute barely 12 hours to the marking of Ghanas 60th independence across the country.



Gunshots were heard on Thursday, February 9, 2017, after one faction in the long-standing chieftaincy dispute enskinned a warrior king. Two people died and several others injured in the bloody clash.



The capital town of the Nanumba North District has seen chieftaincy clashes for years and, as a result, has been under curfew since 2014.



According to the DISEC, celebrating the event in the district on March 6 poses a threat to the lives of residents, especially pupils who would be taking part in a march past parade as part of the celebration.



Sources to the Northern Regional Coordinating Council told 3News of concerns by the District Security Council to boycott the celebration due to the current volatile situation in the district.



The Northern Regional Minister, Saeed Salifu, who doubles as the Chairman of the Regional Security Committee(REGSEC) is yet to decide whether to grant the request of the DISEC.



Meanwhile, the minister is expected to pay a courtesy call on the overlord of Gonja, Yagbon-Wura Tuntumba Bor-esa II at his palace in the West Gonja District.

Source: 3news









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Former National Security Coordinator Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah has revealed that were he to be president, he would have committed murder in the incident at the Abelenkpe branch of Marwako Fast Food where Evelyn Boakye, a Ghanaian worker there, had her face dipped into pepper paste by her Lebanese supervisor Jihad Chaaban.



Evelyn alleged that Jihad forcefully dipped her face into a paste of pepper she had blended at the restaurant with the excuse that she was destroying the eaterys blender.



She also said Jihad had her locked up in seclusion for several hours and threatened to sack any staff that blew the lid on him. The Accra Regional Police Command is currently investigating the matter.



Meanwhile, Mr Chaaban has apologised to Evelyn, saying: I wish personally to sincerely apologise to you for the incident on the night of 26 February 2017 at our Abelenkpe place of work.



True to God, all I sought to do was to point you to something I found wrong. I admit I was angry a bit at the moment and saw you panic and accidentally resulting in the pepper splashing onto your face.



Commenting on the matter on Ghana Yensom hosted by Chief Jerry Forson on Accra100.5FM on Monday 6 March, Brigadier Nunoo-Mensah said: If I were the one in charge of the state when this happened, I would have killed somebody. I mean it, I would have killed somebody. How can this happen to anybody at all? When you listen to the story you realise that this is not the first time it has happened in the same company.



It should never have happened. Just because of a few cedis you want to kill somebodys daughter. This is happening in Ghana because we have allowed ourselves to be treated like that. It could not have happened a few years ago when I was starting my life in Nkrumah's Ghana, it could never had happened. I have lived in several countries. I was in Britain for 10 years, even there I would deal with the police officer because I knew my rights; you cant do this to me.

Source: Classfmonline









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For the first time in Kumasi, itinerant head porters, popularly called kayayei', turned up to participate in the 60th Independence Day celebrations in the Ashanti regional capital.



The female porters mesmerised the parade when they came in with their pans on their heads.



According to their leader, Adiza Zongo Pioneer, their appearance was a way of thanking the Akufo-Addo-led administration after it announced the scrapping of levies paid by kayayei in the 2017 budget read on Thursday March 2.



She is optimistic that the NPP government was committed to helping them in their activities.

Source: classfmonline.com









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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.
A deputy general secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Koku Anyidoho, has insisted that there is only one united NDC party at any point in time.



The loyalty is to the leader of the party. In times past, the loyalty was to JJ, Mills, Mahama and now Mr Kofi Porturphy, the National Chairman of the party, he stated.



In an interview with Mr Anyidoho, he noted that; When people refuse to accept that leadership shifts and they continue to remain static, they atrophy.



According to him, only leadership changed, hence it is critical that when leadership changes, one pledges allegiance to the new leaders.



Leadership position



Those in leadership positions, Mr Anyidoho said, should know that leadership was not for life; and that when leadership shifted to another person, they should accept it gracefully.



They must not only accept it but must also accept the fact that the loyalty will be transferred to whoever assumes the seat of leadership, he stated.



In the view of Mr Anyidoho, the party would always continue to respect its former leaders and thank them for their contribution but cautioned that at all times, ultimate loyalty would go to whoever was in the drivers seat.



He said in line with showing respect to the partys former leaders, the NDC, in the last congress of 2014, amended the partys constitution such that all former leaders of the party who were alive automatically became members of the Council of Elders.



That, he said, would enable the party to continue to benefit from their rich experience and knowledge.



Dr Botchway Committee



Commenting on the Dr Kwesi Botchway Committee tasked with finding out why the NDC lost the 2016 polls, he said the committee was busy working and had already visited three regions, including Volta and Ashanti regions, to meet regional executives and members of Parliament (MPs) before moving to the constituencies.



The feedback is encouraging and the committee is not being biased and discriminatory, allowing all views and voices to be heard, he noted.



For us at the National Secretariat, Mr Anyidoho said, We are quite comfortable that the work of the committee is getting better every day and the rationale is being achieved and not defeated.



He said the rationale for setting up the committee was for the NDC to build consensus as it moved forward.



He, therefore, gave the assurance that there would be no attempt to stop the voices of the people from being heard.



Cash-strapped



On media reports that the NDC was cash strapped, Mr Anyidoho dismissed the report, saying; We are not cash strapped. Obviously, we need money to run the party and the secretariat, pay utility bills, as well as send money to the regional and constituency branches. So we fall on party members to contribute, which is standard worldwide practice.



He said the whole idea of having a database of party supporters and giving them ID cards was to get members to contribute towards the partys well-being, so there was nothing wrong with falling on members and seeking legitimately from them resources of funding their activities.

Source: Daily Graphic









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Former President John Mahama has urged Ghanaians to dedicate themselves to the service of the country to make it better for the next 60 years. He commended Ghanaians for the countrys feats as it celebrates its the 60th independence anniversary. I salute all Ghanaians. Lets dedicate ourselves, on this occasion, to make the next 60years even better. #Ghana #AfricaRising #AHappyPeople, John Mahama tweeted on Monday.

Ghana, today, 6th March, 2017 celebrates its 60th anniversary after gaining independence from British rule in 1957. On this day every year, the event is marked with a major national parade of school children, security services and various governmental and private organizations at the Black Star square in Accra, usually with the President in attendance. Several other parades are a held in other parts of the country superintended by district assembly executives and regional ministers. John Mahama in his capacity as president, superintended over four (4) Independence Day parades in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

One of the major phenomena that characterized the various parades during John Mahamas tenure as president was a heavy downpour that disrupted the 2014 parade. President John Mahama in his remarks said, What it means is that we must implement climate change adaptability to better able predict the weather. We must sharpen our ability to predict how the weather will behave so we can adapt to it. The 60th independence anniversary celebration, under President Akufo-Addo will be under the theme, mobilizing for Ghanas future. Series of events and projects have been lined up to be undertaken in the year-long celebration which the government has budgeted GH20 million for. Ivorian president, Alhassane Ouattara, Zimbabwes Robert Mugabe and Liberian president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf are among the many dignitaries expected at Ghanas independence day parade today.









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President Akufo Addo in his address to the country at [email protected] anniversary has urged all citizens and Ghanaians in the Diaspora to rise up in pushing the country to its rightful economic position with their strength and resources.



According to him, the country has ran out of excuses after 60 years of independence to still stay poor despite the freedom accorded to Ghanaians in the fourth Republic for the past 24 years.



Finally, in Ghana a consensus emerged for the coming into being of the Fourth Republic. We have agreed on a multi-party constitutional democracy; we guaranteed individual freedom under the rule of law. The past 24 years have been the longest period of political stability, our country has indulged since independence, the President noted.



President Akufo Addo sadly mentioned that the economic development that should have accompanied the independence is still not materialised; thus there should have been rapid economic development with all the freedom attributed to the citizenry.



Sadly, the economic developments that should have accompanied our independence are still not materialised. 60 years on and the mass of people are still poor. We have run out of excuses after 60 years and it is time to rise and get out country to where it should, he urged.



President Akufo Addo again urged Ghanaians to build the economy of the country in order to generate a prosperous, progress and a dignified life for the mass of the people.



The President of the Republic of Ghana however averred that it will take hard work, enterprise, creativity, discipline and consistence to fight against corruption in public life before Ghana can realise its economic transformation.



...we must take pride in diversity by all means. The Ghanaian must always rise above the ethnic or personal interest. We have a bright future and we must mobilise all our resources and all our strength and Peers in the Ghanaian Diaspora to get to the promise land of prosperity faster, he charged.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com









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What, exactly, constitutes a constitutional crisis? It is a term we are hearing more frequently, and over at Vox, they made a pretty good stab at defining it.

Dylan Matthews writes that he

decided to ask eight leading experts  six constitutional law professors and two political scientists  for their thoughts. They were unanimous that the situation as it exists now doesnt count as a constitutional crisis; some cast doubt on whether that term, which has no firm definition, is even useful.

As one of the experts noted, the fact that something tends to undermine respect for constitutional institutionslike calling a judge a so-called judge, or showing lack of respect for the courtscan be a bad idea, yet not amount to a constitutional crisis. (As I tell my students, the fact that a policy is stupid or even dangerous doesnt automatically make it unconstitutional.)

Matthews quotes constitutional scholar Keith Whittington for the definition of a genuine crisis.

Constitutional crises arise out of the failure, or strong risk of failure, of a constitution to perform its central functions, he wrote. That didnt happen in the impeachment (which unfolded according to the procedures laid out in Articles 1 and 2) or in the 2000 election (in which decisions of executive branch officials in Florida were challenged through normal legal channels and all actors respected the ultimate decision of the US Supreme Court, whether or not they thought it was rightly decided). So what would qualify? Whittington divided constitutional crises into two categories. Operational crises occur when important political disputes cannot be resolved within the existing constitutional framework. That is, the Constitution itself is failing, and is allowing people engaged in a political conflict to each behave in ways that together can result in calamity. A crisis of constitutional fidelity, by contrast, occurs when, important political actors threaten to become no longer willing to abide by existing constitutional arrangements or systematically contradict constitutional proscriptions. Thats when what the Constitution prescribes is clear, but one or more politician or branch of government willfully defies it.

The article is interesting, and (given the chaos that is todays White House) worth reading, but it didnt directly address a question that Ive begun mulling, given the drip, drip, drip of new revelations (most recently, the scandal surrounding Sessions): What if it turned out that Russia really did elect Trump? In other words, what if investigations turned up evidence that Russias tampering really did rig the election?

The Constitution has no remedy for an illegitimate election, at least not that I am aware of. Trumps electoral college victory rested on fewer than 80,000 votes spread among three states, giving him paper-thin margins in those statesand the win. If those votes were suborned or improperly counted, then neither he nor Pence would really have been elected.

What then? Would we follow the constitutional line of succession, and install Ryangiving the Republicans a win they didnt win?

Let me emphasize that I have absolutely no evidence that this actually happened; my guess is that the Russian efforts to influence the election were just thatefforts at influencing public opinion, rather than actually falsifying results. I raise the question because it is becoming clear that there are aspects of our current political life that neither our national charter nor our governing institutions anticipate or address. I doubt the Founders could have foreseen the nature of todays democratic distortions caused by the Electoral College, or the way in which gerrymandering has deprived millions of Americans of meaningful votes, or the current iteration of the filibuster that requires Senate super-majorities in order to pass even routine legislation.

If a central function of a Constitution is to prescribe fair and transparent processes by which citizens govern themselves, we may need to do some repair work on ours.

[Originally published at SheilaKennedy.net on March 4, 2017]

Peacock Panache readers:

Sheila Kennedy is a former high school English teacher, former lawyer, former Republican, former Executive Director of Indianas ACLU, former columnist for the Indianapolis Star, and former young person. She is currently an (increasingly cranky) old person, a Professor of Law and Public Policy at Indiana University Purdue University in Indianapolis, and Director of IUPUIs Center for Civic Literacy. She writes for the Indianapolis Business Journal, PA Times, and the Indiana Word, and blogs at www.sheilakennedy.net. For those who are interested in more detail, links to an abbreviated CV and academic publications can be found on her blog, along with links to her books..

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A recent article from The Republic, the Columbus, Indiana newspaper, sums up Indiana Senate Bill 309 admirably, in the very first paragraph.

Indiana Senate Bill 309, introduced by Sen. Brandt Herschman, proposes to fundamentally change Indianas solar energy policy. The proposed modifications to the states net energy metering program are based on a lack of evidence and faulty logic, and would severely undermine the future of solar power in the state. Indiana legislators should oppose this bill.

I have previously blogged about this bill, which is being mischaracterized by its sponsor.

Following the Senate committee hearing at which the measure was approved and sent to the House, the Indiana Distributed Energy Alliance (IDEA), accused the bills sponsor, Sen. Brandt Hershman, of making statements that were simply not true in order to obscure his real intent. In a letter to the committee chair, the IDEA wrote

In fact, some of [Hershmans] misstatements are so egregious we think they may have unfairly influenced Thursdays committee vote, the letter read. For this reason, we strongly urge the committee not to move forward on its report on SB 309 until these errors can be rectified. We also believe committee members should have a chance to change their vote after they receive the correct information.

The Republic article states what the bill would actually do.

This change would reduce peoples economic incentives to install solar. The bill also proposes to cap the net metering program to 1 percent of an electricity suppliers most recent summer peak load, and eliminate net metering altogether in 2027. Collectively, these changes would unnecessarily stunt the development of this clean energy source. Among the misstatements IDEA accuses Hershman of making are that net-metering goes away when utilities hit 1% of their baseload generation under current Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission rules. IDEA also says Hershman lied when he said that if the 1% net metering caps were met the utilities could go to a buy all, sell all mechanism under existing law. As pv magazine reported last month, SB 309 is a fascinating Trojan Horse of a bill, which purports to support solar while enacting policies that would damage the states rooftop solar industry  particularly the residential sector  immediately.

The article in the Columbus Republic summarized the issues involved:

Solar power also offers many additional benefits, particularly for a state like Indiana that relies disproportionately on a single source of fossil fuel energy for electricity generation; about 75% of electricity in Indiana is generated from coal-fired power plants. Solar power is a clean, renewable source that does not result in emissions of pollutants that threaten human health. In addition, studies have shown that net metering programs create thousands of jobs. According to one recent estimate from the Solar Foundation, more than 200,000 people (nearly 1,600 in Indiana) currently work in the solar industry. The net metering policy is especially important for Indiana, since the state lacks other common policy measures to encourage solar energy development. Over the past several years, the majority of states have conducted solar valuation studies. These studies tend to include direct measures of costs and benefits associated with residential solar. Out of 16 recent solar valuation studies recently written or commissioned by utilities, utility commissions, or independent analysts, all found net positive benefits, and 12 of the 16 found net benefits that exceeded the retail rate of electricity. Indiana is on a slower path than most other states toward developing cleaner sources of energy. The General Assembly should be looking for ways to hasten the development of solar, wind and other sources of renewable energy, rather than considering policies that impede the states transition to a cleaner energy future. Indiana Senate Bill 309 is clearly a step in the wrong direction.

Calling Senate Bill 309 a Trojan Horse is an apt description. Its an effort to disguise the utility-owned army with an innocent-seeming and distracting facade. Its passage would be yet another example of a special interest working with a compliant legislator to protect its bottom line at the expense of the public interest.

[Originally published at SheilaKennedy.net on March 6, 2017]

PREVIOUSLY:

Indiana: GOP Targets Consumer Solar & Wind Energy Market







Peacock Panache readers:

Sheila Kennedy is a former high school English teacher, former lawyer, former Republican, former Executive Director of Indianas ACLU, former columnist for the Indianapolis Star, and former young person. She is currently an (increasingly cranky) old person, a Professor of Law and Public Policy at Indiana University Purdue University in Indianapolis, and Director of IUPUIs Center for Civic Literacy. She writes for the Indianapolis Business Journal, PA Times, and the Indiana Word, and blogs at www.sheilakennedy.net. For those who are interested in more detail, links to an abbreviated CV and academic publications can be found on her blog, along with links to her books..

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After Donald Trump woke up at 5am on the weekend to go on a wild Twitter rant accusing the Obama administration of tapping the Trump Tower phones during the election, it looks like hes backing that up with action. The White House issued a statement calling on Congress to investigate Trumps allegations:

President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016.

Obama and his surrogates have denied all claims coming from the Trump camp on this matter.

One question has obviously arisen: where did Trump learn about this? Did intelligence officials tell him they had evidence that Obama had sought to tap his phones? Well, not really. Turns out he read about it online.

Obviously FBI/DOJ wiretap of POTUS would be HUGE story. One illegally ordered by previous POTUS even bigger. BUT WH officials have no proof  Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 5, 2017

3/Most reporters I know are digging on this. But every current Intel voice is saying they know of nothing to back up this claim.  Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 5, 2017

Specifically, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer indicated a number of reports which had discussed the possibility of partisan interference in the election. Initial indications were that Trump read about it on Breitbart, but Spicer pointed to reports from other organisations like Heat Street, Fox News and the New York Times.

The Washington Post has a good explainer of exactly what the White House is pointing to here, and why it might be slightly flawed. Basically, the stories point to two requests the Obama administration filed with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to monitor communications of Trump and several advisors.

The first of these was denied  which is unusual. The second, which was more specific, was far more specific: it concerned a server connected to Trump Tower which was allegedly communicating with Russia  an incredibly shaky allegation which was never proved. However, no evidence is provided by Breitbart, Heat Street or anyone to conclusively indicate that this request was granted.

So its all up in the air. Basically, as it stands, Trump is ordering a Congressional investigation into a thing he read online and furiously tweeted about at 5 in the morning. Nice.

Source: Washington Post.

Photo: Getty Images.
The housing market in Australia is so comically dire at the moment that a tin shack in Glebe fetched $1.69 million at auction last year, a literal parking space recently sold for $190,000, and now it seems that it might actually be cheaper to purchase an entire island on the Great Barrier Reef than a home in a suburb closer than two hours drive from a metropolitan centre.

We are not kidding: this property, the only one on Pelorus Island, a 4km square tropical isle off the coast of Townsville, is currently for sale. The expected going price? $2 million or less.

Via Realestate.com.au.

Because the owner will be the sole inhabitant of the island, theyll also be the only one on the 30-year residential lease of the beachfront tropical paradise. Supply boats do the rounds regularly, the mainland is only 10 nautical miles away, and the weather is pretty much perfect all year round, so yes, this is an absolute fucking bargain.

Just one of many potential role play ideas for you, the future island-owner.

The house itself is a fully self-sufficient open-plan cottage, with solar power, battery storage systems and two backup generators. The property also comes with a kitted-out workshop, a tractor, a 6.3 metre boat, a beach trailer and winch, and a road trailer back on the mainland. Did we mention that the island itself is beautiful, has some of the best fishing and boating conditions going, and is full of fully sick caves?

Pictured: you, living your best life.

Pelorus Islands residential lease agreement means the owner of the property wont be able to develop the place into a resort, but they could build extra accommodation.

Via Realestate.com.au.

What Im trying to say is: its time to get ten of your mates together, pool your money, and buy a fucking island from which to watch the rest of Australia burn.

Source: Realestate.com.au.

Image: Mark Colby / Getty.
Netflix absolutely bloody loves itself some original content these days, and they especially love it when that content stirs up bananas-level attention from a pre-existing rabid fanbase.

The launch of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life last year was one of the streaming megazords biggest wins for 2016, garnering massive attention, huge amounts of analysis, and more than a little bit of grumbling after those much-vaunted last four words turned out to be some weak-ass pandering claptrap.

But, of course, you never leave something open-ended unless you intend to come back for another look. And if Netflix has their way, A Year in the Life will not be the last time we all get to visit Stars Hollow.

Netflix chief content officer (seriously, badass job title) Ted Sarandos stated that the company is in very preliminary talks with show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino to bring another new season to life.

Speaking to the UK Press Association, Sarandos noted that the weight of fan expectation hung quite heavily around the neck of the revival season, but the show managed to meet and exceed that for the most part. But even more interestingly, he hinted that negotiations have already begun about the possibility of another season, and one that would arrive in a much smaller amount of time than that between the OG series and A Year in the Life.

We hope [there are more instalments]. We obviously loved the success of the show, fans loved how well it was done, it delivered what they hoped. The worst thing is to wait a couple of years for your favourite show to come back and for it to disappoint you, but they sure delivered and people were really excited about more, and we have been talking to them about the possibility of that.

For what its worth, Sherman-Palladino stated back in November that they had a very specific journey in mind, and A Year in the Life covered that. What lies beyond the end of that series, however, remains up in the air.

We really had a very specific journey in our minds and we fulfilled the journey. So to us, this is the piece that we wanted to do. And the whole thought about, Is there more, is there more, is there more?  this has to go out into the universe now. Weve got to put this to bed. And then whatever happens, happens.

Now then, with all this said one final, vital question remains: Who exactly at Netflix do I need to email my pitch for a new season entitled Gilmore Girls: Literally Me Sitting In Front of The Cast Explaining In Excruciating Detail the Many Ways in Which Dean is a Garbage Person for 8 Hours to?

I dont know much about the inner machinations of Hollywood, but I know for certain that that is money.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter.

Photo: Gilmore Girls/Netflix.
Realistically, this will only be good news to those of you who have a small pile of rocks where your brain should otherwise be.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings for virtually the entire NSW coastline, with the low pressure system that drenched Sydney over the weekend now lingering off the coast and causing big, hazardous swells.

Waves of up to 3 metres are forecast to bash the state from the North Coast down to the South Coast all throughout today, and rough sea conditions are expected to hang around until at least Thursday.

The low-pressure system is moving at a crawl after crossing over the NSW mainland over the weekend, so despite fine weather in Sydney today, the seas will still be churning.

The BoM warns that conditions are hazardous for activities such as rock fishing, swimming, and surfing. Cop this swell forecast chart, which shows wave height tracking in well above 3m for most of the week:

Sydney beaches looking like theyre about to get a bit of a battering with waves forecast above 3 m all week pic.twitter.com/JvLAXnbUJK  Mitchell Harley (@DocHarleyMD) March 5, 2017

The low pressure system is track to the north-east, and synoptic charts show just how big the system is (spoiler: pretty sodding big).

Weatherzone senior meteorologist Jacob Cronje explained how this particular system is angrying up the surf like the blood of a pensioner dizzy on sarsaparilla:

Its now more defined and well developed, even though its offshore, so its effects are lingering.

There is a very strong pressure gradient between the system and the coast, and there is also a good south-easterly circulation thats stretching over a very large area of ocean. When you have sustained south-easterly winds over a very large area of ocean making its way towards the coast, you usually have increased wave activity.



As far as the on-land weather goes, Sydneys looking at a fairly steady week of temperatures in the mid-20s, dotted by persistent intermittent showers thatll hang around until at least the weekend.

So if youre headed to the coast line this week, watch your feet and stay out of trouble, pals.

Or alternatively, find a prime spot near the danger zone and command the waves like youre GD Poseidon.

Either way, look out for yrselves.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald.

Photo: The Perfect Storm.
As residents of Australia, we all understand on a molecular level the nature of this country: that everything in it, every last skerrick of flora and fauna, is filled to the brim with poisonous hatred for humanity. As well as actual poison. Its the truth we all live with  every bloody thing here wants to kill you.

Kong: Skull Island, the latest in the Giant Monsters: Monkey Edition film franchise, was shot in large part in Queensland, in the scrub and forests of Mt Tambourine, Tallebudgera Valley and the Paperbark Forest. While these tranquil, picturesque areas might seem tame to locals, apparently the film production companys OH&S department were feeling a little twitchy at the thought of having so many famous and expensive actors waltzing around in the Australian kill-bush.

According to the Brisbane Times, all the actors were subject to extensive safety demonstrations and exhaustive folders of info on the many, many things that would probably try to maim or murder them during their stay in Queensland. Tom Hiddleston explained:

The safety officer was incredibly detailed about the number of things in the jungle that could kill us  brown snakes, funnel web spiders, plants. There was one particular plant he showed us and said, We call it a wait-a-while and we have given it that name because if you touch it with your bare skin it will make you wait-a-while and you will be sent to hospital and emergency treatment.

To be fair, the dangers of wait-a-while may have been slightly overstated  while it does have hooks on it that will necessitate a disentangling session, you probably wont have to go to the ER.

Gympie gympie on the other hand  Ill let Brie Larson tell you about that:

Pretty soon we learned about the gympie gympie. We were doing a lot of running in scenes and there are these plants that have crazy thorns on them and snag you quite easily and if they get on your skin it causes a rash and the only way to stop the itching is to wax. So all of the hair and makeup people had waxing kits.

Gympie gympie is famous for causing months of astonishing pain as its venomous fibres worm their way through your skin, and is also known as the suicide plant, having anecdotally caused at least one death by suicide.

Queensland: beautiful one day, trying to murder celebrities with plants the next.

Source: Brisbane Times.

Image: Kong: Skull Island.
Nayuka Gorrie is a Gunai/Kurnai, Gunditjmara, Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta woman. She is a fashion icon, freelance writer and works for Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network.

Elected representatives in this country have some bad habits; personal travel on taxpayers dime, shit post-politics career choices and making decisions for people they have fuck all to do with.

For black people in this country Attorney-General George Brandis is like that mate you only hear from when they want something, except instead of asking you to feed his staffy while hes in Bali, hes eroding your rights and doesnt even have the decency to buy you a slab next payday.

Although any time is a good time to think Brandis is quite a gronk, something is happening in black affairs that could have some serious implications for both black people and the mining companies that want to dig up our land.

Last month, the Federal Court ruled a few Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUA) between Noongar mob and the West Australian government invalid after it was contested by some Noongar folks. The federal government have been shitting bricks because this ILUA was worth $1.3 billion. There are currently over 100 ILUAs across the country and apparently this will affect a few of them including the highly contested and not registered one between Wangan and Jagalingou people and Adani, the Indian company that wants to build the worlds largest open cut mine on their country.

Unsurprisingly  given this governments tendency to support their mining mates  last month the Federal Government tried to rush through changes to the Native Title Act. I know native title isnt sexy and can be a bit ambiguous for the layperson  it is for me too. But this isnt just about native title. This is about how this government handles black affairs.

Black people have every reason to be suss and the rushed proposals have been met with opposition. When it comes to black people in this country there are things this and many other governments have sat on for years. Most of the recommendations of the Royal Commission Into Deaths In Custody havent been implemented. Its been over 25 years since those recommendations were made. The Bringing Them Home Report was released in 1997 and the majority of its recommendations havent been implemented either.

I know its pessimistic but I suspect the Don Dale inquiry will likely produce incisive but largely ignored recommendations. It took an expose from the ABCs Four Corners into Don Dale for the government to do anything about it. Claims of mistreatment had already emerged before the episode aired but despite this, Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion said it didnt pique his interest and he didnt watch the episode the night it aired.

Similarly, it took a Four Corners episode that revealed the compelling evidence of the alleged rape and murder of Lynette Daley by two white men for the NSW government to revisit the case. Likewise for the high profile community outrage for the Bowraville murders.

Imagine our surprise then that a government with a history of dragging its pasty feet would try to change legislation several days after the decision was handed down by the Federal Court.

Successive governments since invasion have cooked it for black people and bipartisan effort in black affairs rarely lead to anything good. The Northern Territory Intervention was initiated by a Coalition government and legislated by Labor. Constitutional recognition has been supported and backed by the all major parties despite heavy community opposition.

Every single government has been guilty of making changes that only affect black people without our involvement. Rushing through changes to the Native Title Act is just another example.

The rush is not to our benefit and any changes to legislation as significant as native title should at the very least be run past those affected by it. The government were hoping to rush the changes through parliament and hope that no one noticed.

Consider that this is in stark contrast to the governments approach to pushing for changes to the Racial Discrimination Act. The government have been banging on about this for years  or, more specifically, since 2011 when Andrew Bolt was challenged in court under the Act.

Theyve dragged it out for years and just this week the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights tabled its report on the act leaving Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to decide if section 18C  the one that landed Andrew Bolt in strife  should change. The purposeful to-ing and fro-ing serves to make people think their free speech is under attack and generate fear.

When it comes to black affairs the government are often selective in their approach. Which leads me to ask: whats the rush? Who does the rush serve? Brandis himself said he needed to make the changes due to commercial uncertainty. Same goes for old mate Ian Macfarlane who is worried about the impact this will have on foreign investors.

Sounds like the same old shit to me.

Editors note: The words highly contested and not registered have been added to clarify the situation regarding the ILUA between Adani and the Wangan and Jagalingou people.

Photo: Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network.
Two men have drowned after attempting to swim across a lake in suburban Melbourne last night while under the influence of alcohol.

Family and friends have gathered at the scene of a tragic double drowning at a lake in the citys north. #9News pic.twitter.com/D7Zs1XFzyW  Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) March 5, 2017

Police were called after a 21-year-old man reported losing sight of his friends, who had gone for a drunken swim in Redleap Reserve in the suburb of Mill Park at approximately 6:30pm last night.

The bodies of two men were pulled from the water by police. One, aged in his 30s, was extracted at about 9:20pm. The body of a 19 year old was recovered approximately 40 minutes later.

The lake is reportedly very deep and visibility is poor due to algae, mould and debris.

A local resident named Nathan Henderson told Seven News that he heard screaming coming from the direction of the lake.

I was sitting in my room just across the road and then my dad came in and said there was screaming in the park and then, as I went to the front door, I could hear the screaming. So I walked outside to see what was going on and then I looked out and I could see their friend just like frantically running around in the water, screaming, crying. I wasnt sure what was going on but as soon as I heard him yell its too late, its been too long, its been too long I was like, someones gone under.

Henderson, who is a lifeguard, helped police search for the men.

Family have gathered at the park to grieve the loss of the two men. Police are preparing a report for the coroner.

Source: 9 News.

Photo: 9 News.
Love, Actually may be the most deeply problematic romantic comedy to come out of the last couple decades, but that doesnt mean were all not insanely excited about the upcoming mini-sequel.

Remember Hugh Grants sex pest Prime Minister? The one who got a government departmental boner for his staffer Natalie, then literally had her fired (or redistributed) when the President of the United States tried it on with her?

Ahhh, I hear you say, he wasnt that bad  he gave such a good speech about Harry Potter and The Beatles! Never mind that if the leader of a country gave this speech IRL, the joy would last about two minutes before we wondered how such a wildly erratic person was elected in the first place.

But I digress. Prime Minister David  he never was given a last name  was a bad person saved by Hugh Grants devilish charm and good looks. And yet, despite all of this, we still really want to know what hes doing with his life all these years later, and if he and Natalie ever made it work outside of a mild office flirtation.

WELL. It looks like David and Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) are still very much together; in fact, director Emma Freud says hes still married to his former staffer, and it looks like David might even still be Prime Minister.

Why else would he be addressing a room full of journalists at 10 Downing Street? Im no expert on UK politics, but I have a feeling they dont let has-been prime ministers use the facilities whenever they damn well please.

*insert joke about how if this was Australia Actually, thered have been anywhere between six and ten prime ministers since and David would only make the news when he skulled a beer in public or tweeted nonsense*

Quite a lot of supporting cast in this scene. #rednosedayactually pic.twitter.com/mDWwVXgCSJ  emma freud (@emmafreud) March 5, 2017

This guy is the stand in for our lead actor today. #rednosedayactually pic.twitter.com/6AAGcIyWsx  emma freud (@emmafreud) March 5, 2017

And look who shows up.

Our pm is still married. And shes still lovely. #rednosedayactually pic.twitter.com/MGtUVDGiBE  emma freud (@emmafreud) March 5, 2017

Honest-to-god, his entire speech better just be: Im sorry for calling you fat, Natalie, and I am most definitely punching here. Either that, or talk about One Direction. Theyre the new Beatles, right?

Photo: Emma Freud / Twitter.
PREVIOUSLY ON THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF SYDNEY: sure, some shit happened, but all that matters is Krissys phenomenal eye-roll and #CapeGate.

All hail Krissys gloriously sarcastic eye-roll. Long may it reign.

RE-FUCKING-OW.

If youre yet to have witnessed what can only be described as undeniably iconic television, then I highly encourage you to quit your job, go home and watch it immediately. The show is off to such a savage start that Im wearing a t-shirt that says Slippery When Wet RN.

Anyway, Krissy pops over to Victorias crib to debrief on the other night / suss out all the fully hectics milling about Bondi. She produces a box of Jatz Crackers and this seems to please her sovereign, Queen Victoria.

The reference of Jatz Crackers, now running into the shows second episode, looks like its here to stay. I can imagine how feverishly Arnotts PR team is masturbating beneath their desks over the free / quality exposure their mainstay product is receiving. I mean, you really cant buy that kind of press.

Victoria reveals that shes about to start hunting again for the man that sired her. Her father allegedly bailed on them for $100,000, and Victorias grandparents were the ones who wrote the cheque (talk about some Jane Austen shit, right?!). Even though it really doesnt have anything to fucking do with her, Krissy turns into a blubbering mess. Victoria, the person who should probs be crying in this situation, does a bang-up job of not scolding her.

Victoria announces that shes throwing a waterfront luncheon (dress code: embrace your inner basic and wear all white, pls) and is tossing up whether bonafide biscuit, AthenaX, will cop an invite. Due to the fledgling stages of the show, we all know the cooker will get her foot in the door some way or another.

Next, we see the angelic Melissa fulfilling her charity quota for the year by shopping with bat-shit crazy AthenaX. She wisely advises her to tone down the spiritual bullshit, but AthenaX aint having a bar of it.

While theyre reviewing fugly ensembles, Victoria gets Melissa on the blower to invite her to the aforementioned congregation of the basics. As per Real Housewife law, she pops Queen V on loudspeaker. Victoria, oblivious to AthenaX being able to hear her, asks Melissa whether the notorious namaste-er should be graced with an invite. AthenaX hears this. Its awkward. Melissa tells Victoria whats happening. Victoria, having now lost her footing, apologises for #CapeGate and extends an invite.

After that shirt-tugging incident, were treated to more insight into Lisa Oldfield and her nontraditional approach to parenting.

Given that Im quite out of touch with whats being said on the mummy blog circuit, Ive got no clue how the general public are reacting to Lisas childrearing. I highly doubt that its supportive though.

At the end of the day, theyre white privileged boys wholl grow up to be white privileged men. Theyll be right as fucking rain, regardless of how much she cusses in front of em.

Running with the family theme, Krissys congregated her own offspring for a fam dinner. The whole thing is a bit contrived / boring until you realise that one of her kids isnt actually one of her kids.

Looks like one happy family, right? WRONG. The child at the front is no child at all. Its actually Krissys fucking chef?!

Then again, it could actually be one of her children Like, maybe because of a sex scandal years before, shes been forced to cook and clean for them Cinderella-style. She was once known by a different name, but while she serves out her punishment, she will be known as Margie The Chef. Margie cant wait for the day they all forget the shame she brought to the name Marsh.

Skipping past a bit of fluffy filler shit, we see Victoria and Matty arrive at the lunch with Krissy and Nicole hot on their tail. After ordering a round of Skinny Bitches, Krissy raises Lisas hectic social media savagery  focusing on a post made on the anniversary of Amy Winehouses death where Lisa congratulated her on being five years sober.

AthenaX and Melissa arrive to the lunch. Somehow, Victoria and AthenaX arent spontaneously thrust into a cage to fight to the death (Foxtel probably faced some legal restrictions and decided not to), so they smile and everything appears dandy. Victoria, being the elegant sport that she is, has placed boxes of gifts on the table as a peace offering to them all after #CapeGate.

Krissy, while sifting through the goodies in the box, shows us what her formative college years wouldve been like:

Victoria included a pair of her fave g-strings amongst the gifts. AthenaX doesnt wear g-bangers (probs because one of her past lives had a bad experience with em or some shit), so she throws them Krissys way. Queen Victoria is not impressed by this.

AthenaX then produces two olive branches for Victoria and Krissy. Her aesthetic while doing so has strong Crocodile Dundee vibes.

It was all smooth sailing until Paul Hogan and Buddahs love child was getting all worked up over a simple line of questioning. At this point, the women are just trying to get the 411 on what the fuck is going through this spuds mind / understand what shes all about. This included where the X in AthenaX came from, which prompted this:

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD ONE, IDIOT. How truly fucked do you have to be that your life of exorbitant luxury is anyway comparable to that of Malcolm Xs?!

As per, Matty is shook.

Nicole and Krissy have no idea who Malcolm X is. Shits generally fucked. Even though shes the dumbest one in the room for comparing herself to Malcolm X, AthenaX has a jab at all of them  insinuating theyre all shallow.

Matty raises the very valid point that AthenaX obviously reads into things too much. Athena X, reading into it too much, essentially calls Matty shallow. Matty (and Ive been waiting for her to show some of that sassy passion I knows been bubbling under her surface) starts to go at her. Things probably wouldve fully kicked off if it werent for Lisas belated entrance.

In true Lisa form, shes gone against the grain and worn black instead of white.

It doesnt take Krissy long (like, five seconds) for her to ask about the Amy Winehouse post. Lisa explains that its just dark humour, that she deleted it and apologised if it had offended. She likens herself to the Ozzy Osbourne of Sydney. Krissy reckons her bark is worse than her bite, so Lisa decides to show her thats not the case.

She then follows it up with this BTS zinger:

The women sense the tension growing between Lisa and Krissy, so Matty steps in to cool it off. While shes at it, however, she takes another chance at having a swipe at AthenaX. During their rumble, AthenaX drops the F bomb: fake.

Matty is furious, and it looks like a demon is about to emerge from her soul:

AthenaX, seeing shes doing damage, claims that Matty goes tit-for-tat on her patients botox injections. If theres one thing we know about women like this, its to never bring work into the equation. everyones generally SHOOK.

Matty, fed up with the douches crap, gets up and leaves. Krissy calls out AthenaX on her shit, and she replies saying the kettle turned around and called the pot black. God shes an idiot. I cant even.

All-in-all, the event is ruined. Lisa comments that having lunch with all these women, together, is like being lobotomised with a knitting needle and no anaesthetic. While it might seem like that way to you, honey, were all having a hoot watching this crap play out.

Lastly, Queen Victoria requests to fang past Maccas on the way home  likely because her drama-starting hunger hasnt been tamed yet.

Until next week, biatches.

You can catch The Real Housewives of Sydney every Sunday at 8:30pm on Foxtels Arena.

Photo: Arena.
WARNING: This is real nasty and if youre looking for a gnarly excuse to never do another spin class, this story is for you.

A woman in the (you guessed it) US is suing cult-like fitness conglomerate SoulCycle after getting her leg impaled on one of their stationary bikes.

In a lawsuit filed on Thursday, 42-year-old Donna Wood claims that in January of 2016 she attended a class while on holiday with her hubbie in Beverley Hills.

She says that during this class she impaled her leg while dismounting a bike. To make matters worse, no one in the class noticed for a fair while cause the music was so damn loud.

literally them

She was left dangling by her right leg, which she could not dislodge. Though she screamed for assistance, because the class was in cool down mode and music was still playing loudly and the room still dark, she was not heard or seen for several minutes, reads the gross lawsuit filed with the Manhattan Supreme Court.

Supposedly, it was another patron in the class that eventually saw Wood and dislodged the beam. Not the instructor; no. Another patron. Can you imagine the scene?! As if spin classes arent torture enough?! This woman had to endure sickeningly saccharine pop music blaring in her eardrums while dangling by her leg off an exercise machine designed to tear apart your legs.

The report also outlines that no one called an ambo, and instead, Wood caught a freakin Uber to the hospital where she copped over 50 surgical staples.

Even with pain medication, Woods flight back home hurt like a bitch and she developed an infection, the suit says. After several rounds of treatment, she finally recovered in April, but the laceration left a deep and permanent scar, according to court papers.

Wood is suing for unspecified damages.

Let this be the inspiration you crave to never exercise again.

Source: NY Daily News.

Photo: Ariana Grande / YouTube.
UPDATE: Remains found near small Pa. town ID'd, but mystery lingers

There is an unfolding police and forensic investigation surrounding the discovery of probable human remains near the close-knit, small town of Waymart in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, that has put residents there on edge.

As WNEP-TV reports, the grim discovery was made Sunday near a field on the outskirts of Waymart Borough, and the remains "appear to be consistent with human remains," according to the county coroner.

Still, the investigation remains in its earliest stages.

Those remains, found in a wooded area just beyond the field, still need to be examined and identified, as well as an ultimate determination to be made on the cause of death in the case, the coroner tells WNEP.

There was no immediate details on how the remains were found.

But the startling discovery has some in the borough on edge, as WNEP reports:

"Especially in a small town like this. I'm from a small town, so when you hear about things like this happening it's a little scary because if someone goes missing or unfounded, you would know about it, so this is very surprising," nearby resident Melissa Paul told WNEP.

The remains were found near well-traveled Route 6, so they could have been dumped there, as well, some other residents speculated.

"It's a small town, and everyone knows everybody," county resident Brandon Straut told WNEP.

The police and forensic investigations were continuing in the case.
Fresa Bistro on 3rd has joined Strawberry Square in Harrisburg, adding another restaurant option for city workers.

The quick-service establishment, with brightly colored walls dotted with artwork, opened March 6 on the first floor of the complex. It pumps out healthy, fresh foods such as wraps, panini sandwiches, burgers and salads.

The restaurant is owned by Juan Garcia of El Sol Mexican Restaurant in Harrisburg and partner Nino Purpurra, owner of Jo Jo's Pizza. Garcia also owns El Sol Express in Swatara Township as well as Taco Solo and La Noche Cantina, both in Harrisburg.

"The opportunity came. I think there's a lot of people working here, a lot of opportunity," Garcia said.

Diners order at a counter Panera Bread-style and wait for orders to be delivered to their tables or for takeout.

Fresa, named for the Spanish word for strawberry, is designed to be quick and healthy, and gives people an alternative to the Strawberry Square food court, Garcia said.

The restaurant is part of renovations at Strawberry Square that include the relocation of a Rite Aid from across Market Street. It is due to open in April, said Bradley Jones of Harristown Enterprises Inc. which oversees Strawberry Square.

The 60-seat Fresa has two entrances, one via Strawberry Square's interior and a second one off North Third Street.

The restaurant's menu includes custom salads, allowing diners to select from various greens - iceberg to kale - cheeses, fruits, nuts, vegetables and proteins such as albacore tuna, Applewood smoked bacon, tavern ham, grilled chicken and roasted sirloin. Otherwise, pick from Greek, chicken Caesar, Thai shrimp, Cobb, Pittsburgh salad and chicken Waldorf salads.

The house Fresa salad marries a trio of fruits - strawberry, blueberry and pineapple - with candied walnuts, iceberg and baby arugula. Bleu cheese crumbles and poppy seed dressing round out the combination.

Panini sandwiches include a Cubano generously stacked with slow cooked pork and ham with pickle, Gruyere cheese and mustard on a Cuban roll for $9. Sandwiches are served with crunchy, house made potato chips.

In addition, there are ham and cheese sandwiches, American burgers and a turkey provolone sandwich. Prices range from $7-$10.

Fresa offers catering. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Phone is 717-216-8754.
Liquor

Lobbyists are pushing for supermarkets and convenience stores in Pennsylvania to sell hard liquor.

(DAN GLEITER, THE PATRIOT-NEWS)

Now that wine is available for sale in Pennsylvania's grocery stores, some are hoping hard liquor will follow.

At least three supermarkets - Giant Food Stores, Weis Markets and Wegmans - say they would entertain the possibility of selling spirits, as lobbyists push for legislation that would allow for the sale of liquor at grocery and convenience stores.

The legislation comes on the heels of Act 39, which was signed last year by Gov. Tom Wolf and opened wine sales at supermarkets and convenience stores that hold restaurant liquor licenses. At least 350 grocery and convenience stores in the state now sell wine.

"There is a really, really strong desire to be able to buy all beverages under a single roof," said David M. Ozgo, senior vice president of Economic and Strategic Analysis for the Distilled Spirits Council.

The group contends that adding hard liquor sales would create a convenience for shoppers who are "chronically underserved." It would also generate additional sales and revenue for the state, the group said.

Currently there are two bills, including Senate Bill 306 and House Bill 438, that call for restaurant and hotel liquor license holders to apply for $2,000 spirit permits. Shoppers would be limited to three liters for a single transaction.

Three grocery store chains operating in central Pa. say they would be interested in selling spirits.

Jonathan Weis, chief operating officer for Weis, said last week he would be open to liquor sales, although Weis does not sell spirits in its stores in other states.

Meanwhile, Giant spokesman Samantha Krepps said, "We would welcome the opportunity to add a selection of liquor to our product line if available."

Wegmans spokeswoman Jo Natale said the chain sells liquor in its stores in Virginia, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

"Yes; we are interested in any measure that provides customers with convenience and choice," she said.

The Spirits Council said compared to other states, Pennsylvania lacks the number of outlets where liquor is sold. The state has about 0.67 spirits outlets per 10,000 population versus the national average of 3.80 outlets per 10,000 population, according to group's statistics.

Ozgo emphasized liquor is sold at grocery stores in other states, giving consumers more options. "It's an easy way to increase the number of outlets," he added.
Priest file photo .jpg

Shutterstock

Almost a year to the day after child sex abuse allegations first rocked the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese, church and law enforcement officials were set to publicly announce a new set of reform measures on Monday -- measures meant to prevent similar abuse from happening in the future.

Acting U.S. Attorney for Western Pennsylvania Soo Song and Altoona-Johnstown Bishop Mark Bartchak have called a news conference for Monday afternoon in Johnstown, at which time they're expected to announce a collaborative framework to "protect the children of the diocese from sexual abuse," a media advisory explained.

(UPDATE: This article has been updated to include DOJ releases detailing some of the reform measures planned below.)

The news conference comes a year after then-Attorney General Kathleen Kane held her own event in Altoona to announce that a grand jury investigation of the diocese had determined that hundreds of children were sexually abused over a period of 40 years by church leaders, and that at least 50 priests or religious leaders had been involved in sexual abuses. Kane went on to describe the abuse allegations in shocking detail.

For many in the Altoona-Johnstown area, Kane's announcement confirmed years of circulating rumors about allegations of rape, abuse and cover-ups involving the Roman Catholic Diocese there. The diocese is home to more than 90,000 Roman Catholics in eight counties in central Pennsylvania.

In the months after Kane's announcement, the diocese said it was cooperating with law enforcement officials and taking recommendations from the grand jury report under advisement.

"I acknowledge there are a number of recommendations made in this report involving how we respond to allegations of abuse. I take them seriously," Bishop Bartchak said at the time.

The plan to be announced Monday afternoon by Bartchak and Attorney Song is expected to respond to some of those recommendations, although it was initially unclear to which or how.

The scandal itself came to light after years of allegations involving Catholic priests and young children nationwide. It also followed the uncovering of such abuse and far-reaching cover-ups by Boston Globe reporters in 2002.

Pope Francis has since pledged "zero tolerance" for sex abuse in the church. Francis has also established a commission with survivors of such abuse and church leaders to better protect children from offenders. But Francis' efforts have been hampered in recent weeks by a commission resignation and accusations of church leaders stonewalling reform efforts. Those same critics have also cited a larger "cultural resistance to change at the Vatican."

In western Pennsylvania, many saw the 2016 grand jury report detailing extensive cover-ups of sex abuse claims by Altoona-Johnstown Diocese leaders as emblematic of this larger issue, and some victims and their advocates continue to question the commitment of the church and diocese to actual reform.

In Kane's grand jury report, while Bartchak was not accused of wrongdoing and had suspended several priests named as alleged abusers in the report in the months leading up to its release, the grand jury still said it was "concerned the purge of predators is taking too long."

Whether Monday's announcement goes far enough in easing those concerns and the concerns of victims and their advocates remained to be seen as of Monday morning.

U.S. Attorney's Office and Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Announce Reforms to Protect Children From Sexual Ab... by PennLive on Scribd

USDOJ and Altoona-Johnstown Diocese Map Out Reforms One Year After Child Sex Abuse Revelations by PennLive on Scribd
Dakota James FB .png

Dakota James. Photo via Facebook.

The search for a 23-year-old Pittsburgh college student, whose January disappearance touched off a frantic investigation and emotional appeals for information from his family, has ended with the discovery of his body in a western Pennsylvania river, authorities confirmed Monday.

Duquesne University graduate student Dakota James went missing in late January, after he was last seen on surveillance video walking in downtown Pittsburgh.

Search efforts spanned Allegheny and Beaver counties and included divers searching all three rivers flowing through Pittsburgh. Searchers also combed riverbanks, landfills and homeless camps in hopes of locating James, WPXI-TV reports.

Their efforts ended Monday with James' body being located in the Ohio River in Robinson Township, roughly 10 miles northwest of where he was last spotted on the evening of Jan. 25.

"We came to this location by the Groveton Boat Club and did observe the body about 30 feet out. My officers were able to corral it at the next dock down," Robinson Township Police Chief Dale Vietmeier told KDKA-TV. "The medical examiner has just made positive identification. It is the body of Dakota James."

The identification followed weeks of searches involving investigators and volunteers. More recently, KDKA-TV says rescue workers used boats and drones to search 27 miles of the Ohio River over the weekend.

"High tech equipment was utilized, including sonar and drones that were used to examine rough terrain along the shoreline," the station added.

But despite the commitment of resources, James' mother had expressed frustration with the handling of the investigation -- blaming Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto for a perceived lack of concern and the Grindr dating app for not releasing more info from James' phone to the authorities investigating his disappearance.

Grindr did not respond to an inquiry from PennLive over the weekend.

Mayor Peduto, meanwhile, issued the following statement in the hours after the discovery of James' body Monday morning: "My heart goes out to the family of Mr. James and the entire Duquesne University community. I cannot begin to imagine what it is like to lose a young loved one like Dakota. While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, I want to thank the tireless work of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and other law enforcement agencies, to follow every lead and every piece of evidence in their attempts to find him."

Media reports indicated James' body was found at around 9 a.m. on Monday, after it was spotted by a woman walking her dog along the river.

About an hour earlier, James' mother Pamela posted the following message to Facebook.

I keep waking up thinking that if it's a different hour or day that I will realize that I've woken from the most... Posted by Pamela James on Monday, March 6, 2017

Pamela James, of Frederick County, Md., had not posted anything subsequent to the reports confirming her son's death as of noon Monday.

This as the circumstances surrounding James' death and disappearance remain unclear. Authorities say they will continue to investigate, with few clues yielded thus far and no activity on James' cellphone or his bank account since the night he was last seen alive.

James had been in Pittsburgh pursuing his MBA at Duquesne University since moving to the city in August 2015.

In an email to PennLive Monday afternoon, Duquesne University President Ken Gormley wrote: "Dakota and his family have been in our prayers throughout this difficult ordeal. I am deeply saddened to learn of the tragic outcome, and I extend my deepest sympathy to Dakota's family and friends on behalf of the entire Duquesne University community."
HARRISBURG--Dauphin County Chief Deputy District Attorney Johnny Baer has decided against running for mayor of Harrisburg.

Baer said in December he had a "strong interest" in joining the race. He said he was talking to friends, associates and influential politicians to assess his viability.

But in the end, Baer said he concluded he can best serve the public by remaining in his present office. He issued a statement Monday to PennLive.

Dauphin County Chief Deputy District Attorney Johnny Baer has prosecuted many of Harrisburg's most serious crimes over the past decade.

Baer's decision not to enter the race means there is no known Republican opposition in this year's primary.

"This is a decision not easily reached," Baer said in his written statement. "I believe that as a candidate, I could have focused attention on improving the quality of life for all Harrisburg residents; and potentially, as Mayor, worked hard to better the city."

The last time the city had a Republican mayor was 1982. Democrats currently outnumber Republicans six to one. That means the winner of the Democratic primary election typically wins the general election.

Four Democratic candidates for mayor already have earned preliminary places on the ballot by turning in petitions with at least 100 signatures of registered voters. Those candidates: Incumbent Mayor Eric Papenfuse, Former City Councilwoman Gloria Martin-Roberts, Lewis Butts and Jennie Jenkins will appear on the May 16 ballot unless someone challenges their petitions in court.

A fifth Democratic candidate, Gina Johnson Roberson, has announced her intention to run for mayor on Facebook, but has not confirmed her candidacy directly to PennLive. Roberson may be best known for her 2014 effort to try to unseat state Rep. Patty Kim in 2014.

Tuesday March 7 is the final day to turn in petitions to be listed on the ballot, so the list of potential mayoral candidates--barring write-ins-- will be known by end of business Tuesday. The primary election is set for May 16.
The grandmother of a 20-day-old girl who was beaten to death by her father can't sue children's services officials who ordered the baby to be returned to her drug-addicted parents, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.



The law, as outlined by the U.S, Supreme Court, shields the Westmoreland County Childrens Bureau from such legal actions, the panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit concluded. Also, it found that Vickie Fetterman waited too long to sue two of the agency's officials over the December 2011 death of her granddaughter Natalee Kay Mibroda.





Clayton Mibroda was convicted of fatally beating his 20-day-old daughter. A federal appeals court has blocked his mother from suing a children services agency over the slaying.

The appeals court's ruling, issued in an opinion by Judge Jane R. Roth, upholds an earlier decision by U.S. Western District Judge Terrence F. McVerry.



"While we are sympathetic to the horrible circumstances surrounding Fetterman's loss, we are not free to ignore clear, binding precedent from the Supreme Court of the United States even in such emotionally charged cases," Roth wrote.



Simply put, Roth's court found that the actions, or inaction, by Westmoreland officials in the days before Natalee's death weren't so severe as to "shock the conscience" and pierce a legal shield that surrounds the childrens bureau.



According to Roth, Natalee was born 6 weeks premature and addicted to opioids because her mother, Kayla Jo Lichtenfels, used drugs during the pregnancy. A hospital social worker advised that the baby not be sent home with her parents, but Westmoreland officials did nothing, the appeals judge noted.



The baby's pediatrician and Indiana County Children & Youth Services, which had evaluated the family after an incident involving another child, also recommended that Lichtenfels and the child's father, Clayton Mibroda, not be given custody.



Yet a childrens bureau official told Fetterman, who cared for the baby right after her birth, that she had to give Natalee to her parents.



Twelve days later, the little girl was dead. An autopsy showed she died of blunt force trauma to her head. It also revealed she had numerous broken bones and other injuries, Roth noted.



Fetterman filed her lawsuit 3 1/2 years later. That was nearly two years after Clayton Mibroda, her son, was convicted of third-degree murder and sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison for killing his child.
With a month to go before he is sentenced for scamming the FBI, John Estey, an aide to ex-Gov. Ed Rendell and a former top-level lawyer for the Hershey Trust Company, is pleading with a federal judge to keep him out of prison.



Instead, the 54-year-old Estey, who once was one of the ultimate insiders in Pennsylvania politics, is urging U.S. Middle District Judge John E. Jones III to sentence him to probation and impose a hefty fine.



There is no doubt about Estey's remorse, his lawyer, Ronald H. Levine, argued in a memorandum recently filed with the judge. Levine cited Estey's comments to a probation officer as evidence of his inclination to atone.



"I was arrogant and I was stupid, a recipe for crossing ethical and legal lines that is not reflective either of my upbringing or of my prior career," Estey wrote. "To a certainty, this will not happen again."



Federal prosecutors haven't yet filed their sentencing memorandum in the case. Jones is scheduled to sentence Estey on April 11.



That hearing will occur almost a year to the day after Estey, then a lobbyist/lawyer, was charged with stealing $13,000 of the $20,000 undercover FBI agents gave him during a sting operation designed to root out governmental corruption.



The agents presented the Ardmore man with money that he was supposed to use to pay to legislators in return for their backing of measures favorable to the business interests of a fake company the FBI set up. Instead, Estey only gave $7,000 to the unnamed legislators as campaign contributions and kept the rest for himself, legislators said.



Estey pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud count in May. Last month, he surrendered his law license and was disbarred by the state Supreme Court. "His career as a lawyer is over," Levine wrote.



In arguing for leniency, Levine cited a probation office recommendation that Estey be sentenced to no more than 6 months behind bars. That means probation is on the table. Levine argued that a probation term, plus a financial penalty, "would be a fair, just and appropriate resolution of this matter."



Estey has done far more good than bad, Levine contended, calling his criminal act an "aberration."



He cited Estey's work as Rendell's deputy chief of staff when the Democrat was mayor of Philadelphia. When Rendell became governor, Estey became his chief of staff from 2003 to 2007, then served as a senior advisor until 2008. In those roles, Estey led such initiatives as the $786 million expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia and development of the $321 million Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Levine noted.



Also, he noted that Estey was executive vice president for administration at Hershey Trust Company from 2012 to 2016, and served as interim president of the Milton Hershey School in 2013 and 2014. Levine cited Estey's considerable charitable involvement as well, including with the American Diabetes Association.



Estey now works as executive vice president of operations for CJP/IKON LLC, a start-up software development firm based in Virginia, his sentencing memorandum states.



On the day of his sentencing Estey will pay back the entire $20,000 the FBI gave him, Levine vowed. Estey also is exposed to a fine of from $500, to $5,000, he noted.



Levine insisted that Estey is "abject in his remorse," and already has been punished severely through public humiliation. "Mr. Estey knows that he made a terrible mistake for which he has paid and will continue to pay a heavy price," he wrote. "His flaws have been exposed to the world."




prison hands

A state appeals court has rejected a convicted robber's claim that he was denied a fair trial because he's a Muslim.

(PennLive file photo)

A man who came back into the U.S. after being deported for stealing a bicycle and trying to sell cocaine is stuck with serving nearly 4 years in a federal prison.



Jose Ramos' 46-month jail term was upheld Monday by a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.



The judges found Ramos had no legal grounds to contest the penalty U.S. Middle District Senior Judge Sylvia H. Rambo imposed after he pleaded guilty to a charge of re-entering the country illegally.



Judge Jane R. Roth wrote in the appeals court opinion that Ramos, a native of Guatemala, first entered the U.S. illegally through Mexico in 2000. He was convicted of the bicycle theft in Virginia in 2008 and in 2009 was convicted of trying to distribute cocaine in Washington, D.C.



The cocaine count not only got him deported, he was notified that the felony charge barred him from ever again entering the U.S., Roth noted.



Ramos ignored that warning and was arrested in Franklin County in October 2015 on a simple assault charge stemming from a domestic violence incident. County officials turned him over to the feds after he pleaded guilty to the assault count.



When he pleaded guilty before Rambo to the illegal re-entry charge, Ramos claimed his 2008 drug conviction had been "overstated," a contention prosecutors denied, Roth noted. Ramos also claimed he never actually committed the assault in Franklin County.



Roth found that Ramos's guilty plea to the illegal re-entry charge and the penalty Rambo imposed for the crime are both valid and that Ramos had no plausible basis to appeal them.



Fears of ICE raids mount, but undocumented immigrants actually have rights
hospital 1 1113 dcg.jpg

Penn State Hershey.

(DAN GLEITER, THE PATRIOT-NEWS)

The state Department of Agriculture conducted an inspection Monday at Star Buffet & Grill - the Lancaster County eatery where three children and an adult were sent to the hospital with reactions after drinking apple juice Friday night.

Star Buffet & Grill inspections

East Lampeter Township police say they are actively investigating what caused four people to have reactions Friday night at the restaurant, including children who suffered burns in their mouths.

Results of the Department of Agriculture inspection today are not yet available, said department spokeswoman Shannon Powers.

"Our investigator has the authority to shut down the restaurant if the inspection finds an imminent threat to public health and safety," she said.

The inspector was reviewing how cleaning chemicals are stored and labeled, among other things, she told the Associated press..

Weaver said the county prosecutor's office and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also are investigating. Authorities were obtaining translators to interview restaurant employees who spoke only Spanish or Chinese.

The apple juice was recovered and was being tested.

Star Buffet manager Steve Weng said he did not know how it happened and regrets that it occurred, the AP reported. He said the juice was poured into disposable cups from a half-gallon bought at a local grocery store.

Richie Zaragoza, 10, Ginaya Mercado, 4, are in fair condition, said a spokeswoman at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Monday.

Also having reactions at Star Buffet in the 2200 block of Lincoln Highway East were a 6-year-old boy and an adult male, police said. All were part of the same group who drank what was supposed to be apple juice that had been poured into Styrofoam cups.

They were the only customers reporting any injury or discomfort, said Officer Robin Weaver.

"Unfortunately the children were the victims," Weaver said.

The owner has been cooperative, Weaver said, adding that he didn't have an explanation for what happened.

"That's our job - we will figure it out, and determine what was the cause of it," Weaver said.

"There's a lot of speculation going on. We're expediting all this, and as soon as we have information, we will release it," said Officer Robin Weaver.

The restaurant staff told police juice was poured into styrofoam cups and served, Weaver said. He could not confirm a report that the owner bought the juice at a local supermarket.

No other reports of people becoming ill has surfaced.

The cups and juice are being analyzed, and tests are not back yet, Weaver said.

"I think we'll glean a lot of information from employee interviews to determine what the substance is and where it came from and how it got into those cups. Whether it was an accident or intentional, what exactly happened - there are a lot of possibilities and scenarios we have to narrow down as soon as we can," Weaver said. The district attorney's office, state agriculture department and U.S. Food & Drug Administration are involved in the investigation.

Star Buffet & Grill had violations in 11 inspections since March 2015, according to Pennsylvcania Department of Agriculture inspection reports.

In the latest inspection Feb. 21, violations included the refrigerator was not maintaining the minimum temperature, egg rolls and breaded chicken in the refrigerator was not at the required temperature and more.

Richard Zaragoza Sr. said his son, Richie, was celebrating his birthday with the other children, CBS21 reports.

"It's his favorite place to go" says Richard Zaragoza Sr., father of one of the kids taken to the hospital.
LEWISBURG - The man who was fatally stabbed Saturday night in Lewisburg identified his assailant before he died, police say.

An arrest affidavit states Aaron David Boone, 28, told responding officers he was stabbed by Terrel Ralick Jordan, who was arrested Sunday afternoon on a criminal homicide charge.

Terrel Ralick Jordan

Police said they were dispatched about 10:30 p.m. Saturday for a report of a man bleeding and pounding on the door of a house in the first block of South Seventh Street, several blocks from the Bucknell campus.

Officer Bradley Miller states in the affidavit he found Boone lying in the front yard in respiratory distress and bleeding from stab wounds to chest, abdomen and back.

Boone identified his assailant after being assured emergency personnel were on their way but told his chest wound appeared serious and he may not survive, the affidavit states.

Boone was pronounced dead at Evangelical Community Hospital at 11:20 p.m. Saturday. An autopsy is scheduled Monday.

Before Boone became semi-responsive, Miller said he told him Jordan lived inside the house.

A man who lives in the house told police Jordan is his girlfriend's son and sometimes stays there, the charge states.

That man said he was taking a bath while wearing headphones and did not hear anything, but earlier had heard Jordan go up and down the stairs, the affidavit states.

Based on a blood trail, police said it appears the stabbing occurred in the 100 block of South Seventh Street, across St. Louis Street, from where Boone was found.

Jordan, 33, was arrested in Mifflinburg, where he also has lived. He is jailed without bail on a charge of criminal homicide. Police have not disclosed a possible motive.

Court records show Jordan in 2011 pleaded guilty to a simple assault charge.

He was placed on one year's probation with the requirement he successfully complete an anger management program.

Boone pleaded guilty to defiant trespass and resisting arrest charges in 2014 and was sentenced to 3 to 12 months in prison followed by four years of probation.

Terms of his probation, according to court documents, included requirements to engage in family counseling, complete his GED and and report to the Day Reporting Center for a job search.
STEELTON - Aiming to turn hate in to love, people of various faiths gathered Sunday in response to threats telephoned in to local Jewish community centers in Dauphin and York counties.

About 150 people packed into Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Steelton as a show of interfaith unity following the threats Feb. 27 in Susquehanna and York townships. Jennifer Ross, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg, noted that there have been 100 threat calls made to 81 Jewish institutions across the country.

Ross said she hopes the person making the threats to the community center is deterred by the arrest of one man linked to some of the threats, as well as the continued efforts of law enforcement.

"I really hope we don't go through this a second time," Ross said. "Every day we don't get a call is a blessing, and that is not a way to live or work."

Ross said Jewish community centers generally exercise extreme precaution because of anti-Semitism. Stressing the need for caution, Ross said the 101st time someone calls in a threat could be the time there is a bomb, so Jewish community centers and institutions across the country will follow Department of Homeland Security protocol and evacuate buildings without hesitation.

Ross said she has been encouraged by with the interfaith community's efforts Sunday. Ross invoked the famous quote by Martin Neimoller urging people to stand up against injustices where they see them, regardless of who is being attacked.

The Rev. Lori Hatch-Rivera, pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of the Spirit, encouraged attendees take the time to learn about faiths different from their own. She noted that Christians are often quick to point out intolerance of other faiths, but ignore passages of the Bible that can be misinterpreted if taken out of complete context. Hatch-Rivera said it is important to focus on the complete teachings of a faith rather than singular passages.

Aaysha Noor, of the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg, pointed to the increase in bias related incidents across the country after President Donald Trump was elected, specifically actions against Muslims and now Jews, in saying the faith communities need to stick together and fight for each other. She said she hopes people in the U.S. can live in peace and harmony and stop making judgments based on race, faith, ethnicity and other categories.

"People around the nation rallied ... they stood up for what was right." Noor said. "These hateful acts brought us together. They wanted to tear us apart, [instead] we formed a family."

Rabbi Carl Choper, president of the Interfaith Alliance of Pennsylvania, said anti-Semitism is much worse because Trump's campaign made it acceptable to be against "others" outside of the majority publicly. He added that the increase in bigotry has to be fought by good people who won't stand for such behavior.

Marcia Berry a member of the Carlisle Baha'i Community, referenced Ross' words shortly after the threats, when telling the audience that she was heartened by the turnout and support Sunday. She reminded the crowd that they are a part of the human family and should protect each other in times of crisis.

Victoria Larson, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Evangelical Church, said she called Choper the day after the threats to see if she could help a fellow member of the clergy. The two religious leaders came up with the idea for the interfaith prayer service as a way to gather people together and sew the threads of commonalities, Larson said. She said when those threads connect, something powerful happens and people are willing to stand together.

After an hour-long program of song, liturgical dance, and prayer, attendees gathered in the church's fellowship hall to share stories and examples of turning hate into love, Larson said. She noted that she hopes people across the country can learn to get out of their own cultural silos and learn from each other and build connective threads.
Trump Travel Ban Refugees

Syrian refugee Mahmoud Mansour, 43, is shown in this photo, taken Monday in Amman, with his daughters Ruba, 9, and Sahar, 3. Mansour, who has been undergoing vetting for resettlement to the U.S. for the past year, says he was devastated by President Donald Trump's travel ban and remains confused about how the revised version could affect his hopes for future in the U.S. (AP Photo/Karin Laub)

(Karin Laub)

Immigration advocates from across Pennsylvania on Monday decried President Trump's new travel ban as bad policy and a strike against an inclusive America.

"This executive order is just like its previous version," said Sundrop Carter, executive director of the Pennsylvania Immigration & Citizenship Coalition. "It's a direct attack on our country's value and a direct attack on the values that we hold dear of creating diverse and inclusive and welcoming society."

Trump on Monday rolled out a reworked version of his controversial travel ban, which in January came under swift legal challenges and unleashed major chaos and disruption across the nation's airports.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday gave details of President Trump's new executive order banning entry of citizens from six Muslim-majority countries. Tillerson spoke at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The new travel ban - designed to hold up to court challenges - bars entry (and new visas) for citizens from six Muslim-majority countries. Previously, the ban called for seven nations to be impacted. The new order also temporarily shuts down the country's refugee program.

Trump, who initially came under attack for including Iraq in the original version of the travel ban this time around excluded it. Iraqi nationals have aided the U.S. in its fight against ISIS. The other banned countries on the list remained on untouched, including Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Libya.

Carter said Trump continued to make a clear statement that he intends to "silence and marginalize" vast swaths of diverse communities with his policies.

"We do not sign on to his agenda," she said. "We won't be silenced and we will do our best to stand up and fight against these policies until we can stop them."

Trump has promoted the travel ban as a crucial step in fighting terrorism in this country. He says the ban will afford the U.S. the opportunity to review the visa and refugee application process. The new order was announced Monday will little fanfare by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Tillerson described the new order as "a vital measure for strengthening our national security," the Associated Press reported.

Adanjesus Marin, director of Make the Road Pennsylvania, said the country and the courts would continue to reject the president's travel ban.

"This new order will be no different," he said. "Pennsylvania has welcomed refugees and immigrants for generations, and this most recent attack is yet another blow to the principles of religious tolerance and support for refugees that have helped make our country strong. We must continue to resist."

Jonathan Jimenez, a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and a member of Make the Road, an immigration advocacy group, the president was reminding the country that he "doesn't care" about American values.

"This racist policy is still a Muslim ban that will have the same effects as the previous one: to discriminate based on religion, to divide families, and to put the most vulnerable refugees seeking safety in danger," Jimenez said. "We must not allow that to happen. This isn't what America is about. We will continue to stand against Trump's hateful agenda."

Julio Lopez, director of Make the Road Connecticut, said the new executive order singled out particular areas of the world and people for discrimination.

We will do everything we can to stop it," he said.

Syrians are no longer subjected to an indefinite ban. The suspension of the refugee program is for 120 days, though refugees already formally scheduled for travel by the State Department will be allowed entry. When the suspension is lifted, the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. will be capped at 50,000 for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.

Sessions on Monday pointed to the cases of 300 people he said entered the United States as refugees who are now being investigated by the FBI as part of terrorism-related cases. The Associated Press reported that the attorney general provided no details.

AP also reported that the new order does not address concerns raised in a Homeland Security intelligence analysis obtained last month that concluded there was insufficient evidence that citizens of the originally banned countries posed a terror threat to the U.S. The administration has played down the significance of that report.

Carter said that if she had a "magic wand," she would reverse all of Trump's immigration executive orders, including those impacting so-called sanctuary cities and immigration enforcement.

"Every single one has been along the same agenda of clearly trying to erase immigrant and refugee communities from our society and making clear line that unless you are white or a Christian, you are suspect," she said.

Members of the legal community swiftly assailed the new order, most confident that challenges to the new version of the ban are likely to continue.

Newsflash: #MuslimBan2 is still religious discrimination, still unconstitutional. So we're fighting it. Act now https://t.co/erl0AbBPoi  ACLU (@ACLU) March 6, 2017

#MuslimBan is dangerous attack on values central to American heritage and history. Our statement #NoBanNoWallNoRaids https://t.co/uQn6F4T4dP  Make the Road NY (@MaketheRoadNY) March 6, 2017

At least three supermarkets in central Pa. say they would sell hard liquor
Here, there, everywhere  why car washes seem to be on every corner

business
As global oversupply persists Saudi cuts light oil prices

SINGAPORE

Petroleumworld.com 03 06 2017

World's top crude exporter Saudi Arabia cut April prices of light crude it sells to Asia for the first time in three months in a bid to shore up demand in an oversupplied market, trade sources said on Friday.

The OPEC kingpin raised prices for two straight months to March after production cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Oman strengthened Middle East oil benchmark Dubai, but it unexpectedly cut prices in April as oversupply of light crude persisted.

The April (OSP) for Arab Light was set at the low end of forecasts in a Reuters survey and the 75 cent cut for Arab Extra Light was deeper than expected.

Saudi Aramco took into account other factors such as a stronger Oman-Dubai benchmark when setting prices this month, traders in Asia said.

"They are serious about market share now. Many barrels are left (unsold)," said an Asian crude buyer who declined to be named as it has business dealings with Saudi Aramco.

Rising output from Nigeria and Libya, which are exempted from OPEC cuts, and a ramp-up in exports from Europe and the United States are flooding Asia with more light crude than the region could use.

The United Arab Emirates also added to light oil supplies after it sold more flagship Murban crude after a refinery outage early this year. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is also selling the light oil from storage tanks that it had leased in South Korea. nL4N1FN29A]

"Light crude is under pressure all over the world," said a second trader with a company that moves crude globally.

The spread between Arab Light and Heavy at $2.45 a barrel, the narrowest since September, as the OPEC cuts tightened supplies of heavier crude which are cheaper.

Saudi kept the April OSP for Arab Heavy unchanged, against expectations of a price cut, a sign that supplies could remain tight, traders said.

Light crude has a better yield of more valuable products such as gasoline and diesel, hence it is usually more expensive than heavy crude.

Saudi Arabia is shouldering the bulk of OPEC cuts in February to compensate for the weaker adherence of other members namely Algeria, Iraq, Venezuela and the United Arab Emirates.






LNG surplus supply weigh on price despite pockets of demand

MILAN

Petroleumworld.com 03 06 2017

Asian spot LNG prices fell for the eighth week in a row on healthy supply and subdued demand with recent tender awards confirming the downward trend.

Spot prices for liquefied natural gas (LNG) for April delivery LNG-AS were pegged at about $6.00 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), 20 cents below last week's levels, according to traders surveyed by Reuters.

May prices dipped to $5.80 per mmBtu, although some traders had difficulty in assessing the month's value due to a dearth of deals.

Thailand's PTT and Gail India both purchased one April cargo at a price estimated to be slightly above or below $6 per mmBtu.

Japan is set to see average to warmer weather from March to May, the official forecaster said last week. Thomson Reuters' 45-day forecast for Tokyo shows parts of March and April to be several degrees Celsius above the average.

Yet pockets of demand persist. A Japanese end-user has a requirement for an April shipment while another seeks a May cargo, likely tempted by low prices to refill inventory ahead of the summer cooling season, one industry watcher said.

Indian Oil Corp seeks a cargo for delivery on May 4.

Meanwhile, Gail India's time-swap deal with Swiss trader Gunvor to offload some of its U.S. gas volumes, first reported by Reuters on Friday, will begin with Gunvor delivering 15 cargoes to Gail between April and December this year.

The deal should significantly cut Gail's demand for spot shipments, potentially contributing to an easing market as new production gets underway in Australia and the United States.

In the Atlantic, Argentina state-run energy firm Enarsa launched a tender seeking 20 cargoes between June and August.

The Al Khattiya liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, one of the world's largest, suffered damage to its hull in a collision with an oil tanker off the United Arab Emirates last week, operator Royal Dutch Shell said on Tuesday.

LNG prices are under pressure amid rising supplies of spot cargoes as projects offer spot buyers volumes that would have otherwise been shipped to term customers, traders have said.

Production stoppages at Chevron's Gorgon project in Australia, and a pipeline blast at Nigeria's Bonny Island plant, at the end of last week have barely dented sentiment. Gorgon's second production line resumed operations on Sunday, while traders reported little disruption out of Nigeria.






U.S. drillers continue add oil rigs -Baker Hughes

H OUSTON

Petroleumworld.com 03 06 2017

U.S. drillers added oil rigs for a seventh week in a row, extending a recovery into a tenth month as energy companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp , boost spending plans to take advantage of a crude price recovery.

Drillers added seven oil rigs in the week to March 3, bringing the total count up to 609, the most since October 2015, energy services firm Baker Hughes Inc said on Friday.

RIG-OIL-USA-BHI

During the same week a year ago, there were 392 active oil rigs.

Since crude prices first topped $50 a barrel in May after recovering from 13-year lows in February 2016, drillers have added a total of 293 oil rigs in 36 of the past 40 weeks, the biggest recovery in rigs since a global oil glut crushed the market over two years starting in mid 2014.

The Baker Hughes oil rig count plunged from a record 1,609 in October 2014 to a six-year low of 316 in May 2016 as U.S. crude collapsed from over $107 a barrel in June 2014 to near $26 in February 2016.

U.S. crude futures traded around $53 a barrel on Friday, putting the contract on track to fall for a second week in three as ample U.S. crude supplies undermine efforts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers to drain a global oil glut.

U.S. crude inventories hit record highs last week, after eight straight weeks of builds, and production topped 9 million barrels per day for a second week in a row, the most since April

2016, according to federal energy data.

Analysts said they expect U.S. energy firms to boost spending on drilling and pump more oil and natural gas from shale fields in coming years now that energy prices are projected to keep climbing.

Futures for the balance of 2017 and calendar 2018 were both fetching over $54 a barrel.

Exxon's new Chief Executive Darren Woods told shareholders on Wednesday that the oil major is to invest $5.5 billion in short-term drilling projects in North Dakota and Texas in 2017, or around a quarter of capex, and intends increasing it in the following three years.

Analysts at Simmons & Co, energy specialists at U.S. investment bank Piper Jaffray, this week forecast the total oil and gas rig count would average 815 in 2017, 933 in 2018 and 1,044 in 2019. Most wells produce both oil and gas.

That compares with an average of 718 so far in 2017, 509 in 2016 and 978 in 2015, according to Baker Hughes data.

Analysts at U.S. financial services firm Cowen & Co said in a note this week that its capital expenditure tracking showed 52 exploration and production (E&P) companies planned to increase spending by an average of 50 percent in 2017 over 2016.

That expected spending increase in 2017 followed an estimated 48 percent decline in 2016 and a 34 percent decline in 2015, Cowen said according to the 64 E&P companies it tracks.






World's oil meet at CERAWeek in Houston after OPEC price push



Alexander Novak, Russia's Minister of Energy and Darren Woods, ExxonMobil CEO will be the feature speakers at CERAWeek opening date, Monday.

HOUSTON

Petroleumworld.com 03 06 2017

The biggest names in the oil world come together this week for the largest industry gathering since the end of a two-year price war that pitted Middle East exporters against the firms that drove the shale energy revolution in the United States.

When OPEC in November joined with several non-OPEC producers to agree to a historic cut in output, the group called time on a fight for market share that drove oil prices to a 12-year low and many shale producers to the wall.

Oil prices are about 70 percent higher than they were the last time oil ministers and the chief executives of Big Oil met in Houston a year ago at CERAWeek, the largest annual industry meet in the Americas.

The ebullience as both sides enjoy higher revenues will be a welcome relief from the gloom of a year ago, near the depths of the price war.

"The oil market has been rebalancing and the powerful forces of supply and demand have been working," said Dan Yergin, vice chairman of conference organizer IHS Markit and a Pulitzer Prize-winning oil historian.

"The mood will be different this year."

he capital of the U.S. oil industry Houston is emerging from the price war sporting new downtown skyscrapers and the lingering glow from hosting last month's Super Bowl.

OPEC's November deal, the prospects for its continuation and rosier investment prospects for the industry will dominate the discussions, with state-run producers and Big Oil both positioning themselves for an upturn in the notoriously cyclical business.

Twice as many OPEC ministers as a year ago - plus Russia and India's top energy officials - will be in the capital of the U.S. energy industry.

Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khalid al-Falih, who assumed his role last spring and whose country has contributed the largest share of OPEC output curbs, addresses the meeting on Tuesday.

Russian Oil Minister Alexander Novak, who was key to bringing non-OPEC countries on board to cut in tandem with OPEC, will speak on Monday

Chief executives from five hard-hit international oil producers - BP, Chevron Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp, Royal Dutch Shell and Total - will be listening closely to the ministers' comments to see if those production curbs will be extended past their June expiration.

The meeting won't be without simmering tension between U.S. oil producers and OPEC. One of the biggest questions in the oil market is how quickly and how much shale producers will boost output. A sharp rise from the U.S. shale patch could undo the Saudi-led deal to reduce the global oil glut.

Shale activity is humming in the hottest U.S. oilfield, the Permian Basin, a 75,000 square mile expanse in West Texas. The U.S. land drilling rig count is up 55 percent in the past 12 months, and many of them are in the Permian.

"It's exciting now to see the rig count rising and business activity picking up again," said Peter Boylan, chief executive of Cypress Energy Partners LP, an oilfield service provider with operations in Texas and North Dakota.

MORE SPENDING

Oil's resurgence isn't confined to America. Already this year, Total and BP have launched multi-billion dollar deals to expand in Brazil and Mauritania, respectively. Better prices could stir a new round of merger activity, according to some analysts.

Exxon, which is expected later this year be eclipsed by Saudi Aramco as the world's largest publicly traded oil producer, recently pledged to boost this year's spending by 16 percent to expand operations, especially in shale production.

That newfound investment vigor and projections for stronger shale production have kept a lid on the recovery. Oil prices may struggle to breach $60 per barrel, regardless of how much OPEC cuts, if the U.S. keeps increasing production, according to a Reuters poll.

U.S. crude futures closed on Friday at $53.33 per barrel.

BHP Billiton has boosted investment in its shale operations since last fall, forecasting the sector to become the single largest generator of cash flow for its petroleum business within five years.

"We expect a balanced oil market in 2017 for the first time in nearly three years," said Steve Pastor, president of BHP's petroleum business.








Vegan eating has skyrocketed in popularity over the course of recent decades, with more than 1,400 plant-based restaurants opening all across the US. While Philadelphia is historically known for cheesesteaks, countless vegan restaurants now call the city home. This is
Two popular Philadelphia festivals have announced details of their pending line-ups, including The Awesome Fest, which this summer will offer programming "confronting, defying and trolling Donald Trump."

Organizer Josh Goldbloom said he found inspiration for this year's slate watching Meryl Streep at the Golden Globes, advising people to heed Carrie Fisher and "take your broken heart and turn it into art." It will be a guiding principal of this year's Awesome Fest that will commence sometime in June.

"Awesome Fest has always been a binge and purge situation for me. I've been binging on quite a lot of politics, so this summer, I'm going to purge," Goldbloom said.

The programming line-up  which always includes free live music, free outdoor screenings and speakers at various locations around the city  has not been finalized. But Goldbloom, taking a cue from President Trump's pledge to expel "bad hombres" in the U.S. illegally, is planning a Bad Hombre slate of Mexican cinema. He's also mulling a retrospective of the best Saturday Night Live send-ups of the Trump administration. Programming details will be announced in late April or May.

Will the festival find room for content that might appeal to supporters of President Trump, who carried the state?

"Absolutely" Goldbloom noted. "We're here to entertain, and I'm confident the program will reflect that and have events/screenings that hopefully everyone can enjoy."

The fifth annual Cinedelphia Film Fest, running April 13-29 and presented by PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St.), has finalized its programming. The opening night selection is Blue Velvet Revisited, a documentary about the making of the David Lynch movie. The closing night film is On the Sly: In Search of the Family Stone, a documentary about the search for Sly Stone.

The festival also includes an appearance by Alex Cox, director of Repo Man, following a screening of the movie Saturday, April 15. (Cox is also known for directing Sid & Nancy, about Philadelphia's own Nancy Spungeon and her volatile relationship the Sex Pistol's Sid Vicious.) Cinedelphia will also host the Philadelphia premiere of his new film Tombstone Rashomon, also April 15. Details on the full slate here.

EndText
A severed leg found in the Delaware River in late February came from a young man who jumped off the double-decker bridge carrying I-95 across the Schuylkill in South Philadelphia, authorities say.

The man's Pennsylvania family reported him missing in late December, when police suspect he jumped. The Coast Guard found the upper half of his body on Feb. 16 in the water near the Girard Point Bridge.

Both of the man's legs were missing. State Trooper Chris Holdeman said that boat propellers likely severed them at some point, and that large vessels with heavy-duty motors often run into things without noticing.

The cold water also likely prevented the body from surfacing sooner, Holdeman said. State and Philadelphia police had searched for the body for nearly two months.

It wasn't until Feb. 26, however  about a week and a half after the man's upper body was found  that one of his legs washed up on the opposite side of the Delaware River in National Park, Gloucester County. A dog walker spotted the body part and called police.

New Jersey authorities are performing DNA tests, but Holdeman said the leg belongs to the man who jumped. The other leg has not been found.

Authorities did not release the man's identity or exact age, and the Inquirer and Daily News do not typically publish the names of suicide victims.

Holdeman said the body parts do not appear linked to human remains that a man and his son found in Camden last week along the Delaware River. The Camden County Prosecutor's Office is trying to identify the remains, and said Monday the investigation was ongoing.
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There is a running joke about Kansas, particularly targeting the states Republican governor and legislature that goes something like; what the Hell is wrong with Kansas? Everyone with a pulse knows whats wrong and that includes the Kansas Supreme Court. Obviously, national Republicans, especially Donald Trump, also know whats wrong and ye: t they lust to bring whats wrong in Kansas to the federal government so within a year the American people will be saying; what the Hell is wrong with America? The rest of the world has been asking that question since November 9, 2017, and they dont even live here.

On Thursday, the Kansas Supreme Court, for the second time, ruled that due to Kansas Governor Sam Brownbacks refusal to stop the state from hemorrhaging cash and jobs over unwarranted tax cuts, the states students are being short-changed in a very big way. The Court ruled that Brownback and the Republican-dominated legislature had again failed to adequately fund public schools by hundreds of millions of dollars per year. For the second time in two years the High Court ordered Republicans to do their jobs and come up with a plan that meets the state Constitutions standards and mandated they follow a new formula to increase public education funding. The state Court gave Brownback and Republicans until the end of June to get their act together and abide by the state Constitutions education funding requirements.

This latest blow to Brownbacks precious disaster of an experiment some Americans know as trickle down economics over public school funding is actually the third time the states High Court ruled Brownback and companys tax cuts have resulted in unconstitutionally underfunding public education. There is a public fight going on in Kansas over whether Republicans should repeal Brownbacks landmark tax cuts for the rich and corporations. The tax cuts were sold over five years ago by Brownback and trickle down advocate Arthur Laffer as the one and only means of making everyone in Kansas a multi-millionaire, creating hundreds of millions of new jobs, and because the state will be bringing in drastically reduced revenue, the states coffers will be flush with new revenue.

The courts unanimous decision was unsigned and stated:

We conclude the states public financing system, through its structure and implementation, is not reasonably calculated to have all Kansas public education students meet or exceed the minimum constitutional standards of adequacy.

The courts justices also noted that by underfunding public education, Republicans adequately funded private charters, the states Republicans forced Kansas public education system failed in one-fourth of all its public schools to appropriately educate students in basic reading and math skills. Not surprising whatsoever, Brownback and Republicans were seemingly deliberate in shortchanging half of the Kansas African American students and one-third of its Hispanic students.

That gross injustice wasnt lost on one of the attorneys representing the various school districts participating in the lawsuit, John Robb, who said this latest ruling, like the previous two, represented justice for kids. Mr. Robb noted that with the latest ruling and mandated formula, Kansas could be forced to spend an additional $431 to $893 million per year to come into compliance with the states Constitution.

All of this education horror began when Brownback took over as governor in 2011 and immediately passed historically large tax cuts; his promise to Kansas residents was that lower taxes for the rich and big business would automatically spur never-before seen economic growth and jobs. It is precisely what Republicans have promised since the Reagan era and a not-so-encouraging preview of precisely what Trump and congressional Republicans now plan to do at the federal level. It isnt enough to wipe out Kansas economy, jobs, and education, Trump-Republicans want to enact those disastrous tax cuts for the rich and corporations leaving the nation with a monumental budget gap.

The court previously, in 2013, ordered Brownback to provide an additional $400 million in education spending. The Court noted at the time that:

It seems completely illogical that the state can argue that a reduction in education funding was necessitated by the downturn in the economy and the states diminishing resources and at the same time cut taxes further.

That statement irked Brownback to no end resulting in him assailing the Court for increasing the tax burden on Kansas residents; he said it is up to him and Republicans, not the Supreme Court, to decide how much funding goes to education. Brownback is a typical Republican and refuses to acknowledge that the states High Court was not making school funding decisions, they were just following the mandate in the Kansas Constitution.

The second-to-last time the Kansas Court ruled that Brownback had to adhere to the states Constitution and adequately fund public education, he threw a tantrum and threatened to nullify the entire judiciary; that was in 2013. The last time the court ordered Brownback to follow the Constitution and adequately fund schools, this time in 2016, Brownback and the Republican legislature passed a law with language reading:

Any Judge who strikes down or modifies any law the legislature passes, for any reason, even if the law is unconstitutional and/or violates federal laws, the state legislature will impeach them and throw them off the court. (author bold)

Last month Republicans planned on cutting millions more in education funding and slightly raising taxes to stop the revenue losses killing the states economy. Brownback was furious; not because of the massive education cuts, but because of rescinding a tiny portion of the tax cuts for the rich and corporations; so he promptly vetoed the effort. It is not clear, yet at least, if Brownback is making moves to impeach legislators who voted to rescind a part of the tax cuts.

It is important to know what is going on in Kansas because Brownback has been, along with trickle down con man Laffer, trusted economic advisors to the Trump. Trickle down Laffer has heaped an inordinate amount of praise on Trumps tax plan despite the record failure of the devastation dating back to the 1980s. To have another go at destroying the economy like they did under Bush Jr., congressional Republicans were already on board, and in thrall, of Brownbacks economic handiwork that inspired Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to swoon around Brownback and tell him that Republicans were anxious to do the exact same thing in Washington as soon as they seized control of the entire government.

Republicans know their trickle down scam is exactly that; a stinking scam to heap more wealth on the already rich and their corporations at the expense of everything and everyone else. If any American thinks they wont drastically cut education funding to help pay for those tax cuts, exactly like Brownback did in Kansas, they are simply stupid ignoramuses with no common sense and no memory.

The real disaster is that although education used to be important in America before Republicans needed more moron voters, there is nothing in the U.S. Constitution mandating a level of adequate funding for public schools and no protection from a Brownback disaster enacted by Trump-Republicans; and make no mistake, that Brownback-like disaster is on the very near horizon whether Trump is still in the White House or not.
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The following post, written by The Rev. Robert A. Franek, is a part of Politicus Policy Discussion, in which writers draw connections between real lives and public policy.

The Party of Abraham Lincoln is no more and the Trump Russia scandal may not only destroy Donald Trumps presidency but the entire Republican party.

As Russian smoke billows around Donald Trump and his scandal ridden swamp and as information slowly leaks into the public domain, Congressional Republicans double down on placing party before country.

This is nothing new and has been going on for years. Republicans in Congress have regularly put their partys interests ahead of the common good and to the detriment of all but the wealthiest of Americans. Whether it is denying a living wage to workers and equal pay for women, perpetuating rape culture, or polluting the environment, Congressional Republicans can be found working hard against the interests of the American people and for their corporate donors.

The drive to put ideology and partisanship before people and country reached an unprecedented height last year when for the final year of President Barack Obamas presidency his nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Merrick Garland, was refused a hearing and a vote by Republicans in the Senate. Essentially stealing this seat on the high court from the president the American people overwhelming elected twice, these Republican Senators have not only hindered the work of the court but failed to uphold their constitutional duty. Wanting to preserve a conservative majority on the high court these Republicans would not hear of a consensus moderate like Garland nor would they want to give any victory to President Obama whom they sought to obstruct and delegitimize at every opportunity. Instead their aim is to preserve the status of corporate people per Citizens United and dial back womens health care more than a generation in hopes of overturning Roe v. Wade. It matters not that just the opposite (overturning Citizens United and preserving Roe v. Wade) is not only better policy but also reflects a moral center rooted in human dignity and equality.

The Republican Partys moral center continued to crumble throughout Donald Trumps campaign as with very few exceptions elected leaders were unwilling to speak out against his repeated spewing of hate and bigotry. His xenophobia and misogyny went largely unchallenged by the party even as it was striking fear in the hearts and minds of voters. Rather than challenge the rape culture caught on tape, Republicans went after a fake email scandal against Hillary Clinton and ignored known Russian hacking to the extent of relying on it to win the election.

In both the primaries and the general election Republicans showed their disdain for democracy and the right to vote through all kinds of voter suppression tactics. Apparently, it is not good for them when all the American people get to vote so they rely gerrymandering and vote suppression all the while trumpeting nonexistent voter fraud to justify their undemocratic and unjust policies that largely affect minorities whether persons of color, the elderly, the disabled, or people who are experiencing poverty and homelessness.

Following the swearing in of the new Congress, Republicans in both the House and the Senate wasted little time to begin efforts to seriously repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, despite its growing popularity among the American people, and the fact that repealing this law will take health care away from over 20 million Americans and cause everyone to pay more for less care. Repealing this law and replacing it with whatever secret plan the Republican Party is working on now is nothing less than a death sentence for tens of millions of Americans to say nothing of the chaos it will create in the health care markets and the lives of every American who must worry about their health and the cost of insurance and the care it provides.

Congressional Republicans reached a new apex in moral failure when they could not find the courage to vote against some of Donald Trumps most highly questionable nominees for cabinet positions such as Betsy DeVoss, Jeff Sessions, Tom Price, and Rex Tillerson. No amount of inexperience or conflicts of interest or questionable qualifications swayed them from filling the swamp with the corrupt and corporate interest minded. Even multiple all-night sessions filled with passionate speeches by Senate Democrats did little to move the needle on Republican votes as the American people listened to great concerns be read into the Congressional record.

Still even after a historic Womens March on Washington and a host of local town halls in which the American people are speaking in mass for the deepest moral values of our democracy and the basic human rights of all people, but especially now for immigrants and refugees, Jews and Muslims, gay and transgender people, women and people of color, Congressional Republicans remain unmoved in their party before county ideology.

Now less than fifty days into Donald Trumps presidency this Republican moral failing has reached its apotheosis. Amid a growing amount of intelligence information that begs for an independent investigation into the Russian hacking of the election, Congressional Republicans continue to downplay this need. It seems now that these Republican leaders are showing more loyalty to a foreign dictator than they are to the citizens who elected them and the Constitution to which they swore an oath to uphold. And if there is any loyal left for this country it is beholden to corporate interests at the expense of public and planetary health.

As Sarah Jones recently tweeted we need to send American flag pins to our Republican Representatives and Senators to remind them to which country they have been elected and sworn an oath to serve.

Please send a pic of the American flag to your Republican reps and senators.  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 2, 2017

Our democracy requires two functioning parties to work healthily. The American people are speaking out like never before in defense of our democracy from inside the intelligence community to farmers in the heartland. Americas are speaking up for the deepest shared moral values of our country with protests in the streets and unprecedented phone calls to Congress. Will the once great party of Abraham Lincoln ever hear their cry? I fear not.
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After President Trump had signed the new version of his Muslim ban, the Executive Director of the Anne Frank Center described Trumps ban as racist and unconstitutional.

Steven Goldstein, Executive Director of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, President Trumps allegedly new executive order banning Muslims isnt new at all. The President has taken the same ban, still based on his racist targeting of Muslims, and has put it inside a Trojan Horse that has crossed the border into unconstitutional terrain. But no matter how you wrap it, racism is still racism, and a ban targeting any group based on its religion still violates equal protection of the laws.

Trump Sec. of State Rex Tillerson stood before the cameras and claimed that Trump had the legal right to enact the ban and that the Executive Order was about keeping America safe. Tillersons comments confirmed that point that the Anne Frank Center was making. Muslim ban 2.0 is the same executive order with a few tweaks.

The purpose remains the same. Trump is trying to unconstitutionally demonize and ban Muslims in violation of the Constitution.

A few tweaks dont make the ban any less racist, discriminatory based on religion, or unconstitutional.
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Donald Trump already knows the answer to what he is demanding Congress now investigate. As MSNBCs Ari Melber tweeted Donald Trump left FBI intel sources to respond publicly to his claims. As we have already seen, Director Comey was left no choice but to call the president a liar:

To state the obvious: A POTUS who rails against leaks has launched accusations that compel intel and DOJ sources to respond in public.  Ari Melber (@AriMelber) March 6, 2017

Melber appeared also on NBCs Today show this morning, where asked by co-host Lester Holt if a FISA warrant means someone smelled smoke he responded, Absolutely.

Watch courtesy of NBCs Today show:

You dont need to ask a separate branch of government, the Congress, to go find out what the executive branch obviously knows. @AriMelber pic.twitter.com/KGNk5bYt0H  TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 6, 2017

Theres only two reasons you would have that special foreign court issue a lawful warrant. One is someone in the U.S. talking to a foreign power, an agent of a foreign power, espionage, right? Or, Two would be the idea that some U.S. crime was committed. Either way that would be bad for the person under surveillanceYou dont need to ask a separate branch of government, the Congress, to go find out what the executive branch obviously knows.

Melber pointed out that The timeline does not help the White House:

This has nothing to do with whether one is sympathetic to the White Houses goals or notthe timeline is there were reports that there may have been some sort of wiretap months agoAnd yet here we are months later getting these kind of attacks for the first time from the president, the current president.

Obviously, you can fool some of the people some of the time and apparently, Trumps supporters all of the time. Trump supporters are quick to take up the cry of anything Trump says and they are instantly convinced of Obamas guilt, but as Melber explains, there are certain facts that are immutable and which cannot be ignored.

The timeline doesnt match up to Trumps claims. Trump is acting surprised, timing his announcement and accusations to coincide with growing calls for an investigation into his Russia ties, as Democratic Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) said earlier this morning, as a distraction from those calls.
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Less than two hours after Kellyanne Conway made the statement that Trump had secret intelligence evidence that Obama wiretapped him, it was reported that the White House is also leaving open the possibility that what Trump said wasnt true.

Here is Kellyanne Conway claiming that Trump has secret intelligence that he was wiretapped by Obama:

"He's the President of the United States. He has information and intelligence that the rest of us do not." @KellyannePolls pic.twitter.com/r0cSE7IkSL  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) March 6, 2017

Conway said, Let me answer that globally. He is the President Of The United States. He has information and intelligence that the rest of us do not, and thats the way it should be for presidents. I would note the timing that curiously the day after his joint session, which everybodys polling, most honest analysts said was a complete home run for him.

A few hours later, the AP reported that the White House is open to the possibility that what Trump said isnt true, White House officials on Monday defended President Donald Trumps explosive claim that Barack Obama tapped Trumps telephones during last years election, although they wont say where that information came from and left open the possibility that it isnt true.

Last week, sources inside the White House said that President Trump obsessively watches Fox News in the mornings, so Kellyanne Conway was lying for an audience of one. The reason why many other news networks have banned or refuse to host Conway is that she lies for the purpose of pleasing Trump.

Others in Trumps White House are open the possibility that the president that they work for lied to the American people, but to Conway the only thing that matters is keeping Trump happy.

Any network that books or hosts Kellyanne Conway should immediately lose credibility in the eyes of the American people.

A good rule of thumb for viewers to follow is that any statement that comes out of Kellyanne Conways mouth is a lie to please Donald Trump.
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Working for Donald Trump has got to be just about the worst job in the Western world. The D-word comes to mind as a reason: deranged. How do you defend a deranged boss from criticism?

Remember the lengths to which Katrina Pierson was reduced when it was her turn to explain the inexplicable:

He hasnt changed his position on immigration. Hes changed the words that he is saying.

And when it was Kellyanne Conways turn she did no better, responding to Chuck Todds point that Sean Spicer had utter[ed] a provable falsehood that Spicer was just giving alternative facts.

We can see the effects of this, as can Trump, notes The New York Times Maggie Haberman:

Trump was frustrated by the Sunday shows today/felt people didn't defend him strongly enough on his Obama claim, per ppl close to him.  Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 5, 2017

If Trump was frustrated by his would-be defenders, that feeling probably only scratches the surface of those trying to defend him when they wake up each morning to discover new crazy allegations theyre going to be expected to defend. Trump expects to be defended on Sunday shows no matter how crazy he sounds.

And he sounds pretty crazy: as WaPos Karen Tumulty explains,

Donald Trumps presidency has veered onto a road with no centerlines or guardrails. https://t.co/WHeGibkeU1  Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) March 5, 2017

How do you defend a president whom one former Bush White House aide characterizes as an erratic, vindictive, volatile, obsessive, a chronic liar?

Where do you go once youve employed the alternative facts and changed the words that he is saying defenses? And this is a president who is regularly Trumping his own deranged pronouncements. Its one thing to lie about inauguration attendance; it is quite another to claim President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower.

David Farenthold points to a Washington Post story, Inside Trumps Fury, about which he says, Incredible how much time the @realDonaldTrump admin spends trying to shape media coverage of itself. If this is the Trump administration trying to shape media coverage of itself, it is no wonder Trump has declared bankruptcy so often.

An observer begins to detect a trend. In the corporate world, Trump was able to hide his incompetence; it is much more difficult to do when youre president of the United States. The result is, as the WaPo story tells us, a Trump at Mar-a-Lago, who was mad  steaming, raging mad because Trumps young presidency has existed in a perpetual state of chaos.

It goes without saying that this state of chaos has been brought on by Trump himself. As Jake Tapper made clear yesterday,

WH officials with whom I spoke said POTUS got the info about wiretap from media  Breitbart, Levin  not from govt sources.

With sources like this, it is not easy to understand how Trump thinks this is somehow going to end well for him, when those are his sources. Outside of the Fox News bubble, they sound as insane as they are.

It is on this basis that Trump demands investigations of President Obama. It is no wonder that FBI Director James Comey refuses to let Trump throw the FBI under the bus and spoke out yesterday.

While not everything the editors of the conservative Weekly Standard wanted to see produced, the relevant FISA warrants and requests, if there were any, Comey made clear that in this, at least, the FBIs hands were clean. They had not broken the law.

He called Trump a liar. Trump forced Comey to say this. And this isnt disloyalty by Comey, though certainly, that is how Trump probably describes it. It is Comey backed into a corner by a deranged president whose every pronouncement has less basis in fact.

And that is what is going to increasingly happen as Trump digs himself deeper. Far from a weak defense on Sunday shows being a major problem, outright allegations of lying.

The world has largely refused to conform itself to Trumps alternate reality, which is why the president needs to travel with a cheering section. His rallies are the only solace he can find, and those are to diminishing numbers of supporters.

Trumps ranting and raving and blaming everything he does on others are not likely to produce him any new supporters, and he is rapidly running out those he already has.
Episode 1: March Franchise Madness

One giant franchise character is making his final bows this week in his ninth film, Logan, while another #9 movie, Kong: Skull Island, released its final trailer ahead of its release next week. Alien: Covenant marks the eighth film in that franchise (including Alien's battles with Predator), while T2 reunites Mark Renton, Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie. Richard Gere plays a hilarious operator in Norman and Sandra Oh lands a right hook on Anne Heche in Catfight.

T2

Hugh Jackman's been Wolverine for 17 years now and it's been almost twelve years since Peter Jackson's King Kong . But T2 comes a full twenty years after the original . Things are different, maybeEwan McGregor says he hasn't done heroine in twenty years, and things are the same. This is the "legacy" trailer and it shows McGregor traveling back in time a bit before he reassembles the group for what looks like a visceral emotional experiment. It's become fashionable to resurrect decades-old movies for easy sequels (looking at you Full House and Independence Day ). But unlike those unfortunate mistakes, Danny Boyle looks like he has real ideas for this one. Coming March 31.





Alien: Covenant

Wayyy past a mere sequel, the newest Alien movie marks number eight for the classic monsters and, for the crew of the ship that lands on their planet, the worst trip they've ever been on. Steve Jobs's Michael Fassbender and Katherine Waterston reunite to lead a doomed crew that includes James Franco, Noomi Rapace and Danny McBride. When one character asks the obligatory horror movie question, "You hear that?" it's wonderfully surprising that she's not talking about footsteps behind them. "Nothing," she says, "No birds, no animals, nothing." A wrecked ship, dog tags and mysterious fields of wheat hint that something is very wrong with the paradise they've been sent to colonize. Here's hoping (really, vigorously hoping) the CGI Aliens live up to their nightmare origins. Coming May 19.





Kong: Skull Island

All hail this week's King of Franchises. King Kong is back in the final trailer for his ninth try at an Academy Award for acting. For better or worse, the baton has passed from Oscar-winning director and Lord of the Rings master, Peter Jackson, to the folks who gave Godzilla a supporting role in the monster's own movie. First observation: Kong put on some weight. He's also standing a bit too tall to climb the Empire State Building without tearing the whole thing to the ground. And how's he supposed to hold his girlfriend without crushing her to death? There's at least one shot where his tooth looks as tall as the guys in the helicopter. Second observation: they're banking on a pretty stacked cast: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, the Johns, Goodman and C. Reilly. I guess he's tall enough, now, for the inevitable city-destroying face-off with Godzilla in a year or two. Coming March 10.





Norman

An original! Not a Psycho prequel/spinoff! Norman follows Richard Gere Norman Oppenheimer, a "small time operator" in New York City and not a serial killer. He's a hapless financial planner (plotter) trying to get a gig with a rising politician. Subtitled "The Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer, we can guess that he's not exactly successful. Gere leads a cast including Steve Buscemi, Charlotte Gainsbourg and the always wonderful Hank Azaria, jogging through Central Park and donning the ubiquitous New York white earbuds in Joseph Cedar's comedy. Coming April 14.





Catfight
The streets of India are often not a welcoming home for the millions of stray dogs and cats that struggle to survive. Without the watchful and caring eye, disease, starvation, vehicle accidents, and abuse can claim the lives of innocent animals every day. The situation was especially dire for Hershey, a 4-month old puppy with third-degree acid burns on her back. Brutally abused as well as attacked by other dogs, Hershey's prospects weren't looking good.

PETA

Fortunately, Ingrid Newkirk, President of PETA, found the puppy on her recent trip to Mumbai to visit PETA India. She took the dog in her arms to the PETA India office and a veterinarian was able to treat her wounds. Despite her pain, the little pup was strong in her recovery, never losing her charm and positive attitude.

PETA

PETA

While healing, she was able to make both human and canine friends. She finally had time to relax, and even developed a passion for watching other dogs on YouTube!

Check out the video to see Hershey's inspiring story.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz-Egj_ze4o&feature=youtu.be expand=1]

Thanks to the kind folks at PETA, Hershey was given a second chance at a happy life. She has now recovered and is living at an animal sanctuary while she awaits a loving new adoptive family.

To find out more about Hershey's story and the inspiring work of PETA, click here.
Watchdog and Public Service reporter

Thad Moore is a reporter on The Post and Couriers Watchdog and Public Service team and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. To share tips securely, reach Moore via ProtonMail at thadmoore@protonmail.com or on Signal at 843-214-6576.
Women are, very slowly, getting more seats in the boardroom
Adam Parker has covered many beats and topics for The Post and Courier, including race and history, religion, and the arts. He is the author of "Outside Agitator: The Civil Rights Struggle of Cleveland Sellers Jr.," published by Hub City Press.
The Nexx Level Sports Center, planned to be built in Irmo, would host major sports tournaments weekly, and is projected to bring $51 million in spending to the area in the first five years, if developers can line up the financial support needed to build it. Read moreProposed Columbia area sports complex seeking financial commitments from county, state
At the northeastern tip of the Grand Strand lies a hidden sanctuary  an undeveloped maritime forest and beach in an area where nearly every acre of oceanfront land has been converted to condominiums, hotels and residential subdivisions. The soon-to-be designated state heritage preserve is c Read moreCommentary: Saving Waties Island is South Carolina conservation at its best
As a lifelong Rust Belter, I'm wary of statements made about the Rust Belt, the Midwest and (worst of all) the "Heartland."

More often than not they're attempts to sell something, be it political candidate or truck.

Former Chicagoan Mark Athitakis appears to share my wariness but has not yet given up on finding value in the concept of Midwesternness, at least when it comes to fiction. His succinct book "The New Midwest: A Guide to Contemporary Fiction of the Great Lakes, Great Plains, and Rust Belt" explores both the mythology about the region ("homey, religious, self-reliant, and white as possible") and how contemporary fiction writers subvert, exploit and explode that mythology. His book grew out of his "Reading the Midwest" column for Belt Magazine.

At a minimum, "The New Midwest" is a crisp, engaging tip sheet and guide for further reading. Athitakis champions some lesser-known writers, including Rachel Louise Snyder ("What We've Lost Is Nothing") and Patrick Michael Finn ("From the Darkness Right Under Our Feet"). In a chapter titled "The Great American / Midwestern Novel," he makes an extended case for the late Leon Forrest's gigantic "Divine Days" (1992), set largely on Chicago's south side. "And not just a Great American Novel  a great Chicago novel, a great Great Migration novel, a great coming of age novel, a spiritual novel, an experimental novel, a music novel, a comic novel, and much more besides," he writes.

Like a shrewd fusion chef, in thematic chapters Athitakis groups together unexpected clusters of novels, revealing affinities and common ground where I would not have looked for them. For example, in "Is This Heaven?" he considers four authors working faith-based territory, defining religious very broadly: Marilynne Robinson, for her trilogy of "Gilead," "Home" and "Lila"; J.F. Powers, for "Morte d'Urban," his comic novel about a Chicago priest exiled to rural Minnesota; the atheist Thomas F. Disch, for his sci-fi novel "On Wings of Song"; and the late David Foster Wallace, whose novel "The Pale King" is analyzed as a conversion story. None of these books fit the bland stereotype of Midwestern piety, but all grapple seriously with religious themes.

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The broadminded Athitakis finds merit and complexity in works a more narrowly traditional literary critic might not have included here, notably Chris Ware's graphic novel "Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth" and Gillian Flynn's pre-"Gone Girl" novels.

As a card-carrying Wisconsin journalist, of course I'm going to mine his book for local angles. No single book makes Athitakis' case against the "homey" Midwest as forcefully as Michael Lesy's landmark assemblage "Wisconsin Death Trip" (1973), which pairs late 19th-century photographs taken around Black River Falls with "news items about murder, suicide, fraud, arson, disease, poisonings, and other somber goings-on in the quiet territory between Milwaukee and Minneapolis." Any reporter who's ever covered Wisconsin knows this territory is never quiet. Athitakis sees Lesy's distinctive book as the godfather of both Robert Goolrick's novel "A Reliable Wife" and Stewart O'Nan's "A Prayer for the Dying."

He cites "Little House in the Big Woods" (set outside Pepin) and Laura Ingalls Wilder's ensuing novels as the books that underscore the notion of "hard work as the root of Midwestern life"  a precept many of his other picks challenge. Also, Athitakis praises Green Bay native Patrick Somerville's "This Bright River," a novel of an adult brother and sister returning to their small Wisconsin hometown.

Athitakis declares his book the start, not the end, of a conversation, so I'll jump in to make my points. Jane Hamilton's "The Excellent Lombards" fits perfectly here  a comic coming-of-age story about a Wisconsin farm girl that also depicts the forces eroding family farms. South African novelist Lauren Beukes' "Broken Monsters" embodies the competing myths Athatakis discusses of Detroit as ruin and Detroit as phoenix.

A couple of passing gaffes made me pause: Former poet laureate Philip Levine is misidentified as David, and it's five girls who die in "The Virgin Suicides," not three. These quibbles don't stop me from recommending "The New Midwest" for anyone interested in fiction about our region. Give Gillian Flynn the final word here, as quoted in a 2012 Chicago Tribune interview: "I'm very stubborn about the Midwest. To me it's great, underexplored literary terrain that's fun to roam around in."
Christopher Blake Dezutter, a former chemistry professor at the University of Minnesota Rochester who was fired after a 2015 conviction for possession of child pornography, has been sent to prison for more than four years.

The sentence comes after a second set of porn charges were brought against Dezutter in October.

On Friday, Olmsted County District Court Judge Christina Stevens handed down a prison term of 50 months for Dezutter's conviction on one count of possession of child pornography in the latest case. He'd pleaded guilty to the charge in December; in exchange, three identical counts were dismissed.

He received concurrent terms of 30 months, 25 months, 20 months and 15 months for violating the terms of the four 2015 convictions. Dezutter was given credit for 244 days already served and must register as a predatory offender.

Dezutter, 49, was last arrested Sept. 12, almost a year to the day after he was sentenced on the first set of child pornography charges.

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Conditions of his Sept. 16, 2015, sentencing included not owning or operating any device that allowed for Internet capability, as well as not accessing or using the Internet unless approved in advance by his probation officer.

On Sept. 12, 2016, Dezutter's probation officer conducted a probation search of his apartment in the 300 block of Sixth Avenue Southeast. A preliminary examination of an iPad revealed several images that the officer believed to be child pornography, and Dezutter was arrested.

Dezutter told authorities he'd bought the device a couple of weeks earlier, and admitted he'd downloaded photos that were of minors, but he believed they were lawful images. He also admitted visiting a pornographic website, court documents say, but claimed it was for adult porn.

A forensic analysis of the iPad showed Dezutter had been using an application that permits the user to access the Internet anonymously. According to the analyst's report, the device contained 143 images, including many images of adult pornography and what would be considered child "erotica": sexualized images of children not meeting the definition of illegal pornographic work.

Additionally, there were at least four images of what appear to be minors involved in pornographic work.

In the first case, Dezutter pleaded guilty in May 2015 to four counts of felony possession of pornographic work. In exchange, six identical counts and one count of felony dissemination of pornographic work were dismissed.

He was one of seven men arrested in February 2015 after a months-long child porn investigation by national and local authorities.

All of the cases were brought to the attention of local authorities by investigators with the national Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which saw the activity during its own undercover investigations.

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Dezutter was initially sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to serve 120 days in jail, with credit for 10 days served. Terms of his probation included registering as a predatory offender and successful completion of sex offender education/treatment or other programming and 100 hours of community work service.

Former prof pleads guilty to new porn charges

Former UMR professor faces new child porn charges
While Mayo Clinic has a reputation as one of the top hospitals in the U.S., it's less known as the majority owner of a flourishing oil and gas company in Texas.

Mayo Clinic has been in the oil business for about 20 years. In that time, oil and gas production has made Mayo more $190 million in cumulative royalty income.

Mayo Clinic became an oil tycoon in 1997 because not all gifts the health giant receives are monetary.

Barbara Woodward Lips, a familiar name on Mayo Clinic's campus, left the clinic $147 million when she died in 1997. It stands as the largest single donation to the clinic to date and plunged Mayo deep into the oil business. Lips had many oil properties in the Texas panhandle, including about 35,000 acres of land.

"Mayo Clinic has a large and highly diversified investment program that helps support our research and educational activities. Part of Mayo's investments includes equity interest in Latigo Petroleum LLC, an oil and gas company formed by Mayo and other investors in 2013 that owns and operates oil and gas wells in Roberts and Ochiltree counties in the Texas panhandle," stated Mayo Clinic Spokeswoman Susan Barber Lindquist.

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She added, "We formed Latigo to further develop oil and gas mineral interests donated to Mayo in the 1990s by Barbara Woodward Lips.  Latigo's oil and gas development activities will enhance the future mineral interest royalties that flow to Mayo in addition to generating a minor amount of operating income."

Latigo is based in Odessa, Texas.

In recent years, revenue from those oil- and gas-producing activities have bounced up and down wildly.

In 2016, Mayo made $11 million from its oil company. It made $14 million in 2015 and $23.8 million in 2014. In 2013, the year Mayo Clinic says it became majority owner of Latigo Petroleum LLC, it made $700,000 from oil production.

"Fluctuations in oil and gas prices materially affected the minor amounts of operating revenue derived from Latigo in 2016," Lindquist said.

Latigo is led by longtime Texas oil man D. Kirk Edwards, who previously managed Mayo Clinic's oil assets before becoming president and CEO of Latigo. In 2015, Edwards received the Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Odessa, Texas, Chamber of Commerce.

According to local media, Edwards told the chamber audience that he sold his oil conglomerate of Las Colinas Energy Partners with more than 9,000 wells so he could work for Mayo Clinic full time.

"Latigo had grown so big, so fast with the drilling we were doing that it was time to concentrate on that part of my business," Edwards said.

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He added that Latigo developed an estimated $50 million worth of oil wells in 2014, though it slowed down after prices dropped below $50 per barrel.

"Like everyone else, we are just sitting back right now, waiting to see what oil prices are going to do and what service prices are going to do before we tippy-toe back into the waters of drilling wells," Edwards said in 2015.

In another article, Edwards said Latigo is prepared to hit the accelerator when oil prices rise to $55 per barrel.

"We are looking to buy properties, and we are looking to start drilling immediately, if we hit our number," he said.

While Edwards is the top executive at Latigo, Rochester-based Mayo Clinic Assistant Treasurer Ricky J. Haeflinger serves as a director and and vice president of the oil company. He has worked with the firm since 2013. Haeflinger has worked at Mayo Clinic for more than 20 years.

Haeflinger's expertise in the oil business has gotten him involved in other similar companies. He has served as an independent director at Black Stone Minerals LP, a longtime Houston, Texas-based oil and natural gas company, since January 2013.

He has shared voting and investment power over an aggregate of 3 million common units and 3.9 million subordinated units of Black Stone owned by Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Master Retirement Trust. As a director, Haeflinger makes $380,000 per year from Black Stone and all of that payment goes to Mayo Clinic.

As an owner of a major oil-producing company, Mayo Clinic has been involved in lawsuits involving mineral rights, oil leases and other related issues.

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In 2010, Mayo Clinic sued subsidiaries of the oil giant BP PLC for not properly paying the clinic for oil and gas royalties on oil and gas leases in Roberts County, Texas, dating back to the 1970s on land that later came under Mayo Clinic control.

Mayo Clinic and Latigo have been embroiled in another ongoing legal dispute with Perryton, Texas-based Courson Oil & Gas Inc. regarding oil and gas leases. A summary judgment by a district court in 2015 ruled in favor of Courson over Mayo Clinic.

Mayo Clinic appealed that decision, and that appeal failed in 2016. In January of this year, Mayo Clinic filed an appeal on the Courson ruling with the Supreme Court of the state of Texas.
DODGE COUNTY

County opposes high-speed rail project

MANTORVILLE  The Dodge County Commissioners still are opposed to a proposed high-speed rail from Rochester to the Twin Cities. However, it's noted the commissioners aren't opposing the entire rail project, rather a rail route that would cut through Dodge County.

FILLMORE COUNTY

Spring Valley to dispose of former Tamarack cafe

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SPRING VALLEY As the city continues to deal with the aftermath of the former Tamarack cafe building in town, the council members discussed the next steps of what to do during its March 13 meeting.

From the sounds of it, the city needs to assume the costs of the cleanup because discussions between Spring Valley and the owner, Eugene Poncelet, broke down.

MOWER COUNTY

The Hormel Institute launches online journal

AUSTIN  The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota recently launched a new online research journal "Nature Partner Journal Precision Oncology." The journal links the institute's cancer research with Nature, produced in Oxford, England, and publisher of top scientific research around the globe.

City takes to cleaning sawdust from sewers

AUSTIN  Sawdust from hog trailers made its way into the city's sanitary sewer system. The issue was traced to the Parks Trailer Wash. The truck wash service, which services semitrailers that bring hogs to Hormel Foods Corp., must pay $5,000 for extra cleanings since the issue was discovered.

However, the city council voted to reduce the price to $6,350 because the extra costs were accumulated while officials were tracing the cause.

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Edge Salon to close its doors

AUSTIN  The doors to the Edge Salon are closing after 14 years. Because the owner, Sharon Teigen, is retiring, the salon located at First Street Northwest will be shutting down at the end of the month.

Stolen dog part of string thefts?

DEXTER  A missing dog was reported by Bruce Speer, a Dexter resident, after realizing his German shepherd Chief was gone from the family's yard. This has raised questions with authorities of whether Chief is the latest victim of dog thefts that have been happening in the region within recent months.

City of LeRoy locks waste site ... again

LEROY The city locked the yard waste site on the north side after several cases of misuse were discovered within the last couple of weeks. Unless it's used for garden waste such as tree branches or things of that nature, then you're out of luck.

Have news from Dodge, Fillmore or Mower Counties you think should be covered? Give a tip to Hannah at hyang@postbulletin.com.
The ballistic missile test Iran conducted in late January was the first to occur during the presidency of Donald Trump, but it certainly wasn't the first to take place since the landmark nuclear deal of 2015.

And although Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif rebuffed accusations that the launch was a violation of the deal, Israeli leaders have good reason to not take Zarif at his word.

All they have to do is consider the words of other Iranian national figures, such as former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who died earlier this year.

While Western officials eulogized him as a force for moderation, Israeli leaders remember him for his December 2001 boast that Iran could annihilate Israel with a single nuclear bomb.

What he did not say then, but the International Atomic Energy Agency subsequently determined, was that Iran was at the time covertly experimenting with nuclear triggers and warhead design.

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And Rafsanjani is far from being the only leader to have acknowledged Iran's aim of producing nuclear weapons.

Ayatollah Mohammad Bagher Kharrazi, secretary general of the Iranian Hezbollah, said in April 2005, "We are able to produce atomic bombs and we will do that.  The United States is not more than a barking dog."

A month later, Gholamreza Hassani, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's representative to the West Azerbaijan province, said nuclear weapons were among Iran's top goals. "An atom bomb  must be produced," he said. "That is because the Quran has told Muslims to 'get strong and amass all the forces at your disposal.'"

And while current Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is generally characterized by the press and Western diplomats as a moderate, it should be noted that in a 2005 university speech he outlined a strategy for lulling Americans into complacency with dialogue and then delivering a knockout blow.

Even if Rouhani and other Iranian leaders are today sincere in wanting to abide by the nuclear deal, it's worth remembering that diplomats don't control the country's nuclear program; Iran's Revolutionary Guard does, and neither the United States nor Israel has good insight into factional divisions among the Guard's ranks. Consequently, neither the Pentagon nor the Israeli defense ministry knows whether the men controlling Iranian missiles wish death to America and Israel or not.

This brings us to Israel: Israelis do not want war. They know any pre-emptive strike on Iran would result in a severe retaliation. Even if Iran didn't strike back directly, the Lebanese Hezbollah group could make use of the more than 100,000 missiles it has poised to rain down on Israeli towns and villages.

The nature of existential threats, however, is that they leave no choice. The clock is already counting down on the expiration of the nuclear deal.

The best option is constraining Iran's programs rather than accepting the fiction that Iran spins its centrifuges and test-fires missiles merely because of pride or fear.
Following January's widely condemned ballistic missile test by Iran, rumors are rife that Israel is planning a military strike against Iranian missile sites.

The last thing President Donald J. Trump should do is give such an attack his blessing.

As anyone who watched the recent joint press conference with Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu knows, the Israeli prime minster is obsessed with highlighting the supposed Iranian threat. It's all he wanted to talk about.

But Iran, regardless of what its leaders might boast from time to time, is not on a course to attack Israel. Even if they wanted to, Iranian leaders know such an attack would bring counter-action Iran could not sustain.

Hopefully, Trump is savvy enough to see through Netanyahu's long-standing effort to depict an existential threat that doesn't truly exist.

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Among prompting other outcomes, Netanyahu's efforts have routinely convinced Congress to continue bankrolling Israel. His pleading has also deflected some of the international conversation away from Israel's settlement-building on Palestinian territory.

Netanyahu has a history of false predictions regarding Iran. In 1992, Netanyahu said that Iran would produce a nuclear weapon within five years and that the United States had to take the lead to stop Iran.

In a book he wrote in 1995, Netanyahu again gave five years as the outside time for Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. He did not remind his readers of his earlier prediction. In 2012, Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly that Iran could have a bomb by the end of 2013.

It should also be noted that Israel has gone beyond rhetoric in dealing with supposed threats from countries in the region. On two occasions, it has bombed suspected nuclear facilities.

In 1981, Israel bombed a facility in Iraq, drawing a torrent of international criticism. In 2007, it bombed a facility in Syria, eliciting condemnation from the International Atomic Energy Agency. In fact, it asked the United States to do the job, but the Bush administration wisely refused.

Now as then, Israel wants U.S. backing. But the international community has never accepted intuition-based pre-emptive strikes as legitimate.

Pakistan and India, between whom no love is lost, both have nuclear weaponry the other could claim is about to be launched, yet neither would garner much support in conducting a pre-emptive strike.

The canard that Iran's aim is to drive Israel's Jewish population into the Mediterranean Sea should not be taken as good reason to back Israel in attacking Iran.

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Iran's government, despite its denunciations of Israel, has reiterated over and over that if Palestine and Israel come to an agreement, Iran will respect it.

During the election campaign, Trump conveyed a reluctance to get into new military conflicts, and hopefully the Trump administration is already chastened on military adventures. It OK'd a raid in Yemen that went so sour the Yemeni government wants us to stop going after al-Qaida in that country. Air strikes even more recently in Afghanistan's Helmand province killed large numbers of civilians.

Missiles are easy to launch. What happens when they come down is hard to predict.

Letting Israel go after Iran would be a mistake. The Trump administration would do well to steer clear.
Earlier this morning, Scott linked to an article by Steve Hayes in the Weekly Standard that does a good job of summing up what we know and dont know about the claim President Trump made via Twitter on Saturday morning, to the effect that the Obama administration wiretapped his offices in Trump Tower. Steves view is that we are in a state of utter uncertainty as to whether FISA applications relating to Trump or his associates were ever made.

Meanwhile, some are hailing Mark Levins proof that the Obama administration did indeed target Trumps campaign for surveillance. But Levin appears to be relying on the same press reports that we have already discussed here.

I find one statement in Steve Hayess piece hard to believe:

White House sources acknowledge that Trump had no idea whether the claims he was making were true when he made them.

Its possible that is true. If so, Trump was grotesquely irresponsible, and the consequences could be devastating to his presidency.

But there is another possibility. Trump has had his people (some of them, anyway) in place at the Department of Justice for a month now. Attorney General Sessions, or someone working for him, certainly could find out what FISA warrants have been applied for and obtained. Sessions was with Trump over the weekend.

Trump tweeted that he had Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. Maybe on Friday evening, Sessions (or someone) confirmed to the president that press reports about the Obama administration seeking and ultimately obtaining a FISA warrant were true. Then Trump stewed about it considered his strategic options overnight, and let loose his tweets early on Saturday morning.

Is that what happened? I dont know. But, given that he now has people in place in the Justice Department who can find out what FISA warrants have been applied for and issued, it would have been incredibly stupid to make the accusation without first verifying that it is true. And, unless Trump was flat-out lying, his just found out suggests that this is what occurred.

Glenn Reynolds offers this speculation:

Hypothesis: The spying-on-Trump thing is worse than we even imagine, and once it was clear Hillary had lost and it would inevitably come out, the Trump/Russia collusion talking point was created as a distraction. Now its being rowed back because the talk of transcripts supports the spying-on-Trump storyline. Will we ever know? Maybe, if theres a proper investigation into Obama Administration political spying. Meanwhile, the rumors being floated about Trump are being retracted, and once everyone from Comey to Clapper has denied that he was ever under investigation, future leaks will come pre-discredited.

The facts should come out sooner rather than later. Jeff Sessions will give an interview before long, and if the interviewer has any sense, he or she will ask what Sessions has learned about his predecessors seeking warrants to surveil the Trump campaign.

PAUL ADDS: I hope the scenario John suggests is what happened, and maybe it is. But if Trumps accusation against Obama is based on information Jeff Sessions team discovered in Justice Department files, the White House should have let this be known instead of leaving it to supporters to infer.

I should also note, for what its worth, that the New York Times, citing White House sources, says White House counsel Donald McGahn was working to secure access to what [he] believed to be an order issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court authorizing some form of surveillance related to Mr. Trump and his associates. If so, Trump did not have FISA court material to back his claim when he made it; nor did the White House.
In another must-read column on the election hacking narrative force-fed to us incessantly by the Democrat/Media Axis, Andrew McCarthy proclaims its collapse. For his text he takes the January 19 New York Times story Intercepted Russian communications part of inquiry into Trump associates. Carrying the byline of four prominent New York Times reporters, the article is a masterpiece of innuendo that goes poof in one paragraph after the sensational conspiracy mongering, as Andy puts it.

Here is Andys analysis of the narrative as it bears on President Trumps nuclear tweetstorm:

[T]he media and Democrats have always had a serious vulnerability here  one theyve never acknowledged because theyve been too swept away by the political success of the fantasy narrative [that Trump colluded with Russian election hacking]. It is this: At a certain point, if compelling evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to steal the election did not materialize, the much more interesting question becomes How did the government obtain all this information that has been leaked to the media to prop up the story? The most plausible answer to that question: The Obama administration, through the Justice Department and the FBI, was investigating the associates of the opposition partys presidential nominee, and perhaps even the nominee himself, during the campaign. Otherwise, what explanation can there be for all of the investigative information  much of it classified, and thus illegal to disclose  that has been funneled to the press? Now that theyve been called on it, the media and Democrats are gradually retreating from the investigation theyve been touting for months as the glue for their conspiracy theory. In short, the media and Democrats have been playing with fire for months. The use of law-enforcement and national-security assets to investigate ones political opponents during a heated election campaign has always been a potentially explosive story. Lets not kid ourselves: If the roles were reversed, and a Republican administration had investigated officials tied to the campaign of the Democrats nominee, we would be drowning in a sea of Watergate 2.0 coverage. Well, this weekend, the potentially explosive story detonated. It happened in the now familiar way: jaw-dropping tweets by President Trump. Given the abundance of indications that the Obama Justice Department scrutinized his campaign, or at least his associates, it was odd that the president chose to tweet the one allegation in the whole mess that appears insupportable  viz., that President Obama had had candidate Trump wiretapped. To my knowledge, no such suggestion has ever been publicly reported. At most, it has been reported (but not proved) that there was a FISA application in June that named Trump  but, as Ive pointed out, saying someone was named in an application does not mean that person was targeted for eavesdropping. And, in any event, the reporting tells us that if there was such an application, the FISA court denied it. Thus, I know of no basis to believe that Trump himself was wiretapped; and if the presidents objective was to sensationalize the story, it would surely have been enough to tweet out a colorable fear that surveillance of him  as a Russian agent  had been proposed.

Here he optimistically declares the collapse of the narrative:

Now that theyve been called on it, the media and Democrats are gradually retreating from the investigation theyve been touting for months as the glue for their conspiracy theory. Its actually quite amusing to watch: How dare you suggest President Obama would ever order surveillance! Who said anything about FISA orders? What evidence do you lunatic conservatives have  uh, other than what we media professionals been reporting  that there was any investigation of the Trump campaign? You will hear more righteous indignation in the coming days, no doubt. The first brushback pitches came this weekend: the claim that if President Trump dares to demand that the FBI and Justice Department show him the supposed FISA applications, he will be engaged in unprecedented political interference in the independence of law enforcement. Its a silly assertion; as I explained over the weekend, FISA surveillance is not law enforcement, it is national security. A chief executive who demanded to review FISA information (obtained by exercise of the executives power) would be doing his main job  to protect the country  not interfering in a judicial proceeding. But have you noticed? While all this head-spinning legal jibber-jabber goes back and forth, the foundation of the false narrative weve been hearing since November 8 has vanished. Now that were supposed to believe there was no real investigation of Trump and his campaign, what else can we conclude but that there was no real evidence of collusion between the campaign and Russia . . . which makes sense, since Russia did not actually hack the election, so the purported objective of the collusion never existed.

Read the whole thing with Andys links and emphases here.
Scotts post on the state of play regarding President Trumps accusation against former president Obama contains this jaw-dropping quotation from Steve Hayes:

White House sources acknowledge that Trump had no idea whether the claims he was making were true when he made them.

Say it aint so! Because for a U.S. president to accuse his predecessor of tapping his wires without a high degree of confidence that the accusation is true wouldnt just be irresponsible; it would be contemptible, even if the accusation later turned out to be true.

Scotts report continues (per Hayes):

[Trump] was basing his claims on media reportssome of them months oldabout the possibility that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court had (sic) may have authorized surveillance of Trump associates, presumably pursuant to a federal investigation of their ties to Russia.

(Emphasis added)

So again, if Hayes White House sources are correct, Trumps allegation of Watergate level misconduct by Obama was based on surmise.

No U.S. president should make such an accusation against any American citizen. To make it against a former U.S. president, even Barack Obama, is shocking  or would be in a half-way functional political environment.

Its true that the Obama administrations conduct toward the incoming president was shocking as well. I discussed one aspect of that conduct here. But did Obama ever publicly accuse Trump of major, possibly criminal, misconduct without knowing if Trump had committed it? I dont think so.

Obama said some unpleasant things about the Bush administration. However, I dont believe he ever accused President Bush of serious impropriety. ( Trump has, though.) Had Obama made serious allegations of misconduct against Bush without a strong, well-founded conviction that the allegations were true, I would have been incensed.

The Washington Post reports that Trump went nuclear during a weekend in which he was raging mad about at leaks and accusations against him. Trumps anger is understandable.

However, putting aside the odiousness of making guess-work accusations of this magnitude against a former president (if guess-work they were), its unnerving to think that Trumps anger would produce such accusations. If it did, this suggests a lack of self-control that does not bode well for his presidency and may not bode well for the nation.
The 2017 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards was a great improvement from previous editions.

The award ceremony saw Izu Ojukwus 76 cart away the most awards (five), including Best Overall Movie, Best Director and Best Actress.

Nollywood also had a great outing this time around, asstrong contenders from Kenya and South Africa missed out on major categories.

However, some memorable moments from the show are worthy of mention as they portray the shape of things to come in the Nigerian film industry.

Here, PREMIUM TIMES highlights the top five unforgettable moments from the 2017 AMVCA.

1-Chika Okpalas well-deserved recognition

Chika Okpala a.k.a Chief Zebrudaya Okoroigwe Nwogbo, an appellation he got from his role as Chief Zebrudaya in TV comedy series, New Masquerade,received the AMVCA Industry Merit Award.

The 66-year-old veteran comic actor was recognised for his contribution to the Nigerian film industry. Along with his trophy, he went home with a brand new SUV from GAC Motors.

Receiving his award, the actor joked about finally receiving the E-Y attached to the Member of the Order of the Niger title he received years ago from the Nigerian government.

Mr. Okpala also recognised funnyman, Nkem Owoh, as one of his writers when he was the producer of New Masquerade.

Unfortunately, he forgot to mention the late creator of The New Masquerade, James Iroha, aka Gringory in his acceptance speech. February 28th marked the fifth anniversary of the Mr. Irohas death.

2-Ebele Okaro-Onyiuke beats the new school actors

Aside from Rita Dominic who won the AMVCA actress of the year award, Ebele Okaro-Onyiuke was the only veteran actress to bag an award that night.The thespian that is best known for playing motherly roles in Nollywood movies, won the Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for her role in Four One Love.

The actress was shocked when she was named the winner. She referred to herself as an old cargo winning in this digital dispensation of film-making while receiving her award. But everyone agreed that Aunty Ebele deserved the award.

3-Funke Akindele-Bellos double win

Funke Akindele won the Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2017 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.

The actress beat Tina Mba  Meet the In-Laws, Uche Jombo  Wives on Strike, Dineo Moeketsi  Mrs Right Guy, Chioma Akpotha  Wives on Strike, Funke Akindele  A Trip to Jamaica and Omoni Oboli  Wives on Strike.

She received a N250, 000 shopping voucher from KONGA. Jennifers Diary also won the Best TV series at the 2017 AMVCA.

Akindeles win is her second in two consecutive years. She said, I dont have a life anymore because of Jennifers Diary. I sleep, eat, talk Jennifer and wouldnt have coped if I didnt marry my husband, Abdulrasheed Bello. She dedicated the award to God, Jenivans( her fans) family and crew.

4- Chiedozie Sambasa Nzeribe makes history

Grass to grace aptly summarises the story of talented actor, Sambasa Nzeribe. Barely three years after he won the AMVCA in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role as Ghetto in A Soldiers Story,he was crowned the actor of the year. The actor, who once hawked Fufu, vegetable and puff-puff on the streets of Isolo, beat Richard Mofe-Damijo, Ramsey Nouah, Gregory Ojefua, Olu Jacobs and Femi Jacobs to win award.A shocked Nzeribe received his award saying, I never thought I would be in the same space with cinema gods, Uncle Olu Jacobs, RMD, I know that its with your permission that I win this. Prostrating, the actor said to the other nominees in his category, I want to greet you all in a special way.

5.Somkele Idhalamas surprise wins

Fast-rising actress, Somkele Idhalama, is 2017 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award Trailblazer.Receiving the award, an emotional Idhalama acknowledged God as the best scriptwriter she has ever met.

He wrote this into my script to be standing here right now. I have followed the trail of others, but I never thought that this early, I would become a trailblazer, she added.

Dedicating her win to her husband, mum, sisters and son, she also acknowledged her boss Jim Ovia, who she said allowed her go for the 93 Days audition while she was working for him. Three of her movies screened at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the festivals city to city spotlight The Wedding Party, The Arbitration, 93 Days). Kemi Lala Akindoju, who co-presented the award to Idhalama, won the 2016 Trailblazer award.

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A High Court in Yola, Adamawa State, has convicted and jailed former Gov. Bala James Ngilari for failing to adhere to the procurement laws of the state.

In a 75-minute long ruling, Justice Nathan Musa found the former governor guilty of four charges, and discharged him on one, which bordered on conspiracy.

The judge discharged and acquitted former Secretary to the State Government, and the Commissioner of Finance, who were second and third defendants in the case.

In handing down his sentence, the judge said the law stipulated that the convict shall not be given an option of fine.

He sentenced the former governor to five years in prison, and said the convict is serve his term in any prison of his choice.

Mr. Ngilari was charged on September 21, 2016.

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Nigerias Acting President, Yemi Osinbajos meeting on Monday with the Edo State government and the oil producing communities in the state was temporarily disrupted by some protesters.

The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, broke into the venue of the meeting at the Samuel Ogbemudia College (formerly the New Era College), Benin City, and demanded a fair treatment for the oil producing communities in the state.

There was commotion in the hall immediately the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Usani, finished making his presentation, as the protesters pushed their way forward into the hall and continued waving their placards.

About nine speakers, including the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, had already made their presentations before then.

Enough of the marginalisation of the host communities, said the inscription on one of the placards.

The state governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his deputy, Philip Shuaibu, stood up from their seats and moved into the crowd to talk to the youth. The protesters, however, insisted they be allowed to speak their mind to Mr. Osinbajo.

A voice blaring out from the public address system in the hall kept on telling the rowdy crowd, Everybody should sit down. Everybody go back to your seat. Go back to your seat.

The commotion continued for about 10 minutes.

When the protesters were eventually given the opportunity to speak, they demanded that the acting president must visit the oil producing communities in order to have a firsthand knowledge of what the people were going through.

If you go (to the oil producing communities) and see things you will pity us, one of the protesters said to Mr. Osinbajo.

He told Mr. Osinbajo that when they saw three helicopters hovering around the Benin airport in the morning they thought that the acting president was going to visit the oil producing communities.

He said they felt disappointed and angry when they were later told that Mr. Osinbajo wont be visiting the communities because of insecurity.

If you know that our place is not secured (for you to visit), leave our oil alone, the representative of the agitators told the acting president.

Another protester told the acting president, Edo people are peace-loving, but that doesnt mean that we are cowards.

We are not feeling the impact of the NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. We have been marginalised in the amnesty programme (of the federal government).

Governor Obaseki, in his address, told the acting president that the state has had its fair share of deprivation in the Niger Delta.

Our youths are very restive, Mr. Obaseki said.

Throughout the commotion, the acting president appeared unperturbed where he sat at the table with other dignitaries.

I am now going to begin my own demonstration, Mr. Osinbajo said jokingly when it was time for his response.

Our plan is to visit all the oil producing communities in the state. There is no issue of insecurity, Mr. Osinbajo said, adding that there wasnt enough time to immediately carry on with the visit.

Mr. Osinbajo told the people that he and Mr. Obaseki have agreed that they must find time to visit the communities.

He explained the new vision of President Muhammadu Buhari for the people of the Niger Delta.

The new vision will define the future, he said. The provision of social amenities by the government is the right of every community.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered jewellery worth millions of Naira from the house of one Akka Danagundi, brother-in-law to a former National Security Adviser to late President Umar Musa YarAdua, Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar.

The jewellery were found in a fireproof safe hidden in a house belonging to Mr. Danagundi at No. 375, Gwangwazo quarters of Kano Municipal, Kano State. About 50 documents in respect of landed properties bearing the name of the former NSA and his wife, Binta Mukhtar, were also discovered.

The discovery was sequel to an intelligence report alleging that huge sums of money including foreign currencies were hidden in the premises.

During the operation, Aiko Fireproof safe and seven suspects including the house owner, Mr. Danagundi, were arrested and brought to EFCC s Kano Zonal Office where their statements were taken.

On arriving at the commissions Kano Zonal Office, the safe was opened and jewellery such as necklaces and wristwatches including 50 Certificates of Occupancy for properties located in Kano, Kaduna and Abuja were found. The jewellery found includes 55 wristwatches, including three gold watches. Also 37 gold jewellery weighing 1,907.9g and another 15 pieces of fashion jewellery were found.

All the suspects arrested during the operation were released on administrative bail with the exception of Mr. Danagundi who is still in custody, assisting the investigation.

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WHO lists antibiotic resistance bacteria

The World Health Organisation, WHO, published its first-ever list of antibiotic resistant priority pathogens, a catalogue of 12 families of bacteria that pose threat to human health.

The list is divided into three categories according to the urgency of need for new antibiotics: critical, high and medium priority. The most critical group of all includes multidrug resistant bacteria that pose a particular threat in hospitals, nursing homes and among patients whose care requires devices such as ventilators and blood catheters.

Marie-Paule Kieny, WHOs Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation, said the list is part of the organisations effort to address growing global resistance to antimicrobial medicines and was to guide and promote research and development of new antibiotics and address growing global resistance to antimicrobial medicines.

These bacteria have built-in abilities to find new ways to resist treatment and can pass along genetic material that allows other bacteria to become drug-resistant as well.

NACA warns against stigmatisation of people living with HIV/AIDS

Sani Aliyu, the Director General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, has warned against the danger that stigmatisation and discrimination against people living with HIV poses to Nigeria meeting the global goal of ending the HIV scourge by 2030.

He gave the warning in a statement released to mark the Zero Discrimination Day being celebrated across the globe.

Mr. Aliyu said stigmatisation and discrimination would discourage people from going for HIV test and result in more people acquiring the virus. If people do not know their HIV status, the chances of those who are HIV positive transmitting the infection to their partners increases.

People living with HIV continue to face various forms of stigmatisation, discrimination and violations of their rights and dignity, which are barriers to the efforts to scale up access to comprehensive care, treatment, and support and this is major stumbling blocks to HIV and AIDS mitigation programmes as they discourage people from using HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) services and pose a barrier to accessing treatment.

Excessive cold water dangerous to health

Drinking of cold water too much has been said to have adverse effect on the heart and digestive systems of humans.

Osuagwu Magnus, a consultant at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) in Lafia, Nasarawa State, said drinking cold water is good during heat period, but drinking it regularly can have negative impact on the heart and the digestive system, hence the need to reduce consumption.

Drinking cold water has a way of bringing down the body temperature. It has a way of slowing down the heart. It causes the blood to clot. That means the blood becomes thick and not able to flow freely through the organs. The normal human body was accustomed to 34 degrees Celsius and 37 degrees Celsius. Those who regularly consume cold water may experience shock which can lead to some diseases due to the sudden change in temperature levels, he said.

Borno state confirms case of Lassa fever

The Borno State commissioner of Health, Haruna Meshelia, confirmed the diagnosis of Lassa fever in a 32-year old woman in Zabarmari, a village on the outskirts of Maiduguri.

This is the first incident of the fever recorded in the state. The patient who is still alive fell ill last week and was admitted at a government hospital in Maiduguri. Blood sample taken from her for testing in Lagos returned positive of the disease.

Reports indicate that from December 2016, Nigeria has recorded 19 cases of Lassa fever.

Self medication linked to renal failure

Self-medication, poor lifestyle, irregular medical checkups and economic recession have been pointed out as causes for renal failure.

Medical experts made this conclusion at the Health is Wealth free medical checkup programme organised by a non-governmental organisation, A Life Alive Kidney Foundation, and five other NGOs, in Osun State.

Recent statistics have shown that each year, 17,000 new cases of kidney failures were being diagnosed, with only 2,000 of them having access to life saving dialysis.

The medical team disclosed that over 90 per cent of the people tested were susceptible to renal failure.

700,000 Nigerians living with cerebral palsy

Afolabi Lesi, the Provost of College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said about 700,000 Nigerians are living with cerebral palsy while more than 3.5 million others are directly affected by it.

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affects the brain of an infant, arising from complication that occurs during pregnancy and child birth

Mr. Lesi said preventing the cause of the ailment was the best way of managing the condition and its harsh effect on families and finances. Preventing jaundice, diffculty in breathing in babies after birth, low blood sugar, management of high risk pregnancy in good hospitals and other infections in infants can reduce the incidence of cerebral palsy.

Kano state signs health basket MoU with Gates, Dangote Foundations

The Kano State Government, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Dangote Foundation, signed the Kano Health Basket Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, to boost health care interventions in the state.

The Health Basket is a funding mechanism initiated as part of the state governments decision to revitalise its health sector. It is funded by the two foundations and the state government and pools resources to support the implementation of programmes aimed at strengthening child health and other health interventions from 2017  2021.

The two foundations were encouraged to work with the government due to the previous success recorded in the tripartite agreement between them in 2012 and 2016.

Adult with gum disease likely to suffer stroke

A research has indicated that adults with gum disease are twice likely to suffer stroke than people with healthy gum.

This is not the first study liking gum disease to brain attack caused by blood clot.

The chair of neurology at the University Of South Carolina School Of Medicine in Columbia, Souvik Sen, said the higher the gum disease, the worse the risk. Stroke risk level increases with the level of gum disease.

However, researchers still dont know why people with gum disease have higher stroke risk. It is noted that the inflammatory level found in the gum hardening the arties might play a role, as the hardening of the blood vessel happen in the brain or the neck which can lead to stroke.

Director outlines agenda to reposition Nigerias primary healthcare system

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Faisal Shuaib, has pledged to ensure the success of the current scheme to revitalise primary health care in Nigeria under a four-point agenda he has formulated to reposition the Agency.

According to a statement by the agency, Mr. Shuaib said this while receiving the World Health Organization, WHO, Country Representative in Nigeria, Alemu Wondi, in his office.

Mr. Shuaib outlined the aspects of the agenda as repositioning the Agency with a culture of zero tolerance to corruption and efficient service delivery, concluding polio eradication, and strengthening routine immunization.

The President Muhammadu Buhari Administration has made plans to make 10,000 functional primary health care centres available to deliver a number of services in every ward across the country, beginning with one in each of the 109 senatorial districts of the country.

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An anti-graft group, the Civil Society Network Against Corruption, CSNAC, has urged Nigerias federal government to rise to the rescue of a staff of the Police Service Commission, PSC, Aaron Kaase, who it alleged is being persecuted for blowing the whistle on alleged corruption at the commission.

Mr. Kaase, whose action the group said led to the recovery of N133million at the PSC, has been on suspension without pay since May 2015 and is also facing trial on what the group called trumped up charges.

In a letter to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, the group also demanded action on the report of the whistle blower, as well as the suspension of a director at the PSC who it said is already facing trial over the alleged corruption.

The group said it had forwarded a petition signed by its chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, to the PSC over the issue, in which it called for the suspension the Director of Administration and Finance in the PSC, Emmanuel Ibe, and the reinstatement of Mr. Kaase.

CSNAC said the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, had on Wednesday, February 22 arraigned Mr. Ibe, before Justice C.N Oji of the FCT high court on a nine-count charge bordering on fraud.

Mr Ibe was alleged to have paid N11.750 million to some select staff of PSC in March 2015 as airfare and airport taxi allowance to travel to seven states within Nigeria on official duties, even while there were no connecting flights from Abuja to these states, thereby contravening Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other offences Act 2000 and punishable under the same section.

Commendable as the action of the ICPC is, we are gravely concerned that the said Emmanuel Ibe is still at his official desk, a situation which we anticipate may facilitate his use of his office to interfere with investigation and destroy evidences, the group stated in the petition.

CSNAC said Mr. Kaase, who alerted the government to this fraud, was being persecuted based on his petition and has been arraigned in court on trumped up charges for his patriotism and bravery.

Based on the aforementioned, CSNAC urged government to direct the immediate interdiction of Mr Emmanuel Ibe from work as Director Administration and Finance of PSC to enable ICPC carry out unhindered investigation and prosecution.

Direct the ICPC to in the interest of justice prosecute others indicted by the ICPC report, particularly Mr Mike Okiro, the Chairman of the Commission and the main culprit in the petition and the ICPC report.

Direct the Police Service Commission to immediately reinstate the whistle blower, Mr. Aaron Kaase to his duties post and all his outstanding salaries, allowances, promotion and other benefits due to him paid.

The group stressed that such steps would not only encourage would be whistleblowers under the latest government whistleblowers policy, but will also rekindle citizens confidence and partnership with government in the fight against corruption.

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A former Managing Director of Daily Times Nigeria Plc, Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba, is dead. He was aged 57.

Mr. Onukaba, who was also a former spokesperson to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, died at about 6p.m. on Sunday at a village near Akure, Ondo State capital.

One of his relations, Yusuf Itopa, confirmed his death to the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) in Lokoja on Monday.

He said that journalist-turned-politician was knocked down by an oncoming vehicle while running into a nearby bush to escape an armed robbery attack.

He was on his way back to Abuja from Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he had joined other dignitaries to attend the inauguration of Obasanjo Presidential Library.

Mr. Itopa said Mr. Onukaba, his driver, and one other person, were traveling when they ran into a blockade mounted by armed robbers.

He said Mr. Onukabas body was later deposited at a mortuary in Akure, from where it will be brought for burial today in his hometown, Ihima, Okehi Local Government area of Kogi State.

Mr. Onukaba lost his first wife , Rachael, about five years ago, and later remarried in 2015 to Memunat.

He is survived by three children, two girls and a boy.

He started his journalism career in The Guardian in 1983.

(NAN)

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President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, over the death of his younger sister, Kande Marthe Audu.

Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, said this in a statement he issued in Abuja on Monday.

He further said that Mr. Buhari called from London to extend his deepest condolence to Mr. Gowon and his family.

Mr. Adesina said President Buhari urged the family to take solace in the fact, that the deceased lived a worthy and exemplary life.

Death is an inevitable end that must come to all mortals, and we must keep praying and working to ensure that we live a life that pleases our creator and benefits humanity, President Buhari said.

He also prayed God to comfort the family of the deceased and grant eternal rest to the soul of Audu.

Mr. Adesina quoted Mr. Gowon as thanking the president for the commiserations.

Mr. Gowon, who assured that he would not relent in praying for the unity and progress of the country, said Nigerians had embarked on prayers for the presidents speedy recovery.

Mr. Buhari also on Sunday had telephone conversation with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, where he congratulated him on his 80th birthday.

(NAN)

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The Federal Government has arraigned Hassan Rilwan in an FCT High Court, Jabi, for allegedly killing Nir Rozmarin, an Israeli.

The defendant, a 34-year-old job applicant, who had earlier denied the allegation and pleaded not guilty, was arraigned by the Ministry of Justice before Justice Halilu Yusuf.

He was arraigned on a one-count charge of culpable homicide contrary to Section 222 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 224 of the same law.

The deceased was one of the managers of Gilmor Group of Company Nigeria Ltd., and was allegedly killed on September 9, 2015 by the defendant.

At the resumed hearing, the prosecution Counsel, Ama Yeboah-Ohien, told the court that the defendant first kidnapped the deceased and later killed him.

A policeman who served as prosecution witness, Liam Simon, said the defendant was his neighbour.

According to him, the two policemen, who came to arrest the defendant, traced him through a wedding invitation card they found in the car used for the operation and that the invitation card happened to be his own.

The witness said he did not know how his wedding invitation card got to the hand of the defendant because he was not part of the people he invited for the programme.

When asked during cross-examination if he had ever driven the car, the witness told the court that he had nothing to do with the car.

Justice Yusuf adjourned the matter to March 13 for continuation of cross-examination of the witness.

(NAN)

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Worried by the degenerating Quality of Service, QoS, provided by Mobile Network Operators, MNOs, and other service providers, the Nigerian Communications Commission on Monday declared a state of emergency on the Quality of Service.

As part of measures to cushion the situation and ameliorate the recurrent inaccessibility to foreign exchange, forex, by operators, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Umar Danbatta, told the operators that the Commission had written to the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and he was favourably disposed to addressing the forex needs of the operators.

Specifically, as a follow up to the letter, the Executive Commissioner (Stakeholders Management), NCC, Sunday Dare, had a meeting with Mr. Emefiele and extracted a commitment from him on how he hoped to address the forex needs of the operators.

Mr. Danbatta spoke in Abuja during an interactive session on Quality of Service delivery which NCC management had with operators.

He said since the NCC had declared 2017 as the year of the consumer, and all hands should be on deck for telecom consumers to have a fresh lease to high Quality of Service.

The consumer has to be treated with dignity Mr. Danbatta added, saying the Eight-point agenda drives this point home.

The NCC, he explained, has put measures in place to check and monitor quality of service on various networks and we have sent this report to our task force on QoS and have been interacting with governments at different levels as part of the measures to deal with the poor QoS.

Mr. Danbatta admonished the operators and co-location service operators to provide suggestions on how to address the situation.

Earlier, NCCs Executive Commissioner (Technical Services), Ubale Maska, said, QoS has been a great concern as consumers inundate the commission with complaints.

It requires everybodys input if the situation has to be redressed, hence 2017 has been declared the year of the consumer.

The NCC Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity (DTSNI), Fidelis Ona, explained that the commission is aware of some of the challenges which include Right of Way (RoW), force majeure, difficulty in acquiring new cell sites, multiple taxation and regulation, vandalism, power supply, among others.

We are engaging stakeholders, including Industry Working Group on quality of service, special committee on Counter Harmonization to address this.

The NCC Head, Quality of Service Unit, Edoyemi Ogoh, in his presentation traced poor quality of service to fibre cuts, community issues, among others.

He said in October 2016, operators experienced 175 cuts across the nation while they recorded 180 cuts in November and 103 in December, 2016.

There were 113 community issues in October 2016, 74 in November and 133 in December, adding that fibre cuts and community issues remain major drawbacks for QoS.

In their various presentations, some of the operators painted a grim picture of their encounters especially in an economy that is going broke.

The Chief Technical Officer, CTO, at MTN Nigeria, Hassan Jamil, expressed happiness with the interactive session, so that the regulator can know our situation one on one basis

He said demand for both voice and data services are on the rise but operators are unable to catch up on investment because of scarce forex availability.

The catalogue of woes he listed included inability to import equipment to boost expansion, incessant fibre cuts, community related challenges, scarcity of diesel to power base stations, right of way issues with different layers of government in the regions, sabotage at different levels.

We planned 100 sites for Abuja but after a very long time we were only able to build six because of the bottlenecks of getting approvals and until we resolve these, quality of service will be a mirage, the MTN chief said.

Similar situations were painted by representatives of Globacom Limited, Airtel Nigeria, Etisalat, American Towers Company (ATC), IHS Limited, among others.



The Executive Vice Chairman encouraged the operators to be more creative by adopting alternative source of energy like solar power as a stop gap.

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ONE Campaign, an international advocacy and campaigning organisation, has disclosed that 130 million girls are not in school globally.

In a statement on Monday, the group noted that because poverty is sexist, girls in the poorest countries are less likely to receive an education than boys.

This means a generation of adolescent girls is being denied the education they need to get a job, broaden their opportunities, and break the cycle of poverty, the group said in the statement.

A girl with an education can change the world.

Ahead of the International Womens Day on March 8th, ONE Campaign said it had launched its #GirlsCount campaign, an initiative that has rallied citizens and leaders from around the world and in Nigeria to bring a spotlight on this crisis and demand action from global leaders to end this crisis.

In Nigeria, Omotola Jalaide Ekehinde is the main champion for the campaign which has been backed by the new UN Deputy Secretary General, Amina Mohammed, and Bring Back our Girls Co-founder, Oby Ezekwesili.

The #GirlsCount video which features citizens from every walk of life is aimed at getting people to join forces by filming themselves and counting a number between one and 130 million out loud, the group added.

Serah Makka, ONE Campaigns Nigeria Director, said renewed efforts are urgently needed to improve girls education globally.

It is a global crisis that 130 million girls are not in school and Nigeria is unfortunately contributing a significant share to this, said Ms. Makka.

Girls education spurs exponential positive effects on social and economic development for generations to come.

Educating girls secures the future of Nigeria. #GirlsCount is uniting people to make the scale of this crisis clear and to call on leaders to act urgently.

Ms. Makka appealed to people who want to help change the lives of millions of girls around the world to join the campaign by counting a number and posting the video or picture online.

ONE is launching the campaign ahead of International Womens Day alongside Why Educating Every Girl is Good for Everyone, a report that exposes how educating a girl for a day costs less than a loaf of bread or a daily newspaper.

The ONE Campaign is asking governments for a package of funding and reforms which will make education work for every girl by 2030; urging leaders to double the global funding for girls education by 2020.

International supporters who are joining the count in solidarity include Malala Yousafzai, Sheryl Sandberg, Angelique Kidjo, ONE founder Bono, David Oyelowo, and Asa.

ONE Campaign said it plans to combine the videos into the worlds longest ever film to urge world leaders to take the action needed to ensure every girl receives a quality education.

Angelique Kidjo, Grammy Award-winning artist and activist said: 130 million girls are being denied an education. Thats 130 million of our sisters, our daughters and tomorrows leaders who are not in school, and it has to stop.

Thats why I am proud to lend my voice, alongside the ONE Campaign, to the urgent call on our governments in Africa and their partners around the world to act. To cut programs for girls education at this moment in time would undermine a whole generation.

Nollywood Actress and GirlsCount Ambassador, Omotola Jalade Ekehinde, said girls should be given the tools to reach their full potential because they have so much to offer.

Growing up in Nigeria, I was lucky to have access to quality education. Today, there are 130 million girls globally who have not had the same opportunities as I have and are denied the chance to go to school, she said.

These girls are kept out of the classroom, not by choice, but by poverty, discrimination, violence, early marriage and domestic responsibility. Thats why I am joining with the ONE Campaign to demand that our leaders address this injustice and support every girls right to learn by doubling the funding for education by 2020.

To show that we stand behind our 130 million sisters, we are counting every single one. Ive chosen to count the number 7, because education is power  and every girl should have the opportunity to be in control of her own destiny.

EDITORS NOTE: The story has been edited and a quote removed after the distributor of the press statement said the quote was sent in error.

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Former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has described the death of veteran journalist, playwright, writer and academic, Onukaba Ojo, as shocking and painful beyond words.

In a statement released by his media office in Abuja, Mr. Abubakar, who has known Mr. Ojo for nearly three decades, described his former spokesperson as an irreplaceable asset, who was loyal and reliable until the very last day.

Onukaba was at my house just on Friday, Mr. Abubakar said. He visited me just before travelling out of Abuja. I had no idea that it was the last time I would ever set eyes on him.

The Turakin Adamawa recalled Mr. Ojos relationship with him over the past few decades, as a journalist covering aviation; as the man who penned his popular biography; as the man who was an indispensible member of his media team; as the man who became his political protege; and as the man who boldly spoke the truth to him always.

Ojo had little concern for material things, Mr. Abubakar said. He was a pure intellectual, motivated only by a desire to give the best that his brains had to offer.

The former Vice President added that an entire book of thousands of pages would be needed if he were to say everything that he thought and felt about his long-time friend, now gone forever.

May God grant his family in particular his children the grace they need to go through this toughest of times, he said.

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The UN Security Council says that the only solution to the Boko Haram terrorism in the Northeastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin is the economic development of the region.

Matthew Rycroft, the leader of a UN Security Council delegation, said this while speaking with journalists shortly after a visit to Maiduguri.

We are convinced that the long term solutions is not military, it is not even humanitarian, it is development.

It has to do with thinking about long term investments, in job creation, in education among others, Mr. Rycroft, who is also the UK Permanent Representative to the UN and the Security Councils President for the month of March, said.

He added: It is thinking about the protection of civilians, thinking about protection of human rights, of women and girls rights in particular.

All of us have to come together and we stand with the governor of Borno, the government of Nigeria in tackling all of these problems in the Lake Chad Basin region.

Mr. Rycroft explained that the visit was aimed at getting firsthand information on the crisis.

We came here because we are very worried about the crisis which is affecting the North East Nigeria which is the crisis of terrorism caused by Boko Haram.

We are also here because of the humanitarian crisis which is being exacerbated by the terrorists, he said.

Mr. Rycroft said that the team had been able get sufficient information from some victims of the crisis.

We have had meetings with displaced persons in one of the IDP camps interacting with women and men who had been victims of Boko Haram.

They are now victims of humanitarian crisis, the number is shocking in terms of Displaced Persons, half a million children are malnourished, he said.

Mr. Rycroft said that the UN Security Council was determined to step up assistance to the victims.

We are determined that the international Community, the donor nations and the UN coordinating units step up response before it is too late, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 14-man UN Security Council delegation visited the Theater Commander Operation Lafiya Dole, the Nigerian armys operation in the north-east, as part of the visit.

(NAN)

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The Senate on Sunday said it will probe the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and Independent Marketers over alleged irregularities in the subsidy fund.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Kabiru Marafa, said this while briefing journalists in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Mr. Marafa noted that the NNPC has failed to justify to satisfaction the near N5.2 trillion spent on subsidy for importation of petroleum products from 2006 to 2016.

The sum, Mr. Marafa said, was in addition to the 445,000 barrels of crude oil for domestic consumption.

This is more than the annual budget of Nigeria, the senator noted.

We note allegations already brought to our attention concerning the importation of Automotive Gas Oil under various import contracts wherein hundreds of millions of litres of AGO have been imported and allocated to choice marketers at discounted values, he added.

Mr. Marafa noted that the committee had also established the disappearance of 100 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit worth N14 billion kept in the custody of two companies, stressing that it would invite NNPCs past and present executives,heads of operations and planning and desk management officers responsible for purchasing of products sold to Nigeria.

Commenting further, Mr. Marafa, said, It is pertinent to stress that where invitees fail to cooperate with us, then adequate sanctions shall be carried out ranging from publishing of names of industry news providers.

Where relevant reward and incentives will be available to support the courage of members of the public who come forward.

Mr. Marafa also disclosed that the committee would also implement its own Whistle Blower platform to enable it get information on corrupt practices, adding that, in addition, it would conduct a three-day public hearing on the issue.

The Senate had on Wednesday alleged corruption in the marketing of products as well as in accounts operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, between 2006 and 2016.

Previous subsidy probes by the executive and the parliament during the Goodluck Jonathan administration indicted several firms some of whom are being prosecuted and few convicted.

Last Wednesday, the Senate resolved to mandate its committee on petroleum (downstream) to exhaustively investigate the state-owned oil corporation over its accounts relating to fuel subsidy and alleged abuse of product marketing and distribution.

The Senates resolution followed a motion by Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi West) who expressed worry that corruption in the NNPC persists despite the anti-corruption posture of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The independent marketers account for 49 per cent of the imported petroleum products while NNPC accounts for 51 per cent of imported products, but this does not justify the huge amount it has been paid as subsidy in the last 10years, Mr. Melaye had said.

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday made a telephone call from London to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi.

A government house statement issued in Lokoja said that Mr. Buhari, who made the call in the evening, interacted with the governor for a couple of minutes.

The director general on media and strategy to the governor, Kingsley Fanwo, who signed the statement, said Mr. Bello received the call in Lagos on his way back from Abeokuta, where he attended the inauguration of Obasanjo Library.

The President thanked the governor for his support and his leadership qualities.

He told the governor that he was observing rest and will return very soon to continue his assignment of providing purposeful leadership to the nation, Mr. Fanwo said.

He said Mr. Bello received the call in the presence of the Speaker of the state house of assembly, Ahmed Imam, some members of the house, commissioners and top government functionaries.(NAN)

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Only one foreign airline has agreed to use the Kaduna International Airport, as the Nigerian government officially announced the closure of the Abuja International Airport on Monday.

The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, told journalists that so far only Ethiopian Airlines has agreed to use the Kaduna airport as an alternative.

The government said the Abuja airport will be closed beginning from 12 a.m. Wednesday.

The closure will last for six weeks to allow a comprehensive maintenance of the airport runway.

The decision to close the only airport in the federal capital has been criticised by aviation experts, and several international airlines warned they will not operate the Kaduna route.

Mr. Sirika said observations made by acting President Yemi Osinbajo who was in Kaduna Airport on Friday had been taken care of.

More details.

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Being the Continuing Adventures of a Woman and her Trusty Kayak in New York Harbor, the Hudson River, and Beyond. (with occasional political rants just to keep things lively!)
A former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has joined the race in the Anambra governor election, slated for November 18.

He told a consultative meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party at Otuocha, near Awka, on Monday that his desire to run for the position was to serve the people.

The former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps said he was ready to serve his people in any capacity.

I am ready to serve the people in any capacity even as a counselor because no position is too small or big for me as long as it is service to the people.

Since my youth service years, I have been involved in volunteer service; so the driving motive for this ambition is to serve the people of the state, Mr. Chidoka said.

According to him, time has come for the PDP to take over power in Anambra.

He said the issue of zoning, propounded by APGA, would not be considered by PDP in fielding a candidate.

Also speaking, the PDP Chairman in the Local Government, Thompson Chikezie, said that Mr. Chidokas visit was to intimate the people of his desire to contest the election.

Chidokas visit shows the type of leader he will be if elected as governor. Any good leader aspiring to public office should always take recourse to the grassroots.

It shows open-mindedness, respect, love and seriousness.

He is courageous for coming to the Local Government of the incumbent governor.

(NAN)

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The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, on Monday advised those bent on destabilising the country to refrain from their acts.

Mr. Buratai, a Lieutenant General, gave the advice after he received the Millennium Hero award conferred on him by a coalition of over 80 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at the Army Headquarters, Abuja.

The award was in recognition of Mr. Buratais leadership for the army in decimating and degrading Boko Haram terrorists from their strong hold in the Sambisa forest.

Mr. Buratai vowed that the agitators and those with intent to destabilise the country would not succeed as the Nigerian Army and other security agencies were ready to protect the nation from disintegration.

Those individuals and groups that are bent on destablising our country I think they have to wait till may be the next three or four millennium for them to do that.

That is if may be the next generation of officers and men will allow them at all.

Having been given the Millennium Hero award, I want to call on all the agitators for separation and other acts of distabilisation, they better forget it, not in this era, not in this millennium, Mr. Buratai said.

The army chief assured that insurgency and terrorism were now at the beginning of their end.

He said the situation now signaled the beginning of victory and continuous victory over all groups that are bent on destabilising the country, especially in terms of security.

I want to say that we would continue to do our best to maintain security atmosphere that is needed as provided for in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

We have been tasked to defend our country.

We have taken a number of measures to ensure that the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists that are on the run are finally cleared, many have surrendered, many of them have been captured.

Earlier, Olabode Adeyemi, the Executive Director, African Media Roundtable Initiative, who presented the award on behalf of the CSOs, noted that Mr. Buratai changed the tide of the war against the terrorists.

The leadership of Buratai has now been generally viewed as one that came with the midas touch and changed the tide of the war.

His ability to boost the morale of the troops and caused what we now have as degraded insurgents is one that must be commended by all, Mr. Adeyemi said.

He noted that guerilla warfare was difficult but having defeated the Boko Haram terrorists, the Nigerian army had proven that it had the capability to defend the territorial integrity of the country.

Mr. Adeyemi, however, called for the establishment of army formations in Kogi which he said had witnessed some acts of terrorism and other forms of criminality.

He condemned the Amnesty International (AI) for accusing the army of human rights violation.

We also wish to condemn the incessant and unwarranted attacks by the Amnesty International against the Nigerian Armed Forces.

We see the recent outburst of the AI as a deliberate attempt to incite the public against the security agencies, he said.

(NAN)

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The father of Canada-based Nigerian, Stephanie Otobo, has denied her claim that the general overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries, Johnson Suleman, went to his house for introduction as her suitor.

Benson Otobo also said the controversy between his daughter and Mr. Suleman came to him as a huge shock, adding that he knew nothing about the entire scenario.

Mr. Otobo spoke at a joint telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES and other journalists in Abuja facilitated by Mr. Suleman. He said he was speaking from Warri, Delta State.

Mr. Otobo said there was no formal introduction of the cleric to him by his daughter.

Not at all; Suleman does not even know where I live, he said.

Mr. Otobo also gave an indication that all was not well between him and his daughter.

I dont know how this happened, I was shocked to hear the news. Right now as I speak, we are at loggerheads because I saw her picture on the internet via whatsapp, and the way she was dressed, and I saw her tattoos and all that; I cautioned her. Then two whatsap messages that she sent to me, she was telling me all sorts of things, she said I am not her father anymore.

So for a girl telling her father things like that, then I dont know how you can expect me to be involved in something that concerns her.

Mr. Otobo also said he had been separated from his daughters mother for almost 30 years.

I have divorced her mother almost 30 years now. She grew up with the mother; she was very small when I divorced her mother. What happened is a case of like mother like daughter, said Mr. Otobo.

When PREMIUM TIMES sought further clarification from Ms. Otobo, she said her earlier statement through her lawyer, Festus Keyamo, that Mr. Suleman took drinks to her family to conduct a formal introduction was inaccurate.

Asked to give the details of the said introduction, Ms. Otobo said it happened at the pastors office in the churchs premises at Auchi, Edo state.

Not at our house; he invited me and my mother to Auchi, because he does all night every last Friday of the month at Auchi. We went there, me my mother, my siblings. After the service, nobody sees him, but we went there to see him and he gave us N50, 000. So that made me think everything was real.

She also corroborated her fathers explanation regarding the divorce.

My father and mother are divorced. I actually grew up knowing that they were separated, she said.

She however said her father was aware of her relationship with the cleric and that he had prayed for her when she told him about Mr. Sulemans alleged blackmail.

Ms. Otobo also said her father was angry that the media published information about her personal life alleging that he had taken money from the pastor.

The woman had alleged that Mr. Suleman promised her marriage, but abandoned her, after she got pregnant.

The pastor has since denied the allegation, adding that he had never met with Ms. Otobo.

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Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, has disclosed that 30 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party were compelled to donate N10 million each to the Obasanjo Presidential Library in 2005.

The governor made the disclosure at the opening of a caucus meeting of the PDP in the South West in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital on Monday.

We were compelled to make the donation as PDP governors in 2005 and now I need the return of my money with interest, he said.

The Obasanjo presidential library was officially commissioned on Saturday in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Mr. Fayose did not say who compelled the governors to make the donation.

At Mondays meeting, the PDP caucus passed a vote of confidence on the Ahmed Makarfi leadership of the party, while branding the Ali Modu Sheriffs faction of the party usurpers.

Mr. Fayose said the former Borno governor pretends to be leading the party, while at the same time working with the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

We, the committed members of this party will not allow this evil to work, because charlatans cant be allowed to hijack our party, he said.

To me, the PDP is one under Ahmed Makarfi. I want you to be speaking out against President Muhammadu Buharis government, nobody can kill you. The tough time we are passing through is just a phase as tough time never last but tough people do.

They said the PDP people are corrupt, but if you look critically, the PDP are mere petty thieves while APC members are super robbers. They are only interested in destroying and oppressing our members while the people groan in sufferings. Today, the country is under emergency situation.

They said we should use political means to settle our differences, let me say that even if we reconcile there are some people I cant be in the same party with. They are dirty and people like us cant associate with them.

The governor urged PDP members to remain bold and undaunted in the face of perceived intimidation by agents of the APC, adding that God would soon move against those oppressing the party members.

In the communique issued later and read by the Ekiti State Deputy governor, Kolapo Olusola, stated that the party passed a vote of confidence on the Makarfi leadership and also declared support for the partys appeal against the judgement of the Appeal Court, which validated the Sheriff-led Executive.

The party also expressed confidence in the leadership of Mr. Fayose as the Chairman of the PDP Governors forum and the Eddy Olafeso-led south west leadership.

Others leaders who attended meeting include former Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniels; former Osun Deputy governor, Iyiola Omisore; former PDP Deputy Chairman, Bode George; former PDP National Vice Chairman, Tajudeen Oladipo; PDP Spokesperson, Dayo Adeyeye, a member of the House of Representative from Ogun, Oladipupo Adebutu; Ebenezer Babatope, former Nigerian Ambassador to Greece, Olu Agbi, among others.

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The UN Security Council has described the insurgency crisis in the North-East Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region as the largest and most neglected humanitarian crisis the world has ever witnessed.

Mathew Rycroft, the president of the UNSC for March and leader of the UN delegation to Nigeria, stated this at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.

Mr. Rycrofy fielded questions from journalists on the teams visit to parts of the North East ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency.

He called for urgent response from the international community to help tackle the scourge that has affected more than 14 million people with about 8.5 million in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Mr. Rycroft, who is also the UK Permanent Representative at the UNSC, warned of dire consequences if the world failed to tackle the crisis in the next 18 months.

The reason we have come to the Lake Chad Basin is that the crisis of the Lake Chad Basin is one of the largest but also the most neglected and forgotten crisis.

We want to shine a spotlight on that crisis so that the whole world, including the governments of the region, step up their response to the crisis before it is too late, he said.

While giving an account of their experiences in parts of Borno visited, Mr. Rycroft said the region was dotted with faces of sorrow, pain and hopelessness.

The envoy said that what was discovered in the region was a humanitarian crisis of unimaginable proportion.

He said the delegation was struck by the individual stories especially those of the IDP Camps in Maiduguri from the women whose husbands have been killed by Boko Haram.

Mr. Rycroft expressed concern on women who had lost children to Boko Haram and are now struggling to feed their families and give their remaining children education.

The UK envoy stressed the imperative need of defeating the poisoned ideology of Boko Haram and the need to replace the seed of fear sown with hope.

He assured Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region of the readiness of the UN in assisting to help in that regard.

While commending the efforts of the governments of the region particularly in their coordinated efforts in decimating Boko Haram, the UNSC representative charged them to redouble their efforts until the job is done.

Mr. Rycroft expressed commitment of the Security Council to Nigeria in the fight against the scourge.

He said that the UNSC was of the view that both the military and humanitarian response could not provide a lasting solution to the crisis.

He therefore called on governments of the region to take the issues of development, jobs, environmental issues, education as well as human rights more seriously.

Senegals Permanent Representative to the UNSC, Mr Seck Fode, also advised Nigeria to take the lead in disbursing her own pledge to serve as an encouragement to other nations who made pledges at the Oslo conference.

If you want somebody to help you, you should start by helping yourself, so Nigeria government made an interesting pledged in Oslo.

We are just from the ministry of finance and planning, and she explained to us that this government will effectively disburse the money through normal budget process.

Our appeal is for the international community also to disburse the amount they pledged in Oslo and before Oslo for these collective efforts to bear fruit, he said.

The UN Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon, noted that the visit and the Oslo conference had succeeded in bringing to lime light the global humanitarian crisis facing the region.

Kallon said the global community should work towards putting out the fire of the crisis in the North East in the next 18 months.

He said the crisis pose a threat to the nations economic and long term development, but solveable and that UN would support the Federal and State governments on it.

I want to say that we have very short window of opportunity and my calculation is 18 months; we have to put out the fire in the North East Nigeria in 18 months.

If we dont succeed in putting out the fire in 18 months the situation will become protracted and chronic with national elections around the corner, said the envoy.

(NAN)

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An Ilorin Magistrates Court on Monday remanded a man, who allegedly used a car given to him to sell as collateral for loan.

Magistrate Ibrahim Mohammed ordered that Feyisara Pelemo should be kept in the Okekura Prisons custody in Ilorin pending proper application for his bail.

Mr. Pelemo is standing trial on a three-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and issuance of dud cheque.

According to the prosecutor, Nasiru Yusuf, the accused used the car belonging to Julius Adeyinka to borrow N300,000 from a company.

Mr. Yusuf said the accused collected the vehicles documents from Mr. Adeyinka on the pretext of helping him to sell the car.

The prosecutor submitted that the incident occurred in May 2016.

He added that the accused conspired with one Taiye Suleiman, still at large, to commit the offences.

Mr. Yusuf added that when the accused was arrested, he presented a Confidence Microfinance Bank dud cheque to Mr. Adeyinka.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the case has been adjourned till March 14 for mention.

(NAN)

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The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has expressed the sadness of the government of the state over the death of veteran journalist and politician, Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba.

Mr. Onukaba was knocked down and died at about 6p.m. on Sunday at a village near Akure, Ondo State capital while trying to escape into the bush from an armed robbery attack.

In a statement by his spokesman, Petra Onyegbule, Mr. Bello said the incident was sad and painful, especially as it came on the first anniversary of the death of another illustrious son of the state, James Ocholi, a former minister of Labour.

The governor solemnly commiserates with the family of late literary icon, formidable playwright, distinguished citizen, illustrious Kogi son and former governorship aspirant in Kogi, Dr. Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba, on his painful departure from this world, according to the statement.

Mr. Bello prayed for a stop to the loss of prominent citizens of the state in their prime, and the loss of tapping from their well of wisdom.

The Governor remembers the departed for his good character, intellectual sagacity, embedded candour, manifest brilliance, literary fecundity and unflinching love for the progress and development of our dear state that made him aspire to the highest political office in the land.

He will be remembered for charging the people of the state to pull behind Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello to ensure a total redemption and progress for the State on all frontiers, the statement said.

The governor submits to Gods inherent capacity to give and to take, to make alive and to take away breath.

 He is thus consoled by the fact that Dr. Onukaba lived a fulfilled life of grace, integrity, selflessness and dutiful service to mankind.

Mr. Bello charged the family, friends and admirers of the late Mr. Onukaba to take solace in the fact that he lived well and left indelible marks in the sands of time.

Dr. Onukaba was a rare gem, a sound mind and a technocrat par excellence. He will be sorely missed for his kindheartedness. He has done things definitely worth writing about and written things worth reading, and as such can never be forgotten in the coming generations, he said.

He prayed that the Almighty Allah would comfort Mr. Onukabas family and grant repose to his amiable soul.

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Onofiok Luke, Speaker Akwa Ibom State Assembly, on Monday declared his support for Kemen (Ekemini Ekerette ) the disgraced #BBNaija housemate.

Kemen, an indigene of the state, was disqualified from the Big Brother Naija (#BBNaija) house for sexual misconduct after he fondled Tboss, one of the housemates without her consent.

He performed the act after the other housemates had gone to sleep on Saturday night.

Luke, who took to his official Facebook to expressed his support for Kemen despite deferring public opinion, said,  We are all humans and are all prone to mistakes.

He said he was surprised at the quick turnaround of fans of Kemen, who is from the state, despite the initial support he received.

He consoled the former housemate and advised him to take solace in the story of Jesus.

I have never really watched the Big Brother Nigeria, I only follow it activities on the social media.

 Up until this evening Kemen our son was celebrated online by fans and followers of BBN from our very Akwa Ibom but suddenly, a breaking news of his disqualification from the house and the whole narrative changed and the social media is now saturated with different stories and versions about Kemen and his disqualification.

Many who before now had celebrated Kemen are in a hurry to crucify him for his mistake(s). My take here is not to hold brief for Kemen

Kemen has since come under intense criticism on social media and has become the first housemate to be disqualified from the show.

Kemen is a fitness trainer and model.

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The Lagos State Police Command has said it is still investigating the death of its officers involved in a fatal accident in Ikorodu, Lagos, on Sunday.

Olarinde Famous-Cole, the police spokesperson, said four police officers from the X-Squad died after their patrol van collided with a lorry.

Investigation is still on going and as soon as we have any news we would push out, Mr. Famous-Cole, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, told PREMIUM TIMES in a text message.

The Nation newspaper reported that the accident occurred on Sunday afternoon along Shagamu Road, Isiwu, while the team was chasing another police patrol van that allegedly extorted money from some motorists.

According to the newspaper, while three members of the X-Squad died at the scene of the accident, a fourth member, an Inspector, gave up the ghost at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital where he was rushed to.

The police van had five policemen on board and was allegedly hit by an unregistered 911 tipper and the driver, who could not be identified at the time of this report, fled the scene, the newspaper quoted Mr. Famous-Cole as saying.

One officer, an assistant superintendent of police, is still in the hospital, according to the police.

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Secretary of State Krzysztof Szczerski

Bilateral and geopolitical talks as well as meetings with Polish community members are on the agenda of presidential aide Krzysztof Szczerski's 4-day visit in Japan and South Korea starting Sunday.

During his visit Krzysztof Szczerski will talk with Japanese and Korean policians, and meet members of both countries' Polish communities. He will also lecture on Polish-US relations at the Japanese Institute of International Affairs.

The Polish president's office informed Friday that Szczerski's talks will focus on bilateral ties and the geopolitical situation. The office said that the visit was an element of Poland's strivings for a seat on the UN Security Council in 2018-2019.

The UN Security Council is responsible for the maintenance of global peace and security and currently numbers 15 countries including five standing members - the US, France, Britain, China and Russia. Poland is vying a non-standing seat on the council.

A seat on the council requires the backing of two thirds of the UN General Assembly numbering 193 countries. (PAP)
MILLVILLE  Marianne Lods looks out the gallery windows of the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts.

Down the block is the Regional Music building under new ownership and renovation. Farther down High Street is the Arts Cafe, which hasnt yet opened but now has a sign above its doors.

And one block farther is the new and massive Millville Arts & Innovation Center  the new Cumberland County College campus  which is spearheading a revitalization of business and culture in the local arts district.

Lods doesnt think resurgence is too bold of a word to describe the energy on High Street.

Not at all, she said with a smile. There are more investors that Ive met with in the last week with brilliant ideas for a couple additional buildings. I really see 2017 as going to bring us closer to pre-recession occupancy in the buildings and an excitement in the area.

That may start with the new 30,000-square-foot county college building.

The $6.9 million facility will house the colleges arts curriculum, along with other courses, ranging from journalism to workforce-development offerings.

Helping to fund the project is $3.2 million in state funds, of which $1.6 million must be repaid. Cumberland County government is paying $800,000 of that figure, with the city paying $400,000 and other entities financing the remaining $400,000.

But action by the city almost brought the project to a halt.

City Commission voted in December 2014 against paying $800,000 toward the repayment.

The commission eventually agreed to a $400,000 payment. The money came from a land sale, city officials said.

Atlantic City's Tennessee Avenue project to provide comfortable spot off Boardwalk ATLANTIC CITY  The southern end of Tennessee Avenue is a microcosm of what has happened to 

Some commission members were wary of the impact the campus would have on the downtown and thought the money could be better spent on projects elsewhere in the municipality. But the impact of the college is already becoming visible to its neighbors.

Mike Copley owns C&C Bike Shop a few doors down on the opposite side of the street from the college.

He said hes seen an increase in his inventory in the past year, but most recently has seen more 20-somethings popping in the store to check out his bikes.

Its great. Eventually they all get around town on a bike or scooter or some physical transportation, and thats when I come in, Copley said.

For college President Yves Salomon-Fernandez, the colleges mission and economic development are tied together.

To that effect, Salomon-Fernandez said shes working with the city, the Greater Millville Chamber of Commerce, the Cumberland County Improvement Authority and other organizations to make the campus a significant part of the downtown business district.

We are adopting a concerted, unified approach for moving forward, she said.

That approach includes numbers, such as the 500 students and staff members the college expects will use the campus, with the bulk arriving for fall semester.

Those students wont be downtown just Monday through Friday. Weekend classes are available.

Jessica Green, manager of Bogarts Bookstore & Cafe, is expecting those students to frequent her shop for a coffee and a place to study.

I think it means more business for us and the chance to expand our business, maybe hire a few new employees and add new events, Green said. As a community, it offers a lot of benefits.

An estimated 80 students and staff members are already using the downtown campus.

One of those students is 21-year-old Bridgeton resident Ashley McKishen, a fine-arts major.

McKishen said shed likely visit downtown shops if her school day is long, and especially if those shops are related to the arts. She said shes already visited some stores, such as Bogarts.

Salomon-Fernandez said the college is working with the city on signs for the downtown campus, as well as parking.

It appears as though the college will primarily handle security. Some members of the schools security staff will walk students to their cars, said Jackie Sandro, director of the campus Clay College ceramics shop.

Walking through the rows of tables in the clay studio, what stands out for Sandro is the size of the campus.

And the college plans to use every square foot of it for afterschool field trips, private birthday parties and a gallery in the front windows that will switch out every two months.

Sandro is courting at least two tours each day. The communitys interest comes as no surprise.

If you build it, they will come. I think thats true, she said.

Salomon-Fernandez said the college is developing some new offerings that could bolster downtown businesses, including beverage tourism linked to vineyards and microbreweries.

Part of the goal is to have students remain in the area and develop businesses not only in Millville but in other parts of the county, she said.

Local and county officials and residents seem to be embracing the ideas, Salomon-Fernandez said.

I feel very confident that we have this level of commitment around the success of not only the (campus) building but the region, she said.
Pablo Larrain may have just set a world record. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 40-year-old Chilean filmmaker is the first director to have three narrative features open in the United States in a calendar year.

First came last Februarys Golden Globe-nominated drama The Club, about a group of disgraced Catholic priests exiled to a remote group house for sexual abuse. That was followed up during awards season by a pair of unorthodox biopics that disrupted the conventional thinking about two iconic subjects: the triple-Oscar-nominated Jackie, about Jackie Kennedy, and Neruda, about the Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda.

Set in 1948, after the Chilean writer and Communist politician had gone into hiding to avoid arrest by the rightist government, the film plays out as a sometimes surreal cat-and-mouse game between a fictional police pursuer (Gael Garcia Bernal) and a playful Neruda (Luis Gnecco).

The hard-working Larrain, who burst onto the scene in 2012 with the Oscar-nominated No, caught his breath during a call from New York the day before President Donald Trumps inauguration.

Question: 2016 was a busy year for you: The Club, Jackie and then Neruda. That sounds exhausting.

Answer: Dont tell me, man, I know it is. Im recovered now. They are very different, each one of them. That, I guess, is the joy.

Q: How did this happen?

A: After No, the next movie was going to be Neruda. Then my brother (Juan de Dios Larrain), who is my longtime producer and collaborator, told me we cannot make Neruda now. We had to push it back six months, and thats when we decided to make The Club in the meantime, which was this low-budget movie that we shot in two weeks, and we wrote really quickly. It went to the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival, and thats where I met (filmmaker and producer) Darren Aronofsky, who was the head of the jury. He invited me later to make Jackie. Basically, it was The Club, and then right after that, we shot Neruda. When we finished shooting Neruda, we went into production of Jackie. The movies were made back to back.

Q: Jackie shares its theme of mythmaking and slippery identity with Neruda, in which the central character is shown wearing masks and disguises during his time on the run. What is it about the question of a public vs. private persona that interests you?

A: Ive been fascinated, over the years, by seeing how people  not everyone, but some people, and particularly some of the legends of the 20th century  have been able to craft their own mythology. Jackie and Neruda are examples of that. What Neruda is doing in the movie is creating his own legend for political purposes. He is writing the book (Canto General) that probably won him the Nobel Prize. He was struggling to understand how he could create a work that would have not just poetic, but political value. His words would become the words of other people, who would use them to protect and defend an ideology. That combination of politics and poetry is essential to the movie.

Q: Theres a great line in the film, when Neruda is fleeing over the mountains to Argentina, and hes abetted in his escape by a wealthy landowner. The cop chasing him says, The millionaire is always smarter than the law of the nation. When I heard that, I couldnt help thinking 

A: (Laughing) You were thinking about tomorrow (Inauguration Day)?

Q: You read my mind. What does the line mean?

A: I think its applicable to what happened back then and to what is happening nowadays, in many, many countries. The issue is that money can be stronger than ideas. Its the kind of thing that you say in a movie that is sharp enough to act as a joke for some people and to act as a political statement for others. For some people, its both. But, yeah, its a tricky line thats about a real danger. The most powerful humor is always truth.

Q: Neruda has another great line: To write, one must learn how to erase. Where does that come from?

A: You know where I got that? Its not in the script, actually. Its something I read in school in a Spanish book, in an interview with Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I learned that, not just as a writer, but as a filmmaker. When you work, you have to be able to trim, to edit, to take things that dont work out. Luis (Gnecco) and I talked about it, and I asked him to say that line. Its so true. Its so hard to be able to learn how to erase, to get rid of things, to keep only what is essential.

Q: Youve described both Jackie and Neruda as anti-biopics, for their unconventional approach to biography. How are they different?

A: Im not much of a fan of the biopic. I dont think you can actually capture someones life and put it into a movie.  If theres a link between them, they are both about someone who is trying to craft a legend. The difference is that Neruda is doing it in order to make his voice stronger, because that voice was going to protect the people he wanted to protect. In Jackie, which takes place right after her husbands assassination, shes trying to protect his legend. They both share the idea that in between the intention to craft a legacy and the result, there is always a gap. In that gap, you can use the tools of fiction to enter their heads.

Q: Jackie is an icon here in the States. What is Nerudas stature in Chile?

A: His stature is enormous  in the Spanish language. That includes all of Latin America and Spain. After making the movie, I realized something specifically about Chile: Like any other country, Chile has been described by historians and journalists, but I believe we can best understand who we are through our poets, specifically Neruda.

Q: Americans arent really into poetry. How much of an audience is there in Chile for poetry?

A: It has evolved in a different direction. We in Chile have a way of thinking and talking that is very particular. The way we speak our Spanish is through metaphor. Ask anybody from Latin America about the way we talk, and its not only the way we pronounce our words  which is very odd and particular  but also the way we think. Im sure people are reading less poetry than before, but Im also sure that the way we think has been shaped by poetry. Its in our bloodstream.

Q: Youve described the film as Nerudian. What does that mean?

A: Neruda is a guy that, if you put your hands together and you try to hold him and drink him, like water, you can do it, but it will drain out. You will lose the water, but your hands will stay wet. Thats what I mean by saying the movie is Nerudian. We sort of absorbed and swallowed his entire work and life, and we sweated out this film. Neruda was not just a politician and writer, but a great cook, an expert on wine, a diplomat, a world traveler, a great collector. He had multiple relationships with women over his life. He lived in many, many countries, and spoke five languages. Can you reduce him to just one simple movie? No. This movie is like going into his house and playing with his toys, you know? We are more respectful than responsible.

Q: Ive heard you say that before. You also once said, We dont build monuments. Explain.

A: When you say that youre responsible, I personally understand that to mean that what youre trying to do is to protect the message that you want to send. Then the movie becomes very preachy. So I think what you do is that all your responsibility must be hidden in the film. If you play too seriously, then Im not interested. Theres got to be some fire. When it comes to Jackie and Neruda, were not making a monument to either of them. You cant. A monument is made out of bronze or steel. A filmmaker is a kid with a bomb.{/span}
On Thursday, a sturdy horse clip-clopped down C Street NW in Washington, carrying new Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to work for his first day on the job. Zinke, flanked by U.S. Park Police officers, wore a cowboy hat and boots. Tonto, his forelock tossing in the breeze, was a steady mount.

The image was captivating  in part because it was so incongruous with the 21st century urban surroundings. But that commute once was routine. For Theodore Roosevelt, the horse-besotted president whom Zinke has said he admires, riding down Washington streets was an everyday affair.

The 26th president once canceled a Cabinet meeting on a warm spring day so that he and his horse could be photographed jumping. Most days, he galloped through Rock Creek Park, mounted on Bleistein or Renown, sometimes rocketing over barriers hed erected: a stone wall, a bank with a ditch, a 5-foot-7-inch hurdle. Roosevelt didnt change clothes for his daily ride. He just walked out of the office, put on spurs, a hat and riding gloves, and mounted up. He fretted over how Washington was expanding, because urban growth meant fewer places to ride.

And Roosevelt had lots of animals to ride: He kept the largest string of horses at the White House since Chester Arthur in the 1880s.

As is well known, Roosevelt had a lifelong love for horses, from days on his childhood pony to life with his Rough Riders. And in his stable in Washington, in addition to Bleistein and Renown, were his old polo pony Black Diamond, carriage horses Judge and General, two saddle horses and young son Archies pony, Algonquin.

Vineland student turns love of outdoors into role as national park ambassador Sarah Hullihen is only 11 years old, but the Vineland resident carries herself like someone 

For a while, the Roosevelts also had a horse named Wyoming, which had been a gift from the people of Cheyenne and Douglas, two cities in that state. Wyoming knew tricks, like dropping to his knees to salute the president. The stables for all of these were in a vine-covered brick building that stood just southwest of the White House, beside the Army and Navy Building and opposite the Corcoran Gallery. The Roosevelt horses ate hay grown on the grounds of the Washington Monument.

Roosevelt got Washington onto horseback. Thanks To President Roosevelt, Riding Has Become Very Popular, read one 1905 headline. His predecessor, William McKinley, had been more of a driver than a rider, a reporter wrote, but now that the president was galloping around town, so were dignitaries and diplomats. Roosevelt actually took jumping lessons from the German ambassador. Some liked to ride on a speedway that went through public land in southwest Washington; others cantered around the then-open country surrounding Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia.

Roosevelt was a great protector of horses, too. He rode Bleistein only at a walk when they were on paved surfaces to protect the horses hoofs. He worried about the dampness of the White House stable; too many of his horses had developed an equine respiratory ailment called heaves, and in 1904, Roosevelt asked Congress for $90,000 to refurbish it. Organizers planned a cowboy endurance race from Deadwood, South Dakota, to Omaha, but Roosevelt  who usually adored all things cowboy  disapproved, because he thought it would be too hard on the horses. The event was canceled.

Roosevelt also fought the docking of horses tails. Before 1900, he didnt particularly care whether his horses had docked tails. Many did; it was the style. But by the time he arrived in Washington, Roosevelt was against the practice, and he vowed to let Bleisteins shortish tail grow out. According to one report, he refused to keep two dock-tailed carriage horses that hed used in Long Island and bought new, natural-tailed steeds in the District.

After that, fashion changed, and horses tails grew. Then-Sen. Jacob Gallinger, R-N.H., introduced a bill forbidding docked tails in the District of Columbia, and it passed 200-8. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took up the issue on a nationwide scale.

In 1907, Roosevelt decided that his military officers needed to be in better shape, which he expressed in horsemans terms: He wanted them able to ride 90 miles in three days. Many found this a ludicrous order. Who could ride that much?

So in January 1909, his last year in office, Roosevelt set out to prove a point. He stayed on horseback from 3:40 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., covering 98 miles of Virginia roads. He stopped in Warrenton for lunch and changed horses twice. In one day, hed done what hed asked the officers to do in three.

Coated in mud, his Rough Riderss hat glazed with ice, Roosevelt rode right up to the White Houses portico. His horse stood, steaming. The president jumped off, handed the reins to a groom and headed inside. Before the door closed behind him, a reporter wrote, the President flung back three hearty words  this with a grin that showed all his teeth and wrinkled his weather-beaten face into a hundred little furrows: It was bully, he said.
BEACH HAVEN  Surflight Theatre has been a venue for drama, and that appears to continue.

Steve Steiner, the theaters former artistic director, said Saturday he had planned to announce Monday the bankrupt theater has been sold to a buyer who plans to reopen it as a theater this summer.

But he got a spoiler on his own ending when a former volunteer sent an email announcing the sale and reopening, and the Asbury Park Press picked up on it.

Because the news was out, Steiner told The Press of Atlantic City on Saturday the buyer is Al Parinello, the former owner of a South Jersey radio station, WJSE-FM. Parinello is a Broadway producer, including of the long-running musical The Fantasticks.

Steiner said hes extremely confident the show will go on this year, three years after the Surflight last hosted plays.

Ill be the producing artistic director, and away we go, he said.

The formal announcement is set for Monday at the Museum of New Jersey Maritime History, also in Beach Haven.

Mayor Nancy Taggart Davis plans to be there and is scheduled to meet with Steiner and the buyer after the announcement. So are members of the boroughs Historic Preservation Advisory Committee.

And while Davis said shed be thrilled to see the Surflight up and running again, she added she does have some reservations about celebrating just yet.

Ive been working hard to get a theater back in town, and Ill be very happy if it does work out, she said. She emphasizes the borough has no financial obligations in this. We want a theater, and well do what we can to make it successful.

Davis has met with Steiner before, and she confirmed the buyer has a deal with TD Bank, the owner after the bankruptcy. She said her qualms come from Surflights status as a key part of the historic district, the jurisdiction of the towns Historic Preservation Advisory Commission.

The historic (commission) wants to preserve the theater, and they dont want to make any concessions to allowing it to be demolished if the theater fails, Davis said.

Jeanette Lloyd, who heads that commission, agreed any possible demolition discussion is her big worry. The Surflight already closed in bankruptcy once, and commission members dont want to see the theater disappear if its not an immediate hit.

The positive part about (the news) is that everyone in town is relieved its going to open up, she said. But, Lloyd added later, There are little hiccups in that.  I hope that it is successful and none of this comes true.

The Maritime Museum was founded by Deb Whictcraft, a former Beach Haven mayor. She knows the Surflight has almost seven decades of history, but lately that history has hit lots of twists.

I certainly wish the buyers well, but I hope  theyre not underestimating what its going to cost to restore it, she said. It would be a good thing not just for Beach Haven but for the entire (Long Beach) Island. Im just cautiously optimistic, but well all find a lot more out on Monday.
Six people  including three from Atlantic City and Millville  were arrested Friday after leading police on a chase through the Lincoln Tunnel, striking cars in a stolen minivan before attempting to flee in the tunnel on foot, officials said.

About 7:40 p.m. Friday, Port Authority police responded to the minivan driving at high speeds toward the tunnel, according to a news release from Joe Pentangelo, Port Authority senior police public information officer.

The Lincoln Tunnel is a set of three tunnels under the Hudson River connecting Weehawken, New Jersey, and Midtown Manhattan in New York.

New Jersey State Police pursued the 1999 Mercury minivan before it entered the tunnel. Six people were arrested and charged with criminal possession of stolen property and reckless endangerment:

Millville woman accused of stealing from two companies she worked at MILLVILLE  A local woman was arrested Friday after she was accused of stealing about $18,000 from two businesses for which she worked.

Bashaun Hood, 24, of Atlantic City

Edwin Andino, 26, of Millville

Dominique V. Hannon, 24, of Millville

Tabatha M. Harris, 23, of Camden

Ashley Lynn Cenneno, 26, no hometown provided

Jaquan D. Marshall, 20, no hometown provided

Hannon also was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a hypodermic needle.

Port Authority police Officer Mike Fusco initially responded to the south end of the tunnel. The minivan continued through the tunnel, striking several cars in traffic, the release said.

Police instructed the driver multiple times to stop, and when the minivan halted, the six people ran out of the car and through the moving tunnel traffic, the release said.

Fusco and Port Authority Sgt. Scott Kelliher followed the people in the minivan, who attempted to hide behind cars. Harris and Hood were arrested initially, while the other four continued to run through traffic toward the New York exit, police said.

Prosecutor's Office identifies man killed in Atlantic City shooting Sunday ATLANTIC CITY  A 24-year-old man was shot to death Sunday night in the citys Southeast Inl

The other four were arrested near the end of the tunnel, the release said.

No injuries were reported in the pursuit.
ATLANTIC CITY  A 24-year-old man was shot to death Sunday night in the citys Southeast Inlet, police said.

Officers responded to a report of a fatal shooting just before 10 p.m. in the 100 block of South Vermont Avenue, where the Vermont Plaza Apartment building sits.

They found Kevin Couplin, of Atlantic City, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene, acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Diane Ruberton said in a statement.

2 stabbed in fight at Harrah's Atlantic City bar ATLANTIC CITY  A Harrahs Resort security officer and a customer were stabbed during a figh

Across the street from Vermont Plaza is an empty lot with a view of the shuttered Revel about three blocks away. Few businesses are open in the area.

On Monday afternoon, police stood outside a home about a block away on Seaside Avenue, with additional officers walking behind a home. Officials would not confirm the nature of that investigation or whether it was related to the fatal shooting.

The Atlantic County Prosecutors Office is investigating. Anyone with information can call the Prosecutors Major Crimes Unit at 609-909-7666. Witnesses also may call the Atlantic City Police Department Investigations Division at 609-347-5766.
Exploring the Pine Barrens usually means getting outside to hike, canoe or bike  but at two events this weekend, the vast Pinelands can be explored indoors.

Pinelands Commission approves SJ Gas pipeline CHERRY HILL  The Pinelands Commission approved the South Jersey Gas pipeline Friday in a ra

This years Pinelands Short Course will be an all-day event Saturday at Stockton University, followed Sunday by the free celebration of all things Pinelands called Lines on the Pines at Renault Winery in Egg Harbor City.

We are so different yet complement each other, said Linda Stanton, founder of Lines on the Pines, presented by the nonprofit organization Its a Sign of the Pines.

The Short Course, run by the Pinelands Commission, concentrates on environmental topics, while Stantons started as a Pine Barrens authors event and has branched out into artistic, musical, cultural and historical topics.

Its the 12th year for Lines and the 28th for the Short Course.

The first Lines event was held at Sweetwater Casino in Mullica Township and was strictly a meet-the-authors event. Some people were afraid it wouldnt attract much attention, but it was a great success and 75 people stayed to have dinner, Stanton said.

This year, she expects about 2,000 people to attend to visit 80 vendor tables, including authors, crafters, musicians and artists.

This event has survived the worst catastrophes. Year Two we had a power outage, but the electric company got there and got it turned on, Stanton said. After Year Three, Sweetwater Casino burned to the ground.

After moving around for a few years, it is now in its second year at Renault, she said.

Its a historic site. A perfect fit for us, she said. This year, Lines will use the grand ballroom and the historic winery building.

State tax refund check-off helps eagles, ospreys and more New Jersey residents have helped the recovery of bald eagles and ospreys through a state inc

Two of the highlights include Mullica Township resident Tom Southard, of Pinelands Historical Designs, who has had a long career using native plants for designs and has provided them for movies and television commercials.

Another is Michael Gabriele, of Clifton, who has a new book called History of New Jersey Folk Revival Music 1700s to the Present.

Bird carver Gary Giberson is the speaker for the sold-out dinner for 180 in the Tuscany Room, Stanton said.

About 35 vendors will have something for kids to do or make at their tables, she said, and there will be live Pinelands music all day.

Meanwhile, there will be 38 presentations to choose from at the Pinelands Short Course, covering ecological and cultural topics.

Its a way for the Pinelands Commission to educate the public, which is part of its mission. More than 1,400 people have attended the course in the past three years, said commission Executive Director Nancy Wittenberg.

This year, not all the classes are indoors. The commission has added a half-day guided van tour of the Mullica River watershed and some outdoor classes.

Atlantic County history and the Leeds family will play a big part in this years event, commission spokesman Paul Leakan said.

Norman Goos will tell the story of 1st Lt. Jeremiah Leeds, a key figure from a colonial family that owned almost all of what is known today as Atlantic City. Goos is president of the Col. Richard Somers Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Brian Regal, a Kean University assistant professor of the history of science and medicine, will discuss the origins of the story of the Jersey Devil and how that story evolved from the politics of early colonial Atlantic County, Leakan said.

New courses this year include Coyotes in New Jersey, the Fungi Kingdom and its Importance to the Pinelands, and Raptors and Reptiles in the Pinelands.

Returning popular presentations include Threatened and Endangered Snakes in the Pinelands, The Secret World of Plants and Pollinators, Pinelands Frogs and Toads, and Wilderness Survival Skills.
Meadowlands A.C. threat

Regarding the Feb. 12 story, Meadowlands Racetrack owner holds out hope for casino:

So Jeffrey Gural, the owner of the Meadowlands Racetrack, is trying to sell his solution to making money at his property. After mentioning some of his other assets, he went on to remind us he is a horse guy and not a casino guy and this business is only a hobby to him. He does point out how the subsidies he would receive would then make the track profitable.

He describes Atlantic City as a slum and how out-of-state gambling is the cause Atlantic Citys decline. I suppose he thinks his new casino would not affect Atlantic City. I guess we should all let the city and the thousands of people affected by his proposal fend for themselves.

George Scavuzzo

Mays Landing

Comparatively, even superlatively, stupid

Regarding the Feb. 11 letter, Degrees of stupidity:

The writer does not have a firm grasp of the English language. Stupid is an adjective. You can conjugate a verb, but this is not one. The writer is using a comparative and a superlative. Such a pleasure not to be speaking about politics.

Cathy Nardelli

Ventnor

Manning treated unfairly

A Feb. 2 letter objecting to the pardon of whistleblower Chelsea Manning said Chicago is the U.S. murder capital. While Chicago in 2016 had the highest number murders of any city at 762, it didnt have the highest murder rate. St. Louis was at number one with 59.3 murders per 100,000 people and Chicago number 24 with 17.5 per 100,000.

Whistleblowers in the private sector often get rewarded with money for exposing fraud, waste and abuse. Government whistleblowers arent so lucky; theyre usually singled out for retaliation and retribution.

Manning was sentenced to 35 years for leaking diplomatic and military documents to WikiLeaks. Some of the material proved embarrassing to the military.

She has served almost six and a half years plus a year in solitary before trial.

The ironic thing is that in trial, Manning was not allowed to testify why she leaked because U.S. law, unlike Europe, prohibits whistleblowers from mounting a public interest defense. Whistleblowers are never allowed to explain that they break the law to alert citizens about their governments wrongdoing.

Nick Reina

Milmay

Immigration policy favors U.S. jobs for Americans

Two articles in the Feb. 1 Money section on the presidential executive order on immigration were laughable. Regarding Amazon and the high-tech industry, I have zero sympathy for both high-tech companies and their potential immigrant employees. With 40 years in high-tech, I have seen and continue to see thousands of extremely talented and experienced American citizen engineers and professionals lose their well-paying jobs to immigrants and other countries. These taxpaying citizens have seen their lives totally ruined. Dont expect me to shed one tear for immigrants who cannot come to the U.S. to take yet another job away from an American citizen.

As for the second article on the terrible woes of academia, these whiners need to grow up. They take money for screwball studies that make them feel wonderful about themselves, with little value to the American taxpayers who fund their research. Exploring the health consequences of Yemens civil war isnt going to improve the life of even one U.S. citizen, aside from lining the pockets of the professor who received the grant to waste taxpayer money on such drivel.

American citizens are fed up with being taken advantage of in the name of globalization, corporate profit and self-serving academic research. Its time they take care of their own. Hire American. When the workforce is healthy again there will be time to gladly assist others. There are eight years of President Obamas damage to recover from, plus previous years of American worker abuse.

Thomas Szczepanski

Egg Harbor City

Trump, Congress message

Abraham Lincoln once wrote, We have been preserved these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God.

Albert Einstein once said, We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.

One can only hope President Trump and Congress will get the message, and soon.

Ken Schorr

Manahawkin
WARETOWN  U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur will meet with constituents in a town-hall session Monday as Republican lawmakers across the country face angry crowds at similar events.

MacArthur, a Republican whose 3rd Congressional District represents most of Burlington and part of Ocean counties, will hold the event at 6:30 p.m. at Waretown Volunteer Fire Company Station 36, 117 Wells Mills Road in Ocean Township.

The meeting comes as Republican lawmakers face backlash from constituents over proposals from President Donald Trump and efforts by Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Last month, MacArthur chose to hold a telephone town hall instead of an in-person event, saying he didnt want to be baited into having an event that some outside group can just make a spectacle out of, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Republican Rep. Leonard Lance, who represents northern-central New Jerseys 7th District, recently held a packed and rowdy town hall at which the constituents loudest message was to push back against Trump.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fifty-five years after the floodwaters from the Five High storm receded from her island, Margaret Buchholz, 83, of Harvey Cedars, still remembers it vividly.

It was the first time she ever saw her father cry.

Margarets dad, Reynold Thomas, then mayor of the small Long Beach Island borough, teared up as he toured the devastation brought on by five consecutive high tides.

Despite recent storms, including Hurricane Sandy and Winter Storm Jonas, the March 6-8 storm of 1962, which began 55 years ago this week, is still the measuring stick to which all other storms are compared. Its a storm that not only changed the shape of the South Jersey coastline but sparked the need for change in the way life was lived on the barrier islands.

And its a storm that meteorologists, emergency managers and those who remember it never want to see again.

Buchholz remembers her dad being airlifted off Long Beach Island during the height of the storm to seek immediate help for his devastated community.

When cops got us back on the island on the third day of the storm, we hardly recognized it, she recalled.

The storm cut a new channel between Barnegat Bay and the ocean at 79th street. Current Harvey Cedars Mayor Jonathan Oldham, 57, said half of the of the approximately 500 homes that existed in the borough in 1962 were lost  some just swept away. About 45,000 homes were destroyed in New Jersey.

Just a toddler at the time of the 62 storm, Oldham recalled being stranded on Long Beach Island for two weeks, before finally being rescued by helicopter.

The March 1962 noreaster is also called the Great Ash Wednesday storm, but that name is misleading.

It didnt last just that Wednesday. The sluggish storm pounded the shore for three long days and nights. To those who lived through it, it felt much longer.

The storm struck with little warning, said meteorologist Jim Eberwine, who has forecast coastal storms in South Jersey for four decades.

The initial forecast called for a few showers and a little bit of a rise in the tide, nothing more, he said.

The reality was a 72-hour torrent of windswept rain, a little snow, 60 mph winds, 25- to 40-foot waves and an unprecedented five high tides of devastating flooding.

It really was our perfect storm, Eberwine said.

What made it perfect? A stalling storm coupled with perigean spring tides that were already higher than normal spelled trouble for South Jersey, Eberwine, said. Add strong winds coming off a tremendous fetch of ocean that stretched more than 1,000 miles into the Atlantic, and that trouble turned historic.

Its not the strength that defines a storm, but the duration, Eberwine said.

Theres nothing more destructive and disheartening than watching the tide continue to rise even at low tide for five straight cycles, he said.

Ocean City Emergency Management Coordinator Frank Donato knows a lot has changed in the 5 decades since the storm struck.

Back then, homes were built slab on grade and were easily washed away, he explained.

Now, homes are built much higher with better building materials. Donato described the multiple lines of defense that have since been created, some as a direct result of the 62 storm.

Extensive dunes, bulkheads, beach-replenishment projects and pumping stations now line the shore. Donato knows his city is much more resilient and prepared, and residents more educated.

But the tales of March 1962 still make him uneasy.

Weve seen worse storms in terms of intensity over the last 55 years, but none have rivaled the longevity of the 1962 storm, which even today would present a challenge to us, Donato said.

Three days. Five high tides. One storm that most who lived through it still consider the benchmark.

The greatest resource of this storm is the survivors, and were slowly losing them, said Eberwine, adding most meteorologists and current residents werent around to experience it.

Rest assured, Buchholz still remembers the storm that put Harvey Cedars on the map as ground zero, when it almost wiped it off the map altogether.
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.



















MONTREAL, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

2016 Airport Service Quality Awards

Airports Council International (ACI) World today announces the winners of the 2016 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards . Airports large and small from around the globe demonstrate airports' commitment to providing an excellent customer experience.

View the full list of ASQ rankings.

"I am delighted that as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of helping airports understand how best to serve their customers with the ASQ Programme, we see our largest group of winners ever," said Angela Gittens, Director General, ACI World. "These airports have dedicated themselves to delivering a stellar customer experience. Promoting a culture of continuous service improvement has become a matter of gaining competitive advantage and optimising non-aeronautical revenue performance. ACI proudly recognizes these accomplishments and we look forward to seeking more effective, efficient and profitable ways of serving the flying public together."

ASQ is the only worldwide programme to survey passengers at the airport on their day of travel. Every year, the Programme delivers some 600,000 individual surveys in 41 languages in 84 countries. It measures passengers' views of 34 key performance indicators, including airport access, check-in, security screening, restrooms, stores and restaurants. Each airport uses the exact same survey, creating an industry database that allows airports to compare themselves to other airports around the world. The ASQ Programme also has a feature that facilitates sharing of best practices among airport operators.

The ASQ Awards are presented to those airports whose customers have rated them the highest over the course of the year. The categories have been designated to recognize the achievements of airports of different sizes and in different regions.

The ASQ Awards Ceremony will be held at the 27th ACI Africa/World Annual General Assembly, Conference & Exhibition in Port Louis, Mauritius, 16-18 October 2017.

Notes for editors

1. Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world's airports, was founded in 1991 with the objective of fostering cooperation among its member airports and other partners in world aviation, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation. In representing the best interests of airports during key phases of policy development, ACI makes a significant contribution toward ensuring a global air transport system that is safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable. As of January 2017, ACI serves 623 members operating 1,940 airports in 176 countries.

Media contact



Anita Berthier

Manager, External Relations and Special Events

ACI World

Telephone: +1-514-373-1254

Email: mediarelations@aci.aero



SOURCE Airports Council International (ACI)
BRUSSELS, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center (ESISC) on Monday published a comprehensive report (http://www.esisc.org/publications/analyses/11791) uncovering an Armenian connection network inside the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) that "has led a merciless propaganda campaign against Azerbaijan to benefit Armenia."

The report, entitled "The Armenian Connection - How a Secret Caucus of MPs and NGOs, since 2012, Created a Network within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to Hide Violations of International Law", states that "these unilateral and untruthful attacks are the tool of a hidden political agenda: to defend Armenia's illegal occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh" and to hide "private interests behind the purview of the 'defence of human rights'".

ESISC's CEO Claude Moniquet, a former French journalist and intelligence agent as well as the author of twenty books on intelligence, terrorism and security issues and history, noted that the work on the Azerbaijan-Armenia issue began a few years ago.

"The illegal occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenia is a real strategic issue," Moniquet said. "And even though the occupation was condemned by the United Nations and international community, we found it strange that Armenia continued to receive such important international support, while Azerbaijan became the target of so-called 'human rights violations', so we decided to investigate."

Providing facts, figures and photos, the 27-page ESISC investigation links certain members of PACE to Armenia or Armenian-linked organisations. "These dangerous politics that associate MPs and large NGOs must immediately stop," the report states.

The probe also condemns the report by the European Stability Initiative (ESI) entitled "Caviar Diplomacy", which accused Azerbaijan of corruption. "The publication of this report had only one goal: to create a climate of suspicion based on slander to form a network of MPs that would engage in a political war against Azerbaijan," according to ESISC's report.

"It is normal and healthy for civil society, represented by NGO, to participate in political debates and to associate with MPs from time to time," Moniquet said. "However, since 2012, we have witnessed the creation of a network that conspires against Azerbaijan, willing to destabilise the country with the end goal of dissimulating the illegal occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh."

"We hope that our work will counterbalance their influence and lead to a better understanding of strategic issues."

A second report into the "Armenian Connection" will be published by ESISC in the near future.

Source: ESISC (http://www.esisc.org)

ESISC was established in 2002 in Brussels and specialises in the collection and analysis of all sources of intelligence in the areas of security, geopolitics, economy and due diligence. On the basis of intelligence collected, ESISC produces customised reports and analyses.

SOURCE ESISC (esisc.org)
GURGAON, India, March 6,2017 /PRNewswire/ --Cairn India, the nation's largest private sector oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) company, currently accounting for almost 30 per cent of India's crude oil production, has appointed senior oil & gas advisors, Melody Meyer and Atul Gupta. These senior leaders bring on board more than 70 years of combined experience across oil & gas conglomerates such as Chevron, Petrofina and Burren Energy, across geographies as diverse as Middle East, Central Asia and Alaska. They will provide strategic direction and delivery focus to Cairn India, as the company embarks upon its growth journey of contributing to 50% of India's overall crude production, through 5 billion barrels of oil equivalent reserves and growing and sustaining production at 300,000 barrels of oil and oil equivalent per day.

Speaking on these appointments, Mr Sudhir Mathur, Acting CEO, Cairn India says:

"It gives us immense pride to have Ms. Melody Meyer and Mr. Atul Gupta with us. With their unique blend of extensive oil and gas experience, leadership and business acumen, we are confident that they will together play a stellar role in further increasing the operational efficiency and growth of our business. They will prove to be the twin pillars on which Cairn India's forward vision will be founded."

Ms. Melody Meyer brings 37 years of rich experience with Chevron Corporation  one of the world's largest integrated oil companies. In her last role as President, Asia-Pacific, she was responsible for driving Chevron's E&P activities across nine countries in the region. She has extensive leadership expertise in global upstream operations, strategic business planning, major capital projects execution, capital allocation and delivering superior financial results. In her earlier roles at Chevron, Melody has held leadership responsibilities as President of Energy Technology, Vice President of the Gulf of Mexico SBU, Vice-President U.S. Mid-Continent and Alaska SBU. An American citizen, Melody graduated from Trinity University in 1979 with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering and attended Dartmouth Tuck Executive Education program in 1997. As an advocate for 'women in energy', she was also the Executive Sponsor of the Chevron Women's Network and formed Women with Energy LLC. Melody is currently also on the Boards of Trustees of Trinity University and National Bureau of Asian Research. In 2009, Melody was recognized as a Trinity Distinguished Alumni, with BioHouston Women in Science and the ASME Rhoades Petroleum Industry Leadership Awards.

On her appointment Melody says, "I am very excited to be an executive advisor to Cairn. This will be my first experience in India, one of the world's most rapidly developing energy markets. I am looking forward to add value to the company's integrated E&P plans and capabilities and contribute to selecting the right partners for smooth project execution that will be key to the company's future growth."

A sector professional with more than 36 years of rich and varied global experience, Mr. Atul Gupta currently advises private equity firms and sits on the Boards of a number of upstream oil and gas companies including Nostrum (Kazakhstan), Seven Energy (Nigeria) and Vetra Energy (Colombia). Earlier, he was Chairman and CEO of oil and gas companies with BSG Resources  a natural resource and power company. Prior to that, Atul served as CEO of Burren Energy Plc. Prior to that for over two decades, he worked in numerous leadership roles with the international upstream oil and gas businesses  successively with Charterhouse Petroleum, Petrofina, Monument and Burren Energy. He was also the Managing Director of Hindustan Oil Exploration Co. Ltd., of HOEC Bardahl India Ltd. from August 2006 to August 2008. A British citizen, Atul holds a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Cambridge University and a Master's degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Heriot-Wat University.

Says Atul, "I am delighted to join Cairn at a time when the company is all set to play an important role in India's mission towards energy security and sustainability. Further, ramping up the overall crude and natural gas production at reduced costs will be an important step in this direction. In both of these aspects, Cairn has a strong legacy of excellence and I am hopeful of furthering the legacy."

The following release was issued today by Vedanta Ltd subsidiary Cairn India Limited.

About Cairn India

Cairn India is one of the largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in India. It is headquartered in Gurgaon in the National Capital Region. A subsidiary of Vedanta Limited; part of the Vedanta Group, a globally diversified natural resources group, Cairn India has operational offices in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. The Company has a world-class resource base, with interest in seven blocks in India and one in South Africa. Cairn India's focus on India has resulted in a significant number of oil and gas discoveries. Cairn India made a major oil discovery (Mangala) in Rajasthan in the north west of India at the beginning of 2004. To date, thirty eight discoveries have been made in the Rajasthan block RJ-ON-90/1. Together with its JV partners, Cairn India accounted for ~27% of India's domestic crude oil production for FY16.

Contact

Media Relations

Arun Arora

Chief Communication Officer

+91-124 4593039

+91 8826999270

cilmedia@cairnindia.com

For further information on Cairn India Limited, kindly visit www.cairnindia.com

For further information, please contact:

Communications

Roma Balwani

President  Group Communications, Sustainability& CSR

Tel: +91-22 6646 1000

gc@vedanta.co.in

Investor Relations

Ashwin Bajaj

Director  Investor Relations

Tel: +91-22 6646 1531

vedantaltd.ir@vedanta.co.in

Sunila Martis

Associate General Manager - Investor Relations

Vishesh Pachnanda

Manager  Investor Relations

About Vedanta Limited (Formerly SesaSterlite Ltd.)

Vedanta Limited is a diversified natural resources company, whose business primarily involves producing oil & gas, zinc - lead - silver, copper, iron ore, aluminium and commercial power. The company has a presence across India, South Africa, Namibia, Australia, Ireland, Liberia and Sri Lanka.

Vedanta Limited, formerly SesaSterlite Limited is the Indian subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Plc, a London-listed company. Governance and Sustainable Development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety and environment and on enhancing the lives of local communities. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more information please log on to www.vedantalimited.com

Vedanta Limited

(Formerly known as SesaSterlite Limited)

Vedanta, 75, Nehru Road,

Vile Parle (East), Mumbai - 400 099

www.vedantalimited.com

Registered Office:

Vedanta Limited 1st Floor, 'C' wing, Unit 103, Corporate Avenue, Atul Projects, Chakala,

Andheri (East), Mumbai 400093, Maharashtra, India.

CIN: L13209GA1965PLC000044

Disclaimer

This press release contains "forward-looking statements"  that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "should" or "will." Forwardlooking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different that those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.

Related Links

http://www.vedantalimited.com



SOURCE Vedanta Limited
STOCKHOLM, Mar 06, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Catella has been awarded a real estate prize in the Refurbishment category for its Living Circle project at the Real Estate Managers 2017 event in Germany. Catella's Living Circle project is one of the biggest conversions of office space into residential in Germany, and won in competition with projects by major developers.

The imAward 2017 event, arranged by German magazine Immobilienmanager, took place on March 2 in Cologne, with 420 invited guests. The awards started in 2009 and have evolved to become the most significant in the German real estate business. The jury, consisting of 14 specialists, chose Catella's Living Circle project in the Refurbishment category with the motivation:

"Catella solved two challenges with the Living Circle project. The urban challenge: the old "Thyssen Trade Center" in Dusseldorf had been an empty office building since 2011 and was not usable for new tenants. The market challenge: the residential market in Dusseldorf has a high demand surplus for affordable housing. Dusseldorf needs more housing to regulate the local market. Instead of demolition, the award winners decided for a conversion of the existing office building and to keep the landmark character of the architecture. The inner courtyards offer green oases with a high-quality environment, including a kindergarten and supermarket. The central location also provides close connection in all directions. The exceptional rents represent another important fact: 20% of the apartments are price capped with a maximum rent of EUR 8.50/m2, and the rest have an average rent of only EUR 11.65/m2, which is also below market rents. The Living Circle is one of the biggest conversion projects from office to apartments ever realised in Germany. Moreover, it is the first development in Dusseldorf to apply the rent policy concept."

"This project was extremely challenging for our team and required a lot of work. But the result has been worth it  a unique and sustainable investment product. The fact that the jury decided on our project against this tough competition gives us even greater motivation in further projects," says Klaus Franken, Head of German Project Management at Catella.

For more information, please contact:

Klaus Franken

Head of Project Management

Tel: +49-211-90-99-35-0

E-mail: klaus.franken@catella.de

Press contact:

Ann Charlotte Svensson

Head of Group Communications

Tel: 46-8 -63-32-55, 46-72-510-11-61

E-mail: anncharlotte.svensson@catella.se

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/catella---property-investment-management/r/catella-wins-prestigious-german-real-estate-award,c2204818

The following files are available for download:

http://mb.cision.com/Main/9880/2204818/637906.pdf Press release http://news.cision.com/catella---property-investment-management/i/catella-bauwert-imaward2017,c2090912 Catella-Bauwert-imAward2017 http://news.cision.com/catella---property-investment-management/i/catella-living-circle-2,c2090913 Catella Living Circle 2 http://news.cision.com/catella---property-investment-management/i/catella-living-circle,c2090914 Catella Living Circle

SOURCE Catella - Property Investment Management
CHICAGO, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CNA today announced the appointment of Joyce Trimuel as Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer. In this newly created role, Trimuel is responsible for developing and leading a cadre of strategic priorities aimed at accelerating the company's efforts to build a diverse and inclusive culture. She reports to Liz Aguinaga, Chief Human Resources Officer, CNA.

Joyce Trimuel appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for CNA. In this newly created role, Trimuel is responsible for developing and leading a cadre of strategic priorities aimed at accelerating the company's efforts to build a diverse and inclusive culture. (PRNewsFoto/CNA)

"In addition to being a catalyst for positive change and a passionate, demonstrated champion of diversity, Joyce is a results-driven business leader who will ensure we attract, develop and retain the best people by focusing on the broadest possible pool of talent within our company and throughout the marketplace," Aguinaga said.

Trimuel joins CNA with nearly 20 years of underwriting and industry leadership. Most recently, she served as Vice President and Kansas City Branch Manager for Chubb. At the same time, she founded the Lead.Link.Leverage initiative, offering more than 200 women business leaders in the Kansas City community professional career development.

"Diversity and inclusion leads to more innovation, more opportunities for all, better access to talent and better business performance," said Dino E. Robusto, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, CNA. "By working with people from different backgrounds and with different experiences and working styles, we learn and obtain another point of view. Diverse views make for better decisions, and thus drive a high-performance culture. Joyce's leadership will allow us meet the needs of customers from countless backgrounds and play a more vital role in our global communities."

Trimuel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as an MBA from the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. She has earned several diversity achievements, including acting as the chair of Chubb's Multicultural Development Council, developing and implementing a first-of-its-kind leadership development program, and leading several successful civic and charitable partnerships.

About CNA

Serving businesses and professionals since 1897, CNA is the country's eighth largest commercial insurance writer and the 14th largest property and casualty company. CNA's insurance products include commercial lines, specialty lines, surety, marine and other property and casualty coverages. CNA's services include risk management, information services, underwriting, risk control and claims administration. For more information, please visit CNA at www.cna.com. "CNA" is a registered trademark of CNA Financial Corporation. Certain CNA Financial Corporation subsidiaries use the "CNA" trademark in connection with insurance underwriting and claims activities.

Follow CNA (NYSE: CNA) on: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube

CONTACT:

Brandon Davis, 312-822-5167 / 312-834-6091

Sarah Pang, 312-822-6394 / 312-607-5544

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474532/Joyce_Trimuel__2016_Headshot.jpg

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/452522/CNA_FINANCIAL_CORPORATION_LOGO.jpg

Related Links

http://www.cna.com



SOURCE CNA
PARIS, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

RATP Dev chose Intersec for the DataCity Mobility challenge, program launched by NUMA and Paris City

Intersec (intersec.com), the leading vendor of real-time streaming analytics software today announced it has been chosen for the DataCity Project. DataCity is an open innovation program created by NUMA - a program accelerating startups, supporting corporates and public institutions in their innovative projects - in partnership with Paris City. The objective of these challenges: use data to design solutions for tomorrow's cities.

With the support of multiple stakeholders (Cisco, SFR, Setec, Paris City, etc.), pilots are set up to allow startups and tech companies to demonstrate their cutting-edge solutions. Corporates and local authorities benefit from these solutions through new business opportunities, new services or quality of service improvement.

RATP Dev has selected Intersec for the Mobility challenge to develop algorithms counting passengers of its subsidiary OpenTour - main operator of Parisian open top touristic buses. These algorithms, developed in full compliancy with legal requirements regarding privacy, aim at enriching customer knowledge, identifying where people hop on and off, measure flows at each stop, etc.

The resulting analytics will enable OpenTour to enrich its offer and to enhance their customers' experience.

Patrick Vautier, Marketing and Innovation Director at RATP Dev explains, "RATP Dev invests in an open approach of innovation to offer more performant and attractive solutions to the network we operate. By enabling established mobility start-ups like Intersec to collaborate with our experts and benefit from our international presence, RATP Dev supports their growth and the outreach of innovative mobility solutions for the benefit of cities and their inhabitants."

 We are eager to start this project with RATP Dev and OpenTour in direct line with our Smart Cities strategy. DataCity echoes our experimentation with Cisco on the refurbishing of Paris Nation Square.  comments Jean-Marc Coic, Intersec CTO and co-founder.

Created by NUMA and Paris City in 2015, DataCity is the first French open innovation program that enables Corporate French companies, Government institutions and startups to overcome together tomorrow's challenges for the cities.

Learn more about NUMA on https://paris.numa.co

Learn more about Intersec on http:// www.intersec.com.

Learn more about RATP Dev on http:// www.ratpdev.com

Intersec Press contact:

Marion Choppin - Marketing

Tel: +33(0)155703356

@: marion.choppin@intersec.com



SOURCE Intersec
The Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund, managed by Quona Capital, invests in companies that innovate to expand access to financial services to underserved consumers and businesses in emerging markets

WASHINGTON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Three billion people around the world are underserved by the financial sector, with limited or no access to quality savings, credit, insurance, and payments.

The Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund aims to address this solvable problem by catalyzing fintech innovations that can radically improve the quality and availability of financial services for the underserved.

Alternative credit, payments, small and medium enterprise (SME) finance, and insurtech are among the solutions the Fund aims to accelerate.

Global nonprofit Accion, the Fund's sponsor and anchor investor, brings more than 50 years of experience in harnessing the capital markets to help provide people with the financial tools and services they need to build better lives.

Quona Capital  founded by a global team with deep entrepreneurial and investment experience in financial services and technology  is a venture firm specializing in fintech for inclusive finance in emerging markets.

Accion and Quona Capital announced today the final close of the Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund, the world's first global fintech fund for the underserved. The oversubscribed Fund represents $141M in commitments from an array of leading institutional investors including global insurance companies, investment banks and asset managers, a university endowment, prominent foundations and family offices, as well as development finance institutions. The Fund will focus on emerging markets in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia (with a particular emphasis on India and Southeast Asia) that have demonstrated the greatest potential for inclusive fintech.

"Three billion people are left out of, or poorly served by, the global financial system. The Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund  the world's first global fintech fund for the underserved  will help address this," said Michael Schlein, CEO and President of Accion. "The Fund will support innovators using new technologies to help create a financial system that works for everyone. By focusing on both social impact and financial returns, we believe the Fund shows the importance of harnessing the capital markets to solve society's most challenging problems."

"The diversity and caliber of investors the Fund has attracted and the capital they have put behind it is an unambiguous validation of our investment thesis and a milestone for both financial inclusion and the impact investing industry," said Monica Brand Engel, a founding partner at Quona Capital, the Fund manager. "By identifying and supporting the most promising business models, the Fund can produce a demonstration effect that inspires others to pursue inclusive new technologies and compete in traditionally underserved communities."

The Fund's anchor investor, general partner, and sponsor is Accion, a global nonprofit committed to creating a financially inclusive world that benefits the three billion financially underserved people failed by the world's formal economy. Over the last nine years, Accion has made more than thirty impact investments in startups that are finding new ways to meet the financial needs of the underserved. The Fund is managed by Quona Capital, a venture firm focused on inclusive financial technology in emerging markets. The Quona founding team has decades of experience as investors and entrepreneurs in financial services and technology in both emerging and developed markets and is passionate about making a lasting impact through its investments.

To-date, the Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund has invested in:

Konfio, which uses unique data analytics and an online platform to deliver affordable working capital loans to micro-businesses in Mexico

Creditas, an innovative provider of secured home and auto equity loan solutions for the emerging middle class in Brazil

Coins, a mobile payments platform leveraging the blockchain to provide a comprehensive suite of services for low income consumers in the Philippines

NeoGrowth, the first company to offer card and other electronic payments receivables financing to SMEs in India

Yoco, a mobile point of sale and value added service solution for micro and small merchants in Africa , to help expand the acceptance environment for digital payments

, to help expand the acceptance environment for digital payments Invoinet, a reverse factoring platform for small and medium enterprises in Argentina and Brazil

and Eseye, a global Internet of Things service provider enabling pay-as-you-go asset financing and access to prepaid utilities to underserved consumers in emerging markets

IndiaMART, India's largest B2B listing and transactions platform for SMEs, which is making a strong foray into associated payment and financial solutions

largest B2B listing and transactions platform for SMEs, which is making a strong foray into associated payment and financial solutions CreditMantri, a credit advisory platform in India , utilizing traditional and alternative data to provide consumers enhanced credit profiles and access to improved credit options

The pipeline is dynamic and growing. The Fund plans announcements of additional investments in exciting innovators expanding the quality and availability of financial services in emerging markets.

The Fund's investors include Accion; AXA Impact Fund; Blue Haven Initiative; Calvert Equity Portfolio; the Dalio Foundation; FMO (Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden); Heifer Foundation; IDP Foundation, Inc.; IFC (International Finance Corporation), a member of the World Bank Group; JPMorgan Chase & Co.; The Lemelson Foundation; Mastercard; MetLife; PG Impact Investments; Private Market Impact Fund; Prudential Financial, Inc.; Quona Capital; The Sandy River Charitable Foundation; Skopos Impact Fund; TIAA Investments, an affiliate of Nuveen; Triodos Fair Share Fund and Triodos Microfinance Fund, funds managed by Triodos Investment Management; Wallace Global Fund; and William A. Gee.

About Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund and Quona Capital

The Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund, managed by Quona Capital, is the first global fintech fund for the underserved, investing in innovative financial technology and services companies that promote financial inclusion for the three billion people around the world who are underserved by financial services. Quona Capital is an early growth-stage venture firm focused on financial technology for underserved consumers and businesses in emerging markets. The fund is sponsored by Accion, a global leader in inclusive finance with a rich history of double-bottom line investing, where its impact investments create positive economic and social returns. For further information, visit http://www.quona.com and http://www.accion.org/frontier.

Media Contacts:

Katie Mounts

kmounts@accion.org

+1 202.280.5859

Allison Steitz

allison@quona.com

+1 858.216.5709

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474351/Accion_Frontier_Inclusion_Fund_Logo.jpg

Related Links

http://www.accion.org



SOURCE Accion
LONDON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Forecast By Form (Liquid & Powder), By Resin Type (Silicone, Epoxy, Acrylic, Polyester, Modified Resin), By End-Use Industry (Automotive, Industrial, Consumer Goods, Building & Construction) & By Region Plus Profiles of Top Companies

Visiongain's new 191 page report assesses that the Heat Resistant Coating market will reach $5.13 billion in 2017.

Are you involved in heat resistant coating or need to understand its market dynamics? If so, then you must read this report

It's vital that you keep your knowledge up to date. You need this report.

Market scope: This brand-new report from visiongain is a completely fresh market assessment of the Heat Resistant Coating market based upon the latest information. Our new market study contains forecasts, original analysis, company profiles and, most crucially, fresh conclusions. The report gives detailed forecasts and analysis of the Heat Resistant Coating markets by region and end-use sectors.

Heat Resistant Coating Market Forecast 2017-2027 report responds to your need for definitive market data:

 Where are the Heat Resistant Coating market opportunities?

- 163 tables, charts, and graphs reveal market data allowing you to target your strategy more effectively

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- Global, national and the Heat Resistant Coating submarket forecasts and analysis from 2017-2027 illustrate the market progression

 Which Heat Resistant Coating submarkets will flourish from 2017-2027?

- Liquid Submarket Forecast 2017-2027

- Powder Submarket Forecast 2017-2027

- Silicone Submarket Forecast 2017-2027

- Epoxy Submarket Forecast 2017-2027

- Acrylic Submarket Forecast 2017-2027

- Polyester Submarket Forecast 2017-2027

- Modified Resin Submarket Forecast 2017-2027

- Other Resin Type Submarket Forecast 2017-2027

- Automotive Submarket Forecast 2017-2027

- Industrial Submarket Forecast 2017-2027

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 Where are the regional Heat Resistant Coating market opportunities from 2017-2027?

Focused regional forecasts and analysis explore the future opportunities

- Asia-Pacific forecast 2017-2027

- North America forecast 2017-2027

- Europe forecast 2017-2027

- Latin America forecast 2017-2027

- The Middle East & Africa forecast 2017-2027

- China forecast 2017-2027

- Japan forecast 2017-2027

- India forecast 2017-2027

- South Korea forecast 2017-2027

- Thailand forecast 2017-2027

- Indonesia forecast 2017-2027

- Australia forecast 2017-2027

- Rest of APAC forecast 2017-2027

- U.S. forecast 2017-2027

- Canada forecast 2017-2027

- Mexico forecast 2017-2027

- Germany forecast 2017-2027

- Russia forecast 2017-2027

- U.K. forecast 2017-2027

- France forecast 2017-2027

- Italy forecast 2017-2027

- Turkey forecast 2017-2027

- Rest of Europe forecast 2017-2027

- Brazil forecast 2017-2027

- Argentina forecast 2017-2027

- Chile forecast 2017-2027

- Rest of Latin America forecast 2017-2027

- Iran forecast 2017-2027

- Saudi Arabia forecast 2017-2027

- Africa forecast 2017-2027

- Rest of Middle East forecast 2017-2027

To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com

To request a report overview of this report please emails Sara Peerun at sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com or call Tel: +44-(0)-20-7336-6100

Or click on https://www.visiongain.com/Report/1814/Heat-Resistant-Coating-Market-2017-2027

 What are the factors influencing Heat Resistant Coating market dynamics?

- SWOT analysis explores the factors.

- Research and development (R&D) strategy

- Supply and demand dynamics

- Advances in product quality

 Who are the leading 10 Heat Resistant Coating companies?

- We reveal market share, positioning, capabilities, product portfolios, R&D activity, services, focus, strategies, M&A activity, and future outlook.

- AkzoNobel

- Axalta Coating Systems

- Hempel

- Jotun A/S

- PPG Industries, Inc.

- The Sherwin-Williams Company

- Kansai Paint Co.

- RPM International

- Tikkurila OYJ

- KCC Corporation

 Who should read this report?

- Anyone within the Heat Resistant Coating value chain, including

- Automotive

- Industrial

- Consumer Goods

- Building & Construction

- Raw material suppliers

- R&D specialists

- CEO's

- COO's

- CIO's

- Business development managers

- Marketing managers

- Technologists

- Investors

- Banks

- Government agencies

- Contractors

Get our report today Heat Resistant Coating Market 2017-2027: Forecast By Form (Liquid & Powder), By Resin Type (Silicone, Epoxy, Acrylic, Polyester, Modified Resin), By End-Use Industry (Automotive, Industrial, Consumer Goods, Building & Construction) & By Region Plus Profiles of Top Companies. Avoid missing out - order our report now.

To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com

SOURCE Visiongain Ltd
IBM also announced today:

The release of a new API (Application Program Interface) for the IBM Quantum Experience that enables developers and programmers to begin building interfaces between its existing five quantum bit (qubit) cloud-based quantum computer and classical computers, without needing a deep background in quantum physics.

The release of an upgraded simulator on the IBM Quantum Experience that can model circuits with up to 20 qubits. In the first half of 2017, IBM plans to release a full SDK (Software Development Kit) on the IBM Quantum Experience for users to build simple quantum applications and software programs.

The IBM Quantum Experience enables anyone to connect to IBM's quantum processor via the IBM Cloud, to run algorithms and experiments, work with the individual quantum bits, and explore tutorials and simulations around what might be possible with quantum computing.

"IBM has invested over decades to growing the field of quantum computing and we are committed to expanding access to quantum systems and their powerful capabilities for the science and business communities," said Arvind Krishna, senior vice president of Hybrid Cloud and director for IBM Research. "Following Watson and blockchain, we believe that quantum computing will provide the next powerful set of services delivered via the IBM Cloud platform, and promises to be the next major technology that has the potential to drive a new era of innovation across industries."

IBM intends to build IBM Q systems to expand the application domain of quantum computing. A key metric will be the power of a quantum computer expressed by the "Quantum Volume", which includes the number of qubits, quality of quantum operations, qubit connectivity and parallelism. As a first step to increase Quantum Volume, IBM aims at constructing commercial IBM Q systems with ~50 qubits in the next few years to demonstrate capabilities beyond today's classical systems, and plans to collaborate with key industry partners to develop applications that exploit the quantum speedup of the systems.

IBM Q systems will be designed to tackle problems that are currently seen as too complex and exponential in nature for classical computing systems to handle. One of the first and most promising applications for quantum computing will be in the area of chemistry. Even for simple molecules like caffeine, the number of quantum states in the molecule can be astoundingly large  so large that all the conventional computing memory and processing power scientists could ever build could not handle the problem.

IBM's scientists have developed techniques to efficiently explore the simulation of chemistry problems on quantum processors (https://arxiv.org/abs/1701.08213 and https://arxiv.org/abs/1612.02058) and experimental demonstrations of various molecules are in progress. In the future, the goal will be to scale to even more complex molecules and try to predict chemical properties with higher precision than possible with classical computers.

Future applications of quantum computing may include:

Drug and Materials Discovery : Untangling the complexity of molecular and chemical interactions leading to the discovery of new medicines and materials;

: Untangling the complexity of molecular and chemical interactions leading to the discovery of new medicines and materials; Supply Chain & Logistics: Finding the optimal path across global systems of systems for ultra-efficient logistics and supply chains, such as optimizing fleet operations for deliveries during the holiday season;

Finding the optimal path across global systems of systems for ultra-efficient logistics and supply chains, such as optimizing fleet operations for deliveries during the holiday season; Financial Services: Finding new ways to model financial data and isolating key global risk factors to make better investments;

Finding new ways to model financial data and isolating key global risk factors to make better investments; Artificial Intelligence: Making facets of artificial intelligence such as machine learning much more powerful when data sets can be too big such as searching images or video; or

Making facets of artificial intelligence such as machine learning much more powerful when data sets can be too big such as searching images or video; or Cloud Security: Making cloud computing more secure by using the laws of quantum physics to enhance private data safety.

"Classical computers are extraordinarily powerful and will continue to advance and underpin everything we do in business and society. But there are many problems that will never be penetrated by a classical computer. To create knowledge from much greater depths of complexity, we need a quantum computer," said Tom Rosamilia, senior vice president of IBM Systems. "We envision IBM Q systems working in concert with our portfolio of classical high-performance systems to address problems that are currently unsolvable, but hold tremendous untapped value."

IBM's roadmap to scale to practical quantum computers is based on a holistic approach to advancing all parts of the system. IBM will leverage its deep expertise in superconducting qubits, complex high performance system integration, and scalable nanofabrication processes from the semiconductor industry to help advance the quantum mechanical capabilities. Also, the developed software tools and environment will leverage IBM's world-class mathematicians, computer scientists, and software and system engineers.

"As Richard Feynman said in 1981, 'if you want to make a simulation of nature, you'd better make it quantum mechanical, and by golly it's a wonderful problem, because it doesn't look so easy.' This breakthrough technology has the potential to achieve transformational advancements in basic science, materials development, environmental and energy research, which are central to the missions of the Department of Energy (DOE)," said Steve Binkley, deputy director of science, US Department of Energy. "The DOE National Labs have always been at the forefront of new innovation, and we look forward to working with IBM to explore applications of their new quantum systems."

Growing the IBM Q Ecosystem

IBM believes that collaborating and engaging with developers, programmers and university partners will be essential to the development and evolution of IBM's quantum computing systems.

Since its launch less than a year ago, about 40,000 users have run over 275,000 experiments on the IBM Quantum Experience. It has become an enablement tool for scientists in over 100 countries and, to date, 15 third-party research papers have been posted to arXiv with five published in leading journals based on experiments run on the Quantum Experience.

IBM has worked with academic institutions, such as MIT, the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo, and Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne (EPFL) to leverage the IBM Quantum Experience as an educational tool for students. In collaboration with the European Physical Society, IBM Research - Zurich recently hosted students for a full-day workshop to learn how to experiment with qubits using the IBM Quantum Experience.

"Unlocking the usefulness of quantum computing will require hands-on experience with real quantum computers," said Isaac Chuang, professor of physics and professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT. "For the Fall 2016 semester of the MITx Quantum Information Science II course, we featured IBM's Quantum Experience as part of the online curriculum for over 1,800 participants from around the world. They were able to run experiments on IBM's quantum processor and test out for themselves quantum computing principles and theories they were learning."

In addition to working with developers and universities, IBM has been engaging with industrial partners to explore the potential applications of quantum computers. Any organization interested in collaborating to explore quantum applications can apply for membership to the IBM Research Frontiers Institute, a consortium that develops and shares a portfolio of ground-breaking computing technologies and evaluates their business implications. Founding members of the Frontiers Institute include Samsung, JSR, Honda, Hitachi Metals, Canon, and Nagase.

"We heavily invest in R&D and have a strong interest in how emerging technologies such as quantum computing will impact the future of manufacturing," said Nobu Koshiba, president of JSR, a leading chemical and materials company in Japan. "Our pipelines of innovations range from synthetic rubbers for tires to semiconductor and display materials, along with products in the life sciences, energy and environmental sectors. By having exposure to how quantum computing can provide new computational capability to accelerate materials discovery, we believe this technology could have a lasting impact on our industry and specifically our ability to provide faster solutions to our customers."

For more information on IBM's universal quantum computing efforts, visit www.ibm.com/ibmq.

For more information on IBM Systems, visit www.ibm.com/systems.

IBM is making the specs for its new Quantum API available on GitHub (https://github.com/IBM/qiskit-api-py) and providing simple scripts (https://github.com/IBM/qiskit-sdk-py) to demonstrate how the API functions.

Note to journalists and bloggers: You can view and download b-roll on IBM's quantum computing efforts at http://ibm.newsmarket.com/Global/Latest-News/ibm-building-first-universal-quantum-computers-for-business-and-science/s/6295d275-9965-435b-b15c-d0d9eec28924. The video is available in HD, standard definition broadcast and streaming quality.

IBM Quantum Computing Images: https://flic.kr/s/aHskySR8fJ

IBM Quantum Computing Videos:

Articles:

About IBM Research

For more than seven decades, IBM Research has defined the future of information technology with more than 3,000 researchers in 12 labs located across six continents. Scientists from IBM Research have produced six Nobel Laureates, 10 U.S. National Medals of Technology, five U.S. National Medals of Science, six Turing Awards, 19 inductees in the National Academy of Sciences and 20 inductees into the U.S. National Inventors Hall of Fame.

For more information about IBM Research, visit www.ibm.com/research.

Media Contacts

Christine Vu

IBM Media Relations  Research

vuch@us.ibm.com

914-945-2755

Mike Fay

IBM Media Relations  Systems

mikefay@us.ibm.com

914-499-6107

Related Links

http://www.ibm.com



SOURCE IBM
BRUSSELS, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Today, at the fourth Annual Review of IDEA (International Dialogue for the Evaluation of Allergens), held under the auspices of the European Commission (DG SANTE) there was a full review of the work carried out so far by the various working groups and priorities for future work were set.

This multi-stakeholder project has progressed on several key milestones which were reviewed today in Luxembourg. The revision of the Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) for fragrance materials has been completed, incorporating ways to better estimate the aggregate exposure to individual fragrance ingredients. The revised methodology has been submitted to the EU Commission who are initiating an assessment of the value of this new version in preventing consumers becoming sensitized to fragrance ingredients.

In the scientifically challenging area of ingredients that require transformation into actual sensitizing ingredients, especially in the field of oxidation, advanced analytical work continues to better identify and quantify consumer exposure.

Finally, IDEA is progressing, through collaboration with other organisations such as the EPAA (European Partnership on Alternatives to Animal testing) and CAAT (Centre for Alternatives to Animal Testing) on the aim of developing suitable non-animal tests for hazard characterisation of fragrance ingredients.

Since its start in 2013, IDEA has conducted 12 workshops and working group meetings, gathering over 41 scientific and medical experts from academia, clinics and research centres, including past and current Scientific Committee members as well as over 47 industry experts, 9 observers and 6 other stakeholders.

Michael Carlos, Chairman of IFRA thanked the EU Commission for its continuous support and welcomed the opportunity for dialogue with the Scientific Community through the yearly Annual Reviews.

"Such dialogues build understanding and foster trust, contributing immensely to advancing consumer safety and well-being," explained Carlos.

Notes to Editors:

For full details on IDEA and on the outcome of the workshops and working groups go to the dedicated website at: http://ideaproject.info/

or the EU Commission's Scientific Committees' website at:

https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/idea-4th-annual-review-workshop_en

SOURCE IFRA
Kyrgyzstan's opposition Ata-Meken (Fatherland) party has named its detained leader Omurbek Tekebaev as the partys candidate for the November presidential election in the country.



The decision was made at an extraordinary Ata-Meken congress held in the capital Bishkek on March 5.



Tekebaev, a former parliament speaker and one of the main opponents of Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev, is currently being held at the State National Security Committees detention center on allegations of bribe-taking and fraud.



Supporters of Tekebaev believe the criminal investigation against him is aimed at preventing him from running for president.



Atambaev has defended Tekebaev's arrest, saying that it was not politically motivated.



Delegates at the Ata-Meken party congress decided to hold rallies across the country and call for Tekebaev's release.



Kyrgyzstan is expected to hold its presidential election on November 19.



President Atambaevs term will end on December 1.



So far,Tekebaev and three other politicians, including two former prime ministers, have been named as candidates.

With reporting by Ulan Eshmatov from RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service
The fastest growing learning brand announces 40M MAUs and other future growth initiatives at SXSWedu

AUSTIN, Texas, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kahoot!, the global game-based learning platform, today announced that it has reached 1 billion cumulative participating players since its launch, making it one of the fastest growing learning brands in the world.

Info - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474786/Kahoot___Game_based_learning_platform_Infographic.jpg

Kahoot! makes it easy to create, play and share quiz-based learning games -- on any subject, in any language, and on any device, for all ages and in all contexts. Launched in 2013, based on the mission of making learning awesome, Kahoot!'s free game-based platform actively engages the heart, hand and mind -- creating a wildly more social, meaningful, fun and powerful learning experience. Kahoot!'s platform and easy-to-use features not only attract educators and students but reach beyond the classroom to corporate powerhouses, sporting and cultural events, and any social and learning context.

Here are some additional growth metrics from the Kahoot! platform since 2013:

40 million monthly active users (MAUs) on the platform so far in 2017 (60% growth from the same time last year), of which 67% are in the United States .

. 110 million kahoots have been played on the platform so far, including from a library of 15 million public kahoots.

More than 2 million K-12 teachers in the U.S. have signed up for Kahoot! and 21 million (more than a third) of U.S. K-12 students use Kahoot! on a monthly basis.

"We're over the moon at Kahoot! with the sheer passion and drive from the community of educators and students who believe in our mission of making learning more awesome and fun," said Erik Harrell, CEO, Kahoot!. "Our highest purpose is to help learners realize their deepest potential, both inside and outside of classrooms, and to create the most relevant global learning brand for today's learners. With that in mind, we are investing in the development of additional game formats, our mobile application, and in new features for brands, publishers and audiences in the Kahoot! game space."

Kahoot! is counted as one of the top 10 tools for education in the K-12 classroom in the U.S., according to the Center for Learning and Performance Technologies. The company recently announced funding that will help drive future initiatives and growth. To view or download the full infographic highlighting usage trends on Kahoot!'s platform, click here.

Kahoot! will exhibit at one of the largest education events in the United States this week: the SXSWedu festival in Austin, TX from March 6 - 9, 2017. Visit the Kahoot! Lounge in the Lonestar East Foyer, 3rd floor at the JW Marriott Hotel to learn more about our platform and new products.

About Kahoot!

Since its launch in 2013, Kahoot! has turned game-based learning into a pop culture phenomenon. The irreverent game platform now hosts over 40 million MAUs and a public library of over 15 million learning games, created and shared by fans in more than 200 countries. Kahoot! is on a mission to improve education globally, by unlocking the magic of learning for everyoneof any age, aptitude or circumstance. Kahoot! is a global company with offices in London, Oslo and Austin and on the web at www.getkahoot.com. Let's play!

Related Links

http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474786/Kahoot___Game_based_learning_platform_Infographic.jpg



SOURCE Kahoot!
OLOMOUC, Czech Republic, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

A dream of many generations of researchers has been fulfilled by a discovery made by scientists at the Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials (RCPTM) at the Palacky University in Olomouc. By using graphene, an ultrathin form of carbon, these scientists prepared the first non-metallic magnet that retains its magnetic properties up to room temperature. In doing so, they disproved the old belief that all materials with room temperature magnetism are based on metals or their compounds. Chemically modified magnetic graphene has a vast range of potential applications, particularly in the fields of biomedicine and electronics. The work of the Czech scientists has recently been published in the prestigious Nature Communications journal.

"For several years, we have suspected that the path to magnetic carbon could involve graphene - a single two-dimensional layer of carbon atoms. Amazingly, by treating it with other non-metallic elements such as fluorine, hydrogen, and oxygen, we were able to create a new source of magnetic moments that communicate with each other even at room temperature. This discovery is seen as a huge advancement in the capabilities of organic magnets," says Radek Zboril, a leading author of the project and director of RCPTM.

The idea and study arose solely from the work of the Olomouc scientists, who also developed a theoretical model to explain the origin of magnetism in these carbon materials. "In metallic systems, magnetic phenomena result from the behavior of electrons in the atomic structure of metals. In the organic magnets that we have developed, the magnetic features emerge from the behavior of non-metallic chemical radicals that carry free electrons," says Michal Otyepka, a co-creator of the theoretical model whose work on the project was conducted within the framework of a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grant. "I am pleased that the very first work on the topics addressed by the ERC project has yielded such important results," he adds.

The path from this discovery to practical applications may be relatively long. However, the range of potential uses is enormous. "I think that not only our team in Olomouc but also the broad scientific community will want to exploit the huge surface area of graphene and the potential of combining its unique conductivity and electronic properties with magnetism. Such magnetic graphene-based materials have potential applications in the fields of spintronics and electronics, but also in medicine for targeted drug delivery and for separating molecules using external magnetic fields," says Jiri Tucek, whose work focuses on solid-state magnetism. The Czech scientists are already collaborating with colleagues from Japan and Belgium to look at applications of organic magnets and to develop accurate theoretical models describing the unique magnetic properties of these new materials.

In addition to carbon-based magnets, the Olomouc research team recently reported the discovery of the world's smallest metal magnets, also in Nature Communications. According to Professor Zboril, this will certainly not be the team's final contribution to research on magnetism. "We have taken several important steps towards developing the first magnetic molecules whose magnetism can be manipulated at room temperature. Recent experiments in our labs have clearly confirmed the possibility of creating such molecules, and we are currently collaborating with the group of Professor Pavel Hobza to develop detailed theoretical explanations for the unique behavior of these molecular magnets. I aim to be, for the third time, faster than competing research teams around the world, especially given the potentially immense impact of organic magnetic materials in fields such as molecular electronics and sensing," says Zboril.

Contact:

Radek Zboril / General Director

Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials

Slechtitelu 27

78371 Olomouc

Czech Republic

Phone: +420-775-733-378

Email: radek.zboril@upol.cz



SOURCE Palacky University
LONDON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

By Application (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Communication, Computer, Cyber Security, Combat, Command and Control), by Architecture (Hardware, Software), by Hardware (Processor, GPU, DSP, IP-Chip, Others), and by Platform (Land Based, Airborne, Sea Based), with Regional and National Market Forecasts

Developments in military embedded systems have had a significant impact on the embedded systems market. This market is estimated by visiongain to be worth $73bn in 2017. Visiongain's report on this sector gives a detailed overview of the market, creating an accurate picture that will offer clarity to anyone involved in the aerospace and defence industry. Importantly, the report also delivers a forecast of the market, giving you an insight into the future opportunities that exist in the military embedded systems market.

This report offers a global forecast, which is then broken down by the following national markets:

 US

 Canada

 Germany

 France

 UK

 Russia

 Japan

 China

 India

 Rest of Europe

 Rest of APAC

 Rest of the World

To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com

As well as the following submarkets:

By application:

 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)

 Communication

 Computer

 Cyber Security

 Combat

 Control & Command

By architecture:

 Software

 Hardware, which is broken down further as follows:

 Processor

 GPU

 DSP

 IP-Chip

 Others

By platform:

 Land Based

 Airborne

 Sea Based

In order to offer an accurate snapshot of the current market, visiongain has also profiled the following leading companies:

 Advantech Co. Ltd.

 Curtiss-Wright Corporation

 Kontron AG

 Mercury Systems, Inc.

 Microsemi Corporation

 Radisys Corporation

 Xilinx, Inc.

 North Atlantic Industries, Inc.

 Concurrent Technologies PLC

 Eurotech S.p.A

With 300+ tables and charts and a total length of over 200 pages, this report is a fantastic opportunity to increase your knowledge of this sector. Analysis of trends as well as the drivers and restraints for the overall market concisely informs you of the major factors affecting this market, whilst visiongain's data-rich approach provides greater insight into this market.

To request a report overview of this report please email Sara Peerun at sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com or call Tel: +44-(0)-20-7336-6100

Or click on: https://www.visiongain.com/Report/1813/Military-Embedded-Systems-Market-Forecast-2017-2027

List of Companies Mentioned in This Report

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

Advantech Co. LTD.

Andersdx

API Technologies Corp

Arrow Electronics

Atlas Elektronik

Avnet Inc.

BAE Systems Applied Intelligence

CIso STI

Concurrent Technologies PLC

Curtiss-Wright Corporation

Dawn VME Products

Dolphin Interconnect Solutions

DRS Technologies

Elma Electronic Inc

Epson

Esterel Technologies Sa

Eurotech S.P.A

Extreme Engineering Solutions

Extreme Engineering Solutions Inc (X-ES)

Finmeccanica Airborne & Space Systems Division

General Micro Systems Inc

Innovative Integration

Intel TXT

Intersil Corp

Kontron AG

Lewis Innovative Technologies, Inc.

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Mercury Systems, Inc.

Micro Semi Corporation

Multitouch Ltd

Moog Controls Limited

North Atlantic Industries, Inc.

Planar Systems, Inc.

QinetiQ

Quortus

Radisys Corporation

Solectrix

TORC Robotics

Winchester Systems Inc

Xilinx, Inc.

List of Organisations Mentioned in This Report

French Ministry of Defence

Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force (GSDF)

Russian Army

Russian Defence Ministry

U.K. Department of Defence

U.S. Pentagon

US Air Force

US Navy

To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com

SOURCE Visiongain Ltd
LONDON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Norgine B.V. announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Noventure S.L., under which Norgine will distribute GELSECTAN in Spain, Portugal and Andorra.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130829/633895-a)



GELSECTAN is a Class IIa CE marked medical device used as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with diarrhoea. Diarrhoea is one of the symptoms often associated with irritable bowel syndrome. GELSECTAN is available in capsules for oral use.

IBS affects up to 7.8% of the total Iberian population (Spain, Portugal and Andorra) and more than 100,000 new cases are reported every year.[i] Women are twice likely as men to develop IBS.[ii]

Peter Martin, COO at Norgine said: "We are delighted to be able to offer GELSECTAN, a new treatment option to patients who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) associated with diarrhoea, a condition which can have a significant impact on quality of life."

He added: "This recent partnership demonstrates our commitment to sell further specialised innovative products through our well established infrastructure."

Luciano Conde, CEO of Noventure, said: "GELSECTAN is an innovative product that will help to improve the lives of patients across the Iberian Peninsula. We are delighted to partner with Norgine, a recognised leader in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases with a well-established presence in Spain and Portugal."

Norgine anticipates launching GELSECTAN in Iberia in the second half of 2017. Noventure will manufacture GELSECTAN.

Financial terms are not disclosed.

Access full media release on http://www.norgine.com

i. Miguel a Montoro. Gastroenterologia y hepatologia. Problemas comunes en la practica clinica. 2012

ii. Mearin et al. Med Clin (Barc.) 2007; 128 (9):335-43

Norgine Media Contacts:

Isabelle Jouin,

T: +44(0)1895-453643

Charlotte Andrews,

T: +44(0)1895-453607



SOURCE Norgine B.V.
Deep learning algorithms have the potential to improve the objectivity and efficiency in tumor tissue diagnosis. In recent years, 'deep learning' techniques for image analysis have quickly become the state of the art in computer vision and has surpassed human performance in a number of tasks 2 . The challenge for executing deep learning techniques is having access to a database with sufficient high volume and high quality data from which to develop the algorithms. As one of the largest pathology laboratories in the Netherlands, LabPON will contribute its repository of approximately 300,000 whole slide images (WSI) they prospectively create each year to the database. This will contain de-identified datasets of annotated cases that are manually commented by the pathologist, and will comprise of a wide variety of tissue and disease types, as well as other pertinent diagnostic information to facilitate deep learning.

"Deep learning focuses on the development of advanced computer programs that automatically understand and digitally map tissue images in considerable detail: The more data available, the more refined the computer analysis will be," said Peter Hamilton, Group Leader Image Analytics at Philips Digital Pathology Solutions. "Together, LabPON and Philips have the competence and skills to realize this."

During a time where the pathologist shortage is mounting and cancer caseloads are increasing3,4, the accurate diagnosis and grading of cancer has become increasingly complex, placing significant pressures on pathology services. Technologies such as computational pathology, could help pathologists with tools to work in the most efficient way possible.

"The role of the pathologist remains important by making the definitive diagnosis, which has a high impact on the patient's treatment. Software tools could help to relieve part of the pathologists' work such as identifying tumor cells, counting mitotic cells or identifying perineural and vaso-invasive growth, as well carrying out measurements in a more accurate and precise way," said Alexi Baidoshvili, pathologist at LabPON. "This ultimately could help to improve the quality of diagnosis and make it more objective."

Next to the development of computational algorithms for diagnostic use, Philips intends to make available the database to research institutions and other partners through its translational research platform. This could enable selected parties to interrogate and combine massive datasets with the goal to discover new insights that ultimately could be translated into new personalized treatment options for patients.

Philips is showcasing its portfolio of pathology solutions in booth #202 at the The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 2017 Annual Meeting. For more information on Philips' presence at USCAP, visit www.philips.com/digitalpathology and follow @Philips_Path for #USCAP17 updates throughout the event.

1 Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution is CE-IVD marked for use in primary diagnosis. In the United States, the Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution pending review of a request for de novo classification.

2 Kaiming He Xiangyu et al. Delving Deep into Rectifiers: Surpassing Human-Level Performance on ImageNet Classification. And

LeCun, Yann, Yoshua Bengio, and Geoffrey Hinton. "Deep learning." Nature 521, no. 7553 (2015): 436-444

3 The Royal College of Pathologists, https://www.rcpath.org/profession/workforce/workforce-planning.html, Accessed December 2016.,

4 International Agency for Research on Cancer and Cancer Research UK. World Cancer Factsheet. Cancer Research UK, London, 2014.

For further information, please contact:

Hans Driessen

Philips Digital Pathology Solutions

Tel: +31 6 10610 417

E-mail: hans.driessen@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2016 sales of EUR 17.4 billion and employs approximately 71,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474622/Royal_Philips_Alexi_Baidoshvili_LabPON.jpg

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/324348/royal_philips_logo.jpg

SOURCE Royal Philips
LONDON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Women continue to suffer sexism and gender discrimination in the workplace despite legislation and decades of so called change, concludes a survey into how they are treated in the work environment.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474421/Women_in_the_Workplace_Infographic.jpg )



As the organisers of International Women's Day 2017 (8 March 2017) call for a more inclusive, gender equal world, a survey of 1,500 women conducted by OnePoll on behalf of BE Offices, the leading independent serviced offices provider, demonstrates that many women continue to be overlooked for promotion, are paid less than male colleagues and still suffer the indignity of sexist comments.

Covering a wide age range and seniority as well as both full-time and part-time employees, the poll highlighted the disparity between men and women that continues to exist in the British work environment.

Almost a quarter (23.47%) of women reported they were paid less than male colleagues while 30.8% said they had experienced gender discrimination in the workplace up from 27.4% in 2014 when BE conducted a similar survey.

Of those respondents who had experienced gender discrimination in the workplace, 25.53% said they had been overlooked for a job because they were of child bearing age and a further 21.55% said they didn't get a job because they had children.

Alarmingly, 23.9% commented that they were overlooked for promotion because of their sex and a third had been subjected to sexist comments.

One of the key issues for many women is being able to juggle their career with parenting and keeping home. Almost four out of 10 women (37%) commented that they felt pressured to juggle work and children while a similar level of respondents (40.4%) said they were under pressure to balance work and homemaking. This shows a marked improvement over previous surveys when in 2011, 50.7% reported they were under pressure to juggle children and their career and 49% in 2014.

Interestingly, the pressure on women in the workplace to look attractive appears to be declining sharply. In 2011, 54.4% of respondents said they were under pressure to juggle work and their appearance. This declined to 43.4% in 2014, and virtually halved to 22.5% in this survey.

Another positive finding of the 2016 survey is that fewer women now feel they had to adopt the traits of male counterparts to be taken seriously. This has fallen from 27.7% in 2011 to only 18.8% today.

It also appears that women feel more confident in themselves today than they did six years ago. They do not believe they have to change the way they act to get ahead in the workplace. In 2011, 45.8% of those polled said they had lowered their voice in the same way Maggie Thatcher famously did to be taken seriously in a male dominated environment. Today only 7% felt this was a necessary tactic.

Similarly, those feigning confidence to get ahead has fallen from 64.9% to only 26.3% while only 16.27% felt the need to dress "more powerfully" compared to 56.7% six years ago. Likewise, respondents reporting the need to dress more sexily fell from 26.9% in 2011 to only 3.7% today.

Perhaps astonishingly, women themselves are susceptible to employing gender discrimination when hiring staff. 31.3% reported that they would be reluctant to hire women who have children, up from 25.3% in 2014, while 27.9% said they would be reluctant to employ women of a child bearing age, which has changed little over the past six years.

Women are even harder on those they feel dress provocatively, with 61.2% saying they would be reluctant to hire them compared to 52.8% in 2011. Equally, 40% responded by saying they would be reluctant to hire women who they deemed to be too confident, marginally up from 38.8 in 2011

More than two-thirds of the women polled (66.93%) believe the Government does not do enough to enable them to adequately juggle the pressures of childcare and work. At the same time, 38.5% commented that their existing workplace does not provide enough flexibility for them to manage work and childcare.

However when respondents were given the opportunity to freely comment on their treatment in the workplace, the shocking level of discrimination and sexism becomes apparent. Contrary to the Equality Act of 2010, many respondents said that during interviews they had been asked directly whether they were planning a family.

David Saul, Managing Director of BE Offices, commented: "This survey underlines the continuing level of sexual discrimination endured by many women in the workplace. It is frankly depressing that this degree of sexism continues to thrive in the 21st Century British workplace, but at least things seem to be moving in the right direction, albeit at a slow pace. It is also clear that the Government is neither doing enough to stamp out gender discrimination or to provide support to talented women that want to juggle a career and motherhood."

BE employs 81 females and 44 males, of which 12 females and 11 males are of senior management or director level.

For full details on the survey, please go to http://www.beoffices.com

Notes to Editors:

BE Offices ("BE") is a unique vertically integrated serviced offices company that has been established for almost 25 years. BE was founded by its present Managing Director and Finance Director, David Saul and Simon Rusk . It is highly regarded and is recognised within its sector as one of the leading providers of serviced office space. BE has won numerous awards for its customer service - six times winner of Business Centre of the Year - and has been recognised by Property Week in 2016 as being one of the best places to work in property, ranking for seven consecutive years in the Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to work for. BE operates a total of 16 business centres providing a total of 851,000 square feet of business space and 13,600 workstations. Over the past two years BE has completed approximately 70m of sale and leasebacks, the cash from which has been used to reduce debt and fund future acquisitions. In June 2016 BE acquired a portfolio of four centres from Regus taking the company into the West End for the first time. The majority of BE's centres are in London - from Paddington in the West to Canary Wharf in the East - with further centres in Wembley, Reading , Basingstoke , Bristol and Milton Keynes . Further expansion is planned over the medium term. In addition to the serviced office operation BE Group companies also includes security, cleaning, facilities management, development, IT services and asset management. BE is unusual among serviced office operators in that it has a high degree of property expertise within its senior management and Board. As a result the company is able to undertake its own redevelopments when opportunities present themselves.

SOURCE BE Offices
KIGALI, Rwanda, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Sivan Design , a global leader in development and implementation of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems integrated with GIS solutions, announced today that it has been awarded a contract for Technical Assistance to Rwanda Land Tenure Regularization Support Program, by RNRA (Rwanda Natural Resources Authority).

The contract was awarded through an international competitive bid process with the participation of other established industry players. The project is expected to start in February 2017 and to be completed by June 2018.

Using DFID (UK Department for International Development) financial support, RNRA contracted the services of Sivan Design D.S Ltd to provide additional capacity and expertise to support the Government of Rwanda in the implementation of the RNRA 2016-18 work plan for the LTRSP (Land Tenure Regularization Support Program), to develop business plan for sustainable land administration, and provide further consultancy services for change management and innovation team within RNRA, and public access to land services. Among Sivan's main tasks for this project is to improve the capacity of the existing LAIS - Land Administration Information System - by implementing its leading Lands and Properties System platform - GeoERP/LAPS.

About Rwanda Natural Resources Authority

Rwanda Natural Resources Authority leads the management of natural resources comprising of land, water, forests, mines and geology. It is entrusted with supervision, monitoring and ensuring the implementation of issues related to the promotion and protection of natural resources in programs and activities of all national institutions.

The Lands and Mapping Department of RNRA has been set up to implement the National Land Tenure Reform Program as provided for by the National Land Policy in Rwanda. The program aimed to improve land tenure security by putting in place an efficient, transparent and equitable system of land administration.

To fulfill the above, during the years 2009-2013 the RNRA completed the Land Tenure Regularization program. Following the successful legal groundwork and initial land registration and demarcation program, the next step for supporting the offered services, is improving the national land register system, and raising public awareness for registry of changes of ownership and land transactions.

About Sivan Design

Sivan Design D.S Ltd was incorporated in Israel in 1999 (1996) as a leading provider of GIS (Geographic Information System) embedded solutions for infrastructures and LIS (Lands Information System) turnkey solutions.

Sivan's main fields of expertise include development and implementation if IT systems embedded with GIS for the control and management of Land uses, Underground Infrastructures, and Roads Network; development and implementation of policies and procedures for data management and information collection and processing; land surveying and mapping.

Sivan Design has gained over 20 years of experience in the fields of GIS and LIS, executing large scale IT GIS projects all over the world.

To learn more about Sivan Design visit http://www.sivandesign.com

Contact info:

Sivan Design D.S. Ltd.

Maria Ovsyannikov

Business development manager

maria.o@sivandesign.com



SOURCE Sivan Design
DUBLIN, Mar. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Data Integrity: FDA/EU Requirements and Implementation: 2-Day Workshop by Dr. Huber" conference to their offering.

There is no doubt that data integrity is the current and future inspection focus of all regulatory heath care agencies. More than 50% inspection reports such as 483's and Warning Letters quote data integrity as deviations from GxP regulations.

This new 2-day course provides the regulatory background and guides attendees through the complete record lifecycle from data entry or acquisition through evaluation, reporting, archiving and retrieval. It also helps to fully understand not only the text but also the meaning of related regulations such as FDA's Part 11 and the EU/PICS Annex 11.

The 2-day course not only ensures a full understanding of the regulations and guidelines for raw data and other records but also provides templates and examples to develop inspection ready documentation. Interactive exercises will be dispersed into and between the presentations. About 50% of the total time will be dedicated to practical sessions. Here attendees work in small groups on case studies and prepare the answers using prepared fill-in templates. After the course a large variety of tools such as SOPs, validation examples and checklists will be readily available on a dedicated website that can be used to easily implement what they have learned in the course.

Learning Objectives:

- Understand what data integrity is and why it is so important for public health

- Learn why there are so many data integrity issues

- Learn about the FDA/EU/PICS/MHRA/WHO requirements for data integrity

- Understand how to define and archive raw data from hybrid systems: electronic vs. paper

- Be able to specify and validate Part 11 compliant software functionality

- Learn how to ensure and document integrity of raw data and other records according to Part 11 and Annex 11

- Understand FDA's New and ongoing Part 11 inspection and enforcement practices

- Learn how to develop and implement corrective and preventive action plans in response to inspection reports

- Learn how to avoid and/or respond to FDA inspectional observations and warning letters

- Learn how to prevent and detect data integrity issues

Who Should Attend:

- QA managers and personnel

- Laboratory managers and supervisors

- Production managers and supervisors

- Analysts

- IT/IS managers and system administrators

- Software developers

- Regulatory affairs

- Training departments

- Documentation departments

- Consultants

Agenda:

Day 01 (8:30 AM - 4:30 PM)



08.30 AM - 09.00 AM: Registration



09.00 AM: Session Start



Day 1 - Lectures and Workshop Exercises



Module 1: Definitions, requirements and approaches for data integrity



Module 2: Introduction to FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and EU/PICS Annex 11



Module 3: Cost effective Validation of software and computer systems



Module 4: Aligning data integrity with the company's quality system and Code of Conduct



Day 02 (8:30 AM - 4:30 PM)



Day 2 - Lectures and Workshop Exercises



Module 5: Definition and Handling of Raw Data



Module 6: Good documentation practices to ensure data integrity



Module 7: Strategies to detect and avoid integrity issues



Module 8: Data Integrity Auditing: Internal audits and FDA inspections

For more information about this conference visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/83kzvh/data_integrity

Media Contact:

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
World ATM Congress 2017 is in Madrid from March 7 - 9

NEW YORK, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The following event roundup from Virtual Press Office is a list of featured exhibitors for World ATM Congress 2017the international platform for the global commercial and defence air traffic management (ATM) industry to see, learn, and connect with the world's aviation decision-makerswhich takes place from March 7-9 at IFEMA, Feria de Madrid in Madrid, Spain.

World ATM Congress 2017 press kits, news releases and photos are available on the Official Online Press Office, managed by Virtual Press Office/PR Newswire: http://worldatmcongress.vporoom.com

World ATM Congress 2017 press kits on Virtual Press Office

Biral

Booth #969

Press Kit: worldatmcongress.vporoom.com/Biral

Biral's range of Visibility and Present Weather sensors as well as the innovative BTD-300 Thunderstorm Detector are used worldwide in the most demanding applications such as aviation, offshore platforms and wind energy. Our visibility and ambient light sensors form the core of RVR monitoring, and our present weather sensors provide automated precipitation classification and monitoring that forms a vital part of the METAR signals broadcast to aircraft in the airport vicinity. Our BTD-300 Thunderstorm Detector has been developed to be compliant with FAA regulations for lightning detection systems used at airfields.

NAVCANatm

Booth #826

Press Kit: worldatmcongress.vporoom.com/NAVCANatm

For more information, visit navcanatm.ca.

UFA

Booth #882

Press Kit: worldatmcongress.vporoom.com/UFA

UFA, Inc. provides Air Traffic Control Simulation and Voice Recognition products and services to the world's leading Air Navigation Service Providers, Military Organizations and Universities. For over 30 years, our customers have used our products to simulate gate-to-gate ATC operations. Our turnkey systems support comprehensive Controller training, ATM research, airport planning, and testing operational systems. Our customers benefit from a unique combination of small business responsiveness and attention along with larger program experience and understanding.

The above press kits will continue to be updated throughout the show. Please check back during World ATM Congress 2017 for the latest news.

Virtual Press Office (http://www.vporoom.com/) is a PR Newswire company. Follow us on Twitter @VPOEventZone or subscribe to our RSS feed for more trade show news. If you have questions about Virtual Press Office services, or if you would like to offer feedback on this exhibitor profile roundup, please email sales@vpoinc.com.

SOURCE Virtual Press Office
LONDON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

- ZEDRA Expands its London Team With Esteemed Professional in Funds and Corporate

- Appointment Highlights Zedra's Commitment to Drive Company Growth by Developing and Investing in Funds and Corporate Services Respectively

ZEDRA, the fast-growing international specialist in trust, corporate and fund services has widened the scope of its client offering with the new hire of Bridget Barker.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474832/Bridget_Barker__Executive_Director_Funds_and_Corporate__ZEDRA_Group.jpg )



In her role, Bridget will be entrusted to support and enhance ZEDRA's Corporate and Fund Services and provide further opportunity for new market growth within her role as Executive Director, Funds & Corporate. She will also participate in key networking events, global panel discussions and spokesperson opportunities.

Bridget joins ZEDRA from leading city law firm, Macfarlanes, with almost 36 years experience and is one of only three 'Senior Statesmen' for private equity funds listed in the Chambers Legal Directory, 2017. Her experience in legal issues, particularly related to fund raising in the areas of private equity and real estate is extensive.

Bridget has a wealth of experience having spent many years working in the private funds industry with a special focus on private equity, real estate and credits funds as well as advising investors from across the world. She is renowned as a leading professional in the market and has been consistently ranked in the Who's Who over the past decade as one of the world's top private funds lawyers.

During her career with Macfarlanes, Bridget developed and headed its funds group, as well as leading the wider Macfarlanes investment group which comprised of 90 lawyers.

Ivo Hemelraad, ZEDRA Group Director Corporate Funds & Legal, commented, "We are delighted to welcome Bridget to our team. We're committed to continuing to grow our Funds and Corporate Services office and Bridget has particular strengths that will fully complement our existing team. Bridget has an extraordinary industry profile and with our growing service capabilities here at ZEDRA, she will have the perfect platform to help us build our firm in the UK and beyond."

Niels Nielsen, ZEDRA CEO, said, "Bridget's appointment underscores our commitment to drive company growth by developing and investing in our Fund and Corporate Services which is in line with our overall business strategy. Her vast knowledge and broad range of experience will play a key role in providing and implementing high quality solutions for our clients."

ZEDRA is based in 11 jurisdictions around the globe and currently employs 370 staff worldwide.

Bridget will work closely with Ivo Hemelraad and the wider ZEDRA Funds team to guarantee that new business goals are being completed in line with ZEDRA's strategic vision, whilst providing a clear and tactical path to grow and develop existing client relationships as well as establish new ones.

For further information, please visit http://www.zedra.com

About ZEDRA

ZEDRA is an independent, global specialist in trust, corporate and fund services. The company was acquired from Barclays in January 2016 by an independent investor group, with an ambitious plan to grow the company, expanding and strengthening the services it offers to clients around the world. It currently has global offices in 11 jurisdictions, including Jersey, Guernsey, Luxembourg, the Isle of Man, the Cayman Islands, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Singapore, the UK and Switzerland.

ZEDRA's 370 strong team of industry experts is dedicated to creating and delivering bespoke solutions for clients. The business is focused on the strong commitment of an experienced team, fostering an entrepreneurial approach to delivering exceptional client services.

ZEDRA has diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals and their families, international corporations, institutional investors and entrepreneurs. Under the ownership of a private independent investor group, ZEDRA have the flexibility, boldness and expertise to respond to complex needs whilst maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance in an ever-evolving regulatory environment.

http://www.zedra.com



SOURCE ZEDRA
ISLAMABAD, A planned census in Pakistan this month has revived old controversies in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan.

Factions representing the regions Baluch and Pashtuns are at loggerheads over whether the population count expected to begin on March 15 should take place.

In a strange reversal of roles, political parties representing the regions Pashtuns are eager for the two-month population survey to go ahead while several Baluch factions are calling on Islamabad to postpone the census.

Both sides view the population survey as vital for their political survival and claims over or maintaining a larger share in resources and political power. The issue is central to the future of Balochistan because of its status as Pakistan biggest but least populated resource-rich region. The current census is significant because ongoing Chinese investments are expected to cause significant demographic changes.

While regular population counts are considered vital for planning and development, the exercise, conducted irregularly in Pakistan 70-year-history, casts a shadow over the countrys politics. Distribution of national resources and parliamentary seats in the country are based on population numbers, so any fluctuation in the numbers of their members will inevitably affect the fate of Balochistans Pashtun and Baluch populations.

Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the leader of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), says his party will oppose the census being held in the province until hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees are repatriated.

We have never opposed development, but we do not want such development to convert the people of Balochistan into a minority, he told supporters on March 5. Participating in the census is tantamount to committing suicide in the presence of Afghan refugees.

While Mengal didnt elaborate on his claim, Agha Hassan Baloch, a spokesman for the BNP, says millions of Afghan refugees will be counted as locals in the census, which will make the Baluch a minority in the region.

He said that since the onset of Pakistani military operations against Baluch separatists a decade ago, more than 1.5 million Baluch civilians have been displaced in the southern districts of the province, where most residents are Baluch.

Such views are echoed by other Baluch politicians. Lawmaker Hasil Bezinjo is Pakistans federal minister for ports and shipping. His National Party has demanded that Islamabad first resolve the complex issue of recent immigration into Balochistan and help the displaced Baluch communities repatriate to their home regions.

You first need to send the foreigners back, whether they are Persian speakers, Pashto speakers or Balochi speakers, he told Pakistans Capital TV, referring to the Hazara, Pashtun, and Baluch ethnic groups without naming them.

Bezinjo wants Islamabad to first survey the Afghan refugee population in the province and probe reports and claims that some among them have obtained local identity documents entitling them to claim citizenship rights.

Balochistan is sparsely populated, and demographic change is a major sensitivity here, he noted. We feel that if all the foreigners are included in the census then the Baluch will turn into a minority and you cannot even call this region Balochistan.

Balochistan or the home of the Baluch is a multiethnic province. According to Pakistans last census in 1998, 55 percent of the regions 6.5 million residents spoke Balochi or Brahui, the two languages spoken by the Baluch. The census noted that some 30 percent of Balochistans residents were Pashtun while the rest spoke Urdu, Punjabi, Siraiki, Sindhi, and Persian.

Some Pashtun politicians in Balochistan, however, dispute these figures. The Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, the most vocal among them, boycotted the 1998 census and rejects claims that a significant number of Afghan refugees have forged Pakistani documents to alter Balochistans demographic balance.

Senator Usman Kakar, a senior leader of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, represents Balochistan in the upper chamber of Pakistani Parliament. He rejects the presence of millions of Afghan refugees in Balochistan.

Kakar has accused past provincial administrations dominated by the Baluch nationalists of manipulating population figures to exaggerate the numbers of their constituents and claim a greater share in power and resources.

The controversy didnt begin in 1998 but soon after the emergence of Pakistan in 1947. Since then, the census figures have been manipulated, he told RFE/RLs Gandhara website. First Attaullah Mengal (father of Akhtar Mengal) and other Baluch nationalists manipulated the census in 1972. They did the same in 1998, which prompted us to boycott the exercise.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Pakistan continues to host more some 1.3 million documented Afghan refugees while less than 1 million unregistered refugees also live in the country. A sizeable number of these live in Balochistan. According to local media reports, tens of thousands of Afghans have obtained Pakistani identity papers.

Last year, authorities arrested many employees of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for allegedly issuing Pakistani identity papers to foreigners in Balochistan. Former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansur was reportedly carrying a Pakistani passport and identity card when he was killed by a U.S. drone strike in a remote district of Balochistan. He was reportedly returning from a trip to Iran when he was targeted last May.

The real controversy is not over who is in the majority [in Balochistan] but how many Afghan refugees are registered and how many are not, said Hassan Baloch, the BNP spokesman, and how many hold Pakistani citizenship.

Lawmaker Kakar, however, says their opponents are greatly exaggerating the number of Afghan refugees who have obtained Pakistani papers.

We do not seek any controversy with the Baluch brothers over the census, but they are welcome to verify the numbers, he said.

Balochistans provincial authorities are not deterred by the controversy. Provincial spokesman Anwarul Haq Kakar says authorities are gearing up for the census on time.

He says the provincial government is seeking the militarys help to provide security and will employ mobile NADRA teams to ensure that only Pakistani citizens are counted during the demographic survey.

We will make every possible attempt to make it free and fair, he said.

Kiyya Baloch is a freelance journalist who reports on the insurgency, militancy, and sectarian violence in Balochistan.

fg/
NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Few people know that during the 2016 presidential campaign, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton received a devotion every day. Over the course of those 20 months, Rev. Dr. Bill Shilladya pastoral friend of Clinton'sand a handful of other pastors provided the Democratic nominee with spiritual support to stay strong through arguably one of the more contentious elections in American history.

"I've known Hillary for many years and have seen the importance her faith plays in her resolve in serving the community. These devotions were one way to bolster her during a particularly trying time," said Shillady.

Now many of these devotions are being made public. Entitled Strong For a Moment Like ThisThe Daily Devotions of Hillary Rodham Clinton, the collectionpublished by Abingdon Pressincludes 365 of the more than 600 devotions written for Clinton, along with personal notes, portions of her speeches, and headlines that provide context for that day's devotion. Clinton is writing the foreword, the first time post-election readers will have a chance to hear directly from her about her faith during this time.

"During the campaign, the emails from Bill [Shillady] were the first I opened each morning. They gave me strength," said Clinton.

"The Christian faith provides a deep reservoir of wisdom and challenge. In this wonderful collection of meditations and reflections we share Secretary Clinton's encounters with Scripture and insights born of the rich Christian tradition that helped her claim her identity and shape her inner spiritual life and outer witness to reflect her love of God and neighbor," said Rev. Brian K. Milford, President & Publisher, United Methodist Publishing House / Abingdon Press.

The book's devotions are organized into 12 themes, such as Forgiveness, Doing Good, Courage, and Women. A portion of the proceeds from the book will go to the United Methodist City Society in New York. The jacketed hardcover will be available August.

"We couldn't be more excited to publish this collection of devotions. They demonstrate the immense strength that comes from a spiritual support system, regardless of your faith," said Audrey Kidd, Chief Revenue & Customer Experience Officer, United Methodist Publishing House / Abingdon Press. "We're thankful to Rev. Shillady and Secretary Clinton for sharing these devotions, giving readers strength for whatever goals they're pursuing in their own lives."

Abingdon Press is the primary publishing imprint for The United Methodist Publishing House and has a tradition of crossing denominational boundaries with thought-provoking and inspirational books. Abingdon Press titles include a wide array of quality Bibles, Bible studies, small group studies, Christian living, devotional, academic, professional, and reference titles published each year to enrich church communities across the globe. Visit AbingdonPress.com.

Hillary Rodham Clinton has served as secretary of state, U.S. senator from New York, first lady of the United States, first lady of Arkansas, a practicing lawyer and law professor, and an activist. But the first thing her friends and family will tell you is that she's never forgotten where she came from or who she's been fighting for throughout her life. A life-long United Methodist, this is her first book project with Abingdon Press.

Rev. Dr. Bill Shillady has served as Executive Director of the United Methodist City Society since September 2008. Before taking this position, he served as a pastor for 29 years. Over the years, Shillady has served on a variety of boards and committees of the New York Annual Conference as well as community based programs and boards. He is a member of the cabinet of the New York Annual Conference. He has been a delegate to the last two general conferences. He serves on the Wespath Benefits and Investments board of directors, and he serves on the Mayor's Faith Leaders Advisory Council for the City of New York.

Shillady also co-officiated with Rabbi James Ponet at the Chelsea Clinton-Marc Mesvinsky wedding in July of 2010. He led the memorial service for Dorothy Rodham, the mother of Hillary Rodham Clinton. He maintains a pastoral relationship with the Clinton family.

The United Methodist City Society acts as an agent of change for United Methodist Churches in the New York metro area, its members, and the community at large. We do this by sponsoring programs and creating partnerships that: Support churches in their development, through the offering of spiritual, management, leadership, consultative and financial resources consistent with their mission context; Facilitate the implementation of church-managed education, daycare, outreach and fellowship programs for members and the surrounding community; Promote the education and development of children and youth in our communities; and Enable individuals to overcome destructive addictions, and equip them to re-enter the larger community.

SOURCE Abingdon Press

Related Links

http://www.abingdonpress.com/


WOOD DALE, Ill., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AAR (NYSE: AIR) today announced that it will release financial results for its third quarter of Fiscal Year 2017, ended February 28, 2017, after the market closes on Tuesday, March 21, 2017.

On Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 3:45 p.m. CST, AAR will hold a conference call to discuss the results. The conference call can be accessed by calling 866-802-4322 from inside the U.S. or 703-639-1319 from outside the U.S.

A replay of the conference call will also be available by calling 855-859-2056 from inside the U.S. or 404-537-3406 from outside the U.S. (access code 8291068). The replay will be available from 7:15 p.m. CST on March 21, 2017, until 10:59 p.m. CST on March 28, 2017.

About AAR

AAR is a global aftermarket solutions company that employs more than 4,500 people in over 20 countries. Based in Wood Dale, Illinois, AAR supports commercial aviation and government customers through two operating segments: Aviation Services and Expeditionary Services. AAR's Aviation Services include inventory management; parts supply; OEM parts distribution; aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul; and component repair. AAR's Expeditionary Services include airlift operations; mobility systems; and command and control centers in support of military and humanitarian missions. More information can be found at www.aarcorp.com.

This press release contains certain statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions and estimates based on information currently available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated, including those factors discussed under Item 1A, entitled "Risk Factors", included in the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2016. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize adversely, or should underlying assumptions or estimates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described. These events and uncertainties are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many are beyond the Company's control. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events. For additional information, see the comments included in AAR's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE AAR CORP.

Related Links

http://www.aarcorp.com


COLUMBUS, Ga., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite in the United States, announced today that Tim Callahan, senior vice president of Global Security and global chief security officer at Aflac, has been named an SC Awards 2017 honoree in the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the Year category. The SC Awards, hosted by SC Media, honor the achievements of companies and information security professionals striving to safeguard businesses, their customers and critical data in North America.

"We are extremely proud that Tim has been honored as CSO of the Year," said Aflac Executive Vice President and General Counsel Audrey Boone Tillman. "At a time when information security is a concern for every business, Tim's strong leadership is vital to safeguarding our customers' valuable private information and ensuring Aflac continues to be an ethical and trusted company."

The SC Awards are determined by two panels of judges comprised of a range of cybersecurity industry luminaries  from current and former CISOs to vendor-neutral consultants or analysts to educators from academic institutions  all members of SC's audience. After averages for each category are tallied, finalists and winners are decided.

Callahan, selected for effectively developing and managing a strong IT security team, manages a group of more than 80 professionals. He provides strategy and vision for the team, empowering them to build their programs. Directing the continuous development of methods and best practices for a leading-edge intelligence program, Callahan fosters a security strategy custom-made for Aflac to protect the personal information of the insurance company's customers.

Finalists were honored at the 2017 SC Awards Presentation held in San Francisco on Feb. 14. For a full list of award recipients, go to https://www.scmagazine.com/awards.

About Aflac

When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For six decades, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite. Through its trailblazing One Day PaySM initiative, Aflac U.S. can receive, process, approve and disburse payment for eligible claims in one business day. In Japan, Aflac is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance and insures 1 in 4 households. Aflac products help provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For 10 consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2016, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 18th consecutive year and in 2017 included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 16th time. In 2015, Aflac's contact centers were recognized by J.D. Power by providing "An Outstanding Customer Service Experience" for the Live Phone Channel. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac and One Day PaySM, visit aflac.com or espanol.aflac.com.

About SC Media

SC Media is cybersecurity. We've lived it for more than 25 years, sharing industry expert guidance and insight, in-depth features and timely news, and independent product reviews in various content forms in partnership with and for top-level information security executives and their technical teams.

SC Media arms information security professionals with the in-depth, unbiased business and technical information they need to tackle the countless security challenges they face and establish risk management and compliance postures that underpin overall business strategies. We deliver breaking news, comprehensive analysis, cutting-edge features, contributions from thought leaders, and the best, most extensive collection of product reviews in the business.

Whether through our comprehensive website, magazine, in-depth eBooks, newsletters, or regularly scheduled digital and live events - such as our SC Awards program, SC Media Round tables or SC Congress Canada, New York, Boston, Chicago and London - our readers gain all the relevant information they need to safeguard their organizations and, ultimately, contribute to their longevity and success.

Media contact  Darcy Brito, 706.320.2358 or [email protected]

Analyst and investor contact  Robin Y. Wilkey, 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667, FAX: 706.324.6330, or [email protected]

SOURCE Aflac

Related Links

http://www.aflac.com


MADRID, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aireon announced today that Thales has officially begun the testing and validation of the Aireon space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance  Broadcast (ADS-B) data. Initially signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in June of 2015, the start of data validation marks a major milestone for Aireon and Thales' efforts to ensure the successful integration of space-based ADS-B into the TopSkyATC automation platform. The MOU was also designed to pave the way for Aireon data to be efficiently and effectively distributed to TopSky-ATC end-users.

With the Aireon system now receiving initial air traffic information from its first orbiting satellites, Thales will independently validate the space-based ADS-B air traffic surveillance data. This collaboration will include an assessment of technical performance, defining requirements associated with utilization of the data safely and reliably, as well as determining the impact the service will have on existing maintenance and operational processes. The MOU was the first agreement signed between Aireon and an air traffic management automation platform provider.

"We have been working strategically with Thales for over two years to implement a robust third party data validation set of processes and procedures. Thales is a leading air traffic management automation platform provider and we want to ensure that space-based ADS-B will be incorporated seamlessly into the system," said Don Thoma, CEO, Aireon. "Thales will have a direct connection to our service delivery point and will be ready to go live with the Aireon data when we are operational in 2018. In the meantime, our teams will work hand-in-hand to ensure that the data's update rate, availability, stability, coverage, latency and position accuracy meet the gold standard for air traffic surveillance."

"We are pleased to be working with Aireon on the integration of ADS-B data into TopSky-ATC and also serving as a third-party expert in the validation of the space-based ADS-B data," said Jean-Marc Alias, vice president, air traffic management, Thales. "This agreement was executed with our customers in mind. TopSky-ATC is the world's most widely deployed ATC system, and our world-wide customer base should have best-in-class data for operational efficiency and safety. Aireon is breaking new ground in this area, and we want to ensure our customers are ready when they are."

The Aireon service will be operational in 2018, shortly after the completion of the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation. On January 14, 2017, the first ten Iridium NEXT satellites carrying the Aireon ADS-B hosted payload were successfully launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. In total, the constellation will consist of 66 operational low-Earth-orbit satellites providing global coverage. The service will also provide Air Navigation Service Providers with global aircraft surveillance capability, and is expected to help reduce fuel costs, increase safety and enable more efficient flight paths.

About Aireon LLC

Aireon is deploying a global, space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system capable of surveilling and tracking ADS-B equipped aircraft around the globe in real-time. The system will be used to provide ADS-B coverage that will span oceanic, polar and remote regions, where current surveillance systems are limited to line-of-site and densely populated areas. Aireon will harness the best of aviation surveillance advancements already underway and extend them globally in order to significantly improve efficiency, expand safety, reduce emissions and provide cost savings to aviation stakeholders. In partnership with leading ANSPs from around the world, NAV CANADA, ENAV, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Naviair, as well as Iridium Communications, Aireon is developing an operational, global, space-based air traffic surveillance system expected to be available by 2018. For more information about Aireon, visit: www.aireon.com.

About Thales

Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and Security markets. With 62,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of 14 billion in 2015. With over 22,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its exceptional international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world.

PRESS CONTACTS:

Jessie Hillenbrand

Aireon

+1 (703) 287-7452

[email protected]

Beth Larson

Thales

+1 (315) 459-1896

[email protected]

SOURCE Aireon

Related Links

http://www.aireon.com


PASADENA, Calif., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE) and Joel S. Marcus, chairman, chief executive officer and founder of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. and Alexandria Venture Investments, were honored to chair the Navy SEAL Foundation's Ninth Annual Benefit Dinner in New York City on March 2, 2017. Alexandria partnered with the Navy SEAL Foundation and more than 1,900 patriots, partners, loyal supporters and friends to recognize the courage, dedication and sacrifice of the U.S. Navy SEALs, the Naval Special Warfare community and their families.

At the event, the Navy SEAL Foundation awarded TriWest Healthcare Alliance with the 2017 Patriot Award for its guidance and leadership in supporting service members of all branches in 28 states, as well as American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The evening also included a tribute to the 15th Anniversary of Operation Anaconda, the first large-scale battle in Afghanistan following 9/11.

The event raised a record-breaking $12.75 million. More than 100 Alexandria employees attended the Navy SEAL Foundation New York City Benefit Dinner, and 100 percent of Alexandria's employees donated to this mission-critical cause to support the teams and their families.

"Alexandria's tremendous support of the Navy SEAL Foundation has a significant impact on the health and welfare of the warriors and their families," said retired Rear Admiral (SEAL) Garry J. Bonelli, chairman of the board of the Navy SEAL Foundation, who welcomed guests and introduced Joel S. Marcus as the 2017 New York City Benefit Chairman. "Their contributions will help fund the Foundation's programming, ensuring that the Naval Special Warfare community and their families receive the best resources and care possible."

"We share the Navy SEAL Foundation's deep commitment to improving the health, safety and well-being of the brave men and women who defend our nation and their families," said Mr. Marcus. "At Alexandria, we work every day to improve the quality of people's lives, and we would not be able to pursue our mission to help end disease and hunger without global peace and safety."

Alexandria's commitment to philanthropy and good citizenship drives the company's efforts in all aspects of its differentiated and multifaceted business model, as well as its pursuit to advance human health. Through Alexandria's four verticalsreal estate, venture investments, thought leadership and corporate social responsibilitythe company creates and supports dynamic campuses and vibrant ecosystems that enable the world's most brilliant minds and innovative companies to develop life-changing scientific and technological breakthroughs that will prevent, treat and cure disease, end world hunger and enhance quality of life in the communities in which we live and work. Alexandria's strategic corporate giving and community volunteerism support impactful medical research organizations that promise the next generation of treatments for some of the world's most challenging diseases, fund science education programs that cultivate future scientific leaders and back military support services that ensure the health and safety of the brave men and women who defend our nation.





About Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE) is an urban office REIT uniquely focused on collaborative life science and technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, with a total market capitalization of $14.2 billion and an asset base in North America of 25.2 million square feet as of December 31, 2016. The asset base in North America includes 19.9 million RSF of operating properties and development and redevelopment of new Class A properties (under construction or pre-construction) and 5.3 million square feet of future ground-up development projects. Founded in 1994, Alexandria pioneered this niche and has since established a significant market presence in key locations, including Greater Boston, San Francisco, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland and Research Triangle Park. Alexandria has a longstanding and proven track record of developing Class A properties clustered in urban life science and technology campuses that provide its innovative tenants with highly dynamic and collaborative environments that enhance their ability to successfully recruit and retain world-class talent and inspire productivity, efficiency, creativity and success. For more information, please visit www.are.com.

SOURCE Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.are.com


PHILADELPHIA, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education (CLE) has announced the return of Commercial Real Estate Leases. This year's course will take place on May 15 - 16, 2017 at The Gleacher Center in Chicago, IL.

This annual, comprehensive conference has been updated this year to include new topics, issues, and strategies for negotiating and drafting all types of commercial real estate leases from the perspectives of the landlord, tenant, and lender. A highlight of this course is the ample opportunities for interaction and engagement during panel discussions, as well as networking with faculty participants from across the country.

The faculty is comprised of some of the top real estate practitioners from across the country. They are members of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL) and have extensive experience in all aspects of real estate work. Their presentations provide practical, in-depth discussions that will help participants stay abreast of important developments and anticipate client needs.

Some of the new topics featured this year include a special session on "healthful" leases (including green, medical, and marijuana-related businesses); a statutory and case law update; and insights from general counsel on resolving disputes.

"This program covers a broad range of current topics in a highly interactive discussion among premier practitioners from around the country," said Mark Senn, course co-chair and a partner at Senn Visciano Canges P.C. in Denver. "It will provide a firm footing in leasing issues from the perspectives of landlords, tenants and lenders." For more information and to register for this two-day course please click here.

About American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education

American Law Institute CLE is the continuing legal education division of the American Law Institute. American Law Institute CLE, a non-profit organization, is committed to the work of promoting continuing professional education for lawyers throughout the United States and to creating standards to ensure quality and relevance in CLE programs. American Law Institute CLE is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the legal profession, furthering a tradition of unparalleled service to lawyers. Follow the latest announcements and news at https://www.ali-cle.org/Press-Releases and on Twitter @ALI_CLE.

For press and media related inquiries please send us an email at [email protected].

CONTACT: Danelsy Medrano

Sr. Digital Marketing Manager

ALI CLE | (215) 243-1622

SOURCE American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education

Related Links

http://www.ali-cle.org


BRIDGEWATER, N.J., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Applegate, the nation's leading natural and organic meat brand, is committing to transforming the lives of millions of chickens in its supply chain. By 2024, Applegate intends to elevate and third-party verify its standards for broiler chickens to be consistent with Global Animal Partnership (GAP). These changes will require, among other things, using broiler chicken breeds that are scientifically proven to have improved welfare outcomes.

"Animal welfare is an evolving field, and we are continuously searching for ways to improve the lives of all the animals raised for Applegate to fulfill our mission  'Changing The Meat We Eat'," said Steve Lykken, president of Applegate. "We applaud GAP for addressing broiler chicken welfare issues and look forward to working with them and other organizations, as well as farmers and suppliers, to ensure that new standards provide the best life possible for broiler chickens."

Applegate already third-party verifies animal-welfare standards for its entire poultry supply (broilers and turkeys) and requires reduced stocking densities, lighting management programs and environmental enrichments from its broiler suppliers. By 2024, Applegate will improve its requirements by:

Using broiler breeds scientifically proven to have markedly improved welfare outcomes

Providing chickens with more space (maximum stocking density of 6 lbs./sq. ft.) and improved environments, including lighting, litter and enrichments

Eliminating live shackling and dumping and ensuring birds are rendered unconscious through a multi-step controlled atmospheric stunning, which is universally considered more humane, prior to slaughter

For a full look at Applegate's pledge on broiler chickens click here. Applegate also provides a detailed summary of all of its animal-welfare practices, including pork, beef, turkeys and chickens at www.applegate.com/animal-welfare.

"The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) applauds Applegate for its commitment to further improve the well-being of chickens in its supply chain," said Nancy Roulston, director of corporate engagement, ASPCA Farm Animal Welfare Program. "Applegate is the first retail brand to address broiler chickens' welfare to this extent at every stage of life, and we hope other brands will follow its lead in pursuing the continuous improvement and transparency in welfare standards that animals deserve and welfare-conscious consumers demand."

"Applegate has been a leading voice in developing a better and more humane meat production system in the United States," said Lykken. "Applegate blazed a trail in creating demand for meat raised without antibiotics, which others now emulate, and we hope to do the same for the critical issues involving higher animal welfare. More humane treatment of animals should be the rule, not the exception."

ABOUT APPLEGATE

For nearly 30 years, Applegate has been producing high-quality natural and organic hot dogs, bacon, sausages, deli meats, cheese and frozen products. Natural can mean many things, but when Applegate says their products are natural, consumers are guaranteed that they are made without GMO ingredients and the meat inside is:

From animals raised humanely without antibiotics, hormones or growth promotants

From animals fed a vegetarian or 100% grass diet

Free of added chemical nitrites, nitrates or phosphates

Free of artificial ingredients or preservatives

Applegate became a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods in July 2015. For more information about our products, visit http://www.applegate.com or talk with us on https://www.facebook.com/applegate or https://twitter.com/Applegate.

SOURCE Applegate

Related Links

http://www.applegate.com


LINCOLN, Mass., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Applied BioMath (www.appliedbiomath.com), the industry-leader in applying mechanistic modeling to drug research and development, today announced that Louis J. Latino, Jr. is joining its team as Senior Vice President of Business Development. In this role, Lou will lead the Applied BioMath business development team and continue to develop the company's growth strategy in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.

Lou has amassed thirty-seven years of direct sales and sales management experience, twenty of which have been focused in the Life Science Industries. Lou's experience and expertise lies in helping to build value in start-up and early-stage companies. He has an extensive history of building sales, exceeding revenue goals and increasing profitability. "We are thrilled to welcome Lou to our company," said Dr. John Burke, PhD, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Applied BioMath. "His experience in the Life Sciences is extremely valuable to us at this high growth stage of our company."

Prior to Applied BioMath, Lou was the Executive Vice President of Selventa, a pioneer in delivering actionable understanding of underlying disease and therapeutic biology to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Lou also held management positions at Accelrys (now Biovia), Geneformatics and Biosym Technologies. "I look forward to working with the Applied BioMath team and its loyal customer base," said Lou. "This is a pivotal time for the integration of mathematical modeling into drug research and development. It's exciting to have a leadership role in helping companies de-risk their drug programs and accelerate drugs to market." Lou holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Boston College.

About Applied BioMath

Applied BioMath (www.appliedbiomath.com), the industry-leader in applying mechanistic modeling to drug research and development, helps biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies answer complex, critical Go/No-go decisions in R&D. Applied BioMath leverages biology, proprietary mathematical modeling and analysis technology, high-performance computing, and decades of industry experience to help groups better understand their candidate, its best-in-class parameters, competitive advantages, and the best path forward. Our involvement shortens project timelines, lowers cost, and increases the likelihood of a best-in-class drug. We provide clarity to complex situations, answer otherwise unanswerable questions, and our approach, when validated in the clinic, is 10x more accurate than traditional methodologies.

Applied BioMath and the Applied BioMath logo are trademarks of Applied BioMath, LLC.

Press contact:

Kristen Zannella

[email protected]

SOURCE Applied BioMath

Related Links

http://www.appliedbiomath.com


NEW YORK, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Levi & Korsinsky LLP is investigating relating to the 401(k) defined contribution plan of Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. (NYSE: CBI). In particular, the investigation concerns whether the fiduciaries of the plan violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 by continuing to offer and maintain Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. stock as an investment option in the plan, even after the fiduciaries knew or should have known that it was imprudent to do so. If you held Chicago Bridge stock in an individual account under a Company 401(k) plan as an employee or former employee during 2013 and 2014, contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972, or visit http://zlk.9nl.com/cbi.

Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, and Washington D.C. The firm's attorneys have extensive expertise and experience representing investors in securities litigation involving financial fraud, and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Levi & Korsinsky, LLP

Eduard Korsinsky, Esq.

30 Broad Street - 24th Floor

New York, NY 10004

Tel: (212) 363-7500

Toll Free: (877) 363-5972

Fax: (212) 363-7171

www.zlk.com

SOURCE Levi & Korsinsky, LLP

Related Links

http://www.zlk.com


LONDON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

PL Bennett draws on her life experiences as a Christian to guide readers through their ever-challenging journey of faith.

Author PL Bennett has herself struggled to understand her faith and her purpose in life. In "My Alabaster Box: A Simple Guide Through the Christian Journey" (published by Westbow Press), she reaches out to others in the same situation. Becoming a Christian at nineteen, walking away from her faith, she learned to cope with life in "limbo" living for the world, while trying to hold on to her faith; but doing neither very well. Dealing with her brother's suicide and many struggles and disappointments taught her to apply her faith to life and not to abandon it when she need it most.

Patricia's inspiration to write this book came from the new Christians she was mentoring who were unsure about their faith, why they were called, the struggles in seeking their purpose and learning how to apply it to real life. "They were asking the same questions I asked some 30 something years before." She wanted to help others before they started falling away and going back into the world more confused than before they left it.

"Life is a journey of choices," Patricia explains. "Make the right ones and you can lead a deeply fulfilling life sprinkled with moments of great successes. Make the wrong choices or refuse to make a choice at all will undoubtedly have a negative impact on your whole life and a journey that should have taken one month actually took a life time."

In "My Alabaster Box" Patricia provides her readers with a simple, uncomplicated understanding of the Christian journey, what to expect and how to deal with the unexpected. She provides them with valuable help and advice needed to build solid foundations from the outset and become rooted in their faith.

"My Alabaster Box: A Simple Guide Through the Christian Journey"

By PL Bennett

Soft Cover | 5.5 X 8.5 | 288 Pages | ISBN 978-1-51276-237-2

E-Book | 288 Pages | ISBN 978-1-51276-236-5

Available: Amazon, Barnes and Noble and all major book distributors and retailers

About the Author

Patricia Bennett is an IT Consultant by profession and has a Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems and Social Sciences, from the University of the West of England. She is also a qualified Counsellor and Complementary Therapist who spends her days working, counselling and mentoring. The end of the working day is just the beginning for Patricia as she is driven to fulfilling a lifelong ambition to write. Drawing on her life's experiences, her passion is to help anyone struggling with their Christian faith, have fallen away and trying to find their way back or just wanting a simple uncomplicated understanding of Christianity. She has one daughter, Paige, and lives in Nottingham, England with her dog Lucy. This is her first published book.

For review copies or interview requests, contact:

Patricia Bennett

Tel: +44-757-228-7700

Email: [email protected]

Web: http://plbennett.org

SOURCE Press Office of Patricia Bennett
EMERYVILLE, Calif., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkeley Lights, Inc. (BLI), a company dedicated to bringing to market transformational platforms for biopharmaceutical processes, announced today that chief executive officer (CEO) Igor Khandros, Ph.D. is stepping down as part of the Company's ongoing leadership succession planning. Berkeley Lights' board of directors has named Eric D. Hobbs, Ph.D., the Company's current senior vice president of Operations and Consumables, as CEO and appointed him a member of the board, effective immediately. Dr. Khandros will remain on the board of directors and actively lead the Company's strategic partnerships and initiatives.

"Today's announcement is the culmination of an internal talent development process and succession planning and has the unanimous support of the Board," said Michael Marks, Chairman of Berkeley Lights' board. "We are certain Eric is prepared for these new responsibilities and is the right choice to lead Berkeley Lights into the commercial phase of its growth."

Marks continued: "As a co-founder of Berkeley Lights, Igor's leadership, vision and passion were integral to building the company. In addition to continuing his service on the board, Igor has enthusiastically agreed to take an active role in the company's strategic initiatives."

Commenting on Dr. Hobbs' promotion and the transition, Dr. Khandros said, "Eric has played a critical role in managing Berkeley Lights' business operations, including the recent introduction of our Beacon platform. Eric is passionate about building strong teams and promoting internal employee development, and I look forward to supporting him in his new role. While I am stepping down as CEO, I will maintain a very active presence in the company as I direct my energies to creating and building strategic partnerships."

"This is an exciting time at Berkeley Lights and I am humbled by the confidence the board is placing in me," said Dr. Hobbs. "We are delivering platforms that fundamentally change the way biological processes are done. Our technology and people are positioned to revolutionize how scientists and researchers study the interaction of individual cells and, ultimately, to transform and accelerate cellular therapies."

Dr. Hobbs joined Berkeley Lights in 2013 and has served in several management roles, most recently as senior vice president, Operations and Consumables. He holds more than 30 U.S. and International Patents and has lectured at UC Berkeley and Stanford University on Engineering Design, Invention, and Optimization Algorithms. Dr. Hobbs earned his Ph.D. & M.S. in MEMS Design and Microfluidic Devices at UC Berkeley after receiving a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at USC.

About Berkeley Lights:

Berkeley Lights, Inc. (BLI) develops and commercializes platforms on which many bio-pharmaceutical, genomic, and cellular therapy applications will run. BLI launched its first commercial platform, the Beacon, in December 2016. The Beacon platform, originally released for single cell based antibody discovery and cell line development, is now set to expand capabilities in cell and gene therapies and other research. BLI's transformative platforms will enable a capability leap in single cell-by-cell differentiation, measurement and culture to ultimately empower the reactivation of a patient's own immune system to defeat diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders.

Berkeley Lights' Beacon platform is: For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

For more information, visit http://www.berkeleylights.com/.

SOURCE Berkeley Lights, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.berkeleylights.com


SALT LAKE CITY, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Biomerics, a leading contract manufacturer for the medical device industry, announced the launch of its new Biomerics Advanced Extrusion division. The new division will specialize in the creation of next-generation extrusion and braid solutions for the vascular, coronary, electrophysiology, CRM, and interventional radiology medical device markets.

The new division will provide the medical device industry with a full range of extrusion and braid capabilities, including precision multi-lumen extrusion, taper/bump extrusion, co-extrusion, tie extrusion, and continuous braiding processes. A portfolio of material testing, tooling, braiding, metrology, and annealing services, as well as secondary operations and finished catheter assembly, will also be offered.

"Coupled with our material and advanced catheter construction technologies, this addition will make us one of the only completely vertically integrated catheter solution businesses in the industry," remarked Travis Sessions, CEO of Biomerics.

Biomerics Advanced Extrusion will be led by Larry Alpert. "I look forward to leading Biomerics Advanced Extrusion," stated Larry. "My vision is to build a world-class extrusion facility that will enable us to develop solutions to the most difficult medical device problems. Biomerics' materials, tooling, engineering, and processing capabilities will allow me to accelerate my vision."

"Larry joins us with extensive expertise and over 30 years of experience in medical extrusion," added Travis. "We are excited to add Larry and his team and we look forward to his leadership and innovation in this critical growth area of our company."

The new division is located within Biomerics' 72,000 square foot facility in Brooklyn Park, MN. The facility, which is ISO-13485 certified and FDA registered, is also home to Biomerics Advanced Catheter and Biomerics Advanced Laser. Biomerics Advanced Extrusion will operate out of a dedicated cleanroom that has been optimized to continuously run multiple extrusion lines.

"This facility was initially designed to provide a vertically integrated platform for the development and manufacture of advanced catheters and device leads," stated Steve Berhow, President of Biomerics Advanced Catheter. "With the addition of extrusion manufacturing, this facility now offers everything required to produce a complete medical device in-house."

About Biomerics

Biomerics specializes in the design, development, and production of finished medical devices used in diagnostic and interventional procedures. Biomerics provides complete development and manufacturing solutions for customers in the cardiovascular, structural heart, cardiac rhythm management, electrophysiology, neurovascular, vascular access, and pain management markets. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Biomerics has operations across three ISO-13485 compliant facilities.

Larry Alpert

President

Biomerics Advanced Extrusion

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (763) 428-0010

SOURCE Biomerics
MISSOULA, Mont., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Marble Biomaterials (Blue Marble), a specialty chemical manufacturer and technology provider, offers proprietary technology that enables partners to turn their plant-based waste streams into revenue streams. Blue Marble can then turn these low-value organic leftovers into thousands of dollars' worth of high-value biochemicals. A new SEC-qualified Regulation A+ offering now allows individuals to invest in the company.

The first zero-waste chemical biorefinery in the United States, Blue Marble mimics natural processes to convert organic waste produced by food manufacturers into natural, non-GMO chemicals. These eco-friendly biochemicals provide an alternative to the ever-present petroleum-based chemicals found in nearly all manufactured products.

"Food manufacturers have few options when it comes to disposing of their waste products," said Blue Marble Co-CEO Colby Underwood. "Typically, food manufacturing companies have to pay for disposal of their leftover byproducts like grape pulp. We can provide a model whereby not only are they reducing or eliminating the cost of disposal, they're actually turning that waste into revenue. In turn, we can convert it into $15,000 worth of natural biochemicals."

These biochemicals are then used by fragrance, flavoring and personal-care product manufacturers as cost-saving replacements for crude-oil-derived chemicals traditionally used in most manufactured products. This allows manufacturers to respond to increasing consumer demand for cleaner, more natural products.

"Blue Marble offers food manufacturers a compelling option," says Charlotte Allen, Ph.D., former Associate Director of research and development for Kraft Foods. "Botanically based ingredients on the marketplace today can be cost prohibitive to incorporate into most consumer products. At scale, Blue Marble products are cost effective and could enable companies to create offerings for all consumers."

Well positioned to tap into the $3.2 trillion chemical market, and coming on the heels of a new partnership with global food giant Welch's, Blue Marble is offering equity shares to the public through a Regulation A+ offering qualified by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The initial round is set at $1.5 million and shares are $1.25 each, with a minimum investment of $300. Interested individuals can view the offering circular and find out more about the offering at https://www.manhattanstreetcapital.com/blue-marble-biomaterials.

"Historically, investing in companies like Blue Marble has been a luxury available to only accredited or high-net-worth individuals," said Rod Turner, CEO of Manhattan Street Capital, a fundraising platform specializing in Regulation A+ offerings. "Now, even entry-level investors can take advantage of the opportunity to own shares in an innovative company that is leading the emerging biomaterials industry."

About Blue Marble Biomaterials

Blue Marble uses proprietary technologies to convert plant-based organic waste, such as used coffee grounds, wood chips, and tomato and grape pomace, into natural and non-GMO chemicals that replace chemicals derived from crude oil. www.bluemarblebio.com

AN OFFERING STATEMENT REGARDING THIS OFFERING HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE SEC. THE SEC HAS QUALIFIED THAT OFFERING STATEMENT, WHICH ONLY MEANS THAT THE COMPANY MAY MAKE SALES OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED BY THE OFFERING STATEMENT. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE SEC HAS APPROVED, PASSED UPON THE MERITS OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION IN THE OFFERING STATEMENT. YOU MAY OBTAIN A COPY OF THE OFFERING CIRCULAR THAT IS PART OF THAT OFFERING STATEMENT FROM https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1462326/000114420417009889/v459701_253g2.htm

YOU SHOULD READ THE OFFERING CIRCULAR BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT.

SOURCE Blue Marble Biomaterials

Related Links

http://www.bluemarblebio.com


MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueFocus International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BlueFocus Communication Group (publicly traded Chinese company SHE: 300058), and 24x7 Comunicacao, one of Latin America's leading PR and communications agencies based in Sao Paolo, Brazil, announced today a strategic partnership between the two companies.

The partnership consists of co-development of cross-border marketing, business development opportunities and knowledge sharing enabling the companies to provide highly targeted and localized PR, communications and marketing solutions for global brands and organizations in China, Brazil and Latin America. 24x7 Comunicacao will provide high-touchpoint, on-the-ground services to Chinese and other international companies that BlueFocus International works with in China and globally. BlueFocus International will also actively support 24x7 Comunicacao in serving new Chinese clients recently entering Brazil and other Latin American markets.

As part of the extensive agreement, 24x7 Comunicacao has also entered into a partnership with BlueFocus eCommerce, a BlueFocus Communication Group company, to deploy eCommerce enablement solutions for Brazilian manufacturers targeting the rapidly growing and expanding Chinese eCommerce market. 24x7 Comunicacao will engage in sales and marketing work to promote the services and serve as the first line of contact with Brazilian companies. BlueFocus eCommerce will conduct all primary China-side web enablement, ecommerce marketing and storefront management while BlueFocus International will provide China market analysis, market entry strategy, PR, communications and marketing services to Brazilian businesses.

The partnership was developed in response to the rapid increase in business and government related investments and trade activities between China and Brazil over the past 18 months. Both countries' governments and businesses have been developing stronger commercial and economic ties with each other as demand for each country's unique products and services continues to grow.

Brazilian private and public sector businesses and organizations have experienced unprecedented levels of investment from China in areas including, infrastructure, technology, consumer goods, and travel. Chinese companies have invested over $40 billion in Brazil's energy sector over the past five years. In a single recent bi-lateral agreement, China, alone, committed $15 billion of the total $20 billion marked for Brazil infrastructure projects.

"Brazil is experiencing a deepening relationship with China and a level of investment never seen before. The speed at which this is happening is making it difficult for many Chinese businesses to execute effective communications and marketing strategies while developing their businesses in Brazil", said Fabio Cardo, Managing Director at 24x7 Comunicacao.

"In keeping with our commitment to provide the best global intelligent marketing solutions to our clients, it is essential that we be able to extend our capabilities to Latin America. 24x7 Comunicacao shares the similar approaches and professionalism to serving clients as BlueFocus does, which makes them a natural partner for us. We are confident that BlueFocus's extensive experience in working with Chinese clients will add deep value to the partnership that will ultimately benefit our clients", said Holly Zheng, CEO & President of BlueFocus International.

Some of BlueFocus International and 24x7 Comunicacao's existing Chinese clients, including a major telecommunications equipment manufacturer and one of China's leading construction equipment manufacturers, LiuGong, have expressed their intentions to increase investments in Brazil significantly in 2017 and for the foreseeable future. The partnership will also focus on the co-development of knowledge-based events focused on Education, Oil & Gas, Infrastructure, Internet/Connectivity/E-commerce. Already in the partnership's working pipeline is an Ag-tech event to be held in California during the third quarter of 2017 bringing together key stakeholders from China, Brazil and the U.S.'s agricultural sectors for collaboration on solving some of the world's major food-related problems through technology. Also in development are several ecommerce-focused events to be held in China and Brazil.

BlueFocus International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BlueFocus Communication Group (publicly traded Chinese company SHE: 300058), leads international strategy, M&A and cross-border initiatives for the group and manages an international portfolio of award winning digital marketing, PR, communications and advertising agencies including We Are Social, Cossette, Citizen Relations and The Camps Collective. Also part of the Blue Focus International portfolio is fuseproject, a highly esteemed industrial design firm behind consumer technology and lifestyle product hits such as Jawbone, Movado and the August Lock. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, BlueFocus International and its portfolio companies employ over 1,500 professionals across the spectrum of marketing and advertising disciplines worldwide. It serves hundreds of the world's best-known brands from major consumer goods manufacturers to cutting-edge technology companies by providing global intelligent marketing solutions in brand strategy, digital creative production, ecommerce enablement, cloud based CRM, big data analytics, digital and traditional media buying, and social media insights & marketing.

24x7 Comunicacao is a premium PR and corporate communications agency, comprised of highly qualified and experienced professionals in a consortium of strategic partners in Latin American markets. Its main services include PR, corporate communication, institutional relations, government relations, crisis management, content marketing, branded content, digital strategy, digital tools, advertising, events, internal communication & endomarketing. Headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil with operational support in Rio de Janeiro and Campinas, it serves as the major hub for dozens of domestic and international clients across Latin America, coordinating services among agencies in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Costa Rica.

For more information or press inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Siwei Gao

+1-646-510-1086

[email protected]

SOURCE BlueFocus International
NEW YORK, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Brixmor Property Group Inc. (NYSE: BRX) ("Brixmor" or the "Company") announced today the acquisition of Arborland Center, a 404,000 square foot grocery-anchored regional shopping destination located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for $102 million. Arborland Center is located in a high barrier-to-entry trade area situated between the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University and is anchored by a range of best-in-class retailers including Kroger, DSW, Marshalls, Nordstrom Rack, Starbucks and Ulta.

With the acquisition of Arborland Center, Brixmor owns four assets totaling over 1 million square feet in the Ann Arbor MSA, including Maple Village, an open-air shopping center currently undergoing redevelopment. Brixmor recently replaced a former Kmart at Maple Village, which is also anchored by a specialty grocer, with HomeGoods, Michigan's first Sierra Trading Post and Stein Mart. The Company intends to leverage its local market expertise, deep retailer relationships and value creation capabilities to drive cash flow growth at Arborland Center through near-term remerchandising and repositioning and long-term site densification.

"The acquisition of Arborland positions Brixmor as the largest institutional open-air landlord in the Ann Arbor market and is another great example of our strategy to cluster our ownership of assets in successful retail corridors and dynamic markets across the country. We see significant opportunities to enhance the merchandising at the center, densify the site and expand Arborland's regional draw, while capitalizing on the below market rents at the center," commented Mark Horgan, Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer.

CONNECT WITH BRIXMOR

For additional information, please visit www.brixmor.com;

Follow Brixmor on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Brixmor;

Find Brixmor on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/brixmor.

ABOUT BRIXMOR PROPERTY GROUP

Brixmor Property Group, a real estate investment trust (REIT), is a leading owner and operator of high-quality, open-air shopping centers. The Company's more than 500 retail centers comprise 86 million square feet in established trade areas across the nation and are supported by a diverse mix of highly productive non-discretionary and value-oriented retailers, as well as consumer-oriented service providers. Brixmor is committed to maximizing the value of its portfolio by prioritizing investments, cultivating relationships and capitalizing on embedded growth opportunities through driving rents, increasing occupancy and pursuing value-enhancing reinvestment opportunities. Headquartered in New York City, Brixmor is a partner to more than 5,500 best-in-class national, regional and local tenants and is the largest landlord to The TJX Companies and The Kroger Company.

SAFE HARBOR LANGUAGE

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to the Company's expectations regarding the performance of its business, its financial results, its liquidity and capital resources and other non-historical statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "outlook," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "approximately," "projects," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those described under the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our periodic filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this release and in the Company's filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE Brixmor Property Group Inc.

Related Links

http://www.brixmor.com


Approximately 63 percent of equipment sold to online buyers; 8,650+ total bidders registered

EDMONTON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. conducted its first Edmonton auction of the year last week, selling 5,000+ equipment items and trucks for CA$62+ million (US$46+ million) over three days (March 2  4, 2017).

More than 8,650 people from across Canada and 46 other countries registered to bid in the auction, including 5,950+ people who registered to bid online. Approximately 63 percent of the equipment (CA$38+ million or US$29+ million) was sold to online bidders. Canadian buyers purchased 85 percent of the equipment, with bidders from Alberta (50%), British Columbia (12%), and Saskatchewan (11%) being the biggest Canadian buyers. International buyers from such countries as France, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates purchased 15 percent.

"We saw strong demand with active bidding from across Canada, the United States and overseas, helping us achieve strong pricing in almost every equipment category in Edmonton last week," said Brian Glenn, Senior Vice President, Ritchie Bros. "Contractors are utilizing more of their fleets for active construction jobs, and fleet sizes are now better suited for the level of activity in the province. As a result, we sold fewer equipment items in this auction compared to our February Edmonton auction last year, though our April auction continues to growand will be an excellent opportunity for customers to both buy and sell assets to best align their fleets for their upcoming spring and summer projects."

Equipment in the March auction was sold for 600+ owners. The selection included 50 excavators, 40+ loaders, 40 compactors, 20+ dozers, 15+ cranes, 20+ agricultural tractors, 65 aerial work platforms, 400+ trailers, 120+ truck tractors, and more. All items were sold without minimum bids or reserve prices.

"We sold close to 50 items in the auction last weektrucks, excavators, dozers, packersand we are very happy with the results," said Herbert Rothenbacher, owner of Swiss Alpine Inc., an Olds, AB-based deep utilities contractor. "We have sold and bought from Ritchie Bros. many times. They are the most professional, full-service organization. Perfect for selling a large spread of equipment, with first-class marketing, online bidding, and access to a global marketthe whole package."

Specific equipment highlights:

A 2014 Terex HC165 165-ton crawler crane sold for CA$1.01 million

A 2015 Tadano GR1000XL-2 100-ton 4x4x4 rough terrain crane sold for CA$775,000

Two 2014 Komatsu WA500-7 wheel loaders sold for a combined CA$685,000

A 2015 Caterpillar 980M wheel loader sold for CA$440,000

A 2013 Western Star 4900SA T/A tri-drive w/ Manitex 4596 boom truck sold for CA$415,000

A 2014 Komatsu HM400-3 6x6 articulated dump truck sold for CA$365,000

A 2011 Case CX470B hydraulic excavator sold for CA$250,000

A 2012 Kenworth T800 tri-drive hydro vac truck sold for CA$185,000

A 2013 Kenworth T800 tri-drive sleeper winch tractor sold for CA$177,500

A 2014 Xtreme XR2045 4x4x4 telescopic forklift sold for CA$175,000

Auction quick facts: Edmonton, AB (March 2017)

Gross auction proceeds  CA$62+ million (US$46+ million)

CA$62+ million (US$46+ million) Amount sold to online bidders  CA$38+ million (US$29+ million)

CA$38+ million (US$29+ million) Total registered bidders (onsite and online)  8,650+

8,650+ Online registered bidders  5,950+

5,950+ Number of lots sold  5,000+

5,000+ Number of sellers  600+

Ritchie Bros. has a busy spring auction season ahead, with dozens of auctions across Canada and around the world. Big upcoming Canadian auctions include: Chilliwack, BC (March 15); Montreal, QC (March 22  23); Lethbridge, AB (March 23); Regina, SK (March 28); Saskatoon, SK (April 3); Truro, NS (April 5); and Grande Prairie (April 12  13). The company will also conduct more than 60 on-the-farm auctions in Canada in March and April. Visit rbauction.com for a complete list of auctions.

About Ritchie Bros.

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is the world's largest industrial auctioneer, and one of the world's largest sellers of used equipment for the construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, mining, forestry and other industries. Ritchie Bros.TM asset management and disposition solutions include live unreserved public auctions with on-site and online bidding; EquipmentOneTM, an online auction marketplace; Mascus, a global online equipment listing service; private negotiated sales through Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty; and a range of ancillary services, including financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. Ritchie Bros. has operations in 19 countries, including 45 auction sites worldwide. Learn more at rbauction.com, EquipmentOne.com, mascus.com, rbauction.com/privatetreaty and rbauction.com/financing.

Photos and video for embedding in media stories are available at rbauction.com/media.

SOURCE Ritchie Bros.
WASHINGTON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy group, today launched a "Register Me First" (#RegisterMeFirst) website designed to challenge President Donald Trump's Islamophobic policies, including the ongoing "Muslim ban" and a proposed "Muslim registry."

CAIR's new website was announced at a Capitol Hill press conference in Washington, D.C., shortly after the Trump administration unveiled a revised executive order banning immigration from six Muslim-majority countries.

SEE: CAIR Calls Trump's Scaled-Back 'Muslim Ban 2.0' a 'Partial Victory,' Will Continue to Challenge Unconstitutional Order

http://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14165-cair-calls-trump-s-scaled-back-muslim-ban-2-0-a-partial-victory-will-continue-to-challenge-unconstitutional-order.html

Registermefirst.com provides an opportunity for anyone who wants to oppose the Muslim Ban, any future Muslim registry or other unconstitutional actions by the Trump administration to join the broader movement challenging those unjust policies.

After signing up on the "Register Me First" website, supporters will continue to be updated on how they can express their solidarity with American Muslims and how they can oppose the Trump administration's Islamophobic policies and proposals. Those who register at the site will receive CAIR's email updates about a potential Muslim registry, about the updated Muslim ban and about other Trump administration efforts to restrict civil liberties.

The site also provides visitors with the opportunity to obtain #RegisterMeFirst stickers, lawn signs and posters they can use to show their support for minorities targeted by the Trump administration.

GO TO: Register Me First

https://registermefirst.com/

Video: Register Me First

https://youtu.be/Qoq-X2UHgPY

"CAIR invites all people of conscience to partner with an action-oriented movement that will stand up for the Constitution against faith-based bans and registries," said Corey Saylor, director of CAIR's Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia.

CAIR-NY Legal Director Albert Cahn added, "Our work today is about prevention. This administration must see that they will pay a high political cost for banning or registering Muslims or any other American faith community." CAIR-NY played a key role in initiating the collaboration that resulted in the website.

The site was developed by Use All Five, a Los Angeles based design and technology studio. Speaking about the site's genesis Use All Five CEO Levi Brooks said, "When we spoke to CAIR about the damaging actions our administration was taking against Muslims, we felt we had to take a stand. We hope this project engages people to resist bans and registries."

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) is a leading New York advocacy group for Muslim civil rights.

La mision de CAIR es mejorar la comprension del Islam, fomentar el dialogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprension mutua.

CONTACT: CAIR Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR-NY Legal Director Albert Cahn, 571-766-6273, [email protected]; Use All Five CEO and Co-Founder Levi Brooks, (310) 270-5569, [email protected]

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

Related Links

http://www.cair.com


"It gives us immense pride to have Ms. Melody Meyer and Mr. Atul Gupta with us. With their unique blend of extensive oil and gas experience, leadership and business acumen, we are confident that they will together play a stellar role in further increasing the operational efficiency and growth of our business. They will prove to be the twin pillars on which Cairn India's forward vision will be founded."

Ms. Melody Meyer brings 37 years of rich experience with Chevron Corporation  one of the world's largest integrated oil companies. In her last role as President, Asia-Pacific, she was responsible for driving Chevron's E&P activities across nine countries in the region. She has extensive leadership expertise in global upstream operations, strategic business planning, major capital projects execution, capital allocation and delivering superior financial results. In her earlier roles at Chevron, Melody has held leadership responsibilities as President of Energy Technology, Vice President of the Gulf of Mexico SBU, Vice-President U.S. Mid-Continent and Alaska SBU. An American citizen, Melody graduated from Trinity University in 1979 with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering and attended Dartmouth Tuck Executive Education program in 1997. As an advocate for 'women in energy', she was also the Executive Sponsor of the Chevron Women's Network and formed Women with Energy LLC. Melody is currently also on the Boards of Trustees of Trinity University and National Bureau of Asian Research. In 2009, Melody was recognized as a Trinity Distinguished Alumni, with BioHouston Women in Science and the ASME Rhoades Petroleum Industry Leadership Awards.

On her appointment Melody says, "I am very excited to be an executive advisor to Cairn. This will be my first experience in India, one of the world's most rapidly developing energy markets. I am looking forward to add value to the company's integrated E&P plans and capabilities and contribute to selecting the right partners for smooth project execution that will be key to the company's future growth."

A sector professional with more than 36 years of rich and varied global experience, Mr. Atul Gupta currently advises private equity firms and sits on the Boards of a number of upstream oil and gas companies including Nostrum (Kazakhstan), Seven Energy (Nigeria) and Vetra Energy (Colombia). Earlier, he was Chairman and CEO of oil and gas companies with BSG Resources  a natural resource and power company. Prior to that, Atul served as CEO of Burren Energy Plc. Prior to that for over two decades, he worked in numerous leadership roles with the international upstream oil and gas businesses  successively with Charterhouse Petroleum, Petrofina, Monument and Burren Energy. He was also the Managing Director of Hindustan Oil Exploration Co. Ltd., of HOEC Bardahl India Ltd. from August 2006 to August 2008. A British citizen, Atul holds a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Cambridge University and a Master's degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Heriot-Wat University.

Says Atul, "I am delighted to join Cairn at a time when the company is all set to play an important role in India's mission towards energy security and sustainability. Further, ramping up the overall crude and natural gas production at reduced costs will be an important step in this direction. In both of these aspects, Cairn has a strong legacy of excellence and I am hopeful of furthering the legacy."

The following release was issued today by Vedanta Ltd subsidiary Cairn India Limited.

About Cairn India

Cairn India is one of the largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in India. It is headquartered in Gurgaon in the National Capital Region. A subsidiary of Vedanta Limited; part of the Vedanta Group, a globally diversified natural resources group, Cairn India has operational offices in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. The Company has a world-class resource base, with interest in seven blocks in India and one in South Africa. Cairn India's focus on India has resulted in a significant number of oil and gas discoveries. Cairn India made a major oil discovery (Mangala) in Rajasthan in the north west of India at the beginning of 2004. To date, thirty eight discoveries have been made in the Rajasthan block RJ-ON-90/1. Together with its JV partners, Cairn India accounted for ~27% of India's domestic crude oil production for FY16.

Contact

Media Relations

Arun Arora

Chief Communication Officer

+91-124 4593039

+91 8826999270

[email protected]

For further information on Cairn India Limited, kindly visit www.cairnindia.com

For further information, please contact:

Communications

Roma Balwani

President  Group Communications, Sustainability& CSR

Tel: +91-22 6646 1000

[email protected]

Investor Relations

Ashwin Bajaj

Director  Investor Relations

Tel: +91-22 6646 1531

[email protected]

Sunila Martis

Associate General Manager - Investor Relations

Vishesh Pachnanda

Manager  Investor Relations

About Vedanta Limited (Formerly SesaSterlite Ltd.)

Vedanta Limited is a diversified natural resources company, whose business primarily involves producing oil & gas, zinc - lead - silver, copper, iron ore, aluminium and commercial power. The company has a presence across India, South Africa, Namibia, Australia, Ireland, Liberia and Sri Lanka.

Vedanta Limited, formerly SesaSterlite Limited is the Indian subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Plc, a London-listed company. Governance and Sustainable Development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety and environment and on enhancing the lives of local communities. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more information please log on to www.vedantalimited.com

Vedanta Limited

(Formerly known as SesaSterlite Limited)

Vedanta, 75, Nehru Road,

Vile Parle (East), Mumbai - 400 099

www.vedantalimited.com

Registered Office:

Vedanta Limited 1st Floor, 'C' wing, Unit 103, Corporate Avenue, Atul Projects, Chakala,

Andheri (East), Mumbai 400093, Maharashtra, India.

CIN: L13209GA1965PLC000044

Disclaimer

This press release contains "forward-looking statements"  that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "should" or "will." Forwardlooking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different that those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Vedanta Limited

Related Links

http://www.vedantalimited.com


A Modern Finance Company For All Canadians.

LendingArch, a leading Canadian Financial Technology company, has announced a key expansion of their product range with the introduction of real-time point of sale financing to fill a huge gap in elective care and medical procedure expenses. This groundbreaking loan product will provide patients the freedom to turn essential and expensive medical needs into affordable monthly payments that do not require the patient to use, or have a credit card.

CALGARY, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - LendingArch is excited to announce the official launch of their new, real-time point of sale loan service for Canadian medical clinics and their patients. A trusted name in Canada's FinTech sector, LendingArch is one of the fastest-growing providers of instant financing in the country. This disruptive and positive loan product is expected to ease consumers from the over-dependence on credit cards. LendingArch has over 1100 clinics who are on a waiting list to offer this type of flexible financing to their patients after it goes live on April 1st, 2017.

Recent figures suggest consumers in Canada face over $32 billion in out of pocket medical expenses and that number is growing significantly every year for different healthcare needs, including but not limited to MRI's, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, dental and hearing aids. Infused with patient friendly technology, LendingArch's new product offering brings real-time underwriting direct to clinicians. This will now allow clinics to offer affordable finance solutions to their patients, to match and manage their monthly budget more efficiently and effectively.

Patients can now apply for LendingArch's point of sale financing either from the comfort of their own home, or directly at a clinic location and get approved within minutes, all online. Patients can be pre-approved before they go in for a treatment or appointment which alleviates the uncomfortable conversation regarding affordability. They can now confidently walk into their clinic and enjoy the flexibility of breaking down their loans into equal monthly installments for a duration of twelve-months to three years.

One of the key benefits of LendingArch point of sale financing is that rates are far more affordable compared to any credit card, and the program is personalized according to the re-payment capacity of the borrowers. The clinics have no credit risk and are simply offering a flexible way for their patients to pay. Applications take less than two minutes and the clinic gets paid right away. Moreover, there are no deferred payments, compounding interest plans, or late fees for the patient. This product is a huge benefit to medical clinics as it has the power to increase sales, strengthen patient loyalty and improve the experience by allowing a more flexible payment option.

LendingArch CEO Arti Modi commented, "We are excited about being able to offer our lending technology right at the point of sale and make a difference in the lives of financially responsible Canadians. To see the look on a patient's face when they realize they can now afford fertility treatments or a hearing aid is empowering. Our clinicians are excited about being able to enhance their patients' lifestyle and buying experience due to our seamless application process at no risk to them."

To find out more about the range of FinTech solutions from LendingArch, please visit https://lendingarch.com

LendingArch is a modern finance company reinventing the lending experience. Through smart technology and exceptional customer experience, LendingArch has become one of Canada's fastest-growing providers of instant credit to financially responsible Canadians. From medical expenses, debt consolidation, home improvement costs and help with personal growth, LendingArch is dedicated to bringing financial advancement to consumers who deserve to live a happy life, at their rate.

SOURCE LendingArch
NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Captain D's, the leading fast casual seafood restaurant, announced today it has accelerated its franchise development efforts, signing agreements to expand the brand's presence in Illinois, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky. As part of this aggressive growth, the company will open two new restaurants in Illinois; three in Texas; three in Virginia; five in North Carolina; and five in Kentucky over the next several years. This surge in franchise development is propelled by Captain D's ongoing success, with six consecutive years of same-store sales increases and four successive years of record high system-wide AUV.

"Year after year, Captain D's has achieved compounding success by consistently investing in our people, products and processes, and our ongoing growth has caught the attention of franchisee prospects looking to partner with a strong fast casual concept," said Michael Arrowsmith, chief development officer of Captain D's. "The strength of our franchising pipeline will help drive Captain D's presence nationwide over the next several years and accelerate our momentum even further as we continue to take the brand to new heights."

Captain D's new franchise agreements include:

Edward Stokes and Chris Benner , who currently operate 22 Captain D's restaurants throughout Alabama , Tennessee , Georgia , Kentucky and Virginia , will be opening three new units throughout the Roanoke, Virginia market. Stokes and Benner are one of the largest franchisee groups in the Captain D's franchise network, and will be opening their new locations over the next four years.

and , who currently operate 22 Captain D's restaurants throughout , , , and , will be opening three new units throughout the market. Stokes and Benner are one of the largest franchisee groups in the Captain D's franchise network, and will be opening their new locations over the next four years. Nooralam Jan Erkin will open his first Captain D's franchise in Tyler, Texas in 2018, with two additional locations slated to open in the state over the next several years in Longview and Jacksonville . Erkin has extensive experience in the restaurant and franchising industries, and also owns and operates Church's Chicken restaurants.

in 2018, with two additional locations slated to open in the state over the next several years in and . Erkin has extensive experience in the restaurant and franchising industries, and also owns and operates Church's Chicken restaurants. GOALZ Restaurant Group, LLC signed two development agreements to open five new Captain D's units in Charlotte, North Carolina and five in Kentucky , with Shawn Eby serving as the main operator.

and five in , with serving as the main operator. First-time Captain D's franchisee Bassam Ramadan will be spearheading the brand's growth in Collinsville and Granite City, Illinois , with his first restaurant opening by the end of this year and an additional location slated to open over the next several years. Ramadan has been in the restaurant industry since 2009 and chose to pursue franchising opportunities with Captain D's due to its proven track record of success.

"When looking for potential franchisee candidates who may be a good fit for our network, it's important to us that they share our commitment to guest-centric values and have a passion for the Captain D's brand. Each of our new franchisees fit this mold, and we're thrilled to welcome them to the team," said Arrowsmith.

Coupled with its menu diversification and expanded array of offerings, Captain D's credits its new restaurant beach design with contributing to the brand's compounding success. To date, nearly 60 percent of all restaurants have been reimaged to the brand's new vibrant, coastal design, with another 50 locations to be remodeled by the end of this year. With these efforts, Captain D's has remained true to what it does best  serving high-quality seafood with warm hospitality at an affordable price in a welcoming atmosphere.

With 514 restaurants in 21 states, Captain D's is the fast-casual seafood leader and number one seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume. The company is currently seeking single- and multi-unit operators to join in the brand's rapid expansion. For more information about franchise opportunities, visit http://www.captaindsfranchising.com or call 877-635-6502.

ABOUT CAPTAIN D'S

Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Captain D's has 514 restaurants in 21 states, plus military bases around the world. Captain D's is the nation's leading fast casual seafood restaurant and was named the #1 seafood chain in the QSR 50, ranked by AUV. Founded in 1969, Captain D's has been offering its customers high-quality seafood at reasonable prices in a welcoming atmosphere for more than 47 years. Captain D's serves a wide variety of seafood that includes freshly prepared entrees and the company's signature hand-battered fish, which is cooked to order. The restaurants also offer premium-quality, grilled items such as shrimp, and surf and turf, as well as hushpuppies, desserts and freshly brewed, Southern-style sweet tea, a Captain D's favorite. For more information, please visit www.captainds.com.

Contact:

Samantha Russo

Fish Consulting

954-893-9150

[email protected]

SOURCE Captain D's

Related Links

http://www.captainds.com


SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Students Rising Above (SRA), one of the nation's most successful college completion and workforce entry programs, today announced that Carolina Martin, a Bay Area nonprofit leader and executive with more than 18 years of experience, has been named Executive Director.

Martin succeeds Lynne Martin, SRA's long-time leader who will be retiring April 30. Martin was responsible for building SRA into one of the country's most successful programs helping low-income, first-generation students get into and graduate from college, launch their careers and ultimately break the cycle of poverty.

"Carolina Martin is a proven leader with a passion for helping young people realize their full potential," said John Diserens, Chairman of SRA's Board of Directors. "Carolina's experience and commitment are exactly the qualities we need in a successor to Lynne Martin, who has done an incredible job at SRA over the past 15 years. Lynne has been an inspiration to us all and has made SRA the highly effective organization it is today."

Bilingual in Spanish, Martin has served in executive level positions at several Bay Area nonprofits. For the past eight years, she was Senior Vice President of DonorsChoose.org, where she was responsible for building new corporate partnerships. Before that, she served as Executive Director of Summerbridge and worked at the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, where she served as the Director of Community & Scholar Relations. A former elementary school teacher, Martin also served as Vice President for Hispanic Initiatives at Sallie Mae in California. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from the University of San Diego.

"Students Rising Above is a trailblazing organization that has transformed the lives of many young people and their families in the Bay Area," Martin said. "I look forward to building on SRA's many successes and finding new, innovative ways to help low-income, first-generation students break the cycle of poverty."

Lynne Martin was named SRA's Executive Director in 2004. When she took over as Executive Director, SRA supported about 20 students a year and its college completion rate was about 50%. Today, SRA supports more than 450 students a year through its direct services program and more than 10,000 students a year through it online College2Careers Hub. SRA's college completion rate is 90%, among the highest of any similar program.

"Carolina Martin will be a terrific Executive Director of SRA, and I am confident her leadership will result in even more young people realizing the benefit of a college education," said Lynne Martin. "I am very grateful to have worked with so many wonderful people, including our Board of Directors, the SRA staff and countless individuals who have given so generously over the years. SRA will always be near and dear to my heart and I look forward to continuing to help SRA in any way I can."

About Students Rising Above

Students Rising Above (SRA) is an award-winning nonprofit organization that enables low-income, first-generation college students to attend a four-year college and secure a career-ladder job. SRA provides personal guidance and mentoring, internships and career guidance, and financial support from college application, through graduation and into the workforce. A 501(c)3, SRA is funded by individual donations, and grants and contributions from corporations, foundations, and other nonprofit organizations. Ninety percent of SRA students complete bachelor's degrees in 4.5 years, and 87% of SRA graduates are in career-ladder jobs or attending graduate school within 12 months of college graduation. For more information or to apply to the program, visit www.studentsrisingabove.org.

SOURCE Students Rising Above

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cathay Pacific Airways, which recently celebrated its 70th anniversary, today announced a partnership with Discover the World that will increase the Hong Kong-based airline's presence in Latin America.

"Discover the World has been an important partner of Cathay Pacific since 1996," said Philippe Lacamp, Senior Vice President, Americas, Cathay Pacific Airways. "We are confident that Discover the World's representation of Cathay Pacific in Mexico will help boost brand awareness and complement our greater North American sales and marketing strategy, just as they have throughout other countries in Latin America."

"We are very proud Cathay Pacific Airways has partnered with us in Mexico, adding to our representation of Cathay Pacific in 12 other Latin America countries," said Discover the World CEO Jenny Adams. "Discover's sales team in Mexico, headed by Octavio Hernandez, has a wealth of sales and marketing talent they will use to increase the visibility and revenues for Cathay Pacific's off-line sales."

Cathay Pacific's top destinations from Mexico are Shanghai and Hong Kong, which helped the airline to grow by 24 percent in total traffic in 2016 over 2015.

For more information about Discover the World, visit discovertheworld.com or call (480) 707-5566 or +44 203 598 8030.

About Discover the World

Discover the World has earned a reputation as a leader in global travel distribution and its success in developing a worldwide network of 85 offices in more than 60 countries capable of exceptional representation performance is unmatched. With a portfolio of more than 90 clients utilizing its sales, marketing and business process outsourcing services, Discover the World remains a dominant innovator for the travel industry.

About Cathay Pacific Airways

Cathay Pacific Airways flies daily to Hong Kong and beyond, including more than 22 destinations in mainland China, from six cities in the USA and two in Canada: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York (JFK), Newark Liberty, San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto; and offers cargo services to 18 cities across the Americas. More information, including current fares and availability, may be found at cathaypacific.com/us, www.facebook.com/cathaypacificus, Twitter @CathayPacificUS or Instagram @ CathayPacific.

SOURCE Discover the World

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Balch & Bingham, U.S. Attorney Jeff Sessions' number two donor as U.S. Senator, was accused of hiding their successful effort to change Russian sanctions last year by deleting their website content, according to the Consejo de Latinos Unidos (CDLU), a consumer advocacy group and public charity.

"Was Sessions or his staff involved with these changes to Russian sanctions? On February 15th, we called on Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from the investigations of the Trump Administration regarding Russia in part because Balch & Bingham's top Washington, D.C. lobbyist said on his profile that he worked to 'change specific provisions to sanctions imposed by the U.S. Government against certain Russian companies.' Under fire, Balch has since deleted that content and replaced it with new blase language," said K.B. Forbes, Executive Director of the CDLU. The before and after screenshots can be seen here.

The CDLU has been investigating Balch & Bingham since last year for allegedly being involved in a case against a small-town lawyer in Alabama named Burt Newsome, who appears to have been wrongly targeted, arrested, and defamed.

"We knew Sessions was shrouded in a kosovorotka, but now Balch appears to be playing a balalaika," Forbes quipped.

According to opensecrets.org, Balch donated over $140,000 to Sessions while he was a U.S. Senator. In early February, the CDLU dispatched a letter to Kellyanne Conway asking The White House "to ban Balch & Binghamfrom soliciting the Administration immediately," and adding, "Our advocacy group has been investigating serious allegations since last year and Balch appears to be trampling the rights of others in the name of the firm's domination."

Since 2001, CDLU's work has been profiled by People Magazine, The Washington Post, and CBS' 60 Minutes.

CONTACT: K.B. Forbes 202.320.1212 text or call

[email protected]

SOURCE Consejo de Latinos Unidos

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http://cdlu.org


The black tie affair was held on Saturday, Feb. 25, and was a beautiful evening filled with drinks, dinner, dancing and mingling. Guests were treated to an elaborate cocktail hour with delicious hors d'oeuvres, a top shelf open bar and a dinner service featuring some of the premiere menu items at Celebrations- the San Remo salad, center-cut filet and lobster tail. Throughout the night, guests packed the dance floor for local band Don't Call Me Francis.

Of the 490 guests in attendance, there were many dignitaries and Bucks County politicians including Sen. Tommy Tomlinson and PA State Rep. Gene DiGirolamo. Joe Pizzo, township solicitor, emceed the event and gave each member of office a warm welcome. Former Philadelphia Flyer Bernie Parent also showed up and enjoyed a wonderful evening out in support of his friends, Mayor DiGirolamo and Frank DiCianni, owner of Celebrations.

"I've been in business here for 28 years and have developed a tremendous relationship with the mayor and his office," said DiCianni. "Not only do I get to host an event for my friend, but I get the chance to showcase the phenomenal culinary options and service Celebrations has to offer to people from all over the county."

Celebrations is proud to host events for the local community, especially ones that recognize the town's public officials. For more information on Celebrations, visit www.celebrationsweddings.com.

About Celebrations Wedding Venue

Celebrations is a premier five-star wedding reception & banquet venue offering award-winning service to Philadelphia & Bucks County. Our distinguished surroundings and elegant service are the perfect combination for your wedding or event. At Celebrations, your wedding or special event will be professionally orchestrated into a celebration that you and your guests will long remember! For more information visit, www.celebrationsweddings.com.

SOURCE Celebrations

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Professional Engineering Services for the Detailed Design and Construction Supervision of the Tuas Water Reclamation Plant for the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System Phase 2 project.

Quick Facts:

Tuas WRP, to be located in the west of Singapore, will have the capacity to treat an average dry weather flow of 650 Mega-litres/day (MLD) of domestic and 150 MLD of non-domestic used water collected in distinct deep tunnels and conveyed by gravity to the mega treatment facility.

Tuas WRP will employ advanced treatment processes to minimize specific energy consumption and sludge production and at the same time maximize biogas production for the generation of electricity.

Domestic and non-domestic used water will be segregated and treated in dedicated treatment trains. Bio-solids treatment will include anaerobic digestion and thermal hydrolysis.

Tuas WRP will convert used water into NEWater and Industrial Water for re-use predominantly by industry  a key element of PUB's holistic approach to managing the water cycle.

Tuas WRP is expected to be complete in 2025.

Project Background:

The Deep Tunnel Sewerage System is a cost-efficient and sustainable solution conceived by PUB to meet Singapore's long-term needs for used water collection, treatment, reclamation and disposal. When completed, DTSS will include 120 km of link sewers and over 100 km of deep tunnels to convey used water by gravity to major water reclamation plants located at coastal areas. The completed DTSS will also streamline the used water network with three centralised collection and treatment points: Changi WRP (CWRP) in the east, Kranji WRP in the north and Tuas WRP in the west of Singapore.

CH2M worked with PUB to conceptualize the DTSS in the mid-1990s and served as programme manager for DTSS1, covering the eastern part of Singapore. DTSS1 was completed in 2008 and included the major CWRP.

DTSS2 will collect and treat used water from the western and southern parts of Singapore. Tuas WRP will be the largest and most complex infrastructure project to be implemented under DTSS2.

A first in Singapore, Tuas WRP will be co-located with the Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) to be developed by the National Environment Agency (NEA). Co-location will allow PUB and NEA to harness the potential synergies of integrating used water and solid waste treatment while optimizing land use. Together Tuas WRP and IWMF will maximize the water-energy-waste nexus. A good example of synergy is the co-digestion of food waste with used water sludge at Tuas to increase the yield of biogas, which will be utilized at IWMF to improve steam quality and give rise to higher overall plant thermal efficiency. This will increase electricity production and enable IWMF to export more to the Grid while allowing both facilities to be energy self-sufficient.

Collaboration:

CH2M has been working in Singapore for 20-years and has extensive experience in delivering successful water projects for PUB. For Tuas WRP, CH2M and PUB will work closely with Programme Manager Black & Veatch + AECOM Joint Venture, who will retain oversight of the overall DTSS2 programme.

Quotes:

CH2M's State & Local Governments President Greg McIntyre: "CH2M is very excited to be able to continue our 20-year partnership with PUB on what will no doubt be an iconic facility that will become a cornerstone in Singapore's sustainable water supply strategy and serve the Singapore people for many decades. By co-locating the Tuas WRP with the IWMF, the project will continue PUB's history of innovation and industry leadership. We also look forward to leveraging our shared values on health and safety to "raise the bar" throughout the entire delivery of Tuas WRP and into operations."

About CH2M

CH2M leads the professional services industry delivering sustainable solutions benefiting societal, environmental and economic outcomes with the development of infrastructure and industry. In this way, CH2Mers make a positive difference providing consulting, design, engineering and management services for clients in water; environment and nuclear; transportation; energy and industrial markets, from iconic infrastructure to global programmes like the Olympic Games. Ranked among the World's Most Ethical Companies and top firms in environmental consulting and programme management, CH2M in 2016 became the first professional services firm honoured with the World Environment Center Gold Medal Award for efforts advancing sustainable development. Connect with CH2M at www.ch2m.com; LinkedIn; Twitter; and Facebook.

Contact: Lori Irvine

CH2M, Corporate Marketing & Communications

720-286-3137

[email protected]

SOURCE CH2M

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New platform will potentially triple financing access for global supply operators

NEW YORK, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dianrong and FnConn today announced the market launch of Chained Finance, the first-ever blockchain platform for supply chain finance. The new platform leverages advanced financial technology to meet the hugely underserved needs of supply chain finance in China.

Supply chain finance companies have been limited by existing technology and, to date, have only served about 15 percent of suppliers needing financial resources. As a result, the vast majority of the 40 million SMEs in China remain unserved. Chained Finance enables supply chain finance to deliver needed capital to smaller supply chain suppliers and provide large multinational manufacturers with enhanced visibility and transparency.

The two companies recently completed a successful pilot and proof of concept of Chained Finance by securing funding for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in China that were otherwise unable to secure needed capital. Chained Finance originated US$6.5 million (RMB45 million) in loans for these SME supply chain operators.

Chained Finance is initially targeting three major industries: electronics, auto and garment manufacturing. It is expected that Chained Finance could help supply chain finance operators potentially triple the number of SME supply chain operators with access to funding in China.

"Blockchain is revolutionizing the finance industry and offers seamless solutions to any company operating and financing complicated supply chains," said Soul Htite, Founder and CEO of Dianrong. "The complexity and scale of supply chain finance has posed major challenges in ensuring adequate funding and efficient operations. Chained Finance creates a unique ecosystem that will provide supply chains with easier access to funding at competitive rates. In return, supply chain operators will gain greater visibility of their suppliers and the many layers of finance embedded in the process."

"By using the Chained Finance platform, every payment, every supply chain transaction, can be more transparent, manageable and easily authenticated," said Jack Lee, Executive Director and CEO of FnConn. "Chained Finance will provide timely, efficient support to far more suppliers of all sizes. It will also help ensure the timely delivery of products to end customers and improve efficiencies across the entire supply chain."

Messrs. Lee and Htite said Chained Finance will help eliminate many of the trust issues faced by counterparties and deliver automated execution. The new platform will be an enabler of supply chains across many major industries and geographies.

Chained Finance is based in Shanghai and currently has 40 employees, with this number expected to grow throughout 2017.

About Dianrong

Dianrong, a leader in online marketplace lending in China, originates more than US$300 million in monthly assets for 3.7 million retail lenders. Founded in 2012, Dianrong offers individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises a comprehensive, one-stop financial platform supported by industry-leading technology, compliance and transparency. The company's sophisticated and flexible infrastructure enables it to design and customize lending and borrowing products and services, based on industry-specific data and insights, all supported by online risk-management and operation tools. Dianrong's specific offerings include loan originations, investment products and marketplace lending solutions. The company remains among the most advanced financial technology platforms in China, as of year-end 2016. Dianrong was also named in 2016 to the executive directorship of the National Internet Finance Association of China, led by the People's Bank of China. Based in Shanghai, Dianrong has 28 offices across China and employs approximately 3,500 professionals, including 600 full-time fintech engineers. For more information, please visit www.dianrong.com/en.

About FnConn

FnConn, a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group, provides loans and financing solutions to suppliers, including Foxconn's upstream and downstream supply chain. The company also supports other small and medium-enterprise (SME) customers in the computer, communication and consumer electronics (3C) electronic manufacturing industries. Founded in 2013, FnConn works to improve supply chain finance, support industry and economic development, and drive better integration across the financial services industry in China. FnConn's specific offerings include financial leasing, small loans, business factoring, private equity fund management and other licenses. For more information, please visit www.fnconn.com.

SOURCE Dianrong.com
SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 29, 1986, Charles J. Liteky placed the Congressional Medal of Honor he received for his service in Vietnam at the base of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. In his posthumously published autobiography, Renunciation, Mr. Liteky explains his reason for returning this award at a significant time in his life as he was taking the next step in his personal pilgrimage from a Roman Catholic priest, military chaplain and Vietnam hawk to a civilian warrior for peace.

This new book has been published posthumously by friends of the U.S. Army chaplain who renounced his Medal of Honor and worked for peace.

Mr. Liteky passed away on January 20 of this year in San Francisco. A memorial service was held at the First Unitarian Universalist Church & Center in San Francisco on Saturday, March 4. Renunciation, which had been in development for several years, now has been published by friends who admired and often joined Mr. Liteky's call for peace.

Renunciation is available on Amazon.com in paperback and ebook. The book also can be ordered directly from the new Charles Liteky website. Learn more about the Charles Liteky story on the website and follow on Facebook.

Renunciation explains Mr. Liteky's journey from his impressionable days as a youth in Florida to his time as a Catholic priest and service as a U.S. Army chaplain. The story reflects on his decision to leave the priesthood and pursue a path as a peace activist.

Mr. Liteky displayed courage on the battlefield and then he displayed another kind of courage to question the military establishment and the church's support of the Vietnam War. The story examines Mr. Liteky's early days as a son in a military family, his path to the priesthood, military service as a chaplain and then, after the war, working with courageous women and men to oppose U.S. military strategies around the world, including American foreign policy in Central America.

Horrified when four missionary women were murdered in El Salvador by that country's national guard on December 2, 1980, Mr. Liteky and others opposed the training of Latin American officers at the School of the Americas (now the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation) at Fort Benning near Columbus, Georgia. Mr. Liteky later opposed the war in Iraq.

"Throughout this book, Charlie's voice speaks loud and clear for the silent and those who have been silenced," said Joseph P. Fahey, a retired professor of religious studies at New York's Manhattan College. "It is a challenging story for anyone in the military, for religious and for all of us. We hope that Charlie's pilgrimage will inspire others to act when necessary and have the personal courage to change."

Mr. Liteky never planned to publish a book about his life. He had written it to help "exorcise some of the demons" from his past. Mr. Liteky's wife, Judy, finally convinced her husband to publish his story, insisting that his personal story would prove valuable to many others. Mr. Liteky agreed to publish his story once Mr. Fahey volunteered to see the book through to publication. A former nun, Judy Balch Liteky passed away during 2016.

Service In Vietnam

Mr. Liteky received the United States' highest military honor for actions of bravery on December 6, 1967. He had volunteered, during 1966, to serve as a U.S. Army chaplain with the 199th Infantry Brigade. As he faced combat for the first time, he neglected shrapnel wounds and, without a weapon, helmet or flak jacket, exposed himself to mortars, land mines and machine guns to rescue 23 wounded colleagues who had been ambushed by a Vietcong battalion. He evacuated injured soldiers and administered last rites to the dying.

The Medal of Honor was awarded to Mr. Liteky for the lives he saved on the battlefield. He never thought that he deserved the medal any more than the many other courageous medics and soldiers who placed their lives in danger for their colleagues. These men included the medics who died on that same day.

Mr. Liteky is the only recipient of the award who is believed to have returned it in a demonstration of political dissent, opposing the U.S. government's support for Central American dictators accused of brutally suppressing leftist guerrillas. Mr. Liteky placed the medal in an envelope addressed to President Ronald Reagan. He placed the medal at the Vietnam memorial. The National Park Service recovered the medal for the collection of the National Museum of American History.

Long after the war and after he left the priesthood, Mr. Liteky served two federal prison terms (1990 and 2000) for civil disobedience -- his ministry of protest -- for trespassing at the U.S. Army's School of the Americas at Fort Benning. The reasons for his actions during the war and after were, according to Mr. Liteky, "to save lives."

More About Charles James Liteky

Charles James Liteky was born in Washington, D.C., on February 14, 1931. Raised mostly in Jacksonville, Florida, he attended the University of Florida for two years. He then entered the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, a religious congregation in Silver Spring, Maryland, and he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest during 1960 as Angelo J. Liteky (the name under which he also received the military medal).

During his life, Mr. Liteky also resided in California, Hawaii, New York and Ohio, and his life was influenced by experiences in San Diego and San Francisco, Pearl Harbor, Brooklyn, Cleveland and Fort Benning.

Contact: Mike Virgintino, 516-885-3875, [email protected]

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE The new book "Renunciation" by Charles J. Liteky

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HONG KONG, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- China Renaissance Group today announces the combination of its Hong Kong and United States businesses into China Renaissance International, which will become a unified international business platform with a joint operational infrastructure. In today's global financial markets, our clients increasingly look to China Renaissance to provide business solutions across geographic regions, products, and industries. The combination of our Hong Kong and United States operations will allow us to provide unified, one-stop securities and financial services to our international clientele.

Jason Lam, President of China Renaissance Securities (Hong Kong) Ltd, will take on the additional role as Head of China Renaissance International. All business units and operational functions in Hong Kong and the United States will report to him. Prior to joining China Renaissance, Jason served as the co-head of Credit Suisse Group's technology division in Asia Pacific and as a member of the Asia Pacific technology team at UBS Investment Bank. At China Renaissance, Jason has led the development and growth of China Renaissance's equity capital markets business.

"The combination of our Hong Kong and United States businesses will enable us to take our ability to match global capital with companies in the new economy to the next level and we will be able to provide our international securities and financial services to our clients more efficiently," said Jason Lam.

Jonathan Hong, Chief Operating Officer of China Renaissance US, will be promoted to President of China Renaissance Securities (US) Inc. In this new role, Jonathan will lead our United States sales, trading, and research business as well as our United States operational platform. Jonathan has been with China Renaissance's United States business since its inception in 2012 and has been instrumental in its growth.

Henry Wang, Director and Head of China Sales, will be promoted to Head of Asia Sales and Trading. Henry will be responsible for deepening the firm's equity client and sales relationships as well as our equity trading business in Hong Kong.

Yang Xia, currently Global Head of Equities, has decided to pursue his entrepreneurial career in the fintech sector. He will remain as a Senior Advisor at China Renaissance and advise the firm on equities and fintech strategy.

With these changes, Andrew MacInnes, CEO of China Renaissance Securities (US) Inc., will be leaving the firm to pursue other opportunities.

Under Jason's leadership, China Renaissance International will provide comprehensive securities and financial services, including private placement, corporate finance, securities underwriting, financial advisory, capital markets, sales and trading, and equity research, to our clients in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and the United States. This further strengthens our position as a bridge between these geographies and highlights our unique capability in executing cross-border transactions. With the new business platform in place, China Renaissance International will be well positioned to realize our vision to be a one-stop provider of global financial services.

About China Renaissance

China Renaissance Group is a leading financial institution providing a range of financial services, including private placement advisory, M&A advisory, securities underwriting, sales & trading, and investment management. The group is dedicated to serving China's new economy entrepreneurs with one-stop financial solutions in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and the United States.

China Renaissance maintains offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and New York, employing approximately 500 professionals. Since its establishment in 2004, China Renaissance has grown to become a top advisor and service provider to China's entrepreneurs and investors. As of December 2016, the group has completed more than 420 transactions with over USD 80 billion in total deal value.

For more information, please visit: www.chinarenaissance.com

For media enquiries, please contact:

Lexie Liang (Beijing)

China Renaissance

Tel: +86-10-8567-9988 ext. 8852

Email: [email protected]

Siobhan Zheng (Hong Kong)

Brunswick Group

Mobile: +852 91315202

Email: [email protected]

Stephanie Heise (Beijing)

Brunswick Group

Tel: +86 10 5960 8677

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE China Renaissance Group

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WASHINGTON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CiraSync, the cloud-based solution that makes everyone reachable by syncing a company's Global Address List (GAL) to Microsoft Office 365 users and their smartphones in about a minute has made its personal editions available at Microsoft AppSource. The personal edition and enterprise edition are also available at the Microsoft Azure Marketplace.

CiraSync also pushes Public Folder contacts, calendars, and CRM contacts to Microsoft Outlook and smartphones.

"It's easy and simple to share a contact list or group calendar across Outlook and Office 365. The next key step is getting these shared items to smartphones and keeping them up to date. Mobile workers frequently request this capability," explains Vern Weitzman, CTO of Cira Apps Limited. "Despite what many people assume, smartphone address books are not automatically updated with the latest contacts from the company GAL. CiraSync makes it easy to centrally manage and automate contact synchronization, even on a large scale, so smartphone users always have accurate contact lists."

CiraSync Quickly Solves Contact Problems for Microsoft Office 365 commercial customers

With virtually no effort, and just minutes of IT staff time, an administrator can deploy CiraSync to hundreds of Office 365 users.

CiraSync is gaining popularity with managed service providers who deploy the application to give their clients an immediate, reliable solution that enhances Office 365 and mobile productivity. One such IT solution provider is TeamLogic IT, which delivers secure and flexible IT systems to thousands of businesses from more than 50 locations across North America.

"CiraSync is the first product robust enough to just work and sync Public Folder contacts to smartphones seamlessly," says Brian Schultz, Systems Engineer at TeamLogic IT in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Schultz deployed CiraSync for a TeamLogic IT client with 200 employees that provides catering and management of large-scale events. The client's account managers must easily reach every delivery truck driver, field staff person, and supplier.

"Deployment of CiraSync was easy, and our customer's employees now have complete contact information in their iPhones all the time," Schultz notes. "I no longer have 10 people coming at me about contact problems. This really solved a significant issue for our customers."

Ease of Onboarding and Access

Immediate proof of concept - It takes just a minute to try the Personal Edition of CiraSync at Microsoft AppSource or Azure Marketplace, and establish contact synchronization to the smartphone of a single user. A global administrator can then upgrade to CiraSync Enterprise Edition.

- It takes just a minute to try the Personal Edition of CiraSync at Microsoft AppSource or Azure Marketplace, and establish contact synchronization to the smartphone of a single user. A global administrator can then upgrade to CiraSync Enterprise Edition. Enterprise single sign-on  Microsoft Azure Active Directory supports rich enterprise-class single sign-on with CiraSync out of the box. Users sign into CiraSync using their organizational accounts hosted in Active Directory.

 Microsoft Azure Active Directory supports rich enterprise-class single sign-on with CiraSync out of the box. Users sign into CiraSync using their organizational accounts hosted in Active Directory. A full, managed tenant solution , the Enterprise Edition of CiraSync allows Office 365 global administrators to configure contact sync for any number of cloud mailboxes.

, the Enterprise Edition of CiraSync allows Office 365 global administrators to configure contact sync for any number of cloud mailboxes. No installation of software on servers, desktops, or smartphones is required by CiraSync.

About Cira Apps Limited

Cira Apps Limited provides the SaaS-based CiraSync contact management solution for businesses that run on Office 365. The free Personal Edition syncs all selected contacts to a single user, while CiraSync Enterprise Edition allows centralized administration of contacts for thousands of mailboxes. CiraSync updates GAL, Public Folder, and CRM contacts to all designated mobile users. For more information, visit www.cirasync.com.

Media Contact:

Ives Brant 202.747.0887

Cira Apps Limited

2255 South Bascom Avenue

Campbell, CA 95008

https://www.cirasync.com

SOURCE CiraSync

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NEWARK, N.J., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Citi Foundation announced an additional $5 million in support to the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) to provide more than 2,400 low-income youth with summer jobs and access to financial education as part of Summer Jobs Connect in 2017. Since launching in 2014, the Citi Foundation has invested over $13 million in this initiative, which has provided nearly 6,200 low-income youth with summer work experience, access to financial education, and appropriate financial services, and builds these financial empowerment strategies into the infrastructure of the eight city partners' Summer Youth Employment Programs.

Today's announcement is part of the Citi Foundation's global expansion of its Pathways to Progress initiative to invest $100 million to prepare 500,000 young people, ages 16-24, for today's competitive job market. The Summer Jobs Connect city partners are Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York City, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

"There's no substitute for the experience that comes with the defining moment of a first job. We can all look back and point to lessons we learned from beginning to participate in the world of work," said Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation. "We are pleased to support, as part of Pathways to Progress, Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund and mayors across eight U.S. cities, to provide thousands of young people with summer jobs and the chance to build the workplace and financial skills they need to succeed."

"Our Summer Jobs Connect city partners have helped demonstrate that a first summer job isn't just a job; it's a great opportunity to start healthy financial practices like banking, direct deposit, budgeting, and saving for the future," said Jonathan Mintz, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund. "Citi Foundation's deep investment in this initiative and in our country's young adults is rippling through summer youth and other workforce programs across the country, and we are deeply grateful for their support."

Launched in 2014 as part of the Citi Foundation's Pathways to Progress initiative to prepare young people to become career ready, the Summer Jobs Connect initiative builds off the successes of municipal Summer Youth Employment Programs, partnering with city leaders to integrate access to mainstream financial products, financial education, and career skills. Summer Jobs Connect leverages the infrastructure and paycheck of Summer Youth Employment Programs to embed banking access and targeted financial education, serving as a national model for cities and other stakeholders on how banking access efforts can be embedded in municipal systems. This is a core goal of the CFE Fund's national Bank On initiative, which works to ensure that everyone has access to safe and affordable financial products and services. The CFE Fund has been working with city partners to ensure the availability of safe, affordable youth banking accounts, including through the creation of programmatic Summer Jobs Connect Youth Account Standards.

SJC partners come together biannually to share best practices and lessons learned as part of the Summer Jobs Connect Learning Community; the Winter 2017 Summer Jobs Connect Learning Community meeting is hosted by Mayor Ras Baraka and the City of Newark. Topics discussed will be:

Best practices to build stronger banking integrations and facilitate easier direct deposit enrollment;

Promising practices for transitioning participant youth from SYEP to unsubsidized employment post-summer; and

Newark , Chicago , St. Louis and Washington, DC will lead a panel highlighting their work on post-summer employment.

The CFE Fund continues to support these eight cities' programs and inform dozens of other cities as they similarly begin to infuse financial empowerment work into their programs; in fact, the cities of Baltimore, Houston, Philadelphia, Savannah, and Virginia Beach, will all attend the Learning Community meeting to learn more about integrating banking and financial education into their own SYEPs.

"With support from the Citi Foundation and the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, Newark is offering important life lessons to our Summer Youth Employment Program participants," said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. "We provide non-custodial bank accounts, enroll youth in direct deposit, and offer financial literacy and budgeting classes. Newark is a leader in making our Summer Youth Employment Program a comprehensive program that offers job placements, workforce readiness training, mentoring, and exposure to a variety of careers."

About the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund)

The CFE Fund supports municipal efforts to improve the financial stability of households by leveraging opportunities unique to local government. By translating cutting edge experience with large scale programs, research, and policy in cities of all sizes, the CFE Fund assists mayors and other local leaders to identify, develop, fund, implement, and research pilots and programs that help families build assets and make the most of their financial resources. For more information, please visit www.cfefund.org or follow us on Twitter at @CFEFund.

About the Citi Foundation

The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation's "More than Philanthropy" approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation. For more information, visit www.citifoundation.com.

Media Contact:

Joel Moore

[email protected]

212.885.0468

SOURCE Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund

Related Links

http://www.cfefund.org


BEXLEY, Ohio, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- College Rank, a website dedicated to evaluating and ranking college programs and experiences, has released a list of the Best 25 Student Unions.

The entire list can be viewed here: http://www.collegerank.net/best-student-unions/

It doesn't matter if you are grabbing a quick bite to eat, participating in a fundraiser or finding a place to study with a friend, college student unions handle it all. Unions have evolved over the years, becoming hubs for student life. With the pressure to impress students ever increasing, student unions are now pulling out all the stops. These fantastic facilities are awesome additions to the student life experience.

Our team has worked to research and evaluate these 25 stunning facilities.

"Every campus has a place where students congregate. The student union of the past is gone. Now, unions like the ones on our list offer more amenities than you can imagine! Gorgeous views of campus, energy-efficient designs, bookstores, coffee shops, you name it," says Monica Dennis from the College Rank team.

"Unions and their impressive displays have also become a recruiting element for potential students. There are so many students that are taking each and every aspect of student life into account when making their final decisions, unions are definitely a consideration."

You can view the entire list here (in alphabetical order)

Adele H. Stamp Student Union - University of Maryland - College Park, MD

Alfred Lerner Hall - Columbia University - New York, NY

Arkansas Union - University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, AR

Bronco Student Center - California State Polytechnic University - Pomona, CA

EMU Student Center - Eastern Michigan University - Ypsilanti, MI

Ernest L. Wilkinson Student Center - Brigham Young University - Provo, UT

George Sherman Union - Boston University - Boston, MA

Houston Hall - University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, PA

Houston Harte University Center - Angelo State University - San Angelo, TX

K-State Union - Kansas State University - Manhattan, KS

McCormick Tribune Campus Center - Illinois Institute of Technology - Chicago, IL

Memorial Union - University of Wisconsin - Madison, W

Michigan Union - University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI

Natali Student Center - California University of Pennsylvania - California, PA

Oglesby Union - Florida State University - Tallahassee, FL

Ohio Union - Ohio State University - Columbus, OH

Price Center & Student Center - University of California: San Diego - La Jolla, CA

Purdue Memorial Union - Purdue University - West Lafayette, IN

Student Center - Central Connecticut State University - New Britain, CT

Student Union - Oklahoma State University - Stillwater, OK

The O'Hara Student Center - University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh, PA

The Oregon State University Memorial Union - Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR

Tivoli Student Union - University of Colorado - Denver - Denver, CO

University of North Florida's Student Union - University of North Florida - Jacksonville, FL

Willard Straight Hall - Cornell University - Ithaca, NY

About: College Rank is a website dedicated to evaluating and ranking academic and student experiences. The team is committed to providing well researched and relevant articles for our readers.

Contact: Sara Moore

Email: http://www.collegerank.net/contact/

Phone: 614.271.3535

SOURCE College Rank

Related Links

http://www.collegerank.net


RESTON, Va., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- comScore today announced it has signed a local TV measurement agreement with WSLS, Roanoke, VA, owned by Graham Media Group. The signing marks a major milestone for comScore, with WSLS being the 700th station subscribing to comScore's local TV ratings service.

With the new deal, comScore now counts 17 of the top-20 station ownership groups as clients of their local ratings service, including group-wide partnerships with ABC, CBS, FOX, Sinclair, Tribune, Raycom, Graham and Hubbard. comScore currently has client partnerships with a total of 83 station groups with client stations in 191 of 210 local markets. Four of the "big 5" affiliate stations use comScore's local TV currency in 12 of the top-20 markets, three of the "big 5" stations in 18 of the top-20 markets, and now all major affiliates stations in Roanoke, VA, use comScore local television ratings.

"We are excited to have expanded our long-lasting partnership with comScore as they reach such a special milestone," said Emily Barr, president and CEO of Graham Media Group. "They are committed to the local broadcast industry and are providing us with the much-needed stable measurement from their massive databases in all markets, big and small. This approach provides our stations and the industry with stronger insights to make programming decisions and a stable databased currency to transact with our agency and advertiser partners."

"As the 700th station subscribing to comScore, WSLS's signing represents a major strategic milestone for comScore's local currency adoption by local broadcasters," said comScore's Executive Vice President of Local Television, Steve Walsh.

About comScore

comScore, Inc. (OTC: SCOR) is a leading cross-platform measurement company that precisely measures audiences, brands and consumer behavior everywhere. comScore completed its merger with Rentrak Corporation in January 2016, to create the new model for a dynamic, cross-platform world. Built on precision and innovation, our unmatched data footprint combines proprietary digital, TV and movie intelligence with vast demographic details to quantify consumers' multiscreen behavior at massive scale. This approach helps media companies monetize their complete audiences and allows marketers to reach these audiences more effectively. With more than 3,200 clients and global footprint in more than 75 countries, comScore is delivering the future of measurement. For more information on comScore, please visit comscore.com.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including, without limitation, comScore's expectations as to the financial and operational effects of comScore's television offering. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, comScore's ability to project the financial impact of the partnership or comScore's ability to achieve its expected financial results.

For a detailed discussion of these and other risk factors, please refer to comScore's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2014 and from time to time other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which are available on the SEC's Web site (http://www.sec.gov).

You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date such statements are made. comScore does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or new information after the date of this press release, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Contact: Kate Dreyer

comScore, Inc.

(571) 306-6447

[email protected]

SOURCE comScore

Related Links

http://www.comscore.com


NEW YORK, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CreditEase, China's leading fintech company announced today that its subsidiary company, Yirendai (NYSE:YRD), an leading online digital consumer financial service platform, together with CreditEase Fintech Investment Fund and CreditEase Offshore Private Credit Fund ("OPCF") delivered a series of keynote speeches at the 2017 LendIt USA conference in New York from March 6 to 7. LendIt annual conferences are recognized as one of the largest global fintech industry events dedicated to connecting the global fintech and lending communities

Keynote speakers from CreditEase include Yihan Fang, Chief Executive Officer of Yirendai; Yang Cao, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer of Yirendai; Anju Patwardhan, Senior Partner of CreditEase Fintech Investment Fund and member of Investment Committee; and Mikael Nabati, Chief Investment Officer of CreditEase Offshore Private Credit Fund.

Ning Tang, Founder and CEO of CreditEase stated, "We are excited to take the global stage and showcase the stars of our CreditEase eco-system. CreditEase is the market leader in wealth management and inclusive finance in China and globally. As China is increasingly embracing financial technologies that rejuvenate economic growth and improve financial health, we are well positioned to continue to address the underserved needs of fast-growing, mass affluent and high-net worth investors. We are also expanding our various investment funds to meet demands of our wealth management clients and enable them to take advantage of global investment opportunities while ensuring balanced asset allocation."

On the main stage, Yirendai executives delivered a keynote speech named From Big to Strong: China FinTech Entering a New Era. Yihan Fang and Yang Cao of Yirendai shared with the audience the latest fintech industry trends in China, regulatory environment of online marketplace lending in China, and industry's current challenges. In addition, Yirendai announced the launch of Yirendai Enabling Platform ("YEP"), a technology platform that enables partner companies to utilize Yirendai's data acquisition, anti-fraud technology, as well as customer acquisition capabilities, to help optimize industry's efficiency and enhance customer experience.

Yihan Fang of Yirendai commented, "Marketplace lending in China has been growing quite rapidly over the past few years. However, the lack of credit awareness among consumers, insufficient bureau data and weak credit infrastructure, coupled with an increase of organized fraud, have led to high costs of customer acquisition, anti-fraud operation, and risk management. In the past four years, Yirendai has heavily invested in its technology and built advanced digital capabilities for data collection, anti-fraud intelligence, and online customer acquisition. Today we are sharing these capabilities with our partner companies through YEP which enable them to better serve their customers and manage risks more effectively. With more partners using YEP, together we can better fight organized fraud, lower the costs, and eventually give consumers a much better experience."

Anju Patwardhan, Senior Partner of CreditEase Fintech Investment Fund and member of Investment Committee delivered a keynote speech on financial inclusion issues for the middle class and also discussed the latest trends in fintech globally. CreditEase Fintech Investment Fund, launched in December 2015, is a venture fund investing in growth-stage fintech companies globally. The Fund has an equivalent of USD 1 billion in total committed capital. The Fund has been ramping up its investments since middle of 2016 with overseas investments including Trumid, an electronic bond trading platform; Circle, a blockchain-based payment application; Tradeshift, a cloud-based buyer-supplier network and WeConvene, an online corporate access web platform. The Fund has also formed strategic partnerships with global leading venture capital investors in the United States and other countries to identify investment opportunities. The Fund has team members based in Hong Kong, San Francisco, London, Beijing and Melbourne. CreditEase Fund of Funds also helps its wealth management customers deploy billions of dollars each year through various Venture Capital firms, Private Equity firms and hedge funds globally.

In a fund management panel discussion, Mr. Mikael Nabati of CreditEase OPCF provided an overview of the fund's structure and investment strategies and discussed the fund's key differentiation and core competence in data analytics, distribution capabilities, and strategic partnerships with other fintech companies.

-- End --

About CreditEase

CreditEase is a leading FinTech company in China, specializing in small business and consumer lending as well as wealth management for high net worth and mass affluent investors. It is a Standing Committee member of China's Internet Finance Industry Association and Chairman of Beijing Marketplace Lending Association. Its majority owned subsidiary Yirendai (NYSE: YRD), an online consumer finance marketplace, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

About Yirendai

Yirendai (NYSE: YRD) is a leading online digital consumer financial service platform in China. Established in 2012, the company has built proprietary technologies by intelligently using variety of data and machine learning techniques to power mobile loan app, credit decisions and underwriting, customer acquisition and services. Yirendai has provided more than $5B USD credit to consumers through its advanced online credit underwriting solution and helped close to 1 million individual investors to invest in high quality loans. Yirendai (NYSE: YRD) is the first publicly listed fintech company from China.

About CreditEase Fintech Investment Fund

Founded in December 2015, CreditEase Fintech Investment Fund is a venture fund investing in growth-stage fintech companies in China and the global markets. CreditEase Fintech Investment Fund has an equivalent of USD1 billion in total committed capital. The fund has formed strategic partnerships with global leading venture capital investors to discover opportunities in five sub-segments within the domain of Fintech: Lending, Payment, Personal Finance/Wealth management, Enterprise Solutions and Insurance.

About CreditEase Offshore Private Credit Fund

Launched in late 2015, CreditEase Offshore Private Credit Fund ("OPCF") has total assets under management of US$ 80 million, and focuses on high quality private credits including consumer and SME loans across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Headquartered in Singapore, with team members based in the UK, Australia, Beijing, Hong Kong, and New York, OPCF is the first Chinese offshore fund to invest in loans issued by Western platforms.

SOURCE CreditEase
DFW AIRPORT, Texas, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport has earned the title of "Best Large Airport in North America," according to Airports Council International (ACI). DFW achieved the top ranking for customer satisfaction among large airports, according to ACI's 2016 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) program survey.

DFW finished first for all airports in North America serving more than 40 million passengers each year. The survey covers 34 key performance indicators of the passenger airport experience, giving the most complete picture of customer service at each airport. ASQ Award winners are considered among the world's best airports for the quality of their customer service experience.

"This honor from Airports Council International validates years of great work by our DFW Airport team to enhance every step of the customer journey through our airport, and it reaffirms our mission to improve the customer experience at DFW in every way we can," said Sean Donohue, Chief Executive Officer for DFW Airport. "We've made a concerted effort to re-examine everything about our airport from a customer perspective in order to make DFW more welcoming and inviting, and this award shows those efforts have made a big difference to our customers."

International passengers gave DFW high marks for the variety and quality of restaurants and shopping facilities, as well as for the ambience of the airport. Customers noted comfortable waiting and gate areas and the cleanliness of DFW terminals and washrooms. The airport also received positive feedback from customers for technological innovation and availablity, staff friendliness and the ease of passenger flow.

"We see ever-greater competition among airports and with it increasing pressure to optimize performance across the operation, especially when it comes to the passenger experience. Today's airport managers must respond to passengers' demand and expectation of superior customer service," said Angela Gittens, Director General of Airports Council International (ACI) World. "DFW Airport's results in the 2016 ASQ survey demonstrate its professionalism, commitment and success in delivering that high level of customer service."

The ACI ASQ program is the airport industry's only global benchmarking program that measures passenger satisfaction in real time, while passengers are at the airport. Implemented at more than 320 airports worldwide, the ASQ program delivers an in-depth assessment of the quality of the customer service experience, including check-in, security, wayfinding, food and beverage offerings, restrooms and more.

Underscoring the significance of the ASQ awards, DFW Airport also uses ASQ data for its own goal-setting, with the survey scores included annually as one of the executive team's measurable objectives.

"Excellence in customer service has been a high priority goal for DFW for many years and will remain a priority moving forward," said Ken Buchanan, Executive Vice President for Revenue Management at DFW Airport. "While we are thankful for this award, we also know we must continue to enhance DFW's outstanding customer service in order to keep our customers happy and loyal. We want to thank our customers and ACI for this outstanding recognition."

About Dallas Fort Worth International Airport:

Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport warmly welcomes more than 65 million customers along their journey every year, elevating DFW to a status as one of the most frequently visited superhub airports in the world. DFW Airport customers can choose among 163 domestic and 55 international nonstop destinations worldwide. DFW is elevating the customer experience with modernized facilities and updated amenities, as well as through a $2.7 billion Terminal Renewal and Improvement Program to renovate its four original terminal buildings. Centered between its owner cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW Airport also serves as a major economic generator for the North Texas region, producing over $37 billion in economic impact each year by connecting people through business and leisure travel. For more information, visit the DFW website, download the new DFW App for iOS and Android devices, or follow DFW on social media.

Follow @dfwairport on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

SOURCE DFW International Airport

Related Links

http://www.dfwairport.com


WASHINGTON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Eric Bachman has joined Zuckerman Law as Of Counsel, where he will head the firm's employment discrimination and retaliation practices. Bachman is an accomplished trial attorney, most recently serving as Deputy Special Counsel, Litigation and Legal Affairs, at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC). Previously, he served for five years as a Special Litigation Counsel and Senior Trial Attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

At OSC, Bachman oversaw investigations and enforcement of the Whistleblower Protection Act, and spearheaded an initiative to combat whistleblower retaliation at the Department of Veterans Affairs. During his tenure with OSC, the number of favorable actions for whistleblowers increased by over 50% agency-wide, and he negotiated a record-breaking compensatory damages settlement in a high-profile retaliation case. Bachman has also testified at several Congressional hearings on whistleblower protections for federal employees.

The Secretary of Labor appointed Bachman to serve on the Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee from 2015 to 2017, which makes recommendations on how to improve federal whistleblower protections. Bachman is frequently asked to provide legal training on whistleblower retaliation and litigation topics.

At the Department of Justice, Bachman served as lead counsel in the largest Title VII case in the Department's history (U.S. v. City of New York). This disparate impact class action was vigorously litigated for years and ultimately resulted in an approximately $100 million settlement in 2014. The case challenged the New York City Fire Department's hiring practices, which the court ruled had discriminated against thousands of African-American and Hispanic job applicants. In 2014, Bachman received the Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service.

Before joining the Department of Justice, Bachman was a partner in a Washington, DC civil rights law firm, where he litigated class action and individual employment discrimination cases against Fortune 500 companies, including a class action case against a major grocery chain that settled for $16 million. In cases against private companies and government agencies, he has litigated in federal courts across the country, argued and briefed appeals as well as motions for class certification and summary judgment. Bachman began his career as a public defender and served as lead or co-counsel in numerous jury trials resulting in acquittals. He received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

"We are honored that Eric has chosen to join the firm and look forward to working with him to obtain justice for victims of discrimination and retaliation," Zuckerman Law Principal Jason Zuckerman commented. "Eric's unique breadth of litigation experience and track record of success, including his role as lead counsel in achieving a $100 million class action settlement, positions the firm to deliver exceptional service for our clients."

Zuckerman Law is a Washington DC firm representing whistleblowers nationwide in whistleblower rewards and whistleblower protection claims, and representing employees in discrimination, retaliation, harassment, non-compete, and other employment-related litigation in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. The firm publishes the Whistleblower Protection Law Blog, a leading blog analyzing developments under whistleblower protection and whistleblower reward laws.

Contact: Jason Zuckerman, [email protected]

SOURCE Zuckerman Law
FLINT, Mich., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (NYSE: DPLO), will fill prescriptions for XERMELO (telotristat ethyl), the first oral therapy for adults whose carcinoid syndrome diarrhea is inadequately controlled by somatostatin analog (SSA) therapy.

XERMELO was recently approved with orphan status by the Food and Drug Administration.

To learn more about Diplomat's rare disease program, visit diplomat.is/areas-of-excellence/rare-diseases.

"XERMELO is a promising new treatment option," said Paul Urick, Diplomat's president. "Carcinoid syndrome is life-altering to those who suffer from it, and now we are able to help them. XERMELO will help us deliver the personal support we promise patients and make a real impact on their treatment."

Carcinoid syndrome occurs when metastatic carcinoid tumors overproduce certain chemicals such as serotonin. XERMELO targets tryptophan hydroxylase, an enzyme responsible for excess serotonin production. XERMELO works within tumorous cells to reduce serotonin production, providing more control for patients over the disease.

Symptoms of carcinoid syndrome (such as facial flushing, abdominal pain, heart valve damage, and frequent diarrhea) often prevent patients from leading active, plannable lives. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, about 12,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with a carcinoid tumor each year.

XERMELO is manufactured by Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. For full prescribing information, click here.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements give current expectations or forecasts of future events or our future financial or operating performance. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on management's good-faith belief and reasonable judgment based on current information. These statements are qualified by important risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those forecasted or indicated by such forward-looking statements. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, you should review Diplomat's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including "Risk Factors" in Diplomat's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2015, and in subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as may be required by any applicable laws, Diplomat assumes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date hereof or the earlier date specified herein, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

About Diplomat

Diplomat (NYSE: DPLO) serves patients and physicians in all 50 states. Headquartered in Flint, Michigan, the company focuses on medication management programs for people with complex chronic diseases. Diplomat opened its doors in 1975 as a neighborhood pharmacy with one essential tenet: "Take good care of patients and the rest falls into place." Today, that tradition continuesalways focused on improving patient care and clinical adherence. For more information, visit diplomat.is.

CONTACT:

Kali Lucas, Public Relations Specialist

810.768.9580 | [email protected]

Gary Rice, RPh, MS, MBA, CSP

Executive Vice President of Operations

810.768.9863 | [email protected]

SOURCE Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.diplomat.is


PHILADELPHIA, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a national search, the Executive Board of the National Board of Medical Examiners selected Peter J. Katsufrakis, MD, MBA to lead the NBME. The NBME, which creates and administers a wide range of health professions assessments and assessment tools, is best known as the creator and co-sponsor of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), which all medical doctors must pass to be licensed to practice in the U.S. Dr. Katsufrakis took on his new role upon the retirement of Donald E. Melnick, MD, who has led the NBME since 2000.

Peter J. Katsufrakis, MD, MBA, is the new president of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), co-sponsor of the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) which all medical doctors must pass to receive an initial license to practice in the U.S. Dr. Katsufrakis is an HIV/AIDS education pioneer and also the first family physician to lead the NBME in its 101-year history.

"I am honored to follow Don Melnick as president of the NBME," comments Dr. Katsufrakis. "I feel as though I am inheriting a well-tended orchard, where Don has tilled and prepared the soil that will allow us to grow in many directions. I am eager to take the great work our staff has done serving the public and apply that expertise as we strive to expand our offerings to other health professions, other skills and competencies, and other parts of the globe."

Dr. Katsufrakis most recently served as senior vice president of Assessment Programs at the NBME and is nationally recognized in the medical education and assessment community, both for his work at the NBME and in past roles advancing professionalism, HIV education, clinical training, and medical education administration. Prior to joining the NBME, Dr. Katsufrakis's positions included associate dean for student affairs and associate professor of clinical family medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, where he received teaching and outstanding service awards for his work. He also served more recently as clinical associate professor of family and community medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University.

After receiving his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Katsufrakis completed an internship and residency in family medicine at Santa Monica Hospital. He began his training during the early years of the HIV epidemic, which influenced his career path and his interest in education. He sought leadership roles soon after residency, working to train faculty and residents to care for HIV patients as director of clinical training at the AIDS Education and Training Center of the University of Southern California. His demonstration of ability and leadership in education led to service in medical administration and other positions at the Keck School of Medicine, including interim associate dean for administration. While engaged in this work, he broadened his expertise by earning an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business. Throughout his time at USC, Dr. Katsufrakis loved working with students, issues of professionalism, and other matters he deemed most important to the mission of protecting the public.

These interests drew him to the NBME in 2007, when he joined the staff to direct a group working on assessment of professionalism. Dr. Katsufrakis was subsequently tasked with helping to lead the response to recommendations from the Committee to Evaluate the USMLE Program. He made significant contributions to changes that have resulted in improved alignment between the USMLE and the competencies required to obtain a license to practice medicine.

Dr. Katsufrakis is licensed to practice medicine in Pennsylvania and is a diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and has served many organizations as a member, including the International AIDS Society, the American Academy of HIV Medicine, and the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Student Affairs in many roles on committees and task forces.

Dr. Katsufrakis, his partner Shathi Abdulrab, and Lucy, their Chesapeake Bay retriever, live in the historic Society Hill section of Philadelphia, a short walk from Independence Hall.

For downloadable photos, CV, and additional material about Dr. Katsufrakis, please visit www.NBME.org/about/Katsufrakis.html.

The NBME is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides high-quality assessments for the health professions. Protection of the health of the public through state-of-the-art assessment is the mission of the NBME, along with a major commitment to research and development in evaluation and measurement. The NBME develops the three-step United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), which provides a common evaluation system and established minimum standards for all doctors of medicine seeking an initial license to practice medicine in the United States. USMLE is a joint program of the NBME and the Federation of State Medical Boards. Results of USMLE are reported to all licensing authorities in the United States and its territories for use in granting the initial license to practice medicine. The NBME's examinations and services are also widely used by the medical education system both in the United States and around the world.

SOURCE National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME)
DUBLIN, Ohio, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DXE Medical, Inc., a Sarnova company specializing in sales and service of cardiac care products, announced today that it has acquired Cardio Partner Resources, LLC. The acquisition further strengthens DXE's cardiac care offering to customers, with the addition of nationwide CPR/AED/first aid training, program management services and a full assortment of AEDs and cardiac care products.

Cardio Partner Resources is the leading independent training business in the United States. The company provides a full line of certified CPR/AED/first aid training classes for both the lay and professional rescuer. Founded in 2005, Cardio Partner Resources works with and trains the nation's largest employers, including the top retail pharmacy chains.

"With the addition of Cardio Partner Resources, we are well-positioned to realize our vision of delivering the best integrated cardiac event preparedness solution to our customers," said Jeff Prestel, president and CEO, Sarnova.

Brian Leonard, president of Cardio Partner Resources, will continue to lead the company's training team, comprised of more than 350 certified instructors nationwide.

"Cardio Partner Resources is excited to help build upon the outstanding reputation of DXE Medical. This partnership will enable both organizations to support our customers' AED, training, and program management needs on a nationally recognized platform," said Leonard.

DXE's General Manager Reuben Dickenson added, "We will now have a more complete set of solutions for our customers who seek to save lives by being prepared for cardiac arrest scenarios. Cardio Partner Resources' training and program management, coupled with DXE's device sales, service and recertification capabilities, provides a much wider range of offerings and solution capabilities for the marketplace."

About DXE Medical

DXE Medical specializes in providing sales and service for both new and recertified products including AEDs, monitor/defibrillators, and other medical equipment and accessories to care providers and businesses across the nation. Through manufacturer-certified biomedical technicians, DXE provides factory recertification, preventive maintenance, extended warranty and general repair. For more information, visit www.DXEmed.com.

About Cardio Partners Resources

Cardio Partner Resources provides nation-wide, onsite training in CPR, first aid and the use of AEDs. It sells AEDs and related products and provides program management services related to AEDs. Cardio Partner Resources works with each client to determine the best training and product solution to meet their budgets, needs and expectations. For more information, visit www.cardiopartners.com.

About Sarnova

Sarnova is the leading national specialty distributor of healthcare products in the emergency medical services (EMS) and acute care markets. The company is comprised of four major business units: Bound Tree Medical, DXE Medical, Emergency Medical Products and Tri-anim Health Services. Sarnova is a company of Water Street Healthcare Partners, a strategic investor focused exclusively on the health care industry. For more information, visit www.sarnova.com.

SOURCE DXE Medical, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.dxemed.com


LITTLETON, Colo., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) US Federal Enterprise Group Annual Partner Awards were held January 10th, 2017 as part of the HPE Federal Partner Summit to highlight and recognize business partners and individuals who had "best-in-class" engagement with HPE and our customers in 2016. The awarded Partners demonstrated superior collaborative and strategic engagement with the HPE sales team to jointly seize new business opportunities resulting in incremental growth. In addition, awarded partners act as role models for the greater partner community. Epoch Concepts LLC was recognized for two awards: HPE Aruba Partner of the Year and HPE Federal Growth Partner of the Year (small business).

"I am proud to recognize Epoch Concepts' outstanding work with Hewlett Packard Enterprise's (HPE) U.S. Public Sector, including their achievements to support customers with hybrid IT solutions as well as power the intelligent edge," said Joe Ayers, VP and GM, U.S. Public Sector, HPE. "Together, HPE and Epoch Concepts had a landmark year with significant growth across all segments of our business, and we look forward to continuing our success for many years to come."

SOURCE Epoch Concepts LLC
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

MSP provides the scalability, features and functionality to support EverBank's expected future growth.

EverBank uses MSP to service its mortgage loans and is Black Knight's longest-tenured MSP client.

MSP is a comprehensive, end-to-end loan servicing system that encompasses all aspects of servicing, from loan boarding to default, for first mortgages and home equity loans.

EverBank will also be implementing Black Knight's Lien Alert solution, and will continue to use Black Knight's LoanSphere Foreclosure, LoanSphere Bankruptcy and LoanSphere Invoicing solutions.

Black Knight Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE: BKFS), a leading provider of integrated technology, data and analytics to the mortgage and real estate industries, announced today that EverBank has renewed for another five years its long-term contract for LoanSphere MSP, Black Knight's premier mortgage and home equity loan servicing system. The company is also implementing Black Knight's Lien Alert solution and will continue to use Black Knight's LoanSphere Bankruptcy, LoanSphere Foreclosure and LoanSphere Invoicing solutions.

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., EverBank is Black Knight's longest-tenured MSP client. EverBank uses MSP to manage all servicing processes, including loan setup and maintenance, escrow administration, investor reporting and regulatory requirements. MSP supports EverBank's mortgage loans on a single platform, helping to reduce the costs, resources and potential risks associated with operating multiple systems.

"We are pleased to continue our longstanding and trusted relationship with Black Knight," said Blake Wilson, president and chief operating officer of EverBank. "MSP is critical to our mortgage operations, and its comprehensive functionality and scalability will help support our future growth and success."

The MSP loan servicing system is an end-to-end solution that encompasses all aspects of servicing, and offers comprehensive functionality to support servicers' regulatory requirements. MSP, which is used to service more than 30 million active loans, supports first mortgages, as well as home equity loans and lines of credit, on one platform to help servicers increase operational efficiency, reduce operating costs and improve risk mitigation.

Black Knight's Lien Alert solution instantly provides alerts on loans in the servicer's portfolio when any of 10 key lien-related indicators occur that could negatively impact the servicer's business.

The LoanSphere Bankruptcy and LoanSphere Foreclosure solutions uses workflow and servicer-defined rules to help servicers more efficiently manage the bankruptcy and foreclosure processes through task automation, while the LoanSphere Invoicing solution consolidates the invoice process, from bill presentment and processing to post-payment activities.

"We value our long-time partnership with EverBank, and look forward to providing the capabilities that will help support its future growth and EverBank's regulatory compliance," said Joe Nackashi, president of Black Knight's Servicing Technologies division. "EverBank will benefit from Black Knight's continual investments in MSP, as well as our other innovative technologies, to deliver solutions that help support our clients' operations, reduce costs and mitigate risk."

About EverBank

EverBank Financial Corp, through its wholly-owned subsidiary EverBank, provides a diverse range of financial products and services directly to clients nationwide through multiple business channels. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, EverBank has $27.8 billion in assets and $19.6 billion in deposits as of December 31, 2016. With an emphasis on value, innovation and service, EverBank offers a broad selection of banking, lending and investing products to consumers and businesses nationwide. EverBank provides services to clients through the internet, over the phone, through the mail, at its Florida-based financial centers and at other business offices throughout the country. More information on EverBank can be found at https://about.everbank/investors.

About Black Knight Financial Services, Inc.

Black Knight Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE: BKFS) is a leading provider of integrated technology, data and analytics solutions that facilitate and automate many of the business processes across the mortgage lifecycle.

Black Knight Financial Services is committed to being a premier business partner that lenders and servicers rely on to achieve their strategic goals, realize greater success and better serve their customers by delivering best-in-class technology, services and insight with a relentless commitment to excellence, innovation, integrity and leadership. For more information on Black Knight Financial Services, please visit www.bkfs.com.

For more information:

Michelle Kersch

Black Knight Financial Services

904.854.5043

[email protected]

SOURCE Black Knight Financial Services, Inc.

Related Links

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WASHINGTON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This morning, Family Research Council (FRC) welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court's announcement that the court is vacating and remanding the case of Gloucester County School Board v. G.G. to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. The announcement came after the Justice Department and Department of Education issued new guidance rescinding an Obama administration edict to force schools to allow biological males to use girls' showers, locker rooms, and restrooms, and vice versa.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement:

"The Supreme Court has provided good news to parents and students concerned about privacy and safety in school showers, locker rooms and bathrooms.

"In light of the Obama edict being withdrawn and this case now remanded, we are cautiously optimistic that the Fourth Circuit Court of appeals will reverse itself. As the Fourth Circuit stated in its earlier opinion, it would 'leave policy formulation to the political branches,' for 'the weighing of privacy interests or safety concerns' was not to be left 'to the courts.'

"We are encouraged that policymakers and the Supreme Court are increasingly skeptical of the federal government forcing boys and girls to shower together, room together on school trips, and use the same locker rooms and bathrooms.

"The American people have shown at the ballot box that they want to get away from Washington bureaucrats imposing a one-size fits all policy. State and local officials working together with parents are best equipped to design policies that respect the dignity, privacy, and safety concerns of all students," concluded Perkins.

To review Family Research Council's amicus brief in the case, please see: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF17A11.pdf

SOURCE Family Research Council

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NEW YORK, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Weber Shandwick, one of the world's leading global communications and engagement firms, announced today that Gary Sheffer, formerly chief communications officer at General Electric, has joined the agency as a senior corporate strategist. Based in New York, Sheffer will work closely with Weber Shandwick's leadership team providing counsel to the firm's clients on corporate, executive reputation and engagement, cultural, and governance issues. He served as GE's vice president for communications and public affairs for 13 years prior to his retirement in 2015. Sheffer was responsible for GE's global external and internal communications including media relations, employee engagement and public affairs.

"Gary brings deep, relevant and timely expertise building culture and corporate reputation as well as in risk management  all crucial in our current environment," said Micho Spring, Chair, Global Corporate Practice, and President, New England, Weber Shandwick. "Our clients and our teams will benefit enormously from his wisdom and insight. I look forward to having him join the team."

"Gary's influence on the communications industry goes well beyond the work he's done for GE. The example he's set and the leadership he's shown in advancing the PR profession as part of several industry organizations that he's a part of is remarkable and admirable," said Andy Polansky, Chief Executive Officer, Weber Shandwick.

Sheffer spent 16 years at GE and previously was a press aide to two New York state governors. He started his career as a newspaper reporter and editor. Sheffer is a trustee of the Arthur W. Page Society, the premiere organization for senior communications professionals, and is past chairman of the society. He also serves on the boards of the Institute for Public Relations, the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication, and the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program. Sheffer has been inducted into the PRWeek and PR News halls of fame.

About Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick is a leading global communications and engagement firm in 79 cities across 34 countries, with a network extending to 127 cities in 81 countries. The firm's diverse team of strategists, analysts, producers, designers, developers and campaign activators has won the most prestigious awards in the world for innovative, creative approaches and impactful work. Weber Shandwick was the only public relations agency included on the Ad Age Agency A-list in 2014 and 2015 and the only PR firm designated an A-List Agency Standout in 2017. Weber Shandwick was honored as PRWeek's Global Agency of the Year in 2015 and 2016, The Holmes Report's Global Agency of the Year in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015 and The Holmes Report's Global Digital Agency of the Year in 2016. The firm deploys deep expertise across sectors and specialty areas, including consumer marketing, corporate reputation, healthcare, technology, public affairs, financial services, corporate social responsibility, financial communications and crisis management, using proprietary social, digital and analytics methodologies. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). For more information, visit http://www.webershandwick.com.

Contact: Kim Dixon Company: Weber Shandwick Phone: 212.546.7876 Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Weber Shandwick

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DUBLIN, Mar 06, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global E-Cigarette Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast to 2022" report to their offering.

The global e-cigarette (electronic cigarette) market is expected to witness a CAGR of 16.6% during the forecast period, to reach $27,670 million by 2022.

Growing health awareness, advancement in electronic device technology, smoke & ash less vaping are some of the factors driving the growth of the global e-cigarette market. In addition, change in lifestyle, e-commerce and various mergers & acquisitions between e-cigarette providers are some trends observed in the global e-cigarette market. Based on product, the rechargeable e-cigarettes held the largest market globally during 2012 - 2015. The rechargeable e-cigarette with its growing demand and popularity is further expected to create opportunity for the market growth.



Trends



The increasing number of mergers and acquisitions, shift from traditional tobacco to next generation tobacco products and trend of quitting tobacco cigarettes are some of the key trends observed in the global e-cigarette market. The new entrants are also offering innovative e-cigarette devices, which is luring smokers to adopt such tobacco alternatives.



With growing popularity of e-cigarettes, flavor and fragrance vendors are fusing and introducing a large variety of flavors to attract e-cigarette manufacturers. Different flavors such as menthol, mint, chocolate, cola, bubble gum, and fusions of other fruits and flavoring substances are luring large number of consumers who are adopting e-cigarette. The trend is expected to continue and contribute to the growth of the global e-cigarette market.



Growth Drivers



The global e-cigarette market is driven by factors such as growing health awareness, smoke & ash less vaping, increasing number of vape stores, social acceptability and innovation in device technology.



Continuous rise in development and innovations of e-cigarette and vapor technology is further driving the growth of market. This is due to the fact that e-cigarette is a safer alternative to traditional cigarette, which causes reduced health issues as compared to tobacco smoking.



Companies such as Vaporfi have set up exclusive vape stores globally, including Americas, Europe and Asia, to sell their products directly to their customers. Smokers are more attracted towards specialty stores which helps consumers knowing about the available variety of flavors and new e-cigarette devices. Such outlets and designated stores help creating demand for various vaping products offered by individual providers. Moreover, continuous development in e-cigarette technology is further supporting the growth of the global e-cigarette market. Tobacco manufacturers are rapidly focusing on new technology development to make their products stand ahead of their competitors. This has created significant importance for e-cigarette vendors to invest more in technology to sustain in the competitive space. Major tobacco companies are entering into agreements with providers of technology & innovation in e-cigarettes. With such agreements, companies aim to enhance their products in line with the ongoing technological changes and consumer behavior.



Some of the key players in the global e-cigarette market are Philip Morris International, Reynolds American, VMR products, Japan Tobacco Inc, Altria Group Inc. and British American Tobacco.



Market Outlook



Trends In The E-Cigarette Market



Change In Lifestyle And Preferences

Introduction Of Various Flavors & Fragrances

Growing Partnerships

Sales Through E-Commerce

Increasing Research And Development In Technology

Merger And Acquisition

Opportunities In The Market



Consumer's Shift Toward Tobacco Alternatives

Untapped Market In Emerging Economies

Investment And Franchising

Factors Driving The Growth Of Market And Its Impact On Market Forecast



Growing Health Awareness

Smoke And Ash Less Vaping

Increasing Number Of Vape Shops And Designated Stores

Product Innovation And Advancement In Device Technology

Socially Acceptable And Environment Friendly

Impact Analysis Of Drivers On Market Forecast

Factors Hindering The Growth Of Market And Its Impact On Market Forecast



Implementation Of Strict Legal Framework

Risk Of E-Cigarette Use And Reported Incidents

Increased Lobbying By Pharmaceutical Giants

Impact Analysis Of Restraints On Market Forecast

Key Company Profiles



Altria Group, Inc.

British American Tobacco Plc

Japan Tobacco Inc

Imperial Brands Plc

Philip Morris International Inc.

Reynolds American Inc.

Vmr Products Llc

Nicotek Llc

Njoy Inc

International Vapor Group

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/wcfjgn/global

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

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DETROIT, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Huron Capital announced today that Melbourne, FL-based Dental Partners, LLC ("Dental Partners") has been acquired by St. Petersburg, FL-based Dynamic Dental Partners Group ("DDPG"), a Huron Capital portfolio company. With this deal, DDPG now supports more than 50 dental office locations across six states.

Founded in 2011 by Dr. Todd Christie, Dental Partners is a dental service organization ("DSO") providing support services to 18 dental practices in Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida and Georgia. Dr. Christie has joined DDPG as the EVP of Development where he will focus on driving clinical operations and acquisitions, while providing clinical leadership across DDPG's platform.

"We think this move is an important strategic step for DDPG," said Biff Comte, CEO of DDPG. "It solidifies our presence in Florida, and expands the footprint into three new states. Dr. Christie is an experienced DSO executive who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team."

"While working on integration planning with Biff and the leadership team over the last few months, I have been impressed with DDPG's focus on doctor support leading to quality patient care," added Dr. Christie. "I'm excited to join the team and share Huron's commitment to identifying opportunities in the DSO space and building a world-class company."

Sean Roberts, Principal at Huron Capital, added, "Huron Capital is strongly committed to the dental space, and we continue to be excited about the long-term trends. This deal brings two strong organizations together under the DDPG banner, and we will continue to actively looking to grow the platform through similar affiliations in the future."

About Huron Capital

Based in Detroit, Huron Capital is an operationally-focused private equity firm with a long history of growing lower middle-market companies through its proprietary ExecFactor buy-and-build investment model. Huron prefers complex situations where it can help companies reach their full potential by combining its operational approach, substantial capital base, and transaction experience with seasoned operating executives. Founded in 1999, Huron has raised over $1.7 billion in capital through six committed private equity funds and invested in over 130 companies employing over 11,000 people. The Huron buy-and-build investment model includes equity recapitalizations, family succession transactions, market-entry strategies, corporate carve-outs, and management buyouts of companies having revenues up to $200 million. Huron targets fundamentally sound companies that can benefit from the firm's operational approach to creating value. Huron's sector focus includes business services, consumer products & services and specialty manufacturing. For more information, please visit www.huroncapital.com.

About Dynamic Dental Partners Group

Headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL, Dynamic Dental Partners Group (DDPG) is a dental service organization that provides administrative and operational support to dental practices through its integrated dental care delivery systems. Our affiliated dental offices develop excellent patient relationships driven by our hand-picked doctors who strive for clinical excellence and a "best-practices" approach to patient choices without increased cost or quality restrictions. We strive to maximize the integration of patient relationships, technologies and modern business efficiencies in a family-oriented practice environment. The result is a winning relationship between patients, dentists, team members and DDPG. Offices are located in FL, VA, AZ, TN, GA and KY.

SOURCE Huron Capital

Related Links

http://www.huroncapital.com


SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) today announced a global strategic partnership to deliver joint solutions designed to leverage artificial intelligence and enable companies to make smarter decisions, faster than ever before. With the partnership, IBM Watson, the leading AI platform for business, and Salesforce Einstein, AI that powers the world's #1 CRM, will seamlessly connect to enable an entirely new level of intelligent customer engagement across sales, service, marketing, commerce and more. IBM is also strategically investing in its Global Business Services capabilities for Salesforce with a new practice to help clients rapidly deploy the combined IBM Watson and Salesforce Einstein capabilities.

On Monday, March 6, Salesforce Chairman and CEO, Marc Benioff and IBM Chairman, President and CEO Ginni Rometty announced a global strategic partnership to deliver joint artificial intelligent solutions that will enable companies to make smarter decisions, faster than ever before. (Photo Credit: Jon Simon/Feature Photo Service for IBM)

The partnership will bring new insights from Watson directly into the Salesforce Intelligent Customer Success Platform, combining deep customer insights from Salesforce Einstein with Watson's structured and unstructured data across many sources and industries including weather, healthcare, financial services and retail. Together, Watson and Einstein will ingest, reason over and derive recommendations to accelerate decision making and drive greater customer success.

Comments on the News:

"Within a few years, every major decisionpersonal or businesswill be made with the help of AI and cognitive technologies," said Ginni Rometty, chairman, president and chief executive officer, IBM. "This year we expect Watson will touch one billion peoplethrough everything from oncology and retail to tax preparation and cars. Now, with today's announcement, the power of Watson will serve the millions of Salesforce and Einstein customers and developers to provide an unprecedented understanding of customers."

"The combination of Einstein and Watson will make businesses smarter and our customers more successful," said Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO, Salesforce. "I'm thrilled to form an alliance with IBMno company's core values are as close to Salesforce's as IBM's. It's the best of both worlds."

Salesforce and IBM will initially deliver the following:

IBM Watson and Salesforce Einstein Integration: Integrating IBM Watson APIs into Salesforce will bring predictive insights from unstructured data, inside or outside an enterprise, together with predictive insights from customer data delivered by Salesforce Einstein to enable smarter, faster decisions across sales, service, marketing, commerce and more. For example, by combining local shopping patterns, weather and retail industry data from Watson with customer-specific shopping data and preferences from Salesforce Einstein, a retailer will be able to automatically send highly personalized and localized email campaigns to shoppers.

IBM Weather Insights for Salesforce: The Weather Company, an IBM business, will power a new Lightning component on the Salesforce AppExchange to provide weather insights that inform customer interactions and business performance. For example, an insurance company will be able to pull local forecast data from IBM Weather into Salesforce, and automatically send safety and policy information to customers who are at risk of being impacted by severe weather events.

IBM Application Integration Suite for Salesforce: Customers will be able to able to bring together on-premise enterprise and cloud data with specialized integration products for Salesforce, surfacing that data directly within the Salesforce Intelligent Customer Success Platform. For example, a wealth advisor will be able to unify client data, such as individual investments and risk profiles, with financial trends and public macroeconomic information from Application Integration Suite right within Salesforce to make smarter decisions for her customers.

Bluewolf Dedicated Consulting Services and Expertise for Cognitive Solutions, Adding to IBM Strategic Services for Salesforce: Bluewolf, an IBM company, has formed a new practice to help clients rapidly deploy the combined IBM Watson and Salesforce Einstein capabilities. This new unit capitalizes on Bluewolf's over fifteen years of Salesforce implementations and their current portfolio of multiple Salesforce and Watson projects. Bluewolf will also develop new industry-specific accelerators used by enterprise clients to accelerate adoption of cognitive applications.

As part of the partnership, IBM will deploy Salesforce Service Cloud across the company to transform its global product support services and gain a single, unified view of every IBM customer.

Pricing and Availability

The IBM Watson and Salesforce Einstein integration is expected to be available in the second half of 2017. Pricing will be announced at the time of general availability.

IBM Weather Lightning Component on Salesforce AppExchange is expected to be available in the second half of 2017. Pricing will be announced at the time of general availability.

Bluewolf, an IBM company, expects to offer new industry-focused Solution Accelerators at in the second half of 2017. Pricing will be announced at the time of general availability.

IBM Application Integration Suite for Salesforce is expected to be available by the end of March 2017 . Pricing will be announced at the time of general availability.

About IBM Watson: Pioneering a New Era of Computing

Watson represents a new era in computing called cognitive computing, where systems understand the world in a way more similar to humans: through senses, learning, and experience. Watson continuously learns from previous interactions, gaining in value and knowledge over time. With the help of Watson, organizations are harnessing the power of cognitive computing to transform industries, help professionals do their jobs better, and solve important challenges.

As part of IBM's strategy to accelerate the growth of cognitive computing, Watson is open to the world, allowing a growing community of developers, students, entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts to easily tap into the most advanced and diverse cognitive computing platform available today. Watson solutions are being built, used and deployed in more than 45 countries and across 20 different industries.

For more information on IBM Watson, visit: ibm.com/watson. Join the conversation at #ibmwatson.

About Salesforce

Salesforce, the world's #1 CRM and the Intelligence Customer Success Platform, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: www.salesforce.com.

Rights of ALBERT EINSTEIN are used with permission of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Represented exclusively by Greenlight.

Any unreleased services or features referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available and may not be delivered on time or at all. Customers who purchase Salesforce applications should make their purchase decisions based upon features that are currently available. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information please visit http://www.salesforce.com, or call 1-800-NO-SOFTWARE.

Contact:

Kate McLaughlin Katy Rosati Salesforce IBM Media Relations [email protected] [email protected] 415-778-3287 917-421-7543

SOURCE IBM

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HOUSTON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IDealogic Brand Lab was named Agency of Record for brand strategy and development for Salons by JC. The Houston-based branding agency will partner with the private salon suites Franchisor to drive the brand strategy development and brand positioning necessary to support the explosive growth the brand has enjoyed over the past two years, and is continuing to project in the future.

Drew Johnston, VP of Operations for Salons by JC, said, "Our partnership with IDealogic is the next evolution in moving our brand forward. We spent a lot of time vetting several agencies from across the country and what set them apart was their historical success with other brands, strategic approach, and passion for brand development. I am really excited for what they will do to support our franchisees and the Salons by JC brand."

"We are excited to work alongside Salons by JC," said Principal Ruth Netanel. "It will be an honor to help the company create a solid brand that its growing community of people will enthusiastically rally behind and support."

IDealogic Brand Lab is an award-winning, full service visual communications company that specializes in the creation and development of corporate and franchise brands. From brand innovation, brand creation, and brand activation, IDealogic creates unique brands using its proven branding techniques and proprietary brand development processes.

About Salons by JC

In 1988, founders Jack Griffey and Cecil Miller opened the doors of the first Salons by JC in Dallas, Texas. Their big idea was to help beauty and wellness professionals break free from the traditional salon model. The company began franchising in 2011, and has since grown to over 80 locations in 24 states as well as Canada. The company's innovative business model now gives over 2,400 salon and spa professionals the ability to be their own boss. In 2016, the company made #497 on Entrepreneur Magazine's "Fortune 500" list and then leaped to #54 in 2017. For more information, visit Salonsbyjc.com.

About IDealogic Brand Lab

IDealogic Brand Lab has developed a proprietary branding method known as Brand to Human, which focuses on creating strong bonds between a company, its personnel, and its customer audience. These strategies were developed through an approach based on human behavior, culture, lifestyle, and aesthetic appeal. This process revolves around in-depth strategies that facilitate the customer experience and foster brand loyalty. Defining and creating the brand's architecture, strategy, concept, and visual appeal are only some of the points in the Brand to Human process that guarantee a company's significant growth. The agency has proven that building brands is more sophisticated than just focusing on the aesthetics and visual communications alone. These same philosophies have been adopted by the most influential brands of the Fortune 500.

As a full-service visual communications company, the agency's core focus is in complete brand creation and market implementation, including Brand Analysis, Brand Strategy, Company and Brand Culture, Brand Experience, Brand and Marketing Communications, and more. For additional information, visit idealogicbrandlab.com.

Press Contact:

Ruth Netanel | Principal, IDealogic Brand Lab, Inc.

[email protected]

281-578-2223

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Complete Brand Development Experts

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE IDealogic(R) Brand Lab

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NEW YORK, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Innovative Lending Platform Association (ILPA) and the Coalition for Responsible Business Finance (CRBF) today announced they are joining forces and will now operate as the ILPA  the leading trade organization representing a diverse group of online lending and service companies serving small businesses. Joining ILPA's existing members, OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK), Kabbage and CAN Capital, are CRBF member companies Breakout Capital, Enova International's The Business Backer, PayNet and Orion First Financial. United by a shared commitment to the health and success of small businesses in America, the newly expanded ILPA is dedicated to advancing best practices and standards that support responsible innovation and access to capital for small businesses.

In addition, leading national small business organizations that formerly served as the CRBF Advisory Board will now represent small business customers as formal advisors to the ILPA. The Advisory Board includes individuals from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the National Small Business Association (NSBA), the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and new representatives from the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO). These small business organizations have provided key input into the collective group's best practices and standards initiatives over the past year, ensuring that the needs of their small business constituents are addressed.

The expanded ILPA remains committed to advancing online small business lending education, advocacy and best practices. In October, the ILPA introduced the SMART Box (Straightforward Metrics Around Rate and Total cost), a first-of-its-kind model pricing disclosure and comparison tool launched in partnership with the AEO. The SMART Box is focused on empowering small businesses to better assess and compare finance options and is now available for broader adoption by lending platforms. More details can be found at: http://innovativelending.org/smart-box/

As a leading voice for responsible business funding, CRBF launched in January 2016 with the mission to create a concrete code of ethics for the industry and to educate policymakers on the value of non-bank small business financing. The organization outlined responsible and transparent business practices for both providers as well as customers, and the expanded ILPA has leveraged that work to formulate an updated industry Code of Ethics that will guide the ILPA moving forward.

The expansion of the ILPA follows a period of broad stakeholder engagement and a demonstrated shared commitment to serving small businesses. With this unification, the cross-industry effort to bring innovative and responsible solutions to improve access to capital for Main Street small businesses continues to gain momentum.

"Fostering responsible innovation and empowering small businesses to better assess and compare finance options are priorities for the ILPA. We are delighted to join forces with the CRBF as we work together to advance small business online lending education, advocacy and best practices," said Noah Breslow, Chief Executive Officer, OnDeck. "We are proud to be part of this growing cross-sector effort to help improve capital access on behalf of small businesses across the United States."

"The combination of these leading organizations represents a landmark moment in the industry, signifying how major players in the small business lending space are increasingly aligned on values and best practices that benefit small businesses," said Carl Fairbank, founder and chief executive officer, Breakout Capital. "Founded on the fundamental principles of responsible lending, education and transparency, Breakout Capital is thrilled to partner with other premier players in the industry who share our vision and believe that a unified industry voice can promote small business success more effectively. "As a founding member company of CRBF, The Business Backer is thrilled with the merger between the CRBF and the ILPA," said Jim Salters, president of The Business Backer and CRBF Advisory Board member. "The move creates an even larger platform of industry leaders with a common voice to help ensure small businesses have access to honest and transparent funding sources."

"The ILPA was launched as a self-regulatory exercise and is focused on empowering small businesses with clear and transparent ways to compare financing options," said Rob Frohwein, co-founder and chief executive officer of Kabbage. "Kabbage and the ILPA are excited to join with the CRBF in order to advance ubiquitous industry standards. Together, we are eager to continue working with regulators and policymakers to expand small businesses' ability to easily access technology-driven financing products."

"Access to capital is a high priority for America's small businesses. As our economy grows, small business owners need diverse sources of capital to hire new employees and expand their businesses. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce applauds the innovative capital providers in the ILPA for their dedication to fueling growth on Main Street," said Tom Sullivan, vice president, small business, U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"CAN Capital has been a supporter of transparency throughout our 19 year history, and we are excited to see the ILPA expand as it continues to support small business owners," said Parris Sanz, chief executive officer of CAN Capital.

"Small business lending continues to be stubbornly elusive for many small firms and what we need is not just more lending, but better lending options," said Todd McCracken, National Small Business Association president and chief executive officer. "This merger will expand on efforts to connect small business with a variety of fair and responsible lending resources."

"We are excited to be part of an organization whose purpose is to create a vibrant, healthy, small business lending marketplace that serves the engine of the U.S. economy  small businesses," said David Schaefer, chief executive officer of Orion First Financial. "As a loan servicer to small business lenders, we are particularly enthusiastic that the ILPA is embracing a diverse membership and participation from small business associations through its Advisory Board."

"SBE Council looks forward to partnering with the expanded ILPA to continue advocating for the innovative and responsible sources of funding to which entrepreneurs and small businesses need access," said Karen Kerrigan, president and chief executive officer of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.

"It is critical that these and other responsible lenders come together to advance initiatives like SMART Box," said Connie Evans, president/chief executive officer of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity. "The time is ripe for united voices and action to give more people the opportunity and the tools to realize a brighter future for their businesses."

Together, the members of the expanded ILPA have provided access to more than $14 billion dollars in capital to small businesses to help drive growth and hiring.

SOURCE On Deck Capital, Inc.; Innovative Lending Platform Association
BALTIMORE, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With a focus on providing exceptional customer service for companies leveraging cloud infrastructure services, bpsNode today announced a new name and brand: Opulent Cloud.

Opulent Cloud, led by founder and President Desmond Stinnie, provides customized solutions and a "white glove" level of service for companies looking to move some or all their IT infrastructure to the cloud. The rebranding to Opulent Cloud, with a new website, logo, and brand messaging, reflects the company's commitment to customer service excellence.

"Our mission is to provide a hands-on, consultative approach to cloud infrastructure solutions," said Stinnie, who founded the company in 2013. "Our core competencies are working with clients to identify requirements, architect solutions, and provide ongoing managed services and support at a level that exceeds expectations."

Along with the name change, Opulent Cloud has launched a new website, www.opulentcloud.co, to align with the new brand. The company will continue to provide managed cloud services including Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS), as well as Disaster Recovery and business continuity planning.

Another core offering that Opulent Cloud provides is Managed Services, with a focus on a granular understanding of the customer's operations. During onboarding, the Opulent Cloud team takes the time to learn each customer's business applications, their objectives, and their use cases for virtual infrastructure.

"Other cloud providers often begin the relationship with new clients with a swipe of their credit card and no human interaction," Stinnie added. "We differentiate by truly getting to know our clients and providing solutions tailored for their needs. That's the Opulent Cloud business model."

About Opulent Cloud

Opulent Cloud is a leading managed cloud computing company based in Baltimore. Our industry experts have over 80 years of combined experience in the hosting industry, including telecom, shared hosting, co-location, dedicated serves, hosted services, VoIP, and IT Security. We are committed to delivering exceptional managed virtual infrastructure hosting. Opulent Cloud currently has two cloud deployments - Miami, FL and Dallas, TX  with a 3rd site in Singapore coming online in May 2017. For more information, including all the services Opulent Cloud provides, please visit www.opulentcloud.co.

Opulent Cloud Media Contact

Patrick Severe

Abel Communications for Opulent Cloud

(443) 519-9070

[email protected]

SOURCE Opulent Cloud

Related Links

http://www.opulentcloud.co/


PRINCETON, New Jersey, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Indium Software, a global independent software testing services company, announces its readiness for product development in the DevOps environment with their IP-led test automation solution.

In today's world of software development, the adoption of DevOps principles has become mainstream. According to a survey conducted by RightScale with over 1000 technology leaders of large enterprises, over 74 percent of them adopted DevOps methodologies in their software development process. According to Research and Markets, DevOps-based Platform adoption is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.42 per cent between 2016 and 2020.

So, what does the term DevOps mean in today's context? It is synergising the goals of software development, IT operations and testing teams for smooth transition between the three stages, using process methodologies such as Extreme Programming, Agile, Lean and Six Sigma.

Based on Indium's ongoing testing engagements on DevOps Platforms for its clients, it has identified and addressed the following critical testing needs:

Ensuring maturity and readiness for DevOps adoption QA for simultaneous deployment across multiple platforms Greater support for testing cloud-based applications QA in rapid deployment scenarios Testing of applications that use a hybrid of physical, virtual and cloud infrastructure

Test Automation that is DevOps and Cloud Ready

While 'DevOps' aspires to break the wall and accelerate software deployment, Development and Operations still work in silos due to using different set of tools, that may or may not talk to each other. "This is particularly so in legacy organisations where the mindset needs to change, as well as processes and tools that integrate the entire process. While migrating to DevOps principles may look easy on paper, the real challenge lies in ensuring quality software. As cycle time reduces, a robust test automation framework is a super-critical component of DevOps adoption. Our 'cloud and DevOps-ready' test automation framework, iSAFE, is devised specifically to address this opportunity," explains Ramesh Krish, CTO, Indium Software.

QA needs to be able to manage Change Management, Release Approvals, Continuous Integration, Health Check and Defect Management. Indium Software, along with the DevOps team at a client location, creates a blueprint of the product before the actual development to effectively guide every stage of the development lifecycle, giving development, testing and operations teams a quick referral to ensure it is as planned and on schedule. Traditional manual testing runs complimentary to the needs of the DevOps environment.

With framework-based Test Automation, Indium ensures 50% lower chance of failure rates, ensures shorter, development lifecycles, 3x reduction in cost and 12x faster service restoration.

Indium Software backs the automation framework with skilled resources, tools management for continuous improvement, legacy-to-cloud migration and enhanced collaboration within teams.

As a result of automation, Indium ensures jumpstarting of the test process, freeing up manual testing resources to focus on explorative and context-based scenarios, communicating bugs accurately to the DevOps team, consistently passing smoke and sanity checks, Reusability and Traceability.

"We are very excited about being a part of this DevOps revolution and the next-generation of iSAFE Test Automation Framework will not only enable continuous software deployment but also ensure quality control," adds Ramesh.

At a glance, these are some features of iSAFE that support DevOps principles:

Jumpstart Feature : Does not need testers to know coding, making it easy for them to write scripts only for new features quickly. Its in-built 7 readily automated and pluggable components help testers understand how much automation is needed for an app. Since DevOps involves multiple builds even in a single day, the framework can handle 7-8 builds per day.

: Does not need testers to know coding, making it easy for them to write scripts only for new features quickly. help testers understand how much automation is needed for an app. Since DevOps involves multiple builds even in a single day, the framework can handle 7-8 builds per day. Reusability : New scripts need not be written every time. The reusable test cases are stored in a library that can be recalled as and when needed, thus enabling quick tests and retests.

: New scripts need not be written every time. The reusable test cases are stored in a library that can be recalled as and when needed, thus enabling quick tests and retests. Rapid Traceability : Easy identification of features that are affected due to any changes, thus reducing bug fixing time.

: Easy identification of features that are affected due to any changes, thus reducing bug fixing time. Smoke and Sanity Tests : Tool agnostic framework validates Smoke/Sanity, end-to-end regression and continuous integration testing

: Tool agnostic framework validates Smoke/Sanity, end-to-end regression and continuous integration testing 360-degree Automated Reporting: Robust test reporting and DevOps live dashboard help the development and operations team take corrective action.

iSAFE is part of Indium's iAccelerator brand of IP-driven frameworks and is supported by iFACT and iMobi, which ensure cross-browser and cross-device compatibility.

About Indium Software

At Indium Software, we've been entrenched in the world of software testing since 1999. We've built a team of 450+ test professionals in our offices in Chennai, Bengaluru, New Jersey, Sunnyvale, London and Kuala Lumpur.

The core of Indium's objective to servicing our global customers can be explained with this simple line: "We're small enough to care, large enough to deliver." We are a preferred testing vendor for enterprise and ISV customers ranging from Fortune 100 to 5000 companies and small to medium enterprises. Till date, we've served over 250 clients in the U.S., and rest of the world.

Contact Information

Talk to our QA experts to schedule a customized demo.

Media Contact Details:

G. Mohan

Global Head - Marketing

[email protected]



SOURCE Indium Software
WASHINGTON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research, today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $30.6 billion for the month of January 2017, an increase of 13.9 percent compared to the January 2016 total of $26.9 billion. Global sales in January were 1.2 percent lower than the December 2016 total of $31.0 billion, reflecting normal seasonal market trends. January marked the global market's largest year-to-year growth since November 2010. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

"The global semiconductor industry is off to a strong and encouraging start to 2017, posting its highest-ever January sales and largest year-to-year sales increase in more than six years," said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. "Sales into the China market increased by more than 20 percent year-to-year, and most other regional markets posted double-digit growth. Following the industry's highest-ever revenue in 2016, the global market is well-positioned for a strong start to 2017."

Year-to-year sales increased substantially across all regions: China (20.5 percent), the Americas (13.3 percent), Japan (12.3 percent), Asia Pacific/All Other (11.0 percent), and Europe (4.8 percent). Month-to-month sales increased in Europe (1.2 percent), but fell slightly in China (-0.2 percent), Japan (-1.6 percent), Asia Pacific/All Other (-1.6 percent), and the Americas (-3.1 percent).

To find out how to purchase the WSTS Subscription Package, which includes comprehensive monthly semiconductor sales data and detailed WSTS Forecasts, please visit http://www.semiconductors.org/industry_statistics/wsts_subscription_package/. For detailed data on the global and U.S. semiconductor industry and market, please consider purchasing the 2016 SIA Databook here: https://www.semiconductors.org/forms/sia_databook/.

January 2017





Billions





Month-to-Month Sales





Market Last Month Current Month % Change Americas 6.33 6.13 -3.1% Europe 2.80 2.84 1.2% Japan 2.84 2.79 -1.6% China 10.17 10.15 -0.2% Asia Pacific/All Other 8.86 8.72 -1.6% Total 31.01 30.63 -1.2%







Year-to-Year Sales





Market Last Year Current Month % Change Americas 5.41 6.13 13.3% Europe 2.71 2.84 4.8% Japan 2.49 2.79 12.3% China 8.42 10.15 20.5% Asia Pacific/All Other 7.86 8.72 11.0% Total 26.89 30.63 13.9%







Three-Month-Moving Average Sales





Market Aug/Sept/Oct Nov/Dec/Jan % Change Americas 6.06 6.13 1.2% Europe 2.82 2.84 0.7% Japan 2.89 2.79 -3.2% China 9.78 10.15 3.7% Asia Pacific/All Other 8.88 8.72 -1.8% Total 30.43 30.63 0.7%

Media Contact

Dan Rosso

Semiconductor Industry Association

202-446-1719

[email protected]

About SIA

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) is the voice of the U.S. semiconductor industry, one of America's top export industries and a key driver of America's economic strength, national security, and global competitiveness. Semiconductors  microchips that control all modern electronics  enable the systems and products we use to work, communicate, travel, entertain, harness energy, treat illness, and make new scientific discoveries. The semiconductor industry directly employs nearly a quarter of a million people in the U.S. In 2016, U.S. semiconductor company sales totaled $164 billion, and semiconductors make the global trillion dollar electronics industry possible. SIA seeks to strengthen U.S. leadership of semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research by working with Congress, the Administration and other key industry stakeholders to encourage policies and regulations that fuel innovation, propel business and drive international competition. Learn more at www.semiconductors.org.

About WSTS

World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) is an independent non-profit organization representing the vast majority of the world semiconductor industry. The mission of WSTS is to be the respected source of semiconductor market data and forecasts. Founded in 1986, WSTS is the singular source for monthly industry shipment statistics.

SOURCE Semiconductor Industry Association

Related Links

http://www.sia-online.org


"With over 15 years' experience in the skin care industry and several manufactured brands, we're familiar with our target audience and product lines. This enables us to premiere the full line from the beginning to meet the demands of our customer base," explained Tziyona Cohen, Vice President of Kristals Cosmetics . "The concept for Kristals had been in development for 2 years prior to the launch to perfect our formulas and perform consumer testing, ensuring optimal results."

This past November, the brand added three new products to their ever-growing collection under the popular Diamond and Ruby lines  Diamond Anti-Gravity Spark Eye Mask, Diamond Anti-Gravity Spark Mask and Ruby Super Wrinkle Kit. The next gem line the brand seeks to expand is their Gold collection with the launch of a Gold Leaf Mask. "This will be sold in a kit with 8 treatments. Each kit will include a luxurious gold oil for use prior to the treatment and a gold speck infused facial elixir for daily use to maintain the effects," advised Cohen.

Plans to further grow the brand in 2017 reach beyond product development as they seek to open more experience-driven retail stores in the US and globally. Most recently, Kristals Cosmetics opened a permanent location in Panama City, Panama at the Multi-Plaza Mall. The store features consultation areas for customers to receive one-on-one service and a full experience treatment room offering facials upon appointment. They are also actively looking to open a flagship US store, in a high prime location, within the year.

ABOUT KRISTALS COSMETICS

Kristals Cosmetics has unlocked the holistically healing power of gemstones to promote vibrant, radiant skin. The brand combines concentrations of precious and semiprecious gemstones and metals with powerful botanicals, naturally effective herbal essences and oils, and the best scientific breakthroughs in skincare for every skin type. The brand's top-selling products include the Rock Crystal Refining Moisturizer, Sapphire Retinol Firming and Lifting Eye Cream and Amber Multi-Vitamin C Brightening Serum.

For more information & to read Kristals Cosmetics Reviews or https://kristalscosmeticsreviews.com/

Connect on social: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, G+.

SOURCE Kristals Cosmetics

Related Links

http://www.kristals.com


NEW YORK, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, LendIt, the world's largest show in lending and fintech, unveiled its new media brand, LendIt News, a financial technology 'fintech' resource dedicated to providing curated content and analysis of the most up-to-date industry news from around the globe. LendIt News, published by the LendIt team, will complement Lend Academy, the financial technology and peer-to-peer lending educational resource.

"One of the core tenets of LendIt is providing great content. Our conferences bring together the leading thinkers in fintech but that happens just three times per year," said Peter Renton, chairman and co-founder of LendIt. "News is happening every day and with LendIt News we have created a service that brings this same quality to news coverage. We will be covering all the important news stories every day, wherever in the world they happen."

"We created LendIt News after strong, repeated demand from our community for LendIt's expert opinion and commentary on the most important and relevant news stories about the fintech industry," said Jason Jones, co-founder of LendIt. "So we decided to create a daily news engine, fueled by the fast-paced news events from across our vast network of global companies, curated by our team and from our point of view. The format is also specifically designed for quick, digestible bits of the most up-to-date news impacting their businesses and respective verticals."

LendIt News will be run by the LendIt editorial team, the same team that produces the annual LendIt conferences. Every day LendIt News will publish short summaries of all the main news stories of the day including links to the original sources. Email subscribers will receive this news in their inbox, daily in an easy to digest format. Coverage and analysis will include:

Online lending

Bank partnerships

Debt and equity investments

Blockchain

Insurtech

Digital wealth management

Digital banking

Innovations in real estate

Financial inclusion

Artificial intelligence and machine learning

Biometrics

Coverage will span the globe with particular emphasis on the main hotbeds of fintech innovation: the USA, China and Europe.

For more information on LendIt News, please visit www.lendit.com/news.

About LendIt News

LendIt News is an online financial technology news resource aimed to provide invaluable, up to the minute insights, across Insurtech, Blockchain, payments, online lending, real estate, digital banking, wealth management and AI. Founded and published by the LendIt team, LendIt News taps experts and thought leaders to explore the latest global trends in financial technology. LendIt News...Fintech.Fast.Focused.

About LendIt

LendIt is the world's largest show in lending and fintech. LendIt is a recognized global Internet finance industry leader, founded in New York in 2013 by Jason Jones, Bo Brustkern and Peter Renton. Its aim is to gather industry elites to discuss and explore latest trends in the development of international financial technology. Our conferences bring together the leading lending platforms, investors, and service providers in our industry for unparalleled educational, networking, and business development opportunities.

LendIt hosts three conferences annually: our flagship conference LendIt USA as well as LendIt Europe in London and LangDi Fintech in China. Learn more at www.lendit.com or email [email protected] for marketing and partnership inquiries.

Media Contact:

Melissa Barto

JCUTLER media group

[email protected]

SOURCE LendIt

Related Links

http://www.lendit.com/news


Led by alumnus Brian Wilk '95, incoming chair of MECA's Board of Trustees, and Vice President at Hasbro Toys, MECA's presidential search process officially started in August 2016, when a search committee composed of a diverse group of representatives from within the MECA community convened to discuss and understand the most essential attributes needed in the College's next leader.

In announcing the choice, Wilk remarked on the thorough and extensive nature of the selection process. "It was clear to the entire search committee that we needed someone who has the skills, experience, and appetite to continue building our mission of educating artists for life while expanding our reputation as an international destination for world-class arts education. After carefully considering our impressively deep pool of seasoned candidates from all over the world, our search committee unanimously agreed that Dr. Laura Freid was the right person to guide MECA through our next critical period of growth."

Debbie Reed, chair of the MECA Board of Trustees, described Freid as "an exceptional leader who understands MECA's mission and the importance of creativity." According to Reed, "From the moment we met Laura, we were interested in learning more about her demonstrated track record of engaging multiple constituencies while serving in senior leadership roles at multiple institutions. The Board of Trustees looks forward to an exciting future under Laura's leadership as we move the College forward."

"I am grateful for the dynamic leadership that has guided MECA to date and to the entire College community and the city of Portland for creating such an exciting American center for the arts, culture and entrepreneurship," Freid said. "In times as rife with international, political, and economic tensions as we are experiencing today, I believe investing in the arts has never been more imperative. Art gives us meaning and identity, helping us reflect on and shape our lives; it is fundamental to our well-being. That is why I believe providing artists with the education they need to succeed is such a critical and vital mission."

Freid's educational background is rooted in the philosophy of aesthetics and in the history of reputation in higher education. She holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Washington University, an MBA from Boston University Graduate School of Management, and an Ed.D. from University of Pennsylvania.

Freid will take office on or before July 1st, replacing Interim President Stuart Kestenbaum, Maine's Poet Laureate and former Director of the Haystack Mountain School of Arts. Kestenbaum stepped in to lead during a transition year after Don Tuski, Ph.D. accepted the position of President at Pacific Northwest College of the Arts in Portland, Oregon, on the heels of six years of continuous enrollment and endowment growth at MECA.

ABOUT MECA:

Founded in 1882 and located in the heart of Downtown Portland's thriving Arts District, MECA offers BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in 11 studio majors, MFA (Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art) and MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) degrees. Pre-College and Continuing Studies programming are available for adults and youths. In Fall 2017, Salt Institute for Documentary Studies at MECA will begin offering a graduate certificate.

The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at MECA, Bob Crewe Gallery, Joanne Waxman Library, and Visiting Artist and Guest Lecture Series are free and open to the public.

CONTACT: Raffi Der Simonian

Director of Mktg, Comm & Annual Fund

207.699.5010 | [email protected]

SOURCE Maine College of Art
FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Oncology Research Program (ORP) has funded three studies in its first multi-industry collaborative research project in which Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) are collaborating with NCCN to study combination therapeutic agents in lung cancer and head and neck cancers.

The following studies were awarded funding through NCCN ORP:

Aarti Bhatia , MD, MPH, Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, "Single-Arm Phase II Trial of Dual Inhibition of EGFR with Afatinib and Cetuximab with Correlative Studies in the Second-Line Treatment of Recurrent or Metastatic Squamous Cell Cancers of the Head and Neck"

, MD, MPH, Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, "Single-Arm Phase II Trial of Dual Inhibition of EGFR with Afatinib and Cetuximab with Correlative Studies in the Second-Line Treatment of Recurrent or Metastatic Squamous Cell Cancers of the Head and Neck" Michael Gibson , MD, PhD, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, "Afatinib and Nivolumab For Second-Line Treatment of Recurrent/Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (SCCHN)"

, MD, PhD, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, "Afatinib and Nivolumab For Second-Line Treatment of Recurrent/Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (SCCHN)" Leora Horn , MD, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, "Phase I Trial of Combination Afatinib and Necitumumab in EGFR Mutation Positive NSCLC with Acquired Resistance to First or Third Generation EGFR TKIs"

Boehringer Ingelheim awarded NCCN ORP a $2-million research grant to support NCCN investigator-initiated pre-clinical, clinical, and correlative studies of combination therapies containing afatinib[1] in the treatment of lung and head and neck cancers. NCCN and Boehringer Ingelheim collaborated with Lilly for access to necitumumab[2].

Proposals of other afatinib combination therapies were also accepted. Submissions were peer reviewed by the NCCN Afatinib Combination Scientific Review Committee. The funded concepts were selected based on several criteria, including scientific merit, existing data, and the types of studies necessary to further evaluate the efficacy of afatinib.

"In facilitating this innovative research initiative, NCCN ORP indeed leads the way in laying the groundwork for future collaborative clinical research endeavors," said Susan Most, RN, MBA, Director, Clinical Operations, NCCN ORP. "The study of the effectiveness of combination therapies in oncology requires collaboration among various stakeholders, and NCCN applauds Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly in their combined efforts to advance cutting edge research to improve the lives of people with lung and head and neck cancers."

For more information about NCCN ORP, visit NCCN.org/ORP.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a not-for-profit alliance of 27 of the nation's leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education, is dedicated to improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care so that patients can live better lives. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers.

The NCCN Member Institutions are: Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH; City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, and Rochester, MN; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; and Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT.

Clinicians, visit NCCN.org. Patients and caregivers, visit NCCN.org/patients. Media, visit NCCN.org/news.

About Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, CT, is the largest U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation.

Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, the company operates globally with 145 affiliates and about 50,000 employees. Since its founding in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel treatments for human and veterinary medicine.

Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to improving lives and providing valuable services and support to patients and families. Our employees create and engage in programs that strengthen our communities. To learn more about how we make more health for more people, visit our Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

For more information please visit www.us.boehringer-ingelheim.com, or follow us on Twitter @BoehringerUS.

About Lilly Oncology

For more than 50 years, Lilly has been dedicated to delivering life-changing medicines and support to people living with cancer and those who care for them. Lilly is determined to build on this heritage and continue making life better for all those affected by cancer around the world. To learn more about Lilly's commitment to people with cancer, please visit www.LillyOncology.com.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at www.lilly.com and www.lilly.com/newsroom/social-channels.

[1] Afatinib is FDA approved under the brand name Gilotrif for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic NSCLC whose tumors have epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) substitution mutations as detected by an FDA-approved test.

[2] Necitumumab is FDA approved under the brand name Portrazza. Portrazza, in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin, is approved for the first-line treatment of people with metastatic squamous NSCLC. Portrazza is not indicated for treatment of nonsquamous NSCLC.

Media Contact:

Katie Kiley Brown, NCCN

215-690-0238

[email protected]

SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network

Related Links

http://www.nccn.org


DALLAS, March 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2016 U.S. Census report has concluded that Texas is the only state with most gains, as per the state-by-state population growth calculations from 2015 to 2016. Real estate expert Marcus Hiles believes the nation-leading increase is a positive sign, as population spikes have historically coincided with market expansion. Hiles is the Founding Chairman & CEO of the acclaimed Western Rim Property Services, Texas' largest developer of luxury rental communities featuring stunning designs, scenic landscapes, world-class amenities and comprehensive lifestyle services.

The Lone Star State's population rose by nearly 433,000 individuals, from 27.42 million to 27.86, exemplifying a growth trend that spanned the entirety of the Southern U.S. "States in the South and West continued to lead in population growth," said Ben Bolender, chief of the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Branch. "In 2016, 37.9 percent of the nation's population lived in the South." Jeffrey S. Passel, a senior demographer at the Pew Research Center, predicts the phenomena to continue indefinitely, stating to the New York Times that, "the movement to the South and West is a very long term trend." Hiles agrees with the two researchers, adding that older residents of the Northeast, mostly part of the populous baby boomer generation, are seeking more temperate places to retire. While these statistics seem to show a trend of movement to urban areas, Marcus Hiles notes that it is actually the surrounding suburbs that are experiencing the largest increases.

Marcus Hiles is a dedicated entrepreneur and philanthropist based in Dallas, TX. Nearly three decades ago, he founded Western Rim Property Services with the goal of improving the quality of housing for all Texans, regardless of socioeconomic status. Today, his company has expanded to own and operate over 15,000 affordable high-end rental properties.

Marcus Hiles - Chairman & CEO of Western Rim Property Services: http://www.MarcusHiles-News.com

Marcus Hiles Images: http://marcushilesimages.blogspot.com

Marcus Hiles (@marcus_hiles) - Twitter: https://twitter.com/marcus_hiles

Marcus Hiles - New Luxury Apartments in Frisco, TX - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmsJNbfOh-g

SOURCE Marcus Hiles
DALLAS, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research has shown the nations' Lone Star State offers competitively affordable fees to renters, outscoring many other states across the United States, with numerous metros in Texas favorably represented and three urban areas marked among the top 15. Marcus Hiles, the state's leading provider of luxury rental communities, credits the impressive standings to Texas' ability to generate well paying jobs, explaining that the high average income allows for landlords to maintain market rates and improve their properties without burdening renters. Hiles, as the CEO of Western Rim Property Services, creates inspired homes surrounded by scenic landscapes, state of the art amenities, and comprehensive lifestyle services.

Marcus Hiles indicated that a common factor among the cities to make the list was the presence of major employers in rapidly growing sectors like technology and healthcare and a higher than average young adult population. For example, in a new study from personal finance website NerdWallet, Austin, TX was rated as the best metro in the country for high paying jobs and affordability. Here, the thousands of jobs provided by Dell, Apple and IBM combined with an eclectic nightlife and live music scene have caused young professionals from around the country to flock to Austin, and they are seeking rentals at reasonable rates. "Affordability is a key part of why millennials are deciding to move to the Midwest, as opposed to job centers on the East or West coast," Realtor.com Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke told Construction Dive in November. "There is a huge disparity in how many dollars are needed to get a home in Des Moines versus San Francisco".

Marcus Hiles is a real estate expert specializing in the development and operation of luxury rental communities throughout the state of Texas. Hiles founded Western Rim Property Services in 1988 with the goal of fulfilling the unmet demand for affordable high-end living. Nearly three decades later, the company operates 15,000 units and is recognized annually as a National Award Winner for resident satisfaction.

Marcus Hiles - Chairman & CEO of Western Rim Property Services: http://www.MarcusHiles-News.com

Marcus Hiles Images: http://marcushilesimages.blogspot.com

Marcus Hiles (@marcus_hiles) - Twitter: https://twitter.com/marcus_hiles

Marcus Hiles - New Luxury Apartments in Frisco, TX - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmsJNbfOh-g

SOURCE Marcus Hiles

Related Links

http://http://www.MarcusHiles-News.com


NEW YORK, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mesothelioma Victims Center says, "We are now offering to help a US Navy Veteran who has recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma by providing them on-the-spot access to the nation's top lawyers when it comes to compensation results. We are especially encouraging diagnosed Navy Veterans whose primary exposure to asbestos occurred at a shipyard while their ship was undergoing a retrofit or overhaul.

Navy Shipyard US Navy Veteran

"As we would like to discuss anytime at 800-714-0303, Navy Veterans with mesothelioma who were also exposed to asbestos at a shipyard can frequently receive one million-dollar plus compensation settlements. The catch to this high amount of compensation is that these types of compensation settlements must be represented by full-time mesothelioma attorneys who specialize in Navy Veteran/shipyard mesothelioma compensation claims. At the same time-we want to do everything possible to prevent a Navy Veteran with mesothelioma from getting gouged with legal fees from a law firm." http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

"The Center fears that many US Navy Veterans who are identified with confirmed mesothelioma each year lose out on significant financial results because by the time they get diagnosed at VA Medical Center, they are too ill to recall specifics related to how or when they were exposed to asbestos. It is this specific information about how or where a person with mesothelioma was exposed to asbestos that becomes the foundation for a successful mesothelioma financial claim."

Before a US Navy Veteran with mesothelioma hires a lawyer/law firm to work on any claim, please call the Mesothelioma Victims Center at 800-714-0303 for incredibly honest suggestions about some of the nation's most skilled and capable mesothelioma attorneys. http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

US Navy Shipyards where asbestos use was widespread in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s include:

The Norfolk Naval Shipyard Norfolk, Virginia : http://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Shipyards/Norfolk/

: http://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Shipyards/Norfolk/ Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Bremerton, Washington

Bangor, Maine

Hunters Point, California

Long Beach Naval Shipyard, California

Groton, Connecticut

Todd Shipyard Seattle

Philadelphia Naval Shipyard

The Brooklyn Naval Shipyard, New York

Boston Navy Yard Boston, Massachusetts

The Charleston Naval Shipyard Charleston, South Carolina : http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/charleston/S10817710175/.

For a list of current and past US Navy Shipyards please refer to the ShipbuildingHistory.com website on this topic: http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/public.htm

High-risk work groups for exposure to asbestos include Veterans of the US Navy, power plant workers, shipyard workers, steel mill workers, oil refinery workers, factory workers, plumbers, electricians, welders, pipefitters, miners, auto mechanics, machinists, pulp or paper mill workers, printers, firemen, railroad workers and construction workers. In most instances people with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s. http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

The states indicated with the highest incidence of mesothelioma include Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Louisiana, Washington, and Oregon.

However, based on the calls the Mesothelioma Victims Center receives a US Navy Veteran who was exposed to asbestos at a shipyard and now has been diagnosed with mesothelioma could live in any state including New York, Florida, California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, or Alaska.

The Mesothelioma Victims Center says, "If you call us at 800-714-0303, we will see to it that you have extremely honest advice about all that is involved in obtaining the best possible mesothelioma compensation. The mesothelioma attorneys we suggest consistently get the best possible financial compensation results for our clients-nationwide." http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

For more information about mesothelioma please refer to the National Institutes of Health's web site related to this rare form of cancer: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mesothelioma.html

Media Contact:

Michael Thomas

[email protected]

800-714-0303

SOURCE Mesothelioma Victims Center

Related Links

http://mesotheliomavictimscenter.com


Daniel will be responsible for supporting all architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) clients in the New England area. Prior to joining Microsol Resources, Daniel was a Business Development Manager for technology and manufacturing clients. Mr. Drohan holds a Bachelor of Science with a Major in Marketing and a Minor in Sustainability from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

"Dan's background in sales of engineering software and customer service experience speaks directly to the needs of our AEC clients and a great fit with our firm," said Emilio Krausz, President of Microsol Resources, "His strong winning attitude and personality are assets that will complement and enhance Microsol Resources' ability to meet the needs of our customers as we continue to provide quality, innovative products to the AEC industry.

For more information about Microsol Resources and their team, please visit:

https://microsolresources.com/about/

About Microsol Resources

Microsol Resources has been delivering integrated solutions to the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industries for over 30 years. It is a recognized leader in building information modeling (BIM) technology solutions, as well as an Autodesk Platinum Partner with offices in New York, Boston and Philadelphia with a professional staff of BIM and CAD Applications Experts focused on supporting the AEC community.

From technical support to BIM implementation, basic and advanced training, standards development, model management services, staffing and 3D printing, our services are designed to address AEC firms' specific needs.

For further Information, contact:

Anna Liza Montenegro

Director of Marketing, Microsol Resources

[email protected] | 212-465-8734

SOURCE Microsol Resources

Related Links

http://www.microsolresources.com


LOS ANGELES, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Moose, the world's number one Australian owned toy company has continued its reign winning two product of the year awards and receiving two honors from the Australian Toy Awards (ATA) at last night's awards ceremony in Melbourne.

Moose's reputation for developing innovative and market leading collectibles was again recognized, with the team taking home the award for Collectible of the Year with Cutie Cars!

Cutie Cars are collectible die cast mini cars that come with their very own personality and mini Shopkin. The cars have been designed specifically to bring vehicle play to a broader consumer.

Moose continues to dominate in other categories such as craft, and last night took out the coveted Craft Toy of the Year award with Oonies. Oonies are balloon-like spheres that inflate and stick together to create amazing characters and designs.

Paul Solomon, Co-CEO at Moose Toys said, "We are incredibly proud to have won another collectible of the year award. This really cements our reputation as the world's number one collectible manufacturer. We are also so excited to be recognized within the craft category, we are very proud of the innovation the team showed when developing Oonies, it is truly a unique product."

Not only was Moose recognised for their outstanding products last night, but they were also awarded two honors for individuals within their team.

Manny Stul, Co-CEO was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Manny's life began in a refugee camp in Poland before his family moved to Australia and settled in Perth. He quit high school and worked as a labourer before establishing his first business, a giftware company called Skansen. After nearly 20 years, it was listed, and Manny retired, before purchasing Moose in 2000. Within 16 years he has turned Moose into the fifth-largest toy company in the US.

And, Yolanda Giannone was awarded runner up for the Australian Toy Association Rising Star Award which is really a testament to Moose and the business' commitment to fostering upcoming talent.

ABOUT MOOSE TOYS

Moose Toys is a global toy company with offices in the US, UK, Hong Kong, China and the head office based in Melbourne, Australia. This award-winning company is known for designing, developing and distributing toy and lifestyle products across the globe for children of all ages and the young at heart. Moose has products in all toy categories including collectibles, arts and crafts, activity toys, dolls, novelty items and outdoor products, and has brought joy to kids worldwide with successful products such as Mighty Beanz, Beados, Aqua Sand and The Trash Pack. In 2015, Moose expanded several major product lines for boys and girls, including Shopkins, the hottest girl's collectible line of grocery and fashion themed characters; Little Live Pets, electronic pets that come to life in the palm of your hand; as well as line extensions for Qixels craft activity sets. Moose Toys has scored numerous coveted toy awards from industry experts and major retailers. In 2016, Walmart selected Little Live Pets Snuggles My Dream Puppy for its Top 25 Holiday Toy List, and Toys"R"Us chose Little Live Pets Snuggles My Dream Puppy, The Grossery Gang Vile Vending Machine, SelfieMic, the Shopkins Tall Mall and the Twozies Twogether Pack for its Hot Holiday List. The Shopkins Scoops Ice Cream Truck was awarded 2016 Girl Toy of the Year by the Toy Industry Association, and the Shopkins Small Mart playset was awarded the 2015 Girls' Toy of the Year. Shopkins was awarded the 2016 Licensed Character/Toy of the Year by LIMA. Visit www.moosetoys.com for more information.

SOURCE Moose Toys

Related Links

http://www.moosetoys.com


DES MOINES, Iowa, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Greater Des Moines Partnership and the Cultivation Corridor today announced the name of an accelerator focused on agtech startup companies: the Iowa AgriTech Accelerator. The Accelerator, which was launched in 2016, will host its first class this year. The Partnership and Cultivation Corridor also announced that Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corporation and Sukup Manufacturing have signed on as investing companies to The Accelerator. They join DuPont Pioneer, Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company, John Deere and Peoples Company for a total of seven investing companies.

Tej Dhawan will serve as the interim director. Dhawan is an entrepreneur and leader in the Greater Des Moines startup community. He served as interim director of the Global Insurance Accelerator and serves on its board.

The Iowa AgriTech Accelerator is designed to build upon one of the state's key industries of agriculture and the entrepreneurial activity that can advance technology in the industry.

"Central Iowa's agriculture industry has a history of innovation," said Dhawan. "The Accelerator will advance innovation by connecting many of the leading agriculture businesses and farm groups in our region to startups working with cutting-edge technology."

Each investing company has committed to support The Accelerator in the amount of $100,000 for the first year. Their companies will benefit from supporting this groundbreaking initiative as they will be connected to startups that can help them find creative solutions in their business and help the agriculture industry in the Cultivation Corridor.

"Grinnell Mutual has provided insurance protection for farmers and the ag industry for more than a century, and continues to look for ways to innovate and help our farm customers grow their businesses and remain an integral part of the world's food supply," said Larry Jansen, Grinnell Mutual's president and CEO. "We are committed to exploring new technologies that will help our customers continue to thrive and keep pace with the industry; the AgriTech Accelerator offers a great opportunity to be part of those exciting developments."

"Kent Corporation is proud to be part of the Iowa AgriTech Accelerator," said Gage A. Kent, CEO & Chairman at Kent Corporation. "We look forward to working with innovative companies that will actively help Iowa farmers feed the world."

"Sukup Manufacturing is excited to work with agtech companies from around the world that will be part of The Accelerator," said Steve Sukup, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Sukup Manufacturing. "The Accelerator will help the entire region as it will allow agriculture companies be more effective with access to new technology."

Investing companies will provide mentoring to companies in The Accelerator. Additionally, the Iowa Corn Growers Association, the Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association will provide farmer mentors to the Accelerator. Iowa State University will provide technical and business expertise.

The Accelerator will open the application process for interested startup companies from April 3 through May 12. Companies interested in applying should contact Dhawan at [email protected]. The first class of The Accelerator will begin on July 10 and end on Oct. 20. The class will graduate at the 2017 World Food Prize in Downtown Des Moines.

"We are delighted that the graduation of the first class of the Iowa AgriTech Accelerator will take place at our Hall of Laureates as part of World Food Prize week in October," said Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, President of The World Food Prize. "The Accelerator is another prime example of our region working to find innovative solutions in agriculture that feed the world."

Learn more about the Iowa AgriTech Accelerator at AgIowa.com.

About the Greater Des Moines Partnership

The Greater Des Moines Partnership is the economic and community development organization serving Central Iowa for more than 125 years. Together with 23 Affiliate Chambers of Commerce and more than 6,000 business members, The Partnership drives economic growth and careers through innovation, strategic planning and global collaboration. We foster an environment where residents are empowered to live their passions and shape our community, making Greater Des Moines the best place in the world to build a business and life. For more information, visit DesMoinesMetro.com.

About the Cultivation Corridor

Focused on further developing and marketing the world-renowned bioeconomy in Central Iowa, Iowa's Cultivation Corridor is building on a rich history of innovation to accelerate value-added agriculture business development by attracting companies, talent and capital from across the globe to the state. Representing a diverse public-private coalition of stakeholders including the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Ames Chamber of Commerce, Iowa State University, non-profits and private sector companies from across the region and state, the Cultivation Corridor is one of the nation's foremost cluster-based economic development organizations. For more information, visit CultivationCorridor.org.

SOURCE Greater Des Moines Partnership

Related Links

http://www.desmoinesmetro.com


SUMMIT, N.J., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MySuperFoods Company LLC expands its presence in the kids food space with their new snack line, MySuperPops, a mini-popcorn chip packed with chia, quinoa and flax seed. MySuperPops are 100% whole grain and available in three kid friendly flavors: White Cheddar, Kettle and Honey BBQ.

A whole grain, organic, nut free and gluten free kids snack made with nourishing superfoods chia, quinoa and flax.

"Creating MySuperPops furthers our commitment to provide parents with healthy, clean, snacks for kids while keeping kids excited with fun packaging and a quarter size chip, perfect for little hands," says co-founder Silvia Gianni, "kids today are reaching for a snack three to four times a day, so it's important to ensure that those snacks are made with nourishing superfood ingredients." The mini-popcorn chips are also nut free, certified gluten free and two flavors are certified organic.

At the heart of MySuperFoods is a mission to end childhood hunger by partnering with food banks across the country. "To date, we have donated over 115,000 meals to families in need across five states and MySuperPops will allow us to expand our reach," explained Katie Jesionowski, co-founder.

MySuperPops will be available in a 1oz single serve and a 4oz family size. They will debut at the Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim this March.

About MySuperFoods:

Founded and run by two moms with five kids between them, MySuperFoods launched in September 2012, creating organic and non GMO snacks for the underserved segment of kids 2-10 years old. With a purpose of empowering parents and growing healthy SuperKids, Silvia Gianni and Katie Jesionowski aim to make ordinary food extraordinary. Their products are sold in 2000 retail locations across the country, in most airports and on Alaska Airlines. At the heart of the company is a social mission to help end child hunger in the USA. MySuperFoods partners with five food banks across the country and has donated over 115,000 meals to kids in need. Super Starts Here.

Please contact Silvia Gianni at [email protected] with any queries.

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This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE MySuperFoods Company

Related Links

http://www.mysuperfoodscompany.com


SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With four days full of training, powerful show floor exhibits, multiple co-located events and new business opportunities, the slate of offerings at NACE Automechanika Chicago brings current, innovative and necessary information to automotive professionals from all segments of the industry.

NACE Automechanika, the largest U.S. trade show dedicated to high-end technical and management-related training for automotive service and collision repair shops, takes place July 26-29 at McCormick Place West in Chicago. Registration for the show is open now

Education at the 2017 NACE Automechanika Chicago will focus on current topics and technologies that automotive professionals must understand and become proficient with to be successful, whether they are technicians, painters, welders, service managers or distributors. Dedicated educator courses will enhance automotive instructors' skillsets, while current automotive students will be able to enhance their classroom learning by attending the show.

"The 2015 training event received tremendous reviews from our attendees and we knew it would be a challenge to improve on it," said Pete Meier, director of training for the UBM Automotive Group. "Today's technicians and shop owners want to know how to find the problems they are faced with effectively and how to repair them the first time around. They want to learn the latest technology and keep as much of the work as they can in-house while engaging in a highly competitive industry. The lineup of independent education and premiere corporate training programs that NACE Automechanika Chicago has assembled for this July's event is beyond that of any training program to date. This is the "must attend" event for every student tech, working tech, shop owner, and educator in the industry."

A number of diagnostic courses will be taught, focusing on drivability concerns and electrical issues. These courses aim to improve technicians' abilities to use the proper tools to find and resolve issues with vehicles, not solely the symptoms a problem presents. Additionally, detailed looks at specific underhood systems, undercar best practices and strategies for brake, transmission and emissions service as well as managerial courses on leadership, shop management and revenue streams will be presented. Hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles will be discussed in a variety of courses, while collision repair professionals can learn about vehicle scanning, estimating, bonding practices and more.

"The training designed for auto body repair specialists is in line with the needs of today's collision repair shops," said Dan Risley, ASA president and executive director. "For example, pre- and post-repair scanning is a big discussion point in the industry right now, and we are pleased to offer specific courses instructing professionals on what they need to know and how to perform vehicle scans. And that's just one example. Repair and management courses are designed specifically for these shops and their employees with real-world examples and lessons that they can implement immediately upon returning to their shops."

What's more, all mechanical-related training, both technical and management-based, is offered for no cost to attendees when they register with a code from one of NACE Automechanika Chicago's many sponsors that include: Automotive Training Institute, ATSG, CARQUEST Technical Institute, Federal-Mogul Motorparts, Mitchell 1 and the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium. Attendees who complete courses throughout the training event will receive certificates for continuing education credits and business training requirements. This offer is open to professionals employed by a repair or auto body shop, educators and students. Friday, July 28th, is designated as a unique training day for students. The 28th features automotive training programs, show floor programs and networking opportunities enabling students to learn more about their industry.

Additionally, the Business Outlook Conference offers information, insight and awareness of the economy, legislation, technology and their impact on the automotive industry and market. Scheduled for two half-day sessions, the conference offers a great opportunity for distributors to bolster their attendance at NACE Automechanika Chicago, showing dedication to their customers and beyond.

Other co-located events round out the slate of educational, interactive and enlightening offerings at NACE Automechanika Chicago. The annual MSO Symposium will take place July 26th at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, while the Advanced Technology & Diagnostic Repair Forum again will be offered. I-CAR training classes also will be part of the agenda for collision repair professionals to attend.

You can view a full list of training sessions, register for courses and receive a free expo pass at: www.NACEAutomechanika.com. Additional courses and educational opportunities will be added to the July event in weeks leading up to the show.

NACE Automechanika attendees also will be able to experience the latest technology, test equipment and discover advanced applications with live, interactive demonstrations. For the 2017 event, the show calendar has been adjusted to offer flexible scheduling between training sessions, expo and conference hours.

About Automotive Service Association

The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind dedicated to and governed by independent automotive service and repair professionals. Headquartered in North Richland Hills, TX, ASA serves an international membership base that includes numerous affiliate, state and chapter groups from both the mechanical and collision repair segments of the automotive service industry. ASA advances professionalism and excellence in the automotive repair industry through education, representation and member services. http://asashop.org/

About UBM Americas

UBM Americas, a part of UBM plc, is the largest business-to-business events and trade show organizer in the U.S. Through a range of aligned interactive physical and digital environments, UBM Americas increases business effectiveness for both customers and audiences by cultivating meaningful experiences, knowledge and connections. UBM Americas has offices spanning North and South America, and serves a variety of specialist industries with dedicated events and marketing services covering everything from fashion, tech and life sciences to advanced manufacturing, cruise shipping, specialty chemicals, powersports and automotive, concrete, hospitality, cargo transportation and more. For more information, visit: www.ubmamericas.com.

About Messe Frankfurt

Messe Frankfurt is one of the world's leading trade fair organizers, generating around 648 million in sales and employing 2,244 people. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 30 subsidiaries and 55 international Sales Partners, allowing it to serve its customers on location in 175 countries. Messe Frankfurt events take place at approx. 50 locations around the globe. In 2015, Messe Frankfurt organized a total of 133 trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany.

Comprising an area of 592,127 square metres, Messe Frankfurt's exhibition grounds are home to ten exhibition halls. The company also operates two congress centres. The historic Festhalle, one of the most popular venues in Germany, plays host to events of all kinds. Messe Frankfurt is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent. For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com

The North American headquarters in Atlanta is currently producing eleven trade shows in the USA, Canada and Mexico across various industries. For more information about Messe Frankfurt, please visit our web site at www.MesseFrankfurt.us.

SOURCE UBM

Related Links

http://www.ubm.com


"Neudesic continues to create leading and emerging technology solutions for long-term competitive value. Our alliance with the Google Cloud Platform is another step in this strategy, enabling us to leverage their exceptional software engineering and large-scale infrastructure operation experience to help our diverse enterprise clientele," said Brendon Birdoes, vice president of Neudesic's Digital Innovation Group. "Our focus on data and cloud-driven solutions to drive enterprise digital evolution aligns very well with the Container Engine, BigQuery, Compute Engine, and many other technologies in the GCP stack."

Google Cloud Platform's broad suite of cloud-based technologies enable storage, application development, data and analytics, machine learning, infrastructure, collaboration, mobility, and more. The platform reduces the demands of infrastructure management for end-users, and enables Neudesic to leverage Google technologies alongside other cloud leaders.

"Involvement with the GCP Partner Community improves our ability to guide clients toward the clear market leaders in cloud technology," said Mark Jones, Neudesic's chief marketing officer. "We're in a great position to help enterprises nationwide use smarter products and services, with better integrated operations, to reduce overall costs."

About Neudesic

Neudesic is the trusted technology partner in business innovation, delivering impactful business results to clients through digital modernization and evolution. Our consultants bring business and technology expertise together, offering a wide range of cloud and data-driven solutions, including: custom application development, comprehensive managed services, and business software products. Founded in 2002, Neudesic is a privately held company headquartered in Irvine, California, and is celebrating its 15th Anniversary in 2017. For more information, or to consult with Neudesic to explore enterprise digital evolution, visit www.neudesic.com.

Media Contact: Mike Graff Senior Marketing Manager, Solutions Neudesic (949) 754-4599 [email protected]

SOURCE Neudesic

Related Links

http://www.neudesic.com


(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474509/Access_to_Vaccines_Index_Infographic.jpg )



Vaccines are one of the most powerful health interventions available. Yet WHO estimates that 19.4 million infants worldwide are still missing out on basic vaccines.

"There is a world to be won by increasing access to vaccines," says Jayasree K. Iyer, Executive Director, Access to Medicine Foundation. "As a global community, we all share responsibility of ensuring everyone benefits from immunisation. The companies that develop and manufacture vaccines clearly also have a role to play. This Index has mapped what vaccine companies are doing, and what prompts them to take action -a critical step to making vaccine markets more inclusive."

The independent Index, published Monday, analysed companies' R&D pipelines, identifying 89 vaccine projects for high-priority diseases. This includes dozens of first-ever vaccines, for diseases such as Ebola and a range of deadly bacterial infections. If successful, such vaccines could prove critical for tackling anti-microbial resistance (AMR). The Index also finds companies are taking steps to prevent shortages and that, when setting prices, they take affordability into account to a degree. All companies consider a country's eligibility for support from Gavi, a public-private partnership that funds vaccine purchases for lower-income countries.

A growing market

The global vaccine market is growing: between 2000 and 2014, it expanded from USD 6 bn to USD 33 bn, with sales to richer countries accounting for around 65% of the total. Governments are spending more on vaccines, including poorer countries. Many lower income countries procure vaccines with financial support from Gavi and through organisations such as UNICEF: UNICEF doubled its vaccine spend between 2010 and 2014, to USD 1.5 bn.

The Index has mapped the actions of eight key vaccine companies, including the largest companies in terms of revenue. Often termed "the big four", GSK, Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer and Sanofi represent around 80% of global vaccine revenues. Serum Institute of India is also in scope. It is of major importance for global public health, with a wide geographic reach and selling almost 1.4 billion vaccine doses each year. In addition to these five, the Index evaluates three further companies with significant potential for improving access to vaccines: Daiichi Sankyo, Johnson & Johnson and Takeda.

The Access to Vaccines Index measures company activity across defined sets of diseases and countries. The disease scope comprises 69 diseases with the highest priority for improving access to immunisation: 44 diseases where no vaccines exist on the market, and 25 diseases where vaccines exist but with issues surrounding accessibility. The geographic scope comprises 107 countries with the highest perceived need for access to vaccines.

The Index has examined company behaviour in three areas: research & development; pricing & registration; and manufacturing & supply. All eight were evaluated in research & development: here GSK leads, followed closely by Johnson & Johnson. Six (Daiichi Sankyo and Takeda are the exceptions) have vaccines on the market for diseases in scope and sales in countries in scope. These six companies were therefore suitable for evaluation in pricing and registration, and in manufacturing and supply. Across all three areas, GSK performs the best with Sanofi also performing well across the board.

Portfolios and pipelines follow the markets

In their vaccine portfolios and pipelines, the eight companies in scope concentrate on diseases with larger global markets: for example, the diseases with the most vaccines on the market are meningococcal disease, polio, seasonal influenza and hepatitis (A and B); the top five diseases targeted by R&D projects are pneumococcal disease, seasonal influenza, meningococcal disease, respiratory syncytial virus and human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer.

Research & development: companies at work on innovation

Vaccine companies are working on 89 vaccine R&D projects for 35 diseases. The most attention is given to pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus and seasonal influenza. This focus largely corresponds to commercial incentives. A third of the projects in pipelines target one of 12 diseases relevant to the Index for which no vaccine yet exists, including Ebola, E. coli, C. difficile, and bacteria from the streptococcus and staphylococcus families.

Once a vaccine has been rolled out in real-world settings, it becomes clear whether further R&D is required to improve or adapt it. Adaptations account for almost half of the industry's vaccine R&D pipeline. The most common adaptation is to expand the range of diseases (or strains) that a vaccine provides protection from. Also common are projects that aim to make vaccines more resilient to temperature fluctuations - important for countries where refrigeration is not always an option.

For many diseases in scope, vaccines do not promise significant profits - particularly for diseases such as leprosy or human monkeypox that predominantly affect populations in low- and middle-income countries. "For these diseases, our research tells us that alternative incentives are likely necessary to encourage companies to develop new vaccines - such as public-private partnerships for vaccine R&D, or commitments to purchase new vaccines in bulk," says Jayasree K. Iyer.

Pricing & registration: companies consider affordability to a degree

Immunisation programmes involve considerable costs, with vaccine prices accounting for a significant proportion. Vaccine companies have a responsibility to ensure vaccines are affordable for governments with limited resources. The Index has evaluated how companies take affordability into account when setting prices, as well as their efforts to register them for use in low- and middle-income countries.

When setting vaccine prices, most companies consider affordability to a degree and a country's market conditions. Vaccine prices are also informed by cost, including investments in clinical development, and by the public health value of the vaccine. The only factor considered by all six companies evaluated is a country's eligibility for support from Gavi. Companies generally offer their lowest prices to Gavi-eligible countries.

Many middle-income countries (MICs) are not eligible for Gavi support, and yet face healthcare budget constraints. When setting vaccine prices in MICs, the Index does not find clear evidence that companies systematically consider countries' ability to pay. Looking ahead, the Index concludes that companies need a systematic approach to affordability, especially for countries that receive no support from Gavi and do not participate in pooled procurement via PAHO and UNICEF

Manufacturing & supply: companies take action to prevent shortages

Vaccine demand can outstrip supply for a range of reasons, including outbreaks, inaccurate demand forecasting and manufacturing interruptions. All vaccine companies evaluated by the Index in this area are taking action to align global supply and demand, suggesting that vaccine shortages are, in some cases, being detected, mitigated and/or prevented. Four companies take comparatively strong action: GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Inc. and Sanofi. Compared to other companies, these four take more actions that are key to improving supply. This includes having processes in place for scaling up production when needed and regularly reviewing whether supply matches projected demand. These four companies have also committed to staying in vaccine markets where there are few or no other suppliers, and/or notifying market stakeholders in advance when reducing supply.

"Disease outbreaks will continue to occur," says Jayasree. "It is especially important that vaccine companies continue to improve approaches for preventing shortages. Companies need to be at the table as governments and others work to build resilient health systems."

The Access to Vaccines Index has been developed by the Access to Medicine Foundation, an independent non-profit organisation based in the Netherlands. The Access to Vaccines Index is funded by the Dutch National Postcode Lottery.

Contact:

Suzanne Wolf

+31-23-533-91-87

[email protected]



SOURCE Access to Medicine Foundation
Holzkirchen, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandoz, a Novartis division, and the pioneer and global leader in biosimilars, today presented data for its proposed biosimilar adalimumab (GP2017). The Phase 3 confirmatory efficacy, safety and immunogenicity study met its primary endpoint demonstrating GP2017 has equivalent efficacy to the reference medicine, Humira1. Results were presented at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) in Orlando, Florida.

The primary endpoint of the study was the proportion of patients who achieved a 75% improvement at Week 16, as measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Data from the study confirmed equivalent efficacy by demonstrating PASI 75 response rates of 67% for proposed biosimilar adalimumab and 65% for the reference medicine in patients with moderate to severe, chronic plaque psoriasis.

"Currently, it is estimated that as few as five percent of eligible psoriasis patients get the biologics they need" said Mark Levick, MD PhD, Global Head of Development, Biopharmaceuticals, Sandoz. "We are pleased the data reinforce the potential of our biosimilar adalimumab, if approved, to be another treatment option for moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis and other inflammatory diseases" Levick continued.

Results at week 17 demonstrated similar safety and immunogenicity between GP2017 and the reference medicine. Reported adverse events and the presence of anti-drug antibodies were similar across both treatment groups. Observed adverse events were in line with the reference medicine's known safety profile.

Sandoz is committed to increasing patient access to high-quality, life-enhancing biosimilars. It is the pioneer and global leader in biosimilars and currently markets three biosimilars worldwide. Sandoz has a leading biosimilar pipeline, with plans to file biosimilar adalimumab with the EMA and the FDA in 2017. Sandoz also plans to launch five biosimilars of major oncology and immunology biologics across key geographies by 2020. As a division of the Novartis Group, Sandoz is well-positioned to lead the biosimilars industry based on its experience and capabilities in development, manufacturing and commercialization.

About the study

The study (NCT02016105) is a Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, controlled, 51-week study to compare efficacy, safety and immunogenicity between GP2017 and Humira. The study consists of three treatment periods. During the first 17-week treatment period, eligible patients with active, but clinically stable, moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis were randomized to receive either GP2017 or Humira. In the second period, patients were re-randomized into four groups; the first two groups continued with their originally assigned treatment and other two switched to alternating treatment every six weeks until week 35. In the third period, patients received their initially assigned treatment up to week 51.

Disclaimer

The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by words such as "proposed," "potential," "pipeline," "portfolio," "committed," "plans," "launch," "well-positioned," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals or labeling for biosimilar adalimumab or any of the other products in the Sandoz biosimilar pipeline, or regarding potential future revenues from biosimilar adalimumab and the other products in the Sandoz biosimilar pipeline. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of management regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that biosimilar adalimumab or any of the other products in the Sandoz biosimilar pipeline will be submitted or approved for sale in any market, or at any particular time. Neither can there be any guarantee that, if approved, biosimilar adalimumab will be approved for all indications included in the reference product's label. Nor can there be any guarantee that biosimilar adalimumab or any of the other products in the Sandoz biosimilar pipeline will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, management's expectations regarding biosimilar adalimumab and such other Sandoz biosimilar pipeline products could be affected by, among other things, regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; competition in general, including potential approval of additional versions of biosimilar adalimumab; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, industry and general public pricing pressures; litigation outcomes, including intellectual property disputes or other legal efforts to prevent or limit Sandoz from selling biosimilar adalimumab or its other biosimilar products; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general economic and industry conditions; safety, quality or manufacturing issues, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Sandoz

Sandoz is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars. As a division of the Novartis Group, our purpose is to discover new ways to improve and extend people's lives. We contribute to society's ability to support growing healthcare needs by pioneering novel approaches to help people around the world access high-quality medicine. Our portfolio of approximately 1000 molecules, covering all major therapeutic areas, accounted for 2016 sales of USD 10.1 billion. In 2016, our products reached well over 500 million patients and we aspire to reach one billion. Sandoz is headquartered in Holzkirchen, in Germany's Greater Munich area.

*Humira is a registered trademark of AbbVie Biotechnology Ltd.

References

Blauvelt A et al. A randomized, double-blind, multicenter study to compare the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of a proposed adalimumab biosimilar (GP2017) with originator adalimumab Poster #5224 presented at the 2017 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting, 3-7 March 2017 .

Novartis Media Relations

Central media line: +41 61 324 2200

[email protected]









Eric Althoff Duncan Cantor Novartis Global Media Relations Sandoz Global Communications +41 61 324 7999 (direct) +49 170 650 6067 +41 79 593 4202 (mobile) [email protected] [email protected]









Chris Lewis Michelle Bauman Sandoz Global Communications Communications Director, Biopharma +49 174 244 9501 +1 609 720 6699 [email protected] [email protected]



Novartis Investor Relations

Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944

[email protected]

















Central

North America

Samir Shah +41 61 324 7944 Richard Pulik +1 212 830 2448 Pierre-Michel Bringer +41 61 324 1065



Thomas Hungerbuehler +41 61 324 8425



Isabella Zinck +41 61 324 7188





SOURCE Sandoz
GOES-16 is the first of a series of four next-generation satellites built by Lockheed Martin, and each will host a GLM and SUVI instrument. The GOES-R programas the series is calledis a collaborative mission between NOAA and NASA.

GLM

Fast facts:

First operational lightning mapper flown in geostationary orbit

Monitors frequency, location and extent of lightning discharges

Takes hundreds of images each second

Produced more lightning data in its first weeks than all previous lightning data from space combined

"GLM is a first-of-a-kind capability for lightning monitoring at geostationary orbit," said Jeff Vanden Beukel, Lockheed Martin GOES-R instruments director. "Seeing individual lightning strikes from 22,300 miles away is an incredible feat, plus we're monitoring cloud-to-cloud lightning for the first time. All this will give forecasters better data to give people on the ground, at sea and in the air faster severe weather warning."

SUVI

Fast facts:

Observes the sun in six extreme ultraviolet channels, all in an instrument the size of a gym bag

Compiles full disk imagesor complete views of the sunaround the clock

Data provides estimated coronal plasma temperatures and solar emission measurements

"We built SUVI so it can deliver solar storm warning faster than any other space instrument, plus an upgrade in resolution over current GOES systems," said Jeff Vanden Beukel, Lockheed Martin GOES-R instruments director. "Solar storms can cause blackouts here on Earth and shut down satellites in orbit. Faster warning lets us protect these assets before disaster strikes."

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin

Related Links

http://www.lockheedmartin.com


EAST HANOVER, N.J., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis announced today a new analysis (post hoc) of an uncontrolled extension study which shows moderate to severe plaque psoriasis patients treated with Cosentyx (secukinumab) rapidly regained clear or almost clear skin (Psoriasis Area Severity Index, PASI 100 or 90) following relapse during a treatment pause. The analysis also showed no anti-secukinumab antibodies were observed during retreatment.1 PASI measures the redness, scaling and thickness of psoriatic plaques, and the extent of involvement in four regions of the body. Treatment efficacy is assessed by the reduction in the total score from baseline (i.e., a 75% reduction is known as PASI 75 and a 90% reduction is known as PASI 90). PASI 90 and 100 are higher standards of skin clearance compared to PASI 75. These findings were presented at the 2017 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla., where Novartis presented over 35 scientific abstracts.

Previous data has shown favorable results for continuous over intermittent treatment, however sometimes patients have treatment pauses.3 This new analysis shows that if psoriasis patients relapse during treatment pauses, the majority can achieve previous high levels of efficacy after only 16 weeks of retreatment with Cosentyx.1

"It is very clear that patients get the best results from continuous treatment," said Vasant Narasimhan, Global Head, Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis. "However, if for some reason treatment has been interrupted, this analysis gives patients and clinicians the peace of mind that Cosentyx is likely to help people quickly achieve clear skin once again."

The data show the majority of patients with the highest response levels to Cosentyx (PASI 90, PASI 100) after one year of treatment on the 300 mg dose regained a high response level (PASI 75 or higher) 12-16 weeks after treatment re-initiation. For patients who previously achieved PASI 75 and relapsed after treatment discontinuation (n=136), this analysis shows that by Week 16 of retreatment with Cosentyx, 94% of patients regained a PASI 75 response, 79% of prior PASI 90 responders (n=117) regained a PASI 90 response and 67% of prior PASI 100 responders (n=67) regained a PASI 100 response. The median time to relapse was 28 weeks.1

In addition, the safety profile was consistent with that observed in previous studies. No patients in this analysis tested positive for anti-secukinumab antibodies. The most common adverse events (AEs) in the Cosentyx-treatment arm were nasopharyngitis (20.7 exposure adjusted Incidence Rate [IR] per 100 patient years), arthralgia (12.6 IR) and upper respiratory tract infections (12.4 IR).1

"This study addresses a common issue in clinical practice that happens when plaque psoriasis patients are on biologic therapy and have to stop for any number of reasons, and then re-start the biologic," said Andrew Blauvelt, MD, MBA, President of the Oregon Medical Research Center and lead study investigator. "Importantly, we found that stopping and re-starting Cosentyx led to good re-capture of clinical responses. Low immunogenicity associated with Cosentyx may offer a partial explanation of these results and warrants further analysis."

Cosentyx is the only IL-17A inhibitor approved in plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and more than 30,000 U.S. patients have been prescribed Cosentyx in the post-marketing setting across all indications.2

About Cosentyx (secukinumab) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A)

Launched in January 2015, Cosentyx is a fully human monoclonal antibody (mAB) that selectively binds to the interleukin-17A (IL-17A) cytokine and inhibits its interaction with the IL-17 receptor.

Cosentyx is approved in more than 75 countries for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis which includes the U.S., European Union countries, Japan, Switzerland, Australia and Canada. In the U.S., Cosentyx is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy (light therapy).

In addition, Cosentyx is the first IL-17A inhibitor approved in more than 65 countries for the treatment of active AS and PsA, which includes the U.S. and European Union countries.

Novartis is committed to ensuring patients and prescribers have access to Cosentyx. Cosentyx currently is covered on over 95% of U.S. commercial formularies across its three approved indications for plaque psoriasis, PsA and AS.4

About the Cosentyx retreatment study

An uncontrolled, extension study of ERASURE (Efficacy of Response and Safety of Two Fixed Secukinumab Regimens in Psoriasis), which compared Cosentyx with placebo, and FIXTURE (Full Year Investigative Examination of Secukinumab vs. Etanercept Using Two Dosing Regimens to Determine Efficacy in Psoriasis), which compared Cosentyx with placebo and etanercept. A total of 181 patients treated with Cosentyx 300 mg who achieved a PASI 75 response at the end of the core studies (Week 52) were re-randomized to receive placebo every four weeks until relapse. Upon relapse, patients were retreated with Cosentyx 300 mg.1

About psoriasis

Affecting about 7.5 million Americans, psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disease characterized by thick and extensive skin lesions (plaques), which can cause itching, scaling, and pain.5 Patients reported these symptoms can negatively impact their quality of life, both psychosocially and physically, which makes daily functioning difficult.6-8 Additionally, patients with psoriasis are at increased risk for other chronic illnesses.9

INDICATIONS

COSENTYX (secukinumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat adults:

with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis that involves large areas or many areas of the body, and who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet or UV light, alone or with systemic therapy)

with active psoriatic arthritis

with active ankylosing spondylitis

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not use COSENTYX if you have had a severe allergic reaction to secukinumab or any of the other ingredients in COSENTYX. See the Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients.

COSENTYX is a medicine that affects your immune system. COSENTYX may increase your risk of having serious side effects such as:

Infections

COSENTYX may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections.

Your doctor should check you for tuberculosis (TB) before starting treatment with COSENTYX.

If your doctor feels that you are at risk for TB, you may be treated with medicine for TB before you begin treatment with COSENTYX and during treatment with COSENTYX.

Your doctor should watch you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during treatment with COSENTYX. Do not take COSENTYX if you have an active TB infection.

Before starting COSENTYX, tell your doctor if you:

are being treated for an infection

have an infection that does not go away or that keeps coming back

have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB

think you have an infection or have symptoms of an infection such as:

fevers, sweats, or chills



muscle aches



cough



shortness of breath



blood in your phlegm



weight loss warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body



diarrhea or stomach pain



diarrhea or stomach pain



burning when you urinate or urinate more often than normal

After starting COSENTYX, call your doctor right away if you have any signs of infection listed above. Do not use COSENTYX if you have any signs of infection unless you are instructed to by your doctor.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

New cases of inflammatory bowel disease or "flare-ups" can happen with COSENTYX, and can sometimes be serious. If you have inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease), tell your doctor if you have worsening disease symptoms during treatment with COSENTYX or develop new symptoms of stomach pain or diarrhea.

Serious Allergic Reactions

Serious allergic reactions can occur. Get emergency medical help right away if you get any of the following symptoms: feeling faint; swelling of your face, eyelids, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat; trouble breathing or throat tightness; chest tightness; or skin rash. If you have a severe allergic reaction, do not give another injection of COSENTYX.

Before starting COSENTYX, tell your doctor if you:

have any of the conditions or symptoms listed above for infections

have inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis)

are allergic to latex. The needle caps contain latex.

have recently received or are scheduled to receive an immunization (vaccine). People who take COSENTYX should not receive live vaccines.

receive live vaccines. have any other medical conditions

are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COSENTYX can harm your unborn baby. You and your doctor should decide if you will use COSENTYX.

are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if COSENTYX passes into your breast milk.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

How should I use COSENTYX?

See the detailed Instructions for Use that comes with your COSENTYX for information on how to prepare and inject a dose of COSENTYX, and how to properly throw away (dispose of) used COSENTYX Sensoready pens and prefilled syringes.

Use COSENTYX exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

If your doctor decides that you or a caregiver may give your injections of COSENTYX at home, you should receive training on the right way to prepare and inject COSENTYX. Do not try to inject COSENTYX yourself, until you or your caregiver has been shown how to inject COSENTYX by your doctor or nurse.

The most common side effects of COSENTYX include: cold symptoms, diarrhea, and upper respiratory infections. These are not all of the possible side effects of COSENTYX. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide.

Disclaimer

The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by words such as "launch," "can," "may," "launched," "committed," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential new indications or labeling for Cosentyx, or regarding potential future revenues from Cosentyx. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of management regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that Cosentyx will be submitted or approved for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that Cosentyx will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, management's expectations regarding Cosentyx could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the company's ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; general economic and industry conditions; global trends toward health care cost containment, including ongoing pricing pressures; safety, quality or manufacturing issues, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis

Located in East Hanover, NJ, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is an affiliate of Novartis which provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care and cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals. Novartis has leading positions globally in each of these areas. In 2016, the Group achieved net sales of USD 48.5 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.0 billion. Novartis Group companies employ approximately 118,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are sold in approximately 155 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis

For Novartis multimedia content, please visit www.novartis.com/news/media-library

For questions about the site or required registration, please contact [email protected]

References

Blauvelt A et al. Secukinumab Retreatment Shows Rapid Recapture of Treatment Response: An Analysis of a Phase 3 Extension Trial in Psoriasis. Presented as a poster presentation at the American Academy of Dermatology 2017. March 4 -7, 2017 . Novartis Data on File. Mrowietz R et al. Secukinumab retreatment-as-needed versus fixed-interval maintenance regimen for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: A randomized, double-blind, noninferiority trial (SCULPTURE). J Am Acad Dermatol. 2015;73:27-36. Novartis Data on File. Psoriasis fact sheet. National Psoriasis Foundation Web Site. https://www.psoriasis.org/sites/default/files/publications/PsoriasisFactSheet.pdf. Accessed February 22, 2017 . Rapp SR, Feldman SR, Exum ML, Fleischer AB, Jr., Reboussin DM. Psoriasis causes as much disability as other major medical diseases. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999;41(3 Pt 1):401-407. Martinez-Garcia E, Arias-Santiago S. Quality of life in persons living with psoriasis patients. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;71:302-307. Mease P, Menter M. Quality-of-life issues in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: outcome measures and therapies from a dermatological perspective. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006; 54:685704. Comorbidities associated with psoriatic disease. National Psoriasis Foundation Web Site. https://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis/related-conditions. Accessed February 22, 2017 .

Novartis Media Relations

Central media line: +41 61 324 2200

E-mail: [email protected]





Eric Althoff Julie Keenan Novartis Global Media Relations Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation +41 61 324 7999 (direct) +1 862 778 6367 (direct) +41 79 593 4202 (mobile) +1 862 926 9532 (mobile) [email protected] [email protected]



Novartis Investor Relations

Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944

E-mail: [email protected]













Central

North America

Samir Shah +41 61 324 7944 Richard Pulik +1 212 830 2448 Pierre-Michel Bringer +41 61 324 1065



Thomas Hungerbuehler +41 61 324 8425



Isabella Zinck +41 61 324 7188





SOURCE Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

Related Links

https://www.novartis.com


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Governing Council of POTUS Shield is convening in Canfield, Ohio, March 9th-11th for an urgent and historical summit in their nationwide tour to reaffirm our country as one nation under God. This esteemed group of faith leaders will share their insight, information, and strategies on the Presidency, Supreme Court, racial reconciliation, abortion, immigration, national security, and Israel. A special segment will include a panel on "Healing the Nation".

POTUS SHIELD council members include Dr. Alveda King (Civil Rights for the Unborn, the African American Outreach of Priests for Life) , Lt. General Jerry Boykin (Original member of Delta Force, Exec. VP of Federal Research Council), Rick Joyner (MorningStar Ministries), Cindy & Mike Jacobs (Generals International), Darrell & Belinda Scott (New Spirit Revival Center), Dr. Lance Wallnau (Lance Learning Group), Bishop Clarence McClendon (Full Harvest International Church), Bishop Harry Jackson (The Hope Connection), Lou Engle (The Call), Mark Gonzales (Hispanic Action Network), Herman Martir (Asian Action Network), Frank & Lorilee Amedia (Touch Heaven Ministries), Bob Whitaker (Whitaker Publishing House), Mina Holmes (Chinese Action Mission), Jennifer LeClaire (Awakening House of Prayer), JC Church (Victory in Truth Ministries), Steve Shultz (Elijah List), Mani Erfan (Mani Erfan Ministries), and Patricia Scahill (Touch Heaven Ministries).

Potus Shield is a council of prelates formed after the presidential election, with its first convocation assembled in Washington, DC in January to raise up a spiritual shield over the nation prior to President Trump's inauguration. This group is uniting Christians nationwide to be a spearhead forum to prepare a way for the country to reaffirm its Judeo-Christian principles.

For more information, and to register for this historical event, please visit our website at www.potusshield.org, or email us at [email protected].

SOURCE POTUS Shield

Related Links

http://www.potusshield.org


HONOLULU, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Families, aviators, and kids of all ages got up close and personal with aviation today, climbing into the open cockpits of many of the historic aircraft in Hangar 79 at Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor. The event was the Museum's annual "Open Cockpit Day," and more than 800 people attended.

Visitors lined up outside the CH-46 Sea Knight, Hangar 79. Guests were able to enter, and explore, the open aircraft.

"Open Cockpit Day" featured pilots, ground crew, military volunteers, and women pilots commemorating Women in Aviation and Women's History Month. Guests talked with aviators who shared their love of aviation. The world's first licensed armless pilot Jessica Cox made a guest appearance.

Flight suits and helmets were provided for pictures. Re-enactors such as WWII favorites "Rosie the Riveter" and W.A.S.P. pilot "Cornelia Fort" shared historic stories and posed for photos with guests. In Lt. Ted Shealy's Restoration Shop, guests were taught to shoot a rivet to learn how aircraft are assembled. The US Air Force offered a Tactical Air Control Parties (TACP) booth where guests could send and receive using military radios. Event photos are available at: https://flic.kr/s/aHskQbrARC.

The Museum has more than 50 in their aircraft collection of iconic warbirds, jets, and helicopters. Open today were the CH-46 Sea Knight, OH-58 Kiowa Warrior, SH-60 Seahawk, RC-3 Seabee, C-47 Gooney Bird, F-5 Freedom Fighter, and the F-111 Aardvark.

Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Its mission is to develop and maintain an internationally recognized aviation museum on Historic Ford Island at Pearl Harbor that educates young and old alike, honors aviators and their support personnel who defended freedom in The Pacific Region, and to preserve Pacific aviation history. Contact: 808-441-1000; [email protected].

(Open Cockpit Day photos are available at https://flic.kr/s/aHskQbrARC)

CONTACT:

Anne Murata, Director of Marketing

808-441-1013; 808-375-9577 (cell)

[email protected]

SOURCE Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor
BELLEVUE, Wash., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Paul Gauguin Cruises (www.pgcruises.com), operator of the highest-rated and longest continually sailing luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific, the m/s Paul Gauguin, announces a Two-Week Sale on select 2017 and 2018 Tahiti, French Polynesia, and South Pacific voyages.

Paul Gauguin Cruises is offering savings of up to $4,850* per person off select luxury voyages aboard The Gauguin when booked between March 6 and 18, 2017. Roundtrip airfare between Los Angeles and Papeete, Tahiti, is also included. On board, guests will enjoy the highest standards of luxury, quality, and all-inclusive value sailing to South Pacific destinations that are the cruise line's specialty. Qualifying voyages are:

Tahiti & the Society Islands (7 nights):

September 23 , 30, 2017  now from only $5,495 $4,745 per person

, 30, 2017  now from only per person October 28, 2017  now from only $4,995 $4,145 per person

 now from only per person November 4, 2017  now from only $4,695 $3,945 per person

Marquesas, Tuamotus & Society Islands (14 nights):

November 18, 2017  now from only $7,395 $5,945 per person

Cook Islands & Society Islands (11 nights):

December 2, 2017  now from only $5,895 $4,845 per person

 now from only per person January 6, 2018  now from only $6,145 $5,045 per person

Society Islands & Tuamotus (10 nights):

December 13, 2017  now from only $5,545 $4,595 per person

 now from only per person January 17, 2018  now from only $5,845 $4,845 per person

On The Gauguin, nearly 70% of suites and staterooms offer balconies. Dining experiences include L'Etoile, which showcases an array of culinary creations expertly prepared each evening. The ship's other two dining venues, La Veranda and Le Grill, serve breakfast and lunch. At night, signature dishes from celebrity chef Jean-Pierre Vigato, world-renowned Chef Proprietaire of the Michelin-rated Restaurant Apicius in Paris, are offered in La Veranda, and Polynesian specialties are served poolside at Le Grill.

Les Gauguines and Les Gauguinsa troupe of Tahitian entertainersprovide enriching experiences of the destinations throughout each voyage. The Gauguin features expert lecturers on each voyage and special guests on select sailings conducting presentations on topics ranging from the history of the South Pacific to conservation, culture, marine life, and the wonders of coral reefs. A luxurious spa, fitness center, watersports marina, and expansive outdoor decks with chaise lounges and a pool are also available aboard The Gauguin.

One of the highlights of each sailing is exclusive access to Motu Mahana, the cruise line's private islet off the coast of Taha'a where guests can enjoy sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, Polynesian activities, a full-service bar, a floating lagoon bar, and a delicious barbecue. In Bora Bora, guests can enjoy complimentary access to a private, white-sand beach with beach volleyball, sunbathing, snorkeling, paddleboarding, and refreshments.

For more information or reservations, contact a professional travel agent, call 1-800-848-6172, or visit www.pgcruises.com.

About Paul Gauguin Cruises

Owned by Pacific Beachcomber S.C., French Polynesia's leading luxury hotel and cruise operator, Paul Gauguin Cruises operates the 5+-star cruise ship, the 332-guest m/s Paul Gauguin, providing a deluxe cruise experience tailored to the unparalleled wonders of Tahiti, French Polynesia, Fiji, and the South Pacific. Paul Gauguin Cruises accolades include being voted #2 in the category of "Top Small Cruise Lines" in the Conde Nast Traveler 2016 Readers' Choice Awards and recognition on the publication's 2016 "Gold List." In addition, the line was voted by Travel + Leisure readers "#1 Small-Ship Cruise Line" and "#1 Small-Ship Cruise Line for Families" in the Travel + Leisure 2014 World's Best Awards. Recently, readers voted Paul Gauguin Cruises "#1 Midsize-Ship Ocean Cruise Line" in the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2016.

Media Contact:

Paul Gauguin Cruises

Vanessa Bloy, Director of Public Relations

(425) 440-6255

[email protected]

*All fares are in US dollars, per person, based on double occupancy in lowest stateroom category, and reflect promotional savings, are for new bookings only, are subject to availability, and must be booked by March 18, 2017. Offer may be combined with applicable 3rd guest in stateroom offer and applicable past guest savings but may not be combined with other offers. Port, security, and handling charges of $129-$260 per person are additional. Additional terms and conditions may apply. Call for details. For full terms and conditions, visit www.pgcruises.com.

From Travel + Leisure, August 2016 2016 Time Inc. Affluent Media Group. Used under license. Travel + Leisure and Time Inc. Affluent Media Group are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of Paul Gauguin Cruises.

SOURCE Paul Gauguin Cruises

Related Links

http://www.pgcruises.com


* Pierre Fabre, a leading pharmaceutical company in dermatology, acquired commercialization rights for TOLAK in the USA and other territories, pending registration.

* Hill Dermaceuticals has chosen Pierre Fabre for its global footprint based on its recognized expertise in dermatology, specifically in the USA.

Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmetique, a global player in dermatology and the second largest dermocosmetic company worldwide, and Hill Dermaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held American pharmaceutical company that specializes in dermatology products, announced today that they have entered into a strategic commercial partnership for TOLAK, a patented prescription dermatologic drug, indicated for the topical treatment of actinic keratosis lesions of the face, ears, and/or scalp.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474856/Pierre_Fabre_Logo.jpg )



(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474857/Hill_Dermaceuticals_Logo.jpg )



Under the terms of the agreement, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmetique will be granted an exclusive license for TOLAK in a broad territory through two of its subsidiaries: Pierre Fabre USA for the immediate distribution of TOLAK in the USA, and Pierre Fabre Dermatologie for commercialization in certain other countries (pending local authorization). Pierre Fabre has also acquired the option rights to countries outside the initial licensed territory. Hill Dermaceuticals will retain ownership of the NDA for TOLAK in the USA and will supply the product to Pierre Fabre on an exclusive basis. Pierre Fabre Dermatologie will be responsible for obtaining marketing authorizations outside the USA and will hold any marketing approvals in other countries.

"Pierre Fabre is an ideal partner for Hill Dermaceuticals to help us with the marketing and distribution of this unique patented product and its advancement in the US, Europe and other countries," said Jerry Roth, CEO of Hill Dermaceuticals. "This collaboration will enable us to expedite future and current development of additional new drugs, and further advance treatment of difficult diseases."

"With this TOLAK licensing deal, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmetique confirms its strategic goal to develop and commercialize dermatology medicines bridging prescription drugs and dermocosmetic products. We are actually the only company to make this strategic continuity in our competitive environment," said Eric Ducournau, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmetique CEO.

"This is an important milestone in the history of Pierre Fabre Dermatologie" declared Dr. Jean-Jacques Voisard, Dermatologist and CEO of Pierre Fabre Dermatologie. "Firstly, the acquisition of TOLAK's international rights is in line with our strategic decision to invest in dermato-oncology, one of our top priority therapeutic areas with pediatric dermatology. Secondly, after having launched HEMANGEOL and DEXERYL in the USA over the last two years, the acquisition of TOLAK's US rights confirms our determination to become a significant player in medical dermatology in the USA."

The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Application site adverse reactions are likely to occur during and for 4 weeks after treatment of actinic keratosis with TOLAK. The most common (incidence > 68%) adverse reactions occur at the application site and include erythema, scaling/dryness, crusting, pruritus, stinging/burning, edema, and erosions. Erythema is observed in 99% of patients with actinic keratosis treated with TOLAK. Eye disorders, including corneal reactions have occurred with topical fluorouracil use. Avoid treatment in the periocular area. Avoid accidental transfer of the drug into eyes and to the periocular area. If accidental exposure occurs, seek medical care. Increased sensitivity to ultraviolet light may occur during and immediately after treatment with TOLAK. Hypersensitivity reactions may occur with TOLAK. TOLAK is contraindicated during pregnancy and in patients with dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency. Fluorouracil may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception. Increased fluorouracil exposures may occur in DPD deficiency. Discontinue TOLAK if symptoms of fluorouracil systemic toxicity develops. Visit http://www.TOLAK.com for Full Prescribing Information.

SOURCE Pierre Fabre Dermatologie
CHICAGO, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The PTDA Power Transmission & Motion Control Market Size Report recently restated the North American power transmission and motion control (PT/MC) market. The report estimates the market to be $70.4 billion, including the U.S., Canada and Mexican markets. The report also updates a 2013 PTDA market size research study to include a U.S. market size update for calendar year 2015 and restates the assumptions used to define the U.S. Distributor Available Market (DAM) size, which is less than previously reported in 2013.

PTDA Power Transmission & Motion Control Market Size Report is an important tool to analyze markets for growth opportunities that are segmented by customer type and geographic territory in 14 PT/MC product categories:

Accessories

Adjustable/Variable Speed Drives

Bearings

Belts & Chain Drives

Clutches & Brakes

Controls

Conveyors & Material Handling Components

Gearing

Hydraulics & Pneumatics

Industrial Specialty Chemicals

Linear Motion Products

Motors

Pumps

Shaft Couplings & U-joints

The analysis, provided by MDM Analytics, offers estimates on the size and segmentation of power transmission/motion control products in North America, including state and select metropolitan market areas. This information is a critical component in studying the PT/MC industry to verify key elements of any company prospectus.

The report is available for purchase for $1,995. To review the table of contents and sample pages of the report, or to order, visit ptda.org/MarketSize or contact PTDA at [email protected] or +1.312.516.2100.

The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) is the leading global association for the industrial power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) distribution channel. Headquartered in Chicago, PTDA represents power transmission/motion control distribution firms that generate more than $16 billion in sales and span over 2,500 locations. PTDA members also include manufacturers that supply the PT/MC industry.

PTDA is dedicated to providing exceptional networking, targeted education, relevant information and leading-edge business tools to help distributors and manufacturers meet marketplace demands competitively and profitably. For more information, call +1.312.516.2100, visit ptda.org or follow on LinkedIn or Twitter at @PTDAorg.

For more information, please contact

Ginger Wheeler

Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA)

[email protected]

+1.312.516.2100

SOURCE Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA)

Related Links

http://ptda.org


SAN JOSE, Calif., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Corp. (NYSE: QTM) today announced that President and CEO Jon Gacek and Senior Vice President and CFO Fuad Ahmad will be presenting at the 29th Annual ROTH Conference to be held at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, California on Monday, March 13, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. PST. The Quantum management team will also be conducting one-on-one institutional investor meetings at the conference.

Webcast

A live and archived audio webcast of the company's presentation will be available on the Investor Events section of Quantum's corporate website at www.quantum.com/investors.

About Quantum

Quantum is a leading expert in scale-out tiered storage, archive and data protection, providing solutions for capturing, sharing and preserving digital assets over the entire data lifecycle. From small businesses to major enterprises, more than 100,000 customers have trusted Quantum to address their most demanding data workflow challenges. Quantum's end-to-end, tiered storage foundation enables customers to maximize the value of their data by making it accessible whenever and wherever needed, retaining it indefinitely and reducing total cost and complexity. See how at www.quantum.com/customerstories.

Quantum and the Quantum logo are registered trademarks of Quantum Corporation and its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:

Brad Cohen

Public Relations

Quantum Corp.

+1 (408) 944-4044

[email protected]

Brinlea Johnson or Allise Furlani

Investor Relations

The Blueshirt Group

+1 (212) 331-8424 or +1 (212) 331-8433

[email protected] or [email protected]

SOURCE Quantum Corp.

Related Links

http://www.quantum.com


MADISON, N.J., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services, including employer health and wellness screening and health improvement services, announced a unique collaboration with the American Diabetes Association aimed at helping more people understand their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The collaboration aims to help identify people living with or at risk for type 2 diabetes by increasing access to laboratory screenings through Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness, the company's employer wellness offering. Starting on American Diabetes Association Alert Day on March 28 until April 27, 2017, Quest Diagnostics will donate $1 up to $200,000 to the American Diabetes Association for every employee wellness screening Quest completes on behalf of employers. The company's employee wellness screening typically includes laboratory analysis of blood to help identify diabetes, heart disease and other conditions.

Quest employees will also collaborate with the American Diabetes Association to participate in the "Wellness Lives Here" initiative to share insights on how to lower the risk of developing diabetes, as well as action steps that can be taken to lower glucose/hbA1c once diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 86 million peopleor approximately one third of the American adult populationis living with prediabetes. Those in this group have higher than normal blood glucose levels, but the levels are not high enough to warrant a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. However, these individuals are at heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. With no clear symptoms, nearly 90 percent of individuals do not know they have the condition.i

"Type 2 diabetes is a national health epidemic that can be prevented through identification of prediabetes coupled with the delivery of effective diabetes prevention programs for individuals," said Jay Wohlgemuth, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, R&D and senior leader for Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness. "The partnership with the American Diabetes Association allows us to leverage our corporate wellness business and its national footprint to help identify populations within the workforce that are at risk for the disease, increase screening awareness, and deliver effective prevention programs."

In addition to the toll of managing diabetes, type 2 diabetes increases healthcare costs for employers, and contributes to work loss and health-related work limitations.

"We are grateful and excited to have Quest serve as a key partner of our movement to increase awareness of prediabetes and risk for type 2 diabetes," says Alicia H. McAuliffe-Fogarty, PhD, CPsychol, Vice President of Lifestyle Management, American Diabetes Association. "Kicking off on Alert Day, together we can emphasize the importance of annual health screenings, help people learn if they're at risk for type 2 diabetes and promote healthy lifestyle choices. Funds raised from this partnership will help us support lifesaving research and life changing programs that benefit millions of people living with diabetes."

To learn more about American Diabetes Association Alert Day, please visit www.diabetes.org/AlertDayQuest.

To learn more about this initiative and Quest's Health & Wellness offerings, please visit www.QuestForHealth.com.

About Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness

Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness helps companies, both large and small, empower their employees to take positive changes resulting in better health. The company's complete menu of options for employers to improve the health of their employees including customizable screening, reporting and incentive solutions to fit needs that ultimately improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare-related costs. For additional information on Quest's Health and Wellness offerings visit: www.QuestForHealth.com

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 43,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

Quest, Quest Diagnostics, and all associated Quest Diagnostics registered or unregistered trademarks are the property of Quest Diagnostics. All third-party marks are the property of their respective owners.

About the American Diabetes Association

More than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and every 23 seconds another person is diagnosed with diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (Association) is the global authority on diabetes and since 1940 has been committed to its mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. To tackle this global public health crisis, the Association drives discovery in research to treat, manage and prevent all types of diabetes, as well as to search for cures; raises voice to the urgency of the diabetes epidemic; and provides support and advocacy for people living with diabetes, those at risk of developing diabetes and the health care professionals who serve them. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit diabetes.org. Information from both of these sources is available in English and Spanish. Find us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).

i http://www.diabetes.org/newsroom/press-releases/2016/first-of-its-kind-psa-campaign-targets-86-million-american-adults-with-prediabets.html

Contacts:

Kim Gorode, Quest Diagnostics (Media): 973-520-2800

Shawn Bevec, Quest Diagnostics (Investors): 973-520-2900

SOURCE Quest Diagnostics

Related Links

http://www.questdiagnostics.com


British composer Jim Williams has worked with hundreds of artists as diverse as Mark Anthony, Pete Murphy, Maxi Priest and M-People, and has had long-term production and writing partnerships with the creators of multi-platinum selling albums by Natalie Imbruglia, Pixie Lott, Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears. Williams has since made his mark as a composer for many television series including BBC's Hotel Babylon , for which he received an Ivor Novello Award nomination for his score. Williams has also scored featured films, most notably for award-winning director Ben Wheatley.

About the Film

Everyone in Justine's (Garance Marillier) family is a vet. And a vegetarian. At sixteen, she's a brilliant student starting out at veterinary school where she experiences a decadent, merciless and dangerously seductive world. Desperate to fit in, she strays from her family principles and eats RAW meat for the first time. Justine will soon face the terrible and unexpected consequences as her true self begins to emerge...

Focus World presents RAW, a Petit Film, Rouge International, FraKas Productions production in association with Ezekiel Film Production and Wild Bunch. Written and directed by Julia Ducournau (JUNIOR). The movie stars Garance Marillier (JUNIOR), Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella, Laurent Lucas and Joana Preiss.

In advance of its theatrical release RAW has picked up several prizes from film festivals around the world including; the Fipresci Prize at Cannes Critics' Week; the Sutherland Award for Best First Feature at the BFI London Film Festival; Best Director award at Fantastic Fest's "Next Wave" competition; the Golden Octopus Award and the Audience Award at the Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival; three prizes at the Sitges-Catalonian International Film Festival including the Citizen Kane Award for Best Up-and-Coming Director, the Melies d'Argent Award for Best Feature-Length European Film, and the Carnet Jove Jury Award for Best Feature-Length Film.

http://www.focusfeatures.com/raw/

Tracklisting:

1.) Introduction

2.) Alexia Crash

3.) Child Music 1: Coming of Age

4.) Specimen Jars in the Dark

5.) Child Music 2: Wonderment

6.) Cheval

7.) Growing Pains

8.) Bus Crash

9.) Child Music 3: Waltz

10.) Cheveux

11.) Child Music 4: Dark Reflection

12.) Waxing and Waning

13.) Finger Scene

14.) Road Rage

15.) Child Music 5: Innocence

16.) Lust

17.) Sheet Frenzy

18.) Lost

19.) Child Music 6: Reflections on Infancy

20.) Love Lust

21.) Blood Lust

22.) Wild Love

23.) Necromancy

24.) Fight or Flight

25.) Sisters

26.) Finale

27.) Raw Main Title Theme

28.) End Credits: Finale Reprise

Back Lot Music is a division of Universal Pictures.

For more information, please contact:

Nikki Walsh: [email protected]

Death Waltz Recording Company is a division of Mondo.

For more information, please contact:

Ryan Fons: [email protected]

Focus World is a division of Focus Features.

For more information, please contact:

Seanna Hore: [email protected]

SOURCE Back Lot Music

Related Links

http://www.focusfeatures.com/raw


SALT LAKE CITY, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sampleminded VP of Business Development Christina Goleman will travel on a 13-day humanitarian visit to South Africa. The effort is in partnership with South Africa Cares for Life, a South African-based nonprofit focused on "changing the destiny of South African children."

Goleman will travel to Pretoria as part of a six-person American team. Together they will deliver children's clothing and daily care items to SA Cares for Life's ABBA House orphanage, as well as meet with local nonprofit and community leaders to develop strategies for increasing support for SA Cares for Life programs.

"These young children in South Africa are facing challenges we can't imagine," said Goleman. "Most are orphans and others are escaping unsafe conditions. SA Cares for Life provides a loving, safe haven for them, helps them find placement with adoptive or foster families, and operates several community-wide prevention and intervention programs. At Sampleminded, we're a worldwide provider of healthcare information technology and data solutions that advance healthcare, so we're passionate about the health and well-being of at-risk communities around the globe. We provide planning, structure and resources that alleviate suffering and provide education and services to an at-risk population. My colleagues aided in making this trip possible through donations, covering in my absence, and through our generous PTO policy that allows any of our employees the freedom to pursue individual passions."

Upon her return, Goleman, who volunteers time as Marketing Chair for South Africa Cares for Life, will create communications and partnership strategies to expand the reach and resources for the humanitarian organization. For more information on providing support for the South African initiatives, please visit: www.sacares.net.

About Sampleminded

Founded in 2008, Sampleminded was pioneered by innovators from the University of Utah, answering the need for state-of-the-art software solutions for clinical trails, research and diagnostic organizations. A proven leader in comprehensive products and services for the entire specimen from order to result, Sampleminded provides the latest in Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) and Clinical Trials Operations (CLINOPS) products. Sampleminded is committed to a culture of compassion by supporting their employees in endeavors for the greater good. Visit us at www.sampleminded.com for more information and how you can be part of this growing organization.

Contact: Steve Fuhrman

[email protected]

SOURCE Sampleminded

Related Links

http://www.sampleminded.com


CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ScentAir, the global leader in scent marketing, has acquired Brandaroma, a significant player in the fast-growing market for ambient scent marketing solutions. Brandaroma has major operations throughout Asia, with particular strength in Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China and Australia, as well as in the United Kingdom and the United States. In the US, Brandaroma's scent services are marketed under the AromaSys brand name.

"For over 20 years, ScentAir has invested in the right people, customer service and cutting edge technologies to continually provide comprehensive best-in-class scent marketing solutions for our customers," said Andrew Kindfuller, ScentAir President and CEO. "The Brandaroma acquisition will further extend our position as the global market leader in this exciting industry and will make ScentAir faster, stronger and more responsive in order to better support our clients all over the world." The acquisition is supported by ScentAir's equity sponsor, Parthenon Capital Partners, a leading mid-market private equity investor in technology-enabled business services.

Based in Charlotte, NC, ScentAir services customers in 109 countries with global sales, distribution and service operations throughout North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Brandaroma/AromaSys has long standing experience with world class global brands in hospitality, gaming, retail and service industries. "By combining Brandaroma's product offerings and years of industry expertise with the technology, reach and resources of ScentAir we will further expand our service footprint and accelerate our growth," remarked Brian Edwards, ScentAir's Chief Revenue Officer.

About ScentAir

ScentAir creates over five billion enduring consumer scent impressions each year. Based in Charlotte, NC, ScentAir serves all types of businesses in 109 countries. It is the largest and most experienced scent marketing company in the world. The company also has corporate offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Macau, Toulouse, London and Madrid and has a local presence in more than 70 countries. www.scentair.com

About Parthenon Capital Partners

Parthenon Capital Partners is a leading mid-market private equity firm based in Boston and San Francisco. Parthenon utilizes niche industry expertise and a deep execution team to invest in growth companies in service industries. Parthenon seeks to be an active and aligned partner to management, either through recapitalization transactions or by backing new executives. Parthenon has particular expertise in business services, financial and insurance services and healthcare, but seeks any service, technology or delivery business with a strong value proposition and proprietary know-how. Parthenon's investment team has deep experience in corporate strategy, capital markets and operations, enabling the firm to pursue complex, multi-faceted value creation opportunities. For more information, visit www.parthenoncapitalpartners.com

SOURCE ScentAir

Related Links

http://www.scentair.com


A Siegfried Team Leader supports a group of Professional Resources in his or her Market, helping them clarify their goals, and confirming that these goals are aligned with Siegfried's higher purpose: We help People become better Leaders to exponentially improve their Lives. Team Leaders demonstrate how Siegfried helps its Professional Resources achieve their bigger future, as well as their personal and professional success.

Siegfried congratulates Minasian and Newman on becoming Team Leaders.

Gabriel Minasian, Associate Director, Team Leader  New York Metro

Minasian joined Siegfried's New York Metro Market as an Associate Director in 2016. Prior to this, Minasian was at AIG, where he gained six years of financial reporting and analytics experience with a primary focus in external reporting and systems implementations. He previously worked at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Deloitte, and The State of New Jersey, where he gained an additional six years' experience in consolidations, financial reporting, and audit. He earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting and his Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from The College of New Jersey.

Minasian's forward-thinking and innovative approach to solving problems, coupled with his desire to mentor his teams makes him a valuable member of any team. "I'm looking forward to being a trusted advocate for my team, collaborating with them to accurately define and execute their career aspirations, and promoting open communication and creativity that supports our Firm's higher purpose," he said. "I want to spread enthusiasm to my team, serve as a mentor, promote all of Siegfried's incredible initiatives, and help my team achieve their goals faster than they ever thought possible."

In his free time, Minasian enjoys spending time with his family. He is also a fan of classic cars, and hopes to own one in the future.

Tim Newman, CPA, Associate Manager, Team Leader  D.C.

After spending three years at RSM working in the audit practice, Newman joined Siegfried in 2014 as a Professional Resource. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from Bridgewater College and is currently attending Ohio University for his MBA in finance. Newman is a Certified Public Accountant.

Newman uses his mental agility to provide clever solutions to every challenge he faces and always seeks to create new relationships in his professional and personal lives. "As a Team Leader, I'm excited to invest myself in the success of others. I've always found the greatest rewards come from having enthusiastic connections with others and expecting magic in all encounters," he said. "I'm confident that my team members and I will all be able to lean and grow from each other."

Outside of the office, Newman enjoys exercising, reading, creating music, spending time with his friends, and playing with his two Great Pyrenees dogs. Recently, he began a Gymnastic Strength Training program and is excited to see how his physique will improve as a result of the new training techniques.

To learn more about Siegfried, please visit www.siegfriedgroup.com.

About The Siegfried Group, LLP

The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried) works alongside financial executives across the nation, on their most important accounting and finance projects. Filled with an innovative spirit and led by an ambitious entrepreneur, Siegfried provides unique Leadership Advisory combined with high potential talent. At the heart of our Firm is our approach to individual leadership and the continual pursuit of helping people grow both personally and professionally. As a whole, we value being fair, having fun, and fostering stakeholder value.

Contact:

Karen Campbell

(408) 209-2545

[email protected]

SOURCE The Siegfried Group, LLP

Related Links

http://www.siegfriedgroup.com


LONDON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The 10 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members moved closer to full compliance with the landmark production cut agreement signed late last year, as output in the month fell from January levels to average 32.03 million barrels per day, according to an S&P Global Platts survey released today. In all, taking an average of January and February production, the 10 members obligated to reduce output under the deal have achieved 98.5% of their total combined cuts, according to the survey, up from 91% in January.

"A Saudi-led OPEC is showing the market it is serious in making the agreement stick. While it remains an open question whether OPEC will achieve its goal of drawing down stocks sufficiently to rebalance the market, OPEC is fulfilling its commitment, certainly in contrast to non-OPEC partners who are some ways from cutting down to their agreed levels," said Herman Wang, OPEC Specialist, S&P Global Platts.

Saudi Arabia continued to show the strongest output discipline, with its February production averaging 9.85 million b/d, the survey found, below its allocation under the deal of 10.06 million b/d and its lowest output since February 2015, according to the survey archives. Its January and February combined average output of 9.92 million b/d was 140,000 b/d below its deal quota.

The kingdom's overcompliance, along with Angola's, is helping compensate for the overproduction others within OPEC, notably Iraq, Venezuela, and the UAE, which have not cut down to their allocations under the deal. Iraq remains 91,000 b/d above its quota despite lowering its February output, Venezuela is 43,000 b/d above, and the UAE is 42,000 b/d above. Saudi Arabia and Angola's output reductions also have mostly offset for increases by exempt Libya and Nigeria since the deal began on January 1.

Non-OPEC compliance continues to lag OPEC's adherence to the deal. Russia, for instance, which committed to a 300,000 b/d cut from October levels, only reduced output by 121,300 b/d in February, according to its energy ministry. Russian officials have insisted, however, that their production cuts would be phased in and completely achieved by May.

Libya's January and February average is 140,000 b/d above the agreement's reference October levels, while Nigeria is producing 44,000 b/d above the reference level. Iran, which is allowed to boost production to 3.80 million b/d under the deal as it recovers from western sanctions lifted in January 2016, had February production of 3.75 million b/d, a 30,000 b/d increase from January. Its January and February average is 3.73 million b/d. Analysts have said Iranian production is unlikely to increase significantly without further investment, much of which has been stymied by remaining US sanctions, the threat of reimposing the previous sanctions on Iran's oil sector by the US, and Iran's delays in releasing the full terms of its revamped petroleum contract.

STILL ABOVE CEILING

Under the agreement, OPEC pledged to cut 1.2 million b/d for six months and freeze production at around 32.5 million b/d, including Indonesia, which suspended its membership in November and is not included in the Platts survey estimates for 2017. OPEC as a whole averaged 32.11 million b/d in January and February, according to the survey. Adding in Indonesia's typical 730,000 b/d of production would take the producer group about 340,000 b/d above its ceiling.

Since the deal covers an average of January to June output, month-to-month fluctuations are to be expected. The Platts estimates were obtained by surveying OPEC and oil industry officials, traders and analysts, as well as reviewing proprietary shipping data. In concert with OPEC, 11 non-OPEC countries led by Russia have also agreed to cut output by 558,000 b/d in the first half of 2017, with many of those countries phasing in their reductions or relying on natural declines.

A five-country monitoring committee formed to enforce the deal is scheduled to hold a ministerial meeting March 25-26 in Kuwait City. The committee is chaired by Kuwaiti oil minister Essam al-Marzouq and also includes ministers from OPEC members Algeria and Venezuela, along with non-OPEC Russia and Oman.

OPEC production (in million b/d)



Country February Change January Algeria 1.04 -0.01 1.05 Angola 1.66 0.03 1.63 Ecuador 0.52 0.00 0.52 Gabon 0.19 -0.01 0.20 Iran 3.75 0.03 3.72 Iraq 4.40 -0.08 4.48 Kuwait 2.71 0.01 2.70 Libya 0.67 0.00 0.67 Nigeria 1.70 0.05 1.65 Qatar 0.63 0.01 0.62 Saudi Arabia 9.85 -0.13 9.98 UAE 2.90 -0.03 2.93 Venezuela 2.01 0.00 2.01 Total 32.03 -0.13 32.16



Notes: OPEC ministers on November 30 finalized a deal to cut 1.2 million b/d from October levels and hold production around 32.5 million

b/d, beginning January 1 for six months. The agreement exempts Libya and Nigeria, while allowing Iran a small increase in production. Indonesia suspended its membership

on November 30, 2016, but its output is being counted by OPEC under the production ceiling. Non-OPEC producers led by Russia

also agreed to cut output by 558,000 b/d in the first half of 2017, with Russia set to cut 300,000 b/d. The committee in charge of monitoring the implementation of the proposed OPEC and non-OPEC production cut is to be co-chaired

by representatives of Kuwait and Russia, and will also have representatives from Algeria, Venezuela and Oman. The estimate for Iraq includes volumes from semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan.

About S&P Global Platts

At S&P Global Platts, we provide the insights; you make better informed trading and business decisions with confidence. We're the leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets. Customers in over 150 countries look to our expertise in news, pricing and analytics to deliver greater transparency and efficiency to markets. S&P Global Platts coverage includes oil and gas, power, petrochemicals, metals, agriculture and shipping.

S&P Global Platts is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for companies, governments and individuals to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.platts.com.

SOURCE S&P Global Platts

Related Links

http://www.platts.com


Directed by 2015 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner Crystal Moselle, "Our Dream of Water" focuses on the stories of women in Haiti, Peru and Kenya and their daily struggle to find clean, safe water. Their stories are representative of the 663 million people around the world who lack access to safe water, to help raise awareness of the global water crisis. Water.org served as an advisor on the project.

"It's hard for many of us to grasp the idea that so many people lack access to clean, safe water," said director Crystal Moselle. "Last year, Stella Artois asked me to visit Haiti, Peru and Kenya  three countries facing chronic water challenges  to tell stories from on the ground. I hope that this film underscores how critical this issue is and inspires viewers to want to be a part of the solution."

"Our Dream of Water" is Moselle's first film following her highly acclaimed documentary "The Wolfpack," and follows three women and their communities. The global water crisis disproportionately affects women and children, who spend millions of hours a day collecting water instead of working, caring for family or attending school.

"All of my films are extremely character-driven, and that's exactly what I wanted to do for 'Our Dream of Water'  find the right character to tell the story," said Crystal Moselle. "In Haiti, I heard Marie before I even met her  because she was singing and dancing. What immediately drew me to her was her beautiful spirit, and that despite facing hardships that most of us will never know, she had an unshakable perseverance."

Tune In: "Our Dream of Water" Premieres on National Geographic on World Water Day

Scheduled as a marquee moment during the network's World Water Month programming, people can tune-in to the premiere of "Our Dream of Water" on National Geographic at 6:00 p.m. EST/PST on World Water Day, March 22. An encore presentation will also air on March 23 at 3:00 p.m. EST/PST.

"We pride ourselves in our ability to tell powerful human stories from all corners of the world, and 'Our Dream of Water' does just that," said Courteney Monroe, National Geographic Global Networks CEO. "National Geographic has been committed to protecting the planet and the people on it for 129 years and I hope that through this film, we can motivate and mobilize this generation to help put an end to the global water crisis."

"Having partnered with Crystal throughout the making of 'Our Dream of Water,' I have seen how impactful female filmmakers can be when sharing the stories of other women around the world," said Harry Lewis, vice president, Stella Artois. "Our commitment doesn't end here. Through Stella Artois' partnership with Women in Film, we're going to continue this legacy of supporting female filmmakers, like Crystal, who are using the power of film to provoke change."

Throughout the remainder of 2017 and beyond, Stella Artois will continue to support other female filmmakers like Moselle through its multi-year partnership with Women in Film, Los Angeles. The two organizations are committed to empowering the next generation of female filmmakers to create female-driven films that are made by women and inspire social change.

The Legacy of "Buy A Lady A Drink"

Stella Artois and Water.org first launched "Buy A Lady A Drink" in 2015, leveraging Stella Artois' global footprint to raise awareness of the water crisis and spark consumer action to address this critical issue. This year, the brand announced a four-year commitment with Water.org to help provide 3.5 million people with long-term, sustainable access to clean water by 2020.

As a part of this year's campaign, Stella Artois also released a new set of Limited-Edition Chalices. For every Limited-Edition Chalice that is sold, Stella Artois will help Water.org provide five years of clean water for one person in the developing world. This year's Limited-Edition Chalices feature designs by local artists in Uganda, Brazil and Cambodia  three countries where Water.org provides support.

Visit www.BuyALadyADrink.com to purchase a Limited-Edition Chalice and learn more about how you can help be the generation to end the global water crisis. Join the conversation online with @StellaArtois #1Chalice5Years.

About Stella Artois

Stella Artois is part of a Belgian brewing tradition dating back to 1366. It is the No. 1 Belgian beer in the world and is present in over 95 countries. Stella Artois is a bottom filtered, blonde pilsner. It is thirst quenching with a malty middle and crisp finish delivering a full flavor and a hint of bitterness. Stella Artois is best enjoyed served between 3 and 5 degrees Celsius and should be served in the unique Stella Artois Chalice according to the 9-Step Pouring Ritual to guarantee a perfect experience of this gold standard lager. Visit www.stellaartois.com for more information.

About National Geographic Partners LLC:

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 129 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers  and reaching over 730 million people around the world in 171 countries and 45 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

About Water.org

For more than 20 years, Water.org has been at the forefront of developing and delivering solutions to the global water crisis. Founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org pioneers innovative, community-driven and market-based initiatives to ensure all people have access to safe water and sanitation -- giving women hope, children health and communities a future. To date, Water.org has positively transformed the lives of more than 5 million people around the world, ensuring a better life for generations ahead. Learn more at http://water.org and www.facebook.com/water.

For more information, please contact:

Lacey Clifford

[email protected]

Claire Tucker

[email protected]

212-445-8080

Kristin Montalbano

[email protected]

Rosemary Gudelj

[email protected]

SOURCE Stella Artois

Related Links

http://www.stellaartois.com


AMITYVILLE, N.Y., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sundial Brands, a leading skincare and haircare manufacturer renowned for its innovative use of high-quality, culturally authentic natural ingredients, today announced the launch of the company's first prestige skincare line  nyakio. Inspired by her family of medicine men, farmers and educators, founder Nyakio Kamoche Grieco, a first-generation American of Kenyan descent, partnered with Sundial Brands to bring global secrets of naturally ageless beauty to the U.S. market. Based on Nyakio's family recipes, as well as beauty traditions from 13 countries across the globe, each formula evokes a luxurious, culturally transcendent experience.

Nyakio Kamoche Grieco: "My beauty journey started when I was a young girl visiting my grandmother in Kenya. She was a coffee farmer who taught me to crush coffee beans and rub them on my skin using a piece of sugarcane to remove dry skin. I've curated beauty secrets like this from my family, friends and world travels and translated them into a full line of skincare based on cultivated global beauty secrets, cultural traditions and ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients." Sundial Brands launches its first prestige skincare line, nyakio(TM), today at Ulta. Inspired by her family, friends and travels, Nyakio Kamoche Grieco, a first-generation American of Kenyan descent, partnered with Sundial to bring her family recipes and global beauty traditions from 13 countries to the U.S. The 16 SKU line draws ingredients such as Manketti, Neroli, Maracuja and Yangu oils, Red Ginseng and Quinoa from countries including Kenya, China, Brazil, Spain, Egypt, India, Morocco, & Peru.

Grounded in ethically and sustainably sourced, indigenous ingredients, nyakio combines cultural traditions with modern, results-driven formulas to deliver premium personalized natural beauty and multi-tasking products. The 16 SKU line, which draws ingredients including Manketti, Neroli, Maracuja and Yangu oils, Red Ginseng and Quinoa from such countries as Kenya, China, Brazil, Spain, Egypt, India, Morocco and Peru, is priced from $22-$49 and launches exclusively in 305 Ulta stores across the U.S. on March 6, 2017. It is also available via www.ulta.com/brand/nyakio.

"My beauty journey started when I was a young girl visiting my grandmother in Kenya," said Nyakio. "She was a coffee farmer who taught me to crush coffee beans and rub them on my skin using a piece of sugarcane to remove dry skin. I've curated beauty secrets like this from my family, friends and travels around the world and translated them into a full line of skincare based on cultivated global beauty secrets, cultural traditions and ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients. Inspired by everything that's been shared with me, I'm now sharing the best in global skincare with every woman."

The line features a five-regimen collection (1. Cleanse, 2. Exfoliate, 3. Restore, 4. Moisturize, and 5. Treat) that works together to hydrate, revitalize, smooth and provide anti-aging benefits. As a result, nyakio offers an a la carte menu of skincare options that are customizable to target specialized concerns, as well as a collection of traditions passed from generation to generation. Developed for all skin types and ages, nyakio products are formulated without Sulfates, Phthalates, Parabens, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Formaldehyde, and Butylene Glycol.

"For 25 years now, our vision at Sundial Brands has been to build our business and our Community Commerce purpose-driven business model as examples that other entrepreneurs and businesses could be inspired by, learn from and expand upon," said Richelieu Dennis, founder and CEO of Sundial Brands. "Our acquisition of nyakio underscores our ongoing commitment to identifying, supporting and developing other entrepreneur brands that share our vision and values. Nyakio's roots of family, natural ingredients, culturally authentic traditions, entrepreneurism and community impact closely mirror our own, so we have a deep connection to what this brand represents and the woman who inspired it. We are honored to have Nyakio  the person  and nyakio  the brand  as the newest members of our Sundial family. As we move forward with our multi-brand portfolio strategy and scaled growth, we are committed to continuing to bring others along with us in ways that simultaneously advance businesses and communities."

Sundial Brands' Community Commerce efforts develop communities by providing access to resources and opportunities that lead to sustainable economic value creation for individuals, their families and their communities through education, entrepreneurship and commerce. As part of this work, the company invests directly into people, programs and institutions that are successfully supporting educationally and entrepreneurially-driven endeavors delivering strong social impact and sustainable solutions to poverty alleviation. Based on Nyakio's passion for the development and empowerment of young women, the Community Commerce focus for nyakio includes a partnership with Girls Inc. aimed at helping girls achieve healthy lives, succeed academically, and acquire the life skills needed to prepare them for adulthood.

"I am beyond grateful to join Richelieu and the team at Sundial as I begin my journey with this new skincare line," said Nyakio. "Having the support of a company that truly cares about the people it serves and the world in which we live is rare, and I look forward to everything that we will accomplish together."

The full 16 SKU line includes (the country origins of the primary ingredients are in parentheses):

Cleanse

Sweet Almond Cleansing Oil Balm ( Spain )

Exfoliate

Kenyan Coffee Face Polish ( Kenya )

Face Polish ( ) Chinese Rice Exfoliating Cleansing Powder ( China )

Exfoliating Cleansing Powder ( ) Kenyan Coffee Body Scrub ( Kenya )

Body Scrub ( ) Kenyan Coffee Lip Polish ( Kenya )

Restore

Manketti & Mafura Anti-Aging Oil ( Zambia for Manketti Oil and Mozambique for Mafura Oil)

Anti-Aging Oil ( for Manketti Oil and for Mafura Oil) Marula & Neroli Brightening Oil ( South Africa for Marula Oil and Morocco for Neroli Oil)

Brightening Oil ( for Marula Oil and for Neroli Oil) Maracuja & Yangu Soothing Oil ( Brazil for Maracuja Oil and South Africa for Yangu Oil)

Moisturize

Baobab Lip Balm ( Mali )

Lip Balm ( ) Tamanu Firming Face Balm ( India )

Firming Face Balm ( ) Baoba b Youth Infused Daily Defense Creme ( Mali )

Youth Infused Daily Defense Creme ( ) Red Ginseng Line Smoothing Eye and Lip Cream ( China )

Line Smoothing Eye and Lip Cream ( ) Quinoa De-puffing & Firming Eye Cream ( Peru )

Treat

African Black Soap Purifying Mud Mask ( Ghana )

Purifying Mud Mask ( ) Chamomile Soothing Sleep Mask ( Egypt )

Global Beauty Starter Kit

Kit includes Sweet Almond Cleansing Oil Balm, Kenyan Coffee Face Polish, and Tamanu Firming Face Balm

About Sundial Brands:

Sundial Brands, a leading skincare and haircare manufacturer renowned for its innovative use of high-quality and culturally authentic natural ingredients, is the maker of SheaMoisture, Nubian Heritage, Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture and nyakio. A certified B Corp company with a Fair for Life social and fair trade certification, Sundial engages in ethical and cruelty-free business practices and manufactures its products at its state-of-the-art facilities in Long Island, NY. Through its Community Commerce purpose-driven business model, the company creates opportunities for sustainable social and economic empowerment throughout its supply chain and communities in the United States and Africa, focusing on entrepreneurship, women's empowerment, education and wellness. In 2015, Sundial was named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States and received the WWD/Beauty Inc. award for "Corporate Social Responsibility Company of the Year." Widely credited with introducing the "New General Market" inclusion concept to the beauty and retail industries, Sundial Brands founder and CEO Richelieu Dennis began the company in 1991 with his college roommate, Nyema Tubman, and mother, Mary Dennis.

About nyakio:

nyakio (pronounced NEH-KAY-OH) celebrates global beauty secrets discovered by its founder and namesake, Nyakio Kamoche Grieco, a first-generation American of Kenyan descent, through her family of medicine men, farmers and educators, her friends and her world travels. Nyakio  which means "hardworking woman in the sunshine"  curated these beauty secrets and translated the cultural traditions into a full line of skincare handmade with ethically and sustainably sourced natural ingredients from around the world and steeped in family traditions passed from generation to generation. The line features five collections that work together to hydrate, revitalize, smooth and provide anti-aging benefits. As a result, nyakio offers an a la carte menu of skincare options that are customizable to target specialized concerns for all skin types and ages. All products are formulated without Sulfates, Phthalates, Parabens, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Formaldehyde, and Butylene Glycol. Global beauty secrets. Cultural traditions. Indigenous ingredients.

SOURCE Sundial Brands
PHILADELPHIA, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TargetX, the foremost provider of student lifecycle solutions for higher education, announces its Spring '17 Product Release focused on enhanced student communication, engagement, and success. Major features include a new Email Campaign Builder with unprecedented usability, a substantial update to critical advisor task and student issue management tools in the Student Success Center, and a revamped version of Schools App designed to improve student adoption.

Sasha Peterson, CEO of TargetX, says, "With our Spring '17 Release, TargetX continues to deliver on its bold vision of offering a complete student lifecycle solution. We already have the only single platform solution that addresses enrollment and student retention. The exciting new features of this release dramatically improve usability and will, in turn, significantly drive adoption."

A key innovation in the Spring Release is the Email Campaign Builder. It delivers an intuitive interface for broadcast scheduling that enables effortless email setup, review, management, testing, and automation. The Builder encourages teams to proactively communicate with prospects and existing students while gathering easy-to-understand analytics about campaign performance.

"Through the Email Campaign Builder, our clients will seewith clarity and easethe impact of their campaign messaging to assess, adjust, and become more effective with student communication and success," explains Colby Lavin, VP of Product. "This release is just one of many exciting additions to come for our clients. We will never stop refining and improving upon our product suite."

Another exciting release feature is a significant update to the Student Success Center that provides a fuller and more actionable picture of a student. Advisors are now able to view relevant and timely student information in a centralized dashboard. Student Success Center tracks all activities so that advisors can easily observe the progression of a student issue via a timeline and drill deeper into any related activity.

Lastly, institutions are better able to support students through the online mobile community, Schools App, and its completely redesigned and truly modernized interface. The new Schools App interface will streamline and simplify student access to the communityallowing for improved communication with their peers, the institution, and staff on campus.

The Spring '17 Release is the first in a series of three major releases in 2017 centered around the student experience.

About TargetX

TargetX is reimagining the student experience through student lifecycle solutions. Built on the Salesforce platform, TargetX offers comprehensive solutions for admissions and student success to help institutions meet their enrollment challenges and retention needs. Known for innovative technology and higher education expertise, TargetX has been a trusted technology provider for 18 years.

SOURCE TargetX

Related Links

http://www.targetx.com


BEAVERTON, Ore., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tektronix, Inc., a leading worldwide provider of measurement solutions, will showcase the latest in optical test innovation for datacenter networking at OFC 2017, the world's leading conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking professionals. The event features more than 600 companies on the exhibition floor and 1,150 technical and business presentations to help the more than 13,000 attendees leverage the latest in optical innovations and meet insatiable consumer and business demand for more bandwidth and increased datacenter performance.

The Tektronix DPO70000SX 70GHz ATI performance oscilloscope analyzing single shot PAM-4 signals with live triggering and post-equalized error detection for 400G standards.

"With 100G moving into production and 400G design efforts in full swing, the test challenges around characterization, verification and debug of both silicon and system designs have never been greater," said Brian Reich, general manager, Performance Oscilloscopes, Tektronix. "As OFC attendees will be able to see firsthand, Tektronix is well positioned to help our customers push the boundaries of higher data rates, emerging standards, and cutting-edge research while reducing time to market with our high-performance solutions."

Datacenter networking technology providers are looking to continuously increase the capacity and precision of high speed data transfers. Tektronix offers a comprehensive set of performance solutions to characterize electrical and optical performance that will be demonstrated at OFC in booth 2339, including:

The DSA8300 sampling oscilloscope with an 80GHz optical sampling module showing support for IEEE 802.3bs based 400G optical testing for TDECQ, including new advances in high-sensitivity single-mode/multi-mode optical measurements for NRZ and PAM-4 up to 28GBd.

The DPO70000SX 70GHz ATI performance oscilloscope analyzing single shot PAM-4 signals with live triggering and post-equalized error detection for 400G standards.

An end-to-end demonstration of the industry's only optical modulation analysis software supporting multi-OMA systems, featuring the AWG70000 Series Arbitrary Waveform Generator, and the DPO70000SX oscilloscope for applications such as spatial division multiplexing and more.

New announcements that will drive significant improvement in manufacturing yield on next generation optical components and interconnects.

In addition, attendees can stop by the Tektronix booth 2339 to pick up an educational poster on PAM4 testing.

The Optical Fiber Conference and Exposition (OFC) is the largest global conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking professionals. For more than 40 years, OFC has drawn attendees from all corners of the globe to meet and greet, teach and learn, make connections and move business forward. OFC 2017 is being held March 19-23 in Los Angeles, Calif. For more information, go to http://www.ofcconference.org.

Wondering what else Tektronix is up to? Check out the Tektronix Bandwidth Banter blog and stay up to date on the latest news from Tektronix on Twitter and Facebook.

About Tektronix

Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Tektronix delivers innovative, precise and easy-to-operate test, measurement and monitoring solutions that solve problems, unlock insights and drive discovery. Tektronix has been at the forefront of the digital age for over 70 years. Join us on the journey of innovation at TEK.COM.

Tektronix is a registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

SOURCE Tektronix, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.tektronix.com


Mr. Nopparat Maythaveekulchai, President of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau said, TCEB's road show in Japan this year underlines the partnership between Thailand and Japan to celebrate the 130th Anniversary of the Diplomatic Relations, and the 10 years of successful journey of Thailand -Japan MICE industry's ties.

"The flourishing ties between the two countries are symbolised by the close relationship between the Imperial Family of Japan and the Royal Family of Thailand. The bilateral ties have been strengthening over the centuries by the collaboration at all levels. For the MICE industry ties, our partnership with Japan's MICE industry has made a substantive progress over the past decade. We shared the vision and values in driving the development of the MICE industries for the mutual benefit of both countries."

Starting a new decade of the partnership, the bureau reinforces activities to connect Thailand to stakeholders in Japan's MICE industry. Throughout this year, TCEB's marketing activities in Japan will be implemented under the new Thailand brand campaign, entitled "Thailand CONNECT: Your Vibrant Journey to Business Success". The campaign showcases the legacy of three fundamental pillars of Thailand's MICE industry which are Diverse Destinations, Myriad Business Opportunities, and the People of Thailand.

Under the campaign umbrella, the bureau will implement 4 tailor-designed strategies: CONNECT Industry, CONNECT Partner, J Marketing, and J CONNECT Promos, to drive the activities in the market.

TCEB's CONNECT Industry strategy adopts the principle of Thai government economic model, Thailand 4.0, to identify new markets in 5 key future industries, Food & Agriculture; Logistic & Automotive; Digital Technology & Telecommunication; Health & Medical; Creative & Culture. The CONNECT Partner strategy places the focus on the collaboration with the Japanese government agencies and the private sector. The J Marketing strategy features series of marketing activities to encourage corporate, association, organisers and key decision makers to choose Thailand as the ideal destination for the business events. Meanwhile, the J CONNECT Promos* highlight incentive schemes for MICE events and Festivals, giving the in kind and in cash support with the financial subsidy up to 2 million baht (JPY 6,400,000*) for the eligible events. (*Remark: For more information on promotional campaign, please see fact sheet number 1 on promotional campaign.)

During the past ten years, Thailand welcomed 8.5 million international business events travellers, which generated 782,594 million baht (JPY 2,504,300 million*) in revenue for the country. Of those travellers, 4.9 per cent or 417,000 travellers were from Japan and generated revenue of 34,788 million baht (JPY 111,321 million*). The MICE travellers from Japan have been ranking in the Top Ten of Thailand's international MICE market, and in the Top Five of the Asia market.

"In this year, the bureau expects that the business event travellers from Japan will enjoy the growth at the rate of 5 per cent. In over all, we target 1.1 million International business events travellers, with the projected revenue at 101,000 million baht (JPY 323,200 million*). Highlights of MICE events that will be taking place in Thailand are such as Nan-Shan Life Insurance in February and March; The 8th International Congress of Asia Pacific Society of Infection Control 2017 in February; Organo Unite Asia Convention in March; the 30th IATA Ground Handling Conference in May; Thailand International Truck Show 2017 in June; Manufacturing Expo 2017 in June; The 2017 PCMA Global Professionals Conference in August; and more," concluded Mr. Nopparat Maythaveekulchai.

TCEB's Japan road show featured a platform for MICE suppliers from Thailand to showcase their premium products and services to more than 200 Japan-based MICE planners. Activities include seminars, business matching, convention and table top session, press conference, and dinner reception. At this year's road show, TCEB also supported the MoU signing between the Thai Exhibition Association (TEA) and the Japan Exhibition Association (JEXA) to enhance a mutual support for the exhibition industry.

*Remarks: Approximate Amount, Exchange Rates: 1 THB = 3.2 JPY

For more information please contact:

Corporate Communications Division, Marketing and Corporate Image Department Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (Public Organisation)

Ms Arisara Thanuplang Tel: + 662 694 6095 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]

SOURCE Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)

Related Links

http://www.tceb.or.th


KINGSTON, N.J., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Parkinson Alliance announced today that the 23rd Parkinson's Unity Walk will be held on April 22, 2017 in New York City's Central Park. Thousands of participants including patients, caregivers, family, and friends, are expected to walk together in the largest grassroots fundraiser for Parkinson's disease research in the United States.

"Together, one day we will achieve our shared goal of ending Parkinson's disease. There have been advancements in research and therapies, and the Unity Walk is a way to raise funding for research and keep the progress going," explained Martin Tuchman, Chairman of The Parkinson Alliance.

Parkinson's disease is a chronic, degenerative, neurological disorder, affecting over one million people in the country. 60,000 new cases (one person every nine minutes) are diagnosed each year.

Carol Walton, Executive Director of the Parkinson's Unity Walk explains that, "Each person diagnosed with Parkinson's disease will have different symptoms and progression. It is important to be equipped with knowledge about the disease, tools to fight it, and the support of an entire community. Join us at the Unity Walk and you will have the opportunity to meet with Parkinson's organizations, healthcare experts, nationally recognized Parkinson's disease exercise programs, and movement disorders centers. Watch exercise demonstrations and visit the booths of sponsors to learn about current medical therapies."

Since the Unity Walk's inception in 1994, it has funded hundreds of research studies. Sponsors allow for every donation to go to Parkinson's research funded by six leading Parkinson's organizations: American Parkinson Disease Association, National Parkinson Foundation and Parkinson's Disease Foundation (divisions of the Parkinson's Foundation), The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, The Parkinson Alliance, and The Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center. Sponsors include Abbott, AbbVie, Acorda Therapeutics, CurePSP, GE Healthcare, Impax Laboratories, LSVT Global, Lundbeck, Medtronic, NeuroDerm, UCB, and US WorldMeds.

For information on registration or donations, visit our website: www.UnityWalk.org.

About The Parkinson Alliance

The Parkinson Alliance is a national non-profit organization, dedicated to raising funds to help finance the most promising research to find the cause of and cure for Parkinson's disease; and is the umbrella organization for the Parkinson's Unity Walk.

Contact

Helaine Isaacs

Event Director

Parkinson's Unity Walk

866-789-9255

[email protected]

SOURCE The Parkinson Alliance

Related Links

http://www.parkinsonalliance.org/


SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of San Francisco (USF) is pleased to announce that Alive & Free and its co-founder and executive director Dr. Joseph E. Marshall Jr. will be honored with the 2017 USF California Prize for Service and the Common Good. Dr. Marshall is the 9th recipient and the first USF graduate to be awarded this prestigious prize. Alive & Free will be celebrated at a gala dinner on April 27 on the USF campus.

Alive & Free, based in San Francisco, offers a supportive community to young people, empowering them to avoid peer pressure and situations that can lead to violence, incarceration, drug addiction or dropping out of school. Through a combination of structure and encouragement, Alive & Free sets up participants to be good citizens, build strong families, and attend college. To date, 218 young people from the program have graduated from college with funding support from the club's scholarship fund. Of these, more than 60 have earned graduate degrees.

"Dr. Joe Marshall's Jesuit education gave him the intellectual tools, the entrepreneurial drive, and the social conscience to create a whole new approach to saving and serving at-risk youth in our community," said USF President Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. "As an undergraduate at USF, Joe was a leader on campus for inclusion, social justice, and human equity. He has continued to develop these God-given talents as a highly respected change agent and civic leader. We are tremendously proud of him and grateful for his successful efforts to open pathways to success for hundreds of young people."

"It is quite an honor for both me and Alive & Free to be this year's recipient of the California Prize," said Marshall. "This year is the 30th anniversary of Alive & Free, which makes the recognition extra special. And to be the first USF alumnus to win the award, that's very humbling."

At the April 27 event, USF brings together champions of the common good from across California including philanthropists, civic dignitaries, and university leaders to honor the awardee. Proceeds from this year's gala benefit the university's African American Scholars Project, which enhances the scholarly community for African American students by creating new scholarships, increasing cultural engagement, and focusing on academic success and student leadership development at USF.

The USF California Prize is awarded for significant service to the poor or marginalized, and for groundbreaking achievements in pursuit of the common good. It comes with a $10,000 purse and a handcrafted medal. The California Prize is USF's way of rewarding, honoring, and celebrating the work of those who share the university's commitment to create a more humane, just, and sustainable world.

Now celebrating its 9th year, previous California Prize recipients are Salesforce.org, Salesforce's philanthropic foundation; The Chronicle Season of Sharing; the San Francisco Free Clinic, co-founded by Drs. Patricia Hellman Gibbs and Richard Gibbs; the San Francisco Giants; Daniel Lurie, founder of the Tipping Point Community; One PacificCoast Bank and Foundation, founded by Kat Taylor and Tom Steyer; Alice Waters, chef and champion of the sustainable food movement; and, Lynn Fritz, social entrepreneur.

About Alive & Free

Co-founded in 1987 by Joseph Marshall Jr., a middle school teacher, and Jack Jacqua, a middle school counselor, Alive & Free is a violence prevention program established at the Omega Boys Club, a nationally recognized youth development and violence prevention organization headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

Alive & Free's mission is to keep young people alive and free, unharmed by violence and free from incarceration. By providing young people with opportunity and support, the organization helps them build positive lives and become greater contributors to society. Learn more by visiting stayaliveandfree.org.

About the University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco is located in the heart of one of the world's most innovative and diverse cities and is home to a vibrant academic community of students and faculty who achieve excellence in their fields. Its diverse student body enjoys direct access to faculty, small classes, and outstanding opportunities in the city itself. USF is San Francisco's first university, and its Jesuit Catholic mission helps ignite a student's passion for social justice and a desire to "Change the World from Here." For more information, please visit usfca.edu.

SOURCE University of San Francisco

Related Links

http://www.usfca.edu


CHICAGO, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Congressman Danny K. Davis, D-Ill., will be the featured guest on the March 6, 2017 edition of Chicago Counterpoint TV. Fathers' rights attorney and advocate Jeffery M. Leving will host the live broadcast at 7:30 p.m. (CDT).

Congressman Davis represents the 7th Congressional District of Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives and is currently a member of several powerful Congressional Caucuses, including the Congressional Black Caucus and the Progressive Caucus. He has remained focused on issues concerning poverty, education, youth and criminal justice reform. Congressman Davis is a longtime supporter of the Fatherhood Educational Institute founded by attorney Leving.

Chicago Counterpoint TV is broadcast live on Channel 21 of Chicago Access Network Television (CAN-TV) and provides positive role models for fathers, as well as essential legal education to unwed dads, men in divorce and Chicago divorce lawyers seeking to expand their professional knowledge. It is an interactive television show with a potential viewing audience of over one million. Viewers may call in and ask questions at 312.738.1060. They can also stream the show live at http://cantv.org/live and participate in discussions on the Fatherhood Educational Institute (FEI) website (www.fatherhood-edu.org) and Facebook.

About Jeffery Leving  Attorney Jeffery M. Leving has been named one of "America's Best Lawyers" by Forbes Radio and is the country's leading authority on fathers' rights. He is a pioneer in fathers' rights and has dedicated more than 30 years to strengthening healthy families and improving outcomes for children. He founded the Fatherhood Educational Institute , which provides critical parenting skills to fathers and seeks to eliminate father absence. Leving's latest book, How to be a Good Divorced Dad, received praise from President Barack Obama, and was endorsed by the late Cardinal Francis George.

CONTACT: Jennifer Whiteside

312.296.3666

[email protected]

SOURCE Fatherhood Educational Institute

Related Links

http://www.fatherhood-edu.org


LEXINGTON, Ky., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Valvoline (NYSE: VVV)  the petroleum industry's first U.S. trademarked motor oil brand  today made the debut of its "Never Idle" ad campaign, a series that highlights the never-settling spirit and get-it-done attitude that are not only hallmarks of Valvoline's consumers and customers, but are also deeply rooted at the core of the company's DNA.

"Motor oil is more than just science. It is about the drive of the people behind that science that makes a difference," said Heidi Matheys, Valvoline's chief marketing officer. "We wanted our advertising to capture the passion and drive we all feel when we pour our hearts into making something better."

The campaign, created by Birmingham-based independent Big, draws the parallels between the raw potential of running engines and unrelenting energy of driven people. Original recordings from notable speakers and philosophers provide thought-provoking inspirational narratives delivered across a series of commercials.

"We wanted 'Never Idle' to be exceedingly human and to connect with our consumers and customers in a way that went much deeper than just science and chemistry alone," said Jamal Muashsher, Valvoline vice president of marketing. "Our commitment to innovation and hands-on expertise is why Valvoline has thrived for more than 150 years."

"The clock is ticking on everyone, and what we do with our time and how we choose to spend it is precious," said Ford Wiles, chief creative officer at Big. "But people who are never idle maximize it. Valvoline isn't just for those people  they are those people."

The campaign will launch today on ESPN. For more information or to view the spots, please visit NeverIdle.com.

About Valvoline

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) is a leading worldwide producer and distributor of premium branded automotive, commercial and industrial lubricants, and automotive chemicals. In 2016, it ranked as the #2 quick-lube chain by number of stores and #3 passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market by volume in the United States. The brand operates and franchises more than 1,070 Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeSM centers in the United States. It also markets Valvoline lubricants and automotive chemicals; MaxLife lubricants created for higher-mileage engines, SynPower synthetic motor oil; and Zerex antifreeze. Visit www.valvoline.com to learn more.

About Big

Big is a Birmingham-based, full-service digital communications firm, specializing in creative, content marketing, public relations, media strategy, and brand strategy. For more information about Big, visit www.bigcom.com.

 Trademark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries.

SM Service mark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries.

SOURCE Valvoline

Related Links

http://www.valvoline.com


AUSTIN, Texas, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today's fast-paced, rapidly expanding cybersecurity industry requires a highly skilled, educated workforce. How Texas and the U.S. responds to the increasing demand for these specialized workers is the topic of a South by Southwest (SXSW) panel that features WGU Texas' Chancellor Veronica Vargas Stidvent.

The panel, "Cyberhunters for Business: New Battle for Veterans," brings Stidvent together with Elizabeth Hyman of CompTIA, Belinda Matingou of Texas Association of Business, and Nigel LeBlanc of Cyberwarrior Network to talk about the unique role veterans can play in addressing the workforce shortages in many IT fields.

"As cyber threats and security breaches increase, the demand for highly-skilled cybersecurity experts will continue to expand," said Chancellor Stidvent. "The unemployment rate in the cybersecurity sector is -6 percent, leading to a severe talent shortage. And, WGU Texas is uniquely positioned to help educate and develop top talent."

The talent shortage in cybersecurity combined with the estimated impact of this high-tech form of criminal activity totaling $445 billion to the global economy means Texas and the U.S. should look for ways to put specialized higher education within reach of more students.

Added Stidvent, "Our best hope for meeting the needs of this key sector is to look to our veterans and non-traditional students and arm them with the degrees and training that lead to successful careers on the front lines of protecting our data, finances, and security."

WGU Texas emphasizes the non-profit university's long-running collaboration among business, educators, public policy makers and the veteran community in developing degree programs in high demand fields.

The university's College of Information Technology recently launched the M.S. in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance degree program. Developed in collaboration with industry and policy experts, WGU Texas' M.S. in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance offers coursework that aligns with the latest standards from national security organizations, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the National Security Agency (NSA).

In addition to the M.S. in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, WGU Texas offers seven bachelor's degrees in IT-related study areas and three additional graduate degrees in IT.

"Like all WGU Texas programs, the IT undergraduate and graduate programs are competency-based, and the university continues to earn national acclaim as military-friendly," Stidvent said.

Ideal for busy information technology professionals, competency-based education allows students to study and learn on their own schedules and at their own pace. With one-on-one faculty support tailored to their individual needs, students complete courses and advance as soon as they can demonstrate mastery of subject matter. As a result, many students are able to accelerate their progress and complete their degrees faster, saving both time and money. WGU Texas' terms are six months long, and students may enroll on the first of any month, completing as many courses as they are able for a flat-rate tuition of about $3,000 per term.

Learn more at http://texas.wgu.edu.

About WGU Texas

WGU Texas is an online, nonprofit, competency-based university established to expand Texans' access to higher education throughout the state. Formed through a partnership between the state of Texas and nationally-recognized Western Governors University, WGU Texas is open to all qualified Texas residents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the high-demand career fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).*

Learn more at texas.wgu.edu or call 1-877-214-7011.

*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, 202-887-6791).

Follow WGU Texas:

http://www.facebook.com/WGUTexas

http://www.linkedin.com/companies/western-governors-university

http://twitter.com/wgutexas

Contact for media inquiries:

Kathy Koza, PR Manager

512.225.6644 or 214.674.8057 (c)

[email protected]

Contact for enrollment information:

877.214.7011

texas.wgu.edu

SOURCE WGU Texas

Related Links

http://texas.wgu.edu


YIWU, China, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Yosen Group, Inc. (stock symbol: YOSN) ("Yosen", or "the Company") today announced to have added a new business model: "whole store franchising". The first franchised store managed by Yosen, Haigohuge, located at Shushan District of Hefei city, Anhui Province in Eastern China, has opened for business. With the "whole store franchising" model, Yosen provides not only the global quality products of over 10,000 kinds offline and over 5,000 kinds online through its Lamapai cross-border B2C+O2O global shopping platform, but also Yosen's operational management to the franchised store, including products overseas purchasing, distribution logistics, store design, and brand marketing.

Haigohuge is the first cooperative partner to build a whole franchised store under Yosen's model. Yosen led series of store opening preparations, from location selection, layout design, store renovation to products sourcing and training. With this Yosen successfully secured RMB 1.3 million worth of orders to supply products initially and anticipates orders exceeding RMB 10 million from Haigohuge over the next one year or so.

The Chairman of Haigohuge Mr. Xiao Chen commented: "the cooperation with Yosen made it easier for us to build our O2O business model with an experience center plus an online shopping platform, which allows us to provide the boarderless shopping experience for our customers. Yosen's abundant merchandising resources and professional marketing operation enabled the successful opening of Haigohuge. The cooperation with Yosen is very promising."

"The success of Haigohuge has validated that Yosen's extensive operational management capability has stepped up to a new level. We not only helped Haigohuge successfully launch their new online offiline retail business model, but also brought in future trend of retail stores such as kitchen experiencing area, seafood tasting section, and bar. It is a true demonstration of our whole store franchising practice," said Yosen's CEO Mr. Zhenggang Wang.

About Haigohuge

Haigohuge import goods supermarket is located at the central area of Hefei city, Anhui Province, occupying an area of 4,000 square meters (around 43,056 square feet). With an investment of over RMB 50 million, Haigohuge aims to be the largest high quality import goods supermarket in Anhui Province, including retail, wholesale, franchising, and O2O cross-border shopping, providing global quality import products to consumers.

About Yosen Group, Inc.

Yosen Group, Inc. ("Yosen Group", or "Yosen") was founded in Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province, in 1997. Yosen Group, through its corporate headquarters in China and its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, is committed to building cross-border sales channels for bringing the world's best consumer products to China and, simultaneously, introducing China's most competitive products to the overseas markets. Yosen Group is China Commodity City Group's exclusive partner in the Greater New York area. The Company operates under the "Yosen" and "Yong Xin" brand names.

For more information, visit http://www.yosn.com/.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this press release, constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's future performance. The Company has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. The Company undertakes no duty to update these forward-looking statements except as required by law.

For more information, please contact:

Xiaochun Yang

Tel: +86-571-2888-8036

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Yosen Group, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.china3cgroup.com


Paris, March 6 : Beleaguered French politician Francois Fillon on Sunday declared "no one can stop" his bid for the presidency after a mass rally attended by thousands in Paris.

The centre-right candidate insisted he would not be standing down during an interview on French television, despite growing calls for him to quit the race, BBC reported.

Fillon,63, faces a criminal investigation over payments made to family members. He suffered a severe setback this week after The Republicans party senior chiefs suspended their support for his bid and are mulling a Plan B in which the moderate conservative Alain Juppe is well placed to represent the right-wing party in the upcoming presidential election.

Juppe has announced he will be making a statement on Monday.

Fillon had earlier told tens of thousands of supporters he would be cleared over allegations he had paid his family for work they did not do.

These allegations have resulted in Fillon's popularity slipping in opinion polls, and Sunday's rally was seen as a crucial test, with senior figures in his party said to be eyeing up a replacement.

Just before the rally Christian Estrosi, a close ally of former President Nicolas Sarkozy, told BFMTV that senior Republicans would propose an alternative candidate in the coming hours.

However, he said it was important "not to humiliate" Fillon and allow him a "dignified" way out.

The Republican party will hold crisis talks on the candidacy on Monday.

But Fillon was in a defiant mood during in an interview on French television network France 2 on Sunday evening.

"No one today can stop me being a candidate," BBC quoted him as saying.

He said he was "not autistic" and was able to listen to criticism and understand the difficulties his campaign faced.

However, he rejected the idea of being replaced by Juppe, his rival in the primaries last year.

"If they had wanted Alain Juppe's project, then they would have voted for Alain Juppe in that election," Fillon said.

"No one has the power to force me to withdraw... It is not the party that will decide. It's not regional presidents or former primary candidates who will make the decision for me," Xinhua news agency quoted Fillon as saying on France 2.

"It's not behind the scenes that things will happen, but before the French," he added.

A Kantar Sofres-Onepoint poll released on Sunday continued to show Fillon losing his bet to overturn sliding popularity in the wake of "PenelopeGate". It showed that the former Prime Minister is set to collect 17 per cent of the vote, down by 3 percentage points from a previous survey.

Fillon, once the favourite to win the election, has been under fire since a French satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine, on January 25, reported that he had paid his wife and two of his five children about one million euros ($1.062 million) for their jobs as parliamentary assistants. However, there was no evidence showing that Fillon's wife had really worked.

He will appear before investigation magistrates on March 15, put under formal investigation.
Seoul/Tokyo, March 6 : North Korea on Monday morning launched four ballistic missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan, according to the Government of Japan.

According to Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga, three of the four projectiles landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), an area that reaches to some 370 kilometres from the coast of Japan, EFE news reported.

The launch was conducted at 7.36 a.m. local time (22.36 GMT Sunday) from the Tongchang-ri region on the northwest coast of North Korea towards the East Sea, as the Sea of Japan is known in Korea, Yonhap news agency quoted sources from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
Seoul, March 6 : North Korea test-fired four ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan on Monday, in what Japan's leader described as "an extremely dangerous action", the media reported.

Military in South Korea, Japan and the US all confirmed the launch of four projectiles, which one US official said were intermediate range missiles, CNN reported.

Three of the four missiles landed in its Special Economic Zone (EEZ) - an area stretching some 370 km from the coastline of northern Akita prefecture, Japanese Prime Minister told parliament on Monday.

"The latest launches of ballistic missiles clearly demonstrate evidence of a new threat from North Korea," Efe news reported citing Abe as saying.

"These acts a very serious provocation" to Japan's security."

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the four projectiles were launched from an area near North Korea's Dongchang-ri long-range missile site at 7.36 a.m., and flew about 1,000 km, Yonhap News Agency reported.

"We estimate the North fired four ballistic missiles. We are conducting an analysis (with the US) on the missiles to determine their type and other specifications. It will take a while before we can come up with a final analysis (based on American satellite data)," the statement said.

Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn convened a National Security Council meeting after the launches.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the incident and warned that the North would face consequences from its continued provocations and pursuit of nuclear and missile programs in defiance of the world's increasing pressure.

Following the launch, the US has reaffirmed its commitment to defend itself and allies South Korea and Japan, by using the "full range of capabilities at our disposal".

"The US strongly condemns North Korea's ballistic missile launches, which violate UN Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology," State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner said.

Toner said the US "calls on all countries to use every available channel and means of influence to make clear to the North and its enablers that further provocations are unacceptable, and take steps to show there are consequences to its unlawful conduct."

The latest provocation comes a day after the US said it may consider redeploying a tactical nuclear weapon in South Korea as a deterrent against growing nuclear and missile threats posed by the rogue regime.

On Friday, Pyongyang threatened to conduct more missile firings in response to the two-month-long Foal Eagle exercise between Seoul and Washington, which lasts through April.

In its latest provocations, Pyongyang launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile into the East Sea on February 12 to boast its military readiness and test the response from the new Donald Trump administration.

It was the first test-firing of a North Korean missile since Donald Trump became the American president on January 20.
Seoul, March 6 : South Korean President Park Geun-hye's lawyers and allies reacted angrily on Monday to the independent prosecution's final report on its 70-day investigation which reaffirmed her as a suspect in multiple corruption cases.

Independent counsel Park Young-soo's team announced the results of its probe into the massive presidential scandal, claiming Park is a suspected accomplice to her friend Choi Soon-sil in taking bribes from Samsung Group's de facto leader Lee Jae-yong.

The investigators also linked her to an allegedly illegal blacklisting of cultural figures, Yonhap news agency reported.

Her lawyer Yoo Yeong-ha rebutted all the allegations and denounced the special prosecutors as "politically biased".

In a statement released immediately after the probe team's final press briefing, he said the independent counsel announced the probe result belatedly, "only to influence the impeachment trial on the President".

The independent counsel team finished the probe last Tuesday.

Park is awaiting the Constitutional Court's decision on her impeachment after Parliament voted to oust her in December.

The ruling Liberty Korea Party also said it is worried about the probe team's announcement "based on biased public opinion".

Independent counsel Park earlier said the delay of the announcement of the results was due to time constraints.

"The decision not to extend the investigation period came just one day before it expired," he said.

The President's lawyer Yoo said Park has no knowledge of a contract between Samsung and Choi and that she was not involved in creating or managing the alleged blacklist.

"The independent counsel's claim (on Park's bribery allegations) is not worth consideration and is a fiction totally, far from factual relations," Yoo said in the statement.
Chennai, March 6 : The Tamil Nadu government on Monday made public records of Apollo Hospitals here and AIIMS in New Delhi to show that Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa got the best medical treatment till she died.

"Certain insinuations have been made that administration of wrong drugs over a period of time prior to hospitalisation had led to health complications for the late Chief Minister," J. Radhakrishnan, Principal Secretary in the Health and Family Welfare Department said in a statement here.

He said in order to put to rest needless speculation vis-a-vis her hospitalisation, treatment and death, the government decided to make public the discharge summary received from Apollo Hospitals and the medical reports from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Earlier in the day, the AIIMS handed over its documents related to Jayalalithaa to the Tamil Nadu government.

Jayalalithaa died at the Apollo Hospitals on December 5 after 75 days of being admitted with multiple complications.

The statement said an Apollo Hospital ambulance found that Jayalalithaa was breathless with low oxygen saturation resulting in drowsiness at about 10 p.m. on September 22.

She was admitted to Apollo and diagnosed to be suffering from infection and dehydration, accompanied by respiratory distress.

"There were pre-existing co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, asthmatic bronchitis and hypothyroidism, but clearly the treatment report of Apollo Hospitals as well as of AIIMS do not mention any evidence of trauma or any other event as alleged by certain political leaders," said Radhakrishnan.

These allegations surface amid a major row that led to a split in the AIADMK, with supporters of former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam alleging foul play leading to Jayalalithaa's death.

AIADMK leader and former Speaker P.H. Pandian had alleged that Jayalalithaa was pushed down at her residence and demanded a probe in the circumstances leading to her hospitalisation.

According to Radhakrishnan, while in hospital, Jayalalithaa responded well to the multi-disciplinary care in the Critical Care Unit.

"(She) interacted with family and government officials on some important issues including the Cauvery issue," he said.

Radhakrishnan said Jayalalithaa's clinical course deteriorated later and subsequently recovered substantially for her to resume taking food orally.

Jayalalithaa was then shifted from the Critical Care Unit to the High Dependency Unit where her health and vitals continued to improve under the close monitoring by experts, he said.

All this was brought out in the reports of the AIIMS teams which visited Chennai in October and December.

He said the AIIMS reports have "consistently concurred" with the line of treatment provided at Apollo.

Radhakrishnan said Jayalalithaa suffered a massive cardiac arrest on the evening of December 4.

She was administered resuscitation and provided Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support within the hour.

"Every possible clinical attempt was made to sustain her revival as per prescribed medical protocols.

"A team of doctors, including experts from Apollo and AIIMS, assessed the situation.

"It was clinically concluded that there was no heart function and there was also no neurological improvement denoting futility of life support," Radhakrishnan said.

Hence, after following all procedures, the position was conveyed to senior ministers and then Chief Minister Panneerselvam, Health Minister Vijayabhaskar and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha M. Thambidurai as well as her confidante V.K. Sasikala.

"All of them understood the situation and asked the medical team to act as per the standard protocol. "The Chief Minister passed away at 11.30 p.m. on 5.12.2016."
Chandigarh, March 6 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday told the state assembly that his government is contemplating granting pension to the spouse of its deceased women employees from next year.

Khattar gave the information while replying to a question raised by legislator Ravinder Macchrouli.

Till now, only widows of state government employees were eligible for pension on the death of their husbands.
Islamabad, March 6 : Islamabad authorities on Monday decided to open the Pakistan-Afghan border crossings for two days to facilitate nationals of both the countries to return home.

"In order to provide an opportunity to those nationals of Afghanistan who had come to Pakistan on valid visas, and wish to return to their country, the government of Pakistan has decided to open the border crossings at Torkham and Chaman on March 7 and 8," the Foreign Office said.

The crossing points will also be opened for those Pakistani nationals who went to Afghanistan on valid visas and wish to return to the country, it said.

The announcement came following numerous requests by the Afghan authorities to reopen the border, saying it was creating a humanitarian crisis.

The crossing points were sealed after a series of bomb blasts and suicide attacks rocked the country, killing over 100 people last month. Pakistan accused Afghanistan of harbouring the militants who carried out the attacks.

The decision was conveyed by the Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz to the Afghan Ambassador by telephone. "All concerned at the two crossing points have also been informed," the statement said.
Ahmedabad, March 6 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will officially kick-start its campaign for the Gujarat assembly elections -- slated to be held in December -- with an 'azadi' rally by party supremo Arvind Kejriwal in state capital Gandhinagar on March 26.

AAP leader Gopal Rai, in charge of the party's poll organisatijon in Gujarat, said on Monday that the party will organise 'azadi' rallies in all 182 constituencies from March 16, which will culminate with the March 26 rally.

The party has already announced it will contest all 182 assembly seats in Gujarat.

The Delhi Chief Minister will formally launch the party's campaign, Rai said. "We want the people to be free of the fear of (BJP President) Amit Shah's gang and that of the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Gujarat," he added.

He said party volunteers will collect memorandums from all constituencies during their rallies and present them to Kejriwal in Gandhinagar.

"Earlier, we were to submit these to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, but looking at the ruling party's stance vis-a-vis farmers, women's safety and other issues, we have decided to boycott the Chief Minister. These memorandums will now be submitted to Kejriwal with a request to make them a part of the AAP manifesto," Rai said.

The AAP on Monday also announced the return of suspended former convener Sukhdev Patel to the party as a member of the manifesto draft committee.

An education activist and AAP member since its formation at the national level, Patel was made party convener for Gujarat but was later suspended for three years in 2015. This led to departure of several prominent rights activists of Gujarat from the AAP.

"The past is behind us. Sukhdev Bhai may not have been part of our organisation but has always been ideologically with us," Rai said.
Turin (Italy), March 6 : Aa 51-year-old convicted stalker in Italy's northwestern city of Turin was arrested on Monday after he bombarded his former girlfriend with thousands of phone-calls and text messages for months and threatened to kill her, police said.

The man allegedly slapped and punched his ex-girlfriend on December 31, 2015 after forcing her to go out for dinner with him and threatened to kill her "sooner or later" if she didn't go back to him.

He had previously threatened and intimidated the woman outside her home and on December 26, 2015 had punctured the tyres of her car because she refused to spend Christmas with him.

The man also set fire to a clothing boutique belonging to one of his ex-girlfriend's female friends, according to prosecutors.
Jerusalem, March 7 : The President of the United States called the Israeli Prime Minister on Monday to discuss matters related to Iran, as well as a recent wave of anti-Semitism in the US, according to the Prime Minister's office.

A brief readout of the conversation, provided by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, said that he and Donald Trump spoke about Iran's nuclear ambitions and the need to work together, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The PM thanked POTUS again for his warm hospitality during his recent visit to Washington," read the statement.

It added that Netanyahu "expressed appreciation for the President's strong statement against anti-Semitism during his speech before Congress last week".

Trump had said in his speech that threats targeting Jewish community centres and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries "remind us that while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms".

The statement said that both leaders spoke at length about the "dangers" posed by the nuclear deal with Iran and by the latter's "malevolent behaviour" in the region.

It concluded by saying that Netanyahu and Trump also discussed the "need to work together to counter those dangers".
Gov. Terry Branstad said once he is confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to China, he hopes to help President Donald Trumps administration advocate for trade deals and other policies that are better for the U.S. than those currently in place, but also remain beneficial to China.

The best deal is a win-win, which would be better for America but also good for China, Branstad said. My goal is to try to be the go-between between the two strong leaders ... and hopefully working out some of these difficult issues.

The U.S. exported nearly $116 billion in trade goods to China in 2016, according to federal data, and Iowa exported $2.3 billion worth of goods to China in 2015, according to the US-China Trade Council. Some business leaders are concerned President Trumps calls for renegotiated trade deals could lead to a trade war that could adversely impact Iowa ag producers and businesses.

Public input sought

State officials are seeking ideas from Iowa citizens on how best to utilize $21 million the state will receive over the next 10 years as part of a federal settlements with German automaker Volkswagen. Iowa is in line to receive money flowing through environmental mitigation trust funds that is set aside specifically for projects that reduce emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx). Iowa Department of Transportation Director Mark Lowe joined Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds at their regular Monday press conference to invite Iowans to provide their suggestions on how the funds should be spent.

Iowa has developed a new website (iowadot.gov/vwsettlement) to provide information about the settlement and collect input on how the state should plan for using the mitigation funds. According to federal officials, the settlements resolve allegations that Volkswagen violated the Clean Air Act by the sale of about 590,000 model year 2009 to 2016 diesel motor vehicles equipped with defeat devices in the form of computer software designed to cheat on federal emissions tests.

The settlement provides for an array of eligible projects that could benefit Iowa. We are asking Iowans for their input on the types of projects they believe will achieve the greatest long-term impact, Branstad said.

The public comment period will be open until April 14. Once all public comments have been collected, a working group comprised of officials from several state agencies and coordinated by the Iowa Department of Transportation will develop a mitigation plan that will be submitted to the VW settlement trustee, according to state officials.

Branstad defends RFS provisions

Gov. Terry Branstad gave assurances Monday that federal Renewable Fuels Standard procedures would not be changed by the new Trump administration.

Reports surfaced last week that efforts were underway to change some biofuel policies that were being pushed by influential oil refinery officials, but Branstad flatly told his Monday news conference its not going to happen based on assurances he had received from a lot of people  including his son, Eric, who directed Trumps presidential campaign in Iowa and now serves as a White House liaison in the U.S. Commerce Department.

I know the rumors and I know who is involved in it and I can tell you theyre not true, the Iowa governor said in discussing an effort to shift ethanol blending requirements from distributors to retailers  a change he called impractical that was shot down real quick.

Building support

Members of the Iowa chapter of the American Institute of Architects set up shop Monday in the first-floor rotunda at the state Capitol in hopes of bending lawmakers ears as part of Design Professionals Day on the Hill. AIA members focused on issues pertinent to the architecture profession including three major principles to enhance Iowas vitality and viability: licensure titling, statue of repose, and alternative project delivery.

AIA members pressed the point that Iowa has the longest statute of repose for architects of any state at 15 years. They say the standard is too lengthy, given that owners change uses, conduct maintenance or create uses not contemplated causing problems for which the architect has no control. AIA Iowa supports legislation that would reduce Iowas statute of repose from 15 years to eight years for commercial and residential construction.
Specific Heat Capacity of Polystyrene DSC is often chosen for the determination of this thermal property because, when properly applied, it can deliver high accuracy in a relatively short time period.

METTLER TOLEDO is pleased to present a new on-demand webinar entitled Specific Heat Capacity Determination. The webinar details the basics of specific heat capacity, how DSC is used to determine this important temperature-dependent property, and offers tips and tricks for obtaining reliable results.

Knowledge of a material's specific heat capacity is critical when determining its suitability for different applications and environments, including the safety analysis of chemical reactors and reactor design. DSC is often chosen for the determination of this thermal property because, when properly applied, it can deliver high accuracy in a relatively short time period. Samples are also easy to prepare and equipment is readily available.

The free presentation covers the advantages and disadvantages of six different specific heat capacity determination methods, including direct, sapphire, IsoStep, and steady-state. The webinar also explains how to deal with so-called non-reversing effects that can superimpose themselves on a specific heat curve.

The English-language presentation launches the leading lab technology companys year-long materials characterization series. Future installments will include topics such as dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), glass transition point, and thermoplastics.

Register for this free webinar to learn more about how DSC is successfully used for Specific Heat Capacity Determination.

About METTLER TOLEDO

METTLER TOLEDO is a leading global manufacturer of precision instruments. The Company is the worlds largest manufacturer and marketer of weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial and food retailing applications. The Company also holds top-three market positions for several related analytical instruments and is a leading provider of automated chemistry systems used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development. In addition, the Company is the worlds largest manufacturer and marketer of metal detection systems used in production and packaging. Additional information about METTLER TOLEDO can be found at http://www.mt.com.
St. Camillus Center for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Contributing toward the education of the students at St. Camillus is a natural extension of what we do, OLeary said. The center shares our vision of building strong and healthy communities in which our future leaders will thrive.

Three teenage girls in Africa are now enrolled in school thanks to a contribution from eSchoolView.

The girls  13, 14 and 16  are now attending classes in Mohales Hoek, Lesotho, a mountainous country encircled by South Africa in the most southeastern region of the continent. The donation was made to St. Camillus Center for Orphans and Vulnerable Children for the second consecutive year.

Executive Director Rob OLeary was eager to continue the support. eSchoolView, which creates tailor-made websites for schools across the country on its content management system and develops other educational management software, is deeply committed to helping students and schools in need.

We pour our hearts and souls into education because we believe in its power, he said. We are staunch advocates of investing in relationships, investing in communities faced with need and, in turn, investing in the strength of our future.

The money will provide educational funds for Nteboheleng, 13, and sisters Malimpho, 14, and Makaliseng, 16. Malimpho and Makalisengs dropped out of school when their parents died last June; Ntebohelengs father is also deceased and her mother, who has three other children, is unable to pay for her daughter's education.

St. Camillus provides shelter, nutrition and schooling to orphans and vulnerable children as part of its mission to keep the areas children healthy, educated and protected from abuse. It also offers support to people in community living with HIV/AIDS and other at-risk groups as they work to achieve independent and productive lives.

The donation from eSchoolView will pay for school fees, books, clothing, and other mandatory supplies for enrollment. The total for high school per year is about $400 per student and $200 for grade school.

Contributing toward the education of the students at St. Camillus is a natural extension of what we do, OLeary said. The center shares our vision of building strong and healthy communities in which our future leaders will thrive.



eSchoolView was created in 2008. Named one of 50 Most Promising Education Tech Solution Providers, its award-winning products and sites consistently receive national praise.
I look forward to working with a team that understands the importance of balancing rapid technological innovation with a focus on top-level service to develop industry-leading solutions.

iWorkGlobal, an industry leader in global employment services, today announced the appointment of Melissa Oliva as senior vice president of client solutions. In this role, Melissa will oversee all operations for the company, guiding the iWorkGlobal teams efforts to provide an unrivaled premium service experience to clients.

iWorkGlobal has always been known for our focus on exceptional service, said Jeff Phelps, chief executive officer of iWorkGlobal. Melissas addition to the team will hone that focus even more. I am very pleased to welcome her to our quickly growing team.

Melissa has a proven record of successfully overseeing teams specializing in compliance, risk management, and global business services. She brings a wealth of experience and perspective to proactively develop, adapt, and implement new process and services to continue to enhance the iWorkGlobal client experience.

Joining the iWorkGlobal team appealed to me because of the companys entrepreneurial spirit, said Melissa. I look forward to working with a team that understands the importance of balancing rapid technological innovation with a focus on top-level service to develop industry-leading solutions.

With the addition of Melissa, iWorkGlobal continues the expansion of both its team and its reach. The company recently launched their MyVista platform to enable clients to obtain a more insightful, connected and holistic view of their global workforce. With rapidly accelerating demand for iWorkGlobals services due to an environment of constantly changing global employment rules and regulations, the company continues to lead the industry in connecting employers to the world of opportunity and opportunities throughout the world.

About iWorkGlobal

iWorkGlobal makes expanding internationally simple and safe by providing one-of-a-kind, employer-of-record solutions, freelancer classification assessment, and payroll services in over 160 countries. Through our international network of best-in-class partners, we bring you in-market expertise and guidance everywhere you need your workforce to be. To learn more about how our technology-enabled, high-touch services will help you mitigate risk, control costs, and cut through the red tape surrounding global expansion, visit http://www.iworkglobal.com.
INGUARD, an Indiana-based insurance and risk management firm, has opened a state-of-the-art co-working and collaboration space for entrepreneurs in its downtown Wabash, Indiana headquarters.

The space hosts entrepreneurs, changemakers and students building the next big ideas in technology, insurance and business.

This space is unlike anything local entrepreneurs have seen, says Parker Beauchamp, INGUARD CEO. We bring a slice of Silicon Valley, complete with tech and mentorship, right here to Wabash and Northeast Indiana.

Manchester University and the Economic Development Group of Wabash County are strategic partners in the effort, contributing invaluable expertise, time and energy to help the spaces members accelerate their ventures.

The space features a stunning modern design, decor engineered to spark creativity and the perfect layout to get ambitious entrepreneurs in the zone. Co-working space members enjoy access to mentors from Manchesters faculty, formal entrepreneurship classes taught by local businesspeople and informal lunch-and-learns with inspiring individuals.

We just hosted Manchester University professor Joe Messers entrepreneurship class, which helped launch several startups in 2016 alone, Beauchamp says. The co-working space is somewhere that entrepreneurs and students can meet, collaborate and accelerate their ideas.

Members receive 24/7 access to the space, so they can work any time of day or night when inspiration strikes. The space, which holds 30-40 people, is free to join.

The co-working space is just the beginning of a larger economic revitalization effort. Beauchamp sees the space becoming a fully functional incubator and accelerator that connects startups with investors. Programs include a speaker series, additional local and national business partnerships, and fellowships granted to promising student founders.

Wabash has always been a city of self-starters and makers, says Beauchamp. Its the perfect place for a co-working space that accelerates big ideas, big dreams and big economic wins.

INGUARD co-working space membership is open to people of any age with a big idea. Engage here: http://www.inguard.com/innovate

About INGUARD

INGUARD is an insurance and risk management firm located at 231 W. Canal Street, Wabash, Indiana. The firm is licensed in all 50 states, providing them with the opportunity to offer unparalleled consulting and risk management services and products since 1870. With over 140 years experience and specialized consultants, INGUARD has provided custom insurance programs for thousands of clients.
MASON CITY | A woman who was injured when the motorcycle she was riding was hit by a drunk driver in Mason City has sued the Willow Run Lounge for allegedly serving alcohol to the driver before the accident.

Nicole L. Sharaff, 42, a former Mason City resident now living in West Des Moines, was a passenger on a motorcycle operated by Jefferson Davis Sr. on Nov. 22, 2014.

Motorcycle victims identified MASON CITY | Police have released the names of the victims of Saturday afternoon's fatal mo

The lawsuit states Davis was entering the intersection at Highway 122 and South Pierce Avenue when Victor Rivera, 49, Mason City, failed to yield the right of way and pulled out in front of the motorcycle, causing the crash.

Davis, 43, Mason City, was killed.

Rivera admitted to having six or seven beers in the hours before the accident, according to court documents.

He repeatedly refused to submit to testing to determine if he was intoxicated at the time of the accident, forcing officers to get a search warrant for a blood test. The test was completed at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in the hours following the accident.

Rivera later pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle and was sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.

Rivera sentenced for November 2014 motorcycle accident MASON CITY | The mother and daughter of motorcyclist Jefferson Davis talked about their pain

Sharaff's lawsuit alleges Willow Run in Mason City served Rivera alcohol before the accident to the point where staff knew or should have known Rivera was intoxicated or would become intoxicated.

Whitfield & Eddy Law of Des Moines, the firm representing Willow Run, denied this claim in court documents.

Sharaff, who claims the bar is liable for her injuries, is asking for an unspecified amount in damages for medical expenses, lost wages and future loss of earning capacity, loss of full function of mind and body, and physical and mental pain and suffering.

A jury trial is scheduled for May 8, 2018, in Cerro Gordo County District Court.
Will Wesch, Director of Admissions for Novus Medical Detox Center, advises employers on reducing the impact of out of labor work force Many doctors and patients gravitate to opioids as a quick fix, but medication often only treats the symptompainas opposed to the root cause.

Government reports reveal that over 11% of prime-age men have dropped out of the U.S. labor force,(1) and 40% of them say pain prevents them for working a full-time job.(2) Nearly half of those not in the labor force (NLF) take some type of pain medication, with a majority using prescription medication.(2) Novus Medical Detox Center, a leading Florida-based drug treatment facility, outlines steps employers can take to halt declining workforce participation rates and keep skilled prime-age Americans working.

Labor force participation among men aged 25 to 54 has steadily declined over the decades, falling from 96.7% in January 1948 to 88.6% in September 2016, which translates to roughly 7 million who are not employed and not looking for work.(1) Among them, 2 in 5 cite pain as the reason they are not working.(2) Between 44% and 47% of all prime-age NLF men admitted to taking pain medication the previous day, and nearly two-thirds of those who take medication use prescription painkillers.(2)

The fact that 1 in 10 prime-age men has dropped out of the labor force is a huge loss for American businesses, remarked Will Wesch, Director of Admissions for Novus Medical Detox Center. Its particularly concerning that so many rely on prescription opioid painkillers, even though the drugs are clearly ineffective at improving their condition to the point where they can return to work. In some cases, opioids may be to blame for labor-force dropouts, as they can exacerbate pain, compound existing problems and even lead to substance use disorders.

Researchers have concluded that opioids prolong chronic pain,(3) and Harvard Medical School cautions that long-term use of opioids comes with the risk of dependence, addiction, constipation, falls, confusion, slowed reaction time, slowed breathing and death.(4) Furthermore, the American College of Physicians recently issued new guidelines calling for noninvasive and nonpharmacologic treatment of lower back pain. For patients with chronic pain, they recommend nonpharmacologic treatment with exercise, multidisciplinary rehabilitation and other alternative treatments such as acupuncture, mindfulness-based stress reduction, tai chi, yoga, motor control exercise, progressive relaxation, electromyography biofeedback, low-level laser therapy, operant therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy or spinal manipulation.(5)

Many doctors and patients gravitate to opioids as a quick fix, but medication often only treats the symptompainas opposed to the root cause, explained Wesch. Physical therapy, spinal manipulation and similar treatments can produce better long-term outcomes without the risks and side effects of opioids. However, many patients never even consider these alternatives, either because theyre concerned the treatments may not be covered by their health insurance or because theyre worried about getting time off work for ongoing PT or chiropractor appointments.

Wesch encourages employers to be flexible in granting time off for healthcare appointments and to promote a better understanding of the companys health and wellness benefits. Consider having your HR team host lunch-and-learn sessions or publish internal communications on how to avoid injuries and effectively treat chronic pain. By giving workers the support they need to pursue effective, long-term solutions, you can increase the likelihood theyll remain in your employand help them avoid the risks associated with opioid use, he noted.

Finally, Wesch advises employers to monitor those already taking prescription painkillers for signs of opioid use disorder and to provide referrals to an accredited opiate detox or drug treatment program as appropriate. By empowering workers to overcome chronic pain and substance use disorders, employers can help keep skilled, productive employees in the workforce and reverse the troubling trend of labor force dropouts, he concluded.

For more information on Novus Medical Detox Center and its medically supervised drug treatment programs, visit http://www.novusdetox.com.

About Novus Medical Detox Center:

Novus Medical Detox Center has earned The Joint Commissions Gold Seal of Approval for Behavioral Health Care Accreditation as an inpatient medical detox facility. Licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families, Novus provides safe, effective alcohol and drug treatment programs that are based on proven medical protocols and designed to minimize the discomfort of withdrawal. The facility is located on 3.25 acres in New Port Richey, Florida, in a tranquil, spa-like setting bordering protected conservation land. Intent on proving that detox doesnt have to be painful or degrading, Novus set out to transform the industry by bringing humanity into medical detox with individually customized treatment programs and 24/7 access to nursing care and withdrawal specialists. Today, Novus is renowned as a champion of industry standardization and a staunch advocate of patients fighting to overcome substance use disorders. Frequently recognized for its contributions to the industry and local community, Novus has become a regular source to media publications such as The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, and has ranked in the Tampa Bay Business Journals Fast 50, the Florida Business Journals Top 500 and the Inc. 5000 list of Americas fastest-growing companies. For more information on Novus medically supervised detox programs, visit http://novusdetox.com.

1. Editorial Board. Millions of Men Are Missing From the Job Market; The New York Times; October 16, 2016. nytimes.com/2016/10/17/opinion/millions-of-men-are-missing-from-the-job-market.html

2. Krueger, Alan B. Where Have All the Workers Gone?; October 4, 2016; pages 21-22. bostonfed.org/-/media/Documents/economic/conf/great-recovery-2016/Alan-B-Krueger.pdf

3. Grace, Peter M.; Keith A. Strand; et al. Morphine Paradoxically Prolongs Neuropathic Pain in Rats by Amplifying Spinal NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; June 14, 2016. pnas.org/content/113/24/E3441.abstract

4. Harvard Health Publications. The Downside of Taking Pills to Treat Chronic Pain; Harvard Health Letter; March 1, 2017. health.harvard.edu/pain/the-downside-of-taking-pills-to-treat-chronic-pain

5. Qaseem, Amir; Timothy J. Wilt; et al. Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians; Annals of Internal Medicine; February 14, 2017. annals.org/aim/article/2603228/noninvasive-treatments-acute-subacute-chronic-low-back-pain-clinical-practice
iichiko Shochu (http://www.iichiko.co.jp/en/), the top global producer of Japanese shochu, plans for a strong investment in the U.S. market in 2017. Iichikos primary focus is to develop mainstream American accounts and cocktail bars. iichiko aims to expand outside of traditional Japanese on and off-premise accounts, which are currently covered by Mutual Trading. iichiko was listed as #25 in the Millionaire's Club by Drinks International in 2015, which ranks the world's million case spirits brands, with over 8 million 9-liter cases sold.

Known as the spirit of Japan, iichikos shochu production starts with quality grains and pure spring water, which eventually results in a sugar-free and refreshing spirit. Similar to vodka, shochu can be distilled from a handful of raw materials, such as barley, buckwheat, rice and sweet potatoes. iichiko holds rank as Japans most popular 100% barley-based shochu.

The cocktail culture is thriving in the U.S. and iichiko is prepared to prioritize expansion," said Tetsuro Miyazaki, North America Development Manager. "With most of our multi-billion dollar business in Japan, we see a real opportunity for iichiko to grow in the U.S."

iichiko has also hired New York-based Colangelo & Partners (C&P) to execute an integrated communications campaign. C&P will assist in importer and media relations and will also work with top mixologists around the country to create innovative cocktails to showcase the Japanese spirit as a versatile mixing ingredient.

"In addition to our alcoholic beverage expertise, Colangelo & Partners has always had an affinity for quality, Japanese products, and we look forward to bridging the gap between Japan and the US for iichiko," said Gino Colangelo, president of Colangelo & Partners. "iichiko will offer American bartenders a new space behind the bar with their spirits versatility and mixability.

Currently the leading expression in the U.S., iichikos Silhouette dominates 70 percent of the brands sales in the nation. Also available in the US is iichiko Blu and iichiko Frasco.

About iichiko

Shochu is a Japanese distilled spirit produced from barley, sweet potato, rice or buckwheat depending on the region of origin. Iichikos shochu is 100% barley and the #1 barley shochu in Japan. Each iichiko shochu begins with only the highest quality barley and water drawn from natural springs deep beneath the earth. The flavors of iichikos shochu are refreshing and boast a crystal clear taste, truly embodying the essence of Japanese refinement.

The lush greenery, pure water and cool breezes of Oita Prefecture, famously known for their hot springs, provide the perfect setting to house the distillery where iichiko schochu is produced. It all begins with carefully selecting the finest natural ingredients and water. Advanced distilling technologies are then applied to produce the highest quality shochu. Since 1958, iichiko has prided itself on putting quality first, the way its always been done and will always continue to be done.

About Colangelo & Partners

Colangelo & Partners (http://www.colangelopr.com) specializes in premium food, wine, spirits and lifestyle brands, and has long established relationships with the key press that drive these business categories and help determine the industry leaders. Agency principals have years of experience in retail and distribution as well as communications, a rare combination that gives Colangelo & Partners invaluable insights into consumer purchasing behavior. The agency focuses on 'closing the loop' between creative communications programs, distribution, promotion, publicity and the consumer in order to maximize the efficiency of its communications programs and deliver measurable results.
Im excited to join the Midland team and appreciate the opportunity to be involved in the expansion of the firms mission and growth.

Midland IRA, headquartered in Fort Myers and Chicago, hires new accounting associate, Emily Ambuter. She is to work in the self-directed retirement plan administrators expanding corporate office in Fort Myers.

Midland IRA is a self-directed retirement plan administrator that provides tax-deferred and tax-free investment opportunities, superior customer service, and educational tools to assist investors in realizing the maximum benefits possible in their retirement accounts. The firm is also a qualified intermediary that has Certified Exchange Specialists on staff who perform 1031 exchanges for investors who own real estate.

Midland IRA and 1031 sets a high standard in providing personal, professional service to their clients across the nation who hold over $1 billion in assets in self-directed plans. They do this by ensuring their staff is well trained and familiar with all aspects of real estate investing, as well as other investing opportunities that are available in self-directed plans.

Emily Ambuter, the firms newest hire, will learn all aspects of the company and begins her position in the accounting department. Her education and experience will be an asset not only to Midland IRA, but to clients, as well.

Ambuter is from Plano, Texas. She moved to Sarasota, Florida to attend Ringling College where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. After graduating, she moved back to her hometown of Plano, Texas to pursue her career. Wanting a change, she decided to move back to Florida and joined the Midland IRA team.

When asked how she felt about her new job Ambuter replied, Im excited to join the Midland team and appreciate the opportunity to be involved in the expansion of the firms mission and growth. The staff is pleased to welcome Ambuter on board.

About Midland IRA

Midland IRA is a self-directed IRA administrator that provides service to clients who prefer to choose their own assets in their retirement plans. As a leader in the industry, the firm makes it easy to use self-directed retirement plans to invest in assets that the individual investor knows, understands, and can control. Midland IRA is also a 1031 exchange qualified intermediary with Certified Exchange Specialists on staff to assist the unique needs of all investors. To learn more visit www(dot)MidlandIRA(dot)com.
Hire Counsel, a leading innovative services provider to law firms, corporations, and government agencies for todays new legal economy, has announced a major expansion of its executive leadership team. Lynn Mestel, who founded the company in 1993 and has served as its CEO, President, and Chairman of the Board, will remain as Chairman of the Board and Joan Davison will join as the next CEO and President. Lynn and Joan will partner to achieve continued growth and carry the companys mission to help their diversified clients manage their dynamic workloads and distinct legal needs.

I am very proud of what our team has accomplished since the founding of the company more than 20 years ago. As a forward-looking company, we aim for continuous improvement and ambitious growth for the future, said Lynn. With Joan leading the team, we can be even better at what we do best and strengthen our legacy as a nationally recognized, innovative services provider to law firms, corporations, and government agencies. For more than 20 years, we have provided superior services to our diversified clients, helping them to excel in todays new legal economy.

Joan brings 28 years of valuable experience, with specific expertise in operations management as well as business development, marketing, recruiting and staffing. She spent 18 years at Staff Management | SMX (a TrueBlue Company), a global provider of contingent workforce solutions, where she rose from Director of Operations to President, COO and significantly increased sales growth, optimized processes, and developed long-term strategic plans. Most recently, Joan served as the CEO at Focus Logistics Transportation, an international freight delivery company. Her previous experience also includes leading the overall operations for Forward Mobility Relocation Services, a national relocation consulting firm. Joan has been named in the Top 100 Most Influence Executive in Staffing by Staffing Industry Analysts and has received the Gold Stevie Award in the Executive of the Year  Business Services category.

I am ecstatic about joining Hire Counsel and working with its exceptional team of dedicated professionals, said Joan. Hire Counsel is a pioneer in the legal staffing arena and has built an excellent reputation rooted in customized solutions and exceptional delivery. I look forward to adding my efforts to the momentum of this world class organization.

In her role as Chairman of the Board, Lynn will partner with Joan and the leadership team for long-term strategic planning initiatives, branding, client relations, and development for all lines of business. She will also work with Board members to set overall objectives, and offer advice and counsel. Lynn will continue to have a critical and visible role within Hire Counsel and with clients.

Joan has demonstrated tremendous success in multiplying revenue growth, streamlining business processes, and improving client services, said Lynn. We will leverage Joans experience in the staffing industry to bring a fresh perspective to our business. I also believe Joans experience in creating a global footprint for a rapid-growth corporation will be valuable here. This is a very important milestone for the company and I have complete confidence in Joans abilities to lead, motivate, and inspire.

About Hire Counsel

Hire Counsel is a leading innovative services provider to law firms, corporations, and government agencies for todays new legal economy. Since 1993, Hire Counsel has helped our diversified clients manage dynamic workloads and distinct legal needs to achieve consistently superior results more profitably. Our commitment is to the highest quality standards, which we accomplish through the dedication of our people. Headquartered in New York City, Hire Counsel operates across all major legal centers in the U.S. Our portfolio of services includes temporary legal support for Compliance, Contract Administration & Management, Corporate Transactions, eDiscovery (Staffing, Managed Review, Consulting), Foreign Language, Government, Research Analysis, and Secondment High Level Substantive. Hire Counsel is the only 100% employee owned company in the temporary legal staffing industry, strengthening our ability to provide best in class attorney staffing services and review management. For more information, visit http://www.hirecounsel.com or follow us on Twitter@HireCounsel.

Press Contact:

Alison Chin, Executive Director of Marketing

Hire Counsel

achin(at)hirecounsel.com

646-356-0502
Trizic Inc Because the Trizic platform was designed from the start to support large scale, enterprise-grade deployments, they were a logical choice for a company like us.

Trizic, the leader in enterprise class digital advice technology, today announced that John Hancock Financial has deployed Trizics automated digital wealth platform in its launch of MyPortfolio, an online digital advice program offered by John Hancocks Financial Center.

Serving as an integral part of the John Hancock Financial Centers offering of MyPortfolio, Trizics automated digital wealth platform is being used to deliver a competitively priced digital advice program for all account sizes, while allowing John Hancock to more efficiently add new clients to the service. In addition, John Hancock is leveraging Trizics platform to service various clients across multiple AUM levels.

Our goal with John Hancock was to offer a solution that was robust enough to handle as many accounts and assets as they wanted, commented Drew Sievers, Trizic CEO. The hosted Trizic platform is incredibly scalable, and flexible enough that John Hancock can personalize their user experience to fit within their brand and interface goals.

The Trizic platform is being used by John Hancock Financial Center advisors to service new client accounts. Trizics Investor Portal provides outstanding digital advice features, including risk profiling, client onboarding and account opening, while the platforms Firm Portal gives their RIA, John Hancock Personal Financial Services LLC, as much control as it needs over models, rebalancing, trading, insight into suitability, and numerous other features. John Hancocks proprietary models drive the advice provided through the Trizic platform.

Because the Trizic platform was designed from the start to support large scale, enterprise-grade deployments, they were a logical choice for a company like us, said Steven Dorval, Head of Advice and Innovation for John Hancock. After evaluating the industry, we concluded that Trizic would be a great partner.

It was important to have a fully digital solution with the flexibility to support ETFs and mutual funds in a customized user experience, Dorval continued. Trizic does that and also gives us an ability to continuously innovate on top of their platform.
"Our flexible approach allows us to take advantage of exceptional talent from outside the Bay Area to support our employees and client needs," said Juan Zambrano, Co-founder of Firewood Marketing.

Firewood Marketing has expanded its agency footprint outside of the San Francisco Bay Area by opening new offices in Sandpoint, Idaho and Dublin, Ireland.

The Sandpoint location will provide support for the agencys financial, payroll and human resources functions, and will be under the leadership of Loni Knepper, Chief Financial Officer. The office is located at 102 South 1st Ave in Sandpoint, Idaho.

The Dublin office will provide local and regional event management support for Firewoods high-tech client needs across Ireland and the broader Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Firewood is currently hiring team members to support client programs and management of in-country events, including coordination with client teams, agency teams, and suppliers. The Dublin team will work closely with Christian Hamilton, Senior Vice President, Customer Engagement & Activation at Firewood. The office is located in downtown Dublin, Ireland.

Firewoods client roster includes Airbnb, Google, Gusto, LinkedIn, Thumbtack and other high-tech brands across Silicon Valley. The agencys popular embedded model, where it provides marketing teams that work in close collaboration on-site or virtually with clients, has attracted growing interest from companies looking for increased efficiency and effectiveness from their marketing agency partners. Firewood employs more than 115 people across its offices.

Our flexible approach allows us to take advantage of exceptional talent from outside the Bay Area to support our employees and client needs, said Juan Zambrano, Co-founder of Firewood Marketing. The new Sandpoint office offers us greater resources for our business and people operations, and the Dublin location gives us an exciting new way to support our client needs in EMEA, particularly with our in-country event management services for high-tech clients.

About Firewood Marketing

San Francisco-based Firewood Marketing provides performance-based marketing solutions for a variety of clients, including notable high-tech brands, start-ups, and Fortune 500 companies alike. They partner with clients both through a traditional agency model and through an innovative, embedded approach. Firewood Marketing offers strategy and planning, digital marketing, creative services, and event management. They are a team of dedicated professionals who work hard to deliver above expectations with curiosity that expands far beyond their work. To learn more, visit http://www.firewoodmarketing.com.
Swych provides an unparalleled user experience with a large variety of gifting and brand options, personalized recommendations, Giftbots in Facebook and Siri, and many other exciting new features unique to the digital gifting industry.

Swych, Inc., creator of the revolutionary digital gifting platform has been named as a finalist for the 2017 PYMNTS Innovator Award for Best Prepaid Innovation. Swych is disrupting digital gifting by creating gifts that are instantly funded using any digital wallet and can be switched for use at any of the over 100 retailers in the Swych network  all directly from a users smartphone. Every gift can now be the perfect gift, every time.

As the only start-up nominated in the Prepaid Innovation category, Swych is delighted at this industry recognition for our disruptive work in the digital gifting space, said Deepak Jain, Founder and CEO of Swych. We are modernizing and re-imagining how people send and receive gifts, by putting the recipient first  bringing modern technology and data analytics to gifting in a way that has never been done before.

Swych provides an unparalleled user experience with a large variety of gifting and brand options, personalized recommendations to the sender based on the intended recipient, Giftbots in Facebook and Siri, and many other exciting new features unique to the digital gifting industry.

Launched in 2012 by PYMNTs.com, The Innovation Project is an annual event that gathers payments and commerce executives and innovators from around the world to weigh in on the trends, challenges and direction of payments and commerce. This years event, scheduled for March 15-16, at Harvard University* is focused on Betting on the Future and how shifts in payments, commerce and retail have been driven by the birth of smartphones, apps, and new technologies.

We received a record number of submissions this year, and Swych is among the six finalists chosen to compete for a Gold, Silver or Bronze medal in the 2017 Innovator Awards, Best Prepaid category, said Karen Webster, CEO of PYMNTS.com. The three finalists in each category will be recognized at the PYMNTS Innovator Awards Dinner by actor Jason Alexander, whose character George Constanza coined the term fat wallet!

According to Anu Shultes, Chief Operating Officer of Swych, Swych is honored to receive this prestigious nomination. We are innovating every day with a mobile first, highly secure, context-aware platform with advanced analytics and fraud prevention. We aim to work hand in hand with large financial institutions, retailers and brands to help eliminate the clutter of plastic gift cards, reduce fraud and increase consumer convenience by making gifting fast, fun and convenient for the sender and delivering a perfect gift every time for the recipient.

To learn more about the Swych mobile platform, or to download the latest app, visit http://goswych.com/download/.

Give, Get, Swych.

ABOUT SWYCH:

Swychs patent-pending mobile gifting platform enables users to send swychable gifts from their mobile device that can be instantly redeemed for electronic gift cards from more than 100 popular brands. Swych users can instantly buy, send, re-gift, upload, swych and redeem gift cards conveniently from their mobile device. Swych is a private company funded by seasoned angel investors from the banking, financial services, payments, gifting, telecom and enterprise computing spaces. Swych is headquartered in Plano, Texas, with offices in San Francisco, California.

Swych was formed in 2015 by serial entrepreneurs Deepak Jain and Robert P. Sabella. Product Development and Operations are headed by Anu Shultes who is a well-known and highly respected gift card industry expert. Marketing is headed by Stephanie Barrueto and Product Engineering by Linda Yang.

For more information please visit http://www.goswych.com.

To download the award winning Swych app, click here.

Follow us on Twitter @GoSwych, like us on Facebook at fb.com/goswych and follow us on Instagram at instagram.com/goswych.
MedCurrent Logo

MedCurrent, a leading provider of clinical decision support (CDS) solutions, is proud to announce the appointment of John Adziovsky as President of the company. Mr. Adziovsky is a well-known expert in the radiology industry, having held leadership positions at Radimetrics, Bayer Healthcare, Montage Healthcare Solutions, and most recently Nuance Communications.

Joining MedCurrent at this time is tremendously exciting for me, said Mr. Adziovsky. The global clinical decision support market is rapidly growing and MedCurrent has proven itself to be a clear leader in technology, user experience, and improved outcomes. As healthcare undergoes a paradigm shift towards value-based care, I look forward to helping MedCurrent continue to accelerate its growth in an evolving marketplace.

Dr. Steve Herman, founder and CEO of MedCurrent Corporation added, We welcome Johns leadership to the company. We are seeing unprecedented demand around the world, and Johns experience in both strategy and operations will further drive success of the business.

With Mr. Adziovskys leadership, MedCurrent will continue to deliver best-in-class clinical decision support solutions to customers internationally, expanding from radiology into other specialties like cardiology, oncology, lab/pathology, and chronic diseases such as diabetes. MedCurrents OrderWise platform can work with any qualified guidelines and any EMR system, providing the most flexible and user-friendly CDS technology on the market. From Dr. Herman, Our customers are demanding a single solution for clinical decision support, one that will evolve with them as the healthcare landscape changes, and different appropriateness guidelines and specialities are activated. OrderWise is the one product that meets their needs.
The new $140 million Bergen County Justice Center is a six-floor, 130,000-square-foot facility designed by RSC Architects. Photo credit: 2017 RSC Architects and RobFaulkner.com Two Bergen County Plaza is a tremendous new addition to the County's government complex and a prudent investment of public funds, said Bergen County Administrator Julien Neals.

The new $140 million Bergen County Justice Center designed by RSC Architects has opened its doors. Sitting on a historic site, the six-floor, 130,000-square-foot facility is the centerpiece of a six-year plan to modernize and upgrade the Countys justice center complex.

Two Bergen County Plaza is a tremendous new addition to the County's government complex and a prudent investment of public funds, said Bergen County Administrator Julien Neals. It not only brings a unique, traditional design created by RSC Architects, but also complements the historic surroundings while accommodating for modern upgrades in security, technology, and amenities. Two Bergen is now home to critical government services and we are confident that it will stand for many years as a symbol of the pride we feel for community.

As the first modern addition to the justice center complex, which also includes a historic county jail and courthouse, the new building provides much-needed improvements in functionality while seamlessly fitting in with the existing historic buildings. The building will now serve as the new home of the Bergen County Prosecutors Office, Sheriff's Department, Surrogate Office and Tax Board.

The project presented a unique set of challenges from an architectural and design standpoint, as we needed to balance the 21st century needs of Bergen County with the preservation of the sites rich cultural history, said John P. Capazzi, AIA, president of RSC Architects, the projects architect of record, design architect and interior design firm. We worked closely with New Jerseys Historic Preservation Office to create a design that would mold with the Beaux-Arts architectural style of the adjacent historic courthouse.

Due to the sites historic status and configuration, design and materials had to be carefully selected to complement the existing buildings. With careful guidance and astute suggestions from Bergen County officials, RSC created an exterior design with a strong historic character by incorporating additive massing with projecting porticos and a recessed top floor.

We chose to use pre-cast concrete panels for construction, which can be fabricated off-site in lots of different designs, shipped here, and craned up to be placed on the steel frame, said Jeffrey Schlecht, AIA, senior project manager for RSC Architects. This allowed us to incorporate unique details that hint at classical elements, while working with a durable product on a site with limited space.

RSC incorporated stone tile throughout the buildings interior to create a traditional, dignified feel, with wood accents for comfort and geniality. The lobby was designed with stone tile for elegance and durability, while the prosecutor's office features a recessed lay-in decorative ceiling tile to give it a unified feeling across two different floors. A multi-purpose conference center was designed for both special events and daytime meetings, with floating wood panels on the ceiling that provide a rich ambience.

On the buildings first floor are a central main lobby, cafeteria, conference center and tax office. The higher floors house the sheriffs office, the prosecutors office and the surrogates office. The sixth floor is a data center operated by the Sheriffs department, which has cellular signal and emergency radio booster antenna systems. There is also a two-story bridge connection to the Justice Center Complex for use by the public and prosecutors office staff.

RSC is now beginning design work on the renovation of the vacated portions of the historic Bergen County Courthouse.

About RSC Architects

RSC Architects, a Hackensack, New Jersey-based architectural firm, has been providing exceptional designs and quality service since 1971. A talented and professional staff provides a unique blend of creativity and quality, coupled with industry experience and attention to detail that is evident in every commissioned project. The tremendous capabilities of the accomplished staff offer a rich architectural experience with a depth of resources and services. The firm's goal is to enhance life through innovative architecture. No project is too big and no challenge is too complicated for RSC to deliver creative and cost-effective solutions, both on time and within budget.

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Our partnership with Colony American Finance is yet another way in which we can support our clients with a variety of resources and tools needed to grow their Rent Estate portfolios, says Kevin Ortner, CEO of Renters Warehouse.

Renters Warehouse, one of the largest and best reviewed residential property management firms in the U.S., is teaming with Colony American Finance, the leading private lender for residential real estate investors.

The partnership means investing in Rent Estate has never been easier, especially with Colony American Finance offering a $250 closing credit exchange for any Renters Warehouse client looking to expand their rental property portfolio. The two companies will also launch a series of collaborative awareness and educational initiatives.

Renters Warehouse manages more than 18,000 homes for over 13,000 investors across the country, and about $3 billion worth of residential real estate. By combining local market expertise and expert tenant services with standardized services and institutional level reporting nationwide, the company is able to serve residential property investors like no other property management firm can.

Colony American Finance has closed more than $2 billion in loans for nearly 20,000 properties by providing flexible financing solutions to residential real estate investors across the country. They provide attractive long term debt products for stabilized rental properties as well as credit lines for new acquisitions. The company works directly with borrowers and brokers.

Our partnership with Colony American Finance is yet another way in which we can support our clients with a variety of resources and tools needed to grow their Rent Estate portfolios, says Kevin Ortner, CEO of Renters Warehouse. I always say Rent Estate is real estate for the rest of us, and companies like Colony American Finance make residential property investment truly accessible - nationwide - for both everyday homeowners and more advanced investors. They provide smart financial solutions needed to get started in Rent Estate or to grow your portfolio. Were proud to associate our growing brand with theirs.

The partnership uniquely benefits Colony American Finance by ensuring that their investment properties will be managed by the leading residential property management firm in the country.

We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Renters Warehouse. They have an exceptional leadership team and have become the largest property management firm in the single family rental market. Their vision for growth is closely aligned with ours, says Beth OBrien, CEO of Colony American Finance.

Residential property investors can also benefit from the comprehensive guide to funding rental property, Financial Cents: How To Fund Your Next Rental Property, co-authored by Renters Warehouse and Colony American Finance.

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About Renters Warehouse

Renters Warehouse is one of the fastest growing and highest reviewed residential property management companies in America. Backed by growth equity investor and majority stakeholder Northern Pacific Group, and under the leadership of President and CEO Kevin Ortner, Renters Warehouse now manages more than $3 billion in residential real estate, servicing 13,000+ investors across 18,000+ residential homes over 35 markets and 20 states. NPG Managing Partner Scott Honour, who in 1999 was a founder of YapStone, a leading online rental property payment service provider, serves as Chairman.

Renters Warehouse expertly serves everyday single-property homeowners as well as real estate investors. In 2015, the company officially trademarked the term Rent Estate to redefine the entire SFR (Single Family Rental) industry as more traditional real estate gives way to this new lucrative asset. Through their dedicated Portfolio Services Division led by Chief Investment Officer Anthony Cazazian, the company also brings professional, scalable and efficient single property management solutions to investment portfolios with both centralized services and local market expertise and staff. Not only has Renters Warehouse received the prestigious honor of being included on the Inc. 500 | 5000 list of fastest-growing privately held companies in America seven consecutive years in a row, it was also named one of the Best Places to Work in Minnesota (where they are headquartered) by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016. The company was also honored as a best place to work in Arizona (a centralized corporate services center) by the Phoenix Business Journal in 2013 and 2014, and achieved a spot on the prestigious 2016 Top Companies to Work for in AZ list. Nationwide, Renters Warehouse has been honored as one of America's "Best Places to Work" in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 by Outside Magazine. Recognized as pioneers in real estate, business management and innovation, Renters Warehouse has been awarded 22 Business Stevie Awards both internationally and stateside.

In 2017, Renters Warehouse received an A rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) after meeting the BBBs eight Standards of Trust and earning BBB Accreditation. In 2016, Morningstar Credit Ratings, LLC, a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) offering a wide array of services including operational risk assessments, assigned its MOR RV2 residential-vendor ranking to Renters Warehouse as a residential property manager, indicating that the company demonstrates proficiency in managing key areas of operational risk.

About Colony American Finance

Colony American Finance (CAF) is a specialty lender that provides a wide range of financial solutions to residential real estate investors. The company offers portfolio and single asset term loans for stabilized rental properties as well as short term credit lines for acquisitions. CAF was founded in 2014 to finance single family, townhome, condo and small multifamily properties for customers nationwide. It has since closed over $2 billion in loans for nearly 20,000 properties. Its products are tailor-made for investors and it provides attractive rates, rapid timelines and closing certainty. The company works directly with borrowers as well as with brokers and correspondent partners. For more information, visit http://www.colonyamericanfinance.com.
MASON CITY | North Iowa is under a tornado watch.

The National Weather Service announced Monday afternoon that much of the state of Iowa, including Cerro Gordo County, had been placed under a tornado watch.

The watch is in effect through 10 p.m. Monday night.

It covers the vast majority of Iowa. Only the far western and eastern portions of the state are excluded from the area.

The National Weather Service forecast in Mason City calls for showers and thunderstorms likely before 9 p.m. Monday with a chance of precipitation afterward.

Winds could gust as high as 50 mph in North Iowa, forecasters say.

Check back at globegazette.com for updates on this developing story.
Eagle Surgical Products, LLC, today announced it will showcase Electro Lube, an anti-stick solution for electrosurgery, at booth #429 during the Society of Gynecologic Oncologys Annual Meeting on Womens Cancer March 12-15 in National Harbor, Maryland. The top minds in the nation who treat and care for women with gynecologic cancer gather to the annual SGO meeting to discuss the latest science in the field while offering premier education.

Gynecologic surgeons are operating in some of the most highly sensitive areas of the body. The last thing they need is for tough eschar to build up on instrument tips because cleaning the electrodes requires interrupting surgery, explained Tim Reese, President of Eagle Surgical Products, LLC, the sales and distribution company for Electro Lube. Electro Lube was designed to help reduce these interruptions during surgery by preventing electrocautery instruments from sticking to tissue, and the tissue from sticking to instruments.

Electro Lube is currently being used by surgeons at some of the nations top hospitals including the Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, the UC Health System and New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell.

When you are close to vital structures you want to minimize thermal spread, and if you have to keep coagulating bleeders in the same area, you get thermal spread. Electro Lube gives me cleaner seals, said Devin Garza, OB/GYN at the Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery  Epicenter Mentor Surgeon Intuitive. Im using it in almost all of my laparoscopic cases, but if Im assisting a colleague and they dont have it, its like night and day. Everyone I know that has used it wants it. Its frustrating without it.

Reese will be at booth #429 demonstrating Electro Lubes ability to minimize eschar buildup on a variety of instrumentation such as cutting forceps, kleppingers and curved hot scissors.

Members of the media interested in speaking with Reese can contact Angela Dejene at adejene(at)crosswindpr(dot)com. For more information on Electro Lube, please visit http://www.electrolubesurgical.com.

###

About Electro Lube

Electro Lube is an anti-stick solution for electrosurgery designed to keep instruments clean. Electro Lube was developed under the premise that a clean surgical instrument is a more predictable instrument. Electro Lube helps minimize the number of interruptions during surgery by keeping tissue from sticking to the instruments and the instruments from sticking to the tissue. To learn more about Electro Lube, visit us at http://www.electrolubesurgical.com or follow us on Twitter at @Electro_Lube.
We are thrilled with the result of this settlement in which we paid fair value for the historical production and immediate earning potential of these two talented teams." said Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of AssuredPartners Jim Henderson.

In a settlement agreement filed with the Court on March 1, 2017, Brown & Brown, Inc. (Brown) agreed to release sixteen (16) top-performing AssuredPartners employees from the covenants in their former employment agreements prohibiting soliciting or servicing Brown clients. These talented employees chose to join AssuredPartners to establish two premier specialties based in Central Florida  a national senior living practice and a condominium and homeowners associations practice throughout Florida. The leaders of these teams are well known in their fields, highly respected for their expertise, and proven producers of business. They, and their teams, are now free to solicit and service their former clients, and the release of covenants will allow AssuredPartners to honor agent of record letters from their former Brown clients.

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of AssuredPartners Jim Henderson commented, We are thrilled with the result of this settlement in which we paid fair value for the historical production and immediate earning potential of these two talented teams. This group of experienced, high-quality professionals includes several award-winning sales executives from Brown, representing a significant share of the market in their respective sectors. We are gratified by their hard work while this needless litigation continued, and now look forward to their success in winning new clients, attracting the best talent, and building world class practices.

As part of the settlement, Brown insisted that AssuredPartners not hire any Brown employees for a period of six (6) months nationally and for eighteen (18) months within two offices in Florida. AssuredPartners President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Riley remarked, At AssuredPartners, we have cultivated a culture that attracts the highest performers in our industry and gives them a reason to stay. We agreed to these brief restrictions for the sake of amicable resolution, but six months will pass soon enough, and our model and culture will continue to attract the best and the brightest.

For more information about AssuredPartners, please visit: http://www.assuredpartners.com.

Case No. 2016-30900-CICI, Division 31  Circuit Court of the Seventy Judicial Court in and for Volusia County, Florida.
Mike York, COO, PracticeMatch We are particularly excited about this years schedule of physician career fairs, because of the great locations where we are hosting events, as well as the new features and services we now offer through our newly improved career fairs.

PracticeMatch, a company that provides healthcare recruiting resources and data to employers nationwide, released its schedule of physician career fairs occurring across the country during 2017. Successful career fairs with significantly higher attendance occurred in Baltimore, MD, Washington, DC in February, and four physician recruiting conferences are planned for the month of March:



St. Louis, MO  March 8, 2017

Chicago, IL  March 15, 2017

Cleveland, OH  March 22, 2017

Dallas, TX  March 29, 2017

Additional recruiting fairs planned for April include Newark, NJ on the 4th, Seattle, WA on the 12th, New Orleans, LA on the 19th, and Chapel Hill, NC on the 26th. In May, PracticeMatch will conduct physician career fairs in San Francisco, CA, Omaha, NE, and Nashville, TN.

June and July are slower months while many physicians are on vacation or spending time with their families; therefore, only one fair planned for July 26th, in Kansas City, MO.

The complete schedule for the 2017 calendar year of national physician career fairs is located on the PracticeMatch website.

We are particularly excited about this years schedule of physician career fairs, because of the great locations where we are hosting events, as well as the new features and services we now offer through our newly improved career fairs, states Mike York, Chief Operations Officer of PracticeMatch. The changes we have implemented in marketing our fairs to physicians have increased RSVP counts which leads to more opportunities for residents, fellows, and employers, York adds.

New locations this year include Seattle, WA and Newark, NJ. Some of the most well-attended physician career fairs have historically occurred in Los Angeles, CA and New York City. This year, based on preliminary attendee registrations to date, the events promise to be larger than ever.

As a leading provider of healthcare career fairs and physician recruiting events, we look forward to hosting employers and candidates from across the nation, to help them advance their careers, and achieve their professional goals , states Mike York. Career fairs are an excellent way for new doctors and experienced physicians to network with hiring managers and explore various employers, by talking directly with company representatives from top healthcare employers nationwide.

Other cities on the PracticeMatch Physician Career Fair schedule include Cincinnati, OH (August 3), Detroit, MI (August 9), Los Angeles, CA (August 16), and Louisville, KY (August 23). Fall events include Minneapolis, MN, Indianapolis, IN, Houston TX, Philadelphia, PA, New York, NY, and Phoenix, AZ.

A second physician career fair in St. Louis, MO is scheduled for October 25. PracticeMatch will finish out the year with November events in Atlanta, GA, Chicago IL, and the last event of the year will be in Boston, MA on December 6. To view the schedule or register for an event, visit https://www.practicematch.com/physicians/career-fairs-and-events/career-fairs.cfm.

About PracticeMatch:

PracticeMatch is one of the most established service companies in the physician recruiting industry, and its Pinpoint physician database includes over 338,000 interviewed physicians. Founded more than 25 years ago, PracticeMatch provides candidate leads and recruiting resources to match pre-screened candidates directly with healthcare employers on a national basis. Based in Saint Louis, MO, the company annually conducts 30+ physician career fairs nationwide.

For media inquiries, or to schedule an interview with a PracticeMatch executive, please contact Andrea Clement, aclement(at)usa.m3(dot)com. For more information regarding healthcare recruiting services and resources provided by PracticeMatch, please contact Mike York, (800) 489-1440 mike(dot)york(at)practicematch(dot)com.
Amy protects clients brands here and throughout Asia. Eliminating time and expense associated with translation and layers of communication, she reads and comments on legal briefs directly in both Chinese and English. - Jeff Sladkus, Managing Partner.

Today The Sladkus Law Group, a boutique law firm specializing in Trademark Prosecution, IP Litigation and Anti-Counterfeiting, announced attorney Amy Hsiao has joined their team. Amy is responsible for helping companies with intellectual property matters throughout Asia (with a particular focus in PRC China). She has extensive experience in a broad spectrum of branding matters including trademark prosecution, enforcement, arbitration and licensing, advertising, copyright and social media.

Amy is uniquely positioned to help clients safeguard their brands both here and overseas, offering a comprehensive understanding of the legal framework in the U.S. and in PRC China, Greater China and Asia, said Jeffrey Sladkus, Managing Partner. Eliminating the time and expenses associated with translation and multiple layers of communication, Amy personally reads, writes and comments on legal briefs in Chinese and English and counsels clients directly with tailored advice. Her dedication to delivering personalized attention to each client is a perfect fit for our team.

Amy is one of the few attorneys based in the U.S. who has extensive experience pursuing trademark cases through the Chinese courts, administrative bodies and Trademark Office. Amy travels frequently to Asia, on invitation, to discuss and exchange views with Chinas policy makers on hot topics in the trademark world. Amy is also often invited to speak about China trademark updates at seminars and CLE events for attorneys and in-house counsel in the U.S. and UK. In 2015, Amy was requested by the Deputy Secretary-General of Chinas Trademark Association to translate and introduce Chinas top 25 trademark cases to the Western world. She publishes frequently in legal publications both in English and Mandarin Chinese.

Prior to joining The Sladkus Law Group, Amy spent 10 years with big law firms in New York and Atlanta; she has lived and worked in the U.S., China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. She has experience assisting a diverse range of clients, from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies and household name brands, to develop and protect brands in Asia.

Amy holds a bachelors degree from one of the top universities in Taiwan, and a J.D. from The University of Georgia Law School. Amy has family on both sides of the world and enjoys nature, travel, hiking, jogging and other outdoor activities.

About The Sladkus Law Group

The Sladkus Law Group is a full-service boutique law firm focused on Trademark Prosecution, IP Litigation and Anti-Counterfeiting. The firm specializes in trademark prosecution, managing trademark portfolios, and enforcing its clients rights through litigation and anti-counterfeiting programs. Located in Atlanta and serving clients around the world, the firms portfolio of work spans across all industries, including internationally known luxury, hospitality, automobile and spirits brands. Founded in 2005 as an alternative to the large law firm model, The Sladkus Law Group produces results and value for clients with an agile, efficient common-sense approach.
Blue Health Intelligence With BHI's Population advYZer Suite, health plans can finally adopt a truly member-centric approach with full visibility into their data.

Blue Health Intelligence (BHI) announced today its launch of Population advYZer. This advanced analytics platform was specifically designed to address health plans and providers population health and financial management needs. Population advYZer includes predictive models along with workflow management and operational tools, which are important for ACA Commercial, Medicare Advantage, ACOs, and health plans entire book of business.

BHI helps health plans and providers optimize their care management strategies and risk adjustment ROI, says BHIs CEO Swati Abbott. With our Population advYZer Suite, health plans can finally adopt a truly member-centric approach with full visibility into their data.

BHIs Population advYZer Suite includes transparent technology to identify coding and quality gaps while providing a full and accurate understanding of member health, including their risk of high-cost health events. Population advYZer offers an extensive solution with three distinct and flexible modules:



Exchanges  Increases risk adjustment ROI for health plans with analytics and workflow management tools

Medicare Advantage  Improves ROI on risk-adjusted payments

Care Management  Improves financial and health outcomes for health plans, providers, and members

BHI at RISE Nashville

Roxanna Cross, BHIs Senior Director of Product Management, will be hosting a key roundtable discussion featuring Population advYZers Exchanges Module on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the 11th Annual RISE Nashville Summit. RISE Nashville is the healthcare industrys premier event addressing risk adjustment, Stars, quality management, financial compliance, performance analytics, and engagement strategies.

The discussion will feature the Population advYZers Exchanges Module and include best practices for accurate identification and capture of population risk. Cross will review fostering good communications between the plan, providers, and members with full transparency to inform accuracy and efficiency that yields:



Actionable insights

Reliable interventions with the right providers

Operational efficiencies

Gaps in quality and care

To connect with BHI at RISE Nashville, email Kathy Varvaglione at kathy.varvaglione(at)bluehealthintelligence(dot)com.

About Blue Health Intelligence

Blue Health Intelligence (BHI) is the nations premier resource for data-driven insights about healthcare trends and best practices, promoting healthier lives and more affordable access to safe and effective care. BHI leverages a team of analytics experts with advanced technology, coupled with access to the greatest number of healthcare claims172 million livesgathered over 10 years in a safe, HIPAA-compliant, secure database. The resulting conformed, reliable data set has the broadest, deepest pool of integrated medical and pharmacy claims, reflecting medical utilization in every ZIP code. Blue Health Intelligence (BHI) is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. BHI is a tradename of Health Intelligence Company, LLC. For more information, visit http://www.bluehealthintelligence.com.

About RISE Nashville

In its 11th year, the Annual RISE Nashville Summit is the healthcare industrys premier event addressing risk adjustment, Stars, quality management, financial compliance, care management, performance analytics and engagement strategies. Featuring special presentations from healthcares most influential leaders, this comprehensive summit offers timely general session presentations, dynamic panel discussions, and solutions-focused sessions providing you and your team with the latest tools in risk revenue optimization, quality data, compliance and audit-readiness and so much more. Visit http://www.rise-nashville.com.
QA EliteSouls, LLC. will provide corporate training, workshops, seminars, on-line training, and e-learning courses to corporate clients and individuals around the world in performance testing space.

QA Mentor has established a new strategic NFR (Non Functional Requirements) division from a separate New York-based entity  QA EliteSouls, LLC. (http://www.qaelitesouls.com). It will operate under the umbrella of QA Mentor, Inc. and concentrate on providing educational & training services in the Performance Testing domain. This strategic move will allow QA EliteSouls, LLC. to provide corporate training, workshops, seminars, on-line training, and e-learning courses to corporate clients and individuals around the world.

Ramya Ramalinga Moorthy, co-founder and newly appointed Chief Technical Officer of QA EliteSouls, LLC. will be heading this NFR Training & Education division. Ramya brings over 14 years of industry experience in Performance Engineering. She provided consulting and handled performance assessments for several Fortune 500 clients including Honeywell, Shell, ING, Logitech, Comcast, MetLife, JPMC, KPMG and others, solving technical problems and assuring their system for its performance, scalability, availability, & capacity.

We are very excited to have Ramya be part of our team with a strategic concentration around educational & training services said Ruslan Desyatnikov, Founder & CEO of QA Mentor, Inc. "We are excited to share our first unique e-learning course in the Performance Testing domain officially launched today, concluded Ruslan.

Transformation to Performance Engineers e-learning course will teach the concepts involved in software performance testing through systematic steps that highlight the essentials in Performance testing in a tool agnostic way. Performance Academy (http://elearning.qaelitesouls.com) has launched and is expected to add more than seven e-learning courses around the performance testing / engineering areas this year.

About QA Mentor

QA Mentor, Inc. (http://www.qamentor.com) is a leading global QA services provider headquartered in New York and with eight different offices around the world. Established in 2010 with an aim to help organizations from various sectors improve their QA functions, QA Mentor proudly boasts of having a unique combination of 150+ offshore and onshore resources who work around the clock supporting all time zones. The company supports clients from startups to Fortune 500 organizations within nine different industries.
Projected vacancies in STEM careers has made career preparation in K-12 education a top priority. Dremel, the manufacturer of tools for life and learning, partners with Project Lead The Way (PLTW) to engage students in real-life, hands-on learning experiences. The goal of this partnership is to provide avenues for students and teachers to explore the invaluable connection between classroom learning and how it applies to career aspirations.

PLTW creates immersive learning experiences for K-12 students that prepare them for college and careers, while providing teachers with the support and training they need to guide student-led learning. Offering pathways in computer science, engineering and biomedical science, students can learn these in-demand skills first-hand from leading industry professionals and companies like Dremel.

Dremel hosted a career exploration event at the Bosch Tool Corporation headquarters in Mount Prospect, Ill. More than fifty students from local Barrington and Stevenson High Schools in the PLTW program along with representatives from The College Board attended the event. Students had the opportunity to tour the facility, listen to a panel of Bosch executives and engineering team and participate in an engineering and product development and design thinking activity. The best design thinking team was selected for their standout project.

By partnering with Project Lead The Way, we can discuss with students what innovation means to us today, and what it could mean in their near future, said Rafael Franca, Manager of Dremel 3D Education. Were humbled to be a part of a students exploration of their career aspirations.

As a partner and approved vendor with PLTW, Dremel Education products and services are easily accessible for PLTW schools, exposing more students to the innovation and creativity of the 3D printing industry.

What a truly wonderful opportunity for the PLTW students and their teachers at Barrington and Adlai Stevenson High Schools to connect what they learn in PLTW classrooms to the real world and see engineering and high-tech careers in action, said Glade T. Montgomery, Senior Vice President of Partnerships at PLTW. We look forward to continued partnership with The College Board, Dremel, and other organizations who are committed to expanding student access to high-quality career learning opportunities.

To learn more about this partnership and future events, follow Dremel Education on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more information about the Dremel Idea Builder, visit https://Dremel3D.com/education.

About Dremel

Founded in 1932, Dremel is the industry standard in leadership and excellence for versatile tools systems. The Dremel 3D Idea Builder expands the brands reach from the workshop to the classroom to provide educators and students with cutting-edge technology for STEM education. Built upon the brands dedication to empowering makers through creativity, precision and project enjoyment, the Dremel 3D Idea Builder nurtures student confidence by giving them a tool to design and build their own models to understand lessons. With available curriculum to draw connections between 3D printing and instruction, Dremel is providing educators with the support they need to transform classrooms. Learn more about classroom applications and curriculum-based learning at 3dprinter.dremel.com.

About Project Lead The Way

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for K-12 students and teachers across the U.S. PLTW empowers students to develop in-demand, transportable knowledge and skills through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. PLTWs teacher training and resources support teachers as they engage their students in real-world learning. More than 9,000 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia offer PLTW programs. For more information on Project Lead The Way, visit pltw.org.

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Alive & Free and its co-founder and executive director Dr. Joseph E. Marshall Jr. will be honored with the 2017 USF California Prize for Service and the Common Good. Dr. Joe Marshalls Jesuit education gave him the intellectual tools, the entrepreneurial drive, and the social conscience to create a whole new approach to saving and serving at-risk youth in our community, said USF President Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J.

The University of San Francisco (USF) is pleased to announce that Alive & Free and its co-founder and executive director Dr. Joseph E. Marshall Jr. will be honored with the 2017 USF California Prize for Service and the Common Good. Dr. Marshall is the 9th recipient and the first USF graduate to be awarded this prestigious prize. Alive & Free will be celebrated at a gala dinner on April 27 on the USF campus.

Alive & Free, based in San Francisco, offers a supportive community to young people, empowering them to avoid peer pressure and situations that can lead to violence, incarceration, drug addiction or dropping out of school. Through a combination of structure and encouragement, Alive & Free sets up participants to be good citizens, build strong families, and attend college. To date, 218 young people from the program have graduated from college with funding support from the clubs scholarship fund. Of these, more than 60 have earned graduate degrees.

Dr. Joe Marshalls Jesuit education gave him the intellectual tools, the entrepreneurial drive, and the social conscience to create a whole new approach to saving and serving at-risk youth in our community, said USF President Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. As an undergraduate at USF, Joe was a leader on campus for inclusion, social justice, and human equity. He has continued to develop these God-given talents as a highly respected change agent and civic leader. We are tremendously proud of him and grateful for his successful efforts to open pathways to success for hundreds of young people.

It is quite an honor for both me and Alive & Free to be this years recipient of the California Prize, said Marshall. This year is the 30th anniversary of Alive & Free, which makes the recognition extra special. And to be the first USF alumnus to win the award, thats very humbling.

At the April 27 event, USF brings together champions of the common good from across California including philanthropists, civic dignitaries, and university leaders to honor the awardee. Proceeds from this years gala benefit the universitys African American Scholars Project, which enhances the scholarly community for African American students by creating new scholarships, increasing cultural engagement, and focusing on academic success and student leadership development at USF.

The USF California Prize is awarded for significant service to the poor or marginalized, and for groundbreaking achievements in pursuit of the common good. It comes with a $10,000 purse and a handcrafted medal. The California Prize is USFs way of rewarding, honoring, and celebrating the work of those who share the universitys commitment to create a more humane, just, and sustainable world.

Now celebrating its 9th year, previous California Prize recipients are Salesforce.org, Salesforces philanthropic foundation; The Chronicle Season of Sharing; the San Francisco Free Clinic, co-founded by Drs. Patricia Hellman Gibbs and Richard Gibbs; the San Francisco Giants; Daniel Lurie, founder of the Tipping Point Community; One PacificCoast Bank and Foundation, founded by Kat Taylor and Tom Steyer; Alice Waters, chef and champion of the sustainable food movement; and, Lynn Fritz, social entrepreneur.

Journalists interested in covering the April 27 gala, or who would like to request an interview with Dr. Marshall, should contact Anne-Marie Devine Tasto, USFs senior director of media relations, at (415) 422-2697 or abdevine(at)usfca(dot)edu.

About Alive & Free

Co-founded in 1987 by Joseph Marshall Jr., a middle school teacher, and Jack Jacqua, a middle school counselor, Alive & Free is a violence prevention program established at the Omega Boys Club, a nationally recognized youth development and violence prevention organization headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

Alive & Frees mission is to keep young people alive and free, unharmed by violence and free from incarceration. By providing young people with opportunity and support, the organization helps them build positive lives and become greater contributors to society. Learn more by visiting http://www.stayaliveandfree.org.

About the University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco is located in the heart of one of the worlds most innovative and diverse cities and is home to a vibrant academic community of students and faculty who achieve excellence in their fields. Its diverse student body enjoys direct access to faculty, small classes, and outstanding opportunities in the city itself. USF is San Franciscos first university, and its Jesuit Catholic mission helps ignite a students passion for social justice and a desire to Change the World from Here. For more information, please visit usfca.edu.
Rigaku Supermini200 High-power Benchtop Sequential WDXRF Spectrometer

Rigaku Corporation is pleased to announce its attendance at the 68th annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (Pittcon 2017), held March 5 - 9, 2017 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL USA. Rigaku is exhibiting its benchtop lines of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrumentation at Booth # 3512

Rigaku (The Woodlands, TX) is showing the Rigaku Supermini200 benchtop wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometer and the Rigaku MiniFlex benchtop X-ray diffractometer.

The Supermini200 analyzer is the world's only high-power (200 W) benchtop sequential wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer for elemental analysis of oxygen (O) through uranium (U) of almost any material. It uniquely delivers low cost-of-ownership with high resolution and lower limits of detection (LLD).

Ideally suited for today's fast-paced XRD analyses, the fifth generation MiniFlex delivers speed and sensitivity through innovative technology enhancements such as the optional D/teX high-speed detector coupled with a powerful 600 W X-ray source. The MiniFlex comes standard with the latest version of PDXL, Rigaku's full-function powder diffraction analysis package.

Applied Rigaku Technologies, Inc. (ART, Austin, TX) will feature the new Rigaku NEX DE VS direct excitation variable spot X-ray fluorescence elemental analyzer. The newest addition to the Rigaku NEX DE series of high-performance, direct excitation energy dispersive XRF (EDXRF) elemental analyzers, The NEX DE VS is uniquely suited for small spot analysis. It features a high-resolution camera combined with automated collimators allowing for precise positioning of a sample for the analysis of 1 mm, 3 mm, and 10 mm spot sizes.

For on-line elemental analysis, the ART division presents the Rigaku NEX OL process elemental analyzer. The NEX OL enables real-time process elemental analysis for liquid stream applications. It is also designed to service web and coil applications, with the ability to analyze multi-element composition and/or coating thickness.

The ART division is also displaying the Rigaku NEX QC+ low-cost benchtop EDXRF spectrometer. The NEX QC+ is a compact elemental analyzer with an intuitive icon-driven touch screen interface and built-in printer for easy operation and convenience.

Also presenting from Rigaku Analytical Devices is Mr. Fumihito Muta of Rigaku Corporation and Dr. Yasuo Seto, Ph.D., Director of the Forensic Science National Research Institute of Police Science. The presentation titled On-site determination of chemical warfare agents by handheld Raman with 1064 nm excitation laser highlights use of the Rigaku Progeny handheld Raman analyzer and will be on March 8, 2017 at 10am.

About Rigaku

Since its inception in Japan in 1951, Rigaku has been at the forefront of analytical and industrial instrumentation technology. Rigaku and its subsidiaries form a global group focused on general-purpose analytical instrumentation and the life sciences. With hundreds of major innovations to their credit, Rigaku companies are world leaders in X-ray spectrometry, diffraction, and optics, as well as small molecule and protein crystallography and semiconductor metrology. Today, Rigaku employs over 1,400 people in the manufacturing and support of its analytical equipment, which is used in more than 90 countries around the world supporting research, development, and quality assurance activities. Throughout the world, Rigaku continuously promotes partnerships, dialog, and innovation within the global scientific and industrial communities.

For further information, contact:

Michael Nelson

Rigaku Global Marketing Group

tel: +1. 512-225-1796

michael.nelson(at)rigaku(dot)com
GCC Mobile Simulation Lab This Mobile Simulation Laboratory is yet another example of why Glendale Career College continues to be one of the premiere providers of career education and will open up a world of opportunities for our students and clinical partners alike.

Registered Nursing students at Glendale Career College (GCC) will soon be able to put their knowledge and skills into practice in an exciting, new Mobile Simulation Laboratory (MSL). Designed as a lab on wheels, the center will house a number of high-fidelity simulation manikins that students can use to practice delivering bedside care through a variety of computerized simulation scenarios.

In addition to its RN students, GCC's clinical partners will also have the opportunity to use the Mobile Simulation Laboratory onsite at their facilities to train new staff and retrain existing employees.

"This Mobile Simulation Laboratory is yet another example of why Glendale Career College continues to be one of the premiere providers of career education," Chief Strategy Officer Serjik Kesachekian explained. "It's a significant commitment and will open up a world of opportunities for our students and clinical partners alike. We are excited to invest in their futures by giving them additional training experience through this mobile laboratory!"

Construction on the Mobile Simulation Laboratory began last year and is slated for completion within the next few months. Once finished, the laboratory will visit the College's campus, along with many of its clinical partners. Students will find they are able to practice numerous patient care scenarios using the laboratorys high-fidelity manikins. These manikins operate by presenting a wide variety of different symptoms, from simple disorders such as a cough and a high fever, to more complex conditions which give the students a chance to learn how to diagnose and properly care for the patient.

"These lifelike simulations are invaluable," shared Kesachekian. "Students sometimes see a limited number of scenarios in a hospital setting during their clinical rotations. The manikins in our mobile laboratory offer nearly firsthand experience our students can take with them as they enter the World of Work."

Interested in learning more about our Mobile Simulation Center or finding out more about the Registered Nursing Program at Glendale Career College? Contact Nancy Aguillon at NancyA(at)success(dot)edu for more information today!

About Glendale Career College

Founded in 1946, Glendale Career College has trained individuals to work and succeed in a variety of in-demand health care professions for nearly 70 years. Committed to providing quality education, the College offers 10 programs, including diplomas, associate degrees, and certifications. At Glendale Career College, students find a supportive learning environment as they pursue a rewarding health care career.

Glendale Career College is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and approved to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE). GCCs Vocational Nursing program is approved by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT); the Associate of Arts in Nursing (ADN) program is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN); and the Surgical Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation by the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA).

For more information about Glendale Career College and its programs, visit http://www.GlendaleCareer.com.
MJH

Michael J. Hennessy Associates, Inc. (MJH Associates), a full-service healthcare communications company, has relocated from Plainsboro, NJ to a new state-of-the-art facility in Cranbury, NJ, announced Mike Hennessy Sr., CEO of MJH Associates. The move accommodates the explosive growth of the company, which has an employee base of over 300. The new corporate headquarters, located at 2 Clarke Drive, will soon be the home to a new world class production studio.

In making the announcement, Mike Hennessy Sr. said, Michael J. Hennessy Associates Inc. is dedicated to providing healthcare professionals with the information and resources they need to optimize patient outcomes. Our new headquarters will help us achieve our goal to becoming the premier healthcare communications company in the country.

MJH Associates is guided by the twin principles of innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit, which is committed to improving quality of life through healthcare research, education, and communications. The company combines the reach and influence of its powerful portfolio of print and digital product lines, live events, educational programs and custom market research with the customer service focus and customization capabilities of a boutique firm. Clients include world-leading pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic and biotech companies.

Michael J. Hennessy Associates, Inc. is the parent company to numerous healthcare resources such as OncLive, CURE Magazine, Physicians Education Resource, Pharmacy Times, Specialty Pharmacy Times, Pharmacy Times Continuing Education, The American Journal of Managed Care, Healthcare Research & Analytics, MD Magazine, Contagion, American Veterinarian, Dentists Money Digest, and others.

For more information about MJH Associates please visit mjhassoc.com or call 609-716-7777
Today, Real World Scholars (RWS), a nonprofit working to reimagine PK-12 education through an entrepreneurial lens, announced an additional $250,000 in direct-to-teacher funding available for educators looking to build Education Corporations (EdCorps) in their classroom.

The $250,000 in funding will go directly to classrooms through a synergetic partnership with the funding platform ClassWallet. Each classroom will receive a minimum of $1,000 to build an EdCorp, or a student-run business that operates from the classroom, allowing teachers to add an entrepreneurial layer to classes such as English, Science, and Engineering. Interested teachers can learn more and tentatively claim their slot (and the allotted funding, which will be disbursed in September) by visiting http://www.realworldscholars.org/sxsw.

We want to use the incredible gathering of innovators and leaders at SXSWedu to shake things up and offer a large amount of funding at once so educators and communities can join the movement of 200+ classrooms reimagining student-centered learning, said John Cahalin, co-founder of Real World Scholars. We are hopeful that connecting with current EdCorps founders while at SXSWedu and having the opportunity to learn about the program from our team will spark interest for the educators in attendance.

While interest to date has been primarily in STEAM and project-based learning classrooms, EdCorps are finding their way into career & technical education, traditional entrepreneurial education, and beyond. Although some EdCorps have earned tens of thousands of dollars in profits, EdCorps primary purpose is to engage students in real world learning and provide them with early and frequent exposure to the entrepreneurial mindset in the classroom. EdCorps use business as a teaching tool, allowing teachers to approach classic curriculum in a new and relevant way (highlighted in the Google story, How one teacher discovered the perfect teaching tool: a business).

We want to support teachers as they empower their students to become learners, makers, creators, and stakeholders in both their businesses and ultimately their own educational journeys. We now know that this can work in almost any classroom so were excited to offer the opportunity to more educators around the country said Elyse Burden, co-founder of Real World Scholars. We want teachers to be able to prepare all students to enter the world better qualified to take on big risks, ask big questions, and develop big solutions.

Several teachers and school officials from the EdCorps Community will be on a panel discussion, EdCorps: Where STEAM Meets Student-Run Business, on Tuesday, March 7th at 11:00am in Salon B at the JW Marriott. Panelists will discuss what running an EdCorp is really like and will be available to answer questions.

For more information or to support EdCorps, please visit http://www.RealWorldScholars.org.

##

About Real World Scholars:

Real World Scholars partners with teachers, parents, industry members and communities to build student-run businesses that stimulate learning in traditional PK-12 classrooms and prepare students for the world of work. For more information visit http://www.RealWorldScholars.org.
Intellitec Solutions, based in Wilmington, DE, will host their fourteenth annual spring Microsoft Dynamics User Group on May 17th at the Chase Center on the Riverfront. Hosted semi-annually, the Intellitec Solutions user group is the Mid-Atlantics longest running partner led forum for end users of Microsoft Dynamics. Fueled by the success of past sessions, the latest updates to Dynamics GP and Dynamics SL, more than 100 clients are expected.

We are seeing a lot of interest among clients for this springs User Group, said Rick Sommer, President of Intellitec Solutions. Its great to see so many of our valued clients in attendance, and to see so many gain the knowledge they need to do their job.

This years agenda will feature separate tracks for Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Dynamics GP. Among the highlights for Dynamics SL will be a look at recently released features, Tips & Tricks and several other training topics. Highlights for the Dynamics GP sessions will include new features in GP 2016, as well as a look at key 3rd party software. There will also be Tips & Tricks, highlights from Microsoft events, as well as other training.

In addition to the presentations, there will be networking time for clients to interact with other users of Microsoft Dynamics, a chance to meet one on one with Intellitec staff. Clients interest in attending should contact Intellitec Solutions at 866-504-4357, or visit the registration page.

About Intellitec Solutions

Intellitec Solutions is a leading ERP and CRM provider strategically located along the influential business corridor between Washington and Philadelphia. Specializing in Dynamics GP, Dynamics SL, Microsoft CRM and Intacct, they have conducted thousands of engagements helping companies in diverse industries choose and implement software solutions to improve financial or customer relationship management. Using a proven system designed to maximize efficiency and business insight, Intellitec Solutions team of seasoned professionals provides value-added expertise to their clients. For more information or to schedule a demo of our solutions, please visit http://www.intellitecsolutions.com or call 866-504-4357

# # # #

All products mentioned in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
We are thrilled with the success of our BW Premier Collection soft brand and with the opportunity for growth that we see on the horizon, said David Kong, president and CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts  the second-largest hotel brand in Europe and one of the largest worldwide  today announced that its thriving soft brand, BW Premier Collection, has eclipsed 75 properties worldwide. BW Premier Collection was created by and for the worlds leading independent hoteliers, launching in October 2015 with a unique pay-for-performance business model.

We are thrilled with the success of our BW Premier Collection soft brand and with the opportunity for growth that we see on the horizon, said David Kong, president and CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts, during this weeks International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin, Germany.

BW Premier Collections growth has focused on quality, not quantity. By creating an innovative model, we have seen the brand emerge as a phenomenal community of like-minded independent hoteliers, who take great pride in what they offer while also grasping the value of affiliating with Best Western. We believe this is a winning formula and hoteliers are proving they agree, joining in record numbers and setting an incredible pace for the brand.

Redefining the traditional soft brand model, BW Premier Collection provides unprecedented flexibility and true partnership for independent hoteliers who may have previously been hesitant to affiliate with a brand. Hotels pay only for the business delivered to them by the brand, which allows them to control their costs. They are also able to maintain their individual identity and personality, having the freedom to continue providing unique, authentic experiences.

As part of BW Premier Collection, properties are on-boarded in a rapid ramp-up, with near immediate access to Best Westerns revenue management systems, tradeshow and sales support, marketing programs and more.

In the spirit of partnership that has been critical to Best Western Hotels & Resorts success over the past 70 years, BW Premier Collection has revolutionized todays soft brand concept, allowing independent hoteliers to affiliate on their terms, said Ron Pohl, senior vice president and COO for Best Western Hotels & Resorts.

We allow independent hotels the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of independence while becoming part of a renowned global brand with an award-winning reservation system and loyalty program, both of which are musts in todays business environment. Additionally, we allow hotels to pay for only the business they generate, which is in stark contrast to the unfair percentage-based fee structure of other soft brands out there today.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts opened the first BW Premier Collection properties in Oregon and Puerto Rico in October 2015. In just over a year, the brand has expanded to 53 upscale, high-quality independent hotels spanning across the United Kingdom, mainland Europe and North America. Additional properties are expected to open in Mexico, France, Canada and in Illinois, South Carolina and Hawaii.

For more information on Best Western Hotels & Resorts or BW Premier Collection, please visit http://www.bestwestern.com.

###

About Best Western Hotels & Resorts:

Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,200* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers seven hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western, Best Western Plus, Best Western Premier, Executive Residency by Best Western, Vib, BW Premier Collection and GLo. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including nearly sixty percent of the brands North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award in 2016, Business Travel News ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western in the top three upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands for three years in a row, and Best Western receiving five consecutive Dynatrace Best of the Web gold awards for best hotel website. Best Western has also won eight AAA/CAA Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brands commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAAs 56 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Nearly 30 million travelers are members of the brands award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. Best Westerns partnerships with AAA/CAA and Harley-Davidson provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.


Melissa Boyd, a family law attorney at High Swartz LLP, recently volunteered her skills to act as faculty for a program entitled Child Custody: Practice Ready Skills in a Flipped Classroom.

Held on Feb. 27 at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute in Philadelphia, the Flipped Classroom concept is meant to provide young or struggling attorneys with a mentor and a hands-on learning experience. The participants view video lessons prior to the classroom experience, and the program includes extensive exercises and skits while the faculty share their talents. Boyd participated in two sessions, Assessing the Pros and Cons of What the Other Party Wants and Negotiating with Opposing Counsel. During her sessions, Boyd presented best practices for being a strong advocate for clients.

A key member of the High Swartz family law practice team, Boyd concentrates her practice on Pennsylvania domestic relations law. She is a fierce advocate for her clients in various areas including, but not limited to, divorce, pre-nuptial and post-divorce agreements, child custody and support, equitable distribution, alimony, adoption, protection from abuse, and juvenile law. She has dedicated her professional career to preserving the rights of children and their families.

Boyd is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a member of the Family Law Sections of the American Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She frequently presents on family law topics, and is past chair of the Family Law Section of the Montgomery Bar Association.

A graduate of Washington College and the University of Baltimore School of Law, Boyd has received the highest possible rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been named among the 10 Leaders of Matrimonial Law in Philadelphia.

High Swartz LLP is a full-service law firm serving clients in the Delaware Valley and throughout Pennsylvania from offices in Norristown and Doylestown. Established in 1914, High Swartz serves the needs of businesses, municipalities, government entities, nonprofits and individuals. With offices in Bucks County and Montgomery County, the full-service law firm provides comprehensive counsel and legal support to individuals and business entities of all sizes across a broad spectrum of industries throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. For more information, go to http://www.highswartz.com.

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Disorientation, diminished senses, lack of awareness: all are a part of living with memory impairment. A sensitivity program is now helping community leaders, first responders and families better understand the condition by putting them in the shoes of someone who has Alzheimers or other dementias. Wearing specially developed eyewear, head phones, shoe inserts and gloves, participants experience neuropathy  which includes the loss of various senses, distorted hearing and vision, and difficulties interacting with people and the surrounding environment. The program makes the simplest task difficult, a reality faced by individuals affected by dementia.

The interactive experience is being facilitated by the Texas Assisted Living Association (TALA) and Silverado Memory Care who is using the Virtual Dementia Tour training program developed by Second Wind Dreams. The program helps participants better understand the limitations caused by dementia, enabling them to better serve those with various dementias.

Silverado will conduct Virtual Dementia Tours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on Tuesday, March 14 as part of a larger event to bring awareness to issues concerning an aging population. The Texas Assisted Living Association is hosting the day at the capitol, which aims to reach primarily those who serve on health-related committees. The percentage of Texans above age 65 is expected to grow from the current 12% to 19% by 2050, bringing issues such as dementia to the forefront.

The onsite contact for the Virtual Dementia Tour is Silverados Katie Levitan and TALAs Diana Martinez. The tour provides a unique and valuable approach to improve assistance to those with dementia by providing key public policy decision makers with a firsthand knowledge of the difficulties the disease causes, shares Levitan.

Virtual Dementia Tours are being demonstrated at Silverado communities and public safety facilities in locations across the country throughout the year. Silverado staff members are also available to provide demonstrations to the media.

The program was developed by Second Wind Dreams, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the perceptions of aging through the fulfillment of dreams and educational programs such as its flagship sensitivity training Virtual Dementia Tour. For more information, to attend a demonstration or set up an interview, please see public relations contacts below.

###

Public Relations Media Contact:

Silverado: David Gill at 714-624-2550 or dgill(at)silveradocare(dot)com

TALA: Mike Lavigne at 512-917-7614 or mglavigne(at)gmail(dot)com

On Site Contacts:

Katie Levitan at 720-484-1403 or klevitan(at)silveradocare(dot)com

Diana Martinez at 512-914-3908 or diana.martinez(at)tala(dot)org

About Silverado

Silverado was founded in 1996 with the goal of enriching lives of those with memory loss by changing how the world cares for people with cognitive decline. Establishing this mindset as the foundation allows Silverado  and its associates  to leave behind previous misconceptions and operate in a way that provides clients, residents and patients with utmost dignity, freedom, respect and quality of life. Silverado has grown to become a nationally recognized provider of home care, memory care assisted living and hospice services. With 52 locations across Arizona, California, Illinois, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin  the company delivers world-class care and unmatched service. To learn more, visit silveradocare.com or call (866) 522-8125.

About TALA

The Texas Assisted Living Association (TALA) is dedicated to advancing public policy initiatives advocating for informed choice, quality care, and accessibility for all Texans. TALA provides a forum to help consumers, physicians, financiers, elected officials, regulators, media, family members and others understand the options offered by assisted living.

TALA members subscribe to a philosophy which offers cost-effective, safe, personalized and quality care; fosters resident independence and individuality; allows residents choice of care and lifestyle; protects residents rights to privacy; nurtures the spirit of residents with dignity and respect; and involves family, friends and the community.
Investor Relations Contact:

L. Eric Loewe

Prism Technologies Group, Inc.

916-275-7834

eric(at)przmgroup.com

Prism Technologies Group Reports Successful Appeal of Patent Infringement Verdict against Sprint Spectrum LP

Prism Technologies Group, Inc. (OTCQB: PRZM), (Prism Group) today announced that the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit unanimously affirmed the patent infringement verdict in favor of its subsidiary, Prism Technologies LLC (Prism LLC), against Sprint Spectrum LP d/b/a Sprint PCS (Sprint). In June 2015, a jury in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska found that the accused Sprint network systems and methods infringe multiple claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,387,155 and 8,127,345. Prism was awarded trial damages of $30 million representing a reasonable royalty for Sprints infringement. Prism was also awarded $2 million in prejudgment interest and will be entitled to post-judgment interest in an amount to be determined.

The suit against Sprint (8:12-cv-123-LES-TDT) is the second of five patent infringement lawsuits filed by Prism against wireless carriers in U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska. As previously reported, in November 2014, Prism settled on favorable terms with AT&T Wireless (8:12-cv-122-LES-TDT). In October 2015, a jury found that T-Mobile USA, Inc. did not infringe the asserted claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,387,155 and 8,127,345 (8:12-cv-124-LES-TDT), and both parties have appealed the decision to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The remaining suits against United States Cellular Corporation (8:12-cv-125-LES-SMB) and Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless (8:12-cv-126-LES-SMB) have been stayed pending the final resolution of the Sprint and T-Mobile appeals.

Prism was represented by Paul Andre, Lisa Kobialka, Jonathan Caplan, Mark Baghdassarian, and Aaron Frankel of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, Dan Fischer of Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., and Andre J. Bahou, Chief Legal Officer of Prism.

About Prism Technologies Group, Inc.

Headquartered in Sacramento, CA, Prism Technologies Group, Inc. (OTCQB: PRZM) is the parent company of Prism Technologies, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska (Prism LLC). Prism LLC was formed in 2003 as a successor to Prism Resources, Inc. and was acquired by Prism Technologies Group in a transaction that closed in March 2015.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which include statements expressing the intent, belief or current expectations of Prism Technologies Group, Inc. that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, many of which are beyond our control. The words "may," "could," "should," "would," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "target," "goal," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results might differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties associated with Prism Technologies Group, Inc.s business, including, but not limited to, risks associated with the unpredictable nature of patent licensing and patent litigation. Unless legally required, Prism Technologies Group, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements should be considered in the context of these and other risk factors disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
If customers follow our system, they get results and they have a viable IT structure that really works well.

Gravity Systems, a provider of in-house and remote IT services based in Austin, TX, marked a milestone in January by entering its third decade of operations. The company, which first opened its doors in 1997, has showed uncommon endurance in a crowded and sometimes unstable industry, according to founding owner Kent Morris.

After several years of steady growth serving Austin businesses, Gravity Services expanded its presence to include locations in Houston, TX and Phoenix, AZ. Morris states that the company's core approach made this transition a relatively smooth one. We had developed a good business model in Austin, and over the years we really figured out how to provide great value for our customers. If customers follow our system, they get results and they have a viable IT structure that really works well. We're not the cheapest option, but our customers recognize and appreciate the sheer value of what we offer. And that's proven equally true in all our locations.

Morris states that the longevity of Gravity Systems' run marks an uncommon achievement in the IT industry. A lot of IT companies only last for three or four years, especially the ones that just offer the cheapest rates  because they figure out too late that they can't stay in business and offer decent service at those rates. He adds that Gravity Systems has built its expertise on a solid foundation of practical experience, saying, We've come to know that works and what doesn't, what's hocus-pocus and what's genuinely useful for the client. Morris says that companies lacking that experience and industry background often fall into the mistake of chasing trends instead of focusing on what will work the best for their business.

While Gravity Systems offers a wide range of services, from remote troubleshooting and data backup to full-scale IT system design and installation, Morris notes that the company's two decades of experience advising businesses on their IT needs is equally important. Since we've been around for 20 years, we know how to look at those long-range needs and help clients figure out what they need to get where they want to go, says Morris. We're not interested in just selling services, even really popular ones, unless they're right for the client. For instance, cloud computing offers some tremendous benefits, but that doesn't necessarily mean that every aspect of it makes sense for your individual business. It's our job to make sure you get the best use out of your IT systems and services.

On many occasions, the company has offered cutting-edge solutions, including those of its own design, to help its customers keep up with the ever-changing technological landscape. Morris recalls developing an early example of an online shopping cart from scratch and offering online web hosting and email hosting when such technologies were still in their infancy.

Morris feels that Gravity Systems' focus on long-term relationships and the long-term success of its customers has proven central to its own success. We're not looking for short-term gain; we try to be thinking 3 to 5 years out to determine what our customers are likely to need. That way, the solutions we provide now will permit the growth they will need to support their business in the near future.

The future for Gravity Systems appears bright to Morris, fueled in part by the local changes he has seen since 1997. Austin is busier than it's ever been, he says. I can imagine a time when business will maintain multiple offices on opposite sides of town simply because it's so hard for people to fight traffic where they are. He speculates that the city's ever-increasing traffic density may drive trends such as telecommuting and multi-site networks for Austin organizations. Meanwhile, Morris claims to be content with his own company's current pace: We just want to keep growing sustainably and keep our current and future customers well supported.

About Gravity Systems, Inc.

Gravity Systems, Inc. is a full-service computer networking and IT solutions provider. Serving small and mid-sized businesses since 1997, Gravity Systems provides on-site technical support, computer networking, IT outsourcing, web and e-mail hosting, and IT consulting. Their website can be found at http://www.gravityusa.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Stephanie Miles, Gravity Systems

Phone: 512-684-3263 x110

Email: media(at)gravityusa(dot)com

Website: http://www.gravityusa.com
As doxos new Vice President of Marketing and Consumer Services, Kreyenhagen brings an impressive and results-oriented background in marketing, sales and digital management to the doxo team. Consumer accounts have more than doubled in the last year, and were going to accelerate that growth with even better services for consumers and more billers in the doxo network.

As one of the industrys fastest-growing leaders in convenient online bill paying services, Seattle-based doxo is proud to announce the addition of Jim Kreyenhagen to its team as the companys new Vice President of Marketing and Consumer Services, along with Jon Helin as doxos new Director of Business Operations.

Were privileged and delighted to add Jim and Jon to the doxo team, comments doxo CEO and Co-Founder Steve Shivers. Were expanding our team to help support our rapid growth. In 2016 we more than tripled the payments we delivered on behalf of our users, and are seeing that growth accelerate this year. Jim and Jon will help us to continue this period of success and expansion. Theyll also ensure that we continue to provide the industrys simplest mobile and online bill pay experience for consumers, while continuing to improve customer engagement and strong savings for the billers that have joined our network.

As doxos new Vice President of Marketing and Consumer Services, Kreyenhagen brings an impressive and results-oriented background in marketing, sales and digital management to the doxo team, with nearly two decades of industry experience to his credit. Before joining doxo, Kreyenhagen was the Chief Revenue Officer at InfoSpace, where he led extensive revenue growth at their consumer assets like How Stuff Works, Stuff You Should Know, and others. Kreyenhagens career has also included the running of the AllRecipes International business, where he oversaw the worlds largest collection of multi-national recipe sites. He was a graduate with distinction from Kellogg Business School at Northwestern University, and he also holds a Computer Science Engineering degree with distinction from The University of California, Davis.

As doxos new Director of Business Operations, Jon Helin brings over 20 years of experience in building and leading a broad spectrum of global operations teams in the high-tech arena. He has a successful track record of enabling and scaling customer facing technical support and service teams, and is skilled in the creation and expansion of support and call center operations, as well as in the streamlining and establishment of help desk and white label solutions for clients within a broad range of industries. Prior to joining doxo, Jon was the Director of Global Support Operations at Avalara, where he was responsible for Global Technical Support and Technology for the Customer Success Department. He has also held leadership positions with Carbonite, HubSpot, PlumChoice, and MCI / Cable & Wireless.

Im excited about the opportunities in front of us, states Jim Kreyenhagen, Doxos new VP of Marketing and Consumer Services. Consumer accounts have more than doubled in the last year, and were going to accelerate that growth with even better services for consumers and more billers in the network."

The rapid increase in consumers and billers puts a lot of pressure on operations, comments Jon Helin, Doxos new Director of Business Operations. This year, were going to build systems, tools, and processes on top of the great foundation thats already been laid so that we can continue to double in size every few months.

About doxo

Headquartered in Seattle, doxo (http://www.doxo.com) makes it simple for consumers to manage and pay their bills in one place. To date, doxo users across the country have added more than 42,000 unique billers to the doxo biller directory, making doxo the first crowd-sourced, customer-centered payment solution for bills, which comprise more than half of U.S. household spending.

Billers that join doxo are connecting to their customers, increasing mobile payments, boosting auto-pay enrollment, accessing vital real-time market data and more. Through doxo, large businesses like AT&T, Mountaineer Gas, National Grid, Puget Sound Energy, and Kansas City Light, as well as many other regional and local service providers in finance, utilities, healthcare, telecom, banking, insurance and other sectors. For more information on doxo for business, billers can visit http://www.doxo.com/business.

Founded in 2008, doxo is backed by leading venture investors including Mohr Davidow Ventures, Sigma Partners, and Bezos Expeditions. For more information about doxo, please contact us at 206.319.0097 ext. 3 or press@doxo.com

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BudTrader Super Model Blunts and Babes

Medical Marijuana classifieds site BudTrader.com has just announced that the company will be hosting a pop-up Blunts & Babes giveaway at the 3rd Annual California Cannabis Business Expo, which is being held March 5th-8th in San Diego at the Sheraton Marina Hotel. BudTrader.com CEO Brad McLaughlin will be on hand with no less than ten supermodels, who will be handing out 10,000 pre-rolled joints, posing for pictures with guests, signing autographs and giving away hugs to expo attendees at unannounced times and locations throughout the four day event.

BudTrader.com is the largest medical marijuana classified ad site, adding over 1,000+ new registered users per day with 3-4 million monthly visitors. Users can post ads for their products and services in the 28 States and Washington DC where medical marijuana is legal.

There has been a lot of negativity in American politics lately, especially towards medicinal marijuana, and we at BudTrader are all about positive energy," says BudTrader.com CEO Brad McLaughlin. I asked myself What would Jesus do? and that is when the idea for Blunts & Babes first came to me. Its impossible to be angry when you are smoking a joint and hugging a supermodel. This idea could change the world! Imagine if peace talks in the Middle East were moderated by supermodels giving out blunts, we would have peace in no time."

Recently, California passed Proposition 64, which legalizes recreational cannabis use. This new legal classification has led to what McLaughlin calls a green rush; new businesses and investors are flooding into the industry to take advantage of the coming cannabis boom. BudTrader.coms classified ad platform aims to give this influx of new cannabis patients and entrepreneurs a safe, legal place to advertise their products and services. The site is growing quickly  in six months they have tripled their audience to over 400,000 registered users.

This is only the first of many Blunts & Babes pop-up giveaways planned by BudTrader.coms team, but for now, they are keeping the details under wraps.You can meet the BudTrader.com Babes and get hooked up with your complementary joint and super model hug this weekend at the the 3rd Annual California Cannabis Business Expo, held at the Sheraton Marina 1380 Harbor Island Drive, San Diego 92101, March 5th - March 8th.
The goal of our Community Program is to grow healthier communities by supporting worthy grassroots organizations and we really hope everyone pitches in to help Growing Home and all the people they serve.

Tunnell Insurance Agency, a full-service insurance and financial services provider serving the families of greater Chicago with an ongoing community enrichment program, has announced a new partnership with nonprofit Growing Home. Through fieldwork, classroom instruction and personalized case management, Growing Home brings healthy food options to underserved neighborhoods as they prepare participants to enter full-time, stable jobs in Chicagos food and farming industries. Readers wishing to support this worthy cause may now donate at https://www.crowdrise.com/growing-a-healthier-community.

With a guiding vision of creating healthy people and communities, Growing Home been helping people find meaningful careers through skills learned by farming for fifteen years. In fact, in 2016 a full 95% of their program graduates secured employment. Governed by a belief that everyone deserves to have a good job and everyone deserves to eat well, Growing Home provides on-the-job experience to people with employment barriers. They start people on the path to self-sufficiency by using their unique model to provide economic stability, career support and healthy food options to neighborhoods with the greatest need. Growing Homes farms are located on the South side of Chicago so they may provide nutritious food and opportunity to an area with high rates of unemployment and poverty. With sustainable economic resources and better health, neighbors are able to participate in the rejuvenation of their community.

We are honored to do what we can to help Growing Home and the fantastic work they do, said John Tunnell, owner of Tunnell Insurance Agency. The goal of our Community Program is to grow healthier communities by supporting worthy grassroots organizations and we really hope everyone pitches in to help Growing Home and all the people they serve.

Readers who would like to join Tunnell Insurance in their quest to help grow a healthier community need not reach into their own pockets to do so. The agency itself has pledged to donate $10 to Growing Home for each and every referral they receive for an insurance quote, with no purchase necessary. To recommend family and friends for a no-obligation quotation, simply visit http://www.tunnellinsuranceagency.com/Growing-a-Healthier-Community-_24_community_cause.

Meanwhile, the agencys caring team is busy mobilizing social media, email and text message communications to promote the initiative for Growing Home, and have also dedicated a full page of their vibrant community magazine to spotlight the cause. The current issue of Our Hometown magazine, which is delivered to thousands of households in the Chicago area every month, may be viewed here http://www.tunnellinsuranceagency.com/Our-Hometown-Magazine_41.

Tunnell Insurance will continue to work for deserving causes such as Growing Home as part of their commitment to operate as Agents of Change in their community. Readers are invited to suggest ideas for future campaigns through this link: http://www.tunnellinsuranceagency.com/Submit-A-Community-Cause-Idea_50. To learn about past initiatives and bookmark for future reference, please visit http://www.tunnellinsuranceagency.com/community-cause.

About Tunnell Insurance Agency

A full-service insurance firm serving families from two locations in Chicago, John Tunnell and his team of caring professionals have one simple mission: to provide the finest insurance and financial products in the industry while delivering consistently superior service. Their focus is on helping families to protect the things which are most important to them (their families, homes, businesses, cars and more) while developing strategies to achieve long-term financial goals. The agency has made an ongoing commitment to positively impact the communities they serve by vigorously seeking out and supporting local worthy causes through their celebrated Agents of Change movement. Their dedicated agents may be reached by calling 773-279-8600. To learn more about the agency, please visit http://www.tunnellinsuranceagency.com/.
Dr. William Groff, board-certified dermatologist at Cosmetic Laser Dermatology in San Diego I caution men with PPP against trying any of the at-home, over-the-counter remedies found at local drugstores because they are not effective and, even worse, often cause painful, ugly side effects, Dr. Groff said.

Small light-colored bumps that form on the head of the penis, known as pearly penile papules, are not uncommon. In fact, according to a recent Tripoli Clinic article, the condition occurs in nearly half of all males once they leave puberty. The condition is neither painful nor life threatening, but many men find it embarrassing to talk about, especially with their partner or even their doctor. Internationally acclaimed PPP specialist Dr. William Groff opens up about the condition as well as treatment options.

As you can imagine, its a delicate issue. PPP doesnt pose a health risk to a man or his partner  it is not related to genital warts nor is it contagious  but it can cause substantial intimacy and self-esteem issues, Dr. Groff said. Since its not a threat to a mans health, treatment for PPP is not necessary; however, since it can cause issues with intimacy and sexual performance, for many men, PPP treatment is highly sought-after.

The causes of PPP are not well known, but it does seem to occur more often in men who are uncircumcised. Several types of treatment are available, including laser treatments and at-home over-the-counter therapies. Dr. Groff has written extensively about PPP and treatment and has performed over 700 successful pearly penile papules treatment procedures. Visit http://www.PPPTreatment.com to learn more.

At Cosmetic Laser Dermatology, we use the latest in cutting-edge CO2 laser treatment for PPP patients, Dr. Groff said. The patients undergo a 20-30-minute procedure that effectively reduces, if not outright removes, the bumps and restores a more natural look to the penis. Many men are surprised at how painless it is, but since there are no injections and we apply a topical numbing agent before the procedure, there is virtually no pain.

Even though at-home treatments exist, patients fly into San Diego from all over the world to see Dr. Groff for safe, permanent laser PPP treatment. Moreover, downtime is virtually non-existent and full recovery normally takes 7-10 days. To learn more and see videos as well as before-and-after images, visit https://CLDerm.com/Pearly-Penile-Papules-Treatment/.

I caution men with PPP against trying any of the at-home, over-the-counter remedies found at local drugstores because they are not effective and, even worse, often cause painful, ugly side effects, Dr. Groff said. Laser surgery may cause swelling, redness, and even scabbing, but those things normally heal in 10-14 days, and in such a delicate, sensitive area, its not a good idea to take a risk on treatment that causes more problems. With laser surgical treatment, men with PPP can have everything back to normal in a short amount of time.

Cosmetic Laser Dermatology is an esteemed cosmetic clinic located in beautiful San Diego, California. The team of board-certified dermatologists is committed to providing each and every patient with the highest level of care in a comfortable setting. Cosmetic Laser Dermatologys dermatologists are all highly respected in the field for their use of innovative treatments, involvement in advanced medical research, and continued participation in clinical trials.

For more information please visit http://www.CLDerm.com

Cosmetic Laser Dermatology

9339 Genesee Ave #300,

San Diego, CA 92121

(858) 943-2113

inquiries(at)CLDerm(dot)com
We are excited to bring our advanced WAF technology to Gigabits clients and amplify our presence into the Asia Pacific region," said TJ Jung, VP of Product & Technology for Cloudbric.

Cloudbric, an elite, cloud-based web security service developed by Penta Security Systems, will be joining hands with Gigabit Hosting in a strategic partnership to support its continuous provision of quality and affordable web hosting solutions. Businesses of all sizes have a range of options when it comes to hosting their websites or mail servers. This step forward underscores securitys primacy in the notion of reliable hosting and the increasing relevance of comprehensive, full-service solutions that serve cybersecurity needs in the APAC region.

With markets in Asia increasingly at risk of cyber attacks and data breaches, Cloudbrics all-inclusive Web Application Firewall (WAF) service is helping web hosting companies in the Asia Pacific region like Gigabit take the lead in enhancing security resources needed to combat these cybersecurity risks. Cloudbrics WAF, which utilizes a Logic Analysis Engine comprised of 26 preset rules that can intelligently recognize attacks, will not only power the security needs of Gigabits clients but will also make security as smooth and easy as possible for end users with Cloudbrics interactive dashboard and quality customer service.

The IT industry never fails to amaze us - with new technology emerging every day, the rise of entry points for outside intruders makes the number of web threats and cyber attacks a major concern for businesses and individuals. Hence, we are committed to working hand in hand with Cloudbric in providing a secure and reliable hosting platform for all of our customers with WAF, added West Teoh, Managing Director of Gigabit Hosting.

Because strong security and strong performance are at the root of any data center, we chose to partner with Gigabit whose dedicated server resources ensure consistent and high performance at all times, said TJ Jung, VP of Product & Technology for Cloudbric. We are excited to bring our advanced WAF technology to Gigabits clients and amplify our presence into the Asia Pacific region.

Last year, SC Magazine Awards honored Cloudbric as the best SME security solution for providing small to mid-size businesses with a reliable website protection service. Penta Security Systems leading Security-as-a-Service offering, Cloudbric, is rapidly growing its global clientele through numerous partnerships in various regions of the world.

About Cloudbric

Cloudbric is a cloud-based web security service, offering an award-winning WAF, DDoS protection, and SSL, all in a full-service package. Utilizing Penta Security Systems patented Logic Analysis Engine to filter malicious website traffic with proven precision, Cloudbric delivers lower false positives than any industry competitor. Please visit cloudbric.com for more information and send direct partnership inquiries to cloudbric(at)pentasecurity(dot)com.

About Gigabit

TheGigabit, also known as Gigabit Hosting, is a trusted and leading hosting provider in Asia with 13 years of experience in the hosting and data center industry that offers a wide range of premium hosting services such as domain names, SSD shared hosting, SSD virtual private servers, dedicated servers, server co-locations, clustered hosting, cloud hosting, bandwidth, IP transit, backup, and disaster recovery. Visit thegigabit.com for more details and reach out to sales(at)thegigabit(dot)com for any inquiries.
DigitalPhone.io is a pioneer of hosted phone services, and provides products that improve the capabilities of business and education telephony, while reducing their overall cost. Carolina Digital offers everything a customer deserves from their SIP service provider.

DigitalPhone.io, a leading provider of USAC Category 1 E-Rate eligible hosted telecommunications for K-12 schools in the U.S. Southeast, announced that it has been awarded new contracts to install state-of-the art VoIP phone solutions at two school systems North Carolina and Georgia, respectively.

In April 2017, the DigitalPhone.io team will deploy 97 SIP trunks for Brunswick County Schools in North Carolina. The installation was given the green light after a highly successful test of 3 SIP trunks in February, which saved the school board over 50 percent vs. their current carrier. Staff were also impressed with the built-in data recovery and redundancy features that guarantee 99.99% uptime.

"Carolina Digital offers everything a customer deserves from their SIP service provider, commented Michael Bullard, Systems Asset Analyst at Brunswick County Schools. Quality, price, responsiveness and dependability are important to us as a customer, and I can't imagine any other service provider outperforming them."

In June 2017, the DigitalPhone.io team will head to Georgia and deploy a hosted VoIP phone system for Evans County Schools. The system will also include additional POTS lines for alarms and cloud-based faxing. This is the second school system in the state of Georgia for DigitalPhone.io, and will further strengthen their efforts to provide class leading VoIP services to school systems neighboring states.

In separate but related news, DigitalPhone.io also announced that in recent months it has renewed agreements with three other North Carolina school districts, including Roanoke Rapids Graded School District, Bertie County School District, and Currituck County School District, respectively.

"Over the past five years we have developed relationships in the K-12 market that now drive our commitment to servicing this sector, commented Brant Yandell, Partner Manager at DigitalPhone.io. Saving school systems money to retain teaching jobs or free up funds for bettering programs for students is extremely rewarding."

The E-Rate program allows eligible schools and libraries to receive funding of 20-90 percent for new and existing network and telecommunications services. E-Rate discounts are based on the percentage of students eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program and the degree to which they may be considered urban or rural.

For additional information regarding DigitalPhone.io, visit https://digitalphone.io or email inquiry@ DigitalPhone.io.

About DigitalPhone.io

DigitalPhone.io (formerly Carolina Digital) is a pioneer of hosted phone services, and provides products that improve the capabilities of business and education telephony, while reducing their overall cost. The companys offerings stand out for their excellent value, including very competitive pricing, the industrys deepest feature set, ease of deployment, and many user-friendly packages  from a full turnkey set-up including dial tone and VoIP phones, to automated call answering and routing solutions that work with existing land lines, cell phones or VoIP phones.
Tax-Free Wealth Author, CPA and CEO Tom Wheelwright If an accountant raises red flags over home office deductions, it may be time to find a new tax advisor. ~ Tom Wheelwright, CPA, CEO and Tax-Free Wealth Author

Tax-Free Wealth Author, CPA and CEO Tom Wheelwright outlines legal home office deductions that are most overlooked by small business owners with two new checklists. In these summaries, Wheelwright clarifies eight personal deductions and five business deductions that CEOs should track for taxes.

If an accountant raises red flags over home office deductions, it may be time to find a new tax advisor. Wheelwright explains why, While home office deductions may have been a red flag 20 years ago, if done right, there is no reason the IRS would ever know you are taking a deduction for your home office."

Wheelwright expands, "If an accountant suggests not taking any legitimate deduction, its probably because the accountant is afraid of the IRS. Its never a good idea to have a tax advisor who is afraid of representing the taxpayer on legitimate tax benefits before the IRS. After all, the tax law is a series of incentives that is designed to encourage commerce, and rewards business owners for contributing to the economy with jobs, investments, expenses and research.

To explain the tests for a home office deduction, Wheelwright adds, Your home office is a deduction specifically allowed in the tax law. So long as you meet all of the tests, including maintaining a space used exclusively for your business and documenting your use of your home office, you can deduct part of your utilities, maintenance and other expenses associated with your home.

A great tax benefit that comes with qualifying a home office is that a portion of personal expenses to maintain a home can be deductible. Wheelwright shares these two Home Office Deduction Checklists for Personal Expenses and Business Expenses for small business owners:

1. Personal Expenses Checklist for Home Office Deductions - To help taxpayers better understand personal expenses for the home office that are legally deductible, Wheelwright provides a checklist of items to consider. The top eight personal expenses that may be deductible include: Mortgage Interest, Property Taxes, Homeowners Insurance, Utilities, Security, HOA dues, Cleaning, and Pest Control.

In contrast, pool maintenance; lawn maintenance, landscaping and the first phone line into a home are not deductible. Wheelwright clarifies, However, your entire cell phone usage may be deductible if you use your phone for business.

2. Business Expenses Checklist for Home Office Deductions - Along with personal expenses, a small business owner can deduct business expenses for a home office. It is important to track and deduct these five business expenses: Supplies, Equipment, Furniture, Separate Business Phone Line, Repairs made directly to the home office, and other expenses that are 100% for business use. In addition, commuting is a lot shorter with a home office. Having the home office means that travel to customers, clients and other business locations from home is deductible.

Some of these expenses are only deductible with a home office. Even for expenses that are already deductible, such as your mortgage interest and property taxes, the way in which the home office calculation works means the deduction for these items is not subject to limitations that might otherwise apply, especially if the taxpayer is subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT).

For a timely interview with Tom Wheelwright, please contact

Liz Kelly, Goody PR, 310-987-7207

Bio

Tom Wheelwright is a leading wealth and tax expert, Best-Selling Author (Tax-Free Wealth), Entrepreneur Magazine Contributor, and CEO of ProVision (Tempe, Arizona). Tom is best known for making taxes fun, easy and understandable, and specializes in helping entrepreneurs and investors build wealth through practical and strategic ways that permanently reduce taxes. As a Rich Dad Advisor to Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad Poor Dad), Tom frequently speaks at conferences worldwide on these topics. His work has been featured in Forbes, Accounting Today, Investors Business Daily, Consumer Reports, ABC News Radio, FOX & Friends, FOX News, CBS 5 News Phoenix, GoBankingRates, Consumer Reports, Money Radio 1510 Business for Breakfast, and many more media. http://taxfreewealthadvisor.com.
When I present the plan, I see relief. They think, 'Wow, there is something that I can do and I don't need to come up with 100%. I can finally get healthy.'

Dr. Kanning has found that having iCare Financial as a payment option has helped a wider population of patients to afford dentistry. "It has been very wonderful for us," said Jamie.

Located in Lawson, Missouri, Kanning Dental offers a variety of treatments including cosmetic dentistry, crowns and bridges, dental implants, orthodontics and periodontal therapy. The practice was founded by Dr. Larry Kanning who has been practicing dentistry for over 38 years. Today his son Dr. Nelson Kanning continues the legacy set up by his father, offering superior services and treatments to Missouri area patients.

Tackling Patient Financial Concerns

When patients are looking to pay for smile makeovers, gum disease treatments, or even just routine examinations, payments can sometimes be an issue. Many people do not have dental insurance, and even those who do find that insurance doesn't cover everything.

One of Jamie's goals is to make every patient as comfortable and knowledgeable about their oral health and their appointments as possible. But since she handles treatment planning and financial arrangements, the reality is that payments can sometimes feel stressful for patients.

Kanning Dental has found that patients are often very reluctant to try plans because they worry that they won't be able to qualify. Jamie explains that, a lot of times, new patients will admit they need help, but they worry that no one will help them.

"We live in a small farming community," she points out. "We have always given patients different Financing options, but not everyone qualifies. What is nice about iCare is that now I can say, 'I have a great plan that will get you financed.' It gives patients who normally wouldn't have the opportunity to get Financing a chance to get their treatments done."

She added, "When I present the plan, I see relief. They think, 'Wow, there is something that I can do and I don't need to come up with 100%. I can finally get healthy.'"

Dr. Kanning said, "Now even those who have terrible credit can say yes to get healthy. We always say, 'We do our best to meet the patient where they are at.' Sometimes, though, we are springing a large treatment plan on them to get healthy. They have just not budgeted for what they need. iCare helps those who need to get there, to get there."

Integrating iCare Into the Practice

Kanning Dental distributes iCare Financial pamphlets in their waiting room so that patients can read about all the advantages of going this route. They have found that the iCare administrative team is very helpful when she has many issues or questions. "Help is just a phone call or email away," said Jamie.

A Payment Option that Works for a Wide Variety of Patient Needs

She has found that a variety of people, even those with insurance, need iCare Financial to help them cover big treatment plans. To date, they have seen people use it for procedures big and small.

"People don't feel like the bill is so outrageous and that the treatment they need can never happen," Jamie added. "With the help of iCare Financial, even if treatment is delayed a little bit, people see that the end is in sight."

About iCare Financial

iCare Financial is a national financial organization in the dental patient financing, medical patient financing, veterinary patient financing and automotive repair financing verticals. iCare Financial offers consumers and patients financial programs with no credit check for businesses and medical practices wanting to service more patients and consumers. Instead of offering patients and consumers another credit card, iCare offers businesses and medical practices a unique payment solution on one platform that accepts all patients and consumers. To learn more visit the website at http://www.icarefinancialcorp.com.
Mark Gmur and Mark Giordano flanked by executive teams "...We look forward to a great partnership and to positioning our brands for on-premise growth together.

Pacific Highway Wines & Spirits announces the appointment of The Mark Wine Group for On-Premise National Accounts representation across USA. At 38% sales growth in 2016, Pacific Highway is preparing for the next stage of company growth by tapping the highly experienced National Accounts sales agency.

Mark Giordano, President Pacific Highway Wines & Spirits commented, The Mark Wine Groups impressive track record in the On-Premise National Accounts channel is drawing well-deserved attention  just last week they were awarded the 2017 Best Small Wine Supplier at the 2017 VIBE Beverage Conference. We look forward to a great partnership and to positioning our brands for on-premise growth together.

Pacific Highway fits perfectly into our global portfolio of family owned wineries, says Mark Gmur, President of The Mark Wine Group, referring to the world-class portfolio of family owned wineries represented by The Mark Wine Group. We are deeply honored to have been appointed by Pacific Highway and truly excited about strengthening our Australian, New Zealand, and South African offerings through this partnership.

About Pacific Highway Wines & Spirits: Pacific Highway Wines & Spirits is a specialized import, sales and marketing agency, dedicated to family-owned brands from coveted wine regions across the globe. Owned by the Oatley family of Australia and the Giesen family of New Zealand, the Pacific Highway portfolio features imported brands from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Chile, Spain, as well as domestic brands from Oregon and California. For more information, visit http://www.Pacific-Hwy.com

About The Mark Wine Group: Founded in 2007, The Mark Wine Group is an award-winning, premier wine agency that provides global and domestic wine selections from family-owned and independent wineries to restaurant and hotel chains across the United States. The portfolio is the largest collection of highly-visible, marketable family and independent wineries under one roof available to the On-Premise National Account. For more information, visit http://www.themarkwinegroup.com.
Sippy Nipple A Must for Every Diaper Bag The worlds first leak-proof water bottle baby nipple - guaranteed.

SippyNipple LLC., Founder Michael Farhi MD launched two additions to his legacy of first-to-market innovation with the announcement today of the SippyNipple Baby Nipple and Toddler Spout products backed with a Leak-Proof Guarantee.

Today, were proudly building on our heritage of Physician led innovation, developing high quality, thoughtfully designed, leading-edge solutions for moms and babies on-the-go. Sharing moms water bottle is often a necessity when away from home. A SippyNipple allows moms to quickly convert her water bottle into a baby bottle, or recycle her water bottle for use with juice or formula.  said Farhi.

The Snap on-Snap off SippyNipple simplifies the hydration and bottle feeding on-the-go experience, delivering convenience, comfort, efficiency, and performance all in one package. SippyNipple caps are precision engineered to fit the popular 8oz. and 16.9oz water bottle brands found at most retailers. Purple SippyNipple caps fit Aquafina (Pepsi), Dasani (Coca-Cola) and Deja Blue (Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group) water brands, while Green SippyNipple caps fit Nestle brands; Nestle Pure, Deer Park, Arrowhead, Ozarka, Zephyrhills, Ice Mountain and Poland Springs.

SippyNipple offers Baby Nipples in two sizes (3+ months and 6+ months), and a Toddler Spout that aids in teething. SippyNipple is sold in 2 packs of any size (one purple cap and one green cap) at an MSRP of $13.99, but for limited time you can buy it for $9.99. It launches nationally on Amazon.com this week. For more information on SippyNipple and its product innovations, go to http://www.SippyNipple.com.
If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity.

PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move.
Aaron Carter, the singer-rapper who began performing as a child and had hit albums starting in his teen years, was found dead at his home in Southern California. He was 34. Representatives for Carters family confirmed the singers death Saturday. They did not provide any immediate further comment. A sheriff's official says deputies responding to reports of a medical emergency found a person deceased at the home in Lancaster. Aaron Carter, the younger brother of Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, performed as an opening act for Britney Spears as well as his brothers boy band, and appeared on the familys reality series, House of Carters.
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We hope Nebraska lawmakers were watching this week as Kansas legislators worked to undo the economic damage done in their state by ill-conceived tax policy. For the past several years, state government in Kansas has struggled and so have Kansans who depend upon the government while the Sunflower State suffered the fallout of a strategy that began with the promise of economic prosperity but has proven the inescapable need for balance  in spending, in distributing the cost of government, and in what people should expect from their government.

Several years ago, with the urging and reassurance of Gov. Sam Brownback, state income taxes were sharply reduced. According to the governor, the big drop in taxes would supercharge the Kansas economy by allowing Kansans to keep more of their earnings and by attracting investment in the state. It all sounded reasonable and logical, but the big tax cuts went mostly to the higher earners, while average Kansans received very little benefit.

According to one study, the result was a net tax increase for people making less than $42,000 annually, while Kansans who earn more than $500,000 averaged a $25,000 tax break. Meanwhile, lawmakers attempted to plug revenue gaps by hiking state fees and property and sales taxes  again, increasing the burden on average Kansans.

The economic boom that Brownback promised never materialized, and so the middle class carried an even higher burden while the state government failed to serve the truly needy and vulnerable.

The lesson for Nebraskans is three-fold.

First, cut taxes for the right reason. Do it because Nebraskans desperately need a break, especially from high property taxes.

Second, don't cut taxes without accompanying cuts in government spending. It's a wise balancing act that, in the long run, unburdens taxpayers and delivers the assurance that relief is more than a one- or two-year phenomenon.

Third, be certain that the tax cutting and spending reductions are fair. The people who most need a break must receive it.

Complementing tax cuts with spending reductions and fairness is the key that Kansas missed. If Nebraska really wants economic growth, it begins by tending to the needs of the state's hardworking, loyal residents. Give Nebraskans reduced taxes and a fair break and the economic growth will follow naturally.

This editorial appeared in the Feb. 22 edition of the Kearney (Nebraska) Hub.
News

From Bulgaria

Russia Still Interested in Balkan Gas Hub Project (Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria)

oscow was ready to hold talks with Bulgaria on Belene NPP when a new government is elected in Bulgaria

AUTHOR: publics.bg

Russian ambassador to Bulgaria Anatoly Makarov

 bTV



Russia is interested in the Balkan gas hub project, Anatoly Makarov, ambassador of Russia to Bulgaria said in an interview for bTV on Sunday.

Makarov stressed that the lack of government in Bulgaria, coupled with the inactivity of the joint intergovernmental commission of Sofia and Moscow have hindered talks on particular projects. He explained that the intergovernmental commission has not held any meetings for five years, ending in January 2016. A meeting is planned for 2017 and it could be coupled with a visit of Russian president Vladimir Putting in Bulgaria. Makarov said that he has already discussed the possibility of such visit with Bulgarian president Rumen Radev.

We have to know one thing  we tried to do together the South Stream project which ended quite sadly. Neither Bulgaria, nor Russia wants the same approach. We are ready to assess whether we could join the [Balkan] gas hub. What we are asking for is to see the feasibility studies of the project and to know that the European Union will guarantee the realization of this project, Makarov stated.

He expressed his firm belief that neither Burgas-Alexandrupolis oil pipeline, nor Belene NPP, or South Stream gas pipeline project, were cancelled because they were not economically justified. In Makarovs word the reason was rather lack political will.

South Stream was thought through and through till the end. There are still pipes stored at the Varna port which will be used for the construction of Turkish Stream, Makarov said.

The Russian ambassador to Bulgaria expressed his content with the settling of the debt of Bulgarias National Electricity Company to Russias Atomstroyexport for the equipment produced for the cancelled Belene NPP project.

Regarding the plans for the construction of a second nuclear power plant and a possible new nuclear unit at Bulgarias Kozloduy NPP, Makarov said that Russia, and other companies and countries, had commercial interest to participate. He added that Moscow was ready to hold talks on the matter when a new government is elected in Bulgaria.

Maybe we will be looking for an investor, maybe we would be working together, Makarov commented on the possibilities around these two nuclear projects.
This spring, cookbooks are coming home. New titles target readers who want to make the most of their kitchens, whether that means learning the basics, mastering new skills or a single dish, saving time and money at mealtimes, or taking full advantage of their arsenal of gadgets.

The Fundamentals

Cookbook publishers are taking readers back to school with Cooking 101style titles that tutor novices in the basics and help more seasoned chefs refine their skills.

Americas Test Kitchen has long produced cookbooks that teach basic techniques, and Adam Kowit, executive editor at ATK, says that, though these fundamental titles represent a renewable audience, what constitutes the fundamentals changes over time.

Does a basics cookbook have to start with boiling an egg? Kowit asks. Our research showed that new cooksnot only millennials, because it could be someone of any agewant to learn cooking in different ways. The challenge is redefining what the fundamentals are and finding new ways of bringing this information to our audience.

James Beard Awardwinning author and cooking instructor Patricia Wells, who has schools in Paris and Provence, says that her latest book, My Master Recipes (Morrow, Mar.), draws on her 25 years as an instructor, with 165 recipes that teach culinary techniques such as blanching, searing, simmering, sweating, steaming, braising, and deep frying.

The abundance of resources for the modern home cookInternet recipes and video instruction, ready access to once-obscure ingredients, an ever-growing array of cooking equipmenthas not replaced fundamentals cookbooks, Wells says, but instead yielded a greater desire to learn. Years ago, students came for a nice batch of recipes and menus, as well as a good time in the kitchen and at the table, she says. Today, students have much greater access to information and can [follow] their passions, be they grilling, or smoking, or cooking sous vide. They dont approach cooking the way our mothers did.

Samin Nosrat developed her approach to cooking and teaching, after landing a job at Alice Waterss Chez Panisse; Michael Pollan may be Nosrats best-known student. Her method, which focuses on four elementssalt and fat for flavor, acid for balance, and heat for textureforms the basis for Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (Simon & Schuster, Apr.), with illustrations by graphic journalist Wendy McNaughton.

Nosrat says that, for many people, learning to cook is an antidote, and an adjunct, to the pervasiveness of screen time. So much of our time is spent in this abstract world, she says. Theres this hunger for the simplest thingsusing your hands, and connecting with people around the table. I used to give this talk about how cooking is so important, and so vital to us, it will never be overtaken by digital life.

Nosrat believes thats still true, though social media is exerting an influence: People who are obsessed with their Instagram likes want to have the perfect runny egg yolk. She hopes her book will help new cooks ease up on themselves. Were constantly being pelted with people who are the best at what they do. Dinner doesnt need to be this grand thing with 10 different sauces.

This sentiment resonates with several publishers PW spoke with, who see the back-to-basics mindset as a response to the recent dominance of professional-chef-authored books.

In the last few years, says Lia Ronnen, publisher at Artisan, there have been so many impenetrable, chef-y cookbooks, designed more like monographs than teaching tools, that I think the market is desperate for a book that puts the readers interests first.

To that end, Ronnen signed up the first book by Alison Cayne, owner of Havens Kitchen, a cooking school in New York City. Ronnen had taken classes there and felt confident that their philosophy would be a wonderful basis for a beginners cookbook.

The Havens Kitchen Cooking School teaches the reader how to cook, not just to follow a recipe, Ronnen says. Each of the books nine chapters centers on a key lesson: the vegetables chapter is a tutorial on seasonality; the sauce chapter focuses on balance.

Anne Ficklen, executive editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, echoes Ronnens take on the resurgence of cookbooks marketed toward the home chef. Many recent bestsellers have been personality driven, so it isnt surprising people want fundamental titles as a balance, she says. Learning the basics lets people make food exactly the way they want, not how someone else likes it.

In March, HMH will release a book that could be filed under new basics: Robin Robertsons Veganize It, a primer for preparing homemade versions of store-bought vegan products, which have become increasingly available as vegan cuisine has gone mainstream. Robertson has written 20 vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, among them Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, which has sold more than 108,000 print copies since 2004, according to NPD BookScan. In the introduction to her new book, she explains why readers might want to make their own dairy-free sour cream or vegan sausage rather than buy it in the supermarket: packaged products can be expensive, highly processed, full of preservatives, or not to your liking.

Aside from these motivations, count Robertsons editor among those who cite the influence of social media. People are inspired to share their DIY experience, Ficklen says. The process is as important as the final product.

Zeroing In

While some cookbooks present a wide-angle view of cooking techniques, others focus on the mastery of a single subject. Here, too, foodie culture in the digital realm may have something to do with the growing demand to take a deep dive into a single dish.

The Internet has transformed the way a lot of people cook, says Camaren Subhiyah, editor at Abrams. There are millions of recipes and video tutorials at our fingertips. You can definitely go down a rabbit hole researching a single subject online, but its not always the best format for learning and youre not always getting quality information from a credible source.

In April, Abrams will release Joe Beddias Pizza Camp, which concentrates on the basics of pizza making, recreating the pies Beddia serves out of his tiny Philadelphia shop. The book hinges on old-fashioned process and technique, including extensive sections on the dishs building blocks: dough, sauce, and cheese.

In May, Norton will release its guide to a classic breakfast offeringthe test dish for chefs auditioning in a new restaurant, according editorial director Ann Treistman. In The Perfect Omelet, John E. Finn, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute who teaches courses on cuisine and culture at Wesleyan University, explores four core techniques of omelet makinga classic French omelet, an American diner omelet, a frittata, and a dessert omelet.

People like to master something, Treistman says, when asked why single-subject books attract readers. Our attention is pulled in so many directions, and were always trying to juggle so many things, that its kind of a wonderful meditation to focus on learning a single task, and do it as well as possible.

Stocks and broths, often a footnote in generalized cookbooks, take center stage in Rachael Mamanes Mastering Stocks and Broths (Chelsea Green, June). Mamane, owner of small-scale broth company Brooklyn Bouillon, delves into the science of stock making and provides more than 100 recipes that incorporate stocks and broths as foundational ingredients.

Makenna Goodman, senior editor at Chelsea Green, says that the abundance of online information makes some cooks seek out complete immersion in one subject. The problem with this kind of access is there are too many choices, and people often feel overwhelmed, she says. They need to be trained by a master, step-by-step. This doesnt happen by watching a YouTube video.

Know Thy Tools

Home cooks love their gadgets: in 2016, three of the top 10 bestselling titles of the year were devoted to a single kitchen toolthe Inspiralizer, the air fryer, and the electric pressure cooker. Those books continue to do well; The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook (Rockridge), for example, has already sold 45,000 print copies this year, per BookScan.

Adams Media is among the publishers picking up on the trend, with the April release of The I Love My Instant Pot Recipe Book by Michelle Fagone. Weve been publishing small appliance and gadget-specific books for a while, starting with slow cookers and pressure cookers and now moving onto newer gadgets, says Brendan ONeill, Adamss editorial director. Appliance-based titles sell well for the publisher, he says, and, like the readership for basic cooking skills, the readership for tie-in books is a renewable one, as gadgets continually earn new devotees looking to maximize their purchases.

But not all hot appliances are new ones. Americas Test Kitchen has seen mammoth success, Kowit says, with its slow cooker titles; 2011s Slow Cooker Revolution, for one, has sold 270,000 print copies, according to BookScan. While were always looking out for new items as they come on the market, he says, we also look at what people already have in their kitchens and maybe arent using to full advantage.

Recently, the food processor stood out as a common but underused kitchen tool, owned by a vast majority of ATKs readers yet untapped as a cookbook topic, Kowit says. After putting the appliance through its pacesgrinding burger meat, making pizza dough, mixing cake batter, and morethe result is Food Processor Perfection, which the publisher will release in May.

Page Street is turning its attention to an older kitchen staple with Cast Iron Gourmet by Megan Keno (Aug.). Even classic cookware can require some instruction before use, and Will Kiester, publisher at Page Street, says kitchen tool tie-in books pick up where product manuals leave off, expanding on the essentials while not overwhelming the reader.

Saving Time and Money

The coming months bring titles that respond to the shrinking amount of time modern life allows for homemade meals, on the one hand, and, on the other, the ever-increasing desire to shop local, cook quick and clean, and deep-six the takeout on hectic weeknightsall while staying on budget.

In March, Grand Central Life & Style is publishing Scraps, Wilt & Weeds by Mads Refslund, one of the initial partners at the internationally acclaimed Danish restaurant Noma. Acquiring editor Karen Murgolo, the v-p and editorial director at Life & Style, says that Refslunds no-waste philosophy is perfect for budget- and eco-conscious home cooks.

I think everyone has been made aware of how much produce America throws out, Murgolo says. People are trying to buy better quality and more organic foodand that type of food is more expensive, so you dont want to waste any of it.

Scribner is courting ambitious but overscheduled home chefs in Elettra Wiedemanns The Impatient Foodie (June). The author, Refinery29s food editor, aims to adapt the ideals of the slow food movement to the realities of busy schedules.

So many of us have become aware of the profound effect food choices have on our health and the environment, says Shannon Welch, executive editor at Scribner. But when we get home from a long day the last thing we want to do is spend hours in the kitchen.

New York Times food columnist Melissa Clark has also set her sights on high-impact, low-labor weeknight eating. In Dinner (Clarkson Potter, Mar.), each recipe is intended to stand alone, or almost alone, with minimal or no side dishes. Small flourishescharred lemons, or a touch of horseradishadd flavor. (For our profile of Clark, see Dinner Is Served, p. 34.)

British social media sensation Izy Hossack shares her (mostly) gluten-free or vegan recipes with more than 222,000 Instagram followers. In her second cookbook, The Savvy Cook (Mitchell Beazley, July), the 20-year-old, who blogs at Top with Cinnamon, offers menu plans and charts to help budget-conscious cooks give leftovers a makeover.

Parrish Ritchie, in her Life with the Crust Cut Off blog, takes time saving a step further, writing about preparing meals for her family quickly, using a few store-bought components to jump-start the processes. Countryman Press is publishing a book based on the blog, Halfway Homemade, in August.

Parrish suggests using rotisserie chicken, store-bought biscuit dough, and frozen vegetables to get chicken potpies on the table more quickly; sugar cookie mix, banana pudding, cream cheese, and ice cream toppings come together as banana split cookie bites. Preparing home-cooked meals can be just as easy as piling the family into the car to hit the drive-through, says Aurora Bell, an editor at Countryman. Cooking at home gives busy families a chance to relax and spend time together, and in many cases its significantly cheaper than eating out. Or, as food editor Sam Sifton recently wrote in the New York Times, thrift is the new takeout.

Below, more on the subject of cookbooks.

Bring the Funk: Spring 2017 Cookbooks

Books on preserving food are perennial favorites, and this season, fermentation steps into the spotlight.

Not Your Bubbes Kasha Varnishkes: Jewish Cookbooks

For many people in the U.S., the phrase Jewish cooking calls to mind a specific kind of dish: heavy, old-fashioned, and maybe not very good for ones health, says Kim Lim, assistant editor at Skyhorse.

Southeast Asian Cooking: Spring 2017 Cookbooks

Dishes from Southeast Asia have become more prevalent on American restaurant menus and, increasingly, in Americans cookbook collections.

Stocking the Shelves: Spring 2017 Cookbooks

New titles teach the fundamentals, deep-dive into single ingredients, help home cooks save time and money, and more.

Cooking 101: Cookbook Authors Offer Tricks of the Trade

Five cookbook authors offer tips for novice cooks, discuss their favorite kitchen tools, and more.
Today is Monday, March 6, the 65th day of 2017. There are 300 days left in the year.

1867 -- 150 years ago: Mrs. Drum has a buggy for sale that is strong, neat and in good running order and newly painted and trimmed. Her price is $75.

1892 -- 125 years ago: Considerable damage was caused in Rock Island by high winds that blew down street signs and trees and broke many windows.

1917 -- 100 years ago: The first Rock Islander engaged in World War I was Jay Parker of the Canadian field artillery.

1942 -- 75 years ago: Mayor Pro-Tem Edward C. Berry, of Rock Island, said he was not bothered by the shortage of tires, since he does not own an auto.

1967 -- 50 years ago: Donald O. McCulloch, 37, son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Hain, of Milan, has been promoted to major in the U.S. Air Force at Otis AFB, Falmouth, near Hyannis Port, Mass.

1992 -- 25 years ago: The Rock Island Housing authority on Tuesday proposed to tear down two apartment units at the Valley Homes public housing project. Contractors have left the 28 apartments in two Valley Homes units, untouched while they renovate the projects three other units.
Amid the 86,000 or so postcards dumped at Paul Ryan's Janesville office last week by a national organization, the signatures of his constituents were probably on at least a few of them.

But whether Ryan's office was able to sort through the protest pile and find those cards_that's another question.

Ryan's status as speaker of the House of Representatives undoubtedly complicates his and his staff's job. They're tasked with listening to constituents' concerns, but in this protest-a-week world, some constituents feel like their voices are getting drowned out.

A few of them have contacted The Gazette in recent weeks, complaining they've been unable to reach a person at Ryan's office, or they received no response to their emails. We suspect some of these people simply aren't trying hard enough, though it sounds like their frustrations have some validity.

Ryan's spokesman, Ian Martorana, denies that 1st Congressional District constituents are getting lost in the protest shuffle, telling The Gazette that Ryan's office has sent more than 16,700 letter and email replies to constituents this year alone. The staff "prioritizes" constituents, he noted.

Even so, the reality is that Donald Trump's election, coupled with Ryan's status as House speaker, has fundamentally changed the political environment, forcing Ryan and his staff to reconsider how he interacts with the public.

Not that long ago, Ryan would have been able to hold a town hall meeting and have a dialogue with constituents. Today, that's essentially impossible, and even rank-and-file Republicans have discovered they're not immune to the antics of protesters, who are undermining town hall meetings across the nation with belligerence and interruptions.

A challenge for Ryan and his staff is to remain accessible to constituents who have genuine concerns but aren't inclined to kick and scream. They simply want to share their life stories and explain how Ryan's legislative agenda is likely to affect them. Some of these people_from farmers to college students to retirees_have shared their stories with us, either as part of news stories or letters to the editor.

Ryan is a busy man and often travels the country trying to advance his agenda and give his fellow Republicans a political boost. Constituents cannot expect him to keep the same schedule as other congressmen, but at the same time, it's important for Ryan to demonstrate the 1st Congressional District comes first and House speaker second.

Town hall meetings are still one of the best ways for congressmen to show off their listening skills, though Ryan would need to hold his via telephone to avoid protesters hijacking it. Ryan is no stranger to these electronic sessions, having held six of them since becoming House speaker, most recently in April, according to Martorana.

Perhaps Ryan and his staff sense Ryan is overdue for another one. In an email exchange with The Gazette last week, Martorana mentioned Ryan is planning to hold a telephone town hall in March.

It's a shame that Ryan cannot address his constituents in a public venue without risking a mob confronting him. But until protesters either start behaving better (fat chance) or go home, a long-distance Ryan is probably as good as it gets. Just don't forget to call in.

This editorial appeared in the Feb. 26 edition of The Janesville Gazette.
When Jacinda Ardern was rattling off the things that matter most to all of us incredible Kiwis - it rang a little hollow when held up against Labours record.

2 hours ago
Construction on the 8.3km link began in April 2016, and the line runs from Astara, Azerbaijan, to the Iranian border city of the same name. From here the plan is to connect the line with the Iranian Islamic Republic Railways (RAI) network at Qazvin following completion of the 167km Astara - Rasht line, construction of which is expected to start later this year, and the 160km Rasht - Qazvin section, which is nearing completion.

The inauguration ceremony coincided with a visit to Iran by Azerbaijan president Mr Ilham Aliyev during which he discussed implementation of North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC) with Irans president Mr Hassan Rouhani. The Azerbaijan - Iran project is considered as a key missing link in NSTC, which is proposed to provide a direct rail link between India and the Caucuses to Russia and northern Europe, and is projected to carry up to 10 million tonnes of freight per year.

Aliyev also confirmed that Azerbaijan is investing in the Astara - Rasht link. From here, the line will connect with the Rasht - Qazvin section. Irans deputy minister of roads and urban development, Mr Kheirollah Khademi, confirmed in January that construction of this section was now 90% complete.
The work, which will be carried out at Knorr-Bremses Springburn depot in Glasgow, will start in October and is due to be completed in early 2019.

The interior refurbishment includes the replacement of flooring, tables and chairs and the installation of power sockets, LED lights, an improved CCTV security system, and space for bicycles.

The refurbishment of the class 320 fleet will deliver a much-improved experience around Glasgow and Lanarkshire, says Mr Ian McConnell, programmes and transformation director with the ScotRail Alliance. Over the next two years we will be working hard to change the face of rail travel in Scotland, with the introduction of our class 385 and high-speed train fleets. By 2019, 90% of our rolling stock will either be new or refurbished, and 200 additional services will run each day.
Jessica Kahanek, the Press Secretary at the National Labor Relations Board since January 2015, begins March 7 as Press Secretary for the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

In her new role, Kahanek, described by the AAR as an accomplished media relations professional, will serve as spokesperson for the AAR, manage and direct all media relations activities and work closely with AAR staff to advocate for sensible legislative and regulatory policies.

A native of Texas and a Miami University graduate, Kahanek also worked for numerous Members of Congress, among them Reps. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) and Gene Green (D-Tex.), as well DDC Advocacy, a Washington D.C.-based business public affairs firm.
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During his campaign for the presidency, Donald Trump said he would bomb the oil fields controlled by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). After the bombing, he would send in U.S. troops to protect the oil fields against their recapture. But then he said, I would love not to be over there. ... That's not our fight.

These comments reflect the mixed feelings of many Americans who would applaud escalating the fight against the terrorists but, at the same time, would prefer that the U.S. get out of these conflicts altogether.

These seemingly contradictory impulses convey a singular thought: One way or another, Americans want the fight over and done with.

For the past 30 years, the Middle East has been the theater of most American military engagements  a timeline that covers the bombing of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi's compound in Tripoli, the first Gulf War, the missile attacks on al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the invasion of Afghanistan, the invasion of Iraq, the renewal of American military operations in Iraq and the recent bombing of the ISIS command center in Syria.

In the eyes of many Americans, involvement in the region's seemingly endless quarrels has brought the country nothing but grief.

President Trump inherited the current wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan from President Obama, who inherited them from President George W. Bush. Decisions will soon need to be made that will give the new administration ownership of the ongoing campaigns.

The violence in Afghanistan has intensified, and the commander of American forces there says he needs more troops. With U.S. combat support, Iraqi forces, Kurdish fighters and Shiite militias may in the coming months recapture Mosul in Iraq, but the U.S. commander of the campaign against ISIS recommends against withdrawal at that time. How Trump responds will set policy.

The fall of ISIS strongholds in Iraq and Syria will not end the war.

Four (or eight) years from now, Trump may in turn pass these military campaigns on to his successor. The fall of ISIS strongholds in Iraq and Syria will not end the war. ISIS will go underground and continue the fight through insurgencies and terrorism. The Taliban has not left the battlefield. And there are still ISIS and al Qaeda affiliates spread across Africa, the Middle East and western Asia.

In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on Feb. 14, three authorities on terrorism variously spoke of the struggle going on for anywhere from another 15 to 40 years  another two generations.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is likely preparing options for Trump to escalate the fight against ISIS. Although a review of U.S. actions is appropriate, it is not likely to find a solution that has thus far eluded the government. There are no easy options.

Some suggest attacking the root causes driving the terrorist campaigns while reducing the ungoverned spaces where terrorists find sanctuary. This would require addressing chronic grievances, resolving ongoing conflicts, creating stability, ensuring better governance (if not democracy), and providing the security that will permit social and economic development. All of these are difficult to accomplish, and the United States is at the margin of its influence. They would require major investments and take many years to achieve.

Meanwhile, the terrorist threat will continue.

Negotiations, even with terrorists, should never be off the table. Conceivably, deals with more-pragmatic Taliban factions might be possible. Negotiations with al Qaeda or ISIS leaders, who see the conflict as a life-and-death struggle mandated by God, are hard to envision, although some lower-level commanders might be persuaded to cut a deal. And not all of the groups allied with al Qaeda or ISIS may share their partner's determination to fight to the death.

It may be more realistic to think in terms of interim arrangements aimed at lowering the level of violence rather than war-ending agreements.

It may be more realistic to think in terms of interim arrangements aimed merely at lowering the level of violence: seeking local accommodations rather than war-ending agreements.

Can the timeline be shortened and the jihadists defeated more quickly through escalation?

The Pentagon no doubt can offer a detailed list of options. Suggestions may begin with reinforcing the 6,000 or 7,000 U.S. service personnel currently working with the Iraqi army and irregular forces in Syria to increase their effectiveness. Without personnel on the ground to target and coordinate operations, airpower is largely ineffective over the long run. This would be a useful step, but not a quick solution.

Some have argued for relaxing the rules of engagement to allow a less-constrained use of airpower. But targets are limited, and bombing errors can lead to backlash and erode international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, a post-9/11 success story that provides vital intelligence.

Others have argued for American combat forces to be redeployed. Putting American boots on the ground raises questions of what exactly they would do and how the move would affect the war. More troops might more quickly capture Raqqa, Syria, but then what?

Deploying American troops also runs the risk of changing the dynamics of the contest while fueling the jihadist narrative and assisting terrorist recruiting. Sending in combat troops might be a popular course of action, especially in the immediate wake of a major terrorist incident in the United States, but whatever initial domestic political support exists for using American ground forces could quickly evaporate.

Partnering with the Russians to destroy ISIS also has been mentioned as a strategy, but it comes with high political cost and offers the U.S. little military benefit. America has enough airplanes and know-how to bomb targets, but associating the U.S. with the kind of ruthless military operations Russia conducted in Syria would cause deep concern in the American military, repel allies and could undercut U.S counterterrorist efforts.

Many U.S. military successes have been achieved by working with allies, including local governments and irregular forces. This was the case in Afghanistan in 2001, with the Sunni tribes in Iraq's Anbar Province in 2006 and, most notably, with the Kurds in the current conflict in Syria and Iraq.

Early U.S. attempts to field carefully vetted, U.S.-trained rebel formations in Syria achieved less success. Those failures merit more analysis and suggest that it is not enough to train guerrillas and drop them onto the battlefield. Their reliability and effectiveness depend on continued engagement  having Americans with them  and direct combat support.

The United States also may be able to do more with state partners in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia recently formed an alliance of Muslim states to fight Islamic extremists. The initiative, however, was not embraced in Washington.

Many Americans are uncomfortable with the Saudis. Some see Saudi financial support for the spread of the intolerant ideology of Wahhabist Islam as a major source of jihadist radicalization worldwide, while others are critical of Saudi Arabia's record on human rights. Some in the Obama administration saw a close relationship with Saudi Arabia as an obstacle to what they hoped would presage a more friendly relationship with Iran  a relationship that has yet to happen.

These objections notwithstanding  that few allies will meet our strict standards  pursuing local alliances makes sense. Politically, local forces are more effective than American combat units. They also have certain operational advantages. And they don't always have to be crack combat units  in some cases, they need only to out-recruit their opponents.

Finally, the U.S. could consider the idea of creating an international force, locally recruited but trained, paid and led by experienced military commanders from the region and beyond. This option may be the only one available for areas where no government or government forces exist.

Should the United States then avoid the costs and tribulations of further military involvement by withdrawing from the region, leaving local belligerents to sort things out by themselves?

Doing so seemingly would get the United States out of a costly mess and enable the country to focus on rebuilding its own economy, which is far more important to U.S. long-term strategic goals. It would also enable the armed forces to rebuild to meet threats that endanger the republic more than errant jihadists, which law enforcement has mostly contained.

This course of action has great appeal, but few have defined precisely what getting out means. Withdrawing all American forces from Afghanistan? Ending military support for Iraq's forces? Halting the bombing in Syria? Ending American support for the Kurds and allied Arab formations? Would the United States continue drone strikes and special operations as part of its counterterrorist campaign? Should the United States continue to support the Saudi-led fight in Yemen? Should it continue to provide training and other forms of military assistance to willing allies in the region?

Withdrawal also comes with risks. The United States has achieved what seemed to be a measure of success on several occasions  in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Yemen  only to see things fall apart when it pulled out or turned its attention to other fronts.

Many in the United States would say it's not our fight: What are the downsides of withdrawal to the United States?

What are the downsides of withdrawal to the United States?

Well, a U.S. withdrawal could result in further destabilization of surrounding countries. It would leave ungoverned spaces not unlike those in pre-9/11 Afghanistan, which allowed al Qaeda to flourish. The withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq in 2011 is sometimes cited as a contributing factor to the rise of ISIS. American withdrawal would alter political calculations in Iraq, and it would leave Iran in a commanding position in the region. It could prompt further and more significant military action against the Kurds by Turkey.

Withdrawal would be perceived as another demonstration that the United States is an unreliable ally, which could have strategic implications beyond the Middle East, in places like Europe and East Asia, where there already are concerns about American commitment to its allies.

But the principal reason for U.S. military involvement in these conflicts is that it is seen as necessary to prevent terrorist attacks on the U.S. homeland. Would withdrawal reduce or increase that risk?

Al Qaeda's original objective was to drive the United States  the far enemy  out of the Middle East, although some analysts argue that the purpose of the 9/11 attacks was exactly the opposite, to draw the United States into the fight. How would al Qaeda react now to American withdrawal?

Although it encourages homegrown terrorist attacks, ISIS thus far has not followed al Qaeda's earlier pattern of launching large-scale terrorist attacks on the United States, although both groups continue to call on homegrown terrorists to carry out attacks in the U.S. If the United States were to withdraw, would ISIS see launching attacks on the U.S. as being in its strategic interest?

Would any administration that ordered a withdrawal be able to politically withstand a subsequent terrorist attack? And if one were to occur, what options would the United States then have?

Whether and how the United States ends, or substantially reduces, its military role remains unexplored territory. Yet Americans are reluctant to accept that this is an open-ended contest. U.S. officials need to devote as much strategic thinking about how this war might end as they have (or have not) devoted to participating in it.

The struggle against jihadist terrorism has been a long fight, and it has a long way to go. There are no shortcuts. When the United States thinks there are no costs attached to a strategy, it creates trouble. All options come with risks.

However, the various courses of action are not mutually exclusive. The United States may increase its military efforts in one place while at the same time seeking to lower the level of violence in another. Choices in every case, however, require that the nation reexamine its national interests and clarify its objectives.

Brian Michael Jenkins is a senior adviser to the president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation and an author of numerous books, reports and articles on terrorism-related topics.

This commentary originally appeared on The Hill on March 4, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
Russian woman convicted of sharing abuse video acquitted at second trial

MOSCOW, March 6 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko)  The Kurgan Regional Court acquitted Yevgeniya Chudnovets, former kindergarten teacher, who had been earlier convicted of distributing pornography by sharing video in a social network, lawyer Aleksey Bushmakov wrote on his Facebook page on Monday.

The court ruled to overturn her sentence and release Chudnovets from prison immediately.

On February 28, the Supreme Court of Russia ordered the Kurgan Regional Courts presidium to review the case against Chudnovets. The Supreme Court agreed with the arguments of Deputy Prosecutor General Leonid Korzhinek, who asked to repeal the sentence and close the case.

On February 27, Chudnovets legal team filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR complaining that her rights to a fair trial and freedom of expression had been violated.

According to case papers, Chudnovets published video, where a little child was shown naked, on the Vkontakte social network. Bushmakov earlier told RAPSI that this was a video made by someone else, shared by Chudnovets to bring attention to situation in recreational camps for children. The woman has pleaded not guilty.

In November 2016, she was sentenced to 6 months in a penal colony. Later, her prison term was reduced to 5 months.
Russian Supreme Court upholds sentence for retired colonel in treason case

MOSCOW, March 6 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko)  Russias Supreme Court has upheld a 12-year prison sentence given to retired colonel Aleksey Sinyakov for treason, RAPSI learnt in the court on Monday.

Sinyakov was convicted and sentenced to the prison term in a high-security prison in December 2016. He was also stripped of his military rank.

The case was classified as secret. The trial was held behind closed doors. Details were not disclosed. Sinyakovs attorney Yulia Skotnikova earlier declined to comment on the case because of its secrecy.

A number of treason cases were opened in the last few years in Russia. According to the Judicial Department at the Supreme Court, sixteen individuals were convicted and sentenced in Russia for treason and espionage in 2016.

Thirteen persons were convicted of treason; three other individuals were found guilty of spying. Only one of convicts has pleaded guilty. Courts have not delivered acquitting judgements in such cases. Nine people were held liable for divulging state secrets in 2016. Eight persons were pardoned while one received a suspended sentence, the courts Judicial Department reported in late December.
Russian government approves bill on prevention of inducing children to suicide

MOSCOW, March 6 (RAPSI)  Russian government has approved bill aimed to prevent children from being induced to suicide as well as introducing criminal liability for organizers of dangerous activities for children and teenagers, United Russia partys announcement reads on Monday.

The bill envisages criminal penalty for inducing minors to suicide; assistance in committing suicide and creating so-called Groups of Death on the Internet and suicidal games.

Under the proposed amendments, such actions, including ones conducted through the use of the Internet, should be punishable by up to two years in prison. If these crimes are targeting children or are committed by a group of co-conspirators, punishment for such actions may result in 3-5 years of imprisonment. Inducing to suicide may come in form of persuasion, bribery, fraud, provision of information that aims to present suicide in attractive light. Media and telecommunication networks are named among potential sources for such information. Inducing to suicide also includes suicide advice, instructions, provision of tools and instruments of committing suicide.

Involvement of children into deathful activities such as train hitching by adults would be also qualified as a crime, according to the bill. The draft law would oblige Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor to notify the Interior Ministry of the revealed prohibited content for efficient suppression of criminal activity against childrens lives.

According to Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Irina Yarovaya, the initiative has been already supported by the Investigative Committee, Roskomnadzor, Russias Interior Ministry, Ministry of Education and State Duma relevant committees.

On February 28, the bill was supported by the Supreme Court.
As a former college counselor, Jeremy Tate was unhappy with the direction the SAT and ACT were headed. So much so that, in the fall of 2015, he decided to create his own college entrance exam from scratch.

Less than two years later, the Classic Learning Test (CLT) is now partnering with 37 colleges and universities. On Monday the CLT will announce it has secured its newest and one of its highest-profile partners to date: Hillsdale College.

Tate, now the president of the test's parent company, Classic Learning Initiatives, says the CLT was conceived after he started his own SAT prep company and became very familiar with the exam. He was shocked by the direction of the test and how politically charged it had become. Tate believes that the SAT and ACT now favor science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) over the liberal arts, and, as a result, push high school students away from pursuing a classical education.

Every teacher knows that testing is inherently pedagogical, Tate said in a phone interview last week. Testing teaches. It doesn't just evaluate.

He was also opposed to the College Board, the organization that develops and administers the SAT, aligning the test to the Common Core State Standards. Tate doesn't agree with the Common Core approach and felt that the revised SAT would sway his students' educational emphasis.

Initially, he began searching for an alternative test to steer his students toward. However, he quickly realized that the SAT and ACT owned the marketplace. So Tate took it upon himself to start an alternative exam that specifically catered to religious liberal arts colleges and universities.

The first one to accept the CLT was Northeast Catholic College, a small New Hampshire school with less than 100 students. After that, St. John's College, St. Thomas Aquinas College and Liberty University -- among others -- followed suit.

One reason for the warm reception, Tate explained, is that many religious liberal arts institutions are losing students to larger public universities. The SAT and the ACT, at the end of the day, are college matchmaking engines as much as they are anything else, he stated. They drive kids to big research universities over Christian liberal arts colleges.

Reached by email for a statement, David Coleman, president and CEO of the College Board, did not comment directly on the CLT but emphasized his support for the role of religion in education and pointed to his remarks at the recent Foundation for Excellence in Education summit where he described the gifts religious education can instill, and stressed that a proper education involves the life of the soul.

Tate readily concedes that his ultimate goal is not to overthrow the nation's two largest college entrance exams but to provide high school students seeking out a religious liberal arts education an exam that better caters to their interests and courses of study. For example, where the SAT might include reading passages from writers like Virginia Woolf, the CLT selects texts from works by C.S. Lewis and Flannery O'Connor.

Of the CLT's 38 partners, Hillsdale is one of the best known and most influential institutions. The Michigan school requires each student, regardless of major, to complete a rigorous classical liberal arts core curriculum, which includes a course on the U.S. Constitution, as well as courses on history, western civilization, logic and rhetoric, theology and the Great Books, among other subjects. A New York Times' headline dubbed the school a Shining City on a Hill for Conservatives in a recent article.

Hillsdale put the CLT through an intense 10-month vetting process before accepting it. The two-hour exam can be administered online at local testing centers and features three 40-question sections: verbal reasoning, grammar/writing, and quantitative reasoning.

Tate hopes the CLT's success will encourage high schools to emphasize classical literature and rethink the entrance exams they prep students for. I think they [the SAT and ACT] are really fostering a disconnect with the Western thought tradition, Tate added. He also believes that employers are attracted to students from high-quality liberal arts programs because of their well-rounded educations and ability to think critically. By taking on two giants in American education, he's literally putting his beliefs to the test.

Christopher Beach is the editor of RealClearEducation.
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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

star Tarek El Moussa admits there was one aspect of his relationship with Christina El Moussa they could've worked on to possibly save their marriage."I feel like if we had better communication, we would have had a better relationship," Tarek, 35, said in a clip released by The Doctors of Monday's episode.Tarek, 35, and Christina, 33, publicly announced their split after seven years of marriage in December, and then he filed for divorce on January 9."I think as time went on, as you get busier and busier -- and, you know, it was like overnight. Businesses, TV, all these things happened overnight, and then the cancer, then the cancer, then the back surgery. It just kind of started pushing us apart from each other," Tarek explained, revealing that several years of issues led to the demise of their marriage."I had thyroid cancer in 2013. One month later they found out I had testicular cancer. It was very difficult on me. My hormones were way off. It affected me. It's been three years of hell. I was devastated when I found out. So was Christina."Shortly after Tarek's battle with cancer, Christina went through an infertility struggle in which she underwent rounds of in vitro fertilization.The parents of Taylor, 6, and Brayden, 18 months, initially separated in May 2016 as a result of an incident in which authorities were called to the couple's home to check on a "possibly suicidal male with a gun."Christina was bawling her eyes out after Tarek allegedly fled the house in a fit of rage. The pair, however, eventually called the event that prompted their split an "unfortunate misunderstanding ."Tarek repeated during his interview on The Doctors that there was simply a "misunderstanding" that day, explaining, "I have a CCW [carrying a concealed weapon] permit in California. I've gone through the training, the schooling and everything."Tarek has told multiple media outlets that he went for a walk to blow off some steam and brought a gun with him only for protection against wild animals and such. After the May events, Tarek and Christina began dating other people Despite all the hype surrounding their divorce and reports of drama on the set of their HGTV reality show, Tarek and Christina continue to film Season 7 of and attempt to amicably co-parent their children, who remain the pair's main priority.Several days ago, Tarek posted a photo of the estranged spouses smiling for the camera with the following caption and laughing emoticons: One #lucky lady!!!!! Another #FliporFlop house down!! Time to....... find another house to flip." Tarek added a winking emoticon at the conclusion of his post.
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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.
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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

star Nick Viall has started his overnight fantasy suite dates, but there is still more to come on the 21st season.Nick, a 36-year-old former software salesman from Wisconsin, sent Corinne Olympios packing during a Rose Ceremony in Brooklyn, NY, after visiting her family in Miami, FL.Although Nick loved Corinne's aggressive, confident and fun nature, his relationships with the other women were simply stronger.With Corinne gone, three bachelorettes remain in the running for Nick's heart: Rachel Lindsay Vanessa Grimaldi and Raven Gates In the latest episode, Nick enjoyed his first fantasy suite date with Raven. The couple soaked in the beautiful snowy landscape via helicopter ride, drank and played darts with locals in a pub, and then watched the Northern Lights from inside a cozy little log cabin.During their fantasy suite date, Raven confessed to Nick she was in love with him, and her declaration of such love was one of the sweetest Nick has ever heard in his life.Nick's eyes welled up with tears when Raven was expressing her deepest feelings, so she thought he reciprocated them. Raven revealed to Nick she only had sex with one person in her life -- seemingly her ex-boyfriend of two years -- and never said, "I love you," to a man before, not to mention she's also never had an orgasm.Nick's bond with Raven appears strong, but he also has a connection with Rachel, who captured Nick's attention on Day 1 and won the First Impression Rose, and Vanessa, who was the first girl Nick really opened up to this season.Nick therefore has some very tough decisions to make when it comes to which woman could be his future wife and partner in life. Nick has said countless times he is taking this process very seriously and truly hopes it works out for him in the end. After all, Nick was rejected on two different seasons of ette and failed to fall in love with the girl he dated on Bachelor in Paradise, Jennifer Saviano Bachelor Nation is unsure whether Nick will fall deeply in love and/or proposes at the end of his journey on the show, but it's clear he's considering an engagement since he asked each woman's father for permission during the hometown dates.It's clear, however, Nick and Rachel do not end up together since ABC recently announced her as ette's Season 13 star . She confirmed that Nick "let her go" and she did not quit but it was "his loss."So when does Nick decide to eliminate Rachel, and who will be his Final 2 bachelorettes? And will Vanessa or Rachel be the last woman standing at the end of it all?Nick revealed in his People blog that he sends Rachel home after their overnight fantasy suite date in Finland. He called it his "hardest goodbye yet."And, according to Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone, Nick rejects Raven in favor of Vanessa at the final Rose Ceremony. Vanessa therefore receives his final rose -- and a Neil Lane engagement ring!As for the current status of Nick and Vanessa's romance, Reality Steve claims they are still happily engaged. I guess Nick's fourth attempt at finding love on a reality dating series truly was the charm.Below is the list of bachelorettes who are still in the running for Nick's heart: Vanessa Grimaldi , a 29-year-old special education teacher from Montreal, Quebec, Canada Rachel Lindsay , a 31-year-old attorney from Dallas, TX Raven Gates , a 25-year-old fashion boutique owner from Hoxie, AR
Dutch English

All patients in the highest dose group achieved 90% skin clearance (PASI 90) compared to 0% for placebo

Skin biopsy showed complete reversal of disease pathology in the majority of patients in the high dose group

The onset of clinical effect was rapid and sustained throughout the study

Favourable safety and tolerability profile across all doses tested

GHENT, Belgium, 6 March 2017 - Ablynx [Euronext Brussels: ABLX; OTC: ABYLY] today announced that its partner, Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany), has presented new data from a Phase Ib study demonstrating strong efficacy with the bi-specific anti-IL-17A/F Nanobody (M1095; ALX-0761) in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis. The results were presented at the 75th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology Conference, taking place from 3-7 March 2017, in Orlando, Florida.

The Phase Ib study was a multi-centre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 41 patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis to evaluate the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of multiple ascending doses of M1095, ranging from 30mg to 240mg administered subcutaneously on days 1, 15 and 29. The study also evaluated pharmacokinetic profiles and efficacy of multiple subcutaneous doses of M1095.

A reduction in disease activity, as measured by the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) and improvement in static Physician Global Assessment (sPGA) was seen for all doses of M1095 versus 0% for placebo. At day 85, all patients treated with 240mg M1095 experienced a 75% reduction in disease activity (PASI 75) and had clear or almost clear skin (PASI 90); moreover, 56% of patients in this highest dose group had clear skin (PASI 100). In addition, rapid onset of clinical effect was observed after the first administered dose and sustained through to completion of the study at day 85.

M1095 had a favourable safety and tolerability profile, with no treatment-related serious adverse events reported and no dose-dependent increase in frequency or severity of adverse events. There was no apparent effect of anti-drug antibodies on pharmacokinetics.

The presentation 'Safety and efficacy of multiple ascending doses of subcutaneous M1095, an anti-interleukin-17A/F bi-specific Nanobody, in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis' is available on the Ablynx website under R&D portfolio.

Dr Edwin Moses, CEO of Ablynx, commented: "This Nanobody was developed as part of a deal we signed with Merck KGaA in 2008 and was the first functional bi-specific Nanobody to reach the clinic. We were responsible for the discovery and some of the pre-clinical work and Merck KGaA is now responsible for the clinical development and commercialisation of this drug candidate. These initial clinical data are very encouraging compared to other psoriasis therapeutics commercially available, and in development. We believe that the results are a further validation of the enormous potential of the Nanobody platform to generate differentiating multi-specific drug candidates for the treatment of a wide range of diseases."

About M1095 (anti-IL-17A/F)

The interleukin (IL)-17A/F bispecific Nanobody neutralizes the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-17A and IL-17F, which are each expressed at inflammatory sites, and have both been implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and several auto-immune disorders. The interleukin-17 (IL-17) family of cytokines includes six IL-17-family ligands, and five receptors. IL-17A is the most studied family member and most often mentioned as IL-17. IL-17F is the closest relative to IL-17A based on sequence and receptor binding. Indeed, while both IL-17A and IL-17F exist as homodimers, an IL-17A/F heterodimer has also been described. In addition, both IL-17F and IL-17A bind the IL-17RA and IL-17RC receptors. A difference between IL-17A and IL-17F is that their expression may be differentially regulated at both the cell-type and transcriptional levels accounting for non-redundant roles in vivo. IL-17A and IL-17F are important mediators of local and systemic inflammation. Their activities are often additive or synergistic to that of other inflammatory mediators such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF). This described biology of IL-17A and IL-17F supports a role for both cytokines in the initiation and perpetuation of Th17-associated chronic auto-immune and inflammatory diseases and in subsequent organ damage.

The bi-specific anti-IL-17A/F Nanobody (M1095) was discovered by Ablynx. Merck KGaA is now responsible for the clinical development and commercialisation of M1095 with Ablynx set to potentially receive milestones and royalties as the programme progresses.

About the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI)

Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) is the most widely used tool for the measurement of severity of psoriasis. It assesses treatment efficacy by measuring the reduction in redness, scaling and thickness of psoriatic plaques and the extent of involvement in each region of the body. PASI combines the assessment of the severity of lesions and the area affected into a single score. PASI is widely used in clinical trials of therapies to treat psoriasis. Although absolute PASI score is often used to define entry into a trial, it is response to treatment that is important to measure efficacy and outcomes. This is usually presented as a percentage response rate; e.g. PASI 50, PASI 75, PASI 90, PASI 100. PASI 75, for example, represents the percentage (or number) of patients who have achieved a 75% or more reduction in their PASI score from baseline. PASI 100 indicates patients who have achieved a complete resolution of all disease.

About static Physician Global Assessment (sPGA)

A key measure used in clinical trials of psoriasis is the physician global assessment (PGA). Global assessments can be done for extensive disease as well as localized plaques. The static PGA measures the physician's impression of the disease at a single point. The static Physician's Global Assessment (sPGA) scale rates the investigator's overall clinical assessment of a subjects plaque thickness, erythema, and scaling on a 6-point scale ranging from 0 (clear, except for residual discoloration) to 5 (majority of plaques have severe thickness, erythema, and scale). To assign a sPGA score, the investigator examines all psoriatic lesions and assigns a severity score ranging from 0 to 5 for thickness, erythema, and scaling. Scores for thickness, erythema, and scaling are summed and the mean of these 3 scores equals the overall sPGA score. Overall sPGA scores range from 0 to 5, where lower scores indicate clinical improvement. In this study, the percentage of subjects who achieved a sPGA rating of 0 (clear) or 1 (minimal) and had at least a 2 level reduction from baseline score were reported.

About Ablynx

Ablynx is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of Nanobodies, proprietary therapeutic proteins based on single-domain antibody fragments, which combine the advantages of conventional antibody drugs with some of the features of small-molecule drugs. Ablynx is dedicated to creating new medicines which will make a real difference to society. Today, the Company has more than 45 proprietary and partnered programmes in development in various therapeutic areas including inflammation, haematology, immuno-oncology, oncology and respiratory disease. The Company has collaborations with multiple pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eddingpharm, Merck & Co., Inc., Merck KGaA, Novartis, Novo Nordisk and Taisho Pharmaceuticals. The Company is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium. More information can be found on www.ablynx.com.

For more information, please contact

Ablynx:

Dr Edwin Moses

CEO

t: +32 (0)9 262 00 07

m: +32 (0)473 39 50 68

e: edwin.moses@ablynx.com

Marieke Vermeersch

Director IR & Corporate Communications

t: +32 (0)9 262 00 82

m: +32 (0)479 49 06 03

e: marieke.vermeersch@ablynx.com

Follow us on Twitter @AblynxABLX

Ablynx media/analyst relations

FTI Consulting:

Julia Phillips, Brett Pollard, Mo Noonan, Matthew Moss

t: +44 20 3727 1000

e: ablynx@fticonsulting.com

Attachments:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/87237386-c453-448e-bb7d-bf0d061446b0
There is a lot of optimism across all markets and a large part of it is justified, says Arora of Helios Capital Management.

Mid-caps will also do well in the current situation where domestic institutional investors have seen big inflows, Samir Arora, founder and fund manager of Helios Capital Management, tells Puneet Wadhwa.

However, a market-cap agnostic fund could be better for new investments, he advises.

Will economic and stock market growth in developed regions outpace that in emerging economies and markets?

It is difficult to say but we are happy either way. There is a lot of optimism across all markets and a large part of it is justified.

What are the key triggers and risks the markets are looking at for direction? Will the outcome of state elections, especially of Uttar Pradesh, be a big trigger?

We do not believe the outcome of state elections can be a big development for the market. The Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to win in UP, the only election that matters in this round, if at all.

Even if they do not win, we dont think investors will project this to derive conclusions about the 2019 national elections.

If they win, the market will have more reasons to go up.

Currently, Indian markets are going up for two or three reasons: All emerging markets, and indeed all equity markets worldwide, are going up; earnings for the recent quarter have been better than expected in mid-November or early December, when fear about the impact of demonetisation on the economy and corporate performance were at their peak; domestic mutual funds have got significant inflow, which helped counter FII (foreign institutional investor) selling in November-January.

The mid-cap segment has seen a healthy run-up since its recent low in December. Whats your advice for someone who is already invested in this space and someone who wants to invest now?

In general, we think investors should invest in all-cap funds. In many sectors (for example, private sector banking) the biggest companies are the best.

However, we believe mid-caps will also do well in the current situation where domestic institutional investors have big inflows, as they prefer mid-cap companies to try and outperform their peer group.

Mid-cap stocks could do well in a rising market but correct sharply in any weakness. Therefore, a market-cap agnostic fund might be better for new investments.

How are FIIs viewing India as an investment destination after demonetisation and the Union Budget? Do you expect the pace of FII flow to pick up?

It will pick up pace with time. There is a wrong feeling that the markets fall because FII investors sell. The reality, mostly, is they sell because markets were falling and not vice versa.

Everyone likes a strong market. You also saw how FIIs bought nearly $1.5 billion of HDFC Bank in just a few hours last week.

What has been your investment strategy over the past six months? Which sectors are you overweight and underweight on?

We have been overweight on Indian financials for threefour years.

We were nervous about the prospects of some of these companies during the demonetisation fear and reduced our weightage on a few at that time. In early January, we bought back the same stocks, as we realised these companies have not had the pain we feared.

Do you see a tilt in favour of consumption- and banking-related sectors, as the impact of note ban fades?

For us, clearly so. For, these are the only two sectors-themes we really like and are bullish on.

The information technology (IT) sector has been hit by the new H1-B visa-related issues. What is the road ahead? Is it a good contrarian play from a 1224 month perspective?

We are significantly underweight on this sector. The problems are known and it is not easy to change strategy when there is so much invested in the current way of business.

With Tata Consultancy Services announcing a buyback, do you expect more IT companies to follow?

Buyback of shares is only a short-term financial trigger and does not make the underlying business more attractive.

Image: A BJP rally in Chennai. Photograph: Babu/Reuters.
However, survey by Japanese firm shows India as most preferred Asian market for Japanese investors.

Despite the possible settlement of arbitration dispute between Tata Sons and NTT DoCoMo, Japanese investors remain concerned about sudden changes in rules for capital, land or labour, once projects get underway in India.

Speaking on the sidelines of a seminar to promote infrastructure investment in India, Takema Sakamoto, chief representative of Japan International Cooperative Agency (Jica), said the dispute in the telecom sector has got plenty of other Japanese companies worried.

India has huge potential but to make those fruitful, there is a need for more stable and transparent operation of regulations, he said.

The drawn out arbitration between the two companies is about a dispute over Tata Sons inability to buy back NTT DoCoMos 26 per cent share in their joint venture, Tata Teleservices. It had been agreed upon by both when they signed up for the joint venture, but subsequently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) held the buyback invalid, since it would be at a pre-determined share price.

The change was rung in by RBI in its foreign exchange regulations quite after the telecom companies had inked their agreement.

Japan is one of the largest investors in India. Under the India-Japan Investment Promotion Partnership, signed in September 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government came to power, Tokyo offered to invest 3.5 trillion yen ($ 33.5 billion) as investment and financing over the next five years.

The sector which hopes to draw in the largest chunk of that investment is the Indian Railways. On Thursday, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu rolled out investment plans of over Rs 8.5 lakh crore he expects to draw in by 2020. A large part of that could come from Jica as technical cooperation and bilateral aid, as overseas development assistance or ODA. India is Jicas largest partner.

In FY15, Japanese ODA to India was about Rs 22,000 crore. The investment, in turn, draws in supportive private sector investment from Japan which Jica, too, encourages. But Sakamoto underlined that concerns about sudden changes in rules could be a dampener for those investors.

A survey, carried out by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation recently, shows India occupies the number one position as the preferred Asian foreign market for Japanese investors. It has pipped both China and Thailand to occupy this position by 2016, even though there are far more Japanese companies in those countries.

But Sakamoto and Chief Economist of Jica, Koki Hirota, said for India to keep this momentum going, it must reduce uncertainty in regulations. For Japanese private sector investors, the chief concerns are rule changes and shortage of critical infrastructure, the chief India representative added.

NTT DoCoMo had made the investment according to the rules, he said. I am worried the abrupt change in those by RBI, could make Japanese private sector could look at DoCoMo case sympathetically.

Sakamoto said he appreciated the reasons why the India government had to issue the demonetisation order, but offered it as an example of sudden change in rules that the government here keeps throwing up. Hirota added the attraction of the Indian markets for Japanese investors is likely to persist.

Image: The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train for which Japan will provide 80 per cent of the project funds at 0.1 per cent interest for a period of 50 years.
Karan Johar has criticised Rangoon actress Kangana Ranaut for constantly playing the 'victim card' and blaming Bollywood for 'terrorising' her.

Kangana had appeared on Johar's celebrity talk show Koffee With Karan, where she called him the 'flag-bearer of nepotism'.

'I am done with Kangana playing the woman card and the victim card. I am done,' Johar said during a session with Anupama Chopra at the London School of Economics, India Forum.

'You cannot be this victim at every given point of time, who has this sad story to tell about how she has been terrorised by 'bad Bollywood'. If it is that way, then leave,' he added.

On an episode of Koffee With Karan, Kangana said Johar would be perfect to play the role of a 'stereotypical Bollywood biggie who is snooty and completely intolerant to outsiders, the flag-bearer of nepotism, the movie mafia' in her biopic if it is ever made.

Johar said he may not have agreed with her comments but he let it air as he respected her point of view.

'She had a great prospective and point of view. Everyone lauded her for coming on to my show and (how she) 'gave it off to Karan'. I was gracious enough to not cut anything and let it be that way. I could have edited it as it was my show. I cut none of it. I said, 'No, let the world listen to her opinion and she must voice it'. I gave her the platform,' he said.

Earlier, during a chat session on Twitter, someone had asked Johar, 'Was Kangana correct about nepotism?' He had replied, 'Not entirely! She made an impact with her sweeping statements! That was fun... for her! And the show.'

In the picture: Kangana Ranaut and Karan Johar on Koffee With Karan
Freedom of speech and expression does not merit debate; it exists with conditions to regulate its use. However, a citizen's rights end where another citizen's begin, says Shambhavi Ravishankar.

Nothing in this world is absolute. Historically various scholars and thinkers from a variety of professional backgrounds have described rights and freedoms as legal concepts with inherent limitations.

The famous poet Alfred George Gardiner in his work "Pebbles on the Seashore", summed up this conundrum most beautifully. A person's freedom ends where another man's freedom begins. This fact has been affirmed from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes to John Stuart Mill and Abraham Lincoln.

In a complex social structure, such as the one India has, courtesy of our diversity, delineating these boundaries is a herculean task.

In addition to this complicated affair, one must also consider the emotional aspect as well as educational differences. It is very easy to generate a single spark that ultimately causes a nation-wide fire in India.

Whether violent or non-violent, there is historical evidence to support our ability as Indians to come together in our reactions and efforts towards a cause.

It is not India alone that faces this challenge of free speech versus nationalism. All around the world, efforts have been made through the centuries for the protection of free speech to be an absolute one.

Free speech originated as need so as to give power to citizenry to voice dissent against despotic rulers.

Ideas themselves are tame. It is their expression that gives them power.

The more people that believe a certain idea the stronger it is and the greater power it has to change the status quo.

Thus far, human rights such as the right to freedom of speech and expression have been a privilege accorded to citizens of each nation based on their laws and Constitutions. They must flow from the law and be regulated in accordance with the law with respect to each nation's specific circumstances.

Therefore, practices which apply to one nation may not suit another.

Liberal thinking in its purest form presents an idealism that is aspirational, given the current conditions in the world. Absolute freedom and uniform application of laws and customs across nations is a challenging affair to achieve, to say the least.

Recent developments with Gurmehar Kaur, Shazia Ilmi, Umar Khalid and the various political influences have brought to light this age old debate.

What is nationalism? What is anti-national? Should there be limits on free speech and if so what are the parameters for deciding that limits have been crossed?

The Constitution of India answers some of these questions, and various court cases by the Supreme Court of India have clarified the different nuances of our fundamental rights, despite which the ideological debate continues both here and around the world.

With arguments being put forth from all sides on the issue, two aspects merit discussion -- the influence of politics in education and the influence of social media on free speech. Universities are supposed to be free spaces of discussion and debate. Students should be able to exchange ideas and thoughts without fear of repercussion.

However with social media coming in, it has become ridiculously easy to disseminate and discuss ideas. These ideas expressed through posts become viral with remarkable speed. They attract attention across political camps, and are used in a variety of ways.

Social media has made it much easier to identify and react to "anti-national" statements. This leads to "trolling" and levying of physical threats, where individual students are attacked, as opposed to their ideas getting the challenging. Instead of sparring with ideas, individuals are targeted.

Furthermore, the existence of societies on campuses around the country that have affiliations to political parties adds another layer of complications.

The question thus arises: does the presence of this political influence have a negative effect on the atmosphere of academic discussion on the campuses? The youth with their energy and idealism are at risk of being used in the name of fighting a noble cause, to further political ends.

It becomes difficult to ascertain whether protests and agitations are politically motivated or whether they are the views of the youth in our country.

Nobody wants or likes war, but at the same time if war is provoked unnecessarily no country will stay silent and allow itself to be ravaged by foreign forces.

One party blocks speaker X while another blocks speaker Y. There is therefore, truth and intolerance on both sides of the issue, with retaliations and reactionary statements flying from every camp.

Freedom of speech and expression exists for every person. What is being forgotten is that it is for the Judiciary to determine whether rights have been infringed, and whether "anti-national" conduct has occurred, not the self-appointed arbiters of justice.

Freedom of speech and expression does not merit debate; it exists with conditions to regulate its use. However, a citizen's rights end where another citizen's begin.

All the diverse opinions in the world cannot neglect cognizance of this fact.

If one has a right to speak, another has a right to object. Violence or threat thereof for whatever reason is unwarranted and has serious legal consequences.

These are facts that are true for all parts of the spectrum a given argument falls within.

The author is a freelance contributor at the Asian News International
India is not making a choice of war over peace. Rather it is at war, a war thrust on it by a sick militaristic State, says Sankrant Sanu.

IMAGE: Jammu and Kashmir police officers carry the coffin of Constable Manzoor Ahmed Naik, a resident of Uri, who was killed in an encounter with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Aaquib Bhat and Pakistan terrorist Saif-ul-lah in Tral, south Kashmir, March 4/5, 2017.

Naik took on the terrorists during the operation, which began at 7 pm on Saturday night and continued till 6.30 am.

Photograph: Umar Ganie

Gurmehar Kaur was made into a larger-than-life icon.

While the Left-Maoists could be accused of being 'anti-national', who could say that to the daughter of a soldier who was killed in the frontline?

But you probably didn't hear of Pooja, daughter of Lance Naik Moolraj who was killed in Pathankot, and who appealed to Gurmeher Kaur (external link) to not make a mockery of her father's sacrifice.

Two daughters who lost their fathers, but only one with a narrative that suited an ecosystem. So we dig into the why.

Gurmehar Kaur was built up in the media for her opposition to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad who were protesting the presence of Umar Khaled, he of the alleged 'Bharat ke tukde' slogan at JNU.

But even before that, she had been picked up by certain media personalities for her video showing her holding a series of placards.

One placard read 'Pakistan did not kill my father, war did.' She had earlier shown up on an anti-war stage with ultra leftists. Media mavens highlighted her as a peacenik. Now who in their right mind would be against peace?

Therein lies the rub.

Unlike the Vietnam war era peace protests in the United States, where the country was throwing napalm bombs on villagers 8,000 miles away for an imagined strategic victory over Communism, India is not waging any war on Pakistan.

Even when the Pakistani State trained and sent Laskhar terrorists to Mumbai in 2008 to kill civilians, India did not wage war.

When the Kargil infiltration and attack took place, it simply defended itself and kept from taking the fight to Pakistani soil.

C Christine Fair, a security studies analyst who spent time with the Pakistan army before she became persona non grata, writes that Pakistan is an ideological State that follows a policy (external link) of 'persistent revisionism'.

In other words, India would be happy with peace, but Pakistan will not allow this.

It seeks to overturn the status quo, if not by outright war, then through proxy terror, and if not through terror, then the cultivation of the dangerous narrative of its 'right' to Muslim majority Kashmir couched in the rubric of 'azaadi'

Fair has pointed out that Pakistan's ISI itself supports and funds track II peaceniks from India for boondoggles to Pakistan, while at the same time launching terror attacks like in Mumbai, Pathankot and Kargil.

How does this make sense?

Pakistan uses its nuclear cover, and the threat of nuclear Armageddon, to bleed India via terrorism.

At the same time, the peace constituency is cultivated to limit India's retaliation to these attacks.

This peace constituency serves to hyphenate and equalise Pakistan's actions with that of India. In other words, while Pakistan sends terrorists to launch the hard attacks, the peaceniks launch the soft attacks.

The soft attacks provide cover to the hard attacks by saying the problem really isn't Pakistan but war, and India and Pakistan are both to blame for this state of war.

The peace umbrella is the soft equivalent of the nuclear umbrella.

Just like the nuclear umbrella prevents hard retaliation, the peace umbrella prevents holding Pakistan accountable for its persistent and psychotic fomenting of terror against India.

This terror is not just episodic, like the attack on the Indian Parliament or Mumbai or Pathankot.

Every week terrorists wait at launch pads to infiltrate into India from Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

Every week Indian soldiers are killed.

Partly as a result of the Congress' errors, including infamously rigging an election in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has managed to turn a section of Kashmiris away from India.

In the major phase of terrorism, it silenced and killed pro-India voices including newspaper editors, orchestrated the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits and targeted Sikhs and other communities while its propaganda war, abetted by some Indian journalists, blamed the Indian Army.

This last factor is worth understanding.

Unlike India, the Pakistani army manages a lot of the foreign affairs and propaganda. It treats this as a psy-ops battle.

In the US, Pakistani-American Ghulam Nabi Fai funded Kashmiri 'azaadi' conferences and luxury retreats where Indian Left academics like Angana Chatterji showed up to criticise the Indian Army and largely bolster the Pakistani position.

Fai was later busted as having channeled funds from Pakistan's Deep State to US senators.

There has long been a controversy in Pakistan over the 'secret funds' the government uses.

A controversy erupted within Pakistan when it came to light that the Pakistani government bribed its own journalists (external link) from secret funds to the tune of 177 million Pakistani rupees.

The secret funds were later curtailed with the government clarifying that the policy has been changed and now the funds continue only with the ISI and Intelligence Bureau (external link).

Given the ISI's demonstrated capacity to woo Indian Left academics and even US senators, and the mindset of war, which governs psy ops by the Pakistani army, it would be no surprise if sections of the Indian media and academia are on the ISI gravy train.

After all, we know from the Mitrokhin archives (external link) and later CIA archive corroboration that the KGB actively bribed the Indian media (external link), and also regularly bribed the Congress and Left parties (external link) to buy influence.

The CIA also bribed, among others, student associations (external link). All of this is now a matter of public record.

Given the enormous importance that Pakistan attaches to the Kashmir issue, its demonstrated ability to spend money to buy journalists and academics (and the record of Indian media and politicians of being bought), it would be naive to imagine that the campus agitations are completely independent of Pakistani GHQ orchestration.

So what is the aim of Pakistan here?

The Sunday Guardian weekly newspaper had written about this (external link) over a year ago, based on intelligence inputs.

'Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) unit of the Pakistan military has, since November 2014, begun to implement a plan designed to activate a 'non-terror' front in India, in addition to the long-running terror front. This second front is expected by GHQ Rawalpindi to have a destructive effect on public morale...'

Fanning of student clashes and campus unrest, creating a perception that there is discontent in India and a large number of people favour azaadi for Kashmir and other areas couldn't be better played to the script.

However, it is important to not paint with too broad a brush. Most of the demonstrators and students, and most of the common supporters of different parties, are unlikely to be part of any breaking India agenda.

Many are simply naive and misled, unaware of the puppet masters and the great game being played.

It is important that the response be calibrated while not underestimating the gravity of the situation.

At the same time the extreme left, the Maoists responsible for violent terror, and their sympathisers and networks should be dealt with severity.

India is not making a choice of war over peace. Rather it is at war, a war thrust on it by a sick militaristic State.

The choice is not between war and peace, but about how to respond to the war that is thrust on us.
Sandoz proposed biosimilar adalimumab (GP2017) shown to have equivalent efficacy and a similar safety profile as reference medicine, Humira *

Comprehensive development program show potential of GP2017 to treat inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and plaque psoriasis

Study reinforces strength of Sandoz pipeline and its key role in the broader Novartis immunology portfolio

Holzkirchen, 6 March 2017 - Sandoz, a Novartis division, and the pioneer and global leader in biosimilars, today presented data for its proposed biosimilar adalimumab (GP2017). The Phase 3 confirmatory efficacy, safety and immunogenicity study met its primary endpoint demonstrating GP2017 has equivalent efficacy to the reference medicine, Humira[1]. Results were presented at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) in Orlando, Florida.

The primary endpoint of the study was the proportion of patients who achieved a 75% improvement at Week 16, as measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Data from the study confirmed equivalent efficacy by demonstrating PASI 75 response rates of 67% for proposed biosimilar adalimumab and 65% for the reference medicine in patients with moderate to severe, chronic plaque psoriasis.

"Currently, it is estimated that as few as five percent of eligible psoriasis patients get the biologics they need" said Mark Levick, MD PhD, Global Head of Development, Biopharmaceuticals, Sandoz. "We are pleased the data reinforce the potential of our biosimilar adalimumab, if approved, to be another treatment option for moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis and other inflammatory diseases" Levick continued.

Results at week 17 demonstrated similar safety and immunogenicity between GP2017 and the reference medicine. Reported adverse events and the presence of anti-drug antibodies were similar across both treatment groups. Observed adverse events were in line with the reference medicine's known safety profile.

Sandoz is committed to increasing patient access to high-quality, life-enhancing biosimilars. It is the pioneer and global leader in biosimilars and currently markets three biosimilars worldwide. Sandoz has a leading biosimilar pipeline, with plans to file biosimilar adalimumab with the EMA and the FDA in 2017. Sandoz also plans to launch five biosimilars of major oncology and immunology biologics across key geographies by 2020. As a division of the Novartis Group, Sandoz is well-positioned to lead the biosimilars industry based on its experience and capabilities in development, manufacturing and commercialization.

About the study

The study (NCT02016105) is a Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, controlled, 51-week study to compare efficacy, safety and immunogenicity between GP2017 and Humira. The study consists of three treatment periods. During the first 17-week treatment period, eligible patients with active, but clinically stable, moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis were randomized to receive either GP2017 or Humira. In the second period, patients were re-randomized into four groups; the first two groups continued with their originally assigned treatment and other two switched to alternating treatment every six weeks until week 35. In the third period, patients received their initially assigned treatment up to week 51.

Disclaimer

The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by words such as "proposed," "potential," "pipeline," "portfolio," "committed," "plans," "launch," "well-positioned," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals or labeling for biosimilar adalimumab or any of the other products in the Sandoz biosimilar pipeline, or regarding potential future revenues from biosimilar adalimumab and the other products in the Sandoz biosimilar pipeline. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of management regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that biosimilar adalimumab or any of the other products in the Sandoz biosimilar pipeline will be submitted or approved for sale in any market, or at any particular time. Neither can there be any guarantee that, if approved, biosimilar adalimumab will be approved for all indications included in the reference product's label. Nor can there be any guarantee that biosimilar adalimumab or any of the other products in the Sandoz biosimilar pipeline will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, management's expectations regarding biosimilar adalimumab and such other Sandoz biosimilar pipeline products could be affected by, among other things, regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; competition in general, including potential approval of additional versions of biosimilar adalimumab; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, industry and general public pricing pressures; litigation outcomes, including intellectual property disputes or other legal efforts to prevent or limit Sandoz from selling biosimilar adalimumab or its other biosimilar products; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general economic and industry conditions; safety, quality or manufacturing issues, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Sandoz

Sandoz is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars. As a division of the Novartis Group, our purpose is to discover new ways to improve and extend people's lives. We contribute to society's ability to support growing healthcare needs by pioneering novel approaches to help people around the world access high-quality medicine. Our portfolio of approximately 1000 molecules, covering all major therapeutic areas, accounted for 2016 sales of USD 10.1 billion. In 2016, our products reached well over 500 million patients and we aspire to reach one billion. Sandoz is headquartered in Holzkirchen, in Germany's Greater Munich area.

*Humira is a registered trademark of AbbVie Biotechnology Ltd.

References

[1] Blauvelt A et al. A randomized, double-blind, multicenter study to compare the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of a proposed adalimumab biosimilar (GP2017) with originator adalimumab Poster #5224 presented at the 2017 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting, 3-7 March 2017.



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'If you are in Punjab, Modi is omnipresent as if he is going to be chief minister of Punjab.'

'If he is in Uttarakhand, he presents himself to be the chief minister of Uttarakhand.'

'When he is in UP, he is touted as the chief minister of UP.'

'There is a personality cult which is being built around a person... that he is the panacea of every democratic exercise in India, from panchayat to Parliament.'

'Modi at some point will pay the price for trying to build a very ambitious personality cult.'

Congress National Spokesperson Manish Tewari, in his book Decoding A Decade -- The Politics of Policymaking, details how the United Progressive Alliance government functioned, how it could have saved the blushes and how it was in many ways better than the present Narendra Modi government.

Tiwari spoke to Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf in Mumbai.

Why did you think of writing this book?

The decade from 2004 to 2014 when the UPA was running this country was a very tumultuous yet momentous decade in the contemporary history of India.

There were a number of issues around which I had written over a period of time. So I thought if we thematically put them together, even in their randomness, they would tell the story of some of the more important issues which really defined and shaped the last decade.

The UPA lost the 2014 general election owing to allegations of corruption. What issues did you want to highlight in this book?

Essentially, I have written around diverse themes ranging from fundamental reforms that needed to be carried out in our political system to the unshackling of Parliament and the politics around economic decision-making.

I also wrote about how the whole campaign that was built against the UPA around corruption and malfeasance... how it could have been better handled; how a communications strategy in the early days, when Vinod Rai (then the comptroller and auditor general) hit us with the Rs 176,000 crore 2G scam, with senior ministers speaking up would have possibly helped in correcting the perception.

I had expressed myself contemporaneously even at that point in time. Certain friends and colleagues felt that if we could actually weave this into a sort of a thematic book, we could tell a story and that is why we did it.

'2014 actually represents a fundamental power shift from the people to corporate barons who with their control over instruments of information dissemination, television channels, private radio stations etc feel that they can not only set the agenda of the country, but also they can dictate terms to democracy.'

How can the Congress party be revived at this point of time?

It is not that the UPA performed badly in the 10 years (it was in power). On any of the indices, be it growth -- on an average we clocked 7.8 percent over 10 years despite the economic meltdown and the Eurozone crisis hitting us.

And then we built the most ambitious rights-based entitlement architecture that lifted 190 million people out of poverty.

But then we did come down from 206 to 44 MPs... so we erred somewhere.

One way of looking at is that there was fatigue.

It is what I call the blue shirt example. You know you look very good in a blue shirt and you wear it every day to work.

One day you get tired of it and then decide to wear a red shirt and walk out on the street.

What happens is that the red attracts the bull and this is exactly what has happened to India.

They have donned the red shirt and they have a bull chasing them now.

The other way is that the Congress has to find a way whereby it can become nimble in its responses.

One of the biggest challenges which established political parties face in this new media age is the nimbleness to be able to adapt to an environment in a milieu which changes rapidly.

For example, if you follow analytics on social media, you would find that by the time established political parties actually react to an issue, the discourse has already moved on to something else.

So we are way behind the learning curve in our responses. That nimbleness and flexibility is not very easy to come by when you are dealing with structures, which over a period of time develop their own bureaucracy, their decision-making processes.

So that is the fundamental challenge.

The Congress had young leaders like Milind Deora and others. Why could they not adopt social media the way the BJP has? Where has your party failed?

Again, it is a misnomer to think that somebody in their 40s or 50s is young.

You may be young going by the conventional age of politicians, but the fact is young means that you are between 18 and 28 years.

It is not only about social media. Why I chose to give you the social media example earlier was because it demonstrates how you require nimbleness to be able to change the discourse.

Today, notwithstanding the great failures of this government, the fact still remains that the agenda for the discourse is being set by the government.

That needs to change.

Thirty one months into the tenure of this government, it should be the Opposition which should be setting the agenda for the discourse in this country and hold the government accountable.

How do you rate the Narendra Modi government so far?

You evaluate any government on five benchmarks.

First is social harmony, which has absolutely gone to the dogs deliberately in the last 31 months because of an environment of hate and wanting to adjust the discourse 90 degrees to the right.

Therefore, there is latent social tension across the country.

Creative people feel that they have to self-censor themselves.

Everybody has a censor in their heads. No longer are people able to express themselves freely without fear.

India's creative and liberal spaces have been the biggest casualty in the last 31 months.

As far as political stability is concerned you have seen the manner in which this government has dealt with Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and even Tamil Nadu.

It is another matter that now people are saying that Sasikala has been convicted so the governor was right in waiting. The governor was wrong in waiting.

Therefore, there is a pattern whereby the office of the governor is being used and abused by the government in order to ensure that people whom they consider unfriendly are either toppled or they are not allowed to come in.

The BJP says the Congress did the same thing when it ran the country...

Between 2004 and 2014, there is not a single example they can cite on the misuse of Article 356 (President's Rule).

Economic development has been the biggest failure of the Modi government.

In a span of 31 months, you effectively brought down the growth rate to 3.5 percent.

The IMF forecast for this year is 5.5 percent. 5.5 percent, if viewed keeping 2004-2005 as the base year actually means 3.5 percent.

Then when you come to internal security, you have seen how Kashmir went belly up.

The Naga Accord, which was the much touted swansong of this government... nobody knows what has happened to this agreement.

Similarly, left-wing extremism has started manifesting itself in a big manner. It does not get picked up on the radar of the media in that way.

And Pakistan, the Modi government has completely messed up the one fundamental foreign policy challenge that India has had for decades.

The message they have sent to the Deep State in Pakistan is that they are dealing with a bunch of amateurs in South Block and that is why the Pakistanis have been running circles around us.

In perspective, this government has failed abysmally on every count.

Prime Minister Modi is still the most popular leader in India today.

Prime Minister Modi's popularity will be tested in 2019.

At the moment, Modi is hologramming himself into every state.

If you are in Punjab, Modi is omnipresent as if he is going to be chief minister of Punjab.

If he is in Uttarakhand, he presents himself to be the chief minister of Uttarakhand.

When he is in Uttar Pradesh, he is touted as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

I was surprised to see hoardings of Modi in Mumbai as if he is going to become the mayor of Mumbai.

Therefore, there is a personality cult which is being built around a person... that he is the panacea of every democratic exercise in India, from panchayat to Parliament, which is the complete antithesis of democracy.

And Modi at some point in time would really have to -- for a lack of a better word -- pay the price for trying to build a very ambitious personality cult.

Why has your party taken a secondary role in Uttar Pradesh and a similar role in Bihar?

Why does your party feel that an alliance works better rather than fighting elections on your own strength?

For the simple reason that you have to recognise the reality on the ground.

Rather than delude yourself and put your head in the sand and be like an ostrich it is much better that you recognise the reality and start building yourself from the bootstraps.

Will it help your party grow?

Oh yes! Obviously it gives you a presence in the government. It energises the cadre; it gets the party going.

Alliances (in places) where you are weak is not a bad strategy.

BJP President Amit Shah says the day you had an alliance with the Samajwadi Party you conceded defeat. What's your take?

It means that in Punjab the BJP has been in defeat mode since 1997. (The BJP is in an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal in the state.)

In your book you write that corporate India defeated the Congress party...

Corporate India -- or the Bombay Club 2 after the Eurozone crisis -- somehow came to the conclusion that the UPA would no longer serve their interest.

This is not withstanding the fact that even after the economic meltdown, the UPA delivered 9 to 9.5 percent growth when everybody else was in the negative.

Therefore, they threw all their money, muscle and media resources behind Narendra Modi.

In fact, the coup d'etat against Nitin Gadkari, when he was removed as BJP president, was also orchestrated by these very same forces.

They thought Gadkari was anathema to Modi being able to take control of the political processes of the BJP.

Modi was a project of corporate India and unfortunately for democracy the project has succeeded.

In many ways, 2014 was a watershed. It actually represents a fundamental power shift from the people to the corporate barons who because of liberalisation and globalisation, and especially with their control over instruments of information dissemination, television channels, private radio stations etc, feel that they can not only set the agenda of the country, but also they can dictate terms to democracy.

Fortunately, what has happened in the interim is that you have got the phenomena of social media which has become a great leveller whereby the discourse is no longer top down, but horizontal.

As in the case of US President Donald Trump, despite the mainstream media not being with him, he was able to triumph.

Similarly, you will find that notwithstanding corporate India's picks and choices for India's prime minister there will be a push back from thye people of India.

Rajiv Bajaj has criticised demonetisation. Do you think corporate India has started to feel the pinch of the downturn in the Indian economy?

Demonetisation was the stupidest thing to be done.

It is illegal, unethical and immoral... there is absolutely no justification.

It is good that some people in corporate India are finally showing some spine.

Demonetisation is illegal because under section 26 (2) of the RBI Act you can only demonetise a series. You cannot demonetise an entire denomination.

Similarly under section 24 (1) of the RBI Act, you cannot -- without specifying -- introduce a new number in terms of currency like the Rs 2,000 note.

Similarly without imposing a financial emergency, you cannot impose arbitrary limits on withdrawal.

Therefore, you have a situation in this country whereby an illegality has been perpetuated and that illegality has caused pain to millions of people.

It is good that at least some influential people in corporate India have started saying what is right.
In the first major headway in the case pertaining to rape-accused absconding Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati, police on Monday arrested his gunner Chandrapal Singh.

Chandrapal (Prajapatis personal security officer) was arrested near Police Lines here, Additional Superintendent of Police (East) Shivram Yadav said.

We are interrogating Chandrapal and trying to extract information and whereabouts about rest of the ministers accomplices. The police is also conducting raids at locations revealed by the arrested gunner, he said.

He added Chandrapal will be produced before court on Tuesday.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Daljit Chaudhary said efforts have been intensified to track down the minister against whom a non-bailable warrant has been issued.

UP Police Special Task Force has been roped in to trace the elusive minister, he said.

The continuance of Prajapati as a minister has raised serious questions of constitutional morality and dignity, with Governor Ram Naik writing a letter to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, seeking to know if he justifies having the tainted minister in his Cabinet.

Prajapatis passport has already been impounded and a look-out notice issued against him. The UP Police had already asked the ministry of external affairs to cancel Prajapatis passport.

Prajapati was booked on Supreme Court directive and the case pertains to alleged gang rape of a woman and attempt to rape her minor of daughter.

Chandrapal, when approached by mediapersons, said, False allegations have been levelled against me. I went to Police Lines to voluntarily deposit my service pistol. I was arrested there. I was told my name is there in the FIR.

He clarified that he was not absconding or hiding along with the minister. I did not even have any telephonic conversation with him (Prajapati), he said.

Asked whether he was involved in the gang rape, he said, The victim is lying. I perform my duty. I was with Prajapati till February 27 and have no clue about him after that day.

Earlier in the day, Prajapati failed to get relief from the Supreme Court which expressed unhappiness that its order on lodging of FIR against the SP leader was being given political colour.

A bench headed by Justice A K Sikri clarified that it has only ordered the Uttar Pradesh Police to lodge an FIR against Prajapati in cases of alleged gang rape and attempt to rape a woman and her daughter and is not monitoring these cases.

The minister can approach the court concerned for appropriate relief, the apex court said while rejecting Prajapatis plea for recall of its order for lodging an FIR against him.

The apex court had on February 17 directed the UP Police to lodge an FIR against Samajwadi Party leader Prajapati and asked it to submit an action taken report regarding the incidents in eight weeks in a sealed cover.

We have simply directed registration of an FIR and investigation in these cases, the bench said, adding, now political colour is being given to this order. It is unfortunate.

Let the police investigate this matter and say whatever they want, the apex court said.

Prajapati, whose opponents have used the issue in electioneering in poll-bound state to attack him and his party, has cried foul alleging that it is a politically motivated case as the complainant is affiliated to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
An air ambulance of the Medanta hospital on Monday crash-landed near Bangkok after it caught fire, resulting in the death of its pilot and injuries to four crew members, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said.

She said the injured have been shifted to Bangkok hospital by army helicopters.

In a series of tweets, Swaraj said, The air ambulance of MedantaHospital with five member crew caught fire and crash-landed near Bangkok. The injured were shifted to BangkokHospital by army helicopters.

Our mission has just informed me that we have lost pilot of the air ambulance Arunaksha Nandy. Dr Shailendra and Dr Komal are in the ICU. The other two have sustained minor injuries.

Meanwhile, Medanta hospital Chairman and Managing Director Naresh Trehan termed as unfortunate the accident and said the ill-fated air ambulance had gone to Bangkok to bring a patient suffering from lung problem.

The plane took off from New Delhi for Bangkok on Sunday. En-route Bangkok, it took a refuelling stop at Kolkata in the afternoon and, later it crash landed at Nakhon Pathom airport.

The plane was carrying two doctors and a nurse apart from the pilot.

One of the doctors was from the hospitals department of anaesthesia while the other from the department of critical care.

They have suffered burn injuries and undergoing treatment.

It is an unfortunate incident. A team of doctors from Medanta have already left for Bangkok last night. The two doctors have suffered burn injuries and what we are getting to know that the injuries are not life-threatening. Their families will also join them soon. I may travel to Bangkok tomorrow. The ministry of external affairs is also helping a lot, said Trehan.

Image used for representational purposes only.
Forty-four inmates of the high security jail in Ajmer are on a hunger strike demanding facilities like TV, a volleyball court and phone facility.

12 of those sitting on the hunger strike since Thursday last have been hospitalised.

The jail houses only hardcore criminals and one of the grouses of the prisoners is that petty criminals are also lodged in the facility, jail sources said.

"Nearly a dozen are admitted to a hospital on medical advice. Blood investigations are being done and if required they will be fed intravenously.

"44 had gone on hunger strike demanding luxuries in the jail. Only hardcore criminals are lodged in the high security jail. It is unjust to demand TV in cells, volley ball court and PCO," Additional Director General of Police (ADGP Jail), Ajit Singh said.

He said Public Call Office (PCO) and TV will connect them to the outside world and help them pass on information whereas volley ball will lead to "scuffle among inmates".

The district administration officials have tried to convince the inmates to withdraw the strike but they have remained adamant.

The Jail superintendent's efforts to persuade the inmates also did not bear fruit.

The ADGP (Jail) said, "We continuously review the behaviour of jail birds and following positive feedback they are shifted to general jails. It is a routine process. In the last review we had shifted eight jail inmates from high security jail to general jails".

Currently, there are 70 hardcore criminals lodged in the high security jail.
Pakistans former top security officer Mahmud Ali Durrani on Monday said the 26/11 Mumbai strike was a classic example of cross-border terrorism, carried out by a Pak-based group and hoped that its chief Hafiz Saeed is punished.

However, Durrani, a former national security adviser of Pakistan, maintained that the government had no role in the terror strikes that claimed lives of 166 people.

The 26/11 Mumbai strikes, carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan, was a classic trans-border terrorist event, he said while addressing a conference on combating terrorism at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis.

Later talking to reporters, he said, I know (this) for definite. I have very good information that the government of Pakistan or the Inter-Services Intelligence (Pakistans spy agency) was not involved in 26/11 (terror attack). I am 110 per cent sure.

Asked to elaborate, Durrani declined to divulge details, saying he was sacked by the Pakistani government for certain statements he made regarding the Mumbai attack. I made a statement which the government did not like and I got sacked, he said.

In response to a question on Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Saeeds usefulness to Pakistan, Durrani said he has no utility for the country and that the Mumbai attack mastermind should be punished.

Durrani, who had served as a major general in the Pakistani army, was sacked in 2009 for having indicated that Ajmal Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist arrested for the Mumbai terror attack, may have been a Pakistani. Kasab was hanged by India.

India has been maintaining that Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Tayiba was behind the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes and has been demanding action against Saeed. However, Pakistan has been maintaining that it demands more evidence to bring Saeed to book.

Durrani also sought to debunk Indias assertion that it carried out surgical strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control, saying he did not see evidence of any such attack by the Indian forces.

However, he advocated cordial relations between New Delhi and Islamabad and said Pakistan cannot progress if there is no friendship with India.
A 360-foot high flag post, said to be the country's tallest, was inaugurated on Sunday at the Indo-Pak Attari Border, just a stone's throw from Pakistan.

Punjab Minister Anil Joshi inaugurated the country's largest tricolour on the tallest flag post -- measuring 110 metres in length, 24 metres in width and 55 tons in weight.

Built at an approximate cost of Rs 3.5 crore, the post was a project of the Amritsar Improvement Trust Authority of the Punjab government.

"With the model code of conduct for the assembly elections being in place in the state, the minister got special permission from the Election Commission for the inauguration, officials said.

The flag post, installed at the border, became an attraction for thousands of tourists who had reached there to watch the Beating Retreat Ceremony during the sunset.

Even visitors from Pakistan's gallery were also seen watching the Indian flag with keen interest.

The pole, which is already in place, is said to be visible from a long distance, even from Lahore in Pakistan.

At present, the tallest flag is in Ranchi (300-foot high).

Amritsar city already has a 170-foot tall flag in the local Ranjit Avenue Public Park.

Earlier, there was plan to hoist the tricolour on January 26 but due to some technical reason it was delayed.

Talking to media persons, Joshi said that it was his dream project and today it tuned into reality.

The flag mast has been set up near the tourism building just at 150-metres distance from border.

Pakistan Rangers have already objected to the installation of the flag and conveyed the same to the BSF, said sources.

Pakistan authorities apparently fear that India could use the mast to spy in Pakistani land by installing cameras on the flag pole.
North Korea has fired four ballistic missiles, three of which landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, CNN quoted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as saying.

South Korea Defense Ministry spokesman Kwon Ki-joon, said that "several projectiles" flew about 1,000 kilometers.

According to South Korean Defense Ministry official, the launches took place in North Pyongan's Tongchang-ri province, and the projectiles are believed to have landed in the East Sea of Japan.

The missile launches come even as South Korea and the United States are currently holding their annual military exercises, known as Foal Eagle.

North Korea has already denounced this exercise through state media service KCNA.

"Now that the US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces again kicked off the dangerous nuclear war drills against the DPRK at its doorstep, our army will counter them with the toughest counteractions," CNN quoted a statement.

After calling a meeting of the National Security Council's Standing Committee on Monday morning, South Korea's acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn, said the launch signaled "a real and imminent threat to the safety of our people."

Hwang called on the United States to complete the installation of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, an advanced missile defence system that the two countries announced on July 8 to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile programme.

After the announcement, North Korea's military threatened an unspecified "counter-action" that would turn the south into a "sea of fire."

North Korea test fired a new type of missile, known as the Pukguksong-2, into the sea early last month, and has said it will continue to launch new strategic weapons.

"Not only Pukguksong-2 but newer independent strategic weapons will fly high vigorously in the sky off the ground as long as the United States and the puppet regime are going ahead with their nuclear threat to us and an exercise for invasion war against the North," the Rodong Sinmun, the North Korean ruling party's official newspaper, said in a commentary last week.

Last month's test was the first since US President Donald Trump was elected.

Images: Passengers watch a television broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing ballistic missiles, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, March 6, 2017. Photograph: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday visited Garhwa Ghat Ashram in Varanasi, which has considerable following among the backward castes, and paid tributes to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at his ancestral home.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's house on Ramnagar on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo

Modi, who has been canvassing for three days in the district which elected him to Lok Sabha, offered prayers and also fed the cows at the ashram's shelter. The visit came on the last day of campaigning in Uttar Pradesh.

The head guru at the Garhwa Ghat Ashram has traditionally come from the Yadav caste and has followers spread across the poll-bound region. Modi's visit is seen as an attempt to reach out to the Yadav community, which has traditionally aligned with the Samajwadi Party.

The head guru offered his blessings and heaped praise on Modi. Though people expected Modi to make a brief speech but it did not happen and a senior party functionary said it was never planned.

Modi has held a roadshow in Varanasi and attended a number of public events in the city along with several rallies in the region as part of BJP's last push for a good show, particularly in the holy city, in the final phase when polling will be held in 40 seats on March 8.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying tributes to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at Ramnagar in Varanasi on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo

BJP sources believe that Modi's visit and his public felicitation by the ashram will send out "good signals" to voters, especially the OBCs and the Dalits.

The prime minister later drove to Shastri's ancestral home to pay tributes to him.

Modi has often accused the Congress of not giving due respect to leaders who were not from the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Modi's Lok Sabha constituency has five assembly seats three of which are presently held by the saffron party.

BJP is engaged in a keen fight with SP-Congress candidates in all the seats with the BSP also putting up a strong contest in a couple of them.
The new executive order, which will come into force on March 16, covers people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen.

United States President Donald Trump on Monday signed a revised executive order, temporarily halting entry to the US for people from six Muslim-majority nations while dropping Iraq from the list, after his original order was blocked by the courts and triggered global anger.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer confirmed that Trump signed the order behind closed doors this morning.

The latest executive order specifies that a 90-day ban on people from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen does not apply to those who already have valid visas.

Any individual who had a valid visa either on January 27, 2017 (prior to 5:00 pm) or holds a valid visa on the effective date of the Executive Order is not barred from entry into the US, according to the order.

The 90-day period will allow for proper review and establishment of standards to prevent terrorist or criminal infiltration by foreign nationals, it says.

The new order drops Iraqs name from the list of targeted countries, saying Baghdad has agreed to increase cooperation with the US on the vetting of its citizens applying for a visa to travel to America.

Iraqi citizens are not affected by the Executive Order, says the order which will come into force on March 16.

The Refugee Admissions Program will also be temporarily suspended for the next 120 days while Department of Homeland Security and interagency partners review screening procedures to ensure refugees admitted in the future do not pose a security risk to the US, the new order says.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating 300 individuals admitted to the US as refugees for potential terrorism related activities.

Officials hope that this time it will be a very orderly process and there would be no chaos at port of entry. Those people who are travelling on valid visas and arrive at a US port of entry will still be permitted to seek entry into the United States.

US President Trump has also directed the State Department and the DHS to make recommendation of any country that could be included in the future suspension of entry into the US.

Homeland Security Secretary John F Kelly said the executive order signed on Monday will make America safer, and address long-overdue concerns about the security of our immigration system.

We must undertake a rigorous review of our visa and refugee vetting programs to increase our confidence in the entry decisions we make for visitors and immigrants to the US. We cannot risk the prospect of malevolent actors using our immigration system to take American lives, he said.

In the first 20 days, the DHS will perform a global, country-by-country review of the identity and security information that each country provides to the US to support US visa and other immigration benefit determinations.

If you have a current valid visa to travel, we welcome you. But unregulated, unvetted travel is not a universal privilege, especially when national security is at stake

Countries will then have 50 days to comply with requests from the US government to update or improve the quality of the information they provide.

When the suspension is lifted, the number of refugees allowed into the US will be capped at 50,000 for the fiscal year 2017.

Stating that the US immigration system has been repeatedly exploited by terrorists and other malicious actors, the executive order says it will ensure that the US can conduct a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the national security risks posed from its immigration system.

Trump had signed an executive order on January 27 imposing an indefinite travel ban on Syrian refugees and a temporary curb on people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia -- from entering the US for at least 90 days.

The move triggered worldwide outrage and widespread protests at home and abroad. Protests broke out in several US cities and thousands of people demonstrated at many airports.

There was chaos in the first days of its implementation, as people arriving at US airports from targeted countries were detained and sometimes sent back to where they came from.

More than 100 academics from Texas colleges and universities signed a petition against the travel ban.

A federal judge in Seattle suspended the order, and a federal appeals court in San Francisco refused to reinstate it, leading Trump administration to come up with this revised version.

Trump had criticised the court order suspending the ban as a very bad decision, very bad for the safety and security of our country. The rollout was perfect.

The new order is meant to address complaints raised by the federal judges that parts of the first version of the executive order were unconstitutional.

Iraq has agreed to timely return and repatriation of its nationals who are subject to removal.

Kelly said the executive order signed on Monday is prospective in nature -- applying only to foreign nationals outside of the United States who do not have a valid visa.

It is important to note that nothing in this executive order affects current lawful permanent residents or persons with current authorisation to enter our country. If you have a current valid visa to travel, we welcome you. But unregulated, unvetted travel is not a universal privilege, especially when national security is at stake, he added.

The renewed ban on immigrants is a vital measure for strengthening our national security, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

To our allies and partners around the world, please understand this order is part of our ongoing efforts to eliminate vulnerabilities that radical Islamist terrorists can and will exploit for destructive ends, he said.

The State Department will coordinate with other federal agencies and implement these temporary restrictions in an orderly manner, Tillerson said.

Iraq is an important ally in the fight to defeat the Islamic State, with their brave soldiers fighting in close coordination with Americas men and women in uniform.

This intense review over the past month identified multiple security measures that the State Department and the government of Iraq will be implementing to achieve our shared objective of preventing those with criminal or terroristic intent from reaching the US, Tillerson said.

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, We also know that people seeking to support or commit terrorist attacks here will try to enter through our refugee program. In fact, today more than 300 people who came here as refugees are under FBI investigation for potential terrorism- related activities.

This executive order protects the American people -- as well as lawful permanent residents -- by putting in place an enhanced screening and vetting process for visitors from six nations, Sessions said, pointing out that like every nation, the US has the right to control who enters the country.

Three of these nations are state sponsors of terrorism. The other three have served as safe havens for terrorists -- countries where the government has lost control of territory to terrorist groups like IS or Al Qaeda and its affiliates. This increases the risk that people admitted here from these countries may belong to terrorist groups, or may have been radicalised by them, he said.

We cannot compromise our nations security by allowing visitors entry when their own governments are unable or unwilling to provide the information we need to vet them responsibly -- or when those governments actively support terrorism. This executive order provides a needed pause, so we can carefully review how we scrutinise people coming here from these countries of concern, he added.

The Department of Justice believes that this executive order, just as the first, is a lawful and proper exercise of presidential authority.

The Department of Justice will defend and enforce lawful orders of the president consistent with core principles of the Constitution. The executive is empowered under the Constitution and by Congress to make national security judgements and to enforce the immigration policies in order to safeguard the American public, he added.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey has asked the Department of Justice to refute US President Donald Trump's allegations that his predecessor Barack Obama had ordered wiretapping of the Trump Towers during the presidential elections, at least two media reports have said.

Neither the White House nor the FBI or the Department of Justice respond immediately to the reports published by The New York Times and CNN - both of which were based on unnamed sources.

"Comey has argued that the highly-charged claim is false and must be corrected, they said, but the department has not released any such statement," The New York Times said.

According to the daily, Comey, who made the request on Saturday after Trump levelled his allegation on Twitter, has been working to get the Justice Department to knock down the claim because it falsely insinuates that the FBI broke the law.

The New York Times described the FBI request as remarkable.

"The FBI made the request because such wiretapping would be illegal, since the President cannot just order eavesdropping of a US citizen's phones, sources said," CNN reported.

Meanwhile, James Clapper, who was director of National Intelligence during the Obama administration, told NBC News that there was no wiretapping activities against Donald Trump in the run-up to the US Presidential elections.

"For the part of the national security apparatus that I oversaw as DNI, there was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time or as a candidate or against his campaign," Clapper said.

"I can't speak for other title 3-authorised entities in the government or a state or local entity," he said.

In this capacity, Clapper oversaw the working of top American intelligence agencies including the CIA.

Trump, in a series of tweets on Saturday, claimed that his predecessor had tapped the telephones at the Trump Tower.

Clapper said he would have known had there been any court order on Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act against Trump.

"I would know this (FISA court order)... Not to my knowledge," he said when asked if he was aware of any such order either against Trump or against the Trump Tower.

Clapper said till the time he was heading DNI there was no evidence of collusion between the Trump Campaign and the Russian authorities.

"I do think, though, it is in everyone's interest, in the current president's interests, in the Democrat's interests, in the Republican interests and the country's interest to get to the bottom of all of this, because it's such a distraction. And certainly the Russians have to be chortling about the success of their efforts to sow dissension in this country," Clapper said.

Before leaving the administration, Clapper headed a team that released a report on the alleged Russian interference into the general elections.

"It (investigation) got to the bottom of the evidence to the extent of the evidence we had at the time. Whether there's more evidence that's become available since then or there are ongoing investigations will be revelatory, I don't know," he said in response to a question.

Terming the reports of wiretapping "very troubling", the White House on Sunday said that Trump has asked Congress to investigate the allegations of him being wiretapped by his predecessor Barack Obama before the 2016 elections.
FORM 8.3

PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY

A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE

Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code")

1. KEY INFORMATION

(a) Full name of discloser: Rathbone Brothers PLC (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):

The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:

Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree Booker Group PLC (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken:

For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 03/03/2017 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?

If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A" No





2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

Class of relevant security:







Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 19,944,139 1.12 (2) Cash-settled derivatives:



(3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:



TOTAL: 19,944,139 1.12

All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options)

Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:

3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

(a) Purchases and sales

Class of relevant security Purchase/sale



Number of securities Price per unit (p) 1p Ord Sale 15,000 199.6 1p Ord Sale 6,600 199.5

(b) Cash-settled derivative transactions

Class of relevant security Product description

e.g. CFD Nature of dealing

e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit





(c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type

e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit

(ii) Exercise

Class of relevant security Product description

e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit





(d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

Class of relevant security Nature of dealing

e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable)





4. OTHER INFORMATION

(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:

Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"









(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:

(i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or

(ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:

If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"









(c) Attachments

Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO

Date of disclosure: 06/03/2017 Contact name: Simon Walker - Compliance Department Telephone number: 0151 236 6666

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.
'She should review her strategy of social engineering and get back to the BSP's initial plank of social change.'

Sahil Makkar reports.

In the past 15 years, what has remained constant about Mayawati is her style of election campaigning.

She flies in a helicopter and her pilots ensure that they perform some manoeuvre for the crowd waiting below before landing at the rally venue.

Mayawati quickly gets on to the well-fortified podium, deafening sloganeering flows, and then she reads out her speech.

She tells her voters not to get swayed and divided by other parties, and promises strong action against troublemakers.

She doesn't forget to remind the people of her Dalit identity and asks them to make her chief minister again.

While she delivers her speech, her party candidates and leaders stand behind her on the dais.

Immediately after the speech, she heads to her helicopter, which again does some theatrics in the air, and takes Mayawati to another rally.

She addresses two-three rallies a day, without changing the script.

This is the only time she comes close to her party candidates and is seen by Bahujan Samaj Party supporters.

Her campaigning is in complete contrast to her competitors, including Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and stalwarts of the BJP and the Congress.

BSP supporters say this can't be held against her because, unlike other parties, she is the only face of the BSP and has to cover more than 400 assembly seats in the country's most populous state.

This, however, appears to be an excuse. Mayawati, 61, after the death of party founder Kanshi Ram, has not allowed any party leader to grow in stature and become a star campaigner.

In fact, she threw many senior leaders out of the party for posing a challenge to her authority.

The question is how long she can continue with this strategy, especially when the demographic profile of the state is changing, and other parties are resorting to high-decibel media campaigns.

The BSP was routed in the Lok Sabha elections of 2014. It suffered more than the SP did. It failed to win a seat and the party's vote share declined to 19.77 per cent.

In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the BSP had won 20 seats with a 27.42 per cent vote share. The SP came down to 5 seats from 23, but its vote percentage remained intact.

Experts say it was mostly the BSP's young voters who had deserted the party and voted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development plank.

Uttar Pradesh had among the highest number of first-time voters (25 million) during the Lok Sabha polls. The same class of voters is again set to change the narrative of the assembly elections now.

"Mayawati needs to grow beyond caste politics and find ways to connect with the young generation. She doesn't cut much ice with the aspirational voters and has nothing to offer them beyond caste politics," says political analyst Jai Mrug.

"The BSP grew in the past because voters didn't have much option as Mulayam Singh was the only Opposition leader and the BJP was on the decline. Now Akhilesh Yadav has emerged as a new youth icon and the BJP has once again become a formidable force in the state," Mrug adds.

BSP activists too have perceived the threat of losing the Dalit votes. They feel that Akhilesh's reinvented image has put the SP back in the fight, which otherwise would have been a contest between the BSP and the BJP.

But all do not agree. "The hype for the SP and the BJP has been created by the media, mostly represented by the upper castes. The media has always been against Mayawati and the upper castes can't accept a Dalit as chief minister," says a BSP acolyte.

"Mayawati doesn't have the financial leverage to buy enough advertisements in newspapers and television news channels," the acolyte adds.

BSP activists also fear the increased presence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the progenitor of the BJP, among the non-Jatav Dalits (Mayawati belongs to the Jatav caste) is hurting their poll prospects.

On its part, the BSP has started its campaign on social media, including launching its first Twitter account, and radio channels, but it is still far behind the BJP, the Congress and the SP, which have hired high profile campaign managers and publicity firms.

Ram Chander, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University and a BSP ideologue, however, feels the party need not copy the strategies of others.

"Others make changes according to the BSP strategies."

Badri Narayan, the Uttar Pradesh-based political analyst and expert on Dalit affairs, says Mayawati has never been an expert in perceptional politics.

Of late, she has increased media interaction and press conferences. "But it doesn't mean that she should not continue what she has been doing. She distributed tickets one-two years in advance and her party workers have been strongly campaigning in the villages," Narayan says.

Anil Kumar, a Faizabad-based political analyst, says Mayawati should show flexibility and allow the BSP's rank and file to launch public campaigns in their respective areas. The party is always silent on most crucial issues.

"She should also review her strategy of social engineering and get back to the BSP's initial plank of social change, which means empowering the party's core voters and others in society."

The social engineering through which she brought the Brahmins and Dalits together in the 2007 assembly elections can, in hindsight, be attributed to strong anti-incumbency against the SP government and also to the absence of a strong alternative.

In 2007, the BSP's election slogans changed from 'Tilak tarazu aur talwar, inko maro jute char (Brahmin, Baniya and Thakur, thrash them with shoes)' to 'Haathi nahin Ganesh hai, Brahma Vishnu Mahesh hai (it's not the elephant, the BSP's election symbol, but Lord Ganesh, it's Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, the Hindu trinity).'/p>

"This change in strategy has disillusioned Dalit voters as they still get rough treatment from the upper castes. This situation has not changed despite Mayawati being in power in Uttar Pradesh three times," Kumar says.

The BSP is now trying another social engineering experiment by bringing the Dalits and the Muslims together.

The party has given a record 100 tickets to Muslims, who are nearly 20 per cent of the state's population and have influence in more than 125 assembly seats.

Many experts are unsure whether Mayawati will be able to transfer the entire Dalit vote to its Muslims candidates. The results of the assembly elections on March 11 would be a final answer to many of these questions.

IMAGE: BSP chief Mayawati on the campaign trail in Uttar Pradesh. Photograph: PTI Photo
The Indian Navy's flagship carrier, the INS Viraat will be decommissioned on Monday, March 6, after serving the nation for 30 glorious years.

Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore spoke with Captain Puneet Chadha, the INS Viraat's current and last commanding officer about the historic warship.

Photograph: Kind courtesyPRO Defence

***

Before viewing the video interview with Captain Chadha and hearing what Vice Admiral Girish Luthra -- Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, who also served on the aircraft carrier -- said, a brief history of the INS Viraat:

Photograph: Kind courtesy PRO Defence

The INS Viraat was commissioned into the Indian Navy on May 12, 1987 after it served the Royal British Navy as the HMS Hermes since November 18, 1959.

"The construction of this ship began during the second World War (her keel was laid down on June 21, 1944)," Vice Admiral Luthra told a media briefing on board the ship on February 27.

The INS Viraat's motto -- Jalamev Yasya, Balmev Tasya (One Who Controls the Sea is All Powerful), a maxim first adopted by Chhattrapati Shivaji in the 17th century -- remains true even in the 21st century as its military strategy helped India secure its maritime boundaries.

"Because of the Viraat, with the Sea Harrier aircraft and Sea King helicopters complimenting it, whenever she moved with other ships, she could exercise complete control over the area in which she was deployed. This resulted in keeping our nation's maritime boundaries safe and this has contributed to India's safety and security," Captain Puneet Chadha told Rediff.com (Pleae see video below where he speaks about the INS Viraat).

Photograph: Kind courtesy PRO Defence

"The INS Viraat housed the Sea Harriers, popularly called the 'White Tigers', anti-submarine aircraft the Sea King Mk 42B, the Sea King Mk 42 C known as the 'Harpoons' and the search and rescue helicopter Chetak," Vice Admiral Luthra said.

The air light helicopters Dhruv and the Russian twin rotor Kamov-31 have also operated on board the ship, he said.

This is what Vice Admiral Luthra said about the INS Viraat's proudest moment:

***

Photograph: Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com

The ship features in the Guinness Book of Records for being the longest serving warship -- from November 18, 1959 to March 6, 2017 -- in the world.

"The ship is 227 metres long, 9 metres broad and 228,000 tonne aircraft carrier," Captain Chadha said, describing the ship's salient features.

"She can carry 30 fighter aircraft as well as Sea King helicopters, called 'Flying Frigates' as they can take action against submarines as well as surface ships," he added.

"This ship also had Barak anti missile defence system for its self defence."

Photograph: Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com

Under the Indian flag, the ship clocked more than 22,622 flying hours by various aircraft in the past three decades and has spent nearly 2,252 days at sea sailing and 588,287 nautical miles (10,94,215 km).

"This implies the Viraat has spent seven years at sea, covering the entire globe 27 times," Vice Admiral Luthra said.

***

Photograph: Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com

The Viraat played a role in Operation Jupiter in 1989 during the Indian Peace Keeping Operation in Sri Lanka, after which she was affiliated with the Indian Army's Garhwal Rifles and Scouts in 1990.

Her major participation was seen during Operation Parakram in 2001-2002 where India and Pakistan were engaged in a standoff after the terrorist attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001.

Photograph: Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com

Captain Chadha, above, said Operation Jupiter and Operation Parakram counted among the most notable when she served the Indian Navy.

"During Operation Jupiter, she was tasked to be ready to withdraw the IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force) from Sri Lanka. For that she embarked a battallion of the Garwhal Rifles at sea and quickly worked up and deployed very quickly."

Earlier, Vice Admiral Luthra said the Viraat played an important role during Operation Parakram.

This is what Captain Chadha said about the Viraat:

***

Photograph: Kind courtesy PRO Defence

"The ship participated in various international joint exercises like Exercise Malabar (with the US), exercise Varuna (with the French), Naseem-Al-Bahar ( with Oman's navy). She has also been an integral element of all the annual theatre level exercise (TROPEX)," the admiral said.

"The last operational deployment of the Viraat was for participation in the International Fleet Review off Vishakhapatnam in February 2016," Vice Admiral Luthra added.

***

Photograph: Kind courtesy PRO Defence

The Viraat has seen 22 captains serve her since 1987. And these included officers who went on to be appointed Flag Officers (40) and Chiefs of Naval Staff (5).

Admiral Sunil Lanba, the current Chief of Naval Staff, served as an executive officer on the Viraat.

Photograph: Kind courtesy: PRO Defence

Before becoming a part of the Indian Navy, the Viraat, originally commissioned as the HMS Hermes, was commanded by 13 captains of the Royal British Navy."

"As the Hermes," Captain Chadha said, "she played a notable role in the Falklands war, where over 9,000 miles away from the UK she was the flagship of the Royal Navy and helped it retake the islands."
Meet Lysinbacillus telephonicus, Microbacterium telephonicum, Pyrenochaeta telephoni.

Pallava Bagla reports from Pune.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

Scientists in Pune have identified three new species of microbes that flourished on mobile handsets.

How grimy are the ubiquitous mobile phones?

Reports from Western nations have suggested that mobile phones are more often dirtier than toilet seats, with some smart phones even known to harbour deadly drug resistant bacteria.

The startling finding is by scientists of the government-owned National Centre for Cell Science, Pune, who have been able to identify three new species of microbes from screens of mobile phones.

Two bacteria and fungus, never before reported in scientific literature, were identified by this laboratory funded by the Department of Biotechnology.

Earlier a study conducted in 2015 by William DePaolo, an assistant professor in the molecular microbiology and immunology department at the University of Southern California, found that toilet seats usually contained three different types of bacteria, but mobile phones on an average housed some 10 to 12 different types of fungi and bacteria.

Mobile phones -- since they are carried in almost all human environments from the kitchen to the public transport -- harbour a larger diversity of micro-organisms.

These microbes grow well on the sweat and grime left on the phones as humans carry them around.

In Pune, Yogesh S Shouche and his team from the Microbial Culture Collection group at the NCCS collected samples from 27 mobile phone screens and they were able to isolate 515 different bacterial types and 28 different fungi.

"These microbes are friendly to humans and usually thrive on our bodies," says Praveen Rahi, a co-investigator for the work.

The team used sterilised cotton swabs and sterile saline solution to wipe from the surface these microbes which were then grown using standardised culture media at 30 degrees centigrade.

What surprised this six-member team was that they encountered three new species of organisms -- two bacteria they have named Lysinbacillus telephonicus and Microbacterium telephonicum and a new species of fungi that they named Pyrenochaeta telephoni.

There is some good news, Rahi emphasises.

In the samples they collected none of the highly dangerously pathogenic microbes like Staphylococcus aureus, the most common multi-drug resistant super bug.

Yet he emphasises they did not actively sample smart phones used by health care workers where these super-bugs usually reside.

This Pune finding on the hygiene of mobile phones suggests that the situation is not as bad in India even though in this nation of 1.3 billion people there are more mobile phones than toilets.

On the other hand, a 2015 study from Alexandria in Egypt where more than half of the 40 samples collected from doctors at the university hospital harboured the super bugs.

Last week, the World Health Organisation gave out an alarming finding that 12 families of microbes were winning the war against antibiotics and humanity urgently needed to discover new chemicals to kill these super bugs.

'Antibiotic resistance is growing,' WHO said, 'and we are fast running out of treatment options.'

The simplest way to keep mobile phones clean and hygienic is not to carry them to toilets and to occasionally wipe them with semi-dry piece of cloth moistened with soap water and then fully drying the handset before putting it to use.

It is recommended that commercial cleaning fluids and sanitiser should not be used and that the mobile device should be switched off before any cleaning is attempted.

The NCCS group is known for their varied expertise on microbes as they house under one roof some 200,000 different microbe cultures, making it possibly the world's single largest microbe culture collection.

As they say mobile phones are literally mushrooming with India alone being home to some 900 million handsets yet who ever imagined that new species of organisms would be discovered from this 21st century electronic marvel.
SYRACUSE, N.Y., March 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Four veteran entrepreneurs rose to the top to win the VetSmallBiz Growth Challenge, a unique business competition offered by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d1c2ce05-748a-4927-a9f1-383bc058a7d2

The VetSmallBiz Growth Challenge provides exposure to a distinguished judging panel and access to capital - $100,000 in total to be awarded, in addition to three months of mentorship. The competition was offered through the generous support of The Marcus Foundation and was open to U.S. service member and veteran entrepreneurs of all eras of service.

1st Place - $50,000: Leah Olszewski, FEMTAC  Fort Walton Beach, FL

2nd Place - $25,000: Kathryn Thomas, Yoga 4 Change  Atlantic Beach, FL

3rd Place - $10,000: Jim Raschella, Off Duty Blue  Syracuse, NY

Most Innovative Venture - $5,000: Jim Raschella, Off Duty Blue  Syracuse, NY

Best Social Venture - $5,000: Kathryn Thomas, Yoga 4 Change  Atlantic Beach, FL

Best Venture Impacting Veterans - $5,000: Ken Kelso, Military Express LLC  Mandeville, LA

First prize winner, FEMTAC, provides tactical apparel and gear to improve the safety and support the performance for women whose work and/or passion takes them to the field. FEMTAC is founded, managed and designed by women in U.S. military and law enforcement. Second prize and Best Social Venture went to Yoga 4 Change which provides yoga classes for PTSD and other trauma survivors from different backgrounds. Off Duty Blue, a business which makes it easy to hire off-duty law enforcement for private security won both third prize and Most Innovative Venture. Military Express, winner of Best Venture Impacting Veterans, is building a corps of commercial truck drivers who are applying their military training.

Veteran-owned business plays a key role in our economy with more than 2.5 million veteran-owned businesses in the United States employing over 5 million people. We thank The Marcus Foundation for their leadership in supporting this important economic driver, said Meghan Florkowski, Director of Entrepreneurship Programs at the IVMF. We congratulate the six winners and all of the finalists for their vision and drive and wish them tremendous success.

Through this and other entrepreneurship initiatives, the IVMF opens the door to economic opportunity for veterans and military spouses by developing their competencies around creating and sustaining a small business venture. Its programs have supported potential and practicing veteran entrepreneurs with training in areas including business finance, marketing and budgeting.

For more information about the VetSmallBiz Growth Challenge, and to learn about all of the finalists visit vetbizchallenge.com.

About the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University

The Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) is the first interdisciplinary national institute in higher education focused on the social, economic, education and policy issues impacting veterans and their families post-service. The Institute is supported by a world-class advisory board and public and private partners committed to advancing the post-service lives of Americas service members, veterans and their families. The Institute for Veterans and Military Families and its professional staff deliver leading programs in career, vocational and entrepreneurship education and training. The Institute also conducts actionable research, policy analysis and program evaluations, coordinates comprehensive collective impact strategies, and works with communities and non-profits to enhance service delivery for veterans and their families. For more information, visit ivmf.syracuse.edu, and follow the IVMF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About The Marcus Foundation

Bernie Marcus is a co-founder of The Home Depot. Since his retirement from the company in 2001, he has been a philanthropist and CEO of The Marcus Foundation. Bernie is a patriot and staunch supporter of American military and veterans. The Marcus Foundation focuses on five areas: children, Jewish causes, medical research, free enterprise and community.
Title Commission Recommendation of 7.3.2017 on making returns more effective when implementing the Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council

Publication Date March 2017

Citation / Document Symbol C(2017) 1600

Cite as European Union: European Commission, Commission Recommendation of 7.3.2017 on making returns more effective when implementing the Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, March 2017, C(2017) 1600, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd1c434.html [accessed 7 November 2022]

Comments Adoption in principle by the Commission on 2 March 2017. Formal adoption will take place when all language versions are available (expected by 8 March 2017).
Intra-Syrian talks conclude in Geneva with 'clear agenda' and plans to resume later this month

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Intra-Syrian talks conclude in Geneva with 'clear agenda' and plans to resume later this month, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd215b4.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The United Nations-facilitated intra-Syrian talks are "moving in the right direction," the UN Special Envoy for Syria said today, wrapping up the latest round of discussions in Geneva with counter-terrorism added to the agenda and plans to resume in late March.

Staffan de Mistura told journalists that participants had engaged in "serious" discussions and said that the sides would be invited to continue discussions later this month.

"It is now clear to everyone and that is beyond dispute that we are here to implement UN Security Council resolution 2254," Mr. de Mistura said, referring to the Council text approved in 2015 endorsing a road map for peace process in Syria, including specific language on governance, constitution and elections.

"I believe therefore and expect that the sides should now pursue a framework agreement with an agreed political package so a transition can be implemented in line with 2254 - we're here to talk about that," he added.

In addition to the issues previously on the agenda, as outlined in resolution 2254 (2015), counter-terrorism has been added at the request of the Government of Syria, according to the envoy.

The major issue of detainees and abductees was also raised by the delegation from the Syrian Government.

In parallel, the talks in Astana - convened by the Governments of Iran, Russia and Turkey - would continue to address issues related to the maintenance of the ceasefire and confidence-building measures.

"We have a clear agenda in front of us," Mr. de Mistura told reporters, adding: "The train is ready; it is in the station [] warming up its engine. It just needs an accelerator and the accelerator is in the hands of those in this round."
Perpetrators of terrorist attacks in Kabul must be brought to justice, stresses UN Security Council

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 2 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Perpetrators of terrorist attacks in Kabul must be brought to justice, stresses UN Security Council, 2 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd21974.html [accessed 7 November 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.

Strongly condemning yesterday's terrorist attacks in the Afghan capital, Kabul, the United Nations Security Council underscored the need to bring the perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of such "reprehensible" acts to justice.

At least 15 people were killed and dozens more injured in attacks in two areas of the capital. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the incidents.

In a statement issued late yesterday, the 15-member Security Council stressed that terrorism in all its forms "is criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of its motivation and wherever, whenever and by whomsoever it is committed.

"[It] should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group," the Security Council highlighted.

Also in the statement, Council members voiced serious concern over threats posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) and other illegal and armed groups to the local population, National Defense and Security Forces and the international presence in the country.

"No violent or terrorist acts can reverse the Afghan-led process along the path towards peace, democracy and stability in Afghanistan, which is supported by the people and the Government of Afghanistan, and by the international community," the Council added.

It also stressed the need for all UN Member States to combat by all means, in accordance with the UN Charter and other obligations under international law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

Further in the statement, the members of the Council expressed their deep sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the people and Government of Afghanistan. They also wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
Kenya: Avoiding Another Electoral Crisis

Publisher International Crisis Group (ICG) Publication Date 3 March 2017 Cite as International Crisis Group (ICG), Kenya: Avoiding Another Electoral Crisis, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd36744.html [accessed 7 November 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.

Kenyans go to the polls in August, and fierce contests are likely in the race for the presidency and other elections the same day to county governorships and other senior posts. Electoral commission preparations are dangerously behind schedule amid political polarisation, growing distrust and lack of communication between parties. Given the country's troubled electoral history, it is essential that politicians and other key stakeholders discuss and agree on the measures necessary for credible polls and a way forward on the electoral timeline. The elections matter well beyond Kenya's borders. The country is the transport and commercial hub of East Africa, so a protracted crisis would result in significant disruptions further afield. The 2007-2008 post-election violence, which left 1,000 dead after a brutal police response to protests and ethnic killings, shut down international road links and slowed cargo shipments at Mombasa port to a trickle. Fuel prices more than doubled in neighbouring, landlocked Uganda and Rwanda, and humanitarian assistance further afield in the eastern Congo (DRC) was disrupted for weeks. It took a mediation effort led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and supported by international partners to get the main players to agree to a truce and form a power-sharing government. In the August 2017 poll, incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto face an energised opposition coalition, the National Super Alliance (NASA), that brings together all major opposition figures. It is led by Raila Odinga, whose campaign is all the more determined because this may be his last contest. A Level Playing Field? Neither side has made the job of the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) easy. In December, Kenyatta's ruling Jubilee Party used its majority in parliament to push through controversial amendments to the electoral laws with little consultation. They provided for a manual backup to the electronic electoral system in case of equipment failure. This is arguably necessary since no electronic system is perfect, and no technology is foolproof against bad behaviour by politicians. The government's unilateral measure sowed mistrust in the electoral process. But opposition leaders have not helped matters by claiming the voting will be rigged by the ruling party and threatening to challenge any outcome to the election that does not favour them outside legal channels. After the opposition claimed that the 2013 elections were fixed, the courts ruled against it. Following the 2007-2008 crisis, the Independent Review Commission (IREC), headed by retired South African judge Johann Kriegler, concluded that the 2007 polls had been marked by large-scale vote-tampering and issued far-reaching recommendations on the conduct of future elections, including that election commissioners take office at least two years before a general election. The review commission concluded that the technical system for tallying, recording and transmitting results was defective and called for an overhaul. It noted that the vast powers vested in the presidency set the stage for a high-stakes contest that increased the likelihood of violence. Only some of the proposals to improve the electoral process have been implemented. Most significantly, a progressive constitution was adopted in 2010. A two-round presidential election system now requires the ultimate winner to garner more than 50 per cent of the vote nationally and more than a quarter of those cast in more than half the 47 counties. The process for selecting election commissioners was made more inclusive, and power was devolved to counties whose elected governors and local representatives enjoy a fair degree of autonomy over the deployment of resources disbursed from the centre. The 2013 elections were reasonably peaceful, though the opposition challenged the credibility of the tallying process. Parliament has new responsibilities, including the power to vet most presidential appointees. Members also enjoy oversight of the cabinet through departmental committees.

What has not changed is the behaviour of politicians and the zero-sum nature of political competition. Though the 2010 constitution sought to change the division of power between the presidency and parliament, the head of state remains immensely powerful, able to dole out patronage to supportive elites. When the president's party commands a majority in parliament, that institution can be reduced to a rubber-stamp assembly. By the same token, devolution in the new constitution has raised the stakes in sub-national contests, with heated competition expected for governorships.

Frequent leadership turnover at the IEBC means there will be a different set of inexperienced commissioners going into an election for the third vote in a row. Some who ran the last two votes left under a cloud, accused either of fiddling results (in 2007) or major corruption and political bias (2013).

While the Kriegler report recommended that commissioners be in office at least two years before an election to enable them prepare adequately, the new team took office on 20 January, a mere seven months before the vote. Delays in parliament, dithering by the executive and confusion within a team picked to interview the new commissioners were blamed for the holdup.

This has left the IEBC, now headed by Wafula Chebukati, a lawyer little-known outside legal circles, facing tall odds to deliver a credible election. Overcoming formidable logistical, technical and legal obstacles within existing timelines and in a febrile, divisive environment will be a major challenge.

Hi-tech Ambitions, Legal Challenges



Kenya's electoral commission, like many in Africa, hopes to deploy a system with biometric voter identification and electronic results transmission so as to avoid the ballot-stuffing and dubious turnout figures that plagued past elections, particularly in 2007. The IEBC estimates that the vendor that wins the contract will need 60 days to deliver the custom-made integrated electoral management system. It is well behind schedule in finding such a supplier.

Legislative timelines initially called for the system to be in place eight months before the polls, which would have required installation by 8 December 2016. IEBC executives asked for more time, citing stringent procurement requirements. In November, Chief Executive Ezra Chiloba said it hoped to have the new system in place by the end of February. In fact, legal appeals by several of the companies that submitted tenders to supply the system meant that bid papers were only submitted in the first week of February. Now, another vendor's legal challenge has blocked any decision on the tender.
English Dutch

On 6 March 2017, Heijmans reached agreement on the sale of all the shares in its German company Oevermann GmbH to PORR Deutschland GmbH, a subsidiary of the Austrian construction group PORR AG. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2017, subject to approval of the competition authorities. The anticipated net proceeds in cash for Heijmans will amount to  60 million. The sale will produce a transaction result of approximately  15 million, which will be recognized in the 2017 financial year.

The sale of Oevermann is an important step towards further debt reduction and a structural improvement of the financial leverage ratios. The transaction is consistent with the change in strategy initiated by Heijmans, which focuses on the Dutch market.

Oevermann GmbH operates in the road construction and non-residential construction sector in Germany. In 2016, the company's turnover amounted to  215 million. The company has approximately 700 employees. PORR's international organization has identified Germany as one of its core markets and the acquisition of Oevermann means a further strengthening of PORR's position in this market.

ING Corporate Finance and Rabobank Corporate Finance act as financial advisors to Heijmans in this process.

About PORR

PORR Group is one of the largest Austrian construction companies and one of Europe's leading infrastructure specialists. As a full service provider, it covers every aspect of the modern construction industry - from building construction through to complex projects in railway and bridge construction, tunneling and road construction. The Group generates more than 86% of its production output on the five home markets of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Poland and the Czech Republic. In terms of projects, the Group additionally works in selected countries in the CEE/SEE region, in Scandinavia, the UK and Qatar. PORR AG is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since April 1869; today it is listed on the prime market.

About Heijmans

Heijmans is a listed company that combines activities related to property development, residential building, non-residential building, roads and civil engineering in the fields living, working and connecting. Our constant focus on quality improvements, innovation and integrated solutions enables us to generate added value for our clients. Heijmans realises projects for private consumers, companies and public sector bodies and, in partnership with its clients, is building the spatial contours of tomorrow. You will find additional information on www.heijmans.nl

For more information/not for publication:

Media:

Marieke Swinkels-Verstappen

+31 73 543 52 17

mswinkelsverstappen@heijmans.nl

Analysts:

Guido Peters

+31 73 543 52 17

gpeters@heijmans.nl
Central African Republic: UN condemns threats by armed group against civilians, peacekeepers

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 5 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Central African Republic: UN condemns threats by armed group against civilians, peacekeepers, 5 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd37844.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) is warning a rebel movement against impeding humanitarian access, saying any threats to peacekeepers, aid workers or civilians are "unacceptable" and could be tried as warm crimes.

In a press release issued on Saturday, the UN Integrated Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in CAR, known by its French acronym MINUSCA, warned leaders of the Popular Front for the Rebirth of the Central African Republic (FPRC) that they will be held individually responsible if such acts are carried out.

"Any attack targeting the civilian population, UN and humanitarian personnel is a war crime that can be prosecuted in accordance with Central African law and international law," MINUSCA underscored.

The Mission called on the FPRC and all armed groups "to refrain from any interference with the work of humanitarian workers, as well as threats against international humanitarian organizations and civilian populations."

"No armed group has the right to prohibit or impede the free access of humanitarian actors to vulnerable populations, even in areas where these groups continue to have a negative influence," MINUSCA continued.

In the same statement, the UN Mission rejected attempts to justify the travel to Bambari of 40 or so heavily armed members of the coalition as peaceful.

"These men and the rest of the elements of the coalition violated the demarcation line established by MINUSCA, approaching Bambari with Kalashnikovs and rocket launchers, posing a risk of the city burning to disastrous consequences for the civilian populations," the Mission said.

According to MINUSCA, "the threats contained in the communique of the FPRC prove once again its warlike character and the rejection by its leaders of any peaceful solution to the current crisis, as advocated by the Central African Government and by the international community."

MINUSCA said it would pursue its mission impartially and "reserves the right to use all means at its disposal by the Security Council to achieve this, in support of the Central African Government."
In Niger, Security Council links aid and development in fight against Boko Haram

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 5 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, In Niger, Security Council links aid and development in fight against Boko Haram, 5 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd37cb4.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The Security Council - which is in the Lake Chad Basin to draw attention to the humanitarian and development needs of a region grappling with Boko Haram's terror - visited for the first time Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world.

Addressing media in Niamey, Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the United Kingdom, who is leading the Council visit as president of the Security Council for the month of March, pledged solidarity with the people who the Council had met.

"We have demonstrated our commitment to further support Niger in its remarkable efforts to restore the security stability of the localities in the Lake Chad basin but also to provide the necessary protection and assistance to the populations affected by the crisis," Mr. Rycroft told journalists.

Earlier, the Council members had met with President Mahamadou Issoufou.

They also heard from UN agencies and partners about the "dire situation" in the region of Diffa along Niger's border with Nigeria. Last summer, tens of thousands of people fled Diffa as Boko Haram flooded the desert town from Nigeria.

In addition to insecurity, Niger is plagued by drought, desertification and a lack of jobs and schools for its young people, who make up two-thirds of the population. The country ranks 188th out of 188 countries on the 2015 UN Development Programme's Human Development Index.

Speaking to the Council during its visit, the UNDP Resident Representative and Resident Coordinator, Fode Ndiaye, said survivors of Boko Haram violence are being hosted by other poor and vulnerable communities.

"But they are showing humanity," Mr. Ndiaye stressed.

One of the main observations from the visit, according to Mr. Rycroft, was the importance of Sustainable Development Goal 16. That Goal aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

"You can't come to a place like the Lake Chad Basin without seeing the value of Goal 16," Mr. Rycroft said.

The Security Council next heads to Maiduguri, Borno, in north-eastern Nigeria, known since 2009 as the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency. The Council members are meeting with local officials and civil society organisations before they are scheduled to visit a camp for internally displaced persons.

The Council members will also visit Abuja, where they will meet with acting President Yemi Osinbajo.
UN aid chief calls for access, funds to prevent spread of South Sudan's famine

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 4 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN aid chief calls for access, funds to prevent spread of South Sudan's famine, 4 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd385f4.html [accessed 7 November 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.

Hundreds of thousands of people in South Sudan will starve unless relief workers gain access to needy populations and more funding is raised, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator today warned after meeting malnourished children who fled the raging conflict in the country.

Stephen O'Brien, who is also the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, travelled to Ganyiel, Southern Unity state, considered one of the most violent areas in the fight for political control of the country.

Among the people he met was a starving boy whose grandmother carried him through waist-high swamp to get away from the fighting. His parents are apparently missing.

"1000s similar. Horrendous," Mr. O'Brien wrote on social media, posting a number of photos of people who had fled the fighting and sexual violence.

Humanitarian partners, such as the International Red Cross, are setting up clinics directly in the swamps to reach more people, he noted. Some people with nothing to eat survived by chewing on water lilies.

"Millions of people prevented from receiving aid by parties to conflict. Immoral, unlawful and unacceptable. We need access now," Mr. O'Brien has said.

He is in South Sudan to see first-hand the critical humanitarian situation and the response which his agency, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), is assisting.

The UN declared a famine in parts of South Sudan on 20 February, increasingly blaming the lack of food and the collapsing economy on the rival forces of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) loyal to President Salva Kiir and the SPLA in Opposition backing Riek Machar.

A formal declaration of famine means that people have already started dying of hunger.

About 100,000 people are facing starvation, and an additional one million are on the brink of a famine, according to the UN. The total number of food insecure people is expected to rise to 5.5 million at the height of the lean season in July if nothing is done to curb the severity and spread of the food crisis.

The situation is worsened for the 3.4 million Sudanese, some of whom Mr. O'Brien met today, who have been displaced and separated from their families.

Humanitarian organizations have appealed for $1.6 billion to provide life-saving assistance and protection to some 5.8 million people across South Sudan in 2017.

Mr. O'Brien came to South Sudan from Kenya and previously, from Yemen. He is next scheduled to visit Somalia.
In Chad and Cameroon, Security Council hears of Boko Haram terror and survivors' needs

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 4 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, In Chad and Cameroon, Security Council hears of Boko Haram terror and survivors' needs, 4 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd39014.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The United Nations Security Council is today in Chad, as part of a four-country visit to shine a spotlight on the ongoing humanitarian challenges in the Lake Chad Basin region and draw international attention to the plight of about 11 million people.

In the Chadian capital of N'Djamena, the Council met with Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke and visited the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which includes troops from the four affected regional countries  Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, plus Benin  in the fight against Boko Haram.

The Security Council welcomed the efforts to fight Boko Haram and encouraged more regional coopWe came here in order to shine a spotlight on the situation in the Lake Chad Basin.eration, according to a Tweet by the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom to the UN which has the Security Council's rotating presidency for the month of March and is leading the visit.

Discussions with the Prime Minister also focused on the economic situation in Chad and the importance of women participating in the economy and politics.

Also today, the Council members met with representatives of the UN agencies, funds and programmes and non-governmental organizations working in the country.

They are working to aid the millions of people who, in addition to the security threat from Boko Haram and the fight against the terror group, also face a major food and nutrition crises. Some 2.4 million people are currently displaced in the area, according to UN figures, and more than 7.1 million are severely hungry.

In his conversations with the Council, Stephen Tool, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Coordinator in Chad, detailed the severe challenges in the countries, which include malnutrition, disease and health, sanitation. He noted, however, that you cannot deal with humanitarian issues without looking at the root causes which include insecurity, development gaps, lack of education, poor agriculture, and so on.

'That's who we're fighting for'

The Security Council delegation, led by Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the United Kingdom, had yesterday visited Cameroon, where members met with President Paul Biya and other senior Government officials.

The Council also met with refugees and people displaced by Boko Haram and the forces tracking them.

In a blog post, Mr. Rycroft detailed meeting two young survivors of Boko Haram's violence. The first, a boy who was 13 years old when the terrorist group stormed his village and killed his friends and family. The other boy was about 10 years when he was kidnapped, escaped, and has since 2014 lived in a camp for internally displaced persons.

They are heroic beyond measures, Mr. Rycroft said. That's who we're fighting for.

Speaking earlier in the day, Mr. Rycroft outlined his vision for the visit.

First of all, we came here in order to shine a spotlight on the situation in the Lake Chad Basin.

We came to hear the individual stories of people involved, whether they are refugees or displaced people or other victims of Boko Haram.

We stand with the government and the people of Cameroon, and the wider region, in tackling the scourge of terrorism, and in encouraging them to look broadly and deeply at the root causes of the set of crises going on here.

The delegation heads to Niger later today, and is scheduled to continue on to Nigeria tomorrow.
UN migration agency launches $24.6 million appeal for drought-hit Somalia

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN migration agency launches $24.6 million appeal for drought-hit Somalia, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd396d4.html [accessed 7 November 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.

To meet the emergency needs of over a million Somalis affected by drought, the United Nations migration agency is appealing to international donors for $24.6 million in funding.

Humanitarian agencies worry that the situation has started to look increasingly similar to the 2011 famine in Somalia, in which over a quarter of one million people died, according to a press release from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

"We named this (2017) drought 'Odi Kawayn,' which is Somali for 'something bigger than the elders,'" said drought victim Halima, explaining that none of the elders has ever seen a drought as severe as this one.

The IOM appeal has been designed to enhance the current response, and expand the agency's geographic footprint within the northeast African country.

A massive increase in humanitarian assistance is urgently needed to avert a famine, with humanitarian agencies estimating that 6.2 million drought-affected Somalis are in need of assistance, including food, water and sanitation, health and nutrition, protection and shelter.
Iraq: 15,000 children flee west Mosul over past week as battle intensifies, says UNICEF

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Iraq: 15,000 children flee west Mosul over past week as battle intensifies, says UNICEF, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd39bd4.html [accessed 7 November 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.

Some 15,000 children have over the previous week fled the western section of Iraq's Mosul city where fighting between the Government forces and terrorists is intensifying by the day, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has reported.

"UNICEF is responding to the immediate needs at the Hamam Al Alil camp, 20km from Mosul, where aid is provided to children upon their arrival," UNICEF Regional Emergency Advisor Bastien Vigneau said over the phone from Iraq during the regular press briefing held in the UN Office at Geneva.

He noted that the children were very scared of the sound of the bombs, which was one of the main reasons their parents had decided to flee. They fled with very little luggage and in most cases with a bare minimum of clothes. The children and their families arrived mostly by buses organized by the military.

The main priorities, other than the first emergency response, included health, to ensure that children were immunized, primarily against measles and polio, said Mr. Vigneau.

Matthew Sarmash, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said that a significant increase in displacement had been noticed in recent days and the Hamam Al Alil camp was close to reach its maximum capacity. At the moment, 150,000 places were occupied. He said construction is under way to accommodate up to 250,000 people there.

UNICEF's Vigneau said that more than 100,000 children have been displaced from Mosul since the military operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) began on 17 October 2016.

He said that 874 unaccompanied or separated children have been identified since mid-October, with half of them reunified with their families or taken care of by extended families, and the others being provided dedicated assistance until they reunify with families.
In Iraq, UN's focal point for conflict-related sexual violence visits abused women

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, In Iraq, UN's focal point for conflict-related sexual violence visits abused women, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd3ae14.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The United Nations focal point for ending conflict-related sexual violence is in Iraq where she today met with survivors of rape and other abuse by the Islamic State (ISIL).

Zainab Hawa Bangura, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, visited the Girls and Women Support and Treatment Centre in Dohuk Governorate, northern Iraq. Accompanied by Gyorgy Busztin, the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), she met with women and girls who had escaped from Mosul, where Iraqi forces launched an offensive two weeks ago to dislodge ISIL.

According to a press release, the Centre  a collaboration with the Dohuk Directorate General and in support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)  is at the forefront of addressing the needs of the Yazidi sexual violence survivors, including medical and psychosocial support.

ISIL has systematically targeted the Yazidi community with rape and other sexual violence, including sexual slavery and forced marriage, according to the Office of Ms. Bangura whose legal and investigative teams have been working to aid survivors from the community. Ms. Bangura has repeatedly called for a multipronged approach from the global to the local levels, to aid the survivors and their families and help them reclaim a role in their community. As part of her visit to Iraq, Ms. Bangura has discussed the need for such support with Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Nechervan Barzani. In addition, she held discussions with Jassim Mohammed Al-Jaf of the Ministry of Migration and Displaced and with Faed Zaidan, the head of the High Judicial Council of Iraq. She also met with Sunni religious leaders to discuss reintegration of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, and to ensure that children born of rape are not ostracized by the community.
'Political leadership needs to support its own people,' urges UN mission chief in South Sudan

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, 'Political leadership needs to support its own people,' urges UN mission chief in South Sudan, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd3b4f4.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The top United Nations official in South Sudan is calling on the country's political leadership to support its own people in the wake of a famine affecting some 100,000 people, and calling for local authorities to provide humanitarian access to those most in need.

David Shearer, the recently arrived UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the country, today voiced alarm "at how little a response to the plight of these people has been heard from their leaders."

On 20 February, famine was declared in parts of Unity state. Since then, humanitarian agencies and non-governmental organizations evacuated the heart of the afflicted-area, a town called Mayendit, due to the threat of resumed fighting between the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army (SPLA) and the SPLA in Opposition.

"Those affected by the humanitarian crisis are still citizens of this young country, and they deserve protection," Mr. Shearer said in reference to the women and children most affected by the crisis. "But the constant fighting shows they are getting none. Instead, they are bearing the brunt."

Mr. Shearer, who is also the new head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), reiterated the UN's call for a complete cessation of hostilities between all those involved.
Yemen: UN migration agency reports displacement spike in Taiz Governorate

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Yemen: UN migration agency reports displacement spike in Taiz Governorate, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd3ba74.html [accessed 7 November 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.

With nearly 274,000 people displaced, Yemen's Taiz is now among the crisis-torn country's top five hosting governorates for such populations, a United Nations report has found.

For nearly 20 months, Taiz has been the centre of intense ground clashes, military confrontations and aerial strikes between warring parties in Yemen.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has initiated a system to track displacement from the major port city of Al Mokha, as accurate data is essential to plan an effective, efficient and impactful humanitarian response.

So far, at least 25,000 individuals have been reported as displaced from Al Mokha, according to IOM.

"This much-needed data has enabled the entire humanitarian community in Yemen to increase the amount and accuracy of vital support and protection it provides to affected populations," said IOM Yemen Chief of Mission Laurent de Boeck in a press release.

Since the start of the conflict in March 2015, IOM has tracked up to 426,672 internally displaced persons and 78,258 returnees in the governorate of Taiz.

Earlier this week, Stephen O'Brien, the UN Emergency Coordinator, who is currently undertaking a mission in Yemen said that in an around Ibb and Taiz, he had met with families to hear their horrific stories of displacement.

"Running from violence, bombings and shelling, these people from Taiz and Mocha had left with nothing. It is now ordinary Yemenis, host communities and humanitarian actors providing lifesaving assistance and protection," he said in a news release, stressing that with so many people malnourished and sick, aid is not enough.
UN agencies supporting Kenyans in drought-hit areas

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN agencies supporting Kenyans in drought-hit areas, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd3bfb4.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The United Nations humanitarian chief today urged international support for the estimated 2.7 million people in parts of Kenya who urgently need food and water following the onset of a severe drought.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O'Brien, saw the devastating impact of drought on rural communities in northern Kenya.

Crops are failing, food prices are rising, and families are going hungry. The spectre of hunger and disease is haunting East Africa again. We need to put a stop to this, Mr. O'Brien said.

The office he heads, OCHA, is working with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and other partners to save lives in the region, according to a press release.

Our efforts should not only alleviate the current suffering brought about by this emergency, but should also aim to build the resilience of families and the capacity of local governments to deal with future droughts and other calamities, the Representative of UNICEF in Kenya, Werner Schultink said.

UN efforts of support include dispatching 12,000 cartons of ready to use therapeutic foods for the severely-malnourished children, for example.

The President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, recently declared the drought a national disaster and has called for international support.
LOS ANGELES and RICHMOND, Va., March 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kay Properties today announced the completion of 100% of the $9,900,000-equity-raise for an all-cash/debt-free Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) property located in Richmond, VA. The property, a 62,941 square foot class A office building, was structured as a Regulation D, Rule 506c DST and made available to accredited 1031 exchange and direct cash investors.



Dwight Kay, the founder and CEO of Kay Properties commented, We continue to execute on our investment thesis of buying well-located properties on an all-cash/debt-free basis on behalf of our 1031 exchange and direct cash investor clients nationwide.

Kay continued, We are approaching 1 million square feet of syndicated DST offerings in exclusive, Kay Properties client-only real estate offerings and are proud to note that a large portion of that is owned free and clear without an ounce of leverage. The Innsbrook Corporate Center DST is another high quality 1031 exchange DST offering that was well received by our clients as well as the Kay Properties team members that personally invested in the asset.

About Kay Properties:

Kay Properties and Investments, LLC is a national Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) brokerage firm with offices in LA, NY and DC. Kay Properties team members collectively have over 94 years of real estate experience, are licensed in all 50 states, and have participated in over $7 billion of DST real estate.

Our clients have the ability to participate in private, exclusively available, off-market DST properties as well as those presented to the wider DST marketplace; with the exception of those that fail our due-diligence process. Kay Properties is considered by many to be the largest provider of DST brokerage services in the United States.

This material does not constitute an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Such offers can be made only by the confidential Private Placement Memorandum (the Memorandum). Please be aware that this material cannot and does not replace the Memorandum and is qualified in its entirety by the Memorandum.

This material is not intended as tax or legal advice so please do speak with your attorney and CPA prior to considering an investment.

This material contains information that has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, Kay Properties and Investments, LLC, Colorado Financial Services Corporation and their representatives do not guarantee the accuracy and validity of the information herein. Investors should perform their own investigations before considering any investment.

There are material risks associated with investing in real estate, Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) and 1031 Exchange properties. These include, but are not limited to, tenant vacancies; declining market values; potential loss of entire investment principal; that past performance is not a guarantee of future results; that potential cash flow, potential returns, and potential appreciation are not guaranteed in any way; adverse tax consequences and that real estate is typically an illiquid investment.

Please read carefully the Memorandum and/or investment prospectus in its entirety before making an investment decision. Please pay careful attention to the Risk section of the PPM/Prospectus. This material is not intended as tax or legal advice so please do speak with your attorney and CPA prior to considering an investment.

IRC Section 1031, IRC Section 1033, and IRC Section 721 are complex tax codes; therefore, you should consult your tax and legal professional for details regarding your situation.

Securities offered through registered representatives of Colorado Financial Service Corporation, Member FINRA / SIPC. Kay Properties and Investments, LLC and Colorado Financial Service Corporation are separate entities. OSJ Address: 304 Inverness Way S, Ste 355, Centennial, Colorado. 303-962-7267

Kay Properties & Investments, LLC, is registered to sell securities in all 50 states.

DST 1031 properties are only available to accredited investors (generally described as having a net worth of over $1 million dollars exclusive of primary residence) and accredited entities only (generally described as an entity owned entirely by accredited individuals and/or an entity with gross assets of greater than $5 million dollars). If you are unsure if you are an accredited investor and/or an accredited entity, please verify with your CPA and Attorney prior to considering an investment. You may be required to verify your status as an accredited investor.
Sri Lanka: UN Official Calls Progress 'Worryingly Slow'

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 3 March 2017 Related Document(s) Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sri Lanka Cite as Human Rights Watch, Sri Lanka: UN Official Calls Progress 'Worryingly Slow', 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd3cf74.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights decried Sri Lanka's slow progress on its reform pledges in his report to the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights Watch said today.

High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein acknowledged certain positive developments, but said that the government failed to adopt a time-bound "comprehensive strategy on transitional justice," and called on the council to continue monitoring Sri Lankan compliance with resolution 30/1 of October 2015.

"The UN high commissioner paints a picture that is in stark contrast to the rosy claims of the Sri Lankan government," said John Fisher, Geneva director. "Zeid's report bolsters findings by UN independent experts and Sri Lankan rights groups that meaningful government action is needed, particularly on accountability and justice."

The high commissioner's report expressed particular concern that the government had not even begun preparatory work on establishing a judicial mechanism with foreign judges and other judicial officers, one of the four transitional justice mechanisms under the resolution. Human Rights Watch and other human rights organizations have cited presidential statements in opposition to that undertaking as evidence of the government's unwillingness to create a court that would try serious crimes committed by both sides in the country's 27-year-long civil war, which ended in 2009.

The report also raised other human rights issues in Sri Lanka, including the wide use of torture and the lack of security sector reform, notably the failure to repeal the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act. It highlights the government's poor record in investigating and prosecuting emblematic cases of killings, enforced disappearances, and torture during and since the armed conflict, and in bringing an end to longstanding impunity.

The high commissioner's report notes progress on public consultations involving constitutional reforms and transitional justice. However, it strongly recommends that the government "embrace" the report of the government-appointed transitional justice Consultation Task Force, which calls for a hybrid judicial mechanism based on wide-reaching consultations across all communities. Human Rights Watch and others have pointed out the government's disregard for the task force in Sri Lanka even while it takes credit for its report in Geneva and other international forums.

"The high commissioner's report spotlights just how far there is to go before the promise of reconciliation, justice, and reform in Sri Lanka becomes a reality," Fisher said. "The Human Rights Council needs to engage meaningfully with both the high commissioner's report and the Consultation Task Force report, and adopt a substantive resolution to urge acceptance of its recommendations, request an implementation timetable, and ensure continued international scrutiny until the Sri Lankan government delivers on its commitments in full."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Iraq: Displacement, Detention of Suspected "ISIS Families"

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 5 March 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Iraq: Displacement, Detention of Suspected "ISIS Families", 5 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd3e0f4.html [accessed 7 November 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.

Iraqi forces have forcibly displaced at least 125 families said to have familial ties to affiliates of the Islamic State (also known as ISIS), Human Rights Watch said today.Sunni tribal groups (known as the Hashad al-Asha'ri), within the Popular Mobilization Forces (known as the PMF or Hashd al-Sha'abi), which are under the control of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, and Iraqi soldiers forced the families out of their homes following the passage of a decree issued by local authorities. The families, all from Salah al-Din governorate, are being held against their will in a camp functioning as an open-air prison near Tikrit. The PMF also destroyed some of the families' homes.

"While politicians in Baghdad are discussing reconciliation efforts in Iraq, the state's own forces are undermining those efforts by destroying homes and forcing families into a detention camp," said Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "These families, accused of wrongdoing by association, are in many cases themselves victims of ISIS abuses and should be protected by government forces, not targeted for retribution."

In August 2016, the Salah al-Din governorate council passed a decree stating that anyone proven to have been complicit or affiliated with ISIS has no right to return to the governorate. The decree also orders the expulsion of immediate relatives of ISIS-members from Salah al-Din for 10 years to life, and says that they are only allowed to return if they are deemed "safe." The decree establishes a committee to seize ISIS-affiliates' property and suspend their, and their families,' provision cards. Families that kill their ISIS-affiliated relatives, or hand them over to the Iraqi authorities, are exempted.

One woman from al-Shakrah village, three kilometers south of al-Shirqat, said that PMF fighters forced her and her relatives from their home on January 7, 2017, because her husband's brother had joined ISIS. She said that the fighters "forced our whole family of 14 people out and onto the truck. They didn't let us grab even a change of clothing."

Two women from the village of al-Aithah said that local PMF forces destroyed hundreds of homes with explosives after they retook the area on September 21, targeting not only some of the families they thought to be affiliated with ISIS, but also some families that had fled because of the fighting. Satellite imagery reviewed by Human Rights Watch showed that between September 23 and October 23, 220 homes in the village were destroyed by explosives and fire.

Under the laws of war, parties to a conflict may only attack military objectives. The intentional or wanton destruction of civilian property is unlawful unless the property is being used for a military purpose. Destroying property merely to punish the population is always prohibited.

Iraqi federal authorities should investigate any intentional destruction or looting of civilian property, punish those responsible - including those in command control at the time of such acts who failed to prevent the crimes - if abuses are found, and compensate victims, Human Rights Watch said.

Human Rights Watch visited the Shahama camp for displaced people, 13 kilometres north of Tikrit, on February 3, to interview families affected by the decree. Hussein Ahmed Khalaf, the camp manager, said that 362 families were there, of whom 237 had fled Hawija, a city 50 kilometers west of Kirkuk that is still under ISIS control. Those families had arrived when the camp opened at the beginning of January.

He said that over the next month, 125 families from the al-Shirqat area were brought to the camp. Human Rights Watch interviewed 14 people forcibly displaced with their families to the camp. They all said that PMF fighters, in the presence of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) with army vehicles, had forced them out of their homes. They said that they were prohibited from leaving the camp and from having mobile phones.

In a Salah al-Din news broadcast in January, Brigadier General Juma Enad Sadoon, the Salah al-Din operational commander for the ISF, said that he ordered the forced displacements of immediate relatives of ISIS members following the passage of the decree by the Salah al-Din governorate council. He said "ISIS families" were identified by other residents and through intelligence gathered by the security forces. He said he gave the order because of concerns about family members communicating with their ISIS relatives fighting in Mosul and other fronts and because of complaints from the relatives of victims of ISIS abuses. He said he would not stop displacing these families.

But most families who spoke to Human Rights Watch either denied they had a relative in ISIS or said that if they did, this family member was as distant as a cousin or brother-in-law.

On January 26, two videos were posted on a Facebook page covering news from Salah al-Din showing local PMF forces in al-Shirqat displacing families of ISIS suspects using army vehicles.

Both videos feature a female commander known as Um Hanadi of the local PMF of al-Shirqat known as the Group of Um Hanadi for Special Tasks (Tashkeel Um Hanadi La Mohmat al-Khasah). In one video, she and a group of armed forces are loading families they refer to as "ISIS families" onto at least two Iraqi army trucks with military license plates. The video shows at least two Iraqi military commanders, recognizable because of their red berets. One fighter and the cameraman identify themselves as members of the Iraqi military's Division 17, Brigade 60. In the other video, Um Hanadi says to the camera, "It is an honor for me to clean and cleanse al-Shirqat with these elite forces."

A New York Times article from January 29 about the camp quotes Salah al-Din's deputy governor, Amar Hekmat, as saying that the aim behind the forcible displacement is, "to defy the terrorists and send a stern message to the families." Salah al-Din's First Deputy Governor Khazhal Hamad is quoted in the same article saying that displacing the families was a way of protecting them from retaliatory attacks by neighbors who lost family members to ISIS. "There are hostile feelings towards these people, and these feelings can affect the civil peace we are trying to achieve," he said.

A February 28 response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' human rights office to Human Rights Watch's findings stated that the displacement was carried out by the Salah al-Din operational command in order to protect the families from revenge attacks; for security reasons linked to continued suicide attacks; and because some of these families may be sharing information about ISF positions with ISIS. It stated that the operational command was mandated with holding and protecting the families in the camp. Representatives of the PMF did not respond to questions sent by Human Rights Watch.

The article goes on to say that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi sent a letter in late January to the local governor criticizing the displacement and ordered governorate and federal government officials to resolve the issue. There was no indication he had called for the punishment of armed forces under his command that participated in it. Iraqi federal authorities including al-Abadi should continue to condemn the forcible displacement of these families and censure any state forces that participate in the practice, Human Rights Watch said.

Two of those interviewed by Human Rights Watch said that Salah al-Din's Governor Ahmad Abdullah al-Jabouri came to the camp in late January and told them that he was working on a solution to secure their release, but that nothing had happened since.

It is a basic international standard that punishment for crimes should only be imposed on people responsible for the crimes, after a fair trial to determine individual guilt. Imposing collective punishments on families, villages, or entire communities is strictly forbidden and can itself be a crime, especially if it results in forced displacement.

Under the laws of war, forced displacement of civilians is strictly prohibited except in the limited cases when displacement is necessary to protect civilians or for imperative military necessity, and then only for as long as it is needed. Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, it is a war crime to order such unlawful displacements of civilians during a conflict. Widespread or systematic unlawful forced displacement imposed as a policy of the state or organized group can amount to a crime against humanity.

Local governorate councils should reverse any decrees targeting the families of alleged ISIS affiliates in violation of international standards. Iraq's parliament should issue a decree calling on the local governorate councils to rescind the decrees and on armed forces to cease the forced displacements, reiterating the unlawfulness of these displacements and stipulating that any armed forces who participate in the displacements should be censured.

"There is growing concern among parliamentarians and ministers about the forcible displacement of so-called ISIS families and what this will mean for reconciliation efforts in areas recently taken back from ISIS," Fakih said. "That concern needs to translate into action before these destructive policies are mimicked across the country."

Local Justifications for Displacement

Local leaders from Salah al-Din told Human Rights Watch that the forcible displacement of families of alleged ISIS affiliates was in line with jalwa, an Arabic term for eviction and a principle that entails the forced relocation of a clan to avoid friction if one of its members murders someone from another clan living in the same area.

Other local officials are taking similar measures to expel so-called "ISIS families." In July, the Babylon governorate council passed a decree calling on authorities to demolish the homes of anyone proven to have participated in terrorist activities, deport their families from the governorate, and to authorize legal procedures against the families proven to have "concealed" their ISIS-affiliated relatives. Families from Anbar face similar difficulties. In July, local leaders issued a covenant saying that people who "promoted" ISIS are not allowed to return until their charges are reviewed. Individuals who did not renounce relatives who supported ISIS are only allowed to return home "when this situation stabilizes," they said.

Identified with ISIS

Four of the 14 people Human Rights Watch interviewed were from al-Shakrah village and were brought to the Shahama camp on January 7 and January 26. Three were from al-Aithah village, 11 kilometers north of al-Shirqat, and were brought to the camp in early January. The rest were from three neighborhoods of the town of al-Shirqat and were brought to the camp on January 26, 28, and 29. Some were brought alone, while others said they were loaded into approximately 30 vehicles, some with up to 11 other families. Several said they had only the most tangential connections, or no connections at all, to people who had joined ISIS.

One couple said that their cousin, a member of Um Hanadi's PMF group with whom they had a running land dispute for years, was the one that brought forces to their home and made them leave. They said they had no links to ISIS. Another woman said she was a nurse, and had continued her work at the local hospital under ISIS because she was the only female nurse and felt it was her duty to provide health care for women. Fighters brought her and her family to the camp, saying it was because she had been affiliated with ISIS, she said.

One widowed woman said that ISIS fighters forced her to marry off her 14-year-old daughter to one of their fighters after they took her village in 2014. According to the mother, the daughter married the fighter, who was subsequently killed, and gave birth weeks before she and the rest of her family were forcibly displaced. The woman said PMF and Iraqi soldiers displaced her and her family, including her daughter and grandchild, to the camp because of the forced marriage.

"They [the PMF] told me: 'You gave your daughter to ISIS,'" she said. "But they do not understand our situation with ISIS and the pressure they put on us. We couldn't say anything to themI had no choice. I couldn't say anythingISIS became the government ruling over everyone. They've gone to war with every country. What could I do as a woman to oppose them?"

"As they drove us from al-Shirqat they were celebrating, it was like a victory for them," said a man from the Jamia neighborhood. He said PMF and ISF jointly rounded up 28 people from his area and brought them to the camp on a convoy of dozens of cars, blaring celebratory music from their loudspeakers:

We saw all these cars and trucks suddenly pull up in our village, and I saw several Hashad fighters [PMF] knock on the door of my neighbors. Their son had been with ISIS. They forced them out immediately and into one of the trucks. Then came the knock at our door, and my mother-in-law opened and told the fighters that her son's family, my husband's brother, who had joined ISIS, lived down the road. They said to her, "But you are also related to him."

Shahama Camp Conditions

Human Rights Watch observed that the families from Hawija and al-Shirqat in the Shahama camp are housed in tents in separate areas of the camp. The camp manager said that this was because of concerns over possible tensions between people who left Hawija voluntarily and those forcibly displaced from al-Shirqat over suspected family ties to ISIS suspects.

Shahama camp residents are not allowed to leave or to have mobile phones, and visitors are restricted. Residents at the camp from the initial wave of families from Hawija told Human Rights Watch that until the al-Shirqat families arrived they had been allowed to have phones, and leave the camp at will.

The camp receives assistance and support from four international aid organizations, but two aid workers said that most aid groups would not support a camp that is functioning as a holding site for forcibly displaced people, rather than a camp to which displaced people have gone voluntarily. Having visited about a dozen camps in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Human Rights Watch researchers observed significantly worse conditions in the Shahama camp than in the other camps it had visited. According to a senior aid worker and the camp manager, the camp has no clinic, no school, and lacks adequate sanitation services and food, water, and heating oil.

Destruction and Looting

A local sheikh from the village of al-Aithah interviewed in the Shahama camp said the PMF arrived three days after the Iraqi military retook the village from ISIS on September 19. Two women from the village said that the PMF forces destroyed hundreds of homes. One said her home was included and the other that she witnessed the destruction:

I saw them destroying the houses. They would destroy around 15 homes a day. For about 15 days the destruction didn't stop in the village. My house was not destroyed when the army came, butlots of neighbors' homes were destroyed by the PMF. It was the local PMF destroying the homes. I saw them and know them personally as being from the local PMF.

She said the PMF targeted the homes not only of some families thought to have links to ISIS, but also some of those who had simply fled the area out of fear.

Local residents said that as far as they were aware, there were no airstrikes on the village after it was retaken, so the destruction could not have been a result of aerial attacks, and there was seemingly no military necessity for the destruction, meaning it most likely constituted a war crime. "We want the Iraqi government to show mercy on these women and children," one of the women said. "Don't act like ISIS, by destroying homes and displacing families."

Several members of the displaced families also said PMF members looted their property. One woman from Tal al-Jumaila neighborhood in al-Shirqat said that the morning before she was displaced, PMF confiscated her cow without giving any reason. A man from Tal al-Jumaila neighborhood and another from al-Shakrah village both said fighters took their cars. The rest of the interviewees said that because they did not have access to their phones, they did not know what had happened to their property since they left.

Detention

Seven people interviewed said that ISF had arrested one or more of their family members, in one case a 15-year-old boy, on suspicion of ISIS affiliation either at their homes or at a checkpoint in the area, some as early as August. Six had not heard from their relatives since and all of them said that because of the ban on phones, they were unable to make any calls to see if they were still in detention or had access to a lawyer.

One man from al-Shakrah said he had been detained by ISF at a checkpoint near Tikrit because his brother had been an ISIS member, and was beaten for a day with electric cables while guards asked him how he could have shared a home with an ISIS fighter. That night, he said, they transferred him to the Salah al-Din operations room, and then to a prison in Tikrit. A few weeks later he was taken before a judge and ordered released, after which he returned to al-Shakrah, he said. On January 7, he and his family were forced to relocate to the camp.

Another al-Shakrah villager said that on September 24, 2016, more than 15 Iraqi soldiers and PMF members who were in the village told all the men and boys ages 15 and over to gather at the local school to be screened:

I gathered there with my 15-year-old son, as we were told. A soldier called out three names of men from the village and detained them. Then about 20 fighters wearing PMF patches brought 10 more men with masked faces to us, and started pointing at people at random, while the ISF stood by and watched. The PMF took away the 14 men and one boy, my own son, whom they pointed at, loading them onto military trucks. One PMF fighter was filming the group of detainees on his phone as they waited to load the trucks, and ordered them to bark like dogs.

They brought his son back after 28 days. The family confirmed with Iraqi army officers that his son was not on a wanted list, but five days later, PMF came to the home with a masked man who said the boy was affiliated with ISIS and detained him again, the father said. The father said he has heard nothing from him since and that on January 7, local PMF members in the village came to their home and said they were an "ISIS family" and had to get onto the PMF trucks and go to the camp.

Iraqi federal authorities should make efforts to inform family members about the location of all detainees. Iraqi federal authorities should make public the number of fighters and civilians detained, including at checkpoints, screening sites, and camps during the conflict with ISIS, and the legal basis for their detention, including the charges against them. They should ensure prompt independent judicial review of detention and allow detainees access to lawyers and medical care and to communicate with their families, Human Rights Watch said.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Libya: Arbitrary military decree highlights precariousness of women's rights in Libya

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 3 March 2017 Reference MDE 19/5820/2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Libya: Arbitrary military decree highlights precariousness of women's rights in Libya, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd3ec24.html [accessed 7 November 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.

On 16 February 2017, the military in eastern Libya issued Decree No. 6 of 2017 restricting Libyan women under the age of 60 from travelling abroad without a legal male guardian 'muhram'. The decree was frozen five days later amidst ongoing calls from civil society for its removal, and ultimately replaced on 23 February with Decree No. 7 of 2017, which stipulates that no Libyan male or female between the ages of 18-45 can travel abroad without prior "security approval."

Eastern Libya's military intelligence agency and Ministry of Interior is responsible for implementing the decree and issuing clearance for those who wish to travel, for military personnel and civilians respectively. While it has yet to be implemented, the decree provides no further clarity as to the criteria on how the security approval would be obtained or the basis for denial of travel.

Amnesty International calls on authorities to ensure that the procedures used to implement Decree No. 7 are non-discriminatory in interpretation and implementation, and do not lead to arbitrary denial of travel for women.

Decree no. 6 of 2017 came one day shy of the sixth anniversary of the uprising in Libya which ousted Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi, ending 42 years of authoritarian rule. It was eventually suspended altogether on Thursday 23 February but not before delivering yet another blow to women's rights in Libya and demonstrating how such rights can be subject to the whims of military rulers, Amnesty International said. Decree no. 6 constituted a severe limitation on women's freedom of movement in eastern Libya, and its replacement with decree no. 7 raises concerns that women may still be subject to arbitrary restrictions on their right to travel amidst an overall deteriorating human rights situation in the country. Women have been particularly affected by the ongoing conflict and in the face of intimidation and fear have been forced to retract from public and political engagement in recent years.

Restrictions on women's rights and civil liberties, including freedom of movement, are not new to Libya and are often applied arbitrarily. While there is no Libyan law which stipulates that women are not allowed to travel abroad alone, this has not prevented similar decrees from being enforced in the past. The former al-Gaddafi government attempted to enact a similar decree in 2007, though this was short lived and retracted within days. Following the 2011 uprising, a similar restriction took place in the form of a religious decree 'fatwa', issued by the Grand Mufti of Libya, which prevented women in Tripoli from traveling abroad without a male guardian in December 2013. While the Fatwa issued in 2013 did raise concern, it carried little weight within the legislative and other applicable bodies.

While the new decree provides that the restriction to travel abroad will apply to both men and women, Amnesty International is concerned that it may be arbitrarily implemented and that, in effect, women will be disproportionately targeted. Amnesty International calls on the authorities in eastern Libya to ensure that the decree's' application is not discriminatory, while the "security approval" envisaged must be capable of being reviewed by an independent and impartial body, with a possibility of appealing any such decision. The authorities must also introduce other measures to ensure that women are in practice not discriminately targeted by the implementation of this ban.

Libya is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as well as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Common Article 3 of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, which is applicable to all situations of armed conflict, prohibits adverse distinction founded on sex. This prohibition is a rule of customary international humanitarian law, binding on all parties to Libya's armed conflict.

Arbitrary implementation of the Decree, which in effect may restrict the right of women to travel would violate Libya's obligations under Article 3 (equality of men and women) and Article 12 (freedom to leave and enter one's country) of the ICCPR. It would also be incompatible with Article 12 of CEDAW which guarantees freedom of movement for women. Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also ensures that such freedom of movement is guaranteed. All parties to Libya's armed conflict are bound by international humanitarian law, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of sex.

While it might be permissible for states to introduce certain measures to restrict freedom of movement at the time of public emergency threatening the life of the nation and when such measures are strictly necessary, those measures would never be lawful if they are in effect discriminatory.

In addition to international obligations, national constitutional legislation also guarantees the freedom of movement to all Libyan nationals irrespective of gender, particularly referring to article 6 of the Interim Constitutional Declaration guaranteeing equality and 14 guaranteeing the freedom of movement, which is further emphasized in article 31 of the Libyan Political Agreement.

Amnesty International calls on the authorities in Libya to ensure that women's rights and freedoms are fully protected in law and in practice and that all government authorities uphold Libya's international human rights obligations.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Egypt: Punitive probation measures latest tactic used to harass activists

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 6 March 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Egypt: Punitive probation measures latest tactic used to harass activists, 6 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd40cf4.html [accessed 7 November 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.

Egyptian authorities are increasingly using arbitrary and excessive probation measures as a tactic to harass activists, said Amnesty International today. In some cases extreme conditions have been imposed, with activists released from prison forced to spend up to 12 hours a day in a police station.

Police probation in Egypt requires released prisoners and detainees to spend a certain number of hours at a police station on a daily or weekly basis. It is used either as an alternative to pre-trial detention or can be imposed as a supplementary penalty in addition to a prison sentence.

Amnesty International has documented at least 13 cases in which probation measures were excessive or were arbitrarily imposed against activists. In some cases probation orders paved the way for activists to be detained for a second time.

"The Egyptian authorities are punishing activists by imposing excessive and in some cases ludicrous probation conditions that infringe upon their basic rights, in some cases amounting to deprivation of liberty. Many of these individuals have been convicted or charged for peaceful activism and should never have been imprisoned in the first place," said Najia Bounaim, Deputy Director for Campaigns at Amnesty International's regional office in Tunis.

"Abuse of probation has become the latest tool at the disposal of the authorities to crush dissent. It is imperative that the Egyptian authorities lift all arbitrary probation measures and order the immediate and unconditional release of activists who have been detained or imprisoned solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression or peaceful assembly."

Probation periods are ordered by judges during sentencing but they typically leave the determination of the number of hours individuals have to spend under probation as part of their sentence to the discretion of the police without any oversight.

Instead of requiring former prisoners and detainees to report to a police station, sign in and leave, Egyptian police end up detaining activists sentenced to probation terms for up to 12 hours every day in police stations. During this time, they are not allowed to leave the station, receive visits or communicate with any person other than the police.

Activists Ahmed Maher and Mohamed Adel who were released from custody after three years in prison for unauthorized protest, they are forced to spend 12 hours a day in police stations as part of the sentence handed down by an Egyptian court in December 2013. Due to these measures, they are unable to work, travel, study or freely express their opinions.

In at least four cases documented by Amnesty International activists under probation were detained for a second time even though they had not violated the conditions of their probation.

Under Egyptian law, (Law number 99 of 1945), individuals under police probation must spend the assigned probation hours at home so that they are present for any sudden visits by police officers responsible for monitoring their probation. However, the Probation Law gives the police broad authority to compel individuals to spend that time at the police station if they believe that monitoring the concerned person at home is difficult. The law also punishes those who violate the rules of probation with one year imprisonment, without specifying what exactly could amount to a breach of probation rules. International standards require that authorities explain, orally and in writing, the conditions governing non-custodial measures to those subjected to them, including their obligations and rights.

The broad powers and unchecked discretion given to the police has in some cases in effect transformed probation into detention, undermining the purpose of probation as a non-custodial measure.

Probation measures also facilitate further human rights violations, such as arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and arbitrary restrictions on the rights to freedom of movement and freedom of expression, against activists who have been targeted as part of the authorities' crackdown on dissent. They also interfere in the enjoyment of other human rights, including the right to work, to education and to an adequate standard of living.

"Excessive and punitive probation measures are little more than another form of detention in disguise. They have left some activists unable to exercise their rights to freedom of expression, assembly and movement, even after they have finished serving their sentence. This is just another means for the Egyptian criminal justice system to silence and intimidate government critics," said Najia Bounaim.

According to Egyptian law, probation measures can be applied in connection with a broad range of offences, including provisions that criminalize the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. For example, defendants convicted under Articles 375bis of the Penal Code, which criminalizes vaguely worded offences, such as "terrorizing the public" or "harming public safety" must serve between one and five years in prison and an equal term of probation after release.

Prosecutors sometimes order probation as a condition for releasing individuals before their trial. In this case, the probation order determines the number of hours and days the released detainee must spend under police probation. The detaining authority has the right to terminate probation and to re-detain the defendant if the conditions and the rules of probation are violated. However, the law does not specify what might amount to such violations. The police have exploited this vagueness to justify re-detaining activists for failing to report to the police officer responsible for monitoring their probation during the determined hours. The ambiguity of the conditions also keeps activists under probation on their guard at all times and discourages them from involvement in public life and political activities.

Cases:

Former prisoners

Prominent political activist and the April 6 youth movement leader, Ahmed Maher is among those placed on police probation. On 22 December 2013, a court sentenced Maher along with political activists Mohamed Adel and Ahmed Douma to three years imprisonment, three years police probation after release and fines of 50,000 Egyptian Pound (US$7,185) each, for taking part in an unauthorized protest. After having served three years behind bars, Maher turned himself into the al-Tagamu' al-Khamis police station on 5 January 2017 to start his probation term. The police ordered him to spend 12 hours every night in the police station, between 6 pm and 6 am, meaning that he will spend an additional year and a half in police custody in addition to the three years he has already spent.

Maher's lawyer told Amnesty International that he feels he is still in prison, that placing him under probation serves to restrict his movement and prevent him from involvement in any political activities or from expressing his opinions following release. He is unable to take care of his mother who suffers from an illness and requires medical treatment. He is not able to find a job or practice his profession as a civil engineer due to the 12 hours he spends every night at the police station.

Maher's lawyer explained to Amnesty International that the verdict against him did not specify the terms of the probation and said that he believes that the police station received instructions from the National Security Agency to hold him for monitoring for 12 hours.

The lawyer also said that for the first four days of his probation Maher was forced to sit in a dark corridor in front of a cell in the al-Tagamu' al-Khamis police station without a bed, a blanket or lighting. He was subsequently moved to a small, cold room beneath a staircase measuring 1.5X2m. During the 12 hours he spends every night at the police station he is barred from using electronic devices including his mobile phone and is not allowed family visits. Some police officers also deny him the use of sanitation facilities. He asked to meet the director of the police station to complain, but his request was rejected.

Mohamed Adel, one of the leaders in the April 6 youth movement who was sentenced in the same case as Ahmed Maher to three years in prison and three years of probation, has also beenseverely impacted by abusive police probation. He was released from custody on 22 January 2017 after spending three years in jail and began his probation term. He spends 12 hours every day from 6pm to 6am in the Aga police station in the Dakahlia governorate. The police station banned him from using his mobile phone, watching TV or using any other devices during probation hours. His request for the probation to be lifted for one day to travel to Cairo was refused.

Adel told Amnesty International that he had to postpone his wedding given the length of his probation term which was unexpected to him since he thought he would be free after completing his prison sentence. Adel is a student at Cairo University, but he is unable to attend his classes three times a week because his probation measures have to be implemented in another governorate. Adel said that he is not able to express his opinion or engage in any peaceful political activities, fearing that such activities could be considered as violating his probation conditions and may lead to his renewed prosecution.

Probation paving the way for renewed detention

Amnesty International spoke to the activist Abd el-Azim Ahmed Fahmy, known as Zizo Abdo, whom the police detained in May 2016 on charges of inciting the public to participate in an unauthorized protest. After spending five months in pre-trial detention he was then placed under police probation for two hours three times a week at Bolak el-Dakrour police station in Cairo. On 14 February 2017, a court ordered an end to his probation term and ordered his detention again for 45 days for failing to present himself at the police station during probation hours on 8 February. His lawyer told Amnesty international that Zizo had not reported to the police station on that day because he had been arrested by the police while sitting in a cafe hours earlier and was held incommunicado for five hours. On 26 February the Cairo Criminal Court examined Abdo`s appeal against his re-detention and ordered his conditional release on police probation.

Abdo told Amnesty International that under probation, he felt trapped between freedom and imprisonment, he could not work or travel, even inside Egypt, or express his opinion in public matters. He avoided involvement in any political activities for fear of renewed detention should such acts be interpreted as breaches of his probation conditions.

Khaled el-Ansary, Said Fathallah and Ahmed Kamal were detained for a second time on 22 October 2016 and are currently in pre-trial detention on charges of belonging to a banned group called "25 January Youth". The three men spent seven months in pre-trial detention after their arrest on 30 December 2015.

The court first ordered their conditional release on 1 August 2016 and ordered police probation terms for four hours, from 8 pm to 12 am, in three different police stations, three times a week. On 7 September, 2016 the court decreased their probation to two hours, once a week. On 20 October, the Cairo Criminal Court lifted the probation order for the three men. But two days later, the State Security Prosecution appealed the court's decision. A different chamber within the same court examined the appeal and decided to detain the men for 45 days, even though they had not violated any of the probation conditions and had strictly adhered to reporting to police stations during police hours.

Since then the detention of the three men has been renewed every 45 days, with the last renewal taking place on 25 February 2017.

Two of the men Khaled el-Ansary and Said Fathallah, have gone on hunger strike in protest at their treatment. Khaled el-Ansary's mother told Amnesty International that the probation measures have had a detrimental effect on his university studies and the work, lives and finances of his family.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
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.
NEW YORK, March 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Mallinckrodt plc (Mallinckrodt or the Company) (NYSE:MNK) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, District of Columbia, is on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Caterpillar securities, seeking to recover compensable damages caused by defendants violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

If you are a shareholder who purchased Mallinckrodt securities between November 25, 2014 and January 18, 2017, both dates inclusive, you have until March 27, 2017 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

Mallinckrodt is a public limited company organized in Ireland with its U.S. headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. Mallinckrodt develops and produces specialty pharmaceutical products, including generic drugs and imaging agents, and has in excess of $3.3 billion in annual revenue.

On August 14, 2014, Mallinckrodt acquired Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Questcor) in a $5.6 billion transaction. As a result of the acquisition, Mallinckrodt added HP Acthar Gel (Acthar), an injectable medication made from pigs pituitary glands, to its drug portfolio.

Acthar is the only approved therapeutic preparation of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the U.S., and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for 19 different conditions, including infantile spasms, and difficult-to-treat autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.

In June 2013, Questcor had acquired the U.S. rights to market a synthetic ACTH drug, Synacthen Depot (Synacthen) from Novartis International AG. Although not stated at the time, Questcors acquisition of Synacthen was for the purpose of preventing its competitors from obtaining FDA approval for an alternative ACTH treatment, thereby maintaining its U.S. monopoly on ACTH treatments.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and misleading statements and failed to disclose material adverse facts about the long-term sustainability of the Company's monopolistic Acthar Gel ("Acthar") revenues and the dependence of the Companys Acthar revenues on reimbursement by Medicare and Medicaid.

On November 16, 2016, Citron Research published a report (the Citron Report) accusing Mallinckrodt and its Chief Executive Officer, Mark Trudeau, of downplaying the Companys reliance on Medicare and Medicaid for Acthar revenue. According to the Citron Report, a review of information published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicated that Medicare and Medicaid payments collectively amounted to 61.32% of Mallinckrodts Acthar revenues in 2015. Following the Citron Report, Mallinckrodts share price fell $8.15, or 12.02%, to close at $59.65 on November 16, 2016.

On November 29, 2016, during a conference call, Trudeau advised investors Acthar now represents a significantly greater proportion of our operating income than one-third. On this news, Mallinckrodts share price fell $5.25, or 9.1%, to close at $52.42 on November 29, 2016.

On January 18, 2017, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that Mallinckrodt had agreed to pay $100 million in connection with a joint settlement with the FTC and several states concerning charges that the Companys efforts to stifle competing ACTH drugs had violated U.S. antitrust laws. On news of the settlement, Mallinckrodts share price fell $2.89, or 5.85%, to close at $46.53 on January 18, 2017.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com
Two journalists arrested over story about Mugabe's health

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 3 March 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Two journalists arrested over story about Mugabe's health, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd47ed4.html [accessed 7 November 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.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns today's arrest of three senior members of the newspaper NewsDay's staff in Harare on a charge of insulting President Robert Mugabe, and urges the authorities to drop the charges against them.

The arrests of editor Wisdom Mudzungairi, reporter Richard Chidza and legal officer Sifikile Thabete came one day after the newspaper ran a story about the reasons for President Mugabe's trip to Singapore for a medical examination. The report quoted sources as saying it was not just because of his advanced age - he is 93 - but also because he has prostate cancer.





Charges have also been brought against Alpha Media Holdings, the company that owns NewsDay, The Standard, The Independent and other newspapers.





The journalists' lawyer said they were being held at police headquarters and would appear in court tomorrow. They are facing a possible one-year jail sentence under Section 33 (2b) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act, which concerns undermining or insulting the office of the president.





The supreme court ruled in October 2013 that this article was unconstitutional because it violated freedom of expression. Since then it has not been used to convict anyone but it is still used as grounds for arrest. Human rights groups say the law is used solely as a way to harass journalists and gag freedom of expression.





Zimbabwe is ranked 124th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index while Mugabe, its president since 1987, has been on RSF's list of press freedom predators since 1987.
Azerbaijan: Crackdown on Free Expression Accelerates With Conviction of Prominent Blogger

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 3 March 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Azerbaijan: Crackdown on Free Expression Accelerates With Conviction of Prominent Blogger, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd481e4.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The undersigned organisations condemn in the strongest possible terms today's sentencing of Mehman Huseynov, Azerbaijani journalist and chairman of the country's leading freedom of expression group, Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety, to two years in jail on defamation charges. He was taken into custody from the court room, without being allowed to speak in his defence.

The 24 organisations are deeply concerned by the continued targeting of Mehman Huseynov and call on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him and all other political prisoners, and to reverse the continuous clampdown on freedom of expression occurring in the country.

"Today's sentencing and jailing of Mehman Huseynov is outrageous - another example of Azerbaijan's best and brightest being targeted for expressing opinions critical of the ruling Aliyev regime. It also shows that nothing has changed since the release of a number of high-profile political prisoners last year. The revolving-door policy of politically motivated arrests is still very much in place. Huseynov is now one of at least 13 journalists, bloggers, and media workers jailed in Azerbaijan. They must all be immediately and unconditionally released, in accordance with Azerbaijan's international obligations", said Rebecca Vincent, UK Bureau Director for Reporters Without Borders.

Huseynov's conviction stems from criminal defamation charges in a private case brought by the chief of the police department, related to a report he published in which he wrote about his experience of torture, after he was detained overnight by police in January,

Mehman Huseynov was detained in Baku on 9 January by plain clothed police officers and held incommunicado overnight. Huseynov has reported that while in police custody, police placed a sack over his head and used force against him. He was convicted of disobeying police orders; and although the Court released him on 10 January, he was fined, and continued to face police harassment. The court has imposed a formal travel ban on Huseynov who already has been deprived of his travel documents for the past five years.

"Mehman Huseynov`s case is emblematic of the abusive and arbitrary methods used to punish and attempt to silence human rights defenders, journalists and activists. Mehman Huseynov must be releases immediately and unconditionally, he has to have compensation for torture and ill-treatment, and those who are responsible for torture and ill-treatment, regardless of their position, have to be brought to justice. The international community must act, given the continued and increased repression against human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers in Azerbaijan. The dire human rights situation in Azerbaijan deserves the highest attention and action at the Human Rights Council.", says Florian Irminger, Head of Advocacy, Human Rights House Foundation.

"We are shocked and deeply distressed by this shameful verdict, which is nothing but a mockery of justice. Azerbaijani law-enforcement agencies have earned notorious reputations for using brutal and unlawful interrogation methods. Instead of investigating the credible torture claims, the authorities have chosen to jail the blogger", says Gulnara Akhundova, Head of Global Response, International Media Support.

Notably, Mehman Huseynov has been critical of the appointment of first lady Mehriban Aliyeva to the post of the Vice President on 21 February 2017.

"Prior to the appointment of first lady Mehriban Aliyeva to the post of the Vice President on 21 February 2017, the Azerbaijani government has pursued a new wave of detentions and harassment of activists, journalists and bloggers, apparently aimed at consolidating the government's authoritarian rule and preventing any dissent around the controversial appointment." says Sasha Koulaeva, Head of Eastern Europe-Central Asia Desk, FIDH.

Detentions of Political Opposition

Ahead of the Vice-Presidential appointment, since the amendment was passed in September, authorities have arrested several representatives of the political opposition on false, politically-motivated charges, including ten members of Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, one member of the Republican Alternative Movement (REAL) and one member of the D18 movement.

There are credible allegations of torture and other cruel and degrading treatment of the detainees. For example, Rahim Shaliyev, a REAL Movement member detained on 20 February and subsequently sentenced to 30 days administrative detention on charges of resisting police, reported to his lawyer that he was subject to beatings and humiliation, resulting in an injury to his skull.

Crackdown on media

Journalists have also been subject to arbitrary detention and harassment. On 17 February 2017 Elchin Ismayilli, founder and editor of Kend.info, an on-line news portal known for its reporting on corruption and human rights violations in the Ismayilli region of Azerbaijan, was detained by police. He is accused of threatening a local government employee and has been charged with extortion and abuse of a position of influence. Ismayilli denies all the charges. On 18 February, the Nasimi District Court sentenced Ismayilli to pre-trial detention for an initial period of 24 days. Ismayilli is currently being held in the Kurdakhani pretrial detention centre.

On 22 February, cable TV channels stopped all the authorities officially suspended all broadcasts by the Turkish affiliate of FOX TV, after the channel aired a satirical discussion on the appointment of the new Vice President. A spokesperson for the National Television and Radio Council (NTRC) of Azerbaijan stated that this decision was made at the sole discretion of cable providers; however, anonymous sources within the cable providers have reported that they faced pressure from the NTRC to drop the channel.

At the same time, the authorities have continued their harassment of opposition newspaper Azadliq, which was forced to cease abandon print publication in September 2016, following ongoing financial pressures from state-owned or affiliated companies. In the second half of February 2017, over ten staff members were summoned and interrogated by the Serious Crimes Investigation Department. The publication's Financial Director, Faiq Amirov, and prominent journalist, Seymur Hezi, have been incarcerated on trumped up charges since August 2016 and August 2014, respectively.

Activists expressing critical views on the internet and social media, the last bastion of freedom of expression, have also been subject to police pressure, aimed at forcing them to delete dissenting posts. For example, on 21 February Nisakhanim Valiyeva, the Chair of the Classical Popular Front Party was held in police custody for four hours, the same day that Merhiban Aliyeva was appointed Vice President, and released only after deleting her critical Facebook posts about the appointment.

This has been accompanied by calls for increased regulation of the internet and online content. The chair of the Press Council Aflatun Amashov, whose official mandate is to safeguard independent media and rights of journalists, has submitted a proposal to the Milli Majlis (Parliament), calling for mandatory registration of bloggers and activists, aimed at ensuring greater control over those expressing themselves online.

Harassment of critics in exile

The government of Azerbaijan is also pursuing government critics living in exile abroad. Shortly after giving a speech at the European Parliament on the human rights situation in Azerbaijan on 6 February, Emin Milli, head of Meydan TV, a critical TV channel operating in exile from Berlin, reported to German Police receiving threats of physical violence from the Azerbaijani authorities.

"The Azerbaijani authorities persistently violate freedom of expression and other human rights, both at home and abroad", said Katie Morris, Head of Europe and Central Asia at ARTICLE 19. "With this happening in their own backyard, European governments can no longer ignore the arrests, torture and harassment of government critics and their families and must call the Azerbaijan government to account", she added.

Where the authorities are unable to reach their critics, they have sought to harass family remembers remaining in Azerbaijan. Most recently, on the 22nd of February, the brother Dadashov Khanlar and nephew Sabuhi Zanalov of Netherlands-based blogger Ordukhan Teymurkhan, known for his criticism of the Aliyevs, were sentenced to 30 days detention on entirely bogus charges of disobeying police orders.

We, the undersigned organisations, call on the government of Azerbaijan to cease its harassment and detention of government critics. Allegations of torture must be investigated, and all political prisoners must be immediately and unconditionally released.

The relentless campaign waged by the authorities against media workers, bloggers, political activists, civil society and others that are deemed to threaten the power of the ruling regime must stop immediately.

We also call on the international community to exert political pressure and take all the necessary measures until Azerbaijan fully honours its human rights commitments.

ARTICLE 19

CEE Bankwatch Network

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

Crude Accauntability

Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

FIDH - Indernational Federation for Human Rights

Freedom House

Freedom Now

Front Line Defenders

Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights

Human Rights First

Human Rights House Foundation

IFEX

Index on Censorship

International Media Support

International Partnership for Human Rights

Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety

Netherlands Helsinki Committee

Norwegian Helsinki Committee

PEN International

People in Need

Polish Green Network

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
UN body urged to establish a Commission of Inquiry into recent atrocities in Rakhine State

Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 3 March 2017 Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, UN body urged to establish a Commission of Inquiry into recent atrocities in Rakhine State, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd48a24.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The Human Rights Council should establish a United Nations (UN)-mandated Commission of Inquiry or similar international mechanism to investigate serious human rights violations in Burma, particularly the country's northern Rakhine State, FIDH, its member organizations Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma) and Odhikar, and 10 other leading organizations said today.

In a letter addressed to the members of the UN Human Rights Council, the organizations called on the body to adopt a resolution during its 34th session to establish a Commission of Inquiry or similar international mechanism, tasked with determining facts, identifying alleged perpetrators, and making recommendations for appropriate remedies for the victims in northern Rakhine State.

Since October 2016, four official commissions have been set up to investigate the situation in northern Rakhine State. Regrettably, all of these commissions lack the independence, impartiality, human rights and technical expertise, and mandate necessary to conduct a credible and effective investigation, the letter said. These four commissions are in addition to an advisory commission established by Burma's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on 24 October 2016. However, this commission, composed of nine members, including three international experts with former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan as its chair, excludes any investigation into reports of human rights violations.

Both the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein and the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma Yanghee Lee have recently recommended the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the situation in Rakhine State.

Since 9 October 2016, Burma's security forces have carried out large-scale attacks against the Rohingya population in Rakhine State's Maungdaw, Buthidaung, and Rathedaung Townships, as part of what the government has euphemistically described as 'clearance operations' in response to attacks on three police border posts by armed assailants.

These 'clearance operations' have resulted in widespread and systematic human rights violations against men, women, and children, including: extrajudicial killings; enforced disappearances; torture and other ill-treatment, notably rape and other crimes of sexual violence; arbitrary arrests and detention; forced displacement; and destruction and looting of homes, food, and other property.

A 'flash report' released on 3 February 2017 by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) documented serious human rights violations against the Rohingya population in northern Rakhine State and concluded that the attacks against Rohingya during the prolonged crackdown could "very likely" amount to crimes against humanity. UN officials estimated that more than 1,000 Rohingya might have been killed in the crackdown. In addition, military and police operations resulted in the displacement of at least 97,000 Rohingya, including approximately 73,000 who fled to Bangladesh.

At such a critical juncture in Burma's history, the establishment of a UN-mandated international Commission of Inquiry or similar international mechanism is a minimum requirement and a measure that can significantly contribute to preventing further atrocities against Rohingya and other minorities at risk in Burma, the letter concluded.
Sudan: Verdict against three arbitrarily detained human rights defenders postponed to March 5

Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 3 March 2017 Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, Sudan: Verdict against three arbitrarily detained human rights defenders postponed to March 5, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd498f4.html [accessed 7 November 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.

Ten months after their arrest in May 2016 following a raid by Sudanese authorities against the Centre for Training and Human Development (TRACKs) in February 2016, human rights defenders Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Midhat A. Hamdan and Mustafa Adam are still arbitrarily detained. Their case is emblematic of the shrinking space for Sudanese civil society amidst ongoing repression and crackdowns on NGOs, activists and human rights defenders, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (an FIDH-OMCT partnership) says today.

The final verdict against the three men, TRACKs [1] Director Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, trainer Midhat A. Hamdan, and Director of Zarqa Organisation for Rural Development (ZORD) Mustafa Adam, is expected to be delivered on March 5, 2017. This will be the twenty-fourth hearing since the opening of the court case in August 2016. The final verdict was initially supposed to be delivered on February 20, 2017, but was delayed since the presiding judge, prosecutor and the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) failed to appear. During the court session on February 20, the three defendants were pushed by police who prevented them from greeting their relatives.

"Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Midhat A. Hamdan and Mustafa Adam have become tragic symbols of the challenges faced by civil society in Sudan, operating in a shrinking space, judicially harassed, accused of espionage and portrayed as working against the State. Although this trial has witnessed amazing involvement and solidarity from the human rights community in the country, the future of Sudan's civil society is at stake and there are reasons to express deep concerns," said Alice Mogwe, FIDH Secretary General.

Before being charged on August 15, 2016, and transferred to Al-Huda prison in Omdurman, the three men had spent 86 days in pre-trial detention without being notified of any charges against them. Throughout the investigation, they were held within the premises of the Office of the Prosecutor for State Security in Khartoum in a narrow cell with poor ventilation and access to food, no access to medication and limited access to toilets.

The trial opened on August 24, 2016 and originally targeted six human rights defenders affiliated to TRACKs. While charges against three of them were eventually dropped on January 19, 2017, Messrs. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar and Midhat A. Hamdan are still being prosecuted under Article 66 of the Criminal Code (dissemination of false information) and Article 14 (cyber-crimes). Mr. Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar also faces charges under Article 7 of the Humanitarian and Voluntary Act 2006 (receipt of foreign funds without informing the authorities). If convicted, the defendants face between six months and 8 years in prison. Mr. Mustafa Adam is prosecuted under Article 53 (espionage) and Article 55 (possession and dissemination of official document), which together carry up to 12 years in prison. In addition, Article 53 carries the death penalty.

Throughout the trial, the three men and their co-defendants were never presented neither with a list of evidences proving their guilt, nor with the charges against them. Moreover, activists attending the trial sessions have been subjected to harassment and intimidation by court police and authorities.

"Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Midhat A. Hamdan and Mustafa Adam's prolonged arbitrary detention and judicial harassment are a breach of international human rights norms, specifically of Articles 9.2 and 19 of the ICCPR and 19 of the UDHR, as found by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) on August 25, 2016, and must end now" added Gerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary General.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of this programme is to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society.

Footnotes

[1] TRACKs is a Sudanese NGO providing training on various topics relating to human rights and information technology. See The Observatory Urgent Appeal SDN 001 / 1016 / OBS 084.6, published on January 20, 2017.
Cambodia: civil society groups condemn the continued arbitrary detention of the #FREETHE5KH detainees

Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 6 March 2017 Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, Cambodia: civil society groups condemn the continued arbitrary detention of the #FREETHE5KH detainees, 6 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd49fb4.html [accessed 7 November 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.

We, the undersigned international and Cambodian civil society organizations, strongly condemn the brazen attacks carried out against Cambodian human rights defenders (HRDs) over recent weeks, in what appears to be a deliberate strategy by the Cambodian authorities to punish and deter any expression of dissent ahead of the upcoming commune and national elections, scheduled for June 2017 and July 2018 respectively.

We are alarmed by the escalating severity of the government's crackdown on fundamental freedoms, which has seen HRDs targeted with threats, judicial harassment and even violence. HRDs play an essential role in holding those in power to account. Attacks on those who peacefully and legitimately carry out such work are unlawful, unacceptable, and must cease.

HRDs Mr. Ny Sokha, Mr. Yi Soksan, Mr. Nay Vanda, Ms. Lim Mony and Mr. Ny Chakrya (also known as the 'Khmer Five') have as of today spent 311 days in arbitrary detention in Phnom Penh [1]. In November 2016 the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ("UNWGAD") concluded that they had been discriminated against on the basis of their status as human rights defenders and that this, along with violations of their right to a fair trial, renders their imprisonment arbitrary. The UNWGAD called on the Cambodian government to immediately release the five [2], yet more than three months later, they remain behind bars with the investigation into the politically motivated charges still ongoing [3].

On 23 February 2017, four of the five detaineesappeared before the Court of Appeal to challenge their continued detention. For the sixth time, their release on bail was denied. Furthermore, on 27 February 2017, all five were scheduled to appear before the Supreme Court in a public hearing to challenge a decision made last year to extend their pre-trial detention for a further six months [4]. However, the necessary order summoning the detainees to the court was not sent to any of the three different prisons where the five are being held, with the result that the hearing has been postponed [5].

Last week also saw long-time land rights activist and HRD Ms. Tep Vanny convicted of 'intentional violence with aggravated circumstances' in a case dating back to 2013. The conviction came after over five months of pre-trial detention on a baseless charge that was suddenly reactivated following Ms. Tep Vanny's arrest in August 2016 while protesting for the release of the Khmer Five. In a clear attempt to silence one of the Cambodian authorities' most fearless and outspoken critics, Ms. Tep Vanny was sentenced to two years and six months' imprisonment, as well as a series of fines and compensation payments amounting to the equivalent of $2250 USD. A group of Ms. Tep Vanny's supporters, who had peacefully gathered outside the court building, were also violently dispersed by police and security forces, leaving some in need of hospital treatment [6]. These events follow on the heels of a September 2016 conviction of Ms. Tep Vanny and three other activists, on charges also reactivated in August 2016, for 'obstruction of a public official with aggravating circumstances' and 'insult of a public official' in relation to a 2011 protest, despite a lack of any credible evidence. The six-month sentence has been upheld on appeal but is yet to be enforced.

These developments have occurred in an increasingly hostile environment for human rights inCambodia. In the last month alone, two human rights monitors were summoned for questioning under suspicion of committing 'intentional violence' during a protest at which they were victims of beatings by security guards [7]. A human rights NGO was also publicly threatened with legal action in relation to their publication of research highlighting child labor and debt bondage in brick factories [8]. In a further backlash against legitimate advocacy, 48 NGOs were threatened with legal action for 'putting pressure on the court' - a criminal offense that appears uniquely reserved for those critical of government - following their criticism of the conviction of three environmental activists [9] .

In addition, the characterisation of any form of protest as 'color revolutions' by leading government figures appears to be an attempt to delegitimize any form of peaceful protest and pre-emptively justify disproportionate and violent crackdowns on demonstrations [10]. We are seriously concerned that such rhetoric may lead to an increasingly dangerous situation both for human rights defenders and for all individuals who wish to exercise their fundamental rights to freedom of opinion, expression, peaceful assembly, and associationthroughout the election period.

These attacks on HRDs are in violation of Cambodia's legally binding obligations under international human rights law. Additionally, the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders [11] explicitly restates the internationally-guaranteed right of all individuals to participate in peaceful activities against violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the duty of each state to take all necessary measures to protect individuals against any violence, threats, retaliation, discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of their legitimate exercise of this right.

The United Nations Human Rights Council is currently holding its 34 th session in Geneva: the international community - in particular signatories to the Paris Peace Agreements who undertook to "promote and encourage respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cambodia" - must join us in publicly condemning these violations and urge the Cambodian authorities to comply with international law.

We call on the Cambodian authorities to cease their unlawful attacks on HRDs and immediately release all those detained as a result of the legitimate exercise of their fundamental freedoms.

Footnotes

[1] For more information see https://freethe5kh.net/

[2] See UNOHCHR Press Release "Cambodia: UN experts call for the immediate release of five human rights defenders" (25 January 2017) http://bit.ly/2k2bdlH

[3] See Joint Statement "CSOs call for the immediate implementation of the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention #FREETHE5KH" (21 January 2017) http://bit.ly/2myiyqD

[4] See Joint Legal Analysis of the Pre-trial Detention of Mr. Ny Sokha, Mr. Yi Soksan, Mr. Nay Vanda, Ms. Lim Mony and Mr. Ny Chakrya (November 2016) http://bit.ly/2gJNLte

[5] The rescheduled hearings have been split: the hearing for four of the five HRDs (Mr. Ny Sokha, Mr. Yi Soksan, Mr. Nay Vanda, Ms. Lim Mony) will take place on 6 March. The hearing for Mr. Ny Chakrya will take place on 24 March.

[6] See Joint Statement "Tep Vanny Convicted Again as Para-Police Attack Supporters" (23 February 2017) http://bit.ly/2lcS2TL

[7] Hul Reaksmey, "Prominent Human Rights Activist Called to Court for Alleged Violence" (VOA, 9 February 2017)

[8] Khuon Narim "Labor Minister Ups Ante Over Child Labor Claims, Warns of Jail" The Cambodia Daily (17 February 2017) http://bit.ly/2ljzTEu

[9] Joint Press Release: CSOs call on Appeal Court to overturn wrongful conviction of Mother Nature activists (29 January 2017) http://cchrcambodia.org/media/ files/press_release/649_ccoactoe_en.pdf

[10] Touch Sokha and Leonie Kijewski "PM files lawsuit against analyst" The Phnom Penh Post (14 February 2017) http://bit.ly/2l05Ina

[11] United Nations General Assembly Resolution, 'Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms' (8 March 1999) UN Doc A/RES/53/144, http://bit.ly/19w8LEm
Azerbaijan: Crackdown on Free Expression Accelerates With Conviction of Prominent Blogger

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 6 March 2017 Cite as Article 19, Azerbaijan: Crackdown on Free Expression Accelerates With Conviction of Prominent Blogger, 6 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd4d1b4.html [accessed 7 November 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.

ARTICLE 19 has joined a coalition of 24 civil society organisations condemning the recent arrest of popular blogger Mehman Huseynov, amidst a renewed crackdown on government critics in Azerbaijan.

The undersigned organisations condemn in the strongest possible terms today's sentencing of Mehman Huseynov, Azerbaijani journalist and chairman of the country's leading freedom of expression group, Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety, to two years in jail on defamation charges. He was taken into custody from the court room, without being allowed to speak in his defence.

The 24 organisations are deeply concerned by the continued targeting of Mehman Huseynov and call on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him and all other political prisoners, and to reverse the continuous clampdown on freedom of expression occurring in the country.

"Today's sentencing and jailing of Mehman Huseynov is outrageous - another example of Azerbaijan's best and brightest being targeted for expressing opinions critical of the ruling Aliyev regime. It also shows that nothing has changed since the release of a number of high-profile political prisoners last year. The revolving-door policy of politically motivated arrests is still very much in place. Huseynov is now one of at least 13 journalists, bloggers, and media workers jailed in Azerbaijan. They must all be immediately and unconditionally released, in accordance with Azerbaijan's international obligations", said Rebecca Vincent, UK Bureau Director for Reporters Without Borders.

Huseynov's conviction stems from criminal defamation charges in a private case brought by the chief of the police department, related to a report he published in which he wrote about his experience of torture, after he was detained overnight by police in January,

Mehman Huseynov was detained in Baku on 9 January by plain clothed police officers and held incommunicado overnight. Huseynov has reported that while in police custody, police placed a sack over his head and used force against him. He was convicted of disobeying police orders; and although the Court released him on 10 January, he was fined, and continued to face police harassment. The court has imposed a formal travel ban on Huseynov who already has been deprived of his travel documents for the past five years.

"Mehman Huseynov`s case is emblematic of the abusive and arbitrary methods used to punish and attempt to silence human rights defenders, journalists and activists. Mehman Huseynov must be releases immediately and unconditionally, he has to have compensation for torture and ill-treatment, and those who are responsible for torture and ill-treatment, regardless of their position, have to be brought to justice. The international community must act, given the continued and increased repression against human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers in Azerbaijan. The dire human rights situation in Azerbaijan deserves the highest attention and action at the Human Rights Council.", says Florian Irminger, Head of Advocacy, Human Rights House Foundation.

"We are shocked and deeply distressed by this shameful verdict, which is nothing but a mockery of justice. Azerbaijani law-enforcement agencies have earned notorious reputations for using brutal and unlawful interrogation methods. Instead of investigating the credible torture claims, the authorities have chosen to jail the blogger", says Gulnara Akhundova, Head of Global Response, International Media Support.

Notably, Mehman Huseynov has been critical of the appointment of first lady Mehriban Aliyeva to the post of the Vice President on 21 February 2017.

"Prior to the appointment of first lady Mehriban Aliyeva to the post of the Vice President on 21 February 2017, the Azerbaijani government has pursued a new wave of detentions and harassment of activists, journalists and bloggers, apparently aimed at consolidating the government's authoritarian rule and preventing any dissent around the controversial appointment." says Sasha Koulaeva, Head of Eastern Europe-Central Asia Desk, FIDH.

Detentions of Political Opposition

Ahead of the Vice-Presidential appointment, since the amendment was passed in September, authorities have arrested several representatives of the political opposition on false, politically-motivated charges, including ten members of Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, one member of the Republican Alternative Movement (REAL) and one member of the D18 movement.

There are credible allegations of torture and other cruel and degrading treatment of the detainees. For example, Rahim Shaliyev, a REAL Movement member detained on 20 February and subsequently sentenced to 30 days administrative detention on charges of resisting police, reported to his lawyer that he was subject to beatings and humiliation, resulting in an injury to his skull.

Crackdown on media

Journalists have also been subject to arbitrary detention and harassment. On 17 February 2017 Elchin Ismayilli, founder and editor of Kend.info, an on-line news portal known for its reporting on corruption and human rights violations in the Ismayilli region of Azerbaijan, was detained by police. He is accused of threatening a local government employee and has been charged with extortion and abuse of a position of influence. Ismayilli denies all the charges. On 18 February, the Nasimi District Court sentenced Ismayilli to pre-trial detention for an initial period of 24 days. Ismayilli is currently being held in the Kurdakhani pretrial detention centre.

On 22 February, cable TV channels stopped all the authorities officially suspended all broadcasts by the Turkish affiliate of FOX TV, after the channel aired a satirical discussion on the appointment of the new Vice President. A spokesperson for the National Television and Radio Council (NTRC) of Azerbaijan stated that this decision was made at the sole discretion of cable providers; however, anonymous sources within the cable providers have reported that they faced pressure from the NTRC to drop the channel.

At the same time, the authorities have continued their harassment of opposition newspaper Azadliq, which was forced to cease abandon print publication in September 2016, following ongoing financial pressures from state-owned or affiliated companies. In the second half of February 2017, over ten staff members were summoned and interrogated by the Serious Crimes Investigation Department. The publication's Financial Director, Faiq Amirov, and prominent journalist, Symur Hezi, have been incarcerated on trumped up charges since August 2016 and August 2014, respectively.

Activists expressing critical views on the internet and social media, the last bastion of freedom of expression, have also been subject to police pressure, aimed at forcing them to delete dissenting posts. For example, on 21 February Nisakhanim Valiyeva, the Chair of the Classical Popular Front Party was held in police custody for four hours, the same day that Merhiban Aliyeva was appointed Vice President, and released only after deleting her critical Facebook posts about the appointment.

This has been accompanied by calls for increased regulation of the internet and online content. The chair of the Press Council Aflatun Amashov, whose official mandate is to safeguard independent media and rights of journalists, has submitted a proposal to the Milli Majlis (Parliament), calling for mandatory registration of bloggers and activists, aimed at ensuring greater control over those expressing themselves online.

Harassment of critics in exile

The government of Azerbaijan is also pursuing government critics living in exile abroad. Shortly after giving a speech at the European Parliament on the human rights situation in Azerbaijan on 6 February, Emin Milli, head of Meydan TV, a critical TV channel operating in exile from Berlin, reported to German Police receiving threats of physical violence from the Azerbaijani authorities.

"The Azerbaijani authorities persistently violate freedom of expression and other human rights, both at home and abroad", said Katie Morris, Head of Europe and Central Asia at ARTICLE 19. "With this happening in their own backyard, European governments can no longer ignore the arrests, torture and harassment of government critics and their families and must call the Azerbaijan government to account", she added.

Where the authorities are unable to reach their critics, they have sought to harass family remembers remaining in Azerbaijan. Most recently, on the 22nd of February, the brother Dadashov Khanlar and nephew Sabuhi Zanalov of Netherlands-based blogger Ordukhan Teymurkhan, known for his criticism of the Aliyevs, were sentenced to 30 days detention on entirely bogus charges of disobeying police orders.

We, the undersigned organisations, call on the government of Azerbaijan to cease its harassment and detention of government critics. Allegations of torture must be investigated, and all political prisoners must be immediately and unconditionally released.

The relentless campaign waged by the authorities against media workers, bloggers, political activists, civil society and others that are deemed to threaten the power of the ruling regime must stop immediately.

We also call on the international community to exert political pressure and take all the necessary measures until Azerbaijan fully honours its human rights commitments.

ARTICLE 19

CEE Bankwatch Network

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

Crude Accauntability

Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

FIDH - Indernational Federation for Human Rights

Freedom House

Freedom Now

Front Line Defenders

Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights

Human Rights First

Human Rights House Foundation

IFEX

Index on Censorship

International Media Support

International Partnership for Human Rights

Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety

Netherlands Helsinki Committee

Norwegian Helsinki Committee

PEN International

People in Need

Polish Green Network

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)

Copyright notice: Copyright ARTICLE 19
Yemenis fight for survival as famine looms

Publisher IRIN Author Iona Craig Publication Date 1 March 2017 Cite as IRIN, Yemenis fight for survival as famine looms, 1 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd625c4.html [accessed 7 November 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.

Taiz is one of two governorates (out of 22) already facing emergency levels of food insecurity. But the UN said last week that the whole of Yemen faces a credible risk of famine in the next six months.

It is largely a man-made crisis, brought about by years of war.

The armed conflict began in 2014, when the Houthis  a Zaydi Shia revivalist movement from northern Yemen  joined forces with military units loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, ousted in 2012 after three decades in power. The alliance led to a Houthi takeover of the capital, Sana'a, in September 2014.

Five months later, the joint forces pushed on into the southern city of Aden, using the air force to bomb the city and forcing president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia hit back in March 2015, launching a military campaign to counter the advance, with the backing of a regional coalition.

The central city of Taiz began its own battle against Houthi-Saleh forces that April. Local politics and the conflicting interests of key coalition partners soon led to a military quagmire, as the city was placed under siege by the Houthis.

With infighting amongst several different groups on the anti-Houthi side, the perpetual struggle for control of Taiz has become the longest-running battle of Yemen's civil war. Meanwhile, after more than a year of stalemate on multiple other fronts of the ground conflict, the Saudi-led coalition last month turned its focus to the western coast of Taiz governorate.

In an apparent push towards the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah  a key food supply route for the densely populated northern region  coalition forces seized the Red Sea town of Mocha earlier this month. This new wave of violence prompted a plea last week from the UN's most senior official for Yemen. "I am deeply concerned with the escalation of conflict and militarisation of Yemen's western coast," said Jamie McGoldrick in a statement. "It is coming at a great cost to civilians aggravating an already terrible humanitarian situation."

In four therapeutic feeding centres visited by IRIN in Taiz governorate, records show the number of children being treated for SAM has more than doubled compared to pre-war figures. Most of those being admitted for treatment hail from al-Sabir mountain, outside the city.

In Uniquba, one of the remote villages of al-Sabir with a population number not officially recorded, residents are clearly struggling to cope.

Primary breadwinners here have either lost their jobs because of the conflict or are awaiting government salaries that have gone unpaid for six months or more. Roads blocked for months by Houthi forces, in addition to the new wave of violence, have all contributed to driving up food and water prices.

The villagers of Uniquba, no longer able to afford water truck deliveries  prices trebled as the Houthi-Saleh siege of Taiz city took hold in 2016  now have a rota system for families at their drying spring. Three houses are allocated six hours at a time to fill their yellow plastic water cans before it's the next trio's turn.

At this time of year, with the water table near to its lowest point, it takes between two and three hours to fill a 20-litre container. The roster runs through the night, with women and children sitting under the trees at the spring 24 hours a day collecting precious drips of water.

Unable to irrigate their terraced fields, their subsistence living has ground to a halt as the entire village waits expectantly for spring rains to arrive when they can plant crops that will not be ready for harvest before October.

Until then, many are living on one meal a day. They depend on the salaries of extended family members in far-away cities where regular protests are taking place demanding unpaid wages.

Yuslim Mohammed Haytham, a military veteran of three wars in Yemen, is one of scores of soldiers staging weekly protests by blocking roads at a major junction in the southern city of Aden, the current base for the internationally recognised (but still largely exiled) government of president Hadi.

In front of burning tyres, while leaning on his crutches, the 45-year-old amputee complained of not being paid since the middle of last year. Even those who have received salaries say the payment only covered one of many months of missing wages.

Soldiers, medical staff and those working in government institutions are among some of the state employees across Yemen who have gone without pay since August 2016. With the war forcing private companies out of businesses, wages earned by civil servants and previously used to support one, or at the most two, families are now being stretched to meet the needs of 20 or more extended family members.

Adding to the economic strain in Uniquba, greater Taiz, and Yemen as a whole, is the relocation last September of the Central Bank of Yemen (CBY) to Aden.

The payment of most government salaries was frozen prior to the move (when the CBY was still under control of the Houthis in Sana'a), but as a consequence of the ill-prepared relocation the CBY is now unable to offer its usual lower exchange rate for traders importing food into the country.

The removal of what was in effect a government subsidy for essential imports  for which Yemen relies on for 90 percent of its food  has resulted in escalating prices of wheat and rice. Although the CBY plans to renew the guaranteed exchange rate once it is fully functioning, which is expected to be sometime in April, the move has stalled already delayed foodstuffs being brought into the country.

Imports into the port of Hodeidah have slowed drastically over the course of the war due to restrictions imposed on vessels by the Saudi-led coalition in addition to damage to port facilities as a result of the conflict. Hodeidah is said to be 'functioning at minimal capacity' with the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) expecting the country's stocks of wheat and sugar to run out by the end of April.

An increasingly crucial food and goods pipeline for northern Yemen are now the undocumented yet bustling overland routes, particularly through neighbouring Oman. However, these long-haul methods further contribute to rising prices. The latest figures from WFP show the average price of flour was 32 percent higher in January compared to pre-war levels after the cost of essential food items increased in the first month of 2017 following four months of stability.

With no income, families in Uniquba are now entirely reliant on remittances from Yemen's urban centres. "We can only buy half the food we could before [the war]," said 30-year-old Samira Ahmed, sitting next to the spring in a traditional wide-brimmed straw hat, her face tinged orange by turmeric  a traditional form of sun protection.

Healthcare is also an unaffordable luxury for the rural population. No one can pay the 5,000 YR (around $15) charge for the taxi ride to the asphalt road a few miles down the mountain track, putting access to medical care out of reach for thousands of families living beyond the scope of aid agencies in remote highland villages.

To add to the daily burden, the population of Uniquba has grown as a result of the conflict. Fathers and sons previously working in cities returned to their village homes as the violence escalated, businesses closed and many lost their jobs. The village has also become a local safe-haven for those displaced from areas closer to the front line.

Hazaa Hassan Zayid has 10 children and no job after his work as a builder petered out. "Now I rely on my brother," he said. "He has three of his own children, but I need him so we can eat and also to pay the rent for the land, so we can farm."

Many of Uniquba's villagers returned from Taiz city, where, although a year-long siege has eased, a continuing partial Houthi-imposed blockade means a less than 15 minute journey across the east of the city now takes five hours. Supply trucks trying to reach civilians on the southern side of Taiz are forced to navigate a long stretch of dry riverbed  a route that will be cut off when the rains come in April.

Inside the enclave, even districts "liberated" from Houthi rebels remain ghostly quiet; notices daubed on doors of houses and walls warn of booby-traps and mines. Too afraid to return, residents have abandoned their homes indefinitely, haunted by stories of returnees blown up when they opened their front door, their corpses found days later.

Closer to the front lines, tarpaulins stretch across narrow streets  to block the view of Houthi gunmen  accompanied by signs alerting any brave passers-by to the presence of snipers, waiting to pick off their next victim. Children collecting water, men carrying groceries  none are safe from the hidden predators lingering in buildings a few metres away.

With no income, families in Uniquba are now entirely reliant on remittances from Yemen's urban centres. "We can only buy half the food we could before [the war]," said 30-year-old Samira Ahmed, sitting next to the spring in a traditional wide-brimmed straw hat, her face tinged orange by turmeric  a traditional form of sun protection.

Healthcare is also an unaffordable luxury for the rural population. No one can pay the 5,000 YR (around $15) charge for the taxi ride to the asphalt road a few miles down the mountain track, putting access to medical care out of reach for thousands of families living beyond the scope of aid agencies in remote highland villages.

To add to the daily burden, the population of Uniquba has grown as a result of the conflict. Fathers and sons previously working in cities returned to their village homes as the violence escalated, businesses closed and many lost their jobs. The village has also become a local safe-haven for those displaced from areas closer to the front line.

Hazaa Hassan Zayid has 10 children and no job after his work as a builder petered out. "Now I rely on my brother," he said. "He has three of his own children, but I need him so we can eat and also to pay the rent for the land, so we can farm."

Many of Uniquba's villagers returned from Taiz city, where, although a year-long siege has eased, a continuing partial Houthi-imposed blockade means a less than 15 minute journey across the east of the city now takes five hours. Supply trucks trying to reach civilians on the southern side of Taiz are forced to navigate a long stretch of dry riverbed  a route that will be cut off when the rains come in April.

Inside the enclave, even districts "liberated" from Houthi rebels remain ghostly quiet; notices daubed on doors of houses and walls warn of booby-traps and mines. Too afraid to return, residents have abandoned their homes indefinitely, haunted by stories of returnees blown up when they opened their front door, their corpses found days later.

Closer to the front lines, tarpaulins stretch across narrow streets  to block the view of Houthi gunmen  accompanied by signs alerting any brave passers-by to the presence of snipers, waiting to pick off their next victim. Children collecting water, men carrying groceries  none are safe from the hidden predators lingering in buildings a few metres away.

As is the case in the rest of Yemen, the healthcare system is also on its knees.

The Medecins Sans Frontieres-supported Yemeni Swedish Hospital was once Taiz's primary care facility for children. But the paediatric hospital was decimated after the Houthi-Saleh forces took up residence inside the building early in the conflict. With famine looming, Taiz has lost a vital paediatric intensive care unit and nutrition centre because two floors have been abandoned due to extensive damage. The hospital's feeding centre for malnourished children is now operating out of six beds squeezed into one small room on the ground floor.

One of the patients was five-month-old Raoud from al-Sabir. Her skin hanging from her scrawny hands, she was born malnourished and brought in by her visibly thin mother Raghda weighing just three kilos, less than half the expected weight of a healthy baby her age.

"The desperate situation in Taiz exemplifies what is happening in Yemen as a whole," MSF's emergency manager for Yemen, Karline Kleijer, said in a statement late last month. It's often young children like Raoud who suffer first.

According to UN figures, 460,000 Yemeni children currently have severe acute malnutrition. Funding shortages have forced the WFP to cut provisions in Yemen by more than half since last year. While the conflict has left a conservative estimate of some 10,000 dead, the toll on civilians from the ripple effect of the war is unquestionably higher.

With escalating violence on the western coast of the governorate forcing tens of thousands from their homes since January, unless there is a dramatic change in the trajectory of Yemen's conflict in the coming months, Taiz governorate  including the villagers of Uniquba  is more than likely to be one of the first to gain the undesirable label of "famine."

This article was supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
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Yemen's silent disaster: A snapshot of life and death in rural Taiz

Publisher IRIN Author Iona Craig Publication Date 1 March 2017 Cite as IRIN, Yemen's silent disaster: A snapshot of life and death in rural Taiz, 1 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd62fc4.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

In the middle of a vast expanse of grey scrubland a rapidly growing population of more than 120 families huddle under parched trees. Escaping the latest wave of conflict on Yemen's Red Sea coast, they walked two days to get to this camp southwest of Taiz city.

But on arrival, the scores of women and children found nothing. No support from aid agencies. No food. No water. No shelter. The elderly talk of eating the trees to survive, while children beg for water from local farmers. A mother cradles her clearly malnourished baby in her arms.

Al-Dashin camp is the outcome of two years of war in Yemen. It has grown and shifted, adding to more than three million already displaced in the country, with the tens of thousands fleeing new military operations that began January in the west of Taiz governorate between the main belligerents: the northern Houthi rebels along with army units loyal to former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh on one side and so-called resistance forces, supported by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition on the other .

Yemen's humanitarian crisis is deepening, and the consequences of this war are felt largely in rural areas, where the majority of the population lives, far from the urban hubs where hospitals and medical centres still operate. This is where the 'silent deaths' of Yemen's war are happening, unobserved and undocumented.

A rural crisis

Many adults in al-Dashin go days without eating, giving priority to their children.

Hassan Ali al-Thomb and his wife are battling to keep their malnourished baby, Saeeda, alive, along with three other children. One-year-old Saeeda is sick. Her under-fed mother, Fadilah, is struggling to produce breast milk to regularly nourish her baby. Without food supplies or baby milk supplements, Fadilah is distressed and exhausted.

Two elderly adults, believed to be in their 80s, and three children suffering from malnutrition have died since IRIN visited the displaced families at al-Dashin. A five-year-old girl and an eight-month-old baby boy died from hypothermia while seriously malnourished. Without medical care available and in need of kidney dialysis treatment 50 year-old father of five, Mohammad Sultan, passed away as a result of renal failure. The latest death was three-year-old Mohammed Adel, who died on 25 February, also from malnutrition.

"We need food. We all need food," Hassan said. "We don't have money or even a mattress," he continued, pointing to the current home of the family of five  a sand patch of less than two square metres underneath a strip of tarpaulin.

The only shelter for the new arrivals are sheets of plastic, donated by nearby villagers, strapped between trees. At night, the women and children lie cheek by jowl on the bare ground under the makeshift tents. The men are left to clear rocks from the sand to sleep out in the open.

Seven-year-old Wagee fled with his family from the village of Hameer. He no longer goes to school. Instead, he spends his days going door to door in the surrounding villages, begging for food and water. "I miss my village and it's freezing here at night without blankets," he told IRIN.

There is no official log for the numbers displaced from more than a dozen rural villages whose residents found their way to al-Dashin. The most recent figures from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), produced since last month's onset of fresh violence in western Taiz, put the number of displaced within the governorate at more than 28,000 people.

Although the percentage of Yemenis living in rural areas has fallen over the past 20 years, more than 65 percent of the population, over 17.5 million people, still live outside the urban centres. It is those living in the most isolated and inaccessible parts of the country that are now the most vulnerable.

Escalating conflict, shifting displacement

Al-Dashin camp was first established just over a year ago to cope with up to 14 displaced families. Marwan Sauhaya, who works for the aid agency CARE International, was responsible for providing water and food support for some 80 people.

But when violence suddenly escalated last month, more rural villages became caught between the warring sides and numbers here swelled dramatically. With no provisions for the growing number of new arrivals, Sauhaya and his colleague Rasmi al-Hamoudi are at loss at how to deal with the new intake.

"Life was difficult before the war," said Sauhaya. "But the war came and killed any life we had before."

On the day IRIN visited al-Dashin, a woman, Mudiha Mohammed, wandered into the camp looking for a safe place with shelter after walking two days to get there.

Her family along with three others, some 20 people in total, were walking behind her. She described how they fled their village of al-Heniya in the middle of the night when the shelling began  some of her relatives were killed and the children were terrified. Mudiha arrived with nothing more than the now-torn clothes she was wearing when she ran from her house.

Leaving al-Dashin, a large cloud of dust approached from the distance. Driving erratically at break-neck speed to make it more difficult for enemy rocket fire to hit them, a pick-up truck filled with fighters was on its way to the front line somewhere in the hills ahead.

Behind it came an SUV packed with locally donated, second-hand blankets. A scrum started as men, women and children scrambled to get their hands on a coveted source of warmth for the cold winter nights.

In recent days, the makeshift camp of displaced families, 70 percent of whom are children, were forced to move on once again. With the front line of fighting shifting, the mass of homeless civilians grew as the villages surrounding al-Dashin also emptied and residents joined the journey a further five kilometres east to the village of al-Ofira.

Still without support from aid agencies, most survive by begging in neighbouring villages and from passing cars on the nearest asphalt road.

Sauhaya and al-Hamoudi are themselves now displaced, along with those they are attempting to care for. The local school has been turned into accommodation for the displaced families.

Yemenis are renowned for their unwavering resilience. This is a rural-based society, well practised at caring for its own after decades in which there has been a near-total absence of a functioning state. But there has to be a breaking point. In a remote dusty wasteland in rural Taiz, that point of collapse is startlingly tangible.
Questions Over Arrest of Kyrgyz Opposition Figure

Publisher Institute for War and Peace Reporting Author Mariya Zozulya Publication Date 2 March 2017 Citation / Document Symbol RCA 807 Cite as Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Questions Over Arrest of Kyrgyz Opposition Figure, 2 March 2017, RCA 807, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd67c54.html [accessed 7 November 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.

Supporters of detained opposition lawmaker Omurbek Tekebaev have warned that his arrest is nothing more than an attempt by President Almazbek Atambaev to settle scores with the veteran politician.

Tekebaev, who heads the Ata Meken faction, was stopped on February 26 as he stepped off a plane at Manas airport, and the following day a court ordered him to be held in pre-trial detention for a two month period.

He is accused of accepting a million dollar bribe from Russian businessman Leonid Mayevsky seven years ago in return for promising to facilitate the privatisation of one of Kyrgyzstan's largest mobile phone operators, Megacom.

Mayevsky, who said Tekebaev had failed to keep his side of the bargain, has provided the Kyrgyz authorities with a statement.

The news of the possible charges broke while Tekebaev was in Vienna at the winter session of the OSCE parliamentary assembly. He told media that he fully expected to receive a "special welcome" at the airport on his return to Kyrgyzstan, but had decided to proceed anyway.

Tekebaev denied all charges against him, claiming they was politically motivated because of his outspoken criticism of Atambaev.

Both Atambaev and Tekebaev served in the interim government that followed the ousting of Kurmanbek Bakiev in April 2010. But the two men have been involved in a dispute over the country's constitution for the last year, with Tekebaev among the few politicians to openly oppose the reform process.

Tekebaev made a high-profile statement about the president's foreign assets last year, claiming he was gathering information that would to lead to Atambaev's impeachment by the spring of 2017.

He also accused Atambaev of building a private mansion on a piece of land belonging to Bakiev.

In response, Atambaev instructed the prosecutor general's office to launch an investigation into the tax affairs of both Tekebaev and his family.

Tekebaev has had his fair share of scandals in the past. He was arrested in Poland in 2006 in suspicion of trafficking drugs inside a Matryoshka doll, but later cleared by a Polish court.

Some damaging videos involving Tekebaev and his allies were made public in 2010 and 2013. One clip, which appeared on YouTube and was aired by the Russian NTV channel, appeared to show a sexual encounter involving a man who looked like Tekebaev.

Another, aired in 2013 on Kyrgyzstan's public service provider KTRK, showed Kyrgyz opposition members discussing plans to overthrow the authorities.

DETENTION SENDS A MESSAGE

Tekebaev's supporters allege that there were a number of procedural violations during his arrest and interrogation.

Taalaigul Toktokunova, Tekebaev's lawyer and head of the Ata Meken secretariat, told IWPR that the criminal code gave a suspect the right to a defence from the moment of detention.

"At 3:10 am, when Tekebaev came off the plane, he was arrested," she said. "We immediately notified the authorities that we were at the airport. However, we were denied access to our client. The same thing happened when we followed him to the building of the state security committee."

"We also learned that the investigation had started. However, the law clearly states that this is strictly forbidden without the lawyer's presence. The interrogation itself lasted for 17 hours without break. During this time, our client was given only water, not food," Toktokunova said.

She also noted that Mayevsky was not being pursued for his part in the affair, although under Kyrgyz law both offering and receiving bribes are criminal offences.

Rallies in support of Tekebaev have been held in the capital Bishkek, the largest southern city of Osh and in Bazar Korgon in the Jalal-Abad region. Human Rights Watch and European Union officials also expressed concerns about his detention.

But Kyrgyz politicians have been circumspect in their reaction to the arrest.

Former Kyrgyz president Roza Otunbaeva published a general statement on the rule of law in the country, while presidential candidates Temir Sariev and Omurbek Babanov called only for "justice" in the investigation.

Other parliamentarians told IWPR that they were too busy to comment, due to Russian president Vladimir Putin's visit to Kyrgyzstan on February 28.

Although Atambaev has also not commented directly on the arrest of his former associate, on the day Tekebaev was sent to pre-trial detention he told a meeting of social activists, "There are no more untouchables in the country. This concerns the heads of all branches of government, both current and former."

DUBIOUS MOTIVATIONS

Some commentators believe the government's heavy-handed treatment is intended to send a warning to other opposition politicians not to confront the authorities.

Although Tekebaev had himself not expressed any plans to run for the presidency, he had openly opposed Atambaev on numerous occasions.

Cholpon Dzhakupova, a former parliamentarian who heads Kyrgyz human rights NGO Legal Clinic Adilet, said, "The MegaCom case has been pending since 2010. This 'bribery' has been reported before. Where was Atambaev then and why didn't he carry out an investigation?

"The answer is obvious. Back then Tekebaev was on his team and it was a selective use of the law," she continued.

"If the authorities decided to fight corruption, they should apply the same law to everyone. Otherwise, it's simply an act of revenge [to those who oppose the president]," Dzhakupova said.

She judged that Tekebaev was likely to be released without charge, but warned that politicians would be concerned nonetheless "because most of them have been involved in corruption. And it has been clearly demonstrated how arbitrarily they can be treated".

But Dzhakupova said that the arrest might benefit Tekebaev in the long term.

"Tekebaev will turn into a symbol, and over time this sympathy for him will turn to his advantage. Atambaev doesn't want to leave office as a tyrant, but he makes it clear that every minor thing should be coordinated with him or payback will follow," she said.

Medet Tiulegenov, a political science lecturer at the American University of Central Asia, also put Tekebaev's arrest down to a personal struggle with the president.

"[The political elite] still can't get used to modern rules of politics," he said. "They tend to use the old methods of pressure, that were polished for dozens of years. There is already distrust towards the state, and such events destroy the good efforts [of building trust]. It's a step back."

Tamerlan Ibraimov, who heads Kyrgyz think-tank the Centre for Political and Legal Studies, predicted that the confrontation would further alienate voters from the political process.

"I think this war of discrediting evidence is not over and it is going to influence the elections," Ibraimov said. "More politicians might be involved in it, which will spoil their reputations too. Without doubt, it's going to influence voter's preferences."

Mariya Zozulya is a Bishkek-based journalist.

Copyright notice:  Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Iraq: ICRC strongly condemns use of chemical weapons around Mosul

Publisher International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Publication Date 3 March 2017 Cite as International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Iraq: ICRC strongly condemns use of chemical weapons around Mosul, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd70094.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) condemns in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons during fighting around the Iraqi city of Mosul. Seven patients with symptoms consistent with an exposure to a toxic chemical agent are currently being treated at West Erbil Emergency Hospital (Rozhawa). ICRC medical teams at the hospital are offering full support to the local medical teams.

"During the past two days, the hospital has admitted five children and two women showing clinical symptoms consistent with an exposure to a blistering chemical agent," said the ICRC's regional director for the Middle East, Robert Mardini. "The use of chemical weapons is absolutely prohibited under international humanitarian law. We are deeply alarmed by what our colleagues have seen, and we strongly condemn any use of chemical weapons, by any party, anywhere," added Mr Mardini.

The symptoms of the patients admitted at Rozhawa hospital include blisters, redness in the eyes, irritation, vomiting, and coughing. ICRC medical teams working in hospitals around Mosul have trained staff on how to decontaminate and treat patients exposed to chemical agents. Special medical kits have also been provided. The ICRC teams are working closely with the relevant medical authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) to be prepared for any more such cases.
Sudan: ICRC facilitates handover of 125 detainees in cross-border operation

Publisher International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Publication Date 5 March 2017 Cite as International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Sudan: ICRC facilitates handover of 125 detainees in cross-border operation, 5 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58bd70a24.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has facilitated the release and repatriation of 125 people detained by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). The ICRC transported the released persons from two locations in South Sudan to Entebbe in Uganda and onward to Sudan, where they were handed over to government officials in Khartoum. The operation followed a request by the authorities in Kampala, Khartoum and Juba, and the SPLM-N, with agreement by all those involved.

"We are very pleased that these people will finally return to their families," said ICRC's head of delegation in Sudan, Gerard Peytrignet. "Acting as a neutral intermediary is central to our mandate, and we stand ready to provide this humanitarian service when asked by all those involved in a conflict."

ICRC teams accompanied the released people throughout the journey from South Sudan to Khartoum via Uganda. Prior to the repatriation, the ICRC interviewed all the detainees to ensure that they wanted to return to Khartoum. Medical checks were conducted at the same time to confirm their fitness to travel. The entire transfer operation took place over four days and was concluded on Sunday 5 March.

Mr Peytrignet said: "Because of the regular dialogue we maintain with all parties involved in conflict, the ICRC was asked to conduct this operation and fulfil its role of a neutral intermediary. We are very glad, as these efforts have been a success. Similar operations were conducted in the past in Sudan and the wider region."
A look back on all of our reporting of the Delphi murders since 2017
After setbacks for plans to clean up its coal and steel industries, China's government is trying not to repeat its mistakes in 2017 as it promises "to make our skies blue again."

Premier Li Keqiang made the pledge Sunday at the start of China's annual legislative sessions after the country's top planning agency announced more carefully calibrated plans to cut production overcapacity from highly-polluting coal and steel.

Miscalculations by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) have been blamed for last year's frequent outbreaks of smog, which may been worsened by government intervention and poor enforcement.

In the weeks leading up to the meeting of the National People's Congress, officials have struggled to find a balance between tougher enforcement and less aggressive cutbacks after meddling in the markets drove producers to break environmental rules.

On Feb. 21, leading coal companies met in Beijing to discuss new production controls aimed at avoiding another big swing in prices following a 72-percent jump caused by shortages last year.

The price spike developed after the government pushed mines to accelerate the shutdown of surplus production capacity. The abrupt cuts forced regulators to reverse course and order more output when stockpiles shrank before the winter heating season began.

In the seesaw of changes, the government initially told mines last spring to cut their annual number of operating days due to overcapacity and low prices, only to increase them on an emergency basis when prices soared due to government-backed infrastructure projects and short supplies.

This year, the largest mining companies have urged the government to cut back on planned production days again for the next six months to keep prices from falling back too far, Reuters reported.

The NDRC wants to keep thermal coal prices within a narrow range of 500 to 570 yuan (U.S. $72.51-82.66) per metric ton, said Laban Yu, head of Asia oil and gas equities at Jefferies Group LLC in Hong Kong, as quoted last month by Bloomberg News.

Without output curbs, prices could slump as low as 370 yuan (U.S. $53.66) per ton, China Shenhua Energy Co. warned last year, according to a Citigroup report.

Preserving their gains

The mining companies have been trying to preserve gains from last year's increase in prices. Industry profits have been the subject of seemingly conflicting reports.

Based on figures from the China National Coal Association (CNCA), profits from subsidized coal enterprises surged to over 32 billion yuan (U.S. $4.64 billion) last year compared with losses of more than 4.2 billion yuan (U.S. $609 million) in 2015, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Major coal enterprises reported combined profits of 109 billion yuan (U.S. $15.8 billion) in 2016, more than tripling from a year earlier, Xinhua said in a separate report.

The struggle over prices is taking place in a context of changing conditions and pressing problems, not the least of which is the prevalence of coal-fueled smog.

Despite previous claims of improvement, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) announced on Feb. 21 that the average density of fine smog-causing particles known as PM 2.5 rose 14.7 percent during January in 338 monitored cities.

In Beijing, PM 2.5 concentrations soared 70.6 percent from a year earlier, Xinhua said.

The declining air quality has been traced to a surge of unauthorized steel production, particularly in neighboring Hebei province, despite government claims that the coal and steel industries met their targets for cutting surplus production capacity last year.

A study released by Greenpeace East Asia last month found that steel production capacity actually rose because official reports of cuts included smelters that were already idled, while some plants reopened to take advantage of rising prices.

The study based on research by Beijing-based consultancy Custeel may cast doubt on National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) claims that coal production fell 9.4 percent to 3.36 billion tons in the sharpest decline since output peaked in 2013.

In its 2016 economic report last week, the NBS said coal consumption dropped 4.7 percent from a year before, but the agency gave no tonnage figure.

Last month, the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) announced a nationwide mine inspection following a rash of fatal accidents. SAWS vowed to "shut down coal mines that have produced more coal than the government (has) allowed," the Communist Party paper People's Daily said.

Unauthorized production

It remains unclear whether the NBS data is counting only the authorized coal and steel production. But the attempt to manage coal prices by using production restrictions may represent a partial return to price controls that the government ended a decade ago.

Philip Andrews-Speed, a China energy expert at National University of Singapore, said it is important to distinguish between the government's short and longer-term goals.

"In the short term, it is about price control," Andrews-Speed said by email. "But in the medium and long term, the government still wants to cap coal production and use, and has already announced plans for massive labor redundancies in the coal industry."

Last year, the government projected that planned cuts to overcapacity in the coal and steel industries would lead to the loss of 1.8 million jobs.

Speaking last week before China's annual legislative sessions, Minister of Human Resources Yin Weimin said the overcapacity industries had already lost 726,000 jobs last year and would shed another 500,000 in 2017, Bloomberg reported.

The new NDRC targets for capacity cuts this year are lower than last year's, raising questions about how effective they will be.

The agency has ordered the elimination of 50 million tons of steel capacity and 150 million tons of coal, compared with reported cuts of 65 million tons and 290 million tons respectively, state media said.

Plans for coal and steel may be further complicated by China's announcement on Feb. 19 that it has suspended all coal imports from North Korea for this year in line with U.N. Security Council sanctions against its nuclear weapons program.

China first rejected a cargo of North Korean coal at its Wenzhou port in coastal Zhejiang province on Feb. 13, citing high mercury content, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.

The cutoff in supplies of more costly coking coal for steel production has been seen as further pressure for price hikes.

A Chinese pedestrian wearing a face mask walks on a road in heavy smog in Beijing, Oct. 14, 2016. Credit: ImagineChina Managing environmental impacts



But the developments in the coal and steel industries raise questions about how diligent the central government has been in managing production, prices and environmental impacts in the face of widespread violations at the provincial and local levels.

After a month of MEP inspections, Xinhua and the official English-language China Daily "named and shamed" six cities for failing to address air pollution. Twelve more were cited for not dealing with "massive emissions violations by polluting companies."

But when it came to enforcement, the MEP apparently turned the matter over to local authorities.

"All violations by companies have been reported to city and county governments to meet out penalties, the ministry said," as quoted by state media.

Speaking on Sunday, Premier Li vowed to toughen enforcement of air quality rules on officials and industry.

"Officials who do a poor job in enforcing the law, knowingly allow environmental violations, or respond inadequately to worsening air quality will be held accountable," said Li.

"We will make our skies blue again," he said, according to Xinhua.

China Daily highlighted the issue in an earlier editorial titled, "Local officials' chokehold must end for cleaner air."

The paper pointed to examples of cheating, fabrication of environmental data and failure of local officials to restrict industrial operations during smog emergencies.

"Their poor performance, or even inaction, has contributed to the deteriorating pollution situation in the region, and those found responsible must be punished with the full force of the law," the editorial said.

But it failed to address the question of why the government has appeared to cede authority over environmental impact issues to lower administrative levels at a time when President Xi Jinping has centralized political power in Beijing.

Ambivalent policy

Daniel Gardner, a China scholar and history professor at Smith College in Massachusetts, said the environmental conflicts and the Greenpeace-Custeel report highlight ambivalence at both the central and local political levels.

"Beijing itself teeter totters between giving more weight to the country's economic prosperity and more weight to environmental protection," Gardner said in an email message.

"Indeed, the central government itself is not of one mind. There are agencies like the MEP that favor protecting the environment and those like the NDRC that favor developing the economy," he said.

In an earlier study in 2015, Greenpeace cited a related problem in construction of unneeded coal-fired power plants.

The report traced the issue to the transfer of project approval decisions to provincial authorities in 2013.

"The result of this was that a measure originally intended to simplify bureaucracy and increase efficiency has now become a carte blanche for local governments to increase GDP (gross domestic product), especially in provinces heavily relied on coal," the study said.

The balance of power between the center and local authorities may be tested as the result of recent MEP inspections that found widespread disregard for environmental restrictions.

In a statement on Feb. 22, the MEP ordered an expansion of production limits for the winter heating season to cover aluminum and chemical plants in northern regions.

"Twenty-eight major cities in the region will be banned from using coal this year," China Daily reported. But it was unclear how their energy needs could be met without China's main fuel.

A later report by Shanghai Daily said the cities would only be required to show a decrease in the volume of coal they consume this year.
China's parliamentary chief on Monday fired off a warning to Hong Kong that the ruling Chinese Communist Party has the right to reject any leader chosen by the city in forthcoming elections, as democracy activists in the city accused Beijing of interfering in the city's internal politics.



The election, which will be decided by a 1,200 election committee stacked with Beijing's supporters, has been marred by media reports of heavy behind-the-scenes lobbying of members by Chinese officials.



National People's Congress (NPC) chairman Zhang Dejiang told Hong Kong deputies in a closed-door meeting that Beijing is "entitled to ask questions" about the person chosen for the top job in the former British colony, Hong Kong NPC delegate Maria Tam, who attended the meeting with Zhang, told reporters.



She had earlier told reporters that the NPC has the power to step in and appoint a chief executive if it doesn't like the winning candidate, overturning the election result entirely.



Tam said Hong Kong politicians have been warned off engaging in "street politics" during the election.



"Although we can always discuss politics, we cannot look at everything from a political angle. We have to resolve our differences and work together to make Hong Kong prosper," she told reporters.



Meanwhile former chief executive contender and NPC standing committee member Rita Fan said Zhang had told them that "a higher standard" applies when choosing a person for the city's top post.



"The chief executive is a bridge between Hong Kong and the central government," Fan said. "This role is more important than the other top official roles, and it is understandable that the standards are higher and that more is expected of them," she said.



'Right to intervene'



Tam said Zhang had reiterated Beijing's view that it has the right to intervene with an interpretation of the Basic Law that has governed the city since its 1997 handover to Chinese rule.



The democracy and freedom enjoyed in Hong Kong comes along with a set of rules, and anyone who breaches them has to be restrained, she said.



Zhang's reported comments came after the U.S. State Department accused Beijing of encroaching on the city's autonomy.



"The most important human rights problem reported was the central governments encroachment on Hong Kongs autonomy," the State Department report said.



It cited an "unnecessary and unsolicited" interpretation by the NPC standing committee on Nov. 7 that pre-empted the ability of Hong Kongs independent judiciary to rule on a row over lawmakers-elect who changed the wording of the oaths.



The ruling said oaths of allegiance from two pro-independence lawmakers-elect should be regarded as invalid, because they weren't "solemn and sincere," and the pair were stripped of their seats.



"It marked the first time it had issued such an interpretation while a Hong Kong judge was deliberating the case in question, and the second time it had done so in the absence of a request from Hong Kong authorities, the State Department report said.



Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters on Monday that Beijing had lodged an official protest over the report, which he said was "full of unfounded accusations and prejudice."



Behind-the-scenes lobbying



Meanwhile, a pro-democracy group staged a small demonstration outside China's Central Liaison Office in Hong Kong on Sunday amid media reports that Beijing has been lobbying heavily behind the scenes for election committee members to vote for its preferred candidate, former chief secretary Carrie Lam.



Carrying a banner that read "Stop interfering in the election! Give us back our political rights!" the protesters demanded a detailed explanation of lobbying activities by the Liaison Office on Lam's behalf.



"According to our sources, a lot of election committee members have been contacted for lobbying purposes by the Liaison Office, Civil Human Rights Front convenor Au Nok-hin told reporters. "This is far beyond our understanding of its role as set out in the Basic Law."



"This is in clear breach of the Basic Law, and if these things are really happening, then basically there is no more One Country, Two Systems," Au said.



He had earlier told reporters: "I think we are justified in our concerns that the central government is interfering in the elections for chief executive."



Political commentator Liu Ruishao told RFA that Zhang was clearly using "dog-whistle" tactics to throw Beijing's political weight behind Lam's candidacy.



"They haven't formally announced in plain language who they support, but the behind-the-scenes lobbying for Carrie Lam continues behind the scenes," Liu said.



"There are also subtle indicators in the comments made by Zhang Dejiang and the other NPC delegates [about Beijing's preferred candidate]," he said.



Liu said the lobbying is important to Beijing, because contender John Tsang, who also commands a proportion of the pro-Beijing vote, is thought to be less likely to toe the line than Lam if he wins the election.



Growing talk of independence



Premier Li Keqiang warned in his annual work report to the opening session of the NPC on Sunday that notions of independence for the city would "lead nowhere."



His comments were echoed by incumbent chief executive Leung Chun-ying, who was in Beijing in his capacity as a recently appointed parliamentary adviser.



"Its ... a political and constitutional reality that Hong Kong is part of China," Leung said. "We want to make sure that Hong Kong remains a part of China."



Growing talk of independence has coincided with the erosion of Hong Kong's traditional freedoms of speech, publication, and judicial independence in recent years, along with a stalled timetable for full democracy since the failure of the 2014 Occupy Central movement to win concessions from Beijing.



Some 40 percent of young people support the idea, compared with around 70 percent who oppose it across all age groups, according to recent opinion polls.



Reported by Lam Kwok-lap for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.




A group of prominent Chinese lawyers has penned an open letter to the country's parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), calling for amendments to legislation to protect children and families against tainted vaccines, warning that more scandals are waiting to happen.



Under current laws, vaccination of children is compulsory for many illnesses, but a string of health scandals involving unsafe storage of practices has left hundreds of families seeking compensation for harm done to their children.



The lawyers are calling for amendments to existing official guidelines on the management of vaccine supply chains, and on their safe storage and administration after police detained more than 130 people in connection with Shandong-based illegal vaccine sales transactions across the country in 2015.



"Since the Shandong vaccine scandal, we have gradually been researching vaccine safety ... and we have found that it is a very serious problem," letter co-author Wang Shengsheng told RFA.



"There are many other cases that have yet to emerge," Wang said. "It's possible to predict that harm and losses will occur every day in China because of this issue."



"We believe these measures are achievable, and will be effective in lowering the risks associated with vaccines," he said.



"We hope that the NPC will take note of our suggestions, and implement these preventive measures as soon as possible," Wang said.



Government assistance



Lawyers last year called on the government to release a list of companies involved in the nationwide 570 million yuan (U.S. $87.6 million) tainted vaccine scandal.



A vaccine activist surnamed Yang said one of the biggest obstacles to winning compensation for families affected by tainted vaccines is the need to show clear proof that the vaccines caused the deaths or illnesses of the children concerned, even when suppliers have been found in breach of safety guidelines.



"It's really very hard for ordinary people to come up with this sort of evidence," Yang said. "Evidence of the link between vaccines and the deaths or disability of children can't be found."



Letter signatory Yu Wensheng said the government has done little to help the victims.



"The government should really show a bit more willing and come to a decision regarding the victims of the tainted vaccine scandal," Yu said.



"They need a plan, and if they don't have one, we'll come up with a plan for them," he said.



Shandong scandal



The Shandong scandal first became public in April 2016, with the arrest of two businesswomen surnamed Pang in the eastern province of Shandong.



As the news broke, reports of deaths and health problems began to emerge from parents of recently vaccinated children across China.



Two pharmacists, Pang Hongwei and Sun Qi, were jailed on Jan. 24 for 19 years and six years respectively after being found guilty of "illegal business operations by the Jinan Intermediate People's Court in Shandong, but parents of children affected by the vaccines said the sentences were too lenient.



"These sentences were too light," parent Li Bao told RFA at the time. "Even the death penalty wouldn't have been too harsh."



Li, whose 16-year-old son has been left with neurological damage and permanent disability following a vaccine administered six years ago, said the government had also failed to resolve safety issues with vaccines still in circulation.



"The most important thing is the vaccines here, right? They need to seize and impound any vaccines in circulation that could harm people," Li said.



But healthcare professionals have called for a list of affected suppliers, so they can verify that their own stocks of vaccine are safe, to no avail.



Little compensation



Parent Cai Shiqin of Foshan city in the southern province of Guangdong said his three-year-old daughter has been left with brain damage after her vaccination, and the family is struggling to cope on just 40 yuan (U.S. $5.80) a month paid to children with disabilities.



"The state should strengthen support of these children and offer compensation," Cai told RFA. "Now, the parents of vaccine victims are being forced to borrow money to get by."



The World Health Organization (WHO) has also called for stronger regulation of private-sector vaccines in mainland China.



Reported by Xin Lin for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
An electric board in Tokyo shows breaking news about North Korea's launch of four ballistic missiles, March 6, 2017.

Updated at 3:45 p.m. ET on 2017-03-06

North Korea test fired a barrage of four missiles Monday, landing the projectiles in waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan amid joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises and mounting diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang from allies and foes alike.

The four missiles were fired from Dongchang-ri long-range missile site on North Koreas west coast, near the North's border with China. They flew more than 1000 km (600 miles) across the country before splashing into the Sea of Japan, Souths Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement to reporters in Seoul.

The launch followed a warning Friday in the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper that Pyongyang would fire more missiles in response to the annual, two-month-long Foal Eagle exercise between Seoul and Washington, which runs through April.

North Korea last fired a ballistic missile on Feb. 12, drawing condemnation from the UN Security Council.

The country is under diplomatic pressure from multiple directions, with China stopping vital imports of coal from its impoverished neighbor and Malaysia locked in a diplomatic dispute with Pyongyang over the assassination on Feb. 13 of leader Kim Jong Un's half brother Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Monday's launch was condemned by South Korea, Japan, Russia, Britain, the European Union, Malaysia and the United States. China, North Korea's only ally, said it opposed missile launches and called for calm on all sides.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters in Washington the missile tests are consistent with North Korea's previous "provocative behavior" and the United States would stand with its Asian allies against the threat from Pyongyang.



"The Trump administration is taking steps to enhance our ability to defend against North Korea's ballistic missiles such as through the deployment of a THAAD battery to South Korea,"

In Seoul, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is acting president, called for the prompt deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) an advanced American antimissile system that Seoul has agreed to install this year.



South Korea strongly condemns North Koreas missile launch today as a direct challenge and grave provocation despite warnings by the international community, he said.

Japan, which said that three of the four missiles had landed within its exclusive economic zone in waters off northern Akita prefecture, is also moving to improve its missile defense system.

These missile launches clearly show that North Korea has developed a new threat, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo. We will collect information and strongly protest to North Korea.

The United States and Japan called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Security Council to discuss the missile test. The council has adopted six sets of sanctions on North Korea designed to deny Pyongyang the funds and materials it needs to develop its missile and nuclear programs.

"We deplore the continued violation of Security Council resolutions by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), including the most recent launches of ballistic missiles," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq.

North Korea has said it is progressing toward its goal of building long-range nuclear ICBM missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland. It was not immediately clear what type of missiles were fired Monday, but military officials in Seoul in Washington said they were not ICBMs.

Reported by RFA's Korean Service. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
Two men are injured during an attack by Kokang fighters in Laukkai in Myanmar's northern Shan state, March 6, 2017.

An attack by an ethnic armed group on police stations, military posts, and civilian buildings early Monday in Laukkai township in the northern part of Myanmars restive Shan state left 30 people dead, the government said.

About 30 soldiers from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the formal name of the Kokang army, wore government police uniforms when they ambushed the Yanlone Kyine police station in the capital of the northeastern Chinese-speaking Kokang region near the border with China at around 2 a.m., said a statement issued by the State Counselors Office.

Among those killed were five local traffic policemen and five civilians, including an elementary school teacher. The Myanmar military found 20 other bodies that had been burned and 10 weapons, it said.

Agence France-Presse reported that government spokesman Zaw Htay said the 20 casualties were MNDAA fighters.

The government also said the Kokang militants torched a hotel and four nearby cars and had taken four policemen hostage.

They attacked the Yanlone Kyine police station and launched rocket-propelled grenades at around 4 a.m., said Shan state police chief Aung.

Other rebels involved?

Myanmar troops and local police fought back, the statement said, adding that other ethnic armed groups could also have been involved in the ambush.

The MNDAA is a member of the Northern Alliance of four ethnic armed groups fighting Myanmar forces in northern Shan and Kachin states that carried out coordinated attacks on government and military targets in northern Shan state last November.

The Northern Alliance, which has not participated in the governments peace talks, said the MNDAA initiated the assault because government troops had attacked Kokang territory, according to the governments statement.

A Northern Alliance spokesman said the coalitions other membersthe Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Arakan Army, and Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA)did not participate in the attack.

The Northern Alliance groups dont fight together, said the groups spokesman Colonel Ta Aik Kyaw. We have our own territories, and we control our own territories.

Fighting between ethnic armies and state soldiers in the same area in early 2015 drove tens of thousands of residents to flee, many of whom crossed the border into China, which accused Myanmar of dropping bombs on its territory.

The latest attack is another setback for the governments peace talks, the next session of which is scheduled for this month.

State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also Myanmars de facto leader, issued a statement on Monday, saying that she met with government representatives with the Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN) under the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of nine ethnic armed groups that did not sign a nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) with the government in October 2015.

She is trying to persuade representatives from ethnic armed groups participate in the next round of the 21st-century Panglong Conference scheduled for this month.

She urged the ethnic armed groups to stop the fighting that had caused many deaths and problems for citizens, and move forward with peace talks.

Military pulls back

Meanwhile, the government military has started withdrawing troops from an area in southeastern Myanmars Kayin state controlled by the ethnic armed group New Mon State Party (NMSP), a spokesman for the rebel army said Monday.

The soldiers decided to leave Kya-in Seikkyi township in Kawkareik district area after Myanmar military officials from the Southeastern Command met with NMSP leaders on March 4, said Naing Win Hla, the NMSPs communications officer.

We had a tense relationship between the government military and the NMSP, said Naing Win Hla, the NMSPs communication officer. They now say they are withdrawing the troops they had deployed.

On Feb. 12, Colonel Aung Lwin, minister of security and border affairs in Kayin state, banned weapons and military parades at the 70th Mon State Day organized by the NMSP.

But the NMSP ignored the order and held a military parade at a ceremony in Japun Yedwin village near the border with Thailand.

Three days later, government soldiers seized two border tax collection stations on the Myanmar-Thailand border controlled by the NMSP and searched a communications office in Ye township.

They also deployed more troops in Kya-in Seikkyi township, driving about 2,000 villagers to flee to safety in neighboring Thailand, according to local media reports.

On Feb. 16, NMSP leaders met with officials from the government armys Southeastern Command in a bid to ease the tension between the NMSP and the national army.

The NMSP signed a cease-fire pact with the government in 1995, but the accord was invalidated when the party refused to transform itself into a border guard unit under government control.

Reported by Wai Mar Tun and Kyaw Lwin Oo. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
In a new campaign aimed at fostering Tibetan loyalty to Beijing, Chinese authorities in Qinghai began this week to hand out awards to Tibetan monks and monasteries deemed to have cooperated with Communist Party rule, a source in the region says.



On March 6, a meeting convened in Malho (in Chinese, Huangnan) prefectures Rebgong (Tongren) county brought together representatives from about 40 area monasteries belonging to different schools of Tibetan Buddhism, a local source told RFAs Tibetan Service.



Officials from the United Front Works Department and the Religious Affairs Bureau distributed awards of about 10,000 yuan [U.S. $1,450 approx.] each to individual delegates, and also gave out awards worth several thousand yuan to the delegates monasteries, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



At the same time, they warned that monks who had recently traveled to India and Nepal would be [identified and] punished, the source said.



During the meeting, authorities recognized those receiving awards as monks and nuns loyal to China and the ruling Chinese Communist Party, the source said, adding that certificates of unity and friendship along with cash awards of from 10,000 to 20,000 yuan were handed out to the monasteries represented.



Many feel that this is a Chinese ploy to pre-empt Tibetan protests on March 10, the anniversary of a failed 1959 national uprising against Chinas rule in Tibet, the source said.



Chinese authorities in Rebgong have often held meetings with local Tibetans, urging them to support government policies and to appreciate the wide and comprehensive benefits of development and government assistance, sources told RFA in earlier reports.



In March 2016, authorities imposed sweeping new restrictions on Rebgong monasteries, directing them to strictly follow the leadership of state-imposed management committees and strengthening a ban on the display of photos of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, sources in the region and in exile said.



Reported by Kunsang Tenzin for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Richard Finney.




U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he would recuse himself from any investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. It follows revelations that Sessions twice met with the Russian ambassador but had failed to tell Congress during his confirmation hearing. At a press conference on March 2, Sessions rejected any suggestion that he tried to mislead anyone about his contacts with the Russian diplomat. (AP, AFP)
Warnings that another conflict may erupt in the Balkans have been coming in from former diplomats and think tanks in recent weeks.

Most recently, there is concern that the prolonged detention of former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj in France may trigger a wave of protests in Pristina.

Neighboring Macedonia is facing a potential constitutional crisis as the president continues to deny a mandate to form a government to a political leader who appears to have a parliamentary majority in hand.

Serbia would like to be seen as a rock of stability in the region, but it currently finds itself on the worst terms it has had with its neighbors since the end of the cycle of Balkan wars (1991-99).

In Montenegro, October's elections were marred by a purported coup attempt that may have had Moscow's backing (although those allegations have never been proven). Meanwhile, its pro-European government faces a boycott by the pro-Russian opposition as Montenegro stands on the brink of NATO membership.

In Bosnia-Herzegovina, wartime objectives from the 1990s have become peacetime political projects. The country is bitterly divided, not least over the desire of some -- mainly among the Bosniak majority -- to revisit a 2007 international court ruling that cleared Serbia of genocide charges related to the 1992-95 war. Bosnian authorities have been unable to find a unified voice on the issue, and members of the country's three-member presidency are sending conflicting messages to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

'A Frying Pan Full Of Oil'

All these brewing disputes led one outsider to predict that the first international crisis to face the new U.S. administration of President Donald Trump would crystallize in the "rumbling Balkans."

Such a warning is more extraordinary when it comes from an EU official.

In an interview with Zeit Online, the EU commissioner for neighborhood police and enlargement talks, Johannes Hahn, said that stabilizing the Balkans is in Europe's interest. He added: "We will either export stability or we will import instability. This applies especially to the Western Balkans, which is like a frying pan full of oil. All it needs is a match to light the fire. However, an enduring peace in that region is possible that would provide these countries with an EU future."

Jelica Minic of the Belgrade-based NGO European Movement In Serbia expressed agreement with Hahn's observation. Minic told the RFE/RL Balkan Service's Belgrade bureau that four risk factors could produce a spark to light the fuse in the Balkans. In her view, the tipping point could be ethnic tensions, social unrest, the migrant crisis, or meddling by foreign powers in the region.

Minic also pointed to an article by former U.K. diplomat Timothy Less in Foreign Affairs calling for a redrawing of national borders in the Balkans, lending support to longstanding nationalist projects. The projected new "map" of the region would include a Greater Croatia, Greater Serbia, and Greater Albania. The article proved popular among nationalists of all stripes. The British Foreign Office made it clear that Less does not represent the views of the British government. Nevertheless, Russian Sputnik radio's Belgrade outlet has quoted an analyst arguing that Less's opinion piece is proof that "the West is undermining the Balkans." In the same article, Bosnia is referred to as a "quasi-state."

Foundations 'Not Secure'

Speaking to RFE/RL's Balkan Service, Ukrainian Ambassador to Bosnia Aleksandr Levchenko highlighted Russian influence in the region.

"It appears that the destabilization of this region [Bosnia and the Western Balkans] is in the interest of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin," Levchenko said. "It would create an opportunity for him to present himself as the peacemaker. This is the usual script -- he manufactures a conflict and then offers to negotiate with the West on conflict resolution."

Minic sees tensions on all sides -- between Serbia and neighbors Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia, between Croatia and Bosnia, and so on.

Johannes Han has expressed concern in particular over ongoing tensions between Kosovo and Serbia. Responding to a question from Zeit Online on whether European-integration processes have been stuck in reverse lately, given that the specter of war was explicitly invoked during the most recent dispute between Serbia and Kosovo, Han replied: "That only proves my assertion that even though each country in the region has made progress, the foundations are not secure yet by any means. One wrong word can lead to conflict."

Han nevertheless said he remained convinced that responsible parties in Serbia, including Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, "are well aware that there is no alternative to a European orientation if they desire peace and prosperity."

However, the prospect of EU restructuring based on a proposed two-tier model -- with one tier pursuing closer integration and the other remaining in a looser union -- raises questions about the place of Western Balkan countries in any new order. Specifically, whether that new model for the EU would speed up or slow down the integration of those countries -- a question that is currently impossible to answer, according to Minic.

WATCH: Serbian Nationalists Chant During Federica Mogherini Speech In Parliament

The warnings of regional fragility might ensure that the Western Balkans remain a focus of attention in Brussels. Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign affairs and security chief, is currently on a tour of regional capitals spreading a message about the importance and value of an EU future. It is a sign that Brussels recognizes the danger of leaving the Balkan region to its own devices, with tensions on a knife-edge.

And yet the worrying signs persist.

As Mogherini addressed the Serbian parliament on March 3, her words were met with chants from back-bench lawmakers: "Serbia, Russia, we don't need the [European] Union!" Throughout, the Serbian Radical Party deputies were pounding the tables, and their leader, Vojislav Seselj, declared it the beginning of his presidential campaign. Presidential elections in Serbia are scheduled for April 2.
Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti says he is in constant contact with international security authorities to ensure stability in Kosovo as more ethnic Serb police officers in the north of country resigned.



Kurti said on November 6 after a rally by ethnic Serbs in the streets of North Mitrovica that the security situation in Kosovo was threatened by various criminalized individuals and groups, but said that during his time in office, we have made great progress in the fight against crime and corruption."



He added that the rule of law goes hand in hand with peace and security and cannot be threatened, adding that authorities do not distinguish criminals on the basis of ethnicity, but only on the basis of their criminal acts."



When asked about the decision on November 5 by the Serbian List party to leave Kosovo's institutions, Kurti repeated his call that Kosovo Serbs refrain from doing so.



"I once again I invite all Serb citizens of our country to not abandon institutions, not to resign, not to leave their jobs, because there would be less service for the people," he said.



Kurti has blamed Belgrade for seeking to destabilize Kosovo by supporting the ethnic Serbs in their boycott of state institutions.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on November 5 that the withdrawal of Kosovo Serbs from Kosovo institutions "is not a solution to the current disputes" and it has the potential to further escalate tensions.



A statement from the U.S. Embassy in Kosovo released to RFE/RL's Balkan Service late on November 6 said the United States agrees with the European Union that the recent developments around relations between Kosovo and Serbia "are of great concern and put important progress achieved in the EU-facilitated Dialogue at risk.



"The Kosovan Serbs' withdrawal from Kosovan institutions is not a solution to the current disputes and has the potential to further escalate the tensions on the ground," the statement added. "All involved must take steps to reduce tensions and ensure peace and stability on the ground."



The Serb officers who resigned on November 6 submitted written resignations to the police station in North Mitrovica. One of the policemen told RFE/RL that the officers only submitted their resignations in writing but had not yet turned in their uniforms and weapons. However, he said this will follow in the coming days.



Numerous media outlets reported that the police officers took off their uniforms as part of the wider Serb movement to withdraw from institutions in Kosovo touched off by a move to implement a mandate on the conversion of vehicle license plates.



A statement from the Kosovar police force said it was aware that Serb police officers had abandoned their posts and that some have handed over police equipment.



The rally by ethnic Serbs in North Mitrovica on November 6 came a day after Serbs there said they would quit their posts in state institutions to protest against the use of license plates issued by Pristina.

Following a meeting of Serb political representatives in the north of Kosovo on November 5, the minister of communities and returns, Goran Rakic, said he was resigning from his post in the Pristina government.



He told reporters that fellow representatives of the Serb minority in the north had also quit their jobs in municipal administrations, the courts, police, and the parliament and government in Pristina.



Rakic said they would not consider returning unless Pristina abolishes the order for them to switch their old car license plates, which date to the 1990s when Kosovo was a part of Serbia, to Kosovo state plates.



Addressing the rally on November 6, Rakic accused Kosovo government authorities of not respecting international law and agreements negotiated in Brussels.



Rakic has called on the protesters "not to fall for provocations and to continue the fight with peaceful and democratic means."



The license-plate measure took effect on November 1, and Kosovo authorities said enforcement would be gradual.

The U.S. Embassy statement reiterated the U.S. position that the Kosovar authorities should extend the process of converting vehicle license plates and suspend any punitive actions until the license plates issue can be resolved through dialogue.

Many ethnic Serbs in Kosovo refuse to recognize the countrys independence from Serbia, which it declared in 2008.



The European Union has told Kosovo and Serbia that they must normalize ties if they want to advance toward membership in the 27-nation bloc.

With reporting by dpa, AP, and AFP
Over the past five years, Iranian officials and state media have touted the "indigenous" ingenuity in the Islamic republic's mass-produced Mohajer-6 combat drone, which Russia has deployed in its war against Ukraine.

But a new investigation by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, has found that electronic components underpinning Tehran's production of the Mohajer-6 are far from homegrown.



The Mohajer-6 drones contain components produced by companies from the United States and the European Union, both of which have sanctions restricting the export to Iran of such technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes  dual-use technology.

The presence of these components in the Mohajer-6 does not mean their producers are in violation of U.S. or EU sanctions, and RFE/RL does not have evidence that this is the case.

The investigation also found Mohajer-6 components produced in China, including a real-time mini-camera made by a Hong Kong firm that said it was "very sorry" that its products were being used in war.

At least one major foreign-produced component of the Mohajer-6 has previously been identified by reporters in a Mohajer-6 recovered from the battlefield by the Ukrainian military: an engine made by the Austrian manufacturer BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG, a subsidiary of the Canadian company Bombardier Recreational Products.

But Ukrainian intelligence assesses that the Iranian combat drone contains components from nearly three dozen different technology companies based in North America, the EU, Japan, and Taiwan, the Schemes investigation has found. A majority of these companies are based in the United States.



A Schemes reporter who personally inspected the foreign-made drone parts identified components produced by at least 15 of these manufacturers.

These include parts made by the U.S. technology firm Texas Instruments, which said in a statement that it does not sell into Russia or Iran and complies with applicable laws and regulations.

To identify these components, Schemes reporters examined parts of the Mohajer-6 drone that the Ukrainian military shot down over the Black Sea near the Mykolayiv region coastal town of Ochakiv. They also reviewed Ukrainian intelligence records on the sources of these components.

The drone also contains a microchip bearing the logo of a California technology company and a thermal-imaging camera that Ukrainian intelligence says may have been produced by a firm based in Oregon or China.

Both Western officials and experts on illicit technology transfers say Iran has built a broad, global procurement network using front companies and other proxies in third countries to obtain dual-use technology from the United States and the EU.

"Exporters will look at the request coming from the [United Arab Emirates] or another third country, and they'll think that they're selling to an end user based there, when really the end user is in Iran," Daniel Salisbury, a senior research fellow with the Department of War Studies at King's College London, told RFE/RL.

In September, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions specifically targeting Iranian companies that Washington links to the production and transfer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Russia for deployment in its war on Ukraine. Fighting rages with no sign of an end more than eight months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked invasion on February 24.

"Non-Iranian, non-Russian entities should also exercise great caution to avoid supporting either the development of Iranian UAVs or their transfer, or sale of any military equipment to Russia for use against Ukraine," U.S. Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement announcing the sanctions.

Chinese Cameras, California Chips

Development of the Mohajer-6, the latest model in a series of drones Tehran has used since the 1980s Iran-Iraq War, began in 2017, while mass production began the following year. During a ceremony commemorating the Islamic Revolution, then-Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami said that the new tactical drone could perform surveillance, reconnaissance, as well as help destroy targets.

Hatami extolled what he described as the drones domestic design, a portrayal echoed in later reports by Iranian media.

"The homegrown drone was made through cooperation among the army, Defense Ministry, and Quds Aviation Industries," the English-language Tehran Times quoted an Iranian military official as saying in July 2019.

The dismantling of the Mohajer-6 drone recovered by the Ukrainian military shows that the UAV is packed with foreign components.

One of these parts is a bright-orange real-time mini-camera produced by the Hong Kong-based company RunCam Technology. Documents seen by Schemes show that Ukrainian intelligence has also identified RunCam as the producer of the camera, which likely assists in remote guidance of the drone.

Founded in 2013, RunCam is involved in the development and production of so-called "first-person-view" real-time cameras. "Our users are our friends," the company's website states. The site says that RunCam has two authorized Iranian dealers.

Reached by Schemes for comment about the use of its camera in the Iranian drone deployed by Russia in its war on Ukraine, RunCam said in an e-mailed response: "We are very sorry to know that RunCam's products were used in warfare. RunCam is specialized in producing products for model aircraft hobby. We never contact any customer related to military."

The provenance of the Mohajer-6 drone-s thermal-imaging camera is more difficult to determine. A Ukrainian intelligence assessment reviewed by Schemes indicates it could be the Ventus Hot model produced by Sierra-Olympic Technologies, based in the U.S. state of Oregon, but that it also resembles a cheaper analog available for sale by the Chinese company Qingdao Thundsea Marine Technology.

Qingdao Thundsea Marine Technology said in an e-mailed statement that the company did not "have any business with Iran," because "it will affect our business." The company said it specializes in marine services and is not involved in manufacturing. It also said that it did not have a single successful order for its online advertisement of the thermal-imaging camera resembling the one recovered from the Iranian drone.

Sierra-Olympic Technologies did not respond to a request for comment on the possible use of its thermal-imaging cameras in Iranian combat drones in time for publication.

Microchips recovered from the drone also featured the logos of the California-based company Linear Technology Corporation and its parent company, the Massachusetts-based semiconductor company Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI). ADI did not respond to an e-mailed request for comment on the possible use of its technology in the Iranian combat drone.

Schemes reporters also observed among the components of the Iranian drone a voltage step-down converter produced by Texas Instruments. The company said in an e-mailed statement that it "does not sell into Russia, Belarus, or Iran."

"TI complies with applicable laws and regulations in the countries where we operate, and does not support or condone the use of our products in applications they weren't designed for," Texas Instruments said.

Schemes reporters also saw several components produced by the California-based technology manufacturer Xilinx, whose parent company is the multinational semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), also based in California.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, one of these Xilinx components was integrated into a video data-link module located in the wing of the Mohajer-6 that helped carry out attack missions.

"This module transmits information from the board to the missile head. That is, guidance for the missile. With the help of this module, it was possible to guide the missile to the target," a Ukrainian military intelligence representative told Schemes.

AMD did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

'No Authorization'

Previous media reports about the components of the Mohajer-6 drone, including by CNN, have shown evidence that its engine was produced by the Austrian manufacturer BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG, whose parent company is the Quebec-based Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP).

The Canadian company responded to the reports on October 21, saying in a statement that it "has not authorized and has not given any authorization to its distributors to supply military UAV manufacturers in Iran or Russia."

"As soon as we were made aware of this situation, we started an investigation to determine the source of the engines," BRP said. .

But Schemes reporters found that the authorized Rotax distributor listed on the Austrian manufacturer's website advertised itself as a Rotax aircraft engines distributor for Iran as recently as December 2020.

The distributor, the Italian company Luciano Sorlini S.p.a., has posted multiple magazine advertisements on its websites in which it describes itself as a Rotax distributor for numerous countries. Prior to January 2021, Iran was listed among these countries.

The Rotax website also lists a Tehran-based company -- MahtaWing -- as an official service center for its engines. The company, known in Persian as Mahtabal, conducts repairs of Rotax engines, including the Rotax 912 iS, the engine that was found in the Mohajer-6 combat drone recovered in Ukraine.

BRP said in an e-mailed statement on November 4 that while Luciano Sorlini S.p.a. is the appointed distributor of Rotax aircraft engines in Iran, "since 2019, no Rotax engines have been sold in Iran, and we will not sell any engines to Iran moving forward."

The Canadian company said it had "internal controls" that "significantly" restrict the sale of its products for military purposes.

"For example, the sale of any BRP product to operators with any military activity in Iran, Turkey, and Russia is strictly prohibited," BRP said. "We conduct our business in compliance with all EU, Canadian, and U.S. applicable regulations."

BRP described the Iranian company MahtaWing as a "local service center" that "offers maintenance services for previously sold aircraft engines."

Shahriar Siami of RFE/RL's Radio Farda contributed to this report.
U.S.-backed Iraqi forces captured their second bridge across the Tigris River in the battle for Mosul, the last major stronghold of the Islamic State (IS) militant group in the country, Reuters reports.

Iraqi troops on March 6 took the Al-Hurriya bridge, which leads to the old city center currently held by IS fighters, Reuters said, citing a military media officer.

Iraqi forces on February 27 captured another bridge farther south as the U.S.-backed troops battle to liberate the western portion of Iraqs second-largest city.

Mosul's five bridges over the Tigris have been rendered unusable in the fighting.

But Iraqi troops hope to capture and repair the bridges, which would open additional supply lines from the government-held eastern section of Mosul.

Backed by U.S. air strikes, and bolstered by Shiite militias and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Iraqi forces in October launched their initial assault to force IS out of the city they have held since 2014.

The government declared the eastern part of Mosul liberated in January but said the western section, with its crowded, narrow streets, would be more difficult to take.

The offensive on the western section began February 19.

U.S. officials said on February 20 that some 2,000 IS fighters were still entrenched in the city.

Some 750,000 civilians remain in the city, Iraqs second-largest and the last IS stronghold in the country.

Based on reporting by Reuters
Kazakhstan's parliament has given its final approval to legislation that would amend the countrys constitution, curtailing some presidential powers and redistributing them to government ministers and lawmakers.

The legislation, approved by lawmakers on March 6, will become law once it is signed by President Nursultan Nazarbaev, who originally proposed the constitutional amendments.



The 76-year-old Nazarbaev is the last communist-era leader who still holds power in a former Soviet republic.

Nazarbaev proposed amending the constitution to give government ministers more power and responsibilities over the management of social and economic development in oil-rich Kazakhstan.

He has said parliament's control over the government would be increased through the amendments by giving lawmakers the authority to hold a "vote of no confidence" on a sitting cabinet.

The moves have spurred speculation that they may be aimed at facilitating an eventual political transition.

Devolving some presidential powers would make it easier for Kazakhstan's political elite to manage a succession by splitting key roles between different figures rather than allowing one successor to concentrate power in his or her hands.

When he announced plans for the amendments on January 26, Nazarbaev said the president's role would become that of a "supreme arbiter."

'Democratic Principles And Actual Realities'

Serikbolsyn Abdildin, the former leader of Kazakhstan's now defunct Communist Party, called the amendments "cosmetic."

He said a "parliament that is controlled by one person will never change."

Well-known political analyst and journalist Sergei Duvanov also expressed doubts about the practical ramifications of the amendments.

Duvanov told RFE/RL that there "cannot be any essential changes in the parliament's work as the lawmakers are members of the tightly controlled presidential Nur-Otan party and two other pro-presidential parties."

Almaty-based political analyst Rasul Zhumaly told RFE/RL that the constitutional amendments make "democratic sense."

"The changes proposed by the president are in fact very close to democratic principles," Zhumaly said. But we know that in our country there is a big difference between what was said and adopted as a law and what the actual realities are."

Kazakhstans presidential press service said on March 6 that Nazarbaev had sent the bill to the Constitutional Council for review before he signs it into the law.

With reporting by Reuters
CHISINAU -- A former central bank chief who is considered the founder of Moldova's national currency has been hospitalized with symptoms of heart trouble after being arrested on suspicion of fraud.

Leonid Talmaci's lawyer, Vitalie Nagacevschi, said on March 6 that his client felt unwell after questioning last week and was placed in an intensive care unit at a Chisinau hospital.

Talmaci, who had heart surgery in January, was detained on March 3 and placed under 15-day preliminary arrest.

Investigators say he is suspected of involvement in alleged fraud that caused a state car-insurance system to suffer financial losses.



Nagacevschi said the authorities have presented no evidence that Talmaci committed any crime.

Talmaci's arrest on March 3 came hours after President Igor Dodon appointed him a member of the presidential economic council.

Talmaci, 63, headed the National Bank of Moldova in 1992-2009.

He is considered the founder of post-Soviet Moldova's leu currency and his signature is on Moldovan banknotes issued between 1992 and 2010.


North Korea has fired four ballistic missiles, angering its neighbors and sparking condemnation from countries including China, its only major supporter and trade partner.

The missiles launched in the morning on March 6 flew about 1,000 kilometers on average, three of them landing in waters that Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone, South Korean and Japanese officials said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called it "an extremely dangerous action" and said that "strong protests" had been lodged with Pyongyang.

Repeated missile launches by North Korea "clearly violate UN Security Council resolutions," Abe said. "We can never tolerate this."

On March 3, North Korea threatened to fire missiles in response to the Foal Eagle military exercises under way between South Korea and the United States.

The annual drills infuriate North Korea, which says it sees them as preparation for potential aggression. Seoul and Washington call the military drills defensive and routine.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Beijing "opposes North Korea's violation of the UN Security Council's stipulation" -- a reference to multiple council resolutions calling on Pyongyang to refrain from ballistic missile tests.

However, China also suggested that South Korea and the United States were partly to blame.

"Under current circumstances, relevant parties should exercise restraint and avoid anything that would provoke each other or heighten regional tensions," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

Geng said that China's top envoy on North Korea nuclear issues, We Dawei, had called his counterparts in Washington and Seoul on March 3.

Wu warned both Washington and Seoul that the joint military exercise "may widen divisions" and further complicate the situation on the Korean peninsula, the spokesman said.

Moscow 'Seriously Worried'

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is "seriously worried" over the latest missile launch by North Korea.

"These are the sort of actions that lead to a rise in tension in the region and of course in this situation, traditionally, Moscow calls for restraint from all sides," Peskov told reporters.

According to South Korea's military, the ballistic missiles were fired from the Tongchang-ri region, near North Korea's border with China.

South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo Ahn called a meeting of the UN Security Council.

The UN Security Council, whose permanent members are the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France, has adopted several resolutions since 2006 that impose and strengthen sanctions on North Korea for continuing to develop its nuclear weapons program.

The resolutions call on Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear program "in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner" and refrain from ballistic missile tests.

Nuclear-armed North Korea has test-launched a series of missiles of various ranges in recent months. It also conducted two nuclear tests last year.

The United States withdrew nuclear weapons from South Korea in 1991 before Seoul and Pyongyang signed a declaration on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Pyongyang has since walked away from the agreement, citing what it says is the threat of invasion by the United States.

The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, and 50,000 in Japan, as a deterrent against a potential aggression from the North.

The Korean Peninsula remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty.

With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, Interfax, and dpa
Pakistans military says Islamic militants attacked several army posts in tribal regions along the Afghan border overnight, killing at least five soldiers.

The militants crossed the border from Afghanistan into the Mohmand tribal region and ambushed three military posts there, the army said in a statement on March 6.

It said 10 militants were killed in the ensuing fighting.

The statement didnt mention which militant group was involved in the attacks, but a Pakistani Taliban breakaway faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility.

Several Pakistani military offensives have targeted the bases and infrastructure used by various militant groups that have a strong presence in the countrys tribal regions.

A series of suicide bombings in recent months has killed more than 125 people. The attacks included a bombing at a famed Sufi shrine that killed 90 worshippers on February 16.

On February 13, a Taliban suicide-bomb attack in the city of Lahore killed 14 people.

The Pakistani Taliban, their allied local militants, and the extremist group Islamic State (IS) have claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP
Thousands of Romanians took to the streets again in the capital, Bucharest, to protest against the government and show support for the country's anticorruption authorities.



Demonstrators on March 5 gathered in Victory Square near government buildings and waved Romanian and U.S. flags.

The demonstrators marched toward the parliament, with many chanting, Romania, wake up!" and "We want justice, not corruption!"

The crowd, estimated at 10,000 people by local media, moved on to express support for the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), which has been criticized by the Constitutional Court after it began investigating the Justice Ministry.

Anticorruption protests have been held regularly since late January.

They peaked on February 4 with an estimated 330,000 people on the streets across the country, making them the largest protests in Romania since the 1989 fall of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

The protests forced the Social Democrat-led government of Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu to repeal an emergency decree that critics said would have weakened anticorruption efforts.

Still, some of the protesters have remained on the streets, many demanding the resignation of Grindeanu and his government, which triumphed in December 11 elections.

Based on reporting by dpa and AP
PRAGUE -- The chief of a prominent Russian human rights group says that torture in Russian penitentiaries and police stations can only be stopped if police officers and prison guards who practice it are brought to trial and convicted.

Igor Kalyapin, head of the NGO Committee Against Torture, spoke to Current Time TV in Prague on March 6.

He said there is a widespread belief in Russia that the February 26 release of Ildar Dadin, a political activist whose allegations of torture in prison caused an outcry, was the result of Dadin's persistence rather than a sign of a change in official policy or practices.

"Many believe that Dadin turned out to be impossible for the system to chew up, and the system had to spit him out," Kalyapin told Current TIme TV, a Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. "While in custody, Dadin...inflicted more damage to the system than he inflicted as a free man."

Dadin, 34, is the only person to have been convicted under a 2014 law that criminalizes participation in more than one unsanctioned protest during a 180-day period.

He was serving a 2 1/2-year sentence when the Supreme Court overturned his conviction last month, leading to his release.

Based on reporting by Current Time TV
MOSCOW -- Natalya Poklonskaya, one of Crimea's deputies in Russia's State Duma, has claimed that a bust of Tsar Nicholas II located in the annexed peninsula wept tears on the centennial of his abdication of power.



And the Internet is laughing.



Poklonskaya made the claim on March 3 on Tsargrad TV, a channel financed by Konstantin Malofeyev, a wealthy Russian Orthodox believer and noted nationalist. She said she had been informed of the "miracle" by colleagues in Crimea, where she served as prosecutor under the Moscow-imposed government after the Ukrainian peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014.



She noted the significance of the timing, with Russia marking 100 years since the tsar abdicated power following the February Revolution. The monarch was executed along with his entire family in 1918 by the Bolsheviks, who by then had seized power with their own coup.



"It's a miracle that no scientists, no one can explain," she said. "And this is the 100th anniversary! The statesman is helping us -- after they all died so that we could make Russia prosperous and great."



Poklonskaya, currently a deputy in the Russian State Duma, leaped to prominence during the Kremlin's seizure of her native Crimea and has carved out a reputation as an outspoken monarchist. She has repeatedly venerated Nicholas II in public and recently sought the ban of a feature film due for release in autumn that depicts the young prince's love affair with a beautiful, teenage ballerina before he ascended to the throne.



Nicholas II, his wife, and children were canonized after the collapse of the Soviet Union by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000.



Although some pro-Kremlin, albeit bemused, observers offered support following Poklonskaya's comment, the Russian Orthodox Church refused to be drawn into the story. Spokesman Vakhtang Kipshidze simply told Govorit Moskva radio: "You can say that we declined to comment."

Playful Response

But online the mood was more playful. A volley of social-network users suddenly reported seeing holy tears rolling down the cheeks of Lenin statues, a Stalin bust, and even the nose of Marshall Zhukov's mounted horse near Red Square. One claimed smoke had emanated from a picture of Bob Marley.



Another Facebook user posted a picture of a Stalin bust crying tears of blood:



Meanwhile a Twitter user claimed that his Lenin bust was weeping.

"Wow! My little bust of Lenin has wept holy tears, comrades! I touched it and now my back has stopped hurting. I'm in shock."

"Closing the topic. The 'Crocodile' magazine, circa 1970," wrote yet another Facebook user, posting a cartoon with the caption: "-- Lord, not all at once!"

The bust of Nicholas II is located on the territory of a chapel dedicated to the tsar and his family and was opened by Poklonskaya in October 2016. The independent, investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta went to the scene of the purported miracle on March 4, interviewing a man called Aleksei who oversees the chapel, and who gave a confused account.



Aleksei said the incident happened on March 3 and that it had been first noticed by Poklonskaya herself. He grew tense when asked by the newspaper's correspondent how she had been able to notice it first, considering she was in Moscow at the time.



Aleksei answered simply: "Natalya Vladimirovna felt it. You didn't. Not everyone is ready to feel divine grace."

'Naive, Simple Belief'



Sergei Markov, a former United Russia lawmaker and pro-Kremlin commentator, came to Poklonskaya's defense, asserting that she was actually being mocked online for supporting the Crimea annexation -- and not actually for her claim about the holy tears, which he admitted he found unconvincing.



"She is being baited not for her words today, but for her past actions -- that is to say, the Crimea affair. I don't believe in the weeping bust of the emperor, for this is pointless. But she believes. And her belief in this is naive, simple, but also holy, direct, almost childish."



Others entertained theories of why Poklonskaya had made a comment that was so likely to draw ire and ridicule.



Some on Twitter suggested that Poklonskaya had been wheeled out to distract attention from opposition leader Aleksei Navalny's recently published investigation in which he claimed Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is tied to huge wealth and property.

As one Twitter user put it:



"--The investigation about Dimon [Medvedev's nickname] is out, ******. What shall we do?

-- Bring out Poklonskaya,"


5 Ultra-Orthodox Jewish children wearing costumes march in line during their school Purim celebration ahead of the official holiday in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem. The carnivallike Purim holiday is celebrated with parades and costume parties to commemorate the deliverance of the Jewish people from a plot to exterminate them in the ancient Persian empire 2,500 years ago, as recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther. (AFP/Menahem Kahana)
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov and his government just cannot seem to get a break lately.

Not that they necessarily deserve it. But all the same, Turkmenistan's last realistic hope to export a significant amount of additional natural gas to a customer has just evaporated.

Line "D" of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline network was to be more than just the largest of four pipelines connecting western China to gas fields in Turkmenistan -- it also would have been the largest single gas pipeline connecting Turkmenistan to any consumer state.

Line D was supposed to carry some 30 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas annually to China. The line took a different route. Lines A, B, and C all went from Turkmenistan through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan before reaching China. To include all the Central Asian states, Beijing decided to route Line D through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, and then into China.

Already at the end of 2014, it was clear that there were problems in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan with forming joint ventures with Chinese companies to construct and later operate the pipeline, and some disagreements over the route.

Neither of those Central Asian countries was going to receive any gas from the line, but they would have taken in millions of dollars in transit fees.

At the end of 2016, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, known locally as Azattyk, contacted an official in Kyrgyzstan involved with the project who said there had not been any meetings with Chinese officials about Line D since December 2015.

But it was Uzbekistan and China that appear to have officially put a halt to Line D; RIA Novosti reported on March 2 that China National Petroleum Corporation and Uzbekneftegaz had indefinitely postponed construction of the pipeline on Uzbekistan's territory.

Economic Crisis

This is a real blow to Turkmenistan. The country is experiencing the worst economic crisis in its 25-year history, in large part due to Turkmenistan's dependency on revenues from gas sales.

This is partly due to the drastic fall in gas prices in the last three years, but also due to Russia canceling its contract for Turkmen gas imports at the start of 2016 and the suspension of Turkmen gas supplies to Iran at the start of 2017 over a contract dispute.

That leaves Turkmenistan with only China as a customer. There are already three operating gas pipelines from Turkmenistan to China. Lines A and B can each carry 15 bcm and Line C can carry 25 bcm, for a combined 55 bcm of gas annually to China, though all the lines have not yet reached full capacity.

Since the three lines pass through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, also gas-producing countries, both of which have contracts to supply 10 bcm to the pipelines, though Kazakhstan has already signaled it wants to export more gas to China.

That leaves 35 bcm of space in the three lines for Turkmenistan.

It is always difficult to find reliable figures on Turkmenistan's gas industry, Turkmenistan is thought to have exported some 30 bcm of gas to China in 2016. If true, that means there is little extra room in the pipelines. With the postponement of Line D, Turkmenistan can expect to increase its gas exports no more than 5 bcm in the coming years.

The price China pays Turkmenistan for gas is said to around $185 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas, meaning if Turkmenistan does pump the extra 5 bcm of gas into the pipeline it would receive less than $1 billion annually for that. That would help, but it won't prop up Turkmenistan's sagging economy.

Price War?

It gets worse. China loaned Turkmenistan billions of dollars to develop Turkmen gas fields and build the pipelines to China, so some of the gas Turkmenistan ships to China goes toward paying off Ashgabat's debt.

Worse still, after Russia canceled its contract for Turkmen gas, Russian gas giant Gazprom renegotiated deals with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. According to a recent article in Russia's Life News, Gazprom reached a deal to pay Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan some $140 per 1,000 cubic meters. The article said Gazprom annulled the contract with Turkmenistan because Ashgabat was demanding $240 per 1,000 cubic meters.

So Turkmenistan faces the possibility of a price war with its Central Asian neighbors to supply gas to China.

Berdymukhammedov talks often about projects that will enrich Turkmenistan even further, such as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline. That pipeline would carry 33 bcm of Turkmen gas. Turkmenistan says it has started construction of its segment of TAPI, though there has been no proof of this so far, and Pakistan claimed to have started its section in early March.

That leaves some 700 kilometers of Afghan territory between them, and the proposed route would run through areas where there is frequent and fierce fighting.

Berdymukhammedov has boldly predicted construction of TAPI would be completed in 2019, but Pakistan said at the end of January that it would be delayed by at least one year -- and even that estimate is likely very optimistic.

No one even talks about the Trans-Caspian Pipeline anymore. That was supposed to carry some 30 bcm of Turkmen gas west toward Europe.

Iran Reroutes Supplies

Turkmenistan probably just lost Iran as a customer. Winter is coming to an end, and Iranian officials have spent the weeks since the suspension of Turkmen gas supplies rerouting domestic electricity supplies. Construction of internal gas pipelines from southern Iran to areas in the north that were supplied by Turkmen gas has speeded up. Iran probably won't need Turkmen gas next winter.

So that leaves Turkmenistan with 35 bcm of space in the pipelines going to China, part of it going toward debt repayment.

There is no other gas-export project likely to be built within the next decade.

Quite a disappointment for Berdymukhammedov, who was boasting just a few years ago about exporting 180 bcm by 2030.


Ukraine launched its case against Russia at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on March 6, seeking an order to halt Moscow's support for separatists in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.

In an opening statement at the highest UN court, lawyers for Ukraine accused the Russian government of making it "impossible for Ukrainian citizens to feel safe anywhere in their country."

ICJ judges hear disputes between states, and cases can take years to pass through the court.

Although the court's rulings are final and binding, it has no means of enforcement.

Kyiv accuses Russia of violating UN conventions against terrorism and discrimination by supporting groups in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.

Moscow seized control of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and has supported separatists in eastern Ukraine in fighting that has killed more than 9,750 people since April 2014.

The Kremlin has denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine despite what Kyiv and Western countries say is incontrovertible evidence.

The United States and other Western powers have placed economic sanctions on Moscow because of its interference in Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it "intends to employ all possible means of legal defense" in the case.

A senior Russian official told state-run news agency TASS that the Russian delegation will consist of 35 people.

Included in the delegation will be Roman Kolodkin, director-general of the Department of Treaty and Law of the Russian Foreign Ministry, and Ilya Rogachev, director-general of the Department for New Challenges and Threats.

The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal, TASS reported.

Ukraine said in a court filing that since 2014, Russia has stepped up its interference in Ukraine's affairs, "intervening militarilyfinancing acts of terrorism and violating the human rights of millions of Ukraine's citizens, including, for all too many, their right to life."

It said Kyiv is seeking "full reparations for... acts of terrorism the Russian Federation has caused, facilitated, or supported," citing bombardments of residential areas and the July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which killed all 298 passengers and crew.

Ukraine also accuses Russia of mistreating Crimea's Tatar and ethnic Ukrainian populations since it seized control of the peninsula.

The first round of hearings, expected to run until March 9, will largely consist of procedural matters. Ukraine began speaking on the first day, while Russia is expected to speak on the second.

Georgia brought a similar case against Russia, but the court ruled in 2011 that it had no jurisdiction. Experts said Russia is likely to argue that the court does not have jurisdiction in this case, as well.

With reporting by Reuters and TASS
The presidents of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan say they have agreed on closer cooperation between their countries on energy and transportation projects that could also involve Afghanistan, Pakistan, and countries in the South Caucasus.

The two leaders also have signed a treaty on strategic cooperation between their countries.

The developments came during a March 6 visit to Turkmenistans capital, Ashgabat, by Uzbekistans President Shavkat Mirziyaev.

Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov said he and Mirziyaev had agreed to cooperation on the export of electricity to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Berdymukhammedov said it also was possible for their countries to work together to develop trans-Caspian transport routes to the South Caucasus and further on to Europe.

Mirziyaev's meeting with Berdymukhamedov at the Oguzhan presidential palace in Ashgabat came on the first day of Mirziyaev's first official foreign visit since he was elected in December to succeed Uzbekistan's long-time ruler Islam Karimov, whose death was announced in early September.

State media in the two tightly controlled Central Asian countries reported that other issues on the agenda of the talks between the two leaders included additional details about bilateral relations.

The strategic cooperation agreement they signed on March 6 is aimed at increasing cooperation in the fight against terrorism, Islamic extremism, and cross-border crime -- including illegal drug trafficking.

In a joint statement, they expressed the shared view that a settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan is "possible only through peaceful, political means on the basis of a broad national dialogue."

The statement also said both Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan favor "active international support to the Afghan government and promotion of Afghanistan's integration into regional and international economic processes."

During his two-day visit, Mirziyaev is also expected to visit the eastern city of Turkmenabat, along the Turkmen-Uzbek border, to attend the opening ceremony of a memorial complex honoring the late Karimov.

Mirziyaev, prime minister for 13 years, became Uzbekistan's acting president after Karimov's death was announced in September 2016.

Mirziyaev has talked of improving ties with the other former Soviet republics in Central Asia, and has taken some steps in that direction.

His visit to Turkmenistan comes a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan on a Central Asia trip that bypassed Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

With reporting AP and Interfax


Rise Biscuits Donuts - a North Carolina-based biscuit and doughnut shop - is opening its first Virginia location this summer in Short Pump.

The quick-service restaurant will be called Rise Richmond and will be location at 11561 W. Broad St., across from Short Pump Town Center.

Rise Biscuits Donuts started in 2012 in Durham and the chain now has 10 locations, all in North Carolina.

We are excited to bring this creative, chef-driven concept to Richmond, co-owner David Dowdy wrote in a news release. We feel theres a void Rise will fill nicely in the breakfast market and cant wait to serve scratch-made biscuits and donuts daily to hungry Virginians.

Dowdy is opening the Richmond franchise with business partners Nash Osborn and Matt Hurley. In the next three years, "the trio plans to open four additional Rise restaurants in central Virginia, including a second Richmond location," according to the news release.

The restaurant serves sandwiches such as fried chicken, ham and sausage topped with cheeses, spreads and eggs on either a biscuit or potato roll. Doughnut flavors include Maple Bacon Bar and Creme Brulee.
A Newport News man is in jail after leading Virginia State Police on a chase that began in Hanover County and ended in a crash near Williamsburg.

The chase began when a state trooper in a marked patrol car attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Jamahl Bethea, 26, of Newport News, for speeding and illegal window tinting about 9:30 a.m. Sunday near the Creighton Road exit on southbound Interstate 295, state police said.

Bethea continued south on I-295, then east on I-64 until he crashed into another vehicle at mile marker 239 near Williamsburg, state police said.

Bethea is charged with eluding police, hit and run, resisting arrest, driving on a suspended license (18th offense), reckless driving (87 mph n 70 mph zone), not having insurance, giving false identification to police, having illegal window tint and possessing marijuana.

Bethea is being held without bond in the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.
Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring, who led a legal challenge to President Donald Trumps first travel ban affecting several Muslim-majority nations, said Monday that the new executive order still sends a horrible message to the world.

His office is reviewing the order to see if legal action is necessary, according to a statement. It said the new order, signed Monday, all but concedes the significant constitutional and practical flaws that the courts and I saw in his original ban.

The new order is narrower than the first.

On behalf of the Trump administration, U.S. Attorney Dana Boente filed a notice in the Virginia case Monday saying the new executive order revokes the old order when it takes effect March 16 and sets forth new policies that are substantially different in form and scope from the first orders policies.

Specifically, Boente wrote, the new order excludes from its coverage all individuals subject to the courts preliminary injunction order and applies only to foreign nationals from the six nations who are outside the U.S. without a valid visa when the order takes effect.

Our goal has always been to protect the commonwealth of Virginia and our residents who were harmed by President Trumps ill-conceived, poorly implemented, and un-American ban, particularly green card holders and those at our businesses and colleges with valid work and student visas, said Herring, a Democrat who is running for re-election.

It is significant that after we won the nations first preliminary injunction against the ban, President Trump has now revoked his original order and apparently exempted all those persons from his revised order.

A federal judge in Alexandria last month granted Virginias request for a preliminary injunction against Trumps initial travel ban, further crippling it just days after a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling enjoining enforcement.

U.S. Rep. Dave Brat, R-7th, said in a statement that he backed the new order: The safety and security of our nation must always come first.

He said: This executive order contains language very similar to restrictions imposed by the Obama administration to ensure the safety and security of the American people. When unstable countries cannot provide the necessary documentation to vet individuals desiring entry, I believe it is prudent for us to take a temporary step back and evaluate the effectiveness of our current policies.

The FBI is currently pursuing active investigations into 300 individuals who were admitted into the U.S. as refugees. I think that number alone is cause for concern. It was good to see the new language clears up any confusion regarding entry of green card holders and valid visa holders. A 10-day delay in implementation will also ensure appropriate notification and coordination by federal agencies.

Virginias two U.S. senators, both Democrats, also weighed in through written statements.

From Sen. Tim Kaine: The Trump administrations immigration orders  after weeks of unnecessary confusion  remain a mess. Entrance into the United States should be based on a judgment about the risk an individual poses to our country.

Sen. Mark Warner called it poor policy, adding: There is no evidence that immigrants from the countries listed in the EO pose a heightened threat to our security.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe issued a statement saying Trumps policy harms the economy and the nations standing with other countries.

While some of the specifics have changed, the presidents order continues to ban people fleeing persecution and travelers from certain Muslim countries without any evidence of specific security threats.

Trump said during his campaign for the presidency that he wanted to temporarily ban immigration by people of one particular religion  Islam  and said the hatred is beyond comprehension.

The new order cuts the maximum number of refugees who can be resettled in the U.S. from 110,000 to 50,000, which will make it impossible for many of the 60,000 people in the pipeline to come to this country this year.

We know the reduction is going to leave a lot of people waiting in harms way, without the security and safety of a home we could give them if they did come here, said Harriet Kuhr, executive director of the International Rescue Committees offices in Charlottesville and Richmond.

The committee is a humanitarian aid organization and one of nine organizations nationally that resettle refugees approved by the State Department for entry into the U.S. It has resettled more than 3,000 refugees through its Charlottesville office since 1998, including 284 in the last federal fiscal year.

The organization opened its Richmond office in October and began processing cases the next month. Trumps earlier executive order disrupted its work.

The presidents decision to cut the total number of refugees allowed annually by more than half brings to a near halt resettlement efforts that already had handled more than 30,000 refugees from Oct. 1 through Jan. 31 in anticipation of the higher limit approved by then-President Barack Obama, who had raised the total from 85,000 to 110,000.

The four-month delay will force many refugees to redo their security and medical clearances, and many wont be able to come to the U.S. until the next fiscal year, under the presidents order.

The careful system in place for vetting refugees and bringing them to the U.S. is disrupted and its unclear what purpose will be ultimately served, Kuhr said.
Richmond owes its fame to its status not only as the capital of Virginia but as the capital of the Confederacy. Although North and South did not fight a decisive battle of Richmond, the city and the region served as a focal point of the war. Richmonds Shockoe Bottom served as a slave market.

After surrender, the South accepted reunion but not reconciliation. It resisted Reconstruction, one of the most progressive enterprises in American history. When federal troops were withdrawn in part because the business community preferred profits to principles, the South reimposed a race-based culture and polity that kept blacks as second-class citizens. Emancipations promise went unfilled.

Richmond has begun to address its roots. Before reconciliation can occur, truth must be told. Statues and memorials to Confederate heroes mocked and insulted black aspirations. The Lee statue did not simply say Lee but emphatically asserted No!

During a recent forum on the regions monuments, Ed Ayers, historian and former president of the University of Richmond, said the memorials need context. In a conversation with The Times-Dispatchs editorial board, Jesse Jackson called for perspective. Mayor Levar Stoney would agree. We do.

The Times-Dispatch does not support dynamiting tributes to the past. But leaving them as they are equals tacit consent to the glorification they convey  and to the sometimes dubious motives that inspired their erection in the first place.

The best course entails adding to the citys Confederate statuary, with historical markers that tell the stories behind both the monuments and the individuals they honor. The markers should make clear that history is complex: Good  even great  individuals still can do things that are wrong, and in fact terrible, even though many thought they were doing what was right at the time.
MONDAY

The Richmond Planning Commission will meet at 1:30 p.m. in the conference room on the fifth floor of City Hall, 900 E. Broad St.

The Richmond City Council will hold a special meeting at 3 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall, 900 E. Broad St., to receive Mayor Levar Stoneys proposed budget.

The Richmond School Board will meet at 6 p.m. on the 17th floor of City Hall, 301 N. Ninth St.

TUESDAY

The Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors will meet at 4 p.m., 14016 Boydton Plank Road.

The Ashland Town Council will meet at 6 p.m. for a budget work session, followed by its regular meeting at 7, in council chambers at Ashland Town Hall, 101 Thompson St.

The Prince George County School Board will meet at 6 p.m. to approve the schools budget, 6410 Courts Drive.

The Petersburg City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. at Union Train Station, 103 River St.

The Colonial Heights Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m., 201 James Ave.

WEDNESDAY

The Hanover County Board of Supervisors will meet at 3 p.m. in the boardroom of the county administration building, 7516 County Complex Road.

The Prince George County Board of Supervisors will hold a budget work session at 6 p.m., 6602 Courts Drive.

The Ashland Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m. in council chambers at Ashland Town Hall, 101 Thompson St.

The Dinwiddie County Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m., 14016 Boydton Plank Road.

THURSDAY
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, who led a legal challenge to President Donald Trump's first travel ban affecting several Muslim-majority nations, said Monday that the new executive order still "sends a horrible message to the world."

His office is reviewing the order to see if legal action is necessary, according to a statement.

Herring's statement said the new order, signed Monday, "all but concedes the significant constitutional and practical flaws that the Courts and I saw in his original ban."

The new order is narrower than the first.

"Our goal has always been to protect the commonwealth of Virginia and our residents who were harmed by President Trump's ill-conceived, poorly-implemented, and un-American ban, particularly green card holders and those at our businesses and colleges with valid work and student visas. It is significant that after we won the nation's first preliminary injunction against the ban, President Trump has now revoked his original order and apparently exempted all those persons from his revised order."

A federal judge in Alexandria last month granted Virginias request for a preliminary injunction against Trump's initial travel ban, further crippling it just days after a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling enjoining enforcement.

"President Trump's ban remains a solution in search of a problem," Herring's statement said. "Although the new order appears to be significantly scaled back, it still sends a horrible message to the world, to Muslim-Americans, and to minority communities across the country, without any demonstrable benefit to national security."

Virginia's two U.S. senators, both Democrats, also weighed in through written statements.

From Sen. Tim Kaine: "The Trump administration's immigration orders  after weeks of unnecessary confusion  remain a mess. Entrance into the United States should be based on a judgment about the risk an individual poses to our country.

"Discriminating against people from certain countries with no evidence that they pose any greater risk than those from other countries not affected is more about politics than about safety. And perpetrating the stereotype that refugees fleeing humanitarian disasters are suspicious is cruel."

Sen. Mark Warner called it "poor policy."

"There is no evidence that immigrants from the countries listed in the EO pose a heightened threat to our security. There are serious people at the Department of Homeland Security and within the intelligence community who have been considering this issue for years. Perhaps a better approach would be to allow them to recommend what our policy should be," his statement said.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe issued a statement saying Trump's policy harms the economy and the nation's standing with other countries.

"While some of the specifics have changed, the presidents order continues to ban people fleeing persecution and travelers from certain Muslim countries without any evidence of specific security threats."

Trump said during his successful campaign for the presidency that he wanted to temporarily ban immigration by people of one particular religion - Muslims - and said "the hatred is beyond comprehension."
Estimados amigos,

Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia.

Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro.

Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras.

There are decades when nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen.

You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.

No soy alguien que sabe, sino alguien que busca.

Only Gold is money. Everything else is debt.

Las grandes almas tienen voluntades; las debiles tan solo deseos.

Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada.

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.

If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.
Temperatures in the 20s and a relentless, biting wind made getting through stretches of the annual Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday more about survival than celebration, but enough rowdy pockets of day drinkers and willing packs of marchers ensured that the Rockaway Peninsula once again felt the Irish love.

As is always the case the starting point of the festivities was Belle Harbor, a suburban neighborhood of detached houses, front lawns, and the occasional Trump flag. Mayor Bill de Blasio skipped the parade this year, but Comptroller Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Letitia James froze their faces off to show support for the community.

The arctic blast also drove many of the day's traditional lawn- and porch-parties indoors, with people content to view the parade through their windows. The NYPD officers on duty (as opposed to those playing bagpipes or spectating on the sidelines with Solo cups) were the only ones forced to stand outside for the entire afternoon, and they looked miserable.

But it was the kids who were the real heroes of the day, as they huddled for hours on the curb, or danced and cheered along the entire parade route, un-warmed by whiskey.
The Supreme Court on Monday put off a major decision on transgender rights, a result of the Trump administration's decision last month to withdraw federal support of the Virginia high schooler who has waged a legal fight to use the boys' restroom.

The decision to send the case of 17-year-old Gavin Grimm back to a lower court delays until at least next term a decision on whether federal laws that forbid discrimination on the basis of sex also extend to gender identity.

It is an issue that has roiled the nation, pitting LGBT activists and transgender youth and their parents against those who say privacy and safety are compromised by accommodating transgender youth in school restrooms and locker rooms. School boards have found themselves facing either recriminations from the federal government or lawsuits by activists and parents.

In Grimm's case, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit had deferred to guidance issued by the Obama administration and overruled the Gloucester County School Board's policy that students must use restrooms that correspond with their "biological sex."

But the Trump administration last month rescinded that guidance. So the Supreme Court in a one-sentence order vacated the 4th Circuit's opinion and sent it back for further consideration, which may require a closer look at the constitutional and legal questions.

Grimm said he was disappointed that his senior year will probably end without resolution of the issue.

"But I'm still as passionate and happy to be doing this as ever," he said in a conference call with reporters, adding, "If it took 10 years, I'd stick with it."

Joshua Block, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union who is representing Grimm, said there is a silver lining in the national attention the case has received, even without a Supreme Court decision.

"The overwhelming level of support shown for Gavin and trans students by people across the country throughout this process shows that the American people have already moved in the right direction and that the rights of trans people cannot be ignored," Block said. "This is a detour, not the end of the road."

The Gloucester County School Board had also asked the court to decide the underlying legal issues but said it would now concentrate on convincing the appeals court that the board's "commonsense restroom and locker room policy is legal under the Constitution and federal law."

Conservative legal groups said it was wise of the Supreme Court to vacate the 4th Circuit's ruling and send it back for additional legal argument.

"The first duty of school districts is to protect the bodily privacy rights of all of the students who attend their schools and to respect the rights of parents who understandably don't want their children exposed in intimate changing areas like locker rooms and showers," said Kerri Kupec, legal counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom.

But school officials who had hoped for a definitive answer from the court said the delay will leave them open to additional lawsuits.

"The ultimate constitutional issues remain unresolved for the school districts," said Francisco Negron Jr., chief counsel for the National School Boards Association. "Regardless of what action they take, they are liable to be sued by persons on both sides of this issue."

In the absence of a Supreme Court decision and federal guidance, school officials will look to states to navigate what has proved to be a deeply divisive issue in many places, generating heated school board meetings and lawsuits.

In 14 states and the District of Columbia, there are explicit protections for transgender students on the books. In North Carolina, transgender people are barred from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. Several other states have floated similar legislation, some with financial penalties for schools that allow transgender students to use bathrooms of their choice.

Block said that besides Grimm's case, there are lawsuits in North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that may quickly provide the Supreme Court with another chance to consider the core issues of transgender rights.

"There will be plenty of vehicles for the court in the next term if it wants," Block said.

The big question is whether transgender rights are protected by the Constitution as well as Title IX, the 1972 federal law that bans discrimination "on the basis of sex" in schools that receive federal money.

Grimm relied on Title IX in his lawsuit, which said it was discriminatory for the local school board to insist that he use a private bathroom in the nurse's office rather than ones that aligned with his gender identity.

Grimm was born with female anatomy but came out to his parents as transgender at the beginning of high school. He changed his name and has a Virginia birth certificate that identifies him as male.

The Obama administration sided with Grimm and said schools generally must treat transgender students consistent with their gender identity. In a guidance letter last year, the administration said schools risked losing federal money if they discriminated against transgender students.

A panel of the 4th Circuit said it was deferring to the Department of Education for a definitive reading of the law because Title IX's prohibition on sex discrimination could be read to include transgender students.

That interpretation was rescinded by the Trump administration late last month. It said the Obama administration's guidance did not contain "extensive legal analysis" supporting the reading of Title IX. But the Trump administration's letter to the court did not provide its own conclusion.

The Supreme Court then called for the views of Grimm's lawyers and the school board.

Both urged the court to go ahead with the case, saying there had been enough briefing on the Title IX question for the justices to make a decision.

But generally the Supreme Court does not like to take up an issue that has not had full exploration in the lower courts, and Monday's decision to send it back seemed to underscore that.

By the time the issue returns to the Supreme Court, the bench is likely to be fully staffed. The court has been without a ninth member since Justice Antonin Scalia died more than a year ago. President Donald Trump's nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, is scheduled to begin confirmation hearings this month.

The case is Gloucester County School Board v. G.G.
A 65-year-old Brooklyn resident was arrested for allegedly writing hateful messages at Penn Station, including "Mexicans take jobs from Americans." In announcing the arrest, Governor Andrew Cuomo said, "This arrest sends a clear message that all hate crimes will be thoroughly investigated, and we will prosecute those found responsible for perpetrating these reprehensible actions.

"We have zero tolerance for these acts of bigotry, which stand in direct contrast to the values that we New Yorkers represent," he continued, reiterating his stance on welcoming immigrants. "I applaud the MTA Police Department for their vigilance and actions in this investigation."

According to Cuomo's office, the MTA police had been investigating a "pattern of hate-crime graffiti and vandalization of men's bathrooms at Pennsylvania Station" and had stationed detectives there. They "noticed graffiti in a bathroom stall that Vargas left. No graffiti was in the stall beforehand. Detectives stopped Vargas under suspicion of vandalization and searched his backpack, which contained a black Sharpie marker - the same type used to deface the stall."

The detectives arrested Vargas, 65, for what they believe are multiples instances of bias graffiti last month.

During an interview with police following his arrest, Vargas admitted to writing the graffiti and said that he wrote it because Mexicans take jobs from Americans." Police suspect Vargas is also responsible for graffiti in Penn Station on multiple other occasions since February 18, including swastikas and other statements that read: "KKK" and "Mexican Go Home," among others, which were written in black marker in two different locations.

Vargas was charged with eight counts of criminal mischiefs as hate crimes, which are felonies.

"The MTA Police and our law enforcement partners across the state - including the State Police - vigorously investigate all hate crimes in order to bring those responsible to justice," MTA Chief of Police Owen Monaghan said. "No one should think they can get away with trying to intimidate the public in this way."
BLACKSBURG  The ancient maple beside Smithfield Plantations blacksmith shop witnessed a lot of history  Revolutionary War militia training, Civil War preparations, emancipation of the slaves, possibly even the 1755 Drapers Meadow Massacre.

The tree has seen countless weddings, school visits and festivals and was captured by artist P. Buckley Moss in her 2016 print Spring at Smithfield Plantation.

On a windless afternoon Feb. 22, its witnessing came to an end. As its sap began rising, the old sugar maple crashed to the ground, blocking Smithfield Plantation Road.

I admit I bawled like a baby, said April Danner, museum director at Smithfield. I loved this tree. It was probably 250-300 years old, predating the construction of Smithfield. I cant truly explain the pain it caused me to see her broken.

To preserve the trees legacy, Danner is seeking volunteer wood turners, carvers and other artisans to create bowls, candlesticks and other objects from the maple wood to use for fundraising. Large sections of the 3.5-foot diameter tree are stacked near Smithfields parking lot awaiting pick-up by craftsmen and craftswomen.

We will use the proceeds from the wooden objects to buy more trees and indirectly keep a part of the old maple alive, Danner said. Smithfield needs many more plantings around the property so that its beauty can be sustained. A tree planted today will reach the size of our great sugar maple in about 2267; great trees grow slowly.

Al Warren, owner of Brush Mountain Woodturning, came out to inspect the maple wood and was impressed with the wood coloration and patterning, which he called spalting. A member of the regional Blue Ridge Woodturners group, Warren thought fellow woodturners would enjoy working with the figured wood.

The spalting is the beginning stage of rot, Warren explained. It gives the wood dark lines and streaks where fungus has begun to attack. Its not a bad thing. Not at all. This is special stuff.

Danner said the sugar maple is one of the two oldest trees on Smithfields lawn, one of five living witness trees on the estate that predate the house. At waist height, the trees trunk was four feet in diameter. In the past year, Danner noticed chipmunks and even baby rabbits scrambling into gaps among the trees roots but did not think the maple was in trouble.

It still had a good crown, she said. Not like the Merry Oak out there in the field thats 350-450 years old. We know that one has some problems.

R. Jay Stipes, Virginia Techs Tree Doctor Emeritus and retired horticulture professor, said the maple likely died of old age and fungal rot in its heart wood.

Old trees, like older guys, are really running out of steam and energy, Stipes said. They are not able to keep pace in making sugar and are increasingly subject to opportunistic fungi. I told my students that these fungi were like circling buzzards. The rot fungi gain entrance and begin to feast on the weakened, aging tissues that have lost much of their resistance to infection. These fungi would get no foothold on vigorously growing young maples.

Stipes did a study of Smithfields trees in 1999 and a historic tree tour of the property in 2011. These period trees that were here when the Preston family settled have witnessed a lot of history. They are treasures, Stipes said in his DVD tour of the estate.

Wood artisans who would like to use the maples wood for items to contribute to the fundraising effort, please contact Historic Smithfield. Call or email April Danner at 231-3947 or adanner@smithfieldplantation.org.
Governor Cuomo, who is not running for president, took a 15-hour trip to Jerusalem over the weekend. The reasoning behind this, apparently, was to show solidarity for New York's Jewish population, which has been subjected to recent rise in anti-Semitism. Of course, while Cuomo's trip looked very nice, New York's Jewish population is here and not in Israel, but why shouldn't a governor who isn't running for president meet with the Israeli Prime Minister to discuss trade and security measures?

Cuomo's taxpayer-funded jaunt lasted from Sunday morning until just after midnight last nighthe apparently announced it to his staffers on Wednesday, which sounds like it must have been fun for them. Cuomo went to Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust museum; the Western Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, in addition to meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because "theres a lot that New York can learn from" Israel about security, as per what Cuomo told reporters.

He's shoved the state headfirst into Israeli politics beforelast year he signed an order stipulating that the State of New York would boycott companies boycotting Israeli businesses under the Palestinian-supported Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and he's been to Israel before. He was supposed to travel there in September, but canceled after a train crash in Poughkeepsie.

Anyway, Cuomo's back now, and it appears the most politicking he did overseas was taking photos. When asked whether or not the U.S. embassy should be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Cuomo stayed neutral, saying it was a question for Israelis and not Americans. At least he's more diplomatic than the leader we've got now.
GIRLS had a lot to live up to after last week's impressive capsule episode, and hoo boy did they. Though it's still difficult for the show to shove all four characters into a half hour episode, this week the writers at least focused on two big plotlines, with a couple of well-executed twists along the way. So let's dig in.

There's a big bomb dropped in this episode. Rumors have been circulating for some time now that Season 6 would feature Hannah getting pregnant, and though I'd hoped the photos of a round-bellied Hannah that leaked from the set were for a Spice World-esque flash-forward sequence, no such luck. Hannah is indeed pregnant.

The big twist is foreshadowed in the cold open, when Hannah, still on the journalism circuit, interviews Ode Montgomery, played by the inimitable Tracey Ullman. Montgomery drops some truth bombs on Hannah about being a woman writer, and one is about motherhood"Childlessness is the natural state of the female author," Montgomery tells her. Well then.

Later in the episode, Hannah then gets a UTI and spots blood in her urine, so Loreen directs her over the phone to get to the ER, and...OH MY GOD THE DOCTOR IS PATRICK WILSON, who Hannah spent the weekend with all the way back in season two's "One Man's Trash"! I thought this would be the most surprising thing about this interaction, but of course it's not. Hannah is pregnant, a fact Patrick Wilson drops casually, assuming she already knew. "Do you know that?" he asks her, seeing her face fall. "I do now," she says quietly, before telling Patrick Wilson the baby's father is a water-skiier. Did Riz Ahmed knock her up? DO WE GET TO SEE MORE RIZ AHMED?? Then, after giving her a very awkward hug, Patrick Wilson says something to Hannah about abortion, and Hannah waves him off and walks out of the ER. I am not sure where the GIRLS team will go with this whole thing, but this is definitely an interesting way to make a character to grow up fast.

Where there's life there is death, and the other big plotline this week belongs to Ray. Marnie and Ray are still, somehow, together, and after some sad sex Marnie tells him she wants to die inside the mouth of a lion with him, and some other Marnie-ish shit she thinks is "Shakespearean." Though Ray says he finds her "poetry" to be "flattering," he's more interested in hanging out with Marnie, who's been telling him she's busy doing some kind of expensive-sounding exercise, but probably has been ditching him to hang out with her Oxy-addicted ex-husband. Indeed, Marnie tells him she has "a thing" that night, and somewhere in the midst of her eternal monologue about Ubering and meditation, Ray looks a little lost.

He has even more opportunity to take stock of his life and choices when Bobby, a former MTA worker and a regular at Ray's coffeeshop, keels over and dies outside the shop after telling Ray stories of a Koch-era transit system. When Ray and Hermie (the ever-welcome Colin Quinn) have a moment of mourning for Bobby, discussing life and death, Hermie points out that Ray, who was once driven to silence cars citywide, has given up on his own dreams and City Council meetings to bang Marnie. "You're just coasting," Hermie tells him, lovingly calling him a "waste of potential." Ray storms out, but when he talks it over with Shosh he realizes Hermie just wants him to get more out of life than he did. But when he goes to Hermie's apartment to apologize, he finds Hermie's lifeless body.

The death scene takes place after Hannah's pregnancy is revealed, it's a lot to take in, and though we haven't spent so much time with Hermie to feel a real gut punch, it'll be interesting to see where this takes Ray.

In other news, Adam is back this episode, and he's filming a movie that requires him to have a terrible accent and wear very bad jeans. He gets into an argument with the director and storms off the set, comes home and screams about it to Jessa, and threatens to quit acting. Jessa suggests he make his own movie, about them and Hannah. "We have to mine our lives for the truth, even if it fucking hurts," she says. Adam agrees. This is not a good idea.

Meanwhile, that thing Marnie had to do was to attend therapy with Desi, who's in treatment for his Oxy addiction. Desi blames Marnie for some of what happened to himthough he takes responsibility for his addiction, he thinks Marnie was too self-involved to notice he was heading towards collapse. "You were there with me the whole time. Right next to me," Desi tells her. "You were my partner but you never saw me. You just saw this dick, or this voice, or this guitar, or this record contract. You had this idea about me but you never actually saw me as a human. Me, Desi." Now, in Marnie's defense, it was pretty hard to see the sobbing man-baby Desi as anything other than a caricature, though in theory IRL Desi would be a little more layered.

But Desi tells Marnie that he loved her, all of her, even the dumb Marnie things she does that her friends (and viewers) scoff at. Marnie goes ahead and says something self-centered, and Desi's addiction counselor calls her out on her narcissism.

So, Hannah's pregnant, Marnie got her shit handed to her, Ray's rethinking his path, as is Shosh (per her networking event two weeks ago), and Jessa is making a movie with Adam. Though I've been scarred by the "give the character a baby!" trope since Rachel had Emma on Friends, it's clear the GIRLS team is doing real work to get these characters to change, and permanently. We'll have to see where this takes us over the next few weeks.

Some notes:

Bad male writers include: Martin Amis, Woody Allen, and Saul Bellow.

"Is being a writer, and being a woman at the same time, is it as hard as it seems?" "Harder."

Is Bobby's (RIP) story about the "Ed Koch secret gay train" true? I have so many questions!

I am tragically beginning to like, or at least enjoy, Desi, who was very dedicated to drinking that glass of water.

"I have bruises all over my body from the two-hour massages that I need to deal with the stress of your addiction." I saw Get Out last week, and I have a newfound appreciation for Allison Williams, who is surprisingly good at committing to a character. Including this one!

Jessa is watching something about child sociopaths, having convinced herself she is one but has "completely come out of it." I am still fighting for Team Jessa, but the writers are not making this easy for me.

I need to know more about Ray's a) music b) sitcom script c) Communism.

Hannah and her mother are too close.

Hannah walked out of the ER without antibiotics, but GIRL YOU GOTTA TREAT A UTI.

I still think Elijah is the best character on this show.

And that's all, folks! Next week, Hannah tells people she's pregnant, Loreen eats weed candy, and Jessa and Adam make their movie.
By Albert Robinson



If there was element that wasn't missing from the Sixth International Diamond Week in Israel (IDWI) at the Israel Diamond Exchange's (IDE) trading hall held from February 13 to 16, it was action. Right from the opening, the IDE organized a wide range of activities in order to make a big impression on visitors  as well as via a big social media campaign which started a few months before the event.

And its efforts were rewarded with some 400 buyers from 30 countries, including the United States, U.K., Germany, China and India, and over 200 diamond companies exhibiting from Israel and abroad who, together with many hundreds of guests, ensured that the trading hall was packed out for the week.

According to the IDE, buyer registration for the event reached an all-time high with hotel capacity stretched to the limit, and registration closed almost two weeks before it started. The IDE said it was particularly pleased with the large number of first-time attendees. As a result, the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) announced that it would close registration by February 3, with people registering after that date not being guaranteed free hotel nights.

"This was clearly the biggest and best International Diamond Week in Israel," said IDE President Yoram Dvash. "It is our aim to take the event forward with every edition by adding new features. And it really paid off with the hall being packed and interesting things for buyers and visitors to see and do, in addition to the excellent trading opportunities that it presented."

In line with the IDE's recognition of the importance of involving elected officials, particularly ministers and members of Knesset (parliament), in its events, the festive opening ceremony included a speech by Israel's Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin. Meanwhile, the strength and importance of the Israeli diamond sector was illustrated with the presence of guest of honor, Alrosa President Andrey Zharkov. Among the other leading diamond and jewelry industry officials were Dvash, Israel Diamond Institute Chairman Shmuel Schnitzer, Diamond Dealers Club of New York President Reuven Kaufman, CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri and others, including delegations from Hong Kong, China, the U.S. and Italy.

And Zharkov didn't waste any time in making a good impression on his hosts, surprising the audience by making some opening his remarks in Hebrew, and telling the audience that he felt at home when visiting Israel. He further pleased the local audience by saying that Alrosa would be holding an auction during the IDWI of large, high-quality rough and polished stones that are especially suited to the Israeli market.

He then gave a talk before leading Israeli diamond companies where he reassured them that Alrosa is committed to strengthening ties with the Israeli diamond industry, and cited the importance of the 2015 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Alrosa and IDE to share information and cooperate on issues of mutual interest. Confirming the importance of the Israeli market, Zharkov said that it is one of Alrosas three main markets as a major buyer of high-quality, large diamonds.

The second day of the fair turned out to be no less busy, with heavy traffic on the floor of the trading hall. It also included the official opening of the new International Tender Center, the signing of an MoU with the Hong Kong Jewelry Manufacturers Association and a presentation by Diamond Producers Association (DPA) CEO Jean-Marc Lieberherr about the organization's generic diamond marketing work.

"I found it a really interesting experience," said Manish Desai from Mumbai-based M. R. Diaglobe. "It was my first time in Israel. The exchange was really impressive as was the number of exhibitors, and there was a wide variety of goods on offer and the opportunity to make good connections with firms here."

Beyond the trading floor several events took place during the day. The International Tender Center was opened at a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Alrosa President Andrey Zharkov and local diamond leaders. Dvash said that the new tender center is intended to bring many additional rough and polished diamond tenders to Israel, avoiding the necessity of Israeli companies having to travel abroad to participate in these sales. Some foreign diamantaires also suggested that the construction of the new facility within the bourse was likely prompted by the establishment two years ago by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) of a center for holding tenders in the AWDC building.

The center has been created to provide convenience and security to users, said Dvash. Its control system is one of the most advanced in the world and offers users an efficient, comfortable and safe experience. It features private evaluation rooms built around a secured control room, from which every evaluation room can be observed. The control room has been fitted with one-way mirrors and closed-circuit cameras covering every evaluation room.

More than that, however, it will offer a package service, including marketing to buyers in Israel and abroad, attractive travel packages for buyers, including assistance in the visa application process, discounts at hotels near the Israel Diamond Exchange and deals with shipping companies.

"With the diamond industry in a near constant state of change, we have to be aware of the need to offer new services," explained Dvash. "This is critical to our ability to compete globally. Israeli is an important trading hub, so the new tender center fits in perfectly with what we offer. It will give mining firms and foreign buyers an extra incentive to come here as well as providing Israeli diamantaires with the opportunity to buy here on their own doorstep."

Meanwhile, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the young generation forums of the Hong Kong Jewelry Manufacturers Association (HKJMA) and the IDE for cooperation and business promotion. We feel very close to you based on shared values. The young generations of both our countries have a great future. We can grow together, said Yoram Dvash after signing the agreement with Kevin Ng, head of the Young Generation Forum of HKJMA.

HKJMA Chairman Dr. Adam Lau said, The young generation joining this industry can bring new ideas for the industry. As e- business, product definition and tailor-made jewelry are becoming more and more popular, the young generation can bring creativity to further development in these areas. They are more familiar with online business and they can give more inspiration in e-marketing as well. Im looking forward to the signing of the MOU between the younger generations of both of our industries.



Taking advantage of the opportunity to be able to present to a large audience of Israelis and guests from across the world, Jean-Marc Lieberherr, CEO of the Diamond Producers Association (DPA) gave a presentation outlining the strategic direction of its generic diamond marketing program targeting Millennials and discussed plans for 2017. He also invited members of the Israeli diamond to send him suggestions and concerns.

As is usually the case with the International Diamond Week in Israel, there was again a special exhibit. This time it was a replica of the Great Imperial Crown of the Russian Empire which was used in the coronations of all Russian monarchs since Catherine the Great. It was created by Kristall-Smolensk, Russias leading diamond manufacturer in honor of its 250th anniversary, and was brought to Israel with the cooperation of Alrosa. It contains 11,352 polished diamonds, with a total weight of 1,180 carats. All of the polished diamonds are made from rough stones mined by Alrosa. Its value has been estimated at $20 million.

The Crown has been displayed throughout Russia, and came straight from the Hermitage Museum in Amsterdam where it was the central attraction of an exhibit dedicated to Catherine the Great from June 2016 to January. It has been viewed by 400,000 people since its creation in 2012.

Alrosa also put on display especially large and unusual polished and rough diamonds, some of which were part of its tender of stones weighing between 10 and 199 carats. Indeed, a new feature at IDWI 2017 was tenders of rough and polished diamonds by major producers and independent suppliers, including not only Alrosa, but also I. Hennig and Koin International.

"We have seen the growing success of this show since it started just a few years ago," concluded Dvash. "It takes a huge amount of organization and planning and the exchange's staff are really stretched, but the results are worth it. It has already become a fixture on the trade's calendar.

"In addition to the regular trade shows, this kind of inter-bourse event provides diamond firms in Israel and abroad with the opportunity to make new connections and put their goods before a new audience. And for buyers, they can come here and in just a few days see goods on offer by hundreds of firms and efficiently organize their time."




Australias Robert Owen-Jones took over as this years Kimberley Process Chairperson amid tension between the civil society and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which chaired the diamond watchdog last year.

The civil society coalition boycotted UAEs leadership accusing it of encouraging the penetration of conflict diamonds into the market.

The coalition also described UAE as the "elephant in the room" and its chairmanship was declared a "red line" while the countrys ethical standards were questioned.

However, the new KP Chair told Rough & Polisheds Mathew Nyaungwa on the sidelines of the African Mining Indaba in Cape Town early February, that his wish was to see the civil society participating again in this years meetings.

Declaring that he would run his chair in an open fashion, Jones said that issues outside of KP should not affect the business of the diamond watchdog.

He said KP was a consensus-based organisation and no individuals view was allowed to dominate that of others.

The new KP Chairperson also spoke about the need for a KP permanent secretariat, funding of struggling countries to attend KP meetings ahead of the civil society.

He also expressed his views on price transfer, expanded definition of conflict diamonds and synthetic diamonds among other things.

What will be the key tasks for the Kimberley Process that will be solved during your leadership?

Maybe I should rephrase the question to say what will be my vision for the year because a chairs tasks are very much the same whatever you are chairing so the chair of any process is in a sense the one that organises and makes sure you have outcomes at the end of the year. I have chaired many things before, Mathew, I dont know if you have noticed: in climate change, the World Bank and OECD, G20, lots of stuff! So, the actual tasks and methods that you share is a skill. My vision for the Kimberley Process is two-fold in terms of my chairing. The first is I really want to focus on improving implementation. What the Kimberley Process has managed to do over the last 13 years is really remarkable in terms of almost eliminating conflict diamonds, so its good time to see whether there are ways to improve, so can we improve the security of certificates? Can we look at something such as, does block-chain technology provide us with some improvements? I am very open but I would like to have that discussion. My other key vision this year is to deliver an effective review of the Kimberley Process, something I am going to chair myself, this is, as you probably know, mandated to happen every so many years and this year is one of those years, so a lot of my effort will go into that. In general I want the Kimberley Process to act in efficient, steady and normal fashion, so I want everyone to feel very comfortable participating in the process. I dont want anyone to feel as if they are being challenged or that they are not welcome. This is a big open multinational process, I am going to run my chair in a very transparent and open fashion, there are no secret or hidden agendas, there is no Australian agenda, I am trying to promote over and above everything else. I am the chair for everyone.

So, under your leadership we are going to see greater vigilance in curbing illicit diamonds from entering the supply chain?

So, Mathew, you are talking about a comparison. I would say, I will be vigilant and the Process should be vigilant. Its not my role as the chair to compare myself to previous chairsI can only talk for my own efforts, so I will take things very seriously and that is the role of the chair and its the role of the Process so we obviously have a working group that looks at this and they have my full support to call up on any concerns.

Last year there was a tension between the civil society and the then KP chair Ahmed Bin Sulayem. What do you think should be the role of the civil society going forward?

So, civil society are animportant part of the Kimberley Process together with governments and industry. We have collectively made sure that the trade in blood diamonds has almost disappeared so the civil societies are very important. I certainly hope and expect the civil society to participate in this years meetings and I am looking forward to hearing their views about how we can improve the Kimberley Process through their reviews, so of course, they made it quite open that they have issues with some of the participants in the Kimberley Process. My view is that you cannot arrive at anoutcome without being fully engaged, so I want them to come back and participate.

Do you think that KPs public trust is under threat given the fallout between the civil society and the previous chair?

Its a hard question to make a judgement about what is public trust. So who are you talking about? Are you talking about the trust of consumers in Belgium or are you talking about the trust of villagers in Liberia? My view is that the trust is reflected by the commitment and seriousness that the participants in the Process take so the government participants and the industry participants give this so much focus and attention. I am very, very impressed by the commitment the people have to the Process. I expect the civil society to continue to understand that we are talking about material certification processissues inside the mandate of the Process. There are [also] issues that people would like to bring into the Process and these are two very separate things, so as we all know some people have concerns over issues outside of the Process with some participants in the Process, now to me that is business elsewhere rather than the Process. So the Process runs very well, I think [it] is very resilient and robust and I have been very impressed about the quality of the review teams and the quality of the teams going to investigate problems so I think the Process, the actual material certification process, works very, very well and we can have a very high degree of assurance that works well.

The civil society also called for an expanded definition of conflict diamonds to include issues of human rights. What is your take on that?

When we do the review this year, its an open review so people can propose whatever they like. It wont surprise me at all if a number of countries and delegates and even the civil society will propose things like changes to the definition broadening the scope etcetera, and we will have a conversation about that. I want to have a conversation about anything that people raise in terms of, will KP work better or not if we do this?, ultimately any decisions that we make as Kimberley Process, are decisions by consensus, so you dont just accept any one point of view, you have to listen to everyones point of view and the extent to which we might change or might not change the definition will be an agreement by all of us, equally, so its a consensus-based organisation.

As the KP chairperson do you think polished diamonds should be included into the KP mandate?

At the moment the mandate for KP is very fixed and it does focus on rough diamonds and of course as chair I will chair a review process this year that will look at ways we can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Kimberley Process. Its not my role to expand the mandate but everything is open for discussion so if countries or delegates suggested that thats one thing we should think about, then I am certainly willing to have the conversation. [However] its an interesting question, a very valid point and I know its something that some groups like World Diamond Council are giving a lot of thought to and I think its very interesting. That is something that we should discuss because the critical thing here is that we must maintain consumer confidence in diamonds and the value of diamonds and its such an important thing for Africa. I dont need to tell you, so many people are employed by this industry and it should be an industry that works not just for the big mining companies like Rio Tinto, De Beers or Alrosa. It has to work for the small producers as well, and alluvial and artisanal producers are also part of the industry so we must make sure that we continue to have a system that allows them to sell their products in a way that the jewellery consumers feel confident so to me thats what the process is about and people can load in other issues but we must keep the core of the process very, very safe and secure

Will transfer pricing be high on the agenda during your KP chairmanship?

So, transfer pricing is not core to the mandate of the Kimberley Process, its still something that some parties feel very strongly about and clearly the civil society feel strongly about it, but that is not what the Kimberley Process does, so I am very open to discussion around this issue and last year the UAE held a number of special fora on transfer pricing. I personally thought that a lot of the points that were made in the special fora were very good and interesting. The OCD does some very good interesting work in this area, so I am quite open to continue discussion in the form of special fora. So, this is not in the Kimberley Process itself, but a discussion that you will have alongside.

Some people called for revised minimum requirements and independent third-party assessments of compliance. What is your take on that?

I think the word minimum is not a very helpful word. I know that is the word that we use in a formal technical sense, but what it means is that we have a set requirement of the KP. Now minimum means everyone has to meet that requirement and there is no doubt that according to national circumstances that some countries have higher requirements domestically that everyone else has to meet this requirement, so I think its perfectly normal to continually look at the requirements that we ask our participants, so that should be something we should discuss as well, but whether or not we raise it or lower it or make changes to it, is a separate issue. I will certainly think that thats a natural thing to discuss, but I want to remove the sense that minimum means that its not good enough. I think thats what we currently ask our participants to do and whether we change it then that has to be a consensus outcome by everyone



The issue of CARs diamonds finding their way into Cameroon was topical last year. What is comment on this?

I will take this question in two parts. Firstly, I congratulate the CAR for working so hard to re-certify some of their regions for export. The review missions to the CAR have been, to my knowledge, very rigorous and I have been impressed at the level of corporation and effort that the CAR government has made and I would like us to continue to see if we can re-certify some of their regions, obvious, diamonds are not just in the CAR, but throughout Africa an enormous generator of income and employment. So if we can recertify the CAR, I think, that will be good, but of course they have to meet the rigorous standards that will be applied. Now some reports that some diamonds in Cameroon maybe sourced from the CAR is obviously something that we will continue to watch very closely. I dont have the figure in front of me but from the top of my head in 2015, they were 2200 carats of diamonds traded out of Cameroon so its a small amount of trade. So, thats something we should be able to look at quite carefully

We know the KP mandate is to act as a watchdog of natural rough diamond mining and trading, but we have also seen the proliferation of synthetic diamonds and some of them are being packaged as natural diamonds. Should KP be involved in monitoring man-made diamonds so they are not mixed with natural stones?

Let me make several comments in relation to this. So, firstly, there is nothing wrong with synthetic diamonds. If people want to make artificial diamonds and sell them as artificial diamonds thats a perfect legitimate thing for companies to do, perfect legitimate business enterprise. There is a legitimate trade in synthetics. As you know, the quality of synthetics continues to improve and indistinguishable from natural diamonds without testing. So, if you have, for example, synthetic diamonds in your watch and its sold as that, then that is perfectly OK. What is not OK are several things: 1. If you use synthetics and insert them into a parcel of natural diamonds to try and get a higher price for your synthetic diamonds - because they are not natural and the natural diamonds area has a much higher price point - that is fraud. That is not something that we could ever support and it does undermine the confidence people have in the diamond chain. I think its a fantastic thing that the major bourses in the world are introducing machines that saw through melee for synthetics being put into the trade illegally. I think while people do fear this, it looks as though the evidence is slight about it being a major problem. I suspect, it might happen but its a small problem because when you insert them in the supply chain, there has to be some point where you get packages of roughs and then polished, so it switches out of the KP space. But there is a fraud risk there and there is money laundering risk and in essence its the same risk that you have with the trade in illicit diamonds that fueled conflict previously, so I intend to have a special forum on synthetics.

We will probably hold that at our first Kimberley [Process] meeting in May. I am still thinking about the nature of the discussion we [will] have, but for diamond producers I think its worth thinking about the fact that we have a robust certification process for natural rough diamonds and here we have a product with no certification process that potentially could be a problem. So, you have one place where you certify and one place where you not, so we should have a discussion around that.

Then there is a third issue, which I dont have a view on as chair, but I will offer a personal view which is: I am undisturbed [by] some of the marketing that some companies have around synthetics that, you can be assured that your synthetic diamond is conflict free because its a synthetic diamond. That is quite a confrontational style of marketing and I am not sure its healthy for synthetic diamonds to ultimately sell themselves that way because we are talking about a product that takes an immense amount of energy to produce and its so easy for me to imagine people start saying, well you are actually not talking about a sustainable product, what is the greenhouse cost of your synthetic stones, etcetera, etcetera, but as I said I dont have a view as chair on that. [However], I think for an industry that is so important for African employment and actually employment in Russia, Australia and other placesto have people target African employment in this fashion is not very health so I think its concern. I dont think I will have a discussion around that but clearly, its not [ethical], well people can debate about the ethics of that sort of marketing.

What is your assessment of Russias participation in the Kimberley Process?

Russia is a very strong supporter of the Kimberley Process and I warmly welcome Russias involvement. Alrosa, obviously, Russias major diamond producer, should be congratulated for the extent of their support to the KP. For me I think this is very heartening, that the president of the World Diamond Council (Andrey Polyakov) is Alrosas vice president. He is a fantastic individual and does a terrific job, both for Alrosa and WDC. So, I have been very impressed by the quality of the Russian commitment to the Kimberley Process and the leadership that Russia shows in the sense of Alrosas participation. So Alrosa should be congratulated as well and its very pleasing to see their ongoing involvement. I think this is a very good signal for Africa that there is so much commitment from producers outside of Africa. Rio Tinto, of course, is also committed to the Kimberley Process as the major producer in Australia and Canada. So, its not only just De Beers, these are major producers completely committed to supporting the Kimberley Process and I think that is a fantastic thing.

There were calls last year for a multi-donor trust fund to finance non-governmental organisations within the KP. What is your take on that?

This is a proposal by the UAE and they made it just before the plenary last year, it would be one those things that we consider in a review, so there was no time to consider it appropriately at the plenary in Dubai and countries will have their own views, as chair I will have no view, so I will accept the view of parties whether there should be a trust fund or not. Thats an issue for parties to resolve. Australia, which is separate [from] me, in a sense that there will be an Australian delegation, will voice its view, separately, about that. Things I will look at in terms of that will be natural questions such as if you have a trust fund to support the participation of the civil society, should not have a trust fund, first priority, to support the participation of government representatives from countries that find it very hard to participate in the Kimberley Process? So am naturally sympathetic to some of the west African countries that have not had financial resources to participate and I think the processes that I previously chaired, for example the main committee of the climate change convention, we have a trust fund in that situation for least developed countries and it helps them to come and participate. For me thats number one priority, we actually dont have a trust fund in the climate change for the civic society and they seem to have no problems to come. So, it doesnt mean I am not open to it I am just saying I pose that question about, how you will do it and what is the purpose? But we will see, as we shall have an open discussion about this as we go forward, again as chair I am neutralbut part of my role is to ask the operational questions.

A proposal was also made towards the end of last year for KP to have a permanent secretariat. What is your take on that?

We have a secretariat at the moment but its more of a voluntary secretariat, so how do you professionalise and make it permanent? I think that is a very interesting question and I think thats one that I will definitely do as part of the review and I will be inviting people to think about thata lot of multinational institutions have permanent secretariats, they help smooth the transition from one change to the next, they performsome things that some chairs find hard to do.

Will it be a big secretariat?

I dont think we need a big secretariat but what is an appropriate size is a good question. It might just be a group of three or four people. The role is clear, it will work like any other secretariat for a multinational institution. We do have big multinational institutions, for example the G20 that dont have secretariats. I think in this case there is probably a very good case to make.

What is the relationship between the KP and the UN?

So KP was born from recommendations of the UN security council, so there is already a relationship per se, but its not a formal organisational relationship, so I think when we think about a secretariat we should think about what is the home of that secretariat and I think that there is a case to be made that its associated with the UN. Thats something that I will explore so these are issues that are really worth thinking about as part of the review.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished


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Lucara Q3 revenue, output drop Lucara Diamond, which wholly owns the Karowe mine in Botswana, realised $49.9 million in revenues in the third quarter of 2022 compared to $72.7 million in the comparative quarter. The revenue includes $46.5 million from the sale of 99,301 carats and...
Sociedade Mineira Do Lulo (SML), a company owned by Lucapa Diamond, Endiama and Rosas & Petalas has sold 1,552 carats from Angolas Lulo diamond project for $6.9 million.

An average price per carat of $4,446 was recorded, underlining the quality of the diamond recoveries and the continued strength in the market for large and high-quality production, said Lucapa.

This brings the total gross proceeds achieved at Lulo to date in calendar 2017 to $10.7 million, said Lucapa.

[We] are happy to note another milestone whereby all sales of Lulo diamonds now exceeds A$100 million.

The latest sale parcel included the 227 carat Type IIa D colour diamond recovered in February 2017 from new Mining Block 28 at Lulo.

Lucapa had a 40 percent stake in SML and it also operates the alluvial mine.

SML had been recovering large and premium-value diamonds from its ongoing alluvial mining operations at Lulo.

Its next diamond sale would include a 62 carat diamond recovered recently as well as a 65 carat diamond and a 25 carat stone.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




A high-level committee constituting top officials of the finance ministry and the country's regulators, are meeting next week to discuss the setting up of a gold spot exchange, says a report in Bullion Bulletin.

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) wants to launch a bullion trading platform in association with India Bullion and Jewellers' Association and is waiting for the announcement of a regulator for the spot bullion exchange. Apart from BSE, MCX and NCDEX too have made presentation to finance ministry officials for launching their spot trading platform.

While commodity futures is being regulated by Sebi, there is a vacuum for regulating the spot exchange. As of now Zaveri Bazar in Mumbai and Sarrafa Bazar in Delhi which are the largest wholesale markets for bullion in India, act as centres for price discovery.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished




Sales of jewelry and other luxury products in Hong Kong fell in January despite the Chinese New Year occurring during the month.

Spending on jewelry, watches, clocks and valuable gifts declined 3.9 percent year on year to $944 million (HKD 7.33 billion), according to Hong Kongs Census and Statistics Department.

The New Year fell on January 28, as opposed to February 8 last year, but this potential boost to January sales failed to translate into higher consumer spending, the data showed. The drop came even as tourist numbers in Hong Kong grew 4.8 percent for the month.

The short-term outlook for Hong Kong retail will depend on inbound tourism levels and whether local consumer sentiment stands up to the various uncertainties in the global environment, the spokesperson added.

The decline in jewelry and luxury sales follows a 2.3-percent rise in December  the first monthly increase in more than two years.

Total retail sales in Hong Kong across all products slipped by 0.9% in January.




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Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today
Coloured gemstone producer Gemfields reported its revenue fell nearly 46 percent to $51 million for the six months ended December 30, 2016 from the $94 million for the same period the previous year.

The company also slumped to a loss of $13.6 million for the period, as against a profit of $8.2 million the previous year.

The company said the main reason for the decline was the deferral of the higher quality rough emerald auction originally scheduled to take place in December 2016 to February 2017 and a moderated product mix placed on offer at the last ruby auction.

Only two auctions were held during the period, consisting of one commercial quality rough emerald and beryl auction and one mixed quality rough ruby and corundum auction, the company said. The previous period saw three auctions.

The auctions were impacted by Gemfields' decision to allow some of its customers to adjust to the Indian demonetisation programme which was put in place in November 2016.

Gemfields plans to hold a further auction of commercial quality rough emerald and beryl as well as another mixed quality rough ruby and corundum auction during the second half of fiscal 2017.



Theodor Lisovoy, Rough&Polished, Moscow




Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said he had signed a directive to appoint Sergey Ivanov to be the head of diamond mining company ALROSA.

At his meeting with Sergey Ivanov on Monday Dmitry Medvedev said: I would like to inform you that I have signed a government directive to appoint you to the position of President of joint-stock company ALROSA (also known as public joint-stock company ALROSA). I want to wish you success in this difficult work.

Noting that ALROSA is the worlds largest diamond producer, which is systemically important for Russia and in particular for the development of the Far East, Dmitry Medvedev asked Sergey Ivanov to have this aspect in mind.

We need to work pro-actively within all industrial and economic programs of the government and with the Ministry of Finance building full-fledged relations with regional authorities, because the company has an unconditional value also for the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) itself. All these factors need to be put on your list of priorities as head of the company, the prime minister stressed.

As reported, Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District has already approved the directive obliging the members of the Supervisory Board of ALROSA representing the interests of the Russian Federation, the companys key shareholder, to vote for the election of Sergey Ivanov, who is currently a Senior Vice President of Sberbank, to be the president of ALROSA. The announcement was published on the website of the Russian government. Simultaneously, a directive was signed on the early termination of powers of Andrey Zharkov, the current president of ALROSA who held this position since April 2015.

Sergei Ivanov, Jr. was born in Moscow in 1980. He graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 2002 with a specialty in Finance and Credit and then worked with Gazprom in 2003-2004 and Gazprombank in 2004-2011. In 2011, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of OAO SOGAZ and then, in April 2016, as a Senior Vice President at Sberbank.

Being a Deputy Chairman of Gazprombank, Sergey Ivanov oversaw corporate clients and private banking and was responsible for interaction with state authorities, as well as coordinated special projects on behalf of the board and head of the bank. While at Sberbank, he was responsible for the wealth management unit, combining insurance and pension business, clients asset management and a number of other areas.

Theodor Lisovoy, Rough&Polished, Moscow




Indian shares opened higher on Monday as investors took hawkish remarks from Fed officials and geopolitical tensions in their stride.

The rupee also opened higher at 66.77 per dollar after the Goods and Services Tax Council in its eleventh meeting on Saturday gave in-principle approval to the two key draft laws of Central GST and Integrated GST.

The benchmark BSE Sensex was up 203 points or 0.71 percent at 29,036.14 in early trade after dropping about half a percent last week to post its first weekly fall in six. The broader Nifty index was up 56 points or 0.63 percent at 8,954.

Bharti Airtel shares gained 1 percent. The telecom major has signed an agreement with Millicom International Cellular to combine their operations in Ghana.

Sical Logistics, VRL Logistics and Patel Integrated Logistics climbed 2-3 percent after the GST Council unanimously approved two supporting legislations in its 11th meeting on Saturday, paving the way for implementation of GST regime from July 1.

ARSS Infrastructure Projects soared 6 percent after one of its joint ventures secured a work order worth Rs 141 crore.

GMR Infrastructure rallied 1.5 percent on reports that its unit Hyderabad International Airport is seeking to raise about $350 million by selling offshore bonds.

Cipla rose half a percent after signing a pact to divest its animal unit in South Africa.

IT stocks like TCS and Infosys fell about 1 percent. Industry body Nasscom on Sunday said that the Trump administration's decision to temporarily suspend the expedited premium processing of H1B visas will lead to process delays for Indian IT firms.

Tata Steel edged down marginally on reports that it may call off merger plans with German conglomerate Thyssenkrupp.

SAIL slid half a percent after the government approved outright sale of three special steel units belonging to the company.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
A majority of Americans want an independent special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate contacts between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia, according to the results of a new CNN/ORC poll.

The poll found that 65 percent of Americans think a special prosecutor should be appointed, while 32 percent said Congress is capable of handling the investigation.

Democrats and independents are more likely than Republicans to say a special prosecutor should be appointed, although 43 percent of Republicans support the call for a special prosecutor.

The support for a special prosecutor comes as 55 percent of Americans are at least "somewhat concerned" people associated with Trump's campaign had contact with Russian operatives, including 37 percent that are "very concerned."

The release of the poll results comes after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he is recusing himself from investigations related to the presidential campaign. Sessions was a top Trump surrogate.

The announcement came following revelations that Sessions met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak twice last year despite previously telling Senators during his confirmation hearing that he did not have communications with the Russians.

The White House revealed that Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn also met with Kislyak.

Despite the uproar over the news, the CNN/ORC poll found that Trump's approval rating has remained largely unchanged from a month ago.

The poll found that 45 percent of Americans approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, while 52 percent disapprove.

The CNN/ORC survey of 1,025 adults was conducted March 1st through 4th and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

(Photo: Michael Vadon)

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on immigration on Monday as part of an effort to protect the U.S. from terrorist activities by foreign nationals.

The revised executive order revokes Trump's previous order on immigration, which had been blocked by federal courts.

The new order temporarily suspends immigration from six Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

Notably, the revised order removes Iraq from the original list of countries whose citizens are banned from entering the U.S.

A Department of Homeland Security official said the Iraqi government has provided assurances of increased cooperation with the U.S. on the vetting of its citizens.

The new order also exempts existing visa holders as well as current lawful permanent residents and green card holders.

"If you have travel docs, if you actually have a visa, if you are a legal permanent resident, you are not covered under this particular executive action," White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said on "Fox & Friends" on Monday.

A provision prioritizing religious minorities when considering refugee admissions cases was also scrapped in the revised order.

DHS Secretary John Kelly claimed the new executive order signed by Trump will make America safer and address long-overdue concerns about the security of the U.S. immigration system.

"We must undertake a rigorous review of our visa and refugee vetting programs to increase our confidence in the entry decisions we make for visitors and immigrants to the United States," Kelly said.

He added, "We cannot risk the prospect of malevolent actors using our immigration system to take American lives."

Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., claimed Trump's executive order gives the nation's enemies a propaganda tool to spread a false narrative about the U.S. hating Muslims.

"This ban will not make our country safer and betrays the American values those of us who served in uniform fought to defend," Duckworth said. "Discrimination is discrimination and no amount of sugarcoating by the President will change that."

"President Trump's last Muslim ban created chaos for my constituents and Americans across the nation," she added. "Multiple federal courts rightfully halted implementation over concerns surrounding its legality and constitutionality. I am confident this new order will not stand either, if not in the courts then at the ballot box."

While Trump signed the original order with great fanfare in front of reporters, the revised order was signed in private.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
Roundup: 282 Saudi aggression airstrikes hit Yemen in five days, killing 13 civilians

br>

By Baseema al-Absi



SANA'A, March 06 (Saba)  At least Thirteen civilians were killed, Including two children and a girl, and 27 others wounded in 282 airstrikes launched by US-backed Saudi aggression warplanes on several Yemeni provinces over the past five days, officials and residents told Saba.



In Sana'a province, the aggression warplanes launched 24 air strikes on Nehm district, and Daylami air base and the Faculty of Aviation.



In Sa'ada province, the aggression launched 55 airstrikes on several districts, including Dhahir and Ketaf, Bakm, and Razh district. The warplanes also dropped cluster bombs on Al-Mlahiz area of Dhahir district.



Also inSa'ada, five citizens were killed and ten wounded in air raids by aggression planes on houses in Al-Brkah on the outskirts of Sa'ada city.



In Jawf province, the aggression warplanes launched 11 raids on the districts of Al-Mton, al-Ghael and ALmton.



In Taiz province, the aggression fighter jets waged 68 air raids on Mokha city, Mawza district, and ALamry area, Including dropping a cluster bomb.



In Mareb province, the aggression warplanes carried out 15 raids on several civilian regions, including Serwah and Valley Rabia.



In Hodeidah port city, the aggression launched 36 air strikes on different areas, particularly the port itself, Al-Khokha, Kamaran Island, Bajil and Ras Issa.



In Hajja province, the aggression warplanes launched 66 airstrikes, particularly on Medi port city and Haradh border crossing.



Also in Hajja, a man and a girl were killed and seven others injured in a raid on houses in the Hiran region.

In Dhamar governorate, the aggression fighter jets launched five air strike on Otoma district, killing two children and a citizen and wounding four others.



In Amran province, the aggression warplanes carried out two raids on Stones crusher plant, killing four civilians and wounding six others.





BS/ZAK

Saba

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[06/March/2017]
Just in case you thought it was safe to relax, the Trump administration just dropped a new and revised travel ban on residents of majority-Muslim countries. It never stops, so neither should you, especially with all these ways to build resistance to the Trump agenda.

Trumped: What Now for Science and the Environment?

True story: This morning when my clock radio blared to life, Craig Carton was yelling "Who doesn't believe in science?" at someone else in the WFAN studio. Well Craig, if you've paid attention to the last, oh I don't know, almost 20 years of American policy making, you might see that plenty of people don't believe in scientific arguments! Rather than have me yell about this though, listen to an esteemed panel of two science journalists and a geoscientist talk about what the future of science is in an era where trusting your gut is more accepted than the scientific method.

FREE, Monday, March 6, 6 p.m., Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, 7th Floor Commons, 20 Cooper Square

NOT ONE MORE: Rally in Response to Death of 7 Black Trans Women

The year is barely three months old, and already seven black trans women have been murdered. Given mass media's comfort with giving voices to people who wouldn't shed a tear over this, it's up to everyone who isn't a complete sociopath to stand up and say this is wrong. So tonight in front of the Barclays Center, join the Trans Women of Color Collective, @VOCAL-Queerocracy, the Black Youth Project 100-NYC and Black Lives Matter NYC for a rally to end the violence.

FREE, Monday, March 6, 6:30 p.m., Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Avenue

Monthly Reading Group at Trump Tower

Remember, Trump Tower's plaza is supposed to be open to the public. This reading group encourages everyone to show up with something to read (under 10 minutes or shorter) that seems relevant to America's current dystopian bent. If you're asking me, I'd say maybe our own dive into the case for licensing landlords, or outside of Gothamist, this piece on how ridiculous it is to try to fight a non-existent "alt-left" or this hallucinatory account of taking Trump's "media accountability survey."

FREE, Tuesday, March 7, 6 p.m., Trump Tower, 725 5th Avenue

Jail and Court Support Training

If you're going to be attending a lot of protests, or even just one, there's a chance that you or someone you know winds up getting arrested. Rather than try to learn on the fly how you can help them, come to this training session where you can learn where an arrested friend might be taken, who you can contact to help them and other ways in which you can provide support. Trust me, I know from experience that it's better to know these things rather than trying to find them out from the police.

FREE, Tuesday, March 7, 7 p.m., The Base, 1302 Myrtle Avenue

Rise and Resist Meeting

Rise and Resist is out there organizing direct actions against the Trump agenda, and if you want to help plan future actions rather than just show up at them, here's the meeting for you. The group is looking for contributions from people from all walks of life, so if you're looking to help with data and policy analysis or organizing protests for the maximum impact or just want to join a smaller working group, there'll be something for you to do tonight.

FREE, Tuesday, March 7, 7 p.m., The Church of the Village, 201 West 13th Street



Waterfront Defenders Party

The Diamond is a nice Greenpoint bar not far from a polluted waterfront, and so whether it's a matter of self-preservation of just having big parts, they're giving a chunk of tonight's booze sales to a variety of groups working to protect the country's water. Proceeds from all alcohol sales between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. will be split between the Billion Oyster Project, the Newtown Creek Alliance, and Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park. And hey, it might even be nice enough that night to hang out in the bar's backyard and try to get someone to make out in the gondola.

FREE, Tuesday, March 7, 7 p.m., The Diamond, 43 Franklin Street

Lunch at Cuomo's - Rally for Reproductive Rights

Andrew Cuomo, who's acting like a guy running for president, will probably throw up his hands and try to blame the dastardly I.D.C. and Senate Republicans if the Reproductive Health Act, which codifies Roe v. Wade into New York State law, doesn't pass the state Senate. Make him understand no one wants to hear that shit with a lunchtime visit to his office with the theme of "Hey man get the dang bill passed."

FREE, Wednesday, March 8, noon, Andrew Cuomo's NYC Office, 633 Third Avenue

International Women's Strike NYC: Rally and March on March 8th

Well, here it is. While the actual Women's Strike will be going down all day, everything will culminate in this rally starting at 4 p.m. After gathering in Washington Square Park, there's a march down to Zucotti Park, with planned stops at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory site, the Varick Street Immigration Detention Center, Stonewall, the African Burial Site and more relevant sites along the way.

FREE, Wednesday, March 8, 4 p.m., Washington Square Park

Solidarity Rally Against Deportation

Deportations are ripping families apart and targeting individuals who have never done anything worse than you've done in your life. Stand with the city, and the country's, immigrant community at this solidarity rally that will bring together immigrant's right's advocates and their supporters. After a news conference, attendees will silently march around the ICE headquarters in thoughtful mediation and as a show of support for local immigrant families.

FREE, Thursday, March 9, 9 a.m., Foley Square, 111 Worth Street

Cocktail Resistance at Iron Station BK

Drinking is good, and if you're anything like me, the political climate and other factors in your life have caused you to retreat even more into the loving embrace of alcohol. You may as well use that embrace to do some good, like at tonight's event where a North Carolina-themed cocktail will be on the menu and drinkers will be asked (but not required) to leave a $5 donation on their tab to benefit North Carolina's Democratic Party. Iron Station isn't demanding that you add the $5 donation because the bar's co-owner is a polite southerner from North Carolina, but I am a pushy Yankee so I'll make the demand for them: do some good and leave the goddamn donation.

$5 donation, Thursday, March 9, 6 p.m., Iron Station, 683 5th Avenue, Brooklyn

Organic Action BK!

Lots of things threatened in the Trump era, but the administration's environmental policy is a fast-unfolding catastrophe. Don't despair though, get together with a group of environmental advocates to "help further environmental stewardship." God knows the president isn't going to do that, so I guess it's up to us.

FREE, Thursday, March 9, 7 p.m., Park Slope United Methodist Church, 410 Sixth Avenue

Daring to be Powerful!

If you're a lesbian, gay, bisexual, two spirit, transgender or gender non conforming person of color, take yourself to organizing school this weekend with the Audre Lorde Project. This two-day organizing workshop will teach you how to build skills, analyze oppression and power, learn about current issues and campaigns to get involved with, and give you a chance to strategize with like-minded folks. Plus, there's a complimentary light breakfast and lunch each day!

FREE, Friday, March 10/Saturday, March 11, 6 p.m./11 a.m., Audre Lorde Project, 147 West 24th Street

Women in Rebellion! To Resist is Justified! Unite to Fight Trump

it's International Working Women's Month, so if you want to show more solidarity with women beyond just the Women's Strike, you can also join up with this weekend march. After a rally at Herald Square and a march at Penn Station, there'll also be a roundtable discussion about how a multigenerational/multinational coalition of women can fight Trumpism.

FREE, Saturday, March 11, noon, Herald Square

2017 Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon

Here's a chance to link up with other feminist friends to help bring the contributions of women in the arts to the forefront on Wikipedia, in a digital information strike on the patriarchy.

FREE, Saturday, March 11, Museum of Modern Art, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Education and Research Building, 4 West 54th Street

New York City Peoples Roundtable

Want to kick around some ideas on how to fight back against Trump? Come on down to this roundtable, where both rookie and veteran activists will be gathering to figure out how to put together the best resistance efforts to build community power, as well as going over what other groups are up to.

FREE, Saturday, March 11, 12:15 p.m., Holyrood Episcopal Church, 715 West 179th Street

Punk Rock Karaoke: Support NYC #DisruptJ20 Defendants

Everyone loved the video of the guy who punched Richard Spencer, but don't forget that Inauguration weekend also saw mass arrests of protesters, who have been slapped with rioting charges for their trouble. Supporting the legal fees of everyone who took to the streets to make Trump's inauguration a source of pain for him is a great way to show some solidarity, and it's even better if you can do it while singing a Bikini Kill or Dead Kennedys song. I wonder if they'll have "Moon Over Marin."

$10, Saturday, March 11, 8 p.m., The Silent Barn, 603 Bushwick Avenue

United Thru Action & NY Indivisible - Organizing Meeting

There's so much going wrong in the country at the moment that it would be foolish to focus your efforts on just one aspect of the Trump agenda at a time. That seems to be the motivation behind this dual discussion hosted by United Thru Action and NY Indivisible. Tonight's meeting will focus on two important things: one will look at what's next for LGBTQ equality in the Trump era (with a special guest speaker, When We Rise creator Dustin Lance Black) and the other will focus on what you can do to save the Affordable Care Act.

FREE, Sunday, March 12, 5 p.m., The Church of the Village, 201 West 13th Street

Want to see your event here? Email Dave@gothamist.com with the details!
By SA Commercial Prop News

President Zuma said South Africa needs a national integrated urban development framework to assist municipalities to effectively manage rapid urbanisation.



Delivering the State of the Nation Address to a joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday, President Zuma said South Africa needs a national integrated urban development framework to assist municipalities to effectively manage rapid urbanisation.

South African needs to develop a national integrated urban development framework to assist municipalities to effectively manage rapid urbanisation.

Apartheid spatial patterns still persist in our towns and cities. Municipalities alone cannot deal with the challenges. We need a national approach. While rural development remains a priority of government, it is crucial that we also develop a national integrated urban development framework to assist municipalities to effectively manage rapid urbanisation, he said.

Zuma said as part of implementing the National Development Plan, all three spheres of government need to manage the new wave of urbanisation in ways that also contribute to rural development.
The Tamil Nadu government on Monday made public records of Apollo Hospitals here and AIIMS in New Delhi to show that Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa got the best medical treatment till she died.

"Certain insinuations have been made that administration of wrong drugs over a period of time prior to hospitalisation had led to health complications for the late Chief Minister," J. Radhakrishnan, Principal Secretary in the Health and Family Welfare Department said in a statement here.

He said in order to put to rest needless speculation vis-a-vis her hospitalisation, treatment and death, the government decided to make public the discharge summary received from Apollo Hospitals and the medical reports from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Earlier in the day, the AIIMS handed over its documents related to Jayalalithaa to the Tamil Nadu government.

Jayalalithaa died at the Apollo Hospitals on December 5 after 75 days of being admitted with multiple complications.

The statement said an Apollo Hospital ambulance found that Jayalalithaa was breathless with low oxygen saturation resulting in drowsiness at about 10 p.m. on September 22.

She was admitted to Apollo and diagnosed to be suffering from infection and dehydration, accompanied by respiratory distress.

"There were pre-existing co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, asthmatic bronchitis and hypothyroidism, but clearly the treatment report of Apollo Hospitals as well as of AIIMS do not mention any evidence of trauma or any other event as alleged by certain political leaders," said Radhakrishnan.

These allegations surface amid a major row that led to a split in the AIADMK, with supporters of former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam alleging foul play leading to Jayalalithaa's death.

AIADMK leader and former Speaker P.H. Pandian had alleged that Jayalalithaa was pushed down at her residence and demanded a probe in the circumstances leading to her hospitalisation.

According to Radhakrishnan, while in hospital, Jayalalithaa responded well to the multi-disciplinary care in the Critical Care Unit.

"(She) interacted with family and government officials on some important issues including the Cauvery issue," he said.

Radhakrishnan said Jayalalithaa's clinical course deteriorated later and subsequently recovered substantially for her to resume taking food orally.

Jayalalithaa was then shifted from the Critical Care Unit to the High Dependency Unit where her health and vitals continued to improve under the close monitoring by experts, he said.

All this was brought out in the reports of the AIIMS teams which visited Chennai in October and December.

He said the AIIMS reports have "consistently concurred" with the line of treatment provided at Apollo.

Radhakrishnan said Jayalalithaa suffered a massive cardiac arrest on the evening of December 4.

She was administered resuscitation and provided Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support within the hour.

"Every possible clinical attempt was made to sustain her revival as per prescribed medical protocols.

"A team of doctors, including experts from Apollo and AIIMS, assessed the situation.

"It was clinically concluded that there was no heart function and there was also no neurological improvement denoting futility of life support," Radhakrishnan said.

Hence, after following all procedures, the position was conveyed to senior ministers and then Chief Minister Panneerselvam, Health Minister Vijayabhaskar and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha M. Thambidurai as well as her confidante V.K. Sasikala.

"All of them understood the situation and asked the medical team to act as per the standard protocol. "The Chief Minister passed away at 11.30 p.m. on 5.12.2016."
Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Monday said there was "nothing new" in former Pakistan National Security Advisor (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani's public admission that a terrorist group from his country carried out the 2008 Mumbai attack.

"India's stand is very well known. There is nothing new in this revelation," Rijiju told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Durrani said the Mumbai terror attack was carried out by a terror outfit based in Pakistan and added that it was a "classic trans-border terrorist event".

"I hate to admit that the 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan on November 26, 2008, is a classic trans-border terrorist event," Durrani said at the 19th Asian Security Conference held at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) here.

He was the National Security Advisor when 10 Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai by a fishing boat and committed mayhem over three days.

Durrani, however, insisted that the Pakistan government had no role in the mayhem masterminded by Lashkar-e-Taiba supremo Hafiz Saeed and operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who got bail in 2016 after years of alleged sluggish trial in Pakistan.

Pakistan's failure to conclude the trial in the case has been one of the major strains in bilateral relations with India.
Call it Varanasi, Banaras or Kashi -- the city is little bothered about life around and takes it as it comes. But when it comes to politics, everyone has a strong view on the subject. With voting in the state assembly polls due only days ahead of the Holi festival, the streets of the holy city are abuzz with discussions, rumours, and diverse viewpoints.

The hectic road shows of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi have further convulsed the political discourse in the historic city and the areas around, which go to polls on March 8. Every single paan shop, tea joint and prominent chowks here has groups of people animatedly debating who is going to win and why.

The city's Godolia Crossing, which fell on the route of Prime Minister Modi's road show on Saturday, has several crushed hemp and hemp-mixed "thandai" joints, including Raju Thandai Corner. This popular Corner witnesses a large gathering fiercely debating and exchanging views every evening, that too in the local dialect.



A day after Modi's road show, middle-aged Ram Kumar Yadav said: "Guru, Modi's road show has charged up the atmosphere. There were huge crowds in his road show...looks like Akhilesh-Rahul will be given a run for their money..."



Pat came the reply from Vijay Jaiswal, almost of same age: "O hello, don't under-estimate Akhilesh-Rahul. Did you see the crowd in their road show? It was no less. They had a real impact on the people...or else Modi wouldn't have stayed put in Varanasi for full three days."



Another to join in was Akhilesh Sharma, who added a fresh angle to the debate: "Boss, Bahenji (Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party) is nowhere to be seen, no?"



The fourth participant, Chanchal Vishwakarma, gave an "exclusive information": "Arrey, don't you know? There's a 'setting' between BJP and Behenji...BJP is supporting her wherever they are weak. You take it from me, after polls, they will come out in the open."



"In Pindara seat, BJP is supporting Behenji. Finally, BSP will support BJP (to form the government)..."



Bharatiya Janata Party's Dr Awadhesh Singh, Bahujan Samaj Party's Babulal Patel and Congress' Ajay Rai are contesting from Pindara constituency of Varanasi district.



Jaiswal jumps in: "Bhai, we are also hearing similar things about Congress and BSP. Maybe, that is why they are not talking harshly of each other's candidates. Don't be surprised if Congress backs Behenji to form the government..."



By now, all the four had gulped down their "thandai" glasses, and so pushed off on their motorbikes.



Going by the adage "where there's smoke, there's fire", IANS went round to check the talk and rumours about tie-ups flying thick and fast in the city. It contacted a senior Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary.



Preferring anonymity, the RSS leader said: "We have also heard about such talks doing the rounds in Varanasi, but it's baseless...though we are always ready to support good people. It's election time and it's Holi time...so don't trust all that you hear on the streets."



The Congress leaders also rejected such tie-up possibilities. A state-level leader said: "We are hearing about the possibility of BJP-BSP post-poll alliance. But talks of Congress-BSP alliance are entirely baseless. We have a tie-up with Samajwadi Party, and we will stick to that."



So, if you are in Varanasi these days, do keep in mind: Some talks are only for ears, others may be given some thought, while the rest are mere Holi-eve poll gossip -- flowing out of the 'thandai' glass.
Because National Oreo Day is a thing, perhaps you'll want to pick up a pack from your local bodega. Or you can head to Midtown West today, where The Wayfarer kitchen will offer you their own house-made version instead. But if flapjacks are more to your taste, get ready for National Pancake Day on Tuesday with the Brooklyn Heights outpost of Friend of a Farmer. For lunch, they're offering pancake creations like Old Fashion Pumpkin Pancakes with toasted walnuts ($14) and Westons Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes ($15) beginning at 11:30 a.m.

On Tuesday, donate your money and your stomach at Brooklyn Feeds, a fundraiser for CHiPs and Neighbors Together, working towards fighting food insecurity and hunger in the borough. Over 20 restaurants will be donating a portion of the day's earnings, including Franny's, Chip Shop, Taco Dumbo and my beloved Applebee's.

All month, The Queens Kickshaw will be honoring International Women's Day with a series of fundraising events at their Astoria restaurant. On Wednesdays, they'll dedicate the sales from a selected draft line, donate 25% of all the bar sales, and on Thursdays they'll have female DJs in house. This Wednesday, they're also a stop on the Astoria March, a crawl of female-owned businesses in the area, and they'll be serving a special cocktail and beer for the evening.

Many will be eschewing meat during Lent, so allow some local restaurants to pick up the protein slack with special fish-centered Friday night meals. Del Friscos Double Eagle Steak House New York is doing a five-course feast this Friday ($150 plus tax and gratuity) at 7:30 p.m. with dishes like Achiote Charred Octopus, Alaskan King Crab and Bone-in Swordfish with charred tomato jus, salsa verde and marianted jicama. For dessert: Nutella Bread Pudding, because a little sin isn't a bad thing.
Campaigning for the final phase of the seven-stage Uttar Pradesh assembly elections came to an end at 5 p.m. on Monday, bringing the curtains down on one of the most caustic and bitterly-fought political battles ever seen in recent times.

The last round of balloting on March 8 for the 403-member assembly comprises 40 constituencies in Poorvanchal or eastern Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Sonebhadra and Jaunpur districts.



On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, went to the Gadwaghat Aashram, venerated by millions from the Yadav community, and also visited the ancestral home of the late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at Ramnagar to pay homage to him.



He also addressed a rally at Khushipur in Rohaniya area, winding up an extensive campaign in which he addressed more than two dozen rallies. He urged people to boot out the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress and vote for his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).







Meanwhile, for the SP-Congress alliance, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav addressed seven back-to-back rallies in Poorvanchal, during which he accused Modi of "misleading the people of UP", while Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi ' title=' Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi '>Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi addressed a rally at Jaunpur where he called Modi an "aging leader" and asked people to vote for young leaders.



Gandhi also took potshots at the 'Acche Din' slogan of the BJP, saying the film has flopped.



Akhilesh Yadav's wife and Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav also addressed three rallies in Bhadohi and Chandauli.



BSP supremo Mayawati did not address any rally on Monday and took stock of the balloting so far from her Lucknow bungalow, a party leader said.



The electorate in the seventh round of polling comprises 1.41 crore voters, including 64.76 lakh women. A total of 14,458 polling centres have been set up, a poll panel official told media.



Security forces have stepped up vigil for the last phase as three districts -- Chandauli, Mirzapur and Sonebhadra -- are Maoist-affected.



The maximum number of candidates in the fray are from Varanasi Cantt (24) and the least (6) in Kerakat assembly constituency.



In the 2012 state assembly elections, the SP had swept the region by winning 23 of the total 40 seats. The BSP trailed far behind with five, followed by the BJP with four and the Congress with three. Five seats went to other smaller parties.



Votes will be counted on March 11, along with counting of ballot cast in the Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab assembly elections earlier. The Election Commission has already begun preparations for the vote count at 75 centres across the state.
An Indian national here has said that he was assaulted, spat at and subjected to a racist tirade during a road rage incident in Auckland city, a media report said.

Narindervir Singh said that he was filming from inside his vehicle when the incident happened last week, reported local news service Newshub on Monday.

"I gave him a space ... that lady gave me the finger. He was driving that car (pointing to a white Holden) and now he's trying to threaten me, giving me bad names," Singh said in the video, which was being streamed live on Facebook.



After Singh informed the driver that he's uploading the video live, the situation escalated and Singh was abused, sworn at and told to go back to his own country, the report said.



The abuser, who is seen in video wearing a grey t-shirt, was tail-gating according to Singh, who said he simply pulled over to let him pass. The man also made derogatory remarks about Punjabi people, Newshub report said.



"It really shocked me and after he [left], I was really shaken," Singh told the news service.



"I don't know what to do, it really hurts my heart ... The first thing in my mind was that he might hurt me with some weapon."



When Singh left, he assumed it was all over. But when he parked on a nearby side street, he said the white Holden pulled up once again and the racist rant continued.



Another man, Bikramjit Singh, suffered similar abuse last week as he left a Papatoetoe storage facility, reported Newshub.



A man who claimed Bikramjit was speeding yelled at him, saying: "Go back to your f*****g country - slow down! You know what the speed limit is here."



_SHOW_MID_AD_



However, Bikramjit said he wasn't speeding, is a New Zealand citizen and has lived here for more than a decade.



"[It made me feel] so sad because New Zealand is so beautiful - there are lovely people here."



The man who hurled abuse at Bikramjit ended up apologising in an email.



However, those who work with migrants say such discrimination appears to be increasing, said the report.



"We are seeing it much more openly which is a very serious concern," said Anu Kaloti from the Migrant Workers Association.



"I think societies are becoming more and more intolerant, especially since Trump was elected President of the US."



Both men have filed their complaints with the police.
At least one person was killed and six others injured in a clash between agitating Madhesi Morcha protestors and security personnel in Nepal's southern Saptari district, police said on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Ranjan Mehata, who was shot in the head and died on the spot. Madhesi Morcha has claimed that Mehata was their member.

According to Nepal's Home Ministry, one person died in the clash on Sunday evening, while another was seriously injured and five others, who received bullet injuries in the clash, were undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The ministry claimed that at least two dozen police personnel were injured in the violent clash.

Security personnel resorted to firing after Madhesi Morcha supporters attempted to foil a mass gathering organised by the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxists-Leninists) [CPN-UML] at Gajendra Narayan Singh Industrial Corridor in Rajbiraj municipality under the Mechi-Mahakali campaign.

Security was beefed up in and around the clash area by the ministry after the Madhesi Morcha announced it would obstruct the campaign organised by the CPN-UML. Several parts of the districts were tense since then.

The CPN-UML ' title=' CPN-UML '>CPN-UML has started a 15-day-long east-west campaign from Saturday across the Terai/Madhes areas of Nepal which was opposed by the agitating Madhesi Morcha.

Madhesi Morcha, an alliance of Madhes-based parties of Nepal, has acrimonious ties with CPN-UML ' title=' CPN-UML '>CPN-UML after top CPN-UML ' title=' CPN-UML '>CPN-UML leaders repeatedly called them "anti-national" and "political force run by foreign powers".

After CPN-UML ' title=' CPN-UML '>CPN-UML decided to launch the campaign, the Morcha has been telling it to stop it or face disruption. The Morcha cadres clashed with police while CPN-UML ' title=' CPN-UML '>CPN-UML chairman K.P. Sharma Oli was addressing those present in the mass meeting.

Earlier, six Morcha cadres were injured in a clash that occurred before Oli reached the venue. Two persons were reported to be in critical condition.

The Morcha leaders and cadres burnt tyres and took out demonstrations carrying black flags and sticks since early morning on Monday, aimed at foiling the CPN-UML ' title=' CPN-UML '>CPN-UML mass meeting.
Here are 3 things to think about for Kansas mens basketballs opener

The No. 5 Jayhawks are opening their season Monday. Its the start of their run to try and defend their national championship this past season.
CITY COUNCILS

CARLSBAD

The Carlsbad City Council met Tuesday for a public hearing and approved permits for a proposed four-story mixed-use building, including retail and office uses, and 106 apartments, 16 of which will be affordable housing, on Carlsbad Village Drive. The council also heard a report on public safety in the north beach area, and directed staff to bring back information before summer, including on outreach, lifeguard towers and gate closures. A discussion of permits for a condominium project at Poinsettia Lane was moved to the March 14 meeting.

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ESCONDIDO

The Escondido City Council met in closed session at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday to discuss litigation and property negotiations. In open session, the council authorized a contract with Jeffrey Epp to serve as interim city manager and one with Mike McGuinness to serve as interim city attorney. The council also approved the emergency repairs of a failed storm drain pipe on Encino Drive, and emergency repairs of the sewer pipeline on North Hale Avenue; awarded a bid of $393,802 to Mission Pools of Escondido for the Jim Stone Pool renovation; and heard a presentation comparing Escondidos financial returns and holdings to those of neighboring cities. Staff will bring back proposed investment policy changes. The council also amended some terms of a one-year parking-permit pilot program in the Rose to Foxdale neighborhood. The residents have asked that permits be required in order to park in the area and to discourage outsiders from parking there.

OCEANSIDE

The Oceanside City Council canceled its closed session planned for Wednesday to discuss labor negotiations. In open session, the council held a hearing and approved allocation of the grants in the 2016-17 Community Development Block Grant program budget; and heard an update on Innovate 78 from the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. The council will hold a workshop at 2 p.m. March 8 on preliminary screening for the North River Farms project.

SAN MARCOS

The San Marcos City Council met Tuesday morning at Cal State San Marcos for the mayors 2017 State of the City Address. In the afternoon, the council met in special session at City Hall for a Democracy in Action reception launching this civic-classroom program with Cal State San Marcos. A regular council meeting followed, in which the council awarded a contract for the Citywide Turf Conversion Project to Ciros Landscaping Inc. for $711,513.75, approved rezoning for the Villa Serena property at 339 and 340 Marcos St., and approved an amendment to the Heart of the City Specific Plan and adoption of the Corner@2Oaks project.

VISTA

The Vista City Council met Tuesday for updates on the Central Vista Business Improvement District and the fiscal year 2016-17 Second Quarter Financial Report. The council also approved $18,778 for this years Kites Over Vista public art display from May 2017 through April 2018. The council discussed a general plan amendment and zone change for a proposed condominium development of 61 detached two-story units with private garages at Sycamore Avenue and Watson Way, and offered some suggestions for changes. The city also heard a report by the San Diego County Water Authority about the drought and about the Metropolitan Water Districts appeal of a finding that it had overcharged the authority $524 million over the past eight years. The appeal is scheduled to be heard this spring.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

FALLBROOK

The Fallbrook Union High School District board met in closed session Monday to discuss labor negotiations and litigation. In open session, the board heard and accepted a report on enrollment and staffing projections to be used in the development of the 2017-18 district budget. The board also approved new courses in Computer Information Systems, Networking Fundamentals, Computer-Assisted Design and Smart Home Design, as well as courses within the CTE Advanced Manufacturing sequence.

OCEANSIDE

The Oceanside Unified School District board met in closed session Tuesday to discuss litigation, labor negotiations and the superintendents evaluation. In open session, the board reviewed the superintendents goals for 2016-17 through 2018-19; approved a memorandum of understanding with West Ed to administer the California Healthy Kids Survey; and received its Independent Audit Report for 2015-16.

POWAY

The Poway Unified School District board met in special closed session Tuesday to discuss personnel matters. In open session, the board held a budget workshop.

SAN MARCOS

The San Marcos Unified School District board met in special session Tuesday to review the recruitment brochure for its superintendent search. The board made some changes and approved the brochure. A survey asking for feedback on the superintendent selection criteria will be sent out soon, and forums will also allow the public to give input on what they would like to see in their next superintendent.

laura.groch@sduniontribune.com
Years from now, long after her induction Sunday into the county Womens Hall of Fame, retired federal judge Irma Gonzalez hopes her legacy will be inspiring young Latinas  including her own granddaughters  to realize their dreams.

First and foremost, I am a Latina, and the fact I was the first in many categories, at least in the judiciary, has made me really feel that those Latina women who feel they cant accomplish what they want  yes they can,I say, said Gonzalez, 68, the first Mexican-American woman to become a federal judge.

Now retired from the bench but still involved in mediation and arbitration work, Gonzalez was among six San Diego women honored Sunday in a Hall of Fame ceremony at the Joe and Vi Jacobs Center in Chollas View.

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The former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Gonzalez was selected specifically in the trailblazer category because of the inroads she made during her nearly 30-year judicial career.

I have little grandchildren who live on the East Coast, she said, and I hope some day they can come visit the Womens Museum and see that their grandmother is there, and it would be wonderful for them to know they can accomplish so much in their lives.

Sundays induction, which comes 16 years after the first class of women were honored in 2001, recognizes women in multiple niches, from historian and activist to empowerer and bridge builder.

This years honorees were culled from more than 100 nominees who were then reviewed by representatives of the Womens Museum, the Commission on the Status of Women, San Diego States Department of Women Studies and the Womens Center at UC San Diego.

Its an honor to be here with other phenomenal women who are doing beautiful things in our county, Ebonay Lee, a 30-year-old community organizer, said as a slideshow highlighting dozens of past women inductees played onstage. Because Im beginning my career in community organizing, its important for me to be around these people who I aspire to be half as great as.

For more than 30 years, 2017 honoree Darlene Davies has been documenting the stories of individuals and institutions as a self-described citizen historian. For the last five years, she has been the official historian for the Old Globe and is also known for cataloging the history of the San Diego Advisory Board on Women and the County Commission on the Status of Women.

No matter how much I try to capture stories, theyre disappearing so much faster than Im able to capture them, said Davies, 77, whose first acting role at the Globe came when she was a child. Like all your children, its hard to choose my favorite stories, but its probably the park.

As to womens issues. I tell everyone, I love men, but Im for women because we need to put some extra energy into their causes.

A longtime immigrant rights attorney, Lilia Velasquez confesses shes taken aback by the honor she has received.

It is a huge honor but from my perspective, what Im doing is my my job, said Velasquez, 63. But its also a mission, especially these days with the new immigration policies coming down on a daily basis. Im receiving 85 calls a day from people afraid they will be picked up.

Being an immigrant, I have this affinity with immigrants and understand how they feel, so to receive a recognition of this magnitude for something I love doing is just tremendous gift for me.

Other inductees recognized Sunday were:

-- Joyce Nower (Empowerer), now deceased, who, besides her founding work with SDSUs Womens Studies Department, helped create one of the first womens assistance centers in Southern California.

-- Carol Rowell Council (Empowerer), who also helped create the SDSU Womens Studies Department and the Center for Community Solutions, where she was director for 20 years.

-- Dilkhwaz Ahmed (Bridge Builder), an Iraqi refugee who helps run License to Freedom, an El Cajon-based nonprofit agency that assists victims of domestic violence. She came to the U.S. in 2002 from Iraq, where she ran the Nawa Center, a shelter for abused women.

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lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-2251

Twitter: @loriweisberg
The Marine Corps has shut down a Facebook network that featured hundreds of nude photos of female Marines, and the response to the scandal in Marine circles is decidedly split.

Some are defending the Marines United Facebook page, now apparently shuttered, as a place where combat veterans could go to be real and support each other.

If you havent served, you just wont understand the type of bond this forms. We say and do things amongst our own that wed never say to someone that just couldnt possibly understand, one Facebook commenter said.

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The scandal has also created an outcry among people who say this kind of sexual harassment has no place in the U.S. military -- where Marines are supposed to support their brothers-in-arms, even if they are female.

And some women service members say this incident is more of the same of what theyve experienced for years, in a military that has struggled to quash sexual assaults and hazing.

It is about time! For years now these social media sites have been popping up for the sole purpose of disparaging female Marines, said another Facebook commenter. Its not a locker room, folks, its a professional workplace where women should be able to work and serve their country without wondering whether they are being targeted.

Last year, in a historic first for the American military, all combat jobs were opened to females, and the first women have begun to trickle into these roles. Previously, only men could serve in direct-action roles such as infantry.

Welcome to The Intel, a blog examining the hot military news of the day

The behavior on the Marines United group on Facebook was first exposed by a Marine veteran who now runs a nonprofit journalism site focused on veterans issues.

Thomas Brennans report says:

Since Jan. 30, more than two dozen women  many on active duty, including officers and enlisted service members  have been identified by their full name, rank and military duty station in photographs posted and linked to from a private Facebook page. 

Dozens of now-deleted Google Drive folders linked from the Facebook page included dossiers of women containing their names, military branches, nude photographs, screenshots of their social media accounts and images of sexual acts. Dozens of other subfolders included unidentifiable women in various stages of undress. Many images appear to have originated from the consensual, but private, exchange of racy images, some clearly taken by the women themselves.

The Marine Corps has now launched an investigation into the website, which was apparently frequented by active-duty Marines and Navy corpsmen as well as veterans.

The Marine Corps also exerted its influence with Facebook and Google to close the Facebook site known as Marines United and a Google Drive account where photos were also being viewed.

One Marine veteran who was behind the photos was apparently fired over the scandal. The man, who hasnt been named publicly, was working as a subcontractor for the federal government, according to the War Horse report, which was in conjunction with the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Marine officials released a statement Sunday saying:

The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in Marines United, a closed website. This behavior destroys morale, erodes trust and degrades the individual. The Marine Corps does not condone this sort of behavior, which undermines its core values.

The statement warns that these acts could be in violation of three articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Have you been targeted by Marines United? Email us with your story at jen.steele@sduniontribune.com.

jen.steele@sduniontribune.com

Facebook: U-T Military

Twitter: @jensteeley
An original play coming to CSU San Marcos this week is guaranteed to have a true air of authenticity in its portrayal of homeless people, considering its origin and cast.

Dialogue in Home is based on interviews with residents of Haven House, a year-round shelter operated by Interfaith Community Services in Escondido.

One of the nine actors in the play, the only one not a CSUSM student, is one of the homeless people who were interviewed.

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My script is not a script, said Eric Turpin, 41. Its my life.

Turpin, who has been living at Catholic Charities La Posada shelter in Carlsbad since Jan. 13, has never been involved in theater before and admits it feels a bit strange.

At times I space out, he said. But the students here have been really great. I havent felt out of place like I thought i would.

Judy Bauerlein, an associate professor of theater at CSUSM, said she was inspired to create Home by her mother, who was a strong advocate for homeless people in Philadelphia before her death two years ago.

The concept also fits in well with the universitys theater programs mission to have socially engaging work.

This is just an issue thats close to my heart, she said.

Bauerlein worked with local actress and playwright Hannah Logan, two students and New York-based playwright Aaron Landsman to create the play.

He had this idea that whats really empowering is if you allow the interviewee to have a say in the content, she said about Landsman. He said, Youre going to go in and interview people and just listen to what they have to say.

Bauerlein said she wanted the play to explore how society got to the point where people walk by homeless people without acknowledging them.

We see them, she said. Theyre there. Maybe we stop and give money, or maybe we dont. But weve kind of accepted this condition. We dont need to accept it. How do we make this ethical and moral compromises as we go through our days?

During a rehearsal for the play last Thursday, students worked out an opening scene that shows a homeless person lying on the stage, his back to the audience, while people walk past.

Bauerlein, Logan and two students interviewed people staying at Haven House last year and wrote dialogue based on the talks they had with three people, including Turpin.

No one homeless person is the same, said Dominque Duren, 21, who conducted interviews along with fellow theater major Brianna Dodson. Theyre human. It sounds strange to say, but I feel like a lot of people dont know the homeless are just people, like us. Its just that we treat them so much differently simply because they dont have a home.

Duren said interviewing people at the shelter was a humbling experience and made her more appreciative of the privileges she has.

I think once we start calling homeless people they rather than us, separating them from the rest of society, thats when we hit rock bottom, she said. Were all Americans, and we all deserve the same rights, to be noticed and seen. Its disgusting that we consider ourselves a compassionate society, yet we make invisible those who need to be seen.

Duren said the experience gave her a better understanding about the many causes of homeless.

People can become homeless for whatever reason, she said. That can be loss of a job, fleeing an abusive home or family or significant other, or not being able to pay for rent because their job doesnt pay them enough. It could also just be because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Having become homeless himself, Turpin also said he understands how it can happen to almost anyone.

In his case, Turpin was an Army veteran who had served in Bosnia during the 1990s. After his service, he worked as an electrician in Fresno, where he was living with his young daughter.

Turpin said his life turned upside down in August 2015 when the childs mother showed up and took their daughter.

His focus became trying to find his daughter, and other things fell by the wayside. Around that time he discovered from the DMV that he had two outstanding citations, plus a mysterious ticket for a violation in Texas, where he said he had never been.

He lost his drivers license and was unable to work. Hoping to get back on his feet, he moved to San Diego with a woman who had been a high school friend and was a fellow veteran. After a couple of months at her house, the womans teenage son threw a picture frame at him, and Turpin said he realized he could no longer stay.

Sober, mentally stable and a skilled electrician, Turpin found himself homeless. He spent a few nights in the lobby of an Oceanside post office and was accepted into Haven House in October.

After 11 weeks in the shelter, Turpin went to Fresno for a few days to meet with people at the DMV, but said he then learned he couldnt return to Haven House because of his absence. After another brief period on the street, he was accepted at La Posada.

Turpin said he hopes the play will help people see him and other homeless people in a different way.

Maybe itll open the eyes to some who have shunned me, he said. Theres been many people who have had misunderstandings.

About a week ago, Turpin said he got to see his daughter again and celebrated her 9th birthday with her after Child Protective Services intervened. He also has two people helping him get his license back, and on Thursday he was hired to do some yard work by a another veteran who said he may need him to do electrical work.

His experience at CSUSM also has him thinking about enrolling in college.

Home is just the latest San Diego production that incorporates homeless people. Mesa Colleges annual production Un-Sheltered is based on interviews with people in shelters, and two choirs, Voices of Our City and the San Diego Street Choir, are composed of homeless people.

Home plays Wednesday through Saturday. For tickets, visit https://bit.ly/CSUSMplay.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
News, analysis, and archives on the grassroots in Haiti. Nouvel, analiz, ak achiv sou baz yo an AYITI. Noticias, analisis y archivos sobre el pueblo de Haiti.
San Diego has reached a new five-year corporate sponsorship deal worth at least $530,000 with a vending company that will sell snacks and beverages from machines at more than 230 city-owned parks, recreation centers and other facilities.

The deal with Compass Group USA, which the City Council is scheduled to approve Tuesday, adds to the long list of corporations that have participated in the citys marketing and sponsorship program.

The program, one of the most successful in the nation, has generated more than $20 million for the city since it was created in 1999.

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RELATED: U.S. Open prompts San Diegos first golf marketing deal

Current partners include Toyota, Turfstar, Service Line Warranties, DecoBike, California Coast Credit Union and Zipcar. Previous partners include EA Sports, Ford Motor Company, Evolution Film, Verizon and Sprint.

RELATED: City OKs Matchbox replica vehicles

Compass Group, which is headquartered in North Carolina, became the citys vending machine partner in 2011 when it bought Rainbow Vending, the citys previous partner.

The previous five-year deal, which expired in December, yielded $434,720 for the city in revenue sharing but didnt include a minimum payout.

The new deal includes a minimum payout of least $530,000, a number that will rise if sales of either snacks or beverages reach certain annual targets.

Compass also agrees to provide the city 500 free cases of bottled water, conduct product tastings annually at city facilities with at least 100 employees and allow the city to place ads on vending machines for a small fee.

The company also agrees to meet the state standard of having at least half of the snacks in each vending machine be classified as healthy.

They also agree to use only energy-efficient machines that can accept paper currency and credit cards.

The city also has the option of asking the company to install smart market self-checkout kiosks where the city would receive 10 percent of all sales.

Some of the companys machines include interactive touchscreen options that feature nutritional information, promotions and new products.

Prices will be $4 for energy drinks, $2 for bottled water or soda and $1.25 for canned soda, chips, cookies or candy.

Compass USA will control 238 machines located at city recreation centers, office buildings, libraries, police stations, beaches, parks and hiking trails, such as the Cowles Mountain trailhead.

The councils Budget Committee unanimously approved the new deal last month.

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david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
A motorcyclist died after rear-ending a car and then careening into a vehicle parked on a Lemon Grove street Sunday evening, a sheriffs official said.

The rider was headed north on Massachusetts Avenue about 7:20 a.m. when he crashed into a Toyota Corolla, sheriffs Sgt. Jorge Dueno said. The motorcyclist, who was on a 1992 Harley Davidson, then veered into a parked vehicle and was ejected near Mt. Vernon Street.

He was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his serious injuries. He was not identified.

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The two occupants of the Toyota were not hurt.

Officers suspect alcohol or drugs were a factor in the collision, which is still under investigation.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
Gold Star father Khizr Khan has canceled a scheduled speech in Toronto after being told his travel privileges are being reviewed, according to the event organizer.

It was not immediately clear which government agency contacted him or what was under review. Khan has lived in the U.S. since 1980 and is a naturalized U.S. citizen.

He was scheduled to speak Tuesday at a luncheon hosted by the Toronto-based organization Ramsay Talks.

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The two-hour event was slated to include a presentation and question-and-answer session on what we can do about the appalling turn of events in Washington -- so that we dont all end up sacrificing everything, according to the organizer.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Khan said he was not told why his travel status was under review.

This turn of events is not just of deep concern to me but to all my fellow Americans who cherish our freedom to travel abroad, he said, according to the statement. I have not been given any reason as to why. I am grateful for your support and look forward to visiting Toronto in the near future.

Khan, whose family is Muslim, made national headlines after his fiery speech at the Democratic National Convention, during which he blasted Donald Trumps rigid stance on Muslim immigration.

Donald Trump, youre asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? Khan said before pulling a pocket Constitution from his jacket. I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of law.

Khan immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan in 1980. He and his wife, Ghazala, became American citizens six years later.

Their son Humayun Khan was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq in 2004. The Army captain was running toward a taxi cab approaching his troops when a bomb inside exploded. Khan was killed while the other soldiers remained safe.

Khan received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star posthumously.
California Democrats have talked for months about resisting President Trump, and many of their constituents have demanded it, loudly. With more details about the presidents policies expected to come out in the next few weeks, the states congressional Democrats will get their chance to try to turn that talk into action. At least they hope.

Trump has so far made early policy moves in the form of executive orders and hasnt yet worked within Congress to get his priorities approved.



For the record: This article identifies Rep. Linda Sanchez as the House Democratic Caucus chairwoman. She is the vice chairwoman.

We dont know what next weeks going to bring. Each week its something new that really hurts the most vulnerable, hurts our standing in the world, and really is very dangerous, said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland).

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But the speech Trump made to Congress last week was expected to kick off weeks of congressional activity, starting with efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, and California Democrats  the largest block in the nation  are poised to fight it.

In reality, there are severe limits on what members of the minority party can do to stop legislation from passing in Congress, so it seems the resistance will be televised, as Democrats in Congress use public perception of Republicans, Trump and what the policies could mean for constituents as a bludgeon.

The biggest tool in our toolbox right now is really public sentiment, said House Democratic Caucus Chairwoman Linda T. Sanchez (D-Whittier).

Expect to see Democrats hold more big town halls, write opinion pieces and appear constantly on television. There will be more stunts, like when House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) used dogs Thursday to try to track down Republicans draft of a new healthcare bill in the Capitol.

Weve been trying to stand up on the floor here and try to [explain] some of the terrible impacts, but we are a minority party, said Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach). We cannot at this point stop the legislation. We can highlight to the American public what that legislation is, and what impacts its going to have.

Even though they ultimately cant stop most legislation, Sanchez said Democrats will use every procedural tool they have to slow down or stop the worst of what they will attempt to accomplish.

Members mentioned using up all of the debate time on the House floor or bogging a bill down in committee as ways to delay a vote.

And theyve started trying to force Republicans to take uncomfortable votes, like on Monday when Democrats attempted to force the House to vote on a resolution demanding 10 years of Trumps tax returns. The effort failed 229-185 along party lines, but it was the first time Republicans had to take a recorded vote on the issue.

Sanchez said to expect Democrats to force votes routinely on topics like Trumps taxes and conflicts of interest related to his business. Democrats are just pushing back as forcefully as we can with the tools that are available to us, she said.

Among those tools is taking advantage of Republican missteps. Many California Democrats quickly called for Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to resign when news broke he wasnt honest in confirmation hearings about meeting with the Russian ambassador. Even more moderate Democrats like Rep. Scott Peters (D-San Diego) were fast to call for his ouster.

When it comes to the Affordable Care Act, Democrats are waiting to see if Republicans fail to reach a consensus and then turn to the minority party for help making tweaks to the existing law rather than starting over. Several Californians say they are willing to work on improvements, but cant accept changes to the core tenets of the law or stand for large numbers of Americans losing the healthcare they gained under the law.

For the moment at least, Democrats say theyve been united by the overarching concern over what Trump may do, the expected fights with the administration, and the vocal prodding from concerned constituents.

Ironically, Trump has brought us all together. He might not have been planning to do it in opposition, but he did, said Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles). Youre seeing people with all kinds of issues come together.

sarah.wire@latimes.com

Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter

Read more about the 55 members of Californias delegation at latimes.com/politics

ALSO:

Trump lays out ambitious plans for healthcare and immigration in a disciplined speech to Congress

Red America and blue America saw two very different Trump speeches

Updates on California politics
Newly sworn Housing and Urban Development secretary Ben Carson on Monday referred to slaves as other immigrants who came to the United States in search of dreams and opportunity  and the internet groaned in disbelief.

In his first remarks to HUD employees at a gathering in Washington, D.C., Carson spoke about America being the land of opportunity for settlers and immigrants. And then the awkward moment came like this...

There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less, Carson told the crowd.

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The video and transcript of Carson comparing slaves to immigrants shifted the conversation of the day that mostly focused on President Donald Trumps new travel ban and his claims that the previous administration wire-tapped his New York residence.

Carsons remarks were met on Twitter with shock, anger and ridicule given the fact that slaves were brought to the U.S. against their will, not as immigrants in search of a better life.

I see it, but can't believe it. Ben Carson refers to slaves as immigrants, who came on ships hoping to achieve prosperity. h/t @MindAngler https://t.co/CXkqblLgeh  Dianne Sherman (@dsherman2407) March 6, 2017

Took a lot for Ben Carson to break through the Trumpist noise today. He found a way to do it.  Dan Kennedy (@dankennedy_nu) March 6, 2017

CNN commentator Ana Navarro went on Twitter and said Carson misspoke.

Ok, Carson mis-spoke. Calling slaves, "immigrants" is wrong, wrong, wrong. But all I care about right now is Trump & Russia, Russia, Russia. https://t.co/O9HDzcgVtb  Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) March 6, 2017

The Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, a civil and human rights organization, issued a more searing statement that called Carsons remarks as offensive.

No, Secretary Carson. Slaves didnt immigrate to America. They were brought here violently, against their own will, and lived here without freedom, read a statement from executive director Steven Goldstein.

WE CONDEMN REMARKS of #BenCarson today that slaves are "immigrants." @WhiteHouse we say #BlackLivesMatter and so should you. pic.twitter.com/VuclzYh5Rn  Anne Frank Center (@AnneFrankCenter) March 6, 2017

Others took the opportunity to make funny references to the new Jordan Peele movie Get Out. No spoilers, although these next three tweets will make more sense if youve seen the movie.

After seeing GET OUT, I'm convinced that somebody needs to camera flash Ben Carson.  Zach Heltzel (@zachheltzel) March 6, 2017

For the love of God. Will someone please go flash a light in Ben Carson's face. Bring two phone. He's deep in the sunken place.  Shanita Hubbard (@msshanitarenee) March 6, 2017

Update: Get Out director Jordan Peele dropped in with his own movie reference on Twitter by sharing a photo of Trump whispering into Carsons ear: Now youre in the Sunken Place.

"Now you're in the Sunken Place" pic.twitter.com/e29hs8d60g  Jordan Peele (@JordanPeele) March 7, 2017

We will update this story when Carson or someone at the White House adds clarity to the remarks. In the meantime, chime in with your thoughts and tell us what you think: Was it a slip of the tongue or an egregious claim?

Have some thoughts to share?

Join me in a conversation: Shoot me a private email with your thoughts or ideas on a different approach to this story. As always, you can also send us a tweet.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

UPDATES:

4:50 p.m.: This article was updated with a reaction from Get Out director Jordan Peele.

This article was originally published at 1:15 p.m.
California may be the top U.S. destination for international real estate investment, but buyers often focus on Los Angeles and San Francisco and many never venture beyond the borders of those two cities.

One of the goals of the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS (SDAR) is to widen the lens for international investors and encourage them to take a closer look at the numerous opportunities we have in the San Diego area.

That is why we are excited about MIPIM, the high-profile international property convention that runs from March 14-17 in Cannes, France. More than 21,000 of the worlds most influential real estate professionals will attend the event to learn, network and discover business opportunities outside their home markets. SDAR has participated in MIPIM for the past three years as part of the larger National Association of REALTORS delegation, but this is the first year that the San Diego-Tijuana region will have its own dedicated pavilion on the trade show floor.

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We know there is an enormous amount of unrealized potential in our region, especially in Chula Vista, where urban, mixed-use development is already underway in the 210-acre Millenia neighborhood and where pre-development work has begun at the 520-acre Bayfront redevelopment site. Otay Mesa presents exciting industrial growth opportunities in the City of San Diego, and we have plenty of room for residential investment in pockets all over the county.

Our presence at MIPIM helps us build relationships with international players and spread awareness of the opportunities here, as well as the benefits associated with our strategic location in the binational CaliBaja megaregion. Few, if any, places in the world offer our signature combination of beautiful setting, a highly educated and skilled workforce, and a deep well of untapped manufacturing capacity. MIPIM also is a way for us to let the world know that our high-caliber community of REALTORS has the professional expertise and global perspective needed to effectively serve foreign clients.

Locals have known for years that the CaliBaja megaregion has all the right ingredients for success. Now it is just a matter of spreading that message across the globe.

Bob Kevane is President of the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS.
Carson City, UT -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/06/2017 -- Stephen Hopkins was from Hampshire, England. He married his first wife, Mary, and resided in the parish of Hursley, Hampshire. They had three (3) children: Elizabeth, Constance, and Giles; all baptized there. It has long been claimed that the Hopkins family was from Wortley, Gloucester, but this was disproven in 1998 with the discovery of his true origins in Hursley.



http://mayflowerhistory.com/hopkins-stephen/



Stephen Hopkins went with the ship Sea Venture on a voyage to Jamestown, Virginia in 1609 as a minister's clerk, but the ship wrecked in the "Isle of Devils" (Bermuda). Stranded on an island for ten months, the passengers and crew survived on turtles, birds, and wild pigs. Six months into the castaway, Stephen Hopkins and several others organized a mutiny against the current governor. The mutiny was discovered and Stephen was sentenced to death. However, he pleaded with sorrow and tears. "So penitent he was, and made so much moan, alleging the ruin of his wife and children in this his trespass, as it wrought in the hearts of all the better sorts of the company." He managed to get his sentence commuted. Eventually the castaways built a small ship and sailed themselves to Jamestown. How long Stephen remained in Jamestown is not known. However, while he was gone, his wife Mary died. She was buried in Hursley on 9 May 1613, and left behind a probate estate which mentions her children Elizabeth, Constance and Giles.



Stephen was back in England by 1617, when he married Elizabeth Fisher, but apparently had every intention of bringing his family back to Virginia. Their first child, Damaris, was born about 1618. In 1620, Stephen Hopkins brought his wife and children Constance, Giles, and Damaris on the Mayflower (child Elizabeth apparently had died). Stephen was a fairly active member of the Pilgrim group shortly after arrival, perhaps a result of his being one of the few individuals who had been to Virginia previously. He was a part of all the early exploring missions, and was used as an "expert" on Native Americans for the first few contacts. While out exploring, Stephen recognized and identified an Indian deer trap. And when Samoset walked into Plymouth and welcomed the English, he was housed in Stephen Hopkins' house for the night. Stephen was also sent on several of the ambassadorial missions to meet with the various Indian groups in the region.



Stephen was an assistant to the governor through 1636, and volunteered for the Pequot War of 1637 but was never called to serve. By the late 1630s, however, Stephen began to occasionally run afoul of the Plymouth authorities, as he apparently opened up a shop and served alcohol. In 1636 he got into a fight with John Tisdale and seriously wounded him. In 1637, he was fined for allowing drinking and shuffleboard playing on Sunday. Early the next year he was fined for allowing people to drink excessively in his house: guest William Reynolds was fined, but the others were acquitted. In 1638 he was twice fined for selling beer at twice the actual value, and in 1639 he was fined for selling a looking glass for twice what it would cost if bought in the Bay Colony. Also in 1638, Stephen Hopkins' maidservant got pregnant from Arthur Peach, who was subsequently executed for murdering an Indian. The Plymouth Court ruled he was financially responsible for her and her child for the next two years (the amount remaining on her term of service). Stephen, in contempt of court, threw Dorothy out of his household and refused to provide for her, so the court committed him to custody. John Holmes stepped in and purchased Dorothy's remaining two years of service from him: agreeing to support her and child.



Stephen died in 1644, and made out a will, asking to be buried near his wife, and naming his surviving children.



BAPTISM: 30 April 1581 at Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England, son of John and Elizabeth (Williams) Hopkins.

FIRST MARRIAGE: Mary, possibly the daughter of Robert and Joan (Machell) Kent of Hursley, co. Hampshire, prior to 1604.

SECOND MARRIAGE: Elizabeth Fisher on 19 February 1617/8 at St. Mary Matfellon, Whitechapel, co. Middlesex, England.

CHILDREN (by Mary): Elizabeth, Constance, and Giles.

CHILDREN (by Elizabeth): Damaris, Oceanus, Caleb, Deborah, Damaris, Ruth, and Elizabeth.

DNA HAPLOGROUP: R1b-M269



Contact Adam Green!

c: 801-809-7766

e: g3president@comcast.net



Carson City Nevada General Society of Mayflower Descendant, Adam Paul Green (Ancestor Stephen Hopkins / Gen.No. 86,723) Declares New Geneology Asset Website for Local Enthusiasts http://www.mychocolatepod.com/



Master Christopher Jones and several business partners purchased the ship Mayflower about 1607. Its origins prior to that remain uncertain. Its first documented voyage of record was to Trondheim, Norway, in 1609. Andrew Pawling hired the ship to take a cargo of London goods to Norway, sell them off, and buy Norway goods (lumber, tar, and fish) to return back to England. Unfortunately on the return voyage, the Mayflower encountered a severe North Sea storm and the master and crew were forced to toss most of Pawlings goods overboard to lighten the ship. The home of Master Christopher Jones: Harwich, co. Essex, England.



http://mayflowerhistory.com/



Following that, Christopher Jones seems to have stuck with safer trading routes. The Mayflower made numerous trips primarily to Bordeaux, France, returning to London with cargoes of French wine, Cognac, vinegar, and salt. The Mayflower could freight about 180 tons of cargo. The Mayflower also made occasional voyages to other ports, including once to Malaga, Spain, and twice to Hamburg, Germany.



Upon returning from a voyage to Bordeaux, France, in May 1620, the Mayflower and master Christopher Jones were hired to take the Pilgrims to Northern Virginia. This was the first recorded trans-Atlantic voyage for both ship and master, though Christopher Jones had several crewmembers, including pilot and master's mates John Clarke and Robert Coppin, who had been to the New World before.



The Mayflower was supposed to accompany another ship, the Speedwell, to America, but the Speedwell proved too leaky for the voyage so the Mayflower proceeded alone. Departing on 6 September 1620, the ship was at sea for 66 days, arriving November 9. The ship and crew overwintered with the Pilgrims and departed back for England on 5 April 1621, arriving back to England on May 6.



Christopher Jones took the ship out for a few more trading runs, but he died a couple of years later in March 1621/2. The ship was appraised for probate purposes in May 1624, and was referred to as being "in ruins." It was only valued at 128 pounds sterling, and was almost certainly broken up and sold off as scrap.



The Pilgrims did not leave behind any lists of the items they brought with them on the Mayflower, but historians have used a provision list put together by Captain John Smith (of Pocahontas fame) to take an educated guess. However, in 2012, Caleb Johnson, Simon Neal, and Jeremy Bangs started transcribing and studying a rare manuscript (a page of which is here illustrated) in the possession of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, that was written by one of the investors in the Pilgrims' joint-stock company. This manuscript actually contains several lists of suggested provisions the colonists should bring with them. It is the closest thing we can get to a list of what the Pilgrims would have actually brought.



A summary of some of the key items on the provision lists: http://mayflowerhistory.com/pilgrim-history/



-Food and Drink: Biscuit, beer, salt, (dried) beef, salt pork, oats, peas, wheat, butter, sweet oil, mustard seed, ling or cod fish, "good cheese", vinegar, aqua-vitae, rice, bacon, cider.



-Clothing: Monmouth cap, falling bands, shirts, waistcoat, suit of canvas, suit of cloth, Irish stockings, 4 pairs of shoes, garters. Slippers, plain shoes, little shoes, French soles, sewing needles.



-Bedding: Canvas sheets, bolster "filled with good straw", rug and blankets.



-Arms: Light armor (complete), fowling piece, snaphance, sword, belt, bandoleer, powder horn, 20 pounds of powder, 60 pounds of shot.



-Household: Iron pot, kettle, frying pan, gridiron, two skillets, spit, platters, dishes, spoons of wood, napkins, towels, soap, hand mill, mortar and pestle.



-Tools: Broad hoes, narrow hoes, broad axe, felling axe, steel handsaw, whipsaw, hammers, shovels, spades, augers, chisels, gimlets, hatchets, grinding stone, nails, locks for doors.



Adam Paul Green was born to a multi-talented beauty queen Mother and a Father who, in addition to being a US Army Spy and a Counter-Intelligence Special Agent, was also a highly accomplished entrepreneur. Adam was taught at a young age that, in both life and business, loyalty is a requirement for success. He's had the honor of working directly with his father in several of the family businesses. In fact, this is where he learned crucial entrepreneurial skills and honed his talents with international business strategies and venture capitalism. http://www.AdamPaulGreen.com, http://www.ImAdamGreen.com



Adam earned his Bachelors of Science Degree in International Business and Marketing from the University of Utah. He was hand-picked by the President of the University's renowned School of Business to compete with dozens of other ambitious nationwide-graduates for the opportunity to secure a lucrative job within a prestigious Fortune 100 company. http://www.Twitter.com/AdamPaulGreen



http://www.ImAdamGreen.com



Adam's hard work and creativity helped him land this job of a lifetime. He obtained incredible business experience there and spent years innovating, improving processes and setting sales records. Although this dream job in Traditional Corporate America was a fun challenge for him, and something he truly enjoyed mastering, Adam's natural entrepreneurial spirit kept nudging him to do something more significant with his time and talents. http://www.MyChocolatePod.com, http://www.Facebook.com/AdamPaulGreen



Since 2001, Adam has been involved in the Health and Wellness Industry as a successful Entrepreneur, Broker, Product Developer and Manufacturer of Cosmeceutical products. During his career, he has worked with some of the most recognizable Fortune 500 businesses along with many top international Network Marketing companies. Adam has consistently proven his unique ability to help his clients achieve their goals through creative Distribution-Channel Placement, innovative Product Development and custom Manufacturing. Adam currently owns three profitable businesses.



http://www.ImAdamGreen.com



Admittedly, Adam was not initially a fan of Network Marketing. He did not understand the business model because it was new to him. However, once he learned that the REAL focus of Direct Sales is to help average people get a taste of entrepreneurialism --- with minimal risk and at a low cost --- Adam was absolutely convinced of the potential with Multi-Level Marketing.



http://www.ImAdamGreen.com



About MayflowerHistory.com

MayflowerHistory.com, the Internet's most complete and accurate website dealing with the Mayflower passengers and the history of the Pilgrims and early Plymouth Colony. The website was first created back in 1994 (when the web was still mostly text!) as a simple, but complete, passenger list of the Mayflower. It has grown over the past twenty years as the author, historian Caleb Johnson, has researched and compiled material.



http://mayflowerhistory.com
Teton Village, WY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/06/2017 -- The Cyprus Minister of Education and Culture issued a Decree on January 31, 2017, marked "urgent" to all Directors of Kindergartens and Primary Schools, with specific measures to eliminate and minimize wireless radiation exposure to children in schools. "We have taken the decision to have the wireless network Wi-Fi disabled in all Public kindergartens in Cyprus," reads the Decree. Wireless is to be removed from all Cyprus kindergartens, and wireless installations have been halted in elementary schools and limited to administrative offices.



"The Ministry of Education does not intend to proceed with the installation of wireless points and Wi-Fi access classrooms in elementary schools."



The Decree reminds teachers that wired internet is already available in all classrooms if the internet is needed for educational purposes. Wireless is only to be used, if needed, in the administrative areas of elementary schools, and wireless is not to be used in the classrooms.



However, if the use of Wi-Fi is deemed necessary for a specific educational program, the Decree stipulates that, "necessary measures to protect children should be taken, and wireless access points should remain inactive when not in use for teaching purposes." Furthermore, "the consent of parents should be ensured in advance." The Decree instructs the School Directors to assure parental consent and send a letter to the parents of children who will participate in programs involving wireless technology - informing the parents of the reason and duration of Wi-Fi usage.



Alongside their other campaigns about tobacco smoke and toxic chemicals, The Cyprus National Committee on Environment and Child Health initiated a nationwide campaign several years ago to raise awareness about cell phone and wireless radiation exposures to children. The multimedia public awareness campaign was lauded at an international conference on Wireless and Health held at the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies at Hebrew University in January of 2017, and organized in cooperation with the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and Environmental Health Trust (EHT).



Dr. Stella Michaelidou, President of the National Committee on Environment and Child Health shared public service video announcements and brochures about children and pregnancy at the conference. "This Committee has developed tools that are a model for other countries to follow," stated Devra Davis, PhD, MPH, of the Environmental Health Trust at the conference.



Several countries already have health policies in place to reduce school children's exposure to wireless. Cypress now joins France, Brazil, Ghent in Belgium, and Israel in banning wireless in kindergarten classrooms and enacting strong measures to minimize wireless exposures in elementary schools. France passed comprehensive new legislation in 2015 and has developed tools to inform the public about how to reduce exposure, similar to the efforts underway in Cyprus. Canada's Standing Committee on Health of the House of Commons also issued a report recommending a public education campaign.



In the United States, the Maryland State Children's Environmental Health and Protection Advisory Council recently issued a Report advising the Department of Education to recommend all school districts in the State of Maryland install wiredrather than wirelessinternet connections for classrooms. This action represents the first action of a state advisory body to issue guidance on wireless exposures. In Massachusetts and Oregon, several Bills have been proposed to address the health issues posed by electromagnetic radiation in schools and raised by consumers, researchers and medical professionals as concerns about school wireless exposures gains momentum in the United States.



About Environmental Health Trust

Environmental Health Trust is a 501 C 3 registered public charity with the Internal Revenue Service that is the only non-profit in the world that is both conducting cutting-edge basic and epidemiological research and working with policy makers, physicians, teachers and parents to educate and motivate preventive public health strategies.



http://www.ehtrust.org



LINKS

Decree from the Cyprus Minister of Culture and Education

http://ehtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/Egkyklios-Jan-17.pdf



National Committee on Environment and Children's Health of Cyprus

http://www.cyprus-child-environment.org/easyconsole.cfm/id/12/lang/en



Maryland State Children's Environmental Health and Protection Advisory Council Recommendations

http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/first-state-in-the-nation-maryland-state-advisory-council-recommends-reducing-school-wireless-to-protect-children-777904.htm



Local/State/National and International Policy action on Wireless and Children

http://ehtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/International-Policy-Precautionary-Actions-on-Wireless-Radiation.pdf
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/06/2017 -- At present, there is an ever-increasing demand for electricity among residential consumers for running electrical and electronic products. Several players in the residential generators market are focused on developing advanced generators to stay competitive in this market. This includes the development of eco-friendly generators to reduce carbon footprint.



The report analyzes the global residential generator market in a ground-up manner including market drivers, restraints, and opportunities that will impact the market's growth between 2016 and 2024. The report also overviews the regulatory policies that are in the purview of the global residential generators market.



Browse Market Research Report @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/residential-generators-market.html#



The report presents facts and figures pertaining to the development of the global residential generator market in a chronological order. The analysis of past data and current market trends allow analysts to present a satisfactory opinion of the market's future. The users of the report therefore receive an analytical view of the global residential generator market that can be used to formulate successful business strategies. Using validated analytical tools such as SWOT analysis and Porter's Five Forces, the report presents useful insights on the market's competitive landscape.



Global Residential Generators Market: Drivers and Restraints



The booming construction industry in the emerging economies of Asia Pacific due to economic development is favoring the growth of the residential generators market in this region. New residential buildings are equipped with 100% power back-up for the uninterrupted running of elevators and for residential electrification. The rising disposable income in emerging economies such as India, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia are also anticipated to extend lucrative opportunities for the growth of this market



The development of next-generation generation is a distinguishing trend coming to the fore in the residential generator market. Smart generators are equipped with additional features that are connected to smart devices through the Internet. The other features of smart devices include clean power output, fuel efficiency, longer running times, and quiet operation.



Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2595



Dynamo, homopolar generator, MHD generator, alternator, induction generator, and other rotating electromagnetic generators are some of the types of electric generators.



In residential applications, automatic home standby generator is used for monitoring utility power supply. Generators turn itself on in the event of an electricity outage and supply power to all the areas in the house that are connected to the equipment. The generator switches off itself when utility power is restored. A home standby generator is equipped with an automatic transfer switch; the switch switches between utility power and generator power depending on if there is a power outage or if it is restored.



Global Residential Generator Market: Regional Overview



The global residential generator market is broadly segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as a significant regional market for residential generators due to rapid urbanization in the emerging economies of China and India.



Major Companies Mentioned in Report



Some of the leading companies in the global residential generators market include Generic Holdings Inc., Kohler Company, Multiquip Inc., Generac Power Systems, Yamaha Motor Corp., Cummins Inc., Mi-T-M Corp., Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd., Eaton Corp., Pramac S.p.A., Generac Power Systems, Honda Motor Co. Ltd., TECO-Westinghouse Motor Company, FK Generators and Equipment Ltd., and Stratton Corp. among others.



The global residential generator market can be segmented as follows:



About Transparency Market Research

Transparency 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. TMR's 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, TMR's syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.
Greece is planning to join the world's space race. There will be a Greek Space Agency made and run by public and private effort for the benefit of the country.

Greece is one of the few European countries that has not established a well-organized space agency. Greece will try and join the race, Nikko Pappas, the minister of Greece's Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media said in an interview at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. "The Greek space agency will coordinate public and private institutions in order to make the best use of the country's capabilities in the sector of space and satellite applications," reported Bloomberg.

In 2008, Greece suffered many losses, one of those is their educated people about 500,000 educated individuals have flown the country to find better future in other countries. With this project, Pappas is hoping they could regain Greece draining brains. The project will open up opportunities, like better work for the people.

Not only Greece is going to join the space race but Belgium too, according to Reuters. Belguim will set up a space agency next year. Interfederal Space Agency of Belgium (ISAB) will be set up next year, science minister Elke Sleurs said. This move will help local industries increase their hope to Belgium's 5-percent share of the EU's 7 billion-euro a year space industry, she added.

However, these two countries got nothing compared to Russia. Russia is now accepting people to become their passengers to beat Elon Musk's SpaceX venture, stated Mail Online. Bringing people into space might be commercially available I early 2019 as Russia is also betting on doing it. They even have started selling tickets for 250 grand per individual. KosmoKurs will be bringing six passengers into space for 15 minutes where two-thirds of it people will experience being weightless.

More and more country will open their own space agency and will beat one another. Also, more and more private space companies will try to get money out of people who want to experience living in space.
Mwala, the 41-year-old Kenyan man, has been delivering water to thirsty wild animals like elephants, zebra and buffalo. He has been doing this since he saw the thirsty animals get thinner and thinner.

The pea farmer has been driving for 43 miles or 70 kilometers every day just to give water to the thirsty animals, Mail Online has reported. For six months, Mwala wakes up every day, eats his breakfast then goes to fill up the blue truck with water. Groups of elephant, buffalo and zebra were gathering near him and his truck every day. He has made a hole where he pours the water in. He has poured it directly into the soil before but the water was only sipped in by the soil.

Since November, there was no rain in southern Kenya where the sanctuaries for this wildlife are. Mwala began asking for donations to other people so he could provide water for the thirsty animals. After Mwala saw what happened to the 2009 drought, which killed 40 percent of t he wildlife in the neighboring Tsavo West National Park, he told himself that it should never happen in Taita Hills sanctuary. "It was so sad. I saw it myself and I felt very bad and I said this thing should never happen again," he said.

The animals always come running when they see the truck, they also know the timings. The animals even drink when the truck is emptying if they are super thirsty, said the lodge's assistant manager Alex Namunje. An American friend of Mwala has set up a GoFundMe page, it has raised over $200,000, most of which are only from the past two weeks. People are happy to help Mwala because he is doing a great thing. Mwala is also happy and he is planning to buy his own water truck and dig a borehole in the park.

However, this event can also challenge the water of the locals, Phys.org said. Elephants are one of the largest mammals and they can drink up to 190 liters (400 pints) of water in one sitting. These animals have been going to the locals' houses for water. Not only are the animals finding it hard to survive, but the people too. There have been reports of snakes going into people's water because they are thirsty and wants something to cool their warm bodies.

People need to start thinking of ways to stop the drought. Land rehabilitation should happen, said Jacob Kipongoso, head of the Tsavo Heritage Foundation.
The 16 Psyche was discovered over a hundred years ago and this is an asteroid that is actually very unusual for our solar system. This is one of the most massive asteroids in the asteroid belt which is located somewhere between 2.9 and 3.3 astronomical units.

That is so unusual that NASA is funding a seven-year mission to visit the asteroid with a robotic spacecraft and study it in detail. Now NASA has selected two missions to explore the early solar system, which is known as Lucy and Psyche.

This is an opportunity to explore a new type of world not only rock or ice but of metal said Psyche Principal Investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton report by Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Psyche is the only known object of its kind in the solar system, and this is the only way humans will ever visit a core.

Psyche is an asteroid found between Mars and Jupiter. It is thought to be the core of an early planet. Planets were built up over time as bodies collided in the early solar system. But with Psyche, the outer rock stripped off, leaving the core.

The information shared by ABC News is that the $450-million mission announced by NASA in January. Psyche, also a robotic mission, is targeted to launch in October of 2023. NASA will send a solar-electric propelled craft to study 16 Psyche in progressively smaller orbits. But it will not touch down.

The craft will be loaded up with instruments to analyze the asteroid inside and out. Magnetometers will determine whether 16 Psyche has the magnetic field which would expect of a planetary core Professor Elkins-Tanton explained. Cameras will capture what is expected to be a unique surface topography.

Another interesting point is Spectrometers on the spacecraft will confirm exactly what elements make up the asteroid by analyzing the gamma rays and neutrons it emits. Recently scientists have found that silicate rock makes up the 10 percent of 16 Psyche's surface. NASA experts said that this mission should deliver a glimpse into the early days of o solar system, insights into the process of planet formation, and pictures of a world unlike any other.
A group of wild turkeys was spotted marching in a perfect circle around a dead cat last March 2, 2017. It was seen and filmed by a resident of Massachusetts, who was surprised to see something like this.

These turkeys trying to give this cat its 10th life pic.twitter.com/VBM7t4MZYr  J... (@TheReal_JDavis) March 2, 2017

Jonathan Davis of Randolph, Massachusetts, said that he got three dogs and four fish tanks at home enjoying nature and wildlife. He further said that it is not every day one sees something like that.

Of course, the turkeys are not pagan, yet most of the people who have seen the footage on Twitter said that the incident was like a ritual. Davis tweeted that those turkeys are trying to give the dead cat its 10th life. The video had received 38,000 retweets in less than 24 hours.

So, why did these turkeys encircle the dead cat? According to Tom Hughes, a wildlife biologist from the National Wild Turkey Federation, the reaction of the turkeys to the dead cat is some sort of a combination of curiosity and fear.

"My guess is they are puzzled by the strange behavior of the dead or dying cat," Hughes said. He further said that the turkeys wanted to get a better look, without getting too close. Thus, a circle of turkeys, mostly females, is eyeing the potential predator's carcass, but none of them wanting to get any closer, as noted by National Geographic.

Meanwhile, conservationist Jamie Wyver from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds explained the incident. She told IFL Science this started as typical behavior where the birds are keeping a close eye on a potential predator. She further said that she has seen wildfowl do this with dogs -- as the dog walks along the edge of a pond, the birds swim alongside to watch where it is going. She added that this is a sensible strategy as it means the predator no longer has the element of surprise at its disposal.

In the case of the wild turkeys circling around a dead cat, she said that she was not sure what has happened. On the other hand, hopefully at some point, the turkeys will realize the cat is no longer a threat, according to Wyver.
The President was accompanied by Fernando Chico Pardo, stakeholder in Seattle-based Carrix whose subsidiary SSA International operates PTP, provincial personalities and the state-owned oil Pemex officials.

The ceremony coincided with the opening of traffic between Tuxpan and the port of Tampa, Florida, with the regional shipping company Transgulf, through a weekly connection of 2.5 days, and with the Japanese Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), as part of the itinerary between Galveston bound for Antwerp, Belgium, to transport automobiles.

Mazda has been exporting automobiles on MOL PCCs from Tuxpan to Antwerp since January this year. The quality of the product handling at TPT, lack of congestion, abundance of land, and the short distance from the Bajio region where most automobiles are produced are the main factors driving the shift of the car market from Veracruz to Tuxpan, said TPT general manager John Bressi.

In addition, SSA Mexico and Pemex have signed a MoU to develop an off-loading position for Pemex at TPT that will complement Pemex existing off-load facilities.

According to the most recent business plan of Pemex, the operational capacity of Tuxpan is to be raised to 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 85, 000 (bpd) of products. Pemex-Tuxpan port with SSA Mexico could boost gasoline and distillates imports,

The $375m-710,000-teu terminal was the first automated port to begin operations in Mexico last July with CMA CGM Hammonia Venetia calling the terminal. Tuxpan Port Terminal (TPT) is a subsidiary of Seattle-based SSA International.

The ports 556 m-long quay with a depth alongside of 15 metres makes it the only terminal on Mexicos Gulf Coast able to receive neo-panamax vessels up to 14,000-teu.

Tuxpan is located on the Atlantic coast of Mexico, some 240 km from the capital city in between the ports of Vera Cruz and Altamira. The terminal will also be closer to El Bajio development centre, in the middle of the country, where are concentrated most of the automobile plants that will produce around 4m vehicles by 2017, the majority of them for exports.
The company behind one of only two nuclear power plants under construction in the United States says it's passing on plans for another.

Georgia Power told state regulators last week that it was shelving plans for a possible new nuclear power plant in Stewart County, near Columbus. In a letter to the state Public Service Commission, the utility said it no longer saw any need for another reactor in the next few years.

In 2016, the agency had authorized Georgia Power to spent up to $99 million to study the site as part of its Integrated Resource Plan, a five-year framework for power plants. The company says it can revisit the proposal in its next plan - but for now, "the need date for new nuclear generation has moved outside the current IRP planning horizon," the company wrote.

The decision comes at a rough time for the U.S. nuclear industry, which has seen five reactors shut down in the past few years and is expecting six more to go offline in the coming decade. Cheap natural gas is pricing high-cost nuclear power plants out of deregulated electricity markets in the Northeast and Midwest, leaving the industry arguing that nuclear - which operates without producing planet-warming carbon emissions - should be subsidized like booming renewable technologies like solar and wind power.

RELATED: Here's Why the US Nuclear Industry Is in Jeopardy

Georgia Power doesn't face the same competitive pressures seen in states with deregulated markets. But it's already struggling to complete a two-reactor expansion of its existing Plant Vogtle nuclear power plant near Augusta. The project, which Georgia Power is sharing with three other utilities, is running three years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget.

Vogtle's expansion was further clouded by February's announcement of $6.3 billion in losses at the Japanese industrial conglomerate Toshiba, which owns the US nuclear company Westinghouse - which designed and is building the new reactors. The company also said it wouldn't be building any more American reactors.

Executives at Southern Company, Georgia Power's corporate parent, told stock analysts last week they expect the company to complete the Vogtle project - but that they were ready to step in and finish the job if needed. The company already operates two other nuclear plants, in Georgia and Alabama.

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy hailed the news, calling the plan "a bad deal for the citizens of Georgia."

"The proposed Stewart County nuclear units were nothing more than financial insult to injury on the people of Georgia," Stephen Smith, the green group's executive director, said in a written statement. "We need more oversight on the runaway costs at Vogtle, not another blank check in Stewart County."

WATCH: How Uranium Becomes Nuclear Fuel
In a twist for Martian meteorite studies, it turns out their mineral composition may show that the Red Planet was wet and possibly habitable in the past. It's the opposite of what researchers thought based on past examinations of meteorites, which hinted at a dry and dusty history.

The findings come from studying a synthetic version of whitlockite, a rare mineral on Earth. The research team ran shock-compression experiments to simulate the conditions that happen when a Martian sample is ejected from Mars into space; a fraction of these meteorites then make their way to Earth, where they fall on the surface and are collected.

Scientists studied the sample using X-ray experiments at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source and at Argonne National Laboratory's Advanced Photon Source. Results show that the whitlockite becomes dehydrated and creates a mineral called merrillite, which has been found many times in Martian meteorites.

"If even a part of merrillite had been whitlockite before, it changes the water budget of Mars dramatically," Oliver Tschauner, co-leader of the study and a research professor in the Department of Geoscience at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said in a statement.

If the study proves true of actual Martian meteorites, this would help resolve a discrepancy between meteorite studies and examinations on the planet itself. While meteorite studies showed that Mars was dry, examinations by Martian rovers show abundant evidence of water. Certain minerals (such as hematite) formed in the presence of water. The Curiosity rover has also seen rounded pebbles and other evidence of ancient streambeds.
Press Release

March 5, 2017 STATEMENT OF SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA ON THE POSTING OF BAIL BY SUSPECTS CHARGED IN THE ATIMONAN RUB-OUT CASE On January 2013, thirteen (13) people were killed in an incident in Atimonan, Quezon, allegedly as a result of a legitimate police operation, involving elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), particularly the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP). However, as the PNP's own investigation later revealed, the greater likelihood is that it was "an ambush that was made to appear like a shootout", as "[p]olice investigators had doubts about the positioning of the bodies and firearms" and "it look[ed] as if the bodies and firearms were arranged to make it appear as a shootout."[1] What gave the incident an even graver twist are the reports that "Supt. Hansel Marantan, the deputy intelligence chief of the Calabarzon police, who was in command of the checkpoint and the operation ... has a sister ... who [allegedly] controls jueteng operations in Calamba, Sta. Rosa, Binan, and San Pedro in Laguna", and that "the killings were [apparently] done to eliminate [alleged jueteng lord Vic] Siman, the bitter rival of Marantan-Dinglasan over control of jueteng operations in the province."[2] Not only was the AFP suspiciously included in a so-called "legitimate police operations", but it appears that people were murdered in the guise of law enforcement in order to protect the gambling operations of a police officer's relative. The lower court had already agreed with the findings of the DOJ resulting in the filing of murder charges against those involved, and issued warrants for their arrest in September 2013.[3] Furthermore, the propriety of the filing of charges by the DOJ was affirmed by the Court of Appeals in September 2015.[4] And yet, here we are today, witnessing the release on bail of the suspects: police officers who appear to have used their position to legitimize killings connected with protecting an illegal gambling operation. I cannot help but wonder what is happening to our criminal justice system? It is truly disturbing that, with a change in administration and a change in the leadership of the police force, we are witnessing, not just current cases of killings attributed to the police being whitewashed as "legitimate operations", but even seeing those who were already investigated and charged in the past receive the same "purifying" treatment. I am deeply worried about what this means for our nation. We have police officers accused of killing Filipinos in their homes and in the streets with impunity, shamelessly kidnapping and killing foreign nationals inside the PNP Headquarters, and high-ranking officials and fraternity brothers of the President being implicated in a bribery scandal involving illegal gambling. Are these the public officials and public servants we are supposed to entrust our life, safety and well-being to? Is this what governance and justice is today? Is it any wonder that people's perception of right and wrong; of what is just and unjust; and of who is innocent and who is guilty has been so distorted that they can no longer tell the truth from the lies? As I sit here in my detention cell here in the PNP Custodial Center, I cannot help but feel even greater pity for my fellow Filipinos. I may be the one whose physical freedom is being limited; but it is the Filipino's fundamental rights to life, liberty and security that is truly under attack. I long for the day when we are free of the tyranny of this culture of lies and impunity. ________________________________________ [1] Source: http://bulatlat.com/main/2013/01/18/getting-to-the-bottom-of-the-atimonan-rubout/ (last accessed 3 March 2017). [2] Ibid. citing an Interaksyon.com report. [3] http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/nation/09/20/13/quezon-rtc-orders-arrest-marantan-12-other-cops (last accessed 3 March 2017). [4] http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/719013/ca-affirms-murder-raps-vs-police-in-atimonan-rubout-case (last accessed 3 March 2017).
SEN. JV EJERCITO CALLS FOR JUSTICE FOR DR. DREYFUSS PERLAS

I condemn the killing of Dr. Dreyfuss Perlas, a well-loved Doctor to the Barrio in Sapad Municipality, Lanao del Norte. I condole with his family, medical peers, and with the community whom he served for years. I trust that the authorities will do all they can to bring the perpetrator to justice.

Whether Dr. Perlas' murder was professionally related or not, such violence against medical workers, particularly for Doctors to the Barrios volunteers, undermines the government's effort in providing health care services in marginalized communities. It also mars attempts to entice more doctors to be immersed and serve the poor with this program.
Press Release

March 6, 2017 JV EJERCITO SCORES LASCANAS FOR RECANTING DDS CLAIMS AFTER 'STRIKE 4' Senator JV Ejercito today questioned the motives of SPO3 Arthur Lascanas in recanting his testimony in the Senate after four of his business proposals were turned down by known allies of President Rodrigo Duterte. Ejercito probed Lascanas of his attempts to put up several businesses such as getting a small time lottery (STL) franchise, establishing a customs brokerage, application to operate a van terminal and operations in Davao City, and in supplying a quarry for the proposed 53 kilometer Coastal Road in Toril-Bunawan - all of which Lascanas confirmed were rejected by Duterte men after the October 3, 2016 Senate hearing. "It appears that our witness here ay naka-'strike 4' after his retirement. Wala sa apat na nilakad niyang mga pabor para sa business interests ng Davao Group tulad ng STL franchise, van terminal, quarry, at customs brokerage ay napagbigyan. Kaya siguro nagbago siya ng statement at sinisiraan na niya ngayon si President Duterte," Ejercito today said. He added, "After retirement, Lascanas may have had a lot of expectations that led to his frustration when he was unable to get any of the four business ventures when Duterte assumed power." Lascanas initially denied the existence and operations of the Davao Death Squad during the October 2016 Joint Hearing on Extra-Judicial Killings of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, and the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs. Lascanas retired on December 16, 2016. He recanted his claims on DDS four months after the Senate hearing on February 20, 2017. Ejercito also scored Lascanas for turning back only now from Duterte after retirement and not immediately after his 'spiritual renewal' in September 2015. He also ensured that Lascanas and his FLAG lawyers, who were involved in the 2001 impeachment efforts against former President Joseph Estrada, are not being used for any destabilization plan. "This is just to put it on record. Let us not allow anyone to use the Senate for any destabilization effort," he said.
Press Release

March 6, 2017 Hontiveros files resolution calling for an end to abusive and corrupt Oplan Tokhang As the Duterte government proceeds to resume its implementation of the suspended Oplan Tokhang, Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday filed a resolution calling for an end to the anti-drug campaign, which she branded as abusive and corrupt. Hontiveros, who in a senate hearing called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to suspend Oplan Tokhang, said that the campaign is a widely discredited operation which has cost the deaths of thousands, among them a Korean businessman, and stained the integrity of the Philippine National Police (PNP). On October 18, 2016 Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo was taken from his home in Angeles City. He was brought to Camp Crame and strangled to death allegedly by police officers assigned to the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG). Following the ensuing public outcry, PNP Police Chief Ronald "Bato" De la Rosa suspended all anti-drug operations last January 30, 2017. "The resumption of Oplan Tokhang and project double barrel will only result in more suffering and needless death for our countrymen. Oplan Tokhang has been used by corrupt and abusive policemen as a cover for, among other things, acts of extortion and murder. The president himself has said that nearly 40% of the police force is engaged in illegal activities. Prudence demands that the cleansing of the PNP and regaining the trust of the public be our first priorities. " Hontiveros said. Before its suspension, the administration's war on drugs has claimed over 7,000 lives, 2,555 came from police operations and another 3, 603 unsolved drug-related killings, many presumed to be extrajudicial in nature. "Our message remains the same. The drug problem is a public health issue and should be treated accordingly, using a variety of approaches. If experience of other nations that have implemented a punitive strategy against drug addiction can teach us anything, it is that these strategies do not work," Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros pushes for Senate inquiry on the killing of volunteer doctor

PASAY CITY - Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday filed a Senate resolution calling for a legislative inquiry to look into the slay of volunteer doctor Dreyfuss Perlas.

Hontiveros said that the conduct of a Senate inquiry will help in formulating and enacting measures to ensure the safety and well-being of physicians and medical personnel in rural areas.

Perlas was part of the Doctor-to-the-Barrios (DTTB) program of DOH and was killed by unknown gunmen in Sapad, Lanao del Norte last March 1. The incident was widely condemned by different sectors.

Hontiveros, who personally met Perlas during his DTTB graduation in October 2014, said that the murder is a great tragedy not only to the poor municipality of Sapang, but also the health sector in general.

"The current state of health human resources in the Philippines is characterized by the maldistribution of health professionals particularly doctors which are concentrated in urban centers", Hontiveros' PSR No. 310 read. The situation leaves "a number of rural areas doctor-less which in turn leads to inadequate health care services and poor health outcomes in these areas", it furthered.

Hontiveros remarked that the killing of Dr Perlas undermines the efforts of government to provide access to health care services in rural areas.

"I am one with the health sector community in seeking justice for Dr. Perlas", Hontiveros noted. "The Senate as an institution should not back down on this attack against health and healthcare for our people", she concluded.
Press Release

March 6, 2017 Co-sponsorship Speech of Senator Loren Legarda

The Philippine Innovation Bill

Senate Bill No. 1355, Committee Report No. 42

6 March 2017 | Senate Session Hall Mr. President, foremost, I wish to thank Senator Sherwin Gatchalian for his stewardship and timely sponsorship of Senate Bill No. 1355, which I principally authored. The Philippines has had the enviable status of being the second most progressive nation in Asia during the 1950s and early 1960s. Our country was a model of development, second only to Japan. We were envied as an industrial powerhouse and served as a manufacturing hub for many products - from consumer goods to medical products; cement; textile and fertilizers; as well as steel, for shipbuilding. We assembled automobiles, televisions, and home appliances. Technology and capital from multinational enterprises during this period could have helped develop our inherent capacity for indigenous innovation, but that did not happen. Today, the Philippines ranks 74th out of 128 countries on a range of global innovation indexes that include institutional environment, human capital and research, infrastructure, business sophistication, knowledge and technology outputs, and creative outputs.[1] The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation classifies the Philippines as an "innovation follower" - meaning we do not contribute significantly to the global innovation system. It also means we underinvest in scientific research, and are not willing to embrace needed reforms that could bolster our innovation potential. Being a mere follower is simply unacceptable. The Filipino talent has contributed a number of game changing solutions to the world, including: the first graphics accelerator chip for personal computers invented by Dado Banatao, which allowed data processing to happen at the speed of light;

the medical incubator invented in 1941 by Dr. Fe del Mundo, which continues to save millions of infant lives everyday;

the video phone invented in 1955 by Gregorio Zara, which paved the way for the camera in our mobile phones today;

the development of nine rice breeds in 1966 by Dr. Rodolfo Aquino helped prevent famine in much of Asia and helped make Thailand and Vietnam the world's leading rice producers, a spot once solely occupied by the Philippines;

the moon buggy, invented in 1968 by Eduardo San Juan, then a project leader for NASA in the buggy development; and so much more. These outstanding achievements, long delivered before other economies achieved their economic status today, show that if we put in place a firm and explicit commitment to innovation, we can turn things around. More recently, a 15-year old Filipino-Canadian student, Ann Makosinsk, inspired by her friend's difficult plight as a student in a village without electricity in Mindanao, developed a flashlight that generates light from body heat. There are numerous inspiring stories from other countries. South Korea's transformation from a country in ruins after the war into one of the richest economies in the world today is rooted in its systemic approach to building a knowledge-based innovation economy. The Research and Innovation Council of Finland, headed by its Prime Minister, plays a crucial high-level role in coordinating education, research, science and technology, and innovation policies. More than 50 other countries have similar innovation councils. We have none. Taiwan has 19 state-created research institutes that contribute to designing and implementing industrial policy. Their research institute holds more than 14,571 patents and its personnel produce an average of five new patents every day. Canada, guided by its goal of becoming the most innovative country in the world by 2030, adopted the model of networked clusters. Specializations within localized industries are fostered through collaboration among universities, SMEs, and government. The Philippines, on the other hand, has 32 laws related to science, technology and innovation. At least 15 agencies pursue their respective innovation programs with very weak coordination. The recently-adopted Ambisyon Natin 2040 has identified innovation as one of three major components of fostering economic growth, along with infrastructure and competition. Innovation efforts, however, can no longer be directed at broad national development outcomes. We need a well defined, explicit vision for the country that places innovation in the context of where we want to be in the mid- to long-term. Our innovation agenda needs to transcend the term of political administrations. This measure will help fulfill that, together with improving innovation governance. It will help create an ecosystem that facilitates and supports innovation and entrepreneurial growth, in cooperation with all stakeholders, including academe and business. It will support inventors, so that intellectual theft against the likes of Dr. Abelardo Aguilar, who discovered erythromycin in 1949, will not happen again. Mr. President, my distinguished colleagues, the proposed Philippine Innovation Act is about making strategic, reasoned priorities. I enjoin you to support this measure. Thank you.*** ________________________________________ [1] Global Innovation Index 2016 report. Johnson Cornell University, INSEAD, World Intellectual Property Organization.
Press Release

March 6, 2017 SENATE DOUBLING MATERNITY LEAVE, A GREAT GIFT ON WOMEN'S MONTH: PANGILINAN MANILA - The Senate, voting 22-0, on Monday approved on third reading the Expanded Maternity Leave Act (Senate Bill 1305), granting working mothers 60 more days of maternity leave, or a total of 120 days, regardless of whether the birth is normal or caesarean. Solo parents get 150 days of maternity leave. "Ang gandang regalo nito para sa International Women's Month. Salamat kay Sen. Risa Hontiveros para sa pagtulak at pag-shepherd sa panukalang ito sa kanyang komite(This is a great gift on International Women's Month. We thank Sen. Risa Hontiveros for pushing and shepherding this measure in her committee)," said Liberal Party president Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, who was among the first senators to file a similar bill in this 17th Congress. In his original proposed measure, Pangilinan wanted to increase the maternity leave by 150 percent from 60 days to 150 days. "Makakapagpahinga at makaka-recover na nang husto ang mga bagong panganak. Masisiguro na ring maaalagaan nang mas mabuti ang mga bagong silang (The new mother would now be able to rest and recover more fully from childbirth. The baby will also be well cared for)," Pangilinan said. The bill amends Republic Act 1161 or the Social Security Act of 1997, which currently grants a 60-day (for normal childbirth) to 78-day (for caesarean) maternity leave for employees in the private sector. The current law is below the international labor standard on maternal protection that recommends 14 weeks or 98 days of maternity leave. BENEFITS Under the proposed law, also allowed is an additional maternity leave of 30 days without pay, provided that the employer is informed in writing at least 45 days before the end of her original maternity leave. Other important provisions of Senate Bill 1305 are: The full payment shall be advanced by the employer within 30 days from the filing of the maternity leave application.

Workers availing of the maternity leave period and benefits must receive not less than two-thirds of their regular monthly wages. "This cash benefit should allow her to maintain herself and her child or children (in case of multiple births) properly in health and in overall well-being," Pangilinan said.

Employers from the private sector shall be responsible for payment of the salary differential between the actual cash benefits received from the Social Security System (SSS) by the covered female workers and their average weekly or regular wages, for the entire duration of the ordinary maternity leave, with some exceptions.

Employees who avail themselves of this benefit shall be assured of security of tenure. This cannot be used as basis for demotion in employment or termination. The transfer to a parallel position or reassignment from one organizational unit to another in the same agency shall be allowed, provided it shall not involve a reduction in rank, status, or salary. Various studies show the positive health impacts of paid parental leave on the health of children and mothers. In the bill he filed last July, Pangilinan cited the Public Health Reports from 2011, which said that an increase in the length of paid maternity leave can reduce infant mortality by as much as 10 percent. Paid maternity leave also increases the likelihood of infants getting well-baby care visits and vaccinations, and the rate and duration of breastfeeding which is known to be very beneficial to the health of mothers, the report said. The expanded maternity leave proposal is among the first 10 bills filed by Pangilinan for the 17th Congress. Some of the others are the Sagip Saka bill, the Free Wi-Fi bill, and the measure creating the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
Press Release

March 6, 2017 Explanation of Vote: Expanded Maternity Leave Act

Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph G. Recto Mr. President, my dear colleagues: A wag once said that if men were to get pregnant, "maternity leave would last for two years with full pay, and morning sickness would rank as the nation's number one health problem." Hopefully, the passage of this bill won't lead to the mass agitation by menfolk for parity, as parental leave today is a short 7 days. But there's a good reason for that, Mr. President. Maternity is a matter of fact. Paternity, however, is a matter of opinion. Seriously, I hail this bill for the many bests it brings out of this institution. It is a fruit of bipartisan push. It is a testament of our ability to multitask, that we can conduct high-profile investigations at the same time we quietly craft wise legislation. It is a demonstration of the Senate tradition to champion progressive laws. In whatever era, whenever the Senate pushes the envelope, the status quo pushes back. But in the case of this bill, any hostility, if any, from business and capital, is answered by the exemptions that this bill provides. Leeway is given to distressed companies, to retail and service companies with less than 10 employees, to microbusinesses whose total assets do not exceed P3 million, to firms who are already giving the same benefits. The rationale for these is simple: Maternity benefits should be calculated in a way that should not cause businesses to abort their operations, especially businesses still in incubation. This bill is past its due date. This should have been delivered a long time ago. On the macro level, longer maternity leaves do no harm to the economy. On the micro level, longer maternity leaves make both the baby and the mother healthy and happy. And the father, in many aspects, benefits, too. On this, there is one innovative section in the bill worth mentioning. Under Section 6, a mother entitled to maternity leave benefits may opt to allocate up to 30 days of said leave credits to the father of the child, whether they are married or not. This is the best pasa-load app ever invented. And a fair one too, as it does not impose the burden of matrimony. I can sense that this section was inspired by that line in Nancy Smith's famous poem which says: "For every woman who feels 'tied down' by her children, there is a man who is denied the full pleasures of shared parenthood." Let me further extol some of the related provisions. One is that, if the father of the child is absent or incapacitated, the leave credits can be transferred to a qualified caregiver. Another is that a solo mother is entitled to 30 more days of maternity leave. Mr. President, my dear colleagues: Birthing progressive legislation has always been marked by resistance and attended by pain. And when it comes to laws that affect women, the gestation is counted not in trimesters but in years. Filipinas only got the right to vote 70 years ago on April 30, 1937, after years of struggle, marked by defeats, by our brave suffragettes, and the country even had to hold a national plebiscite to ratify a right that was basically theirs. Two years later, in 1939, the 8-hour-workday law was passed. And in 1941 came the first maternity benefits law, the Commonwealth Act 647. Both have to hurdle opposition--vilification even--and the breakthrough came only after a tireless campaign by labor and women's groups who have to fend off criticisms that both laws were radical. But the ensuing years would later uphold as reasonable and fair and just what was seen as radical then. Mr. President, my dear colleagues: Any step that lightens the burden for women, and lights the path for the full development of their being, benefits humanity. Husbands, brothers, fathers and sons too. As Nancy Smith, in the same poem, beautifully said: "For every woman who takes a step toward her own liberation, there is a man who finds the way to freedom has been made a little easier." I vote yes to this bill. I congratulate the sponsor. I call for its early signing by the President.
Another slow news day, huh?

It is 10:06 a.m., and the editorial staff at Mother Jones in San Francisco is huddled around a conference table, hunching over laptops and scrolling through phones as the stalwart magazines daily planning meeting kicks off.

On the phone are the magazines Washington, D.C., and New York offices, filling in their West Coast counterparts about the key developments of the day. Daniel Schulman, deputy Washington bureau chief, was being sarcastic in his quip about the sluggish pace of the news cycle.

That morning, troubling reports emerged that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had held meetings with the Russian ambassador before the November election, a time when Moscow was accused of interfering in the presidential race.

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Show More Show Less



The Sessions story was thrown onto a spreadsheet, alongside other forthcoming pieces tentatively titled Is Sessions immune from prosecution, DeVos impact on the states and Trump/Russia TKTK, a publishing-industry placeholder meaning more to come.

Much more is to come, the editors hope. When Mother Jones was founded 41 years ago, there were no discussions about how to optimize stories for social media exposure, but the voice  solidly liberal, or, as top magazine staffers prefer, progressive but nonpartisan  remains much the same, as does the mission of delivering hard-hitting investigative journalism.

Editor in Chief Clara Jeffery describes the Mother Jones voice as your smart, savvy, sometimes sarcastic friend who knows a lot about politics and current events and really cares about whats happening to our democracy.

Given the banner year Mother Jones had in 2016  capped off by its designation as the 2017 Magazine of the Year by the American Society of Magazine Editors  it seems that news consumers are listening.

As a nonprofit organization that relies on subscriptions and donations to make up 70 percent of its operating budget, the magazine is poised to reap the rewards of a shift in the way journalism is paid for. As the Trump administration ramps up its antagonistic posturing toward the media, calls have gone out across the country for the public to provide direct financial support to media outlets providing essential journalism.

The climate could not be better for them right now as a progressive publication. The winners in this political situation are comedians and Mother Jones, said Rebecca Lieb, a media industry analyst. There is a real consciousness emerging that people need to support independent news.

For November through January, the magazine saw a 160 percent increase over the same period a year ago in small donations, typically $20 to $50. It also tripled revenue from donors who have signed up for recurring monthly payments, and had a 72 percent increase in Web traffic in January over the same month last year. Whats more, the number of Web viewers who subscribed to the print magazine, which comes out every other month and has a circulation of around 200,000, also tripled.

Taken together, that support has helped Mother Jones bolster its editorial ranks by 30 percent over the past 12 months, Jeffery said. The magazine brought in more than $13.5 million in revenue in its last fiscal year.

People want to reward the work thats being done and decouple as much as possible from the dynamic by which just clicks or ratings are driving journalism to the bottom, she said. At this moment, people very much feel the need for probative, investigative journalism in particular. If you want this stuff to stick around, you have to support it.

Kate McKinley of Oakland said she became a Mother Jones subscriber after President Trumps inauguration, though she had been a reader for some time before that.

This was the first time I thought, Theyve been so consistently good that I owe it to myself to subscribe, she said. It just popped up in the zeitgeist that we need to actually subscribe if we want good reporting. We need to really support it. That should have been a no-brainer.

Mother Jones was thrust into the spotlight in June after publishing a powerful investigative expose of the nations private prison system. The 35,000-word story was written by Oakland reporter Shane Bauer, who spent four months working undercover as a guard at a Louisiana correctional facility.

The story won numerous awards of its own, but beyond the accolades, it also provided Mother Jones with an opportunity to pull back the curtain on the enormous amounts of time and resources needed to produce the piece. In August, Jeffery and Mother Jones CEO Monika Bauerlein penned an article explaining that Bauers story cost the magazine an estimated $350,000  roughly $10 per word.

Shanes prison project took more than 18 months. That included four months in the prison and more than a year of additional reporting, fact-checking, video production, and legal review, including work by more than a dozen other people on the (Mother Jones) staff. And that was the only way we could have gotten that story, Jeffery and Bauerlein wrote.

It was all a way to say, We have a model here that we think can provide a road map for how were going to pay for journalism in this country, Bauerlein said. We didnt realize how much that was going to feel apropos later, she said.

As the media landscape has evolved, its become clear that in-depth, quality journalism is not going to be supported by magic fairy godmothers appearing from somewhere. If theres going to be investigative reporting, its going to be supported in part by the audience, she said.

Along the way, Mother Jones has borne other costs of journalism, spending $2.5 million to successfully defend itself against a defamation lawsuit by Idaho billionaire Frank VanderSloot, who said the magazine falsely depicted him as an opponent of gay rights. In reporting on the court victory, the magazine suggested VanderSloots suit was politically motivated.

Both nonprofit journalism outlets and major for-profit operations like the New York Times, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal have all reported a bump in subscriptions in recent months, thanks in many cases to renewed attempts to appeal directly to readers for support. The New York Times, for example, aired its first television advertisement in seven years during the Oscars ceremony.

Theyre making the plea that journalism should have made a long time ago, which is, if you want quality journalism to exist, youre going to have to pay for it, Jeffery said. In the future, I think we could ultimately be looking at a situation where we do have more of those major publications reconstituted as nonprofits.

Gordon Witkin, executive editor of the Center for Public Integrity, said his nonprofit investigative journalism organization saw a surge in donations toward the end of last year. We always run a year-end fundraising campaign, but in 2016 what we raised in individual fundraising was double our goal, Witkin said.

He declined to say precisely how much was raised, but he attributed the rise in donations to the 2016 election and the new administrations feelings toward the role of journalists.

There seems to be an audience right now for our brand of nonprofit investigative journalism, he said.

People want to support facts  not alternative facts, Jeffery said.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa
In my last Ask the Judge column I pointed out how important Supreme Court nominations are. Since that time, President Trump has nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Lets take an objective look at Judge Gorsuchs qualifications.

Gorsuchs educational background

Judge Gorsuch grew up in Denver, Colorado, but graduated from Georgetown Preparatory School, received a B.A. from Columbia in three years Phi Beta Kappa (which only recognizes students in the top 10 percent of their class). Gorsuch then attended Harvard Law School, graduating cum laude (top 25 percent of the class). Not one to rest on his laurels, Gorsuch then received a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oxford. Clearly, Gorsuch checks all the boxes in the education department.

Gorsuchs legal career

Gorsuch first clerked for a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals (D.C. Circuit) and then clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy. I once heard a quip that the US Supreme Court is the place where the best and brightest lawyers in American go..and clerk. For the next ten years Gorsuch practiced law with a Washington, D.C. law firm, making partner after three years. Gorsuch was then appointed Principal Director to the Associate Attorney General in the Department of Justice, before he was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit by President Bush, where he has served the past ten years. Gorsuch was deemed well qualified by the American Bar Association, and was confirmed to the 10th Circuit by a unanimous voice vote by the Senate. Clearly, Judge Gorsuch has checked all the boxes for a stellar legal career.

I am not sure how a U.S. Senator decides how to measure the qualifications of a judicial candidate. If it is on tangibles like education and legal career, Gorsuch would be hard not to support. It would be difficult to find finer education and career credentials.

Gorsuchs legal philosophy

While it is sometimes risky to look at a few decisions over a ten year judicial career and come to conclusions, several of Judge Gorsuchs opinions tell us something about his judicial philosophy. Judge Gorsuchs most famous decision is Hobby Lobby Stores v. Sebelius (2013), where Gorsuch concurred in an opinion finding the Affordable Care Acts contraceptive mandate on a private business violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. This indicates Gorsuch believes in religious freedom. This ruling was affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court 5-4 in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2014).

In an interesting case where Justice Scalia and Justice Ginsberg agreed with Gorsuch in a dissenting opinion together, Reynolds v. United States (2012), Gorsuch argued a federal act possibly violated the non-delegation doctrine, essentially finding federal agencies cannot be delegated too much power by Congressional fiat.

I have a good college friend who has a plaintiffs civil practice in Colorado. He is a staunch Democrat. He praised Judge Gorsuch as a mainstream conservative who follows the law, and is known as a nice guy.

Summary

Judge Gorsuch believes judges should follow the law, not make it. That policy decisions are up to Congress, not Courts. Gorsuch favors states rights over federal rights, and believes the Constitution should be given its original intent, not to be changed based on todays mores. Importantly for Montanans, Gorsuch is a fellow Westerner. In the end analysis, I believe the selection of Judge Gorsuch is a home run. He will make an excellent Supreme Court justice and should be confirmed without delay.

Judge Russell Fagg has been a State District Court Judge for 22 years, handling over 25,000 cases. Fagg served two terms in the Montana Legislature and is past president of the Montana Judges Association.
Its hard enough for guys like us whove been here so long to find an identity. I can imagine Chan Hung  somebody from China, coming over here trying to find himself.

So says Jo, an American-born Chinese taxi driver in San Francisco, lamenting the mysterious fate of his friend in Chan Is Missing, Wayne Wangs seminal 1982 debut and the first Asian American indie film. Chans nephew Steve scoffs, That identity s, thats old news.

The full exchange, a frank assessment of the complexity of Chinese American personhood, looked clearer than ever Thursday night, March 2, during a retrospective at Berkeleys Pacific Film Archive. The film was shown on a new 35mm print, followed by Wangs hidden gem, the 1988 short Dim Sum Take Out.

The new print, a rare occurrence for a black-and-white film, was a treasured sight for the packed audience, some of whom had seen it only in a fuzzy YouTube version if not during its limited art house run 35 years ago.

It premiered in one theater in the Upper West Side, Wang said a week earlier at an interview at a restaurant at the Scarlet Huntington Hotel in San Francisco. And I walked up there with some friends after dinner, thinking, Oh this is going to be interesting. Then we saw the line was literally around the block.

Indeed Chan Is Missing holds an unlikely presence in film history. With a shoestring budget, Wang and a bare-bones, all-Chinese crew with day jobs provided mainstream cinema its first Asian American perspective. In 1995, it was inducted into the National Film Registry.

The film observes cabdrivers Jo and Steve, wandering around San Francisco as amateur detectives searching for their lost acquaintance. But Chan Is Missing is a truly unique amalgamation of noir flavor, a cinema verite shooting style and an all-Asian cast pondering American identity and China-Taiwan geopolitics.

The film is also a veritable love letter to San Francisco, where Wang still resides, with much of the film shot on the fly in the streets of Chinatown. During the post-screening Q&A, Wang rambled enthusiastically on the few restaurants in the city still serving authentic Chinese cuisine.

A reflection of the varied spectrum of Chinese-ness Wang observed in Chinatown, Chan not only spoke on Chinese American identity, but more shrewdly, the confusion and fluidity of it. Aside from simply pushing Asian faces to the fore, it was the first film to depict Asian Americans, let alone Chinese Americans, as three-dimensional, complex individuals rather than the one-note caricatures often dominating the screen (its very title riffs on the popular Charlie Chan film character).

But the endurance of the films aesthetic and thematic freshness 35 years later is a testament to both the incredibly daring and inventive nature of Wangs debut, along with the sad reality of the failed progress of Asian American cinema since.

Representing the Chinese American experience, in its sundry textures, has always felt like Wangs responsibility and ambition  especially with nobody else willing to do it  among a decades-long career that has spanned from the indie and art house scenes to the Hollywood mainstream (Maid in Manhattan, The Last Holiday). Yet following the unexpected success of Chan and the even bigger The Joy Luck Club, the 1993 adaptation of Amy Tans famous novel, nothing ever truly shifted in Asian American representation.

I pretty quickly realized that the Hollywood people were just kind of flirting with the flavor of the week, Wang said in the interview. These days, even coming from an established filmmaker like Wang, notions of Asian leads and stories from Asian American perspectives arent seriously considered in industry boardrooms.

Amid the current heightened call for diversity in Hollywood, change seems especially opportune. Yet in a paradoxical twist, part of the problem is mainland Chinas own blockbuster interests.

I would say half of the money going around Hollywood these days is from China, Wang told the audience. And the sad thing is that they make films like The Great Wall. They have no interest in supporting, lets say, even The Joy Luck Club.

But as insular as studios may remain, Wang puts responsibility even more heavily on the shoulders of the new generation of Asian American filmmakers and audiences to create and support authentic stories.

You need people who are willing themselves to put something down on paper that they really believe in  a story they have to tell, Wang said in the interview. I look at Moonlight, and I go, this guy really needed to tell this story. Youve got to be in pain.

Wang, now 68, has continued to lead the way with Chinese American pictures such as 2007s A Thousand Years of Good Prayers, and he is developing a television adaptation of The Joy Luck Club with a major network. But its going to take a collective, aggressive effort, he believes, to produce lasting change.

Maybe because Ive been in the industry, and Im older and I dont have time to settle for less, Wang said. In my mind, if I do something and I encourage you to do something, we should do something really authentic, really powerful. Its not like we dont have the stories to tell. We do.

As the Berkeley evening drew to a close, an audience member recalled her excitement first watching Chan Is Missing for its all-Asian cast.

And here we are today, 35 years, she said, unintentionally stating a grim truth. The audience laughed and applauded as Wang replied, Well, thank you for coming back.

Brandon Yu is a Bay Area freelance writer.

Online extras

To see a trailer of Chan is Missing: https://vimeo.com/183893432

To see a trailer of The Joy Luck Club: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nYDMp1LdT8
While the Trump administration ponders a revised version of its attempt to bar anyone from a group of majority-Muslim countries from entering the U.S., the president insists  to the bewilderment of legal analysts  that he will keep defending the Jan. 27 travel ban that federal courts have blocked.

The endorsement by President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence of a dual-track approach  defending the first executive order in court, even while issuing a new and presumably narrower order  contradicts the Justice Departments assurance to a federal appeals court in San Francisco that the president would rescind his Jan. 27 decree. It also creates new uncertainties for courts, would-be immigrants and plaintiffs challenging the travel restrictions.

Simultaneously presenting two conflicting executive orders on the same subject is nonsensical, said Pratheepan Gulasekaram, a professor of immigration and constitutional law at Santa Clara University. If youre not rescinding the old order, its not clear which one governs.

A dual-track approach makes no sense to me, said Stanford Law Professor Michael McConnell, a former federal appeals court judge who generally supports broad presidential authority on issues of foreign policy and immigration.

After denouncing the courts that blocked his first executive order, Trump said initially that he would issue a new order by Feb. 22 designed to meet all judicial objections. The administration has postponed that date at least twice amid reports of ongoing revisions. The revised order is now expected as soon as Monday.

The original Jan. 27 order imposed a 90-day ban on entry of anyone from seven nations  Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen  and a 120-day prohibition on all admission of refugees, who have been cleared by U.S. officials after fleeing violence or persecution in their homelands. Refugees from Syria were to be excluded indefinitely, and the order also said religious-minority refugees would be given future preference, a provision that Trump said was meant to rescue persecuted Christians.

Trumps order said the temporary bans were needed because deteriorating conditions in certain countries due to war, strife, disaster, and civil unrest increase the likelihood that terrorists will use any means possible to enter the United States. It said the government would use the ban to ensure the proper review and maximum utilization of available resources for the screening of foreign nationals, and to ensure that adequate standards are established to prevent infiltration by foreign terrorists or criminals.

The order remained in effect for a week, causing havoc at airports at home and abroad and revocation of between 60,000 and 100,000 visas, by varying government estimates, before it was blocked by a federal judge in Seattle. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld the judges order on Feb. 9, rejecting the Justice Departments argument that courts lacked authority to review a presidents national security decisions.

Since then, numerous media reports, citing unidentified administration sources, have said the revised order would not apply to legal U.S. residents or people in the targeted nations who have already received U.S. visas. Iraq, whose soldiers and translators are aiding a U.S.-backed campaign against the Islamic State, reportedly will be eliminated from the list. Also to be dropped, according to media accounts, are the indefinite ban on Syrian refugees and the preference for religious minorities.

A week after the appeals court ruling, the Justice Department said in a court filing that Trump intends in the near future to rescind the (Jan. 27) order and replace it with a new, substantially revised executive order.

But on the same day, Trump said at a news conference that he would continue his defense of the original order in the San Francisco appeals court, hopefully winning that. A week later, presidential press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters the administration would follow a dual track in support of both the the old and new executive orders.

And on Wednesday, Pence told a CBS interviewer that Trump was determined to not only defend the first executive order in the courts, which we continue to believe is fully within his purview and his presidential authority, but also to take that authority that is undisputed in the law with a new executive order.

The appeals court has rejected the Justice Departments request to postpone further proceedings indefinitely on the legality of the original executive order  clearly a response to the mixed messages the court was receiving, said Robert Chang, a Seattle University law professor and executive director of the schools Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality.

The departments lawyers failed to perform their duty to inform the court of the administrations turnabout, said Chang, whose center has filed arguments in other courts opposing Trumps order.

He said plaintiffs in the court cases, including the states of Washington and Minnesota, would be revamping their arguments to challenge both the original and impending orders and seeking to preserve their legal standing, or right to go to court  perhaps by identifying students or scholars in the targeted countries whom their universities want to recruit but who do not have U.S. visas.

The dueling orders pose many other questions, Chang said: For example, if the government persuaded courts to reinstate the original order, would the revised order be rescinded so that the travel ban again applied to visa holders, legal residents and Iraqis?

In the meantime, said Santa Claras Gulasekaram, because they have not rescinded the first order, it continues to be a live legal issue for courts to review.

One likely explanation, he said, is that Trump has an issue accepting defeats, criticism or any castigation by the court, and rescinding the (original) order would be a very public loss.

The Associated Press

contributed to this report.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
President Trump signed a revised travel order Monday morning behind closed doors in the Oval Office that takes Iraq off the list of countries whose citizens are banned from entering the United States for 90 days.

People from Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and Libya  with one notable exception, Iraq  will be banned from entering the U.S. for the next 90 days unless they already have a valid visa.

Iraq was removed from the list of banned countries after the government reached an agreement with the Trump administration to cooperate with the U.S. government on the vetting of its citizens.

Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state, Jeff Sessions, the attorney General, and John Kelly, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, announced the details of the travel order in a news conference at the White House Monday morning. They did not take any questions from reporters.

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This revised order will bolster the security of the United States and her allies, Tillerson said.

His sentiments were echoed by Sessions who emphasized that the Department of Justice believes that this executive order, like the first exec order, is a lawful and proper exercise of presidential authority.

Like every nation, the United States has a right to control who enters our country and to keep out those who would do us harm, Sessions said. This executive order seeks to protect the American people, as well as lawful immigrants.

Saad al-Hadithi, an Iraqi government spokesman, said the decision to revise the travel order sends a "positive message" and shows that there is a real partnership between Washington and Baghdad, according to the Associated Press.

More for you What You Need to Know About the Temporary Hold on Expedited...

Under the new travel order, which will go into effect on March 16, the Department of Homeland Security will conduct a review of information given to the U.S. from the six countries for all visa and immigration requests.

The new order will also halt the U.S. refugee program for 120 days  capping the number of refugees to 50,000 for 2017  and will no longer single out Syrian refugees for an indefinite ban. Refugees who have already been cleared by the State Department may still enter the country after the signing of the order.

Additionally, Trumps new travel order will remove previous language that gave priority to religious minorities from the six listed countries after criticism mounted that the administration favored helping Christians get into the United States over Muslims.

Trumps travel order is already receiving criticism.

The Trump Administrations repackaging is merely a second attempt to revise his unconstitutional policy, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, said in a statement. This is the same ban, driven by the same hazardous discrimination that weakens our ability to fight terror. The public and courts rejected the Trump administration's first attempt at this, and it must do so again.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, applauded the administrations decision to remove Iraq from the list, but emphasized that the new ban jeopardizes national security.

Omitting one country from the list does not eliminate the need to provide the American people with meaningful evidence supporting this ban. The White House had more than a month to develop their case, and has failed to provide actual justification based on facts, Harris said in a statement.

Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Senate Minority Leader, tweeted, To be clear, this updated #MuslimBan makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited and un-American.

Unlike Harris and Schumer, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., voiced support for Trumps travel order shortly after it was announced.

This revised executive order advances our shared goal of protecting the homeland, Ryan said in a statement. I commend the administration and Secretary Kelly in particular for their hard work on this measure to improve our vetting standards.

Kelly cited the attacks on 9/11 as a reason for tougher restrictions on who is able to come to the country. Both he and Sessions claimed that the six nations listed have sent both criminals and terrorists to the United States.

Warren C. Banks, the director of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism at Syracuse University College of Law, said in a Politifact report, that no one since 9/11 has been killed in the U.S. in a terrorist attack by anyone whos emigrated to the United States from the countries listed in the ban.

The order comes nearly two months after President Trump signed the first travel order causing a nationwide uproar that resulted in thousands of people protesting at airports, including San Francisco International Airport.

A panel of three appellate judges from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco unanimously blocked the order in early February.

What we dont know:

 If any states will file an appeal. Following the last travel ban signed by the president, the state of Washington challenged the constitutionality of the order. A federal judge in Seattle put the order on hold, ruling the administration offered no support from singling out seven countries it considered terrorist threats. The ruling was upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

 If the American Civil Liberties Union will go to court over the new order as it did with the last order. David Cole, the national legal director for the ACLU, tweeted after the announcement, Well See You in Court, 2.0.

Here is some of The Chronicles past coverage on Trumps executive order on travel:

 Immigrants from Muslim nations fear what Trump changes will bring

 Bay Area fear over immigrant ban turns to hope as judge lifts order

 Anxious immigrant families caught in Trump order mostly relieved

 Trump travel order to apply to those seeking new visas

 Trumps puzzling strategy on old, new travel bans

 Trumps travel ban derails dreams of Bay Area bride-to-be

 More than 1,000 protesters rally at SFO against immigration ban

 SFO protesters demand immigration detainees be released

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press

When a 15-freeway-lane-wide gap opened up in the main spillway of the Oroville Dam, Californians let out a collective uh, oh as the dismal state of our water infrastructure sank in.

Our state has $187 billion in unmet infrastructure needs (not including roads). The biggest pot of money available for water projects is $2.7 billion from Proposition 1, the bond measure approved by voters in 2014, and it is for new storage, not repairs to old dams. The governor has asked the Legislature to appropriate funding from other sources  the general fund, other bonds  for emergency water and flood control repairs in the state. But the need is great, and the amount of funds available is not.
In the first minute of the show Friday, March 3, titters turned to guffaws. The waves of applause soon followed, and they didnt end till the encore two hours later. In the dance world, only Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo inspires this kind of reaction, and the Trocks return to Cal Performances 40 years after they bowed at Berkeleys Zellerbach Hall was full of gratifying surprises.

The all-male dance parody troupe is still the funniest and most sophisticated act around, and it is hard to forget yesteryears glittering panoply of faux assolutas with stage names like Tamara Boumdiyeva and Ida Neversayneva. But nostalgia is dangerous. So let me state categorically: In the four decades I have been following the Trocks, they have never danced better. They are even stronger by a wide margin than they were in their last Berkeley visit four years ago.

Fortunately, that proficiency has not blunted the satirical edge. The dancer named Yekaterina Verbosovich performed Odette in Act 2 of Swan Lake more than respectably. But it was the fluttering arms, the inclined neck and the attempts to seduce the audience with eyes alone that proved devastatingly funny.

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The Trocks scholarly rectitude adds to the mirth. Prince Siegfrieds friend, Benno, has disappeared from most modern productions. But here he was, in person, warming up the crossbow. When the prince (Vladimir Legupski) and Odette dive into their conventional mime scene, they enter the realm of the absurd. If you can ignore the body hair, the corps ensembles on pointe were quite something in this classic Trocks number.

What we know as Le Corsaire pas de deux united Nina Enimenimynova and Araf Legupski for a thrilling episode in which fouettes dazzled and coupe-jetes soared. The Trocks are masters of finding the narcissism implicit in ballet, and if they cant quite bring off a step, they fake it or substitute something more daring; I confess that before Friday, I had never seen a body flip in this duet.

That Trocks perennial, The Dying Swan, was claimed by the immortal Helen Highwaters. Once she found her spotlight, she molted sufficient feathers to stuff a mattress.

The companys version of Don Quixote is a canny condensation of the Petipa-Gorsky classic, which omits the title character but gives us a taste of everything else. We got gypsy dancers in fright wigs, a hopelessly outmatched suitor for the hand of heroine Kitri, a mysterious figure who metamorphoses into Amour and the besotted barber who plays the guitar as well as he lifts the ballerina with one hand. The Kitri, Alla Snizova, brandished a mean fan.

Somehow, the pas de six from Petipas Esmeralda made a less striking effect, although Elena Kunikova, who set it for the Trocks, is expert in the Russian style.

The serious quibble about this visit concerns repertoire. The Trocks in Romantic Russian ballet are just fine, but they have also introduced deathless, accurate and loving takeoffs on Balanchine, Robbins, Graham and Cunningham. We should see them again. Maybe next time.

Allan Ulrich is The San Francisco Chronicles dance correspondent.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Through 8 p.m. Saturday, March 4. Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, $36-$85, (510) 642-9988, www.calperformances.org

For a preview, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F83BbbtoX8Q
While President Trumps angry tweets and pugnacious public statements make the headlines, the growing number of under-the-radar decisions and rule changes being carried out by his political appointees throughout the government are far more likely to change the direction of the country.

I call (Trump) the distractor in chief, said newly elected Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont. The focus of politicians and media becomes the next outrageous thing he says or does, while efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency to roll back environmental rules to pre-Nixon levels arent attracting the same level of interest.

In the weeks since his Jan. 20 inauguration, Trump has continued his campaign practice of sending out early morning tweets, many of them seemingly unfiltered, stream-of-consciousness reactions to the news of the day or whatever he has seen on cable news.

Early Saturday, for example, Trump sent out a string of tweets accusing former President Barack Obama of having wiretapped the phones in Trump Tower during the 2016 presidential race, all without providing any evidence it actually happened.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press

How low has President Obama gone to tap my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy, Trump tweeted.

The new tweets are part of what has been a nonstop flood of presidential comments  and subsequent TV, radio and newspaper stories  about such subjects as fake news, voter fraud, crime in Chicago, terrorism in Sweden, government leaks and the news media as the enemy of the American people.

Even in his more studied moments, such as his Tuesday night address to a joint session of Congress, Trump has focused on big-picture topics such as immigration, health care, military buildup and budget reform  knotty, controversial issues that remain a long way from being solved.

The irony is that most of the things he says, he cant do without support from Congress, Khanna said. The things he can do (without that support), he doesnt talk about.

In those same post-inauguration weeks, the Justice Department under former Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions has withdrawn from a suit challenging a Texas voter identification law for allegedly intentional discrimination against minority voters and abandoned a decades-old policy of looking for a pattern or practice of excessive force and civil rights violations by police departments, such as federal officials have investigated recently in cities like Chicago, Baltimore and Ferguson, Mo.

While Trump got plenty of publicity when he quickly ordered a freeze on rules that Obama proposed in the final weeks of his term, such as a national plan to extend overtime pay to low-earning managers, the planned reviews of those actions have moved into the depths of the bureaucracy, virtually disappearing from public view.

Government regulation doesnt tend to get on the evening news, said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College in Southern California.

But visible or not, those changes are happening.

Ajit Pai, the new head of the Federal Communications Commission, has trimmed federal subsidies for companies providing lifeline Internet access to low-income households and is moving toward easing the current federal policy of net neutrality, which avoids giving special rights to the Internets biggest service providers.

The Environmental Protection Agency has dumped an Obama administration rule requiring oil and natural gas companies to provide information on their methane emissions, a key contributor to global warming. New EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt explained that the administration wanted to reduce burdens on businesses.

On his first full day in office Thursday, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke angered environmentalists by reversing an Obama ban on the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle in federal wildlife refuges. The outgoing administration said the the order would protect birds from lead poisoning  Zinke said its repeal, and another order seeking to expand federal lands open to recreation and fishing, would boost industries that create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity.

Closer to home, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao last month delayed a $647 million federal grant for electrification of Caltrain. California Republicans had asked her to do so in hopes of killing the states high-speed rail project, which they view as a costly boondoggle.

BRANDON THIBODEAUX/NYT

If, as the old political adage goes, Personnel is policy, Trumps picks for his White House staff, Cabinet and political appointees belay early GOP concerns that the new president was at best a conservative lite, said David Hopkins, a political science professor at Boston College.

To the extent that the Trump administration has a political direction, its quite clearly a conservative one, he said. The people he has appointed have by and large been conservatives with very strong conservative plans.

And with nearly 2,000 political appointments still to be made, that quiet revolution could probably gather strength, even as it remains hidden in the shadow of Trumps outsize personality.

Trump, a billionaire businessman without any previous political or government experience, made it clear during the campaign that while he had a long list of changes he wanted to make as president, he had very little interest in  or knowledge of  the intimate details of the various agencies it takes to run a country with a $3.8 trillion budget and about 2.7 million civilian employees.

Trump doesnt know any of the specifics and in some cases seems blissfully unaware of what his people are doing, Pitney said. Hes given a broad call for deregulation that lets the people he appoints do what they believe Trump would do if he was aware of the issues.

That works well for the conservatives who dominate the Republican Party. In a 2012 speech arguing that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was an acceptable choice as the GOP presidential nominee, small government activist Grover Norquist argued that all Republicans needed in a president was someone with enough working digits to handle a pen and sign the bills sent to him by a GOP Congress.

GOP leaders have been willing to concentrate more on what the president is doing than on the political stumbles and fierce, very public and near-constant battles he has fought with the media and others during his early days in office.

Republican leaders are not turning on Trump because they know he will put in people who will help their cause, said Khanna, the South Bay congressman. They will put up with a lot of nonsense because they know the direction he is going in.

Its hard to say whether the effectiveness gap between Trumps near-daily call for the major changes and the quiet successes by his appointees is the result of planned tactics or the administrations political inexperience.

Its Machiavelli or the Marx Brothers, Pitney said, warning that Trumps willingness to give his appointees a lot of leeway with a minimum of oversight could come back to bite him.

The potential for scandal or disaster is very great, especially if people are allowed to run wild, he added.

Jason Miller, a former top campaign aide to Trump, recently told a Stanford University class that Trumps personality was more that of a public relations man than a policy wonk, said Bruce Cain, a political science professor at the university.

Trump is content to stay out of the way on a lot of the basic working issues needed to run the government, Cain said. His relationships are very pragmatic ... as long as things are working, its fine.

But those day-to-day decisions Trumps appointees are making will change the country, one decision at a time, Khanna warned, all too often with no one noticing.

The concern is that well spend so much energy fighting every outrageous thing Trump says, that well miss what else is happening, the congressman said.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
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STOCKTON, Calif. (KCRA)  Former Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva was arrested Sunday at the San Francisco International Airport, his attorney Allen Sawyer said.

Silva was returning from a vacation in Colombia.
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Rallies and protest events are a part of political life in the Bay Area. Heres a roundup of whats happening in the next few weeks.

Tuesday

Meeting on gun violence: A new-member meeting hosted by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense. The meeting is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at a private residence. RSVP to LizNaughtonMoore@gmail.com.

Wednesday

Womens demonstrations: A gathering to promote womens rights on International Womens Day, coinciding with calls for a one-day womens strike. The event is from 5 to 9 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland. https://www.facebook.com/events/1289337677802574/. There will be an International Womens Strike rally from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at UC Berkeleys Lower Sproul Plaza, near Telegraph Avenue and Bancroft Way. Womens rights rallies are also scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. at San Jose City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara St., and in Santa Cruz from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Louden Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St.

Workshop: For people interested in running for local government and how to get involved without running for office. The event, hosted by the San Francisco Young Democrats, is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Park Branch Library, 1833 Page St., San Francisco.

Town hall: For International Womens Day, join womens advocates to speak about womens rights and the disparate challenges women still face. The event is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the World Affairs Auditorium, 312 Sutter St., Suite 200, San Francisco. Tickets available at https://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1696.

Thursday

Discussion on executive orders: UC Berkeley law professors will discuss the scope of the presidents authority on executive orders, such as one calling for a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. The event is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the World Affairs Auditorium, 312 Sutter St., San Francisco.

Discussion on climate change: Hosted by the Lamorinda Democratic Club, the discussion will focus on local effects and actions. The event is from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Lafayette library, 3491 Mount Diablo Blvd.

Friday

Standing Rock march: A march and rally calling for President Trump to meet with tribal leaders before continuing work on the Dakota Access Pipeline. The event is from 5 to 9 p.m. outside the San Francisco Federal Building, 90 Seventh St.

International Womens Day party: A celebration hosted by the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women and the Young Womens Christian Association of San Francisco and Marin County. The party is from 6 to 9 p.m. and will include speakers from the Global Fund for Women and U.S. National Committee for U.N. Women. It will be held at 940 Powell St. in San Francisco. Registration: http://www.friendscosw.org/event-2448198.

Saturday

Health care discussion: A conversation about single-payer health care proposals and a proposed state law, SB562, which would establish a single-payer plan in California. The event starts at 1 p.m. at Community Health and Wellness Center, Room 103, 50 Phelan Ave., San Francisco. For directions: https://www.ccsf.edu/Info/Map/ocean.shtml.

Sunday

Peace gathering: To denounce an incident in Kansas in which a man allegedly shot two natives of India and a third man after telling the Indian men to get out of my country. One of the Indian men died. The gathering is from 1 to 4 p.m. at Lytton Plaza, 200 University Ave., Palo Alto.

Monday

Postcard party: A campaign to send 1 million postcards to President Trump on issues including womens rights, religious freedom, immigration and economic security. The event is from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Booksmith, 1644 Haight St., San Francisco. RSVP to the Postcard Party at Booksmith event page on Facebook.

March 14

Anti-Trump rally: Members of the tech community are expected to rally on Pi Day in protest of President Trump. The rally is from 2 to 6 p.m. at 250 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto.

March 15

Call for secure elections: A meet-up with the San Francisco Elections Commission, 6 p.m. at City Hall, Room 408, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place.

March 19

Community conversation: Sierra Club leader Arthur Feinstein leads a discussion on local and statewide environmental issues. The event is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Northern Police Station Community Room, 1125 Fillmore St., San Francisco. RSVP: www.sierraclub.org/san-francisco-bay/activities.
Bay Area residents experienced a rollercoaster of weather conditions Sunday, as blue skies were replaced by rain clouds, which turned to hailstorms- all within a matter of minutes.

That cycle repeated itself throughout the day. San Francisco had multiple short bursts of hail in the morning and afternoon. Foster City resident Nancy Harmon told SFGATE on Facebook that it hailed three times in her neighborhood. T. Nathan Mundhenk reported there were five instances of hail in Dublin.
Scotland's BrewDog just launched it first brewery is the United States in Columbus, Ohio, and in a quest to make the city "the beeriest place on earth," the brewery plans to open a craft beer hotel onsite, complete with its very own sour beer facility  sounds like heaven, if you ask me.

Rooms in the hotel are expected to be brew-themed, of course. One interesting feature to that end is a plan to install fridges in all the showers, so you can grab a "shower beer" while you're getting ready for the day's activities. The brewery is also developing some craft beer-inspired spa treatments, including things like malted barley massages, and a "hoppy feet" pedicure that would use hops to pamper your toes.
This article was first published on NerdWallet.com.

Immigrants across the U.S. went on a one-day strike last month to highlight their importance to the nations economy. As a group, immigrants contribute to the economy here and also in their native countries, with many sending part of their paychecks as remittances to relatives there.

To take a closer look at immigrants earning power, NerdWallet analyzed U.S. Census Bureau and other data to explore how their households paychecks differ by state and compare with those of households headed by a U.S.-born person, as well as how remittances by immigrants vary among nationalities.

What immigrants earn

In 45 states and Washington, D.C., the median annual income of households led by a U.S.-born person was higher than that of households led by an immigrant, according to the 2015 American Community Survey. Immigrants or foreign-born residents, as they are described in census data, are people who werent U.S. citizens at birth, but who lived in the nation at the time of the 2015 ACS. A household headed by an immigrant is one where the homes owner or primary leaseholder was not a U.S. citizen or U.S. national at birth, per the Census Bureaus definition.

The biggest income gap was in Wyoming, where the 2015 median annual income of households headed by an immigrant ($40,145) was $19,544 less than that of households there headed by a U.S.-born person ($59,689). Households led by a U.S.-born person also significantly outearned those headed by an immigrant in North Dakota, Nebraska and Utah. In each of those states, the median annual income of households headed by a U.S.-born person was at least $16,000 more than that of households led by an immigrant.

Five states bucked the trend. In Virginia, West Virginia, Mississippi, Delaware and Michigan, households headed by an immigrant had a higher median annual income. Households led by a foreign-born person in Virginia earned a median annual income of $73,420. Thats not only $7,935 higher than the median annual income of households headed by a U.S.-born person in Virginia at $65,485  its more than the median annual income of households led by a U.S.-born person in 47 states.

Use the chart below to see the median annual income of households led by immigrants and U.S.-born people in each state.

How much immigrants send to their native countries

To get a better picture of how much money immigrants in the U.S. send to their countries of origin, the Center for Latin American Monetary Studies gathered information about immigrants from 63 countries. It calculated each immigrant groups total income in 2014 and then determined the total amount that all immigrants from each country collectively sent back to that country, to arrive at an average remittance percentage by group.

On average, immigrants from Laos and Myanmar sent less than a quarter of 1% of their income to their native countries, while those from Guatemala sent nearly 31% of their income. Among immigrants from all 63 countries studied, the median remittance amount was roughly 6% of income.

The table below shows the 10 countries whose immigrants in the U.S. remitted the largest share of their income on average in 2014.

Average percentage of income immigrants remitted

Native country Average share of income remitted in 2014 Source: Center for Latin American Monetary Studies Guatemala 30.67% Honduras 26.00% China 25.65% Thailand 25.03% Hungary 24.20% Lebanon 21.53% Spain 20.49% Jordan 17.97% Dominican Republic 17.64% Panama 17.52%

The total amount of remittances from the U.S. to all other countries has increased since 2010 as shown in the chart below.

Advice for sending money abroad

In recent years, immigrants in the U.S. have been increasing the amount of money in remittances, which helps their families back in their native countries. Given the economic value of remittances in immigrants countries of origin, senders should look for the most cost-effective methods of transferring money abroad.

Explore all options for international money transfers to find services with lower fees, better foreign exchange rates and faster estimated delivery speeds. Even small differences in fees and rates can add up, so its important to shop around for money transfers. Confirm how the money will be delivered, too, so the recipient doesnt expect a direct deposit when the cash must be picked up in person.

Caren Weiner Campbell and Laura McMullen are staff writers at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: ccampbell@nerdwallet.com or lmcmullen@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @ccampbell_nw or @lauraemcmullen.

The article What Immigrants Earn in Each State and How Much They Send Abroad originally appeared on NerdWallet.
A 21-year-old man from San Francisco was arrested two days after he violently attempted to rob a jewelry store in Chinatown, police said Monday.

Matthew Ho was booked into San Francisco County Jail early Sunday on suspicion of burglary, aggravated assault and attempted robbery, police said.
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Health officials warned Californians not to consume the peanut butter substitute creamy SoyNut Butter from I.M. Healthy brand because it has been linked to an outbreak of Escherichia coli that has sickened four in the state and 12 overall, including two children in Santa Clara County. The company has also issued a voluntary recall of its Original Creamy SoyNut Butter.

In a release, the California Department of Public Health said children and the elderly especially should not eat the products because theyre more at risk of one potential outcome of E. coli, hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause kidney failure and even death in severe cases.
The wait times at the Department of Motor Vehicles have become the stuff of legend and SNL skits. Pick a number, grab your forms and take a seat alongside the masses of disgruntled drivers.

Although it may feel like time is moving at a glacial pace when you're sitting in those plastic chairs, Cheap Car Insurance studied the online wait time counters for Northern California DMV offices and found that the average wait time at San Francisco DMV was only 21 minutes (without an appointment).
WASHINGTON  Ben Carson compared slaves to immigrants seeking a better life in his first official address Monday as Housing and Urban Development Secretary, setting off an uproar on social media.

In what appears to be an embarrassing pattern of missteps on race for the Trump administration, Carson told a room packed with hundreds of federal workers that the Africans captured, sold and transported to America against their will had the same hopes and dreams as early immigrants.
David Samson, the former chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, avoided prison and was sentenced to a year of home confinement and four years probation for pressuring United Airlines to fly a money-losing route convenient to his familys weekend home.

Samson pleaded guilty to bribery for coercing United to reinstate a twice-weekly route from Newark to South Carolina, a route he called the Chairmans Flight. Prosecutors said it was an outrageous abuse of power worthy of two years in prison, while Samson said he deserved community service.

U.S. District Judge Jose Linares handed down the sentence Monday in federal court in Newark, N.J., where Samson, 77, pleaded guilty on July 14 to a deal that capped his potential prison term at two years. The case was a dramatic fall from grace for a powerful political insider who was a close adviser to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, and was attorney general under former Democratic Governor James McGreevey.

Linares also ordered Samson to perform 3,600 hours of community service and fined him $100,000.

I apologize to the public to whom I owe much better, Samson said at the court hearing. I know I disappointed all of these people. I am deeply sorry for that. I take full responsibility for my action.

The scandal over the South Carolina route also ensnared Jeff Smisek, the chief executive officer of United Continental Holdings Inc., and two other company executives, both of whom resigned last September. United paid more than $4.6 million in penalties to the U.S., and former United lobbyist Jamie Fox was charged in the plot. Fox, who served as Christies transportation commissioner, died last month. A memorial service is scheduled for Monday.

Samsons lawyers had argued in court papers he received an extremely narrow benefit when United reinstated the twice-weekly route from Newark to South Carolina, and that other public officials had pressured airlines for special flight arrangements. Samsons lawyers sought leniency, citing his public humiliation, his professional ruin, and his precarious mental and physical condition.

But prosecutors said he was an affluent man of sound mind who faced no personal or professional crisis that could have clouded his judgment or diminished his ability to understand his actions. Samson, they said, knew better than to abuse his post through a scheme that was calculated and entirely corrupt.

Defense lawyers submitted four dozen letters in support of Samson, including from McGreevey and several ex-attorneys general.

David unquestionably misused his position in this isolated incident, but he was not corrupted, Samsons attorneys wrote. He has been publicly and politically humiliated, despite having served in a variety of public and private positions with distinction. He will end his life branded a felon.

David Voreacos is a Bloomberg News writer.
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PORTLAND, Maine  Republican leaders in Maine and Utah are asking President Trump to step into uncharted territory and rescind national monument designations made by his predecessor.

The Antiquities Act of 1906 doesnt give the president power to undo a designation, and no president has ever taken such a step. But Trump isnt like other presidents.

Former President Barack Obama used his power under the act to permanently preserve more land and water using national monument designations than any other president. The land is generally off limits to timber harvesting, mining and pipelines, and commercial development.

Obama created the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine last summer on 87,500 acres of donated forestland. The expanse includes part of the Penobscot River and stunning views of Mount Katahdin, Maines tallest mountain.

In Utah, the former president created Bears Ears National Monument on 1.3 million acres of land thats sacred to Native Americans and is home to tens of thousands of archaeological sites, including ancient cliff dwellings.

Trumps staff is now reviewing those decisions by the Obama administration to determine economic impacts, whether the law was followed and whether there was appropriate consultation with local officials, the White House told the Associated Press.

Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage is opposed to the designation and says federal ownership could stymie industrial development, and Republican leaders in Utah contend the monument designation adds another layer of unnecessary federal control in a state where theres already heavy federal ownership.

The National Parks Conservation Association has pledged to sue if Trump, the Interior Department or Congress tries to remove the special designations.

David Sharp is an Associated Press writer.
NEW YORK  Robert Osborne, the genial face of Turner Classic Movies and a walking encyclopedia of classic Hollywood, has died. He was 84.

Jennifer Dorian, general manager of TCM, announced Mr. Osbornes death Monday. A publicist for the network said he died Monday in New York.

His calming presence, gentlemanly style, encyclopedic knowledge of film history, fervent support for film preservation and highly personal interviewing style all combined to make him a truly world-class host, said Dorian. Roberts contributions were fundamental in shaping TCM into what it is today, and we owe him a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.

A cause of death was not announced, though Mr. Osbornes waning health had forced him to miss the previous two TCM Film Festivals, which he hosted annually in Los Angeles.

Mr. Osborne was there from the inception of Ted Turners commercial-free classic movie network. To open its first broadcast on April 14, 1994, he introduced Gone With the Wind. In the decades after, he remained Turner Classics primary  and often sole  host.

For TCM viewers, Mr. Osborne was a constant and comforting presence. He presented nightly films and movies packaged in series like The Essentials with bits of history and trivia. He also conducted interviews with stars for the networks guest programmer evenings. His intros  always beginning Hi, Im Robert Osborne  were the warm appetizers to countless feasts of Hollywood classics.

In a 2014 interview with the Associated Press, Mr. Osborne  who previously worked as a Hollywood Reporter columnist and as host of the Movie Channel  recalled his long-standing obsession with Hollywood. Even in college, he maintained a black book, nicknamed Blackie, of his research into films and the details of their making.

I was ready with all that information when a job was created. I prepared for something that didnt exist, said Mr. Osborne.

Born in Colfax, Wash., Mr. Osborne studied journalism at the University of Washington and spent two years in the Air Force in Seattle. He then moved to Los Angeles to make it as an actor, and was signed by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnazs Desilu Studios. Ball, who remained a mentor to him up until her death in 1989, encouraged Mr. Osborne to pursue writing  especially after she saw me act, Mr. Osborne would recall.

He joined the Hollywood Reporter in 1977 and for years wrote its Rambling Reporter column. But he found his home at TCM. To tape his segments, Mr. Osborne flew once a month from his New York home to TCMs Atlanta studio.

With Mr. Osborne as its ambassador, the cultishly adored TCM developed into a wider-reaching mainstay of movie love, including not just the popular film festival but an annual cruise.

I get stopped on the street all the time, Mr. Osborne once told the New York Times. People say: You got me through cancer last year. You got me past unemployment. You take me away from my troubles. Exactly what movies did in the 30s and 40s.

Mr. Osborne was an Academy Awards historian, too. He wrote his first history of the Oscars in 1965 (Academy Awards Illustrated) and later became its official red-carpet greeter. He wrote several official histories of the Academy Awards, including 2008s 80 Years of the Oscar.

He was unabashed about his proclivity for 30s-50s-era Hollywood. Turner Classic has somewhat expanded beyond that heyday, and in 2003 brought in Ben Mankiewicz as a second host. Mankiewicz on Monday praised Mr. Osborne for forging a profound link to movie lovers, a visceral sense of connection to our history, to our parents and grandparents.

For Mr. Osborne, that connection was forged early on, and his affection for Golden Age Hollywood remained forever undimmed.

We dont seem to want people bigger than life. We want people who look ordinary, Mr. Osborne lamented in 2014. Growing up in a small Washington state town, he said, there was never anybody who looked like Audrey Hepburn or Lana Turner or Hedy Lamarr ... actresses who were bigger than life.

But Mr. Osbornes genuine passion for a dapper kind of film connoisseurship was unquestioned by the TCM viewers who happily watched him stride into their living room, again and again.

If I wasnt doing it (on TV) Id be doing it as a hobby, Mr. Osborne said, so I might as well get paid for it.

Jake Coyle is an Associated Press writer.
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court is returning a transgender teens case to a lower court without reaching a decision, leaving in limbo the issue of transgender rights in school settings.

Mondays action comes after the Trump administration pulled back federal guidance advising schools to let students use the bathroom of their chosen gender, not biological birth.

The justices said in an order that they have opted not to decide whether federal antidiscrimination law gives high school senior Gavin Grimm the right to use the boys bathroom in his Virginia school.

The case had been scheduled for argument in late March. Instead, a lower court in Virginia will be tasked with evaluating the federal law known as Title IX and the extent to which it applies to transgender students.

For Grimm, the order means that he probably will graduate with the issue unresolved and his ability to use the boys bathroom blocked by a policy of the Gloucester County school board. Although he won a court order allowing him to use the boys bathroom, the Supreme Court put it on hold last August, before the school year began.

This is disappointing for trans kids across the country and for Gavin, who are now going to be held in limbo for another year or two, said Joshua Block, the American Civil Liberties Union attorney who represents Grimm. But Title IX means the same thing today as it meant yesterday. Lower courts already have held that it protects trans kids.

The high court action follows the administrations recent decision to withdraw a directive issued during Barack Obamas presidency that said which bathroom to use should be based on students gender identity, not biological birth.

The administration action triggered legal wrangling that ended with Mondays order. In essence, the federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., had relied on the Obama administrations interpretation of Title IX to side with Grimm. The appeals court accepted the administrations reading of the law without deciding for itself what the law and a related regulation on same-sex bathrooms and locker rooms mean.

No appeals court has yet undertaken that more independent analysis, and the Supreme Court typically is reluctant to do so without at least one appellate opinion to review, and usually more than one.

Similar cases are pending in other parts of the country so it is likely that other appeals courts also will weigh in about the reach of antidiscrimination protections for transgender students.

The justices did not comment on the case beyond their one-sentence order returning it to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mark Sherman is an Associated Press writer.
President Trump signed a revised travel order Monday morning behind closed doors in the Oval Office that takes Iraq off the list of countries whose citizens are banned from entering the United States for 90 days.

People from Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and Libya  with one notable exception, Iraq  will be banned from entering the U.S. for the next 90 days unless they already have a valid visa.

Iraq was removed from the list of banned countries after the government reached an agreement with the Trump administration to cooperate with the U.S. government on the vetting of its citizens.

Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state, Jeff Sessions, the attorney General, and John Kelly, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, announced the details of the travel order in a news conference at the White House Monday morning. They did not take any questions from reporters.

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 White House Show More Show Less 2 of 3 SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images Show More Show Less 3 of 3





This revised order will bolster the security of the United States and her allies, Tillerson said.

His sentiments were echoed by Sessions who emphasized that the Department of Justice believes that this executive order, like the first exec order, is a lawful and proper exercise of presidential authority.

Like every nation, the United States has a right to control who enters our country and to keep out those who would do us harm, Sessions said. This executive order seeks to protect the American people, as well as lawful immigrants.

Saad al-Hadithi, an Iraqi government spokesman, said the decision to revise the travel order sends a "positive message" and shows that there is a real partnership between Washington and Baghdad, according to the Associated Press.

More for you What You Need to Know About the Temporary Hold on Expedited...

Under the new travel order, which will go into effect on March 16, the Department of Homeland Security will conduct a review of information given to the U.S. from the six countries for all visa and immigration requests.

The new order will also halt the U.S. refugee program for 120 days  capping the number of refugees to 50,000 for 2017  and will no longer single out Syrian refugees for an indefinite ban. Refugees who have already been cleared by the State Department may still enter the country after the signing of the order.

Additionally, Trumps new travel order will remove previous language that gave priority to religious minorities from the six listed countries after criticism mounted that the administration favored helping Christians get into the United States over Muslims.

Trumps travel order is already receiving criticism.

The Trump Administrations repackaging is merely a second attempt to revise his unconstitutional policy, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, said in a statement. This is the same ban, driven by the same hazardous discrimination that weakens our ability to fight terror. The public and courts rejected the Trump administration's first attempt at this, and it must do so again.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, applauded the administrations decision to remove Iraq from the list, but emphasized that the new ban jeopardizes national security.

Omitting one country from the list does not eliminate the need to provide the American people with meaningful evidence supporting this ban. The White House had more than a month to develop their case, and has failed to provide actual justification based on facts, Harris said in a statement.

Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Senate Minority Leader, tweeted, To be clear, this updated #MuslimBan makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited and un-American.

Unlike Harris and Schumer, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., voiced support for Trumps travel order shortly after it was announced.

This revised executive order advances our shared goal of protecting the homeland, Ryan said in a statement. I commend the administration and Secretary Kelly in particular for their hard work on this measure to improve our vetting standards.

Kelly cited the attacks on 9/11 as a reason for tougher restrictions on who is able to come to the country. Both he and Sessions claimed that the six nations listed have sent both criminals and terrorists to the United States.

Warren C. Banks, the director of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism at Syracuse University College of Law, said in a Politifact report, that no one since 9/11 has been killed in the U.S. in a terrorist attack by anyone whos emigrated to the United States from the countries listed in the ban.

The order comes nearly two months after President Trump signed the first travel order causing a nationwide uproar that resulted in thousands of people protesting at airports, including San Francisco International Airport.

A panel of three appellate judges from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco unanimously blocked the order in early February.

What we dont know:

 If any states will file an appeal. Following the last travel ban signed by the president, the state of Washington challenged the constitutionality of the order. A federal judge in Seattle put the order on hold, ruling the administration offered no support from singling out seven countries it considered terrorist threats. The ruling was upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

 If the American Civil Liberties Union will go to court over the new order as it did with the last order. David Cole, the national legal director for the ACLU, tweeted after the announcement, Well See You in Court, 2.0.

Here is some of The Chronicles past coverage on Trumps executive order on travel:

 Immigrants from Muslim nations fear what Trump changes will bring

 Bay Area fear over immigrant ban turns to hope as judge lifts order

 Anxious immigrant families caught in Trump order mostly relieved

 Trump travel order to apply to those seeking new visas

 Trumps puzzling strategy on old, new travel bans

 Trumps travel ban derails dreams of Bay Area bride-to-be

 More than 1,000 protesters rally at SFO against immigration ban

 SFO protesters demand immigration detainees be released

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6 Could it be that ignorance kills its host?

Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe), died Saturday, Feb. 18, at the age of 69. When she was 22, unemployed and pregnant in 1969, she sought to have an abortion in Texas where it was illegal. She claimed she was raped. Her case went to the Supreme Court and the famous 1973 ruling of Roe v. Wade determined that throughout the land, abortion would be legal.

Since that time a number of discoveries have enlightened the world concerning the truth about this case. First, Norma lied. She was not raped. Second, because of medical advances and fetal studies it has been determined that fetuses feel pain from 20 weeks on and experience a number of functions that scientists consider uniquely human. Third, courts around the country consider violence against a pregnant woman, which results in the loss of a fetus, murder. Fourth, McCorvey herself became a very strong proponent of fetal rights and has spoken around the U.S. against abortion. But the Supreme Court has spoken.

But has the Supreme Court ever erred? In 1857 the Supreme Court, by a 7-2 vote, on the famous Dred Scott decision, determined that slaves are property and could not be considered citizens. The 14th Amendment overturned the ruling in 1868. Perhaps the Supreme Court can make mistakes.

Legalities often disguise the real reasons we oppose a practice. The real reason for slavery was keeping power over anothers life for personal pleasure. The real reason for abortion is the same.

Al Rennert, Lovington
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A winter storm dumped two to three feet of snow over the weekend at elevations above 7,500 feet in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

(See 48-hour snowfall totals for locations around the Sierra Nevada in the photo gallery above.)

"This is a typical winter storm," said Brian O'Hara, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Reno. "It came out of the Northwest off the Pacific. We're not seeing huge amounts of moisture with this as there isn't a tropical tap or atmospheric river associated with it."

Donner Summit saw one of the highest snowfall totals with 56 inches recorded between March 4 and March 6. The snow continued to blow at Donner Summit Monday morning; Interstate 80 between Colfax and the Nevada State Line was closed in both directions due to the whiteout conditions.

The snow level dropped as low as 1,500 feet and the foothills received a dusting. Both Placerville and Nevada City recorded four inches over 48 hours.

"Weather wise snow showers will continue throughout the day," said Chris Johnston, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Reno. "We're going to have lingering snow showers in the Tahoe Basin through just before midnight and then they'll taper off."

The storm led to road closures and accidents around the Tahoe area and as the snowy conditions continue Monday, a winter storm warning remains in effect through 4 p.m. The Sierra Avalanche Center released an avalanche advisory at 6:50 a.m. Monday, warning of avalanches at elevation bands above, near and below the treeline.

As of 12:30 p.m. Monday, Caltrans hadn't announced when Interstate 80 over Donner Pass would open.

RELATED VIDEO: Shoveling a car out of the snow at Tahoe Donner on March 5, 2017

Many woke up on both Sunday and Monday mornings to find their cars buried in mounds of fresh powder and were faced with the job of digging them out of the snow. The two San Francisco dads in the video above taken March 5 at Tahoe-Donner work quickly to remove two feet of fresh powder from an old Range Rover so they can get their young kids to the slopes.

As the snow continues to dump and massive clumps fall from the trees, they get the job done with their shovels.

The scene of cars buried under piles upon piles of snow is becoming common in the Tahoe area this year as ceaseless storms slam the Sierra Nevada.

Locals have been faced with digging their cars out from the snow almost weekly, and Bay Area residents heading to the mountains for the weekend are learning the art of snow-shoveling.

Later this week, Tahoe residents and visitors should get a break from shoveling when the storm passes.
DECATUR  Oral arguments are set for tomorrow in former Decatur police Chief Brad Sweeneys quest to continue his lawsuit against the city of Decatur.

Sweeneys lawsuit, which alleges he was wrongfully fired last year by City Manager Tim Gleason, was dismissed by Macon County Circuit Judge A.G. Webber IV on June 7.

Sweeney has appealed the case to the 4th District Appellate Court in Springfield, where his attorney Jon D. Robinson is set to argue on his behalf at 9 a.m. Representing the city are attorneys Jerry Stocks and Ed Flynn.

Sweeney alleges that his Feb. 4, 2016, firing by Gleason was retaliation for his refusal to publicly support a local motor fuel tax, opposition to the tax during a city staff meeting and objection to Gleason's use of a police car and driver for a personal trip in May 2015.

In court documents, Gleason gave other reasons for firing Sweeney. The city also argued that Sweeney participated in Gleasons use of the car and thus could not claim protection under the Illinois Whistleblower Act.

In dismissing the lawsuit, Webber wrote that the decision was based on Sweeney's lack of legal standing for the case, not on what kind of job Sweeney had done as police chief.

Webber found that the Decatur police chief is an at-will employee, who could be discharged by the city at any time for any reason or no reason, and that Sweeney's allegations were not sufficient to be covered under any exception to those rules.
HAYWARD (BCN)

The name of a motorcyclist who died in a crash late last month in Hayward was released today by the Alameda County coroner and the person was identified as 33-year-old San Francisco resident Andrea Bittau.

Bittau crashed at about 5:15 p.m. on A Street just east of Hesperian Boulevard.

Bittau was riding a blue Yamaha bike east on A Street when he apparently lost control of it and crashed into a utility pole.

Paramedics responded and provided aid and Bittau was taken to Eden Medical Center where he died, according to police.

Bittau was born in Bulgaria, according to an obituary published by Driscoll's Valencia St. Serra Mortuary in San Francisco.

According to officials with the Department of Computer Science at the University College London, Bittau was an undergraduate there in 2001 and earned a doctorate in computer science there in 2005.

Following graduation, Bittau was postdoctoral student at Stanford University before joining a Silicon Valley startup named Pure Storage. He joined Google's security research group last year, according to two professors at University College London.

Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call Hayward police Sgt. Jason Corsolini at (510) 293-7149.
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A 53-year-old man convicted of multiple felony counts for masturbating and exposing himself on BART trains has been sentenced to 25 years in state prison, San Mateo County prosecutors said today.

Jerome Dion Dawkins, a transient and registered sex offender, was convicted in October of felony stalking, false imprisonment, making threats, lewd acts on children and indecent exposure for three incidents in April and May 2015.

San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Barbara Mallach on Friday sentenced Dawkins to the 25-year sentence with more than three years' credit for time served, according to the district attorney's office.

Dawkins was accused during a 10-day trial of blocking a 24-year-old woman in a seat on a BART train in Daly City on April 22, 2015, then staring at her while masturbating, prosecutors said.

On May 5, 2015, a female victim was on a train at the San Francisco International Airport BART station when Dawkins called for her to look at him while he masturbated, prosecutors said.

The victim started to cry and Dawkins then moved to sit next to her. She got up and moved to another seat but Dawkins followed her, touched her leg and told her to stop crying and that he was going to make her pregnant, according to the district attorney's office.

The victim then got off the train and reported the incident to police. A day later, Dawkins was on another BART train and exposed himself to a 24-year-old woman. Police arrived and arrested him, then linked him to the previous incidents, prosecutors said.
Fifty years ago, Americans looked into deep space and saw it as place worth planting a flag. The space race galvanized the country, igniting a nationalistic fervor to beat the Russians to the moon that captured the imaginations of adults and children alike.

But that all seems so retrograde now. Buffeted by rising costs and waning public interest, we humans largely have left the stars to satellites, robots and Hollywood scriptwriters.

There hasnt been a manned mission beyond low-Earth orbit since the final Apollo moon landing in 1972. NASAs last manned U.S. mission anywhere happened way back in 2011, when the Obama administration scrapped the space shuttle program. Since then, astronauts have been hitching rides to the International Space Station aboard Russian spacecraft.

Thats not an America first philosophy.

Perhaps, then, its merely a sign of these resurgent nationalistic times that talk of sending people into deep space is once again in vogue. Or maybe its a sudden desire of wealthy Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to escape a planet that, once again, seems too consumed with feuding and tribalism and navel-gazing over borders.

Either way, a renewed space race  this one shaping up between multinational corporations and governments  is an exciting distraction and could do a lot to sow unity around the world through the common language of science.

President Donald Trumps administration has been pushing NASA to accelerate the timeline of a trip around the moon, long planned for 2021. A rocket, dubbed the Space Launch System, and a capsule, Orion, would carry astronauts around the moon. The U.S., Trump said in his inaugural address, is ready to unlock the mysteries of space.

In that, he has a like-minded ally in Elon Musk, the entrepreneur who is determined to launch a manned mission to colonize Mars in the coming years to ensure that humans become an interplanetary species.

In the meantime, Musk said last week his company SpaceX has taken on a high-stakes side project: ferrying two wealthy tourists to the moon and back. The weeklong journey, which could happen next year, would take the unidentified pair past the lunar surface and outward before the spacecraft surrenders to the pull of gravity and heads back to Earth.

All told, the trip would cover between 300,000 and 400,000 miles. And because we all know that, in space, no one can hear you scream, there are certainly risks.

Until SpaceX, only the Russian government has agreed to bring tourists to space  seven of them who have paid tens of millions of dollars to fly on Soyuz rockets to the International Space Station. The trip around the moon would be much farther.

Musk says the two would-be space tourists are coming into this with their eyes open. But so far, the spacecraft that would carry them  SpaceXs Dragon 2 capsule and Falcon Heavy rocket  are years behind schedule and havent even flown yet. Still, in classic, swaggering space race fashion, Musk isnt too worried.

This should be a really exciting mission, he told The Associated Press. Indeed, its time America set its sights a little higher.

The Sacramento Bee
Artur Sargsyan, nicknamed the bringer of bread for taking food to members of the armed Sasna Dzrer group that seized a Yerevan police station last July, and subsequently arrested, has been freed from pretrial detention.

Several political parties in Armenia petitioned the Prosecutor General saying they would guarantee that Artur Sargsyan would not flee if released.

27 MPs from the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), Armenian National Congress (HAK), Rule of Law (OY), the ARF, and Heritage Party signed the petition.

Several of the MPs posted an unspecified amount as bail.

Update: Sargsyan has been transferred to the Armenia Medical Center. He had been on hunger strike for over three weeks.
For a vast majority of Americans, buying a home will likely be their largest lifetime purchase.

A 2013 Gallup poll found that 56% of respondents already owned a home and planned to continue to do so, while another 25% did not own a home, but planned on buying a home at some point in the next 10 years. Comparatively, just 3% planned to sell their house and rent within 10 years, and 11% had no interest in buying a home. That's pretty overwhelming evidence that the American Dream lives on, even if homeownership rates today are at their lowest level (63%) in decades.

The importance of your credit score when buying a home

However, the home-buying process can vary drastically from one person to next, and I'm not just talking about the time spent looking for the perfect home. Your credit report and credit score can have a major bearing on how easy or difficult it is to obtain financing for a home loan.

Traditionally, the FICO scoring system is used, which ranges from a low of 300 to a high of 850. The higher your credit score, the more you'll have proved to prospective lenders that you're trustworthy and can repay your debts over time.

What's more, an excellent credit score means having more choices, which usually results in you getting the best possible mortgage rate and lowest mortgage origination fees. An excellent credit score means financial institutions being willing to fight for your business, and perhaps even shaving off costs in order to secure that business. Though the definition of "excellent" credit tends to vary by financial institution, NerdWallet interviews with mortgage industry experts last year tended to single out any credit score above 760 as "excellent." In simpler terms, an excellent credit score means you saving money.

So, what's the average credit score of the typical American homebuyer? According to ValuePenguin, the typical homebuyer has a credit score of 728, placing him or her firmly in the "good" credit category, and a full 30+ points ahead of the national average credit score of 695 (per ValuePenguin). Of the more than 85,000 mortgage applicants surveyed by the Federal Reserve, just 6.8% had credit scores below 620. It becomes increasingly difficult to secure a home loan with a credit score under 620, with most prospective homebuyers turning to a Federal Housing Administration loan as one of their only options with poor credit.

Based on this data, most homebuyers have a pretty good chance of securing a competitive mortgage rate and multiple offers from lenders should they choose to seek them.

Smart credit moves that can have a big impact on your credit score

But this doesn't mean America can't do better. An average credit score of 728 is pretty good, but it's still not excellent, meaning there are steps you can take to move your credit score from good to great in a relatively short period of time.

Arguably the most important factor to understand is your credit utilization rate. Most Americans are probably aware that paying your bills on time is important. According to CreditCards.com, your payment history accounts for about 35% of your credit score. However, what those same people may not realize is that your credit utilization (i.e., how much of your aggregate credit you're using, expressed as a percentage) accounts for about 30% of your credit score. Credit bureaus usually like to see individuals using less than 30% of their available credit. Any more and you're credit score is liable to take a hit.

Adjusting your credit utilization rate to less than 30% can be done in one of two ways. First (and ideally), you can pay down some of your debt to get below the 30% threshold. If this isn't an option, the second idea would be to consider asking your lenders to increase your credit limits. This may require a hard inquiry into your credit history that adversely impacts your credit score for a short period of time. However, new accounts and credit inquiries tend to do far less damage to your credit score than a high utilization rate. Increasing your credit limits can boost your aggregate credit available and lower your utilization rate, perhaps below 30%.

Another important move to make is to check your credit report annually at AnnualCreditReport.com. All three credit reporting bureaus offer a free credit report annually, yet according to TransUnion, a third of Americans had never checked their credit reports as of 2013. This is worrisome because errors can appear on your credit report that hurt your score across one or more of the reporting bureaus. Simply taking the time to review your credit report for inaccuracies at least once annually could help you catch an error, which would presumably boost your credit score once removed.

Finally, cardholders would probably benefit from not being so quick to close accounts if they're not using them much anymore. While cardholders might believe that closing rarely used accounts will demonstrate responsible credit use to the reporting bureaus, all it does is reduce your aggregate outstanding credit limit (thus boosting your utilization rate).

Furthermore, it cancels out your presumed good-standing payment history with that account, and probably lowers the average length of time your accounts have been open. These are all factors that can negatively impact your credit score. Your best bet remains keeping good-standing accounts open for a long period of time, as well as using them from time to time to ensure they aren't closed by the lender. Doing so should help improve a number of the factors that help determine your FICO score.

With just a little effort, time, and maneuvering, America's homebuyers could reasonably push their average credit scores to 760.

5 Simple Tips to Skyrocket Your Credit Score Over 800!

Increasing your credit score above 800 will put you in rare company. So rare that only 1 in 9 Americans can claim they're members of this elite club. But contrary to popular belief, racking up a high credit score is a lot easier than you may have imagined following 5 simple, disciplined strategies. You'll find a full rundown of each inside our FREE credit score guide. It's time to put your financial future first and secure a lifetime of savings by increasing your credit score. Simply click here to claim a copy 5 Simple Tips to Skyrocket Your Credit Score over 800.

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
As an avid follower of and investor in the automotive industry, one thing has become abundantly clear to me over the past couple of years: Driverless cars are coming. Those autonomous vehicles might not arrive as quickly as the old sci-fi movies predicted, but with an increasing number of Silicon Valley's finest plunging into creating the technology, they're well on the way to becoming a reality.

The long-term development of autonomous vehicles offers savvy investors an incredible opportunity to invest in the companies that will change the future of the automotive industry -- but where to start?

How about this chipmaker?

One company poised to benefit from the advent of driverless cars that many investors overlook is STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM). It's the largest chipmaker in Europe, has a broad product portfolio within the global semiconductor industry, and boasted nearly $7 billion in 2016 revenue.

It has especially promising prospects in microcontrollers, sensors and automotive products. But it's the automotive segment that has some investors drooling at its potential.

Though the company has obvious potential, it also has a slightly more complex corporate structure than investors are used to with U.S. based companies. That's because roughly 27% of STMicroelectronics is owned by a group of companies controlled by the French and Italian governments; it gives the French government veto power in any board decision, and gives both governments a large presence in the boardroom. While that's not a deal-breaker when it comes to buying the stock, it's a red flag that emphasizes other entities' interests could be placed above those of ordinary shareholders.

Another small red flag is that despite being Europe's largest chipmaker, it has failed to generate a scale advantage, and its gross margins and operating profits are below those of many of its competitors. Further, as you can see below, the company has failed to gain any consistent upward movement with its top-line sales or bottom-line profits.

STMicroelectronics looks to have too many red flags, but this next company looks like a strong play ahead of the driverless technology trend.

This one's a winner

Mobileye N.V. (NYSE: MBLY) was far ahead of its time when it launched in 1999 with the idea that machine-vision technology that enabled safer traveling was a good business to be in. Its founders were right, and 17 years later the company finds itself at the forefront of the driverless-vehicle revolution. If you're unfamiliar with the company, Mobileye is now the leading supplier of software that enables Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS), and already boasts more than 25 partnerships with major automakers.

Proof that Mobileye's business is performing well can be found in its recent fiscal year highlights. Its revenue topped $358 million, which was a staggering 45.6% gain over the prior year, and adjusted earnings-per-share reached $0.22 -- both figures beat Wall Street estimates. Beyond its financial victories, the company also extended its ADAS leadership with 12 program wins across 11 separate automakers.

It seems like every week we're hearing about a new development from the company. Just last week, BMW Group and Mobileye announced an agreement to introduce the latter's Road Experience Management (REM) data-generation technology to new BMW models in 2018 -- basically, its a way to crowdsource a new kind of sensor data using BMW vehicles. Partnerships like that will become critical for Mobileye's efforts to maintain high-definition maps at minimal cost, and secure its leading position in a driverless future.

Also tantalizing are Mobileye's adjusted-EBITDA margins, which are sky-high thanks to its low fixed cost base and less intensive marketing and SG&A costs. For 2016, its adjusted-EBITDA margin hit 48.3%, which is simply outrageous compared to just about any company, much less those within the historically capital intensive automotive industry.

Investors shouldn't be surprised if Mobileye posts a double digit compound annual revenue growth rate over the next decade, and that's not just my opinion. "We believe the continued acceleration in [advanced driver assist systems] take rates and investment in autonomous capabilities will drive strong topline and earnings growth for the company over the next few years," wrote Richard Kwas, an analyst at Wells Fargo, in a note to investors, according to Automotive News.

If this company continues to create new partnerships and execute on its driverless technology, it could be a great stock to ride into our autonomous-vehicle future.

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What happened

American depositary receipts (ADRs) for AstraZeneca plc (NYSE: AZN) notched a 5.4% gain in February, while the big pharma's London-traded shares tacked on 9.4%, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Despite sliding sales in the face of generic competition, AstraZeneca's oncology programs gave investors reason to smile.

So what

Last year, sales of AstraZeneca's top three drugs sank by double-digit percentages, but it might not be time to jump ship just yet. In its first full year post-approval, lung cancer treatment Tagrisso added an impressive $423 million to the top line.

A successful new launch is especially encouraging, considering a few of the most promising new entities in late-stage development across the industry belong to AstraZeneca. By 2022, oncology candidates durvalumab, tremelimumab, and acalabrutinib are expected to generate $2.3 billion, $1.3 billion, and $968 million, respectively.

Later in the month, the company presented positive late-stage trial data for Lynparza that could help it become the first PARP inhibitor available for the treatment of breast cancer. This one of the most-watched new classes of oral cancer treatments, and an expansion to the much larger indication could help the drug generate about $2 billion in sales each year.

Now what

Although peak estimates for a handful drugs in AstraZeneca's late-stage pipeline suggest they could offset losses to generic competition, there's plenty that could go wrong. The Food and Drug Administration is currently mulling durvalumab's application for the treatment of bladder cancer, but Roche's drug of the same class is already becoming entrenched in that population. There's also a deep concern a combination of durvalumab and tremelimumab might flop in a lung cancer trial after Bristol-Myers Squibb scuttled a similar trial with two drugs of the same classes.

AstraZeneca's future hinges on its late-stage oncology pipeline. Until its future is less uncertain, it's probably best to watch from a safe distance.

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advertising feature | SPOTLIGHT STORY

March marks the launch of sales for The Austin, a 12-story building starring 100 luxury condominiums at the corner of Pine and Polk Streets.

From San Francisco-based Pacific Eagle,The Austin features an array of studio, one- and two-bedrooms ranging from the mid-$600,000s to over $1,500,000. The homes feature clean lines, natural materials, and are bathed in natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows that capture some of the best views North and East over Angel Island, Russian and Nob Hills. Wide-plank white oak hardwood floors provide a sense of warmth. Energy-efficient touches such as Nest thermostats allow you to precisely control the central heat and air conditioning so you can stay comfortable whether you're working, sleeping, or relaxing.

The residences are outfitted in high-end modern finishes. Kitchens feature Miele gas ovens and cooktops, quartz countertops, Hansgrohe fixtures, and built-in Bosch dishwashers. Open layouts with integrated storage and custom cabinetry by local cabinetmaker Sozo Studio, the kitchen was made for entertaining and is flexible to fade into the background when not in use.

The Austin encourages you to make full use of the building and the neighborhood around it. Take your work to the lobby lounge or the landscaped courtyard. The front desk can alert you when your lunch date arrives. For business meetings or pre-dinner cocktails, head to the roof deck, where you'll find plenty of seating around the fireplaces. Take the dog for a walk up to Lafayette Park and then rinse them off in the onsite pet spa before heading home.

When it's time to explore, grab your bike from the bicycle storage in the lobby or the basement. Before long, you can be in Golden Gate Park or powering through the trees into the Presidio. On foot, you have San Francisco's most vibrant neighborhoods right outside your front door. Sip a drink at Harper & Rye, try on some new duds at Marine Layer, or enjoy an exquisite meal at Lord Stanley. Between Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Belcampo Meat Co., and nearby Farmer's Markets, you will never go hungry.

The Austin is being crafted and built by a talented and seasoned team of San Francisco artisans and experts. With architecture by BDE, interior design by Edmonds + Lee and construction by Swinerton Builders, The Austin is sure to join the other architectural landmarks in this storied neighborhood.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia  Malaysia is protecting its sovereignty and dignity by expelling the North Korean ambassador, the prime minister said Monday, as relations between the countries unraveled further over the poisoning of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half brother of North Koreas leader.

The bizarre murder case  and the ensuing diplomatic battle  appear to have cost North Korea one of its few friends in the international community.

Just hours after the North Korean ambassador headed to the airport to leave Malaysia, North Korea responded in kind, announcing that it was ordering Malaysias envoy out of Pyongyang. But the move was symbolic. Malaysia had already recalled its diplomat shortly after the killing.

In an attack many believe was orchestrated by North Korea, Kim Jong Nam died less than 20 minutes after two women wiped VX nerve agent on his face at Kuala Lumpur airport on Feb. 13, authorities say. The women, one from Vietnam and one from Indonesia, have been charged with murder.

North Korea has denied any role in the killing and accused Malaysia of conspiring with its enemies. North Korean Ambassador Kang Chol rejected a Malaysian autopsy that found Kim was killed with VX, a banned chemical weapon.

On Monday, Prime Minister Najib Razak said the decision to expel Kang sent a clear message.

It means that we are firm in defending our sovereignty and dignity, Najib said. Dont ever insult our country and dont try to cause disruptions here.

Malaysian authorities declared Kang persona non grata on Saturday and gave him two days to leave the country. He arrived late Monday afternoon at the Kuala Lumpur airport, where he told reporters that Malaysia was doing great harm to the countries relations.

Soon after, North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency said Malaysias ambassador would also be expelled.

Malaysias Foreign Ministry spokesman, Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin, said North Koreas decision to expel the Malaysia envoy had been expected.

This reciprocal action is normal in diplomacy, he said, adding that the envoy had been recalled two weeks ago for consultations and was still in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysias finding that VX killed Kim boosted speculation that North Korea was behind the attack. Experts say the oily poison was almost certainly produced in a sophisticated state weapons laboratory, and North Korea is widely believed to possess large quantities of chemical weapons, including VX.

North Korea is trying to retrieve Kims body but has not acknowledged that the victim is Kim Jong Uns half brother, as Malaysian government officials have confirmed.

The two women accused of poisoning Kim say they were duped into thinking they were taking part in a harmless prank.

Eileen Ng is an Associated Press writer.
BERLIN  German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday rejected remarks by Turkeys president accusing officials of Nazi practices, days after a local authority in Germany prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally.

One cannot seriously comment on such misplaced statements, Merkel said at an event in Berlin, the DPA news agency reported.

Diplomatic tensions have risen in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of a national referendum on constitutional reform that would give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan more powers. Scores of expatriates are eligible to vote.

Last week, local authorities in southwestern Germany withdrew permission for Turkeys justice minister to use a venue to hold a yes rally aimed at Turks living in Germany. Responding to that, Erdogan on Sunday said that Germany, you dont have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past.

Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said earlier Monday that the German government strongly rejected that, adding that such comparisons downplay the crimes of the Nazis.

Seibert noted there are strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there are far-reaching differences of opinion between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

The strife comes at a time when the European Union is relying on a migrant deal with Turkey that has significantly cut down the number of refugees crossing into Europe. However, Erdogan has several times threatened to quit the deal when expressing anger over European countries.

Kirsten Grieshaber is an Associated Press writer.
SEOUL  North Korea launched four ballistic missiles from its long-range rocket launch site early Monday, the South Korean military said. The launch prompted South Korean security officials to call for the early deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system that has provoked China.

The missiles took off from Tongchang-ri, in northwest North Korea, and some flew 620 miles before falling into the sea between North Korea and Japan, said Noh Jae-chon, a South Korean military spokesman. The type of missile fired was not immediately clear, but Noh said it was unlikely that they were intercontinental ballistic missiles, which the North had recently threatened to test-launch.
South Koreas embattled president colluded with a confidante to extract $37 million from Samsung in return for granting favorable treatment to the corporation, special prosecutors concluded Monday after an investigation into the corruption scandal that has roiled the country.

The 101-page report recommends a further five charges against Park Geun-hye, taking the total to 13 and paving the way for her to be indicted if she is ejected from office. The Constitutional Court is set to announce whether it will uphold a parliamentary motion to impeach Park, who has been suspended from duties for three months.
Welcome to Shakesville, a progressive feminist blog about politics, culture, social justice, cute things, and all that is in between. Please note that the commenting policy and the Feminism 101 section, conveniently linked at the top of the page, are required reading before commenting.
Veritas Investments said it has reached a confidential settlement with Phil Mead, a former franchisee in the Nosh group who sought to terminate his franchise agreement after buying the business just days before Veritas disclosed it was under pressure from its bank to sell the upmarket supermarket chain.

On Feb. 24, Auckland-based Veritas completed the sale of its Nosh Group Ltd franchisor operation for about $4 million to Gosh Holding, whose Sydney-based owner Andrew Phillips, renamed it the same day as Nosh Group. The food and beverage investor took on a $5 million funding line with ANZ to buy the Nosh stores in 2014 but has struggled to turn the gourmet supermarkets into a profitable business.

Mead's Constellation Drive Food Market had served notice to terminate its franchise, a move disputed by Veritas's Old NGL Ltd.

"Under the terms of the settlement, Constellation Drive Food Market has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to Old NGL Limited to settle all debt, claims and disputes concerning that franchise," Veritas said in a statement to the NZX today.

Mead's lawyer Shane Rohde said he was unable to comment on the settlement.

Last month, Veritas said it would book a loss of between $2.2 million and $2.6 million on the sale in its annual accounts.

The $3.98 million sale included about $1 million of stock. Veritas valued Nosh's assets at $7 million with $2.6 million of liabilities at the Dec. 31 balance date.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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NZAX-listed TruScreen shares jumped 14 percent after the cervical cancer test developer announced distribution agreements for the sale of its screening device in multiple new markets.

The Auckland-based company last traded at 16 cents, up 2 cents, after it announced deals in territories with a total screening population of 61 million women in regions "with a historical lack of quality cervical screening programs or with local screening practices that vary considerably in quality." The shares, however, have fallen 40 percent over the past 12 months.

TruScreens real time cervical cancer technology uses a digital wand which is placed on the surface of the cervix to measure electrical and optical signals from the surrounding tissue and can operate outside the traditional laboratory infrastructure.

In Europe it has entered agreements in 10 countries, including Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia, Slovenia, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The agreement covers a target population of around 34 million women. In Central Asia it has inked a deal to distribute the device in Kazakhstan, where there are approximately 5 million women of screening age. The company also said it has recently entered an agreement to distribute TruScreen in Iran, where the target population numbers 22 million.

"The execution of these distribution agreements announced today significantly enhances the potential for sales growth in Europe and other markets," said chief executive Marty Dillon.

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Environment Minister Nick Smith has won Maori Party support for an overhaul of the Resource Management Act with what he calls a "better framework" for iwi participation.

Parliament's local government and environment select committee reported back on the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill yesterday, which Smith touted as "the most comprehensive package of reform" to the RMA since it was implemented 25 years ago, although the announcement was lost in the fanfare surrounding Prime Minister Bill English's proposed changes to New Zealand superannuation.

The second tranche of reforms to the RMA planning legislation has faced four extensions since being sent to select committee in December 2015, eventually shoring up support from the Maori Party with new iwi consultation provisions, dubbed Mana Whakahono a Rohe.

The select committee report says the new arrangements draw on a proposal from a fresh water discussion document governing consultation with local Maori interests and shift the initiation of a relationship to iwi from local authorities.

The committee was aware iwi-initiated arrangements could "create uncertainty for local authorities and impose unforeseen resource pressures" but that was mitigated by allowing an extension for when an agreement had to be concluded and a limitation on iwi from initiating an arrangement within 90 working days of a local body election, the report said.

"The Mana Whakahono a Rohe/Iwi Participation Agreement provides a better framework for councils to meet their existing obligations to consult with local iwi," Smith said in a statement. "The government supports these provisions because we want iwi involved in how natural resources are managed and because formalising the process will help achieve better outcomes with less delays and costs."

Smith signalled the reform would be going ahead at the National Party's Blue-Greens conference last month, and yesterday said the legislation will be back in Parliament this week.

The Maori Party had initially withheld its support of the reforms over the ability of the environment minister to override local government decision-making, and in participation rights for Maori in environmental and planning decisions.

The legislation was criticised in minority reports by opposition members on the select committee, with Labour Party members calling it "fatally flawed" and describing the committee process as "shambolic", including an attempt by government members attempting to block minority reports.

Labour's minority report said some of the changes to provide national guidance through policy statements and environment standards were appropriate, but others were "unnecessarily complex and will give rise to less consistency, not more".

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New Zealand's central bank announced a review of bank capital requirements to examine how well the current framework operates and to consider potential improvements.

In the wake of the global financial crisis, banks and regulators around the world have been reviewing capital standards. It is a complex area with many aspects to consider. The review will cover the definition of capital, the measurement of risks that the banks face and the minimum capital requirements and buffer," said Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Grant Spencer in a speech to the New Zealand Bankers' Association in Auckland.

The aim is to agree to a capital regime that ensures a very high level of confidence in the solvency of the banking system, while avoiding unnecessary economic inefficiency, he said. He underscored the Reserve Bank will consult the banks and the public on its findings and on any proposed changes to the capital framework.

The specific areas to be addressed will be outlined in an issues paper to be released in April.

Detailed policy positions and options for changes to the capital framework will be outlined in consultation papers during the year. We aim to conclude the review by the first quarter of 2018, said Spencer, who will end his long career at the RBNZ next March, after a six month stint as acting governor following the departure of the sitting governor, Graeme Wheeler, immediately after the Sept. 23 election.

Higher levels of capital would improve the soundness of the financial system by reducing the likelihood of bank failures. However, the capital regime could reduce the efficiency of financial intermediation if ratios are pushed too high or standards are made overly complex, said Spencer.

He noted banks and regulators have been revising their assessment of appropriate levelcapital sincesince the "traumatic experience" of the global financial crisis. The main international regulatory response has come under the broad banner of the so-called "Basel III Capital Framework", which required a higher minimum and better quality of capital. to help withstand losses during a financial shock.

"In New Zealand, our broad approach has been to adopt the Basel standards, where appropriate, and implement them with a conservative bias," he said. For example, the Reserve Bank has imposed restrictions on components of banks internal risk models. However, New Zealand has chosen not to adopt some aspects of Basel III, such as the internal modelling approach for market risk, where it has felt that a policy is overly complex or inappropriate for New Zealand conditions.

This conservative approach to bank capital has been warranted by New Zealands relatively high risk profile and the Reserve Banks non-interventionist approach to banking supervision. "Both of these factors are likely to be present going forward," said Spencer.

However, in the changing international regulatory environment, it is becoming less clear whether New Zealands historical position on bank capital is being maintained relative to Australia and other peers.

As a result, "we believe it is time to review New Zealands position and review more broadly our capital framework in light of international and domestic developments and our experience with the current regime," he said.

Consistent with the objectives of the review, Spencer said the central bank will adopt six high-level principles. Capital must readily absorb bank losses ahead of creditors and depositors and capital requirements should be set in relation to the risk of bank exposures. While there are multiple methods for determining capital requirements, outcomes should not vary substantially between methods, and New Zealand bank capital requirements should be conservative relative to international peers. The capital framework should be practical to administer, minimise unnecessary complexity and compliance costs, and take into consideration relationships with home country regulators and finally, the capital framework should be transparent to enable effective market discipline.

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Opposition and government support partners have rounded on the National Party's policy to raise the retirement age to 67, saying that delaying the move for 20 years adds a further burden to the generation that had to borrow for tertiary studies.

Anyone born after June 30, 1972, would face a phased increase in the age of entitlement for the universal state pension under proposals that National says it would not put into law before next year, meaning it plans to fight the Sept. 23 general election on the issue.

Labour Party leader Andrew Little told reporters at Parliament the announcement today by Prime Minister Bill English and Finance Minister Steven Joyce would disadvantage a generation that had already faced higher costs than the generation of retirees who would not be affected by the change.

"1972, if that's the cut-off date now, this is the generation who've had to pay for their education. They're missing out on housing because of this government's housing policy and they're waiting two years longer to get superannuation," said Little, who questioned whether the savings from the move justified it.

"If affordability was the issue, if the difference is 0.6 percent of GDP (gross domestic product), that is a barely negligible saving, so clearly affordability isn't the issue."

English said the 0.6 percent annual saving represented around $4 billion a year and was necessary if the government was to keep being able to fund health, education and other public services without having to raise taxes.

The biggest impact the government could make on the affordability of the state pension would be to restart payments to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, which were stopped in response to the 2008 global financial crisis and are not scheduled to restart until net government debt falls to 20 percent of GDP, forecast for early next decade.

The Act party leader, David Seymour, labelled the decision "inter-generational theft".

"The Prime Minister is protecting baby boomers, while pulling the rug out from under young people," said Seymour.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters did not explicitly reject the policy in his first statement on the issue, saying instead that it was "an effort to look responsible by the Prime Minister whilst not actually doing anything".

English said the timing made sense: giving voters an opportunity to vote on the proposal rather than the usual pre-election dynamic, where no party could propose a change that he said all New Zealanders were aware was necessary if the universal state pension was to remain affordable in the future.

"This is just the right thing for New Zealand. The politics can get stuck in cycles where, before every election, every party has to promise that nothing will change and after the election they can't change anything because they promised they wouldn't," he said.

The Retirement Commissioner, Diane Maxwell, had recommended the change occur more quickly because of forecasts of Budget blow-outs in the future caused by a combination mainly of health, pension and debt servicing spending.

English said he had begun work on the policy immediately on becoming Prime Minister in early December after the resignation of his predecessor, John Key, who had promised to resign if the pension age of eligibility were touched on his watch.

Little said Labour would not raise the pension age if it became government, arguing that people who undertake hard physical labour still deserved to be able to retire at that age.

Life expectancy might be rising, but bodies still wore out at about the same rate, Little said.

English and Joyce published forecasts of life expectancy suggesting that people receiving the pension from the age of 67 would still get the entitlement for about the same average length of time after 2037 as today's 65 year-olds.

The policy would maintain a universal pension, with no means-testing.

However, the system for migrants receiving superannuation would become less generous - a move broadly supported by both Little and Peters.

From early next year, new applicants for New Zealand Superannuation would need to have lived in the country for 20 rather than the current 10 year minimum, five of them while over the age of 50. Existing migrant pension recipients would be unaffected.

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For a majority of the more than 41 million retired workers currently receiving a Social Security check each month, that income is vital for them to meet their monthly expenses. Estimates from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that the mere existence of Social Security benefits has pushed the poverty rate for seniors down by 32%!

However, this heavily relied upon program isn't in the best of health. According to the Social Security Board of Trustees report from last year, the Trust could see its entire $2.8 trillion in spare cash completely exhausted by as early as 2034. The good news is that the program isn't going bankrupt, and it will be there to make benefit payments to many future generations of retirees. The bad news is that the current payout formula probably won't work for much longer if no new revenue is added to the program.

Long story short, Social Security needs some T.L.C. from Capitol Hill.

Is privatizing Social Security the answer?

Perhaps the biggest problem, and irony, is that finding a solution isn't truly the issue. More than a dozen separate solutions have been proposed by lawmakers in Washington. The crux is that political wrangling has kept either party from agreeing on any substantive changes to Social Security since 1983! After 34 years of doing very little, Social Security is a mess and in need of help.

One of the ideas that's been floated around multiple times, often by members of the Republican Party, is to consider a partial privatization of Social Security. What's meant by "privatization" is diverting a percentage of your payroll tax contributions to Social Security into some form of individual retirement account -- not to be confused with the IRAs you can open and invest in today -- that you would be able to control, to some degree. In other words, privatizing a percentage of your contribution would put more of the onus of your retirement on you, allowing the government to take a step back, if you will.

Privatizing could work in one of two ways. Either the federal government would designate an allotment of investable assets that working Americans could choose from, or the federal government could open the gates all the way. Short of letting workers pull the money out, the federal government could allow workers to invest their money however they see fit. In either scenario, most prior calls for privatization have suggested only allowing a relatively small percentage of lifetime benefits be privatized. In short, we're not talking about individuals suddenly being in control of 50%, or 100%, of their lifetime benefits.

More than a decade prior, President Trump and VP Mike Pence both favored the idea of privatizing a portion of Social Security. The same can be said of Budget Director Mick Mulvaney and Trump's Social Security advisor Tom Leppert, who have demonstrated support for privatization in the past.

The pros and cons of privatizing Social Security

You might be wondering what all of the excitement is about when it comes to privatization. The simple answer is that it reduces government involvement in supporting retired worker payments, which some lawmakers believe can help sustain Social Security. More importantly, privatizing a percentage of Social Security would give workers an opportunity to invest in higher-growth equities.

The Social Security Trust's more than $2.8 trillion in spare cash is currently invested in special-issue bonds and certificates of indebtedness. These are assets that are typically yielding between 1.375% and 5.25%. However, these bonds are interest-rate sensitive. Because the Federal Reserve has kept lending rates near historic lows for the better part of eight years, most newly issued bonds are in the 1.37% to 2% yield range. That's a pretty abysmal return.

Allowing workers to invest in mutual funds, electronic-traded funds (ETFs), or even individual stocks would allow them the opportunity to generate greater returns. After all, the stock market has returned an average of 7%, historically, when dividend reinvestment is included.

But there are two potential downsides to privatizing Social Security. To begin with, there's little guarantee that a partial privatization would resolve the program's budgetary shortfall. Thus, even apportioning, say, 5% or 10% of workers' contributions for privatization may still require Congress to find additional sources of revenue, or to cut benefits.

More importantly, a partial privatization would mean a big increase in risk for the American worker. While it's true that the stock market has outperformed nearly all assets over the long run, there are no guarantees that a worker would make money. Nor is it fair to assume that workers have a good grasp of the basic financial knowledge needed to invest their own money. If not careful, workers could lose their valuable nest eggs and really be in trouble come retirement.

Here's what the American people think

And that leaves us with, perhaps, the most important question of all: What does the public think? Though Social Security privatization surveys have been few and far between in recent years, they were abundant in the late 1990s through the mid-2000s, at least based on the data that Gallup has culled.

The prevailing theme of the Gallup-sponsored surveys is that consumers are more than willing to consider individual retirement accounts that contain a percentage of their Social Security benefits. In 1991 and 1998, 61% and 64%, respectively, of those surveyed agreed that individuals should be allowed to invest part of their Social Security savings as they see fit. Multiple surveys between 2000 and 2003 showed support of between 52% and 65%, with the opposition never closing in within nine percentage points.

When examining external polls from the likes of Pew Research, ABC News, Fox News, CNN, NBC News, and a host of other sources in 2004 and 2005, the surveys were generally more mixed. Favorability toward privatizing Social Security tended to ebb when the stock market ran into trouble, and the manner in which the question was worded had a pretty sizable impact on the responses. Gallup found that questions that included the phrases "reduce the guaranteed benefits" or "gradually reduce the amount of money that people receive as their guaranteed Social Security benefit" tended to lower support for the idea.

What this implies is that consumers are liable to allow their emotions to get the best of them, and that many respondents probably don't understand the real ramifications of what privatization means. Separate surveys have regularly shown that most Americans would get a poor or failing grade when it comes to basic financial knowledge, which is a dangerous proposition when it comes to investing a portion of their Social Security benefits.

So, where does that leave the idea of privatizing Social Security? My guess would be pretty much dead as a doornail for the time being unless Congressional Republicans could drum up serious support for such a measure and provide some degree of protection for workers with little to no financial knowledge.

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What happened

Stock in America's largest military shipbuilding company, Huntington Ingalls (NYSE: HII), rose 13.3% in February, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 gain of 3.7% in the same period. The move was likely promulgated by two factors:

The analyst consensus-busting fourth-quarter earnings released on Feb. 16.

Positive sentiment driven by President Donald Trump's ongoing statements concerning expanding the Navy from 272 ships to 350 ships.

The fourth-quarter results were better than expected, but they still raised questions concerning 2017. As you can see below, contract awards of $5.2 billion were a significant decline from 2016's $7.6 billion, and that meant the book-to-bill ratio declined from 1.08 in 2015 to 0.74 in 2016. Meanwhile, backlog declined by $1 billion.

Clearly, the key driver of Huntington Ingalls' stock price will be contract awards in 2017, and/or sentiment on its ability to win new contracts.

So what

There are two lines of thinking for Huntington Ingalls' shareholders here. The first is concern that Trump's calls to cut costs on military programs -- Secretary of State James Mattis has already ordered financial reviews on the F-35 fighter jet and the Air Force One presidential jet -- might hurt profitability at Huntington Ingalls with regard to shipbuilding for the military in the future.

The second acknowledges that Trump's view on Naval expansion is a revenue boon to the company, whether it means lower-margin contract awards in the future or not.

Now what

The second view is holding sway for now, and with good reason. Trump visited Huntington Ingalls' Newport News Shipbuilding division last week and talked with CEO Mike Petters regarding buying ships "smarter." Furthermore, in an address to Huntington's employees he talked of how the Navy is "going to soon be the largest it's been. Don't worry." Moreover, he said he had "just spoke with Navy and industry leaders and have discussed my plans to undertake a major expansion of our entire Navy fleet, including having the 12-carrier Navy we need."

It's good news for the Navy and good news for Huntington Ingalls.

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NEW YORK: US tech giant Google will release a new Pixel smartphone later this year. The device, with the built-in personal Google Assistant, will directly competes with the Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

"The device will remain 'premium' in its next iteration and the company is not interested in offering a low-cost version, preferring instead to let that segment be addressed by its external hardware partners," techcrunch.com quoted Rick Osterloh, Google SVP of Hardware as saying.

Launched last year, Pixel is the first smartphone that works as an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator.

The 5-inch smartphone is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset, 4GB of RAM and runs on Android Nougat 7.0 operating system.

The device also has Pixel Imprint -- a fingerprint scanner on the back of the smartphone for quick access to all apps, texts and e-mails.

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Offering a different customer experience is becoming a challenge these days. Banks choose to buy and deploy off-the-shelf technical solutions to deliver banking products to customers-a model that is a common practice in small to mid-sized banks.This strategy helps them optimize their technology spend and deliver new products quickly, but while this is a good financial strategy, it does not help the banks differentiate their products from their competition. In many cases the solution comes from the same known financial services vendors.The result is that when deployed, these products look and behave the same way across banks. Now, the question is how to differentiate when using these procured products.At First Tennessee we faced with this same challenge. We wanted to offer differentiated customer experiences with our products and at the same time to optimize our technology spend.In other words, we want to spend less and be different.In 2009, we started developing a roadmap to achieve this objective. We looked at all the options available and we quickly settled on a hybrid model. We understood that we had to develop our own unique solutions for our customer channels. These would be the solutions our customers touch and use on a daily basis and we would then deploy purchased solutions for our back-office needs.This hybrid model strategies one that larger banks have been executing for years. But it brought a new challenge to the forefront called system integration. We needed to integrate disparate systems to offer a seamless experience for our customers.I think every technologist would agree that system integration is not an easy problem to solve. The problem landscape ranges from different OS platforms to different run-time stacks to different API types to different programming languages to different skills. This is the most expensive phase of a project requiring countless hours to make two systems talk to each other.At First Tennessee we embarked on a journey to develop our system integration capability. This will be the secret sauce to the recipe for our unique solutions and will allow us to build some and buy the others, but still offer a seamless experience to our customers. More importantly, it will optimize our expenditure.We quickly set our hearts on acquiring and developing this capability internally. We wanted to be the best at system integration and determined that this was going to be our competitive advantage where we can offer new and better products quickly and economically. We knew if we achieved our goal, we could deliver solutions quickly, realize reuse of our assets, reduce expense, and decrease the delivery time.The first step was assembling a centralized enterprise integration team, composed of people with prior experience in system integration. We also recruited fresh and experienced talent for this team and continued to train and retain the best employees.Next, we enforced an enterprise architecture policy stating we will no longer implement point-to-point integration and all integration will be delivered through the new Integration team. While there was some resistance in the beginning, soon all the integration work started flowing through the centralized team. This centralization made several things possible.First, it gave us the ability to build an integration layer for our system of record applications using web services. Next, it allowed us to reuse our assets aka we were able to reuse business logic. Finally it helped us put an end to solving the same problem over and over for each project.The next milestone in our journey was to introduce an advanced canonical message model that we called our enterprise message model. We were able to develop one vocabulary across various systems.For example, an account meant and behaved the same across all our systems. It became very easy for our internal teams, vendors and partners to understand our integration layer and connect with it. The steep learning curve for understanding the APIs was virtually eliminated.Our next milestone was in building reusable business processes. Our middleware stack was becoming richer every day with new processes and this milestone soon helped us embark on our omni-channel strategy. Our channel applications were able to tap into the business processes offered by our middleware stack.Our customers started enjoying a consistent experience interacting with us no matter which channel they used. Our next accomplishment was in service enabling all our system of record applications. We were able to rollout a new mobile banking solution within 90 days. While integration is a challenge for many banks, it is now a business as usual task for us.We also ensured that we had the best available tools to make all this happen and our middleware stack has a collection of tools to make integration a breeze.We are now working on rolling-out a new online banking platform for our retail customers. We have completed the integration work in less than six months and were able to reuse much of the work we had done for other channels like mobile.At First Tennessee we take pride in saying integration is our advantage and we continue to build and buy solutions and integrate them without seams. The journey to build a competency in system integration is paying off. We are able to reduce the time to market, offer a different and unique experience to our customers and reduce our expenditure.Our hybrid approach is helping us bring the best products to our customers.
NEW DELHI: In a move to promote digital transactions post-demonetisation, the government on Friday said it has asked banks to provide mobile banking facility to all customers by the end of the current fiscal on March 31.

"Ministry issues advisory to banks to enable mobile seeding, Aadhaar seeding of bank accounts along with enablement of Mobile Banking for all its savings bank customers on a campaign mode by March 31, 2017," an Electronics and IT Ministry (MeitY) statement here said.

"As per an estimate, currently only 65 per cent saving accounts are seeded with mobile numbers and only 50 per cent are seeded with Aadhaar numbers. Out of the 65 per cent accounts already seeded with mobile numbers, only 20 per cent are enabled for mobile banking," it said.

To make the process of 100 per cent seeding of bank accounts convenient to customers, the ministry "has advised the banks to explore 'Over the Air' customer consent instead of requiring customers to visit the bank branch or ATM as is required currently," the statement added.

Declaring that the process of enabling the bank accounts for mobile and Aadhaar-based banking is "completely voluntary", the statement said: "However, given the benefits of these banking channels, a large number of customers are expected to opt for it."

Speaking to reporters earlier this week, IT Secretary Aruna Sundarajan elaborated on the rationale behind the move following the recent demonetisation of high value currency and the government's campaign to encourage digital transactions.

"The reason is earlier mobile banking wasn't such a priority. And therefore, many customers may not have said they want mobile banking services. But today, they want it," she said

Sundarajan also said customers who are using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) or Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) payment app should be automatically enabled for mobile banking.

"We have said that any customer who accesses UPI or BHIM, should automatically be enabled for mobile banking because it means they want mobile banking. This is to ensure that whoever wants to do mobile banking but has not been enabled, should be enabled by March 31," she said.

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politics

King veterans home fails to meet three federal standards, including one instance of abuse, according to federal survey
BEIJING: China says it will increase military spending by about 7 pct this year, just days after Donald Trump announced a boost to the US defence budget.

The scheduled announcement was made ahead of the annual National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, BBC reported.

China has been modernising its armed forces recently as its economy expands.

China's announced defence budget remains smaller than that of the US. But many China observers argue the real figure could be much higher.

The announcement marks the second consecutive year that the increase in China's defence spending has been below 10 pct following nearly two decades at or above that figure.

It means that total spending will account for about 1.3 pct of the country's projected GDP in 2017, the same level as in recent years, said government spokeswoman Fu Ying.

The precise figure for the country's military spending will be provided by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang when he addresses the NPC on Sunday.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said he was seeking to boost defence spending by 10 pct in his proposed budget for 2018.

China's military build-up - and projection of naval power - has caused concern in the region, where it has taken an increasingly assertive stance in territorial disputes.

Beijing has been building artificial islands on reefs in waters also claimed by other nations in the South China Sea.

Images published late last year show military defences on some islands, a think-tank says.

Defending its right to build, China has said in the past that it has no intention of militarising the islands, but has acknowledged building what it calls necessary military facilities for defensive purposes.

There have been sporadic incidents between US and Chinese ships in the South China Sea. Late last year, a Chinese ship seized a US navy underwater drone off the Philippines, but later agreed to return it.

Chinese ships have also been involved in clashes and stand-offs with ships from Vietnam and the Philippines.

Japan signed off a record defence budget last December in the face of territorial disputes with China in the East China Sea and North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

In Beijing, Fu said on Saturday that China advocated "dialogue for peaceful resolutions, while at the same time, we need to possess the ability to defend our sovereignty and interests".

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BARCELONA: India will organise its first mobile congress in September with a special focus on reaching out to the South East Asian markets.



"There is Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and an edition in Shanghai. There is nothing in between for South East Asia. India is emerging as one of the global leaders in telecom which we will also showcase in the Indian Mobile Congress," COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews told PTI.



He said that the Department of Telecom and the Ministry of Electronics and IT have laid their emphasis on Indian Mobile Congress and Cellular Operators Association of India will drive it.



The GSM Association, which organises annual global event of Mobile World Congress (MWC) here, has agreed to associate with the three-day event that will be held at Pragati Maidan starting September 27, he said.



Mathews said he along with Indian government delegation had held discussion with British and Swedish Trade Ministers for their engagement in IMC.



"We have held meeting with official representatives of other governments as well," Mathews said.



He said that all Indian mobile operators, Facebook, Huawei, Ericsson, Cisco etc are likely to participate in the mobile congress.



"We have asked other Indian business association to come together and be part of it. The event will focus on knowledge sharing, exhibition, start ups, skill development and all pillars of Digital India including Make in India," Mathews said.

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TEGRAN: Iran "successfully" tested the Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missile defence system, Press TV reported on Saturday.

During the test, conducted in the presence of several Iranian military and government officials, the missile system successfully detected, tracked and intercepted a ballistic missile, the report said.

The test was also aimed at analyzing the performance of the S-300 system, assessing the capability of the system in engaging targets with a low radar cross section and ballistic missile threats as well as the ability of Iranian officers to use the system.

Iran purchased the system from Russia and integrated it into the defence system of the country in 2016.

Tehran is now designing and manufacturing an indigenous version of the S-300 system, called Bavar-373, Brig. Gen. Farzad Esmaili, the commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defence Base, was quoted as saying.

Bavar-373 would be more technologically advanced than S-300 and would be tested "in the near future", he said.

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NEW DELHI: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd (HMSI) today launched BS-IV emission norm compliant new CB Shine SP motorcycle, priced at 60,914 (Ex-showroom Delhi).

The new CB Shine SP offering has safety features such as automatic headlamp on (AHO) for improved visibility in all conditions. It is the 5th offering from Honda's stable to meet Bharat Stage-IV norms, the company said in a statement.

Commenting on the launch, HMSI Senior Vice-President, Sales and Marketing Y S Guleria said: "The new 2017 CB Shine SP with extra style and advanced BS-IV compliant engine with AHO offers more value to the aspirational customers."

Since its launch, CB Shine SP has been a successful urban commuter with added advantage of fifth gear, he added.

The bike is powered by a 125cc engine. It is also equipped with Combi Brake System (CBS) with equalizer technology that reduces braking distance and improves balance, leading to more confident riding compared to conventional braking, HMSI added.

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NEW DELHI: Country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) today launched Baleno RS at an introductory price of Rs 8.69 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), thus making its way into 'high-performance' hatchback segment in the country.

The Baleno RS brings Suzuki's latest powerful 1.0 litre boosterjet petrol engine, which delivers 20 per cent more power than a naturally aspirated 1.2 litre petrol engine.

"Baleno RS is for the performance enthusiasts who seek more power, throttle response and excitement in their day-to-day driving," MSI MD & CEO Kenichi Ayukawa told reporters here.

With the 1.0 litre boosterjet engine, Maruti Suzuki marks its entry in the high performance segment, he added.

Baleno RS is the sporty version of the company's premium hatchback Baleno that is sold through Nexa retail chain priced between 5.98 lakh and 8.43 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). MSI has already sold over 1.5 lakh Balenos in the domestic market.

Maruti Suzuki expects an additional 10 per cent of the Baleno sales to come from the new model.

"A boosterjet engine complements and strengthens brand of Baleno. With Baleno RS we expand brand Baleno and reach out to a new segment of customers - the performance enthusiasts - in India," Ayukawa said.

With Baleno RS, the company will compete with the likes of Polo GT and Fiat's Punto Abarth, which are priced between 9.11 lakh to 10.31 lakh.

The Baleno RS will be available in a single variant. It comes with advanced safety norms including pedestrian safety, side and frontal offset impact, ahead of regulation timelines.

It also has ISOFIX child-seat restrain anchorages in addition to dual airbags, seatbelts with pre-tensioners and force limiters. Besides, it also features disc brakes in all wheels, coupled with ABS and EBD.

Commenting on company's road map for complying with safety regulations, Ayukawa said: "I am happy to share that five Maruti Suzuki models - S-Cross, Ciaz, Baleno, Ignis and Ertiga - are already certified for advanced safety regulations on frontal offset, side impact and pedestrian safety.

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WASHINGTON: A bipartisan group of four US lawmakers, including Indian-American Ro Khanna, today introduced a legislation in the Congress to reform the current H-1B and L1 work visas and end its abuse by foreign companies.



The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2017 introduced by Congressmen Bill Pascrell, Dave Brat, Khanna and Paul Gosar is in addition to the nearly half a dozen similar legislations pending in the US Congress - either the House of Representatives or the Senate - all of whom seek to close loopholes in the H-1B and L visa programmes to reduce fraud and abuse, provide protections for American workers and visa holders.



Interestingly the latest move from four Congressmen come a day after a NASSCOM delegation concluded its trip to US during which they met a number of US lawmakers to sensitize them about the importance of H-1B and L1 visas.



A significant chunk of US political leadership believes that Indian companies are major beneficiaries of this foreign guest worker programme and allege that this resulted in displacement of American workers.



The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2017 has the endorsement of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL-CIO) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).



The bill, a companion to the Senate's version sponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), would restore Congress' original intent for the H-1B and L-1 visa programs, a media release said.



The bill, if passed by both the House and the Senate and signed into law by the US President, would require employers to make a good faith effort to recruit and hire American workers before bringing in foreign workers and prohibits employers from replacing American workers with H-1B and L-1 workers or giving preference to H-1B visa holders when they are filling open positions.



It will modify existing H-1B wage requirements, and establish wage requirements for L-1 workers.



The bill proposes to prohibit employers from outsourcing H-1B and L-1 visa holders to other sites unless the employer obtains a waiver which is available only in limited circumstances when the rights of American workers are protected.



It gives more authority to the Departments of Homeland Security and Labor to investigate fraud and abuse in the H-1B and L-1 programmes by requiring the two departments to audit employers and share information, ensuring visa petitions are more effectively scrutinized.



Among others it proposes to prohibiting companies from hiring H-1B employees if they employ more than 50 people and more than 50 per cent of their employees are H-1B and L-1 visa holders. This provision of the bill would majorly impact Indian companies.

The bill calls for creation of a new H-1B visa allocation system that gives top priority to workers who have earned advanced science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) degrees from US institutions.

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Source: PTI


Rob Bailey | bailey@siadvance.com

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Victoria Priola | vpriola@siadvance.com

'The luck of love'

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Over the sound of Irish tunes blaring down Forest Avenue and the light aroma of alcohol in the air, Staten Island couples shared some tender moments at this year's St. Patrick's Day parade.

The North Shore tradition is one thousands look forward to all year round. If the community coming together to celebrate Irish pride wasn't romantic enough, local couples that matched with green decor prove that the luck of love can be found everywhere.

Here are a few local lovers who celebrated the day with one another. First up: Erin Ferry of Port Richmond and her boyfriend Ryan Carte sharing a kiss after the parade ended.

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Victoria Priola | vpriola@siadvance.com

Meg and Michelle's 'puppy love'

Staten Islanders Meg and Michelle bring their fur-baby, Finn, to the parade. The two embrace each other to get through the dropping temperatures, as well as sharing tender moments.

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Victoria Priola | vpriola@siadvance.com

All smiles on Forest Avenue

Bobby and Liz Ziznewski say they've been attending the Forest Avenue St. Patrick's Day Parade for as long as they can remember, but being hand in hand makes the day even more special.

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Victoria Priola | vpriola@siadvance.com

New sparks at the St. Patrick's Day parade

Sally Moralez and John Stewart of Westerleigh posing before the parade begins. The two met at a Wagner High School reunion and have been inseparable ever since. This is their first St. Patrick's Day parade together.

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Victoria Priola | vpriola@siadvance.com

Great Kills couple brings good luck

Allyson Rowland of Great Kills and her boyfriend Nick D'Abbene lock lips on Forest Avenue as the parade comes to a close. (Photo courtesy of Allyson Rowland)

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Victoria Priola | vpriola@siadvance.com

A 'lifetime of memories'

Mikele and Brian Brennan say they have been married 28 years and are ready to share a lifetime of memories at special events, like the St. Patricks Day parade on Forest Avenue.

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Victoria Priola | vpriola@siadvance.com

Five years of fabulous for the Hyland's

Patrick and Lindsey Hyland with daughters Keira and Fiona rocked shamrock studded hats and bright green apparel outside Jody's Club Forest, Patrick's place of work. The pair say this is a time where they can get together with close friends and family, while giving their children fond memories to reflect on. The couple says they have been married for five years.

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Victoria Priola | vpriola@siadvance.com

Staten Island couple: 'The parade is an honored tradition.'

The Feeny's of Great Kills prepping for the parade to start. The couple says taking their daughters to the parade has become an honored family tradition. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola)

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Victoria Priola | vpriola@siadvance.com

Celebrating Irish pride

Melissa and Nick Gambacorta come to Forest Avenue to celebrate their Irish pride with their daughter Allyson.

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undefined

The Mc Auliffe's go green

The Mc Auliffe family, living blocks from the Forest Avenue parade route, says the annual event has become a staple to them as a unit.
brett.JPG

Could former first-round pick Brett Lawrie be coming to the New York Mets?

(Associated Press)

Former Moore Catholic infielder Chris Ammirati was the first to contact this reporter when second baseman/third baseman Brett Lawrie was released by the Chicago White Sox last week.

Ammirati, a 52-year-old avid Mets fan, wrote in an email to me: "He will come at a bargain price. He is only 27 and is a former 1st round pick. Mets should pick him up as a 3B insurance policy."

Of course, I shot my former schoolmate down, telling him Lawrie is damaged goods (he's battling leg problems) and the Amazins wouldn't want to take the risk on a player that could spend more time on the disabled list than the field.

Much to my surprise, Ammirati, a retired fedearal agent, informed me this morning that the Mets are one of four teams interested in Lawrie, according to ESPN's Jim Bowden.



Lawrie hit .248 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI in 94 games last season. He played 92 games at second base last season after playing 109 at third base with the Oakland A's in 2015.

The other teams interested in Lawrie's services are the Royals, Rays and Blue Jays.

Given the Mets' circumstances in the infield with David Wright not expected to start at third base and Neil Walker returning from a back injury, and TJ Rivera and Matt Reyonlds being the only backups, it may be wise for the Mets to take a look since Lawrie does have some pop in his bat. Lawrie is hitting .261 with 71 home runs and 253 RBI in six seasons.

BUT not after an extensive physical and a look at him in the infield and at the plate before offering him a one-year contract.

Otherwise, Rivera and Reynolds should be the team's back-up infielders.
sharpton.jpg

Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner, applauds as as Rev. Al Sharpton, right, speaks during services at Hope Memorial Baptist church Sunday, July 17, 2016, in Elizabeth, N.J. Two years after the chokehold death of Eric Garner made "I can't breathe" a rallying cry for protests over police killings of black men, federal authorities are still grappling with whether to prosecute the white officer seen on a widely watched video wrapping his arm around Garner's neck. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Civil Rights leaders are scheduled to meet with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday to discuss, among other things, the federal investigation in regard to the death of Eric Garner.

National Action Network (NAN) President and founder Rev. Al Sharpton will be among the civil rights leaders present, according to a press release Monday from NAN.

Sharpton also plans to discuss a federal indictment of the South Carolina police officer who, in 2015, shot a black man in the back while the man was running away.

Other topics planned for discussion include the DOJ and the Voter ID law in Texas, according to the press release.

Garner died in police custody on July 17, 2014, when officers attempted to arrest him for allegedly selling loose, untaxed cigarettes in Tompkinsville.
heroin nws

The region's top DEA agent says stronger heroin is contributing to the nation's opiate epidemic. (file photo)

(Staten Island Advance/Photo illustration)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The region's top DEA agent said Sunday that the nation's heroin epidemic is being fueled, in part, by stronger heroin.

James Hunt, the DEA special agent in charge of the New York Division, went on John Catsimatidis' Sunday radio show to explain that the heroin of today is far more potent than the same drug 30 years ago.

"It is much different," Hunt told the radio host and business man. "The heroin is much stronger, it's cheap and it's plentiful."

Hunt said that today's heroin, imported by Mexican cartels, can be as much as 10 times purer than the heroin of the 80s and 90s, which was brought by Columbian drug lords.

The Advance reported in 2015 about the increase in heroin's potency in recent years. A recovering addict, who only identified himself as Frank, told the Advance that the highest level of purity addicts could find when he was using was around 10 percent.

"If this kind of dope was around when I was using, I'd be dead," the man who had been clean since 1990 said.

Many of the people who develop heroin addictions were already struggling with addictions to prescription pills, Hunt said. As many as 80 percent of new heroin users start with prescription pills, according to the DEA agent.

"None of these kids that start doing prescription pills ever think they'll be putting a needle in their arms," he said.

Hunt believes the solution to the nation's current epidemic is a three-pronged approach of education for young people, treatment for current addicts, and enforcement of drug laws.

He closed the radio segment by advising parents to remain vigilant and to keep an eye out for any sudden changes in behavior.
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Trump.jpg

President Donald Trump issued a new executive order Monday banning travel for 90 days from six Middle Eastern and North African countries after his first ban was struck down by a judge. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - While Rep. Daniel Donovan supported President Donald Trump's original travel ban with some criticism, the only Republican in the city's congressional delegation gave the new order two thumbs up Monday.

A U.S. District Court judge struck down Trump's original executive order last month after states Washington and Minnesota challenged the ban. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the lower court's ruling, suspending the travel ban on seven predominantly Muslim countries.

On Monday, Trump revealed a new executive order that addressed the legal concerns the courts had.

Unlike the previous ban, the new one doesn't have an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees -- refugee visas from all countries will be suspended for 120 days.

Once refugees are allowed in, admissions are capped at 50,000 for the 2017 fiscal year.

The new travel ban removes Iraq from the list, citing increased negotiations and cooperation between the two countries in increasing vetting measures.

The six countries affected by the 90-travel ban are Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Unlike Trump's first executive order, this new one allows current visa holders to enter the United States.

Also unlike the previous travel ban, this one comes with a 10-day warning. The travel ban will go into effect on March 16.

The new ban also doesn't allow waivers to members of a minority religion in the region, like Christianity, which had spawned allegations that the travel ban was a "Muslim ban."

But it does provide for a waiver when someone demonstrates that denying entry would cause undue hardship, that their entry would not pose a threat to national security, and that their entry would be in the national interest.

The 90-day period is to be used for the Department of Homeland Security to establish standards to prevent terrorist or criminal infiltration by foreign nationals.

Donovan (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) supported Trump's first travel ban, defending it as the result of Barack Obama's administration identifying the seven countries as not having acceptable vetting methods.

But he has been critical of the previous rollout, that came with no warning, leaving travelers stranded in airports.

"This executive order's rollout seems smoother and more controlled than the first rollout," he said. "The administration has rightly made adjustments to exempt lawful permanent residents and current visa holders, eliminated the indefinite ban for Syrian refugees, and provided adequate lead time to prepare the agents who will execute the order. The new order also exempts Iraq, making it clear that our country's national security leaders are satisfied with changes the Iraqi government made between the first order and today."

He again defended the president's decision to "press pause" -- as Donovan has presented it in the past -- on travel from those countries.

"Pausing admissions for a limited time to evaluate vetting procedures and implement new protocols is in America's national security interest," the congressman added. "The order includes countries that are state sponsors of terror or have unstable governments, and the FBI currently has active terror investigations into 300 already-admitted refugees. We must have confidence in the vetting procedures that FBI Director James Comey and former Homeland Security Sectary Jeh Johnson described as vulnerable to exploitation."
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PARDEEVILLE - Florence E. Smith, age 86, of Pardeeville, passed away Thursday, March 2, 2017, at the American Way of Portage, where she had resided the past several years and lost her battle with Alzheimer's disease. She was born Aug. 7, 1930, to William and Lillian Wiesshoff. She was united in marriage to Roland Smith Feb. 26, 1949. Florence and Roland lived in Pardeeville for many years. She was a devoted wife of 56 years of marriage.

She was active and known to many in the Pardeeville area. She had been a member of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church for 30 plus years. Florence had a good heart in volunteering throughout the years. She was always on the go. After the death of Roland, it was a rare day to find her at home. She loved the outdoors and would rather have a rake in her hand than a vacuum cleaner. Many hours where spent with her son, Wayne and daughter-in-law, Janice going to eat, spending days boating on Swan Lake, and holiday get-togethers after the death of her husband. She had dreamed of going to Alaska with Roland, but that dream never came true because of his failing health, but that dream of an Alaska trip was realized when her son, Wayne and wife, Janice took her to Alaska shortly after his death.

Survivors include son, Wayne (Janice) Smith, and Janice's children, Debbie and Julie; and she is further survived by her other children and relatives, near and far. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Roland; sister, Gladys Pulver; and brother, Duane Wiesshoff.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, March 9, 2017, at 1 p.m. at ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH in Pardeeville, with Rev. William Runke officiating. Interment will follow at Pardeeville Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. until the time of services. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. John Lutheran Church in Pardeeville, Agrace HospiceCare or the Alzheimer's Foundation.

A special thank you to Pastor Runke, Dr. Brenda Blohm and Agrace HospiceCare for their support and care, and a very special thank you to the good people at American Way who became Florence's second family. Grasse Funeral Service of Pardeeville is serving the family.
Child care workers across Canberra will walk off the job at 3:20pm for International Women's Day on Wednesday in protest over pay inequality and the lack of funding for early education.

Wattle Early Childhood Centre director Ashleigh Daly said the timing symbolised the part of the day women in early education effectively began to work for free in comparison to the men in that and similar industries.

Ashleigh Daly is one of many women walking off the job on Wednesday for International Women's Day at 3.20pm in protest of the gender pay gap. Credit:Karleen Minney

"The government really needs to realise that [early education is] just as important as going into primary education," Ms Daly said.

Ms Daly said parents who use the centre had been notified and had expressed support as the majority agreed to collect their children at 3:15pm on the day.
Canberra bakers, pre-heat your oven - the PANDSI Cake-off is back, with a cake theme a little closer to home.

The 2016 PANDSI cake-off saw all 107 cakes from the Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cakes cookbook in one room, with crowds of around 1500 streaming through Hyatt Hotel Canberra to catch a glimpse.

PANDSI president Christine Spicer in her kitchen. Credit:Karleen Minney

This year, the cake theme is Canberra, and the creations of all 70 selected participants will be included in a cookbook later this year.

Registrations for bakers open on March 8, and PANDSI president Christine Spicer encouraged locals to get creative when it came to showing off the nation's capital in cake form.
The Captain Cook Memorial Jet is back - bigger and better than ever. The fountain in Lake Burley Griffin will shoot an extra five metres into the sky after a $3 million refurbishment.

Water has been spouting from the lake periodically since late last year, after almost two years of headaches and hiccups forced the jet to be shut off.

Lake Burley Griffin's Captain Cook Memorial Jett was switched back on last year after a long interlude. Credit:Jay Cronan

To mark its return, water will be shot 152 metres in the air when both pumps are fired up on Canberra Day next Monday, National Capital Authority chief executive Malcolm Snow said.

Previously, the pumps could only push water to a height of 147 metres.
Billionaire Gina Rinehart has expanded her footprint in the agricultural sector, buying another cattle station in the Northern Territory.

The Aroona cattle station, located around 100 kilometres west of Katherine, covers an area of 147,510 hectares and holds about 15,000 cattle, Ms Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting Pty, said in an emailed statement on Monday.

The deal price wasn't disclosed although The Australian Financial Review reported property records showed the station sold for $13.5 million.

The purchase comes three months after Ms Rinehart was cleared by the Australian government to buy the iconic cattle company S. Kidman & Co for $386.5 million with Chinese joint venture partner Shanghai CRED.
A $650 million revamp of Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market is at risk because the state government hasn't approved key planning guidelines covering its development, lord mayor Robert Doyle says.

Cr Doyle took the unusual step of releasing detailed plans for a 58-storey, privately developed tower next to the market that will include 308 apartments, a 300-room hotel, a childcare centre, community services and 56 affordable housing units.

The move puts Melbourne City Council on a collision course with Planning Minister Richard Wynne, who has previously rejected the idea of a tall tower on the council-owned land and is yet to approve new planning guidelines for the market's redevelopment.

The new guidelines support a "discretionary" 100-metre height limit for the area, well under the council's proposed 196-metre tower.
An estimated 400 restaurants, cafes and hair and beauty salons will get a visit from the Tax Office this month, as part of the agency's continued focus on the illegal cash economy.

The ATO has in recent years stepped up audits of small businesses in high-risk industries, which it suspects may be taking illegal cash-in-hand payments.

ATO officers with Asian language skills have been visiting these kinds of businesses in major cities across Australia including Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast and Adelaide.

Assistant Commissioner Tom Wheeler said Perth and Canberra were next.
The Snuggie case and others like it show how companies may go to great lengths to avoid the barriers governments impose on imported products. President Donald Trump has argued for even stiffer tariffs on products from countries that refuse to negotiate better terms of trade with the United States, like Mexico and China. He has also backed away from free trade deals that would slash tariffs among many countries, and expressed a desire for negotiating deals with countries one-on-one. America's current system for taxing imported goods is complicated. There are tariffs, which vary by each product category, often for "reasons which may be lost to history", says Lawrence Friedman, a trade lawyer at Barnes Richardson. In addition, the Commerce Department sometimes imposes temporary duties on products as punishment when companies or countries do something that violates international trade laws. Republicans are also weighing something called a "border adjustment tax", which would tax imports and subsidise exports. This is not the same as a tariff - it's a different way of taxing companies that could replace the corporate income tax. Tariff, tax patchwork

Companies have to grapple with this patchwork of tariff and tax systems as they ship their products around the world. Typically, they try everything in their power to avoid them. It would be a lot easier if companies could just focus on producing what American consumers want, instead of trying to design products to get around the most harmful aspects of US trade barriers. If the Trump administration chooses to introduce more tariffs and duties on imported products, it might give US companies an edge in their domestic market. But as other examples show, it's also likely to encourage firms around the world to engage in wasteful spending that doesn't end up helping consumers or the economy. Bryan Riley, a senior policy analyst and advocate for free trade at the Heritage Foundation, says that trade barriers have a few less obvious costs. They make Americans pay more for imported goods, and they encourage companies to invest in lobbying the government for special protection from competition. They can encourage companies to revamp their supply chains to, for example, buy a part from Vietnam rather than from China.

'Tariff engineering' Sometimes, the potential savings from avoiding a tariff can encourage companies to redesign their products to get around them - a practice that is known as "tariff engineering". "Companies will employ tariff engineers to make sure products come in at a lower tariff rate, and you can't tell me there is not a better use for their talent," said Riley. "It would be a lot easier if companies could just focus on producing what American consumers want, instead of trying to design products to get around the most harmful aspects of US trade barriers." For example, America's high tariffs on sugar have encouraged companies to shift to importing cake mixes and other sugar-rich products instead, says Doug Irwin, an economist at Dartmouth.

And when the US imposed a tariff on motorcycles with 700-cc engines and larger in the early 1980s in a bid to protect motorcycle company Harley Davidson, Japanese competitors simply started making a 699-cc version instead, Irwin says. Halloween costumes walk a similarly thin line, as NPR's Planet Money has reported. By using a Velcro closure instead of a zipper or button, some products are more likely to be counted as "festive articles" than clothing, which is subject to much higher tariffs. "Firms are very clever at doing this," Irwin says. "If you put a tariff on a particular product category, they can with a small adjustment get classified as a different product and get around the tariff." Feather duster v feather boa Friedman says he has tracked the practice of tariff engineering as far back as 1882, when the Supreme Court ruled on a case involving a sugar importer. Duties on sugar were based on the product's colour, so an enterprising company coloured its sugar with molasses to get around the tax.

The Supreme Court ruled that the company had the right to do so, as long as it was properly disclosing to customs what its merchandise was and not trying to deceive border agents, Friedman says. Yet the line between redesigning your product and fraudulently misrepresenting it has sometimes proved to be a tricky one, for both companies and courts. In one 1991 case, a court ruled against a company that had circumvented high duties on feathers by importing them as feather dusters instead. After the dusters arrived in the country, the company took them apart to make them into boas or put them on hats. Because the articles weren't sold in the condition they were imported, the court decided this was "artifice". Passenger van v cargo van Another controversial case involving Ford is working its way through the Court of International Trade. For years, Ford has imported its Transit Connect van as a passenger van - imports which the US taxes at a rate of only 2.5 per cent. But once the vehicles enter the United States, Ford sends some of the vehicles to a near-by facility, where workers rip out the rear bench seats and replace the rear windows with solid panels to make the vehicle into a cargo van. In the process, Ford circumvents a hefty tariff of 25 per cent on imported cargo vans.

The court is still deciding whether this constitutes "artifice". But Ford is hardly the first carmaker to employ these kinds of tactics. In the late 1970s, Subaru tried to get around high tariffs on imported pick-up trucks by installing plastic seats in truck beds. Other companies have gone so far as to assemble cars abroad, disassemble them into parts to be shipped across the US border, and then reassemble them again once they're inside the country. Even when these policies are legal, for economists they can still be troubling. They mean that companies are spending valuable time and money on circumventing trade policy that they could be spending on more useful activities, like innovating or improving customer service. Trade barriers "definitely force companies to think about undertaking actions that they wouldn't have otherwise done," says Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute of International Economics. "And the question is, well, is that beneficial for the country in some way? I suppose there are instances where it's possible, but in most instances, no."
The system for funding the vital work of our fire and emergency service workers and volunteers is far from fair.

It dates all the way back to 1666 and the Great Fire of London, where widespread devastation prompted insurance companies to establish the very first fire brigades whose job was strictly to protect customers with paid-up insurance.

A NSW Fire Brigade member fights a fire that was threatening property near Lake Macquarie. Credit:Nick Moir

That meant if you weren't insured, there'd be no firies on hand if your house went up in flames.

Imagine if our fire fighters did the same today.
Immunisation is crucial to fighting infectious diseases. It has saved countless lives  one estimate suggests 2.5 million globally each year  and will save many more.

But it's raising irresponsible behaviour to another level when an influential political figure such as Pauline Hanson urges Australians to distrust doctors and medical evidence about the health of their children.

Pauline Hanson is risking sensible debate about how to raise immunisation levels.

It's one thing not to trust politicians and public servants.

Yet the One Nation leader has breathed new oxygen into conspiracy theories in the vaccination debate.

Worse, Senator Hanson may well have deterred fence sitters from having their children immunised, to lift the required level to maximise the prevention of diseases, such as measles, mumps, whooping cough and many more.

When it comes to the physical and psychological wellbeing of families, Senator Hanson may also have sown the seeds of doubt among parents beyond the usual 12 per cent or so who are initially hesitant about vaccinations.

The Queensland senator said on Sunday morning the federal government was "blackmailing" parents by withholding some welfare payments for unvaccinated children. "Don't do that to people. That's a dictatorship," Senator Hanson said.

She is entitled to criticise the "no jab, no play" policy on the evidence of its effectiveness.
I wholeheartedly agree with the slogan Make Sydney Late Again. Sydney needs to have a vibrant live music culture, and allow people of all ages to have fun. The only snag is some people seem able to do this only when they are fuelled by drugs and alcohol, with the resulting violence and assaults.Yes, most of us want to Make Sydney Late Again, but we also want to Make Sydney Safe Again, and until this dilemma can be sorted out, we cannot expect the police, ambulance personnel, doctors, nurses and street cleaners to mop up the fallout from too much drugs and alcohol. Stop drinking, and have fun, or, drink and stop having fun. It's not that hard, really. Mia David Wollongong I have always wondered why the hideous late-night violence of the inner-city has never been discussed as a matter of understanding violence throughout the entire community; it has been obvious to anybody living in Kings Cross over the years that the source of the violence and mayhem wrought there is mainly brought in by outsiders looking to behave in whatsoever way they like in somebody else's neighbourhood. And they bring their violence in myriad forms: only a few are bashers, but many are screamers, urinators, defecators, general-issue trashers and vandals and disrupters of the peace, all free to go about their behaviour without the slightest fear of intervention. And to where do they then return? To the suburbs. It's the nice boy or girl from the nice family, in the nice street in, yes, the nice suburb. Lockout laws are not the issue, except for the business people who profit from this ugly spectacle. The issue is how this society chooses to behave and how it finally grows up and comes to terms with these uncomfortable realities. Peter Scott Rushcutters Bay Lockouts save lives, despite some leakage from Kings Cross to other areas, and must remain in force to protect the public.

Andrew Woodhouse Potts Point Let's move on: defence of 18C offers intellectual clarity For the sake of everyone's aching ears let's hope that the minuscule handful of braying opponents of what is essentially just good manners in public discussion each find the time to read Colin Rubenstein's resolutely calm and lucid defence of Sections 18C and 18D ("The fight over section 18C and 18D should be put to bed in wake of findings", March 6). Never before in the history of human free speech have so few wasted so much of their own, drowning out so many others', with such apparently unstoppable torrents of preposterously contrived self-pity. At the moment when the nation has a multitude of profoundly complex matters to discuss, from climate change to economic inequality to Australia's place in a changing geopolitical world to political disengagement in general, for conservative commentators to repeatedly squander the rare privilege that is endless real estate in the mainstream media on nothing more than adolescent obsessing over being "oppressed" should, in my view, be grounds for grown-up editors and producers to find content providers willing to fill it more substantially.

Agree or disagree with Rubenstein on other issues, everyone who seeks authentically free, civil debate - and bullying abuse is neither - should applaud and support his intellectual clarity, consistency and muscular pragmatism on this matter. Let's move on, indeed. There's much to discuss. Jack Robertson Birchgrove Rents not penalties challenge small business Pauline Hanson said her reason for supporting cuts to weekend penalty rates was the difficulty that smaller-business owners have in making a satisfactory living ("PM lashes Hanson over Putin and vaccine claims", March 6). Owning a business does not give an automatic entitlement to financial security. Workers should not be made to make sacrifices because of the poor business plans of owners. Commercial rents are excessively high in Australia. Why isn't there an inquiry into this as a serious difficulty facing small-business owners?

Ian Biddle Windsor Senator Pauline Hanson likens the government immunisation program to the actions of a dictatorship. Hanson fails to recognise the ongoing benefits to the Australian population from vaccination. Smallpox, polio, tetanus, whooping cough, chicken pox and measles-rubella, to name a few, have been eliminated or drastically reduced over the years. Prevention is better than cure. It's a pity we can't all be immunised against the stupidity espoused By One Nation. Greg Thomas Annandale Pauline Hanson, say "science". No, not "seance", "science".Trevor Greenstein Kogarah Pauline Hanson likes Vladimir Putin because he is a patriot, because he puts Russia first. She wants Australian politicians to put "her Australians" first.

These are regional people who may be unemployed or if they have jobs find their pay is stagnant; people who are disadvantaged by the education, health, tax, judicial and other systems compared with the privileged metro people who run the country. These are the issues our major parties need to deal with. First to counter Hanson but also because they are the most important issues facing most Australians, indeed most Western democracies, as Donald Trump and Brexit demonstrate. Michael Wilson Wollongong Statistics provided last week by Duncan Lewis, head of ASIO, indicate less than 0.04 per cent of Australian Muslims are a security concern. This is a tiny percentage, and yet Senator Hanson constantly demonises the whole Australian Muslim community.

The vast majority of Australian Muslims are peaceful law-abiding citizens. We do not want Sharia law to replace Australian law, do not hate the West and want nothing more than to contribute to this beautiful nation of ours. Sherene Hassan director of the board, Islamic Museum of Australia, Thornbury (Vic) Bad Abbotts won't revive dud Liberals A few years ago the Abbott 1.0 was released to the public ("Abbott 2.0: the only plausible candidate for centre-right void", March 6). It did not do what it promised to do, but did do a lot of what it promised not to do, so it was withdrawn and replaced with an upgrade called the Turnbull 1.1. However, it was found to have almost the same problems. Unfortunately, the public will not buy an Abbott 2.0 as the brand seems to have a systemic fault and is perceived as a dud.Robert McHugh Medowie Tom Switzer makes interesting reading. His comment that Malcolm Turnbull has never been liked by many within the party because he is not a conservative supports my opinion that the Liberal Party should have been named the Conservative Party of Australia when it was formed. It has never been a truly liberal party but always deeply conservative.

As for poor Turnbull, he joined the wrong party. What a brilliant Labor leader he would have made. He could have articulated his support for such causes as a republic and renewable energy with gusto. Instead he's in a party that has him manacled and is slowly draining the political life from him. Blane Stonley Cowan Oh, just give up,Tom Switzer. Tony Abbott, of whatever version, is history. He seemed to spend most of his time living in the past anyway. He remained in Parliament because no one else wanted him and he has nothing to do but vent spleen all around. Destroying three prime ministers and fooling people on carbon emissions did not and will not help the nation much. As others have said, destroying is all he ever did and it is easier than articulating a vision and having ideas beyond the next election. If Abbott is the only possible candidate then it says volumes about the talent pool.Tony Sullivan Adamstown Heights Tom Switzer is right. And Her Maj should get a gong this time.Philip Moore Fairlight

Anaesthetists on a high The specialists named in this report are not the only ones overcharging ("Specialists charging extreme fees", March 6). Anaesthetists, who have a captive audience, should also be included. A person can discuss and even negotiate a fee for service with a physician or surgeon but their position is different with an anaesthetist whom they meet five minutes before the operation. Last year when I had surgery, the surgeon bulk billed me because I was a concession card holder and the private hospital claimed all fees through my fund. However, some weeks after my surgery I received a bill for almost $800, followed by a letter of demand, from the anaesthetist, after Medicare and health fund rebates. This was for 90 minutes' work. No, Greg Hunt, doctors might have an obligation to explain fees but when this comes to anaesthetists this is a lot of hot air. Patricia Farrar Concord How do we find politicians with integrity?

Your editorial rightly points out general voter dissatisfaction with our politicians ("Federal ICAC in everyone's best Interests", March 6). So where will we find enough credible members to evaluate submissions and recommend the establishment of an integrity commission acceptable to all interested parties? Another toothless tiger is the likely outcome.Denis Suttling Newport Beach Vacuum cleaner gathering dust If Robert Pallister (Letters, March 6) needs to replace his obsolete vacuum cleaner, I have one to sell: it's just gathering dust.Kenneth Smith Orange Burning down the house What next for Trump? The burning of Capitol Hill ("Trump tweets fail to deflect Russia queries", March 6)?

Brian Bealing Green Point Baird spending up Bill Carpenter (Letters, March 6), at least Mike Baird will be spending his own millions, not ours.Vicky Marquis Glebe Cutting ministers' pay If creating more jobs is the sole aim of cutting penalty rates why aren't ministers cutting their pay so that we can afford to employ more of them. ("Masses of evidence for penalty rate cut", March 6)?
A new Christian fundraising group in Madison has awarded $123,000 to 23 Christian-based organizations that are geared to meet the most pressing needs in the area.

The Madison Christian Giving Fund announced its 2016 campaign has ended, with 100 percent of the money raised allocated to the organizations' programs helping the homeless, ex-offenders, parents, suicide prevention and other needs.

Over $200,000 in requests for funding were made; the fund's goal was to raise $150,000.

"We would have liked to fund every request at their full amount at each of these grassroots, community-based Christian organizations, which are providing vital services in our community, but are excluded from funding in many cases because of their Christian message," said Scott Haumersen, chairman of the fund.

Grants awarded included $10,000 to Lilada's Living Room for a program to prevent suicide among African-American girls ages 10-14, who often have been sexual abuse victims; $3,750 to the Salvation Army to help homeless single women; and $3,000 to Agrace for a new grief support center.
Richie Rich is an unusual character devised by Harvey Comics in 1953. With spectacularly rich parents, he is an only child, kind and caring, and inventively self-sufficient. I loved the comics as a boy (and still do), because he was free of the anti-wealth stereotyping then becoming the norm. The comics calmly argued that people were the same mix of good and bad in every strata of society. Donald Petrie's film adaptation starts brilliantly, a happy homage to the original creation, but then it goes awry with an astonishingly dumb plot twist about a bomb on a plane. It never recovers. Macaulay Culkin was the obvious choice as Richie, but his is an unusually lacklustre performance. If only his Home Alone mentor, John Hughes, had been around to advise. However, Edward Hermann is impeccable as Richie's dad  so impeccable, in fact, that I can't watch Gilmore Girls (where he played Rory's granddad) without think of him in Richie Rich. Scott Murray

Discovery, 7.30pm

A frustrating special in which a biologist and an anthropologist visit the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster to see how the radiation has affected the animals and people that still live in the area. One of the documentary's main problems is the lack of a frame of reference  despite talk of "hot zones" and "cool zones", we never get real details on how hot the locations actually are, nor what the radiation might do to a human body. Attention to such details invariably suffers when a documentary becomes preoccupied with the process of its own making. Why bother explaining exactly how ionising radiation causes cancers and mutations when you could instead just show footage of your presenter beating a frightened retreat from an unsuspected hot spot? But there is still plenty of interesting stuff here, including birds that have adapted to the radiation by producing more protective antioxidants. Brad Newsome

The Blacklist

Seven, 9.30pm

If you've hung on this far, you're presumably immune to The Blacklist's many, many, implausibilities, so tonight's criminal-of-the-week storyline won't be too jarring. It's actually a gang this time, comprised entirely of attractive, highly dangerous and sassy women, who Liz (Megan Boone), freshly re-instated as an agent after last week's Presidential pardon, infiltrates in order to stop their latest heist: stealing a highly sought-after list of names of people in witness protection. But there's a twist when one of the women reveals she has her own long history with Red (James Spader). Meanwhile, the subplot of Red's unravelling over his treatment of Mr Kaplan (Susan Blommaert) is bubbling away  hopefully meaning we'll get more of Mr Kaplan's own intriguing post-Red journey. Kylie Northover
Omsin lived in a pond in a town near the Gulf of Thailand, where her very presence was believed to bring good fortune.

Many people came to toss her money, as custom held that the turtle's long life would rub off on those who shared their wealth.

Over the years, Omsin was gifted hundreds of coins to bring good karma.

Being a huge reptile with no concept of tradition, she ate them.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is considering a proposal for a major restructuring of the federal government that would create a US-style Department of Homeland Security.

The stated aim of the plan is to improve co-ordination across the government in preventing terrorist attacks. It would merge at least half a dozen relevant federal agencies from two departments into a mega-department.

The enlarged department would be built on the existing Department of Immigration and Border Protection, which already includes the Australian Border Force.

The putative minister for homeland security would be the current Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton. Mr Dutton, the most senior conservative in the Turnbull cabinet, is understood to strongly favour the reorganisation.
2. Aust politics Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Prime Minister Turnbull is considering a fresh push from within the bureaucracy to establish a Department of Homeland Security, which has been vigorously opposed every time it's been proposed. [Peter Hartcher/The Sydney Morning Herald] This would be a bad idea, Hartcher elaborates in a comment piece. [Fairfax] Iraq's Ambassador to Australia has warned of "sleeping colonies" of extremist recruiters using money to lure young Muslims to Islamic State. [Primrose Riordan/The Australian]

From me. A Liberal source tells me the WA party's polling is far worse than the published polls and Colin Barnett is bracing for a wipeout with polling conducted one week ago showing the Liberals behind 57-43. [Fairfax] Labor's Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen looks to give an interesting speech to the Lowy Institute  he will argue the Coalition's preference for bilateral trade deals is the 'third-best outcome' and that Australia should be focusing on regional and multilateral deals, a slightly unfashionable view given the failure of the Doha trade talks and now the likely collapse of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which Donald Trump opposes. [Philip Coorey/Financial Review] Mark Kenny called the major organisations who called for Sunday penalty rates to be abolished on a Sunday and none of them answered. [Fairfax] Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells wants to introduce a "reasonable person" test to resolve the deadlock over Section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act which makes it unlawful to "insult" or "offend" a person based on their race. [Oped/The Australian] Leadership speculation: Tony Abbott's friend Catherine McGregor says the former PM thinks Turnbull will fall after the budget but that he himself blew his chances at making a comeback by being too impatient, which is Tony Abbott in a nutshell, full stop. [The Daily Telegraph]

Abbott is back overseas  in Poland today and in London later this week. 3. The ABC ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie. Credit:Andrew Meares Hundreds of middle and upper managers are set to lose their jobs in major redundancies to be announced today at the initiation of the ABC's new managing director Michelle Guthrie. [Quentin Dempster/The New Daily] Meanwhile, News Corp, which owns Sky, is quoting female Sky News presenters criticising their rivals at the ABC for installing women into prominent broadcasting roles usually held by male presenters to mark International Women's Day. [The Daily Telegraph]

4. Murdoch's Sky bid Rupert Murdoch, Jerry Hall and Lachlan Murdoch leave Kirribilli House after a Malcolm Turnbull event for big business in January. Credit:Christopher Pearce And in the UK, Murdoch's 21st Century Fox's bid to acquire Sky has hit a hurdle. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley has given a statement to the Commons confirming she is referring the proposed takeover to the nation's communications regulator Ofcom. The minister cited media plurality and News Corporation's behaviour in the past as two of the areas where she would be "minded" to intervene. This does not bode well for Murdoch, who already owns two newspapers in Britain  The Times and The Sun  as well as a stake in Sky.

But the minister told the Commons she has not taken a decision. Labor's Tom Watson, who led the attack over the News of the World hacking scandal, immediately asked if Ofcom would consider evidence provided to the Leveson inquiry. Ofcom can consider all evidence, the minister said. An armed British police officer on security patrol outside the Ministry of Defence in London earlier this month. Credit:Bloomberg Also making news in Britain: authorities say they have thwarted 13 Paris-style Islamic state inspired terror attacks since June 2013. [BBC]

5. Russia urges restraint after North Korean missiles The Pentagon is leaving open the possibility that North Korea fired more than the four ballistic missiles that landed in the Sea of Japan. "There may be a higher number of launches that we're not commenting on. But four landed and splashed in the Sea of Japan," a Pentagon spokesman said. [Reuters] The missiles represent "a new kind of threat," says Japan's Shinzo Abe. [Japan Times] Russia is urging restraint by "all parties" saying a "political and diplomatic" solution is needed. [Sputnik International]

6. French elections Former French PM Alain Juppe says he will not seek to replace conservative candidate Francois Fillon ahead of next month's first presidential poll. Fillon is due to be placed under formal investigation next week. [France 24] Juppe lost to Fillon in the primary. Ordinarily, a runner-up ruling themselves out once and for all would prompt a sigh of relief. But Juppe says he's not running because it would be way too difficult to unite the party with voters drifting to centrist Macron and on the right to the Front National leader Marine Le Pen. [Reuters] Gideon Rachman on the implications of the populist right in Europe and across the world and its effect in isolating Germany is an excellent read. [Financial Times]

And that's it from me today  you can follow me on Facebook for more. Loading
In the wake of the election of Donald Trump, and the resultant Women's March on Washington  an event which also saw solidarity marches happening all over the globe including particularly large turnouts in Melbourne and Sydney  there has been a call from the Women's March organisers to continue the momentum this International Women's Day (March 8, for those still unaware) with an International Women's Strike. So far, women in more than 30 countries are set to participate in 'A Day Without A Woman'.

There are three ways women can participate in this action, organisers suggest. They can take the day off, from paid and unpaid labor, avoid shopping for one day (with exceptions for small, women- and minority-owned businesses), and wear red in solidarity with the movement.

Now, I'm not opposed to the idea of women walking off for an entire day. In a local context, I admit to being amused by the sheer idea of men trying to cope for an entire day while roads descend into chaos because only bad male drivers are left navigating them while trying to keep their entitlement in check. Or only being able to watch inferior men's sport on their televisions while the AFLW hang up their boots for a day.

That being said, perhaps women  while in desperate need for a revolution  also have more work to do before it can truly be pulled off.
The pit bull involved in the Moama drowning tragedy will not be put down after police found the dog was trying to save the nine-year-old boy who survived the ordeal.

The dog "Buddy" was seized by Murray River Council on Thursday at the request of police after it mauled the nine-year-old boy in the shallows of the Murray River.

The boy had survived an attempted drowning, allegedly at the hands of his mother, before he was confronted by the dog.

Buddy allegedly mauled the boy, and his mother.
In particular, the army was keen to develop "thinking soldiers" able to exercise discretion within the orders from superiors, to take into account the context they were operating within, and to appreciate objectives such as community building as well as battlefield success. Exercising such discretion appropriately requires the soldiers not only to respect diversity but to appreciate different cultures. It is also highly relevant that much of the ADF's operational capability lies outside the battlefield, including intelligence, remote weapon controls and logistical support.

We also acknowledged the fine line between "toughness" and bullying. There are areas of risk associated with building the cohesion required for comradeship and willingness to commit all for each other, particularly for those who cannot be socialised or who fail to conform. The risk of "groupthink" is real, as is the risk that pressure to conform drives out diversity.

Managing these risks, however, must not involve accepting bullying and harassment, or avoiding diversity, but more respectfully treating those who find it difficult or fail to conform, and investing more in team-building among more diverse individuals and rehabilitating those who initially fail (for example, through injury). The latter investments were already becoming more important because of the challenge facing the ADF of recruiting from a diminishing pool of young workers in an increasingly competitive labour market. This added to the need to look to wider diversity (particularly to include more women) and to reduce waste during training.

In our assessment, we said we were impressed by what we saw of the ADF's effort to improve the learning culture and its emphasis on a values-based culture across its training and education establishments. However, we said "there is some way to go ... to gain the strong support of the non-commissioned officers, warrant officers and junior officers", recognising the importance these ranks play in setting examples for their cadets and other ranks. We found "evidence of strong feelings of frustration amongst trainers, not fully in support of the explicit policies from the chain of command".
But Lloyd's intervention in policy debate outside his current responsibilities brings to mind the general position of officials who, like him, occupy statutory positions outside the public service. Typically these statutory-office holders perform functions independent, in differing degrees, from ministers and their circumstances are different from public servants in departments, who are directly responsible to their ministers. Indeed, many statutory-office holders have legal and less formal responsibilities to engage in open debate and, at times, advocacy. Nevertheless, the general principles underpinning the rules about public comment by departmental officials also apply to statutory-office holders. That is to say, they should avoid being seen as politically partisan so as not to cause public concern about their ability to perform their duties in an impartial way or cause political parties who are on the sharp end of their tongues to think about giving them the flick if the opportunity should arise. With his hands on several major economic levers, Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe works in a charged political environment. Yet the public utterances of Lowe and his stern predecessor, Glenn Stevens, are in many ways models of how statutory officials should conduct themselves in public. Their speeches are even-handed, take great care to analyse evidence thoroughly and they avoid taking partisan positions. Even then, hazards remain when hapless journalists distort the governor's remarks for the sake of a headline. For example, a Financial Review journo reported that, in a recent speech, Lowe said he was "backing corporate tax cuts". The governor did no such thing. The small business and family enterprise ombudsman, Kate Carnell, should take a leaf from the Stevens-Lowe songbook. While the ombudsman is legally obliged to be an advocate for small business by conducting research, advising ministers, contributing to inquiries and "national strategies" and promoting best practice, she is stretching these responsibilities to breaking point via public statements chock-a-block with the crude political advocacy of second-rate politicians. In a recent article in the Fairfax press, devoid of analysis and full of assertion, Carnell puts her shoulder behind tax cuts for small businesses, arguing they would boost confidence in the sector and create jobs and investment because "owners won't pocket the savings". But she says all this is at risk because "one of the major parties continues to argue against what would undeniably be a vital stepping stone for the future expansion of the sector". Then, for those not in the know, she adds that, yes, "the federal opposition continues to oppose the flagged tax relief for small business".

To gain a better understanding of her thinking, Carnell was asked about her estimate of the effective rate of tax in the small business sector, if she thought, as she said, that all owners "would not pocket" a tax reduction or, if not, what proportion might and what estimates she'd made about the employment effect of a tax reduction to 27.5 per cent. Rather than answer the questions, Carnell blustered, saying the effective tax rate is hypothetical, that "when big businesses are downsizing, small and medium businesses are creating the new employment opportunities", and speculated that a quarter of the three million SMEs may each take on one new employee. It's hard to know where to start with this kind of distorting commentary, but let's make some points: In the eight years to 2014, employment growth rates in medium to large businesses were three times that in small ones (23 per cent to 8 per cent) while, in the five years to 2016, small businesses created only 5 per cent of the growth in private sector employment.

If a tax reduction to 27.5 per cent were to result in a 750,000 increase in employment in SMEs, as Carnell hints, that would reduce unemployment to zero and be more than half as much as the total employment growth to 2020 predicted by the Employment Department, and three times more than the growth the department predicts in the fast-growing healthcare and social assistance area.

The effective tax rate is not hypothetical for small businesses: it's what they experience and one could be excused for thinking that Carnell has not bothered to find out what it might be.

It's London to a brick on that some small businesses would "pocket" a tax cut, and who could blame them if they're struggling to stay alive given the special difficulties under which they operate, like  as recently summarised in a Reserve Bank paper  greater susceptibility to demand fluctuations, lesser economies of scale, higher fixed costs and often greater difficulty in attracting capital.

For those who believe in the so-called "trickle-down" economics of corporate tax cuts, to the extent that these would lead to greater increases in capital in larger enterprises, there may be a sounder employment case for tax reductions for bigger enterprises than smaller ones. There may be a case for a tax cut for small business. However, the kind of partisan political tactics to which Carnell has resorted is counterproductive. She's failed to make any rational case for them. Her methods do not foster an open-minded consideration of tax options on their merits. They encourage responses in kind, making it less likely she will be able to advance the interests of her small business constituency. Moreover, it is inappropriate, for the reasons already canvassed, for Commonwealth statutory officials to deliberately take provocative, partisan positions in public debates.

The apparent increasing preference of politicians of all hues to advocate policies on the basis of cheapskate politics rather than the logical analysis of facts and evidence, as best they can be defined, is seriously restricting the federal government's capacity to improve its management of the economy. The masses are sick of it. The contributions of the Reserve Bank governor and the likes of Productivity Commission chairman Peter Harris may help; those of the small business and family enterprise ombudsman on tax cuts and other matters are unlikely to.      But to conclude on a lighter note. On March 1, the Institute of Public Administration Australia and the Public Service Commission put on a $130-a-head do in the Glandel Hall at the National Gallery to mark the approximate second anniversary of the McPhee report on public service personnel management. A wake might have been better, because this report was almost certainly the worst of its kind in Australia. Any doubt about that could be dispelled by a reading of the 1958 Boyer report, relevant sections of the 1975 Coombs royal commission report, or the public accounts committee's report in the early 1980s on senior management.

Among other things, the McPhee report encouraged a dilution of merit, proposed measures that confused responsibility for staffing, and entirely ignored the dog's breakfast of remuneration policy and practice. The institute and the commision now say that "a key recommendation" of McPhee's report was "the development of a new employment brand for the APS". That's a revealing comment about how inconsequential some of the report's lesser recommendations were. Anyway, on the strength of the "key recommendation", the institute and the commission organised what it called a BRANDit competition, saying a new brand would lead to better engagement and reduced turnover. Entries were sought and more than 700 were received. They were judged by a committee composed of Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Martin Parkinson, Lloyd and two people from outside the public service. At the knees-up at the Glandel Hall, presentations were made on "the exciting and innovative work" that been done on McPhee's recommendations and the BRANDit winner was announced.
Three of Bartel's observations are noteworthy. First, the hospital asserted that Kore had no valid reason for accessing the information from the birth register, despite the fact that reviewing the register was an ordinary part of her role. Bartel wrote: "I do not accept the respondent's view that the applicant should have skimmed past the entries for Ms H in the birth register ... This criticism is not realistic ... The issue is not that she became aware of the details, but that she disclosed them".

Moreover, Bartel emphasised that the employee's position will be a highly relevant factor. That Kore had obligations under the code of ethics for midwives in Australia and that maintaining the confidentiality of patient health information was an integral requirement of her role both weighed heavily in Bartel's decision. "The applicant's conduct," Bartel wrote in her concluding remarks, "took place in the context of professional obligations upon her, which emphasise the importance of trust and confidentiality".

Finally, consonant with Finn's comments above, Bartel stressed the importance of context in determining the gravity of a confidentiality breach. She wrote: "The nature of public sector employment carries with it obligations which do not exist in the private sector because of the public accountability requirements of government."

Yet the public service's special nature cuts both ways. Public servants may have greater duties than private sector employees, but these duties are ultimately owed to the Australian people, not a particular department or manager. The necessary consequence is that there will occasionally be situations where disclosure of confidential information is in the public interest, even if  were it to take place in the private sector  it might represent a breach of confidentiality. That was not contended in Kore for obvious reasons, but such cases have arisen previously.

The law's response to this conflict is uncertain. Finn once hinted that, in cases where the implied constitutional protection of political communication is invoked, it might not be proper for the federal government to rely on a duty of confidentiality. Elsewhere, it has been suggested that the public interest in the disclosure of "iniquity", whether criminal, civil or political wrongdoing, "will always outweigh the public interest in the preservation of private and confidential information".
A crowd-funding page, purportedly set up by the father of a five-year-old boy who drowned in the Murray River, is facing a fierce online backlash following the tragedy.

The boy's nine-year-old brother remains in a serious condition in a Melbourne hospital after he survived the incident in Moama, in the Riverina district of NSW, on Thursday.

Police allege the boys' mother, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, held her sons' heads underwater, killing the younger boy, while the older boy escaped.

A GoFundMe page has been set up in the name of the boys' father, who can also not be named for legal reasons, with the aim of raising $5000.
A car crash that could have been much more than that was averted Sunday morning after the vehicle broke a natural gas pipe and an electrical transformer on the city's West Side, the car coming to a stop on top of the broken gas line.

The crash happened at about 10:30 a.m. at the intersection of Watts Road and Struck Street, the Madison Fire Department said.

The driver was uninjured. The vehicle went over a small tree, a Madison Gas and Electric pressure monitoring system, a pressurized gas pipe and stopped when it struck an Alliant Energy transformer box, serving businesses in the area.

The extent of the danger wasn't known until police officers started smelling natural gas.

"The vehicle was still on top of the broken gas pipe and still in contact with the transformer, while natural gas continued to leak into the air," said fire department spokeswoman Cynthia Schuster.

Firefighters moved people away from the crash scene and closed traffic at the intersection, while the utility companies were notified of the situation so they could fix the damaged equipment.

"Ladder 6 assisted MG&E personnel with capping the broken pipe underneath the vehicle, the vehicle then was removed, and Alliant Energy worked on the damaged transformer box," Schuster said.
A man has been charged with murdering his partner after police found him lying under a neighbour's balcony at an apartment block in Sydney's west.

Robert Cooper, 44, will face Bankstown Local Court on Tuesday charged with murdering his partner Donna Green, 55, in what police will allege in court was a domestic violence-related attack at their apartment in Bankstown.

Concerned family members contacted police about 7.30pm on Sunday when they could not get in touch with Ms Green at the apartment on De Witt Street.

When officers entered the apartment that night, they found Ms Green not breathing.
The man who led police to the possible burial site of Matthew Leveson's body may not return to the witness box to face a further grilling about his former boyfriend's disappearance.

The parents of 20-year-old Mr Leveson have waited 3453 days to bring their boy home. In November, they were left devastated when a search of the Royal National Park failed to find him and now they face a further delay in finding out what happened to their son.

During a brief mention in the NSW Coroner's Court on Monday, the inquest into Mr Leveson's disappearance was adjourned for a further five months.

However police have stressed that detectives on Mr Leveson's case will use that time to continue searching for the young man's remains.
Disgraced former Queensland politician Scott Driscoll will spend the rest of this week behind bars on suicide watch, facing the prospect of years in prison.

Prosecutors asked for the former Liberal National Party MP, who has admitted 15 fraud charges, to be jailed for six years before his sentencing hearing was adjourned on Monday. His defence argued he should spend as little as six months behind bars.

The court heard Driscoll asked for Coles and Woolworths to give hundreds of thousands of dollars to a cash-strapped lobby group he headed to change his position on business trading hours.

In the conversation with a Coles representative in October 2012, Driscoll introduced himself as the Member for Redcliffe, which the Crown argued was "significant".
What will the buses look like? Example one: Van Hool's Exquicity 24 They would look like modern "bi-articulated buses" with three passenger sections and two rubber-lined joints, with the driver sitting in the front section. Council is still reluctant to call them buses, arguing that while they would have rubber tyres, they would operate more like trams.

Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner did not think the term "metro" was confusing commuters. "Metro is not a particular type of vehicle," he said. "If you look around the world, 'metro' is used in a whole range of different circumstances in a whole range of different kinds of vehicles. "'Metro' is about high frequency, high capacity so people don't have to rely on a timetable. People just need to turn up." What the experts say

Robert Dow from Rail: Back on Track said council had begun to explore two models of bi- articulated buses as they shaped the tender. No decision has been made. Example 2: AutoTram Extra Bus He said Brisbane commuters would be familiar with the "articulated" buses, or banana buses with one "bendy" section because there will about 30 still operating in south-east Queensland. He said the "bi-articulated" buses had two "bendy banana sections" plus the front section with the driver.

"The largest running at the moment carries around 270 passengers and that is running in South America," he said. "There's another one in Sweden which carries 258," he said. "So they can easily reach 200 passengers." "They're (BCC) saying 150 passengers, but we think they will easily end up with something carrying 200 passengers per articulated bus." Mr Dow said the two routes were practical.

The first between Royal Brisbane Hospital, QUT's Kelvin Grove campus, the CBD, the Mater Hospital and the University of Queensland was already popular. "It connects all the knowledge precincts up," he said. Mr Dow said the second route between Roma Street and Eight Mile Plains was also a "workhorse" along the South East Busway. "The buses that the bi-articulated buses displace will go out into the suburbs to feed the busways and provide better suburban connections and reduce the number of buses running through the city," he said.

Will they be conventional diesel or gas, hybrid or electric? Mr Dow said council was exploring the use of electric buses, an idea it has investigated since 2011. "These days rapid electric charging technology has really developed tremendously," he said. "And they are certainly going to look at it." Mr Dow said he believed the business case would look at conventional diesel or gas, rapid-charge electric buses, or hybrid.

"The way I see it happening here in Brisbane if they went full electric: at Royal Brisbane Hospital, UQ Lakes, Eight Mile Plains and Roma Street Station they would set up rapid-charging stations," he said. "So when they go out to lay-off, they would go in, charge up for a few minutes and then go back onto the route." Capacity problems Chris Warnock from Engineers Australia says the new Brisbane Metro was a better fit with the changed Cross River Rail project announced last Sunday by the state government. But he warned there were difficulties with using the extra buses on the South East Busway, the Northern Busway and the Boggo Road Busway to University of Queensland.

"Just keep in mind that all of those busways that they have mentioned will end up having capacity problems," he said. "My perennial question is 'what are you going to do then?'" Mr Warnock said even though the "metro" planned to put 121 buses out into the suburbs, the effectiveness depended on commuters switching buses. "So, if you travel in from the outer suburbs, if you come in by bus, you would have to get off (one bus) and get onto this system." Mr Warnock said while "changing modes" was popular in Europe, it was less popular in Australia.
But the tax office has come under fire previously for coming down to harshly on small businesses with a 2014 parliamentary inquiry finding small business owners had been intimidated, made bankrupt, suffered mental breakdowns and contemplated suicide after disputes with the ATO. Ms Carnell said there are a lot of issues the ATO should take into account when considering whether to publicise a small businesses' debt including mental health considerations. "Small business owners are as likely, perhaps more likely, to experience mental health issues as anyone else," she said. Ms Carnell said small business owners dealing with mental health issues may find it more difficult to "take things on board" and "not procrastinate" and so would be more likely to have an ATO debt. Ms Carnell also highlighted the impact of late payments to small business by big business such as mining companies, large supermarket chains and transport companies. "Understandably that's why they end up with payment arrangements with the ATO," she said. "They have to pay their staff, their landlord, their suppliers and so they end up in payment arrangements with the ATO."

Banking fallout We have to be really careful that the ATO doesn't end up creating a worse situation for small business. Kate Carnell Ms Carnell warned if the ATO is granted these powers on July 1 it could lead to more problems for small businesses with the banks. "If a small business is handed to a credit agency there is every chance they will not be able to trade," Ms Carnell said. "One of the default clauses that exists in contracts is if a small business enters into a payment arrangement [with the ATO] that can potentially be a default for the small business." Ms Carnell said banks may use this information to default small business loans even if the small business is paying the bank on time and working to pay off their debt to the ATO.

"You'd think that would be a good outcome but the mere fact of entering into a payment arrangement could be a default mechanism," she said. "From time to time small businesses have cash flow problems that can mean entering into payment arrangements with the ATO. We encourage them to do that." Implementation concerns Ms Carnell has told the tax office she has "some issues" with the implementation time for the ATO's new powers and would like to be confident in the methodology to be used. "They've indicated to us they won't be handing over the names of small businesses to credit agencies willy nilly but we need to look at that," Ms Carnell said. Ms Carnell said she supports the ATO potentially alerting credit agencies to the "most egregious cases" from July 1.

"It would only be that group that are chronic underpayers," she said. Ms Carnell called on the ATO to consult with ASBFEO and the small business sector before exercising its new powers. "Look at approaches that address issues early and do it in a way that lets small business catch up," she said. The ATO is consulting A spokesperson for the ATO said the tax office is consulting with the community, industry groups and ASBFEO to ensure effective implementation.
Max Quartermain, the pilot of the light plane that crashed into the DFO killing him and four Americans, has been remembered as a man of extraordinary generosity, adventurous spirit, and infectious enthusiasm.

Hundreds of mourners gathered at the Frankston Arts Centre on Monday to farewell a beloved husband, father and friend.

The experienced aviator, aged 63, and his four American passengers were killed when a charter flight headed for King Island crashed into the Essendon DFO shopping centre soon after taking off from Essendon Airport on February 21.
Ten level crossings will be removed between Cheltenham and Frankston on the Frankston line  two more than were originally promised  at a cost of up to $2 billion.

The bayside line, which runs through three of Victoria's most marginal state seats, will get a mix of four rail trenches, two bridges and one "hybrid" crossing in place of 10 sets of boom gates that currently hold up traffic and create danger for motorists and rail passengers.

An environment effects statement could be required before some of the crossings can be removed, in case the project damages the protected Edithvale-Seaford wetlands, an internationally recognised haven for bird life.

The government unveiled its solution for two more level crossings on the line on Monday, at Station Street and Eel Race Road in Carrum.
Haydyn Gibbons and Michael Kelly had downed a couple of jugs of beer at their local on Sunday afternoon and decided to call it a day.

As they walked home, an older man talked them into a final drink.

They sat with the man on an oval at Redleap Reserve in Mill Park for about an hour when he decided to take a dip in Peter Hopper Lake, just down the hill.

Mr Gibbons, 19, jumped in off the short pier too, and was soon splashing in the deep, muddy pool.
Diana Moyers-Siebels joined the Army in 1978 and went to Fort McClellan in Alabama for basic training. At the time, all the other soldiers in her unit were women.

Moyers-Siebels, at age 20, was in what was called the Womens Army Corps, or WAC, a separate branch of the Army created in 1942.

Two days before she graduated from basic training, on Nov. 1, 1978, the Army eliminated the Womens Army Corps program so that people would stop saying that they were discriminating against women in the military by keeping them in a separate corps, she said.

Moyers-Siebels, who retires at the end of the month after a nearly 21-year military career, was feted Saturday evening during a formal retirement ceremony at the Crowne Plaza hotel on East Washington Avenue.

She retires from the Army Reserve as one of the last four female soldiers who joined through the Womens Army Corps program.

For basic training, Moyers-Siebels, who is now 59, said she preferred the women-only policy, at least for those eight weeks.

Thats my personal opinion. There are probably women who do not feel that way. It worked for me, Moyers-Siebels said. I was more comfortable with that because there was a lot less stress  a lot less competition as far as egos.

Moyers-Siebels retirement ceremony was scheduled in conjunction with a dining out event, and the guest speaker was Maj. Gen. Marcia Anderson, who retired from the Reserve last year.

Anderson, who lives in Verona, most recently served from 2011 to 2014 as the Deputy Chief of Army Reserve, for which she was based at the Pentagon. Anderson is the first African-American woman in the Army to become a major general, which also is the highest rank ever achieved by a female officer in the Army Reserve.

In her Deputy Chief role, Anderson went to a lot of meetings for the Chief of Army Reserve, who is a three-star general, and worked on policies and budgets. Anderson also oversaw the entire Reserve organization, which at the time had an $8 billion budget.

Believe it or not, it was a lot of fun, said Anderson, whose civilian job is clerk of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin in Madison.

Anderson, 59, was born in Beloit, but grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois. She entered the military through ROTC when she was 21 and a student at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. She got a masters degree from the U.S. Army War College and a law degree from Rutgers University.

She spoke to soldiers Saturday about leadership and the importance of being ready.

Readiness for a soldier usually means theyre physically fit and mentally ready to go, she said.

Basically, if someone turns around and youre with them in a situation, Anderson said, they know youre ready to do the job.

Out of the 200,000 soldiers in the Army Reserve, Anderson said 45,000 are women. More than 95 percent of the jobs in the Army are now open to female soldiers, she said.

Moyers-Siebels, meanwhile, worked as a carpenter in her civilian life in Missouri, but later went to school to become a paralegal, a job she performed in the Reserve, in a group based in Madison. In fact, she is the last female soldier in the JAG (Judge Advocate General) Corps who joined through the Womens Army Corps.

Her Army career also included six years as a MP or military police officer, where she trained with men. During that time, she spent four years stationed in Germany in a customs unit.

Overall, Moyers-Siebels said she had a great experience as a woman in the military. Ive enjoyed it immensely. Ive gotten an education and have interacted with so many different people on so many different levels.

Anderson said less than 1 percent of people in the U.S. are now serving or have served in the military.

When Moyers-Siebels and Anderson came in, most women in the military were clustered in clerical jobs. There were the Army nurses the public became familiar with from Vietnam and other conflicts, but there were no women, for instance, in the engineering units. Now, the Army Reserve has opened up engineering to women.

If Moyers-Siebels was getting in now, that is likely what she would pursue, she said.

Anderson said when she first joined the Army, it wasnt exactly welcoming to women.

They were still working on it, she said. I left in 2016, and all that really matters now is whether you can do your job. Thats really all they care about.
A mini-motorbike rider who killed a woman on a pedestrian crossing posted videos on Instagram of himself drink-driving while on bail, it can now be revealed.

Caleb Jakobsson, now 20, was on bail last week when he pleaded guilty to killing Andrea Lehane, 34, as she walked over a zebra crossing outside the Carrum Downs shopping centre in September 2015, and fleeing the scene afterwards.

On Monday Melbourne Magistrates Court lifted an order that prevented media from reporting details of his bail breaches.

It can now be revealed magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg did not remand Jakobsson in custody despite at least two court appearances for breaches of his bail conditions.
The Education Department has threatened state schools with deregistration as Victorian principals revolt against a "deeply offensive" request.

State school principals have already signed documents saying that they will meet strict new standards aimed at stamping out child abuse.

David Finnerty, principal at Hampton Park Secondary College, is refusing to sign the legal document and has been threatened with deregistration. Credit:Ken Irwin

But in an unusual move, they have also been ordered to sign statutory declarations to prove they are telling the truth and plan to comply with the standards.

Those who refuse to sign are breaching the new child safe standards, according to the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA).
St Kilda's notorious Gatwick Hotel rooming house will be closed, bringing to an end months of uncertainty about its future.

For decades the rooming house has served as a place of last resort for people on the edge of sleeping rough. But its critics, including many local traders, have denounced the rooming house as a magnet for violent crime.

On Monday, Housing Minister Martin Foley said some residents had been allocated new homes while others will receive a notice to vacate.

"The Gatwick has long passed its time as a place that housed vulnerable people in safe and appropriate circumstances," he said.
A Melbourne father-of-two and tech professional who died on Mount Everest last week has been remembered as "truly one of a kind".

Matthew Jones passed away while trekking in Nepal.

Fairfax Media has been told he was not attempting to reach the summit, but was among the tens of thousands of tourists who every year trek to Everest base camp, mostly without incident.

Mr Jones had a successful career at multinational tech company, Intel, and on Monday tributes were flowing in from around the world.
The WA Liberal Party's internal polling shows the state government is in a "far worse" position than that shown by published surveys, which point to a Coalition loss on Saturday, and the preference deal with One Nation is to blame.

A source who has seen polling conducted for the WA Liberal Party one week ago said the government was facing a two-party preferred position of 57-43.

This could lead to the Liberal-Nationals Coalition haemorrhaging as many as 20 seats.

The party has already given up hope in several seats including the marginals of Forrestfield, held by Nathan Morton, and Perth, held by Eleni Evangel. But a source familiar with internal tactics said the party was also not expecting to hold the seats of Joondalup, which is held by Jan Norberger with a 10 per cent margin, Jandakot and Kalamunda, currently held by Health Minister John Day with a similar margin.
She opposed the Safe Schools program, supported by Labor, which aims to create more inclusive and safe school environments for homosexual and gender diverse people, as "absolutely bloody ridiculous". On the preference deal with Liberals, which has alienated both traditional Liberal and One Nation supporters, she harked back to John Howard's 1998 introduction of the preferential voting system. "All of them ... they all preferenced One Nation last," she said. "What did you think I was going to do. Sit back and watch it happen again this time? I'm not here to shore up Colin Barnett ... the Labor Party, their big ads, you know, 'A vote for One Nation is a vote for the Liberal Party', what a bunch of bloody hypocrites. "If you go and have a look at their voting papers in a Liberal-held seat their preferences will actually go to the Liberals before it actually comes to One Nation."

She was against the sale of assets such as Western Power, but did not offer a comparable solution for lessening towering state debt. She said WA needed to "get jobs going" and that small business needed red tape reduction and tax cuts. One Nation supported cuts to payroll taxes, potentially a differential tax cut so as to give country regions a leg up, but costing had not been done. "It's something we are looking at," she said. "Let's do the costing the figures and look at the feasibility. One Nation is different to the two major political parties. They have run the state here, taking turns at it. And what has happened. You have problems here. I am offering solutions. You are asking what the policies are and until I am in a position to give costings and how we will address it, these are things." She said she spoke with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Minister for Social Services Christian Porter about an apprenticeship scheme in which the government subsidised apprenticeships on a sliding scale as they grew more experienced.

"Now whether they go with it or not... but if we get a foothold in the door, we can put up so many apprenticeship schemes in the state to actually then work with the federal government and say, OK, we will put up this much in the state, and put up two-, three- or 500 jobs," she said. Asked if tax cuts would not heighten WA's budget deficit, she said creating employment helped small business. "As [federal Treasurer] Scott Morrison has always said, we don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. I find that right across the board with the major parties whether they are part of state or federal," she said. "Governments are there for three reasons, right? Adhere to the Constitution, the rule of law and the economic stability of the country. What we have seen is too much waste from the governments in the bureaucratic red tape put on government departments, we are over-serviced by public servants, politicians with the lurks and perks. There is cuts that can be done. If it is done wisely." She cited prisons as an example of one government service she believed could be made more efficient.

Meanwhile, a former federal health department head has demanded Ms Hanson apologise and retract her "crazy" comments on vaccinations. Stephen Duckett, now director of health at the Grattan Institute policy thinktank, said he was "disgusted" by the senator's comments. "This is a situation where you've got a popular politician with a significant following who's actually giving crazy, crazy medical advice," he told ABC radio on Monday. "She has to apologise and retract that statement. "Vaccines are safe.
If panic is a product of proximity, you can understand why Japan is extremely nervous about a surprise volley of North Korean ballistic missiles splashing down on Monday in nearby seas.

And you can understand why Australians, safely a long way distant, tend to regard the latest Pyongyang provocation as just another clownish outburst by a tinpot dictator.

A TV news program reports North Korea's recent missile launch in Seoul, South Korea. Credit:AP

It's time to shake off the complacency.

North Korea might have a record of technological failures matched only by the boastfulness of its propaganda triumphs, but it is abundantly clear the reclusive Stalinist state will soon - credibly - claim to be able to launch a nuclear weapon.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday spoke in support of the new travel ban, which he said was on "security grounds." Credit:AP Iraq left off the banned list Iraq was taken off the banned list because the Iraqi government had imposed new vetting procedures, such as heightened visa screening and data sharing, and because of its work with the United States in countering Islamic State militants, a senior White House official said. Thousands of Iraqis have for years fought alongside US troops or worked as translators since the US-led invasion in 2003. Many have resettled in the United States after being threatened for working with US troops. Widespread protests greeted the first travel ban, which was later halted by the courts. Credit:AP

Mr Trump's first order was seen by opponents as discrimination against Muslims, but a White House official said the new order was based on national security concerns and had nothing to do with religion. "It is substantially different from the first order yet it will do the same thing in this important way: it will protect the country and keep us safe," the official said. The administration would reset the clock on the 90-day travel ban. The first travel ban caused chaos at airports across America. Credit:AP Despite the administration's changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited, and un-American. It must be repealed. Democrat Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer The White House said the new executive order also ensures that tens of thousands of legal permanent residents in the United States  or green card holders  from the listed countries would not be affected by the ban.

Trump's original travel ban resulted in more than two dozen lawsuits in US courts. The state of Washington succeeded in having it suspended by the 9th Circuit court of Appeals by arguing that it violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination. The original order barred travellers from the seven nations from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days. Refugees from Syria were to be banned indefinitely, but under the new order they are not given separate treatment. 'No alleged chaos' Mr Trump publicly criticised judges who ruled against him and vowed to fight the case in the Supreme Court. He later decided to draw up a new order with changes aimed at making it easier to defend in the courts. Refugees who are "in transit" and who have already been approved would be able to travel to the United States.

"There's going to be a very orderly process," a senior official from the Department of Homeland Security said. "You should not see any chaos so to speak, or alleged chaos at airports. There aren't going to be folks stopped tonight from coming into the country because of this executive order." The White House official said US government agencies would determine whether Syria or other nations had made sufficient security improvements to be taken back into the refugee admissions program. The new order launches a 90-day period for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to define a new series of requirements for countries to have full participation in US entry programs. For countries that do not comply, the US State Department, the DHS and intelligence agencies can make recommendations on what, if any, restrictions should be imposed. "It's not an all-or-nothing scenario," the official said.

The new order spells out detailed categories of people eligible to enter the United States, such as for business or medical travel, or people with family connections or who support the United States. "There are a lot of explicit carve-outs for waivers and given on a case-by-case basis," the official said. How the new ban differs from the first Effective date The new order takes effect in 10 days rather than immediately. Trump's original ban led to chaos at US and international airports, as thousands of visa holders were blocked from entering the country or detained after arriving in the United States.

Iraq excluded Iraq, which is working closely with the US military to defeat the Islamic State, is excluded from the new list. Iraq was removed from the order after agreeing to increase cooperation with the US government on vetting of its citizens applying for a travel visa, according to the fact sheet released by the Trump administration. Indefinite ban on Syrians lifted The indefinite ban on Syrians is lifted under the new travel. They will now be subject to same 90-day ban on travellers and 120 days for refugees. "I hereby proclaim that the entry of nationals of Syria as refugees is detrimental to the interests of the United States," the original order read. Under the original ban, Syrians would have been barred until Trump felt that "sufficient changes" had been made to screening procedures.

President Obama had allowed 10,000 refugees fleeing Syria's civil war to enter the United States in 2016. So called 'green card' unaffected Nationals of the six countries with legal permanent residence in the US (known as green cards) are not affected, as they were under the January 27 order. Federal judges had expressed concern about barring legitimate visa holders. People with valid visas as of Monday are also exempt. No religious preferences Loading
Jerusalem: Police are expected to question Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a fourth time in a corruption investigation that has prompted political rivals to start looking to a "post-Bibi" Israel.

Israeli TV and newspapers on Monday reported Mr Netanyahu would be questioned later in the day, though a police spokeswoman declined to confirm the reports.

A spokesman for the prime minister, who has denied wrongdoing, did not respond to a request for comment.

Mr Netanyahu, 67, is a suspect in two cases, one involving the receipt of gifts from businessmen and the other related to conversations he held with an Israeli newspaper publisher about limiting competition in the news sector in exchange for more positive coverage.
Seoul: North Korea has fired 'multiple missiles' from its Tongchang-ri region where a missile base is located, South Korea's military says.

The missiles flew about 1000 kilometres in possible retaliation by the reclusive state to joint US-South Korean drills that began last week.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, centre, speaks to the reporters, following North Korea's missile launches in Tokyo, on Monday. Credit:AP

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also said North Korea had fired four ballistic missiles, three of which fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Tokyo had "lodged a stern protest with North Korea," Abe told reporters.
There is hate and intolerance in America, as there is in every society. Will humans ever erase the urge to mistreat members of some groups because of their identity? Alas, humanitys imperfect nature suggests bigotry and discrimination will trail us  probably forever.

The more heartening perspective comes from observing what happens when ugliness appears. Do Americans know how to react? Yes, and it can be beautiful to see.

The background: There has been an alarming spate of anti-Semitic acts this year. The JCC Association of North America has reported waves of telephoned bomb threats to Jewish community centers and schools, including 31 incidents on Feb. 27. Last month, a Chicago synagogue was vandalized, as were Jewish cemeteries in suburban St. Louis and Philadelphia. On Thursday, a Jewish cemetery in Rochester, New York, was desecrated.

Jews are worried. They are a minority fully integrated into American life, yet they feel vulnerable because the scourge of anti-Semitism remains. Fear of terror attacks  in Europe, but here, too  is ever-present. For Jews, when something bad happens its never an isolated incident but part of a long history of being targeted. Thats why the reaction by other Americans to anti-Semitism is important: Would the Jewish sense of isolation be affirmed, or might it be counteracted?

We hope the Jewish community is feeling supported. In reaction to the desecration in Missouri, two Muslim activists sought to raise $20,000 in donations among Muslims through a crowdfunding website  and reached their goal in three hours. With Philadelphia also in mind, their effort to help repair damaged headstones passed $150,000 and is still going. We extend our deepest condolences to all those who have been affected and to the Jewish community at large, the crowdfunding site said....

When cleanup efforts were organized in Philadelphia, dozens of volunteers turned up, among them a Catholic landscaper. A local Fraternal Order of Police lodge gave money. At the St. Louis-area cemetery cleanup, Gov. Eric Greitens, who is Jewish, was joined by Vice President Mike Pence. On social media, where you never know if youll see more good or nastiness, a Chicago-area Marine veteran who is Muslim volunteered to stand guard at any synagogue or Jewish cemetery. Tayyib Rashids tweet went viral; other Muslims joined his offer.

Many Jews were touched. As objects of hatred, they share space with Muslims  and can respond similarly:

In Florida, after an arson fire caused property damage at the Islamic Society of New Tampa, it was the Jewish community that stepped up. After Adeel Karim launched a fund to pay for repairs at the mosque, he was puzzled by some donations, which were in multiples of 18. Then he realized these Jewish contributors were giving gifts according to their custom because in Jewish numerology the word for 18 signifies life. Karim wrote on Facebook: The Jewish faith has shown up in force to support our New Tampa Islamic community. Im floored.

There will never be a satisfying explanation for why some people victimize others over their identity. We are all others in a diverse nation, yet certain groups face harassment. Its reprehensible. Law enforcement response is crucial, as are denunciations by political leaders.

But what also counts are the symbolic gestures by individuals  little acts of the heart that confirm our better nature. After someone fired a projectile through the window of a synagogue in Evansville, Indiana, the local Islamic society wrote on Feb 28: We stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters against religious intolerance. We pray for your safety and ask God to protect us all from such injustices.

The best measure of American values is not when some among us behave poorly. Its when the rest of us stand together.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Following his successful seminar last year, law firm VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne invited prof. Stefan Sagel, LLM once more to bring lawyers and clients up to date on a number of current employment law issues. On Thursday 3 March he was welcomed by the employment team of VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne at the Curacao office. Via the firm's video conference system the seminar could be attended in Aruba, Bonaire and St. Maarten as well.

During the first half of the afternoon prof. Sagel spoke with the employment team of VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne about the latest developments in the field of collective employment contract law. He also discussed the case of summary dismissal. During the second part of the afternoon, clients in all islands join the seminar. With this group, prof.

The employment team of VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne is led by counsel Kimberley de lIsle, along with partner Molly Steward. Kimberley de lIsle said the following about the seminar: In employment law, developments take place at a rapid pace. To keep up-to-date it's important to regularly organize and attend meetings like these. That's why we're very pleased that an expert such as prof. Sagel has managed again to free up some of his time this year to share his knowledge and experiences with us and our clients.

In all islands the seminar concluded with a reception, offering the participants the opportunity to chat with each other about the day's events while enjoying snacks and drinks. VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne is looking into the possibilities of organizing this type of seminar on a regular basis and will also provide follow-up to the seminar in the form of individual and client-oriented workshops.
Dutch Quarter --- The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Primary School (MLK) will be a part of the upcoming SXM Doet project which will take place on March 10th & 11th, 2017. The project titled, Beautification of Dr. MLK School will involve the repainting of the entire school campus on March 11th from 7:00 a.m.

This special volunteer initiative is being Coordinated by Educational Assistant Tr. Alisha Brookes and School Management.

I am looking forward to the approaching SXM Doet especially since this is the first year our school will be participating, remarked Stuart Johnson School Manager of the Dr. MLK Primary School.

The last time the school campus was repainted dates to 2012 as soon as school management fell under its current responsibility. Its time we re-do what we did at the beginning of my tenure but now we will be incorporating our official school color which is purple, Johnson said.

Our list of volunteers continues to grow daily and I am extremely grateful for the support we continue to receive from the SXM Doet project leaders. I have no doubt this initiative will surely enhance the general school environment and its appearance, Johnson added.

Volunteers, community service groups and companies are encouraged to contribute to make this activity an overwhelming success. I am looking forward to support of all and Honored to have our Honorable Minister of Education Ms. Siliveria Jacobs with us too, Johnson concluded.

The Dr. MLK Jr. Primary School is in the District of Dutch Quarter and anyone wanting to participate is encouraged to contact the school at 54-72441 or via e-mail correspondence: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Claim: The spiral stairway at Santa Fe's Loretto Chapel miraculously stands despite having no discernable means of support. Rating: About this rating False

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Fans of made-for-TV movies might recall The Staircase, a film (aired by CBS in 1998) starring Barbara Hershey as Mother Madalyn, a nun whose dying wish to see the construction of her order's chapel completed comes true through the efforts of a mysterious carpenter known only as "Joad." The movie was based on the legend of the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the site of the "mysterious staircase" referred to in a widely-circuiated message:

City of Santa Fe, in New Mexico, USA. A mystery of over 130 years and attracting around 250,000 visitors every year. Point of attention: Loretto Chapel. What makes this chapel different from all others is that the subject of the supposed miracle that took place in it is a staircase. A chapel was constructed somewhere in the 19th century. When it was ready, the nuns found that there was no staircase built to take them to the top level. They spent 9 days praying to St. Joseph, who was a carpenter. On the last day, a stranger knocked at their door and said that he was a carpenter who could help them build the staircase. He constructed the staircase, all by himself, which was considered to be the pride of carpentery. None knew how the staircase could stand by itself as it did not have a central support. Then the carpenter, who did not use a single nail or glue to construct this staircase, disappeared without even waiting for his payment. There was a rumour in the city of Santa Fe that the carpenter was St. Joseph himself, sent by Jesus Christ to attend to the nuns' problem. Since then, the staircase was called "miraculous" and the site for pilgrimages. There are three mysteries about this staircase, says the spokesman of the chapel. The first mystery is that, to this day, the identity of the builder is

not known. The second mystery is that the architects, engineers and scientists say that they cannot understand how this staircase can balance without any central support. The third mystery is from where did the wood come? They have checked and found out that the type of wood used to build the staircase does not exist in the entire region. There is another detail that has just increased the belief in the supposed miracle: The staircase has 33 steps, the age of Jesus Christ.

The Loretto Academy was a school for women founded in Santa Fe in 1852 by the local Sisters of Loretto. In 1873 construction was begun to add a chapel to the site, a project plagued by some unfortunate incidents (including the shooting death of the main architect). As the builders were finishing up work on the chapel, they found that the plans drawn up by the late architect had not included any means of access to the chapel's choir loft. This was when, according to Alice Bullock's book, Loretto and the Miraculous Staircase, the now-legendary events kicked in.

The notion of constructing an ordinary staircase up to the choir loft was apparently rejected both because it would have limited the available seating in the loft and because it would have been aesthetically unappealing. As Bullock described the nuns' dilemma over how to proceed: "Carpenters and builders were called in, only to shake their heads in despair. When all else had failed, the Sisters determined to pray a novena to the Master Carpenter himself, St. Joseph."

As Bullock's narrative continues, the nuns' prayers were answered on the ninth day by a humble workman leading a burro loaded with a complement of carpentry tools. The workman proclaimed that, with permission, he could resolve the dilemma, needing only a couple of water tubs to complete the task:

Sisters, going in to the Chapel to pray, saw the tubs with wood soaking in them, but the Man always withdrew while they said their prayers, returning to his work when the Chapel was free. Some there are who say the circular stair which stands there today was built very quickly. Others say no, it took quite a little time. But the stair did grow, rising solidly in a double helix without support of any kind and without nail or screw. The floor space used was minimal and the stair adds to, rather than detracts from, the beauty of the Chapel. The Sisters were overjoyed and planned a fine dinner to honor the Carpenter. Only he could not be found. No one seemed to know him, where he lived, nothing. Lumberyards were checked, but they had no bill for the Sisters of Loretto. They had not sold him the wood. Knowledgeable men went in and inspected the stair and none knew what kind of wood had been used, certainly nothing indigenous to this area. Advertisements for the Carpenter were run in the New Mexican and brought no response. "Surely," said the devout, "it was St. Joseph himself who built the stair"

However it came to be built, the solution to the problem at the Loretto Chapel was a winding staircase in the shape of a helix (which both takes up less space than a conventional stairway and is much more aesthetically appealing). Although winding staircases are somewhat tricky to build because the form is not well-suited to bearing weight and generally requires additional support, the one at Loretto is not quite the miracle of architecture that subsequent legend has made it out to be.

For starters, the Loretto staircase was apparently not all that fine a piece of work from a safety standpoint. It was originally built without a railing, presenting a steep descent that reportedly so frightened some of the nuns that they came down the stairway on their hands and knees. Not until several years later did another artisan (Phillip August Hesch) finally add a railing to the staircase. Moreover, the helix shape acted like what it resembles, a big spring, with many visitors reporting that the stairs moved up and down as they trod them. The structure has been closed to public access for several decades now, with various reasons (including a lack of suitable fire exits and "preservation") given for the closure at different times, leading investigator Joe Nickell to note that "There is reason to suspect that the staircase may be more unstable and, potentially, unsafe than some realize."

Although the Loretto legend maintains that "engineers and scientists say that they cannot understand how this staircase can balance without any central support" and that by all rights it should have long since collapsed into a pile of rubble, none of that is the case. Wood technologist Forrest N. Easley noted (as reported by the Skeptical Inquirer) that "the staircase does have a central support," an inner wood stringer of such small radius that it "functions as an almost solid pole." As well, Nickell observed when he visited Loretto in 1993 that the structure included an additional support, "an iron brace or bracket that stabilizes the staircase by rigidly connecting the outer stringer to one of the columns that support the loft." Nickell concluded: "It would thus appear that the Loretto staircase is subject to the laws of physics like any other."

As for the wood used in the stairway's construction, it has been identified as spruce, but not a large enough sample has been made available for wood analysts to determine which of the ten spruce species found in North America (and thus precisely where) it came from. That the structure may have built without the use of glue or nails is hardly remarkable: nails were often an unavailable or precious commodity to builders of earlier eras, who developed a number of techniques for fastening wood without them.

All in all, nothing about Loretto's design or manufacture evidences any sign of the miraculous. The staircase (and the chapel that houses it) is, however, now part of a privately-owned museum operated for profit, a situation that provides its owners with a strong financial motive for perpetuating the legend of its mysterious origins and substance.

https://www.lorettochapel.com/info/staircase
Claim: Texting the word 'HUNGER' to 35350 will cause Sam's Club to donate the monetary equivalent of 12 meals to a local food bank.

Rating: About this rating Outdated What's True For a limited time, texting the word 'MEALS' to 35350 will prompt General Mills to donate the monetary equivalent of 12 meals to a local food bank. What's False Texting the word 'HUNGER' to 35350 no longer produces any positive result.

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In March 2015 a message began to circulate on social media sites claiming that texting the word "HUNGER" to the number 35350 would prompt the Sam's Club chain of membership-only retail warehouse stores to donate meals to local food banks. According to several versions of the claim, each donation would provide twelve meals to a nearby food pantry once a donor's location was confirmed.

A few aspects of the "text HUNGER to 35350" campaign gave potential donors pause, however. For one thing, Facebook and Twitter pages maintained by Sam's Club didn't prominently publish any material confirming the campaign around the time it became popular in March 2015. Users who posted to the retailer's Facebook wall to inquire about the legitimacy of the campaign were directed to a website prompting them to enter barcodes from General Mills products to generate donations under a program called "Outnumber Hunger":

Hi, here is a link that may help you https://www.outnumberhunger.com/samsclub/

On that page, information about a separate (and not clearly linked) aspect of the campaign was published:

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR CODES? *For every code you enter by January 31, 2016, General Mills will donate $1.20 to Feeding America  enough to secure 12 meals on behalf of local food banks. Maximum total donation to Feeding America from General Mills in conjunction with Sam's Club's promotions is up to $225,000, based on online code entry and other consumer actions through General Mills promotions with Sam's Club. Look for ways to trigger donations at OutnumberHunger.com/SamsClub.

Although the blurb confirmed a Sam's Club campaign was slated to continue until 31 January 2016 (or until a $225,000 donation cap was reached), no mention of text-triggered donations was included. A Facebook link at the top of that page led to an Outnumber Hunger campaign page that hadn't been updated for several months, which a number of Facebook members used to inquire about the legitimacy of the 35350 donation message.

Outnumber Hunger referenced another page, Feeding America, in their "about" section. On that page, a status update dated 4 March 2015 explained:

For every code from a participating product you enter online at https://www.outnumberhunger.com/samsclub by January 31, 2016, General Mills will donate 1.20 to Feeding America  enough to secure 12 meals on behalf of local food banks. Maximum total donation to Feeding America from General Mills in conjunction with Sam's Club's promotion is up to $225,000, based on online code entry, text and other consumer actions through General Mills promotions with Sam's Club. To text your code, text HUNGER to 35350 by March 31, 2015. You will receive one (1) text reply which will confirm receipt and ask for your zip code so that the donation may be made on behalf of your local food bank. If you do not respond with your zip code via text, your donation will be made on behalf of food banks on a national level. If you respond via text with your zip code, you will receive one (1) text reply confirming receipt of your zip code. If you text a misspelled word or no food banks are near your zip code, you will receive an error reply via text. Maximum total donation to Feeding America from General Mills in conjunction with this text promotion is up to $80,000, subject to General Mills overall maximum donation of up to $225,000 in connection with Sam's Club's Outnumber Hunger promotions. Limit one (1) code sent via text per phone number. Msg & Data Rates May Apply. Must be 18+ to send text. Subject to General Mills privacy policy at www.OutnumberHunger.com/SamsClub. Look for ways to trigger donations at OutnumberHunger.com/SamsClub.

According to the status update, texts would generate a donation to local or national food banks until 31 March 2015 (or until a cap of $225,000 was reached). If the fundraising maximum wasn't met by that date, General Mills customers would be given until January 2016 to trigger donations by submitting bar codes from purchased products. However, by 12 March 2015 Sam's Club had reached the stated cap for text-based donations, so texts sent to 35350 after that date no longer triggered food bank contributions.

The "Sam's Club Meals from Members Program" is active this year between until 31 March 2017, activated by texting the word 'MEALS' (not 'HUNGER') to 35350. Each text (one per person) will prompt the donation of $1.08 to Feeding America by General Mills, an amount considered to be the equivalent of twelve meals at local food banks, until either the cutoff date or the maximum donation level of $150,000 has been reached:
AerServ Launches OpenAuction  First In-App Header Bidding Solution Designed Specifically For Mobile Publishers

IRVINE, CA  (Marketwired)  03/06/17  , the leading ad management technology and SSP for mobile publishers and advertisers, today announced the launch of OpenAuction, the first open call auction technology developed specifically for mobile publishers and app developers to take advantage of increased advertiser demand provided by header bidding. OpenAuction utilizes industry standards, rules based technology and instant decisions to bring the same benefits of header bidding for desktop publishers to mobile app publishers. Open call auctions and dynamic pricing results in increased inventory for potential buyers and increased revenue for publishers.

Mobile monetization requires a mobile-first strategy. Simultaneous open ad calls generate the highest possible revenue for your inventory and AerServ is providing simplified access to this demand through a universal technology solution and standards formats, said Josh Speyer, CEO at AerServ. By working universally with all publishers on the AerServ mediation platform, we are unlocking the potential of mobile in the same way that desktop publishers have been doing for years.

OpenAuction is available to all publishers on the AerServ inventory management and ad serving platform. The new in-app bidding solution allows publishers and developers to make simultaneous ad calls into all programmatic buyers and identify the highest potential bidder at an impression level. Additionally, the solution leverages industry standards such as dynamic pricing protocols and ensures that the demand meets the app developers business rules such as price floors, brand safety guidelines, creative blocks, and more.

Benefits of OpenAuction:

Ability to send and receive dynamic pricing on each ad call from all ad sources

Server side auction mechanics reduces latency

Server side implementation reduces end users device battery usage

Server side implementation reduces end users data usage

Ability to converge multiple auctions into a super auction taking into account first price bids

The demand for inventory in mobile applications by advertisers, especially brand video advertisers, has grown exponentially in the last few years. The AerServ managed solution works with mobile publishers to introduce smarter and more advanced technologies that will benefit both buyers and sellers in the mobile advertising market.

AerServ is the leading ad management technology for mobile publishers and advertisers, specializing in mobile video technology, with proprietary yield optimization tools that increase revenue across all formats and ad units. AerServ works in alignment with thousands of apps, from premium publishers to independent developers, to optimize their existing ad network revenue through mediation, and tap into aerMarkets demand inventory to supercharge their earnings. AerServs entire platform and infrastructure were built with a publisher-first mentality. Technical integration is super simple, and publishers can serve multiple ad formats through one integration, reducing time even further. Publishers get best-in-class support with hands-on care from integration specialists, account managers and software engineers. Whether you are looking for a simple way to monetize your mobile inventory or an advanced way to increase revenue, AerServ can get you there easily and efficiently. The company was founded in 2013 and has offices in Irvine, California. Visit AerServ at or follow us on Twitter at @AerServ.

Ben Billingsley

WIT Strategy for AerServ

(917) 826-1103
TechJuice





Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @Songbird_Callum





Contact us on Twitter , on Facebook , or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info: TheSMFGroup.com

How many of your Facebook friends are currently off travelling? How angry/jealous/crestfallen do their posts make you? Yeah, I figured as much. Well now, travellers can not only irritate their friends with selfies with the Taj Mahal in the background, butIt lives under the 'More' tab in the app, and it functions in an awfully similar fashion to Foursquare - it shows you areas of interest in different cities. The difference is that. This way you can get an idea of which areas/places are best based on what you already know about your friends' tastes and preferences.Of course, if the vast majority of your friends are local, and travel-shy, this isn't going to do you much good. There's not a lot of benefit into researching places to visit in Morocco if you only know one person who's actually been there, you'll just end up mimicking their holiday. Facebook remedy this by also including a, showing the highest rated spots from people who live in the area.This function also includes information about what people like about the place. Say if it's a bar, people might be saying they like the cocktails, the prices and the music, and that's what you'll be told in the summary. You can save locations, or even save cities, andI'd say that City Guide has as much, or even more value when you're already in the city in question as it does when you're planning on going there. If you're inter-railing, or doing some other kind of international trip, you might not know exactly which city or town you'll end up in day to day. This could certainly help with that., which still places it behind Foursquare in terms of practical value. Facebook haven't said anything about expanding the size of the app, but it's easy to pinpoint what the issue with that is - people have to be checking in. In cities, it happens constantly, but in smaller settlements it's much less common. If they find a way to expand the service with this in mind though, it could become one of the app's most popular features.
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A major east-west route in Fitchburg will be taken out of service beginning on Thursday and continuing into the fall.

Lacy Road will be closed to through traffic because of underground utility construction starting Thursday, with overhead utility lines being taken down and buried underground, city officials said.

The section of Lacy Road affected by the utility construction goes from City Hall at 5520 Lacy Road east to Sunflower Drive.

A marked detour uses Fish Hatchery Road, East Cheryl Parkway and Sunflower Drive.

When the utility work is done, reconstruction of the road will commence in May, and will stretch farther east to Syene Road.

The reconstruction is expected to be completed sometime in the fall.
When photography was invented in France in the 1820s, some artists predicted  even feared  that it would in time take the place of painting. That didnt happen, but photographers around the world consistently have recorded images that reveal...
90% of customers have power restored after Saturday outages

As of 10 a.m. Sunday, 6,100 customers in the South Bend area remained without power. Most will be restored Sunday, but some won't be until Monday.
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Eight homeless people have found permanent accommodation thanks to hard-working volunteers.

Since January 3 a different church has been opening its doors in Swansea every night to keep the less fortunate out of the cold.

Swansea Night Shelter gives rough sleepers a bed, warm food and hot drinks.

In return volunteers ask for their cooperation to work with outreach programmes to help find long-term accommodation.

Afterwards, they are given a lift back to the city centre.

Watch homeless men on the streets of Cardiff tell their story

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Since opening, 24 people have been looked after at churches across the city.

Supported by Caer Las staff at Access Point, in the Strand, eight have moved into more permanent forms of accommodation and one more is expected to move on soon.

Paul Mort, manager at Swansea Night Shelter, said: "It has been fantastic to see such a wide range of volunteers rally around to provide good food, hospitality and the time to talk and a safe place to sleep, to those who have found themselves homeless during this winter period.

"Eight church venues, in collaboration with staff from Caer Las, The Wallich, Health and Swansea City Council, have again provided safe havens for some of those who have found themselves homeless in recent times.

"It is humbling to realise how quickly and easily you can find yourself on the streets following the loss of employment, the breakdown of a relationship or ill-health.

"It has been a privilege to be part of the church community in Swansea, ably supported by many with no church attachment, to offer night-time accommodation to some of the most vulnerable rough sleepers at this time of year."

The eight church venues are Uniting Church in Sketty, Hill Church in the Strand, Parklands, Church in Sketty, Pantygwydr Church in Uplands, Christwell Church in Manselton, LifePoint Church in Uplands and All Saints in Oystermouth.

They are expected to remain open to the end of March or "until the critical need for overnight accommodation declines", Mr Mort said.

He added: "It is also worth noting that City Church, Brunswick Methodist (Ogof Adullam) and Zacs Place offer evening support and food throughout the week, helping not only the homeless but also those who struggle to provide for themselves.

"The Night Shelter has received clothing and toiletries from Swansea Donates, many individuals, two schools and churches across the city and surrounding area. All of the gifts have been of immediate help and will continue to do so for some time to come. Our guests have been very grateful for the kind donations received."

"Local traders such as Dilly's Kitchen in Sketty and Thai Bach in Brynymor Road have also supported the work in providing delicious food some of the nights."
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The University of California and Google want your help to make the longest movie ever of a total solar eclipse.

The university and the tech giant are seeking volunteers to make a "megamovie" that will not only document the Aug. 21, 2017, solar eclipse but could also help scientists discover new information about the sun's corona  the atmosphere above the solar surface, according to a statement from the University of California, Berkeley.

Hugh Hudson, a solar physicist at UC Berkeley, and Scott McIntosh, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research's High Altitude Observatory, proposed the "Eclipse Megamovie Project" idea in 2011, and now it's starting to take shape. [How to Safely Watch The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse]

"We'll be collecting this level of data for the first time, from millions of observers, and it will be a valuable archive," Hudson said.

An animation of the moon blocking the sun during a total solar eclipse. (Image credit: Eclipse Megamovie project/UC Berkeley)

The plan is to collect images from more than 1,000 volunteers with high-quality cameras and string them together into a 90-minute film. The Eclipse Megamovie project team will choose and train the core group of volunteers, but they'll also take contributions from anyone with a smartphone. The team says that, by April, it should have an app that takes time-coded pictures of the eclipse. The app will allow users to upload photos for another, lower-resolution film.

During totality, when the disk of the moon completely covers the disk of the sun, it's possible to see the sun's corona, which is usually invisible from the Earth's surface. Totality rarely lasts longer than a few minutes. The theoretical maximum is seven minutes and thirty seconds with most eclipses hitting the two to three minute mark. That puts a short time limit on scientific studies. Even airplanes that try to follow the moon's shadow as it travels can't keep up, since the shadow moves at some 1,500 mph (2,400 km/h).

Using an instrument called a coronagraph that blocks the disc of the sun, it's possible to see the corona  NASA currently has instruments in space that use coronagraphs to observe the sun's atmosphere. But even with coronagraphs, the light from the sun's lower atmosphere, called the chromosphere, is still lost in the glare, according to NASA. The moon, however, makes the chromosphere visible.

"We don't know what we'll see or what we'll learn about the interactions between the chromosphere and the corona," Hudson said.

The movie may also help scientists study lunar geography. Just before the moon completely covers the sun, observers can see the sliver of light from the sun break up into spots of light that look like beads on a necklace  called Baily's beads  that show lunar topography, because the sun is shining through valleys or low points on the moon's surface. The beads reappear when the sun begins to emerge on the other side of the moon.

Another effect, called the "diamond ring," refers to the last bead of sunlight left before totality and the first one to appear afterward. This effect can reveal features and help refine estimates of the size of the sun, according to the statement.

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is reaching out to its more than 400 amateur astronomy groups and encouraging them to participate in the project. The Megamovie team primarily comprises staff from UC Berkeley's Multiverse education program, who are contacting cities and towns along the path of totality, which runs from Oregon to South Carolina, to encourage participation in the project.

To contribute to the high-resolution megamovie, participants need a digital single-lens reflex camera, or DSLR, with a zoom lens of at least 300 millimeters, plus a tripod and the ability to record their GPS location and the local time to within 1 second in coordinated universal time (UTC), the world's clock standard.

The first version of the eclipse megamovie should be ready online a few hours after the eclipse ends at 1:49 p.m. EDT (1749 GMT).

To learn more about the Eclipse Megamovie Project, or participate, visit the project's website here: http://eclipsemega.movie/.

Follow Jesse Emspak on Twitter @Mad_Science_Guy. You can follow us @Spacedotcom and on Facebook & Google+. Original story on Space.com.
This composite image shows a coronal mass ejection  a huge eruption of solar plasma  as seen from two space-based solar observatories and one ground-based instrument. The image in gold is from NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft; the image in red is from the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory; and the image in blue is from the Manua Loa Solar Observatorys K-Cor coronagraph.

NASA scientists have developed a new technique that could improve space-weather forecasts and help protect astronauts from potentially dangerous solar storms.

Earth's sun is an active star that repeatedly unleashes powerful flares and huge eruptions of solar plasma known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These dramatic events can send fast-moving solar energetic particles, or SEPs, streaming toward Earth. While the planet's magnetic field and atmosphere serve as a protective shield, astronauts in low-Earth orbit are potentially susceptible to the harmful effects of such solar outbursts.

Researchers who developed the new technique used an instrument called a coronagraph, which blocks the sun's bright light and allows astronomers to see what's going on in the sun's corona, or outer atmosphere. With this tool, scientists from NASA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Colorado found a way to detect SEP activity tens of minutes earlier than current forecasting techniques allow, which will ultimately help protect astronauts in space, NASA officials said a statement. [The Sun's Wrath: Worst Solar Storms in History]

Most of the current space-weather research uses space-based coronagraphs. The new technique, by contrast, employs ground-based coronagraphs, which can deliver observations "almost instantly, and at a much higher time resolution than satellite instruments," NASA officials said.

"With space-based coronagraphs, we get images back every 20-30 minutes," Chris St. Cyr, a space scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in the statement. "You'll see the CME in one frame, and by the time you get the next frame  which contains the information we need to tell how fast it's moving  the energetic particles have already arrived [at Earth]."

This GIF shows a CME as seen by two space-based solar observatories and one ground-based instrument. The image in gold is from NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft; the image in red is from the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory; and the image in blue is from the Manua Loa Solar Observatorys K-Cor coronagraph. (Image credit: NASA/ESA/SOHO/SDO/Joy Ng and MLSO/K-Cor)

Solar particles released during a CME are extremely energetic and can move at nearly the speed of light. For the recent study, scientists used observations from the ground-based coronagraph called K-Cor, which is part of NCAR's High Altitude Observatory and resides atop Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano.

The researchers' findings, published Jan. 30 in the journal Space Weather, confirmed that SEPs could be detected as early as 45 minutes before the particles arrive at Earth (or tens of minutes before the particles even leave the sun's inner atmosphere). And the scientists said they hope to improve this early warning system even further.

"Currently, processed images from K-Cor are available on the internet in less than 15 minutes after they're taken," Joan Burkepile, a study co-author based at NCAR and principal investigator for the K-Cor instrument, said in the statement from NASA. "We're installing a more powerful computer at the observatory in Hawaii to process the images seconds after they are acquired, and provide the data on the internet within a minute or two of acquisition."

Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Volcanoes spewing hydrogen could help make an otherwise inhospitable planet habitable, keeping it warm enough for liquid water to remain on the surface, as in this artists image.

Hydrogen-spewing volcanoes could boost the temperatures of seemingly frigid alien planets enough to maintain liquid water on their surfaces, making the worlds potentially habitable to life as we know it, a new study suggests.

If the newfound TRAPPIST-1h  the most distant of a set of seven Earth-size worlds that orbit a dwarf star just 39 light-years from Earth  boasted such volcanoes, it could be warm enough to hold onto water, study team members said.

In the past, scientists determined that the "habitable zone"  the range of distances from a star that can support liquid water on a world's surface  expands when planets have hydrogen in their atmospheres. However, because hydrogen is such a light gas, it quickly escapes to space, leaving such planets devoid of it within a few tens of millions of years. [5 Amazing Facts About the TRAPPIST-1 System (Video)]

But active volcanoes could change that, according to the new study.

"Our volcanic-hydrogen habitable zone is different, because so long as volcanism is intense enough, it can outpace the rate at which hydrogen escapes into space," lead author Ramses Ramirez, a planetary scientist at Cornell University in New York, told Space.com by email.

Ramirez and fellow planetary scientist Lisa Kaltenegger, also at Cornell, examined how active hydrogen-rich volcanos could continue to resupply a planet with a hydrogen atmosphere. They found the activity could increase the size of the habitable zone by as much as 60 percent, dramatically extending the region where habitable planets might lie.

According to Ramirez, the increased volcanism "allows potentially habitable conditions for much longer geologic timescales."

Stellar temperature versus distance from the star compared to Earth for the classic habitable zone (shaded blue) and the volcanic habitable zone extension (shaded red). (Image credit: R. Ramirez, Carl Sagan Institute, Cornell University)

Improving the odds

The hunt for signs of life on worlds beyond the solar system tends to focus on the habitable zone, because water is crucial to life as we know it. (While other evolutionary paths are possible, scientists prefer to focus on the one known to have succeeded at least once.)

While studying possibilities for early Mars, Ramirez and Kaltenegger realized that massive outgassing of hydrogen early in the life of the Red Planet could have made for a warmer, wetter world.

"I liked the idea enough that I decided to extend it to the habitable zone," Ramirez said.

The process works well for small planets like Mars, where internal processes would keep the mantle hydrogen-rich. When volcanoes spew lava from the mantle, they can release hydrogen and hydrogen-rich gases into the atmosphere. A hydrogen-rich atmosphere could bump out the outer edge of the habitable zone by as much as 60 percent, giving more worlds the opportunity to hold onto their life-giving water, Ramirez and Kaltenegger said.

That doesnt mean larger worlds are out of luck. While massive super-Earths are more likely to release hydrogen-poor gases into the air, they could still have enough volcanoes spewing material to outpace the escape of hydrogen into space. Such large worlds also have gravity on their side and are more likely to boast magnetic fields, both of which slow down hydrogen's escape into space.

The exact properties of these volcanoes would depend on their home planet. A planet's mass (which affects how strongly gravity tugs at the lava) and whether it has plate tectonics play key roles in building its volcanoes. On Earth, collision and disruption of the crust through tectonics mix up the material that becomes the lava, creating a variety of chemical compositions. On Mars, where gravity is low and the crust is a single large plate, Ramirez said, volcanic material is less evolved, and the lava flows pile up to create huge volcanoes, including the largest in the solar system, Olympus Mons. [Supervolcanoes Found On Mars (Video)]

Dense hydrogen atmospheres on alien worlds could still bear a strong similarity to Earth's. That could have implications for our young planet, Ramirez said.

"One idea suggested that hydrogen gas concentrations may have been high on the early Earth," he said. (Today, hydrogen is but a trace component of Earth's atmosphere, which is 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen.) "If that hypothesis is true, early Earth may have resembled these hydrogen-rich exoplanets."

The research was published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The hunt for life

Last week, scientists announced the discovery of the TRAPPIST-1 system, a series of seven rocky worlds, each about the same size as Earth, around a dwarf star. At least three of the worlds appear to fall within the habitable zone, assuming they have Earth-like atmospheres.

TRAPPIST-1h, the most distant of the seven worlds, seems to be out in the cold. But if the small planet has volcanoes venting hydrogen gas, it could just make the cut for habitability, study team members said.

According to Ramirez, TRAPPIST-1h lies just outside the new volcanic hydrogen habitable zone.

"But it is really close," he said. If volcanoes on the planet released a bit more hydrogen than the teams models call for, it could hold onto liquid water, he added.

That could mean good news in the hunt for life. Because the TRAPPIST-1 system lies only 39 light-years from Earth, it will make a good target for studying the atmospheres of planets with observatories like NASA's $8.8 billion James Webb Space Telescope, which is scheduled to launch in late 2018.

Exoplanet atmospheres are beginning to release their secrets. When a world passes between Earth and its star, the planet's atmosphere absorbs some of the light, allowing scientists to study the atmosphere's composition.

Even if "biosignature" gases were found in a planets atmosphere, it could still be a challenge to determine if they were produced by living organisms or through other processes, Ramirez said. Still, just locating the signatures would be easier with volcanically active worlds, since hydrogen "puffs up" the atmosphere around a planet, creating a larger atmospheric signal that would be easier to study.

"Biosignatures would be easier to detect in these hydrogen-rich atmospheres," Ramirez said.

Follow Nola Taylor Redd on Twitter @NolaTRedd or Google+. Follow us at @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
The Vega rocket carrying Europes Sentinel-2B satellite in its mobile gantry, at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on March 6, 2017, the day of its planned liftoff.

The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to launch an Earth-observing satellite tonight (March 6), and you can watch the liftoff live.

The Sentinel-2B satellite Earth-watching satellite is scheduled to blast off atop a Vega rocket from Kourou, French Guiana at 8:49 p.m. EST tonight (0149 GMT on March 7). You can follow the launch directly via ESA's website site; coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. EST (0030 GMT).

You can also watch the launch live here at Space.com, courtesy of ESA.

The Vega rocket carrying Europes Sentinel-2B satellite in its mobile gantry, at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on March 6, 2017, the day of its planned liftoff. (Image credit: ESAManuel Pedoussaut)

Sentinel-2B is the second member of a two-satellite constellation designed to help keep tabs on the planet and its resources.

"The mission mainly provides information for agricultural and forestry practices and for helping manage food security," ESA officials wrote in a statement. "Satellite images can be used to determine various plant indices such as leaf area chlorophyll and water content indexes. This is particularly important for effective yield prediction and applications related to Earths vegetation."

Imagery from Sentinel-2B and its twin  Sentinel-2A, which launched in June 2015  will also help scientists and policymakers monitor water pollution and deal with natural disasters such as floods and volcanic eruptions, ESA officials added.

If all goes according to plan, the 2,513-lb. (1,140 kilograms) Sentinel-2B will eventually settle into a polar, sun-synchronous orbit about 490 miles (786 kilometers) above Earth. Sentinel-2A occupies the same orbit, but the two satellites will be separated by 180 degrees to maximize the duo's coverage of Earth.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
Contacted by SPIEGEL, a spokesperson at BSI spoke of "in some cases critical vulnerabilities." In addition to the risk of the attackers spying on data and using it "for criminal purposes like blackmail," there are also other vulnerabilities. "Other weak points could enable attackers to run arbitrary code on the cloud server, which could also lead to the total compromising of the system and its abuse for further criminal activities." This means that even if the server in question no longer has any sensitive data stored on it, there's still a possibility it could be used to try to seize control of another server.

BSI officials claim that around one in three customers ignore the security warnings that are given to the customer by the provider at the behest of the government agency. The fact that some political parties also ignore the advice may seem normal from a statistical perspective. But officials at BSI are growing increasingly frustrated with the carelessness shown by politicians. Recently, BSI head Arne Schonbohm has repeatedly issued warnings about the threat of politically motivated hacking attacks.

'An Explosive Issue'

The cloud server programs in question -- ownCloud and Nextcloud -- are open-source alternatives to the cloud services of larger providers like Amazon or Dropbox. They are designed for people who want to handle their IT security measures on their own. The problem is that many don't actually follow up and do that.

Nextcloud founder Frank Karlitschek, who also earlier established ownCloud, became the first to ring the alarm. He left ownCloud last year and took a number of employees with him to establish a product that was aimed at being even more secure.

While researching the product versions being used, his employees noticed that many customers were using disturbingly old software in order to store their data on the web. Karlitschek then informed the Cert emergency team at BSI. He says it was clear to him after the politically motivated hacker attacks in the U.S. that this was also "an explosive issue." He then quickly got in touch with the authorities.
A comprehensive review of the charitys activities will see it narrow its focus to areas in which it can offer unique benets; it will cut peripheral or duplicated activities and also step up its inuencing work.

Part of the change of direction will be a brand new technology and innovation-based event, Dairy-Tech, to be held in February 2018 at Stoneleigh Park. Focusing on the science and technology of dairy farming and the cutting-edge tools that will support a wide range of systems, Dairy-Tech will be RABDFs annual agship exhibition, replacing the proposed National Dairy Event which was scheduled to take place in September.

Mike King, chairman of RABDF, said a long and rigorous review process had brought RABDF to this point and while every option for the future of the charity had been considered, feedback from industry and members made it clear there was still an important place for RABDF in the dairy sector.

He explained:

Since reviewing the organisations activities it has become clear that RABDF hasnt been playing to its strengths or delivering sufcient depth. It didnt evolve with the times and lost sight of its specialisms. Our revised strategy is to focus on where we can deliver genuine and sustained value, on our own, or in collaboration with others. We wont just raise issues  well follow them through.

Matthew Knight, managing director of RABDF, said a core part of the organisations activities moving forward would be inuencing and lobbying of government and policymakers through its joint secretariat of the Dairy All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), Royal associations, and its extensive contacts in the dairy supply chain.

Mr Knight said:

This is an area valued highly by those we consulted. We are in a strong position to gain industry feedback and publicise pressing issues such as provision of skilled dairy labour post-Brexit. Now we want to follow these through and as well as being part of the noise, be a part of the solution. This will be supported with a new Policy Conference that will take place in October, in association with The Trehane Trust.
Boehringer Ingelheim and Diageo North America were among the major southwestern Connecticut employers included on a list of the 60 best companies for women executives, published by the National Association for Female Executives.

Diageo and Boehringer Ingelheim are based in Europe with U.S. headquarters in Norwalk and Ridgefield, respectively. Among other criteria, NAFE analyzes companies for the percentage of women in managerial and director roles, as well as other factors like the preponderance of managers trained in the hiring, management and advancement of women.
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Wanderlust, that nagging desire for travel and adventure, serves as a defining characteristic of one of Greenwich Avenues newest accessory boutiques.

The Asha Penthouse, as the loft-like jewelry store has been named by owner Ashley McCormick, made the leap onto Greenwich Avenue at the end of 2016. Since opening the second-floor storefront at the lower end of the shopping strip, McCormick has been working to ramp up the number of events there and preparing for her first childrens jewelry line, called Little Asha.

McCormick is a Greenwich native with a long business presence in town, but the Asha Penthouse acts as a more visible space than her previous offices. In her new store, she wants to disrupt the traditional shopping experience with its open-floor plan. Customers are dropped into the heart of the companys Greenwich business operations as its entrance opens into her teams office.

We want customers to see our engine and hop onto the journey with us, McCormick said.

A coffee and tea bar invites clients to linger while browsing the jewel box, located at the center of the store, which showcases Ashas numerous collections, which feature pieces inspired by McCormicks extensive travels.

There is inherent wanderlust in the collections, she said, pointing out bracelets mimicking vines in Tuscany and statement necklaces featuring architectural motifs from around the world.

In addition to raw crystals, topaz and assorted precious stones, many pieces use a McCormick, mother of pearl, and the most prominent cultural influences are European and Moorish, McCormick said, adding everything can be mixed and matched.

Another defining element to McCormicks collections is how she hopes to craft timeless jewelry that will one day be considered family heirlooms. That desire stems from how her own family has shaped much of Ashas growth  with the brands monicker the nickname her Cuban grandparents gave her and the upcoming Little Asha collection featuring marketing photos of McCormick with her daughter.

Clients often request items they can gift to their children, McCormick said, and she has always loved the concept of passing down jewelry through a family. Little Asha is planned to launch in April, in advance of Mothers Day.

The Asha brand is 12 years old, dating to McCormicks senior year at Georgetown University, when she landed her first big account with Calypso. Somewhat by accident, McCormick wound up majoring in art history and studied abroad in places such as Florence and Paris. Through another chance occurrence, McCormick met with Chanels director of accessories and jewelry while abroad, who, she said, introduced her to a goldsmith who was critical in getting her brand launched.

Ive always been an entrepreneur, but before then, Id just made jewelry as a hobby, McCormick said.

Now, Asha is carried in around 80 boutiques and McCormick anticipates broadening the reach of her brand through the Asha Penthouse and hosting events.

For more information about the brand or for a schedule of events, visit Ashas website at www.ashabyadm.com. Ashas Greenwich Avenue store is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

MBennett@greenwichtime.com, 203-625-4411; Twitter @Macaela_
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STAMFORD  Irrigation is the focus of conservation efforts in the wake of an ongoing drought that officials say could linger for months  if not years.

Lawn-watering accounts for most of the discretionary water use in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan, Stamford Mayor David Martin said Monday.

Martin said theres a false belief the new high-rises in Harbor Point and elsewhere in Stamford account for a surge in water use. Its actually single-family residences that more than double their intake in the warmest months, he said.

Single-family residences are the single-largest user by far, he said. The new apartment buildings are putting very little additional demand on the system.

Martin, joined by officials from Aquarion Water Co. and surrounding towns, discussed conservation policies with irrigation contractors, landscapers and arborists Monday at a town hall meeting at the University of Connecticut-Stamford.

The state is experiencing its worst drought in 50 years after more than 30 months of below-average rainfall that has starved reservoirs in Stamford, Greenwich and Bridgeport.

This has happened before and it will happen again, Martin said. But there is a growing concern this is not just a temporary phenomenon, but that this may become more a permanent phenomenon.

The city passed an ordinance last month requiring irrigation contractors to install rain sensors  already required by the state  and provide homeowners with instructions on how to shut off their systems.

Well be focusing on the end user, but the people in charge of irrigation and landscapers better start paying attention, Martin said. You are the intermediary and we can be more effective controlling irrigation companies.

In the fall, Aquarion enacted a mandatory outdoor watering ban and asked residents to reduce other water use by 20 percent.

But in many homes with modern appliances and low-flow toilets, there is little difference to be made, officials said.

Yet, they note the top 25 percent of Aquarion customers account for 56 percent of water use, versus the bottom 75 percent that account for 44 percent  a trend attributed to heavy irrigation by the top users.

The top 1 percent of customers use an average of 800 gallons per day, compared to 74 gallons for the bottom 50 percent, said Jeff Ulrich, water operations director for Aquarion.

While the mandatory outdoor ban remains in effect, Ulrich said it could be lifted by May, when irrigation systems could be operated two alternating days a week based on address. The policy would continue until reservoir levels rise.

This isnt a one-year deal and its over, Ulrich said. This is probably going to be continuing for a while and we have to be prepared to deal with it for the next couple of years.

The only drought that hit the region harder in the past 100 years was in the 1960s, and its impact was felt for 10 years, he said.

Fairfield Countys status was downgraded last month to a moderate drought from the severe conditions it experienced since fall. It had little effect on Stamfords two reservoirs, though, which are at barely 70 percent capacity versus a historic average of 90 percent, Martin said.

Everyones been talking about how things improved during the winter, but they havent, Ulrich said. Theyre better than they were in the fall, but theyre still well below what you would normally expect this time of year.

The drought and the watering ban stand to change the practices of irrigation contractors, who attended the meeting to learn more about the policies and how they could affect business.

The major concern is we need to stay in business, and we want to stay in business for the long haul, not just for the year, said Stephen Geckeler, president of the Connecticut Irrigation Contractors Association and vice president of Aqua-lawn.

When the ban happened in September it came at a point when its probably not that big of a deal, he said. This spring it will be a bigger deal.

eskalka@stamfordadvocate.com
In a post on my blog, I recently discussed the difference between supporting safety philosophically and operationally. One reader posed the question, how do you get leadership to move from philosophical support to actual support?

Its a good question, and like most good questions doesnt have any simple answer, at least not ethical ones.

In many cases, were to blame for people supporting safety philosophically but balking at taking any action that would expose the hypocrisy endemic to valuing something in the abstract but not really caring enough to DO something of substance about it. Most of us, if we are honest, are hypocrites about some things. For example, I care about the homeless but you dont see me building bunk beds in my basement. I have volunteered to feed the homeless, but doing something once a year is hardly doing making a difference except for making me feel better.

Most MBA programs dont cover the basics of safety and what little many executives know about safety was taught to them by one of us. Ive met heads of lettuce with more going on intellectually than some of the puffed up, self-important safety professionals who corrupt entire generations of leaders with the heretical beliefs about safety. If we are going to change the values of leadership it will be an uphill battle.

The best way to get buy-in is for the leader to have a significant emotional event. This is safety-speak for something that happens to a person that really shakes them up. One colleague and friend of mine tells of the 23-year old who died when he first became a safety professional. He told me in all earnestness how profoundly it changed him and how he doesnt think he could do what he does without having had that experience.

No one who has had someone die on our watch, suffered the loss of a loved one or been injured themselves doubts the power of a significant emotional event. The problem is these experiences are tough to transfer. We can watch a video and be touched by the story of a man who was horribly burned and almost died but no matter how much we sympathize, its not our significant emotional event. Our sympathy will fade.

Years ago I was driving through Tennessee to Kentucky when I witnessed the aftermath of a fatal traffic accident. A pedestrian tried crossing the a freeway at rush hour and was struck by a speeding car. As I crept through the traffic I saw the corpse covered with a sheet. Its foot was exposed, bone white, cold and dead. I didnt know the man and yet I still can see that foot, and remember the look on the troopers face. I can remember the time of day, how the rain looked on the bridge; the most minute details. I can tell you all about that brief last moment of a strangers life but I doubt10 years from now you will remember much about it.

Maya Angelu once said I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Alas, the most persuasive among us can never convey how it feels to spend the day watching his father die of mesothelioma, watching him fade in and out of conscious and wondering if his father knows hes there. So those who try to create these kinds of emotional responses artificially are either very skilled (and I know a handful who are) or mush-headed simpletons who have an exaggerated sense of their own talents.

So how do you convince someone who SAYS they value something to put the companys money where its proverbial mouth is? The not so satisfying answer is sometimes we cant. The good news is we dont always have to. We may not be able to convince someone that safety is the right thing to do because people may die and we want to avoid adding to the net sum total of human misery in the world. We can often get people to support safety by closely linking it to making more profits for example (if that is important to them, which it might surprise you to learn how many executives really dont care about profits, at least not the relatively small amount likely to be brought into the coffers by savings realized from safety.

Maybe the solution is to reeducate the leaders, but if thats your solution remember you have to get them to unlearn what others have taught them, and lets face it we dont exactly stand on the shoulders of giants.

Related:

Worker Safety Is an Entrepreneurial Imperative

These #3 Businesswomen Share the Biggest Challenges Women Face at Workplace

5 Ways Workplace Safety is Shifting in the Digital Age



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
J o Malone discusses how to act on new business ideas and how entrepreneurs must learn from trends.

Dear Jo

Im interested in how you monitor the latest consumer trends. Im starting a food and drink company, run from Walthamstow, and I constantly find myself thinking I wish Id thought of that when new products come to market.

I try to use social media around the products Im interested in (mainly beer and savoury snacks) and am keen to tap into the latest buzz.

Weve all had the I wish Id thought of that moment or seen someone launch a product before you. Its annoying but its a lesson. When you think about it, act upon it and make your idea into a physical product.

Understanding trends is important as they reflect consumer behaviour and get us thinking of new and exciting ideas, hopefully springboarding you to the next big thing.

For me, travel is essential for inspiring new ideas. Whether its wandering around a market in Italy, shopping on the food piers in San Francisco or simply enjoying a cafe gourmand in France, this will open your eyes to an endless supply of inspiration, culture and ceremony.

A little closer to home would be the annual Taste of London food show in Regents Park in June.

Its a rich resource for picking up new ideas and observing current trends. London is full of inspirational entrepreneurs starting up new food concepts.

One example is the new restaurant Hoppers, a type of Sri Lankan street food named after the edible pancake bowl your food is served in. The proprietors noticed a niche in the market for innovative cuisine and so they brought a little bit of Sri Lanka to Soho.

Just remember its important to learn from trends but one of the great achievements of an entrepreneur is to set them.

...and Jo asks

Sam Galsworthy, founder of Sipsmith gin, says: Consumer-trend watching is essential, which is why it has become a business itself.

The good news is that these trends do not just happen overnight. If a trend is to be sustained in a meaningful way, it develops and evolves and isnt just a fad or a flash in the pan.

Gin, for example, was (and still is) a booming trend and the tendency for entrepreneurs was to have one from a contract producer just to jump in on the action.

But what consumers really wanted was transparency and authenticity  a story to tell. They are quick to unravel a brand that cant provide this. It is essential to get the bottom of a trend and interrogate it  what are the consumer motivations behind it.

Talk to consumers, watch them, talk to gatekeepers of the trend, such as bartenders and retailers. We were in the business before we launched, listening to drinks trends, watching them as they were being made and brought to life.

"Do not just rely on social media. Theres no substitute for good old-fashioned research.
T he boss of General Motors today said its loss-making Opel arm would have broken even were it not for Brexit, as its new owners pledged to get it back in the black within three years.

Peugeot and Citroen owner, PSA, today added Vauxhall to its garage with a 2.2 billion (1.9 billion) deal.

The acquisition  which will make PSA the second-largest carmaker in Europe after Volkswagen  comes after a decade of Opel losses in Europe and 90 years of GM ownership.

GM chief executive Mary Barra said: Its clear the team would have hit the goal to break even in 2016 had it not been for Brexit, after the pounds plunge in the wake of Junes referendum result puts the brakes on GMs hopes of getting the division back into profit.

PSA was itself teetering on the verge of collapse only three years ago, but its chief executive Carlos Tavares claimed the larger car group will be better able to compete in Europes saturated car market, with pooled costs forecast to bring in annual savings of 1.7 billion by 2026.

PSA vowed that Opel and its British Vauxhall brand will be back in profit, with an operating margin of 2% by 2020 and 6% by 2026.

The deal comes amid grave concerns about Vauxhalls UK workforce  including 1830 staff at its factory in Ellesmere Port in Cheshire and a further 1530 at the factory in Luton  and Tavares reputation for being ruthless after axing thousands of jobs at Peugeot and Citroen.

PSA has now promised to keep existing GM commitments to workers, which include a jobs guarantee that runs until the end of 2018.

GM is cutting loose Opel after losses totalling about $9 billion (7.3 billion) since 2009. Barra said the difficult decision to sell came after the divison missed last years break-even target.

Britain is Opels largest European market and last year Opel fell to a $257 million loss.

The marque at present makes its Astra model at both Ellesmere Port and in Poland, and a decision on where to build the next model had been due within 18 months.

The deal includes Opel, Vauxhall, and the GM businesss financing operations, but BNP Paribas is buying 50% of the latter operations for about 450 million.

Industry analysts expect PSA, which is 14% owned by the French government, to make European job cuts outside France.

Today Tavares said: We are proud to join forces with Opel/Vauxhall and are deeply committed to continuing to develop this great company.
C hancellor Philip Hammonds plans to inject more than 550 million into the UKs technology sector in this weeks Budget have come under fire from industry specialists.

The funds will back growing areas such as electric vehicles and artificial intelligence, with a strategy for 5G mobile coverage.

But veteran analyst Richard Holway from TechMarket-View said the Government must ensure big tech companies hire home-grown talent instead of cheaper overseas workers with less than two years training.

The problem is weve got to encourage companies to offer entry-level jobs, Holway said.

I really welcome people with the rights skills coming to work here [from abroad]. But unless we train our own people and unless people like Google and Facebook take on entry-level people we will never solve the problem.

William Newton at web ratings firm WiredScore said Hammond must take a more radical approach to make sure businesses have access to high-speed internet.
T ravelex founder Lloyd Dorfman earlier swooped on a plush building in Victoria for his flexible-offices business, even as he weighs a sale of a stake in the company.

The Office Group, which counts Facebook as a tenant, said it has taken a 20-year lease for seven-storey 84 Eccleston Square, minutes from Victoria station.

The deal brings its property estate empire up to more than 1.2 million square feet. It will refurbish the new 70,000 square feet of offices and open before the end of the year.

It emerged last week that entrepreneur Dorfman last week instructed bankers at Rothschild to look at selling a minority stake in The Office Group to secure new equity for expansion.

It is understood Dorfman will continue as the majority shareholder and chairman of the firm, which is valued at more than 500 million and was founded in 2003.

The latest deal with Mosaic Properties, which agent Tuckerman advised on, is expected to be welcomed by suitors attracted to the groups presence in London, where it has 32 buildings.

Charlie Green, co-chief executive of The Office Group, said: Weve been trying to get into Victoria for a while, but have struggled to find the right building.

The area is undergoing a radical makeover led by developer Land Securities, with a series of new buildings opening by the station. The Government has recently opened a National Cyber Security Centre there, and broadcaster Sky has taken space too.

According to Tuckerman, office lettings totalling 627,800 square feet were agreed in Victoria last year.
T here's an old story told about a man in a small village in the winter of his years. He reflects on lifes injustices. I spend 40 years working in the village school, he grumbles. And do they call me Sven the teacher? Oh no. I fix everyones bicycles when they break down. Do they call me Sven the bicycle guy? No. When the bridge was washed away in the floods I rebuilt it with my own hands. Do they call me Sven the bridge-builder? Uh-uh. But get caught diddling a goat just ONE time

I always think of old Sven and his nickname whenever Tony Blair reappears in the headlines. This time its because he has been forced to deny claims hes been courting Donald Trump for a job. He was reported to have met Trumps son-in-law and consigliere Jared Kushner three times privately. The suggestion was that he might advise Trumps administration on the Middle East peace process.

Blairs spokesman has described the story as an invention and denied any such discussions. Still, would it have been such a bad thing after all? There is an alternative universe, somewhere, in which this would make perfect sense. Heres an experienced British politician with a record of internationalism, a successful Northern Ireland peace process under his belt, and a decent working knowledge of the Middle East.

Hes concerned that the fate of that already unstable region will be, in part, in the hands of an even more unstable US President with no record of success and no knowledge of the Middle East beyond what he reads on Breitbart or sees on Fox. Whatever his ideological differences with the tweeting tangerine, he holds his nose and makes himself available. The matter, he might think, is too important to be left in the hands of amateurs.

And indeed, the vociferousness of his denials makes me wonder whether that wasnt, in an oblique way, what these meetings with Kushner were about. Not an official role but an offstage word in the ear.

It may win me no friends to say this but I think Blair is a decent man; or, at least, believes himself to be one. His mistakes were made in good faith. He achieved a lot in office and he will no doubt be tormented that his political epitaph is having launched the disastrous war in Iraq. But the fact is, in this universe, that is his political epitaph. He will always be that guy. Hes Sven, and Iraq is his goat.

That condemns him to the political fate of Tantalus: the things he reaches for shrink from his grasp. The Aristotelian idea of ethos  the personal bona fides of a speaker  is central to the way political persuasion works. And with Blair  as, in another way, with Trump  the fact of his saying something taints the message.

Blair has a formidable set of skills. He can say exactly the right things, have exactly the right ideas, make exactly the right introductions But because its him saying it he will be drowned out by boos and hisses.

As with Brexit, so too with the Middle East. He has plenty more to contribute to public life: but he will work most effectively as he now most often does  behind the scenes.

Emma has sense and the last laugh

Hitting back: Emma Watson has been criticised for a braless magazine photoshoot / Dave Benett

The liberal lovely Emma Watson has been the subject of criticism for appearing braless in a magazine photoshoot. The radio host Julia Hartley-Brewer  whose, um, forthright style earned her the nickname JBH when she worked on the Evening Standard  posted mockingly on social media: Emma Watson: Feminism, feminism... gender wage gap... why oh why am I not taken seriously... feminism... oh, and here are my t**s!

Miss Watson has returned to the fray, telling the BBC in an on-camera interview: Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women. Its about freedom, its about liberation, its about equality. I really dont know what my t**s have to do with it.

Im in Watsons corner, personally, and not just because I like the look of her feminism in that photoshoot. But what made her latest remarks so winning was not just their plain good sense. It was the incredulous laughter with which she delivered them. Nothing more deadly than refusing to take your critics seriously.

Its hard to be a trans woman

Jenni Murray pokes a hornets nest by questioning the claim of trans women to be real women, and saying that India Willoughby, the first trans woman to appear on Loose Women, ignored the fact that she had spent all of her life before her transition enjoying the privileged position in our society generally accorded to a man. This is enough to earn her the boo-word Terf, for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.

Im neither a woman nor a trans person myself, so many will take the view that Im not entitled to an opinion. But it strikes me that the bitterness of this ongoing row does neither side any good. Is there an inoffensive way of accepting the right of trans women to identify as women while also recognising that their experiences are necessarily different to those of people born biologically female?

* Al Gore used to tell a cute story against himself. Al Gore is so boring, he said during his time as Vice-President, that the Secret Service code name for him is Al Gore. Actually, I discover, it was the rather more glamorous Sundance. Theres a satisfying few minutes to be spent on Wikipedia looking up US Secret Service code names. Who knew that George H W Bush was Timberwolf?

Anyway, I raise it because its the occasion to repeat an excellent gag the Democrat Nancy Pelosi delivered at a dinner this week. The Secret Service code names for Donald Trump and Steve Bannon, she claimed, are Pride and Prejudice.
I t has been a year since we returned from a hospital in Kiomboi, northern Tanzania, but the visit will stay with us forever. The hospital was part of WaterAids Deliver Life campaign, which helps hospitals struggling without water or working toilets.

As midwives, weve seen just about every childbirth scenario. But working with people who could not take running water for granted was life-changing, making our experience of elbow taps and wrapped sterile instruments seem luxurious.

One in five babies who dies in the first month succumbs to sepsis or infections caused by dirty water and poor hygiene. Thankfully, WaterAids efforts have transformed Kiomboi hospital and helped save lives.

We have seen many headlines condemning the UKs spending on overseas aid. But when used carefully and transparently, it makes a huge difference to the lives of midwives, mothers and their babies.

Delia Jepson and Cheryl Stanley, Midwives at Liverpool Womens Hospital
W hen it comes to one of Britain's most hallowed snacks, London is the place to have your pie and eat it.

With a long and illustrious history of pie-making (and eating) that stretches back to the middle ages, the city sure knows its suet from its shortcrust.

Whether you take your filling steak or sweet  or with a side of jellied eels  we've rounded up some of top spots for tucking into pastry concoctions in the capital.

Who ate all the pies? If it wasn't you, then get reading.

Holborn Dining Room

Thomas Bowles

Calum Franklin, executive chef at Rosewood Londons brasserie-style restaurant Holborn Dining Room, is one of London's great pie masters. His take on a pork pie is made with pork shoulder, pork leg, pancetta and smoked ham hock, as well as fennel seeds and sage. The hot pies are so beloved at the restaurant that Franklin even opened up The Pie Room next door to the restaurant a few years back, where chefs can be seen hand constructing the pies, many of which can then be bought to takeaway.

252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN, holborndiningroom.com

The Guinea Grill

Pies are in the Guineas genes and the steak and kidney variety at this Mayfair pub is not only award-winning, its also historic. There has been a pub on the site since 1423 and the pie has been on the menu for an impressive number of those years  the recipe hasnt even changed in the last thirty of them. It boasts a rich filling under a flaky suet pastry lid.

30 Bruton Place, W1J 6NL, theguinea.co.uk

Piebury Corner

Likely to ring a bell with dedicated Arsenal fans, this pun-tastic pie shop started life as a hugely popular match day food stall operating in the front garden of a family home close to the old Highbury stadium. Piebury Corner launched a permanent site in Holloway Road in 2012, with another opening in Kings Cross five years later. An extensive menu boasts four types of steak pies alone, from Stilton to stout, spicy variations including a Porter-marinaded jerk chicken filling, with vegan and gluten free options available too.

N1, N7, pieburycorner.com

Bob Bob Ricard

There isnt much humble about Bob Bob Ricard and its "humble pie" is no exception. The pie is made with truffles and Champagne, alongside mushrooms, cauliflower and celeriac adding bulk and creaminess. A decorated crust bearing the restaurant's name gives a final flourish. Vegetarians are likely to be particularly smitten. At sister site Bob Bob Cite, the pie de poulet with morels and sauternes is the star of the show, and just as beautiful.

1 Upper James Street, W1F 9DF, bobbobricard.com

The Wigmore

The Langham's posh pub  and it is one, despite the leather and dark wood everywhere, the kind that goes with cigar smoke and brandy  has a food menu overseen by Michel Roux Jr, who's taken proper pub grub and taken it decidedly upmarket (chips come with 'Bloody Mary salt', the cheeseburger has a slice of grilled ox tongue added). The pies have no such fuss; changing regularly, they're bound by one beautiful thing, the pastry. Soft sides, crispy top, beautifully browned. Look out for the chicken tikka pie, if it's on the menu  a favourite  but the venison, carrot and parsnip pie with mash is a beautiful winter warmer as well.

15 Langham Place, W1B 3DE, the-wigmore.co.uk

Putney Pies

Never mind the best pies in London, Putney Pies is laying all its cards on the table by purporting to serve the finest pies in the land. It is certainly difficult to beat for atmospheric location, as diners make their way into an arched vault beside the river Thames, a setting ripe for pie-eating. Choose between shortcrust, puff or pot pies with fillings including classic steak and ale, a Mexican-inspired chilli pie, and a wild rabbit and apple pie.

2 Putney High Street, SW15 1SL, putneypies.co.uk

Young Vegans

When it comes to pies, no man (or woman) should be left behind. Camden-based pie purveyors Young Vegans knows this, and you can guess who it caters to. Its pies are totally animal product-free, with fillings including vegan steak (i.e. seitan) and ale, a katsu curry pie with vegan chicken, and a "Aussie Pie", where vegan mince meat is mixed with onions and a rich gravy.

60 Camden Lock Place, NW1 8AF, youngvegans.co.uk

Quo Vadis

Its pie day every day at Quo Vadis, with chef Jeremy Lee knocking up a daily-changing seasonal special. Whether the pie be beef, chicken and tarragon or something else entirely, a glossy, flaky lid is par for the course.

26-29 Dean Street, W1D 3LL, quovadissoho.co.uk

Battersea Pie Station

Residents of Battersea, dont get your hopes up on this one  the Battersea Pie Station is actually in Covent Garden. Pies come in at low prices (a pleasant surprise considering its prime location in the heart of the market), with a plethora of additions available: if youre all mashed out, swap it in for glistening roasted potatoes with garlic and rosemary or a spinach, pea and feta salad. Nearby al deko lunchers hit the jackpot as the Station offers delivery too. A steak and Meantime stout pie delivered to your door? Dont mind if we do.

28 The Market, WC2E 8RA, batterseapiestation.co.uk

M Manze

Getty Images

Its impossible to list Londons best pies without making reference to one of the capitals classic pie, mash and eel shops. While there are a scattering across the city, its the Manze family which deserve special mention  the original shop opened by Michele Manze on Tower Bridge Road in 1891 is the oldest to still exist.

SE1, SE15, SM1, manze.co.uk

The Ivy

Icon: the group's famous shepherd's pie / John Carey

Some pies come with mash, some come with chips  but this pie comes with legions of celebrity fans and the weight of being one of most iconic dishes on the London dining scene. The Shepherds Pie at The Ivy has been serving up comfort food to many a famous face for decades, and is reportedly a favourite of one Gordon Ramsay. The magic of this pie is also what makes it nominally peculiar  its not entirely a Shepherds Pie. The dish is made with both lamb and beef mince  so wrong, but so right.

1-5 West Street, WC2H 9NQ, the-ivy.co.uk

The Windmill

This Mayfair pub loves pies so much that it runs a pie club offering regular tastings, events and seasonal specials. Its take on the classic steak and kidney pie  fully encased in a rich suet crust  has won at the National Pie Awards numerous times, and its not hard to see why.

6-8 Mill Street, W1S 2AZ, windmillmayfair.co.uk

J Sheekey

John Carey

Pies arent all about meat and pastry  sometimes you just cant beat seafood and steaming mash. Theatreland favourite J Sheekey has made its fish pie a signature, and it might be the capital's best. Think big chunks of juicy fish, plenty of creamy sauce and a crisped upper crust for extra bite.

28-32 St Martin's Court, WC2N 4AL, j-sheekey.co.uk

Goddards at Greenwich

Nowhere in London is the pie more at home than in the East End. Family-run Goddards at Greenwich has been catering to the pie connoisseurs since 1890, and specialises in a traditional minced meat pie, mash and liquor (no, not whisky, but a traditional parsley sauce). If youre seriously in the mood for pie, you can upgrade your pie and mash up to triple pie and mash, and still pay just 8.50. A side of eels  hot or jellied  is naturally obligatory.

22 King William Walk, SE10 9HU, goddardsatgreenwich.co.uk

Chicken Shop

Lets not forget that pies can be sweet, too. The deep-filled pudding pie at Chicken Shop boasts generous chunks of apple in a slightly tart sauce, encased in sweet and buttery shortcrust pastry. It is brought to the table in its pie dish and divvied up before your eyes, and served with a family-sized jug of cream for pouring.

Various locations, chickenshop.com
J oanna Roper is such a busy woman that we have to start our interview rushing down a corridor, her words peppered with the clip-clop of her suede boots on the stone floor. The 48-year-old has just been appointed as the Foreign Offices first special envoy for gender equality. This is just a flying visit to Whitehall  she has to return to China to finish her trade role at the embassy in Beijing before starting here next month  but the Foreign Office managed to squeeze in a welcome reception for her tied to International Womens Day: Justine Greening told a story about working with Roper in Shanghai; Boris told a story about himself.

Roper describes her new job as a mission and keeps using the word exciting about the work. Is this, I ask, the Foreign Office promoting an explicitly feminist agenda? She nods. The Foreign Secretary was clear that he wanted to have a foreign policy that delivered for women and girls and to have policy work that has gender woven through it. Boris, she adds, is really enthusiastic  its something he takes seriously, while the embracing of this agenda stems from Theresa May: As Home Secretary, she led the way on violence against women. Theres so much we are doing but there is also so much we could be doing by making this step up internationally.

Roper will be working with ministers and departments across government, pulling together projects. The press release marking her appointment said the role will help deliver a more robust and coherent approach to promoting gender equality. Does that mean it hasnt previously been robust or coherent? She smiles knowingly  which I take to be a yes  but then she gives me the diplomatic deflection: There is so much that takes place across government that joining it up is important, so we can become greater than the sum of its parts.

From day one her in-tray will be overflowing. The first pillar  supporting the Department for International Development (DFID)  is female education, which she sees as an elixir, the ripples it creates spreading to every sphere. [If you educate women], child mortality falls, early marriage rates drop.

This is linked to empowering women economically, which will be part of our trade mission: Its looking at how the trade and aid pieces fit together. Quoting a report by McKinsey, the management consultants, that claimed between

$12-$28 trillion could be added to the global economy if women played an equal role, she stresses that there are economic as well as moral arguments for female empowerment. If youre trying to develop a country, women need absolutely to be part of that.

Then theres the work combating sexual violence in conflict zones that was launched by former Foreign Secretary William Hague and Angelina Jolie and is now under the leadership of Baroness Anelay. Its moved onto looking at how we can tackle the effects of stigma  those who have suffered sexual violence, or children born of sexual violence. Stamping out forced marriage will be another focus. The Foreign Office and Home Office have a joint unit and have spearheaded rescues of victims. Promoting the UNs women, peace and security agenda is the final pillar, ensuring that womens voices are heard in conflict resolution. We know what when women are sitting around a negotiating table, peace settlements and reconciliation efforts are stronger and much more durable.

Speaking at an International Women's Day event in London

The job is London-based with a lot of travel, although Roper will also be spending time in Islamabad, where her husband, Thomas Drew, is the British High Commissioner to Pakistan. In recent months she has been commuting between Islamabad and Beijing but in the past they have been stationed together or close by. We have to juggle [our jobs] but the Foreign Office is good at trying to support families, whether its with remote working or trying to manage dual careers together.

Roper began her career in the Home Office but took a year off to teach English in Japan (she says her Japanese is now rusty). In 2001 she joined the Foreign Office, with overseas postings in Tokyo and Islamabad book-ending roles in combating narcotics and crime, and in counter-terrorism.

Celebrity feminists - in pictures 1 /6 Celebrity feminists - in pictures Emma Watson Beyonce Kevin Winter/WireImage Miley Cyrus Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Taylor Swift Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Lena Dunham Michael Buckner/Getty

More recently she was the consular crisis director, leading the network of 700 staff who help British travellers when theyre in trouble  everything from losing a passport through to their loved one being in hospital, imprisoned, or killed. That was the toughest work shes done. It really touched the lives of people who found themselves in difficulty. It included some horrible crises  the [terrorist] shooting in Tunisia, the earthquake in Nepal.

How does the Foreign Office handle the aftermath of a disaster? We ramp up our crisis capability quickly  we go to our crisis centre and snap into action. [Crises] are challenging because we need to get it right. Theres a lot of scrutiny.

I ask about one case that falls in the consular crisis remit, that of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an Anglo-Iranian charity worker who has been imprisoned in Iran for 11 months. The difficulty is that Iran doesnt recognise dual nationality but we have not stopped at senior official and ministerial level lobbying and making representations on behalf of her and her family.

Roper describes her new job as a mission / Matt Writtle

Roper admits that diplomacy abroad can feel like a boys club and has found herself the only woman in the room before. But its a great time to be a woman in diplomacy, she adds hastily. I dont think I have experienced less access or suffered while doing my job as a woman. Part of being in the Foreign Office is understanding the environment in which youre operating, and adjusting your style if necessary. But it shouldnt hold you back.

I note that some of the countries we work with  Saudi Arabia, Iran (which Roper has visited on business)  place demeaning restrictions on women. How do you take a feminist agenda to a country that doesnt believe women are equal? Its about trying to understand where you can start the conversation, understanding what will work. Thats the sort of thing I will have to look at... in countries we wont agree with.

Roper is chair of FCO Women and a great believer in the Madeleine Albright aphorism there is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women. She says: Nurturing colleagues around you is a powerful leadership approach anyway, but women supporting women is vital.

10 books every feminist should read 1 /14 10 books every feminist should read Click through to discover 10 essential books for the feminist reader... Shutterstock / Vadim Georgiev 1. The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood Set in the near future, Canadian author Margaret Atwoods dystopian novel follows the story of Offred, a young handmaid to a powerful commander, who is a lynchpin in a totalitarian Christian theocracy which has overthrown the United States government. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. What unfolds is a story of female subjugation at the hands of a male dictatorship, and the desperate hope of a young woman who clings to the memories of her former life and identity. As unpleasant as it is brilliant, this cruel and bone-chilling story will stay with your for the rest of your life - not just because its terrifying, but because its terrifyingly possible. 2. Why We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Adapted from her much-viewed TEDx talk of the same name, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies 49-page call to arms asks the question what does feminism mean today? Drawing on her own experiences, she aims her literary harpoon at discrimination, and the institutional behaviors that marginalize women around the world. So important, is her essay, that every 16-year-old in Sweden will receive a copy to read as part of a new government initiative.



My own definition of a feminist is a man or a woman who says, Yes, theres a problem with gender as it is today and we must fix it, we must do better, writes Adichie in the essay. All of us, women and men, must do better. 3. How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran Britains funniest feminists memoir helps women who are too knackered and confused to work out if they are a womens rights advocate (i.e the vast majority of us) to easily figure it all out. Less a glossy manifesto on womens rights a more an honest attempt to decode what it means to be female, this book is a great read for anyone whos intimidated or confused by the shifting parameters that define feminism. While no stone is left unturned - from bikini waxing and plastic surgery to objectification and Katie Price - the crux of the books argument essentially boils down to this quote:



Put your hand in your pants.

a) Do you have a vagina? and

b) Do you want to be in charge of it?



If you said 'yes' to both, then congratulations! You're a feminist." 4. Men Explain Things To Me by Rebecca Solnit Ever had something mansplained to you? Then youll want to know about this book. Rebecca Solnit's essay 'Men Explain Things to Me' is credited with kickstarting the term - radically addressing the issues that a patriarchal culture may not deem as issues at all. Exploring everything from rape culture to the nuclear family, Solnits prose reminds us of the basic right we all should have to a voice and an opinion. 5. The Color Purple by Alice Walker This Pulitzer-winning novel is set in Georgia in the 1930s and looks at the racism and sexism facing Celie, our heroine, as a black woman at the time. Raped repeatedly by the man she calls 'father', she has two children taken away from her, is separated from her beloved sister Nettie and is trapped into an ugly marriage. But then she meets the glamorous Shug Avery - a woman who has taken charge of her own destiny. A violent and explicit insight into the issues facing African-American women in the US, this book is a surprisingly uplifting and comforting reminder that strength can be found even in the most tragic conditions. 6. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay In these witty and intelligent essays, Roxane Gay takes us through the journey of the evolution of modern woman - from the writers own experience with growing up to the wider popular culture influences that subtly define what it means to be a woman in todays society. Bad Feminist should sit on every informed readers bookshelf - a sharp, biting and hilarious look at the ways in which our consumption shapes the person who we are. 7. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld This young adult novel is a brilliant starting point for teenagers who are interested in the topic of feminism. It is set in a future dystopian world in which everyone is turned "Pretty" by extreme cosmetic surgery upon reaching age 16. We meet our heroine Tally Youngblood, who rebels against society's enforced conformity, after her newfound friends Shay and David show her the downsides to becoming a "Pretty". This is a brilliant read for any young reader, or indeed fully fledged adult, who is beginning to question the meaning of beauty, identity and individuality in the age of vanity and social media. 8. The Second Sex by Simone De Beauvoir No feminist should go without reading French existentialist Simone de Beauvoir's ground breaking study of women. Perhaps the most extensive and enduring feminist book, The Second Sex is at once a work of anthropology and sociology, of biology and psychoanalysis - a book that will make you question the worth of the woman in 2016 just as much as it did upon its release in 1949. 9. The Female Eunuch - Germaine Greer When Germaine Greer penned the Female Eunuch in the early 1970s, a woman's role in society was still set by male expectations. While women were expected to work and be educated, they were still paid less than men for the same men, and were encouraged to marry and become housewives. The Female Eunuch called on women to reject their traditional roles in the home, and explore ways to break out of the mould that society had imposed on them. It also encouraged women to question the power of traditional authority figures and to explore their own sexuality. 10. The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin The American dream suburb of Stepford, Connecticut, has perfect houses, perfect lives, and perfect wives. This satirical thriller concerns Joanna Eberhart, a photographer and young mother who begins to suspect that the frighteningly submissive housewives in her new idyllic neighborhood may be robots created by their husbands. At once a psychological nightmare and a terrifying commentary on a media-driven society that values the pursuit of youth and beauty at all costs, The Stepford Wives will make you rethink the societal pressure to settle down, get a husband and have it all.

Albright is one of Ropers heroines, and her eyes shine with excitement when she tells me about interviewing her at a Foreign Office event. During their conversation, Roper says Albright revealed she suffered from imposter syndrome  the fear of being exposed as a fraud in your job. Despite her inferiority-inducing CV, Roper confesses she has suffered it too. When she was attending a meeting of intimidating types she adopted a strategy that she now advises others to try: copying a more senior colleague who seems comfortable in their skin. I had someone in mind whose style I liked. Then I made myself say what I was going to say early on.

Now she tells junior colleagues how to dismiss the self-doubt, the feeling of should I really be sitting at this table?: Absolutely you should be! Its encouraging people to think that whatever is happening inside  she waves her hand by her stomach, demonstrating the queasiness that nerves bring that its not only them. Other people experience it too but there are ways and means to overcome it.

Follow Rosamund Urwin: @RosamundUrwin
A millionaire former Big Brother housemate filming a gangster movie sparked an armed police response after two fake guns were allegedly discovered in the boot of his Bentley.

Nightclub owner Chelsea Singh, a contestant on last years series of the reality show, was dining with director Wayne Moseley after a day on set when armed police stormed the restaurant in Old Kent Road.

The pair had allegedly been spotted outside Rock Island placing two guns, used as props, in the boot of Mr Singhs black Bentley convertible, leading a member of the public to dial 999.

The two men explained the replica firearms - an Uzi and a handgun - had been used earlier in the day while filming Mr Singhs cameo in British gangster flick Little Bastards.

Chelsea Singh and Wayne Moseley were arrested and charged with possession of an imitation firearm

The director, whose works under the name Yuppie Wayne, said: We took a couple of shots with the guns in Camberwell, and then went to have dinner down Old Kent Road.

"We put the guns in the boot, rather than leave them on the seat of the car.

Chelsea Singh's VT on Celebrity Big Brother 2016

Wed just finished our meal and they rushed through with guns.

Pictures from the raid on Thursday show at least six officers, some carrying machine guns, surround the pair inside the restaurant.

They were taken to Walworth police station where they were both charged with possession of an imitation firearm.

They were filming Mr Singhs cameo in British gangster flick Little Bastards

Both have been bailed and are due to appear in court later this month.

The director, 45, said the guns were an Uzi-style BB gun and a silver handgun.

He added: We had a convertible Bentley outside and the guns were in the boot. We couldnt shoot up the restaurant  the guns were in the car, so that doesnt make sense.

Nobodys had that reaction before. Ive had film sets where there have been 20 guns, and police turn up and just say: What are you filming?

Mr Moseley said officers had confiscated his camera equipment, adding: They did me over. They put me out of work.

I run youth projects with kids, Im not the guy theyre trying to portray me as.

The incident took place at Rock Island, a Cypriot restaurant which opened last year on the site of historic pub the Thomas A Beckett.

Chelsea Singh and Katherine Ryan in a trailer for new TV show 'How did you get so rich?'

Mr Singh, 49, was the fifth contestant to be evicted from the Big Brother house on last years series of the Channel 5 show.

He will appear on new Channel 4 show How Did You Get So Rich? tonight, which sees comedian Katherine Ryan speak to wealthy individuals to discover the secret of their success.

A promotional video for the show features a clip of Mr Singh sitting in a black convertible, believed be the same car involved in last weeks incident.

He describes himself on his website as a multi-millionaire with business interests ranging from photographic studios to restaurants to consultancy to hotels to new inventions.

When contacted by the Standard, he said: If I saw two people, and I thought there were firearms, I would have reported them as well.

In the world that we live in with all the terrorism, if they didnt take action, then think about what could have happened?

The businessman said he was pi**ed off by the arrest, but added: Im still going to do the film. I think its a good film.

Mr Moseley said Little Bastards was due to be released later this year, featuring appearances from former Irish bare-knuckle boxer Paddy Doherty and Judith Jacob, who played health visitor Carmel Roberts in EastEnders.

A Met spokesman said both men had been bailed to appear at Camberwell magistrates court on March 30, both charged with one count of possession of an imitation firearm.
A former soldier and his brother who beat to death a man after a row over a "gay slur" have been jailed for more than 13 years.

James and Peter Weeks attacked "blameless" Ian OMahoney when he stepped in to defend his friend Barry Tatan outside the White Hart pub in Eltham, south-east London.

Mr Tatan, 48, - known as Millwall Barry - had insulted the brothers at a different pub on August 28 last year by drunkenly suggesting that James Weeks was gay, a court heard.

The brothers pursued him down the road to the White Hart where they punched Mr Tatan repeatedly in the face.

When Mr OMahoney, 49, intervened in the row, he was flung to the floor and cracked his head on the pavement, then punched by Peter Weeks "for good measure" as he lay on the ground.

Ian O'Mahoney was 49 when he was killed following a row in Eltham.

The victim got up and went home, unaware that he was fatally injured, but died the following day from a brain haemorrhage.

An Old Bailey jury last week found both brothers guilty of manslaughter at the end of a trial.

Judge John Bevan QC today sentenced Peter Weeks, 29, who has a history of drunken violence, to seven-and-a-half years in prison.

James Weeks, 27, a former soldier with a clean record, was jailed for six years.

Ian O'Mahoney was a big fan of creating music on his keyboard and computer.

"Mr O'Mahoney was the non-aggressive member of the four of you, a hardworking family man who died because three of you frankly behaved pathetically", said the judge.

"Millwall Barry was drunk and you knew it - you knew perfectly well he was a potential nuisance.

"When he proved to be just that, a drunken loud and foul mouthed irritant, making empty threats to smash your brother's face in, you and your brother decided to go in pursuit of him.

"You could have ignored him and carried on with your evening and nothing more would have happened."

James Weeks was also found guilty of assaulting Mr Tatan, and his brother had already admitted actual bodily harm, a charge his brother had admitted.

During the trial, prosecutor Tom Kark QC said: "When Ian OMahoney tried to help his mate Barry, who was getting a beating from one of the brothers, the other Weeks brother grabbed him by the shoulders and, swinging him around, threw him to the floor.

"So forceful was that swing that it literally lifted Ians feet off the ground and his head hit the hard pavement with a resounding thud which was audible to those nearby.

"Mr Tatan had suggested, apparently, that James Weeks, who neither man knew, was gay. That caused the Weeks brothers to decide to teach him a lesson.

"Neither Barry nor Ian put up a fight. Neither was being aggressive and the Weeks brothers had no cause to launch their attack other than the apparent provocation of the words of Barry Tatan earlier in the evening."

Mr OMahoney had a bleed on his brain but went home and was still alive the next morning.

He died later the same morning from a brain haemorrhage.

Peter Weeks, of no fixed abode, and James Weeks, of Crayford near Dartford, south-east London, both denied manslaughter but were convicted by a majority of 10-2.
A man was arrested after he allegedly attacked a woman with a frying pan at a north London bus station.

Police were called to Edmonton Bus Station shortly before 4.40pm on Sunday to reports that a woman had been assaulted.

Officers attended and found the victim, aged in her 20s, suffering a minor facial injury.

She alleged that a man had attacked her and hit her with a frying pan, police said.

A 52-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of common assault and remains in custody at a north London police station.
A Romanian man has died in hospital five days after a Mercedes ploughed into him and four other pedestrians in a horror smash in south-east London.

The 31-year-old man was left fighting for life after the vehicle crashed into a wall and hit a number of pedestrians outside a car wash in Bellingham.

Scotland Yard said he died on Friday after his life support was withdrawn.

His next of kin are in the process of being informed, police said.

Emergency services at the scene in Bellingham / @tinklyboo

Three other people who were injured in the crash, which happened in Bromley Road at about 8.20am on Sunday, February 26, remain in hospital, while a fourth person, a 36-year-old man has been discharged.

A 25-year-old man is in a critical condition, a 35-year-old woman is described as serious but stable and another man, aged 46, is being treated for a leg injury.

Crash in Bromley Road, Bellingham

Witnesses described scenes of carnage after the crash as passers-by rushed to help those mowed down by the car.

The smashed-up car was left embedded in a bush beside Catford bus garage as a swarm of emergency services vehicles descended on the area.

Mercedes: The car was shown crashed into a hedge / PA

Minasu Towolawi, 26, was on her way to church with her family when she heard screaming coming from near the car wash.

She told the Standard: I went up there and I just saw carnage. There were two men lying flat on their backs there.

There was another lady was being sat upright and people were trying to get her awake. She looked gone to me. They were all just wailing and crying.

She added: "There was a lot of blood as well. I didn't notice the car until I came back afterwards. I just thought they'd been stabbed or shot."

Ms Towolawi said she believed those who were injured work and live at the car wash, and that they had been waiting outside for customers when they were hit.

She claimed several of the men started running after the driver, yelling: F*** you. Why have you done this?

One of them was injured and bleeding from the forehead and was chasing the guy, she said.

I was so shocked, she said. I thought they were dead.

Investigation: Police outside the car wash / PA

It was horrific. I was really moved because everyone there was so upset. They were slapping themselves and were distraught.

The car's bonnet and boot were popped open by the impact of the crash, and its airbags all deployed. Debris was left strewn across the pavement.

The car was towed away once the crash site was cleared.

Police said the driver of the car, a 23-year-old man, was detained at the scene by an off-duty police officer before being arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He was also arrested on suspicion of drink drive before being taken to hospital with a head injury.

The man was later taken to a south London police station where he was bailed to a date in early May pending further enquiries.

Detectives from the Met's Roads and Transport Policing Command are investigating.

Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit's witness appeal line on 020 8285 1574 or via 101.
P olice are hunting a man after 100,000 worth of watches and jewellery were stolen from a family home in north east London.

Scotland Yard officers have released CCTV from outside the home in Regents Drive, Woodford Green, after it was broken into while the occupants were away.

It shows a man get out of a light coloured Volkswagen Lupo and break into the house on December 21 last year, shortly after 8.30pm.

The jewellery and watches  which police say are of sentimental value  were taken out of a safe.

Detective Constable Gavin Neville, from Redbridge CID, said: "Many of the items stolen were of great sentimental value to the family and we are appealing for their safe return.

"We are keen to identify the man shown in the CCTV footage so we can speak to him about the incident.

"We would also urge anyone who witnessed the incident to contact us."

The victim has offered a 5,000 reward for the safe return of his belongings.

The suspect is described as a white man in his 20s with short brown hair wearing a grey coloured jacket with brown elbow pads, light coloured trousers and black shoes.

He carried a large rucksack over his back.

A police spokesman said no arrests have been made and enquiries continue.

Anyone with information or any witnesses are urged to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A meat cleaver has been seized from the grounds of a school in south-east London.

Police discovered the knife during a patrol in Upper Norwood, Croydon on Monday afternoon.

The weapon, which is more than 10cm in length, was found by local borough officers.

Police said an investigation was being carried out into who had been carrying the knife.

An image of the meat cleaver was shared on the Met Polices Twitter account for Norwood.

It has not been revealed which school was being searched by police.

Officers tweeted: Knife recovered by Upper Norwood officers during the search of a school grounds.

Enquiries continue into who was carrying it.
P olice have issued a stark warning after footage emerged of a reckless YouTube prankster riding between the carriages of a moving DLR train.

British Transport Police said officers were investigating the shocking video which shows a youth clinging onto the outside of the train as it travels from Westferry station to Limehouse in east London.

The force branded the stunt "extremely dangerous" and said: "The railway is not a playground."

In the footage, the teenager is filmed from inside one of the carriages by an accomplice and waves at shocked passengers as the train moves towards Limehouse.

Reckless stunt: The YouTuber travelled in between the carriages of a moving DLR train / YouTube / Trikkstar

When it stops at the station, he is told to climb down by an official but returns to attempt the stunt for a second time that night.

The six-minute clip, which was uploaded on Thursday, shows the same teenager climbing onto the back of a DLR train travelling towards Woolwich Arsenal in the evening.

He clings onto the train for several stops and waves at stunned bystanders on the station platforms.

It is believed the footage was filmed on Saturday, February 25.

A spokesman for BTP told the Standard on Monday that officers were investigating the incident and urged anyone with information to come forward.

The force issued a strong warning to others urging them not to copy the extremely dangerous stunt.

Some of the footage was filmed using a head-worn camera / YouTube / Trikkstar

The spokesman said: Behaviour like this is extremely dangerous and puts peoples lives at risk.

The railway is not a playground and should be respected.

Officers are investigating the incident and anyone with any information should contact British Transport Police.

Transport for London branded the footage, some of which was filmed on a head-worn camera, as extremely reckless.

The transport body said it was working with the police to ensure the appropriate action was taken.

Steve Burton, TfLs Director of Enforcement, said: This behaviour is extremely reckless and will not be tolerated.

The actions of this individual not only pose a risk to his personal safety, but also the safety of DLR passengers.

We are working with British Transport Police to ensure appropriate action is taken.

Anyone with information should contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016 citing reference 209 of 25/02.
T his is the shocking moment a teenage boy is repeatedly stabbed in a horrific attack by a hooded thug in a street.

The footage, filmed from a passing car, shows the 16-year-old victim fall to the ground as he is set upon by a man in a dark top.

Once on the ground, he is stabbed three times in a frenzied attack, before the hooded male and three others, one of whom appears to be holding a stick, walk away.

The victim, who also appears to be armed, then picks himself up.

Police said they were called at about 3.15pm on Saturday to Albert Road in South Norwood but were unable to find the victim.

A short while later officers were informed that he had taken himself to a south London hospital with a stab wound to the face and back.

The victim had been approached by a group of males and was stabbed before the group made off in a vehicle, police said.

Thug: The attacker holds a knife above the victim

A Met Police spokesman said: He currently remains at hospital with injures not thought to be life threatening.

Enquires are ongoing to locate the vehicle and those responsible for the stabbing.

No arrests have been made and enquires continue.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information is asked to contact police on 101 or via Twitter @MetCC

Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
T hirteen potential terrorist attacks have been thwarted in the UK in less than four years, according to Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer.

Assistant commissioner Mark Rowley, of the Met Police, also revealed that during that period there were more than 500 live counter-terror investigations at any time.

He disclosed the figures as he launched an appeal  Action Counters Terrorism  for the public to report any suspicions and act on their instincts, saying their help is critical to foiling atrocities.

He said that since the murder of Lee Rigby in May 2013, police and intelligence agencies have disrupted 13 terrorist attack plots  one higher than the last update in October.

Scotland Yard's head of counter-terrorism, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley / Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

Information from members of the public has contributed to stopping some of those attacks, while figures show it has assisted counter-terrorism police in a third of the most high-risk investigations.

Describing the contribution of the public as "extraordinary", Mr Rowley said: "Some of that information is a change in someone's behaviour, some of that's about suspicious activity.

"Sometimes that public information has actually started an investigation.

Other times it's part way through and it corroborates some things or adds to things we already know.

Investigators have been making arrests at a rate of close to one a day on average since 2014 while the official threat level for international terrorism has stood at severe - meaning an attack is "highly likely" - for more than two years.

Mr Rowley said that "tempo" of activity continues. He said there were a host of challenges including encrypted communication methods, propaganda and the range of possible attack methods.

"Now we worry about everything from fairly simple attacks with knives or using vehicles all the way through to the more complex firearms attacks," he said.

"All of that means that our job remains difficult. We've got over 500 investigations at any one stage."

In that context, the flow of information from the public to build intelligence on individuals or groups plotting attacks is seen as more important than ever.

In the year to March, the anti-terrorist hotline received more than twice the number of calls on the previous 12 months, with 22,000 people making contact.

Mr Rowley said: "Even though the public are doing a great job, we want more help."

A poll of more than 2,000 adults found that most respondents believed it was important for communities to work with police to defeat terrorism.

However, a quarter of those surveyed said they might not report their suspicions because of fears over wasting police time and almost two in five were unsure about what suspicious behaviour might look like.

Calling on people to report their suspicions, he added: "If it turns out to be a call where you made it with good intent but actually there was no problem at the end of it, that's fine.

"We'd rather have many calls like that, rather than miss out on the critical one that helps us stop an attack."
A south London bar has been accused of discrimination for refusing to allow polarising grime and garage music to be played by guests in its private function room.

The Exhibit bar in Balham is refusing to back down despite a backlash over the venues policy which excludes certain genres of music.

Bieneosa Ebite, from south London, wanted to hire out a function room at the nightspot but was told the venue prohibits any music that it deems to be too far away from relatively mainstream.

She received the warning message as she tried to book the room online, which specified: No drum and bass, trance, garage, heavy/death metal, dancehall, grime, bassline.

The message added: A good way to judge what sort of music is acceptable would be to say that music played on a national commercial radio stations during the daytime will be fine.

Booking policy: The message warned the venue will exclude some music genres. / @bieneosa

Ms Ebite, who works in PR, had hoped to book The Studio, which includes a private bar, sound system and capacity for up to 50 guests. She said she has since decided to take her business elsewhere because of the ban.

In a series of tweets she said: I wanted to book the studio but you wont allow me to play Stormzy or garage hits.

I spoke to The Exhibit about their music ban and was told owners put it in place because of explicit language and atmosphere it creates.

Was also told by The Exhibit that afrobeat is on banned list too. When asked if they thought this action was discriminatory, they said no.

Told The Exhibit that I was going to hire space but will no longer do so as I can't play my favourite music. This music ban is discriminatory.

She added the ban on grime music was ironic given that popular grime artist Stormzy is currently number one in the UK album charts.

Local councillor Carlton Young said the music policy "smacks of racial profiling and undermines inclusion".

But Lisa Loebenberg, the director of the bar, told the Standard: The Exhibit aims to provide a relaxed, fun and informal atmosphere for all of its guests; we strive to foster inclusion, not exclusion, and in doing so do not play any potentially polarising unconventional music genres  from trance to grime.

Sticking to popular music, we play artists of all different races, genders and ages.

It is standard for many bars and restaurants to implement its own set of policies  from dress to music codes; were sorry that @bienosa's experience did not meet her expectations and we have attempted to contact the customer directly.


T he Dartford Crossing was excluded from Government data on toxic air because it was classed as a "rural road," it has emerged.

The classification of the tunnel and bridge, one of Londons busiest commuter routes, means that potentially dangerous nitrogen dioxide levels were not reported to the EU.

The Dartford Tunnel and QEII Bridge connect the M25 over the River Thames and carry about 50 million vehicles per year.

The revelation comes in a letter obtained by the BBC, in which government minister Therese Coffey admitted the mistake.

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The error has since been corrected and the crossing reclassified.

The letter read: The A282 in Dartford does not appear in the national air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide because it was classified as rural and was, therefore, excluded from Defra's air quality modelling assessment."

Ms Coffey, who is in charge of improving air quality on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), said it was the Department for Transport (DfT) which confirmed that the rural status was incorrect.

The DfT has since claimed it was DEFRAs mistake, despite being in charge of road classification.

The bizarre error was only recognised after Dartford Borough Council realised the crossing was not included in the Governments Air Quality Action plan.

The council claimed it passed on the data to DEFRA, but no action was taken by the Government.

Councillor Kieth Kelly, the council's lead member for transport and infrastructure, told the BBC the revelation was "shocking" and that he was hugely concerned for peoples health near the crossing.
T he mother of a teenager who drowned in a hotel swimming pool while on holiday in California today demanded answers over her sons death.

Newham College student Daniel Olatunji, 18, died in intensive care hours after he was pulled from a Los Angeles hotel pool.

The big-hearted teen, who was studying IT and business, was on a trip of a lifetime with his mother Sarah, visiting several US cities before flying to California to celebrate New Year.

But just hours after checking in to their hotel, Daniel died in a freak accident in the pool.

His mother, 54, from Silvertown, east London, said he was a strong swimmer and was fit and healthy.

Daniel Olatunji, 18, with mother Sarah

Speaking ahead of his funeral tomrorow, she said: I still need somebody to tell me what happened to my son.

I looked after Daniel for 18 years. If Daniel was sick I would understand it. But he wasnt, it happened so quickly.

Its difficult to have closure without knowing exactly what happened.

She added: When I came back here everyone was asking me what had happened and I couldnt tell anybody because I dont know.

I stayed back for about three weeks. I went to the hospital, I went to the police, I contacted the embassy.

I was crying and begging for answers.

She told how she had gone to sleep for an early night and was only told of the tragedy when she awoke the following morning.

Doctors told Ms Olatunji that her son had been in the water for seven minutes before being rescued and rushed into intensive care.

Initially he was responsive but his condition deteriorated and he died that evening.

She said she realised her only son was missing when she woke up early on New Years Eve.

I realised he wasnt in the bedroom. I thought, where is he? I called his phone and it went to voicemail.

I quickly dressed up and went downstairs. I looked around and there was nothing to suggest anything had happened. Then I went back upstairs. I thought he might have gone out jogging.

About two to three minutes after, I had a knock at the door. It was the police who said, are you looking for somebody?

He said there was an accident in the pool. I described Daniel and they said, yes thats him. I asked was he dead, he said yes. Then I fainted.

I came round again and was screaming and I was shouting, what happened, can somebody tell me anything. I couldnt come to terms with what they had told me.

An online fundraising page was set up to collect money to bring Daniels body home. More than 14,000 was raised and his body was brought back to the UK on February.

Im very grateful for the people around me, Ms Olatunji said. All have been helping, people rallying around. My friends, colleagues at work.

Her close friend, Kemi Asomuyide, 59, said: Its been so traumatic for everyone involved. Its almost unbelievable.

Daniel was such an easy-going boy. It makes it so much more painful, she doesnt even know what happened that day.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: We supported the family of a British man who sadly died in California in December 2016. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

An inquest into Daniels death will be held on a date to be fixed at East London Coroners Court.
L ondon will get the biggest share of a bailout for business rates losers as Philip Hammond finds new money in this weeks Budget to buy off furious protests from small firms, it is revealed today.

Traditional retailers and firms facing crippling increases of 50 per cent or more are expected to be favoured in funds totalling hundreds of millions of pounds.

The Chancellor will also use his big speech on Wednesday to signal that the entire system of business rates need a fundamental overhaul to cope with the rise of online commerce.

The cash injection will be mainly drawn from the Treasurys reserves, reflecting the huge priority in government to appease leaders of hard-pressed small businesses.

A government source said: Philip Hammond knows that this is a major political problem that must be dealt with.

The Evening Standard understands that the bailout will include different forms of help. According to well-placed sources, the key features are likely to be:

Special help for firms facing cliff edge hikes in their rates, allowing local government to reduce the bills sent out.

Sectoral funds for industries such as retail and offices that are suffering the biggest hit following steep rises in property values in town centres, especially within the M25.

A firm commitment to hold business rate revaluations more regularly in future, to avoid this years jump caused by the first revaluation since 2010.

The London region will be the biggest beneficiary in the bailout, but will continue to be the biggest loser overall among the regions because of its property boom.

London Tory MPs had private meetings last week with Communities Secretary Sajid Javid and Treasury minister Jane Ellison, who is MP for Battersea, to express their concerns and are said to have found the ministers in listening mode.

Bromley & Chislehurst MP Bob Neill said: Ministers have met London backbenchers and made the case that we need action to ameliorate the disproportionate cost of business rates in the capital. It was very positive.

The government source said Mr Hammond would say the rates system has become out of date: Since 2010 the world of retail has been transformed. There needs to be longer term reform that addresses the bricks and mortar versus online shopping.

Revaluations are likely to be held every three years. That applies especially to London where the property market has exploded, said the source. It may be okay for the rest of the country but not for London.

Writing in this newspaper, London Mayor Sadiq Khan urges the Chancellor to drop what he calls a gigantic increase in business rates that threatens the future of thousands of successful small business in the capital.

Official figures show Londons retail sector is being hit by a 26 per cent rise in rateable value since 2010  the biggest increase in any sector, and six times the national average.

Offices in London have seen a 21 per cent rise in rateable value, twice the national average. The valuation for industrial premises has shot up 15 per cent in London, nearly four times the average.

The think tank Centre for Cities claimed the shake-up was good for northern cities, saying only London and Reading would lose out on average.

Andrew Carter, director of research and policy, said: Despite widespread concern, business rates changes will benefit the vast majority of firms.

Tory MP Kit Malthouse told BBC Radio 4 that long-term reform was overdue. We are struggling with a tax designed, I think, in 1572, in an internet age.

"The nature of business has changed, the Treasury loves [business rates], because its really easy to collect [] but nevertheless it has some serious side effects.
A head of Wednesdays budget, retailers across London are waiting anxiously to see whether Philip Hammond extends an olive branch to those most affected by the upcoming business rate hikes.

Harrods Knightsbridge store is the UK retail industrys single biggest business rate contributor, and therefore has a significant interest in any announcements the Treasury may make. But the issue of business rate reform extends right across the high street, from the smallest shops to Londons biggest department stores. Business rates are a prehistoric tax that put an undue burden on Londons bricks-and-mortar businesses with high property values, without considering the realities of todays retail market.

London is the retail capital of the world, and retailing contributes enormously to this city, from employing huge numbers of Londoners to welcoming tourists from across the globe. However, Londons high street needs investment, and disproportionately targeting London businesses through this punitive tax is deterring retailers from locating here.

Harrods will see its business rate contribution increase by more than 43 per cent in the coming year while large online-only retailers already benefiting from low operating costs will, in many cases, see their contribution decrease.

This extra tax simply makes it increasingly difficult for bricks-and-mortar businesses to compete in an industry already facing numerous challenges. Furthermore, the planned review of business rates is revenue-neutral; it puts London retailers under unnecessary pressure without contributing additional revenue to the Treasury.

Regional retailers across the UK undoubtedly need support through a fairer tax system, and London should certainly make its contribution. However, the Government needs to ensure all sectors of the retail industry, including multinational online retailers, contribute fairly and effectively.

Harrods has been a London institution for nearly 180 years, and in this time has seen the British high street undergo unprecedented changes. The Government needs to work to protect Londons retailers by considering a rational and modern approach to taxation for one of Britains most vibrant and important industries.

Michael Ward is managing director of Harrods
A south London MP is leading calls to crack down on radicalisation within UK prisons after an extremist killer preached hate from his jail cell.

MPs heard how taxi driver Tanveer Ahmed was able to radicalise other prisoners from his cell after he was jailed for 27 years for murdering Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah last year.

Ahmed drove hundreds of miles to attack Mr Shah, a member of the Ahmadi community, who he believed had disrespected the prophet Mohammed.

Siobhain McDonagh, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, said preventing radicalisation was a key factor in countering terrorism.

Speaking during Home Office questions, the Mitcham and Morden MP said: "You will be aware of the case of Tanveer Ahmed, who is in prison for murdering the peaceful Ahmadi shopkeeper Mr Asad Shah.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said tackling radicalisation was a "key pillar" of the Government's anti-terrorism plan. / PA

"Yet from his prison cell he is using the phone and letters to continue radicalising people against Ahmadi Muslims.

"Given the increase in anti-Ahmadi extremism, are you confident that you have enough Urdu speakers in the entry clearance section at the High Commission in Islamabad and here in London?"

Ahmadis differ from other Muslims in their belief that Mohammed is not the final prophet, which many orthodox Muslims believe is blasphemous.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said tackling radicalisation was a key pillar of the Government's counter extremism strategy.

Responding to Ms McDonagh, she said: "You raise a very important element of our counter terrorism and our counter extremism strategy, which is indeed about counter radicalism and I can reassure you that there is a lot of additional work going on in prisons to ensure that counter-radicalism takes place.

"The Justice Secretary has taken additional steps to work with people who are being radicalised or are the sources of radicalisation, and I hope that will yield positive results."



Additional reporting by Press Association.
O ne in three 18-34 year olds spend their time travelling the globe so they can post boastful pictures on Facebook and Instagram, new research has found.

Thirty-four per cent of young adults give in to the social ego and chose their holiday destinations so they can upload new photos on social media, the survey by Booking.com showed.

The travel website said it is the competitive nature of the generation that leads to online rivalry, with almost half of the age group also saying they feel jealous of their friends holiday posts.

Pictures of beautiful oceans, roof-down road trips and exotic cuisine posted online are what helps motivate young adults, the travel company said.

Young people are motivated to go abroad by pictures from their holidays / Don Arnold/Getty Images

It argued that the online competition was in fact a positive thing, with almost two thirds of travellers saying their experience has increased their confidence.

Pepijn Rijvers, chief marketing officer at Booking.com, said: Undertaking a new travel experience for the first-time, whether thats visiting a new place or travelling solo, can be a fruitful, life enhancing and even life changing experience.

The study also found that nearly half the generation - 44 per cent - use social media platforms to help chose where to travel.

It also claims that it is the dreaded fear of missing out making it feel like everyone is travelling but them that leads to impulse holiday bookings.

The experience was even found to lead people to change jobs or even their partner, with one in ten travellers saying they had returned home and made the change.

Just over a fifth  21 per cent  said they were even inspired to move somewhere new.
T he French car giant that owns Peugeot and Citroen is set to buy the European arm of General Motors, including Vauxhall, for 1.9 bn.

PSA Group announced the sale ahead of a press conference in Paris, ending weeks of speculation.

Unite, the trade union, has called for assurances over the long-term future of Vauxhalls UK factories amid fears over potential job losses.

PSA will become the second-largest automotive company in Europe, with a 17 per cent market share.

"We are proud to join forces with Opel/Vauxhall and are deeply committed to continuing to develop this great company and accelerating its turnaround," said Carlos Tavares, chairman of the managing board of PSA.

"We respect all that Opel/Vauxhall's talented people have achieved as well as the company's fine brands and strong heritage. We intend to manage PSA and Opel/Vauxhall capitalising on their respective brand identities.

The Vauxhall Astra production line at the factory in Ellesmere Port / PA

"Having already created together winning products for the European market, we know that Opel/Vauxhall is the right partner. We see this as a natural extension of our relationship and are eager to take it to the next level.

Mary Barra, chairman and chief executive of GM, said the deal created a new opportunity to enhance the long-term performance of the respective companies, adding: "For GM, this represents another major step in the ongoing work that is driving our improved performance and accelerating our momentum.

"We believe this new chapter puts Opel and Vauxhall in an even stronger position for the long term and we look forward to our participation in the future success and strong value-creation potential of PSA through our economic interest and continued collaboration on current and exciting new projects."

Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, said thousands of Vauxhall workers at Ellesmere Port and Luton had endured a "nerve-racking" few weeks.

"While initial discussions with the PSA Group have been relatively positive, our priority now is to ensure a long-term future for our plants and the tens of thousands of workers depending on them," he said.

Luton South's Labour MP Gavin Shuker said: "Glad to see the uncertainty over the PSA/GM deal is now over.

"Our UK plants are among the most efficient of any in the new company. They deserve a bright future.

"Now Government needs to play its part, delivering a Brexit deal that keeps Vauxhall building in the UK."

The announcement said the transaction will allow "substantial economies of scale and synergies" in purchasing, manufacturing and research and development.

PSA, together with BNP Paribas, will also acquire all of GM Financial's European operations through a newly formed 50/50 joint venture.
A world health chief today sounded the alert over pregnant women exposed to toxic air giving birth to low weight children who are more vulnerable to potentially deadly pneumonia.

Dr Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organisation, also stressed the danger posed by air pollution is on a much bigger scale than HIV or Ebola, with an estimated annual death toll of 6.5 million a year globally.

We would like to sound the alert, particularly for children, she told BBC radio.

In fact air pollution starts in the womb of the mother.

Pregnant mothers when they are exposed to air pollution will give birth to low birth weight babies.

Pollution in London 1 /8 Pollution in London This image taken near the Royal Observatory in Greenwich shows a thick layer of smog hanging over London Anna Rolls This image, taken in December 2016, shows the smog over London Pete Buckney This shot taken in 2015 from Hampstead Heath shows smog hanging over the centre of London Getty Images Pollution: thick smog hangs over London's Docklands PA Pollution hanging over the City of London 2011 FILE IMAGE AFP via Getty Images Smog: A thick layer of smog visible above London's skyline William Smith/@williamsmithorg

These babies are more vulnerable to pneumonia and pneumonia is the number one cause of death in children, more than 600,000 a year of children under five die of pneumonia.

In Britain and other developed countries, toxic air is significantly blamed on filthy diesel fumes.

Amid growing awareness of pollution sources, new figures today showed a drop of more than nine per cent nationwide, and in London, in diesel car registrations in February, compared to the same month last year.

This follows a fall of more than four per cent countrywide in January.

The alternatively fuelled vehicle market, which includes electric and hybrid cars, grew by a startling 48.9 per cent in February to take a four per cent market share, though was only up nearly 13 per cent in the capital.

While demand for petrol models increased by 5.8 per cent across the country.

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Overall, the UKs new car market dipped slightly in February, down 0.3 per cent with 83,115 registered last month, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Its chief executive Mike Hawes said: We expect to see the market bounce back in March.

The WHO, which has stricter limits than the EU for some airborne pollutants, says nine out of ten people around the world live in areas where air quality guidelines are breached.

Air pollution is one of the most pernicious threats to health because it is so pervasive and you cant escape it, added Dr Chan.

Air pollution is definitely on a much bigger scale....(than Ebola or HIV) because every year indoor and outdoor pollution contribute to 6.5 million deaths a year.

She emphasised that the most common misconception was that the health impact from toxic air comes when it peaks, as in mid-January in London, when in fact the harm really is due to its long-term effect.

The Government has twice been forced by court action to improve its plans to cut nitrogen dioxide levels, which are widely breached in London.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is introducing a 10-a-day T-charge from October for the most polluting models to drive into central London, and is considering bringing in early and expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone initially planned for 2020.
A herd of digital elephants is to march across the world to raise awareness of the grave threat faced by the animals in Africa.

The elephants will be seen on giant billboards in Britain, Hong Kong and New York to highlight the illegal ivory trade. An elephant is killed every 25 minutes, and a third of the global population has been wiped out in the past seven years.

Londoners can join the herd by going to www.marchforgiants.org to create their own personalised elephant, and will be able to see the parade when #MarchforGiants reaches the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre.

The initiative, which supports the work of Space for Giants, the conservation charity of which Evening Standard proprietor Evgeny Lebedev is a patron, is the worlds first to link global billboard space.

The elephants in Birmingham

Space for Giants ambassador Anna Friel said: The rate of slaughter of elephants is horrific. I dont want a future without elephants, and Ill do everything I can to stop that from happening.

An elephant with an Evening Standard logo will be among the digital herd along with Givergy, Made by Riley, National Express, Ocean Outdoor, Westfield, Chantecaille, The Delta Group, BCD Travel and First Avenue.

Every corporate partners donation will enable the charity to protect an elephant in the wild for life.

#MarchforGiants begins in Hong Kong on March 23, progressing to Times Square in New York and then Westfield Stratford City on March 24, Birmingham the following day and ending in Manchester on March 26.

Members of the public can create their own elephant for 5 and will receive a photo of it marching around the world to share on social media.

The charitys work includes training anti-poaching rapid response teams and securing protected landscapes for elephants to roam. This has led to an 84 per cent reduction in elephant poaching in North Kenya in three years.

The digital elephant project was conceived by creative agency 18 Feet & Rising, brought to life by Popped, Free Folk and DOOH.com, and the four-day virtual parade takes place on screens operated by Ocean Outdoor.

William Thacker, creative director at 18 Feet & Rising, said: We just couldnt ignore the shocking statistic that a third of all African elephants have been wiped out in seven years.

"Rather than simply raise awareness, we wanted to raise funds that will go some way to combating the plight of poaching in Africa.

How to sponsor

INDIVIDUAL DONATION

By giving 5 you will protect an elephant in the wild for a month. In return your personalised baby elephant will join #MarchforGiants bearing your name and chosen colour.

CORPORATE DONATION

A donation of 5,000 will protect an elephant in the wild for life. In return your adult elephant branded with your logo and chosen colour will be part of the March.

Sponsor an elephant now at www.marchforgiants.org

To create your elephant and donate 5 text 'GIANT' plus your first name to 70025
D onald Trump has signed a new executive order reinstating a ban on immigration from six Muslim-majority countries and halting the entry of refugees.

The revised travel ban blocks entry to the US for people from six of the seven countries named in the presidents original order, who are seeking new visas and also suspends the countrys refugee programme.

The White House has dropped Iraq from the list of banned countries, which includes Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

It comes six weeks after Mr Trumps original executive order was rolled out and caused chaos and confusion at airports nationwide.

Mr Trump had held a 'signing ceremony' for the original order / Getty Images

Mr Trump's directive aims to address legal issues with the original order, which sparked protests around the country and was ultimately blocked by federal courts.

The revised order is narrower and specifies that a 90-day ban on people from the six countries does not apply to those who already have valid visas who can travel freely.

Iraq was dropped from the order following pressure from the Pentagon and state department, which had urged the White House to reconsider given Iraq's role in fighting Islamic State.

An Iraqi spokesman said the change marks a "positive step" and shows Washington and Baghdad have a "real partnership".

The mere existence of the fact sheet signalled that the White House was taking steps to improve the rollout of the reworked directive.

The initial measure was hastily signed at the end of Mr Trump's first week in office, and the White House was roundly criticised for not providing Cabinet officials and others with information ahead of the signing.

Anti-Trump protest outside Downing Street - London Live

Notably, Mr Trump was not holding a public signing ceremony for the new measure.

White House spokesman Michael Short said the signing was done privately.

Instead, several Cabinet secretaries - homeland security secretary John Kelly, secretary of state Rex Tillerson and attorney general Jeff Sessions - planned to discuss the order at an event late on Monday morning.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer was not scheduled to hold an on-camera briefing on Monday either, leading to the appearance that the president was distancing himself from the order, which was a signature issue during his campaign and the first days of his presidency.

The order also risks being overshadowed by unsubstantiated accusations the president made over the weekend that former president Barack Obama had ordered the tapping of his phone during the campaign.

Trump administration officials said that even with the changes, the goal of the new order is the same as the first: keeping would-be terrorists out of the United States while the government reviews the vetting system for refugees and visa applicants from certain parts of the world.

According to the fact sheet, the Department of Homeland Security will conduct a country-by-country review of the information the six targeted nations provides to the US for visa and immigration decisions.

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Those countries will then have 50 days to comply with US government requests to update or improve that information.

Additionally, Trump's order suspends the entire US refugee programme for 120 days, though refugees already formally scheduled for travel by the State Department will be allowed entry.

When the suspension is lifted, the number of refugees allowed into the US will be capped at 50,000 for fiscal year 2017.

Islam to become world's largest religion as it outpaces global population growth

Other changes are also expected, including no longer singling out Syrian refugees for an indefinite ban.

Syrian refugees will now be treated like other refugees and be subjected to the 120-day suspension of the refugee programme.

The new version is also expected to remove language that would give priority to religious minorities. Critics had accused the administration of adding such language to help Christians get into the United States while excluding Muslims.
D onald Trump has signed a new executive order banning certain travellers to the United States.

The new order, which was signed on Monday, comes more than five weeks after the US Presidents original ban on travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries.

The original ban sparked mass protests when it was introduced and led to dozens of legal battles in US courts.

But after making revisions, President Trump has now introduced a new order which is slightly changed. Heres what you need to know about how it is different.

What does the new executive order state?

Donald Trumps new order stops citizens of six Muslim-majority nations entering the US for 90 days.

Revised: US President Donald Trump signed a new executive order for a travel ban on Monday. / REUTERS

The countries it covers are Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

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How is it different to the original order?

The Presidents original order, introduced on January 27, banned citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries entering the US.

The new order removes Iraq from the ban black list, meaning citizens from Iraq are allowed in. It comes after the Iraqi government introduced heightened vetting procedures.

Mondays fresh order also applies only to new visa applicants rather than visa-holders. This means that the 60,000 people whose US visas were revoked under the original order will now be able to enter the US.

The original order also banned refugees from Syria indefinitely. Under the revised order, Syrian immigrants do not have a different rule.

Why did the first executive order fail?

The original travel ban, which President Trump claimed was a national security measure to avoid attacks from Islamic militants, sparked wide criticism.

Airports descended into chaos as visa holders were detained and deported back to the countries where they hold citizenship.

US President Donald Trump returns to Washington after a weekend in Florida. / REUTERS

On February 3, a US judge in Washington state temporarily suspended the order nationwide, leading President Trump to warn the judges action meant many very bad and dangerous people would pour into the US.

The Department of Homeland Security then said it would no longer force airlines to enfore the order and the State Department announced it would reverse the cancellation of visas.

Could this new order be challenged in the law courts?

Legal experts have said the new order will be harder to challenge in court because it affects fewer people living in the US. It also allows more exemptions to protect them so plaintiffs will be harder to find.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson in Washington, which succeeded in suspending the original ban, said his office would decide this week whether to file a lawsuit against the new order.

He said he would consult with state universities and businesses to find out what harm the new order could bring.

Law professor Stephen Yale-Loehr said: "They dotted their I's and crossed their T's in trying to anticipate what litigation might result,"

But Democratic leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said he expected the new order to have the same uphill battle in the courts as the original version.

He said: A watered down ban is still a ban. Despite the administration's changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited, and un-American. It must be repealed."

What do critics say about the new order?

Democrats hit out at the newly repackaged order. The House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said it did not change the immoral, unconstitutional and dangerous goals of their Muslim and refugee ban.

Muslim Advocates, a civil rights group, said it was crystal clear the revised order is a Muslim ban.
T he White House today refused to back down from explosive claims made by President Trump accusing Barack Obama of issuing an order for his phones to be bugged.

Mr Trumps top advisor Kellyanne Conway hit back after FBI chief James Comey dramatically raised the stakes by urging the US Justice Department to publicly deny the wiretapping allegation.

The unprecedented move - Americas top law enforcement official questioning a sitting presidents honesty - has rocked Washington.

Mr Comey argued that the presidents accusation was false and it needed to be corrected to maintain the reputation of the FBI because it suggests the agency broke the law, insiders told the New York Times.

Obama spokesman responds to Trump's wiretapping accusations

But Ms Conway, one of Mr Trumps closest and most trusted aides, challenged the FBI director to reveal what he knows about the wiretapping allegedly targeting Trump Tower before the presidential election.

While Ms Conway could not confirm whether Mr Trumps phones had been bugged, she demanded an explanation from Mr Comey.

All I saw was a published news report, I didnt see a statement from him so I dont know what Mr Comey knows, she said, referring to the New York Times story.

If he knows, of course he can issue a statement. We know hes not shy, she added.

When Ms Conway was asked during an interview with Fox News if the president definitely knew he had been wiretapped, she only responded: He may.

The ultimatum was the latest twist in an extraordinary chain of events over the weekend that began with a Twitter tirade by the president on Saturday in which he accused Mr Obama of spying on him before the election.

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! he tweeted.

How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!

In another tweet Mr Trump posed the question: Is it legal for a sitting President to be wire tapping a race for president prior to an election?

Mr Obamas spokesman Kevin Lewis countered with a statement refuting Mr Trumps claims.

A cardinal rule of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice, he said. As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false.

Yesterday, the president doubled down by demanding a congressional investigation into the wiretapping allegation. In a statement, he called the claims troubling and said it should be looked at as part of the probe into Russias alleged meddling in the US election.

The presidents accusation levelled at Mr Obama appears to originate from an unsubstantiated report that appeared on Breitbart News and on conservative talk shows in the US suggesting that secret warrants were issued to bug Mr Trumps phones.

The wiretapping claims were also rejected yesterday by James Clapper, a former director of national intelligence. There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, as a candidate or against his campaign, he said.
A former British Army officer and businessman has been shot dead in Kenya, local police said.

Tristan Voorspuy was allegedly killed by pastoral herders on Sunday while inspecting some of his safari lodges.

Mr Voorspuy, who spent six years in the Army from the mid-1970s, including two as a cavalry officer, was the founder of luxury adventure safari company Offbeat Safaris.

Born in South Africa but schooled and raised in Sussex, Mr Voorspuy left the Army in 1981 and rode a motorbike from London to Cape Town, before creating Offbeat Safaris in 1990.

Mombasa-based business Scenic Air Safaris posted a tribute on its Facebook page, saying: "It is with very very deep sadness that we report the tragic death of Tristan Voorspuy co-owner of Offbeat Safaris and Sosian Ranch in an incident in Laikipia today, Sunday March 4.

"Our thoughts and prayers go to his wife Cindy and family and to his friends and partners at Sosian Lodge and Offbeat Safaris.

"A true officer and a gentleman. #sosianlodge #offbeatsafaris."

Scenic's marketing manager, Simon Penfold, wrote on his page that Mr Voorspuy was murdered "in cold blood" by people who were "driven by crooked political motives that can only be described as 16th century - at best".

He added: "To those vexatious individuals I say this - you cannot hide - the truth will prevail - RIP an officer and a gentleman - we will never forget. Thoughts and prayers to Cindy and the family on this tragic day."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are offering support to the family of the British national who has died in Kenya and we are in touch with local authorities."

Additional reporting by Press Association
N orth Korea sparked a new wave of international condemnation today after firing four missiles towards Japan.

Some of the missiles landed 190 miles from Japans north-west coast in clear breach of UN resolutions. Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe condemned the rogue state for its extremely dangerous action and warned: This clearly shows North Korea has entered a new stage of threat.

The missiles were said to have been launched at 7.36am local time today and landed within Japans Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)  waters over which it has special rights regarding exploration and energy production.

They were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the reclusive Norths border with China, according to South Korean military spokesman Roh Jae-cheon.

South Korea said they were unlikely to have been intercontinental ballistic missiles, which could have the potential to reach US territory. The US military said it had detected and tracked what it assessed was a North Korean missile launch, but it did not pose a threat to North America. It is the third time that North Korean missiles have landed within Japans EEZ.

In September, the last time, three ballistic missiles flew also about 1,000km and fell off Hokkaido.

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North Korea had threatened to take strong retaliatory measures after South Korea and the US began annual military drills last week. Mr Abe said strong protests had been lodged with the communist nation, telling parliament: The launches are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action.

South Koreas acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn condemned the launches as a direct challenge to the international community and said Seoul would deploy a US anti-missile defence system despite objections from China.

China is holding its annual meeting of the National Peoples Congress. Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said: All sides should exercise restraint and not do anything to irritate each other to worsen regional tensions.
P olice in Seattle were today hunting for an attacker who shot a Sikh man and told him to go back to your own country.

The gunman approached the 39-year-old victim, a US national of Indian origin, outside his house in the suburb of Kent on Friday evening.

The pair spoke briefly before the gunman shot the victim in the arm, police said.

The attacker was described as white, 6ft tall (182 cm) and stocky.

The attack has prompted fresh outcry in India following a deadly gun attack on two Indians in Kansas last month.
P olice in India are investigating after 19 aborted female foetuses were found dumped near a hospital.

Officers made the discovery while investigating the death of a woman following an alleged botched abortion nearby, in the Sangli district in western India.

The remains were buried with the intention of disposing them, police told the BBC.

It is the latest in a string of similar cases which have come to light in past years after eight female foetuses were found in a plastic bag in Indore city in 2012. Fifteen female foetuses were found in drains in Beed in Maharashtra in 2009.

The discovery suggests female foeticide and illegal sex determination before birth continues to take place in the country.

Dattatray Shinde, superintendent of police, said: It appears to be an abortion racket. We have arrested the husband of the woman, and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing,"

According to the BBC, campaigner Dr Ganesh Rakh called the case horrifying and proves illegal sex determination continues to happen.

He said: This case proves that people still prefer boys and girls are still unwanted.

"I think abortions were happening on a large scale in Sangli. Once the doctor is arrested, I fear we will find more aborted female foetuses."
B ana Alabed, the young Syrian girl known worldwide for tweeting from Aleppo, has written an open letter to Theresa May.

In the letter Bana calls on the Prime Minister to help Syrian children by sending food and medicine to civilians in the war-ravaged country.

Bana shared a picture of the hand-written letter on Twitter, tagging Mrs May.

In the letter she tells the Prime Minister: I am looking for help for the suffering people of Syria. Can you send them medicine, doctors, water and milk?

Have you seen the young children who are weak and dying because of hunger? she asks, continuing I have seen them. They live if we give only food but not one cares.

Bana Alabed with her mother Fatemah / Umit Bektas/Reuters

Bana goes on: They live if we give only food but no one cares. I am very sad. Promise me you send them food and medicine now please. Do not forget them.

She signs off the letter saying love to you, Dear Theresa May.

The seven-year-old, who has amassed 363,000 followers on Twitter, documented the war in Aleppo by posting updates with the help of her mother Fatehmah.

Bana escaped the bombarded city with her family in December and is now a refugee in neighbouring Turkey.

It is not the first time she has written to world leaders to raise the plight of Syrians.

Last year she wrote to the then US President-elect, Donald Trump, asking for his help.

In the days before Mr Trumps inauguration she wrote: I know you will be the president of America, so can you please save the children and people of Syria?

She has also written to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian ally Vladimir Putin imploring them to stop the bombing now to save the children of Syria.

She also told them to go to jail for killing my friends.

Bana and her younger brother also met Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara after they left Syria.

It is not known if Mrs May has responded to Bana's letter.
Y ves Saint Laurent has been accused of degrading women in a new French advertising campaign.

The fashion houses new poster campaign in Paris has sparked uproar and a flood of complaints to the countrys advertising watchdog.

One of the posters shows a model in a leotard and stiletto roller skates bent over a stool.

A second image splashed across one of the posters shows a reclining woman in a fur coat and fishnet tights with her legs open.

A sticker which reads "sexist" is seen on an ad by French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent / REUTERS

Frances advertising watchdog - the Autorite de Regulation Professionnelle de la Publicite (ARPP)  received more than 50 complaints about the campaign saying that the images were degrading to women and even incitement to rape.

The fashion brand was asked to change the posters by the watchdog, which said the images were a serious breach of rules set by the advertising industry to maintain dignity and respect in the representation of the person.

Complaints: An ad by French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent is seen on a newspaper kiosk in Paris / REUTERS

The watchdog also raised concerns that the models featured in the ads were very thin and could impact on fashion-conscious teenage girls.

A leading group for womens rights in France, Osez le feminisme (Dare to be Feminist), called for the campaign to be scrapped.

It said the subtext of the images was extremely violent and that the campaign ticked all the sexist boxes.

Stickers with the word sexist printed on them have been stuck onto the posters in protest across the city.

The advertising ethics jury, a body tied to the ARPP, will officially rule on the complaints on Friday and could ask Yves Saint Laurent to withdraw the ads completely.

An Yves Saint Laurent advert featuring a model with a visible ribcage and stick-thin legs was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority in Britain in 2015.

Yves Saint Laurent has been approached for comment.
K eith Duffy was reportedly attacked by a gang of six men during a visit to a Dublin nightclub with his wife.

The Boyzone star, 42, was in the VIP area of Lillies Bordello in the early hours of Sunday morning when the men became verbally abusive to his wife Lisa.

According to the Irish Mail on Sunday, the men then turned on the pop star when he tried to step in.

Six guys surrounded him in the club after Lisa came running looking for him, said a source.

Boyzone and Westlife supergroup 'Boyzlife' created by Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden

She was upset by the behaviour of these guys. He got a few digs - there were a few of them. There was six on one.

Security at the nightclub then intervened before the Irish state police force arrived on the scene.

Duffy had reportedly already left the nightclub when the Gardai arrived, having decided not to give a statement.

There was an incident, but it has been blown out of proportion, Duffys spokesperson has since told the paper.

Keith was back at work the next day. Hes fine. It was just a minor thing. Hes OK.

Duffy, who has starred in ITV soap Coronation Street, has recently joined forces with former Westlife star Brain McFadden to form new duo Boyzlife.

Evening Standard Online has contacted Duffys rep for comment


B ros have cancelled the majority of their 2017 reunion tour.

The duo, brothers Matt and Luke Goss, reformed last year and had planned to tour the UK, but all dates outside of Manchester and London have been scrapped.

Dates in Nottingham, Newcastle, Birmingham and Glasgow have been cancelled due to logistical circumstances beyond their control.

A statement read: It is with sincere regret that Bros have been forced to cancel four dates on their forthcoming UK tour. Matt and Luke Goss apologise to their fans for any disappointment.

Bros - In pictures 1 /30 Bros - In pictures PA PA Bros twins Matt and Luke Goss in 1989 PA Matt and Luke Goss attend the Bros Reunion annoucement at The Ham Yard Hotel on 05 October 2016 in London Dave Benett Dave Benett Matt and Luke Goss return as Bros (2016) Members of pop band Bros, Craig Logan, Matt and Luke Goss celebrate the sponsorship of their UK tour by Pepsi in 1988 Jenny Goodall/Associated Newspapers Matt and Luke Goss in 1989 PA Matt and Luke Goss attend the Bros Reunion annoucement at The Ham Yard Hotel on 05 October 2016 in London Dave Benett Matt and Luke Goss return as Bros (2016) Matt Goss perform at Cafe de Paris, London on 09 October 2013 Dave Benett Recording artist Matt Gossand twin brother actor Luke Goss attend a screening of Films In Motion & Lionsgate Entertainment's "Blood Out" at the DGA on 25 April 2011 in Los Angeles, California David Livingston/Getty Images Matt and Luke Goss as pop group Bros in 1991 Clive Limpkin/Daily Mail Matt and Luke Goss as pop group Bros in 1989 show the victory sign at High Court after being cleared of a 100,000 libel case linking them to a heroin delaer Graham Trott/Daily Mail Luke Goss arrives at the after party for the premiere of the film Blade 2 on 13 March 2002 in New York Lawrence Lucier/Getty Images Matt and Luke Goss as pop group Bros in 1990 outside the Odeon in Leicester Square Barry Beattie/Associated Newspapers Matt and Luke Goss as Bros at The San Remo Pop Festival, Italy in 1989 Rex Craig Logan, Matt and Luke Goss perform as Bros at Hammersmith Odeon in 1988 Rex Pop trio Bros, Craig Logan and twins Matt and Luke Goss in 1988 PA Craig Logan, Matt and Luke Goss Aat Montreux Pop Festival, Switzerland in 1988 Luke Goss of pop group 'Bros' performing at Wembley in 1988 Philip Ide/Associated Newspapers Matt Goss and Luke Goss perform as Bros at Wembley in 1988 Philip Ide/Associated Newspapers Neighbours star Jason Donovan was anxious to pick up a few tips from the Bros when they arrived in Sydney in 1988. Donovan took to the stage with them when they opened their concert at Melbourne's Tennis Centre. AP

Concerts set for Nottingham August 23, Birmingham August 25, Newcastle August 26, and Glasgow August 27, will now not take place.

All ticket holders for the cancelled shows will receive an automatic refund.

They will still play London's O2 Arena on August 19 to mark the anniversary of the date when they played their last ever gig in front of more than 77,000 people at Wembley Stadium in 1989.

The duo reformed last year after a massively-hyped media campaign which was dubbed the biggest reunion in pop history.

Formed in 1987 with bassist Craig Logan, the band enjoyed hits including When Will I Be Famous? and their sole No 1 single I Owe You Nothing.

Logan quit in 1989 and the band eventually disbanded after their third album, Changing Faces, in 1992.
N ever challenge Phillip Schofield to a drinking game.

The TV favourite downed 10 shots before collapsing while holidaying with friends in Norway.

Schofield took on the challenge at the Kirkenes Snowhotel where he was filmed knocking back the shots at lightning speed.

The This Morning presenter eyed-up the green liquid before downing them one by one as his friends filmed his attempt.

Down it: Phillip Schofield takes on the challenge / Instagram/ Phillip Schofield

On finishing, he slammed the glass down and shouted nice before pretending to collapse at the bar.

Schofield uploaded the video to his Instagram account with the caption: The 10 shot challenge... only one that would do it.

He was hailed as a legend by fans who praised him for taking on the challenge.

One wrote: A man after my own heart.

Another commented: Well done Phil. I'd like to see Holly [Willoughby] do it quicker lol.

National Television Awards 2017 1 /48 National Television Awards 2017 Holly Willoughby Anthony Harvey/Getty Keith Lemon and Paddy McGuinness Ian West/PA Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan Anthony Harvey/Getty Katie Price Dave Benett Helen Skelton Dave Benett Myleene Klass Dave Benett Katie Piper Dave Benett Susanna Reid Dave Benett Keith Lemon and Paddy McGuinness Ian West/PA Emma Willis Anthony Harvey/Getty Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan Ian West/PA Fearne Cotton Ian West/PA Scarlett Moffatt and Caroline Flack Getty Images Faye Brookes and Gareth Gates Ian West/PA Mary Berry Anthony Harvey/Getty Alesha Dixon Anthony Harvey/Getty Piers Morgan Dave Benett Sir Tom Jones Dave Benett Aidan Turner Anthony Harvey/Getty Loose Women Ian West/PA Scarlett Moffatt Dave Benett Rochelle and Marvin Humes Anthony Harvey/Getty Tess Daly and Vernon Kay Ian West/PA Casey Batchelor Dave Benett Megan McKenna and Pete Wicks Ian West/PA Ola Jordan Ian West/PA Sarah-Jane Crawford Ian West/PA Honey G Anthony Harvey/Getty Images Martin Kemp Ian West/PA Wayne Bridge Dave Benett Danny Baker Dave Benett Larry Lamb and Jordan Banjo Matt Crossick/PA Bradley Walsh and Mark Labbett Anthony Harvey/Getty Jorgie Porter Ian West/PA Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes Ian West/PA James Arthur Anthony Harvey/Getty

This Morning is on ITV, weekdays at 10:30am.
P op favourites Steps have announced their long-awaited comeback.

Claire Richards, Lee Latchford-Evans, Lisa Scott-Lee, Ian H Watkins and Faye Tozer have teamed up with ABBA legends Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus to release new music in celebration of their 20th anniversary.

The group said it felt natural to collaborate with Andersson and Ulvaeus on Story Of A Heart as they had been compared to the Swedish pop group in the past.

Weve always had that comparison with Abba so its amazing to work with Benny and Bjorn, Scott-Lee told The Sun.

Steps band interview on Live and Kicking in 2000

When we heard the special album track they gave to us we said, thats perfect.

Its a bridge to where we were and it moves on nicely to where were taking the new music.

Back in the day: The group soared in the charts / Anthony Harvey/Getty Images

Tears On The Dancefloor will be the groups first studio album in five years. The first single from the album, Scared Of The Dark, is out this Friday.

They will embark on a 15-date arena tour later this year where they will be supported by the Vengaboys.

Speaking of the new album, Scott-Lee said: Weve been quietly working away probably for the past 18 months to two years to get everything just right for the new album.

The group said reforming and releasing new music is what everyone needs right now.

Latchford-Evans said: Everybody seems to be down, negative, depressed, have no money, cant do this and cant do that.

With whats happened over in America now too, everyones just like, Oh my God.

But this music comes along and all the fans are like, We need a breath of fresh air. Hopefully we can bring that.

Steps sold more than 20 million albums in the nineties and early noughties and enjoyed chart success with hits including Tragedy, Deeper Shade of Blue and Chain Reaction.

The group have yet to announce a release date for the album.
W e take flights for granted nowadays, Londons airports offering us continent-hopping travel in a matter of hours.

For some thrill seekers, thats clearly doesn't provide enough of a sense of adventure. Just take a look at Channel 4s new men-against-the-ocean reality show Mutiny.

Starring Anthony Middleton of SAS: Who Dares Wins, the show presents a weather-battered expedition thats knackering just to watch.

Viewers will get a bit of a history lesson too. The show is based on the famed Mutiny on the Bounty in 1789 - a real life story of a naval ship whose crew rebelled and cut Captain William Bligh and 18 loyal shipmates adrift in the middle of the South Pacific in one tiny boat.

Anthony Middleton from SAS: Who Dares Wins takes on Mutiny / Channel 4

Rather than taking their fate lying down, Bligh and company travelled nearly 4,000 miles to survive, battling starvation, exposure, and the perils of the open ocean.

Channel 4s Mutiny casts nine men on a similar mission  can they last a trip from Tonga to Timor without succumbing to the elements or each other?

Its no surprise when the bickering kicks in. The crew members can barely sleep without being seasick, have absolutely no privacy, and are existing on tiny rations.

On this boat your face is only ever two feet maximum from another mans bottom, sighs one participant.

Mutiny Trailer

They eat just over 400 calories a day  lots of their food intake consisting of ludicrously unappetising ships biscuits  made of flour, salt, and water.

Then theres the unpredictable weather to endure. The storms at night time look hellish, but the day brings different challenges  slow days with little wind to sail on, and a burning sun beating down.

Stay tuned throughout the series to see if every participant makes it through the entire voyage. Frankly, its all very impressive, and probably much better experienced from your sofa than on the boat itself.

Channel 4, 9pm
T he new series of Top Gear has launched to mixed reviews, with many criticising the forced friendship between hosts Matt LeBlanc, Rory Reid and Chris Harris.

Series 24 kicked off on Sunday night, with LeBlanc in the driving seat after Chris Evans stepped down from the role last year.

The trio were seen racing a Mercedes, a Volvo and a London taxi across Kazakhstan  but fans of the show were more interested in picking apart their relationship.

One tweeted: The new #TopGear's overly-scripted studio scenes are a painful replacement for genuine friendship.

Another posted: #TopGear Oh God.. new top gear is painful..Jokes forced and zero team chemistry.

Others defended the new line-up, with some claiming it is better than The Grand Tour - Amazon Prime's motoring show fronted by former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.

Some said the show was back on track with a more relaxed feel, while others failed to mourn Evans with one tweeting: #topgear much much better without the shouty man.

One user posted: I can now say that Chris, Rory & Matt are in the same leauge as Jezza & co. Quailty team work, watchable & laughable TV. #TopGear.

Top Gear: Series 24 trailer

Another tweeted: #TopGear has CARS. And car GEEKERY. It feels like home again.

A third commented: Nice to actually watch a car show for once! Grand Tour, take note from #TopGear ,that was more like it!

LeBlanc opened up about his relationship with his co-hosts ahead of the series premiere and said it's good to have and American and a Brit fronting the show.

I think theres still a lot of fun to be had with an American and a Brit, and their different takes on things, he told Radio Times. Like Chris Harris and I get along really famously and the comedy really jumps off the screen.

Speaking about how he felt the public would receieve the first show he said: You know people have things imprinted in their brain. Its hard to sit down and watch it with an unbiased mind. I just dont know if people are going to be able to do that. I hope so.

Top Gear 2017 series 1 /8 Top Gear 2017 series Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid endure an awkward BBC car insurance interview interwoven with clips from the new series BBC/PA BBC/PA BBC/PA BBC/PA BBC/PA BBC/PA

Top Gear is on BBC One on Sunday at 8pm.
Katie Juarez, VALTS science teacher, had an out-of-the-box idea in her second year of teaching in the Valley Alternative Learning Transitioning School.

What she wanted to do was teach students how to build a guitar because of an article she saw in a national science teacher journal.

There is training for the project but Juarez didnt attend the training before the project began. The school ordered the materials in order for the students to still do the project.

Juarez said it was a really good opportunity for the students to do the project without her taking the training.

Sometimes, as the teacher, the students expect you to have all the answers and just know it. We were doing it together. They actually got to see the process of someone who didnt know what they were doing, but heres how you might figure it out, Juarez said.

Juarez said there was a lot of trial-and-error and the class used a lot of resources in the community.

There were 11 built the first year in groups and this year students are building their own.

Students built solid body electric guitars.

The guitars start as kits that are supplied by the Sinclair Community College in Ohio in partnership with the National Science Foundation.

Students do the shaping and contouring and make them function.

Rome Lerma, senior at Minatare High School, said he is grateful to his school to be able to do the project.

It is very fun and has taught me that what I learn in school can be applied in real life, Lerma said.

Juarezs goal is to engage the students and share with them her passion for science.

For me, it was narrowing down what I want to do in science because I always really liked it, Juarez said of her own high school years.

She has a bachelors degree in biology and she recently acquired her masters in physics education.

Its important for her to create students to be scientific citizens.

Juarez wants to help her students do more and experience more. She would also like to give students a confidence boost so they know what they are capable of.

Juarez uses a student-centered teaching style.

I really like my kids to be hands-on and doing activities and things, Juarez said.

Juarez said its important to apply some of the concepts they are learning or they wont get as much out of it.

She said the way she teaches her class is that she is the lead scientist and everybody else are scientists too, so she is there to help guide the students there.

Everything is broken up at quarters in VALTS so she cant teach different subjects.

What takes place is classes are created that focus on meeting the junior and senior Nebraska State Science Standards.

Content is woven in under a theme.

There have been zombie-themed lessons and forensics-themed lessons.

Students in her class currently are doing a program called cubes in space.

They design an experiment proposal and submit it to NASA. If it gets accepted they get to fly their experiment on a sounding rocket or a high-altitude balloon, Juarez said.

This is also done in conjunction with the English teacher at VALTS.

Juarez said she tries to get students involved in a hands-on activity as much as possible.

She also wants them to develop their writing skills so they do lab reports. The students are putting a magazine together about the all of the work they have done this semester.

Juarez has only been in education for four years but she has enjoyed working at VALTS.

Juarez graduated from Western Governors University which is an online institution based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

She held some other jobs before getting into education but she felt confident in taking on an education role.

When I was going to vet tech school, I ended up being a tutor and totally loved it, Juarez said.

She thought that education is where she should be.

She said she didnt know what to expect in her first year at VALTS. She was previously a substitute teacher while she finishing her degree.

I was really excited and wanted to get in and meet the kids. See what it is all about, Juarez said.

Juarez said she loves teaching and is in it for the students. She feels likes she in a job that is really fulfilling.

What I want in my students is to see themselves having a future that they can pursue with real intention, Juarez said, I feel like sometimes, some of our students have written a narrative for themselves that has closed doors.
Law enforcement continue to search for a suspect who fled police on foot Monday morning.

The short foot pursuit resulted in Gering Junior High and Freshmen Academy being on lockout for a brief period of time.

Sheriff Mark Overman said that the suspect, Travis Jude, eluded officers. At about 10:30 a.m., a Scotts Bluff County Sheriffs deputy had observed a vehicle in the eastern part of Gering that he believed was being operated by Jude. Before the deputy was able to stop Jude, the man driving the vehicle suddenly stopped in a driveway in the 600 block of U Street and fled on foot. Additional deputies and Gering Police responded, but he was not located.

Jude, convicted of burglary, is wanted on a felony probation warrant. Jude is believed to occupy a dark colored 1994 Ford Ranger pickup bearing the Wyoming license plate, 7-468. Some reports describe him as being 6 feet, 180 pounds, with blue jeans and a hoodie and driving a Ford Ranger with a Wyoming license plate.

At about the time the pursuit occurred, Gering Superintendent Bob Hastings received a call from the Gering Police Department.

Law enforcement was involved in a foot pursuit near the junior high, Hasting said. About 10 minutes later, they called back. It was very brief.

Gering Junior High and Freshmen Academy already have a policy of the keeping doors to the building locked at all times, with only authorized people being let in the building.

According to Gering Junior High Principal Dora Olivares, a lockout means no one comes into or out of the building. A lockdown means everything, including electricity, is shut down and students are moved to safe locations in the building. Gering Public Schools practices regular drills to make sure everyone knows what to do when a lockout or lockdown occurs.
Dick N. Herren passed away peacefully, February 24, 2017, the day before his 96th Birthday, at his home in Harrison, Nebraska. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 2 at the Harrison Bible Church,  mile north of Harrison. Chamberlain Chapel of Chadron will be in charge of arrangements.

He was born February 25, 1921 at the J Bar L Ranch, southwest of Harrison, the son of Martin Edward and Retta Herren. He married Jacqueline Broderick on September 12, 1949 in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Dick was a very hard-working and adventurous man. At the age of 16 he graduated from Torrington High School and decided to join the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) after hearing Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the radio, looking to enlist young men, using the lure of romance and adventure  something Dick couldnt pass up. He left the CCC in 1940 and joined the Wyoming National Guard 115th Cavalry. In the five years that Dick served the United States Army he was a horse holder, leading horses that were packing machine guns and ammunition; took part in the filming of The Bugle Sounds; defended Americas West coast against potential invasion by the Japanese in the wake of Pearl Harbor; served with the 13th Armored Division out of Camp Polk, LA, where he chose to drive tanks; and fought in France and Germany as a tank commander under General Pattons 103rd Armored Division. He was honorably discharged in 1945 as a Sergeant.

After his discharge, Dick and his brother, George, decided to go into the feed business, thus creating Herren Brothers. They purchased a lumber business in Harrison where the feed business soon expanded into windmills, lumber, and True Value hardware. They also employed a crew of carpenters that built houses around town. Eventually the business grew into three stores, located in Harrison and Crawford, NE and Guernsey, WY.

Dick was a member of Legion Post #1 in Van Tassell, WY; the Harrison VFW; and the Americans Lumber Association. He also served on the Security First Bank Board and the Community of Harrison Board and served as Harrisons Mayor for a time.

He lived life to the fullest and enjoyed spending time with his family. He was known to take his granddaughters on many hiking and lake adventures. He enjoyed spending time at Herren Bros., where he would most likely be found first thing in the morning, looking forward to visiting with and helping customers. He also enjoyed taking photographs, writing, reading, and telling stories about his many adventures.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Jacqueline; sister, Coza Shelley of Cedar City, UT; three children, Synthia Chambers of Palm Coast, FL, John (Terry) Herren of Harrison, NE, and Kimberly (Kevin) Flaherty of Gering, NE; 8 granddaughters; 5 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ed and Retta; siblings: George Herren, Hilda Teske, Clyde Herren, and an infant brother; grandsons, Joshua and Jonathan Chambers; and Son-in-Law, Jon Chambers.

Memorials may be designated to the Harrison VFW or the Harrison Volunteer Fire Department.
With one hand holding a bottle of champagne and the other an oversized certificate declaring him the winner of $1 million from Publishers Clearing House, Bruce Saunders stood on the front porch of his western Davie County Monday and rattled off a list of things he plans spend his spend money on  medical bills, fixing his lawnmower and helping family members.
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Minister delegate for European Affairs Ana Birchall will participate in the General Affairs Council (GAC) meeting to take place in Brussels on Tuesday and will approach in the talks she will have in this context including the proposals for the Union reform made by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, in the White Paper.

On the GAC occasion, there will also be adopted the Council's conclusions on the report regarding the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), a project that acknowledges the major progress Romania has made during the mechanism functioning and highlights, together with the specific recommendations, the support for the Romanian authorities' steps aimed at meeting the CVM objectives, informs a press release of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) sent to agerpres. on Monday.

Before leaving for Brussels, Minister Ana Birchall voiced "the openness of the Romanian authorities to continue the cooperation with the European Commission on the elements under the CVM, aimed at meeting the common goal of completing the mechanism."

"We believe that the 12 recommendations of the Commission included in the CVM must have a clear, unequivocal language, a language no longer leaving room for interpretations and also including a specific calendar in respect to their implementing as well as to the prospect of completing the Mechanism for Romania," the Minister delegate is quoted in the MAE release as saying.

The GAC meeting will also take into account the preparations for the European Council meeting of 9-10 March, with the participation of heads of state and government. In this context, Minister delegate for European Affairs Ana Birchall will be attending the debates on employment, the measures on economic growth and competitiveness improvement, migration, European common security and defence, as well as the stage of the European bid in the Western Balkans.

"For Romania it is important that the text of the conclusions of the future European Council meeting reflect a series of interest elements regarding the continuation of implementing the strategies concerning the Internal Market, the consolidation of the industrial policy of the EU, as well as the reiteration of maintaining the EU commitment in the Western Balkans," Birchall pointed out in the preparation for the participation in the GAC meeting.

Moreover, ministers for European affairs will have an opinion exchange regarding the European Semester. Another point on the agenda is aimed at the Council of the EU Maltese Presidency's presenting a briefing referring to the stage of implementing the provisions of the inter-institutional agreement on better legislation.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Ana Birchall will have two bilateral meetings - with the German Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth and with Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union Jorge Toledo Albinana. Minister delegate Ana Birchall will also have separate talks with European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. In all these discussions, Ana Birchall will also tackle the Union reform proposals presented by EC President Jean-Claude Juncker, in the White Paper, MAE also points out.
A woman bequeathed the National Health Insurance House (CAS) Satu Mare (northern Romania) over 100,000 euro to express her gratitude for the treatment and support she had received. According to a press release sent on Monday to Agerpres, the procedure for taking possession of the amount is ongoing.

"The leadership of CAS Satu Mare wants to inform the public of a unique event that indirectly aims at all the National Health Insurance House Satu Mare assured people. As a sign of gratitude for the treatment and support of the health insurance system, a person - a lady of 67 years - bequeathed the sum of 103,000 euro to the National Health Insurance House Satu Mare. The procedure for taking possession of the sum is ongoing, and it is subject to Art. 220, Chapter 1, Title 8 Social health insurance, of the Law No. 95/2006 of April 14, 2006 republished, on the health reform," the source specifies.

The leadership of CAS Satu Mare did not release more information about the woman. "Through her noble gesture, we understand that the lady's intent was to support the people with health problems, a wish that will be fulfilled, and for the leadership and staff of CAS Satu Mare it represents a message of confidence and recognition of their activity," the release further shows.
Cass Information Systems Inc. announced Monday it has acquired Effective Telecoms Ltd., a privately held telecom expense management firm based in the United Kingdom.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Efftel, a specialist provider of mobile and fixed telecom billing, analysis and procurement support services, was established in 2001 and has offices in Basingstoke, England, and Amsterdam.

Cass, based in unincorporated St. Louis County, provides invoice payment and information service for transportation, energy and telecom businesses.
ST. LOUIS  A developers plan is moving forward to build apartments, town homes, condos and single-family houses to replace a vacant factory complex in the citys Hill neighborhood.

Sansone Group and Draper & Kramer have received approval from the city for their $40 million development and closed on the former industrial area, Sansone said Monday.

Its an 11-acre site formerly occupied by American Stove Co. and other manufacturers on the east side of the neighborhood. Its set to include a 225-unit apartment complex, 49 town homes, about 45 condos and 20 single-family homes at 4932 Daggett Avenue.

The height of the apartment building was under debate last year. Sansone initially proposed a six-story structure, but neighborhood leaders wanted nothing built higher than three floors.

Company principals Jim and Doug Sansone had said adhering to a three-floor height likely would kill the project.

An agreement was reached in which the apartment is five stories in parts and four stories in others, the group said Monday.

Apartments will be one-bedroom/one-bathroom and two-bedroom/two-bathrooms, ranging in size from 572 to 1,230 square feet, and will include a saltwater pool with cabanas, spa, yoga studio, sky deck and garage parking.

A 540,000-square-foot warehouse across the street from St. Ambrose Catholic School is set to be knocked down. It was the Owens-Illinois Glass Co. industrial complex, but has been empty for more than a decade, Sansone said.

A fire in 2015 extensively damaged part of the factory complex. The four-alarm fire began in an office at a boarded-up building in the 4900 block of Daggett Avenue.

Construction is expected to be underway by the end of the year. The apartment is expected to be built in two years, and the homes finished in 2018. Sansone predicted the project will create about 800 construction jobs.
Updated at 5:12 p.m.

Gordmans Stores, a Midwestern department-store chain founded more than a century ago, is preparing to file for bankruptcy, according to people familiar with the matter.

The filing could come as soon as this month, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the process isn't public. Shares of the Omaha, Neb.-based company have fallen more than 75 percent in the past year, battered by losses in five of the last six quarters.

Representatives for the retailer didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

Gordmans would become the latest victim in a retail industry suffering from sluggish mall traffic and a move by apparel shoppers to the internet. The shift has been especially rough on department stores, including regional chains that once enjoyed strong customer loyalty. Larger competitors such as J.C. Penney, Macy's and Sears Holdings also are closing hundreds of locations to cope with the slump.

Gordmans traces its roots to 1915, when Russian immigrant Sam Richman opened a clothing shop in Omaha. He later teamed up with a former Bloomingdale's executive, Dan Gordman, whose car broke down in Omaha en route to California. Gordman met Richman's daughter while he was waiting for his car to be repaired and decided to stick around. The two later married.

The Richman Gordman chain, whose stores were all renamed Gordmans in 2000, eventually grew to more than 100 locations in 22 states. Private equity firm Sun Capital Partners bought the business in 2008 and took it public two years later.

In recent years, Gordmans has struggled. Its growth slowed in 2014, and losses began to mount. The retailer has about $85 million in debt, with much of it due in 2020.

Gordmans' stock price fell below $1 last year, and the Nasdaq Stock Market threatened the company with delisting. It was given until May 1 to regain compliance with listing rules.

The stock fell as much as 42 percent to 34 cents on Monday after Bloomberg reported on the possible bankruptcy filing.

Same-stores sales  a closely watched benchmark  fell more than 9 percent in the most recently reported quarter. The company also announced job cuts in January, citing the "sluggish retail environment."

Gordmans has six St. Louis area stores, according to its website: Arnold, Chesterfield, Fenton, St. Charles, O'Fallon, Mo., and Fairview Heights, Ill.
EAST ST. LOUIS  A man already doing time in federal prison for a gun and stolen car charge is now facing a charge for allegedly cutting through the wall of his Marion County jail cell last year.

Todd Otis Sweet's indictment claims that between about July 1 and Aug. 15, 2016, he made tools that helped him cut through the metal wall of his jail cell, an interior metal beam, an exterior concrete block wall and a metal bar above a window, the indictment says.

Sweet hid his work by hanging a towel over the hole in the cell wall, the indictment says. It does not say at what point the escape attempt was discovered.

At the time, Sweet was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to the gun and stolen vehicle charge in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis.

Sweet had a .357-caliber revolver in the tent where he was living on Nov. 30, 2012, in Monroe County, Ill., and had hidden a stolen pickup truck in heavy brush nearby, his plea agreement says. He was sentenced Feb. 3 to eight years, four months in prison on those charges.

A grand jury indicted him on a charge of attempted escape on Feb. 23.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Earlier versions of this story had an incorrect location of the jail from which Sweet is accused of trying to escape. This version has been corrected.
ST. LOUIS  A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to hold a St. Louis-area drug treatment facility responsible for the heroin overdose death of a patient in 2015.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John Bodenhausen on Friday dismissed the portions of the lawsuit that claimed that Assisted Recovery Centers of America LLC, or ARCA Midwest, was acting as an arm of the state while providing treatment to Michael Schwartz. Schwartz, 32, died in the basement of his mothers Jefferson County home on March 27, 2015.

Bodenhausen ruled that ARCA was not providing essential medical services to a prisoner  Schwartz was an outpatient participant. Although ARCA contracted with the state to provide services, ARCA did not have the authority to return him to prison, he wrote.

The lawsuit, filed in May 2016, claimed that ARCA failed to notify Schwartzs probation officer or his mother of numerous violations.

It also claimed that an ARCA employee who was having sex with Schwartz offered him illegal drugs and helped him cover up his drug use by providing him drug testing kits and falsifying records.

That employee, Sheryl Castro, no longer works at ARCA. She denied the suits claims.

The suit says that other staff and ARCA officials failed to properly oversee Schwartzs treatment and their own staff.

Jonathan Ries, a lawyer for ARCA staff and officials, said, The defendants believe justice was served by the courts dismissal of the plaintiffs claims in this case.

Schwartz came to ARCA after a court-ordered year at a long-term drug treatment facility. He had long battled heroin addiction and repeatedly violated probation on heroin possession cases in St. Louis, St. Louis County and Lincoln County.

Bodenhausen also dismissed wrongful death and medical malpractice counts of the civil suit, saying that they contained only state law claims.

Larry Bagsby, a lawyer for the Schwartz family, said Monday that he has appealed Bodenhausens decision and will refile the state court claims in St. Louis Circuit Court.

Ries said: With all due respect to the family of Michael Schwartz, however, we do not believe that the defendants are to blame for Michaels drug overdose or his death.
ST. LOUIS  A male was fatally shot just before 5 a.m. Monday in the city's Walnut Park East neighborhood.

Tony Portis, 26, was found dead in his home about 4:53 a.m. in the 4900 block of Thrush Avenue.

Police had few details but Portis was outside the building when he was shot. He then entered the home, where he was found with multiple gunshot wounds by family members.

Police did not have any information about suspects.
EAST ST. LOUIS  A St. Clair County man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for taking explicit pictures and videos of a young girl, the U.S. Attorney's office said Monday.

On 24 separate occasions between Dec. 8, 2012, and June 29, 2013, Kyle W. Oberg, now 40, of, Smithton, took 337 sexually explicit images and made three videos of the girl, prosecutors said. She was 5- and 6-years-old at the time, prosecutors have said.

Smithton police searched Oberg's house after a mother became concerned about his behavior toward her daughter, prosecutors said.

Oberg was charged in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis in 2013 and pleaded guilty in August 2016 to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of visual depictions of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
GRANITE CITY  A U.S. Steel worker died Sunday morning during an incident on the rail yard of the Granite City plant, authorities say.

The worker was killed about 10 a.m., according to company spokeswoman Erin DiPietro. She said the worker's family has been notified, that an investigation is underway and that the company is providing services to the worker's family through its employee assistance program.

DiPietro refused to say more about the incident.

Madison County Coroner Stephen Nonn said in an email that the man was flown to a hospital in Missouri, where he died.

The St. Louis Medical Examiner identified the worker as Timothy Dagon, 42, who was pronounced dead at 12:31 p.m. at St. Louis University Hospital.

Public records show an address for Dagon in Granite City.

Aaron Priddy, area director for the Occupational Health and Safety Administration's Fairview Heights office, said an investigator has been dispatched to the plant and is working to learn more. Priddy had no additional details on the man's death.
WASHINGTON  Sen. Roy Blunt said Monday he has seen no evidence to support the president's claim that federal officials illegally monitored his phones during the election, though the Missouri Republican said it's too soon to reach conclusions and a congressional review should settle the matter quickly.

President Donald Trump in a series of tweets Saturday morning accused his predecessor, Barack Obama, of illegally wiretapping Trump Tower phones during the 2016 election. Trump offered no evidence for that claim, which seems to have originated on Mark Levin's talk radio show before circulating among other right-wing outlets, such as Breitbart News.

Blunt, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, reviewed classified information last week at Central Intelligence Agency headquarters on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. He said he had reviewed most of the available information and seen no evidence that the Trump Tower had been the target of surveillance, legal or not.

"I dont see that yet, but that couldve happened and maybe not produced anything. I think its a little early to suggest the president is either right or the president is way off base here," Blunt said on KMOX's Mark Reardon Show, adding: "I suspect that if anything was done, it was done with the right kind of court order and the Intelligence Committee should be able to find out pretty quickly."

A spokesman for Obama has dismissed the allegations, and reports surfaced over the weekend of FBI director James Comey asking the Justice Department to refute the president's claims. The Justice Department has not done so  a fact Blunt mentioned Monday.

"I thought the FBI didnt think it was fair to talk about whether you were being investigated or not," Blunt said. "Apparently its not nearly as fun when somebodys saying you did something that mightve not been quite on the up-and-up."

Members of Trump's inner circle have faced scrutiny for close ties to Russia as the country was accused of hacking the Democratic National Committee and the presidential campaign of Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Trump's National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigned last month after falsely describing his conversations with the Russian Ambassador.

And last week Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from any investigation into Russia's role in the election, citing his position on the Trump campaign. Sessions' announcement came after the Washington Post reported he had met with the Russian ambassador during the campaign, despite denying such meetings during his confirmation hearing.

Blunt said Monday that Sessions does not have the "interest or capacity" to mislead the public, saying an hours-long confirmation hearing can lead to misunderstandings.

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

Is it legal for a sitting President to be "wire tapping" a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

I'd bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election!

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
JEFFERSON CITY  Robert Ziehmer left his job as director of the Missouri Department of Conservation more than seven months ago, but his paychecks from the state havent stopped coming.

According to state payroll records, Ziehmer already has received more than $87,000 from the state for doing no work. And every two weeks, he gets $5,800 more.

And, despite working for a foundation connected to outdoor retailing giant Bass Pro Shops, the former chief of an agency that oversees fish and wildlife qualifies for state health insurance coverage.

Lawmakers who are reviewing the proposed state budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 have begun raising red flags about the payouts to Ziehmer, which were not disclosed when he departed last year after nearly three decades at the department.

I dont approve of it, said Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick, R-Shell Knob, who chairs the House Budget Committee. It seems like something that should not have happened.

The payouts to Ziehmer come as the Legislature and Gov. Eric Greitens are crafting a budget that could reduce services to thousands of low-income seniors and disabled people and will not offer raises to state workers, who are the worst paid in the nation.

According to documents obtained by the Post-Dispatch, the money is the result of a separation and release agreement between the former director and the Missouri Conservation Commission, which oversees the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The agreement appears to address concerns by the commission that Ziehmer might take legal action if they tried to push him out of the top job after six years at the helm. It remains unclear why that may have occurred.

To ensure an amicable parting, the parties wish to compromise, resolve and settle, finally and forever, any claims and causes of action that were or could have been asserted by the employee against MDC, the agreement notes.

The agreement allows Ziehmer to be paid for his accrued leave and receive health insurance from the state until his paid leave time runs out. Fitzpatrick estimated that could come in May, which would give Ziehmer almost an entire year of his salary. It wasnt immediately clear from the documents how the deal might affect Ziehmers pension.

In the agreement, both sides said the pact should not be construed as an admission of liability or wrongdoing.

MDC expressly denies any such liability, wrongdoing or responsibility, the agreement notes.

Marilyn Bradford, chairwoman of the commission, signed off on the agreement. She did not immediately return messages Friday.

Unlike other state agencies facing funding cuts this year, the Department of Conservation budget is not being reduced, largely because it receives its funding from a special tax approved by voters in 1976. The one-eighth of one percent sales tax collected by the state is dedicated to conservation efforts. The agencys budget is expected to top $154 million next year.

The department is not controlled directly by the governor. Rather, the governor appoints four commissioners to six-year terms. The current board, which approved Ziehmers separation agreement, was appointed by former Gov. Jay Nixon.

Ziehmer, who signed the agreement on June 1, 2016, now works for the Johnny Morris Foundation, an organization with $63.8 million in assets connected to the Springfield, Mo.-based Bass Pro Shops.

Ziehmer, who could not be reached for comment, was the eighth director of the conservation agency since its founding in 1937. In that role, he was paid $140,000 annually to oversee a staff of 1,450 full-time and 500 hourly employees.

During his tenure, he led restoration activities for elk, prairie chickens and other species, and oversaw the renovation of fish hatcheries and shooting ranges.

Soon after Ziehmers departure, the Conservation Commission selected former Department of Natural Resources Director Sara Parker Pauley as the first female director of the Department of Conservation.

Editor's note: this story has been updated to correct the year voters approved a tax for the Missouri Department of Conservation.
JEFFERSON CITY  Term limits are fact of life at the Missouri Capitol.

While many legislators hold private disdain for the caps approved by voters in 1992  eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate  they know they'd have a hard time changing them.

Three-fourths of voters were for them in Missouri 25 years ago and a roughly equal number now want them in Washington.

But in a hearing Wednesday on whether the state should call for a constitutional convention enforcing that will on Congress, with its single-digit approval rating and perception as a "swamp" in need of draining, lawmakers couldn't resist poking holes in advocates' arguments.

Lake Saint Louis Republican Rep. Justin Hill, who voted for the limits in 1992, took the first jab.

"I think everyone in here would tell you that term limits were the worst mistake Missouri could have made," he said.

Rep. Jeff Messenger, R-Republic, said lawmakers just aren't in Jefferson City long enough to gather the experience necessary to handle lobbyists, bureaucracy and complex legislation.

"What we've done with short term limits in Missouri is we've taken the power from the Legislature and given it to other people," he said.

Lobbyists know it, too.

Franc Flotron, a lobbyist who served as a Republican in both chambers before the dawn of term limits, has seen the evolution firsthand.

"There used to be legislators that had been here for decade that I would just know to go to ask 'why is this the way it is?'" he said.

Now he fields a lot of those questions.

"It's important, for example, to know why school finance is structured the way it is, because it protects against certain kinds of litigation," he said. "When you're writing legislation, you need to know if you're pulling out the cornerstone of the building."

Hill and Messenger weren't the only ones talking term limits last week, though. The topic came up during a Senate filibuster around 1 a.m. Wednesday as well.

Between talk of the Kansas City Royals' offense and trout fishing, Sen. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City, and Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, pondered ways to better the current term limits regime.

Holsman brought up a bill he's sponsoring that would double current limits, allowing 16 years of service in each chamber.

But Silvey, who said he didn't think Missouri should have term limits at all, doubted voters would approve it.

And Ken Warren, a political science professor at St. Louis University, said Silvey is probably right.

"People have a knee-jerk reaction to the idea of professional legislators," he said. "They feel like it keeps them out of the influence of lobbyists, they like fresh ideas and they don't like seeing the same people all the time, even though they always vote for the incumbents."

It's all related, he said, to historically low levels of trust in government and its institutions.

Less than 20 percent of Americans polled by the Pew Research Center in 2015 said they could trust the government always or most of the time and 74 percent said politicians put their interests ahead of what's best for the country.

They were talking about the federal government. But Warren said to many, politicians are politicians, and so far the best solution in their minds is throwing the bums out.
A University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign student fell to his death late Friday from a fourth-floor balcony.

Friday was so-called Unofficial St. Patricks Day in Champaign, a tradition typically paired with alcohol.

Jonathan Morales, 23 and a communication major from suburban Chicago, was pronounced dead about 11:50 p.m. at Carle Foundation Hospital, according to a statement from Sgt. Dennis Baltzell of the Champaign Police Department.

An autopsy was performed Saturday by Champaign County Coroner Duane Northrup; the fall initially was believed to have been an accident, police said.

"Preliminary autopsy results indicate Mr. Morales died from multiple traumatic injuries he received from the fall. Toxicology tests are pending," a statement from Northup's office said.

The apartment balcony from which Morales fell faces an open atrium with grills and picnic benches in the center of a four-story complex on East John Street.

Baltzell said there were five people in the apartment Friday and that they had been drinking.

In Champaign, the "annual day of drinking" is best known simply as "Unofficial," a St. Patrick's Day celebration that was started by a local bar, according to Tribune archives. (St. Patrick's Day is March 17.)

Baltzell said tragedies like Friday's can happen at any time in any area with a large student population.

"I'm not saying that drinking wasn't a contributing factor, but to attribute this directly to Unofficial would be difficult," Baltzell said.
What has happened to our powers of discernment and our ability to see these people for what they are, which is that they care nothing for us?
The Prime Minister will hold delegation level talks with PM of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has departed for Kuwait for a two-day official visit.

He is accompanying by Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will meet the Kuwaiti leadership for in-depth review of various aspects of the traditionally close and brotherly relations between the two countries. He will also address gatherings of select Kuwaiti investors, as well as members of Pakistani community residing in Kuwait.

Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, will receive the Prime Minister in Bayan Palace for a detailed meeting on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister will hold delegation level talks with the Prime Minister of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Important regional and international issues of mutual interest are expected to come under discussion during the visit.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will also meet the Speaker of the Kuwaiti Parliament, Marzouk Al Ghanim. Pakistan-Kuwait parliamentary relations have seen enhanced cooperation in recent years.

In each of these meetings, the Prime Minister will exchange views with the Kuwaiti side to further expand the existing level of cooperation between Pakistan and Kuwait in diverse sectors.

These include promotion of bilateral trade and investment and upgrading the well-placed institutionalized cooperation in the fields of petroleum and natural resources, financial sector, defence, export of manpower, health services, industrial sector, and media and information technology etc. Both sides will also review the progress made so far under various existing Agreements and MoUs in various fields.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will also address a group of leading Kuwaiti investors and businessmen. This visit will provide a useful opportunity to highlight the lucrative business environment available in Pakistan to foreign investors, in diverse fields. The Prime Minister will underline the unique role Pakistan can play as a bridge to promote connectivity and economic progress among its neighboring regions, including the GCC countries.

The visit will also prove useful in highlighting the role and exemplary services of over 114,000 Pakistani community members who have contributed to various sectors in Kuwait. The Prime Minister will address a select gathering of Pakistani community members residing in Kuwait.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to Kuwait is part of the regular high level exchanges between the two sides.

Pakistan and Kuwait enjoy cordial and brotherly relations. Both sides also have shared perceptions on most international and regional issues.
Pakistani authorities on Tuesday have reopened border with Afghanistan for two days to allow movement of valid visa-holding nationals amidst tensions however, trade activities would remain suspended.

According to press release of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "In order to provide an opportunity to those nationals of Afghanistan who had come to Pakistan on valid visas, and wish to return to their country, the Government of Pakistan has decided to open the border crossings at Torkham and Chaman on 7th and 8th March 2017.

The crossing points will also be opened on these two days for those nationals of Pakistan who had gone to Afghanistan on valid visas and wish to return to Pakistan.

The decision has been conveyed by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Mr. Sartaj Aziz to the Afghan Ambassador by telephone. All concerned at the two crossing points have also been informed."

Security authorities concerned on both the sides have been informed about the forthcoming cross-border movement.

Border with Afghanistan was sealed until further order after over five attacks in Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Sehwan Sharif and other areas rocked Pakistan last month.At least 88 persons were martyred in Sehwan Sharif suicide blast in shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar while 14 persons lost their lives in Lahore attack.

Pakistani authorities demanded the Afghan government to hand over 76 wanted terrorists and take action against terror outfits operating from there.

Unprovoked firing from Afghan troops at the border had claimed lives of five Pakistani soldiers. One soldier was targeted in Khyber Agency while four in Mohmand Agency.

Pakistan has lodged protest with Afghanistan over the uncalled for aggression.

Afghan Deputy High Commissioner was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this regard.
Five Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred in cross fire as militants from Afghanistan attacked three border posts in Mohmand Agency on Sunday night.

The militarys media wing, Inter Services Public Relations, said, Last night terrorists from across the border attempted physical attack on three Pakistan border posts in Mohmand Agency.

Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed terrorists attempt, the statement added. Over 10 militants were reportedly killed.

Soldier martyred in Khyber cross-border attack

The soldiers martyred during the attack have been identified as Nk Sanaullah, Nk Safdar, Sepoy Altaf, Sepoy Nek Muhammad and Sepoy Anwar.

Army chief General Qamar Jawed Bajwa appreciated the response by Pakistani troops to last nights cross border attack. He emphasised the need for physical presence on the Afghan side of the border for effective border security. Terrorists are common threat and must be denied freedom of movement/action along the border, the army chief said.

Gen Bajwa also expressed grief on the loss of precious lives and hailed the sacrifices made by the soldiers.

The latest incident comes during already tense relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan. At the heart of the problem is Kabuls continued allegations against Pakistan for providing what it called safe havens to terrorists launching the cross border raids.

Islamabad has its own list of grievances starting from weak border controls to tacit support being provided by Afghan intelligence agencies to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other anti-Pakistan elements.

Despite Afghanistans relentless campaign, Pakistan is still seeking to resolve all differences through dialogue. Following the recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, Gen Qamar telephoned Afghanistans President Ashraf Ghani to condemn the latest wave of violence and to offer his support to fight menace of terrorism jointly.

The army chief, however, urged the Afghan president to stop blame game because it only served the purpose of those who never wanted smooth relationship between the two neighbors.

Ghani, nevertheless, stuck to his tirade against Pakistan and said his country wanted serious talks about the future of its ties with the neighboring country. The continued blame game has prevented the army chief from finalising a plan for a crucial visit to Kabul.
News & Information

Visit us at the new www.wklawbusiness.com for all legal, business and health care products and services from Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

CCH UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE  03/06/17

Wyoming announces its 2017 contribution rates

For 2017, experience-rated employers pay rates ranging from 0.34% to 8.84%. Note that any delinquent employer is assessed 2.0% plus the assignable basic rate, the total of which may not exceed 8.84%. For 2017, new employers pay the following rates by industry classification: raw materials and energy production, 1.22%; distribution and transportation of goods, 1.00%; information, 1.00%; finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing, 1.00%; professional and business services, 1.00%; education, health, and social assistance, 1.00%; leisure, accommodation, and food services, 1.00%; other services (except public administration), 1.00%; public administration, 1.00%; unclassified employers, 3.84%; construction, 2.28%; and manufacturing, 1.08%. These figures do not include the adjustment factor of 0.20% for inefficiently and noncharged benefits or the employment support fund tax of 0.14%. For 2017, the fund balance adjustment factor is 0.00% (DWS Communication).
Hyderabad: Congress leader Digvijay Singh today said Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has forgotten all his pre-poll promises and alleged Central funds meant for tackling drought were diverted for other purposes.Singh maintained power in Telangana is concentrated in the hands of the Chief Minister and his family.

"Is power being shared by KCR (the CM)?...no...total power is concentrated in the hands of KCR, his son (IT Minister K T Rama Rao), his nephew (Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao), his daughter (K Kavita) and his family," the Congress veteran told reporters here.

"The Chief Minister has been criticising the Congress for "hindering" the implementation of irrigation projects. But, our charge is there has been a cost escalation in all ongoing projects without any real reason," he said. He (KCR) promised of making a Dalit Telanganas first Chief Minister (if TRS came to power). But, he has not done so," the AICC General Secretary said.
The man at the centre of a 22 hour armed stand-off in the Bay of Plenty in which four police officers were shot in March 2016 will stand trial in the High Court in Hamilton today.

Rhys Richard Ngahiwi Warren, 28, faces two counts of attempted murder and five counts of using a firearm against a law enforcement officer.

The army was brought in to assist police during the siege, which was resolved when Taupo area commander Warwick Morehu entered the Kawerau property to talk Warren down.

Warren appeared in the Tauranga High Court in October where he challenged the justice systems right to try him on the charges.

He said he didnt recognise the courts jurisdiction and nominated three people - including two Native Assessors under the the Te Tura Whenua Maori ACt 1993 (Maori Land Act) part 13 - to represent him.

Justice Brewer told him they had to be barristers of the High Court.
A Papamoa Lotto player is among seven ticket buyers who are celebrating winning $34,156 with Lotto Second Division in Saturdays live Lotto draw.

The Papamoa winner bought their ticket at the Papamoa Superette.

Other second division winners bought their tickets at Countdown Auckland Airport, Rototuna Paper Plus, Hamilton, Cromwell New World, Wakari Lotto & Post Centre, Dunedin  and MyLotto players from Taranaki and Wellington.
The Zespri brand and the Single Point of Entry status of marketing company Zespri International underpin the strength of the New Zealand kiwifruit industry, says New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc chairman Doug Brown.

Zespri is amongst the most recognised fruit brands in the world and it came about thanks to significant investment and research by the industry and growers.

Our brand and marketing structure are the envy of other kiwifruit growers worldwide. Year-on-year New Zealand growers are reaping the benefits of the brand in returns. In some cases this brand strength allows the price of Zespri Kiwifruit in international markets to earn a significant premium over kiwifruit from other countries.

The structure has not been without its challenges with many attempts to undo it, says Doug, but continues to have support of the vast majority of growers. The structure returns profits to every grower in New Zealand, not just a small group of growers.

Doug says it concerns him there are still a small number of growers who are so self-interested they would put the SPE at risk for their own selfish needs. Without the SPE structure, all that would be achieved would be to drive the price of kiwifruit down.

The benefits of our unique industry structure are not just in the marketplace. Without a unified industry, many growers would not have survived the impacts of Psa-V.

I seriously doubt we would be in the strong position we are today had we not had an integrated co-ordinated response to the management of the disease.

Doug says New Zealands offshore customers, and consumers, also benefit from the Zespri brand and industry structure because, thanks to strict quality controls governing growing, harvesting, packing, cool storing and delivery of the fruit to market, they can be assured of receiving a premium, tasty, safe product.
The attire will be glitzy, the setting glamorous  and the food will berescued. And it will all be extremely grand.

Women at this years Ladies Long Lunch at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technologys Tauranga campus on November 3 will be served food destined for the dump.

Tauranga celebrity chef and tutor Peter Blakeway will help students at Toi Ohomai prepare this years meal solely from food thats been rescued by dozens of community volunteers.

Peter promises the unique meal will change the way people think about sustainability and rescued food.

We throw away about 40 per cent of our food in the western world, while more than one billion people are starving. Its not acceptable.

Hospitality, media and horticulture students at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology will be assessed on their efforts, with the event forming part of their curriculum.

Peter says his students are buzzing at the prospect of creating a menu from food that was destined to clog up our landfill.

The ladies who are fortunate enough to secure a ticket should prepare themselves for one of the best meals of their entire lives.

As far as I know, this has never been done before in New Zealand  preparing a menu for 300 women all made from rescued food  its exciting, says Good Neighbour Trust food rescue coordinator Jackie Payne.

Good Neighbour Trust is one of two charities this years Ladies Long Lunch is raising funds for. Te Aranui Youth Trust is the second charity.

The Good Neighbour food rescue service started three years ago by distributing a couple of boxes of rescued food a week. Now, 90 volunteers help sort six tonnes of food every week and distribute that food to 42 charities.

Te Aranui Youth Trust works in close relationship with New Zealand Police, delivering programmes aimed at reducing offending and creating safer communities in our region.

The Ladies Long Lunch committee is hoping to raise $100,000 this year for the two charities. The funds will be used to set up a commercial kitchen for Good neighbour Trusts food rescue initiative  and support future programmes at Te Aranui Youth Trust, including an innovative project to support the war on methamphetamine.

Only 300 tickets are available for this years Ladies Long Lunch at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technologys Tauranga campus on November 3.

Tickets are on sale soon. If interested, email: ladieslonglunchtauranga@gmail.com
Coriander, red clover, chamomile and puha  youve probably already heard of them before.

But do you know the unique medicinal or cosmetic talents they hold? March 6-12 is Herb Awareness Week  offering people the opportunity to learn more about these four chosen herbs for 2017.

Katikati Herb Society president Jenny Ager-Pratt says her club is a hosting a presentation to learn more about the four herbs above, which are featured this awareness week.

Karina Hilterman is a founding member of our club and is returning to town to talk about the herbs because she wrote the fact sheet on them, says Jenny.

The society will meet 7pm next Wednesday, March 8, at St Pauls Presbyterian Church in Katikati.

Jenny says visitors are invited  and they might learn something new about the herbs from Karina.

To give those interested a taste, Jenny says puha is easy to find  growing freely on most land  and is really high in minerals.

I use it in salads, soups and stews, says Jenny. It mines the lands for minerals  and is often one of the first plants to pop up when you clear land.

And its more of a traditional herb  Maori would put in it their boil-up because it helps the body process the fat.

But its a nice green herb you dont necessarily have to cultivate yourself.

Jenny says red clover is considered stronger medicinally than white clover. Its a blood purifier and is also good for the skin, among other things.

Meanwhile coriander is considered a safe herb as it its commonly used in food preparation already.

It is a digestive stimulant and a blood sugar and cholesterol modulator. The seeds help with indigestion, bloating and diarrhoea.

But the thing with coriander is  people either love it or hate it. Its a really strong herb.

And Jenny says there are various forms of chamomile. We are talking about the annual one known as the German chamomile, matricaria chamomilla or recutita.

Its the flower you use  and most people know its a calmative for the brain and stomach or bowel upsets.

Its also good for sleep. And people think about it for teething and calming babies when distressed.

Jenny says Herb Awareness Week is about finding what uses herbs have  whether it be therapeutic, medicinal or culinary.

So Karina will show some of the herbs in action  such as puha pesto and clover tea, for example.

Thats the idea  not just to learn about the herbs but try them in ways people might not have thought of before.

Katikati Herb Societys night with Karina Hilterman is on Wednesday, March 8, at St Pauls Presbyterian Church in Katikati from 7pm. All are welcome, visitors cost $4 with supper included. They can just rock up at 7pm.

For more information on herbs, see: www.herbs.org.nz/hawdata.html
Jacinda Ardern has been confirmed as Labours new deputy leader.

Labours caucus met this morning to vote on the role of deputy after Annette King stepped down from the role last week.

This is great news for Labour and for the country. Jacindas dedication, intelligence and ability to engage everyone she meets will be a huge asset to the country - as a Minister after this years election - and to our campaign as we travel the country together meeting voters who will decide the next government of New Zealand," says Labour leader Andrew Little.
Mercadona, Spain's largest supermarket chain seems unstoppable. Announcing its annual results on Thursday, the company said its sales had grown 3.4 per cent in 2016 to 21.6 billion euros, bringing profits of 636 million euros, an increase of four per cent. This came despite the average prices its customers pay in its stores falling by one per cent.

Chief executive, Juan Roig, warned that profits would drop next year as the Valencia-based company carries out major investment. Roig wants to improve the butchers, cold meats and bakery counters. Mercadona created 4,000 permanent jobs in 2016 and now employs 79,000 people.




Bethany Lutheran Videos at Each Live Worship Service

Such is the contrast between the Bible of the old and the Bible of the new theologies. That there are compromise systems between the twoor at any rate attempts at a compromise  is certainly true; but it is impossible to effect a compromise between systems fundamentally and essentially at variance. This is a case of either  or, Delitzsch was right when he maintained that a deep chasm existed between the old and the new theology, and this chasm exists because there is a chasm between the Bible of the old and the Bible of the new theologies. In one word, the Scriptures of the one is the Bible without God; the Scriptures of the other is the Bible of and with God.

The Bible Of The Old And The Bible Of The New Theology. By Rev. Professor George H. Schodde, Ph. D., Columbus, O. in Loy, ed. The Columbus Theological Magazine. Vol. 18, 1898. LutheranLibrary.org
As Russians seized parts of eastern and southern Ukraine in the opening stages of the war, mayors, civilian administrators and others say they have been abducted, threatened or beaten to force their cooperation. In some instances, they have been killed. Human rights activists say these actions could constitute a war crime. Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov said he was abducted from his office and the bullying and threats did not stop for a minute." He said they tried to force him to continue in his role but he refused. After six days in detention and an intervention from Ukraine's president, he was exchanged for nine Russian prisoners of war and expelled from the occupied city.
FAYETTEVILLE, NY - A Fayetteville restaurant owner who wants to keep her business open an hour later than its current closing time is facing opposition from residents.

Jennifer Polak, who owns and operates Pastificio - which means pasta factory in Italian - said customers who want to dine after work and can't get there until 7 p.m. have told her they feel rushed.

She wants to stay open until 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Her restaurant is at 210 Brooklea Drive in the village.

Other restaurants in the village are open until 9 or 10 p.m., and Polak said it makes sense that she be permitted to do the same.

Polak needs permission from Fayetteville planners to extend her operating hours as it represents a change in what was originally approved by the village when she opened in May 2016.

Neighbors have voiced their opposition at recent planning board meetings, citing increased traffic, the restaurant's proximity to residences, lighting and noise from the exhaust fan.

Polak said some of these issues were concerns when the business operated as Pascale Bakehouse, and residents complained about the fan. Different owners ran a bakery after the bakehouse closed, and residents had issues with the trash.

Polak said she's addressed those issues. Pascale Bakehouse had built a small wall around the exhaust fan, and that's made a difference, according to Polak.

"I have bent over backwards to address the neighbors' concerns,'' she said. "Every window facing the residents is covered with a black curtain at night now because the neighbors were concerned about light pollution."

The restaurant/cafe side of Pastificio serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and has seating for about 45 people.

A public hearing is being held tonight on the issue. A petition supporting Pastificio has more than 350 signatures.

Village officials said because the business is so close to residences it is getting some extra scrutiny on its request to stay open later.
David Letterman, Donald Trump

Former late-night host David Letterman is pictured at left in 2016. Donald Trump is pictured at right arriving for a taping of "The Late Show" with Letterman in 2011.

(THe)

Retired late-night host David Letterman is taking shots at President Donald Trump, though he didn't mind the real estate mogul as much before he got into politics.

"I always regarded him as, if you're going to have New York City, you gotta have a Donald Trump," Letterman, 69, told New York Magazine in a new interview Sunday.

"He was a joke of a wealthy guy. We didn't take him seriously. He'd sit down, and I would just start making fun of him. He never had any retort. He was big and doughy, and you could beat him up."

Letterman, 69, had Trump on "The Late Show" dozens of times before he stepped down in 2015. As president, though, he feels comedians and late-night hosts have an "obligation" to target the president.

"[C]an you imagine not doing Trump jokes? That would seem bizarre," he said, before praising "Saturday Night Live" for its political skits.

"Comedy's one of the ways that we can protect ourselves. Alec Baldwin deserves a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Sadly, he's not going to get it from this president."

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest U.S. award given out to civilians, recognizing contributions to national security, world peace or culture. Past recipients include Norman Rockwell, Lucille Ball, Walt Disney, Meryl Streep, Neil Armstrong and Edward R. Murrow.

Letterman also offered sympathy for Jimmy Fallon, whose hair-tousling interview with Trump last year was criticized for overlooking campaign issues. However, if he were still hosting the "Late Show," he'd handle "Trumpy" differently.

"I would just start with a list. 'You did this. You did that. Don't you feel stupid for having done that, Don? And who's this goon Steve Bannon, and why do you want a white supremacist as one of your advisers? Come on, Don, we both know you're lying. Now, stop it.'"

"If I still had a show," the heavily-bearded Letterman added, "people would have to come and take me off the stage. 'Dave, that's enough about Trump. We've run out of tape.' It's all I'd be talking about. I'd be exhausted."
Kevin Johnson mugshot

Kevin D. Johnson

(Provided by Syracuse Police Department)

Kimberly Rhoades, in an undated photo

Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse woman was brutally murdered by a pimp who broke into her residence and claimed she owed him money, a prosecutor said today.

Kevin Johnson, 47, was arraigned today on murder, burglary and promoting prostitution charges in the October 2016 murder of Kimberly Rhoades, 47.

He originally faced a lesser manslaughter charge -- accusing him of attempting to seriously injure the victim, but not of trying to kill her.

A grand jury indicted Johnson for murder anyway because he allegedly broke into Rhoades' apartment first, enhancing the charge, Senior Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Cali said.

That means Johnson could face up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted. He had faced a maximum of 25 years when charged only with manslaughter.

Johnson was incensed because Rhoades -- who was apparently working for him as a prostitute -- owed him money, Cali said after court.

Johnson broke into the victim's Eureka Street residence at night and punched her repeatedly in the face, Cali said. He also slammed her head into a concrete floor, Cali said.

Rhoades died a day later from severe bleeding on the brain, police said.

"It's really the worst form of human trafficking," Cali said of the crime. (Prostitution is now considered by authorities to be a form of human trafficking.)

Johnson provided a statement to police, though it's unclear what he said.

Today, Judge Stephen Dougherty read a plea offer into the record: if Johnson pleaded guilty to murder, he'd get 20 years to life in prison.

There was no indication whether Johnson was interested in that offer. He remains in jail until his next court date March 22.

Johnson's record includes three stints in state prison on drug convictions.
Update: Lt. Chase Bilodeau of the DeWitt Police Department said James Street was reopen at 11:32 a.m.

DEWITT, N.Y. -- A man was on drugs when he went off the road and hit a building while driving through DeWitt Monday morning, according to police.

A block of the road closed while authorities worked to clear the crash.

Officials responded to a motor vehicle crash at approximately 4 a.m. Monday along James Street near East Syracuse.

Daniel H. Warner

Daniel H. Warner, 46, of East Syracuse, was driving near West Manlius Street when he suddenly went off the north side of the roadway, officials said.

Warner's car took down a telephone pole and struck the Lostumbo Paving and Concrete business, said Lt. Chase Bilodeau, a spokesman for the DeWitt Police Department. Members of the town's codes department are still trying to assess the damage, he said.

No one was injured during the crash, Bilodeau said. Warner was evaluated by emergency medical services at the scene but did not need to be hospitalized.

Warner was under the influence of narcotics, Bilodeau said. He was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs and other traffic violations.

James Street will be closed from West Manlius Street to Worth Street for about four hours, Bilodeau said. Authorities need to fix the telephone pole and work to extract Warner's vehicle from the paving building, he said.

The National Grid outage map is not showing any power outages due to the damaged pole.
Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse contractor pleaded guilty Friday to stealing a $53,000 snowplow from the Empower Federal Credit Union parking lot on Erie Boulevard West.

Michael Schrader was caught after police followed "huge tracks" left by the snowplow in the overnight Jan. 4, 2016 caper.

The machine was actually a Caterpillar loader with a detachable snowplow attachment on the front.

Schrader has repaid the entire $53,000, but could still face prison upon sentencing.

Judge Stephen Dougherty capped his possible punishment at 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison, though Schrader will argue for probation.

The Caterpillar taken from the credit union has never been recovered. It belonged to a contractor that had provided a plow service. Workers who arrived in the morning noticed the huge plow was missing.

That's when police followed tracks, looked a security footage and located Schrader.
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TCS spoke with Emily Robb, the founder and editor, of the new feminist zine Staunch which launches on International Women's Day this Wednesday 8 March.

What is Staunch?

Staunch is a new Cambridge-based feminist zine. By zine we really just mean a small circulation magazine, but the format is one closely associated with grassroots feminist and social justice movements which seemed fitting. Were aiming to include a broad range of content  from comment pieces, interviews, poetry and prose, to art and photography  all promoting and contributing to an intersectional feminist message.

What motivated you to start Staunch?

When I was in New York this summer I got my hands on a copy of Ms., a liberal feminist magazine set up by Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes during second-wave feminism. In its heyday it was revolutionary: a magazine run by women for women. Back home, I could find nothing similar on the shelves: Ms. was not distributed in the UK and we seemed to have no equivalent. The vision of the magazine had been to inspire female led journalism and content, but forty odd years later I was struggling to see this in practice. The journalism in Cambridge is largely exciting and powerful, but theres still an imbalance between female and male editors. Staunch fell out of this realisation. I felt like there was a gap in the student market for a publication whose focus point was feminism, equality and representation.

How has the start-up process been?

Its been incredibly encouraging. I started by tentatively searching for contributors and editors on Facebook and the response was overwhelmingly positive. We now have a brilliant team of editors who have worked tirelessly on the first issue and a huge range of content by contributors from Cambridge and elsewhere.

How is Staunch different to other magazines and groups in Cambridge?

I think the standout feature of Staunch is how creative it is. Weve tried to impose as few boundaries as possible on the content: no word limits have been set and the ideas are entirely the contributors own. This lack of restriction has yielded exciting results  the range of content is broad and experimental as well as visually satisfying. Were trying to break free of conventional journalistic narratives; comment pieces might be written with absolute conviction but alternatively they could also be just a series of musings  someone working through their thoughts and sharing these with our readers. This sort of freedom is, for me, the most exciting thing about Staunch and I hope that comes across to our readers.

What do you hope Staunch will achieve? How do you hope it will progress?

My main aim with Staunch is to provide people, particularly self-defining women, with a space to explore and exhibit their work, thus creating an empowering and thought-provoking publication for our readers. The outpouring of content so far suggests this is something people have been looking for, so its exciting for us to be able to present you with so much fresh and interesting material.

How can people get involved?

If you feel like you might be interested in contributing to future issues, please get in touch with us. This can be done via our Facebook page (search Staunch) or via email (zine.staunch@gmail.com). No experience is necessary at all; whether you have an idea or not wed love to hear from you and get you on board. As a publication we are keen to prioritise inclusivity, so if youve been looking for a safe, encouraging space in which to publish your work, Staunch is the place for you!

What do you have coming up? What can people expect?

Issue 1 of Staunch will be coming out this Wednesday 8 March, which is also International Womens Day. Join us at our launch at 8.30pm in the Union Bar to get your hands on a copy. Itll be a night of feminist fun featuring live music plus lots of other exciting activities to get involved with! Entry will be 3 on the door including a colour copy of the zine. Wed love to see you there!
Marcel Llavero Pasquina, a first-year PhD student at the Department of Plant Sciences, is running for the position of University Councillor in the imminent CUSU-GU Election. He is competing against two other candidates for this position: Joshua Jackson and Umang Khandelwal. The Cambridge Student asked each candidate why they were running, and for a comment on their manifestos key policies.

My candidature is raised as a response to the undemocratic decisions that the Council has taken this last month. Last February, the Fossil Fuel Divestment Grace was passed by Regent House but in a total unprecedented move, the Council has deemed it only advisory and is trying to ignore its demand. This Grace is of key concern for both students and academics at the University as multiple student demonstrations, petitions and open letters have put forward this last year. I therefore decide to put myself forward as a candidate for University Councillor to bring the demands of the various student advocacy groups right at the heart of Cambridge decision making.

I will clearly advocate for a policy of Fossil Fuels Divestment. The demand has been on the table for years already, and pressure is building; we have now the opportunity to defend Divestment from the University Council. I am certain that there is a wide consensus among students in favour of divestment, and I hope that the other candidates clearly show this demand up in their agendas too.

Voting for the election opens at 9am on Tuesday 7 March and closes on Friday 10 March at 5pm.
When you're going through a rough patch, never imagine that things can't get worse - they can. Since the start of the year, Uber has paid out an FTC settlement, been hit with claims of sexism and sexual harassment, and is being sued by Alphabet over alleged self-driving technology theft. Now, it's been revealed that the ride-hailing firm created and still uses software to hide from authorities.

The New York Times reported that the Greyball tool is still used today to deceive government officials who attempt to hail a car in order to catch Uber violating local taxi regulations.

When Uber started up in a new city where its operations weren't strictly legal, the company would appoint a general manager in charge of the Greyball program whose job it would be to try and identify enforcement officers. This was done using several techniques, including drawing a geofence around regulators' offices to see if anyone was opening and closing the app frequently (an indication they were investigating Uber), checking if credit cards were linked to institutions like police unions, and looking up people on social media.

Uber even checked the device numbers of the cheapest phones in a city's electronics stores, knowing that these models were likely to be the ones bought by officials on restricted budgets who were looking to create multiple Uber accounts.

Once someone has been identified - or "Greyballed" - Uber does all it can to stop them from catching a ride. Fake cars or no cars at all show on the app's map, and even if an official is able to order a ride, they are quickly canceled.

Greyball falls under Uber's VTOS (Violation of Terms of Service) program. "This program denies ride requests to users who are violating our terms of service," the company said in a statement. "Whether that's people aiming to physically harm drivers, competitors looking to disrupt our operations, or opponents who collude with officials on secret 'stings' meant to entrap drivers."

A law professor who spoke to the Times said the program could be considered an "intentional obstruction of justice," even though Uber's legal team approved it.

The revelations are the latest in a long line of PR nightmares for Uber. Senior VP Amit Singhal, VP for product and growth Ed Baker, and Security engineer Charlie Miller have all quit recently; there have been more sexual discrimination claims, and the video of CEO Travis Kalanick arguing with an Uber driver hasn't helped the firm's cause.
Facebook may be attempting to fight fake news with its recently introduced tagging feature, but it seems Google may want to bring in extra controls over false stories, too. According to Google Home, the company's Amazon Echo-like smart speaker, Barack Obama is planning a coup d'etat in the US and all Republicans are Nazis.

SearchEngineLand editor Danny Sullivan noted that when you typed a question into Google Search about whether the former president was planning a coup, the top answer was: "According to details exposed in Western Centre for Journalism's exclusive video, not only could Obama be in bed with the communist Chinese, but Obama may in fact be planning a communist coup d'etat at the end of his term in 2016!"

Google's virtual assistant gave the same response, and you don't even get the option to hear other answers. BBC tech correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones posted a video to Twitter showing Google Home warning of Obama's secret intentions.

And here's what happens if you ask Google Home "is Obama planning a coup?" pic.twitter.com/MzmZqGOOal --- Rory Cellan-Jones (@ruskin147) March 5, 2017

Google's fake replies weren't restricted to right-wing conspiracy theories; Sullivan asked Google Home if Republicans were fascists, to which he was told "Yes, Republicans equal Nazis."

The problem comes from Google's "featured Snippets," which are algorithmically generated quick answers sourced from web pages that rank highly in search results - so they aren't curated, obviously. It's been known to surface bizarre answers to questions such as "how many presidents were in the KKK?" (at least five, according to Google), "what happened to the dinosaurs?" ("they are used more than anything else to indoctrinate children and adults in the idea of millions of years of earth history,"), and "are women evil?" (it seemed to suggest so).

Google Home giving that horrible answer to "are women evil" on Friday. Good article on issues; I'll have more later https://t.co/EUtrx4ZFul pic.twitter.com/Ec8mEqx8Am --- Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 4, 2016

Google says it removes these sort of answers when alerted to them. A company spokesperson gave the following statement:
If, like me, you've ever bought an expensive monitor or TV and found it sporting one or more dead/stuck pixels, you'll know how the sight of those dark or light spots can make a person apoplectic with rage. Many companies will swap the product with a new one (though it often depends on how many affected pixels there are), but imagine being informed that the issue isn't a defect, but a "normal" feature. That's what Nintendo is telling Switch owners.

While fans are enjoying the new console/handheld hybrid, it appears that Nintendo isn't too concerned about owners who discover their units aren't working 100 percent correctly. "Small numbers of stuck or dead pixels are a characteristic of LCD screens. These are normal and should not be considered a defect," reads Nintendo's support website. The big question is how many pixels does Nintendo consider "a small number?" And will it replace the unit with a new one if it goes over that amount?

Paying $300 for something that turns out to be defective, then being told the problem isn't actually a defect, is obviously going to anger a lot of people. There are already several online forums discussing the matter, including this long Reddit post.

Many of Sony's original PSP handhelds suffered from dead pixels, as did the Nintendo DS when it launched in the US. The Japanese firm eventually offered replacements under warranty for the latter. "We suggest that you use your system for a few weeks to determine whether this interferes with your enjoyment of game play. If, after using your system for awhile, you feel that this tiny dot is too distracting, the Nintendo DS does carry a one-year warranty," Nintendo wrote at the time. The hope is that it will do the same again if enough Switch owners put pressure on the company. Even one "tiny dot" can be incredibly off-putting.

If you do own a Switch and find it has a pixel problem, don't worry just yet. There's a good chance that the retailer you purchased it from will swap it for a different model. But if they refuse, and unless you've got enough affected pixels to be classified as a defect, you may have to live with it.
Antimicrobial resistance is a serious global health crisis seen in almost every country today. But what is it and why is it so important to solve it immediately?

What Is Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, is an umbrella term for the condition when microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other parasites) grow resilient to medications specifically designed to counteract them. These include antibiotics, antifungals, antiparasitics, and antivirals drugs.

What Causes Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance is often triggered by underuse, overuse, and misuse of antibiotics, which stimulate the microorganisms to adapt, evolve, and grow resilient. Incorrect prescription and the use of substandard medicines are also a factor. As a consequence, these superbugs make infections and diseases more pervasive and almost impossible to treat.

"There are now many infections that cannot be treated at all. And the problem is becoming worse as the (microbes) are becoming more and more resistant," Dr. Vicky Enne, a clinical microbiologist at University College London, told CNN.

Antimicrobial Resistance Turns Hospitals Into Danger Zones

Currently, people who frequently stay in hospitals and nursing homes  patients and healthcare practitioners alike  have the highest risk of developing antimicrobial resistance and contracting multidrug-resistant infections.

This is particularly problematic for immunocompromised individuals  for example, cancer patients going through aggressive chemotherapy  because their body may be too weak to weather the infections.

A Return To The Dark Ages Of Medicine

Without effective antibiotics, normal medical procedures and surgeries  including cesarean sections, joint replacements, organ transplants  or even simple treatment of wounds and cuts will become life-threatening, just like in the preantibiotic era.

Diseases And Deaths Caused By Antimicrobial Resistance

In the United States Alone, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) estimates more than 2 million diseases and 23,000 deaths are driven by antimicrobial resistance in the country every year.

Worldwide, antimicrobial resistance is presently claiming the lives of at least 700,000 people per year. If this continues, experts say we're looking into 10 million antimicrobial resistance-related deaths come 2050  many times higher than deaths from cancer, diabetes, road traffic accidents, and other leading causes of deaths.

WHO Releases List Of Antibiotic-Resistant Priority Pathogens

On Feb. 27, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced 12 of the most dangerous families of drug-resistant bacteria to humans. It's divided into three categories:

- Priority 1: Critical - Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and different types of Enterobacteriaceae (Klebsiella, E.coli, Serratia, and Proteus).

- Priority 2: High - Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Helicobacter pylori, Campylobacter spp., Salmonellae, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

- Priority 3: Medium - Streptococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus influenzae, Shigella spp.

"New antibiotics targeting this priority list of pathogens will help to reduce deaths due to resistant infections around the world. Waiting any longer will cause further public health problems and dramatically impact on patient care," Prof. Evelina Tacconelli, Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Tubingen and one of the experts who developed WHO's list, stated.

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Following several years of legal wrangling with Universal Music, Sony Music, Warner Music, Nordisk Film, and the Swedish Film Industry, The Pirate Bay has now been officially blocked by Swedish ISP Bredbandsbolaget. The ISP has vowed, however, to fight further blocking action against similar torrent sites such as Rarbg, Kickass Torrents, 1337X, Torrentz2, and ExtraTorrent.

Court Rules ISP Must Block The Pirate Bay

The ISP blocking follows a recent Swedish appeals court ruling requiring the blocking of over 100 separate domains, most of which are purportedly associated with The Pirate Bay, including a long list of proxy sites. The case began in 2014, when Universal Music, Sony Music, Warner Music, Nordisk Film, and the Swedish Film Industry moved to force broadband provider Bredbandsbolaget to block The Pirate Bay, along with streaming portal Swefilmer. They argued that if the ISP refused to do so, it should then be held liable for any damages incurred due to copyright infringing material shared on the sites.

Bredbandsbolaget argued that it was not in the business of policing content distributed via its services and was only responsible for providing the broadband service. Although it was expected to lose the case in line with several other previous similar EU case decisions, the ISP surprisingly emerged victorious in Stockholm District Court, which held that merely providing access to The Pirate Bay was not a crime.

The industry consortium appealed, however, and this time the result was different, as the Swedish Patent and Market Court of Appeal overturned the decision and ordered Bredbandsbolaget to block its customers from a list of allegedly Pirate Bay-associated domains for three years.

ISP Will Fight Future Blocking Orders vs Sites Such As Rarbg, Kickass Torrents, 1337X, Torrentz2, and ExtraTorrent

While the blocking measure was implemented today against The Pirate Bay and numerous proxies, Bredbandsbolaget has vowed to fight against any future blocking orders against similar sites such as Rarbg, Kickass Torrents, 1337X, Torrentz2, and ExtraTorrent.

"We are now forced to contest any future blocking demands. It is the only way for us and other Internet operators to ensure that private players should not have the last word regarding the content that should be accessible on the Internet," said the ISP in a statement, conceding that any future orders against similar websites such as Rarbg, Kickass Torrents, 1337X, Torrentz2, and ExtraTorrent are unlikely to be fought successfully given the precedent just set by the court.

The practical implications of the blocking are unclear, however. Additional proxies that are not on the list or are created subsequent to the ruling are not currently covered, meaning that while the decision makes it more difficult to access The Pirate Bay, it is still possible via alternative domains or the use of a VPN.

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Almost 150 advocates from different kidney organizations will convene with U.S. legislators in Washington D.C. for the 4th Annual Kidney Patient Summit with the theme "My Kidneys, My Life."

The National Kidney Foundation, the United States' largest, longest-standing, and most far-ranging organization dedicated to kidney disease awareness, prevention, and treatment, will highlight the direct impact of possessing only one healthy kidney on one's overall health.

The summit will be held on Capitol Hill from March 6 to 7 and will be attended by advocates from six kidney organizations across America: the Alport Syndrome Foundation; Home Dialyzors United; Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation; American Association of Kidney Patients; and NephCure Kidney International, comprised of patients with kidney disease or under dialysis, and donors, caregivers, and family members.

Factors Developing Chronic Kidney Diseases

According to the NKF, 90 percent of more than 26 million adults in America are unaware they have kidney disease.

Earlier studies about chronic kidney diseases have shown different factors that could trigger the illness, such as consuming meat with a high acidic content and taking drugs for heartburn and acid reflux.

People who experience constipation, diabetes, abdominal obesity, and high blood pressure, or have genetically inherited kidney disease, could be likely candidates of the ailment in the long run.

More dangerously, when a person who has the propensity to develop chronic kidney disease continually eats high sodium food, the habit amplifies the risk of the person to also develop heart disease.

Advocates Raise Awareness At Kidney Patient Summit

For the upcoming summit, the NKF has chosen delegates who will speak out on behalf of patients from all 50 states and impart their personal stories. Lawmakers will be asked to support programs for the early discovery, treatment, and outcome of chronic kidney disease.

Organ donors and kidney recipients will encourage donations to provide hope to more than 100,000 Americans presently in need of a kidney transplant.

"Coming together for the Kidney Patient Summit is personal for me and the many people traveling from throughout the country who seek to be heard and affect real change for those suffering from kidney disease," said by Kevin Longino, CEO of the foundation.

Alex Fox, one of the chosen speakers for the summit and Idaho's Special Olympics chairman of the board, helped a mother pleading on Facebook post: he donated one of his kidneys to the patient in May 2016.

"Helping a complete stranger is pretty awesome. There are so many people out there that need a donor," Fox said.

The event aims to gain support for bill enactments, such as The Living Donor Protection Act 2017 and Family Medical Leave Act, and also obtain funds for CKD programs under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Resources and Services Administration, and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

"'My Kidneys, My Life' is not just a slogan. It's a mantra based on facts and a plea for more public awareness," Longino said.

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Mercedes-Benz is currently looking to recall over 350,000 of their vehicles across the United States due to a fire hazard that was brought about by reports of over a dozen fires. The models in question are the newer ones that have a build date between the years of 2014 and 2017.

Daimler, Mercedes-Benz' parent company began the investigation after reports of over 30 car fires around the country and has since figured that the problem lies within the vehicle's engine starter. The problem happens with the very rare combination of the vehicle failing to start on the first attempt after stalling due to being stranded in a significant amount of water.

Investigation

After the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's investigation on the cases, the report states that when this specific combination occurs, the starter gets blocked due to significant engine or transmission damage and any repeated attempts to restart the engine may send high currents into the starter's limiter. Further attempts to restart the engine then could lead to a limiter overheat, and henceforth starting the fire.

The 350,000 vehicles Mercedes-Benz is expected to recall are only in the U.S. territories, but they are reportedly expected to recall approximately 700,000 more from vehicle owners around the world as there were also reports of over 20 engine fires in non-U.S. territories. That number, however, is unverified by Daimler.

The company expects to inform their patrons of the issue within the next 60 days. The vehicle recall is voluntary and Mercedes-Benz will likely resolve the engine issue by installing an additional fuse leading to the starter.

Vehicles expected to be recalled by the company include the 2015-2017 CLA250 (including 4Matic), 2015-2017 CLA45 AMG, 2017 GLA 250 (including 4Matic), 2015-2017 C300 ( including 4Matic), 2017 C300 Cabrio (including 4Matic), 2017 C300 Coupe (including 4Matic), 2016 C350e, 2016-2017 C450 AMG Sport, 2016 GLC300 (including 4Matic), 2017 GLC300 Coupe, 2017 E300 (including 4Matic), 2017 E400 Wagon, and the 2017 E43 AMG.

As of the writing of this article, Daimler has not yet released a statement on the matter and there is no word yet on any injuries or death related to the said incidents.

Fire Hazard Technology

Mercedes-Benz is the latest in the list of big companies that had to issue a recall of their products due to fire hazards. Audi and Nissan have also had their share of vehicle recalls and tech rivals Samsung and Apple have been making headlines when some of their smart phone and washing machine units caught fire. The recently reported fire hazards of the products are seen as one of the reasons why Samsung has seen a big dip in their reputation in the United States.

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Everyone knows that the 45th President of the United States (POTUS) doesn't shy away from feuds with celebrities he doesn't like, especially those who parody and antagonize him. Then again, celebrities don't back away from the new POTUS' criticism either.

One of President Donald Trump's more amusing and unforgettable feuds is with former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who  at the time he took over the NBC show  gave a funny response to Trump over Twitter after the president asked diplomats and lawmakers to pray for him and his bad ratings in "Celebrity Apprentice." Now that Schwarzenegger split from the NBC show, citing the president as his main reason for doing so, Trump has also something to say about it.

Schwarzenegger Terminates Ties With The Show

In an interview on March 3, Schwarzenegger confirmed the rumors that Celebrity Apprentice has been losing viewers and sponsors ever since people learned that Donald Trump was still connected to the NBC show as Executive Producer. The actor even said that, despite all the hard work exerted by the other people involved in the show, it just would not be able to recover that quickly as long as Trump was involved.

"No one really knew that this was going to happen and I think that everyone was caught off guard [...] With Trump being involved in the show people have a bad taste and don't want to participate as a spectator or as a sponsor or in any other way support the show [...] I think this show got caught up in all that division," Schwarzenegger said.

Of course, Trump didn't like what his Celebrity Apprentice replacement had to say and took a break from being the President to address the "false" claim.

Trump Fires Back

On March 4, after various Tweets claiming former President Barack Obama wiretapped him, Trump addressed Schwarzenegger claim that he was the reason for the show's troubles to assert that the actor was actually fired for his "pathetic ratings."

Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't voluntarily leaving the Apprentice, he was fired by his bad (pathetic) ratings, not by me. Sad end to great show  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

Before Schwarzenegger could even reply, someone already reminded the president of his own speech at the Joint Session of Congress on Feb. 28, especially the part regarding trivial fights.

Remember, Trump told Congress "the time for trivial fights is behind us." Now he begins a new trivial fight. This guy can't control himself. https://t.co/246t0oPRnW  Steven Greenhouse (@greenhousenyt) March 4, 2017

Schwarzenegger Has The Last Laugh

Less than an hour since Trump tweeted that Schwarzenegger did not voluntarily leave Celebrity Apprentice but was actually fired from the show, the actor finally responded with a witty suggestion.

You should think about hiring a new joke writer and a fact checker. https://t.co/SvAjuPdHfa  Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 4, 2017

So far, Trump has no response to Schwarzeneggerr. We will all just have to wait and see if the president still has anything up his sleeve in this fight.

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A leaked memo reveals that U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to slash the budget of a major climate science agency by nearly a fifth. This, according to experts fearing the move, could cost lives worldwide.

The White House document, a memo from the Office of Management and Budget, detailed the proposed budget cuts for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which undertakes climate change research. The plan also involves measures such as reducing funding for programs enabling U.S. coastal areas to survive extreme weather.

The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research could see its budget reduced by 26 percent or $126 million, while the satellite department could lose 22 percent or $513 million.

Cutting NOAAs satellite budget will compromise NOAAs mission of keeping Americans safe from extreme weather and providing forecasts that allow businesses and citizens to make smart plans, former NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco told the Washington Post, which obtained the budget memo on March 3.

Trump earlier expressed plans to increase U.S. military spending by $54 million. This would partly entail cutting environmental initiatives, including those from the Environmental Protection Agency.

NOAA leads the countrys weather forecasting, weather satellite program, fisheries and ocean services, as well as climate monitoring. But how exactly would you bear the brunt of a reduced climate science budget? Here are some ways, as enumerated by Forbes.

Greater, More Unique Challenges For Coastal Communities

Poised for elimination in the White House proposal is the Sea Grant program, which offers research, education, and legal programs to coastal communities for responsible use of oceans, coastal areas, and Great Lakes resources.

At least 33 states benefit from the program, which addresses practical issues such as sunny day flooding or saltwater intruding into human drinking water.

Limited Ability Of Weather Satellites To Track Extreme Weather Events

The potential budget cuts involve eliminating a portion of the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Services, which also comprises important climate data at the National Center for Environmental Indicators.

Weather satellites are critical for the public, industry, and military alike, acting like smoke detectors and including a fleet of low-Earth and geosynchronous orbiting satellites.

Large satellite programs, Forbes reminded, need sustained, consistent research, development, and support, unless one accepts a modern version of a 1900 hurricane slamming into Galveston, Texas and killing up to 12,000 people.

Christian Science Monitor also noted that in practice, NOAA works in collaboration with NASA, pooling their funds together and combining expertise. This could also endanger the work being done on the space agencys Earth Science Division, or the operation of next-gen satellites such as JPSS-1.

Endangered Weather And Climate Advances

Advances such as smartphones, precision agriculture, GPS, and life-saving medicine stem from sustained R&D  just like advanced weather forecasting. Current capabilities have been borne out of research around satellite systems and models (including one recently announced by NOAA thats significant upgrade of its main weather modeling system), along with headways in ocean science.

Even one to four years of lags in research could cause long-term damage, experts feared, especially in the face of changing climate and steady warming trends in the United States and elsewhere around the world.

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The Amazon rainforest has always been viewed as a parcel of nature untouched by humans.

A new study, however, shows otherwise. It has revealed that the forests may have been largely shaped by trees cultivated by indigenous groups thousands of years earlier.

Influenced By Human Settlements

The new research discovered that many domesticated trees are five times more likely to be overrepresented in the region than non-domesticated ones. These domesticated plants were also more likely to be concentrated around the remains of pre-Columbian settlements, where people lived before the arrival of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.

Thats even the case for some really remote, mature forests that wed typically assumed to be pristine and undisturbed, said study coauthor Nigel Pitman of Chicagos Field Museum in a statement.

Some prevalent tree species in the Amazon today, including cacao, acai, and Brazil nut trees, tend to be common as they were planted by settlers long before European conquerors arrived, according to Pitman.

The team used data from the Amazon Tree Diversity Network, a group of researchers sharing information on trees and palms in the Amazon, to estimate biodiversity in the area. The data emerged from over 1,000 forest surveys on a map of more than 3,000 pre-Columbian archeological sites.

The scientists have so far analyzed 4,962 species. Of the 85 domesticated species, they found that around 20 were overrepresented.

Was this due to human influence? To find out, the team compared the domesticated species distribution to the known archeological sites and likely settlement locations, such as near riverbanks. They saw that domesticated species were much more likely to grow where ancient groups lived once.

Around 20 percent of the domesticated species distribution across the rainforest appeared to be propelled by human influence, while 30 percent tended to be due to ecological factors like soil composition. In the southwest where large pre-Columbian peoples thrived, around 30 percent of the domesticated species distribution rooted from human activity, and less than 10 percent was because of the environment.

Study Implications

The Amazonian forests have always offered the impression of being an untouched landscape. In recent years, though, new archeological sites have emerged.

The new findings, according to lead author and PHD student Carolina Levis, indicate that the flora in the area is partly the surviving heritage of former dwellers.

We need to ask What are the human influences in these communities? said Levis, a paleoecologist at the Netherlands Wageningen University.

These findings, however, should not attribute the distribution of domesticated plants solely to human influence. Ancient and modern people, for instance, tend to settle in similar locations, making it possible for modern groups to influence the ecosystems as much as ancient ones did.

In addition, domesticated species may have also re-colonized pristine areas more quickly than their non-domesticated counterparts did  without human help.

Ecologist Mark Bush cited a Central America example: when humans left Mayan sites, Brosimum trees re-colonized the site when scientists thought for years that Mayans deliberately planted them.

The findings were discussed in the journal Science.

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News about the Samsung Galaxy S7 catching fire is becoming more frequent and could be a cause for worry for the company.

With repeated incidents of the device emitting smoke, the internet has been flooded with several such cases of late.

The latest incident involving the smartphone catching fire comes close on the heels of a Galaxy S7 billowing smoke inside a car. The owner had a lucky escape.

The victim of the current incident is a North China Conservancy and Hydropower University student, whose Galaxy S7 started emitting smoke while she was sleeping.

Galaxy S7 Spews Fire

The incident occurred on March 4 while the victim was sleeping, when the phone placed on her bed caught fire out of the blue.

According to reports, the device was purchased by the victim's friend on September 2016 and she has been using it for six months. Fortunately, the owner of the device escaped without any injuries, but the bedding was reportedly charred due to the fire.

The owner of the device also posted a picture of the charred Samsung Galaxy S7 on Weibo. The images posted by the user revealed the burnt unit, which suggested that the fire may have happened due to the overheating of the battery. However, whether the phone was being charged or not is yet to come to light.

This is not the first time the Galaxy S7 has been in the news for the wrong reason. On Feb. 23, 27-year-old Shaunique Lamb escaped a major injury, while she was driving. Her Galaxy S7 all of a sudden started emitting smoke. The device was kept in the cup holder of the car. According to Lamb, she was not charging the device and was only listening to some music, which was being played from an app on her device.

In May 2016, Daniel Ramirez filed a lawsuit against the company, when the Galaxy S7 exploded violently causing third-degree burns. A few months later, in September 2016, Weng Briones from the Philippines complained that the device started emitting smoke, for which she got a refund instead of a new device.

What Causes The Problem?

The smartphone may catch fire possibly due to the overheating of the lithium-ion battery. The device becomes unstable which leads to the explosion.

However, with such cases popping up every single day, it is advisable to keep the smartphone away from one's sleeping area during the night. It is also recommended to not keep the smartphone on charge while sleeping.

What Does Samsung Say?

Right after the fatal incident, the Galaxy S7 owner got in touch with Samsung's customer service in China. The company has begun looking into the matter and is reportedly investigating what caused the mishap. A strong possibility exists that Samsung will ask the disgruntled owner, who escaped injury by a whisker, to send in her damaged handset so that it can examine the device.

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Amid reports from various news outlets that Google's Chromebook Pixel has supposedly hit the end of the road, a top exec has now clarified that the Pixel laptops are not "dead."

But why do such rumors persist?

"They will live on, we just have no plans to share at this time," tweeted Rick Osterloh, senior vice president for hardware.

Two weeks ago at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Osterloh announced that the company had no plans to produce more Pixel laptops.

"Google hasn't backed away from laptops. We have the No. 2 market share in the U.S. and UK, but we have no plans for Google-branded laptops," he was quoted in a meeting with journalists.

These words, along with the current non-availability of the Pixel laptops on the Google Play Store, did seem for many as a definite end for Google's Chromebook. It now seems that Osterloh either failed to deliver his point or was misquoted.

While no plans regarding the laptops have been revealed or elaborated, the tweet does show that Google is still interested in the Pixel laptop lineup and would be unveiling more at a later point.

Pixel Laptops

Two releases of the Pixel laptops have been made thus far  with the last one happening two years ago  but these laptops remain Google's vision of how a premium Chromebook should be. The Chromebook is focused on enthusiasts and developers, and was never intended for sale in large numbers. It also only allowed Chrome browsers when it was first launched four years ago.

The signature design gave Google the much-needed control as it unleashed the power of its Chrome operating system on the Chromebooks. The first version of the Pixel laptop does have a place in history as the first Chromebook ever to have a touch screen. The hardware device shows the world that Google could develop vertically integrated devices that could compete with the likes of Apple.

The second iteration of the Chromebook saw a similar design to the previous version's. But it was more powerful in terms of its features and functionalities. It came with USB-C charging, ahead of any other laptop line.

Perhaps we could see some Google-made Chromebooks in the future or some other mechanisms for continuing the Chromebook Pixel legacy. In short, it is too early to count next-gen Google-designed Chromebooks out. But for now, the Pixel laptops will continue their quiescent life.

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After losing her six-week-old son, a grieving mother from Utah decided to donate her breast milk to families who are in need. The toddler had been diagnosed with a rare immune disorder, called DiGeorge Syndrome.

Nicura Thompson, who gave birth full-term Oct. 21, 2016, to her fourth child, had known since her fifth month of pregnancy that her child was suffering from seven different heart conditions. The child died six weeks after he was born, on Thompson's 28th birthday.

Woman Donates Breast Milk After Baby Dies

Thompson said in an interview that she was grateful for having been able to take her child at home.

"We got to take him trick or treating with us, and we got to spend Thanksgiving with him us as well," she noted.

Despite the fact that her baby died soon after being born, the woman didn't stop pumping her breast milk. Thompson decided to help other people who aren't able to breastfeed their babies, donating hers to a drop-off location at the hospital.

So far, Thompson managed to donate over 4,000 ounces since December and is now close to her goal of 5,000 ounces. The woman said she pumps milk four times a day, and she freezes it until there is no more space in the freezer, then she drops the milk off at the Mountain West Mothers Milk Bank.

Thompson said that she will continue to do this for as long as her body allows her to, knowing how important it is for babies to be breastfed.

Thompson admits that it isn't easy to give away the milk that should be for her own child. The fact that other kids need it, however, makes all the work worth it.

She also constantly updates her Facebook profile, where she writes in a very personal tone.

"I just realized I never did beads of courage for Colton. Everything happens so fast I didn't have time to. But you know what, my son may not have made it to surgery, but he went through lots of crap! Countless IVs, swallow studies, pic lines, IJ line, seizures, countless medicines, 30 days total in the hospital, and his cardiac arrest! He definitely deserves one. So I'm going to make him one," notes one of Thompson's Facebook posts.

The Importance Of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding has numerous benefits for infants, children, and mothers, it is a "key strategy to improve public health." According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is highly recommended that infants are exclusively breastfed throughout the first six months of their lives. After which, breastfeeding should continue in combination with complementary foods, for at least another year, based on the CDC Breastfeeding Report Card for 2016.

The rates of breastfeeding are rising in the United States. Among children born in 2013, four out of five were breastfed, and over 51 percent were breastfed for at least six months. Additionally, approximately a third of the kids were still breastfed at 12 months.

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WASHINGTON - Quoting from little-known mainstream media stories, constitutional attorney and former chief of staff for then-Attorney General Edwin Meese, Mark Levin laid out the evidence showing the Obama Administration spied on GOP candidate Donald Trump on Fox and Friends Saturday morning.

Levin pointed to Washington Post, New York Times, The Guardian stories that clearly point to FISA court applications and President Obama's daily intelligence briefings.

"The issue is not whether the Obama Administration spied on the Trump campaign, it's to what extent they spied," Levin said.

What did Barack Obama know? He had to know six agencies were involved, Levin said.

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
As the Trump Administration began, two terms took over our discourse, from keyboard warriors on social media to the formal political theorists of the mainstream media. These two terms are not exactly antonyms, as one is a verb and the other is a gerund, but they certainly are diametrically opposed to each other: Draining the Swamp on the one hand, and the Deep State on the other.

Draining the Swamp was easy to say, easy to understand, easy to cheer for. We all know theres corruption in the federal government, both in regular terms (people breaking the law while holding a public trust) and in philosophical terms (people whose very roles are by definition destructive, such as a regulator whose job is to put good people out of work).

Drain the Swamp! is a great line to shout at a protest, or to chant during a march. Its a wonderful exclamation with which to close a theme in a campaign speech, and its well worth doing. But actually doing it, when the time comes, is hard.

The Deep State is the reason that Draining the Swamp is so hard. When we talk about the state in this context, were not talking about one of the fifty, were talking about government in general. Its made up of elected officials, and their political appointees, and all the civil servants, from newbie to career, who fill the massive government of the United States of America.

Our Founding Fathers intended a tiny state: lots of free citizens, very very few in government. But we went off the rails early in the 20th century, and government mushroomed. The Deep State is a reminder that much of government is huge, deep, distant, and apparently untouchable.

The Founding Fathers intended a government so small that each election could correct errors, if errors were made but civil service reforms  well-intentioned, of course, always well-intentioned  minimized that ability to the point that it became almost impossible for elections to correct errors at all!

Ever more government positions became Hatched  protected from firing by political officeholders or their political appointees  until the point was reached where the entire government exists on its own, a massive civil service bureaucracy almost entirely independent of the will of the voters.

It shouldnt take a degree in Political Science to realize that this is utterly contradictory to the will of the Framers and the design of our American system.

The Federal Departments

Generally speaking, the President and Vice President are elected, and then they appoint a department head to every Cabinet-level department, and he or she then appoints several under-secretaries and special assistants, most of whom need Senate approval. They appoint a few aides and after that, almost 100% of the employees of that department and all its agencies are protected members of the civil service. This means that perhaps they can be fired for cause or for budget cuts  perhaps  but not for policy changes directed by the new administration.

We elect Presidents to make such changes, but our system only easily supports one kind of change. Its easy for a new President or Congress to expand government, to hire new people and direct them toward new regulations, but its very difficult indeed for a new President or Congress to trim the sails of that existing government. Its almost impossible to fire them, or to restrict an agency that has gone too far.

Once upon a time, Congress passed a law to set up a new agency or to promulgate a new regulation; for a new Secretary to trim back such agencies and regulators requires a single-minded attack strategy for which few have time.

The Department of Justice

Lets look, for example, at the department of the hour, the one most in the news these days: the U.S. Department of Justice. The same things well discuss here have happened in every department; everything that follows here can be found at Treasury, at Education, at Health and Human Services, etc. But lets just look at the DoJ for now.

We all know certain things about the job of the Attorney General: that he manages the selection of federal judicial appointments for the President to choose from he manages special prosecutors when needed and of course the DoJ manages lots of federal prisons and federal prosecutions of businesses under anti-trust violations and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Thats a full time job right there.

But over the years, without the public even noticing, Congress and the Presidents have created lots more jobs, lots more agencies, that have had to wind up somewhere, and a lot of them have wound up in the DoJ. Spend a few minutes online, at www.justice.gov/agencies, and see the DoJ's organizational chart for yourself.

For instance:

The Defending Childhood Initiative is a program built around the occasional necessity of children to be witnesses in criminal cases.

The Elder Justice Initiative similarly builds a federal agency around the specific circumstances of nursing homes, retirement, and similar issues focused on the elderly.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics is a numbers agency, a collecting house for data from cities, counties, and states, which then produces reports that put all this data to use. And that data gets reported to Congress, to academia, and to media.

The Community Oriented Policing Services office assists cities in managing new approaches to policing, such as non-violent dispute resolution.

The Office for Access to Justice provides help to people who cant afford top-dollar attorneys to represent them in court or help them when theyve been wronged.

Its easy to see why each of these agencies, and dozens more, were created in the first place. There are good intentions at their heart. But in practice, as the Left has gotten control of such offices, particularly in the Clinton and Obama administrations, they have been filled with people who believe in using the federal government as a cudgel to direct local and state policy in their direction.

The federal DoJ has been used to completely take over the management of local police forces. It has been used to force high schools to let boys and girls use each others bathrooms and locker rooms. It has been used to fund national groups who fly into a community from outside and sue local businesses, landlords, and governments on political grounds completely foreign to those communities.

Sometimes thats appropriate, as it was in the days of the civil rights efforts of the 1960s. But all too often, its not just inappropriate, its an unconstitutional encroachment of the rights of the states and the people under the 10th Amendment.

The idea of an independent civil service  a totally well-intentioned concept, remember  has therefore caused the problem we have today.

If one administration appointed a few political appointees and tons of civil service appointees, then when a new administration comes in, only the political appointees are purged; the civil service appointees are protected for life.

What kind of appointees do you think Janet Renos, Eric Holders, and Loretta Lynchs hiring authorities selected for those civil service positions?

When the Office for Access to Justice was created in 2010, it was staffed with true believers in the Leftist approach to justice  completely pro-criminal, completely discarding the protection of the victims. And when that Community Oriented Policing Services office was established in 1994, it was Janet Renos staff who hired the original civil service employees there too.

In both of these cases, think about the years of their establishment. After both 1994 and 2010, left-wing extremists had six more years to fill up those agencies with their kind of activists before Republican administrations came into office. Weve chosen only two examples to feature here; there are many more, in this and every department.

Personnel is Policy

One of the best-remembered truisms of the Reagan administration is the pithy statement, Personnel is policy. This isnt to diminish the rule of law, of course; conservatives are the truest advocates of the rule of law but it is to stress that if you believe in the rule of law, you must appoint employees who believe in it too.

If your staff disagrees with your direction, they can undermine it. So the Reagan administration tried, in the 1980s, to do what it could to staff up with good people. But thanks to the aforementioned civil service rules, they couldnt force out the bad ones. We have therefore always had both good and bad  pro-American and anti-American  bureaucrats throughout our federal bureaucracy.

The Right has an institutional disadvantage in this struggle: as a general rule, conservatives dont want to work for government; liberals do. So when liberals enter these agencies, especially at the outset, they are more likely to remain, safely Hatched, for their entire careers. When conservatives enter, they often to do so only to gain experience so they can move up in the private sector.

Any new administration is likely, therefore, to inherit a bureaucracy already naturally skewed in the favor of big government.

So we now look at a new Attorney General, Jeff Sessions of Alabama a senator for the past two decades, a state level Attorney General and former US attorney before that. Perfectly experienced for this new position.

Congress and the public rightly expect him to focus  full time  on the obvious jobs. Running the FBI, the DEA, the selection of judicial appointments. They will nag him on matters like prosecutions of companies whove been alleged to violate the big corporate rules, and they will nag him to appoint special prosecutors whenever they smell blood in the water anywhere in government.

But this administration was elected to Drain the Swamp to remove the corruption thats been baked into Washington DC for decades.

This means prosecutions of crooked politicians whove been getting away with it for years. It means new commissions to root out such corruption within the civil service.

And somehow he must also find time to deal with the termites in the Deep State the civil servants  agencies chock full of them  who, in their normal course of employment as federal bureaucrats, undermine our very system.

If this administration is to make any real progress, somehow the new Attorney General must find a way to turn agencies like the ones listed here  and dozens more  away from their long path of undermining our system, and turn them back toward useful, constitutional goals. This is possible, though difficult, with some of these agencies.

But with some of these agencies, it may be impossible. We have a host of agencies in our federal government that are so populated with true believers in what can only fairly be called tyranny that the only solution is to close down the agencies entirely.

And thats where the names of these agencies come into play. Imagine an administration that calls for the closure of something called the Community Oriented Policing Services or the Office for Access to Justice. Imagine the optics of that, as they say in Washington.

If its discovered that a birthday cake was poisoned, you naturally remove the birthday cake from your childs party rather than serve it. But you know that half the kids will report back to their parents they refused to serve the birthday cake!

Optics. Just one of the many challenges that the Deep State has baked into the political system.

As we read of leaks from the Washington establishment in the days and months and years to come as we hear of resistance from within the government to the changes that our nation so desperately needs remember how deeply infested the government is with termites  with people who live their very lives to overregulate, to exceed their authority, to hamstring the free market in every way they can.

The Deep State is full of people who were hired in the Obama years, the Clinton years, and the Carter years, to do exactly what the 2016 election revolted against. Theyre still there, and theyre very hard to get rid of.

In addition, many of those people got themselves promotions over the years, to work in Human Resources, to work as managers and supervisors and directors. You know what that means: they were empowered to do more hiring themselves.

So even during the Reagan administration, and the Bush I and Bush II administrations, there were Carter and Clinton era appointees hiring more of their kind of people into the government. While the Presidents and cabinet Secretaries gave orders from the top, bureaucrats continued to be hired into the civil service by civil service holdovers, to thwart those orders!

This is why President Trumps order for a hiring freeze in the federal bureaucracy is so critical. Its not just for budgetary reasons; its because, somehow, we have to stop expanding the regulatory state, and somehow get control of the regulators already in place after a century of uncontrolled expansion.

Somehow, if this nation is to survive, the Deep State must be made to understand that their protections as civil servants do NOT overrule the voters protections under the Constitution.

We must, somehow, return to the ways of the Founding Fathers. We must again learn to appreciate the limitless potential afforded only by limited government.

Copyright 2017 John F. Di Leo

John F. Di Leo is a Chicagoland-based writer, actor, and Customs broker. His columns are regularly found in Illinois Review.

Permission is hereby granted to forward freely, provided it is uncut and the IR URL and byline are included.
The president emphasized that people are voting for Nicaragua and by doing so they are also voting for peace. | Read More
That's what Steve Simpson, editor of the book Defending Free Speech and director of legal studies at the Ayn Rand Institute, told an audience at the Heartland Institute on Wednesday, February 22 when discussing the constant assault on this fundamental freedom and its implications for the future of liberty.

One free speech expert believes that the primary threat to free speech isn't from terrorists, but from an unwillingness to defend free speech.

Opening Remarks by Simpson

Simpson recollected that it was only 25 months ago when the slaughter at the offices of the satire magazine Charlie Hebdo took place in Paris, France. Simpson believes that the primary threat to free speech doesn't come from terrorist attacks, per se, but from an unwillingness to defend free speech. Although terrorist attacks are not inconsequential, threats and killings can only succeed in chilling our speech if we let them through appeasing those who resort to threats and violence.

Consider, he said, how editor Flemming Rose of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten was threatened with death for publishing drawings of Muhammad. It was on September 30, 2005 when the Danish newspaper published 12 editorial cartoons under the title, The Face of Muhammad  the most notorious of which depicted the prophet with a bomb in his turban. Flemming Rose still lives under a death threat in the U.S.

Free speech cannot exist when some are willing to resort to force. Condoning violence in response to speech will only end up ensuring that violence will become the rule. The free speech now under attack in Western nations is far too often the product of radical Islamists. It is a scary, long-term situation. Unfortunately, appeasement seems to be the mode of operation in many nations. It is important what the public thinks about continuing attacks, for it is a window into how people regard freedom of speech today.

Steve Simpson also spoke of the current Supreme Court being one of the best courts for freedom of speech in many decades, at least for now.

What is Freedom of Speech?

Steve Simpson described freedom of speech as an individual right. We can do or say almost anything as long as it doesnt violate the rights of others. But too often lately, free speech is no longer appropriate if someone is offended.

Simpson said these fundamental ideas must endure the right of free speech to flourish:

1. Reason: The Age of Enlightenment (sometimes known as the Age of Reason) influenced our Founding Fathers, for in the Age of Enlightenment reason was discovered.

2. Declaration of Independence: The document expresses our right to pursue our own happiness, and that our life serves to bring us happiness.

3. Political liberty: Individuals having individual rights create government to protect those rights, so long as they don't violate the rights of others.

What's Happening to Free Speech of College Campuses?

Foremost in Simpsons mind were the riots at the University of California at Berkeley sparked by the mere presence on campus of Breitbart Tech editor Milo Yiannopoulos. He was invited to speak there by a college Republican organization, and the resulting violence forced the speech to be canceled. But it was what happened in the aftermath of the riot that caused much consternation and reflection.

The Daily Californian, the student newspaper at the University of California, Berkeley, published a series of op-eds defending the use of violence to shut down Yiannopoulos lecture. The series is called Violence as self-defense, ostensibly on the premise that conservative speech is a physical threat.

A defense must be mounted against what happened at Berkeley, and what is also taking place on other college campuses. Speaking is not akin to engaging in violence. Never does what is perceived by another as offensive speech authorize acts of violence as a means of self-defense. Because Yiannopoulos speech represented a threat to the safety of students attending Berkley  such as illegal immigrant students being ousted  the college leftists determined that the only choice available was violence.

Importance of Reason, Pursuit of Happiness, and Individualism

As a moral argument, reason and persuasion should be used, Simpson said, not force.

From an individual standpoint, free speech and freedom of thought  and the right to exercise these freedoms  is essential to any man, woman, and child in any society. Our own expressions are essential in solving problems. Thinking can't be forced on us. We have the right to come to our own conclusions to guide us in our lives.

Simpson noted that reason was discovered in the Age of Enlightenment, sometimes called the Age of Reason. The American Enlightenment (1714 - 1818) was influenced by the 18th-century European Enlightenment and its own native American philosophy. Our Founding Fathers lived during this period of intellectual ferment in the 13 American colonies, which, in turn, led to the American Revolution and the creation of the American Republic. It was during the American Enlightenment that scientific reasoning was applied to politics, science, and religion.

When logic and reason are thrown out the window, violence remains the only option, as what played out at Berkeley. Yiannopoulos lecture remarks were predetermined to be offensive. Because of this assumption, there was no other choice open but to fight back.

What has caused reason to be dismissed by so many? According to Simpson, this disturbing trend ties in with the post-modernist strain of teachings in humanities, where reason is a nuisance and a made-up concept. Simpson cited Stanley Fish as believing there is no such thing as free speech; that its a political weapon that is used against other people.

In Fishs book published in 1944, There's No Such Thing As Free Speech (and it's a good thing, too), Fish wrote: Free speech is what is left over when a community has determined in advance what it does not want to hear.

Use of Collectivism to Limit Free Speech

ExxonMobil is facing investigation into whether it has been suppressing research findings on climate change as far back the 1970s, disregarding ExxonMobils nearly 40-year history of climate research that was conducted publicly in conjunction with the Department of Energy, academics and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Exxons published input about the impact of fossil fuels on climate change took the form of a scientific debate: on the one hand, and on the other hand. Exxon was just looking into the issue to clarify it.

The attorneys general of New York and Massachusetts have brought lawsuits against Exxon, claiming Exxon knew it was lying about climate change and global warming, a concept which is now being promoted as truth, and as a ploy to sell more gasoline. Also under investigation is whether Exxon played a role in persuading President George W. Bush not to ratify the Kyoto protocol, a global treaty committing signatories to targets for reducing greenhouse gases.

There is nothing to prove that Exxon knew about the claimed potential risk of fossil fuels that now has been equated with man-made global warming.

Law exists to protect our individual rights. Its not the government's job is to protect society at large and to see that it remains moral according to what government dictates. Regarding how collectivism effects on the law: It protects everyone in general, but no one in particular. Collectivism is seeping into the law and is undermining our freedom of speech. It puts government in charge of what groups of individuals should think and the views of individuals are ignored

Questions and Answers

The session was thought-provoking and lively at times, which was altogether fitting as the exercise of free speech was on exhibit.

Question: It seems that in this society free speech can no longer be tolerated, even if persuasion is used. Those who disagree are shut down. Why?

Simpson: He admitted that free speech has plummeted on college campuses where advocates for Communism flourish.

[Thorner: It seemed incredible for Simpson to express his lack of knowledge about how billionaire George Soros is promoting violence, even at Berkeley, by using his tremendous wealth to train hundreds of paid individuals to invade events across this nation to cause havoc, stifle opposition, and try to destroy Trump and his administration. Such action constitutes treason to me. Find proof in the recent articles noted below that the protests and violence against President Trump and GOP legislators holding town hall meeting are not by chance, but are being organized and funded in a big way by George Soros and even an Obama-aligned organization with an intent to destroy Trump and his administration.]

Indivisible, With Ties to George Soros, Sows Division Against Trump, GOP Lawmakers

Obamas Organizing for Action Partners with Soros-Linked Indivisible to Disrupt Trumps Agenda

Meet Indivisible, the progressive organization behind the raucous GOP town-halls

Obama-Aligned Organizing for Action Relaunches for Trump Era

Question: Are rants from Democrats taking President Trump to task out of line?

Simpson: He told of often hearing complaints from Democrats complaining of nasty comments made by Republicans, especially about Obamacare when Obama was in office.

[Thorner: Simpson seems to think what is good for the goose is good for the gander, but can rants against Obamacare, which rang of the truth, be compared to the present day rants by Democrats against President Trump because he won the presidency?]

Question: Is it fair for Trump to take the press to task?

Simpson: The press has become factionalized like many other groups of individuals. Check out Federalist No. 10. It also missed the story of the century. But Simpson believes that to attack the entire establishment press is counterproductive and problematic, although he did admit that the press does lean left.

You can watch Simpsons lecture here.

Upcoming free Wednesday Night Heartland Events

March 15th

Vaping: How Government Regulation Can Kill Innovation

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Arlington Heights, Illinois

March 22nd

Shall Not Be Infringed: The New Assaults on Your Second Amendment

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Arlington Heights, Illinois
Windfall Films has appointed a new Managing Director, Allison Todd.

She replaces Kristina Obradovic who is leaving the Argonon-owned production company after 16 years.

Windfall has also opened a Scottish division, Windfall Scotland with Jamie Lochhead as Creative Director, and has also hired Executive Producer Dan Kendall, who will be looking after a mix of broadcast and new technology projects.

Obradovic, who made the decision to leave Windfall in September 2016, is planning to take some time out with her family before considering her next role. She will hand over to Todd this month.

Todd was most recently Head of Production for ITN Productions. She has also worked at Maverick, Cineflix and IWC Media.

David Dugan, CEO of Windfall Films says: We are looking forward to working with Allison. She joins us at an exciting time when we are launching Mutiny, an ambitious genre-busting new series on Channel 4. As our international business in Canada, France and the USA grows  her extensive experience in international co-production will be invaluable.

Obradovic said: My time at Windfall has been an absolute pleasure and Ive really enjoyed helping to build the company into a thriving business, but Ive come to the very difficult decision that its time to move on. Windfall has been such an important and fulfilling part of my life. Ive loved working with the fantastic team here and Im very proud of what weve achieved. I intend to spend some time out with my family this year while I consider what my next adventure will be.



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Louisiana's first new public school science standards in 20 years are set for final approval this week, but controversy over evolution and other issues is expected Tuesday when the state's top school board tackles the issue.

The rewritten benchmarks were recommended by a 39-member study group last month after a six-month review.

Two decades later, new science standards on the way for Louisiana public schools Louisiana's public school science standards, which are the third oldest in the nation, are h

Backers hope the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will endorse the standards, first in committee Tuesday and then by the full board Wednesday.

The state has the third oldest standards in the nation, and students routinely rank low nationally in tests of science skills.

But how evolution is dealt with in some courses is sparking concern, and state officials expect public opposition to the changes when a BESE committee considers the issue starting around 1 p.m. Tuesday.

"We hope that they will adopt these standards," said Cathi Cox-Boniol, chairwoman of the study group and a veteran science educator in Lincoln Parish. "It is time for us to move forward. It is time for our students to have the opportunity to move forward."

Exactly what evolution language is in dispute is unclear.

However, the same topic sparked two days of discussion during the review process.

Cox-Boniol noted that what is at stake are standards, not curriculum, and local school districts have flexibility on exactly how science topics are taught.

State science standards for public schools were last changed in 1997.

Only Wisconsin and New Mexico rely on older benchmarks.

Gene Mills, president of the Louisiana Family Forum, said Monday he has a variety of concerns about the proposed guidelines.

In one case, Mills said, climate change and global warming are unfairly treated as foregone conclusions.

He said the changes would do to science what Common Core did to math and English.

"I think we are creating some unnecessary distractions when it comes to public education," Mills said.

Common Core revamped the way math, English and writing are taught in public schools.

BESE member Kathy Edmonston, who lives in Gonzales, said Monday she too has concerns based on her understanding of the recommendations.

"I believe there is only one side presented and that is evolution," Edmonston said.

She said she wants teachers to be able to offer other theories.

"If there is one side there is no room for debate," Edmonston said. "But if you bring in all the theories we can teach our kids to critically debate."

The BESE member, who attended meetings of the study group, said she hopes the state can make it clear, possibly through regulation, that the new standards will ensure freewheeling discussions on evolution and other topics.

The 39-member panel, mostly educators, approved the recommendations on Feb. 13.

After nearly two decades, state science standards under review A state panel Wednesday began reviewing science standards used in public schools, which have

The lone "no" vote was cast by Wade Warren, a professor of biology at Louisiana College in Pineville.

Warren was recommended for membership on the Science Standards Review Committee by the Louisiana Family Forum.

He said at the time he voted "no" because the new guidelines left out too much scientific information.

Warren, who could not be reached for comment Monday, may be among those who testify at the BESE committee on Tuesday.

"I anticipate there will be some opposition," Cox-Boniol said.

Leaders of the review said last month that, under the new guidelines, students will be expected to study science topics in greater depth, with less reliance on memorization.

But evolution-related topics have sparked controversy for years.

In 2008 the state approved the Science Education Act, which supporters said would give classrooms the ability to hold freewheeling discussions on evolution, global warming and other topics.

Critics have tried since then to have the law repealed.

They say it paves the way for the teaching of creationism  the view that life began about 6,000 years ago as described in the Bible's Book of Genesis.

Repeated repeal efforts have died in the first step of the legislative process, and did so for the fifth consecutive time in 2015.

Rejected again: Bill to repeal Louisiana law critics say allows teaching creationism fails in committee A state Senate committee Wednesday rejected a bill that would repeal the Louisiana Science E

Mills said he is concerned the new standards would undercut that law.

Whatever the committee recommends will be reviewed by the full board on Wednesday.

That meeting starts at 9 a.m.
A lot of people have to buy in to protect Southern forests: Most of the land is held in small private patches, a few dozen acres here and there that in combination form whole forests.

A new conservation program aims to manage the environment in north Louisiana and southern Arkansas by getting all those landowners pulling in the same direction.

The Morehouse Family Forests Initiative plans to lay the groundwork for sustained forest health, said Tom Martin, CEO of the nonprofit American Forest Foundation.

Pete Madden's first goal is to get 10,000 acres certified with the American Tree Farm System, which sets out provisions for replanting trees, eliminating invasive species and protecting streams from erosion.

Madden is the CEO of Atlanta-based wood pellet manufacturer Drax Biomass. Wood pellets are produced from soft pine to fuel power plants in lieu of coal. From its facility at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, it ships pellets from mills in Gloster, Mississippi, and Bastrop in Morehouse Parish.

The new forestry initiative is a case in which what's good for industry and what's good for the environment are one and the same, Martin said.

Plans call for replanting 1,400 acres where short leaf pine has been logged. Several local species depend on the trees, such as the endangered red cockaded woodpecker, Martin said. At the same time, the initiative will help remove invasive species such as kudzu and certain beetles that can infest trees.

Though they don't live up in the boughs, species like mussels and other aquatic creatures also depend on trees to hold soil banks in place and provide shade that regulates temperature, Martin said.

Authorities will also try to determine where they may need to perform controlled burns in areas where vegetation has become overgrown and there are more plants than soil nutrients to feed them all.

The Morehouse initiative will cost $1.1 million in the first five years, after which organizers will evaluate whether and how to continue. Madden would like to reach out to 550 landowners who own among them an estimated 45,000 acres.

Most of the timber used in Drax's Bastrop mill comes from within about 40 miles of the facility  from forests in Morehouse, Union, Winn and Ouachita parishes plus parts of southern Arkansas, Madden said.

Small, family-owned properties make up about 60 percent of the forested land where his company logs. Surveys have shown that small land owners want to take action to protect their forests, and conservationists have long known best practices for doing so, Madden said. Now, they've just got to get both sides to work together.

"Our whole business model relies on sustainable forestry," Madden said.

"If we're in the business, we want to do whatever we possibly can to make sure the resources are managed after we're gone."
The federal government has now spent more than $300 million fixing health centers, schools and other public facilities damaged in last summer's flood.

Monday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that the Public Assistance program has obligated $304.3 million in reimbursements to the state and local governments in 26 parishes impacted by floodwaters.

Approximately one in every five dollars spent has gone to fix schools in the worst-hit parishes, including East Baton Rouge. At the state level, the Department of Health and Hospitals and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries each received hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Gonzales wastewater plant alone stands to receive nearly a million, according to a news release.

The federal government typically reimburses local agencies for 75 percent of their disaster costs, including clearing debris, fixing roads and replacing damaged vehicles like police cruisers. However, after especially cataclysmic events, including the recent floods, the amount jumps to 90 percent.

Agencies continue to haggle with FEMA over what can be claimed for reimbursement. East Baton Rouge officials, for example, have tried to get public assistance to help pay for hauling off debris from demolishing blighted properties that were damaged in the storm.
Mike Strain, Louisiana's commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, expressed a cautious optimism about the future of Louisiana's trade and agriculture economy under President Donald Trump's administration.

Strain spoke Monday to the Press Club of Baton Rouge about the economic potential of loosening trade restrictions with Cuba. He noted that from 2006 to 2015, Louisiana has led the nation in trade with Cuba, exporting $1.4 billion worth of goods, despite a decades-long U.S. economic embargo that severely restricts exports to Cuba.

Louisiana's has exported nearly three times more in goods than Virginia, which came in second for exports to Cuba.

While the Obama administration appeared to be moving closer toward normalizing relations with Cuba, in part by allowing commercial flights and opening up tourism opportunities, President Trump has signaled some resistance to building on the relationship.

In November, he threatened to roll back Obama's actions, tweeting "If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal." Last month, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer announced the administration was conducting a "full review" of the U.S.'s relationship with Cuba.

Trump has similarly been critical of other U.S. trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, and he withdrew the nation from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation trade agreement negotiated under Obama which included Canada and Mexico.

Strain, a Republican, stopped short of criticizing the president's positions, but he stressed the importance of trade agreements and improving relationships with Cuba.

"We trade with countries we have agreements with," he said, adding that businesses and governments rely on certainty.

Strain has twice visited Cuba. He said the developing nation is ripe for trade opportunities that Louisiana is best positioned to capitalize on. He said on one trip he met with a farmer in Cuba who asked, "Why won't you sell us food?"

"Not give us food, but sell us food," Strain said. He said people on the trip saw a bag of poor-quality Vietnamese rice, noting that Louisiana could sell the country higher quality products at lower prices.

Strain said he feels optimistic that Trump's administration will warm to opening trade with Cuba. He also said he is hopeful a bill in Congress moving toward improving trade with Cuba, co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham, R-Alto, will gain support.

"Our president is a businessman, he can read a balance sheet," Strain said. "Rural America is what elected the president. And what drives the economics in rural America is its agriculture, forestry and trade."

Louisiana's economy could also be impacted by changes in immigration laws under Trump, Strain said.

Louisiana's crawfish farms utilize many immigrants who are classified as "skilled returning guest workers."

The notion that these immigrants are taking American jobs is inaccurate here, because Americans are offered these jobs first, Strain said.

There are not enough Americans who will take the unskilled work, which often includes peeling crawfish.

"What will happen if we don't have returning skilled guest workers, is we'll have crawfish being harvested and then put in the beds of tractor trailers and sent to Mexico to get it peeled there," he said.

Trump's administration recently began cracking down on legal foreign workers, in addition to illegal immigrants, by halting the expedited processing of H-1B visas, which allow immigrant workers to receive jobs typically in technology and health care jobs.

The administration has yet to impose restrictions on the H-2A and H-2B visas for seasonal agriculture and seasonal non-agricultural workers, which are used to employ immigrants in Louisiana's industries.
As House Republicans get ready to finally try to repeal much of the Affordable Care Act, keep an eye on how Medicaid expansion plays into the debate.

While much of the anti-Obamacare rhetoric has focused on the high costs and deductibles associated with some (but not all) of the private exchanges, there's been far less discussion of the Medicaid expansion that many states have tapped into, with substantial subsidies from the feds. Even President Donald Trump, who ran on the premise that the law is a "disaster," has barely uttered a peep about this aspect of the ACA.

Yet pushback against the idea of scaling back the expansion keeps growing stronger.

Louisiana's uninsured rate falls to 12.5 percent; leaders cite Medicaid expansion Louisiana is one of 10 states that have seen the steepest decreases in the rate of uninsured

Here in Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards quickly accepted the expansion package after his predecessor Bobby Jindal had refused to do so, and he considers it one of his major successes. Edwards regularly touts the number of working poor Louisianans who now have insurance who didn't before  upwards of 400,000  as well as the number who've had life-threatening conditions identified and treated because they now have access to preventive care.

The key figures in the conversation, though, are likely to the be Republicans who understand the benefits as well as Edwards does. They include Ohio Gov. and former presidential candidate John Kasich and several other GOP governors in states that have adopted the expansion. Increasingly, they also include some Republican senators who are hearing from frightened constituents, people like Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. All have spoken publicly in favor of keeping the expansion intact.

And just because others haven't been as vocal, that doesnt mean they're not attuned to the risk of messing with the new benefit. You can bet that group includes Republican Louisiana U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a longtime charity hospital system physician who sits on several key committees that will have input into whatever Congress does. Cassidy is in regular contact with Edwards, the governor has said, and has surely gotten an earful about expansion's benefits to his own constituents, not to mention the state's hospitals.

This is just one of several major issues where there's nothing like a consensus, despite the mad rush by many Republicans to take swift action. Anyone involved who thinks they won't get tripped up by these and so many other major details  sorry, Mr. President, health care really is that complicated  is about to have a rude awakening.
Cold Light. By Alana Valentine. Adapted from the novel by Frank Moorhouse. Directed by Caroline Stacey. The Street Theatre. Until March 18.. Bookings 6247 1223 or thestreet.org.au.

Cold Light is made of epic and intriguing stuff. Alana Valentine's adaptation of the last novel of Frank Moorhouse's Edith Trilogy cannot contain all but certainly captures something of its view of Australian post-war politics and society. And with 1950s and '60s Canberra at its centre there are many with whom it will resonate.

Tobias Cole as Ambrose, left and Sonia Todd as Edith Campbell Berry in Cold Light. Credit:Shelly Higgs

To this Canberra comes Edith Campbell Berry (played by Sonia Todd) and her sexually ambiguous husband Ambrose Westwood (Tobias Cole). He is attached to the British high commission and may have espionage connections.

Her brother Fred (Craig Alexander) turns up and turns out to be a Communist. Political differences do not, however, stop them renewing and maintaining some kind of family connection. There's real humour in their belated joint visit to their parents' country graves, complete with an attempted rerun of the eulogies by the local mayor (Nick Byrne). It is clear that Edith and Fred had parents who, like them, chased after causes, regardless of consequences.
Calvary Hospital is recording Canberra's alcohol hotspots and how much booze emergency patients are drinking in a groundbreaking trial aimed at curbing alcohol-fuelled violence.

It is hoped the three-year program at the hospital's emergency department will reveal the burden of the violence on the health sector and the venues causing the most harm.

Bars and bottle shops could be targeted in sting operations as part of the ACT government's liquor law overhaul. Credit:Gabriele Charotte

FARE chief executive Michael Thorn said the Driving Change study was timely given assaults in Canberra's CBD are on the rise, which he largely attributed to alcohol. But the ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner called for a wider strategy to target cultural attitudes, not just liquor availability.

Every person admitted to the Calvary Hospital ED will be surveyed on how much alcohol they drank in recent hours, where they bought it from and whether they'd taken illicit drugs.
Traditional views on marriage and the sanctity of human life have been marginalised by a new orthodoxy, according to the leader of the Canberra region's 158,000 Catholics.

Archbishop Christopher Prowse was commenting on the quashing of anti-abortion protests and criticism of same-sex marriage opponents.

The Catholic Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn, Christopher Prowse, joined a prayer vigil outside the Moore Street abortion clinic last year. Credit:Graham Tidy

In January, police fined three pro-life supporters and took another into custody for praying in the protest exclusion zone at Canberra's abortion clinic.

The zone was introduced around the Moore Street clinic in March 2016.
The Jupiter wind farm proposal has attracted massive opposition and more submissions than any NSW renewables project, including the first formal objection ever made by the Australian Wind Alliance to a wind farm project.

During the exhibition period, which has now closed, about 600 submissions were received by the NSW Department of Planning.

Tarago residents discuss the proposed Jupiter wind farm development. Credit:Jay Cronan

Among the individual submissions, there were 536 against the wind farm and 38 in support of the joint Australian-Spanish venture which plans to install 88 turbines across 23 rural properties in Tarago.

To put the overwhelming response to the project into perspective, of the NSW wind farm proposals for Bango, Biala, Crookwell, Crudine Ridge and Collector in recent years, none received more than 150 total submissions.
Some residents went without access to emergency information for up to an hour during the recent Carwoola fire due to poor radio and mobile reception.

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro called the lack of coverage a public safety issue and said he would work with the federal government towards a solution after years of failed local lobbying.

Carwoola resident Alex DeValentin said she had no radio reception to listen to ABC Radio Canberra during the recent fire when she evacuated to her friend's home in Hoskinstown. Alex in her burnt paddock with two of her horses, Harry and Buster. Credit:Jamila Toderas

Carwoola mum Alexandra DeValentin said she was not calling for luxury but an essential service, as she shared her experience of February 17.

The fire front was chasing her as she fled her Captains Flat Road home to her friend's property in nearby Hoskinstown, where the fire continued to circle her.
A Canberra single mother caring for her five-year-old daughter with cancer is now battling with a bank to ensure she does not lose the dream home she is building for her family.

Lizzie Christiansen has asked RAMS, owned by Westpac, for some leniency, in paying the remainder of a deposit on the new home under construction at Denman Prospect.

Lizzie Christiansen on the site of her new home at Denman Prospect with daughters Freyja (front) and Brynn and Inge. The family may lose the home as Ms Christiansen cares for Freyja, who has a rare form of cancer.

A RAMS spokeswoman said it would not discuss details of the case due to privacy concerns but confirmed the case was under review by the bank.

The builder has issued a stop-work order on construction of the house due to non-payment of the deposit.
A recent hailstorm in Sydney could cost two of Australia's major insurance companies, IAG and Suncorp, up to $370 million.

IAG, which offers insurance under several brands including NRMA, Swann, CGU and AMI in New Zealand, said it had received more than 20,000 claims in relation to the February 18 hailstorm as of March 5, and expected the cost would be around $160 million.

The insurer expected a maximum possible exposure of up to $200 million, after reinsurance.

IAG on Monday said its net claim cost up to the end of February was $650 million, which meant it could absorb about $130 million of net natural peril claim costs in the final four months of the 2016-17 financial year.
The declaration by the former chairman of the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority that James Packer's proposal to build the Barangaroo casino in Sydney lacked the appropriate parliamentary scrutiny echoes views of many others. But coming from the man who was the head of the NSW gaming regulator at the time the licence was granted, it should be both a huge embarrassment for the NSW government and testament to the influence Packer wields in Australia.

The claims by eight-year veteran of the gaming authority, Chris Sidoti, made on the ABC's Four Corners, suggest clearly that insufficient rigour was applied to the approval of a second casino licence in Sydney.

"There was no public tender process and there was no inquiry at any stage, a public inquiry, as to the public benefit involved in this," Mr Sidoti told Four Corners.

"I don't think there was an appetite for thorough scrutiny. I think there was a wish simply to get the job done in terms of having some basic level of examination and doing the deal."
The recent discovery by Australian scientists of a protein responsible for multi-drug resistant bacteria was hailed as a huge step forward in the global fight against superbugs.

But while such medical discoveries are vital, understanding the social, economic and political contexts of our reliance on antibiotics and chronic misuse is an equally important part of this fight.

The predictions are dire. By 2050, infections from resistant bacteria will overtake cancer as the leading cause of death globally and cost US$100 trillion.

We are heading for a post-antibiotic dystopia that will result in slow productivity, make simple medical procedures unviable, and reduce human life expectancy for the first time in generations.
Eating into the nation's food bowl will not solve Melbourne's housing unaffordability. The Victorian Planning Authority last week announced the release of 100,000 new housing lots on the city's fringe. Most are on farming land  either already rezoned for urban growth or still productive.

The VPA believes land release will "ensure Victoria retains its strong land supply that underpins our affordability edge", claiming that "Melbourne land prices remain around half that in Sydney". Really? Our "affordability edge"? Most estimates, including recent figures from property analysts CoreLogic, put Melbourne's land prices at more than three-quarters of Sydney's. Melbourne and Sydney are by far the two least affordable cities in Australia. Sydney is the financial capital and is land-locked. Is this the best we can do in Melbourne  keep expanding and congratulating ourselves for being less expensive than Sydney?

Government planning announcements are usually long on hyperbole and short on detail. So far they have contained no density targets and no requirements for inclusionary zoning  a standard regulation in North America and Europe, involving a percentage of affordable units in new private developments. Usually it is about 20 to 30 per cent, managed by non-profits with support for low-income tenants.

The VPA has promised a "pilot" of 100 affordable units on public land in existing suburbs as part of a program to "attract private developers to provide inclusionary housing". The suggested social component is 10 per cent. This is just sad: the pilot will privatise public land with feeble public benefit and the developers will walk away with the profits.
Remember Sami. A 10-year-old Iraqi boy beheaded in front of his classmates by Islamic State fighters. To teach them a lesson.

Remember Zahara. IS soldiers murdered the 45-year-old's husband and two sons, then handed her over to the religious police. They beat her for days when she refused to marry a foreign fighter.

Remember the name Bab al-Toub. It's the central square of Mosul, where IS would carry out its barbaric punishments: flogging, amputation, decapitation. Remember that a Melbourne man, Neil Prakash, is now accused of supervising these medieval tortures.

These are just some of the stories reported by The Age's Michael Bachelard after his visit to Mosul, the Iraqi city that became the heart of Islamic State's so-called caliphate and has now been partially recaptured by government forces.
Good Morning,

Welcome to The Gateway! Your morning newsletter from Brisbane Times has a new name and look from today. If you don't know me, allow me to introduce myself. I spent the last 20 years on ABC Radio in Brisbane, including 15 years presenting the breakfast show. From today, I will again be preparing you for the day ahead. The Gateway will drop into your inbox every weekday morning with the stories you need to know and some curiosities or good reads which have caught my eye. And, as I explained to Darren Curtis on Nine News last night, The Gateway isn't limited to Brisbane Times or Fairfax stories. You'll get it all by opening this email each day. (Also, there's some very bad acting in that Nine News story - I'll never be cruel to a Finance Department recruitment video ever again!)

My mug, and my mug, on Channel Nine on Sunday.

1. White House asks Congress to investigate Trump Tower wire-tap allegations

Were Donald Trump's phones tapped in the lead up to November's U.S. Presidential election? That's the allegation from President Trump - on Twitter of course! Barack Obama denies it and no proof has been offered. In fact, it appears the President is going off conservative media reports. He's now asked Congress to investigate.

2. What isn't Pauline Hanson being quoted about?

Here in Australia, the last 24 hours have been dominated by Pauline Hanson. On ABC TV's Insiders, she warned George Christensen to stay with the LNP rather than jump to One Nation because voters apparently don't like a defector. (An odd statement, coming less than two months after state MP Steve Dickson did just that to become One Nation's Queensland leader). She also drew criticism for blasting Muslims, praising Vladimir Putin and questioning vaccines. This morning, The Courier-Mail reports Pauline Hanson wants to launch her own brand of craft beerwhilst The Australian reveals the level of access Senator Hanson has to the Prime Minister.
More than half the world's turtles and two-thirds of some bird species along Australia's east coast are being found to have ingested plastics as the toll from pollution mounts, a leading CSIRO researcher said.

With plastic production almost doubling each decade, the world's oceans are receiving a proportional increase in plastic waste.

On current projections, by mid-century, some 95 per cent of all sea birds will be found with plastic inside them, said Denise Hardesty, a senior CSIRO research scientist, said.

"Birds are top predators and a really good indication of the eco-system health of our oceans," Dr Hardesty told Fairfax Media. "Humans are increasingly reliant on our oceans for our food and livelihood."
Sandra Fraser spends hours on a packed train commuting from her home in western Sydney to the city three times a week. But she counts herself lucky - at least she owns her own house.

"I think most people need to travel for work," the social work student from Fairfield West said. "You've gotta go where the work is, and most people can't afford to live anywhere near work. So they're living further and further out, because they can't afford their way in."

It's a problem the federal government wants to spends billions of dollars to fix, as part of a "city deal" to be finalised later this year that will focus on jobs, roads, rail links and environmental planning in western Sydney.

"It can take me an hour and a half to two hours to get into the city from where I live," said Ms Fraser, who is doing a work placement at the Sydney Alliance.
Home buyers would only have to pay for 75 per cent of their total house price under a plan praised by Treasurer Scott Morrison less than eight weeks out from a federal budget designed to help ease Australia's housing affordability crisis.

On Monday, Mr Morrison called the Victorian Labor government's newly announced trial of a "shared ownership" model  where the government retains a 25 per cent stake in a newly purchased house  "very interesting", but signalled he would prefer the private sector to stump up the initial investment.

Under the model, also known as a shared-equity arrangement, the private or public lender shares the profits when the home is ultimately sold. It is one of a suite of reforms introduced by the UK government, where the federal government is looking to for inspiration to tackle an endemic housing affordability crisis at home.

In Sydney, where median house prices have climbed to a record $1.2 million, such a policy would push mortgage prices for first home buyers down by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Similar savings would be found in Melbourne, where the median house price nudged $800,000 this year.
If a surgery is seriously botched, a medication is mixed up or an inpatient takes their own life, the Commonwealth will no longer foot the bill.

The federal government will stop funding medical care that involves a gross error resulting in a death or serious injury to a patient  known as a "sentinel event"  from July 1.

Under the change, the states will have to cover the costs of medical care linked to these errors.

A spokesman for Health Minister Greg Hunt said the states and territories had agreed to the change for state hospitals under a COAG agreement.
Moama tragedy: NSW Police told snatched boys' gran to call Victoria, lawyer says

Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later.

Dismiss
Last week offered up the bizarre case of a government department trying to improve the way it managed a lease in a public building  and being attacked, on multiple fronts, for daring to do so.

We're talking about Aussie's cafe in Parliament House versus the Department of Parliamentary Services, a stoush that played out through the media and Senate estimates. In response to criticisms from the Auditor-General, the department had been trying to earn more revenue from its leases; that is to say, it was trying to protect taxpayers by increasing their return on the immensely expensive public asset that is Parliament House. Yet a Financial Review columnist, Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell and a couple of senators appeared to want none of it.

The owner of Aussie's cafe, Dom Calabria. Credit:Andrew Meares

The cafe's owner, Dom Calabria, seems a decent chap based on our encounters with him. But Senate evidence suggests he's gone about his latest licence negotiations in an obtuse way. First, when department officials suggested they meet Calabria to discuss a new licence (his deal expired two years ago), Calabria cancelled the meeting and asked instead to see a draft agreement. The department's secretary, Rob Stefanic, says Calabria's only other contact was "to send an offensive email to one of my staff".
Notorious Supermax prisoner Bassam Hamzy has been allowed to call on convicted terrorism plotters to give evidence in a case disputing his jail conditions.

Justice Geoffrey Bellew on Monday granted leave for Hamzy to subpoena nine inmates from Goulburn jail's high-risk management unit, including Mohammed Omar Jamal and Omar Baladjam, members of one of the most comprehensive terrorism cells in Australia, who are serving time for planning an attack.

Bassam Hamzy is at Goulburn Supermax prison.

He is also allowed to subpoena terrorism suspects Raban Alou, Omarjan Azari, Sameh Bayda to adduce evidence about their specific conditions in jail.

Hamzy, the founder of the notorious Brothers for Life gang, is representing himself in a legal action against the Corrective Services Commissioner and the jail's management, claiming he was denied access to lawyers and to a laptop.
A man could serve up to six years in jail for the one-punch death of a Queensland grandfather.

Lindsay Ede was walking to his brother's house in the Ipswich suburb of Goodna when he was struck in the head by teenager Ariik Mayot in June 2015.

Ariik Mayot's supporters leave the court after he was sentenced. Credit:Jorge Branco

Mayot, now 20, was the first person charged under Queensland's so-called "one- punch" laws after the 56-year-old died in hospital three weeks after the attack.

He was sentenced on Monday to four years in prison, in addition to the two years he has already spent in custody, which the sentencing judge chose not to take into account.
A man accused of kidnapping his pregnant ex-girlfriend is back in custody and facing more charges including an allegation he spat at a television crew outside court.

Christopher Josevski, 24, was granted bail by a magistrate last Tuesday over allegations he knocked the woman down in a Derrimut service station and dragged her by the hair into his car on February 23.

Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Monday the woman was "aggrieved" when told Mr Josevski had been granted bail and so made a second statement, which alleged other offending from last year.

Mr Josevski was then taken back into custody last Wednesday, and charged with other offences, including allegations of intentionally causing serious injury.
As a display of family unity, it was as strong as they come.

More than eight months after she went missing, Karen Ristevski was finally laid to rest on Monday morning during a service at St John's Uniting Church in Essendon.

Her husband, Borce, and brother, Steve Williams, were pallbearers, both showing visible signs of emotion as they walked towards the hearse with the coffin on their shoulders.

In front, Sarah Ristevski, Karen's daughter, led the procession through the church doors and out into the warm Autumn day, holding the framed image of a smiling woman which has become so familiar to those still wondering what happened.
A man in his 20s has died after being pulled from the water on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula.

Police were called about 3.55pm to rescue a man in distress at Sorrento beach, close to the Esplanade.

Paramedics treated the man at the scene, but he could not be saved.

Police confirmed they were investigating the death, but were not treating it as suspicious. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
A container truck has slammed into a new safety barrier on Napier Street this morning and fallen in the path of a car that was following immediately behind it.

The car crashed into the container, sustaining heavy damage to its bonnet. The driver was lightly injured.

The busy street in Footscray was closed to traffic in both directions, and peak-hour trains on the Werribee/Williamstown corridor were delayed in the morning peak.

Police and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade attended the scene.
The Dutch election is wide open going into the last full week of campaigning, as support for the populist message of Geert Wilders declined and Prime Minister Mark Rutte failed to pick up the balance.

With polls showing five parties are now in contention to place first in the March 15 vote, leaders tried to capitalise on the opening over the weekend. Rutte touted his Liberal-led government's economic record, while Wilders said it would be untenable to exclude his Freedom Party from a coalition if it scored highly.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte poses for a photo with supporters during a campaign event in Barendrecht, Netherlands. Credit:Bloomberg

"With a bit more than a week to go, there is not yet a clear winner," Andre Krouwel, a professor of political science at Amsterdam's VU University, said in a telephone interview. He added that about 40 percent of the electorate has yet to make up its mind.

Elections in the Netherlands will set the tone for ballots in France and in Germany this year that will determine whether the voter anger that prompted the U.K.'s Brexit vote and brought Donald Trump to the White House is reverberating across mainland Europe. Wilders, who wants to stop all Muslim immigration to the Netherlands, has praised Trump's agenda, while Rutte said the Dutch have a chance to send a signal that halts the spread of populism.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/03/2017 (2071 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Steinbach church is showing their support for Muslims and the Islamic community with a new welcome sign that features a message in both English and Arabic.

The sign, which sits in front of the Grace Mennonite Church on Third Street, reads no matter where you are from, were glad youre our neighbor in English. The same message is translated into Arabic below the English.

Kyle Penner, the churchs associate pastor, said a conversation amongst the churchs outreach and refugee support committees started last month after the mass shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City occurred on Jan. 29.

ADRIANA MINGO | THE CARILLON Members of Grace Mennonite churchs outreach committee, Larry Friesen, Pearl Barz, Willie Stoesz and associate pastor Kyle Penner stand in front of a welcome sign that shows support for the Islamic community.

A bunch of us were wondering how we could best show support and solidarity for the Muslims in our community, said Penner.

The committees decided to install a sign that displays a message in both English and Arabic.

The sign is currently an adaption of signs churches are using around North America to express gratitude for their neighbours who speak Arabic and are often Muslim, said Penner. We figured we could adapt that for our context here.

The sign was installed last week. Penner said all of the feedback theyve received on the sign has been fairly positive.

Its viewed as a concrete, positive sign to be a welcoming communityboth as a church and as a larger community in Steinbach, he said.

Penner notes its important to show support because they believe being good neighbours is something Jesus calls upon them to do as a church.

We also know being a visible minority in a community can be difficult at times, so we found this to be a fairly tangible form of support, said Penner.

The sign will remain up for a month.
The text message came from a person calling himself Sycamore Neighbor: When sneaking around at night and switching and hiding vehicles, please remember to shut the lights off in your house so you dont waste electricity.

The messages recipient, an Irondequoit, New York, woman who lived off a Sycamore Street, had already changed her phone number and traded in her car her car after months of threats. But the text was the latest indication that someone was watching her more closely than ever.

On Thursday, the FBI arrested William Rosica, an Irondequoit police officer, for allegedly harassing and cyberstalking the woman, his ex-girlfriend, for a year. Rosica, 50, allegedly sent her hundreds of messages from fake email addresses, attempted to hack her medical records and her employers email, photographed her as she traveled, and sent her tutorials on how to commit suicide, after he pledged that short of killing you, I destroy every aspect of your life.

Worse still, Rosica was allegedly involved in a near-identical case against another woman less than a decade earlier, prosecutors say.

The latest campaign of harassment began with a breakup, a federal court alleges. In a March 1 complaint, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York identifies the victim only as L.M., a lawyer whom Rosica dated until early 2016, when L.M. broke off the relationship. Thats when the text messages began, the complaint alleges.

In March, shortly after the breakup, L.M. received a series of messages from email addresses she had never seen before, according to the complaint. I have already provided him with all the information he needs to know how you played him, read one. And you wonder why you have no friends? The message was signed from trustmeiknow@yahoo.com. Later that day, L.M. received a message from the email address anonymous, the complaint alleges. I think he knows how you played him, the message warned.

The messages continued, often from what appeared to be fake email addresses from third-party texting services, the complaint alleges. Soon, Rosica allegedly emailed L.M. to complain that he had been receiving the messages, too. Whatever you do do not trust her she is lying bigtime you fool, read one of the messages Rosica allegedly said he received. [S]he needs to tell you something soon she is hiding from you run!!

The cryptic messages all appeared to accuse L.M. of harboring a dangerous secret. Rosica allegedly took screenshots and sent them to L.M., accusing her of knowing who was behind them and asking her to make them stop.

L.M. agreed to meet Rosica at a park to speak in person, according to the complaint. There, he delivered a chilling ultimatum, the complaint alleges. I am at a cross-roads, Rosica told her, according to the complaint. Either I let you walk away and we lead our separate lives or short of killing you, I destroy every aspect of your life. You tell me what I should do.

L.M. told him she wanted to walk away and move on, according to the complaint. But a week later, Rosica was allegedly still weighing his options. With regard to our last conversation in the park, I still remain at a cross-roads, he allegedly emailed her. I must protect my better interests.

It was late August. The next week, the hacking attempts allegedly began. L.M.s phone carrier began alerting her of unusual login attempts. The following day, Rosica allegedly contacted her complaining that he, too was being hacked, by a person who claimed to know L.M.s secrets, and where she traveled. This is all legitimate and NOT bullcrap! Rosica allegedly emailed L.M., warning her that the emails could also drag you into this.

L.M. had had enough, according to the complaint. She changed her phone number and traded in her car for a different model. But the phone hacking notifications continued. And soon someone was taking pictures of her new car.

After L.M. visited her ex-husband one September day, her ex-husband began receiving text messages from Katy, one of the aliases that had allegedly contacted Rosica. I will make sure Bill knows [L.M.] is at your house right now, one of the messages read, referring to Rosica. Tell [L.M.] Katy is sending Bill a picture of her car in your driveway while she helps you with yard work.

Later that day, Rosica allegedly forwarded L.M. a message he said hed received from Katy. In it was a picture of L.M.s car in her ex-husbands driveway. It described what L.M. had been wearing that day. You are pathetic, PSYCHO, a LIAR, and the MOST untrustworthy person I have ever met, Rosica allegedly wrote in the forwarded email from Katy.

More emails followed, according to the complaint. In October, Sycamore Neighbor emailed L.M. about her comings and goings on the block, telling her to turn her lights off. Two days later a message from a different email address referenced the way she traveled home. Winton or Monroe tonight? the person wrote, referencing two local roads. Watch your speed.

Then the emails began suggesting suicide, the complaint alleges. A person with the email name Lights Out on Sycamore sent L.M. a tutorial on the 7 easiest and best ways to commit suicide. At least two other tutorials followed. By this point, in mid-October, the messages were coming multiple times a day, according to the complaint. Watching the movie me before you twice in one week is a good sign your thinking of killing yourself again good for you do it right this time psycho, the sender wrote, implying that he knew what movies L.M. watched and when.

The hacking attempts also allegedly exploded in volume late in the year. L.M.s phone provider warned her of unusual login attempts on her new number, while the law firm where she worked reported attacks on its computers. L.M. received a notification from a local hospitals medical database asking if she had recently tried resetting the password to her medical files. She had not.

A local Walgreens called L.M. about a prescription she had long since canceled. Bout time you picked up youre psyche pills, one of the now-familiar email addresses allegedly wrote her when she picked up the pills from the pharmacy. Walgreens staff later told the FBI that they received at least 24 calls from someone asking about L.M.s prescription from late September to early January. In one of the later calls, the caller allegedly impersonated L.M.s doctor but hung up when a pharmacist pressed them for details.

Meanwhile, someone began emailing L.M.s supervisors at her law firm, the complaint alleges. Hey skank tell them the truth and they wont feel so sorry for you tell them the nasty things you have said about them the other girls at the other firms know the same stuff we do you are a filthy lying skank, read a January message, one in a litany of emails on which L.M.s employers were cced.

All this time, Rosica had been employed as a police officer. L.M. told FBI officials that Rosica had boasted of installing an identity-hiding software on his laptop while they were dating. But in late January, the FBI found a way around Rosicas security measures.

Rosica allegedly used ToR, an internet anonymity service, to conceal his online activities. But the FBI says it tied him to some of the most persistent email addresses, after agents emailed those accounts with a fictitious cease-and-desist letter that required the reader to click a link to view the whole document. The FBI configured the link to land on a page that only opened if accessed by Rosicas home IP address. When Rosica attempted to click the link in ToR, he received an error message telling him the page was not available for ToR users. So he allegedly exited the secure network and opened the FBI link from his home IP address, apparently revealing his connection to the harassing messages. The FBI also mounted cameras around L.M.s home, where agents allegedly spotted Rosicas truck making repeated trips through L.M.s neighborhood.

Rosica was arrested on Thursday on stalking charges, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Since his arrest, another alleged victim has come forward claiming a similar campaign of harassment in 2009, in what an assistant U.S. attorney described as a carbon copy of L.M.s experience. During a Friday court appearance, Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Marangola said she learned of the new allegations against Rosica after a former police officer came forward to relate the previous allegations. The victim had not pursued charges against Rosica because he was a police officer and she feared retaliation, Marangola said.

Neither the Irondequoit Police Department nor Rosicas lawyer responded to requests for comment on Sunday. Rosica has been denied bail after a judge ruled that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the safety of any other person and the community. The Irondequoit Police Department has placed him on unpaid administrative leave pending the results of his trial.

In court, Marangola referenced Rosicas alleged promise to L.M. that short of killing you, I destroy every aspect of your life.

He absolutely followed through, Marangola said. He attempted to destroy every aspect of this womans life. And, he did, both emotionally and psychologically.
A check of the Union Field Cemetery in Queens confirms that Roy Cohn has not risen from his familys burial vault, where the inscription in the white marble reads in black letters:

ROY M. COHN

LAWYER AND PATRIOT

FEBRUARY 20, 1927

AUGUST 2, 1986

But there seems no doubt that his spirit was very much alive in the Oval Office on Friday. Cohns primary tactic since his youthful days as chief counsel to Senator Joseph McCarthys Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations was always to attack, attack, attack and deny, deny, deny; to make no admissions, never give an inch, fight to win no matter who is in the right, win because winning is the only thing, especially if you are in the wrong.

Cohn had stuck to that philosophy when he returned to New York to practice law, making the truth a lie and a lie the truth when it suited him. He demonstrated the full Roy while representing the Trump family real estate business in a racial discrimination suit and became a mentor to young Donald.

In life, Cohn had visited the Oval Office on multiple occasions to see President Reagan. Cohn had referred the Reagan folks to Trump for office space during the first campaign. And Cohn reportedly used his influence with Reagan to get Donalds sister, Maryann Trump Barry, appointed a federal judge. She is said to have called Cohn afterwards to thank him.

But in his wildest scheming, Cohn could not have imagined that his protege would become president.

And with President Trump came Cohns spirit, on full display Friday. Trump was reportedly in a fury that Attorney General Sessions had recused himself from the investigation into Russian influence in the election. Cohn would have no doubt been thrilled to see his teachings so vitriolically alive beyond the grave.

Reports of the meeting's intensity seem supported by the mute images captured by a video taken from outside the Oval Office and aired by CNN. A paranoid person might think that Trump was upset because he had something to hide and is afraid it will come out if he cannot control the investigation.

More likely, it was just classic Cohn.

The fuming Trump flew off to Florida and early the next morning he further channeled Cohn by tweeting a wild accusation.

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found

Cohn would have loved it all the more because the tweet was almost certainly at odds with any possible truth. A president cannot have anybodys line tapped and no federal agent of present days is going to conduct electric surveillance without court authorization.

Trump then concluded the tweet with a three-word declaration that went beyond what even Cohn might have dared.

This is McCarthyism!

Those words were wilder still coming from a protegee of the lawyer who had done so much to stoke the fires of McCarthyism and make it the evil that is was.

In keeping with the Cohn principle of attack, attack, attack, Trump quickly followed with three more Tweets. The first noted that the same Russian ambassador who met with Sessions had visited the Obama White House 22 times. Never mind that the real issue with Sessions was not so much the meetings themselves as his failure to be forthcoming about them. Never mind that the president  be it Obama or Trump or anybody else  is expected to meet with the Russian ambassador.

Another Trump Tweet followed, asking, Is it legal for a sitting President to be wire tapping a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW!

Next came, Id bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election.

One lawyer who could have made such a case was Cohn, who helped make McCarthyism what it was by twisting the truth and making accusations he knew to be false.

How low has President Obama gone to tapp (sic) my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy.

Trumpa fast-talking New York real-estate developer who has a proven proclivity to lie and who has seemed untroubled by Russian efforts to undermine that sacred processwas leveling the accusation at a Harvard educated former law professor whose expertise was constitutional law.

A former senior intelligence officer suggested Sunday that it was entirely possible that Trump was picked up on a wiretap. But that wiretap would have almost certainly been targeting somebody else.

That was the case more than a decade ago, when the NSA picked up and transcribed a conversation a Congresswoman had with a suspected Israeli spy. The Israeli was the target and the surveillance had been authorized by a warrant issued by a panel of federal judges as established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA.

Trump could have been similarly recorded speaking with the subject of a FISA warrant or the target of a criminal probe. Any such intercept would have to be approved by a judge who would no doubt require the government to demonstrate probable cause that the subject was involved in a crime or constituted a threat to national security.

The former intelligence officer could almost laugh off the tweets, were the author not the president. What really disturbed him was who was with the president at the Oval Office meeting where he erupted: chief strategist Steve Bannon, Ivanka Trump, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.

You have Bannon who sells hate, Ivanka who sells shoes, Donald Trump who sells his name, Priebus who sells Donald Trump, the intelligence officer said. Thats the inner circle. Theyre the ones once everybody else is thrown out of the room.

He added, And thats f---ing scary.

In that inner circle was and is Cohn, who oh so briefly seemed truly dead thanks to the magic of the teleprompter during the State of the Union Address on Tuesday.

But Friday proved that the spirit of Roy Cohn continues to walk amongst us even though a visit to Union Field Cemetery confirmed that his burial vault is undisturbed.

And on Saturday the protege outdid the mentor.

Maybe call it Trumpism.
By Allison Graves, PolitiFact Staff Writer

President Donald Trumps White House offered dubious explanations on the Sunday shows to defend Trumps Twitter accusation that former President Barack Obama wiretapped phones at Trump Tower before the 2016 election.

The president, a spokeswoman said on ABCs This Week, didnt come up with the storyline out of thin air. He was echoing reports from "multiple news outlets."

"Everybody acts like President Trump is the one that came up with this idea and just threw it out there," said deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on March 5. "There are multiple news outlets that have reported this."

At one point in the segment, Sanders specifically named The New York Times and BBC as news outlets that had supposedly covered the wiretapping allegations. Show host Martha Raddatz pushed back and said Trump started this issue with his specific tweet.

Sanders repeated her point: "I hardly say he started this when there were multiple news reports prior to that."

If the basis of Trump's comment is media reports, he doesn't have a case. We rated her statement False.

A White House spokesperson sent PolitiFact five articles from the BBC, HeatStreet, The New York Times, the National Review and a transcript from Fox News Special Report with Bret Baier as evidence of Sanders claim.

Before we get into those, its worth noting that many news outlets have suggested Trumps remark was inspired by a Friday post on Breitbart News. The post was not included by Trumps team as backup, but the Breitbart article links to some of the other reports.

The Breitbart article followed up on comments by Mark Levin on a Thursday segment of his conservative radio show. During the show, Levin claimed Obamas administration used "police state" tactics in the fall to watch over Trumps team.

Trump sent his tweet early Saturday. As of Sunday, he had still not provided evidence.

"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" Trump wrote.

The Breitbart article recapped 10 news events of the 2016 campaign that laid the foundation for Obamas administration to "eavesdrop on the Trump campaign." Among the events included as an example is the Wikileaks release of emails from Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, which the Clinton campaign used to blame "Trump and the Russians.

The Breitbart article also mentions two requests under the the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which grants a court the authority to grant (or deny) warrants for electronic surveillance. The reporting about FISA requests is taken from a Nov. 7, 2016, report from the conservative-leaning website called HeatStreet . HeatStreet published an article, it said, based on two unnamed sources.

"The FBI sought, and was granted, a FISA court warrant in October, giving counterintelligence permission to examine the activities of U.S. persons in Donald Trumps campaign with ties to Russia," reads a line from the HeatStreet piece.

The story says the FISA warrant was in relation to an investigation to the "Trump campaign, and its alleged links to two banks; SVB Bank and Russias Alfa Bank."

Other reports about the FISA requests come from the BBC and the Guardian. (The White House did not send the Guardian over as evidence.) Importantly, these sources do not back up Trumps accusation that Obama himself ordered the wiretap as part of political sabotage.

On Jan. 12, the BBC reported that lawyers from the National Security Division in the Department of Justice filed applications to the court that handles intelligence matters related to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

"A lawyer  outside the Department of Justice but familiar with the case  told me that three of Trump's associates were the subject of the inquiry," wrote Paul Wood, a British journalist who wrote the article in first person. The article did not say anything about Trump Tower.

Six months earlier, the Guardian reported that the FBI applied for a warrant to monitor members of Trumps team and their interactions with Russia from the FISA court in June. The story was light on the details. It said the June application was turned down by the court, and briefly mentioned a report that the FBI was granted a warrant in October, but that has yet to be confirmed.

Trumps team also sent over two articles from The New York Times. These articles are about intelligence probes related to Trump associates and Russian officials.

The first article , published on Jan. 12, reported that "American law enforcement and intelligence agencies were examining communications and financial transactions as part of a broad investigation into possible links between Russian officials and associates of then- President-elect Trump."

At one point, the article indicates that intelligence reports stemming from the intercepts were given to Obamas administration.

"One official said intelligence reports based on some of the wiretapped communications had been provided to the White House," it reads.

The other article from Jan. 12 is about the Obamas administration expanding the powers of the National Security Agency through new rules that relaxed limits on "collecting satellite transmissions, phone calls and emails that cross network switches abroad, and messages between people abroad that cross domestic network switches."

Trumps team also cited an article from the National Review as well as a March 3 Fox News interview between host Bret Baier and House Speaker Paul Ryan. The National Review article repeats the same information from HeatStreet. Baier asked Ryan about the report on FISA requests, which Ryan said he had not heard about. To be clear, that isnt an example of Fox independently confirming the HeatStreet report.

Its worth noting that Obama's director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, said on NBCs Meet the Press he was not aware of any wiretaps that Trump alleged. And Obama, through a spokesman, has denied wiretapping Trump Tower. Obama officials have also said a president cannot unilaterally order a wiretap.
The day Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak mingled with Trump campaign advisersincluding then-Sen. Jeff Sessionsat a conference near the Republican National Convention, the Department of Homeland Security began preparing a nationwide warning about foreign intelligence officials attempting to elicit information from U.S. government personnel at conferences, events, and other functions.

The document, eventually released on July 27, 2016, and reviewed by The Daily Beast, doesnt specifically mention which foreign intelligence service might be making such contacts. But a senior administration official says that growing concern within U.S. government circles about Russian interference in the election generallyand Kislyaks presence at the RNC in particularwas not unrelated to the production of the DHS intelligence bulletin.

Another source confirms the connection, pointing to a section of the bulletin warning of attempts by foreign intelligence officials to gather intelligence through what appears to be normal, even mundane, social or professional contact at events including conferences.

This article is based on DHS and other counterintelligence documents and interviews with five current or former law enforcement, intelligence, and government officials with deep knowledge of aspects of the overarching investigation into Russian influence of American politics. Not all of the sources agreed about the importance of the bulletin. Some viewed it as routine and somewhat obvious given its timing just months before an election; others believed it to be a serious indication of the FBIs long-running investigatory interest in Moscows attempts to sway the American political process.

This bulletin, from DHSs Office of Intelligence and Analysis, was distributed to a dizzying array federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and private sector partners to develop priorities relating to existing or emerging foreign intelligence threats to homeland security.

The bulletin is unusual in several ways. It is rare for DHSs Office of Intelligence and Analysis to produce such a warning about foreign intelligence; thats typically the purview of FBI counterintelligence. And while the document is unclassified, it contains a warning prohibiting it from being shared with foreign governments, which makes zero sense, isnt enforceable, and is entirely against policy, said a current government official.

Titled Counterintelligence Awareness, Foreign Entities: Indicators, Processes and Procedures, the bulletin details potential counterespionage targets and indicatorstaking copious notes and long bathroom breaks, and making software-related inquiries, for exampleand warned U.S. personnel to be particularly vigilant during meetings with foreign officials.

It is important not to draw special attention to you or your coworkers, particularly when meeting foreign officials, to ensure foreign entities do not target your expertise or assume you have placement and access to information of interest, the bulletin reads. We recommend preparing simple, unclassified answers should a foreign entity begin to inquire, even if seemingly out of polite curiosity, about you or your work. Lastly, plan deflection tactics to minimize a foreign entitys ability to ask probing questions or display intrusive behaviors.

The interactions between the ambassador and Sessions at Global Partners in Diplomacy, an RNC-related policy conference co-sponsored by the U.S. State Department and attended by up to 79 other ambassadors, were first reported by The Washington Post. USA Today then reported that conversations between other campaign advisers and the ambassador that took place at that same event. One of those advisers, Carter Page, acknowledged Thursday night on MSNBC that he did speak with Kislyak there.

J.D. Gordon, who spoke on a panel before Sessions and was listed on the conference agenda as a senior advisor to the Trump campaign, told The Daily Beast he also spoke with Kislyak at the conference.

After my panel remarks at the Global Partners in Diplomacy program in conjunction with the GOP National Convention in Cleveland on July 20th, I informally interacted with dozens of ambassadors and senior diplomats after leaving the stage. I chatted with this group as well during an evening reception, Gordon said. This includes a brief, informal conversation with Ambassador Kislyak, during which I repeated some of the points made by the campaign on the importance of improving relations with Russia. These were not substantive policy discussions, as the White House has noted. None of these informal conversations lasted for more than five minutes.

Several other Trump campaign or transition officials who attended the conference also dismissed concern over communications with Kislyak at the conference as idiotic and overblown at best. All said the FBI was wasting its time and resources running down every single person the ambassador approaches.

Dude is everywhere, so fucking what, said a member of the Trump campaign of the Russian ambassador. You dont think we do the same thing over there?

So yeah, we know him and he knows us, and you make small talk and you play that game. If you think that means I cant handle my shit and were all Russian agents, go fuck yourself, said this Trump campaign staffer, now working with the administration.

But also seriously, I always wondered if hes got a twin cause that dude is literally everywhere, the official added, before quickly noting, Obviously, I know he doesnt.

Exactly what Kislyak and the Trump campaign officials discussed at the edges of the RNC last year is not known, but according to the DHS intelligence bulletin, seemingly innocent conversations could assist Russian intelligence operations. Specifically, the bulletin warned of elicitation: a commonly used and highly effective intelligence-gathering technique using ordinary conversation to extract targeted information from a person in a manner that does not disclose the true intent of the conversation. It can occur anywhereat social gatherings, at conferences, on ship/facility tours, on the street, over the phone, in writing, or over the Internet.

A senior former intelligence official said Kislyak does not work directly for Russian intelligence but is practiced at the art of elicitation and as a student of the U.S. for many years, takes advantage of overly talkative U.S. officials and others to gather information. That proves useful to multiple branches of the Russian government, the official said, speaking anonymously to describe interactions with Russian intelligence.

A DHS spokesman would not answer repeated questions on the timing of the provenance or timing of the report, saying only, This document went out via email and the Homeland Security Information Network to stakeholders, as listed in the scope. Its part of an ongoing effort to inform the department and stakeholders about counterintelligence threats.

In response to lengthy and detailed inquiry from The Daily Beast, the FBIs main press office email account responded: We dont have any information to provide you on this request.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on various aspects of this article.

But it is clear that by the time the DHS bulletin was in production, there were already deep concerns about the Russian role in the upcoming American election.

By July 25, 2016, as the Democratic National Convention kicked off in Philadelphia, FBI officials were already telling reporters that they strongly suspected that the Russian government was behind the hacks of the Democratic National Committee. That same day, Trump tweeted, The new joke in town is that Russia leaked the disastrous DNC e-mails, which should never have been written (stupid), because Putin likes me.

On July 27, Trump called for Russia to hack Hillary Clintons emails. This DHS foreign intelligence alert was blasted out across the country the same day.

One current law enforcement official, annoyed at repeated questions about this bulletin, scoffed and said the other sources were reading too much into the tea leaves, but didnt dispute that it had been produced on the heels of the Russian ambassadors conversations at the RNC in July.

According to this official, DHS was aware by July 2016 that there was evidence of Kremlin interference in the election and didnt want to be accused in any way of not sharing preventative intelligence information beforehand.

The official said the bulletin served multiple purposes but the primary one wasnt exactly cloak and dagger in nature. This is also known as one enormous Cover Your Ass, said the official, explaining that there was a great deal of criticism of how the government shared information immediately after the DNC breach.

The bulletin is bullshit, the official said, but the threat isnt and people should know.

with additional reporting by Tim Mak and Kimberly Dozier
The revised executive order President Trump signed Monday morning is still a Muslim ban and it is still unconstitutional.

In an effort to get around court decisions, the new order excludes from its purview legal permanent residents (green card holders) and those holding valid visas, while banning all other travelers from six Muslim majority countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Iraq, which was covered by the original order, has been removed from the list because of its cooperation in U.S. efforts against the Islamic State and assurances that authorities there will step up vetting of Iraqis seeking to travel to the United States. While the new order removes the preferential treatment of religious minoritiesread non-Muslimsthat made the previous version facially discriminatory, the defects of the scheme are far deeper than these changes can fix.

The decision of the 9th Circuit in the Washington State case, which halted enforcement of the original ban across the country, covered not only the green-card and visa holders excluded from the new order but also a much larger group: people from the banned Muslim countries who dont currently have visas but would like to come to the United States to see their families, study at our universities, do business or even just visit. The administrations obvious play here is to focus the courts attention on this last group, who do not already have a recognized immigration status.

People seeking to travel to the United States traditionally cannot claim the right to a visa and are the most vulnerable to being excluded. But American Muslims surely do have rights, which are very much at stake with this attempt to bar those who share their faith.

As the Supreme Court has stated, the clearest command of the constitutions Establishment Clause is that the government cannot prefer one religion over another. This imperative is inextricably tied up with the right to exercise ones religion, which would be difficult, to say the least, in an atmosphere where ones faith was officially disfavored. By prohibiting visas only for people from Muslim countries, the executive order disfavors Islam and stigmatizes Americans Muslims.

This is the case even though the new order removes the obvious preference for non-Muslims in the first order, and instead claims a security rationale. The Establishment clause is violated when the purpose of a law is to institute a religious preference, even when that law is written in neutral terms. And, evidence of the purpose of Trumps order is abundant. Virginia federal district court Judge Leonie Brinkema enjoined the original ban as discriminatory, relying on President Trumps statements advocating a Muslim ban and those of his adviser Rudy Giuliani as evidence of its true purpose.

At the same time, recent leaked documents from the Department of Homeland Security severely undercut the stated security justification. A document obtained by Rachel Maddow of MSNBC shows that the small number of foreign-born persons who have carried out terrorist attacks in the United States mostly did so years after they came to the country; visa screening and vetting could not have predicted their subsequent actions. Another DHS analysis concludes that nationality is a poor proxy for potential terrorist activity.

Even though Trump has adjusted some aspects of the order, its original purpose is dispositive. A 2005 case striking down a Kentucky courthouse display of large, readily visible copies of the Ten Commandments is instructive. Due to the objections of civil-rights groups, the display had been modified into a broader exhibit on the foundations of American law, and eventually included other documents such as the lyrics of the Star Spangled banner. The Supreme Court ruled that even if the new exhibit would be constitutional under other circumstances, the history of the litigation demonstrated the governments true purpose to favor Christianity.

Of course, courts traditionally accord the president considerable deference in matters of national security and immigration and he has broad statutory authority to exclude aliens from the United States. But deference does not mean a blank check, as the Supreme Court has repeatedly made clear. Even in the context of highly sensitive cases of military detention at Guantanamo Bay which had been authorized by Congress, courts reviewed the actions of the executive branch and forced changes to protect the rights of the foreign nationals imprisoned there.

Three federal courts have already signaled their willingness to halt the Presidents first attempt at instituting a Muslim ban, and odds are they will carefully and conscientiously examine this version and strike it down because of its unconstitutional purpose.
On the same night that Trevor Noah was taping his latest Netflix stand-up special, Afraid of the Dark, in New York City, Amy Schumer was 1,800 miles away in Denver, performing her new hour, The Leather Special.

It was Saturday, Nov. 5, three days before Donald Trump would shock the world by beating Hillary Clinton at the polls. Schumer, a strong Clinton supporter throughout the election, was still feeling some joy, as she told Seth Meyers this past week. I had this thinghopein my body, she joked.

Especially after she had a group of Trump fans boo and walk out of her show in Tampa, Florida, a few weeks earlier, she didnt want to talk about politics in her special. Even now, four months later, shes still not quite able to go there. Im not ready to joke about new dad yet, she told Meyers.

Instead, Schumer decided to open her special by talking about her body. A near-empty bottle of red wine on the stool next to her, she says, I dont know if you guys know this, but this past year Ive gotten very rich, famous, and humble.

Schumer was referring to the almost-nude photo she tweeted out the previous year, which she described as beautiful, gross, strong, thin, fat, pretty, ugly, sexy, disgusting, flawless, woman. It was that experience, she says onstage, that made her realize you never want someone to call you brave for taking off your clothes.

Within a few minutes, she has moved on to talking about her pussy. Whats really brave, she says, is going down on her while shes blackout drunk. Because, On its best day, my pussy smells like a small barnyard animal. On its worst day, she adds, ISIS.

At times, this material veers dangerously close to the parody of Schumer and female comedians like her that became a running joke on this past season of South Park. In addition to the storyline about the Turd Sandwich and Giant Douche running for president, Eric Cartman spent most of the shows 20th season insisting that women are funny. At one point, he tells his female classmate, Just do womens comedy stuff. You know, talk about how fat you are and how you wanna have sex with guys and then say my vagina a lot.

Yet, as Schumer made clear in her previous special on HBO, there is a clear double standard at work there. Im labeled a sex comic, she said in 2015s Live at the Apollo, directed by Chris Rock. I think its just because Im a girl. I feel like a guy could get up here and literally pull his dick out, and everyone would be like, Hes a thinker.

This push and pull between often outrageously revealing material about her sex life and more serious commentary about gender and politics is a constant theme of the new special. Schumer does an extended bit about where men want to ejaculate during sexI dont know about you guys, but Ive never dated someone with American Sniper-type accuracybefore transitioning into the story of how she met her current boyfriend, and object of tabloid fascination, furniture designer Ben Hanisch. We learn that they both had massive diarrhea from food poisoning on their first trip together to Paris and that he recently yawned while she was giving him a blowjob.

But then, after about 37 minutes, Schumer takes a hard turn. Things get a little quieter as she brings up the shooting that left two women dead in a Louisiana movie theater during a screening of her debut film Trainwreck in the summer of 2015.

I knew nothing about gun violence and I found out that the guy who had shot them was severely mentally ill and a domestic abuser, Schumer says of the gunman, who also killed himself on the scene. I was like, well how could he get a gun? she asks. It was later that she found out even someone who is mentally ill and has been convicted of domestic violence can still obtain a firearm due to various background-check loopholes.

Schumer decided she wanted to do whatever she could to change that, enlisting her cousin, now-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, for help. These are my first public comments on the issue of gun violence, but I can promise you they will not be my last, she vowed at a Manhattan press conference a few weeks after the shooting. With Trump in office, the issue has thus far been removed from the top of most Democrats priority lists.

What I learned was, no matter what you say, as soon as you say the word gun, what gun nuts hear is, She wants to take all our guns! Schumer says, breaking into a stereotypical impression of a redneck gun owner. That shifty Jew wants our guns!

She goes on to use comedy to express how outrageous it is that those on the terrorist watch list and even blind people can get guns in America. Im all about equal rights for the disabled, she remarks, but if Stevie Wonder calls me and hes like, Do you want to go shooting today? Im going to be like, Hard pass!

Can we just work on not giving guns to mentally ill terrorists who are blind and beat their wives? Schumer asks to applause from the crowd.

Schumers latest jokes about this do not represent the most incisive or revelatory satire on Americas obsession with gunsher sketches about the issue on both Inside Amy Schumer and Saturday Night Live were far more effective. But the line she uses to end this chunk of the special, tying together the raunchy material that came before with this more earnest plea for rational gun policy, demonstrates her impressive skills as a stand-up comic.

And, you know what, I totally hear you guys, she says, imitating a skeptical member of her audience. Youre like, Schumer, you were just talking about cum all over your tits, now we have to listen to this shit?

But whats crazy, she continues, is you can catch a hot load all over your titties and still not want to get your loved ones to get shot in a theater.

Even the South Park creators should be able to give it up for that one.
Racial power dynamics are at the heart of Hollywoods reigning box-office champ Get Out, a horror hit that not only upends genre conventions, but allegorically addresses the lingering legacy of slavery in 21st century America. That topic is of similar concern to the latest original feature from Netflix, Burning Sands, albeit in a manner thats as unexpected as it is intriguing. Co-starring Moonlights Trevante Rhodes in yet another film about African-American masculinity, Gerard McMurrays dramawhich premiered at Januarys Sundance Film Festival, and is based in part on his own experiencesconcerns five African-American college freshmen going through Hell Week, a hazing rite of passage required to gain admittance to prestigious Lambda Phi fraternity. Its a saga of brutal physical and emotional violence, and the question lingering over it is: are these Greek men figuratively, if not also literally, adopting the tactics of slave-owners against each other?

McMurrays film raises that provocative suggestion early on, during a discussion in Professor Hughess (Alfre Woodward) classroom about a historical letter describing the fear, distrust and envy used by whites to control their black human property. The ensuing student debate focuses on the documents authenticity, and whether or not that matters if what it conveys is true. But its the reference to slave-owners methodsat the start of a story about African-American men doing analogous, terrible things to other African-American menwhich hovers over the remainder of the proceedings. That pre-med student Zurich (impressive newcomer Trevor Jackson) hasnt read this letter only further helps lay the foundation for the subsequent tale, in which Zurich is put through a gauntlet of torment and is forced to reassess his feelings toward comrades who are eager to dominate through terroralbeit in a spirit of fostering brotherhood.

Given that Burning Sands takes place at Frederick Douglass University, its apt that Douglasss prose is a constant presence, be it in dialogue between Zurich and Hughes, or in Zurichs own narration. The lessons gleaned from Douglasss words, though, are complicated. If there is no struggle, there is no progress, Zurich recites at one point, underscoring the ideainitially subscribed to by Zurich, and born out by his fraternity big brothers professional successthat his suffering is for a greater purpose. Such a notion, however, is soon contrasted with Professor Hughess favorite Douglass quote: Its easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. Whether hazing is thus a positive or a negative factor in a mans maturation remains, to some extent, open to interpretation. Still, for much of the film, theres little question that whatever long-term benefits there might be to this harassment, theyre not quite worth the short-term cost to both body and mind.

Zurich is joined in his fraternity quest by four mates, only two of whomangrier Frank (Tosin Cole) and nerdy Square (DeRon Horton)are really defined by McMurray and Christine Bergs screenplay. Together, they try to draw strength from each other during the trials orchestrated by their elders, led by president Edwin (Rotimi), callous heavyweight Big Country (Christian Robinson), and smooth operator Fernander (Rhodes). Those often entail reciting fraternity dogma, doing push-ups, jogging in place, running errands, or standing arm-in-arm while being profanely beratedor spit on, slapped, punched and kicked. From its opening sequence, in which Frank suffers the repercussions of protecting Zurich from mistreatment, Burning Sands pulls no punches in its depiction of the horrors that would-be frat boys willingly tolerate to join their coveted Greek ranks.

To be sure, the extreme cruelty of campus hazing isnt a new cinematic topic; just last year, Andrew Neels Goat provided a bracing first-person view of the traumas inflicted by (in that instance, white) students against their younger compatriots in the name of macho camaraderie. McMurrays film isnt nearly as stylized as Neels, taking a more straightforward aesthetic approach to its material. Nonetheless, it energizes its somewhat familiar subject matter through specificity. Rarely has the big-screen spotlight shone so directly on African-American college life, which is here rendered as a milieu at once distinctly black (the thudding hip-hop at frat parties; the step-dancing routines that take place at those shindigs, as well as in public campus spaces), and yet not all that different than any other sort of university setting, awash as it is in the usual mix of personalities, peer pressures and academic types. Its a portrait whose universality is all the more compelling for its precise, unique details.

From Zurichs alienation from his father (whose texts he wont return), to his strained relationship with the girlfriend (Imani Hakim) who disapproves of his frat dreams, to his feelings of obligation to the dean (Steve Harris) who helped get him a spot on Lambdas pledge roster, Burning Sands uses standard narrative conventions to forward a subtle, but powerful, point about racial equality. Moreover, in the escalating nastiness that Zurich and his friends are forced to endureleading to broken ribs for Zurich, and doubts about whether undergoing such an ordeal makes senseit continually raises the thorny issue of whether all this hazing is an example of African-Americans embracing the strategies of their former slave-era oppressors (and their white college counterparts) for similar supremacy-asserting reasons.

Even when its plot trajectory seems more than a bit predictable, McMurrays film proves a shrewd snapshot of fraternity life that, encapsulated by a scene in which Rhodes Fernander is branded on the stomach by his brothers and reacts by jumping around with his friends in both agony and ecstasy, understands that frat life can beget both pleasure and pain, often in the same moment. Such ambiguity is also felt in a finale that finds Zurich and company coping with tragedy, and in the process, figuring out to whom theyre truly loyal.

While the answer isnt altogether surprising, the message Burning Sands imparts about hazings solidarity-through-sadism ethos is slyly multifaceteda complexity encapsulated by the pained expressions of Zurich as he wrestles with his thoughts (which one can almost hear, just by looking at him) in an extended closing shot that, among other things, heralds Jackson as a star in the making.
Late last month, Fox News Channel announced that it had signed David Bossie, the Citizens United president and Donald Trumps former deputy campaign manager, as a contributor for political analysis on Fox News and Fox Business. Its not a bad gigbut it doesnt quite match the high-profile or gravitas he may have thought he had coming as a part of the campaigns senior team.

Bossie, a longtime conservative activist and operative, had his post-election designs on a higher position of power in the Trump era he helped forge, say multiple people close to Bossie and Team Trump.

After all, Stephen Bannon, who served as CEO of the Trump presidential campaign, is now the White House chief strategist (and one of the most powerful people on the planet). Kellyanne Conway, former Trump campaign manager, ended up with her title of counselor to the president. Hope Hicks, The Donalds accidental press secretary for the campaign and then presidential transition, works in the Trump White House as a strategic-communications director. Former top aide Jason Miller was off to help lead the White House comms shop, until an affair was alleged by a former Trump adviser. Even Omarosa, the presidents former reality-TV co-star and the campaigns black-outreach czar, is now working in the West Wing.

So, what the hell happened to Bossie, who Trump-campaign insiders credit as another major player in Trumps upset victory?

David was more of a campaign manager than Kellyanne ever was, one senior member of the Trump campaign, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, told The Daily Beast. A more accurate description for Kellyanne would have been spokeswoman and then adviser.

Conway, for her part, will say that she has nothing but fond memories of Dave from the trail.

Dave is a friend and colleague of decades, and was a key member of our senior team on the campaign, she emailed The Daily Beast. His mastery of grassroots engagement and pockets of voter possibility on the electoral map informed decisions on resource deployment, and scheduling rallies and other major touch-the-voter events for our now President and Vice President. Dave worked tirelessly, separated from his family, and fully committed to the election of Trump-Pence. He traveled, jousted on TV, and interfaces with our team on the ground.

After Trump tapped Bossie for deputy campaign manager late last year, Trump himself called the Citizens United president a friend of mine for many years, in an interview with The Washington Post. Solid. Smart. Loves politics, knows how to win, Trump added. Bossie would later join Trumps presidential transition team on the leadership staff as deputy executive director.

He deserved better than thishe deserves more for what he did, the Trump campaign source said.

On stage at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference late last month, Bossie waxed nostalgic about the election past during his speaking slot on the last day of the event (not exactly prime time).

2016 was a historic year, and Im truly honored to have been part of it, Bossie said, while discussing the Trump phenomenon of the past election. I got a chance to serve as the deputy campaign manager for Mr. Trump, and then I got a chance to serve as the deputy director of the presidential transition team. And those were high honors for me, and my career, and my life. It was a wonderful five months to be able to work on it.

Prior to hopping aboard the Trump train, Bossie ran the Defeat Crooked Hillary super PAC. Ten days after Trump was inauguration, Bossie and several other former Trump aides launched the pro-Trump nonprofit America First Policiesa group that so far appears to be in complete functional disarray.

Bossie did not respond to The Daily Beasts requests for comment on this story. But former Trumpland colleagues paint a picture of Bossie as a longtime pal of Trumps, and someone charged with coordinating the nuts and bolts of campaign operations, particularly in the homestretch of the fight against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. He was also instrumental in the strategy in the final month of the presidential race to focus on Bill Clintons alleged sexual violence against women, in an attempt to counter Trumps long list of accusers.

He was largely responsible for the decision to move components and campaign resources to Michigan and Wisconsin at the last minute, and moved the presidents schedule, a senior Trump campaign aide told The Daily Beast. Kellyanne would do these things with the pollsters, then Bossie came up with the plan of how to get them there and worked closely with the digital team, finance department, and [communications] team to do it. He tied [it all] together.

Another Team Trump alumnus described Bossie as a key component to why Trump went [to Blue Wall states], and why he won the White House.

Sources close to Bossie describe his ambition to become, if not a player directly inside the West Wing, the next chairman of the Republican National Committee, after former chair Reince Priebus headed to the Trump White House.

In mid-November, Politico reported that Bossie had made it to the shortlist for Priebuss successor. Ultimately, Bossie did not make it far in the post-election RNC sweepstakes because party leaders had been wary from the get-go about his combative, brash style, anyway, one RNC source said.

He had the trust of the president, so he seemed like a natural [fit], a former Trump campaign adviser said. But the RNC made its decision.

The main reason, according to sources with knowledge of the process, Bossie wasnt destined to head the RNC was he butted heads with the wrong party bigwigs. In December, The New York Times reported that Bossie frequently clashed with Mr. Priebus, and that Trump was apparently dissatisfied with [Bossie] by the end of the campaign.

It is less clear exactly what kept Bossie out of the West Wing. But according to two sources close to both Bossie and Trump, the new president has still kept in touch with his former deputy campaign manager. He still communicates with the president [via phone] to discuss what can be done on the outside, a GOP political operative with knowledge of their recent conversations said. Theyve discussed traditional media and conservative media and how to get the presidents message and agenda out on those platforms.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on this characterization of the ongoing relationship.

It makes total sense why hes now on Fox News, one Trump campaign aide said.

On the campaign trail, Trump and Bossie would often discuss best practices for disseminating the Republican presidential nominees message and right-wing nationalist-populist vision on conservative and mainstream media, according to veterans of Trumps campaign.

Trump has long been obsessed with media coverage, and was himself once a part of the conservative-media apparatus, having landed a regular Fox News segment titled Mondays With Trump starting in early 2011. Prior to his Fox News contributorship, Bossie role in conservative media including collaborating on several film projects with Steve Bannon, his former Trump campaign colleague.

Bossie and Bannon go way back. It was Bossie who was responsible for introducing Trump to Bannon in 2011, and Bossie had written columns for Bannons website Breitbart as recently as late May 2016.

In fact, Bannons old writing partner in Hollywood blames in part blames the Citizens United president for the Steve Bannon who the world knows today.

[Steve] changed considerablynoticeably, Julia Jones, Bannons former Hollywood screenwriting partner, told The Daily Beast last week. A major change seemed to happen when he started working with Bossie [in the late aughts].

Bannon had previously co-authored with Jones more lighthearted fare, such as a Shakespearean hip-hop musical about the Los Angeles riots, which the two had tried to stage together in 2006. And then, according to Jones, Bossie entered the picture.

Steve became less playful, less creative, darker, and more negative in what [movies and projects] he wanted to work onmore of a sense of doom and end of the world feel started to really creep in right after he started [collaborating] with him, she recalled.

Theres always been a part of me that has blamed Bossie for what Steve has become, Jones continued. Jones, an avowed liberal, was Bannons writing partner and close friend for nearly two decades. Late last year, the two of them had a falling out over his role in Trumps rise, during which Jones had grown so disgusted at what her longtime friend had done.

Jones had already disliked Bossie by reputation, having read about the mans anti-Clinton tactics in the 90s and his involvement with Citizens United (and the groups landmark Supreme Court case). In the late aughts, when Bossie and Bannon began collaborating more on movie projects, Jones says that she had to tell Bannon, I cant work with him, Im sorry.

Bannon, as Jones remembers it, replied, Fine, then continued to work with Bossie regardless.

From Day 1 I knew [Bossie] was bad newsI didnt want anything to do with him, she said.

Bannon did not respond to a request for comment regarding his relationship with Bossie, or their influence on each other.

A couple decades later, Jones and Bannons relationship, both personal and professional, has bitten the dust. In the meantime, the Bossie and Bannon pairing helped pave the way for a Donald Trump presidency.

And now with Bossie on the outside of the Trump White House looking in, he might be relegated to navigating the new political reality of Trumpism without the luxury of a new seat of power for himself.

For instance, his position at America First Policies may have died before it really even started. According to two sources with knowledge of the nonprofits early inner turmoil, Bossie isnt actively working with the group he supposedly helped launch.

One source said Bossie bolted after he and Rebekah [Mercer] didnt like what they saw.

Katrina Pierson, a former Trump campaign national spokeswoman and one of America First Policies principals, did not respond to a request for comment on Bossies involvement.

I think Bossie has walked, another source said.

with additional reporting by Gideon Resnick
Twitter temporarily suspended the account of David Duke on Monday, before restoring it hours later, along with anti-Semitic tweets calling to SHUT DOWN a few synagogues he posted hours earlier.

It is unclear what prompted the ban or the reinstatement, and a request for comment from Twitter was not returned.

The suspension and apparent backtrack comes one month after Twitter vowed once again to crack down on abuse and harassment on the social network, taking what CEO Jack Dorsey called a completely new approach to abuse on Twitter. The company made similar proclamations in 2015 and 2016 to limited or no effect.

Duke, the former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan , provided a statement to The Daily Beast before he was reinstated on Twitter.

Anyone who takes a position from the right is subject to be removed from Twitter. Moreover, freedom of speech in regards Internet [sic] is basically non existent unless you have a Marxist left wing opinion.

Mike Lawrence, a spokesperson for Duke, told The Daily Beast hes not sure if he will try to restore [his] account in a series of text messages.

At this point, [Duke] seems ambivalent in regards to [his] Twitter account, he said.

When his account was restored, Duke said he had no idea why I was suspended.

On Sunday, Duke tweeted that we might have to SHUT DOWN a few synagogues above a report saying some would protect immigrants. He tweeted an article about The Jew as Adversary in the Battle Over Obscenity, Pornography and Sexual Morality, linking to his own website. Duke also tweeted "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed" along with a picture of two bullets.

In a series of tweets on Monday, he then derided Captain America , at one point calling the Marvel superhero globalist filth and a cuck.

Duke received renewed public interest in the 2016 election cycle , claiming our people have played a HUGE role in electing Donald Trump on election day. He also ran for a vacant Senate seat in Louisiana, but only received 5.1 percent of the vote.

In December, Twitter banned white nationalist Richard Spencer for utilizing  multiple accounts with overlapping uses . Former Breitbart tech editor and far-right agitator Milo Yiannopoulos was also banned from Twitter last year for a harassment campaign against Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones.

Yiannopoulos decried the ban in a public eulogy to Twitter in September. As Twitter systematically bans the best and most creative users and turns their site into an unholy alliance of crybaby SJWs and militant Islamists, regular users have come to the conclusion that Twitter is not the place to be anymore., he said .
The arresting magic of Branden Jacobs-Jenkinss play Everybody is there, right at the start as Jocelyn Bioh, playing an usher, gives the most brilliant, smiling but firm but eye-rolling instructions to the audience on how to conduct themselves.

Its all the usual turn off your phones, and unwrap your candy wrappers announcement, but with added bite. We learn that this play, directed by Lila Neugebauer for Signature Theatre, is a modern riff on the 15th-century morality play Everyman, which will follow Everybody as they journey toward death.

Bioh suddenly becomes a very unhappy God, annoyed that weeverybody in the audienceis laughing at her. Deatha dry, slightly impatient and scatterbrained Marylouise Burkearrives to find a soul to shepherd someone to the hereafter. Every person in the show plays a concept.

Little do we know that five people called everybody have concealed themselves among us in the audience, and Death wants Everybody to make an account for their lives.

Via a lottery, one of five actors is selected to be Everybody for the night. The night I saw it, this was Brooke Bloom, and on her journey to death, she was joined at various points by other actors representing Friendship, Kinship, Stuff, and, finally, Love.

There are a set of simple seats for Everybodys encounters with these mainstays of her life, and after the end of each small chapter we eavesdrop in the dark on conversations between all kinds of everybody, which orbit around what we can and cant say to each other, and how discourse itself can be so problematic today.

Everybody is us, or any one of us, and so when Bloom was discussing with Friendship (David Patrick Kelly, excellentweaving this way and that, places to be and all that) if Friendship would accompany her to death, Jacobs-Jenkins, with both ribald wit and sensitivity, shows how nourishing friendship can be to us, but also, at its final count, how limiting. And fickle.

The same thing happens with Kinship, which turns out to be two cousins stoking a barbecue: again, they are perfectly nice, but not willing to do as much as they should.

Stuff (dressed in a distractingly shiny dress by Lakisha Michelle May) is precisely as her clothing suggests: a temptation and a distraction. Everybody cannot believe they have invested so much time and money accumulating stuff, and now to receive so little in return.

Love, itself angry at being annoyed the whole play, almost leaves before addressing Everybody, but eventually Loveand its of the especially tough kindteaches Everybody of its own limitations but also its endurance.

The company plays a more personal set of characteristics as Jacobs-Jenkins takes Everybody to the edge of losing her/our life (this feels very Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz bidding farewell to the Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Man), with a surprise final entrancea huge downer, but a very realistic one.

What the acclaimed Jacobs-Jenkins, a MacArthur fellow in 2016, evokes in his excellent play is the both meaningful and absurd trajectory of life, what we take seriously, and what we should take more seriouslyand, when all is said and done, how meaningless much of what we accumulate and strive for, is.

We are all fundamentally alone on our journeys, says Everybody, and at the end of life the only things we do not take with us are Understanding (Jocelyn Bioh) and Time (the young Lilyana Tiare Cornell, who greets Death as an old friend). Bioh bids us farewell as she had greeted us, and with a plea to ourselves to understand ourselves and others more. It may not be enough, but what else is there?

It was strange to see Everybody, which pulsates with so much enquiry, just a day after seeing David Mamets The Penitent, directed by Neil Pepe for the Atlantic Theater, which affects to ask a similar range of big questions, but more glancingly and much more stiltedly.

Charles (Chris Bauer) is facing a career backlash after, he claims, being misquoted by a journalist as saying that homosexuality is an abomination rather thanas he claims he said, and insists he believesan adaptation; an adaptation of what exactly the play swerves around addressing.

His confused wife Kath (Rebecca Pidgeon who is married to Mamet, a co-founder of the Atlantic) interrogates him, as does his lawyer Richard (Jordan Lage). The confusion is rooted in Charless treatment of a disturbed young man.

The play becomes a slightly exhausting slicing of a very small piece of ham, its characters not really sounding like anyone in reality actually sounds, particularly Pidgeon who speaks in the same detached monotone whatever she is saying.

The actors do their best with a script that offers them an unforgiving series of walled exits and mazes around the meaning and complexity of language, freedom of expression, personal and religious morality, and buried guiltwhich supplies a final twist.

Over the plays 90-minute duration, Charless options become fewer and fewer, but the play fails to set light beneath the kindling it initially setsaround homosexuality and homophobia, the cultural faultlines around modern language and modern moresand I am still scratching my head over the depressing fate of Kath.

Only Lawrence Gilliard Jr. manages to fully engage us, playing a lawyer whose passionate and pointed questioning of Charles finally yields both answers, and vocalizes the contradictions that we too have been puzzling over.

Mamets central character is a trapped, misunderstood man, yet you dont feel much inclination to be on his side.

Perhaps thats the pointhe is at least not overtly the penitent of the plays titlealthough the play feels too in conflict with itself to make it clearly.

Everybody is at The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street, NYC, until March 19. Book tickets here. The Penitent is at the Linda Gross Theater, 336 West 20th Street, NYC, until March 26. Book tickets here.
It says something about our strange world that Emma Watson has been forced to defend her feminist bonafides after she was branded a hypocrite for posing semi-topless in Vanity Fair, wearing a crocheted bolero that exposed part of her breasts.

Somehow, this choice of clothing contradictsfor some criticsher self-description as a feminist.

The furore led the actress to defend herself. Feminism is about freedom, its about liberation, its about equality. I really dont know what my tits have to do with it, the 26-year-old actress said in an interview.

Watsonan outspoken advocate for gender equality as a United Nations Goodwill ambassadorhad been blasted for undermining her cause and promoting a double standard while promoting her new movie, Beauty and The Beast.

Feminism, feminism...gender wage gap...why oh why am I not taken seriously...feminism...oh, here are my tits, tweeted British radio host Julia Hartley-Brewer, later adding that that Watson complains that women are sexualized and then sexualizes herself in her own work. Hypocrisy.

Others dug up more evidence of Watsons alleged hypocrisy from a 2014 interview in which the actress said she felt conflicted about a sexy Beyonce music video because [Beyonce] is putting herself in a category of a feminist, but the video seemed to be such a male voyeuristic experience of her.

Here was ammo for Daily Mail columnist Piers Morgan to declare Watson a feminist fraud; someone who professes to want other women to have the freedom and liberation to decide how they behave as feminists, but who actually wants to dictate to them how they behave.

Thats a lot of hyperventilating over a moderately risque image that has nothing to do with feminist ideology. Yes, Watson has emerged as an outspoken feminist in the past three years, but shes not an Andrea Dworkin. She is a young actress who was comfortable posing semi-topless in a magazine shoot promoting her latest film. The whole world has gawped at Watson since she was a pre-teen star in the Harry Potter franchise, yet she cant get away with portraying her sexuality on her own terms as an adult without finger-waggers telling her to cover up--or abandon her feminist badge.

One wonders what else she has to cover up to qualify as a feminist? How much skin can she show without being declared a hypocrite?

Indeed, the hypocrisy on display here isnt Watsons but our own. Morgan accuses Watson of wanting to dictate how women should behave as feminists before going on to dictate how she should behave as a feminist, arguing that taking her top off does not help her causejust as it is when Kim Kardashian posts another bird-flipping topless selfie, supposedly in the name of female empowerment.

No matter what they say, womenand most notably female politicians and celebrities--are often judged by their appearance, and from their appearance a set of judgments made about them as people.

Hillary Clintons pantsuits werent feminine enough. Margaret Thatcher had to tailor her image to be taken seriously as a female prime minister--and even then she was relentlessly mocked for being too masculine. Emma Watson cant partially show her breasts in a photo shoot without being accused of betraying her feminist ideology.

Morgan said there was a double standard of women allowing themselves to be objectified while calling for gender equality. Even if that were trueand we should remember that those who are photographed cannot control the objectification that ensuesthe two are not necessarily contradictory.

Indeed, those who relentlessly police womens appearances perpetuate this double standard more than Watson or any other actress-cum-activist who poses near-topless for a magazine shoot.
ROME  If a woman wants to end her pregnancy in Italy, she has the legal right to do so under the public health system within the first 90 days, or first trimester, of the gestation. The law, known in Italy as Law 194, has been on the books for nearly 40 years, but it has one major flaw, say pro-choice advocates: It allows for doctors, nurses, anesthetists, and other assistants to an abortion procedure to be conscientious objectors. Boiled down, that means that many administrators of hospitals and clinics who do not support the pro-choice law simply hire abortion doctors who object to performing abortions.

The practice of hiring conscientious objectors is all-too-common across Italy. The national estimate of conscientious objectors hired as public health gynecologists mandated to perform abortions is around 70 percent, meaning seven out of 10 doctors can, but wont, do the procedure.

That average is slightly higher in Rome, at 78 percent, likely because of the proximity to the Vatican, easily the worlds greatest objector to the practice. Late month, Nicola Zingaretti, the governor of Lazio (the region where Rome is), put out a call for two non-objecting abortion doctors to join the staff at the citys massive San Camillo Hospital. Writing on his blog, he lamented the obstacle the dearth of abortion doctors poses on women. The real risk is that the right to abortion is denied to women on a daily basis, he said, explaining why gynecologists interviewed for the post were being asked specifically if they would actually perform the procedure.

The Italian Bishops Conference swiftly responded, condemning what it called a stifling of a doctors ability to object. Citing a long-held theory that Italy included the conscientious-objector clause in the 40-year-old law as a way to enact the law without actually having to implement it, Father Carmine Arice charged that Zingaretti was the one who was bending the rules. It fundamentally changes the nature of Law 194that did not have the goal of inducing abortions but to prevent them, Arice told ANSA after Zingarettis blog post. It does not respect the constitutional right of being a conscientious objector.

Italian Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin said public hospitals can, indeed, hire doctors to perform specific duties, but they couldnt be held to those duties if they change their mind and decide they can no longer perform abortions, even if they said they would when they were hired. The right to conscious objection must be maintained, she said in a statement.

Emma Bonino, a lawmaker with the Radical party and one of Italys most ardent fighters for equal rights, said institutions have long abused the conscientious-objector law to placate the Catholic Church. She says that San Camillo and other facilities like it, whose abortion doctors wont perform abortions, are the ones breaking the law by not guaranteeing the right to a safe procedure.

Over the weekend, a 41-year-old woman from Padua in northern Italy, speaking through a spokesperson with the trade union CGIL, revealed that she had to try 23 different hospitals before she finally found one to terminate her high-risk pregnancy. The married woman and mother of two got pregnant while using an inter-uterine device, a situation that can cause complications to both mother and child. Even with her special circumstances, and just a few weeks into her pregnancy, she couldnt find anyone to help her until CGIL got involved. They were able to intervene and find a doctor within a week.

The alternative for many women is to go to an illegal abortion doctor, a practice that was made a crime last February and comes with fines of as much as 10,000 if women are caught.

Silvanna Agatone, president of the Free Italian Association of Gynecologists, said women who undergo illegal procedures often refuse to seek medical care from public hospitals if they have complications from the rogue abortions out of fear they will be reported and fined.

Now if women have complications it is unlikely that they will go to a public hospital for treatment, because if the doctor who treats them reports their illegal abortion they will be heavily sanctioned, Agatone ++said last year++[[ http://www.thelocal.it/20160224/anger-as-italian-women-to-be-fined-up-to-10k-for-secret-abortions ]] in opposition to the hefty fines. It is not uncommon for women to experience life-threatening septicemia after an abortion. They should be made to feel comfortable about getting treatment, without fear of reprisal.

As of this week, San Camillo Hospital in Rome still hadnt filled its positions for two doctors willing to perform abortions. Its impossible to calculate what that continued lack of legal health care means for women at risk or to determine just how many women are being forced to carry unwanted or unsafe pregnancies. Or, how many women feel forced to go to an illegal abortion provider to get what should be provided legally.
North Korea used a weapon of mass destruction, VX nerve agent, to murder one man in Malaysia last month, settling an old family feud.

But that is not the only time the regime in Pyongyang has been linked to the use of deadly chemicals. In Syria in 2013 the Assad regime, reportedly with the assistance of the North Korean military, used the chemical weapon sarin and possibly VX as well to kill people in far greater numbers. More than 1,400 people died, of whom more than 400 were children. And if there is another war on the Korean Peninsula, hundreds of thousands will be killed by chemical agents in the Kim familys arsenal.

Pyongyang claims it does not possess such weapons. The North, however, has not signed the Chemical Weapons Convention, so there is no verification.

Of those handful of states that have not acceded to the convention, the most threatening, by far and away, is North Korea, veteran Pentagon advisor Robert Collins tells The Daily Beast.

In fact, North Korea wants us to know how dangerous it is, and it sent a powerful message by using fast-acting VX in an airport terminal in Kuala Lumpur to kill Kim Jong Nam, the elder half-brother of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

The assassination of this Kim family member is almost certainly not the Norths only murder using a chemical. Choi Duk-kun, a South Korean diplomat, died in Vladivostok in 1996. His body showed a puncture wound and traces of neostigmine bromide, which attacks the nervous system. Seoul, with justification, blames North Korea for the killing. Pyongyang issued a denial.

There are also well-founded suspicions the North murdered Christian activist Patrick Kim, who died in the Chinese border city of Dandong in 2011 with spots on his fingers, foam in his mouth, and neostigmine bromide in his body.

The killings of diplomat Choi and activist Kim were conducted out of sight of the international community. Not so the assassination of Kim Jong Nam. The public nature of the act highlights both the boldness of ruler Kim Jong Un and the nature of the Kim family system.

As Sung-Yoon Lee of Tufts Universitys Fletcher School told me last week, The latest terrorist act using a deadly banned chemical substance in a very public place in a foreign country with thousands of innocent bystanders from the world over passing by shows that the Kim regime is as vile as any in modern history.

That vile regime has one of the worlds largest arsenals of chemical weapons, holding, according to a 2014 estimate by South Koreas Defense Ministry, between 2,500 and 5,000 tons of deadly compounds.

Pyongyangs production facilities look like they operate around the clock. The biggest weakness of chemical weapons is that their effectiveness expires soon and new supplies need to be made constantly, so North Korea maintaining a stockpile of up to 5,000 tons indicates a very strong production capability, notes Kim Dae Young of the Korea Defense and Security Forum in South Korea. Analysts think the North can produce 4,500 tons of chemical agents a year but is able to surge to 12,000 tons a year.

The North maintains a minimum of eight locations manufacturing about 25 varieties of deadly compounds including sarin, mustard, tabun, and hydrogen cyanide in addition to nerve agents like VX.

The stockpile, Collins says, is enough to kill every South Korean several times over. Analysts Victor Cha and David Kang believe the Korean Peoples Army can fire 500,000 artillery rounds on Seoul in the first hour of the next war. Many of those shells would contain chemical agents.

The opening hours, therefore, would devastate the South Korean capital, only 35 miles from the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas. At a minimum, there would be tens of thousands of casualties in that city during the first day. The conflict would be, as Clinton-era official Kurt Campbell told ABC News, a horrific symphony of death.

We got a glimpse of such a symphony in Syria. President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on his own people beginning, it appears, in late 2012, and he could not have done so without the Kim regimes extensive technical assistance, which began in the mid-1990s. There were several reported interceptions of various North Korean shipments of chemical weapons gear en route to Syria.

Bruce Bechtol of Angelo State University wrote in 2013 that North Korea had designed and built in Syria at least two chemical weapons facilities. Moreover, he pointed out that the North helped build chemical warheads, specifically supplying components and providing expertise.

North Korean officers were spotted at a number of Syrian locations, including chemical weapons facilities. Three North Koreans reportedly were killed in 2007 at a Syrian military base in Aleppo during the loading of mustard gas on a Scud missile. A major in the Syrian army, who had defected after serving in a chemical weapons branch, said the Norths military personnel were providing training in their use.

Apparently there was also after-sales service. North Koreans served on the front lines of the civil war, reportedly helping the Syrians use chemical weapons on the battlefield, most notably in 2013 around the embattled city of Aleppo, near the site of a chemical weapons attack.

As Bechtol, author of North Korea and Regional Security in the Kim Jong Un Era, points out, Pyongyang was the Assad regimes primary supplier of chemical weapons and their delivery systems.

The North apparently lost a customer when Syria acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention in October 2013 and the U.S. and Russia brokered a deal to destroy Assads chemical munitions, but Pyongyang has been merchandising deadly chemicals elsewhere. Leading analyst Joseph Bermudez, among others, believes North Korea has sold Iran these weapons.

We care about Pyongyangs chemical weapons not only because of murders in Malaysia, China, and Russia and wholesale slaughter in Syria, but also because, as Bermudez notes, the North has the ability to employ these weapons worldwide using unconventional methods of delivery.

In this regard, Lee Yun Keol of the North Korea Strategic Information Service Center in Seoul believes Kims technicians are probably thinking of putting chemical compounds on the tips of long-range missiles. The North already is believed to have three missiles with sufficient range to hit the lower 48 states.
When a mob of left-wing students Thursday prevented author Charles Murray from speaking at Middlebury College in Vermont, forcing him into a closed room where he live-streamed his presentation, it was a familiar moment for those of us who were politically active in the late 60s and 70s. We experienced the rising view on the left that those they labeled and opposed as reactionary or fascist had no right to free speech, the thesis propagated by the late and then popular Marxist philosopher, Herbert Marcuse, in his once famous 1965 essay, Repressive Tolerance, first published in The Critique of Pure Tolerance.

As Murray and Allison Stanger, a professor who had engaged in a dialogue with him, made their way to a car after the event, masked students and protestorssome from outside the college and few of whom Id wager had read Marcuse even as they brought his argument to lifeattacked them. Stangers hair was pulled, and she had to go to the hospital for a neck brace. Once they were in the car, protesters banged on its doors and windows and jumped on its hood, with the pair only able to leave after the Middlebury Police Department arrived and cleared a path for them. What transpired instead felt like a scene from Homeland, Prof. Stanger later wrote on Facebook, rather than an evening at an institution of higher learning,

Murray, most recently the author of Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010, had been invited to speak at the college on the book. The students who invited him felt, accurately, that his views on the topic might provide them with insight into the current political situation as many of the people Murray had written about had supported and voted for Donald Trump.

The protesters, though, turned their ire on his highly controversial 1994 best seller, The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life, in which Murray and co-author Richard Herrnstein argued that there is a significant correlation between an individuals IQ, and their success or failure in life. Using current research and statistics, and many charts, they went even further in the nature vs. nurture debate, by claiming that IQ itself was mainly, though not wholly, based on genetics. In their bell curve, Asians scored slightly higher than whites and blacks were significantly lower than whites. As Malcolm W. Browne wrote in a very critical review, according to the authors, if this divide is not addressed America may soon be permanently split between an isolated caste of ruling meritocrats on one hand and a vast, powerless Lumpenproletariat on the other.

The book was not, as some of the student protestors argued, a Nazi-like defense of eugenics. As Browne noted, Nowhere do they [Murray and other authors discussed] advocate the measures championed by the eugenicists of the 1920s and 1930s, whose ideas were appropriated and perverted by the Nazis as the rationale for the Holocaust. Indeed, the authors of The Bell Curve say that the granting to any government or social institution of the power to decide who may breed and who may not is fraught with such obvious dangers as to be unacceptable. Browne ended his essay by agreeing with the authors that the time has come to rehabilitate rational discourse on the subject [of intelligence.] It is hard to imagine a democratic society doing otherwise.

Certainly, Murrays book came under fire and elicited numerous critiques. The way it should be handled was exemplified by the New Republic, when it was still a serious journal of opinion. The magazine excerpted the book, and many readers, including a good number of the magazines own editors, objected strenuously to its thesis. The editors did what any respectable journal would have done: They followed the excerpt with dissenting responses. The dissents were specific and scathing. Intelligent readers could assess the Murray-Herrnstein case for themselves, and after reading the responses, decide whether their argument had any merit.

It is doubtful that many of Middleburys student protesters had read the book. I was genuinely surprised and troubled to learn that some of my faculty colleagues had rendered judgement on Dr. Murrays work and character, Prof. Stanger wrote in an open letter to the Middlebury community, while openly admitting that they had not read anything he had written.

Nevertheless, they were certain that Murray was a racist, a eugenicist, and a conservativein other words, the right-wing enemy. While Middleburys president, Laurie Patton, said that she was deeply disappointed by the protest, and apologized to those who came and wanted in good faith to participate in a serious discussion, and to Murray and Stanger for the way they were treated during the event, the faculty was conspicuously silent.

Some of those professors have surely read Marcuse, who argued now that capitalism had exhausted itself, the old paradigm of tolerance was no longer relevant. Instead, being tolerant serves the need of the oppressors who use it to hold onto and protect their power. It was thus the duty of the left to deny the free speech of the right, since the only truth lay with those who were oppressed. The masses, he said, had to be freed from the indoctrination imposed on them by the unjust established society by preventing those propagating the values of the capitalist system from speaking and having influence.

Consequently, he calls for the withdrawal of toleration or speech and assembly from groups or movements which promote aggressive policies, armament, chauvinism, discrimination on the grounds of race or religion. In the end, Marcuse called for intolerance to be directed at the self-styled conservatives, [and] to the political Right.

Todays protesting students at Middlebury probably never heard of Marcuse, but many of their professors and older alumni certainly did, or if not they were influenced by his thinking. That is why it is hardly a surprise to find that 450 Middlebury alumni wrote an open letter titled Charles Murray at Middlebury: Unacceptable and Unethical. Their letter is a model example of how Marcuses tortured ideology is now being expressed on college campuses. First, they establish that Murray is a white nationalist by quoting the left-leaning Southern Poverty Law Center, a sometimes admirable but not always reliable authority thats been the subject of debunking on both the left and the right.

Having accepted the SPLCs verdict on Murray, the alumni write that their call to keep him off the campus is not an issue of free speech. Of course, they claim that Middlebury students must hear a diverse range of perspectives, including those in which our beliefs were questioned and our assumptions challenged but in Murrays case, the principle does not apply. That is because they believe that Murray argues for the biological and intellectual superiority of white men and does so pretending to have academic authority. Then they falsely accuse him of promoting eugenics, and of genocidal white supremacist ideologies. Somehow, I dont think any of these alumni signers would have protested an appearance by noted eugenicist and birth control advocate Margaret Sanger, if she was still with us.

They assert that Murray shows in all his books the same disregard for basic standards of research and peer review. In fact, many academics thought The Bell Curve raised substantive issues that needed discussing. Wouldnt students have learned a better lesson had they been allowed to hear Murrays talk, and then heard the discussion when he was challenged during the Q and A? Using the phrase recently uttered by Kellyanne Conway, they proclaim his books are composed of alternative facts. So rather than have academic debate, they call the invitation to hear Murray a threat.

As events showed, it was a threatone that did not come from Charles Murray, but from the student mob of self-righteous uninformed leftists who prevented him from speaking, and who threatened Murrays First Amendment rights. (In a tweet, Murray quipped that I dont think physical assault is covered by lst amendment either. But Im not a constitutional scholar.)

Echoing the old Marcuse argument, whoever wrote the alumni letter said there was no other side to debate, only deceptive statistics masking unfounded bigotry. In other words, only those who take the right (as in left) position have the right to be heard, and those who dont have to be stopped from speaking.

The late professor Marcuse must be looking down at Middlebury College with great pleasure.
Dont mess with the Beyhive.

Beauty and the Beast star Emma Watson has been accused of hypocrisy by fans of Beyonce, after she clapped back at critics who accused her of betraying her feminist pinciples for allowing a revealing photograph to be taken by Vanity Fair.

The Beyhive is abuzz after Watson defended the revealing image of her in an open white crocheted bolero jacket with nothing on underneath, saying that criticism of her decision to expose her body was mystifying.

While promoting her new movie, Disneys live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, Watson, 26, said her critics were distorting what it means to be a feminist.

It just always reveals to me how many misconceptions and what a misunderstanding there is about what feminism is, she said.

Feminism is about giving women choice. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women with.

Its about freedom, its about liberation, its about equality.

I really dont know what my tits have to do with it. Its very confusing.

However, Beys fans have now unearthed an interview from 2014 in which Watson appeared to criticize Beyonces sexy performance in a video to a song accompanying her eponymous album of that year.

While Beyonces outspoken views on feminism, politics, and sexuality were widely applauded, Watson told Wonderland magazine, As I was watching [the videos] I felt very conflicted, I felt her message felt very conflicted in the sense that on the one hand she is putting herself in a category of a feminist, but then the camera, it felt very male, such a male voyeuristic experience of her.

Watson is being accused of hypocrisy, having rejected suggestions by the likes of British journalist and talk-show host Julia Hartley-Brewer, who tweeted, alongside the picture: Emma Watson: Feminism, feminism... gender wage gap... why oh why am I not taken seriously... feminism... oh, and here are my t- -s!

Hartley-Brewer, who has a reputation as a stirrer-up of trouble, was widely condemned for the remarks, which, critics pointed out, simply further objectified Watson.

In addition to being a UN goodwill ambassador, Watson has helped launched HeForShe, a UN campaign encouraging men to advocate for feminism.

But will that cut any ice with the most devoted band of fans in the business?

Thats doubtful.
Homeland Security Sec. John Kelly confirmed today that he is considering separating the children of undocumented immigrants from their parents if they are apprehended while illegally crossing the border.

Yes, I am considering, in order to deter more movement along this terribly dangerous network, I am considering exactly that, Kelly told CNN host Wolf Blitzer. They will be well cared for as we deal with their parents.

Kelly said he thought the change might deter mothers and children from making the dangerous journey from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to the United States.

You understand how that looks to the average person who is, you know Blitzer replied.

Its more important to me, Wolf, to try to keep people off of this awful network, Kelly said.

Currently, mothers and children who cross the border togetherand its virtually always mothers and children, rather than fathersstay together. In many cases, theyre put in family detention centers, though they are frequently released quickly while they await asylum hearings. Reuters reported on March 4 that the Department of Homeland Security was considering separating mothers from their children when it apprehended them. Mothers would be put in detention centers, while their children would be in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the report.

The smuggling networks Kelly referenced move people from incredibly violent Central American countries to the United States often exploit them along the way, and women are frequently sexually assaulted on the journey. In many cases, migrants take great risks because they fear death in their home countriesas was the case for Sara Beltran Hernandez, an undocumented woman from El Salvador who entered the U.S. in November of 2015 and was recently released from ICE detention to get better medical care for a brain tumor.

Kellys confirmation that he is considering separating children from their parents shocked childrens advocates.

Its unbelievable, said Matthew Kolken, an immigration attorney from Buffalo, N.Y. who frequently represents undocumented children.

Hes going to be traumatizing young children even more than they are by pulling them from their mothers arms, he said.

Who knows what theyre going to do with them? he added.
The Trump administration has taken yet another giant step backward when it rescinded the directive issued by the Justice Department last August ordering the Bureau of Prisons to phase out the use of private prisons.

In an ominous sounding memo, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, no friend to criminal justice reform, said private prisons would be necessary to meet the future needs of the federal correctional system.

We all know what that means. After several years of welcome reformsupported by both parties and a majority of the American publicthe nations federal prison population began a steady decline.

Between 2009 and 2015, the most recent year for which the government has end-of-year statistics, the number of sentenced people in federal custody fell 5 percent, representing 7,981 people. At the same time, the nations crime rate remained at a 20-year low.

But that progress is about to be stopped, or reversed. The presidents law-and-order rhetoric and his promised military action against millions of undocumented immigrants portends a new day for the private prison industry. In fact, private prison stocks jumped in value as soon as the Sessions memo was made publica gift to an industry that contributed generously to the Trump campaign.

The growth of the private prison industry is one of the most toxic byproducts of the so-called war on drugs. This privatization of punishment has led to predictable and grave human rights violationspredictable because the desire for higher profits inevitably leads to cutting corners when it comes to conditions of confinement. Numerous lawsuits have been filed against the Corrections Corporation of America (recently renamed CoreCivic), the GEO Group, and other companies charging unconstitutional prison conditions including lack of medical care and excessive use of force and solitary confinement.

Just as insidious, private prisons have an incentive to maximize the number of days served by each person by meting out excessive infractions and thereby preventing earlier release. A 2015 study in Mississippi, where 40 percent of prison beds are in private prisons, showed that people assigned to private prisons had an increase in their sentence of 4 to 7 percent, which equaled 60 to 90 days for the average person in prison. That extra time translates into an average of $3,000 more per person in custody at the expense of fairness and equal treatment.

This reversal is not going unnoticed or unaddressed by those working to end mass incarceration in America. As with other unpopular announcements from the new administration, it will spur public discussion and protest. The National Prison Divestment Campaign will redouble its efforts to add to the growing list of academic and religious institutions and municipalities that have already dumped millions of dollars worth of shares in the industry.

Banks like Wells Fargo, also a major funder of the Dakota Access Pipeline, are currently being targeted for bankrolling the private prison industrys debt during a period of contraction following the Obama administrations phase-out. In January, in response to demands made by the Afrikan Black Coalition, the University of California announced it was discontinuing $475 million worth of contracts and its $300 million line of credit with Wells Fargo.

During the campaign, candidate Trump asked black Americans what they had to lose. The answer appears to be another generation of their children to the privatization of punishment. As a young man, I was incarcerated for six years in New York State prisons. My take away from that experience was that our criminal justice system suffers from a severe case of hypocrisy and racism. Rather than rehabilitate, it grinds people down and leaves them with the life-long stigma of a criminal record.

Those of us in the movement of formerly incarcerated peoples will not rest until mass incarceration is a thing of the past. Ending private prisons and the monetization of misery remains a vital part of our struggle.
Creating an exhibit about a group of designers not because they share commonalities in their work, but because of their race can be problematic and at the very least challenging.

But this is exactly the challenge the curators at the Museum at FIT took on in their Black Fashion Designers exhibitone that seeks to shed light on the often overlooked or pigeonholed black designers who have been a driving force in shaping both fashion and culture over the last six decades.

On the exhibition website the curators acknowledged upfront the limitations of framing an exhibition on race, citing a Washington Post article by Robin Givhan about Kerby Jean-Raymond where she wrote about his fatigue at being deemed a black designer, not because he isnt proud of his heritage and not because he doesnt bring his full self to his work, but because the nomenclature is limiting.

And it is limiting, but it begs the question of how to highlight the importance of these designers without highlighting why and how theyve been previously limited. As Dario Calmese put it in The Daily Beast last summer, To specify their blackness is diminishing, just as much as ignoring it.

The conundrum, which would have turned off many curators, is one of the reasons this exhibit, which faced it head on, seems so salient. Organized by themes, it offers the visitor both a history lesson on blackness in fashion and a celebration of important and talented designers who just happened to be black.

It begins with Breaking Into the Industry, which introduces the subject of the invisible black designers who often went unnamed or not properly given credit for their designs.

A flat screen display pays tribute to the life of Elizabeth Keckley, who was born a slave and became the personal dressmaker of Mary Todd Lincoln. A gown by Ann Lowe, the designer who madeamong many other notable garmentsthe wedding dress for Jacqueline Kennedys marriage to Jack, is a reminder that when Mrs. Kennedy was asked who made her dress she supposedly said a colored woman dressmaker, thus omitting Lowes name from the list of designers who dressed one of the most fashionable first ladies.

Also on display was the iconic playboy bunny outfit, associated with Hugh Hefner and his blonde bunnies but in fact created by Zelda Wynn Valdes.

Other sections such as The Rise of the Black Fashion Designer, Eveningwear, and Experimentationfocus more on design or design themes, further cementing the idea that there is no single black style that defines all or even most black designers.

A multimedia approach using iPads, video screens, and an online cellphone tour helps illuminate and contextualize the 75 ensembles, with photographs, videos, and old record covers and newspapers displayed on the walls.

On show was a pleated sculptural coat by Jon Weston, a mid-century experimental designer and a surreal and cheeky take on the Union Suit by Byron Lars (an FIT graduate), as well as a handmade macrame silk tunic from the 1970s by Brenda Waites Bolling.

Works by Olivier Rousteing, the young creative director of fashion house Balmain and LVMH winner Grace Wales Bonner are also on view. A gorgeous light pink textured dress by Mimi Plange inspired by tribal African scarification is highlighted, and a Patrick Kelly dress with a heart made out of his signature of mismatched buttons sits at the front of the gallery.

Multiple ensembles by Stephen Burrows make their way into the exhibit, and a handmade leather jacket by Harlem couturier Dapper Dan is displayed along with an ensemble from Pyer Mosss Ota Benga inspired collection, as well as T-shirts from G-Star RAW, Patrick Kelly, and Pyer Moss.

Even as the space overflows with garments, it feels almost purposefula knowing wink to the idea that even this crowded field was just scratching the surface.

A section on black models is supplemented with a video conversation hosted by Robin Givhan with three generations of black models: Riley Montana, Bethann Hardison, and Veronica Webb, who explained that The reason why its important to have diversity in fashion is the same reason why its important for a child to have a doll that looks like them, right? Its the beginning of building your self-esteem. Its the beginning of creating a fantasy life of how you are going to be as an adult.

Mirroring this theme, a video plays Michelle Obamas carpool karaoke spot with James Corden and stands as both a testament to the value of Webbs words and a reminder that black children seeing themselves in the wider culture is new.

Its hard to ignore the timing of the exhibition, which opened in early December just as our first black president was preparing to leave office, and his successor was widely accused of racism.

But one of the curators of the show, Ariele Elia, dismisses a political connection, saying, We had begun working on the exhibition about two years ago, so the current political climate did not influence our decision to curate an exhibition on the topic of black designers.

Coincidence or not, the timing feels telling and the decision to dedicate an entire section of the exhibition to activism in fashion seems especially poignant at this moment.

Some designers featured in the exhibition such as Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss have focused on the political climate in their collections, says Elia. For example his They Have Names T-shirt lists the names of unarmed black men who have fallen victim to police brutality.

Jean-Raymond, speaking about his clothes, defiantly opposes the label of streetwear, saying: I just want to know whats being called street, the clothes or me?

Its another good question worth thinking through: Why are black designers clothes are so often defaulted to streetwear when their white counterparts arent?

Prompting more questions than garments and museum labels could possibly answer, the exhibition is accompanied by an excellent live-streamed symposium with journalists, academics, designers, and tastemakers discussing fashion, designers, and being black in the industry.

Dapper Dan of Harlem says, Fashion is the vehicle, culture is the wheels on the vehicle, so if we allow them to put us in the back seat and they do the driving and they have not embraced the culture, they are going to take us to where they want us to go They use us as window dressing to make us think that we have penetrated the industry, but our numbers are really tiny, so we got to turn that around.

As someone in the audience of the symposium puts it, I love the fact that you guys are doing this, I think its long overdue but I would like to say, this is a great beginning, this is a great part one.

Black Fashion Designers is at the Museum at FIT until May 16. Details here.
President Donald Trump spent this weekend baselessly accusing federal law enforcement of secretly colluding with the Obama administration to undermine his campaign, ushering in what could be a week of significant tension between the White House and the Department of Justice.

The fact that Trump has hardly bothered to nominate anyone to top DOJ positions wont exactly help ease the strain.

Besides choosing cabinet secretaries, every president is responsible for naming hundreds of lower-level officials throughout the sprawling executive branch, including the Justice Department. The president can appoint a dozen assistant attorneys general who head the departments various divisions. All those appointments must go through the Senate confirmation process before assuming their new positions.

They are critical leaders at the Justice Departmentand Trump has hardly named any of them.

According to the Senates list of Nominations in Committee, Trump has only sent one assistant attorney general nomination to the Senate for confirmation: Steven Engel, on Feb. 1, to head the Office of Legal Counsel. In the meantime, career Justice Department officialswho have less clout and prestige than attorneys general appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senateare leading the various divisions.

A White House spokesperson did not provide comment on the timing of the presidents DOJs nominations.

Perhaps most importantly, the president has yet to nominate the head of the National Security Division. That division has drawn significant attention since the president tweeted on Saturday alleging then-President Barack Obama had his campaign wiretapped. Lawyers in the DOJs National Security Division are responsible for helping the FBI file affidavits to the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which provides the legal authorization for surveillance of U.S. persons. And the assistant attorney general for the National Security Division usually signs off on those affidavits. But since that person hasnt been named yet, any legal surveillance requests have to be signed off by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Trumps effort to fill that role is more than a month behind Obamas. Obama announced his pick to head that division, David Kris, on Jan. 22, 2009just two days after his inauguration. The nomination was officially sent to the Senate on Feb. 11 of that year, and the Senate confirmed Kris on March 25.

Obama took longer to name some of his other assistant attorneys general. He nominated the heads of the antitrust division, civil division, and criminal division on Feb. 23, 2009, and the head of the civil rights division on March 31, 2009.

Trump alliesincluding Roger Stone and Newt Gingrichhave ominously suggested that Obama holdovers at federal agencies are undermining his presidency. But the reality is that the president hasnt even named many of his own people to fill those agenciesin particular, to fill these top slots at the powerful Justice Department.

Its a situation that pleases some alums of the Obama-era DOJ.

If youre someone like me, youre not so sad that career people are setting the priorities rather than Trump appointees, said Matthew Miller, a spokesperson at the DOJ during Eric Holders time as attorney general. But that said thats not the way its supposed to work.

And one of the most vociferous critics of Obamas Justice Department, Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch, told The Daily Beast he hopes Trump would move faster to fill those positions.

Theres urgency to getting political appointees throughout the administration, he said. From our perspective, the Justice Department was ruined by President Obama, so its especially urgent there.

Im hoping things will speed along, but even if he made the appointments yesterday the way things are proceeding in the Senate, theyre on a pace for getting some of these positions filled agency-wide in three years, he added.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is currently gearing up for a confirmation hearing for one of the first few Justice Department officials Trump has named: Rod Rosenstein, who is nominated to be Deputy Attorney GeneralSessionss second in command.

At first, Rosensteins nomination was extremely non-controversial; he was seen as professional, non-partisan, and above the fray of Trump World controversies. But since Sessions announced he would recuse himself from any investigations of the Trump campaign and since Trump went on his weekend tweetstorm, Democrats on the committee are preparing for what could be a more contentious confirmation process.

Ill use every possible tool to block DOJ Deputy AG nominee unless he commits to appoint independent special prosecutor, tweeted Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Sunday.

Blumenthal is a member of the Judiciary Committee, and will question Rosenstein at his confirmation hearing on March 7. That hearing looks like it will be much more interesting than initially expectedand more interesting than expected is quickly becoming the norm in Trumps America.
How to Find Local Job Listings

Are you looking for a job and not having much luck finding local job listings? There are variety of ways to narrow down your local job search to focus on jobs near you  or in the locations where you are interested in working.
Mouton Cadet releases America's Cup cuvee

Sir Russell Coutts, five times winner of the America's Cup, and today CEO of The America's Cup Event Authority (ACEA) has joined Baron Phillipe de Rothschild in unveiling the first release of Mouton Cadet 35th America's Cup Special Cuvee wines.

The limited-edition red, white and rose wines have been produced to celebrate the new relations between leading Bordeaux brand and the 35th Americas Cup as Official Wine. Bespoke packaging for the trio has been designed in collaboration with Sir Russell Coutts whose signature appears on every bottle alongside a glass-etched design depicting the forces of nature on land and at sea.

Speaking of these relations between the worlds leading Bordeaux brand and the yacht race, Hugues Lechanoine, managing director, Baron Phillipe de Rothschild, comments: Mouton Cadet and the Americas Cup share a common vision. The winemaker in charge of a vineyard and the people in charge of the competition for the oldest trophy in international sport both require a deep understanding of and respect for nature, and a dedicated team working with them to achieve their goals.

Lechanoine went on to explain that Mouton Cadets winemakers work with more than 400 exclusive grape growers on Bordeaux terroir, using sustainable practices to grow healthy vines and together produce top quality grapes for the wines. This has much in common, he claims, with the Americas Cup teams who also work with nature, interpret the conditions, plan their course and strive as a team to be the best.

Sir Russell Coutts states: Mouton Cadet is the ideal official wine for the 35th Americas Cup and we are excited to have them on board. Teamwork is of paramount importance to Mouton Cadet and also to the Americas Cup as the teams work with their crews to skilfully and rapidly navigate across the race course to reach the finishing line. Both Mouton Cadet and the Americas Cup are world-leading brands which have been built over many years through the dedication of committed teams who pull together to achieve and sustain the number one position.

Trinity House in London was chosen as the location to mark the occasion as it is home to the UKs official charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers, and it was in the UK that the first Americas Cup was contested in 1851. At that time the trophy was awarded by The Royal Yacht Squadron Isle of Wight to the schooner America, thus becoming the Americas Cup. In recognition of the origins of the competition, the first delivery of Mouton Cadet 35th Americas Cup Special Cuvee wines will be to the members of The Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes Isle of Wight.

Due for retail release at the end of May, the Mouton Cadet 35th Americas Cup Special Cuvee wines will be sold in selected stores around the world promoting the Americas Cup, including Harrods, and at waddesdon shop.

The RRP in the UK is 19. The wines will also be served in all official hospitality throughout the 35th Americas Cup which takes place in Bermuda in May and June 2017.

6 March 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor
Campaigners are currently fighting for protection over decapod crustaceans, saving them from unnecessary suffering.

Crustacean Compassion, a new animal welfare group, wants the UK government to recognise lobsters, crabs and other crustaceans as animals - entitled to the same protection afforded to other creatures.

Their first step towards achieving their goal comes in the form of a petition to protect crabs and lobsters from pain under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The petition to Defra Minister George Eustice highlights the fact that currently there is no legal requirement to take the welfare needs of decapod crustaceans into account, with live crabs and lobsters on occasions being found in supermarkets wrapped in plastic shrink wrap, or being boiled in restaurant kitchens and taking three minutes to die. Some are just ripped apart, with claws or tails hacked off with knives.

Some supermarkets and restaurants do stun crustaceans before they are slaughtered, in response to public concerns, however animal welfare laws do not currently apply to decapod crustaceans in the UK. A number of creatures come under the umbrella of the decapod family, including crayfish, crabs, lobsters, prawns, and shrimp.

Evidence has shown that these water dwellers do indeed feel pain and that the inhumane way in which they are often stored, handled and slaughtered causes them suffering. One piece of research by Robert Elwood and Laura Adams of Queen's University involved 40 European shore crabs. A percentage of the crabs were administered a 10-volt, 180-hertz shock for 200 milliseconds every 10 seconds for two minutes. Crabs that were not shocked served as the controls. The crabs were then measured for their lactate levels, which indicates a stress response, and those that had been shocked showed a far higher level of lactate.

In New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland, decisions have been made to include decapod crustaceans in their animal welfare legislation. In Australia, a Sydney fishmonger became the first business to be convicted of animal cruelty when it pleaded guilty to breaching the New South Wales Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in February this year, for dismembering lobsters with a band saw.

Investigators from the RSCPA watched workers at Nicholas Seafoods separating lobsters' tails from their bodies while they were still alive. The process was believed to cause the lobsters immense pain.

But as decapods are not legally classed as "animals" in the UK, any crustaceans handled here can come under extreme stress and suffering without anyone being held to account.

Crustacean Compassion's Campaign Director, Maisie Tomlinson said: "We believe that it is unfair, unscientific and legally inconsistent that the Animal Welfare Act excludes decapod crustaceans, given what is now known about their ability to feel pain. The Act explicitly states that invertebrate animals can be included under the definition of animal' if there is sufficient evidence of pain and suffering.
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Your guide to getting off the couch and out the door this week in Southeast Iowa.
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NORWALK  The debate in Hartford over legislation to recognize mental trauma as a job injury for first responders has sparked a conflict pitting the burden of higher insurance costs for taxpayers against the burden on police and firefighters of untreated stress.

Both sides say they have reached the limit of what they can handle.

Officers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder should have access to workers compensation so that they can fully recover and resume their careers, free from stigma and discrimination, said state police Capt. Michael Thomas, president of the State Police Captains and Lieutenants Union, during testimony in support of the legislation. It is not acceptable to tell officers to put their heads down and keep going, nor should the public want that.

Norwalk Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik is in full agreement after seeing first-hand the effects Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can have on first responders.

I can appreciate the concerns that some municipalities may have, however, I do support the legislation, Kulhawik said. I have seen the effects that PTSD can have on police officers and other first responders. There is no doubt in my mind that these traumatic experiences can have a lasting impact on officers, and similar to other injuries already covered under Workers Compensation, I believe PTSD should also be included.

While 32 states currently recognize PTSD as a workers compensation-eligible condition for first responders, Connecticut is not one of them.

The issue of workers compensation coverage for PTSD has been an ongoing concern for Norwalk police. In March 2016 former Norwalk Police Union President Sgt. David Orr and Officer Carl Williams joined state legislators and police union representatives from around the state at the Capitol in Hartford.

Excluding PTSD from workers compensation is wrong on every level, Orr said in his address to legislators. Severe emotional trauma is an injury that should be compensible.

...Working with PTSD is a financial and emotional struggle that no emergency responder should have to bear, he continued. In a socially progressive state such as Connecticut, its unfortunate that this coverage is still excluded for first responders.

But elected leaders object that the language of the legislation leaves taxpayers vulnerable to large and unpredictable costs. Specifically, towns and cities object because:

A single PTSD claim can cost from tens of thousands of dollars to $1 million.

Broad, vague and subjective language in the legislation invites fraud.

Treatment through town-sponsored Employee Assistance Programs is already widely available.

This is a very expensive bill, said state Rep. J.P. Sredzinski, the ranking Republican member on the Legislatures Public Safety and Security Committee, where the bill is being reviewed. I dont know if this will pass out of the committee.

The bill requires workers compensation benefits for state and local police officers, for paid and volunteer firefighters, and for emergency medical technicians diagnosed with mental or emotional impairment as a result of responding to someones death.

The legislation is the latest version of an annual effort in Hartford to compensate first responders for serving the public heroically during lifes most terrible moments.

The issue was highlighted in 2010 after a Stamford police officer responded to a horrific mauling of a woman by a chimpanzee. The issue was elevated by the devastating scene at Sandy Hook School in 2012, where a gunman killed 20 first-graders and six educators before turning a handgun on himself.

If you wish to join me in these realities, carry a teacher, bloodied from gunshot wounds, into your car  the same car that you still drive today  and then carry an 8-year-old child to an ambulance that you know will not survive, said state Trooper Chris Kick during testimony in favor of the bill earlier this month.

Kick rushed from State Police barracks in Southbury to Sandy Hook on the morning of the shooting to hear the last bullet shot  the one 20-year-old Adam Lanza fired into his head, police said.

My doctors want me off the road and out indefinitely, but I cannot retire without risking my benefits and pension, the decorated 19-year veteran testified. And I cant go out on disability because weve been told that injuries that cannot be seen, like my own, are not included under this type of insurance.

Despite the distance between the two sides, several state legislators and local leaders expressed hope last week a compromise can be found similar to the deal reached in 2016 to cover cancers linked to firefighting with a portion of the states 9/11 fund.

I would want every individual who finds themselves so impacted by a workplace event such as the tragedy at Sandy Hook to get the full support they need, including salary compensation, said Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra. But the extraordinary cost of this kind of insurance requires me to manage that cost, so I would go back to the process used by the group that looked at the cancer support fund for firefighters last year and kick it off there.
NORWALK  Norwalks newest discount liquor store is among the local booze retailers backing Gov. Dannel P. Malloys latest push to dump Connecticuts minimum-pricing law for alcohol.

We support eliminating Connecticut's minimum-pricing law for alcohol, said Gerald Proctor, vice president of government and community relations for Liquor Stores N.A. The Connecticut consumer has the most to gain from the elimination of the minimum bottle price in Connecticut. As a retailer, we want to be able offer Connecticut consumers the best products, at the most competitive prices.

Last fall, Liquor Stores N.A., one of North Americas largest liquor retailers, opened LQR MKT in the space formerly occupied by the Barnes & Noble Bookstore on Connecticut Avenue.

At issue for it and other large liquor retailers in Connecticut is a state law that sets a pricing floor based upon what wholesaler distributors charge retailers.

Malloy describes the regulation as an antiquated state law that currently forces the owners of certain retail stores to sell their products at artificial prices set by liquor wholesalers, resulting in unnecessarily high prices for consumers.

The governor has tried repeatedly  so far without success  to repeal or amend the law that has been on the books since 1981.

Under Malloys new bill, which is titled An Act Concerning the Regional Competitiveness of Connecticuts Alcoholic Liquor Prices, the law would be modified to allow small business owners to sell wine and liquor using actual cost paid. Malloy said that standard is used Connecticuts neighboring states and elsewhere nationwide where many small package stores continue to thrive.

The legislation is under consideration by lawmakers in Hartford.

Smaller liquor retailers, often known as package stores, have historically stood by the law and reject that Connecticut customers are being overcharged as a result.

Nobody is complaining about the pricing. Were cheaper than New York, Raj Modi, owner of World of Beverages on Main Avenue in Norwalk, told The Hour when Malloy attempted changing the law in 2015. And were open until 5 p.m. on Sundays and nobody is complaining about the hours.

But according to Malloy, Connecticut is the only state that requires of retailers of alcoholic beverages to sell their products at a minimum price above wholesale cost. The price is determined by the wholesaler industry and residents must pay more, or travel to bordering states where the identical products are sold for less.

If we had a law that forced stores to sell bread for a price that was determined by state government, people would be screaming about capitalism and big government, Malloy said in a statement. But for some reason, we allow this anti-free market mandate to continue for this one particular industry  and we are in fact the only state in the nation that operates in this manner.

Liquor Stores N.A. isnt the only big alcohol retailer hoping to see the law go away. Michael Berkoff, president and CEO of BevMax, which operates a store on Westport Avenue in Norwalk, said his company has been trying to change the law for 15 years.

We cannot price the merchandise we sell to the consumers at a price that we pick, Berkoff said. The pricing is pre-determined by the liquor distributors in the state of Connecticut.

Asked for an example, Berkoff said BevMax buys Don Julio Tequila from distributors at a cost $32.74 per bottle and is forced to sell it under the minimum-pricing law at $39.99 or more.

If we sell it for a penny under $39.99, we are in violation of the minimum-pricing law in the state of Connecticut, he said.
Today, American export companies provide more than 41 million jobs across the country. Between small and large companies, the export industry has helped boost local, state and federal economies, increase international trade and provide American-made goods.

Related: These Are the Oldest Businesses in Every State

From auto parts to petroleum to diamonds -- every state has its own big area of export expertise. In the golden state, the exporting industry supports more than 4.9 million Californians' careers, primarily in airplane parts. Another highly-populated state whose exporting industry supports millions of people, 2.7 million to be exact, is New York -- and thats primarily for diamonds.

From Florida to Arizona to Connecticut -- among all 50 states, airplane parts seems to be the leading export. On a smaller scale, Wyomings number one export is soda ash, and 71,000 people are supported by trade.

Related: States With the Happiest and Unhappiest Workers (Infographic)

Curious what your states top export is and how many people it supports? Check out Free Enterprises infographic below to find out.

Image Credit: Free Enterprise

Related:

The Top Trade Exports from Every State (Infographic)

Infographic: Marketers Are Investing In Customer Loyalty And You Should Too!

The Habits of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs (Infographic)



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
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NORWALK  As a gay male growing up in strict, Jamaican household, Barovier Allybose often felt uncomfortable in his own skin.

Allybose had known he was gay since his early teenage years, but an unaccepting environment at home kept him from facing the truth. After moving to Norwalk nearly four years ago, Allybose took the difficult first step toward his self-awakening when he chose to abandon the homophobic atmosphere of his grandmothers home for a homeless shelter.

I was really depressed, and there were a few conflicts, so I just decided that it wasnt worth living there anymore. It was threatening to my livelihood and it was threatening to my mental health, so I just had to move, Allybose said.

For a year and a half, Allybose was homeless, jobless and in an endless tug of war with his own identity. His life appeared to be in a downward spiral. And thats when he found the Triangle Community Center, Fairfield County's leading provider of programming and resources to nurture growth and connection within the LGBTQ community.

In the two years since arriving at the Triangle Community Center, Allybose has garnered the confidence to come out to family and friends, found a place to live and started a new job where he helps people who also had tough upbringings.

Housing, schooling, case management, counseling  they helped me with everything from finding food to finding a job, Allybose said.

On Saturday, the Triangle Community Center opened its doors for the annual open house, where prospective clients like Allybose are invited to check out their facilities and to learn more about the various programs and services that they offer.

People dont know how to get signed up for health insurance, or they dont know where to find a doctor that is affirming of their identity. They might not even know where to go to access a food pantry. The point of events like this is to find at-risk individuals and to really inform them of programs and services that we offer here, said the centers Executive Director Anthony Crisci.

Triangle has developed into a one-stop shop for the LGBTQ community, having come a long way since it was founded 27 years ago, said founding member Carol Heinzelman.

Heinzelman recalls a time before the centers inception when future members would hold informal meeting with friends at local bars and one anothers houses.

Even after its formation in 1990, Triangle jumped from location to location throughout Norwalk, and it wasnt until 2013 that the center employed a full-time staff. Now, in a shared location with the Circle Care Center, a primary care clinic specializing in LGBTQ and transgender population, and the Mid-Fairfield AIDS Project.

Weve come a long way since those early days, said Heinzelman. Now the center has this beautiful place to call home and a dedicated staff, and all of us, the people who use its services, now we have place of our own too.

Almost three decades

After almost 30 years of operation, Triangle is still finding new ways to evolve and expand their programs. Just this year, the center launched a new youth access program aimed at assisting at-risk youths, said center Director of Operations Conor Pfeifer.

Our goal here is to find at-risk youth, LGBTQ or not, and to make sure that they get the kind of health care, both mental and physical, that they need, said Pfeifer.

In addition to acting as one-stop shop for counseling and primary health care, Crisci said that Triangle also serves as an important social gathering place for those like Allybose, who have encountered unfair scrutiny and social stigmas for most of their lives. In Triangle, Allybose and others have found a community of people who have endured similar struggles in their lives.

I met a lot of people and made a lot of friends here. Ive developed a lot of good relationships and Ive learned a lot about different organizations that have helped me in my growth, Allybose said.

It was this social aspect of the center that attracted college student Sawyer Gaines to the centers open house.

During her first term at Evergreen State College in Washington, Gaines said that she made new friends who helped her to learn more about herself. It was after this first year away at college that Gaines began to identify as transgender.

Though her family was supportive of her decision, Gaines found herself searching for like-minded individuals after returning back home to Weston. It was this search that brought her to the center.

It gives me a place where I can just be myself without having to worry about meeting any sort of standards or expectations, and thats huge in terms of allowing personal reflection rather than reflection just based on other peoples perceptions, Gaines said.
Chandigarh, Mar 6 (IBNS): The three-day exhibition called Destination NorthEast 2017 began in Chandigarh on Monday with all the eight states from the north-eastern part of India participating in the show.

The main aim of the exhibition is to showcase the investment opportunities existing in these states, according to media reports.

Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (I/C) for Development of North Eastern Region, inaugurated the exhibition.

The event is being organised by Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNer) to attract investments for these states in areas such as agriculture and food processing, horticulture, handloom and handicrafts, medicinal and aromatic plants, cane and bamboo, hospitality and tourism, etc.



Image: MDoNERIndia Twitter
When its March in Nebraska, the spotlight is deservedly on the 500,000 sandhill cranes who stop along the Big Bend Reach of the Platte River, from Overton to Chapman.

But Nebraska and the Platte River is also part of the Central Flyway, which means snow geese, Canada geese, mallards and many other migratory birds can be viewed by dedicated bird-

watchers.

On Sunday at the Crane Trust Nature & Visitor, the spotlight shifted from sandhill cranes to raptors. The raptors were shown by Dannebrog residents Blake Hatfield and Vickie Orr, who serve as volunteer educators for the Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery.

Hatfield and Orr showed up early at the Crane Trust to put numerous raptors on display, included a barn owl, barred owl, great horned owl, red-tailed hawk, Swainson hawk, American kestrel falcon and turkey vulture.

All the raptors, save one, had a physical disability that prevented them from being returned to the wild. The turkey vulture was at Fontenelle because it had imprinted on humans, which means that it does not have the natural instincts to survive in the wild.

Hatfield said he once helped rescue a bald eagle, and then asked how a person might get involved in raptor recovery. His answer was simple: You already are.

Injured raptors may receive some initial treatment to help stabilize them, but Hatfield said the primary job of many volunteers is to get the raptors to Fontenelle Forest, where people work to fully rehabilitate the birds of prey. Hatfield said most raptors are federally protected.

He noted that Fontenelle gets to keep its raptors because of its12 annual educational programs. Hatfield said that is no problem for the birds on display for Sunday  they often are part of 50 educational presentations each ear.

The first raptor who made the audience tour was an American Kestrel falcon. A common nickname for the American kestrel is sparrow hawk. That nickname, along with the fact that the falcon came to Fontenelle Forest when the Pirates of the Caribbean movies were popular, explains how the falcon came to be called Captain Jack Sparrow. Hatfield said the easiest way to identify a falcon is to look for the vertical stripes that start just underneath the birds eyes and run down the side of its face.

Hatfield said the American kestrel is likely the falcon with the highest population in Nebraska. If a person sees a bird of prey perched on a telephone wire or power line, it is most likely a American kestrel falcon, not a hawk. He noted that American kestrels will eat mice and snakes, but their favorite food is grasshoppers.

Captain Jack was proudly male, with Hatfield pointing out that male raptors are more colorful than female raptors. However, he added that female raptors typically are larger than male raptors.

The red-tailed hawk is perhaps the most populous hawk in Nebraska. Cimarron, the red-tailed hawk at the nature center on Sunday, got her name for the color of her tail.

Hatfield noted the red-tailed hawk is a bird of prey that migrates into Nebraska during the spring. Hatfield said he has heard of one sighting of a red-tailed hawk already in the state, which is a little early.

Hatfield said Cimarron came to Fontenelle Forest after being a victim of a gunshot wound in Kansas. Hatfield said it takes about two years for a red-tailed hawk to develop its adult plumage, and said Cimarron had her adult plumage when she came to Fontenelle Forest in 1997. Shes at least 22 years old, he said.

When the barn owl made the audience tour with Orr, Hatfield noted that it is a nocturnal bird of prey and flies without making noise.

He noted the barn owl, which has a white face and a white body, sometimes has been called the ghost owl. Thats because people might have believed it was a ghost when they looked into the night sky and spotted a white creature flying silently overhead. He said said grave robbers might be responsible for giving barn owls that name when they left their perch in church steeples near cemeteries.

He said barn owls love to eat mice and voles. Hatfield said the more plentiful the food supply, the more eggs barn owls will lay. He cited a pair of barn owls that for two years in a row had 11 eggs each year. Hatfield noted that nesting barn owl chicks will each eat 11 mice each night.

Hatfield said turkey vultures are scavengers and only eat carrion  dead animals. Eating carrion helps clean up dead animals from the wild. He noted that turkey vultures have digestive systems that are able to kill such diseases as anthrax and salmonella.

Turkey vultures can have wingspans of six feet.

When asked about the turkey vultures bald head, Hatfield said that helps the bird keep its head clean when it feeds on carrion. He said the turkey vulture actually is a very clean bird, pointing out that the vultureon display was cleaning itself even as he talked about it.
Grand Island is in both a red flag warning and high wind warning, as is much of south central Nebraska and north central Kansas, according to the National Weather Service in Hastings, which noted that "this will be the most serious day for fire weather that weve seen since October 2012."

It also noted that winds in some locations will be close to 60 mph.

The red flag warning, which began at noon and continues through 8 p.m., means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly because of a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures.

The forecast for Grand Island certainly qualifies, especially when it comes to high winds, with predictions that there will be areas of blowing dust this afternoon, with afternoon winds of 35 to 40 mph, with some gusts reaching as high as 55 mph.

Its also warm, with temperatures in the mid- to upper 70s.

Relative humidity in some locations in south Central Nebraska will be as low as 7 percent.

In addition to Hall County, south Central Nebraska counties in the red flag warning area include Adams, Buffalo, Clay, Hamilton, Howard, Merrick, Valley, Greeley, Nance, Polk, York, Webster, Nuckolls, Thayer, Dawson, Gosper, Phelps, Kearney, Fillmore, Furnas, Harlan and Franklin counties.

Because of the high winds, the National Weather Service says that any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly and become very difficult to contain and "will exhibit extreme fire behavior."

The National Weather Service is calling for a repeat of the fire danger by issuing a fire weather watch for Tuesday, because of the expectation a red flag warning will once again be issued because of tomorrows weather conditions, which will be only slightly improved. Grand Island is expected to see a high of 56 degrees, with afternoon winds expected to be 25 to 30 mph, with some gusts as high as 45 mph.

The same high winds are also predicted for almost all of south Central Nebraska on Tuesday. The relative humidity is expected to be only 10 percent in some locations on Tuesday.

The longer range forecast for Grand Island continues to call for dry conditions until late Friday night and early Saturday morning. The forecast says there will be a chance of rain before 1 a.m., then a chance of rain and snow between 1 and 2 a.m., followed by a chance of snow after 2 a.m. The forecast says that the chance of precipitation is 50 percent.

Grand Island is only a little behind expected precipitation through March 6, with a total of 1.32 inches for the year so far, compared to normal precipitation of 1.41 inches through March 6.

Fred Hotz, life safety division chief for the Grand Island Fire Department, noted that the department does not do anything differently on a day when a red flag warning is issued.

He said the red flag warning is used mostly as a common-sense reminder for rural residents, where burn permits can be obtained fairly easily, not to do any burning on a day when the danger of uncontrollable fires is so high. He noted that grass fires on prairie land can quickly spread when there are high winds like the ones predicted for Monday and Tuesday.

Hotz said that, while a red flag warning is a reminder not to start any outdoor fires that can get out of control, he noted that the weather conditions also mean that any minor sparks from a passing train or someone discarding a cigarette are much more likely to start a fire.

The Grand Island Fire Department went ahead with its controlled burn training event for Sunday morning, March 5, along Highway 281, south of Highway 34, because the humidity levels were much higher, Hotz said. Firefighters did a few practice burns in interior rooms that were suitable for the training exercise.

He said firefighters then proceeded to burn down the entire house in the morning, before winds became strong on Sunday afternoon.
New Delhi, Mar 6 (IBNS): Armed with a key focus of building a diverse and inclusive work culture, Vodafone India will celebrate the International Womenas Day with a week-long series of exciting events lined up from March 6th to 10th, 2017.

The theme #ConnectedSheCan is aimed to bring a positive change to the lives of millions of women worldwide by enabling financial inclusion, improving health and wellbeing and building skills and entrepreneurship abilities in them.

Over the years, Vodafone India has consciously worked to build an inclusive work environment and acknowledge the role that women play within the organization and society at large. It has also focused on increasing the representation of women in its 13,000+ strong countrywide workforce.

Expressing his views on the organizations future ambitions for women empowerment, Suvamoy Roy, Director  Human Resources, Vodafone India said, We are an equal opportunity employer. Our diversity journey is built on the foundation of creating an ecosystem that is attractive to women professionals and enables them to succeed at the workplace. We are delighted to host a series of engaging initiatives as a part of #ConnectedSheCan to celebrate our women colleagues and their contribution to the workplace during this week.
Three years ago, when performer Rick Pickren last visited Edwardsville, he was billed as the Singing Cowboy.

Hes coming back to Edwardsville on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. performance at the Edwardsville Public Library. This time, though, he wont be playing the old familiar folk songs that he performed for seniors at the Main Street Community Center in 2014.

This time hell be Rick Pickren, the Celtic Cowboy.

Ill be playing a program of traditional Irish music with a few well-known folk songs that are influenced by Irish music or had Irish origins, Pickren said in a phone interview. Like The Streets of Laredo' and Green Grow the Lilacs. Most of the songs will be traditional Irish songs, either American-Irish or the original from the isle itself.

Pickren usually performs with an acoustic guitar, harmonica and banjo. For Tuesdays performance, hell leave the banjo at home and instead bring an Irish bouzouki. Its a flat back instrument that was developed by Irish musicians during the 1960s. Todays its used a lot by bands that play traditional Irish music.

Its a wonderful sounding instrument, he said. Its usually used to back singing in place of a guitar or sometimes it will accompany a fiddle or play along with the fiddle, like for an Irish fiddle tune.

Pickren was born in Detroit and grew up during the 60s and 70s in Michigan and Huntsville, Ala. He began playing instruments when he was 12.

Later, he played with a country band, where he often played old fiddle tunes and old cowboy songs like the The Streets of Laredo and Home on the Range.

Pickering, a descendant of Buffalo Bill Cody, graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelors degree in music and a masters in acting and directing.

It was his pursuit of acting positions that brought him to Chicago in the 1980s. Over the years he has shared the stage with George Strait, Merle Haggard, The Judds, Dolly Parton, and Alabama. He has co-starred in several movies, including Major League, U.S. Marshals, and While You Were Sleeping, and appeared on the television shows ER and Early Edition.

These days hes still performing about 200 times a year, at venues such as museums, libraries, and historical societies.

He spoke to the Intelligencer between performances in Michigan. He was heading back to Chicago for the weekend before leaving for Edwardsville.

Tuesdays performance is being billed as family concert, free to the public.

Im excited to come back there, Pickren said. Its been a while, and Im looking forward to it.
A team of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville undergraduate and graduate student-researchers are playing an integral role in preserving the 20thcentury history of Madison County, Ill.

Through their work with the collaborative project, Madison Historical, The Online Encyclopedia and Digital Archive for Madison County, Ill., the students are using 21st century technology to publically feature and archive oral histories, historical items such as photographs, documents and letters, and articles on significant people, places, and events.

The innovative project is led by Madison County Regional Superintendent of Schools Robert Daiber, EdD, who noted the absence of a formally recorded history of the county since 1912. Daiber called on the expertise of SIUE scholars and students from the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Historical Studies to bring his idea to fruition.

Madison Historical is being developed and managed by associate professors Jeffrey Manuel, PhD, and Jason Stacy, PhD, along with Stephen Hansen, PhD, faculty emeritus and former interim chancellor, and four student-researchers. SIUE alumnus Ben Ostermeier is contributing his expertise in historical studies and computer science as the technical developer for the project.

Graduate students involved are Nichol Allen, a native of Truckee, Calif., and Jessica Mills, of Webb, Iowa, both pursuing a masters in historical studies, along with doctoral candidate Lesley Thomson-Sasso, of Asbury Park, N.J. Junior Angela Little, of Belleville, is contributing to the project through the Universitys Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) program.

Many people think that history teaching and scholarship has not changed in many years, but this project shows how historians are embracing the web and its potential for democratizing history and preserving local history in new ways, said Manuel. It presents great opportunities for our students, because they get firsthand experience with the type of work done in museums and archives today. Historians have to be skilled in a wide variety of digital and multimedia techniques.

A special event will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 14 in the SIUE Morris University Center Conference Center to introduce the public to Madison Historical: The Online Encyclopedia and Digital Archive for Madison County, Ill.

So far, the most rewarding aspect of this project has been the interaction with local organizations who are excited about this project, said Mills. There seems to be an overall excitement about the possibilities of a project like this. Meeting the men and women, who help protect Madison Countys history and educate others on its past, has been particularly enjoyable.

The students contributions, include:

Sharing information about the innovative project with local organizations and partner institutions

Researching appropriate materials to include within the projects emphases on government, industry, education, law and culture

Writing articles and learning to effectively analyze and digitize primary sources

Identifying subjects and conducting oral histories

This project was of great interest to me due to my hobby of genealogy and my pursuit of a bachelors in historical studies, said Little. Madison Historical is affording the valuable opportunity to work closely with graduate students and faculty to learn where to best research certain topics and build a network within the community.

I excitedly accepted the offer to participate in this amazing project, added Allen. It offers the communities within Madison County the opportunity to preserve their history by erasing city lines and uniting together to create a shared story rooted in the past that brings us to the present.

Madison Historical serves a number of innovative purposes, and according to Stacy, the SIUE graduate students are at the core of the project, acting as a conduit to partner institutions for the creation of this hub of historical references. The public is invited to not only consume the digital archives historical references, but also assist in producing them.

We hope to play a dual role in the community, first as a repository for county history and second as a place for community members to contribute their memories of Madison County, Stacy said. The students involved are gaining the opportunity to put the skills we teach them in class, into practice in a way that gives back to the Madison County community.

I find it incredibly rewarding to control the presentation of the websites content and consider how users will navigate Madison Historical, Ostermeier said. It is critical for citizens to be engaged in their local community, and a crucial component of that engagement is knowledge of that communitys history. This project gives the people of Madison County an authoritative resource on their communitys history and allows them to become both teachers and students of history. Its a great feeling to have a hand in seeing this project come to fruition.

This project provides the residents of Madison County the opportunity to explore its rich history by integrating the usage of digital humanities, Thomson-Sasso added. One unique aspect of Madison Historical is that it is promoting a community-based historical involvement that allows for the exploration of diverse research. It promotes a larger sense of community, and fosters civic pride in the countys rich contribution to Illinois history.

For a complete list of partner institutions and the network of sponsors who have supported Madison Historical, including the Madison County Regional Office of Education, Madison County Government, Phillips 66 and attorney John Simmons, visit Madison-Historical.siue.edu/.

Central to SIUEs exceptional and comprehensive education, the College of Arts and Sciences has 19 departments and 85 areas of study. More than 300 full-time faculty/instructors deliver classes to more than 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Faculty help students explore diverse ideas and experiences, while learning to think and live as fulfilled, productive members of the global community. Study abroad, service-learning, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities better prepare SIUE students not only to succeed in our region's workplaces, but also to become valuable leaders who make important contributions to our communities.
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Linkedin Muhtar Habibi (The Jakarta Post) London  Mon, March 6, 2017

The so-called demographic bonus has been in the spotlight of public discourse for the last few years. Last week, however, President Joko Jokowi Widodo stated a rather careful caveat regarding the coming decade of the demographic bonus (2020 to 2030). Noting that 70 percent of the total workforce would be of the productive age of between 16 and 64 years.

President Jokowi accentuated the urgent need to improve human resources through widening access to education for all, covered by state-sponsored scholarships.

Without such improvement, he warned, the demographic bonus would be a boomerang for our nation. But is this an adequate policy to prevent such a cataclysmic outcome?

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Linkedin Ricky Pratomo (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

The idea of penalizing corporations for crimes they committed is not a novel notion in foreign criminal legal systems. In fact, certain countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom have already implemented corporate criminal liability through the infamous Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and UK Bribery Act since 1900s.

However, such an idea has not yet been incorporated into the Indonesian legal system, as the dull and rusty Criminal Code does not provide any hint that a legal person may be put in jail.

Nonetheless, as corporations are increasingly implicated in various corporate crimes (specifically white-collar crimes such as bribery, corruption, money-laundering, environmental damage, banking fraud, etc.), the Indonesian judiciary has been pushed to stipulate the procedural law for prosecuting law-breaking corporations in light of deterrent effects and significantly larger fines.

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Linkedin EDITORIAL (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

The Jakarta political climate looks to heat up again as two candidate pairs, which the provincial poll body declared on Saturday as eligible to contest in the April 19 gubernatorial election runoff, will campaign on Tuesday. For the sake of fairness, incumbent Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama and his running mate incumbent Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat will have to take mandatory leave during the campaign period slated for March 7 until April 15, the poll body said, referring to Regional Election Law No. 8/2015.

With a 3 percent vote margin separating the two candidate pairs after the first round on Feb. 15, both Ahok-Djarot and Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno will work day and night to make sure every voter turns up for the second and final round to help them win.

Although the official voting results of the Feb. 15 election were not challenged by any of the candidate pairs, voter lists remain a concern. The Jakarta poll commission revealed that at least 237,000 voters did not make it onto voter lists in the first round election, but the commission has vowed to update the lists for the runoff.
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Linkedin Retno LP Marsudi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

For the first time in its 20year history, the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) will organize a Leaders Summit on March 7, themed Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful, Stable and Prosperous Indian Ocean.

As the chair of IORA for 2015-2017, Indonesia will host the summit and assemble the leaders of its 21 members and seven dialogue partners for the proposed theme. The IORA Leaders Summit is of great relevance to national, regional and global interests. Indonesias leadership among the Indian Ocean littoral states in IORA therefore matters.

The area surrounding the Indian Ocean are home to approximately 2.7 billion people. It is an immense, rich and highly diverse region. It is the main shipping lane for 70 percent of the worlds oil and natural gas as well as the source of one-third of fish caught worldwide.

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Linkedin Paulina Tandiono (The Jakarta Post) Bangkok  Mon, March 6, 2017

Indonesia has been in the process of amending its Criminal Code (KUHP) over the past 53 years. To this day, the House of Representatives is still vigorously debating its various provisions.

The current Criminal Code is a vestige of Dutch colonialism. It has been in force since 1918 with only minor changes made over the century. The Indonesian government wants a new penal code that will be relevant to a modern society.

One recent interesting development in this decades-old process is the amended provisions in the Criminal Code on the death penalty. Under the existing Criminal Code, the death penalty is one of the principal punishments for certain crimes, such as crimes against state security, murder, theft resulting in deaths and crimes relating to navigation and aviation.

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Linkedin Inforial (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia  Tue, March 7, 2017

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) currently serve as the backbone of domestic economy.

These enterprises are even alluded to in government's Nawacita nine-point development agenda, specifically in regards to economic independence and strategic domestic sectors.

In this global era, economic independence through SMEs is expected to have a strong impact on improving the nation's competitive capabilities.

State-owned telecommunication company PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (Telkom) realizes this and has long done its part to help raise the quality of the nation's SMEs. It has done this through its Partnership and Community Development Program.

This program has seen Telkom give SME business owners aid not only in the form of capital but also in terms of training assistance. Telkom has also presented SME products at domestic and global exhibitions.

One such recent recipient of aid in this program is Zulfian, a business owner in the field of stone and wood craftwork.

Despite a positive consumer reception to his work, Zulfian's business efforts suffered from a lack of sufficient capital and limited market reach.

"I visited a number of companies and institutions to offer products. Whenever I received mass orders, instead of being happy, I'd get headaches. The problem is that there isn't enough capital to buy raw materials or pay my employees enough, Zulfian said.

This is where Telkom came in. They offered him the capital he needed. They gave him training in production, management, marketing, and packaging. Ever since Telkom lent him a hand, Zulfian's business has changed for the better.

"Thank God, as a result of Telkom's aid, my business keeps growing. My annual turnover now is close to Rp 1 billion," said Zulfian, who now has customers in Malaysia, Singapore and even South Africa.

Zulfian has indirectly empowered and created welfare for his local community.

Catur Sugiyono is another example of someone who has benefitted from Telkom's SME aid program.

Catur's expertise is in the art of wooden batik.

After modest beginnings in 1996 making painted masks with a modest capital value of Rp 1.5 million, his Catur Batik Wood brand is now internationally recognized and can be seen in Malaysia, India, South Africa and France. His turnover reaches hundreds of millions of rupiah monthly.

Catur realizes that Telkom has been a huge help in his path to success.

"Aside providing capital, Telkom also gave me a chance to get training program in improving my business management skills. Even Telkom is also facilitating Catur Batik Wood's exports," said Catur.

-(-/-)
New Delhi, Mar 6 (IBNS): Union Minister of Steel Birender Singh laid out five focus areas for maximising the use of steel, the Ministry of Steel announced on Monday.

According to the Minister, the way forward for the industry involves concentrating on Production and Productivity (P), Research and Development (R), Indian Steel (I), Demand of Steel (D) and Excellence of Quality (E).

He said that these five aspects or PRIDE will help in maximising the usage of steel.

The Union Minister inaugurated the maiden regional conference of Eastern States, on the theme of Enhancing steel consumption in India in Gangtok, Sikkim, on March 2.

The minister said that considering India's low per capita steel consumption at 61 Kg against the world average of 208 kg, leaves room for improving the domestic steel consumption.



Image: PIB Twitter
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Linkedin Ni Nyoman Wira (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017 15:02 2071 a291276806121264c0bd211cde32f492 1 Lifestyle womens-march-jakarta,womens-march,rejang-shanti,bengkel-tari-ayu-bulan,feminism,gender-equality,womens-day,#WomensMarch,movement Free

Accompanied by an a cappella arrangement with a touch of Balinese music, several dancers from the Bengkel Tari Ayu Bulan dance studio performed Rejang Shanti during the Womens March Jakarta 2017 on Saturday in the front area of the State Palace.

Donning white kebaya and hair accessories made of lontar (palm leaves), the dancers conveyed a message of serenity through their slow and peaceful movements. It is a peace dance, said Balinese dance maestro Ayu Bulantrisna Djelantik, also known as Biang Bulan ('biang' means mother or aunt in Balinese), who is also the dance studio's founder.

Balinese dance maestro Ayu Bulantrisna Djelantik, also known as Biang Bulan, performs a Rejang Shanti dance during the Women's March Jakarta 2017.(JP/Ni Nyoman Wira)

Biang Bulan explained that she created the dance to depict the current era, which she described as full of stress, hatred, hoaxes and deception. I created the peace dance [as a symbol to help us] ruwat [heal] ourselves and our earth. And also to protect our eyes, ears and hearts so that we can stay peaceful and appreciate differences, she told The Jakarta Post.

Rejang itself is a sacred Balinese dance, while shanti means "peace in the mantras of Hinduism. Rejang is actually a communal dance, which everyone can follow because its very simple. It functions to ruwat, exorcize evil and pray for blessing, said Biang Bulan, adding that the dance was usually performed during an odalan (anniversary) of a temple in Bali.

The participants presented eight demands, which include tolerance, diversity and increased access to health services for women, eliminating violence against women, protecting the living environment and female workers, improving the representation of women in politics, and eliminating discrimination and violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities.(JP/Ni Nyoman Wira)

Read also: Women's March Jakarta 2017 to raise gender equality issues

Rejang Shanti was the opening of the Womens March Jakarta 2017, which saw hundreds stroll down the streets of Central Jakarta, starting from Sarinah to the State Palace. They presented eight demands, which include tolerance, diversity and increased access to health services for women, eliminating violence against women, protecting the living environment and female workers, improving the representation of women in politics, and eliminating discrimination and violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities.

Aside from the dance performance, the event also hosted musical performances by Sisters in Danger, Melanie Subono and Mutiara Malika; poetry reading by Helga Worotitjan, Ayu Meutia, Putri Minangsari and Tiar S; a sharing session by activist-cum-artist Nova Eliza from Womens Voices Foundation (YSHP) and a belly dance performance.

Women and men march down Jakarta streets, starting from Sarinah to the State Palace.(JP/Ni Nyoman Wira)

One of the march participants, Meriana, who hails from Bandung, said that she came to Jakarta to support gender equality. I expect that Indonesian peoples solidarity will get stronger and justice will be improved to the point that people will not have to suffer violations of their rights, she said. I [also] hope Indonesian people can be more aware, open and smart.

Another participant, Daniel Hadiputra, said women had always been discriminated against. I am taking part in this march to realize what shouldve happened a long time ago, which is gender equality, he said. I highly support the march, which aims to show the world that women and men are equal. I hope many people realize that women can do [anything] and they are capable of doing [anything]. (kes)
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Linkedin Danny Yatim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017 09:18 2072 a291276806121264c0bd211cde31d917 4 Art & Culture breakfast,Indonesian-food,nasi-goreng,nasi-uduk,bubur-ayam Free

A few years ago a former classmate from the United States came to visit Indonesia, and her first question when she arrived was: What is a typical Indonesian breakfast? That could sound like a very innocent question, and yet I found myself stuck for a moment on how difficult it was to give a neat, simple answer.

I then recalled all my travels around the country, from hotel to hotel, I always got the choice of American, Continental or Indonesian breakfast, with the latter being the famous Indonesian fried rice, nasi goreng. However, a thought came to my mind: do Indonesians really eat nasi goreng for breakfast?

Remembering my childhood days living in Jakartas Menteng area, bread seemed to be our staple food in the morning. The memories are still clear in my mind of bread vendors passing by in their tricycles, yelling brot, brot, rotiii. (Brot is Dutch for bread). My brother and sisters would then rush to the streets to get their favorite bread. One sister preferred roti nanas, bread with pineapple jam filling. Another sister would grab roti gambang, gingerbread. My brothers choice was roti kacang, bread with crushed peanuts, while I preferred roti coklat, chocolate bread. Together with roti tawar (plain bread), that was our typical morning meal.

However, having a mother who loved cooking, once in a while wed have our variety of bubur ayam (chicken porridge), bubur Manado (Manadonese-style rice porridge with mixed vegetables), bubur kacang ijo (mung bean porridge), or boiled cassava and chili sauce, in addition to our daily bread.

Never once did I give thought as to whether that was typically Indonesian or not. As a kid I only cared about the fact that I enjoyed the food. It was only occasionally that nasi goreng was served to complement the bread we had each morning, usually on the weekends.

As years passed, moving to another city to study, and later on frequently visiting other cities and towns for work-related travels, I came to taste the rich variety of breakfast items this country has to offer.

Yogyakartans would cherish their nasi gudeg ( jackfruit stew with palm sugar and coconut milk) for breakfast, sometimes even lining up in the wee hours of the morning to buy it at their favorite warung (food stall). Yogyakarta is also famous for jajan pasar (sweet cakes) to fill ones morning appetite.

In other parts of Java one can find nasi pecel (Madiun), nasi uduk (Jakarta), ketoprak (Jakarta) and tauge oncom (West Java). There are varieties of bubur ayam in Kalimantan, while yellow rice (nasi kuning) can make ones morning in Manado or Bandung.

Other forms of rice dishes can be found in Bali (nasi jenggo), Solo (nasi kucing) and Aceh (nasi gurih). For those preferring curry soup served with rice cakes, try lontong sayur or lontong Medan; and, of course, there is also soto ayam (chicken soup).

What about noodles? Yes, mie ayam, mie cakalang and mie pangsit are common items to find on any breakfast table in Indonesia, plus theres also instant noodles, which is a favorite among many.

The list can go on and on, and this in fact reflects Indonesias diversity. Beyond just breakfast, if I was asked what typical Indonesian food is like, I would not be able to explain it. Many of my friends, when asked that question by a foreigner, would immediately talk about what they personally have at home, or what they are familiar with, which I think works against the diversity of our country.

But think about it: Why do we consider nasi goreng to be the national breakfast dish? And if we dont, why hasnt it been removed from the list of popular breakfast items?

Perhaps it was the influence of the first modern hotels in the 1960s that first introduced it, such as Hotel Indonesia, Bali Beach Hotel, Ambarrukmo Hotel and Samudra Beach Hotel. Or, correct me if Im wrong, could it be the colonial hotels that started romanticizing it as a breakfast item?

Most people would consider nasi goreng as leftover food, meaning they would consume it for breakfast whenever there was leftover rice sitting in the fridge (it has been said that the secret to great fried rice is to use cold-cooked grains).

However, if on some evening one was to walk along some of the most popular eating spots in Jakarta, such as on Jalan Sabang, Jalan Hayamwuruk or Kebon Kacang, or any other place near a shopping mall, they would come across food stalls serving cheap and ready-made meals. Many of these vendors sell fried rice; but bear in mind that the fried rice is not consumed for breakfast, and instead for dinner. This is a good reason to cross out nasi goreng as a typical Indonesian breakfast.

Now, lets revisit the initial question: What is a typical Indonesian breakfast? I browsed through the internet and discovered more choices  dishes that truly reflect the richness of Indonesia.

Breakfast does not have to be rice-based or constitute a westernized bread-based meal; some eat cassava, yam or sago. I also found that some morning meals come with vegetables, poultry, meat, fish, or peanuts. Surprisingly, fruits are rarely the choice for Indonesians in the morning. Even though today western influences have changed our eating habits, I do know some people who still believe that eating fruit in the morning would cause some discomfort in their stomach.

Now, I know the answer to the question we started with. There is no such thing as a typical Indonesian breakfast, which leads to a new idea: Perhaps it is time that someone writes a book about the varieties of breakfast across the archipelago.

***

Danny Yatim is a lecturer at Atma Jaya University and a creative writing instructor at The Jakarta Post Writing Center.
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Linkedin Ankita Varma (The Straits Times/Asia News Network)  Mon, March 6, 2017 14:11 2071 a291276806121264c0bd211cde32a1c7 2 Food Gordon-Ramsay,chef,Singapore,restaurant,fine-dining,Marina-Bay-Sands Free

To say British restaurateur and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is nothing like his television personality would be something of a stretch.

Even in person, the star of hit shows such as Kitchen Nightmares, Hell's Kitchen, Hotel Hell and MasterChef US - has the same purposeful stride and intense gaze that has been known to reduce grown adults to stuttering fools.

The 50-year-old was in town last week to judge the inaugural Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Culinary Olympics, which was held at his restaurant there, Bread Street Kitchen.

And though the chef, whose restaurants have garnered seven Michelin stars, was warm and chatty when he sat down with The Straits Times, the din of a bartender shaking up a drink and interrupting his thoughts saw him momentarily go into classic Ramsay mode.

"I know you've got to shake your drink, but it's blowing everything up," he said to the bartender, who quickly scooted away. "Please go down the bar and shake. Thank you."

It quickly became obvious that for Ramsay, focus and attention to detail are key - evident not only by how engaged he is when speaking, but also by his thoughts on everything from opening a second restaurant in Singapore to his new online cooking program, the Gordon Ramsay Masterclass.

"Bread Street Kitchen is an all- day casual concept and I want to turn it up a notch and do something a bit more refined - but I'm very fussy, so real estate is important," he says, citing Customs House across the bay as an area that he says has evolved beautifully.

"I'm thinking a 60- to 70-seater with fine dining. That's what I would like next for Singapore. But I need to find the right space first."

A post shared by Bread Street Kitchen Singapore (@bsksingapore) on Aug 26, 2016 at 5:05pm PDT

He took that same meticulous approach when he was asked to create an online video-lesson series, the Gordon Ramsay Masterclass, which launched last November.

The 20-part series walks viewers through everything - from Ramsay's personal journey in the culinary world to mastering knife skills to working with ingredients such as shellfish and herbs and classic recipes.

His YouTube channel, featuring snippets from his television programs over the years, had hit over half a billion views by the end of 2015, prompting him to consider creating the masterclass series last year.

"What I wanted was for it to be really stripped back, shot in my home and be just me cooking from ingredient to dish - without a brigade of 25, 30 chefs. I love the idea of teaching properly, cooking from the heart and not sounding like a food snob."

The course - priced at US$90 (S$127)- had an outreach of 48 million people over Black Friday last year. Interested applicants can sign up and pay on www.masterclass. com, which will give them access to the video lessons and a class workbook.

Read also: The one ingredient the worlds top chefs cant do without

Ironically, as much as he enjoys cooking solo, the opportunities for that vary a lot these days, given his schedule and how extensively he travels.

In the six days before arriving in Singapore, he wrapped up the finale of Hell's Kitchen, cooked for the Elton John Aids Foundation dinner for the Oscars in Los Angeles and stopped by Hong Kong to visit his restaurants there.

Still, for Ramsay, cooking and innovating on the go are part of the job.

"These days, I just do it at other people's restaurants. Just the other day in Hong Kong, I had the most delicious octopus pasta and I loved the way the octopus was sliced so thinly and braised," he says, reaching for his phone to show a photo of it he had uploaded to his Instagram account.

"So now, I want to maybe make a squid ink pasta and put the slivers of octopus into the pasta. I don't know if it'll be manageable or if it will work, but I'm dying to try it."

Even though he admits that he does not follow food trends closely, Ramsay says natural fermentation, pickling, grains and pulses are what gets him excited these days.

"It's healthier and a way to lighten the balance of cooking so it doesn't become sedated and heavy. It's a nice way of eating vegetables, without using dairy products."

It is evident, though, that cooking aside, his first love will always be spurring on younger talent to join and fall in love with an industry that has given him so much - which is why he constantly makes time to mentor and work with young chefs.

"In Asia, I think that the strong work ethic is there, but the hunger is not, which is why it is important to make this industry as attractive as possible to tantalize young talent," he says, adding that he relishes seeing young chefs grow and compete with his restaurants.

"I consider myself an unselfish chef. A charitable organization called the Round Table is what helped pay 70 quid for my first chef's whites and knives back in the day, so now that I'm in the position to give back, I want to do it."

Topics :

This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin Mark Heyward and Rudy Rajendra (The Jakarta Post) Lombok  Mon, March 6, 2017 10:26 2071 a291276806121264c0bd211cde321918 4 Parents Lombok,school,Education,expatriate,international-school Free

When we visited Sekolah Nusa Alam recently, it was Science Week. A group of junior high students were happily working to solve a challenge, making a bridge from cardboard and other trash. Some elementary school children were making colourful posters about the dangers of chemicals in common household products, and kindergarteners were figuring out how long it takes to fill a jar with sand.

Sekolah Nusa Alam opened its doors for the first time in January 2000. The school was established by members of Lomboks international community  two Indonesians, a Brit and an Australian. At that time, there were only thirteen students.

The aim is to provide international quality education for Indonesian children and expatriate families on Lombok, explained Enny Asmororini, the schools principal.

We have children from many backgrounds  Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus. We have many nationalities at our school: Koreans, Australians, Dutch, British and Indonesians from all over the country  Tionghoa, Javanese, Sasak and Balinese. The beautiful thing is that the children all get along together. Were like a big family, she said.

Guess the number: A teacher interacts with kids during a class.(Hadian Bayu Prayogi/File)

Sekolah Nusa Alam is a community-based school. It was established and funded by the community. In the beginning, the school faced major challenges due to civil unrest on Lombok. Riots broke out on the day we opened! Enny explained. It was a time of unrest in Indonesia. By the end of the day, most of our families had left the island, she reminisced.

With persistence and hard work, the founders continued to develop the school.

In January 2017, Sekolah Nusa Alam celebrated 17 years of its continuing operation. The schools achievements are clear. The school now runs classes from early childhood to high school.

Sekolah Nusa Alam is accredited by the Indonesian government and has acquired a top rating for every level of education from kindergarten, elementary, middle school to high school. It is also the only school that holds a license to teach both the national curriculum and an international curriculum.

Read also: Three common facets of Indonesian international schools

Sekolah Nusa Alam is also the only school on the island that is licensed to teach the Cambridge International Curriculum, ranging from early childhood to high school, and is an Accredited Testing Centre for Cambridge IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) for grade 10.

In harmony: A student plays the violin during Harmony Day Assembly at Sekolah Nusa Alam.(Mark Heyward/File)

Graduates of Sekolah Nusa Alam have been accepted into many universities in foreign countries such as Australia, France, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as other prestigious international schools and universities in Indonesia.

My children have grown and developed into independent, responsible and respectful young people, said Sri Lestari, one of the schools parents.

They [the children] have a good attitude and show tolerance toward others, regardless of background. They are collaborative, have a good mind set and have mastered the English language. They can speak, read and write properly, she added.

This achievement is not an easy thing, explained Sopantini, the Head of the Board of Trustees and one of the schools founders.

Better together: Two children perform during Harmony Day Assembly at Sekolah Nusa Alam.(Mark Heyward/File)

It takes a long time because it requires the recognition and endorsement of the Indonesian government. It also takes the combined effort of everyone in the school community: teachers, parents and children, she added.

From her experience, she advised parents to be very careful when considering a school for their children.

Read also: Integrated education may not be ideal for all special needs kids

Be sure that the school you choose has a solid legal basis. Some initial questions to ask: does the school have a legally constituted foundation? Is it properly licensed by the Indonesian government? Is it accredited to provide an international curriculum? she said.

Establishing and running a school with dual curriculum and children from many different cultural backgrounds and many language backgrounds is a big challenge.

However, from the satisfied look of the children and parents attending Science Week at Sekolah Nusa Alam, we knew that the hard work of the teachers and founders really paid off.
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Linkedin Mark Heyward (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017 08:56 2072 a291276806121264c0bd211cde31c40e 4 Art & Culture #shortstory,short-stories,short-story,fiction,Islam,Muslim Free

This story takes place somewhere on Java, in south Yogyakarta.

On a quiet road, on the wide fertile plain that lies between the mountain and the sea, is a village. The people of the village live their lives like people in any other village. Babies are born, children are raised, young folk flirt and marry, old folk grow old and die.

And so the wheel of life turns. Each day the sun rises and falls. The rains come and go. The rice is planted, bright and green. Four months later it is harvested, fat and golden. The village folk go about their business, sweeping their yards, feeding their ducks, scolding their children and arguing with their husbands. Each day is punctuated with simple meals and the call to prayer. And in this way the business of life is negotiated. There is comfort in the sameness of this life, in its slowness, its routines and familiarity.

But something has changed. Something strange and unfamiliar has arrived in the village.

The old mans home is busy. His children have gathered. Now middle-aged and living different lives in different places, one-byone they have returned to the village; the teacher, the soldier, the businesswoman, the cook and the office worker. The old man is dying. The grandchildren scamper about. The old mans wife busies herself in the lean-to kitchen out the back. The siblings sit together on the veranda, breathing the village air, chatting in subdued tones, catching up on family news. Each has a story to tell, a life to share. The talk goes on late into the night.

The old man lies on a pallet. A low-wattage lamp hangs bare from the rafters. Sacks of rice are stacked on the polished concrete floor, the familys meager wealth. A rusting bicycle leans against the rice. The old man no longer eats. He probably weighs no more than fifteen or twenty kilograms. Hes had enough of life, he says. Its time to move on, time to go home.

The old man lives in another time now, another world. He chats about his brother who was lost in the violence of 1965. He talks about escapades with his youthful friends; he tells stories as if it were today. From time to time he remembers who he is, where he is; from time to time he can recognize his children. But mostly he just lies there, sleeping, dozing or muttering to ghosts.

The teacher wears a dark robe. She peers at her father from beneath a black veil, her big eyes bright and watery. Her sister, the businesswoman, wears light city clothes, her hair is free. The two sit with the old man. He looks up from his pallet, his eyes childlike, a faint flicker of recognition in his smile. The teacher holds his hand. Sometimes it feels cold and she wonders if he has already gone. And then the life returns, feeble but warm and real. She begins to recite verses from the Quran, her voice strained but pure as she invokes the Almighty.

The businesswoman takes her turn, holding her fathers hand, looking into his eyes. She, too, begins to recite. The old man joins in. Together the three of them recite the more familiar verses that she remembers from childhood. Their voices blend; there is comfort and companionship in the well-worn liturgical Arabic, in the rhythm of prayer. And then the old man reverts to high Javanese; perhaps the old language better expresses his humility as he seeks forgiveness and an easy passage.

Arep mulih, he says quietly. I want to go home. Eventually the prayer falters, the old mans muttering becomes incoherent, and he is once again asleep.

The sisters look at one another and, with the hint of a nod and a smile, take their leave. It is late. No more words are needed. The teacher makes her way down the village lane to her home, where her husband and children are already long asleep. The businesswoman unrolls a thin tikar mat and prepares to sleep.

Two or three hours later, the village is woken by adzan. A crackling speaker declares that it is time for the pre-dawn prayer of subuh. Come! It is better to pray than sleep!

The old man sleeps on as his wife and daughter ready themselves for prayer. Deep splashes of cold well water wash away the night as they perform the ritual cleansing. Like white shrouded ghosts in their prayer robes, the women walk the few steps to the village mosque, the old mans wife shuffling as she makes her way, bent from a lifetime of toil. The two nod greetings to friends and neighbors in the darkness.

The morning mosque fills with a scattering of worshippers, the old folk of the village. Together they perform the ritual prayers, standing, bowing and prostrating in unison, the women at the back, the men at the front. Looking around, the businesswoman notes that she is by far the youngest member of the congregation. Except for the imam. The younger man who leads the prayer advertises his piety with the uniform of the fundamentalist; his baggy pants are cut to calf-length  just above the ankles, his white shirt has no collar. He wears a white kopiah cap and a wispy beard; his forehead is marked with two dull grey smudges, as if he spends his life in prayer  his forehead forever bruised against a prayer mat.

As the congregation settles down, cross-legged on their prayer mats, the young man preaches his sermon. Following some formulaic Arabic by way of introduction, he begins to speak in Javanese of foreign ideas, of far-away places, of distant conflicts. The businesswoman looks perturbed. What is this? she asks herself. Looking about she sees that none of the old people appears worried. Most stare absently at the floor as the young mans voice rises in a hectoring tone. Their eyes glaze over, as they nod off to sleep or begin to think about the day ahead.

We must stand together with our brothers in Aleppo! the young man exhorts, switching to Indonesian. Do you know who bombed the city? Who killed our brothers? We must unite. We must establish a caliphate. We must fight the infidel!

The old people doze. The businesswoman becomes increasingly agitated.

I wanted to stand and walk out, she later says to her sister. I wanted to make a stand against this nonsense! But she doesnt walk out. Instead she sits quietly, her face creasing in anger as she listens to the foreign rhetoric. It seems only yesterday that the preacher was a little boy running about the village. She thinks of the old people, of her mother. She thinks about how they want to live their quiet lives undisturbed.

What did you think of the sermon? she asks her mother as they make their way home to begin the day; to sweep the yard, to cook the breakfast.

The sermon? the old woman chuckles, I dont know. I dont understand all that.

Later the family gathers for breakfast. A big pot of fresh rice porridge is on the table, the aroma of stewed coconut cream fills the air. A jar of homemade emping crackers is opened. One by one the children emerge from the different corners of the house, of the village. The old man sleeps.

Whats going on in the village? asks the businesswoman as they begin to eat. The teacher looks up, sensing something in her sisters tone. What are you doing? the businesswoman accuses her sister. What are you doing to these old people? They dont want your nonsense. I dont want it either!

Its the right thing, explains the teacher patiently. How can you resist Gods law, Sister? We should all struggle for what is right. For a caliphate. It is the only choice. It is stated in the Quran. It is Gods law.

Listen to you! says the businesswoman, her voice becoming sharp. You sound like a propaganda machine. You should stop going to those prayer meetings. Youre trying to change everything. Its not right!

The young imam is a local leader of Hizbut Tahir Indonesia, the Indonesian Liberation Party. A well-educated man, he has studied science in Japan. The teacher has been attending his meetings and prayer sessions. There, she sharpens her faith, she studies the dogma, politics and propaganda of an imported brand of puritanical Islam. In this new world, Javanese ritual has become an evil. She has joined the struggle to create a caliphate, ruled by sharia law.

The teachers new beliefs have already brought her into conflict with her parents and her siblings. When, some time ago, her husbands grandmother died, she refused to follow the customs, the traditional Javanese Islamic funeral rites. The home of the deceased is normally a busy place on the day of a death. The village women arrive with food and offers of support. With flowers and leaves from the graveyard. Prayers are recited, stories are told, the body is bathed, wrapped and interred, and the traditional prayers commence. Much of this, she reasoned, was un-Islamic. No announcements were made. The house remained dark and silent. Her parents were distraught.

Dont you dare to treat me like that when my time comes, the old man said at the time, on the edge of tears, an unusual intensity in his voice.

Well, even if I dont believe, I will take part this time, says the teacher, when her sister presses her on the issue. I dont want to upset my parents. I dont want to upset you all. Her younger brother, the cook, remains quiet. The office worker shifts in her seat. She is not comfortable with this friction in her family home. She is not sure what to believe.

Its not my Islam, says the soldier, eventually breaking the silence, his voice quiet but firm. I am a good Muslim, like you, but I am also Javanese; Indonesian. And I dont believe in an Islamic state. I believe in Pancasila. Our country will fall apart if you carry on like that. Is that what you want?

Answer this, says the businesswoman, looking hard at her sisters. Do you really want to live in a world where you can no longer go about as you please? A world in which you must have your husband or your brother with you  just to leave the house? Is that what you want? All I want is to do Gods will, responds the teacher. Well, you do what you like, says the businesswoman, but dont disturb these old people with your foreign ideas. Youll break their hearts with your nonsense!

And dont mess with my nieces, she adds. The teacher has been taking her younger brothers daughter to a kindergarten that is affiliated with an Islamist political party. The cook looks up. He doesnt want this conflict. He doesnt want his children indoctrinated either. But he is not sure how to deal with it. What to do. His older sister remains quiet. I spoke with the mosque committee, says the businesswoman. I talked with Uncle. He told me they didnt realize that your radical preachers have taken over. He promised theyd stop it. Everyone is supposed to have a turn at preaching. Its wrong to spread hatred and division. The mosque is for compassion, for fellowship. If our nations founders had wanted to establish a caliphate they would have done so, he said.

The businesswoman begins to weep. Tears of anger, tears of frustration. It is not right for conflict to be allowed to surface like this in a Javanese family. But she cannot ignore the problem.

I am a Muslim, too, she says quietly, between sobs. There is nothing wrong with my faith. But my Islam is not political. I dont want your Islamism. None of us do!

Im not sure, says her younger sister, the office worker. I dont know what to believe. The teacher raises her eyebrows. Breakfast is over. The old man wakes eventually. And eventually it is time for the family to return to their various lives, their various homes. It is not the old mans time yet.

One by one they take their leave. One by one they sit with the old man, one by one they hold his still cold hand, look into his eyes, ask for his forgiveness, for his blessing. One by one they pray for an end to his suffering. One by one they clasp their mothers hands. One by one they seek her blessing, reassuring the old woman of their love and loyalty.

And one by one, they part from their siblings, from their nieces and nephews, from their village.

The businesswoman and the teacher hug. It is a fierce hug. Pulling back, they look into one anothers eyes. Their eyes are moist but clear.

And so the wheel of life turns. Each day the sun rises and falls. The rains come and go. The rice is planted, bright and green. And four months later it is harvested, fat and golden.

***

The writer has lived and worked in Indonesia for 20 years. His 2013 book, Crazy Little Heaven, became a best-seller that same year. He writes articles, essays and short stories -- some of which have been published in The Jakarta Post.

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shortstory@thejakartapost.com

We are no longer accepting short story submissions for both online and print editions. New submissions towill not be published.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017 10:33 2071 a291276806121264c0bd211cde322b6b 1 Science & Tech smartphone,mobile-phones,technology,#technology,nokia-3310,BlackBerry-KEYone,lenovo,Moto-Z,Moto-Z-Play Free

At the 2017 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, last week, an interesting trend became clear: throwback phones are in.

While devices like tablets and wearables are adapting rapidly, companies like Nokia and BlackBerry have announced that some of their newest phones will look quite familiar.

The return of Nokia 3310

Since the Nokia 3310s release in 2000, it has become one of the most sold phones ever, with 126 million units sold worldwide. Over a decade since it was discontinued, it is coming back.

The iconic phone is returning in both red and yellow, in addition to its original release colors, dark blue and gray. This new phone will have a camera, a voice recorder and an FM radio. According to Bloomberg, Nokia fans should not fret, as the phone will also come loaded with iconic mobile game, Snake.

A post shared by @GADGETFIGHT (IVAN) (@gadgetfight) on Feb 28, 2017 at 2:14am PST

Read also: 'World's first 5G smartphone' from ZTE set for 2020

The return of the QWERTY keyboard

With smartphones that are all screen, QWERTY keyboards are a thing of the past, but BlackBerry seems to think differently. The company currently announced its BlackBerry KEYone that comes with a 4.5-inch display screen will also have a QWERTY keyboard.

Despite the nostalgic design, the phone itself is still high powered, featuring a fingerprint scanner, a programmable keyboard and a Snapdragon 625 processor. Set to be released worldwide in April, the phones software will be powered by Android instead of BlackBerrys previous operating system.

A post shared by CrackBerry Kevin (@crackberrykevin) on Mar 1, 2017 at 5:45am PST

Read also: Facebook, Google rule US top smartphone apps list: Nielsen

The return of Motorola

The Motorola RAZR was arguably one of the most iconic phones of the mid-2000s, if not the whole decade. However, since then, Motorola has become something of a ghost.

After attempting to phase out the name of the brand entirely to rename it Moto by Lenovo, Motorola has decided to jump on the throwback wagon and stick with its name. "Motorola is an iconic brand that symbolized quality and innovation, and it was a bad idea to ditch the name in the first place, said Maribel Lopez, an analyst at Lopez Research to CNET.

With the upcoming release of the Moto Z, it is about time to see if Motorola can make a comeback. (sul/kes)

A post shared by Impending Fascination (@impending_fascination) on Mar 2, 2017 at 2:42am PST
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

A total of 12,000 personnel have been deployed to secure the 20th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Summit, in Jakarta, Monday.

The event's Information Task Force Commander of the Joint Command for VVIP Security, Lt. Col. Edys Riyanto, said the personnel came from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Police.

"We have maximum security at the event venue, the Jakarta Convention Center," said Edys in a statement, as quoted by kompas.com.

Armed personnel and search dogs have been stationed at strategic points around the location, starting from the entrance of the Bung Karno complex.

Additional security measures have also been implemented at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and hotels where heads of state and government officials are staying.

(Read also: Indonesia seeks stronger Indian Ocean ties)

The IORA Summit is an international event that convenes coastal states bordering the Indian Ocean.

The event is taking place from March 5 to 7, and will be attended by 14 heads of state, eight international organizations and representatives of seven countries as dialogue partners. (dis/wit)
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Linkedin News Desk (Associated Press) Brisbane, Australia  Mon, March 6, 2017

Adele has officially announced she and longtime partner Simon Konecki are married, weeks after hinting at a wedding.

Adele casually dropped the news while chatting with the audience at her show in Brisbane, Australia, on Saturday. She was discussing her song, "Someone Like You," which describes her feelings following a breakup. She told the crowd that she's "addicted" to the "feeling when you first fall for someone." She says she can't have that feeling because she's "married now."

The announcement follows Adele's thanking of her "husband" following her big win at last month's Grammy awards.

Adele and Konecki have a 4-year-old son. (dan)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

The South Jakarta Infrastructure and Public Facility Maintenance (PPSU) Agency is continuing to search underground water tunnels along major thoroughfare Jl. Gatot Subroto for discarded power cable casings that clogged drains and caused flooding last week.

The PPSU workers have conducted the search since Thursday, assisted by Jakarta Water Agency workers in orange uniforms.

Four trucks and two motorized carts have hauled away the cable casings we have found since Thursday, West Kuningan subdistrict head Erwin Lobo said on Sunday, as quoted by beritajakarta.com.

Erwin gave his assurances that the team would comb the water tunnels to find any remaining casings to avoid clogged drains in the future.

On Thursday, Jl. Gatot Subroto was inundated after hours of heavy rain. However, Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama said the floods were not merely caused by heavy rain but also the casings that blocked tunnels under the road. (wnd/wit)
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Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

Incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama confirmed on Monday that he met former president and Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at a wedding party on Sunday.

The meeting is potentially an ice-breaking moment in relations between the Democratic Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which have been strained since the beginning of Yudhoyonos presidency.

The PDI-P gubernatorial candidate, however, refused to disclose what they had discussed during their meeting, which occurred at the wedding reception of the son of Prajogo Pangestu at Hotel Mulia in Senayan, Jakarta.

"Yes, we did meet," Ahok said. "I respect him as the sixth president," he added.

(Read also: Ahok talks to Agus over phone, sends regards to SBY)

In a photograph circulated in the media, Ahok's wife, Veronica Tan, is seen greeting Yudhoyono's wife, Ani. The husbands are standing next to their wives. All of them are smiling in the picture.

Relations between Yudhoyono and the PDI-P have been cold ever since he succeeded PDI-P chief Megawati Soekarnoputri as president, after beating her in the 2004 presidential election.

Their relations worsened recently after Yudhoyono accused Jokowi, who is also a PDI-P member, of discrediting him by granting clemency to former antigraft body chief and murder convict Antasari Azhar.

A day before the Feb. 15 election day, Antasari, who had led the prosecution of Yudhoyono's in-law Aulia Pohan, accused the former president of being part of a murder plot that led to his imprisonment.

Yudhoyono's sons hopes of taking the capitals top spot in the Jakarta election were crushed in the first round. The two remaining candidates, Ahok and Anies Baswedan, are now courting his party for support. (wit)
New Delhi, Mar 6 (IBNS): After the overwhelming success of TIAGO in the passenger vehicle market, Tata Motors has quickly come back with a new variant of the Tata Tiago, to offer its customers a pleasurable drive experience.

The Company on Monday announced the launch of the TIAGO Easy-Shift AMT.

Priced at INR 5.73 lakhs, ex-showroom Mumbai and INR 5.39 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi, the TIAGO AMT will be available in the XZA variant with the 1.2L 3 cylinder Revotron petrol engine.

The car will be on sale across the country in over 597 Tata Motors sales outlets, from today.

Reflecting the companys passion and commitment to bring stylish, exciting and technology driven cars in the market, the car comes equipped with the latest technological advancements and features that redefine the segment.

It strengthens the brands value proposition making it a true game-changer in the Indian passenger vehicle market.

According to, Mayank Pareek, President, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, said, Since its launch in 2016, the TIAGO  our first product to be launched under the IMPACT design language; stood out as an attractive, innovative and feature loaded car. It is the most awarded car of the year with over 13 awards and counting. Besides, due to the continued good response to the TIAGO, we are witnessing a month-on-month growth in the immensely competitive hatchback segment. The TIAGO has been instrumental in the growth of Tata Motors brand across the PV market. In line with our commitment of launching products that cater to the need of the ever-evolving customer, we are happy to launch the TIAGO AMT today. We are confident that it will further expand the market for us.
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Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

The local arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland NV (RBS NV) has officially ended its business in Indonesia.

The Financial Services Authority (OJK) issued a decree on Feb. 28 concerning the operation license revocation of RBS NVs branch office in Indonesia.

The revocation was carried out based on a request submitted by the lender's headquarters in the Netherlands, dated Nov. 1.

"The application is made as a follow-up action to the UK-based RBS Group business strategy, which decided to close its business network in 25 countries across the globe, including Indonesia," a statement by the OJK read.

RBS NV started operations in Indonesia in 1969 under the name ABN AMRO BANK NV Indonesia. The majority of its shareholding was acquired by the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc. in 2010, causing the bank's name changed to be changed to RBS NV a year later.

The lender's Indonesian arm booked profit until 2014, which indicated the country had encouraging business potential.

However, the situation was different for the RBS Groups businesses globally, which still suffered from losses. It thus decided to focus on its businesses in the UK's domestic market, Bloomberg reported as quoted by the OJK.

RBS NV Indonesia had fulfilled all of its obligations before submitting the operation license revocation, the OJK said.

Members of the public who still have rights and obligations with the local arm can contact the disclosure team at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) building in South Jakarta until March 31. (bbn)
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Linkedin Winny Tang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6 2017

After enduring a hard time last year marked by dwindling profitability, multifinance company Batavia Prosperindo Finance (BPF) is aiming high this year, focusing on financing for used cars and housing.

BPF aims to increase its net profits significantly by 56 percent to Rp 53.9 billion (US$4.04 million) this year, after a 46 percent drop last year from 2015.

The company expects the significant jump in net profits will be achieved through an anticipated increase in its net booking by nearly 70 percent to Rp 1.38 trillion this year, from Rp 814.9 billion in the past year.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

A brawl between residents of Tambak, Central Jakarta, and Manggarai, South Jakarta, broke on Sunday afternoon after someone from Tambak threw a firecracker into a residential area in Manggarai.

The brawl broke out at 5.45 p.m., according to Tebet police precinct head Comr. Nurdin Arrahman.

It led to residents throwing rocks at each other, but no physical contact occured, Nurdin said as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.

Most of the residents involved in the brawl were teenagers, he said.

Because of the incident, the police temporarily closed Jl. Tambak in Central Jakarta where the brawl took place, jamming traffic around the area.

(Read also: City, police to tackle inter-communal brawls)

After 7 p.m., the situation returned to normal after the police dispersed the crowd using tear gas.

Afterwards, officers from Tebet and Menteng Police precinct searched the street for weapons that might have been used in the brawl. (dea/wit)
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Linkedin Rizal Harahap (The Jakarta Post) Pekanbaru, Riau  Mon, March 6, 2017

After four days of flooding, overflowing rivers in Kuantan Singingi regency, Riau, have paralyzed daily activities in several areas.

The regencys education agency recorded that 19 schools had told students to remain at home to stay safe.

Water inundates classrooms and schoolyards, and also the streets nearby. It will be hard for the children to come to school, agency head Jupirman said on Monday.

Of the 19 schools, 17 were elementary schools while the remainder were junior high schools.

Schools located in Pangean district were flooded on Saturday and Sunday, but the water receded on Monday, enabling students to attend classes.

Kuantan Singingi Agriculture Agency head Maisir said at least 946.36 hectares of rice fields had been inundated, with Pangean the worst hit.

If this continues over the next two days, our next harvest may fail, he said. (wit)
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Linkedin Kirsten Grieshaber (Associated Press) Berlin  Mon, March 6, 2017

Germany's government on Monday condemned remarks by Turkey's president accusing officials of "Nazi practices," days after a local authority prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally there.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statements "absolutely unacceptable."

"Germany cannot be outmatched regarding the rule of law, tolerance and liberalism," he told German public Television ARD.

Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said the German government "strongly rejected" the equation of modern Germany with Nazi Germany, adding that such comparisons downplayed the crimes of the Nazis. Seibert noted that there were strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there were "far-reaching differences of opinion" between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of the referendum that would give Erdogan new powers.

Altmaier said the government was in contact with Turkey's government and announced that "we will make sure the significance of the problems of what happened in recent days will be recognized and understood in Ankara as well."

Erdogan had said Sunday in Istanbul that "Germany, you don't have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past."

His remarks followed a decision last week by local authorities in southwest Germany to withdraw permission for Turkey's justice minister to use a venue to hold a rally near the French border that was part of a campaign to get Turks in Germany to vote "yes" in an upcoming referendum on constitutional reform.

EU officials say that totally cutting ties with Turkey wouldn't be in the bloc's interests. An EU migrant deal with Turkey, which also is a NATO member, has significantly cut down the number of migrants crossing into Europe.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel sought to smooth stirred-up emotions on Monday and stressed the need to "normalize" what he calls a "highly strained" relationship with Turkey.

Other European nations with significant Turkish immigrant communities have also expressed their opinions on the issue.

"Our Austrian solution should be clear: we will not accept any campaign appearances by Turkish politicians in Austria," Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said as he arrived at a meeting of European Union counterparts in Brussels.

He added that "we don't want campaigns from other states to be brought to Austria and conflicts from other countries imported ... that is always damaging for integration."

However, Gabriel sounded skeptical about calls from some other European Union ministers to consider EU-wide rules for campaign appearances by foreign politicians pointing out that every country had its own opinion on the topic.

"I think the main thing is that everyone uses the possibilities they have to ensure that we get back to a somewhat normal relationship," he said.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said that "normally you would have to think that democracy is strong enough to cope with this. (dan)
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Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo is set to announce an acting governor to replace incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama when he takes leave for his reelection campaign.

"Today we will appoint the acting governor [...] I haven't signed the decree so I can't mention the name just yet," Tjahjo said on Monday.

The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPUD Jakarta) has ordered the incumbent pair of Ahok and Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat to take leave again to campaign for the second round of the Jakarta election.

After securing a win in the first round of the race on Feb. 15, the incumbent is set to face the final battle for votes against former education minister Anies Baswedan and his running mate, businessman Sandiaga Uno, on April 19.

During the first round of the campaign, Sumarsono, a senior bureaucrat with the Home Ministry, was appointed as acting governor to fill in for Ahok.

"There is a possibility [that Sumarsono will be acting governor again]," Tjahjo said when questioned by journalists.

The handover will be conducted at City Hall in Gambir, Central Jakarta, on Monday evening. (wit)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

The agreement between the National Police and Saudi Arabian Police on combating terrorism has led to the House of Representatives pushing for a stronger Terrorism Law.

Bambang Soesatyo, the chairman of House Commission III overseeing human rights, security and legal affairs, said that the amendment, currently in deliberation in the House, should strengthen the roles of antiterror units, such as the police's Densus 88.

"The MoU [memorandum of understanding] is important for both countries. [It means] Saudi Arabia has acknowledged the dangers of terrorism. That's enough of a reason to strengthen and widen the authority and access, under the amendment, for the country to take action against anyone implicated in terrorist activities," Bambang said.

(Read also: Deradicalization efforts failing)

The government, he said, needed more power to combat terrorism because threats were unpredictable.

Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and Saudi Arabia Police chief Usman al Mughrij signed the MoU last week, in front of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Saudi Arabia's King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Bogor Presidential Palace. It was among 11 MoUs signed by the two countries during the king's state visit.

Also in his speech at the House last week, the King encouraged Indonesia to cooperate with Saudi Arabia to face the threat of terrorism for the sake of world peace.

Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Indonesia Osama Mohammad Abdullah Alshuaibi said that the most important agenda item for both countries was to fight the Islamic State (IS) group. (wit)
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Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

With less than a month remaining before the end of the tax amnesty, the government may need to accept the reality that it will miss its target for the flagship program amid slowing public participation.

The tax amnesty, which will end on March 31, has entered its third and final stage with an ambitious goal of reaching the targeted Rp 165 trillion (US$12.38 billion) in penalty payments.

As of Sunday, the figure in penalty payments based on tax payment letters (SSP), however, stood at Rp 113 trillion, according to the Directorate General of Taxations data, meaning that the authority must seek another Rp 52 trillion in the next 25 days before the program concludes.

Many have been skeptical about the governments ability to achieve the target in the absence of major efforts to lure more big taxpayers after most of them took part in the first phase of the program during the July-September period.

Faced with this hard task, the Finance Ministrys director general of taxation, Ken Dwijugiasteadi, said that entering March, all regional tax offices had carried out daily public campaigns to attract more public participation in the amnesty.

Public campaigns are still running. We conduct the events based on [taxpayer] segments, he said last week, but declined to provide further details on whether the tax authority had set weekly targets for new participants.

Taxation Directorate General spokesperson Hestu Yoga Saksama, meanwhile, said 691,022 tax amnesty participants were recorded as of March 2. Yoga said that the authority had observed an upward trend, claiming that it had seen more than 4,000 new taxpayers signing up for the program every day.

The tax authority insisted the figure would continue to increase until the end of program as there was a problem of a culture of procrastination among Indonesians.

In our culture, people tend to wait until the very last moment, Yoga said.

Through the introduction of the nine-month tax amnesty program, the government hoped to repatriate billions of dollars citizens have parked overseas. The penalty payments are also expected to help close the gap in state revenue amid declining energy prices and a sluggish global economy.

Speaking to thousands of business players in a farewell to the tax amnesty event last week, President Joko Jokowi Widodo reiterated his call for businesspeople to take part in the program as this month would be their last chance to declare their assets and enjoy lower penalty rates of 5 percent.

Jokowi warned taxpayers who decided not to join the tax amnesty that the government was preparing law-enforcement measures to punish those owning undeclared assets, as mandated by the 2016 Tax Amnesty Law.

Article 18 of the Tax Amnesty Law stipulates that any undeclared asset owned between Jan. 1, 1985 and Dec. 31, 2015 will be considered as additional income and subject to a costly penalty, even three years after the program has concluded.

As the tax amnesty was not mandatory, the tax offices Yoga said, there was a large number of taxpayers who chose to revise their annual tax forms (SPT) rather than join the program.

However, he reminded them that there would be certain consequences if tax officials found contradictory data between their reported incomes and lists of assets during the law-enforcement period post-tax amnesty.

Separately, Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) chairman Hariyadi Sukamdani urged the tax authorities to improve services as there remained some technical issues on the ground that could discourage taxpayers from joining the program.

Experts also pointed out that Indonesias tax amnesty was deemed successful compared to similar programs in other countries, but it had failed to persuade taxpayers to repatriate substantial funds, one of the major goals stipulated in the Tax Amnesty Law.

Repatriated funds only amounted to Rp 145 trillion as of Sunday, far short of the targeted Rp 1 quadrillion. Meanwhile, declared assets reached Rp 4.43 quadrillion.

Based on our study, there are taxpayers with declared assets worth at least Rp 700 trillion but who have declined to repatriate their assets, Center for Taxation Analysis (CITA) executive director Yustinus Prastowo said, attributing their reluctance to a number of major rallies late last year in Jakarta.

(Read also: Hole found in Indonesia tax amnesty)

In mass rallies in November and December last year, hundreds of thousands of Muslim demonstrators thronged the streets of the capital calling for the prosecution of Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama for blasphemy. Subsequently the political tension rose and is believed to have deterred investors.

The major rallies slowed the momentum [for asset repatriation], Yustinus said.
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Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6 2017

While it is generally regarded as unwise to believe everything you see on the internet, Indonesian consumers are increasingly looking to the virtual world to learn about products and services in their real world.

Chaesary Rekinagara, a cafe owner in Magelang, Central Java, said she scoured the Instagram application to find the perfect look for herself. The products I most often purchase are clothes, bags and other girls stuff, she said, adding that product or shop endorsement by a celebrity often closed the deal for her.

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Washington, Mar 6 (IBNS): The World Bank Board has approved the US$ 125 million Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement Operation (STRIVE) aimed at improving the quality of long-term vocational training provided in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and apprenticeships.

STRIVE is a five-year government program which will help improve the performance of ITIs; increase the capacities of state governments to support them; improve teaching and learning; and broaden Apprenticeship Training. This Program will support vocational training in 300 ITIs and 100 industrial clusters and improve state systems in all ITIs across India.

Over 40 percent of those enrolled in ITIs and apprenticeships come from families that live below the poverty line. The STRIVE Program will help broaden the range of training options available to them and create a more conducive learning environment  important for attracting more young women and youth from vulnerable population groups.

Expanding and improving formal long-term skills is essential for India to create a globally competitive workforce, said Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director in India.This Program will also focus on inclusion, by providing greater opportunities for Indias youth, particularly women and underserved communities.

Recent studies estimate the demand for skilled workers at 400 million by 2022, of which 150 million are required in the manufacturing and services sector alone. With over 13,000 institutions across India, ITIs represent the largest network of technical training providers in the country. However, they face a series of challenges in adapting to increasingly dynamic industry demands. The formal apprenticeship system is an important but under-used resource for workplace exposure and relevant on-the-job training.

A striking feature of Indias labor market is the extremely low (31 percent) female labor force participation. More than 50 million of Indias young women are neither studying nor working and they constitute less than 9 percent of the enrollment in most ITIs.

To realize the benefits of a skilled workforce, further efforts are required to harness the full potential of its large youthful population.

The Program will modernize formal apprenticeship training in India and strengthen the role of industry, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in improving and developing needs-based Apprenticeship Programs. It will also help increase quality and relevance as well as financial and administrative autonomy of ITIs; improve states regulatory and monitoring systems for skills development; reduce teachers vacancy rates; facilitate industry training for teachers in ITIs, among others. STRIVE will also invest in introducing state of the art technology-based teaching and learning resources in ITI training, developing online and distance learning modules for technical teachers training and upgrading technical teachers training institutions.

Research has shown that youth who undergo some form of formal training tend to earn nearly 18 percent more compared to those with only a grade 10 or a grade 12 education. Beyond the direct benefit for the trainee, the development of a globally competitive manufacturing sector requires a cadre of comprehensively skilled technicians, said Muna Salih Meky, Senior Education Specialist and World Banks Task Team Leader for the Program. The Program is also expected to contribute to increased diversity and reduced inequities in the workforce.

The credit is from the International Development Association (IDA)  the World Banks concessionary lending arm with a maturity of 25 years, including a 5-year grace period.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6 2017

President Joko Jokowi Widodo will open the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Business Summit on Monday at the Jakarta Convention Center, which will see business leaders from around the Indian Ocean and afar gather to build partnerships for sustainable and equitable economic growth.

The Business Summit is being held as part of the inaugural IORA Summit, for which heads of state and government will assemble for the first time since 1997, when the IORA was first established.

Jokowi is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech, taking the title Indian Ocean Rim Cooperation toward a Prosperous and Sustainable Future, in the afternoon.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his entourage are extending their vacation in Bali to March 12, three days longer than originally planned.

"It is confirmed that the entourage of King Salman will extend the holiday in Bali to March 12, from the initial plan of only until March 9, 2017. The confirmation of the extension of the holiday is based on flight schedule demands," PT JAS deputy director of operations and services, Subiyono, told the media in Kuta, Bali, as quoted by tribunnews.com on Sunday.

PT JAS is a ground handling company that Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV) has entrusted to manage King Salmans flights in Indonesia.

However, Subiyono said he did not know whether the return on March 12 would include King Salman himself, because the schedule could still change. "We only serve requests from them; it is all still tentative," Subiyono said.

(Read also: Lifes a beach for King Salman in Bali)

He explained that some members of the group were traveling back and forth from Bali, while other new members were arriving on the island.

Subiyono added that PT JAS had registered three flights on March 11 and one flight on March 12 for SV, with an unknown number of passengers, from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. (dis/wit)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) visited on Monday the office of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise in relation to an investigation into a bribery case in which former Constitutional Court justice Patrialis Akbar has been implicated.

KPK spokesperson Febri Diansyah said the visit had been prompted by the results of a judicial review on the Husbandry Law that Patrialis presided over.

A former lawmaker and law minister, Patrialis has been accused of accepting US$20,000 and S$200,000 from beef importer Basuki Hariman.

The customs and excise office said the antigraft body had asked for its help to probe the case.

"A KPK team visited us [customs and excise office] to request data from nine beef import companies in its investigation into the former justice," said Heru Pambudi, the Finance Ministry's director general of customs and excise, on Monday, after the raid.

Heru said the customs office fully supported the KPK in its investigation and was gathering data from its archives in Tanjung Priok and Marunda, North Jakarta.

He said he also remained open to the possibility of gathering import data from other ports for the probe.(mrc/wit)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Bali  Mon, March 6, 2017

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia loves the sea.

The 81-year-old ruler, the first Saudi Arabian monarch to visit Indonesia in nearly 50 years, is enjoying the sea breeze, soft white sand and sparkling blue water of Geger Beach, Nusa Dua, just a few steps away from his hotel, the luxurious St. Regis Bali Resort.

The king and his large entourage, along with nearly 500 tons of luggage, arrived in Bali on Saturday afternoon after a three-day state visit to Jakarta and a brief trip to neighboring country Brunei Darussalam.

During his first few days on the Hindu island of the gods, King Salman opted to stay in the hotel, which his staff had booked out entirely.

Amid tight security on Sunday afternoon, the Saudi ruler enjoyed a short time at the beach, according to reports. The hotels management has built walkways to the beach and erected bamboo fencing covered in white fabric to provide privacy for the king, despite the beach not being closed.

Local authorities have taken steps to increase security at Balis most popular destinations, such as Uluwatu Temple, Garuda Wisnu Kencana Park and Ubuds famous rice terraces, but the king has yet to visit any tourist sites.

King Salman decided to spend his holiday in Bali because he likes the sea, Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Indonesia Osama bin Mohammed Abdullah Al Shuaibi said on Saturday.

This island is beautiful. His Excellency King Salman likes the sea very much. He will enjoy the Bali sea during the holiday, Osama said.

(Read also: Arabic conversation between King Salman and a Catholic priest in Bali)

A beach holiday is nothing new for the king, dubbed the guardian of Islams holy shrines. He took a 1,000-person entourage to his exclusive holiday villa in the French Riviera in 2015, which was met with protests from local people following the closure of a public beach.

Bali Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Henky Widjaja said the king was also expected to stay at the hotel on Sunday as no information had been received about him going out.

The government has taken VVIP security measures to safeguard King Salman in Bali. As many as 2,500 police and Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel have been deployed, along with two warships and four smaller vessels in Bali waters. The measures are also supported by pecalang (traditional Balinese guards.)

Arriving at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Saturday afternoon, Bali gave the king a grand welcome. He was greeted by 50 Balinese girls in colorful traditional attire, performing a five-minute Pendet dance.

He was waving his hands and smiling, said provincial administration spokesperson Dewa Mahendra. We are very proud that we can show our Balinese traditional dance to the king and his entourage.

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika, Bali Police chief Insp. General Petrus R. Golose and several prominent figures welcomed the king at the airport. The king also greeted local and religious figures, including conversing with Arabic-speaking Catholic priest Eventius Dewantoro.

Tourism players have welcomed the visit to help promote Bali among Middle Eastern visitors. Moreover, the visit could help promote religious harmony, Balis Interfaith Communication Forum (FKUB) chairman Ida Pengelingsir Agung Putra Sukahet said.

As a country with predominantly Muslim citizens, he decided to spend his holiday in Bali, which is predominantly Hindu. This shows that he respects other religions, given Bali is known for its Hindu culture, he said.

During a dialogue with several religious leaders in Jakarta on Friday, King Salman lauded Indonesias tolerance and diversity.

Balis people also showed excitement at the kings arrival with residents lining the roadside, waving and smiling as they hoped for a glimpse of the king as his motorcade passed by.

His arrival at the airport, however, disrupted 39 domestic and overseas flights, which were delayed as the runway was closed for 45 minutes for the landing.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

An airport ground-handling authority confirmed on Monday that King Salman would depart on March 9, as scheduled, refuting earlier reports that there had been a change in his schedule.

PT Jasa Angkasa Semesta (JAS) Area II general manager Heri Lukmanto said that as of Monday there had been no schedule changes for King Salmans visit to Bali. As was originally scheduled, King Salman will leave on Thursday, March 9.

Another ground-handling officer revealed Sunday that the Saudi planes would depart on March 11, suggesting that the King and his entourage might have prolonged his stay.

"Until now, we havent received any official notice about any schedule change from the Foreign Ministry. As per the original schedule, King Salman and his entourage return on the 9th," said Heri as quoted by kompas.com, Monday.

PT JAS is a ground handling company for flight handling, which Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV) entrusted to manage the ground handling of the Saudi Kings flights in Indonesia.

(Read also: King Salman extends holiday in Bali)

Heri said the group departing on March 9 would comprise King Salman himself, ministers and princes who came with the king. Other members of his entourage will gradually return until March 12.

However, he added that his company was always ready for any schedule changes, whether it be a shortening or extension of the kings holiday. (dis/wit)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

State-owned energy company Pertamina has managed to push down the fuel prices in nine remote regencies as part of the governments one-fuel price policy that will gradually be implemented in all regions across the country.

The aformentioned nine regencies are located in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Central Java, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Southeast Sulawesi, West Papua and East Kalimatan.

In accordance with the policy, fuel prices in the nine remote regencies are now the same as those in urban areas  Rp 6,450 (48 US cents) for gasoline and Rp 5,150 for diesel fuel.

Before the policy, initiated by Presdient Joko Jokowi Widodo, was implemented, the price of subsidized gasoline (premium) was generally between Rp 8,000 and Rp 15,000 and the price of diesel between Rp 7,000 to 18,000.

The policy was based on an Energy and Mineral Resources Ministerial Regulation (Permen ESDM) issued on Jan. 1 with the the objective of pushing down the prices of fuels in 148 regencies. The policy will be gradually implemented from 2017 to 2020.

Pertamina vice president for corporate communications Wianda Pusponegoro said the company had carried out mapping activities in the 148 regencies with fuel prices that will be equalized.

From the mapping activities, up to March 2, we have decided upon 53 regions where we will soon implement the one-fuel price policy, said Wianda as reported by kompas.com on on Mondy

She added that the considerations being taken into account in its selection of regions eligible to receive the one-fuel price policy included the availability of transportation, infrastructure and also local investors that could be appointed as business partners. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

The Jakarta Police are set to remove banners addressing ethnic, religious, racial and social group (SARA) sentiments ahead of the second round of the citys gubernatorial election in April.

The banners, which have been put up at several mosques across Jakarta, call on Muslims to refuse to perform funeral prayers for a deceased Muslim found to have been a supporter of Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama. Funeral prayers are a collective obligation for Muslims in the event of someone's death.

We will coordinate with every institution in the community to avoid any kind of violation [of the Election Law], Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Prabowo Argo Yuwono said as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com in Jakarta on Sunday.

(Read also: Police, election supervisor partner to investigate hate banners)

Prabowo added that the police were waiting for reports on electoral procedure violations from the Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu).

Citizens can also help by reporting such violations to the supervisory committee, Prabowo said. (kkk/wit)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

Indonesia and Singapore reaffirm their commitment to boost bilateral ties, particularly the cooperation on counter-terrorism, following a meeting between Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto and visiting Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean on Monday in Jakarta.

We discussed the interests of the two nations, which currently share very good [bilateral] ties. Id say the two countries are focusing on gaining mutual benefits, Wiranto told reporters after the meeting held in his office.

In the meeting, both Wiranto and Teo, who is also the coordinating minister for national security, underlined the importance to work together in eradicating terrorism and radicalism, at the same time, to push for better cooperation in combating cyber crimes.

The diplomatic relations between the two neighboring countries have been strong since the establishment in 1967; but, the thorny issue of the annual trans-boundary haze pollution often puts the ties on a roller coaster. (ipa)
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Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

The meeting between incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who is seeking reelection, and former president and Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at a wedding party on Sunday was coincidental, a party executive has said.

Dems deputy chairman Syarif Hasan dismissed growing speculation on Monday that the meeting was politically driven and could lead to the party supporting Ahok in the Jakarta gubernatorial elections runoff.

At a party, we cannot limit ourselves socially. But I can assure you that there was no talk [about politics], he said.

In a photograph circulated in the media, Ahok's wife, Veronica Tan, was seen greeting Yudhoyono's wife, Ani Yudhoyono. In the photo, the husbands are standing next to their wives, and all of them are smiling.

Ahok, who has been endorsed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in the gubernatorial race, a long rival of the Democratic party, confirmed earlier on Monday that the meeting had taken place. However, he remained tight-lipped when asked about the details of their meeting, which occurred at the wedding reception of the son of business tycoon Prajogo Pangestu at Hotel Mulia in Senayan, Jakarta.

The Democratic party has yet to make public announcement regarding their stance in the election runoff, whether to support Ahok or Anies Baswedan, after Yudhoyono's son Agus Harimurti Yudhoyonos hopes of taking the capitals top spot were crushed in the Feb. 15 first round election.
Mumbai, Mar 6 (IBNS) : After nearly six decades of service, Indian Navy's flagship aircraft carrier INS Viraat, will be decommissioned on Monday, reports said.

Famously known as the Grand Old Lady of of the Indian Navy, the ship was originally with the British Royal Navy before the Indian Government bought it for Rs. 6.5 crore .

INS Viraat played a major role in the 1989 Operation Jupiter in Sri Lankan Peace Keeping operations and Operation Parakram in during India-Pakistan stand-off in 2001-2002 after the terror attack on the Indian Parliament.

The decommissioning ceremony to be held at the sunset will be attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and other dignitaries.



The event will see the lowering and wrap-up of the naval flag installed on the warship.

NDTV quoted Navy chief Sunil Lamba as saying that If no buyer is found for the ship in four months, it will be broken up and sold for scrap.

The Andhra Pradesh government had indicated that it may be willing to convert the old ship into a museum, but the project will cost almost Rs. 1,000 crore.

The Navy Chief told NDTV that Viraat may even be sunk to convert it into a major tourist attraction for divers.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

Indonesian police personnel from the 8th Formed Police Unit (FPU 8) task force stationed in Sudan have finally returned home after being stranded in Sudan for more than a month for accusations of smuggling weapons and ammunition at El Fasher airport, Darfur.

"Task force FPU 8 took off from the airport of El Fasher Darfur on Saturday, March 4, at 2 p.m. local time," National Police spokesperson Martinus Sitompul said in a statement on Saturday, as quoted by kompas.com. The group arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta on Sunday.

Martinus added that the Indonesian legal aid team would arrive the next day. "[The legal team] accompanying FPU 8 Task Force, will fly with Qatar Airways and arrive in Jakarta on Monday morning," said Martinus.

(Read also: Indonesia probes police unit held in Sudan)

Indonesian Police Commission (Kompolnas) spokesperson Bekto Suprapto welcomed the return of the Indonesian contingent.

"The news from Sudanese media earlier saying that the Indonesian peacekeepers were detained for smuggling weapons, was not true and defamed the name of FPU 8, the police force, nation and state of Indonesia," said Bekto.

According to Bekto, FPU contingent 8 has been praised by the United Nations, police officers from other countries and the people of Sudan. (dis/wit)
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Linkedin Ivany Athina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

Sumarsono has returned to City Hall to temporarily take over Jakarta governorship from Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, who is forced to take leave ahead of the election runoff next month, where he seeks a new term in office.

In a ceremony at City Hall on Monday, the Home Ministry officially appointed the director general of regional autonomy to act as Jakarta governor for the second time.

Ahok said he had handed over a lot of "homework" to the senior bureaucrat, as he trusts "Sumarsono can handle all of the tasks.

Those tasks include building more integrated child-friendly spaces (RPTRA) and creative hubs for Jakarta youngsters across the capital.

"I know that Sumarsono really loves to work hard, so I entrust him with [those tasks]," Ahok said at City Hall before the handover ceremony.

The incumbent faces former education minister Anies Baswedan on April 9 for the second and final round in the gubernatorial race.

Sumarsono said he was upbeat that he could finish all the tasks well. "I will do all of the tasks well. I hope by doing it, I can please every party," Sumarsono told reporters after the ceremony.
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Linkedin Paulina Tandiono (The Jakarta Post) Bangkok  Mon, March 6 2017

Indonesia has been in the process of amending its Criminal Code (KUHP) over the past 53 years. To this day, the House of Representatives is still vigorously debating its various provisions.

The current Criminal Code is a vestige of Dutch colonialism. It has been in force since 1918 with only minor changes made over the century. The Indonesian government wants a new penal code that will be relevant to a modern society.

One recent interesting development in this decades-old process is the amended provisions in the Criminal Code on the death penalty. Under the existing Criminal Code, the death penalty is one of the principal punishments for certain crimes, such as crimes against state security, murder, theft resulting in deaths and crimes relating to navigation and aviation.

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Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

As many as 30 candidates have made it to the next stage in the governments search for the Financial Service Authoritys (OJK) new board of commissioners.

Their names were announced by the selection committee at the Finance Ministry on Monday evening.

Only five participants failed the third stage, which consisted of managerial assessment and medical checkups.

They are Allianz Indonesia independent commissioner Ahmad Junaedy Ganie, University of Indonesia lecturer Dewi Hanggaraeni, Hasanuddin University lecturer Marsuki, Astra Satu president director Suheri and Susandarini, who is a partner at law firm Susandarini and Partners.

OJK commissioner for capital market supervision Nurhaida, deputy commissioner for bank supervision Mulya E Siregar and Bank Indonesia spokesman Tirta Segara all passed the third stage.

Bank Mandiri president president commissioner Wimboh Santoso, Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS) executive chairman Fauzi Ichsan and Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) director Samsul Hidayat also managed to make it to the next round.

"The selection committee dug into [the candidates'] abilities to face pressure, make decisions, lead and enforce the organization's values along with assessing their knowledge and experience," committee member Darmin Nasution, who is Coordinating Economic Minister, told a press briefing.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who heads the committee, joined the briefing via teleconference as she is currently in the United States.

The fourth stage is scheduled to run from March 9 to 11 and will see the candidates undergo an interview with the committee members.

The committee will then choose 21 candidates to be proposed to the president by March 13. (tas)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

A brawl broke out again in Manggarai, South Jakarta, on Monday afternoon following the death of two youths in a clash a day earlier.

Mondays brawl reportedly pitted youths from Pegangsaan in Central Jakarta against those from Manggarai, who apparently sought to avenge the death of two youths from Manggarai identified as Sutan Rafi Hakim Lubis, 16, and Fikri Fadhlur Firmansyah, 18.

The victims were apparently killed after being shot with an air rifle, but it is unclear why the initial brawl took place.

"We have yet to find the reason behind these brawls. Witnesses said the incident happened quickly, with youths throwing stones at each other," said Jakarta's Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono, as quoted by kompas.com on Monday.

The issue prompted authorities to divert Transjakarta buses plying the route between Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta and Pulo Gadung in East Jakarta. (agn)
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Linkedin A. Ibrahim al Muttaqi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 7 2017

Jakarta once again is playing host to foreign leaders as it welcomes more than 16 heads of government/state for the inaugural Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Leaders Summit. Under the theme of Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful, Stable and Prosperous Indian Ocean, the summit will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the IORA, marking an important milestone in the regional organizations development.

Aside from holding the first ever gathering among the leaders of the IORAs 21 member countries, the current chair Indonesia aims to produce three key outcome documents that will define the IORAs vision for the future: the IORA Concord, the IORA Action Plan and the IORA Declaration on Countering Violent Extremism leading to Terrorism.

While these gatherings often produce such documents, Jakartas effort should not be underestimated. The IORA Concord is expected to provide a platform to boost regional economic partnerships and provide a code of conduct to address common problems in the worlds third-largest ocean. For a regional organization that has been described as underdeveloped and underutilized, the move toward greater regionalism should be applauded.

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Linkedin Veeramalla Anjaiah (The Jakarta Post)  Tue, March 7 2017

With around US$900 billion in gross domestic product (GDP), 17,000 islands and a population of more than 260 million, Indonesia is an attractive place for trade, investments and tourism. It has enormous natural resources, which may last for another 500 years.



German Chancellor Angela Merkel once described Indonesias rainforests, which are second biggest in the world after Brazil, as lungs of the planet as they provide oxygen to everybody. In its Feb. 27, 2016 edition, The Economist magazine described Indonesia as The Country of the Future because Indonesia, the worlds largest archipelagic state, has a young, tech-savvy population with a median age of 28.6 years.



Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia and a G20 member, has important and strong economic relations with countries in the Indian Ocean region (IOR). Indonesia has a long history in trading with far away countries and has traditionally maintained trade relations with various countries not only in the IOR but also the entire world.



Indonesia sees the Indian Ocean as a potential area for trade, investments and tourism.



For Indonesia, the Indian Ocean is very promising for national development, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi wrote in The Jakarta Post on Monday.



In 2016, based on data from the Central Statistics Agency and the Trade Ministry, Indonesias two-way trade with 20 members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) reached US$82.63 billion, around 30 percent of Indonesias total trade of $280.08 billion.



Indonesia exported $42.04 billion worth of goods to IORA member states in 2016, around 30 percent of Indonesias total exports of $144.43 billion last year. India, the most populous country in IORA, is the biggest destination of Indonesias exports, which stood at $10.09 billion in 2016. India is the biggest buyer of Indonesias palm oil and coal. In terms of numbers, Singapore was the biggest trading partner of Indonesia among IORA members but most of the trade was not meant for Singapore, which is an entrepot.



Indonesias main exports to IORA countries were mainly palm oil, textiles, rubber, coal, tires, chemical products, shoes, furniture, electrical equipment and automobiles. Malaysia, Thailand, Australia are other important export destinations (see table).





As far as Indonesias imports from IORA are concerned, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia were major sources of Indonesias imports. Total imports from IORA countries in 2016 were $40.58 billion or one third of Indonesias total imports of $135.65 billion.



Last year, 15 IORA member countries invested some $11.67 billion in Indonesia. Singapore was the biggest investor with $9.17 billion and Malaysia came second with $1.11 billion. In 2006, Indonesia attracted $28.96 billion in realized foreign direct investments from all over the world.



People-to-people exchanges are very important in a countrys foreign relations. There has been a huge enthusiasm among people of the IOR in visiting Indonesia. Last year, around 4.40 million tourists from eight IORA member states visited Indonesia. Most of these tourists were from Singapore (1.47 million), Malaysia (1.22 million) and Australia (1.19 million).



There is huge potential out there in the IOR. Indonesia has to make efforts, both bilaterally and through IORA, to enhance its trade with IORA countries. South Asia and Africa offer huge opportunities in trade and investments.



African countries are our new non-traditional markets. India is a huge market. We have to make extra efforts to increase our trade with India, the Foreign Ministrys director for intra-regional cooperation, Benyamin Carnadi, told The Jakarta Post recently.



From Africa, besides South Africa, rising stars like Mozambique, Tanzania, and Kenya can provide numerous opportunities for Indonesian companies in terms of trade and investments.



In terms of investments, countries like the United Arab Emirates, Australia, India and South Africa can invest in Indonesia. Four G20 members  Indonesia, India, Australia and South Africa  are in IORA.



After President Joko Jokowi Widodo administrations bold economic reforms during the last two years, the Indonesian economy was opened up to further bilateral trade relations with various countries and to foreign direct investment (FDI). Jokowi launched a series of economic packages to liberalize the economy and cut red tape to attract massive foreign investments.



According to McKinsey Global Institute, Indonesia badly needs $600 billion in foreign investment for its infrastructure projects in the next 10 years.



Given its big size and hydro-carbon reserves, Iran also can become a potential trading partner of Indonesia.



On Tuesday, Indonesia is hosting the historic first-ever summit of IORA in Jakarta. Several prominent leaders from IORA member states are taking part in the summit. Indonesia is pushing for a rules-based Indian Ocean, especially in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).



There is also a need for negotiating a free trade deal among IORA members.



During the last two years, Indonesia has been playing an important role and providing leadership to IORA in transforming it into a groundswell for regional cooperation. By hosting the first IORA Summit, Indonesia has shown its strong commitment to engage the IOR and provide much-needed leadership.



The Indian Ocean is the ocean of the future. Indonesia wants a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean, the Foreign Ministrys director general for Asia-Pacific and African affairs, Desra Percaya, told the Post on Monday.



Indonesia, the country of the future, is targeting the ocean of the future this year for trade, investments and tourists.







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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani and N. Adri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Balikpapan  Tue, March 7 2017

Just a week ago, fuel was often a scarce commodity in the Karimunjawa islands, a national park located 80 kilometers off Central Javas northern coastline. However, this has changed since the governments one-price fuel policy was introduced to the area on Monday.

Residents of the islands are now able to buy subsidized gasoline  locally known as Premium  for Rp 6,450 (48 US cents) per liter and subsidized diesel, known as Solar, for Rp 5,150 per liter. In the past, they frequently saw the price of the two fuels soar up to Rp 10,000 and Rp 8,000, respectively.

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Linkedin Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post)  Tue, March 7 2017

As chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Indonesia has laid out an ambitious plan to strengthen the regional group by hosting its inaugural summit and making use of six bilateral consultation meetings on Monday to further its cause.

Following bilateral talks with Maitha Salam Al Shamsi, United Arab Emirates Minister of State, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said she had spoken about optimizing the role of IORAs seven dialogue partners: the United States, Egypt, France, Japan, China, Germany and the United Kingdom.

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Linkedin Rod McGuirk (Associated Press) Canberra  Mon, March 6, 2017

Australia's prime minister said Monday that he was looking forward to discussing a free-trade deal with Indonesia while attending a regional forum in Jakarta.

Malcom Turnbull on Tuesday will attend the first Indian Ocean Rim Association leaders' summit in the 20-year history of the 21-nation organization.

Turnbull's one-day visit to Jakarta comes nine days after Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ended his first Australian visit as Indonesia's president.

The leaders used that Sydney visit to commit to finalizing a bilateral free-trade agreement this year after 17 years of negotiations. Jokowi said the deal must remove all Australian barriers to the importation of Indonesian palm oil and paper.

Turnbull has welcomed trade concessions that Indonesia has already made, including reduced tariffs on Australian sugar and fewer restrictions on Australian live cattle imports.

"We're making very good progress there and I look forward to discussing it further when I'm in Jakarta tomorrow," Turnbull told reporters in the Australian city of Melbourne.

Indonesian trade official Thomas Lembong, chairman of Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board, told Australia's Fairfax Media that his government wanted to see "concrete proof of unfettered and natural trade" in Indonesia palm oil, paper and wood products.

David Brewster, an Australian National University researcher on Indian Ocean security, said he expected Turnbull would be one of the few national leaders to attend the summit that will be chaired by Jokowi.

"His attendance at the meeting is probably primarily driven by the Jakarta relationship, wanting to show solidarity with Jokowi," Brewster said.

Turnbull later said in a statement that Australia had a fundamental interest in ensuring economic development in the Indian Ocean region and enhancing dialogue on shared security challenges.

The summit will agree to a statement on shared values and objectives, including a commitment to international law, and a declaration on countering violent extremism.

Australian interest in the grouping of predominantly developing states on the Indian Ocean fringe has deepened in the past five years, with the economic growth of India and China and a relative decline in influence in the region of the United States, Australia's most important strategic partner, Brewster said.

India is a member of the group while China has observer status. (dan)
Varanasi, Mar 6 (IBNS) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will address several election rallies on Monday, making the final pitch for votes before the final phase of Assembly elections in the state.

According to reports, the PM, who has been camping in Varanasi for the last three days, will address a public rally in Rohaniya, about 200 km from Varanasi, before returning to New Delhi late in the evening.

On Monday, Modi paid tributes to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at his house in city's Ramnagar area.

While BJP chief Amit Shah will hold four rallies in the region. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will address seven rallies through the day in favour of the Samajwadi Party-Congress candidates.

In the seventh and final round, 40 Assembly constituencies in eastern UP, including five in Varanasi, will go to polls on Wednesday. The campaign ends on Monday evening.

Votes will be counted on Saturday, March 11.
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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017

With eyes set on boosting trade and stepping up efforts in fighting terrorism, members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) kicked off a senior-level meeting over the weekend to set the wheels in motion ahead of its inaugural summit on Tuesday.

Senior officials from IORAs 21 member countries gathered on Sunday at the Jakarta Convention Center in Central Jakarta to discuss details for three outcome documents under the theme of strengthening maritime cooperation for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean.

Since its establishment in 1997, IORA has not had a high-level summit and in the Jakarta meeting member countries are expected to sign the final IORA Concord, which the committee of senior officials has agreed to name the Jakarta Concord.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministrys director general for AsiaPacific and African affairs, Desra Percaya, said the meeting had shown a high-spirited atmosphere of cooperation.

He said member countries had given various explanations and proposals that culminated in an agreement, some of which would be finalized in a ministerial-level meeting Monday.

The IORA Concord, an initiative of Indonesia and a reflection of Indonesias leadership, has been approved and received support from all IORA member countries, Desra told a press briefing following the meeting.

Desra declined to give further details from the meeting, saying that countries needed to negotiate sensitive issues at the ministerial level, such as maritime piracy.

The meeting has also finalized negotiations on the ministerial action plan for the next four years, which also includes talks on a free trade agreement for the coastal countries and island states located around the Indian Ocean.

As the third-largest oceanic division with around 2.7 billion people living around it, the Indian Ocean region is a key economic seaway with approximately one-third of the worlds cargo and 70 percent of oil and energy shipping passing through it each year.

For the first time since its inception in 1997, IORA will also expand its cooperation to include politics with member countries expecting to agree on a declaration to prevent and counter terrorism as well as violent extremism.

In its capacity as chair, Indonesia initiated the organizations first summit to strengthen cooperation and the commitment of IORA member countries amid growing global challenges, including terrorism.

(Read also: Jokowi set to open IORA biz summit)

IORA secretary-general KV Bhagirath commended Indonesias initiative in convening the organizations member states, as well as its seven dialogue partners for the landmark event, calling it a game changer.

Indonesia has played the role of chair in an exceedingly pioneering manner by taking steps forward to strengthen regional cooperation in the Indian Ocean, Bhagirath said in the press briefing.

IORAs secretariat, he said, would oversee the implementation of projects and proposals in the anticipated action plan, one of the three outcome documents.

Bhagirath, who was also present at the establishment of IORA in Mauritius, expressed optimism at the organizations future.

The Jakarta summit is expected to draw strong attendance with 16 leaders, including cochairs Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and South African President Jacob Zuma, having confirmed their attendance.

Earlier, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said IORAs priority areas were in line with President Joko Jokowi Widodos vision of the global maritime fulcrum, giving it a platform to realize the countrys ambitious maritime concept.

Indonesia is also seeking to explore untapped African markets via the regional organization. Earlier this year, Retno embarked on a trip to some African countries to seek trade ties.

Trade between Indonesia and IORA members was worth US$89.8 billion in 2016, with realized investment from the region amounting to 40 percent of total foreign investment in the country, or approximately $11.67 billion, according to government data.
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Linkedin Eileen Ng (Associated Press) Kuala Lumpur  Mon, March 6, 2017

Malaysia is protecting its "sovereignty and dignity" by expelling the North Korean ambassador, the prime minister said Monday, as relations between the countries frayed over the poisoning of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half brother of North Korea's leader.

In an attack many believe was orchestrated by Pyongyang, Kim died less than 20 minutes after two women wiped VX nerve agent on his face at Kuala Lumpur airport on Feb. 13, authorities say. The women, one from Vietnam and one from Indonesia, have been charged with murder.

North Korea has denied any role in the killing and accused Malaysia of conspiring with its enemies. North Korean Ambassador Kang Chol has rejected a Malaysian autopsy that found Kim was killed with VX nerve agent, a banned chemical weapon.

On Monday, Prime Minister Najib Razak said the decision to expel Kang sent a clear message.

"It means that we are firm in defending our sovereignty and dignity," Najib said. "Don't ever insult our country and don't try to cause disruptions here."

Kang faced a Monday deadline to leave the country after authorities here declared him "persona non grata" on Saturday.

Malaysia's finding that VX killed Kim boosted speculation that North Korea was somehow behind the attack. Experts say the oily poison was almost certainly produced in a sophisticated state weapons laboratory, and North Korea is widely believed to possess large quantities of chemical weapons, including VX.

North Korea is trying to retrieve Kim's body, but has not acknowledged that the victim is Kim Jong Un's half brother, as Malaysian government officials have confirmed.

Ri Tong Il, a former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations, has said Kim probably died of a heart attack because he suffered from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Health Minister Subramaniam Sathasivam said pathologists have ruled that out.

"We are saying, based on autopsy findings, there was no heart attack," he told reporters at Parliament.

Still, a lawyer for the Vietnamese suspect said news of existing health problems should be cause for a new autopsy.

"When doctors performed the first autopsy, they had no information of (his) illness. This is very important because new information could be found," attorney Selvam Shanmugam, who represents Doan Thi Huong, told Vietnam's state-run online newspaper Zing.

(Read also: Deported Korean says Malaysia threatened to harm his family)

The two women accused to poisoning Kim say they were duped into thinking they were taking part in a harmless prank.

Malaysia is looking for seven North Korean suspects, four of whom are believed to have left the country on the day of the killing. The three others, including an official at the North Korean Embassy and an employee of Air Koryo, North Korea's national carrier, are believed to still be in Malaysia.

North Korea has a long history of ordering killings of people it views as threats to its regime. Kim Jong Nam was not known to be seeking political power, but his position as eldest son of the family that has ruled North Korea since it was founded could have made him appear to be a danger.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 6, 2017 11:52 2071 a291276806121264c0bd211cde3241db 1 News Education,#education,university,united-states,scholarship Free

The American Embassy-sponsored @america recently hosted a talk about the American university system, and what it has to offer Indonesians. The talk was hosted by Robert LeVine, Harvard graduate and founder of University Consultants of America.

If youre an Indonesian looking to study in the United States, here are some things LeVine says you should keep in mind.

Take the SAT or ACT ASAP

According to LaVine, Indonesian students tend to take American standardized tests later in their schooling than their American counterparts. This acts to their disadvantage, he says, as this means that students may take the test after the application deadline or that students might not have time to take the test again if necessary.

You dont have to take both the SAT and ACT, but most schools require you to take at least one.

(Read also: UI ranks 47th among Asian universities: uniRank)

Focus on your essay

Especially in the case of private schools, essays can make or break an application. While public, state-funded schools look more at the numbers, private schools have the flexibility to really get to know the candidate, which is done primarily through essays. LeVine advises that you use nouns, not adjectives, so that the admissions officer can actually picture you the way you want them to.

Since essays are about you, theyre a chance to sell yourself to the university and to set you apart from the rest.

Apply for scholarships

When students consider going to the US, money is typically considered a problem, but LaVine stresses that it doesnt have to be. While international students are not able to get federal funding from the US government, plenty of privately funded scholarships are available to everyone. In addition, schools also have grants of their own that they give students that meet certain requirements.

With a combination of grants and privately funded scholarships, private schools can potentially be cheaper than state schools.

(Read also: Three things UK university admissions officers value the most)

Consider grad school

If youre currently enrolled at an Indonesian university as an undergrad and are itching to continue your studies, think about doing so in the US. Grad schools are always looking to expand their international population.

And if youre stressed about getting a visa? Dont worry about it, because 90 percent of applicants get approved, according to an Education USA specialist at @america. (sul/kes)
The Lower East Side is in the midst of its biggest construction boom in decades. Several projects now underway are reshaping the neighborhood. Now residents fear another large-scale residential development is about to be unleashed on a community weary of pile driving, barricaded sidewalks and cranes.

For many years, the owners of the Grand Street Guild apartment complex have been thinking of building one or two more buildings on their property. Three 26-story towers were put up in 1974 on the land surrounding St. Marys Church, between Clinton and Pitt streets. The project was sponsored by the Archdiocese of New York, which still controls the Project-Based Section 8 complex through a not-for-profit board.

During the past few months, many tenants have been convinced that Grand Street Guild is already making plans for new buildings. At a meeting held Feb. 22 to discuss maintenance issues, an owners representative was quizzed by both residents and elected officials in attendance about the guilds intentions.

The questions were prompted by a Jan. 31 letter to tenants from Wavecrest Management, which operates the buildings. It read, in part, You may soon notice some activity involving drilling equipment within the Grand Street Guild Property. This activity is necessary to provide geotechnical analysis for future site improvements.

The residents, of course, wanted to know what site improvements might be in store and asked Tony Savarese, who represents the Grand Street Guild Housing Development Fund Company (HDFC), for an explanation. He would say only that no plans have been submitted or approved but that, if we proceed, our priority is to build affordable housing. We believe there is a need for affordable housing.

State Sen. Daniel Squadron was one of several elected officials on hand for the meeting. He tried, unsuccessfully, to draw out a more illuminating response from Savarese. Squadron asked for a commitment from the owners to come back to the tenant association by June to update their plans. Following the tenant association gathering, Squadron told The Lo-Down, Residents spoke loud and clear that a lack of clarity regarding development plans  and the idea that development is a done deal  is not acceptable. Its important that management come back to the community before any decisions are made, as they committed to me at the meeting.

Theres obviously no way of knowing what exactly the owners intend to build until Department of Buildings permits are filed. When the three existing towers were constructed in the 1970s, a lot of available floor area was left unused (more than 600,000 square feet according to our calculations).

In October of 2015, according to documents filed with the state, the HDFC created a separate company called Clinton Broome Development LLC. Development rights were shifted to a merged zoning lot now held by the new development firm.

Speculation regarding proposed building sites has centered on two parcels. One is the current parking garage used by Grand Street Guild tenants, located on the southeast corner of Clinton and Broome streets. The other is a parcel currently housing the Little Star Daycare Center at 151 Broome St. Public records also show that Clinton Broome Development LLC has hired the lobbying firm, Geto & de Milly, to represent its interests before the City Council.

Both lots are adjacent to the Essex Crossing development project, now under construction in the former Seward Park Urban Renewal Area. Two out of four buildings in Essex Crossings first phase border Grand Street Guilds property.

At the recent meeting, residents made it clear they will fight any new development.

The tenant association organized the question and answer session to address several ongoing maintenance and safety issues. Earlier this year, the elevators in one building, 460 Grand St., were out of commission for several days. In January of 2016, a 25-year-old man was killed in an elevator accident at the complex. Last fall, residents went for weeks without cooking gas.

Tenants say management should get a handle on the existing buildings before undertaking any new projects.

In October, City Council member Margaret Chin and other elected officials wrote to the regional administrator of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development about the ongoing troubles at Grand Street Guild. The issues, Chin wrote, call into question the quality of recent renovations, and merit a full and timely investigation In 2010, the federal government helped finance a $60 million renovation at the Grand Street complex. The administrator, Holly Leight, agreed to meet with Chin, but that meeting has not yet occurred (the changeover from the Obama to the Trump administration is apparently a factor).

During the February meeting, Chin told the residents that they (and the broader community). need to be vigilant and to organize in order to protect a valuable source of affordable housing on the Lower East Side. Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou told the management team, I hope youre listening (to the tenants) Im watching. She added that theres a clear need for more transparency in the operations of the housing complex. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Public Advocate Letitia James also spoke on behalf of the residents. James said theres obviously a need for a binding legal document protecting the tenants.

Daisy Paez, tenant association president, said, We need to make sure those buildings dont go up. In an email message sent to the owners last week, she added, How can you even consider (the new buildings) you are describing as affordable housing when the the existing buildings are not being maintained?

Other residents have questioned recent transactions by the HDFC. Last year, the organization secured new loans for the Grand Street properties from Red Mortgage Capital for nearly $170 million. Tenants worry that the owners are using their buildings as financial leverage for new construction and that their Section 8 contract could potentially be at risk.

For the moment, however, theres little they can do but wait for managements next move.
Lower East Side parents are mobilizing to stop a charter school from co-locating in a century-old building housing University Neighborhood High School.

The Department of Education is planning to move the City Charter School of the Arts (a middle school) into the building at 200 Monroe St. The charter, created last year, is losing its lease at 25 Pine St., where it shares space with a private school. If the city approves the co-location proposal, a public hearing will be held April 5 at University Neighborhood High School.

The parent association at UNHS has started an online petition. It reads, in part:

NYC Charter School of the Arts (City School of the Arts) Middle School proposes to relocate its District 2 school to District 1, identifying UNHS as its target location. This co-location would serve to add roughly 250 students (not including teachers and administration) to our, already, over utilized spaces, effective September 2017. We, the undersigned, adamantly oppose the co-location at UNHS Even with limited resources and lack of facilities, our students (90% of whom are Title I) are excelling due to dedicated administrators and teachers as well as supportive parents and guardians. It would be a travesty to further fleece this population in order to accommodate this charter school. Therefore, we urge you to cease and desist from co-locating City School of the Arts at UNHS.

In the petition, parents point out that the facility (which was not built to accommodate high school students) is seriously overburdened. The cafeteria, for example, only seats 150, forcing some students to eat lunch as early as 10:40 a.m. They are making many of the same arguments parents made in 2013, the last time UNHS beat back a co-location plan. Right now 386 students are enrolled in the school, with plans to add another 50 students next year.

As for the charter school, its founding principal, Jamie Davidson, spoke with DNAinfo, saying the Lower East Side option isnt an ideal one.

While we will continue to pursue all available private options, we felt compelled to submit a request for public space  it would be irresponsible not to Our original request was made for a [School District 2] space, but because there was nothing available, the University Neighborhood High School building was introduced. Its a shame folks are taking this pursuit as an affront. Our number one priority is always our kids, and depriving them of a space to learn is simply not an option.

The charter school is expected to submit its co-location proposal to the DOE today.
Lucknow, Mar 6 (IBNS): Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi has triggered a controversy by asking why filmmaker Karan Johar, who has announced that he has become father to twins-a boy and a girl-through surrogacy, did not marry.

"He is old. Can't he get married?," Azmi told reporters on Johar.

"If he had any medical issue then he could have adopted. Why this surrogacy move was taken?" he asked.

Johar on Sunday announced that he has become father to twins-a boy and a girl-through surrogacy.

He has introduced his children to the world as Roohi and Yash.

Johar tweeted: "I am ecstatic o share with you all the two most wonderful additions to my life, my children and lifelines; Roohi and Yash."

He wrote: "I feel enormously blessed to be a parent to these two pieces of my heart who were welcomed into this world with the help of the marvels of medical science."

According to media reports, the children were born last month at Masrani Hospital in Mumbai where actor Shah Rukh Khan's third child AbRam was delivered by a surrogate mother.

Image: Wikimedia Commons
Guwahati, Mar 6 (IBNS) : In view of possibility for increasing ISIS activities in Assam by setting up base and recruitment drives, the state government has instructed all district police to remain alert and to take appropriate measures.

The government directed to beef up security at all sensitive areas.

Assam parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Monday said in Assam assembly that state government is much very concerned about the issue.

We have alerted all district police to take adequate measures, tighten security at sensitive areas. We would not take any risk, Patowary said.

Replying to a discussion during the zero hour in the assembly, the Assam minister said that, all district police have been ordered to maintain a close watch on any doubtful person.

The state government has instructed to keep strict vigil all sensitive places like airports, railway station, temples, historical places, refineries, shopping malls, religious places in the state. We have also ordered to strengthen security along the Indo-Bangladesh border and already deployed second line defence, Patowary said.

The Assam minister replying on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also holds the state home portfolio, during the zero hour debate raised by BJP legislator Ashok Kumar Singhal, said that, the Assam police have been maintained close coordination with the other security agencies.

The minister further said that, so far a total of 56 Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) extremists were apprehended in the state following the Burdwan blast in West Bengal on October 2, 2014.

Recently, two trained JMB extremists were nabbed from lower Assams Nalbari district.

The Assam minister said that, at least 10-12 JMB extremists of the state are absconding.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has recently alerted the Union home ministry that, ISIS is trying to set up base in Assam with the help of some overground and underground organizations and trying to recruiting youths from Assam.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Philip Ridleys drama Dark Vanilla Jungle,

[Its a] relentless, intense 80-minute rollercoaster ride. Phillip Ridleys writing is so raw and honest. It will certainly be an experience that audiences wont forget in a hurry.

Not only is the play intense for the audience, but it has been an intense task for Emily. As a one-woman show she has to carry the work and hold the audience by herself. When speaking of the challenges she faced she says: One of the main challenges has to be the sheer amount of dialogue to remember. It is truly a mammoth task. Ive tried to set myself a goal each week so that I know the lines pretty solidly for our intensive rehearsals.

"I have to be completely unapologetic and brave with the delivery. Its daunting, but exhilarating and refreshing for me as an actor.

"Being the only actor in the piece, I have to keep the pace up and the audience engaged without having that other actor to bounce off.

"Its going to be tough but I have complete faith in Samson Hawkins, my director, to guide me. Weve known each other since training together at drama school and we both have a very honest approach to working with each other. Its so exposing to be the only actor, but I know I can make bold choices with Samson and feel very safe. 

Samson Hawkins is not only the director of the show, but also founder of Second Sons Theatre Company  whose main goal is to make theatre for people who dont like theatre

I love that quote and its so true, says Emily,

I have non-actor friends who dont like going to the theatre because they think its stuffy and boring and they find straight plays quite difficult to watch.

"For me, thats the ultimate goal of Second Sons. To engage an audience that wouldnt have necessarily chosen to step into a theatre. I have seen a lot of crap productions myself at huge theatres geared at driving the everyday working class person into the theatre. Despite big sets and star turns from Hollywood actors, I havent walked away feeling affected by it. I love leaving a theatre and having unanswered questions to discuss in the pub afterwards. For me, thats theatre.

The play was originally written in 2013, and with themes of abuse and patriarchy running throughout Emily believes that Its very topical at the moment, with The Womens March that happened only last month and the uproar at Trump being elected as President of the United States of America along with all his scandals.

"Andrea is a product of her upbringing and values her worth by how the men in her life treat her. She has some unbelievably harrowing experiences but its important to tell stories like this to say, Look, this isnt right, its not ok and something has to change.

Although Emily found the text relevant and knows that Andrea isnt alone in her experiences, she is exploring dark issues that she hasnt personally experienced:

Its really deeply harrowing stuff that this young girl has to deal with. Theres only so much written research you can do, she says.

Reading articles, books about people with similar experiences... There comes to point when you just have to find something in your life draw upon and connect. I think everyones got something. And while Andreas experiences are so dark and unimaginable, you just have to put yourself in the situation and be brave and truthful to honour the character.

Having only graduated from Italia Conti two years ago Emily has enjoyed success as a working actor, having been a finalist in Monologue Slam UK and in several productions with Second Sons.

She explains how this industry can be difficult but incredibly rewarding:

Its very easy to get very down, depressed and negative especially if you feel like things arent moving fast enough, she says.

You just have to find something else to concentrate on or youll go a bit mad. Exercise, do yoga, see family and friends, go sit in a cat cafe and be at one with the felines. Whatever makes you feel good. Dont compare yourself to the rest of your year group. Everybody is on a different journey. Some people will have success come very easily and some will have to work that bit harder to even get into the room. And thats ok. And put on your own work! I cant tell you how important that is! It keeps you motivated beyond belief.
What makes the perfect pizza? Ever since Icelands president revealed he would ban pineapple as a topping

If youre pro-pineapple, its been difficult to fight your case without people scoffing at you. Meanwhile, supporters of toppings which are often overlooked may have been left feeling slighted.

But YouGov decided it was time to conduct a survey to find out, once and for all, what really is the UKs most liked pizza topping.

Forget pepperoni  mushroom is Britain's most liked pizza topping (65%), followed by onion (62%) and then ham (61%) https://t.co/5kYikXOEtF pic.twitter.com/AJezMfJHbk  YouGov (@YouGov) March 6, 2017

And, props to mushroom  the vegetable won with 65% of votes.

Mushrooms, you the real MVP.

Some people are shocked by these results. Obviously.

@YouGov how can mushroom get more than Bacon?! Some people just want to watch the world burn  Dave (@skybluedave83) March 6, 2017

But it wasnt just mushrooms that came out of this survey well  people were allowed to select as many toppings as they liked to go on their dream pizza and there were seven that were enjoyed by more than half of Brits.

Take onion, for example  62% of people voted for them, while 61% voted for ham. Peppers got 60% of the vote, 56% included chicken and the same percentage of Brits went for pepperoni. Tomato (as a topping) raked in 51% of the votes.

(Proformabooks/Thinkstock)

And the least popular items? Tuna, with 22% of the votes, while only 18% of people went for anchovy. Soz, seafood-on-pizza fans.

YouGov also conducted a separate survey asking to what extent do you like or dislike pineapple on pizza. And in those results, 53% of people said that they enjoyed the tangy fruit as a topping.

Does pineapple belong on a pizza? 53% of Brits like as a pizza topping, although another 15% would BAN it https://t.co/5kYikXOEtF pic.twitter.com/t0qQdGx4oJ  YouGov (@YouGov) March 6, 2017

So, there you have it. Mushrooms may reign mighty as the ultimate topping but pineapple lovers, the next time people doubt you, you can say well, 53% of Brits like it on their pizza.

You can carry on with your day now thats settled.
"We're just trying to be the biggest band in the world."

A bold answer from LANY when asked about their plans for the future. Paul, Les and Jake make up the alternative pop band that stands for Los Angeles, New York and are currently based in L.A., a location that has obvious influence on the sun-drenched music they make.

Speaking to Paul about their upcoming tour, which starts tonight and spans Europe, the U.S and Canada, he seems excited to be leaving home behind for a while to explore and play in other venues across the northern hemisphere.

"The European leg of the tour is pretty fun. The cities are closer over there so that's pretty nice!"

The fun will continue as the band are set to support John Mayer on seven shows across the U.S this spring, an artist they have expressed as their 'hero'. "It doesn't feel real yet" Paul explains, "It probably won't feel real until we walk into the first arena in Ohio and hear him sound-checking.

"I'm not sure if you can prepare for something like this... Stuff like this isn't actually supposed to happen!"

The band finished recording their self-titled debut album last month. They've been open in interviews before about recording all their music through a Dell computer - a cry from the usual equipment you'd expect a band to be creating music on, especially when its as smooth and soulful as the sounds coming from LANY's records.

On what to expect from the debut - which, by the way, has still gone through that same Dell - Paul says " You can expect a lot of new material. 15 of the 16 tracks have never been heard before; I think that speaks volumes about how we feel about the new stuff. We currently have three EPs on the internet, and only one song - ILYSB - made it onto the debut.

" It's about the ups and downs of every day life. I like highlighting, even romanticising , the mundane and often overlooked details and subtleties of situations and interactions. If you listen closely and take a step back, I think you'll find that the music comes from a really broken place."

Just a few Twitter searches make it clear that fans of the band are passionate and dedicated, and are sure to be in for a treat when the 16 track long-play is released in June. The devotion doesn't go unnoticed by LANY, who say they are as close to their fans as they can be within a healthy proximity: "We have some immensely creative fans."

Paul expands on his adoration: "whether it's drawings, paintings, or hilarious comments or memes about us, everyone seems to be really clever in their own way."

LANY is out June 30th and can be pre-ordered here.

Catch LANY in the UK on these following dates:

06.03 - O2 Institute 2, Birmingham

07.03 - Gorilla, Manchester

08.03 - KOKO, London
Thousands joined the March4Women  which aimed to shine a light on inequality faced by women and girls around the world, ahead of International Womens Day.

Annie Lennox and Dr Helen Pankhurst, the great-granddaughter of suffragette Emmeline, were among the campaigners at the CARE International rally. London mayor Sadiq Khan and Bianca Jagger were also marching, along with refugee women.

The protest went through the Tower of London and included performances from Emeli Sande, Laura Mvula and Beth Orton.

Laurie Lee, head of CARE International said: The #March4Women campaign is a global movement with sister marches around the world focussed on the inequality women and girls face. By highlighting the plight of women and girls caught up in the global refugee crisis we are challenging the government to step up its commitments to refugees.

In an increasingly polarised world, thousands of people marched today across the iconic Tower Bridge in London as a powerful symbol for the call to build bridges, not walls.

Here are the best feminist signs we spotted along the route.

Men of quality do not fear equality Team @WeddingPlanner1 proudly marching for equality today with @careukint ahead of #IWD2017 #March4Women pic.twitter.com/uuWfRCJmXm  Wedding Planner (@WeddingPlanner1) March 5, 2017

Who runs the world?
It's sad that President Trump and his Twitter outbursts are still dominating the headlines. In a week of Britain's big budget announcement and Republican hypocrisy over emails, here are five stories from around the world that should be on your radar.

Spain

A stampede of 120 diners left a single restaurant in Spain without paying. The group had apparently been celebrating a baptism in the north-western town of Bembibre. Following the ceremony they went to El Carmen restaurant, but as dessert was being served the group left the restaurant en masse.

Restaurant owner Antonio Rodriguez said that the diners had paid a deposit of 770 for their meal, but that they owed him an extra 2,000 Euros to cover the cost of their food and drink. He told BBC News that "it was something they had planned and they left in a stampede". He has little hopes of being repaid.

Somalia

Over 110 people have died in only two days as a drought has hit the south-west of Somalia. So far, the death toll has been announced for the region of Bay alone. The Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Haire, announced the sombre news last weekend. Some of the deaths were linked to cholera, according to local news agencies. They reported that the disease had killed dozens in the town of Awdinle. The death rates for cholera, most often caused by bacterial infection from contaminated and unclead drinking water, are fairly high.

El Nino often affects There are fears that the drought will lead to a full-scale famine. President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo declared that the country was in a state of national disaster last Tuesday, and experts are linking it to. The phenomenonthe Horn of Africa relatively strongly, and can also manifest in excess flooding.

Somalia's last large famine lasted for two years. It ended in 2012 and killed 260,000 people.

Bangladesh

Early last week, a law was passed in Bangladesh that allows child marriages in unspecified 'special circumstances'. The law previously, and still, states that the legal age for marriage is 18 for girls and 21 for boys. The law passed on February 27 allows children to be married at younger ages than this, providing parental consent and agreement from a court, but it does not state that the consent of the child concerned is necessary for this to be possible.

According to UNICEF Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of child marriage., 66% of girls are married before the age of 18, with half of these becoming wives before they've reached 15 years old. UNICEF suggest that the payment of a dowry is one of the most common reasons for illegal child marriage, and also notes the high pregnancy rates of teenage girls because of this.

America

The United States saw its second high-profile racist shooting last week when a Sikh man was shot near Seattle, Washington. The victim is alive but wounded. Reports say that the attacker approached the man in his driveway, and told him repeatedly to 'go back to your country' before he was shot in the arm.

The victim has since been released from hospital, but the attacker, described as a '6-foot tall white man with a stocky build' has not yet been identified or apprehended.

Last month, an Indian engineer was shot and killed in a Kansas bar in a racially motivated attack. Two others were injured.

Tunisia

A crocodile was stoned to death by visitors at a zoo in the Tunisian capital Tunis last week. The zoo posted some grim photographs of the crocodile's injuries to their Facebook page following what they denounced as a "savage" act. Present in the images were bloodied rocks and a paving slab, suggesting that these were the instruments used to kill the animal.

The stones thrown at the crocodile's head led to internal haemorrhaging. A vet at the zoo told AFP that rocks are also often thrown at other animals, including lions and hippos. He went on to say that there was only so much staff could do to protect the 150 species in Belvedere.

Last year, the zoo gained notoriety on social media after a series of viral images showed masses of litter within the zoo. Officials then blamed visitors for the mess.

On Friday, Tunisia's local affairs and environment ministry announced that Belvedere Zoo is to temporarily close so that officials can carry out maintenance and set up new measures to monitor and control the flow of visitors.
Controversial right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos

university website The role involves representing students for three years and influencing every aspect of university policy, including teaching quality, student finance, campus development and much more, according to the

Rectors are nominated by students who put forward a name and get the backing of 10 students. But it seems many within the student community arent happy with those 10 people one bit.

2017 update: trump ruins everything, milo yiannopoulos might be glasgow uni's rector, satire is dead  agnesforgetstotweet (@agnesnaps) March 5, 2017

those 10 ppl who voted for milo yiannoctopus to be a sector in glasgow uni aren't funny bye  kie (@dadcactus) March 5, 2017

Which fuds at Glasgow uni nominated Milo for rector? Eejits  Laura (@lauralu13) March 4, 2017

Who actually voted for Milo Yiannopolous as a Glasgow uni rector nominee????????  rosie (@rsiesmthk) March 4, 2017

A petition was launched on behalf of students calling for the candidacies of Yiannopoulos and Professor Jordan Peterson  who is known for his critical views on genderless pronouns  to be revoked.

At the time of publishing, the petition had 3,000 signatures.

haha wtf mr biggest piece of trash milo has been nominated 4 rector at glasgow uni, pls stop this https://t.co/Tzfmvv7L5C  sophie rowan (@lou2209) March 5, 2017

Yiannopoulos, 32, is a prominent internet provocateur, noted for his often inflammatory comments about, among other things, Islam and feminism.

Famously booted off Twitter for his role in the online abuse of Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones, Yiannopoulos recently caused controversy when an old video of him emerged and was interpreted by some as condoning consensual sex between boys and older men.

lost his book publishing deal He resigned as an editor at US right-wing publication Breitbart, was dropped from speaking at a big conservative event and but hes clearly feeling not-so-quietly confident about this new opportunity.

Someone has pointed out how this is similar to a cycle of events weve seen before.

Glasgow Uni students can't grasp how Milo was nominated. Just like nobody predicted Trump or Brexit. Silencing the opposition doesn't work.  Jack (@howlingjack1984) March 4, 2017

University of Glasgow students will vote for the new rector, to replace CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden, between 9am on March 20 and 4pm on March 21.
When prostitutes are found murdered with the exact same MO in Antwerp, Copenhagen and Berlin, head investigators from Belgium, Denmark and Germany form a Joint Investigation Team to track the killer which leads them all over Europe through webs of organised international crime.

The latest co-production between Denmark, Germany and Belgium, The Team is a decent crime drama, albeit one that doesn't quite match up to its Nordic-Noir counterparts.

The leaders of the investigation are Harald Bjorn (Lars Mikkelsen) from Denmark, Jackie Mueller (Jasmin Gerat) from Germany, and Alicia Verbeek (Veerle Baetens) from Belgium. You may recognise Lars Mikkelsen from one of the various English-language productions he has starred in, such as Netflixs House of Cards and BBCs Sherlock, while the other two actors are well-known in their respective countries but have not yet made their fame in the UK.

Cross-country investigation has been seen before in the hugely successful Swedish/Danish collaboration The Bridge, which has since spawned various remakes, and it seems as though the creators of The Team wanted to build off the popularity of the idea.

This time the series revolves around not two, but three countries police departments, whilst also taking us into Austria and Lithuania; in total, seven languages are used in the series including English, which is the common language between the cops. By using English as the main communication between bureaus but native languages in their respective countries, the show maintains its authenticity of foreignness while also making it more accessible to English speakers.

The majority of the series is shot on-location, boasting some fantastic views of both urban cities and rural landscapes, especially of the Austrian Alps, which also make up some great action scenes in the snow. However, with the story jumping between so many places and languages, it can be difficult to keep up with.

The plot is interesting enough, but unfortunately the characters dealing with it are a bit flat, as are the attempts at giving them dramatic personal lives, which seem unnecessary and even a bit cheesy. While the ending wraps up the crime element, many of the personal dramas are left unresolved, deeming such subplots kind of pointless. That being said, as the main story develops it becomes more intriguing; you just need to give it a few episodes to get going.

While Nordic Noir has become somewhat of a phenomenon in the UK, it is rare that other European dramas get recognition. The Team keeps the Scandinavian feel whilst also exemplifying what Belgium and Germany have to offer and how Europol work together internationally. Plus, it gives the opportunity to exhibit the beauty of Europe.

With only eight episodes, this series is good to watch if youre craving some more Nordic Noir but dont want to dedicate 20 hours to it. However, if youve never delved into the genre before and are interested to start, The Bridge is a much better (and simpler) alternative.

The Team is out on DVD and Blu-Ray now via Nordic Noir and Beyond.
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New Delhi, Mar 6 (IBNS): The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for signing of the Definitive Agreement on Oil Storage and Management between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd (ISPRL) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) of UAE.

According to the Agreement, the ADNOC will fill up 0.81 MMT or 5,860,000 million barrels of crude oil at ISPRL storage facility at Mangalore, Karnataka, read a government statement.

Out of the crude stored, some part will be used for commercial purpose of ADNOC, while a major part will be purely for strategic purposes. The signing of the Agreement will augment India's energy security.

India and UAE are strategic partners. The investment by ADNOC is a major investment from UAE under the High Level Task Force on Investment (HLTFI) and the first investment by UAE in India in the energy sector.
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New Delhi, Mar 6 (IBNS): The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday approved the Revised Cost Estimate-I of 400 MW Koteshwar Hydro Electric Project (HEP) in Uttarakhand at an estimated completion cost of Rs.2,717.35 crore.

The project is being implemented by Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) India Limited,read a government statement.

In addition to additional generating capacity of 400 MW of peaking power it will regulate releases from Tehri Reservoir for irrigation and drinking water supply.

The reservoir of Koteshwar HEP will also act as lower reservoir for under construction Tehri PSP (1000 MW).
Image: Google Maps

Guwahati, Mar 6 (IBNS): Several people including police personnel were injured as clashes errupted between a mob and security personnel in Assam's Dhemaji district on Monday.

Police was forced to resort to lathicharge and fire teargas on protesters, after a mob attacked several vehicles.



The situation turned more violent at Silapathar in the northern Assam district with mob taking part in a rally organized by the Nikhil Bharat Bangali Udbastu Samanvay Samiti (NIBBUSS) and pelting stones at security personnel.

The protestors also vandalized several vehicles and shops.



To control the situation, police has been forced to lathicharge and fire teargas.



NIBBUSS organized a mass rally at Silapathar for various issues related to the Bengali community people in the state.



A top official of Dhemaji police said that, following the rally, the people who took part walked out in the town and shouted to protect Hindu Bengali people and demanded to provide citizenship for the Hindu Bangladeshis.



While the people walked out in the town, a mob pelted stone targeting the security personnel and attacked several vehicles as well as shops. To control the situation, police used lathicharge and then fire teargas, the police official said.



The mob also vandalized a office of AASU in the town.



Meanwhile, AASU has condemned the incident and demanded the arrest of culprits immediately while appealing to maintain peace.



We will not allow to provide citizenship to the Hindu Bangladeshis. Assam had already taken more burden of Bangladeshis up to 1971. So there have no question for taking more burden, AASU president Dipankar Nath said.



On the other hand, several organizations including All Assam Chutia Students Union, condemned the incident and demanded the state government to protect indigenous people in Assam.



(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)


On January 15, 2017, Security Forces (SFs) in Kerala warned that the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) was planning a coordinated movement of its urban and rural forces to strengthen its activities in India's southern States, mainly in Kerala. SFs made this claim on the basis of the review report of the CPI-Maoist's 'South Zonal Committee' (SZC), retrieved by the Police from the site of the November 24, 2016, Nilambur encounter. The report asserted that the Maoists had been able to defeat 'enemy' plans and successfully organize their meeting in the forests of the 'tri-junction area' - connecting Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu - under the protection of People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Forces, and with the 'support' and 'participation' of people.

A 'central committee (CC) member' of the CPI-Maoist, Kuppuswamy Devarajan aka Shanker, and Ajitha aka Kaveri, a woman leader, were killed in an encounter with the Police inside the Nilambur forests in Malapuram District on November 24, 2016. Giving details, Director General of Police (DGP) Loknath Behera stated on December 3, 2016, that it was the Maoists who fired at the Police Force first. He further disclosed that the Maoists had fired at the Police seven times in the preceding two years and had raided houses of Adivasis on several occasions, though, "Fortunately, there were no casualties."

On January 2, 2017, Police received evidence that the CPI-Maoist, with the 'support' of tribal people, had taken control of some forest land along the Kerala and Tamil Nadu border, cutting down hundreds of trees. A series of video clip, released by the Police, showed armed CPI-Maoist and tribal people removing trees in the forest and installing a CPI-Maoist flag in the area. Police suspect that the area shown in the video is the Agali Forest region of Palakkad District.

Though there has been no Maoist-linked fatality in the State in 2017 thus far, (data till March 5, 2017), developments through 2016 indicate that Maoist activities are on the rise. According to partial data collated by the South Asia Terrorism Portal(SATP), Kerala recorded two Maoist-related fatalities (both Maoist cadres) in 2016. Both these fatalities took place in the Nilambur encounter. There was no LWE-linked fatality in 2015. One Maoist was killed in 2014.

Though there was no violent action targeting civilians through 2016, there were several reported incidents of expansion activity, including:

March 29, 2016: An armed group of suspected CPI-Maoist cadres visited a tribal colony at Pattakkarimbu in Malapuram District and convened a meeting of the locals in which the group 'urged' the people to boycott the Kerala Assembly elections, which were held on May 16, 2016.

September 26, 2016: A group of seven armed CPI-Maoist cadres, consisting of six men and a woman, conducted a 'class' for the tribal people at Mundakkadavu Adivasi (Scheduled Tribe) Colony's community hall in Mallapuram District. Police said the meeting was convened by the group's leader Soman. The meeting had not ended when the Police reached the colony and, on seeing the Police, the armed group escaped through the back exit, using the Adivasis as human shields and shouting Maoist slogans.

October 28, 2016: CPI-Maoist cadres operating in the Nilambur area in Mallapuram District issued warnings to those who were acting as 'informers' of the Police and other intelligence agencies. This was disclosed in the first issue of Chenkad (Red Forest), the 'official' mouthpiece of the Nadukani squad of the CPI-Maoist.

December 8, 2016: A couple of hand-made posters by the CPI-Maoist Bhavani Dalam (armed squad), alleging that the State Government was trying to suppress the Naxals, surfaced at Mele Ommathampatti at Pudur Panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) in Attappady in Palakkad District. The posters demanded the withdrawal of the Kerala Thunderbolts (the Kerala Police elite commando force) from Attappady.

According to Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) data, at least 12 LWE-linked incidents were recorded in Kerala in 2016, as against no such incident in 2015. The State registered eight such incidents in 2014.

Further, according to SATP data, the Maoists were engaged in three reported exchange of fire incidents in 2016, as against two such incidents in 2015, and two in 2014.

Based on SATP data for 2016, six Districts in the State were Maoist-affected. These include Mallapuram, Idukki, Kasargod, Palakkad, Thrissur and Wayanad. While Mallapuram can be categorized as moderately affected, the other five were marginally affected. In 2015, nine Districts in the State, viz., Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod, were categorized as marginally affected. On March 1, 2016, Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, stated in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Indian Parliament) that activities and presence of Maoists had been noticed from the Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kannur, Mallapuram, Palakkad and Ernakulam Districts of Kerala since 2013.

Six of these Districts - Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kannur, Malapuram, Palakkad and Ernakulam - in Kerala fall along the Karnataka-Kerala-Tamil Nadu tri-junction area. Significantly, the Maoists had merged with the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist - Naxalbari (CPI-ML-Naxalbari), under the CPI-Maoist banner, on May 1, 2014, with the aim of securing a foothold in the Karnataka-Kerala-Tamil Nadu tri-junction area. The CPI-ML-Naxalbari had, for long, an independent presence in Kerala, and the Maoists believed that the merger would provide them the resources and manpower needed to spread their influence in this strategic region.

Further, informing the Lok Sabha on February 24, 2015, Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, had stated that, in order to spread their area of influence, CPI-Maoist was making efforts to spread its influence in South India, particularly on the tri-junction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

In spite of these intentions, levels of violence in the region have remained low. This is primarily because SFs have played a significant role in containing the 'Maoist movement' across the country and also preventing them from expanding their base in other areas. However, the Maoist intent has also played a part in this outcome. Media reports on January 24, 2017, indicated that a letter suspected to be written by a CPI-Maoist Central Committee or politburo member had warned 'comrades operating the tri-junction area' in South India against launching attacks on the Police, as the leadership thought such an action would be detrimental to the organisation at the current stage of the movement in the region. Consistent with their broader strategy and tactics, the Maoists seek a far greater and sustainable consolidation before escalating violence.

The State Government has, nevertheless, taken clear cognizance of the emerging threat. On February 27, 2017, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the State Assembly that the Unified Command formed under his leadership to contain the spread of Maoist activities in the State was also mandated to focus on operations against Maoist sympathisers in the State. The Unified Command would also serve as a forum to review developmental activities in the Maoist-affected areas of the State.

The Kerala Government constituted the Unified Command under the Chief Minister on January 17, 2017, as suggested by the Union Government, to contain the spread of Maoist activities in the State.

On December 3, 2016, State DGP Loknath Behera, acknowledged that the Maoist threat was on the rise in Kerala along the tri-junction area.

Though the Kerala Police has been quite effective against the incipient threat of a spreading Maoist presence and activities, it is useful to acknowledge enduring capacity deficits that make its task difficult. According to the latest data provided by the Bureau of Police Research and Development [BPR&D], as on January 1, 2016, the State had 53,881 policemen, as against a sanctioned 60,502 policemen, leaving 6,621 police posts vacant, a deficit of 10.94 per cent. Further, at least 41 Indian Police Service (IPS) posts were vacant in the State, against a sanctioned strength of 163 - a deficit of a 25.15 per cent. Also, the Police/Area Ratio (number of policemen per 100 square kilometers) is 138.64, as against the sanctioned strength of 155.68 - a deficit of 10.94 per cent. However, the all-India ratio stands at 54.69 per 100 square kilometres, as against a sanction of 72.03. Such deficits will eventually impact adversely on the State's capacity to contain the Maoists and must be urgently addressed.

Image: Wikimedia Commons
Benz Racing faces serious drug charges

BANGKOK: Narcotics police have decided to press money laundering and conspiracy charges against car racer Akarakit Worarojchroendet, or Benz Racing, after he was unable to prove where the money came from for his luxury car.

crimedrugspolicetransport

By Bangkok Post

Monday 6 March 2017, 08:57AM

Akarakit Worarojchroendet. Photo: Bangkok Post

Lt Gen Sommai Kongwisaisuk, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) Chief, said on Saturday (Mar 4) that his team has summoned Mr Akarakit, 30, to hear the charges at the NSB at 9:30am today (Mar 6).

However if he does not come to meet the police on Monday, we will issue him a second summons. If he still does not come, we will issue an arrest warrant for him, Lt Gen Sommai said.

The NSB chief said narcotics police were confident that they had strong evidence to substantiate both charges against Mr Akarakit, insisting the investigations were transparent and straightforward.

He declined to go into more detail of the investigation. He said he was certain Mr Akarakit would not flee.

NSB police on Friday (Mar 3) called a meeting to wrap up investigations into Mr Akarakit, who is accused of buying a Lamborghini with drug money from the Lao drug network of Xaysana Keopimpha, 42.

Narcotics police early last month seized the Lamborghini on suspicion it had been purchased with drug money along with two big motorcycles after they raided Mr Akarakits Area 51 auto accessories shop and an apartment he owns in Inthamara Soi 51 in Din Daeng district.

Mr Akarakit was linked to the network of the drug kingpin after two Thai suspects identified as Natthaphol Nakkham, alias Boy, and Aranya Singpha-ngat were arrested on Feb 1 with more than B200 million in assets, including cars, big bikes, gold, cash and drugs.

Mr Natthaphol later told narcotic police that Mr Akarakit, the husband of TV actress Napapa Patt Tantrakul, is a member of the Xaysana drug network.

However, Mr Akarakit denied knowing Xaysana or being involved in his Lao drug network. Shortly after the seizure of his Lamborghini and two big bikes, he met narcotics police to give a statement and present evidence and asked the public not to judge him too soon.

Mr Akarakit earlier told narcotics police that he had borrowed B6mn in cash from Natthaphol Nakkham, one of the suspects linked to Xaysana, to be used as a down payment on the Lamborghini and had partially repaid Mr Natthaphol.

Police were told the two men knew each other because they both liked car racing, but Mr Akarakit denied knowing Mr Natthaphols background. The police investigated why Mr Natthaphol transferred B300,000 to Area 51s account each month.

Police earlier said the total income earned from the shop of Mr Akarakit was not enough to afford the Lamborghini.

Sirinya Sidthichai, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, said authorities have seized Mr Akarakits Lamborghini, two big bikes and bank accounts. All the assets were worth around B17mn.

Mr Sirinya said he was waiting for a court order on whether all the assets seized could be auctioned off.

Read original story here.
Photo: Amadou Djibo/UNDP

New York, Mar 6 (Just Earth News): The Security Council a which is in the Lake Chad Basin to draw attention to the humanitarian and development needs of a region grappling with Boko Haram's terror a visited for the first time Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world.

Addressing media in Niamey, Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the United Kingdom, who is leading the Council visit as president of the Security Council for the month of March, pledged solidarity with the people who the Council had met.

We have demonstrated our commitment to further support Niger in its remarkable efforts to restore the security stability of the localities in the Lake Chad basin but also to provide the necessary protection and assistance to the populations affected by the crisis, Rycroft told journalists.

Earlier, the Council members had met with President Mahamadou Issoufou.

They also heard from UN agencies and partners about the dire situation in the region of Diffa along Niger's border with Nigeria. Last summer, tens of thousands of people fled Diffa as Boko Haram flooded the desert town from Nigeria.

In addition to insecurity, Niger is plagued by drought, desertification and a lack of jobs and schools for its young people, who make up two-thirds of the population. The country ranks 188th out of 188 countries on the 2015 UN Development Programme's Human Development Index.

Speaking to the Council during its visit, the UNDP Resident Representative and Resident Coordinator, Fode Ndiaye, said survivors of Boko Haram violence are being hosted by other poor and vulnerable communities.

But they are showing humanity, Ndiaye stressed.

One of the main observations from the visit, according to Rycroft, was the importance of Sustainable Development Goal 16. That Goal aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

You can't come to a place like the Lake Chad Basin without seeing the value of Goal 16, Rycroft said.

The Security Council next heads to Maiduguri, Borno, in north-eastern Nigeria, known since 2009 as the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency. The Council members are meeting with local officials and civil society organisations before they are scheduled to visit a camp for internally displaced persons.

The Council members will also visit Abuja, where they will meet with acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

Photo: Amadou Djibo/UNDP

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Image: twitter.com/POTUS

Washington, Mar 6 (IBNS): US President Donald Trump on Monday signed the revised travel ban order which restricts migrants from predominantly Muslim nations excluding Iraq.

The revised version of the order removed Iraq from a list of countries targeted in a US travel ban.

The order, however, won't affect those who have been already issued visas, media reports said.



"It will be phased in over the next two weeks to avoid the chaotic, same-day start of the Jan. 27 order," the New York Times reported quoting Department of Homeland Security officials.

The new order would impose a 90-day travel ban to the United States by citizens of six Muslim-dominated nations - Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
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Dredging Corporation of India Ltd (DCI) shares witnessed buying pressure in the late morning trade on Monday amid media reports that the Union government is looking to sell a majority of stake in the shipping company.

The government is looking to sell a 51 per cent stake in state-run Dredging Corporation of India, The Economic Times stated quoting two senior government officials.

A cabinet note has been prepared on this proposal and is being circulated among key ministries for comment, it added.

The government has 73.47 per cent stake in the company which is involved in maintenance dredging, capital dredging, beach nourishment, land reclamation, shallow water dredging, project management consultancy and marine construction.

Meanwhile, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Monday sought clarification from DCI on the media reports.

The BSE said: The exchange has sought clarification from Dredging Corporation of India Ltd on March 06, 2017, with reference to news appeared in Economic Times dated March 06, 2017. "Govt looking to sell 51 per cent stake in Dredging Corp".

The shares of DCI were trading 9.3 per cent higher at Rs.487.10, at 11.50 am.
In a move to boost cooperation in the IT sector, India and Portugal on Monday agreed to set up an institutional mechanism to collaborate in areas of electronic manufacturing, ITeS, start-ups, cyber security and e-governance.

We had a very good discussion and have agreed to collaborate in the areas of electronic manufacturing, ITeS, cyber security, e-governance and capacity building. We will support the Portugal team in scaling up their initiatives ~ Simplex and Portuguese Citizen Shops, which are like our MyGov and Common Service Centre initiatives, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Prasad had a bilateral meeting with Maria Manuel Leitao Marques, Portuguese Minister of Presidency and Administrative Modernisation, ahead of the ICEGOV 2017, the 10th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance.

We also have discussed several collaborative initiatives in the domain of capacity building and cyber security to ensure safe and secure cyber space, Prasad said.

The bilateral meeting was organised within the framework of the India-Portugal Collaboration for ICEGOV 2017 that is taking place in India for the first time.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday asked the Union government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to explain why people are not being allowed to deposit demonetised notes till March 31 as promised.

SC notice to Centre, RBI on plea alleging that people are not being allowed to deposit demonetised currency notes till March 31, 2017 as promised, reports stated, adding the SC fixes the petitions on demonetisation for further hearing on March 10.

While announcing the demonetisation move on November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that old currency notes (Rs.1,000 and Rs.500) can be exchanged till March 31, 2017.

However, hundreds returned empty handed after December 31 as the RBI allowed the facility only for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) or those who were abroad during the 50-day of the demonetisation period.

The government announced demonetisation or note ban of Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes on November 8 midnight to curb black money and terrorism and promote digital transactions.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday backed the idea to hold simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies and even suggested that polls to urban and rural local bodies too be held within one year thereon.

Governor E S L Narasimhan articulated the state's stand while addressing the joint session of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council and the assembly on the opening day of the Budget session in the new Legislature building in Amaravati.

"My government is in full agreement with the view that elections to both state assemblies and Lok Sabha be held simultaneously so that Centre and state governments could pay their undivided attention to issues of policy and governance.

We will go a step further and suggest that elections to urban and rural local bodies too should be held within one year of the elections to the State and Central legislative Houses," the governor said.

"Historically, elections to state assemblies and Lok Sabha began together but over the years, for varied reasons, they were de-coupled. Now the situation has come to a stage that we conduct elections in significantly large parts of the country almost every year, if not throughout the year.

"Political parties, and therefore governments, have to continually keep an eye on electoral calculations," Narasimhan pointed out.

Simultaneous polls would give governments a "full four years of undistracted" time to address issues of governance, the Governor said, adding "it is desirable" to have a national debate involving all sections of people.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned as an accused by a Delhi court in a criminal defamation complaint filed by Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra.

"Clearly there is sufficient material on record to summon accused Arvind Kejriwal for the offence punishable under section 500 (defamation) of Indian Penal Code," Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria said while asking the CM to appear before the court on July 29.

Chandra, had on November 17, 2016, sought prosecution of the Delhi Chief Minister for allegedly defaming him by levelling false allegations in the wake of demonetisation.

In his plea, Chandra, chairman of the Essel group, had alleged that Kejriwal, while addressing a press conference on November 11 last year had made "false, fabricated and defamatory allegations" against him.

The complaint, filed through advocate Vijay Aggarwal, claimed that Kejriwal "defamed the complainant (Chandra) by making inherently defamatory statements and caused serious harm to his reputation by imputing behaviour incompatible with proper conduct and suggestions of involvement in illegal activity."

"On November 11, Kejriwal, while addressing a press conference in front of the national television, made false, fabricated and defamatory allegations against complainant," it said.

The complaint claimed that Kejriwal, while addressing the press conference, "without any lawful basis or justification, dragged the name of the complainant in the entire facade, which has defamed and lowered the reputation of complainant in the eyes of general public and thus accused person (Kejriwal) has committed the offence of criminal defamation.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant relief to Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati accused in a rape case.

Prajapati, who is also a Samajwadi Party leader, has been on the run since February 27 after an FIR was filed against him. He approached the apex court for a stay on his arrest.

A non-bailable warrant was issued against Prajapati on Saturday after reports started pouring in he may try to flee the country. However, his passport was revoked for four weeks.

"The law should take its course if there is a non-bailable warrant against him. Prajapati can approach concerned court for seeking bail if he is arrested," the apex court said.

However, the apex court expressed unhappiness over the order on lodging FIR against the minister being given a political colour and called it 'unfortunate'.

"Our order directing the Uttar Pradesh Police to lodge an FIR against Gayatri Prajapati is being given a 'political colour' and it is unfortunate," the court stated.
A new television series Believer With Reza Aslan has sparked off a controversy and many have taken to social networking sites to express their anger.

The first trailer of the Believer shows Varanasi, the city of light, in a different light. This has drawn flak from people worldwide.

While the TV channel maintains that the show is a spiritual adventure series, which follows renowned author Reja Aslan, the trailer suggests Varanasi has become a giant crematorium. This has set Twitter abuzz with a lot of reactions.

Extremely vexed by it, a Hindu organisation in the United States, American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD), issued a statement, accusing the television channel of promoting xenophobia and, especially, Hinduphobia.

Among them, prominent Indian writer, Amish Tripathi tweeted, We Indians do not call Kashi the City of the Dead. It's the City of Light. Perhaps you guys should do some actual research.

Also, calling the series Hinduphobic Indian-American writer and Hindu activist, Rajiv Malhotra wrote, Our new serial (Believer..) is heavily Hinduphobic. Ashes are immersed, not dumped.

Interestingly, according to Rejan Aslan, who takes the audience through the trailer said that, Believer With Reza Aslan is the first television series whose TV crew was allowed to film from inside the burning ghats of Varanasi.

The author even took to social media to hit back at the critics. alleging the series was Hinduphobic. Unlike you Hindu-American Foundation actually watched the episode and disagrees that it is "Hinduphobic" but go on, he wrote.
Delhi Police is investigating three types of comments in the case of Gurmehar Kaur, a 20-year-old Delhi University student and army martyr's daughter, who was allegedly abused by netizens. Police are scanning comments, trolls and abuse comments.

"Police are also preparing a list of the people who have issued threats," police sources said.

In social media, basic comments and trolls are natural that's why police are not giving much attention like abuse, but they are also not taking them out of context.

"Cases cannot be filed against the basic comments," police sources added.

Police sources further claimed that they have identified several handlers who have abused the DU girl, some of the accounts have been de-activated by the users but it will no affect the investigation.

After Gurmehar moved the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) with her complaint against those allegedly threatening her with rape and violence, Delhi Police registered an FIR against unknown persons under Sections 354A (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of IPC and Section 67 of the IT Act.

Sources claimed that police are identifying the areas from where the accounts were active during the time when abuses were hurled at the girl.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police has been in touch with her through telephone calls and emails.

However, Gurmehar still has not given the investigators the URL of her abusers that will help identify the user accounts responsible for the incident. The police said they are in touch through the email, but are yet to receive the links.

From the first day itself, the cyber cell has been investigating the case on the basis of the screen shots, and we cant book some users just on the basis of screen shots. How can the police filter the real users from non-pertinent threats?", said a source.

Gurmehar, daughter of martyred Captain Mandeep Singh, started the social media campaign, "I am not afraid of ABVP" following recent violence in and around Ramjas College on DU's North Campus. It went viral and received massive support from students across universities.

Police also said they have written to various social networking sites and it will take about 15-20 days for them to answer their queries.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said India's position on the 26/11 Mumbai attack is very well known and there is "nothing new" in former Pakistani NSA Mahmud Ali Durrani's remark that it was a "classic example" of cross-border terror.

"India's position is very well known and consistent.

There is nothing new for us," the Union minister of state for home told PTI when his response on Durrani's statement was sought.

Addressing a conference on combating terrorism here, Durrani said the 26/11 terror strikes were a "classic example" of cross-border terrorism, carried out by a Pakistan-based terror group, but maintained that the Pakistani government had no role in the attack.

India has been blaming Pakistani government establishments for the country's worst terror attack in which 166 people lost their lives.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said on February 12, 2016 that it was abundantly clear that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was behind the deadly Mumbai attack and Islamabad should act against all those involved in it.

Former Home Minister P Chidambaram had said on June 28, 2012 that Pakistani state actors were involved in the 2008 carnage.

"When I say state actors, at the moment, I am not pointing a finger at any particular agency. But clearly there was state support or state actors' support for the 26/11 massacre," he had said.
The string of racial attacks on Indians in America has sent shock waves across India with many wondering why New Delhis response so far has not been as forceful as it should have been.

A comparison is also being drawn between New Delhis reaction now and the unambiguous stand it had taken in the wake of assaults on Indian students in Australia in 2009 when the then External Affairs Minister S M Krishna made it clear to Canberra that the racial violence could hit bilateral ties.

The irony is that the attacks have come at a time when India is making all out efforts to reach out to the Donald Trump administration to bolster ties between the two nations in different fields.

Officials here said Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, who was in the US last week, would soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, to brief them on his discussions with representatives of the new administration, particularly on the recent attacks on Indians.

It is learnt that the two sides are actively working on arranging an early meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi to sort our various bilateral issues, especially Washingtons proposal to impose restrictions on H-1B visas, a move which will have a huge bearing on Indian techies.

Indications so far have been that Modi might visit the US in May-June or the two leaders could meet in Hamburg in July on the margins of the G-20 Summit.

While President Trump had described India as a true friend of America in his telephonic conversation with PM Modi soon after his inauguration, he has so far done precious little that would reflect his commitment to boost this relationship.

Many in Indian official circles are questioning why it took Trump so long to condemn the killing of an Indian techie in Kansas. By remaining silent for almost a week at a time when America is deeply divided on racial lines, he has apparently given an impression that he cares too little for the strong and influential Indian community, analysts here say.

The fear among Indians is that if these attacks continue unabated and the American authorities do not take steps on a war-footing to check them, America would lost its tag of being a Land of Opportunity for Indians.

New Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna, an ace diplomat with deep understanding of India-US issues, has, meanwhile, met US officials to convey New Delhis "deep concerns over the racial attacks and the need to prevent them. The US State Department has assured him that the authorities were working with all agencies concerned to ensure speedy justice.
Indian Navys flagship aircraft carrier INS Viraat, after serving the Navy for 30 years, will retire on Monday.

Since 1959, the ship famously known as the Grand Old Lady served the British Royal Navy before she was sold to the Indian Government for Rs. 6.5 crore in 1987.

INS Viraat played a significant role in 1989 in the Operation Jupiter in Sri Lankan Peace Keeping operations. The Viraat also played a major role in Operation Parakram in 2001-2002 when India and Pakistan were on a stand-off after terror attacks on the Indian Parliament.

The warship holding the Guinness Record for being the oldest serving warship was previously named as HMS Hermes under the UK Royal Navy. It holds the motto  Jalamev Yasya, Balmev Tasya meaning one who controls the sea is all powerful, was first adopted by the great warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century.

The Indian Navy said it is interested in converting the warship into a major tourist attraction turning it into a luxury hotel-cum-museum.

Covering the globe for 27 times, Viraat has spent more than 2,250 days at sea, clocking 10.94 lakh km.
In a controversial statement, former National Security Advisor of Pakistan Mahmud Ali Durrani on Monday claimed Mumbai terror attacks in November 26, 2008 were carried out by a Pakistan-based terror group.

The 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan is classic trans-border terrorist event, Durani said on the sidelines of the 19th Asian Conference on Combating Terrorism in New Delhi.

Blaming the Pakistan Government for trying to cover up the gruesome attack, he said, I made a statement on Pakistan television which the Pakistan Government did not like and I was sacked.

Durrani was the National Security Advisor when 10 Pakistani terrorists launched coordinated attacks across Mumbai.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre and the RBI to reply as to why people were not being allowed to deposit demonetised currency notes till 31 March as promised.

"Issue notice returnable by 10 March," a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul said and asked petitioner Sharad Mishra to serve the copy of its notice to the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India during the course of the day.

Several petitions were also filed by companies and individuals over the government going back on its decision to extend the date of depositing demonetised notes till 31 March.

The plea referred to the speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 8 November 2016, when he said that citizens would be allowed to deposit the demonetised notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 beyond the cut-off date of 31 December 2016 till 31 March 2017.

There may be some who for some reason, are not able to deposit their old 500 or 1,000 rupee notes by 30 December 2016. They can go to specified offices of the Reserve Bank of India up to 31 March, 2017 and deposit the notes after submitting a declaration form," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his address to the nation on 8 November.

Subsequently, a notification was issued by RBI spelling out that people may deposit demonetised currency notes even after 31 December 2016, at specific RBI branches up to 31 March 2017, after complying with certain procedural requirements.

The central bank on 31 December designated its five offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Nagpur to exchange defunct currency notes post the 50-day demonetisation period that ended on 30 December.

The bench also considered the argument that the RBI's last ordinance, which permits only those persons who were outside India during the stipulated period to deposit the demonetised currency notes till 31 March, is a breach of assurances given by the Prime Minister and the RBI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday promised to take every possible step to uplift the farmers in Uttar Pradesh.

Being raised in a poor family, am aware of the hardships they face. We would take every step that uplifts them, PM Modi said while addressing his third election rally, at Rohaniya in Uttar Pradesh.

Modi slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav for failing to help the farmers in the state.

UP government is anti-farmer. Why is it that farmers don't benefit from the Fasal Bima Yojana (Crop Insurance Scheme)? Why they don't help farmers in distress, he added.

In a final push for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the prime minister in his Lok Sabha constituency held a rally on the last day of campaigning for the seven-phase elections.

Earlier in the day, Modi visited Gadwaghat Ashram in Varanasi and fed the cows and prayed at the Ashram Temple. He also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri by visiting the former PM's residence.
Former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, MP, editor of Muslim India and a trusted friend, Syed Shahabuddin, who was suffering from prolonged illness, died at a hospital in Noida, last Saturday. He was 82.

To the author, Shahabuddin was an astute editor and a mentor when it came to writing on the problems facing Indian Muslims in his fortnightly magazine, Muslim India in the 1990s. The author, who contributed regularly to the magazine, feels that no other document except the Milli Gazette profiled the communitys issues as Muslim India did.

It was under Shahabuddins leadership in December 1986 that Babri Masjid activists from Delhi, UP and elsewhere held the All India Babri Masjid Conference and formed a 10-member Babri Masjid Movement Coordination Committee (BMMCC), with him as its convener. The conference adopted the Declaration of Delhi and decided to call upon Muslims not to associate themselves with the official celebration of Republic Day, 1987, to hold a mass rally on Rajpath in Delhi in March 1987 and, if those two steps failed, to hold a mass Friday prayer in Babri Masjid in October 1987.

This woke up the political parties and the government. There was wide support for the Muslim demand for expeditious judicial settlement but the national press vitiated the atmosphere by accusing the Muslims of boycotting the Republic Day and planning a March to Ayodhya. The unprecedented rally in Delhi, with more than half a million people present, made history.

Though a frontline leader of the Babri Masjid Movement Coordination Committee (BMMCC), he developed sharp differences with the Shahi Imam, Syed Abdullah Bukhari and others on taking the movement from a path of sensible protest to that of acquiring communalist overtones. This was witnessed in the India Gate protest where all the leaders including Shahabuddin gathered on a stage.

Since negotiations were going on with the government, the proposed Friday prayer at Ayodhya was deferred by BMMCC. This divided it and five members, including Imam Abdullah Bukhari, Azam Khan and Zafaryab Jilani resigned to form the All India Babri Masjid Movement Action Committee (AIBMAC) in October 1988. However, the two committees continued to cooperate, particularly on the legal front.

On 16 November 2012 Shahabuddin published an open letter to Narendra Modi regarding Muslim voters, amongst other things. He was also criticised for that. Shahabuddin founded the Insaf Party in 1989 (dissolved in 1990 and later revived). He was known for his strong belief in the federal structure of India and his desire to see more people participating at every level of governance. He had often called for persistent action against corruption, nepotism and inefficiency, for democracy within political parties and for equitable distribution of national income and resources in order to provide a life of minimum dignity to all people.

Shahabuddin edited the research monthly journal Muslim India between 1983 and 2002 and again from July 2006. He was a regular contributor to TV discussions on current affairs. He had written many articles for the Saudi Arabian newspaper, Arab News. He was known for a ban on The Satanic Verses Salman Rushdies book that sparked angry protests.

According to Navaid Hamid, who heads the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, the body once headed by Shahabuddin, few Indian leaders have been of his calibre and political acumen in the history of Indian Muslim leadership.

Born in 1935 in Ranchi, now in Jharkhand, he joined the IFS in 1958 but took premature retirement in the 1970s to delve into politics.

As a diplomat, he lobbied for the creation of Bangladesh and rallied support in Latin America  where he was posted at that time  for Indian intervention in the affair. Although considered to be in the good books of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he was one of the few diplomats who were openly anti-Emergency.

Within eight months of relinquishing service, Shahabuddin was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1979 from Kishanganj in Bihar, a Muslim majority constituency that sent him to Lok Sabha multiple times but remained neglected by him as far as development is considered.

Shahabuddin shot to further prominence during the Ramjanmabhoomi movement as he remained at the forefront of the movement from the Muslim side.

Although seen by many as a fundamentalist hawk thanks to his tough stance on Babri Masjid and Shah Bano issues, Shahabuddin was a practitioner of left-of-centre politics and proudly called himself a socialist.



The writer is a social commentator and can be contacted at [email protected]
The West Bengal Chief Minister's signal of intent to rein in private schools that charge atrocious fees ought generally to be welcomed. It is early days to speculate whether the move will be effective not least because of the red herrings across the trail. Suffice it to register that after close to six years in power, Mamata Banerjee seems riveted to the social sector, with public health and education being the primary indices of welfare. But she has excluded the state segment, whose performance has been appalling in the parameter of health. Having said that, it must be conceded that state schools ~ with affordable fee structures ~ compare favourably with the best missionary schools. Traditionally, Bengal has showcased a stark dichotomy between state hospitals and state educational institutions. The nub of the matter must be that the trumpeted right to universal education has floundered at the entrance, so to speak, of schools that are run as booming corporate enterprises ~ AC buses and classrooms ~ with scant regard for a child's search of learning, let alone the quality of instruction.

Indeed, the underbelly of development is the thread that links the private hospitals to some of these schools. Hence the immediate cavil of some school authorities that the Chief Minister has implicitly drawn a parallel between healthcare and learning. The short point must be that if such is the muck, it should be raised. It is the tragedy of public policy that an almost incurable degree of sclerosis has afflicted both health care and education; a swathe of both fundamental entitlements are only for those who can afford it. A particular irritant in the case of schools is donation, that is packaged as "development fee" and which, as often as not, turns out to be the determinant for admission. A more outrageous travesty of compulsory universal education is hard to imagine. There can be no rational criterion for the admission of say a three-year-old; it thus comes about that money-power determines all and everything ~ from admission to private tuition.

Not to put too fine a point on it, this is segregation at the threshold. Granted that a government cannot determine what they call "our running costs"; this would be akin to the NDA government once tampering with the fees and faculties of IIMs and IITs. The point is well taken, but a school is not a corporate outfit and the fee structure must of necessity be generally affordable. It would be a fig leaf of a cover to quote Article 30 of the Constitution, which gives minorities the right to establish and administer their own educational institutions. Learning is not for sale, and Miss Banerjee has hit the bull's-eye, if belatedly.
Bowing to public pressure and afraid of the prospects of having to face CBI raids and Lokayukta cases, the Karnataka government on Thursday announced abandonment of the controversial Rs.2,100-crore steel flyover project in Bengaluru city. The six-lane 6.9 km flyover from Basaveshwara Circle in the city centre to Hebbal junction in the northern suburb connecting the road to Kempegowda International Airport at Devanahalli and National Highway 4 leading to Hyderabad has been a pet project of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. To be implemented by the Bengaluru Development Authority, the project was intended to decongest the Bellary road leading to the airport. The proposal for the steel flyover was mooted in Siddaramaiahs first budget in 2013. At that time its estimated cost was only Rs.1,130 crore. Since then it has been galloping. Opposition to the project was instant, not only because of allegations of huge kickbacks to top Congress leaders, but also because it was to be built in one of the greenest parts of the city and involved the felling of 812 fully grown trees. A citizens action forum was formed to launch an agitation against the project which, in October 2016, formed a massive human chain covering the entire distance of the proposed flyover. V Balasubramaniam, former additional chief secretary of Karnataka, together with NS Mukunda, president of the citizens action forum, filed a writ petition before the Chennai Bench of the National Green Tribunal and obtained an interim order on 28 October 2016 restraining the Karnataka government from executing the project.

The proverbial last straw that broke the camels back was the surfacing of a diary entry that alleged a donation of Rs 65 crore was paid to the Congress for awarding the contract for the steel flyover to L & T and Nagarjuna Construction Company. Dinesh Gundu Rao, working president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, exerted pressure on KJ George, Minister for Bengaluru development in the Siddaramaiah cabinet, to give up the project saying that it was being portrayed as a monument of Congress corruption by the opposition parties when the intention is to improve Bengaluru. A few Congress MLAs also joined the demand for dropping the project as they faced the peoples ire in their constituencies. George was forced to yield to the peoples will. The state government has not carried out any proper study whether the proposed flyover would actually relieve traffic congestion. Nor has it searched for any alternative routes. No permission was taken to cut the 800-odd trees on its path or any public hearings conducted before awarding contracts to private firms. Eventually George was forced to concede defeat. Announcing cancellation of the project, he said, We do not want to take the blame for something that we have not done. So we are dropping the project. He was silent on the Rs 65 crore donation allegation. Forcing the government to abandon the project is a major victory for the people of Karnataka.
Barack Obamas prediction of a meaner, harsher, more troubled world because of the rise of white supremacists is coming true. Both in the US and in Britain, there has been an uncommon spurt in recent months of hate crimes against immigrants following Donald Trumps election as the US President and in post-Brexit Britain. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center in the US, hate activity after Trumps ascent to power has been above pre-election levels. In Britain, the London metropolitan police noted a horrible spike in hate crimes following the referendum on Britain remaining in the European Union while there was a 41 per cent increase in England and Wales, according to official figures.

The targeting of aliens by the ultra-nationalists is the primary distinguishing feature of the present-day troubled world apart, of course, from the threat posed by radical Islamists. The jihadis are responsible, however, for arousing the wrath of the white chauvinists in the US, Britain and other European countries against Muslims in general, and also against any person of colour, irrespective of his or her religion, along with even the white immigrants from Poland and elsewhere who take away the jobs of the locals.

Get out of my country is the war cry of the uber-nationalists against the outsiders. This was the dire threat uttered by the former US Navy employee against the Indian technologist, Srinivas Kuchibhotia, when shooting him dead in Kansas. The White House has refused to see any link between the crime and Trumps anti-immigration rhetoric although the President has belatedly condemned the killing.

However, the disinclination to discern any connection between the hate crime and Trumps speeches is understandable because the Presidents success is almost totally based on whipping up such nativist sentiments among his supporters in the disaffected white communities whose employment prospects have been hurt by globalization.

Insularity is currently the cornerstone of all Alt-Right parties in Europe, which are gaining ground by exploiting the resentment against and fear of Muslims. There is also apprehension about the immigrants eroding the local culture. Britain, too, is proving to be no different although 48 per cent of the people opposed Brexit. The reason is that hate has its own momentum. Even before the referendum, a promising politician of the Labour Party, Jo Cox, was killed by a man shouting put Britain first.

But it is not only the West which is experiencing the violent expression of parochialism. India, too, has seen campaigns by the BJP and its allied organizations, which have included the imposition of their fetishes about beef in their agenda. So passionate is their abhorrence of the consumption of beef that they killed a Muslim householder near Delhi on the suspicion that he and his family were eating the forbidden meat. Muslim transporters of cattle have also been beaten up or killed by saffron activists while a group of Dalits was lynched in Gujarat for skinning a cow.

One can also hear the angry warning, get out of my country, in the BJP minister, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvis threatening advice to beef-eaters to go to Pakistan; and in Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnaviss belief that those who do not chant, Bharat Mata ki Jai, have no place in India. The intimidatory tactics of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the saffron brotherhoods student body, against those it considers anti-nationals is another example of self-appointed and officially-sponsored patriots running amok.

The ABVP recently ensured the cancelling of a seminar in Delhis Ramjas College by clashing with Leftist student groups over the participation of two Left-leaning students from Jawaharlal Nehru University and compelled another college to call off a theatre festival because of the allegedly anti-national content of some of the plays. Now, finance minister Arun Jaitley, who started his political career in the ABVP, has muddied the waters by saying that the opponents of the saffron student body constitute an alliance of subversion. As is known, the Narendra Modi government has been using the British-era sedition law against the suspects of subversion.

However, the saving grace of democracy is its incompatibility with violence. Just as Modi has silenced the ghar wapsi and love jihad brigades and has stopped the attacks on churches, it is not impossible that he will send a discreet message to the saffron students to cool down. The RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwats rather surprising admonition of those who judge the patriotism of others doosre ki bhakti naapne ka adhikar kisiko nahin hai ~ is apparently a hint in the direction of restoring sanity.

In America and Britain, too, the horrible spike in violence against the fabled Other cannot but worry the Republicans and Conservatives. The death of the Indian techie in Kansas is also bound to induce second thoughts about Trump among the saffronites in India who were happy with his anti-Muslim outlook. Now, they will realize that hate cannot be channelled in one direction only.

The writer is a former Assistant Editor of The Statesman
I was working late in the US Consulate in Kathmandu when the telephone rang. As the secretary had left, I answered, and when the caller said, Namaskar, I responded with the same word.

The caller continued in Nepali and explained his problem. I listened and suggested a solution, also in Nepali. He thanked me and said he would call the American officer the next day. I told him that he was indeed talking with an officer: I was the Consul. Clearly surprised, the caller said, But you speak Nepali! I laughed and said, You dont have a law that foreigners cannot speak your language.

I explained that I had learned the language in Haiti as the liaison for the Nepalese contingent in a UN multinational force. The caller complimented me on my accent and said, I work at the Home Ministry. Why dont you drop in for a cup of tea some day? Do let me know if I can be of help any time. My name is Khadka.

I might have forgotten about the exchange, but for what happened three weeks later. I was scrutinising visa applications, when my secretary reported that a young couple was waiting in the hall and the wife was visibly distraught and in tears. I asked the couple in.

The story they narrated was intriguing. Craig, from an affluent Kansas family, had joined a private voluntary organization in Chicago that sent him to work on a water project in southern Nepal. His wife, Clara, taught basic English and mathematics to village children. As she did so on front porch of her home, she would notice a girl, five or six, skeletal and filthy, clearly a waif, playing on the street.

Passing her one day, Clara gave her a candy. The next day, the girl, possibly trying to get Claras attention, was playing in front of her home. She got another candy. From then on she got a candy or cookie each day. A week later Clara was in a local bazaar and bought a girls dress. As she was about to replace the girls tattered frock the next day, she realized how dirty she was, living on the street. She gave her a bath and put her in the dress. The girl was pleased and surprised in equal measure, wearing the only new dress she had ever worn.

From then on the girl  her name was Maya  imperceptibly became a part of Clara and Craigs village life. Two years later, when the project ended and the time came for them to return to the US, they realized to their surprise that they could not leave without Maya. They came to Kathmandu, went to the Home Ministry and applied for adoption, expecting no glitches, since she was an orphan, with no relations to claim her.

Then they came up against a legal wall. Craig could not adopt, for under Nepals law a person had to be at least 30 to adopt a child, and Craig was nine months short. Clara was even younger. They were despondent and had turned to me as a last recourse. I had no reassuring word for them. I could not contend against a well-intentioned law designed to protect children. Then I thought of Khadka, who, I had found out, was the Deputy Minister. I called and said I would indeed like to join him for tea.

He was gracious, and said I could come right away. I took Craig and Clara with me, but left them in the waiting room. Khadka was a sun-tanned, heavybrowed man, squat but nimble. He greeted me warmly, but he knew that I had come with a purpose. I chose to be candid. I want to show you something, I said, and pulled out a photograph of Maya. I see it is a very young girl, he responded, with a questioning look. You will also notice that it is an ordinary girl. She isnt pretty at all. I added bluntly. Now I want you to see her medical file.

 I pushed a file toward him, You will find she has a large number of health problems: of eyes, ears, skin, stomach and general health. I proceeded, That isnt surprising. She is an orphan and has lived most of her life on the street, eating scraps and spoiled food neighbours have thrown out. Nobody has cared for her, nobody wanted her. Khadka listened intently.

Now a miracle has happened. Somebody loves her and wants to adopt her. It is the first and possibly the only break in her miserable life. But the couple who want to take her are less than thirty years, and the law stands in the way. I have no way to solve that problem. So I am asking for your help.

I added, Because the couple is American, I am pleading their case. But, believe me, I am pleading even more for a little girl who has this one chance for a better life. Your life and mine will go on as before if the adoption doesnt go through; even this couple will eventually reconcile to their loss. It is only Maya who would have lost her one opportunity to not be just another waif on the street.

The secretary had brought the tea, and Khadka asked him for Mayas adoption application file. He signaled me to drink the tea while he studied the file. He quickly reached the last page and started writing. When he had finished, he gave me the file to read. Invoking the appropriate section and subsection of the law, Khadka had written that he was granting a humanitarian exception to the law and the adoption would be allowed to proceed.

I thanked Khadka, saying that Nepalese tea had never tasted better, and left. In the waiting room, when I had explained the outcome, Craig hugged me and Clara wept some more. I know I had said something wrong to the Nepalese minister. Every Christmas Craig and Clara send me a family photo, and this year I looked carefully at their adolescent daughter. I had told Khadka that Maya was an ordinary girl, not pretty at all. I was wrong. She is beautiful.

The writer is a Washington-based international development advisor and had worked with the World Bank. He can be reached at [email protected]
"Nobody listens to our orders, police reforms are going on and on. The brevity of that observation from a three-member bench of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice of India, as it dismissed a plea for early hearing of a PIL on the matter, reflected deep frustration rather than annoyance. It served as nothing less than an indictment of a series of Union home ministers that included both Rajnath Singh and P Chidambaram (along with a string of their counterparts in the state governments) and underscored the shameful lack of political will to remedy a critical aspect of nationwide mis-governance. For it underscored a sick reality that regardless of their party complexion, governments believed that favoured police forces were the most effective means for ensuring that their political agenda was furthered ~ at the cost of the wellbeing of the common citizen. Not just local police organisations functioned at the beck and call of the chief minister, even supposedly prime outfits like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the National Investigation Agency (along with the enforcement agencies of the finance ministry, etc.,) have lost their credibility in the public eye. No wonder then that the common demand is now for a court-monitored probe, the cops have forfeited the confidence of the public. Now, none other than the Chief Justice of India has slammed the lip service paid to police reform.

It would also appear ironic that the courts vision was articulated when it dismissed a petition from a Delhi lawyer and BJP activist, for at this point in time the Delhi Police is the subject of much criticism for its permitting saffron to unleash a reign of violence in the two major universities in the Capital. The petition may have been drafted earlier, but there would be many who would smell a rat in its stating that arbitrary and unaccountable functioning of the police has led to complete alienation of many citizens from the state. Complete politicisation of the police has led to highly partisan crime investigation. The court declined to enter into any discussion on the subject, but if the petitioner was nobly motivated he might do better to press his case with his partys leadership. Rather than have the judiciary do the dirty work. The reality is that there has been no comprehensive re-working of the law under which the police functions: the marginal tinkering and tweaking at various levels has hardly impacted the philosophy of the Police Act of 1861, drafted with a colonial mindset in the wake of the 1857 uprising. In 2007 the Supreme Court had issued a seven-point reform blueprint, but the best comment on its implementation is what their Lordships have just averred.
Lancaster county authorities in the US have suggested that the killing of a 43-year-old Indian-origin store owner there may not be a hate crime. Harnish Patel, 43, the owner of a convenience store in Lancaster County, South Carolina, was found dead of gunshot wounds in the front yard of his home on Thursday.

The County Sheriff has pointed out that this may not be a hate crime, sources said. "Local authorities are investigating. We will remain in touch with them," they said.

"Consulate General of India, Atlanta, is in touch with the family. It is deputing a consular official to meet the family and offer condolences and any required assistance. It is also in touch with the local community organisation of expat Indians, including those from Gujarat," they added.

In New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, "I am pained to hear about the killing of Harnish Patel, a US national of Indian-origin in Lancaster, South Carolina. Our Consul has reached Lancaster and met the family of Harnish Patel."

She said the investigation in the case was in progress. Swaraj also offered her condolences to the bereaved family.

There have been a series of attacks on Indian-Americans in the US in recent weeks. A 39-year-old Sikh man was shot outside his home on Friday by a partially-masked gunman who shouted "go back to your own country".

Last month, 32-year-old Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed when 51-year-old US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani, yelling "get out of my country".
North Korea on March 6 fired four ballistic projectiles into Sea of Japan that flew on average 1,000 km (620 miles), angering both South Korea and Japan.

The military authorities of South Korea, Japan and the United States have confirmed the launch of four intermediate range missiles, as reported by a news channel.

Japan's Defence Minister Tomomi said that some of the missiles landed in waters as close as 300 km (190 miles) from Japan's northwest coast.

Three of the four missiles landed in its Special Economic Zone (EEZ)  an area stretching some 370 km from the coastline of northern Akita prefecture, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Parliament on March 6.

Condemning the act by North Korea which came as a retaliation to US.-South Korea military drills, Abe added, "The launches are clearly in violation of Security Council Resolution.

Japanese leaders have expressed apprehension over the issue and termed the act "extremely dangerous".
Malaysian parliament deliberates controversial bill extending reach of sharia court as general election looms.

The opening of Malaysias parliament on Monday was overshadowed by a controversial bill to extend the power of Islamic courts.

Tabled in November by Abdul Hadi Awang, president of the opposition Islamic party Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), the bill expands the severity of punishment that can be handed down by Islamic courts for violating sharia law, also known as Syariah in Malaysia.

Under the bill the courts would be able to impose 30 years in jail, RM100,000 ($22,462) in fines or 100 strokes of the cane, up from three years in jail, RM5,000 ($1,123) in fines and six strokes of the cane, according to The Straits Times.

The Islamic courts exist parallel to civil courts under Malaysian law and only have jurisdiction over Muslims  61% of the population  in cases of family and religious law.

Many ethnic-Chinese Malaysians, Indians, and secular-leaning Muslims, however, are concerned that the PAS is creating a backdoor to introduce Hudud, Islamic criminal punishment, across the country, according to The Straits Times.

Hudud is used in two provinces but its more controversial punishments like stoning and amputation are illegal under federal Malaysian law.

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism has spoken out against the bill, according to The Star.

"We have consistently maintained that there is no necessity of implementing hudud in a multiracial and multi-religious society like Malaysia," a statement from the organisation said.

The PAS, however, has maintained that the bill is directed at Muslims only.

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan went as far as telling non-Muslim groups to stay out of the debate. "We must play the fair game. Don't disturb the rights of Muslims, and Muslims will not trouble the non-Muslims," Takiyuddin was reported as saying.

Renewed debate on the bill comes as maritime Southeast Asia finds itself once again grappling with religious extremism after a German hostage was beheaded by a separatist group in the Philippines with ties to the Islamic State.

Elsewhere, religious influence was apparent as the governor of Jakarta stands trial for blasphemy after allegedly insulted the Quaran.

While Malaysia is considered recruiting ground for the Islamic State, appeals to Islam are also seen as a tactic to gain popular support. Such tactics are once again at the forefront leading up to the 2018 elections. A PAS rally on February 17 attracted 100,000 supporters in favour of expanding the scope of sharia law, according to The Star.

Prime Minister Najib Razak has thrown his weight behind the bill, but critics see his support as a calculated distraction from a lingering corruption scandal.

Najib is accused of embezzling $700 million from a government-backed investment scheme, according to The Wall Street Journal, but his support for sharia law has given him a boost among his supporters.
This image released by Lionsgate shows Ryan Gosling, right, and Emma Stone in a scene from, "La La Land." Lionsgate announced Monday, March 6, 2017, that "La La Land In Concert: A Live-to-Film Celebration" will come to the Hollywood Bowl on May 26-27. (Dale Robinette/Lionsgate via AP, File)
If youre not Sir Ranulph Fiennes, a polar research scientist, or a penguin, what do you actually do in Antarctica? After three polar trips, and starting to feel now like an Antarctic veteran, I wanted to share a little of what its like to travel to the bottom of the world, and how you can do it yourself.

How do you get there?

There are several ways to get to Antarctica. Larger vessels with hundreds of passengers will cruise down for a day, perhaps two, never really stopping, turn around, and head north again. Although technically their passengers have been to Antarctica, it doesnt really count as theyve actually not set foot on the continent. This sounds rather disappointing to me.

The more exciting and arguably more immersive way to visit Antarctica is on a small expedition vessel with not more than 100 passengers. These small ships sail from Ushuaia in the southernmost tip of Argentina, and it takes a full three days journey from South America to get your first glimpse of Antarctica. The expedition ships will stay in the Antarctic Peninsula for about a week, acting as a floating hotel: theres nowhere you can stay on land. They sail between locations, and from each stop you launch daily excursions to explore the local area.

On my ship, the Ocean Adventurer, the stops were in places like Cierva Cove, Mikkelsen Harbour, the Melchior Islands, and Wilhelmina Bay.

What do you do in Antarctica?

Twice a day I pulled on my parka jacket and rubber boots, then disembarked the mothership with eight other passengers onto our zodiac boat (a small rubber rib). With 11 zodiacs on the ship, everyone on board was able to disembark and explore at the same time. Each zodiac, driven by a member of the expedition team who guided us through the rubble of Antarcticas melting ice, allowed us the opportunity to cruise through the ice, spotting seals snoozing on the floes. Zodiac cruises last for around three hours a time.

When we werent nipping about in zodiacs, we were landing on shore, hiking up a hill or along a beach. The views are spectacular, wherever you look, and squeezing the huge, snow-covered mountains into my camera lens was often utterly impossible.

Being on land means close ups with seals and hanging out with ridiculously curious penguin, who waddle alongside you, watching you as you watch them, with absolute fascination. Actually setting foot on the seventh continent  something very few people ever have the chance to do  is a moment of pure joy.

Kayaking was one of my very favourite activities. Gliding through the mirrored ice water, silently, I felt so small. Amongst the most unusual experiences was choking on mouthfuls of whale spit, as one exhaled fountains of mist through its blowhole, and it hit me in the face. Having these 40ft giants so close to my kayak that I didnt dare breathe sent tingles of excitement shivering down my neck.

What can you do onboard?

Returning to the vessel one sparkling, sunny afternoon, I was greeted with an announcement over the Tannoy, and some loud rock music. The words polar plunge crackled through the speakers; combined with the music, I felt inspired. As if kayaking wasnt close enough to the water, I soon found myself standing in line with shorts and a robe on, waiting to jump off the side of the ship into the ice water. I must have been completely and utterly mad.

From a small platform about half a metre above the water, I jumped fearlessly into the abyss. Then, cartoon-like, spring-boarded back onto the platform. It was absolutely exhilarating. Thank God there was a hot tub and sauna on board.

The excitement of Antarctica needs occasional moments of catharsis. Onboard lectures by the expedition team helped me build knowledge of where I was, and also gave insight to things like whale spit, and ice. Why is ice blue? Why is penguin poo pink? How big was the biggest ever iceberg? Lectures and daily briefings really added substance to my experiences.

The evenings, when it should have been dark but daylight endured, were times for me to head up to the bridge and stand alongside the Captain. I grabbed binoculars and looked out for whale or seal in ice flows. Even at 2am its still light, and I would walk around on deck, listening to the snap crackle and pop of melting ice exhaling 10,000-year-old air. Watching the vessel gently crunch through brash ice and manoeuvre its way around huge icebergs was not only entertaining but a real privilege.

In those reflective early morning hours, it was difficult to think of any other place in the world I would rather be. It was quite remarkable that I once wandered what I would do in Antarctica.

Standing, binoculars pinned to my eyes, I felt inside myself the spirit of the scientist and the explorer, and maybe just a little bit of penguin, too.

Fact File

Package: Swoop have an 11-day Discovering the Antarctic Peninsula tour.

How much: The trip costs USD $8,295, based on a triple cabin, and includes activities such as camping, hiking, photography workshops, yoga, and the polar plunge. There are discounts for passengers under 21 years.

Fly: Return from London to Ushuaia (via Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires) start from 705 with LATAM Airlines.

Visa: British passport holders do not need a visa for Argentina, and no countrys passport holders need a visa for Antarctica. Landing permits are required, however, and these are included if you book a cruise.

TIP: Remember that all cruises to Antarctica go in the Antarctic summer (Europes winter), when the days are incredibly long. If you went in the Antarctic winter itd be dark all the time and you wouldnt see anything at all!
British diva Amy Jackson has completed her portions for the much-anticipated sci-fi thriller 2.0, say reports.

By India Today Web Desk: Last seen in the Bollywood film Freaky Ali, British model-turned-actor Amy Jackson, who has been roped in to play the female lead in Shankar's magnum opus 2.0, has wrapped up her portions for the film.

Sharing the picture with the director, Amy took to Twitter and wrote, "It's a WRAP for me on Robot 2.0!"

It's a WRAP for me on Robot 2.0!! https://t.co/2m3uhBmTGc Amy Jackson (@iamAmyJackson) March 5, 2017

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A sequel to the blockbuster Tamil film Enthiran, 2.0 is arguably the most awaited film of the 2017. Being made on a lavish budget of Rs 400 crore, the film stars superstar Rajinikanth in the lead, reprising his roles as Dr.Vaseegaran and Chitti- The Robot.

After Thalaivar, the highlight of 2.0 is its antagonist played by Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who is touted to play an ornithologist in the film. Sudhanshu Pandey will be playing Dr. Bora's son in the film, which also has Adil Hussain in an important role. Academy Award winner AR Rahman is in charge of the music, while Nirav Shah will crank the camera.

Touted as the costliest Asian film, 2.0 is all set for a grand release on Diwali this year.

ALSO READ: Who is Dhanush? Drama over real lineage of actor continues

ALSO READ: Baasha returns- Even Jackie Chan's release is not as phenomenal, says Latha Rajinikanth

ALSO WATCH: Rajini fever is back, Baasha returns

--- ENDS ---
The government of India has issued a travel advisory to its citizens going to Rio de Janerio, Brazil, requesting them to monitor local media and follow guidance of local authorities.

In case they need consular assistance, they are requested to contact the Embassy of India at Brasilia or the Consulate general of India at Sao Paulo,'' states the advisory.

Although the government is not mentioning it, the advisory is following police protests in several Brazilian cities, where relatives of street police personnel blocked entrance to police stations, preventing them from reporting for work. Street police in Brazil are under the military and cannot strike work, so their relatives have been protesting on their behalf, demanding the force be paid back wages. Reportedly, the force hasn't been paid their dues for some time.

While the law and order in Rio is so far reportedly under control, a similar protest in Espirito Santo state some days ago triggered a deadly crime wave, with over 100 dead in shootouts. The Indian government has said that it will monitor the situation and give further advice for Indians.

Meanwhile, Brazil is not being a lucrative travel destination for another reasonit is in the midst of a severe yellow fever outbreak that has claimed over 100 lives officially and double the number unofficially. The World Health Organisation secretariat has advised travellers to take a vaccine shot ten days before their travel and use means to ward off mosquito bites. Yellow fever is spread by mosquitoes.

The outbreak is close on the heels of the Zika virus outbreak, also spread by mosquitoes.
India has managed to garner regional support in its war against terror, with Afghanistan openly coming out in its support on Monday, saying there was no "good or bad terrorist". The country urged the global community to come together to designate a state or at least individuals as terrorists.

Afghanistan's National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar on Monday said Afghanistan wants nations to be designated as "terrorist state" or at least "individuals" as "terrorists" to combat the menace more effectively. If we don't have the ability to designate states, let us hold individuals accountable, he said in New Delhi.

His remarks come at a time when the UN sanctions committee failed to proscribe JeM chief and Pathankot mastermind Masood Azhar as a terrorist in view of China's strong opposition.

Atmar was addressing a conference on counter-terrorism organised by IDSA , a government think-tank, in the presence of defence minister Manohar Parrikar.

Parrikar, meanwhile, pitched for a global definition of what constitutes an act of terror, something New Delhi has been struggling to achieve at the UN forum.

In a veiled attack on Pakistan, Atmar did not mince words when he said that "the war in Afghanistan is not a civil war. It is a combination of a violent terrorist war and an undeclared war between states".

At a time when national action against terrorism is failing, there i as need to address the fertile grounds available to terrorists, he said, as he pitched for regional cooperation against terror.

Recently, both Afghanistan and Pakistan had exchanged list of wanted terrorists and training areas in the other's territory. "Both countries will have to act on the lists, but there has to be a third party verification," Atmar said.

Atmar said that the Afghanistan-Pakistan region was being used as a breeding ground and launch pad for terrorist attacks around the world. It is a proven sanctuary. This symbiotic relationship with state and non-state actors is not only a failure of Afghanistan, but the entire region.

Atmar said groups like the Lashkar and JEM wanted to hurt India. He said terrorists did not just cross borders, but used other routes as well. He said three enemies have come together in Afghanistanwhich included the Haqqani network under Taliban, Pakistan-based terror groups like LeT, JeM and Tehreek-e-Taliban, regional terrroist groups and the Al Qaeda-Daesh.

He said that when Pakistan talked about differentiating between good and bad terrorists, Afghanistan engaged with them to explain that Taliban was not the enemy of Daesh, because all those groups were mutating. However, there was a breakdown in communication.

Atmar set the tone for the 19th Asian Security Conference, being held over two days in the capital, saying that the first step towards addressing any of the concerns is "to end state-sponsorship of terrorism".

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar said India and Afghinstan have been victims of a proxy war for decades now. He said it was time that the global community framed a definition for terrorism.

Even though there is a broad consensus on what constitutes an act of terror, a formal agreement is missing, he said .

India first submitted a proposal for comprehensive convention on international terrorism at the United Nations general assembly in 1996. Twenty years later, we continue to put our weight behind this aspectto be able to shut down terror camps, ban all terror groups, and make cross-border terror an extraditable offence in the region.

There has to be a regional push and cooperation to counter terrorism effectively, he said.

Parrikar said terrorists were exploiting sophisticated technology, tools of communication and complicated webs of terror financing.

Underlining the challenges faced by the global community today, Parrikar said, We are living in times of global uncertainity, revival of populist movements and heightened nationalism, backlash against globalisation and possible closing of borders.

He noted that there was an expanding arc of terror across Europe and Asia. India has time and again said that terrorism is the most pervasive and serious challenge to international security. Hence a global collaborative response is required.

Quoting latest figures from the global terrorism index, Parrikar said that a record number of countries are experiencing a high level of terrorism, which has surged by six percent in 2016 over the preceeding year.

Four terrorist groups are responsible for 74 percent of deaths from terrorism. Among these are Islamic state, Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

Islamic State affiliated groups carried out attacks in 29 countries last year, which has doubled since 2014.

Around 60 million people have been affected by conflict and violence. This makes terror the single biggest threat to international peace and security. Even while the threat is trans-national, the response does not appear to be coordinated, said Parrikar.
Three months after her death, former chief minister Jayalalithaas health report was made public on Monday by the Tamil Nadu government. The report says Jayalalithaa suffered asthmatic bronchitis, a pre-cardio situation, and no external injuries. Senior ministers O. Panneerselvam, Vijayabhaskar, Deputy Speaker M. Thambidurai and V.K. Sasikala gave their consent for removing the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenationa life support systemwhich led to natural cessation of life, it says.

The report was made public after questions were raised from several quarters on Jayalalithaa's treatment and the mystery prevailed over it. Releasing the 12 page discharge summary from Apollo Hospitals and AIIMS doctors report, Tamil Nadus principal secretary to health and family welfare said, high quality care was given to the former chief minister.

The discharge summary from Apollo hospital, which was handed over to the Tamil Nadu government in January this year, also reveals that the cause of death was ventricular fibrillation, infective endocarditis and acute respiratory distress syndrome. It says Jayalalithaa suffered asthmatic bronchitis and pulmonary odema and pre-cardio situation.

The discharge summary gives the names of 17 doctors at Apollo who treated her, names of those in the critical care unit expert team and names of the six doctors from AIIMS and 12 other experts, from whom expert opinion was taken. It says that expert opinion was taken from Dr K.M. Cherian and Dr Richard Beale were also part of her medical team. There were doctors from TATA Memorial Hospital Bombay, CMC Vellore, Hinduja Hospital Mumbai, Johns Hopkins Hospital USA and Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

The discharge summary clearly states that she was into fever five to seven days prior to admission and she had a history of intermittent fever. Initial set of blood cultures was suggestive of growth of Enterococcus, a bacteria that causes urinary tract infections, says the report.

The report further says that the Apollo hospital received a call around 10 pm on September 22, 2016 from Jayaalithaas house. When the ambulance reported there, she was breathless with low oxygen saturation resulting in drowsiness. The report however denies the theory of Jayalalithaa being pushed down before hospitalisation, as claimed by the Panneerselvam camp.

According to the discharge summary, "There were pre-existing co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, asthmatic bronchitis and hypothyroidism. Also, she had atopic dermatitis, which according to medical experts, is a chronic eczematous skin disease. She was into corticosteroids.

At a time when there are questions being raised from several quarters over wrong medicines allegedly administered on her before hospitalisation, the report clearly mentions that except for corticosteroids administered for atopic dermatitis, Jayalalithaa was taking oral hypoglycemic and anti-hypertensive drugs to control pre-existing diabetes mellitus and hyper tension.

The discharge summary comprises day wise report from September 22 to December 5. Some of the key points in the report are below

>> Jayalalithaa was admitted on September 22, 2016 with breathlessness. She was treated for pre-cardiac arrest situation and subsequently a temporary transvenous pacemaker was emergently inserted.

>> Initial set of blood cultures suggested growth of Enterococcus, a bacteria that causes urinary tract infections.

>> She slowly started recovering and her requirements for a non-invasive ventilator had reduced.

>> Her health deteriorated when she developed a significant wheezetachypnoea, or rapid breathing.

>> On September 28, her breathing condition deteriorated further. After obtaining permission from family and government officials, she was placed on ventilator.

>> A panel of cardiologists including Dr M.R. Girinath, Dr K.M. Cherian, and Dr L.H. Sridhar recommended continuation of her medical therapy as there was no indication for any emergency surgery.

>> On September 30, her condition worsened despite various treatments provided. It required escalation of sedation and oxygen supplementation.

>> Dr Richard Beale from the UK was invited by Apollo for consultation. After coming in he opined that Jayalalithaas mortality was only 40 percent.

>> Over the next few days her health condition kept fluctuating

>> Her kidneys started failing by October 9 and her urine output also went down. Family suggested Apollo to obtain external opinion from an expert cardiologist. So Dr Stewart Russel from John Hokins Hospital and Dr Jayan Paramsehwar from Papworth, the UK were consulted. Her breathlessness was because of a diastolic heart failurea condition due to which there isn't enough blood in the lower left chamber of her heart, according to them

>> She also had capiallry leak syndromea rare disorder.

>> The Tacheostomy tube was subsequently removed in the first week of November. Took oral food and was into IV fluids

>> And by November 19, she was moved out of ICU to a specially designed high dependency bed.

>> An hypertension expert from the Apollo Institute of Blood Pressure Management, Hyderabad, was consulted to suggest treatment to manage her episodic hypertension.

>> On the evening of December 4, 2016, even while the intensivist from the Apollo Hospital was in her room, Jayalalithaa was administered resuscitation and provided ECMO support within an hour.

>> Every possible clinical attempt was made to sustain her revival as per prescribed medical protocols.

>> A team of doctors, including experts from Apollo and AIIMS assessed the situation.

It was clinically concluded that there was no heart function and there was also no neurological improvement denoting futility of life support. Hence, after following all procedures the position was conveyed to senior Ministers and Political Leaders (Thiru O Panneerselvam, DrVijayabhaskar, Thiru M. Thambidurai), MsSasikala, andGovernment Officials (Chief Secretary and Health Secretary). All of them understood the situation and asked the medical team to act as per the standard protocol. The late Honble Chief Minister passed away at 1130 PM on 5.12.2016, says the discharge summary.
Mahmud Ali Durrani was Pakistan's NSA when 10 terrorists, who arrived via sea route, launched coordinated attacks across Mumbai on November 26, 2008, killing 166 people.

By India Today Web Desk: Former Pakistan National Security Advisor (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani today nailed his own country for the role in the November 26, 2008, Mumbai terror attacks. Speaking at an event in New Delhi Durrani said the commando-style terror attack was carried out by a group based in Pakistan.

"26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan is classic trans-border terrorist event," Durrani said while speaking at the 19th Asian Security Conference being held at the Institute of Defence and Studies and Analyses. However, Durrani stressed that neither the Pakistan government nor the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) were aware about the terror plot hatched on its soil.

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Durrani was Pakistan's NSA when 10 terrorists, who arrived via sea route, launched coordinated attacks across Mumbai on November 26, 2008. It took security forces three days to flush out the terrorists as they opened indiscriminate firing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal, the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the Oberoi Trident Hotel, Leopold Cafe and the Nariman House Jewish Centre.Durrani was removed from the post in 2009.

26/11 Mumbai attack: Never seen photos of NSG operation

The attacks killed 166 people, including 18 security personnel and a few foreigners. Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist who was caught alive by the security forces was hanged in November, 2012 after a trial.

PAKISTAN'S DENIAL

New Delhi has provided ample evidence to Islamabad over involvement of top Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders in the November 26, 2008 attacks. However, Pakistan has denied all such allegations blaming 'non-state actors' for the incident. Lashkar's operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who India says masterminded the attack, has been in hiding after getting bail over a year ago.

American citizen David Headley, who admitted scouting targets for the 2008 attack, has testified that the plot was hatched with at least one Pakistani intelligence official and a navy frogman.

If former US ambassador to India Timothy Roemer is to be believed, the 26/11 attacks brought India-Pakistan on the brink of a nuclear war.

"Those attacks almost started a war between Pakistan and India that might have resulted in some kind of a nuclear war," Roemer had said.

WATCH:

Pakistan-based terror group responsible for Mumbai attacks, says former Pak NSA

ALSO READ:

Why India didn't strike Pakistan after 26/11

Were Indian officials 'holidaying' in Pakistan while Mumbai was under attack?

Headley confesses Pakistan's ISI, Army's hand in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks: Report

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: From Sajjad Hussian

Islamabad, Mar 6 (PTI) Six Pakistani soldiers were killed after Taliban militants from Afghanistan attacked several border posts in the countrys restive northwest tribal region, prompting Islamabad to summon a top Afghan diplomat to lodge a protest.

The attackers targeted border outpost in Mohmand and Khyber tribal region along the border with Afghanistan yesterday.

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"The terrorists from across the border last night attempted physical attack on three posts in Mohmand," military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said.

"Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed terrorists attempt. In exchange of fire 5 soldiers were killed," Ghafoor said.

Ten of the attackers were also believed to have been killed, he said.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Nafees Zakaria said another soldier was killed in Khyber as the result of firing by terrorists from Afghan territory, prompting Islamabad to launch a strong protest with Afghanistan.

A Pakistani Taliban breakaway faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Pakistan lodged a protest with Afghanistan and urged Kabul to thoroughly investigate the incidents and take firm action against the terrorists operating from its soil to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

"Afghan Deputy Head of Mission was called to the Foreign Office today for conveying Pakistans grave concern over the incident," he said.

"It was further emphasised that cooperation from Afghan side for effective border management was important for preventing cross-border movement of terrorists and militants," Zakaria said.

"There is the need for required physical presence on Afghan side of the border for matching and effective border security," Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said.

"Terrorists are common threat and must be denied freedom of movement/action along the border," Bajwa said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack by terrorists while appreciating the ultimate sacrifice by soldiers.

"The soldiers who sacrificed their life are our real heroes and the nation promises to honour them by standing firm against terrorists nefarious designs to hit at our way of life," he said.

"Terrorists are mistaken if they think they can weaken the resolve of our nation," he said.

Sharif said the military operation Raddul Fasaad was against every terrorist working from with in the country or operating from a foreign territory.

"The enemies of Pakistan will be eliminated along with their cancerous ideology," he said.

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Last month, the Army has killed more than 100 suspected terrorists and also handed over to Afghanistan a list of 76 terrorists hiding across the border. PTI SH/AYZ AMS NSA AKJ AKJ

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This week Jews around the world were shocked & moved by an emergency family fund detailing the plight of a 10-year-old boy. The boy, Yonatan B. of Beitar, wrote of how his father passed away unexpectedly last week, leaving a widow & 5 children in extreme debt. Their cause was picked up by tzedaka organization Kupat HaIr, as their level of poverty was found to be extreme. Rav Chaim Kaniesky & the gedolim of Beitar have supported the campaign, and donors are urged to give generously.

The family has just gotten up from shiva, and will now attempt to re-integrate into day-to-day life. Kupat HaIr hopes donations will enable them to find some peace and normalcy in this painful time.

Read an excerpt from Yonatans letter below:

I dont know what I can say to make you want to give. I just know that our dad is gone, and that were really poor.

If youre reading this, please, help us if you can. Please help our mommy, so she doesnt have to be scared. It seems like life cant possibly get more painful, or more awful. Being homeless would make it so much worse.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL CAMPAIGN
An Oklahoma lawmaker who once likened Islam to cancer required Muslims to answer several written questions  including, Do you beat your wife?  before agreeing to meet with them.

Republican state Rep. John Bennetts office distributed the questionnaire on Thursday as the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations organized its annual Muslim Day at the Capitol. The lawmakers office gave the list of questions to three Islamic school students who came to his office and asked to speak with him.

(The prophet) Mohammed was a killer of pagans, Christians and Jews that did not agree with him, read one of 18 questions on the form. Do you agree with his example?

The questions asked Muslims whether they would denounce terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah and whether they believed former Muslims should be punished for leaving Islam. One question asked Muslims if they agreed that Islamic law, known as Sharia, should rule over non-Muslims.

The questionnaire drew a swift rebuke from civil rights groups and Oklahomas CAIR chapter, which represents about 40,000 Oklahoma residents who are Muslims.

Nobody should be vetted with stupid, Islamophobic, hateful, bigoted questions before they can meet with their representative, said Adam Soltani, the executive director of CAIR-Oklahoma.

Bennett did not return a message seeking comment on the questionnaire Saturday.

The lawmaker has previously referred to Islam as a cancer in our nation that needs to be cut out. At an interim study Bennett convened in October to study the religion, he suggested that CAIR and a local imam were terrorists.

Recently, Bennett came under fire when he posted a news story on Facebook critical of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and added the comment, 2 words  firing squad.

Its frustrating that Representative Bennett keeps pressing the issue in the way he does, said Anna Facci, the government affairs director for CAIR-OK. It certainly is frustrating but its not surprising.

(AP)
By Press Trust of India: From Sajjad Hussian

Islamabad, Mar 6 (PTI) Six Pakistani soldiers were killed after militants from Afghanistan attacked several border posts in the countrys restive northwest tribal region, the army said today.

After the attacks, Pakistan lodged a protest with Afghanistan and urged the government there to thoroughly investigate the incidents and take firm action against the terrorists operating from its soil to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

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The attackers targeted border outpost in Mohmand and Khyber tribal region along the border with Afghanistan yesterday.

"The terrorists from across the border last night attempted physical attack on three posts in Mohmand," Military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said.

"Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed terrorists attempt. In exchange of fire 5 soldiers were killed," Ghafoor said.

Ten of the attackers were also believed to have been killed, he said.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Nafees Zakaria said another soldier was killed in Khyber as the result of firing by terrorists from Afghan territory, prompting Islamabad to launch a strong protest with Afghanistan.

A Pakistani Taliban breakaway faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility for the attacks.

"Afghan Deputy Head of Mission was called to the Foreign Office today for conveying Pakistans grave concern over the incident," he said.

"It was further emphasised that cooperation from Afghan side for effective border management was important for preventing cross-border movement of terrorists and militants," Zakaria said.

"There is the need for required physical presence on Afghan side of the border for matching and effective border security," Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said.

"Terrorists are common threat and must be denied freedom of movement/action along the border," Bajwa said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack by terrorists while appreciating the ultimate sacrifice by soldiers.

"The soldiers who sacrificed their life are our real heroes and the nation promises to honour them by standing firm against terrorists nefarious designs to hit at our way of life," he said.

Last month, the Army has killed more than 100 suspected terrorists and also handed over to Afghanistan a list of 76 terrorists hiding across the border. PTI SH/AYZ AMS NSA AMS

--- ENDS ---
The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating an incident in Boro park, when a man hurled anti-Semitic remarks at NY Supreme Court Judge Noach Dear.

Noach Dear, who is also a former NYC Councilman, was walking near Maimonides Hospital on Sunday morning at around 8:00AM when a man began yelling at him.

Dear ignored the man as he kept screaming, and kept walking to his car. The man seemed upset that Dear wouldnt respond and yelled you [expletive removed] Jew, dont you have a mouth?

Dear closed his car door but noticed the man taking photos of his licence plates. He drove away and called police.

The man was described as white, with gray hair, about 5-foot-10 and wearing zig-zag black pants at the time.

The NYPDs Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the incident.

(Charles Gross  YWN)
[COMMUNICATED CONTENT]

For the past few years, battei midrash that were once empty on Purim night have been filled to capacity, as thousands of men in Eretz Yisrael streamed in to join a special Purim Kollel, for at least an hour of Torah learning, in an intense, Shavuos-night atmosphere. The tefillas rabbim that follows has been compared to Neilah on Motzaei Yom Kippur.

Recently, a young talmid chacham from Yerushalayim, who is now in New York fighting for his life, requested of a visiting friend, Lets bring this idea to America; give battei midrash here a taste of the experience! And so this year we are taking this important initiative all over the world!

Maran Harav Chaim Kanievsky, Maran Harav Aron Leib Steinman and Harav Matisyahu Salomon, among many others, have given this project their enthusiastic endorsement. The Purim Kollel is quickly turning into a movement, as ever more shuls are signing up  in Eretz Yisrael, Europe, South Africa, the USA and Canada.

In addition, the Har Nof Kollel is organizing a Purim Partners program: Everyone who registers for the Purim Kollel in chutz laAretz is invited to submit his (or another persons) name and specific needs for tefillah in the powerful tefillas rabbim that will be held in Yerushalayim on Sunday night, Shushan Purim.

Together we will make this a truly elevated Purim! To sign up  and, if you choose, to partner with an avreich in Eretz Yisrael by having your matanos laevyonim be given to him on Purim  call 718-210- 9737 or email [email protected]
Prime Minister Netanyahu learned of a street in Israel that was named after terrorist Yasser Arafat, whose claim to fame was through terror attacks that impacted the world.

The Prime Minister and other government officials learned the Israeli Arab village of Jot named a street after Arafat. The Arab municipality is located in the north, near Haifa.

Mr. Netanyahu used the media and Facebook to announce he was unaware of this and that he would not permit having a street named for Arafat in the State of Israel. He also announces he spoke with Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, who explained he or the ministry have not approved the name of the street.

Steps are being taken to have the street renamed and the signs removed.

During the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, 7 Adar, Mr. Netanyahu stated, Lastly, no street in the State of Israel will be named after murderers of Israelis and Jews. Last Friday I spoke with Interior Minister Aryeh Deri. We cannot allow streets in the State of Israel to be named after Yasser Arafat and Haj Amin al-Husseini and others. We will make the arrangements, including new legislation if need be, so that this does not happen here.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Archaeologists from Tel Hai College, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have recently discovered a mysterious dolmen (a large table-like stone structure) over 4,000 years old in a large field of dolmens, adjacent to Kibbutz Shamir in the Upper Galil. What makes this dolmen so unique is its huge dimensions, the structure surrounding it and most importantly the artistic decorations engraved in its ceiling. The study was published last weekend (2/3) in the scientific journal PLOS One.

The dolmen was discovered during a fortuitous visit to the site by Professor Gonen Sharon of the Galil Studies Program at the Tel Hai College. It is just one of more than 400 huge stone structures dating to the Intermediate Bronze Age (over four thousand years ago) that are located in the dolmen field around Kibbutz Shamir. When Professor Sharon entered the chamber built beneath the largest dolmen he was surprised to discover rock drawings engraved in its ceiling.

The discovery of the engravings led to a research project of the dolmen and its environs which produced new revelations concerning the dolmen phenomenon in Israel. This is the first art ever documented in a dolmen in the Middle East, said Uri Berger, an archaeologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority and partner in the study. The engraved shapes depict a straight line going to the center of an arc. About fifteen such engravings were documented on the ceiling of the dolmen, spread out in a kind of arc along the ceiling. No parallels exist for these shapes in the engraved rock drawings of the Middle East, and their significance remains a mystery. The panel depicting the art was scanned in the field by the Computerized Archaeology Laboratory of the Hebrew University. By means of an innovative technique, a three-dimensional model of the engraving was produced. The three-dimensional scan enabled us to identify engravings that otherwise could not be seen with the naked eye, explained Professor Lior Grossman, the laboratory director.

The chamber inside the dolmen where the engravings were found on its ceiling is large, measuring 2  3 meters, and the stone covering it is also huge, weighing an estimated fifty tons at least! This is one of the largest stones ever used in the construction of dolmens in the Middle East. The dolmen was enclosed within an enormous stone heap (tumulus) c. 20 meters in diameter, and its stones are estimated to weigh a minimum of 400 tons. At least four smaller dolmens that were positioned at the foot of the decorated dolmen were identified inside the stone heap. In other words, what we have here is a huge monumental structure built hierarchically (with a main cell and secondary cells). This is the first time such a hierarchical dolmen has been identified in the Middle East.

The huge dolmen at Kibbutz Shamir is just one of hundreds of enormous densely scattered structures in this region. It bears witness to the existence of a significant and established governmental system in the region during the Middle Ages of the Bronze Age. Archaeologists tend to interpret the past based on material finds. The absence of cities, large settlements and monumental buildings attests to the collapse of the governmental and economic systems during a dark period in history. The dolmens tell a different story about the period  a story about a society that had a complex governmental and economic system that executed monumental engineering projects but did not leave behind any other archaeological evidence.

The gigantic dolmen at Kibbutz Shamir is without doubt an indication of public construction, says Professor Sharon, that required a significant amount of manpower over a considerable period of time. During that time all of those people had to be housed and fed. The building of such a huge construction necessitated knowledge of engineering and architecture that small nomadic groups did not usually possess. And even more importantly, a strong system of government was required here that could assemble a large amount of manpower, provide for the personnel and above all direct the implementation and control of a large and lengthy project.

Despite all this, the circumstances surrounding the construction of the dolmens, the technology involved in it and the culture of the people who built them are still one of the great mysteries of the archeology of Israel.

What is a Dolmen  A dolmen (stone table) is a megalithic structure (mega = large, lithos = stone) thousands of years old that is built of huge stones. The basic shape of the dolmen resembles a table, and most of them are surrounded by a heap of stones. Dolmens are known elsewhere in the world, from Ireland to Korea. Thousands of dolmens are scattered across the Middle East, from Turkey to Yemen. In the Golan Heights thousands of dolmens of different types were identified which are scattered in concentrations (dolmens fields) on the plateau. Although they are very common and stand out quite prominently in the landscape of ancient Israel, the mystery surrounding the dolmens age and their purpose have still not been resolved.

The Dolmen Field at Kibbutz Shamir the field was first surveyed by the late Moshe Kagan in the 1950s. More than 400 huge structures overlooking the Hula Valley were identified in the field.

Photos:

14. The 4,000 year old dolmen. Photographic credit: Gonen Sharon, Tel Hai College.

5. Aerial photograph. Photographic credit: Shmuel Magal, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

6. From left to right: Professor Gonen Sharon of Tel Hai College and Uri Berger of the Israel Antiquities Authority. Photographic credit: Shmuel Magal, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

7. The view from inside the dolmen. Photographic credit: Shmuel Magal, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

8. The engravings that were exposed on the inside of the built chamber. Photographic credit: Gonen Sharon, Tel Hai College.

9. A three-dimensional model of the engravings: Computerized Archaeology Laboratory of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

10. Colored beads that were uncovered in the archaeological excavation inside the dolmen. Photographic credit: Shmuel Magal, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The Lod District Court on erev Shabbos rejected a request from Israel Police to place Ofra detainees under house arrest. The police request referred to those youths who were atop of the roof and were engaged in the standoff with police in the eviction from nine homes in Ofra. While the process should have been completed in a number of hours, it took an additional day as these protestors were unwilling to leave without a confrontation with security forces as most did.

Judge Yaakov Sheinman was unwilling to place five youths under house arrest, explaining police failed to build a case justifying such a move. They were released on bail ranging from NIS 5,000 to NIS 15,000 however.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Former high-ranking police official Menashe Arbiv was indicted in the Rishon LTzion Magistrate Court on Sunday morning 7 Adar on charges including fraud and breach of trust in the case related to Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto. Arbiv is a former commander of the Israel Police Yahalom (433) Unit, Israels FBI, but he was suspended and later resigned from the force after allegedly accepting bribes from Rabbi Pinto.

The Justice Department Police Investigations Unit worked with the State Prosecutor to prepare the indictment. Charges also relate to Arbivs time as attache in the United States, when he allegedly received bribes in the form of assistance and high-end hotel rooms from Rav Pinto.

Rabbi Pinto was released from Nitzan Prison in January 2017 after serving ten months in prison as per a plea bargain agreement reached with the state.

(YWN  Israel Desk,Jerusalem)
President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday 7 Adar, accompanied Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, as he visited Yad Vashem and laid a wreath at the Hall of Remembrance. Governor Cuomos visit to Israel came against a background of an ongoing rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the United States. After the wreath laying ceremony, both President Rivlin and Governor Cuomo gave brief statements to the media.

President Rivlin began by saying, In recent weeks a dark, bad, evil wave of anti-Semitism has struck the United States: Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, and Missouri are some of the places in which hate and violence has risen up, and just last night another attack on a Jewish cemetery in Brooklyn.

He thanked the Governor for his visit and said, Your arrival to Israel at this time is an extremely important signal that the US people and government will not let anti-Semitism win. On behalf of the State of Israel, I would like to express our appreciation for your visit and for the clear and powerful message you have sent. He added, The same appreciation goes to President Trump, who condemned the recent attacks. And we are deeply touched by Vice President Pence who went and gave a hand  and a voice  in fixing the broken gravestone. The fact that so many Christians and Muslims, came to aid the Jewish communities sends the clearest message against racism and hatred. It is a sign of great hope and civil courage.

The President stressed, We stand here at Yad Vashem, Israels Holocaust Memorial. In the time of the Shoah (Holocaust) few places were safe for Jews. As death was covering Europe, danger followed after the Jews of North Africa, and even the Middle East. The United States was a rare island of safety. We can never, ever, let that change.

He concluded, There is one lesson from the Holocaust: Never Again. Jews must be safe wherever they are in the world, especially, and specifically, in the United States. Let us see none of this again.

Governor Cuomo thanked the President and said, Yad Vashem is a living reminder of what the Jewish people went through, and what this world allowed them to go through. It reminds us all of the potential danger. We must live by the rules that an abuse to one, an affront to one, is an affront to all, and that large fires start as small fires, and we will have zero tolerance for any abuse or discrimination of any fellow human being. In the United States now we have had a rash of anti-Semitism, over 100 acts of anti-Semitism, and I am sad to say also in my state, the state of New York. It is disgusting, it is reprehensible, it violates every tenet of the New York State tradition. New York State by its definition is a celebration of diversity, it accepts all who believe in the spirit of inclusion, and who live by discrimination of none. New Yorks principles are built on a rock, they will not change, and the political wind will not change them. To the people of Israel, I say that these acts of anti-Semitism will not be tolerated, New York State has reacted aggressively with extraordinary measures, more aggressively than any other state in the nation, I am proud to say. We have posted rewards, we have put together a special unit of the State Police  we have made it clear that there will be no tolerance for these acts of anti-Semitism.

He added, My sadness is that now another generation of young people has had to experience this pain, a pain that for many young people was only in the history books is now very much in their daily lives. These acts of anti-Semitism have also transpired on college campuses, so an entirely new generation has been exposed.

He concluded, This trip has two purposes; number one, while some would weaken the relationship between the people of the State of New York and our Jewish brothers and sisters, the purpose of this trip is to strengthen those relationships through cultural exchange, through economic development partnerships, and well be working on them. The second purpose of this trip is Hineini, I am here, I have been here before, and I will be here again. Our relationship is enduring, the relationship between the Jewish community and the people of the State of New York is built on mutual support and respect, it is built on love, and that will not change, and you have my word on that as a representative of the people of New York.

Earlier today, President Rivlin met at his residence with a delegation from the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. He told them, Ever since the Wiesenthal Center was founded, it had very clear mission: to bring the Nazi criminals to justice, and to remember, and to educate people from all over the world about the Holocaust.

The President recalled that the late Simon Wiesenthal had said, Hope lives when people remember. The President added, Without hope, the next generation will not be able to find motivation to move forward. And without memory, our way forward will not have, any clear direction. This is why your mission is so important, he told the delegates, because it cares for both, memory and hope.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: Mark Neiman, GPO)
President Donald Trump started his weekend in Florida in a fit of anger over his young administration getting sidetracked just days after his most successful moment in office. He returned to the White House late Sunday derailed  again.

Trumps frustration appeared to be both the symptom and the cause of his recent woes. Angry about leaks, errant messaging and his attorney general landing in hot water, he fired off a series of tweets that only ensured more distractions.

His staff had hoped to build on the momentum generated by his speech to Congress by rolling out his revamped travel ban and, potentially, unveiling his health care plan. Those efforts rapidly unraveled, sparking more staff infighting and enraging a president loathe to publicly admit a mistake and eager to shift the blame onto others.

And now, as Trump begins one of the most pivotal weeks yet for his presidency, his staff is facing the fallout from another allegation of close ties to Russia and the presidents unsubstantiated claims that his predecessor ordered him wiretapped during the campaign.

Trump simmered all weekend in Florida before returning to Washington ahead of signing new immigration restrictions, according to associates who spoke to the president and, like others interviewed, requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. Those close to Trump said it was the angriest hes been as president, his rage bursting to the surface at his senior staff Friday afternoon in the Oval Office.

Trump was furious about the negative impact of the flap over Attorney General Jeff Sessions meetings with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. He told one person he personally felt let down that his senior staff were unable to fight back against the story. He also suggested he felt that Sessions move to recuse himself from any investigation into administration links to Russia felt like an admission of defeat, said the person who spoke to the president over the weekend but declined to be named discussing private conversations.

Sessions decision particularly infuriated a president who promised repeatedly during the campaign that hed win so much the American people would be tired of winning and he felt that it was a sign of weakness, the person said.

White House chief of staff Reince Preibus, scheduled to travel with Trump to his coastal Palm Beach estate, was told to stay behind. White House chief strategist Steve Bannon also remained in Washington but later flew to Mar-a-Lago.

Those close to Trump have said he has had his happiest days as president at Mar-a-Lago. He didnt cool off there this weekend.

Many West Wing staffers who stayed behind in Washington awoke Saturday morning to the chiming of their cell phones. The president was tweeting just after dawn to hurl the extraordinary accusation that President Barack Obama had ordered Trump Tower to be wiretapped, a charge for which Trump provided no evidence.

Trump had stayed disciplined on Twitter for days surrounding his congressional speech, but no more. Staffers planning to spend the weekend preparing for the presidents new executive orders were instead sent scrambling to deal with the incendiary tweetstorm, their carefully laid plans again wrecked 140 characters at a time.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer, an honored guest at Saturday nights annual white-tie Gridiron Dinner, a night of witticisms delivered by reporters and politicos alike, spent most of the night with his head buried in his phone, missing many of the jokes, several at his expense. Sessions had been slated to attend the event but canceled after the revelations about his meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

The first travel ban, which was hastily written with little outside consultation, was struck down by a federal court. Weeks of planning and delays have gone into the second order, one that is also sure to face legal challenges and, were it to suffer a second legal defeat, could have a devastating political impact.

Some Trump allies have been frustrated by his conspiracy-mongering about the inauguration crowd size and claims of widespread voter fraud, believing those accusations had become distractions to their agenda. Afraid to upset the mercurial president, they scrambled to fulfill his request to probe the alleged wiretapping.

On Sunday, the White House asked Republicans in Congress to search for evidence. Obamas intelligence chief would soon say no such action was ever carried out, and a U.S. official would confirm that the FBI had asked the Justice Department to dispute the allegation.

I think the bigger thing is, lets find out. Lets have an investigation, said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on ABC. If theyre going to investigate Russia ties, lets include this as part of it. And so thats what were asking.

Other Republicans seemed baffled by the charges, which could prove a distraction in the week ahead.

The president put that out there, and now the White House will have to answer as to exactly what he was referring to, said Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on CNN.

But Trump told friends that he was certain hed be vindicated.

I spoke with the president twice yesterday about the wiretap story. I havent seen him this pissed off in a long time, wrote Christopher Ruddy, a longtime Trump friend and head of NewsMax. When I mentioned Obama denials about the wiretaps, he shot back: This will be investigated, it will all come out. I will be proven right.'

The president, accustomed to a culture of corporate loyalty enforced by iron-clad nondisclosure agreements, also continued to rage about the leaks that have plagued his White House. He blames the leaks, rather than any of his own decisions, for his administrations shaky start and is threatening to make changes if they continue, according to one person who spoke to him. That could include making the administrations public case for policies, as he did in a lengthy news conference and his congressional speech, both performances praised by his backers.

Trump has been particularly incensed over the leaks about Russia ties, which have dogged him since his election. During the transition he ripped the intelligence community for being behind the leaks and even compared them to Nazi propaganda. Lately, he has blamed Democrats, suggesting that they were using them as an excuse for Hillary Clintons defeat.

(AP)
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

US Army General Curtis M. Scaparrotti arrived in Israel for an official visit in his capacity as Commander of European Command and as Supreme Allied Commander.

On Monday 8 Adar, the general met with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gadi Eizenkott and the IDF General Staff, discussing matters of mutual interest vis-a-vis the Middle East and the challenges faced by both nations.

The general will be visiting a number of bases and meeting with senior commanders including Deputy Chief of Staff Major-General Yair Golan, Chief of Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Hertzi Halevy, Chief of Operations Maj.-Gen. Nitzan Alon and Gaza Division Commander Brigadier-General Yehuda Fuchs.

The IDF spokesman unit reports The visit is part of the close relationship between Israel and the United States on matters of security and towards strengthening cooperation between the two armies.

This is the generals second visit to Israel.



(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
While Amona evictees are maintaining a hunger strike and living in difficult conditions in a dormitory in Yishuv Ofra, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman sees nothing wrong with using their plight as a target for his humor.

Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) correspondent Ido Benagi on Monday morning 8 Adar reported that on Sunday, during a meeting of faction heads, Bayit Yehudi leader Minister Naftali Bennet turned to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu inquiring into the plight of the new community that the government promised to build for the evictee from Amona and the nine Ofra homes. The Prime Minister reportedly responded It is a complicated matter and we still dont have American approval. Give me a few additional days.

Bennet then reminded the Prime Minister that the people in questioning were on a hunger strike. It isnt logical for them to be on a hunger strike because my promise wasnt actualized. They dont have to strike. We are working on it Prime Minister Netanyahu is quoted adding.

At this time, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman joined it as he smiled, telling Bennet and Netanyahu Where are they [hunger] striking? I need to lose weight and I can join them.

Prime Minister Netanyahu took exception to his words, reminding the senior minister the hunger strikers must be respected and his joke was simply out of place.

Agriculture Minister (Bayit Yehudi) Uri Ariel responded on Galei Tzahal on Tuesday morning, stating Defense Minister Avigdor Liebermans joke was out of place and I suggest he apologize. What is so difficult in saying I erred?

MK )Likud) Yehuda Glick was among those expressing criticism of the defense ministers words. How much evil can one swallow? Cruelty and insensitivity towards people who list their homes and were thrown into the streets he added.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
By Press Trust of India: From Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Feb 6 (PTI) An 86-year-old former Gurkha soldier in Nepal today announced his plans to climb Mount Everest, seeking to reclaim his record of worlds oldest person to summit the earths highest peak.

Min Bahadur Sherchan, who hails from Tatopani in Myagdi, shared about his upcoming Everest expedition during a press conference here.

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"I may be old in terms of age but I still have young courage. I will reach the peak of Everest come what may," Sherchan told reporters.

Sherchan would be climbing Everest for the cause of world peace and to protect mother Earth, besides winning back the record, said campaign coordinator Jit Bahadur Gharti Magar.

Sherchan had scaled the 8,848-metre peak at the age of 76 in 2008 and recorded his name in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010 as the oldest summiteer.

Five years later, his record was broken by an 80-year-old Japanese national, Yuichiro Miura.

Sherchan is making an attempt to break the Japanese nationals record and reclaim his title.

Earlier, Sherchan had made an attempt to scale Everest in 2015 but could not make it due to the avalanche triggered by the earthquake.

"Thus we launched a campaign for Sherchan in his record breaking spree," said Gharti Magar.

Various organisations like Non-Resident Nepali Association UK, Thakali Association UK, Magar Association among others have joined hands for the cause. PTI SBP AJR ZH AJR

--- ENDS ---
There is a crisis looming in Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital that has led to the resignation of six senior physicians including the head of the pediatric oncology/hematology department. There is grave concern for the future of the unit as the senior staff members have taken leave of the hospital.

Prof. Rothstein insists there are no plans to merge the pediatric and adult units, but now, with the resignations, the move may be required. Rothstein also promises mothers he will not permit any child to be harmed as a result of the decision of the doctors to resign.

Hospital Director Professor Zeev Rothstein told Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) on Tuesday morning 8 Adar From my part I will not agree, not for as long as I am the medical director of the hospital, to harm a child because I do not accept him. I am not fighting for anything today. it is not about ego and not about status or honor, just about the lives of the children.

Galei Tzahal

I understand the doctors refused to accept some children into the unit. If this is true it is most serious. Can you explain?

Rothstein

There are only four beds in the pediatric bone marrow unit and ten children being treated. I think everyone can do the math. I am committed to every child requiring marrow transplant and I will do my utmost to ensure each child receives all the care required.

Galei Tzahal

There was no way to reach a solution to prevent their resignations?

Rothstein

I met with the doctors. I add the letters of resignations occurred with my predecessors too. bottom line is we have until June to address this so the childrens care is not compromised. This is the message and this is what is important. There is a fiscal rehabilitation program and we are moving along and we are healing.

Galei Tzahal

Have you asked to meet with them today? (Rothstein just got back from a trip abroad).

Rothstein

I will meet with them any time as I did in the past. I will not be pressured but I will continue handling affairs as I must.

There are currently move leaves some 30 children with cancer and serious blood diseases in need of high-level care. Prof. Rothstein explains the doctors have not abandoned the children, and they are receiving critical care and the doctors will not permit them to be harmed by their decision.

The department is viewed as among the best in Israel, but the controversy and subsequent resignations has many worried, most of all, the parents of the patients.

Parents are not consoled by Rothsteins words, fearing their childrens care is going to be compromised as a result of the resignations, which the doctors blame on irreconcilable differences with Prof. Rothstein.

Chairman of the Joint Committee of Hadassah Physicians Professor Rafael Yudasin on Sunday addressed the Free Will program headed by Avi Ratzon. He explains the pediatric oncology/hematology unit is the best in Israel and the decision to move it to a non-child friendly environment is a bad one. The children he feels are being moved to buildings in which therapist of bone marrow patients treat adults and this too is not good, for he feels children must be with other children, not adults.

Doctors are under a heavy load and they seek positions that will give them the option to treat children. They make cardinal decisions and it cannot be that the doctors are not a part of these decisions. This is the way one man works [Prof. Rothstein], making decision with his team [to the exclusion of others]. Doctors are not demanding money but they simply want to be given the best possible way to treat the children Prof. Yudasin explains.

One of the leaders to save the unit is Moshe Benita, whose son was a patient and died two years ago. There is a crisis that has been ongoing for over a half year. The two sides stopped talking about three months ago. We are dealing with the good of the children. Prof. Miki Weintraub (Chief of the unit) has been fighting because some of his patients have been moved to an adult unit. There is no place in the world in which adults and children are together. These children are being treated by remote control. The team there (adults) lacks the training to deal with the children, not to mention the atmosphere while in the childrens unit, everyone is happy.

Esther Agassi, whose 6-year-old daughter is being followed in the unit added It is unbelievable that we not come to the unit and see this. We are tired of the machlokes. There is no reason to merge the units.

The doctors who resigned are not walking out the door, but have agreed to remain until June.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
It has already been established that the chareidi couple which fled Israel because of the Vaad Tznius, and was subsequently arrested for carrying drugs, was set up.

Members of the Eida Vaad Tznius allegedly planted drugs in their bags so they would be arrested when they arrived in the Ukraine.

One of the suspects who was jailed in Israel for his part in the unfortunate ordeal admitted to Ladaat News of planting the drugs on the couple. He said I spoke but did not become a state witness.

The avreich who was in custody and was jailed until recently, was released last week. Despite the rumors, he insists he did not turn on the others to become a state witness. He added he spoke when he learned one of the others who is jailed tried dumping the case in his lap.

Additional arrests were made months later, apparently as investigators continue probing. One of the suspects who is still in police custody allegedly tried to dump the guilt on the avreich who was released, as he is not from the formers chassidus. This appears to have led to the latter agreeing to give some information, which appears to have led to his release.

The rumors are that he provided sufficient information to lead to additional arrests, hence he was released from jail.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
An Israel Prison Authority parole board has rejected a request for early release on behalf of Rabbi Eliezer Berland, who is serving a sentence after admitting to unacceptable behavior and actions.

According to a Channel 2 News report, since the rabbi is hospitalized and undergoing therapy and not imprisoned, there is no reason for his early release. The board refused to convene to discuss additional requests on the matter.

The prosecution voiced its objections to the ravs early release too.

The rav was sentenced to 18-month imprisonment following his conviction. He is scheduled for release in September 2017. Supporters hoped his ailing medical condition might be grounds for his release at this time.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The Jerusalem District Court on Monday, 8 Adar, ruled in favor of regional registration for girls entering high school in Elad. The ruling is contrary to the position of Gedolei Yisrael Shlita, including Maran HaGaon HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita.

The consequences of the ruling is that the local schools are compelled under the law to accept all schools applying for registration. The entire case surrounds ongoing discrimination against Sephardi girls, some remaining at home while others find a place in a classroom in a school elsewhere.

Attorney Yoav Lalum took his case to court, seeking to compel Elad City Hall to accept all the girls wishing to enroll in high school/ Justice Naveh Ben-Ohr ruled the city must announced when registration opens as per the agreement with the court. Justice Ben-Ohr added the municipality will be fined NIS 1,000 daily for each day this announcement is delayed. The municipality was also ordered to cover Lalums court costs amounting to NIS 15,000, which will be paid to his Noar Khalacha NGO. Interestingly, the organizations Hebrew pages URL used the term Frenkim, which is how chareidi Ashkenazim often refer to Sephardim in a derogatory way.

As per the court, the Elad Municipality is immediately compelled to publish the following in newspapers and on bulletin boards; The decision to enroll children in seminars (girls high schools) in Elad has been accepted by Darchei Chana. That is to say, Darchei Chana will be balanced with students from the Beis Yaakov from the upper area of Elad. Students from the Beis Yaakov in the lower area of Elad will be accepted in the Ladaas Chachma High School and therefore this school will be balanced with the girls from the lower area Beis Yaakov.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Opening statements are scheduled for Monday in Downtown Brooklyn for an Al Qaeda operative accused of killing two American servicemen in Afghanistan.

Ibrahim Suleiman Adnan Adam Harun also had unsuccessful plans to bomb the American Embassy in Nigeria, authorities said.

The family of the two soldiers, killed in action in Afghanistan in 2003, are expected to attend the trial.

The suspect, also known as Spin Ghul, was extradited to the U.S. in 2012 and has been held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan, the same high-security jail currently holding Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman.

I am a warrior, and the war is not over, Harun said during a 2013 court appearance in Brooklyn, according to the court document.

The trial is being held with heavy security. Harun will watch on a video monitor due to his constant threats against the judge, prosecutors and court employees.

(Source: WABC)
Germanys government on Monday condemned remarks by Turkeys president accusing officials of Nazi practices, days after a local authority prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally there.

Chancellor Angela Merkels chief of staff called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans statements absolutely unacceptable.

Germany cannot be outmatched regarding the rule of law, tolerance and liberalism, he told German public Television ARD.

Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said the German government strongly rejected the equation of modern Germany with Nazi Germany, adding that such comparisons downplayed the crimes of the Nazis. Seibert noted that there were strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there were far-reaching differences of opinion between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

Diplomatic tensions have been rising in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of the referendum that would give Erdogan new powers.

Altmaier said the government was in contact with Turkeys government and announced that we will make sure the significance of the problems of what happened in recent days will be recognized and understood in Ankara as well.

Erdogan had said Sunday in Istanbul that Germany, you dont have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past.

His remarks followed a decision last week by local authorities in southwest Germany to withdraw permission for Turkeys justice minister to use a venue to hold a rally near the French border that was part of a campaign to get Turks in Germany to vote yes in an upcoming referendum on constitutional reform.

Seibert dismissed any notion that the federal government was involved in the decision to cancel events with Turkish officials.

Ultimately its those people who are responsible in the respective location who can best judge whether an event can be approved under the aspects of security and the expected crowd numbers.

EU officials have spoken out against totally cutting ties with Turkey wouldnt be in the blocs interests. A European Union migrant deal with Turkey, which also is a NATO member, has significantly cut down the number of migrants crossing into Europe. However, Erdogan has several times threatened to quit the deal when expressing anger over European countries.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel sought to smooth stirred-up emotions on Monday and stressed the need to normalize what he calls a highly strained relationship with Turkey.

He also pointed out that EU countries have a common interest in not letting NATO partner Turkey drift further to the east and that German authorities back freedom of expression and that its normal for Turkish politicians to want to address their compatriots, 1.4 million of whom are eligible to vote in the referendum.

Other European nations with significant Turkish immigrant communities have expressed different opinions on the issue.

Our Austrian solution should be clear: we will not accept any campaign appearances by Turkish politicians in Austria, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said as he arrived at a meeting of European Union counterparts in Brussels.

He added that we dont want campaigns from other states to be brought to Austria and conflicts from other countries imported  that is always damaging for integration.

However, Gabriel sounded skeptical about calls from some other European Union ministers to consider EU-wide rules for campaign appearances by foreign politicians pointing out that every country had its own opinion on the topic.

I think the main thing is that everyone uses the possibilities they have to ensure that we get back to a somewhat normal relationship, he said.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said that normally you would have to think that democracy is strong enough to cope with this.

(AP)
The Transportation Security Administration has declined to say exactly where-and how-employees will be touching air travelers as part of the more invasive physical pat-down procedure it recently ordered.

But the agency does expect some passengers to consider the examination unusual. In fact, the TSA decided to inform local police just in case anyone calls to report an abnormal federal frisking, according to a memo from an airport trade association obtained by Bloomberg News. The physical search, for those selected to have one, is what the agency described as a more comprehensive screening, replacing five separate kinds of pat-downs it previously used.

The decision to alert local and airport police raises a question of just how intimate the agencys employees may get. On its website, the TSA says employees use the back of the hands for pat-downs over sensitive areas of the body. In limited cases, additional screening involving a sensitive area pat-down with the front of the hand may be needed to determine that a threat does not exist.

Now, security screeners will use the front of their hands on a passenger in a private screening area if one of the prior screening methods indicates the presence of explosives, according to a security notice Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) sent its U.S. members following a March 1 conference call with TSA officials.

Due to this change, TSA asked FSDs [field security directors] to contact airport law enforcement and brief them on the procedures in case they are notified that a passenger believes a [TSA employee] has subjected them to an abnormal screening practice, ACI wrote.

The TSA screens about 2 million people daily at U.S. airports. The agency said it doesnt track how many passengers are subject to pat-down searches. These searches typically occur when an imaging scanner detects one or more unknown objects on a person or if a traveler declines to walk through the machine and opts for the physical screening.

Passengers who have not previously experienced the now standardized pat-down screening may not realize that they did in fact receive the correct procedure, and may ask our partners, including law enforcement at the airport, about the procedure, TSA spokesman Bruce Anderson wrote March 3 in an email, describing why the agency notified police.

The pat-down change, first reported Friday by Bloomberg News, is intended to reduce the cognitive burden on [employees] who previously had to choose from various pat-down procedures depending on the type of screening lane, ACI-NA wrote in its notice.

Physical screening has long been one of the publics strongest dislikes regarding airport security protocols. The TSA has all pat-downs conducted by an employee of the same gender as the traveler, and allows a passenger to request a private area for the screening, as well as to have a witness present. Likewise, the traveler can request that the pat-down occur in public view.

The TSA wont reveal specific procedures on how its pat-downs are conducted beyond the general information on its web site. Knowing our specific procedures could aid those who wish to do travelers harm in evading our measures, Anderson said.

The TSAs calls to police were an effort to provide local law enforcement situational awareness about the new pat-down method, Christopher Bidwell, ACI-NAs vice president of security, said in an interview Saturday. U.S. airports have not expressed any reservations or concerns about the pat-down change, the association said.

We appreciate our partner, the TSA, providing us information about these universal pat-downs and the standardization, Bidwell said.

(c) 2017, Bloomberg  Justin Bachman
The following is via Breaking911.com:

Governor Cuomo today announced that a man suspected of multiple incidents of bias graffiti at Pennsylvania Station was arrested and charged for committing a series of hate crimes. The arrest and charges highlight the aggressive actions the state is undertaking to combat the growth of hate crimes and anti-Semitism.

This arrest sends a clear message that all hate crimes will be thoroughly investigated, and we will prosecute those found responsible for perpetrating these reprehensible actions, Governor Cuomo said. We have zero tolerance for these acts of bigotry, which stand in direct contrast to the values that we New Yorkers represent. I applaud the MTA Police Department for their vigilance and actions in this investigation.

Yesterday, MTA Police Department detectives, who had been conducting a surveillance operation related to a pattern of hate-crime graffiti and vandalization of mens bathrooms at Pennsylvania Station, arrested a man for suspicion of vandalizing a bathroom stall. The suspect was identified as Pasquale Vargas, 65, of Brooklyn. Police believe Vargas is responsible for multiple instances of bias graffiti at Penn Station since February 18.

Vargas has been charged under New York State law with eight counts of Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree. Due to the nature and circumstances of the alleged offenses, they are being prosecuted as Hate Crimes (Class E Felony).

During an interview with police following his arrest, Vargas admitted to writing the graffiti and said that he wrote it because Mexicans take jobs from Americans. Police suspect Vargas is also responsible for graffiti in Penn Station on multiple other occasions since February 18, including swastikas and other statements that read: KKK and Mexican Go Home, among others, which were written in black marker in two different locations.
By Shlomo Ben

Bizmax  Jerusalems Haredi Business Hub recently celebrated its grand opening, with public figures, businesspeople, philanthropists and entrepreneurs in attendance.

Chief Rabbi David Lau, who affixed the mezuzah at the entrance to the facility, was duly impressed by the Hubs professional atmosphere, and commented that the highest form of charity is enabling a person to stand on his own two feet.

Attendees made their way through the 6,000 sq. ft. premises, which houses an open workspace where several entrepreneurs could already be seen working at individual stations; private offices and consulting rooms for one-on- one meetings with business mentors; a coffee shop-style kitchen; Achims headquarters, where entrepreneurs can avail themselves of Achims business expertise or even secure a loan; and fully equipped conference rooms for global teleconferencing, attesting to Achim Globals vision of uniting Haredi businesspeople around the world.

In the auditorium adjacent to the Hub, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin was greeted warmly by Kemachs CEO Moti Feldstein, who noted that it is indeed possible for Haredim to launch a business without compromising on their lifestyle. Feldstein thanked Mr. Marc Schimmel, President of the Achim Global Foundation, Mr. Leo Noe, President and Founder of the Kemach Foundation, Motti Eichler, Founder and Chairman of the Achim Global Foundation, and Mr. Eyal Haimovsky, CEO of the Jerusalem Development Authority, for their unflailing support of Haredi entrepreneurship. Bizmax is a collaboration between Achim Global, the Kemach Foundation, and the Jerusalem Development Authority.

President Rivlin remarked that its time the economy recognized the Haredi communitys potential contribution to Israeli society and the global economy at large. Governor of the Bank of Israel Dr. Karnit Flug spoke about the success of Haredi entrepreneurs, and noted their high-learning capacity. Mr. Shraga Brosh, President of Israels Manufacturers Association, expressed his commitment to making manufacturing industries more accessible to Haredim.

British Ambassador to Israel Mr. David Quarrey acknowledged Schimmels and Noes philanthropic efforts, both of whom are citizens of the UK, and commented that this initiative will serve to strengthen ties between the communities in the UK and Israel.

Minister of Interior Rabbi Aryeh Deri expressed his amazement at the talents exhibited by todays young Haredi entrepreneurs. Deri awarded Mr. Schimmel a certificate of appreciation, acknowledging his role in bringing financial stability to thousands of Haredi homes during the past decade through several professional training, job placement and entrepreneurship initiatives.

The event concluded with Bizmax manager Itzik Crombie giving an introductory tour of the premises to Haredi entrepreneurs, who marveled at the detailed planning of the facilities. Many expressed an interest in taking advantage of the wide range of professional services offered by the Hub, which will enable them to get their respective businesses off to the right start and ensure their success.

The Hub is located at 15 HaZvi Street in Jerusalems City Center. Work-stations and offices are available for rent at a subsidized fee on a monthly basis, with conference rooms available as well. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to learn more about what Bizmax has to offer, at rishum.bizmax.co.il.
A man who was on trial in the murder of a New York City police officer has been found guilty on all counts.

The jury returned its verdict against Tyrone Howard late Monday afternoon. He was charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of NYPD Detective Randolph Holder in 2015.

Howard allegedly opened fire on Holder and his partner in East Harlem as they were investigating a report of shots fired.

Howard was a wanted criminal with more than a dozen prior arrests, and 12 prior incarcerations, when he shot Holder. Police sources called him a major drug playerat the time, and said he knew cops were looking for him in regards to another shooting the prior month.

The night of Holders death, the young cop and other officers responded to a report of gunshots fired near East 102nd Street and 1st Avenue in Harlem. A victim at the scene told responding officers his bicycle had been stolen at gunpoint. Holder and other plainclothes officers encountered a man  allegedly Howard  on a bike on a pedestrian overpass over the FDR Drive at East 120th Street.

The man and police exchanged gunfire, and Holder was struck in the head. He was taken to Harlem Hospital and died there.

(AP)
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) The AIIMS today handed over the medical report by its doctors of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa to the state government.

The report contains the analysis of Jayalalithaas health condition by the doctors of the premier institute during their five visits to Chennai.

AIIMS Deputy Director (Administration) V Srinivas said that the state government had yesterday sought the visit notes of the delegation for its official records.

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The move assumes significance in the backdrop of doubts being raised from different quarters over the former AIADMK chiefs death on December 5.

Srinivas handed over the papers to the Principal Secretary of Health of Tamil Nadu, Dr J Radhakrishnan, here today.

"On the request of the Tamil Nadu government for expert medical advise, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had deployed a team of senior specialists to visit Chennai five times between October 5 and December 6, 2016.

"The team was led by Dr G C Khilnani, Professor in the department of pulmonology," Srinivas said.

The Tamil Nadu government had on Sunday rejected former chief minister and rebel AIADMK leader O Panneerselvams claims of foul play in the treatment of Jayalalithaa, an allegation which has been dismissed by state Health Minister C Vijayabaskar.

The opposition DMK too has approached the Madras High Court seeking a comprehensive probe into the death of Jalalalithaa.

Twelve AIADMK MPs, belonging to the O Panneerselvam group, had met President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on February 28 and handed over a petition seeking a probe into the medical treatment provided to Jayalalithaa. PTI PLB SMN

--- ENDS ---
The infant, suffering from a grave medical condition affecting her lungs, was air lifted from Dibrugarh to be admitted to Delhi's Gangaram Hospital.

By Kaushik Deka : In a nail-biting medical rescue drama that played out in the national Capital on Saturday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi served as the saviour for an eight-day-old girl child from Assam.

The infant, suffering from a grave medical condition affecting her lungs, was air lifted from Dibrugarh to be admitted to Delhi's Gangaram Hospital. The Prime Minister's intervention in the nick of time ensured a traffic-free passage for the rescue team. The parents of the baby said they owe the life of their daughter to the Prime Minister and Delhi Police.

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"He is our God today," Dhrubajyoti Kalita, father of the newborn told Mail Today. "We sought help from several influential people, including a top IPS officer from northeast working with Delhi police. Nobody did anything. We did not know what would happen to our daughter."

Doctors on Sunday said the baby is out of danger and making good progress.

According to the parents, the infant was initially diagnosed with meconium aspiration syndrome, a medical condition when first stool of the baby enters the lungs.

When the child inhales the contaminated fluid, it causes respiratory disorders that may turn fatal.

However, doctors at Gangaram said that she has persistent pulmonary hypertension.

To save the child, doctors at Aditya Hospital in Dibrugarh, arranged an air ambulance which was scheduled to land at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport around 7 pm, a time when traffic on Delhi roads is at its peak.

"The way we were received at the airport was beyond our imagination," Kalita told Mail Today.

"Delhi police was extremely cordial and professional. We cannot thank enough the Prime Minister and Delhi police," she added.

Kalita Dhrubajyoti works in Bhramaputra Cracker and Polymer, a Central government enterprise in Dibrugarh. The mother of the infant, Himakshi Saharia is a primary school teacher.

--- ENDS ---
John Lewis is to equip 8,000 sales staff with smartphones so customers no longer have to wait while stock rooms are checked.

The department store chain has announced the 4million investment ahead of its full-year results on Thursday.

It will see shopfloor workers given an iPhone with an app designed to help them provide instant information about products, check availability and place orders.

The launch will be rolled out in 20 stores across the UK

The move is designed to put an end to customers having to hang around while shop assistants disappear into stock rooms or check information on tills.

Customer director Craig Inglis said: As online and physical worlds increasingly come together, this initiative will support our staff in offering great customer service.

The launch, which will be rolled out in 20 stores, comes after John Lewis announced plans to axe almost 800 jobs in a shake-up of its restaurants and administration teams.

The 152-year-old partnership, which runs John Lewis and Waitrose stores and is owned by its 91,500 staff, has traditionally returned some of its profits to employees.

But last year they were told these bonus payments would be cut from 11 per cent to 10 per cent of their annual salary, the lowest since 2003 and averaging at 1,500 each.

This compares to 15 per cent in 2014 and 17 per cent in 2013.
On the same day PSA announced it was going ahead with the takeover of the Opel-Vauxhall business in Europe, the carmaker also managed to bag one of the most prestigious awards in motoring.

The Peugeot 3008 was named Car of the Year 2017 by the expert panel of judges who make the decision - the fifth time the French brand has taken the gong.

It outscored the impressive Alfa Romeo Giulia and Mercedes-Benz E-Class to take the crown, with an announcement on the eve of the Geneva Motor Show confirming the news.

Car of the Year: The Peugeot 3008 was given the award by a panel of European motoring journalists

The 3008 received 319 points and 21 individual wins from the jurors in the award that's voted for by a 58-member strong panel of influential motoring journalists from 22 European nations.

The vehicle is the fifth Peugeot to win the Car of the Year prize - it first took the title in 1969 with the 504 - and it's the first SUV to be honoured with the accolade in its history.

It snatched the victory from the hands of Alfa's Giulia family car, which missed out on the number one spot with a total of 296 points and 19 top points.

Mercedes' E-class was a distant third, with 196 points and 12 top marks.

Other models that were in line for the prize were the Volvo S90 and V90 estate, the quirky Citroen C3, Toyota's unusual C-HR crossover and Nissan's latest Micra supermini.

Alfa Romeo's highly acclaimed Giulia saloon only just missed out on top spot, saluted for its impeccable performance and stunning good looks

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class was a distant third place but beat the likes of the Citroen C3, Toyota C-HR crossover and Nissan's latest Micra supermini

The winning Peugeot has been lauded for being stylish and spacious but also for having one of the best interior designs you can find in a family car today.

Jean-Philippe Imparato, CEO of the French brand, said: 'I am particularly proud and very pleased that the all-new Peugeot 3008 SUV has just won the 2017 'Car of the Year' prize.

'This trophy is the culmination of five years of incredible work by the brand's teams and our group.'

The Peugeot was given the award partly down to the impressive interior - some argued it was the best cabin of any family car on the market today
THE worlds banks have paid more than 260bn in fines since the financial crisis for a host of wrongdoing, a report has revealed.

The study by Boston Consulting Group found lenders in America have coughed up 166bn while their rivals in Europe have handed over 96bn.

BCG said the tally is set to increase in the coming years as regulators in Europe and Asia catch up with the more aggressive stance being taken in the US.

Fined: lenders in America have coughed up 166bn while their rivals in Europe have handed over 96bn

Banks paid 34bn in fines in 2016 alone, a 68 per cent rise on the previous year, with the bulk of the penalties coming in the US.

In the report, analysts wrote: Fines and penalties, along with legal expenses, will remain a cost of doing business. Managing those costs will continue to be a major task for banks.

BCG dismissed claims Donald Trump would bring an end to the era of heavy regulation.

The US President has pledged to roll back the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act that tightened rules on US banks following the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008.
Shares in both Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management jumped this morning after the two FTSE 100 companies confirmed they have agreed terms on a merger to create a UK fund management giant.

Standard Life shares rose 5.6 per cent on confirmation of the deal this morning, implying a market value of 7.9billion while Aberdeens climbed 4.6 per cent to imply a market value of 3.9billion.

The merger comes as fund managers face a squeeze on their fees from the rise of passive investing and financial regulators pushing for lower costs and more transparency.

Some 660billion in assets would sit under the management of the new company if the deal goes through

Both Aberdeen and Standard Life are major players in the actively-managed fund world, with the pair of Scottish firms running more than 100 open-ended funds between them and a sizeable number of investment trusts.

A combine Aberdeen and Standard Life would look after an estimated 660billion of investors' money and be one of the world's largest fund managers.

Senior analyst at personal investing firm Hargreaves Lansdown Laith Khalaf sees the merger as a 'marriage of the old and the new' in terms of the companies heritage and their main strengths.

'In particular, Aberdeens emerging markets focus dovetails well with Standard Lifes capabilities in developed markets, though there are considerable areas of overlap between the two fund groups, particularly in multi-asset, fixed income and property strategies,' he said.

Shares in the two FTSE 100 companies themselves are also held widely by individual investors.

The deal is to be carried out as a share exchange, which means shares in the new merged company will be given to Aberdeen shareholders in exchange for their stock, rather than paid for in cash.

Under the terms, Aberdeen shareholders will be entitle to 0.757 newly-created shares in the merged company for each one share they hold.

Based on this exchange ratio and the closing price of 378.5p per Standard Life share on Friday, 3 March, the last business day before news of the deal broke, the merger values each Aberdeen share at 286.5p.

If the deal goes through on these terms Aberdeen shareholders will collectively own approximately 33.3 per cent of the merged company with Standard Life shareholders owning the other 66.7 per cent.

Aberdeen shares have climbed above that level today to 299.5p, while Standard Life shares are trading at 399.6p, at 1pm.

The companies are targeting 200million in savings from combining their businesses. These will in large part come from what are called synergies, which usually result in job losses.

Synergies refer to situations where both companies have people or systems fulfilling the same role, and therefore once merged they no longer need them all and redundancies are made.

The companies have already confirmed backing for the deal with some of their big shareholders.

They said they have received non-binding statements of support from MUTB (Mitsubishi UJF Trust and Banking) and Lloyds, which together own approximately 27 per cent of Aberdeen's existing shares.

The deal is being carried out through what is known as a scheme of arrangement which means only 75 per cent of shareholders must vote in favour for it to go through.

With a standard takeover offer the acceptance rate can vary, but typically 90 per cent of shareholders in the target company must agree so that the bidder can force the remaining holders to sell and take total control.

Standard Life chief executive Skeoch will become co-CEO with Aberdeen's Gilbert

Financial services analyst at broker Cantor Fitzgerald Keith Baird sees the proposed 11billion merger as a defensive, cost-driven deal, prompted by the growing threat from passive investing, pricing pressure on active fund management and regulation.

The proposed merger, recommended by both boards, would create a group with 660billion in assets, among the largest globally,' said Baird.

Standard Life would have two-thirds and Aberdeen one-third of the group by value but management control is to be split equally. The deal is all-share and nil premium, with an exchange ratio reflecting Fridays close.

While it enables both firms to diversify, it looks defensive and cost-driven in the context of familiar industry headwinds

'While it enables both firms to diversify, it looks defensive and cost-driven in the context of familiar industry headwinds. We estimate 5-10 per cent earnings accretion subject to risks of staff and revenue retention. We retain our hold recommendation.

The rationale for the deal must be diversification for both Standard Life and Aberdeen, Baird continued.

'Standard Life has had success in growing its institutional business but has problems with GARS and mature insurance books. Aberdeen has a large emerging markets business which has struggled. Given the headwinds faced by the asset management industry from passive investing, pricing and regulatory pressures, this looks like a defensive deal.

CEO of Standard Life Keith Skeoch and CEO of Aberdeen Martin Gilbert will become co-CEOs of the combined company. Bill Rattray of Aberdeen and Rod Paris of Standard Life will become CFO and CIO respectively.

Investment banks Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Cazenove and Credit Suisse are advising the companies on the proposed deal.

Laith Khalaf said: 'Standard Life brings some stability to the table for Aberdeen, which has seen 15 quarters of consecutive outflows, and which will also now benefit from distribution through Standard Lifes workplace pension and wrap platform.

'Aberdeen meanwhile offers Standard Life a quick route to the big boys table by almost doubling assets under management.'
BREXIT BOOST A survey of 200 businesses by The 5 per cent Club  whose members commit to ensuring 5 per cent of their workforce are apprentices  found that 89 per cent won't change their hiring policy after Brexit.

DRUG APPROVAL Drugs firm Amryt Pharma has won approval to continue trials on a treatment for Epidermolysis Bullosa, a rare genetic disorder that leads to fragile skin.

SWEET DREAMS Bed-maker Dreams celebrated the end of a three-year turnaround plan with sales soaring 14.1 per cent to 280million in the year to December 24, and profit up 136 per cent to 32million.

HOTEL HOPES Europe's largest hotel group, AccorHotels is expanding into the luxury market through a deal with Turkish group Rixos Hotels.

BROADBAND DEAL Rural broadband firm Satellite Solutions Worldwide spent 1.8million on buying smaller rivals from Australia and Norway. Shares rose 1.4 per cent, or 0.12p, to 9p.

HOMES SOLD Barratt Developments has sold 172 homes in London to two of its investors for 140.5million. Shares in the housebuilder went up 1.1 per cent or 6p to 528p.

NEEP END Paul Neep is retiring as senior independent director at food casing maker Devro. Paul Withers replaces him. Shares rose 2.3 per cent, or 4.25p, to 189.75p.

TOP GRADES Vast Resources revealed that it found much higher than expected grades of silver, copper, lead and zinc at the Faneata Tailings Dam in Romania. Shares fell 4.1 per cent, or 0.02p, to 0.58p.

OIL TIE-UP Africa-focused group Bowleven is to work with Victoria Oil and Gas on producing gas in Cameroon.

CHIEF QUITS Miner Lonmin's chief operating officer has quit. Ben Moolman is leaving 'for personal reasons', the company said. Shares fell 8.3 per cent, or 9.25p, to 101.5p.
Azniya Ashmin, a Bengaluru-based Kerala woman, put up a photo of herself sporting a 'bindi' and no hijab, and comments from Muslim fanatics in Kerala flooded the section. While some asked whether she really is a Muslim, one fellow wanted acid thrown in her face if she 'barks against Islam'.

By Vivek Surendran: Bengaluru-based Malayali woman Azniya Ashmin, who hails from Kozhikode's Nadapuram, is well known -- at least in the Kerala Facebook circle -- for being an outspoken critic of an array of issues ranging from rampant sexism to religious fundamentalism and extremism.

She uploaded a photo of herself on Facebook, posing with three others, two men and one other woman, on February 16 and within no time, comments started pouring in. Captioned what translates to English as "only love", the photo shows Ashmin sitting with friends, sporting a 'bindi' and not wearing a hijab.

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#FYI: Rajya Sabha clears amended Disabilities Bill; acid attack survivors to benefit

That was enough to tick Muslim fanatics in Kerala off.

What started off as questioning Ashmin's faith in Islam and asking her whether she's "really a Muslim", soon changed to calling her a "prostitute" and then escalated to issuing public threats. Such comments are often seen on photos posted by Malayali Muslim actors Asif Ali, Fahad Faasil and Dulquer Salmaan with their wives not wearing a hijab.

A comment on Azniya's photo in question

The above comment translates to "aren't you a Muslim? Aren't you ashamed to sport a bindi"?

Azniya, did not hold herself back. Through sarcastic replies, she hit back at those who are criticising her choice of lifestyle and went on to critique Islamic fundamentalism and moral policing in general.

#FYI All things beautiful: Indian girl who survived acid attack will walk the catwalk in New York

Ego hurt more than an average man can take, one fellow, whose Facebook profile goes by the name 'Muneer Dheera', threatened to pour acid in her face if she 'barks against Islam'.

Comment by Muneer Dheera

For those who can't read Malayalam, the above comment translates to, "let her live the way she wants. If her parents don't care, why should we? But if she barks against Islam, acid should be poured on her face. Let's see if such women would still have people to roam around with when their faces are deformed."

To credit where it's due, however, there were many Keralites who stood up for Azniya's right to live her life the way she chooses to, and blasted those who tried to impose religion on her.

Do you think action should be taken against the man who threatened Azniya?

--- ENDS ---
Sir,



The news that Members of Parliament rejected the F17/18 budget came as a surprise to many Swazis, this given the track record of Members of Parliament.

The interesting question is: what is it that has motivated our MPs to realise that the recently announced budget is not people friendly?



Could this sudden awakening by the MPs be prompted by the fact that we are fast approaching election time in 2018? It was indeed a surprise for a number of reasons; 1) This was the very same Parliament that allowed government to spend scarce revenue on vanity projects such as the under construction Ezulwini hotel and convention centre. 2) This was the very same Parliament that allowed government to procure a white elephant in the form of a jet for Swazi Airways, which I understand is lying idle at great cost to the taxpayers. 3) This is the very same Parliament that approved a mind boggling E20 increase of the elderly grants in the F16/17 financial year. 4) This is the very same Parliament that watched helplessly as the citizens were ravaged by a severe drought in the F16/17 year with essentially no intervention by government. 5) This is the same Parliament that watches their communities share drinking water with livestock; have what used to be unpaved roads turned into mere animal tracks.



The atrocities committed by these parliamentarians and their predecessors are well documented. Our government has never bothered about focusing on a people friendly budget; they have always been obsessed with spending our meager resources on not only questionable projects but some of them are really bizarre.



If better resourced countries like Botswana are privatising their airline, only God knows why our government is doing the exact opposite, given our extremely stressed revenue position.

Despite all the clearly reckless behaviour by our parliamentarians in the past, the recent stance is welcome; it is like a breath of fresh air.

The million Dollar question is: do our parliamentarians have the guts to stand their ground?

Only time will tell, but their past performance speaks volumes, I have in mind that peculiar and still born idea of a vote of no confidence on the prime minister. Nevertheless, it is better late than never.

To the MPs we are watching your every step hournable ones and with 2018 around the corner, I am hopeful that you will be galvanised into serious action and perhaps the next one that you should tackle is the crazy 15 per cent electricity tariff that has been approved by SERA.



Hanger

MHLUME
MBABANE  Did you know that you can sue your partner who has broken an engagement? Just like marriage, an engagement is regarded as a contract by law. It might shock you that one may sue a fiance who has broken their heart. Nowadays, engagements and marriage seem to have lost their value, but it is comforting to know that one may actually pay a jilted lover compensation for the time and effort put in the relationship.



This enlightenment has been brought about by Mariah Carey and ex fiance James Packers break-up last September while they were on holiday in Greece.

Tabloid news reported that Mariah was reportedly so devastated she cancelled a leg of her tour and could not perform due to the emotional trauma she suffered as a result of the break-up.



The songstress allegedly filed a lawsuit demanding US$50 million (R650 million) from Packer, claiming that she uprooted her life and her children from New York to be with Packer in Los Angeles during the time of their engagement.

She now wants financial compensation for all the time and effort she put into the relationship, and the two will battle it out in court soon.



Since being jilted on the last minute seems to be normal for a lot of people, this might cause them to nod their heads in dismay of Careys actions, but even in Swaziland, breaking up with your fiance is considered a breach of contract.

Advocate Lucas Maziya confirmed that an engagement is recognised as a contract by law and a scorned lover may file for a lawsuit for non fulfilment of the contract as a breach of promise.



A lover can sue her partner for a breach of promise and if the reason for the breach is not strong enough, one is guaranteed to win the case, said Maziya. He added that a lover who wants to take legal action against a lover may produce valid proof that he or she was engaged to the person they want compensation from. According to Maziya, falling out of love with the promised person is not strong enough to let the sued person off the hook.

There must be solid legitimate reasons like assault for instance, otherwise loss of interest is not valid enough for breaking up an engagement, said the advocate.



The procedure to file a lawsuit against a partner who violated a contract is that the plaintiff needs to produce proof of engagement. This may be in a form of an engagement party, proof of purchase of the engagement ring, photos or even witnesses who were present when the engagement took place.



Even though the advocate could not state the exact time for filing the lawsuit after the breach of promise, Maziya said the claimant may file for a lawsuit within a reasonable period of time. Maziya said there are not many cases of this nature in Swaziland because most of the time, males are the jilted ones and they fear victimisation should they try to sue their partners.
MACETJENI  TCCA Church in Zion members have shown their unquestionable love for their ageing Bishop Jobe Mkhatshwa by buying him a car worth E115 000.



The TCCA is a third little known faction of the Red Gown Sect which has its own leader. In full it is The Catholic Christian Apostolic (TCCA) Church in Zion.

The bishop was presented with the white Toyota Hilux D4D single cab yesterday morning during a ceremony which was held at the churchs headquarters at Mahlabatsini, Macetjeni over the weekend.



During a vigil, which preceded the official handover of the car to the bishop, the church members said they bought the car for their leader because they were tired of seeing him hitchhiking even on rainy seasons. We wanted to make life easier for him, said one of the church members.



Meanwhile, Bishop Thulani Dlamini from the League of Churches, who was officiating during the ceremony, urged the church members not to practice their righteousness in front of others. He quoted Matthew 6 verses 1-4 which talks about giving to the needy.



Furthermore, Dlamini commanded the church members to make sure the bishops car would always be up and running. I do not want to hear that the bishops car is parked because it had developed mechanical faults or it does not have fuel or its tyres were worn off. You should take care of it because if you do so, more blessings will come your way, he said.



On the other hand, Dlamini warned the bishops neighbours against abusing his car. He said he did not expect them to constantly ask for his favours to rush them somewhere with his car.

Go buy yours, he said.

While the bishop was enjoying the comfort of his car, Dlamini led the church members in a prayer where they asked the Lord to protect the car from any harm. They concluded the prayer by singing a song titled; Phezu kweNkosi.

Mathew 6 verses 1-4 (Giving to the Needy) reads: Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.



So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing;

So that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Senior BJP leaders including LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Union Minister Uma Bharti in fresh trouble as the Supreme Court expresses concern over delay in trial of the accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

By Ahmad Azeem: The Supreme Court today expressed concern over delay in trial against people involved in demolition of Babri Masjid. The apex court has said that joint trial of the accused could be held in the matter to speed up the judicial process.

The Supreme Court's observation today may brew trouble for BJP veterans LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti. They are likely to face conspiracy charges along with others.

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The apex court is likely to club two separates cases going on in Lucknow and Raebareli.

The Supreme Court bench of Justices PC Ghosh and RF Nariman made the observation today while hearing two petitions filed by the CBI and Haji Mahboob Ahmad.

The CBI has challenged the Allahabad High Court's ruling to acquit Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharti, the then UP Chief Minister and present Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh and others.

The apex court had sought responses from all the accused during the last hearing. The Supreme Court is likely to give final ruling in the matter in the next hearing on March 22.

Babri Masjid, a 16th century mosque, was built by one of the generals of Mughal emperor Babar. It was demolished by a mob on December 6, 1992. Advani and Joshi were present at the site when the mosque was pulled down.

Also read:

IN PICTURES | December 6, 1992: That day, that year

IN PICTURES | Flashback: Babri Masjid demolition

Babri Masjid demolition anniv: Tension grips Karnataka-Kerala border, 2 injured

--- ENDS ---
MBABANE  A facelift consisting of 29 new luxurious villas valued at over E50 million is to be undertaken at the Royal Villas in preparation for the 2020 African Union (AU) Summit.



The villas will be built in addition to the 23 existing ones and will form part of the five-star accommodation to be utilised by 54 heads of state who are part of the AU.

Each of the existing villas is said to have cost between E2 million and E3 million to build at that time.



The Swaziland government submitted its bid to host the June/July 2020 heads of state summit and that they would build the 29 new luxurious villas including a five-star hotel. We are currently upgrading our hotel facilities by constructing a new five-star hotel as well as increasing the number of villas from 23 to 52.



This operation is for the purpose of ensuring that the organisation of the 35th Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Governments will be the best ever, the Swaziland government said in its submission.

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze said the country still had all intentions to host the event and was already preparing for it. He said the country was on track in its planning for the AU Summit in June/July 2020.



He confirmed the fact that the bid presented before the heads of state when the country was requesting to host the event was truthful as the villas would be built in Ezulwini.

The minister said this when questioned where the expected 54 heads of state would be accommodated as the countrys five-star hotel to be constructed in Ezulwini was yet to see the light of day. Gamedze said the country had other five-star facilities that were available to cater to the accommodation needs of the VVIP guests of the country during the summit. Even if the five-star hotel is not completed in time for the summit, we have the Royal Villas, which will cater for our esteemed guests.



He said the Royal Villas had enough land around it to accommodate the ambitious project aimed at providing enough accommodation for the guests.

Gamedze revealed that over 3 000 delegates were expected to visit the country during the summit. He said this was the reason the country had started making preparations well ahead of the summit. He said this in reference to the International Convention Centre that is currently under construction in Ezulwini. The Royal Villas was established in 2003 and it was known as the Smart Partnership Village built for E40 million.
By Press Trust of India: From Anisur Rahman

Dhaka, Mar 5 (PTI) Bangladesh today banned extremist Islamist group Ansar Al-Islam blamed for the brutal murders of several secular activists and atheist bloggers in the Muslim-majority country.

A Home Ministry spokesman said an order was issued banning the militant outfit as "the group is involved in anti-state activities which are contrary to peace and order and a threat to public safety and security in the country."

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The radical group, which claims links to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, has claimed responsibility for a spate of gruesome murders of secular activists and atheist bloggers in the country that sparked a security crackdown on extremists.

The ban was enforced as members of previously outlawed Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) regrouped under the banner of Ansar al-Islam, the Ministry said.

ABT was banned in May 2015 when one of its leaders was arrested and two members were sentenced to death for the murder of an atheist blogger in February 2013.

The group also claimed responsibility for the 2015 murder of Avijit Roy, an American atheist author of Bangladeshi origin, gay activist Xulhaz Mannan, a magazine editor and bloggers Niladri Chattopadhyay and Nazim Uddin Samad.

It is the seventh radical extremist organisation, whose activities have so far been banned in Bangladesh.

The six other groups already banned are Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), Harkat ul-Jehad al-Islami Bangladesh (HUJI-B), Hizb ut-Tahrir and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). PTI AR PMS

--- ENDS ---
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By Michael Shain

A row of stores along Liberty Avenue in Richmond Hill lay vacant and gutted Monday following a seven-alarm fire Saturday evening, with some residents saying it was likely several buildings would have to be razed due to the destruction.

The fire started at a undetermined location about 11 p.m. near the intersection of Liberty Avenue and 110th Street, underneath the elevated A line train. More than 200 firefighters responded to the blast, and five people, including two firefighters, escaped with minor injuries.

The air still smelled of smoke Monday morning, as FDNY officials rummaged through the wreckage. The majority of the second floors were residencies, and several onlookers expressed surprise and relief that no one was seriously hurt. In some apartments, the back wall was gone, allowing onlookers on Liberty Avenue to see straight through the apartments to the sky behind them.

Anita Aniga, the owner of Liberty Delight, one of the affected restaurants, recalled smelling smoke that she was sure was not emanating from her kitchen.

I smelled something not right, she said. My customers were still eating and drinking, but I felt like something was wrong.

She stepped out onto Liberty Avenue to seek the source of the odor and saw smoke billowing out of the grocery mart located next door to her restaurant.

I ran into my restaurant and yelled go, go, go! she said, potentially saving her customers from harm. She said the damage to the restaurant had been significant, and the kitchen equipment was ruined. She said some buildings would be knocked down, and another business owner located across the street said he heard five of the buildings would be razed.

An FDNY official at the scene said the investigation was ongoing and did not comment on the source of the blaze, though one individual said he heard the fire started in the back of a grocery on the block.
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By Patrick Donachie

Candles dotted the curb outside of the Aziz Slaughterhouse in Jamaica in the evening hours last week as about three dozen animal-rights advocates stood in silent vigil holding placards, many emblazoned with the photo of a bull that died in police custody after bolting from the abattoir.

The bull had escaped the slaughterhouse a day before and led police on a frenzied chase through the streets of southeast Queens. After numerous attempts at capture and several shots of tranquilizer darts, NYPD officers got the bull into a transport for a trip to a Brooklyn Animal Care Center facility, but he died en route.

The Feb. 22 vigil was organized by Vegans of New York, an online collective of vegans and animal-rights activists. Spokeswoman Jill Carnegie said many VoNY members were thrilled with the bulls escape from captivity, catalogued by extensive local television coverage and on social media. But she stressed how important it was to understand the motivation behind the bulls run.

I hope they recognize the empathy, she said about those who had watched the event unfold via Twitter and other platforms. He was running for his life.

The bull is the second to escape from the Aziz Slaughterhouse, located at 151-24 Beaver Road, since the beginning of 2016. The slaughterhouse has been located in the industrial area a few blocks south of the bustling downtown Jamaica corridor since 2010.

In 2012, the state Legislature barred any new slaughterhouses from being developed within 1,500 feet of a residential dwelling in New York City, but that did not address the already established slaughterhouses.

Kristin Munster, a Long Island resident originally from Forest Hills, made the evening trip to remember the bull and draw attention to the increased availability of vegetarian and vegan options.

Theres no need for this to exist in 2017 when alternatives are available, she said, pointing out the stench coming from the slaughterhouse. The average man could not stomach walking through a slaughterhouse.

Heather Greenhouse, a VoNY member who helped organize the vigil, said this was the first time she had worked on putting together such an event. She had been vegetarian for 13 years, and became vegan four years ago after visiting an animal sanctuary upstate.

Im so amazed and so touched that so many people came, she said. I hope his bravery and his life and death make it easier for people to make the connection on their plates.

Carnegie agreed with Greenhouse, saying there was a clear message for anyone who had followed the bulls escapades the day before.

The message to the public is: If you were rooting for this bull, youre rooting for all of them, she said.
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By Mark Hallum

State Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows) stood with prison reform advocates on the steps of City Hall Sunday against the states proposal to reduce the number of allowed visitation days in minimum security jails.

The plan as part of the Executive Budget Proposal for New York State reduces the allowed number from seven days per week to only three. Weprin currently serves as the chair of the Assembly Committee on Correction and explained that a high number of visitation days with family reduces recidivism and cuts down on violence in penitentiaries.

The amount gained by enacting this proposal does not match what is lost, Weprin said. Increased visiting has been proven to reduce recidivism, as visits help family members maintain ties with people in prison, and there is some evidence to suggest that more visiting means less violence in prisons, offering a better work environment. I am hopeful that this morally inhumane and financially shortsighted proposal will be removed from this years New York State Final Enacted Budget.

The state expects to save $2.6 million by eliminating 39 full-time positions from the reduction.

JoAnne Page, president and CEO of the Long Island City-based Fortune Society, delivered remarks on behalf of the her organization, which is mostly made up of ex-offenders, and educates the public on the U.S. prison system. They also advocate for alternatives to incarceration and assists recently released convicts upon reentry into society.

Through our work at The Fortune Society, we know firsthand that people in prison who maintain important connections through visits from family and friends have an easier and more successful re-entry home than those who dont. The visits our clients receive while incarcerated make a big difference in their lives  both inside and in the success they can achieve after release. From helping keep family and community ties alive, to contributing to their emotional and behavioral health, those visits give incarcerated individuals hope that they have something to come home to. And while there may be some cost-savings by reducing visitation, the potential long-term human and societal cost of failed re-entry and recidivism will be far greater. And this is simply a cost that New York cannot afford Page said.
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By Gina Martinez

President Donald Trumps nationalist rhetoric and Muslim travel ban may cause New York City to see a drop in foreign tourism, according to NYC & Company.

The citys official marketing and tourist group shared the latest revision of its 2017 NYC travel forecast that took into account the changing attitudes about U.S. travel and access since Trump was elected Nov. 8. According to the group, New York City will experience a decline of 300,000 international visitors compared to 2016. This is the first drop in visitation since the start of the recession in 2008. Not all hope is lost, though, since the group predicted domestic tourism would stay strong and was expected to increase to 49.3 million visitors in 2017.

While projected declines among travelers are concerning, the irrepressible hospitality and welcoming nature of New York City gives us confidence that our destination will continue to appeal to visitors from around the world, said Fred Dixon, NYC & Co. president and CEO. We will work tirelessly to do all we can to preserve our citys tourism industry in the months ahead.

NYC & Co. said domestic travel will help overall travel to New York City grow by 1 million this year to a total of 61.7 million visitors, compared to 2016s revised final tourism figure of 60.7 million. The company said the spending power of four domestic visitors is equal what a single overseas visitor spends.

Rob MacKay director of public relations, marketing & tourism at Queens Economic Development, thinks despite the numbers Queens will be OK. The borough was ranked the No. 1 tourist destinations in the United States by the Lonely Planet guide company in 2014.

Queens is going to have more tourists visiting these next years, he said. I do think Queens is going to see an uptick in tourism and a lot of it is due to the Chinese market and Chinese travelers. The word is out about Queens in China. Theyve opened up their economy and they have a large middle class that wants to travel. Flushing specifically is behind Orlando as a major travel destination. The quality of our hotels, restaurants and culture is so high its above politics. Queens is above politics.

NYC & Company announced a new international communications and marketing campaign titled New York City  Welcoming the World. Starting in March, the campaign will target major sources of international tourist, including the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, and Spain.

The goal of the campaign is to reassure international travelers who may feel anxious about traveling to the United States and ensure them that New York Citys values remain the same and all are welcome.

Were a place that welcomes everybody, Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen said. Its in our values and in our economic interest. Well keep reminding visitors what we stand for, so we can keep this both the most internationally visited and the safest city in America.
Bengaluru needs 1.58 tmc feet of water per month which adds up to 4.74 tmc feet till the end of May. Now water from the reservoir must also be shared with Mysuru, Mandya, Maddur, Channapatna and Ramanagaram as well. That means only around 6 tmc feet of water is available for the other districts for the next three months.

By Nolan Pinto: While the Karnataka government is confident it can supply water to meet the needs of Bengaluru and other districts till the onset of the monsoon, things on the ground look extremely bleak. As of the beginning of March, the four dams that supply water to Bengaluru and surrounding districts have just about 11.7 tmc feet of water. The KRS dam has only 7.15 tmc feet of water, the Kabini has 0.95 tmc feet, Hemavati has 2.28 tmc feet and Harangi has only 1.32 tmc feet of water.

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Bengaluru needs 1.58 tmc feet of water per month which adds up to 4.74 tmc feet till the end of May. Now water from the reservoir must also be shared with Mysuru, Mandya, Maddur, Channapatna and Ramanagaram as well. That means only around 6 tmc feet of water is available for the other districts for the next three months. But the water resources ministry as well as the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board are optimistic in handling the situation.

Water Resources Minister MB Patil said there is enough water for drinking purposes and there is no need to panic. He told India Today that the need of the hour is to 'use water judiciously for the next few months'. When asked if the authorities might go in for rationing if things turn really bad, he said that meetings are being held every day between the BWSSB and the Water Resources department and they are 'reviewing and will alter (decisions) accordingly'.

WATER CRISIS

They are also basing their calculations and hope on the records available with Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited officials who have assured the BWSSB that water will be available to Bengaluru for the next three months. Kemparamaiah, engineer in chief BWSSB, told India Today that, as per their (CNNL) records for the past 50 years, there may be some inflow in the months of April and May with approximately 2 tmc feet of water and that he said might help to tide over the crisis.

But not wanting to only hope for the rains that have played truant, the BWSSB has already given the go ahead to drill 100 borewells in the city and have also empanelled drilling agencies to do the work.

The Cauvery river flows through Mandya district while the Kabini river tributary is in Mysuru district. With Bengaluru located at 3,000 feet above sea level, the water needs to be pumped upwards of 1,500 feet from TK Halli. Many consider this Asia's biggest pumping exercise to lift 1400 MLD water upwards to the city each and every day. To do all this work, constant electricity supply is needed and Kemparamaiah has requested the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited to provide them with uninterrupted power supply throughout the summer season.

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TANKERS TO DELIVER

Another contingency plan put into motion by the BWSSB is the use of private water tankers during the peak summer. "We have requested the Deputy Commissioner who has the power to take over private tankers to do so if we are in dire straits," he revealed.

The BWSSB requires around 60-80 water tankers in the month of April and that number goes up to almost 150 in the month of May.

The city today has 3.29 lakh private borewells in addition to 7900 public borewells in slums and on main roads. The BWSSB has categorically stated that they will not take over private borewells but sources said that this might be the last resort if the need arises.

Related Story:

Bengaluru water crisis worsens due to scanty rainfall, govt keeps mum

--- ENDS ---
Rotterdam

Last spring Mustafa Turunc and his wife, Bahar, were living an upscale life in Istanbul, a cosmopolitan city of 14 million bridging Europe and Asia, where he was a bank vice president and she oversaw Turkish branding campaigns for an international food conglomerate.

Today they work seven days a week at the cafe they opened in a suburban mall so newly on the rebound that just two years ago the mall's power was shut off during a shopping day for nonpayment of utility bills, and its Sears and Macy's anchors are closed.

The Turuncs' story is in many ways a classic immigrant tale of foreigners realizing a dream of coming to America, yet the life they left would seem to have had an abundance of better aspects than the one they've got now. And they are Muslim, settling into their new country at a time when the issue of immigrants, especially from majority-Muslim nations like Turkey, deeply divides the population.

Nonetheless, "I have never felt regretful, not even one day," said Mustafa Turunc, chatting on a quiet weekday afternoon at Chipmunk Coffee, which he and Bahar opened in September, mere weeks after arriving in the Capital Region from Turkey.

As a developing country, much of Turkey's growing business community is foreign-owned, with few opportunities for native entrepreneurship, Turunc said; the bank he worked for is based in Russia, and his wife's company is a division of Coca-Cola. Pressure for profits was intense, workdays long, the commute more than two and a half hours.

"We said, 'What are we doing? Everyone is having fun with our baby except us. The baby sitter, all our family, sees him more than we do,' " Turunc said.

Now, a booster seat for their 20-month-old son, Mert, is a fixture on a chair at a corner table at Chipmunk Coffee. The cafe, located at the center of Viaport Rotterdam, occupies a space that previously was a jewelry store, across from a tiled pool where remote-control boats putter and next to the entrance to the mall's multiplex.

"We are working more hard, but we are together," Turunc said. "We are having our lunch together, our dinner together every day."

Chipmunk's weekend business has doubled since November, when the mall's 25,000-square-foot aquarium opened as the showpiece of a $10 million expansion and overhaul of the former Rotterdam Square Mall, which was purchased in 2015 by Istanbul-based Via Properties.

The Turuncs  he's 34, she a year younger  had been considering international investment opportunities for several years. They looked in Europe but felt the U.S., which they'd visited seven or eight times in the past six years, was a better fit for the life they envisioned. When they learned that Via, which Turunc said is highly respected in Turkey, was redeveloping a mall in upstate New York, they made their pitch.

During a scouting trip last April they established the corporate entity for Chipmunk. Working from their designs, a contractor started building in May, and an immigration lawyer began their application for an E-2 visa, which allows the holder to enter and work in the U.S. based on an investment. Drawing from seven years' worth of personal savings, the Turuncs spent $75,000 on the cafe, which features Turkish coffee, hot and cold espresso drinks, salads, sandwiches from cut-to-order meats, fruit smoothies, New York-made Perry's Ice Cream, baked goods from area producers and house-made croissants and cookies.

The cafe logo depicts a pair of chipmunks on either side of a cup of coffee  one representing Mustafa, the other Bahar. The logo went through about 20 versions; the name changed several times, settling on Chipmunk because, Turunc said, the animals are cute and their name is easier to say in the couple's adopted language than "squirrel." The Turuncs liked and considered both creatures, but, they learned, many Americans have negative associations with squirrels of which chipmunks are largely free. Such attention to detail is also evident in the cafe's bright design and rustic wood accents, which lend it the polish of an operation ready-made for replication in other locations.

"Who doesn't like that idea (to expand)? Everyone will want that," Turunc said. However, "First we want to complete our excellence here."

Central to that excellence will be roasting his own coffee, which represents a capital investment for the equipment as well as, likely, a trip back to Turkey to glean nuances of the art unavailable from online instructional videos.

"You can't learn everything on YouTube," he said.

One day, hopefully by the end of this year, Chipmunk-brand coffee will be available for retail sale and by the cup at other area coffeehouses. Eventually, multiple Chipmunk cafes.

"Their coffee is fabulous," said Edith Spring, who is employed as a hostess at the mall's Ninety-Nine restaurant and visits Chipmunk at least once every day that she works. She said she and her fiance also have a weekend routine of coming in for breakfast sandwiches, coffee and conversation with the Turuncs.

"It's a great way to start a Sunday," Spring said. "The food is so good, and they're so friendly. I'm so happy they're here."

Her reaction is representative of the welcome the couple has received, Turunc said.

Since arriving late last summer they have encountered no bias, as immigrants or Muslims, he said, and when incidents of such ugliness are in the news, customers and mall employees offer support in spoken comments and online posts.

He said, "They write to us (on Facebook), 'Don't worry, this is not the America we know. We love you. We believe everything is going to be OK for you and your son.' It makes a smile on our face."

sbarnes@timesunion.com  518-454-5489  @Tablehopping  http://facebook.com/SteveBarnesFoodCritic
ARGYLE  A small plane carrying two people crashed at 10:29 a.m. Sunday in Argyle, New York State Police said.

The passengers, a man and a woman, sustained minor injuries, said Sgt. Josh Logan.

Logan could not say why the plane crashed in Washington County or where it was headed. He said the crash is under investigation by the State Police as well as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Also on Sunday, Senator Chuck Schumer urged the NTSB to launch an investigation into a spate of small plane crashes throughout the state. He pointed to at least 18 small plane crashes in New York in 2016 and two that took place in February in the New York metropolitan area. He said the NTSB should investigate whether there is a larger trend that could help prevent future small plane crashes in the state.

"We're only a few months into 2017 and already we've seen two small plane crashes here in the New York-metro area. It's high time for the NTSB to see why these plane crashes are happening at such an alarming rate," said Schumer. "Safety is our number one priority and an NTSB investigation could reveal new clues that make our skies safer. In addition to its case-by-case investigations, the NTSB should launch a more comprehensive investigation that might connect the dots on a larger trend."

 Wendy Liberatore
Jerusalem

He toured. He prayed. He visited an ancient tomb. He broke bread, cracked jokes and even wedged in some Albany arm-twisting. And he prompted flags to appear all over, even in the middle of cobblestone streets.

The purpose of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's breakneck 15-hour trip to Israel was a combination of showing emotional support  reassuring the Jewish population in the aftermath of a rash of anti-Semitic threats and acts of vandalism across New York state and nationwide  and promoting business ties.

But as with all things Cuomo lately, the trip is also being seen through the prism of politics, particularly the continued speculation about the governor's potential presidential ambitions. It is a notion he has been actively tamping down, even if his actions  such as a last-minute trip to a country that dominates discussions of U.S. foreign policy  seem to feed the idea.

"It's unfortunate in many ways because it suggests a political nature to everything, which frankly fuels the cynicism about the whole process," said Cuomo, a Democrat, who added that anti-Semitism was a personal issue: Two of his sisters are married to Jewish men.

"If you really care, you show up," he said. "And I really care."

Still, during his daylong tour in Israel, Cuomo seemed to delicately embrace the idea of being an American statesman commenting on broader national themes. He called anti-Semitism a "social cancer" on underlying American ideals and spoke about its economic and social roots as evidenced in the November election.

"There's an anger, and the anger often comes out as a fear, and fear can generate ugliness," he said. "And that's what we're seeing."

While such conclusions have been part of the governor's recent speeches in New York, they found a new and eager audience in Jerusalem, which included Israel's president, Reuven Rivlin, who said that Cuomo's "arrival to Israel in this time is an extremely important signal that the U.S. people, that the government, will not let anti-Semitism win." That arrival came together suddenly: Cuomo announced his trip with little warning Wednesday morning, sending his staff and his schedulers into a frenzy of planning. The resulting schedule was as packed  seven events in eight hours  as it was brief. Arriving Sunday morning and leaving just after midnight Monday, the governor was in the air for nearly twice as long as he was actually in Israel. (Not that he could leave Albany completely behind: The governor used his lunch hour to discuss the state's budget, according to his office.)

The tour included meetings with many of Israel's political figures, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who, like others on the agenda, had juggled his schedule to find time for Cuomo. In the end, the two met Sunday evening, sharing a hug and a bit of banter.

"Let's go over to the flag," Netanyahu said to the governor, pointing to a pair of flags  Israeli and American  in a conference room. "You know which one is yours?"

Most of that meeting and several others were closed to the media, although most included photo opportunities, which some critics in Albany complained about on social media, deriding Cuomo as opportunistic. Still, the governor defended the trip  which was paid for with state funds  as a vital show of support for Jews, both in Israel and in New York.

"This is repugnant to every tenet and principle of being a New Yorker," he said of anti-Semitism while speaking at a lunch with business executives, adding, "You can't grow up in New York without feeling a cultural closeness to the Jewish community."

New York's role is difficult to overstate; it has the largest Jewish population in the world outside Israel, and the recent desecration of cemeteries and the scrawling of swastikas has become a staple of news in New York.
Seoul, South Korea

North Korea on Monday fired "several" banned ballistic missiles that flew about 620 miles into waters off its east coast, South Korea's military said, an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.

It was not immediately clear what type of missile was fired or the exact number; Pyongyang has staged a series of missile test-launches of various ranges in recent months. The ramped-up tests come as leader Kim Jong Un pushes for a nuclear and missile program that can deter what he calls U.S. and South Korean hostility toward the North.

Seoul and Washington call their military drills on the Korean Peninsula, which remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty, defensive and routine.

There has been widespread worry that the North will conduct a test that, when perfected, could reach U.S. shores.
Members of the Greater Scranton YMCA spar in martial arts classes, but some were on the verge of real fights -- right up until the gym removed the cause of their pugnaciousness: cable news.

Yes, the Y in one of the 2016 presidential election's most hotly-contested battlegrounds has banished CNN, Fox News and MSNBC from its television screens because political debates prompted by news coverage on the networks has brought exercisers close to blows. The gym's chief executive, Trish Fisher, told WBRE-TV this week that "there was one (near-fight) that was broken up by another member that was just about ready to go physical, and we've had members step forward saying they've felt a little uncomfortable about the arguments that were going on over the politics."

Scranton is the seat of Lackawanna County, which Hillary Clinton won narrowly last fall with 49.8 percent of the vote, compared to 46.4 percent for Donald Trump. Trump made his final campaign stop in Scranton, en route to winning Pennsylvania. Joe Biden, a Scranton native, stumped for Clinton in his hometown on the weekend before Election Day.

Apparently some voters have not cooled off enough to hit the elliptical while watching Rachel Maddow or Bill O'Reilly without wanting to hit each other, too.

I spoke with Fisher about the decision to turn off cable news - and whether the peacemaking strategy is working so far. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: When did you make the decision to pull cable news programming off your TVs?

A: It was Monday. We had a board meeting last Thursday, and one of our board members brought it up. It became a topic of discussion, and several other board members had witnessed arguments and heated words between some of the members. They said, "Let's talk about this. Do we want to continue this type of thing? Because we're really role models for all the kids coming into the building." We decided to take the proactive approach to this.

What's interesting is, talking to several of my colleagues who are CEOs at other YMCAs since then, they said they haven't allowed the channels for years. We just had a member who decided to call the press about this.

Q: I think one of the reasons the decision struck the media as interesting is because of where you are. Scranton was such a key battleground in the election. I suspect you have a pretty divided membership.

A: It's really a bunch of grown men who can't control themselves, I guess. I have a degree in history, and I was a history teacher before this. I am all about people's right to have open debate. But safety is our No. 1 priority.

Q: I'm curious where you lay most of the blame for this situation. I could see three plausible explanations: One might be, as you said, that you just have a few adults acting like children. A second could be that politicians are to blame for overheated rhetoric. Or you could blame the media, perhaps, for coverage that provokes anger.

A: I don't know who's to blame. I don't even like the word "blame." This was just a situation that we had to make a decision for the safety of everybody.

Q: Do things feel a bit cooler on the floor this week?

A: Definitely. It was a topic of conversation here Tuesday and Wednesday. People were coming up to me left and right and saying, "Thank you so much for doing this." I must have had a hundred members come up and say, "I totally support you. This decision is great." I've only had three emails and one phone call from people saying they didn't agree with the decision.
In a shameful incident right under the nose of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, few strongmen from the Dalit community passed a diktat of tonsuring the head of a Dalit woman and her brother -in-law suspecting an illicit relationship between the two.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: In a shameful incident right under the nose of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, few strongmen from the Dalit community passed a diktat of tonsuring the head of a Dalit woman and her brother -in-law suspecting an illicit relation between the two.

The Talibani diktat was passed and later executed on 22nd February in the Machriyawan village in Fatuha, about 30 kms from Patna. The two were later paraded in front of the entire village after their heads were tonsured.

advertisement

The Dalit woman Soni Devi with her baby and her brother-in-law Shailendra Ram were abused and their faces blackened while they were paraded in the village. After facing massive humiliation from people of her own community, Soni Devi left the village after the incident.

Surprisingly, the local police remained unaware about the entire incident for 11 days. When, the matter came to light a couple of days ago, the police hunted for the Dalit woman and her brother-in-law and on their complaint filed an FIR against the 5 accused persons, of which three are women.

Police have arrested two persons Jageshwar and Rajdev in connection with this case. The three women accused however are still at large and the police are looking out for them.

"The incident took place on 22nd February. Villagers allege that the woman and her brother-in-law were having illicit relations and were caught red handed. The victims are from the Mahadalit community and therefore they could not muster the courgae to file a complaint against the accused the day the incident happened. Now a case has been registered and we are investigating the matter", said Sujeet Kumar, SHO, Fatuha police station.

Also Read:

Delhi: College students protest Dalit minor's rape, murder in Bihar

Shame: 2 Dalit youths thrashed, urinated upon in Bihar for allegedly stealing bike

--- ENDS ---
[March 06, 2017] Essent EssentIQ Wins 2017 HW TECH100 Award

Essent Guaranty, Inc., a nationwide provider of mortgage insurance (MI) and subsidiary of Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE: ESNT), announced today that HousingWire Magazine has named its popular homebuyer education tool, EssentIQ, to its list of 2017 TECH100 award winners. "The companies that make up the 2017 HW TECH100 are the cream of the crop of the entire housing industry, from real estate to mortgage lending, servicing, and investment," said HousingWire Senior Financial Reporter Ben Lane. "These companies aren't just taking part in the housing industry's technological revolution; they're leading it." EssentIQ's data-driven design creates customer-specific scenarios in seconds to: show the opportunity cost of waiting to save 20% down vs. buying now

calculate the long-term savings of not paying rent

project how quickly homeownership can build equity and wealth accumulation Mortgage professionals can then print, save and email summaries personalized with their homebuyer's name, as well as their own logo or photo. In addition, "EssentIQ en Espanol launched this week. Being recognized as a TECH100 award winner underscores how powerful this tool can be for mortgage professionals," said Felipe Obando, Essent's vice president of marketing. "According to a recent announcement from NAHREP, for the second year in a row, Hispanics were the only ethnic demographic to have an increase in their homeownership rate. EssentIQ en Espanol will be a critical tool for those who want to reach out to and better serve this segment of the market." To learn more about this free online tool, go to essent.us/essentiq.



For more information about the TECH100TM winners, visit housingwire.com/articles/39390-hw-tech100-winner-essent-guaranty. Source (News - Alert): Essent Group Ltd.

About Essent: Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE: ESNT) is a Bermuda-based holding company (collectively with its subsidiaries, "Essent") which, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Essent Guaranty, Inc., offers private mortgage insurance for single-family mortgage loans in the United States. Essent provides private capital to mitigate mortgage credit risk, allowing lenders to make additional mortgage financing available to prospective homeowners. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Essent Guaranty, Inc. is licensed to write mortgage insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and is approved by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Essent also offers mortgage-related insurance, reinsurance and advisory services through its Bermuda-based subsidiary, Essent Reinsurance Ltd. Additional information regarding Essent may be found at www.essentgroup.com and www.essent.us. About HousingWire: HousingWire is the nation's most influential industry news source covering the U.S. housing economy, spanning residential mortgage lending, servicing, investments, and real estate operations. The company's news, commentary, magazine content, industry directories, and events give more than one million industry professionals each year the insight they need to make better, more informed business decisions. Winner of numerous awards, including a 2012 Eddie Award for national editorial excellence in the B2B Banking/Business/Finance category, HousingWire has been recognized for excellence in journalism by the Society of Business Editors and Writers, the American Society of Business Press Editors, the National Association of Real Estate Editors, and Trade Association Business Publications International. Learn more at housingwire.com. Tech100 is a trademark of HousingWire. NAHREP is a registered trademark of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306005136/en/

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[March 06, 2017] Military Families Help Fill Skills Gap through ThanksUSA's Pathways for Patriots

National non-profit ThanksUSA will introduce its Pathways for Patriots scholarship and career pipeline program for military families on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, March 7, 2017. The $100 million initiative provides need-based scholarships, mentoring and internship programs for the children and spouses of our Armed Forces. It simultaneously helps diverse industries address the nation's skills gap and fill workforce shortfalls - with more than 5.5 million unfilled jobs nationwide. "One of the biggest challenges facing our military families is college affordability," says ThanksUSA President and retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel, who devised the Pathways program. "Almost two million military family members don't wear the uniform but "serve" too, including more than 700,000 spouses and 100,000 children between the ages of 17 and 22. Pathways for Patriots offers them financial and career support for a bright future and an extraordinary talent pipeline for corporate America." ThanksUSA will make the announcement at a special event honoring military families, hosted by the Honorable Michael McCaul in conjunction with High Tech and Military Family Caucuses and ThanksUSA. The event will be held at the Rayburn House Office Building Foyer on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm and will be attended by ThanksUSA scholars and their families, Members of Congress and corporate supporters. Among the attending corporate supporters will be major sponsor Lockheed Martin, a global aerospace, defense and advanced technologies company. Lockheed and ThanksUSA scholars in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) are leading the charge toward reducing the skills gap in tech-related fields. The Pathway to STEM talent pool boasts Lockheed's flight-testing engineer Charlotte Orren, ThanksUSA scholarship recipient (2012-2014) and Navy dependent. "Ms. Orren is a ThanksUSA success story, a young woman who represents the enormously talnted and dedicated individuals in our military, both on the battlefront and at home," said Lockheed Martin's (News - Alert) Vice President of Government Affairs, Larry Duncan. "We are pleased to help expand America's economy and our industry's future with talented graduates like her and other students currently heading down the STEM pathway."



"The opportunity to reach for my dreams was an incredible gift. I was given a wonderful opportunity to receive a top-notch education with the help of people who believed in me, including my parents and ThanksUSA," says Charlotte Oren. "Today, at Lockheed Martin, I continue to receive opportunities to develop my professional knowledge and experiences." Ms. Orren is one of several ThanksUSA scholarship recipients attending the event. They include: mechanical engineering student (Virginia Tech) and Navy dependent Natalie Ebreo; electrical-computer engineering major (State University of New York Polytechnic Institute) and Air Force dependent David Jeselson; US State Department employee and Army dependent Cedric Pulliam; Air Force dependent and ThanksUSA biology scholar (Carroll College, Montana) currently pursuing a medical degree Ashtin Jeney; Army spouse Andrea Barreiro, studying psychology in applied behavioral analysis on a full-tuition Kaplan / ThanksUSA Scholarship; and Kristine Goffos, ThanksUSA Iowa State University scholar (2010-2012) and a Coast Guard dependent, currently a digital strategy associate.

The founding sponsors and supporters of the Pathways program include Lockheed Martin, CVS Health, Kaplan University, Rumsfeld Foundation, Smiths Group, Cobham, The Wireless Association and Twin (News - Alert) Logic Strategies. "Our military families are an extraordinary talent pool for all professions and industries, and it is clear programs like Pathways for Patriots are vital in helping them achieve their educational and career aspirations, financial stability and a brighter future." says Mr. Schmiegel. "Post-secondary education is too often out of reach for a majority of military families who depend on one income. But thanks to our corporate sponsors' willingness to engage with our scholars in a meaningful way, the Pathways initiative will advance the career trajectory of thousands of military children and spouses who deserve our gratitude through the gift of education." About ThanksUSA ThanksUSA is a non-partisan, charitable effort to mobilize Americans of all ages to "thank" the men and women of the United States armed forces. The organization provides college, technical and vocational school scholarships to the children and spouses of military personnel. About Pathways for Patriots The Pathways for Patriots Program engages corporations from specific industries (i.e., Tech/STEM, Public Service, Healthcare, Hospitality, Financial Services, Manufacturing, and Energy) to create pipelines of military spouses and children interested in pursuing post-secondary degrees, certifications, and ultimately careers in occupations that companies are struggling to fill. The initiative will help our scholars establish careers in hard-to-fill occupations through mentoring, internships, and employee engagement. About Lockheed Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306006074/en/

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[March 06, 2017] Philips and LabPON plan to create world's largest pathology database of annotated tissue images for deep learning

BEST, Netherlands, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) and LabPON, the first clinical laboratory to transition to 100 percent histopathology digital diagnosis, today announced its plans to create a digital database of massive aggregated sets of annotated pathology images and big data utilizing Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution1. The database will provide pathologists with a wealth of clinical information for the development of image analytics algorithms for computational pathology and pathology education, while promoting research and discovery to develop new insights for disease assessment, including cancer. Deep learning algorithms have the potential to improve the objectivity and efficiency in tumor tissue diagnosis. In recent years, 'deep learning' techniques for image analysis have quickly become the state of the art in computer vision and has surpassed human performance in a number of tasks2. The challenge for executing deep learning techniques is having access to a database with sufficient high volume and high quality data from which to develop the algorithms. As one of the largest pathology laboratories in the Netherlands, LabPON will contribute its repository of approximately 300,000 whole slide images (WSI) they prospectively create each year to the database. This will contain de-identified datasets of annotated cases that are manually commented by the pathologist, and will comprise of a wide variety of tissue and disease types, as well as other pertinent diagnostic information to facilitate deep learning. "Deep learning focuses on the development of advanced computer programs that automatically understand and digitally map tissue images in considerable detail: The more data available, the more refined the computer analysis will be," said Peter Hamilton, Group Leader Image Analytics at Phlips Digital Pathology Solutions. "Together, LabPON and Philips have the competence and skills to realize this."



During a time where the pathologist shortage is mounting and cancer caseloads are increasing3,4, the accurate diagnosis and grading of cancer has become increasingly complex, placing significant pressures on pathology services. Technologies such as computational pathology, could help pathologists with tools to work in the most efficient way possible. "The role of the pathologist remains important by making the definitive diagnosis, which has a high impact on the patient's treatment. Software tools could help to relieve part of the pathologists' work such as identifying tumor cells, counting mitotic cells or identifying perineural and vaso-invasive growth, as well carrying out measurements in a more accurate and precise way," said Alexi Baidoshvili, pathologist at LabPON. "This ultimately could help to improve the quality of diagnosis and make it more objective."

Next to the development of computational algorithms for diagnostic use, Philips intends to make available the database to research institutions and other partners through its translational research platform. This could enable selected parties to interrogate and combine massive datasets with the goal to discover new insights that ultimately could be translated into new personalized treatment options for patients. Philips is showcasing its portfolio of pathology solutions in booth #202 at the The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 2017 Annual Meeting. For more information on Philips' presence at USCAP, visit www.philips.com/digitalpathology and follow @Philips_Path for #USCAP17 updates throughout the event. 1 Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution is CE-IVD marked for use in primary diagnosis. In the United States, the Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution pending review of a request for de novo classification.

2 Kaiming He Xiangyu et al. Delving Deep into Rectifiers: Surpassing Human-Level Performance on ImageNet Classification. And

LeCun, Yann, Yoshua Bengio, and Geoffrey Hinton. "Deep learning." Nature 521, no. 7553 (2015): 436-444

3 The Royal College of Pathologists, https://www.rcpath.org/profession/workforce/workforce-planning.html, Accessed December 2016.,

4 International Agency for Research on Cancer and Cancer Research UK. World Cancer Factsheet. Cancer Research UK, London, 2014. For further information, please contact:

Hans Driessen

Philips Digital Pathology Solutions

Tel: +31 6 10610 417

E-mail: [email protected] About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2016 sales of EUR 17.4 billion and employs approximately 71,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter. Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474622/Royal_Philips_Alexi_Baidoshvili_LabPON.jpg Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/324348/royal_philips_logo.jpg

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[March 05, 2017] Over 300 Heads of eCommerce to Get Together at eTail Asia 2017 in Singapore

SINGAPORE, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 300 senior eCommerce and Multichannel Directors of leading retailers are expected to attend the 2017 edition of eTail Asia at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, held from 8th -- 9th March. This year's eTail Asia will host 70% new speakers, have a far greater pan-Asian focus, and will be conducted in new learning interactive formats that will give attendees a new level of detail. There will be in-depth tracks with deep-dive country clinics, synergy workshops and case-studies that ensure there is something for everyone. eTail Asia is a long running conference organized by Worldwide Business Research (WBR), dedicated to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities in digital retail facing Asia-Pacific markets; it is the only event in the region that gathers Asia's most senior eCommerce and Multichannel Directors of leading retailers. "2017 offers a huge opportunity for e-commerce retailers seeking to sell more online. eCommerce revenue is growing rapidly across Asia, faster than any other market as mobile emerges as an important sales channel," said Prachi Panda, Conference Director of eTail Asia. "The agenda for eTail Asia 2017, the most senior eCommerce event in the region, has been built on more than 80 research interviews with senior figures from across the industry. As a result, it's focused completely on solving all of your most critical e-commerce challenges." More than 50 speakers and panelists will focus on key and pressing current issues includin organisational challenges of omni-channel, seamlessly merging digital with physical experiences, in-house vs. third party big data providers and of course the debate on profitable business vs. increasing market share.



Key speakers will include: John Lawson , World Renowned Expert on Growing Your eCommerce Revenues

, World Renowned Expert on Growing Your eCommerce Revenues Ken Kralick , Head of Global eC ommerce, Puma

, Head of Global ommerce, Puma Aspa Lekka , Managing Director, Foodpanda

, Managing Director, Foodpanda Aimone Ripa di Meana, Chief Marketplace Officer, Lazada

Daniel Lim , Co-Founder, Reebonz

, Co-Founder, Reebonz Akira Mitsumasu, Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, Japan Airlines

Roger Yuen , Chief Executive Officer, Clozette

, Chief Executive Officer, Clozette Rajendra Balakrishnan , Head of Sales and eCommerce, Reckitt Benckiser Singapore

, Head of Sales and eCommerce, Reckitt Benckiser Singapore Roger Graell , Online Sales Director, Mango A special addition to this year's eTail Asia conference is the launch of the inaugural iPrice E-Commerce Merchant Awards (iEMA) 2016 in partnership with iPrice Group. The iEMA 2016 was created to recognize and honor excellence in Southeast Asia's booming e-commerce sector with the help of online consumers. These awards are voted and judged by consumers.

eTail Asia is part of a series of two eCommerce conferences organized by WBR addressing markets in the Asia-Pacific. The next event Digital Travel APAC will be hosted in Singapore on 25th -- 27th April, 2017. For further information: Media Contact:

Aditi Mohile

Tel: +65 67229497

Email: [email protected] eTail Asia Contact:

Prachi Panda

Tel: +65 6722 9495

Email: [email protected] About eTail Asia eTail Asia is the most senior eCommerce event in the region designed to provide practical strategies to help you to grow your eCommerce revenue in 2017. It is Asia's premier e-commerce event bringing together 300+ retailers. About Worldwide Business Research (WBR) WBR is the world's biggest large-scale conference company and part of the PLS group, one of the world's leading providers of strategic business intelligence with 16 offices worldwide. Our conference divisions consistently out-perform their industry sector competitors on the quality of the events we produce and the relationships we nurture with both delegates and sponsors. Every year over 10,000 senior executives from Fortune 1000 companies attend over 100 annual conferences -- a true "Who's Who" of today's corporate world. From Automotive events in Bucharest to Logistics conferences in Arizona and Finance summits in Hong Kong, WBR is dedicated to exceeding the needs of its customers around the world. For more information please visit www.wbresearch.com

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[March 06, 2017]

Optim Partners with Emirates Advanced Research & Technology Holding at the IDEX 2017 Military Conference to display the FreedomView Videoscope

- IDEX 2017 (International Defense Exhibition and Conference) was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE -

STURBRIDGE, Massachusetts, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Optim LLC, a premier manufacturer of flexible videoscopes for contraband detection, proudly displayed their FreedomView Videoscope to key military personnel at the recent IDEX Conference in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Emirates Advanced Research & Technology Holding LLC ("EARTH") generously welcomed Optim's President, Paul Joyce, to showcase the FreedomView Videoscope in EARTH's booth.

Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474587/Optm_LLC_Paul_Joyce_FreedomView.jpg







EARTH and Optim were awarded a contract during the IDEX Conference to supply the FreedomView contraband detection videoscope to CICPA (Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority), the wing of the UAE military which includes the UAE Coast Guard.

"Optim has a long history supplying FreedomView products to US Customs and Border Patrol in support of their efforts to secure the US borders. We look forward to starting a similar long term relationship supporting CICPA's mission to secure UAE coastlines and infrastructure," stated Paul Joyce, CEO of Optim LLC.

Optim's FreedomView Videoscope is certified by UL for use in hazardous environments. This rigorous certification along with the videoscope's unique one-handed design makes the FreedomView ideal for military and security professionals to safely perform visual inspections of vehicles, vessels, containers and other areas where contraband may be hidden.

About Optim

Optim LLC develops, manufactures and supports state-of-the-art endoscopy products and accessories that help medical professionals, law enforcement officers and industrial users work more effectively and efficiently. Our breakthrough, flexible fiberscopes with integrated LED lighting enable customers to bring precision optical capabilities wherever they are needed.
[March 06, 2017] Nuoyuan Technology to Attend LendIt FinTech Summit in New York

NEW YORK, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nuoyuan Technology Development Co., Ltd. (Nuoyuan Technology), an innovative financial technology service company under Hanfor Holdings, headquartered in Beijing, will participate in the upcoming LendIt USA 2017, to be held in New York between March 6th and 7th this year. Ms. Guo Lu, President of Hanfor Holdings who has over 20 years of financial risk management in both Australia and China, is expected to share her insights on the latest developments in the global FinTech industry, the growing role of new finance and emerging markets, and provide her visions in the prospects of China's FinTech market. Under the backing of Hanfor Holdings, Nuoyuan's parent company, Nuoyuan is a leading Chinese FinTech firm specializing in risk control based on the world leading FICO system and characteristics of Chinese market, to develop signature risk control system combines international professional experiences and local experimental adjustment. Up until now, the fund scale of Hanfor Capital Management has exceeded CNY 30 billion (USD $4.36 billion). With its own professional financial modeling team, Nuoyuan has co-founded a "financial laboratory" with some big data companies, and introduces the world leading technologies including decision tree pooling, univariate analysis, multivariate analsis, out-of-sample validation, model calibration and stress testing, scores groups from different scenarios with models so as to predict, analyze the risks and keep such risks controllable.



Nuoyuan online, an online financing platform subordinate to Nuoyuan Technology, has now completed online transactions amounted to above CNY 5 billion (USD $726 million) and acquired more than 600,000 loyal users, which mainly involves scenario-based and consumer financial services. Nuoyuan Technology cooperate with e-commerce platforms, providing installment loans and consumer credit services to end consumers. Meanwhile, Nuoyuan offers supply chain financing services to SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and microenterprises, that fills out the market blank under the traditional financing system.

"By attending LendIt US 2017, we expected to meet collaborate with other innovative FinTech service providers" Yingzhu Shen, Executive Deputy General Manager of Nuoyuan Technology, "to optimizing our service pack to local markets." LendIt hosts the most influential fintech industry events around the world, aiming to gather the global fintech community to share the latest industrial insights. LendIt USA 2017 is expected to unfold global developments of new financial services such as internet lending and robo-adviser, applications of big data and block chain technology. About Nuoyuan Technology Development Co., Ltd. Nuoyuan Technology Development Co., Ltd. (Nuoyuan Technology), since founded in 2015, has been working on exploring new financial models benefiting every single social community by virtue of its technological advantages in internet and big data as well as expertise in finance, and commits to making great contributions to equalization of financial services in China and around the world. About Hanfor Holdings Hanfor Holdings, the parent company of Nuoyuan Technology, is a prestige asset management company in China and member company of World Economic Forum in Davos. The company's current business activities involve equity investment, fund management, domestic and overseas M&A, market value management, development financing, PPP project construction, asset management, wealth management, financial technology, real estate fund, family trust, and more. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nuoyuan-technology-to-attend-lendit-fintech-summit-in-new-york-300418206.html SOURCE Beijing Nuoyuan Share Co., Ltd.

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[March 06, 2017] Izun Pharmaceuticals Announces Approval of Curasite Hydrogel Wound Care Product by FDA

Izun Pharmaceuticals Corporation ("Izun", "Company", izunpharma.com), a clinical stage company focused on developing high efficacy products based on pharmaceutical compounds derived from botanical sources announced today that the FDA has approved the Company's 510(k) application for Curasite Wound Care Hydrogel. Curasite is a proprietary topical combination of three botanical extracts: Centella asiatica, Echinacea purpurea and Sambucus nigra in a hydrogel base. The prescription indications approved for use include the treatment of: Diabetic foot ulcers

Leg ulcers, including venous stasis ulcers, arterial ulcers and ulcers of mixed etiology

Full and partial thickness pressure ulcers

1st and 2nd degree partial thickness burns. The approved over-the-counter indications for use are: Minor abrasions

Minor lacerations

Minor cuts

Minor scalds and burns. Mechanistically, in part, Curasite with its hydrogel base and botanical ingredients increases the moisture content within and around the wound by donating water, which makes the product effective in protecting the wound and in assisting the debridement and desloughing process in dry necrotic wounds, while maintaining a moist wound environment for optimal wound healing. General product claims include: Positioned as first-line therapy

Twice weekly dosing provides greater patient convenience and less wound disturbance

Easy to use in home care setting. Curasite was developed using Izun's proprietary botanical technology, which has been studied in over 600 patients in an array of clinical trials in the United States and abroad. Curasite is the third product approved for marketing in the United States using the Company's technology. It is recommended to apply Curasite to a cleansed wound two to three times weekly. The product can be used as long as needed provided signs of healing occur within four weeks of first application without adverse effects. Curasite was approved in part due to an 82 patient, double blind, active-controlled study that was conducted over 12 weeks duration. For the first four weeks, patients with chronic diabetic foot ulcers that were present, on average, for more than 6 months, were randomized in double blind fashion to eitherCurasite or hydrogel base alone. Wound healing was evidenced beginning in week 1 in both groups but plateaued in the hydrogel base control group, whereas the Curasite-treated group exhibited highly significant and continual progressive improvement throughout this portion of the study, reaching an average of over 50% wound closure (p < 0.0001) at 4 weeks compared to baseline.



After this 4 week double blind portion of the study, patients from both groups were then treated with Curasite open-label for an additional eight weeks. Patients initially administered hydrogel base who then crossed over to Curasite treatment began to incrementally heal their wounds. Patients in the Curasite group who then continued on Curasite for a total of 12 weeks also saw progressive improvement. For both groups the average reduction in wound size was nearly 90% at twelve weeks. More than half of patients in the follow-up portion of the study reached complete wound closure at twelve weeks of therapy. Jack V. Talley, Chief Executive Officer of Izun commented: "We are delighted that the FDA approved our application. Diabetic foot ulcers and many of the other cited indications are poorly served by current treatment modalities. The consequences of unhealed wounds in these patient populations can be tragic. Izun is evaluating marketing partners to assist in a timely commercialization of Curasite in the United States as soon as possible."

Izun is applying its patented proprietary, botanically-based pharmaceutical technology in several areas of unmet medical need. These include a completed single blind study to treat atrophic vaginitis. Additionally, a study for the prevention of oral mucositis in solid tumor patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation has completed enrollment and results are expected in the second quarter of 2017. About Izun Pharmaceuticals Izun Pharmaceuticals is a US based clinical stage pharmaceutical company with a wholly owned R&D center in Israel. Izun's technology platform allows it to develop botanical drugs by optimizing and purifying the extracted botanical compounds to yield polymolecular drug candidates. These patented products are designed to impact on multiple specific receptor targets. The main therapeutic focus is on agents that can reduce inflammation and accelerate healing. Izun is currently active in developing therapeutic products for a number of indications including: oral care, oncology support, wound care, women's health care, gastrointestinal disease and dermatologic conditions. Izun uses the inherent advantage of the natural botanical sources to deliver robust clinical results with an excellent safety profile. Izun has received approval for a number of oral care products that are marketed. Izun Disclosure Notice: This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For this purpose, any statements contained herein or which are otherwise made by or on behalf of the Company that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed forward looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may," "will," "to," "plan," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "should," "would," "estimate," or "continue," or the negative or other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward looking statements. Investors are cautioned that all forward looking statements involve risk and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the following: the success of research and development activities and the speed with which regulatory authorizations and product launches may be achieved; government regulation generally; competitive developments; the ability to successfully market products domestically and internationally; difficulties or delays in manufacturing or issues relating to manufacturing capacity; commercial obstacles to the successful introduction of brand products generally; legal defense costs, insurance expenses, settlement costs, and the risk of an adverse decision or settlement relating to product liability, patent protection, governmental investigations, and other legal proceedings; the Company's ability to acquire and protect patents and other intellectual property both domestically and internationally; the absence of certainty regarding the receipt of required regulatory approval or the timing or terms of such approvals; any changes in business, political and economic conditions; business interruption due to hurricanes or other events outside of the Company's control. Investors are cautioned not to place reliance on these forward looking statements, which are valid only as of the date they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170305005026/en/

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By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) The five-day Budget session of the Delhi Assembly began here today with the address of Lt Governor Anil Baijal, his first since assuming office in December last year.

In his 30 minute-long speech, the Governor ran through the work of the AAP government with education and health as the highlight areas.

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The Arvind Kejriwal government will present its third Budget on March 8 since coming to power in 2015.

Baijal, who has had an uneventful tenure so far, stuck to the script as he underlined the governments measures like slashing power tariff by half and making a certain quantum of water supply free to improve the living standard of city residents.

He said the Delhi governments 50 per cent subsidy on monthly power consumption of up to 400 units would continue.

"Five new schools have been opened, while five others have been upgraded. Construction of 20 new schools and 8,000 classrooms are underway," he said.

In the area of health, Baijal referred to former UN Secretary General Kofi Annans praise for mohalla clinics (neighbourhood clinics), and said 1,000 such facilities will come up in the next six months.

Around 122 polyclinics, also part of AAPs three-tier health care reforms, will be built in the next one year, he said.

Baijal said the phase III of Delhi Metro, under which two corridors are being built parallel to the arterial Ring Road, will be launched by June, while the Phase IV which has recently been cleared will come up by 2021.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other top ministers of the Cabinet, including Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, as well as Leader of the Opposition Vijender Gupta were present during the House proceedings. PTI BUN SBR SRY

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[March 06, 2017] TA Associates Announces Minority Investment in Interswitch

TA Associates, a leading global growth private equity firm, today announced it has acquired a minority equity interest in Interswitch, an Africa-focused integrated digital payments and commerce company. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Helios Investment Partners will remain the majority shareholder of Interswitch. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306005292/en/ Founded in 2002, Interswitch is active across the entire payments value chain. A recognized leader in the payments space in Nigeria, the company owns and operates the country's principal domestic debit card scheme, Verve, as well as serves as a third-party transaction processor for many of Nigeria's largest banks. In addition, the company offers a number of B2B electronic payment services to public and private sector organizations and businesses, including government entities, hospitals, telecommunications companies and utilities, and also operates Quickteller, the leading B2C bill payments and digital commerce platform in Nigeria. Through add-on acquisitions, Interswitch also operates in Kenya and Uganda. "By strategically partnering and aligning its interests with key banks, merchants and other institutions, Interswitch has become a leading provider for payments solutions in an emerging and rapidly growing market in Nigeria," said Naveen Wadhera, a Managing Director at TA Associates who will join the Interswitch Board of Directors. "Interswitch is a unique, high quality and strategic asset located in one of Africa's leading economies. We are delighted to expand upon our longstanding presence within the global payments industry through our partnership with the management team and Helios, and look forward to helping Interswitch continue to expand its business." "Since our founding, we have been committed to creating social, environmental and economic value by facilitating trade through forms of exchange that are secure, convenient and consistent," said Mitchell Elegbe, Founder and Managing Director at Interswitch Limited. "Keeping that in mind, we believe a partnership with a growth private equity firm such as TA Associates will prove highly beneficial to our ongoing efforts of consolidating the impact of our services and increasing financial inclusion for all. We welcome TA as our newest investor and look forward to benefitting from their experience in the payments space and their valuable insight and support." "With our investment in Interswitch in 2011, we backed a talented founder and management team, and have worked hand-in-hand with them to institutionalize the business and build the platform, speaheading growth not only in their core processing and card scheme businesses but also into mobile payments, expansion into East Africa and the launching of products and services to address the unbanked - driving financial inclusion. As the majority investor in Interswitch, we look forward to working with the company's first-rate management team and TA Associates to drive the next phase of the company's growth," said Alykhan Nathoo, Partner at Helios Investment Partners.



Babatunde Soyoye, Helios's co-founder and Managing Partner, added, "For TA Associates to have made Interswitch their first investment in Africa we believe is a testament to Interswitch's successful growth trajectory to date, and the quality and resilience of its brand and business model. We are confident that TA's domain expertise and global reach will benefit Interswitch as we move forward together in partnership." The digital payments evolution is in the early stages of development in Nigeria, with cash used for 99% of transactions according to McKinsey & Company, versus approximately 50% for developed markets in North America and Europe. Despite the young market, the size of the Nigerian payments opportunity is underpinned by its continent-leading population and sizeable economy. Based on estimates from McKinsey & Company (News - Alert), Interswitch occupies a leading position in the emerging marketplace, especially in debit cards, which comprise 99% of all cards in Nigeria.

"We strongly believe in the global trend towards payment digitalization," said Ajit Nedungadi, a Managing Partner at TA Associates who will also join the Interswitch Board of Directors. "Given Interswitch's impressive reach into Nigeria's payment ecosystem, we expect a continuation of the company's impressive growth and are honored to have the opportunity to partner with what we believe to be a fantastic management team and a leading African investor." Interswitch joins TA Associates' other current and past payment processing investments worldwide, including BluePay Processing, Cardtronics, IndiaIdeas.com (BillDesk), Procare Software, Retriever Medical/Dental Payments, W.A.G. payment solutions (Eurowag) and YeePay. Latham & Watkins served as legal counsel to TA Associates. Debevoise & Plimpton served as legal counsel to Helios Investment Partners. About Interswitch Limited

Interswitch is an Africa-focused integrated digital payments and commerce company that facilitates the electronic circulation of money as well as the exchange of value between individuals and organizations on a timely and consistent basis. The company provides convenience and value for consumers while reducing costs, improving operational efficiency and driving sustainable revenue growth for institutions. Interswitch currently operates in Nigeria, Gambia, Kenya and Uganda with ambitious expansion plans into more markets on the African continent. For more information, please visit: www.interswitchgroup.com. About TA Associates

TA Associates is one of the largest and most experienced global growth private equity firms. The firm has invested in more than 480 companies around the world and has raised $24 billion in capital. With offices in Boston, Menlo Park, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong, TA Associates leads buyouts and minority recapitalizations of profitable growth companies in the business services, consumer, financial services, healthcare and technology industries. More information about TA Associates can be found at www.ta.com. About Helios Investment Partners

Helios Investment Partners is an Africa-focused private investment firm managing funds totaling approximately $3 billion. Established in 2004, led and managed by a predominantly African team and based in London, Lagos and Nairobi, Helios has completed investments in countries across the African continent, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, South Africa, Egypt and Morocco. Helios' portfolio companies operate in more than 25 countries in all regions of the continent. Helios bridges international capital and know-how to African talent and enterprise, and is proud of its investments in businesses from start-ups to large corporate carveouts, building African market leaders in core economic sectors and driving strong returns via portfolio operations. Further details on Helios Investment Partners can be found at www.heliosinvestment.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306005292/en/

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[March 06, 2017] Aquiire Showcasing New Real-Time Procure-to-Pay (P2P) Suite and Roundtable Sponsor at ProcureCon Indirect East

CINCINNATI, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aquiire, Inc., the leader in real-time eProcurement and supplier relationship management solutions, is showcasing the world's only real-time eProcurement suite during the 2017 ProcureCon Indirect East conference at the Omni Championsgate Resort in Orlando, Florida, March 6-8, at booth #217. ProcureCon Indirect East is a big-picture, senior-level, strategy-setting educational and networking event for procurement practitioners in all industry verticals. As a primary sponsor of the event, the Aquiire company will host two 30-minute roundtable discussions with procurement leaders on Monday, March 6, between 4:45 pm and 5:45 pm. Aquiire Business Development Director Brooke Large will lead the roundtable discussions on the topic Realizing Negotiated Savings Through True Guided Buying and Purchasing Compliance: Achieving This Seemingly Elusive Goal. The interactive roundtables are designed to give attendees the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussion with their peers regarding key challenges facing procurement leaders today, and to share advice and best practices to help transform their procurement organizations for the future. Throughout the ProcureCon event, Aquiire representatives will be available to discuss how real-time data is essential to deliver the "speed of now" consumer-like experiences and actionable intelligence that consumers expect in the modern economy. Additionally, they will demonstrate how the Aquiire eProcurement suite and exclusive search technologies help solve crucial indirect procurement challenges, including:







Procurement Challenges Aquiire Solutions Poor, stale supplier catalog data Real-time supplier data and universal shopping High supplier onboarding and maintenance costs Simple onboarding, up and running in weeks;

low maintenance High-rogue spend through punchout (supplier

websites) use and non-compliant shopping on

consumer websites (e.g. Amazon and Walmart) Real-time guided buying to put procurement

leaders in control of purchasing across all

suppliers; users never leave the system The need to drive greater savings Real-time price checks, comparisons and

alternative lower-priced choices Lacking timely insights on spending Real-time actionable spend analytics and alerts

About the Aquiire eProcurement Suite

Aquiire's intelligent real-time Procure-to-Pay suite brings the convenience and simplicity of the consumer shopping experience to the business user with unparalleled compliance and savings. Aquiire features patented universal search and shopping, machine learning, actionable intelligence and collaborative supplier enablement solutions. Aquiire's best-in-class intuitive user interface (UI) and the exclusive visual shopping tool KlarityTM allow users to instantly refine real-time universal search results across any internal or external catalogs available to them in a single search. The real-time processing of structured and unstructured data also powers advanced capabilities like instant alerts, risk analysis, analytics and price/product compliance enforcement. About Aquiire, Inc.

We are more than procurement thought leaders and disrupters. We are technology entrepreneurs and innovators. Aquiire's eProcurement platform was developed through real-world partnerships with procurement leaders from some of the largest global enterprises. We believe procurement should move as fast as your business and real time matters. Aquiire is MBE Certified and one of several portfolio companies of Vora Ventures, which was recently named the Technology Company of the Year in Cincinnati. More information is available at www.Aquiire.com. Twitter: @Aquiire. Download the Aquiire Digital Brochure to learn more about our real-time P2P Suite. Contact: Paulie Anthony, Director of Marketing

[email protected] | 513/285.8385 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aquiire-showcasing-new-real-time-procure-to-pay-p2p-suite-and-roundtable-sponsor-at-procurecon-indirect-east-300417878.html SOURCE Aquiire, Inc.

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[March 06, 2017] Wipro Recognized as Best in Class Technology Provider for 2017 by 'Consumer Goods Technology' Readers

Wipro (News - Alert) Ltd. (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today announced that it has been recognized among the Best in Class Technology Providers 2017 in the annual Readers' Choice issue of Consumer Goods Technology (CGT) magazine, published this February. Wipro has been recognized in the categories of Outsourcing/IT Integration, Consulting and TPM (Wipro Promax Analytics Solutions). "We are delighted to be ranked favorably in these categories. It is our seventh year of winning this honor and this clearly reinforces Wipro's continued commitment and opportunity in the Consumer Goods market," said Srini Pallia, President, Consumer Business Unit, Wipro Ltd. CGT's readers recorded their votes on the consumer goods industry's preferred solutions and service providers across 15 categories, which reflect the vast landscape of IT investment opportunities available today. "Our annual Readers' Choice rankings have become a measurement of quality for the industry," said Peter Breen, editor-in-chief of Consumer Goods Technology. "These companies have clients who will take the time to endorse them through the balloting process. That in itself is a testament to the high level of service they provide." Ashwin Bhatia, Vice President and Global Head - Consumer Goods Industries, Wipro Ltd. said, "Helping our Consumer Goods (CG) customers to best understand their consumer is of utmost importance to us. We are continually innovating to offer transformational capabilities in digital, consumer insights, integrated sales & marketing, and value chain optimization to enable CG organizations to re-engineer the way they connect with their consumers. This improves their overall consumer experience, operational efficiency and profitability." Wipro's dedicated Consumer Goods practice has deep expertise working with Tier 1 companies in the areas of Digital Transformation, Sales & Marketing, Value Chain Optimization, and Analytics driving Insights, across the Food & Beverage, Home & Personal Care, Apparel & Footwear and Agribusiness & Tobacco segments. Wipro's latest offering, 1:1 Shopper, is a solution which connects brands with consumers directly. Features such as analytics-based promotions, geo-spatial integrations, and cutting-edge technologies like image scanning and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) sensors help consumers get real-time personalized offers from CPG companies. The solution provides complete details on product listing and special offers related to the products. It also enables brands to execute omni-channel fulfillment as desied by consumers.



Wipro's Consumer Goods expertise also spans areas of Packaged Application Services, Application and Infrastructure Management, Business Process and IT Consulting, Business Intelligence & Data Warehousing. Wipro provides Systems Integration, Consulting and BPS services, and some of Wipro's leading solutions for the consumer goods industry include Market Mix Modelling, and Promax Trade Promotion Management & Optimization solutions which are available in Software-as-a-Service or on premise deployment options and outcome based pricing models. Wipro Promax Analytics Solutions (WPAS) assists sales, finance, marketing and supply chain executives from leading consumer-focused companies plan, manage and optimize all aspects of their trade promotions and associated trade spends. About Wipro Limited

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading information technology, consulting and business process services company that delivers solutions to enable its clients do business better. Wipro delivers winning business outcomes through its deep industry experience and a 360 degree view of "Business through Technology." By combining digital strategy, customer centric design, advanced analytics and product engineering approach, Wipro helps its clients create successful and adaptive businesses. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, Wipro has a dedicated workforce of over 170,000, serving clients across 6 continents. For more information, please visit www.wipro.com. About Consumer Goods Technology Consumer Goods Technology (CGT), an integrated media brand, is the leading resource for consumer goods executives looking to improve business performance. Delivering content in print, online and face-to-face, CGT reaches an audience of more than 76,000 consumer goods executives ranging from managers and directors to VPs and CIOs. CGT also covers all major segments of the consumer goods sector, including Food, Beverage, Packaged Goods, Consumer Electronics and Footwear. For more information on CGT, visit www.consumergoods.com. Forward-looking and Cautionary Statements Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in our earnings, revenue and profits, our ability to generate and manage growth, intense competition in IT services, our ability to maintain our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which we make strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, war, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property, and general economic conditions affecting our business and industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306005686/en/

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[March 06, 2017] Contact: Patriot Scientific Corp 760-795-8517 Patriot Scientific Corporation Announces Decision in Patent Litigation

Carlsbad, California, March 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CARLSBAD, Calif., March 6, 2017--(Globenewswire)- Patriot Scientific Corporation (OTC PINK: PTSC, the Company) announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has rendered its decision regarding the alleged infringement of the Companys U.S. 5,809,336 patent by Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., LG Electronics, Nintendo Co. Ltd., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and ZTE Corporation. The Federal Circuit vacated the claims construction that was issued in September 2016 by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and has remanded the matter to the District Court for further proceedings. The Company is working with its advisors to analyze the Federal Circuits decision, a full copy of which will be made available on the Companys website at www.ptsc.com. About Patriot Scientific Corporation Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, Patriot Scientific Corporation is the co-owner of the Moore Microprocessor Patent Portfolio. For more information on visit www.ptsc.com. About the MMP Portfoli



The MMP Portfolio includes US patents as well as their European and Japanese counterparts, which cover techniques that enable higher performance and lower cost designs essential to consumer and commercial digital systems ranging from PCs, cell phones and portable music players to communications infrastructure, medical equipment and automobiles. Safe Harbor Statement: Statements herein which are not purely historical, including statements regarding Patriot Scientific Corporation's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations, representations, projections, plans or predictions of the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties relating to the future of our MMP joint-venture and the licensing and litigation strategies employed by the joint venture. It is important to note that the company's actual results could differ materially from those in any such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with the effect of changing economic conditions, trends in the products markets, variations in the company's cash flow, market acceptance risks, patent litigation, technical development risks, and seasonality. Our business could be affected by a number of other factors, including the risk factors listed from time to time in the company's SEC reports including, but not limited to, the quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the periods ended November 30, 2016, and the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2016. The company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained herein. Patriot Scientific Corporation disclaims any obligation, and does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein.

Contact: Patriot Scientific Corp 760-795-8517

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[March 06, 2017] Inspyr Therapeutics Appoints NIH Veterans to Lead New Translational Medicine Initiatives and Pipeline Expansion

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., March 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inspyr Therapeutics (OTCQB:NSPXD), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a novel prodrug therapeutic for the treatment of cancer, announced today the appointments of David Maloney, Ph.D. and Matthew Boxer, Ph.D. as Vice Presidents and Co-heads of Translational Medicine. They join the Company from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to lead Inspyrs translational medicine function, focused on designing, implementing, and managing all aspects of lead asset Mipsagargins preclinical studies, including new combination studies, as well as new asset development.

Dave and Matt are distinguished NIH veterans who have deep experience leading initiatives to translate science into new treatments for patients, said Ronald Shazer, M.D., Inspyrs Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. Working together over the last decade, Dave and Matt have established a track record of expediting the discovery of new treatments and rapidly advancing programs to address therapeutic needs. From conceiving and implementing innovative solutions to developing intellectual property strategy, this is another example of the talented team we are building to develop therapeutics for unmet medical needs. We are excited to have Dave and Matt on board as we move our Mipsagargin program forward for the treatment of cancer and begin advancing future initiatives for Inspyr. David Maloney, Ph.D. joined Inspyr following a nine-year career at the NIHs National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), where he was a Group Leader in Chemistry and co-led an interdisciplinary project team. NCATS was established to transform the translational science process so that new treatments and cures for disease can be delivered to patients faster. During his tenure at NCATS, David led a team of senior scientists in lead-identification and late-stage lead optimization efforts. He managed a project portfolio encompassing a broad range of therapeutic areas and target classes which involved close collaboration and iteraction with leading researchers from around the world in both academia and the biotechnology sector. Most recently, he co-led a multi-center, NCI-funded drug discovery effort targeting an enzyme involved in cancer metabolism. David has co-authored over 75 scientific publications and is co-inventor on over 10 composition of matter patents. In addition, David has served as an ad hoc reviewer for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and frequently is invited to review scientific manuscripts. David earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Vermont and a Doctor of Philosophy in Organic Chemistry from the University of Virginia. Following completion of his Ph.D., he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.



Matthew Boxer, Ph.D. joined Inspyr following a nine-year career at the NIH, most recently at NCATS, where he was Medicinal Chemistry Group Leader. At NCATS, he led interdisciplinary teams responsible for small molecule hit to lead and lead optimization for over 25 projects across a wide range of diseases. His experience involved prosecuting targets in oncology, rare genetic disorders, infection and lipid disorders. Recently, Matthew was project lead on a multi-institutional drug discovery project targeting an enzyme frequently mutated in cancer, and delivered a compound ready for investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies. Also during his tenure, Matthew collaborated with over 30 external investigators from academia, NIH, and the biotechnology sector. His collaborations have spanned across the United States and abroad. Matthew is an author on over 40 peer reviewed articles and is an inventor on over 10 patents, with multiple patents licensed by biotechnology companies. He frequently reviews for journals, grants, government and foundations with a focus on drug discovery. Matthew earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Vermont and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the NIH. About Inspyr Therapeutics

Inspyr Therapeutics, Inc. develops therapies for cancer using a novel technology platform that combines a powerful therapeutic (thapsigargin) with a patented prodrug delivery system that targets the release of drugs within solid tumors. Mipsagargin, its lead drug candidate, has been studied in a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with Nexavar-refractory hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and has been granted Orphan Drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in this indication. For additional information on Inspyr Therapeutics, visit www.inspyrtx.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This communication may contain forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that statements in this document regarding potential applications of Inspyr's technologies or the future prospects of the company constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, uncertainty of clinical trial results or regulatory approvals or clearances, need for future capital, dependence upon collaborators and maintenance of our intellectual property rights and the acceptance of Inspyrs proposed therapies by the health community. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties will be detailed from time to time in Inspyr's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact: Lisa Cali [email protected] 408-239-7503

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[March 06, 2017] Michigan Ross' MAP Celebrates 25 Years of Using Action-Based Learning to Solve Real-World Business Problems

Today, The University of Michigan's Ross School of Business kicked off its annual Multidisciplinary Action Projects (MAP) program, one of the longest-standing and most immersive action-based learning experiences in graduate business education. Michigan Ross changed the landscape of business education 25 years ago with the introduction of MAP where students had the opportunity to apply concepts from the classroom in the real world by embedding them in an organization where they tackle complex business challenges or uncover new opportunities for a company or nonprofit. Today, that innovation continues to create transformative experiences for the next generation of business leaders. "The core idea of MAP is that the best way to learn business is by doing business," said Scott DeRue, the Edward J. Frey Dean of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. "We firmly believe that there is no greater force for positive change in the world today than business. Half of the MAP experiences this year are global, and 70% of Michigan Ross students participating are doing projects outside of their home country. No other action-based learning program has the scale and scope of MAP." Each year, the entire class of first-year full-time MBA students participates in MAP, where they spend seven weeks undertaking a variety of projects identified by a sponsor organization, including evaluating market entry opportunities, developing long-term strategic plans and analyzing branding efforts. At the conclusion of the project, teams deliver analysis and thorough, data-driven recommendations to the sponsor and Ross faculty. The value of these recommendations is evident as 91% of projects are presented to senior executives at the participating companies. A Quarter Century of Action-Based Learning Success The start of the 2017 projects marks a major milestone for the trailblazing program. First piloted in 1992 with companies and brands including Cadillac, Comerica and Motorola (News - Alert), MAP became part of the required core MBA curriculum the following year. In 1995, the program expanded globally, with the first international MAP project being conducted for Whirlpool in Europe. Since then, students have gone on to solve pressing issues for companies such as Facebook (News - Alert),Amazon, General Motors and PepsiCo, as well as nonprofits including Make-A-Wish and the University's own William Davidson Institute.



In total since its inception, 2,010 MAP projects have been completed in 97 countries, providing solutions to more than 1,300 project sponsors and unparalleled learning experiences to more than 10,000 students. MAP has not only given Michigan Ross national recognition as an innovator, but it has also made a deep impact on the lives of thousands of alumni, who often point to the MAP experience as one of their most memorable times at Michigan Ross. Seth Kaufman, MBA '01, participated in a MAP project with an Israeli startup during his time as a student, and has been a sponsor of MAP through his executive leadership posts at PepsiCo. "We have seen real impact in terms of ideas actually being implemented," said Kaufman, about the projects MAP teams have completed for PepsiCo. "We've adopted marketing platforms, innovations and pursued business opportunities that originated from MAP projects. Having students come in and push our thinking is great. When you're on the inside, it's difficult to have a critical perspective. But we encourage students to really tell it like it is and challenge the status quo. In the future, I see MAP continuing to push the boundaries of what's possible in bringing people and ideas together." Kaufman is currently President, North America Nutrition at the soft-drink giant.

2017 MAP Program Highlights Today, more than 400 students will embark on the beginning of their own MAP journey, bringing them to 24 different countries and 115 cities worldwide. This is the first year that students will travel to Nepal where a team will work on a social impact-oriented project for Global Fairness Initiative. Their task will be to determine a sustainable business model for Better Brick Nepal, a market-based program that's transforming the country's brick industry by eliminating forced, bonded child labor. Additional projects and locations of this year's MAP program include: Shinola, Chicago and Detroit - The team will study and perhaps facilitate the retailer's entry into an entirely new product area.

- The team will study and perhaps facilitate the retailer's entry into an entirely new product area. Hotels.com, London and Dallas - The team will create an easy access portal to share consumer research across regions and channels.

The team will create an easy access portal to share consumer research across regions and channels. Java House, Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - The team will provide a roadmap and entry strategy for the company to bring operations to Tanzania.

- The team will provide a roadmap and entry strategy for the company to bring operations to Tanzania. Jeevtronics, Mumbai, India and Pune, India - The team will determine market entry strategies for the company's hand-cranked defibrillator in a number of global developing markets.

- The team will determine market entry strategies for the company's hand-cranked defibrillator in a number of global developing markets. Ford (News - Alert) Motor Co., Detroit - The team will be analyzing the revenue opportunities associated with connected vehicle services. "Our Multidisciplinary Action Projects blur the line between learning and action in the best way possible," said Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, professor of management and organizations and faculty director of the Office of Action-Based Learning, which oversees the MAP program. "We want students to articulate their learning goals, both in the analytic and leadership dimensions, and view their experiences through that lens, thinking about those goals throughout MAP. Just as the students evolve through the process, so does the program. The goal is to never rest on the laurels of the success of our programs and to continue to make Michigan Ross the innovation hub of transformational, experience-based learning." Student teams will highlight aspects of their MAP experience on Instagram and Twitter (News - Alert). Follow the action and students' progress at @MichiganRoss, using the hashtag #ROSSMAP. About Michigan Ross The Michigan Ross MBA Program develops leaders through experience-driven business education. We provide a multidisciplinary, global, and team-based curriculum that reflects the modern business environment. A highlight of the Ross MBA is our signature Multidisciplinary Action Projects (MAP) course, which immerses students in a real-world business challenge for seven weeks. Our vibrant, diverse community fuels innovation, and our alumni are passionate and proud. We believe business is the most powerful force for economic and social change. This is the driving force behind our goal of developing leaders with the confidence, capabilities, and connections to make a difference in the world. Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the BBA, MBA, Part-time MBA (Evening and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306005726/en/

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[March 06, 2017] Teva to Present at the Cowen & Company 37th Annual Healthcare Conference

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) will host a live audio webcast at the Cowen & Company 37th Annual Healthcare Conference in Boston, MA.







When: Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 9:20 AM ET Who: Marcelo Bigal, M.D. Ph.D., SVP, Head of Global Specialty Development, Mike Derkacz, SVP, Head of Global CNS, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Where: http://wsw.com/webcast/cowen38/teva How: Live over the Internet - log on to the Web at the address above and register for the event (approximately 10 minutes before). An archive of the webcast will be available on Teva's Website at http://ir.tevapharm.com.

About Teva Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) is a leading global pharmaceutical company that delivers high-quality, patient-centric healthcare solutions used by approximately 200 million patients in 100 markets every day. Headquartered in Israel, Teva is the world's largest generic medicines producer, leveraging its portfolio of more than 1,800 molecules to produce a wide range of generic products in nearly every therapeutic area. In specialty medicines, Teva has the world-leading innovative treatment for multiple sclerosis as well as late-stage development programs for other disorders of the central nervous system, including movement disorders, migraine, pain and neurodegenerative conditions, as well as a broad portfolio of respiratory products. Teva is leveraging its generics and specialty capabilities in order to seek new ways of addressing unmet patient needs by combining drug development with devices, services and technologies. Teva's net revenues in 2016 were $21.9 billion. For more information, visit www.tevapharm.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306005883/en/

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[March 06, 2017] Merck Advances Lab Water Purification Technology with Milli-Q IQ 7000 System



- Marks 50th anniversary of first lab water system launch

- First to use environmentally friendly, mercury-free UV lamps

- Smaller, ergonomic design reduces waste, increases productivity, accelerates research

DARMSTADT, Germany, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the global launch of the Milli-Q IQ 7000 system, the seventh-generation Milli-Q water purification innovation. This launch marks 50 years of providing ultrapure water to scientists in laboratories all over the world. The company announced details about the water purification system during a press briefing at the Pittcon Conference & Expo 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. "While there have been tremendous advancements in the lab, today's scientists continue to seek ways to improve reproducibility and reliability of data," said Udit Batra, Member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science. "Our customers are looking for compact, ergonomic systems and software so that they can advance science, further faster. Our new lab water system addresses these pain points, allowing scientists to focus on problem solving, without worrying about he purity of their water. This new system reflects our legacy of pioneering innovations in lab water purification."



For half a century, Merck has been the partner of choice for water purification systems and services for lab scientists who need to ensure their water is free of contaminants. To ensure that Merck's new water purification systems meet customers' evolving needs, the company combined customer feedback with its engineering and technical expertise to develop the Milli-Q IQ 7000 systeman even smaller, easier-to-use, device, designed with:

ech 2 o  mercury-free UV lamps for the photoxidation of organic contaminants

o mercury-free UV lamps for the photoxidation of organic contaminants Purification cartridges that are 33 percent smaller than previous versions

High-definition digital touchscreen similar to a mobile phone display for simple operation

Easy connection to lab networks through an integrated data management system that allows quick, easy access to information Includes custom reporting and global system data archive for traceability and paperless environment for generating reports

Hibernation mode to maintain system water quality with reduced energy consumption

Ergonomic, precise dispensing wheel with a wider range of ultrapure water dispensing optionsfrom drop-by-drop up to 2 liters per minute

Smaller footprint, free of tubing / cables for a smaller, clutter-free workspace Merck's leading brand, Milli-Q water, has become synonymous with ultrapure lab water, and is the most cited brand in peer-reviewed publications. Milli-Q systems have purification media that are tested and designed exclusively for Merck, allowing the company to provide the best water quality to labs across the world. Merck's Milli-Q IQ 7000 system is the first product in an offering that will replace the existing bench-top Milli-Q Advantage A10 systems. It will be available for purchase in April 2017. All Merck news releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the Merck website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service. About Merck

Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life  from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2015, Merck generated sales of  12.85 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. The company holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials. Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/473634/MilliQIQ_Merck.jpg

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/473656/Merck_Infographic.jpg

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/merck-advances-lab-water-purification-technology-with-milli-q-iq-7000-system-300416408.html

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[March 06, 2017] Safe Orthopaedics Expands into Germany and Appoints Jochen Esser as Head of Sales Germany

Regulatory News: SAFE ORTHOPAEDICS (Paris:SAFOR) (FR0012452746 - SAFOR), a company offering an innovative range of sterile implants combined with their single-use instruments for spinal surgery, is today announcing that it is expanding into Germany and has appointed Jochen Esser as Head of Sales Germany. Jochen has over 25 years' sales development and sales force leadership experience in the spinal surgery sector, both in Germany and in international markets. Before joining Safe Orthopaedics, Jochen held various sales positions with Zimmer, and DePuy Synthes, the Johnson & Johnson group subsidiary specialized in medical devices, where he was awarded for his sales performance on several occasions. In 2010, he joined K2M, a leader in minimally invasive techniques for back surgery, as head of the Germany, Austria and Switzerland region where he built a team of seven sales representatives and more than tripled the sales base. Since 2015, Jochen has been head of sales Germany at Joimax, a specialist in endoscopic solutions for minimally invasive back surgeries. In this role, he also built up the company's sales in Austria and Switzerland. "We are delighted to welcome Jochen to Safe Orthopaedics. His knowledge of the German market and many years of experience in the spinal surgery sector will be invaluable to our development in Germany where we intend to replicate the success we have had in France with direct sales of our products", said Pierre Dumouchel, Chief Executive Officer of Safe rthopaedics. "2017 is shaping up to be a strategically important year for the Group, with the progressive strengthening of our sales force in regions experiencing the most rapid growth. Following on from the appointment of Dr. Franke, a highly renowned German surgeon, to our Scientific Advisory Board, the addition of Jochen as our Head of Sales represents another step forward establishing us in this very important market."



The German market, Europe's largest, is also growing most rapidly. Sales of spinal implants totaled 443 million in 2015, and a CAGR in sales of 4.7% has been forecast for the period to 2024. By comparison, sales in the French market totaled 64.7 million in the same year. Germany is also a very large market for traumatology, a segment estimated to be worth 50 million. It has around 600 centers specialized in trauma surgery, compared with around a hundred in France. Jochen Esser, Safe Orthopaedics' Head of Sales Germany, added: "I'm very excited to be joining Safe Orthopaedics' team and to be contributing to its development, following on from its solid performance in 2016. With its steadily growing international footprint and its unrelenting commitment to innovation, Safe Orthopaedics is a breakthrough force in back surgery. Its single-use technology is particularly well-suited for minimally-invasive techniques and for trauma surgeries. With this in mind, I will initially focus on traumatology to establish our sales base in Germany in this key segment before building a larger sales team and catering to the degenerative condition segment."

Next financial release Full-year 2016 results on April 28, 2017 (after the market close) About Safe Orthopaedics Founded in 2010, Safe Orthopaedics is a French medical technology company that aims to make spinal surgeries safer by using sterile implants and associated single-use instruments. Through this approach, these products eliminate all risk of contamination, reduce infection risks and facilitate a minimally-invasive approach for trauma and degenerative pathologies-benefiting patients. Protected by 17 patent families, the SteriSpineTM kits are CE-marked and FDA approved. The company is based at Eragny-sur-Oise (Val d'Oise department), and has 30 employees. For more information, visit: www.SafeOrtho.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306005939/en/

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By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) A decision on the National Health Policy, which proposes "assured health services to all", was today deferred by the Union Cabinet for a second time in less than a month.

Sources in the government said the National Health Policy though was not part of the agenda of the Cabinet meeting, it was added at the last moment. But a decision on it was deferred, they said.

advertisement

On February 15 too, a decision on the policy was deferred by the Cabinet.

The proposed National Health Policy, which has been pending for the past two years, aims to provide assured health services to people as an "entitlement".

The Cabinet note however had not talked about making health a "fundamental right" as it will have "legal consequences" but proposed assured health services.

Under the earlier draft National Health Policy, 2015, it was proposed the Centre will enact a National Health Rights Act, which will ensure health as a fundamental right and whose denial will be "justiciable".

The draft also addressed the issues of universal health coverage, reducing maternal and infant mortality rate, as well as making drugs and diagnostics available free at least in the public healthcare system of the country.

It suggests the Centre must amend laws to align them with the current healthcare scenario. PTI NAB TIR

--- ENDS ---
[March 06, 2017] Missouri American Water Awards High School Researcher, Teacher

Missouri American Water is proud to announce that Tuscumbia High School student Peyton Hall, along with science research advisor Constance Wyrick, have both won $500 for Hall's essay submission to the Missouri Region Junior Science and Engineering for Humanity Symposium (JSEHS). Hall's essay, titled "In Hot Water! Investigating the Aquatic Toxicity of Fire-Fighting Foams," examined the environmental and aquatic toxicity of foams used to fight certain types of fires. The study found that two types of firefighting foam had significant toxic consequences to a type of plankton that forms the base of many aquatic food chains, while other foams had little effect on the plankton. "Hall's was a fantastic essay, with great research, insight and a well-written hypothesis," said Missouri American Water Supervisor of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance Traci Lichtenberg, who judged the submitted essays on behalf of the company. "There were a number of excellent essays submited, and it was difficult to choose a winner, but in the end we decided that Hall's work in particular stood out.



"We're excited to be able to take part in the JSEHS every year. To get to see these young scientists and the work they do is inspiring, and it's exciting to think about the future of water quality in the hands of such capable young leaders." Hall and Wyrick will be honored for their work during a larger JSEHS ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on March 6 at the University Room at the Hampton Inn & Suites at 1225 Fellow Place Blvd. in Columbia.

Missouri American Water Missouri American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.5 million people. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly-traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,700 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306006055/en/

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[March 06, 2017] HealthPartners President and CEO Mary Brainerd announces retirement; Board of Directors names Andrea Walsh successor

After 15 years leading the largest, consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the nation, HealthPartners President and CEO Mary Brainerd (News - Alert) today announced that she will retire on June 1. Executive Vice President Andrea Walsh has been named her successor. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306006149/en/ Left to right: HealthPartners Executive Vice President Andrea Walsh, and HealthPartners President and CEO Mary Brainerd. HealthPartners announced today that Mary Brainerd will retire after 15 years as President and CEO, effective June 1, 2017. Andrea Walsh, who has held a number of leadership positions at HealthPartners since 1994, has been named Brainerd's successor (Photo: HealthPartners). Under Brainerd's leadership, HealthPartners experienced record growth and is recognized as a national leader in the health care industry. During her tenure, the organization has grown to more than 23,000 employees. This includes a care delivery system with more than 1,700 physicians, seven hospitals, 55 primary care clinics, 23 urgent care locations and numerous specialty practices in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. It also includes a large dental practice, 1.5 million members in top-rated medical and dental health plans, and the HealthPartners Institute. Walsh has been with the HealthPartners organization since 1994 in various leadership Horoles including Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President & Corporate Counsel, Public & Legal Affairs. Most recently, she has had a broad range of responsibilities spnning health plan and care delivery operations with an emphasis on innovation and growth.



"HealthPartners is a strong organization today thanks to Mary's leadership, collaborative spirit and passionate drive to improve health, to make care and coverage more affordable and to always focus on how we meet the needs of our patients, members and the community," said Ruth Mickelsen, chair, HealthPartners Board of Directors. "Andrea will continue that tradition. She has deep experience and will capably lead HealthPartners as its next President and CEO. The organization is positioned well for the future." Brainerd has been with HealthPartners since 1992 and was named President and CEO in 2002. Since that time, the organization has received numerous accolades for outstanding patient care, health plan service and its charitable community work. Some of the most notable include top ratings for its care system in Minnesota Community Measurement and the American Medical Group Association's Acclaim Award, top-rated health plan in Minnesota for quality and customer satisfaction, several Best Place to Work awards, and two-time receipt of the Minnesota Business Ethics Award.

In addition, during Brainerd's tenure, the organization developed and received endorsement by the National Quality Forum for Total Cost of Care measures. These first-of-their-kind measures are now being adopted by organizations across the country to measure and improve affordability of care. Brainerd is often cited for her strong business acumen and unwavering commitment to a healthy and thriving community. Honors include 100 Most Influential in Health Care by Modern Health Care, Executive of the Year by Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal, induction into the Twin (News - Alert) Cities Business Hall of Fame, and the University of St. Thomas Award for Ethical Leadership. Brainerd grew up in St. Paul and has been actively involved in the Twin Cities community for many years. She is one of the founding CEOs and former Chair of the Itasca Project, a group of 40 government, civic and business leaders addressing the issues that impact long-term economic growth, including jobs, education, transportation, and economic disparities. "I'm so privileged to have worked alongside 23,000 compassionate, caring and dedicated colleagues who focus on what matters most - helping our patients, members and the community live healthy lives," said Brainerd. "I will miss that day-to-day connection, and I believe that our best days are yet to come. Andrea is the right leader to guide our organization into the future. She has a proven track record both inside our organization and in our community for her ability to build partnerships." As a member of Brainerd's senior leadership team, Walsh has held responsibilities including creating and delivering health solutions ranging from care to health support to financing, as well as public policy and community relations. She has balanced her time between externally working with customers, partners, and the community and internally focusing on culture, patient and member experience, and strategy. "I've been fortunate to work closely with Mary for much of my career," said Walsh. "I look forward to leading HealthPartners and continuing our focus on providing the best and most affordable care and coverage for our patients, members and the community." Prior to joining HealthPartners, Walsh practiced law and was an assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Health. Walsh has a passion for community service, and currently serves on the board of the Science Museum of Minnesota and has served on several other community boards including the Twin Cities YMCA and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. About HealthPartners

HealthPartners is the largest consumer-governed, non-profit health care organization in the nation with a mission to improve health and well-being in partnership with members, patients and the community. For more information, visit healthpartners.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306006149/en/

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[March 06, 2017] Salt Lake Comic Con, Subaru of America, Wasatch Front Subaru Retailers Name the Humane Society of Utah as Official 2017 Charity

Salt Lake Comic Con, Subaru of America, Inc. and the Wasatch Front Subaru Retailers announced the Humane Society of Utah (HSU) as their official 2017 charity. The Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience 2017 (FanX) will be held March 17-18, 2017 at the Salt Palace Convention Center located at 100 S W Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306006267/en/ Pawsplay Photo Contest at Salt Lake Comic Con FanX (Photo: Business Wire) At FanX 2017, fans will have the opportunity to include their pets in official Salt Lake Comic Con events and donate money to the Humane Society of Utah. Specific FanX17 events and donation opportunities include a "Pawsplay" photo contest for pets in costume, discounted admission tickets and an opportunity to donate to HSU with FanX ticket purchase or directly. "We're excited to name the Humane Society of Utah as our official charity of 2017," said Dan Farr, Salt Lake Comic Con founder and show producer. "The HSU provides such important services to our community and pet friends, and we want to play a major part in supporting the important work that they do. Our fans have always been supportive of us and the charities we work with; we know that they'll step up to the challenge of raising money and awareness for the Humane Society of Utah." Fans can purchase admission tickets at a 25 percent discount off regular pricing with the promotion code FANX17HS March 5-18, and 15 percent of the purchase will be donated to the HSU. Adoptable pets from the HSU will visit with FanX celebrity guests for a photo op of their own in the celebrity green room during the event. "We like to be actively involved in the communities in which we work, live and play, and the opportunity to partner with and make an impact on the Humane Society of Utah aligns perfectly with our corporate values," said Charles Lamoureux, Subaru of America zone marketing manager. "We look forward to having fun with man's best friends and seeing the creative cosplay at FanX17 and throughout the year." In addition to the "Pawsplay" pet photo contest and other innovative, fun events with pets, FanX17 will allow fans to get closer than ever to their favorite celebrities, artists and authors. "We couldn't be more excited about the opportunity to partner with Salt Lake Comic Con," said Deann Shepherd, HSU director of marketing and communications. "This is an innovative ad positive pairing of our animals with one of the state's largest events that will help support the many lifesaving programs and services that we offer."



"It's important for us to give back to the community and support causes that mean a lot to us and our fans. Since 2013 we have given over $2 million in cash and in-kind donations back to the community," said Bryan Brandenburg, Salt Lake Comic Con co-founder and chief marketing officer. "In 2017, we'll have a lot of opportunities for our fans to help support the Humane Society of Utah and have fun while doing it. We've set world records for the number of fans in cosplay in one place, and we're confident our fans will deliver at FanX for the Humane Society of Utah in epic fashion." For more information about the Humane Society of Utah's involvement, visit https://www.utahhumane.org/FanX/. For more information about FanX17 or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.saltlakecomiccon.com/. For more information about Subaru, visit https://www.subaru.com.

About Salt Lake Comic Con: Salt Lake Comic Con is organized by Dan Farr Productions, in partnership with ABC4/CW30 of the Nexstar Broadcasting Group and was co-founded by Dan Farr and Bryan Brandenburg. Dan Farr Productions is an event and marketing group devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium celebrities and brands in the pop culture arena. Dan Farr Productions is dedicated to producing spectacular celebrations of popular culture that lead the market in providing exceptional and rewarding experiences for our consumers, fans, celebrity guests, vendors and partners. Find out more at: www.SaltLakeComicCon.com, www.abc4.com/. About Subaru of America, Inc. Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of more than 620 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants, and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information, visit media.subaru.com. About the Humane Society of Utah The Humane Society of Utah is dedicated to the elimination of pain, fear and suffering in all animals. Since 1960, the HSU has been sheltering homeless animals, fighting cruelty and neglect, and creating an environment of respect, responsibility, and compassion for all animals across the state of Utah. HSU is the largest open-admissions shelter in the state and welcomes any companion animal that can legally be admitted. As a member of the No-Kill Utah (NKUT) Coalition, the HSU works hard to ensure that every healthy and treatable pet that enters the facility will be placed into a loving home. The Humane Society of Utah is a local, private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, located at 4242 South 300 West, Murray, Utah, that does not receive any state tax dollars or government funding. HSU is funded by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses and foundations. Read more about the HSU online at www.utahhumane.org. Note to Editors:

Pawsplay Contest Page

http://www.saltlakecomiccon.com/humane-society/

Subaru of America

http://www.subaru.com Humane Society of Utah

http://www.saltlakecomiccon.com/humane-society/ Salt Lake Comic Con

http://www.saltlakecomiccon.com Salt Lake Comic Con Tickets

http://saltlakecomiccon.com/tickets/ Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperiences

http://saltlakecomiccon.com/fanxperiences/ Salt Lake Comic Con Master Guest Schedule

http://saltlakecomiccon.com/guests/ Humane Society of Utah FanX information

https://www.utahhumane.org/FanX View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306006267/en/

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[March 06, 2017] Robbins Arroyo LLP: The Southern Company (SO) Misled Shareholders According to a Recently Filed Lawsuit

Shareholder rights law firm Robbins Arroyo LLP announces that a shareholder derivative lawsuit was filed on behalf of The Southern Company (NYSE: SO) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division. The complaint is brought against certain current and former officers and directors of the company for alleged breaches of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment, and corporate waste. Southern Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity through coal, nuclear, oil and gas, and hydro resources in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi. In 2006, Southern Company announced plans for its subsidiary, Mississippi Power, to build a "clean coal" plant in Kemper County, Mississippi (the "Kemper Plant"). View this information on the law firm's Shareholder Rights Blog:

www.robbinsarroyo.com/shareholders-rights-blog/the-southern-company-march-17/ Southern Company Accused of Providing Inaccurate Timeline (News - Alert) for Its Kemper Plant According to the complaint, in an earnings call with investors and analysts on July 28, 2010, Southern Company announced that the Kemper Plant was expected to be placed in service in May 2014, with a constructin cost estimate of $2.4 billion. If timely built, the Kemper Plant would qualify for nearly $700 million in federal incentives, including $412 million in investment tax credits and $270 million in clean coal power initiative funds.



In a series of subsequent public statements, Southern Company officials repeatedly assured investors that the Kemper Plant would be completed by the deadline. However, the complaint alleges that Southern Company officials issued misleading statements about the company's business, operations, and financial prospects, including misrepresentations regarding internal controls over financial reporting and the costs and timing of the expected completion of the Kemper Plant. In particular, Southern Company failed to disclose that the Kemper Plant would not be completed by the May 2014 deadline, that the total project cost would exceed the $2.88 billion cost cap set by state regulators, and that the company's management actively prevented accurate information regarding the true status of the Kemper Plant from reaching investors. On October 2, 2013, Southern Company revealed that the Kemper Plant would not be completed by the May 2014 deadline and that the company would have to repay $133 million in federal tax credits. However, company officials continued to suggest that the Kemper Plant would be completed in 2014 and that the company would still be eligible to receive approximately $150 million of additional tax credits.

In May 2016, the company announced that it was being investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regarding "accounting matters, disclosure controls and procedures, and internal controls over financial reporting" associated with the Kemper Plant. In July 2016, the New York Times published a report based on documents and recordings from a whistleblower at Southern Company that revealed that company officials intentionally concealed construction delays and issued misleading statements in order to remain eligible for tax credits and avoid disclosing to investors that the company would lose federal subsidies. On February 22, 2017, Southern Company announced that the Kemper Plant would not be fully operational until mid-March 2017, and that the estimated cost of the project increased to $6.99 billion, more than double the cost estimate at the time that construction began. Southern Company Shareholders Have Legal Options Concerned shareholders who would like more information about their rights and potential remedies can contact attorney Darnell R. Donahue at (800) 350-6003, [email protected], or via the shareholder information form on the firm's website. Robbins Arroyo LLP is a nationally recognized leader in shareholder rights law. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits, and has helped its clients realize more than $1 billion of value for themselves and the companies in which they have invested. Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170306006321/en/

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[March 06, 2017] CAIR Launches 'Register Me First' Website to Challenge Trump's Islamophobic Policies

WASHINGTON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy group, today launched a "Register Me First" (#RegisterMeFirst) website designed to challenge President Donald Trump's Islamophobic policies, including the ongoing "Muslim ban" and a proposed "Muslim registry." CAIR's new website was announced at a Capitol Hill press conference in Washington, D.C., shortly after the Trump administration unveiled a revised executive order banning immigration from six Muslim-majority countries. SEE: CAIR Calls Trump's Scaled-Back 'Muslim Ban 2.0' a 'Partial Victory,' Will Continue to Challenge Unconstitutional Order

http://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14165-cair-calls-trump-s-scaled-back-muslim-ban-2-0-a-partial-victory-will-continue-to-challenge-unconstitutional-order.html Registermefirst.com provides an opportunity for anyone who wants to oppose the Muslim Ban, any future Muslim registry or other unconstitutional actions by the Trump administration to join the broader movement challenging those unjust policies. After signing up on the "Register Me First" website, supporters will continue to be updated on how they can express their solidarity with American Muslims and how they can oppose the Trump administration's Islamophobic policies and proposals. Those who register at the site will receive CAIR's email updates about a potential Muslim registry, about the updated Muslim ban and about other Trump aministration efforts to restrict civil liberties.



The site also provides visitors with the opportunity to obtain #RegisterMeFirst stickers, lawn signs and posters they can use to show their support for minorities targeted by the Trump administration. GO TO: Register Me First

https://registermefirst.com/

Video: Register Me First

https://youtu.be/Qoq-X2UHgPY

"CAIR invites all people of conscience to partner with an action-oriented movement that will stand up for the Constitution against faith-based bans and registries," said Corey Saylor, director of CAIR's Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia. CAIR-NY Legal Director Albert Cahn added, "Our work today is about prevention. This administration must see that they will pay a high political cost for banning or registering Muslims or any other American faith community." CAIR-NY played a key role in initiating the collaboration that resulted in the website. The site was developed by Use All Five, a Los Angeles based design and technology studio. Speaking about the site's genesis Use All Five CEO Levi Brooks said, "When we spoke to CAIR about the damaging actions our administration was taking against Muslims, we felt we had to take a stand. We hope this project engages people to resist bans and registries." CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) is a leading New York advocacy group for Muslim civil rights. La mision de CAIR es mejorar la comprension del Islam, fomentar el dialogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprension mutua. CONTACT: CAIR Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR-NY Legal Director Albert Cahn, 571-766-6273, [email protected]; Use All Five CEO and Co-Founder Levi Brooks, (310) 270-5569, [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cair-launches-register-me-first-website-to-challenge-trumps-islamophobic-policies-300418736.html SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

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[March 06, 2017] Minister Carr Underscores the Government of Canada's Support for the Minerals Industry

TORONTO, March 6, 2017 /CNW/ - Canada is a world leader in sustainable mineral resource development. The minerals industry is a cornerstone of our economy, contributing significantly to Canada's exports, middle-class jobs and strong communities across the country. Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Jim Carr, outlined how the Government of Canada is supporting Canada's minerals industry to ensure that it remains a leading source of good jobs, new opportunities and sustainable prosperity. In his keynote address to the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada's (PDAC) International Convention, Trade Show & Investors Exchange  which is one of the largest of its kind in the world  the Minister said the Government of Canada will continue to invest in clean technology and ensure regulatory certainty to support one of the country's oldest industries. In roundtables with industry executives and Indigenous leaders, the Minister also stressed the importance of collaboration to help drive innovation and ensure collaboration with Indigenous peoples. As well, he said the Government of Canada



On behalf of the Honourable Bill Morneau, Canada's Minister of Finance, Minister Carr also announced the proposed extension of the 15 percent Mineral Exploration Tax Credit for investors in flow-through shares for an additional year, until March 31, 2018. The credit was scheduled to expire on March 31, 2017. The Mineral Exploration Tax Credit helps junior exploration companies raise the capital they need to succeed and provide good, well-paying middle-class jobs for Canadians. Minister Carr also participated in the second annual International Mines Ministers' Summit, with 23 counterparts from all regions of the world as well as industry representatives, civil society and subject matter experts to discuss innovation in the mining sector. The Minister asked the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development to prepare a report that identifies the best policies and practices to promote innovation in mining.

Quote "By focusing our efforts on developing innovative and clean methods and technologies and by providing regulatory certainty, we are laying the foundations for the mines of tomorrow and ensuring that this dynamic industry remains a source of jobs and opportunities for generations to come." Jim Carr

Minister of Natural Resources Associated Links:

Canada at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention 2017

Government Proposes Tax Credit Extension to Support Mining and Create Middle Class Jobs Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan) NRCan's news releases and backgrounders are available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media





SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 5 (PTI) The move by some public and private banks to levy charges after certain number of cash transactions at branches is the most retrograde step, former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said.

Banks including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank at present charge a minimum Rs 150 per transaction for cash deposits and withdrawals beyond four free transactions in a month.

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"Bank charges for depositing cash and withdrawing cash is most retrograde step," Chidambaram tweeted.

"Will banks be happy if customers withdraw cash in one go and keep cash at home," the senior Congress leader said posted on Twitter.

The move to re-impose a fee on cash transactions was seen in some quarters as aimed at discouraging cash transactions and furthering the digital payment drive. PTI IAS GVS

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: From K J M Varma

Beijing, Mar 6 (PTI) China has hiked its military spending by seven per cent to USD 152 billion, about three times higher than that of India, as Beijing braced for countering Americas push into the disputed South China Sea.

After skipping the customary mention of the figures of defence spending in the work report submitted by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to lawmakers yesterday, state-run Xinhua news agency today announced that the military budget for this year stands at 1.04 trillion yuan (USD 152 billion).

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Chinas defence budget for 2017 will grow seven per cent from the actual figure in 2016, Xinhua quoted an official with Ministry of Finance as saying today.

"The countrys military spending this year will stand at 1.04 trillion yuan (about US 152 billion) with 1.02 trillion yuan from the central budget," the Xinhua report said.

This is the first time that Chinas military spending crossed a trillion yuan.

Last year Chinas military spending was 954.35 billion yuan, a 7.6 per cent increase from 2015.

Chinas defence budget is about three times higher than Indias USD 53.5 billion.

There was no explanation about why the amount of the annual defence spending was not mentioned in Lis annual work report to the National Peoples Congress (NPC) yesterday.

On March 4, NPC spokesperson Fu Ying said Chinas defencebudget will be increased by seven per cent accounting for 1.3 per cent of the countrys GDP, compared with NATO members pledge to dedicate at least two per cent of GDP todefence.

"You should ask them what their intentions are," Fu told reporters, adding that China has "never inflicted harm on other countries."

Chinese officials defended the seven per cent hike this year, saying it is still smaller than the 10 per cent increase proposed by President Donald Trump to Americas defence budget to take it to about USD 654 billion, the highest in the world.

Much of Chinasbudgetthis year is expected to go for the development of navy as Beijing looks to expand its influence beyond its shores.

China currently has one aircraft carrier and is building another with a third in the planning stage to match the growing strength of the US navy in hot-spots like the South China Sea.

The China-US military tensions are on the rise since former American President Barack Obama adopted the US pivot to Asia, committing large number of US military forces to be deployed in the Asia Pacific to counter Chinas growing military might.

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After his election, Trump has sent an aircraft carrier to the South China Sea to assert the freedom of navigation in the area claimed by China.

Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claim over the South China Sea.

Chinas military experts say much of the defence expenditure will go for the navy to safeguard the countrys fast expanding overseas interests and is a response to the unstable security situation in the Asia-Pacific region. (more) PTI KJV NSA AKJ NSA

--- ENDS ---
"The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) won't affect the status quo of Kashmir dispute" as China has stated that it should be resolved between India and Pakistan, an article in the state-run Global Times said.

By Press Trust of India: India should be "more pragmatic and flexible" to support the multi-billion dollar CPEC project despite sovereignty issues linked to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as China backs business links between Taiwan and India, a state-run media has said.

"The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) won't affect the status quo of Kashmir dispute" as China has stated that it should be resolved between India and Pakistan, an article in the state-run Global Times said.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW The project is an economic plan set to connect China and Pakistan and advance Pakistan's economy and improve the lives of its people, the paper said, adding that the investment from Chinese firms and their participation in some architectural construction won't affect the situation of Kashmir either. "Just like the Taiwan question, Beijing doesn't object to any economic links between Taiwan and other countries including India because economic activities will not alter China's sovereignty over the island", it said. "Hence, India should be flexible and pragmatic, and be more open to economic activities in the Kashmir region conducted by Chinese companies", it said. Clashes have impeded the economic development of both India and Pakistan as violence and terrorism led to underdevelopment and poverty in Kashmir, it claimed. "The CPEC, however, will boost the economic development in the region, bringing jobs and improving the quality of life", the paper said, adding that the project can be extended to Jammu and Kashmir if India allows, and benefits the Indian people, as well as regional stability. India has protested over the CPEC project as it passes through PoK. China defends the project, calling it a development-oriented initiative aimed at improving the lives of the local people and it makes no difference to Beijing's stand on the Kashmir issue.

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Also read | India's CPEC concerns 'unwarranted', says China media

--- ENDS ---
Utah couple Makelle and Jared Ahlinare are having the most metal baby ever, after a routine ultrasound showed the baby throwing up metal horns.

She kind of went past it, and I was just like, Hey, go back, I need that picture! Jared Ahlin said in an interview with local news station KPTV.

It seems like a Photoshop scam but the couple assure the reporter that the pictures are 100% real  and we really want to believe them, and so we shall.

If this baby isnt sliding across a sweaty stage in leather jeans playing a tapping solo in twenty-five years, we will be very disappointed.

Check out the ultrasound pic, and the news report, below.
KMBC: Kansas City Police are investigating after gunfire Monday afternoon. The incident happened at 1:13 p.m. in the 100 block of N. Drury Avenue.

Northeast News: "One man, age unknown, died shortly after being transported to a nearby hospital. The second individual was also brought to the hospital, where he was being treated with non-life threatening injuries. KCPD officials have indicated that the second individual is cooperating with police as authorities attempt to locate a suspect."

Murder scene this afternoon and here's preliminary coverage of more carnage to start the week . . .Developing . . .
TKC Blog Community Testimony After Tragic Firefighter Death And Recent Court Decision

This week. Accordingly, here's an interesting reaction on this topic along with an important recollection. Take a look:The day before this incident, I had just dropped 24 tons of AB3 to that job Site, not 150 feet from those trailers, it was cool and misting rain.Got off work, and was laying in bed wayyyy over in Johnson County. Merriam to be exact that early morning when I heard a loud clap of thunder, or what I thought was thunder . . . It actually rumbled the house and the entire neighborhood. It wasn't until later that morning that we learned what actually happened.I had delivered 24 tons of AB3 to a construction company what was then known back in 1988, as Mountain Plains Construction . . . They more less were the general Contractor on that site.LaterI remember seeing the trailers parked there, but didn't know what was inside them and I was less than 150 feet away from them.I can only imagine what would of happened would they have gone off while I was dumping my load of AB3 . . . I'd been vaporized turned into Dust and ashes . . .This is the 1st time and only time I've ever publicly shared this story.############
THE TIMING OF THIS STORY IS DEVASTATING AMID THE UPCOMING RECALL CAMPAIGN TO OUST COUNCILMAN MORENO!!!

"The recall could be the first successful one in decades. I think with the recent lawsuit, and now this, it's been a major turning point."

WILL COUNCILMAN MORENO SURVIVE THE RECALL EFFORT THAT SEEMS TO BE GAINING MOMENTUM???

Over the weekend, a sordid tale of campaign finance controversy garnered a great deal of traction among Kansas City metro political denizens . . .Money line . . ."Moreno made a motion in January to lower the payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, that local developer, M150 Echelon Land Development Project, would have to pay the city while building the new Residences at Echelon."Moreno asked the city to lower the PILOT from $1,051 per unit to $935 per unit, back down to the original price the city had once set. After the city voted against the motion, they later agreed to meet in the middle, voting to approve a PILOT at $993 per unit. Some believe this move saved the developer millions of dollars. According to Missouri Ethics Commission documents, a Political Action Committee was formed by February 6 called Taxpayers Alliance."Although Moreno told 41 Action News he is not involved with the PAC, his father, David Moreno, is listed as the treasurer and a phone number associated with Moreno and one of his former businesses is listed as the PAC phone number."The reality is that this kind of thing is pretty much standard operating procedure in Missouri.But here's where it gets interesting . . .Just a small bit of insight from an insider on this issue . . .Meanwhile, Insiders from the Moreno camp rage against proponents of a recall that come from outside his Council district.The big picture here . . .Whilst Lee's Summit was content to let. . . An unsavory fight with a colleague was quickly met with a recall effort news thatThe reality here . . . This blood feud betwixt an embattled politico and a growing coalition of voters in Lee's Summit is boiling over andto come up with more ammunition for their final push.The question:You decide . . .
The ancient pyramids at Giza have long been one of the wonders of the ancient world, and have captured imaginations for thousands of years. Even today, they would have been quite difficult to construct, and the incredible treasures found within, as well as the strange traditions of those who built them, has only added fuel to all of the speculation about them. While most Egyptologists believe that the Pyramids were originally meant as burial chambers and built using clever but primitive methods, many theorists disagree and have come up with their own ideas on what they were actually used for, and how they were actually built.

10. The Pyramids Were Actually Gigantic Ancient Power Plants

Some theorists are convinced that the real purpose of the pyramids had to be something incredibly complicated, and beyond any technology anyone even believes in today. They claim that the pyramids are actually gigantic power plants, and that they used special sound frequencies that emanate from the inner parts of the earth to conduct great amounts of power. According to the theorists, the shafts in the pyramid help channel the frequencies up out of the pyramid and into a sphere over the nearby villages. Supposedly, these shafts were once lined with gold, in order to further ensure that only the correct frequencies were conducted.

The theorists claim that this technology was capable of creating a self-sustaining energy field that had a radius of several miles out from the pyramid, and kept batteries, lights and other electronics  which they claim the Ancient Egyptians had  all charged without even needing to be plugged into anything. This entire theory is rather fantastic thinking, as it seems humanity would be using something that is clearly an incredibly convenient free energy source if it were real or possible.

9. The Pyramids Were Designed To Store Grain For A Huge Famine

Last year, presidential candidate and successful neurosurgeon Ben Carson made the news when he claimed that the great pyramids had been constructed in order to store grain in advance of a huge famine. His source for this was claiming that the Bible said so, and many people immediately tried to make it a religious controversy, but Dr. Carson is quite confused about his timeline of events in the first place. The Great Pyramids were built long before the period in the bible where the famine even occurred, so they couldnt have been originally made for the purpose.

Further, Egyptologists have pointed out that even in a pinch, they would have made fairly poor granaries. But the really silly part is that saying that pyramids didnt store grain in no way invalidates the Bible story, as the story in the Bible never said pyramids were used in the first place to store the grain. In fact, ancient people knew how to build granaries specifically for that purpose quite well, and could construct them quickly and easily when needed. There would have been absolutely no need for such gigantic structures  if the Bible story were true, they simply could have constructed regular granaries.

8. The Nearby Sphinx Actually Has An Alien Spaceship Still Awaiting Underneath

Many mystical groups and occult orders over the years have been fascinated with Egyptian magic, the pyramids themselves and the entire surrounding area. Some have gone to the trouble to channel with spirits in an attempt to learn things about the past traditions of ancient Egypt, and have come up with some very strange ideas. According to some theorists, a sort of poem that occultists claim came from the emerald tablets of Thoth The Atlantean suggests that there is some kind of strange ship buried underneath the Giza plateau, beneath the Great Sphinx.

The poem essentially claims that there is an actual spaceship under a lion shaped figure out in the desert, and that if the ship is dug up from the ground, its power will allow the user to conquer with ease. The occultists are convinced the poem translated from the tablets  which only one person ever saw  proves that an alien or advanced being of some sort actually left a spaceship buried under the ground. While the idea is incredibly bizarre, it would also be difficult to disprove, as the Egyptian authorities are not about to let anyone excavate the entire ground underneath the Great Sphinx.

7. The Pyramids Are A Navigational Beacon For Alien Beings

Conspiracy buffs out there have insisted that the pyramids are simply far, far more than we could ever imagine, and have built absurdly elaborate theories. One of these theories claims that the incredible effort that went into the pyramids was so that alien beings would be able to navigate their way to and from our planet. The theorists begin with the fairly common pyramid conspiracy that the pyramids were allegedly built directly in the center of the earths landmass, and also perfectly align with the three stars of the constellation Orion. While most theorists stop here and dont go much farther, some believe it was truly a highly technological beacon.

These theorists believe that the pyramids were lined not just with gold, but with special crystals that created a piezoelectric effect. The theorists believe this ancient, possibly alien technology allowed them to shoot a beam of light all the way out into space that created a perfect beacon for navigating in ships. Some even believe that the pyramids at Giza are only part of a larger network of pyramidal navigation beacons, some of which are in South America.

6. The Pyramids Were Built by the Residents of Atlantis

A few years ago, a group of German wannabe scientist conspiracy theorists got themselves in hot water while visiting the ancient pyramids at Giza. They had managed to finagle permission to see their way into the pyramid and explore certain parts most people didnt get to see, but abused the privilege by doing their level best to sneak artifacts out of the country. While many people who sneak artifacts are trying to get rich, these men were trying to prove their conspiracy theory, and disprove mainstream Egyptology.

They believe that mainstream Egyptologists are covering up the real truth, and were planning to run pigment and other tests on artifacts related to the Pharaoh Khufu, who claimed to have built many of the pyramids. They are convinced that Khufu came upon the pyramids much later, repurposed them for his own use, and then later took credit and claimed responsibility for having them built. They believe that if the dating on various items doesnt match up in testing, that it will prove their theory. The biggest hole in their theory is that their alternate belief is that the pyramids were created by Atlanteans, the legendary people from the city made up by Plato that never even existed in the first place.

5. The Pyramids Are Actually Gigantic Water Pumps

Some people state that Egyptologists have not found much in the way of mummies inside actual pyramids. On the other hand, they have found a huge amount of evidence that points to that being their original purpose, and are convinced that is the original purpose. However, if some of the theorists who believe they were not burial chambers are correct, there still had to be a major purpose for the pyramids that made some semblance of sense.

While the theory could still be completely off base, and does sound a little fantastic, the water pump theory has been independently tested and at least has some interesting features to it that seem plausible. Part of the theory centers on the fact that the burial chamber and other theories do not take much account for the massive subterranean chamber near the bottom of the great pyramid. Some theorists, after testing multiple models (including one using an actual pond), have managed to simulate a sort of water pump. While they did have to make a few small modifications from how they knew the design of the pyramids, it was a very close fit and worked as a water pump. These theorists believe that there was a tunnel at some point connected to the Nile to facilitate its function. If true, this theory could go hand in hand with the theory that water channels were used to help build the pyramids in the first place.

4. The Pyramids Were Built By Hybrid Giants Called Nephilim

For those who havent heard of them, the Nephilim are a supposed hybrid people mentioned in the Bible, that were the children of men and some kind of fallen angels. Some theorists also believe that the biblical stories are referring to the offspring of space aliens who bred with human beings. The stories in the Bible and other ancient myths tell of incredible giant people who were hybrids, looked somewhat different from humans and were almost unbelievable in proportion.

Theorists point to ancient pictures where there are beings that seem to tower over other human-like beings, including one where the supposed nephilim are equally as tall as a giraffe. They also point to alleged giant fingerprints and footprints cast in ancient stones, and other such proofs of giant beings that once walked the land. Some of these theorists are even convinced that rather than using some form of clever means to build the pyramids, that they simply employed these giants that were easily able to lift huge blocks. Of course, the big problem with this theory is there is that giants have always existed in and out of history because of rare genetic disorders  such as Andre the Giant in modern days  and even the strongest ones known of would hardly have been able to easily lift those blocks. Even the giants we know of in history and through archaeology were not that large.

3. Some Theorists Claim There is An Ancient Underground City Beneath The Pyramids

A few years ago a theorist was reading old books about explorers who searched the pyramids and the surrounding areas, as well as more esoteric historical texts, and noticed that there were claims of a cave system beneath the pyramids of Giza. After a lot of clever searching, he managed to find the entrance to a fairly large cave complex beneath the ground near the pyramids. The caves were fairly narrow in a lot of places and didnt lend greatly to exploration, but he was struck by inspiration as he walked through them. He wondered if the dark caves leading under the ground once inspired the myths of the dark underworld that Egyptians face after death.

While our intrepid explorer mainly thinks the caves are really cool, and may have psychologically affected the ancient Egyptians, some theorists believe there is way more going on. They point to ancient legends that claim there were once multiple marble cities underneath the Giza plateau, and that the pyramids were only a surface entrance to a much greater city. According to these theorists, there are giant cathedral size rooms of breathtaking beauty and design, likely filled with artifacts and waiting to be found, if we would just go search for them.

2. The Ancient Egyptian And Sumerian Giants Hidden In Stasis Chambers Around The World

According to conspiracy theorists, someone who works secretly for the government once told them of secret stasis chambers where a once existing race known as the builders are hiding within, waiting for the right time to come out and rule again. These beings are giants with red beards and pale skin, using special crystal technology to slow down time. The stories also allege that there are stasis chambers like this squirreled away all over the world with some occupants looking slightly different, and that some of the ones that have been found had already failed and their occupants had died.

According to the theorists, to complicate matters further, the beings seem squashed into the stasis pods, as if they somehow simply took advantage of technology someone else had already built. Either way, the theorists believe these beings are ancient and are using technology to make themselves essentially immortal.

The story takes a creepier turn in that they claim that there was evidence some had left in the past already, slowly exiting over time, and at one chamber some had written their names on the wall on the way out. Some of these names were written in Ancient Egyptian, or Sumerian, indicating a link to the pyramids, the ancient world, and alien theories. Another name supposedly written near the entrance to one of these chambers was Abraham Lincoln, who in a speech once mentioned an extinct race of giants who walked the land. Of course, most (sane) historians would say his words are taken out of context to promote such theories.

1. Some Theorists Are Convinced The Pyramids Used Real Light Bulbs And Everything

While many theorists will go to great lengths to explain the pyramids and their purpose, some people get a bit more caught up on the minutiae, and focus on very specific hieroglyphics that seem to depict modern objects. The more likely truth of course is that it is easy for us to see modern objects in their drawings because our own inventions are familiar to us, so we see what makes sense to us. However, that doesnt stop some theorists from going to incredibly elaborate lengths to explain why their theory makes sense. One theorist saw a hieroglyphic drawing that sort of looks like a really elongated light bulb if you squint at it really hard, but was more likely some kind of depiction of a snake, possibly in a vase.

The picture itself is incredibly disproportional if it were to depict a light bulb, as it is almost as large as the person who seems to be holding it  also, holding up a gigantic light bulb doesnt seem like a very practical use for it. However, the theorist has more than just pictures to prove his case. He believes that the lack of major soot inside the pyramids, in the spots where hieroglyphics were found, points at there being an artificial light source. After all, even with full sunlight outside, many of the internal parts of the pyramid would still have been pitch black, and writing on them accurately would have been very hard to do. Of course, the hieroglyphics could also have been drawn as the pyramid was being built, before the chambers were sealed completely from the light of day.

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Works to preserve the Ravelin/Land Gate in Famagusta will begin and are expected to last 11 months, according to an agreement

Works to preserve the Ravelin/Land Gate in Famagusta will begin and are expected to last 11 months, according to an agreement signed the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, the European Commission, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), CNA reported on Monday.

According to a press release issued by the UNDP on Monday, conservation works are expected to cost 564,238 euros, and will be fully funded by the European Union.

Conservation of the Ravelin/Land Gate is the fourth project that the UNDP has implemented in Famagusta on behalf of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, after the Othello Tower/Citadel, completed in July 2015, and the two currently ongoing conservation projects related to the Martinengo Bastion and the portion of the Venetian Walls between Arsenal and Sea Gate.

Informative meetings will be held by the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage and UNDP about the chosen conservation methodologies and work plans.

The press release says that within the framework of the EU funded and UNDP implemented project on Support to cultural heritage monuments of great importance for Cyprus, a study Survey, Investigations, Assessment and Project Design was carried out between April 2014 and January 2015 with regard to the Ravelin/Land Gate in Famagusta. The aim of the study was first to identify the most critical problems, research and understand the monument and then develop the designs for conserving and stabilising the monument, protecting the elements that are at most risk while observing internationally recognised conservation standards, creating a safe environment for the reuse of the monument, ensuring access to persons with disabilities and creating a drainage system to take water away from the bastion.

The project scope is divided into two parts:

1) Conservation - to address structural and material issues.

This includes improvement works to structural elements such as: grouting fissures, replacement of stones, stitching of cracks and drainage. It also includes replacing the failing concrete cap over the chimney, vegetation removal and cleaning.

2) Functional space - to improve the usability of the space.

This includes the adaptation of paved surfaces for disabled access, electrical conduit, visitor safety features and didactics.

The Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage is working in line and within the mutually agreed framework for the preservation of the islands common heritage.

Since 2012 approximately 11.7 Million of European Union funds have been provided by the European Commission to implement the priorities of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage for the preservation of the island-wide cultural heritage in Cyprus.

Source: CNA

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
Greek President Prokopios Pavlopoulos on Monday sent a message to Turkey during his visit to the island of Rhodes for the anniversary of the Dodecanese Integration

Greek President Prokopios Pavlopoulos on Monday sent a message to Turkey during his visit to the island of Rhodes for the anniversary of the Dodecanese Integration in Greece.

Grey zones regarding the scope and content of the Greek and European dominance in the Dodecanese region do not exist, under international law, Pavlopoulos stressed and defended Greeces right to defend with all available means the Dodecanese against any claims.

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Greek frigate Kountouriotis took part in a passing navy exercise (PASSEX) with US navy force Carrier Strike Group 2 in the region between Crete and the Peloponnese.

The Greek frigate operated with the USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH Nimitz class super-carrier and the USS PHILIPPINE SEA, along with a number of the two US vessels organic helicopters. The Hellenic Navy released photos of the joint exercise to the public. The USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH carries 6,000 sailors and was docked at Souda Bay in Crete for 10 days.

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By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) Regulator NPPA today said it has received complaints against 30 hospitals for overcharging on stents while some patients have received refunds for the excess payments.

"Updated list of complaints of overpricing. Some patients get refunds from the hospitals, and dont want to pursue it," the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) said in a tweet.

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Out of the 30 hospitals, Max Hospital in Saket, New Delhi and Nidan Hospital in Sonipat have sent detailed replies which are under examination, while Sun Medical and Research Centre in Thrissur has sent a clarification, it added.

The NPPA is also meeting stent manufacturers tomorrow to discuss issues like pricing and availability of the medical device.

In a major relief to lakhs of cardiac patients, the NPPA had slashed prices of life-saving coronary stents by up to 85 per cent by capping them at Rs 7,260 for bare metal ones and Rs 29,600 for drug eluting variety. PTI AKT ABM

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Cyprus deputy government spokesperson Victoras Papadopoulos has called for calm in regards to the Turkish navigational telex (NAVTEX) issued on Sunday

Cyprus deputy government spokesperson Victoras Papadopoulos has called for calm in regards to the Turkish navigational telex (NAVTEX) issued on Sunday.

In statements to Sigmas Mesimeri kai Kati program, Papadopoulos said that Ankaras latest action, is a violation and not an infringement of Cyprus sovereignty. He added that the violation lies in the fact that Turkey did not notify the Cypriot government before issuing the new NAVTEX.

Papadopoulos noted that the exercises described in the Turkish NAVTEX will be conducted in international waters and not in Cyprus sovereign area.

However, the deputy government spokesperson said that it is clear that Turkey  ahead of a referendum to be held on April 16  is attempting to raise tensions, and not create the appropriate preconditions for the Cyprus talks to continue.

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The new joint Hotel Report highlights opportunities for hoteliers and other travel marketers to engage travelers at the right time, on the right device

Sojern, travel's leading performance marketing engine, released From Search Engine to Booking Engine: Sojern's 2017 Hotel Report. The project combines Google's deep insight into hospitality and hotel search trends with Sojern's unique data set of 350 million global traveler profiles, including billions of booking and search signals from data partnerships across the travel industry. The new research report offers a state-of-the-art view of the hotel consumer's extremely complex path-to-purchase.

Sojern's 2017 Hotel Report is a valuable tool for hotel marketers to understand the evolving journey a guest is likely to take while discovering, researching, and ultimately booking a stay. The report's insights offer guidance to help hoteliers better time their marketing programs and maximize bookings by reaching consumers when they are most receptive to a message.

Infographic: Key findings from Sojern/Google's hotel report

"Travel audiences are incredibly savvy researchers and comparison-shoppers, sometimes visiting 30 or more websites, apps, and aggregators to research and book. When you account for the different devices being employed and overlay that with the multitude of channels visited throughout the path-to-purchase, the complexity for marketers increases exponentially," says Kurt Weinsheimer, Sojern's SVP of property solutions.

"There are also important nuances to this when you slice by audience segment. For example, what we see is that while luxury hotels guests still predominantly completing bookings via desktop, mobile searches (including smartphones and tablets) are growing the fastest for this particular segment. We also see that luxury hotel travelers conduct 50% more searches overall compared to economy and mid-range segments. As we partner with hoteliers to help them increase bookings -- from global enterprise brands to independent properties -- these insights become key inputs to our secret sauce."

A few of the trends identified in the report:

Mobile is Now the Dominant Channel for Hotel Searches

Looking at device preferences for search, it's clear that mobile is now the primary mode with an over 53% share of US search volume. Interestingly, some audience segments have moved faster to adopt mobile search than others, notably the economy and midscale segments. 73% of all searches for the economy hotel segment are now taking place on a mobile device. Compare that with 62% for midscale hotels, 53% for upscale and 45% for luxury hotels.

Mobile Search Is Growing Fastest for Luxury Hotels

For hotel brands in all segments, mobile queries are growing rapidly, but luxury brands are seeing more growth of shares of mobile queries compared to more economical market segments. During July - December 2016 compared to the same time period the year before, luxury hotels saw an increase of 23% in share of mobile searches, compared with 19% for upscale hotels and 14% for economy hotel brands. The lower growth rate of mobile searches for the latter is partially due to the fact that most searches for hotels in this segment are already happening on mobile.

Mobile Searches and Bookings Spike on Weekends

Desktop and mobile behaviors follow similar patterns throughout the work week, with weekends seeing a significant uptick in mobile searches (27-28%), and mobile bookings peaking at 14% on Sundays.

When looking at mobile behaviors in the context of trip lead time, a notable difference arises between search and bookings. Sojern's data shows that a quarter of all hotel searches are conducted on mobile 30 days or more in advance of the trip, but only 11% of mobile bookings are done within that window, indicating a "leaky pipeline"those mobile searches are not converting into mobile bookings. Hoteliers should be moving quickly to improve their mobile booking experience in order to capture this accelerating search volume.

Cuba and Europe Top the List of Fastest Rising Destinations Year-over-Year

Overall, Sojern and Google saw year-over-year growth in searches for hotels. Internationally, the opening of Cuba for US travelers has caused a flurry of searches to Havana and the beach town of Varadero. Thera (Santorini), Greece and Sodankyla, Finland have added new hotels and resorts recently, driving intent to these international destinations, and Lisbon, Portugal rounds up the top five fastest rising international destinations.

The top five fastest rising hotel destinations in the US include: Washington, D.C., Detroit, MI; Gatlinburg, TN; Ft. Washington, PA; and Colorado Springs, CO.

About Sojern:

Sojern is travel's leading performance marketing engine. With 350M global traveler profiles, 100K unique audience segments, and billions of predictive purchase signals including search and booking data from partners across the industry, we deliver billions in revenue and put more heads in beds, travelers in seats, and tourists in towns for our clients worldwide. From global enterprise brands to independent hotels, we work with companies around the world in air, hotel, car, cruise, and tourism to drive direct bookings. Headquartered in San Francisco, we manage key office locations in New York, London, Singapore, Omaha and Dubai to support our global services. For more information, please visit www.sojern.com.

SOURCE: Sojern

Related Link: http://www.sojern.com

Read report here.

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
Industry players are upbeat about the regions railway supply market prospects, noting that the sector will grow about three per cent annually in the next four years, a report said.



Helmut Scholze, partner at Roland Berger, one of the leading global strategy consulting firms, said: Despite some setbacks and the economic complexities seen in the past year, the rail market is picking up speed in the Middle East and North Africa. We predict further investments in rail systems and this will lead to significant, long-term growth in the rail equipment market. The UAE and Iran will be the key growth markets, while Saudi Arabia will stay moderately flat at its current high volume.



The sixth edition of World Rail Market report, produced by Roland Berger and Unife, a professional association for the railway supply industry, forecasts that the rail equipment market will grow by three per cent annually in the period through to 2021, almost at the same growth pace of Western Europe (3.1 per cent).



Middle East Rail 2017, taking place on March 7 and 8 in Dubai, will introduce both 2017 tenders and innovative technologies being implemented to build and operate futuristic networks.



Munir Patel, CEO, XRail Group, said: The region is still a very prosperous place as governments continue to realise the social, environmental and economic benefits of incorporating railway and metro systems into the transport infrastructure. The key is to stay connected to stay ahead. We have now established offices in Dubai, Doha and Riyadh, so we can be close to our clients to support them in their upcoming projects as we see stable growth in the market.

Last year, XRail was awarded a key contract to undertake the installation and testing of a remote conditioning monitoring system for Dubai Metro.



About $69 billion worth of railway projects are currently under construction in the GCC region. The 15-km extension of the Dubai Metro to the Expo 2020 site and the Saudi Land Bridge linking Riyadh to Jeddah are progressing well. In Egypt, the modernisation of a metro line and a large order for new metro vehicles is expected in Cairo. For the GCC Railway Project, individual member states are currently assessing the details of continuation of the project as well as domestic alternatives. Oman Rail is now weighing up plans for the development of a domestic heavy-haul line that will transport minerals from Thumrait to Duqm Port.



Andreas Schwilling, partner and global head of Rail & Mobility at Roland Berger, added: Private sector response to suggested PPPs (public-private partnerships) in the region has been cautious and moderate. A clear demonstration on whether transportation projects can be built and operated in a way that generates the returns required by equity investors will define the future of PPPs in the infrastructure sector in the Middle East.



Greenbrier Companies (GBX), one of the largest rolling stock providers, has expanded once again in the market with the acquisition of Astra Rail. Thomas P Jackson, vice president of marketing, Greenbrier Companies, said: With the Greenbrier-Astra Rail formation, we are keenly focused to support long-term growth opportunities in the GCC region. Our entry into Saudi Arabia's railcar market is a great honour and a great responsibility as we participate with the kingdom in one of its premier economic development and engineering projects at Wa'ad Al Shamal City.



In 2016, Greenbrier delivered the first set of 1,200 highly engineered railroad tank cars to Saudi Railway Company under a contract received in 2015. The company has set up a new corporate sales office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Three types of tank cars will support industrial mining operations  led by the national mining company, Ma'aden  at Wa'ad Al Shamal Industrial City in the Sirhan-Turaif region of northern Saudi Arabia. The tank cars will facilitate rail transportation of molten sulphur and phosphoric acid products that are used in a range of industrial activities.



James Cowan, CEO Greenbrier International, will address the topic of Competing on Freight Efficiency by showing how the company is executing on the current Saudi order, on March 7 at 3.10 pm at the Middle East Rail.



Experts from Roland Berger will join the discussion, with Helmut Scholze presenting the firm's latest insights on "Key levers to increase non-fare box revenues for railway operators" on March 8 at 11 am. - TradeArabia News service
Ford is celebrating this years International Womens Day with some of the brightest female minds in Saudi Arabia by hosting the first women-only Henry Ford Entrepreneurship Academy workshop with Effat University in Jeddah from March 7 to 9.



International Womens Day is not only an opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate womens contributions to the global workforce, but a chance to call on the masses to help forge a better, more inclusive, gender equal working world.



President of Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services Jim Vella, along with Simonetta Verdi, director, government and community relations for Ford Middle East and Africa, last week met with President of Effat University Dr Haifa Jamal Al-Lail; dean of graduate studies and research Dr Malak Al Nory; director of the Business Innovation Centre Dr Muhammad Khan; and executive director of international affairs Lisa Zuppe, to discuss the impact women have in business in Saudi Arabia, and the importance of supplying women in the kingdom with the necessary tools to continue to make their mark in the local economy.



Effat University is the first private institution of higher education for women in Saudi Arabia. Its mission is to qualify tomorrows competitive leaders with a world-class education by providing an interdisciplinary environment conducive to research, community service, and life-long learning.



Highly-educated women in Saudi Arabia have proven to be a leading force in the kingdoms business world and promising female entrepreneurs have become a growing public presence, said Verdi. The Henry Ford Entrepreneurship Academy workshops are designed to complement the work undertaken by the Saudi government, which has recently created programmes to encourage more female business owners to join the workforce.



More than 60 per cent of Saudi women have at least a graduate degree, but still most of them are unemployed, while around 63 per cent of Saudi women have unregistered yet successful businesses, and rely on mobile phones and personal computers to do business.



These are the women the HFEA hopes to instill with a range of vital new skills, tools and the entrepreneurial mind-set needed to nurture creative ideas, assessing the feasibility of their plans, and to help the budding entrepreneurs launch and grow new ventures, said a statement.



We are excited to collaborate with Henry Ford Entrepreneurship Academy to provide entrepreneurs in our community with useful programmes, and give them tools to lead their businesses to success, said Dr Al Nory. Effat University takes pride in standing behind empowering women in Saudi Arabia ever since the university was established, and it is truly an honour to be part of this initiative.



Confirming a desire to showcase the talents aspiring businesswomen in the kingdom possess, more than 200 have enrolled for the first women-only HFEA workshop, and will be celebrating International Womens Day on March 8 with like-minded empowered individuals with Ford and Effat University in Jeddah.



The workshops participants will receive cutting-edge training from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Effat University professors and insights from local entrepreneurs on the steps and activities for creating and sustaining the new ventures.



Ford Motor Company and Ford Fund are providing an increasing number of opportunities around the world that assist women in reaching their full education, economic and social potential, the statement said.  TradeArabia News Service


Qatars Turkish Hospital has signed up with Q Life & Medical Insurance Company (QLM), Qatars leading health and life insurer to provide distinctive quality healthcare services.



Through this partnership Turkish Hospital has taken a step forward towards tapping into the wide customer base, a statement said.



The agreement was signed by Salem Al Mannai, deputy group president and CEO of QIC Mena region and Dr Volkan Uygunucarlar, managing partner and CEO of Turkish Hospital.



During the signing ceremony, Al Mannai stated: In harmony with Qatars National Health Strategy and Vision, QLM has aligned its mission to promote the right of every individual in Qatar to live a healthy life. We at QLM follow the customer centric approach to ensure the continuation of best in class healthcare services for our insured members.



He further added: As a trusted insurance partner for integrated healthcare solutions, we strive to satisfy our members and exceed expectations through our pursuit for excellence. By leveraging our provider partnerships, we aspire to exceed the expectations of our insured members with innovative healthcare and awareness programmes that would enhance QLM members experience for being associated with us and to satisfactorily meet our social corporate responsibility.



Dr Volkan Uygunucarlar, managing partner and CEO of Turkish Hospital expressed his happiness to associate with QLM, the largest health insurer of the country, and said: We strongly believe that this collaboration with QLM would encourage better and stronger relationships between our doctors and insured members.

Dr Uygunucarlar further added: Together with QLM, Turkish Hospital will be committed to continuously improve the outcome of this partnership and enhance our patients experience.  TradeArabia News Service


Oman's Sohar Port and Freezone aims to develop the worlds first self-sustaining freezone cluster - an ambitious facility that will serve as a hub for innovation at the industrial port, said a report.



The proposed Sohar Innovation Zone will create its own energy from renewable resources, recycle its waste, and will serve as an incubator for initiatives designed to bolster the efficiency of the ports existing tenants, according to the Oman Observer.



Significantly, the Port of Rotterdam, Europes largest maritime hub and a 50 per cent partner in the Port of Sohar joint venture, will be playing a major role in the conceptualisation and development of the facility, stated the report, citing a senior official.



"We will be looking to create more synergies between our port and freezone and especially developing the freezone as a hub for innovation," remarked Mark Geilenkirchen, CEO of Sohar Port and Freezone.



"This will include a scheme that aims to create better use of resources between the port and freezones existing tenants and those looking to set up business. For example, where one company produces steam as a waste product, another may actually need steam for its own industrial processes," he explained.



According to him, the port and freezone will be operating the Innovation Zone as an ideas factory.



"Working in close co-operation with the Port of Rotterdam, it will try to nd innovative ways to solve tomorrows logistical problems," he stated.



He pointed out that sustainability will be a key theme of the futuristic project.



A solar park will cater to the power needs of various commercial, manufacturing and logistics businesses operating at the hub, noted Geilenkirchen.



From innovative ways to track containers and their loads moving between our port and preezone; through the use of 3D metal printing to create high quality industrial parts onsite; to the worlds rst self-sustaining Freezone logistics cluster, at Sohar we rmly believe that everything is possible, he added.
Omans Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) has stressed the key role played by qualified national employees in the manufacturing sector at a seminar in Sohar.



The event, organised in cooperation with Oman Technology Institute, also briefed on PEIEs recently launched training programme for developing Omani workforce in the manufacturing sector  Azeemati, which is supported by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and National Training Fund (NTF).



On the sidelines of the seminar, foundation stone was laid for the Facility Building in Sohar Industrial Estate, and the ongoing work progress was observed in phase one of Al Raha Village in the estate.



Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, chief executive officer of PEIE, said: This seminar comes in line with the recommendations of the previous seminar that was held on the same topic in Muscat governorate last month. The event also stresses the significance in training national cadres in various sectors, which eventually improves productivity and creates an apt work environment, and as a result reflects positively on the national economy of the Sultanate.



Al Hasani added: This seminar also aspires at highlighting Azeemati programme, which was launched in the previous seminar. This initiative is a dedicated national workforce development programme that comes within the framework of PEIEs social responsibility and its keenness to find solutions to the challenges faced by jobseekers. The programme will be implemented with the valuable support received from Petroleum Development Oman, National Training Fund and Oman Technology Institute.

PEIE has been involved in training the national cadres working in various companies and factories in the various estates through an annual training plan that aims at enhancing their skills and capabilities in various disciplines.

The Omani cadres in the estates are being trained in various fields including management, finance, marketing, and technical, among other fields. Moreover, awareness meetings and lectures are also being organised highlighting a variety of topics comprising work ethics, human relations, work pressure, work productivity, health and safety, among other topics, Al Hasani pointed out.

Dr Mohammed Al Mahjoob, technical consultant at Oman Technology Institute, mentioned that Azeemati shall subject the candidates for an intensive training programme to equip them with necessary skills before getting involved in various technical disciplines as well as management skills in line with the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) and other technical qualifications. The programme comprises foundation period to provide the trainees with initial skills, for instance in English language, work ethics, health and safety, and information technology.

PEIE has signed a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) to fund a training programme for jobseekers registered in the Public Authority of Manpower Register. The programme will continue for a period of 12 months in a specialised institute.

A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between PEIE and the National Training Fund (NTF) to facilitate full time employment of trainees. The MoU aims at facilitating employment of trainees on full time basis following successful completion of their training programme.

The National Training Fund shall finance the training programme following allocation of the trainees to the companies operating in the various fields of manufacturing and other fields in the industrial estates pertaining to PEIE in the various governorates of the Sultanate.  TradeArabia News Service
Twelve civilians have been injured in Mosul in what appears to be the first chemical weapon attack in the battle for the IS stronghold, according to a report.



An 11-year-old boy has severe respiratory and skin problems and a month-old baby was also injured in the attack, reported BBC.



A doctor from the International Red Cross (ICRC), based in nearby Irbil, confirming the incident, said the substance used was still unknown, but it was being treated as a chemical attack.



The injuries were apparently caused in two separate incidents when mortar fire hit houses in east Mosul and victims complained of a foul smelling chemical.



The victims' symptoms suggested exposure to a "blistering chemical agent", ICRC Middle East director Robert Mardini said.



They included blisters, redness in the eyes, irritation, vomiting and coughing.



The use of chemical weapons is forbidden under international law, he added.



It is not yet known who is to blame for the attack, but the mortars were apparently fired from west Mosul - which is still held by so-called Islamic State (IS).



The World Health Organization meanwhile said it was aware of the case and was working with the ICRC to prepare for further cases.
The United Arab Emirates has launched its National Strategy for the Year of Giving comprising more than 1,000 programmes and initiatives to be implemented by over 100 entities and strategic projects.



The Year of Giving was declared earlier by the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.



The launch took place during a Cabinet meeting held at the Wahat Al Karama memorial site in Abu Dhabi that commemorates the UAEs martyrs who laid down their lives in service of the nation, a Wam news agency report said.



His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, were in attendance.



The strategy, the largest of its kind on a national level, aims to promote philanthropic and humanitarian work across the public and private sectors, and place giving at the heart of the national agenda. It was formulated based on the outcomes of the Year of Giving Retreat, held in February in Dubai, that brought together more than 100 national dignitaries to share ideas on boosting charity and philanthropy.



With the aim of instilling a culture of giving across the UAE and institutionalising charity efforts, the National Strategy for the Year of Giving is a major step towards promoting and sustaining philanthropy and humanitarian work in the UAE. In addition, it intends to ensure that private sector companies contribute their fair share to the development of the country.



The National Strategy has launched a total of 1,000 government-backed initiatives  each with a specific agenda and timeframe  with the goal of establishing a comprehensive giving framework that will boost the levels of happiness, stability, and well-being. One of these initiatives seeks to develop and implement four policies focused on social responsibility, volunteerism, endowment, and serving the nation respectively.



Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and The Future and Chairman of the Higher National Committee for the Year of Giving, said: "The National Strategy serves as a detailed roadmap for philanthropic and charity work in the UAE through a series of unique programmes and initiatives that reinforce the status of the country as a beacon of humanitarianism. It reflects the vision of our wise leadership to make giving an integral part of social and corporate culture with the participation of all segments of society."



He emphasised that the strategy was based on in-depth studies of the field on the local level as well as on international experience and global best practices across all sectors of developmental and humanitarian work.



"Humanitarian and development organisations play a crucial role in our efforts. They gain peoples support, contribute to the soft power of the UAE, and reinforce its image as the most generous country in the world," he added.



The National Strategy will be supervised by Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi and it encompasses six pillars.



Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, is in charge of the corporate social responsibility pillar. The volunteerism pillar falls under the remit of Najla bint Mohammed Al Awar, Minister of Community Development. Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, oversees the humanitarian organisations pillar. Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of the National Media Council, is responsible for the media pillar. Ohoud bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness, heads the legislations and policies pillar. Finally, Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth, is in charge of the pillar related to serving the nation. Each of the six pillars represents a specific objective. The first pillar aims to engage private companies in development projects as part of their corporate social responsibility. The second pillar promotes the spirit of volunteerism in the UAE through launching specialised volunteering programs among various segments of society. The third pillar enhances the desire to serve the nation through emphasising the responsibility of individuals to contribute to the prosperity of the nation. The fourth pillar supports the development of humanitarian organisations in the UAE. The fifth pillar seeks to establish a comprehensive legislative framework to enhance the governance of charity work with the ultimate goal of ensuring the sustainability of humanitarian and charity activities. The purpose of the sixth and final pillar is to leverage the role of the media in supporting the Year of Giving and promoting its initiatives, the report said.
By Shashank Shekhar: As more and more investors take to digital currencies like bitcoin, leading to a sharp rise in their prices postdemonetisation, cyber criminals are also exploring innovative ways to pick virtual wallets.

Last week, a Delhi-based businessman lost Rs8.5 lakh to an alleged 'bitcoin miner', the term used for an agent who generates digital currency, who promised him 10 bitcoins with an assurance that the investment will rise twofold within next six months. The businessman chose not to file a complaint with police as digital currencies are not recognised by the RBI, even though there are varied views on its transactional legality.

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"Cases of fraud related to bitcoins are becoming more frequent," a senior crime branch officer told Mail Today. This is partly because many global companies have started accepting digital currency. "This has attracted many new investors. However, cashing on its rising popularity, some scamsters are also running fraud set-ups," said the officer, requesting anonymity.

"After demonetisation in November 2016, demands of bitcoins have gone up in the country and what gold was to the previous generation, bitcoin is to today's tech-savvy investor," he said, adding that it will be a big nuisance to crack such case as these currencies are not tangible.

WHAT IS BITCOIN

Bitcoin is a digital crypto-currency that is computer generated and not printed or minted physically like a country's currency. The denomination is created and held electronically in a decentralised system which means no single person, bank or authority has any regulatory control over it. It works as conventional forms of currency and is traded worldwide.

According to leading Bitcoin trading exchanges in India, there has been an increase in its user base by 250 per cent in last one year. Scamsters are also reaching out to new investors for dealing into other crypto-currency than bitcoin which includes TimeKoin, OneCoin, LitecoinNuBits, Tether etc.

"It is a popular currency on the internet where anything can be bought using bitcoins such as drugs, arms, pornography.

Even hackers demand digital currency in ransomware attacks carried in India. But, tracking crypto-currency is difficult on the web and beyond a country's boundaries is impossible," said Triveni Singh additional Superintendent of Police (Uttar Pradesh STF).

"Apart from Bitcoin, there are other 2,000 plus lesser-known virtual currencies and there are several cases of fraud related to virtual currencies these days," said Hitesh Malviya, a bitcoin expert.

Experts also claim that people in India are mostly interested in buying bitcoins and not selling them in the market in order to increase its valuation. Cops also claim that after the demonetisation announcement, many traders exchanged 'black money' for bitcoins.

Also Read

EXPOSED: The unrestricted bitcoins bazaar that helps dispose illicit wealth during demonetisation

Bitcoin hits highest level post demonetisation

--- ENDS ---
An electric car that is on a 34,000 km zero-emission road trip  from the Netherlands to Australia  and has been driven through 22 countries, stopped by at Dubai International to refuel and support Dubai Airports green mobility event on March 2.



Dubai Airports organised the event to promote the adoption of clean technology and highlighted the potential positive impact of electric and hybrid vehicles in achieving energy efficiency and reducing carbon footprint. Wiebe Wakker, the Dutch campaigner is driving his electric car from the Netherlands to Australia as part of his project Plug Me In to promote sustainable ideas and popularise electric vehicles.



The event also raised awareness on the environmental benefits of cleaner technology among the thousands of passengers that pass through DXB by displaying three electric vehicles at DXB.



Dubai Airports is committed to supporting Dubais vision to reduce carbon footprint and adopt cleaner technologies for an environmentally sustainable future. The green mobility initiative launched as part of the Dubai Plan 2021 identifies the deployment of electric and hybrid vehicles as a potential approach to achieving sustainability targets and help Dubai emerge as a smart integrated city. The green mobility event was aimed at creating awareness about and adding to the increasing popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles, said Michael Ibbitson, executive vice president  Technology & Infrastructure at Dubai Airports.



We are already helping to promote hybrid vehicles with two fully operational charging stations at DXB Terminals 1, 2 and at Dubai World Central while more stations are under planning, he added.



Organised in line with the Green Mobility Initiative introduced by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) to adapt cleaner technologies and reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, the event was supported by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority and Toyota Prius.



The overall Dubai target for the share of hybrid and EVs is at least 2 per cent penetration rate by 2020 and 10 per cent by 2030 of total vehicles registered in Dubai. This target is in line with international benchmarks and would result in estimated fuel savings of about 3 billion litres or 5 per cent of total consumption by 2030. - TradeArabia News Service


The Middle East's first solar-powered hotel is expected to be fully operational by 2018 as construction on Hotel Indigo is set to begin, said a report.



According to a report in Gulf News, the 153-room, three storey hotel - being built by Diamond Developers - will be operated under InterContinental Hotel Group's (IHG) lifestyle boutique brand Indigo.



"We have the final architectural design and work will start within weeks," the report quoted Diamond Developers CEO Faris Saeed as saying.



Designed to be a sustanable model, the hotel will rely heavily on a farm-to-table philosophy, with around 60 to 70 per cent of the hotels fresh produce needs, such as herbs and vegetables, being sourced from an adjoining farm, Saeed said.



Moreover, all the water from the hotel will be utlilised for landscaping and where possible, construction materials from the creation of Phase 1 of Dubai Sustainable City will be re-purposed within the hotel.



The hotel, which will The hotel development will take up 300,000 sq ft, will be located in Dubais Sustainable City.
SNC-Lavalin has been awarded a contract by Oman's Salalah Methanol Company (SMC) for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of an anhydrous liquid ammonia plant, including its utilities and off-site infrastructure.



The project is expected to begin in March 2017 with SNC-Lavalin initially performing the early works programme. Upon closing of financing by SMC, expected to occur in June 2017, SNC-Lavalin will continue with the engineering, procurement of equipment, construction and commissioning of the facility, which will produce anhydrous liquid ammonia using a technology provided by Linde Group.



SNC-Lavalin's Abu Dhabi office will be responsible for the project delivery, supported by local and international resources, while maximising the use of in-country expertise and local workforce during the construction phase.



"SNC-Lavalin has gained direct and relevant experience across our four sectors of activity over the past 40 years in United Arab Emirates and the greater Middle East region," said Jose J Suarez, president, mining and metallurgy, SNC-Lavalin.



"This new contract is testament of our continued commitment to the region and strong expertise in delivering world-class industrial facilities, while integrating a wide range of technologies in our projects," he added. "We are proud to work with SMC in developing this new exciting project." - TradeArabia News Service




Revellers wearing masks and lanterns parade through the streets during the so-called 'Morgestraich' in Basel, Switzerland, on early Monday morning. The traditional 'Morgestraich' starting at 4 am is the kick-off for the carnival of Basel. EPA/Georgios Kefalas
Science fiction often speculates about robots that are virtually indistinguishable from humans. However, while there are examples of humanoid robots being developed, the majority of robots will not take after their creators, says GlobalData.
Chinese hardliners have parts of their brains missing, says Dalai Lama when asked about the possibility of Chinese government appointing it's own Dalai Lama.

Dalai Lama says Chinese hardliners have part of their brains missing (Photo: Reuters)

By Reuters: Chinese hardliners have parts of their brains missing, exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said in an interview with John Oliver on his HBO show aired this week, comments likely to infuriate Beijing, which views the Nobel Peace laureate as a dangerous separatist.

The Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in India after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, denies espousing violence and says he only wants genuine autonomy for Tibet.

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The animosity between the two sides, and their rivalry for control over Tibetan Buddhism, is at the heart of the debate about reincarnation.

Speaking to US comedian John Oliver in India's northern town of Dharamsala, where the exiled Tibetan government is based, he also said he might be the last Dalai Lama.

"Very possible," he said. "If I become the last Dalai Lama, I feel very happy."

Tibetan Buddhism holds that the soul of a senior lama is reincarnated in the body of a child on his death.

China says the tradition must continue and its officially atheist Communist leaders have the right to approve the Dalai Lama's successor, as a legacy inherited from China's emperors.

The Dalai Lama has suggested previously the title could end with him, when he dies. China accuses him of betraying, and being disrespectful of, the Tibetan religion, by saying there might be no future reincarnations.

Asked if he was worried China might appoint its own Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader said it would be foolish.

"Our brain usually, you see, has the ability to create common sense," he said. "The Chinese hardliners, in their brain, that part of the brain, is missing."

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tibet's delegation to the annual meeting of China's parliament, which opened on Sunday, is likely to hold a news conference some time this week. Such meetings tend to be dominated by the issue of the Dalai Lama.

ALSO READ| India dragging ties into hostility by using Dalai Lama: Chinese media

ALSO WATCH| China should become open minded, says Dalai Lama

--- ENDS ---
Thailand is known for its pristine beaches--the country is simplt full of natural wonders where travelers can enjoy the beauty of nature. But there's one beach in Thailand where you wouldn't only enjoy the view but you'll also enjoy the company of a few friends--monkeys.

Monkey Beach, as what most people call it, is located on the island of Ko Phi Phi Don. According to Metro, this beautiful beach has gorgeous white sand and crystal clear waters but it's the friendly monkeys that seem to attract tourists to visit.

The monkeys just roam around freely at the beach and they would come up to people who want to play with them. These amazing creatures don't shy away from the spotlight which is why a lot of tourists really want that perfect shot of having the monkeys beside them while the beautiful beach is in the background.

According to Lonely Planet, Ko Phi-Phi Don is well-known for its beaches and jungles which perfectly explains what happens in Monkey Beach. The monkeys live in the mountains but they come down to the beach in search of food like fruits, seeds, and other edible things.

Having figured out that tourists also leave their snacks at the beach sometimes, it's more reason for the monkeys to spend more time down there. They're now comfortable having people around and they would even go into your bags if you're not mindful of your belongings.

There are other things to do in Monkey Beach like snorkeling, watching marine life, and enjoying the picturesque view of the beach. Not to mention, the island of Ko Phi Phi Don is also a nice place to enjoy numerous restaurants and resorts. You'll be able to experience the rich culture of Thailand in this wonderful place.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
New Zealand is offering people a chance to travel to its country for free. There will be 100 slots available and for those who will meet the criteria, everything will be paid for from flight fares to accommodation. However, the catch would be getting a job interview in Wellington City.

According to Metro, two New Zealand-based companies, Workhere New Zeland and Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency, are sponsoring this program which is called Looksee Wellington. This program aims to hire people in the tech field due to the growing tech industry in Wellington.

Everything is free but the candidates must take part in the pre-scheduled job interviews with some of the city's leading tech companies. There will also be meet-ups and tours around the city until such time when the companies would select the perfect candidate who's fit for the job that they're offering.

Independent reported that interested applicants have less than two weeks left until the deadline for the submission of resumes on March 20th. The duration of the trips and the interviews in New Zealand would last from May 8th-11th.

For potential employees coming from other countries, there will be forums and events hosted by the organization in charge. These informational events would help these future immigrants know the basic procedures of relocating to New Zealand.

In other news, some companies have also done the same thing to attract potential talents to work for them. In 2016, Netflix was looking for four new talents who would be present on the sets of its popular shows and take photos. These "Grammsters," as what they called these talents, would be receiving a weekly salary of $2,000 and all the travel arrangements would also be shouldered by the company.

But for those interested in LookSee Wellington, people can check out the offer on its website and learn how to be a part of its program.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
After China on Friday said it had formally raised the Dalai Lama's visit with India and warned that the visit would "seriously damage" relations, a commentary on Monday in the Party-run Global Times issued another warning to India.

By Ananth Krishnan: India is risking "dragging relations into hostility" by allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh in coming weeks, a Chinese newspaper warned on Monday.

After China on Friday said it had formally raised the Dalai Lama's visit with India and warned that the visit would "seriously damage" relations, a commentary on Monday in the Party-run Global Times issued another warning to India.

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The warnings suggest the visit, scheduled for early April, could become a source of tensions in relations in coming weeks, adding further strains to ties tested this past year over contentious issues such as the sanctioning of Masood Azhar and India's entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Both countries held a high-level strategic dialogue in Beijing on February 22 to address tensions in the relationship.

"At a time when a China-India strategic dialogue was just held to improve bilateral relations, the decision to receive the Dalai Lama in the disputed region is unwise. Leveraging the Dalai Lama issue to undermine Beijing's core interests risks dragging the two countries into a state of hostility," a commentary in the Global Times said.

NOTHING POLITICAL ABOUT DALAI LAMA'S VISIT

India has however clarified on several occasions that the Dalai Lama is travelling as a religious leader to a region where he has wide following and there is nothing political about the visit. Moreover, the Dalai Lama has relinquished his political title, with that position now in the hands of Sikyong Lobsang Sangay.

Further, India has said that the Dalai Lama is an honoured guest of India and a democratic government cannot curb him from travelling anywhere in Indian territory.

China, however, has reacted strongly to the upcoming visit. On Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said "China is gravely concerned over this information." "India is fully aware of the seriousness of Dalai issue and the sensitivity of China India border question," Geng added. "Under such a background if India invites Dalai to visit the mentioned territory, it will cause serious damage to peace and stability of the border region and China-India relations." Geng said Beijing has through "formal diplomatic channels" expressed its concerns to India. China had recently also issued a demarche after the Dalai Lama was hosted, among other Nobel laureates, by the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan, at an event that India stressed was for a purely social cause and not political.

WILL INDIA FACE REPERCUSSIONS

The Global Times suggested India might face repercussions as was the case of several Western countries and more recently Mongolia, that saw suspended exchanges as well as a fall in investments from China after hosting the Dalai Lama.

"These Indian officials apparently didn't realize, or deliberately ignored, the severe consequences the Dalai Lama's trip would bring. The 14th Dalai Lama is by no means a spiritual leader but a Tibetan separatist. Allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the disputed area will inevitably trigger confrontation, undermine the stability of the region and sour Sino-Indian relations."

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"For a long time, some Indians have considered the Dalai Lama as a strategic asset," the paper added. "They believe that India could gain many benefits by using the Dalai issue as leverage. For instance, making an issue of the Dalai Lama could serve as a diplomatic tool to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia. However, they overestimate the political value of the Dalai Lama and his group while miscalculating China's determination to safeguard its core interests."

The commentary said India and China had "come to a critical period to further upgrade bilateral ties". "The good momentum for the bilateral relationship in recent years shouldn't be disrupted," it said. "In future, there is great potential for the two countries to tap into cooperation. As the two biggest emerging economies, they have vast common interests on establishing a new global financial order, tackling climate change and other major issues."

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Also Read

China raises Dalai Lama Arunachal visit with India, says 'gravely concerned'

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/china-dalai-lama-india-visit-border-dispute/1/895884.html

--- ENDS ---


Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : CROATIA'S KATARINA LINE ANNOUNCES NEW TRADE SHOW DATES FOR MARCH 2017 Industry: Cruise

Voted 'Best Croatian DMC for 2016,' Katarina Line Continues to Grow Travel Agent Partnerships



(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - March 3rd, 2017 - Katarina Line, winner of the "best Croatian DMC award for 2016", announced new trade show dates as it continues to grow it partnerships with travel professionals in the U.S to help market and sell Croatia. The company representatives will participate in round-table discussions and educational seminars on the following shows and dates



Peninsula Trade Shows



Monday, March 13  Rochester, NY

Tuesday, March 14  Albany, NY

Wednesday, March 15  Boston, Ma

Thursday, March 16  Northern New Jersey



Peninsula trade shows host round-table meetings that provide opportunities for travel suppliers to connect with and educate retail travel agents on how best to market and sell their products.



Katarina Line will also be at the Travel & Adventure Show in Denver, Colorado on March 18 - 19, at the Colorado Convention Center, booth #738.



Company representatives will meet one-on-one with travel professions to discuss the benefits of partnering with Katarina Line. They will also be happy to prearrange meetings with participants to explore the company's rich and varied portfolio of in-land tours and small ship cruises to some of Croatia's most popular ports and attractions. Meetings can be scheduled at any time before, during and after the trade shows. Representatives can also visit agents' office for a private presentation, as well as to meet and train their staff.



For more information, call toll-free 1-800-485-3121 or visit www.katarina-line.com.



About Katarina Line

Voted "Best Croatian DMC for 2016" by leading travel professionals, Katarina Line is an award-winning DMC in Croatia and a premier small ship cruise company with weekly guaranteed departures from the end of April to mid-October, operating out of the major tourist centers of Opatija, Split and Dubrovnik. With a growing fleet of more than 50 ships in four different categories, the company serves more than 90,000 clients that include 26,000 cruise guests of all ages and budgets. Katarina Line itineraries give travelers the chance to explore the stunning natural environment and picturesque Mediterranean towns of Croatia while hopping from one island to another, offering guest the unique opportunity to experience the true Croatia.



Katarina Line enjoys an exceptional relationship with travel agents, which account for more than 95% of all its bookings worldwide. Katarina line is a member of many different travel associations, including USTOA, ASTA, NTA, ACTA, RDA, and ETOA. For more information, call toll-free 1-800-485-3121 or visit Katarina Line online. ### Please contact the person or company listed above for information regarding the content of this press release. TravPR.com are not the issuers of this press release and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content. Share Release :



CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Mario Almonte Company: Katarina Line Phone: 212-616-1190 Email: malmonte@herman-almontepr.com Web: PRESS RELEASE TAGS
North American bees are at risk of disappearing thanks to severe habitat loss and increasing pesticide use, among other threats, new report reveals.

For such a smart species, humans seem to be sorely lacking in common sense. Is it so difficult to understand that we are all part of a delicately balanced ecosystem that doesn't suffer fools lightly? Take the bees.

The dark fate of European honeybees has been making headlines ever since their precipitous decline came to light in the 1990s. But what about North America's 4,337 native bee species? These mostly ground-nesting bees "play a crucial ecological role by pollinating wild plants and provide more than $3 billion in fruit-pollination services each year in the United States," explains a new report by the Center for Biological Diversity. They dwell in forests and farms, cities and the wilds; they range from the wee Perdita minima to large carpenter bees.

 Center for Biological Diversity

We need bees to pollinate our plants so that we can have food. More than three-quarters of the world's food crops rely at least in part on pollination by insects and other animals, notes the UN, much of that thanks to bees. And now it turns out that more than 700 species of our native bees are in trouble from "a range of serious threats, including severe habitat loss and escalating pesticide use," notes the Center's analyses.

The evidence is overwhelming that hundreds of the native bees we depend on for ecosystem stability, as well as pollination services worth billions of dollars, are spiraling toward extinction, says Kelsey Kopec, a native pollinator researcher at the Center and author of the study. Its a quiet but staggering crisis unfolding right under our noses that illuminates the unacceptably high cost of our careless addiction to pesticides and monoculture farming.

Key findings of the report include:

 Among native bee species with sufficient data to assess (1,437), more than half (749) are declining.

 Nearly 1 in 4 (347 native bee species) is imperiled and at increasing risk of extinction.

 Many of the bee species lacking sufficient data are also likely declining or at risk of extinction, highlighting the urgent need for additional research.

 The declines are caused primarily by habitat loss, heavy pesticide use, climate change and urbanization.

Were on the verge of losing hundreds of native bee species in the United States if we dont act to save them, says Kopec. Almost 90 percent of wild plants are dependent on insect pollination. If we dont act to save these remarkable creatures, our world will be a less colorful and more lonesome place.

Not to mention a world with a lot less food to eat. How short-sighted can we be?

See the whole report here: Pollinators in Peril: A systematic status review of North American and Hawaiian native bees.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has estimated that India's GDP for the third quarter ended December, at Rs 30.28 lakh crore, recorded a growth of 7 per cent, compared with 7.3 per cent in the previous quarter.

By India Today Web Desk: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said the effect of demonetisation will spill over to the next quarter in some segments, RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya today said.

Acharya also said the pace of remonetisation was quick and should be completed in 2-3 months. The level of cash in circulation is less in the post-demonetisation era, he said.

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The admission by the central bank of demonetisation having a negative impact on economy comes even as the government faces allegations of fudging the last quarter's GDP estimates by not factoring in the effect of note ban, especially on the informal economy.

The official data released last week showed that the Indian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at 7 per cent for the third quarter was only marginally impacted by the November 8 demonetisation measure. The announcement re-ignited the controversy about the methodology employed to calculate the country's national income.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has estimated that India's GDP for the third quarter ended December, at Rs 30.28 lakh crore, recorded a growth of 7 per cent, compared with 7.3 per cent in the previous quarter. The country had registered a GDP of Rs 28.31 lakh crore in the corresponding quarter of 2015-16.

The estimates of GDP growth for the full fiscal 2016-17, at 7.1 per cent, marked a sharper fall from the 7.9 per cent recorded for the fiscal 2015-16. This appeared to fly in the face of previous private surveys documenting the disruption caused by the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 rupee notes constituting 86 per cent of the currency in November.

Also read: Why not allow deposit of banned notes till March 31 as promised, asks Supreme Court

Also read: Demonetisation pulls down India's GDP growth to 7 per cent in Q3

--- ENDS ---
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A number of petitions filed by the Opposition and others have challenged demonetisation of 86 per cent of the bank notes in circulation in India.

By India Today Web Desk: Acting on a plea, the Supreme Court today asked the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) why the people are not being allowed to deposit their banned Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes in banks till March 31, as promised by the government when the decision to demonetise them was announced.

Deciding to hear on March 10 a batch of petitions challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation move announced on November 8 last year, the apex court issued a notice to the Centre and the RBI over a plea that challenged the penalty on deposit of old notes in banks.

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The government had set December 30, 2016 as the deadline for depositing banned notes in banks. The RBI later said people can deposit old notes at their offices till March 31, but they must give a valid reason for missing the December 30 deadline.

A number of petitions filed by the Opposition and others have challenged demonetisation of 86 per cent of the bank notes in circulation in India. There were 17,165 million pieces of Rs 500 notes and 6,858 million pieces of Rs 1,000 notes in circulation on November 8, 2016.

The total amount of high denomination currency circulating in the system on that day was Rs 15.44 lakh crore - Rs 8.58 lakh crore in Rs 500 notes and Rs 6.86 lakh crore in Rs 1,000.

Also read:

Demonetisation pulls down India's GDP growth to 7 per cent in Q3

Demonetisation is Modi's Napoleon moment: Amartya Sen to India Today

--- ENDS ---
Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 6

Come April 1, customers of public sector and private sector banks will have to pay more towards bank charges and fees. Some of the banks, including SBI and Kotak Mahindra Bank, have already announced the revised charges, effective from April 1. Other banks are also expected to follow the suit soon.

Private sector banks such as HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank have increased charges for cash transactions from March 1.

In case of other banks, which are yet to announce the increase in charges, sources in the banking industry said the number of free ATM withdrawals may be slashed. There will be a hike in charges levied in the coming months in a move to discourage people from using cash. The proposed move will hurt the common customers since cash is still a mainstream medium for transactions.

Experts criticised the move and said the government was making a case for digital economy at a time when the countrys mainstream digital infrastructure was not fully equipped.

Countrys largest bank SBI has decided to impose a fine of Rs 50 plus service tax on every cash transaction beyond three from April 1. As per the revised charges of SBI, failure to maintain Monthly Average Balance (MAB) in accounts will attract a penalty of up to Rs 100 plus service tax depending upon the area such as rural, semi-urban and metropolitan. The charges and MAB vary according to the location of bank, with minimum charges in case of rural branches.

Also, cash withdrawals from ATMs will attract a charge of up to Rs 20 beyond three transactions and Rs 10 for more than five withdrawals from SBI ATMs.

Since all five associates of SBI, namely State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Hyderabad, are likely to be merged with SBI from April 1, the charges will be applicable to other banks also.

In case of Kotak Mahindra Bank, failure to maintain average minimum balance will attract a penalty starting from Rs 350 to Rs 550 for different types of accounts. The bank will offer free four transactions at branch and beyond that a minimum charge of Rs 150 will be levied. The bank will also charge Rs 30 quarterly for daily SMS and Rs 30 per quarter for weekly SMS service.

HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank, have already started imposing (from March 1) a minimum charge of Rs 150 per transaction for cash deposits and withdrawals at bank branches beyond four free transactions in a month. These charges are applicable to savings as well as salary accounts.
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 6

Despite not so supportive global cues, stock market indices today closed at a two-year high buoyed by the progress made on GST rollout, heavyweight stock RIL hitting fresh highs and hopes that the ruling BJP will win the crucial assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The BSE Sensex rallied almost 216 points and reclaimed the 29,000-mark to close at a two-year high. The index ended 215.74 points up, or 0.75%, at 29,048.19  its highest closing since March 5, 2015, when it had closed at 29,448.95. The clearance of two supporting legislations for GST rollout from July 1 enthused investors.

The buying support led to the NSE Nifty gaining 65.90 points, or 0.74%, to end at 8,963.45, a level last seen on March 3, 2015, when it settled at 8,996.25.

Reliance Industries rose by 3.69% and settled at a fresh nine-year high of Rs 1,304.90, after the company announced that the promoters will reshuffle their shareholding. RIL has gone up by over 21% after its telecom venture Jio said last month that it will begin charging for data services from April 1.

A report by brokerage, Sharekhan Limited said the NSE index closed at its highest in two years on Monday, near a key psychological level of 9,000, on hopes the ruling BJP would win the elections in UP.

Gaurav Dua, Head Research, Sharekhan Limited, said, Despite weakness in European markets, the indices in India ended with strong gains today. Reliance Industries continues to lead the rally with banking and telecom stocks also aiding the days upward movement. Benchmark indices sustaining near all-time high levels despite negative global cues highlights the underlying strength and is a positive indicator.

In a recent report, Deutsche Bank - Equity Research - Asia had said surging domestic inflows and the post-Budget pick up in FII flows have led the BSE Sensex higher by 10% (in $ terms) and 8% (absolute terms). Year to date, the BSE Sensex is the second-best-performing market in Asia, the report said.
New York, March 5

A 39-year-old Sikh man was injured when a masked gunman opened fire at him in front of his house in US Washington state after telling him go back to your own country. This is the third incident involving Indian victims in the past 10 days.

The Sikh man, identified as US national Deep Rai, was working on his vehicle outside his home in Kent on Friday when a stranger, described as a white male, walked up to him. Kent police said an argument broke out between the two, with Rai claiming the suspect made statements like go back to your own country. The unidentified man then shot him in the arm.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

In a series of tweets, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said: I am sorry to know about the attack on Deep Rai, a US national of Indian-origin. I have spoken to Sardar Harpal Singh, father of the victim.

He told me that his son had a bullet injury in his arm. He is out of danger and is recovering in a private hospital.

MaryKay L Carlson, Charge dAffaires, American Embassy in New Delhi, said she was saddened by the shooting. Wishes for quick and full recovery. As @POTUS said we condemn hate and evil in all its forms, she tweeted.

The victim described the shooter as a six-foot-tall white man, wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face. The Kent police are looking for the gunman.

Kent police chief Ken Thomas said while the Sikh man sustained non life-threatening injuries, they were treating this as a very serious incident.

Rai is able to talk, an Indian government official said. The official said the government was ready to offer all possible assistance to him. Authorities are investigating the shooting as a suspected hate crime, according to the Seattle Times.

Indias Consulate in San Francisco is in touch with local authorities who are ascertaining the nature of the crime. The Kent police have launched an investigation into the case and have reached out to the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. Were early on in our investigation, Thomas said.

The National Sikh Campaign, a rights group, said the community must get organised and proactively fight hate by reaching out to our fellow Americans.  Agencies
Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 5

With VAT, excise and licence fee up in Haryana, tipplers will have to shell out more for liquor from April. While the cost of country-made liquor (CL) has been hiked from Rs 120 to Rs 130 per bottle, the new excise policy has effected an increase of Rs 70 to Rs 200 in the prices of various brands of IMFL. Beer will be dearer by Rs 5 a bottle on an average.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Unveiling the excise policy for 2017-18 here today, Excise and Taxation Minister Capt Abhimanyu said the hike was likely to add over Rs 500 crore to the states revenue kitty.

The bar licence fee has been increased by 20 per cent. The duty on the supply of liquor under the CSD supply scheme has also been increased, though it continues to be lower than that in Punjab.

For the first time, he said, the state had decided to auction wholesale licence for the supply of imported foreign liquor, which was likely to fetch additional revenue of around Rs 50 crore.

The excise duty on CL has been increased from Rs 20 per proof litre (PL) to Rs 28 per PL. The duty on IMFL (ranging from Rs 40 to Rs 70 per PL in four categories) has been hiked from Rs 45 per PL to Rs 200 per PL under seven categories, depending on ex-distillery price. The rates of duty on beer will now range from Rs 31 per BL to Rs 36 per BL, as against Rs 25 to Rs 40 per BL. The duty on wine has been fixed at Rs 10 per BL; it was Rs 3 to Rs 4 per BL earlier, he said.

VAT on liquor had been revised from flat 10 per cent (plus surcharge) to 5 to 13% for CL, 13.5% for beer, 14% for IMFL, besides 5 per cent surcharge on all three categories. The annual licence fee for bars has been increased from Rs 12.5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh in case of Gurugram, Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh in case of Faridabad and Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 9 lakh in other districts of the state, he said.
Naveen Grewal/Gitanjali Gayatri/Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 6

Haryana Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu on Monday said the impact of GST and demonetisation had slowed economy but it would boost up before the end of the financial year.

He was reading out his budget speech in the Haryana Assembly. The FM presented his third budget in Haryanas Golden Jubilee year.

The FM proposed a budget of Rs 1,02,329.35 crore, an increase of Rs 9,041.59 (13.18 per cent) over the last budget.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The proposal comprises 21.88 per cent as capital expenditure of Rs 22,393.51 crore and 78.12 per cent as revenue expenditure of Rs 79,935.84 crore.

Salient features of the budget:

*Fiscal deficit has remained within limit of 3 per cent of GSDP

*Debt to GSDP has remained within prescribed limit of 25 per cent

*Total revenue receipts during 2016-17 estimated at Rs 69,327.09 crore

*Of this, tax revenue is estimated at Rs 45,087.63 crore and non-tax receipt at Rs 15,239.46 crore

*Total capital expenditure is estimated to be Rs 19,657 crore

*Nine priority areas: Agriculture, rural development, urban development, infrastructure, education, IT governance, health, women empowerment, development of youth and culture

*No new taxes in Haryana Budget

*No change in current VAT rates

*Bio-diesel, solar devices and parts used for installation of solar power projects made tax-free

*New scheme Deenbandhu Haryana Gram Uday Yojana to develop 1,500 villages having populations between 3,000 and 10,000; to be implemented in three years with an outlay of Rs 5,000 crore; the scheme is funded by Nabard. During the current fiscal Rs 1,200 crore to be spent

*For maintenance of existing infrastructure a new scheme, Mangal Nagar Vikas Yogna, with outlay of Rs 1,000 crore

*Demonetisation figures in the budget speech

*Announces 5 per cent rebate for use of the Bhim app

*Asset augmentation fund for strengthening public assets and asset management cell for asset mapping by revenue department

*Budget allocation to agriculture increased by 18.79 per cent

*Rs 3,206.01 crore for agriculture and allied activities

*Irrigation gets Rs 2,724 crore as compared to Rs 2,397.68 crore last year

*Budget allocation for rural development increased by 56.69 per cent

*For irrigation the increase in allocation is 13.62 per cent

*Saksham Scheme to provide up to Rs 9,000 earning potential for unemployed youth

*To provide unemployment allowance and honorarium

*Rural development gets Rs 4,963.09 crore in 2017-18 against Rs 3,167.55 last year

*Panchkula becomes the first district where all villages are getting 24-hour electricity, claims the FM

Sectoral allocation

Agriculture: Rs 12,784 cr

Rural development: Rs 4,963 cr

Education: Rs 15,546 cr

Health: Rs 3,839 cr

Industry: Rs 400 cr

Social welfare, women and child development and welfare of SCs and STs: Rs 6,859 cr

Power: Rs 12,685 crore

Public health engineering: Rs 3,382 cr

Urban development: Rs 4,973 cr

District plan: Rs 400 cr

Transport: Rs 2,549 cr

Buildings and roads: Rs 3,827 cr

*Rs 100 crore allocated for SYL canal, but will pay any amount for construction, even if it calls for Rs 1,000 crore

Budget Highlights

First timer

*Dispense with the Plan and Non-Plan classification of expenditure

*Present the Budget in terms of revenue and capital classification

*Classify the allocation of resources into rural and urban categories, wherever feasible, to have a clearer view about the fund flow to priority areas

*State of the economy--Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP)

*GSDP at constant prices (2011-12) has registered a growth of 9 per cent in 2015-16 as compared to 5.7 per cent in 2014-15

*In 2016-17, GSDP is growing at 8.7 per cent, and is expected to rebound to 9 per cent plus growth in 2017-18

*GSDP growth rate had never touched 9 per cent during the past five years of the previous government. It was 7.4 per cent in 2010-11, 8 per cent in 2011-12, 7.7 per cent in 2012-13, 8.2 per cent in 2013-14 and 5.7 per cent in 2014-15. The GSDP growth rate has remained significantly higher than the all-India GDP growth under the present government.

*Per capita income (PCI) growth rate was 4 per cent as compared to the All-India figure of 5.8 per cent in 2014-15.

*The per capita income growth rebounded to 7.5 per cent in 2015-16 as against the All-India figure of 6.6 per cent.

*In 2016-17, PCI is expected to show a growth rate of 7.2 per cent while All-India PCI is expected to grow at 5.9 per cent

*Primary sector (agriculture and allied sectors), registered a negative growth of 2 per cent in 2014-15, rebound to growth rate of 3.2 per cent in 2015-16. In 2016-17, it is estimated to grow at 7 per cent

*Secondary sector (industry) had shown a robust growth of 7.7 per cent in 2015-16 as against only 2.3 per cent in 2014-15. In 2016-17, 6.1 per cent is the estimated growth for this sector

*Tertiary (services) sector has shown an impressive growth rate of 10.9 per cent in 2015-16 as compared to 10.3 per cent in 2014-15. In 2016-17, the growth rate of the sector is expected to be 10.8 per cent

*Share of services sector had increased from 49.6 per cent in 2014-15 to 50.7 per cent in 2015-16 and further to 51.7 per cent in 2016-17

*Share of secondary sector remains more or less constant in the range of 30 to 31 per cent during the past three years

*Share of primary sector has shown a declining trend from 19.3 per cent in 2014-15 to 18.3 per cent in 2015-16 and further to 18.1 per cent in 2016-17

Fiscal parameters

*In 2014-15, the revenue deficit was 1.9 per cent of GSDP, had declined to 1.6 per cent in 2015-16 and in 2016-17, it is likely to be 1.33 per cent. For the fiscal 2017-18, it is expected to go further down to less than 1 per cent and by the end of 2019-20, the target is to bring it down to zero

*Fiscal deficit has remained within the stipulated limit of 3 per cent of GSDP prescribed by the Fourteenth Finance Commission for the states. In 2015-16, the fiscal deficit of the State was 2.92 per cent of GSDP, while in 2016-17 it is expected to be 2.49 per cent of GSDP. For the next year, it is likely to be in the range of 2.61 (without UDAY) to 2.84 per cent (with UDAY) of GSDP

*Debt to GSDP ratio remained within the prescribed limit of 25 per cent. It was 16.21 percent in 2014-15, 17.4 percent in 2015-16 and 18.08 per cent in 2016-17 (RE), without UDAY; and 20.96 per cent in 2015-16 and 22.82 per cent in 2016-17 (RE), with UDAY. In 2017-18, it is estimated at 18.74 per cent without UDAY and 22.93 per cent with UDAY

*Total Revenue Receipts (TRR) as a ratio of GSDP is estimated at 11.02 per cent in 2016-17 as compared to 9.8 per cent in 2015-16 and 9.33 in 2014-15. It is a significant development having direct impact on state resources

*In 2017-18 Budget Estimates, TRR is projected at Rs 68,810.88 crore of which tax receipt is Rs 51,711.52 crore and non-tax receipt Rs 17,099.36 crore. This is an increase of 14.06 per cent in TRR in 2017-18 over 2016-17. In 2017-18, TRR is expected to be 11.12 per cent of the GSDP

*Interest payment to Total Revenue Receipts ratio was 16.98 per cent in 2014-15, increased to 17.42 per cent in 2015-16. However, it has declined to 15.94 per cent in 2016-17. Projected around 16.36 per cent for 2017-18

Capital Expenditure

As against the total capital expenditure of Rs 6,780.12 crore in 2015-16, it increased by 9.6 per cent to Rs 7,432 crore at RE 2016-17. For the next fiscal 2017-18, it is proposed to double it to Rs 14,932 crore, over RE 2016-17

In addition, capital expenditure to the tune of Rs 4,725 crore is likely to be incurred by public sector units in 2017-18. Hence, total capital expenditure is estimated to be Rs 19,657 crore in 2017-18
Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, March 6

Infuriated over the police inaction in the case of stopping ghurchari of a Dalit groom in Sagga village, scores of families from the Dalit community along with residents of other villages, today protested at the district headquarters here.

They staged a dharna outside the Mini Secretariat which continued till the filing of this report.

Earlier, they camped in Karan Park and announced that they would not leave the city due to security threat.

Community members are demanding arrest of the people of the upper caste who had stopped the ghurchari on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday and thrashed them.

They are also requesting the administration to rehabilitate them in the city.

Deputy Commissioner Mandeep Singh Brar and Superintendent of Police Jashandeep Singh Randhawa in a meeting which lasted for around two hours assured them of their security and also promised to nab the accused.

The district administration served them food outside the Mini Secretariat.

The community members also demanded seizing the weapons of the upper caste, which was denied by the administration.

Police have registered a case against more than 40 persons under Sections 148, 149, 323, 427, 504, 506 of the IPC and the SC/ST Act.

After three days of the incident, Dalits of Sagga village along with other members of community from other villages assembled at the village and left for Karnal in the morning.

The marriage of Sombir, a resident of Sagga, was to be solemnised on Saturday and before the marriage the family members took out ghurchari procession in the village on Friday night, which was stopped by some upper caste youths.

As the Dalits opposed, the situation got tense. Stone pelting also took place which led to injuries to one cop and several others.

The DC has stationed a duty magistrate in the village round the clock to monitor the situation along with the deployment of police personnel.
Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 6

Former Chief Minister and Kangra MP Shanta Kumar today said the state government was not empowered to declare Dharamsala as the second capital till an Amendment is made in the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.

In a statement issued today, the former CM said the Amendment could only be made by the Centre. The state government will have to approach the Centre to make an Amendment in the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, and seek the permission of the Government of India to allow creation of a second capital, he remarked.

The statement by Shanta comes in the wake of the recent decision by the Cabinet which gave formal approval for declaring Dharamsala as the second capital. Kangra has a total 15 Assembly segments and the party which sweeps the district invariably forms the government.

Surprisingly, on the issue of grant of unemployment allowance to the educated jobless youth, the BJP leader seemed to be siding with Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

I too am of the opinion than rather than making the youth dependent on the unemployment allowance, it will be better to provide them jobs, he said.

It is not just the BJP but even many Congress leaders are of the opinion that the Congress regime must fulfil the promise made to the people in the party manifesto released before the 2012 Assembly polls.
The senior White House official said the new executive order would keep a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of six Muslim-majority nations - Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

By Reuters: President Donald Trump signed a revised executive order on Monday banning citizens from six Muslim-majority nations from traveling to the United States but removing Iraq from the list, after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts.

The new order, which the White House said Trump had signed, keeps a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

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White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the new order would take effect on March 16. The delay aims to limit the disruption created by the original January 27 order before a US judge suspended it on Feb. 3.

Trump, who first proposed a temporary travel ban on Muslims during his presidential campaign last year, had said his original executive order was a national security measure meant to head off attacks by Islamist militants. It came only a week after Trump was inaugurated, and it sparked chaos and protests at airports, as well as a wave of criticism from targeted countries, Western allies and some of America's leading corporations.

"It is the president's solemn duty to protect the American people," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters after Trump signed the new order. "As threats to our security continue to evolve and change, common sense dictates that we continually re-evaluate and reassess the systems we rely upon to protect our country."

The leader of the minority Democrats in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said he expected the revised order to have the same uphill battle in the courts as the original version.

"A watered down ban is still a ban," he said in a statement. "Despite the administration's changes, this dangerous executive order makes us less safe, not more, it is mean-spirited, and un-American. It must be repealed."

IRAQ'S NEW VETTING

Iraq was taken off the banned list because the Iraqi government has imposed new vetting procedures, such as heightened visa screening and data sharing, and because of its work with the United States in countering Islamic State militants, a senior White House official said.

Thousands of Iraqis have fought alongside US troops for years or worked as translators since the US-led invasion in 2003. Many have resettled in the United States after being threatened for working with US troops.

Trump's first order was seen by opponents as discrimination against Muslims but the White House official said the new order was based on national security concerns and had nothing to do with religion.

"It is substantially different from the first order yet it will do the same thing in this important way: It will protect the country and keep us safe," the official said. The administration would reset the clock on the 90-day travel ban.

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The White House official said the new executive order also ensures that tens of thousands of legal permanent residents in the United States - or green card holders - from the listed countries would not be affected by the travel ban.

Trump's original travel ban resulted in more than two dozen lawsuits in US courts. The state of Washington succeeded in having it suspended by the 9th Circuit court of Appeals by arguing that it violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination.

The original order barred travelers from the seven nations from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days. Refugees from Syria were to be banned indefinitely but under the new order they are not given separate treatment.

NO ALLEGED CHAOS

Trump publicly criticized judges who ruled against him and vowed to fight the case in the Supreme Court, but then decided to draw up a new order with changes aimed at making it easier to defend in the courts.

Refugees who are "in transit" and already have been approved would be able to travel to the United States.

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"There's going to be a very orderly process," a senior official from the Department of Homeland Security said. "You should not see any chaos so to speak, or alleged chaos at airports. There aren't going to be folks stopped tonight from coming into the country because of this executive order."

The FBI is investigating 300 people admitted into the United States as refugees as part of 1,000 counter-terrorism probes involving Islamic State or individuals inspired by the militant group, congressional sources told Reuters on Monday, citing senior administration officials.

An FBI spokeswoman said the agency was consulting its data to confirm the information.

The White House official said US government agencies would determine whether Syria or other nations had made sufficient security improvements to be taken back into the refugee admissions program.

US ENTRY PROGRAMS

The new order launches a 90-day period for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to define a new series of requirements for countries to have full participation in US entry programs.

For countries that do not comply, the US State Department, the DHS and intelligence agencies can make recommendations on what, if any, restrictions should be imposed.

"It's not an all-or-nothing scenario," the official said.

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The new order spells out detailed categories of people eligible to enter the United States, such as for business or medical travel, or people with family connections or who support the United States.

"There are a lot of explicit carve-outs for waivers and given on a case-by-case basis," the official said.

--- ENDS ---
Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 6

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has started the widening of the strategic Sumdo-Kaza-Gramphoo road which will improve connectivity to the tribal belt of Lahaul-Spiti and the adjoining border areas with China.

The 235-km road was taken over by the BRO from the Public Works Department about two years ago with the mandate of maintaining and upgrading it as a strategic border road. It links the Chandigarh-Manali-Leh and the Chandigarh-Shimla-Puh national highways.

We will prepare a detailed project report on the work within three months, BRO Additional Director General PK Mahajan said. The road will be upgraded as per the National Highway Double-Lane standards, where two large vehicles can pass each other, he added. The work will be done in a phased manner.

At present, portions of the road are of Class-5 and Class-9 standard, varying from 5m to 3.5 m of black top where one vehicle has to get off the top to allow the other to pass. Large parts of the stretch remain snow-bound during the winter.

Sumdo-Kaza-Gramphoo connects Kullu through the Rohtang Pass and Gramphoo on the western axis to Kinnaur Valley via Kaza, Tabo and Puh on the eastern axis. The road moves further on to Rampur, Shimla and Chandigarh as part of the national highway.

Several popular tourist destinations lie between Gramphoo and Sumdo, including the Kunzum Pass, Chandratal Lake, Tabo, Ki and Dhankar monasteries and Pin Valley National Park.

The BRO also expects to complete the double-laning of the Wangtu-Puh-Kaurik stretch of the aforementioned national highway by next year, thereby improving road connectivity to Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti from Chandigarh and Shimla.
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 6

On Monday, thousands of people thronged Tral to attend the funeral prayers of Burhan Wanis aide and top militant commander Aqib Ahmad Bhat, who was eliminated along with a foreign militant during a gunfight on Sunday. A cop of the elite counter-insurgency group of the J&K Police was also killed in the encounter.

The J&K Police had handed over Aqibs body to his family on Sunday. Thousands of people, especially youth, today followed the militants coffin amid anti-India, pro-Pakistan and pro-azadi slogans as funeral prayers were offered four times at his native village Hayena, some 45 km from Srinagar. The town also observed a shutdown.

For the past two years, the Valley has been witnessing large gatherings at funerals for militants. The swelling crowds at such funerals are not only a headache for the security agencies but also a matter of concern. Last year, the tipping point came when over two lakh people attended Burhans funeral in Tral.

These huge funerals depict the support for militants and the brewing anger, especially in south Kashmir, said a Tral resident, who attended Aqibs funeral.

After the gunfight broke on Saturday evening, people tried to save the militants but were not successful. However, a large number of people who attended the funeral today showed their support for the militants.

The local militants who have been killed this year have invariably been accorded such burials. At least 11 local militants have been killed this year in anti-militancy operations.

These funerals are a worrying factor and at times influence youth to pick up arms, a police officer said.

Incidentally, after a huge funeral for top Pakistani militant commander Abu Qasim in 2015, the J&K Government had decided against handing over the bodies of Pakistani militants to locals. And this time, too, the body of Pakistani militant Saifullah, alias Osama, who was killed with Aqib in Tral, was not handed over to locals. The Pakistani militant, sources said, would be buried in the Valley after medico-legal formalities.

A senior security official in Kashmir said huge funerals were a matter of concern for the security agencies. It is a worry for us. We will face this situation till militancy exists here. It is also a cultural issue as people want to attend funerals, the senior official said, adding that not every militants funeral, however, was attended by a large number of locals.
Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

The fault lies with the political narrative in Kashmir for all the anti-India rants and stone-throwing at the encounter sites. This narration inspires the streets as those who would swear by India and its unity not long ago have now started seeing liberators of their motherland in the gun-wielding and stone-throwing youth.

Leave aside the pygmies who are turning to azadi seekers for their relevance, when Farooq Abdullah, the three-time Chief Minister who used to declare I was born an Indian and I will die an Indian, starts invoking azadi and terms militants as freedom fighters, the anti-India narrative gains credence. Though some like separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani may call him a chameleon, the fact remains that the narrative gets a new lift.

Why blame Farooq only. Former Home Minister P Chidambaram has delivered a verdict: India has nearly lost Kashmir. Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha chimes in with Kashmiris are not afraid of India. There is no reason why India should be projected as a country that believes in spreading fear. It is not Pakistan, where 100 militants were killed overnight with no questions asked.

All this ill-advised narrative adds up to the fact that the mainstream is either recognising new realities in the Valley singeing with anger and hatred for India or it is making up for its own failures. The mainstream parties were failures and have brought the situation to this explosive pass, but they have no legitimate right to infuse a narrative which is self-destructive for this sensitive state and the rest of the country.

Farooq Abdullah had exploded when this reporter had suggested to him in 1996 that it was his last chance to prove himself as Chief Minister, and wash the stigma of the rigged elections of 1987. People gave 28 seats to the National Conference in 2002 but not the mandate to rule.

Farooq son and then two-time MP Omar Abdullah lost from his family bastion in Ganderbal in the 2002 Assembly elections.

Chidambaram has not answered to date that why didnt he save Kashmir when he was Home Minister. Why did he and his then Home Secretary were overruling the state and declaring and lifting curfew in Srinagar from the North Block, New Delhi. What happened to the report of the interlocutors? He doesnt have answers to these questions because any attempt at that would expose him and the government he worked in.

Sinha has to his credit the worst form of coercive diplomacy in 2002, when Indian troops were moved to borders to teach a lesson to Pakistan for having sponsored terror attack on the Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001. What came out of that Operation Parakram? Pakistan has not ceased terror attacks on India.

The violence-encouraging narrative is the real problem. But this should not become an excuse for New Delhi not to reach out to the people. It should not wait for the risks of the narrative worsening and the situation becoming more problematic in the Valley. More dangers are lying ahead.
New Delhi, March 6

Pakistan-based terror groups are financing terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir by generating millions in donations through their charity organisations, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) officer said today.

Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, a charity run by terror outfits Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), and Al Rehmat Trust, backed by another terrorists group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), have been supporting terrorists and funding terrorism in Kashmir, said Atul Goel, Superintendent of Police, National Investigation Agency (NIA), addressing a session at the 19th Asian Security Conference on Combating Terrorism: Evolving an Asian Response. The session was chaired by former Home Secretary G K Pillai.

Goel said the NIA was looking into the activities of JuD, LeT and JeM and also the working of trusts associated with them in the neighbouring country.

These outfits collect donations from people in Pakistan and then pass on the money to finance terrorism in Kashmir through their over-ground workers, he added.

Al Rehmat Trust distributes pamphlets to raise funds for sacrificing animals during Eid and after collecting the money, they finance terrorism, the officer said.

Meanwhile, Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, one of the major and fastest growing NGOs in Pakistan, also collects money from people and uses them to fund terrorists, Goel said.

JuD chief Hafiz Saeed addresses the volunteers of Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation. They have an entire network of people who work for their agenda of fomenting terror in Kashmir, he said.

Goel said these organisations indulge in collection of money outside mosques.

The authorities have a video in which two persons are seen soliciting funds from people outside a mosque in Karachi in the presence of Pakistan Rangers, the officer claimed.

These groups organise special campaigns during natural disasters and festivals to solicit money.

The JuD seeks voluntary donations during Eid. Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, under the name of Tehreek-e-Azadi, Jammu and Kashmir, organises campaigns and seeks donations illegally. It also works online. Such incidents often get published in the local media (there), Goel said.

The groups also run profit-generating businesses like operating schools where fee is exceptionally high in the context of south Asia, targeting upper middle class, Goel added.

David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American terrorist who is serving a 35-year sentence in the US, before his seventh visit to India, was given fake indian currency note by Major Iqbal of Pakistan-snoop agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Lahore, which he spent in Mumbai, Goel claimed. Headley is an accused in 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case.

Meanwhile, Director General, National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics, PK Dash said terrorism had mutated into a business of power and money cloaked in fundamentalism, funded by rogue economics that requires little capital but gives huge return.

A comprehensive approach is needed to tackle the issue as terrorism cannot be neutralised merely with guns, Dash added.
Beijing, March 6

The Chinese media on Monday accused India of using the Dalai Lama card to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia and warned New Delhi of "severe consequences" if it hosted the Tibetan spiritual leader in a "disputed" area in Arunachal Pradesh.

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"Despite objections by China, India will host the Dalai Lama in a disputed region on the China-India border in coming weeks," state-run Global Times said in an op-ed.

The comments came after the Chinese Foreign Ministry criticised India for allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as southern Tibet.

The permission was granted last October and the Dalai Lama is expected to visit the area in the coming weeks.

Referring to reported comments by Indian officials that it was a religious trip and Dalai Lama had undertaken numerous such visits earlier, the article said the officials has not realised the consequences.

"These Indian officials apparently didn't realise, or deliberately ignored, the severe consequences the Dalai Lama's trip would bring.

"The 14th Dalai Lama is by no means a spiritual leader but a Tibetan separatist," it said, adding that allowing him to the "disputed area will inevitably trigger confrontation, undermine the stability of the region and sour Sino-Indian relations".

"For a long time, some Indians have considered the Dalai Lama as a strategic asset. They believe that India could gain many benefits by using the Dalai issue as leverage. For instance, making an issue of the Dalai Lama could serve as a diplomatic tool to deal with China's growing economic and political influence in South Asia," it said.

"However, they overestimate the political value of the Dalai Lama and his group while miscalculating China's determination to safeguard its core interests," it said.

"An increasing number of Western leaders have shut the door on the Dalai Lama in recent years after realising the Dalai card is ineffective," it said, referring to the recent decision by Mongolia not to invite him in future.

"Against such a backdrop and at a time when a China-India strategic dialogue was just held to improve bilateral relations, the decision to receive the Dalai Lama in the disputed region is unwise. Leveraging the Dalai Lama issue to undermine Beijing's core interests risks dragging the two countries into a state of hostility," it said.

"The good momentum for the bilateral relationship in recent years shouldn't be disrupted. In future, there is a great potential for the two countries to tap into cooperation.

"As the two biggest emerging economies, they have vast common interests on establishing a new global financial order, tackling climate change and other major issues. Now China and India have come to a critical period to further upgrade bilateral ties," it said. PTI
Jaunpur (UP), March 6

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as unique for projecting the power supply issue as a Hindu-Muslim matter.

The SP leader also asked Modi to swap places with him if he did not like to stay in Delhi.

Our Prime Minister is unique...He has made power a Hindu and Muslim (issue) by alleging that our government used to supply more power during Ramzan than in Diwali and Holi. We have given the data which proved that we did not discriminate, he said at an election rally here.

PM ka mann Delhi me kam lag raha hai, UP me zyada. Agar aisa hai to humse kursi adla badli kar lein (If the PM does not like to stay in Delhi and likes UP more, he can swap places).

Describing his road show with Rahul Gandhi in Varanasi a success, Akhilesh said the crowd and response there was overwhelming and he was confident that the people will the support Samajwadi Party only.

Raking the OROP issue, he charged Modi with cheating on the matter.

In the name of surgical strike our Army was left to fight. A solution is yet to be reached. Everyone knows what the situation in Kashmir is...Such a PM was never seen by us, he said, cautioning people to beware of him.

Charging that the Prime Minister was misleading farmers in the name of loan waiver, Akhilesh sought to know how much was written off in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Jharkhand. We had waived farmers loan. If needed, we will waive their loans up to Rs 1 lakh, he said.  PTI
Sonbhadra (UP), March 6

BJP president Amit Shah today accused Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav of transforming Uttar Pradesh into the "number one state" in terms of murder, loot and crime against women.

He also said that if his party forms the government in Uttar Pradesh, all slaughter houses would be closed, and "instead of streams of blood, streams of milk and ghee would flow" across the state.

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"Please do not do any type of injustice with Akhilesh," Shah said sarcastically. "After all, he has made UP the number one state in the country in terms of murder, loot and crime against women. And, then he says 'kaam boltaa hai' (action speaks). But, the reality is that 'kaarnama boltaa hai' (misdeeds speak)."

At an election rally here, Shah also raked up the issue of income from mining, a percentage of which is spent for development of the district, where the mines are located.

"This has been envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, But, in Sonbhadra have you got any such benefit?" the BJP chief asked the crowd, which answered in the negative.

The BJP chief took a jibe at the Congress-SP coalition in UP and said, "There are two princes in the state. One (Rahul Gandhi) who is giving tough times to his mother, while the other (Akhilesh Yadav) who is giving tough times to his father. And, the entire state is bearing the brunt of both."

Urging voters to back BJP, Shah said Uttar Pradesh's development has been hit by the "continuous misrule" of SP and BSP.

"On one hand you have Afzal Ansari and Mukhtar Ansari (of BSP), while on the other hand you have Azam Khan and Atiq Ahmed. It is a classic example of "ek taraf kuan, doosri taraf khai," he said.

He said the BJP alone could help the state and its people get rid of the "goondaraj" of SP and BSP. He also said that all youngsters would be given laptops "irrespective of their religion".

Shah accused the SP of stealing the mineral wealth of the state.

"As soon as the BJP forms the government in the state, within a week all the land mafia would be hung upside down, and they would be made to fall in line (saat din mein saare bhu-mafia ko ultaa latkaa ke seedha kardenge)." PTI
New Delhi, March 6

Sixteen years after a Lucknow Special Court dropped on technical grounds the charge of criminal conspiracy against senior BJP and VHP leaders in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case, the Supreme Court today indicated that it may revive the charges against them.

People cannot be discharged like this on technical grounds, a Bench headed by Justice PC Ghose said. It hinted at allowing the CBI to file a supplementary chargesheet against the leaders, including BJP veterans LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh. The case against Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and VHPs Acharya Giriraj Kishore has abated following their death.

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The CBI had challenged the 2010 Allahabad High Court order upholding the trial courts verdict to discharge all the leaders on technical grounds.

Kalyan Singh was Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister when the disputed structure at Ayodhya was demolished by thousands of kar sevaks despite the state governments undertaking given to the top court to protect it.

Hindus believe Lord Ram was born at the spot where the mosque stood and the BJP, VHP and the Bajrang Dal want to replace a makeshift temple with a permanent structure.  TNS
Beijing, March 6

Tibets second largest terminal began operations on Monday, officials said.

The new terminal, the sixth to open in Tibet, is located at Nyingchi Mainling Airport, close to the India border. It covers an area of 10,300 square metres and will be able to handle 750,000 passengers and 3,000 tonnes of cargo throughput annually by 2020, Xinhua news agency reported.

The airport is located close to the disputed Arunachal Pradesh border.

China's extensive development road, rail and air infrastructure in Tibet has sparked concerns in India because of possible military advantage.

India has also initiated border infrastructure development in recent years.

The Nyingchi airport will open new air routes to Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province, resume routes to Beijing and increase more round trip flights to Lhasa, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chongqing and Shenzhen after the new terminal comes into service, said Liu Wei, deputy director of Civil Aviation Administration of China in Tibet.

The airport has seen year-on-year increases in passenger flow since it was put into service in 2006. Passenger volume hit 390,000 in 2016, bringing the total passenger numbers to two million in the past years, Liu said, adding that the new terminal will effectively alleviate pressure brought by the growing number of passengers.

Nyingchi is located in southeast Tibet at an average elevation of 2,950 meters above sea level. The city has attracted more visitors in the recent years due to tourist attractions such as its peach blossom festival, the report said.  PTI/ IANS
Simran Sodhi & Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 6

Pakistans former National Security Adviser (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani today said the 26/11 Mumbai attacks were carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan.

Speaking at an event here, Durrani, however, denied the Pakistan government or the Inter-Services Intelligence played any role, calling it a classic example of cross-border terrorism.

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His admission of Pakistans involvement comes as no surprise as he had said the same thing in 2009 too. He was sacked from the NSAs post for confirming to the media that Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured after the Mumbai attacks, was indeed a Pakistani national.

Asked for his response to Durranis statement, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said, Indias position is well known and consistent There is nothing new for us.

Speaking at the same event, Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Afghanistans NSA, condemned Pakistans policy of using one terrorist against another. He said there was no good or bad terrorist. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar called for coordinated global action against terrorism. Even though there is a broad consensus on what constitutes an act of terror, a formal agreement is missing, he said.

Since the Mumbai attacks in 2008, India and Pakistan have gone back and forth on the probe into the case. While Delhi has been demanding action against Lashkar chief Hafeez Saeed, Pakistans contention is that the proof provided against him was inadequate.

Durranis statement, therefore, will be an added thread to the ongoing India-Pakistan narrative. After more than a year of chill in ties, India and Pakistan will meet for the Permanent Indus Commission talks in Lahore on March 20-21.
The 54-year-old raped his 16-year-old daughter when she revealed that she was a lesbian and "was struggling with her identity".

By India Today Web Desk: A father raped his lesbian daughter to prove to her that "sex was better with men".

The 54-year-old raped his 16-year-old daughter when she revealed that she was a lesbian and "was struggling with her identity". According to the judge, the father responded with 'uncontrolled' anger.

The Warwick Crown Court heard the case and has jailed the man, who cannot be named to protect the victim's identity, for 21 years. The court also found out that he abused his two other daughters as well across two decades.

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Also read: To settle debt, man allows friend to rape wife in Ghaziabad

Initially, he plead not guilty to nine other charges of indecent assault, but was found guilty and convicted of all his crimes at the trial.

Judge Andrew Lockhart QC said: "As a 16-year-old girl she realised she was gay and, struggling with her identity as many people do at that age, she decided to tell you. "You reacted by showing real and uncontrolled anger, and you decided to rape her to show her why it would be better to have sex with men than women. Her evidence made harrowing listening," reported The Sun .

Also read: Ridiculous remarks made about rape and rapists

"That rape involved degradation and humiliation. The offence demonstrated your hostility towards her as a lesbian", the judge added.

Also watch:

--- ENDS ---
Kent, March 6

Fear, hurt and disbelief weighed on the minds of those who gathered at a gurdwara after Friday night shooting of a Sikh man, Deep Rai, who said a gunman approached him in his suburban Seattle driveway and told him go back to your own country.

Editorial: Indians targeted in US

Everybody who is part of this community needs to be vigilant, Satwinder Kaur, a community leader, said as several hundred people poured into a gurdwara in Renton about one mile from the shooting. It is scary, she added. The community has been shaken up.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Authorities said a gunman approached the 39-year-old as he worked on his car in his driveway in the city of Kent, about 20 miles south of Seattle. The FBI is helping investigate the shooting, authorities said. Kent police chief Ken Thomas said the department is investigating the shooting as a hate crime. He said no arrests have been made yet after the victim was shot in the arm. This is a top priority investigation, and we are doing everything possible to identify and arrest the suspect, Thomas said, adding that residents in the city of 125,000 should be vigilant but also not let the shooting hurt their quality of life.

The shooting comes after an Indian man was killed and another wounded in a recent shooting at a Kansas bar that federal agencies are investigating as a hate crime.

Many women and men at Renton expressed fear that one of their own was targeted and said theyre scared to go to public places. Some said they have noticed an uptick in name-calling and other racist incidents in recent months. Still others expressed hurt and disbelief at the lack of understanding.

The Sikh Coalition praised police for swiftly moving to probe the incident as a hate crime, even as Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera said crimes motivated by hate are on the rise.  Agencies
Tribune News Service

Lucknow, March 6

Microphones fell silent as parties wrapped up their campaign for the seventh and final phase of the elections for the 40 seats spread across seven districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh today.

The highlight of this phase was Prime Minister Narendra Modi camping in his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi for three days along with a large number of his cabinet colleagues. He left for New Delhi this evening.

During his stay, he held two roadshows, prayed at the Kashi Vishwanath and Kal Bhairav temples, paid tributes to Hindutva ideologue Madan Mohan Malviya, visited the Garhwa Ghat ashram - a place most revered by the Yadavs where he fed the cows with fodder and gud (jaggery) and even paid tributes to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at his ancestral house in Ramnagar. He also addressed a string of election meetings.

Commenting on PM Modis extended stay in Varanasi, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav during an election meeting in Jaunpur today said, PM ka mann Delhi me kam lag raha hai, UP me zyada. Agar aisa hai to humse kursi adla badli kar lein . (If the PM does not like to stay in Delhi and likes UP more, we can swap places).

At the Parivartan Sankalp rally in Rohaniya, Varanasi, the Prime Minister repeated the BJPs poll promise of waiver of farmers loan during the very first cabinet meeting of the BJP government.

Akhilesh countered it at his meetings in Jaunpur by asking why he had not done the same so far in BJP-ruled states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Haryana. Charging the policies of PM Modi causing more deaths of soldiers at the borders, CM Yadav also questioned the Prime Ministers brand of deshbhakti by asking what he had for the families of the martyrs.

I can say with confidence that my government has given Rs 20 lakh to each widow and Rs 5 lakh to the parents of the martyrs, he said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav also held a series of meetings in Varanasi today in support of the Congress-SP alliance.

Prime Minister Modi is expecting to celebrate a kesariya (saffron) Holi. He doesnt know that people have decided his Holika dehan even before that, he quipped.
New Delhi, March 6

Pakistan's former top security officer Mahmud Ali Durrani on Monday said the 26/11 Mumbai strike was a "classic example" of cross-border terrorism, carried out by a Pak-based group and hoped that its chief Hafiz Saeed is punished.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

However, Durrani, a former national security adviser of Pakistan, maintained that the government had no role in the terror strikes that claimed lives of 166 people.

"26/11 Mumbai strikes, carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan, was a classic trans-border terrorist event," he said while addressing a conference on combating terrorism at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis here.

Later talking to reporters, he said, "I know (this) for definite. I have very good information that the Government of Pakistan or the ISI (Pakistan's spy agency) was not involved in 26/11 (terror attack). I am 110 per cent sure."

Asked to elaborate, Durrani declined to divulge details, saying he was sacked by the Pakistani government for certain statements he made regarding the Mumbai attack. "I made a statement which the government did not like and I got sacked," he said.

In response to a question on JuD chief Saeed's usefulness to Pakistan, Durrani said he has "no utility" for the country and that the Mumbai attack mastermind should be "punished".

Durrani, who had served as a Major General in the Pakistani army, was sacked in 2009 for having indicated that Ajmal Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist arrested for the Mumbai terror attack, may have been a Pakistani. Kasab was hanged by India.

India has been maintaining that Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes and has been demanding action against Saeed. However, Pakistan has been maintaining that it demands more evidence to bring Saeed to book.

Durrani also sought to debunk India's assertion that it carried out surgical strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC), saying he did not see evidence of any such attack by the Indian forces.

However, he advocated cordial relations between New Delhi and Islamabad and said Pakistan cannot progress if there is no friendship with India.  PTI
Chennai, March 6

The Tamil Nadu Government on Monday made late chief minister J Jayalalithaas medical records public in an attempt to dispel rumours that surround her death.

Making Apollo Hospitals medical reports of the late chief minister public, the state government said Jayalaithaa was diagnosed with respiratory distress and dehydration.

Former chief minister O Panneerselvam and Jayalalithaas estranged niece Deepa Jayakumar have claimed that the death was suspicious.

Jayalalithaa died on December 5, 2016, sparking a battle for chief minister's position.  Agencies
Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, March 6

A BJP legislator today arrived at the Maharashtra secretariat to attend the inaugural day of the Budget session in a bullock cart to press for the removal of ban on its racing.

Mahesh Landge, BJP MLA from Bhosari in Pune, told reporters outside the Assembly building that farmers in his constituency wanted the state government to lift the ban on the ancient tradition of bullock cart racing after the Tamil Nadu Government paved the way for Jallikattu.

He said village festivals known as jatras will begin later this week and the villagers were waiting to re-start the sport. The MLA was not allowed to enter the complex in his bullock cart after security officials intervened. While Landges supporters took away the bullock cart, the MLA then entered the Assembly premises on foot.

Bullock cart racing is a popular sport in Maharashtra and several families are known to raise the animals purely for the sport. The ban has resulted in many of them selling the animals to slaughter houses.

The BJP MLA, who enjoys the backing of several elected representatives across party lines, said the Maharashtra Government should disregard the objections raised by animal rights activists.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis had promised to bring about the law allowing bullock cart races in the Budget session. However, farmers fear that they would be punished if races were organised before the law came into effect.
Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 6

The Supreme Court today refused to recall its order for registration of a case of gang-rape against senior Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati, who is reportedly absconding to evade arrest.

Prajapati, Transport Minister in the Akhilesh Yadav Government, is facing a non-bailable warrant (NBW) of arrest after the Supreme Court last month ordered registration of an FIR against him and six others for allegedly repeatedly raping a woman from Chitrakoot.

The Bench said the accused was free to move the appropriate court for bail in case he was arrested. Whatever remedies the parties have they will have right to avail, it said. Terming the politicisation of its order for registration of an FIR against Prajapati as unfortunate, the Bench made it clear that it was not monitoring the case and its order was confined to registration of the FIR.

Prajapati had also requested the court to give him protection from arrest, which he apparently didnt get. Prajapatireinstated after being sacked from the Cabinet last yearhad contended that the court passed the order without issuing him notice and without giving an opportunity to be heard. He had also pointed out that the woman who filed the complaint against him was a BJP councillor and the UP Government did not present his side properly.
GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 6

The SGPCs probe panel today submitted its report to the Akal Takht Jathedar about the Sikh politicians who had violated the Takhts hukumnama (edict) by seeking support from Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda ahead of the recent Punjab elections. It is learnt that the panel has zeroed in on over 45 erring Sikh leaders  belonging to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. Sources said most of them are Akalis.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said the final decision on the report would be taken at the next meeting of the five high priests, likely to be held after Hola Mohalla next week.

It will take two-three days to go through the report, which includes the replies of several leaders, he added.

On February 6, Giani Gurbachan Singh had directed the SGPC to probe the matter. The latter had constituted a three-member panel comprising SGPC senior vice-president Baldev Singh Kaimpur, general secretary Amarjit Singh Chawla and executive committee member Gurcharan Singh Garewal.

Garewal said the report was based on video clips, photos, social media posts and news clippings. The deadline to submit the report was March 7, but we did it a day in advance. The Sikh leaders, irrespective of their party affiliation, were held guilty of violating the Takht edict by approaching the Sirsa dera before the Assembly elections, he said.

On January 28, several Sikh leaders had made a beeline to the dera to woo its followers. Some had reportedly announced to facilitate the organisation of dera congregations in Punjab, if voted to power.
Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 6

The office of the Advocate General has asked the state not to implement The Punjab Adhoc, Contractual, Daily Wage, Temporary, Work Charged and Outsourced Employees Welfare Act, 2016, for the time being. The Act was passed by a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha after the Akali-BJP government had a run-in with the Governor, who had refused to sign the ordinance.

The decision not to regularise the services of the employees, till the matter is heard in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and directions issued, was taken after an oral observation was made in the High Court on March 2, that prima facie the Act is grossly against the mandate of the judicial precedents.The state should not implement the Act till the next date of hearing.

The observations were made by the Division Bench of the court during the hearing of a civil writ petition filed by Anika Gupta and others against the state of Punjab.

The Tribune is in possession of the letter where the observations made by the court have been cited by a senior legal officer of the AG office and

asked the government to adhere the courts oral observations.

A notice regarding stay on the implementation of the Act was also passed by the court for April 6.

Just ahead of the Assembly elections in Punjab, the government had decided to regularise the services of over 27,000 ad hoc, contractual, daily wage and work charged employees, with a target of gaining their votes.

Initially, the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government had taken the

ordinance route to regularise the jobs.

But after the Governor refused to sign the ordinance, citing objections raised by finance, personnel and legal departments, the state government called a special one-day session of the Vidhan Sabha and passed the Act.

The process to regularise the jobs was later stopped after the implementation of the model code of conduct. The employees whose services are to be regularised have been on a relay hunger strike for 22 days now.
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, March 6

Tension following a scuffle that took place between the All-India Student Association (AISA) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on the university campus of HN Bahguna Central University is refusing to die down.

AISA activists submitted a memorandum addressed to the President of India through the SDM, Srinagar office, stating that the BJP, through its students wing, was trying to pollute the environment of the university and introduce the feeling of fear among the students by indulging in violence which should be contained. It could be done by taking strict action against the students involved in the violence on Saturday on the campus of HN Bahuguna University in Srinagar.

A copy of the memorandum has been sent to the Governor and the university Vice-Chancellor on behalf of national working committee member of the AISA and university representative Shivani Pandey. The AISA activists alleged that the ABVP students had indulged in violence and misbehaved with the AISA students.

The AISA activists have named nine students and are demanding their arrest. They also demanded additional police force and a police station on the campus. The ABVP students had entered into a brawl with AISA students when some students were trying to oppose the act of ABVP students at Ramjas College in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, senior citizens and old student have termed the incident unfortunate and advised the students not to fall in the trap of political parties that have a history of using students for fulfilling its bigger agenda.

ABVP seeks action against those guilty of treason

Dehradun: Activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) held a demonstration outside DAV (PG) College here today. The activists demanded stringent action against those guilty of treason. Protesters, led by ABVP convener Devendra Bisht, gathered outside the college and took out a Tiranga rally which passed through Karanpur market, Survey Chowk, Tibet market, Lansdowne Chowk, Parade Ground, Secretariat and culminated at DAV ((PG) College. They asked the Centre to take stringent action against those who were involved in anti-national activities. The protesters threatened to hold protests if the Centre did not accede to their demands. The protesters said the government should draft a proposal to keep an eye on anti-social elements. TNS
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Mar 6 (PTI) In an unusual move, FBI director James Comey has rejected as "false" Donald Trumps claim that his predecessor Barack Obama had ordered a wiretap of his phone before he was elected US president last November.

Comey reportedly asked the US Justice Department (DOJ) to publicly reject Trumps allegation as he believed there was no evidence to support Trumps "highly-charged claim", according to The New York Times and NBC.

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He is said to have asked for this because the allegation falsely insinuated that the FBI broke the law.

Neither did the White House nor did the FBI and the Department of Justice respond immediately to the reports on Comeys unusual comments, which were based on unnamed sources.

"Mr Comey has argued that the highly-charged claim is false and must be corrected, they said, but the department has not released any such statement," The New York Times said.

According to the daily, Comey, who made the request on Saturday after Trump levelled his allegation on Twitter, has been working to get the Justice Department to knock down the claim because it falsely insinuates that the FBI broke the law.

The New York Times described the FBI request as remarkable.

Trump had accused Obama of "wire tapping" his office in New York just before the 2016 presidential elections and likened the alleged surveillance of his communications to the "Watergate" scandal.

"Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!" Trump had said, without providing any evidence to substantiate his claims.

"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" he said.

Obamas spokesperson Kevin Lewis rejected the allegations as "simply false" and said the former US president never ordered surveillance on any US citizen.

Multiple former senior US officials have dismissed Trumps allegations against Obama, however, calling them "nonsense" and "false."

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said that Trump was not wiretapped by intelligence agencies nor did the FBI obtain a court order through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to monitor Trumps phones.

"For the part of the national security apparatus that I oversaw as DNI, there was no wiretap activity mounted against the President-elect at the time, or as a candidate, or against his campaign," Clapper told NBC News yesterday. PTI LKJ CK AKJ AKJ

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Dehradun, March 6

Activists of the Swaraj Abhiyan held a protest outside the District Magistrates office here on Monday.

The activists have urged the authorities concerned to control the situation of lawlessness and chaos in the state. They expressed concern over the recent clashes between student groups in Shrinagar Garhwal on the issue of patriotism.

Swaraj Abhiyan state president Kamla Pant said, It is unfortunate that politicians are dividing students over such issues. Patriotism is a feeling which comes from heart and no one can force anyone to become patriotic. No political party has the right to decide whether a person is patriotic or traitor.

Uttarakhand is a peaceful state where people of diverse ideologies live with harmony but the recent incident has created tension among people. The state government and the local administration has to take strong steps to control such confrontations. Swaraj Abhiyan will campaign against people who are trying to disturb social harmony, she added.  TNS
Islamabad, March 6

Six Pakistani soldiers were killed after Taliban militants from Afghanistan attacked several border posts in the countrys restive northwest tribal region, prompting Islamabad to summon a top Afghan diplomat to lodge a protest. The attackers targeted border outpost in Mohmand and Khyber tribal region along the border with Afghanistan yesterday.

The terrorists from across the border last night attempted physical attack on three posts in Mohmand, military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said.

Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed terrorists attempt. In exchange of fire 5 soldiers were killed, Ghafoor said. Ten of the attackers were also believed to have been killed, he said.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Nafees Zakaria said another soldier was killed in Khyber as the result of firing by terrorists from Afghan territory, prompting Islamabad to launch a strong protest with Afghanistan.

A Pakistani Taliban breakaway faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility for the attacks.  PTI
Los Angeles, March 6

US agents detained an Afghan family of five with valid entry visas at Los Angeles International Airport and have been holding them for several days in California, according to legal papers filed in federal court by human rights lawyers.

The couple and their three small children were granted Special Immigrant Visas in return for work the father performed for the US government in Afghanistan that put the familys lives at risk, the International Refugee Assistance Project said in its court filing seeking their release.

However, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents detained the family shortly after their arrival at the airport on Tuesday and has held them in isolation, without access to legal counsel, according to the petition.

The petition, filed in US District Court in Santa Ana, California, south of Los Angeles, says the family was taken into custody with absolutely no justification whatsoever, a violation of due process rights under the US Constitution.

Despite repeated requests, the CBP has provided no information regarding why the family was detained, whether they have been questioned, and whether any reason at all exists to justify their continued detention, the petition states.

CBP declined to comment on the matter, which is set for a hearing on Monday before a federal court in Santa Ana that barred a move by the government to separate the family by sending the children and their mother, who cannot speak or read English, to Texas.

Immigrant advocates are increasingly concerned about tougher scrutiny of US residents and visitors from abroad, even those with the proper documentation, under moves by President Donald Trump to tighten immigration policies on grounds of national security.

The petition did not state the exact nature of the fathers employment with the US government in Afghanistan.

Proof of service and screening

But it said he qualified for a special visa under a program requiring proof of having worked for the U.S. Armed Forces or American diplomatic for at least 12 months, as well as proof of completion of a background check and screening. It is extremely unusual if not entirely unique for someone with this type of visa to be detained upon arrival. The visas require extreme vetting to get, said Talia Inlender, a lawyer with the legal aid group Public Counsel who is part of the familys defense team.

The mother was being detained in downtown Los Angeles with her children - who are 7 years, 6 years and 8 months of age - while the father was in a maximum-security detention facility in Orange County, California, Inlender told Reuters.

The government had intended to transfer the mother and children to Texas, but the familys lawyers persuaded a US district court judge on Saturday night to intervene and stop the move.

The petitioners have established at least a serious question going to the merits of their claims, Judge Josephine Staton ruled.

When asked to comment about the judges order, Carl Rusnok, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in an email: ICE will fully comply with the March 4 judicial order and all other legal requirements.

Trump issued a directive in January banning entry into the United States of citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries and suspending admission of all refugees for 120 days.

The Jan. 27 order caused chaos at airports around the world in the following days as visa holders heading to the United States were pulled off planes or turned around on arrival at U.S. airports.

Afghanistan was not one of the countries whose citizens were explicitly excluded in the order, which a federal court has since barred from enforcement. The Trump administration has said it plans to issue a modified order that would pass court muster.  Reuters
Havana, March 6

Cuban President Raul Castro harshly criticised US President Donald Trumps immigration, trade and other policies on Sunday as Trump reviews a fragile detente with Communist-run Cuba begun by his predecessor Barack Obama.

In his first critical remarks directed at Trump since he took office, Castro termed his trade policies egotistical and his plan to build a wall along the Mexican border irrational. Castros speech to a summit of leftist leaders in Venezuela was broadcast by state-run television on Sunday evening.

Before taking office, Trump threatened to torpedo the detente between the former Cold War foes unless a better deal could be struck, without providing details.

The White House said last month it was in the middle of a full review of all U.S. policies towards Cuba. Castro said: The new agenda of the U.S. government threatens to unleash an extreme and egotistical trade policy that will impact the competitiveness of our foreign trade; violate environmental agreements ... hunt down and deport migrants.

He said migration was due to growing inequality and poverty caused by an unjust international economic system and that a wall along the Mexican border was therefore irrational and aimed at all Latin Americans, not just Mexicans.

You cant contain poverty, catastrophes and migrants with walls, but with cooperation, understanding and peace, Castro said.

Seeking to reverse more than 50 years of U.S. efforts using isolation to force Cuba to change, Obama agreed with Castro in December 2014 to work to normalize relations.

The two close neighbors have since restored diplomatic ties and signed cooperation agreements.

Trump said last month after having dinner with Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a vociferous foe of detente, that he and Rubio had similar views concerning Cuba.

Obama, a Democrat, used executive orders to circumvent the longstanding U.S. trade embargo on Cuba and ease some restrictions on travel and business. The embargo can only be lifted by the U.S. Congress, which is controlled by Republicans.

Travel to the Caribbean island from the United States has increased, with the start of direct flights and cruises and roaming agreements signed, but no manufacturing or significant trade deals have yet been agreed.  Reuters
Kuala Lumpur, March 6

North Koreas expelled ambassador fired a final salvo at Malaysia today over its probe into the assassination of the half-brother of Pyongyangs leader, describing the investigation as biased.

Speaking at Kuala Lumpur International Airport before his flight was due to leave, ambassador Kang Chol disparaged what he called a pretargeted investigation by the Malaysian police.

The murder of Kim Jong-Nam with VX nerve agent at the same airport last month sparked an acrimonious dispute between the two countries. North Korea has not acknowledged the dead mans identity but has repeatedly criticised the murder investigation and autopsy, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.

They have conducted the autopsy without the consent and attendance of the DPRK (North Korea) embassy and later arrested a DPRK citizen without any clear evidence showing his involvement in the incident, ambassador Kang said.

South Korea has blamed the North for the murder, citing what it says was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother who may have been seen as a potential rival.

N Korea orders expulsion of Malaysian ambassador

Seoul: North Korea said on Monday it would expel Malaysias ambassador after its own envoy was ordered out of the Southeast Asian nation, in an increasingly bitter row over the murder of Kim Jong-Nam.

The Foreign Ministry of the DPRK (North Korea) notifies that the Malaysian ambassador to the DPRK is labelled as a persona non grata... and demanded that the ambassador leave the DPRK, state news agency KCNA said, giving a 48-hour deadline. The KCNA report came shortly after the Norths ambassador Kang Chol flew home from Kuala Lumpur.  Agencies
Peshawar, March 6

Five Pakistani soldiers were killed by militants in a cross-border terrorist attack on three border posts in the countrys restive northwest tribal region, the army said on Monday.

Effective presence, vigilance and response repulsed terrorists attempt. In exchange of fire 5 soldiers were killed on Sunday, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

Ten of the attackers were also believed to have been killed, the statement said.

Last night terrorists from across the border attempted physical attack on three Pakistan border posts in Mohmand Agency, it said.

Terrorists must be denied freedom of movement along the border, Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa was quoted as saying in the statement.

Last month, the Pakistani army launched a crackdown against terrorists after an Islamic State suicide bomber at a crowded Sufi shrine in Sindh province claimed 88 lives.

Pakistan often accuses Afghanistan-based terrorists for the attacks in the country.

Last month, the army had killed more than 100 suspected terrorists and also handed over to Afghanistan a list of 76 terrorists hiding across the border.

At the heart of the problem is Kabuls continued allegations against Pakistan for providing what it called safe havens to terrorists launching the cross border raids, The Express Tribune reported.  PTI
Mosul (Iraq), March 6

The mouth of the tunnel is hardly visible on a muddy hillside overlooking Mosul, where fighting now rages between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants.

In less turbulent times, trains ran through it on their way to or from Mosul, but when the militants overran the area in the summer of 2014, they barricaded both ends, ripped up the tracks and built an assault course inside, on which to train their recruits.

Iraqi forces discovered the underground training camp after regaining control of the hillside last month in the early stages of a campaign to dislodge Islamic State militants from Mosul's western half.

Locals tipped them off about the location of the camp, which reveals the extent of Islamic States determination, despite the overwhelming number and firepower of the forces arrayed against it, which are backed by a US-led coalition.

Clambering down a bank of earth that concealed the entrance, two Iraqi soldiers went into the tunnel  about 7 m (yards) high by 5 m (yards) wide, lighting the way with their mobile phones.

They illuminated Islamic State slogans painted along the walls of the tunnel  around half a kilometre (0.3 mile) in length  and a series of obstacles, which one soldier tried out.

"Their training is similar to ours," said Kadhem al-Gharrawi, a member of the Rapid Response Division, an elite Interior Ministry Unit. "It's tough training for special forces."

It is not clear how many recruits passed through the camp or what became of them.

The physical drills complemented the group's ideological training, evidence of which is contained in booklets littering the floor of the tunnel, detailing its uncompromising doctrine.

A leaflet titled "Types of Idolatry", lies beside empty cartons of orange juice drunk by the recruits and packaging of the boots and balaclava headgear they wore.  Reuters
Seoul/Tokyo, March 6

North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japans northwest on Monday, angering South Korea and Japan, days after it promised retaliation over US-South Korea military drills it sees as a preparation for war.

South Koreas military said the missiles were unlikely to have been intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), which can reach the United States. The missiles flew on average 1,000 km and reached a height of 260 km.

Some of the missiles landed in waters as close as 300 km from Japans northwest coast, Japans Defence Minister Tomomi Inada said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said strong protests had been lodged with nuclear-armed North Korea, which has carried out a series of nuclear and missile tests in defiance of UN resolutions. The launches are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action, Abe told parliament.

South Koreas acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn condemned the launches as a direct challenge to the international community and said Seoul would swiftly deploy a US anti-missile defence system despite angry objections from China.

The missiles were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the reclusive Norths border with China, South Korean military spokesman Roh Jae-cheon told a briefing. It was too early to say what the relatively low altitude indicated about the types of missiles, he said.

Joshua Pollack, editor of the US-based Non-Proliferation Review, said it did not appear the North had launched an ICBM. It sounds like a field exercise involving deployed missiles, probably ones weve seen before, Pollack said.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, also told Reuters there were no indications so far that North Korea had tested an ICBM.

The US military said it detected and tracked what it assessed was a North Korean missile launch, but it did not pose a threat to North America.

North Korea had threatened to take strong retaliatory measures after South Korea and the United States began annual joint military drills on Wednesday that test their defensive readiness against possible aggression from the North. North Korea criticises the annual drills and has previously conducted missile launches to coincide with the exercises.

Last year, North Korea fired a long-range rocket from Tongchang-ri that put an object into orbit. That launch was condemned by the United Nations for violating resolutions that ban the use of ballistic missile technology.  Reuters

The N-tangle in Korean peninsula

The United States withdrew nuclear weapons from South Korea in 1991 before the rival Koreas signed a declaration on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. North Korea has since walked away from the agreement, citing the threat of invasion by the US.

The claim that we should redeploy nuclear weapons here, 20 years after they were withdrawn, is total nonsense, said Woo Sang-ho, floor leader of South Koreas main opposition Democratic Party.

North Korea conducted its fifth and most powerful nuclear test last September, following what the United States said was an unprecedented level of activity in its banned nuclear and missile programmes.

China urges restraint

China called for restraint after North Korea test-launched four ballistic missiles, criticising the move but also suggesting that South Korea and the United States were partly to blame

China is opposed to the DPRKs launches in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing, using the initials of the Norths formal name

Under current circumstances, relevant parties should exercise restraint and avoid anything that would provoke each other or heighten regional tensions

The build-up: Taking on the belligerent
Washington, March 6

A former top American spymaster has denied allegations that there was any kind of wiretapping activities against Donald Trump in the run-up to the US Presidential elections.

For the part of the national security apparatus that I oversaw as DNI, there was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time or as a candidate or against his campaign, James Clapper, who was Director of National Intelligence during the Obama Administration, told NBC News.

I cant speak for other title 3-authorised entities in the government or a state or local entity, he said.

In this capacity, Clapper oversaw the working of top American intelligence agencies including the CIA.

Trump, in a series of tweets on Saturday, claimed that his predecessor had tapped the telephones at the Trump Tower.

Clapper said he would have known had there been any court order on Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act against Trump.

I would know this (FISA court order)... Not to my knowledge, he said when asked if he was aware of any such order either against Trump or against the Trump Tower.

Clapper said till the time he was heading DNI there was no evidence of collusion between the Trump Campaign and the Russian authorities.

I do think, though, it is in everyones interest, in the current presidents interests, in the Democrats interests, in the Republican interests and the countrys interest to get to the bottom of all of this, because its such a distraction.

And certainly the Russians have to be chortling about the success of their efforts to sow dissension in this country, Clapper said.

Before leaving the administration, Clapper .headed a team that released a report on the alleged Russian interference into the general elections.

It (investigation) got to the bottom of the evidence to the extent of the evidence we had at the time. Whether theres more evidence thats become available since then or there are ongoing investigations will be revelatory, I dont know, he said in response to a question.

Terming the reports of wiretapping very troubling, the White House on Sunday said that Trump has asked Congress to investigate the allegations of him being wiretapped by his predecessor Barack Obama before the 2016 elections.  PTI
Seoul/Tokyo, March 6

North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japans northwest early on Monday, South Korean and Japanese officials said, days after it promised retaliation over US-South Korea military drills it sees as a preparation for war.

South Koreas military said the missiles were unlikely to have been intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), which can reach the United States. The missiles flew on average 1,000 km (620 miles) and reached a height of 260 km (160 miles).

Some of the missiles landed in waters as close as 300 km (190 miles) from Japans northwest coast, Japans Defence Minister Tomomi Inada said in Tokyo.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said strong protests had been lodged with nuclear-armed North Korea.

The launches are clearly in violation of (United Nations) Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action, Abe told parliament.

South Koreas acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn condemned the launches as a direct challenge to the international community and said Seoul would swiftly deploy a US anti-missile defence system despite angry objections from China.

The missiles were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the reclusive Norths border with China, South Korean military spokesman Roh Jae-cheon told a briefing. It was too early to say what the relatively low altitude indicated about the types of missiles, he said.

Joshua Pollack, editor of the US-based Non-Proliferation Review, said it did not appear the North had launched an ICBM.

It sounds like a field exercise involving deployed missiles, probably ones weve seen before, Pollack said.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, also told Reuters there were no indications so far that North Korea had tested an ICBM.

The US has "strongly condemned" North Korea missile launch. The US military said it detected and tracked what it assessed was a North Korean missile launch, but it did not pose a threat to North America.

Joint drills

North Korea had threatened to take strong retaliatory measures after South Korea and the United States began annual joint military drills on Wednesday that test their defensive readiness against possible aggression from the North.

North Korea criticises the annual drills and has previously conducted missile launches to coincide with the exercises.

Last year, North Korea fired a long-range rocket from Tongchang-ri that put an object into orbit. That launch was condemned by the United Nations for violating resolutions that ban the use of ballistic missile technology.

North Korea test-fired a new type of missile into the sea early last month, and has said it would continue to launch new strategic weapons.

Last months test was the first since the election of US President Donald Trump, who has vowed to rein in North Korea and its young leader, Kim Jong Un.

Trumps national security deputies have reviewed in recent meetings a range of options to counter the Norths missile threat, the New York Times reported. Options include direct missile strikes on the Norths launch sites and the possibility of reintroducing nuclear weapons to the South, the Times said.

Those options will soon be presented to Trump and his top national security aides, the report said, quoting US administration officials.

The United States withdrew nuclear weapons from South Korea in 1991 before the rival Koreas signed a declaration on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. North Korea has since walked away from the agreement, citing the threat of invasion by the United States.

North Korea conducted its fifth and most powerful nuclear test last September, following what the United States said was an unprecedented level of activity in its banned nuclear and missile programmes.

State media said after that test Pyongyang had used a nuclear warhead small enough to mount on a ballistic missile.

The United States has about 28,500 troops and equipment stationed in the South, and plans to roll out the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile defence system by the end of the year.

Japan also plans to reinforce its ballistic missile defences and is considering buying either THAAD or building a ground-based version of the Aegis system that is currently deployed on ships in the Sea of Japan.  Reuters
By Press Trust of India: Guwahati, Mar 6 (PTI) Assam government today said it has instructed all superintendents of police to remain alert and tighten security at all sensitive places in view of the possibility of ISIS recruiting youths from the state.

Replying to a discussion during the zero hour in the assembly, Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said all the SPs have been ordered to keep a strict vigil and maintain a close watch on doubtful people.

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"Moreover, instruction has been given for tightening security at all sensitive places like railway stations, airports, historical places, temples, dargahs, refineries and shopping malls," he added.

Patowary was replying on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also holds the home portfolio, during the zero hour debate raised by BJP MLA Ashok Singhal on possibility of recruitment drive by ISIS in Assam and other parts of the country.

"We have also ordered to strengthen security along Indo-Bangla border and secure the river ways. Police have been strictly asked to maintain close coordination with various intelligence agencies," he said.

Besides, security and other agencies have been keeping a close watch on social media as these can be tools of influencing youths for joining the global terror outfit, he added.

The minister informed the house that two trained members of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were nabbed from Nalbari district.

Assam police, he said, has so far arrested 56 JMB extremists after the Burdwan blast in West Bengal in 2014.

"Apart from them 10-12 JMB members are absconding at present," Patowary added without elaborating. PTI TR KK PS

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Washington, March 6

President Donald Trump will remove Iraq from a list of countries targeted in a US travel ban when he is expected to sign a new executive order on Monday after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts, a White House source said.

The senior White House official said the new executive order would keep a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of six Muslim-majority nations - Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Iraq was taken off the list of countries in the original order, issued on January 27, because the Iraqi government had imposed new vetting procedures, such as heightened visa screening and data sharing, and because of its work with the United States in countering Islamic State militants, the White House official said.

While the first order imposed restrictions immediately, the new directive will have an implementation delay to limit the disruptions that created havoc for some travellers, the White House official said. The new order will take effect on March 16, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Monday.

Thousands of Iraqis have fought alongside US troops for years or worked as translators since the US-led invasion in 2003. Many have resettled in the United States after being threatened for working with U.S. troops.

The official said the new executive order also ensures that tens of thousands of legal permanent residents in the United States - or green card holders - from the listed countries would not be affected by the travel ban.

More than two dozen lawsuits were filed in US courts against the original travel ban, and the state of Washington succeeded in having it suspended by the 9th Circuit court of Appeals by arguing that it violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination.

Trump publicly criticised judges who ruled against him and vowed to fight the case in the Supreme Court, but then decided to draw up a new order with changes aimed at making it easier to defend in the courts.  Reuters

US top court sidesteps ruling in transgender rights case

The US Supreme Court avoided a ruling on transgender rights by sending a closely watched case involving bathroom access at a Virginia high school back to a lower court on Monday after President Donald Trump rolled back protections for transgender students

Lawyers for a transgender student named Gavin Grimm, who was born female and identifies as male, had asked the justices to decide the case despite of the Trump administrations February 22 action. The court previously had set arguments in the case for March 28

The brief court order said that the case was sent back to the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which last year ruled in favour of Grimm, for further consideration in light of the guidance document issued by the Trump administration

FBI chief rejects wiretap allegation against Obama

FBI director James Comey has rejected as false Donald Trumps claim that his predecessor Barack Obama had ordered a wiretap of his phone before he was elected US president. Comey reportedly asked the US Justice Department to publicly reject Trumps allegation as he believed there was no evidence to support Trumps highly-charged claim.
"I propose to allocate an outlay of Rs 1000 crore especially for this purpose (SYL Canal) in 2017-18. I assure the august House that for construction of the SYL canal even if Rs 1000 core is required, we will provide the same," Captain Abhimanyu asserted citing the November 30,2016 interim order and February 22,2017 order.

Captain Abhimanyu recalled that while hearing the Presidential Reference, which was pending from last 12 years, the Supreme Court had decided in favour of Haryana and had said that Punjab cannot nullify the previous decision and terminate the agreement.

No fresh taxes have been proposed in the new budget. This is the first time that Haryana's budget has crossed the figure of Rs 1 lakh crore (Rs 1,02,329.35 crore).

Captain Abhimanyu claimed the gross state domestic product (GSDP), which touched the 8.7 per cent mark in 2016-17, will reach 9 per cent during the next financial year.

Captain said the per capita income (PCI), which was four per cent during the Congress regime, has now rebounded to 7.5 per cent in 2015-16 against the national average of 6.6 per cent. The PCI is expected to touch 7.5 per cent mark during the current financial year.

Liquor prices are set to go up in Haryana. The Haryana government has increased Value Added Tax (VAT) and excise duty on liquor from April 2017.

However, the number of liquor vends will not be increased. Besides, liquor vends will be closed in 185 Panchayats, which are against sale of alcohol in their areas.

The state government will shift 500 liquor vends from the highways and national highways following the apex court decision on highways vends.Domestic power consumers set to get cheaper electricity in Haryana. While the liquor will be costlier, the power will be cheaper in the state from next financial year.

Electricity charges are likely to come down as low as 50 to 60 paise per unit. Captain Abhimanyu said the state government has adjusted loans worth Rs 25,950 crore raised by power companies and the state government has saved Rs 800 crore by buying cheaper loans.
OKLAHOMA CITY  A bill headed to the Senate floor would make property owners who destroy drones flying over their land immune from civil action, if there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Sen. Ralph Shortey, R-Oklahoma City, is the author of Senate Bill 660.

The measure passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 11-0 on Feb. 21. Shortey said he wants to have it heard by the full Senate this week or next.

The two-page bill is relatively simple.

A person owning or controlling real estate or who voluntarily damages or destroys a drone located on the real estate or premises or within the airspace of the real estate or premises not otherwise regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration or where a reasonable expectation of privacy exists, shall not be civilly liable for causing the damage or destruction to the property, according to the measure.

Shortey said the issue has become a huge problem.

He cited a situation in 2015 where a drone operated by an animal protection advocacy group, Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, was shot down over a pigeon shoot being held to raise money for U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.

The drone was filming video of the event on private property.

Shortey said the measure does not speak to how the drone is taken down, whether it be with a gun, a net or another device.

He said the measure does not absolve a person who is participating in a criminal activity, such as discharging a weapon where it is prohibited except for self-defense.

It doesnt matter how you damage that thing, Shortey said. As a private citizen, you have a reasonable expectation of privacy above your property where the public does not have access and that is under 400 feet.

Stephen McKeever, Secretary of Science and Technology, serves as chairman of the governors Unmanned Aerial Systems Council, which opposes the bill.

McKeever said drones are classified as an aircraft, adding that is against federal law to shoot down an aircraft.

So, the bill opens itself up to the state pre-emption of federal law, McKeever said.

Secondly, the measure encourages the discharge of a weapon within a residential area, which is against state law, he said.

The bill says the drone can be taken down at any altitude, which runs afoul of federal law, he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration regulates the airspace, he said.

And finally, it gives a very bad impression of Oklahoma, so the council is strongly opposed to this, McKeever said.
Sevens new series Million Dollar Cold Case begins next week.

The new series will replace Murder Uncovered on Wednesday nights, profiling 10 cases with the Victorian Police Homicide Cold Case Team is appealing directly to the audience to help crack unsolved murders that carry a $1M reward.

Seven directs all enquiries and decisions about the reward element to www.vicpolicenews.com.au

We are of the opinion that these cases can be solved, saysDetective Senior Sergeant Peter Trichias. There are some witnesses out there that for one reason or other are reluctant to come forward and were hoping the passage of time and the offer of a one million dollar reward will be enough for that person to make a decision and come forward.

Undoubtedly the most rewarding part of our job is to be able to give answers to the family members and if it takes a million dollars to do that then it is very much money well spent, adds Detective Sergeant Paul Rowe.

In a new concept for Australian True Crime the Homicide Cold Case Team is appealing directly to the audience to help crack unsolved murders. Someone, somewhere, knows who did it.

In each case theres a police reward of one million dollars for new information that leads to the conviction of those responsible for the murder.

At the core of every case is a victim without a voice  now the Homicide Cold Case Team is speaking for them. You will hear the evidence, you will see the suspects  you may have the missing piece of the puzzle that will solve the case.

The killers are still out there, thinking they got away with murder. Its up to the viewing public to help bring them to justice.

A team of highly skilled investigators will guide you through every twist and turn of these compelling crimes as they interview key witnesses and the victims families. You will also hear from the detectives involved in the original investigations and learn why these murders were never solved.

Episode one will look at two cases; the murder of a mother and her nine-year-old daughter in their suburban home; and the brutal murder of a hardworking civil engineer and much loved father of two.

The police have a message for the killers  you will be caught.

Anyone with any information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make contact through their website.

9pm Wednesday March 15 on Seven.
Matt Doran is joining Sunday Night, in addition to his new role with Foxtel.

He joins host Melissa Doyle plus journalists including Steve Pennells, Rahni Sadler, Alex Cullen and Denham Hitchcock.

Its an enormous honour to join the ranks at Sunday Night, which in my opinion is setting the benchmark for long-form journalism in Australia. Viewers are seeking compelling, gritty, worthwhile storytelling, or nothing at all  and I think Sunday Night is one of the few honest Australian programs meeting that demand. Im hitting the ground running  we already have a number of major international investigations underway, he said.

Sunday Night Executive Producer, Hamish Thomson, said: Were delighted to welcome Matt to the Seven Network and Sunday Night. Hes an outstanding news correspondent and crime reporter  passionate, fearless and dedicated to the cause. He joins an exceptional team.

From today he also appears on Crime Watch Daily for Foxtel, with an upcoming hosting role on Crimes That Shook Australia.

Matt returns to Australia after two years working in the US as anchor of Crime Watch Daily, a daily syndicated true crime news program. He began his journalistic career in newspapers, as a crime reporter with Melbournes Herald Sun. Prior to his move stateside, Matt reported for and anchored a number of national news, crime and public affairs programs, including Network Tens Wanted and The Project.

Matt has reported from the frontline of some of the biggest international news events of our time including the tsunami in Japan, earthquakes in New Zealand and the Bali Nine executions. He has infiltrated dangerous Asian gangs to expose the horrors of child slavery and organ trafficking, an investigation for which Matt earned the United Nations Media Award for Outstanding Television Reporting.
Sources in the government said the banks, including private banks like HDFC and ICICI, have been urged to review the charges on cash transactions and ATM withdrawals above a certain limit.

By India Today Web Desk: The government has asked the banks to reconsider their decision to charge customers for cash transactions. It has also asked the state-run State Bank of India to roll back its decision to penalise account holders not maintaining a minimum balance from April 1 onwards.

Sources in the government said the banks, including private banks like HDFC and ICICI, have been urged to review the charges on cash transactions and ATM withdrawals above a certain limit.

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The banks had recently announced that they will levy fees of Rs 150 on deposit or withdrawal of cash from the savings accounts at bank branches beyond four to five times in a month.

The SBI had also made the maintenance of Rs 5000 mandatory for accounts in metropolitan areas, Rs 3000 in urban areas, Rs 2000 in semi-urban areas and Rs 1000 in rural areas.

Also Read:

SBI will penalise you for keeping low balance in account; ATM charges revised

HDFC, ICICI, Axis banks will now charge you Rs 150 after 4 free transactions a month

--- ENDS ---
Iceland has increased its support to UNHCR considerable in recent years and gave its highest contribution ever in 2016 when they donated USD 2.4 million to the Syria crisis, making Iceland the seventh largest donor per capita to UNHCR.

The human tragedy of massive displacement continues to rise around the world and over 65 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to conflicts, war and persecution, more than half of them being children. 90 % of the worlds refugees and people forced to flee within their countries, are living in the developing world of which a fourth in the poorest countries in the world.

In a world of turmoil, refugees and host communities need our support more than ever. Icelands support and commitment to help refugees and forcibly displaced is an important show of solidarity and sends a vital signal of responsibility sharing with the countries in the war-torn regions of the world, says Pia Prytz Phiri, UNHCRs Regional Representative for Northern Europe.

Last year saw intensified violent conflict in many regions, notably Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen with most people fleeing within the immediate region. In South Sudan the situation has escalated into a full-blown humanitarian emergency with more than 1.5 million people having forced to flee the country to seek safety. This makes South Sudan Africas largest refugee crisis and the worlds third largest after Syria and Afghanistan  with less attention and chronic levels of underfunding.

The majority of the refugees, more than 1.1 million people, are being hosted by Uganda. 86 % of them are women and children who arrive exhausted and severely malnourished after having walked and hidden in the forests for days. Sidah Hawa and her six children recently reached Uganda after fleeing for three days through the bush without any proper food. She has now arrived to Palorinya settlement where each family will be given a piece of land for shelter.

I feared for my family safety, so I had to leave my home. The journey was hard as I had no food for my children and fed them with raw cassava and water

Sidah Hawa, 30, who fled with her six children from South Sudan to Uganda
More than 3000 days of travel, 900 flights, 10 passports--this adventurer has been hosted by over 1000 hotels, and he's just 28 years of age.

By Disha Roy Choudhury: A young boy, from a small town in Denmark, was looking for adventure when he decided to pack his bags and explore the world all by himself.

Today, Henrik Jeppesen is a popular globetrotter, having visited every single country on earth. Besides being a traveller, he is also a blogger and a much sought-after travel advisor (obviously).

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As exciting as it may seem, this travel expedition was not bereft of challenges, confesses Henrik, in a brief tete-a-tete with India Today Digital.

The most important thing for becoming such an avid traveller? Planning in advance. Always. Here's what he has to say about his experience:

1. What is it that inspired you to embark on such an extensive tour?

It's a process. I grew up in a remote part of Denmark where there wasn't much to do, so I made travel a big priority. I was inspired by watching foreign films, including Bollywood films, and decided it would be better to go out and experience the countries first-hand instead of looking through a screen. First, I wanted to do 50 countries, then 100 and then I felt comfortable doing them all. Why? I think because I could. I had the chance to visit every country, and I love travelling. It was probably not on my mind initially as I thought of it as being unrealistic. When I realised I can actually do them all, both safety and finances-wise, I decided to go for it.

2. What kind of challenges did you face while travelling solo?

It was difficult to deal with loneliness in the beginning, but I got used to it. The biggest challenges in visiting every country in the world are money and time. The time I could afford, but I didn't have much money. It was a real challenge and I had to be very careful about every spending. In the beginning, staying with lots of local people and booking a lot of promotional tickets of low-cost airlines helped--like flying from India to Malaysia for around 50 Dollars, then around another 50 to Australia. In Europe alone, there were many times when I bought flight tickets under 20 Dollars. Accommodation and flights are two things, but there are many more ways to be savvy with money while travelling; hitchhiking instead of taking taxis turned out to be a convenient option. I hitchhiked with more than 1000 cars. I also ate meals at supermarkets instead of restaurants in expensive countries.

Picture courtesy: HenrikTravel.com

3. How would you distinguish between your experience of couch-surfing and staying in luxury hotels?

I did couch-surfing in the beginning to cut down on cost and to experience the local culture. When I got my blog and was able to stay for free in luxury hotels, I began doing that too, as it's hard to resist the opportunity of staying at some of the world's best hotels.

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4. What are some safety measures one should take when travelling solo?

Research and have at least one local contact in the supposedly dangerous countries. Use common sense and you'll probably, like me, be surprised how safe the world is.

5. Have you visited any destination in India? Which ones?

A lot of places, actually. India is an incredible country to travel. I have visited Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Kashmir, Sikkim, Goa, Bangalore, Jaipur, Udaipur, Agra, the Andaman Islands, and West Bengal, among other places.

Also Read: First Indian woman to drive solo to the coldest inhabited place on earth, Nidhi Tiwari, talks about her journey

6. Some countries you would recommend for a visit?

South Africa, New Zealand, Italy, and the Seychelles. Italy is my favourite European country for its outstanding food, nice climate and friendly people. South Africa is a very diverse and yet affordable country with a lot of things to do and see--world-class beaches, safaris, nature, and great climate. New Zealand is such a beautiful and safe country with stunning nature and a great culture. The Seychelles is an amazing group of islands where one can completely de-stress and relax in very beautiful surroundings.

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7. What has been your major take away from this world tour?

I know about every country in the world. It is nice to explore what it's actually like to be there and what some of the people are like. I have proven it is important to follow your dreams instead of doing what is expected of you. Follow your heart and do what you love--that is an important thing I have learned and I want to continue to live this way.

You can follow Henrik's travels and get his tips on Facebook, Instagram and his blog.

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Microsoft continues to be tight-lipped regarding the release date of its upcoming Microsoft Surface Pro 5. Nonetheless, the tech giant's changes in its online store have ignited to the already burning rumors about the hardware's looming launch. When the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 hits the store shelves, the device is expected to bring down Apple's iPad Pro 2.

Interestingly, the Redmond, Washington based tech company has ousted the Surface Pro 3 from its online store, leading many tech critics and fans to believe that Microsoft company is indeed prepping the launch of the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 in spring 2017, PC Advisor reported. Wherein, some reports claim that the hybrid device is the tech monster's answer to the rumored Apple iPad Pro 2. It's worth noting that the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 release date would correspond to the arrival of the Windows 10 Creators Update, which according to the tech company's earlier announcement the update launches in April 2017. Some tech analysts claim the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 could roll out around the same time.

Nevertheless, the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 is anticipated to come along with a new version of Surface Pen. The upcoming Surface Pro device is expected with an upgraded display screen, which will cater the heavy multimedia users. Also, it is likely that the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will run on the company's latest version of the Windows 10 operating system, according to Smart Stock News. The Microsoft Surface Pro 5 is said to roll out with Intel's latest Kaby Lake processors and a 12.3-inch Ultra HD/4K display.

Meanwhile, the iPad Pro 2 will be powered by the Apple's own A10X chipset. Apple's device is said to arrive with an Apple Pencil and a smart keyboard. In spite of that, the Apple iPad Pro 2 can only be utilized as a tablet, while the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will be able to use either as a laptop or a tablet.

Watch The Video Here:
Face it, most people expect others to always be resilient no matter what trials one is facing or might face in the future; however, with it comes an unspoken notion - especially among younger ones - that asking for help, even in regards to mental illness, is a sign of weakness. But what if it's actually the other way around?

Yes, it is right. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Because when it comes to having a mental illness, it's a sign that one is strong and determined enough to overcome what he is going through. Sadly, some people tend to forget this and the fact that one can only handle so much.

According to BBC News, a YouGov poll for Prince's Trust indicates that a significant number of young people have the "fear" of talking to someone about their problems - with over three-quarters perturbing it as being weak and a quarter preferring to never confide in anyone else.

Further detailed on the same publication, it must be admitted that this is, indeed, "extremely worrying," as Professor Louise Arseneault from Kings College's Institute of Psychology and Neuroscience stated. He also expressed concern over young people completely losing their confidence at later stages in their lives, which could be a permanent effect from the "major obstacle" that is asking for help. "It shouldn't be like this," he added.

On a more positive note, The Huffington Post reports that expressing feelings - be it through words, actions, or by simply doing things that a person loves - can help him overcome the "fear" of talking to someone about their problems. Guest blogger Sean S. shares his experience on the same post for the mental health awareness campaign, first developed by McLean Hospital in May 2016. He was 13 when he had his first panic attack and is now a 36-year-old artist who is looking for more ways to help those who are suffering mental illnesses via expressing their feelings through art.

For those who are suffering from any kind of mental illness, always remember: they don't have to go through it alone.
Technology has improved the lives of people all over the world, in innumerable, amazing ways. However, despite its many advantages, it can also work as a disadvantage and it holds true even for education. The education technology that predicts a student's risk of failure concerns many students as they said that it might just set them up for failure instead of increasing their chance to succeed.

A high tech software was designed with the intention of helping students by predicting the ones who are at risk of failure, but this poses concern for many students instead, according to The Hechinger Report. The students feel worried that because of the data, their teachers might have a different label and impression on them before they even get the chance to make their own. They fear that it will leave a stigma in them that will stay even after they have improved. If their teachers will get to know them, they want it to happen not with the help of an algorithm or technology.

Students from community colleges have raised their concerns during an EduCon 2.9 panel at Philadelphia's Science Leadership Academy last month, according to Education Dive. One student at Michigan's Macomb Community College said that they do not even know who chooses it and who it pulling the strings. The other students said that it is difficult to have stereotypes and systems in place that will just prevent them or hold them back from reaching their full potential. They also said that they cannot completely trust digital systems.

Promoters of these programs said that this can help educators identify the students at risk of failure so that they will be given the help they need, but students do not see it that way.
Today's job market is so highly competitive that college students feel the need to gather experiences that will make them standout and be seen on top of employer's expectations. And one excellent example of an experience that will catch your employer's attention is your experience in studying abroad.

According to IES abroad, pursuing higher education in a foreign country will change your life, and you will be coming back as a different person. You will numerous long term benefits than you ever imagine and it includes the impact on your personal, academic and professional life. It will influence your career path, your self-confidence and the way you perceive things, and view the world.

A student shared her experience with The Bulletin and said that every student should be studying abroad. Courtney Cranford, a senior sociology major studied in Florence, Italy last spring and she shared how every single day of living and studying in a foreign country is a new experience.

The Office of International Education (OIE) offers roughly 63 countries where students can study at, including the US. Ciera Symmonds, senior administrative assistant in the OIE said that students would typically come in and ask about a particular country and what they offer in the country and try to meet the need of that country. And if it does not work that way, they still try to stick within the same region, she said.

According to Symmonds, when students choose to study in a country with a different language, they just learn the language while they are there, because language was not really found to be a huge barrier. Europeans know how to speak English too, although she encourages students to learn the native language of the country because it is a sign of respect and care for them and for their country.
SpaceX most probably having its heyday after successfully launching its first rocket from NASA's space pad at 9:38 am Sunday in Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. It then reached the International Space Station to payload astronauts. SpaceX now extends Elon Musk's dream of bringing private citizens to the moon.

According to Florida Today, SpaceX attempt to fly two private citizens to the moon would be the only follow-up mission to NASA's Apollo 11 Moon landing 50 years ago. Pitching on to follow up one of NASA's greatest explorations raises eyebrows for SpaceX's real motive and capacity.

The reports added that NASA has been invited to join SpaceX in accomplishing such mission. With its more powerful and experienced astronauts, NASA has not yet given its official response. This led some to speculate that NASA is weighing its options since SpaceX might only be taking advantage of its rich resource.

An indirect address to such speculation, NexGen Space President Charles Miller expressed his approval to the offer. Miller said NASA should say an unequivocally yes and either NASA gets out and gets involved with this, or the message that will be received by the American people is that NASA is irrelevant.

Miller is a known commercial space advocate who served the Trump administration's NASA transition team. He ended up his side saying SpaceX is going to the moon with or without NASA, so NASA needs to say 'yes' to this offer.

Meanwhile, SpaceX Moon mission already has the blueprint for its upcoming launch. It will kick off with a rocket testing this Summer, Space reported. The test launch will be conducted since the rocket has not flown outside of Earth yet.

SpaceX Moon mission has selected the new Falcon Heavy which is a variation of Falcon 9 rocket. It will launch the crewed Dragon 2 spacecraft to the moon. Meanwhile, Dragon 2 will headline its first test flights in November this year.
Charles Murray, a conservative writer, has slammed Middlebury College students after they protested against his event at the school. His scheduled lecture was disrupted by protesters on Thursday night.

Murray said that he has never encountered anything like the environment at Middlebury College, TIME reported. Protesters chanted about how racist, sexist and anti-gay the social scientist is and that they cannot tolerate his message of hatred.

Charles Murray became controversial for his 1994 book entitled "The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life." It gained backlash for linking intelligence with race and the author has been deemed as a "white nationalist" by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

According to the Associated Press, via the Washington Post, Professor Allison Stanger was injured after the protest against Charles Murray. The demonstration got violent after the talk and a protester pulled Stanger's hair, causing her to twist her neck.

Murray took to Twitter to praise the Middlebury College administration for being "exemplary." The students, however, he described as "seriously scary."

The college's president, Laurie L. Patton, also expressed her deep disappointment at the events. She said that members of the college community failed to live up to the institution's core values. She did admit that she believes that several of the protesters were "outside agitators" but that there were also students who were involved in the violent protests.

Charles Murray shared the events from his vantage point as well. He revealed that he and Bill Burger, Vice President for Communications at Middlebury, met to go over a contingency plan in the event that protesters did not stop.

He recounted that he only got halfway through his first sentence before the uproar began, which went on for about 20 minutes in his estimate. Burger came on stage to announce that the people who wanted to hear the lecture should be able to hear what Murray had to say.

Murray and Stanger then were led out of the lecture hall and into an improvised studio, which was part of their backup plan. He spoke to the camera as his lecture was livestreamed, which was when the fire alarm went off. However, the protests never stopped and Ms. Stanger twisted her neck as they braced the mob to go through their getaway car.
EatStreet is an online food ordering service that was founded in 2010 by Matt Howard, Eric Martell and Alex Wyler, who were then University of Wisconsin - Madison students. Since then, the company has grown to over 15,000 restaurants in more than 150 markets across the nation.

The website came about when co-founder, Eric Martell, used campusfood.com to order food for delivery, USA Today reported. He was informed by the delivery driver that it would be cheaper to order food directly over the phone than by using the website since it charged 75 cents just for placing the order.

Martell then told his roommate, Alex Wyler, about his experience and decided that they wanted to create their own food delivery website. They were both computer science and computer engineering majors.

Moreover, they felt that the website would overtake the competition in popularity if they made it free for people to use. They were both confident that they can handle the technical operation of making and maintaining the website. However, they needed someone who could convince businesses to work with them.

This is where Matt Howard came in. He was an economics and political science major who has had experience in selling cars.

One of the challenges that they faced during the development of the EatStreet website was that businesses refused to work with them unless the service has been proven to work for other businesses. One of the first restaurants who signed up for the service was Silver Mine Subs in Madison.

The owner, Ken Brenner, got convinced because Howard kept on dropping by to ask him to use their website. He was impressed by the college students' product and customer service.

As time passed, the EatStreet founders were able to convince more restaurants to use their service. Within a year, they had 100 Madison restaurants on the website.

There are a lot of things that students can do to start their own business in college. Some easy startup ideas for college students include providing tutoring, cleaning, transportation, web design and development as well as marketing services.
Cardiff Metropolitan University in the U.K. has banned gender-specific nouns such as "right-hand man," "sportsmanship" and "gentleman's agreement." This is reportedly part of its initiative to use more inclusive, gender-neutral language.

However, the school has been accused of censoring free speech. Other banned words include "forefathers" and "mankind."

Its revised code of practice has stated that more appropriate terms should be used, The Independent reported. Cardiff Metropolitan University also said that a student's cultural background should not affect their choice of words on campus.

34 words and phrases have been banned by the university as part of its cultural diversity initiative. Students and staff will face disciplinary measures if they fail to follow the language policy.

Some, though, have expressed their disappointment at Cardiff Metropolitan University for restricting their free speech. The policy has been labeled as an "insulting" attempt to tell them what they should or should not say.

University of Kent and author of "Academic Freedom in an Age of Conformity" Dr. Joanna Williams described the policy as "authoritarian." She added that it was an attempt to control the way people think and say things. She also argued that the banned words were a result of history and "don't have sexist associations," according to Express.

BBC noted that Cardiff Metropolitan University has offered alternatives to gender-specific phrases. An example is using "best person for the job" instead of "best man for the job." For "sportsmanship," "fairness, "good humor" and "sense of fair play" should be used.

Last December, Oxford University has urged other higher education institutions to be more gender neutral and "remove gender-specific titles." It is aimed at enabling all members of its community to feel welcome, safe, valued and supported.

The University of Sussex has also announced its Gender Inclusive Language Policy. This urges students to specify their preferred pronoun at the start in order to prevent offense.
Believer with Reza Aslan, a six-episode "spiritual adventures series", was premiered yesterday. The show explores the facts and myths behind the Aghori, a mystical Hindu sect known for extreme rituals.

By Press Trust of India: A number of Hindu Americans were up in arms against CNN for airing a show which they alleged portrays Hinduism in a negative light.

Believer with Reza Aslan, a six-episode "spiritual adventures series", was premiered yesterday. The show explores the facts and myths behind the Aghori, a mystical Hindu sect known for extreme rituals.

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Eminent Indian American Shalabh Kumar, a top supporter of the US President Donald Trump said, "this is a disgusting attack on Hinduism."

In a tweet, Kumar said, "Hinduism has been attacked because a large number of Hindu Americans supported Trump during the election campaign."

"I condemn @rezaaslan, CNN for airing Believer with fiction. Disgusting attack on Hindus for supporting @POTUS @stephenkbannon @newtgingrich," Kumar, also the founder of Republican Hindu Coalition said in a tweet.

A host of individuals and organisations joined him against the CNN show.

"When we are witnessing intolerant attacks on minorities, telecasting this serial will add more misrepresentation, bias and may lead more hate crimes," said Khanderao Kand, a community leader who had initiated efforts to eradicate misrepresentation of Hinduism in California text books in 2004.

SHOW CHARACTERISED HINDUISM AS CANNIBALISTIC

"With multiple reports of hate-fuelled attacks against people of Indian origin from across the US, the show characterises Hinduism as cannibalistic, which is a bizarre way of looking at the third largest religion in the world," US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) said in a statement.

It urged CNN to stop the show from being aired at the night.

"We are very disappointed. This is an issue that is of deep concern to the Indian American community evidenced by the large number of calls/emails we have received. In a charged environment, a show like this can create a perception about Indian Americans which could make them more vulnerable to further attacks," said USINPAC chairman Sanjay Puri.

CNNs "Believer with Reza Aslan" show promotes xenophobia and Hinduphobia, alleged Ajay Shah of American Hindus Against Defamation.

Also read:

Go back to f***ing India you f***ing Hindu: Indian-origin Canadian faces racist attack

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March 6 2017

South Ayrshire Council are to press ahead with a new Invergarven School later this month within the grounds of Girvan Academy, in a boost to the education of children and young people with additional support needs. The 3.7m school has been conceived by JM Architects and the councils own professional design service to take the place of the current Invergarven special school for children of primary and secondary age.Built in 1870 this has reached the end of its design life, necessitating construction of a new build delivering modern teaching spaces as well as specialist accommodation including a sensory room, life skills kitchen, multi-use hall, hydrotherapy pool and outdoor learning spaces.The single storey school will include five classrooms with dedicated support and medical rooms, allowing capacity to be increased by a third to 20 children when the new school opens in April 2018.
Contrary to the rest of India, Holi is not a two-day festival in Braj. It lasts almost an entire month, with preparations starting from Vasant Panchmi and lasting several days past Holika Dahan ceremony.

By Siraj Qureshi: The Holi of Braj has a special place on the global stage and for that reason, thousands of foreign tourists throng to Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana areas where the Latthmaar Holi becomes their primary attraction.

Even this year, large numbers of tourists, both foreign and domestic, have booked their itineraries for celebrating Holi at Mathura, Gokul, Barsana and Vrindavan, although the Uttar Pradesh elections may have put a dampener on Holi spirits, with the police and administration especially cautious to prevent any post-election violence following the declaration of results on March 11.

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Contrary to the rest of India, Holi is not a two-day festival in Braj. It lasts almost an entire month, with preparations starting from Vasant Panchmi and lasting several days past Holika Dahan ceremony. All major temples of the Braj region are full of devotees at this time as Holi is said to be the favourite festival of Lord Krishna and Braj is Krishna's birthplace.

A temple priest in Gokul told India Today that over 500 tonnes of Abeer and Gulal are expected to be used in this year's Holi celebrations in Braj. In several places, the flowers of 'Tesu' tree will also be used for organic colours for playing Holi. He said that the festival of Holi lasts for 40 days past Vasant Panchmi in the Braj region, where more than 500 temples organise Holi festivities.

NATURAL COLOURS

Social activist and senior citizen Pt Shanti Swaroop Sharma said that the Holi of Braj has a very special importance and the preparations for the festival, including the manufacturing of colors begins from Vasant Panchmi itself. Natural colours are gaining more prominence compared to chemically made colours now, although there are several colour manufacturing factories in Hathras that claim to be producing chemical colours that are softer on skin.

LATTHMAR HOLI

Apart from the holi played with colours, the most prominent attraction of the Braj holi is the Latthmar Holi of Barsana, where women rain blows of wooden sticks on men and the men protect themselves with wooden shields while moving through the narrow lanes of the village. It is an attraction that pulls foreign tourists from across the globe to Barsana both to witness and participate in the Latthmar Holi celebrations in Barsana as it is a popular belief that being hit by these wooden sticks relieves all pains from the life of the participant.

UP ELECTIONS

A senior administrative official told India Today that this Holi will be major test for the police and administration as the election results in UP will be declared on 11th March and Holi being on 12/13 March, preventing any post-electoral incidents from happening in the region. He said that it will be the special effort of the administration to involve the local citizens in each area in ensuring a peaceful Holi this year.

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Inspector General of Police Agra Zone Sujeet Pandey told India Today that last year, around 10 lakh people reached Barsana to view the Latthmar Holi and even this time the numbers are more or less the same, despite the electoral fever in the entire UP.

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A group from Galway, Ireland, whose music combines Irish sounds with American and bluegrass influences will perform at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in March.

We Banjo 3 will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, at the Laird Room in the Dreyfus University Center, 1015 Reserve St., Stevens Point. Tickets are now on sale for $13.75 in advance or $17.75 the day of the show, plus service fees. Purchase tickets through the Dreyfus University Center University Information and Ticket Office, http://tickets.uwsp.edu or 1-800-838-3378.

We Banjo 3 uses banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, vocals and percussion to make up what they call "Celtgrass," a fusion of modern rhythms, traditional melodies, virtuosic technique and innovative arrangements. Irish Music Magazine called their music "pure listening pleasure."

The band includes two sets of brothers, Enda and Fergal Scahill and Martin and David Howley, who are among the most celebrated and distinguished young musicians in Ireland today. They released a fourth album, "String Theory," in 2016.

In addition to performing in Europe, the group has toured in the United States and appeared at Milwaukee's Irish Fest. They performed at the 2015 "Friends of Ireland" luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., attended by the president, vice president, speaker of the house and Irish prime minister.
UW Education Programs Receive National Recognition Designation

UW Lab School students participate in a science lesson at the Shell 3-D Visualization Center. Alan Buss, UW associate professor of elementary and early childhood education, designed the lesson. UWs secondary science education program is among seven College of Education programs that recently received the National Recognition designation. (UW Photo)

Seven University of Wyoming College of Education academic programs received the highest possible rating during comprehensive national program reviews conducted as part of the colleges 2016 reaccreditation process.

The programs that received the National Recognition designation from their respective Specialized Professional Associations (SPAs) reviews are: early childhood education minor/endorsement program; educational leadership, masters degree program; educational leadership, doctoral degree program; English as a second language certificate program; secondary mathematics education; secondary modern languages education; and secondary science education.

Each program submitted a comprehensive report, written by faculty and administrators, describing and documenting student accomplishments related to program-specific curriculum standards.

These programs join others in the College of Education that have previously received the National Recognition designation from SPAs or program approval through review performed by the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB), including the undergraduate English education program and the Master of Arts in special education degree program.

The process of program review by the relevant SPAs is a rigorous one for our programs that lead to licensure by the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board, says Leslie Rush, associate dean of undergraduate programs in the UW College of Education. Our faculty members have aligned their curricula with content-specific standards, collected data to support our understanding of candidate learning, and systematically used those data to constantly improve our programs. Were excited that the hard work of the faculty has resulted in positive outcomes, both for our programs and for our students.

Each SPA body defines review criteria based on standards set by its respective governing organization (for example, the National Council of Teachers of English and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics). The Wyoming PTSB examines programs without a relevant SPA body.

While different SPAs require different specific elements, they generally have three basic components: a description providing context for the programs and their graduates (such as program aims, state culture/needs and hiring environments for graduates); six to eight specific assessments documenting standards-based student achievement; and a description of how the program uses assessment data to improve student performance and program quality.

Assessment evidence required in the reviews generally falls into four categories: content, planning, teaching and impact on student learning. Examples of the types of assessment that programs may be required to provide include: results of the PRAXIS II (content knowledge) test; GPA data in required courses, aligned to standards; assessment data from a course assignment; student teaching rubric; and edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment) data.

Results from the latest program reviews were used as evidence of meeting applicable standards during the colleges reaccreditation through the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

The College of Education received accreditation for the next seven years based on NCATE standards.

Starting last fall, the college began revising its assessments to meet the new standards set by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), which succeeded NCATE as the official accrediting body for educator preparation providers, Rush says.

The College of Educations next accreditation visit -- using the CAEP standards -- is scheduled for spring 2023.
According to Vashi Police, the arrested accused were involved in forwarding the message on WhatsApp. Police are yet to trace the source of the messages.

By Mustafa Shaikh: Four people have been arrested by police in connection with the HSC exam paper leak. Three of the four accused arrested by the Vashi Police are students.

The question papers were circulated through the instant messaging app WhatsApp just before the exams were to start.

HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW: On receiving a complaint, the Navi Mumbai Police registered two separate cases of offence--Marathi paper was leaked on March 2, paper on Secretarial Practice was leaked on March 4. The accused have been identified as Rahul Bachelal Bhaskar (22), Azaruddin Kamaruddin Shaikh (20), Mohammad Aman Mohammad Islam Shaikh (19) and Suresh Jha (26). Among them, Jha is a tuition teacher. According to Vashi Police, the arrested accused were involved in forwarding the message on WhatsApp. Police are yet to trace the source of the messages. The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and Other Specified Examination Act as well as under the Information Technology Act. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), which conducts the Class 12 HSC exams, filed an FIR at the Vashi Police Station on Friday after it found out that Marathi paper was leaked just before the exam started on Thursday. On Saturday, another FIR was registered after three pages of the Secretarial Practice question paper were found to have been circulated on the same WhatsApp group.

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ALSO READ:

Maharashtra Boards 2017: Class 12 paper leak on social media

Army recruitment exam leak: 350 students caught cheating to be made witnesses

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The Sri Lankan Navy opened fire at a group of fishermen who were fishing between Danushkodi and Katchatheevu.

Approximate location of where the incident took place

By Akshaya Nath, India Today Web Desk: One Indian fisherman has been killed after the Sri Lankan Navy opened fired at a group of fishermen off the coast of Tamil Nadu. The fishermen were fishing between Danushkodi and Katchatheevu.

Four other fishermen have sustained injuries in the incident.

The deceased has been identified as 32-year-old Britso and his body is currently being brought to Rameshwaram.

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In a separate incident from two days ago, 15 Indian fishermen were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy and all their equipment and fishing gear was taken away.

Also read: 24 more Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka; total of 50 arrested in the past week

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